cmyk cmyk

THE ASIAN AGE NATION| 3

NEW DELHI TUESDAY 14 DECEMBER 2021

SPORT| 8 TABLOID| 9
Congress leader Digvijay Rohit Sharma out of South Dhanush and Sara Ali Khan
Singh invites Kamra and Africa tour after injuring starrer Atrangi Re is ready
Farooqui for show in MP hamstring in net session for release all across India
www.asianage.com RNI No. 57290/94, Regd No: DL-SW-05/4189/15-17 Vol. 28 No. 297 | 16 PAGES | `5.00

■ Modi opens Kashi Project’s first phase ahead of UP polls

WINDOWS
J&K: Militants fire on police
For every Aurangzeb, India has bus, 2 cops killed, 12 injured
Indian crowned
Miss Universe

Newly crowned Miss Universe
2021 Harnaaz Sandhu poses after
the 70th Miss Universe pageant
in Eilat, Israel, on Monday. — AP
■ Report to Page 9
RS clears bill on
enhanced pension
of retired judges
New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha
on Monday approved a bill
that seeks to bring clarity on
the age of retired judges to
determine when they will get
enhanced pension. The Lok
Sabha had passed the High
Court and Supreme Court
Judges (Salaries and
Conditions of Service)
Amendment Bill, 2021 on
December 8. The Rajya Sabha
approved the bill. The bill
seeks to bring an explanatory
clarification about the age of
eligibility for enhanced pen-
sion for retired judges.
Full report on Page 3
Kangana gets relief
always produced a Shivaji: PM
AGE CORRESPONDENT
with agency inputs
NEW DELHI/VARANASI,
DEC. 13
Hailing Kashi (Varanasi)
as “anant” (endless) and
“imperishable,” Prime
Minister Narendra Modi
on Monday inaugurated
the first phase of the Kashi
Vishwanath Project in his
parliamentary constituen-
cy, with the famous
Vishwanath Temple get-
ting a grand new complex,
connecting it directly with
the Ganga. Noting how
attempts were made by
Mughal emperor
Aurangzeb to demolish the
temple city and crush
India’s traditions by force,
Mr Modi said at such times
rulers like Chhattrapati
Shivaji Maharaj rose to
challenge him, drawing
thunderous applause from
the gathering. The inaugu-
ration of the first phase of
the project has come just
months ahead of the cru-
cial Assembly polls in
Uttar Pradesh.
Describing the Kashi
Vishwanath Dham as a
symbol of India’s “sanatan
culture, spiritual soul,
antiquity, traditions and
strength,” Mr Modi said
India was proud of its cul-
ture and knows how to bal-
ance its “virasat” and
Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the inauguration of
Kashi Vishwanath Dham in Varanasi on Monday. — PTI
“vikas”. He said the inau-
guration of the complex
was a “new chapter” in the
history of Kashi
Vishwanath and the city
has stood the test of time.
Like the temple city, which
was “anant”, its contribu-
tion to the nation’s devel-
opment was also endless.
He urged the nation to take
three pledges for the coun-
try — cleanliness, creativi-
ty, and a constant effort for
a self-reliant India. The PM
went on a Ganga river
cruise in the evening,
accompanied by BJP presi-
dent J.P. Nadda and the
chief ministers of BJP-
ruled states, including
UP’s Yogi Adityanath,
Madhya Pradesh’s Shivraj
Singh Chouhan and
◗ DESCRIBING THE Kashi
Vishwanath Dham as a
symbol of India’s “sanatan
culture, spiritual soul,
antiquity, traditions and
strength,” Mr Modi said
India was proud of its
culture and knows how to
balance its “virasat” and
“vikas”.
◗ HE URGED the nation to
take three pledges for the
country — cleanliness,
creativity, and a constant
effort for a self-reliant
India.
◗ THE TEMPLE COMPLEX
surrounding the Kashi
Vishwanath Temple,
which was earlier only
3,000 square feet, now
covers about five lakh
square feet and will be
directly connected to the
Ganga
Haryana’s Manohar Lal
Khattar, from where they
had a panoramic view of
the Ganga aarti. Mr Modi
will also attend a conclave
of the BJP’s chief minis-
ters on Tuesday.
The temple complex sur-
rounding the Kashi
Vishwanath Temple,
which was earlier only
■ Turn to Page 4
1st major attack on a police bus after 2019 Pulwama hit
YUSUF JAMEEL
SRINAGAR, DEC. 13
Two Indian Reserve Police
(IRP) force personnel were
killed and 12 others
injured in a sneak attack
by separatist militants in
Zewan area on the periph-
eries of Kashmiri capital
Srinagar on Monday
evening.
The condition of a few
injured policemen is stat-
ed to be critical, the police
and hospital sources said.
A report put the number
of the injured at 16. Security forces on standby near the site of an encounter
The police sources said between militants and security forces at Rangreth area
that the bus carrying the in uptown Srinagar on Monday. — H.U. Naqash
personnel of the IRP’s 19th
Battalion came under ◗ THE POLICE sources ◗ SOURCES SAID that the
said that the bus carrying militants fired their auto-
attack at Aripora along
the Pantha Chowk- the personnel of the IRP’s matic weapons “indis-
Khanmoh link road near 19th Battalion came under criminately”. A police
Zewan, about 14-km south- attack at Aripora along the official who spoke on con-
east of the City centre. Pantha Chowk-Khanmoh dition of anonymity said,
Two of the injured police- link road near Zewan, “The condition of a cou-
men including an assis-
about 14-km southeast ple of injured policemen
tant sub-inspector suc-
cumbed at the 92-Base of the City centre is stated to be critical.”
Army hospital here. headquarters of the grade constables Sanjay
Sources said that the Army’s 15 Corps (also Kumar, Shafique Ali and
militants fired their auto- known as Chinar Corps), Vikas Sharma and consta-
matic weapons “indis- police reinforcements bles Sajad Ahmad,
criminately”. A police offi- joined by columns of the Rameez Ahmad,
cial who spoke on condi- CRPF and the Army Bishamber Dass, Abdul
tion of anonymity said, quickly laid siege to the Majeed, Mudassir Ahmed,
“The condition of a couple area and started searches Ravi Kanth, Showkat Ali,
of more critically injured to capture the assailants Arshid Muhammad,
policemen is stated to be dead or alive, sources said. Satveer Sharma, Liaquat
critical.” The injured policemen Ali and Aadil Ali. ASI
After the injured were have been identified as Ghulam Hassan and SGCT
removed to the 92-Base assistant sub-inspector Shafique Ali succumbed
Hospital at the nearby Ghulam Hassan, senior- ■ Turn to Page 4

in ‘Sikh remark’ case India votes Didi kickstarts Goa After Sonia slams govt, CBSE SC notice to
against UN bid govt on plea
Mumbai: The Mumbai police
on Monday assured the
Bombay high court that it
won’t arrest Kangana Ranaut
in connection with her to ‘securitise’ campaign with new scraps ‘misogynist’ questions by Uber, Ola,
climate action slogan, ‘Khel Zatlo’ Questions reflect poor testing of educational material: Gandhi
remarks on the Sikh commu-
nity. The actress was granted
relief after the court said this
case involves the issue of SRIDHAR
Zomato staff
Kolkata polls: SC
freedom of speech. KUMARASWAMI Panaji, Dec. 13: Giving a PAWAN BALI I add my voice to and servants are indisci- PARMOD KUMAR
Full report on Page 3 NEW DELHI, DEC. 13 new poll slogan of “Khel NEW DELHI, DEC. 13 plined”. NEW DELHI, DEC. 13
the concerns of
junks BJP plea on
Zatlo” in Goa, West Bengal She said the entire pas-
Assam develops kit to India late on Monday chief minister Mamata Congress president Sonia students, parents,
teachers and educa-
sage was riddled with The Supreme Court on

test Omicron in 2 hrs
Dibrugarh: At a time when
fresh details and concerns
are emerging every day
about Omicron, the Indian
Council of Medical
Research’s Regional Medical
Research Centre (RMRC) at
Assam’s Dibrugarh has come
up with a testing kit that can
detect the new Covid variant
in just two hours.
Full report on Page 4
COUNTERPOINT
evening voted against a
UN Security Council
(UNSC) draft resolution
on climate change and
security co-authored by
Ireland and Niger that
sought to link climate
change and security.
According to reports, the
draft resolution was also
vetoed by Russia. New
Delhi argued that the
draft resolution sought to
put the responsibility on
combating climate
change on the UNSC
when commitments
already exists under the
United Nations
Framework Convention
on Climate Change
(UNFCCC), adding that
the motive was so that
“decisions can be taken
without involvement of
most developing coun-
tries without recognising
consensus” and that “a
few states will have a free
hand in deciding on all
climate-related issues”. It
also demanded that
“developed countries
must provide climate
finance of $1 trillion at
the earliest” and that “it
Banerjee on Monday said
an anti-BJP alliance has
already taken shape in the
coastal state under the
banner of her party TMC
and now it is for the
Congress to decide
whether it wants to join the
grouping ahead of elections
to take on the saffron out-
fit.Addressing a public
meeting at Benaulim in
South Goa, Banerjee said
the Trinamool Congress
(TMC) will not allow the
ruling BJP to win the elec-
tions in Goa, due in early
2022, this time.
At a separate event,
Banerjee, who is on a two-
day visit to the state, said
there will be “Khel Zatlo”
in Goa (Zatlo is a Konkani
term to mean ‘will hap-
pen’). She had earlier
raised the ‘Khela Hobe’
(game is on) slogan during
the West Bengal Assembly
poll campaign earlier this
year. At the public meet-
ing, she said the
Maharashtrawadi
Gomantak Party (MGP)
has already joined her anti-
BJP alliance and now the
NCP’s lone MLA in the
CAPF deployment
New Delhi: The Supreme
Court on Monday refused
to entertain a petition
filed by the Bharatiya
Janata Party demanding
that Central Armed
Police Force personnel
be deployed during the
civic body elections in
Kolkata later this month,
reported PTI. A bench of
Justices L. Nageswara
Rao and BR Gavai asked
the petitioners
approach the Calcutta
to
high court. The bench
noted that the high court,
being more aware of the
security situation and
other local aspects, was
better equipped to handle
such pleas. The polls are
slated for December 19.
— PTI
(TMC). “If the Congress
thinks they want to defeat
the BJP, we have no objec-
tion. We already have the
MGP on board. If you want
to join, join us. We have
already formed the
alliance,” the Bengal CM
Gandhi on Monday
attacked the “blatantly
misogynist” questions in
the Class 10 CBSE exam
and asked the Union edu-
cation ministry to review
gender-sensitivity stan-
dards in its curriculum
and testing.
Later in the day, the
CBSE said it had decided
to drop the passage and
accompanying questions
in the English Language
and Literature paper of
Class 10, held on
December 11, 2021. The
CBSE said the passage
was not in accordance
with the board’s guide-
lines with regard to the
setting of question papers
and full marks will be
awarded for the passage to
all the students.
“I wish to draw the gov-
ernment’s attention to the
nationwide outrage
regarding a shockingly
regressive passage in the
reading comprehension
Section A of the Grade 10
■ Britons line up to get booster jab as PM offers third dose
tionists, and I raise
strong objections to
such blatantly
misogynist material
finding its way into
an important exami-
nation conducted by
the CBSE.
— Sonia
Gandhi,
Congress prez
Central
Secondary
Board
Education
of
Exam,” said Mrs Gandhi,
raising the issue during
Zero Hour in the Lok
Sabha.
She said the passage con-
tains an atrocious state-
ment such as “women
gaining independence is
the main reason for a wide
variety of social and fami-
ly problems”, and that
“wives stopped obeying
their husbands, and that is
the main reason children
such condemnable ideas,
and the questions that fol-
lowed were equally non-
sensical.
“Sir, I add my voice to
the concerns of students,
parents, teachers and edu-
cationists, and I raise
strong objections to such
blatantly misogynist
material finding its way
into an important exami-
nation conducted by the
CBSE,” the Congress pres-
ident said in the House.
She said it reflects
extremely poorly on the
standards of education
and testing and it goes
against all norms and
principles of a progressive
and empowered society.
“Sir, I urge the ministry
of education and the CBSE
to immediately withdraw
this question, issue an
apology, and conduct a
thorough review into this
egregious lapse to ensure
that this is never, never
repeated again,” Mrs
■ Turn to Page 4
Monday sought the
Centre’s response on a
plea seeking a declara-
tion to treat gig workers
— the drivers and deliv-
ery personnel working
with Uber and Ola cabs
and Zomato and Swiggy
food delivery services,
and other similar app
based aggregators -- as
workmen to entitle them
to benefits under the
Unorganised Workers’
Social Welfare Security
Act 2008.
A bench comprising
Justices L. Nageswara
Rao and B.R. Gavai
issued a notice to the
Centre on the gig work-
ers’ plea that the govern-
ment’s failure to register
them under the
Unorganised Workers’
Social Welfare Security
Act 2008 was violative of
their fundamental rights,
more so since the law
was enacted in pur-
suance to the mandate of
■ Turn to Page 4

WEATHER
is necessary that climate
finance be tracked with
the same diligence as cli-
mate mitigation”.
The draft resolution
Max: 22OC
Min: 9OC
said that “the adverse
effects of climate change
state, Churchill Alemao,
has merged the party’s
state legislative unit with
the Trinamul Congress
said after inducting
Alemao into her party.
Earlier in the day, Alemao
■ Turn to Page 4
1st Omicron death reported in Britain
London, Dec. 13: Long lines About 10 people are in UK
Gujarat adds new 10K Covid formed Monday at vaccina-
tion centers across
Q IN A TELEVISED
announcement late on
hospitals with omicron,
and Johnson on Monday

