WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.

COM

8
THE INDIAN EXPRESS, TUESDAY, JULY 21, 2020
WORDLY WISE

THE EDITORIAL PAGE

An onion can make people cry but there's never
been a vegetable that can make people laugh.
— WILL ROGERS

State and Temple

FOUNDED BY
§

§
RAMNATH GOENKA
Court findings in Padmanabhaswamy case turn on
BECAUSE THE TRUTH INVOLVES US ALL
specific facts. But there are wider ramifications

POTATO TEARS Pratap Bhanu Mehta

Price rise underlines need to not just invest in cold stores, but IN THE SRI Marthanda Varma vs State of templebythestateofTamilNadu.Thisis,iron- Padmanabhaswamy temple, lower castes
Kerala, a two-judge Supreme Court bench ically, at the same moment when BJP govern- were not allowed in on important occasions
also crop area planning, for more informed planting decisions overturned a Kerala High Court finding that mentsinstateslikeUttarakhandwantthestate tillthemid-twentiethcentury.Andtheman-

A
the Travancore royal family had no role in
SPURT IN vegetable prices, especially of tomatoes and potatoes, raises ques- controlling or managing the Sri
tionsnotonlyontheReserveBankof India’s(RBI)headroomforfurtherinter- Padmanabhaswamy Temple. In 1949, the
est rate cuts, but even for continuing with its accommodative monetary pol- princely state of Travancore had signed a
icystancetorevivegrowthandinvestmentintheeconomy.Thisisevenmore covenant with the Union of India that the
sowithconsumerpriceinflation,at6.09percentinJune,alreadycrossingthecentralbank’s rulers of Travancore, Balarama Varma and
his legitimate successors, could control the
6 per cent lakshman rekha and the pass-through effects of the Rs 11-12/litre increase in
managementof thetemple. In1971,the26th
diesel prices since last month still to be felt. Vegetables turning dearer can significantly in- Amendment to the Constitution had abol-
fluence household inflation expectations that are also a key metric factored in by the RBI’s ished all royal titles. So the conundrum: If
monetarypolicycommittee.InitslastMay22meeting,thecommitteehadtakennoteofthe there were no royal titles, could there be a
“unusual spike in food inflation in April”, which it expected to “moderate” on the back of a royal family? If there was no royal family,
normal monsoon. how could it control the temple? The
Supreme Court held that the 26th
Retailpotatopricesgoingup,fromroughlyRs20toRs30perkginthelastthreemonths,
Amendmentdidnotimpugntherightsof the
shouldn’tsurprise.Themainrabicrop,whichfarmersharvestinJanuary-Marchandmainly royal family in the case of the
keepincoldstoresformakingstaggeredsalestillOctober-November,hasbeenanestimated Padmanabhaswamy temple.
25 per cent lower this time. The reason: Poor price realisations for the last three seasons The Supreme Court’s finding turned on
(2016-17 to 2018-19), leading farmers to sow less in 2019-20. Given the production short- two claims. A vast number of temples in
fall,thecurrentpricesareactuallyreasonable.Thepotatostoryissimilartoonionslastyear. Kerala had been handed over to state trusts
in 1949. That there was a specific covenant
Then, too, it was the price crash from a bumper 2017-18 crop that made farmers reduce
concerning the Padmanabhaswamy temple
plantings the following year. Aloo prices would have gone the pyaaz way, but for the lock- made it an exception. It also turned on the
down-inducedshutdownof eateriesanddipinconsumptionof potato-basedsnacksfrom metaphysically interesting claim that the
samosasto french fries. More than potatoes, therise in tomato prices— from Rs20 toRs50 royalfamilywasnotroyalbyvirtueof itspar-
perkgwithinhardlytwomonths—isstriking.ThefactthatgrowersweregettingRs3-5/kg ticular title, but because it was a particular
for their produce in May, while even dumping them on roads, should not be lost on con- family.Theroyalfamilyhadplayedakeyrole
sumers. Nor the fact that onions are retailing today at around Rs 20, as against Rs 90-100 at inmanagingthetemple;butthatrolederived
fromthecentralityof kingshipinthemanag-
the year’s start.
ingof thetemple.Itwasthekingwho,afterall,
Therealtakeaway onvegetablesis theneedfor notjustinvesting incoldstores.Neither offered his realm to Padmanabhaswamy as
these nor in-field kanda chawl storage structures have reduced price volatility in potatoes the sovereign. So in this sense the case was
andonions.Whatisnecessary—especiallywhenIndiahasmovedfrombeingastructurally not about a title to property. It was about
deficit to surplus producer — is crop area planning. Farmers should have access to credible whether kingship could have a role when
forecasts of opening stocks, domestic consumption and export demand for all crops to en- therewerenokings.TheSupremeCourtheld
thatitwasthefamilylineage,notthetitle,that
ablethemtomaketherightplantingdecisions.ThisisajobanagencyliketheCommission
made this family royal.
for Agricultural Costs and Prices should be entrusted with. Wild price and acreage swings
The findings in the Padmanabhaswamy
ultimately benefit no one — whether farmers, consumers, processors or policymakers. case turn on facts specific to the case. But the
case has wider political ramifications. Many
have been arguing that thousands of temples
needtobeliberatedfromthestate,particularly
Many have been arguing that
thousands of temples need to
be liberated from the state,
particularly in South India.
They see the political climate
as ripe for it. And they see the
evolving jurisprudence in the
Supreme Court, driven by a
constellation of ‘conservative’
judges, as setting a new
precedent for wresting control
of temples away from the
state. This was most recently
seen in the Chidambaram
temple case, which limited the
duration of management of
to take over more temples.
The spectre of a secular state managing
thousands of temples through properly or-
ganised government departments is an
anomaly. The future chief justice, Patanjali
Sastri,hadarguedinthedebateovertheHindu
Religious and Charitable Endowments Act
that “rigid departmental control over the re-
ligious institutions and management was
against the secular nature of the Indian
Constitution”. The distinction that the state
managesthesecularaspectsofthetempleand
not its religious aspects can be hard to main-
tain. The line between what is a private de-
nominational temple, and what is a public
temple, has always been deeply politicised.
The Right is partially correct that liberals
sometimes worry too little about the statism
implicit in the state running temples. State
managementofthesetemplesneedsscrutiny.
ButtheHindutvanarrative,thatthisphe-
nomenonisanotherinstanceof thestatevic-
timising Hindus, is exaggerated myth mak-
ing. No Hindu religious worship has been
impeded. The histories of the management
of specifictemplesandstateendowmentacts
vary. But broadly speaking, there was a gen-
uine conundrum over who has sovereign
rights over the administration of historically
significanttemples.Templeswereritualscaf-
foldings for maintaining kingship; the king,
while leaving theological matters to priests,
was responsible for management oversight.
Askingshipdissolved,thequestionwas:Who
wouldstepinforthatmanagementrole?The
answer was, other Hindus, but now through
thedemocraticmechanismsof thestate.This
is not an instance of the state exercising sov-
ereigntyoverHindus;itisHinduscollectively
governingtheirtemplesthroughnewmech-
anisms.Sothecampaigntorescuetemplesis
not about rescuing Hindus from the state.
agement of temples is the source of patron-
age. So thecontest is,who controls,asDevraj
Urs once put it, endowment, hereditary and
patronagerights.ItisnotaboutHindusbeing
victimised. The systematisation of temple
management challenged these nodes of
power. A lot of the exaggerated angst about
thestatemanagingtemplescomesfromade-
sire to wrest control over these nodes of
power; it is the ressentiment of privilege as-
serting itself against democratisation. There
isalegitimatequestion:Whoshouldallocate
the vast resources that temples command?
Neitherprivatetrustsnorthegovernmenthas
used them for the enlightened public good.
But this question is not well served by dis-
counting the serious moral imperatives that
led to state oversight of temples. No wonder
the BJP in power understands some of this
logic,evenasitsadherentslaunchcampaigns
to rescue allegedly colonised temples.
There is also an irony here. It is actually
the state’s systematisation of temple man-
agement the created a singular legal identity
for Hindu temples in the first place; Tamil
Nadu, for example, treats collections from
Hindu temples as a common pool that can
be shared by other struggling temples. It is
actuallytheverystate,whomthetempleres-
cue brigade reviles, that created a national
Hindu legal identity, and perhaps unwit-
tingly abetted Hindutva in its political form.
In the Padmanabhaswamy case also, the
court has tried a fine line. While it invokes
the hereditary principle to secure the royal
family’s rights, it still retains the mechanism
of anAdministrativeCommitteewherestate
functionaries have a role. Given its specific
features, it is not clear that the
Padmanabhaswamycasesets,inlegalterms,
a precedent for radically reconstituting the
governanceof templesastheRightsupposes.

UNLOCKING THE CLASSROOM inSouthIndia.Theyseethepoliticalclimateas

ripe for it. And they see the evolving jurispru-
dence in the Supreme Court, driven by a con-
stellationof“conservative”judges,assettinga
Decision must be taken with caution, after wide consultations newprecedentforwrestingcontroloftemples
with local governments, schools, parents away from the state. This was most recently
the temple by the state of Hindu temples are run by Hindus. It is about
Tamil Nadu. This is, displacing one mechanism controlled by
ironically, at the same Hindus, with another set of Hindus.
moment when BJP Temples were not just at the centre of
kingship. They controlled land; and vast re-
governments in states like sources. They were often mechanisms of ex-
But then temples, as we know, are never
about the law. The idols in the temple are
meant to be pathways to a luminous con-
sciousness; the management of temples is
always a pathway to murky politics.

T
seenintheChidambaramtemplecase,which Uttarakhand want the state to clusion,inthereligioushierarchiesandnorms The writer is contributing editor,
HE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC has led to a crisis in education, amplifying and limited the duration of management of the take over more temples. of entry they instituted. Even in the The Indian Express
deepening the many fault lines that existed in an already unequal schooling
system.Inthepushtomoveeducationonline,millionsof children,whodonot
have the privilege of geography, income and broadband speeds, are being left
disadvantaged. In this context, the Union Ministry for Human Resource Development’s
three-day deadline to states and Union territories, asking them to come back with par-

ART IN THE AGE OF COVID

ents’ views on when they would want schools to reopen — August, September or October
— might seem like another pragmatic step that will allow us “to live with the virus”.
But with cases in India crossing one million and showing no signs of slowing down,
opening schools remains rife with risk — and should be approached with immense cau-
tion. Convincing the adult population to follow social distancing and wear masks is still Art that is relayed digitally misses the warmth and context of human contact
work in progress, as is amply evident in public places. To expect children to be better at
it, when put together in enclosed spaces, is a wholly unrealistic assessment in the mid-
dle of a pandemic. How, then, do governments and societies come up with a solution that Yashodhara Dalmia
compensates for the absence of this vital social space in the lives of children? One way
would be to stop panicking about children “falling behind” in some imaginary academic IT WAS ONLY a year after it was discovered is the raw immediacy of these paintings that through digital means. There are virtual
that photography came to India in 1840. stays in memory. shows, webinars and zoom discussions. The
race. The closure of schools is a setback in many other ways — for the millions of children
Unlike painted likenesses of individuals or The last works done by Mughal artists, as vastexpansionof knowledgethishasbought
whose nutrition is supplemented by mid-day meals, for example, it has grim implica- groups, photographs captured the moment wellastheMughalruleitself,becameathing about could only be possible through these
tions for their future health. For others, it is a loss of solidarity and social life that has con- paralleling the functions of memory. But in of the past in the disastrous aftermath of the brilliant and innovative means. It is as if the
sequences for mental health. For teachers who have not been paid salaries, it underlines doing so, it deprived the image of the warm, 1857 uprising. The accurate depiction of re- horizon has expanded endlessly, like those
how societies have undervalued their skills. human context in which the felt experience ality as well as a concern with ordinary peo- of the medieval miniatures where there was
But like Kerala and other states have shown, it is possible for states and local commu- was embedded. In a painted work of the ple in these brilliant workswas overtaken by no border between sea and sky.
nities to set priorities — deliver mid-day meal rations to children’s homes, or mobilise YellowBoys —soldierswhodressedincanary photography. Yet photography shorn of its Yet, if one looks at the participants in
yellow and belonged to Colonel James emotionalcontextcreatedananaestheticat- these virtual discussions, the profiles are
funds from the community to buy mobile phones, smart televisions and smartphones —
Skinner’s irregular troops — for instance, the mosphere, which would irreversibly change mostly punctuated by darkness or related in
so that children grow as well as keep learning. The pandemic has revealed, again and groupwithitshighlyindividualisedfeatures, the nature of the narrative. As the critic John shadows and light. Could this be the dark-
again, that negligible investments in public goods — such as health and education — hob- standing in a row, also reveals an emotional Berger points out: “It had been freed from ness of death? For the isolation of the space
ble societies. And that top-down diktats are not enforceable in an exploding crisis. It is lo- andpsychologicalunity.ItisbelievedMughal the limitations of fine art, and it had become is filled by shades of black. The drama
cal governments that, for better or worse, have the responsibility of containment and artist Ghulam Ali Khan, who most likely a public medium which could be used dem- matches the 16th century Italian artist
mitigation. Similarly, in the absence of a vaccine, communities, panchayats, schools and painted these, was taken by Skinner on his ocratically. Yet the moment was brief. The Caravaggio’s brilliant effects in black. His
travels to make sketches. Where in these virtual very ‘truthfulness’ of the new medium en- darkening shadows and transfixing subjects
parents shouldbeencouraged and empowered todecideif and whentoreopen the class- discussions or these zoom
Skinner, born of a Rajput woman and a couraged its deliberate use as a means of in bright shafts of light created a virtual
room, and how to teach in a way that no child is left behind. Scottish officer in the late 18th century, shows is the drama of being propaganda. The Nazis were among the first drama of life and death. But where in these
would not be admitted to the East India with like-minded people, of tousesystematicphotographicpropaganda.” virtual discussions or these zoom shows is
Company because he was considered a half By the early 20th century, we had works the drama of being with like-minded peo-
the warmth of contact and

PROTECTING DREAMS
breed. Hence he raised his own irregular
troops, which stood out because of their yel-
lowuniformandthemarkeddisplayof brav-
ery and skill. These painted portraits of him
In a crisis, sports federations, other stakeholders must rally and his troops are a vivid testimony of those
feverishtimeswhentheMughalempirewas
around young and vulnerable players who have yet to take off declining and there was a chaos of struggles
the occasional snort? Surely
art relayed digitally can never
create the stir of excitement
at a brush stroke or a wisp of
flying colour or an
of art being reproduced mechanically. But
while art could be shared by the ordinary
folk, there was a lack of the very aura which
a specific context created for it. In the words
of the cultural theorist Walter Benjamin,
“…that which withersin the age of mechan-
ical reproduction is the aura of the work of
ple,thewarmthof contactandtheoccasional
snort? Surely art relayed digitally can never
createthestirof excitementatabrushstroke
or a wisp of flying colour or an unfaltering
line. Nor can the discussion lead to a shared
laughter or a disgruntled shake. When the
COVIDparticleitself glitterslikeabejewelled

A
between rival powers to assume the throne. unfaltering line. Nor can the art. …By making many reproductions it sub- gem, it replaces an artcreated for individuals
MONGST THE LOSSES most unaccounted for during the COVID-19 pan-
These depictions by the artist Ghulam Ali, stitutes a plurality of copies for a unique ex- whichcomesintoitsownbyhumancontact.
demic is the breaking of sporting dreams. In what was supposed to be an who also painted the last Mughal emperor
discussion lead to a shared istence.”
Olympic year where India's fittest athletes would inspire the nation, there Bahadur Shah II in all his tragic glory, are a laughter or a disgruntled In these COVID times, we are experienc- The writer is an art historian and an
are heartbreaking tales of athletes at the start of their journeys having to reminder of these times. Pauper or prince, it shake. ing for the first time art being relayed only independent curator
give up on sport completely. Asian youth medallists in track and field are staring at a fu-
ture where the drudgery of desperation — selling bananas on handcarts or loading crates
of milk or ferrying commuters in a rickshaw — will replace their ambitions of taking off
inasandpitorbreastingthefinishtapetowildapplauseinastadiumonagloriousevening.
This was the grass roots base of the pyramid that would eventually enable India to be JULY 21, 1980, FORTY YEARS AGO
seen as a country with a robust sporting culture. While the government can't be faulted
for first securing training budgets for the Tokyo-bound elite athletes, other stakeholders DETENTE IN ASSAM ciprocalannouncementwithdrawingrepres- leadership. In support, he quoted some of his
now need to step in. Nurturing the base shouldn't be a difficult goal for sports federations THE SPONSORS OF the Assam agitation an- sivemeasuresandactionagainstgovernment statementsintheAndhralegislature.
nouncedapartialandconditionalsuspension employees and release of detenus.
— in this case, the Athletics Federation of India — which must now rally around its run-
oftheir10-month-oldagitationforafortnight DENG ON INDIA
ners and jumpers and throwers at the smallest district levels.
Funds must be raised and devoted to those who fall outside the safety net of govern-
asatokenoftheirwillingnesstoresumenego- REDDY STILL CM THE CHINESE SENIOR Vice-Premier Deng
tiations on a solution to the foreigners’ issue. ANDHRAPRADESHCHIEFMinisterMChenna Xiaoping has said that the Chinese leaders
ment or corporate financial backing for sport. Indian sport has always drawn from the A joint statement, issued by the Assam Reddy is not being disturbed for the present. have the same “serious, positive and active”
burning aspirations and ambitions of talented children from lower income groups, who Students Union (AASU) and the All Assam Thisindicationwasavailableafteranhour-long attitude towards improving bilateral rela-
see the playing field as a great leveller. They are vulnerable in crisis. Legends like Milkha GanaSangramParishad(AAGSP),saidthesus- meetingbetweenthechiefministerandPrime tions as Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. “I
Singh, PT Usha and Anju Bobby George as well as the current superstars like Hima Das, pension of the agitation — barring the block- Minister Indira Gandhi in Delhi. During the think you can pass this message to Mrs
ade on oil, jute, bamboo and plywood export talks,itislearnt,MrsGandhigaveapatienthear- Gandhi,” he said in an interview to the edi-
Dutee Chand and Neeraj Chopra could lend their names to fundraisers for India's grass
— till August 3 was being announced in def- ing to the point of view expressed by Reddy, tor of Delhi's defence journal Vikrant. There
roots athletes. It's also the time for federation officials — from national to state and dis- erencetothewishesofthegovernmenttocre- without indicating her opinion. Reddy is un- have been points of difference between the
trict level — to own this responsibility and display leadership. After all, fastest, highest, ate an atmosphere to resume discussions. derstoodtohavetakenpainstotellMrsGandhi two countries in the past. But these were
strongest winners emerge from a wide base. No one wins gold running in a solitary lane. They expected the government to make re- thathehadnevertalkedorworkedagainsther now narrowing.

New Delhi

9
THE INDIAN EXPRESS, TUESDAY, JULY 21, 2020
THE IDEAS PAGE
Reforms that miss the point
Agriculture sector reforms, such as amending APMC Act, can be counterproductive. State
intervention is needed to make farming economically and ecologically viable
Christophe Jaffrelot
and Hemal Thakker
IN RURAL INDIA, the COVID-related eco-
nomic crisis should be addressed as a prior-
ity, not only because of its social dimension
butalsobecauseof theneedforstructuralre-
formsthiscrisisisrevealing.However,there-
formsannouncedbytheNarendraModigov-
ernment are not necessarily the right ones.
FarminginIndiahasbeenmadeeconom-
ically unviable due to the post-1991 policies.
The priority, since then, has been given to in-
dustry as well as services. Middle-class con-
sumers have been pampered by successive
governmentsattheexpenseof farmers,who
could not sell their crops at a fair price any-
more.Thisunprecedentedneglectof theagri-
cultural sector has resulted in an equally un-
precedented gap between the standard of
livingintheruralandurbanpartsof thecoun-
try.WhileunderUPA2,theurban/ruralratio,
intermsof monthlypercapitaexpenditures,
was reduced for the first time since 1974, it
has jumped from 1.84 to 2.42 between 2012
and2018.Thismeansthatanaverageurban-
dwellertodaycanconsumealmost2.5times
more than an average person in a village.
Inthiscontext,theModigovernmenthas
decided to liberalise India’s agriculture by
amending the Agricultural Produce
Marketing Committee (APMC) Act and the
EssentialCommoditiesActtoderegulatetrad-
ing practices in agricultural markets (man-
dis). Peasants will be allowed to sell their
productswhereveritisvaluableforthemand
barrierstointer-statetradeinagriculturewill
be lifted. Contract farming will also be intro-
ducedinsuchawaythatthebuyercanassure
a price to the farmer at the time of sowing.
This has been touted as the “1991 moment”
for the agriculture sector.
ThemainargumentagainsttheAPMCAct
is that it does not allow the free market to
function due to government intervention,
thereby denying farmers the opportunity to
determine the prices of crops in the market-
place. In theory, this is a valid argument. But
as the High-Level Committee headed by
Shanta Kumar observed in 2015, only 6 per
cent of farmers get the Minimum Support
Price (MSP) — 94 per cent already face the
whims of the market. This is because of bar-
rierstoaccessforfarmersasonly22cropsare
procuredunderMSP.Infrastructureisalsoin-
adequate, there are only an estimated 7,000
APMCmandisacrossIndia,andprocurement
depends on the stocks required by the state.
The APMC Act is not the main problem.
On the contrary, it has historically been part
of the solution — like state intervention in
general. Farm pricing is a case in point. The
Agricultural Prices Commission (APC) that
was established in 1965 gradually included
thelivingcostsof farmerstoassesstheterms
of trade between agriculture and industry
while determining agricultural pricing. The
CommissionforAgriculturalCostsandPrices
(CACP) that replaced the APC in 1985 added
a 10 per cent mark-up over the MSP to ac-
Aditi Nayar
THESPREADOFtheCOVID-19pandemic,and
variousfiscalandothermeasuresannounced
bythegovernmenttocontainitsimpact,have
structurally altered the arithmetic for its fi-
nances for the current fiscal year. While the
fiscal outlook is evolving along with the pan-
demic and its economic fallout, the range of
options suggests that the government’s fiscal
deficit for 2020-21 could surge to anywhere
between Rs 13-16.1 trillion, well above the
budgeted level of Rs 8 trillion.
Thedatawehaveforthefirsttwomonths
of the current year is sobering. With a sharp
squeezeinrevenuereceipts,amidstamarginal
contractionintotalspending,theCentre’sfis-
cal deficit has widened to Rs 4.7 trillion in
April-May,stretchingalreadyto59percentof
the budget estimate (BE) — this is 27 per cent
higher than the same period last year.
The government’s revenue and capital
spending recorded a mixed trend during the
lockdownmonths.Afterexpandingbyasharp
24 per cent in April, partly reflecting up-
frontingof somespending,revenueexpendi-
ture contracted by 26percentin May.Incon-
trast,capitaloutlay,whichhadshrunkby8per
centinthefirstmonthofthelockdown,roseby
a substantial 57 per cent as the lockdown re-
strictions were partly eased.
Encouragingly, the extent of contraction
in the Centre’s gross tax revenues has nar-
rowed down to 37 per cent in May, from 44
percentinApril,ledbyindirecttaxes,astrans-
count for entrepreneurial costs. It helped to
containtheurban/ruraldivide.Suchpractices
have been gradually eroded post-1991. The
problem, therefore, is not state intervention
butthewaythegovernmentdealswithagri-
culture.
Second, the APMC Act helped India to
buildupfoodstocks—partof which,inciden-
tally, should be distributed today. As of June,
theFoodCorporationofIndia(FCI)had832.69
lakh tonnes of rice and wheat in stock, the
most since 2005. India managed to weather
the2008globalfoodcrisisonlybecauseithad
enoughfoodstocksasIndianagriculturewas
not linked to the international futures mar-
ket.Thiswaspossibleduetotheprocurement
done through the APMC Act.
Third, the APMC Act has already been re-
formed to a great extent. Since agriculture is
a state subject, the Act has been modified in
17 states. Some of the initiatives include
Uzhavar Sandhai in Tamil Nadu, the Rythu
BazaarinAndhraPradeshandTelangana,the
Apni Mandi in Punjab, the Raitha Santhe in
KarnatakaandtheKrushakBazaarinOdisha.
Therefore,itisincorrecttodescribetheAPMC
Actasanimpedimentinalleviatingruraldis-
tress. On the contrary, the condition of peas-
antshasoftenbeenaffectedwhentheAPMC
Act has been diluted. Bihar is a case in point:
The APMC Act was revoked in 2006 with the
samerationalethatfurtherderegulationwill
attract private investment in infrastructure.
Notonlyhasthatnotmaterialised,buttheex-
isting APMC market infrastructure was also
dismantled. As the economist Himanshu
pointed out, reforms have “led to prolifera-
tion of private unregulated markets which
charge a market fee from traders as well as
farmers, and without any infrastructure for
weighing, sorting, grading and storage”.
While the reforms announced by the
Modi government are not the right ones,
Indian agriculture does need real reforms.
First,itisstilltooheavilysubsidisedinfavour
of the big players. In the Union Budget 2019-
20, the allocation for the Ministry of
AgriculturewasRs1,30,485croreandthefer-
tiliser subsidy alone was estimated at Rs
79,996 crore. However, these subsidies are
concentrated on a few crops. As the agricul-
tureeconomistBrunoDorinhasshown,only
three crops receive more than 60 per cent of
theso-called“non-product-specific”support
to agriculture — rice, wheat and sugarcane,
The slipped fisc
Amidtheuncertainty,thisyearwillseeasoberingexpansioninfiscaldeficit
actions have improved with the easing of re-
strictions. Reports have also pegged the de-
cline in direct tax collections at about 25 per
centasonJune17—inlinewithourGDPfore-
cast for the first quarter.
On the indirect tax side, GST collections
have recovered sharply, from 28 per cent in
April(ascomparedtocollectionsoverthesame
periodlastyear)to91percentinJune.However,
the inflows in June include late payments for
the previous three months as well and are
therefore unlikely to be a goodrepresentation
of the level of collections we should expect in
the subsequent months. Data on e-way bills
paints a similar picture. GST e-way bills, as a
percentageofthelevelsobservedlastyearhave
alsorisen,fromamuted16percentinAprilto
87percentinJune.However,anoteof caution
—pentupdemand,especiallyforitemsthatare
nowconsideredtobeessentialunderthework-
from-home scenario, could have led to a tem-
poraryuptickinsalesofsmalltomid-sizedcon-
sumerdurablesintheinitial“unlocking”period.
While this would boost both e-way bills and
GSTcollections,itmaynotsustain.
Withthesemixedtrends,howdowefore-
see government finances unfolding over the
year?Buildingintheexpectedimpactof con-
tinuing economic uncertainty on individual
and corporate income levels and non-discre-
tionary spending, the windfall related to the
hikesinexcisedutyleviedonpetrolanddiesel,
and adjusting for lower taxes to be devolved
The APMC Act is not the
main problem. On the
contrary, it has historically
been part of the solution —
like state intervention in
general. Farm pricing is a
case in point. The
Agricultural Prices
Commission (APC) that
was established in 1965
gradually included the living
costs of farmers to assess the
terms of trade between
agriculture and industry —
while determining
agricultural pricing. The
Commission for
Agricultural Costs and
Prices (CACP) that replaced
the APC in 1985 added a 10
per cent mark-up over the
MSP to account for
entrepreneurial costs. It
helped to contain the
urban/rural divide.
tothestates,ICRAexpectsnettaxrevenuesof
the Centre to fall short of the budgeted level
by Rs 3.9 trillion. Further, the current market
conditions also indicate a shortfall of non-tax
revenues from the telecom sector as well as
disinvestmentproceeds.WepegthisgapatRs
2.2-2.3 trillion.
The fiscal support announced by the gov-
ernment under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat
AbhiyanisestimatedataroundRs2trillion.At
thesametime,theexpendituremanagement
measures that had been put in place for the
first quarter have now been extended to the
secondquarter.However,assessingtheextent
of savings that can be generated by such
spending restrictions is challenging at this
juncture.Ifwearetoassumeamoderatecom-
pressioninexpenditure,ourbaselineestimate
is that the Centre’s fiscal deficit will surge to
Rs 13 trillion this year.
However,alackofclaritycontinuestoper-
sistonsomebig-ticketitems.Forinstance,the
provisionoffreefoodgrainsunderthePradhan
Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana has been ex-
tendedtillNovember,atanaggregatecostofRs
1.5 trillion. Our understanding is that only Rs
0.3trilliontowardssuchcostswasincludedin
thefiscalsupportannouncedearlier.Ifthebal-
anceamountisentirelyfundedthroughbudg-
etaryresources,asopposedtothepossibilityof
being partly funded through loans from the
National Small Savings Fund to the Food
CorporationofIndia,thenthegovernment’sfis-
C R Sasikumar
whosemarketpricesareconsequentlymore
attractiveandcompetitive.Thishasledtoen-
vironmental degradation like the depletion
of groundwater levels and monocultures
which are a threat to biodiversity. It has also
ledtotheindustrialisationof agriculture,that
results in the strengthening of a handful of
multinational companies, which supply
chemical inputs. Liberalisation would only
strengthen the role of large companies — in-
cluding those in the agri-food sector.
Structurally, farming needs to be made
economicallyandecologicallyviableinIndia.
Insteadoffurtherliberalisationof agriculture,
state intervention for better pricing, invest-
mentsinwaterharvestingandanagroecolog-
ical transition could ensure a more resilient
systemtoweathershockslikethecurrentone.
After all, the present migrant workers’ crisis
has shown that peasants could not/did not
want to stay in rural India. The magnitude of
the problem may worsen if these workers
have to continue living in their villages.
To make India’s agriculture sustainable,
thegovernmentcoulddrawinspirationfrom
the Andhra Pradesh Community Managed
Farmingmodel,whichpromotesagroecolog-
ical principles with the use of locally-pro-
duced,ecologically-sustainableinputsfocus-
ing on soil health, instead of depending on
chemical fertilisers. Since the agro-ecologi-
cal system of farming is more biodiverse in
nature,itwillmakethesystemmoreresilient
overallandprovideasafetynetforfarmersin
case of crop damage due to various factors
such as climate change or droughts.
By investing again in agriculture and fol-
lowing,atlast,therecommendationsoftheM
SSwaminathanCommittee,theGovernment
of Indiawouldalsohelpbridgethedrasticur-
ban-ruraldivide—somethingtheMGNREGA
had contributed to under UPA 1 and 2. These
structuralreformswouldrepresentforfarm-
ers what the MGNREGA has been for land-
less peasants — who would most probably
benefit from these reforms as well.
Jaffrelot is senior research fellow at CERI-
Sciences Po/CNRS, Paris and professor of
Indian Politics and Sociology at King’s India
Institute; Thakker is food and agriculture
policy analyst and student of environment
policy with specialisations in agriculture
policy and African affairs at the Paris School
of International Affairs, SciencesPo
caldeficitwouldrisefurthertoRs14.2trillion.
It is also clear that the compensation that
istobeprovidedtostategovernmentswillsig-
nificantlyovershootthefundsthatwillaccrue
through the compensation cess. We project
the gap between the available past and cur-
rentcesscollections,andtherequirementfor
compensation (for 2020-21 and what was
pendingfor2019-20attheendof March),ata
staggeringRs3.9trillion.IftheCentreprovides
onlyhalfofthesefunds,itsfiscaldeficitwould
surge further by around Rs 2 trillion to nearly
Rs16.1trillion.However,iftheGSTCouncilde-
cides to, and is procedurally able to, borrow
fundstocompensatethestates—backedbya
guarantee from the Centre — its fiscal deficit
andmarketborrowingswouldnotbeaffected.
Moreover,if thegovernmentdecidestoramp
upitscapitalspendinglaterintheyeartostim-
ulatetheeconomy,itcouldgenerateadditional
fiscal pressures.
Worryingly,theanticipatedfiscalslippage,
eveninourbasecasescenario,exceedstheex-
tentbywhichtheCentre’smarketborrowings
havealreadybeenincreased.However,amidst
alltheseconcerns,yieldsongovernmentsecu-
rityappearremarkablysanguine,asiftheyare
patiently waiting for the central bank to ab-
sorbtheextrasovereignborrowingsinthepri-
mary or secondary market.
The writer is principal economist, ICRA.
Views are personal
WHAT THE OTHERS SAY
“Other countries should indeed make a choice, not between the US and China,
but between confrontation and cooperation.”
Iran fantasy,
Arab neglect
The costs for India of neglecting new possibilities
for wide-ranging Arabian business are far higher
than a lost railway contract in Iran
RAJA MANDALA
by C Raja Mohan
FEWOFINDIA’Sexternalpartnershipsdraw
the kind of passion that Iran does in Delhi.
India’s Iran romance endures despite the
huge gap between the hype and reality in
ties. The persistent enthusiasm for Iran in
Delhi also stands in stark contrast to the
perennial under-appreciation of India’s
much deeper and wider relationship with
Iran’s Arab neighbours.
Thetheoryof thecaseinDelhiforanex-
tra-special relationship with Iran rests on a
number of claims — historical connections,
civilisationalbonds,energysuppliesandre-
gional security. All these factors are of far
greater import in India’s engagement with
theArabianpeninsula.MillionsofIndianim-
migrants in the Arab nations, massive hard
currency remittances from them, and the
densityofcommercialengagementwiththe
Arab Gulf outweigh the relationship with
Iran. The UAE and Saudi Arabia have, in re-
cent years, extended invaluable support in
counteringterrorismandblockedattempts
to condemn India in the Muslim world.
The sources of this curious inversion in
India’s intellectual imagination are many.
But first to the latest anxiety in Delhi about
the loss of a railway contract in Iran. Large
countries with major foreign investments
and projects win some and lose some. That
is part of doing business in other countries.
Then there is no escaping the political risk
associated with foreign projects. And poli-
tics — both domestic and international — is
all-consuming in Iran.
ThesanctionsregimeimposedbytheUS
hascrippledtheIranianeconomy.Italsotar-
gets third countries that do business with
certain Iranian entities. India is careful not
toattracttheUSsanctions.Indiadidgainan
exemptionfromtheUSsanctionsregimefor
itsparticipationintheChabaharportproject
in Iran. But they don’t apply to some of the
partners suggested by Iran in the railway
project.IranwouldlikeIndiatobreaktheUS
sanctions regime. A prudent Delhi is resist-
ingthattemptation.Itwouldratherlosethe
railway contract than get into the raging
crossfire between the US and Iran.
Sectionsof theforeignpolicyelite,how-
ever, see India’s Iran policy as a continuous
puritytestforDelhi’s“strategicautonomy”.
They expect Delhi to conduct its relation-
ship with Iran without a reference to either
acost-benefitcalculusorIran’stroubledre-
lationshipwithotherswithwhomIndiahas
important partnerships. For the romantics,
it is about proving Delhi’s friendship with
Tehran by defying the US.
NogovernmentinDelhicanbuyintothat
proposition. The criticism of the NDA gov-
ernment today is similar to that directed at
theUPAgovernmentin2005overitsstance
on Iran’s covert nuclear programme. As the
USmountedpressureonIrantocomeclean
15yearsago,therewasastrongviewinDelhi
thatIndiashouldcastitslotwithTehran.But
pragmatistspointedtooneof theprecondi-
tionsfortheIndia-US nucleardeal—Delhi’s
strongcommitmenttopreventtheprolifer-
ationof nuclearweapons.BackingIraninits
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
TWO FRONTS
THIS REFERS to the article, 'A pincer in
Ladakh', (IE, July 20). The timing of the
Chinese ingression into Indian terri-
tory, multiple unprovoked ceasefire vi-
olations along the LOC by Pakistan and
incidences of militant attacks in the
Kashmir valley cannot be ignored as
mere coincidences. Since August last
year, there has been an overt diplo-
matic and strategic understanding be-
tween China and Pakistan to system-
atically undermine India's global
image. The closeness of the Pakistani
armed forces with the fanatic elements
and its dependence on the irregular
militia is an open secret. But the
Chinese regime could be digging its
own grave by joining forces with a
rogue army that can exploit the fault
lines in Xinjiang to appease the hard-
liners back home.
Sudip Kumar Dey, Kolkata
TEHRAN MATTERS
THIS REFERS to the editorial 'Iran and
China',(IE, July 20). While there are po-
liticalrisksforIndiaintheproposedSino-
Iranian deal, New Delhi needs to exer-
cise caution. Improving its track record
on project implementation should also
New Delhi
WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM
— CHINA DAILY
nuclear confrontation with the non-prolif-
eration treaty (NPT), they warned, would
mean killing support in the US Congress for
the historic civil nuclear initiative signed by
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and
President George W Bush in July 2005.
Delhi’s vote against Iran in the
International Atomic Energy Agency drew
huge fire from PM Singh’s critics. The prag-
matists were vindicated when Iran con-
cludedanucleardealof itsownwiththeUS
andmajorpowers,adecadelater.Iransurely
can take care of its own interests, and there
is little reason why Delhi must back Tehran
in every one of its fights with Washington.
This does not mean Iran is unimportant
forIndia’sforeignpolicy.Geographicandde-
mographic size, the geopolitical location
nextdoor,naturalresourcesandtheextraor-
dinarytalentsof itspeoplemakeIranoneof
the most important nations of the world.
Mostofthosefabulousassetshavebeen,un-
fortunately,neutralisedbyIran’sprolonged
confrontation with the US.
The tendency to view Iran through the
lens of its confrontation with the US leads
manyinDelhitoignoretheideologicalchar-
acterof theIranianRevolutionandthefears
generatedbyTehran’spromisetoexportitto
the Arab world. Meanwhile, Iran’s four
decades-oldIslamicorderfacesfrequentdo-
mestic rebellions. Iran’s clerical regime has
cleavagesofitsownthatcomplicateTehran’s
global engagement. Tehran’s moment un-
derthesunwillcomeoneday.Butthatmo-
ment is not at hand.
For both internal and external reasons,
Iran will remain a difficult place to do busi-
ness. Delhi must advance ties with it within
theconfinesofthatunfortunatebutrealcon-
straint. Meanwhile, the Arab world has had
its doors open for political, economic and
technologicalcooperationwithIndia.Three
moderateArabnations—Egypt,SaudiArabia
andtheUAE—areconfrontingradicalforces
in the region and are valuable partners for
India incounteringforces of destabilisation.
Those who are worried about India los-
ing to China in Iran should see the scale of
Beijing’s economic advances in the Arab
world.Thetalkofaspectaculardealbetween
ChinaandIranisjusttalk fornow.Butthere
is real Chinese economic action in the Arab
world as the region embraces China's Belt
andRoadInitiative.China’sDigitalSilkRoad
too is gaining ground in the Arab world.
India is no minor economic force in the
Arab world, having had a much longer en-
gagement with the region than China.
Instead of defining an unrealistic competi-
tion with Beijing, Delhi must up its own
commercialgameintheArabworld.Oneof
thenewpossibilitiesforIndialiesinthedo-
main of new technologies.
On Monday, the UAE launched the first
home-grown Arab space mission from a
Japanese rocket. The UAE’s space pro-
grammeisonlyareflectionof theemerging
sentiment among the Gulf Arabs to reduce
theover-dependenceonoil,promotealter-
nativeenergysources,investinhigheredu-
cation, and develop technology hubs. This
provides a solid basis for elevating India’s
economic partnership with the Arab world
to the next level. For India, the costs of ne-
glectingthenewpossibilitiesforwide-rang-
ing Arabian business are far higher than a
lost railway contract in Iran.
The writer is director, Institute of South
Asian Studies, National University of
Singapore and contributing editor on
international affairs for The Indian Express
IDEAS
ONLINE
ONLY IN THE EXPRESS
● A PACT IN
JEOPARDY:
S SAMUEL C RAJIV
● LOCKINGHORNS
ATTHE BORDER:
JOYEETABHATTACHARJEE
www.indianexpress.com
be a priority in wooing back Tehran.
Anjali Bhavana, Thiruvananthapuram
WRONG PRIORITY
THISREFERStothereport,“Ramtemple
Trust fixed Aug 3 or 5 for start of work,
requests PM to join” (IE, July 19).
FocussingontheRamTemplewouldbe
imprudent at a time India has become
the third most affected COVID-affected
country in the world. The need of the
hour is to keep the virus in check.
S S Paul, Nadia
 E EXPLAINED
WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM

11
THE INDIAN EXPRESS, TUESDAY, JULY 21, 2020
@ieExplained
#ExpressExplained
If there are questions of current or contemporary relevance that you would like
explained, please write to explained@indianexpress.com

SIMPLY PUT QUESTION &ANSWER

CORONAVIRUS DASHBOARD

3,774,769
US
296,364
THE WORLD
United Kingdom
276,202
Iran
776,212
Russia
How close or far is vaccine
Oxford researchers have published promising trial results of vaccine candidate against Covid, days after
Moderna published its own results. What are the findings, and how is the global vaccine hunt placed now?
344,224
Mexico human trials. The frontrunners include:
PRABHARAGHAVAN
353,590 NEWDELHI,JULY20 Inactivated
Peru Thesearevaccinesmadebyusingparticles
RESULTS PUBLISHED on Monday of early hu- of theCovid-19virusthatwerekilled,making
2,098,389 11,18,206 mantrialsof aCovid-19vaccinedevelopedby them unable to infect or replicate. Injecting
Brazil
India the University of Oxford and drugmaker particular doses of these particles serves to
330,930 364,328 AstraZenecahaveshownpromise.Theresults buildimmunitybyhelpingthebodycreatean-
Chile South Africa
come around a week after US biotech firm tibodies against the dead virus.
Moderna had released its own early trial data FRONTRUNNERS: Sinovac, Wuhan
TOTAL CONFIRMED: 14,538,115 DEATH COUNT: 606,922 and at a time when several firms are racing to Institute of Biological Products-Sinopharm,
find an effective vaccine against the coron- Beijing Institute of Biological Products-
Source: Johns Hopkins University, updated at 11 pm on July 20 . JHU’s India tally and Health avirus that has killed over 600,000 globally. Sinopharm,BharatBiotech,InstituteofMedical
Ministry’s tally (below) may not match if these are accounted at different times. Biology(ChineseAcademyofMedicalSciences)
HowdoestheOxford-AstroZeneca
vaccinecandidatework? Non-replicating viral vector
WhensomeoneisinfectedwiththeCovid- This is the category the Oxford-
What is ‘inflammageing’? Does 19virus(SARS-CoV-2),thereasonitspreadsin
the body easily is because of the spikes on its
AstraZenecavaccinebelongsto.Itusesaweak-
ened, genetically modified version of a differ-

it have a role in severe Covid? surface.Thesespikes,knownasthe‘spikepro-

AS ONE ages, inflamma-
tionthroughoutthebody
reaches higher levels.
Known as ‘inflammage-
ing’, this can inhibit im-
munity.Becausethemost
severe Covid-19 cases
tein', allow the virus to penetrate cells and,
thereafter, multiply.
The vaccine developed by Oxford and
American Association for AstraZeneca, which belongs to a category
the Advancement of called non-replicating viral vector vaccines,
Scienceexplainshowour triestobuildthebody’simmunityagainstthis
immunesystemweakens spikeprotein.Theideaistocreateantibodiesto
withage.Asthishappens, fight this spiked surface so that the virus does
our bodily defence sys- notevenhavethechancetopenetratethecells.
PAPER tems respond more The vaccine uses a different virus — in this
Inside Oxford Vaccine Group lab, samples from trials. John Cairns, University of Oxford via AP
antibody responses were detected in 32 of 35
participantsstudiedafterasingledose,andin
all nine participants assessed after they were
administered a second, booster dose.
phaseIIItrialsinIndiabeforethevaccinecanbe
launched.Sofar,thefirmhasreceivedpermis-
sion to manufacture certain doses for testing
purposes, said a senior government official.
ent virus to carry the Covid-19 spike protein.
FRONTRUNNERS: Oxford-AstroZeneca,
CanSino Biological Inc-Beijing Institute of
Biotechnology, Gamaleya Research Institute
Protein subunit
Thisvaccineusesapartofthevirustobuild
an immune response in a targeted fashion. In
this case, the part of the virus being targeted
would be the spike protein.
FRONTRUNNERS: AnhuiZhifeiLongcom

CLIP
have occurred mostly in slowlytobacterialandvi- case, a weakened version of a common cold Thevaccineshowedmildtomoderatead- “Wewillbeapplyingforthelicensuretrialsto Biopharmaceutical-Institute of Microbiology
olderpeople,researchers ral infections, leaving the virus(adenovirus)thatinfectschimpanzees— verse reactions, including pain, feverish feel- the Indian regulator in a week’s time. As soon (Chinese Academy of Sciences), Novavax,
areinvestigatingwhether elderly more vulnerable. tocarryjustthecodetomakethespikeprotein, ings, chills, muscle aches, headaches and astheygrantuspermission,wewillbeginwith CloverBiopharmaceuticalsInc-GSK-Dynavax,
inflammageinghasarole. In addition to the de- likeaTrojanhorse.Theadenovirus,genetically malaise. The effects were reduced using pro- the trials for the vaccine in India,” said Adar Vaccine Pty Ltd-Medytox, University of
Isitthetriggerthatcauses
NEW RESEARCH terioration of immunity, modifiedsothatitcannotreplicateinhumans, phylacticparacetamol,accordingtothestudy. Poonawalla, CEO of Serum Institute. Queensland-CSL-Seqirus
extreme inflammatory another common condi- willenterthecellandreleasethecodetomake
responses, which are common in the tion of ageing is inflammageing. This onlythespikeprotein.Thebody’simmunesys- Howsignificantisthis? HowdoesthiscomparewithModerna’s RNA
lungs of severe Covid-19 patients? is characterised by chronic low-grade tem is expected to recognise the spike protein Whiletheresultsseempromising,itisim- vaccineresults? Such vaccines use the messenger RNA
In a Perspective published in the inflammation, which occurs without asapotentiallyharmfulforeignsubstance,and portant to remember this data is from early- Moderna,thefirstfirmtobeginhumantri- (mRNA)moleculesthattellcellswhatproteins
journal Science, researchers Arne an infection. While inflammation is startsbuildingantibodiesagainstit. stage clinical trials. This data cannot give clar- als for a Covid-19 vaccine candidate in collab- tobuild.ThemRNA,inthiscase,iscodedtotell
Akbar and Derek Gilroy of University essentialtotheimmune response,in- Onceimmunityisbuilt,theantibodieswill ity on questions like how long the antibodies orationwiththeUSNationalInstituteofAllergy thecellstorecreatethespikeprotein.Onceitis
College London discuss the impact of flammageing is not. Research has attacktherealvirusifittriestoinfectthebody. willlastinthebody,animportantfactorinde- and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), published injected,thecellswillusethemRNA’sinstruc-
inflammageing on immunity in age- shown that this state of elevated in- termining how effective the vaccine will be. early stage results last week for its vaccine, tions, creating copies of the spike protein,
ing individuals. They suggest that re- flammationcanworsenmanyage-re- Whatdothelatestresultsmean? Thiswill requiredatafromlarger,phase IIItri- whichusesadifferenttechnology(mRNA).The which in turn is expected to prompt the im-
ducing inflammation using anti-in- lated diseases, and further inhibit the ThepreliminaryresultsfromphaseI/IItri- als, which are currently under way. data it released in the New England Journal of mune cells to create antibodies to fight it.
flammatory drugs may provide a response from an already declining als of the vaccine, published in The Lancet, of- MedicineonJuly14showedsimilarabilitiesto FRONTRUNNERS: Moderna-NIAID,
therapeutic strategy, not only for en- immune system. In the case of Covid, fered some promise by showing the vaccine Whathappensnext? induceantibodyandneutralisingantibodies,as BioNTech-Fosun Pharma-Pfizer, Imperial
hancingimmunitybutalsofor poten- the Perspective suggests it could be was notonly safe, but also seemed tobuild an Globally, Oxford and AstraZeneca have al- well as some T-cell response. Moderna is ex- College London, Curevac, PLA Academy of
tially improving Covid-19 outcomes the initial trigger that kicks off the ex- immuneresponseintheparticipants.Forone, ready begunphaseIII trials inBrazil,targeting pected to begin its phase III trials on July 27. Military Sciences-Walvax Biotech
in older patients. treme inflammatory responses seen it was found that being injected with the vac- 5,000volunteers.AsimilartrialinSouthAfrica Given the differences in the way the data
In an article introducing the in the most severely ill patients. cine led to participants building neutralising is also expected to be under way. has been presented by Moderna and the DNA
Perspective, Science publisher EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE antibodies.Anotherpotentialpositivewasthat Meanwhile,SerumInstituteofIndia,which University of Oxford/AstraZeneca, some ex- These vaccines use genetically engi-
it increased the number of T cells — a type of hastiedupwithOxfordandAstraZeneca,plans pertssayitisdifficulttoprovideapropercom- neeredDNA moleculesthat,again,arecoded
white blood cell that protects the body from tomake“millionsofdoses”ofthevaccineover parison of the two at this stage. with the antigen against which the immune
pathogens and cancer cells and works to ac- thenextthreemonths,afteritreceivesaman- response is to be built.
INDIA COUNT: 11,18,043 (27,497 DEATHS) tively destroy infected cells.
A single dose of the vaccine elicited an in-
ufacturing licence. The firm is expected to
manufacturethevaccineforlow-andmiddle-
Whicharetheothertopcontenders?
Over160potentialvaccinesarebeingstud-
FRONTRUNNERS:
Pharmaceuticals-International Vaccine
Inovio

crease in antibodies specifically against the income countries. iedglobally,with23ofthemrecognisedbythe Institute,OsakaUniversity-AnGeS-TakaraBio,

TOP 10 STATES REST OF INDIA
AndamanandNicobarIslands203
ArunachalPradesh 740
spikeproteinbythefirst28days.Neutralising However, Serum will have to conduct World Health Organization as candidates in Zydus Cadila, Genexine Consortium.

Assam 23999

Series of missions to Mars: why, when

49,247 UP Chandigarh 717
Chhattisgarh 5407
1,22,793 26,569 DadraandNagarHaveli 605
Delhi Biahr Goa 3657
Haryana 26164
HimachalPradesh 1483
JammuandKashmir 13899
Jharkhand 5535 habitableconditionsandmicrobiallifeinMars’ first interplanetary one. The previous three
Kerala 12480 MEHRGILL ancient past. Over its mission of one Martian were all Earth-observation satellites.
42,487 Ladakh 1178
West Bengal MadhyaPradesh 22600 NEWDELHI,JULY20 year (687 Earth days), it will collect Martian Hope is scheduled to reach Mars’s orbit in
48,355 Manipur 1911 rock and sediment samples for analysis. February 2021 and then start orbiting the
Gujarat 45,076 Meghalaya 450 ON SUNDAY, the UAE launched the Arab The rover is equipped with specialised planet. Its mission life is one Martian year.
Telangana Mizoram 284
world’sfirstmissiontoMars.Thelaunchofthe equipment to collect data, analyse weather
3,10,455 49,650
Nagaland
Odisha
988
17437 spacecraft Amal (Hope) took place from the conditionsthatcanhelpplanforfuturehuman Tianwen-1: Soil study
Maharashtra
Andhra Pradesh Puducherry 1999 Tanegashima Space Center, Japan, aboard missions, and produce oxygen from the car- China’s first Mars probe will be launched
Punjab 10100
63,772 Rajasthan 29434
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ H-II A rocket. bon-dioxide-rich atmosphere. on a Long March 5 Y-4 booster from Xichang,
1,70,693 Karnataka Sikkim 283 The UAE launch marks the first of three Perseverance is expected to land on China.Theprobeconsistsofanorbiter,alander
Tamil Nadu Tripura 2878 missions being planned to Mars in the end of February 18, 2021. NASA’s Curiosity rover has and a rover and aims to study Martian topog-
Uttarakhand 4515 July.ChinaplansitsfirstMarsprobe,Tianwen- been exploring Mars since 2012. raphyandgeologyanddeterminethecompo-
1(formerlyHuoxing1),inthecomingfewdays. sition of the surface material, climate and en-
UnionHealthMinistryupdateasof 11pm,July20.Somestatesmayhave The US, the only country that has sent previ- Hope: Atmospheric data vironment.
reportedhighernumbers.Onlystates/UTswithatleastonecaselistedabove. ous missions to Mars, plans its Perseverance Hope was developed by UAE scientists in Tianwen-1 is expected to reach the Red
7,00,087 PATIENTS DISCHARGED IN 35 STATES AND UNION TERRITORIES mission on July 30. the US, and its launch is the 45th for H-II A. Planet by early 2021 and will use high-reso-
The end of July 2020 offers a launch win- Carryingthreeinstrumentsincludingacamera lution cameras to search for a suitable land-
dowwithEarthandMarsalignedattheirclos- andaspectrometer,thespacecraftisonanor- ing site somewhere in the Utopia Planitia re-
Have a question on the COVID-19 outbreak and what you should/should not do? est in two years, which means using less fuel. bitalmissiontocollectdataonMartianclimate gion. The spacecraft weighs around 240 kg
Write to explained@indianexpress.com Japan’s H-IIA rocket takes off with dynamicsandhelpscientistsunderstandwhy and will carry cameras, a subsurface radar, a
Perseverance: Hunt or life UAE’s Hope orbiter in Japan. AP Mars’s atmosphere is decaying into space. spectrometer, a magnetometer, and atmos-
NASA’s Perseverance will look for signs of HopeistheUAE’sfourthspacemissionand pheric sensors.

The legacy of C S Seshadri, mathematician, researcher, educator

KABIRFIRAQUE
NEWDELHI,JULY20
INLIFE,themathematicianCSSeshadriwas
recognised with awards ranging from the
Padma Bhushan and the Shanti Swarup
Bhatnagar Award in India to fellowships
withRoyalSocietyfellowshipandAmerican
Mathematical Society abroad. In death, he
has received tributes from the Prime
Minister, the President and leaders in sci-
ence and mathematics.
From the huge body of his contributions
to mathematical research and teaching, two
stand out. He founded the Chennai
MathematicalInstitute,whichattractstalent
from around the world with its courses on
mathematics,computerscienceandtheoret-
icalphysics.Theotherstandoutcontribution
is his breakthrough research in algebraic
geometry; there is a theorem and a type of
constant named after him.
Seshadri died on Friday, aged 88.
The Institute
InChennaiinthemid-1980s,Seshadrigot
anofferfromthenewlyformedSPICScience
Foundation to set up a School of
Mathematics. Seshadri was then at the
Institute of Mathematical Sciences, where
he had launched a doctoral programme but
waskeenonaprogrammethatwouldcom-
bine high-level research with undergradu-
ate teaching.
“Since it seemed to offer a more realistic
path towards launching an undergraduate
teachingprogramme,Seshadrimadetherad-
ical decision to move to this private setting,”
his long-time friend P S Thiagarajan told The
Indian Express by email from California.
Thiagarajanisatheoreticalcomputerscientist
whomSeshadrihadrecruitedattheInstitute
ofMathematicalSciences,andwhomhetook
alongtobuildthenewschool.“Iwasdelighted
tojoinhimonthisadventure,”hesaid.Others
who joined them were then PhD students
Vikraman Balaji (mathematics) and
MadhavanMukund(computerscience),both
now senior faculty members at the Chennai
Mathematical Institute.
It began as a teaching programme with
initialrecognitionfromBhojOpenUniversity
(Madhya Pradesh). The curriculum centred
C S Seshadri (1932-2020)
onmathematicsbutincludedcorecomputer
science courses. In 1998, the School of
MathematicswasreorganisedastheChennai
MathematicalInstitute(CMI),whichwenton
to be recognised as a deemed university by
the UGC in 2006.
Today, CMI offers undergraduate educa-
tion in mathematics and computer science,
a research programme in these subjects as
well as theoretical physics, and an MSc pro-
gramme that includes data science. It plans
toexpandintoquantumcomputing,cryptog-
raphy,computationalbiologyandmathemat-
ical economics, Thiagarajan said.
“Without a doubt, CMI with its present
stature and potential would not exist with-
out the vision, leadership and monumen-
taleffortsof Seshadri,”Thiagarajansaid.“His
personality, a delightful mix of simplicity,
lack of malice, love of life and uncompro-
mising standards of excellence, attracted
the goodwill and support of all those who
came into contact with him. This has con-
tributedimmeasurablytothefoundingand
development of CMI.”
His research
Senior school students are familiar with
graphs that plot straight lines from linear
equations in two variables; science stream
students go on to work with higher-order
equations that describe two-dimensional
shapes such as a circle or 3D shapes such as
cube. Seshadri’s field of study was algebraic
geometry,acoredisciplineinmodernmath-
ematicsthatinvestigatesthegeometryofso-
lution-sets of such equations.
Applications of algebraic geometry arise
in statistics, control theory, robotics, coding
theory,integerprogrammingandtheoretical
physics.TheNarasimhan-Seshadritheorem,
developed in 1965 with his friend M S
Narasimhan,playsacentralroleinconformal
field theory and string theory.
Born in 1932 in Kanchipuram and edu-
cated in Chengleput (Tamil Nadu), Chennai
and Mumbai (he got his PhD from Bombay
University),Seshadri made hismajor contri-
butionsafterhewenttoParisin1957.“Atthe
time that he finished his doctoral work, the
subjectitself wasundergoingauniquerevo-
lution,”saidCMI’sProfessorBalaji,oneof the
PhDstudentswhohadjoinedSeshadriinhis
move from the Institute of Mathematical
Sciences in the 1980s.
“Seshadri went to Paris in 1957 and very
quicklyenteredthesanctumofthisnewtem-
pleofalgebraicgeometry.Thisprovidedadis-
tinctively unifying perspective which con-
nected it to all branches of mathematics at
some level,” Balaji said.
Itwasinthissettingthatoneshouldview
Seshadri's collaboration with Narasimhan,
Balaji said. Their theorem’s roots lay in the
work of the French mathematician André
Weil and were closely linked to the work of
Henri Poincaré.
TheNarasimhan-Seshadritheoremsetup
acorrespondencebetweentwobasicclasses
of objects, Balaji said. “Setting up such corre-
spondences was somewhat like the process
ofidentifyingaRosettastoneforthedecipher-
ing of hieroglyphics. The two classes in the
Narasimhan-Seshadri theorem were analo-
gous to two of the lines in the Rosetta stone,”
hesaid.“Athirdlinecameupmuchlaterfrom
theworkofSimonDonaldsonduringthemid-
1980s. Once this was provided, many subtle
and beautiful aspects of differential geome-
try,topology,mathematicalphysicsandnum-
bertheorygotunravelledmiraculously.”
From Seshadri’s work with Narasimhan
arose the concept of “Seshadri constants”.
After Paris
Seshadri returned to India in 1960 and
joined Tata Institute of Fundamental
Research,wherehehelpedestablishaschool
of algebraic geometry. In 1984, he moved to
theInstituteofMathematicalSciences,where
he recruited Thiagarajan who was then
abroad.FromtherewouldfollowtheChennai
Mathematical Institute.

