Southern Mail

Southern Mail
NATIONAL ENGLISH DAILY

 Regn. No. TNENG/2015/65752

 DAVP EMPANELLED NEWS PAPER
NATIONAL ENGLISH DAILY
 Chennai Edition
 Coimbatore Edition
 Bangalore Edition
DINAKURAL
GROUPS

CINEMA CINEMA
NEWS Page 8 NEWS Page 8
 CHENNAI EDITION  THURSDAY 25 APRIL 2024  WHATSAPP No. 90800 52541  ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION J 3285  VOL 10, ISSUE 333  J 9.00  8 PAGES

Congress allegations on abolishing

C
M
Y

Constitution a broken record, PM Modi says

K

f KALIDAS NEWDELHI
Speaking at an election rally in
Chhattisgarh’s Sakti district, the PM
also attempted to flip the argument
by accusing the Congress of indulg-
ing in a ‘ploy’ to break the country
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on
Tuesday described the Congress’ alle-
gation that the Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) intended to abolish the Indian
Constitution a “broken record” that
the party has been playing during
elections over the past three decades.
Speaking at an election rally in
Chhattisgarh’s Sakti district, he also
attempted to flip the argument by ac-
cusing the Congress of indulging in
a “ploy” to break the country. Citing
a remark by a Congress Lok Sabha
candidate from Goa that the Con-
stitution was imposed on the coastal
State, he further alleged that the Con-
gress planned to reject “Dr. Babasa-
heb Ambedkar’s Constitution”.
“And friends, you must have seen
that, at least for the last 30 years,
whenever elections come, they keep
playing the same broken record in
our ears — see these BJP people will
come, they will abolish the Constitu-
tion, Bharatiya Janata Party people
will come and abolish reservation.
For how long will you keep telling
lies? Take my words in writing, let
alone Modi, let alone BJP, even if Dr.
Babasaheb Ambedkar himself says, it
is not going to happen. No one can
change the Constitution,” Mr. Modi
said towards the end of his speech.
Earlier, he referred to a purported
statement by the Congress candidate
from South Goa, Viriato Fernandes,
to allege that such statements were
an insult to the Constitution of India
and amounted to tampering with it.
On Monday, Mr. Fernandes had
said that former Prime Minister Jawa-
harlal Nehru had said Goa would de-
cide its own destiny after it was liber-
ated from Portuguese rule, but “this
did not happen”, and the Indian Con-
stitution was “forced” on the State.“A
Congress MP in Karnataka is talking
about creating a separate country by
merging the southern States, Con-
gress candidates from Goa are pub-
licly saying that the Constitution of
India will not work in Goa, this Con-
stitution has been imposed on Goa. It
was once said in Jammu and Kashmir
that the Constitution of India will not
work, but today they have stopped
talking,” said Mr. Modi.
He also claimed that such state-
ments had approval from senior
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
“Goa’s Congress candidate has
made public the discussion he had
with Rahul Gandhi, which clearly
means that Rahul Gandhi has tacit
consent in this. Congress people have
become distraught after being reject-
ed in a large part of the country and
hence are creating such islands with-
in the country. Today they are reject-
ing the Constitution of India in Goa,
tomorrow they will commit the sin
of rejecting the Constitution of Dr.
Babasaheb Ambedkar in the country.
This is a well-planned move by the
Congress to break the country,” Mr.
Modi said.
Addressing a rally in support of
Kamlesh Jangde and Radheshyam
Rathiya, the BJP candidates from
Janjgir-Champa and Raigarh Lok
Sabha constituencies, respectively, in
Chhattisgarh, Mr. Modi said that the
Congress had been dividing people
for its “appeasement politics”.
“Vote bank politics is in the DNA
of Congress and for this, it does not
shy away from violating the rights of
Dalits, deprived people, tribals, and
backward people,” Mr. Modi said.
Janjgir-Champa and Raigarh are con-
stituencies reserved for Scheduled
Castes and Scheduled Tribes, respec-
tively.
Mr. Modi further questioned the
Congress leadership for skipping the
consecration ceremony of the Ram
Mandir in Ayodhya earlier this year.
“They consider themselves bigger
than Lord Ram and they turned down
the invitation to the pran pratishtha
event. Is this not an insult to saints,
[to] Mata Shabari (a mythological
character from the Ramayan), and
this region is Mata Shabri’s. Chhat-
tisgarh is the maternal home of Lord
Ram. I ask you, is this an insult to
Chhattisgarh or not?” Mr. Modi said.
At another rally in Dhamtari, a
part of the Mahasamund constituen-
cy, Mr. Modi listed out the develop-
ment projects taken up for Chhattis-
garh, and alleged that the Congress
had remained silent on “Naxal vi-
olence in Chhattisgarh”, and that it
“encouraged violence to hide its cor-
ruption”.

Rahul Gandhi says PM Modi

scared of Congress'
revolutionary manifesto ment and that if it came to power, it would
redistribute people’s wealth and also give
reservations to Muslims from the quota
for SC, ST, and OCB communities. f The decorated car of the Rockfort Arulmigu Thayumanaswami temple being

Southern Mail
Mr. Gandhi claimed that there is no pulled by devotees in Tiruchi
one from Other Backward Classes com-
munity in the India’s rich people’s list.
“Prime Minister Modi has been saying for
the ten years that he is an OBC but when I
talked about caste census, Modi said that
there is no caste. If there is no caste how NATIONAL ENGLISH DAILY