deaths in compensation tally

RH: 59%
Rain: 10%
Forecast: Sunny
ASTROGUIDE
Plava: Dakshinayana
Tithi: Mrigasira Shuddha
Ekadasi 11.37 pm
Star: Ashwini till 4.39 am
(Wednesday)
Varjyam: 12.14 am to 2 am
(Wednesday)
Durmuhurtam: 8.53 am to
9.36 am; 10.52 pm to 11.44
pm
Rahukalam: 3 pm to 4.30 pm
SUNSET TODAY 5.25 PM
SUNRISE TOMORROW 7.06 AM
can “lead… to social ten-
sions… exacerbating,
prolonging, or contribut-
ing to the risk of future
conflicts and instability
and posing a key risk to
global peace, security,
and stability”.
In the “explanation of
vote”, India’s ambas-
sador and permanent
representative to the
United Nations in New
York, T.S. Tirumurti,
said, “India is second to
none when it comes to cli-
mate action and climate
justice but the UNSC is
not the place to discuss
either issue. In fact, the
attempt to do so appears
to be motivated by a
desire to evade responsi-
bility in the appropriate
■ Turn to Page 4
New Delhi: Gujarat has
officially accepted 10,000
more deaths caused by
Coronavirus in their fig-
ures of compensation paid
to the families who lost a
loved one to the pandem-
ic. The figures were sub-
mitted today in the
Supreme Court, which
asked the stage govern-
ment to make wider
efforts to spread word
about the scheme so the
common man and those
living in remote villages
get to know about it.
The figures provided by
the Gujarat government
have pushed up the coun-
trywide fatality count by 2
per cent.
The total number of
deaths in the state has so
far officially been 10,098.
But the state has given
Covid compensation for
19,964 deaths. The total
number of Covid deaths in
India today is 4.85 lakh.
Gujarat has received
34,678 applications for the
`50,000 compensation and
payments have been made
only in 19,964 cases.
“Unless wide publicity is
given, the common man
and those living in vil-
lages will not be able to get
information on how to
apply online,” the court
said, emphasising the
need to provide wider pub-
licity to the issue. — PTI
England as people heeded
the government’s call for
all adults to get booster
shots to protect themselves
against the omicron vari-
ant, as the UK recorded its
first death of a patient
infected with omicron.
In a televised announce-
ment late on Sunday,
Prime Minister Boris
Johnson said everyone 18
and up would be offered a
third vaccine dose by Dec.
31 — less than three weeks
away, and a month earlier
than the previous target.
Mr Johnson said said
boosters would “reinforce
our wall of vaccine protec-
tion” against an anticipat-
ed “tidal wave of omicron.”
U.K. health authorities say
omicron cases are dou-
bling every two to three
Sunday, Prime Minister
Boris Johnson said
everyone 18 and up
would be offered a
third vaccine dose by
Dec. 31 — less than
three weeks away, and
a month earlier than
the previous target
days in Britain, and it will Africa, where omicron was
replace delta as the domi- first identified, say they the
nant coronavirus strain variant may cause less
within days. severe disease than delta
The British government but caution that it’s too
raised the country’s coron- soon to be certain. Health
avirus threat level on authorities around the
Sunday, warning that the world are watching Britain
rapid spread of omicron closely to see what an omi-
“adds additional and rapid- cron surge looks like in a
ly increasing risk to the country with an older,
public and health care ser- more highly vaccinated
vices.” population than South
Scientists in South Africa’s.
reported the country’s first
Covid-19 omicron death.
“The idea that this is some-
how a milder version of the
virus, I think that’s some-
thing we need to set on one
side and just recognize the
sheer pace at which it
accelerates through the
population," Mr Johnson
said as he visited a vacci-
nation center in London.
"So the best thing we can
do is all get our boosters.”
The UK health security
agency says existing vac-
cines appear less effective
in preventing symptomatic
infections in people
exposed to omicron,
though effectiveness
appears to rise to between
70% and 75% after a third
dose. — AP
■ More on Page 6
 CITY
THE ASIAN AGE | TUESDAY | 14 DECEMBER 2021 | NEW DELHI
SHORT TAKES
Civic staff in city go
on strike demanding
pending salary
AGE CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI, DEC. 13
Thousands of civic employ-
ees, mostly belonging to the
North Delhi Municipal
Corporation, went on an
indefinite strike on Monday
against non-payment of
salaries and pension for last
three months, an umbrella
body of municipal worker
unions said. Municipal
employees also staged a
protest at the Civic Centre,
which houses headquarters
of North and South munici-
pal corporations. Teachers,
engineers, sanitation work-
ers, horticulture department
employees, clerical staff,
nurses and paramedic staff,
fourth class employees are
among those participating in
the strike, according to
office-bearers of the
Confederation of MCD
Employees Union, which is
spearheading the protest.
Convenor, Confederation of
MCD Employees Union, AP
Khan said staff in various
departments of the North
Corporation has not been
paid salaries for last three-
four months and pensions of
retired workers are also
pending for a similar period.
2 from Delhi killed in
Yamuna Expressway
car crash, 2 injured
Noida: Two Delhi-based men
died after their speeding car
allegedly rammed into a
moving truck on the
Yamuna Expressway near
Greater Noida on Monday,
police said. Two more peo-
ple, including a woman who
is the mother of the car
driver, were left severely
injured in the crash that
took place in the morning,
the police said. “There were
four people, including the
woman, in the Maruti Alto
which hit the truck from the
rear, resulting in the crash.
Both the vehicles were on
the Noida to Agra lane of
the expressway,” a police
spokesperson said. “Those
who died have been identi-
fied as car driver Gaurav
(26) and Luvkush (19), both
residents of Buddh Vihar in
Delhi. Gaurav’s mother and
his brother have been hospi-
talised with injuries,” the
official said. In another inci-
dent, a 35-year-old man
died and a girl got injured
after allegedly getting hit by
a car in west Delhi's
Vikaspuri area on Monday
morning, police said.
Bomb scare after
tiffin box found
near MP’s house
New Delhi: The Delhi Police
and several intelligence
agencies went into a tizzy
in a potential bomb scare
after an abandoned lunch-
box was found in a pave-
ment near Bhopal MP and
BJP leader Pragya Singh
Thakur’s residence in South
Avenue on Sunday.
However, after inquiries,
they found that the lunch-
box was left behind by a
labourer working nearby.
“On Sunday afternoon, a call
was received in the police
control room that a tiffin
box was found near MP
Thakur’s residence and a
bomb squad was immedi-
ately dispatched for the
spot,” a senior police officer
said. “A local police was
also questioning all the
security personnel, labour-
ers, working nearby the
area. One of them informed
the police that it was his tif-
fin box, which he had left
behind after having his
lunch with his friends.
■ Notice to Delhi govt on pleas against liquor shop in residential area
File replies along with map of area: HC
New Delhi, Dec. 13: The
Delhi High Court on
Monday sought Delhi gov-
ernment’s response on two
separate pleas by residents
and shopkeepers seeking to
cancel a licence to operate a
liquor shop near a residen-
tial area in Shalimar Bagh
here, observing that such
vends cannot be near
schools and religious insti-
tutions.
A bench of Chief Justice
D.N. Patel and Justice Jyoti
Singh issued notice to the
Delhi government’s Excise
Department on both the
petitions and asked the
authorities to file replies
along with a map of the
area. The court listed both
the cases for further hear-
ing on January 18.
The court orally observed
that whenever any liquor
pg 2
Omicron: No need `50K given to 21,235 Covid victims’ families: Minister
AGE CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI, DEC. 13
Monday. Gautam further
told that separately, 9,484 of
viding a one-time financial
assistance of `50,000 to the
applications have been
received for a one-time
for restrictions
the 12,668 applications families of all the coron- financial aid of `50,000. So
The Delhi government has
provided a one-time finan-
received have been approved
for a monthly pension of
avirus victims in the city
and a monthly assistance of
far, 21,235 families have been
given the assistance,”
cial assistance of `50,000 to
21,235 families that lost their
`2,500.
Under the “Mukhyamantri
`2,500 to households that
have lost the sole breadwin-
Gautam said.
Around 2,500 families did
now, says Kejriwal
near ones to Covid-19, social Covid-19 Pariwar Aarthik ner and for children not avail the scheme, while
welfare minister Rajendra Sahayata Yojana”, the Delhi orphaned due to the pan- around 1,500 will receive the
Pal Gautam said on government has been pro- demic. “A total of 25,100 aid soon, he added.
BHASKAR HARI SHARMA The Aam Aadmi Party
NEW DELHI, DEC. 13 (AAP) leader said he has
been closely monitoring
Delhi chief minister the situation in the
Arvind Kejriwal on aftermath of the detec-
Monday said his govern- tion of the new coron-
ment will impose avirus variant and ade-
restrictions, if required, quate arrangements,
as regards Christmas including those related
and New Year celebra- to hospital beds and
tions to curb the spread medicines, will be made
of the Omicron variant available.
of Covid-19 even as he The government is “The government is
maintained that cur- fully prepared. I fully prepared. I have
rently, there is no need have convened convened multiple
for any such measures. review meetings regard-
He said the Delhi gov- multiple review ing oxygen supply, beds
ernment is fully pre- meetings regard- and medicines. We do
pared to deal with the ing oxygen supply, not want an Omicron
Omicron variant of the beds and medi- crisis in Delhi but even
coronavirus and he is in if it comes, we are pre-
constant touch with cines. We do not pared,” he said.
experts over the issue. want an Omicron The chief minister
Delhi has so far report- crisis in Delhi but had reviewed the
ed two Omicron cases. It even if it comes, Omicron situation in
reported the first such the national capital at a
case on December 5
we are prepared. meeting last week and
when a 37-year-old fully- — Arvind said his government has
vaccinated man, who Kejriwal, readied 30,000 Covid
arrived in the city from beds and the number
Tanzania, tested posi- Delhi CM could be further scaled
tive for Omicron. up to 64,000 on a two-
The second case was told reporters on the week notice.
reported last week when
a fully-vaccinated indi-
sidelines of an event
where he launched the
In a statement last
week, the city govern-
vidual with a travel his-
tory to Zimbabwe and
“Dilli Ki Yogshala” ini-
tiative.
ment said it had trained
a total of 15,371 health-
South Africa tested posi-
tive for the new Covid
Asked about possible
restrictions or crowd-
care workers, including
4,673 doctors, 1,707 med-
variant. “If need be, we control measures in ical students, 6,265 nurs-
will impose restrictions. view of Christmas and es and 2,726 paramedics.
At present, there is no New Year, he said, “We Delhi on Monday
need for restrictions. We will do that after con- recorded 30 Covid-19
are in constant touch sulting with experts. If cases with a positivity
with experts and if any there is a need to clamp rate of 0.06 per cent,
restriction is to be restrictions, we will according to health
imposed for the safety of take a decision in accor- department data.
the people of Delhi, we dance with the sugges- No new deaths were
will do that,” Kejriwal tions of the experts.” reported on Monday.
People gather near India Gate for a sound and light show to celebrate Swarnim
Vijay Parv in New Delhi on Monday. — PTI
Ban on constructions
to continue in city: Rai
AGE CORRESPONDENT of departments con- which has been mandat-
NEW DELHI, DEC. 13 cerned. ed by the Supreme Court
The minister said the to take a call on the
Delhi environment min- education department reopening of schools
ister Gopal Rai on has sent a proposal to and colleges, Rai said.
Monday said the ban on the environment depart- He said many agencies
construction and the ment, seeking immedi- have made verbal
entry of trucks, barring ate reopening of schools requests to lift the ban
CNG, e-trucks and those and coaching centres for on construction and
engaged in essential students in Class 6 and demolition activities.
services, will continue above, and in colleges. “We have directed them
till further orders in For children of Class 5 to write an application
view of a forecast about and below, the education to us and the CAQM. We
further deterioration of department has suggest- will hold a review meet-
air quality in the nation- ed reopening schools ing in this regard on
al capital. from December 20, he December 16,” Rai said.
The government will said. The minister said
review the construction The proposal will be Delhi’s air quality index
ban on December 16, sent to the Commission remained between 250
Rai told reporters after for Air Quality and 325 from December
a meeting with officials Management (CAQM), 1 to December 12.
◗ DURING THE hearing, ducted in the presence of persons as the open space
Delhi government standing locals and RWA people and will be occupied by hawkers
counsel Santosh Kumar there was no violation of and criminals causing seri-
provisions of the law in ous problems to residents.
Tripathi submitted that fol- grant of licence to the Meanwhile, in another
lowing a complaint, an liquor vend owner. petition filed by residents of
enquiry has been conducted The court was hearing two Meet Nagar in northeast
in the presence of locals petitions filed by Residents Delhi, the Delhi govern-
and RWA people and there Welfare Association of ment informed Justice
was no violation of provi- Block U and V of Shalimar Rekha Palli that an inspec-
sions of the law in grant of Bagh and few shopkeepers tion was conducted and the
licence to the liquor vend of the area seeking to can- shortest traversable dis-
cel the licence of a liquor tance of the proposed liquor
owner shop which has been vend and a government
opened in a local shopping school is measured to be 81
shop is opened, it cannot be complex which is occupied meters.
near places like schools, by daily necessity shops. The authorities said it has
religious institutions as Advocate K C Mittal, repre- been recommended that the
there are several norms to senting the RWA, drew the liquor licence may not be
be followed while granting court’s attention to an earli- granted to the proposed
licences. During the hear- er order of the high court liquor vend at Main
ing, Delhi government prohibiting grant of liquor Wazirabad Road, Meet
standing counsel Santosh licence in residential areas. Nagar, being not fulfilling
Kumar Tripathi submitted He said the opening of the requirements under the
that following a complaint, liquor shop will affect chil- Delhi Excised Rules, 2010.
an enquiry has been con- dren, women and elderly — PTI
 NATION
THE ASIAN AGE | TUESDAY | 14 DECEMBER 2021 | NEW DELHI
SHORT
‘Opp. unity to bring
TAKES
down Modi govt’
Mumbai: Maharashtra minis-
ter and NCP leader Nawab
Malik on Monday predicted a
“miracle” in the 2024 Lok
Sabha polls, saying
Opposition unity will bring
the Modi government down
in the next national elec-
tions. Mr Malik made the
comments a day after BJP
leader Devendra Fadnavis
took a dig at the NCP over
its “dreams of its president
Sharad Pawar becoming the
Prime Minister” and mocked
that the party had not even
won 10 Lok Sabha seats (in
2019 Lok Sabha polls). Mr
Fadnavis made the remark
while speaking to a news
channel in response to a
question that the NCP lead-
ers are pitching for Mr Pawar
as the PM. Speaking to
reporters, minority affairs
minister Malik categorically
said neither Mr Pawar him-
self nor the NCP has any-
where claimed the veteran
leader will become Prime
Minister in 2024. — PTI
Slippers hurled at
Odisha minister
Bhubaneswar: A man on
Sunday evening allegedly
hurled slippers at BJD leader
and state law minister Pratap
Jena in his home constituen-
cy Mahanga in Cuttack dis-
trict during a cultural pro-
gramme. According to
sources, Mr Jena was attend-
ing “Sarat Ustav” at Erakana
when the incident took
place. Mr Jena was sitting on
the dais after addressing the
public when one person
from the crowd hurled the
slippers targeting him.
However, the slippers
skipped the minister and hit
his security personnel.
Tension erupted at the pro-
gramme following the inci-
dent. The local Mahanga
police has detained the per-
son involved in the incident.
The minister has been in the
eye of storm over the sensa-
tional Mahanga double mur-
der case. BJP leader K. Baral
and his associate Dibyas-
ingha Baral were brutally
murdered in Mahanga in
January this year.
4 envoys present
credentials to Prez
New Delhi: New Cuban amb-
assador Alejandro Simancas
Marin presented his creden-
tials to President Ram Nath
Kovind at Rashtrapati Bha-
van on Monday along with
the envoys of three other
nations — Ghana, Mongolia
and Sierra Leone. The min-
istry of external affairs
(MEA) said President Kovind
accepted the credentials of
all four envoys and highlight-
ed the close ties between
India and their countries. In
a statement on Monday, the
MEA said, “The President of
India Ram Nath Kovind,
accepted credentials from
ambassador of Repu-blic of
Cuba, high commissioner of
Republic Ghana, ambassador
of Mongolia and high com-
missioner of Republic of
Sierra Leone at Rashtrapati
Bhavan on Monday.”
SC REFUSES TO
HEAR BJP PLEA
ON KMC POLLS
PARMOD KUMAR
NEW DELHI, DEC. 13
The Supreme Court on
Monday declined to enter-
tain a pea by the Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP) seeking
direction to West Bengal
state election commission
for the deployment of cen-
tral paramilitary forces dur-
ing the conduct of municipal
elections in the state, asking
it (BJP) to approach the
Calcutta high court. Asking
the Bharatiya Janata Party
to approach the Calcutta
high court, a bench compris-
ing Justices L. Nageswara
Rao and B.R. Gavai said, “We
cannot take decisions with
respect to the requirement
of Central forces. The high
court will be in a better posi-
tion to know the situation.”
As the BJP argued that the
top court had recently enter-
tained relating to incidents
of violence in the conduct of
municipal elections in
Tripura and the alleged
police inaction, the court
said that if they start enter-
taining petition then political
parties and associated
people from across the
country will start directly
approaching the top court
on the eve of municipal and
panchayat elections. The
court asked senior lawyer
Maninder Singh, who
appeared for the BJP, to
approach the high court to
agitate his plea for relief.
PM showers petals, eats lunch with workers
Modi says Kashi ‘centre of spiritual consciousness’, takes dip in Ganga
Varanasi, Dec. 13: Prime
Minister Narendra Modi
on Monday showered flo-
ral petals on a group of
workers who have been
part of the construction
of the mega Kashi
Vishwanath Corridor
and attended its inaugu-
ration held with great
pageantry in the holy
city. The Prime Minister
also had lunch with the
workers at a hall in the
complex.
Labourers, engineers,
and craftspersons from
various parts of India
have contributed to bui-
lding the corridor and
refurbishing the premis-
es of the revered ancient
temple, the whole area
being referred to as
Kashi Vishwanath
Dham.
Prime Minister Modi
dedicated the corridor
in his Lok Sabha con-
stituency Varanasi to
the people after taking a
holy dip in the river
Ganga and offering
prayers at the temple
that draws lakhs of visi-
tors from India and
abroad.
Mr Modi after perform-
ing “puja” met a group
of workers who sat on a
terraced gallery near the
temple. Walking among
them with a flower bas-
ket, he showered petals
on them while the work-
ers, who wore construc-
tion site jackets,
clapped, cheered and
greeted him with folded
hands.
The Prime Minister
also sat with the workers
in the gallery on which a
red carpet was laid and
got pictures taken with
them after gesturing
them to sit closer to him.
A giant banner bearing
images of Mr Modi and
Uttar Pradesh chief
minister Yogi
Adityanath, and thank-
ing the Prime Minister
for realising the “dream
of Kashi” was put up in
the background.
Later, the Prime
Minister also had lunch
with them.
Prime Minister Modi
in his address at the
function said that Kashi
(ancient name of
Varanasi) has been the
“centre of spiritual con-
sciousness”. — PTI
BJD still top choice for dissident netas RS returns bill to bring
AKSHAYA KUMAR
SAHOO
BHUBANESWAR, DEC. 13
Naveen Patnaik-led Odis-
ha’s ruling Biju Janata
Dal (BJD) continues to be
the major attraction for
the beleaguered leaders of
rival political parties to
recalibrate their career.
Despite being in power
for more than 21 years and
facing barrage of accusa-
tions from the Opposition
over the “deterioration” of
law and order situation,
unemployment, corrup-
tion at government offices,
loot of mineral resources
Cops: No action
against Kangana
over anti-Sikh
post till Jan. 25
SHAHAB ANSARI
MUMBAI, DEC. 13
The Mumbai police on
Monday assured the
Bombay high court that
it won’t arrest Kangana
Ranaut in connection
with her remarks on the
Sikh community till
January 25. The actress
was granted relief after
the court said this case
involves the issue of free-
dom of speech and the
court wants to examine
this aspect. The prosecu-
tion sought time to file a
reply in the petition fol-
lowing which the court
granted her relief from
any coercive action till
the next date hearing.
Kangana has
approached the HC seek-
ing quashing of the FIR
registered at Khar police
station against her on
the complaint of
Amarjeetsingh Sandhu
along with leaders of
Delhi Sikh Gurdwara
Management Committee
and SAD. The FIR has
been registered in Nove-
mber under Section
295A (deliberate and
malicious acts, intended
to outrage religious feel-
ings of any class by
insulting its religion or
religious beliefs) of IPC.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on
board a cruise ship during his visit to Varanasi on Monday.
Bapu’s dream of grand Kashi dham fulfilled: Yogi
Varanasi, Dec. 13: UP chief
minister Yogi Adityanath
on Monday said Mahatma
Gandhi had dreamt of a
grand Kashi Vishwanath
Dham, which could be
realised only under the
leadership of PM
Narendra Modi. The chief
minister said Gandhi had
expressed pain at seeing
narrow lanes and filth
here almost 100 years ago.
“Today, the ‘dham’ of
Baba Vishwanath is in a
new form. And, it has
become a medium to re-
move that pain of Maha-
tma Gandhi, which he had
expressed almost 100 years
ago after seeing narrow
bylanes and filth,” he said
on the inauguration of the
and irregularities in other
sectors, the party is
attracting more number of
leaders from the rival BJP
and the Congress.
The prize catch for the
BJD is the Congress state
working president and
senior tribal leader
Pradeep Majhi. A former
Lok Sabha member from
Nabarangpur, Majhi who
was seen as a close friend
of Rahul Gandhi, joined
the BJD on November 6.
Once seen as a strong
tribal leader and face of
the Congress in Odisha,
Mr Majhi said he joined
the BJD as he was
Senior farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal and other farmer leaders arrives to offer
prayers at the Golden Temple in Amritsar on Monday, after returing from Delhi. — PTI
■ Won’t allow them to perform in MP, vows BJP MLA
Diggy invites Kamra, Farooqui for show
RABINDRA NATH
CHOUDHURY
BHOPAL, DEC. 13
Congress veteran Dig-
vijay Singh on Monday
offered to sponsor shows
of stand-up comedians
Munawar Faruqui and
Kunal Kamra, who faced
criticism from various
Hindu bodies for alleged-
ly portraying their
deities in poor light,
inviting BJP’s ire.
The former chief minis-
ter invited the two stand-
up comedians to perform
in Bhopal, saying that he
first phase of the Kashi
Vishwanath corridor.
Mr Adityanath said
many people came to
power using the name of
Gandhi but it is for the
first time that his dream of
a grand Kashi Vishwanath
Dham is coming true.
Praising the PM, the CM
said, “Be it the tradition of
yoga or the recognition of
the kumbh, establishing
the ‘sanatan’ (eternal) val-
ues and culture of India
on the global stage are
part of PM Narendra
Modi’s campaign.”
He said erstwhile Indore
ruler Ahilyabai Holkar
constructed the temple
and Maharaja Ranjit
Singh made his precious
impressed with the per-
formance of chief minis-
ter Naveen Patnaik.
Prior to Pradeep Majhi,
another potential tribal
leader of south Odisha
and former Congress MLA
Chandra Sekhar Majhi
had on September 16
joined the BJD. The ex-
MLA of Kotpad said he
joined the BJD as he felt
the Congress had lost its
grounds in Odisha.
On December 12, former
Congress MLA from Cha-
mpua Dhanurjaya Siddhu
joined the BJD. After
unsuccessfully contesting
from Telkoi Assembly seat
would sponsor their
shows.
Mr Singh assured them
that he would take all
responsibilities for
organising their shows.
He exhorted them not to
be scared of performing
in Bhopal and asked them
to inform him about the
date and time when they
wanted to perform as per
their convenience.
He, however, put a rider
on sponsoring the events
saying that the theme of
their shows should be
only “Digvijay Singh”.
“I hope the Rashtriya
— PTI
contribution but the grand
look of the site could be
realised only under the
leadership of PM Modi.
Mr Adityanath said
every Indian in the coun-
try or abroad is happy
today their “penance” of
thousands of years is “get-
ting fulfilled” today.
Meanwhile, Union home
minister Amit Shah said
PM Modi has written a
“golden chapter” in the
history of Indian culture
by launching the first
phase of the corridor proj-
ect. Thanking Mr Modi on
behalf of the country, the
minister said devotees will
be able to have a better
“darshan” of the historic
temple complex. — PTI
in 2014 and 2019 on BJP
tickets, Mr Siddhu was a
strong face of the saffron
party in Keonjhar district.
Gajadhar Majhi, another
tribal leader from Tala-
sara and former Congress
leader, also joined the BJD
last week alleging that the
Congress state leadership
had ignored him by
sidelining from organiza-
tional activities.
Apart from the
Congress, the BJD got two
strong BJP faces from
Jajpur into its fold – Biswa
Ranjan Mallick and
Ramesh Chandra Parida
in September.
Swayamsevak Sangh
(RSS) activists should
have no objection to it,”
he tweeted.
Mr Singh said he would
agree to all their condi-
tions for holding their
shows in Bhopal.
Mr Kamra replied to
PM to address agro
summit on Dec. 16
New Delhi, Dec. 13: Prime
Minister Narendra Modi
will address virtually
farmers at the valedicto-
ry function of an agro-
event organised by the
Gujarat government on
December 16 in which
contours of natural farm-
ing will be presented. The
three-day National Sum-
mit on Agro and Food
Processing with focus on
natural farming will kick-
start from December 14.
Briefing media about
the event, Union agricul-
ture secretary Sanjay
Agrawal said the event to
be held at Anand,
Gujarat, is the first initia-
tive where natural farm-
ing would be one of the
major focus.
Mr Agrawal also
announced that a commit-
tee to be set up in the near
future to look into pro-
testing farmers’ demands
will also discuss promo-
tion of natural farming.
Stating that natural
farming has become an
important farm practice
now, Mr Agrawal said it
requires less input cost
and ensures higher
income to farmers com-
pared to other farming
practices.
Around 5,000 farmers
are likely to attend the
Akhilesh’s jibe at PM: People
stay in Kashi when end is near
Etawah, Dec. 13: In a
loaded remark on the day
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi inaugurated the
Kashi Vishwanath corri-
dor in Varanasi,
Samajwadi Party chief
Akhilesh Yadav taunted
him, saying people stay in
Kashi when the end is
near. “It is good,” he said
when asked by reporters
that the PM is in Varanasi
and the government has
planned month-long cul-
tural events to mark the
event.
“Why only a month? He
clarity on judges pension
New Delhi, Dec. 13: The
Rajya Sabha on Monday
returned to the Lok Sabha
a bill that seeks to bring
clarity on the age of
retired judges to deter-
mine when they will get
enhanced pension. The
Lok Sabha passed the
High Court and Supreme
Court Judges (Salaries
and Conditions of
Service) Amendment Bill,
2021 on December 8.
The Rajya Sabha
returned the bill to the
Lok Sabha after a discus-
sion on Monday since it is
a money bill.
The bill seeks to bring
an explanatory clarifica-
tion about the age of eligi-
bility for enhanced pen-
sion for retired judges.
Replying on the bill,
Union minister for law
and justice Kiren Rijiju
assured the House that
there is no politics and
everyone stands together
when it comes to ensuring
justice.
“There should be no gap
between the common man
and the justice system. I
am thankful to all of you
for supporting the bill
without bringing any poli-
tics into it,” he said.
the tweet, saying in a
lighter vein, “Let me
check if I have my life
insurance policy.”
He said he would soon
update him about the
time and date of his
future show in Bhopal.
Ruling BJP MLA
Rameswar Sharma, the
ex-protem speaker of the
Madhya Pradesh
Assembly, sharply react-
ed to Mr Singh’s offer to
the two stand-up comedi-
ans saying that he would
not allow them to hold
any show in Madhya
Pradesh.
summit, while farmers
will be connected virtual-
ly to know and learn the
practice and benefit of
natural farming through
Krishi Vigyan Kendras,
80 Central institutes of
ICAR and ATMA Network
in the states, he added.
He said the Prime
Minister will virtually
address the event while
the Union home minister,
the Gujarat chief minis-
ter and others will also be
present during the event.
When asked that
Academy of Agricultural
Sciences (AAS) president
Punjab Singh in 2019 had
stated zero budget farm-
ing is an unproven tech-
nology bringing no incre-
mental value gain to
farmers, the secretary
said, “I read that report in
2019. A lot of water has
flown since 2019...
Ultimately unproven does
not mean it is not good.
Farmers practice (of nat-
ural farming) over the
years showcase the
strength of a particular
cultivation practice.”
In the last two years, the
number of farmers adopt-
ing natural farming have
been on rise in Andhra
Pradesh, Himachal
Pradesh and Gujarat, he
said. — PTI
should stay for two
months, three months.
That is a good place to stay.
When the end is near, peo-
ple stay in Banaras,” he
said.
The elections to the UP
Assembly are due within
three months and the SP
claims that it will oust the
BJP from power. In Hindu
religion, spending last
days of life in Kashi is
considered auspicious.
Varanasi is the Lok
Sabha constituency of Mr
Modi and part of the
Purvanchal region. — PTI
Suspended TMC MPs Dola Sen and Shiv Sena MP
Priyanka Chaturvedi stage a protest during the Winter
Session of Parliament in New Delhi on Monday. — PTI
According to the bill,
in 2009, two laws were
amended to provide
that every retired judge or
after his or her death,
the family, as the case may
be, will be entitled to an
additional quantum of
pension or family pen-
sion.
Accordingly, the addi-
tional quantum of pen-
sion to the retired judges
of the high courts and the
Supreme Court is being
sanctioned on completing
the age of 80 years, 85
years, 90 years, 95 years
and 100 years, as the case
may be. — PTI
pg 3
Karnataka
govt plans
bill banning
‘love jihad’
Belagavi (Karnataka),
Dec. 13: Even as the BJP
government in
Karnataka prepares to
table the anti-conversion
bill during the ongoing
Winter Session of legis-
lature, state’s energy
minister V. Sunil Kumar
on Monday said that a
law prohibiting “love
jihad” will also be intro-
duced in the days to
come.
“Love jihad” is a term
generally used by right
wing activists to refer to
the alleged campaign of
Muslims forcing Hindu
girls to convert in the
guise of love.
“Some organisations
publicly claim that they
don’t indulge in reli-
gious conversion and it
is not their intention,
then why are they
opposed to anti-conver-
sion law? On one side
they say they don’t do
such things and on the
other side they oppose
(the bill), they have
ambiguity, not us,” Mr
Kumar said in response
to a question.
Speaking to reporters
on the sidelines of the
Winter Session of the
Karnataka Assembly
that began on Monday in
this border district, he
said, “We had been stat-
ing from the beginning
that the BJP govern-
ment will bring in anti-
cow slaughter and anti-
conversion law, we are
committed to it. I will go
a step ahead and say that
in the days to come we
will bring a law against
love jihad.”
The government had
earlier enacted the anti-
cow slaughter law in the
state.
Regarding a law
against “love jihad”, the
government had earlier
this year said that offi-
cials have been directed
to gather information on
an ordinance promulgat-
ed in Uttar Pradesh in
this regard.
Defending the pro-
posed anti-conversion
bill, the minister said,
religious conversions
are taking place in a big
way targeting poor and
weaker sections. — PTI
RS is disrupted again
over MPs’ suspension
New Delhi: The Zero
Hour and the Question
Hour were washed out
on Monday as Oppos-
ition members demand-
ed that the suspension
of 12 members be revo-
ked. The Parliament has
been witnessing prote-
sts since November 30
as 12 members of the
Rajya Sabha were sus-
pended the day prior by
the chair for alleged
unruly in the Monsoon
Session in August.
 NATION
THE ASIAN AGE | TUESDAY | 14 DECEMBER 2021 | NEW DELHI
pg 4