New Delhi
 � ��������� �������

�������
��������������������
���� �����
�� ��������� ������ �����

�������� ���� ��� ����

���� ��� ������� ������� ����� ��� ���� ����� ��������
����� ������� ����� �� ������ ������������ ���� ����
���� �� ���� ��� ��� ������� ���� ���� ����� ���
����� ���� ���� ����� �� ����
�
���������� ��������� � ������� ��������� ����� ����� �� ����� ����������� ���� ��� ������������
� �������� ���������

������������ ��� ���������� ������������ �� ���� ���� ���� �� ����� �� ��� ���������� �� �������� �� �����
������� ���� ���� ������ ���� ���� �� ������� ����������
���� �� ���� �� ��������������� ��� �������� �������
���� ��������
� ����������� ��������
�� ������ ������������������ ������������������������������
�����������������������������������������������������������
�� ��� �������� ����� �� ���������� ��� ���� �������� ����� ����� � ������
�� ���� ������� ����������� �� ������ �������� ���� ���� ���� ���� �����
�������������������������������������������������������������������������

�
�� ������������ ����� �� ���������� ��� � ����������� ��� ������ �� ��������� ����
���� ����� ��� ������������������ �������� ������������ ������������ ���������� �������� � �������� ������� �� ������ ����������� ���
���� ����� �� �� ��������� ������������ �������� �� ��� ������������ ��� ������ ���� �� �� ���� �������� �������� ��� ���� ������ ��� �������� ��
�������������������������������������������������������������������������� ���� � ����� ���� ���� ����� ����� ����� ���� ��� ����������
����������������������������������������������������������������������
����� �� ����� �� ��� ����� �� ��� ��������� �� ����������� ����������� ������� �� ���
��� �� ������ �������� �������� ������� ���� ������������������� �� ����

������
����� ������� �������� ������� �� �������� �� �����������
������� ������������������� �������� �� ���������� �� � ���������� ���������� ������� �������������� ��� ���� ����� ������� ������� ������� �� ���������� ���
������������������������������������������������������������������������ �� ������ ��� ���������� ��� ������� ��� ������ ��� ��������� ������� �� ��� ���������
������ ���������� �������� ��� �������
���������������������������������������������������������������������������� ������ ��� ����������� �������� ��� �������� ���������� ����� ���� ��� ���� ���� ���� �������
������� ��� ���������� ����� ����� �� �������� �� ������ ������������ ����� �� ��� ��������� ���������� ����� ��� ���� ������ ��� ���� ��� �������
��������� ������ ����������� ������������������������ �� ��������� �������� ��� �� ������� �� ��� ������� �� ������� ��������� �� ���� ���� ��� �����
������������������������������������������������������������������� ������������������������������� �������� �� ���� �� ��� ����������� ��������� �� ������ ���� ���� �� ��� ���� �������� �� ����� �������� ��� ���� ���
��������� ����� �� ���� �� ��� ������������ ������� �������� ������� ��� ��������� ����������� �������� �� �������� ������������������������������� ����� �� ������ ������������ ��� ��� ��������� ��������� ����� ��� ����
������������ ������� ��� �������� �������������� ��������� ����� ���� ���� ������ ���� �� ���� ��� ��� ��������� � ������� ������ ������ �� ������ ����� ��� ���� ��������� ��� ���������� �� � ������ ����� ��� ���������� ���� ����� ���
�������������������������������������������������������������������������� ������ ���� ���� �������� ����� ��� ��� ����� �������� �������������� �� ��� ���� �������� �� ��������� ����� �� ���� ��� ��� �������������� ����
��� ����������������������� ���������� �� ����� ���� ���������������� ������� ������ ��� ������ �� ��� ������� �� ���������������������������������� ���������������������������������� ���� ���� ��������� ��������������
���� �� ��� ���� ��� ����� �� ����� ��� ������ �������������� ������� ����� �� �������� ���� �� ��� ���������� ��� �������� ������ ��
���������������������������������������������������������������������
��� ���������� ������ ���� ��� ���� ��� ���� �� ����� ����� ��� ������ ������������ ��� �������������� �������� �� ��� ��� �������� ������ ���
��������������������������������������������������������������������������
�������� �� ����������� ������������ ��� ��� ������� �������� �� ��������� ���� �� ��� ���� �� ��������� ������ ���� ���� ���������� ������
����������� ���� ��� ���� ����� ������ �� ������� �� ������������������������ ���������� ��������� ���������� �� ��� ���� ������� ����������� ����� �� �� �������� ������� ���� �� ���� ��� ��������
��� ����� ���������� ��� ���� ����� ������ ����� �������� ��������������� �������� ����� ������ ��������� ��� ��� ���� �� �������������� ���� �� ��� ����������������� ��������� ��� ��� ��������� �������
������������������������������������������������������������������������� ������������������������ ������� �� ����������������������� ����������� ��� ���� ���� �� ��� ���� ��� ��������
������������������������������������������������������������������������� ����� ��� ���������� ���� ������� �� ����������� ��� ������� ����� �� �� ����������� ��������� ����� ����� �� ������� � ���� ��� �
������������������������������������������������������������������������ �� ������� �� ���� ��������� ��� ���� ���� ��� ��������� �� �������� �� ��� ���������� ��� ������� ������� ��� �������� ���� ���� ���
����������������� �� ��� ������������ ��������� ����� ������ ������������ ���� ��� ��� ������ ����������� �� ��� �� ����� ��� ���� ���� ����������������� ������� �� ����������� �������� �� ����������� �� ��� ����
����������������������������������������������������������������������� ���������� ������ �� ������ ��� ��� ��� ����� ��� ������ �������� ����� ������� ��������� ���������������������� ��
������������������������������������������������������������������������
����������� ���
������� ��� �������� ����� ��������� �������� �� ��� ������ �� �� ������� ������������ ����� �� ��� ������� ���� �� �����
���� ����� ������ ��� ��� �� ��������� ��������� ������������ ��� ���������� �� �� ��� �������� ���� ������ ���� �� ��� ���� ���� ����������� ����� ��������� ����� �����������������������������������
���� ��� �������� ���� ���� ����������������������� �������� ������ ��� ���� ��� ������� �� ��� ������ ������� ��������������������� ��������� ��������� ����������� �� �������� �������� ������������� ���
������������������������������������������������������������������������� �� ������� �������� ������ ���� ��� ����� ��������� ��������� ���������� ��� ����������� �� ��� ���� ���������� ��� ��� �� ���������� ����
��� ���� ��� �� �� �������� ���� �� ���������� ���� ����� ������ �� ���� �� ���� ���� ������� ��� �������� �� ������� ���� ���������� ������ �� ���� ��������� �� ���� �� ����������������������������������
������������� ��
������������������������������������������������������������������������ ��� ����� �� ������ �� ���� ���� �� ��������� ��� ����� ��������� ��� ������� ����� �� �� ������� ��������� �� �� ��
��������������������������������������������������������������������������� ������ ������� ������ ��� ������� ��� ���������� ������ ����������� �� ��� ������ ������������� ���� �� �����������������
������������������������������������������������������������������ ������ ������� ������ �� ���� ��� ����� �� ��� ������� ��� ����� ������ �������� ��� �������� ��� ��� �������� ������������� �� ��
�������������� ����������� ��� ��� ������ ���� ������� ���� ��� ���������� ���� �������� ������ ����� ������������ ����������� ���� ������������� ���� ������ �������������� ������ �� ������
��������� ������������ �� �������������� �� ��������������� �� ���� �� �������� ������� ��� ���� ������� ���� ����� ������� ��� �������� ������� ������ �� ��� ���� ���� ���� �� �� ������ �������
��� ��� ���������� ������������� ��� ���������� ��� ����� ����� ������� �� ��� ��������� ������������� �� ��������
�������������������������������������������������������������������������
���� ��� �������� ����� ���������� ����� �������� ������������������ ����� ������ �� ��� ��������� ��� ����� �� ��� ����� ���������� ��������
����������������������������������������������������������������������
����������� �� �� ��� ����� ��� ���� ������ ��� �������� ���������� ������� ���������� ���� ���� ��� ���� ��� ���������� ���������� �������
��������������������������������������������������������������������������� ���� ����� ��� �� ���������� �� � ��� �������� �������� ������� �� ������� ����� ������ ����� ��� � ����� �������� �� ����������� ��
��� ��������� ���������� ��� ������ ������� ���� ��� ���� �� �������� �� ��� ���� �� ��������� ����� �� ��� ������ �������� ��� ������� ���������� �� ����� �� ���������� ���� ��������������� �� ��������� �������� ��� ���������� ���
����� ������� ����� ����������� ���� � ����� ������ �� �������� ��������� �������� ��������������������������������� ��� ���� ��� ��������� �� �������� �� ����� ��������� ����� ��� ��������� ������ ���� ��� ������������� �� �����
������� �� �� �������� ������� ������� ��� ���������������� ���������� ��������� �� ��������� ��� ������������������� ����� ���������� ��� ����� ���� ���� ������� ������������� �� ��������� ����� �� �� ���������� ���� ����������
��������������������������������������������������������������������������� ����������� �������� �� ����� ������ ����� �������� ���� ��� ����������� ����������� ��� ���� ����� �������� ���� ��� ��������� �������������
��� ��� ������ �������� ���� ������� �� ��������������� ������� ������� ���� � ������ ���� ���� ��� ��� ���������� ���� ������ ����� ��� � ������� ��������� ����� ����� �� �������� ������� ���� ����������
������� �� ��� ��������� �� �� ����� ��� ����� ���� ��������� ����� �������� ����� ����������� ���� ��� ��������� ���������� ��� ���������������������
���� ����� �� ��� �� ��� ������ ������� ��� �������� �� ����������� ������ ���� �������������� ���� ���� ���� �� �� ���� ����� ��� ����� �� ������� �

������� ��� ���� ������ ������������� ��������������

���� ��������� �� ��� ����� �� ����
�������� �����
���������� �������� ���� ���� �����
�� ���� ���� ����������
����� ������� ������������ ������
����� �� ��� ���������� �� ��������
�� ������������� �������������� ����
�� �� �� ���� ������ �� ��� �����������
����� ����� �� ����� �� ���� ������
��� ������ ����������
��� ��� ���� ���� ���� ��� �����
����� ��� ������ �� ������ � ������� �� �� ��� ��������� ������������������������������ ��������� �� ���������������� �� ��� �� ���� ��� ��� ����� ���������� ����� �� ��� ����� �������� ���� ����

�
����������� ��� �� ���� ���� � ������� ����� ���������� ���� ������� ������ ���� ���� �� ����� �� ��� ��� � ���� �� ��� ���� ������ �� ��� ��� ����
� ������ ���������� �������� ��� ������ �������� ��� �������� ���� ��� ������ ���� �������� ���� ������� ��� ��� ������� ��������� �� ������� ��������� � ������ ��� ���� �������� ������� �������������� �� � ���� ����
��������� ��� ������������ ������ �� ������ ��� �������� ��������� ����� ������������ ���� �� �� ��������� ��� ��� ���� ��� ��������� ��� ���������� �������� ������������� ���� ��� ��� ���� ���� �� ������ �� ��� ��������
����� ���������� �������� � ������� �������������������������������� ���������� ����� � ��� �� ���� ���� ��� ��� ���� �� ������
�� ������ ���������� ��� ������ ���� ��������� ����������� ��� ��� ����
����� ��������� �� ���������� ������������ ����� ������ ������� ��������
���� �������� ��� ��������� ��������� �� ��������� �� �� ������������� �����
������� ��� ����������� ��������� ���� �������� ���������� �� �������� � ����
������ �������������������� �� �������������������������������������������
������� ��
���� �� ���� �� ��� �������� �������
�� ��� ����������� � ������� ����� ��� �� ������ ����� ���� ��� �� ������ � �����
����� ��� ��� ��� ���������� ����� � ���������������� ����� �� �� �������� ���
���������� �������� ���� ��� ��� ����� ����� ��� ��� �������� ������� �� ��� ��� ������
��������� ��� ���� � ������ �� �� ��� ������� ��� ���� ���� ���� ��� �������� ��
������������ �� ��������� ��� ������� ���� ���������� ����������� �� ������� ���������� ��� ����
������ ��������� �������� ���������� ��� �� ��� �������� ������ ��� ��� ����� �������� ��������� ����
������� ��������
����������������������������������������������������������������������������
���� �� �������� �� ��� ����� �� ����������� �� ��� �������� ����� ��� ��� ������
���� ������ ���� ���� ������� �� ����� ��� �������� ����� ��� �� ��
���������� ��������� ��
����� ���� ����� ��� ������ ������ ���� ���� ����� �� ������� ������ �� �����
������ ���� ���� ���������� ���� �������� ������ ���� ������� ���� ���� ���� ���� ����� ������ ��� ����� ����
����� ������ ��� ���� �� ��� ������ ������
��� ���� �� ��� �������� ������ ��
������ ������ �������� ������ ��� ��� ������ � ���� ���� ���� ���� ����� ��� ����� ������ �� ���� ��
���� ��� ���� �������� ������ ��� ��� �������� �������� �� ���� ���� ����� �� � ��� �������� ������� ��������� ���
������ ���� �������������� ���� �������� ��
�������� ����������� ��������� �� ������� ������������ ����� ���� ������ ��� ���� ��� ������ �� ��� ������� ���
��������������������������������������������������������������������������� ������ ��������������� ��� �� ������
����� ������ ��� ���� ��������� ����� �������� ������� ��� ������ �� ����� ������� ��� ����� ��������� ��� �������� ����������� ��
��� ���� ��������������� �� ���������� ������� ���� ������ ��� ������ �������������
�� ��� ������ ���� ��� ����� �� � � ������������ ���� ��� ��� �������� �� ���� ���� ��� ���� ��������� ����� ���������� �� ���� �� ����
��������������������������������������������������������������������
������� ��� � ������� ������ � ������� ��� ��� �� �� ��� ���� ������� ���� ������� ����� ����� ���� ��� ���� ����������� ���� �� ���� ��������
������������������������������������������������������������������������ ���� ������ ����� �������� ���� �� ��� ���� �������� ������ ���� ����� �� ���� ��� �� ���� �� ���������� ��� ������� � ���� �������� ��������
�������� ����� ��������� �������� ����� ���� ����� ��� ������ ����� �� ������� �� �� � ������ ���� ������ ��� ��� ������ ���� ����� ��� �������� ���� ��� �� ����� ���� �������� ��������� ���� ���� ������ ��� ���� ������� ���
�������� ������� �� � ��������� ����������� ��� ��� ��� �������� ���� �� ���� �� ������ ��� ����� �� ����������� ������� � ������ ���� ��� ����� ����� ������ ��� ������ ���� � ����� �� ���� �� ������� ��� �������
��������� ������������ �� ����� � ������ �������� ���� �������������������� ��� ����� ��������������� ������� ��������� ������ � ��� ��������� ��� �� ����� ��� ������������ �������� ����� �� ������� ��� ���� ��� �������� ���
������������������������������������������������������������������������� �� ���� ��� ������ ��� ���� �� ������ ��� ��������� ��� �� ���� ��� ���� ��� �� ��� ������� ��� ������ �� ���� ��������� �������� ������ ����
������� �� ������������� ���� ������ ��� � ������ �������� �� ������� ������������ �� �� ����� ��� ��������� ��� ���� ���� ������ ��������� �� ���������� � ������ ����� ��� ����� ���������� �� ����� �� ���� ��� ���
�������������������������������������������������������������������������� ��������� ���� �� ��� ������� ������ ��������� ��� ������ ��������� ��� ��� ���� ��� ��� �� �� ������ � ���� �������� ���������� �� �������
����� ��� ��� ����� ���� ����� ���������������� ����� ��� ���� �� ���� � �� �� ���� ������ �� ����� ���������� �� ���� ����������������� ������� � ��� ��� ����� ������� �� ��� ������ ����
������� �������� ���� ���� ������ ���� ������������ ������� �� ������� ������� ��� ���� ����� ��������� �� ��� ��� ��� ������ ��� ��� ������ �� ������ ������ ���������������������������������� ��������� ������ �� ������ ��
������������������������������������������������������������������������ ��� �� ��� ������ ������ ��� ��������� ����� �� ��� ���� �� ������ �� � ���������� ��� ��� ���������� �� ����� � ������
���� ���������� �� ���������� ���� ������������������������������� ���������� ���� ��� ����� �� ��� �� ��� ������� ����� �� ����������� ����� �� ����� �� �������� ��������� ���������� ����� �������� �� ��� ��������� �� ���
����� �������� �� ������� ����� ���������� �� �� ��������� �� ����� ������ ������� ���� ��� ������������ ������ �������� ������� ����������
���� ���������� �� ��� ��� ������ ��������� ����� �� ������ �� ����� �� � ������ ����� �� �� ���� ���� ���������� �� ���� ���� ������ �� ������� ���

���������� ��� �������� ������� ��� ���� �����

��� ��� ����� ���� ��� �� ��� � ����
������ �� ������ ��������� �������
������� �� ��� ���������
��� �� ��� ������ ����
������ �� ���� ���
������ ��� ���� ��
������ �� ������� �� �����
������������ �� ��������
�����������������������
������ �� ��� ��������
��������������� ��������������� ����
��� ��� ��� ������������� ����
���� ���� ����� ��� ����� ���������� ���� ���������� ��������� ����������� ��� ������ ��� ���������
���� ��� ��� ���
��� �������� �� �������� ����� �� ����������� �� ���
������ ��� �������� ������ ��� � ���� ������� ������ ���������������������� ������� ��������� ����� ��� ����� ��
��� ��� ��� ������� � ���������� ���� ����������� ������� ��� ��� ��������� � �������� ����� ����� �������� ����� ��� ������ ���� ������������������������ ��� ������� ��� �� � ���� ��

�
��� ���� �� ��� ��� ��� ������� ��� ��� ���������� ��� ��� ������� ����� �� ����������������� ������ ����������� ��� ������� ��� ���
���� ���� ���� ������ �� ������ ������ ����� �� �������� �� ��� ��� ������� ���� ������� ��� �������� ��� ������ ��� ������ ����� ����� �� ���� ���� ���������� �� ������ ��� ��������� ��
�� ������������� ��� ������ �� ��� ������ ��� ��������
������ �� ���� ��� ����� ���� ������ �� ��� ���� ���� ����� ���� ������ ����
������� ������� �� �� ��� ���������� ���� ��� ������� ������������� ��
������� ��� ��� �� �� ����������� ����� �� ���� ��� ���� ���������� ��� �������� ��� �������� �� ���� ��� ��� ��� ���� ��� ��� ���� ������ � ����� ���������� �� �������� ���
������ ���� ��� ���� �������������� ��� �������������������� ������ �� ���� ����� ����� ������ ���� ��������� ����� ��� ����� ������������������������ ���������� ��� ����������� �������
������������ ������� �� ������ ����������� ���� ��� ����� ����� ��� ��� ������ �� ������ ��� ������� ��� �� ������ ������� ���� � ������ ��� ������� ��� ��� �� ������� ������ �� ��������� ��� �������� ����� ���
���� ������ ��� ���� ����� ���� � ��� �� ��������� ������������ ���� ��������� ����� ������ �� ��� ������ ���� ����� ��� ����� �� ����� �� ���� ���������������������� ���� �� ������� �� ������ �� ����
�������������� ���������� �������������� ��� ������ ���������� ������ ������� ������ �� ����� ������ ������ �� � ���� ������ ��� ���� ���� ��� ��������� ����� ���� ���� �� ������������� �����
����� ���� �� �� ������ �� � �������� ������ ���������� ����� �� �� ��� ��� ��� ���� ����������� ���� ��������� ���
������ ���� ��� ���� ����� ������������������ ��� �������� ��� �������� �����
������� ���� �� � �������� ��������� ������ ��� ���� �� ���� ��� ��� ��� ��������� �� ����� ��� ����� �� ��� ������� �������� ��� ��������� ���
����������������������������������������������������������������������
���� ���� �� ������ ������� ����� ���� ����� ��� ������ ���� ��� ������� ��� ��������� ��� ������� ���� ��� ������� �������� ��� �� ������ ��
������� ���������� ����������������������������� ��������� ���� ������ ����� �� � ����� ����� �� ����� ��������� ����� �������� ������������������������ ����� ��� ������������ ���������
�� � �������� ���������� ��� ������� ������������� ������ �������� ��������� ���� ��� ���� �� ����� ��� ����� ������� ��� ������� ������� �� �������� ��������� ���� ���� ����� �� ���������������� ����� ���������
�������� �������� ������ ����� ���� �� ���� ������ ������ ���������� �� ����� ��� ����� ��� ��� ��������� ������ ���� ������ ��� �� ��� ������ ������ ��� � � ������� �������� ���� ��� ��� ���� ������������ �� ���� ����������� ��
��������� ������� �������� ���������� ���� ��� ���� ����������� ��� ���������� ������ ���������� ������ ��� ������ ������� ������ ������ ���� ��� ������ ��������� ���� ���������� ����� ��� ������� ����������� �� ���������
������� ��� ������������ ������ ����� ����� ���� ���� ��� ������ ������� �������� ���� ����� ��� ��������� ��� ����� ������ ��� ��� ����� �������� ����� ������ ���� ����� ��������� ���� �� ������ ���� �������� ��� �����
���� � ���������� ��������� ������ ����� �� �� ��������� ���� ���� ������ ����� ���� ����� ������ ��� ������ ���� ��� ��������� ������ ��� ���� ������� ��� ����� ����� ������� ���� �������� ����� ��� ���� ������ ������� ���
���� ������ ���� �� ��� ������ ������������� ��������� ������ ����� ����� ��� ����� ���� ������ ��� ����� ���� ��� �� ���� ���� ��� ��� ��� ���� ��� ����� ��� ������� ��������� ���� ������� ���� ��� �� ������ ������ �� ����� ����
�� ��� �������������� ����� ���� ���� ��������� ������� ������������ ���� ��� �������� ��� ���� ������ ����� �� ����� ��� �������� ��� ���� �������� ����� �� ��� ���� �� ��� �� ���� ��������� ��������� ���
������� � ������� ����� �� ����������� ��� ��� ��� ���� � ��� ������� ��� ��� ����� ����� �� ���� ���� �� ��� ������� ����� �� ������� ��� ���������� ���� � ����� ��� ������� ���� �� ����� �� ����� ����� ��� �� ���������
���� ����� ���� �� ������ ����� �� ������� ����������� ������� ������� ��� ������ �������� ������ �� �� ���� ��� ������� ������� �� ���� ������� ��� ���� ���� ����� �� ���������� ����� �� ���� ��� � � ����� ������� ������������
�������������������������� ������������� ��������������������������������� �������� ����� ��� ����� ��� ���� �������� �� ����� �������� �������� ���� �� ������������
���������������� ������������ ���� ���� �� ����� �������� �������� ������ ����� ��� �� ���������� ���� ��� ��� �������� �� ���� ��� ���� ���� � ����� ��� ��� �� ���� �� ���� ������ �� �� �� ��������������������������

����� ��� �� ������������� ������ ������������ ������� ��� ��������� �� ���� �������� �� ������ �� ��� ������ ������� ��� ������� ��� ������� �� ��� ������ ������� ��� ������� ������ ���� ��������� ����� � ������ ��� ��������� �� ��� ������ ������� ��� �������� ��������� ������ ������� ��������� � � ��� ������� ���� ����� ����� ��� ������������� ������ ������������� ���� ������������� ������ ������ ������ ������� ��� ��� ��� ��� ���� ������� ������� ��� ��� ���� ��� ����
�������� �� ��� ������ ������ ������� �������� ������� ����� ����� ������ �������� ������ � �������� ������������ ������������� ��� ��������� �� ���� ����� ��� ��� ���� ����������� ��� ������ ������� ��� �������� ��� ������ ��������� ������������ �� ��� ������� ���������� �� ���������� �� ����� �� �� ����� ������� ����� ������� ���������� �� ����������� ��� ��������� ��������

��� �����
������������������������
��������� �������
�������
����
��� ������ �� ���� ���� ������ ����� ��� ��������
� ��������� �����������
���� ����
����� �
���� ����
��� ���������� ���� ���� ���� ������ �� ���� � ��� ����
�� ���� ������ ��� ������ ���������� ��� �������� ���
��� ���� ��������� �� ������������ ����������� �������
�� � ����� �� ��������� ���� ������ ������
�
� �� ���� �� ������ ��� ���������
������� ����� �� ��� ������� �� ����
���������� ����� ����� �������
������ ����� ������ ��� ������� ��
������� �� ����� ���������� ��� ���
�������� ������ ������� ����� ��������
����� ������� �� ���������� �������
����� ��������� ������� ��� �� ����
������� �������� ��� ����������������
�� �������� �� ���������� ������ ������
�������� ��� � ������� ������� ��� ������
�����������������������������������
������������ ���� ����� ���������������
������ ������� ����� ���� �� ������������
����� ��� �� ���������� ����� �� ��� �����
� �������� ��������
�� ���� �� ��������� �� ����
������� ������ �� �� �� ���
������� ���� ������ �������
����� ���� ������� �� ����� ���
��������� � ������ �� ���
��������� ����������� �� ����� ������ ����
������ ���� ���� ��� ��������� �������
���� � ��� ���� ��� ������ ���� ���������
�� ����� �������� � ��� ������������ ���
�� �������� �� ��� ����� �� ���� �� ���
������ ���� ������� ��� �������� �������
�� ���� ��� �� ��� ���� ������� �����
����������� ��� ����� ������������ ��
������������������� �����������������
�������� ������������ �� ����� ������
������ ���� ���������� ������� ������ ���
������������ ������� �� ������ �� �� ��� ��
��� ��� �������� ���� ���� ��� �������
������� �� ���� ���� �� � ���� ��������
�� ������ ����� ��� ������ �����������
����������������� ��� ������ ����� �����
�� ����� ����� �������� ������� �� ���� �����
����� ������ ��������� ������� ����
���� ���������� ���� ������� �� �����
������ ���� ������� ���� ������ ��������
��� ����� �� ����� �� ������� ��� ������
�� ��� ������ ���� �������� ������� ��
�������� ��������� ��� ������ � �����
������ ����� ��� ���������� ������� ��
������ ����� ��� ���������
���� ��� ���� ����������� ����
��������� ���� ��� ���� �������� ��� ����
�� �������� ��������� ����� ���������� ��
������� ������ ������� �� � ��� ��� �� ����
������������ �������� �� ������ ���� ���
���������� ���� ���� �������� �� ����
��� ����� ����� �� ����� �������� ��� ���
�������� ��� ��������� ������� ��� �����
��� ���� ���� �� �������� �����������
��� ��������� ���� ������ �� ��� ����
������� ���������
��� ������ ���� ��� �������� ��
������� ���� ����� �� �������� �����
��� ����� ��� ����� ���� ���������
���������� �� ��������� ����� ������ ����
������ ����������
���� ��� �� ��� �������� ������
������ ������ ��� ��� ������ ��� �������
��� ��� ��������������� �� ��� ��������
����� �� ��� ������ ����� �������� �������
��� ������ ���� ��� �� ��� ���� �� ����
�� ������ �������
������� ���������� ��� ���������
��� �������� ������ ��� �����
��� ������ �� ��������� �������� ��� ���������� �� ������ ����� ��� ����� � ������ �����������
���� ������� ���� ��� ������ � ���� ��
������������������������������������
��� ������� ��� ����������� ��������� �����
��� ��� ��� ���� ������������ ��� �� ����
����������������������� ����� ������� ����
������� ������� ������ ���������
� ������� ������ �� ��� ��� �����������
��� ������ ��� ������� ������� ����������
������ ���������� ������ ��� ��� ���� ��
������������ ������ ��� ������ �������
���� �������� �� ����� ������� ��������
����� ��� ���� � ����� ����� ��� �����
������������ ����� ��� ��������� ��������
��������������������������������������
������������������� �� ����� ������ ����
����������������� ���� ������������� �
������������� ������ �����
�������� ���� �� ������ �� ��������� ��
��� �� ��� ���� �� ��������������� ����
�� �������� �� ���������� �� ��� ���� ��
������� ���� �� ���� ��� ������ ��� ���
��� ������ ���� � ���������� �����
����� �������� �� ����� ����� ����� ����
���� �� ���� ����� ����� ������ ��� ���
��������� ��� �� ������ ��� ����� ����
������� �� ��� ���������� �������� �����
������ �������������������������� ��
������� ��� ��������� ������� �������
���� ��� ������ ����������
�� ���� �������������������� �����
�������������� ���������� ������� ���
��������� �� ����������� �������� �����
�����������������������������������
�� ���� �������� ������
����� �������� �������
���� ����� ���� �� �������
������ �� ������������ ���� ������������
����� ��� �������� ��� ��� �������� �� �������������� ���������
������� ��� ��������� ���� ������� ��
����������� ���� ������
��� �������� ������� �������
���
��������� ������ ��� ��� ��������
�������� ���� ��� ���� ���� ����� ���� �� ����� �� ��� ����� �� ���
������� ������� ���� ������� ������ ��� ����� �� � �������
���� ��������� ��� ��� ����
�������
������� ��� ���������
��� ��� ���������
���� ���� � �������������
�������� �� ���������� ����������� ���
������� ���� ��� ��������� ��� ���� ������� ������������ �� ���������
������ ��� ����
�� ����������� �� �����
��� ����� ����� �� ��� ����
������������������������������������
������� ������������ ���������� ��� ����
��������������������������������������
��������� ���� �� ������������ ��� ��
������� �� ����� ��� ���������� �� ���
��������� ����������� ��� ���� ������
����������� ����������� �� �����������
���������� ������������ ������ ���� ����
���� �� ���� ��� ��������
������� ���� �� ������� ���������
�� ������ �������� ���� �� ����� ����
�������������� ���� �� ������ ������ �
����� ������� ��������� ���������� ����
���� ��� ������ ������� ��� ���������
���� ������� ���� ����� ������ ����� ��
����� ����������
��� ���������� ��� ���� ��������
����� ������ ��� ��������� ����� ��
���������� �� ������� �� �������� ���
������ �� ����� ����� ����� �� ������ ���
������������� �������� ������� �������
�������� �������� � ������ ���������
��� ���� ������� �� ����������� ���
������� ����� ����� ��� ����� ������
����� ����������
����
��������
���������������� ���� ������� ���������
��� ����� ����
��� ��� ����� ��� �������� ��� ���
�������� ���� ����� ������ �������
������� ������ ���������� ��������� ��
�������� �� ������ ��� ������������ �����
�������� �� ������ ���������
�������� ��� ��������� ��� ������
��� ����� ��������� ������ ����������
������� ���� ���� ���� ����� �� ��� ��� ��
��� ������� ��� ����������� ��� ��� ���
�� � ����� ���� �� ��������� ���� �� ���
�������� �������� ��� ������ ���������
������� ���������� �� ��������� �������
���� ������� �������
�� ��� �� ��� ������� ��� ����� ����
������� ������������ ��� ��� ���� ���� ��
��������� ����������������� ���� ��
������ �� ������ ��� �������� � ������
����� ����� �� ������� �����������
������� ��� ��� ������ �� �������
����� ������ ������ �� �� ���� ���� �� ����
��� ����� �� �������� ��� ������ ��������
��� �� ������������ ���� ������ ��� ����
�������� ����� ��� ��� ���� �� �������
����� �� ���� ������ ���� ���� �����
���� ���� ������� ���� �� ������ ����
�� ��� �� ����� ���� ��� ������ �� �������
���� �� ��� �����
�� � ������ ���������� ���� �������
����� �������� ���� ���� �� ��������
���� ����� ��� ������ �����������������
�������� ������� ����� ���� ���� �����
��� ������ ��� ����� ����� �� �������
����� �� ������� ��� ��� ������ �����
������� ��� ���� ���������� ���� ����
���� �� �������� ���� ��� �������� �����
�� ����� ���� �� ��� ���� �� ������� ����
������ ����� ��������� ���� ���������
���� ���� ������� ���� �� ��������� ����
��������� ��� ����������� �����������
�� ����� ��������
���� �������� �������� ������� ���
������������ ������������������������
�������������������� ��� ���������������
������ ���� �� �������� ������ ����� ���
������������ ��� �� ������� ���� �����
��������� ���� ������� ������� ����� �����
������� ������� ���� �� ������� �� �������
��� ��� ����������� ����� �� ��� ���� ��
������������ ���� ���� �� ����� ��� ����
��� �� �������������� ������ �� ��� ����
���� ����� �� ������ �� ���� �����
����� ���������
������� ���� �� ���� �� ����� ����
�������������� ���� ������� ����������
����� ������� ��������� ����� �������
���� ������ �� ����� ����� �� ���� ���
������ �� ���������������������� ������
����� �� ���� ��� �� ���� ��������� ���
������ ����� �� �������� �� ��� ���� ����
��� ��������� ��� ��� ������������ ��
���������������� �� ����� �����������
����� ������� ��������� ��� ���� ����
�������������� �� �������� �� ������������
���� �������� ������� �� ���� ����� ����
����� ����� ������� ���� ������ ���� ���
���� ���������
������� ������ � �� ������������
������ ��� ��� ���� �������� �� �� ���
��������� ������������� �������
��������� �� ��� ������ �� ������� ���
������������ ���� ����� �� �������������
����������������� �� ���� �� ������� ��
�� ���� �� ��������� ��� ����������
��������������� �� ������ ���������� ����
����� ��� �������� ����
���� �������� �����
����� �� ������
����� ���� �� ����� �������
������ ������ �� � ������
������� �� ����� �����������
�������� ������������ ����� ���� ��
������� ������� ��� ������� ����
���� �������� ���
�����������
��������� �� ����� ����� ��
��� �� ��� ������� �������
���� ��������� �� �����
������ ������������������
��� ������ �� ��������
����� ����� �� ��� ����
����� ��� ����� �� ������ ������� ���
����� ����� ������� �� ������� ����������
�� �������� ��� ��������� ������� ��
����� ���� ����� ���� ��������� ���
�������� ��� �������� ��� ��������
������� ������������� ����� �� ���
���� ����� ������ �� �������� ������ ��
��� ��� ������ ������ ���������� ��
����������� ������ ���� ������� �����
������ ���������� ��� �������� ���
����������� ���������� ��� ��������� �
����� ������������ �� ����� ������
������ ����������� �� �������� �� ���
��� ��������� �� ���� ����� ��� ��� ����
��� � ���������� ��� �����������
���� �� ����� ����� �� ����������������
�� ������� ������ ������ �������� �����
������� ���� ���� ����������� �����
������ ��� �������� ���������� �������
���� ���� �� ���� ������ ��� ������
���������� ��� �������� ��� ��� ����
��������� �� ������������ �����������
������� �� � ����� �� ��������� ����
������ �������
������� ���� ���� ���������� � �� ���
���� �� ���������� ������������� �� ���
����� ������ �� ���� �� �������� ��������
�� �� ����������� ��������� ������� ��
����� ���� �� �� �������� �� ��� �� ���
����� ���� ����� �� ������� ������ �� ��
�������� �������������
����� ��� ��� ��� ����� ������ �����
��� ������� �������� ������������������
��� ��� ������� ����� ������ ������
������� ���������� �������������
������ ��������� �� ���������� ���� ��
������������ ���� ��� ����� ��������� ����
������� �� ��� ����� �� ���� ��� �����
���� ���� ��������������� �� ������� �����
��������� ��� ��������� �� �� ��������
�������� ���� ��� ����
������� �
� ���� ������
����� ���� �����
���� ������
��������
�����������
��� ������ �� �������� ���������� ��������
���� ������ ����������� �������
��� ���� ������ ������ ����� ��������� ��
��������� �������� ������
�
�� ���� ������ ������ �� ������ ����� ������
��������������� ��������� ������� ���������
������������ ������ � ��� �� ��������� ��� �� ���
������� ���������� ���������� ��������������
������������ ���������� ���� ���������� ���
�� ����� ������� ������� �� ��� ������� ������ ��� �������
������������������������������������������������
�����������������������������������������������������
���������������������������������������������������
�������������������������� ��� ���������������� �������
�������� �� ������� ��� ����������� ��� ������� ��� �� ����
������� ��������� ��� �������� �������� ��� ��� �����
���� ��� �� ��� ������������� ���������� �� � �������� �����
��� �������� ������������ �� ������� ��������������
������� ��������� �������������� ���������� ��� ���������
���� ������������ ������ �������� ��� ����������� ��������
����������������������������������������������������
����������������� ��������� ��������������� ������������
�� �������� �� ��� ��������� ��� ������ ����� �����������
��� ������ �������� ��������� �� ��� �� ��� ���������
�������� �� ��� ���� ����� �� ��� ����� ���������� ��� ��
���� �� ����� ��� ������ �� ��� ������� ���� ��� �������
����� ������� ��������� ������� ���� �� ���� ������� ���
��������� ������ ������������ �� ���������������� ����
������ �� ������������������������� ���� ��������� ����
�������� ��� ������� ���������� ��������� ��������� ������
��������������� �������� �� ��
����� ����� ��� ��������� ����
�������� ��������������������
��� ���� �������������������� ��� ������ �����
�� ���� ���� ���� ��� ������� �� ������ ��������
���� ���� ���� ����� ����� ��
�������������������������� ��� ���������� ��
���� ����� ���� ���� ������ ��� ���� �� ���
������� ������� �� ��� �������� ��������� ���������
�� ���������� ��������� ����
������������� ������� ������
�� ���� ����� ��
���� ������ ���� ������������� ������ ���� ��������
�� ���� � �������� ��� ���
������������ �� ��� �������
������������������������������������������������
���� �������������� ��� ��������� ������� �� ��� �������
������ �� � ���� �� ��� ����� ������������ �� ��������� �� ����
��������� ����� ����������� ��� ��� ������ �� ������ ��� ����
�������������� ������������ ������ ����������� ���������
������� ������������� �� ������� �� ������ ����������� ��� ����
������� �� ���� ������� �� ��� �������������
������ ������� �� ������������������ ��� ����������
�� �������� �� ���������� �������� ���� ��������������� �����
��������������������������������������������������������
������������������������������������������������������
�������������������������������������������������������
�����������������������������������������������������
��� ������� ���� ���� ����������� �� ������ ��� ���������
����� �� �� ��������� ���� �� ���� �� �� ����� �� �������������
�����������������������������������������������������
������ �� ����������������������� ���� ������ ������ ���
��������� �� ����� ��������� ������ ���� ���������� �� �����
��������������������������������������������������������
�� ���� �������� ��� �� ������ ��������
�� ������������� ��������������������������������
���� �������� �� ���� ������������ �� ��� ���� ������ ������
��� ��� � ��������� ����� ��� ���� ���� �� ������� ����
���� �������� ��� ������� ������������ �� ������ �� ����������
��������� ���������������� ������� ��� ����� �����������
��� ���������� ��� ������ ���� ���� ����� �� ������� ��
������ �� ���� �� ����� ������� ��������� ��� ������� ��
���� ���� ����� ���� ��������� ���� ���������� �� ���
�������� ����� ������� ��� �������� �� ��� ���������� ���
�������������� �������� ������ ��������� ��� ���� �� ��
����� ���� ��������� �� �� ���������� �������� ���� ��� ����
������ ��� � ����� ��� ������� ��� ������ �������� ����
����� ������ ������ ��� ����� ���� ������� �� ��� ������
��� ���� ������ ������ �� ��� �������� �� ��� �������� ��
����� ���� ��������� �� ������ ���� ��� ��� ��������
������ ���� �� ��������� �� ����� � ��� �� ����������� ����
��� �����������
����� ���� ��� �������� �� ����� ����
�������� ���� ���� �� �������� ����� ����
����� ���������� �� �� ��������� ������� ��
��� ������� �������
��� ������������ �� ����������� ���� ��
�� ������ ��� ��� ��� ����� ����������
���� �� �� ���������� �� ������� �������
����� �������� ������� �� ����� ����� ���
���������� ��� ���� �� ������� ��������
��� ��������� ��� ��� ������������ ���
������ ��� ������� ����������������������
��������� �� �� ����� ���� ����������� ��
������������ �� �� ���������� ���������
��� �������� ����������� ��� �������
��� ��� ��� ������������ ���������� ��
����� ������� ������� ������� ������ �����
������ ����� ��� �� �������� �� ��� ��
��������� ���������� ��������� �������
����� �� ���������� ��������� �� �����
������� ��� ��� �� ������ ��� ��������
�������������������������������������� ������� �� ������ ��������
���� ��� ��� ������������ ��� ��������� �� �� ������������ ��� ������ ���� ��� ����
��� ����� �� ����� ����� ������ �� ��� ����� ������ ���� ������� ��� ��� �����
������� ����� �� ��� ��� ������� ���� ���� ��� ��� ���� ���� ���������� ����
�������� ��� ������������� ��������� ������� ��� ����� ���������� ��
��� ��������������� ������� ����� ���� ����������� �� ��������� ��� �� �� ��
�������� ������������� ������� ������� ��������� �� ����� �������� ��� �������
���� ��� ������������� �� � ���� ���� ����� ���� ������� �� ������ �������� ���
����� ��� �������������� ������� ����� ������ �������� ��� ���������� ����
���������������� ���������� ����������� ������� ���� �� ����� �� ��� �������� ������
���������� ���� ������� ������� ����� ���� ������� ���� ��� ���������� ����
������ ��� ��� ������ �� ������ ��� ������ ������������� ���������������������
����� ������������ �������������� ����������� �����������
��� ������ �������� ��� ���� �� ������ ��� ���� �� ����� �������� ��� ����� ��
����� �� ������� ��� ������������ �� ���� �������� ������������ ��� ������ ��� ��
�� ��� �� ��� ������ ��� ����� ������� ������ ��� ���� ����� ������
��� �����
 ^_]X^]
=4F34;78kCD4B30H k9D;H ! !!

gggTQY\i`Y_^UUbS_]
%
UPRTQ^^ZR^\SPX[h_X^]TTak /CWT3PX[h?X^]TTak X]bcPVaP\R^\SPX[h_X^]TTa
A2A6CH:E9A2DD:@?

CR[RdeYR_hcR_X]V
$VWKH*HKORW3LORWILJKWWXUQVXJOLHUWKH&RQJUHVVPXVW
UHFNRQZLWKVRPHKDUGWUXWKVRUIDGHLQWRREOLYLRQ
3DNLVWDQYLD/DGDNK
7
KH &RQJUHVV YHUVXV &RQJUHVV ZDU LQ
5DMDVWKDQVKRZVQRVLJQVRIDEDWLQJZLWK
DOHJDOZUDQJOHRYHUWKHGLVTXDOLILFDWLRQ 8]WX]SbXVWcXcP__TPabcWPc2WX]P³b`dTbcU^aPSXaTRc[P]Sa^dcTc^?PZXbcP]fPbR^]RTXeTS
QRWLFHVLVVXHGE\WKH6SHDNHUDJDLQVWQRZ
VDFNHGGHSXW\&KLHI0LQLVWHU6DFKLQ3LORWDQG P]S_PacXP[[hTgTRdcTSQh2WPXa\P]<P^*?aTbXST]cGXXbcahX]Vc^R^\_[TcTcWXbPVT]SP
RIKLV0/$V&KLHI0LQLVWHU$VKRN*HKORW
LVJXQJKRDERXWWKHQXPEHUVLQKLVIDYRXU
EXWZDQWVWKHGLVTXDOLILFDWLRQRIWKH3LORWOHG
UHEHO0/$VDVLWZRXOGDXWRPDWLFDOO\UHGXFH
WKHQXPEHURIVHDWVLQDIORRUWHVWDQGKHOS
KLPVDLOWKURXJKZLWKHDVH7KH*HKORWFDPS
KDVDUJXHGWKDWGLVTXDOLILFDWLRQFDQEHOHJDO
O\FKDOOHQJHGLQFRXUWRQFHWKH6SHDNHUKDVJRQHWKURXJKZLWKLW%HVLGHVDVD
FRQVWLWXWLRQDOO\DSSRLQWHGDXWKRULW\KHFDQGHFLGHRQEUHDNDZD\IDFWLRQVUHJDUG C1>48I1 908=
OHVVRIZKHWKHUWKH+RXVHLVLQVHVVLRQRUQRW6R3LORW·VSOHDLV´SUHPDWXUHµIRU
ndia’s boycott of China’s Belt and

I
WKH6SHDNHUKDVPHUHO\LVVXHGDVKRZFDXVHQRWLFHXQGHUWKHDQWLGHIHFWLRQODZ Road Initiative (BRI) on grounds that
DQGZRXOGWDNHDFWLRQRQO\DIWHUWKHUHEHO0/$VHLWKHUH[SODLQHGRUUHIXVHGWR the China-Pakistan Economic
FODULI\ZK\WKH\VWD\HGDZD\IURPSDUW\PHHWLQJVFDOOHGE\*HKORW7KH3LORW Corridor (CPEC) goes through Gilgit-
FDPSLVDGDPDQWDERXWQRWUHSO\LQJWRWKHGLVTXDOLILFDWLRQQRWLFHVDQGFKDOOHQJHG Baltistan that was part of the kingdom
of Jammu & Kashmir and, hence, belongs
WKHPVD\LQJWKH+RXVHZDVQRWLQVHVVLRQDQGWKH\KDGQ·WGRQHRUVDLGDQ\ to India, has been viewed by Beijing as threat-
WKLQJWRLQGLFDWHWKH\ZHUHSDUWLQJZD\VZLWKWKH&RQJUHVV,WWHUPHGWKHQRWLFHV ening the security of the CPEC. Pakistan is
XQGHUWKHWK6FKHGXOHDZD\WRVXSSUHVVDGLIIHUHQFHRIRSLQLRQDVGLVVHQW the only country that links Beijing’s mega-
connectivity project by both land and sea and
DQGFXUE´IUHHGRPRIVSHHFKµ%RWKVLGHVDUHSOD\LQJZLWKWKHLQWHUSUHWDWLRQRI is critical to Chinese ambitions in West Asia.
FODXVHDRIWKHWK6FKHGXOHRIWKH&RQVWLWXWLRQ*RLQJE\WKHVHYHUDO It links Xinjiang province with Gwadar port,
6XSUHPH&RXUWMXGJPHQWVRQWKHPDWWHULWFRXOGEHVDLGWKDWDQ\DQWLSDUW\DFWLY close to the Strait of Hormuz, through which
a bulk of the world’s crude oil moves.
LW\ZDVWDQWDPRXQWWRYROXQWDULO\JLYLQJXSPHPEHUVKLS%XW7HDP3LORWDUJXHV Gwadar’s importance has increased in
WKDWLWFDQQRWEHRYHUVWUHWFKHGWRGLVDOORZWKHULJKWWRH[SUHVVRQH·VRSLQLRQ(YHQ recent weeks due to its proximity to Iran
LIWKH\GRQRWMRLQDQ\RWKHUSDUW\RUIRUPDQRXWILWWKHUHEHO0/$VFRXOGEH where Beijing is cementing a long-term rela-
tionship based on mutual hostility to
GHFODUHG´XQDWWDFKHGµPHPEHUVDQGZRXOGQRWPDWWHULQWKHIORRUWHVWHLWKHU Washington. India is a collateral loser due
0HDQZKLOH*HKORWFRQWLQXHGWRSUHSDUHDEDFNXSSODQDVKHSDUDGHGPRUHOHJ to bureaucratic inertia that has failed to exe-
LVODWRUVWREROVWHUWKHWRSSOHWKHRU\ZLWKRQH0/$FODLPLQJWKDWKHKDGEHHQ cute agreements crafted by the political lead-
ership. It will take great skill (and manage-
RIIHUHGCFURUHE\3LORWKLPVHOIIRUGHIHFWLQJEHIRUHWKH5DM\D6DEKDSROOV ment of US President Donald Trump) to
VKRZLQJWKHODWWHUDVRYHU]HDORXVDERXWKLVDPELWLRQGHVSLWHEHLQJWKH3UDGHVK rejuvenate ties with Tehran.
&RQJUHVV&RPPLWWHHFKLHI*HKORWHYHQFDOOHG3LORWQLNDPPD XVHOHVVDQGQDNDUD China is unhappy at public protests in
Gilgit-Baltistan against Islamabad’s mis- ture and grab the region before route to Pakistan was conceived mendable. However, even after
SXUSRVHOHVVPDNLQJVXUHKLVRQHWLPHGHSXW\LVWRUPHQWHGE\LQVXOWVHQRXJK treatment and more recently against the
DQGHQGVKLVLQQLQJVZLWKWKH&RQJUHVVVRRQ6XFKLVWKHXJOLQHVVWKDWWKHUHLV CPEC. According to an intelligence report
QRSRLQWRIUHWXUQ$QGQRZWKDW3LORWWRRKDVEHFRPHLPSDWLHQWKDYLQJJLYHQ accessed by Paul D Shinkman, national secu-
rity analyst, US News and World Report mag-
LQWR*HKORW·VSURYRFDWLRQKHFDQQRWORRNEDFNHLWKHUDQGKDVWRPDNHKLVSROLW
LFDOPRYHV$OUHDG\WKH*XMMDUFRPPXQLW\RIWKUHH6WDWHV³5DMDVWKDQ+DU\DQD
azine, New Delhi views the current imbroglio
in Ladakh as evidence of “Beijing’s sweep-
DQG8WWDU3UDGHVK³KDVGHFLGHGWRUDOO\EHKLQGKLPMXVWOLNHLWGLGIRUKLVIDWKHU ing imperialist designs.” China covets (large
5DMHVK3LORW7KLVPHDQVDVL]HDEOHYRWHEDVHWKDWFRXOGPDNH3LORWDWWUDFWLYHWR portions of) Ladakh for easy access to
Pakistan and enhanced stability for the
WKH%-3HYHQLIKHFKRRVHVQRWWRMRLQLW+HFRXOGHYHQXVHLWDVDEDUJDLQLQJ CPEC; resentful local populations would be
FKLS6RFOHDUO\VRRQHURUODWHU3LORWZLOOKDYHWRFKDUWKLVRZQFRXUVH dealt with sternly.
)RUGHVSLWHLQWHUFHVVLRQE\WKH\RXQJHU*DQGKLVZKRKDYHQRWEHHQDEOHWR New Delhi believes that Beijing wants
VZLQJWKHROGJXDUGWRWKHLUVLGHEHFDXVHWKHODWWHUKDVWKHLUPRWKHU6RQLD·VEOHVV
to expel Indian troops from areas it wants
LQJVWKH\KDYHQRWEHHQDEOHWRDFFRPPRGDWHWKHFRQFHUQVRIWKHLUSHHUVDQG
to occupy and eventually link Thang
Chhenmo (wild, big desert) that China calls
KDYHEHHQORVLQJWKHPFRQVLVWHQWO\$QGZKLOHG\QDVWLFOLQHDJHPD\VHHWKHP Aksai Chin (white stone desert pass) after
DVVXPHWKHUHLQVRIWKHSDUW\WKHDEVHQFHRIRUJDQLVDWLRQDOHOHFWLRQVKDVPHDQW
intruding into the region in mid-1950s. The
aim is to link Thang Chhenmo (India must
WKDWDGKRFLVPFRQWLQXHVDQGWKHROGJXDUGLVMXVWDVEHOOLJHUHQWDERXWLWVDEVR start calling the area by its original Ladakhi
OXWLVWZD\VLQUHWXUQIRUUHJLVWHULQJWKHSDUW\·VSUHVHQFHLQWKHFRXQWU\·VHOHF name) with the Shaksgam Valley region, gift-
ed illegally by Pakistan in 1963, and even-
WRUDOPDSHYHQLILQSDWFKHV,WVDGYLVRUVKDYHEHHQDEOHWRFRQYLQFH6RQLDWKDW
HYHQWKRVHSDWFKHVFRXOGGLVDSSHDU$Q\ZD\WKHFRQVROLGDWLRQE\UHJLRQDOSDU
tually join Pakistan. Every move has been
methodically planned.
WLHVLQWKH6WDWHVKDVDOUHDG\UHGXFHGWKH&RQJUHVVWREHLQJRSWLRQ&DVLQ In April 2013, a Chinese platoon entered
0DKDUDVKWUD7KRXJKUHOXFWDQWLWKDGWRJRZLWKWKH6KLY6HQDEHFDXVHLWVOHJ
the Daulat Beg Oldi area with the same
objective in mind, though it withdrew a
LVODWRUVZDQWHGWREHRQWKHULJKWVLGHRISRZHUWKDQVTXDQGHULQJDSROOSHUIRU month later. Occupation of Daulat Beg Oldi
PDQFHWKDWZDVQ·WDQ\ZD\KHOPHGE\WKHFHQWUDOOHDGHUVKLS7KLVLVZK\DIUXV would enable China to link Thang Chhenmo
with Siachen glacier (currently held by India)
WUDWHG5DKXO*DQGKLUHVLJQHGODVW$XJXVWDVSDUW\·VLQWHULPSUHVLGHQWXQDEOHWR and Karakorum Pass, where it has built an
UHFDVWDV\VWHPWKDWLVURXWLQHO\VDERWDJHGE\WKHSDUW\·VLQKHUHQWFRQWUDGLF
WLRQVDQGXQGHUFXWWLQJVHQLRUV<HWKHZLOOEHEURXJKWEDFNDVWKHIDFHVLPSO\
all-weather road. A cursory look at the map
shows that Pangong-Tso and Galwan Valley,
EHFDXVHWKHROGJXDUGGRHVQ·WZDQWWREHEODPHGIRUGULYLQJWKHSDUW\RQWKH where the current stand-off is taking place,
URDGWRSHUGLWLRQ%XWE\WKHQLWZLOOEHWRRODWH$QGIULHQGVZKRFRXOGKDYHKHOSHG
could enable China to seal the border of the
Union Territory of Ladakh from Thang
KLPZRQ·WVWD\EDFNDVWKH\JHWDFKDQFHWRUHDOLVHWKHLUFDUHHUREMHFWLYHVHOVH Chhenmo side and fully absorb this large ter-
ZKHUH&HUWDLQO\QRWZKHQWKH\KDYHEHHQGXPSHGGHVSLWHGHOLYHULQJUHVXOWVRQ ritory that belongs to India.
This would make it difficult to defend
WKHJURXQGDQGDSSHDUWRKDYHEHHQXVHGUDWKHUWKDQUHVSHFWHG<HVWKH%-3LV Ladakh in the event of more serious hostili-
DYDULFLRXVDQGZDLWLQJWRGHIDQJWKH2SSRVLWLRQLQJHQHUDODQGPDNH,QGLD´&RQJUHVV ties. India cannot allow China to entrench
PXNWµDVVRRQDVSRVVLEOH%XWLVQ·WWKH&RQJUHVVLWVHOISUHVHQWLQJLWVULYDOWKDW itself along the Thang Chhenmo border. As
this deadly terrain can be visited only in sum-
WHPSWDWLRQ"6FLQGLDDQG3LORWQHYHUZDQWHGWROHDYHDQGPD\QHYHUEHKDSS\ mer months, China had to build infrastruc-
ZLWKWKH%-3EXWDWOHDVWJHWVRPHSRVLWLRQVWRVDWLVI\WKHLUGHVLUHIRUOHJDF\
VHHNLQJ,QWKH&RQJUHVVWKH\ZRXOGKDYHVKRQHWKRXJKDQGWKH\NQRZWKDW
%XWDVWKHJUDQGROGSDUW\LPSORGHVWKH\ZLOOEHPDNLQJDFRPSURPLVH:LWK
QRERG\WROLVWHQWRJULHYDQFHVDOWHUQDWLYHRSLQLRQVRUIDFWLRQDOLVPDQGZLWKWKH 8Z]TfcWPcWT?X[^cfPb
\RXWKVWUHDPLQJRXWWKH&RQJUHVVLVLUUHOHYDQWLQDQ,QGLDLWRQFHVKDSHG dbT[TbbV^^SU^a]^cWX]V
P]SfPb^][hcWTaTc^
EYVcRTVW`c>Rcd
X]SdRTUXVWcP\^]V_T^_[T QTWX]SP\PbZ^UUX[cTab^]T
8P\]^cWTaTc^bT[[eTV cWPcfT³eTQTT]fTPaX]VbX]RT
TcPQ[Tb8P\cWT2< cX\TX\\T\^aXP[ RWP]VTbcPcdb`d^ bca^]V^]\dSb[X]VX]V
APYPbcWP]2<
$VWKH8$(VHQGVLWVILUVWVSDFHSUREHWR0DUVLW¶VWLPHWKH ¯0bW^Z6TW[^c
ZRUOGODXQFKHVDSURMHFWIRUKXPDQVWRODQGRQWKHUHGSODQHW
7
the arrival of winter in November.
It was a serious lapse on the part
of our foreign policy and nation-
al security mandarins not to
anticipate these moves.
The June 15 killing of 20
Indian Army personnel in hand-
to-hand combat at Patrolling
Point 14 of Galwan, Western
Sector of Ladakh border, was a
bold move by China to entrench
its military in this strategic loca-
tion. But the valiant response
from Col B Santosh Babu and
his men, who took down 35 to
53 Chinese soldiers (casualties
not acknowledged to this day)
before making the supreme sac-
rifice, has strengthened the
national resolve to defend the
borders at any cost, a message
reinforced by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi and Defence
Minister Rajnath Singh during
recent visits to Ladakh. However,
as the stakes are much higher
this time, Beijing’s retreat is
grudging and slow.
The modus operandi at
Doklam in 2017 bears examina-
tion. The People’s Liberation
Army (PLA) was engaged in a
joint military exercise on the
Tibetan plateau to test its com-
bat efficiency when it suddenly
crossed into Indian territory. The
Doklam intrusion was resolved
diplomatically but showed that
Beijing has built all-weather
roads along its borders for swift
military mobilisation.
In hindsight, it appears that
China’s quest for a direct land
B>D=318C4
CWTWPaSbWX_bcWTbcadVV[TbcWT
[^fSPhbcWTWTPacQaTPZbP]S
X]bTRdaXcXTbPaTTPbX[hR^]RTP[TS
0Rc^a
¯BWX[_PBWTcch
and partially executed by
Chairman Mao; President Xi
Jinping is trying to complete this
agenda. The salami-slicing tech-
278=08BD=70??H nique is not ad hoc needling of
India but a grand design of
0C?D1;82 strategists of the Communist
?A>C4BCB8= Party of China. The increased
terrorist infiltration on the west-
68;68C10;C8BC0= ern front clearly enjoys Beijing’s
0608=BC support. Henceforth, India’s mil-
itary planning should view the
8B;0<0103³B northern frontier as a single enti-
<8BCA40C<4=C ty. The loss of Tehran must be
acknowledged as a diplomatic
0=3<>A4 blunder.
A424=C;H0608=BC In January 2020, China con-
ducted military exercises in
C742?42278=0 Tibet, showcasing the PLA’s
2>E4CB;0A64
ability to fight a mountain war,
with the Type 15 light battle
?>AC8>=B>5 tank, the new 155-MM vehicle-
mounted howitzer, helicopters,
;030:75>A40BH heavy artillery and anti-aircraft
0224BBC> missiles. The increasing number
of military exercises in Tibet
?0:8BC0=0=3 over the past three years has
4=70=243 acclimatised the PLA to high-
altitude conditions and India
BC018;8CH5>AC74 cannot afford to be complacent.
2?42*A4B4=C5D; Interestingly, the exercises
were held from Lhasa up to the
;>20; border — a message to Tibetans
?>?D;0C8>=B in Tibet and India. One wonders
why does India host a Tibetan
F>D;314340;C Government-in-exile if it sees
F8C7BC4A=;H Tibet as part of China? We must
fix our foreign policy goals and
engage Sikyong, Lobsang
Sangay, who desire an indepen-
dent Tibet.
India’s move to augment its
border infrastructure is com-
7T1XST]f^d[Sf^aZc^VTcWTa FTbPfhTcP]^cWTaUPX[TS
fXcW8]SXPc^ZTT_^daRXcXiT]b TSXcX^]^U²?a^YTRcA6
bPUTCWPc\TP]bbcP]SX]Vd_ AT[Pd]RW³c^SPh
PVPX]bcRa^bbQ^aSTacTaa^aXb\ /APWd[6P]SWXYX fPbPb
fWT]^da]TXVWQ^dabPccT\_cc^ dbdP[fTPZ^]UPRcbP]S
5^a\Ta0\TaXRP]SX_[^\Pc 19?RWXTU
¯AXRWPaSETa\P ¯9?=PSSP
Maj Gen KS Thimayya modified
and led tanks up the Zoji-la in
1947, India never invested in
light tanks for mountain warfare.
Worse, former Defence Minister
Manohar Parrikar’s suggestion
for a Mountain Strike Corps was
simply struck down.
New Delhi and Washington
believe that Beijing exploited the
Coronavirus pandemic to assert
territorial claims along its bor-
ders, in the South China Sea,
and Hong Kong. The Trump
administration issued retaliato-
ry sanctions against Beijing after
it imposed sanctions on US
lawmakers for passing a legisla-
tion against China for repression
in Hong Kong. US Secretary of
State Mike Pompeo promised
increased support to allies in the
South China Sea.
Observers, however,
expressed surprise at the deter-
mination with which Beijing
moved on so many fronts simul-
taneously, from denting Hong
Kong’s autonomy and trying to
impose its authority on the
archipelago; to upping the ante
against India in Ladakh and
wooing Tehran against India; to
challenging Washington and
reiterating its claims in the
South China Sea vis-à-vis its
South East Asian neighbours
and Taiwan. This could prove a
classic overreach but
Washington should help by
turning neutral on Iran.
(The author is a senior jour-
nalist. Views are personal)

