DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA

JOURNALISM OF COURAGE
FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2023, NEW DELHI, LATE CITY,22 PAGES SINCE 1932 `7.00 (`8 BIHAR & RAIPUR, `12 SRINAGAR) WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM
2 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM
THE INDIAN EXPRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2023

Regional Office, Mauryalok Complex, Patna-1

POSSESSION NOTICE [UNDER RULE 8 (1) OF SECURITY INTEREST (ENFORCEMENT) RULES, 2002]
Notice is hereby given under the Securitization and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of (Security) Interest Act. 2002 (54 of
2002), and in exercise of the power conferred under sub-section (12) of section 13 read with [rule 3] of the Security Interest (Enforcement) Rule
2002. The Authorized Officer issued a Demand Notice on the dates noted against account as mentioned herein after, calling them to repay the
amount within 60 days from the date of receipt of the said Notice. The borrower/guarantor having failed to repay the amount, notice is hereby given
to the under noted borrower/guarantor and the public in general that the undersigned has taken possession of the property described herein below
in exercise of powers conferred on him under Sec. 13(4) of Section 13 of Act read with Rule 8 of the said Rules on the date mentioned against
account. The borrower/guarantor in particular and the public in general is hereby cautioned not to deal with the property and any dealing with the
property will be subject to the charge of Central Bank of India for the amount and interest thereon mentioned against account herein below.
The borrower's attention is invited to provisions of sub-section (8) of section (13) of the Act, in respect of time available to redeem the
secured assets.
Name Name of the Name of the owner & Description of Date of
Amount Date of Amount
of the Accounts/ the property mortgaged Demand
outstanding Possession outstanding
Branch Borrowers/ Notice
as on date Notice as on date of
Guaranter of Demand Affixed Possession
Notice Notice
Rajbanshi Borrowers: Description of the Immovable property (Land & Building): 30.03.2022 15.03.2023 Rs. Rs. 17,25,683/-
Nagar, Mr. Mahesh Name of the Mortgagor: Mr. Mahesh Lal Yadav S/o Late 15,88,346.50/- (Rupees
Patna Lal Yadav Ramanand Yadav. Address of the Mortgagor: Lal Bahadur (Rupees Fifteen Seventeen
S/o Late Shashtri Nagar Serullhapur, Nand Gaon, Patna-800023. Full lakh eighty eight lakh twenty five
Ramanand Particulars of mortgaged Property: Registered Mortgage Deed thousand three thousand six
Yadav and No.-10487 dated 05.11.2014 & Registered Mortgage Deed hundred forty hundred eighty
Mrs. Sanju No.6587 Dated-15.06.2016, Area-1.50 Dhur Land with Building six and paise three only) as
Devi W/o Mr. with all improvement thereon, Survey Plot No.-977, P.S.- fifty only) with on 14.03.2023
Mahesh Lal Shastri Nagar, Thana No.-09, Khata No.-421, Tauzi No.-5769, future Interest and interest
Yadav Ward No.-34/04, Holding No.-212 A/117, Circle-Patna Sadar, and incidental & incidental
Sub Registry-Patna, District-Patna. Location of the property: charges w.e.f charges
Mauza-Shekhpura, Mohalla-Shashtri Nagar, P.S.-Shashtri 30.03.2022 thereon.
Nagar, Dist.-Patna-800023. Boundary: North-Road, South-Raj
Saran Rai, East-Ganesh Lal Yadav, West-Rajeshwar Rai.
Moradpur, Borrowers: Description of the Immovable property (Land & Building): 03.03.2022 13.03.2023 Rs. Rs.
Patna Mr. Raja Name of the Mortgagor: Mrs. Shanti Devi, W/o Late Mahesh 24,64,830.31/- 24,64,830.31/-
Form-A Rajak S/o Rajak. Address of the Mortgagors: Mrs. Shanti Devi, W/o (Rupees Twenty (Rupees
GOVERNMENT OF Late Mahesh
Rajak and
Late Mahesh Rajak, West Lohanipur, Pachkauri Sao Lane,
Kadamkuan, Patna-800020. Full particulars of Property:
four lakh sixty
four thousand
Twenty four
lakh sixty four
ARUNACHAL PRADESH Guarantor Sale Deed No.9087 Dt-15.05.2007, Area-11 Dhur 4 Dhurki, eight hundred thousand eight
Mrs.Shanti Khata No.-44, Tauzi No.-106, Thana No.-06, Khesra Survey thirty and hundred thirty
OFFICE OF THE MISSION DIRECTOR Devi W/o Plot No.-58 Part, Ward No.-25. Location of the property: paise thirty and paise
Late Mahesh Mauza-Paschimi Lohanipur, Pargana-Azimabad, PS- one only) with thirty one only)
NATIONAL HEALTH MISSION Rajak Kadamkuan, Sub-Sadar Registry Office, Patna. Boundary: future Interest and interest
NAHARLAGUN North-4 ft wide rasta, South-Part Plot No.-Part of 58, East-
Part Plot No.-58 Shanti Devi, West-Part Plot No.-58 Kiran
and incidental
charges w.e.f
& incidental
charges
SELECTION OF AUDITORS REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL Kumari. 03.03.2022 thereon.
HIRING SERVICES OF CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT FIRM Naya Borrowers: Description of the Immovable property (Land & Building): 14.06.2021 15.03.2023 Rs. Rs. 14,98,369/-
FOR STATUTORY AUDIT OF STATE HEALTH SOCIETY Tola, Mr. Sanjeet Name of the Mortgagor: Mr. Sanjeet Kumar & Mrs. Sweta 11,38,555.95/- (Rupees
(SHS) & DISTRICT HEALTH SOCIETY(DHS) FOR THE Patna Kumar and Suman. Address of the Mortgagors: Aanand Bhawan, (Rupees Eleven Fourteen lakh
FINANCIAL YEAR 2022-23) UNDER NATIONAL HEALTH Mrs. Sweta Patrakar Nagar, Munna Chak, Kankarbagh, Patna-800020, lakh thirty ninety eight
MISSION (NHM) Suman Full Particulars of Property: Sale Deed No.-14791 dated eight thousand thousand three
18.12.2006, Area-871 sq. ft, Tauzi No.-227, Thana No.- five hundred hundred sixty
Govt of India (GOI; in partnership with the States is implementing 09, Khata No.-343, Circle No.-50A, Survey Plot No.-325, fifty five and nine only) as
the National Health Mission which comprises various programs, paise ninety
Holding No.-160/1. Location of the property: Mauza- of 15.03.2023
with the objective of improving medical facilities in the areas and five only) with
Sadiquepur, Thana-Sultanganj Patrakar Nagar, Dist.-Patna. and interest
future Interest
seeks to provide accessible, affordable and quality health care Boundary: North-Prem Narayan Mehto, South-Road, East- and incidental & incidental
to the population, especially the vulnerable sections. To facilitate Chulhan Gope, West-Ganauri Ram charges w.e.f charges
implementation of NHM, State and District level entities (Health 14.06.2021 thereon.
Societies) have been registered which work under the Date : 16.03.2023 Authorised officer
administrative control of the Department of Health & Family Place : Patna CENTRAL BANK OF INDIA
Welfare. The Arunachal Pradesh State Health Society, invites
"Proposal for audit from firms of Chartered Accountants
empaneled with C& AG and eligible for conducting audit of
major PSUs for the year 2022-23.
Minimum payable fees will be worked out as per the
norms of ICAI. Detailed RFP: Detailed Request for Proposal
(RFP) comprising Background, Terms of Reference (TOR)
and Guidelines for submitting the proposal can be
either downloaded from the State's website
https://nrhmarunachal.gov.in or this can be collected from
the O/o Mission Director (NHM) between 20th March, 2023 to
3rd April, 2023.
Important Dates:
i. Last date for collection of RFP from Office of SHS: 3rd
April, 2023.
ii. Date for pre-bid conference: 4th April, 2023
iii. Last date for submission of Proposal to SHS: 11th April,
2023 upto 1300 Hrs
iv. Date of opening of financial bid: 11th April, 2023 at 1500 Hrs.
v. Venue for Pre-bid Conference: Pre-bid Conference would
be held at NHM State Training Hall, Office of the Mission
Director, C Sector, Naharlagn, Arunachal Pradesh-791110
Mission Director
Arunachal Pradesh State Health Society

Address:
Mission Director
Office of the Mission Director
National Health Mission
C Sector, Naharlagun
Arunachal Pradesh-791110
Email id: md-ar-nrhm@nic.in DIPR/ARN/4429-32

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA

CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION
Diary no. 43990 Of 2019
WITH PRAYER FOR INTERIM RELIEE
WITH
197676/2019- APPLICATION FOR CONDONATION OF DELAY IN FILING
AND
197677/2019- APPLICATION FOR PERMISSION TO FILE
PETITION(SLP/IP/WP.)

THE STATE OF UTTARAKHAND AND OTHERS

…Petitioner(s)/Appellant(s)
VERSUS
NARAYAN DUTT BHATT AND OTHERS …Respondent(s)
To,
NARAYAN DUTT BHATT S/O SHANKAR DUTT BHATT
R/O CHAND FARM BANBASA,
DISTRICT CHAMPAWAT, UTTARAKHAND
(PROCESS ID:40961/2023)
Diary No. 43990/2019/X
WHEREAS the Petition for Special Leave to Appeal with prayer for interim relief
along with application for CONDONATION OF DELAY IN FILING, PERMISSION
TO FILE PETITION (SLP) above mentioned filed in the Registry by Mr.
JASWANT SINGH RAWAT, Advocate on behalf of the Petitioner(s) above named
was listed for hearing before this Court on 13th January, 2020, when the Court
was pleased to pass the following order:
"Issue notice on application for condonation of delay as well as on
special leave petition.
Issue notice in respect of direction D and E.
There shall be stay in respect of direction 'A'.
The petitioner shall also file a better and more clear affidavit stating
clearly what steps they have taken since the impugned judgment was
passed to comply with
the orders of the High Court."
AND WHEREAS, the matter above-mentioned was listed before Ld. Registrar's Varthana Finance Private Limited
Court on 17th February, 2023, When the following order was passed:- (Formerly known as M/s. Thirumeni Finance Private Ltd.,)
“Appearing respondents, apart from respondent No.1, have failed to file Registered Office at : No. 5BC-110, Varasiddhi, 3rd Floor, Outer Ring Road, Service Road, 3rd Block,
counter affidavit.
Petitioner has filed a letter seeking for withdrawal of application for HRBR Layout, Kalyan Nagar, Bangalore-560043. Website www.varthana.com, Email: care@varthana.com Phone: 080-68455777,
substituted service through paper publication which is registered as IA Branch Office : Unit No. 3, Ground Floor, Pearls Omaxe Tower, Plot B 1, Netaji Subhash Place, Pitampura, Delhi – 110034.
D.No. 39940/2021. Since the said application is yet to be registered, the
same is permitted to PUBLIC NOTICE FOR AUCTION FOR SALE OF IMMOVABLE PROPERTY
be withdrawn. Auction Sale Notice for Sale of Immovable Asset under the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets & Enforcement of
Ld. Counsel for petitioners has also filed another application for Security Interest Act, 2002, read with Rule 8(6) of Security Interest (Enforcement) Rules, 2002. Notice is here by given to the public in
substituted service through paper publication in respect of respondent general and in particular to the Borrower(s) and Mortgagor(s) that the below described immovable property mortgaged / charged to the
No.1, which is registered as I.A. No.26609/2022. The said application is Secured Creditor, is in possession of which has been taken by the Authorised Officer of M/s. Varthana Finance Private Ltd, Delhi,
allowed. (Formerly known as Thirumeni Finance Private Ltd), will be sold on 25-04-2023 (Tuesday) between 1.00 p.m. to 2.00 p.m “As is
Registry to proceed further. Where is”, “As is what is”, and “Whatever there is” basis, for recovery of below mentioned loan account. The details of the Borrower(s)/
List again on 12.4.2023." Mortgagor(s) SecuredAssets/ Dues/ Reserve Price/Auction date & time, EMD & Bid increase amount are mentioned below :
NOW, THEREFORE, TAKE NOTICE that the above petition will be posted for Name of The Borrowers/Mortgagors : 1). M/s. Villa Shiksha Niketan, Rep. by Authorised Signatory, 2). M/s. Vaidya Fateh Singh
hearing before this Court in due course and you may enter appearance before Memorial Education Society, Rep. by Authorised Signatory, 3). Mr. Vijay Pal, S/o. Ram Singh, 4). Mr. Raj Kirshan Yadav, S/o.
this Court either in person or through an advocate on record of this Court duly
Shrichand Yadav.
appointed by you in that behalf within 30 days from the date of service of notice.
You may thereafter show cause to the Court on the day that may subsequently Loan A/c. No's. S19DEL-DEL-008713, U20DEL-DEL-014485, U21DEL-DEL -01624, U21DEL-DEL-018559 And U22DEL-DEL-020050.
be specified as to why delay in filing SLP be not condoned and Special Leave Details of Total Outstanding Amount in Rupees : Rs.61,26,811/- (Rupees Sixty One Lakhs Twenty Six Thousand Eight Hundred
Petition and interim relief as prayed be not granted and the resultant appeal be and Eleven only) as on 06-03-2023, together with further agreed contractual rate of interest plus legal costs/ charges, till realisation of the
not allowed. entire amount.
Take Further Notice that the prayer for interim relief after notice will also be listed Details of Immovable Property : All that piece and parcel of the Property admeasuring Total Area Khewat No. 30, Khatoni No. 30, Khasra
before the Court in due course. No. 61//6/1 (6-4) out of 50/124 part i.e., 2 Kanal 10 Marla and Khewat No. 30, Khatoni No. 34, Khasra No. 62//2/2 (2-13), 10(8-15) out of
You may file your affidavit in opposition to the petition as provided under Rule 74/228 part i.e., 3 Kanal 14 Marle, Mauja-Meghot Hala, Tehsil-Narnaul, Haryana and bounded as follows: East by: Road West by: Other
''IMPORTANT''
14(1) of Order XXI. S.C.R.2013 within 30 days from the date of receipt of notice PLot North by :PLot of Shiv Ram South by : Plot of Mukesh.
Whilst care is taken prior to
or not later than 2 weeks before the date appointed for hearing, whichever be The Reserve Price of the above Schedule Property will be of Rs.1,27,49,700/- (Rupees One Crore Twenty Seven Lakhs Forty Nine acceptance of advertising
earlier, but shall do so only by setting out the grounds in opposition to the Thousand Seven Hundred Only) and the Earnest Money Deposit will be (EMD 10% of Reserve Price) Rs.12,74,970/-. copy, it is not possible to verify
its contents. The Indian
questions of law or grounds set out in the SLP's and may produce such pleadings Known Encumbrances if any : Nil. Express (P) Limited cannot be
and documents filed before the Court/Tribunal against whose order the SLP is Intending bidders should submit their EMD amount and Bid amount along with KYC documents (PAN Card and Aadhaar/Voters ID/Driving held responsible for such
filed and shall also set out the grounds for not granting interim order or for contents, nor for any loss or
Licence) and Rs. 1,000/- being Non-refundable Tender fee by way of Demand Draft/ Pay Order drawn on a Scheduled Bank, favouring damage incurred as a result of
vacating Interim order if already granted.
“M/s. Varthana Finance Private Limited”, payable at Delhi before 5.00 p.m. on or before 24-04-2023 (Monday). transactions with companies,
associations or individuals
TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that if you fail to enter appearance as aforesaid, no
The Auction will be held at : M/s. Varthana Finance Pvt. Ltd., Unit No. 3, Ground Floor, Pearls Omaxe Tower, Plot B 1, Netaji advertising in its newspapers
further notice shall be given to you even after the grant of special leave for or Publications. We therefore
hearing of the resultant appeal and the matter above mentioned shall be
Subhash Place, Pitampura, Delhi – 110034., on 25-04-2023 (Tuesday) between 1.00 pm to 2.00 p.m. recommend that readers
disposed of in your absence. For detailed terms and conditions of the Sale, please refer to the link provided in Company's website i.e. : www.varthana.com make necessary inquiries
before sending any monies or
Dated: 21st February, 2023 The prospective bidders may contact the Authorised Officer Mr. Mittin Kakkar – Phone No.8685050505, Mr. Raman Arora – entering into any agreements
ASSISTANT REGISTRAR Phone No. 7827926395 and Mohd Hasan – Phone No. 8708186705 for further details/information. with advertisers or otherwise
acting on an advertisement in
It’s a request to file the counter affidavite. Date : 17.03.2023, Place : Bangalore Authorised Officer, Varthana Finance Private Limited any manner whatsoever.

FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2023, NEW DELHI, LATE CITY, 22 PAGES
MATTER BEYOND PRIVILEGE ISSUE: RIJIJU
BJP moves to get Rahul suspended
from House, police send him notice
Party turns to Speaker for special panel
over Congress leader’s remarks in UK
LIZ MATHEW
NEW DELHI, MARCH 16
TURNING UP the heat on
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi
over his remarks in the UK on
Indian democracy,the ruling BJP
has initiated moves to suspend
him from Lok Sabha if he does
not apologise in the House.
The party has already ap-
proached Speaker Om Birla,
seeking to form a special com-
mittee to explore the possibility
of suspending the Wayanad MP
from the House. BJP sources said
the matter is “not just a privilege
issue, it’s much beyond that”.
The Delhi Police, meanwhile,
has issued notice to Rahul
Covid cases up, Health Japan PM set to outline
Secy writes to 6 states: ‘open, free’ Indo-Pacific
Step up tracking, tests plan in visit next week
ANONNA DUTT
NEW DELHI, MARCH 16
WITH AN increase in Covid-19
cases being reported along with
the seasonal flu, the Union
Health Secretary has written to
six states — Tamil Nadu,
Telangana, Kerala, Karnataka,
Maharashtra and Gujarat —
which account for most of the
new cases.
InthelettersentonThursday,
Health Secretary Rajesh
Bhushan has asked the states to
conduct adequate and proactive
testing, monitor new clusters
and influenza like illnesses, send
samples of international
travellers,sentinelsitesandclus-
ters for genomic sequencing. He
has also asked the states to take
steps to promote precaution
doses and ensure people follow
Covid-appropriate behaviour.
‘A charming
man who
never bowed
to authority’
PATRICK FRENCH
1966-2023
PAROMITA CHAKRABARTI
& UDBHAV SETH
NEW DELHI, MARCH 16
DESPITE A lifelong immersion in
the disciplines of historiography
and biography, Patrick French
was always stumped by a com-
monplace marketing term:
book launch. A book is not
launched, he would say to his
childhood friend, historian
William Dalrymple, it is pub-
lished – but perhaps that theory
could be put to the test: in the
1990s, upon the publication of
his biography of British Army of-
ficer Sir Francis Edward
Younghusband, Younghusband:
The Last Great Imperial
Adventurer (1994), he showed
up to the function in a London
gallery dressed as the military
officer and inserted his book
into a clay pigeon trap (designed
to throw clay discs for shooting
practice) and launched his book
30 feet into the air. At last, the
term is appropriate.
“That sense of humour was
typical of Patrick, he always had
an ability to see the absurd and
CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
Union Law
Minister
Kiren Rijiju
THE EDITORIAL PAGE
CRITIC& CRITICISM
Contest Rahul’s despairing
speech, but BJP must stop
move to get him suspended.
It’s a self-goal, it’s wrong. P14
Gandhi, seeking information on
thesexualassaultvictimsthathe
CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
E
E X P L A I NE D
Flu surge,
somore
● testing
WHILE SOME urban clus-
ters are reporting an
uptick in Covid-19 cases,
doctors have pointed to a
flu surge which has led to
increased testing for
Covid as well. Gujarat and
Maharashtra have re-
ported at least 66 Covid
cases of a sub-variant of
the recombinant XBB.
This is not indicative of a
surge, but the Centre’s
communication puts fo-
cus back on a strict watch.
The total number of Covid
casesacrossthecountryincreased
CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA
Rahul counter: Whether am allowed
to speak, shut up is test of democracy
TMC not for JPC,
hits out at Cong
SOURAV ROY BARMAN
NEW DELHI, MARCH 16
IN THE BJP’s line of fire over his
remarks in the United Kingdom,
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi,
who attended the second half of
the Budget session for the first
time Thursday after returning to
thecountry,saidwhetherhewill
be allowed to speak on the floor
of the House or told to “shut up”
would be the “test of Indian
democracy”.
SHUBHAJIT ROY
NEW DELHI, MARCH 16
SIXTEEN YEARS after Japan’s
then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
gave his seminal speech, “The
Confluence of Two Seas”, in the
IndianParliament, his successor,
Fumio Kishida, an Abe loyalist, is
set to announce a new plan for a
“freeandopen”Indo-Pacificdur-
ing his India visit next week.
Kishida, who will be in India
on March 20-21, is set to make
the announcement in a speech
organised by the Indian Council
of World Affairs, an Indian gov-
ernment-funded think-tank.
His plan is expected to in-
clude the provision of non-mili-
tary equipment and infrastruc-
ture support for countries in the
Indo-Pacific region that have
been facing threats from
Beijing’s belligerence in the re-
JOURNALISM OF COURAGE
SINCE 1932
RahulGandhi,JairamRamesh
onThursday. AnilSharma
Addressing the press at the
Congress headquarters, Rahul
Gandhi said he met Lok Sabha
Speaker Om Birla in Parliament
Houseandconveyedhisposition
gion, including the military
build-up in the South China Sea.
By choosing Delhi to an-
nounce the new plan, Kishida is
signalling India's importance. A
former foreign minister, Kishida
is well aware of India’s central-
ityinthestrategyagainstChina’s
aggressionintheregion.Officials
said this will place India at the
centre of the new Japanese gov-
ernment’s plan, in continuity
with Abe’s approach.
This will be Kishida’s second
visit in a year — he came to New
DelhiforabilateralvisitonMarch
19-20 last year, weeks after
RussiainvadedUkraine.Itcomes
atatimewhenIndiaissettohost
the G20 summit in September
this year — he is expected to
come to Delhi again then.
OfficialssaidKishidawillalso
take the opportunity to invite
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
thatasanelectedMPhereserves
the “right to speak”, particularly
since “four ministers” have lev-
elled allegations against him
over the last few days.
“If the Indian democracy was
functioning, I would be able to
saymypieceinParliament.Soac-
tuallywhatyouareseeingisatest
of Indian democracy. After four
leaders of the BJP have made an
allegation about a Member of
Parliament, is that Member of
Parliament going to be given the
same space that those four min-
istershavebeengivenorishego-
ing to be told to shut up? That’s
therealquestionthatisinfrontof
this country right now,” he said.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
BUSINESS AS USUAL
BY UNNY
SISODIA BOOKED IN
‘SNOOPING CASE’ P 8
`7.00 (`8 BIHAR & RAIPUR, `12 SRINAGAR) WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM
SAYS POLICE ADVISED HIM TO ENGAGE WITH CONSPIRATORS
Bid to blackmail wife, plot
to trap me and destroy my
career: Dy CM Fadnavis
Aniksha,who
AmrutaFadnavis
allegedtriedto
bribeher,arrested
ALOK DESHPANDE
& SAGAR RAJPUT
MUMBAI, MARCH 16
Devendra
Fadnavis
spoke in the
Assembly NCP leader Ajit Pawar shows The Indian Express report on
Amruta Fadnavis’s FIR, in the Assembly on Thursday. ANI
A DAY AFTER The Indian Express
reported that Amruta Fadnavis,
wife of Maharashtra Deputy
Chief Minister Devendra Anil Jaisinghani, Aniksha’s
Fadnavis, had filed an FIR on
February 20 that Aniksha, a de-
signer, had offered her Rs 1 crore
father, is a bookie wanted
bribe, the Mumbai police ar-
in 5 states, on run for 8 yrs
rested the 25-year-old woman
from her home in Ulhasnagar.
Her father Anil Jaisinghani, a
bookie, wanted in five states, is SAGAR RAJPUT &
absconding for eight years now. DEVENDRA PANDEY Arrested
Earlierinthemorning,follow- MUMBAI, MARCH 16 in betting
ing a clarification sought by NCP cases thrice
leader Ajit Pawar in the state ANIL JAISINGHANI, whom so far
Legislative Assembly on The Deputy Chief MinisterDevendra
IndianExpressreport,DeputyCM Fadnavis named in the state
Fadnavis said an attempt was Legislative Assembly, as the fa- tion had registered an FIR on
made to frame him at the behest ther of Aniksha, the ‘designer’ February 20 after Amruta
of one Anil Jaisinghani, a bookie woman, against whom Amruta Fadnavishad filedthe complaint
with multiple cases against him. Fadnavis had filed a police com- and named Aniksha and her fa-
Fadnavis said he was advised by plaint alleging threat and con- ther as the two accused. “Anil
thepolicetoengagewiththecon- spiracy, is a bookie from Jaisinghanihasbeenabsconding
spirators, who had threatened to Ulhasnagar wanted in over for the past seven to eight years.
destroy his political career. seven cases in five states, and There are 14-15 cases registered
Alleging threat and conspir- evading the police for around against him. He has a daughter
acy, Amruta Fadnavis, alleged in eight years now. (Aniksha), who is smart and
CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 The Malabar Hills police sta- CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
 4 EXPRESS NETWORK
FROM PAGE ONE
BJP moves to get Rahul suspended
mentionedduringtheBharatJodo
YatrainKashmirinJanuary.Anof-
ficer said police have taken cog-
nizance of his public address and
socialmediapostsonhisremarks
and want to take legal action
against the offenders.
Hoping for House action
against him, the BJP, sources said,
has approached the Speaker to
constituteaspecialcommitteeon
the lines of the panel constituted
to look into the cash-for-query
scandalin2005.Aspecialcommit-
tee,ledbyCongressleaderPawan
KumarBansal,probedthecharges
against10LokSabhaMPsandheld
that their continuance was “un-
tenable”–itledtotheirexpulsion.
If a special committee is
formed,theBJPwillhaveamajor-
ity in it given its strength in Lok
Sabha. A special committee usu-
allysubmitsitsreportinamonth.
“The BJP treats the issue over
RahulGandhiasveryseriousand
it’sbeyondaprivilegeissue.Sowe
want it to be treated seriously,” a
seniorpartyleadersaid.Speaking
toreportersThursday,UnionLaw
Minister Kiren Rijiju also said the
matter is “beyond privilege” and
thepartywillseektouse“allavail-
● Japan PM
toattendtheG-7leaders’summit
in Hiroshima in May this year, as
a guest country. He is likely to
brief Modi on the new plan to
promote a free and open Indo-
Pacific, a Japan-led initiative
aimed at curbing China’s grow-
ing regional assertiveness, that is
designed to maintain a rules-
based international order.
The action plan emphasises
Japan's commitment to the
Global South and deepens bilat-
eral ties. It will likely include bol-
steringdevelopmentcooperation
for emerging and developing
economies in the Global South
and strengthening the security
capabilities of partner countries,
according to officials.
In June last year, Kishida had
said in Singapore that Japan
would compile a new Indo-
Pacific action plan.
SincebothJapanandIndiaare
members of the Quad grouping
along with the US and Australia,
the two leaders will also take the
opportunitytodiscusstheimpor-
tance of working together bilat-
erally as well, officials said. They
will also meet for the Quad lead-
ers' in Australia in May this year.
The Indo-Pacific concept was
first proposed by then Japanese
PMShinzoAbe,duringhisvisitto
India in 2007, when he delivered
“The Confluence of Two Seas”
speechinParliament.Abewasin-
vited as chief guest at the
Republic Day celebrations in
2014, and conferred the Padma
Vibhushanin2021forhiscontri-
bution to India-Japan ties. After
Abe was assassinated last year,
Modi went to Japan to attend his
state funeral.
● Patrick French: A charming man who never bowed to authority
comic everywhere,” says
Dalrymple, who witnessed the
flightandwenttoschoolwiththe
India-based English writer and
historian who died Thursday af-
ter a long battle with cancer.
Born in 1966, French was an
irreverent giant of the field, pen-
ningacclaimedworkslikeLiberty
or Death: India's Journey to
IndependenceandDivision(1994)
– a portrait of India’s freedom
struggle recontextualised
through the triumphs and follies
ofChurchill,Mountbatten,Jinnah
and Gandhi – and The World Is
What It Is (2008) – an authorita-
tive biography of Trinidadian-
British writer VS Naipaul, ex-
tracted from exhaustive notes
delivered by the author himself
with the explicit request to not
censoranything.Thelastwonthe
DOWNLOADAPP
■ VISUAL STORIES
■ DAILY BRIEFING
■ PODCASTS
■ CUSTOMIZABLE
NEWS EXPERIENCE
Indian Express
★★★★★ ■4.6
SCANTHISQRCODETO
DOWNLOADTHEAPP
FULL REPORTS ON
WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM
able instruments, rules and con-
ventions”.
“Anything related to the na-
tion is a matter of concern for all.
Wedonotcarewhat’shappening
to the Congress or its leadership.
But if he insults the nation, we
cannot keep quiet,” he said.
“The language of anti-India
forces is the same. They speak on
thesamelines.Asimilarlanguage
has been used by Rahul Gandhi.
It’s the language of all those who
work against India,” Rijiju said.
“What he (Rahul) said has
damaged the country and
brought damage to the House of
which he is a member... Some
people do not bother about the
prestige of the country,” he said.
“Will the Congress party take a
broom to London and clean it
up?” he asked.
With the BJP insisting that he
apologise, Gandhi said Thursday
that he did not make any “anti-
India” remark and that he would
speak in Parliament, if allowed.
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey has
written to the Speaker on “the
grave contempt of the House
through unethical conduct” of
Gandhi.
● Rahul’s counter: Test of democracy
Leaders of several Opposition
parties also formed a human
chain inside Parliament House
complex, demanding the consti-
tution of a Joint Parliamentary
Committee(JPC)toprobethealle-
gations against the Adani Group.
Leader of Opposition in the
Rajya Sabha and Congress presi-
dentMallikarjunKhargeandMPs
fromseveralpartiesincludingthe
DMK, NCP, SP, RJD, BRS, CPM, CPI,
AAP formed the chain in a show
of unity.
However, cracks in the
Opposition camp surfaced soon
afterRahul’sstatementtotheme-
dia,withtheTrinamoolCongress
distancingitselffromthedemand
to set up a JPC, saying the party
wasinfavourofaSupremeCourt-
monitored probe instead.
The TMC also hit out at the
Congress saying it will not join
handswitha“partywhichattacks
our leadership on a daily basis”.
“The Congress party needs to
make up its mind. You will be
friendswiththeLeftinTripura,in
West Bengal and that’s your
choice. In Meghalaya, before the
election,youwilllevelallegations
onhowbadtheTMCis.Theleader
of the largest party in the Lok
Sabha will make wild charges…
The TMC is very clear that you
cannothaveseparaterules,”TMC
RajyaSabhaleaderDerekO’Brien
said.
Even as it takes on the Adani
Group, with the party on
Thursdayproposingthatnon-BJP
governmentsshouldlaunchtheir
owninvestigationsintotheaffairs
oftheconglomerate,theTMChas
stayed away from the larger
Opposition bloc on the matter.
National Book Critics Circle
Award and the Hawthornden
Prize. He also won the Sunday
Times Young Writer of the Year
Award, the Royal Society of
Literature Heinemann Prize, and
the Somerset Maugham Award.
“Hewasacharmingmanwho
never bowed to authority,” says
Dalrymple, “and the humour of
his youth also gave way to a seri-
ous side as he grew older.”
French, who was married to
former Penguin Random House
editor-in-chief Meru Gokhale,
was the founding Dean of the
School of Arts and Sciences at
Ahmedabad University (AU). He
stepped down in 2022 after a
tenureoffiveyears,turninghisat-
tention to a biography of Nobel
Prize-winning writer Doris
Lessing, slated to be published
EXCLUSIVE
WEB
ENTERTAINMENT
Giving notice under Rule 223
ofRulesofProcedureandConduct
of BusinessinLokSabha–itdeals
with the question of privilege –
Dubey said Gandhi’s statements
in the UK were “denigrating, un-
warrantedcomments/untenable
narrative”byanMPabout“Indian
Parliament,democracy,judiciary,
press from foreign soil.”
He said Gandhi’s “conduct ap-
pears to seriously impair a mem-
ber’s right to represent his con-
stituentsinParliamentanddetract
fromthetrustreposedinhimbyhis
constituentsassuchamember.”
In his notice, he said a special
committeecanbeformedtocon-
sider if the member needs to be
expelled from the House to “pro-
tecttheesteemofParliamentand
other democratic institutions”.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police
has sought information on the
sexualassaultvictimsthatGandhi
mentionedduringtheBharatJodo
Yatra in Kashmir in January.
In Srinagar, Gandhi spoke on
how women were still sexually
assaultedinthecountry."WhenI
was walking, there were a lot of
women who were crying...There
weremanyamongthemwhotold
TMCandtheNCPwerenotsigna-
tories to the letter to the
Enforcement Directorate de-
manding a probe against the
Adani Group.
O’Brien said, “We want a
Supreme Court-monitored in-
quiry. There are other parties,
and we respect the opinion of
those who want a JPC. All
Opposition parties are on the
same page that we want an in-
quiry. The Trinamool Congress
took a call demanding a probe
monitored by the SC since we
feltthataJPCwillamounttoput-
ting the issue under the carpet.
The JPC chairperson will be a
member of the BJP which will
have maximum members in the
committee.”
In his briefing, Rahul Gandhi
didnotrespondtotheallegations
madebytheBJPthathe“insulted
India” on foreign soil, saying he
was “hopeful” that he will be al-
lowed to speak in the House on
Friday. On his meeting with Birla,
RahulsaidtheSpeakerwas“non-
committal” and “in his way he
smiled”.
TheTrinamoolleadershipsaid
that while the Speaker has not
madeanyeffortstobreakthelog-
jamoverthepastfourdays,Rajya
Sabha Chairman Jagdeep
Dhankharhasbeenmeetinglead-
ers of the parties “informally”.
“The RS chairman has been
callingindividualpartiesforinfor-
mal meetings. Yesterday, the
Congress went. When the
Chairman of the House or the
Speaker calls you for an informal
meeting,parliamentarytradition
says you go. So I went this morn-
ing to listen to his views, the
next year.
“Anchored in a love of litera-
ture and of India, our friendship
developed over recent years
through Ahmedabad University,
where Patrick was the founding
Deanof Arts andSciences,andto
which he invited me as a visiting
professor. The vitality of that in-
stitution owes so much to him
and stands as tribute every bit as
muchashisbooks.Wefrequently
did workshops and other events
together and each time I came
away staggered by the range of
Patrick’s curiosity, depth of
thought, and sheer intelligence
and erudition. It’s rare enough to
meet people who are as impres-
siveonasoff thepage,orwhoex-
cel in literary and academic set-
tings. Patrick was in a class of his
own,” said academic and histo-
WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM
HISTORY OF ISLAMABAD – THE CAPITAL THAT ROSE OUT OF NOTHING
QaziAbdurRehman,whohailedfromAmritsarandworkedasateacher,isposthumouslybeinghonouredby
thegovernmentofPakistan,63yearsafterhenamedthecountry’scapital
KUMAR SANU ON
BOLLYWOOD MUSIC
‘Today’s Hindi film
music is not even
worth listening to’
me they have been raped, they
have been molested. Few said
theyweremolestedbytheirrela-
tives. When I asked them if I
shouldtellthepolice,theytoldme
not to. They saidthey wanted me
to know... not to tell the police.
They said they will face more
problems.Toh,yehamaredeshki
sachchai hai," he had said.
Aseniorpoliceofficersaidthey
havetakencognizanceofthepub-
lic address and want to take legal
action against the offenders. “We
saw multiple posts on Gandhi’s
statementandsentanoticetohim
asking for details about the
women and the incidents. We
sent a questionnaire to get more
details as none of the com-
plainants or women approached
us,” the officer said.
In a statement, the Congress
saidtheDelhiPolicenoticeis“yet
anotherproof of agovernmentin
panic and their latest salvo to
weakendemocracy,womenem-
powerment, freedom of expres-
sion and role of the opposition”.
The party said it will respond
to the notice “in duecourse in ac-
cordance with law”.
–WITHENSINNEWDELHI
Parliamentary Affairs Minister
was there,” O’Brien said.
He said he feels that the im-
passewillcontinueas“thissuitsa
governmentwhichdoesnotwant
tobeaccountabletothepeople…
TheBJPunderModiandShahare
turning Parliament into a deep
dark chamber.”
Rahul said the attacks against
him are being made to “distract”
from the “fundamental question
thatiswhatistherelationshipbe-
tween the PM and Mr Adani and
his companies”.
“The story started the day I
gave my speech in Parliament
against Mr Adani and I asked
some fundamental questions to
the PM about his relationship
withthebusinessman.Thewhole
idea is that these relevant ques-
tionsmustnotbeonthetableand
that is why this whole exercise of
four or five ministers and the PM
giving a speech to distract...” he
said.
While maintaining that he
would dive into the details of his
allegations if given a chance to
speak in the House, Rahul ap-
peared to offer some glimpses of
his possible line of retaliation,
which includes reiteration of
some allegations he had made
whileparticipatingintheMotion
of Thanks to the President’s ad-
dress in February.
“Therearesomefundamental
questions. About how Mr Adani
has been given pretty much the
entire India-Israel defence rela-
tionship. How he is being given
the Mumbai airport, other air-
ports, how rules had to be
changed to allow him these
things,” he said.
rian Maya Jasanoff.
“He was very passionate
about his work at Ahmedabad
Universityanddeeplyengagedin
finding the right people to teach
there,” says Chiki Sarkar, co-
founder of Juggernaut Books.
“And it was as a biographer
that he found his calling. When
Naipaul gave him all his corre-
spondences, he was told to write
as he saw fit without censoring
anything,andthatgenerositybe-
stowsagreatburdenonabiogra-
pher.ReadingNaipaul’swife’slet-
ters, a brutish side to the writer
came out, and to put that down
skillfullyisveryhard.Itrequiresa
certain personality – which
Patrick had.”
In the obituary that he wrote
for Naipaul in The Indian Express
Sundaymagazinein2018,French
PUZZLES AND GAMES
● Plot to trap me: Fadnavis
the FIR that Aniksha had tried to
bribe her with Rs 1 crore seeking
her “intervention” in a criminal
case.“MywifehasfiledanFIR.She
was pressured to get some work
done through me. First money
wasofferedandthentherewasan
attempt to blackmail,” Fadnavis
saidinhis12-minuteresponseon
the subject in the Assembly.
Fadnavis named Anil
Jaisinghani who he said was ab-
scondingforthelast7-8yearsand
had 14-15 cases against him. His
daughter,whoclaimedtobefash-
iondesigner,hadfirstmethiswife
sometime in 2015-16 but these
meetings subsequently stopped.
Fadnavis said the meetings re-
sumed in 2021 and the woman
(Aniksha) requested his wife to
wear clothes designed by her.
“Sheusedtomeetmywifefre-
quentlyandhadaskedmywifeto
weartheclothesdesignedbyher.
ThereisatrendinMumbaitouse
designer clothes and then return
them. My wife is active socially
andsheusedtodothis.Everyone
in Mumbai does this,” Fadnavis
said. The woman then broached
the subject about her father who
had been booked in a number of
cases and requested Amruta
Fadnavistointerveneandgethim
cleared of these charges, he said.
“After the new government
came to power, she told my wife
that her father was framed and
soughthelp.Lateron,shesaidthat
her father knows bookies and in
the past (during the rule of the
previous government) they used
to give information about book-
ies, getting raids conducted on
them. The girl said through this
they would make money from
bothsides.Shetoldmywifeif she
helped her, they could also con-
ductsimilarraids.Mywifedidnot
take this seriously and brushed it
away saying she was not inter-
ested in this and asked her not to
discuss these matters,” Fadnavis
said.
“The girl kept on meeting my
wife and raised this issue again
stating that if they did this busi-
ness together it would benefit
them. She then offered that they
eitherdothis,ormywifehelpher
in getting her father cleared of
charges, and she would pay my
wife Rs 1 crore. My wife told her
that if her father was wrongly
framed,hewouldbereleased.She
askedhernottodiscussthismat-
ter anymore. After repeated con-
versationaboutbookies,mywife
blocked her on the phone,”
Fadnavis said.
● Covid case count up, Health Secretary writes to six states
from2,082intheweekendingon
March8,to3,264intheweekend-
ingonMarch15,withthepositiv-
ity rate at 0.61 per cent.
“Not only flu, an increase in
other respiratory infections, in-
cluding Covid-19 has been re-
ported,”saidaseniorgovernment
official. In Gujarat, the case count
showedasharpspikefromjust13
in the week ending on February
28, to 105 in the week ending on
March8,and279intheweekend-
ingonMarch15,withthepositiv-
wrote, “On learning that the
shrewd French diplomat Charles
Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord
had died, Prince Metternich is
said to have enquired: ‘What did
he mean by that?’ I had a similar
thought a fortnight ago when
news came of VS Naipaul’s pass-
ing, a few days short of his 86th
birthday. The feeling of enduring
permanence that Vidia Naipaul
evoked,Irealisedlater,camefrom
theextenttowhichhismindwas
ever present in his books. For a
lifetime, he had hedged against
extinction; like Mr Biswas when
he got his house, he laid claim to
his portion of the earth.”
For readers of his work, the
newsofthewriterandhistorian’s
passing, too, came with a similar
sense of disbelief Thursday, de-
spite the knowledge of his four-
ENJOY DAILY
CROSSWORDS AND
SUDOKU FROM THE
INDIAN EXPRESS
Two days after Amruta
Fadnavis blocked Aniksha’s
phone, she received a number of
videosandmessagesfromanun-
known number. The videos con-
tained clips of the woman giving
a necklace and rings to Amruta
Fadnavis as well as audio record-
ingsoftheirtelephonicconversa-
tions. “Amongst all the videos
sent, there was one especially se-
rious video in which the girl is
seen in a room stuffing money in
a bag. There is another video
showing her hand over the same
bagtoawomanwhoworksinour
house.Inthosemessages,mywife
wasthreatenedwiththesevideos
where it was said that if she did
not help in clearing her father’s
name, her husband would soon
be out of a job,” Fadnavis said. He
said his wife then informed him
and a decision was taken to ap-
proachthepolicewhofiledanFIR.
“TheFIRwasnotmade public
asthepoliceofficersbelievedthat
since this man was absconding,
we could trap him when he initi-
ates contact,” Fadnavis said. The
policealsodidforensicanalysisof
the videos, he said.
Fadnavis said the police had
advised them to engage with the
accused. “While talking he re-
vealedsomenamesofpoliceoffi-
cers and politicians. I am not
blaming anyone. He has taken
names.Inoneconversationwhen
we called the girl, she said that in
thetermofthepreviousMumbai
Commissioner of Police’s term,
the process of taking back cases
against her father had been initi-
atedwhichwasstoppedwhenwe
came to power,” Fadnavis said. “I
amnotblaminganyone.Thehints
that she has given suggests there
was an attempt to frame me but
nothing could be found. I had a
hint that something was being
donetotargetmyfamilyaswell.”
He said that the conspirators
had also sent numerous audio
clips of their conversations with
other politicians. He also spoke
aboutavideowherethewomanis
seenspeakingtohiswifebutthen
steps aside and waves US dollars
inthevideowhichsheclaimsshe
is going to give to Amruta
Fadnavis.“For18months,shewas
speaking to my wife and coming
tomyhouse. Shehasrecordedall
the phone conversations. She
used to come to our house with
either her sister or brother and
recordeverything.However,they
couldnotfindanythingobjection-
ableandthereforetheysetupthis
trap,” Fadnavis said.
ity rate at 1.11%. Most of the new
cases were reported from
Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat,
Rajkot, Mehsana, Bhavnagar and
Amreli. In Tamil Nadu, the corre-
spondingcasecountforthethree
weeks was 96, 170 and 258 re-
spectively,withthepositivityrate
at 1.99%, according to the letter.
The increase in cases was mostly
reported from Salem, Nilgiris,
Tiruppur and Tiruchirappalli.
In Kerala, the corresponding
case count for the three weeks
year-long battle with cancer.
“Writers and artists, particu-
larly men, can be egotistical and
vain and make it all about them-
selves. But Patrick was quite the
opposite.Infactyoucouldsay,un-
like Naipaul, on whom his work
will stand on its own for years to
come,Patrickwasaperfectexam-
ple of compassion, care and hu-
man decency, especially to those
younger to him. He was a man of
greattalent–asuperbwriterand
biographer, a fabulous mimic –
buthewasanevenbetterhuman
being. It truly is a great loss. I was
looking forward to his biography
onDorisLessingbecauseshewas
a counterpoint to Naipaul –
woman, Left, White – and if any-
onecoulddojusticetoit,itwould
be Patrick,” said historian
Ramachandra Guha.
WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM
THE INDIAN EXPRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2023
How the Silicon Valley
Bank collapsed, and its
impact on Indian startups
In 3 Things today, The Indian Express’ Udit
Misra talks about what led to the Silicon
Valley Bank collapse, how it affected Indian
startups, and whether it could have been
avoided
● Anil Jaisinghani, Aniksha’s father,
is a bookie wanted in five states, on
the run for eight years
well-educated. She got in touch
with Amruta in 2015-2016 but
she stopped all contact after
that; but in 2021, she ap-
proached my wife again,”
Fadnavis said in the Assembly.
Arrested thrice in betting
cases, Jaisinghani has, in all, 17
cases registered against him. In
fact, Goa Police had opened a
Look Out Circular on May 11,
2019, to locate him.
Almost eight years ago in
May 2015, the Gujarat
Enforcement Directorate (ED)
had raided two of Jaisinghani’s
houses and booked him under
the Prevention of Money
Laundering Act. He continues to
be on the run citing poor health.
The next year, police stations in
AzadMaidanandSakinaka,both
in Mumbai, had registered cases
of cheating and forgery against
him.
On the run from the law for
around eight years now,
Jaisinghani is also on the radar
of the BCCI’s Anti-Corruption
and Securities Unit (ACSU).
Those in the know say he oper-
ated as a cricket bookie from
Mumbai's Ulhasnagar, an area
notorious for illegal betting.
Once brought to the notice of
the ACSU sleuths, he was under
the scanner.
An ACSU official,who did not
wish to be named, told The
Indian Express, “He (Anil) is a
person of interest for us. It was
in 2015 he was very active but
since then he is absconding. The
ACSU had then got in touch with
the local police for more infor-
mation.” Jaisinghani’s son is said
to have taken over the operation
later. “He (son) is active now
with other bookies. But we still
have the Anil Jaisinghani file,”
the ACSU official said.
A senior Mumbai police offi-
cial said, “The Ahmedabad ses-
sions court had issued a non-
bailable warrant against him.
Initially, posing to be ill, he got
admitted in a hospital but later
submitted a bogus medical cer-
tificate, claiming his wife
Karishma has to take a test for a
surgery.”
The Azad Maidan police
were later informed that he had
forged the signature of a doctor
in Lilavati Hospital. Following
this, a case of cheating and for-
gery was registered against
was326,434and579respectively,
with the positivity rate at 2.64%.
The affected districts are
Ernakulam, Kollam,
Pathanamthitta, Thrissur and
Palakkad.InTelangana,thecorre-
spondingcasecountforthethree
weeks was 95, 132 and 267 re-
spectively.Thestate,however,re-
ported a lower positivity rate at
0.31%. Hyderabad accounted for
most of the new cases.
In Karnataka, the correspon-
ding case count for the three
“We met a few times and he
was just the most warm and af-
fectionate man. He was ex-
tremelygenerous,someonewho
loved to give his time and atten-
tion,” said writer Mirza Waheed.
MemberofParliamentShashi
Tharoor, in a Twitter post, said,
“Profoundly saddened by the
news of the passing of Patrick
French today. Have just spoken
with his mother-in-law Namita
Gokhale to express my condo-
lences.MyheartgoesouttoMeru
Gokhale and their four-year-old
sonKrishna.Wehavelostanout-
standingwriterandafinehuman
being. Rest in peace.”
WriterAatishTaseer,whobe-
cameacquaintedwithFrenchaf-
terthepublicationof theNaipaul
biography, said, “I met him soon
after things had soured with the
Jaisinghani on May 1, 2016. As
thepolicecouldn’tlocatehimfor
three years, the High Court de-
clared him a proclaimed of-
fender last year.
A police officer said
Jaisinghani is based mainly in
Ulhasnagar, and those familiar
with the booking circuit know
him well. “After the proclama-
tion notice was issued by the HC
in September 2018, we posted
banners in the hope that some-
body would inform us about his
location. We are still trying to
find him,” he said. In September
2018, the Azad Maidan police
had sealed Jaisinghani’s
Ulhasnagar residence.
Officers from Gujarat ED as
well as Mumbai, Thane, Goa,
Assam and Madhya Pradesh
Police are on the look out for
Jaisinghani.
DeepakKeswani,arelativeof
a complainant in multiple cases
registered against Jaisinghani
said, “Jaisinghani is known for
lodging false complaints against
people and extorting money
from them. He had also got a
false case of rape and drug pos-
session registered against my
uncle with the Goa and Assam
police,respectively.Myunclegot
a clean chit and a case was sub-
sequently registered against
him.”
Responding to their writ pe-
tition filed at the High Court of
Bombay in Goa, Goa police had
in July 2019 said, “As regards to
absconding accused Anil
Jaisinghani and his daughter
Aniksha Jaisinghani, efforts are
on to trace them. As regards the
main accused Mr. Anil
Jaisinghani, a Look Out Circular
has already been opened on
11/05/2019tolocateaccusedMr.
Anil Jaisinghani. With regards to
his daughter Aniksha
Jaisinghani, a team headed by
PSI Vilesh Durbhatkar was de-
puted to Ahmedabad Gujarat
andUlhasnagar,Maharashtraon
22/06/2019to29/06/2019,how-
ever she was not traced. Prior to
that, on ten occasions Police
teams were deputed to trace the
absconding accused Mr. Anil
Jaisinghani. Local Police of
Gujarat and Maharashtra have
been already alerted. Upon trac-
ing the absconding accused, a
supplementarychargesheetwill
be filed.”
weeks was 363, 493 and 604 re-
spectively,withthepositivityrate
at2.77%.Shivamogga,Kalaburagi,
Mysuru and Uttara Kannada ac-
countedformostofthenewcases.
In Maharashtra, the corre-
spondingcasecountforthethree
weeks was 197, 355 and 668 re-
spectively,withthepositivityrate
at1.92%.Theincreaseincaseswas
mostly reported from Pune,
Mumbai, Thane, Mumbai
Suburban, Nashik, Ahmednagar
and Nagpur.
Naipauls over the biography. I
foundhimkindandwonderfully
good-humoured.Hisimpressions
of Naipaul – the triple repetition,
the shocking things he could say
– had me splitting my sides. I in-
haledhisbiographyof Naipaul.It
wasincrediblyacute.Hecaptured
all the grandeur and pettiness
that are so much part of the con-
tradictionsofmanygreatwriters.
That line in which he describes
Naipaul’s role as a subject, as be-
ing at ‘once an act of narcissism
andhumility,’willendureas‘ato-
tal social fact’ about the man as a
whole.It’satragedyforIndianin-
tellectual life to have lost Patrick
so young. I will miss him as a
friend, but also as a reader – miss
all those books he had yet to
write.”
WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM
THE INDIAN EXPRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2023 THE CITY 5
Bhalswa landfill to 2 meat suppliers assaulted, 3 cops suspended
be cleared by next EXPRESSNEWSSERVICE
NEW DELHI, MARCH 16
The victims alleged the
policemen in the PCR
money,” Nawab alleged in the FIR.
Thevictimsallegedthepolice-
meninthePCRvancalledfouroth-
takentoGTBhospital.OnMarch8,
they called police from the hospi-
tal but nobody took their com-