SHORT TAKES Assam-made Omicron

■ Separate LS, RS seats for both Leh & Kargil districts: KDA

Shortage of 9,362
officers in forces
New Delhi: The three services
are facing a shortage of
9,362 officers and around 1.13
lakh soldiers, airmen and
sailors, according to details
provided by the government
on Monday.In response to a
question in Rajya Sabha, min-
ister of state for defence Ajay
Bhatt said that the Army has
a shortage of 7,476 officers
and 97,177 soldiers including
Junior Commissioned
Officers. According to details
provided by Bhatt, the Navy
has a shortage of 1,265 offi-
cers and 11,166 sailors. In the
Indian Air Force, the number
of posts of officers lying
vacant is 621 while it is 4,850
for airmen. “It is the endeav-
our of the government to fill
up the vacancies in the
armed forces in a systematic
and time-bound manner,
which is a continuous
process,” the minister said.
Ladakh bandh: People want kit gives results in 2 hrs
statehood, land rights, jobs
YUSUF JAMEEL
SRINAGAR, DEC. 13
A complete shutdown
was observed in Kargil
and also parts of Leh dis-
trict of Ladakh, on
Monday, in support of the
demand that the Union
Territory be elevated to a
full-fledged state and also
its people’s rights on land
and jobs be guaranteed
through Legislation.
The call for the Ladakh
bandh had been given by
the Kargil Democratic
Alliance (KDA), an amal-
gam of various political,
social, and religious
organisations and civil
society groups.
The call was endorsed
by the local panchayat’s
coordination committee
and various trade Unions
of transporters, traders,
and tour operators.
Sajjad Kargili, a resentation in the Lok
spokesman of the
alliance, said: “The peo-
ple of Ladakh observed
complete bandh over the
statehood for Ladakh,
Constitutional safe-
guards, early recruit-
ment, and separate Lok
Sabha and Rajya Sabha
seats for both Leh and
Kargil districts of the
Union Territory.”
Later in the day, he
◗ THE CALL for the
Ladakh bandh had been
given by the Kargil
Democratic Alliance
(KDA), an amalgam of
various political, social,
and religious organisa-
tions and civil society
groups.
◗ THE CALL was endorsed
by the local panchayat’s
coordination committee
and various trade Unions
of transporters, traders,
and tour operators
tweeted, “Thank you to
all the fellow citizens for
your solidarity and sup-
port to the people of
#Ladakh and today’s call
for #LadakhBandh for
our rightful demand of
statehood, constitutional
safeguards, early recruit-
ment, and additional rep-
Sabha and Rajya Sabha.”
A statement issued by
the Kargil Democratic
Alliance added that the
shutdown was observed
against the Centre’s
ignoring the “genuine”
demands of the people of
Ladakh and its “contin-
ued disinterest” towards
addressing the issues
faced by the landlocked
region.
Big relief for travelers struggling for test reports at airports
MANOJ ANAND
GUWAHATI, DEC. 13
In a significant break-
through, the research
scholars of the Indian
Council of Medical
Research’s (ICMR)
Regional Medical Research
Centre (RMRC) at Assam’s
Dibrugarh has developed a
testing kit that can detect
the new Covid variant in
just two hours.
Informing that the ICMR
Dibrugarh was working on
this kit since November 24,
the team led by senior sci-
entist Dr Biswajyoti
Borkakoty said, “ICMR-
RMRC Dibrugarh has
designed and developed a
hydrolysis probe-based
real-time RT-PCR assay for
thetic gene fragments of
Omicron variant of SARS-
CoV-2 within two different
highly specific unique
regions of the spike pro-
tein and also reference
wild type control synthetic
gene fragments,”
This may also be a big
relief for the travelers
who have been struggling
due to the increased wait
time for test reports at the
airports after fresh
restrictions were brought
in place to check the
spread of the new variant.
The team of research
scholars have tested and
scanned this kit with over
1,000 samples of Covid
patients, including some
from other states who
have been detected with
Maha sees 2
new cases of
Omicron, total
tally rises to 40
AGE CORRESPONDENT
with agency inputs
NEW DELHI, DEC.13
Three new cases of
Omicron were reported in
India on Monday – two in
Maharashtra (one each in
Latur and Pune) and one in
Gujarat’s Surat – taking
the total tally of the new
coronavirus variant in the
country to 41. With this, the
number of Omicron cases

Bhatt said, at present, 53,569
officers and 11,35,799 soldiers
are serving the Indian Army.
— PTI
Suspected tiffin bomb
kills 7-yr-old in Bihar
Jammu: BSF
detection of the new Omicron. in Maharashtra rose to 20
J&K situation deteriorated kills woman
Omicron
(B.1.1.529)
variant
SARS-CoV-2
(Covid-19) that can detect
the new variant within 2
The ICMR Dibrugarh
has started the licensing
process of this test kit,
and it is expected to be
and in Gujarat to 4. The
other states to have report-
ed the new variant are
Rajasthan (9), Karnataka
after August 5, 2019: Omar ‘intruder’ near
hours.” He said, “The kit is available for the lab from (3), Kerala (1) and Andhra
tested against specific syn- next week. Pradesh (1) and Union
Territories of Delhi (2) and

Bhagalpur: A seven-year-old
boy was killed when a
suspected “tiffin bomb” went
off close to a Sufi shrine here
on Monday, the police said.
The blast took place near
Maqdoom Shah Dargah
when Amrit Das, resident of a
locality closeby, fiddled with
one of the many tiffin boxes
kept outside the shrine.
According to Nathnagar
inspector Mohd Sajjad
Hussain, the boy was rushed
to a hospital where he suc-
cumbed to injuries. Bomb
disposal squad has been
brought in to inspect the
other abandoned tiffin boxes
lying outside the dargah, said
the inspector. The incident
has triggered tension in the
communally sensitive
Nathnagar area where three
children were injured when a
crude bomb went off in
Momin Tola area two days
ago and a ragpicker was
killed in an explosion close to
a railway track. — PTI
YUSUF JAMEEL
SRINAGAR, DEC. 13
Former Jammu
Kashmir chief minister
and
and leader of National
Conference (NC) Omar
Abdullah, on Monday,
asserted that the situation
in the erstwhile state only
deteriorated in many
ways after August 5, 2019,
when the Centre abrogat-
ed Article 370 and bifur-
cated J&K.
He alleged, “The devel-
opment in J&K is visible
only on social media hash-
tags, paid government
advertisements, and spon-
sored news. The only dis-
cernible change one sees
on the ground is the ever-
increasing gap between
the administration and
the people.”
While speaking at a
party workers’ convention
in the frontier district of
Kupwara, Mr Abdullah
Omar Abdullah
ed, our Legislative
Council was abolished.
The J&K cadre of the All
India Services was dis-
banded and merged with
the AGMUT cadre. All this
was done citing that
Article 370 is the root
cause of all evils plaguing
the state.”
He alleged that the con-
stitutional guarantees for
J&K were eroded and
Articles 370 and 35A’s
abrogation was made a
perfect pretext
rescinding J&K’s consti-
tutional status.
for
arising, we were told.
Where is it? Where is that
era of development,
investment, job extrava-
ganza, and inclusion that
we were promised? It was
said that whenever
accountability was
sought, local politicians
took shelter behind
Article 370,” he said.
The NC leader said that
the people of J&K are in
trouble and desperate for
good governance.
“The parachuted
bureaucrats are at a loss
to understand the issues
of the local populace. The
incumbent unrelated
administration has also
failed to forge informal
relationships with the
people,” he asserted.
He alleged that the gov-
ernment has also lost
Pak border Kareena Kapoor, Amrita Arora
test positive for coronavirus
AGE CORRESPONDENT
SRINAGAR, DEC. 13
A woman ‘intruder’ was
shot dead by the BSF
along the International
Border (IB) with
Pakistan in Jammu and
Kashmir’s Ranbir Singh
Pora on Sunday night.
IG of the BSF (Jammu
range) S. P. S. Sandhu
said that troops “neu-
tralized” the intruder
after she ignored repeat-
ed warnings of the BSF.
“The BSF troops noticed
suspicious movement
and warned the intruder
many times not to cross
the IB but the intruder
kept running towards
border fencing aggres-
sively," Sandhu said.
BHAGWAN PARAB
MUMBAI, DEC. 13
Actresses Kareena Kapoor
Khan and Amrita Arora,
who are close friends, have
tested positive for Covid.
The Brihanmumbai
Municipal Corporation
(BMC) has ordered people,
who came in contact with
both of them, to undergo
RT-PCR test.
The BMC has also sealed
Kareena’s house on
Monday morning. About
15 close contacts of
Kareena were tested and
their reports will come
Kareena Amrita
Kapoor Arora
tomorrow morning.
Kareena confirmed that
she has tested positive for
Covid. She said, “I have
tested positive for Covid. I
immediately isolated
myself while following all
medical protocols. I India’s tally to 3,46,97,860
request anyone who has
come in contact with me to
please get tested.”
Chandigarh (1).
In Delhi, Arvind
Kejriwal said his govern-
ment will impose restric-
tions, if required, as
regards Christmas and
New Year celebrations to
curb the Omicron spread
even as he maintained that
currently, there is no need
for any such measures. He
said the Delhi government
is fully prepared to deal
with Omicron and he is in
constant touch with
experts over the issue.
In the last 24 hours, 7,350
Covid cases and 202 fatali-
ties were logged across the
country. The new cases
and fatalities have pushed
and death toll to 4,75,636.
India’s active case count
has now declined to 91,456.