KH 8QLWHG $UDE (PLUDWHV 8$( MXVW
ODXQFKHGDVSDFHSUREHGHVWLQHGIRU0DUV
RQ WRS RI D -DSDQHVH URFNHW :KLOH
GQ[Ue`SQ\\
ODXQFKLQJVXFKDPLVVLRQRIGLVFRYHU\LVSDU
IRUWKHFRXUVHIRUPDQ\VSDFHSRZHUVLQFOXG
LQJ,QGLDWKLVLVWKHILUVWVXFKDGYDQFHGVDWHO
Sir — By putting greater faith on
the virtues of martinet gover-
OLWHODXQFKE\WKH8$(6HYHUDORIWKHVHYHQ nance, we expected the pandem-
(PLUDWHVWKDWPDNHXSWKDWQDWLRQKDYHSLQQHG ic travails to end by mid-May and
KRSHVDQGGUHDPVRIHVWDEOLVKLQJWKHLURZQ opened up advance bookings on
trains. Within months, however,
VSDFHSRUWV IRU FRPPHUFLDO VSDFH WUDYHO we have touched over a million
+RZHYHUZLWKOLWWOHKLVWRU\RUWUDFWLRQRIVSDFH cases even as a cavalier US sur-
UHVHDUFKRUURFNHWU\QDWLRQVOLNHWKH8$(PLJKW passes 36 million. Both nations
now wonder what went wrong.
ILQGLWGLIILFXOWWRFRPSHWHHYHQZLWKWKHOLNHVRI&KLQDDQG,QGLDOHWDORQHWKH86 Neither the nonchalance of US
RU5XVVLDWRDWWUDFWVSDFHUHVHDUFKHUVVFLHQWLVWVDQGHYHQDSOHWKRUDRISULYDWH President Donald Trump nor our
FRPSDQLHVHQWHULQJWKHVSDFHVHFWRU7KLVSUREHWKHUHIRUHLVDVWDWHPHQWRI own hesitant approach has con-
tributed to this serious predica-
LQWHQWPRUHWKDQDQ\WKLQJHOVH%\QRZZHKDYHDJUHDWHUXQGHUVWDQGLQJRIWKH ment as much as our ceding the
0DUWLDQVXUIDFHWKDQZHGRRIWKHERWWRPRIRXURZQRFHDQ onus of national medical care to
:KHWKHUWKH8$(LVVXFFHVVIXORUQRWLQDWWUDFWLQJWDOHQWDQGFRPSDQLHVWR private set-ups and the near-
absent centralised health system.
LWVVKRUHVUHPDLQVWREHVHHQ6SDFHDIWHUDOOLVD*RYHUQPHQWGRPLQDWHGDQG In a pandemic, this seminal skew
KLJKO\QDWLRQDOLVWLFVHFWRU(YHQSULYDWHYHQWXUHVOLNH(ORQ0XVN·V6SDFH;DUHJUHDW in the public health architecture
O\IXQGHGE\WKH86*RYHUQPHQW0XVNLVFOHDUWKDWKHZDQWVWROHDGWKHZD\ is proving to be an exponential
IRUWKH86WRUHFRORQLVHVSDFH7KDWVDLGLQWKHVHWURXEOHGWLPHVZKHQFRXQ disaster. The US, for all its $3 tril-
lion (17 per cent of GDP) spend
WULHVDUHVFURXQJLQJDURXQGIRUHYHU\SHQQ\PD\EHLWLVWLPHWKDWDQLQWHUQD on healthcare, has several thou-
WLRQDOFROODERUDWLRQIRUWKHIOLJKWEDFNWRWKHPRRQDQGWKHHYHQWXDOIOLJKWWR0DUV sand deaths. With just 1.3 per cent
LVIRUPDOO\HVWDEOLVKHG:KLOHPRVWVSDFHDJHQFLHVOLNH,QGLD·V,652DQGWKH86· of the GDP on healthcare, the
poor state of Government hospi-
1$6$GRFROODERUDWHDQGVKDUHUHVHDUFKZLWKHDFKRWKHUWKRVHDUHPDLQO\DURXQG tals and misplaced accountabili-
LQIRUPDOOLQHV$IRUPDODJUHHPHQWWRFROODERUDWHPLJKWOHDYHVRPHQDWLRQVGLV ty between States and the Centre,
SOHDVHGEXWLWZRXOGPHDQEHWWHUXWLOLVDWLRQRIUHVRXUFHVIRUDOOLQYROYHG7KHH[SOR we can but hope that COVID-19
does not cause excessive damage.
UDWLRQRIWKHSODQHWVDQGRXWHUVSDFHLVLQWKHHQGDSURMHFWIRUDOOKXPDQLW\DQG R Narayanan
QRWIRUWKHJORU\RIRQHQDWLRQVWDWHRYHUDQRWKHU Navi Mumbai
;4CC4AB C>C74438C>A
Improving water laws will go
3_\\QR_bQdYfUUVV_bdc^UUTUTd_VYWXd3?F94!) a long way in addressing this
issue. The need of the hour is for
>E83 (RPbTbX]8]SXPWPeT]^fPSSTSd_c^^eTa
2
the State Government to show the
P\X[[X^]0RR^aSX]Vc^cWT8]SXP]<TSXRP[0bb^RXPcX^] willingness to handle the floods
8<0cWTb_XZTX]cWT]d\QTa^U2>E83 (RPbTb with an open mind.
X]8]SXPWPbaTbd[cTSX]cWTR^\\d]Xchb_aTPS^UcWTSXb Bal Govind
TPbT4eTahSPhcWT]d\QTa^URPbTbXbX]RaTPbX]VQh\^aT Noida
cWP]Pa^d]S"CWXbXbX]SXRPcX^]T]^dVWcWPccWT
eXadbWPbb_aTPSX]adaP[PaTPbFXcW\^aTcWP]!$
STPcWbTg_TacbUTT[cWPcXUcWXbcaT]SR^]cX]dTbd]RWTRZTS 3_cd\idbUQd]U^d
^eTa!$\X[[X^]_T^_[TfX[[R^]caPRccWTSXbTPbTQh0dVdbc
$1TbXSTb<PWPaPbWcaPP]SCP\X[=PSdBcPcTbbdRWPb Sir — Government-run hospitals
1XWPa:Pa]PcPZP0]SWaP?aPSTbWCT[P]VP]PP]S:TaP[P have been providing free treatment
fWXRWX]XcXP[[hP__TPaTSc^WPeTR^]cPX]TScWTeXadbb_aTPS to COVID-19 patients.
WPeTbcPacTSbW^fX]VPf^abT]X]VcaT]S Infrastructure and other facilities
8c Xb f^aaXb^\T cWPc cWT D]X^] 6^eTa]\T]c WPb _PaPS^g6XeT]cWPc8]SXPWPbP_^_d[PcX^]^U "%QX[ remain poor in our country.
bWd]]TScWTaTb_^]bXQX[Xch^UR^\QPcX]VcWTeXadbP]S [X^]RPbTbPaTQ^d]Sc^bTTPUdacWTab_XZTFT]TTS Further, the cost of the medicine
[TUcXcc^aTb_TRcXeTBcPcT6^eTa]\T]cbCWTU^a\TaWPb c^ UXVWc cWT eXadb P]S ]^c \P]PVT SPcP CWT D]X^] and devices as mentioned, varies
]^cbW^f]P]hbTaX^db]Tbb^cWTacWP]dbX]VSPcPc^R[PX\ 6^eTa]\T]c\dbc_d[[d_Xcbb^RZbP]SWT[_cWTBcPcT from 10 to 90 per cent. State
cWPcfTPaTbXccX]VX]PR^\U^acPQ[T_^bXcX^]<TP]fWX[T 6^eTa]\T]cbR^\QPccWTeXadb8c\dbcR^\Td_fXcW Governments have put a cap on
PRhR[T^U[^RZS^f]bP]SaT[PgPcX^]bWPbSXbad_cTS[XUT P]PcX^]P[_[P]c^R^\QPccWTSXbTPbTP]SPccWTbP\T the cost of treatment. It is clear that
PRa^bbcWTR^d]cahCWT6^eTa]\T]cWPbU^RdbbTS^] cX\TPSSaTbbcWT_a^Q[T\^UPU[PVVX]VTR^]^\h private hospitals and laboratories
Xcb°V^^S]Tfb±\TbbPVX]VQhQ^PbcX]VcWPc^daSTPcW ET]d6B have been charging unreasonable
aPcTXbeTah[^f;^fTaSTPcWaPcTbPaTX]cWT\bT[eTbP :^[[P\ bills. Governments should take
strict measures to save citizens
from unethical business-minded
BUSebbY^WSQ\Q]Ydi now become outdated. severity has only increased with medical experts. We must focus on
Embanking rivers has been a con- the increase in the number of providing the most effective treat-
troversial technology and has dams and embankments. The ment to the largest number of peo-
Sir — This refers to the editori- not been successful as such. State Government has not learnt ple at an affordable cost.
al, “Flood fury in Assam” (July While they suffice during normal its lessons due to which both Richa Garg
20). It is astonishing and beyond conditions, they do not provide humans and animals are put at Via email
comprehension that India still protection during the largest the mercy of god every year.
relies on the use of embankments events. In Assam itself, floods are India’s flood control policy must BT]Shh^daUUTTSQPRZcc^)
to control floods which have a recurrent feature. And their go beyond embankments. [TccTabc^_X^]TTa/V\PX[R^\
 P]P[hbXb
=4F34;78kCD4B30H k9D;H ! !!

gggTQY\i`Y_^UUbS_] &
@?9>D2>D=C4A@?9>D
C78BC8<474A><08=6A>B940=383=´C<4=C8>= 6>8=65>AF0A38C´B?A>101;HCAD4C70CF4=443
0=HC78=68=C743A8E4AB´1A8458=601>DCC0:8=60 C>C0;:0<>=6BC>DAB4;E4B018C14CC4AB>
:=440608=BCA028B<0=3=48C74A383B410BC80= 7>?45D;;HF420=B>AC8C>DC5>AC74=4GCA024
°5>A<D;0>=4270<?8>= °6?3038A42C>A0=35>A<D;0>=4270<?8>=
;4F8B70<8;C>= B410BC80=E4CC4;

&RURQDKDVXSVHW;L¶VFURZQ
7KHSDQGHPLFRIIHUVDWUHPHQGRXVORQJWHUPVWUDWHJLFDGYDQWDJHIRUSROLF\PDNHUV
WRGHDOZLWKWKH&KLQHVHWKUHDWRIGRPLQDQFHSHUPDQHQWO\
India, too, has banned Chinese telecom equip-
ment and apps. The US is shutting off access
to its capital markets to the Chinese. The can-
cellation of the Hong Kong treaty will kill the
USD supply route to China. The Chinese bal-
ance of payments is negative for the last few
months and they still need to buy food, oil and
commodities. Scams like fake gold collateral
@B1C81>D C1>:9D@1E< have shaken China’s $5 trillion shadow bank-
C4F0A8 B8=67 ing industry and put a question mark on how
much of its national reserve is gold-plated cop-
efore COVID-19 struck the world, “emperor” per. This has damaged China’s plans of having

B Xi Jinping decided that 2020 was the year to

establish the Chinese century. American
think-tanks had predicted in 2019 that the Chinese
GDP was more than the US’ and by 2030 it could
be up to 70 per cent larger. China’s share of global
output would grow to 32 per cent from 20 per cent
currently, as opposed to the US’ share declining from
16 per cent to 10 per cent. In terms of global mar-
ket capitalisation, the Chinese would grow to 25 per
cent from five per cent in 2019, while the US would
fall from 40 per cent to 18 per cent. China’s share
of global exports would rise to 18 per cent from 12
per cent while the US would be static at eight per
cent. The above forecasts were supported by mas-
sive Chinese investments in education in the fields
of mathematics, science, technology and medicine.
Starting with the 1980s, the Chinese had suc-
cessfully got the world’s manufacturing supply chain
to relocate to their nation and became the “facto-
ry of the world.” From a pure labour arbitrage offer-
ing, they created world-class infrastructure (cities,
roads, ports and airports) to support it. The top 2,500
global corporates had a business presence in
China. This aggressive export-led growth model
allowed the Chinese to radically improve per capi-
ta income and in the process create a massive domes-
tic consumption engine. A 40 per cent domestic sav-
ings rate supported the huge developments that hap-
pened on their eastern seaboard. Till 2012, the
Chinese Government was sitting on foreign
exchange reserves of close to $5 trillion. China now
imported/consumed 45-50 per cent of every com-
modity in the world.
Chinese leaders till 2012 kept a low profile, hid-
ing their strengths while they relentlessly gained
market share from the world. The Chinese acquired
the world’s Intellectual Property Rights by any
means. The Communist Party of China’s (CPC’s)
command and control structure had also silently
expanded its Foreign Ministry with requisite
resources to create a public relations repository in
every major country and to manage the national dis-
course on any prickly subject in its favour. This
three-decade old policy profile started changing with
Xi’s ascension in 2012.
Chinese strategists now started believing that
the Middle Kingdom deserved to rule the world and
post-2008, global financial institutions were weak-
ened, substantially dysfunctional and lacking lead-
ership. They unleashed a project of achieving com-
plete Chinese dominance in the manpower of every
multilateral agency and United Nations (UN)
body in the world. Chinese students were encour-
aged to study overseas and many persuaded to join
these organisations, and as so many Federal Bureau
of Investigation investigations are now showing,
made instruments of Government policy.
The collapse of the USSR in the 1990s and the
profligacy of the US financial sector in 2008 had left
a leadership vacuum in many areas. Xi moved rapid-
ly to occupy the vacancies. China needed to secure
its supply chain as it neither produced adequate food
for its population, nor was it endowed with man-
ufacturing or energy raw materials. The Chinese
leaders wanted to avoid supply side shocks and cre-
ated strategies to acquire assets surreptitiously. They
moved rapidly to fund every country and project
that the World Bank or the rest of the world would
not find viable. The Chinese wanted to eventually
acquire the underlying asset and default was hence
a preferred option for them. This juggernaut cov-
ered 150 countries and nearly $5 trillion in
loans/investments. Xi had successfully over-invest-
ed the Chinese US Dollar reserves and left his coun-
trymen very vulnerable. They desperately needed
278=0B7>D;314
CA40C430B0
?4A<0=4=C
03E4AB0AH4E4=
F74=C74C8<4B0A4
6>>38=3800=3C74
F>A;3<DBC their Dollar engine (Foreign Direct Investment,
4B20;0C4C74 Foreign Portfolio Investment and Foreign
8=5>A<0C8>= Currency Loans) to keep firing quickly to
recoup their position, or fast-track their long-
F0A50A4C>4G?>B4 term vision to get global trade out of the Dollar
C743A02>=80=2?2 and into the RMB.
0=38CB>??A4BB8E4 Unluckily for the Chinese, two things
A468<4F>A:8=6 changed the landscape in 2017. Donald Trump
0608=BCC748=C4A4BC won the US presidential election and was a wild
>5=0C8E4278=4B4 card that they read wrongly. Second, the world
G8³B38;4<<08BF70C economy started topping out and growth
C>C4;;C743><4BC82 began stalling. The Chinese engine was not
0D384=248=C74064 designed to handle economic contraction.
>5C748=C4A=4CH>D Faultlines in the domestic economy were led by
huge non-performing loans in State-owned
20=24=B>A1DC=>C enterprises. Ghost cities started appearing as
7834=4FB3>C74 demand stalled while real estate started going
278=4B4=443C>140C belly-up. The country was overbuilt and no
C74F0A3AD<B8= more infrastructure spending was needed.
>A34AC>CA0=B54A Trump started the trade war and insisted
C741;0<45>AC748A that the Chinese reduce trade surpluses. Xi erred
<8B20;2D;0C8>=B. massively in not giving Trump a cheap victo-
C74F>A;3B24=0A8> ry and riling up the Americans. US strategists
8B4E>;E8=64E4AH had clearly war-gamed that the days of the USD
F44:0=3!! hegemony were numbered and if their politi-
cal dominance was to be extended, a war with
C7A40C4=B China was not an option, the only question was
C>140E4AH timing. By a strange coincidence, the two tech-
;>=6H40A8=3443 nology hardware giants, the US and China, were
tangibly dependent on Taiwan for their semi-
conductor underbelly. The US had formed a
joint venture (JV) with the Taiwanese that would
go operational in Arizona in 2023. Till then any
military threat to Taiwan would be an attack on
the US’ technology dominance, an intolerable
thought for them. Democrat Presidents had
soft-pedalled the “One China” policy and the
Chinese had got their way. The Americans had
celebrated access to a large consumption mar-
ket but landed up creating a rival.
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army
(PLA) in manpower terms is the largest stand-
ing armed force on the globe. The PLA and
CPC moved fast to upgrade weapon systems,
stealing blueprints and buying where they could
not. However, the Navy is their Achilles’ heel
and they lack in class aircraft carriers and sub-
marines. This limits China’s ability to protect
its interests spanning 150 countries. A whop-
ping 75 per cent of Chinese oil still moves in
tankers through the Malacca Strait. To reach the
Arabian Sea by land, China invested in a bank-
rupt Pakistan by constructing the China-
Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which
links Xinjiang to Gwadar Port. It also engaged
east European and European countries to con-
struct the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) for cre-
ating dedicated freight corridors to 50 cities.
In the process, it has protected trade supply
routes but the oil buy routes lie exposed. The
nightmare for China achieving dominance is
that Indian land illegally occupied by Pakistan
is being used by the CPEC and India re-acquir-
ing Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) could
render its $66 billion investment useless,
blocking oil supply. The Chinese realised that
economic sanctions against Iran had crippled
the proud country with 15 per cent of the world’s
oil. It needed investments and so China decid-
ed to bust sanctions on Iran imposed by the UN
(which Beijing was a party to imposing, too).
China and Iran signed a 25-year trade and mil-
itary alliance in June 2020. China has bet on the
US exiting Afghanistan in 2020 and by using
the Pakistanis to install a puppet regime in
Afghanistan, it could take a pipeline from Iran
to Xinjiang. In return, the Chinese have to pump
in the equivalent of $400 billion into Iran’s devel-
opment, which they can crank their RMB
economy to deliver. What will happen to
Pakistan?
In the interim, Xi got the CPC to appoint
him as leader for life and emerged as an emper-
or. The CPC decided that by its 100th anniver-
sary in 2021, it would stamp itself as numero
uno in the world. A few pinpricks remained:
Taiwan and Hong Kong as independent democ-
racies were an eyesore. They had to be acquired
by coercion at the earliest. The South China Sea
(SCS) had a $5 trillion supply chain transiting
the route. China laid claims to territories/islands
of all its neighbours and started constructing
artificial islands as missile bases. Beijing start-
ed bullying and humiliating Australia since 70
per cent of its mining exports were bought by
it. Singularly, none of the Asian countries could
take on China but many could exact a heavy
toll if it came to conflict. The Chinese flirted
with conflict among all their neighbours using
“wearing down” tactics. The success of this gam-
bit hinged on the continuity of their trade with
the US, heavily skewed in their favour. Trump
not getting an early trade war win upped the
ante, imposing a $250 billion annual hit on
China. It perhaps felt that US corporations
would not listen to their Government and con-
tinue business as usual. It floated a trial balloon
by abrogating the agreement with Hong Kong
which would have lapsed in 2047 and suppress-
ing protests with force. Then it ostensibly
manipulated the World Health Organisation
(WHO) and the COVID-19 pandemic was
unleashed upon the world. This hit world
economies and created a very strong anti-China
sentiment.
It resulted in fast-tracking the opera-
tionalistion of the Quad (US, Japan, Australia
and India alliance) to take on the Chinese. UK,
France and Israel are openly in support of the
Quad while Vietnam, Myanmar, the Philippines,
Indonesia, Taiwan and South Korea have put
their armed forces on alert. In the Chinese camp
are North Korea, Pakistan, Iran and Turkey
while anti-India squeaks may emerge from
Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
With China designated as “world enemy
Number 1”, even Joe Biden has ratcheted up the
anti-China rhetoric, lest Trump steal the thun-
der and a potentially-lost presidential election
through a war with China. The Indian and
Chinese armies are facing off across the 3,400
km border and uneasy peace prevails for now.
The Middle East has stayed quiet but will have
to choose sides as a Shia Iran and a Sunni
Pakistan and Turkey side with the Chinese. It
is an uneasy time for the Saudis and the UAE.
The Koreans, however, have been quick to
act and Samsung moved a $18 billion annual
capacity out of China to Vietnam. Japan has
incentivised its corporations to exit China. The
US and UK have banned Huawei telecom and
a partial gold-backed alternate currency to
replace the dollar.
The world now sits on a powder keg in the
midst of the pandemic. President Trump and
Emperor Xi now have gone too far for either
of them to back down without losing their
crowns. For Trump it’s just an election, but the
world knows what happens to deposed Chinese
dictators. The South Asian countries all want
Tibet to regain its independence after being
annexed by the Chinese in 1950 so that they
can get their freshwater security back.
Meanwhile, the domestic market collapse
will force Xi to take a few more hasty decisions.
China’s banking regulator has advised its
banks to be prepared for sharp rises in bad loans
once the Corona moratorium period is over.
Three Chinese banks have collapsed in the last
three years and 15 per cent of the financial sec-
tor is supposedly past a high risk stage. Tax rev-
enues have grown under five per cent and bud-
get deficits exceed 11 per cent. The season of
discontent for 1.4 billion Chinese has arrived.
China created the BRI to use the surplus capac-
ity in its construction materials and equipment
sector and keep Chinese labour occupied.
Experts estimate that this project needs anoth-
er $5 trillion over the next five years. The money
given to 150 countries cannot be recalled.
China’s $10 trillion foreign debt is realistically
supported by $2 trillion of reserves. With the
balance of trade going negative, Chinese sup-
porters are nervous. If China’s trading partners
do not agree to settlements denominated in the
RMB, a run on the currency is highly possible.
Meanwhile, Xi is attacking China’s neigh-
bours to distract the world’s attention from the
pandemic. Now India must return the favour.
The Coronavirus offers a tremendous long-term
strategic advantage for policy makers to deal
with the Chinese threat of dominance perma-
nently.
New Delhi must immediately recognise
Tibet and Taiwan as sovereign countries and
allow them to run official embassies in India
and vice versa. Many countries will follow suit
and shake up Chinese hegemony globally.
Second, India must supply subsidised arms and
military technology to Vietnam and the
Philippines to create multiple fronts for China
and the PLA, just like Beijing is arming
Pakistan. Third, India should take a lead in the
Indo-Pacific command with the US, Japan and
Australia to choke the Chinese trade route. It
will hurt China and its ambition to be a glob-
al economic leader. Lastly, we must restrict
import of non-essential Chinese goods by
imposing tariffs and focus our attention on
building a formidable self-reliant economy with
a target of $10 trillion by 2030 to face a hostile
Beijing.
China should be treated as a permanent
adversary even when the times are good. India
and the world must escalate the information
warfare to expose the draconian CPC and its
oppressive regime working against the interest
of native Chinese. Xi’s dilemma is what to tell
the domestic audience. In the age of the inter-
net, you can censor but not hide news. Do the
Chinese need to beat the war drums in order
to transfer the blame for their miscalculations?
The world scenario is evolving every week and
2020 threatens to be a very long year indeed.
(Tewari is Editor-in-Chief, Opinion Express
and Singh is Managing Partner, S&S Associates)

7KHSRZHURISHUVRQDOLVHGEDQNLQJ
(GTQYS[YZRK\KXGMKZNOYGYVKIZZUHUUYZXK\KT[KYOTGIGYNYZXGVVKJKIUTUS_GTJVUYYOHR_NKRVZNKYKIZUXXOYKLXUSZNKGYNKY
C?>1=270=3F0=8
he banking sector, a bulwark
T against the breakdown of other
industries, is left to nibble away
the remnants in the wake of the virus-
induced global economic slowdown.
Banks wrote off over C80,000 crore of
loans in the first half of the financial year
2020. But major Indian banks have
demonstrated resilience through unin-
terrupted services, offering EMI mora-
toriums or fee waivers to borrowers.
Unfortunately, historic trends allude to
a grim scenario where financial insti-
tutions (FIs) were resigned to overlook
defaults, thereby leading to grave prof-
itability concerns and credit risks asso-
ciated with them in the wake of the pan-
demic. As the sector is left scrambling
for money, more financial institutions
are embracing technology to achieve
their objective of survival, growth,
expansion or otherwise.
Personalised banking: Tech giants
like Amazon, Facebook and Google
have spurred a desire for more cus-
tomised interactions and fostered a will-
ingness to trade data for a better expe-
rience. As a result, the concept of “per-
sonalised banking” becomes more
important now. Targeting customer
micro-segments and tailoring offers for
them will enable banks to differentiate
themselves, build customer engagement
and gain competitive advantage.
The first step would be to identify
what personalisation is. Thereafter,
banks and FIs can leverage on the large
repository of customer data, customer
touch-points and digital platforms to
deliver meaningful and powerful per-
sonalised experiences. To be sure, per-
sonalised banking is not primarily
about selling. It’s about providing ser-
vice, information and advice, often on
a daily basis or even several times a day.
Such interactions, as opposed to infre-
quent sales communications, form the
crux of the customer’s banking experi-
ence. Yet many banks still tend to focus
their personalisation efforts on the
sales arena.
Today, machine learning and data
analytics can be harnessed to deliver an
omni-channel digital experience to
customers. For banks and FIs with a
wealth of data available, hyper-person-
alisation represents a window of oppor-
tunity to stay ahead of the curve with
a value proposition that makes cus-
tomers feel understood. It also promis-
es significant gains, with Boston
Consulting Group estimating that suc-
cessful personalisation at scale could
represent an increase of 10 per cent in
a bank’s annual revenue.
The biggest takeaway for a bank is
staying ahead of the curve as you get to
know your customer better and lever-
age those insights and trends to create
tailored digital experiences that boost
revenues. On the other hand, as cus-
tomers expect a basic level of customi-
sation, hyper-personalised experiences
in personal finance can lead to ampli-
fied satisfaction and engagement, fraud-
prevention, better decision-making
coupled with a sense of humanised
understanding from their bank. This
humanised understanding by banks can
be demonstrated in many ways.
Behavioural personalisation: This
attempts to determine the visitors’
interest based on their actions, which
include visit count, search phrase, con-
tent viewed, functions performed and
referrers’ websites.
IP-based personalisation: This
can gain information about the anony-
mous visitor from the IP address and
DNS record. This type of personalisa-
tion makes use of geo-location tracking
and company attributes to customise the
experience.
Online banking, CRM and loan or
deposit applications: These use data
from other banking platforms to drive
personalisation. While it may seem
complex, implementation is often eas-
ier than perceived. However, customi-
sation leads us to a larger question of
whether technological advancement
and privacy can be allies?
At present, the Information
Technology Act, 2000 and Information
Technology Rules, 2011 govern India’s
data protection regime. However, they
fail to protect individual interest. Geo-
location tracking, biometric data and
facial recognition apps could invariably
violate the right to privacy, but there is
no legal framework that regulates or
enables the use of such technologies
without violating the Fundamental
Right to Privacy. Even the Personal Data
Protection Bill, 2019, likely to be
approved soon, fails to take into account
all stakeholders involved in data breach-
es. For instance, the Bill imposes heavy
fines for violations but exempts the “con-
sent” requirement in certain circum-
stances, where data is required by the
State, for legal proceedings, or to
respond to a medical emergency. These
regulatory changes are necessary con-
sidering India’s growing digital footprint
5>A486=4H4
in the world. Personalisation is without
a doubt a promising area that might be
able to answer some of the questions
that internet banking must deal with
today and in future. The possibilities of
personalisation are not yet fully utilised,
nor is there sufficient hands-on expe- 27>>B4C>DA8B<
rience or research-based knowledge >E4A34540C8B<
about the most advanced ideas of how
to personalise internet banking services. BaX;P]ZPRP]³c^UUTac^daXbcb
The importance of hitting the right tar- P]hcWX]V\^aTcWP]cWTh
get in both selecting the things to be per-
sonalised and the way of presenting
them visually are delicate matters. If not
WPeTX]cWTXa^f]2^a^]P
X]UTRcTSR^d]caXTbP]SP]
TUUTRcXeTRdcaPcTW^[XSPhRP]
done right, they might compromise the
most important customer values: Speed, S^cWT\Pf^a[S^UV^^S
efficiency and trust. Thus as the impact X]bcTPS^UBaX;P]ZPQTX]VP
of the contagion relies upon the grav- [P\TSdRZc^PSTUTPcXbc°8c³b
ity, degree and dissemination of the cat- 2>E83)=^c^daXb\±Rah^U
aclysm, which remains uncertain even
today, the banks must leverage person- P]VdXbWCWXbXb]^PccXcdSTc^
alised online banking to boost revenues cda]X]VcWTTR^]^\hPa^d]S
in a cash-strapped economy and pos- cWTeXRXbbXcdSTb^UcWTeXadb
sibly help the banking sector rise from FTRP]WTbXcPcTP]SR^[[P_bT
the ashes.
(The writer is Managing Partner, KS ^abRaX_cTR^]^\XRaTeXeP[
Legal and Associates) 2Th[^]C^SPhTSXc^aXP[
 Get Stock Market Updates from Telegram app: https://t.me/KittusWealthJourney

12 TUESDAY, 21 JULY 2020

MUMBAI VIEWS

OUR VIEW MY VIEW | BARE TALK

ISTOCKPHOTO

India should give up the fear of

inflation and monetize its deficit
A failure to do so right now might result in long-term damage to the country’s private capital stock

have sustained since 1980. These defi-
cits arguably helped propel an economy
that was demand-constrained towards
one that was growing closer to its full
potential. As a result, India was one of
the few countries to sustain a 7% aver-
age annual growth for 25 years. While
the 2008-09 global crisis and India’s
subsequent banking problems dealt the
V. ANANTHA NAGESWARAN & country a major blow, the importance
SRINIVAS THIRUVADANTHAI of the quasi-MMT framework is more
are, respectively, member of the Economic relevant now than ever before.
Advisory Council to the Prime Minister and Even before covid-19, India’s econ-
director of research at Jerome Levy omy was struggling with sluggish
of sustained inflation. The relationship
among deficits, money supply and
inflation is not straightforward, and is
contingent upon the broader macro-
economic context. In 2010-11, oil prices
were surging, global food prices were
soaring, the current account deficit was
alarming, the rupee was overvalued,
and short-term external debt was rising
sharply. Today, oil is about a third of its
peak in July 2008, food prices domesti-
cally and globally are subdued, and
India’s monsoon seems normal. The
current account is in surplus, in contrast

Put India’s robotic new

Forecasting Center. demand and falling inflation. Covid-19 to the yawning deficit earlier in the dec-
has exacerbated the problems. While ade. The real exchange rate of the rupee

N
early 50 years ago, Richard the initial impact of this is a shutdown in has declined over the past year and is
Nixon said, “We are all Keyne- supply, the destruction of income and largely trendless. The danger of a sud-
sians now.” The next decade wit- an increase in indebtedness means that den devaluation of the rupee, which

taxman to a stress test nessed the downfall of Keynesian ideas

amid soaring inflation. At present, the
flavour of the day is Modern Monetary
Theory (MMT), which essentially
private demand will be impaired well
after covid is behind us. Thus, the
relevant constraint on growth now is
demand rather than supply. Paradoxi-
could stoke inflation, is low.
The question then is whether deficit
monetization will compromise the cen-
tral bank’s long-term ability to manage
argues that a fixation with government cally, persistent weak demand and eco- inflation. Its concern might be that,
deficits is misguided and that in the nomic growth will worsen India’s deficit once a line is crossed, there is no return
If the income tax department’s new data-enabled approach is necessary for evasion to be absence of rising inflation and real and debt problem, leading to the feared to the status quo ante. Pronab Sen has
resource constraints, the government inflationary consequences. They will argued forcefully (‘The Covid-19 Shock:
kept in check, then we must also have foolproof software and effective redressal mechanisms should just print money, if necessary, to eventually attenuate supply by destroy- Learnings from the Past, Addressing the
revive the economy. Governments the ing capacity. Also, because of weak Present’, June 2020) that excess money
world over are paying scant regard to growth, debt and deficit ratios would be supply growth (over economic growth)
their fiscal deficits and central banks are higher, setting up a temptation to might be higher under India’s current

I
f you carried out a high-value transaction
in fiscal 2018-19 that did not square with
your income tax return statement for that
year, as assessed by a formula, do not be
surprised if you receive a letter or email
from the income tax department one of
these days. If you did not file a return at all,
be prepared for even more explanations
demanded. Starting this week, the depart-
ment has begun shooting off such missives to
errant individuals. This is part of a big data-
gathering exercise aimed at ensuring that tax-
payers file returns regularly and disclose
incomes correctly. The taxman is watching,
and this will be made amply clear. Indians are
to be acquainted with details of their high-
value transactions, be it a purchase of assets
like property or shares, or a big holiday
booked via a credit card. Electronic process-
ing allows all manner of information to be
captured, and our tax authorities would like
everyone to know it has access to data from
sources like banks, property registrars and
credit card companies. Earlier, these figures
The country has grown data-rich and algo- playing handmaiden by buying up gov- inflate them away. policy setting than if deficit monetiza-
rithms now exist that can—in theory—scan ernment and private paper. Just as in Given the inevitability of large defi- tion were to facilitate higher govern-
1970, many analysts worry that the utter cits, should India be monetizing part ment spending and spur private con-
vast datasets to detect anomalies. The deploy- disregard for the purported inflationary of its deficit and would this release the sumption and investment. In the latter,
ment of such software, however, is likely to consequences of deficits will come to genie of inflation? The answer is yes to excess money supply growth will
turn the tax system almost entirely automated. haunt us sooner or later. Indian policy- the first question, and no to the second. decline, lowering the risk of an acceler-
Given global trends in technology, such meth- makers seem to hew toward the latter India used to routinely monetize a part ation in inflation.
ods of tax enforcement seem inevitable. On the camp because the inflationary episode of its deficit prior to 1997. In fact, what The more important risk is that
earlier in the past decade is still fresh in used to be called the budget deficit was India’s private capital stock would suf-
face of it, digitization offers an assurance of their minds. Yet, the time has come for the monetized portion of the overall fis- fer long-term damage in the absence of
accuracy. Our instinct has been to trust digital Indian policymakers to throw off the cal deficit. That monetization reflected deficit monetization and outright fiscal
computation. Also, it promises to thwart rogue shackles imposed by misguided fears the limitations of bond financing, where support. That in itself puts India at the
officers who may misuse their authority to line of high inflation. investor demand for bonds was narrow. risk of a multi-year loss in output, and
their pockets. But the wonders of it should not Long before “MMT” was coined, one Today, limitations on bond financing the government at risk of losing tax rev-
of us had argued that since the 1980s, are once again a constraint—both low enues. It is possible to design a limited,
be exaggerated. Once a machine makes an India has effectively adopted the MMT investor demand and the threat of coordinated fiscal-monetary interven-
error, which can happen for reasons that range framework with Indian characteristics. downgrades by rating agencies con- tion, with defined end-uses for the fiscal
from poor programming to slipshod data While much of the discussion on India’s strain the extent of bond issuance—and resources/money created, and a clear
entry, fixing it could be extremely difficult. growth take-off since 1980 has been argue for deficit monetization. exit for the central bank. It can and
While the complexity of Indian taxation about supply-side reforms, equally The domestic and global conditions should be done.
important were the bigger deficits we today strongly argue against any danger These are the authors’ personal views.
makes the filing of taxes very hard, we must
admit that it also complicates the creation of
digital tools that can deal with every financial
circumstance that may arise. If the country’s
tax bureaucracy is opaque to citizens, so are
the innards of its computers. This makes it all
the more important to put effective redressal www.livemint.com New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh*, Pune* Wednesday, July 21, 2010 Vol.4 No.172 Rs. 3.00 32 PAGES

were trawled only for cases of special scrutiny. mechanisms in place. If grievances arise, TELECOM: Nokia looks to
replace CEO Kallasvuo >32
CORPORATE: As five get bail, is Satyam
case losing steam? >3

Now, these will show up on your 26AS form, people should not be left at the mercy of auto- EXCLUSIVE PARTNER
HEALTH: Microbicidal gel found to
lower HIV infection >5
RETAIL: Wal-Mart in trouble over
Best Price brand name >6

which is your annual tax credit statement. mated responses, inaccurate website screens, SENSEX 17,878.14 æ 50.28

Biyani makes
bid for Vishal,
NIFTY 5,368 æ 18.45

ABHIJIT BHATLEKAR/MINT
DOLLAR Rs47.35 Æ Re0.23

ASHESH SHAH/MINT
EURO Rs60.89 æ Re0.12

EMISSIONS REDUCTION

Green India Mission

GOLD Rs18,220 æ Rs70 OIL $75.03 æ $1.93

QUICK EDIT
Double

At a broader level, this use of information and pre-recorded voices. This prospect raises may queer
TPG pitch
B Y D IVYA G UHA
R ASUL B AILAY
&
may exceed estimate
B Y P ADMAPARNA G HOSH
padmaparna.g@livemint.com
·························
NEW DELHI
The GHG removal by India’s
forests in 2020 is projected at
4.87% of total emissions then,
without the Green Mission.
trouble
T amil Nadu is in the
grip of a particular
class of con job.
Enterprising criminals
have unleashed a wave of
This [tax return]
technology is necessary if we are to widen the spectre of a robot taxman, one that has I
························· ndia’s mammoth afforesta- “The government’s estimate “fake” scams where copies
NEW DELHI
tion scheme, the Green In- does not include soil carbon, of original goods are sold

K ishore Biyani’s Future dia Mission, may have more which implies the lower esti- to unsuspecting victims.

is too difficult for a

Group has made an offer for
distressed Vishal Retail Ltd that
could derail a bid by TPG Capital
Lp to acquire the troubled com-
pany, according to a person fa-
miliar with the bid.
greenhouse gas (GHG) emis-
sion reduction potential than
At loggerheads: MCX-SX non-executive vice-chairman Jignesh Shah previously estimated, accord-
(left) and Securities and Exchange Board of India chairman C.B. Bhave. ing to a yet-to-be published
study in Current Science.
SEEKING RELIEF The mission could offset
mate. There are two ways for-
ests store carbon, one as wood
and biomass (above ground
and root biomass) carbon and
the other as soil carbon. The
official estimate includes only
First there was a fake
drugs scam in March.
This was followed by
fears of a fake food scam.
Then last week the
government unearthed

India’s tax base. Barely 5% of Indians pay bits and bytes of data pooled from everywhere
TPG had obtained the approv- about 10.5% of projected na- above ground biomass,” said a fake marksheet scam

MCX-SX
al of lenders to purchase Vishal tional GHG emissions com- the paper’s author, who did during admission
in March. The Indian retailer’s pared with the ministry of en- not want to be identified be- processes for engineering
board had last month approved vironment and forests’ earlier fore its publication. colleges. Around 50
a non-binding, non-exclusive estimate of 6.4%, according to Environment minister students were caught

mathematician. It takes
memorandum of understanding Greening India Mission: A criti- Jairam Ramesh, who had an- submitting fakes, some

moves court
for talks with TPG. cal review by the Indian Insti- nounced the mission, did not of which may even have
Mint couldn’t independently tute of Science, Bangalore. The respond to calls or text mes- been photoshopped.
confirm whether such an offer study has been submitted for sages. But the latest one takes

income tax, though sundry indicators suggest at its digital fingertips, so to speak, but is
had been made by Biyani and if review. According to the study, the the cake. Chennai police
so whether it would result in a If the new estimates are true, official number is estimated by have apprehended two
deal. The person in the know of it will make easier India’s task simply multiplying global de- members of a large gang

against Sebi
the Biyani offer spoke on condi- of reducing carbon intensity— fault biomass growth rate val- that ran a fake police
tion of anonymity. effectively the amount of GHG ues by area, whereas the study station and a fake court
Biyani declined to confirm or emitted per unit of energy con- uses the internationally accept- in the city. Complete
deny the move. “I am not saying sumed—by 20-25% by 2020 ed comprehensive mitigation with a fake judge and a

a philosopher.
anything on that (topic). I am not (with 2005 as the base year). assessment process model. fake inspector. The fake
commenting,” he said. India made the commitment The author said both the es- offices were used to

many more ought to. If India is to overcome its largely deaf to genuine complaints. Faceless
Amol Jain, director of TPG, de-
clined to comment while Vishal’s
managing director Ram Chandra
Agarwal denied that there was
any proposal from the Future
Group.
Business Standard reported on
Tuesday that Chennai-based
Shriram Group would acquire
Exchange files suit ulations. This was later extended
over delay in permission to 15 September 2010.
A finance industry executive,
for equity trading who helped set up an exchange
amid its campaign with which MCX-SX would have
competed had it received per-
against regulator, rivals mission to operate in the equi-
ties segment, said Sebi’s inaction
B Y N . S UNDARESHA may have been prompted by the
ahead of a UN climate confer-
ence in Copenhagen in De-
cember 2009.
The 10.5% estimate includes
the total mitigation potential
of ongoing afforestation
schemes in India (around
1.2-1.3 million ha annually).
timations have one limitation.
“Neither of the numbers in-
clude extraction of fuelwood or
timber from these forests over
the years, which could reduce
it a bit. There is no way to esti-
TURN TO PAGE 2®
run an extortion ring.
The chief minister has
promised an inquiry,
leaving one wondering
whether the spectacles
in Tamil Nadu are
getting a little too dark.

challenges of social and economic develop- interaction was meant to stop the harassment
Vishal’s retail business and TPG
its wholesale division. Vishal told
the Bombay Stock Exchange that
it wasn’t in talks with the Shr-
iram Group.
Vishal’s bankers, including
State Bank of India, HDFC Bank
Ltd and ING Vysya Bank Ltd
among others, are currently en-
S UBRAMANIAN &
A NIRUDH L ASKAR
·························
MUMBAI
A fter waiting for three
months for the stock mar-
ket regulator to clear its
application seeking permission
to serve as a platform for trading
way MCX met regulatory norms.
“Compliance means both in
terms of letter and spirit. If an ex-
change cannot comply with the
norms completely, it should not
get a licence—simple,” added
this person, who did not want to
be identified.
A Sebi official confirmed this

ment, the proportion of Indians paying taxes of taxpayers by corrupt officials, but unless
gaged in the restructuring of in equities and with time run- last week and said the regulator
debt amounting to Rs730 crore. ning out, MCX Stock Exchange isn’t “comfortable” with the way

Some of the banks that are not
part of the debt recast, including
Singapore’s DBS Bank Ltd, Lon-
don-based Barclays Bank Plc
and Deutsche Bank AG, have
filed separate winding-up peti-
Ltd (MCX-SX) has moved the
Bombay high court for relief.
Spokesmen for MCX-SX and
the Securities and Exchange
Board of India (Sebi) declined to
comment.
A L B E RT E I N STE I N
the company restructured its eq-
uity through warrants and that it
had conveyed its reservations to
MCX-SX, although it hadn’t writ-
ten the exchange a letter to this
effect. The official, who asked

must rise. The key to this would be a sharp the systems in use are perfect, we may be
tions against Vishal in the Delhi
high court.
divya.g@livemint.com
WWW.LIVEMINT.COM
To read our previous stories
on Vishal Retail, go to
www.livemint.com/
A person familiar with the
happenings at MCX-SX said the
exchange, currently permitted to
operate in the currency deriva-
tives segment, had been writing
to Sebi for a year, but that the
regulator had not responded de-
spite the exchange complying
with MIMPS (Manner of Increas-
not to be identified, said MCX-
SX had followed the norms in
“letter”, not “spirit”.
MCX-SX’s move comes in the
wake of a high-intensity public
campaign launched by the com-
pany last week lashing out at
Sebi and unnamed rivals.
The person familiar with hap-

increase in tax compliance. For decades, the exposed to new risks. We could end up in a
vishalretail.htm ing and Maintaining Public
Shareholding in Recognized
Stock Exchanges) regulations.
“Therefore, the company has
moved the Bombay high court
under the writ jurisdiction seek-
ing that the regulator must be
mandated to dispose of the case
(approval for new products),”
penings at MCX-SX said the
company’s stand was that the
regulator’s inaction was affecting
the marketability of the ex-
change. He said MCX-SX was
like “a taxi operator who can op-
erate only route in which there is
a bus operator running free serv-
ices”. He added the taxi operator

government was technologically ill-equipped Kafkaesque loop because of a misread deal

added this person, who spoke on
condition of anonymity. MIMPS
specifies the mandated and pre-
ferred shareholding pattern in
stock exchanges.
MCX-SX had effected a capital
restructuring in April to meet the
norms and communicated this
to Sebi.
could not stay in business unless
it got new routes. Legal firm J Sa-
gar Associates represents the ex-
change in the case.
Mint reported on 21 April that
MCX-SX had undertaken a capi-
tal reduction exercise to comply
with mandated shareholding
norms. Under this, the two pro-

to enforce its taxation code properly. But that struck online, for example. Let’s put our new
Sebi had granted MCX-SX a li- moters of MCX-SX reduced their
cence till 15 September 2009 on
condition that it met MIMPS reg- TURN TO PAGE 2®

Mint is also available for Rs5.50 with Hindustan Times under a combo offer

has changed in the span of just half a decade. tax robot to a stress test before it gets too far.

MY VIEW | THE IMPARTIAL SPECTATOR

How more policing could reduce extra-judicial killings

then expected costs might be relatively low,
SHRUTI RAJAGOPALAN compared to the benefits of breaking the
rule. Because of weak capacity of the police,
courts and the prison system in India, the
probability of facing punishment is very low,
even though the punishment for crimes like
low, so their tendency is to increase the pun- In any civilised society, there would be citi- This brings us to the encounter killing of
ishment in order to achieve the same level of zen pushback against such police excess. Vikas Dubey, a case which seems to have all
deterrence while also appeasing citizens. The police are unlikely to engage in encoun- these aspects. A politically-connected per-
Citizens, activists and legislators routinely ter killings unless they have some popular son with at least 60 criminal charges, he was
demand the death penalty for rapists in support, or at the very least, no widespread infamous for the killing of Santosh Shukla, a
India. The hope is that the severity of the opposition. The weaker the criminal justice Bharatiya Janata Party minister, inside a

B
oth globally and in India, police bru-
tality is currently a topic of discussion.
In India, it takes many forms, includ-
ing custodial violence, arbitrary enforce-
ment of rules, and, most notably, encounter
killings. Usually glamourized in movies,
these “encounters” are under scrutiny after
the police shooting of Vikas Dubey, the 119th
murder, kidnapping and extortion is fairly
high. This is one reason for the country’s
increasing crime rate.
As total crime increases, the resources of
the criminal justice system get further
strained, and fewer criminals are caught.
The total number of crimes can increase if
too many activities are criminalized. This is
punishment would make up for weak system, the greater the demand for immedi- police station, with a dozen odd policemen
enforcement caused by ate justice from the public, as witnesses who turned hostile in court,
capacity constraints. especially for gruesome leading to his acquittal of the charge. A few
But increasing the sever- A shortage of crimes. When the police days before his capture, he reportedly killed
ity of punishments has not caught four suspects who eight policemen during a raid to arrest him,
reduced crime in India. state capacity allegedly gang-raped a and made an escape. He appears to have usu-
Punishments like the death doctor in Hyderabad, they ally got away with these actions in the past,
penalty further clog the
for criminal read the very angry public with his political links and a corruptible

is a senior research fellow with

accused killed in a so-claimed police
encounter in Uttar Pradesh since its Aditya-
the Mercatus Center at George
Mason University, US
nath-led government took charge in 2017.
While it is a form of police excess, a cul-
ture of encounter killing is actually a conse-
quence of a dearth of policing. Counterintui-
tively, a lack of state capacity to operate a
functional criminal justice system has led to
a new equilibrium of police encounters.
Thanks to Nobel Laureate Gary Becker, it
is well established that criminals also weigh
the expected costs and benefits of breaking
a rule. The expected cost is the punishment/
fine multiplied by the probability of getting
caught. If either the punishment or the
probability of facing punishment is too low,
especially true of India, where everything
from unauthorized chain pulling and tree
cutting to a cheque bouncing has a criminal
penalty. But the total number of crimes also
increases when criminals go unpunished in
a weak criminal justice system, and they feel
they can act with impunity. Diminished
deterrence because of weak state capacity
tends to generate more criminal activity,
further reducing punishment per crime, and
so on. Mark Kleiman called this phenome-
non “enforcement swamping”. In such an
environment, criminals do not fear the law.
When confronted with weak state capac-
ity and rising crime, state actors know that
the probability of securing convictions is
criminal justice system
because of the high burden
justice results in mood, and were largely
praised for the custodial
police. But being on the wrong side of the
political fence, caste politics and police rela-
of proof. Only interna-
tional terrorists, or the
illegal responses “encounter” killing of the
suspects, instead of facing
tionships appear to have made Dubey a per-
fect encounter candidate. It is unlikely that
poor, seem to face capital to our problem any backlash. the public will mourn Dubey’s death—the
punishment in the coun- Ordinarily, legislators perfect shield for a police force to engage in
try. Higher penalties on of rising crime and the executive, i.e. the such excesses.
law books usually only bosses of the policemen, The only way out of this bad equilibrium
serve to increase the are also unlikely to tolerate that seems to legitimize police killings is,
amount of bribes paid by violators to escape policemen going rogue unless they benefit counter-intuitively, more policing. India
punishment. in some way. This occurs when the general needs a tenfold increase in police forces,
The second response to enforcement mood in society supports swift justice, as in judges and prisons, ideally coupled with a
swamping is that in the face of public out- the Hyderabad case. But police excesses will significant reduction in the violations that
rage over crime, the police act as investiga- also be tolerated when these actions get rid carry a criminal penalty. Only then may we
tor, judge and executioner all wrapped in of pesky civil or political opposition, or pre- see criminal justice with a semblance of the
one—through extra-legal custodial killings. vious allies who may have switched loyalties. rule of law.
 Get Stock Market Updates from Telegram app: https://t.me/KittusWealthJourney

VIEWS TUESDAY, 21 JULY 2020

MUMBAI 13

MY VIEW | A VISIBLE HAND M I N T C U R AT O R

China’s poorly timed aggression

could prove counterproductive
Chinese aggression might push New Delhi to rework its foreign policy aim of being a swing power and closer to Washington

REUTERS

Red Kite numbers have grown from 13 in 1990 to nearly 2,000 now ISTOCK

A conservation effort that’s had soaring results

I n July 1990, 13 red kites had to be flown by British Airways jet from Spain before
they could grace the skies of the Chilterns. Thirty years on, nearly 2,000 breeding
pairs of red kites display their distinctive forked tails as they soar over virtually every
English county, in what has been hailed as one of the most successful reintroduc-
NARAYAN RAMACHANDRAN tion projects in the world. As conservationists celebrated the anniversary of the
is chairman, InKlude Labs. Read Narayan’s Mint once persecuted bird of prey’s revival, Tony Juniper, chair of Natural England, the
columns at www.livemint.com/avisiblehand government’s conservation watchdog, said there was “pretty strong momentum”
for other reintroductions. Last year, Natural England issued licences to allow five
white-tailed eagles to be placed on the Isle of Wight as part of a long-term project
to bring breeding pairs of this large raptor back to England.
The Guardian

T
he popular perception of China today
is that of a newly muscular nation,
toned on four decades of Deng Xiao
Ping’s prescription for the country’s
“four modernizations”. In this view,
China has risen from the status of a
poor country to that of a rich one. It’s now an Asian
hegemon that seeks to challenge the sole super-
power status of the United States. Its urban citizens
are upwardly mobile, technology savvy and seek
entertainment and luxury consumption.
Many elements of this view hold true. China has
indeed emancipated over 800 million citizens from
poverty over the last 40 years. It has modernized its
highways and its cities. Gross domestic product per
capita has risen from about $200 to over $8,200 (in
constant 2010 dollars). Income per capita for China
crossed India’s at about $450 in 1983, and is now
more than four times that of India. The Chinese
poverty rate, using the common United Nations
definition, has dropped from 88% in 1981 to 0.7%
now. Having focused its early attention on primary
schooling, it has turned now to higher education,
particularly in science and technology. It now leads
the world in the number of annual national patents,
with 1.5 million applications per year, against about
600,000 for the US. China also leads the world in
trademark filings. Just last year, China’s Chang’e-4
became the first ever vehicle to land in the Aitken
Basin on the dark side of the moon. In military
terms, budget and hardware, China is roughly 40%
of the US, but is closing the gap.
Using a Confucian term, Deng described the
desirable outcome as xiaokang, or a “moderately
prosperous” China. In Deng’s planning book, this
was to be achieved by the year 2000, which was
then adjusted to 2020. The Communist Party of
China (CPC) has set a goal of becoming a “modern
socialist” country by 2035 and a “rich” country by
2050. China has bucked the Western view that to
become more prosperous, it will inevitably have to
combine free markets, open global access and a
plural political system. To the surprise of many
observers, China has sharply exploited the open
global access it received with World Trade Organi-
zation accession, combining it with a managed free
market system to achieve its current status. The
strength of centralized political control has
reached a peak under President Xi Xinping.
Under Xi, China has eliminated political opposi-
tion (within the 90-million strong CPC), cleared
the path to single-man control of the Chinese mili-
tary, and embarked on an openly muscular policy
towards the outside world. Xi has demanded fealty
for the way he has dealt with the pandemic. There
is no real hope of an independent inquiry to deter-
mine if he deserves any praise. Xi has transformed
Chinese policy, famed for its long-term orienta-
tion, to make it far more transactional. Dealing spe-
cifically with authoritarians in power from Paki-
stan to Turkey and Argentina, China has
demanded international validation in return for
showering its largesse. Its belligerence in the
South China Sea and its aggressive claim over sev-
eral islands in the Spratly Islands archipelago (mul-
ti-country) and Natuna (Indonesia) has put it in
direct confrontation with Vietnam, Malaysia, Tai-
wan, Philippines Brunei and Indonesia. In pursuit
of Mao Zedong’s five fingers strategy, which says
that Tibet is the palm and that Ladakh, Nepal, Sik-
kim, Bhutan and Andhra Pradesh are an integral
part of China, Beijing began aggressive incursions
along the Line of Actual Control in India’s Pangong
Tso Lake area and Galwan Valley. Elsewhere,
China has used the distraction of the pandemic to
impose draconian anti-freedom laws in Hong
Kong. The United Kingdom’s response of offering
citizenship to Hong Kong residents has added a
new dimension to China’s global war against
democracies. The US’s response of banning certain
CPC apparatchiks from obtaining a US visa (for
human rights violations against Uighurs) has led to
a reciprocal ban against US Senators. Xenophobia
and nationalism now reign in Chinese cities.
China is a deeply unequal country with alarming
rural poverty. Ethnic minorities like Naxis in
Yunan and Uighurs in Xinxiang have been perse-
cuted for centuries and the tradition continues.
Scholars suggest that the root cause of China’s
rural-urban divide lies in the strategy of a centrally
planned system that favoured heavy industry
development and extracted an agricultural surplus
largely for urban capital accumulation and urban
subsidies. Intense control of information, Orwel-
lian repression and surveillance and centralization
of power in one individual are early warning signs.
To this, one can now add international oppro-
brium.
For India, Chinese muscle-flexing comes at a
bad time. India would have preferred a period
when it has an opportunity to increase its interna-
tional commerce, improve the balance of trade
with China, and generally focus more on its econ-
omy than its military. With huge costs arising from
the covid-19 pandemic, India will need to focus
resources and attention on keeping its borders safe
and its maritime influence in the Indian Ocean
unaltered. India’s foreign policy strategy would
ideally be that of a swing power, but with China’s
aggressive action, New Delhi may have no option
but to cozy up to the US. China is beginning to play
a strong hand badly.
P.S: “China is a sleeping lion, warned Napolean
Bonaparte, let her sleep, for when she wakes, she
will shake the world.” And, “Power is the ability to
influence others to get the outcome one wants,”
said Joseph Nye.
An early warning system for volcanic eruptions
N ew Zealand scientists have invented a new volcano alert system that they say
could have provided warning ahead of last year’s White Island disaster. Twen-
ty-one people died when the country’s most active volcano, also called Whakaari,
erupted last December with tourists on it. The new system uses machine learning
algorithms to analyse real-time data to predict future eruptions. The research was
published in the journal Nature Communications last week. Shane Cronin from the
University of Auckland, told the BBC the current system had been “too slow to pro-
vide warnings for people [on] the island.” “The current [alert system] collects data
in real-time but what tends to happen is that this information gets assessed by a
panel and they have an expert process... this all takes a while,” he said.
BBC
Congo sees a corona-caused spike in poaching
W hen rangers in Congo’s Virunga National Park discovered three-year-old
baby gorilla Theodore tangled in a poacher’s snare this month, they knew
they had to act fast...Procedures like this are common in Democratic Republic of
Congo’s Virunga park, a vast wonderland with species of birds, reptiles, and mam-
mals... But they are under threat.The economic impact of covid-19 has caused a
spike in poaching, threatening the habitat of more than half the world’s mountain
gorillas, park authorities said, just as rangers are forced to reduce their presence
to shield from the virus.Higher food prices, fewer job opportunities, and a collapse
of tourism revenues mean people living in and around the park have had to turn
to the forest to survive, finding alternatives such as hunting for bush meat.
Reuters
Amateur sleuths sniff out covid cases at work
J ana Jumpp spends eight hours a day updating a spreadsheet—not for work, but
a recent hobby: figuring out how many of Amazon’s 400,000 warehouse work-
ers have fallen sick with the coronavirus. Amazon won’t give a number, so Jumpp
tracks it on her own and shares what she finds with others. She relies on Amazon
employees at more than 250 facilities who call, text or send her Facebook messages
with possible cases. She asks for proof, like messages or voicemails from Amazon,
and tries to make sure she doesn’t count the same case twice. It’s time consuming,
but Jumpp says workers should know if there’s an outbreak and just how risky it
is to head to work. Major companies are keeping their employees in the dark on just
how prevalent the virus is in their warehouses, stores and meat-packing plants.
AP
Japan’s ‘no kissing’ rule for post-covid nightlife
C ampaigners for Japan’s nightlife workers say they need realistic guidelines for
how to stay safe and remain in business amid the novel coronavirus, which has
seen the government zero in on host and hostess bars as centres of contagion. Bar
staff need practical rules on how to interact with customers, said Shinya Iwamuro,
a urologist and public health advocate... That means no kissing, no sharing plates
and conversation should be at right angles to avoid droplet contamination.“As
much as possible, kiss only with your partner, and avoid deep kissing,” Iwamuro
told a news conference, outlining what he described as “kiss etiquette”. Strategic
testing in the nightlife districts of Tokyo has revealed rising daily cases of coronavi-
rus, predominantly among people in their 20s and 30s.
Reuters

MY VIEW | IT MATTERS

Data nationalism could hobble the world’s progress

European data to the US will have their
SIDDHARTH PAI activities in disarray. They will have to struc-
ture a new arrangement for such data to con-
tinue to flow. It is worthwhile to note that
Privacy Shield was itself put together after
the earlier arrangement called Safe Harbor
Big Tech is catching up with US Big Tech.
Indian digital data is very valuable to both
US and Chinese Big Tech—and, of course,
to home-grown data giants such as Reli-
ance’s Jio Platforms.
Speaking of data generation and collec-
deal with. The Indian business process out-
sourcing (BPO) industry, which should by
now have been automated out of existence,
is still alive due to this. In fact, BPO still
thrives because it has used the automation
of lesser tasks to pivot into tasks that are less
rules, even allowing for a fairy-tale scenario
that they could actually create a coordinated
set of data tenets to live by.
It is more likely that we will see a greater
wave of nationalism over each country’s
data “throw-off” from its citizens. Data is