f KALIDAS NEWDELHI
Rahul Gandhi criticises PM Modi,
promises social justice through Congress
manifesto, vows to conduct caste census
if elected
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on
April 24 claimed that Prime Minister Nar-
endra Modi had panicked after seeing the
Congress’ “revolutionary” manifesto.“So
did you like the Congress manifesto? You
must have seen that the Prime Minister
has panicked. It is a revolutionary mani-
festo,” Mr. Gandhi said while speaking at
litical platforms
Mr. Gandhi alleged that Narendra
Modi Government at the Centre trans-
ferred crores of rupees to the few billion-
aires and said that the Congress manifes-
to talks about returning a small amount
of that money to the people who are at the
bottom pyramid of income and wealth
distribution. “ There is mention of x-ray
[caste census] and income inequality cre-
ated by Modi ji.
The Congress will return a small
amount of money to 90% of the people of
KARNATAKA STATE
are you OBC.
Then he said that in India there is
only two castes poor and rich. All right
if you agree that there are rich and poor
people in India, then bring out the lists of
BANGALORE EDITION OFFICE
poor and rich in India. Then you will find For NEWS & Advertisement Contact:
OBCs and Dalits, Adivasis in poor peo-
ple’s list, and see no Dalits, Adivasis and
backwards in the rich list,” he said.
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He said that ensuring social justice to
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stop the caste census. As soon as the Con-
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conduct caste census.
This is my guarantee,” Mr. Gandhi
said. PM has new tactics for diverting
C
attention from real issues: Rahul Gandhi For your esteemed
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on Modi’s ‘redistribution of wealth’ re- Contribution
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marks“They say I’m not serious, I’m not
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Social Justice conclave organised by the
Congress in Delhi.Congress accuses PM
Modi of ‘hate speech’, dares him to point
to Hindu-Muslim references in manifesto
Rahul Gandhi slams BJP, says history
the country from the ₹16 lakh crore given
to the 22 people by Narendra Modi,” he
said.
His comment was in the backdrop of
Prime Minister Modi’s criticism that the
Bill, MNREGA, Niyamgiri, Bhatta Par-
saul are not serious. When people talk
about the larger population they call us
non-serious. When you don’t have the
loud speaker in hand, everything that you
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Southern Mail NATIONAL ENGLISH DAILY
City
02 THURSDAY 25-04-2024
Aditya Birla Capital announces the launch HCG Founder Dr. Ajaikumar launches
of omnichannel ABCD D2C platform to Inviga Healthcare Private Equity Fund EDITORIAL
significantly scale up its digital Chennai: Dr. B.S. Ajaikumar,
Doctorpreneur, Founder and Ex-
sustainable vectors." In its maiden
investment, the Bengaluru-based
transformation journey ecutive Chairman of HealthCare
Global Enterprises Ltd (HCG),
Inviga Healthcare Fund has an-
nounced support for Mynvax, a
Chennai: Aditya Birla Group’s flagship diversified finan- has announced the launch of In- biotech start-up focused on de-
cial services conglomerate, Aditya Birla Capital (“ABC”) has viga Healthcare Fund (IHF), a veloping novel recombinant vac-
embarked on a journey of transformation, charting strong thematic healthcare-focused pri- cines for human respiratory viral
growth over the past 2 years. Building on this momentum, vate equity fund headquartered in diseases, including seasonal in-
Aditya Birla Capital announced the launch of its omnichan- Bengaluru. Co-founded by Ajay fluenza and COVID-19. Mynvax
nel D2C platform ABCD making “Everything Finance as Garg, Founder and Managing is co-founded by Prof. Raghavan
Simple as ABCD”. Through this platform, ABC targets to Director of Equirus Capital, IHF Varadarajan and Dr. Gautham
add 30 million new users over the next 3 years. The launch marks a significant step towards Nadig, Professor and alumnus
marks a pivotal moment in its ambitious journey to drive revolutionizing the Indian health- respectively of the Molecular Bio-

G.S.
growth and leadership and become a full-stack financial care landscape by enhancing ac- physics Unit at the Indian Insti-
services provider. Announcing the launch of the platform, cessibility, affordability and qual- tute of Science.
Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman Aditya Birla Group ity of healthcare for all sections of The Company was incubated EDITOR

Southern Mail
said, “Our financial services business, Aditya Birla Capi- society. at the FSID, IISc, Bengaluru and
tal, is now one of the fastest growing businesses within the Having secured an initial close aims to revolutionize vaccine de-
group and has emerged as a key growth engine. I see this of US $20 million, the fund is velopment by creating a platform
as a ‘coming of age’ moment for Aditya Birla Capital. In the poised to empower entrepreneurs Fund is my response which em- that promises affordable and facile
arc of Aditya Birla Capital’s strong and steady progress, the and drive meaningful change bodies my desire to provide manufacturing, higher effective- NATIONAL ENGLISH DAILY
ABCD D2C platform is a positive stride towards accelerat- across the entire Indian health- high-quality egalitarian health- ness, a broader spectrum of cov-
ed growth and taking leadership position in the financial
services space. I am confident, that this platform will serve
care value chain. Dr. Ajaiku-
mar, Founder, Inviga Healthcare
care to all sections of society,
while supporting and positioning
erage than existing vaccines and
simplified distribution. THURSDAY 25-04-2024
as a growth catalyst across the ABC and ABG ecosystem,
and the interplay between financial services stack and the
Fund and Executive Chairman
of HealthCare Global Enterprises
doctor/healthcare entrepreneurs
as primary drivers in the business.
Inviga will support healthcare
and pharmaceutical/life science Excessive restrictions:
Group’s diverse businesses will foster a win-win synergy for
superior product innovation and unique value creation for
Ltd (HCG), shared his vision for
Inviga Healthcare Fund, stating,
Through our investments, we will
support the blossoming Indian
enterprises throughout the entire
value chain, utilizing its extensive On poll-time curbs
all stakeholders.” Ms. Vishakha Mulye, CEO, Aditya Birla "In my over 35 years as a doc- healthcare entrepreneur ecosys- sector-specific knowledge, glob- Election time prohibitory orders are
Capital Limited said, “At Aditya Birla Capital, we are guid- tor-entrepreneur in India, I have tem, foster clinical excellence, al connections, and a distinctive seldom questioned, even if they amount
ed by the 'One ABC One P&L,' approach, anchored on the witnessed first-hand both the focus tenaciously on quality of blend of entrepreneurial, clinical, to blanket restrictions that curb all gath-
principles of 'One Customer,' 'One Experience,' and 'One strengths and weaknesses of our outcomes, drive deep social im- investment, banking, and execu- erings. The clamping of prohibitory or-
Team’. This has played a vital role in driving quality and healthcare system. Inviga Health pact and help build businesses on tive management expertise. ders to prevent unauthorised meetings and
profitable growth across our businesses and creating long- processions in the run-up to the ongoing
general election has been challenged in the
term value for all stakeholders.
consistent commitment to digital reinvention and reimag-
Our
Eraaya Lifespaces Ltd. Acquires Luxury Sivakamiammal Education Group Collaborates Supreme Court of India by activists Aruna
Roy and Nikhil Dey.
ining customer experiences is reflected in our omnichannel
architecture which gives customers the complete flexibility Staycation Property and Commercial with Global Green Tree Foundation to Green While it is quite normal for political