“All we are asking is that

Teen kills cousin for
video game debts
Jaipur: A teenage boy stran-
gled and buried his 12-year-
old cousin in Nagaur to pay
off debts he amassed play-
ing online games, police said
on Monday. The boy, Praveen
Sharma, had gone missing
with his mobile phone on
December 8 and his family
had lodged a complaint at
Ladnun Police Station, they
said. The 16-year-old
accused allegedly killed his
cousin and sent a message
through a fake ID to one of
his uncles in Assam demand-
ing a ransom of `5 lakh to
release the boy, police said.
“The body was exhumed
today on the basis of the
information provided by the
accused brother. The
accused has been detained.
Last rites were performed
after post mortem,” SHO
Rajendra Singh said. — PTI
said, “Our state was split,
our Constitution discard-
‘Time to set up manufacturing zones in Africa’
Not yielded enough results in terms of boosting African exports to India: MEA
SRIDHAR
KUMARASWAMI
NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 13
It is time for India to set up
manufacturing zones in
Africa with the help of
African countries, a top
MEA official has said,
adding that African
nations want to make and
export manufactured
goods and not just produce
raw materials for export.
Speaking at a recent con-
ference organised by the
thinktank Research and
Information System for
Developing Countries
(RIS) on “India-Africa
relations in a Post-
where is the much-touted
change? A new dawn is
Pandemic World”, the
MEA’s Secretary
(Economic Relations)
Dammu Ravi said that
despite duty-free market
access given by India, it
had not yielded enough
results in terms of boost-
ing African exports to
India. The Secretary (ER)
also said India was looking
at trilateral cooperation
with countries such as
Britain and France in
Africa.
“Africa is too important
to be ignored. We are
deepening and strength-
ening our ties with
Africa”, said Mr. Ravi. He
also said India is spend-
sight of the predicaments
suffered by the elected
panchs, sarpanchs, and
District Development
Committee
tives.
representa-
◗ IT IS time for India to
set up manufacturing
zones in Africa with the
help of African countries,
a top MEA official has
said, adding that African
nations want to make and
export manufactured
goods and not just pro-
duce raw materials for
export.
ing $ 30 billion in proj-
ects, grants and capacity-
building in Africa, with
some of this money
already having been
spent. “The recipient
(African) country deter-
mines what it wants. We
He added that the alert
BSF troops fired and
neutralised the intruder
near BSF fencing inside
the IB and thwarted the
“infiltration attempt”.
(India) are a giver,” Mr.
Ravi said. “Africa wants
to make manufactured
goods, not just supply raw
materials. ... It is time to
set up manufacturing
zones in Africa with the
support of African
nations,” Mr. Ravi point-
ed out.
At the conference, RIS
director-general Prof.
Sachin Chaturvedi sug-
gested that India should
have its own
Development Co-opera-
tion Agency that can fur-
ther facilitate assistance
to Africa so that New
Delhi is able to “see the
impact of its assistance”.
Plea against PM’s photo
on vaccination certificate
Why are you ashamed of Modi’s pic on certificate? Kerala HC
Kochi, Dec. 13: Examining
the maintainability of a
plea seeking removal of
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi’s photograph from
the Covid vaccination cer-
tificate, the Kerala High
Court on Monday asked
the petitioner whether he
was ashamed of the PM.
Justice P.V.
Kunhikrishnan said the
Prime Minister was elect-
ed to power by the people
of the country and there-
fore, what was wrong with
having his photograph on
the vaccination certificate.
When the petitioner’s
counsel told the court that
in other countries there
was no such practice, the
judge orally remarked,
“They may not be proud of
their PMs, we are proud of
our PM.”
“Why are you (petition-
er) ashamed of the Prime
Minister? He came to
power through the man-
date of the people.... We
may have different politi-
cal views, but he is still our
PM,” the court further
said.
The counsel for the peti-
tioner — Peter
Myaliparampil — said that
the certificate was a “pri-
vate space” with personal
details on record and
therefore, it was inappro-
priate to intrude into the
privacy of an individual.
He contended that
adding the PM’s photo to
the certificate was an
intrusion into an individ-
ual’s private space.
To this the court, said
that the more than 100
crore people of the coun-
try do not appear to have a
problem with having the
PM’s photo on the vaccine
certificate, “why do you?”
The court said it will
examine whether the plea
has any merits and if not,
it will dispose of the mat-
ter.
During the more than an
hour long hearing, advo-
cate Ajit Joy, appearing for
the petitioner, said that
whether to be proud of
one’s PM was a personal
choice.
Joy also told the court
that it was not a matter of
political differences, as the
Supreme Court has laid
down guidelines for adver-
tisements and campaigns
using public money. — PTI

J&K: Militants fire on police
bus, 2 cops killed, 12 injured
■ Continued from Page 1
to their injuries in the hospital
later.
Kashmir police zone tweet-
ed, “#Terrorists fired upon a
police vehicle near Zewan in
Pantha Chowk area of
#Srinagar. 14 personnel
#injured in the attack. All the
injured personnel evacuated
to hospital. Area cordoned off.
Further details shall follow.”
In another tweet, it said,
“#Srina g arTer rorAttack:
Among the injured police per-
sonnel, 01 ASI & a Selection
Grade Constable #succumbed
to their injuries & attained
#martyrdom. Further details
shall follow.”
This was the first major
attack on a police bus in
Kashmir Valley after the
February 14, 2019, suicide
attack on a bus of the Central
Reserve Police Force (CRPF)
in which 40 personnel were
killed and several others
wounded at nearby Lethapora
in Pulwama district. The bus
was part of a CRPF convoy.
Earlier during the day on
Monday, Srinagar’s Rangreth
area erupted with irate crowds
of youth hurling rocks and
other projectiles at the police-
men after two suspected mili-
tants were gunned down in a
brief ‘encounter’ by the secu-
rity forces. The police fired
teargas canisters and pellet
shotguns to quell the violent
protesters, the witnesses said.
Irate residents have alleged
that the duo was killed in a
fake encounter.
The police claimed that the
slain youth were members of
proscribed Lashkar-e-Tayyaba
(LeT), one of them a foreign
national.
A statement issued by the
police here termed the inci-
dent as “a brief chance
encounter”. It said that based
on specific input regarding
movement of militants in the
general area of Rangreth,
“surprise naka checking
points” were established “tac-
tically” by the Srinagar police
in the area. “During the naka
checking at one such naka
manned by a small team of the
Srinagar Police, two suspected
persons on noticing the police
party fired indiscriminately
upon them. However, the fire
was effectively retaliated, lead-
ing to a brief encounter. In the
ensuing encounter, two terror-
ists were neutralized on spot”,
the statement said.
The police identified one of
the slain as Aadil Ahmad
Wani, a resident
Daramdoora village of south-
of
ern Shopian and said that he
was an “A” category militant
who had received arms train-
ing in Pakistan. The other, the
police said, was a foreign mili-
tant “as per the credible
sources”. It, however, also
said, “Yet the same is being
further ascertained”. The
police also claimed that the
duo was “involved in several
terror crime cases and civilian
atrocities and played a key
role in number of recent
killings in Srinagar City”.
The locals alleged that both
the young men were unarmed
and that they were killed by
the police in a fake encounter.
An elderly woman among the
protesters yelled, "We haven’t
died yet so you will snatch our
children from us in such a
cold-blooded way.”
A statement issued by the
J&K police late Monday night
reads “Preliminary investiga-
tion has revealed that three
terrorists had fired indiscrim-
inately upon a police vehicle
carrying police personnel of
the 9th Battalion near Zewan
Pantha Chowk area of
Srinagar. The said police party
was coming back to their cam-
pus after finishing their
duties. Although the fire was
retaliated, the terrorists while
taking advantage of darkness
managed to escape from the
spot”. Confirming two of the
14 injured police personnel
died in the hospital, the state-
ment said that the condition of
other injured personnel is stat-
ed to be stable.
It quoted Inspector General
of Police (Kashmir range)
Vijay Kumar as saying that the
“credible sources”
revealed that the attack was
have
carried out by 'Kashmir
Tigers', which, it said, is an off-
shoot of proscribed Jaish-e-
Muhammad outfit. “In the
retaliatory firing, one of the
terrorists got injured and the
group involved in this grue-
some terrorist attack will be
soon brought to justice”, he
added.
SC notice to India votes against UN bid For every Aurangzeb, India has
govt on plea to ‘securitise’ climate action always produced a Shivaji: PM
by Uber, Ola,
Zomato staff
■ Continued from Page 1
the Directive Principle of
State Policy of the
Constitution aimed at
promoting the welfare of
the people.
“The denial of social
security to ‘gig workers’
and ‘platform workers’
has resulted in their
exploitation through
forced labour within the
meaning of Article 23 of
the Constitution”, which
prohibits human traffick-
ing and forced labour,
says the petition by the
Indian Federation of
App-Based Transport
Workers and two others --
an Ola driver, Tulasi
Jagdish Babu, and one
Kaushar Khan.
Assailing the con-
tention of the app-based
firms engaged in the
travel and home delivery
business that there is no
contract of employment
with the cab drivers or
deliverymen and it was
in the nature of a part-
nership, the petitioners
have contended that “if
such a claim were to be
accepted, this would be
inconsistent with the
purpose of social welfare
legislation”. The petition
further says there exists
a relationship of employ-
er and employee; master
and servant and worker
within the meaning of all
applicable laws”.
■ Continued from Page 1
forum and divert the
world’s attention from an
unwillingness to deliver
to obfuscate lack of
progress on critical
issues in the UNFCCC
process. We are con-
■ Continued from Page 1
3,000 square feet, now cov-
ers about five lakh square
feet and will be directly
Facilitation Centre, Vedic
Kendra, Mumukshu
Bhavan, Bhogshala, City
Museum, Viewing Gallery,
where it counts... India cerned about the manner connected to the Ganga. Food Court, among others.
understands the chal- in which this issue has Noting how the city had More than 40 ancient tem-
lenge of fellow developing been brought before the seen destruction in the ples which were rediscov-
countries and shares UNSC... Why is it that one past, Mr Modi hailed the ered were restored and
them fully and will con- needs a UNSC resolution contribution of Maratha beautified. Around 3,000
tinue to voice their con- to take action against cli- queen Ahilya Bai Holkar priests from across the
cerns... To move forward mate change when we in the reconstruction of country along with UP CM
decisively, access to cli- have commitments under the temple and also of Yogi Adityanath, deputy
mate finance has become UNFCCC towards con- Punjab’s Maharaja Ranjit chief ministers Keshav
critical. crete climate action. The Singh, who donated gold Prasad Maurya and Dinesh
Developed countries honest answer is that plates for the domes. He Sharma, UP governor
must provide climate there is no real require- also mentioned how saints, Anandiben Patel, BJP pres-
finance of $1 trillion at ment for this resolution icons and scholars like ident J.P. Nadda and others
the earliest. It is neces- except for bringing cli- J a g a d g u r u attended the ceremony.
sary that climate finance mate change under the Shankaracharya, Samath “Extremists have invad-
be tracked with the same ambit of the UNSC. The Guru Ramdas Goswami ed this city… they tried to
diligence as climate miti- reason is that decisions Tulsidas, Kabir, Chaitanya demolish it… History is
gation. The developed can be taken without Mahaprabhu, Chhattrapati witness to the atrocities
countries have fallen well involvement of most Shivaji Maharaj to Rani of Aurangzeb, who tried
short of their promises.” developing countries Laxmibai, Madan Mohan to change civilisation by
Mr Tirumurti added, “It without recognising con- Malviya, Bhartendu the sword and destroy tra-
is important to recognise sensus. And all this can Harishchandra, Munshi ditions through fanati-
this because today’s be done in the name of Premchand and Bismillah cism… but the soil of this
attempt to link climate preserving international Khan have links to the tem- country is different from
with security really seeks peace and security.” ple city. the rest of the world… If
A total of 23 buildings Aurangzeb comes here,
Didi kickstarts Goa campaign have been inaugurated in
the first phase of the Kashi
Vishwanath project that
then Shivaji also rises… If
Salar Masud marches,
then greats like Raja
with new slogan, ‘Khel Zatlo’ offers myriad facilities to
visitors -- Yatri Suvidha
Suheldev show him the
strength of our unity,”
■ Continued from Page 1 merged the NCP’s Goa legisla- Kendras, Tourist the PM said.
ture unit with the TMC, giving a boost to the Kolkata-
headquartered party ahead of the assembly polls in the
tiny seaside state.
Talking about the anti-BJP alliance, Banerjee, who is
After Sonia slams govt, CBSE
also the chairperson of the TMC, claimed her party has
already become an alternative to the saffron outfit in the
scraps ‘misogynist’ questions
state. “The MGP has joined the alliance, the NCP has ■ Continued from Page 1 added.
merged its legislature unit (with TMC). If anyone wants Gandhi said. Seeking clarification
not to divide votes, come and join us,” she in a message “I also urge that the on the issue raised by
directed at the Congress. ministry of education Mrs Gandhi, members of
“We will not allow the BJP to win (in Goa) this time,” must conduct a review the Congress, DMK,
she vowed. Banerjee said she has been attending on gender sensitivity IUML, NCP and National
Christmas midnight masses since the last 20 years with- standards of the curricu- Conference walked out of
out a break. — PTI lum and testing,” she the Lok Sabha.
 EDIT
THE ASIAN AGE | TUESDAY | 14 DECEMBER 2021 | NEW DELHI
pg 5

Subhani

14 DECEMBER 2021

Turbocharge vaccination
plan against Omicron
I
n the three weeks or so that the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV2 virus
has been known to be in circulation by way of infecting people in about 70
countries after being discovered in southern Africa and causing the first
death in the UK, we have come to learn something more about its viru-
lence, transmissibility and the efficacy of existing vaccines against infection.
While early reports suggest it might cause milder symptoms and disease, we
have to stir ourselves out of complacency because of the dropping numbers of
new cases and active cases of the Delta strain in India.
Studies have tended to show that Omicron is three to four times more trans-
missible than Delta, which should be sufficient to warn us, going by past pan-
demic experience, about what may happen if Omicron infections explode from
tens of infections to thousands and millions. If Indian healthcare systems are
not to get overwhelmed once again by the possible spread of Omicron, it would
be best to review the vaccination policy right now and decide quickly not only
on inoculating those below 18 but also to take the call on booster doses for
those who have taken both jabs from early this year but face waning protec-
tion.
India may have progressed to the extent of inoculating around 55 per cent of

If Indian healthcare over

an eligible 90-crore people with one dose and just
30 per cent with two doses. The procurement
and logistical hurdles the Centre faced may have
systems are not to been cleared but there is still a long way to go in
get overwhelmed the battle against complacency, vaccine resistance
Two sides of Rajaji: Will LETTERS
GOGOI’S ‘JUSTIFICATION’
once again by the and misplaced belief in Indians being less vulnera-
possible spread of ble. The Centre has initiated the vaccination pro-
gramme, which as we know remains the best
Omicron, it would weapon against the coronaviruses, and it must
be best to review continue to be the sole and dynamic provider of
the vaccination the vaccine to all the population. All of us are not
India heed him at last? Former Chief Justice of
India Ranjan Gogoi’s 250-
page autobiography,
Justice for the Judge, is
policy right now protected until the last one is protected. Rajagopalachari The “licence-permit raj”,
clearly an attempt to
What the United Kingdom is facing should serve rather than creating a
as a case study as it is a problem that goes way
sharply criticised more equitable society, redeem his reputation at
beyond the political as in Boris Johnson facing opprobrium in the face of the
clamping of new Omicron restrictions even as the British PM fights off sharp
Mohan the bureaucracy and
coined the term
actually created a hugely
corrupt and inefficient
the cost of the institution
criticism of his antics as well as those of his Cabinet in defying lockdown reg- Guruswamy “licence-permit raj” system that created oli- that he once served. In it is
ulations last year to run a quiz or indulge in Whitehall parties. It must be to the bureaucratic garchies and huge written how he took his
noted that the UK, facing mathematical projections of a million Omicron cases inequalities, not just
a day and proportionate hospital admissions and possible deaths with the first labyrinth that often between people but also colleagues, who were part
one having sounded the alarm already, is on a booster jab spree. involved approval by between regions. of the bench which deliv-

C
A UK study showed that while two jabs of the Astra Zeneca/ Oxford vaccine hakravarti
provided almost no protection against Omicron as compared to the Delta Rajagopalachari
strain, a booster jab upped efficacy against Omicron to 71 per cent. That (Born 9 Decem-
should be a compelling reason why India must use the vaccines to stave off ber 1878; Died 25
what could otherwise be an Omicron tsunami. However mild the symptoms December 1972)
and disease may prove, the danger lies in the new strain’s ability to re-infect was a man who is today
those who have already suffered Covid and those who have been vaccinated more remembered for his
too. Since studies also show possible benefit from mixing vaccines, it is time elegant and simple render-
to ramp up procurement of Covishield, Covaxin and other vaccines and recap- ing in English of the
ture the momentum of inoculating anyone and everyone who sees the wisdom Mahabharata (1951) and
of the vaccine against the virus. Ramayana (1957). He also
served as general secre-
tary of the Congress Party
Winter is not a villain in 1921, was elected as the
premier of the Madras
Presidency in 1937, gover-
nor of West Bengal (1947-
for separation. It was dur-
ing Rajagopalachari’s
tenure as Union home
minister that he first dif-
fered with Nehru. While
Nehru perceived the
Hindu Mahasabha as the
greatest threat to the
nascent republic,
Rajagopalachari held the
opinion that the
Communists posed the
greatest danger. Their dif-
ferences came to the fore
and after being persistent-
ly overruled by Nehru on
critical matters,
as many as 80 agen-
cies, before a
licence could be
granted to produce.
charted a philosophical
and economic course for
India. The Avadi session
represented the Congress’
distinct shift towards
socialism. The Congress
declared the “socialist pat-
tern of society” to be its
goal. The party resolution
also stated that planning
Prime Minister P.V. ered the historic Ayodhya
Narasimha Rao took the
first steps to dismantle the judgment in November
“licence-permit raj” in
2019, for dinner at New
1991 when his government
effectively dustbinned the Delhi’s Taj Mahal Hotel.
Industrial Licensing Justice Gogoi defends his
Policy 1956 and ushered in
what has generally come
Rajya Sabha nomination
to be known as “economic just four months after he
reforms”. This is still a retired saying that he
work in progress.
All major economies wanted to do public ser-
that have grown rapidly
have a high level of fixed
investment. Only 21 coun-
vice, and yet his atten-
dance is less than 10 per
tries have achieved eight cent. It remains to be seen