I
n my last column, I wrote that the Euro-
pean Union (EU) has been leading the way
in data privacy, China in censoring and
surveilling citizens, and America in having
legislative hearings to determine how much
US Big Tech can get away with.
Last week, Mint reported that the Euro-
pean Union’s top court struck down a key
was struck down by the same court for the tion, the fact that many builders of data algo- repetitive and therefore less amenable to now synonymous with national interest,
same reasons in 2015. rithms are still very automation. and we will see a protectionist environment
As long as computing “clouds” were small, dependent on manual Countries such as those in the short to medium term. This does not
such free data transfers by companies labour is not something The rise of data of the European bloc, the bode well for global trade. The 5,000-plus
between nation states they operated in did that Big Tech likes to US, Russia, China, India firms that are dependent on the shipping of
not pose a threat. No one noticed until leaks admit. I have written protectionism and several others are all data from the EU to the United States might
by Edward Snowden revealed widespread before of the tribulations likely to respond with find a workable solution to the problem that
cyber spying by America’s spooks. It was faced by human beings
could call for an uncoordinated national the EU court’s 16 July decision has created

is founder of Siana Capital, a

venture fund management
company focused on deep
science and tech in India
method called Privacy Shield, used by Face-
book Inc. and other companies to transfer
data across the Atlantic, amid fears over
potential surveillance by the United States.
With impeccable comedic timing, news
simultaneously leaked out that US President
Donald Trump has secretly given the Cen-
tral Intelligence Agency more powers to
launch cyberattacks against countries like
China, Iran, North Korea and Russia. This
could include other nations as well, at least
according to a former US government offi-
cial quoted in the news report here (https://
yhoo.it/30qwSaA)
The scrapping of Privacy Shield means
that over 5,000 businesses that ship useful
only after those 2013 leaks did individual
governments start to understand the rele-
vance of such data infrastructure to their
security and data economies. The original
Safe Harbor for trade in EU-US data was
itself a result of increased EU activism after
Snowden’s revelations.
Enough has been written and said about
India’s decision to ban 59 Chinese apps that
were collecting data from Indians to train
Chinese Big Tech’s algorithms. People have
poked fun at this decision on social media
platforms. Yet, the truth is that the Indian
government’s decision is brilliant. If the
ban stands, it will have a significant nega-
tive impact on the speed at which Chinese
who act as filters and have
to pore over horrific videos
information age
to keep them off social
media sites such as Face-
equivalent of
book. the World Trade
But manual labour in
the digital space does not Organization
stop with real-time cen-
sors. All sorts of artificial
intelligence algorithms, such as those
needed for self-driving cars, need to be
trained by humans who can exercise judge-
ment to label pictures. Manual processes are
also needed for, say, exceptional cases of
mundane matters such as invoices that
automation vendors’ offerings are unable to
moves around data protec-
tion. This has not escaped
the attention of interna-
tional associations. For
instance, last July, the
“Osaka track” was formed
after the G-20 met in
Osaka, Japan, to thrash out
global rules that could
govern data traffic in a way that would allow
“the free flow of data with trust”—whatever
that means.
In my opinion, it is unlikely that in the
post-covid scenario, nations will arrive at a
coordinated plan on how to handle data. It is
even less likely that they would follow the
for them. But there is nothing to stop the
same court from dismantling the new
agreement in future.
Meanwhile, China began censoring what
its citizens can read, see and hear on the web
and shut down data flows from that country
long before Snowden’s 2013 expose. In hind-
sight, China’s censors now look like expert
long-range economic planners. After some
years of protracted negotiations between
data trading blocs and nations, we might see
the equivalent of the World Trade Organiza-
tion, which was set up for the trade of goods,
come into being for the information age.
Until then, we may have to live with the low-
est common denominator of tit for tat.
8 COMMENT
DAY IN WORDS
There won't be any extension
of lockdown in Bengaluru
Urban and Rural districts.
There would be a minute to
minute monitoring at ward
level in Bengaluru.
— BS YEDIYURAPPA, Karnataka CM,
in official statement
I remember she was great
for the part. I can’t
remember how many
came in to audition,
but I remember
Brittany being
adorable.
— ALICIA SILVERSTONE,
‘Clueless’ star, on
late co-star
Brittany Murphy
The quicker we do it for me
personally the better because
[Aubameyang] will be more
focused, more determined
and more calm.
— MIKEL ARTETA, Arsenal head coach,
on wanting captain Pierre-Emerick
Aubameyang’s future at club to be
resolved on an urgent basis
DAY IN NUMBERS
3.18 L `50 cr
new enrollments in humanitarian aid
Employees' provided by the EU
Provident Fund Commission in
Organisation South Africa for
in May Covid relief
AROUND THE WORLD
THE GUARDIAN
ON THE WHITE SUPERIORITY MYTH
We need to do
more than tear
down statues
ONE of the consequences of
colonialism, in its imposition of one
mode of thought, attempting to
destroy all others, is that it shallows
our imaginations.
It doesn’t help that Europeans
continue, in their recordings of a
history of ideas, to persist in the
belief of their mightiness. Through
wilful acts of myth-making, and
despite the evidence of our labour, in
the minds of many Europeans, the
current socioeconomic development
of African countries is due to our
We need to question
communal understanding
supposed lack of intellectual
originality. We are, in Nigeria,
beginning to unmask this. They are
not just the colonials but those, also,
among our historical elite who aided
and abetted colonialism.
It is not enough to reveal lies and
tear down statues. We have, also, to
build things in their places.
If Black Consciousness, and the
recovery of true freedom starts with
correcting colonisation, it is not
completed until we have questioned
every communal understanding we
take for granted. Our real heroes
cannot be left unscathed.
DAILY “ Isn’t it unnerving that
doctors call what they do
HUMOUR ‘practice’?
” — George Calin
NEWSMAKER OF THE DAY
Take charge of
your life’s course
T
HE announcement of
school leaving exami-
nation results-by certi-
fying bodies such as
the Central Board of
Secondary Education
(CBSE)-has always garnered a
great deal of attention. This is in
spite of the fact that the Covid-
19 crisis has been upon us. This
sort of focus is a measure of the
value that society attaches to
the issue of education.
I can gauge-through social media plat-
forms and several other sources-that
parents and their wards are beginning
to succumb somewhat to the frenzy that
accompanies the announcements of
examination results. Perhaps the time is
right to put things into perspective so
as to ease somewhat the psychosocial
pressure that descends on parents and
wards at this time of the year.
Cut-off conundrum
My suggestions, though largely written
with the University of Delhi in mind, are
also applicable to parents and students
across the nation. The reason why I have
kept to a significant extent the University
of Delhi in mind is that it admits more
than 55,000 undergraduates into its col-
leges each year. These students apply
from every corner of India. Also, this year
things may appear a bit difficult or even
vague for obvious reasons and this col-
umn may clear things up a bit.
Here are the reasons why applicants-
seeking admission to the University of
Delhi-need not be too concerned as far as
understanding the process is concerned.
In 2014, the University of Delhi switched
over to a completely online application
and admission process. This has elimi-
nated the unending runaround from col-
lege to college for the admission seekers.
It has also eliminated the needless and
extended visit to Delhi for those from out-
side the city who wish to gain admission
into the University of Delhi. Thus stu-
dents, since the last 7 years, are able to
Mail Today, New
MailDelhi / Chandigarh,
by Dinesh
Singh
register from the comfort of their homes.
This means that through a simple online
form they register their subject-wise
examination scores and their details.
The inner drumbeat
Once they have registered successfully
they shall have access-in due course-to
an online dashboard that shall keep them
abreast of the so-called ‘cutoffs’ that are
likely to be announced anywhere during
the period from the end of August to the
third week of September. They can also
check for these ‘cutoffs’ on the University
of Delhi’s website. Thereafter the student
shall be required to choose a college from
amongst those where he or she is eligible
for admission to a degree programme.
This means the student can choose that
college and that subject within the col-
lege where his or her aggregate score is
above the ‘cutoffs’ for that subject in that
particular college. This aggregate is to be
computed as per the instructions pro-
vided by the University of Delhi. A stu-
dent is generally given a 3-day time period
in which to visit the college where he or
she is eligible for admission for the com-
pletion of all formalities. The other major
advantage such a procedure has ensured
is in terms of transparency and fairness.
So much for the procedures of admission,
which have made life much easier for the
student since 2014.
The real and very important issue is the
mad rush for the so-called elite colleges.
My first and very strong advice to any stu-
dent is to give preference to the subject
over the college. There are several rea-
sons why I offer such advice. First and
foremost, a student should realise that
education is all about discovering one’s
true inner self. Each one of us is born with
an inner drumbeat, which I call the drum-
beat of the soul or antardhwani.
SO FUNNY
Forget the Joneses... I
can’t keep up with the
Simpsons.
Today, New Delhi, Tuesday, July 21, 2020
BY SIDDHANT JUMDE
ASHOK GEHLOT
The Rajasthan chief minister
on Monday described his
former deputy Sachin Pilot
as a ‘worthless’ person,
who did nothing, but said
he had raised no question
over it in the party's
interest. No demand was
raised to change the PCC
president, a post which
Pilot held for the last seven
years in Rajasthan, Gehlot
added in a statement.
To begin to get educated is to start dis-
covering this inner drumbeat and to start
marching in the real world in harmony
with this drumbeat. That is when the stu-
dent begins to get truly educated. The
real world is replete with examples of
individuals who have become successful
in every sense of the word by discovering
this inner drumbeat. Amongst the many
examples that I can think of are Sachin
Tendulkar who discovered his drumbeat
to be cricket, Ramanujan the genius who
discovered his drumbeat to be mathe-
matics and Faraday who discovered his
drumbeat in physics. Hence, a university
must provide every student with expo-
sure to many drumbeats and the student
then should choose that subject which
resonates with his heart. The role of a col-
lege is not so important here.
Beyond the obvious
If a student has to choose between a
subject that he is happy about in a not
so well known college and a fancy college
with a subject that is not close to his or
her heart, the student must choose the
subject as by pursuing the subject of his
choice he shall become truly educated
and thus successful. What the student
must keep in mind is that peer pressure
or herd mentality should never be a fac-
tor in his or her decision making process.
I must add that I have noticed during
the past several years that university top-
pers in several different subjects at Delhi
University have begun to sprout from so
many of the so called ‘lesser known’ col-
leges as opposed to the fancier ones.
Also, there are numerous colleges now in
Delhi University that are truly shining for
the past many years such as Ramanujan
College, the ARSD College and the
Aryabhat College. They are offering very
good academic experiences-comparable
to any college in India-along with an
excellent all round exposure. Of course,
all colleges of the University of Delhi are
in the same league. So once again, go for
the subject and not the college.
The writer is former Vice-Chancellor,
Delhi University and currently Adjunct
Professor of Mathematics, University of
Houston, USA. The views expressed are
personal.
“canYou’re young once.But you
always be immature.
”
— Dave Barry
 Delhi /Tuesday,
Mail Today, New Delhi, Chandigarh, Saturday,
July 21, 2020 February 2, 2019
Trinamool
set to hold
iconic rally,
virtually HIS is the first
T
time in its his-
tory of 22 years
that the Tri-
namool
gress
observe the July 21 mar-
Con-
will
tyr’s day rally, virtually.
The day entails a ritual of pay-
ing tribute to the 13 Youth Con-
gress leaders, who got killed in
police firing in Kolkata in 1993.
It also has four-hour long pro-
gramme so it is usually a cul-
tural jamboree.
The party’s leaders will be
present, joining CM Mamata
Banerjee in raising slogans.As
the show-stopper of the event,
Mamata was always the last to
deliver the speech. She also rep-
resents the most crucial one,
which the party workers and
supporters soak in like words
from the holy book of politics.
For 22 years, Mamata’s Mar-
tyr’s Day speech came to repre-
sent a set of guidelines she
wanted her party and support-
ers to follow. As for Mamata, the
Martyr’s Day rally, which
inevitably turned out to be
huge with massive pres-
ence of seven to 10
million people, it was Mamata’s
a tryst that con- Martyrs’ Day
vinced all that the
speech represents
Mamata magic still
a set of guidelines
worked.
she wants her
supporters
H
to follow
OW-
EVER,
a lot of
speculation
and anxiety is in
the air as to how
the virtual rally would be played
out; whether the 55 inch TV
screen would be able to capture
and recreate the magic of a
throbbing and pulsating reality
of a political rally, comprising
variety of human faces, forms
and multiplicity of human emo-
tions.
Mamata is as tensed as the
party supporters and workers of
79,000 booths, who will be on the
virtual seat of audience to listen
to her. If things were normal,
and there was no pandemic in
the world, this Martyr’s Day
rally would have been big, con-
sidering this year being crucial
before the state Assembly elec-
tion, scheduled early next year.
The Martyr’s Day rally, to
Banerjee, had always been a
barometer to read the pulse of
the people, the political direction
in which public opinion was
blowing.
A rally with a record presence
of people meant a rush of adren-
aline for the leaders, an assur-
ance that people were with the
party and that the latter still had
the capacity to mobilise a gather-
ing. The rally, which symbolised a
show of strength, was a kind of
muscle flexing to keep rivals
under control.
Besides poll results, political
rallies over the years also came
to represent the prevailing polit-
KOLKATA DIARIES
ROMITA DATTA
CM Mamata Banerjee
ical mood. In the last five
months, because of Covid 19 all
political rallies got cancelled
and took the virtual route.
This is Trinamool Congress’s
first attempt to connect 7 to 10
lakh people. “The reach could
be even wider, if a minimum of
50 party workers and support-
ers from each of the 79,000
booths attend,” said a Tri-
namool Congress leader. But as
far as reading the public mind
or the psyche of the voters is
concerned, virtual viewer-
ship might be a poor
weather-cock.
After the 2019 Lok
Sabha results
where Trinamool
Congress faced
considerable drub-
bing, this Martyr’s
Day rally could
have been a big
opportunity for
Mamata to under-
stand if the damage
could be controlled, but
that was not to be. In fact the
municipality election and civic
body elections, scheduled in
May- June had to be stalled
because of the Coronavirus.
Though there would be many
political rallies in the run-up to
the 2021 elections, provided
normalcy returns, it wouldn’t be
any time this year.
With a mightier BJP nibbling
at the heels and challenging to
overthrow the Trinamool Con-
gress, Mamata indeed needs a
significant political rally to
pump up her muscles and give
the required push for taking on
the opponents head-on.
The writer is Associate
Editor, India Today
President of BJP Mahila
Morcha West Bengal
Agnimitra Paul
Ghosh’s antidote
for Coronavirus
STATE BJP president Dilip
Ghosh (pictured) is once
again milking the cow
metaphorically to uphold
how significant the contri-
bution of the creature is in
human life. Talking about
the medicinal properties of
cow urine, he said it helps
to boost immunity against
Covid 19. He said that peo-
ple can stay healthy by
drinking it.
This suggestion has
created ripples
At an event in Durgapur,
Ghosh said: "if I speak about
cows, many feel uneasy.
Donkeys will never under-
stand the value of cows.
This is the land of Lord
Krishna and we worship
cows like our mother.
Those who consume alco-
hol, how will they under-
stand the worth of cows?"
Ghosh's recent comments
Police chase unmasked offenders
The city police are focused on
those who break Covid rules
THE STATE BJP chief of the
women ‘swing, Agnimitra Paul
and her mahila brigade
staged a dharna at Gariahat
crossing.
This step was taken after the
police denied them permis-
sion to stage a rally in protest
against the alleged rape and
murder of a tribal woman in
North Bengal.
The reason given for with-
holding the procession was
fear of Covid 19 transmission.
When Paul and her team of
BJP members were ready to
violate rules, the police
have once again created
ripples with people ques-
tioning his IQ and educa-
tional qualifications.
This time there's a divide
within the party over
bringing up cows in Bengal
politics. It doesn't go down
well in a state which has a
secular foundation. Leave
aside urban Bengal, there
are no takers for such the-
ories in rural areas and
even hinterlands.
According to some senior
BJP leaders such off-the-
cuff, irrelevant talks are
having a detrimental effect
on the party, which takes
pride in being different and
having well-read members.
"What is acceptable in Hindi
heartland might not work
here. Don't know why Dilip
da is giving scope to the
political rivals to debunk
him as a joker, when party
has bigger plans," said a
BJP leader, requesting
anonymity.
THE Kolkata Police Commis-
sioner Anuj Sharma and his
team have been paying close
attention to all those who are
moving around without wearing
masks.
However, the police are not in
favour of imposing fines or
arresting such people.
The lathi-wielding police have
been seen running after the vio-
lators with a bunch of masks.
STAGING A PROTEST IN
TIMES OF CORONAVIRUS
threatened to arrest them
and take them to the police
headquarters in Lal Bazar.
Paul had been highly
amused. She said, “Aren’t you
scared of transmission in
bundling us off into a
packed police van to The
Lal Bazar? It seems women
you are only con- weren’t allowed
cerned about the
to stage a rally
SPOTLIGHT 9
File photo of West Bengal
BJP president Dilip Ghosh
(centre)
MINISTER
PLANS A
PHOTO-OP
A MINISTER of Chief
Minister Mamata
Banerjee’s cabinet had
been missing from the
news until he emerged
in a new avatar.
With a towel covering
his head and a gamchha
around his mouth as a
mask he was seen knee-
The politician was
unrecognisable
deep in mud and slush
ploughing fields.
No one would have
recognised him if the
photo caption had not
pointed it out.
The minister is
reported to have called
up a few journalists to
make sure they had not
missed the piece of
news.
In one instance of a cat-and-
mouse chase when the police
managed to intercept some boys
moving on a bike without masks
and helmets, the latter were
fooled when the boys shouted
they had all tested positive for
Covid and were going to a quar-
antine centre.
The police did not venture any
further after the boys started
sneezing and coughing.
risk of a spread from a pro-
cession of mask-wearing and
social-distance abiding
women,” Paul added.
The police stepped back at
the logic and allowed the
BJP women to crowd
the busy thorough-
fare and protest.
Never mind
social distancing!
8 EDIT THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Some people see the glass half full. Others see it
half empty. I see a glass that's twice as big as it needs to be.

Pilot's flight of ambition

THE FREE PRESSJOURNAL
MUMBAI | TUESDAY | JULY 21, 2020
— George Carlin

grounded by Congress?
SINCE 1928

FOUNDER EDITOR: S SADANAND

No end in sight from

coronavirus disruption
I
ndia crossed the one-million mark of coronavirus move to disqualify them in the Ra- tlement to position of power is their
cases in over three months, but it took it just three
days to log another one lakh cases. On Monday, a sin-
gle-day record high of 40,425 new cases was registered.
Comment jasthan High Court, which has barred
the speaker from taking any action
birthright. It is true that he worked
hard to bring the Congress back in pow-
against the rebels MLAs till Tuesday. At er in Rajasthan after the party’s deci-
With 681 fatalities on Monday, the total death toll now A L I Chougule the time of writing this article, the mation in the 2013 assembly election.
stands at 27,497. The trajectory of the virus is uneven and

A
court’s verdict on the disqualification But he is not the only reason why the
uncertain, with new hot spots emerging while old ones notices was awaited. Pilot has said that Congress won Rajasthan in 2018.
claim relief. On Monday, the West Bengal Government he was not joining the BJP and the ru- Rajasthan is a bipolar state where vot-
decided on a complete lockdown in the containment seasoned politician, Sachin Pi- nent threat to the survival of Gehlot mours were ‘spread to malign him with ers flip between Congress and the BJP
zones in some areas while State Health Minister Alapan lot is not a pilot by training. His government diminished. Pilot’s rebel- For all his the Gandhis’. The Congress has said every five years. Anti-incumbency sen-
Bandyopadhyay claimed that community transmission
good work,
attempt to fly with 19 MLAs was lion thus turned out to be less impres- that its doors are open to the rebels and timent against Vasundhara Raje
was noticed in some parts. Both Mumbai and Delhi clearly aimed at grounding the Ashok sive than expected. It is true that he had it is reported that Rahul Gandhi is also Scindia’s government was quite strong
seemed to have slowed down the spread of the virus but
the situation was still far from returning to normal. In
Gehlot government in Rajasthan. But enough grievances against Gehlot. But the Congress ‘keen on keeping the doors open for and Congress had a fair chance to de-

rewarded
he lost his way and was grounded by did he have to make a public spectacle Sachin Pilot’. This means both sides feat the BJP. Opinion polls had predict-
Maharashtra’s Aurangabad district total coronavirus the Congress. It’s hard to say where he of his revolt? Pilot’s rebellion has ex- have kept their options open. Whether ed a decisive mandate for Congress.
cases rose to nearly 11,000, with the number of deaths
recorded touching 400. There were nearly 4,500 active cas-
was headed to or what his intended des- posed his unbridled hunger for power Pilot by Pilot will return to the Congress or join However, BJP fared better than expect-

making him
tination was. But before he could reach and immaturity in handling his adver- BJP, or else float his own regional outfit ed and the Congress under Sachin Pi-
es in Aurangabad alone while over 6,000 had recovered. his destination, Pilot ran out of fuel sary. remains to be seen. But what’s certain lot’s leadership struggled to get 99 of
Pune too was experiencing a fresh spurt. So was Ben-
galuru which has now been put under a stringent lock-
and has landed, at least for now, in no-
man’s land. While his flight of ambi-
For quite some time, there were re-
ports and widespread speculation in
deputy chief for now is that Pilot tried to punch
above his weight. Hence his gamble to
200 seats. Still he wanted to be the chief
minister. For all his good work, the Con-
down. Though the growth rate of infections was tapering tion crash-landed and two of his crew political circles that Pilot was longing minister with copy Scindia’s playbook seems to have gress rewarded Pilot by making him
five key
in Delhi but the capital is still not free from the virus. members lost their jobs, the pilot him- to rebel. He was expected to follow in failed. deputy chief minister with five key
In Kerala, there is a renewed spurt in certain parts, self was ejected from power, both as the footsteps of his former colleague Scindia had a well-negotiated deal portfolios. This was in stark contrast to
with the State reporting 821 fresh cases on Sunday, the deputy chief minister and Rajasthan Jyotiraditya Scindia. Unconfirmed re- portfolios. with the BJP which he executed with- Scindia who was sidelined by the Ka-
highest single day rise so far. Fearing a second surge next
This was in
Congress president. Though Pilot’s ports have it that he was in talks with out any ideological compunction. He mal Nath-Digvijay Singh duo and was
month, the State is making arrangements for treating flight did succeed in triggering turbu- the BJP for some time. The story begins had no issues joining the BJP and could even denied a Rajya Sabha seat.
50,000 cases. Notably, Kerala was feted in the national me-
dia for having handled the pandemic the best of all other
lence in Gehlot’s government, his un- with the Rajya Sabha election last stark contrast bring down the Kamal Nath govern- After the fall of Congress government

to Scindia
reasonable demands for his return to month when poaching of MLAs was ex- ment in MP because the gap between in MP, whether Pilot took some inspira-
States, with its Health Minister K K Shailaja showered the Congress camp have forced him to pected to happen for ‘enabling’ the BJP the number of MLAs of Congress and tion from Scindia is a matter of conjec-
fulsome praise. Even in the case of Bengaluru, the State
government had claimed success until the virus again
take the legal course to save himself to win an extra seat to the Upper House who was BJP was too small. Pilot doesn’t have ture, but Pilot knows he lacks numbers

sidelined by
and his MLAs from being disqualified of parliament from Rajasthan. Howev- that luxury: he has the support of only to execute a Madhya Pradesh-style re-
surfaced to torment the city. On Monday, Delhi recorded as members of Rajasthan legislative as- er, the Congress high command’s inter- 19 MLAs and the BJP is way behind volt. Therefore, joining BJP is not an
954 fresh cases, taking the total to nearly 1.25 lakhs, with
the death toll over 3,600. After the alarming inadequacy
sembly.
Ambition is not a bad word. There is
vention is said to have salvaged the sit-
uation. Pilot postponed his revolt but
the Kamal Congress with 73 MLAs. This could be
one of the reasons why Pilot seems dis-
easy option for him because his MLAs
would not want to face the risk of re-
of the Arvind Kejriwal Government to cope with the pan- nothing wrong in being ambitious, but the simmering rivalry between the Nath-Digvijay inclined to join the BJP and has not election. Besides, with barely 19 MLAs,
Singh duo
demic, the central government steeped in to partner to ambition has to be realistic. Pilot was chief minister and his deputy contin- ruled out his return to the Congress. Pilot is unlikely to get a better deal for
fight the virus collectively. In recent days, the effort seems unreasonably ambitious and too de- ued. It exploded when Pilot received His failed coup against Gehlot has himself and his supporters from BJP.
to have borne fruit with the number of daily cases falling manding. When he took off from summons from Rajasthan police’s Spe- and was proved the Congress right in its belief In all this, the Congress seems to have
from the high four figures to three figures in the last cou-
even denied
Jaipur for Delhi, he claimed to have cial Operation Group to answer ques- that Gehlot would be able to command done a good job in trying to save the
ple of days. Delhi now felt emboldened to open up further had the support of 30 MLAs. That was tions on the alleged conspiracy to a larger group of MLAs during the cri- Gehlot government from an expansion-
but the markets and eating places generally bear a de-
serted look. Also, testing has improved in recent days, but
enough to bring down the Gehlot gov- destabilise the state government. Pilot a Rajya sis. It is why he was installed as chief ist BJP. This is not to absolve the ‘lead-

Sabha seat.
ernment. Hence, there was reason for responded on expected lines: he re- minister and Pilot only his deputy. erless’ Congress for the mess it is in
overall it is not enough. The number of actual cases the Congress and Chief Minister belled in an attempt to bring down the Like many politicians in the past and since its emphatic defeat in 2019 gener-
might be far in excess of the official figures since the lack Gehlot to be worried and the BJP to feel government, refused to attend Con- Scindia very recently, Pilot has once al election. The grand old party is a
of testing and non-availability of basic healthcare facili- elated. It seemed that a repeat of what gress legislature meetings and moved again demonstrated that loyalty with- drifting ship without a captain. It needs
ties in large parts of the country is a huge constraint. had happened in Madhya Pradesh (MP) to BJP-ruled Haryana with his loyal out reward can be fickle. His over- a decisive leader to navigate the ship
Meanwhile, given the continuing spread of the virus, and in March end was about to happen in MLAs. whelming desire to be the chief minis- from BJP’s expansionist tide.
the official measures taken to prevent it, economic Rajasthan. But when it became clear Then came the disqualification no- ter without enjoying support of major-
growth is bound to suffer in the current financial. An in- that Pilot didn’t have support of more tices to rebels MLAs from Rajasthan as- ity of Congress MLAs does not help dif- The writer is a former Senior Associate
dependent ratings agency estimates that the GDP loss than 20 MLAs, things began to fall in sembly speaker C P Joshi. Sachin Pilot ferentiate him from other dynasts Editor of Hindustan Times and Political
could be over nine percent. Despite the staggered open- place for the Congress and the immi- and his flock challenged the speaker’s across political spectrum who feel enti- Editor of Deccan Herald, New Delhi
ing of the economy, the disruption caused by several lo-
calised lockdowns impacts the supply chains. For in-
stance, air and rail travel is either suspended or subject
to periodic shutdowns due to the coronavirus. The West ONE FLEW OVER THE NEST #oxfordvaccine LETTERS
Bengal Government, for instance, had stopped air travel TUESDAY’S SWIPE TO THE
earlier in the month. Ditto for a few other States.
Meanwhile, the race for a sure-fire vaccine to kill the
The phase 1/2 Oxford COVID-19 vaccine trial is now published. The vaccine is safe, well-tolerated, and immunogenic. Congratulations to
Pedro Folegatti and colleagues. These results are extremely encouraging.
EDITOR
Bad business
virus continues apace. India has a special interest in the Richard Horton
vaccine now being developed and tested by the Oxford
University since it will be mass-produced by a famous Hearing preliminary findings that the Oxford Vaccine Trial Study is safe and trains the immune system is very promising Dizzy symbolCrossed The COVID count has
Pune-based company. More than a hundred government fingers I'm so pleased to be a trial participant, contributing to this invaluable research! touched an alarming
laboratories and pharmaceutical companies across the Ben Annear, NGS Assist. Psychologist in High-risk Eating Disorders Service
increase of 40 K per day. No
world, including those in China, are engaged in develop- beds in govt hospitals and
Waiting for more updates...but I guess for now - 'cautiously optimistic' is one way to characterize this update? Note, this University of Oxford
ing the vaccine. Whoever succeeds in hitting the market rising oxygen-starved
vaccine will be distributed by Astra Zeneca, and one the primary global manufacturers is Pune-based Serum Instititute India.
first is bound to reap a windfall, though given the havoc Amit Paranjape casualties, even as
caused by the virus to the human race it is moot whether concerned authorities
its commercial exploitation is morally appropriate. The The #OxfordVaccine has shown some very promising results Microscope with scientists at University of Oxford along with Astra Zeneca enthusiastically announce
other alternative is for the WHO to intervene and under- leading the way. Good to hear from Matt Hancock that we have secured access to 90m vaccine doses should it succeed. the imminence of an
take supply of the winner vaccine at affordable prices "Indian" vaccine by August
globally. Of course, we cannot expect China to bear the Christopher Pincher, Member of Parliament for Tamworth & Minister of State for Housing 15, but not toiling on
costs for the global supply of such a vaccine even if the ensuring what is
virus had its origins in Wuhan. Humanitarianism does rudimentary and

Don’t let social media hijack the narrative

not concern the Communist czars.
Come to grips with the challenges thrown up by digitalisation
paramount at this moment.
With no central
TAILPIECE assistance/guidance or the
political will for a serious
HOME LEARNING AND REOPENING and systematic reopening

L
SCHOOLS ESPECIALLY HARD IN AFRICA
of economy, it is finally left
to Municipal
essons via radio or TV. Math problems in newspapers. Classes on Commissioners to clamp
Zoom or WhatsApp. The options for African students to keep study- lockdowns, in cavalier
ing while schools remain closed because of the coronavirus pan- baked TV news report. In the first place, they failed manner works against them as people then tend to abdication. As links to the
demic seem varied, but the reality for many is that they will fall behind to spot the dodgy report on a sensitive topic. The disbelieve every official version. chains of supply and of
and possibly drop out of school forever — worsening inequality on an same story played out at the national level when the It is not as if social media is full of negatives. Vi- demand keep breaking,
already unequal continent. migrant exodus was a trickle. ral videos rather than mainstream media reports there is not a modicum of
"I think education now is more of an emergency than the health
issue," said Dr Mary Goretti Nakabugo, a literacy expert who runs a It may come as a surprise to the Twitter genera- have forced change during the pandemic; patients certainty or continuity for
Uganda-based education non-profit called Uwezo, noting that there tion that once it was the ‘Letters to the editor’ that posting photos of COVID corpses lying in corri- much of anything to be
have been no reported virus deaths and just over 1,000 cases in this alerted authorities to issues left unaddressed. Any- dors, exposing black-marketing in vital drugs, over- open to business. Yet, our
East African country, though, as elsewhere, limited testing means those one from scholars to activists to the common man billing by private hospitals, interns revealing the Sensex is relentlessly seen
figures are likely undercounts.
Although the pandemic has disrupted education across the globe, the
Wrap-up could get his facts/argument, narrative/demand or
complaint/compliment in print. An assistant edi-
dire shortage of doctors in public hospitals, neti-
zens recording police high-handedness, the posts
adding to the market cap in
proportion to the climbing
Anil Singh
schooling crisis is more acute in Africa, where up to 80% of students

A
don't have access to the internet and even electricity can be unreliable,
making distance learning difficult, if not impossible. Even newspapers
into which learning materials are inserted are not affordable for many
in the region.
tor sifted through hundreds of letters a day, of showing hordes flouting social distancing norms COVID count. Welcome to
which a maximum of seven made it to the presti- the moment lockdown was eased. the virtual world of COVID.
gious editorial page, some in as many as 500 words. The reaction, or rather lack of it, of the public R Narayanan
t first glance, there is nothing in common It used to be said that a hundred words in a reputed health system to the viral videos is a case study.

Right initiative
Sub-Saharan Africa already has the highest rates of children out of between the two recent news items —an in- newspaper were more effective than a thousand- With most print and TV journalists eating out of
school anywhere in the world, with nearly one-fifth of children between quiry committee’s finding that the lynching strong protest rally, much like a Tweet today. their hands, medical mandarins were able to hide
the ages of 6 and 11 and over one-third of youth between 12 and 14 this April of two Hindu priests in Palghar, some 100 In the dumbing down process, the editorial page the shortcomings of the system. When the viral Ref: Grads can now sign up
not attending, according to the UN culture and education agency. But km north of Mumbai, was not a planned affair but in several newspapers has been downgraded and videos shook the system, no one knew how to rebut for a disaster management
getting students back to school also comes with special challenges in a spontaneous incident fuelled by rumours of the space for letters has shrunk. In any case, the them. This undid even the good work done by pub- diploma, July 20, 2020. A
Africa, where children in some countries may cram into tiny classrooms child-lifting and, that Surat cop Sunita Yadav (of print medium’s credibility and circulation are de- lic hospitals. one-year post-graduate
by the dozens. The charity Save the Children identified 12 countries in
which children "are at extremely high risk of dropping out forever." Nine the viral video fame) was not backed They should have rebutted such dam- diploma in Disaster
of them are in sub-Saharan Africa. by senior officers despite her stand- aging viral videos by sincerely admit- management offered by the
In Uganda, for instance, annual per capita income was less than $800 ing up to the state health minister’s ting to the shortcomings of the system, Directorate of Civil
in 2019, according to World Bank data. Uganda's government has son caught violating the COVID cur- outlining their limitations, stating the Defence is a welcome step
pledged to distribute 10 million radios and over 130,000 solar-powered few. corrective action taken and highlight- and comes at an
TV sets, but authorities have failed to honour past promises, including On closer examination, the underly- ing their genuine success stories. appropriate time. This
giving a free mask to everyone. ing factor is the inability of the au- There is no shame in conceding that gives a wider scope to
In neighbouring Kenya, pupils will repeat an academic year, a phe- thorities to come to grips with the you are overwhelmed but have not giv- graduates and is great
nomenon commonly described as a "dead year." Schools also provide
havens for children from work and exploitation. Girls may especially challenges thrown up by social me- en up the fight. thinking by authorities.
suffer, according to the literacy expert Nakabugo, who cited anecdotal dia. To their credit the cops were able to Melville X. D'Souza
reports of a growing number of teenage pregnancies — as the The Palghar police ignored What- use the social media to their advantage

Back on track
Norway-based institute's report noted happened during West Africa's sApp rumours that men masquerad- although in a limited way; the message
Ebola epidemic. ing as Hindu monks were going in a song, delivering birthday cakes,
Some students in Senegal returned to classrooms in June. In around kidnapping children during distributing food, donating plasma… Every sphere of life needs
Zimbabwe, where in many schools up to 70 students may be crammed the countrywide lockdown. They had However, this is no substitute for a to adapt to the shifting
into a small room, the government is postponing a phased reopening simply not learnt from the lynchings proper policy. In the digital era where dynamics. Field sports took
that had been scheduled to begin this month. Teachers unions had
warned that such a plan is dangerous in schools lacking face masks, across the country because of fake your image depends on the digital im- its baby steps when the
hand sanitiser, and even running water. news about child-lifters, roving ban- age, every wing of the government much awaited England-
Even in South Africa, the continent's most prosperous economy, the dits, cow killers, organ harvesting must have its own cyber cell to monitor West Indies series.
government has faced criticism from teachers unions for its decision to gangs, etc. news pertaining to it. The cops do have Elsewhere, beautiful
reopen schools despite a growing number of cases. Since schools there In the second incident, Gujarat’s IPS officers cut clining. With mainstream media shying away from a cybercrime cell but it is more of a joke: letting contact games of basketball
reopened in June, at least 650 students and teachers have tested posi- a sorry figure by opting not to react to social media playing a watchdog role and TV news channels those spreading hate messages go but arresting and football make a
tive in the province of Gauteng, the country's economic hub, forcing 71 even if the viral video had turned their own con- seen as lapdogs, people are willing to believe all those who have ‘liked’ a message deemed derogato- reappearance. All credit
schools to close again. stable into an overnight celebrity. kinds of rumours and conspiracy theories that are ry just because some jingoists have taken offence at should go to novel and
The prolonged shutdown could also mean many schools close for
good and many teachers quit, exacerbating what is already the world's Public health authorities in Mumbai showed the rife on social media. it. energetic sports bodies that
worst teacher shortage. "It is the poorest schools that will continue to same ostrich-like mentality during the ongoing The authorities are in a quandary as they have no Not only must these cyber cells spot fake news, foresaw, planned and
suffer and remain closed, while affluent schools reopen, only deepening pandemic when faced with viral videos showing mechanism to verify the truth in an ecosystem half-truths or absolute truths early but they must executed to perfection.
inequality in both access to and quality of education," said Dipolelo uncomfortable truths such as overcrowding, lack of where fake news factories abound. Even if they oc- also formulate an immediate and effective response Sports is an endless series
Moime, spokesman for One SA Movement, a group of South African cleanliness, shortage of staff and piling up of casionally catch fake news or spot a viral video that will quell any misgivings, conspiracy theories of adjustments and players
activists. corpses. that’s genuine, officials don’t know how to react to and consequent panic. The ‘Letters to the editors’ shape their own destinies.
"I can't even afford to buy bread. Where will I get the money for these Likewise, authorities monitoring the lockdown in it in the absence of a laid-down policy. Most sit tight column must have a digital avatar. The adrenaline rush to
private lessons?" said Maud Chirwa, a mother in the Kuwadzana sub- Mumbai were unable to gauge the restlessness of unless pushed. dominate will keep them
urb of Zimbabwe's capital, Harare. "They are better off at school where
there are some controls." migrant labour until they stormed Bandra Railway The inability of the authorities to counter fake or The writer is an independent journalist going, despite no crowds.
Terminus expecting trains home based on a half- even genuine news on social media in a systematic based in Mumbai. Ganapathi Bhat
- AP
Letters to the editor should be sent to: The Free Press Journal, Free Press House, Free Press Journal Marg, 215 Nariman Point, Mumbai. 400021; Fax: 22874688, e-mail: mail@fpj.co.in; Type letter, leave space, write your views and name. Letters may be edited for clarity and space.
 t h e da ily gua r dia n
2 1 j u ly 2 0 2 0
n ew de l h i comment & analysis 5
NEW NORMAL
perspective

Geopolitics in the
Covid-19

Time for honest and

innovative lockdown
time of Covid-19
The pandemic has made us realise that we are but a global village that is connected not only
Is this the time to go back to strict lockdown again? The argu-
ment may sound absurd and unwarranted for many raising
the bogey of livelihoods, migrant misery and economic slump.
But, this is a harsh reality staring us and for those who are not
ready to see the reality, which we have ignored so far under the
cover of lowest mortality and highest recovery rates, must wake
up and see that the predictions made by top global experts are
by trade and commerce but also shared health policies and common socio-cultural behaviour. coming true. We were just under 100 cases a day around 15
April. Three months later, we’re reporting over 38,500 corona-
tensions, blame game, pressure from demand- required counterbalance opposed to unilateralism? positive cases daily. Do we need the figures to get any higher to
and finger pointing espe- drops in the US, Europe to unilateralism and au- There is certainly hope for jolt us and accept that if global predictions also come true for In-

opinion cially between the United

Alwyn Didar Singh
was V-shaped, but some
argue that it led eventu-
ally to the rise of Hitler.
It also showed that the
world is not really pre-
pared to handle epidem-
ics and therefore needed
better coordination and
cooperation. Similarly,
more recent epidemics and
pandemics caused by HIV
(AIDS), SARS, H1N1 or the
Ebola virus, support the
view that the world needs
States and China. The US
squarely blames China
probably as a geopolitical
strategy using coronavirus
as an alibi to hinder the
emergence of a new global
contender.
Experts argue that the
factors that currently lead
to dissonance are US uni-
lateralism versus China’s
authoritarianism. How
does the world address
these issues? Can the
UN play a role? Probably
not since both are part of
the Security Council and
have veto rights. Neither
would allow global gov-
ernance to interfere with
their strategies.
Globalisation has had its
and world markets on
account of the pandemic.
Covid-19 has exposed the
need for Beijing’s decision-
makers to focus on domes-
tic development and China
will have to reconcile its
thrust overseas with lo-
cal resources. Whether in
Asia or Africa, project fail-
ures, cases of insolvency,
and bankruptcies are ex-
pected to grow exponen-
tially along BRI routes in
the months, if not years to
come, leading to BRI loans
remaining unpaid and dis-
rupting the entire Chinese
strategy. BRI will not stop
but it will change as will
the geo-politics around it.
The US economy is
badly impacted, and the
thoritarianism. The same
could be expected of a ris-
ing and strong India. To be
a counterpoise along with
a united Europe to these
emerging trends. To stand
not as in the past as part
of a ‘non-aligned’ faction
but one that pushes for
co-existence in this multi-
polar world.
Post-corona economic
consequences match the
three scenarios of a V-
Curve; a U-Curve; or an
L-Curve. V-Curve or the
best-case scenario envis-
ages a moderate economic
disturbance, which can
hopefully be dealt with by
the existing world order
where economies bounce
back post the virus. A
that. After all what this vi-
rus has achieved, probably
for the first time in human
history, is a unified hu-
man consciousness that
looks at each one of us as
global citizens and not just
that of any one country.
The online networks and
common strategies for
pandemic handling have
brought on this realisation.
We are but a global village
that is connected not only
by trade and commerce but
shared health policies and
common socio-cultural
behaviour.
As business models be-
come virtual, maybe geo-
politics too will. We shall
witness a digitisation of
geopolitics brought on by
dia’s worst-case scenario, then we will be even higher than the
United States’ current Covid-19 figures?
Given the country’s healthcare infrastructure and the current
spate of natural calamities aggravating the pressure on available
human resources, can India afford a situation like the US and
Brazil? Do we have any magic wand than shutting ourselves to
at least incur lesser damage to human lives? The shutting down
has to be innovative and restrictive, yet productive in a way
that those who matter in moving the country’s growth engines
-- politics, business, investors and the corporate -- must maxi-
mise the online meeting medium and social distancing norms
to keep the business as usual. In fact, the super-spreaders have
been those on roads and outside our homes with little or no real
contribution in boosting the economy. Can we deliver maximum
with the minimum interface -- if needed, work from home -- to
make it a habit as in routine office days?
We have crossed the dangerous one million mark. Most na-
tions worldwide are switching back in lockdown mode, fearing
corona resurgence. The “out-of-hand” situation in India is a pic-
ture of paradox. At one stage, the country was an example for
many global nations. Today, we ourselves do not know how to
handle and what best to do as a nation. Every state is now on its
own, issuing respective lockdown restriction guidelines, which

I
t would appear that
coronavirus is here to
stay. It may be tackled
as a pandemic one day,
but certainly it will cre-
ate a “new normal” for
the world. Some earlier
pandemics had a similar
impact. As we look back
in history, the Antonine
Plague of 165-180 AD
(which may have been
smallpox or measles) killed
approximately 5 million
people, hastening the end
of the Roman Empire.
After World War I, the
Spanish Flu claimed at
least 50 million lives (with
about 500 million people,
or one-third of the world’s
population, infected) and
triggered significant steps
in global health gover-
nance such as the creation
of the World Health Orga-
nization (WHO) and also
led to economic distress
in Asia, Europe and the
US. Recovery thankfully
enhancement of interna-
tional cooperation and
preparedness. Obviously,
the lessons were never re-
ally absorbed by nations
as we see clearly now with
Covid-19. The impact is
certainly both geopolitical
and geo-economic.
Today politics and gover-
nance are not as we knew
them in the past. Modern
statecraft is multifaceted
and complex (issues for ex-
ample are social, political,
economic, environmen-
tal, military and security-
related) which leads us to
appreciate this to navigate
the ongoing crisis and fore-
cast its implications for
the global order. There is
a transition in the history
of international relations
with this corona pandem-
ic. International diplo-
macy, central to statecraft,
is strongly influenced by
this. Global politics stands
threatened by increased
benefits. The prosperity
witnessed post WW-II was
largely through technology
breakthrough, free trade,
spread of education and
absence of a huge conflict.
This last factor was crucial.
The world cannot afford
any one power seeking
hegemony as the new form
for colonisation.
We need to assess the
possible impact of the
virus on these leading
economies. China will
not only bear the brunt of
all the negative publicity
that has come from being
blamed as the originator
of the virus, that it osten-
sibly tried initially to hide,
but will feel the heat on its
signature programme of
BRI (Belt and Road Initia-
tive). In a bleak economic
situation BRI is likely to
hit a funding shortfall. As
would the whole export-
oriented Chinese econo-
my that would face severe
administration appears to
have gone into a domestic
huddle. Infected numbers
and deaths across the US
continue to rise and the
economy is deteriorating.
Unemployment at 14% is
the highest since the Great
Depression. Work-from-
home and tele-working
have grown exponentially
but the lower strata of so-
ciety and the less educated
have been hurt the most.
With the required greater
domestic focus, the US has
been compelled to reduce
its international policing
role.
Europe is also in a bind.
Different European coun-
tries followed different
strategies for handling the
virus but overall, the eco-
nomic impact has touched
all economies and reduced
the EU’s international
clout. And yet, the world
expects Europe to stand up
and be counted. To be that
much more likely scenar-
io is probably the U-Curve
which may be rather bad
for the world as it foresees
severe economic damage
necessitating a massive
demand for reconstruc-
tion. Economies would
have a protracted bottom
of the U-Curve where
available resources and a
shaky global institutional
architecture cannot cope
with the downturn for a
relatively longish period.
The worst-case or L-Curve
scenario could be really
ugly: it includes a devas-
tating economic collapse
of potentially historic pro-
portions, leading to social
and political turmoil in a
number of countries, lost
benefits of globalisation
and connectivity resulting
in massive global changes
that wreck the world order
for years to come.
So, will the post-Covid
world see co-existence as
corona and advances in
technology. The distinc-
tion between biological,
digital and virtual would
blur further and geopoli-
tics may no more be the
preserve of the state but
have multiple stakehold-
ers at play including large
technology platforms,
sub-state actors, non-state
actors, digitally mobilised
communities and even in-
fluential or vocal individu-
als. Add to this the Fourth
Industrial Revolution and
geopolitics becomes com-
pulsorily multi-stake-
holder-oriented where
co-existence becomes the
norm. That is not just the
expectation and hope but
something we would ex-
pect geopolitics to absorb
and address.
The writer is a former civil
servant and presently Dis-
tinguished Fellow at CUTS
International.
are assessed on the basis of daily corona-positive cases and not
determined by the actual threat of the pandemic, which is mul-
tiplying manifolds like a TB infection or cancer in its last stage.
Many states like Maharashtra, Delhi and Tamil Nadu are fac-
ing the worst and these are the country’s business, political and
corporate hubs. Many who still argue that India is still better
with over 62% recovery and mortality rate lower than the US,
Spain and Italy must not forget if today, we go for voluntary co-
rona testing, we will cross the US current numbers by millions.
The 75 cases in the BJP office in Patna, a “super-spreader” mar-
riage party in Bihar, the dozens of positive cases in Raj Bhavans
of Bihar and Maharashtra are a stark reality we have been ignor-
ing that we have “underestimated” the pandemic and defied the
outcome without logic or any definite health remedy to counter
it. The situation calls for policymakers to rethink if restricting
public movement outside homes and allowing only essential
mobility of those “urgently” needed to keep the governance and
business in the country moving.
It’s time to learn the lessons from corona. Had we ever thought
about working from home, doing online business transactions,
and countless meetings on social media apps to keep us moving?
We have done well and have done it honestly. We also learnt that
prevention holds key to our health as we understood the sig-
nificance of sanitation now. The same way, the bureaucracy and
political leadership realised that ignoring “Make in India” was
a major miss. Had we realised the true potential of “Make in In-
dia” in the last six years, India would have been Aatmanirbhar
already and the country wouldn’t have created a fuss on a longer
and an honest lockdown to keep the pandemic at bay.
Maneesh Pandeya

Dichotomy

The contradiction called communist China state. After founding the represented by the CCP and major breakthrough of tra- in China, it is Marxism of dominantly the CCP, decides make up the “BAT”, appears
People’s Republic, it focused it would dominate China in ditional Marxist economic contemporary China and it the direction of the Chinese in the People’s Daily list of

opinion
Hari K. Sharma
To many, modern China
epitomises the “communist
dream” of an egalitarian so-
ciety along with a thriving
market economy — some-
thing that was never imag-
ined by their ideological
forefathers. Socialist lead-
ers, Marxist scholars, politi-
cal parties and their affiliate
groups and institutions
around the world celebrate
this grand success of their
ideological peers. It also
proved the futility of Francis
Fukuyama’s “End of His-
tory” thesis that proclaimed
the decisive win of capital-
ism and democracy over
communism after the fall
of the USSR. Communism
and socialism are very much
there, kicking and challeng-
ing the Western hegemony
of global capitalism.
China is a “civilisation
state” with an imperial his-
tory of around 2,000 years.
Not all of the dynasties that
ruled China were Chinese,
in the sense that they were
not all of ethnic Han Chi-
nese in origin. The historical
legacy continues to influ-
ence attitudes in contempo-
rary China that includes the
Opium War and the impact
of the West in the 19th cen-
tury, peasant rebellions,
cultural nationalism as part
of response to the challenges
posed by the West, military
occupation by Japan, the
civil war between commu-
nists and nationalists, the
rise of Mao Zedong and the
radical experiments of the
Great Leap Forward and
the Cultural Revolution.
The Chinese leadership was
committed to wash away the
stains of “century of humilia-
tion” and emerge as a strong
on its socialist transforma-
tion, “completing the transi-
tion from New Democracy
to socialism, establishing
the basic system of socialism
and developing socialism
economically, politically and
culturally”. It was argued
that only a strong, unified
China could prevent a rep-
etition of that period of na-
tional humiliation.
The formal structure of
China’s government in the
early years of the PRC close-
ly resembles the model of the
Soviet Union which was a
one party state. The Chinese
Communist Party not only
solely represents the work-
ing class or the people, but
also the state, its institutions
and overall policymaking. It
wielded unparalleled pow-
ers and China was practi-
cally governed under a dual
party-state system in which
organs of the government
are shadowed by the CCP
monitoring bodies. There
was considerable overlap
between personnel in the
government, the People’s
Liberation Army and par-
ty hierarchy. China’s first
proper constitution adopted
on 20 September 1954 also
drew heavily on the Soviet
constitution of 1936. It en-
shrined the principle that
PRC would be led by the
working class effectively
the foreseeable future.
The Chinese Commu-
nist Party derives its pow-
ers and character from its
constitution. According to
the constitution of the CCP,
amended and adopted at the
16th CPC National Congress
on 14 November 2002, “The
Communist Party of China
is the vanguard both of the
Chinese working class and
of the Chinese people and
the Chinese nation.” The
realisation of communism
is the highest ideal and ul-
timate goal of the Party.
The party takes inspiration
from Marxism-Leninism,
Mao Zedong Thought and
Deng Xiaoping theory and
the combined three is its
guiding force to action.The
highest ideal of communism
pursued by the Chinese
Communists can be realised
only when the socialist so-
ciety is fully developed and
very advanced, which is a
long historical process.
The primary objective
of post-Mao economic
planning was how to initi-
ate reforms to revive the
economy without reducing
political control. The es-
sence of socialist economic
reform with,“Chinese char-
acteristics” was to create
a unique blend of social-
ist public ownership with
market economy. It was a
theories and a fundamen-
tal shift from other com-
munist societies. It was an
unprecedented move for
primarily two reasons: pub-
lic ownership and market
economic mechanism is
contrary to the thesis of clas-
sical economics and Western
orthodox economics that be-
lieves that only capitalist pri-
vate ownership could sus-
tain with market economic
mechanism. And secondly,
it was against the traditional
Marxist theory that believes
that public ownership of any
form can’t coexist with a free
market economy, and pri-
vate ownership of all types
should be eliminated. By
combining the public own-
ership and market mecha-
nism the Chinese economic
model negated both the
Western orthodox econom-
ics and Marxist economics.
Deng Xiaoping had played
a pivotal role in China’s
transformation. “Deng
Xiaoping Theory was the
outcome of the integra-
tion of the basic tenets of
Marxism-Leninism with
the practice of contempo-
rary China and the features
of the times, a continuation
and development of Mao
Zedong Thought under
new historical conditions;
it represents a new period
of development of Marxism
is the crystallised, collective
wisdom of the Communist
Party of China. It is guid-
ing the socialist modernisa-
tion of China from victory
to victory”. In leading the
cause of socialism, the Com-
munist Party of China must
persist in taking economic
development as the central
task, making all other work
subordinated to and serve
this central task.China had
lifted the official ban on pri-
vate farming in 1982 and
by 1983 almost completed
the de-collectivising of the
agricultural sector. Deng fa-
mously said that to open the
economy, the party would
have to “let some people get
rich first”. His most famous
catchphrase — “It doesn’t
matter if a cat is black or
white; as long as it catches
mice, it is a good cat” — be-
came immensely popular
among policymakers. His
passionate endorsement of
market economics laid the
foundation of modern China
whose trade and business
model swamped the world.
Officially PRC called itself a
“Socialist Market Economy”
that allows a considerable
degree of capitalism and glo-
balisation; but the bureau-
cracy still holds significant
influence and control over
the forces of production and
distribution in the state, pre-
economy. Commenting on
China, economist Nicholas
Lardy, author of The State
Strikes Back, said that the pri-
vate firms in China currently
account for roughly 70% of
the country’s output (gross
domestic product). How-
ever, Lardy has also argued
that a reversal in economic
liberalisation by favoring
the state-owned firms began
after Xi Jinping took over the
leadership of the communist
party in 2012. Interestingly,
contrary to most liberal as-
sertions that the market
economy paves the way for
opening up of the political
system, China became more
rigid and ruthless after the
Tiananmen Square mas-
sacre. Chinese economist
Zhang Weiying even argued
that China’s success in re-
cent years has “not been be-
cause of the state, but in spite
of the state”.
The membership of the
Chinese Communist Party
that was originally open
only to workers, peasants,
and intellectuals, was made
flexible to accommodate
professionals, government
servants and entrepreneurs.
It created a storm when the
names of the founders of
the three Chinese Internet
giants — Baidu’s Robin Li,
Jack Ma of Alibaba and Ten-
cent’s Pony Ma — together
100 peoples whom the Cen-
tral Committee of the CCP
decided to honour for their
contributions to the reform
and opening up. The mem-
bership of the party rose to
92 million and every 15th
person in China is its mem-
ber. Some of the richest men
in China including Jack Ma,
Wang Jianlin and Xu Jiayin
are party members.
Modern China boasts of
the ideological legacy of
Marx, Mao and Deng, but
simultaneously presents
contrasting images of state
capitalism and political au-
thoritarianism; economic
marvels and the debt trap,
also refers to as new eco-
nomic colonialism; mega
SEZs, multinational com-
panies and large concentra-
tion camps; the policy of
peaceful rise of China and
the Chinese bullying, ag-
gressive military posturing
in the South China sea, Asia
Pacific, Ladakh and Central
Asia; the claim of being a
People’s Democracy and the
muzzling of people’s demo-
cratic voices in Xinxiang, Ti-
bet and Hong Kong; and its
anti-terrorism policy while
supporting the rogue states
and globally-designated ter-
rorists for political reasons.
The author teaches Political Sci-
ence at the Lady Shri Ram Col-
lege for Women, DU.
6 legally speaking
Consumers & Law
The Consumer Protection Act,
2019: An overview
opinion
Vaibhav Choudhary &
Shruti Shrestha
T
he key provisions of
the Consumer Pro-
tection Act, 2019,
have come into force on July
20, 2020. The Act received
the assent of the President of
India and was published in
the official gazette on August
09, 2019, which replaced the
three decade old Consumer
Protection Act, 1986.  recruitment, procedure of
The Act introduces various
provisons keeping in mind
the new challenges faced by
the consumer in the digital
era. The Act aims to provide
the timely and effective ad-
ministration and settlement
of consumer disputes. The
key provisions as notified
pertains to consumer pro-
tection councils, consumer
disputes commission,  me-
diation, liability of services
or products, the penalty for
manufacturing, selling, dis-
tributing, spurious goods or
products.  However, an en-
GST, Law & Business
Capturing the Volatilities of Goods & Services Tax
Aparna Tripathi
GST is a new legislation how-
ever, its development has
spanned over two decades
which steals its novelty. De-
spite years of planning and
designing, the Act is still
evolving and improvising.
The new challenges which
are staring in the eye of the
system concerning GST and
its day-to-day implementa-
tion are being resolved on
an orderly basis.
Introduction to GST
The Goods and Services Tax
Act came in force on 1st July,
2017. This Act was enforced
with a view to unify the in-
direct taxes levied in India.
Despite GST, VAT and other
indirect taxes are still appli-
cable on liquor and petro-
leum products. Actionable
claims are also kept outside
the purview of this novel
system.
GST is a destination-based
consumption tax wherein
the taxable event is ‘supply’.
Under prior regime, taxable
event used to be sale, manu-
facture or, provision of ser-
vice. The term ‘destination-
based tax’ implies that the
tax is leviable in the State
wherein the supply takes
place. Here, the term supply
does not merely denote a sale
but also includes stock trans-
fers, branch transfers, barter,
exchange, license, rental and,
disposal as given under Sec-
tion 7 of the Central Goods
and Services Tax Act (CGST
Act).
In revenue consideration,
the mechanism put in place
for GST provides a fair share
tire chapter of the Act deal-
ing  with a separate Consumer
Protection Authority for ad-
vertisements, e-commerce
rules for websites, and mak-
ing celebrity endorsers liable
yet to be notified.
Further, the corresponding
rules relating to qualification
for appointment, method of
appointment, term of office,
resignation and removal of
the president and members
of the State and District Com-
mission, Salary, allowances
and conditions of service of
president and members of
the State and District Com-
mission, mediation procedure
and rules governing Central
Consumer Protection Coun-
cils are also been notified.  which can be hazardous to
The Act will strengthen the
consumer rights, the scope
of consumer grievances and
provide ease in the process of
filing complaints.
of revenue to both Central
and State Governments on
the basis of the place of sup-
ply. The structure of GST is
torn into Integrated Goods
and Services tax (IGST),
Central Goods and Services
Tax (CGST) and State/Union
Territory Goods and Ser-
vices Tax (SGST/UTGST).
While IGST is leviable on
inter-state supply, CGST and
SGST are applicable on intra-
state supply.
This Act has brought in
various changes with it
alongwith carrying a few fea-
tures of the previous indirect
taxation legislations.
the Recent
Developments
in GST
As mentioned earlier, this
law is still making headway
in our country. Its every day
developments can be traced
by the clarifications issued
regularly by CBITC (Central
Board of Indirect Taxes and
Customs) and the decisions
pronounced by AAR (Au-
thority of Advance Ruling).
Court rulings are also pav-
ing way for smooth transi-
tion from earlier taxes and
implementation of the new
tax regime. Apart from the
announcements made re-
garding the various reliefs
imparted to the tax payer in
view of the pandemic, there
are several circulars clarify-
ing the issues arising out of
the administration of GST.
A few noteworthy clari-
fications on GST are sum-
marised hereunder:
18% GST on Alcohol Sa-
nitisers: Goa AAR for GST
ruled that alcohol-based
sanitizers attract 18% GST
 The key features of the new
Act are as follows:
Enhanced Pecuniary
Jurisdiction  to seek redressal against un-
The key change under the
new Act is that the jurisdic-
tion will now be determined
on the basis of ‘value of goods
or services paid as consider-
ation’ by the consumer not
as per the relief claimed.
The threshold for pecuni-
ary jurisdiction under the
new Act of the commissions
stand revised i.e. District
Commission: Upto Rs 1 crore
from Rs 20 lacs; State Com-
mission: Rs 1 crore to Upto Rs
10 crore and National Com-
mission: Above Rs 10 crore.
The increase in the pecuni-
ary jurisdiction will reduce
the backlog  of the Appellate
forum and will prevent  frivo-
lous complaints filed before
the NCDRC directly bypass-
ing  State and District forums.
Defined statutory
rights of the
Consumer
The definition of “consumer”
has been expanded to include
persons who engage in of-
fline or online transactions
through electronic means
or by tele-shopping or direct
selling or multi-level market-
ing. Under the Act,  the rights
of the Consumer are defined
for the first time, and given
statutory protection which
includes: Right to be protected
against the marketing of
goods, products or services
life and property; Right to
be informed about the qual-
ity, quantity, potency, purity,
standard and price of goods,
products and services; Right
which gives a blow to com-
mon man. Amidst the pan-
demic, sanitizer is viewed
as a life saver and imposing
GST on such an essential
commodity, as it is declared
by the Ministry of Consum-
er Affairs, Food and Public
Distribution vide notifica-
tion CG-DL- E13032020-
218645 under the Essential
Commodities Act, seems to
be a less thought-out step.
This ruling can be identi-
fied as an added misery for
the sellers and consumers as
earlier alcohol-based sanitiz-
ers were charged under 12%
slab. Previously, it was clas-
sified as antihypertensive
drug but now, it has been
categorized under the head
of ‘insecticides, rodenti-
cides, fungicides, herbicides,
anti-sprouting products and
plant-growth regulators, dis-
infectants and similar prod-
ucts’ by AAR, Goa.
As far as the declaration
of hand sanitizers as an es-
sential commodity is con-
cerned, the bench was of the
view that, “exempted goods are
covered by notification number
2/2017/ Central Tax (Rate)
dated 28.06.2017. Merely clas-
sifying any goods as essential
commodity will not be the cri-
teria for exempting such Goods
from GST.”
Input Tax Credit (ITC)
status on hiring vehicles
for employee transporta-
tion: In a recent ruling pro-
nounced by AAR, it was
said that companies which
hire vehicles for transporta-
tion of its employees cannot
claim ITC as transportation
of employees is not manda-
tory under any law. This
verdict places the compa-
to be assured of access to goods,
products and services at com-
petitive prices; Right to be heard
at appropriate forums; Right
fair trade practices that are
involved in exploitation of
customers; and Right to con-
sumer awareness.
Establishment of
Central Consumer
Protection
Authority (CCPA)
The Act establishes a regu-
latory authority, namely,
the Central Consumer Pro-
tection Authority (CCPA),
with wide powers of en-
forcement, having an inves-
tigation wing, headed by a
Director-General, which
may conduct an inquiry or
investigation into consumer
law violations.  The Author-
ity has been granted wide
powers to take suo-moto ac-
tions, recall products, order
reimbursement of the price
of goods/services, cancel li-
censes and file class action
suits, if a consumer com-
plaint affects more than one
individual. However, the
provisions relating to it is yet
to be notified.  also sentence them to im-
Concept of
‘Product Liability’
Under the Act the concept
of ‘Product liability’ has
been introduced for the first
time, wherein, the product
manufacturer, product ser-
vice provider and product
seller, will be liable for any
claim for compensation. It
will deter manufacturers
and service providers from
delivering defective products
or deficient services. A con-
sumer can now claim com-
nies and its employees in a
disadvantageous position be-
cause the companies would
incur additional costs during
transportation which won’t
be recovered by them. The
AAR disregarded the fact
that employees with disabili-
ties and female employees at
odd hours need conveyance
which assures their safety
and well-being.
GST on sale of plot: In an-
other ruling, Gujarat AAR
adjudged that sale of plots
which are developed, i.e.,
plots which have facilities
such as provision of water
supply, supply of electricity
and other basic amenities are
subject to GST. The bench
made a distinction between
sale of land and sale of devel-
oped plots, thereby subject-
ing sale of developed plots to
GST under ‘construction of
a complex intended for sale
to a buyer’. It is imperative
to mention here that sale of
land is not subject to GST as
it is treated neither as supply
of a good nor as supply of a
service.
GST on online gaming:
Recently, the Supreme
Court of India in Gurdeep
Singh Sachar v. Union of India
ruled that Dream11, which
is an online cricket game,
is a game of skill and not a
game of chance, and hence
attracts a GST of 18%. There
is a distinction created under
the GST regime to levy tax
on online games, viz-a-viz,
games of skills and games of
chance. Games of chance at-
tract 28% GST while games
of skill attract GST at a rate
of 18%.
GST on Director’s Re-
muneration: After the two
the daily guardian
21 july 2020
new delhi
pensation under a ‘product
liability’ action for a ‘harm’
or ‘injury’ caused to him due
to deficiency in a product or
service.
Introduction of
‘Mediation’
Under the Act the provi-
sion of mediation, where,
settlement of disputes
is  possible  either  at the
stage of admission of a
complaint or at any later
stage,  subject to consent of
both the parties has been
introduced.  A mediation
cell is now attached to each
District, State and National
Commission and its
regional Benches for quick
resolution. There will be no
appeal against settlement
through mediation.
Penalties for
Misleading
Advertisement &
Endorsement
The CCPA may impose
a penalty of up to INR
1,000,000 on a manufac-
turer or an endorser, for a
false or misleading adver-
tisement. The CCPA may
prisonment for up to 2 (two)
years for the same.  In case
of a subsequent offence,
the fine may extend to INR
5,000,000 (Indian Rupees
Five Million) and imprison-
ment of up to 5 (five) years.
The CCPA can also prohibit
the endorser of a misleading
advertisement from endors-
ing that particular product
or service for a period of up
to 1 (one) year. For every sub-
sequent offence, the period
of prohibition may extend to
3 (three) years.  The Act conferred the power
AARs gave different rulings
on the issue, CBITC issued a
clarification on 10.06.2020
regarding levying of GST
on Director’s remuneration
paid to them by the Compa-
ny. As per the clarification,
remuneration of a director,
addressed by whichsoever
name, will not attract GST
when such director is an em-
ployee of the Company and
his remuneration is booked
as salary under the Income
Tax Act, 1961. However, GST
is charged on Reverse Charge
Basis when any remunera-
tion paid to a director is not
booked as salary or renu-
meration is paid to a director
who is not an employee to the
company.
GST Compliance for
companies under CIRP:
Previously, a circular dated
21.03.2020 was issued by
CBITC stating that any Cor-
porate Debtor which is un-
dergoing CIRP (Corporate
Insolvency Resolution Pro-
cess) has to obtain a fresh
GST registration within 30
days from the appointment
of RP/IRP (Resolution Pro-
fessional/ Interim Resolu-
tion Professional). Later on,
a clarification was issued on
06.05.2020 stating that only
those companies under liqui-
dation have to seek new GST
Registration which had de-
faulted in filing of statements
in FORM GSTR-1 under Sec-
tion 37 and returns in FORM
GSTR-3B under Section 39 of
the CGST Act before the ap-
pointment of IPR/RP.
Also, due to COVID-19
crisis, the date of Regis-
tration was extended till
30.06.2020. Thereby, a
Corporate Debtor which de-
Adjudication  & 
Power to nullify
the ‘Unfair
Contract’
The Act comes with an added
definition of ‘Unfair Contract’
which includes contracts
between a manufacturer or
trader or service provider on
one hand, and a consumer
on the other, having such
terms which cause signifi-
cant change in the rights of
consumers. It includes any
contractual terms which
specify excessive security
deposits(i.e. tenancy agree-
ments), provide for unilateral
termination (i.e. employment
contracts) or assignment
without consent of the other
party etc.  The 1986 Act did
not provide consumers with
a single forum against such
contracts. All cases relat-
ing to unfair contracts will
be heard by the State and
National Commission only.
The Act empowered the
State and National Commis-
sion to declare any terms of
the contract, which is unfair
to any consumer, to be null
and void.   by allowing electronic filings
E- Commerce
The Act defines e-commerce
as buying or selling of goods
or services including digital
products over digital or elec-
tronic networks.  The earlier
Act did not specifically in-
clude e-commerce transac-
tions in its ambit. The Cen-
tral Government has been
authorized to take measures
and make rules to prevent
unfair trade practices in e-
commerce.
Power to Review:
faulted in filing statements
and GSTR (GST Return)
prior to appointment of RP/
IRP has to get new GST Reg-
istration within 30 days of
Appointment of RP/IRP or
by 30.06.2020, whichever
is later.
These frequently modify-
ing rules caused confusion
amongst IRP/RPs as they
cannot obtain more than one
GST registration at a time.
The much awaited judge-
ment on CENVAT claim: In
the past two months, a tussle
broke out amongst the tax
payers and GST Authorities
over CENVAT claims. CEN-
VAT is the Central Value
Added Tax which was levied
by the Central Government
prior to the introduction of
GST. TRAN-1 is a Form un-
der GST which allows the
registered person having
ITC on closing stock and
who migrated to GST from
VAT, Service Tax, or Central
Excise to claim it. Accord-
ing to Rule 117 of the CGST
Rules, the time limit speci-
fied to file form TRAN-1 is
30 days. According to Rule
117 read with Section 140
of the GST Act, a registered
person who migrated from
prior regime to GST Regime
and who was entitled to tax
credit in such regime may
claim it as ITC through fill-
ing Form TRAN-1 within
90 days of such transition.
Many registered persons did
not file the form on time and
the litigation on this point
came after more than 2 years
of implementation of the Act.
The High Court of Delhi
in the case of Brand Equity
Treaties Limited v. Union of In-
dia (W.P.(C) 11040/2018) laid
of review to the District &
State Commission of its own
order. Under the old Act  only
the National Commission
was empowered to review
its order for factual errors.
Mandatory deposit
of Amount before
Appeal
The Act has introduced a
mandatory provision for
the Appellant Party to de-
posit 50% of the amount or-
dered by the District, State
or National forum before fil-
ing an appeal. Under the old
Act the ceiling was of maxi-
mum of Rs. 25,000/- [for
appeal to State Forum],  Rs.
35,000/. [For NCDRC] and
Rs. 50,000/-. [Before the Su-
preme Court] which stands
removed.
Conclusion
The Act keeps in mind the
protection to buyers not
only from traditional sell-
ers but also from the new
e-commerce platforms. The
Act emphasises on speedier
adjudication of complaints
and notices by an aggrieved
consumer. There was no
provision for e-filing under
the 1986 Act.  The New Act
also contains enabling pro-
visions for consumers for
hearing and/or examining
parties through video-con-
ferencing, which is aimed
to provide procedural ease
and reduce inconvenience
and harassment for the
consumers. However, the
procedure of the same is not
yet notified by the Central
Government.  Under the Act
concept of deemed admis-
sibility of complaints is also
down that registered persons
be allowed the claim as time
period given under Rule 117
is directory and not manda-
tory and the Court applied
the rule of 3 years’ limitation
period as given under the
Limitation Act. The Court
repeated itself in the case of
Mangla Hoist Pvt. Ltd. v. Union
of India (W.P.(C) 3572/2020
and CM APPL. 12707/2020)
which was pronounced on
17th June, 2020. Similar
ruling was also given by the
Punjab and Haryana High
Court. An appeal was filed in
the case of Brand Equity Trea-
ties Limited v. Union of India
before the Hon’ble Supreme
Court and the judgement on
this is eagerly awaited by the
registered dealers.
These were few notable
developments in GST apart
from various others.
Analysing the
Effect of Every Day
Changes
The efforts made by the de-
partment, authorities and
judicial bodies for smooth
implementation of GST are
commendable, however
regular and repeated upda-
tions are a matter of concern.
This clearly shows that there
is a serious lapse in the GST
regime and the Indian juris-
diction was not ready to in-
corporate the same. Keeping
up with the unstable nature
of GST becomes cumber-
some for registered dealers
and for GST practitioners.
The everyday flowing GST
clarifications causes confu-
sion and chaos. Thereby,
the goals of comprehensive
taxation system and ease of
doing business with which
introduced, if the question of
admissibility is not decided
within the specified period
of 21 days.
 The insertion of ‘Product
Liability’ as a new ground
for filing a complaint has
been one of the significant
additions to the Act. The
Act  allows consumers to file
complaints in the district
commission where they re-
side or work for gain, which
comes as a relief as earlier
they were required to file a
complaint in the area where
the seller or service provider
was located. 
The Act has widened the
definition of ‘Unfair Trade
Practices’ as compared to
the 1986 Act which now in-
cludes within its ambit online
misleading advertisements;
the practice of not issuing
bills/memo for the goods
and services; failing to take
back defective goods or de-
activate defective services
etc. The Act will also enable
the consumers to drag the
manufacturers, sellers or
distributors who are found
in dealing with adulterated
and spurious products and
claim compensation. How-
ever, the Act fails to prescribe
any time limit to decide the
complaint and appeal, the de-
lay in deciding the consumer
complaint is one of the major
concerns by the Consumers,
which is ignored under the
Act.
The Consumer Protection
Act, 2019 will prove a signif-
icant tool in protecting con-
sumer rights in the country.
Vaibhav Choudhary, Founder &
Managing Partner, YHprum Le-
gal & Shruti Shrestha, Partner,
YHprum Legal .
the Act was brough in force
are defeated on a daily basis.
If we derive from the above
summarisation, it can be
easily viewed that there is
plenteous confrontation.
The various conflicts which
can be ascertained from the
recent legislative and judicial
developments over GST are
worrisome. The commodity
which is declared to be an es-
sential one by the Ministry
itself is not exempted from
GST levy under the judicial
pronouncement, creating
excessive uncertainty. CBITC
is itself in a dilemma when it
comes to GST application
over companies undergoing
CIRP, which is leading to a
state of dubiety. The distinc-
tion of developed land from
land is still an evolving dif-
ferentiation which is reck-
ing havoc on the already
dilapidated condition of the
real estate market. All these
instances show that the in-
troduction of GST is more or
less a haphazard initiation.
Viewing the matter from a
pragmatic approach, we can
deduce that even after so
many years of enforcement
of Income Tax Act, new rules
follow in every financial year.
Thereby it can be said that
taxation is that branch of law
which is the most capricious
one. It ought to be changed
with time, no matter how
small that time period is,
to ensure pertinence. The
changes made to the freshly
introduced regime are a
necessary evil to ensure that
equity is brought in the taxa-
tion system and the legisla-
tion does not lose its materi-
ality with the contemporary
disputes.