Retail Spaces National Highways

to interact with us through their channels of choice. In line parties to approach the police or the exec-
with this vision, we formed ABCD to build the omnichan- utive magistrate concerned for permission
nel layer that will help us acquire customers digitally at scale to hold rallies, public meetings and road
and meet all their financial needs through a unified digi- shows, it appears that civil society organi-
tal-first platform.” sations and groups find that their applica-
tions are met with no response at all.
Summer School 2024: British Council Invites Citing examples of such blanket orders,
issued under Section 144 of the CrPC, from
Young Explorers on a Journey of Discovery Rajasthan, Gujarat and Delhi, the petition-
ers have highlighted the fact that the prac-
Chennai: Summer holidays are an exciting
time for children, offering a break from the tice appears to prevail in other States too.
routine of school and a chance to explore new It is not difficult to guess that the police
experiences. The summer break is filled with Chennai: Eraaya Lifespaces Ltd. is pleased and revenue officers vested with magisteri-
boundless possibilities, where young minds to update the developments taking place in its Krishnagiri: In a significant move towards environmen- al powers do not want any disturbance to
are eager to discover, create, and grow. British hospitality business acquisition of luxury Stay- tal conservation and combating climate change, Krishn- public order in the midst of election cam-
Council recognises this spirit of exploration. cation property at Lonavala with an investment agiri's Sivakamiammal Education Group has joined hands paigns, but a legitimate question arises
British Council is thrilled to announce the of about INR 30 Million, and acquisition of with the Global Green Tree Foundation. This partnership whether the passing of blanket prohibito-
launch of the much-awaited Summer School commercial retail spaces with an investment of aims to plant and maintain tree saplings along the national ry orders and studied inaction on applica-
2024. The programme offers an enriching two- about INR 470 Million in the largest mall lo- highways, a crucial step towards mitigating the adverse ef- tions for any gathering are constitutionally
week theme-based short course for children cated near the International Airport at Mohali, fects of climate change. The collaboration primarily involves valid.
aged 6-17. the satellite city of Chandigarh, the heart of the the Sivakamiammal College of Arts and Science, located in In the petitioners’ case, they were unable
With two captivating themes - Engaging richest state in India, the Orappam area of Krishnagiri district, working alongside DOCUMENT MISSING
to hold any public programmes aimed at
with Confidence! and Learning with Creativi- Punjab, which demonstrates its strong com- the Global Tree Foundation. Together, they are spearhead- creating awareness
Ranganathan among voters
S/O Devarasu, about
Villupuram the
District
ty! - this summer promises to be a journey of mitment to expanding its hospitality business ing the initiative to plant and nurture tree saplings along election, the
Vikravandi candidates
taluk, Thenperand the disclosures
Village, Metu Street
Residence, original document number 2437/1978
development, learning, and fun. The Summer and diversifying its portfolio in the growth the roadsides managed by the National Highways Authori- they haveto made
belonging in their affidavits
me, on 05.04.2024, and nom-
the bag containing the
School 2024 is perfectly designed to provide potential business areas. Eraaya Lifespaces' se- ty. The first phase of this eco-friendly endeavor has already ination papers.
document went missing on the way to Periyathachur
lection of locations for its Designer, Luxury fromThere areinseveral
my house CourtAn
a two-wheeler. judgments that
online Complaint.
children with a unique learning experience that commenced with the Sivakamiammal Education Group No.CAR24163876/(13.04.2024) has been lodged
combines the joy of summer holidays with valu- Staycation properties demonstrates an intense stepping up to the plate. The Group has taken a proactive limit the power under Section 144,
in this regard at Periyathachur Police Station. which
able language and social skills development. understanding of the booming leisure tourism stance by donating funds for planting saplings along the is essentially
So if there is anya power
one whotohas direct
takenanyone to
the original
Batch One starts from 29 April to 10 May and market and a strategic approach to meeting the national highways in Krishnagiri district. Speaking on this act or refrain
documents pleasefrom
inform acting
me at inmyaaddress.
particular
Batch Two from 20 May till 31 May. needs of discerning travellers. The Destination initiative, President of Sivakamiammal Education Group, way. Orders under these provisions typical-
For communication
With classes scheduled for 2 hours a day, 5 Lonavala: Situated amidst the lush greenery N. Kumaran, emphasized the collective responsibility we
Ranganathan
ly restrict any assembly S/O of
Devarasu,
people beyond
Mettu Street, Thenper Village, Pudupalayam Post
days a week, children will immerse themselves of the Western Ghats and conveniently locat- all share in combating climate change. "To combat the chal- a small number and require
Vikravandi Taluk, Villupuram those seeking
District.
in engaging activities that stimulate their cre- ed near major urban centres like Mumbai and lenges posed by climate change, it's imperative for every to hold any public activity to apply for per-
ativity, boost confidence and enhance commu-
nication skills.
Pune,
Lonavala is a popular destination for week- mry; epyk; nrhj;J Mtzk; fhztpy;iy
individual, including students and the general public, to
contribute by planting saplings. We urge everyone to plant
ORIGINAL LAND/PROPERTY DOCUMENT LOST
mission. It is difficult to disagree with the
argument that such restrictions ought not
‘Engaging with Confidence!’ is designed to end getaways and leisure trips. The serene sur- as many தஞ்சா�ர்
trees as possible along roadsides
மாவட்டம், and highways,"
ஒரத்தநா� வட்டம், to apply to activities aimed at educating
roundings, pleasant climate, and range of rec- தி�மங்கலேகாட்ைட, ெதாண்டராம்பட்� கிழக்�, voters,I, Kalaignar
as the ultimate (Aadhar Card No.
consequence 9971
is that
enhance communication skills and focuses on said Mr. Kumaran. He further reiterated the significance of
reational activities make it an ideal location for வைலயகா�, எண்: 142, என்கிற �கவ�ய�ல் வசித்� 1178 9489)
it limits S/o participation
public Chinnaiyan, aged in theabout
dem-48
writing, presenting, and analysing. Through in- suchவ�ம்
initiatives, stating that it's the duty of every Indian cit-
ேலட்.சின்ைனயன் அவர்கள�ன் �மாரர் �மார்
teractive lessons, a luxury Staycation property. Eraaya Lifespaces' izen48to partake in greening efforts to(ஆதார்
secure aஅட்ைட
better future years,
ocratic residing
process. The at Bench
No.142,thatValayakadu,
heard the
வய�ைடய C.கைலஞர் எண்:
children will gain confidence in expressing investment in a Luxury Cottage located at the for upcoming generations and to
9971 1178 9489) என்கிற நான் இதன் �லம் mitigate the impacts of
ெபா�
submissions rightly
Thondarampattu East,raised the question
Orathanadu Taluk,
themselves effectively and articulating their pristine allows it to cater to the demand from climate change. "We are wholeheartedly committed to this
மக்க�க்� ெத�வ�த்�க்ெகாள்வ� யாெதன�ல், how such blanket
Thanjavur District,orders
TamilcouldNadu be do
passed.
hereby
ideas with clarity. urban dwellers seeking a luxurious escape from project and believe in the சார்பதிவாளர்
பாப்பாநா� transformative power of collective
அ�வலகத்தில்
Its interim
inform order directs
to the General Publicexecutive