T
he winter is finally here. Across India, the temperatures are lower; and 48), succeeded Sardar
if the cold had a smell, like rain carries petrichor, we could smell it right Vallabhbhai Patel as
now. The days are shorter, and disappear with alacrity, while the nights home minister in
are longer, reluctant to go away; the mornings feel nippy and evenings are December 1950, and once
dark too soon. again became the chief
For those who have saved for a cold season, the season is a privilege; our food minister of Madras in
is cooked with more butter, and higher levels of spice and herb; tea and coffee 1952. There were two sides
get savoured with greater relish, and everything warm makes us feel nostal- to him. We remember him
gic.
The bright welcome colours adorn the winter wear that comes out of deep
mostly for the negatives
attributed to him, but his
storage and forgotten closets. Families, burdened foresight went largely for-
with the Covid-19 pandemic, lockdowns and pains, gotten.
While no season is fears — emotional and financial, amid anxiety During his tenure as
good for the poor over health issues, can just snuggle in under the Madras premier in 1937 he
made Hindi compulsory
and helpless, the comforting blankets; like children, in the hope
that all problems will just disappear. in all schools, a move that
winter exposes Sadly, perhaps due to a colonial legacy, art and led to the first anti-Hindi
poverty the worst. literature, music and philosophy have never cele- agitation. This also estab-
It can be helped — brated the winter adequately. Rains hold the lished the anti-
Brahmanism of the
never else does unfair monopoly of celebrating romance while
summer takes a lion’s share of all joy — holidays, Justice Party and the
sharing a blanket, mangoes and cherishing the most amazing Dravida Kazhagam (DK),
a bed, a roof — get moments of life. the forerunner of the
a more heartfelt Winter — dark, stark, dry, biting — sadly, has DMK and AIADMK. The
governor, Lord Erskine,
blessing. been the villain among seasons for too long. We
need to celebrate the winter too. Let us start writ- withdrew this unpopular
ing those odes, poems and songs, painting great law in 1940.
masterpieces — celebrating the earth going away farthest on its orbit from the The long shadow of this
Sun. was felt when it came to
But no joy in one being is complete if it’s oblivious to the pain of others. the adoption of an official
While no season is good for the poor and helpless, the winter exposes poverty
the worst. It can be helped — never else does sharing a blanket, a bed, a roof —
language for the Indian
Republic. Hindi was
get a more heartfelt blessing. adopted as the official lan-
Let us all make the winter a happy time of ending years and starting new guage of India with
ones; and try making it happy for you, me and everybody. English continuing as an
associate official language
for a period of 15 years,
after which Hindi would
be the sole official lan-
guage. Efforts by the
Indian government to
make Hindi the sole offi-
cial language after 1965
were not acceptable to
THE ASIAN AGE many non-Hindi Indian
states, who wanted the
KAUSHIK MITTER K. SUDHAKAR continued use of English.
Editor Printer & Publisher
To allay their fears, Prime
THE ASIAN AGE office is located at: Minister Jawaharlal
New Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru National Youth Centre, 219 Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, New Delhi-110002. Phone: Nehru enacted the Official
(011) 23211124. Languages Act in 1963 to
Published and Printed on behalf of and for
ensure the continuing use
◗ Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited, Jawaharlal Nehru National Youth Centre, 219 Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg,
New Delhi 110 002 at BFL Infotech Ltd., C-9, Sector-III, Noida -201301. of English beyond 1965. It
◗ London: Quickmarsh Ltd, 8th Floor, Block 2, Elizabeth House, 39 York Road, London, SE1 7NQ. was only after this the
RNI Registration number: 57290/94 DMK dropped its demand
Rajagopalachari submit-
ted his resignation on the
“grounds of ill-health” and
returned to Madras.
As things would have it,
the Congress Party’s poor
performance in the 1952
elections opened another
opportunity for him. The
Communists were in a
position to form a govern-
ment but Nehru played
his Rajaji card and got
Kamaraj to propose him
for CM. The party cobbled
together a majority.
During this tenure he
introduced two measures
that made him hugely
unpopular with the public
and the party.
On June 7, 1952,
Rajagopalachari ended
the procurement policy
and food rationing in the
state, abolishing all price
and quota controls. This
was a rejection of a
planned economy in
favour of a free market
economy.
In July 1953, he intro-
duced a new education
scheme known as the
“Modified Scheme of
Elementary Education
1953”, which reduced
schooling for elementary
school students from five
hours to three hours per
day and suggested that
boys should learn the fam-
ily crafts from their father
and girls housekeeping
from their mothers. It
cemented his image as
anti-poor, pro-Hindi, pro-
Brahmin leader.
Yet the Congress govern-
ment awarded him the
Bharat Ratna in 1954.
The 70th session of the
Indian National Congress
held in February 1955 was
an historic session as it
must take place with a
view towards the estab-
lishment of such a society.
Rajaji differed from this,
and he parted ways with
the Congress. In his short
essay “Our Democracy”,
Rajagopalachari
explained the necessity
for a right-wing alterna-
tive to the Congress, say-
ing: “Since the Congress
Party has swung to the
Left, what is wanted is not
an ultra or outer-Left
[such as CPI or Praja
Socialist Party], but a
strong and articulate
Right.” He went on in 1957
to found the Swatantra
Party with a ragtag bunch
of Congress malcontents,
former maharajas and
openly pro-American lob-
bies. Nevertheless, he
should be known today as
the first one to sound the
warning against a state-
controlled and centrally
planned economy, and
naïve notions of Fabian
socialism.
The Swatantra Party
stood opposed to govern-
ment control over the pri-
vate sector.
Rajagopalachari sharply
criticised the bureaucracy
and coined the term
“licence-permit raj” to the
bureaucratic labyrinth
that often involved
approval by as many as 80
agencies, before a licence
could be granted to pro-
duce; with the state decid-
ing what to produce, how
to produce and how much
to produce using state pre-
scribed sources of capital
and often even the selling
price. Profits leading to
capital formation and
investment were never a
consideration.
per cent growth a year
sustained over a 20-year
period since the Second
World War. The first eight
are Asian economies —
China, Japan, Singapore,
South Korea, North
Korea, Taiwan, Thailand
and Hong Kong. Their sys-
tems varied, but they had
one essential commonali-
ty. All of them had, during
their periods of rapid
growth, very high percent-
ages of Gross Domestic
Fixed Capital Formation
in GDP, between 30-50 per
cent.
India’s capital formation
languished in the lower
two-digit numbers for the
first three decades after
Independence. It began to
increase from 17.9 per cent
of GDP in 1991 to 22.7 per
cent of GDP in 2000, and to
peak at 37.6 per cent of
GDP in 2008, due to the
loosening of constricting
state controls. India’s GDP
growth kept pace with this
and rose from 5.2 per cent
in the decade 1980-90, to
over 6.0 per cent during
1990-2000 and to 7.8 per
cent during 2000-10.
If Rajaji’s rejection of
Fabian socialist notions of
economic and social devel-
opment had been the poli-
cy in the late 1950s, it
would have given India a
head start in capital for-
mation, industrialisation
and faster economic
growth. But better late
than never.
The writer, a policy
analyst studying econom-
ic and security issues,
held senior positions in
government and industry.
He also specialises in the
Chinese economy.
if the book will salvage his
reputation, or further dis-
credit him.
Bidyut K. Chatterjee
Faridabad, UP
REPEAL AFSPA
THE CIVIL society of Tizit in Mon dis-
trict of Nagaland took out a mass
protest rally recently demanding the
repeal of the Armed Forces (Special
Powers) Act, and criticised the Centre
for not tendering an apology over the
killing of 14 civilians in an ambush.
The protesters demanded justice and
warned that they would continue to
protest till the time the guilty security
personnel are punished. The
Government of India has not uttered a
single word of apology so far. The chief
ministers of Nagaland, Meghalaya and
Mizoram have raised a demand for the
repeal of AFSPA. This needs to be done
without any further delay.
Bhagwan Thadani
Mumbai
RELIEF FOR AFGHANS
THE INDIAN government’s decision to
send medical relief to Taliban-ruled
Afghanistan as a humanitarian ges-
ture is laudable. Afghanistan is in the
grip of a deteriorating health situation
on the back of an extremely harsh win-
ter and a complete breakdown of med-
ical supplies. The medical relief mater-
ial will be handed over to the World
Health Organisation (WHO) represen-
tatives in Kabul and administered at
the Indira Gandhi Children’s Hospital
in the Afghan capital. India now joins
Iran, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates,
Turkmenistan and Pakistan on the list
of countries which have sent humani-
tarian support to the Afghan people.
N.J. Ravi Chander
Bengaluru
Every Monday the best letter of
the week wins `500. Email:
asianage.letters@gmail.com.

T
he killing of 14 Indians by the Army and
the security forces in Nagaland recently
has resurrected the demand for the repeal
of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act,
or AFSPA. Two chief ministers of northeastern
states have said that they want the operation of
they wanted and could use force in effecting the
arrest. What happens when you give armed men
such freedom in a place that has been declared
hostile by the State is not difficult to imagine.
What will repeal of this law really mean? It
means in case an individual is accused of commit-
On May 11, 2006, after investigating a case, the
CBI filed murder charges against five serving
Army personnel from the 7 Rashtriya Rifles unit
in the court of the chief judicial magistrate of
Srinagar. The CBI argued that this was a case of
“cold blooded murder” and were not actions taken
but freed nonetheless by an Army tribunal with-
out explanation. On February 23, 1991, soldiers of
4 Rajputana Rifles came into the villages of Kunan
and Poshpora in the remote northern district of
Kupwara. The Army asked the men to assemble
outside and then entered their homes.

Aakar Patel the law to end in their states. Later this month the
Nagaland Assembly will convene a special session
to demand that the law be suspended in that state.
Before we offer any opinion in favour of or
against AFSPA, it may be of interest to see two
things. First, what are these “special powers”
ting a crime, and an FIR is filed, the police will
investigate and if it finds primary evidence and
files a chargesheet, that individual is tried in
court. If found guilty, the person is punished. That
is all repeal means.
Technically, there exists a provision even with-
in the course of performing official duties, and so
the perpetrators could not be protected. The
Indian Army blocked the prosecution of five
Army personnel using AFSPA. The Supreme
Court upheld the Army’s action and asked it to
decide whether it wanted to court martial them
They stayed there the entire night and allegedly
raped the women of the village, from a 14-year-old
disabled girl to a 70-year-old grandmother.
Nothing has come of this though several FIRs
were filed. Those who oppose the repeal of AFSPA
must consider if they want a continuation of this

Should AFSPA given to the armed forces, and second, what does
the “repeal” really mean?
The key provision of AFSPA is the sweeping
empowerment of individuals from the police and
be repealed, or the military and the paramilitary forces to open
fire “if he is of the opinion that it is necessary so to
do for the maintenance of public order”. The
in AFSPA for this to happen. The chargesheets
filed against the armed forces are sent to New
Delhi for the ministry of defence (for the Army)
and the ministry of home affairs (for paramilitary
forces). These ministries then decide if the immu-
nity given to the individual can be lifted so he can
be tried in a court. On January 1, 2018, the Rajya
instead.
In September 2012, over 12 years after the mur-
der of the five civilians in Pathribal, the Indian
state of affairs. Because the repeal of AFSPA
means nothing more than that cases like these
will be tried in a civilian court.
Army chose to bring the case before the military The Army has been left to do justice to itself for
justice system and began proceedings in a general
court martial. On January 24, 2014 the Indian
Army said it was dismissing all charges against
crimes it is accused of committing against civil-
ians. As a force inside the government, obviously
it will want that there should be no intrusion into

stay? The case: forces could use force “even to the causing of
death” and would be immune from prosecution
for their actions except with the sanction of the
Sabha was told that since 1989, approval for prose-
cution had not been given in any of the cases of
murder, torture, kidnap and rape.
five of its personnel due to the lack of evidence.
According to the closure report filed in the
Srinagar chief judicial magistrate’s court, the
what they do. But is it reasonable to say that they
should not be tried in an Indian court by an Indian
judge for crimes against Indian civilians? It seems
Central government. The Army says that it has an internal system of Indian Army did not even conduct a trial but unreasonable to expect that. But that seems to be
For and against Second, they could destroy anything they
thought was a hideout, a fortified position or shel-
ter from which an attack could be made. And they
discipline that it uses. However, that must be used
for military offences, such as indiscipline. It can-
not be used for crimes against civilians, but
instead dismissed the charges through a pre-trial
procedure.
In another case, in Kashmir’s Machhil area, sol-
what all those who do not want the repeal of
AFSPA are saying.

could arrest and detain without a warrant anyone nonetheless let us see what happens in such cases. diers were convicted of murdering three civilians The writer is a columnist and a senior journalist
 WORLD
THE ASIAN AGE | TUESDAY | 14 DECEMBER 2021 | NEW DELHI
pg 6

SHORT
GRAFT CASE
AGAINST SPAIN
TAKES
1st Omicron death in UK Xi, Putin virtual
summit tomorrow
EX-KING CLOSED UK PM may introduce more curbs as variant cases cross 3,000 Beijing, Dec. 13: Chinese their own territory, and

Geneva, Dec. 13: Swiss prosecu-
tors said Monday they have
closed a case against ex-
Spanish king Juan Carlos over
suspicions he received $100 mil-
lion in kickbacks for facilitat-
ing a high-speed rail contract
in Saudi Arabia awarded to a
Spanish consortium.
In a statement, the Geneva
Attorney General’s office said
that its investigation had “not
permitted to establish in a suf-
ficient manner a link between
the amount received from
Saudi Arabia and the contract
to build the high-speed train”.
SICILY GAS LEAK
BLAST DEATH
TOLL RISES TO 7
Milan, Dec. 13: Rescue workers
in Sicily have recovered four
more bodies in the rubble of
buildings that collapsed follow-
ing a gas leak explosion, bri-
nging to seven the number of
confirmed dead, firefighters
said Monday.
Firefighters and civil protect-
ion agency volunteers were dig-
ging with their bare hands in
the search for two more people
believe still buried inside the
pile of collapsed concrete and
metal, more than a day and a
half after the blast that author-
ities traced to a gas line.
Two elderly women were resc-
ued in the hours after the blast
that hit the Sicilian town of
London, Dec. 13: British
Prime Minister Boris
Johnson on Monday con-
firmed the UK’s first death
from the Omicron variant
of Coronavirus, the first
known fatality from the
highly transmissible vari-
ant of Covid-19 in the
world. Johnson used the
case to highlight the im-
portance of not being com-
placent that the new vari-
ant is milder compared to
the currently dominant
Delta variant and urged
people to get their top-up
booster vaccine doses,
now being offered to all
adults aged 18 and over.
During a visit to a vac-
cine clinic in west London
as part of the Omicron
Emergency Boost campai-
gn, Johnson also refused
to rule out bringing in fur-
ther restrictions in the
coming days and weeks to
control the rapid spread of
the variant — which has
now crossed over 3,000
cases in the country.
“Sadly yes, Omicron is
producing hospitalisatio-
ns and sadly at least one
patient has been confirm-
ed to have died with Om-
icron,” Johnson said. “So I
think the idea that this is
somehow a milder version
of the virus, I think that’s
something we need to set
on one side and just recog-
nise the sheer pace at whi-
ch it accelerates through
the population,” he said.
COVID AT
leader Xi Jinping and his they don’t threaten any-
Russian counterpart one,” according to his for-
Vladimir Putin will hold eign affairs adviser Yuri
A GLANCE a virtual summit this
week to discuss bilateral
relations and internation-
Ushakov.
In recent years, China
and Russia have increas-
FAKE PASSES al issues, amid tensions ingly aligned their for-
between Moscow and the eign policies to counter
400 investigations
into networks
West over the massing of
tens of thousands of
US domination of the
international economic
providing fake Covid-19 Russian troops near its and political order.
health passes have been border with Ukraine. Both have faced sanc-
opened in France, the Chinese Foreign Minis- tions over their internal
interior minister said. try spokesperson Wang policies, China over abus-
Wenbin mentioned no es against minorities,
specific topics and said especially Uighur
BOOSTER JAB details would be released Muslims in Xinjiang, and
France is accelerating after Wednesday’s video for its crackdown on the
meeting. pro-democracy movement
efforts for booster
“The two heads of state in Hong Kong.
shots in hopes that is will give full review of Beijing and Washington
enough to reduce pres-
China-Russia relations also remain at odds over
sure on hospitals. and cooperation in vari- trade, technology and
ous fields this year,” China’s military intimi-
SHOTS FOR F
RENCH ELDERLY
Wang said at a daily brief-
ing on Monday.
dation of Taiwan, which
it claims as its own terri-
Wang added the leaders tory. Wang said the bilat-
of people over A man wears a mask while walking in an empty street in the will also “make top-level eral meeting of the US
65 have had financial district, known as The City, in London, on Monday.
90%
designs for the developm- rivals was expected to
booster shots While many people will re-start working from home, the ent of bilateral relations “further enhance the
so far, said British government raised the Coronavirus threat level. — AP next year.” United States high-level mutual trust
French Health President Joe Biden between the two sides.”
Minister Olivier Veran 1ST OMICRON CASE IN PAK warned Putin during a Putin has sought guar-
and added that while call last week that Russia antees that an expansion
Pakistan’s top anti-Coronavirus body confirmed on would face painful sanc- of the Nato military alli-
"the epidemic wave is Monday that the country’s first Omicron variant has tions that will do resound- ance would never include
violent," there are signs been detected in an unvaccinated woman through ing economic harm if it Ukraine. However, this
the rise is starting to gene-sequencing. Sadly, at least one again invaded Ukraine. demand has been rejected
slow. patient has been Putin responded that by the United States and
confirmed to have “Russian troops are on its Nato allies. — AP
THREAT TO RESEARCHERS died with Omicron.
The South African police agencies are investigating threats against leading — BORIS JOHNSON
EU slaps sanctions
Covid-19 researchers, including the team which first identified the Omicron UK Prime Minister
variant of the disease.