Analysis
Dealing with Dragon’s Trojan Horses
Huawei and other Trojan Horses are being deployed by China deliberately into India. It is a
multi-domain war being unleashed in the slickest and most skillful manner.
Lt Gen P.R. Shankar
T
hese days 5G and
Huawei are in news.
Most people ask:
Why is it such a big affair?
In most conversations about
‘5G’ it seems it is wiser to
say ‘Haan Ji’ and let it pass.
However, what is happen-
ing about Huawei and Chi-
nese electronic surveillance
and data theft is insidiously
significant. It is part of the
multi-domain war which is
being waged by China.
The Chinese government
uses unconventional levers
of influence which are dis-
guised and hidden. Hence,
they are often denied, ne-
glected or unappreciated by
us. Chinese three-warfare
strategy uses innocuous
communication devices as
surveillance platforms. It
tracks and suppresses po-
litical opponents while spin-
ning positive coverage and
information regarding weak
and corrupt governments
especially in BRI countries.
Of course, the China story is
also glorified. Chinese infra-
structure, communications
and surveillance systems
cause over dependence on
China, which becomes in-
dispensable and expensive to
replace. Chinese communi-
cation devices and software
are part of a surveillance
and intelligence collection
system for data manipula-
tion and opinion molding to
cause inalienable economic
and political dependence.
China has been constantly
undermining our sover-
eignty and surreptitiously
affecting our lifestyles. All
this affects the freedoms we
enjoy. It robs us of privacy
systematically. Most of the
time we do not even know
that we have been made
the prisoners of our condi-
New ideas
Innovations: Narrowing down to focus areas
It’s time to switch gears, in line with the vision of seeking transformational change, well beyond a modest incremental pace. Identification of specific focus areas is the key.
Air Marshal J.K. Singh (Retd.)
Innovative ideas have always
been in demand. These test-
ing times may have just
about provided an oppor-
tunity to examine new path-
ways. Pathways -- that may
lead to transformational
change in innovations and
entrepreneurships, as envi-
sioned by the current lead-
ership.
There have been greater ef-
forts to inculcate the culture
of innovations and entrepre-
neurships lately. Introducing
suitable policies, establish-
ing central coordinating
agency and mobilising re-
sources, are all part of such
efforts. The process was
initiated earlier when the
decade commencing 2010
was declared, the “Decade
of Innovation” by then Prime
tioned choice. If we choose
to remain ignorant, we are
choosing to be entrapped in
a web. Hence it is important
for laypersons like you and
I, to understand what 5G is
about and then take it for-
ward from there. This arti-
cle is about basics of 5G and
issues involved.
5G is the fifth generation of
mobile networks. It will be
largely wireless. 5G can sup-
port up to a million devices
per square kilometre, while
4G supports only about
1,000 devices per square
kilometre. It is the differ-
ence between driving on the
Delhi-Mathura Highway
and a Chawri bazaar lane. It
is based on Millimetric Wave
and Fiber optic carriageways
of enormous bandwidth. It is
all set to disrupt normal and
military communication. 5G
caters for large data transfers
which take place when mul-
tiple and complex systems
operate. Large data must
flow up and down commu-
nications channels in real
time as and when Internet
of Things (IOT) comes into
play. Billions of connected
devices are required to op-
erate together in the IOT
scheme of things. 5G net-
works will initially operate
in conjunction with existing
4G networks. As and when
5G rolls out fully, standalone
networks will come into play.
5G is characterized by
higher capacity, speed, and
latency. Initially 5G might
start with frequency bands
below 6 GHz (in many cases
in the 3.3-3.8 GHz bands).
These are similar frequen-
cies to existing 4G mobile
and Wi-Fi networks. In due
course 5G networks will
migrate to the millimetric
wave spectrum in the 26-
28 GHz bands and beyond.
Millimetric waves have short
wavelengths that range from
1to 10 millimeters. A thumb
rule -- greater the frequency,
greater the bandwidth and
greater the capacity. Hence
the EHF range in which
5G will operate has enor-
mous bandwidths. The
Minister Manmohan Singh.
This was carried forward
by including the innovation
in Science and Technol-
ogy policy in 2013, with an
aim to broadly link science,
technology and innovation
to socio-economic priori-
ties. Subsequently, the Atal
Innovation Mission (AIM)
was set up in 2016, under
the aegis of NITI Aayog by
the present government. Be-
sides promoting the innova-
tions and entrepreneurship,
the AIM was envisaged as
the umbrella organisation
to ensure the alignment of
policies between Centre,
state and sectoral innovation
schemes.
A very sincere approach,
with several initiatives at all
the conceivable levels, has
resulted in innovative cul-
ture gaining traction. The
annual assessment of the
Global Innovation Index, be-
ing jointly evaluated by the
Cornell University, French
Business School INSEAD
and World Intellectual Prop-
erty Organization (WIPO),
ranked India 52nd in 2019,
out of a total of 129 coun-
tries. The ranking is based
additional spectrum and
greater capacity will enable
more users, more data, and
faster connections. Another
important advantage of 5G
is the increased latency. La-
tency is the response time
for a device to react to an-
other. The response time in
3G networks was around
100 milliseconds. In 4G it
is about 30 milliseconds. In
5G it will dip to 1 millisecond.
It will be near instantaneous
communication which will
be especially important in
connected applications, es-
pecially in defense. The es-
sential difference between
4G and 5G has been tabu-
lated above.
A 5G network will have
two layers. The ‘Radio Ac-
cess Network’ and the ‘Core
Network’. The Radio Access
Network consists of Small
Cells in, towers, masts,
light poles in streets and
dedicated in-building and
home systems. It provides
various facilities to connect
mobile users and their wire-
less devices to the main core
network. The small cells will
be numerous and ubiquitous
and will replace all cables.
Small cells will be a major
feature of 5G networks. It is
fundamental to understand
that the millimetric wave
with its high frequency will
have noticeably short con-
nection ranges. To provide
a continuous connection,
small cells will be distribut-
ed in clusters depending on
on 80 indicators covering
such factors as education
spending, scientific & techni-
cal publications, intellectual
property claims and mobile
application creation. India
has been steadily improving
its position since 2015 when
it was ranked 81st. The cur-
rent ranking marks an im-
provement of five positions
over the previous year.
The competition is inevi-
tably going to get stiffer, as
India jostles to get into the
league of most innovative na-
tions. Revisiting the strategy
to negotiate the steep climb
ahead will help in consoli-
dating the advantages ac-
crued so far. Besides draw-
ing appropriate lessons from
success stories elsewhere,
country specific strengths
will have to be exploited to
the hilt.
One of the effective ways
to accelerate the ongoing ef-
forts would be through aug-
mented focus in carefully
shortlisted areas. Concerted
effort in select areas will
place India in a lead position
globally in specific technolo-
gies or products and create
employment opportunities
where users require connec-
tion which will complement
the macro network that pro-
vides wide-area coverage.
The ‘Core’ or ‘Macro Cell’
or ‘Backbone’ Network is
the mobile exchange and
data network that manages
all the mobile voice, data,
and internet connections.
For 5G, the ‘Core Network’
would be initially based on
existing 4G Towers or high
Capacity Fiber Optic path-
ways. As millimetric wave
frequencies become the
norm, the 4G towers will be
replaced by MIMO (multi-
ple input, multiple output)
antennas. 5G Macro Cells
will use MIMO antennas
that have multiple elements
or connections to send and
receive more data simulta-
neously. These will be inte-
grated with the internet and
by encouraging manpower
intensive manufacturing
industry. Selection of a nar-
row bandwidth of focus ar-
eas, culled out of the broad
themes already spelt out by
NITI Aayog, will pave the
way for achieving specific
targets in a finite time. Impe-
tus to innovative startups, to
establish technological lead
in specific sectors and pro-
moting manufacture, would
also be in sync with the stra-
tegic national objective of
self-reliance.
There are lessons from
countries, which have suc-
cessfully combined their
strengths with innovative
approach to get enviable
outcome. Israel is one of the
fine examples of a country,
which very cleverly identi-
fied a handful of sectors a
few decades back, with a
clear objective of establish-
ing a globally commanding
position. The objective was
achieved emphatically and
consequently Israel’s domi-
nation in Unmanned Aerial
Vehicles, communication
and Electronic Warfare
Equipment cannot be chal-
lenged easily, in near future.
the daily guardian
2 1 july 2 02 0
new delhi
cloud-based services. Even-
tually they will be linked to
satellite systems for seamless
global coverage.
5G enables massive ma-
chine to machine commu-
nications. That is the fun-
damental precept of IOT,
where devices get connected
without human interven-
tion. Hence any 5G network
will have sophisticated high-
end switches and servers.
That is where all the front-
end semiconductor tech-
nology kicks in. This is also
where data can be siphoned
off from. The exceptionally
stable and low latency 5G
communications will be of
value in time and mission
critical requirements. These
include control devices,
robotics, vehicle to vehicle
communications, safety
systems, and safer trans-
Israeli’s were also quick to
realize the future of 3D tech-
nology and today at least
two of their 3D industries
feature amongst the top ten
in the world. Similarly, Swit-
zerland is another leading
country in innovations, con-
sistently scoring high on in-
novation scale. Switzerland
has less than one quarter of
the Indian R&D budget but
files nearly fifty times more
patents than India annually.
The challenges in this area
for India are obvious with
an unfavorable population
figure, since the assessment
is based on the patents per
million. Competition has
already been recognised
by NITI Aayog, as a pro-
active tool to encourage
widespread participation
in the innovations drive.
The scope of competition
may also include number of
defence 7
port networks. They will
also come in handy in future
where remote medical care,
procedures and treatment
are all possible. Especially
important in remote areas.
The normal user gets en-
hanced mobile broadband.
That means significantly
faster data speeds and
greater capacity. It provides
about 100mbps for a mobile
user and about 1 Gbps when
he is static. New applications
will include fixed wireless
internet access for homes,
outdoor broadcast applica-
tions without the need for
broadcast vans, and greater
connectivity for people on
the move. 5G usage will ex-
plode with time.
5G will be a huge enabler
for smart concepts -- cities,
schools, homes, and safer
vehicles. It will enhance
patents claimed by an insti-
tution. All the laboratories
and technical institutions
will have to be exhorted for
focus on claiming patents
as never before. A generous
incentivisation scheme may
also help motivate all the
stakeholders. The endeav-
ors of agencies excelling be
suitably acknowledged. The
shortlisting of technologies
for critical attention may
commence with the AI,
where India has made sub-
stantial progress and is in the
reckoning to be amongst the
leading nations. This may
have to be supplemented
with few more core tech-
nologies for all out national
focus.
As for manufacturing
centric innovative startups,
these may include man-
power intensive industries
like food processing, textile
and apparels. As per rough
estimates, only about 1/8th
of the employed population
in India is working in manu-
facturing sector. India being
the second largest producer
of food grains, fruits and
vegetables; food processing
should be one of the natu-
governance, health care and
education tremendously. 5G
and IOT will enable data
handling and analysis by
businesses and industry to
streamline operations. It
will revolutionise industrial
processes and applications
including agriculture, man-
ufacturing, and business
communications. Data driv-
en key business decisions
will lead to innovation, pave
way for cost savings, better
customer experience and
long-term growth. 5G com-
munication capacities will
boost use of AR/VR and get
AI into our homes faster. It
will revolutionise our bank-
ing and financial systems.
However such huge capa-
bility of data handling and
analysis has its tremendous
drawbacks. A 5G without
due cyber security and con-
trol is sheer suicide. There
are health related issues with
using millimetre waves and
being surrounded and con-
stantly bombarded by Extra
High Frequencies. That is a
huge unknown which needs
clarification.
Communications are the
lifeblood of armed forces
in the battlefield. From a
military perspective, 5G
will promote Digitalization
of Defence. The multiplica-
tive effect of 5G communi-
cations on robotics, cyber
war, militarization of space,
unmanned systems, surveil-
lance, info, control, and data
networks for net centric
warfare is immense. In my
opinion, 5G has the poten-
tial to promote lethality in
a multidimensional battle-
field where simultaneous
and nonlinear application
of optimum force to achieve
out of proportion outcomes
will increasingly be the or-
der of the day -- in peace and
war times. In my perspective
5G leads to something far
more important. It can kick
start Civil Military Fusion
in India. India was in the
Dhritarashtra mode from 1G
to 4G. Till recently the gov-
ernment was blind when it
entertained Huawei to even
ral choices for any startup.
However, currently, share of
food processing industry in
employment is limited to a
modest 12%. Dairy industry
should be of particular inter-
est, since it is under threat
from market invasion from
countries like New Zealand.
The encouraging upsurge
in export of dairy products
in FY19 with an increase
of 126% as compared to the
previous FY is only indica-
tive of the untapped poten-
tial. India is ranked 36th by
value of dairy product ex-
port and is way too far from
leading exporting countries
like Germany, New Zealand
and Netherland. Apparel
is another area with huge
market and an extremely fa-
vorable ratio of job to invest-
ment. Several countries in
our region like Bangladesh,
Vietnam and Myanmar are
exploiting the apparel in-
dustry very gainfully.
A dedicated institute for
honing the innovation, as
a separate skill set, may
help cultivate right kind of
human resources. In addi-
tion, the concept of Public
Private Partnership (PPP)
put a bid for 5G. I am sure
that Galwan has opened our
eyes. While keeping China
out must be a major part of
the India growth story here-
after, serious civil-military
fusion through 5G must be
the other part of the story.
Huawei and other Trojan
Horses are being deployed
by China very deliberately
into India. It is multi-domain
war being unleashed in the
slickest and most skillful
manner. The designs and
plans are ominous. Some
more banning of ‘Chinese’
is as good for Indian health
as deworming and detoxifi-
cation is for an infected per-
son. Between China and the
Virus, I will take my chances
with the latter. As a nation
we need to realize that there
is no hurry to usher in 5G.
When we have not been able
to exploit 4G fully why jump
into 5G which is still an un-
known? This is also the op-
portunity to weaponise and
leverage our market. Let
us develop 5G technology
indigenously or through a
strategic joint government-
to-government collabora-
tion on a mission mode as
part of the Aatmanirbhar
Bharat Abhiyan. 5G must be
a harbinger of an era of civil-
military fusion if India has to
a global power in future.
Finally, this article is all
about 5G and civil military
fusion on one side versus ig-
norantly saying ‘Haan Ji’ and
letting the ‘Chinese Trojan
Horse’ in on the other. India
must say ‘Na Ji’ in the true
‘Hindi Chini Bye Bye’ mode.
Show me a second opinion
on this and I will show you
the traitor.
Lt Gen P.R. Shankar was In-
dia’s DG Artillery. He is highly
decorated and qualified with
vast operational experience. He
contributed significantly to the
modernisation and indigeni-
sation of Artillery. He is now a
Professor in the Aerospace Dept
of IIT Madras and is involved
in applied research for defence
technology. His other articles
can be read on his blog www.
gunnersshot.com.
be utilised to integrate the
corporates in the national in-
novations campaign. Selec-
tion of areas for innovation
along with the seed funding
could be the share of govern-
ment and remaining fund-
ing, driving the R&D and
ownerships including IPR
of the product may remain
with the participant cor-
porate. This, in a way, may
also offset the long overdue
funding support of R&D by
corporates.
As a country, we have giv-
en a candid account of our
intentions so far by encour-
aging innovations and en-
trepreneurships. However,
it is time to switch gears, in
line with the vision of seek-
ing transformational change,
well beyond a modest incre-
mental pace. Identification
of specific focus areas is the
key, to convert the push into
shove, to maximise the out-
come of initiatives.
Air Marshal J.K. Singh (Retd.)
was the head of Engineering and
Logistics of the IAF, as the Air
Officer In charge Maintenance
at Air Headquarters. The data
used in the article is from open
sources. jksingh59@gmail.com.
 CHENNAI

4 THINK BusinessLine
TUESDAY • JULY 21 • 2020

0
xyz

tuesday, july 21, 2020

Leveraging reverse migration
Putting to use the skills and knowledge of migrant workers can boost livelihoods and quality of life in India’s villages
The rise of FPOs
DHIRENDRA KUMAR tion,  but  also  for  the  economy,  as
The goal of leveraging farm incomes through FPOs is the money in the hands of farmers

P
ost the Covid­19 outbreak in after two successful crops will give
laudable, but previous mistakes should be avoided India, rural areas and rural the much needed push to demand.
lives  —  especially  of  ‘mi­ This is also the time to think and

F ollowing  up  on  the  2019­20  Budget  an­ grant  workers’  —  have  at­ work strategically so that the resili­
tracted  unprecedented  attention. ence  shown  by  the  agriculture  sec­
nouncement  to  set  up  10,000  new  FPOs
Visuals  of  people,  including  chil­ tor, with contribution from migrant
(farmer­producer  organisations)  over  five dren,  walking  hungry  and  bare­ workers, is not only made more sus­
years — there are over 7,000 of them already in ex­ footed  with  blank  expressions tainable but is also leveraged to im­
istence  —  the  Centre  has  come  up  with  sensible shook the conscience of the nation. prove  the  lives  and  livelihoods  of
guidelines to hand­hold these entities. The push The  lockdown  brought  various the rural people. The basic aim is op­
activities  to  a  standstill  and  these timum utilisation of the skills of mi­
for  FPOs,  as  the  latest  policy  paper  observes,  is workers were suddenly jobless with grant  workers,  especially  their
meant to enhance the bargaining ability of small neither money nor hope. Faced with knowledge  of  the  Internet  and  so­
and  marginal  farmers  (who  account  for  86  per no other choice, they started going cial media, to work on challenges in
cent of all farmers) in both input and output mar­ back  home,  however  they  could, agriculture and rural areas.
and thus began the phenomenon so The  idea  is  to  reposition  the
kets,  while  the  Centre  and  States  move  towards unceremoniously  called  reverse much­talked­about  migrant  work­
contract farming and creation of alternative mar­ migration. ers  as  the  change  agents.  For  this,
kets  to  APMCs.  The  political  economy  implica­ Almost  at  the  same  time,  when three aspects come into play:
tions of a shift to FPO­driven farming, at least in re­ the  media  was  abuzz  with  horror Change agents Migrant workers, armed with the knowledge of Internet and social media, can revamp rural livelihoods
stories of migrant workers, rural In­ Migrant workers’ experience
gions  where  small  farmers  are  a  significant
dia  was  experiencing  something One  of  the  major  challenges  of  In­ Central/State  agriculture  universit­ porations at the State level will have incomes of rural households. 
presence (it is not so, for instance, in Punjab), are unbelievable.  The  wheat  harvest dian  agriculture  is  ineffective  out­ ies/krishi  vigyan  kendras  may  take to work in a coordinated manner to Work  on  all  the activities  de­
immense in a sector where intermediaries control had  begun.  A  large  number  of  mi­ reach  of  extension  efforts.  Techno­ the lead in this direction. connect  the  dots  and  realise  the scribed above need masons, plumb­
prices and credit. It can lead to better realisation grant workers returned to their vil­ logy  can  play  a  role  here.  If huge potential for agro processing, ers,  electricians,  painters,  workers
of  output  prices  and  control  over  input  costs, lages  during  the  harvest time  (one messages/technical  details  on  im­ Promotion of agro processing for the benefit of both farmers and with experience in fabrication work
of  the  reasons  for  workers  fleeing proved agriculture practices and in­ Agro­processing,  even  at  a  small migrant workers. and  so  on.  Many  migrant  workers
provided the institution shapes up as envisaged. the cities in droves during the lock­ formation  related  to  the  weather level, can contribute in a large way will fit the bill. This would not only
The FPOs are being visualised as an improvement down). Few, who had come to celeb­ and markets could be passed on to in  enhancing  farm  income.  Small Improving quality of life give them work but also serve as an
over  cooperatives,  which  are rate Holi at their villages but could the  villages  in  local  languages  via processing plants can be installed at The  quality  of  life  in  rural  areas incentive  for  a  good  number  of
riddled  by  misuse  of  funds not  return  due  to  the  lockdown, the  migrant  workers,  using  social the  village  level  (for  a  cluster  of needs  improvement,  and  many  a them to stay back in villages as their
Scan & Share
joined  hands  with  the  others  and media,  the  results  may  turn  out  to around  10­12  villages).  Migrant times, it is one of the reasons for mi­ living  conditions  could  improve.
and concentration of power in soon the harvesting of wheat was in be just unbelievable. It may lead to workers, many of whom have tech­ gration  to  cities  in  the  first  place. Rural  development  departments
the  hands  of  a  few  members. full  swing.  Wheat  procurement  by enhanced or diversified production, nical  skills,  can  be  groomed  as  en­ Implementation  of  the  Swachh and Gram  panchayats  can explore
In  fact,  the  FPO  push  began the Food Corporation of India (FCI) fewer  losses  due  to  the  vagaries  of trepreneurs/operators.  Bharat  Mission  is  still work  in  pro­ this opportunity.
with an amendment to the law as  on  June  23 reached  38.5  million weather,  and  better  price  realisa­ The  Ministry  of  Food  Processing gress.  Piped  water  supply  is  avail­ Migration  by  choice  is  under­
tonnes,  surpassing  last  year’s  pro­ tion.  Industries  recently  launched  the able to only 40 per cent of the rural standable, but may have serious re­
nearly  two  decades  back  that
curement  of  34.13  million  tonnes. The waning interest of the youth Scheme  for  Formalisation  of  Micro population.  The  government, percussions  if  it  is  forced,  as  is  the
allowed  for  cooperatives  to Soon after harvesting, due in agriculture has been a Food  Processing  Enterprises  under through its ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’, and case with  a  large  number  of  mi­
turn  into  producer  companies.  Not  surprisingly, to the early onset of mon­ major challenge in recent the  Atmanirbhar  Bharat  package. the  various  State  governments are grant  workers.  The  avenues  de­
Maharashtra, as a leader in cooperatives, is an FPO soon, the sowing of kharif Scan & Share times.  Leveraging  the Operationalisation  of  this  scheme working  in  this  direction.  Installa­ scribed above are aimed at turning
leader as well. crops commenced.  skills  and  knowledge  of will  not  be  possible  without  tech­ tion of small waste disposal plants the crisis of reverse migration into
By the Ministry of Agri­ the  migrant  workers,  be­ nical manpower, and migrant work­ at the village level is a huge poten­ an opportunity for not only enhan­
The  guidelines  are  notable  for  their  emphasis culture  and  Farmer  Wel­ sides  improving  the  pro­ ers with a little bit of skill upgrada­ tial opportunity. The sale of manure cing the income of rural areas, but
on  creating  ‘cluster­based  business  organisa­ fare  estimates,  a  39  per ductivity  of  agriculture, tion  and  orientation  can  come  in produced  by  these  plants  can  be  a also to improve the quality of life in
tions’, or a pool of managerial expertise for FPOs. cent  increase  in  the  area may  also  address  the  is­ handy.  source  of  livelihood,  besides  mak­ villages  and,  thus,  arrest  the  trend
The Centre has earmarked a credit requirement of sown has already been re­ sue of migration to some This would be a source of sustain­ ing the villages filth­free.  of migration. This is the need of the
corded vis-à-vis the corres­ extent.  If  this  eventually able livelihood for them, and at the Similarly, the greater use of solar hour, literally, as work on these op­
₹18 lakh and an equity grant of ₹15 lakh for each ponding  period  in  last  year.  Thus, leads  to  even  10­20  per  cent  of  mi­ same  time,  the  availability  of  agro power domestically or in irrigation portunities needs to be initiated im­
genuine FPO (with a membership of at least 300 agriculture has emerged as a bright grant  workers  staying  back  with  a processing  right  in  the  neighbour­ offers huge livelihood potential for mediately,  that  is,  before  the  mi­
farmers, with at least half comprising small and spot  even  during  the  pandemic, new means of livelihood, that is, ag­ hood  would  help  realise  better many who could be engaged in in­ grants start returning to cities. 
marginal farmers). By allowing for a manager and when  all  other  sectors  are  gasping riculture and marketing of agricul­ prices for farmers as well, post pro­ stallation and maintenance of solar
for  breath.  This  is  good  news  not ture produce, it would have a large cessing.  Banks,  MSMEs,  agriculture plants/panels,  while  the  activity  it­ The writer is a General Manger in
an accountant with a reasonable salary, FPOs can
only for the food security of the na­ socio­economic  impact.  Various departments and agro industry cor­ self  would  contribute  to  enhanced NABARD. Views are personal
draw up proposals that banks and formal entities
require — a facility that will boost their negotiat­

Why has India been silent on US visa ban?

ing power, save them from red­tapism and allow
them access to bank credit. Now, FPOs are entirely
dependent  on  NBFCs,  with  their  higher  cost  of
capital. Banks should offer short­term loans with
roll­over provisions, particularly in a time of eco­
nomic downturn. Going forward, it is also import­ The suspension of the US’ work visas will hit workers and the IT sector hard. The government and companies’ inaction is baffling
ant to create a trained pool of local talent to man­ generalised  system  of  preference ates  who  are  affected,  as  compan­ American  multinationals from
M VEERAPPA MOILY
age these FPOs on professional lines. trade  privilege,  which  had  been ies have already reduced their de­ the  Silicon  Valley  thrived  in  the

U
The growth of FPOs so far has been uneven in S  President  Donald
terms of size and regional concentration. Fifty per Trump’s  order  suspend­
ing  H­1B,  H­2B,  L­1A,  L­1B
cent of the FPOs are located in just four States, in­
and  J­1  visas  has  largely
cluding Maharashtra, a study by Azim Premji Uni­ affected  Indian  immigrants.  Indi­
versity points out. Besides, only 14 per cent of the ans  get  70  per  cent  of  the  85,000
FPOs have a paid­up capital of ₹10 lakh or more, H­1B visas every year, a majority of
while 49 per cent of them have a paid­up capital of them  in  the  IT  sector.  No  sooner
was this decision announced than
₹1 lakh or less, the study says. There is huge scope Google CEO Sundar Pichai tweeted:
for reaching capital and skills to the bottom of the “Immigration has contributed im­
FPO  pyramid.  Funds  should  not  be  usurped  by mensely  to  America’s  economic
those in positions of advantage. success,  making  it  a  global  leader
in  tech,  and  also  Google  the  com­
pany  it  is  today.  Disappointed  by
today’s  proclamation­  we’ll  con­
tinue  to  stand  with  immigrants
and  work  to  expand  opportunity
OTHER VOICES for all”. It is said that the basic mod­
els of IT companies would undergo
a change and cost mapping would
be hit. Trump’s order will not only
hit the IT sector in the US but also in
India. India’s business in the IT/ITES
USpressure on EU will only estrange it from the bloc industries, which is to the tune of
As the world, hopefully, moves toward a post­pandemic era, the $190  billion,  will  be  largely  af­
importance of trade and cooperation will be magnified, as will the fected. Of the 3,88,403 H­1B visas is­
need for coordination to prepare for future global risks and the sued during 2019, 71 per cent were
accelerating effects of climate change. In contrast to Washington's given to Indian workers.
"America first" message that every country should serve it, and its The US in June 2019 withdrew the
offerings of crumbs to those that do its bidding, Beijing has
repeatedly urged countries to forge a community of unity and
trust, a community with a shared and better future based on
working together for mutual benefits.  BEIJING, JULY 20
granted to India in 1976. It has also
imposed  restrictions  on  charter
flights  from  India,  accusing  India
of  discriminatory  practices.  The
discriminatory  orders  issued  by
the  Trump  administration  came
despite  the  growing  Modi­Trump
friendship,  seen  during  ‘Howdy
Modi’ in Houston last year and the
‘Namaste  Trump’  rally  in
Ahmedabad in February.
Also, it is inhuman of Trump to
include H­4 (spouses of H­1B work­
ers),  H­2B  (low­skilled  workers),  J
(cultural  and  education  workers)
and  L­1  (intra­company  transfers)
in the ban.  cent. The national consciousnesses
Diplomatic failure
Indian  diplomacy  in  recent  times
has been falling off a precipice, par­
ticularly  with  its  major  allies  and
trade  partners  like  the  US,  Russia
and  Israel,  apart  from  known ad­
versaries  like  Pakistan  and  China.
We  are  also  failing  in  our  dip­
lomacy  with  neighbours  Nepal,
Bangladesh  and  Sri  Lanka.  India’s
diplomatic  relationship  is  now  at
the lowest ebb.  It is ultimately our own IT gradu­
Dashed hopes Future looks bleak
In the last five years, the number
of H­1B visas issued to top Indian IT
services providers has gone down
drastically, and it is estimated that
it has declined to more than 60 per
of our rulers in Delhi has not been
shaken  despite  the  massive  blow
delivered to the youth of this coun­
try. There is an urgent need for In­
dia, which has grossly underestim­
ated  both  friends  and  foes,  to
overhaul its diplomatic policy.
It is also quite surprising that big
players  like  Wipro,  HCL,  Infosys
and  Tech  Mahindra  have  not
spoken out against the move, both
here and in the US.
pendence on  H­1B  visas  over  the
years  and  taken  recourse  to  em­
ploy more employees from the US.
They seem to be more interested in
furthering  their  business  oppor­
tunities in the US than in providing
employment  to  the  Indian  youth.
The lukewarm attitude of the Gov­
ernment of India and the ministers
concerned  is  also  shocking  and
discouraging.
Time to act
Karnataka was a pioneer of the IT/
ITeS  industries  during  the  1970s.
The  State  government  had  estab­
lished the Electronic City in Anekal
Taluka, which attracted the biggest
IT  companies  from  the  US  Silicon
Valley  to  India  and  also  nurtured
indigenous  IT  companies  like
Wipro,  Infosys,  and  HCL.  Interna­
tional  Technology  Park  Limited
(ITPL),  which  was  established  in
collaboration  with  Singapore,  fur­
ther  strengthened  the  IT/ITeS  in­
dustry.  Bengaluru came  to  be
known  as  the  Silicon  Valley  of  In­
dia, and also created a cradle for in­
digenous Indian IT industries.
1980s, the 1990s and later years. Big
Indian  IT  firms  also  prospered  at
Electronic  City.  It  is  unfortunate
that they do not look back at their
past with gratitude!
With the suspension of the H­1B
visa, Bengaluru has been badly af­
fected, as many IT graduates from
Karnataka  flocked  to  the  Silicon
Valley  and  also  created  a  gateway
for  establishing  their  firm’s  bases
at Bengaluru and other major cit­
ies  in  India.  Even  though  the  IT
companies in India were well pre­
pared  for  Trump’s  suspension  of
H­1B  visas,  they  will  face  trouble
given  the  present  Covid­19  pan­
demic and the travel restrictions.
Indian IT companies should step
up  and  fight  for  the  cause  of  IT
graduates  in  India.  Even  the
present  Chief  Minister  of
Karnataka has failed to rescue the
IT  graduates  who  are  deprived  of
employment  opportunities  in  the
US  by  taking  up  the  matter  with
the Prime Minister.
The writer is the former Union Minister
of Law and Justice

LET TERS TO THE EDITOR Send your letters by email to bleditor@thehindu.co.in or by post to ‘Letters to the Editor’, The Hindu Business Line, Kasturi Buildings, 859-860, Anna Salai, Chennai 600002.

New normal
The Covid count has touched an
Concerted response needed for China, Russia threats alarming  rate  of  40,000  cases
For a country like Britain to be embroiled in one serious per  day. Oxygen­starved  casual­
diplomatic stand­off is manageable. To be involved in three at once ties are rising even as authorities
is problematic because they consume so much of a government’s are  busy  preparing  an  Indian
time and energy. But to have a health emergency and an economic vaccine,  ignoring  the  funda­
crisis happening at the same time is potentially debilitating. This mental needs of the moment.  Further,  with  President  Donald
is the parlous position in which the UK finds itself, as a sharp With  no  Central  assistance/
deterioration in relations with China and Russia coincides with guidance  and  a  lack  of  political
difficult discussions about to resumewith the EU over the final will for a serious and systematic
stages of Brexit.  LONDON, JULY 20 reopening of the economy, it is fi­
nally  left  to  Municipal  Comm­
missioners to clamp lockdowns.
As  links  to  the  demand­supply
chains  keep  breaking,  there  is
Coronavirus spreads as global connections weaken not an ounce of certainty.  wards the US is not serving India
Yet,  the  Sensex  seems  to  be
Tracking Covid­19 and containing the for more than six months is rising  along  with  the  Covid
like catching your tail. In fact, the virus is good at throwing people count.  Is  this  the  post­Covid
off guard just when they think they have controlled it. A sobering world?
thought, one that exposes human frailties. Often, people wonder if R Narayanan
they have become their own enemies. Technology didn't see this Mumbai
coming, digital presence has proven useless. The inability to grasp
the seriousness of the situation and act responsibly is leading to a Time to wake up
rise in infections and death rates, particularly in the United States, This  refers  to  ‘Widening  gulf’
Brazil, and India.  DUBAI, JULY 20 (July 20). If the government was
confused about the implications
of  the  US  sanctions  on  Iran,  it
could  have  clarified  with the  US
rather than dragging its feet. Its
approach  of  running  with  the
hare  and  hunting  with  the
hound  is  not  paying  dividends.
Trumpyet to be re­elected, quick
action  was  needed  so  as  not  to
rock  the  boat  with  Iran.  The
Chinese  are  doing  serious  busi­
ness while India still seems to be
lost.  China  cannot  be  reined  in
just  by  blocking  a  handful  of
apps.  Too  much  pliability  to­
well, and  the  relations  with  old
allies  must  be  kept  on  an  even
keel.
Deepak Singhal
Chennai
India-Iran ties
This is with reference to the edit­
orial  ‘Widening  gulf’  (July  20).
Right from 1950, India has had a
varying  relationship  with  Iran,
which  has  mostly  been  positive
on  the  trade  and  geopolitical
front.  India  imports  a  major
share  of  its  crude  oil  from  Iran.
But  Donald  Trump’s  moves  to
curb Iran’s nuclear development
spoiled  the  soup  and  the  con­
sequent  trade  sanctions  forced
India to drop oil trade with Iran.
An  irked  Iran  now  may  join
hands with China for infrastruc­
ture  development  instead  of  In­
dia.This  does  not  augur  well  for
usChina,  irritated  by  India’s
move  to  ban  Chinese  invest­
ments  and  apps,  will  use  Iran’s
dissatisfaction  to  its  advantage.
Amid  the  pandemic,  animosity
with  a  friendly,  oil­resourced
neighbour will hurt.
NR Nagarajan
Sivakasi
Stay alert
Apropos  ‘Don’t  downplay  the
risk  of  Covid’  (July  20).  No State
or  local  administration  should
take  this  pandemic  lightly,  des­
pite  the  good recovery  rate re­
ported.  There  have  been  cases
where  patients  have,  even  after
recovery,  been  re­infected.  Also,
with  many  asymptomatic  cases,
we  need  to  be  more  careful  and
follow all the prescribed norms.
Without  a  doubt,  communica­
tion and messaging become cru­
cial  and  it  is  only  advisable  that
all  the  stakeholders  are  on  the
same  page.  Every  now  and  then
we  keep  hearing  about  some
country that has come out with a
vaccine,  but  there  is  no  solid
cure. Until there is a proper vac­
cine  in  the  market,  we  need  to
take  this  virus  with  utmost  seri­
ousness.  Not only this,  people will also
Bal Govind
Noida
Ram temple construction
The  decision  of  the  Shree  Ram
Janmabhoomi  Teerth  Kshetra
Trust to go ahead with construc­
tion of the Ram temple in Ayod­
hya  amid  the  pandemic  is  inap­
propriate.  Since  the  Supreme
Court  has  already  given  its  final
decision on the issue, there is no
need to be hasty. Postponing the
project for another one year or so
in  view  of  the  national  health
emergency is called for. Soil test­
ing  and  other  preliminary
works,  including  seeking  dona­
tions, can wait. 
Hopefully after a year or so we
will  be  better  able  to  fight  the
virus with the right vaccines and
medications.  There  cannot  be  a
better  time  to  start  auspicious
work  than  when  people  are
equipped to fight the virus. 
be accustomed to the new living
conditions  where  fighting  the
virus  and  normal  life  go
hand­in­hand
Katuru Durga prasad Rao
Hyderabad

Published by N. Ravi at Kasturi Buildings, 859 & 860, Anna Salai, Chennai-600002 on behalf of THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD., and Printed by D. Rajkumar at Plot B-6 & B-7, CMDA Industrial Complex, Maraimalai Nagar, Chengleput Taluk, Kancheepuram Dist., Pin: 603209. Editor: Raghavan Srinivasan (Editor responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act). ISSN 0971 - 7528

CM . ..... .... ...

YK
CHENNAI

BusinessLine
TUESDAY • JULY 21 • 2020 THINK 5

GST data unleashed

GSTN’s statistical report has interesting info
M&A can boost India’s energy security
MOHAN R LAVI well have touched 50 crore.  In the next one year, India Inc has the opportunity to buy assets at reduced prices to diversify and find replacement reserves
Not  all  registered  taxpayers

C
ourtesy  Covid,  there have filed their monthly GSTR 3B
were no major celebra­ returns  —  on  an  average  75­80 ANIRBAN MUKHERJEE/REBECCA FITZ wards  doubling  down  on  the
tions  on  GST  complet­ per cent do this on time. The stat­ core  value­accretive  portfolio,

ing  three  years  in  In­
dia.  However,  the  GST  Network
issued  a  40­page  statistical  re­
port  on  an  assortment  of  areas
under the GST. Since this is only a
statistical report, and not a Noti­
fication,  it  makes  for  easy
reading.
The report states that the total
number of active taxpayers as on
June 2020 was 1.23 crore — an in­
crease of around 14 per cent from
April  2018.  It  was  in  April  2018
that  GST  revenues  crossed  the
magical  ₹1­lakh­crore  mark  —
and  the  figure  has  remained  al­
most the same prior to the pan­
demic  striking.  Somebody  in
GSTN  should  enquire  why  des­
pite a 14 per cent rise in the num­
ber  of  active  taxpayers,  GST  rev­
enues  remain  flat.  It  is
also  clear  that  the
concept  of  casual  tax­
able  person  has  not
found favour with the
taxpayers — total regis­
trations across the coun­
try were only 45.  taken  by  the  CBIC.  They  an­
Interestingly, there were also a
grand total of three non­resident
taxpayers.  Maharashtra,  Uttar
Pradesh,  Gujarat,  Tamil  Nadu
and Karnataka lead the list of act­
ive taxpayers. To add a bit of fizz
to  the  data,  GSTN  should  have
compared  this  with  the  list  of
active  taxpayers  in  the  pre­GST
regime.  It  could  be  argued  that
the  data  are not  comparable
since  the  threshold  limits  were
different in the two regimes. Yet,
we should remember that these
are  statistics  —  any  number  can
be interpreted in any manner.  is that it will not tire and give in
Data, data
The  Central  Board  of  Indirect
Taxes and Customs (CBIC) should
be pleased that the graph on the
total  number  of  returns  filed  is
climbing  with  some  troughs  in
between. If not for the setback of
the  last  few  months,  the  cumu­
lative  number  of  returns  could
istics  on  the  contribution  from
different  constitutions  of  busi­
ness  reveals  a  startling  fact  —
80.18  per  cent  of  taxpayers  are
proprietors and not listed or lim­
ited  companies.  Partnership
forms  contribute  around  10.78
per cent.  Pfizer­Wyeth,  Lufthansa­Aus­
This  could  be  because  large
companies  tend  to  be  exporters
who  don’t  have  to  charge  GST.
The  above  should  be  a  cause  of
concern to CBIC — the pandemic
has added to the woes of the gov­
ernment,  as  GST  revenues  are
linked to the compensation pay­
able to State governments.
If there is one area where GST
has delivered, it is e­way bills. On
February 29, 2020, a record 25.19
lakh e­way bills were generated.
More  than  70  crore  e­
way  bills  have  been
generated till now.  ceding.  The impediments
The  report  also  has
non­statistical  inform­
ation  in  the  form  of
outreach  initiatives
nounced the launch of GST In­
teractive  Technical  Assistant
(GITA) — a chatbot.  2017­19, deal flow became muted,
The  chatbot  uses  Artificial  In­
telligence and is loaded with pre­
drafted responses to the queries
asked  by  taxpayers  on  common
topics  such  as  payment,  e­way
bill, registration, refunds and re­
turns.  (oil and gas), if one leaves out the
Chatbots,  in  general,  suffer
from the drawback of not being
able  to  answer  many  questions.
Probably the only advantage that
GITA has over any GST consultant
to  eccentricities  as  many  con­
sultants do.  with an overall economic down­
GITA  will  answer  only  what  it
has  been  told  to  and,  therefore,
cannot answer questions such as
‘When  will  GSTAT  be  estab­
lished?’ or ‘Do you feel GST law is
successful in India?’
The writer is a chartered accountant
A
cross  the  world,  eco­
nomic  downturns  are
often  followed  by  big
deals  and  transformat­
ive  market  moves.  The  2008­09
downturn,  for  instance,  was  fol­
lowed by a spate of deals such as
trian,  and  Kraft­Cadbury,  albeit
with a lag of two to four quarters.
The  energy  sector,  too,  is  no  dif­
ferent.  (exploration  and  production)
The last time the world experi­
enced simultaneous oil demand
and  supply  shocks,  in  1997­1998,
the result was a set of mega­mer­
gers  that  created  the  ‘superma­
jors’ of today, with deals such as
Exxon­Mobil,  BP­Amoco,  and
Total­Fina­Elf. During that period
deals  exceeded  $150  billion  a
year, dwarfing the average of be­
low  $30  billion in  the  years  pre­
More  recently,  too,  there  is  a
clear  trend  towards  major  re­
structuring following periods of
oversupply  —  examples  include
the Exxon­XTO deal in 2009 and
Shell­BG in 2015.  dichotomy  playing  out  in  the
But as oil prices recovered over
with most deals restricted to the
American shale basin consolida­
tion,  targeted  at  scale  and  earn­
ings growth.  ums  for  the  assets  are  touching
The  year  2019  witnessed  a
sharp  drop  in  deal  flow  in  O&G
Oxy­Anadarko  outlier,  and  we
entered  2020  with  a  quarterly
deal count that was lowest in last
two decades.
Consolidation ahead
The  current  market  conditions,
turn  and  an  amplified  oversup­
ply,  have  therefore  all  the  bear­
ings  of  ushering  in  the  next
phase of consolidation.  Many of the potentially vulner­
There  are  tell­tale  signs  that
both  asset,  as  well  as  corporate,
deals that may follow. On the as­
set side, there is a strong push to­
and  most  IOCs  have  set  up  di­
vestiture  programmes  to  meet
debt­reduction targets. Such pro­
grammes  are  not  just  good  to
have, but in the current scenario
are lifelines to manage the deep
liquidity  crunch.  As  a  result,
there are O&G assets worth over
$300 billion that are currently in
the market seeking a buyer. 
On the corporate side, the E&P
sector  is  in  deep  distress,  with
the current market situation fur­
ther  aggravating  an  already  de­
pressed market. 
We are, therefore, seeing high
debt levels, lack of access to fin­
ancing  capital,  and  rapidly  de­
teriorating cash positions, push­
ing companies to seek buyers at
distressed prices.
There are, however a few strong
impediments  that  we  need  to Explore deals The current market has all the bearings of ushering in the next phase of consolidation ISTOCK.
factor  in,  before  we  can  see  a
surge in M&A activity.  The ideal targets for majors — ternationalising  NOCs  (national Second, actively stress test for
First,  there  is  today  a  unique ones  which  are  viable  at  low oil  companies)  seeking  growth, various  scenarios,  like  a  pro­
prices  but  with  depressed  valu­ particularly  in  R&M  (repair  and longed $30 world, before making
M&A  markets.  While  asset  valu­ ations  —  are  selective  and  few. maintenance),  but  also  in  need a large bet. 
ations  are  at  their  lowest  since Corporate acquisition, therefore, of  achieving  supply  security  for Being one of the few countries
2009,  with  EV/EBITDA  hovering is likely to be intermittent and fo­ our refineries.  with the intent and pockets to in­
at 5­6 against the historic average cussed  on  quality  of  assets,  and As a buyer, the next 12 months vest, we should think outside of
of  eight,  the  acquisition  premi­ not  necessarily  the  distressed offer a unique window for India the  box  to  identify  what  would
producers. Inc  to  acquire  assets  to  both  di­ work best for us in the long term
historic  highs.  There  is  a  strong In  effect,  we  anticipate  M&A versify,  find  replacement  re­ — this could mean not only look­
need  for  such  a  disparity  to deals  to  be  cautious  in  the  cur­ serves, but also for us as a coun­ ing  at  asset  or  corporate  deals,
settle, with a lowering of acquisi­ rent  environment,  but  a  few try  to  strengthen  our  resource but  also  carve­outs  to  invest  in
tion  premiums,  for  any  reason­ transformative deals are likely to security.  All  amidst  a  context  of specific  niche  capabilities,  mar­
able deal flow to proceed.  happen  in  the  next  12  months. reduced  competition  for  re­ kets, JVs (joint ventures) to bring
Second,  the  widespread  cor­ That brings into focus the implic­ sources, given the majors’ finan­ in strong long term partners, or
porate  distress,  while  opening ations for the Indian O&G sector. cial  woes,  and  an  abundance  of other such innovations. 
up  opportunities  for  buyouts, India uniquely qualifies as both a potential  opportunities  at  re­ While the actual flow of deals
also  brings  about  some  adverse major  O&G  consuming  market duced prices. may  take  two­to­three  quarters,
effects. It not only limits the uni­ in  the  long  term  with  over  100 it  is  important  to  prepare  and
verse of potential buyers but also million  barrels  of  refinery  capa­ Plan ahead have  a  clearly  thought  through
raises questions on the quality of city  addition  expected  in  the To achieve this, however, we need strategy  to  double  down  on
assets that are currently floating next 10 years, and also a major oil to  keep  a  few  important  guard­ choice  targets  once  the  time  is
in the market.  importer  for  the  foreseeable  fu­ rails in minds. right.
ture,  with  expected  4­6  million First,  there  is  a  need  to  get
able  targets  have  high  debt  and barrels of imports annually over aligned  with  a  $40/barrel  world Mukherjee, is Managing Director and
low  operating  costs  —  but  lack the next five years.  when assessing targets. This new Partner, and Fitz is Senior Director,
sufficient  scale  to  be  attractive We  are,  thus,  both  potential wisdom would be key to identify Center for Energy Impact, at
targets for serious buyers.  targets for global majors and in­ resilient, long­term bets.  Boston Consulting Group

SHORT TAKE

The rich are All you wanted to know about... BusinessLine

eyeing Covid website,  includes  information
collected  from  various  sources.
Aside from information on taxes
safe havens paid  by  you  (advance  tax  instal­
ments) or on your behalf (TDS or
BERBER JIN TCS),  the  form  has  all  details  of
the  transaction  —  the  type  and
for the purposes of stamp duty is
₹30  lakh  or  more;  and  expenses
in  foreign  currency  through
cards,  cheques  or  any  other  in­
strument, worth ₹10 lakh or more
in any FY .
respond to a demand notice. This
can also serve as a red flag for the
tax officials.
Why should I care?
The department has been collect­
ing  information  on  high­value
TWENTY YEARS AGO TODAY
July 21, 2000
Major I-T swoop on cricket suspects
The match­fixing controversy took a new turn with the
Income­Tax Department launching simultaneous
nationwide raids on the premises of leading cricketers,