March: Kejriwal
TWO MEAT suppliers were al-
legedlythrashedandrobbedof Rs
25,000 by a group of seven men,
including three Delhi Police per-
sonnel, in Shahdara.
Police have registered a case
against the accused and sus-
pended all three policemen, in-
cludinganassistantsub-inspector.
Theallegedincidenttookplaceon
March7inAnandViharandanFIR
was registered four days later.
As per the FIR, Nawab (21), a
meatsupplieratGhazipurslaugh-
terhouse,wasinhisSantrocarwith
Kejriwal visited the landfill on Thursday with minister
Saurabh Bharadwaj. PTI
van called four others
and took them to a spot
where they were
confined for 2-3 hours
his cousin Shoaib when the inci-
dent took place. “We were going
home to Mustafabad… A scooter
hit our car near Anand Vihar. We
gotoutandtheridersaidhewants
Rs4,000forrepairs.APCRvanthen
arrived and a policeman took Rs
2,500 and gave the rider the
ers and took them to an isolated
spot. “The accused started de-
manding Rs 15,000 from us...We
were confined. They beat us up.
They tried to cut our hands with a
knife. They also urinated on our
faces,threatenedtokillusandsaid
they would dump our bodies in a
drain. They accused us of slaugh-
tering cows and robbed us of Rs
25,000,” alleged Nawab. The men
allegedtheywereconfinedfor2-3
hours and made to sign a few
“blank papers”.
The men sustained injuries to
their limbs and back and were
plaint, they alleged.
An FIR was later lodged on
March 10 under sections of extor-
tion and voluntarily causing hurt.
A police officer told The Indian
Express,“Weareverifyingthealle-
gations. As per preliminary en-
quiry, departmental action has
beeninitiatedagainstthethreepo-
licemen, including an ASI. They
have been suspended. We found
footageshowingpolicemeninthe
areaatthetimeoftheincident.The
location of their PCR van was also
the same. However, we are not
sure who the four people are.”

According to a drone survey

EXPRESSNEWS
SERVICE
NEWDELHI,MARCH16
INSPECTING THE Bhalswa
landfill on Thursday, Chief
Minister Arvind Kejriwal said
that the landfill, one of three
landfill sites in the capital, will
be cleared by March 2024.
Kejriwal visited the landfill
on Thursday along with Urban
DevelopmentMinisterSaurabh
Bharadwaj, Mayor Shelly
Oberoi, and Deputy Mayor
Aaley Mohammad Iqbal.
TheChief Ministersaidthat
in 2019, the landfill site had
around80lakhtonnesofwaste
dumped there, of which,
around30lakhtonneshasbeen
removed by biomining so far,
leaving 50 lakh tonnes. Since
2019, when the quantity of
wasteatthesitewasestimated,
24 lakh tonnes of fresh waste
has been dumped at the land-
fill,goingbyacommunication
from the CMO.
Of the waste that is still at
the site, another 30 lakh
tonnes will be cleared by
Decemberthisyearandallthe
legacywasteatthesitewillbe
cleared by March 2024, said
the Chief Minister. By the end
ofthemonth,12,000tonnesof
wastewillbeclearedfromthe
siteeveryday,anincreasefrom
what was 9,000 tonnes that
was processed Wednesday.
Legacy or old waste at the
landfillsinthecityisbeingbio-
mined to clear the sites.
conducted last year, the
Bhalswalandfilloccupies78.47
acres and dumping of waste at
Bhalswabeganin1994.Afteran
NGTorderin2019,thebiomin-
ing of waste began at the land-
fills in Delhi.
Accordingtoastatusreport
submitted by Delhi Pollution
Control Committee at the
National Green Tribunal last
month, the city generates
around 11,332 TPD (tonnes per
day) of municipal solid waste,
and of this, 4,360 TPD is not
processed, which means that
this waste ends up at the land-
fills.Atotalof11wasteprocess-
ingfacilitiesareproposedinthe
city to deal with this shortfall,
including expansion of the ex-
istingwaste-to-energyplantat
Okhla, and two new waste-to-
energy plants — one each at
Ghazipur and Narela-Bawana.
Thesefacilitieswillhaveacom-
bined capacity of 6,462 TPD.

E-mail to CP. Delhi at : cp.sanjayarora@delhipolice.gov.in | Write to : Cp. Delhi at P.O. Box No. 171, GPO, New Delhi
 6 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM
GDP target
‘pragmatic,
achievable’
Stable development will help relieve global
economic pressures, analysts say.
Xin Zhiming and Liu Zhihua report
C
hina has set its GDP
growth target at around
5 per cent for this year,
which analysts said is
“pragmatic”and“achievable”.
The real figure could turn out to
be even higher,they said,suggesting
that the country implement more
targeted macroeconomic policies
to boost consumption and prevent
high inflation, to promote stable
growth.
They also said China’s stable
growth is set to help relieve global
growth pressures as developed
economies risk falling into recession
while suffering from high inflation.
The growth target was revealed
in the Government Work Report,
which then premier Li Keqiang
delivered at the opening meeting of
the first session of the 14th National
People’s Congress in Beijing on
March 5.
The report suggested that China
push forwards its modernisation
drive, promote high-quality
development, better balance
COVID-19 prevention and social
and economic development,
comprehensively deepen reform
and opening-up, and vigorously
boost market confidence.
China will enhance the intensity
and effectiveness of a proactive
fiscal policy and implement a
prudent monetary policy in a
targeted way, according to the
Government Work Report.
Apart from setting the GDP
growth target for this year,the report
raised its projected deficit-to-GDP
ratio to 3 per cent and targeted an
inflation rate of around 3 per cent.
The country will aim to create
around 12 million urban jobs this
year and has set a target of around
5.5 per cent for the surveyed urban
unemployment rate.
China will also continue to
encourage and support the
development of the private sector
and enhance efforts to attract
foreign investment, according to
the report.
“The GDP target is in line with
the principle of ‘seeking progress
while ensuring stable development’,”
said Bai Jingming, a researcher at
the Chinese Academy of Fiscal
Sciences. “It is achievable and has
Over the past year
Targets for this year
GDP growth
3%
5%
Added urban jobs (million)
12.06
12
Surveyed urban unemployment rate
5.5
5.5
Grass is greener for last of the reindeer herders
By YUAN HUI and ZOU SHUO
Before coming to Beijing to attend
the two sessions, Du Mingyan was
busyconductingafieldtriptoOlguya
Ewenki township in Hulunbuir, Inner
Mongolia autonomous region,
visiting her Ewenki peers, who are
China’s last reindeer-dependent
ethnic group.
As a member of the 14th National
Committee of the Chinese People’s
Political Consultative Conference
and deputy head of Hulunbir’s
bureau of culture,tourism,television
and radio,Du wanted to see whether
the Ewenki still faced any difficulties
because she wanted to tell her
people’s story during the annual
left room for (coping with possible)
risks.”
Compared with last year’s GDP
growth of 3 per cent, this year’s
target is not high, given the strong
rebound of consumption and
initial recovery of investment after
the country further optimised
its COVID-19 response policy in
January, Bai said.
“China’s growth target for this
year is very pragmatic and will help
consolidate the country’s economic
fundamentals,” said Raymond Zhu,
president of the East and Central
China Committee of CPA Australia,
a major accounting body.
Zhou Maohua, a macroeconomic
analyst at China Everbright Bank,
said: “The target is quite solid,
because some market expectations
have it at above 6 per cent. China is
capable of achieving it.”
Economists suggested that,given
the many challenges faced by China,
such as the economic downturn and
high inflation in the developed world,
the country needs to implement
targeted macroeconomic policies
to ensure stable growth.
ZhangYansheng,chief researcher
at the China Centre for International
Economic Exchanges, said, “China
needs to promote high-quality
foreign trade development and
improve the business environment,
and the focus should be the negative
list for the services industry.”
Given the expected weak global
growth this year, it is also very
important for China to stimulate
domestic demand, he said.
Nouriel Roubini, an economics
professor at New York University,
recently said that the world
economy may suffer from high
inflation, surging interest rates and
economic recession, and forecast
thatthemajordevelopedeconomies
could fall into recession.
China will play a key role in
boosting global economic growth
this year, and China’s growth
prospects will have positive spillover
effects on other economies in areas
like trade and tourism, said Robin
Xing, Morgan Stanley’s chief China
economist.
Zhou Lanxu and Ouyang Shijia
contributed to this story.
Major targets this year:
· CPI increase: around 3%
· Personal income growth: generally
in step with economic growth
· Steady increases in the volume
and quality of imports and exports
· Basic equilibrium in the balance of
payments
· Grain output: over 650 million tonnes
· Continued reductions in energy
consumption per unit of GDP
· Steady improvements in the
quality of the environment
Source: Government Work Report
meetings of China’s top legislature
and top political advisory body.
Reindeer are listed as a vulnerable
species by the International Union
forConservationofNature,andmost
in China are semi-domesticated.
Many Ewenki still live a seminomadic
life, and reindeer are used for
transportation.
Du was also a member of the 13th
CPPCC National Committee for five
years and frequently visited regions
that are home to the Ewenki. She
submitted eight suggestions on
topics such as poverty alleviation
and the development of the reindeer
breeding industry.
Hunting the animals was banned
in 2003, and the Ewenki have relied
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW
CHINA DAILY
Containers are being transported at a terminal supported by the internet of things technology in Tianjin Port on Feb 21. ZHAO ZISHUO / XINHUA
Drive is on to raise foreign trade and investment
By LIU ZHIHUA and ZHONG NAN
As China’s recent two sessions,
the annual sittings of the country’s
top legislature and top political
advisory body, sent policy signals
of greater efforts to expand high-
standard opening-up and build
an improved business climate,
experts and businesspeople say
the country will provide ever greater
development opportunities for
companies at home and abroad.
China is likely to adopt more
policy measures this year to boost
the confidence of foreign investors
while improving the quality of
overseas trade and foreign direct
investment, they said.
That will improve the interplay
betweendomesticandinternational
economic activity, and inject more
impetus into the global economy,
they said.
According to the Government
Work Report delivered at the
opening meeting of the first session
of the 14th National People’s
Congress on March 5, China will
further its efforts to attract and
utilise more foreign investment
this year.
The report outlined several
measures to achieve this goal,
including expanding market
access, further opening-up the
services sector, ensuring national
treatment and improving services
for foreign-funded companies,
and helping large foreign-funded
projects get off the ground.
China also plans to take more
action to join high-standard
economic and trade agreements
such as the Comprehensive and
Progressive Agreement for Trans-
Pacific Partnership. The country
will steadily expand institutional
opening-up by adopting certain
rules, regulations and standards,
the report said.
“The key for China retaining
existing FDI is to strengthen efforts
on tasks such as establishing
a unified, fair and orderly
national market, enhancing
policy consistency and firmly
safeguarding the legitimate
interests of business,” said Huo
Jianguo, vice-chairman of the
China Society for World Trade
Organisation Studies.
TospuranewinfluxofFDI,hesaid,
mainly on raising and domesticating
them, as well as tourism, to earn a
living, she said.
Lo c a l g ove r n m e n t s h a ve
worked hard to improve the lives
of the residents of Olguya Ewenki
township, and about 100 million
yuan (Rs 1.2 billion) has been spent
in improvements to infrastructure
such as heating, sewerage,
electricity, internet and cable TV, Du
said, adding that the average living
space has increased from 50 square
metres in 2003 to 88 square metres
today.
Much has also been done to
improve breeding techniques, and
the population of reindeer has
increased steadily.
People discuss business by the stand of Schott, a German glass manufacturer,
at the fourth China International Import Expo in Shanghai in 2021.
TANG KE / FOR CHINA DAILY
127.69
China is expected
to increase the
level of openness
in services,
improve the
billion yuan
implementation Actual use of foreign
of laws and policy capital on the Chinese
m e a s u res t h a t mainland in January
e n a b l e fo re i g n
i n ve s t o r s , a n d
revise regulations and legal
provisions that do not conform to
the principle of national treatment
of overseas investors.
Huo also urged further expansion
of market entry in China’s high-
tech industries and improved
regulations on cross-border travel
for professionals working in the
sector to expand FDI in related
industries.
In recent years China has
been expanding opening-up
and improving the business
environment.As such, it has signed
19 free trade agreements with 26
countries and regions.
The number of items off-limits
to foreign investors on the national
negative list, which specifies
restricted or prohibited sectors for
such investors, has been cut to 31,
and the number for pilot free trade
zones has been cut 27.
Manyexpertssaythegovernment
will adopt more measures to
increase FDI inflow and improve
the FDI structure in manufacturing.
Wang Wentao, minister of
commerce,said that attracting and
using more foreign investment will
be a key task this year.
In December the Ministry of
Agriculture and RuralAffairs set up a
breeding centre in Genhe city, which
has helped underpin development
and has increased incomes for
herders.
The Olguya Ewenki government
has strengthened protection of
the group’s traditional culture,
publishing books and producing
music related to their history and
traditions.
Olguya Ewenki reindeer culture,
birch bark handicrafts and Ewenki
shamanic dance have all been
registered on the protection list for
national-level intangible cultural
heritage.
As a result, cultural tourism has
THE INDIAN EXPRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2023
The country will
make a greater
effort to promote
investment,
improve services,
expand opening-
up and optimise
the business
environment in
order to retain
high-quality foreign investment
and attract more investors from
overseas, he said.
Taking effect on Jan 1, China’s
newest catalogue of industries
in which foreign investment is
encouraged continues to promote
such inflows into manufacturing
to improve industrial and supply
chains,andpromotetheintegration
of services and manufacturing.
Tang Yao, an associate professor
of applied economics at the
Guanghua School of Management
of Peking University, said: “China
needstoimprovethequalityoftrade
and maintain a stable degree of
dependence on foreign trade (that
is, the ratio of exports and imports
to GDP). At the same time, it needs
to pay more attention to attracting
FDI in high-tech manufacturing and
services.”
The country is expected to
upgrade the quality of trade and
the FDI structure, and promote
international economic and trade
collaboration as it advances China’s
modernisation, which will follow a
path of peaceful development, he
said.
Wang, the commerce minister,
An Ewenki herder takes care of his reindeer in the Greater Hinggan Mountains in
the Inner Mongolia autonomous region on Jan 12. FEI MAOHUA / XINHUA
developed significantly as Olguya
Ewenki township has become more
popular with visitors, Du said.
Bu Dongxia, a herdswoman
who lives in the township, runs a
tourist shop that receives about
ADVERTISING
SUPPLEMENT
said the country will thoroughly
implement the foreign investment
law and its implementation
regulations to apply national
treatment for foreign companies
with high standards.
As a result of government efforts
to expand high-quality opening-up,
improve the business environment
and boost market confidence,
global investors have become
more optimistic about the Chinese
economy.
“We are greatly encouraged to
see the introduction of policies and
measures by the government to
promote economic recovery and
high-quality development, and
believe it will help boost market
confidence and advance market
vitality,” said Will Song, global
senior vice-president of the US
multinational Johnson & Johnson.
“It sends a strong signal to the
international business community
that China is committed to being
open to the world and welcomes
multinational companies’
investment and development,”
said Song, who is also chairman of
Johnson & Johnson China.
The actual use of foreign capital
on the Chinese mainland was
127.69 billion yuan (Rs 1.5 trillion) in
January, 14.5 per cent more than in
the corresponding period last year,
the Ministry of Commerce said.
Schott, a German maker of
specialty glass and supplier of
pharmaceutical packaging, has
said it plans to expand production
in China this year. It has raised
its global investment budget for
this year to 500 million euros (Rs
43.2 billion), with 55 million euros
allocated to the Chinese market.
“In 2023 we maintain a positive
outlook, although we still face
global challenges, such as rising
energy and raw material costs,”
said Frank Heinricht, Schott’s chief
executive.
“In the past, foreign investment
in China focused on low-cost
manufacturing,butnowforeignand
Chinese partners work together on
high value-added products and
services. Such collaboration will
provide strong impetus for China’s
long-term growth.”
Wang Zhuoqiong contributed to
this story.
10,000 visitors a year who come
to get a taste of Ewenki folk culture
and reindeer meat. She also has
34,000 followers on the short-video
platform, where she posts videos
about Ewenki life.
WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM
THE INDIAN EXPRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2023
Shanghai residents
practice taijiquan
early in the morning.
PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY
Fighting to promote a martial art
UNESCO recognition
rewards efforts to
raise profile of
taijiquan as world
appreciates benefits
of discipline.
Yang Feiyue reports
C
hen Bing is still excited
when he talks about the
moment China’s taijiquan
was added to UNESCO’s
Representative List of the Intangible
Cultural Heritage of Humanity on
Dec 17, 2020.
The then 49-year-old was the
first to appear demonstrating the
classic moves of the traditional
martial art, also known as tai chi,
in the introduction film that was
submitted to UNESCO.
“It proves to me the cause I’ve
engaged in is world-class and for all
humanity,” Chen says.
Onitswebsite,UNESCOdescribes
taijiquan as “a traditional physical
practice characterized by relaxed,
circular movements that work in
harmony with breath regulation and
the cultivation of a righteous and
neutral mind”.
I n f l u e n ce d by Ta o i st a n d
Confucian thoughts, and the
theories of traditional Chinese
medic ine, t he pract ice has
developed into several schools or
styles, usually named after a clan
or a master, such as Chen-style and
Yang-style.
They are passed down
generationally within the clan, or
through the master-apprentice
model, and are built upon the yin-
and-yang cycle and the cultural
understanding of the unity of
heaven and humanity, according to
UNESCO.
Chen,one of the masters of Chen-
style taijiquan, has been practicing
the martial art since he was 6 years
old under the tutelage of his uncles,
Chen Xiaowang and Chen Xiaoxing,
two iconic figures of Chen-style
taijiquan, in Chenjiagou, Wenxian
county, Henan province.
“Chen-style taijiquan boasts the
longest history, and other styles
directly or indirectly branched out
from it,” Chen Bing says.
In China, seven national-level
intangible cultural heritage items
are related to different taijiquan
styles, according to the Ministry of
Culture and Tourism.
Since November, Chen Bing
and 100 masters from Wenxian
have been conducting classes
via livestream on video-sharing
platforms, which drew more than
400,000 viewers.
“The feedback has been great,
and we’ve found that social
media offers an effective way to
popularise taijiquan,” says Chen
Bing.“We’ll keep doing it and make
a go of it.”
C h e n B i n g ’s u n c l e, C h e n
Xiaowang, in his 70s, has travelled
the world, teaching and promoting
taijiquan since the 1990s, when
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW
CHINA DAILY
Two taijiquan practitioners train on a floor featuring the yin-yang pattern in
Chenjiagou, Wenxian county, Henan province. The traditional physical exercises
were added to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage
of Humanity in 2020. LIU XIAOKUN / FOR CHINA DAILY
Graceful technique properly empowers enthusiasts
The fluid combination of slow, of routines, exercises and tuishou
graceful movements and lightning- (hand-pushing skills performed with
quick strikes easily sets taijiquan apart a counterpart).
from other martial arts. Bafa refers to peng (ward off), lyu
The earliest traceable origin is in (roll back), ji (press), an (push), cai
mid-17th century Henan province, (pull down), lie (split), zhou (elbow
home to its first populariser, the Ming strike) and kao (lean). It represents
Dynasty (1368-1644) general Chen the eight fundamental methods of
Wangting. training the body’s power, and lays
In modern times, taijiquan has the foundation of all the skills and
become popular among Chinese of techniques of taijiquan.
all ages, genders and ethnicities. Its Correct practice of taijiquan must
mental and physical health benefits be built upon a clear understanding
have also garnered enthusiasts across and identification of the power. The
the world. study of the eight techniques is
Unlike combat-oriented martial arts, central to understanding and applying
it focuses on internal development, taijiquan’s hand-pushing drills.
and is characterised by set exercises, Practitioners must fulfil all the
breath regulation and the cultivation requirements of the postural and
of a righteous, neutral mind. energy system before they get the
Taijiquan’ s basic movements hang of executing the trained power.
centre around wubu (five steps) and
bafa (eight techniques) with a series YANG FEIYUE
he became one of the country’s
greatest champions. Over the
years, he has taught more than
300,000 disciples in 80 countries
and regions.
Taijiquan requires its ChenXiaowang sums up his work
practitioners to be upright as “shedding light on the mysteries
and peaceful, and act of taijiquan and making them
understandable in a scientific way”
from the perspective of through decades of practice and
others, which reflects study.
Confucianism’s emphasis He proposes the implementation
of the philosophical thought of yin
on self-cultivation and and yang on mental balance and
benevolence. ... It’s both stresses that the goal of practicing
a combat strategy and an taijiquan properly is to cultivate
one’s moral character.
expression of strength and “ Ta i j i q u a n r e q u i r e s i t s
confidence.” practitioners to be upright
and peaceful, and act from the
Chen Xiaowang
MASTER OFTHE CHEN-STYLE TAIJIQUAN
perspective of others,which reflects
Confucianism’s emphasis on self-
cultivation and benevolence,” Chen
Xiaowang explains.
“It’s both a combat strategy
and an expression of strength and
confidence,” he adds.
Moreover, the martial art
Online advocates using gentleness
Watch the video to overcome toughness, and
by scanning utilising weakness to conquer
the code. strength through one’s subjective
experiences and self-awareness,
which is consistent with the wisdom
of Taoism, according to Chen
Xiaowang.
The efforts of taijiquan masters
like Chen Xiaowang have helped
the martial art take root in foreign
lands.
Forthepast threeyears,come rain
or shine, Ren Guangyi, one of Chen
Xiaowang’s disciples, has never
failed to lead a dozen students in
practicing taijiquan at Central Park
in New York every Sunday.
The man,in his late 50s,wields his
arms and legs with panache while
issuing instructions to his followers,
who move in sync with him.
“ Ta i j i q u a n h a s b e c o m e
increasingly popular over the past
three decades in the United States
and the rest of the world,” says Ren,
who studied Chen-style taijiquan
with Chen Xiaowang for eight years
in Henan province before moving to
New York in 1991.
Ren still remembers how much he
was impressed by ChenXiaowang’s
demonstration of taijiquan the first
time they met in 1981.
“Heshowedmehowmyshoulders
and elbows could hurt people, and
that for any place somebody wants
to hit you, you can deflect the blow.
You can start from standing up,then
you can do it sitting down,” Ren says.
“Then, Chen asked me and
several young men to hold both his
arms, and he managed to shake us
all off without seeming to use any
strength.”
Taijiquan immediately had Ren
under its spell, and he became
committed to practising the
traditional martial art.
Ren started with the taijiquan
stance and spent the following
years honing his skills in every
aspect of the discipline in Henan.
It didn’t take long before he
drew attention on US soil as his
private demonstrations of taijiquan
stunned guests.
Ren recalls that several of them
requested to learn taijiquan from
him on the spot, with handsome
offers of tuition fees.
People started to beat a path to
his door, and his weekly group class
has grown from two students to
more than 30.
Ren is snowed under with
invitations to give lectures across
the US and other countries. In his
early years in the US, Ren says he
would be out on the road for six
months, demonstrating taijiquan.
“Each lecture was attended by
between 20 and 50 people, who
showed great interest and insisted
on trying it on the spot,” Ren says.
O ve r t h e ye a r s , Re n h a s
helped stage public taijiquan
performances in New York’s Times
Square, on Brooklyn Bridge and at
Lincoln Centre.
He is acutely aware of the rising
popularity of taijiquan abroad,
especially compared with how
things were when he first arrived.
“People are not strangers to
taijiquan and have a very high
understanding of it when they
approach me,” Ren says.
“Some of them actually already
practice well and just want to refine
their skills out of their fondness for
the Chinese martial art,” he adds.
Figuring out a legacy
for the rabbit god
By YANG FEIYUE
Colourfully painted sculptures
jump into view when one sets
foot in Shuang Yan’s home in
northwestern Beijing’s Yanqing
district.
In particular, rows of delicate
rabbit figurines take up a large
area of his study, where Chinese
writing brushes, pigment and
other art tools are scattered
around.
The arrival of the Year of the
Rabbit has made Shuang busier
than usual, as his expertise in a
time-honoured tradition has been
given a brighter spotlight.
For approximately five decades,
the Beijing resident,in his 60s,has
dedicated himself to the creation
and inheritance of Lord Rabbit,
known as Tu’er Ye in Chinese. The
character features a human body
with a rabbit’s ears and mouth.
While Roger Rabbit and Bugs
Bunny are popular in the Western
world, Lord Rabbit rules Beijing.
“It has been a mascot for many
households in Beijing,” says
Shuang, who has been exposed
to the art since he was 7.
The rabbit god is not only a
local handicraft that
symboliseshappiness
and good luck, but
also a popular clay
toy for children during
traditional festivals.
Shuang’semotional
bond with the artwork
i s ev i d e n t i n h i s
exuberant promotion
of its profound history.
“Lord Rabbit’s true
value lies in its folk
customs,” Shuang
says. A Lord Rabbit figurine
T h e ra b b it wa s by Shuang Yan. PHOTOS BY misunderstandings
traditionally believed YANG FEIYUE / CHINA DAILY
to be a deity living
on the moon and in
charge of health and medicine.
One legend goes that Beijing
once suffered a plague before
Mid-Autumn Festival, the 15th
day of the eighth lunar month.
The Chinese moon goddess,
Chang’e, dispatched the rabbit to
cure the disease.An iconic image
of the rabbit god is one wearing
a golden helmet and armour
while wielding a pestle, a tool for
grinding medicinal ingredients.
Shuang and several
apprentices have been swamped,
trying to meet the increased
demand for figurines of Lord
Rabbit during the Spring Festival,
which fell on Jan 22 this year.
“Tradition dictates that Lord
Rabbit from the previous year
has to be sent away, meaning
broken, because it is believed to
have taken with it all disease and
disaster,” Shuang says.
Therefore, people usually
expect a new one in the new year.
The manufacturing process can
take up to a dozen days.
First, clay is brought from
suburban areas, such as western
Beijing’s Mentougou district.
Shuang Yan demonstrates how to paint Lord Rabbit in his studio in Beijing.
CONTACT US
China Daily
15 Huixin Dongjie, Chaoyang,
Beijing, China 100029
+86 (0) 10 64918366
chinawatch@chinadaily.com.cn
Advertising:
+86 (0) 10 64918631;
ads@chinadaily.com.cn
Website: www.chinadaily.com.cn
Follow us on:
Facebook.com/chinadaily
twitter.com/ChinaDailyUSA
7
ADVERTISING
SUPPLEMENT
Then, it is processed by being
pounded with water added to
make a paste.
“After 10 days of precipitation,
only the middle part is used,”
Shuang explains.
Then,adozenmorestepsensue,
including moulding, polishing and
applying the base colour.
The last step is the colour
painting, which is the most crucial
part, as it determines the mien of
Lord Rabbit.
“The major colours are red,
yellow and blue, all of which can
be complemented by adjunct
colours,” Shuang says.
“Each Tu’er Ye looks different
with changes in its brows and
eyes.”
The coloured clay sculpturing
craft of Tu’er Ye is one of Beijing’s
more than 12,000 intangible
cultural heritage items, and was
inscribed on the national list in
2014.
As Shuang made inroads in
the craft, he was enamoured
by its history and culture, and
continued to hone his skills. In
2018, he was named a national
heritage inheritor of the craft,
which helped fuel his passion
in preserving the
original elements of
Lord Rabbit.
He says he is
most concerned
that some of the
rabbit figurines on
the market have
lost their traditional
characteristics.
“Some major
elements shouldn’t
be changed,
otherwise it
could cause
of the story and folk
customs behind it,”
he says.
For instance, he wants the
public to understand the rabbit is
actually a female.
“She borrowed a helmet and
armour from a deity in a temple
and dressed like a man for the
convenience of treating patients
in the then-feudal society,”
Shuang explains.
However, Shuang is not against
innovation within reason.
Last year, Shuang added
Olympic elements to the
traditional items. For example, he
fashioned a rabbit god holding a
ski pole, which was displayed at
the Winter Games venues.
As many schools in Beijing
have launched intangible cultural
heritage programmes in recent
years, Shuang has readily taken
on their invitation to present
the art and skills to inspire the
younger generation’s interest.
So far, he has taught thousands
of primary school students how
to make the clay rabbits.
“Hopefully, some of them will
learn all the skills associated with
the craft from childhood and
carry on this tradition.”
China Daily Asia Pacific
China Daily Hong Kong
Room 1818, Hing Wai Centre,
7 Tin Wan Praya Road,
Aberdeen, Hong Kong
+852 2518 5111
editor@chinadailyhk.com
editor@chinadailyasia.com
© 2023 China Daily
All Rights Reserved