Ravanusa on Saturday evening.
Three other bodies were recov-
ered on Sunday.
Workers have recovered the
bodies of a heavily pregnant
woman, her husband and his
parents, whom the young cou-
ple had been visiting. Four
buildings collapsed in the
explosion that was felt kilome-
tres away.
2 MISSING AFTER
SHIPS COLLIDE
SOUTH OF SWEDEN
Stockholm, Dec. 13: Two sailors
were missing on Monday after
falling into the frigid waters of
the Baltic Sea south of Sweden
when two cargo ships collided,
officials said.
Nine boats and a rescue helic-
opter were scouring the waters
for the sailors following the col-
lision between the Swedish city
of Ystad and the Danish island
of Bornholm, the head of press
at the Swedish Maritime Admi-
nistration said.
Early data has suggested
the new variant, first de-
tected in South Africa,
produces only mild symp-
toms of runny nose, fati-
gue, headache and sore
throat but UK experts
have said it could still
result in a big rise in hos-
pital admissions due to its
sheer rate of transmissi-
bility. Johnson noted that
the new variant now acc-
ounts for roughly 40 per
cent of Coronavirus cases
in London alone.
“The risk is plainly
there, we can see Omicron
spiking now in London
and some other parts of
the country,” he said.
Asked if he would rule
out more lockdown and
social distancing meas-
ures before Christmas, he
said: “We think Plan B,
combined with a hugely
ambitious acceleration of
the booster campaign —
we think that’s the right
approach.” — PTI
OMICRON COULD CHINA REPORTS S. AFRICA PREZ
CAUSE 75K DEATHS NEW DELTA STRAIN TESTS POSITIVE
IN UK BY APRIL END ‘SUB-LINEAGE AY.4’ FOR COVID-19
London, Dec. 13: The Omicron variant of
Coronavirus could cause between 25,000
and 75,000 Covid-19 related deaths in the
UK by April next year, if additional con-
trol measures were not taken, according
to a modelling study.
The yet-to-be peer-reviewed study sug-
gests that Omicron has the potential to
cause a wave of transmission in England
that could lead to higher levels of cases
and hospitalisations than those seen dur-
ing January 2021. The researchers from
the London School of Hygiene & Tro-
pical Medicine in the UK used the latest
experimental data on the antibody-evad-
ing characteristics of Omicron to
explore plausible scenarios for the
immune escape of the variant.
A wave of infection is projected which
could lead to a peak of over 2,000 daily
hospital admissions, with 175,000 hospi-
talisations and 24,700 deaths between De-
cember 1, 2021 and April 30, 2022. — PTI
Beijing, Dec. 13: China has reported a
spike in Covid-19 infections in Zhejiang Johannesburg, Dec. 13:
Province which registered 138 locally- South African President
transmitted confirmed cases stated to Cyril Ramaphosa has test-
be that of new Delta strain “sub-lineage
AY.4”, prompting authorities to bar mil-
ed positive for Covid-19
and is receiving treatment
lions of people in the eastern province for mild symptoms, acc-
from travelling. ording to his office.
This is the first time China has report- President Ramaphosa,
ed the new strain of the Delta variant of 69, who is fully vaccinated,
the Coronavirus, state-run CGTN-TV contracted the contagion
reported. Zhejiang Province has regis- on a day the country
tered 138 locally-transmitted confirmed recorded a new high of
Covid-19 cases and one asymptomatic 37,875 new infections, dra-
carrier between December 5-12, amid matically up from the pre-
the latest Covid-19 resurgence, state-run vious day’s 17,154 new cas-
Xinhua news agency reported on es. “The President started
Sunday. The report from Hangzhou, the feeling unwell after leav-
provincial headquarters on Sunday said ing the State Memorial
of the 138 in Zhejiang 44 cases were Service in honour of for-
reported in Ningbo, 77 cases in Shao- mer Deputy President FW
xing and 17 cases were in the provincial de Klerk in Cape Town
capital of Hangzhou. — PTI earlier today.” — PTI
on Russia’s Wagner
Brussels, Dec. 13: Europ-
ean Union foreign minis-
ters agreed on Monday to
slap sanctions on targets
linked to the Russian pri-
vate military company
Wagner, accused of acting
to destabilise Ukraine
and parts of Africa.
The group itself, said by
Western capitals to work
on behalf of the Kremlin
in conflict zones, was tar-
geted with an asset freeze,
along with eight individu-
als and three firms, diplo-
mats said.
The sanctions list was
drawn up by EU officials
and unanimously approv-
ed by foreign ministers,
who met Monday to dis-
cuss various world crises
and prepare Thursday’s
summit of European lea-
ders. The asset freezes
and visa bans were due to
come into force later
Monday when they appe-
● WAGNER UNITS and
operatives have been
seen in several conflict
zones, allegedly serving
Russian private and state
interests in Ukraine, Syria
and Libya.
● THE FIRM has also
offered its services to
local authorities in sub-
Saharan Africa.
Wagner units and opera-
tives have been seen in
several conflict zones,
allegedly serving Russian
private and state interests
in Ukraine, Syria and
Libya.
The firm has also
offered its services to
local authorities in sub-
Saharan Africa, includ-
ing former French
colonies Mali and the
Central African Republic.
The European ministers

Jimmy Lai gets 13 months’

“Shortly after half past 3 am ar in the EU’s official jou-
(0230GMT), we received an ale-
rt through our sea and flight
RAJAPAKSA rnal.
“Wagner is a Russian
were also discussing a
much larger package of
rescue central that two freight
vessels have collided,” Carl-
SUSPENDS private military company
used to destabilise securi-
potential economic sanc-
tions against Russia, to be
Johan Linde said.
“One of the ships has capsiz-
ed and is upside down,” Linde
said, adding that two people
jail for Tiananmen vigil PARLIAMENT
Colombo, Dec. 13: In an
ty in Europe and in its
neighbourhood, notably
in Africa,” one European
diplomat said.
held in reserve to deter
any threat from Moscow
to directly
Ukraine.
invade
— AFP
from that vessel fell into the Hong Kong, Dec. 13: A to 12 and six months res- unusual move, Sri Lan-
water as a result of the collisi- Hong Kong court on Mo- pectively for participating kan President Gotabaya

Blinken begins tour

on. The British flagged Scot
Carrier was headed for the Sw-
edish island of Gotland, while
the Danish flagged Karin Hoej,
which capsized, was headed for
Denmark, according to Linde.
“The Scot Carrier released a
smaller boat and looked for
people and they heard screams
from the water, but couldn’t
find anyone,” Jonas Franzen,
communications director at
the Swedish Maritime Admini-
stration, said. Soren Hoj, man-
ager for the Danish shipping
company operating the Danish
vessel, said that there were two
people in the crew.
Fumio Kishida
KISHIDA: NO
SPOOKY SIGHTS
AT ‘HAUNTED’
RESIDENCE
Tokyo, Dec. 13: Japan’s
Prime Minister Fumio
Kishida said Monday
he’s sleeping soundly
after becoming the first
nday sentenced activist
and business tycoon Jim-
my Lai to 13 months in jail
for urging participation
in last year’s banned Ti-
ananmen vigil, amid a cr-
ackdown by Chinese auth-
orities that has rolled
back the semi-autonom-
ous city’s civil liberties.
The District Court conv-
icted seven others on sim-
ilar charges and handed
out sentences of up to 14
months. Hong Kong’s gov-
ernment has banned the
candlelight vigil for the
past two years on pandem-
ic control grounds, altho-
File photo of democracy
advocate Jimmy Lai leav-
ing the Hong Kong’s Court
of Final Appeal. — AP
convicted on Thursday of
in the vigil. Chow was
also sentenced for inciting
others to join. The trio
had previously pleaded
not guilty to the charges.
Others sentenced Mon-
day included Lee Cheuk-
yan, the former chairman
of the now-defunct Hong
Kong Alliance in Support
of Patriotic Democratic
Movements of China. Lee
received 14 months for
organising last year’s
unauthorised assembly,
during which thousands
of people gathered to light
candles and sing songs in
Hong Kong’s Victoria
Rajapaksa has prorog-
ued Parliament for one
week and left for Sing-
apore on an unscheduled
visit.
There was no immedi-
ate comment from the
government on Rajapa-
of Southeast Asia
ksa’s decision to sus- Jakarta, Dec. 13: US does not differ fundamen-
pend Parliament for a
week. Parliament, which
Secretary of State Antony
Blinken on Monday beg-
tally from that of former
president Donald Trum-
ended its sessions on an a Southeast Asia tour p’s government — insist-
Friday, was originally
set to convene on Jan-
in the Indonesian capital
Jakarta, where he will ou-
ing that the region should
remain free and open in
uary 11. It will now con- tline Washington’s policy the face of rising Chinese
vene on January 18. on the Indo-Pacific, a key aggression.
President Rajapaksa, US-China battleground. But Biden’s team has
through an extraordi- Arriving from Britain put a heavier emphasis on
nary gazette notification after a G7 foreign minis- building alliances to cou-

28 KILLED IN
premier in nine years to ugh it is widely believed inciting others to take Park despite police warn- dated December 12, sus- ters’ meeting dominated nter Beijing.
inhabit the official resi- the ban is intended to be part in the unauthorised ings that they may be pended the assembly. “I by tensions with Russia, After Indonesia, Blink-

FIGHTING FOR
dence, which is reputed- permanent as authorities assembly to memorialise breaking the law. do by this proclamation Blinken will highlight en heads to Malaysia and
ly haunted by ghosts. look to squelch the city’s those killed in the army’s The remainder were giv- prorogue Parliament what his administration Thailand. In his meetin-

CITY OF MARIB
Dubai, Dec. 13: A senior Ye-
meni military commander was
among 28 troops killed in fight-
ing between government forces
and Houthi rebels for the strat-
egic city of Marib, defence min-
istry sources said Monday.
“Nasser al-Zubiani, head of
the government forces’ milita-
ry operations, was killed along
with 27 other soldiers during
clashes with the Houthis in the
The prime piece of real
estate in central Tokyo
stood empty during the
terms of Kishida’s most
recent predecessors, Yo-
shihide Suga and Shinzo
Abe. The residence was
the site of a 1936
attempted coup, in
which several senior
officials including a
finance minister were
assassinated by young
military officers.
For years, the ghosts of
pro-democracy moveme-
nt. Lai, the founder of the
now-shuttered pro-democ-
racy newspaper Apple
Daily, has already been
jailed for taking part in
pro-democracy protests
for which he will serve a
total of 20 months.
In the latest case, he was
NATURE’S | FURY
bloody crackdown on stu-
dent-led pro-democracy
protests that centred on
Beijing’s Tiananmen Squ-
are in 1989.
Two other defendants
convicted along with Lai,
lawyer Chow Hang-tung
and former reporter Gwy-
neth Ho, were sentenced
Officials warn of flooding, rock slides as strong winds could lead to outages
en sentences ranging from
four months, two weeks,
to nine months. The Hong
Kong Alliance previously
organised a candlelight
vigil each June, the only
large-scale public com-
memoration on Chinese
soil of the 1989 crackdown
in Beijing. — AP
with effect from mid-
night of the Twelfth day
of December, Two Tho-
usand and Twenty One
and hereby fix the Eig-
hteenth day of January
Two Thousand and Twe-
nty Two at 10 am for the
commencement of the
next session. — PTI
says is the importance of
Southeast Asia in US for-
eign policy.
Later, he will meet In-
donesian President Joko
Widodo, and on Tuesday
will deliver an address on
the “US approach to the
Indo-Pacific”. US Preside-
nt Joe Biden’s strategy
gs, he will “focus on str-
engthening the regional
security infrastructure in
response to PRC bullying
in the South China Sea,”
Daniel Kritenbrink, assis-
tant secretary of state for
East Asian and Pacific
affairs, he said ahead of
the trip. — AFP