that I havemag- lost
‘Learning with Creativity!’ is an intensive city life without having to travel far. By ensuring action," he added. The -ம்
15.04.1986 fund-giving event, which markedஎன� the istrates to decide applications for public
கடந்த நாள் பதி� ெசய்யப்பட்ட the original land document on 28.03.2024
camp experience where children will explore that its Boutique Staycation property in Lonav- beginning of this noble endeavor, witnessed the participa-
தகப்பனார் சின்ைனயன் அவர்கள் ெபய�ல் உள்ள meetings and yatras within three days. The
ala will be ready and operational by this current when
case Iraises
went near Pappanadu
a legitimate Bus Stand
concern to get
whether
the perfect balance of fun, creativity, and learn- tionகிரய
of Principal
சாசனDr. K Srinivasan
அசல் ஆவணand எண்:Dr. 225/1986
Vani Sri .from Siv-
ேமற்ப�
mid-year, Eraaya Lifespaces demonstrates its அசல் ஆவணத்ைத ெஜராக்ஸ் எ�ப்பதற்காக xerox pertaining
an election, to my
by itself, canfather
provide registered
sufficientin
ing. From developing language and cognitive akamiammal College of Arts and Science. This collabora-
skills to fostering social interaction, this theme commitment to meeting the demands of trav- tionபாப்பாநா� ேப�ந்� நிைலயம் அ�ேக கடந்த
between Sivakamiammal Education Group and Global document No. 225/1986, dated:
reason for blanket restrictions on public 15.04.1986
ellers eager to explore exceptional destinations. 28.03.2024 அன்� ெசன்றேபா� ெதாைலந்� வ�ட்ட�. participation
registered at and make it dependent
Pappanadu Sub Registrar on
promises a holistic learning journey for every Green Tree Foundation sets a commendable precedent for
இதைன கண்� ப��த்தால் 9944562938 என்ற ைகேபசி
child. With engaging themes and a focus on Whether guests are seeking a serene retreat corporate-social
எண்ண�ற்� partnerships
அல்ல� in ேமேல environmental conserva-
�றிப்ப�ட்�ள்ள
discretionary powers.
Office. If anyone finds the said document,
holistic development, the summer programme amidst nature or an indulgent urban escape, tion.�கவ�க்�
It not only underscores
ெதாடர்� theெகாள்�மா�
importance of preserving
ேகட்�க்
It is true
please that theme
contact authorities
over can cite theno
phone
is designed to ignite imagination, foster con- Eraaya Lifespaces' properties will be designed our natural heritage but
ெகாள்கிேறன். இ� also �றித்�
highlights the role that
காவல் educa-
�ைறக்� fact that they are effectively under
(9944562938) or at the following residential
the su-
fidence and cultivate essential skills in young to offer unforgettable experiences tailored to tional institutions and
ஆன்ைலன் civil society
வழியாக காவல் can play in fostering
�ைறக்� a
�கார் perintendence and control of the Election
their preferences and desires. The Hospitality ெகா�க்கப்பட்�ள்ள�. அதன் வ�பரம்: address.
Commission Online Compliant
of India (ECI) Details:
during elec-LDR
learners. sustainable future.
Industry in India Market size is estimated at LDR.NO.ID602202400151 நாள்: 24.04.2024 ஆ�ம். No.ID602202400151
tions, but it also gives Date:rise24.04.2024
to yet another
The curriculum for each theme is meticu- As we face the escalating challenges of climate change,
USD 247.31 billion in 2024, and is expected to Kalaignar S/o Chinnaiyan,
question whether the election body favours No.142,
lously tailored to suit different age groups. Enrol initiativesகைலஞர் த/ெப (ேலட்) சின்ைனயன், எண்:
like these serve as a beacon of hope, reminding us
your child today and embark on a journey of reach USD 475.37 billion by 2029, growing at 142, வைலயகா�, ெதாண்டராம்பட்� கிழக்�,
of the power of unity, collective action, and the boundless Valayakadu,
such a clampdown Thondarampattu
and whether statutory East,
discovery and adventure with British Council’s a CAGR of 13.96% during the forecast period தி�மங்கலேகாட்ைட, ஒரத்தநா� தா�க்கா,
potential of community-driven efforts in creating a greener Orathanadu
powers can beTaluk, Thanjavur
shifted from District,
the designated
தஞ்சா�ர் மாவட்டம், ெசல்: 9944562938.
Summer School 2024. (2024-2029). and more sustainable world. Tamil
authorityNadu, Cell:
to the ECI. 9944562938.
Southern Mail NATIONAL ENGLISH DAILY
03
SBI Card, India’s largest pure-play credit Kauvery Hospital Alwarpet launches GEM Hospital Inaugurates 'Fatty Liver
card issuer, has launched three variants 360° Parkinson's Wellness: A Compre- Clinic' - Free Consultation till 4th May'24 Access to Diabetes Care in Tamil Nadu
of its first travel-focused core credit hensive Approach to Parkinson's Care
card, ‘SBI Card MILES’
Chennai: SBI Card, India’s largest pure-play
credit card issuer, has launched three variants
of its first travel-focused core credit card, ‘SBI
Card MILES’, in Mumbai today. The card is
aimed at bringing holistic travel benefits to trav-
ellers of all kinds – travel aspirers to frequent
fliers to travel aficionados. SBI Card MILES of-
fers compelling features that include conversion
of Travel Credits to Air Miles and Hotel Points,
accelerated rewards on EVERY travel booking,
and airport lounge access among others. Em-
powering cardholders with absolute choice of
redemption, the card partners over 20 airline
and hotel brands including Air Vistara, Air In-
dia, Spicejet, Air France-KLM, Etihad Airways,
Air Canada, Thai Airways, Qantas Airways,
ITC Hotels, IHG Hotels & Resorts, and Accor
among others. According to Mr. Dinesh Kumar
Khara, Chairman, State Bank of India, “The
strong economic growth and robust consump-
tion landscape has accentuated India’s position
in the world. Even in travel sector, today, India
is considered amongst the key source markets
for outbound travel in many countries includ-
ing those in Asia and Europe. I congratulate SBI
Card on the launch of SBI Card MILES, a strong
product that will redefine the travel experiences
for Indian consumers.”
CriticalRiver announces that 100% of
its employees will now have ownership
in the company through stock options
Chennai: CriticalRiver Inc., a leading technol-
ogy solutions provider announces that 100% of its
employees will now have ownership in the compa-
ny through its lucrative ESOP initiative, marking
a significant milestone in its commitment to em-
powering its workforce. This move underscores
CriticalRiver's commitment to fostering a culture
of customer-centricity, employee empowerment,
and shared success. CriticalRiver embarks on
a new chapter where every team member has a
stake in the company's future. With over 1,000
employees across 9 global locations, this strate-
gic move reinforces the company’s commitment
to retaining its top talent. As part of the transi-
tion, CriticalRiver will grant 100 ESOPs to each
employee annually based on their years of ser-
vice. Furthermore, each employee's account will
receive an additional 100 ESOPs each year. This
move not only reflects the company's dedication
to building long-term relationships with clients
and maintaining a positive company reputation.
Commenting on the milestone, Mr. Anji Maram,
Founder & CEO of CriticalRiver Inc., said, "This
strategic move is more than a milestone; it's a tes-
tament to our confidence in our team and our col-
lective future. Aligning with our visionary goal,
we are setting the stage for propelling CriticalRiv-
er towards revenues of $500 million by 2030 and
achieving our Initial Public Offering (IPO) vision
thereafter. The ESOP further reinforces our com-
mitment to innovation and excellence, ensuring
unwavering customer confidence. This strategic
shift underscores our unwavering commitment
to bolstering client confidence, and we're fur-
ther reinforcing the founders' and management's
steadfast dedication to nurturing the organiza-
tion's growth." Mr. Chandra Chandragiri, CFO
of CriticalRiver Inc., expressed enthusiasm about
the new journey, emphasizing the strategic deci-
sion as a testament to their faith in their employ-
ees, who are now more than ever the pillars of the