8 THE CITY
THE INDIAN EXPRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2023
‘PM’S PLAN TO SLAP SEVERAL FALSE CASES AGAINST MANISH’: KEJRIWAL
Fresh trouble for Sisodia as CBI books
him in ‘feedback unit snooping’ case
MAHENDER SINGH
MANRAL
NEW DELHI, MARCH 16
THE CENTRAL Bureau of
Investigation (CBI) has booked
former Delhi Deputy Chief
Minister Manish Sisodia, who
was arrested on February 26 in
the excise policy case, in a fresh
case related to the AAP govern-
ment’s “feedback unit” (FBU)
which was allegedly used for
“collectingpoliticalintelligence”.
In its FIR registered on March
14againstSisodiaandfiveothers,
the CBI has invoked IPC sections
120-B(criminalconspiracy),403
(dishonest misappropriation of
property), 409 (criminal breach
of trust by public servant), 468
(forgery), 471 (using as genuine
a forged document or electronic
record), 477A (falsificationof ac-
counts)besidesprovisionsof the
Prevention of Corruption Act.
“A written complaint on
March 9 was received fromVijay
A Desai, inspector, CBI (anti-cor-
ruption branch). A case has been
registered against Manish
Sisodia, the then Deputy CM of
Delhi; Sukesh Kumar Jain, the
thenSecretaryVigilanceinDelhi
government; Rakesh Kumar
Sinha, retired DIG of CISF, the
then Special Advisor to the Chief
Minister and Joint Director
(FBU); Pradeep Kumar Punj, re-
tired Joint Deputy Director of
Intelligence Bureau, the then
BRIEFLY
MCDto
renovate169
community
centresincity
New Delhi: TheMunicipal
Corporation of Delhi
(MCD) Wednesday an-
nounced it would reno-
vate169dilapidatedcom-
munity halls after Mayor
Shelly Oberoi directed of-
ficialstoensureeasyaccess
to better facilities at these
centres for the public.
Thereare296community
centres, 94 senior citizen
recreation centres, 52
physical centres/gyms, 15
swimming pools, five
sports complexes, one
working women’s hostel,
along with Mahila Haat,
under the MCD. ENS
DDMAto
meetand
discussH3N2
situation:CM
New Delhi: A meeting of
the Delhi Disaster
Management Authority
(DDMA) will be held on
Saturday and there will
be a discussion on the
spread of influenza virus
H3N2 in some parts of
the country, Chief
Minister Arvind Kejriwal
said. PTI
Architect Geoffrey Bawa’s
first show in India opens today
SHINYVARGHESE
NEWDELHI,MARCH16
IF GARDENS are self-portraits of
people who shape them, then
Geoffrey Bawa’s home and gar-
den,Lunuganga,washismemoir.
ForSriLanka’sbest-knownarchi-
tect, it was as much a personal
space as it was a statement of
what he thought architecture
should be. One of the pioneers of
‘tropicalmodernism’,whichhon-
ouredcultureandnatureof envi-
ronsbeforesustainabilitybecame
abuzzword,Bawa’simprintonSri
Lanka and his contribution to ur-
banism can’t be ignored. The ex-
hibition, ‘Geoffrey Bawa: It is
Essential to be There’, is a celebra-
tion of these ideas .
This is the first time that
Bawa’sarchiveswillbepresented
inIndiabytheNationalGalleryof
Deputy Director (FBU); Satish
Khetrapal, retired Assistant
Commandant of CISF, working
as Feedback Officer; Gopal
Mohan,Advisor,anti-corruption
totheCMof Delhi,andunknown
others,” reads the FIR.
According to theFIR, the FBU,
“in addition to collecting man-
datedinformation,alsocollected
political intelligence, which ac-
counted for about 40 per cent of
the total reports generated by it
and was beyond the scope and
ambit of functions for which it
was manifestly created”.
Reactingtothedevelopment,
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind
Kejriwal tweeted: “PM’s plan is
to slap several falsecasesagainst
Manishandkeep himin custody
for a long period. Sad for the
country!”
As per the FIR, a preliminary
enquiry,registeredonDecember
2,2016,foundirregularitiesinap-
pointments made in the FBU, fi-
nancialmisappropriation,andvi-
olation at various levels. The
enquiry report, which is part of
the FIR, alleged that posts in the
FBU were created without con-
currencefromtheAdministrative
Reforms Department and the
Lieutenant Governor, who is the
competent authority.
“The mandate of the FBU
was to collect relevant informa-
tion and actionable feedback re-
garding the working of various
departments/ autonomous
bodies/ institutions/ entities etc
WATERING HOLE
A water fountain at India Gate. Maximum temperature in city on Thursday was 33.9°C and minimum was 20.6°C. Amit Mehra
Not letting her work, man hits daughter-in-law
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, MARCH 16
A 26-YEAR-OLD woman was se-
verelyinjuredafterherfather-in-
lawallegedlyhitheronherhead
withabrickinNorthwestDelhi’s
PremNagarduringanargument
over getting a job, police said.
Apurportedvideoof theinci-
dent that took place on Tuesday
shows the woman and her fa-
ther-in-law arguing. He is seen
Geoffrey Bawa. Photo by
Geoffrey Bawa Trust
Modern Art; Ministry of Culture;
High Commission of Sri Lanka,
New Delhi; with Geoffrey Bawa
Trust, Colombo. This is also a cel-
ebration of 75th anniversary of
Indo-Lanka diplomatic relations.
With over 120 documents
from Bawa archives, the exhibi-
tion will showcase his unbuilt
workandphotographsfromtrav-
els. It opens at NGMA Friday and
will explore the relationship be-
Manish Sisodia
in the jurisdiction of Delhi gov-
ernment and to conduct trap
cases. Accordingly, the
Secretary (Vigilance) was di-
rected to submit a detailed pro-
posal for setting up of FBU. The
posts being created for FBU
were proposed to be initially
manned by serving as well as
retired personnel. Later,
Secretary (Vigilance) submitted
a detailed proposal for setting
up FBU, which was approved by
the Chief Minister on October
28, 2015, and as per the ap-
proval of the Delhi CM, FBU was
asked to report to Secretary
(Vigilance),” it said.
“The enquiry also revealed
thatSisodiagaveapprovalforthe
special allowance for FBU... the
unlawfulmannerof creationand
threatening her with a brick.
When the woman tries to leave,
he hits her on the head twice.
Police said they have taken
cognizance of the video, identi-
fied the accused and registered
acaseagainsthimunderIPCsec-
tion308(attempttocommitcul-
pable homicide).
The woman was taken to
SanjayGandhiMemorialHospital
where she got over a dozen
stitchesonherhead.“Thewoman
is undergoing treatment and is
tween ideas, drawings, buildings
andplaces,andwaysinwhichim-
ageswereusedinBawa’spractice.
The exhibition closes on May 7.
“Lookingatarchivesallowsus
to contemplate Bawa’s practice
through multiple lenses — it af-
fordsusthechancetothinkabout
political, economic, and social
drivers of architecture, and high-
lights creativity of his work. The
insights are ever relevant and it’s
exciting to be able to share these
workswithIndianaudience,”said
Shayari de Silva, chief curator,
Geoffrey Bawa Trust, and the
show. Amonghismanybuildings
in Sri Lanka, the most notable is
the Parliament Building. He
worked in India too. Some of his
buildingsincludeearlydesignsfor
Sarabhai House in Ahmedabad,
MaduraiClub,whichisaheritage
hotel, hotel and hospital in Goa
and Chennai, respectively.
ANANDVIHAR
Very Poor
315
AQI
0 PM 10
0-50 Good
CASES AGAINST SISODIA
EXCISEPOLICY
CBIcase
■ IthadarrestedSisodiaon
February26inconnectionwith
itsprobeintoallegedcorruption
informulationandimpleme-
ntationofthenow-scrapped
2021-22liquorpolicy
■ ItallegedSisodia“...had
manipulatedcertainchangesin
Cabinetnotewhichwas
preparedondraftpolicy”with
“ulteriormotivesanddesigns”
tohelpsome“stakeholders…”
FEEDBACKUNIT
CBIinitsFIRregisteredon
March14allegedFBUwas
“willfullycreated,staffed,
fundedandincentivisedoutof
publicexchequerinanirregular
manner”bySisodiaandother
working of the FBU has caused
wrongfullosstothegovernment
exchequertothetuneof approx-
imately Rs 36 lakh,” it said.
“SukeshJaindeliberatelyand
wilfully avoided referring the
matterof thecreationof 20posts
in FBU to the Administrative
Reforms Department... On the
basis of Jain’s proposal, Sisodia
approvedthat20postsinFBUbe
adjusted against 88 posts cre-
stable. She is unfit for (giving a)
statement. We spoke to her par-
ents who alleged the father-in-
law beat her up because she was
going for a job interview. She
wanted to work and support her
family,”aseniorpoliceofficersaid.
Meanwhile, the woman’s
parentsallegedherfather-in-law
has been harassing her for years
over dowry. “My son-in-law
earns around Rs 20,000 and
gives half of his salary to his par-
ents. The rest isn’t enough for
TULIPS THIS SEASON, DAFFODILS NEXT YEAR
Plan to turn Delhi into a ‘City of Flowers’
EXPRESSNEWSSERVICE
NEWDELHI,MARCH16
FLOWERS AND flowering plants
willbeplantedalongtheembank-
ments of the Najafgarh drain
among others, in addition to the
city'sroadsandparksyear-round,
even as the New Delhi Municipal
Council (NDMC) plans to put 5
lakh tulips in place next season.
Lieutenant Governor Vinai
Kumar Saxena gave directions in
thisregardduringameetingtore-
view work of the horticulture di-
visionsofvariousgovernmentde-
partmentsandagenciesandtheir
future preparedness to make
Delhi a ‘City of Flowers’.
RajNiwasofficialssaidSaxena
directedofficialstocomeupwith
adetailedplanofactionforthere-
SHADIPUR
Very Poor
352
AQI
500 0 PM 2.5
51-100 Satisfactory 101-200 Moderate
EDcase
■ Sisodiawasarrestedbythe
EDonMarch9inconnection
withamoneylaunderingprobe
intoallegedirregularitiesinthe
excisepolicy
■ Itallegedhewas“personally
involvedingettingthefileof
IndospiritL1licencecleared”.
Agencyallegedthiswas“very
importanttogetdone”sinceit
(Indospirit)“wasthevehicle
thatwouldgetkickbackdone”
officialsin“violationofrules…by
abuseoftheirofficialposition
andwithdishonestintentionto
utiliseFBUforpurposesother
thanthoseforwhichitwas
manifestlycreated”
ated in the Anti-Corruption
Branch on January 25, 2016...
However, the Administrative
Reforms department had only
tentatively agreed to creation of
these 88 posts, subject to de-
tailed work study by them,” it
said.
“The proposal for creation of
these 88 posts had not been sent
for approval to the competent
authority, Delhi L-G, and these
himandmydaughter.So,shede-
cided to help him run the house.
Shewasgoingforajobinterview
but he (the father-in-law) tried
to kill her... We last spoke to her
in the afternoon and she told us
she will get a job soon. Later, she
told me she tripped from the
stairs and was injured. I knew
something was wrong and we
went to the hospital. She then
told us she was assaulted with a
brick,” alleged her father, who
works in a hotel.
The L-G was informed that around 1.5 lakh tulips were
planted across the NDMC area. Praveen Khanna
maining year. He also said that
within the next 15 days, civic
agenciesandgovernmentdepart-
ments undertake and execute
mostof thecapital'shorticultural
activities including plantation of
SIRIFORT
Poor
244
AQI
500 0 PM 10 500
201-300 Poor 301-400 Very Poor
postshadnotbeennotified.Also,
no ‘Recruitment Rules’ for the
posts to be created in FBU were
framed,but17postsinFBUwere
filled up by the appointment of
retired personnel on a contract
basis for which administrative
approval for expenditure of Rs
20,59,474/- for operationalisa-
tion of FBU was sought from the
account head ‘other charges’ of
the finance department. This
constitutesanactof illegaldiver-
sion,” it said.
“The FBU startedfunctioning
from February 2016 and apart
from other paraphernalia, a pro-
vision of Rs 1 crore was kept for
secret service expenditure for
theyear2016-17,outof whichRs
10lakhwasdisbursedtotheFBU
in two instalments of Rs 5 lakh
each on June 7 and 13, 2016 re-
spectively.Outof this,Rs.5.5lakh
has been shown to be spent by
the FBU,” it said.
“In two instances, payments
had been shown/made... to one
M/s Silver Shield Detectives of
Rs 1.5 lakh and M/s W.W.
Security of Rs 60,000... However,
during the inquiry, it has been
revealed that the vouchers in
lieu of disbursing the payments
have been found to be false. The
owners of both the said firms
denied doing any work for the
Delhi government or FBU and
denied receiving any such pay-
ment... The SSF and its vouchers
were physically in control of
Satish Khetrapal,” it said.
Jamia case:
Victim of
violence,
Sharjeel
tells HC
MALAVIKAPRASAD
NEWDELHI,MARCH16
SHARJEEL IMAM, responding to
Delhi Police’s plea against the
dischargeof 11people,including
him, in the 2019 Jamia violence
case, said he is a “victim of vio-
lence rather than the one who
committed any offence”.
While hearing the revision
pleaagainstthetrialcourt’sorder
discharging Imam, Asif Iqbal
Tanha, Safoora Zargar and eight
others,abenchofJusticeSwarana
KantaSharmaThursdayaskedthe
partiestofiletheirvakalatnamain
twodaysandwrittensubmissions
in four days. The parties were
asked to bring any electronic
record they may be relying on in
the next hearing on March 23.
That his glasses were broken
duringtheviolencethatoccurred
duringapeacefulprotestatJamia
Millia Islamia does not mean he
had participated in the violence,
Imamsaidinhiswrittensubmis-
sions. “It merely shows that he
was a victim of the violence and
hadnoactiveroletoplayinitscul-
mination,” he said. Imam’s sub-
missions stated there was not a
single piece of “admissible evi-
dence”toshowhehadsharedthe
common object of unlawful as-
sembly.
flowers and flowering trees.
“Reviewing activities under-
takenduringthepastsixmonths,
the L-G expressed satisfaction at
their visible impact and directed
officials to ensure that the mo-
DTU S K Y WA T C H
Poor
230
AQI
0 PM 10 500
MAX: 30
401-500 Severe 0.8°C above normal
Govt’s ‘feedback
unit modelled after
Intelligence Bureau’
JATIN ANAND
NEW DELHI, MARCH 16
THE ORGANISATIONAL hierar-
chyof theDelhigovernment'sal-
leged 'feedback unit' (FBU),
which consisted mostly of for-
mer police, intelligence and
paramilitary officials, was mod-
elled along the lines of the
Intelligence Bureau (IB), it is
learnt.
Former Deputy Chief
Minister Manish Sisodia, in his
capacity as head of the vigilance
department under which the
unit was allegedly created, was
Thursday booked by the Central
Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in
relation to alleged irregularities
in setting up the unit.
With a Joint Director at its
helm,theunithadanarrayof as-
sistant and junior 'feedback offi-
cers' – like Assistant and Junior
Central Intelligence officers in
the IB. Personnel were paid on
the basis of attendance which,
according to officials who have
reviewed documents regarding
its functioning, was “100%”
throughout the time it was op-
erational, it is learnt.
The unit, set up in 2015 with
approval from the Delhi
Cabinet, allegedly became func-
tional in February 2016, with 17
contractual employees. Its man-
date, officials said, was gather-
ing “relevant information and
actionable feedback” regarding
the working of government de-
partments, autonomous bodies,
institutions and entities under
Delhi Budget starts
today, infra projects
set to get a leg up
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, MARCH 16
INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS in
the capital will receive the
biggest outlay for capital expen-
diture as compared to the last
eight years of the AAP govern-
ment, sources said Thursday.
The Delhi government has
prioritised health and education
in every budget since it came to
power in 2015. Last year, while
theoutlayforeducationwas23%
of thetotalbudget,itwasaround
15% for health.
Sourcessaidthefocus isnow
on upgrading and beautifying
the1,400-km-longroadnetwork
of the city. “Around Rs 20,000
crore over a period of 10 years
will be spent on the project,” the
official said. The budget session
of the Delhi government starts
on Friday. L-G V K Saxena will
give the budget speech Friday
morning.Thebudgetwillbepre-
sented on March 21, Tuesday.
“During the eight-year
tenure of our government, 28
flyovers and underpasses have
been completed. Another 30 fly-
overs/ underpasses/ bridges will
be constructed,” the official said.
Work had also gathered pace, he
said, on building three double-
decker flyovers, where vehicles
will run on lower decks and
Metro on upper decks. They are
mentum gained during these
months is not only maintained,
but augmented further,” L-G
House officials said.
“TheL-Gaskedagenciestoen-
sure that to the furthest possible
extent,saplingsandplantsareob-
tained from their own nurseries
or other government nurseries
ratherthansourcedfromoutside,”
officials said. According to Raj
Niwas, Saxena issued specific in-
structionstoofficerstoensurethat
allroads,theircentralverges,foot-
paths, sidewalks and all parks as
wellasopengreenspacesowned
by PWD, MCD, NDMC and DDA
are “perpetually replete with
flowersandplants,oneseasonaf-
teranother”andthattheirproper
maintenance be ensured.
Informedthataround1.5lakh
tulips were planted across the
WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM
FORECAST: March 17
Generally cloudy sky. Light
rain/ thundershowers
at one or two places
MIN: 18
2.4°C abovenormal
the jurisdiction of the Delhi gov-
ernment.
Initially, 20 posts under the
FBU were to be adjusted against
22 abolished posts of the Delhi
government’s Industries
Department but 20 of these
posts in the FBU were adjusted
against 88 posts created in the
Anti-Corruption Branch, al-
legedly without the consent of
the Lieutenant Governor’s
Secretariat. The unit also had a
six vehicle contingent under it,
includingSUVsandthreemotor-
cycles along with supporting
staff.
A provision of Rs 1 crore was
allegedly set aside for ‘Secret
Service Expenditure’ for the unit
in the annual budget for the
Financial Year 2016-17. Between
February and November, 2016,
over Rs 40 lakh of this was al-
legedly released to the FBU by
way of ‘Secret Service
Expenditure’, remuneration,
telephone, and other miscella-
neous expenses.
The CBI’s preliminary en-
quiry found vouchers support-
ing expenditure of Rs 2.10 lakh
for allegedly engaging a non-ex-
istent private detective agency,
in addition to 18 others
amounting to over Rs 3.47 lakh
that were spent as “source”
money.
These expenses were
among the reasons for the vigi-
lance departments’ recommen-
dation to the LG to shut the unit
down “immediately to avoid
further infructuous/question-
able expenditure”.
being built by PWD and Delhi
Metro Rail Corporation in con-
junction with each other. In the
2022-23 budget, close to Rs
2,000 crore was allocated for
construction of roads and
bridges. Delhi’s budget was Rs
75,800 crore last year.
This is the first time the AAP
government budget will be pre-
sented by minister Kailash
Gahlot, who holds the finance
portfolio. Former Deputy Chief
Minister Manish Sisodia, who
was also the finance minister,
was arrested by CBI in February
in a case related to alleged irreg-
ularities in the now-scrapped
liquor policy. Sisodia, alongside
jailedministerSatyendarJain,re-
signed a couple of days later.
Then the reins of the finance de-
partment were handed over to
Gahlot.Evenbeforethearrest,he
had been part of meetings with
Sisodia where discussions
around the budget had taken
place, sources said.
Meanwhile, the Delhi BJP, in
its legislature party meeting
Thursday, decided to bring a no-
confidence motion during the
budget session. “Two ministers
of the Kejriwal government are
behind the bars and the govern-
ment is accused of many
scams…Thisgovernmenthasno
moral or constitutional right to
be in office,” a statement issued
by the party said.
NDMC area in the current year,
Saxenaissuedinstructionsregard-
ingthesourcingandplantationof
5lakhsuchplantsduringthenext
season.“TheL-Gsaidhehadtaken
up the matter of sourcing tulips
with his counterparts in J&K and
Ladakh, and asked the NDMC to
source them from these UTs, or
Himachal Pradesh, rather than
from abroad to encourage and
boost indigenous suppliers and
ensurecostcutting,”officialssaid.
“He asked agencies like MCD,
DDA and NDMC, which own and
operate nurseries, to try and
achieve temperatures between
10-12degreeCelsiusintheseset-
ups, so that tulip saplings and
bulbscanbenurturedinDelhi;he
asked for the possibility of sourc-
ing and planting daffodils in the
forthcomingseason,”officialssaid.
WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM
THE INDIAN EXPRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2023
UER II: 57% WORK COMPLETE, MINISTER TAKES STOCK
Capital’s third Ring Road
coming up by Dec: Gadkari
JIGNASA SINHA
NEW DELHI, MARCH 16
WITH 27 flyovers, 26 minor
bridges and 17 pedestrian sub-
ways — the six-lane Urban
Extension Road (UER) II will be
the capital’s third Ring Road,
Union Minister of Road
Transport and Highways Nitin
Gadkari said Thursday.
Set to cost more than Rs
8,000 crore, the road, stretching
across 75 km, will connect NH-
1 to Dwarka and Bahadurgarh
and form a Ring Road along the
western range. Starting from the
NH-1 intersection, it will go
along Kanjhawala, Nangloi,
Najafgarh, Dwarka Sector 24,
BawanaandSonipatbypassarea.
A part of the road will also con-
nect the national highway to the
Bahadurgarh bypass and
Dhichaon Kalan.
After inspecting ongoing
constructionof thestretchesand
meeting officials of the National
Highway Authority of India
(NHAI), Gadkari told the media
that UER II or National Highway
344 MPN will take commuters
from cities in Haryana and
Punjab to Delhi airport within
20-30 minutes instead of the
two-hour journey.
“UER II will be the lifeline of
Delhi as we are making the third
ring road in the city. Past routes
and major roads have led to sev-
eral problems for Delhi... People
from Punjab, Haryana, Uttara-
khand, UP, Kashmir and other
states have to access Delhi roads
if they want to go to Western or
Southern states. With UER II, we
will divert all North and West
traffic from Delhi roads. This will
help ease traffic on city roads
and also decrease pollution as
mostly commercial vehicles ply
on these routes... More than 1
lakh commercial vehicles come
from Rohtak, Sohna, Panipat,
Hapur and other cities to Delhi
every day.”
While the NHAI had set a
URBAN EXTENSION
ROAD II
ConnectingNH-1toDwarka
andBahadurgarh
Cost
Over
`8,000cr
Deadline: December2023
FEATURES:
■ 27 flyovers
■ 26 minorbridges
■ 17 pedestriansubways
Thestretchwillstartfromthe
NH-1intersectionandwillgoalong
Kanjhawala,Nangloi,Najafgarh,
DwarkaSector24,Bawanaand
Sonipatbypassarea
MinisterGadkariwithDelhiL-GandBJPleaders. Prem Nath Pandey
deadline of October 2023,
Gadkari said it will be complete
by December. So far,57%of work
is complete.
Gadkari said the roads have
been constructed using garbage
from Ghazipur and other land-
fills in Delhi. At present, officials
haveused almost20 lakh tonnes
NH-1
UERII
Alipur
Length
75km
Kanjhawala
Outer Ring
Road
Rohini
NH-10 Karala
Mundka
Ring Road
Najafgarh Dwarka DELHI
Underpass
IGIAirport
UNDER
CONSTRUCTION
ShivMurti
NH-48
NH-2
GURGAON FARIDABAD
national highways to be an e-
highway. As the stretch will con-
nectDelhito Haryana,Rajasthan
and other Northern states, offi-
cials said they want to promote
e-buses, e-trolleys and e-cars on
the route. For this, cables and
other equipment will be in-
stalled along service lanes.
More than 10,000 trees have
been removed for the stretch
andmorearesettobecutascon-
struction is pending at several
sites. Officials said all trees will
be transplanted in and around
the city. More than 200 residen-
tial buildings have also been de-
molished.
As per officials, they had
of waste from the landfills. The plannedtoremove4,000houses
waste is processed at micro earlier but altered the construc-
plants near the construction site tion plan and only removed 200
in Alipur and Karala. buildings. “This place was re-
Gadkari said: “I believe that served for the ‘development
within the next two years, we plan’… We have changed the
will transform the landfill shape alignment on several routes. We
from mountain to flat land...” havecompensatedthefamilies,”
It will also be among the first added Gadkari.
THE CITY 9
Excise policy case: Man kills mother, tries to
Businessman’s ED hang himself; arrested
NewDelhi:A30-year-oldmanal- the family, police said.
custody extended legedlystrangledhis65-year-old “Her son was questioned. He
mother and attempted to com- told us that around 10 pm
mitsuicide,saidpoliceThursday, Monday, his mother took 70
beendisclosedorstatedwillbea addingthathehasbeenarrested. tabletsof hypertensionmedicine
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE matter of trial only." Harsha Vardhan, DCP to end her life. She didn’t die and
NEW DELHI, MARCH 16 The ED moved a five-day re- (Dwarka), said, “We went to the told her son she was in agony,”
mandapplicationof theaccused woman’shouseinDwarkaSector added the DCP.
A DELHI court has sent through its special public prose- 22andfoundthebodyonthebed. Police said he then allegedly
Hyderabad-based businessman
Arun Ramchandra Pillai to four
cutor NK Matta. The ED argued
thatthoughtheaccusedhasbeen
She had bruises on her neck and
wasbleedingfromthenose.There
strangled her with a necktie and
wrote a suicide note. “He at-
days further Enforcement
Directorate custody in connec-
confronted with certain docu-
ments/hotel records and also
were seven empty packets of
tabletsinthedrawingroomanda
tempted suicide by hanging but
failed. A case of murder was reg-
tion with a money laundering with Babu on March 15, "but his suicide note stuck on the wall.” istered and he has been ar-
probe into alleged irregularities confrontation with the above The woman had written in rested,” said police.
in the now-scrapped excise personisnotoverasthesaidper- the note that she wanted to end Police said they had planned
policy. son has been resummoned by her life due to financial woes in to commit suicide together. ENS
Special Judge MK Nagpal re- the ED for March 17, 2023".
manded Pillai to ED custody till The agency submitted that
Monday "for his effective inter- Kavitha was also summoned to
rogationandconfrontation"with appearbeforetheEDbut"shedid
Telangana Chief Minister K not turn up and rather sent cer-
Chandrashekar Rao’s daughter tain information/documents
and BRS leader K Kavitha and through her authorised repre-
Hyderabad-based chartered ac- sentative" and some further in-
countant Butchibabu Gorantla. terrogationandconfrontationof
"Itisdesiredthatbythattime theaccusedinrespecttothesein-
alltheaboveconfrontationswith formation/documents may also
the witness and documents will be required. It was also submit-
be over and the above period of ted that the accused had to be
ED custody shall be effectively confronted with Magunta
utilised," the court said. Sreenivasulu Reddy, a Lok Sabha
Pillai had also moved an ap- MP from YSRCP, who has also
plication stating that he wished been summoned to join the in-
toretracthisstatementsmadeto vestigationonMarch18at11am.
the ED. The court said no further The lawyer for the accused
proceedingsrequiredas"eviden- Manu Sharma opposed the ED
tiary value of facts disclosed or remand by stating that "such
stated in statements of accused confrontation of the accused
recorded by IO or circumstances with documents and witnesses
under which these facts have is a never-ending process".
ENTRANCE 2023
INDIRA GANDHI RASHTRIYA
URAN AKADEMI
Fursatganj Airfield, Distt. Amethi (U.P)-229 302
(An Autonomous Body under the Ministry of Civil Aviation Govt. of India)
ISO 9001-2008 Certified
“PROVIDE WINGS TO DREAMS”
Join India's Best Flying Training Institution
Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi (IGRUA) invites
applications for Ab-initio to Commercial Pilot License course,
scheduled to commence from 17 August 2023 onwards in
FOUR batches.
Eligibility:
(i) Must have passed English, Maths & Physics at 10+2 or
equivalent and minimum marks obtained in above individual
subjects for candidates in General Category are 50% and for
candidates in SC, ST, EWS and OBC (belonging to non creamy
layer) category are 45 %.
(11) Marital Status Single, UNMARRIED
(iii) Height-Minimum 158 cms and Maximum 185 cms.
The training fee is Rs. 45 Lacs plus Boarding -Lodging and other
expenses extra. For detailed information and application formats
etc. please visit "ENTRANCE" on IGRUA website
https://igrua.gov.in.
The last date of filling of ONLINE application is 23rd April 2023 (fee
payment by online mode). The date of online examination 14 May
2023 (Sunday)
ENTRANCE 2023
INDIRA GANDHI RASHTRIYA
URAN AKADEMI
Fursatganj Airfield, Distt. Amethi (U.P)-229 302
(An Autonomous Body under the Ministry of Civil Aviation Govt. of India)
ISO 9001-2008 Certified
“PROVIDE WINGS TO DREAMS”
IGRUA OFFERS PILOT ASPIRANTS BSC AVIATION DEGREE
along with the CPL Training.
Programme: 3 Year BSc programme exclusively for CPL
trainees at IGRUA.
40 seats only.
For Details Contact:
Course Coordinator (B Sc Aviation) IGRUA
Phone: +91 (11) 24615370, 24655796
Mobile: 8840537568
e-mail: helpdesk-exam@igrua.gov.in DAVP/03104/12/0001/2223
 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM

10 IN PARLIAMENT
THE INDIAN EXPRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2023

Budget Session

ZeroworkhourinLSasruling,Opp Govt: First test vehicle

DELHI CONFIDENTIAL MPscreateruckus,enterWell
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, MARCH 16
THE LOK Sabha on Thursday re-
mained disrupted for the fourth
straight day, with the House
functioning for barely five min-
utesthrough morningandafter-
noon sessions before being ad-
journed for the day. Members
from Treasury and Opposition
sides shouted slogans against
each other and entered the Well
of the House with their de-
PICTURE PERFECT mands, respectively, on Rahul
Gandhi's comments and the
CONGRESS LEADER Sonia Gandhi, who came to Lok Sabha Adani Group issue.
much ahead of 11 am, when the House starts its proceedings, In the morning, the House
hadsomethinginterestingtoshowherbench-mates.Shetook wasadjourneduntil2pmshortly
out her phone and was seen showing a black and white pic- after proceedings began, as
ture to fellow MPsT R Baalu (DMK) and Farooq Abdullah(NC). members from both sides
More than both of them, however, Sonia's excitement got the stormed into the Well of the
attention of Dayanidhi Maran (DMK), who was standing be- House and created ruckus.
hind. Maran wanted the senior Congress leader to send him
the picture. Sonia gave the phone to NCP MP Supriya Sule to
There was pandemonium as
BJP MPs stood in protest, de-
have the image sent to Maran. Sule, however, could not — ap-
parently due to poor connectivity inside the House. She got
Maran's phone and took screenshots of the picture from
manding an apology from Rahul
forhisremarksondemocracybe-
ing under threat in India during
Sonia's phone. She clicked one photo on her phone, too. his visit to the UK, and Congress-
ledOppositionMPssoughtaJoint
Parliamentary Committee (JPC)
CHAIR UMPIRE probeintotheHindenburgreport
on Adani Group.
TRINAMOOL CONGRESS Rajya Sabha leader Derek O'Brien Trinamool Congress mem-
had a lesson for the young research associates on empower-
ment.Aheadof theparty'spressconferenceattheConstitution
Club on Thursday, O'Brien wanted some of the chairs lying in
bers, with their mouths covered
by black cloths, protested over
not being allowed to speak in-
the hall to be removed. When he asked the women research
associates to get them away, they said they had asked some-
side the House.
WithBJPdeterminedtoesca-
one to remove them. But the MP asked them, "Why don't you late the attack on Rahul, who
removethemyourself?Get yourhandsdirty....Youdon'tneed reachedDelhionWednesday,the
men to do this.” The women immediately got the message ruling party's MPs stood up as
and got to work. soonastheHousemet,repeating
their demand for an apology.
UP IN ARMS: Members of Opposition parties stage a protest over the Adani issue at the
Parliament House complex on Thursday. PTI
Speaker Om Birla asked
membersfrombothsidestotake
their seats but with his requests
ignored,headjournedtheHouse
until 2 pm. “I want to run the
House.Iwillgiveeveryoneanop-
portunitytospeak,buttheHouse
must be in order. You cannot
come to the Well...” Birla said.
Addressing members from
both sides, Birla said: “You
(Treasury) also sit. I will give you
(Opposition) the opportunity. Do
you not want the House to run?
You do not want to have a debate
ontheBudget?Youdonotwantto
have a discussion on Question
Hour? You just want to engage in
sloganeering.Isthatagoodthing...”
The ruckus continued after
proceedings resumed at 2 pm.
Upper House ‘works’ for 3
mins in 2 halves, adjourned
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, MARCH 16
THERAJYASabhawasadjourned
withintwominutesofconvening
for the day on Thursday as both
the Treasury and Opposition
benches continued disrupting
proceedings,ashasbeenthecase
all week.
AstheUpperHouseconvened
at 11 am, BJP MPs kept up their
demand for an apology from
CongressleaderRahulGandhifor
hisrecentremarksonIndiamade
demonstration under
Gaganyaan likely in May
ANONNA DUTT
NEW DELHI, MARCH 16
THEFIRSTtestvehicledemonstra-
tion (TV-D1) under the
Gaganyaan mission is likely to
take place in May this year, with
the first uncrewed mission to be
undertakenonlyafterthesuccess
of two such demonstrations, ac-
cordingtothereplyof Ministerof
State for Department of Space
Jitendra Singh in Parliament on
Wedesday.Twomoretestvehicle
demonstrations will be under-
taken before the second un-
crewedmission,whichwillcarry
apressurisedcrewmoduleunlike
the first uncrewed mission.
“As per the current schedule,
the first uncrewed mission may
be attempted by the end of the
year, another uncrewed mission
by mid-2024. The first crewed
mission has been scheduled for
late2024orearly2025.However,
this will all depend on how the
tests go,” said an official from the
space agency.
The test vehicle demonstra-
tionhasbeendesignedtotestthe
EC’s proposal for e-postal
ballot for overseas voters
under discussion: Govt
Rajya Sabha Chairman
Jagdeep Dhankhar on PRESSTRUSTOFINDI
Thursday. PTI NEW DELHI, MARCH 16
A PROPOSAL by the Election
processesforabortingthemission
mid-air,theparachutesystemthat
willbringthecrewmoduledown
to sea, and the recovery of crew
members from the module after
splashdown. The demonstration
willuseasingleliquidpropellant-
based rocket stage to carry the
crew module to sub-orbital level.
“Althoughhelicopterbasedair
drop tests have already been car-
ried out, a helicopter – or any air-
plane for that matter – cannot go
to an altitude of say 10 km from
the surface of the earth. The test
vehicle missions will test all sys-
tems and processes at a much
greater height,” said the official.
The mission was initially sup-
posedtohaveonlytwouncrewed
missions and then a crewed mis-
sion. The minister’s reply in
Parliament, however, says,
“GaganyaanAdvisoryCouncilhas
recommended testing of Crew
Escape System and deceleration
systems through four abort mis-
sions using Test Vehicle (TV) and
Integrated Air Drop Tests before
proceedingwithcrewedmissions.
This is in addition to the two un-
crewedmissionsplannedearlier.”
India has taken up a proposal to
amend the Conduct of Elections
Rules, 1961 to facilitate electron-
ically transmitted postal ballot
system for overseas electors. The

CULTURAL EVOLUTION
Rahul was not present in the
House in the morning.
Members of the Congress,
UNIONCULTUREMinisterGKishanReddy,whoisaLokSabha along with those from the DMK,
MP from Secunderabad in Telangana, has written to Chief theLeftparties,NCPandtheBRS,
Minister K Chandrashekar Rao to provide land to the Union rushed to the Well, shoutingslo-
ministry to set up a dedicated regional centre of the Sangeet gans and reiterating their de-
Natak Akademi. The Akademi will specifically promote mand for a JPC probe. Trinamool
Telangana'srich cultural heritage of music,folkandtribal arts, MPs,who were standing around
Reddy stated and asked the Chief Minister to "identify and al- the Speaker's chamber even be-
lot a suitable plot of 10 acres in the heart of Hyderabad”. fore Lok Sabha met, also staged
a protest.
Kirit Solanki, who was in the
Chair, asked members whether
they wanted the House to run or
not. When members did not pay
attention, he adjourned the
House for the day.
Thesecondhalf of theBudget
session began on Monday and
haswitnesseduproariousscenes
fromDayOne,withbothsidesnot
showing any indication of a
climbdown.
overseas. Trinamool Congress
MPs were in the Well of the
House,withtheirmouthsgagged
with a piece of cloth as a mark of
protest. Aam Aadmi Party's
SanjaySinghwasalsoseeninthe
Well, while Congress MPs stood
at their seats and protested.
With both sides continuing
to disrupt the proceedings, at
11.02 am, Chairman Jagdeep
Dhankhar adjourned the pro-
ceedings until 2 pm.
The situation remained the
same after the House re-assem-
bled for the afternoon session,
with several MPs already in the
Well of the House. Deputy
Chairman Harivansh asked the
members to return to their seats
andallowtheproceedingstocon-
tinue.Butwiththememberscon-
tinuing to protest, he adjourned
the House for the day at 2.01 pm.
Commissiontofacilitateelectron-
ically transmitted postal ballot
systemforoverseasIndianvoters
is under discussions with the
Ministryof ExternalAffairs,Rajya
SabhawasinformedonThursday.
In a written reply, Law
Minister Kiren Rijiju also said the
totalnumberof overseaselectors
asonJanuary1thisyearstandsat
over 1.15 lakh.
“The Election Commission of
matter is under discussions with
the Ministry of External Affairs
to iron out the logistical chal-
lenges involved in the imple-
mentation of the proposal,”
Rijiju said.
According to the EC website,
asof nowanoverseasvoterisnot
issuedaphotoidentitycard,they
are allowed to vote in person at
the polling station by producing
their original passport.

HC upholds
conviction of
ex-BJP MLA
in forgery case
ASAD REHMAN
LUCKNOW, MARCH 16
THE ALLAHABAD High Court on
Thursday upheld a trial court
order convicting disqualified
BJP MLA Indra Pratap alias
Khabbu Tiwari and two others
in a three-decade-old mark-
sheet forgery case.
On October 18, 2021, an
MP/MLAcourtinAyodhyafound
the three – Indra Pratap Tiwari,
Kripa Nidhan Tiwari and Phool
ChandraYadav–guiltyof forgery
of marksheets to secure admis-
sion to a college in 1992. They
were sentenced to five years in
prison along with a fine.
Dismissingtheappealsof the
threeconvicts,whoarecurrently
outonbail,JusticeDineshKumar
Singh of the Allahabad High
Court ordered the police to take
them into custody to serve out
the sentence as awarded by the
trial court.
“From the evidence led by
the prosecution, the offences...
are fully made out and proved
against the accused-appellants
and, the learned trial court has
rightly convicted and sentenced
the accused-appellants for the
aforesaidoffences,”JusticeSingh
said in his order on Thursday.
The trial court had convicted
the three under IPC sections 420
(cheating),468(forgery)and471
Rahul in BJP line of fire,Varun MAHARASHTRA FARMERS’ LONG MARCH
Shinde pledges more sops, farmers
says no to Oxford Union debate to continue stir till implementation
LIZ MATHEW
NEW DELHI, MARCH 16
ATAtimewhenBJPprotestsover
Rahul Gandhi's remarks in
London have stalled Parliament
for four days, BJP MP Varun
Gandhihasturneddownaninvi-
tationfromOxfordUniversity,UK,
to speak on the Narendra Modi
government's performance.
The invite was sent by the of-
fice of Matthew Dick, president
of the Oxford Union, to speak on
the motion ‘This House Believes
Modi'sIndiaisontheRightPath’.
Declining the invite, Varun,
the MP from Pilibhit, Uttar
Pradesh,whohasbeencriticalof
several measures of the Modi
government, said he felt such is-
sues should be raised “within
India to Indian policymakers”,
and that he believed the topic
wasone“withapredefinedcon-
clusion”. He also said there were
ampleopportunitiestospeakon
the matter within the country.
The BJP has accused Rahul of
vilifying India by suggesting dur-
inghisinteractionsintheUKthat
democracy was under threat in
the country under the Modi gov-
ernment, and that his voice was
muffled.TheBJPhasbeenprotest-
inginParliamentseekinganapol-
SHAKHAS MUST WORK TOWARDS FIGHTING UNTOUCHABILITY, ENSURING EVERYONE GETS ENTRY INTO TEMPLES: HOSABALE
Varun Gandhi
ogy from the Congress leader.
In his reply to the Oxford
Union, Varun said he gave “pri-
ority to participate in national
debate both within Parliament
and through other fora in a con-
stant and constructive manner”.
“I see no merit or integrity in vo-
calisinginternalchallenges in an
international forum.”
Varunexpressedhisgratitude
fortheinvite,callingit“amarkof
a great honour”. “However, I be-
lieve this topic at hand is one
with a predefined conclusion
andhenceIwouldliketodecline
this opportunity,” he said.
Hefurtherwrote:“Indiaison
the right path for development
and inclusiveness – a path that
hasbeenlaidoutandfollowedon
by governments of varied politi-
calaffiliationsoverthepastseven
decades since Independence,
with a push for robust economic
growth, revitalising agriculture,
education and healthcare and
putting India's interest first.”
Varunadded:“Citizenslikeme
regularlyhavetheopportunityto
discuss topics like this, with ease,
in India – raising criticism of gov-
ernment policies in the public
squareandtheaugustParliament.
However, such criticism must be
given within India to policymak-
ers.Raisingthemoutsideof India
wouldbeinimicaltoIndia'sinter-
ests and a dishonorable act.”
The Oxford Union invite said:
"Havingbeeninofficesince2014,
Modi’s rule has catapulted India
to greater prominence on the
globalstage.Manyequatehispol-
icy agendas to robust economic
growth, tackling corruption, and
putting ‘India first’. On the other
hand, Modi’s administration has
been criticised for mishandling a
growing discontent within the
agricultural sector, instigating
conflictbetweenreligiousgroups,
andfailingtorevitalisethehealth
andeducationsectors.Againstthe
backdropofever-strongpopular-
ity among voters, it is imperative
todiscusswhethertheBJP’sdirec-
tion under Modi has been more
polarising than unifying. The
questionthenbecomes:what(or
who) is the right path for India as
it forges ahead into the future.”
ALOK DESHPANDE
MUMBAI, MARCH 16
THE MAHARASHTRA govern-
ment is set to increase the per
quintal subsidy announced to
onion farmers as well as set up
a special committee for effective
implementation of the Forest
Rights Act in the state. These de-
cisions were taken in a meeting
between representatives of the
farmers' long march and Chief
Minister Eknath Shinde on
Thursday.
However, representatives of
the farmers' long march, led by
the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS),
said even though the discussion
with Shinde was positive, they
will not call off the march as of
now and stay put at Vasind in
Thane district until the actual
implementationof thepromises
by the administration begins.
Shinde has already an-
nounced a subsidy of Rs 300 per
quintalforonionfarmersandthe
government has agreed to in-
crease the amount further.
Meanwhile, the committee for
implementation of the Forest
Rights Act will have former
CPI(M)MLAJivaPanduGavitand
Maharashtra Kisan Sabha presi-
Farmers during their march from Nashik to Vidhan Sabha in
Mumbai on Thursday. PTI
dent Ajit Navale. The long march
is being led by Gavit and leaders
of the Kisan Sabha's state unit.
The government has also
agreed to include 88,000 farm-
ers who could not apply for the
2018ChhatrapatiShivajiMaharaj
ShetkariSanmanYojana—aloan
waiver scheme announced by
thestategovernmentledbythen
chiefministerDevendraFadnavis
— which will cost the state ex-
chequer Rs 150 crore. These
farmerswereeligibleforthe2018
schemebutdidn'tbenefitfromit
as they could not apply.
In addition, tribal farmers
who could not apply for the
2018 loan waiver scheme will
also be extended benefits of the
scheme now.
After the meeting, Shinde
said the discussion was positive
and announcements in this re-
gardwillbemadeinsidethestate
Legislature on Friday. “We told
them that we are positive about
the demands raised by farmers.
We will make the statement in
theAssemblyonFriday,”hesaid.
Maharashtra Kisan Sabha
president Ajit Navale said the
government had accepted their
demands. “However, accepting
demands in a meeting and actu-
ally directing the administration
to implement those decisions
aretwodifferentthings,"hesaid.
Chandigarh
Metro back on
track after 14 yrs
HINA ROHTAKI
CHANDIGARH, MARCH 16
IGNORINGMPKirronKher'scon-
cerns,theUTAdministrationalong
withHaryanaandPunjabgovern-
ments Thursday gave “in-princi-
ple” approval to the “metro proj-
ect” for the Tricity of Chandigarh,
MohaliandPanchkula.
Thiswasdecidedatameeting
held at UT Secretariat in Sector 9,
Chandigarh, after the report on
comprehensive mobility plan
(CMP) prepared by RITES (Rail
India Technical and Economic
Service Limited) was tabled be-
fore Haryana and Punjab.
Thedecisionwastakenaftera
hiatus of 14 years of dilly-dally-
ing over having a metro for
Chandigarh. BJP leader and city
MPKirronKherhasbeenoppos-
ing the metro because of which
the project couldn’t take off.
Aspertheproposednewplan
now (on recommendations of
RITES), which would be sent to
the Centre for final approval, the
entire cost of metro would ten-
tativelyworkouttobearoundRs
10,570 crore, out of which Rs
1,795 crore will be spent in the
first phase and Rs 6,898 crore in
the second phase and Rs 1,878
crore in the third phase.

RSS to fight back Opp ‘false narratives’ on caste, other divisions

(using as genuine a forged doc-
ument or electronic record).
Following his conviction in
2021, Indra Pratap Tiwari, then a
BJP MLA from Gosaiganj in
Ayodhyadistrict,wasdisqualified
fromtheAssemblymembership.
Hiswife,Aarti,wasfieldedbythe
BJP in the subsequent Assembly
polls. She, however, lost to
Samajwadi Party’s Abhay Singh.
As per the case details, the
principalofKSSaketPostgraduate
CollegeinFaizabadhadfiledapo-
lice complaint in 1992, accusing
Indra Pratap Tiwari and two oth-
ers of securing admission in BSC
thirdyearbyusingaforgedmark-
sheets of BSC second year, which
they had failed to clear. The
chargesheet was filed in the case
on July 19, 1996, and the charges
were framed on December 9,
2019, by the MP/MLA court.
DEEPTIMAN TIWARY
NEW DELHI, MARCH 16
THERSSresolutiononpromoting
the idea of “swa” (national self),
focusoncraftingthe“correctnar-
rative” of India and emphasis on
bridgingsocialfaultlinesinHindu
society, during its recently con-
cludedAkhilBharatiyaPratinidhi
Sabha (ABPS) meeting in
Haryana, will supplement the
BJP's 2024 poll preparations,
which rest on the popularity of
Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
BJP president J P Nadda and
party national general secretary
(Organisation)BLSanthoshwere
present at the ABPS meeting.
Sources said the RSS focus
was on fighting back “vested in-
terests” among the Opposition
tryingtocreatesocialdivisionsto
corner the BJP.
Overthenextoneyear,Sangh
cadres will hit the ground across
the country, with the agenda to
minimise instances of caste dis-
crimination. In the last one year,
RSS sources said, the Sangh has
studied more than 13,000 vil-
lages for prevalence of caste dis-
crimination,whetherintermsof
separate wells, crematoria or re-
striction on entry into temples.
“Theshakhashavetoworkto-
wards ensuring social harmony,
fightinguntouchability,ensuring
everyonegetsentryintotemples,
everyonehasequalaccesstocre-
matoria, everyone sits and eats
together at village weddings.
Whereverourworkershavebeen
successful in achieving this, we
have decided to compile such ef-
forts,” RSS general secretary
Dattatreya Hosabale said on the
concluding day of the ABPS.
Stressing that the RSS can't
“lose sight of social harmony”, a
Sangh leader argued that while
the people supported the Modi
governmentdespitedifferences,
theOppositionalwaysstokedthe
same. “Election after election it
has been proven that people are
rising above caste and voting for
the Modi government. He has
been able to create a narrative of
RSS general secretary
Dattatreya Hosabale
a united Hindu society and na-
tional pride. Forces in the
Opposition are trying to distort
this by highlighting social fis-
sures,” the leader said,
ABJPleadercitedtheMandal
agitation,pitchedagainstkaman-
dal(theRamtemplemovement),
as an example of this “time-
tested formula” of the
Opposition. “That is why you
have controversies such as
Ramcharitmanas being stoked,
Dalit and tribal issues being
raised or a narrative of language
andgenderdividebeingcreated,”
theleadertoldTheIndianExpress.
In all, the RSS identified “five
fronts” to work on over the next
one year to the 2024 polls:
‘Samajik Samrasta’ (social har-
mony), ‘Parivar Prabodhan’ (pre-
servingfamilyvalues),‘Paryavaran
Sanrakshan’ (environment pro-
tection), ‘Swadeshi Acharan’ (in-
culcating behaviour inclined to-
wards Swadeshi) and ‘Nagarik
Kartavya’ (duty of citizens).
The RSS annual report 2022-
23 also spoke categorially about
“attempts to create social fault
lines”.“ForcesinimicaltoBharat’s
unity and progress plan newer
conspiracies. Trying to break so-
ciety... by disseminating per-
verted narratives... has become
their agenda,” the report said,
listing “instigating language,
caste or group discord by using
any situation or event of society
as an excuse”, “inciting youth
againstanygovernmentscheme
likeAgnipath”,“uglyincidentsof
terror”, “rancour”, “anarchy” etc.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s
recentstatementsayingthecaste
system was not ordained by God
but created by “Pandits” was also
touched upon. With the
Oppositionlatchingontothis,the
RSS said Bhagwat meant
“Pundits” or intellectuals rather
than “Pandits” or Brahmins.
“Thecountry’snarrativeneeds
to change. India’s question paper
shouldgetIndia’sanswers...There
hasbeenanattempttomalignthe
Hindutva thought. We accept
therearesomedeficienciesinour
society, such as untouchability.
But to just underline these defi-
ciencies... is not good. Even posi-
tive aspects of the country have
been impacted by the distorted
presentation of history by some.
The Sangh will keep working on
creating the right narrative,”
Hosabale said.