T he next time the world’s rich
are  forced  into  lockdown,
they  would  like  to  have  an  es­
cape  ready  to  a  remote  and
sunny beach. Or perhaps to New
Zealand,  one  of  the  few  coun­
tries  that  has  eliminated
Covid­19. They are willing to pay
for the privilege, of course.
They can turn to programmes
that  guarantee  citizenship  or
residency in exchange for invest­
ment in the host country, using
specialty firms such as Henley &
Partners, the world’s biggest cit­
izenship and residency advisory
firm.  With  the  persistent  threat
of  viral  infections  and  sudden
lockdowns, the company is help­
ing those with deep pockets buy
access to a safe haven.
For  instance,  you  can  acquire
the right to live, work and study
in New Zealand if you part with
NZ$3  million  ($2  million)  or
NZ$10 million, depending on the
type of investor resident visa you
choose.  About  €1.2  million ($1.4
million),  including  a  property
purchase,  will  get  a  married
couple citizenship in Malta.
“They’re  now  realising:  ‘Let’s
actually  get  the  contingency
plan  in  place’”,  said  Dominic
Volek,  Henley’s  head  of  sales,
said of his potential customers.  01. Car control (6)  02. Unfettered (5)  01. Its being depressed by driver to
New inquiries jumped 49 per
cent in the first four months of
this  year,  compared  with  the
same  period  in  2019,  according
to  the  company.  There  was  a  22
per cent increase in those want­
ing  to  proceed  with  an  applica­
tion for new citizenship or resid­
ency  rights.  The  wealthy  aren’t
just  interested  in  Caribbean  is­
lands where they can self­isolate
on  sandy  beaches.  They’re  look­
ing  to  Australia  and  New  Zeal­
and,  countries  that  impressed
with their handling of Covid­19.
Additionally,  people  view  the
move  as  a  wealth­management
tool  as  much  as  a  way  to  travel
visa­free, according to Henley.  SOLUTION: BL Two-way Crossword 1660
To  be  sure,  even  the  world’s
wealthiest can’t escape immedi­
ate quarantines and travel bans.
Receiving  second  passports  or
residency  rights  takes  time  at
least  three  months  for  Carib­
bean  programmes  and  much
longer  for  the  ones  in  the
European Union.  BLOOMBERG
KEERTHI SANAGASETTI
amount of income, the tax deduc­
ted  and  paid  to  the  exchequer
and  information  about  the
Why is it important?
For  taxpayers,  Form  26AS  serves
as  a  reference  to  file  ITRs.  When
transactions  from  banks  and
other  financial  entities for  long.
These  include  details  on  bank
administrators and bookies suspected of involvement in
the scandal. The search­and­seizure operations, which
began in the morning, covered 84 premises including
SLATE source of income. That apart, the you file your return, your income transactions,  sale  or  purchase  of those of cricketers Kapil Dev, Mohammad Azharuddin, Ajay
form  also  has  other  information and  tax  payment  details  in  your immovable property, foreign cur­ Jadeja, Nikhil Chopra and Nayan Mongia. Those raided
T he  arms  of  the  taxman  are
long, but he is constantly try­
ing to extend his reach so that ill­
including  details  of  other  taxes
paid, refunds and TDS defaults.
In May, the CBDT notified a new
return should be in line with this
statement. 
The  new  form  also  includes
rency,  cash  payment  for  goods
and services, etc.
Now, all such information will
included Mr. R.C. Rungta, an official of the Board for
Control of Cricket in India (BCCI), and Mr. Jagmohan
Dalmiya, former ICC chairman. 
gotten wealth is not stowed away Form 26AS, which became effect­ other details such as name of the be  uploaded  in  the  new  Form RPL inks pact for $425 m syndicated LC
in hidden nooks and corners. It is ive  from  June  1,  2020.  The  new institution  (or  person)  filing  de­ 26AS within  three  months  from Reliance Petroleum Ltd (RPL) today signed an agreement
with  this  intent  that  the  Income form  asks  for  host  of  details  of tails pertaining to the above­men­ the end of the month it is in pos­ with a consortium of foreign banks for a syndicated letter
Tax Department has launched the specified high­value transactions tioned  transactions  with  the  IT session  of  the  Principal  Director of credit facility of $425 millions. Company officials
new  Form  26AS,  making  numer­ entered  into  by  the  taxpayer. department,  date  of  transaction, General  Income  Tax  (System),  or confirmed the move but declined to comment on the
ous tweaks to the existing one. Ac­ These  include  payments  worth number of parties involved in the any  person  authorised  by  him. interest rates at which the facility has been offered by the
cording to the Revenue, “the new ₹10  lakh  or  more  in  a  financial transaction,  mode  of  payment, With  such  timely  availability  of banks. “We can only say that the funds have been raised at
Form  26AS,  is  the  faceless  hand­ year  (FY),  for  one  or  more  credit etc.  This  information  will  be  of all  this  information,  the  new very fine rates,” an official said. According to the official,
holding of the taxpayers to e­file cards  of  a  single  account  holder. immense  use  to  the  taxman  to Form 26AS can help remind about the funds will be used by the company for its import
their  income  tax  returns  (ITR) Investments  in  bonds  or  deben­ cross­verify  suspicious all  major  financial  transactions (crude oil) requirements. 
quickly and correctly.” But it is ac­ tures or shares, issued by a com­ transactions. while filing the ITR, thereby, pre­ NSDL slashes transaction charges
tually much more than that. pany,  exceeding  the  said  monet­ That  apart,  the  new  notified venting any inadvertent conceal­ National Securities Depository Ltd (NSDL) has reduced its
ary  limit  in  any  FY,  must  also  be form shall also have details with ment of income in the ITR. transaction charges by 50 per cent which will come into
What is it? reported  in  the  new  form.  Simil­ respect to demands raised by the effect from September 1. Currently, NSDL charges two basis
Form  26AS  essentially  is  an  an­ arly, if investments in any mutual department  and  other  tax  pro­ The bottomline points on the value of net delivery given by a clearing
nual consolidated statement that fund  house  exceed  ₹10  lakh  in  a ceedings  involving  the  assessee, Make  the  new  Form  26AS  your member from the CM (clearing member) pool account to
reflects  the  tax  deducted  or  col­ year,  it  will  now  reflect  in  your compiled at one place. Currently, ready  reckoner  while  filing  your the clearing house and two basis points on the value of net
lected at source, against one Per­ Form 26AS. Other specified trans­ the  details  relating  to  these  de­ ITR. delivery received from the clearing house to the CM pool
manent  Account  Number  (PAN). actions include, purchase or sale mands raised by the department account. As per the new charge structure, the depository
The  form,  which  can  be  down­ of  immovable  property,  where are  available  (on  the  income­tax A weekly column that puts the fun will charge 2 bps for only debits to the client account with
loaded  from  the  IT department the transaction value or valuation website)  only  when  you  have  to into learning no charge for the corresponding credit to any account. 
easy bl two-way crossword 1661 not so easy
ACROSS DOWN ACROSS DOWN
02. Latin, so upsetting in Old English, is
08. Come to hear of (5)  03. Put up with (8)  get a firm hold of it (6)  unrestrained (5) 
09. Silly (7)  04. One who entertains (4)  08. Shakespearean king given 03. With patience endure much that is
11. Creature with a shell (8)  05. Wind instrument (5)  direction to secure put up with a tree uprooted (8) 
12. Facial hair (5)  06. Hindu garment (4)  knowledge (5)  04. The old sacrificial victim was an
15. Not knowing where one is (4)  07. At one time (4)  09. The hols, if staggered : entertaining person (4) 
16. Be a Thespian (3)  10. Pavement game (9)  nothing in that, silly! (7)  05. One instrument is one note ahead of
17. Strongly advise (4)  12. Account, invoice (4)  11. Slow mover from moorland another (5) 
19. Cattle, etc, of a farm (5)  13. Manifold (8)  height : toe is broken (8)  06. Garment from India throwing
21. Abandoned, ruined (8)  14. Let water in (4)  12. Ursa on the day provides a couture capital by being topless (4) 
24. Impedes (7)  18. Pleasantly rounded (5)  spade, say (5)  07. As soon as carbon is seen in the unit
25. Yawning gulf (5)  20. Made better (5)  15. Didn't know where one stood, (4) 
26. Works dough (6)  21. Bob out of the way (4)  so was unsuccessful (4)  10. Dance with some spirit markedly on
22. Study words (4)  16. Tom gets head where heart the pavement (9) 
23. Converse (4)  should be to take part (3)  12. Some old battleaxe one will fondly
17. Strongly move it should be caress (4) 
held by our generation (4)  13. Impel changes last month included in
19. Part of the gun one will have in many forms (8) 
store (5)  14. Let secret out, there being a hole in
21. Half made a widow, deserted the vessel (4) 
ACROSS 01. Dictatorial 08. Tolerant 09. Giro 10. Repel 13. Tows 16. (8)  18. Abruptly opt for the pleasantly fat (5) 
Grip 17. Disc 18. Tend 20. Fresh 24. Nice 25. Clearing 26. Cornerstone 24. How one gets in the way of 20. Dried, salted and made well (5) 
DOWN 02. Idle 03. Terse 04. Tinge 05. Ingot 06. Straightens 07. progress of picnic­baskets (7)  21. Water­fowl is nothing to a bat (4) 
Loose change 11. Proof 12. Ledge 14. Omit 15. Sign 19. Drear 21. Ruler 25. Little Charles and Mary 22. Study the loaf with its top removed
22. Slant 23. Finn initially split (5)  (4) 
26. Works at the Danes, upset 23. Hospital kitchen in which short
following the weekend (6)  informal address is held (4) 

CM .. .... .. .....
YK
06 OPINION
China’s hierarchy of nations
THE TRIBUNE established in 1881
The ‘new model’ is about getting the US to accept China as an equal
Cross-border narco-terror
Pakistan must be held accountable
T
HE seizure on Sunday of almost 65 kg of heroin floating in the Ravi MANOJ JOSHI
is yet another reminder of how drugs are pushed from Pakistan DISTINGUISHED FELLOW, OBSERVER
into India. In June last year, 500 kg of heroin was seized at the RESEARCH FOUNDATION, NEW DELHI
Attari border check-post. Such large consignments cannot move without
T
the involvement of various official agencies in Pakistan, and it has been HE talks on restoring status
an open secret that Punjabis in particular, and Indians in general, have quo ante in eastern Ladakh
been targeted by the military-intelligence complex across the border. have yet to yield significant
Pakistan is already on the grey list of the terror financing results. There has reported-
watchdog, Financial Action Task Force (FATF). It is just a step ly been disengagement in the Gal-
away from being publicly censured like North Korea and Iran. wan area, but the more serious Pan-
FATF has left itself open to criticism by focusing on a narrow inter- gong Tso and Depsang incursions
pretation of terrorism, and its rather bureaucratic interpretation have yet to be terminated.
Meanwhile, India must grapple
of the steps needed for a nation to comply with its requirements
with the consequences of the collapse
that primarily centre on plugging the holes in terror financing,
of the regime that largely maintained
along with activities of UN-designated terrorists. peace and tranquility along the Line
The narco-terror nexus is an old one. There have been enough
instances when it has been proved that the activities of active terrorist
of Actual Control (LAC) and possibly
its larger relationship with its huge
groups in Kashmir, and the rest of the country, received money from northern neighbour, China.
the proceeds of the sale of narcotics brought across the border. In fact, Given the asymmetry of the terrain
aiding, abetting and pushing drugs into India serve not only to weak- and logistics, we need to ensure that
en the border states, where their availability feeds addiction, but also there are no repetitions of the Chi-
in opening conduits that are used for smuggling weapons and even nese moves that have taken place in
sending terrorists across the border. There is a need to resist the ten- the recent months. Stopping them
dency to treat such seizures as merely a law and order issue. Each such from intruding into Indian territory is
attempt is a breach of national security. The non-state and state actors infinitely more preferable, and
doable, than trying to uproot them
across the border must be identified, and such seizures must be used
from the positions they have occu-
to demonstrate the nefarious terrorist activities of our western neigh-
pied. This has been the long lesson
bour. Our diplomats must fully brief FATF and other international fora, the country has learnt since 1951.
and international pressure must be brought to bear on the regime that Meanwhile, the bigger challenge is to
allows, rather facilitates, narco-terror on this horrific scale. figure out the new trajectory of our
relations with China.
First, we should try to figure out
why the Chinese have done what
Not within earshot they did. It could simply be a bit of
Covid-19 opportunism — after all,
China, the first country to be infect-
Haryana cops need to listen to scientific ways ed, has also successfully pulled out of
T
it and has got its economy going
HE statistics are disquieting. Despite various courts across again. As in the case of the Global
Haryana remaining unconvinced by the police contention Financial Crisis (GFC) of 2008, its
that they had overheard the accused plotting a dacoity — for power relative to that of the others
no one is likely to hatch a conspiracy within earshot of anybody — could grow in the coming period.
the number of people facing trial in such cases continues to be It could also be a consequence of
high, even though the number of cases has seen a downward the astounding abandonment of
trend. In one case brought to the fore through RTI and reported global leadership by the US gener-
in The Tribune, the six accused didn’t even know one another; ally, and more specifically during
they were picked up from different places and incredulously
framed for planning the commission of a crime together. That the
The in-between generation
suspects had to undergo trial lasting many months before acquit-
tal evokes repulsion at the ineptness of the cops.
No innocent should have to fall prey to the police’s questionable
philosophy of ‘controlling’ crime that seems to undergird such a qua-
si-legal measure. It only reinforces the common man’s lack of trust Ashok Warrier
in the force’s ability to catch the real culprits and bring them to book
C
through effective prosecution. With only small fry continuing to bear OMPUTERISATION was the
the brunt of the lathi and the big sharks escaping the police net, it is new mantra in the India of
not surprising that the crime rate has not been arrested. the 1990s, and as with all
Haryana would do well to emulate Punjab that has realised the limi- mantras, it was being perceived and
tations of the competence of its police force in taking on the criminals. received with a mixture of excite-
In a credible and creditable step that will bear fruit, it may soon become ment, anxiety, distrust, indiffer-
the first state in the country to invigorate its force by infusing in it plain- ence, and even cynicism, depending
clothes professionals from fields such as information and digital technol- largely on the age bracket one
belonged to. The younger lot saw in
ogy, forensics and accounting to assist the cops in tackling new-age
the advent of computers promise
offenders. Ever since it hired a detective agency to check female foeti-
and progress. The older lot, espe-
cide in 2018, the health department has got critical support in conduct- cially those over 50, viewed these
ing sting operations on erring doctors. Haryana, too, needs to restructure contraptions, at best, as intrusive
its system and adopt a scientific approach to crime detection, prevention irritants, and at worst, as avoidable
and prosecution. It will empower the cops with the cutting edge needed fads. I remember an elderly col-
to outwit the planners and plotters of dacoity and other crimes. Catching league of mine sneering at the new
a criminal in the act can even dilute political influence, if any. Pentium Computer that was being
set up in his office. He was com-
plaining why ‘this thing’ was being
❝ ❞
thought for the day
Analysis is the critical starting point of strategic Mincing no words
thinking. — Kenichi Ohmae Refer to the editorial ‘Welcome can-
dour’ (July 20); it was reassuring to
learn that the Defence Minister
admitted to the challenges before
on this day...100 years ago the country, while addressing the
troops in Ladakh. It is the first time
that a senior functionary has freely
expressed his views. At the same
time, he has assured us that no
power in the world can grab even an
lahore,wednesday, july 21, 1920
inch from India. We cannot trust
Chinese leaders as they believe in
Declaration of Rights. grabbing the land of other coun-
SPEAKING of the declaration of rights, Mr. Sastri asked if they were going to tries, either by hook or by crook.
make it a sine qua non of co-operation with the Government. The Liberals would SUBHASH C TANEJA, GURUGRAM
not, he said, oppose the demand for a declaration of rights, but nevertheless he
pointed out that if it were granted, the legislature in India would be unable to take Poor state of justice
extraordinary steps in emergencies without the express sanction of the Imperial Refer to the editorial ‘Decongesting
Government. For our part, we would not make a declaration of rights a sine qua prisons’ (July 20); we needed a pan-
non of co-operation, if only because we would not promise to perpetually co- demic to draw our attention towards
operate, even if we had the declaration of rights. Co-operation and opposition are, the alarming magnitude of poverty,
in our opinion, to be determined on wholly independent grounds, and would be crumbling public health system, over-
dependent partly upon the nature of the particular policy or measure in respect of crowded prisons, etc. You cannot
which we were called upon to co-operate, and partly on the tendency and check the spiralling crime—you have
character of the general policy of the Government. If, at any time, we had reason a big number of undertrials in prisons
to think that the Government were trying to back out of the Proclamation of whose trial goes on at a snail’s pace.
August 1917, or that they were deliberately attempting to thwart our progress Political adversaries and the ones rais-
towards the goal, we should unhesitatingly declare for a general policy of non-co- ing even genuine voices of dissent are
operation, declaration of rights or no declaration of rights. But while we do not put in jails. But, still, the government
wish to confound the two issues, we must express our disappointment at the way doesn’t feel the need to have a match-
in which Mr. Sastri referred to this vitally important matter. The Liberals, he said, ing number of prisons. In the name of
would not oppose the declaration of rights. Have we nothing better to expect from decongesting prisons because of the
a party as patriotic as any other party in the State? Have not even the events of last pandemic, justice secured by the
year convinced the moderate party of the importance of Parliamentary and aggrieved parties after long legal bat-
statutory guarantees for safeguarding India’s elementary rights? Has not the tles should not be reversed or diluted
Liberal party itself demanded certain guarantees in respect of the declaration and
working of Martial Law, which are a near approach to this declaration of rights? Letters to the Editor, typed in double space, should not exceed the 200-word limit. These should be cogently written and can be sent by e-mail to: Letters@tribunemail.com
AMBITIOUS: The ‘New Model of Great Power Relations’ is a kind of code to get the
US to accept a sort of a condominium or a ‘group of two’ arrangement.
The challenge for India is to reduce the asymmetries. As
India’s trendlines start arching upwards, we will get payoffs
in the form of better Chinese behaviour on our borders.
the Covid crisis. The chaos and
confusion in the US is a perfect
opportunity to be exploited. More
so because the country is up for
elections this year and the incum-
bent President is hitting out blind-
ly as he senses he may lose to his
Democratic challenger.
This could explain their simulta-
neous moves across their periphery
— in the South China Sea, with
Japan in the East Sea, raising the
eastern Bhutan claim, the crack-
down in Hong Kong and the actions
in eastern Ladakh. This is a perfect
moment for staking out their pri-
macy in Asia. Kurt Campbell and
Mira Rapp-Hooper argue that the
foreign policy of restraint intro-
duced by Deng Xiaoping is at an
end. ‘China is done biding its time’
is the suggestive title to their recent
article in Foreign Affairs.
The Chinese are driven by a sense
of history, and they see their domi-
nance as the natural order of things.
Their view of the world is that harmo-
foisted on his desk when he had not
even asked for it! I would often
notice him giving a look of disgust
every now and then. While he
remained in the office, he ensured
that he had nothing to do with it. It
was his young secretary who would
be using it. My colleague once
refused to ‘hand over’ his ‘pass-
port’ when all he was being asked
for was the screen ‘password’,
much to the amusement, or possi-
bly exasperation of the computer
technician who had come to address
an issue with his computer. This
exemplified the attitude of most of
the ‘baby boomers’.
It was in 1998 that I started work-
ing on a computer. I had just turned
40. While initially, I did not take to it
like fish to water, I slowly started
letters to the editor
overnight. Undertrials should be let
out following an easy procedure. An
80-year-old poet-professor-humanist
and champion of social justice lan-
guishing in jail without trial should
make us hang our head in shame.
HL SHARMA, AMRITSAR
Undertrials in jails
Refer to ‘Decongesting prisons’
(July 20); the Prison Statistics India
report is collated by the National
Crime Records Bureau. The total
number of prisons in India
decreased from 1,412 in 2016 to 1,339
in 2018. However, the capacity of
prisons increased from 3,80,876 in
2016 to 3,96,223 in 2018. If one looks
at the number of undertrials in
prison, these are surprisingly high
owing to our long road to justice.
There was a 10.4% increase in the
number of undertrials during 2016
to 2018. Recently, the number of peo-
ple who have been detained in pris-
ons has increased. Many students,
academicians and journalists,
among others, are facing serious
charges because of dissenting view-
points. Poet Varavara Rao has been
admitted to a hospital due to health
complications inside prison. Speedy
bail procedures can save lives. It
would be a grave injustice if any
innocent dies in jail.
JASPREET SINGH, PATIALA
CHANDIGARH | TUESDAY | 21 JULY 2020
ny is a consequence of every country
accepting its place in a system, which
is hierarchical. This was perhaps best
put in their White Paper on Asia
Pacific Security Cooperation in 2017,
which observed that ‘Major coun-
tries should treat the strategic inten-
tions of others in an objective and
rational manner… (while) small and
medium-sized countries need not,
and should not, take sides among
big countries.’ In the document,
China listed four ‘major’ countries
in a hierarchical manner — the US,
Russia, India and Japan. Indonesia,
Vietnam, Pakistan, or Australia did
not figure on the list.
The first thing that Xi Jinping did
when he came to power was to talk of
a ‘New Model of Great Power Rela-
tions’, a kind of code to get the US to
accept a sort of a condominium or a
‘group of two’ (G2) arrangement.
This proposal began to do the rounds
in the US following the GFC, with
people like Zbigniew Brzezinski and
C Fred Bergsten advocating it.
gaining in both comfort and confi-
dence. The path to that stage was lit-
tered with ‘misadventures’. There
were occasions when I would have
typed out a big document, deferred
saving it for a little later, only to find
the whole document disappear into
nowhere, when the power would go
off, leaving me holding my head in
my hands. Wisdom dawned, but only
after a few such instances. My
midlife crisis of the new millennium
was accentuated by the advent of the
‘new kid on the technological
block’, the mobile phone. I still
remember the sturdy Nokia 3310, for
most times nestling in my trouser
pockets, making me jump every
time it would ring, or announce a
notification. I don’t think I was a pic-
ture of savoir faire with that phone,
6G will have to wait
Apropos of ‘Mission 6G — time to
lead’(July 20), top telecom players
owe the government Rs 1.47 lakh
crore towards licence fee, spectrum
usage charge, interest and penalty,
accumulated over the past 14 years.
They have filed review petitions in the
SC. These telcos, Vodafone, Idea and
Airtel in particular, have threatened to
shut shop and not roll out 5G, in case
they are not provided relief by the
Centre. This arm-twisting smacks of a
conspiracy to close this matter, with a
few hundred crores of bearer bonds
being issued in favour of the ruling
party and crores in savings to telecom
licensees. It is shameful that the coun-
try is being held to ransom by a few
companies. It is a clear case of quid
pro quo. The country will be a big
loser in sectors like agriculture,
manufacturing, healthcare and edu-
cation, where 5G was to be used,
because of this dogfight. Let us for-
get 6G for a couple of years.
RAJIV BOOLCHAND JAIN, ZIRAKPUR
Quitting party? Recontest
The Rajasthan imbroglio is no longer
an intra-Congress feud, it is turning
into Congress versus BJP, and why
not? The BJP found a chance to
wrest power from the Congress
because of the tussle between Gehlot
and Pilot. Both are not on talking
THE TRIBUNE
But the Chinese misread the Amer-
ican mood and Obama was cold to the
proposal when Xi brought it up at the
Sunnylands summit in 2013. The
New Model was all about getting the
US to accept China as an equal which,
in turn, would signal an acceptance of
Chinese dominance in the western
Pacific. Instead the US began to talk
about the ‘pivot’, which later became
the Indo-Pacific policy.
Though it spoke of a new model
of major power relations, the Chi-
nese were only thinking of the US,
and most certainly not India. As a
large and populous country, we are
a bit of a conundrum for China.
Where could we figure in the hier-
archy? Besides, we have the eco-
nomic and military potential to
match up to, or even beat China.
So, Chinese policy has been con-
centrated on containing India’s rise
however it can. Formally, Beijing
professes friendship and coopera-
tion with India, but in practical
terms, all it has needed is a Pakistan
to keep us off balance. Our own pol-
icy of relentless hostility towards
Islamabad, of course, aids this mis-
sion. And our incompetence with
neighbours like Nepal and Sri Lan-
ka compounds our problem.
As of now, we are only a potential
equal. China’s economy is nearly
five times the size of India’s, and
its military much more powerful.
They could yet overreach and
crash, but let’s not depend on that
and work at some self-help.
The challenge for Indian policy
is to be able to reduce these asym-
metries. This is not something a
friendly Uncle will help us do —
we need to relentlessly grow our
economy, enhance our diplomatic
performance and be far more
focused. This cannot happen
overnight, or even in one prime
ministerial term. It requires sys-
tematic short to medium-term
planning and effort, beginning
now. As our trendlines start arch-
ing upwards, we will get the pay-
offs in the form of better Chinese
behaviour on our borders.
but as with the computer earlier, I
learnt to cope. The transition to the
iPhone had some bumpy rides in
between, and although not exactly
fitting into the technological savvy
category, I would like to believe that
I can use most of its features now.
Nurtured and nourished by the
trappings of an earlier generation,
goaded largely by necessity, and
maybe in a small part by interest
too, to be ‘in’ the technological
march led by the millennials of
the day, I find that people like me
are the ‘in-betweens’, who on the
one hand continue doing at least
some things the ‘old’ way, and on
the other, constantly strive, even
if tottering often in the process,
to keep pace with the advance-
ments in technology.
terms since the formation of the gov-
ernment 18 months ago. For the peo-
ple of Rajasthan, where is gover-
nance under such circumstances?
Such destabilisation of any state gov-
ernment by any means should not be
allowed. A fair investigation into the
whole affair and phone tapping
should be brought in public knowl-
edge. We have a right to know what
went wrong and where. The anti-
defection law needs a relook to make
it effective. Transparency should be
there, if anybody wants to switch
over, let him resign and fight the
election again, without recourse to
shortcuts. This whole sordid drama
must come to a logical conclusion.
DEVINDER GARG, CHANDIGARH
Stuck in Australia
Will the aviation ministry inform when
it intends to start flights for India? I
am a senior citizen who came to Aus-
tralia with my wife for three months
with a return ticket of Air India for
March-end. Unluckily, we are stuck
here due to Covid. Medicines are cost-
ly here and people like me need med-
ical consultation frequently, and the
supply of medicines has been exhaust-
ed, leading to stress. For how long will
we remain dependent on our daugh-
ter? If we are to live with Covid, why
not in India, in our own home?
RC KOHLI, MELBOURNE
THE TRIBUNE
CHANDIGARH | TUESDAY | 21 JULY 2020 OPED 07

Good field reporting to counter studio hawks

LT GEN GS SIHOTA (RETD)
FORMER DIRECTOR GENERAL,
MILITARY OPERATIONS
we know about Jeremy Bowen’s made the conflict zone accessible and
reports from Sarajevo which led to the visible from a distance, frontline
exposure of war crimes and the trial of reporting has a greater influence on
Bosnian General Ratko Mladic. the minds of the public than listening
Christina Lamb is another war to studio reports. It can also influence
reporter who has written many books domestic and international policies.
on her experiences. She crossed the Today, TV channels produce talk
Hindukush into Afghanistan with the shows to enhance their TRPs where
Mujahideen who were fighting the they quote reliable sources, unnamed
Russians. Later, she saw and wrote sources and senior government
about the West which failed miserably sources, all of whom are unidentifi-
because they could not understand the able. Such reports become question-

N
ICK Ut’s iconic photograph
of a nine-year-old girl
scorched by napalm bomb-
ing in Vietnam drew the
attention of the world to the horrors of
war. It also changed the public opinion
in the United States leading to wide-
spread protests. Seeing death and dep-
rivation on a daily basis, the American
public pressured the government to
withdraw and accept defeat. Such is
the relevance of war reporting.
A war correspondent is distinct from
a regular journalist as he provides
first-hand information from a conflict
zone. It is considered the most dan-
gerous form of journalism. The
reporter goes into an affected area
with adequate background knowledge
and a determination to get a good sto-
ry. Though unarmed, he/she is not
short on courage and has the ability to
take life-threatening risks. Despite
strict restrictions, many are known to
seek unauthorised entry, only to be
intimidated, detained and even tor-
tured. The beheading of Daniel Pearl
by the Al Qaeda and James Foley by
the ISIS is still fresh in our minds.
Marie Colvin was a fearless and gut-
sy woman, who lost one eye while cov-
ering the Sri Lankan civil war and lat-
er met her destiny along with her
cameraman in Syria. Both times, these
were unauthorised infiltrations. Then
local dynamics of the country. Many
journalists have lost lives in crossfire
and to improvised explosive devices
(IEDs) in Afghanistan. In Yemen,
reporters have been known to be tor-
tured and even used as human shields.
The story of Indian war correspon-
dents’ role in various conflicts has
been somewhat different. Information
about the raiders in 1948 came only
through the refugees. PN Sharma was
The recent skirmish between
the first reporter who saw action from
the air, took pictures, but crashlanded
on a tree and was captured but later
repatriated. His accounts were known
only after the war when he published
his book. Indian war reporters did not
get as many opportunities as their for-
eign counterparts. Not to say that
there has not been any change since
then. During the 1971 war, there was
a major shift. Foreign correspondents
were flown to the action sites. A for-
eign journalist from the New York
Times appeared on the scene accom-
panying Lt Gen Sagat Singh, GOC, 4
Corps. He introduced himself as
‘Harmitt’. His real identity was dis-
covered when he let out the choicest
Punjabi abuse on confronting
machine gun fire. We appreciated his
real value only when he flew out
after the surrender and we saw for-
eign magazines full of photos and
articles lauding the Indian Army’s
TECTONIC SHIFT: During the 1999 Kargil War, the nation saw the grit and determination of the Indian soldier first-hand.
role in the liberation of Bangladesh.
Unfortunately, during my stint in
Indian and Chinese troops the Kashmir valley from September
1994 to April 1996, I did not meet any
was an opportunity for the journalist who was willing to move out
government and the Indian of his comfort zone. Most were housed
in hotels in Srinagar from where they
Army to have war reporters wrote biased accounts of the high
on the spot after the handedness of the armed forces under
militant pressure. Keen to know the
hand-to-hand combat. It security arrangements being made for
yatris, they requested a briefing. The
could have prevented TV GOC, Victor Force (RR), asked them to
anchors from becoming assemble at Anantnag. Sadly, they
were not prepared to go there without
studio strategists, building protection or walk to the cave before
the Amarnath yatra as they thought
imaginary scenarios and that it was too big a risk to their lives.
discussing them This is not to take away from the fact
that today, young men and women are
ad nauseam. These war at the forefront, capturing the situa-
journalists could have tion on their cameras and reporting
live from the scene of action.
then presented a clear Many young reporters risked life
and limb to reach LTTE positions fac-
picture of the incident. ing the Indian Peace-Keeping Force
(IPKF). There was the intrepid Anita
Pratap and her photographer Sham Tek-
wani whose reportage and photographs
brought home to the Indian public the
questionable decision for India to inter-
fere in Sri Lankan affairs. Since the
Indian government controlled all infor-
mation, acts of bravery and sacrifice
remained unrecognised.
The 1999 Kargil War saw a major
change. Though Barkha Dutt’s report-
ing from a bunker may have been
termed as jingoism, it made an impact.
The nation saw the grit and determina-
tion of the Indian soldier first-hand.
Every nation must exercise control
over access to the battlefield to pre-
vent sensitive information from leak-
ing out, particularly during the peri-
od of actual engagement. Free access
can have negative results. This was
the bitter lesson from the Vietnam
War. The US changed its policy there-
after and was able to create better
opinion during the Iraq war.
Though modern technology has
able in their authenticity. The public
gets confused. Social media divides
people into pro-and anti-establish-
ment, nationalist and anti-nationalist
sections. Any official version starts
raising doubts. On the other hand,
reports from the foreign media, which
has better resources and access to
information from the opponent, get
more prominence. This is unhealthy
as it leads to rumour-mongering.
Viewers are left to ‘believe it or not’.
This haze can only be cleared by
allowing limited access to war
reporters into the conflict zone. When
will it be possible for us to fly them
into such areas and let them develop a
ground understanding of the border?
The recent skirmish between the
Indian and Chinese troops at the Line
of Actual Control (LAC) was an oppor-
tunity for the government and the
Indian Army to have war reporters on
the site after the grim hand-to-hand
combat. It could have prevented TV
anchors from becoming studio strate-
gists, building imaginary scenarios
and discussing them ad nauseam.
The war journalists could have then
presented a clear picture of the inci-
dent and the lie of the land.
War reportage is a force multiplier
which can boost the image and might
of the military and help in raising the
morale of the Indian public.

Breaking law in the name of law enforcement

T
HE killing of gangster Vikas
Dubey in a police encounter
raises a number of disturbing
questions. It spotlights the
increasingly important role played by
the bahubalis in some North Indian
states. Dubey was involved in a number
of criminal cases and was a dreaded fig-
SANKAR SEN
ure in Kanpur and neighbouring areas.
FORMER DIRECTOR, NATIONAL POLICE ACADEMY However, he had an excellent equation
with leaders of various political parties
and also kept the police in good
Political parties need humour. Further inquiry will unravel
the reasons why the police and the pow-
bahubalis to raise funds, ers that be turned against him.
park unaccounted money During my long career in the police,
I never witnessed or heard of attacks
and bully their opponents. such as the July 2 ambush. Normally,
local criminals avoid a confrontation
These criminals, in turn, are with the police. I had the occasion to
given a free hand. This is witness stray attacks by smugglers or
the local mafia in order to settle old
the reason why political scores, but not a planned, all-out
attack of this nature, resulting in the
parties of all hues are death of eight police personnel.
against reforms which This happened because of an unholy
nexus between the criminals and
would diminish their political leaders. Taking advantage of
this symbiotic relationship, politically
control over the police. powerful criminals cock a snook at the
With political patronage police, snapping the chain of com-
mand and control. The police give
cutting across party them a free rein. Neutral law enforce-
ment suffers a body blow.
lines, Vikas Dubey The truth of the matter is that politi-
had a field day. cal parties need bahubalis to raise
funds, park unaccounted money and
bully their opponents. The latter, in
turn, are given a free hand in their
criminal depredations. This is the rea-
son why political parties of all hues
SORDID SAGA: Through extra-legal methods to make up for the deficiency of the law, the
police only create opportunities for the misuse of authority and victimisation of the innocent.
are against reforms which would
diminish their control over the police.
With political patronage cutting across
party lines, Dubey was having a field
day. He had not only amassed a huge
fortune, but also built a dreaded gang
which was operating freely and fearless-
ly. His house had become a storehouse
of illegal arms, including AK-47s. This
would not have been possible without
the active connivance of the police. As
his linkages with the police had spread
at all levels, he was duly informed by
the police stool pigeon of the impend-
ing raid. This facilitated his escape. It
was indeed a blunder on the part of
the DSP to plan this raid on his house
at night without adequate prepara-
tions. Hence, they became easy tar-
gets with their weapons also being
looted. The true reason for their
hatred and anger against the police
needs a searching probe.
The police counter-offensive started
in full swing. Some members of the
gang were apprehended and killed,
including his close associate Amar
Dubey. Vikas surrendered with a view
to saving his life, but that was not to
be. He was killed in an encounter
while seeking to escape from custody.
However, surrounding facts and cir-
cumstances leave little room for doubt
that it was a fake encounter and the
police had exacted a bloody revenge
and got even with the gangster who
had dared to kill policemen.
Admittedly, the liquidation of Vikas
Dubey by the police highlights some
important issues of law enforcement.
First, there was loud public acclaim for
the killing of the dreaded gangster.
Many have lauded the police action as
they feel that the case would have oth-
erwise dragged on in the court of law
and the criminal may have got away
scot-free. There was pressure on the
police from the public as well as the
political masters to take the law in their
hands and play the role of investigators
as well as executioners.
I recollect an incident when the then
chief minister of a state reproved me
for my failure to firmly deal with a
notorious gang of dacoits by adopting,
if necessary, extra-legal methods. With
great difficulty, I could persuade him
that such illegal methods would prove
to be counter- productive. It may be
mentioned that the National Police
Commission, in its report, firmly dis-
couraged fake encounters as this is not
the remedy to tackle such situations.
What is necessary is to strengthen the
law and the legal process. The practice
of policing to break law in the name of
law enforcement is totally unaccept-
able in a democratic society governed
by the rule of law. It is objectionable
because it will be arbitrary as a process
and random in its effects.
Secondly, it jeopardises further probe
into the operations of criminal gangs.
Vikas Dubey was directly involved in a
large number of cases and enjoyed the
patronage of many political leaders.
Sustained investigation and interroga-
tion would have unearthed his modus
operandi and nexus with the police and
politicians. But, with his death, that
window of opportunity is now closed.
The allegation that this killing was
done to prevent him from singing and
exposing influential politicians may not
be true. But, indeed, an opportunity for
a thorough probe into the criminal-
police-politician nexus was lost. Now, the
UP Government has set up a judicial
commission to inquire into the matter.
Hope, it will complete the inquiry and
come out with a credible report early.
Thirdly, officers, particularly police
leaders, have to remember that when
the police take recourse to extra-legal
methods to make up for the deficiencies
of law and legal procedures, they are
trying to remedy the inadequacies they
did not create. They deflect attention to
themselves, away from the negligence
of others. In a democratic society, order
through repression is the worst form of
disorder as it establishes a linkage
between social order and atrocity.
Earlier, when the UP CM gave carte
blanche to the police to stage encoun-
ters to control the spiralling crime,
many expressed misgivings that there
will be misuse of authority and innocent
persons belonging to the marginalised
sections of society will come to grief.
In many state police forces, in such
an ambience, there emerge encounter
specialists, lionised because through
extra-legal methods, they deliver the
goods, but many turn extortionists
and enrich themselves by dubious
means. David Bayley, an American
police scholar, aptly said that illegality
in the service of public safety makes
policing a furtive and anxious activity
and undermines pride, which is the
basis of job satisfaction.

quick crossword su do ku calendar forecast

ACROSS JULY 21, 2020, TUESDAY SUNSET: TUESDAY 19:24 HRS
1 There to be
taken (2,3,5) 6 2 7 5 ■ Vikrami Samvat 2077
SUNRISE: WEDNESDAY 05:34 HRS

8 Take up (5) ■ Shaka Samvat 1942

4 9 3 8
9 Country in Horn of ■ Aashadh Shaka 30 Sunny Partly Cloudy Cloudy Rainy Foggy
Africa (7)
10 Inspiring wonder (7) ■ Shravan Parvishte 6 CITY MAX MIN
11 Distance to target (5) ■ Hijari 1441 Chandigarh 29 26
12 Dwell permanently (6)
14 Cupboard (6)
7 1 4 5 ■ Shukla Paksha Tithi 1, up to 9:25 pm New Delhi 34 25
17 Mediterranean island (5) ■ Vajra Yoga up to 5:34 pm Amritsar 28 24
19 A sheer dress fabric (7)
21 Mythical one-horn 2 3 8 7 ■ Pushya Nakshatra up to 8:30 pm

■ Moon in Cancer sign.

Bathinda
Jalandhar
32
28
23
22
animal (7)
22 Wet (5) Ludhiana 30 24
23 Deteriorate (2,8) 7 9 5 1 YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION
Bhiwani 32 26
7 6 1 8 5 2 4 3 9
DOWN Hisar 35 24
2 Gallantry (7)
3 Excel in performance (5) 5 8 6 4 9 4 2 1 6 3 7 5 8 Sirsa
Dharamsala
32
29
24
19
4 Absolute truth (6) 5 3 8 4 9 7 2 6 1
5 Senior naval officer (7) Manali 24 12
6 Beautician’s
establishment (5)
8 9 5 6 2 8 6 5 3 1 9 4 7 Shimla 24 16
7 Don’t get 4 9 7 6 2 8 3 1 5 Srinagar 32 18
excited! (4,2,4)
8 Scarce and in 9 6 1 3 3 1 5 9 7 4 6 8 2
Jammu
Kargil
32
16
26
11
YESTERDAY ’ S SOLUTION demand (2,1,7) 8 7 4 2 1 6 5 9 3
Leh 29 15
2 4 3 8
13 Baseball playing field (7)
Across: 1 Homage, 4 Opaque, 9 Adjourn, 10 Taint, 11 Strut, 12 Exhibit, 13 Downtrodden, 15 Outdoor timepiece (7) 6 2 9 3 8 5 1 7 4
18 Outgrow, 20 Ample, 22 Grief, 23 Crevice, 24 Exhort, 25 Advent. Dehradun 32 24
16 Until a later time (3,3)
Down: 1 Hoarse, 2 Major, 3 Glutton, 5 Pitch, 6 Quibble, 7 Estate, 8 Once or twice, 14 18 Deceitful (5) 1 5 3 7 4 9 8 2 6 Mussoorie 23 17
Ostrich, 15 Dead end, 16 Tongue, 17 Repent, 19 Refer, 21 Pride. 20 Measure round body (5) V. EASY TEMPERATURE IN OC
 4 THE ASSAM TRIBUNE, GUWAHATI
MESSAGE FOR TODAY
The mind is everything. What you think you
become.
– BUDDHA
Livelihood questions
There needs to be a logic to every crucial decision made
by the administration, particularly during a crisis such as the
Covid-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, the decisions on lock-
downs made by the Kamrup Metro administration seem
more of a knee-jerk reaction to the abnormal increase in the
number of coronavirus infections rather than a response to
any strategy modulated by informed medical scientists’ opin-
ions. This district has been more or less under lockdown
since the 25th of March, with a brief relaxation in-between
before lockdown reimposition for two more weeks. Though
some relaxations, in line with the national policy, had been
made last month, overall restrictions had remained in place
almost throughout, in particular the imposition of night cur-
few. Yet, despite this, the number of cases of coronavirus
infections has continued to spike, and the administration’s
expected response had been to extend the lockdown peri-
od for another week till July 19. But the situation in Guwahati
is becoming grimmer, with the city registering more than
500 Covid-19 positive cases for three consecutive days,
and 25 fatalities. Meanwhile, not only has normal life been
disrupted, but livelihoods in all strata of society have been
negatively impacted upon. The most tragic victims had been
unskilled daily wage-earners who depend solely on work
demanding physical exertion and, in the backdrop of shut-
down of manufacture and transportation, have gone months
without work.
Equally sad has been the plight of vendors of perishable
consumption items like vegetables, fish and meat, as also
sellers of street-food and other items. These are the seg-
ments of urban society who live a hand to mouth existence
and do not possess nest-eggs on which to fall back upon
during hard times. No doubt the administration is attempt-
ing to help them by providing cash as well as basic food
requirements, but feedback suggests that such assistance
is not always reaching the most vulnerable. Prolonged shut-
down has badly impacted small businesses and there is gen-
uine fear that many of these, saddled as they are with bank
loans, may not be able to withstand further disruption to
normal commercial activities. Another problem associated
with prolonged lockdowns had been the plight of non-coro-
navirus patients since private hospitals were refusing to
admit them unless they were tested at a government-run
facility for Covid-19. With the administration mandating pri-
vate hospitals to open up coronavirus testing units, this prob-
lem has been to some extent, though not fully, mitigated.
The incomes of professionals, from plumbers, electricians,
barbers to even lawyers and some practitioners of medicine
like optometrists and dentists, have been severely curtailed,
causing them hardship. The irony is that prolonged lock-
downs have not stemmed the spread of the virus nor have
contributed to furthering herd immunity, something that the
administration needs to keep in mind if they are contem-
plating more future lockdowns!
Stop the mayhem
The State Government has done well to institute a judicial
inquiry into the large-scale illegal coal mining in the Dehing
Patkai range which constitutes the Dehing Patkai Elephant
Reserve and the Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary – the
State’s last vestiges of rainforests. Although the illegalities
including rampant rat-hole coal mining as well as the more
destructive opencast mining had been going on for years, it
took a series of investigative news reports by The Assam
Tribune to compel the Government into some action at long
last. The Forest Department had all along been denying
these shocking illegalities perpetrated on this biodiversity
treasure trove and more disturbingly, a section from the
conservation fraternity, too, had been seeking to trivialize
the grave issue. It is now abundantly clear that widespread
illegal coal mining has been ravaging these precious forests
and wildlife habitats with the various government authori-
ties, especially the Forest Department and the police choos-
ing to look the other way. The developments become all the
more shocking when one takes into account the fact that a
Navaratna PSU like Coal India had also been found guilty of
doing illegally mining in several forests for years. One ex-
pects that the judicial probe will go into the roots of the
murky developments and fix responsibility on the guilty.
Apparently, such illegalities cannot continue for such a long
time without bureaucratic and political patronage and hence
the need to probe it beyond the involvement of local-level
forest officials. Not just illegal coal mining, rampant deforest-
ation across the entire range caused by illegal logging and
encroachment, especially in the elephant reserve, remains
another unaddressed concern.
Given the urgent need to save our only remaining stretch
of rainforests, both the State Government and the Centre
need to have a rethink on its policy of opencast mining in
prime wildlife habitats such as Dehing Patkai. The logic that
the British had done coal mining in the area for decades
before it was entrusted to Coal India in 1973 cuts little ice.
This is because the British did underground mining only,
leaving the forests intact. And during the British days, con-
servation was far from a concern in view of our abundant
forests and thriving wildlife. Still the British cared for for-
ests and wildlife which is borne out by the legislations enact-
ed by them well over a hundred years back. The changing
situation today vis-a-vis rapid depletion of natural forests
warrants us to save these invaluable natural assets for our
own sake. The rainforest ecosystem is responsible for pro-
viding us oxygen in great quantity besides releasing abun-
dant water vapour, creating its own weather in the process.
To destroy those for the sake of extracting coal worth a few
thousand crores of rupees is ridiculous to say the least. The
Government must expand the area of the wildlife sanctuary
by a large margin and also free the remaining rainforests
from coal mining at the earliest.
The ailing economy of Assam
■ Udayan Hazarika
A
ssam is passing through
a critical period of eco-
nomic destabilization,
the impact of which can
be observed in every sphere of the
economy. This actually is the com-
bined effect of the sharply rising
prices and the resultant increase in
inflation (7.39% as in November
2019), growing unemployment and
falling labour force participation
rates, increase in the magnitude of
revenue expenditure and, finally, the
ban imposed on all economic activ-
ities to restrain the aggressive
march of Covid-19. A critical analy-
sis of our spending behaviour will
expose that generally, no principle
is followed in allocation of resourc-
es amongst various sectors of the
economy which impacts adversely
in the spending pattern. An econo-
my with no direction of its spend-
ing cannot survive during the criti-
cal period. We spend much of our
earnings for unproductive purpos-
es and it is growing year by year.
These expenditures are elastic; the
more we spend, the more we be-
come prone to expand the spend-
ing limits. The expenditure on rev-
enue accounts is indicative of such
expenditure. Of our total budget-
ary allocation, the amount spent on
revenue account varies between
82% and 89% leaving only a mea-
gre percentage for incurring in cre-
ation of assets. In absence of any
planning strategy for economic de-
velopment, today we are forced to
rely on the annual budget as our
annual plan. It is here that we need
a strong team of experts to identify
the areas exactly where govern-
ment intervention is necessary, so
Environment Impact Assessment Notification, 2020
■ Dr Kulen Chandra Das, Bubul Sarma
E
nvironment impact assess-
ment (EIA) is an important
tool in the hands of the Gov-
ernment for minimizing or
mitigating the adverse socio-environ-
mental impact of any upcoming
projects. The purpose of the assess-
ment is to ensure that the decision-
makers consider the environmental
impacts when deciding whether or
not to proceed with a project. EIA,
thus, is defined as ‘the process of iden-
tifying, predicting, evaluating and
mitigating the biophysical, social and
other relevant effects of develop-
ment proposals prior to major deci-
sions being taken and commitment
made’. It recommends appropriate
legislative measures, programmes,
operational procedures to minimize
the adverse impacts. It is basically a
decision-making tool to decide
whether the project should be ap-
proved or not.
EIA was made mandatory by the
Union Ministry of Environment,
Forest and Climate Change (MoE-
FCC) by promulgating an EIA noti-
fication on January 27, 1994 under
the Environment (Protection) Act,
1986 making environmental clear-
ance (EC) mandatory for expansion
or modernization of any activity or
for setting up new projects. The
Ministry grants environmental
clearance to various projects with
Letters
to the
EDITOR
Sir, – As the coronavirus
continues to make headlines in the
State with an alarming number of
cases being reported every day,
there is also another serious issue
that needs attention – the monsoon
floods that occur every year in
Assam. It is an issue that needs no
introduction, as we the people of
Assam are familiar with this
problem since ages. In fact, every
year Assam suffers from heavy
losses both economic as well as
humanitarian due to the unprece-
dented floods that occur in the
Brahmaputra Valley. This year too
is no exception. The Assam floods
have an infamous reputation as over
the years many people have lost
their lives, followed by the loss of
properties and resources of
livelihoods. Thousands have been
rendered homeless. Now the
concern is that, with the coronavi-
rus on the one hand and the floods
on the other, how will the masses,
especially those who are residing in
the flooded areas, be able to cope up
with the situation, when shifting or
that investment is prioritized and
becomes outcome-oriented.
Employment generation is the
second area where we are failing.
While planning our expenditure, it
should have been our effort to make
long-term goals to be achieved in the
employment front. The State Finance
Minister has recently noted the mag-
nitude of unemployment at 20 lakhs.
In our agenda, however, we have no
such specific component
that devotes completely in
this area. We do not have A government perhaps neither
any long-term plan for em- can exhaust its resources in
ployment generation. For
this, we are so far relying the name of a virus which
on the Government of In- requires no application of drugs grant labourers have al-
dia’s employment genera-
tion schemes and missions. for recovery of its patients nor
A State must aim at creat-
ing a skilled manpower re-
can it shut down every time any ingotwo
serve and make room for business house for each
their gradual absorption in
a strategic manner. So far, positive case reported – people ous self-employment
our effort on the employ- should be made educated and
ment front is confined only
to filling up regular vacan- responsible for management of
cies in the government pay the disease.
rolls, without assessing the
priority aspect of their re-
quirement. We all know that public
employment is always limited and it
cannot solve the growing unemploy-
ment problem. For this we need to
intervene in the areas of the house-
hold manufacturing sector setting
plans for both short and long terms.
Strategies need to be in place to back ice tenure and they continue their
up the central schemes such as
MGNREGA, etc., by customizing
the scheme and integrating therein
the State’s role so as to achieve a far reason why during the lockdown, the
better result both quantitatively (add- service sector emerged as the worst
ing numbers to the fixed targets) and
the help of two important commit-
tees, namely, the Expert Appraisal
Committee (EAC) at the Centre
and the State-level State Environ-
ment Appraisal Committee (SEAC).
It is to be noted that before obtain-
ing the much-needed environmen-
tal clearance, a project has to un-
dergo a few rigorous steps like
scoping, preparation of draft EIA,
public consultation and preparation
of final EIA. The 1994 notification
was later on replaced by a new one
in 2006 which put the onus of clear-
ing projects on the State govern-
ment depending on the size/capac-
ity of the project.
The MoEFCC has recently issued
a draft notification, i.e., EIA Notifica-
tion 2020, and placed it in public do-
main for comments, objections and
suggestions of the general public. The
draft notification has brought signifi-
cant changes which are in contradic-
tion to its parent legislation, i.e., the
Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
The draft, if approved, has the po-
tentiality to impact adversely and
make irreparable ecological damage
to Assam’s rich biodiversity resourc-
es. Panthataru Sangrakshani Asom
did a rigorous evaluation of the draft,
which is called for changes in the con-
text especially of Assam, at a time
when the people of the State are con-
fronting environmental crises such
Flood ravages
migrating to other places within the
State is risky due to the pandemic
situation prevailing all around the
State? This time, the battle is going
to be tougher than ever before.
Yours etc., DIBYOJYOTI
BRAHMA, Cotton University.
Pregnant poor women
Sir, – The plight of the reverse
migrants returning to their home
States in the wake of the ongoing
pandemic has deservedly received
due attention. These migrants have
thus received aids from innumera-
ble quarters. Such humanitarian
acts, also the good Samaritans and
the State governments, deserve to
be applauded. In the wake of the
huge attention this human tragedy
has received, one section of society,
which also needs immediate help
and care, has unfortunately been left
to suffer in silence. I am referring to
the pregnant women from the
extremely poor sections of the
society. In the absence of even one
filling meal a day for the expectant
mothers, forget about a nutritious
one, these unfortunate women have
been fighting a grim battle for
survival. The Government has to
work for the welfare of these
MONDAY, JULY 20, 2020
qualitatively (adding skills to the po-
Recently, it has been reported in
tentially viable ones). the media that as much as 4.2 lakhs
The service sector has a profound
of migrant labourers have come back
impact on the growth of the State to the State. Some of them have
economy. This sector contributes as
claimed to be skilled labourers and
much as 46% (2018) at current pric-
are demanding engagements. They
es to the State’s Gross Domestic have come back to the State at a time
Product. But in absence of industrial
when unlocking was in progress and
growth, the service sector expan- in many States business activities
sion in an economy is not always awere picking up. They are now sit-
good sign, especially when the con-
ting idle at home adding to the
tribution comes from the unorgan- strength of the State’s unemployed
ized sector. Economic activities in our
labour force. There are assurances
from the Government
that all of them will be
provided job cards under
MGNREGA. But that has
not yet happened. More-
over, many of these mi-
ready left for their places
of work while many are
minds whether to
back to work or stay
here. Few of them have
already engaged in vari-
schemes. With this situa-
tion, till now no clear pic-
ture has emerged. But the
fact remains that a huge
labour force comprising
these migrant labourers
service sector are grossly related to exists today in the State giving rise
the fast growing informal sector to the existing market demands but
which is vulnerable as there is no without adding anything to the pro-
social or service security for the duction process.
employees. Most of them are either The awards of the Finance Com-
self-employed or casually employed mission have significant bearing in
who do not have any secured serv- the economic development of the
State. The fact that the 15th Finance
services at the mercy of the employ- Commission is still not ready to an-
er. This makes the sector vulnera- nounce its second part of recommen-
ble and undependable. This is the dations (2021-2024) has tremendous
impact on the State’s future planning.
Moreover, due to the late announce-
affected sector. ment of the first year’s award, budg-
as the Baghjan gas leak followed by ical and contradicts the very prin-
the unprecedented fire and illegal coal ciple of sustainability. Fourthly,
mining at Dehing Patkai. while taking cognizance of viola-
There are several points of ob- tions and non-compliances by
jections in various pages of the project proponents (PP), the draft
draft. Firstly, one of the major draw- is recognizing information provid-
backs in preparing an EIA report, ed only by PP, a government au-
so far, is that the onus of preparing thority, besides getting detected by
the EIA falls on the project propo- Appraisal Committee and regula-
nent (PP). In that case, a negative tory authority.
report is always unlikely. There- As provided in the Constitution of
fore, it is suggested that the reput- India, every citizen has a duty to
ed academic/research institutes maintain and improve his/her envi-
such as IITs be given the responsi- ronment. Therefore, information
bility of conducting EIA. Further, it provided by and complaints about the
is also submitted that the provision
of preparing the EIA should not be
violation and non-compliance lodged
by any Indian citizen should be taken
an onus on the PP. Rather, EIA and cognizance of. The rule proposed in
related studies should be the re- the draft goes against the spirit of
sponsibility of the Central or State the fundamental duty of citizens as
governments and detached from enshrined in the Constitution. An-
the PP. Secondly, it is observed that other important reservation is re-
the provision of B2 categories of garding the views and responses to
projects invalidates the process of be submitted by the public. The new
scoping, EIA and public consulta- draft notification seeks to reduce the
tion. It is not at all acceptable since time period of submission of obser-
a lot of projects, which are known vation, complaints, etc., from 30 to
to produce significant amounts of 20 days. It implies, thus, that ade-
pollution, have been placed under quate time has not been provided to
this category. Thirdly, it is observed the people who would be affected
that the new draft has a provision primarily by the commissioning of
of awarding post facto clearance to the project. Moreover, the draft also
various projects. Through this pro- nullifies the necessity of any EIA,
vision the Ministry seeks to legiti- public hearing and scrutiny by the
mize the illegal projects running expert committee in case of a project
without prior environmental clear- covering a land area up to 1,50,000
ance. This provision of post facto square metres instead of 20,000
clearance is absolutely anti-ecolog- square metres as per the 2006 noti-
unfortunate citizens. They too be disturbed and the Brahmaputra
deserve our attention and support.
Yours etc., BARUN BARPUJARI,
Six Mile, Guwahati.
river will become muddy. I have
travelled through such tunnels
elsewhere in the world. These go a
Underwater tunnel minimum of 100 feet below the
riverbed and there is no scope for
Sir, – This is in response to the
letter of Dr Hiren Gohain on the such apprehensions. His fear that
proposed river tunnel project the long raised approach, to prevent
below the Brahmaputra (AT, July the tunnel from being flooded, will
17). I beg to differ with Dr Gohain jeopardize the life of the indigenous
people to an immeasurable extent
on the following points. He has
is unfounded, because there would
stated that the project is undertaken
because of technological arrogance be no such very long raised
of the Government. Such a long embankment kind of thing. Modern
underwater project calls for technology will take care of that.
adoption of sophisticated ultramod- It will be better that the authority
ern technology. It is not called concerned comes up with a public
technological arrogance. He has awareness campaign to let the
cited the example of the Baghjan oil people know what is going to
well blowout as a case of technologi- happen and where. The State
cal arrogance. Oil well blowout is Government should take the
initiative. The detailed designs and
inadvertently associated with oil
drilling anywhere in the world. It drawings should not be in public
happened in Bombay High, in North domain for security reasons.
Sea, in Russia, in the USA, in the This is a big project and instead
Gulf and at Rudrasagar in Assam in of taking a caustic stand, we should
the 1960s also. As because this risk come forward to be associated with
is there, people will never refrain its implementation. Remaining
from oil exploration. away and bitter will only make us
Dr Gohain has stated that in the redundant. Yours etc., SANJIB
long construction phase of the SABHAPANDIT, Mother Teresa
Road, Guwahati.
proposed tunnel, the riverbed will
etary provision could not be made in
the current year. This is one reason
why the current slowdown is expect-
ed to remain in the State for some
considerably longer time. The
amount recommended by the 15th
FC for 2020-21 in terms of devolu-
tion of central taxes (Rs 26,776 crore)
and revenue deficit grant to the tune
of Rs 7,579 crores needs to be care-
fully handled as soon as it is released
and budgeted. With the Assembly
election round the corner, the Gov-
ernment should commit to its re-
sponsibility and not spend the amount
on the floating schemes which have
no sustainable impact on the econo-
my, rather would drive the economy
like a rudderless boat.
From what have been discussed
above, it can now be inferred well
that the State is not in a position to
tide over the deficit situation re-
sulting from various factors includ-
ing the emergence of Covid-19. To
reach the correction path, we need
time, resources and the aptitude for
planning to fix a roadmap. Unfortu-
nately, we neither have resources
nor have time as the election is
round the corner. Covid-19 has al-
ready eaten up a major part of our
time and resources. A strategy
must be there where we know ex-
actly where government interven-
tion in the Covid-19 process is a
must and where people need to
take care of themselves. A govern-
ment perhaps neither can exhaust
its resources in the name of a virus
which requires no application of
drugs for recovery of its patients
nor can it shut down every time
any business house for each posi-
tive case reported – people should
be made educated and responsible
for management of the disease.
fication. Without the EIA and public
hearing, the project decision is tanta-
mount to a blatant resource grabbing.
Besides, we place our serious reser-
vation to the definition of the study
area, provision of collection of base-
line data to be collected during the
process of preparing the EIA. It is
worth mentioning here that the new
draft necessitates the PP to submit
compliance reports once in a year
stating that they are adhering to the
terms and conditions on which the
permission was granted for the com-
missioning of the project which was
twice a year in the earlier notifica-
tion of 2006.
Economic growth cannot happen
at the cost of the welfare of the peo-
ple. But, the notification seems to
compromise with the general peo-
ple’s obtaining clean air, clean water
and many more environmental re-
sources. At a time when the global
community is desperately confront-
ing the climate emergency and vari-
ous climate-related disasters, EIA is
crucial for fighting against such ad-
verse impacts. Upon reviewing, how-
ever, the EIA Notification, 2020
seems obviously to weaken the fight
against climate change. The notifica-
tion, thus, once approved, shall re-
place the earlier notification of 2006
along with its various amendments
and would tantamount to fundamen-
tal changes in the environmental reg-
ulation of our country.
Tap water supply
Sir, – Your editorial dated July 12,
2020 is very much appreciated and
timely, hinting at the possible water
crisis in the days to come in
Guwahati city. It is not known why
the Government of Assam has not
accorded top priority for supply of
safe potable piped water to the
citizens of Guwahati, the gateway to
the Northeast. Sufficient funds were
allocated to the water supply
project, which started during 2007-
2008 and was supposed to be
completed by 2011. It was extended
till 2011 and further to 2013, 2015
and finally 2016. Later, we came to
know that the 24x7 water supply
project will be commissioned by
2020. It is estimated that 70%
people are suffering from stomach-
related diseases due to consumption
of unhygienic water. The State
Government should place the
completion of the water supply
project in its top priority list. Yours
etc., Dr AJOY KUMAR CHAKRA-
BARTY, Rukminigaon, Guwahati.
Articles (within 1000-1100 words) and
Letters to the Editor for publication in
the editorial page may be sent to the
email ID: editor@assamtribune.com.