company's success. “For clients, this transition
promises not only improved service quality but
also a partnership model where employees are
deeply invested in satisfying clients and meeting
their expectations. This alignment fosters better
customer service, innovative solutions to client
needs, and a shared sense of purpose in achieving
mutual success.”
City
THURSDAY 25-04-2024
Roche Signs MoU with VinCense to Augment
Chennai: Kauvery Hospital Alwarpet, a unit
of Kauvery Group of Hospitals launched the
360° Parkinson's Wellness, a specialized clin-
ic dedicated to offering a holistic approach to
Parkinson's care. Building upon the success of
our Parkinson's family support group, Priyam,
which was started 3 years ago, the initiative aims
at providing care beyond medications. This ap-
proach has benefited the patients at large pro-
viding better outcomes. 360° Parkinson's Well-
ness is an extension of this initiative, designed
to provide comprehensive care for individuals
living with Parkinson's disease. Our clinic offers
a wide range of services, including physiother-
apy, diet counselling, psychology counselling,
medication management. Detailed assessment
for patients who can benefit from DBS (Deep
Brain Stimulation) for Parkinson’s and Injection
medication for Parkinson’s like Apomorphin
will be provided as part of the clinic. By com-
bining these services into one comprehensive
program, we aim to enhance the overall quality
of life for our patients and empower them to live
well with Parkinson's. To begin with, the clinic
will be open monthly once where the patients
will be assessed and given recommendations for
supportive treatments. The team will work col-
laboratively to develop customized treatment
plans tailored to each patient's specific needs.
"At 360° Parkinson's Wellness, we understand
the unique challenges faced by individuals living
with Parkinson's disease. Our goal is to provide
personalized care that addresses the physical,
emotional, and psychological aspects of Par-
kinson's, allowing our patients to lead fulfilling
lives,” said Dr Aravindan Selvaraj, Co-Founder
and Executive Director Kauvery Group of Hos-
pitals. The clinic's team of experts includes neu-
rologists Dr Prithika Chary Senior Consultant
Neurologist & Neurosurgeon& Chief Neurolo-
gist, Dr Sivarajan Thandeeswaran, Senior Con-
sultant Stroke and Neurovascular Medicine, Dr
Bhuvaneshwari Rajendran Senior Consultant
Neurology and Neuroscience and Dr Venkatra-
man Karthikaeyan, Consultant – Neurologist,
Specialist in Neuroimmunology & Parkinson’s
Disease, physiotherapists, dietitians, psychol-
ogists, and other healthcare professionals who
specialize in Parkinson's care.
Skyscanner Reveals Nearly Half of
India's Gen Z Ready for First
Independent Trips Abroad
Chennai: Global travel marketplace, Skyscanner, has unveiled
its latest report titled ‘First Trip with Skyscanner’, revealing a
strong desire for travel among India's Gen Z (aged 18-25). Near-
ly half (47%) of them are eagerly planning leisure trips abroad,
without their parents or guardians, fueled by their deep desire for
exploration and new adventures (49%). What’s more interesting
is that financial independence is key to Gen Zs, with a whopping
81% choosing to plan their first overseas adventure after landing
their first job or receiving their first paycheck.
The survey results shed light on the travel behaviours and fac-
tors considered by Gen Z in India as they chart their course for
their first independent trip without their parents or guardians. By
understanding these travel aspirations, Skyscanner aims to assist
young travellers in understanding their preferences and provide
them with valuable resources to plan effectively ahead of their
trips and find the best deals.Skyscanner’s Travel and Destinations
Expert, Mohit Joshi said, “Gen Zs in India are passionate about
exploration! Whether it is their desire to seize the opportunity
of semester breaks and long weekends to fuel their wanderlust
(42%), or celebrate special milestones like birthdays, anniversa-
ries, or graduations (39%), their passion for travel is undeniable.
As their travel companion, we want to empower them to turn
their travel dreams into reality by assisting them with the neces-
sary resources and tools, ensuring their first trip goes without a
hitch. Search features on Skyscanner like setting up ‘Price Alerts’
or using the ‘Cheapest Month’ tool, can help save an average of
32% on flights for Indian travellers.”
Chennai: GEM Hospital, India’s premier
Gastroenterology, laparoscopic and Robotic
surgery hospital inaugurated a Fatty Liver Clin-
ic and Free Liver Camp in Chennai today. As a
part of World Liver Day celebrations, this Free
Liver Camp will be held from 24th Apr’24 till
4th May’24. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. C.
Palanivelu, Chairman - GEM Hospitals stated,
"We are glad to open a holistic Fatty Liver Clinic
at our GEM Hospital in Perungudi and to con-
duct this Free Liver Camp which will benefit
numerous people in the city with various health
issues. Specialists from our hospital will provide
free consultation for Liver problems and proce-
dures like Fibroscan, Liver Function Tests, Test
for Hepatitis B&C Virus, Ultra Sound Scan,
Fatty Liver screening and vaccination are to be
carried out at a very nominal cost for required
patients throughout this camp period”. Ad-
dressing the media, Dr. P. Senthilnathan, Direc-
tor - GEM Hospital Chennai said, “As we always
say ‘Prevention is better than cure’, people can
make use of this free consultation camp to get to
know about their present liver condition. Early
detection of disease will help the patients to get
the right treatment at the right time which will
eventually avoid any unforeseen circumstanc-
es.”
Indus Appstore Launches the Voice Search Feature
in 10 Indian Languages
Chennai: PhonePe’s Indus Appstore, India’s homegrown
app marketplace, announced the launch of its Voice Search
feature available in 10 Indian languages in addition to En-
glish.Indus Appstore’s Voice Search technology elevates
user experience by allowing users to freely express them-
selves in their local language with just a tap of the voice
search button. This aligns with Indus Appstore’s mission to
empower users with inclusive and accessible features, cater-
ing to varying levels of literacy and linguistic preferences.
Additionally, this new feature is a positive development for
app developers as it is proven to boost app installs.Speaking
on the launch, Akash Dongre, Co-founder and CPO, Indus
Appstore said, “The new Voice Search feature is our effort
towards creating an inclusive and accessible app store. With
82% of smartphone users engaging in voice-activated tech-
nology, integration of Indian languages has been the stron-
gest growth driver for tech across the six-to-sixty age spec-
trum. The user-centric feature positions Indus Appstore at
the forefront of transformative Voice Technology that is the
need of the decade."
f Union Minister and BJP candidate Nitin Gadkari faints
while addressing a public meeting for Lok Sabha
elections, at Pusad in Yavatmal district
Chennai: Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY)
announced today that the company has signed a Memo-
randum of Understanding (MoU) with VinCense, a digital
health monitoring offering by MedIoTek Health Systems.
Under the terms of the agreement, the two companies aim
to implement 3 programmes in Madurai district of Tamil
Nadu state (i) screening 100,000 individuals over the next
two years for diabetes, hypertension, obesity etc. (ii) inter-
vention for uncontrolled diabetes mellitus management (iii)
intervention for tuberculosis - diabetes mellitus co-morbid-
ity management. The partnership will use comprehensive
integrated digital health solutions to drive early detection,