11 GOVT & POLITICS
THE INDIAN EXPRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2023
KOTKAPURA FIRING
No court relief
for Sukhbir,
Badal senior gets
anticipatory bail
RAAKHI JAGGA
CHANDIGARH, MARCH 16
A COURT in Punjab's Faridkot
Thursday dismissed the antici-
patorybailpleaof formerdeputy
chief minister Sukhbir Singh
Badal in the 2015 Kotkapura po-
licefiringincidentbutgrantedre-
lief tohisfatherandformerchief
minister Parkash Singh Badal.
The court of additional dis-
trict and sessions judge Rajiv
Kalra directed the former CM,
who is also Shiromani Akali Dal
patron, to surrender before the
local magistrate within 15 days.
If arrested,Badalwillbereleased
onbail uponfurnishingpersonal
bond of Rs 5 lakh with one
surety, states the order.
The father-son duo on March
9 had moved the Faridkot court
foranticipatorybailthroughtheir
counselShivKartarSinghSekhon.
The Special Investigation
Team of Punjab Police, led by
ADGP LK Yadav, probing the po-
lice firing case last month had
filed a charge sheet in a Faridkot
court naming the Badals and
thenDGPSumedhSainiandoth-
ers. Sukhbir and Saini were
named as “masterminds of con-
spiracy for use of illegal exces-
sive force to hide the inaction” of
the state on three sacrilege inci-
dents in Faridkot.
No change in stand
on Taliban: MEA
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, MARCH 16
DAYS AFTER members of the
TalibanregimeinKabulattended
an online course from IIM
Kozhikodeorganisedthroughthe
Ministry of External Affairs run-
programme, India on Thursday
said there has been no change in
itspositiononnotrecognisingthe
Taliban regime in Kabul.
It also said there was no offi-
cial diplomatic communication
regarding this.
The Ministry of External
Affairs official spokesperson
Arindam Bagchi said the Indian
side does not issue any note ver-
bale to any entities that are not
recognised by New Delhi.
“Indiahasbeenextendingca-
pacity building assistance to de-
veloping countries across the
world through what is called the
ITEC (Indian Technical and
Economic Cooperation) pro-
gramme. This includes online
courses,” he said.
Bagchi said these scholarship
courses cover numerous topics
Have abiding interests in
West Asia region: India
New Delhi: In the wake of the
pact between Saudi Arabia and
IranonThursday,Indiasaidithas
always advocated dialogue and
diplomacytoresolvedifferences
and it has “abiding interests” in
the region.
Responding to questions on
the China-mediated agreement
between the two rivals in the
WestAsianregion,theMinistryof
External Affairs spokesperson
T5 tunnel opens for traffic, bypasses most INS DRONACHARYA GETS PRESIDENT’S COLOUR
vulnerable stretch on Jammu-Srinagar NH Modern Navy key for India security: Murmu
ARUN SHARMA
JAMMU, MARCH 16
THE NATIONAL Highway
Authority of India Thursday
opened for traffic T5 tunnel, a
870-metre tunnel that bypasses
landslide-prone stretch of the
mountainous road between
Panthial and Magerkote, on the
Jammu-Srinagar National
Highway in Ramban district.
Though the new tunnel will
only reduce the distance by only
1.1 km, it will avoid threat to hu-
man lives from stones rolling
down the mountains and fre-
quent blockages on NH44, mak-
ing the journeybetween Jammu
and Srinagar smooth and quick.
The tunnel was opened for
trafficatasimplefunction,with-
OUSTER OF UDDHAV THACKERAY GOVT
SC:HowcancourtreinstateaCM
whodidnotevenfacefloortest?
ANANTHAKRISHNAN G.
NEW DELHI, MARCH 16
THESUPREMECourtonThursday
wonderedhowitcanreinstatethe
UddhavThackeraygovernmentin
Maharashtra even if it finds the
Governor’s action in calling for a
trustvoteillegal,giventhatthefor-
mer Chief Minister had resigned
without facing the floor test, “ac-
cepting”thathewasinaminority.
“It(restoringthegovernment)
wouldhavebeenalogicalthingto
doprovidedyouhadlostthetrust
voteonthefloorof theAssembly.
Thenclearlyyouhavebeenousted
frompowerbecauseofatrustvote
which has been set aside,” said
Chief Justice of India D Y
Chandrachud, heading a five-
judge Constitution bench that is
hearingpetitionsfiledinthewake
of the Shiv Sena political crisis.
“Ourproblemis,lookatthein-
tellectualconundrum.Itisnotthat
youhavebeenoustedfrompower
as a result of a trust vote which
was wrongly summoned by the
Governor. You chose not to, for
whateverreason,youdidn’twant
to face a trust vote...,” he said.
The remarks came as Senior
AdvocateAMSinghvi,appearing
fortheThackeraygroup,urgedthe
bench, also comprising Justices
JusticesMRShah,KrishnaMurari,
and are conducted by different
Indian institutions.
“These courses are also open
to nationals of various countries,
includingAfghanistan.Anumber
ofAfghannationals,bothbasedin
India as well as in Afghanistan,
have been participating in these
ITEC courses,” Bagchi said. “Of
course, the online courses do not
involve travel to India.”
He said there has been no
change in India’s position on the
Taliban regime.
“Our position on how we see
developmentsinAfghanistanhas
not changed. I do not think any-
thing should be read into ITEC
courses vis-a-vis that. We cer-
tainly would not be issuing note
verbales,whichareinter-govern-
mental notes, to entities that are
not recognised,” he said.
In a first, members of the
TalibanregimeinKabulattended
a four-day ‘India immersion’ on-
linecoursethatbeganonTuesday.
It is offered by the MEA through
IIM Kozhikode.
The course was titled
‘ImmersingwithIndianThoughts,
an India Immersion Program’.
Arindam Bagchi said, “We have
seen the reports in this regard.
Indiahasgoodrelationswithvar-
ious countries in West Asia. We
havedeepabidinginterestsinthat
region. India has always advo-
cated dialogue and diplomacy as
a way to resolve differences.”
The two countries had an-
nouncedthefull-fledgedrestora-
tion of their diplomatic relations
after seven years. ENS
T5tunnelwasconstructedatacostof Rs100crin4years. Express
outgivingitanypublicityfollow-
ing directions from J&K Chief
Secretary Dr Arun Kimar Mehta
through Ramban Deputy
Commissioner Mussarat Islam.
Uddhav Thackeray resigned
as Maharashtra Chief
Minister on June 29, 2022.
HimaKohliandPSNarasimha,to
restore the status quo ante.
The bench reserved its judg-
ment in the matter.
TheexchangestartedwithCJI
Chandrachud asking Singhvi,
“Whathappensifwecometothe
conclusionthattherewasnovalid
exerciseofpowerbytheGovernor
to call a trust vote?”
“Then everything falls,”
replied the senior counsel.
The CJI said Thackeray re-
signed without facing the floor
testtowhichSinghvisaidtheres-
ignation is a “red herring”. The
senior counsel said the former
CM’s “resignation and not facing
trust vote is irrelevant”.
CJI Chandrachud said it is like
the court being told to put back a
governmentwhichhadacknowl-
MEHBOOBA DEFENDS TEMPLE VISIT
PDP presidentMehboobaMuftioffers prayersat NavagrahatempleinPoonchdistrict,on
Wednesday.OnIslamicscholarsfromDeobandinUPspeaking againstit,Muftion Thursdaysaid
shedoes notwant togetintothedebate. “Inourcountry,HindusandMuslimslivetogether.This
issueisrelatedtomyself andthereisnoneedforfurtherdiscussionoverit,” shesaid. PTI
J&K leaders meet EC, ask for
Assembly election schedule
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, MARCH 16
A DELEGATION of leaders from
Jammu and Kashmir met the
Election Commission on
Thursdayanddemandedthatthe
Assembly election schedule be
announced without any delay.
Afterthemeeting,formerJ&K
chief minister and National
Conference president Farooq
Abdullah,wholedthedelegation,
told the media that the leaders
urged the poll panel to start the
democratic process as soon as
possible.Hesaidtheypointedout
thatthedelimitationprocesshad
also been completed.
Manish Sahni, president, Shiv
Sena(UBT)'sJammuandKashmir
Many commuters and work-
ers engaged in road clearance
operations have lost their lives
over the years on the Panthial
stretch due to shooting stones.
edged that it is in a minority.
“How can the court reinstate
aChiefMinisterwhodidnoteven
face the floor test?,” asked Justice
Shah. “Your Lordship is not rein-
statinganybody...YourLordshipis
and should and does and (S R)
Bommai(judgment)saysitmore
graphically, restore status quo
ante,” said Singhvi.
The CJI asked if he was saying
that Thackeray resigned only be-
cause he was called upon by the
Governortofaceatrustvote“Yes,”
said Singhvi, adding that
Thackeray put in his papers after
filing the petition before the top
courtandmadeitsubjudice“and
after I said this is completely un-
known to law, don’t allow it to go
on”.HesaidtheGovernor’sdirec-
tiontoholdatrustvotewasillegal
becausehedidsobyrecognisinga
faction of 34 legislators and “the
CM’s participation or absence of
participation will not dilute that
fundamental illegality”.
“And you are frankly accept-
ingthefactthatwell,youresigned
because the trust vote was going
to go against you,” said the CJI.
Singhvisaidwhenanillegalactis
done, “the consequence of that is
known to me”.
The court also quizzed the
Thackeray camp on its argument
that the Governor could not have
called for a trust vote on the basis
unit, who attended the meeting
saidtheECassuredthedelegation
that their demand would be ad-
dressed. “The EC said after the
completion of delimitation and
theonsetofwinterlastyear,there
wasn’t much time. Now, the EC
said the weather conditions are
conducive in both Jammu and
Kashmir, so there can be an an-
nouncement in May or June,”
Sahni told The Indian Express.
The Opposition, in a memo-
randum signed by leaders of the
NC, PDP, Congress, CPI(M), AAP,
RJD,DMK,NCP,askedtheECtoan-
nounce the poll schedule as it
would restore the democratic
rights of the people of J&K.
“JammuandKashmiriswith-
outaLegislativeAssemblyandan
elected government for the last
On an average, over 10,000-
11,000 vehicles ply on the high-
wayonadailybasis.Thesupplies
to and from Kashmir are trans-
ported through NH44.
According to sources, the
Panthyalsideof T5tunnelwillbe
connected with another 3 km-
long tunnel coming from Digdol
side through a bridge and its
othersidewithanother600-me-
tre tunnel coming from Khooni
Nullah. Another adjacent tunnel
running parallel to T5 will be
constructed later, they added.
The four-lane road widening
project of the 270-km NH44, the
only all-weather road linking
Kashmir with the rest of the
country, was started in 2011.
After having missed several
deadlines, the project is likely to
be completed by next year.
oftheletterwrittenbyasectionof
Shiv Sena MLAs as internal party
differences are not in Governor’s
domain. Referring to a situation
where a group of legislators say
they have withdrawn support to
aleader,theCJIaskedwhetherthe
Governor can then look into it on
the ground that it may affect the
strength of the House.
Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal,
also appearing for the Thackeray
group,saiditcannotbedone,and
ifthisisallowed,amajoritywillnot
beneededandeven2-3MLAswill
be able to do it. He said this had
been happening before the 10th
Schedulecameintoexistence.
Remindingthatthebasicprin-
cipleofparliamentarydemocracy
is that the government has to be
accountabletoandmusthavethe
faithoftheHouse,theCJIreferred
toasituationwherehalfoftheleg-
islators say they have lost faith in
agovernmentandaskedwhatcan
be done then. “Going by your
logic, the Governor can never call
a trust vote... which means even
though the government now ef-
fectively has only half of its
strength in the House, it still has
tocontinue.It’sbasicallyreduced
toacompleteminorityprobably,”
he said. Sibal said the way out is
for the members to vote against
the Finance Bill in which case the
government will fall.
five years. In disregard of the let-
ter and spirit of the Constitution,
an unrepresentative and unac-
countablebureaucracyisallowed
torunthegovernmenttothedis-
comfortandinconvenienceofthe
general public,” they wrote.
They added that the EC was
underConstitutionalobligationto
hold elections in J&K.
A senior EC official said the
process of appointing Returning
Officers,rationalisationofpolling
stations and updating the elec-
toralrollshadbeencompletedby
November, after the notification
of the delimitation in May last
year. Since November, the cold
weather conditions had pre-
ventedthepolls,butMayonwards
the conditions would be
favourable, the official said.
SHAJU PHILIP
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM,
MARCH 16
PRESIDENT DROUPADI Murmu
on Thursday presented the
President’s Colour to INS
Dronacharya,thegunneryschool
of the Indian Navy in Kochi. The
President’s Colour is bestowed
uponamilitaryunitinrecognition
ofexceptionalservicerenderedto
the nation, both in peace and in
war.
Speaking on the occasion, the
President said maritime strength
remains crucial to India’s strate-
gic, military, economic and com-
mercialinterests.“Foranationlike
India,thefifthlargesteconomyin
the world, with a long coastline,
island territories and substantial
seafaring population, having a
Karnataka BJP ticket tumult
rages: Bommai may not get
one, says MP; BSY yatra halted
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE
BENGALURU, MARCH 16
AMID INTENSIFYING battle for
ticketswithintherulingBJPforthe
upcoming Assembly polls in
Karnataka, former chief minister
BSYediyurappawasforcedtocall
off the Vijaya Sankalpa Yatra at
MudigereintheChikkamagaluru
district Thursday due to party
workers' protest against sitting
MLA MP Kumaraswamy.
A day earlier, BJP MP GM
Siddeshwara spoke of the uncer-
tainty of allotment of tickets for
party leaders, including even CM
Basavaraj Bommai.
Yediyurappa, who is also a
memberoftheBJPParliamentary
Board,hadgonetoMudigerefora
roadshowaspartoftheYatra,one
ofthefourongoingelectionyatras
in the state. His convoy was
stopped by a group of BJP work-
erswhoprotestedagainstthecan-
didature of Kumaraswamy, a
three-time MLA from the SC-re-
served constituency. They de-
mandedthatanewfacebefielded
in the constituency.
BJPnationalgeneralsecretary
CTRavi,formerUnionministerDV
Sadananda Gowda and BJP MLC
MKPranesh,whowereaccompa-
nying Yediyurappa, were also
stopped by the protesters.
Another group of BJP workers,
however,stagedademonstration
in favour of a ticket for
Kumaraswamy.
Interacting with reporters
MANDYA RALLY SUCCESS GIVES BJP ‘DIRECTION’
Ruling party’s poll plan: focus on
Modi, turn down Hindutva heat
LIZ MATHEW
NEW DELHI, MARCH 16
TAKINGHEARTfromthemassive
crowds that turned up for Prime
Minister Narendra Modi's March
12rallyinMandya,consideredthe
JD(S) stronghold, the BJP will be
turning the focus on Modi’s pop-
ularityforitsKarnatakacampaign.
Senior party leaders in Delhi
saidthestateunitmightbeasked
tolowertheHindutvatempoand
refrain from controversial re-
marks,asthesearenotbeingseen
as yielding much dividend. A BJP
leadersaid:“TheCongressandBJP
rely on a similar vote base in
Karnataka. So, only a strong and
popular leader may be a decisive
factor.”
ArunSingh,partygeneralsec-
retaryin-chargeofKarnataka,told
The Indian Express that the
Mandya meeting was no mean
achievement. “The BJP organisa-
tionthereisnotsostrong.Butthe
crowd which came out to greet
the PM was excited. If you look at
the massive crowds at Belagavi
and Shivamogga too, it appears
there will be a wave in favour of
the BJP,” he said.
Sourcessaidthatamongstate-
mentscomingfromthebickering
state unit, those that the national
leadership has taken strong ex-
ception to include one by party
generalsecretaryCTRaviregard-
ingaticketforBYVijayendra,son
offormerchiefministerandparty
veteranBSYediyurappa.Ravisug-
gested that a ticket for the ambi-
tious Vijayendra was far from a
given,atatimewhentheBJPhigh
President Droupadi Murmu visits INS Vikrant along with
with Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and Navy Chief
Admiral R Hari Kumar, in Kochi on Thursday. ANI
strongandmodernNavyisofvery
high importance,’’ said the
President.
Yediyurappa was forced to call off Vijaya Sankalpa Yatra at
Mudigere in Chikkamagaluru on Thursday after party
workers’ protest against MLA MP Kumaraswamy. Express
Wednesday, MP Siddeshwara,
who represents the Davanagere
constituency,said:“Afterelections
areannounced,thecorecommit-
teewillmeetanddecide.Nobody
knows who will get a ticket. We
do not know whether Basavaraj
Bommai will get the ticket.”
Bommai has madeit clearon
previousoccasionsthathewants
to contest from the Shiggaon
constituency that had elected
him in 2018. Siddheshwara,
however, said, “This is a national
party. National leaders will de-
cide. They will say who will con-
test from where.”
Sensingtheopportunitytoput
the BJP on the mat, Karnataka
Congress shared Siddeshwara's
statement across social media
platforms Thursday, asking
“WhethertheBJPhighcommand
hadrealisedthatpeoplehadanger
PM’s Mandya rally success
boosted BJP hopes of
making inroads in old
Mysuru area, which
has 80 seats. PTI file
commandisgoingallouttocourt
Yediyurappa, whose popularity
amongtheLingayatsmakeshima
formidableasset.“Ravishouldnot
have said this in public,” a visibly
angry leader said.
SeveralBJPleadersinthestate
havebeenraisingthecentrallead-
ership’s hackles with their state-
ments, including state president
Nalin Kateel, who has referred to
thecomingcontestasoneofTipu
SultanversusVDSavarkar.Healso
asked party workers to focus on
“stopping love jihad” instead of
“minor issues” like roads and
sewage. Recently, he said Rahul
Gandhihadnotgotmarriedashe
could not have children. Senior
leaderssaidKateel,amongothers,
wouldbespokento,andtoldtobe
careful about what they say.
From Friday, several senior
leaders such as Union minister
DharmendraPradhan,Karnataka
election in-charge for the party,
will be in the state. Apart from
Pradhan, Union minister
Mansukh Mandaviya and Tamil
Shesaidforthelast75years,a
combat-ready, multi-dimen-
sional and versatile Indian Navy
WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM
against the state government”.
“Leave aside giving Basavaraj
Bommai leadership (after the
Assembly polls), it is apparently
doubtful that he will get a ticket.
Is there any link to the statement
by MP Siddeshwara and (Union
Home Minister) Amit Shah not
mentioning Bommai's name
(during campaigns)," the
Congress said in a tweet.
“Has corruption and
Bommai's failure caused enough
bitternessinthepartyleadership
tonotfieldhim.Didthehighcom-
mand realise the anger people
have against the government?"
the Congress added.
Siddheshwara’s remarks
came amidst speculation in po-
litical circles that Bommai is
scouting for another con-
stituency as he is unsure of re-
taining the Shiggaon seat.
Nadustatechief KAnnamalaiare
in-charge of Karnataka elections.
Modiwillbearrivingforarally
inDavangereonMarch25,around
thetimethatelectiondatesareex-
pected to be announced.
The Mandya rally success has
also boosted the BJP’s hopes of
makinginroadsintheoldMysuru
area, a Vokkaliga-dominated re-
gionwhichhasaround80seatsin
the 224-member Assembly. The
JD(S) is the main party here, and
the BJP believes it has been suc-
cessfulinmakingdeepinroadsin
some pockets.
Apart from the Lingayat vote,
theBJPistryingtowinoveracru-
cial chunk of the non-dominant
Backward Caste and Dalit votes,
knownasAHINDA,whichformer
CMSiddaramaiahhadearliermo-
bilised behind the Congress.
Of Karnataka's 6 crore popu-
lation, the Lingayats make up
around 17%, Vokkaligas 15%,
Muslims9%,andKurubas(senior
Congress leader and former CM
SiddaramaiahisaKuruba)around
8%.TheBackwardClassesblockof
various sub-castes minus the
Kurubasmakeuparound25%.SCs
are around 15%, and STs 3%.
“Our attempts will be to con-
solidateLingayatvotes,forwhich
Yediyurappa’s leadership is cru-
cial, increase our strength in the
Vokkaliga areas and get the max-
imumsupportfromthebackward
classes.Forthis,PMModi'simage
and the goodwill regarding the
Central schemes can help,” a
leader said.
The Muslim vote is expected
to consolidate behind the
Congress.
has not only deterred our adver-
saries and safeguarded our mar-
itime interests, but also enabled
creation of a peaceful periphery
to facilitate socio-economic
growth. “The nation is proud of
theIndianNavy’scommitmentto
protectingourmaritimeborders.”
Murmu said.
The President said over the
years,theNavyhasdevelopedsig-
nificant capabilities to be a mis-
sion-deployed and response-
ready force across the Indian
Ocean Region.
“The country looks up to the
Navy to protect our maritime in-
terests. Our ‘women and men in
whites’ would need to keep
themselves updated with the
latesttechnologyadvancements
as well as changing operational
dynamics in the maritime do-
main,” she said.
 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM

12 EXPRESS NETWORK
THE INDIAN EXPRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2023

Wrong claims to ex-staff 700 INDIAN STUDENTS FACE DEPORTATION FROM CANADA

Jalandhar-based firm owner was held 10 years

Student kills self,
landlord dies

accessing systems: ago for forging papers to send students abroad of heart attack on
seeing his body

Panel flags NAAC lapses

admission in Humber College, a
ANJU AGNIHOTRI CHABA public college in Ontario. The fee
JALANDHAR, MARCH 16 he charged included the admis- PRESS TRUST OF INDIA
sion fee but excluded air tickets JAIPUR, MARCH 16

E
THE JALANDHAR administration and security deposits.
on Thursday suspended the li- Mishra then allegedly gener- A CLASS 10 student died by sui-
maintained,” sources said. censes of a city-based migration atedfake‘AdmissionOfferLetters’ cide in a rented room due to
E X P L A I NE D

SOURAV ROY BARMAN
NEW DELHI, MARCH 16
INTERNAL SYSTEMS can be ac-
cessed by employees who are
“no longer its employees”; tem-
porary “consultants” have been
given powers rather than regu-
lar staffers; universities issued
A+ grades despite “wrong
claims” in Self Study Reports
(SSRs) which are alloted to only
certain empanelled Data
Validation and Verification
(DVV) firms.
These alleged irregularities
in the functioning of the
National Assessment and
Accreditation Council (NAAC),
which grades colleges and uni-
versities, could just be the “tip
of the iceberg”, observed a com-
mittee set up by Bhushan
Patwardhan who resigned as
the council’s chairman on
March 5 over the UGC “ignor-
ing” the findings.
Sources told The Indian
Express that the report by a
panel led by J P Singh Joorel,
who is is the Director of
Information and Library
Network (INFLIBNET) which is
involved in modernising uni-
versity libraries, was prepared
after the team of experts
camped in the NAAC’s
Bangalore campus between
August 23 and 26 last year.
Apart from Joorel, the mem-
bers were Director Inter-
University Accelerator Centre
Prof Avinash C Pandey, Former
NIT Surathkal Director Prof
Sandeep Sancheti and Prof
Madhulika Kaushik of the Usha
Martin University in Jharkhand.
Among the serious lapses
flagged by the committee in its
report, one relates to the alloca-
tion of higher educational insti-
tutions, which have applied for
NAAC accreditation, to DVV
partners, which are empanelled
by the NAAC through a tender-
ing process.
What the
numbers
● reflect
OF THE 1,113 universities
and 43,796 colleges in
the All India Survey on
Higher Education Report
2020-21, only 418 univer-
sities and 9,062 colleges
are NAAC accredited as
on January 31, 2023, ac-
cording to information
shared by the
Government in Lok
Sabha in February.
The committee, sources
said, found that “allocation of
SSRs to DVV partners is neither
sequential, nor round
robin/random”.
“There were variations in
the number of HEIs allotted to
different DVV partners during
the year 2021. In one instance,
12 SSRs were allotted to one
DVV partner while only two
SSRs were allotted to the second
DVV Partner on October 28,
2021,” sources said.
Under NAAC’s accreditation
process, the first step involves
an applicant institution submit-
ting a self-study report (SSR)
based on 137 quantitative and
qualitative metrics covering
seven broad areas. The data is
subjected to validation by DVV
partners, which is followed up
by site visits by peer teams
drawn up from a panel of over
4000 assessors.
The Joorel panel, which sub-
mitted its report last
September, also flagged that the
NAAC’s internal system has sev-
eral super admin users (who
enjoy full rights in terms of ac-
cess and bringing changes) who
are “no more employees” of the
council. “There is no clarity on
how users are created and are
granted privileges and logs are
Before resigning,
Patwardhan had on February 26
written to UGC Chairman M
Jagadesh Kumar expressing ap-
prehension about the “possibil-
ity of vested interests, malprac-
tices, and nexus among the
persons concerned, offering
thereby a green corridor by pre-
sumably manipulating ICT, DVV
and PTV (peer team visit)
processes leading to the award-
ing of questionable grades to
some HEIs”.
In its report, the committee
flagged 13 cases, where grades
between A++ and A+ were is-
sued, having “anomalies”
“which may be tip of the ice-
berg”, the source quoted the re-
port as having observed. In one
such case, the committee found,
one university was graded A+
despite “over 50% of metric val-
ues entered by it in its SSR found
to be wrong”.
UGC Chairman Jagadesh
Kumar and NAAC Director S C
Sharma did not respond to re-
quests for comments on the
contents of the report.
On March 7, The Indian
Express reported that nearly 70
per cent of experts from the pool
of assessors did not appear to
have received any opportunity
to conduct site visits while some
others had multiple such visits.
Respondingtothereport,the
NAAC on March 7 issued a state-
ment saying that the entire
process of accreditation and as-
sessment it carries out through
teamsof expertsis“transparent”
and cannot be “compromised”.
On the finding that the IT
system of NAAC was “compro-
mised”, with people without
authority also getting to make
allocations of assessors, the
Council had stated that “super-
admins comprising advisor ICT
and system analyst have been
created only to manage and su-
pervise the overall operations
of the system”.
consultancy firm whose services fromthecollegeandsentthemto exam pressure in Rajasthan’s
were allegedly taken by the 700- thestudents,whowereshownas Dholpur district, police said on
odd Indian students who now ‘self-applicants’intheirstudyvisa Thursday. His landlord died of a
face deportation from Canada. applications. He also generated suspected heart attack after see-
Over700Indianstudentshave the college’s fake fee deposit re- ing the body hanging, they said.
reportedly received deportation ceipts and it was on the basis of Thestudentwasidentifiedas
letters from the Canadian Border The closed office of Education Migration Services in thesefakereceiptsandthefakeof- Pushpendra Rajput (17), who
ServicesAgency(CBSA)aftertheir Jalandhar’s Green Park locality. Express fer letters that the visas were is- lived as a tenant and studied in a
admission offer letters from an suedbytheembassy,saidsources. privateschool,thepolicesaid.He
Ontario-basedpubliccollegewere On their arrival in Canada, had returned from his village on
foundtobefake.Thestudentshad Police said Mishra, who hails seen in his office for several Mishrawouldaskthestudentsto Wednesday and died by suicide
applied for study visas through from Bihar, started the consul- months now. The Indian Express take admission in other colleges at night.
Education Migration Services, a tancy firm in 2014, merely a year visitedthe146,GreenParkaddress onthepretextthattheadmission One of the family members
firmco-ownedbyBrijeshMishra. afterhewasarrestedforallegedly of M/S Education and Migration to Humber had got cancelled, of the landlord, identified as
Taking suo motu action in the forging documents to send stu- Services in Jalandhar and found when, in fact, no admission had Bahadur Singh (70), saw the
absence of a formal complaint in dentsabroad.Thecompanyheran the office locked. The website of ever taken place. To avoid suspi- body and screamed for help.
the case so far, Jalandhar Deputy then, ‘Easy Way Immigration Education Migration Services has cion, he would allegedly ‘refund’ WhenSinghsawthebodyhang-
Commissioner Jaspreet Singh on Consultancy’,wasraidedin2013, alsobeenpulleddown. the fee charged and keep a com- ing, his health suddenly deteri-
Thursday issued show-cause no- withpoliceseizingcashandpass- Police said Mishra had also missionofRs5-6lakhperstudent. orated and he eventually col-
ticestoRahulBhargava,oneofthe ports. According to the notice is- taken the franchise of a Delhi- Sourcessaidthescamcameto lapsed, the police said.
partners in M/S Education and suedbytheDC,Bhargavawasadi- based consultancy, which facili- light when some of the students “A suicide note has been re-
MigrationServices,whichisregis- rector in Easy Way too. The tates student visas for Canada. appliedforPermanentResidency covered from the student's
tered under the 2014 Punjab company’scurrentstatusshowed Detailing Mishra’;s modus and their documents, including room. The landlord apparently
TravelandProfessionalRegulation that it had been “struck off”. operandi,police said he allegedly the offer letters on the basis of died of a heart attack after see-
Act,andplacedthefirm’slicenses Mishra,accordingtoJalandhar charged over Rs 16 lakh per stu- which they were issued study ing the body hanging in the
under suspension. Police, has reportedly not been dent promising to facilitate their visas, were scrutinised. room,” a police officer said.
10 fishermen on board TN
trawler ‘hunt’ dolphins, held
(Protection)Act, 1972 and hence
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE a protected species in India.
RAJKOT, MARCH 16 “The accused are claiming
that they hunted common dol-
TEN FISHERMEN on board a phins for using the cetacean’s
Tamil Nadu fishing trawler were meat as bait for bull sharks... we
arrested by the Porbandar are verifying their claim,”
wildlifedivisionof Gujaratforest Agneeshwar Vayas, Deputy
department on Thursday for al- Conservator of Forests (DCF) of
legedlyhunting22commondol- Porbandar told The Indian
phins off the coast of Porbandar. Express.
In a joint operation, officers The accused have been iden-
of the Porbandar wildlife divi- tified as Sansuman Basumatri
sion and the Indian Coast Guard (31), Nihal Kunancheri (26),
intercepted Davana’s 2, a Tamil Gilthus Muppakuddi (62),
EXPRESS WIN AT DIGITAL MEDIA AWARDS Nadu registered fishing trawler,
off the coast of Porbandar late
Wednesdayandfoundcarcasses
Selvan Surles (46), Raj Kumar
Thanisharaj (52), Aroon Pillai
(47), Anthony Barla (50),
(From left) Ananth Nath Sharma, Rahel Philipose, Sonal Gupta, Aaron Pereira, Nandagopal of 22 dolphins in the boat. Mayadhar Raut (50), Ranjit Boro
Rajan, Shashank Bhargava and Mohit Gupta of The Indian Express digital team that won Common dolphin, the most (28) and Saujin Susayarul (36).
three awards at WAN-INFRA Digital Media Awards-South Asia, 2022, in New Delhi on abundant cetacean in the world, The DCF said that carcasses
Thursday: Gold for Best Newsletter (Your Morning Expresso), Gold for Best Digital is a species listed on the of four bull sharks were also
Subscription Initiative, and Bronze for Best Podcast (3 Things). Express Schedule-2 of the Wildlife found in the trawler.

‘The export slump is worrying and given our

demand, watch out for dumping of foreign goods’
Neelkanth Mishra, Co-head of Asia Pacific Strategy, India Equity Strategist for Credit Suisse and Part-Time Member of the PM’s Economic
Advisory Council, decodes the challenges before our economy. The session was moderated by Executive Editor P Vaidyanathan Iyer
On major concerns for the
Indian economy
I think the government’s role in the economy in-
creasedsubstantiallyduringtheCovidpandemic
and it is very important to calibrate the with-
drawal.So,whenagovernment’sfiscaldeficitgoes
up, it means that the government is borrowing
from the future and spending now. The second
big variable is the amount you borrow from the
market.BeforeCovid,thegovernment’sborrow-
ingwasRs4-5lakhcrorewhichhasnowjumped
toalmostRs12lakhcrore.Thentherewasashort-
fall in tax receipts. So, this suddenly creates pres-
sureinthemarket.Thethirdconcernisthatyour
numbers need to be very credible. This is an ex-
traordinarily volatile global economy. In fact,
whiletheIndianprivatesectorandconsumption
arebeginningtorecover,therearestillquestions.
This brings us to the fourth factor, that of fi-
nancial stability. We may think fundamentals of
theeconomydrivefinancialmarketsbutveryof-
tenfinancialmarketscanalsoaffecttheeconomy.
Supposethereissomedisbelief infiscalnumbers
andbonddealsspikeby50basispoints.Thensud-
denly,thecostof borrowingfortheoverallhealth
oftheeconomyshootsupandcreatesdownward
spirals.Iftheeconomyslowsdown,thenthegov-
ernment’staxrevenuestartstoslow downand a
lot of damage can happen as we saw in the UK.
On rating the Budget
The numbers are quite credible, I don’t think
anyone has a problem with a 10.5 cent nominal
GDP growth. The apprehension that many had
was with regard to the quality of expenditure,
whether the government would give handouts
or spend on longer-term growth multipliers.
The fact that the government continues to
AUDIENCE QUESTIONS
On reducing the debt-to-GDP ratio
Financial savings percentages at a gross
levelarenotasbadastheyareatanetlevel.
Household borrowing has gone up and
while that is criticised as a debt-driven cul-
ture, these small ticket loans are very small
in my view.
One of the reasons that household debt
has actually gone up is because the infor-
mal sector, which was earlier shut out of
the formal borrowing system, is getting
credit now. I think a debt-to-GDP ratio of
above80isverydangerous.Thebestwayto
shrink the debt-to-GDP ratio is to grow the
focus on capital expenditure is very important
because the size of the fiscal deficit and govern-
ment expenditure are what drive near-term or
medium-term growth. If you raise the alloca-
tion for schemes like PM KISAN, raise the base
rate of wages or announce a cash transfer
scheme so that an extra Rs 100 go to someone’s
pocket, people start spending. This creates ag-
gregatedemand.Itcouldalsocreatehigherinfla-
tion if you choose to spend that Rs 100 on build-
ing a road. It creates demand for steel, jobs and
denominator, the nominal GDP.
On gender budgeting in India
Female labour force participation rate in
India is very low. Instead of just looking
at specific gender allocations, think
about ways to get women back to work,
like helping them save time walking five
kilometres to fetch water. Give them
piped water. Ever since LPG cylinders
have reached women, the enrolment of
girls, who would be deployed for chores
and collecting cow dung, up to class VI
has improved dramatically.
overaperiodof time,bringsdownlogisticscosts,
making India more competitive, and therefore,
supporting medium-term growth. Now
whether the government is able to meet these
capital expenditure targets, whether the Rs 1.3
lakh crore have been handed over to states for
doing capex or whether the states are able to
ramp up or not, time will tell.
On increasing capex
While subsidy allocations have come down,
way with a building and it’s not very capital-in-
tensive.From aRs 2 lakh crore railway capex, we
need to spend Rs 8 to 10 lakh crore over a period
of time.Theproblemhasbeenabsorptivecapac-
ity, in the sense that the railways have struggled
to spend the money given to them. It’s the same
withnationalhighwaystoo. Westillneedsignif-
icant investments in roads and railways to facil-
itatelowerlogisticscostsand,therefore,support
private sector capex from a global competitive-
ness perspective over the next 10 years.
On efficacy of Production-Linked
Incentive (PLI) schemes
Mishra (left)andPVaidyanathan Iyer The PLI scheme is a very creative way to align
the interests of the government and the private
sector. More importantly, supply chain shifts are
fertiliser subsidies are about filling the gap be- starting to happen. Some of them are policy-
tween market and government fixed prices. As driven but quite a few suppliers are coming
market prices come down, the fertiliser subsi- through. In 2018, only five units from India were
dies will come down too. The government’s in- among Apple’s top 200 suppliers, there were 13
tent is not to reduce the allocation, it is just that in2021butIwouldn’tbesurprisediftheyaresub-
it is less necessary. Similarly, NREGA is a de- stantially more when the 2022 list comes out.
mand-driven scheme. If more people demand Thensolarpanelsmanufacturinghasapotential.
it, the Rs 60,000 crore allocation will become Rs When you think about all the capex in PLI
80,000 crore again. If there is more schemes over four to five years, it
demand, there will be supplemen- would be only about $21 billion. In
tary grants mid-year. an economy where the total aggre-
Privatesectorcapexhasbeendo- gate investment is close to a trillion
ing well. Industrial goods suppliers, dollars,$20-25billionoverfiveyears
likecapitalequipmentsuppliers,are isnotthatsubstantial.Butitisavery
consistentlyshowingsignificantim- important signalling mechanism
provementintheirorderbooks.Very thatIndiawantsmanufacturing.We
few of those are government proj- need to get the apparel sector right
ects. If you see the reduction in SCANTHECODETO becauseit’sverysignificantinterms
India’s capital expenditure ratio, WATCHVIDEO of job creation and is being seeded
what in economic parlance is Gross by China.
Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF) to
GDP, which is the total investment happening in On the new tax regime
theeconomyasapercentageofGDP,thatwaspri- Revisionof slabscoststhegovernmentabout
marily because of real estate. These investments Rs 35,000 crore, a very small percentage of ag-
from2012to2020–andverylikelyto2022–had gregateconsumption.So,Iwouldnotlookatitas
actuallybeenstagnantandhaddeclinedasaper- aconsumptionstimulus.Someof theseschemes
centageofGDP.Whenthosenumberscomeback, are seen as giving relief to the taxpayer, creating
youwillseethatGFCFratiosstartgoingup.Private more incentives to get more people into the tax
corporate capex has been quite steady even dur- base and simplifying the process of tax filing.
ing this period. Some of the credit improvement What is most important is the slowdown of
that you’ve seen from the banks on new invest- exports and I’m apprehensive that if Indian de-
ment announcements have come through. mand remains resilient, global manufacturers
The Central government’s mandate does not could start pushing their products into India.
go beyond highways and railways. I’m glad air- There is a lot of goods deflation happening right
ports are expanding but an airport is just a run- now, so we should be careful about dumping.
WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM
THE INDIAN EXPRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2023
HC seeks reply
from Yes Bank
ex-MD on plea
against bar on
book about him
EXPRESSNEWSSERVICE
NEWDELHI,MARCH16
THE DELHI High Court on
ThursdaysoughtformerYesBank
managingdirectorRanaKapoor’s
response in a plea by publishing
house Penguin Random House
India Pvt. Ltd. against an order of
the trial court preventing them
from publishing, selling and dis-
tributing a book on Kapoor, titled
The Banker Who Crushed His
Diamonds: The Yes Bank Story.
Asingle-judgebenchofJustice
Manoj Kumar Ohri issued notice
to Kapoor in the plea, which has
alsochallengedtheJanuary28or-
der of the Additional District
Judge, Karkardooma, on the
ground that it restrained the pro-
duction of a proposed movie
based on the book.
The HC listed the matter for
hearing on July 24.
The book by journalist
Furquan Moharkan was pub-
lished in February 2021. Kapoor
subsequently moved the trial
courtinacivilsuitagainstthepub-
lishing house and the author,
claimingthatthebookcontained
“defamatory statements” and
seeking a restraint on its sale and
distribution.
The ADJ, in December 2021,
grantedanex-parteinterimorder
restraining Penguin from further
publication, republication, and
sale of the book until subsequent
date of hearing.
In January this year, the ADJ
confirmed the interim order.
The plea states that many
averments in the book, making
certain references to Kapoor, are
in the “nature of fair comment in
publicinterest,basedonmultiple
newspaper reports concerning
him in the public domain”
The plea states that the book
representsthepublisher’srightto
freespeechunderArticle19(1)(a)
andtheauthor’srighttofaircom-
ment on Kapoor.
Chhattisgarh:
Eight students
booked for
ragging in school
EXPRESSNEWSSERVICE
RAIPUR,MARCH16
EIGHTSTUDENTSof aresidential
school in Chhattisgarh's
Kabirdham district were booked
and one of them arrested after it
emerged that they ragged their
juniors — abusing and assaulting
them and chopping off their hair
with scissors — last week.
The March 11 incident came
to light on Wednesday, officials
said, after a couple of videos
emergedonsocialmediainwhich
thestudentsareseenslappingand
assaultingthejuniors,allagedbe-
tween12and13years.Oneofthe
videos shows the seniors chop-
ping the hair of two students.
According to officials at least
five students were ragged.
After the incident came to
light, Kabirdham Collector
Janmejay Mahobe ordered a
probe. The superintendent of the
residential school was shunted
out and a showcause notice has
been served to the school official.
“Seven of the eight accused are
minors. Oneof them is a18-year-
old. He was arrested and pro-
ducedbeforeacourtthatsenthim
to judicial custody,” said police.
AnFIRhasbeenlodgedunder
IPC Sections 294 (obscenity in
public), 342 (wrongful confine-
ment),323(causinghurt)and506
(criminal intimidation) and
Section 4 (punishment) of
Prohibition of Ragging Act, 2011.
‘Google Maps more effective’: Experts rule out spy
theory after second ‘spy’ pigeon caught in Odisha
SUJIT BISOYI
BHUBANESWAR, MARCH 16
ANOTHER SUSPECTED spy pi-
geon was caught in Odisha, the
secondoneinaweek,butexperts
said there was no need for un-
necessary panic over such birds.
The latest “spy” pigeon was
caughtonWednesdayatNanpur
village under Astarang block of
Puridistrict.Accordingtothepo-
lice, a resident nabbed it when it
came to mingle with pigeons.
Ithadtagsattachedtoitslegs
with brass and plastic rings. One
of the tags had ‘REDDY VSP DN’
engraved,whileanotherborethe
number 31 on it, said the police.
Bikram Pati, who caught the
pigeon, told reporters that the
2 Army pilots die in Arunachal
chopper crash; probe ordered
AMRITA NAYAK DUTTA
NEW DELHI, MARCH 16
TWOPILOTS were killed after an
Army Aviation Cheetah helicop-
ter, flying an operational sortie
near Bomdila in Arunachal
Pradesh, crashed on Thursday.
An investigation is being or-
dered to ascertain the cause of
the accident, officials said.
Lt Col VVB Reddy and Major
Jayanth A — pilot and co-pilot in
the helicopter — were killed in
the accident.
Lt Col Reddy, 37, is survived
by his wife,a dental officer in the
Army, and two daughters, aged
four and six.
MajorJayanth,35,issurvived
by his wife, who is based in
Missamari, Assam, where he
was posted.
According to the Army, the
helicopter is reported to have
lostcontactwiththeATCaround
9.15 am, and five search parties
of the Army, SSB and ITBP were
immediately launched. The
wreckage of the aircraft was
found near Banglajaap village, in
Mandala.
A Court of Inquiry has been
ordered to ascertain the cause of
the accident, the Army said in a
statement.
A Defence Ministry official
told The Indian Express that the
helicopter had taken off from
Missamari and had picked up a
senior Army officer near
Aniksha arrested from
Ulhasnagar home, her
brother in hospital
with chest pain: Police
SAGAR RAJPUT
MUMBAI, MARCH 16
THEMUMBAIPoliceonThursday
arrested Aniksha Jaisinghani,
daughter of Anil Jaisinghani,
namedbyDeputyChief Minister
Devendra Fadnavis in the
Legislative Assembly as the per-
son behind an attempt to frame
him and his family.
Aniksha, who was arrested
from her Ulhasnagar residence,
has been booked under Section
120(B)(conspiracy)of theIndian
Penal Code and under
Prevention of Corruption Act
1988 on February 20 by Malabar
Hill police station for allegedly
offering to provide Fadnavis'
wife Amruta Fadnavis informa-
tiononbookies–throughwhom
theycouldallegedlyearnmoney
– and then directly offering Rs 1
crore to get her (Aniksha’s) fa-
ther off the hook in a police case.
An officer said multiple
teams, including Crime Branch
and Thane Police officers con-
ducted the search at the
Ulhasnagar home. "Anil
Jaisinghani's daughter Aniksha
and son Akshan were present at
the house... As we raided the
Odisha cops issue public notice
against ‘missing’ IPS officer
Bhubaneswar: Odisha Police on
Thursday issued a public notice
after it could not establish con-
tact with senior IPS officer NB
Bharathi (55), who remained in-
communicado and has not
joined duty since past three
years and was also found guilty
for “misconduct” subsequently.
The public notice issued
through newspaper advertise-
ments, asked the 1998-batch IPS
bird was in the area for over a
week “We have pet pigeons at
our house. This pigeon came to
mingle with our doves and we
found something peculiar about
it. It did not mix with other pi-
geons. We also noticed some
tags on its legs, so we decided to
catch it,” he said.
Policesaidtheyareinvestigat-
ing whether this pigeon was also
usedforspying.Astarangainspec-
tor-in-charge Panchanan Parida
said the pigeon is currently with
the forest department and it will
be sent to State Forensic Science
Laboratory,Bhubaneswar,forfur-
ther examination.
On March 8, another such pi-
geon was caught from a fishing
boat off Paradip coast in
Jagatsinghpurdistrict,policesaid.
Bomdila. It was scheduled to
travelclosetoforwardareasnear
Tawang for a recce sortie.
“However, as weather condi-
tions deteriorated, the flight was
cut short and the officer was
dropped at Senge. The helicop-
ter was returning to base when
the mishap took place,” an offi-
cial said.
Another official said the
chopper was flying downwards
when it crashed. “While
Cheetahs are ageing, they un-
dergo routine maintenance.
Only the inquiry would be able
to ascertain the exact cause of
the crash,” the official said.
Theregionischaracterisedby
difficult mountainous terrain,
and the weather is often unpre-
dictable, leading to helicopter-
flying operations getting called
off at times at the last moment
due to poor visibility.
Aniksha after her arrest. ANI
house, Akshan complained of
chest pain and our teams took
him to a nearby hospital. He is
admitted thereand hasnotbeen
arrested," the officer added.
In searches conducted early
Thursday, the police recovered
more than 10 electronic devices
from the house. "We are trying
to ascertain whether the seized
electronic devices were used to
threaten Amruta Fadnavis," said
the officer.
Sources said Aniksha is not
cooperating withpoliceand had
initially refused to allow teams
to enter her house. “She was ar-
rested on Thursday evening and
will be produced in specialcourt
on Friday,” said the officer.
officer to submit her written rep-
resentation on the inquiry find-
ingswithin15daysfromissuance
of the notice. Bharathi was last
posted as Inspector General of
police, Human Rights Protection
Cell. In 2017, disciplinary action
was initiated against her for al-
leged unauthorised absence for
weeks. Though she later joined
duty, she has not joined duty
since November 2019. ENS
The pigeon had devices that
looked like a camera and a mi-
crochip fitted to it and was sent
to the SFSL, but details couldn’t
be ascertained.
The pigeon caught on March
8 is currently with the Odisha
PoliceCarrierPigeonServiceand
it will be sent to Central Forensic
ScienceLaboratory for examina-
tion, said a police officer.
Incidents of pigeons being
used for spying are common in
western borders of India; it’s not
very frequent in Odisha.
Ruling out the speculation
that the pigeons are being used
for spying, Bhubaneswar-based
researcher and historian Anil
Dhir said the birds that have
been caught are Belgian Homer
Pigeons, the same breed that is
The Chetak and Cheetah hel-
icopters in service with the
forcesformthelifelineinseaand
extreme high-altitude areas —
they play key roles of observa-
tion, surveillance, logistics sup-
port and rescue operations, and
theIAFalsousesthemtotrainpi-
lots in its flying schools.
Hindustan Aeronautics
Limitedhasproducedmorethan
275 Cheetahs and 350 Chetaks.
However, the single-engine
helicopters outlived their lives
over a decade ago and have
been facing serviceability is-
sues ever since.
Problems include obsolete
avionicsandnavigationsystems,
which increases chances of mis-
handling of controls in case of
disorientation in turbulent
weather, which often is unpre-
dictable in the hills.
The Army and the IAF have
The cold storage in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal district on Thursday. Gajendra Yadav
2 dead, dozen feared trapped as
cold storage roof collapses in UP
10 rescued so far in mishap in Sambhal dist, say officers
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE
SAMBHAL, MARCH 16
TWO PEOPLE were killed and
about a dozen people are feared
trapped under the rubble after
the roof of a building housing a
coldstorageatChandausi,inUttar
Pradesh's Sambhal district, col-
lapsedonThursday,officialssaid.
Ten people were rescued un-
tilThursdayeveningandNational
Disaster Response Force (NDRF)
andStateDisasterResponseForce
(SDRF)teamsareworkingtores-
cue the others, Moradabad DIG
Shalabh Mathur said.
The accident occurred after
the roof of AR Cold Storage, in
Chandausi, collapsed at around
11.45 am, officials said.
“Our priority is to take peo-
ple out safely at the earliest. The
injured have been sent to hospi-
tal.Thiscoldstoragewasbuiltre-
cently...we will get to know
about the lapses and how the
building collapsed in due course
of time," Mathur said.
used by the state police pigeon
service. “One has to understand
that a homing pigeon is one
which will fly back home after
beingreleasedatadistancefrom
its coop. No way can a pigeon be
trainedtoflytoadestinationand
then return to the base it was re-
leased from,”
He said the figures on the
fantail feathers are suggestive
that they may have been re-
leased from Burma, Cambodia,
Thailand, or Vietnam. Some
birdsdolosetheirwayandmake
emergency landings because of
bad weather.
Dhir said with today’s tech-
nology, one doesn’t need pi-
geons for aerial photography as
Google Maps is more effective
and reliable.
EXPRESS NETWORK 13
The wreckage of the
helicopter that crashed in
West Kameng district; and
Lt Col VVB Reddy (above,
left) and Maj Jayanth A who
died in the crash. PTI
been flying the Chetak and
Cheetahhelicopters, whichhave
been in dire need of replace-
ment, as they form the lifeline of
the forces in high-altitude areas.
There are around 200 Cheetah
and Chetak helicopters in serv-
iceatpresentwiththeArmy,and
around 120 with the IAF.
Nearly 10 Chetak and
Cheetahhelicoptersof theArmy,
Navy and the IAF have crashed
between 2017 and 2022.
In March 2022, the govern-
ment told Parliament that 42
Indian armed forces personnel
have been killed in the last five
years in 45 aircraft and helicop-
ter crashes.
WhiletheArmedForceshave
been demanding modern heli-
copters to replace the Chetak
and Cheetah fleet, the progress
on their procurement has been
extremely slow.
Gajendra Yadav
Relatives of one of the
persons who died
Hesaidrescueoperationsare
going on and the administration
hasmademedicalfacilitiesavail-
able in the vicinity. “We are try-
ing to rescue the others...11 or 12
peoplearestilltrappedandsome
of them are responding. We are
in touch with them," he said.
An official said three of 10
people rescued were discharged
after being administered first-
aid. Seven others are still admit-
ted in hospital, this official said.
DIG Mathur said, “The struc-
ture of the building was in the
Govt nod to acquire
defence hardware
worth over Rs 70k cr
AMRITA NAYAK DUTTA
NEW DELHI, MARCH 16
THE DEFENCE Acquisition
Council (DAC), headed by
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh,
on Thursday accorded
Acceptance of Necessity (AoN)
for capital acquisitions worth
more than Rs 70,500 crore. This
includes additional BrahMos
missiles, utility helicopters,
Marine Diesel Engine for the
Navy, and Long-Range Stand-Off
Weapon for IAF’s Su-30s.
The procurements will be
made under Buy Indian-IDDM
(Indigenously Designed,
Developed and Manufactured)
category. Acceptance of
Necessity is the first step in the
longdefenceacquisitionprocess,
and may or may not necessarily
culminate into a final order.
Of this, Navy proposals con-
stitutemorethanRs56,000crore,
which includes indigenous
BrahMos missiles, Shakti
Electronic Warfare systems and
Utility Helicopters-Maritime.
In a statement, the Defence
Ministrysaidthisadditionalpro-
curementofBrahMosmissilesys-
temwillenhancemaritimestrike
capabilities and Anti-Surface
WarfareOperation,andtheaddi-
tion of utility helicopters will
multiplyoperationalreadinessof
theNavyinthedomainof Search
& Rescue operations, Casualty
Evacuation, Humanitarian
Assistance Disaster Relief.
form of layered lynters, where a
lot of potato was stored. We pro-
videdsupporttothestructureby
machines so that stability is
maintained and it does not col-
lapse further. Its stability is very
crucial since our teams are also
working under these structures
to save those trapped (under the
rubble).”
He said ammonia gas cylin-
ders inside the rubble are also a
cause of concern. “We are trying
to ensure there is no blast if the
temperature rises,”Mathursaid.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister
Yogi Adityanath has directed of-
ficialstocarryoutimmediatere-
lief and rescue work, his office
tweeted. TheUPChief Minister's
Office tweeted: “CM Yogi
Adityanathhastakencognizance
of theaccidentinthecoldstorage
atChandausiinSambhaldistrict.
He has instructed officials of the
districtadministrationtotakethe
injured to hospital immediately
and get them proper treatment.
Alongwiththis,hewishedthein-
jured a speedy recovery...”
Defence
Minister
Rajnath
Singh
“Similarly,ShaktiEWsystems
will equip and modernise the
frontline Naval ships to counter
any Naval Operations by the ad-
versaries,” the ministry stated.
TheministrysaidtheAoNfor
Medium Speed Marine Diesel
Engine under Make-I category is
significant as it marks the first
time India is venturing into de-
velopmentandmanufacturingof
suchengines.“Tokeeppacewith
emerging technologies and
counter adversaries in the west-
ern and northern front, the ne-
cessity of the new weapons and
its integration with the delivery
platforms was felt by the
Government,” it said.
To achieve the same objec-
tives,theDACaccordedapproval
to IAF’s proposal for Long Range
Stand-Off Weapon, which will
beindigenouslydesigned,devel-
oped, and integrated on SU-30
MKI aircraft, the ministry stated.
“Forartillerymodernisation,in
addition to the ongoing Dhanush
Gun System and K-9 Vajra-T Gun
System,theDACaccordedtheAoN
for procurement of 155mm/52
CaliberAdvancedTowedArtillery
Gun System along with High
MobilityVehiclesandGunTowing
Vehicles,”theministrysaid.
Bishnoi interview
not recorded inside
any Punjab jail: DGP
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE
CHANDIGARH, MARCH 16
THEPUNJABPoliceThursdaysaid
that a video interview of
Lawrence Bishnoi by a private
news channel was not recorded
insidetheBathindajail,wherethe
gangster is currently lodged, or
anyotherprisonof thestate.DGP
Gaurav Yadav termed the inter-
view as a “well though out con-
spiracy” by “certain forces”, to
“defamePunjab”bytryingtodis-
turb peace and harmony in the
state. Yadav said the interview
mighthavebeenrecordedearlier.
Bishnoi, a prime accused in
the singer Sidhu Moosewala
murder case, was brought back
totheBathindajailinMarchfrom
Rajasthan where he had been
takenonaproductionwarrantin
some other case in February.
“This is a categorical finding
that this interview of Lawrence
Bishnoi was not recorded in
Bathinda jail or any other jail of
Punjab.Thisperson—Idon’twant
to dignify by calling him a gang-
ster, he is a common criminal —
was handed over by Rajasthan
Police to the custody of Bathinda
jailonMarch8.Hewasproduced
in the Talwandi Sabo court on
March 9 on a one-day police re-
mand and sent back to Bathinda
jail on March 10,” Yadav said.
"In the interview, Bishnoi is
Assam budget:
Funds for 2L new
entreprenuers,
relief for women
borrowers
SUKRITA BARUAH
GUWAHATI, MARCH 16
ASSAM FINANCE Minister
Ajanta Neog tabled a Rs 935.23-
crore deficit budget for 2023-
2024 on Thursday, stressing that
its primary focus is on address-
ingissuesof unemploymentand
poverty in the state.
“The aggregate expenditure
for the year is estimated at Rs
3,21,081.75 crore,” said Neog.
Stating that 40,000 candi-
dateswillberecruitedtogovern-
ment jobs by May 10, and that
another 18,000 will also be re-
cruited soon, Neog announced
that the government will invest
Rs 5,000 crore over the next
three years to “transform” un-
employed youth into “job cre-
ators”. Allocating Rs 1,000 crore
for this in this year’s budget, she
announced a ‘Mukhya Mantri
Sva-NiyojanMission’topromote
micro-entrepreneurs.Underthis
scheme, the government pro-
poses to provide one-time seed
capital of Rs 2 lakh to one lakh
beneficiaries to start micro-en-
terpriseunitsinactivitiessuchas
trading, manufacturing, service,
food processing, handloom,
handicraft,agricultureandallied
activities such as animal hus-
bandry, fishery and dairy.
Neog also announced relief
for “stressed and destitute”
women borrowers whose ac-
counts became non-performing
assets on March 31, 2021.
Lawrence Bishnoi during
the interview
sporting a long beard and a long
hairdo which is quite visible. He
iswearingayellowt-shirt.When
hewasbroughtbacktoBathinda
jail,hewashavingashorthaircut
and a different attire. When his
belongings were searched at the
time of entry to jail, no yellow t-
shirt was there. The interview
doesnotmentionhisrecentfric-
tion with gangster Jaggu
Bhagwanpuria or the incident in
theGoindwaljailwhichindicates
itmighthavebeenrecordedear-
lier,”theDGPsaid,adding“some-
where in the interview, there is
mentionof ajailoutsidePunjab”.
Gangsters Mandeep Singh
and Manmohan Singh, both of
Bhagwanpuria group, were
killed allegedly by members of
the Bishnoi gang in a clash
amonginmatesinthejailinTarn
Taran last month. All were ac-
cusedintheMoosewalamurder.
 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM

14
THE INDIAN EXPRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2023

THE EDITORIAL PAGE WORDLY WISE

Feminism is for everybody.
— BELL HOOKS

FOUNDED BY
Norway cares
§

§
RAMNATH GOENKA
‘Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway’ doesn’t depict Norway's belief
BECAUSE THE TRUTH INVOLVES US ALL
in value of family life, respect for different cultural systems

CRITIC & CRITICISM Hans Jacob Frydenlund

Contest Rahul’s despairing speech, but BJP must drop its move
A NEW MOVIE, Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway, hands, of reading bedtime stories to them Welfare Act applies to all children in the
to suspend him from House. It’s a self-goal — and it’s wrong

I
hit the big screen on Friday. The film is a
N A PARLIAMENTARY democracy, it is a responsibility of the government to en- powerful and emotional story about an
sure the smooth functioning of the House, which is the highest forum of account- Indian mother fighting for the custody of
her children in Norway. Given Rani
ability and debate. The spectacle unfolding over the past few days, in the second
Mukerji’s acting prowess it is difficult to re-
leg of the Budget session, is, therefore, unbecoming and unseemly. Union main unmoved by it, and movie-goers
Ministers have led the charge, members of the ruling party have joined in — they are might come out thinking of Norway as an
demanding that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi apologise to the House for critical re- uncaring country. But as the Norwegian
marks on India's democracy he made on a recent visit to London. They say he discred- Ambassador to India, it is important for me
ited India, its institutions, sought help from “foreign powers to save Indian democracy.” to present the official Norwegian perspec-
tive and correct factual inaccuracies, that
Certainly, the BJP has the right to interrogate Gandhi on his statements on a democracy
this film unfortunately portrays.
under siege, and to criticise their dire tone and tenor. But to paint them as an “insult to The case that the movie is inspired by
India” and as the “language of anti-India forces” — or as a notice under Rule 223 by a BJP was resolved a decade ago in cooperation
MP says, “a clear calculated attempt to bring to Parliament and highest democratic in- with Indian authorities and an agreement
stitutions the disrepute...” — is, quite simply, overblown. It is also counter-productive. This between all the parties involved. This movie
government claims to have made India more self-assured on the global stage and its se- is a fictional representation of the case.
rial electoral successes show, at the very least, that these claims do resonate with its vot- Childwelfarecasesarenoteasy.Certainly
not for the children, not for the parents and
ers. Surely, Indian democracy cannot have such a thin skin at home while striking a more
notfortheChildWelfareServicetaskedwith
powerful, vibrant pose abroad. finding the right solution. Alternative care is
It would be a travesty if the noises within the BJP on taking action against Gandhi a matter of great responsibility, and a deci-
are taken forward. The party has approached Speaker Om Birla on forming a special sionaboutalternativecarewillneverbemo-
committee to look into the possibility of suspension — it must abandon the move im- tivated by payments or profit.
mediately. It may well calculate that in a year of important state elections and in the The film projects cultural differences as
theprimary factorin the case, which is com-
run-up to the 2024 polls, it would draw political advantage from cornering Gandhi on
pletely false. Without going into any details
an issue where the Modi government is seen to be on sure ground. After all, from its for- of this particular case, I categorically deny
eign minister batting on the front foot at global fora to the nation seizing the opportu- that feeding with hands and sleeping in the
nities of G20 presidency in a time of uncertainty deepened by the war in Ukraine — India same bed would be the reason for placing
is asserting itself as a more deft world player with increasing success. In this context, children in alternative care. Not in this case
Gandhi's statements of a democracy “in danger” do sound too apocalyptic, apart from and not in any case.
Yes, we have different cultural practices.
constituting intellectual and political dead-ends. And yet, by inflating its indignation
Yes, we might have different parenting tra-
and outrage, and by using it to stall debate, the BJP and its government would only be scor- ditions in Norway. But our human instincts
ing a self-goal, apart from showing a narrowness of spirit that is ill-fitting in an open are not different. A mother’s love in Norway
and argumentative democracy.
is no different from a mother’s love in India.
The Modi government has frequently paid homage to Parliament and underlined its I, as a father of three, have beautiful
importance. When the Opposition makes accusations of the muting of microphones and memories of the time my children were
expunging of portions of speeches, it is the government that cuts a sorry figure, not its in- growing up, of feeding them with my
tendedtarget.ContestRahul’sdespairingspeechondemocracy,butcallingforhissuspen-
sion over it is undemocratic.
The film projects cultural
differences as the primary
factor in the case, which is
completely false. Without
going into any details of this
particular case, I
categorically deny that
feeding with hands and
sleeping in the same bed
would be the reason for
placing children in
alternative care. Not in this
case and not in any case.
as they cuddled and slept in the same bed
with us. Therefore, it becomes unfath-
omable to me when I see a repeat of false
narratives. It worries me to imagine that
our Indian friends will think of us
Norwegians as cold-hearted tyrants, which
we are decidedly not.
ItakeprideinthesystemthatIrepresent,
where we are constantly eager to learn from
experienceandlistentocriticism.Childwel-
fare cases are often complex, but the best in-
terest of the child is always the paramount
principle in all the work.
Parents have the primary responsibility
for raising their children and it is the
Norwegian view that children primarily
shouldgrowupwiththeirparents.TheChild
Welfare Service can only intervene when
neglect, violence or abuse is confirmed.
The fundamental principle of child wel-
fare in Norway is to safeguard the best inter-
ests of the child. This principle is strongly re-
flected in our laws and constitution and is
based on our obligations under the UN
ConventionontheRightsof theChild.When
therightsof achildconflictwiththeinterests
of the parents, the rights of the child are to
take precedence.
Norwayisademocratic,multiculturalso-
ciety. In Norway, we value and respect dif-
ferent family systems and cultural practices,
alsowhen thesearedifferent towhatwe are
accustomed to. But we have zero tolerance
for violence in any shape or form. An occa-
sional slap, however, will not automatically
lead to theremoval of the child from itsfam-
ily. In such cases, the parents will be offered
help and guidance from the child welfare
service on other parenting practices that
benefit the child. The Norwegian Child
realmregardlessof theirethnicbackground,
nationality, or religious beliefs.
The Norwegian authorities have a statu-
tory duty of confidentiality and protection
of privacyinallchildprotectioncases.Topro-
tect the children and their right to privacy
the government will not comment on a spe-
cific case. Neither the Ministry nor the
Minister can intervene in a case.
Now, to the cultural debate. I have been
posted to India for nearly four years now. I
have experienced first-hand the deep-
rootedprideIndianstakeintheircultureand
heritage, and rightly so. Multiculturalism
and tolerance are at the heart of the Indian
nation. This is an example to follow.
There are presently over 20,000 Indians
living in Norway. Indians make up the high-
est number of immigrant workers in
Norway outside of the EU and contribute to
our economic, social and cultural growth.
Annual events such as the Bollywood festi-
val Norway, Oslo Durga Puja and the Mela
festival are popular features.
I sincerely hope this movie will not dis-
courage Indians from coming to Norway. I
hope this film will be seen for what it is, and
I trust in the viewers to understand that this
is a fictional representation. For those in-
volved, there is no denying that the experi-
ence was traumatic.
Therefore,IhopethatwhenIndiansthink
of Norway, you can also focus on the good
story,ourcommonbelief inthevalueof fam-
ily life and appreciate what Norway and
India have achieved together with years of
mutual understanding and respect.
The writer is the Ambassador of Norway
to India

EYE OF THE STORM TRIUMPH OF SOFT POWER

Attempted arrest of Imran Khan is another moment of crisis in Wins at Oscars 2023 showcase depth of India’s diversity and inclusion
Pakistan – with no way out in sight

T
HE SPECTACLE AROUND the attempted arrest of Imran Khan was the coming Sudarshan Ramabadran and Guru Prakash Paswan
together of all of Pakistan's dysfunctions, all at once. A former prime minister,
elected to office on the back of the support of the Pakistan military, turns INDIA’S RECENT SUCCESS at the 95th
Academy Awards with two awards for Best
against his patrons. Ousted from office, he mobilises his supporters into fren-
Original Song for the film RRR, ‘Naatu naatu’,
zied crowds. The military and those who run the country now fear he might win the next and Best Documentary Short Film for The
election.Theelectioncommissiongetsthememo.Heisdisqualifiedfromstandingforelec- Elephant Whisperers is a significant achieve-
tions because he has re-sold state gifts he received while in office. The court asks him to ment for the country. The films share a com-
appear before it, and when he defies the order, an arrest warrant is issued. He evades ar- mon thread: Amplifying India’s global com-
rest, for the second time. The courtsgive him abreather. The civilian government does not munication on diversity and inclusion and
thereby, further enhancing Indian cinema’s
want to face the public backlash for taking him into custody. The military, which has
soft power in unique ways.
stepped forward as an arbiter during previous fraught occasions, is fighting shy this time, The Indian cinema industry has con-
possibly because it is dealing with political divisions within the force. All this against the tributed immensely to the world’s under-
backgroundof amassiveeconomiccrisisthatrequiresthefullattentionof thegovernment, standing of India. Actors like Raj Kapoor,
whichhasnothadthetimeortheinclinationtofocusongovernanceinthe11monthssince Irrfan Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan,
it took office. Manoj Bajpayee, Anupam Kher, Samantha
It would be tempting to think of this as an opportune moment for Pakistan to script Ruth Prabhu, Dhanush, Mohanlal, Deepika
Padukone,Yash,andcreatorslikeSatyajitRay,
a renaissance, the point at which it casts off its past baggage and becomes a new nation,
Rajamouli, Raj & DK, Basil Joseph, Prashant
more responsible toward its own people and its neighbours. But Imran Khan, with delu- Neel,andmanymore,havetranscendedbor-
sions about himself and his abilities, and his half-baked solutions for his country, steeped derstoday.Theyhavebeengreatmediumsto
in confusion and regressive notions about what makes a nation modern and viable, is communicate through cinema in never-be-
hardly the person to script a new beginning. His contempt for Parliament was evident in fore-seen ways.
his last term. His contempt for the law of the land is now apparent. True, he has shaken Movieslike Dangal and3 Idiots have been
hits with Chinese youth because they were
up Pakistan's established ways of doing politics, and brought to the fore all its flaws like
relatable and local in content, but made for a
no other politician before him. But he has no plan other than to return as prime minister. universal audience. Fans from Japan make it
It seems every effort is being made to ensure that he will not be able to contest, even a point to attend the first day’s first show of
if it means the election itself has to be put off. Pakistan is set to witness more turbulence any movie with southern superstar
in the months ahead. In times like these, it may be a tempting idea on the part of sections Rajinikanth. Indian cinema has also bene-
within Pakistan to create a “distraction” outside. Delhi must remain watchful. fited from talent from outside, say Jewish
people. For example, the documentary
Shalom Bollywood showcases this brilliantly.
Indian cinema’s achievements in attracting
the world are evident to anyone and every-
Indian cinema has received
has resonated with foreign audiences.
In contemporary times, India has taken
nascent but concrete steps towards commu-
nicating globally through cinema. Stories
such as RRR (Telugu), Kantara (Kannada),
Sairat (Marathi), Pariyerum Perumal (Tamil),
Mandela (Tamil), and Asuran (Tamil) and
films like The Elephant Whisperers from a
documentary perspective are evidence of
this healthy, growing trend. These stories are
varied in their scope but do effectively com-
municate localised stories of assertion, sus-
tainability, and justice. Indian filmmakers
like Bharat Bala have taken to the virtual
medium, YouTube, to bring the Virtual
Bharat campaign to global viewers, show-
casing short eight to 10-minute videos of hu-
man stories of India that are most often un-
heard and unseen. The inspiring stories of
the Ramnami community from
Chhattisgarh and the story of the tribal poet
Haldhar Nag (with a terrific voiceover from
Gulzar) are a great addition to the Virtual
Bharat series.
RRR has alreadygarneredgreat reception
in the West, particularly in the US, where it
has won the Golden Globe Award for ‘Naatu
naatu’ and the New York Film Critics Circle
Award, Critics Choice Movie Awards, etc. be-
forewinningtheAcademyaward.Themovie
also did well with Japanese audiences and
stars from the famous K-pop band, BTS, like
Jungkook, and the South Korean ambassa-
dor to India, Chang Jae-bok, and his embassy
importance of “jal, jungle, and jameen” (wa-
ter, forest, and land) for tribal brethren. The
filmhasfacedcriticism,withsomequestion-
ing the need to revisit history, but it has suc-
ceeded in sparking interest in these impor-
tantfiguresandencouragingyoungpeopleto
learn more about their contributions.
The Elephant Whisperers won the Best
Documentary Film award at the 95th
Academy Awards. Directed by Kartiki
Gonsalves and produced by Guneet Monga,
the film showcases how forest rangers and
theKattunayakantribalcommunityinTamil
Nadu work together to live in harmony with
natureandwildelephants.Itemphasisesthe
need to respect nature and seek intercon-
nectednessineverythingwedo,encouraging
viewers to appreciate the importance of sus-
tainability.
By communicating the importance of
India’s tribal communities and exploring
contemporary lessons, such as sustainabil-
ity, in a unique and simple manner, films like
this contribute to India’s global communica-
tion of its strengths in diversity and inclu-
sion. Indian cinema has receivedrecognition
inthepastattheAcademyAwards,but these
recentwinsarespecialbecausetheyadvance
Indianinterestsinliberty,equality,fraternity,
and justice. They aim to enable social cohe-
sion and bridge social divisions.
TheGovernmentof India,withthehelpof
non-state actors, would do well to holisti-
cally evaluate the impact of Indian cinema

WAKE UP CALL recognition in the past at the

one. Cinema is a great communication tool
that outweighs any partisanship. It is
premised on creativity and free speech.
The South Korean movie, Parasite, high-
A recent survey of marital preferences shows the Indian male lighted the deep divisions of social inequal-
is still stuck in a man-hunts-woman-nests fantasy ities in Korean society. It resonated tremen-
Academy Awards, but these
recent wins are special
because they advance Indian
interests in liberty, equality,
staff were seen grooving to ‘Naatu naatu’
from RRR recently on social media.
RRR brings to the silver screen the stories
of two tribal heroes, Komaram Bheem and
Alluri Sitarama Raju, who played important
roles in tribal-led movements in Indian his-
globallythroughresearchstudies.Butincon-
clusion, RRR and The Elephant Whisperers
represent India’s strengths in diversity and
inclusion, breaking away from stereotypes
and showcasing the country's soft power to
the world more persuasively.

W
dously with audiences globally. Academic fraternity, and justice. They tory.Whilethe film is fictional, itsheds some
HAT DO INDIAN men want? Apparently, not a wife who works. A re- case studies that have explored the impact light on the lives of these real freedom fight- Ramabadran is an author and researcher.
cent survey, ‘Women’s Work, Social Norms and the Marriage Market’, of Indian cinema abroad have outlined how aim to enable social cohesion ers who advocated for the rights of indige- Paswan is National Spokesperson, BJP.
by researchers from the Indian Statistical Institute, Harvard, Oxford Indian cinema made with a local “flavour” and bridge social divisions. nous tribal communities, emphasising the Views are personal
and Ashoka University found that for suitors of above-average educa-
tion and wealth, especially in North India, working women are a no-no. After all, how can
the comfort of being a double-income household compare to hot rotis on demand, pre-
pared by loving hands? The sacrifice of the woman’s aspirations, presumably, is a small
price to pay. MARCH 17, 1983, FORTY YEARS AGO
What the surveyreallyshows is that even as Indian womenmake amarkbeyond their
home and hearth, including in areas that remain male-dominated, men remain stuck in TRAIN COLLISION 20-year-old BSc student, Keshab Saikia, was
stabbed by an unidentified miscreant while
get a five-para resolution movedbythe chair
and adopted in the two Houses of
aman-hunts-woman-nestsfantasy andstereotypethat is long pastitssell-by date. Indian
women are rapidly making up for a long history of being rendered “the second sex”, leav- FIFTEEN PERSONS WERE killed and 125 in- he was going to the market. The Assam Parliament.
jured,13 of them seriously, in an accident in- Council of Ministers expressed deep shock
ing their male partners at a loss in a world that is, almost suddenly, no longer theirs to in-
herit. A week ago, it was reported that the first woman officer in the Indian Air Force’s
volving two passenger trains between
Howrah and Liluah stations of Eastern
atthetragicdeathof KeshabSaikia.Themin-
isters, in an informal meeting, strongly con-
DHAKA FOR PAKISTAN
90-year history is leading a frontline combat unit. Women’s enrollment in IITs increased Railway. Thousands of angry commuters or- demned acts of violence and appealed to all BANGLADESH HAS AGREED to sponsor
to 20 per cent in 2021-22 from 8 per cent in 2016. By 2021, the percentage of women in ganised a demonstration on the spot imme- sections of people to maintain peace. Pakistan for readmission into the
senior management positions in India was above the global average (31 per cent) at 39 diatelyaftertheaccident.Thepoliceresorted Commonwealth, according to indications
per cent -- making India the third-ranked globally for women in senior positions. to a lathi-charge causing injury to many.
RESOLUTION DROPPED available in New Delhi. The question is be-
lieved to have figured at last week’s meeting
These are changes that, as the survey makes evident, Indian men are struggling to
process. The women they hope to marry would much rather climb the professional lad- CM’S NEPHEW KILLED THE GOVERNMENT’S MOVE to get parlia-
mentaryapprovalandpraiseforitsorganisa-
between President Zia-ul Haq of Pakistan
and the Chief Martial Law Administrator of
der than be the “angel in the home”. Perhaps if men attempted to understand and ex- THE NEPHEW OF Assam Chief Minister tion and handling of the NAM summit has Bangladesh, Lt General H M Ershad in Delhi
press this gulf in expectations, it might help them adjust to reality better -- and find true Hiteswar Saikia was stabbed to death in the been dropped following strong opposition where the two leaders had come to attend
companionship too. upperAssamindustrialtownof Tinsukia.The from some groups. The original idea was to the non-aligned summit.

15 THE IDEAS PAGE
THE INDIAN EXPRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2023
Betting on national champions
India is pursuing a development model powered by soft and hard infrastructure that is
concentrated in a few hands. It could be the next-generation Asian paradigm, or a cautionary tale
Amartya Lahiri
THIRTY YEARS BACK my aunt was visiting
America as part of her first tour of the West.
After she had taken in the sights and sounds
for a couple of days, I asked her for her first
impressions. Her response was “the roads
feel like they are paved with butter, no
power cuts, and running water in the taps
at all times… it seems like heaven”. While
some of her sense of awe could be attrib-
uted to the state of the Indian economy in
1993, providing functional and efficient in-
frastructure has always been a struggle for
developing economies.
Infrastructure in emerging economies
has taken on aspects of a magic bullet. It si-
multaneously works as a national aspiration
good, a barometer of national progress, a
mechanism for job creation, a vehicle for
crowding in private investment, and more.
Infrastructure has seemingly become both a
demonstration good and a necessity. That is
a heavy burden. The two biggest constraints
on infrastructure provision are: One, it needs
to be built to a minimum scale, which makes
it expensive; and two, it often has a public
good component which makes the social
value of infrastructure higher than its pri-
vate value to individual users. Hence, private
investors tend to find such investments rel-
atively unprofitable.
The traditional approach to financing in-
frastructure has thus relied on tax revenues
or government borrowing. But this intro-
duces elements of a vicious trap: Poorer
economies generate less tax revenue, which
limits infrastructure investment. This re-
duces returns to private investment with
further spinoffs that affect the growth of the
economy and keep the country poor.
Attempting to break the cycle by increasing
public borrowing domestically tends to
crowd out private investment.
How does one get around this? One pos-
sibility is to incentivise private sector partic-
ipation by providing targeted subsidies for
infrastructure investments. India tried this
in the early 2000s by introducing the Public-
Private-Partnership (PPP) model. The
arrangement entailed the government facil-
itatingacquisitionsof landandprimarycom-
modities,aswellasaccesstocreditfrompub-
lic sector banks for infrastructure projects.
Armed with these implicit and explicit sub-
sidies, the private sector got to construct and
run the projects for a designated period of
time. While a lot of infrastructure did get
built under the programme, the PPP model
endedinanavalancheof non-performingas-
sets with public sector banks, private sector
bankruptcies,accusationsof widespreadcor-
ruption,andachangeingovernmentin2014.
In an implicit endorsement of one of the
policy priorities of the previous government,
the NDA government has also identified in-
frastructure as a key bottleneck. However, it
has modified the PPP approach by assign-
ing the bulk of the infrastructure provision-
ing for roads, ports, airports, energy, and
communications to a few chosen industrial
Bastian Steuwer and Thulasi K Raj
IMAGINE YOUR PARTNER is admitted to a
hospital. They are unconscious and the doc-
tors need the next of kin to make a decision.
They deny you any role because you are un-
married. Imagine that you and your partner
wanttomovein.Housingsocietiesdonotac-
cept you because you are unmarried.
Imagine your partner is in legal trouble and
you are asked to testify against them. You
wish you honour your relationship and re-
fuse to testify. But you are required to testify
becauseyouareunmarried.If yourpartneris
not of the same sex as you are, you can
change this and marry. But unlike opposite-
sexcouples,same-sexcouplescannotmarry.
They are permanently barred from the priv-
ileges,rights,andsocialrecognitionthatmar-
riage brings with it.
OnMarch13,theSupremeCourtreferred
a batch of petitions seeking the legal recog-
nition of same-sex marriages to a
Constitution Bench. The Union government
has opposed the petitions. In its affidavit to
the Supreme Court, it argued that the tradi-
tional concept of marriage, consisting of a
“biological man, woman and child”, cannot
be disrupted. It also claimed that recognis-
ing same-sex marriages could cause havoc
in the system of personal laws. Law Minister
Kiren Rijiju said that marriage is a matter of
policy to be decided by Parliament and the
executive alone.
None of the three arguments stands up
to scrutiny. Same-sex marriage is not a mat-
ter of policy, introducing it will change per-
sonal laws minimally, and traditional values
are irrelevant in matters of determination of
houses. This is the “national champions”
model where the government picks a few
large conglomerates to implement its de-
velopment priorities.
How does this model get around the in-
frastructure financing constraint? To incen-
tivise national champions to build the proj-
ects identified by the government, one still
needs to provide a subsidy to cover the costs.
This is similar to the PPP model.
There are, however, three new aspects to
the national champions model. First, infra-
structure projects take a long time before
theystartgeneratingreturnswhichalsotend
to be low. To incentivise investment in such
projects, these champions need to be given
control over existing projects with strong
cash flows. This helps the conglomerates to
achieve their targeted aggregate returns
whilekeepingnegativecashflowprojectson
their books. Second, the public association
of the championswiththe government’sna-
tional development policy generates a com-
petitive advantage for the champions in get-
ting domestic and foreign contracts. This too
guarantees some stable cash flow. Third, ac-
cess to some cash-rich projects allows these
national champions to borrow from exter-
nal credit markets by using these entities as
collateral. This lowers the cost of finance of
the other projects while also freeing up do-
mestic savings for private investment. This
is clever and innovative.
The “national champions” model has
four clear problems though. First, the direct
association of these conglomerates with
government policies creates the potential
for markets and regulators to treat them as
too big to fail. This opens the door to market
hysteria, delayed discovery of problems, and
spillovers of sectoral problems into systemic
Marriage less narrow
SpecialMarriageActhasamplescopetoaccommodatesame-sexunions
rights.Thesuggestionthatmarriageisamat-
ter of policy implicitly assumes that the sta-
tusquodoesnotviolateanyrights.Anysocial
policyisliabletojudicialinterferenceif rights
are violated. For example, it is a policy deci-
sionforthestatetorolloutnewschemes.But
if the scheme’s conditions are discrimina-
tory or violate the recipient’s right to privacy,
the court ought to step in. In the case of
same-sexmarriage,thisispreciselywhatthe
petitioners are claiming. They rely firstly on
the rights to equality and non-discrimina-
tion as laid out in Articles 14 and 15. The
Constitution prohibits the state from dis-
criminating on the basis of sex. “Sex” has
been interpreted by the Supreme Court in
Navtej Singh Johar (2018) to include “sexual
orientation”. Granting the right to marry to
heterosexual couples and not to homosex-
ualcouplesdiscriminatesonthebasisof their
sexual orientation.
The petitioners also have a strong case
with respect to the right to privacy. The
Supreme Court recognised this right to be
part of the right to life and liberty under
Article 21 of the Constitution in
Puttaswamy (2017).
Marriage laws are then no mere policy
matter. The government would need very
strong reasons to justify why same-sex cou-
plesshouldbedeniedtherighttomarry.One
reason it has put forward is that recognising
same-sex marriages disrupts the delicate
balance of personal laws in the country.
In India, aspects of marriage, succession
and adoption are governed by religious per-
sonal laws. As far as marriage is concerned,
A deeper issue is with regard
to the proposition that
infrastructure provision is
the solution to India’s
growth aspirations. The
prevailing thinking is that
once the ports, roads, power,
etc. are in place, private
investment will follow. If the
experience of the
infrastructure investment
boom of the early 2000s is
any guide, this assumption is
problematic. The problem in
the power sector was not
generation but rather the
inability of the power
distribution companies to
recover payments. That is a
problem of effective demand.
the Hindu, Christian and Shariat laws, in ad-
dition to customary law, govern religious
marriages. There is one exception: The
Special Marriage Act, a secular law which
works alongside religious personal laws.
Same-sex marriages can be recognised un-
der the Special Marriage Act. The Act al-
ready speaks of marriages between “any
two persons” which are solemnised under
it. Any two persons can include two persons
of the same sex.
The Special Marriage Act does make sev-
eral references to the terms “husband” and
“wife”.Undersame-sexmarriages,therewill,
of course, continue to be husbands and
wives, with the only exception that some-
times there are two husbands or two wives.
The main linguistic change necessary is in
clauses which use the definite article “the”.
For example, the Special Marriage Act holds
that separation can be presented by either
the husband or the wife. Understanding this
clause to refer to “a” husband or “a” wife
would render the text compatible with con-
stitutional rights.
Our courts have accepted greater twists
of language. Even if the Court was unwill-
ing to accept this re-interpretation of the
Act, there are other options. The Court could
declare that there is a right to same-sex
marriage and direct the state to recognise
them on the same terms under the Special
Marriage Act. Consider the situation in the
United States. In Obergefell v Hodges (2015),
the Supreme Court of the United States held
that same-sex couples have a constitutional
right to marriage. Thirty-one out of the 50
C R Sasikumar
shocks. This has been brought into sharp re-
lief by the recent troubles of the Adani com-
panies. Second, the market concentration it
encourages can often be bad for efficiency
and productivity at the economy-wide level.
Third, the longer it takes for projects to gen-
erate large cash flows, the greater will be the
need for the state to provide the champions
with access to additional cash flows. That
risks turning the country into an industrial
oligarchy. Fourth, the optics of an uneven
playing field in terms of market access and
selective regulatory forbearance can be-
come a significant deterrent for foreign in-
vestors, an outcome that India can ill afford.
A deeper issue is with regard to the
proposition that infrastructure provision is
the solution to India’s growth aspirations.
The prevailing thinking is that once the
ports, roads, power, etc. are in place, private
investment will follow. If the experience of
the infrastructure investment boom of the
early 2000s is any guide, this assumption is
problematic. The problem in the power sec-
tor was not generation but rather the inabil-
ity of the power distribution companies to
recover payments. That is a problem of ef-
fective demand.
India is at an inflection point in its de-
velopment path. It has bet on a develop-
ment model based on a domestic demand-
driven production structure, powered by
soft and hard infrastructure that is heavily
concentrated in a few hands. If it works it
will be touted as the next-generation Asian
model. Else, it will provide a salutary tale of
caution for many generations.
The writer is Royal Bank Research
Professor of Economics University
of British Columbia
states in the United States have marriage
laws that define marriage as between a man
and a woman. None of this matters in prac-
tice given that the Supreme Court ruling en-
titles same-sex couples to marry. It would
be wrong to suggest that the language of
the Special Marriage Act, which is less
strongly opposed, will be an obstacle to
marriage equality.
The argument for the sanctity of mar-
riage only makes sense when we talk about
religious personal laws. The concept of sanc-
tity is a religious one and the understanding
thatmarriageissacredreliesonreligiousno-
tions. We are not suggesting that this argu-
ment ultimately succeeds, but what is clear
isthattheargumentiscompletelymisguided
whenitisappliedtotheSpecialMarriageAct.
This leaves us with the “traditional con-
cept of marriage” and the argument that
same-sex marriage goes against prevailing
social values. In this context, the Supreme
Court has repeatedly made it clear that the
yardstick has to be constitutional morality
rather than popular morality. The govern-
ment cannot deny anyone their constitu-
tional rights to equality and privacy simply
because this would challenge popular
morality.
Fortoolong,gayandlesbiancoupleshave
been denied their rights by appeals to pre-
vailingpopularmorality.Theydeservebetter
than this.
Steuwer is an Assistant Professor of Politics at
Ashoka University. Raj is a lawyer at the
Supreme Court of India. Views are personal
WHAT THE OTHERS SAY
“After hosting the Rohingya for more than five years, Bangladesh is now in a
position where it cannot afford any more delays in repatriation. That is why
the government must work with the international community to pressure
Myanmar authorities to expedite the repatriation process.” — THE DAILY STAR
Two sets of rules
in the House
InParliament,thereseemtobedifferentstandards
fortheOppositionandtreasurybenches
ZERO HOUR
by Derek O’Brien
PRIVILEGE MOTIONS HAVE been in the
news recently. The Union Minister of
Communications,Railways,andElectronics
and Information Technology, opened him-
self toabreachof privilegemotionwhenhe
divulged the details of what transpired in
the parliamentary standing committee
meetingonthePersonalDataProtectionBill.
ThentherewasthecasewheretheCongress
MP from Wayanad had a privilege motion
moved against him in the Lok Sabha.
A privilege motion was also sought
against 12 MPs for supposedly disorderly
conductinthefirstlegoftheBudgetSession.
ARajyaSabhaMPwassuspendedandapriv-
ilegemotionwasmovedagainstherbecause
she allegedly recorded proceedings on her
smartphone inside the House. As per the
RajyaSabhabulletinpublishedinthepublic
domain, the Rajya Sabha chairman has also
sought a privilege motion against an MP
from Aam Aadmi Party for a bizarre reason
— repeatedly submitting identical notices!
What is a privilege motion? The
Constitution guarantees for certain privi-
leges(rights/immunities)tobothHousesof
Parliament and their members, to allow
themtodischargetheirfunctionsefficiently.
Whenanyoftheserights/immunitiesarevi-
olated, it amounts to what is known as “a
breachofprivilege”.Parliamenthastheright
to punish any such breaches by moving a
privilege motion.
How is a question of breach of privilege
raised? In the Rajya Sabha, a question of
breach of privilege can either be raised by
an MP or in the rarest of cases, by the pre-
siding officer himself. The question can ei-
ther be considered by the House or can be
referred to the committee on privileges for
examination.
It is interesting to flag that out of the 70
reportsofthecommitteeonprivilegesavail-
able on the Rajya Sabha website, the ques-
tion of privilege in 66 cases was raised by
MPs. In only four cases did the chairperson
referthematterof hisownaccord.Contrast
thiswithwhathashappenedinthelastone
month—thechairpersonhasreferredthree
questions of privilege to the committee of
his own accord.
Thebiggerquestionhereis,whatshould
OppositionMPsdowhentheirvoicesaresti-
fledinParliament?Whenmicrophonesare
muted, when Sansad TV is censored, when
sentences and even full paragraphs from
speechesareexpunged?Whenrepresenta-
tives of the people are not allowed to raise
people’s issues in Parliament, should they
act like lambs to the slaughter? Or should
they find innovative ways to register their
protest?
Here is what two BJP stalwarts and leg-
endary parliamentarians had to say on the
subject. Sushma Swaraj: “Not allowing
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
BROKER PEACE DEAL
THIS REFERS TO the article, ‘BeijIng
plays peace-maker’ (IE, March 16).
India should take a leaf out of the
Chinese book and initiate a peace deal
between Ukraine and Russia. Since
India is on good terms with Ukraine,
the US and its western allies on one
hand and Russia on the other, this
move will likely be supported by all
parties. In contrast, the acrimonious
relations between the US and China
will come in the way of a similar
Chinese initiative to broker a peace
deal.
Manish Mishra, Bhopal
TAKE CRITICISM
THIS REFERS TO the report, ‘Probe
Adani vs Rahul apology: BJP, Opp
protests continue to stall proceedings’
(IE, March 16). There has been massive
outcry by the Centre on the remarks
made by Rahul Gandhi at Cambridge
University. Parliament is no longer a
place to legislate. Leaders use the plat-
form to settle personal scores. It is high
time the government start taking crit-
icism in its stride. Various issues re-
quire urgent attention. Order in
Parliament and introspection amongst
our leaders are the need of the hour.
Aanya Singhal, Noida
PUBLIC ETIQUETTE
THIS REFERS TO the editorial, ‘You are
in my selfie’ (IE, March 16). Any jour-
ney, however small, should be pleas-
WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM
Parliament to function is also a form of
democracy, like any other form.” Arun
Jaitley:“Thereareoccasionswhenobstruc-
tioninParliamentbringsgreaterbenefitsto
thecountry.Ourstrategydoesnotpermitus
to allow the government to use Parliament
without being held accountable.”
In the first leg of the Budget session in
February, the entire Opposition was raising
a demand to order an inquiry (some pre-
ferred a joint parliamentary committee
(JPC), a few others a Supreme Court moni-
toredprobe)intoLIC-SBIfundsbeingatrisk
because of their exposure to Adani compa-
nies.Perfectlylegitimateparliamentarytac-
tic.Howjustifiedisittonowseekaprivilege
motion against the protesting MPs?
Asperearlierreports(2009and2014)of
the committee on privileges, such “disrup-
tions” do not fall under the purview of par-
liamentaryprivileges.Thecommitteefound
that the intention of the members disrupt-
ing was not to prevent any other member
from speaking or to question the authority
of the chair. It was, in fact, to express their
discontent over a particular issue in which
theiropinionwasnotbeingtakennoteof by
the Union government.
Now let me address the issue of an MP
(theOppositionortreasurybenches)resub-
mitting identical notices on consecutive
days.Goodnessme.Re-submissionof iden-
tical notices has been a common practice, a
precedent,fordecadesinbothHouses.This
is done by a member for multiple reasons.
Most notices lapse after a specific period of
time and it is the right of a member to re-
submither/hisnotice.Or,anMPmaychoose
to repeatedly emphasise on a certain issue
overasustainedperiodof time.Totallylegit.
Members from the Opposition across
thecountryarebrazenlytargetedeveryday
by the Modi-Shah government through
their agencies like CBI and ED. No one from
the BJP ever is. In the same manner, mem-
bers of the BJP are never subjected to in-
quiries by the committee on privileges.
MinistersintheModigovernmentareteflon
coated. If they weren’t, why wasn’t the
Union IT minister served a privilege notice
forshootinghismouthoff whenhewasad-
dressing a forum and disclosing classified
information. The minister claimed that
Parliament’s standing committee on com-
munications and information technology
had examined the Bill and given it a “big
thumbs up”. Every constitutionalauthority
remained mum.
Even kindergarten Parliament knows
that the proceedings of a committee shall
be treated as confidential. Anyone who has
accesstoitsproceedingsshouldnotdisclose
any information regarding its report or any
conclusionsarrivedat,beforethereporthas
been presented to the House.
Forparliamentaryprivilegesandallelse
inIndianpolitics,therearetwosetsof rules.
One set of rules for members of TMC, INC,
SP, DMK, AAP, BRS, SS, RJD, JD(U), NCP,
CPI(M). And a different set of rules for the
partyrunbythetwomostfamousmembers
of the Gujarat Gymkhana.
The writer is Member of Parliament and
Leader, All India Trinamool Congress
Parliamentary Party (Rajya Sabha).
Additional research by Ankita Dinkar
ant and comfortable. Taking selfies in
the Metro or making reels may be an-
noying to many who don’t want to be
in the background of such clicks.
Sometimes it can also prove to be dan-
gerous. We should abide by the in-
structions framed in public interest.
Respectful behaviour towards fellow
passengers is the bare minimum re-
quirement of navigating public spaces.
Subhash Vaid, New Delhi
MILK ALTERNATIVES
THIS REFERS TO the editorial, ‘White
matter' (IE, March 16). The anticipated
shortfall of milk in the country is wor-
rying. It will encourage unscrupulous
players to make a killing by way of
scaling up adulterated milk and its
products. It is prudent to cut down
consumption of milk. Milk from other
sources such as soya, almond etc.
should be encouraged.
Deepak Singhal, Noida
A GOOD STEP
THIS REFERS TO the report, ‘Foreign
lawyers, law firms can practice in se-
lect fields , says BCI’ (IE, March 16).
Allowing foreign lawyers and firms to
practice in India is a path-breaking de-
cision. Foreign law firms will have to
register themselves for five years. This
will ensure India becomes a hub of in-
ternational commercial arbitration.
This step will set young lawyers up for
more opportunities, exposure and em-
ployment.
Bal Govind, Noida