Outrageous and
Shameful
T agriculture sector
he brutality at Jallianwala Bagh in 1919 had
stunned the entire nation. The sheer cal-
lousness and insensitivity of some towards
our iconic martyrs has done the same, again
today. The news of installation of obscene
and objectionable images at iconic Jallianwala Bagh has
rightfully led to widespread outrage and condemnation.
The portraits of two semi-naked women at the renovated
Gallery inside the Bagh along with national heroes have
not only disrespected the memory and sacrifices of our
great martyrs but has also dented the pride of Punjab.
That such a proposal was actually made and even al-
lowed to go through by the Jallianwala Bagh National
Memorial Trust (JWBMT), which none other than the
PM of country heads is insane to say the least. Former
Punjab BJP chief and current Rajya Sabha member Shwet
Malik was tasked with overseeing massive Bagh renova-
tion work undertaken by Archaeological Survey of India
since February. Malik is also the trustee of JWBMT. The
memorial has been closed since then and is scheduled to
open on July 31.
Jallianwala Bagh is a historic monument of utmost
significance in India’s freedom struggle and had played
a pivotal role in shaping the destiny of our national
consciousness. This disrespect to our national icons
is intolerable and should be investigated into to fix
responsibility and punishment to those liable. PM
Modi, being head of the Trust, must intervene and
ensure thorough enquiry to identify how such a monu-
mental blunder was allowed to take place in the first
place. A quick, time bound and fair investigation would
only assuage hurt feelings. The Jallianwala Bagh has
witnessed political oneupmanship by parties to claim
credit for its renovation, especially in recent times.
The families of the martyrs have also been critical of
makeover attempts urging preservation of its sanctity
at all costs. How far their feelings and sentiments
have been factored in remains to be seen once the
Bagh opens up after renovation, but what has already
come to light poses serious questions to understanding
and commitment of those looking after the monu-
ment renovation. Punjab has seen tough days and has
earned back peace after losing much. These incidents,
otherwise totally unavoidable, have the potential of
causing trouble and should be avoided. Our martyrs
are our collective treasure and pride and should not be
divided by political considerations. People of Punjab
are known world over to be overwhelmingly jealous
in guarding and cherishing their icons and heroes. Let
us not vitiate that.
Fast track
T
he distance between Delhi to Chandigarh
is 260 kms. It generally takes around
four hours by road and a little over three
hours by the Shatabdi Express. But if the
claims of National Highway Authority of
India (NHAI) is to be believed, then this time would
be cut short by almost half and people will be able to
reach Delhi from Chandigarh in just about two hours
by road. The National Highways Authority of India
(NHAI) is promising this will be a reality by June
2023 as it has set tight schedules for the completion
of Dwarka Expressway and Urban Extension Road
in Delhi, Trans-Haryana and the Delhi-Amritsar-
Katra expressways. The new expressways will reduce
the distance between the two points by just 20 km
from the existing 260 km to 240 km on the Delhi-
Chandigarh link, but the travel time will actually be
reduced by almost half. How could this be possible?
Well, commuters will be able to travel through five
expressways at a much higher speed. According to
estimates, at a permitted speed of 120 kmph on ex-
pressways, a vehicle will be able to cover 240 km in
just two around hours. There will also be no bottle-
necks on the way and driving will be rather smooth.
According to Union Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari,
the web of expressways in many parts of the country
including the Delhi-Mumbai one will transform the
way people travel on roads. He says this would be just
a trailer of the things to come in near future. It would
be a good experience for the commuters, according to
Gadkari. Even NHAI chairman K K Sandhu has said
that the completion of the projects will result in seam-
less connectivity across the region.
There will also be proper direction information through
signage on these roads which will be placed right from
Dwarka Expressway, the take-off point from the airport,
to guide the commuters till their destinations such as
Chandigarh, Amritsar and Katra in Jammu. This will
guide the commuters to easily find their way. For fast
travel to reach their ultimate destinations, the com-
muters will need to travel on Dwarka Expressway and
a spur from Urban Extension Road to reach the KMP
expressway at Bahadurgarh. This will be a 40 km drive.
Then after covering about 10 km of KMP expressway
they will take the Delhi-Katra expressway for approxi-
mately 80 km. Later commuters will be able to take the
Trans-Haryana Expressway to reach Ambala which
will lead to Chandigarh. NHAI officials claim that all
interchanges have been designed to make the travel
pretty smooth. Thus the new Delhi-Chandigarh road
may not just be fast but smooth as well and less time
consuming as well.
SPIRITUAL WORLD
OPINION 06 CHANDIGARH, TUESDAY, JULY 21, 2020
Ordinances to transform
KAILASH CHOUDHARY
F
or a very long time,
reforms in agriculture
The lack of a marketing have been
debated, but no deci-
legal framework sive action had been
for contracting taken. It required leadership
and political will to unshackle
between farmer the farmers from the vice-like
and buyer in India grip of intermediaries who take
away a large slice of farmers’ in-
has historically led come by resorting to cartelisation
to limited private and unfair arbitrage. Two land-
mark ordinances were recently
sector participation promulgated by the President of
in production. India, which have the potential
to fundamentally transform the
This Ordinance agriculture sector and facilitate
provides a uniform more holistic development of ag-
riculture markets, from farm to
framework for fork, furthering the government’s
vision of doubling farmer income in place, a vibrant ecosystem will tion of the Ordinance the govern- market prices are highly variable,
private investment by 2022. be created for farmers and traders ment of India has announced an but enables them to grow risky
in markets, without The aim is to help the farmer creating an unrestricted market Agri Infra Fund of Rs 1 lakh crore. crops and benefit from the upside.
become an entrepreneur rather with 3 key benefits - First, choice The fund will catalyse otherwise Second, access to market intel-
challenging a than being subservient to unholy of market, allowing a farmer to sell stagnant investment from coop- ligence and hence higher value
farmer’s ownership nexus of regulated markets and in any state or national market eratives, FPOs and private sector per acreage. With limited forward
intermediaries. The first of these that offers the best prices. This to facilitate creation of physical linkages, farmers don’t have access
rights or right Ordinances, The Farmers’ Produce will limit the high dependence on infrastructure like assaying and to consumer demand trends and
to cultivation - Trade and Commerce (Promotion local traders and enable farmers grading facilities, cold chain etc, hence, are not able to optimize
& Facilitation) Ordinance 2020, to realise the best prices for their allowing farmers to store and sell, crop and varietal mix. This Ordi-
which will provide provides freedom to farmers to produce, without having to pay and reduce wastage or distress nance will enable stronger linkage
farmers three sell when they want, where they
want and in whichever market
commissions and fees to middle-
men. A competitive marketplace
sales. While the first Ordinance
facilitates better price realisation
with both domestic and export
markets.
benefits they want, which was restricted will be created with large number post-harvest, the second Ordi- Third, access to better tech-
by stringent (and variable) APMC of buyers leading to higher price nance, The Farmers (Empower- nology and knowhow for farm
regulations. There were previously realisation for farmers. ment and Protection) Agreement management and hence, higher
four key restrictions for farmers - Second, choice of place, allowing on Price Assurance and Farm Ser- yield. As private sector will now
location of market (restricted to farmer to sell from any location - vices Ordinance 2020, enables have framework to better integrate
the nearest geographic market), including farmgate, storage points market linkages at the sowing with farming practices, they can
number of buyers (limited to li- like warehouses or silos, private stage, thereby limiting both pro- channel expertise to farmers as
cenced traders leading to carteliza- mandis or the APMC markets. duction risk and price risk. well as make direct technology
tion, restricting competition and With the option to sell at farmgate The lack of a legal framework investments (e.g. geo monitoring
reducing farmer price realization),
infrastructure availability (due to
or warehouse, farmers can reduce
transportation overheads and im-
for contracting between farmer
and buyer in India has histori-
setups, IoT, etc) driving higher
yield and promoting sustainable
lack of private investment outside prove net realisation in addition to cally led to limited private sector agriculture over long term.
the mandi) and price transparency sidestepping the challenges faced participation in production. This Beyond the benefits, this or-
(limited visibility of inter-state in current markets. Ordinance provides a uniform dinance also safeguards farmers
prices, potential for intermediaries Third, choice of timing, allowing framework for private investment by providing clear guidance and
to gain through arbitrage at the farmer to store produce and sell in markets, without challenging a support to enter into fair trade
cost of farmers). post price discovery. Previously, farmer’s ownership rights or right practices, a stringent dispute reso-
In addition to these restrictions, farmers would have to transport to cultivation - which will provide lution mechanism, penalties for
farmers face multiple operational their produce to the mandi, incur- farmers three benefits. misconduct by buyers, etc.
challenges including prohibitive ring significant transportation First, risk mitigation and greater Collectively, these reforms will
transportation costs to the nearest costs. This would result in a need predictability of income. Farmers herald a new dawn for agriculture
market, long queues at market and to sell irrespective of prices, in will have the option to enter into in India, transforming farmers
delays in auction, local mafia raj, order to avoid incurring a reverse agreements with buyers before into vibrant producers, integrated
etc. Further, the choice of APMC transportation cost. Under the sowing, securing the price for with the national and global econ-
mandi and procurement at MSP, new Ordinance, a farmer can store their sale. Further, they may be omy, who have freedom, choice,
will continue uninterrupted. and sell, due to choice to market able to enter into agreements that higher price realization for their
Finally, in order to protect the and place. protect them from harvest losses produce and security of livelihood.
interest of farmers, the govern- While historically there has been as well, thereby insuring against
ment has mandated an expedi- limited investment in infrastruc- output risk. This provides greater (The writer is Minister of
ent and simple dispute resolution ture along the value chain, in order certainty for farmers in scenarios State for Agriculture & Farmers’
process. With the new Ordinance to support smooth implementa- where either the crop output or Welfare)
Covid-19 in children: Is it time to panic?
DRUG ALLERGY
What are the drugs that
commonly cause allergy ? PUJA GUPTA reported from Europe and then the
O
US. It seems to be occurring at the
to and potential symp- f the estimated 12 million end wave of the epidemic that is 2-4
toms people that have tested weeks after peak infection rate is seen
DR. ALKA School and class positive for Covid-19 in the population.
DOGRA teacher should be globally since the out- Dr Garekar advises parents to
informed about drug break, only 6 percent contact paediatrician if their child
# ANTIBIOTICS allergy each child has. are children. Children also make up for has persistent fever, along with a
#PAIN KILLERS An electronic record of less than 3 percent of the hospitalized rash or red eyes or stomach ache/
a. Penicillin the same should also patients, though hospitalization rate is vomiting. Suspicion of MIS-C should
a. Ibuprofen be maintained in the higher in children less than five years, be aroused and investigated in sick
# Sulfa drugs school. compared to older children. There are children. Typically, the Paediatrician
b. Tetracycline Parents should take many reasons speculated as to why fever (more than three days), rash, will rapidly rule out more likely causes
b. Aspirin the doctors help in Covid-19 has had a lesser impact on red eyes, stomach pain and nausea/ like Typhoid, Dengue Fever, Malaria,
c. Amoxycillin understanding the children. One explanation is that the vomiting, informs Dr Garekar. “Sore etc, she says. “Another mimicker is
# Anti- seizure drugs. drug/drugs in a certain virus can’t attach to body linings (e.g. throat and cough/cold is much less ‘Kawasaki Disease’. Kawasaki Disease
# Anti- cancer drugs. class their child may be nasal mucosa) as the receptors are less common. Blood tests show general- affects younger population (less than
#Anaesthetics. allergic to in children; another is that children are ized inflammation and the heart is 5years of age), here platelet counts
What are the common Parents should protected by antibodies produced by involved in a major way. Here the are high, unlike MIS-C. Also, Heart
symptoms of Drug allergy ? consult a doctors if they other viruses they are exposed to, and typical adult finding of bad Pneu- muscle damage is more frequent
come across some of these antibodies are protective, points out monia is missing. There may or in MIS-C. Heart involvement can
Skin rashes the common symptoms Dr Swati Garekar, Consultant, Paediatric may not be positive COVID-19 test be picked up by Echocardiography
Hives that occur following Cardiology, Fortis Hospital, Mulund. (PCR or the antibody test) and they and certain blood markers of Heart
Itching prescription of a drug Yet another reason is that children may have had close contact with a inflammation. Early diagnosis and
Fever Any new allergies are staying at home during the pan- COVID-19 patient. The involvement treatment will ensure early recovery
Wheezing should be noted on demic, and hence are less likely to of the heart is the most worrisome” and less chance of long term damage.
Shortness of Runny the child’s medical be exposed to people who may be laments the expert. In short, there is no reason to panic,
nose. record. This should Covid-19 positive, she adds. “The heart muscles could have but parental vigilance is the key,” she
Itchy watery eyes be carried by the India is the second most populous weakened and the coronary artery concludes.
Breath parent during every country in the world and has demo- walls may have been damaged. Spe-
Vomiting doctor visit graphic profile of a young nation with cial intravenous medicines (steroids (Puja Gupta can be contacted at
ain in abdomen. Drug allergies in 26 percent (367million out of 1.4bil- and Immunoglobulins) are required puja.g@ians.in)
What are the ways to dermatology come as lion) being children less than 15 years to bring the disease under control.
overcome drugs allergies ? maculopapular rash of age. This could have translated into These medicines are most effective DISCLAIMER : The opinions expressed
,full body involvement huge number of Covid-19 positive when given early in the course of the in the articles published in these
Parents and close in the form of erythro- cases. However, Indian population’s disease.” The peculiar disease affecting columns are the personal opinions of
family members should derma , hair and nail recovery rate from Covid-19 is faster multiple organs in children has been the authors. The facts and opinions
be educated about the breakage , and fixed than most countries, and the death termed ‘Multisystem Inflammatory appearing in the articles do not reflect
drugs their child is al- drug eruptions with rate is much lower too. Syndrome in Children’ (MIS-C), she the views of Bright Punjab Express
lergic to Child should violetious lesion on the There have been several reports says. The World Health Organisa- and Bright Punjab Express does not
be taught about the fixed site with blister- that highlight a peculiar illness tion (WHO) and Centre for Disease assume any responsibility or liability
drug he/she is allergic ing. affecting children these days; in Control (CDC) US, has now given it
for the same.
which, children have had persistent a distinct definition. MIS-C was first

What are US and UK trying to hide?
█ BY PATRICK COCKBURN
T
HE new Cold War launched by the West
against China and Russia is escalating
by the day. In a single week, the Kremlin
has been unmasked trying to discover
the secrets of Britain’s pursuit of a vaccine
against coronavirus and revelations are
promised about covert Russian interference in
British politics. Prime Minister Boris Johnson
made a U-turn on Huawei, announcing that it is
to be kicked out of participation in the 5G
network because it poses a threat to British
security, though a curiously slow-burning one
since they will only be evicted over seven years.
The White House may put the widely used
Chinese video app TikTok on a blacklist that
would prevent Americans from using it. It is
considering using the 1977 International
Emergency Economic Powers Act in order to
penalise TikTok as “an unusual and
extraordinary threat” to US security. President
Donald Trump says he is considering banning
the app in response to the way China handled
the coronavirus epidemic.
This is a clue to the prime motive for Trump
to ramp up the Cold War against China, which is
his determination to win a second term in the
White House by diverting voters’ attention from
his catastrophic handling of the pandemic.
“Don’t defend Trump – attack China” is the
advice of a leaked 57-page memo circulated
among Republican senatorial candidates in
April. It suggested that politicians should blame
China for starting the epidemic by allowing the
virus to escape from a laboratory in Wuhan,
lying about it and hoarding medical equipment
needed to treat the sick.
A striking feature of the US and British
diplomatic offensive against China is how little
criticism or even discussion it has provoked in
any quarter in the US and Britain, even from
those whose normal knee-jerk reaction is to
denounce anything said or done by Trump or
Johnson. This may be because these critics are
genuinely horrified by undoubted Chinese
oppression of the Uighurs, proposed imposition
of dictatorial rule in Hong Kong, and assertions
of military power in the South China Sea and on
the Chinese-Indian frontier.
As during the original Cold War in the late
1940s and 1950s, critics can be conveniently
dismissed as Communist sympathisers or
dupes. Unsurprisingly, Democratic presidential
candidate Joe Biden is responding to the
confrontation with China by demanding that
the US should take an even tougher stance
towards Beijing, while the Democratic Party
establishment are ever hopeful that their
prolonged campaign to portray Trump as the
creature of Vladimir Putin’s Russia will take fire
and do him serious damage at the polls.
LETTERS letters@thesundaily.com
Just hang up on Macau scammers
A RETIRED bank officer, the latest victim of the
Macau scam, lost a staggering RM168,000 in
Balik Pulau last week.
It is mind boggling how a senior bank officer
who knows about frauds can fall for the
preposterous scam.
The modus operandi of the scam was a tried
and tested formula which led to the
65-year-old disclosing the password and login
information of his online bank account to the
fraudsters.
If they can convince and cheat a bank officer,
then other people are plain “easy meat” for the
scammers.
There have been more than a dozen Macau
scam cases this year.
Kepala Batas in Kedah had the highest
record of losses.
Every other week, some poor soul was
ripped off of his hard earned cash by these
fraudsters.
The losses were staggering, amounting to a
few hundred thousands.
The entire savings of some victims, mostly
those recently retired, were lost in the scams.
It is strange that the syndicate members are
As with Trump’s claim that China is
ultimately responsible for the lethal debacle of
America’s handling of the Covid-19 epidemic, I
have always thought that Hillary Clinton’s claim
that she lost the 2016 election because of
Russian interference was absurd. Every history
of her presidential campaign shows that she lost
for obvious self-inflicted reasons such as not
campaigning enough in key northern states like
Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan – states
that Trump won by a whisker.
The explanation for Johnson’s U-turn over
Huawei is simply explained by his inability to
withstand American pressure as Britain leaves
Biden leads Trump with four months to go
Joe Biden continues to lead troubled incumbent Donald Trump in the
run-up to November’s U.S. election, according to the latest poll data
POLL AVERAGE: How 2020 campaign compares to 2016, when Donald Trump
fought against former First Lady, Hillary Clinton
2020 election campaign
Trump Biden
52%
50 49.0
48
46.3
46
44
42 43.3
40 41.3
38
Jan Feb Mar Apr
LEAD AVERAGE: How Biden’s lead over Trump compares to Clinton’s lead
Biden (2020)
12%
Biden’s lead more
10
stable than Clinton’s
8 indiscriminately?” World Health Organisation
5.7
6
4 we understand that the divisions and the cracks
2 5.0
Note: Data up to July 15 2020/2016
0 warriors the world over this week, and it was a
Sources: RealClearPolitics Picture: Aaron Kittredge (Pexels)
able to find victims who have fat bank accounts.
Are the scammers using “spells” to hypnotise
victims through the phone calls to disclose their
bank details and to make huge monetary
transactions to unknown accounts?
Many of my friends who have had an
encounter with these fraudsters usually cut off
their call and do not entertain them.
Do not engage with them, the moment they
identify themselves as the court officer or police
officer.
Just hang up the phone!
The Macau scam needs to be given high
priority by the banks and the police.
The banks need to be “busy bodies” and call
their customers to inquire whenever huge
transactions are made online.
The banks should cap the amount of
withdrawal for the benefit of the depositor.
The police, on the other hand, should
infiltrate and apprehend the phone scam
syndicate members and a put a stop to such
cheats.
Samuel Yesuiah
Seremban
the EU and becomes even more dependent on
the US. The kowtow to Washington over
Huawei is the first of many such humiliations
that come as an inevitable consequence of
Brexit. Instead of getting back control of its
destiny, Britain will be more like Little Red
Riding Hood lost in the global forest and
menaced by every passing wolf.
There may be enough Chinese and Russian
misbehaviour to justify retaliation, but
threat-inflation has the great advantage of
diverting attention from the UK government’s
incompetence in coping with the pandemic, a
failure only excelled by the US and Brazil.
2016 election campaign
Trump Clinton
May 27: Covid-19
deaths reach
100,000
48.7
43.1
40.4
40.1
May Jun Jul
Clinton (2016)
8.6
2.7
© GRAPHIC NEWS
Crack down on illegal car rental operators
LAST Sunday morning, a rented car crashed
into several parked vehicles while making a
U-turn at a carpark along the popular Jalan
Pantai Cenang in Langkawi. It was an accident
waiting to happen.
The car was driven by a 35-year-old
disabled tourist who was found to be driving
under the influence of alcohol. Although he
had no valid driving licence, the car was
rented to him either by an illegal operator or
the staff of a licensed car rental company who
had been negligent.
Langkawi is well known for cheap rental
cars offered by roadside operators.
Although the Car Rental Association of
Malaysia had succeeded in getting many
unlicensed car rental operators in Langkawi to
join its association and legitimise their
business some time ago, the situation remains
largely laissez-faire.
Mercifully, the driver did not seriously
injure or kill anyone.
Whenever an unlicensed rented car was
seriously damaged when driven by a
customer and no other party was involved, a
staff would make a false police report that he
was the driver to make an insurance claim, as
9
theSUN ON TUESDAY | JULY 21, 2020
SPEAK UP
Quite possibly Russian intelligence in the
shape of cybergroup Cozy Bear has devoted
great efforts to stealing secrets from western
academia and pharmaceutical firms seeking to
produce a vaccine against coronavirus. Less
clear is why such information should be secret,
unless these institutions and companies are
planning to keep monopoly control over any
vaccine produced, unlike the polio vaccine
which the US made available to the world when
developed by American scientists in the 1950s.
The heads and former heads of British
intelligence agencies have been giving solemn
interviews about how UK security is threatened
by Russian and Chinese machinations. The
nature of this threat is never spelled out and
intelligence chiefs can always claim that to do so
would compromise confidential information
that must not be disclosed.
I have always had doubts over the exalted
claims about the excellence of British
intelligence, which has become part of the
national myth. The saga of the breaking of the
German Enigma codes in World War II has
replaced the defeat of the Spanish Armada as a
source of national pride and self-confidence.
Yet I have always wondered about those
great British secrets that hostile powers hunger
to learn and must be protected at all costs.
British officials I encountered over the years
during wars in the Middle East never seemed
strikingly well-informed, but it was always
possible that they were being singularly discreet
or they were outside the loop of those privy to
such vital information. Yet when the exhaustive
Chilcott inquiry into British actions during the
Iraq War was published in 2016, it concluded
that Britain was poorly informed about almost
everything that was going on in Iraq before and
after it joined the US-led invasion. On the
Libyan war in 2011, a House of Commons select
committee on foreign affairs report concluded
that Britain lacked “accurate intelligence” or
much idea of what was happening.
It is just possible to forget amid the threats
and counter-threats of the new Cold War – and
the intention is certainly that we should forget –
that the world is failing to contain a pandemic
that has killed half a million people. Never has
global unity of effort been more necessary,
whatever differences there may be, and its
fragmentation more damaging. “How is it
difficult for humans to unite and fight a
common enemy that is killing people
director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
asked, wiping away tears of frustration. “Can’t
between us are an advantage for the virus?”
He got his answer from the Cold War
resounding “no”. – The Independent
there is no cover when private cars are used
for hire or reward.
Langkawi is a hotbed for illegal car rental
activities because motor vehicles here are
much cheaper without excise duty.
Unlike other places where customers could
drive off a rented car and never return, the
only way out of the island is via the lone ferry
terminal.
Over the years, I have set up and operated
five car rental businesses and is fully aware of
the risks in hiring and driving an unlicensed
private car. But many people throw caution to
the winds and sadly, they are facilitated by
illegal car rental operators and irresponsible
staff that rented out cars without proper
documentation.
Lack of enforcement has always resulted in
illegitimate businesses to thrive while licensed
operators complying with regulations suffer.
Government agencies are best rated by the
health of the industry they are supposed to
regulate, not by their own key performance
indicators.
YS Chan
Kuala Lumpur
6 GJ EDIT/OP-ED PAGE || GREATER JAMMU ||
JAMMU, TUESDAY, JULY 21, 2020||

Greater Jammu LINE OF ACTUAL CONTROL: EVOLUTION TO

TUESDAY, JULY 21, 2020 BECOMING THE LINE OF NO CONTROL?
DEFEATING THE ADVERSARIES COL ALOK MATHUR, SM (VETERAN)

ndia has a 3488 kms long frontier with China

McMahon Line
A treaty had been signed between Russia and
Britain in 1907, accepting Chinese Suzerainty on
Xinjiang and Tibet. A delayed action by a sleep-
ing India was the adoption of the "Forward
Policy" which resulted in the Sino-India War of

D
espite the pressure of Hindu traditionalists who
formed the right wing of the dominant Congress
I along Xinjiang, Uygur, Zizhiqu and Tibet. Of
this, 1597 kms is in Ladakh, 200 kms in
Himachal Pradesh, 345 kms in Uttrakhand, 220
kms in Sikkim and 1126 kms in Arunachal
Party after Independence, Nehru and Dr, B. R. Pradesh. Interestingly, Xinjiang and Tibet regions
Ambedkar, argued successfully in favour of a form of are under forcible occupation of China and should
actually be called China Occupied East Turkestan
composite culture i.e. secularism. In fact after having (COET) and China Occupied Tibet (COT) respec-
tively. The second interesting point is that the
witnessed how Muslim communalism had resulted in Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was not even
the division of the country into India and Pakistan in born when the boundaries were firmed-in by the
British and the existing governments of these
1947 thus not only dividing India into two parts but also regions on the principle of watershed and crest,
from Karakoram pass in Ladakh to Kibitu in East
dividing a civilization, Nehru believed that Indian secu- ArunachaI Pradesh.
larism was vital for integrity of India as a place where all In Ladakh, the border was well defined by the
Dogra Dynasty rulers and was accepted by inde-
citizens are equal. Ironically, during Nehru's tenure as pendent India on 26 October, 1947, when
Maharaja Hari Singh of Jammu and Kashmir
PM, it was widely used to designate ideological forces signed the Instrument of Accession to join the
Indian Union. The boundary coincided with the
that sought to divide the Indian society along religious "Johnson-Ardagh Line" of British India that had
lines while keeping the nation intact. The worst came in been accepted by the princely state of Jammu and
Kashmir and Tibet.
the 1980s when the Congress Party began opportunis- Johnson Ardagh Line
British India wanted a clear demarcation line
tically pandering to one religious community after on Tibet/Xinjiang and Ladakh frontiers as a pre-
another more overtly thus throwing secularism to tatters caution against expansionist Russia. In 1865, Sir
W.H. Johnson, then Surveyor General of India
was deeply damaged as a result. The then prime min- was given the responsibility to carry out the sur-
vey in Ladakh. He endorsed that the border of
ister Indira Gandhi left no stone unturned in capitalizing Khotan, an ancient Kingdom now a part of
Xinjiang, was till the Kun Lun mountain range
on religious differences adopting blatantly contemptu- and the Karakash valley was within Jammu and
ous ways and means. After Mrs Gandhi's death in Kashmir. The boundary of Jammu and Kashmir
stretched from Sanju Pass in the west to Eastern
1984, her son Rajiv Gandhi followed his mother's ideol- most edge of Chang Chenmo Valley along Kun
Lun mountain range.
ogy. This became crystal clear when the Apex Court of The proposal was finally approved by Major
the nation pronounced a landmark judgement in Shah General John Ardagh, Chief of Military
Intelligence at London in 1897. The legal bound-
Bano case, but his government nullified the said judge- ary between India and East Turkmenistan was
thus based all along the Kun Lun Range and was
ment through legislation in the Parliament. Thus the called the "Johnson- Ardagh Line."
In 1893, Hung Ta Chen, a top Chinese official,
real spirit if India's traditional secularism got badly provided to the Russians a map marked with fron-
bruised over decades. However, when the incumbent tiers coinciding with the Johnson-Ardagh Line.
An Atlas published by the Government of China
government after taking over reins from the decimated in 1933 showed the Johnson-Ardagh Line as a
border between Xinjiang and India. Peking
Congress, it flagged it as a priority that irrespective of University Atlas also confirmed Aksai Chin as
caste creed colour and religious affiliations, all sections part of India. It was thus accepted by all parties as
a frontier.
feel equal and not ignored. The same parties that fos- The Government of India, post independence,
fixed the official boundary in the state of Jammu
tered the communal divide for vote bank interests for and Kashmir along the Kun Lun mountain range
as defined by Johnson- Ardagh Line.
decades accuse the present dispensation of promoting McCartney McDonald Line
divisive ideology. It would not be out of context to men- The Chinese, in 1896, on instigation by the
Russians, submitted a map to Mr George
tion here that the stalwarts of these very parties have McCartney, the British Counsel in Kashgar, that
proposed another boundary line in this region.
started issuing unwanted statements on laying foun- The proposal was developed by Sir Claude
dation of Ayodhya Ram Mandir likely on August 5, with Mcdonald, British Envoy in China and approved
by Lord Elgin, Governor General of India in
NCP leader Sharad Pawar directing his party cadre to 1899. The boundary line was shifted due South-
West of Johnson Line along Lakstang Mountain
stay away from the said foundation laying ceremony. Range. It placed Lingzi Plains in India but Aksai
Chin which was North of Lakstang range was
Such type of situations arise only because the people shown as part of Tibet. This line was not ratified
remain mute spectators except of course indulging in by any government, but, CCP, in 1959, proposed
to India to consider McCartney Line as the new
debates and discussions on their exploitation by politi- frontier. CCP was ready to drop its claim on
NEFA in return; the then Congress party led
cians and just keep blaming the political leaders for it. Government in India did not agree.
Today it needs to be realized by the common Indians
that there is a clarion call for exhibiting greater respon-
sibility and concern for our neighbors, our friends ENCOUNTERING THE LAW AND THE POLITY
across the streets irrespective of religious affiliations One has to proceed beyond criminals. Talking about them is glorifying the lot. Facts behind this so-called encounter
leaving no scope at all to be exploited on communal make one laugh. No self-respecting writer would dignify this episode by picking holes in the charade, the stoppage
lines by the canny politicians. After all, Indians have the of the TV caravan, shifting him into a smaller car which could be tilted, drama of the escape and the shooting.
wisdom and culture of a great civilization to guide them KEKI DARUWALLA
through thick and thin. Let each and every Indian be it f the state is fighting a criminal mafia, a nar-
Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs or others rise to the
occasion and defeat all adversaries showing to the
I cotics network, or an illegal financial cartel
out to fleece people, it is at a disadvantage.
The others will bend the law, break it, try all the
jiggery-pokery at their command, hire contract
world the true face of Indian secularism, the essential killers, do everything that law forbids. The state
must work within the boundaries set by its laws
characteristics of which are first and foremost and the Constitution. It cannot break its own laws.
Indianness besides tolerance, faith and belief in a truly And let us face it, that respect due to the state lies
in this very fact that it stands by its laws.
multi religious society. We need to look outside our little well. Look at
the reaction in the US and the rest of the world to
the knee on George Floyd’s neck! How do we
LETTER TO THE EDITOR react to brutality by our police? Is there a distinct
difference between what the gangsters did and the
CORRUPT SHOULDN'T GO SCOT FREE way the state answered? A few years before I
joined the IPS in 1958, Justice Mulla of the
Dear Editor, but tentamounts to amnesty to the offi- Allahabad High Court had denounced the police
hrough the medium of your cer for his corrupt practices. As reported as the biggest organised breakers of law. People
Tibet. Tibetan rulers were not happy and refused
to endorse the treaty but under pressure and mili-
tary coercion by the British, the terms were
accepted.
A tripartite conference was held at Shimla
(Himachal Pradesh) on 27 April 1914. The British
representative was Sir Henry McMahon, Tibet
was represented by Lanchen Shatara and nation-
alist China by Ivan Chen. The finalised map and
proceeding (called the McMahon Line) were
signed by Tibet and India on 3 July 1914. This
was done in the absence of a Chinese representa-
tive and was later objected by China. Tibet had
also wanted Tawang to be its part. In 1937, the
Shimla Convention was approved by British India
and Survey of India published maps showing
McMahon Line as the legal International border
between Tibet and India.
After the collapse of the Qing dynasty, Tibet
declared itself as an independent nation in 1915
under the 13th Dalai Lama, Thubten Gyasto.
Tawang was occupied in April 1938 by a spe-
cial force led by Captain G S Lightfoot. When the
force left, the Tibetans again moved into Tawang
and occupied it till 1951. Post independence, the
North-Eastern region was called the North East
Frontier Tract (NEFT). A column of 2 Assam
Rifles led by Major Bob Khathing (A Tangkhul
Naga) liberated Tawang on 20 April 1951 and
unfurled the Tricolour at Bum la. Thus, McMahon
Line became the legal frontier and the region was
renamed North East Frontier Agency (NEFA).
Later, in 1972, it became the Union Territory of
Arunachal Pradesh and a full-fledged State of the
Indian Union on 20 February 1987.
The situation changed when the communists
came to power in China in October, 1949. At that
time, India, under Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, was
aspiring leadership of the Non-Aligned
Movement and following a foreign policy of
"Peace and Tranquillity" with its neighbours.
India was one of the first countries to recognise
Communist China in 1949. Nehru further spon-
sored China to the United Nations and helped the
country get a permanent seat in the Security
Council. The Indian Government signed the
Panchsheel Agreement with China. It was based
on five principles of peaceful coexistence.
Accordingly, there was very thin military deploy-
ment on the northern frontier by India.
Independent India, post 1947, was absolutely
clear that the International Border remained dis-
tinctly marked in East as McMahon Line; in
Sikkim , Uttrakhand and Himachal Pradesh as
the present line and in Ladakh as the Johnson-
Ardagh Line.
Nehru was shocked when, in August 1950,
Chinese troops annexed Tibet and made it a part
of China. The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso,
signed a 17 point treaty with China in 1951. The
Indian Government recognised Tibet as part of
the People Republic of China. In 1956-57, there
was an uprising in Tibet by CIA trained guerrillas
who ambushed PLA convoys. The Chinese
inducted several divisions and suppressed the
rebellion. The Dalai Lama escaped in 1959 with
his followers to Tawang and settled permanently
in India.
China then contended that Tibet had never
been a sovereign nation and had no power to exe-
cute the treaty with India which created the
McMahon Line. It claimed the whole of NEFA as
South Tibet. In the northern frontier too, Chinese
forces clandestinely occupied Aksai chin in 1956
and made a 185 km long Highway G-219 joining
Were all police weapons loaded? Was the
revolver of the brave Deputy SP, Devendra
Mishra, loaded? You are going for a murderer
with 60 crimes on his record book. If Mishra had
a weapon, why didn’t he fire? Was there any
retaliatory fire from the police party? Why
weren’t the armed police or the PAC (Provincial
Armed Constabulary) accompanying them? Why
was it left to a Deputy SP? Why didn’t a more
senior officer lead the raid? What was the SSP,
Kanpur, doing? Twiddling his thumbs? This is
where leadership has to be shown. Lead your
men. The Army comes out trumps in such situa-
tions. The police lag woefully behind. Were
inputs taken from the local intelligence unit,
known as the LIU in UP? The SP who planned
the raid should be held responsible. There is also
the possibility of there being no planning. Just go
and get the fellow, dash it!
With UP and the UP police, one has to invent
phrases to fit the action. The first phrase coming
1962.
China launched a surprise attack across the
McMahon Line and reached till Rupa Post on the
foothills of the Himalayas overlooking the River
Brahmaputra. This was the point of the Chinese
claim and was almost 200 kms into Indian
Territory from Bum la, overrunning garrisons of
Tawang, Se La and Bomdi la.
Post the 1962 debacle, the Chinese did retreat
but continued to occupy almost 38000 sq kms of
Indian territory that they wanted. Zhau Enlai, in
a polite letter to Nehru christened the new
boundary as Line of Actual Control (LAC) a
loose ad hoc frontier based on the Actual Ground
Position Line.
Line of Actual Control (Line of No Control)
The LAC runs from Karakoram Pass in the
North West to Chumar camp across River Indus
on a frontage of approximately 450 kms. There
are a few important features and river junctions
on the LAC. Firstly, Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO), an
old camp site and village just below the
Karakoram Pass that has a functional Air strip and
is now linked with an all weather Class 40 , 255
km long road (DSDBO Road) from Darbuk
Cantonment. Secondly, Chip Chap River Valley,
that originates from the Karakoram range.
Thirdly, Despang Plains where the LAC runs
along a 25 km long open area. Fourthly, the
Galwan River that is about 80 km long and orig-
inates from Samzunglin in Kun Lun mountains
and joins the Shyok River. Fifthly, Chang
Chenmo Valley in the south that touches Gogra
camp and goes further 3 kms to the east at Hot
Springs police memorial point; Hot Springs is a
hot Sulphur spring with temperature of 107
Degree Fahrenheit even under sub-zero condi-
tions . Another 6 kms to the East is Kongka La
held by India. Sixthly, Pangong Lake where LAC
crosses near Finger 8 and approaches Rezang La,
East of Chusul. Seventhly, Village Demchok, in
Nyoma Tehsil, an old British Military camp site
on the Indus River, also called Demochang.
Lastly, Chumar Camp, a Border outpost and
meeting point located on an elevation of 16700
feet overlooking Himachal Pradesh.
Thus, was created a new border which was not
well defined, marked or based on a watershed and
continues to create confusion. Despite all agree-
ments, the Chinese keep declaring a new claim
line to irritate India. They carry out illegal activi-
ties in buffer zones in the form of temporary
intrusions. It has happened several times after the
1962 war. The Chinese were given a bloody nose
in Nathu La and Cho La at Sikkim in 1967. Indian
forces further checkmated them at Sumdorong
Chu Valley, Twang in 1986/1987. They were
stopped at DBO in 2000 and Shubansiri sector in
Arunachal Pradesh in 2003; again at DBO in
2013.
In the present context they attempted an intru-
sion at Naku La on 6 May 2020, and again at
Patrolling Point 14 in Galwan Valley on 15 June
where they were forced back in a major clash with
Indian forces.
India has been trying to defend the points on
LAC as marked on a handmade map. sadly, the
situation is such due to Chinese irascibility that
the Line of actual Control has become a Line of
No Control. What is definite here is that the
Indian nation and particularly the Indian Army
will not allow China to get away with its expan-
sionist designs. The necessary national resolve
and military power to ensure this is available with
India. The sooner China realises this the better.
the story put up, I mean. No self-respecting
writer would dignify this episode by picking
holes in the charade, the stoppage of the TV car-
avan following the arrested gangster Dubey,
shifting him into a smaller car which could be
tilted, drama of the escape and the inevitable
shooting. The public is also to blame. The police
must be flooded with congratulatory messages,
well done! This is the way to circumvent our out-
dated system of justice. The effect on the polity
and on the system of justice, especially in Uttar
Pradesh, can be imagined. The Special
Investigation Team (SIT) announced consists of
an IAS officer and two police officers. One hopes
that whitewash is not on the cards. The SIT need-
ed a High Court judge, or a retired one. And, ide-
ally, men from outside UP, a police officer from
the paramilitary to help the SIT. With UP officers
composing the SIT, can one expect a really
impartial outcome?
What about satellite encounters, five of them?

T esteemed newspaper I would like

to register the concern of common
man on the news resonating in the pub-
lic domain about a senior IAS officer for
returning around R 40 lakh which report-
edly he has acquired illegally from a
semi-government organization. So far
no legal action has been taken against
the officer for this act that directly falls
under the purview of corruption laws
and extortion as the said officer would
have acquired this heavy amount by
misuse of his official position and defi-
nitely for conferring undue benefit to
himself causing loss to the organization.
The UT administration merely looking
for a probe by the department of person-
nel and training and thereafter mere
shifting the officer from UT is nothing
Please send your valuable responses at editorgreaterjammu@gmail.com
in print media, the ill-gotten money has
been invested by the officer in various
projects and businesses in Jammu and as
such it requires a thorough probe by CBI
by shifting the officer to a silent and
unimportant post so that he could not
muster undue influence of his position
over the investigation. Such big fishes
are responsible for getting the JK brand-
ed as the most corrupt State now UT in
India. Keeping in view the Lt
Governor's determination to eradicate
corruption, it is hoped that he will set an
example for others by acting with iron
hand in the present case without suc-
cumbing to the lobby of a few corrupt
bureaucrats.
Mahadeep Singh Jamwal,
Udhampur.
seem to have forgotten that stricture.
I think July 10 was a sad day for law and
order. It was as sad a day as when forewarned
criminals shot dead eight cops of Chaubepur
police station of Kanpur district on July 3. In
fact, July 10 was sadder. It had wider implica-
tions for the polity and system of justice in the
most populous state in India. It was more tragic
than criminals shooting members of a raiding
police party dead.
The raid on July 3 leaves many questions.
How did the police become sitting ducks? Did
they carry weapons? They must have. Why was
Vinay Tiwari, station officer of Chaubepur police
station, not included in the raiding party? It turns
out that he was in cahoots with Vikas Dubey
‘Kanpur wala’. Tiwari is in jail now. There are
reports that he too was beaten up by gangster
Dubey when he went to him to ask him to return
the cash Dubey had looted from a businessman.
This needs verification.
to mind is (my invention) the Hashimpura syn-
drome, where on May 22, 1987, 42 Muslims
were shot dead by the PAC, taken by truck and
dumped in canals. Cases were registered only
after corpses floated up. Most perpetrators stayed
on in the force, earned promotions, some retired
with pensions, and some of them died in bed.
Amen! May their souls rest in peace.
Criminals rise to a higher status in the bad-
lands of Uttar Pradesh. The Raja of Pratapgarh,
Raghuraj Pratap Singh, better known as Raja
Bhaiya, was facing allegations about the murder
of a Deputy SP, apart from other actions. He
joined various parties, including those that won
the polls, and became a minister. There was the
contract killing of our ace badminton star, Syed
Modi on July 28, 1988. Those who hired the
killer/s went up in politics.
But one has to proceed beyond criminals.
Talking about them is glorifying the lot. Facts
behind this so-called encounter make one laugh,
Press reports said that “hours after the Bikru vil-
lage killings (the eight policemen gunned down),
the police had gunned down Vikas Dubey’s
maternal uncle (Prem Prakash Pandey) and his
associate Atul Dubey.” Was the uncle involved in
the shooting? The encounter of Kartikey, a close
associate of the main gangster Dubey, was in the
classic mould, a forerunner of the Vikas Dubey
encounter. He was being brought to Kanpur. Did
the car overturn? No, it had a flat tyre. He
snatched a revolver from a sub-inspector and you
know how it ended. Revolver-snatching is de
rigueur for the ‘encounter’ to follow.
To the observer, this sounds like a bad nautan-
ki. How will the young react to this? Lastly, how
does one justify the razing of Dubey’s house?
Under what law? You shoot at a police party and
bulldozers move into your house. All this, includ-
ing the five other killings, needs to be looked
into. The SIT could well come up short, that is
my apprehension.
2
From
AHMEDABAD TUESDAY 21/07/2020
Editorial
Yogi for enhancing surveillance
as corona cases increase
Editor’s Lucknow, tion to control the spread of

Desk Uttar Pradesh Chief

Minister Yogi Adityanath has
directed officials to scale up
surveillance, follow-up and
contact tracing in the battle
against COVID-19.
The Chief Minister held
a late-night meeting on
Sunday after the COVID-19
the virus.The Chief Minister
said that the database of
COVID-19 patients should
enclose identity proof and
phone numbers of those
undergoing tests at the In-
tegrated Command and
Control Centre (ICCC) for
swift tracking. Command

Curse of gold tally in Uttar Pradesh rose to control centres have been
49,247 with the highest set up in every district of the
single-day jump. The death state.The Chief Minister said
toll reached 1,146 after 38 that the ICCC should be well
fatalities were reported in equipped to get back to
A smuggling case raises questions the state. people who test positive for
The total number of dis- the virus.
about abuse of authority in Pinarayi charged cases in the state is Command centres have
government, underlines need for 29,845 so far, according to been proposed not only to
the information given by track new cases, but also
accountability. the state health depart- launch contact tracing, sur-
A gold smuggling case has cast a shadow over ment. veillance and provision of
the Left Democratic Front government in Kerala, The Chief Minister di- ambulances to ferry pa-
which has basked in the spotlight recently for its rected officials to develop tients to COVID hospitals.
remarkable management of the COVID-19 epi- effective plans to control the “All district magistrates
demic. It has cast unflattering light on Chief Min- spread of the coronavirus. and chief medical officers
ister Pinarayi Vijayan’s office, after at least one per- Yogi Adityanath further have been asked to get
son arrested in the smuggling case was found to said that to control the phone numbers and ad-
have close links to the principal secretary to CM, spread of coronavirus, all dresses of those who un-
M Sivasankar. The government has rightly handed The sacred 'Agni Theertham' (Sea) in the holy Rameswaram Island wore a deserted look on the occasion of District Magistrates, police dergo lab tests for the infec-
over the case to central agencies, and suspended 'Aadi Amavasya' amid the Coronavirus lockdown. chiefs, chief medical officers, tion. The state government
Sivasankar, pending investigation. principals of medical col- has decided to accelerate
The case initially drew public attention be- leges and municipal officials rapid antigen testing that
cause 30 kg of gold had been smuggled in in dip- should meet regularly. They yields quick results,” said
lomatic baggage dispatched to the UAE consu-
late in Thiruvananthapuram. As investigations
identified the people who allegedly facilitated the
smuggling, it revealed a chain that appeared to
A ‘healthy’ shift in India’s snacking habit
By IANSlife Bengaluru, Chennai, Bhopal, plan, and a higher awareness pants associated with.
should discuss and evolve
effective and positive ac-
Additional Chief Secretary
Home, Avanish Awasthi.

extend to the UAE consul general’s office at one

end and the CM’s principal secretary at the other.
While investigations are on to trace the benefi-
New Delhi,
While the idea of snack-
Chandigarh,
Coimbatore,
Jaipur,
Kolkata,
Hyderabad and Ahmedabad.
amongst them can lead to
the entire family adopting
healthier alternatives. This
Added to that, regular con-
sumption of almonds can
also have a positive impact
Religious activities must go on:
ciaries of the contraband, available information
points to abuse of authority and nepotism at the
highest levels in the government. It appears that
ing encompasses a variety of
foods, a recent survey finds
The survey also high-
lighted that most of the par-
trend of snacking on healthy
foods like almonds is a posi-
on a person’s immunity since
they are high in Vitamin E, VHP chief’s retort to Pawar
that over the past few years, ticipants - vegetarians as well tive change, and I strongly which is known to stimulate New Delhi, country and its life cannot
rules were bent to favour the key accused in the there has been a conscious as non-vegetarians preferred recommend to continue to the body’s defenses, en- be put on a standstill for an
smuggling racket, Swapna Suresh, in a Hitting out at NCP
change in people’s prefer- snacking on homemade eat a handful every day as hance humoral and cell im- supremo Sharad Pawar’s re- indefinite time,” Kumar said,
consultancy job, which allegedly gave her access ences and habits, and a items (53 percent). Addition- they are a source of nutrients mune responses.”The survey pointing out how Unlock 1.0
to higher authorities in government. Photographs marks on the temple con-
stronger inclination is seen ally, preference for healthier such as protein, fiber, iron, showcased that overall 72 struction amid COVID pan- and 2.0 were effected keep-
and mobile call records suggest that Suresh may towards healthier snacking snacking options such as folate, copper, healthy fats percent of the participants ing this in mind.
have leveraged influence in government to fur- demic and Congress leader
items.According to a survey fruits and almonds specifi- etc. and known to be benefi- were aware of the nutrient Digvijaya Singh’s backing to A day earlier, Nationalist
ther her own business interests. The alleged in- conducted by IPSOS, 91 per- cally was also noticed in par- cial for weight management, requirements of the body, Congress Party (NCP) chief
volvement of the CM’s principal secretary has it, the VHP on Monday called
cent of the participants try ticipants within the age band heart health and diabetes participants from their objections “beyond Pawar said:“We always think
unsurprisingly given the case the hue of a politi- and opt for healthier alterna- of 41-50 years. Besides that, management.” Ahmedabad (89 percent), about what should be
cal scandal. comprehension” and said
tives whilst snacking. the survey observed that According to Ritika Delhi (82 percent), C various activities can’t be prioritised. As of now, our
The case has also exposed the excessive The quantitative survey women in India were more Samaddar, Regional Head - Mumbai(78 percent) priority is to help those in-
centralisation of power in the CM’s office and the put off during the health cri-
aimed to identify the snack- worried about nutrition Dietetics, Max Healthcare - showed maximum aware- sis. fected with coronavirus to
nature of decision-making that stems from such ing habits and preferences needs (63 percent) when Delhi,“it’s interesting to note ness and whereas least recover. Some people think
an arrangement. A unique aspect of the Vijayan “... all social, religious,
amongst a group of people compared to men (53 that people across India, in- awareness was seen among and spiritual activities must that coronavirus will go
government has been the apparent whose dietary preferences percent).Commenting on cluding in metro as well as the participants from Kolkata away after the temple is
marginalisation of the political machinery in gov- go on. Shri Ram
were divided into two cat- the survey, Sheela non-metro cities, are slowly (46 percent). Additionally, Janmabhoomi Temple issue constructed.”
ernance in favour of a handful of favoured bureau- egories - ‘vegetarian’ and Krishnaswamy, Nutrition and changing their view of amongst both vegetarian On Saturday, the Shri
crats who are tasked with policy-making and cannot remain on the back
‘non- vegetarian’. Overall, the Wellness Consultant, said: snacking.Whether it’s choos- and non-vegetarians, 59 per- burner. It is only appropriate Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth
implementation. Ironically, a major factor that results indicate that the par- “The fact that a larger per- ing homemade snacks, fruits cent of the participants said Kshetra Trust met to decide
helped the state contain COVID-19, or tackle the that the Prime Minister visit
ticipants across both catego- centage of women have or almonds, the survey high- they worried about their nu- Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, on the date for construction
floods some time ago, has been its much-touted ries prefer to snack on shown an interest in opting lights a trend that most Indi- tritional needs. Madhuri Ruia, of the Ram temple in
decentralisation in governance, which allows perform ‘bhumipujan’ and
healthy and nutritious food for healthier snacks is a good ans are moving towards Pilates Expert and Diet & Nu- the temple construction Ayodhya and had invited
community participation, and of political and items such as almonds and sign, and in the long run, this healthy and mindful snack- trition Consultant, said: “By Prime Minister Narendra
government functionaries at the grass roots, in proceeded,” VHP Interna-
fruits. can help trigger a shift to- ing options which is very switching to more whole- tional Working President Modi to the religious func-
the delivery of public services and goods. The A total of 4,064 SEC A wards leading healthier heartening. Almonds in par- some and nutrient rich tion. The construction was
Centre must also seek the cooperation of the UAE, Alok Kumar said.
men and women, between lifestyles. For many house- ticular make for a good snacks like almonds, many He stressed that since to begin a few months ago,
a friend of India, to fully uncover the smuggling 18 - 50 years were inter- holds in India, women have snack, since they are families have begun their but postponed due to the
racket, and bring all the guilty to book, including the health crisis was here to
viewed across 11 cities in In- complete charge of the ‘crunchy’ and ‘healthy’- both journey towards a healthier stay for a while, other works coronavirus-induced
the big fish dia, namely Delhi, Mumbai, family’s nutrition and meal properties that most partici- lifestyle. lockdown in March.
cannot be put away. “The

All you need to know about migraine

By IANSlife
New Delhi,
Headache is a blanket
term used to describe pain
on one or both sides of the
head and upper part of the
neck. According to the WHO,
every adult experiences
headache at some point of
time in life.
The common causes of
headaches are stress and
anxiety, emotional distress,
irregular eating habits, de-
hydration, high blood pres-
sure, hot weather etc, Dr
Pradeep Mahajan, Regen-
erative Medicine Researcher,
Mumbai told IANSlife.
According to the Inter-
national Classification of
Headache Disorders, there
are more than 150 types of
headaches. Headaches are
called ‘primary’ when there
is no underlying associated
condition and ‘secondary’
when there is an accompa-
nying systemic condition. In
primary headaches, the
nerves, blood vessels, and
muscles in the head and
neck region are strained,
which may be accompanied
by changes in chemical ac-
tivity in the brain. Migraine,
cluster headache, and ten-
sion headache fall under
this category.
Migraine is a type of pri-
mary headache, the cause of
which is not clearly known;
however, studies have sug-
gested a combination of en-
vironmental and genetic
factors. Migraine tends to
run in families and is the
sixth highest cause of days
lost due to disability (ab-
sence from work) world-
wide (WHO statistics).
The classical symptoms
of migraine are excruciating,
throbbing pain on one side
of the head (most com-
monly) that can last any-
where between a few hours
to days. Extreme sensitivity
to light, sound, smell, and
sometimes even touch are
hallmarks of the condition.
Other symptoms include vi-
sual and sensory distur-
bances (known as aura),
nausea, vomiting, and dizzi-
ness. Some patients also ex-
perience tingling and
numbness on the face and
extremities.There have
been several theories ex-
plaining the pathophysiol-
ogy of migraines. Some
theories proposed that dila-
tion and constriction of
blood vessels in the head
caused the pain and associ-
ated symptoms. Thus, treat-
ments revolved around
regulating blood flow. How-
ever, it is now known that
migraine is an extremely in-
capacitating neurological
disorder involving nerve
pathways and brain chemi-
cals. There are different
types of migraine, out of
which migraine with aura,
migraine without aura (70-
90 percent), and chronic mi-
graine are generally en-
countered. The other forms
are menstrual migraine,
hemiplegic migraine, mi-
graine with brainstem aura
(basilar type, rare), associ-
ated with vertigo, and cycli-
cal vomiting syndrome. Till
date, there is no definitive
test to diagnose migraine.
Diagnosis is based on clini-
cal symptoms by process of
elimination of other forms
of headaches.Conventional
treatment of migraine in-
volves prescription medica-
tions, such as serotonin re-
ceptor agonists, tricyclic an-
tidepressants, among oth-
ers along with drugs to con-
trol associated symptoms
such as nausea and vomit-
ing (antiemetics). Avoiding
certain foods and triggers
has also been advised.
Nonetheless, these rem-
edies only help to reduce
the intensity of an episode
of migraine and do not pro-
vide definitive control of the
condition.
Cell-based therapy is a
new modality that har-
nesses the intrinsic healing
potential of the body for
management of various
conditions. In the context of
migraine and other head-
aches, studies have shown
that stem cell and growth
factor activity can target
neurogenic inflammation,
which is now considered a
key phenomenon in such
conditions. Moreover, there
are reports of decreased
endothelial progenitor cell
(EPC) function in patients
with migraine, which may
be associated with circula-
tory aberrations. Through
the self renewal and multi-
differentiation potential of
mesenchymal cells in our
body, it is possible to replen-
ish the pool of EPCs, thus
targeting the core pathol-
ogy of migraine.With
changing times and the
varying presentation of dis-
eases, it is essential to un-
derstand the pathology of
the condition, in order to
formulate more effective
therapeutic modalities, and
not just treat the symptoms.
Cell-based therapy is one
such modality that utilizes
the innate healing potential
of the body, and targets the
underlying molecular
mechanisms of diseases,
thereby providing long-
term safe and effective Migrants arrive at the Boiler Wharf in Senglea, Malta, on July 17, 2020. A group of
results.(IANSlife can be con- 63 migrants rescued from their stalled boat which was taking in water in Malta's
tacted at ianslife@ians.in) search and rescue zone, have arrived in Malta, local media Times of Malta reported.
Covid-19 in children: Is it time to panic?
By Puja Gupta test) and they may have had nition. MIS-C was first re-
ber of Covid-19 positive
cases. However, Indian close contact with a COVID- ported from Europe and
New Delhi, 19 patient. The involvement then the US. It seems to be
population’s recovery rate
Of the estimated 12 mil- from Covid-19 is faster than of the heart is the most wor- occurring at the end wave of
lion people that have tested risome” laments the expert. the epidemic that is 2-4
most countries, and the
positive for Covid-19 glo- death rate is much lower “The heart muscles weeks after peak infection
bally since the outbreak, could have weakened and rate is seen in the popula-
too.
only 6 percent are children. There have been several the coronary artery walls tion.
Children also make up for may have been damaged. Dr Garekar advises par-
reports that highlight a pe-
less than 3 percent of the culiar illness affecting chil- Special intravenous medi- ents to contact
hospitalized patients, cines (steroids and Immu- paediatrician if their child
dren these days; in which,
though hospitalization rate children have had persistent noglobulins) are required to has persistent fever, along
is higher in children less bring the disease under with a rash or red eyes or
fever (more than three days),
than five years, compared to rash, red eyes, stomach pain control.These medicines are stomach ache/ vomiting.
older children. There are Suspicion of MIS-C
many reasons speculated as should be aroused and
to why Covid-19 has had a investigated in sick chil-
lesser impact on children. dren. Typically, the

A dog’s blood line: Facts you need to know
By Puja Gupta their characteristics from
their ancestors:
New Delhi, Boxers
Often pet parents are This breed was refined
curious to know the blood in Germany. It came into ex-
line of the pup they bring istence when man was look-
home to understand its he- ing for a perfect hunting
reditary characteristics and partner. They thought of
psychological behaviour. breeding such a breed
The bloodline represents which will have a strong
ancestral contributions physic and will be able to
which are passed down hunt the prey. This breed
through the breeding pro- came into existence in the
cess. A dog’s personality is 1800’s when Bullenbeisser
highly influenced by their was bred with an English
family genetics. A perfectly bull dog. Bullenbeisser origi-
bred pedigree goes back nated from the Mastiff fam-
several generations and can ily which were hunters back
give you exact information then. These breeds, could
about the temperament, chase large preys like deer,
behaviour, characteristics wild boars etc. Their power
etc. of the breed.Devanshi and strength is impeccable.
Shah, Founder, PetKonnect The boxers have a strong
talks about five different jaw grip to hold their prey.
breeds and how they get Their facial wrinkles prevent
the excess blood from
spraying into their eyes. It
was a fast change from be-
ing a guard dog to a com-
passionate pet in house-
holds.
Great Danes
Great Danes are also
called gentle giants or as the
Apollo of dogs. Great Danes
have been in existence since
a long time and are a pure
breed. Their characteristics
specify that in spite of their
recognised as one of the
most sweet and affectionate
breeds. They love to play
with children and so make
a perfect dog breed around
kids. Danes can be easily
trained due to their honest
and compassionate nature
and are also known to be
good human protectors.
German ShepherdsThey
didn’t just become popular;
it was because of their in-
herit traits and nature. They
are the most intelligent, de-
voted and versatile animals.
This breed provides a foun-
dation of a watch dog, pro-
tector and a companion.
Given the name itself, this
breed was bred originally in
Germany. The Germans take
great pride for this breeds
existence and value. They
make a good rescue squad.
They are known majorly for
their working ability.
Pugs
This breed came into ex-
istence a couple of decades
ago and was originated in
China. They are commonly
also known as Carlin and
Mops. The Pug is one of the
most adored breed all over
the world.
One explanation is that
the virus can’t attach to
body linings (e.g. nasal mu-
cosa) as the receptors are
less in children; another is
that children are protected
by antibodies produced by
other viruses they are ex-
posed to, and these anti-
bodies are protective, points
out Dr Swati Garekar, Con-
sultant, Paediatric Cardiol-
ogy, Fortis Hospital, Mulund.
Yet another reason is
that children are staying at
home during the pandemic,
and hence are less likely to
be exposed to people who
may be Covid-19 positive,
she adds. India is the second
most populous country in
the world and has demo-
graphic profile of a young
nation with 26 percent
(367million out of 1.4billion)
being children less than 15
years of age. This could have
translated into huge num-
and nausea/vomiting, in-
forms Dr Garekar. “Sore
throat and cough/cold is
much less common. Blood
tests show generalized in-
flammation and the heart is
involved in a major way.
Here the typical adult find-
ing of bad Pneumonia is
missing. There may or may
not be positive COVID-19
test (PCR or the antibody
most effective when given
early in the course of the
disease.”The peculiar dis-
ease affecting multiple or-
gans in children has been
termed‘Multisystem Inflam-
matory Syndrome in Chil-
dren’ (MIS-C), she says. The
World Health Organisation
(WHO) and Centre for Dis-
ease Control (CDC) US, has
now given it a distinct defi-
Paediatrician will rapidly
rule out more likely
causes like Typhoid, Den-
gue Fever, Malaria, etc,
she says.
“Another mimicker is
‘Kawasaki Disease’.
Kawasaki Disease affects
younger population (less
than 5years of age), here
platelet counts are high,
unlike MIS-C. Also, Heart
muscle damage is more
frequent in MIS-C. Heart
involvement can be
picked up by
Echocardiography and cer-
tain blood markers of Heart
inflammation. Early diagno-
sis and treatment will en-
sure early recovery and less
chance of long term dam-
age. In short, there is no rea-
son to panic, but parental
vigilance is the key,” she
concludes.(Puja Gupta can
be contacted at
puja.g@ians.in)—IANS
 XXCE