intervention and care continuum in the state. Talking about
the partnership, Omar Sherief Mohammad, Cluster Head
– India, Middle East & Africa, Roche Diabetes Care, said
“At Roche, we believe in forming partnerships in the com-
munities to use the power of collective impact in creating
sustainable improvements to health and healthcare systems.
Our approach is to bring a holistic, patient-centric approach
to diabetes management by leveraging accessible and adapt-
able digital health platforms that can be used as a model in
healthcare initiatives across the country.”
“We are excited to partner with VinCense to develop a
robust technology-driven healthcare delivery platform. We
are confident that this platform will support the govern-
ment’s National Digital Health Mission which aims to cre-
ate a comprehensive digital healthcare ecosystem to collate
digital health records in order to drive reforms in healthcare
delivery.”, he added.
Signs Superstar Ranveer Singh as the
brand ambassador for ‘Sansaar’~
Chennai: D’Décor, one of the world’s largest manufac-
turers of soft furnishing fabrics has signed superstar Ran-
veer Singh to bring the new brand ‘Sansaar’ to the forefront.
The new brand is set to transform the landscape of home
décor marking a significant step towards conscious living,
minimalism, and sustainability. Rooted in elegance, San-
saar’, each product in the collection reflects a conscious
commitment to both style and sustainability, embodying a
lifestyle of mindful living.
Sanjana Arora, Business Head of Sansaar by D’Décor,
highlighted the brand's innovative approach, saying, “We
are honoured to embark on this journey of ‘Sansaar’ with
superstar Ranveer Singh joining the D’Decor family. D’Dé-
cor has been a category leader and continues to dress beau-
tiful homes across the world. Fabrics under ‘Sansaar’ have
been meticulously curated to embody the perfect balance
of premium quality, minimalist design, and craftsmanship.
Through ‘Sansaar’ and our association with Ranveer Singh,
we are presenting a lifestyle choice to the modern consum-
er; one chosen to express care, consideration, and connec-
tion.”
Elaborating on this special association, Superstar, Ran-
veer Singh, the face of Sansaar, a D’Décor brand shared,
“I'm thrilled to be part of the D’Décor family. Sansaar offers
an exquisite collection, providing top-quality home fur-
nishings that truly elevate any space. D’Décor continues to
raise the bar and I look forward to our journey together!
Southern Mail
04
NATIONAL ENGLISH DAILY
EVM-VVPAT case | SC reserves judgment
after getting EC clarification on machines
On Wednesday, Justice Khanna read
out the five questions in open court as
lawyers for the Election Commission
and the petitioners were present. These
include whether microcontrollers were
installed in the control unit or the Voter
Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT).
The Election Commission of India
has informed the Supreme Court that
all three units of the EVMs — the Ballot
Unit, Control Unit and the Voter Verifi-
able Paper Audit Trail — have their own
microcontrollers. The Commission also
noted that they are one-time program-
mable.
An officer of the ECI also informed
a Bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and
Dipankar Datta that the EVMs and the
VVPATs are stored for a statutory period
of 45 days after polling. On expiry of the
period, the Chief Electoral Officer writes
to various HCs to ascertain if there are
any election petitions. If not, they are tak-
en out of storage, an official from the ECI
said.The officer clarified that before poll-
ing, the VVPATs and EVMs are stored
separately. After polling, they are stored
as a unit. At the time of commissioning,
all three units are sealed. After polling,
the EVMs and VVPATs are sealed again
and signatures of the electoral officers are
recorded, the official told the top court.
The official also informerd the court
that the flash memory of the ballot in the
EVM can upload upto 1,024 symbols. The
symbols, and not software, can be stored
in EVMs, the official said.
“EVMs are agnostic,” the Bench said,
adding that the EVMs do not recognise
symbols or party names. They only rec-
ognise the buttons pressed in the ballot
units. Programming of EVMs is done
at the manufacturer’s end. Manufactur-
er does not know. which party will get
which button.When advocate Prashant
Bhushan raised the prospect of intro-
New type of host defence against Zika, dengue infections revealed
A space-fill drawing showing a cross-sec-
tion through a Zika virus particle as it inter-
acts with a cell. The two main proteins of the
viral envelope are shown in red and purple.
The lipid membrane of the envelope is shown
in lavender. The capsid proteins, in orange, are
shown interacting with the RNA genome, in
yellow, at the virus’s centre. The cell-surface re-
ceptor proteins are in green, the cytoskeleton
in blue, and blood plasma proteins in gold.
A space-fill drawing showing a cross-sec-
tion through a Zika virus particle as it inter-
acts with a cell. The two main proteins of the
viral envelope are shown in red and purple.
The lipid membrane of the envelope is shown
in lavender. The capsid proteins, in orange, are
shown interacting with the RNA genome, in
yellow, at the virus’s centre. The cell-surface re-
ceptor proteins are in green, the cytoskeleton
in blue, and blood plasma proteins in gold. |
Photo Credit: David Goodsell (CC BY 4.0)
The mere presence of a virus in a bodily
fluid doesn’t mean it is transmitted via that
route. The Zika, dengue, and chikungunya vi-
ruses are present in fluids like saliva and semen
but don’t spread orally or sexually. This fact has
puzzled scientists for years, and now a research
team has finally explained why.
On March 29, 2020, the World Health Or-
ganisation (WHO) posted a tweet that sparked
concerns among scientists and prompted many
to contact the WHO to say there was enough
evidence to discredit the tweet’s contents, and
suggest it steer clear of such assertions. The
tweet was later proven to be factually incorrect
but the WHO remained unconvinced for al-
most two years.
Transmission is a crucial event in a virus’s
life cycle, yet studying it has been very tricky. A
virus that can’t transmit is of no consequence
to anyone. Successful viruses have extraor-
dinary adaptations selected through years
of evolution to ensure they can jump to new
hosts.
THURSDAY 25-04-2024
ducing malicious software along with the
symbols into the EVMs, Justice Dipankar
Datta said so far no such incidents have
been identified. “If there is something,
there is a law. “Can we issue a mandamus
on suspicion?” Justice Datta asked the pe-
titioners.
Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court
asked the Election Commission of India
five questions about the Electronic Vot-
ing Machines (EVMs), including wheth-
er the microcontrollers used were repro-
grammable.
In an unusual development nearly a
week after the case was reserved for judg-
ment, the Bench returned with a series of
questions directed at the top polling body.
The development comes even as the Lok
Sabha elections are poised for the second
phase of polling on April 26.
On Wednesday, Justice Khanna read
What does a virus do inside the body?
Most human viruses achieve this by ensur-
ing they are present in bodily fluids that con-
tact the outer environment, and subsequently
a new host.
Once inside the new host, a virus must be
present at the correct location to infect new
target cells. Viruses are usually highly selec-
tive in the cells they infect. This phenomenon,
called tropism, occurs because most viruses
have special proteins on their outer surface
that make contact with a receptor on the host
cell. Any cell-type that makes the receptor can
be infected by the virus.
For example, the receptor for HIV is a pro-