16 THE WORLD
THE INDIAN EXPRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2023
TOPOFTHE
WORLD
German Chancellor
Olaf Scholz.
GERMANY
Scholz:Wantto
curbirregular
migration
Berlin: Chancellor Olaf
Scholz said Thursday that
Germany will have to do a
better job at clamping
downon“irregularmigra-
tion” and deporting those
whodon’tlegallyresidein
the country. Scholz said
that Germany, however,
wouldcontinuetoprovide
protection for Ukrainians
fleeing Russia’s war. “Our
responsibilityinthefaceof
thisterriblewarofaggres-
sionnaturallyalsoincludes
providing protection for
Ukrainian citizens in the
European Union,” Scholz
said in a speech to parlia-
ment, adding that “all lev-
els of government have
been doing a great job for
more than a year...” AP
PAKISTAN
Courtrefusesto
suspendImran’s
arrestwarrant
Lahore: A Pakistani court
onThursdayrejectedape-
tition from former Prime
Minister Imran Khan’s
lawyerstosuspendawar-
rant for him to appear in
court in agraft case linked
tohisterminoffice—ade-
velopment that increases
the likelihood of another
policeattempttoarrestthe
ousted premier.Khan has
beenholedupinhishome
in the eastern city of
Lahore, where clashes
erupted earlier this week
whenpolicetriedtodetain
him. The judge explained
his decision by saying
Khan had forfeited his
rightswith“hisdefianceof
the court process.” AP
MOZAMBIQUE
CycloneFreddy:
overalldeathtoll
crosses300
Maputo: The death toll
from Tropical Cyclone
Freddy has passed 300
people, with authorities
in Mozambique taking
several days to assess the
extent of the damage and
lossof life.Atleast53peo-
ple have died in
Mozambique’s Zambezia
province, authorities said
late on Wednesday, more
than doubling their pre-
viouscount. Thetollisex-
pectedtocontinuetorise,
said UNchildren’sagency
UNICEF. The storm tore
through southern Africa
over the weekend for a
second time after first
making landfall in
February. REUTERS
COLOMBIA
21workerskilled
inminecollapse
Bogota: Rescue opera-
tions at a coal mine in
centralColombiathatcol-
lapsed earlier this week
ended Thursday and offi-
cialssaidtheaccidenthad
left 21 workers dead. The
mine near the town of
Sutatausa collapsed late
Tuesday following an ex-
plosion that blocked sev-
eral of its entrances.
Rescue teams worked
nonstop for more than 30
hours to find survivors
and retrieve bodies.
Nicolas Garcia, the gover-
nor of Cundinamarca ,
said nine workers sur-
vived and had been re-
leased from hospital. Last
year 117 accidents were
registered at mines
around the country. AP
EXERCISE SEA DRAGON 23 IN GUAM
Coalition sends message to Beijing,
Indian Navy joins drills in the Pacific
Anti-submarine warfare drills being staged by United States, Canada, India, Japan and South Korea
ASSOCIATED PRESS
TOKYO, MARCH 16
THE UNITED States, Canada,
India, Japan and South Korea are
staging joint anti-submarine
warfare drills amid talks be-
tween Japanese and South
Korean leaders aimed at
strengtheningtheiralliancewith
Washingtonagainstthreatsfrom
China and North Korea.
The Sea Dragon 23 exercises
that started on Wednesday will
culminateinmorethan270hours
ofin-flighttraining“rangingfrom
tracking simulated targets to the
final problem of tracking a U.S.
Navysubmarine,”theUS7thFleet
said in a news release.
Pilots and flight officers from
allparticipatingcountrieswillalso
hold classroom training sessions
to“buildplansanddiscusstactics
incorporatingthecapabilitiesand
equipmentoftheirrespectivena-
tions,” The 7th Fleet said.
The drills are being held as a
competition, with the country
winning the most points taking
home the “Dragon Belt.”
The US Navy is being repre-
sented by two P-8A Poseidon
Maritime Patrol and
Reconnaissance Aircraft, cur-
rently based in Guam. It did not
saywheretheexerciseswouldbe
heldorhowlongtheywouldlast.
With 50 to 70 ships and sub-
French govt passes
pension reform Bill
without any voting
PM BornejeeredassheentersAssembly
ELIZABETH PINEAU
& INGRID MELANDER
PARIS, MARCH 16
FRENCH PRIME Minister
Elisabeth Borne used a special
procedure to push an unpopular
pensionsbillthroughtheNational
Assembly without a vote on
Thursday, while left-wing law-
makers shouted and brandished
placards opposing the reform.
The move will ensure the bill
raisingtheretirementagebytwo
years to 64 — which the govern-
ment says is essential to ensure
the pension system does not go
bust — is adopted after weeks of
protests and fractious debate.
But it also shows President
Emmanuel Macron and his gov-
ernment failed to garner a ma-
jority in parliament, in a blow to
the centrist president and his
abilitytowinsupportfromother
parties for further reforms.
LeftMembers of Parliamentholdplacardsthatread ‘64years
old:No!’and ‘democracy’ asPM ElisabethBornearrives atthe
NationalAssemblyinParisonThursday. Reuters
MONET’S SUCCESS AND COLOUR PALETTE WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT LEON, A COLOUR CHEMIST
Without his brother Leon, there wouldn’t have been a Monet
THOMAS ADAMSON
PARIS, MARCH 16
BEHIND SOME great men, there
is a bigger brother.
Claude Monet’s older sibling
is the focus of a landmark Paris
exhibitilluminatingthehitherto
unknown role Leon Monet
playedintheFrenchimpression-
ist painter’s life and art. Leon — a
color chemist four years his sen-
ior -- is now understood to have
been critical in theemergence of
Monet’s commercial success as
well as the famed color palette
that created masterpieces like
the “Water Lilies” series.
The Indian Navy has sent a P8I aircraft to Guam. PIB
marines, 150 aircraft and more
than 27,000 sailors and marines
readytodeployatanygiventime,
the 7th Fleet “routinely interacts
andoperateswithAlliesandpart-
nersinpreservingafreeandopen
Indo-Pacific region,” it said.
Thatincludesoperatinginthe
South China Sea, where it rou-
tinely draws Beijing’s anger by
sailing and flying near islands
heldandfortifiedbyChina,which
claimsthestrategicwaterwayvir-
tually in its entirety.
Other nations, as yet uniden-
tified, are also taking part in the
“Security Bond-2023” exercises,
which China’s Defense Ministry
says will “help deepen practical
cooperation between the partic-
ipatingcountries’navies...andin-
ject positive energy into regional
peace and stability.”
Borne was greeted by boos
and jeers as she arrived in the
National Assembly, the lower
house of parliament, to an-
nounce that she would invoke
article 49.3of theconstitutionto
skip a vote on reform measures.
The session was suspended
for two minutes after left-wing
lawmakers singing national an-
them stopped Borne speaking.
When the session resumed,
Borne took the floor but her
speech was largely drowned out
by boos and chants from opposi-
tion members of parliament and
shouts of “resignation,” in rare
chaotic scenes in the parliament.
The upper house Senate had
given the green light to thebill in
the morning as expected, after
supportfromsenatorsfromcon-
servative Les Republicains (LR).
According to a source present
at the meeting in Elysee, Macron
told Borne and others he had
wanted to go for a vote.REUTERS
“It’s never been known be-
fore, but without Leon there
would not have really been a
Monet — the artist the world
knows today,” said Geraldine
Lefebvre, exhibit curator at the
Musee du Luxembourg.
“His rich big brother sup-
ported him in the first period of
hislifewhenhehadnomoneyor
clients and was starving,” she
said. “But more than that. The
vivid palette Monet was famous
for came from the synthetic tex-
tiledyecolorsLeoncreated”inthe
town of Rouen — site of some of
Claude’s best-known paintings.
The groundbreaking exhibit
is the fruit of years of investiga-
E
E X P L A I NE D
String of
● disputes
THE EXERCISES also
come as China’s navy is
taking part in joint
search and rescue exer-
cises in the Gulf of Oman
with Iran and Russia,
three of the countries
most at odds with the
United States. China’s
dispute with Japan over
tiny islands in the East
China Sea has also
heated up recently, with
both sides accusing each
other of violating their
maritime territory.
BLAST AT RUSSIA’S SECURITY OFFICE
At least one person was killed and two injured after a blast occured in a building belonging
to Russia’s FSB security service in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don on Thursday. Reuters
2.5 tonnes of uranium missing in
Libya, says UN nuclear watchdog
JONGAMBRELL
DUBAI,MARCH16
SOME 2.5 tonnes of natural ura-
nium stored in a site in war-torn
Libya have gone missing, the
United Nations nuclear watch-
dog said Thursday, raising safety
and proliferation concerns.
Naturaluraniumcan’timme-
diatelybeusedforenergyproduc-
tion or bomb fuel, as the enrich-
ment process typically requires
the metal to be converted into a
gas,thenlaterspunincentrifuges
to reach the levels needed.
tion by Lefebvre, who visited
Monet’s great-grandchildren,
studied family albums and
brought to light a masterly por-
trait of Leon by Claude that Leon
hid away in a dusty private col-
lectionandhasneverbeforebeen
seen by the public. The 1874
paintingshowsLeonwithablack
suit, stern expression and red —
almost wine-flushed — cheeks.
The exhibit dispels a long-
held view that Claude and his
older brother were estranged.
“Historians always thought
the two brothers had nothing to
do with each other. It was as-
sumed because there are no
photographs of Claude and Leon
Japan, South Korea renew
relations at Tokyo summit
MARI YAMAGUCHI
TOKYO, MARCH 16
JAPANANDSouthKoreaagreedto
resume regular visits between
their leaders and take steps to re-
solve a trade dispute during a
highly anticipated summit
Thursday, in what Japan’s prime
minister called a “big step” to re-
buildingthetwonations’security
and economic ties as they try to
fix a century of difficult history.
In his opening remarks,
Kishidasaidthatthemeetingwill
mark the resumption of regular
visitsbetweentheleaders,which
have been on hold for more than
a decade. He said the countries
hadagreedtoresumedefensedi-
alogueandvice-ministerialstrate-
gic talks, while also restarting a
process of trilateral talks among
Japan, South Korea and China.
Yoon said meeting “has spe-
cial significance as it shows the
people of both countries that
South Korea-Japan relations are
off to a new beginning after be-
ing plagued...”
He added that countries are
“partnersthatmustcooperateon
security, economic issues and
global agendas.”
Eachtonneof uranium
canberefinedto5.6kg
of weapons-grade
materialovertime
However,eachtonne of natu-
ral uranium — if obtained by a
group with the technological
meansandresources—canbere-
fined to 5.6 kg of weapons-grade
material over time, experts say.
That makes finding the missing
metalimportantfornonprolifera-
tion experts.
Claude Monet’s portrait of his brother Leon Monet on display
at an exhibition at the Musee du Luxembourg in Paris. AP
NEPAL
PMO TWITTER ACCOUNT HACKED
The official Twitter handle of Nepal’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal
Dahal Prachanda’s Office, PMO Nepal, was hacked briefly on
Thursday, and two unauthorised tweets were reposted from it. PTI
South Korean President
Yoon Suk Yeol (left), and
Japanese PM Fumio Kishida
N Korea fires
ICBM warning
Seoul: North Korea test-
launched an interconti-
nental ballistic missile
Thursdayjusthoursbefore
theleadersof SouthKorea
and Japan were to meet at
a Tokyo summit expected
to be overshadowed by
North Korean nuclear
threats. The missile flew
about 1,000 kilometers
with a maximum altitude
of6,000kilometersduring
the70-minuteflight,asper
to South Korean and
Japanese assessments. AP
In a statement, the Vienna-
based International Atomic
Energy Agency said its director-
general, Rafael Mariano Grossi,
informed member states about
the missing uranium.
The IAEA statement re-
mained tightlipped though on
much of the details.
On Tuesday, “agency safe-
guards inspectors found that 10
drumscontainingapproximately
2.5 tonnes of natural uranium in
the form of uranium ore concen-
trate were not present as previ-
ouslydeclaredatalocationinthe
state of Libya,” the IAEA said. AP
Photo taken from video released on Thursday shows a
Russian Su-27 approaching the back of the MQ-9 drone and
beginning to release fuel as it passes over the Black Sea. AP
US puts out video
of Russian warjet
dumping fuel on
Black Sea drone
KARL RITTER
& DINO HAZELL
KYIV, MARCH 16
The Pentagon on Thursday re-
leasedfootageof whatitsaidwas
aRussianaircraftpouringfuelon
aUSAirForcesurveillancedrone
and clipping the drone’s pro-
peller in international airspace
over the Black Sea.
The42-secondvideoshowsa
Russian Su-27 approaching the
back of the MQ-9 drone and be-
ginningtoreleasefuelasitpasses,
the Pentagon said. Dumping the
fuel appeared to be aimed at
blinding its optical instruments
and driving it out of the area.
On a second approach, either
the same jet or another Russian
fighterthathadbeenshadowing
theMQ-9struckthedrone’spro-
peller, damaging one blade, ac-
cording to the US military.
The US military said it
ditched the MQ-9 Reaper in the
seaafter what itdescribedasthe
Russian fighter making an un-
safe intercept of the unmanned
aerial vehicle.
Thevideoexcerptreleasedby
the Pentagon does not show
events before or after the appar-
entfuel-dumpingconfrontation.
Russiasaiditswarplanesdid-
Chinese Foreign Minister
dials Kyiv: World needs to
create conditions for talks
ASSOCIATED PRESS
BEIJING, MARCH 16
IN A rare phone conversation
with his Ukrainian counterpart
Thursday, China’s foreign minis-
ter says Beijing is concerned
about the year-oldgrinding con-
flict with Russia spinning out of
control and urged talks on a po-
litical solution with Moscow.
Qin Gang told Dmytro Kuleba
thatChinahas“alwaysupheldan
objective and fair stance on the
Ukraine issue, has committed it-
self to promoting peace and ad-
vancingnegotiationsandcallson
the international community to
createconditionsforpeacetalks,”
China’s Foreign Ministry said in a
statement posted on its website.
In2022,Chinadeclaredithad
a “no-limits” friendship with
Russia and has refused to con-
demn Moscow’s invasion while
condemning Western sanctions
and accusing NATO and the
United States of provoking
together, and no correspon-
dence. In reality, they were in-
credibly close throughout their
life,” Lefebvre said.
The brothers had an argu-
ment in the early 1900s and that
mayexplainwhynodirecttraces
of the relationship exist. “Maybe
Leon got rid of the traces, maybe
it was Claude. Maybe it was jeal-
ousy. We will never know. It is a
mystery,” Lefebvre said.
What is now known is that
Leon would wine and dine his
younger brother, introduce him
to other artists, give him money,
and patronize his art — buying it
up at auction at high prices to
boost his reputation.
WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM
n’t strike the drone and claimed
the unmanned aerial vehicle
wentdownaftermaking asharp
maneuver over the sea.
Asked Thursday if Russia
would try to recover the drone
debris, Kremlin spokesman
DmitryPeskovtoldreportersthe
decision was up to the military.
“If they consider it necessary to
dosointheBlackSeafortheben-
efit of our interests and our se-
curity, they will do it,” he said.
Nikolai Patrushev, the sec-
retary of Russia’s Security
Council, said Wednesday that
Moscow would try to recover
the drone fragments.
US officials have expressed
confidence that nothing of mili-
tary value would remain from
the drone even if Russia man-
aged to retrieve the wreckage.
ThecallsbetweenUSDefense
Secretary Lloyd Austin and
Russian Defense Minister Sergei
Shoigu, as well as between Joint
Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen.
Mark Milley and General Valery
Gerasimov,chiefofRussiaGeneral
Staff,werethefirstsinceOctober.
TheRussianDefenseMinistry
said in its report that Shoigu ac-
cusedtheUSof provokingthein-
cidentbyignoringrestrictionsthe
Kremlin had imposed because of
its operations in Ukraine. AP
Chinese
Foreign
Minister
Qin Gang
Russia into military action.
China and Ukraine have re-
tained diplomatic ties but their
top officials are believed to have
had only sporadic contact.
Beijing has also accused the
West of “fanning the flames” by
providingUkrainewithweaponry
to fend off the Russian invasion.
A Chinese peace proposal for
UkraineissuedinFebruaryurged
acease-fireandpeacetalks,draw-
ing praise from Russia but dis-
missalsfromtheWest.USofficials
haverepeatedlyaccusedChinaof
considering the provision of
weapons to Russia for use in war.
The Foreign Ministry made
no mention of Qin repeating
such remarks to Kuleba or of
raising the peace proposal. AP
Claude Monet founded im-
pressionism—atermcoinedfrom
his 1872 painting “Impression,
Sunrise” — to become one of the
most celebrated painters of the
lasttwocenturies.Andbyimpres-
sionism’s height at the end of the
19th century, an incredible “80%
of all impressionists’ work” used
the synthetic colors borrowed
fromLeon,accordingtoLefebvre.
Thesesynthetichuesenabled
members of the group to depict
thefleetingimpressionofthemo-
ment with shifting colors and lu-
minosity. “Who knows the exact
extent of the impact Leon had on
the movement?” Lefebvre said
with a shy smile. AP
 E EXPLAINED
17
The Credit Suisse lifeline and its impact
After the US, a major European bank is in turmoil, with the Swiss central bank
giving $54-billion aid to Credit Suisse. How will the developments affect India?
ANIL SASI
NEW DELHI, MARCH 16
AT THE Bundesplatz, the biggest square in
Bern’s fabled old town, right opposite two
important national institutions — the Swiss
Federal Parliament and the Swiss central
bank edifice — is the Credit Suisse building,
just a plaza laced with fountains separating
the Swiss banking regulator and the coun-
try’s second largest bank. So, it was not sur-
prising that the Swiss central bank stepped
in with a $54-billion lifeline for Credit Suisse
earlyThursday,afteracontinuingslideinthe
lender’s shares deepened concerns about a
developing bank deposit crisis.
The central bank aid
In its statement early Thursday, Credit
Suisse said it is “exercising its option to bor-
row” from the Swiss National Bank up to 50
billionSwissfrancs(around$54billion).This
is crucial because the Swiss bank’s problems
have the potential to shift the focus for in-
vestors and regulators from the US, where
the crisis in at least three mid-sized banks
has led to fears of contagion to Europe.
Share slide
On Wednesday, shares of Credit Suisse
plungedtoafreshall-timelowforthesecond
consecutivedayafteratopinvestor,theSaudi
National Bank, said it would not be able to
providemorecashduetoregulatoryredlines.
“Wecannotbecausewewouldgoabove10%.
It’s a regulatory issue,” Saudi National Bank
Chairman Ammar Al
Khudairy told Reuters.The
Saudi National Bank had
EXPLAINED
taken a 9.9% stake in Credit
Suisse last year as part of the
ECONOMICS
Swiss lender’s $4.2 billion
capitalraisetofundastrategicoverhaulamid
a sagging investment banking performance
and a bevy of risk and compliance failures.
Support pledge
After European markets closed Wedne-
sday, Swiss regulators said that Credit Suisse
“currentlymeetscapitalandliquidityrequire-
ments”. This came amid concerns of a spiral-
ing banking sector crisis, with a broader sell-
off among European lenders, including
France’s Societe Generale, Spain’s Banco de
Sabadell and Germany’s Commerzbank
Wednesday, according to Bloomberg data.
SomeItalianbanksWednesdaywerealsosub-
jecttoautomatictradingstoppages,including
UniCredit, FinecoBank and Monte dei Paschi.
In a joint statement late Wednesday, the
Swiss financial regulator FINMA and the
country’s central bank tried to ease investor
fears around Credit Suisse, saying it “meets
FAST TRACK YOUR PREPARATION FOR
PRELIMS 2023
EXPLAINED GLOBAL
JAPAN-SOUTHKOREASUMMIT:WHAT
HASKEPTTHETWOAPART
JAPAN AND South Korea agreed to resume
regular visits between their leaders and
take steps to resolve a trade dispute during
a highly anticipated summit Thursday.
The two US allies, who have been at
odds over their history, are seeking to form
a united front driven by shared concerns
about a restive North Korea and a more
powerful China, but previous rounds of
diplomacy have foundered on unresolved
issues from Japan’s 35-year occupation of
the Korean Peninsula.
What are the issues?
Japan effectively colonised the Korean
Peninsula between 1910 and 1945, in a
regime that imposed Japanese names and
language on Koreans and conscripted
many into forced labour or forced prosti-
tution in military brothels before and dur-
ing World War II.
Japan paid $800 million in reparations
to South Korea’s military-run government
in 1965, but this money was never distrib-
uted to victims.
A semi-government fund offered com-
pensation to former “comfort women”
when the government apologised in 1995,
but many South Koreans believe that the
Japanese government must take more di-
rect responsibility for the occupation.
The two sides also have a longstanding
territorial dispute over a group of islands
controlled by South Korea and claimed by
Japan.
Seoul and Tokyo have attempted to es-
tablish better ties before. In 2004, leaders
began regular visits, but these ended in
2012 after South Korean President Lee
THE INDIAN EXPRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2023
The Credit Suisse building in Bern’s Bundesplatz. Anil Sasi
the capital and liquidity requirements im-
posed on systemically important banks and
that the bank could access liquidity from the
central bank if needed.”
Credit Suisse “welcomed” the statement
of support. The lifeline is extremely signifi-
cant as Credit Suisse would be the first ma-
jor global bank to be given such a credit line
since the 2008 financial crisis, even though
westerncentralbankshave extendedliquid-
ity support to banks during times of market
stress since the crisis, including during the
pandemic-triggered stock rout.
Troubled history
Founded in 1856, Credit Suisse has faced
many scandals in recent years, including
moneylaunderingcharges.It
reportedlosingmoneyinthe
last two years and issued a
warning of staying in the red
atleasttill2024.Thenewcri-
sis could mean a longer road
towards profitability, or even solvency.
With the crisis, traders are expecting that
the US Federal Reserve, which last fortnight
was expected to step up its interest-rate-hike
plan in the face of inflation, may be forced to
hitpauseandevencontemplateacutinrates.
Also,theCreditSuisserouthadtriggeredcon-
cernsaboutthehealthofEurope’sbankingsec-
tor and a contagion effect. Reuters, however,
reportedRalphHammers,CEOofCreditSuisse
rival UBS (Switzerland’s largest bank), as say-
ingthatthemarketturmoilhadseenincoming
deposits, while Deutsche Bank CEO Christian
Sewing maintained that the German lender
has also seen fresh funds come its way.
India impact
The Swiss bank has around Rs 20,000
crore in assets, but is far more relevant to the
country’sfinancialsystemthanSiliconValley
Bank, according to brokerage firm Jefferies.
STARTS 16TH FEB'23
STARTS 20TH FEB'23
STARTS 16TH FEB'23
South Korea’s President Yoon Suk-
yeol with Japan’s Prime Minister
Fumio Kishida at a restaurant in
Tokyo on Thursday. Reuters
Myung-bak visited the disputed islands.
Tensions escalated in the past 10 years as
conservativeJapanesegovernmentsmoved
to rearm the country while stepping up at-
tempts to whitewash Japan’s wartime
atrocities, and in 2018, South Korea’s
Supreme Court ordered Japan’s Nippon
Steel and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to
compensate forced labor victims.
In 2019, Japan, in apparent retaliation,
placed export controls on chemicals used
tomakesemiconductorsanddisplaysused
in smartphones and other high-tech
devices.
What’s at stake for the region?
Improved ties between South Korea
and Japan could pave the way for the two
US allies to cooperate more closely on
shared security concerns related to China
and North Korea. AP
The firm said in a note that given the rele-
vance of Credit Suisse to India’s banking sec-
tor,therewouldbesome“adjustmentsinas-
sessment of counter-party risks”, especially
in the derivative market. Credit Suisse has a
sizeable presence in the derivatives market.
In the traditional banking, foreign banks
have a small presence in India. Credit Suisse
does not figure in the top ten among foreign
banks in terms of asset base.
Established in India in 1997, Credit Suisse
has offices in Mumbai, Pune and Gurgaon,
with vendor offices in Bangalore, Hyderabad
andKolkata.India,accordingtothebank,rep-
resents“thesecond-largestfootprintforCredit
Suisse outside of Switzerland” and is “an im-
portantrecruitmentcenter”forthebankglob-
ally. It has about 12,000-15,000 people in
India, mostly servicing their global business,
while the core team is about 200-250 strong.
Incidentally, Neelkanth Mishra, co-head
of AsiaPacificstrategyatCreditSuisseGroup,
resigned from the company as it was said to
be considering shutting down its wealth
management business as part of a global
strategic review. Mishra is set to join
Mumbai-based Axis Bank Ltd.
UnlikethebanksthatfailedintheUSover
the weekend, Credit Suisse is a global lender
with assets worth over 525 billion Swiss
Francs ($570 billion) at the end of 2022. But
given the sharp fall in share price, the valua-
tionof thebankplummetedsharplytounder
10 billion Swiss francs at its lowest point.
There could be a cascading impact of
global regulatory action in the wake of all
thesebankfailures, suchas apauseinratings
hikes, which would have a bearing on the
Reserve Bank of India’s stance on market
ratesandoutlookforthemarkets.Butadeep-
eningbankingcrisisintheUSortheEUcould
mean fresh troubles for lenders in other ge-
ographies, including India, and slow down
economic recovery.
EXPLAINED DIPLOMACY, FOREIGN POLICY, STRATEGY
Iran-Saudi deal, brokered by China: What the big
gambit holds for Beijing, West Asia and India
NIRUPAMA
SUBRAMANIAN
CHINA’S BIG geopolitical card in West Asia,
theSaudi-Irandetenteannouncedlastweek,
isanambitiousnewgambitthatseekstose-
cure long-term economic interests as well
aslaythefoundationsforpoliticalinfluence
intheregion,torivaltherolethattheUnited
States has traditionally played.
Scene setter for Xi’s 3rd term
The March 9 announcement of the deal
camewhentheNationalPeople’sCongress,
the Chinese parliament, was in session. As
expected, the session confirmed President
Xi Jinping’s third term. The Iran-Saudi deal
appeared to usher in with a bang Xi’s new
24-character slogan for China: Be calm, be
determined;seekprogressandstability;be
proactive and go for achievements; united
under the Communist Party; dare to fight.
China was clearly “proactive” in pursu-
ing an “achievement” in a region domi-
natedbyUSinfluence.UnlikethePalestini-
an issue, the Saudi-Iran conflict is not an
intractable problem. Beijing, new to inter-
national peace-making, sensed what ob-
servers have described as a “low risk, high
impact” opportunity to establish its diplo-
maticandpoliticalcredentialsinWestAsia,
aregionwhereithashigheconomicstakes.
The two countries severed ties in 2016
after mobs stormed the Saudi embassy in
Tehran, in revenge against the execution of
a prominent Saudi Shia cleric and political
Amid global crises, how safe is
your money in banks, stocks
George Mathew
THE GLOBAL banking sector is in turmoil,
with jitters now spreading from the US to
Europe, raising concerns of a contagion ef-
fect in other countries, including India.
The impact on countries like India is in-
direct and multi-pronged, with nervous-
nessinstockmarkets,currenciesandbonds.
While investors fretted over the fall in bank
stocks,thedropinbondyieldscausedlosses
for bond investors, mainly banks. How safe
is your money in banks, stocks and bonds
in an interconnected financial world?
What is the crisis?
The genesis of the trouble is the bond
market turmoilafter interestrates in theUS
rose by 450 basis points. Silicon ValleyBank
(SVB), a big lender to startups, fell victim to
this. Companies raised very large rounds of
funding, and all this money was deposited
with SVB. In 2020 and 2021, the bank’s de-
posit base rose by $90 bil-
lion. “But a bank has to
make money by lending.
EXPLAINED
SVB’s customer base is con-
centratedamongCalifornia
YOUR MONEY
tech startups who are al-
readyflushwithcashanddonotneedloans.
Because of this, SVB invested some $88 bil-
lion in mortgage-backed bonds in 2021. As
the Fed increased interest rates, the value
of thesebondscollapsed,erodingSVB’scap-
ital base,” said Suman Bannerjee, CIO,
Hedonova, a US-based Hedge Fund.
SVB’s collapse led to the failure of
SignatureBank,worseningthebankingtur-
moil. Then on Wednesday (March 15),
Credit Suisse share price crashed 24%
overnight before making a recovery on
Thursday, following the intervention of the
Swiss central bank.
What’s the impact on India?
STARTUPS: Many Bengaluru-based
startups had their overseas bank accounts
with SVB. On March 10, many realised they
could not access their bank deposits as SVB
was put under federal regulation.
dissident, Sheikh Nimr.
From 2014, the two countries had been
at each other’s throats in a proxy war in
Yemen, where Iran is backing the Houthi
rebels,andtheSaudisleadacoalitionof Gulf
states backed by the US. A UN-negotiated
trucecameintoeffectinApril2022,andthe
fightinghasnotresumedevenafterthesix-
month ceasefire lapsed last October.
Noonebelievesthisdealwillendalldif-
ferencesbetweentheSunnimonarchyand
Shia republic. The modest hope is that the
deal sealed in Beijing may lead to a lasting
peace in Yemen, and also end proxy Saudi-
Iran hostilities in Lebanon, Syria and else-
where in the region.
ItissignificantthatChinaisalsoasigna-
torytothedeal,called“jointtrilateralstate-
ment”, projecting itself almost as a guaran-
tor of the terms: resumption of diplomatic
relationsandreopeningembassiesandmis-
sions within two months; respect for the
sovereignty of states and the non-interfer-
enceininternalaffairsof states;agreement
to implement the Security Cooperation
Agreement of 2001, and the 1998 General
Agreement for Cooperation in the Fields of
Economy, Trade, Investment, Technology,
Science, Culture, Sports, and Youth.
The Saudi-Iran pact shakes up the re-
gion by driving a wedge into the Arab-
Israeli alliance that came about as a result
of the Trump Administration-brokered
Abrahamic Accords. Last year’s Saudi-
Russia agreement in OPEC to cut back oil
productiontokeeppriceshigh,andRussia’s
outreach to Iran to buy drones equipped
withlongrange missiles maynow develop
into a four-way alignment.
AsXiheadstoMoscowlikelynextweek
for a meeting with President Vladimir
Putin,thereisspeculationif hewillattempt
to make peace in Europe, even though that
is hardly in China’s interests. The state-
owned Global Times noted cryptically that
“the fact that China can be a peacemaker
@ieExplained
#ExpressExplained
If there are questions of current or contemporary relevance that you would like
explained, please write to explained@indianexpress.com
“Morethan96%of the$170billioninde-
posits had no Federal Deposit Insurance
Cover as it is limited to deposits up to
$250,000. Founders, CFOs and VC partners
spent the weekend in anxiety. The US gov-
ernment and the Federal Reserve had to in-
tervene to safeguard depositors and pre-
ventafinancial systemcollapse. Clearly,not
all banks are as safe as perceived. Putting all
the cash in the bank carries a risk,” said
Quantum Mutual Fund Fund Manager
(fixed income) Pankaj Pathak.
MARKETS HIT: The crisis impacted
bank shares in India, though the collapse of
the two banks has not had a systemic im-
pact on Indian banks. Depositors and in-
vestors fear that the failure of a large bank
anywhere can have a contagion effect
across the world. “The collapse of the SVB
Bank in the US impacted sentiments in the
(Indian) market,” said VK Vijayakumar,
Chief Investmentstrategist,GeojitFinancial
Services. Sensex fell 3.63% in a week to
57,634.84 by Thursday.
BOND YIELDS FALL: The rise in inter-
est rates led to problems in the bond mar-
ket.OnMarch13,theyieldonIndia’sbench-
mark 10-year government bonds declined
by six basis points to 7.35%, registering a fall
of 11 basis points in less than a week. The
yield on 5-year bonds fell to 7.30% before
closingat7.33%.Thebenchmark10-yearUS
bond plunged 25 basis points to 3.45% on
March13amidspeculation
thattheUSFederalReserve
may not hike interest rates
after the SVB crisis.
If the interest rates in
the market rise, investors
will not buy old bonds, but go for new ones
that come with a higher interest rate. As a
result, the price of your bond will have to
be lowered to increase its yield. When the
price is lowered, the coupon rate increases
because of the lower face value, thus in-
creasing the bond’s yield.
As yields on a security go up, its price
goes down. And such a rapid rise in rates in
suchashorttimecausedthemarketvalueof
previouslyissuedbonds—corporatebonds
or government Treasury bills — to fall.
Is depositors’ money safe?
Unlike in the US where a large portion
of bank deposits are from corporates,
householdandretailsavingsmakeupabulk
of bank deposits in India. Today, a large part
of deposits is with public sector banks, and
the rest with very strong private sector
lenderslike HDFCBank, ICICIBankandAxis
reflects the kind of peace that more coun-
tries around the world are looking for”.
Made in four months
China’s role is said to have begun in
December2022,duringXi’svisittoRiyadh,
where the Saudis requested Beijing’s facil-
itation, frustrated that five rounds of talks
hosted by Baghdad since 2021 and at-
tempts by Oman had reached a dead end.
In February 2023, Iranian Prime Minister
EbrahimRaisivisitedChinaandmetXi.The
negotiations that began after this culmi-
nated in the signing on March 9.
Both Saudi and Iran had compelling
reasons to normalise relations.
For Saudi, the frosty relations with the
Biden Administration; the absence of
American security guarantees against Iran
asmadeclearbytheTrumpadministration
after the Houthis successfully targeted its
oil facilities in 2019; and China’s rising pro-
file in West Asia at a time of lowering
American engagement in the region.
For Iran, which signed a long term
strategicagreementwithChinain2021,the
isolation that came with the nuclear sanc-
tions; more importantly, the coming to-
gether of archenemy Israel with the UAE
andBahrainintheAbrahamicaccordswith
the apparent silent support of the Saudis;
plus its own domestic difficulties with the
uprising of women against hijab rules. Last
August,IrannormalisedrelationswithUAE
and Kuwait. Saudi was the next step.
World’s response
The US welcomed the agreement im-
mediately despite its confrontational rela-
tionswithChina,sayingif itbroughtlasting
peace, it didnot matter who brokered it. At
the same time, it sought to play down the
assessment of diminished US influence in
the region. Sections of the US establish-
mentarebettingthatthispactof “threeau-
tocracies” will fail. Saudi’s deal for 121
WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM
Bank. “There is no need for customers to
worry about their savings… whenever
bankshavefacedanyissue,thegovernment
has saved them,” said a banking source.
Withinterestratesgoingup,savershave
startedfocusingonbankdeposits.Duringthe
reporting quarter ending December 2022,
aggregate deposits increased by 10.3% (y-o-
y). Many banks offer over 7 % interest on de-
posits for 15 months. State Bank of India,
whichwasofferingjust4.4%lastyearfora1-
year tenure, is now giving 6.98%
In India, deposits up to Rs 5 lakh are in-
sured with Deposit Insurance and Credit
Guarantee Corporation. This means a de-
positor with Rs 50 lakh in a fixed deposit
will get only Rs 5 lakh if a bank fails.
However, the government and the RBI had
stepped in when some private banks, like
Lakshmi Vilas Bank, PMC Bank and Yes
Bank, faced problems in the past few years.
The RBI’s Financial Stability Report re-
leased on December 29, 2022 warned that
risks from global spillovers and financial
market volatility remained in the ‘high’ risk
category.However,italsosaidthatstresstest
results reveal commercial banks are well
capitalisedandcapableof absorbingmacro-
economicshocksevenintheabsenceof any
further capital infusion by stakeholders.
Will rates go up?
Thereiswidespreadexpectationthatthe
US Fed will pause the rate hike or raise the
federalfundsratebyasmaller25basispoints
atitsMarch22meeting.“Broadertightening
of bank lending conditions will factor into
decisionsastohowhightherateshouldgoto
bring down inflation,” said Madhavi Bokil,
Senior Vice President CSR, Moody’s.
The recent stress in the banking sector
hashighlightedfinancialstabilityrisksinan
environment of higher rates and slowing
economic growth. However, the sticky in-
flationmomentum,revealedinthemostre-
centprice andlabourmarketdata,suggests
curbing inflation will remain the focus for
USmonetarypolicy,Bokilsaid.“Butif bank-
ingstressintensifies,theFedmaywellpause
ratehikestoassessthesituation,andtheFed
and other central banks could convene
emergency meetings to provide guidance
and stem potential panic,” she said.
Analystssaid theRBI is likely to keepthe
repo rate unchanged at 6.5% in its April
monetary policy, on expectations of infla-
tionmoderation,worseningglobaloutlook,
and weaker domestic demand in the next
financial year. By October, the central bank
may start reducing the repo rate, they said.
Boeing aircraft earlier this week, an appar-
ent balancing act with the US, has also
brought cheer in Washington.
In Israel, the deal was aclear setback for
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s for-
eign policy. He claimed credit for the 2020
Abrahamic Accords, and projected himself
as the only Israeli leader who could bring
together an Arab-Israeli coalition against
Iran. The new pact has heightened Netan-
yahu’sdomesticpoliticaltroubles,withop-
position leaders blaming his ultra far-right
government for alienating Arab friends.
The Israeli PM was to visit the UAE in
January, but the trip was cancelled amid
tensionsoverhisgovernment’splanstoex-
pand settlements in the West Bank and a
cabinet minister’s visit to the Al Aqsa com-
plex. Last week, the UAE welcomed the
Saudi-Iranpactas“animportantstepinthe
region towards stability and prosperity”.
India’s week-long silence
Delhi,takenabackatChina’snewavatar
like the rest of the world, took a week to
break its silence on the deal brokered by its
principal adversary in a region where it has
invested much diplomatic energy over the
last decade. “We have seen the reports re-
garding this. India has good relations with
variouscountriesinWestAsiaandwehave
abiding interests in the region,” MEA
spokesman Arindam Bagchi said in re-
sponse to a question at the weekly briefing
onThursday.Andinwhatcouldbereadasa
message to China on the LAC problems, he
added: “India has always advocated dia-
logueanddiplomacytoresolvedifferences”.
China’s big ticket diplomacy in the re-
gion is sure to impact the I2U2 (Israel-
India-UAE-US) grouping. It calls for India
to work on its ties to the region independ-
ently of the US (for instance with Iran), and
in ways that project its civilisational and
cultural links and the positive contribu-
tions of the Indian diaspora.
 18 CLASSIFIEDS & TENDERS
Classifieds
PERSONAL
I,MOHAN LAL
CHANDNA,S/O.AMIR
CHAND,ADD-E-8,ORIENTAL
APARTMENT, PLOT.NO-
32,PATPARGANJ I.P EXTENSION
EAST DELHI-110092,changed
my name to MOHAN
CHANDNA,for all,future
purposes. 0040659476-2
I,Lalit Kumar,S/o Sh.Balwan
Singh,R/o E-11,Tower-5,NBCC
Type-2,Kidwai Nagar East,New
Delhi-110023,have changed
my,son’s name,from Garvit to
Garvit Birhman for all,future
purposes. 0040659477-8
I,Kanta W/O Shri Raj
Kumar,R/O-E-18/172,Sector-
3,Rohini,Delhi-110085,have
Changed my name to Kanta
Aggarwal for all Purposes.
0040659486-2
I,Jai shri W/O-Shashi
Prakash,R/O 999,ward.
number.10,sector-15,
sonipat,haryana-131001,have
changed my name to
Jaishree,permanently
0040659478-2
I,HARNEET SETH,W/O Mr.AMIT
SETH,R/o 105,BLOCK.No.-
1,EXPRESS GARDEN,6,VAIBHAV
KHAND,INDIRAPURAM,SHIPRA,
SUN CITY,GHAZIABAD, U.P-
201014,before marriage
HARNIT KAUR RAKHROY,have
changed my,name to HARNEET
SETH,after marriage,both
names are same persons.
0040659477-7
It is for general information that
I,Sunil Kumar Bhatnagar,S/o-
Suraj Naryan,R/o-3/18,Chotta-
Bazar,Delhi-110032,declare
that name-of-mine has been
wrongly-written as Sunil
Kumar in my 10th-Class
Marksheet and Certificate.The
actual-name of-mine is Sunil
Kumar Bhatnagar,which may
be amended-accordingly.
0040659478-8
In the central Board of
Secondary Education of 10th
class examination under Roll
No- 13121265,Registration No-
C122/23572/0019,Sr. no-
SSE/2022/0894652 the name of
my wards mother has been
wrongly mentioned as Nahida
Ashraf instead of Nahida
Bashir. It needs Correction.
Objections be filled to Principal
Delhi Public School Delina
Baramulla within seven
days.Mohammad Ashraf
Sheikh, F/O Fatima Ashraf , R/O
Kanilbagh, Tehsil/ District-
Baramulla. 0020454853-1
I,hitherto known as Anoop
kumar,S/o Anil kumar
Kashyap,R/o T-29 huts,Gyaspur
Colony, Sarai Kala
Kahan,Harzat
Nizamuddin,South-Delhi,Delhi
110013,have changed my name
and shall hereafter be known
as ANUP KUMAR. 0040659482-3
I,gangotri,W/O SHRI.Jagdish
singh rawat R/O.B-183,Shivaji-
colony,dhandera,near
balkameshwer-
mandir,Roorkee,Haridwar
uttrakhand,247667,my-aadhar
card bearing
no.689356801899,however my
real name is Gangotri and
correct date.of.birth is-
27/07/1972 (27-july-1972).I
have changed my name ganga
rawat to Gangotri,for all,future
purpose 0040659477-5
I,WAHAJA KARIM,D/O AHMED
KARIM R/O D-163,ABUL FAZAL-
ENCLAVE-1, OKHLA, JAMIA-
NAGAR, SOUTH, DELHI-
110025.INFORM THAT GIVEN
NAME-WAHAJA AHMED
KARIM,FOR ALL PURPOSE.
0040659476-3
I,Vinay Kumar Verma S/O.Sant
Ram Verma R/O.A-3/280,
ground floor,Janakpuri,New
Delhi-110058,have changed my
name to Vinay Verma,for all
purposes. 0040659476-1
I,VIKAS SHOKEEN S/O-SURESH
CHAND,R/o-HOUSE.NO-88,
KH.NO-167,NEB SARAI,SOUTH
DELHI, DELHI-110068,have
changed my,name from VIKAS
KUMAR SHOKEEN to VIKAS
SHOKEEN,for all,future
purposes. 0040659478-9
I Harpreet W/o Anupam Verma R/o-
E-1/63, Sector-11, Rohini, Delhi-
110085 have changed my name to
Harpreet Kaur Hallan
0070832671-1
I,Ttannya Chundru,D/o-Venkata
Ramana Babu
Chundru,R/o.2021,Hanna-
Tower,Gaur
Saundaryam,Techzone 4, Gaur-
Chowk, Greater-Noida-
West,G.B.Nagar,U.P.201306,hav
e changed my name to Ttannya
Bedekar,for all,future purpose.
0040659478-6
I,Tajinder Kour Sahni W/o
Amarjit Singh Sahni,R/o J-51
Rajouri-Garden New-
Delhi,have changed my name
to Tajinder Kaur Sahni.
0040659477-1
I,Surinder Singh S/o Dharm Pal
Saini R/o 24, 3rd-Floor,Gali
No.29,Mahindra Park Adarsh
Nagar Delhi-110033,changed
my name to Surinder Singh
Saini.
0040659482-8
I,Sumit S/o-Kamal Kumar,R/o-
61-62B Om-Vihar Phase-
1A,Gali.no-16,Uttam-Nagar
West,Delhi-110059,have
changed my name to Sumit
Mehra,for all,future purposes.
0040659479-3
I, Jay Ram Kamat S/O Kisan
Kamat, R/O Ward No.09,
Sijaulia, Madhubani, Bihar-
847409, have changed my name
from Vijay Kumar to Jay Ram
Kamat for all future purposes.
0040659411-1
I,Somasundaran Nair S/o Balan
Nair R/o Flat No.35-F, PKT A-
3,Mayur Vihar Phase-3,East
Delhi-110096 do here solemnly
inform that P. Somasundaran
Nair & Somasundaran Nair both
are one and same person.
0040659486-5
I,Shruti D/O-Rajeev Kumar
Chaudhary,Resident of,WZ-
283,2nd-Floor, Sadhnagar
Palam-Colony,New Delhi-
110045,henceforth will be known
as Shruti Chaudhary,for all
Purposes. 0040659479-8
I,Sarita W/o,No.15391689W RANK
SIGMN Late Vijay Singh R/o,RZ-I-
47,I-Block,Old Som Bazar
Road,Mahavir Enclave,Palam
Village,Delhi-45,have changed
my,name to Chauhan Sarita
vide-affidavit dt.16.3.23, before.
Delhi. 0040659486-6
I,SHREYA AGGARWAL D/O PAWAN
AGGARWAL,R/O-3/118,
1ST.FLOOR,KARAN
GALI,VISHWAS
NAGAR,SHAHDARA DELHI-
110032,HAVE CHANGED MY
NAME TO DAKSHA AGGARWAL,
For all purpose. 0040659476-10
I,SHALU D/O SUKHDEV SINGH,R/O
HNO.A-56X,DDA-FLAT,
JAHANGIRPURI,DELHI-110033.
HAVE CHANGED MY NAME TO
SHALU KAUR. 0040659486-3
I,SHAHBAZ AHMAD,S/O ANWAR
AHMED R/O.E-601,GROUND-
FLOOR,GALI NO -16,PART-
2,JAITPUR-EXTENSION
BADARPUR,DELHI-110044 ,have
changed my name to SHAHBAZ
AHMED, permanently.
0040659476-6
I,SHABBIR KHAN S/O.NIVAJI
KHAN,R/O. 2086,4TH-FLOOR GALI
ZERE FASIL TURKMAN GATE
DELHI-6,HAVE CORRECTED MY
NAME AS SHABBIR AHMED,FOR
ALL PURPOSES. 0040659482-2
I,SANJEEV KUMAR,S/O OM
PRAKASH GUPTA,R/O E-285,
SHASTRI NAGAR,DELHI-
110052,HAVE CHANGED MY
NAME TO SANJEEV KUMAR
GUPTA. 0040659482-5
I,Ritik S/o-Vijay Kumar,Address-
Rz-25/5 gali no-34 Indra park
palam colony palam
Village,Delhi-110045,changed
my name to Ritik Ranghera.
0040659478-7
I,Ravinder Kumar Sharma,S/O
Ram Kumar Sharma,R/O-
H.No.965,Gali.No-31,New
Karhera Colony Sahibabad,
Mohan-Nagar U.P-201007,have
changed my name to Ravindra
Kumar Sharma. 0040659486-4
I,RAJESH SHARMA,S/O BAIKUNTH
LAL,H NO-B-1710,JAHANGIR,
PURI DELHI-110033,have
changed my name to RAJESH
CHANDER SHARMA,for all,future
purpose. 0040659477-3
I,Jasleen Kaur W/o Saravpreet
Singh Sahni R/o J-51 Rajouri
Garden New-Delhi have changed
my name to Jasleen Kaur Sahni.
0040659477-2
I,Pankaj Kumar S/o Raj Kumar
Garg R/o J-1/4 Upper Ground-
Floor,Budh,Vihar Phase-I,Delhi-
110086,have changed my name
to Pankaj Kumar Garg.
0040659482-7
I,PARAMJIT KAUR W/O BALVINDER
SINGH R/O.A-1/248A,MAA
SHAKTI APARTMENT,PASCHIM
VIHAR,DELHI-110063.HAVE
CHANGED MY NAME TO
RAMANJEET KAUR. 0040659476-4
I,NEELU W/O KAMAL GUPTA,R/O
House.no FLAT.NO.199,MAX-
HEIGHTS,SECTOR-62,
KUNDALI,Sonipat,131028,Haryan
a,have changed my name to
NEELU GUPTA,permanently.
0040659476-8
I,NARESH KUMAR MITTAL,S/O
DHARAM PAL MITTAL,R/O A-
5/77A,DDA FLATS, PASCHIM
VIHAR,DELHI-110063,have
changed my name to NARESH
MITTAL,permanently.
0040659476-7
I,MEGHA GUPTA W/O-MANOJ
SINGHAL R/O.B-370,UPPER
GROUND-FLOOR,MOHAN
GARDEN, UTTAM NAGAR DELHI-
110059,HAVE CHANGED MY
NAME TO MEGHA SINGHAL.
0040659482-4
I,MEEENA KUMARI,W/o MANOJ
KUMARH.NO.66,BLOCK-N
EXTN.,PHASE 1,NEW PALAM-
VIHAR, GURGAON,HARYANA
122017.Changed my name to
MEENA DEVI. 0040659478-1
I,Km Mazia Shamim, Mazia
Shamim D/o Shamim Khan R/o
Vaishnavi Girls-PG 38-B Yusuf
Sarai-Village, Hauz-Khas South-
Delhi-16 have changed my name
to Mazia Shameem for all
purposes. 0040659421-3
I,KAWALJEET SINGH S/O
JOGINDER SINGH R/O
HNO.2108/C,GALINO.9,PREM
NAGAR,DELHI-110008.HAVE
CHANGED MY NAME TO
KAWALJEET SINGH MAKKAR.
0040659477-4
I,Jasleen Chawla w/o Sahil
Ratra,R/O 747 sec-9, Faridabad
Haryana have changed my name
to Jasleen Ratra,for all Purposes.
0040659482-1
I,Harkrishan Singh Khurana,S/o
Gurbachan Singh Khurana,R/o C-
194, Mansarover Garden,Delhi-
15,have changed my name to
Harkrishan Singh 0040659479-1
I, Deepika Dua W/o Vivek Sardana
R/o WZ-S-3, S Block, Parampuri,
Uttam Nagar, New Delhi have
changed my name to Deepika
Sardana after marriage.
0040659473-1
I Ridhi, D/o Charan Dass Arora
Address-F-102, Bali Nagar, near
Ramesh Nagar Metro station,
New Delhi-110015, have changed
my name to Ridhi Arora for all
purposes. 0040658918-6
I, Rajni Manish Gupta D/O Sita
Ram Arora, R/O H no. O-30 / A-3
Dilshad Garden, Jhilmil Shahdara,
Delhi-110095 have changed my
name to Rajni Arora (New name
permanently) 0040656773-4
I,GAURI BJOSHI Alias
PRABHAKAR GAURI SUSHIL
KUMAR,W/o Salil Joshi,R/o D-
103 Sarita-Vihar Delhi-76,have
been changed my name to
GAURI JOSHI. 0040659477-9
I,Divya Jyoti W/o Rohit Thukral
R/o Block-C, House No.-212,
Sector-20, Noida (U.P.) 201301,
have changed my name from
Divya Jyoti to Divya Jyoti
Thukral for all future purposes.
0040659421-1
I,Devi Charan,S/o Gopal
Prasad,R/o-A-
16/333,Brijpuri,Delhi-
110094,inform that name-of-
mine has been mentioned as
Devi Charan Neharu in my-
some documents.That Devi
Charan and Devi Charan
Neharu both names are same
and one person. 0040659478-10
I,Deepanshi Arora,W/O-Shri
Rahul Sachdeva,R/O 23-B,BB-
Block,East Shalimar
Bagh,Delhi-110088,have
changed my name to
Deepanshi Sachdeva for all
Purposes. 0040659486-1
I,Davinder S/O Pratap Singh
Budhwar,R/O 2288,phase-
2,sector-15,sonipat,haryana-
131001,have changed my name
to Davinder Pal Singh
Budhwar,permanently
0040659478-3
I,Chauhan Sarita
W/o,No.15391689W RANK
SIGMN Late Vijay Singh,R/o,RZ-
I-47,I-Block,Old Som Bazar
Road,Mahavir Enclave,Palam
Village,Delhi-45,have
changed,my daughter’s
name,from Vrushika to
Chauhan Vrushika vide-
affidavit dt 16.3.23, before.
Delhi. 0040659477-6
I,BALWINDER SINGH S/O
WARIAM SINGH R/O.A-
1/248A,MAA SHAKTI
APARTMENT,PASCHIM
VIHAR,DELHI-110063.HAVE
CHANGED MY NAME TO
S.BALVINDER SINGH.
0040659476-5
I,Ashwani Kumar S/o D.R.
Chawla R/o H-27, Ground Floor,
West Patel Nagar, Central
Delhi-110008, have changed my
name to Ashwani Chawla for
all Purposes. 0040659478-5
I,Ashok Kumar S/o Ram
Narain,H.No.1809 First-Floor
Adarsh Enclave Sector-16
Faridabad,Haryana-
121002,have changed my name
to Ashok Kumar Gakhar,for all
future purposes. 0040659479-2
I,Adwani Vikram
Rameshlal,Vikram Rameshlal
Adwai S/o Adwani Rameshlal
Tharumal R/o B.No.4, RNo.8,
Ring-Road, Sangam Society,
Jalgaon, Maharashtra, have
changed my name to Vikram
Rameshlal Adwani for all
purposes. 0040659421-2
I,AMIT S/O SANJAY KUMAR
GUPTA,R/O 79-A,VILLAGE
BHAROLA,ADARSH
NAGAR,DELHI-110033.HAVE
CHANGED MY NAME TO AMIT
KUMAR GUPTA. 0040659479-4
I,AAKRITI CHAWLA,D/o-DEPUTY
PRAKASH CHAWLA,do hereby
declare that due to some
clerical mistake-my-father’s
name in my-educational-
certificates have-been written
as”DEEPTI PRAKASH CHAWLA”
instead of “DEPUTY PRAKASH
CHAWLA”. So through this
Public-Notice I declare that
“DEEPTI PRAKASH
CHAWLA”and “DEPUTY
PRAKASH CHAWLA”are same-
person and my-father’s true
and correct-name is “DEPUTY
PRAKASH CHAWLA.
0040659476-9
I, Tarun Agarwal, S/o Sri
Rajendra Kumar Agarwal, R/o
Tower B-1002, ATS Hacindas,
Ahinsa Khand-1, Indirapuram,
Ghaziabad, UP, India, Pin
201014, have changed my name
to Tarun Kumar Agarwal for all
future purposes. 0040659407-1
I, Rohit S/O Satish Kumar Goyal,
R/o H-120 First Floor Without
Roof, Vijay Vihar PH-1, Rohini,
North West Delhi-110085, have
changed my name and shall
hereafter be Known as Rohit
Goyal. 0070832625-1
I, Ratika W/o Sachin Jaswal R/o
House No-94, Janta Flat G T B
Enclave, Delhi Pin:110093,
Delhi, India have changed my
name to Ratika Sachin Jaswal
for all purposes. 0040659472-1
I, RANCY ARORA,W/O VINIT
JAIN,R/O FLAT NO-51B,BLOCK
KD,ASHOK-VIHAR PHASE-1,
DELHI-110052,HAVE CHANGED
MY NAME TO RANCY JAIN.
0040659482-6
I, Monu kumar, S/0 Rajender Pal
R/o A/365 New Sanjay Amar
Colony Vishwash Nagar
Shahadra delhi 110032 that i
have changed my name to
Surender for all future
purposes as per vide Affidavit
No. IN-DL74619359369208V
0130032302-1
I, Mohammad Kamran Beg, S/o
Anwar Beg R/o 3226 Gali Chandi
Wali Kucha Pandit Lal Kuan
Delhi-110006, have changed my
name to Mohammad Kamran
Baig. 0040659403-1
I, Manoj Dubey S/o Late Shri Jay
Prakash Dubey R/o Mahagun
Moderne Manhattan 09, Flat
No.019, Sector-78, Noida-
201301 have changed my name
to MANOJ KUMAR DUBEY for all
future purposes. 0070832669-1
I, Bhupendra Singh Teotia S/o Lt.
Sh. Rajendra Singh R/o A-502,
MSX ALPHA Homes, Sector
Alpha-1, Greater Noida, GB
Nagar have changed my name
to Bhupendra Singh
Permanently.
0040659463-1
I Vilkis W/o Chhotan R/o House
Number 934 Village Bajheda
kalan Ghaziabad-245101 have
changed my name to Bilakish
0070832606-1
I, Amit Vaid, S/o Shri Ashok
Kumar, R/o A-1/10, Modal
Town-I, Delhi-110009 have
changed my name to Amit
Kumar for all future purposes.
0040659406-1
I hitherto known as SADHANA
KOTIYAL alias SADHANA
KOTIYAL PANDEY W/O SH.
BHUVANESH PANDEY R/o F-80,
RAJYA SABHA AWAS, INA
COLONY, SOUTH WEST DELHI-
110023 have changed my name
and shall hereafter be known
as SADHANA KOTIYAL PANDEY.
0070832609-1
I Rijvan S/o Chhotan R/o C-55 Rk
Puram Govindpuram
Ghaziabad-201013 have
changed my name to Rizwan
0070832604-1
I Loveneet Singh S/o Sh.
Satwant Singh R/o H-337,
Karampura, Ramesh Nagar,
West Delhi, Delhi-110015 have
changed my name to Love
Devgan for all purposes.
0040659401-1
I Kishan Saini S/o Sh.
Satnarayan Saini R/o 4420,
Sabji Mandi, Arya Pura, Malka
Ganj, Delhi-110007 have
changed my name to Kishan
Chand Saini for all purposes.
0040659401-2
I Himanshu Singh S/o-Mahipal
Singh R/o-Flat No.261C, 2nd-
Floor, QU-Block,Near RU
Court,Pitampura, Delhi-110034
have changed the name of my-
minor-son from Shaurya to
Shaurya Singh for all
purposes. 0040659416-1
I Davender Babbar S/o-Kundan
Lal Babbar R/o-QU-235C,
Pitampura, Delhi-110034 have
changed my name to
Devender Babbar for all
purposes. 0040659459-1
I,Varnika Giri W/o Rahul
Mehta,R/o H.No. 1903,Tower-
C,Mahindra luminare Sector-
59,Gurgaon(Haryana).Have
changed my name to Varnika
Mehta,for all Purposes.
0040659478-4
LOST & FOUND
ORIGINAL SHARE CERTIFICATE
OF FLAT NO.60,BHAGYA LAXMI
APARTMENT SEC-9, ROHINI
DELHI-110085, IN THE NAME
ALLOTTEE K.V.P.NAIR WAS
LOST, FINDER CONTACT-
9810259922 0040659482-10
Lost my Original Possession
Slip, Intimation Letter(FIR dt-
14.10.22) of my Alloted Plot
No.237,Pocket-C1, Sector-
35,Rohini, Delhi.Finder may
Contact-Shankar Lal
Aggarwal,S/o-Kedar Nath at B-
152,Bangur Avenue,Block-C,
Lake Town,North 24 Parganas
West Bengal-700055
0040659417-1
I, Prabha Kumathe, W/o
Jagadish Kumathe have lost
share certificates of M/s
Honeywell Automation India
Ltd. Finder call 8197744400 or
post it to C-5, Takshshila
Apartments, #57, I. P.
Extension, Delhi-110092
0040659467-1
GPA in favour Shwetakshi Gupta
and Vinamra Gupta of Property
No,A-60,
Wazirpur,Industrial,Area Delhi-
110052 having area,1303 sq
yards,Registration No.2520
in,additional Book,No.4,Volume
No.555 Page,no.47 to 51,Date
22/07/2009 is lost,FINDER
CONTACT 9910632827.
0040659482-9
I, Ashutosh Mathur S/o Rajroop
Singh R/o H.No.160, VPO Karala,
Panna, Sathghara, Delhi-
110081, have lost my
Graduation Degree and
Marksheet vide Roll
No.TGOU/BA/PRV/0012394/G,
Course Name: BA General from
The Global Open University,
Passing Sesson 2012-2015. If
found please contact:
9540008444. 0040659429-1
I Subhash Chhabra S/o Lt. Tharu
Ram Chhabra R/o 7/72,
Subhash Nagar, New Delhi-
110027 have lost my Original
Lease Deed dt.15.03.1967 duly
Regtd. vide reg. No.6379 in
addtl. Book No.I, Vol. No.772 on
page 159 to 161 dt.24.04.1967 of
the above property. Finders
may contact at above address.
0040659401-3
I, Deepak Bhoria, S/D/W/O
Dharmpal, 67-B, C.P.W.D
Complex, Vasant Vihar, New
Delhi-110057, have lost my
Allotment letter of my property
(Flat No.G-006, Prateek Laurel,
Sector-120, NOIDA, U.P) were
misplaced in Vasant Vihar,
New Delhi. 0070832667-1
PUBLIC NOTICE
PUBLIC NOTICE
MY CLIENT SH. MOTI LAL S/O SAHAB
DEEN R/O HOUSE NO. B-7/75, J.J.
COLONY, BHALSWA, SAMAI PUR,
NORTH WEST DELHI 110042, DO
HEREBY DISOWN/DEBAR HIS SONS
MR. MUKESH AND HIS WIFE MRS.
MEENA, MR. SURESH AND HIS WIFE
MRS. SAVITA FROM HIS ALL MOVABLE
AND IMMOVABLE PROPERTIES AND
SEVER HIS RELATIONS FROM THEM
DUE TO THEIR MISCONDUCT AND
MISBEHAVIOR, THEREFORE, MY
CLIENT WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE
THEIR ANY ACTS AND OMISSIONS.
Sd/- (AARTI VOHRA SAHNI)
ADVOCATE
ENROLL. NO. PH/3031/2021
CHAMBER NO. 230, 2ND FLOOR,
LAWYERS CHAMBER BLOCK,
ROHINI COURTS, DELHI-85
PUBLIC NOTICE
Notice Is Hereby Given That Share
Certificate(s) No. 2467 For 1000 Shares
Of Rs. 1/- (rupees 1 Only) Each Bearing
D i s t i n c t i v e N o s . 1 5 8 7 6 6 6 3 1 To
158767630 Of Kajaria Ceramics Limited,
Registered In The Name Of Late Vimal
Kapur And Mohini Chaudhary Has/Have
Been Lost Has / Have Applied To The
C o m p a n y To I s s u e D u p l i c a t e
Certificate(s). Any Person Who Has /
Have Any Claim In Respect Of The Said
Share Certificate(s) Should Lodge Such
Claim With The Company At Its
Registered Office SF-11, Second Floor,
JMD Regent Plaza Mehrauli Gurgaon
Road, Village Sikanderpur Ghosi
Gurgaon Gurgaon 122001, Haryana
Within 15 Days Of The Publication Of
This Notice, After Which To Claim Will Be
Entertained And The Company Will
Proceed To Issue Duplicate Share
Certificate(s).
PUBLIC NOTICE
Notice Is Hereby Given That Share
Certificate(s) No. 211 For 3000 Shares
Of Rs. 1/- (rupees 1 Only) Each Bearing
D i s t i n c t i v e N o s . 1 5 6 3 9 4 4 6 5 To
156397464 Of Kajaria Ceramics Limited,
Registered In The Name Of Late Vimal
Kapur, Late Balbir Krishna Kapur And
Mohini Chaudhary Has/Have Been Lost
Has / Have Applied To The Company To
Issue Duplicate Certificate(s). Any
Person Who Has / Have Any Claim In
Respect Of The Said Share Certificate(s)
Should Lodge Such Claim With The
Company At Its Registered Office SF-11,
Second Floor, JMD Regent Plaza
Mehrauli Gurgaon Road, Village
Sikanderpur Ghosi Gurgaon Gurgaon
122001, Haryana Within 15 Days Of The
Publication Of This Notice, After Which
To Claim Will Be Entertained And The
Company Will Proceed To Issue
Duplicate Share Certificate(s).
Àff½fʪfd³fIY Àfc¨f³ff
ÀfUÊ Àff²ffS¯f I û Àfcd¨f°f dI ¹ff þf°ff W` dI ¸fZS Z
¸fbUd¢I »f¦f¯f ßfe ²f¸fÊUeS dÀfÔW ¶ffC¸fi 65 U¿fÊ
´fbÂf ßfe R °fZW dÀfÔW U ßfe¸f°fe I üVf»¹ff ¶ffC¸fi
59 U¿fÊ ´f}e ßfe ²f¸fÊUeS dÀfÔW Qû³fû d³fUfÀfe¦f¯f
¸fI f³f ³f0 37, d³f¸fSe ¨füI , ¶fI ü»fe, CØfS
´fd›¸fe, dQ»»fe-110036 ³fZ A´f³fZ ´fbÂf ´fiUe³f
(Àfû³fc) I û CÀfIZ ¦f»f°f Af¨fS¯f U Qb½¹fÊUWfS
IZ I fS¯f A´f³fe Àf¸fÀ°f ¨f»f-A¨f»f ÀfÔ¸´fd°f ÀfZ
¶fZQJ»f I S°fZ W`Ô U Àf¸fÀ°f Àf¸¶fÔ²f dU¨LZQ I S°fZ
W`Ô °f±ff ·fdU¿¹f ¸fZÔ CÀfIZ õfSf dI ¹fZ ¦f¹fZ dI Àfe
·fe I f¹fÊUfWe U »fZ³f QZ³f IZ d»f¹fZ ¸fZS Z
¸fbUd¢I »f¦f¯f U C³fIZ ´fdSUfS IZ I ûBÊ ·fe
ÀfQÀ¹f dþ¸¸fZQfS ³fWe Wû¦fZÔÜ
AfSXq´feqdÀfÔWX (Ad²fUöYf
¨f`q ³fÔq E³f-2,
¸ff»fJf³ff ¦fZMX,
°feÀf WXþfSXe IYûMÊX dQ»»fe-54
PUBLIC NOTICE
It is for general information that I
UDAY KUMAR YADAV S/o Prit
Lal Yadav, R/o B-344/1, Inder
Enclave Phase-2, Kirari, Suleman
Nagar, North West Delhi-110086
declare that name of mine & my
wife has been wrongly written as
UDAY KUMAR & RENU DEVI in
my minor daughter's namely
ALKA, aged about 15 years in her
birth certificate bearing No.
1056944. That the actual name of
mine and my wife are UDAY
KUMAR YADAV & RENU
YADAV respectively, which may be
amended accordingly.
PUBLIC NOTICE
This is to the general public at large,
that my client Smt. Veena Dang, W/o
Late. PUrshottam Lal Dang, R/o DA
93F, Hari Nagar, DDA Flats, Delhi,
hereby disown and debar her son
Pourush Varun Dang and his wife
Smt. Shivangi Dang @ Varsha and
their daughter Aditri Dang from all
the moveable and immoveable
properties of my client. My client
further severe her all relations from
her son and his family for all intends
and purposes. Any person, who
would deal with them, shall be doing
so at his/her/their own risks, costs
and consequences, for which my
client shall not be responsible and
liable thereto in any manner.
Sd/- (NARENDER KUMAR)
Advocate
Ch. No. 646 Western Wing,
Tis Hazari Courts, Delhi-54
WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM
THE INDIAN EXPRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2023
''IMPORTANT''
Whilst care is taken prior to
acceptance of advertising
copy, it is not possible to verify
its contents. The Indian
Express (P) Limited cannot be
held responsible for such
contents, nor for any loss or
damage incurred as a result of
transactions with companies,
associations or individuals
advertising in its newspapers
or Publications. We therefore
recommend that readers
make necessary inquiries
before sending any monies or
entering into any agreements
with advertisers or otherwise
acting on an advertisement in
any manner whatsoever.
PUBLIC NOTICE
General public is hereby informed that
my client Kuldeep Singh R/O Quarter
No. 158, Kingsway Camp, Delhi-09,
have severed all relations with Smt.
Kamla (wife), Sons Dipanshu Joon (His
wife and Children) & Vikas Joon R/O
357/15, Vasnt Vihar, Bhahadurgarh
Haryana. My client has disowned them
from his all movable and immovable
properties, as they are not only
disobedient towards my clients but also
indulging in all sorts of misdemeanours
with my client all of them gåve immense
torture, harassment, mental distress,
threats and brought maximum trouble to
him. my client shall not be responsible
for any acts or omission done by them.
Sd/- Mukesh Kr. (Adv)
Ch. No. 335 Civil side,
Tis Hazari court, Delhi
PUBLIC NOTICE
It is hereby notified to the general public by
this public notice that my client Mr. Shiv Datt
Gaur son of Late Sh. Ganesh Dutt Gaur
resident of 37A, DDA Janta Flats, Rampura,
Delhi-110035, has become the owner of
properties mentioned in the will date
25.03.2021, executed by his wife Mrs. Jyoti
Gaur (since deceased on 10.05.2021) in
favour of my client Mr. Shiv Datt Gaur.
This Public Notice is being given so that, if
somebody may have any claim/objection, the
same may be conveyed to the under signed.
Sd/-
VIKAS SHARMA (Advocate )
En. No. D/3802/2009
Chamber No. 467, Civil Wing,
Tis Hazari Courts, Delhi-110054
PUBLIC NOTICE
PUBLIC AT LARGE IS HEREBY INFORMED
THAT MY CLIENTS SH. SUKH SAGAR
SAHNI S/O LATE SH BANSI LAL SAHNI AND
SMT SAROJ SAHNI W/O SH. SUKH SAGAR
SAHNI, BOTH RESIDENT OF R-858, FIRST
FLOOR, NEW RAJINDER NAGAR, NEW
DELHI-110060, HAVE SEVERED ALL THEIR
RELATIONS WITH THEIR SON NAMELY
NIKHIL SAHNI AND HIS WIFE MUKTI
GAUR, RESIDENT OF C-58, 2ND FLOOR,
INDERPURI, NEW DELHI-110012 AND 23,
MAHAVEERPURAM, ROAD NO.13, INDL
AREA, GORAKHNATH, GORAKHPUR-
273015 RESPECTIVELY DUE TO THEIR ILL
AND BAD BEHAVIOUR AND HAS
DISINHERITED/ DISOWNED THEM FROM
ALL THEIR MOVEABLE AND
IMMOVEABLE PROPERTIES SITUATED IN
DELHI, UTTAR PRADESH AND MUMBAI.
ANYBODY DEALING WITH THEM SHALL
BE DOING SO AT HIS/HER/ITS OWN COSTS,
RISK AND CONSEQUENCES.
Sd/-
AMIT CHADHA (ADVOCATE )
405, LAWYERS CHAMBER, BOCK-III,
DELHI HIGH COURT, NEW DELHI-110503
PUBLIC NOTICE
I, Umesh Kataria, S/o. Late Sh.
Dharam Vir Kataria, R/o. 1977-78,
Gali No. 40, Naiwala, Karol Bagh,
New Delhi - 110005 have lost my file
containing Original Partition Deed
dated 3/3/1993 duly registered with
Sub Registrar, Delhi bearing
registration No. 1660, Book No. 1,
Volume No. 7819, pages 123- 129
AND Original Lease Deed dated
25/2/1977 executed by DDA on
19/4/1977 in favour of S/Shri.
Darshan Lal and Dharam Vir, bearing
registration no. 1407, Book No. 1,
Vol. No. 3792, pages 25 to 29, with
respect to property no. 1977- 78, Gali
No. 40, Naiwala, Karol Bagh, New
Delhi - 110005. Anyone who finds it
may contact me at the above address.
COURT NOTICE
IN THE COURT OF
MS. NISHA SAXENA,
DISTRICT JUDGE
(COMMERCIAL)-04,
CENTRAL, TIS HAZARI
COURTS, DELHI
PROCLAMATION
REQUIRING ATTENDANCE
OF DEFENDANT
Order 5, rule 20 of the Code of
Civil Procedure
BANK OF BARODA VS.
M/S NITYA REALTECH
PVT LTD AND ANRS
CS (COMM) 4657/2021
You are hereby requested to
publish defendants name and
particular in your newspaper. For
detail memo of parties herewith
enclosed
To,
1) Mr Ajeet kumar
1/692, SF, Sector-01 Vasundhra
Ghaziabad- 201012
2) Mrs. Naincy Jaiswal
w/o Ajeet Kumar
1/692, SF, Sector-01
Vasundhra Ghaziabad- 201012
Whereas you are intentionally
evading service of summons it is
hereby notified that if you shall
not defend the case on the
11.04.2023 the day fixed for the
final disposal, it will be heard
and determined ex-parte.
Given under my hand and the
seal of the court, this 27.02.2023
Seal Sd/-
JUDGE
 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM

19 ECONOMY
THE INDIAN EXPRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2023

GOLD RUPEE OIL SILVER

`57,450 `82.73 $76.44 `66,535
Note: Gold, silver rates at Delhi spot market, gold per 10g, silver per 1 kg; Crude oil (Indian basket) as of March 15

SENSEX: 57,634.84 ▲ 78.94 (0.14%) NIFTY: 16,985.60 ▼ 13.45 (0.08%) NIKKEI: 27,010.61 ▼ 218.87 HANG SENG: 19,203.91 ▼ 335.96 FTSE: 7,391.85 ▲ 292.66 DAX: 14,876.87 ▲ 141.61
International market data till 1900 IST

Crisil sees TENTATIVE RESPITE FOR GLOBAL BANKS

GDP growth
at 6% in FY24
amid global REUTERS
slowdown MARCH 16
ENS ECONOMIC BUREAU
MUMBAI, MARCH 16
THE COUNTRY’S gross domestic
product (GDP) is likely to grow
at 6 per cent in the 2024 fiscal
amid a challenging global
macroeconomic environment,
Crisil Ratings said in a report.
This growth rate is lower
than the Reserve Bank of India’s
forecast of 6.4 per cent growth
and the Economic Survey’s pro-
jection of 6.5 per cent.
“We expect India’s gross do-
mestic product (GDP) growth to
touch 6 per cent in fiscal 2024,
compared with 7 per cent esti-
mated by theNationalStatistical
Organisation (NSO) for fiscal
2023,” the agency said.
The agency has attributed
three reasons for this 100-basis
point deceleration in the FY24
GDP estimate.
First, the slowing world
economy due to aggressive rate
hikesbymajorcentralbankswill
create downside risks to the
country's growth. Domestic de-
mand, therefore, will have to do
the heavy lifting next fiscal.
Second,thefullimpactof rate
hikes by the RBI will be visible in
the next fiscal as monetary
moves typically affect growth
with a lag of 3-4 quarters.
And third, the tricky geopo-
litical situation implies that the
country will continue to reckon
withvolatilityincrudeandcom-
modity prices.
The report said that over the
next five fiscal years the econ-
omy is expected to grow at 6.8
percent annually,drivenbycap-
ital and productivity increases.
While government policies
will continue to push industrial
capex and new-age opportuni-
ties, infrastructurespending will
drive 12-16 per cent growth in
overall capex next fiscal, the re-
port said.
The agency said an uptick in
the investment cycle is expected
to improve credit growth in the
wholesale vertical, driven by the
central government’sincreasing
Credit Suisse gets a $54-bn lifeline
Troubles at Credit Suisse more
relevant to India than SVB: Jefferies
CREDITSUISSEsoughttoshoreup
its liquidity and restore investor
confidence Thursday by borrow-
ing up to $54 billion from
Switzerland'scentralbank,aftera
slumpinitsshareshadintensified
fears of a global banking crisis.
Following the bank's an-
nouncement,whichcameinthe
middle of the night in Zurich,
Credit Suisse shares briefly
bouncedbackfromWednesday's
25% wipe out, but ceded some
ground by late morning.
The European banking index,
initially rose following the inter-
vention, but was virtually flat by
1130 GMT, after days of heavy
lossesoninvestorfearsoverpoten-
Global uncertainty Vinod Adani part of promoter
rising, need margins group: AEL in exchange filing
of safety, says CEA
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA
NEW DELHI, MARCH 16
CHIEF ECONOMIC Advisor V
Anantha Nageswaran on
Thursday said the global uncer-
taintyhasbeenrisingafterthere-
centdevelopmentsintheUSand
governments,businessesandin-
dividuals should keep 'margins
of safety' in fiscal, corporate and
savings account planning.
Hesaidtheglobal growthes-
timates of the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) given in
January looks outdated and
countries will have to watch
whatthedevelopmentsintheUS
over the last week would do to
confidence,banklendinggrowth
andthesubsequentchaineffects.
Two banks in America have
gone belly up over the last week.
Speaking at the Crisil India
Outlook seminar, Nageswaran
said uncertainty has been on a
tialbankstressesacrosstheworld.
Credit Suisse is the first ma-
jor global bank to be thrown an
emergency lifeline since the
2008financial crisisand itstrou-
bles have raised serious doubts
over whether central banks will
be able to sustain aggressive in-
terest rate hikes.
Policymakers have stressed
that the situation is different to
the global financial crisis more
than a decade ago as banks are
nowbettercapitalisedandfunds
are more easily available.
Switzerland'ssecond-largest
bank said it would exercise an
option to borrow up to 50 billion
Swiss francs ($54 billion) from
the Swiss National Bank, which
confirmed it would provide liq-
uidity to Credit Suisse against
sufficient collateral.
Chief
Economic
Advisor
VAnantha
Nageswaran
rising trend and has gone up a
few notches in the last week and
this is something which coun-
tries need to live with, not only
this year but for the next year
and beyond.
"And the important thing to
remember is that when you are
facing uncertain times, the key
thing to do is to make sure that
we have margins of safety in our
operations, whether it is for cor-
porates or for investors.The only
guidance one can think of is to
allow for margins of safety,
whether it is in fiscal planning,
corporateplanningorhousehold
balancesheetorsavingsaccount
planning," he said.
Mumbai: Credit Suisse’s case is
more relevant to India’s finan-
cial system than that of Silicon
Valley Bank, research firm
Jefferies said Thursday.
It said that India's banking
sector will likely face a softer
impact fromthetroublesatthe
Swiss lender, given the size of
its presence in India.
Butwhileforeignbankslike
Credit Suisse have a relatively
small presence in the country
in terms of loans, deposits and
assets, they are more active in
the derivative markets (forex
and interest rates) where they
ENS ECONOMIC BUREAU
MUMBAI, MARCH 16
VINOD ADANI, the elder brother
of Adani group founder Gautam
Adani, is part of the Adani pro-
moter group, the group’s flag-
ship Adani Enterprises Ltd said.
“Wewouldliketosubmitthat
Gautam Adani and Rajesh Adani
are individual promoters of vari-
Petronas offers
$460 mn for
stake in NTPC
green arm
REUTERS
NEW DELHI, MARCH 16
MALAYSIA’S PETRONAS has of-
feredRs38billion($460million)
to buy a 20% stake in the green
energy arm of India’s largest
power producer, NTPC, in the
firstdealof itskindbyastate-run
firm, three sources told Reuters.
have a 50 per cent share.
“We watch out for liquidity
issues and any rub-off on
counter-party risk assessment
(especially in derivatives) and
the deposit market may move
towards larger, quality banks,”
Jefferies said. “Given the rele-
vance of CreditSuissetoIndia's
banking sector, we see softer
adjustments in assessment of
counterparty risks, especially
in the derivative market. We
expect RBI to keep close watch
on liquidity issues, counter-
party exposures and intervene
as necessary,” it said. ENS
ouslistedentitieswithintheAdani
group and Vinod Adani is an im-
mediate relative of the individual
promoters,”AELsaidinastockex-
changefilingonThursday.
As per regulations, Vinod
Adani is part of the ‘promoter
group’ of various listed entities
within the Adani group, the fil-
ing said. The fact that Endeavour
Trade and Investment Ltd (an
entity controlled by Vinod
Patanjali FPO process to
begin in April: Ramdev
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA
NEW DELHI, MARCH 16
WITH STOCK exchanges freez-
ing shares of its promoters,
Patanjali Foods Thursday said
the move will not impact the
company’s operation and it will
start the process of launching a
Follow-On Public Offering (FPO)
in April to increase the public
shareholding to 25 per cent.
The NSE and BSE have frozen
As its shares regained some
of the ground lost on
Wednesday,whentheydropped
by asmuch as 30%,thecostof in-
suring exposure to Credit Suisse
debttumbledfromrecordhighs.
Insurance protection on
bonds issued by BNP Paribas ,
Deutsche Bank and UBS also
inched back down.
Swiss media reported that
Switzerland's cabinet would
hold an extraordinary meeting
on Thursday to discuss the situ-
ation at Credit Suisse.
The head of Japan's banking
lobby said that there were no
signs of the Japanese financial
system being affected by a crisis
of confidence in Credit Suisse.
In Asia, Credit Suisse bankers
contactedclientstoreassurethem
after the latest inflow of funds.
Adani), the acquirer of ACC and
Ambuja Cements Ltd, belongs to
the Adani group has been dis-
closed in the public offer docu-
ment, the company said. Vinod
Adani is based in Dubai.
ThegrouphadinJanuarysaid
that “Vinod Adani does not hold
anymanagerialpositioninAdani
listed entities or their sub-
sidiaries and has no role in their
day-to-day affairs.”
his investors and public share-
holders that there would be no
impact on Patanjali Foods Ltd's
(PFL) financial performance.
According to Ramdev, pro-
moters’sharesarealreadyunder
lock-in as per Sebi guidelines till
April 8, 2023, which is one year
from the date of listing.
“We will be diluting around
6 per cent stake. There are no
questions about that," he said,
adding the delay was because
the market condition was not
Rajesh Gopinathan
quits as TCS boss
ENS ECONOMIC BUREAU
MUMBAI, MARCH 16 Gopinathan’s
resignationis
TATA CONSULTANCY Services effectivefrom
(TCS) Thursday said its September15
Managing Director and Chief
Executive Rajesh Gopinathan
has tendered his resignation, ef- CEO and has laid the foundation
fective September 15. forthenextphaseof TCS’growth
The company’s board has with significant investments in
nominated K Krithivasan as the cloud, agile and automation to
CEO-designate with effect from help clients accelerate their
Thursday.Hewilltakeoverasthe transformation. I am deeply ap-
Managing Director and CEO in preciative of Rajesh’s enormous
thenextfinancialyear,subjectto contribution to TCS. I wish him
shareholder’sapproval,thecom- the very best for the future.”
pany said in an exchange filing. “The last six years of leading
Gopinathan was elevated to this iconic organization have
theroleof Chief ExecutiveOfficer been most enriching and fulfill-
in February 2017 after serving as ing, adding over $10 billion in in-
the Chief Financial Officer since cremental revenues and over
2013. In 2022, he was re-ap- $70 billion increase in market
pointed as MD and CEO for five capitalization,”Gopinathansaid.
more years. Krithivasan is presently
Under his leadership, the
market capitalisation of TCS
crossed $167.86 billion in FY 22-
President and Global Head of the
banking,financialservices,andin-
surance (BFSI) business group at
23, making it the second-most
valuablecompanyinthecountry.
He also helped TCS cross a trail-
TCS.Hehasbeenpartoftheglobal
technology sector for over 34
years, having joined TCS in 1989.
blazing net profit mark of Rs
10,846 crore in the third quarter
of FY 22-23. Under his steward-
Duringhistenureatthecom-
pany, he has held various lead-
ershiprolesindelivery,customer
ship, the company’s brand value relationship management, large
increasedby212percentto$45.5 programmanagementandsales.
billion in the past two years. Krithivasan is also a member
TCS Chairman N of the Board of Directors of TCS
Chandrasekaran said: “Over the Iberoamerica, TCS Ireland and
last 6 years, Rajesh has provided the supervisory board of TCS
strong leadership as the MD & Technology Solutions AG.
Zee likely to clear IndusInd dues
Mumbai: Zee Entertainment
Enterprisesissaidtohaveagreed
isnearingcompletionof theear-
lier announced merger with
to clear the dues of IndusInd
Bank, following which the pri-
Culver Max Entertainment (for-
merly Sony Pictures Networks
vate lender would withdraw the
insolvencyproceedingsinitiated
India) to create the country’s
largest media company.
against the media firm.
The move gains significance
Sources said the dues are ex-
pectedtobeclearedbyFriday,fol-
as Zee, an Essel group company lowing which formal announce-
promoted by Subhash Chandra, ments would be made. FE
Tender No : Re-e-tender SE/PHC/KKD/123/2022-23
Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM)-CWSS to Eramala and Adjoining Seven
Panchayats in Kozhikode District- Construction and commissioning of 14
Lakh Litre (8 LL + 6 LL) capacity GLSR at Muliyankunnu, Laying distribution
system and providing FHTCs in Edachery Grama Panchayath.
EMD : Rs. 500000, Tender fee : Rs. 16,540+GST(2978), Last Date for
submitting Tender : 30-03-2023 04:00:pm, Phone : 0495 - 2371046.
Website : www.kwa.kerala.gov.in, www.etenders.kerala.gov.in
Superintending Engineer
KWA-JB-GL-6-1845-2022-23
PH Circle

Petrol, diesel sales drop

thrust on infrastructure sectors
andtheprivatesector’scapexre-
vival in conventional sectors as
well as new-age sectors through
the PLI scheme.
ECB keeps rate
hike pledge amid
bank turmoil
REUTERS
FRANKFURT, MARCH 16
THE EUROPEAN Central Bank
raised interest rates as promised
by 50 basis points on Thursday,
sticking with its fight against in-
flation and facing down calls by
some investors to hold back on
policytighteninguntilturmoilin
the banking sector eases.
A rout in global markets trig-
gered by the collapse of Silicon
Valley Bank and made worse by
doubts around Credit Suisse had
prompted some to question if
the ECB would pause rate hikes.
Yet in line with its guidance,
the central bank for 20 countries
lifted its deposit rate to 3% - the
highest level since late 2008 - as
inflation is seen overshooting its
2% target through 2025.
Kozhikode
The offer price was higher the shares of promoters of Baba favourable.
than the Rs 30 billion NTPC had Ramdev-led Patanjali Group When asked about the time
in first half of March beenexpectingwhenitaskedfor
expressions of interest in NTPC
firm Patanjali Foods. In an inter-
view with PTI, Ramdev assured
frame, he said: “We will start the
process for FPO in April.”
India’s fuel demand fell in the first half of March after Green Energy (NGEL) last year
posting record growth in the previous month. and was 78% above the second- raYT/ I ya [spat inagama ilaimaTo D
highest bidder. It values the RASHTRIYA ISPAT NIGAM LIMITED
NGEL at $2.3 billion. (A Government of India Enterprise)
VISAKHAPATNAM STEEL PLANT
The deal was the first time an
Indianstate-runcompanyhasof- MATERIALS MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT
fered a stake in a renewable en- Ph:+91 891 2519503/3500234 Ext.21015,
ergyarmand comesasthecoun- email:a_chowdhury@vizagsteel.com/kandregula@vizagsteel.com/
ketha_mm@vizagsteel.com
try’s renewables sector is
attracting foreign investment. GLOBAL TENDER NOTICE NO.Pur.23.17.0003/0002 DT:03.03.2023
Renewables are among the Global Tender Notice for Supply of ‘IMPORTED PCI COAL’
Sealed tenders are invited for supply of 150,000 (One Lakh Fifty thousand)
country's top five industries for MT of ‘Imported PCI Coal’, with a Shipping Tolerance of +/-10% as per
overseas funds this fiscal year, the specifications indicated in Tender document.
taking a 5% share of all inflows RINL/VSP intends to take the delivery of shipments tentatively from April
from April to September 2022 2023 onwards. However, the tenderer shall undertake deliveries as per
against3.3%inthesameperioda clause 2.2 of Part-VII of tender. RINL/VSP reserves the right to postpone the
year earlier, data from the com- deliveries by a period of upto 1 month beyond the contracted delivery
period, without any additional financial implicatioin to the Purchaser.
merce ministry showed.
Jetfueldemand Petrolsales Dieseldemand Petronasoutbidotherlocalfirms
Last date & time for receipt of Tenders: 24.03.2023 by 10.30hrs(IST)
Tenderers who are interested to participate in the tender can download
2,94,900tonnes 1.22mntonnes 3.18mntonnes for the stake with an offer of Rs the tender document from the website WWW.VIZAGSTEEL.COM
27.52pershare,onegovernment (under MM->MM Tenders) and submit their offer before 10.30 hrs IST
■ Up19.2% ■ Down1.4% ■ Down10.2%
official, an industry source and a on 24.03.2023 as per the instructions given in the Tender document. In
year-on-year. year-on-year year-on-year. banker said. The second-highest case of difficulty in downloading of Tender document, the Tender
■ Up35.6%from ■ Down0.5% ■ Down4.6% bidder, REC Ltd , offered Rs 15.47 document shall be sent by Post free of cost on written request from the
March2021 month-on-month month-on-month per share, while Indraprastha Tenderer.
GENERAL MANAGER (MM)I/C
■ Down8.2%from Gas Ltd placed a bid of Rs 6.67 For more details & corrigendum please visit Karnataka Renewable Energy
March2020 Figures for March 1st half; Source: PTI per share, the banker said. regularly www.vizagsteel.com
Development Limited
Fuelsalessoaredtothehighest Marchsawseasonalslowdown Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (A Government of Karnataka Undertaking)
levelsinFebonthebackofdemand kickinginwithriseintemperatures (A wholly owned Government of Karnataka Undertaking)
Head Office, #6,13,1 10th Block, 2nd Phase, Nagarabhavi,
fromagriandtransportsectors Passengertrafficatairports Bengaluru-560072, Telephone: 080-22202100.
(CIN: U04010KA2002SGC030438) e-mail:kredlmd@gmail.com&agm.sogkredl@gmail.com
pickingupafterawinterlull inchedclosertopre-Covidlevels
SHORT-TERM E-TENDER NOTIFICATION RFP Enquiry No: KRED /07/SOG/F-108/KUSUM-C/2022-23/Call-2 Date: 16.03.2023
BESCOM invites Request For Proposal (RFP) for "Selection of Solar Power Generators SHORT-TERM E-TENDER NOTIFICATION

Foxconn wins AirPod BRIEFLY

(SPGs) on the basis of Build, Own & Operate (BOO), for Design, Survey, Supply, Installation, KREDL invites Request for Proposal (RfP) for "Selection of
Testing, Commissioning, Operation & Maintenance of grid connected distributed solar power Solar Power Generators (SPGs) on the basis of Build,
plants for solarization of selected Agri feeders at Sub-Station (SS) level in BESCOM jurisdiction Own & Operate (BOO), for Design, Survey, Supply,
VRLrepays
order, plans $200-mn
covering 2,62,331 IP sets, its associated 11kV line to connect the plant with concerned SS Installation, Testing, Com missioning, Operation &
and Remote Monitoring System (RMS) of solar power plants through RESCO mode, for 25 Maintenance of grid connected distributed solar power plants
$250mnloans years under Component C-Feeder Level Solarization of PM-KUSUM scheme”. for solarization of selected Agri feeders at Sub-Station (SS)

factory in Telangana New Delhi: Vedanta

Resources Ltd has repaid
RFP Enquiry No.