Rain, snow fall as California braces for storm

past 24 hours south of Marib,”
one source said while speaking
on condition of anonymity.
A second source confirmed
Zubiani’s killing and the death
toll. Government forces and the
Iran-backed Houthi rebels have
been locked for months in a
fierce battle for Marib, the gov-
ernment’s last stronghold and
capital of the northern oil-rich
province of the same name.
Fighting has escalated in rec-
ent weeks with thousands kill-
ed from both sides as a Saudi-
led military coalition backing
the government ramps air stri-
kes on the rebels. The rebels
began a major push to seize
Marib city in February and,
after a lull, they renewed their
offensive in September.
The Saudi-led coalition has
been reporting high death tolls
in almost daily strikes.
some of those who were
involved in the incident
were reported to have
haunted its hallways,
but Kishidas said Mon-
day he was feeling fresh
after the first nights in
his new digs.
“I slept soundly yester-
day,” he said, who asked
whether he had spotted
any of the residence’s
famed spooks.
“I haven't seen any,
yet.” — AFP
● THE RESIDENCE was
the site of a 1936
attempted coup, in
which several senior
officials including a
finance minister were
assassinated by young
military officers.
California, Dec. 13: The
Western US is bracing for
the brunt of a major win-
ter storm expected to hit
Monday, bringing travel
headaches, the threat of
localised flooding and
some relief in an abnor-
mally warm fall.
Light rain and snow fell
in Northern California on
Sunday, giving residents a
taste of what's to come.
The multiday storm could
drop more than 8 feet (2.4
metres) of snow on the
highest peaks and drench
other parts of California
as it pushes south and east
before moving out mid-
week. “This is a pretty wi-
despread event,” said Nati-
onal Weather Service met-
eorologist Anna Wanless
in Sacramento. “Most of
California, if not all, will
see some sort of rain and
snow.”
The precipitation will
bring at least temporary
relief to the broader
region that’s been gripped
by drought caused by cli-
mate change. The latest US
drought monitor shows
parts of Montana, Oregon,
California, Nevada and
Utah in exceptional dro-
ught, which is the worst
category.
Most reservoirs that deli-
ver water to states, cities,
tribes, farmers and utili-
ties rely on melted snow in
the springtime.
The storm this week is
typical for this time of the
year but notable because
it's the first big snow that
is expected to significantly
affect travel with ice and
snow on the roads, strong
wind and limited visibili-
ty, Wanless said. Drivers
on some mountainous
passes on Sunday had to
wrap their tires in chains.
Officials urged people to
delay travel and stay ind-
oors. Rain could cause
minor flooding and rock-
slides, especially in areas
that have been scarred by
wildfires, according to the
forecast.
Strong winds accompa-
nying the storm could lead
to power outages, forecast-
ers said.
Karly Hernandez, a
spokesperson for Pacific
Gas & Electric, said the
utility that covers much of
California didn’t have any
major outages on Sunday.
Crews and equipment are
staged across the state to
respond quickly if the San Francisco resident Gokul Ramesh (L), takes a video
power goes out, Herna- of breaking waves on The Embarcadero while walking
ndez said. — AP with Neeraja Ravishankar in San Francisco. — AP
 TUESDAY | 14 DECEMBER 2021 | NEW DELHI
quick Exports to cross
BITES $100 billion in Q3
INDICATORS % New Delhi, Dec. 13: Anil
Sensex 58283.42 -0.86
Nifty 50 17368.30 -0.82
S&P 500* 4,675.48 -0.78
Dollar (`) 75.76 0.03
Pound Sterling (`) 100.23 -0.19
Euro (`) 85.43 0.04
Gold (10gm)* (`) 47,262▲62 0.13
Brent crude ($/bbl)* 74.89 -0.35
IN 10-Yr bond yield 6.370 0.00
US 10-Yr T-bill yield* 1.47 -0.02
* As of 8:30 PM IST
IIT-K develops
portable device
for soil testing
IIT-Kanpur has developed a
portable testing device that can
detect the soil health in 90 sec-
onds using five grams of the soil
as sample. The invention is
based on near infrared spec-
troscopy technology that pro-
vides real-time soil analysis
report on smartphones with an
embedded mobile application,
named Bhu Parikshak, available
on Google Play Store. The tech-
nology has been transferred to
agri-tech firm AgroNxt Services.
Greenlam to
invest `950 cr
over three years
Greenlam announced invest-
ment of Rs 950 crore in two-
three years towards setting up
its third laminate plant and
made a foray into the plywood
and particle board business. The
investments in the new laminate
plant and particleboard will be
done by Greenlam South Ltd, a
Naidupeta, Andhra Pradesh-
based subsidiary of Greenlam
Industries. It will invest Rs 600
crore on machinery and Rs 225
crore on the laminate capacity.
IIT-M receives
record high job
offers in phase-I
IIT Madras has received record
high job offers during phase-I
of campus placements for the
academic year 2021-22.
Combined with the 231 pre-
placement offers (PPOs), which
arise from internships, the total
number of job offers stood at
1,316 at the end of phase-I. As
many as 1,085 offers were
made by a total of 226 compa-
nies during phase-I. This
includes 45 international offers
from 14 companies, a record.
BoB launches
wearables for
small payments
Bank of Baroda announced the
launch of the wearable line of
products for small-ticket pay-
ments up to Rs 5,000 through
the BoB World Wave in associ-
ation with the NPCI. Customers
can make on-the-go payments
of up to Rs 5,000 without any
PIN while shopping on the PoS
machine. The wearables, to be
attached to gadgets and arti-
cles such as rings and watches,
are expected to be available
for use from the next month.
Printed & Published by
K. Sudhakar on behalf of
Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited.
Printed at BFL Infotech Ltd, C-9 Sector
3, Noida-201301. Published at 219, N D
Tiwari Bhawan, Deen Dayal Upadhyay
Marg, New Delhi-110002.
Editor: Kaushik Mitter, RNI
Registration number 30074/09,
Air surcharge Re 1. © All rights
reserved. Reproduction in whole or
in part without written permission of
The Editor,
Financial Chronicle ® is prohibited.
„ On track to meet $400-bn target
SANGEETHA G
CHENNAI, DEC. 13
The Export-Import Bank
of India has forecast that
merchandise exports in
the December quarter will
cross the $100-billion mark
for the second consecutive
quarter. By the end of the
December quarter, the
country would have
crossed $300 billion in
exports and would be well
poised to achieve the $400-
billion target for the fiscal,
the Exim Bank said.
For the December quar-
ter, the bank predicts mer-
chandise exports of $105.8
billion. This would be a
39.6 per cent growth over
$75.8 billion exports in the
same quarter last year. Of
this, non-oil exports are
expected to amount to
$89.1 billion, growing at
26.8 per cent over $70.3 bil-
lion in the corresponding
quarter of FY21.
The Exim Bank has
attributed the rise in
India’s exports largely to
the continued growth
momentum in advanced
economies and the result-
ant increase in global
import demand along with
favourable global commod-
ity prices.
In the June quarter,
Indian merchandise
exports were a little over
$95 billion. Exports sur-
passed the $100 billion
mark in the quarter end-
ing September. India
clocked a total of $101.89
billion in exports during
the July-September quar-
ter. With this, India’s
exports reached $197 bil-
lion in the first two quar-
Pharma growth to
moderate this fiscal
SANGEETHA G
CHENNAI, DEC. 13
With Covid cases reced-
ing and exports slowing
down, pharmaceutical
revenues are expected to
moderate to high single
digit levels in the coming
months and probably the
entire fiscal.
“Indian pharmaceutical
market growth is return-
ing to normal levels as
Covid cases have dropped
and the monsoon season
has ended. Barring any
Covid- related upside, we
expect the market to grow
in mid-to-high teens for
FY22, implying high sin-
gle digit growth in the
rest of the financial
year,” said Kunal
Dhamesh, analyst with
Emkay Global Financial
Services.
Crisil too expects the
revenue growth of the
pharmaceutical sector to
moderate this fiscal.
However, Crisil expects
the entire fiscal to clock a
growth of 9 per cent
against a healthy 12.5 per
cent growth last year.
The slower growth in
pharmaceutical exports
will lead to single digit
BMW LAUNCHES
IX ELECTRIC SUV
MICHAEL GONSALVES
PUNE, DEC. 13
BMW, German luxury car
maker, on Monday finally
forayed into the electric
cars segment with the
launch of the first-ever
BMW iX all-electric SUV
priced a Rs 1.16 crore at
pan-India showroom.
The imported technology
flagship BMW iX SUV will
rival the likes of the
Mercedes-Benz EQC, Audi
e-tron SUV and Sportback
and the Jaguar I-Pace.
“The first-ever BMW iX
is the ultimate driving
machine for a new genera-
tion,” said Vikram Pawah,
president, BMW India.
RETAIL INFLATION INCHES UP TO 4.91%
FC BUREAU
NEW DELHI, DEC. 13
Beating many econo-
mists' recent forecast, the
country's retail inflation,
measured by the
Consumer Price Index
(CPI), rose to 4.91 per cent
during November. For the
fifth month in a row, the
CPI inflation also
remained below the
Reserve Bank of India’s
target band of 2-6 per
cent, the data released by
the Ministry of Statistics
and Programme Imple-
mentation showed on
Monday.
The retail inflation in
ters of the fiscal.
Considering the forecast
of exports turnover mov-
ing beyond $300 billion, if
the export turnover in the
March quarter touches
$100 billion, then the coun-
try will achieve exports of
$400 billion– the target
fixed by the government
growth this fiscal.
Pharmaceu-ticals, which
had driven the growth in
exports during the pan-
demic year of FY21, wit-
nessed a marginal decline
of 0.9 per cent in October.
However, the sector will
receive some support
from Covid-19 vaccine
opportunities and a pick-
up in demand in the
domestic formulations
market.
“With normalcy return-
ing to healthcare delivery
services, domestic formu-
lations revenue, led by
acute therapies, is esti-
mated to grow 14-16 per
cent this fiscal, compared
with 2 per cent last fiscal.
Further, with ramped-up
capacities and improving
pace of vaccination,
Covid-19 vaccines also
provide additional
domestic growth poten-
tial this fiscal,” said Isha
Chaudhary, director,
Crisil Research.
Operating profitability
too is likely to shrink this
fiscal due to a sharp
increase in input and
other costs. The market
grew 12 per cent in
November and 10 per cent
in October.
DEEPFAKE | ANYONE?
AI synthetic media tech enters perilous phase
SHANE RAYMOND
DEC. 13
"Do you want to see your-
self acting in a movie or
on TV?" said the descrip-
tion for one app on online
stores, offering users the
chance to create AI-gener-
ated synthetic media, also
known as deepfakes.
"Do you want to see your
best friend, colleague, or
boss dancing?" it added.
"Have you ever wondered
how would you look if
your face swapped with
your friend's or a celebri-
ty's?"
The same app was adver-
tised differently on dozens
of adult sites: "Make deep-
fake porn in a sec," the ads
said. "Deepfake anyone."
How increasingly sophi-
sticated technology is
November rose despite
excise duty cuts on fuel.
Primarily, the rise was led
by vegetable prices which
went up because of unsea-
sonal rainfall. As per the
data, food and beverage
inflation rose to 2.6 per
cent in November com-
pared to 1.8 per cent in
October.
A Reuters poll of 39
economists had predicted
the consumer price infla-
tion at 5.10 per cent for
November, which was
higher than 4.48 per cent
in October. Last week the
RBI kept its retail infla-
tion outlook unchanged at
5.3 per cent for FY22.
for the fiscal.
“The exports for the fis-
cal will cross the target of
$400 billion. Usually
February and March
record higher exports com-
pared to the preceding
months,” said K.
Unnikrishnan, deputy
director general, Fieo.
SC SEEKS CENTRE’S
VIEW ON GIVING
SOCIAL SECURITY TO
DELIVERY STAFF
New Delhi, Dec. 13: The
Supreme Court on
Monday sought responses
from the Centre and firms
like Uber and Zomato on a
plea of app-based service
providers seeking social
security rights available
for unorganised sector
workers under the law. The
plea by Indian Federation
of App-Based Transport
Workers (IFAT) has sought
formulation of welfare
schemes like health insur-
ance, maternity benefits,
pension, old age assis-
tance, disability allowance
and completion of vacci-
nation at aggregators' cost
on a priority basis for gig
workers.
"We will issue notice, List
after four weeks," said a
bench comprising justices
L. Nageswara Rao and B.
R. Gavai after hearing
arguments from senior
advocate Indira Jaising
who appeared for IFAT.
Jaisingh said a declara-
tion is sought by the driv-
ers or delivery workers
that they are workmen
under the schemes of the
Unorganised Workers Act
and all the social welfare
schemes, meant for the
workers body. —PTI
It is used to model faces from images and swap them into films
applied is one of the com-
plexities facing synthetic
media software, where
machine learning is used
to digitally model faces
from images and then
swap them into films as
seamlessly as possible.
The technology, barely
four years old, may be at a
pivotal point, according to
Reuters interviews with
companies, researchers,
policymakers and cam-
paigners.
It's now advanced
enough that general view-
ers would struggle to dis-
tinguish many fake videos
from reality, the experts
said, and has proliferated
to the extent that it's avail-
able to almost anyone who
has a smartphone, with no
specialism needed.
"Once the entry point is
VEDANTA
DROPS CASES
AGAINST GOVT
TO SETTLE
RETRO TAX
Agarwal's mining group
Vedanta on Monday said
it has withdrawn cases
in the Delhi High Court
as well as before an
international arbitra-
tion tribunal to settle a
Rs 20,495 crore retro-
spective tax dispute
with the government.
Post slapping of a Rs
10,247 crore tax demand
on UK's Cairn Energy
Plc for alleged capital
gains made on a 2016
internal reorganisation
prior to the listing of its
India business, the
Income-Tax Department
had sought Rs 20,495
crore in taxes (including
penalty) from Cairn
India for failing to
deduct tax on capital
gains made by its
British parent.
Cairn India was in 2011
bought by Agarwal's
group and later merged
with Vedanta Ltd.
In a statement,
Vedanta said it has used
the recently enacted law
that scraps all demands
levied using a 2012 retro-
spective tax legislation,
to settle the dispute.
As conditions for the
same, it has withdrawn
all legal challenges
against the government.
Cairn Energy, which
has maintained that no
tax as per the prevalent
regime was due on the
2006 reorganisation and
won an international
arbitration against the
2015 order seeking back
taxes, is parallelly set-
tling its dispute with the
government. —PTI
More Retail weighing IPO
at $5 billion valuation
ANTO ANTONY &
BAIJU KALESH
DEC. 13
More Retail Pvt Ltd, a gro-
cery chain backed by
Amazon.com Inc, is con-
sidering an initial public
offering that could value
the company at as much
as $5 billion, according to
people with knowledge of
the matter.
The company is weigh-
ing a first-time share sale
in Mumbai as early as
June, the people said, ask-
ing not to be identified as
the information isn't pub-
lic. More Retail could
raise as much as $500 mil-
lion in a listing, which
would consist largely of
new shares, one of the
people said.
Witzig Advisory
Services Pvt Ltd acquired
More Retail in 2019 from
billionaire Kumar
Mangalam Birla's Aditya
Birla Group, according to
the retail chain's website.
Witzig is owned by
Amazon and Samara
Capital Partners.
Deliberations are at an
early stage and details
such as the timing and
size could change, the peo-
ple said. A representative
for Samara Capital
so low that it requires no
effort at all, and an unso-
phisticated person can
create a very sophisticated
non-consensual deepfake
pornographic video--
that's the inflection point,"
said Adam Dodge, an
attorney and the founder
of online safety company
EndTab.
"That's where we start to
get into trouble."
With the tech genie out
of the bottle, many online
Amfi seeks uniform tax
breaks for pension schemes
RAVI RANJAN PRASAD
MUMBAI, DEC. 13
The Association
Mutual Funds in India
of
(Amfi) has called for all
mutual funds to be
allowed to launch pen-
sion-oriented MF
schemes with uniform tax
treatment as the National
Pension Scheme. This is
among a set of innovative
and growth-oriented pro-
posals sent by the associa-
tion to the Ministry Of
Finance ahead of the
February Union Budget.
Currently, only a hand-
ful of Mutual Fund
Retirement Benefit
Pension Schemes notified
by the CBDT qualify for
tax benefit under Section
80C of the Income Tax
Act.
"Sebi, in its Long Term
Policy for Mutual Funds,
published a few years ago,
had proposed that MFs be
allowed to launch pension
plans, namely, Mutual
Fund Linked Retirement
Plan’ (MFLRP) akin to
popular 401(k) Plan in the
United States which
would be eligible for tax
benefits,” the Amfi said.
Allowing MFs to launch
MFLRS would bring pen-
SHRIRAM ANNOUNCES MERGER OF 3 FIRMS
Mumbai, Dec. 13: Three
Shriram group companies
on Monday announced
their merger to create the
country's largest retail
finance NBFC in Shriram
Finance Ltd, according to a
release. The boards of
three companies, Shriram
Transport Finance (STFC),
Shriram City Union
MAPMYINDIA SUBSCRIBED 154.7 TIMES
New Delhi, Dec. 13: The
initial public offering of
CE Info Systems Ltd, the
parent of digital mapping
company Mapmy-India,
garnered strong investor
response and was sub-
scribed a whopping 154.71
times on the last day of
subscription on Monday.
Popularly known by its
brand MapmyIndia, the
company is backed by
global wireless technolo-
gies company Qualcomm
and Japanese digital map-
ping firm Zenrin.
The IPO received bids
for over 108.98 crore
shares against over 70.44
lakh shares on offer, as
declined to comment,
while a representative for
More Retail did not imme-
diately respond to
requests for comment.
The 25-year-old company
operates more than 600
retail stores, including
supermarkets and hyper-
markets, selling groceries
and daily household prod-
ucts from cooking oil to
spices, the website shows.
More Retail would join a
safety campaigners,
researchers and software
developers say the key is
ensuring consent from
those being simulated,
though this is easier said
than done. Some advocate
taking a tougher approach
when it comes to synthet-
ic pornography, given the
risk of abuse.
Non-consensual deep-
fake pornography accoun-
ted for 96 per cent of a
sample study of more
than 14,000 deepfake
videos posted online,
according to a 2019 report
by Sensity, a firm that
monitors synthetic media.
It added that the number
of deepfake videos online
was roughly doubling
every six months.
ExoClick, the online
advertising network that
sion benefits to millions of
Indians in the unorgan-
ised sector, it said.
The Amfi has also pro-
posed introduction of
debt-linked savings
scheme (DLSS) to help
deepen the Indian bond
market.
"Mutual fund units
should be notified as
‘Specified Long-Term
Assets’ qualifying for
exemption on LTCG
(Long Term Capital Gain)
under Sec. 54 EC," the
association has proposed..
It has also proposed
lower minimum holding
period for LTCG purposes
in the case of gold & silver
ETFs from three years to
one year, as in the case of
listed debt securities, as
the units are listed on the
stock exchanges.
"The launch of sover-
eign gold bonds (SGB) has
Finance (SCUF) and their
promoter Shriram Capital
(SCL) have approved the
merger of SCL and SCUF
with STFC, the release
said.
The merged entity, to be
known as Shriram Finance
Ltd, will be the largest
retail finance NBFC in the
country, it stated.
per an update on the NSE.
The non-institutional
investors category was
subscribed 424.69 times,
while qualified institu-
tional buyers portion got
196.36 times subscription
and retail individual
investors 15.20 times.
The IPO of up to
1,00,63,945 equity shares
had a price range of Rs
1,000-1,033 per share.
The company mopped
up Rs 312 crore from
anchor investors on
Wednesday. The company
provides advanced digital
maps, geospatial software
and location-based IoT
technologies. —PTI
strong pipeline of Indian
companies considering
IPOs next year. State-
backed insurance giant
Life Insurance Corp of
India, as well as Flipkart
Online Services Pvt Ltd,
the e-commerce firm con-
trolled by Walmart Inc
and digital education
startup Byju's are among
the firms preparing for
first-time share sales.
—Bloomberg
was used by the "Make
deepfake porn in a sec"
app, told Reuters it was
not familiar with this
kind of AI face-swapping
software. It said it had sus-
pended the app from tak-
ing out adverts and would
not promote face-swap
technology in an irrespon-
sible way.
"This is a product type
that is new to us," said
Bryan McDonald, ad com-
pliance chief at ExoClick,
which like other large ad
networks offer clients a
dashboard of sites they
can customise themselves
to decide where to place
adverts. "After a review of
the marketing material,
we ruled the wording used
on the marketing material
is not acceptable.”
—Reuters
pg 7
made gold ETF and gold
linked MF scheme less
attractive, resulting in
lack of interest in gold
ETFs and gold linked MF
scheme. From liquidity
perspective, gold ETFs are
superior as compared to
SGB, as gold ETFs pro-
vide continuous liquidity
to investors," it said.
"Lowering the holding
period in respect of of
gold ETFs for LTCG pur-
poses from 3 years to 1
year will provide an
incentive to retail
investors to invest in gold
ETF and help expand
retail investments in
ETFs," it added.
AMFI has also proposed
to permit insurance com-
panies to outsource the
fund management activi-
ties to Sebi-registered
MFs and AMCs.
The Amfi also called for
partial modification of
equity linked saving
scheme (ELSS) to allow
investment of any
amount instead of multi-
ples of Rs 500.
It also called for uni-
form tax treatment on
capital gains from mutu-
al fund investments and
Ulips of insurance com-
panies.
The merged entity would
have a combined asset
under management of Rs
1.5 lakh crore, the company
said in a release.
The swap ratio has been
fixed at 100 Shriram City
shares for 155 Shriram
Transport shares. The
merger is subject to vari-
ous approvals. —Agencies
BPCL TIES UP WITH
BARC FOR GREEN
HYDROGEN
NIDHI VERMA
NEW DELHI, DEC. 13
India's third largest
refiner Bharat Petro-
leum Corp Ltd said on
Monday it has tied up
with the country's
nuclear research insti-
tute for an electrolyser
technology for green
hydrogen as it seeks to
achieve net zero emis-
sions by 2040.
India, the world's third
biggest greenhouse gas
emitter, is aiming to
reach net zero emis-
sions by 2070 and wants
to raise the share of
renewables in its ener-
gy mix to 50 per cent by
2030 from 38 per cent
currently.
BPCL's chairman A.
K. Singh said the refin-
er plans to scale up
indigenous alkaline
electrolyser technology
for use in refineries via
collaboration with the
Bhabha
Research Centre.
Atomic
An electrolyser splits
water into hydrogen
and oxygen using elec-
tricity. For green hydro-
gen, renewable energy
is used for electrolysis.
At present Indian com-
panies import electrol-
yser plants.
India's draft National
Hydrogen Mission man-
dates that refiners and
fertiliser producers
should meet half of
their hydrogen needs
through green hydro-
gen by 2030. The central
government has provid-
ed financial support for
setting up electrolysers
in the country.
Companies, including
Reliance Industries,
Adani Group, Indian Oil
Corp, NTPC and Gail
have announced plans
to play a critical role in
India's green hydrogen
road map.
Refineries use large
quantities of hydrogen
for de-sulfurisation to
make petrol and other
chemicals. —Reuters
 GAMES
THE ASIAN AGE | TUESDAY | 14 DECEMBER 2021 | NEW DELHI
pg 8