tein called CD4. Only cells that make the CD4
protein, such as T-cells and macrophages, can
be infected by HIV. Similarly, SARS-CoV-2
uses a receptor called ACE2. Cells of the respi-
ratory tract and some cardiovascular cells all
express ACE2, and are target cells for SARS-
CoV-2. HIV can’t infect respiratory cells and
SARS-CoV-2 can’t infect T-cells or macro-
phages.
Viral transmission is an outcome of a chase
inside the host: between the virus making cop-
ies of itself and the immune system trying to
India
out the five questions in open court as
lawyers for the Election Commission
and the petitioners were present. These
include whether microcontrollers were
installed in the control unit or the Voter
Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT).
“We were under the impression that the
microcontroller was installed in the con-
trol unit of the EVMs,” Justice Khanna
said, seeking a confirmation.
Secondly, the court asked if the mi-
crocontroller installed was “one-time
programmable”. Thirdly, the court asked
the Election Commission as to how
many Symbol Loading Units were avail-
able with it. Fourthly, the Bench noted
that the limitation period for storing the
EVMs was submitted as 30 days. EVMs
are sealed and stored in safe places in case
there were any election petitions or likeli-
hood of a recount. “However, Section 81
destroy the virus and infected cells. The virus
must transmit before the immune system beats
it or the host dies. One strategy viruses use to
achieve this is by making proteins on the sur-
face that have receptors on multiple cell-types.
Such a strategy will allow them to infect differ-
ent cell-types, allowing access to multiple body
fluids, enabling faster transmission.
Virus causing dengue has evolved dramat-
ically in India, finds multi-institutional study
What is the PS receptor?
One such receptor is for a protein called
phosphatidyl serine (PS). The PS protein is
usually expressed by dying cells in the body, as
a signal to the immune cells to destroy them.
The immune cells express the PS receptor
and fuse themselves with these cells, quietly
destroying them. Viruses hijack this pathway
with a process called apoptotic mimicry: by
expressing the PS protein on their own surfac-
es, allowing them to infect the very cells that
will destroy them.
The WHO’s tweet and its subsequent with-
drawal exemplifies the difficulties of studying
viral transmission. The problem is especially
challenging when we’re studying viruses that
can use the PS receptor for entry. Since the
of the Representation of People Act says
the limitation period is 45 days. We want
a clarification from your officer,” Justice
Khanna told senior advocate Maninder
Singh, appearing for the EC.
Finally, the Supreme Court said the
EVMs include three components — bal-
lot unit, control unit and VVPAT. “Are
they stored and sealed together?” Justice
Khanna queried.The case was reserved
for judgment on April 18 after two con-
tinuous days of hearing. The petitioners
had originally sought a 100% cross-veri-
fication of EVM and VVPAT count. Cur-
rently, cross-verification of EVM-VVPAT
happens only in five randomly selected
polling booths in a constituency.
The petitioners, Association for Dem-
ocratic Reforms and Arun Kumar Agar-
wal, had argued that 97 crore registered
voters in the country had a right to a
PS receptor is expressed by many cells – apart
from some cells of the immune system – the
virus tends to be present in multiple compart-
ments. Yet the mere presence of a virus in a
given compartment wouldn’t guarantee trans-
mission from that route.
For example, the Zika virus can be detect-
ed in semen, saliva, and breast milk but rarely
spreads through these means despite the pres-
ence of target cells in the oral and genital cavi-
ties. Zika transmits mainly via mosquitoes.
How does the body fend off these viruses?
Now, scientists at the Institute of Molecular
Virology at the Ulm University Medical Cen-
tre, Germany, have identified a novel defence
mechanism the human body uses to prevent
Zika and some other viruses from transmitting
via non-conventional routes. The study, pub-
lished in the journal Nature Microbiology on
March 25, explains how the body uses extra-
cellular vesicles in these bodily fluids to inhibit
viral infection.
Vesicles are small structures enclosed by
fat that a cell uses to transport substances from
one part of the cell to another. When they are
secreted outside the cell, they’re called extra-
cellular vesicles.
The researchers discovered these extracel-
lular vesicles are abundant in saliva and semen
and contain the same PS proteins on their sur-
face that viruses like Zika use for infection.
The team also discovered the concentration
of these extracellular vesicles that contain PS
is low in blood and high in saliva and semen.
Through a series of experiments, they
demonstrated the PS-containing vesicles com-
pete for the same receptors the viruses use for
entry, thus crowding the latter out and pre-
venting an infection.
What is inflammation? Two immunolo-
gists explain how the body responds to every-
thing from stings to vaccination and why it
sometimes goes wrong
What does the discovery portend?
more transparent electoral system. Ad-
vocate Prashant Bhushan and senior ad-
vocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, for the
petitioners, had highlighted the funda-
mental right of the voter to confirm that
his vote has been cast right.
The petitioners had clarified they were
not attributing malice to the EVMs. Their
only issue was that the EVM system did
not provide voters with confirmation or
confidence about their votes.
The voters’ interface was with a but-
ton. They had no way to know that the
machine had accurately recorded their
votes. The VVPAT machine showed the
slip only for the blink of an eye - seven
seconds after the vote was cast.
Mr. Bhushan had suggested options —
revert to paper ballots, give VVPAT pa-
per slips to voters for them to put in the
ballot box, make VVPAT screens trans-
parent glass rather than opaque, as it was
now, and the cross verification of EVM
and VVPAT counts in all polling booths.
The Bench had chided petitioners that “it
was not good to be over-suspicious about
everything”.The Election Commission
of India had countered that EVMs were
“perfect” and cannot be tampered with.
The Election Commission of India (ECI)
had categorically assured the Supreme
Court that it is impossible to tamper with
electronic voting machines (EVMs) “at
any stage”.
Replying to a query whether tamper-
ing of EVMs was possible after polling,
the Election Commission had said poll-
ing officers would press the ‘close’ but-
ton at the end of polling. At the time of
counting of votes, the total votes recorded
in a particular control unit is tallied with
the account of votes in Form 17 C. If there
is any discrepancy, the counting agents of
the candidates can request the counting
of VVPAT paper slips,” an EC affidavit
had explained.
The group also showed that all viruses that
use the PS receptor for apoptotic mimicry – the
dengue, chikungunya, West Nile, ebola, and
the vesicular stomatitis viruses – are inhibited
by the presence of extracellular vesicles. The
vesicles’ presence didn’t affect the infectivity of
viruses that don’t use the PS receptor for entry,
such as HIV and SARS-CoV-2.
The discovery of PS-coated vesicles for im-
munity represents a novel type of host defence
against viral infection. While it is too early to
speculate on potential therapeutic applications
from this discovery, it opens up avenues for
further research.
One thought-provoking, but also far-
fetched, notion arising from the study is the
possibility that PS-containing vesicles in hu-
mans could have influenced the evolution of
mosquito-borne viruses. Perhaps these virus-
es were forced to look for an alternative when