REUTERS
TAIPEI, MARCH 16
TAIWANESE CONTRACT manu-
facturer Foxconn has won an or-
der to make AirPods for Apple
Incandplanstobuildafactoryin
India to produce the wireless
earphones, two people with
knowledge of the matter said.
ThedealwillseeFoxconn,the
world'slargestcontractelectron-
ics maker and assembler of
around 70% of all iPhones, be-
come an AirPod supplier for the
first time and underlines efforts
by the key Apple supplier to fur-
ther diversify production away
from China.
One sourcesaid Foxconn will
investmorethan$200millionin
the new India AirPod plant in
Telangana. It wasn't immedi-
ately clear how muchthe AirPod
order would be worth.
The person, who requested
anonymity,saidFoxconnofficials
had debated internally for
months about whether to as-
semble AirPods due to relatively
lower profit margins on making
the device, but ultimately opted
to go ahead with the deal to "re-
inforceengagement"withApple.
"Thatway,wearemorelikely
to get orders for their new prod-
ucts," the person said.
The decision to set up pro-
duction in India was requested
by Apple, according to the
source.
$250 million in loans that
the company took from
Barclays Bank and
StandardCharteredBank.
It had said it has means to
meet debt as it looked to
assuageconcernsonitsfi-
nancial position. PTI
LensonFranklin
Templeton
New Delhi: The ED con-
ducted searches at places
linked to asset manager
FranklinTempletonandits
former and current exec-
utives as part of a money
laundering probe. PTI
Bidding Portal
RFP document availability
Pre-bid meeting
Last Date & Time for submission
of Pre-bid Queries/Clarifications
Last Date & Time for uploading
the documents by the bidders
Last date for submission of
original hard copy of Bank
Guarantee towards EMD
Date & Time for Opening of
Techno-Commercial Bid
Date & Time for Opening of
Price Bid
Sd/-General Manager(Ele.), DSM, BESCOM, Bengaluru.
For Electricity related complaints call: 1912
Download BESCOM Mithra Mobile APP
BESCOM/GM(DSM)/BC-51/KUSUM-C/2022-23/
CALL-2, date: 16.03.2023
https://eproc.karnataka.gov.in
level in HESCOM & CESC jurisdiction totally covering
75,000 IP sets, its associated 11kV line to connect the plant
with concerned Substation and Remote Monitoring System
16th March 2023 onwards (RMS) of solar power plants through RESCO mode,
for 25 years under Component C-Feeder Level Solarization
20th March 2023 at 11:00 hrs Venue: Conference Hall,
3rd Floor, Belaku Bhavana, BESCOM, Corporate of PM-KUSUM scheme”.
Office, K.R. Circle, Bengaluru-560001 Bidding Portal : https://eproc.karnataka.gov.in RFP
20th March 2023 up to 15:00 hrs document availability: 16th March 2023 onwards. Pre-bid
meeting: 20th March 2023 at 11:00 hrs. Venue: Conference
24th March 2023 up to 16:00 hrs Hall, 3rd Floor, Belaku Bhavana, BESCOM, Corporate Office,
K.R. Circle, Bengaluru-560001. Last Date & Time for
27th March 2023 up to 16:00 hrs submission of Pre-bid Queries/Clarifications: 20th March
2023 up to 15:00 hrs. Last Date & Time for uploading the
27th March 2023 at 17.00 hrs
documents by the bidders: 24 th March 2023 up to
16:00 hrs. Last date for submission of original hard copy
ofBank Guarantee towards EMD: 27th March 2023 up to
Will be opened in bidding portal after completion of 16.00 hrs. Date & Time for Opening of Techno-Commercial
techno-commercial evaluation. Separate intimation Bid: 27th March 2023 at 17:00 hrs. Date & Time for Opening
regarding date of opening of price bid will not be issued. of Price Bid: Will be opened in bidding portal after completion
of techno-commercial evaluation. Separate intimation
regarding date of opening of price bid will not be issued.
Sd/- Managing Director, KREDL, Bengaluru.
 20 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM
THE INDIAN EXPRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2023
Department of Women and Child Development
Govt. of NCT of Delhi
5th Floor, ISBT Building Kashmere Gate
Delhi-110006
MISSING CHILDREN
Sr. No Description Photograph
1 Ashima (Given by agency) Female child aged about 4-5 weeks,
dark complexion, child was found abandoned in the cradle placed
at the gates of an Institution Delhi Council for Child Welfare
(PALNA) on 22/11/2022. She was produced before the Child
Welfare Committee-V, Dilshad Garden and was kept in Delhi
Council for Child Welfare (PALNA) via order of CWC-V. FIR was
filed at P.S. Civil Lines and dated 22/11/2022 .
2 Roohi (Givenby agency), female child, aged about 1 ½ years,
wheatish complexion, child found abandoned at GTB Hospital
and then transferred to Delhi Council for Child Welfare /PALNA
on 12/12/2022 via order of CWC-V, Dilshad Garden. She was
produced before Child Welfare Committee-V Dilshad Garden
and was kept in Delhi Council for Child Welfare (PALNA) via
order of CWC-V. FIR was filed at P.S GTB Enclave dated on
12/12/2022.
3 Advik (name given by agency) male child, aged about 5 days,
IYF¹FFÊÕX¹F, ¸Fb£¹F d¨FdIY°ÀFF E½Fa À½FFÀ±¹F Ad²FIYFSXe, wheatish complexion, child was found abandoned in the
cradle placed at the gates of an institution on Delhi Council
dªFÕXF ªF¾F´FbSX (LX.¦F.) for Child Welfare (PALNA) on 25/12/2022. He was produced
(dªFÕXF IYF¹FÊIiY¸F ´Fi¶Fa²F³F BÊIYFBÊ) before Child Welfare Committee -V, Dilshad Garden and was
(dpmu.jas@gmail.com, cmohealth@gmail.com) kept in Delhi Council for Child Welfare (PALNA). FIR filed
Ph No. 07763223375, Fax No.-07763220654 at P S Civil Lines dated on 25/12/2022.
IiY¸FFaIY/2219/E³F.E¨F.E¸F./2022-23 ªF¾F´FbSX, dQ³FFaIY-15/03/2023
4 Chirag (name given by agency) Male child, aged about new born,
(dõ°Fe¹F ÷Y¨Fe IYe Ad·F½¹FdöY) ½F¿FÊ 2022-23 fair complexion, child was found abanoned in the Cradle placed at
the gates of an our Instituiton (DCCW/PALNA) on 05/01/2025 via
SXFáÑXe¹F À½FFÀ±¹F d¸F¾F³F dªFÕXF ªF¾F´FbSX Aa°F¦FÊ°F MÑXFadªFÀMX WXFGÀMXÕX WZX°Fb AF½F¾¹FIY CX´FIYSX¯F order of CWC-V, Dilshad Garen. He was produced before Child
ÀFF¸F¦Fie IiY¹F WZX°Fb dõ°Fe¹F ÷Y¨Fe IYe Ad·F½¹FdöY WZX°Fb dQ³FFaIY 22/03/2023 IYû RYF¸FÊ ªF¸FF Welfare Committee-V, Dilshad Garden and was kept in Delhi
IYSX³FZ E½Fa JûÕX³FZ IYe d°Fd±F IYe ÀFc¨F³FF ´FiIYF¾F³F dIY¹FF ¦F¹FF W`XÜ d½F½FSX¯F BÀF ´FiIYFSX W`X:- Council for Child Welfare (PALNA). FIR filed at P.S. Civil Lines
on 05/01/2023.
(dõ°Fe¹F ÷Y¨Fe IYe Ad·F½¹FdöY) dQ³FFaIY:-21-03/2023 ¾FF¸F 05.00 ¶FªFZ °FIY IYF¹FFÊÕX¹F ''IMPORTANT''
Whilst care is taken prior to Note: Parents/Guardians/Relatives of SL.No. 1 & 2 in case of above mentioned children may
RYF¸FÊ IiY¹F IYSX³FZ WZX°Fb d³F²FFÊdSX°F ¸Fb£¹F d¨FdIY°ÀFF E½Fa À½FFÀ±¹F Ad²FIYFSXe ªF¾F´FbSX ÀFZ ´FiF´°F IYSX acceptance of advertising
copy, it is not possible to verify contact at adress/phone numbers given at Sl. No. 1 & 2 given below:-
Aad°F¸F d°Fd±F E½Fa ÀF¸F¹F À±FF³F ÀFIY°FZ W`XÜ its contents. The Indian
Express (P) Limited cannot be 1. Incharge: Delhi Council for Child Welfare (PALNA), Qudsia Bagh, Yamuna Marg, Civil
(dõ°Fe¹F ÷Y¨Fe IYe Ad·F½¹FdöY dQ³FFaIY 22-03-2023 Qû´FWXSX 02.00 ¶FªFZ °FIY À´FeOX held responsible for such
contents, nor for any loss or Lines, Delhi-54 Contact No. 011-23944655/011-23968907
RYF¸FÊ ªF¸FF IYSX³FZ WZX°Fb d³F²FFÊdSX°F ´FûÀMX/SXdªFÀMXOÊX OXFIY/SXdªFÀMXOÊX IYFGdSX¹FSX IZY ¸FF²¹F¸F ÀFZ
damage incurred as a result of
transactions with companies, 2. District Child Protection Unit-11, Sansakar Ashram Complex, Dilshad Garden, Delhi,
associations or individuals
d°Fd±F E½Fa ÀF¸F¹F IYF¹FFÊÕX¹F ¸Fb£¹F d¨FdIY°ÀFF E½Fa À½FFÀ±¹F Ad²FIYFSXe ªF¾F´FbSX IZY advertising in its newspapers Contact No. 011- 22125035 Sd/-
or Publications. We therefore

´F°FZ ´FSX À½FeIYFSX dIY¹FF ªFF¹FZ¦FFÜ d³F²FFÊdSX°F ÀF¸F¹FF½Fd²F IZY recommend

make
that
necessary
readers
inquiries
Director
Women & Child Development
´F¾¨FF°F ´FiF´°F (÷Y¨Fe IYe Ad·F½¹FdöY) IYû ¸FF³¹F ³FWXe dIY¹FF before sending any monies or
entering into any agreements
with advertisers or otherwise Please give information to CHILD LINE 1098 about children who need care&protection
ªFF½FZ¦FFÜ acting on an advertisement in
any manner whatsoever. DIP-SHABDARTH-0669-22-23
(dõ°Fe¹F ÷Y¨Fe IYe Ad·F½¹FdöY) dQ³FFaIY:- 22-03-2023 Qû´FWXSX 04.00 ¶FªFZ dªFÕXF IiY¹F
JûÕX³FZ IYe d°Fd±F ÀFd¸Fd°F IZY ÀF¸FÃFÜ
SR. NAME OF BOARD/ NAME OF WORK NOTICE TENDER OPENING DATE AMOUNT/EMD WEBSITE OF NODAL
WXÀ°FF/- NO. CORP./AUTH CLOSING DATE (APPROX.) IN
(TIME) RUPEES
THE BOARD
CORP./AUTH
OFFICER/CONTACT
DETAILS/EMAIL
¸Fb£¹F d¨FdIY°ÀFF E½Fa À½FFÀ±¹F Ad²FIYFSXe 1. THE BALLABGARH
COOP. MILK
E-TENDER NOTICE FOR SUPPLY 15.03.2023 20000/- www.vitaindia. 9968604725
24.03.2023 org.in vitablb@gmail.com
35966 dªFÕXF- ªF¾F´FbSX (LX.¦F.) PRODUCERS UNION OF T SHIRT & CAP
LIMITED
2. THE BALLABGARH E-TENDER NOTICE FOR 15.03.2023 20000/- www.vitaindia. 9968604725
COOP. MILK 24.03.2023 org.in vitablb@gmail.com
SUPPLY OF GLOW SIGN
PRODUCERS
BOARD & FLEX SIGN BOARD
UNION LIMITED

16373/HRY FOR FURTHER INFORMATION KINDLY VISIT: www.haryanaeprocurement.gov.in or www.etenders.hry.nic.in

SR. NAME OF BOARD/ NAME OF WORK OPENING DATE AMOUNT/EMD WEBSITE OF THE NODAL OFFICER/CON-
NO. CORP./AUTH NOTICE TENDER CLOSING DATE (APPROX.) IN BOARD CORP./AUTH TACT DETAILS/EMAIL
(TIME) RUPEES
1. MUNICIPAL CONST. OF REVENUE 14.03.2023 EMD
https://etenders. 7404444699
COUNCIL hry.nic.in
ROAD FROM GWALISON 27.03.2023 sjsecymcjhajjar@
JHAJJAR 4.27 LACS
ROAD TO TALAO ROAD IN
gmail.com
W-18, M.C. JHAJJAR + 8
WORKS

16381/Hry FOR FURTHER INFORMATION KINDLY VISIT: www.haryanaeprocurement.gov.in or www.etenders.hry.nic.in

SR. NAME OF NAME OF WORK NOTICE TENDER OPENING DATE AMOUNT/EMD WEBSITE OF NODAL
NO. BOARD/ CLOSING DATE (APPROX.) IN THE BOARD OFFICER/CONTACT
CORP./AUTH (TIME) RUPEES CORP./AUTH DETAILS/EMAIL
1. HSIIDC OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF 45 WATT, 72 WATT, 21.03.2023 9.93 LACS https://etenders. 01262-287029
90 WATT AND 120 WATT LED STREET POINTS AND 70 28.03.2023 hry.nic.in ia.rohtak@hsiidc.
WATT HPSV, 150 WATT HPSV AND 250 WATT HPSV AT org.in
PHASE-I AND II, HSIIDC, IMT ROHTAK.
2. HSIIDC MAKING OF BASIN AND THEREAFTER WATERING 21.03.2023 5.29 LACS https://etenders. 01262-287029
OF SHRUBS AND PLANTS IN PHASE-I, IMT 28.03.2023 hry.nic.in ia.rohtak@hsiidc.
ROHTAK org.in

16369/HRY FOR FURTHER INFORMATION KINDLY VISIT: www.haryanaeprocurement.gov.in or www.etenders.hry.nic.in

WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM
THE INDIAN EXPRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2023 SPORT/CALENDAR 21
Giant-killing spree
DGC OPEN BOXING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Bangladesh’s Nikhat begins campaign

Siddikur uses
course familiarity
to take Rd 1 lead
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, MARCH 16
FAMILIARITY WITH the Delhi Golf Course
layout proved to be a big advantage at the
DGC Open. After the first round,
Bangladesh's Siiddikur Rahman -- frequent
player to the golf course where he clinched
one fo his two Asian Tour titles -- began his
latest tilt with a bogey-free round of seven-
under 65 that put him in a two-shot lead
in the $750,000 event.
Rashid Khan, who was the best per-
forming Indian on the day, avoided drop-
ping any shot on the layout re-designed by
golf legend Gary Player. His 67 put him at
par in second spot with Thailand's defend-
ing champion Nitithorn Thippong and
Filipino Justin Quiban, who had a career-
best fifth-place finish at last year's edition.
Siddikur won the Hero Indian Open at
the DGC in 2013, while Rashid has won the
SAIL-SBI Open here ahead of the
Bangladeshi golfer. Siddikur's comfort level
at the venue can be guaged by the fact that
he has 13 Top-10 finishes in 16 starts.
Besides the one win, he has four runner-up
finishes here.
“I love the Delhi Golf Club course and I
have always enjoyed playing here with
some good results, including a win. So, it
was a wonderful day. I'm hitting really well
and at the same time I am putting well,”
Siddikur, who had birdies on the first and
eighth holes before finishing his round in
impressive fashion with five birdies in his
last seven holes, said.
Back from back injury
Rashid had to deal with some adversity
over the past few months in the form of a
back injury. “I had the injury around
November and after that, I lost my touch so
I was really scared to hit shots because of
my back. I had to change my swing a little,”
Rashid, who began with nine consecutive
pars on Thursday, reflected.
“On the back nine, I had a good birdie
on the first and then finishing with the last
three birdies was great. That gives you con-
fidence and that's what I needed.”
Six players were tied for fifth place after
carding 68 each. The group included an-
other Indian S Chikkarangappa, who was
tied sixth last week in Thailand, and Indian-
American golfer Varun Chopra.
Four players were tied for 11th at 3-un-
der. Overall, 40 players shot under par and
another 16, including SSP Chawrasia, who
has won three Asian Tour titles at the DGC,
shot even par 72 to be tied 41st.
Gayatri-Treesabeat
formerJapaneseWorld
No1pair21-14,24-22to
enterlast-8atAllEngland
SHIVANINAIK
MARCH 16
THE VICTORY came with a divine drop after
the highly-excitable Treesa Jolly had had
enough of Japanese Yuki Fukushima and
Sayaka Hirota attempting to slow down the
pace and retrieve all her smashes on the last
five match points.
The drop came like a euphemism to a
steep down-kill, and covered an exaggerated
parabola to land close to the forecourt, even
as the Japanese braced to return another
smash. They lunged forward but it fell like a
teaseandtheyweretoolatetoreactasIndians
Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand Pullella
completed yet another Top-Ten scalp, this
time former No. 1s, winning 21-14, 24-22.
Thereweremomentsinthematchagainst
theninth-ranked-likeonWednesdayagainst
the seventh-seeded Thais - when the oppo-
nents were plainly rattled at some of the in-
credulous things Treesa was achieving on
court.Likewhensheflickedtheshuttletothe
tramlines with an easy wrist swish.
Because her attack is so powerful, it is the
understatedvariations-thehalf-smashes,the
drops and those flicky prods - that earn the
Indians so many points with their hint of sur-
prise. When one has power, and uses it to
merelyloomlarge,whileusingtheplacements
to score - that is Treesa's role in this combine.
TherotationsbetweenTreesaandGayatri
were going smoothly too, and it helped that
neither was stuck guarding the net and cop-
ping the pressure. Gayatri would track a few
steps behind and hit as many from the back.
The plan, like in the earlier round, was to
setthetoneearlyandtheIndianswentonthe
attack from the get-go, never allowing the
Japanese to settle into their pace. The 2020
champions and former World no.1s like long
rallies and a rhythmic advance of shots. The
Indians couldn't wait to kill the points. They
hadtheleadsat11-7inthefirstand11-4inthe
second, as the Japanese were clearly shaken.
At 15-6, Hirota and Fukushima were sent
off totwodiagonalcornersandTreesamoved
in quickly to encash the set-up, bisecting the
lineasbothJapanesewerecaughtscrambling
in the middle of the court.
StirringintoactiononlywhentheIndians
beganmakingmistakestryingtocloseoutthe
match, Hirota-Fukushima got going at 19-14
in the second. Saving four match points, they
tried attacking Gayatri, and succeeded in
pushing the game to extra points.
The Indians - briefly rushed - regained
theircomposure,anddefendedspectacularly
Itwasanothertop-10scalpforTreesaJolly(R)&Gayatri Gopichand. Special arrangements
against the going-for-broke onslaught. It
endedupinalongrallywherefranticdefend-
ing and overt attack from the Indians had set
a frenzied pace. On the sixth match point at
23-22, Treesa pulled out a delectable straight
loopy drop which gave the Indians their sec-
ondTop-Tenscalpinasmanydays,andaplace
in the quarters.
TheIndianshadmadesemislastyearwith
two higher-ranked scalps and one opponent
retiring due to injury. This time, the momen-
tum has been built over a month, as they se-
cured points for India in the bronze-winning
AsianMixedTeamchampionshipslastmonth.
The two would then dutifully turn up at the
Nationals,playingtwomatchesadayandgo-
ing on to take their first title, fairly unchal-
lenged at home.
But it is at the All England this week that
Treesa-Gayatri have shown just how far
they've come. The endgame stutter might've
annoyedcoachMathiasBoe.Butthetwohave
otherwisebeenontheball,followinginstruc-
tions to the T.
Satwik-Chirag, Lakshya lose
It was the closest of matches, but
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty
could not close out after a favourable start as
they lost21-10,17-21,19-21totheyoungup-
starts from China, Liang Wei Keng and Chang
Wang, in 56 minutes. The scorching pace of
the rallies saw the first two games even
stevens in 31 minutes. It was Liang's tumble
serve that bothered the Indians, who had
startedwellplayingthefirstfourstrokesdom-
ineeringly in the opener.
Boe would warn them that the Chinese
would come hard at them in the second, and
that's exactly what happened. But the Indian
defence cracked to allow the Chinese first a
toe-hold and then the entire momentum as
the Satwik-Chirag slumped a little and al-
lowed errors against the India Open winners
toeatintotheirearlylead,andendupshortof
thequarters.LakshyaSenjustcouldn'tgethis
rhythm going against Anders Antonsen and
tamely lost 21-13, 21-15 in his Round-of-16
match. The Dane tends to be prone to errors,
but Sen just couldn't find his lengths on the
day nor the precision in his attack. Antonsen
was anything but brittle on the day, and his
compact defence and composed retrieving
tended to frustrate Sen, who remained stuck
in a gear, hoping for mistakes from his oppo-
nent that never came.
Sen led 11-5 in the second game. But at
that stage, the long punishing rallies started
to repeatedly go Antonsen's way which fur-
ther slumped Sen's shoulders. One toss-off
particularly ended with Antonsen snapping
out of the tossathon to whip out a cross-
smash, and Sen just couldn't break through
his opponent's tightly-bound defence.
Kidambi Srikanth lost to Kodai Naraoka
21-17, 21-15, while HS Prannoy couldn't get
past Anthony Ginting, losing 20-22, 21-15,
17-21.
in impressive fashion
SHASHANKNAIR
NEW DELHI, MARCH 16
FIRST DAY, first bout. India’s Nikhat Zareen –
the defending champion who was unseeded
-neededjust16secondstolettheworldknow
how it was going to go for her opponent. A
long, looping left landed flush and dazed
Azerbaijan’s Anakhanim Ismayilova. After a
momentary stumble, she regained her bal-
anceandchargedagain.Itwouldn’tbethebest
strategyagainsttheIndianwhosimplycould
not be stopped on the day.
Nikhat began her World Championships
campaigninanewweightcategorywithease,
astherefereehadtostopthebeatingaminute
and30secondsintothesecondround.Allfour
Indian boxers slotted to fight on Day 1 of the
Women’s World Boxing Championship won
theirboutsandprogressedtothenextround.
ForNikhat,whousuallyfightsinthe51kg
and 52 kg categories, the switch to the
Olympic class of 50 kg may not have been a
bigleapbuttheweightreductionrequiredcan
beaproblem.Buttheheightandreachadvan-
tage she enjoys in this category can be a big
plus. Nikhat's excellent understanding of her
opponent’sreachandhowtostayrightatthe
edgeof itmakesitnexttoimpossibleforany-
one to start any attack on her without suffer-
ing some damage.
ForIsmayilova,itwasNikhat'ssimpleone-
twocombinationatthatrangethathurt.That
second punch always found its mark. When
the Azerbaijan pugilist had the intuition that
a straight right was headed for her face, the
shot would instead land on her diaphragm.
Slowly,herrushtofindpunchesdissolvedinto
trepidation at opening her stance up.
Inthesecondround,therefereehadtostop
the fight. After having made two standing
eight-counts in the first round, the third one
was the final nail in the coffin as Ismayilova
NikhatZareenmade lightworkof Azerbaijan’sAnakhanimIsmayilova.
madeanearlyexitfromtheWorlds.“Herplus
pointwasher jab,whichI hadseenher useat
the Strandja memorial tournament. My way
to counter it was to use less of my left hand,
andfindwaystoattackwiththeright,”Nikhat
said after the fight.
She will now face No. 2 seed Roumaysa
Boualam,the2022Africanboxingchampion,
anda potential banana peelearlyin the com-
petition. While most top boxers in her cate-
gory got a bye in the first round, Nikhat has a
tough road ahead of her. Not that she cares in
the slightest.
“It's not a problem. Draws ka ye hi lafda
hota hai (That's the thing about draws), any-
onecangetanyseeding.Itdoesn'tmatterbut
mydrawisgood.Asthecompetitiongoeson,
I'll get tough opponents.”
Sakshi, Preeti deliver
India’srepresentativesinthe52kgand54
kgweightcategoriesenjoyedresoundingwins
onDay1.SakshiChaudharyfacedsomeresist-
ance initially from Colombia’s Maria Jose
Martinez.Theshorterboxer,Martinezbrought
energy into the bout and made it a fight. But
Chaudhary’slongerrangeallowedhertocon-
stantlystepoutofthewayandemployherjab
to good effect.
Preeti Pawar began her World
Championshipsstronglyaswell,winningvia
a referee stoppage in the second round
against Hungary’s Hannah Lakotar in the 54
kgcategory.Interestingly,bothboxerswillvie
for a spot in India’s team for the Paris
Olympics. With Nikhat most likely to be the
country’s entrant in the 50 kg category, the
battlebetweenChaudharyandPawarforthat
covetedOlympicspothasitsfoundationsset
at these World Championships. On Friday,
threeotherIndiansbegintheircampaigns.In
the 60 kg category, Jasmine will be in action,
followed by the bouts of Shashi Chopra and
Shruti Yadav.
Tashi Tobgyal

OVER THE HEDGE by Michael Fry & T Lewis

CROSSWORD 5003 DAY TODAY
ARIES (Mar 21 - Apr 20)
It does look
pretty certain
that partners will
have the edge on
you today. However, it is
also a very good time for firm,
practical measures and those
of you who wish to lay down
the law will do your best. Just
bear in mind that friends may
be expecting a slightly
different approach.
TAURUS (Apr 21 - May 21)
There is much to
be said for
pressing ahead
CALVIN & HOBBES by Bill Watterson with every routine
chore necessary for your
own survival. There is also a
welcome absence of difficult
planetary aspects, which
means that you may clear the
decks of all unwanted and
ACROSS DOWN unfinished business - as
soon as you can.
1 There’snosmoke without 1 A gust blows around
it(7) Lisbon’s river (5) GEMINI (May 22 - June 21)
4 Markwantsa number(5) 2 Knock down a toxophilite? If you can shift
7 Turnpalenothavinga (4,4) various chores
dress(4) 3 The earth’s five main and duties until
next week, there
8 Haveatouch of colourand features (6)
seems to be no good reason
bemiserable (4,4) 4 Outline a new house not to do so. About the only
10 Itgivesa previewof what’s title (10) responsibilities which do
instoreforyou(4,6) 5 Slow-moving birds (4) seem hard to deal with
12 Perfectvoicefor atrio(6) 6 Member in neat outfit concern children and younger
13 LeavefortheSahara showing good taste (7) relations. You might even do
perhaps(6)
15 Apartmentsforfolkwho
9 Grew silent becoming too
hot to talk (10)
MARVIN by Tom Armstrong well outof being more light-
hearted yourself.
don’t movefarwhen they 11 A criminal set? (8) CANCER (June 22 - July 23)
retire(10) 12 Her most stylish form Mercury now
18 Itcould bealarmingatthe keeps things hot (7) settles into a
edge(8) 14 A way to avoid peace’s harmonious
19 Berejected-that’s outcome (6) relationship with
bad(4) 16 Loves new way to complete Venus, an almost perfect indic-
ation of passionate encounters
20Supportedfromabove(5) the puzzle (5)
andintimate,almost cosy, times
21Spread outandblow 17 Father to the French wife of with loved ones. Give the top
up(7) a German husband? (4) priority to pleasure and
remember that,if you enjoy
SolutionsCrossword5002:Across:1Operational,9Elusive,10Dwelt,11Seen,12 yourself, so will others.
Bulletin,14Odious,16Amidst,18Reaction,19Opal,22Prior,23Dollops,24Leadingrole.
Down:2Prune,3Raid,4Tiedup,5Oldflame,6Alerted,7Seismograph,8Standtolose, LEO (July 24 - Aug 23)
13Buttered,15Imagine,17Wooden,20Prowl,21Slur. You may expect
unscheduled
journeys and should
anticipate that the
reasons will be for business, or
JUMBLED WORDS DifficultyLevel1s
at least for some other serious
SOLUTION SUDOKU 5138
BY PETER VIDAL
LIBRA (Sep 24 - Oct 23)
The Moon is
now set to
gallop through
your chart at a
fair old pace. Interestingly
enough, you can now plan for
romantic success, so a partner
must come to terms with the
fact that you are the boss!
Cash questions should clear
up very soon.
SCORPIO (Oct 24 - Nov 23)
The most
perceptive
amongst you
will already
have realised that the
inevitable must happen, while
the wisest individuals kno
that when it does it must be
welcomed. One eventual
outcome should be vastly
increased security at home,
so take the necessary steps.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 24 - Dec 22)
Venus makes
an alignment
that isquite
extraordinary,
though very fleeting, bringing
with it amazing emotional
contacts with the past. You’re
hoping for the best and that
means someone really should
return from your old life,
hopefully bringing fond
memories.
CAPRICORN (Dec 23 - Jan 20)
This should be a
rather satisfactory
moment for all
professionally-
minded people. The basic
planetary disposition is
favourable for most of the day,
raising the possibility of friction
only later this evening, but then
only if you haven’t set time
aside to relax.
AQUARIUS (Jan 21- Feb 19)
You’re now entering
a new phase during
which the only
promises or
commitments you make should
be ones you are prepared to
keep. Many active and lively

reason, rather than for pleasure. individuals are now bringing

Instructions Your general approach should legal questions to completion,
Givenbelowarefourjumbledwords.Solvethejumblestomakeproperwordsandmovethemto TosolveaSudokupuzzle, be solid and sensible, so don’t or at least to a more
therespectivesquaresbelow.Selectthelettersintheshadedsquaresandjumblethemtoget everydigitfrom1to9 follow idle distractions. satisfactory stage.
SUDOKU 5139

theanswerforthegivenquip. mustappearineachofthe
Theman_______uponthemorrowgoestomeetthemorrowmostcheerfully.-Epicurus(5,9) VIRGO (Aug 24 - Sep 23) PISCES (Feb 20 - Mar 20)
nineverticalcolumns,in It looks very From now on
eachoftheninehorizontal much as if it you will no longer
PWEEE EULNNT rowsandineachofthe will be how much be able to rely on
nineboxes. things cost that personal contacts
now determines what you at work to get you through
can and can’t get away with. difficulties. That could be
GATES EELDDP DifficultyLevel
It would be wrong, though, to no bad thing if you are
place a cash valueon personal forced to develop different
1s=Veryeasy;2s=Easy; relationships which require talents, including ones you
3s=Medium;4s=Hard; rather more serious never knew you had. Go on
cheerfully. - Epicurus 5s=VeryHard; consideration, but and surprise others and
Answer:The man least dependent upon the morrow goes to meet the morrow most 6s=Genius then you always knew that. astound yourself.
SOLUTION: PEWEE, STAGE, TUNNEL, PEDDLE

22 SPORT
THE INDIAN EXPRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2023
BRIEFLY
RealbeatLiverpool
forCLquartersspot
Madrid: There was no historic come-
back for Liverpool. Real Madrid's title
defense in the Champions League
rolls into the quarterfinals. Liverpool
never really came close to overcom-
ing its three-goal deficit from the first
leg against the titleholders at the
Santiago Bernabéu Stadium on
Wednesday, losing 1-0 to end its
hopes of another run to the final.
Karim Benzema scored late and
Madrid advanced to the last eight for
the third straight season with a 6-2
aggregate score. REUTERS
Infantinore-elected
FIFApresident
Kigali (Rwanda): DGianni Infantino
was re-elected FIFA president by ac-
claimonThursdaythrough2027,after
suggesting the financial results under
hisleadershipwouldkeepanindustry
CEO in the job for life. Infantino had
no election opponent and won by ac-
claim instead of a formal vote by the
congress of 211 member federations
whosebasicannualfundingfromFIFA
has risen from $250,000 to $2 million
since his first win in 2016. FIFA had $4
billion reserves after the World Cup
in Qatar finished in December. AP
Potapovawarnedfor
Russianteamshirt
Indian Wells:The Women's Tennis
Association(WTA)hasissuedaformal
warning to Anastasia Potapova for
wearing a T-shirt of Russian soccer
team Spartak Moscow before her
match against Jessica Pegula at Indian
Wellsthisweek.RussianPotapova'sac-
tions were viewed as a public show of
supportforhercountryduringitsinva-
sionofUkraine. Potapova,whenasked
abouttheshirtafterthematch,saidshe
had supported Spartak since she was
13 and saw no provocation in it.
REUTERS
White-ball mode: Kohli shows the way as power-hitting takes centre stage
MIHIR VASAVDA
MUMBAI, MARCH 16
CLOSETOanhour-and-a-quarterintohisnets
session,ViratKohliswivelledroundtoconnect
withatorpedohurledathimandsendtheball
flying into the middle tier behind midwicket.
With the next, which seemed like travelling
even faster, Kohli nearly took the throwdown
specialist, who was quick to duck, with his
straight-as-an-arrow shot. And just before he
calleditaday,theformerIndiacaptaincaressed
one over the cover boundary.
Fresh from a Test hundred, this was one of
Kohli’slongestoutingsatthenetsthisseriesas
he spent close to two hours in the middle, oc-
casionally taking short breaks on a sultry
eveninginMumbai.Itwasalmosttwohoursof
clean, aesthetic power-hitting, signalling the
onset of the white-ball season, which con-
cludes with the World Cup on home soil in
October-November.
Adjacent to Kohli, Shubman Gill shadow-
batted on the centre pitch, visualising what
will it be like to face the new ball when he
Mom battles cancer; daughter sparkles in WPL
PRATYUSH RAJ
MARCH 16
ON WEDNESDAY evening, the Ahuja house-
hold in Patiala was glued to the television set
watching their daughter Kanika helping
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) register
their first win in the Women's Premier
League (WPL). It has been a bittersweet few
months for the Ahujas. While Kanika was
picked by RCB in the auction, her mother
Seema Rani is battling cancer, not one but
two - breast and bone.
The morning after her daughter's hero-
ics, Surinder drove his wife Seema to a can-
cer hospital in Sangrur for chemotherapy.
During the 60 km ride, Seema kept talking
about Kanika's batting, the three fours she
hit off Rajeshwari Gayakwad's bowling and
the six off Devika Vaidya, her favourite shot.
“She (Seema) was in tears yesterday.
Today during our journey, she kept talking
aboutKanika'sinningsandwaslaughinglike
a kid,” Surinder Ahuja told The Indian Express
over phone.
“Main theek ho jaungi, mujhe Kanika ko
stadium mey khelte dekhna hai (I will get bet-
ter, I have to watch Kanika from the stands).
Those were her words once we reached the
hospital.
"Asafamily,wearegoingthroughatough
time. I try to keep my emotions under check
while talking to my wife and my daughter.
Kanika knows her mother's condition very
well, but they never talk about it. Their chat
Vol XCI- 108 Regd.No. DL-21046/03-05 R.N.I. No.506/57. Printed and Published by R.C.Malhotra on behalf of The Indian Express (P) Limited and Printed at The Indian Express (P) Limited Press, A-8, Sector-7, Noida -201301 and Hindustan Media Ventures Ltd., Mauza-Daryapur, Police Station-Shahpur, Danapur
District-Patna, Bihar-801503 and Published at The Indian Express (P) Limited, Mezzanine Floor, Express Building, 9 &10, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi 110002. Editorial office: The Indian Express (P) Limited, Mezzanine Floor, Express Building, 9&10, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi-110002. Phone: 0120-
6651500. Advertising office: The Indian Express (P) Limited, B1/B, Sector-10, Noida-201301. Phone:01206651291. Chairman of the Board: Viveck Goenka, Chief Editor: Raj Kamal Jha, Editor: Unni Rajen Shanker, Editor (Delhi): Rakesh Sinha ** ** Responsible for selection of News under the PRB Act. Copyright: The Indian
Indian bowling a worry leading into World Cup
Difference between 2011 World Cup and 2023 lies in how the bowling attack added balance and venom to the former
VENKATA KRISHNA B
CHENNAI, MARCH 16
WITH SEVEN months left for the ODI world
cup, two of which would be consumed by
the IPL, the three ODIs coming up against
Australia arrives at a crucial juncture for
India. Having already kick-started their
preparations for the big ticket event with
series against Sri Lanka and New Zealand,
India know exactly where they are.
The upcoming three ODIs against
Australia is another opportunity for Rohit
Sharma & Co to come up with a blueprint
that they can take to the World Cup in
October-November. India are already go-
ing about it in a certain way, but it is also
pertinent to look at the successful blueprint
of the 2011 World Cup winning side, the
last time India played the World Cup on
home turf.
For the time being let’s keep the batting
unit aside because their aggressive ap-
proach is yielding them the desired results.
But is there something that MS Dhoni's
2011 triumphant World Cup team had that
the current lot is missing? The bowling.
And incidentally their bowling can also
have a spill-over effect on their batting.
The 2011 team had Zaheer Khan, Ashish
Nehra, Munaf Patel - three seamers who
were at their peak and intimately knew
their roles. Harbhajan Singh was their main
spinner, with Yuvraj Singh sharing the
main burden of the fifth bowler (with 15
wickets, he was the second-highest wicket
taker of India), and the likes of S Sreesanth,
R Ashwin, Yusuf Pathan, Piyush Chawla
were rotated depending on the opposition
and conditions.
The current Indian team, in contrast, has
Mohammad Shami, Mohammad Siraj,
Umran Malik as their first-choice seamers.
With Jasprit Bumrah availability not clear,
it is understood that India are preparing for
the worst and a decision on his inclusion is
expected to stretch till the last few days of
the World Cup.
In Bumrah's absence, these three seam-
ers are proficient no doubt, but things have
to fall in place -- read they have to have their
opens the batting in the first ODI against
Australia on Friday along with Ishan Kishan.
Rahul Dravid, too, was in the thick of things,
handing catching practice to the fielders with
thesameintensityashebattedbackintheday.
Therewereenoughsignsofthiseveninthe
opposition camp as limited-overs specialists
Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell hit the
groundrunning.Theywereamongthehand-
fulof Australianswhopractisedonthematch
evewithcontrastingapproaches.Stoinis,inhis
hour-long stay, was all power and, like Kohli,
smacked the ball over the straight and mid-
wicket boundaries several times. Maxwell, in
hisbriefstay,triedthereversescoopsandpad-
dle sweeps before positioning himself at the
long-on boundary to collect the balls Stoinis
sent into the stands.
In cricket’s brisk-moving bandwagon, the
Testseriesalreadyseemsalifetimeago.Thefo-
cus, well and truly, has shifted to the 50-over
format; with a seemingly inconsequential bi-
lateral series gaining relevance as both sides
have an eye on the World Cup.
Seven months out from the showpiece
event, neither India nor Australia can claim to
RCB’s Kanika Ahuja smashed 46 off 30
on Wednesday, the highest score by an
uncapped player in WPL so far. PTI
revolves around the WPL, Kanika meeting
thelikesof (Smriti)Mandhana,(Ellyse)Perry,
and yesterday she took a photo with Virat
Kohli,” says Surinder, who runs a handloom
business in Patiala.
On Wednesday, after the big names had
Express (P) Limited. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any manner, electronic or otherwise, in whole or in part, without prior written permission is prohibited. The Indian Express®
India are yet to figure out their ideal bowling combination for the World Cup..
best days consistently -- for them to click as
a unit. All three, as they have shown in the
IPL, can leak runs, and can be taken apart in
the end overs. Moreover, the trio's work-
load also has to be closely monitored right
through the IPL as Shami had already raised
a red-flag during the Test series. Same with
Siraj, who was rested for the last Test.
In 2011, Munaf Patel took care of the
middle-overs, Zaheer with the new ball
and the end, with Nehra pretty effective at
the death. Shami and Siraj are good with
the new ball but there is no guarantee that
they will strike, and more importantly, they
have to find their game and hit the right
notes in the middle and end overs in Indian
conditions. They have time to practice and
Virat Kohli spent close to two hours at
the nets in Mumbai on Thursday. PTI
been dismissed, Kanika, along with India-
capped Richa Ghosh, another youngster,
proved to be the game-changers. The 20-
year-old Kanika smashed 46 off 30 balls,
the highest score by an uncapped player in
the WPL so far, as RCB chased down 136 to
secure a five-wicket win against UP
Warriorz.
From 60 for four, with the big guns back
to the pavilion. Ahuja took charge of pro-
ceedings and hammered eight fours and a
six, adding 60 runs for the fifth wicket with
Richa Ghosh (31) to help her side record
their first win in six matches.
Kanika dedicated her innings to her ail-
ing mother, who has been her strongest
support. “There was a time when my
mother used to push me to play. Now, she
is not doing well physically and I aam play-
ing here for her, playing because she is
watching me,” she told reporters after the
game. “My mother would tell me to go out
and play and not trouble her at home. If I
was at home, I would fly kites on the roof so
she would push me to go out and play,” says
Kanika with a beaming smile on her face.
“My family didn't even know that there
is cricket for girls… My father told me to
focus on studies as there is nothing in
cricket, but my mother would say go and
play,” the left-hander said.
Big hitter
Kanika, a self-confessed Suryakumar
Yadav fan, has been known for her six-hit-
ting prowess. In a Punjab inter-district one-
perfect it and that’s where planning and
trust will come into the picture.
In the spin department, as of now India
have Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal
as frontline candidates. However, both
their inclusion in the XI will depend on the
balance of the team. The duo are the best
bets for India to operate in the middle overs
alongside a pacer like Umran.
The second powerplay (11-40 overs) has
become a target spot for batting teams.
With only four fielders allowed outside the
ring and the presence of two new balls
means there is not much help for spinners,
batting teams are no longer content going at
4-5 RPO in the middle-overs. More than the
first powerplay, the second has become the
Thefocus,wellandtruly,has
shiftedtothe50-overformat;
withaseemingly
inconsequentialbilateralseries
gainingrelevanceasbothsides
haveaneyeontheWorldCup.
be settled and well-rounded units.
Captain Hardik Pandya – standing in for
Rohit Sharma, who has skipped the first ODI
due to personal commitments – struck a re-
laxed chord on Thursday and refused to get
flusteredbythemultipleproblemshisteamis
facing, prominentamongthem is the ineffec-
tivenessofthebowlingattackintheabsenceof
an injured Jasprit Bumrah.
Thepacer,whorecentlyhadsurgeryonhis
back, hasn’t played since last September and
isinaraceagainsttimetogetmatch-fitforthe
WorldCup.Pandyaadmittedthathaving‘Jassi
(Bumrah)makesamassivedifference’.“Butto
be very honest, we aren't much bothered be-
causetheguyswhohavetakentheroleofJassi,
day match, playing for Patiala, she once
scored 305 runs off 122 balls against
Fathegarh Sahib.
"Koi 20 chhakke maare they usne (She
has hit around 20 sixes in that match)" says
her childhood coach Kamal Sandhu, for
whom she will always be a “tomboy” who
only wants to train and play with the boys.
“She was 12 when she came, and there
were only two other girls in my academy. So
when she started playing cricket with boys
and after a while, once we got more girls, I
told her to play with the girls. She refused
and said “sir ladkon ko chhakke maarne me
alag swad hai (It feels good to hit a six off a
boy),” recalls Sandhu.
Sandhu noted Kanika's sheer love for the
game. a“We do three sessions at our acad-
emy - morning, evening and night - and in
the past eight years, I have never seen her
missingasingletrainingsession.Her loveto-
wards the game is second to none,” says
Sandhu.SatpalAhuja,whoaccompaniedher
grand-daughter to every training session till
she turned 18 and learnt to ride a two-
wheeler, calls her 'kudrat ka karishma' (mir-
acle). “She is very close to her mother, and
she has handled her amazingly since we
learned about the cancer. She is God's gift to
our family,” says the 74-year-old.
When Virat Kohli, the posterboy of the
RCB men's team, told the women's side,
“When you are playing, don't take it as pres-
sure, it's a pleasure that you are playing,” his
words stuck with Kanika because that has
been her mantra so far.
TOKYO SILVER MEDALLIST BANNED
Tokyo Olympics shot put silver medallist Raven Saunders has been handed an
18-month suspension for violating whereabouts rules, the U.S. Anti-Doping
Agency (USADA) said. "The accumulation of three whereabouts failures within
a 12-month period constitutes a rule violation under the USADA Protocol for
Olympic and Paralympic Movement Testing ... and the World Athletics Anti-
Doping Rules," USADA said in a statement on Wednesday.
PTI
one that sets the tone for the last 10 overs.
With 5 fielders allowed outside the circle in
the last 10 overs, bowling teams have found
a way to comeback, provided they can take
wickets in the second powerplay.
In the existing field-restriction rules,
India would hope that Hardik Pandya does
the batting-allrounder job for them as well
as Yuvraj did. Pandya holds the key for the
team’s balance, but no one can say for sure,
at this juncture, how his bowling will hold
up under pressure.
With their best death bowler doubtful
for the World Cup, the options are limited
for India. Arshdeep Singh showed promise
during the last IPL to earn a call-up to the
T20 World Cup, but the left-arm seamer is
Iamquiteconfidentthey'llbedoingverywell,”
he said, adding that he’ll step in to bowl if the
‘situation requires’.
A Bumrah-less bowling attack is just one
problem.TheinjurytoShreyasIyer,workload
managementoftheplayersandIndia’sinabil-
itytowinintheknockoutstagesofanICCevent
aresomeoftheotherissuesIndiastareat.“We
willbetryingtobealittlebrave,”Pandyasaid.
“Allthesebilateralsareaschallenging,theycan
get as close to the wire as they can. That is the
only way we are going to learn and start play-
ing under the pressure of knockouts.”
Indiaaren’taloneinfightingbattlesonmul-
tiple fronts.
Australia have lost their previous two ODI
series in the subcontinent, losing to Sri Lanka
and Pakistan, and they begin their World Cup
prep with reinforcements flying in for the
three-match series.
David Warner is awaiting for a medical
clearancetoplayinthefirstODI.Whileafully-
fit Warner is sure to be one of the first names
in the playing X1 given his one-day form,
Australiaarelikelytofieldanall-rounder-heavy
line-up for the series. That’s after Stoinis,
Gardner’s all-round show
keeps Gujarat Giants afloat
PRATYUSHRAJ
MARCH16
IT WAS a bit late, but Ashleigh Gardner finally
arrivedattheWPLparty.GujaratGiantswent
alloutfortheAustralianall-rounderintheauc-
tion, and on Thursday, she showed why the
franchisewasrighttobetbigonher.Gardner's
unbeaten 51 off 31 balls and 2/19 helped
Gujarat Giants beat Delhi Capitals by 11 runs
to keep their playoff hopes afloat.
ItwassweetrevengefortheSnehRana-led
team after they were hammered by the
Capitalsinanearlierfixture.Putintobat,Giants
scored147for4.Inreply,Capitalswerebowled
out for 136 in 18.4 overs.
Gardener's half-century proved to be the
match-winningknockfor the Giants. After12
overs,theywere64for2,butinthenexteight
overs, put on 83 runs. Gardner, along with
LauraWolvaardt(57off45balls)puton81runs
for the third wicket.
The Aussie not only added the fuel in an
otherwise conservative start, but also helped
Giants to end with a flourish.
Wolvaardt changed gears and hammered
Jess Jonassen for 15 runs in an over, including
a six and two boundaries. At one stage, the
SouthAfricanwasstruggling,on26off30balls,
but in the next 15, smoked 31 runs.
TheGiantshadaconservativeapproachaf-
ter losing Sophia Dunkley (4) in the first over.
The 49-run stand between Harleen Deol (31
WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM
REUTERS
still a work in progress and is not part of the
ODI plans as yet. The other options for India
are Shardul Thakur and Deepak Chahar --
two contrasting seamers, who the team
management is closely watching, for they
can lend something the others don't -- con-
tribute with the bat.
While an attack comprising Shami,
Siraj, Umran/Arshdeep, Kuldeep, Chahal
does look strong on paper, it will leave the
team having a long tail. With their old-
school approach -- to keep wickets in hand
and switch gears in the last 10 overs -- this
may have worked, but that method is well
past its sell-by date. And if they go ahead
with that bowling line-up with their more
aggressive approach with the bat, it could
cost them in the end.
Which is why there is interest in Chahar
and Thakur. The latter, especially, has
shown promise and is being seen as the
one to bridge the gap between the lower-
order and the tail.
The only factor that is going against him
is his economy rate which is over 6 and his
natural back of a length usually lands in the
ideal slot for batsmen to tee-off. During the
recent ODIs against New Zealand, he went
for runs, but at the same time, found a way
to get wickets.
With regards to Chahar, his ability to
move the ball both ways means he can be
counted on to give breakthroughs with the
new ball. Moreover, he is solid with the bat.
Seenasanidealreplacementforoutof favour
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Chahar fitness issues
have put him down the pecking order.
And even if all these pieces make for a
perfect art, India will have to compromise
on team balance, which is essential. To find
that balance, India needs Hardik Pandya
and one of Ravindra Jadeja/Washington
Sundar/Axar Patel in the XI, but if that hap-
pens, they will be forced to leave one of
their wicket-taking options (Chahal or
Kuldeep) on the bench. By doing this, they
would be able to extend the batting depth
till No 8 and at the same time have more
than five bowling options, which is a non-
negotiable element. In the coming months,
this headache has all the potential to turn
into a migraine.
Maxwell, Mitchell Marsh and Ashton Agar
joinedthesquad,whichalreadyhadCameron
Green.
Marsh,whoreturnstotheAustraliansquad
after ankle surgery, cited the example of
England–‘whohaveguysbattingatNo.8who
are genuine batters – to hammer home his
pointthatall-rounderswillbeessentialforthe
‘balance of our team’ during the World Cup.
Batting-wise, he said it ‘gives you the abil-
itytoeithersetreallybigtotalsorchasebigto-
tals’.“Thinkwe’llseethatthisseries,hopefully,
there’llbealotofrunsscored,andlookingfor-
ward to the World Cup, just the way cricket is
played here in the white-ball format, you’ll
have to chase or make big scores. The more
flexibility and depth you can have with your
batting line-up, think it will be really impor-
tant,”Marshsaid,addingthatsimultaneously,
they also give the captain bowling options.
“As an allrounder,” he said, “I think it’s vi-
tallyimportanttheyplayallthreeofus…that’s
a joke.”
Maybe he was just half-joking. In a World
Cup rehearsal, it’s these combinations both
teams will try to test.
off 33b) and Wolvaardt steadied the ship but
the duo chewed up way too many deliveries.
The Giants innings looked like going
nowhereuntilGardenerchangedthemomen-
tum with her fearless strokeplay.
Inreply,ShafaliVermastartedwithasixoff
Tanuja Kanwar but the bowler had the last
laugh when the Capitals opener was bowled
off a deflection.
Next in, Alice Capsey looked in a hurry as
shemuscledherwaytoan11-ball22,hittinga
couple of boundaries off Kim Garth and two
huge sixes in Gardener's first over.
It was in the last over of the Powerplay
whenthegameturnedinfavouroftheGujarat
Giants. Rana pinned her counterpart Meg
Lanning (18 off 15b) LBW and then a mix-up
ended Capsey's stay.
Capitalshadlostmomentum,butKapp(36
off 29 balls) kept them in the chase, before a
directhitfromAshwaniKumaribroughtabout
her downfall.
Capitals were reeling at 100 for 8, but
Arundhati Reddy had other ideas. The all-
rounder used the long handle efficiently
and swung the momentum back towards
her team. But Kim Garth (2/18) sent
Arundhati back to end the Capitals resist-
ance.
BRIEF SCORES: Gujarat Giants 147/ 4 (A
Gardner 51*, L Wolvaardt 57; J Jonassen 2/38)
beatDelhiCapitals136alloutin18.4overs(M
Kapp36,AReddy25;AGardner2/19,KGarth
2/18, T Kanwar 2/28) by 11 runs