SHORT
Ajai wins third
TAKES
Rohit out of South Africa tour FORMULA ONE | CHAMPIONSHIP

weightlifting gold
Tashkent: Ajai Singh clinched
India’s third gold of the
Commonwealth Weightlifting
Championships here by winning
the men’s 81kg category.
Singh lifted a total of 322kg
and also set a national record in
snatch (147kg) on Sunday night.
He became the third Indian
weightlifter to directly qualify
for next year’s Commonwealth
Games in Birmingham.
Jeremy Lalrinnunga (67kg) and
Achinta Sheuli (73kg) have
already qualified for the 2022
CWG after winning gold in their
respective competitions.
The gold winners in all wight
categories from this champi-
onship directly qualify for the
2022 Birmingham CWG while
the rest can make it to the
Games through the rankings.
Popy Hazarika had also won a
silver, in the women’s 59kg,
with a total lift of 189kg
(84+105). — PTI
Hazlewood out of
2nd Ashes Test
Brisbane: Pace bowler Josh
Hazlewood has been ruled out
of the second Ashes cricket
Test because of a side strain he
sustained in Australia’s nine-
wicket win over England in the
series-opening match.
Hazlewood picked up the key
wickets of Dawid Malan and
Joe Root within his first three
overs in the first Test at the
Gabba as England slumped to
11-3 before finally being bowled
out for 147. But he bowled just
14 overs in the second innings,
and picked a wicket.
Hazlewood flew home to
Sydney on Sunday for further
assessment, and the rest of the
Australian squad was travelling
to Adelaide on Monday. The
second Test, a day-nighter,
starts on Thursday.
Jhye Richardson and Michael
Neser, who played a tour game
for Australia A against the
England Lions last week, are in
Australia’s squad as pace cover.
Australia’s first-choice bowling
attack of Hazlewood, Pat
Cummins, left-armer Mitchell
Starc and spinner Nathan Lyon
has had consistent success
against England.
Hazlewood’s absence will be a
big loss for Australia in the day-
night environment. His 32 wick-
ets in seven day-night Tests are
second only to Starc in pink-
ball matches. — PTI
Hurts hamstring during practice; Priyank named replacement
New Delhi, Dec. 13: India’s Test
vice-captain Rohit Sharma was
on Monday ruled out of the entire
three-Test series against South
Africa as his old left-hamstring
injury resurfaced during the
team’s net session in Mumbai
where he also took a hit on his
hand.
India ‘A’ captain Priyank
Panchal will be Rohit’s replace-
ment opener in the Test series.
“Team India Test vice-captain
Rohit Sharma sustained a left
hamstring injury during his
training session here in Mumbai
yesterday. He has been ruled out
of the upcoming 3-match Test
series against South Africa.
Priyank Panchal will replace
Rohit Sharma in the Test squad,”
BCCI stated in a press release.
The Board has not announced a
stand-in vice-captain but it is
expected that K. L. Rahul is the
front-runner for being Virat
Kohli’s deputy during the Tests.
Other contenders could be
Rishabh Pant and Ravichandran
Ashwin considering that Ajinkya
Rahane has been removed from
the role with his place in the
eleven not being assured. The
Tests will wind up on January 15
followed by three ODIs, scheduled
WARNER IS
ICC PLAYER OF
THE MONTH
Dubai, Dec. 13: Explosive
Australia opener David
Warner and West Indies
all-rounder Hayley
Matthews were on
Monday adjudged the
men’s and women’s ICC
Players of the Month of
November after their
superlative performanc-
es.
Warner’s crucial efforts
in the ICC Men’s T20
World Cup which
Australia won for the first
time helped him pip
Pakistan opener Abid Ali
and New Zealand seam
bowler Tim Southee to
grab the men’s award.
Matthews’ all-round
show in the ODIs won her
the women’s award ahead
of left-arm spinners
Anam Amin of Pakistan
and Nahida Akter of
Rohit Sharma gestures in this file photo.
to begin on January 19 in Paarl.
The 34-year-old Rohit also sus-
tained a hit on his hands at the
Mumbai nets while taking throw-
downs from Raghavendra aka
Raghu.
“Yes, Rohit did suffer an injury
on his hand but even after that he
had batted. So we can presume
that hand injury isn’t serious. But
thereafter, it seemed the old ham-
string problem resurfaced once
again and it might take some time
before he is fully fit and available.
They are trying to sort it out.
Hamstring injuries normally
take four weeks which could
effectively rule him out of Test
series,” a senior BCCI source said
on Monday.
As of now, the extent of Rohit’s
injury is not very clear. It is not
known whether it’s a strain
which is a less serious injury or a
tear, which will have to be graded.
“There are some issues but the
medical team is trying to sort it
out,” a source close to the crick-
eter said.
The BCCI is yet to share the
details of his scan report which
will ascertain the degree of the
injury. “Any hamstring injury,
even the lowest grade takes a
month to heal with rehabilitation
sessions. In Tests we have
Mayank Agarwal ready to open
with KL Rahul, who could poten-
tially be the vice-captain. And
now we have Priyank Panchal
also as cover. We would be hoping
that he is fit and ready for the ODI
series,” the source added.
It is learnt that Panchal report-
ed at the team hotel on Monday
evening. “Panchal has been asked
to report at the Mumbai team
hotel tonight. He is there as a
cover for Rohit. Also because he
recently played in South Africa
and scored runs, he was asked to
join,” an official associated with
the India ‘A’ team informed.
Panchal is no greenhorn as he
has 100 first-class matches under
his belt with 7,011 runs, including
24 hundreds. He has been a part of
a very successful Gujarat team
that won the Ranji Trophy and
has been an India ‘A’ captain.
He was fighting for the reserve
opener’s slot with Abhimanyu
Easwaran but pipped the Bengal
man as the latter batted at No.3 in
the ‘A’ series. — PTI
ROHIT LAUDS
GRITTY KOHLI
AS SKIPPER
Mumbai, Dec. 13: Virat
Kohli led India from the
front for five years as the
team’s limited-overs cap-
tain, said his successor
Rohit Sharma, insisting
that he enjoyed “each and
every moment” that he
played under the star bat-
ter.
In his interaction with
bcci.tv, Rohit spoke about
how the team under Kohli
had a “great time”. Kohli
stepped down as T20 cap-
tain after the World Cup
in the UAE and was sub-
sequently replaced by
Rohit as ODI skipper ear-
lier this month.
“Five years that he led
the team, he led from the
front every time, we
stepped on to the park,
and there was clear grit
and determination to win
It was Hamilton’s
race, says Narain
New Delhi, Dec. 13: The
controversial end to an
epic Formula One title
fight in the 2021 season has
not gone down well with
India’s first F1 driver
Narain Karthikeyan.
A series of questionable
race control calls were
made at the season finale
in Abu Dhabi on Sunday
when Max Verstappen
passed Lewis Hamilton on
the final lap to win his
maiden title and deny the
Briton a record-breaking
eighth crown.
“How the entire situation
unfolded, it seemed like
they wanted Max to win. It
was a great battle for the
championship but what
happened yesterday it was-
n’t sport. You need close
battles in Formula 1 but it
has to be fair at the same
time,” Karthikeyan said.
Hamilton was cruising to
victory when Nicholas
Latifi’s crash on lap 53 of
the 58-lap race brought the
safety car on to the track.
In a last throw of dice,
Red Bull pitted Verstappen
for soft tyres after the safe-
ty car was deployed while
Hamilton stayed out on his
worn out hard tyres.
In what could go down as
the most controversial call
of the Formula 1 decade,
race director Michael Masi
allowed five backmarkers
to unlap themselves on the
penultimate lap, making it
much easier for
Verstappen to make the
move on Hamilton.
As per the rules, the safe-
ty car should have gone
back on the following lap
which was the last lap of
the race.
“Unless the clerk of the
course considers the pres-
ence of the safety car is
still necessary, once the
last lapped car has passed
the leader the safety car
will return to the pits at
the end of the following
lap,” the rule states.
“If you leave all the con-
troversy aside, Lewis sure-
ly deserved to win if you
look at the race in general.
It was definitely his race.
So not a fair result,”
Karthikeyan added. — PTI
FULL THROTTLE
“What a race! Congrats to
Max for becoming the World
Champion for the 1st time &
there will be many more.
However, my heart goes out
to Lewis. What a season
he’s had too. If not for the
safety car, the trophy
would’ve been his. Sheer
bad luck. All the best for the
next season.”
— Sachin Tendulkar, former
India cricketer
●
“1 ball 6 required and guess
what, Max Verstappen hits
it. Unbelievable win.”
— Rohit Sharma, India crick-
eter
●
“Wow. What an incredible
ending of a Formule 1 sea-
son to remember forevear!
Two fantastic teams going
all in for the win but there
can only be one winner. A
true champion replaced by
another true champion.
Congrats to
@Max33Verstappen. You
made us proud.”
— Robin Van Persie, former
Netherlands footballer
●
“The sport needed a new
world champion and I think
it was well done in the end,
Max Verstappen has driven
very well the whole season.”
— Jackie Stewart, three-
time former world champion
●
“It’s going to be comment-
ed in terms of rule about
safety car. I can understand
they (Mercedes) are not
going to be happy about
that. It was exceptional for
the show. Always going to
be controversial. I try to feel
the happiness for Max and
the sadness for Lewis.”
— Alain Prost, four-time
world champion
●
“A lot of not very happy
people. And a lot of very
happy people. This is a new
way of running the sport
where the Race Director can
make these ad hoc deci-
sions. It’s been a bit too
‘guess what I’m going to do
now’, I think.”
— Damon Hill, 1996 world
champion

Goa footballer in
violent conduct
Panaji: The All India Football
Federation (AIFF) disciplinary
committee on Monday charged
FC Goa forward Jorge Ortiz
with “violent conduct” for
pushing an opponent when the
ball was not in play during their
ISL match against Bengaluru FC
on December 11.
The player was show caused by
the disciplinary body. The game
took place at the Athletic
Stadium in Bambolim.
Ortiz was reported for commit-
ting an offence by violating
Article 48.1.2 of the AIFF disci-
plinary code. The committee
has given time till December 15
to submit a reply.
After being sent off by the
AIFF-appointed referee against
BFC, the Spaniard will serve his
automatic one-match suspen-
sion in FC Goa’s next assign-
ment against Hyderabad FC on
December 18. ATK Mohun
Bagan physiotherapist Luis
Alfonso Redondo Martinez who
was shown the red card during
their game against Chennaiyin
FC has also been charged with
a similar offence. — PTI
Leicester lay
Newcastle low
London: Leicester left
Newcastle still rooted in the
Premier League relegation zone
with a 4-0 victory, while Crystal
Palace’s 3-1 win against slump-
ing Everton piled the pressure
on Rafael Benitez on Sunday.
Despite being hit by a coron-
avirus outbreak that left
Brendan Rodgers without seven
players, the Foxes gave Eddie
Howe another reminder of the
task he faces to keep Newcastle
in the top flight as Youri
Tielemans struck twice at the
King Power.
Howe will be able to call on the
resources of the Saudi sover-
eign wealth fund in the January
transfer window and results
elsewhere this weekend mean
they remain just three points
adrift of safety.
— AFP
Published by K. Sudhakar for and on
behalf of Deccan Chronicle Holdings
Limited at Jawaharlal Nehru National
Youth Centre, 219 Deen Dayal Upadhyay
Marg, New Delhi 110 002. and Printed by
him at BFL Infotech Limited, C – 9,
Sector – III, Noida – 201301.
Editor – Kaushik Mitter,
RNI Registration number 57290/94,
Price in Nepal - Nep.Rs. 20.00
per copy.
Bangladesh.
Warner won the award
on his maiden nomina-
tion following his Player
of the Tournament show
at the recent T20 World
Cup, in which he smashed
53 in the final against
New Zealand after 49 in
the semifinal against
Pakistan.
He was also named
Player of the Match in an
earlier Super 12 match
against the West Indies
for a blistering 89 not out
off 56 balls. Warner
aggregated 209 runs at an
average of 69.66 and a
strike rate of 151.44 in
four T20Is during the
period.
David was back to his
scintillating best during
the T20 World Cup and his
aggression at the top of
the order was outstand-
ing. His 209 runs at a
strike rate of 151 in four
innings simply tells the
story,” Jury member
Russel Arnold said about
Warner.
“There was no recover-
ing from the early
onslaught by Warner and
his stroke play was pleas-
ing to the eye.
Matthews won the
award on her second nom-
ination. She was earlier
nominated in July along
with her captain Stafanie
Taylor. — PTI
Lungi looks forward to series with India
Cape Town, Dec. 13: Fast
bowler Lungi Ngidi reck-
ons the upcoming home
series against India can
set the “ball rolling” in the
right direction for South
African cricket, which has
gone through a transition
phase over the past few
years while enduring
upheavals.
Ngidi is a part of the
South Africa Test squad
announced for the three-
match series against Virat
Kohli’s men, starting
December 26.
This will be South
Africa’s first series in the
2021-23 World Test
Championship (WTC)
cycle and the fast bowler
wants his team to start on
a perfect note.
“A tour like this can real-
ly get the ball rolling in
the right direction,” Ngidi
told ESPN Cricinfo.
Former batsman VVS Laxman goes through the time table at the National Cricket
Academy in Bengaluru after taking charge as Director of Cricket Operations on
Monday. “First day in office at the NCA! An exciting new challenge in store, look for-
ward to the future and to working with the future of Indian cricket,” he tweeted.
Laxman takes charge at
NCA, to work on future
Bengaluru, Dec. 13:
Former India batting stal-
wart VVS Laxman on
Monday started his
tenure as the director of
cricket at the National
Cricket Academy here.
Last month, the 47-year-
old Laxman had accepted
the BCCI’s offer to take up
the job, after his predeces-
sor Rahul Dravid had
relinquished the position
to become the senior India
team’s head coach.
“First day in office at the
NCA! An exciting new
“The processes we are
following now are putting
us in a good position to
compete in this Test
Championship (cycle]).
We’ve been speaking
about a rebuilding phase,
but I think it’s coming
together,” he added.
challenge in store, look
forward to the future and
to working with the future
of Indian cricket,”
Laxman tweeted, along-
side two pictures inside
the NCA.
Before accepting this
position, Laxman was
serving as IPL franchise
Sunrisers Hyderabad’s
mentor.
As far as his coaching
experience goes, Laxman
had also worked as bat-
ting consultant for six
years at Cricket
South Africa have a
handful of fast bowlers to
pick from and Ngidi
knows that the competi-
tion is stiff. “We’ve got
very good competition and
I am really looking for-
ward to it. It pushes play-
ers. I don’t think anyone
every game, that was the
message to the entire
squad,” Rohit said on the
sidelines of the Indian
Test squad’s training ses-
sion here ahead of the
tour of South Africa later
this month.
“We have had a great
time playing under him
(Kohli) and I have played
a lot of cricket under him,
I have enjoyed each and
every moment, still con-
tinue to do that,” he
added, putting an end to
all the conjectures that
have floated about the
professional relationship
between the two.
The Indian team has
aced criticism for not
being able to win an ICC
trophy since the 2013
Champions Trophy.
Rohit said he is aware of
the challenge. “There are
Association of Bengal lot of things that we need
(CAB), which had roped to do right before we
him for the ‘Vision 2020’ think of end result. The
programme aimed at tap- last ICC trophy
ping and promoting grass- (Champions Trophy), we
root talent in Bengal. won was in 2013. “...but I
Besides, Laxman has don’t see anything wrong
also been a prominent fig- that we did after that
ure in the commentary Champions Trophy. We
box. played well and per-
As Dravid was entering formed as a team just that
the Indian team setup, we couldn’t get that extra
Laxman had emerged as
the frontrunner to occupy
inch. That can happen as
international cricket is
the top position at the
NCA.
very demanding but
that’s the challenge,” he
— PTI said. — PTI
The processes we are
following now are put-
for anybody who pulls out
of a tour because mentally
ting us in a good posi- they feel like they cannot
tion to compete in this handle it. I probably have
Test Championship felt that at some stage but
(cycle]). We’ve been it didn’t get to the point
where I was ready to go
speaking about a home. It does affect you a
rebuilding phase, but I bit. We find different ways
think it’s coming to release the pressure,”
together. We’ve got he said.
very good competition South Africa bowling
and I am really looking coach Charl Langeveldt
forward to it. feels that some brave deci-
— LUNGI NGIDI sions taken in the recent
South African past and experimenta-
fast bowler tions carried out have put
them in good stead.
“We’ve got a good crop of
can be comfortable in players now and we are
their spot at the moment,” experimenting a bit with
Ngidi said. different combinations for
Life in a bio-bubble can different conditions, so I
think those brave deci-
be tough and Ngidi
respects anyone who sions are putting us in a
would want to pull out of better position and we are
the controlled environ- actually getting the
ment. “I have full respect results,” Ngidi said.— PTI
Hockey men take
on Korea in ACT
Dhaka, Dec. 13: Olympic down our attack. In this
bronze medallist Indian same venue during the
men’s hockey team will Asia Cup in 2017, we had
start its new cycle with a drawn (1-1) against them in
bunch of youngsters aim- the league stage. Hence, it’s
ing to prove their mettle important we don’t get
when it begins its Asian complacent against them
Champions Trophy cam- and ensure our basics are
paign against Korea here right when we play them
on Tuesday. tomorrow,” he said.
India have won this pres- Speaking about the
tigious event thrice since
its inception in 2011 and
have won the previous two
editions held in 2016 in
importance of the tourna-
ment, Manpreet said, “The
tournament is quite an
important one for us as it is
Kuantan, Malaysia and
2018 in Muscat, Oman.
India will play their open-
ing match against Korea
our first tournament after
the Tokyo Olympics. The
new cycle has started for
us. If we start well, then
on December 14, followed our confidence levels will
by their match against go high,” he said.
hosts Bangladesh on the Several youngsters have
next day (December 15). been given a chance in the
Their third match will be India squad for the tourna-
against arch rivals ment, and Manpreet went
Pakistan on December 17 on to explain why doing
and on December 19, they well for them here will be
take on Asian Games crucial. “Youngsters have
Champions Japan. The been given a chance to be a
semi-finals and final will part of the squad because
be held on December 21 some of them were unable
and 22 respectively.
Skipper Manpreet Singh
to get a chance over the
past two years as the focus
emphasised on getting off
to a good start.
was on the core team for
the Olympics. The young-
“Korea is a good team and sters have been working
are very capable of slowing hard,” he said. — PTI
PUNJAB FIRST TO MAKE
QUARTERS AT NATIONALS
Pune, Dec. 13: Punjab became the first team to make it
to the quarterfinals in the 11th Hockey India Senior
Men’s National Championship at the Major
Dhyanchand Hockey Stadium in Nehrunagar-Pimpri
on Monday.
Karnataka and Chandigarh remained unbeaten and
stayed on course of quarterfinal berths registering
second wins respectively pools. Karnataka downed
Puducherry 4-1 in Pool-C and Chandigarh edged out
Manipur 1-0 in Pool-E.
In a Pool-D encounter, Punjab scored a 7-1 win over
Andhra Pradesh to remain unbeaten in a group
reduced to three teams after Andaman and Nicobar
failed to turn up for the championship.
Punjab began their match with India international
and 2020 Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Rupinder
Pal Singh (2nd) converting his team’s second penalty
corner.
Thereafter, Punjab displayed a collective show with
Lovepreet Jainth (5th), Ranjot Singh (19th) and
Sudarshan Singh (29th) sounding the board. Andhra
Pradesh surprised Punjab when Venkata Sreee
Arjipineni Balaji (26th) scored to end the first half 4-1.
Changing ends, Parampreet Singh (40th), Sankalp
Singh (42nd) and Sudarshan completed the tally.