Coronanomics is difficult to pin down JAIDEEP HARDIKAR

T
Bumpy ride ahead
HINTERLAND

TUESDAY 21 JULY 2020 VOL. XXXIX NO. 15

SMALL
TOWNS,
SPOOKY DATA
A
s speculated last month, feature showing that nearly half of
the parallel run of
Covid-19 and economic
RENU KOHLI the infections there are untrace-
able. In South Korea and Japan, the BIG
T
he Cassandras are having a field day. Any-
DREAMS
reopening could be non- source cannot be traced in new in-
one can rummage through a slag heap of linear and far more un- fections but the shares there are far
gloomy macroeconomic numbers and predictable than that in a full-lock- lower, which makes it manageable.
build a seemingly irrefutable argument that the down scenario. Economic develop- Altogether, the developments indi-

Indian economy is going through a wringer. Econ-
omists and analysts can — and often do — quibble
about the steepness of the slide amid growing fore-
casts of a contraction this year. However, some
analysts have started to dice up the data different-
ly and pore over the slivers before throwing up
some alarming statistical nuggets. Last week, the
brokerage, Motilal Oswal, did precisely that when
it startled the pundits by suggesting that real debt
T
ments since then bear this out. As cate that Covid-19 is insurmount- hirty-four is no age to
India muddles through the pandem- able at present; it can only be re- die. And when you have
ic rapids, it is clear that Covid-19 strained with constant efforts and a roaring career ahead,
leads the economy. The higher the there’s no room for complacency. what with all of life’s chal-
infection outbreaks, the more the Therefore, governments have to be lenges, it’s sad to see a talent
economy falters is the clear trend on their toes for unforeseeable peri- ending his or her own life. So it
discernible from more than a quar- ods, remain one step ahead of infec- was natural that the untimely
ter of full and partial lockdowns, un- tion outbreaks in order to regain death of the Bollywood star,
locking and scattered re-locking. economic strength and cut their Sushant Singh Rajput, who
Such wobbles have flattened last losses. committed suicide last month,
quarter’s upswing this month, caus- evoked consternation in a

growth in the country’s non-government, non-fi-
nancial sector had contracted by 2.6 per cent
which, it claimed, was the first contraction in the
past two decades.
It is easy to debunk the statistic because the
brokerage has sourced the data on the scheduled
commercial banks put out by the Reserve Bank of
India and then mashed it with numbers accessed
from 18 non-banking finance companies and 10
housing finance companies. After sourcing the
data on six relevant parameters, the brokerage
has made adjustments for headline inflation
based on the consumer price index before distill-
ing the troubling fact. The methodology may be
questionable but the stark picture that it throws
up is worrying and hard to discredit.
The official numbers are bad enough. Overall
bank credit grew at an annualized 6.1 per cent in
March — slightly higher than the multi-decade
low of 5.1 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2016-17.
Two factors have precipitated the sharp slow-
down in bank credit: first, the reluctance of risk-
averse banks to lend to dodgy borrowers and, sec-
ond, high leverage ratios that had been built up in
non-financial firms during the high growth phase
which they are now scrambling to unwind. The
high leverage — represented by an increase in the
debt-to-equity ratio — has prompted firms to
shelve investment decisions. Fresh borrowings
are only being made to retire older, high-cost debt.
A recent working paper of the RBI underscores
the problem. It says power, telecommunication,
construction and iron and steel sectors saw gross
fixed capital formation surge to 51.3 per cent of
GDP between 2003-08 before tumbling to 25 per
ing expectations of a smooth and
swift rebound upon unlocking to
sober down. It is increasingly likely
that the return to economic normal-
ization will be an uneven, extended
haul in a parallel run of mounting
infections. The paradox is this: clar-
ity emerges amidst increased uncer-
tainties about supplies and demand
even as other complexities arising
out of the peculiarities of the corona
shock become visible. How the
economy evolves ahead remains up
in the air, as coronanomics proves
difficult to pin down.
Consider the evolution of India’s
economic performance from the
full-lockdown April slump. The
months of May and June displayed
a steady and remarkable rebound
upon unlocking with most indica-
tors suggesting economic activity
roughly regained nearly three-
quarters its pre-Covid or February
strength. This was borne out by
power and fuel demand, mobility in-
dices of Google (workplace) and
Apple (driving), Purchasing Man-
agers Index for manufacturing and
services, growth of industrial out-
put (April-May) and exports, labour
force participation rates captured
by the Centre for Monitoring Indian
Economy surveys, two-wheeler and
tractor sales, among other indica-
tors. Gaining momentum of GST
revenue collections in May-June
buttressed these trends; the daily
average generation of electronic-
way bills almost touched February-
levels by end-June.
(2020-21) visualized a smooth and
steep (V-shaped) gradient on re-
opening with the underlying as-
sumption being that output contrac-
tion will reduce each successive
quarter as the reopening gathers
momentum. But the slide back of
business activities so soon and in re-
sponse to rising infections that have
led to unexpected shutdowns scat-
tered across the country has dented
these expectations. No longer is it
possible to be sanguine that the cur-
rent and next (Oct-Dec) quarters’
economic performance will steadily
recover and turn positive in Janu-
ary-March 2021 as commonly pre-
dicted. Instead, growth outturns
could be more insipid — the virus’s
run to fresh locations, re-eruptions
and intractability in other parts, in-
cluding major cities, increasingly
portend a stretched and bumpy ride
ahead.
At the heart of this plateauing is
the spread and rise in Covid-19 in-
fections, which have more than
tain. The US Federal Reserve chair-
man recently expressed concern
about the recovery levelling off.
But countries that speedily con-
trolled the pandemic have managed
to pull out from contraction zones to
grow positively within one quarter.
China, for example, stunned the
world last week by accomplishing
a 3.2 per cent GDP growth in April-
June, an impressive recovery from
its -6.8 per cent contraction in the
previous quarter (January-March)
when Covid-19 was at its peak there.
It is well known that China pursued
very strict virus containment
policies and measures, which
continue with focused, selective re-
laxations. Vietnam, too, grew 0.36
per cent in the April-June period;
this is commonly attributed to its
success against the coronavirus
that, according to The Economist,
owes to a pushy containment strate-
gy combined with a determined
trouncing of disruptions in import
supplies.
T
here is no visible break-
through in coronavirus’s
containment in India at this
point. If infection outbreaks extend
longer than or beyond this quarter
— this seems probable at this point
given the fast spatial spread — India
could be staring at a deeper down-
turn than imagined less than two
months ago. The rating agency,
ICRA, acknowledged these wobbles
and revised its GDP growth predic-
tions for 2020-21 to -9.5 per cent last
week; this represents a severe scal-
ing-down from its -5 per cent growth
forecast as recently as May. It is also
the first institutional forecaster to
incorporate the fallback in econom-
ic recovery or, conversely, the rise
in Covid-19 infections. The possibili-
ty that other analysts may follow
suit cannot be ruled out. If so, the
current consensus forecast of -5 per
cent GDP growth this year may re-
arrange and converge closer to
the -10 per cent region. That would
represent a doubling of the antici-
pated contraction in GDP growth in
just two months’ time — a useful
measure of how uncertain and diffi-
cult it is to pinpoint the economics of
a pandemic.
Looking back, when the coron-
avirus took hold in March, there
was a lot of analysis and attempt to
understand its optimal manage-
ment, the economic fallout and so
on. A quarter down the line, some
elements have unfolded as expect-
ed; others are new or entirely unan-
ticipated. What has endured is how
uncertain is the evolution of the
young nation. His story was as
exceptional as that of the crick-
eting genius he aptly portrayed
in film — Mahendra Singh
Dhoni. Even that story could
have swayed in any direction if
it were not for a right chance at
the right time, unlike that of
Dhoni’s friend with the heli-
copter-shot who paled into in-
significance before blossoming
in the same town with scarce
opportunities.
Rajput’s demise however
follows a typical arc.
For different and complex
reasons that are for mental
health experts to decipher, In-
dian youths in the hinterland,
heartlands and big cities are
taking their own lives at an
alarming rate. See the paradox:
We are a young nation — near-
ly 42 per cent of our population
is below 36 years of age, but sui-
cide is the top reason for deaths
among youths in the 15-29 and
15-39 age group, a 2018 Lancet
study said. What’s more, four
in 10 young women committing
suicide the world over are in
India. Suicide death rates were
higher in India than the global
average in 2016, and most
states had rates higher than
would be expected for their
socio-demographic index level.
Housewife suicides are explod-
ing. Farmer suicides are being
written and talked about for
two decades; this writer’s work
in Vidarbha is a testimony.

cent between 2011-19. As the world teeters on the
precipice of a deep recession, businesses will shun
borrowing, fearing that they could default on obli-
gations and tip into bankruptcy. India has seen
one of its longest business cycles since the dotcom
bust. The RBI paper shows that the mean invest-
ment rate did not dip by very much even after the
global financial crisis in 2008. But the post-pan-
demic crisis has changed the ball game. It will be a
while before the wheels of industry start to turn
again.
THE OTHER SIDE
B
ut in July, the pace has begun
to slacken as gleaned from
weekly indicators. The slow-
down in consumer spending com-
pared to June reported by produc-
ers and retailers and a matching de-
cline in daily average GST e-way
bills generated confirm that lesser
volumes of goods are being trans-
ported this month. The post-unlock-
ing recovery appears to be levelling
off.
Such an early slip back was not
anticipated. For example, predic-
tions of GDP growth for this year
tripled over early June. Ascending
infections elicit sporadic shutdowns
that adversely affect production op-
erations, supplies and supply
chains in unlocked areas, pulling
down the latter. The consequence is
an understandable rise in con-
sumers’ risk-aversion and lack of
confidence, which, in turn, pulls
down spending.
India is not alone in seeing its
recovery sag so soon. A similar pat-
tern has unfolded in the United
States of America where the coron-
avirus is proving intractable to con-
The samples of positive growth
outcomes within a quarter of the
pandemic’s onslaught stand out in a
sea of severe output contractions
elsewhere. They contribute evi-
dence that a faster, effective sup-
pression of the coronavirus is the
path to regaining economic vigour.
Despite this, however, there are also
examples of countries, such as Aus-
tralia and Hong Kong, that illus-
trate that the coronavirus is ex-
tremely difficult to stamp out. Re-
eruptions have reversed the unlock-
ing in these countries, with a new
pandemic and with that the eco-
nomic outcomes. What has changed
is the bargain between health and
the economy, or the lives versus
livelihoods trade-off: both are now
placed on even footing or accorded
equal primacy. The underlining
here is, of course, that there isn’t ex-
actly a choice but to control the
virus. Without that, its economics is
not merely hard to understand but
gets out of hand.
The author is a macroeconomist
Needless to say, the mental
health crisis is urgent and re-
quires a national, long-term
response. Rising suicides form
just one indicator, and their
underlying causes are far too
complex. Panic attacks, clinical
depression, anxiety, personali-
ty disorders — the list is long
and agonizing. One person
with a mental health condition
can and does destabilize the en-
tire family, as psychiatrists
would tell us.
Tip of the iceberg

S
tudents overcoming great odds to achieve Decision-makers have no clue
success is always heartening. Take, for in- Endangered lives par, along with Prabhat
Patnaik, Devaki Jain, Maja
cator of the condition of
prison infrastructure in
about the scale and gravity of
this issue. The ‘chemical locha’
stance, the student in Ludhiana who scored ■ Sir — It was unfortunate Daruwala and Satish Desh- India. The executive sum- in the mind is further com-
above 90 per cent in the recently declared results to hear that the revolution- pande, had appealed to the mary of prison statistics in pounded by our social and eco-
of the board exams in spite of being differently- ary poet, Varavara Rao, Maharashtra government 2018 showed that the total nomic inequalities. Far too
abled or the daughter of a paddy farmer in a re- tested positive for Covid-19 to place the 11 activists cur- number of national prisons many youths today face a quar-
while being incarcerated rently incarcerated in state decreased from 1,412 in 2016 ter-life crisis at 25 years of age.
mote hamlet in Panaji who scored 94.6 per cent.
and is suffering from other prisons in connection to the to 1,339 in 2018 but the actu- And now the Covid-19 pandem-
The results of board examinations have thrown ailments as well (“Days Elgaar Parishad case under al capacity increased from ic has precipitated an economic
up a number of such shining cases. This kind of after outcry, Varavara posi- house arrest in light of the 3,80,876 to 3,96,223 with a emergency aggravating mental
success is laudable; but does it also expose the fail- tive”, July 17). His family health risks posed by Covid- comparative rise in the health challenges to epidemic
ures in India’s education system? Children living had been requesting his 19. In June, 500 prominent number of prisoners calcu- proportions in the face of her-
in poverty — two-thirds of Indians are economi- release from prison — he personalities had penned an lated at the end of the year. culean challenges that threat-
was arrested in 2018 for his open letter requesting the A significant number of en to wipe out long-cherished
cally poor — face numerous barriers to accessing alleged involvement in the immediate release of acti- these prisoners are under- ambitions.
education; the absence of schools, high drop-out Bhima-Koregaon case — on vists, including Rao, on bail trials — 3,23,537 out of If urban India grapples with
rates and poorly trained teachers are among account of his ill health so on humanitarian grounds 4,66,084 in 2018 — who lan- “liquid modernity” like much
them. Children with disabilities suffer on account that he could be provided because of the countrywide guish in jail for years as a of the world (a term coined by
of the absence of properly trained staff in a nation necessary medical atten- spread of the pandemic. result of the slow pace of Polish sociologist, Zygmunt
tion. In recent years, individ- justice in our country. As Bauman); rural India is sand-

Stop the hate

that has not only made education a fundamental
While it was encourag-
right but also passed the Rights of Persons with ing to hear that Rao had
Disabilities Act, 2016. Students who cannot afford been admitted to J.J. Hospi-
to buy books or other basic educational amenities tal in Mumbai — he has
have to walk — often literally — the extra mile in since been shifted to Nana-
order to be on a par with their privileged peers. vati Hospital for neurologi-
cal treatment — from Talo-
The success stories of disadvantaged students ja Central Prison, Rao’s im-
rightly make it to the headlines. But each of these prisonment, the denial of
cases also bares the barriers — poverty, inequali- bail and his subsequent
ty, prejudices — that meritorious students have to hospitalization cannot be
cross in their path to success. viewed in isolation from his
life-long struggle to advan-
The pandemic has only made a bad situation ce the cause of justice. The
worse. The shift to online education is forsaking 79-year-old activist has
large segments of students who can neither afford been an indefatigable cham-
the technology nor the skills that are required for pion of the poor all his
this new mode of instruction. Significantly, the life. His oeuvre reflects his
dedicated opposition to the
guidelines for protection and safety of persons systems, relations and so-
with disabilities during Covid-19 do not even take cial conditions that exploit
into account their educational needs. Some of the the vulnerable. Rao has
other obstacles transcend these structural blind been steadfast in advocat-
spots. The plight of students from riot-affected ing radical changes in the
established political and
northwest Delhi, many of whom had to sit out the social order. His implica-
exams, is a case in point. Can a handful of success tion in the Elgaar Parishad
stories mask India’s failure to make education ac- case and incarceration
cessible? have been alleged by many
to be a calculated move to
deny him the opportunity
uals disagreeing with the per the report, 1,376 women wiched between agrarian and
views of the Bharatiya were undertrial prisoners post-modern worlds.
Janata Party have been ar- accompanied by 1,590 chil- The aspiring small-town
■ Sir — The demise of Sushant Singh Rajput has led to a lot rested on charges of sedi- dren. These figures are India is desperate to break free
of debate on privilege and nepotism in Bollywood. How- tion, steadily encroaching alarming. from stark regional backward-
ever, there were instances in which the ire was taken be- upon the people’s right to In recent years, the ness; lack of opportunities;
yond limits. One of the people who have been in the line of dissent in a democracy. number of people who have chains of caste-based discrimi-
fire is Rajput’s former partner, Rhea Chakraborty, who re- Unless a nation ensures its been detained in prisons nation; and rigidifying ortho-
vealed that she has received rape and death threats on so- citizens’ right to free speech has exponentially in- doxies all at once.
cial media. She has since registered a first information re- and expression, it cannot creased. Many students, ac- Gone are the days when
port against two unknown people. While the outpouring of call itself a democracy. ademics, poets and journal- nondescript towns played
grief is understandable, it is alarming that people are re- ists, among others, are fac- poor country cousins to the big
sorting to violent threats. Strict laws against cybercrime Jahar Saha, ing serious charges because metros without contestation.
must be put in place to counter such behaviour. Calcutta of their dissenting opinions. Small-town ambitions are not
In view of the raging pan- matched by the centralization
Ananya Raj, ■ Sir — The report, Prison demic, many eminent indi- of decision-making. This ap-
Mumbai Statistics India, collated by viduals had urged the gov- plies to every sphere: from
the National Crime Records ernment to release political technology to politics to
Bureau is a significant indi- prisoners on humanitarian media.
against injustice. It is hoped languishing in jail for more grounds. The fact that Var- At the root of this is also a
that the government will re- than two years for their al- avara Rao contracted perpetual and difficult socio-
lease the people’s poet at the leged involvement in the Covid-19 in prison further economic transition in vogue
earliest as a gesture of good- Bhima-Koregaon violence highlights the importance since 1990 — we are relatively
will. He should be with his in 2018. Rao’s family earlier of releasing them at the ear- better off today than we were
family in this trying time revealed that their last con- liest. We hope for Rao’s back in the 1990s, but with vast
and have his medical needs versation with him indicat- swift recovery. At this mo- inequalities. It has come with a
taken care of. ed that his health condi- ment, speedy bail proce- trade-off: from being a nation of
tions have deteriorated se- dures can save innumer- communicable diseases to one
G. David Milton, verely, showing signs of able lives. of non-communicable diseases,
Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu delirium and loss of memo- with growing incidence of car-
ry. While their repeated ap- Jaspreet Singh, dio-vascular disease, lung ail-

SCRIPSI to raise his voice against

injustice.
Poets and revolutionar-
I know not what to call this, nor will I urge that it is a se- ies hold up the mirror to so-
cret overruling decree, that hurries us on to be the instru- ciety in ways that others
ments of our own destruction, even though it be before us, are often unable to. Rao’s
patriotism is reflected in
and that we rush upon it with our eyes open.
his unrelenting struggle
D. DEFOE
■ Sir — The plea by the wife
and daughters of Varavara
Rao to release the activist
from prison was heart-
breaking to hear. The Hy-
derabad-based revolution-
ary poet and other eminent
rights activists have been
peal to the Maharashtra
and Central governments to
release Rao on bail has not
borne fruit, he was shifted
to a hospital after having
tested positive for the novel
coronavirus.
Recently, Romila Tha-
Patiala ments, suicides, or diabetes.
The many Indias competing
▼ among themselves with the na-
tion’s polity unable to fathom
Letters should be sent to:
T
small-town India’s itch for op-
6 Prafulla Sarkar Street, portunities has explosive con-
Calcutta 700001 sequences. A young nation’s
In danger? ttedit@abpmail.com aspirations can’t take off from
only four or, at best, 10 cities.
8 ISSUES AND INSIGHTS
>
NEW DELHI | TUESDAY, 21 JULY 2020

Theatre of the absurd have given him a long list in answer.

Some recent decisions taken by Air India’s board are beyond comprehension
What does that even mean? Who asks
people to go on leave without pay for
five years? The order is asking staffers
to give up all the comforts and rights
they’ve taken for granted till kingdom
come — one of the main reasons a job
in the national carrier is so coveted —
of their own volition for five years. Who
in their right mind would agree to that?
And what happens at the end of five
years? The pathway for an employee to
OUT OF THE BLUE find his or her way back into the airline
after half a decade remains ambiguous.
ANJULI BHARGAVA The management is in fact holding
a gun to the employees’ heads since the
India could come up with something so
original and professional!
But the icing on the cake is this:
Either way, if 600 obliging employees
come forward or are grabbed by the
scruff of their necks and thrown out, the
airline will save — hold your breadth —
~10 crore a month. Apparently, the
monthly fixed cost of the airline during
the pandemic is ~700 crore. It’s losses
in 2018-19, a pretty good year, were
~7,635 crore. This grand scheme —
which will create no end of bad blood
unless employees succumb like a lamb
to the slaughter -- will save all of Rs 10
ant situation. That’s why they have
used every trick in the book to deflect
the pain and so far have managed to
take a pittance of a cut.
Two, employees know that this ship
is in very bad waters and they need to
make hay while the sun shines as it may
not shine for long. From whatever I hear,
the pressure on the Tatas to bid and take
this headache off the government is
building up (the deadline for EOI sub-
mission is August 31) and recent reports
claimed that the Tatas might be the sole
bidder. With the Tata group in all kinds
of trouble otherwise, one can under-
Then he added — as if he’d like to
delay the inevitable — “we need to do a
long evaluation as Vistara is itself on a
CHINESE WHISPERS
Celebration time
long journey”. If I’d been within earshot,
I would have added “unhappy” after
“long" and before “journey”. But the
larger point is this: If the Tatas were so
keen and these responses are not eva-
sive, what stops him from saying: “I
don’t know about others but we’re in.
This seems like such a great buy”.
Whether it is the pending doom and
insecurity that is pushing the powers- Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his
that-be at the national carrier into these Maharashtra counterpart Uddhav
incomprehensible moves is not clear but Thackeray are among those who will
I’d like to end with another recent ins- attend the ground-breaking ceremony
tance of the management’s inexplicable
actions. In the midst of the pandemic,
for the Ram temple in Ayodhya, to be
performed by Prime Minister Narendra
when all airlines are treading with as Modi on August 5. According to the
much caution as possible, Air India an- temple trust, laying a 40-kg silver brick

A
nother scene from the theatre
of the absurd played out at
India’s national carrier, Air
India, last week. A recent
order by the management in light of the
Covid crisis asked employees to “volun-
tarily” go on leave without pay for a
minimum of six months up to two years,
extendable to five years.
As expected, this left many foxed.
news reports on the matter go on to say
that if employees do not opt for this vol-
untary furlough scheme, they would be
handpicked by the CMD himself. In
other words, the management would be
forced to take matters in their own com-
petent hands, pick a list of under-per-
formers and ask them to sit at home. It
primarily means a free-for-all situation:
“I don’t like you, so off you go”. Only Air
crore! In my view, the airline would do
well to furlough those who come up
with this bizarre idea.
Two things appear to be at play
here. One, at this time of crisis, the top
management wants to minimise its
own discomfort at all cost. The feeling
is that pilots and crew who are paid
more in line with the market reality
should bear the brunt of the unpleas-
stand why its board members give the
most roundabout of responses when
asked about their interest in the
national carrier. Last when questioned,
Vistara chairman Bhasker Bhat told one
reporter: “Which entity in India will not
be interested to evaluate buying Air
India?”, making it sound like there was
a list of suitors queueing up. Many in
the aviation sector — and I too — could
nounced a new route. All those who are
desperate to travel now have the option
of travelling from Hyderabad’s Sham-
shabad airport on a newly introduced
direct flight that brings you straight to
Dehradun, a route abandoned more
recently by IndiGo (they fly via Delhi).
For all you know, you might
disembark feeling like a Maharaja in
solitary splendour.
as the foundation stone by Modi will be
the highlight of the ceremony.
Thackeray had visited Ayodhya in March,
his first after becoming chief minister,
and had stressed that while his party,
the Shiv Sena, had severed ties with the
Bharatiya Janata Party, it was
committed to the construction of a
grand Ram temple in Ayodhya.
According to sources, Nationalist
Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar,
Thackeray’s ally, is backing his visit.
Giant screens have been put up for

Covid casts a new light on steel

devotees to watch the ceremony.
Among over 50 VIPs scheduled to attend
the event are Uttar Pradesh Chief
Minister Adityanath, Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan
Bhagwat, L K Advani, Murali Manohar
Joshi, and Uma Bharti.
With rural India being the only bright spot in the 907.5 916.5 916.5
pandemic, steelmakers are looking beyond DEMAND Madhya Pradesh potboiler
automobile and exports to daily-use products FORECAST MLA K P Singh, a Congressman, was
(In mn tonnes) 101.5 83.3 95.8 spotted at Madhya Pradesh Home
KUNAL BOSE lockdown and its progressive easing Minister Narottam Mishra’s bungalow
emerged from rural India, which bene- n China n India 2019 2020 2021 on Monday morning, triggering all kinds

T
hat rural India, where two-thi- fited from a good monsoon in 2019 lead- of speculation. Only the day before, the
rds of the population live and ing to record foodgrain production.” That PRODUCTION (In mn tonnes) Congress Legislature Party had held a
which has a share of 46 per cent this community is engaged in using the May May % January- January – % meeting at former chief minister Kamal
of national income, is a poten- extra money with them in building hous- Nath’s residence, where the leaders
2020 2019 change May 2020 May 2019 change
tial big market for steel has always been es and grain storehouses is evidenced by present had agreed they would launch
known. But marketing lethargy and the demand generation for steel and cement China 92.267 88.565 4.2 411.751 403.975 1.9 an agitation against the BJP government
absence of rural market-specific product during the pandemic. This year, too, the India 5.767 9.468 -39.1 35.851 47.543 -24.6 in the state. However, all party MLAs
development have kept the rural per cap- country is having a normal, well distrib- were not there. After the meeting,
source: World Steel Association
ita consumption of steel at a fraction of uted monsoon encouraging farmers to Mishra had sent a bouncer down the
the national average of 76 kg, compared bring in extra land under kharif crops. So pitch. “The Congress doesn't have much
with the world average of 225 kg. expect good rural steel demand to last till A recurring theme in Steel Minister value-added products for use by ultimate India, says not only does steel need more confidence in itself as a party, but likes
The 2017 steel policy says the middle of 2021, assuming Dharmendra Pradhan’s exhortation is consumers will to some extent insulate state-funded infrastructure projects, but to show it has, so that more members
that, as the ground is laid for rabi cultivation will be plen- that steelmakers must “develop low- steel from business cyclicality. Fortunes the industry also requires “the governme- don’t leave the party,” he had said. As
the development of a “glo- tiful too. cost, high quality products suitable for of the metal will, however, continue to be nt making payments on time, even up- proof, he said “even when Kamal Nath
bally competitive industry,” According to Narendran, rural consumption. These could be decided by the performance of the front to expedite work. Backlog of unpaid was the CM, not all MLAs used to attend
the Indian per capita steel “demand generation from highly steel-intensive affordable rural broader economy. Hopefully, rural mar- bills contributes to the freezing of unfin- the meetings”.
use will take a leap to 160 kg this sector in the present try- housing, irrigation pipelines and daily ket among all steel-consuming sectors ished projects.” As the pandemic has ro-
by 2030. What is left unsaid ing times is also aided by gov- use products.” alone standing out in a situation of near bbed the industry of demand, Oommen
is how much of the targeted
steel production of 230 mil-
TAKE ernment spending on rural
infrastructure and affordable
JSW Steel Chairman Sajjan Jindal says
in the same vein: “The only way to
total demand destruction in April and
May will henceforward lead steelmakers
wants steel to be made the material of
choice in all possible areas on grounds of Young versus old
lion tonnes (MT) on a capac- TWO housing.” Steel in the form of increase steel demand is to move into to aggressively promote the metal use “safety, durability and life cycle cost.” Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Jagat
ity base of 300 MT in a dec- ANALYSIS BEHIND pipes and hardware will be people’s households. Steel mills are beyond traditional consumption points. China, which continues to make im- Prakash Nadda on Monday appointed
ade will be consumed in THE HEADLINES required in growing quan- required to promote use of the metal in Job losses caused by the Covid-19 out- pressive economic recovery since late Ladakh’s 34-year-old MP, Jamyang
rural India. tities as the government furniture and household goods and not break forced nearly 30 million migrant February, has this year been a major des- Tsering Namgyal, the party’s UT unit
Who could have thought wants to provide piped water just stay focussed on high profile sectors workers constituting a fifth of urban tination for Indian steel exports. But that chief. But when it came to Gujarat, the
before the Covid pandemic that rural connection to every rural household such as automobile.” labour force to return home braving all has not stopped Oommen from worrying home state of Prime Minister Narendra
India would provide some succour to the under Jal Jeevan Mission by 2024. Popularising steel products the way odds. There is welcome realisation in the about the “enduring threat posed by Chi- Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, the
steel industry, which was allowed to func- Moreover, all steel-based items linked to Jindal has recommended will lead to sub- government that the only way to lure a nese state-subsidised steel imports.” His BJP trusted 65-year-old Lok Sabha MP
tion through the long lockdown but had the rural economy are seeing their con- stitution of wood by steel, which is recy- good number of them to return to cities concern is not to be taken lightly. World C R Patil. He is known to be close to the
to keep capacity use at a historical low as sumption grow. “In the automotive sec- clable, in the making of furniture, doors to give a leg up to economic activity will Steel Association has forecast Chinese PM and replaces 49-year-old Jitu
demand disappeared. In the first full tor, tractor sales are reasonably good and and windows for use in urban, semi- be to give them inexpensive rental dwell- 2020 demand to rise barely 1 per cent to Vaghani. It is to be noted that Vaghani
month of the lockdown in April when motorcycles are doing better than urban centres. ings. At the same time, for the benefit of 916.5 MT and demand next year to rema- was one of the youngest leaders to get
Tata Steel, the country’s largest steel- scooters. The reason being their rural As more such products are developed those who will not risk going back to in static. So as the year advances, China the job in August 2016, after Vijay Rupani
maker on its acquisition of Bhusan Steel connection,” says Narendran. According by major steelmakers using their techni- cities, the government is to implement a is likely to have surpluses that must be became chief minister. Patil is known to
and Usha Martin long products mill, ran to rating agency Crisil, a good monsoon cal and designing skills, benefits will acc- series of rural infrastructure projects, exported. As in the past, India, where mu- be a resourceful politician, and insiders
its blast furnaces at around 50 per cent has proved to be a mitigator of the coro- rue to medium and small enterprises who including housing for the poor. All that ltiple local taxes constituting 12 per cent believe he would be the perfect choice,
capacity, it fell back on exports for over navirus impact on tractor sales. Of its will be assigned to make them. In pio- will translate into demand generation for of production costs rob Indian steel of given that the Gujarat Assembly polls are
80 per cent of production and for the bal- ~82,125-crore turnover, Tata Steel earns neering moves, Tata Steel has developed construction steel. “competitiveness before it leaves the pla- a bit over two years away, and could
ance on the rural market. around 20 per cent revenue by selling a steel-based smart housing solution, Reminding that as much as two-thirds nt,” will be a natural export target for Chi- turn out to be as tricky as the previous
T V Narendran, chief executive officer roofing materials, reinforcing steel for steel windows and doors and water vend- of steel demand originates in infrastruc- na. Oommen says in the circumstances, one in December 2017. Vaghani could be
(CEO) and managing director of Tata individual house builders and farm ing kiosk made of steel, which are finding ture and construction work, Dilip Oom- introduction of the border adjustment inducted into the state cabinet.
Steel, says: “Domestic demand during the equipment in the rural market. increasing acceptability. Introduction of men, CEO of ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel tax will be relief to Indian steel.

ON THE JOB LETTERS

Urban equilibrium Banks must

Every town has to find its own balance
between loss of lives and loss of income
week of June and then slipped
for three consecutive weeks.
Not all of the increase in
labour participation could be
provided employment. As a
result, the unemployment rate
inched up to 7.9 per cent from 7.4
per cent in the previous week.
But, the unemployment rate was
still significantly lower than in
it was in all the earlier weeks of
the lockdown.
MAHESH VYAS The big gain in labour partici-
pation rate and the small in-
crease in the unemployment
declining gradient. It has fallen
from around 43 per cent in 2016
to less than 40 per cent in 2019.
The average employment rate
during the first quarter of 2020
was 39.2 per cent. In April 2020,
the rate fell to 27.2 per cent. It
recovered a bit in May to 29.2 per
cent and then smartly in June to
35.9 per cent.
The good news is that the
employment rate has continued
its recovery in July as well. The
average employment rate during
the first three weeks of the
month was 37.5 per cent. This is
still a long way from the 39.2 per
cent average in the first quarter
of 2020. The 170 basis point dif-
because news reports suggest
that towns that were “unlocked”
recently have been brought
under a lockdown again. This is
true of Bangalore, Pune, Patna
and Lucknow among others. But
in spite of these intermittent
lockdowns and their relaxations,
the nature of the lockdown in
recent times has changed. Many
types of services have resumed
with restrictions. For example,
house help and other services
have restarted in most towns.
Several construction sites,
factories and offices have start-
ed operations with thinner
attendance. Urban lockdown
seems to be evolving in every
redefine strategy
The recent results of almost all banks
show a decline in profit, or losses.
This is even before the full impact of
Covid-19 is captured. Many bor-
rowers must have been affected ad-
versely by the lockdown and it is li-
kely that the non-performing assets
may go up if the government does
not announce any special restruc-
turing scheme. Further the banks
have been affected due to the drop
in their non-interest income, result-
ing in muted top-line growth. But
the good news is that the banks are
able to raise fresh capital. Unfortu-
nately, part of the new capital will be
used for cleaning the books and the
banks will have to run faster to be in
New twists and turns can be
expected as we navigate the new
normal. In such a set-up, we will
need a nimble human resources
(HR) department, equipped to pivot
to fast-changing circumstances.
At the very top of the HR tree,
there might be clarity on the way
forward. But how the junior func-
tionaries implement the policies on
ground will make a difference. Will
the junior HR functionaries be able
to understand and mitigate the pain
of the employees on a shop floor?
Will the pain points at the grassroots
level be communicated to the top
for corrective action? We have seen
lay-offs, frozen salaries, and mas-
sive pay cuts. There is fear and
unease among employees. Will the
junior HR officials be trained to
handle these emotional issues with
tructure redundant. The answer
probably lies in our thinking. Are we
accepting Covid-19 to be a continual
fixture on planet Earth? If so, it will
necessitate large-scale idling or
destruction of physical infrastruc-
ture, redesigning our homes to ma-
ke space for setting up an ideal eco-
system in conjunction with the
present practice of work from home.
Online classes are convenient,
financially beneficial, bring educa-
tion home, teach self-discipline and
expose students to a global college.
At the same time, they are more
theoretical, create a sense of isola-
tion, cast more responsibility on
students and challenge their time-
management skills, reduce interac-
tion and feedback, make assess-
ment difficult, and above all create
myriad health issues like stressed

P
reliminary labour sta-
tistics for the first three
weeks of July indicate
a further improvement
in labour conditions in the mo-
nth over last month’s dramatic
turnaround. The labour partici-
pation rate has inched up and
the unemployment rate has
declined so far during the mo-
nth. The gain hasn’t been as
smooth and as confident as it
was in June. We have worried
about the June recovery facing
fatigue towards the end of the
month and in early July. But the
net results seem to be headed
towards consolidating and mak-
ing further gains in July albeit
lesser than in June.
Labour participation picked
up smartly in the week ended
July 19. At 41.7 per cent it was
heads and shoulders above the
40.4 per cent recorded during
the preceding two weeks. Much
of the ground lost during the last
three weeks has been recovered.
The LPR (labour participation
rate), it may be recalled, had to-
uched 42 per cent in the third
rate helped in delivering a hand-
some increase in the employ-
ment rate. This rose to 38.4 per
cent in the week ended July 19.
Finally, it is the employment
rate that matters. An increase in
the labour participation rate can
be negated with an increase in
the unemployment rate. If an
increase in the labour participa-
tion rate does not lead to any
increase in employment, it only
raises the unemployment rate.
Therefore, a mere increase in
the labour participation rate is
not a sufficient indicator of pro-
gress. Similarly, a low unemploy-
ment rate is useless at a low
labour participation rate. This is
India’s predicament.
It suffers low labour partici-
pation and claims a low unem-
ployment rate.
What matters in the final
count is the proportion of the
working-age population that is
employed. This is measured by
the employment rate.
A serious challenge that India
faces is that the employment
rate has been on a gradually
ference between the two implies
that employment is still around
18 million short of what it was a
few months ago.
Nevertheless, an important
takeaway from the weekly labour
market estimates is that the
small decline in the employment
rate in the weeks ended June 28
and July 5 has been reversed.
The employment rate as of July
19, at 38.41 per cent was almost
at the same level as it was in the
week ended June 21, which was
38.42 per cent.
The big surprise in the recov-
ery of the employment rate in
July is in urban India. The urban
employment rate in the week
ended July 19 was 35.1 per cent.
This is the highest employment
rate after the great fall in April.
This rate had peaked at 34.5 per
cent in the week ended June 28.
It fell in the first week of July
to 33.2 per cent and remained
thereabouts for another week
before recovering back smartly
to 35.1 per cent.
The recovery in the urban
employment rate is surprising
town to find its own local equi-
librium between loss of lives
and loss of income. The net
result is that slowly employ-
ment is returning.
The employment that is
returning is mostly essential
services required by Indian
households. Most urban Indian
households cannot function
without a retinue of maids,
cooks, drivers, cleaners. These
and many of their kind have
returned to work. As a result, in
some ways, the lockdown has
become more bearable for mid-
dle class urban households. The
disturbing plight of the hapless
migrants does not plague the
urban vision anymore.
Migrants have returned ho-
me, MGNREGS provides good
subsistence jobs, the kharif crop
is good. The Nifty 50 yielded 7.5
per cent returns in June and it
continues to scale higher in July.
Quietly, a new equilibrium see-
ms to be setting in.
The author is managing director &
CEO, CMIE
the earlier position.
Pressure on profits, moderate
growth in business, need for higher
capital and reduced credit appetite
will be some of the features common
to all banks in the current fiscal year.
Besides, rating of some banks may
also suffer. In the wake of this, there
is need for an improved supervision
by Reserve Bank of India. Also, if Pa-
rliament passes the revised Finan-
cial Sector Development and Regu-
lation (Resolution) Bill, banks would
have better solvency in absence of
government support in future. There
is a scope for consolidation and
besides shoring up capital, banks
need to redefine their strategies.
M Raghuraman Mumbai
Tough task ahead
for HR
This refers to the article ‘Rewriting
the HR playbook’ by Anchita Ghosh
(July 20), which I think is timely.
The future of the workplace has
been thrown into a tizzy by the pan-
demic. How the future will pan out
is only in the realms of conjecture.
compassion? In these troubled
times, if corporates temporarily
cease to look at the bottom line, pro-
ductivity and profitability, and con-
centrate on employee welfare, their
engagement will increase. The HR
manager has a tough task in nego-
tiating a balanced deal.
K V Premraj Mumbai
Stopgap arrangement
This refers to the opinion column
‘Sudden rise of online higher edu-
cation’ by Ajit Balakrishnan (July
20). The strap rightly posits the que-
stion whether Covid-19 can perma-
nently transform the method of
teaching and render college infras-
HAMBONE
vision and back pain. It also leads
to information overload and less
creativity. Let us remind ourselves
that student suicides have gone up
in India during the pandemic.
As a stopgap arrangement,
however, online education can help
maintain continuity in curriculum.
Ganga Narayan Rath
Hyderabad
Letters can be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to:
The Editor, Business Standard,Nehru House,
4 Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg,
New Delhi 110 002
Fax: (011) 23720201 · E-mail:
letters@bsmail.in
All letters must have a postal address and
telephone number
 >
OPINION 9
STAY INFORMED THROUGH THE DAY @ WWW.BUSINESS-STANDARD.COM

ILLUSTRATION: BINAY SINHA

Volume XXVI Number 327
they owned. This is where the bulk of their profits
NEW DELHI | TUESDAY, 21 JULY 2020 were. The sector accounted for almost 42 per cent of
the Nifty, and was thus ripe for a correction. What has
been worrying is the inability of major banks to claw
back their losses, as the markets and economy have
Some local lessons started to normalise.
Investors are getting spooked by the extent of the
Testing and tracing have been critical in containing the pandemic capital issuance in the space. Every major financial
institution is raising equity and the ticket size for

I
ndia’s Covid-19 aggregate numbers are disturbing, in that the number of each is between ~10,000 crore to ~15,000 crore. What
cases continues to climb steeply, crossing 1.1 million on Monday, setting a do these banks know that we don’t? Is the rise in
new record for the number of new cases in a day of over 40,000. There are credit losses going to be so severe that they all need

new hotspot states — on Sunday, Andhra Pradesh became the third state,
after Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, to report over 5,000 new cases in a single day.
Over 20,000 of Andhra Pradesh’s 50,000 cases were reported in just the last week.
In this context, it is important to learn from those areas that have had some
success in containing the Covid-19 spread and fallout. Kerala’s actions have received
international attention, and for good reason. However, it is worth noting that it
has not completely managed the infection — on Sunday, Kerala too reported its
highest single-day number of new cases so far. These are clustered in
Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam districts, where it is feared that the com-
munity spread stage of the pandemic has already begun. It is necessary to learn,
therefore, from what Kerala got right — aggressive contact tracing in the early
Worrying signals
to raise capital at the same time? That too at not the
best prices for most. Some are issuing such deep dis-
counted rights, that they are literally forcing their
shareholders to subscribe.
Are the non-performing assets once the moratori-
from the markets ums end, expected to surge to such an extent? Rather
than comforting investors, the surge in issuance is
worrying many. There is another associated concern
of the relevance of the numbers being reported. If we
Investors are getting increasingly concerned about continue to have most loans under moratorium, what
is the relevance of the earnings number being
the extent of capital issuance in the financial sector reported? How to value a bank, if one does not know
what its asset quality and profitability are truly?

A
stages of the pandemic, particularly during the first weeks of the lockdown — as s has now been spoken about ad nauseam, another period of mediocre market returns. The markets are saying that we don’t think the
well as what it got wrong. In that category falls, probably, the unwillingness of the investors are worried about the long-term It is now a consensus view that for growth to pick banks will rebound quickly. Their growth and profit-
state government to involve the private sector sufficiently in the management of growth outlook for India. What is India’s true up in India, its financial system needs to be fixed. We ability is unclear and too difficult to model. This has
the pandemic, as well as the failure to ramp up testing capacity, alongside the con- structural growth rate? How quickly and to what level have undergone a series of shocks to all segments. implications for the market’s view on the economic
will growth rebound in FY22, after the pandemic The asset quality review forced the banks to disclose recovery as well. In fact, the markets’ price action is
tact tracing effort. The state also refused to test mild and asymptomatic contacts
shock? Was Indian growth truly overstated as Arvind and provide for all bad assets. Frankly the public sector consistent with a weak economy and the lack of con-
of patients, which meant that imported cases eventually turned into community Subramanian seems to imply? banks (PSBs) never recovered. Then we had the IL&FS fidence in a strong V-shaped recovery. The best per-
spread. Till recently, Ernakulam had a single facility for the gold standard RT-PCR The debate on growth is an important one, and crisis, which effectively wiped out the business model forming sectors year-to-date are Pharma and IT serv-
tests, and there was a significant backlog in the number of samples awaiting testing. depending upon what comes out of this debate, India of non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) and ices, both export-oriented and classic defensives. The
It is clear that even after its positive efforts early in the lockdown, the failure to seems either very attractive or not interesting at all. housing finance companies. No longer able to access worst sectors, besides financials are, real estate, autos
create testing capacity has allowed the creation of hotspots, which threatens to The growth dynamics affect most of our long- term debt markets, their structural funding weaknesses and and capital goods. All domestic cyclicals. Such sectoral
macro variables. Debt sustainability being the most asset liability mismatches came to the fore. After the rotation, is consistent with a lack of confidence in
undo all its good work.
critical. If India does not get back to at least 10-11 per Yes Bank fiasco, the smaller private banks are running future growth prospects.
Another location from which lessons can be drawn is the Dharavi area of cent nominal gross domestic product scared, some have got beaten down The government has done a lot to stabilise the
Mumbai, which was an early hotspot in the city. Its crowded conditions and subpar (GDP) growth, then the country will to below book and have to pay a financial sector and address the risk aversion— from
sanitation meant that rapid and exponential spread was likely. Yet the spread in have real issues in trying to stabilise large risk premium for deposits. huge liquidity infusions to credit guarantees for small
Dharavi appears to have been brought under control, with only 143 current cases, public debt ratios. Unfortunately, the way markets and medium enterprises to targeted longer-term refi-
of a total of almost 2,500 test positives since the beginning of the lockdown. The Similarly, without stronger are behaving, investors seem to have nancing operations. The time has now come to address
suburbs Thane and Kalyan-Dombivli have in fact overtaken central Mumbai as growth, one does not see how the tax given up hope of the financial sector the elephant in the room. The PSB model is clearly
revenues will be in place to permit recovering from the Covid-19 shock not working. Except the State Bank of India, no PSB
the epicentres of the pandemic in Maharashtra. It is fortunate that now other parts
greater public investment and main- anytime soon. Price action does not can raise external capital. Most seem either unable or
of Mumbai and its suburbs are seeking to replicate the Dharavi pattern of volunteer tain fiscal sustainability. Even from indicate that investors believe that unwilling to compete. We need to fundamentally
teams tracing and testing door to door, in some cases — such as Dombivli — using the narrow lens of the stock market, the financials will lead us out of this reform their governance, incentive structures and
the manpower of local corporators. there is a correlation between eco- economic slump. Current valuations improve their competitiveness. The NBFC business
Finally there is Delhi, which appeared to be headed for serious trouble a month nomic growth rates and corporate seem to imply that we are in for an model is broken, it will not come back in a hurry. We
profitability (both growth and level).
AKASH PRAKASH extended period of weakness on cannot have only five or six banks fund our growth
ago but as of recent days has seen a dip in the number of Covid cases. This was the
product of more focused effort on expanding capacity. According to the data avail- Unless we get growth to accelerate both asset quality and earnings for aspirations. The system has to be deeper and stronger.
over the coming years, it is unlikely corporate earnings the vast majority of the financial system. This does not PSBs are important and have to be a part of the solution
able, the city had fewer than 10,000 Covid-care beds on June 14; a month later that
will meet expectations. In the absence of an earnings bode well, for without a recovery in the financials, I do to reviving the economy. They cannot be a permanent
number went up three times. While this sounds good, the fact also is that Delhi is acceleration, the outlook for market returns is bleak. not think the economy can bounce back. fiscal drag on the government.
no longer relying on RT-PCR tests but doing more rapid antigen tests, which often Just take a look at the last five years. Between FY15 This is for the simple reason that the financials Yes, we will have to recapitalise them. However,
fail to pick up cases. Thus, Delhi might need to wait a bit before it declares victory. and FY20, the Nifty delivered a compound annual have been the worst-performing major sector year-to- this time the recap must be accompanied with genuine
But it is clear that testing and tracing are critical in containing the pandemic. growth rate (CAGR) of only 1.7 per cent. This modest date. Most of the major banks are down between 30 reform as to how the banks are run. Privatisation may
number was derived from an earnings CAGR of 2.7 per cent and 45 per cent and all the laggards in the be politically too difficult, but surely we can reform
per cent, dividends of 1.4 per cent and a valuation der- BSE-200 index are financials. There is not one major their governance without privatisation. Markets are

Managing public debt ating of 2.4 per cent (source: Motilal Oswal). Valuations financial stock that is up for the year.
are procyclical and multiples also move up or down One can understand why the financials led the way
with growth rates and confidence in the growth out- in the Covid-related sell-off. The sector was over-
convinced the PSBs have little hope. More broadly,
the markets are negative on the entire financial system.
The government must prove the markets wrong.
India needs structural changes in economic management look. If we don’t see economic growth and earnings owned by foreigners, who did all the selling in the mar-
pick up in the coming years, we are destined for ket meltdown. It was natural that they would sell what The writer is with Amansa Capital

T
he economic disruption caused by the spread of Covid-19 has increased
budget management difficulties across the world. While the shutdown
caused by the pandemic is affecting revenues, governments need to
spend on containing the virus and support those who have been dis-
placed by the economic disruption. As a result, the budget deficit and public debt
China has blown its historic opportunity
U
are likely to go up in most countries. According to the International Monetary ntil recently, China was unmistakably trying and dollars — to developing and other economies would be to wait for the US to become weaker.
to be a hegemon in the image of the United facing major capital outflows. One irony of the The obvious answer to the puzzle is Chinese
Fund, global government debt will cross the 100 per cent of gross domestic product
States, increasingly complementing its grow- post-2000 world is that the country most able to President Xi Jinping and the regime that he both rep-
(GDP) mark in the current year, compared with the level of about 83 per cent in ing hard power with soft power. But China seems to provide dollar liquidity is China, owing to its $3 tril- resents and has helped to create. But key elements of
2019. The fiscal deficit will expand in India as well with a significant increase in have missed its opportunity to build a serious rival to, lion-plus in dollar reserves. The People’s Bank of China’s earlier strategy — including the BRI and
debt. According to a new research note by the State Bank of India, higher govern- or even supplant, the existing world economic order China could have extended swap lines to all its devel- reserve-currency status for the renminbi — were Xi’s
ment borrowing in the current fiscal year will push gross debt to 87.6 per cent of fashioned by the US following World War II. oping-world counterparts. own signature gambits. So, what is driving the reversal?
GDP. The collapse in GDP growth will push up the debt-to-GDP ratio by at least 4 All the elements of success seemed to be falling into Regarding trade, China could have offered freer Perhaps China’s leaders once again see the world
percentage points. Consequently, the target of bringing down the debt to 60 per place for China. It launched the Belt and Road Initiative market access to poorer countries ravaged by Covid- through a victim’s lens. As they perceive it, the pow-
(BRI), a transnational infrastructure investment pro- 19. It could also have ramped up production of essen- erful West had kept a weak China in check since the
cent of GDP by 2022-23 will be pushed by about seven years.
gramme intended to define a vision of a China-led, tial medical supplies to fight coronavirus — face early 1800s. Now that the roles are reversed, the
The expansion in the budget deficit due to the pandemic shock is under- post-Bretton Woods world, much as the US Marshall masks, testing kits, protective equipment, and ven- regime believes it is time to correct historical injus-
standable, but what is worrying is that India’s public debt has been steadily rising. Plan did for the post-1945 order. China also aggressively tilators — assuring their high quality and offering tices. With Xi’s aggressive insecurity having replaced
It increased from about 67 per cent of GDP in 2011-12 to 72 per cent in 2019-20. The promoted the renminbi as an international currency, to make them available to any country via the World Deng’s calm confidence, China now places a premium
debt situation should concern Indian policymakers for a variety of reasons. The and persuaded the International Health Organization (WHO) at con- on settling its borders and returning to the glory days
rising debt stock would mean that in the coming years the government would Monetary Fund (IMF) to include it in cessional prices. of the Middle Kingdom.
need to set aside more resources for debt servicing. Further, even this high level the basket of reserve currencies Such generous intervention A darker possibility for the rest of the world is that
underpinning Special Drawing would have shown that China was China not only seeks historical justice, but is also gaz-
of debt doesn’t represent the actual picture. For instance, a recent paper by the
Rights (the IMF’s unit of account) far offering an alternative to US-led insti- ing beyond its borders. It is in the nature of repressive,
Reserve Bank of India noted that guarantees given by state governments could sooner than was justified. tutions. It could have repudiated its autocratic regimes to believe only in the currency of
pose a potential risk to debt sustainability. The Union government also tends to China also sought to take over reputation as a usurious lender while fear and hard power. In this view, Xi is merely reverting
shift liability to public sector enterprises. leadership of international institu- entrenching the BRI. And while offer- to type, following his idol Mao Zedong’s dictum that
In the present circumstances, a number of commentators have argued that tions; it currently heads five. It pushed ing short-term dollar liquidity might political power — both internally and externally —
the government should go for direct monetisation of debt as it would help push to increase its voice in existing bodies have conflicted with China’s longer- grows from the barrel of a gun. So, perhaps China’s
expenditure and growth at a lower cost. And, since demand is depressed, this will such as the World Bank and IMF. And term global aspirations for the ren- recent aggression is not a bug but rather a feature of
not result in higher inflation. The idea sounds reasonable for dealing with a one- where it felt stymied, it established its minbi, the self-restraint this move its strategy for supplanting the US.
own, such as the Asian Infrastructure ARVIND SUBRAMANIAN showed could have engendered a In her book The Guns of August, the American his-
time shock. However, the fundamentals of the Indian economy make this propo- Investment Bank and the New broader confidence in China, thus torian Barbara Tuchman memorably captured the shift
sition risky. For example, the disruption in economic activity has not led to a col- Development Bank. enhancing the renminbi’s prospects. in geopolitical power from the United Kingdom to the
lapse in prices. Inflation remains above the target band of the central bank. Thus, The Covid-19 pandemic offered China an oppor- Instead, China’s recent actions have undermined US during World War I by saying that a strong America
debt monetisation could affect inflationary expectations, which will undo the tunity to cement this strategy of remaking the world its global aims. The geographic range and intensity became an enfeebled UK’s “larder, arsenal, and bank.”
potential benefits and increase macroeconomic risks. economic order on its terms. It’s worth considering of the Chinese regime’s belligerence are now familiar, In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, China could
Further, both the economy and government finances have structural prob- the possibilities. with the ever-growing list of targets including have achieved something similar vis-à-vis the US-led
lems, which cannot be addressed through debt monetisation. The Indian economy For starters, as the world’s largest long-term cred- Xinjiang, Tibet, Taiwan, Hong Kong, India, the South global order by becoming the development bank, cen-
itor to low-income countries, China could have proac- China Sea, the Philippines, Australia, Europe, the US, tral bank, and medical supplier to the world.
was slowing and the debt stock was steadily rising even before the pandemic.
tively and unilaterally declared a moratorium on all and Canada. And instead of being transparent regard- By choosing unprovoked aggression over enlight-
Therefore, while the focus at the moment needs to be on containing the pandemic, debt service owed to it. And it could have gone further. ing the origins of Covid-19, China has persuaded the ened generosity, China has squandered that historic
policymakers would do well to prepare a road map for large structural changes. As Scott Morris and his colleagues at the Center for WHO to connive with its own obfuscation. opportunity and possibly also revealed its true char-
As the economy recovers, the government would need to evaluate what all it can Global Development have shown, China’s lending The puzzle is why China is choosing aggression acter. Soft power, China appears to believe, is for
afford with the given budgetary constraints, and what it needs to do in terms of terms — interest, grace period, and maturity — are over magnanimity, or even over mere inaction. After wimpy democracies. Scorpions sting. The world must
policy changes to attain higher sustainable growth. This might require reversing much more onerous than those offered by the World all, China’s current leaders probably view America as take steps to respond.
some recent policy decisions, such as in the area of trade. In the absence of Bank and its concessional lending arm, the a declining power that will soon organically vacate
International Development Association. China could the hegemonic position that China seeks to occupy. The writer is former chief economic adviser to the government
required policy changes, among other things, debt servicing could become more
simply have promised to eliminate this wedge. If so, just as Deng Xiaoping, the father of China’s of India, a professor at Ashoka University and a non-resident
painful and India may get trapped in lower levels of growth. Furthermore, China could have provided uncon- reforms 40 years ago, advised geopolitical patience senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International
ditional short-term liquidity — in both renminbi until China became stronger, a Dengian strategy today Economics. ©2020Project Syndicate

Driving the private sector spent more than two decades as an

degree appraisal of how the celebrated
company was born and made history.
Almost a decade later, Mr Bhargava
has authored another book that attempts
to present his thoughts on the need for
building a competitive manufacturing
BOOK REVIEW sector in India and how this can be done.
But this is not written like other books by
A K BHATTACHARYA management gurus, though the title (
Getting Competitive: A Practitioner’s
the company as well as on the shop floor.
You cannot quarrel with any one of these
requirements, but may be left wondering
if something more could be expected
from one of India’s most successful
managers of a manufacturing company.
His vast experience as a civil servant
and as Maruti CEO underpins his
realisation that the challenges of
achieving manufacturing
Indian Administrative Service officer and
worked in two public sector undertakings
(including Maruti Udyog), does not
mince his words in advocating the crucial
role the private sector and its
industrialists will have to play in
improving industrial competitiveness
and growth, which in turn should reduce
poverty and deprivation. Policymakers,
including the political leadership and
bureaucracy, must
work towards
creating an
almost an impossibility. Even more
improbable is the idea of bringing about
legal changes to give state-owned
enterprises in a country like India more
autonomy. There is, therefore, no
alternative to selling public sector
undertakings and using the resources
from such transactions to accelerate
private sector manufacturing and
competitiveness.
Nehru’s industrial policies were a big
handicap, Mr
Bhargava notes,
GETTING
COMPETITIVE: and the economic
manufacturing competitiveness.
One of the most readable chapters is
on human resources, where Mr Bhargava
recounts how he managed workers in
Maruti and how the work culture was
changed to build a relationship of trust
between workers and the management.
There are many lessons in management
in this section that several of India’s
famous private sector giants could adopt
in their manufacturing units.
The broader message that comes
through loud and clear from
Mr Bhargava is that the Japanese way of

I
n 2010, R C Bhargava wrote his
memoirs presenting the fascinating
story of how he led Maruti Udyog
(now Maruti Suzuki) and made it India’s
shining example of a successful
manufacturing company that, even after
about four decades, remains the market
leader. That book ( The Maruti Story:
How A Public Sector Company Put India
On Wheels ) was rich with information
and perspective on how Maruti Suzuki
revolutionised India’s automobile
market. Read along with V
Krishnamurthy’s At The Helm: A Memoir
and Jagdish Khattar’s Driven: Memoirs
Of A Civil Servant Turned Entrepreneur,
Mr Bhargava’s memoir completed a 360-
Guide for India) may suggest that. There
are, therefore, no to-do or to-avoid lists.
Nor are there any case studies. Except
one — predictably called Other
Important Requirements — the
remaining 12 chapters are devoted to
expanding many of Mr Bhargava’s pet
ideas on how to make manufacturing
succeed in India. There are, of course,
no surprises in the requirements he
outlines. The list includes rudimentary
recommendations including the need
for strengthening the legal framework,
underlining the importance of long-
term thinking, working as a team,
focusing on implementation and
ensuring cleanliness and discipline in
competitiveness are complex because
India has a federal governance structure.
More than the Centre, the state
governments have a much larger role to
play in respect of policies to encourage
manufacturing and industrial activity.
Politicians and bureaucrats must
understand the nuances of competitive
manufacturing that could create a wealth
effect for the people. They must become
facilitators of private-sector industrial
growth, instead of being controllers — a
mindset that creates a climate of distrust.
Unfortunately, Mr Bhargava notes, this is
a mistake that has neither been fully
recognised nor corrected.
It is remarkable that the writer, who
environment that A Practitioner’s reforms of 1991 working and living is most suited to
encourages them. Guide For made some India’s political, economic and social
Mr Bhargava India progress, but failed environment. Industrial management,
picks many holes in to usher in the spirit therefore, should look east and adopt the
the way different Author: of competitiveness Japanese way of forging partnerships
governments have R C Bhargava in manufacturing. with workers and other stakeholders.
followed a half- Publisher: The United This would be an extremely difficult idea
hearted approach HarperCollins Progressive to implement in India of today, which
to the need for Alliance has moved towards ostentatious
Price: ~599
allowing the government did consumption. But for Mr Bhargava the
ownership of public come out with a prescription for a better future is rapid,
sector enterprises to be passed on to manufacturing policy but beyond competitive industrialisation,
private hands to achieve greater making the right noises in 2011, it did not generation of jobs for the youth and the
competitiveness, efficiency and wealth follow this through. The Narendra Modi creation of a just and equitable society.
creation. He finds the idea of reforming government, therefore, has an That may well appear utopian at present.
a public sector undertaking and making opportunity to correct those mistakes by But that is a dream that Mr Bhargava
it competitive and a wealth-creator focusing on policies that enhance wants India to realise.