they couldn’t spread through saliva or semen
and, to paraphrase Michael Crichton, “life
found a way”.
The mere presence of a virus in a bodily
fluid doesn’t mean it is transmitted via that
route. The Zika, dengue, and chikungunya
viruses are present in fluids like saliva and
semen but don’t spread orally or sexually.
This fact has puzzled scientists for years, and
now a research team has finally explained
why.
Once inside the new host, a virus must be
present at the correct location to infect new
target cells. Viruses are usually highly selec-
tive in the cells they infect. This phenomenon,
called tropism, occurs because most viruses
have special proteins on their outer surface
that make contact with a receptor on the host
cell.
One thought-provoking, but also far-
fetched, notion arising from the study is the
possibility that PS-containing vesicles in hu-
mans could have influenced the evolution of
mosquito-borne viruses.
Southern Mail
05
NATIONAL ENGLISH DAILY
Towards a less poor and more equal country
The twin objectives of high eco-
nomic growth and reduction of in-
equality can only be achieved with
improvements in human develop-
ment and poverty reduction
In March, World Inequality Lab,
a global research centre focused on
inequality and public policies, pub-
lished a working paper titled, ‘Income
and Wealth Inequality in India, 1922-
2023: The Rise of the Billionaire Raj’.
The authors — Nitin Kumar Bhar-
ti, Lucas Chancel, Thomas Piketty,
and Anmol Somanchi — combined
data from national income accounts,
wealth aggregates, tax tabulations,
rich lists, and surveys on income,
consumption, and wealth to present
their results.
Income and wealth inequality
First, let’s look at income inequal-
ity. By 2022-23, the report states,
22.6% of India’s national income went
to just the top 1% in the country, the
highest in the last 100 years. And just
the top 0.1% of the population earned
nearly 10% of the national income in
India. The share of the top 1% in the
national income is among the highest
in the world.
Top 1% Indians’ share in nation-
al income is higher now than under
British-rule: Data
In terms of wealth inequality, the
share of the top 1% in wealth was
40.1% in 2022-23, the highest lev-
el since 1961. The share of wealth
among the top 10% increased from
45% in 1961 to 65% in 2022-23. Con-
versely, the share of the bottom 50%
and middle 40% in wealth declined.
In short, the rich got richer and the
poor got poorer in wealth. “About
10,000 individuals out of 92 mil-
lion Indian adults own an average of
₹22.6 billion in wealth, 16,763 times
the average Indian,” the report states.
India’s wealth inequality is not as
extreme as Brazil and South Africa
where the top 10% hold 85.6% and
79.7% of the national wealth, respec-
Reversing the global democratic recession
India is in the midst of its most
significant electoral exercise and it
might be worthwhile to scrutinise
people’s changing perceptions about
their political ecosystems in both the
largest democracy and other smaller
democratic spaces elsewhere. Such an
exercise may help us understand the
prevailing global situation and work
on the future course of action.
Survey shows a disenchantment
A Pew Research Center’s glob-
al survey reveals the evolving state
of democracies across 24 countries.
Conducted between February 20 and
May 22, 2023, this survey of 30,861
respondents delves into the complex
fabric of democratic ideals, revealing
both global trends and nuanced re-
gional variations.
The results highlight a global shift
underway, signalling a discernible
erosion of trust in democratic sys-
tems. Here, 77% of the respondents
expressed optimism about represen-
tative democracy. But, their receptiv-
ity to alternative governance models
is worrisome, of an unambiguous dis-
enchantment with democracy. The di-
minishing support for representative
democracy since 2017 becomes even
more pronounced when contrasted
with the robust 70% endorsement of
direct democracy, wherein officials
directly influence major decisions,
circumventing elected leaders.
Clearly, a perilous transformation
has unfolded across these countries
from 2017 to 2023, marked by an in-
creased inclination towards rule by
experts (58%) and a growing accep-
THURSDAY 25-04-2024
tively. However, its wealth concen-
tration increased threefold between
1961 and 2023. Additionally, as In-
dia’s income inequality is among the
highest in the world, even higher than
South Africa, Brazil and the U.S., it
will only add to the wealth inequality.
Growth mania can be injurious to
society
The report says between 2014-15
and 2022-23 “the rise of top-end in-
equality has been particularly pro-
nounced in terms of wealth concen-
tration”. It states that “the ‘Billionaire
Raj’ headed by India’s modern bour-
geoisie is now more unequal than the
British Raj headed by the colonialist
forces.” Inequality undermines both
growth and reduction of poverty.
Between 1960 and 1980, inequality
was dropping. The pattern of growth
and its objectives ensured that out-
come. However, inequality began in-
creasing with the beginnings of liber-
alisation in the 1980s, and faster after
the 1991 economic reforms in India.
tance of authoritarian government
models (26%). The rationale behind
this shift lies in the perception that de-
mocracies, with their need for discus-
sions and consensus-building, lead to
delays, while concentrated power fa-
cilitates prompt decision-making and
quicker economic development.
As expected, respondents from
countries with lower incomes and
less education tend to endorse such
‘strong’ leaders. A noteworthy seg-
ment (15%) also supports military
rule, particularly in middle-income
countries. Evidently, such preferences
shed light on the intricate interplay of
factors shaping the evolving percep-
tions of governance globally.
How do Indians perceive democ-
racy? In 2017, 44% of Indians fa-
voured representative democracy,
which has since decreased to 36% in
2023. Conversely, the inclination to-
wards a powerful leader with signifi-
cant authority rose from 55% in 2017
to 67% in 2023. Similarly, support for
rule by experts exhibits an upward
trajectory, soaring from 65% to an
impressive 82%.
Notably, the most striking shift is
evident in the overwhelmingly posi-
tive response from Indians towards
military rule or governance by an au-
thoritarian leader, with a staggering
85% preferring it. This upward trend
resonates in nations such as Argen-
tina, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico and
South Africa. However, it faces resis-
tance in countries such as Canada,
Europe, the Scandinavian nations and
the United States.
India
Analysing the rising gap in in-
comes
The dynamics of income and
wealth inequality are interwoven with
the dynamics of economic growth
and human development. India’s av-
erage income adjusted for inflation
and purchasing power differentials
were on a par with China and Viet-
nam until 1975. In the next quarter
century, incomes in China and Viet-
nam increased by 35-50% compared
to incomes in India. Post-2000, Chi-
na’s income started to grow at an as-
tonishing rate and became 2.5 times
India’s income. However, growth in
China has been broad-based com-
pared to growth in India. In 2022, the
share of the top 1% in income in In-
dia was nearly 50% higher than that
of China. The Chinese economy has
been maintaining a higher growth
rate over the years with a moderate
growth in economic inequality while
India’s growth has been moderate
coupled with extreme growth in eco-
Many argue that these findings
align with on-the-ground realities and
corroborate agency reports and sur-
veys. Democracy-monitoring organ-
isations characterise contemporary
India as a “hybrid regime”, ranging
from “free to partly free” to “elector-
al autocracy,” and even termed it a
“flawed democracy”. The recent De-
mocracy Report 2024 by the Gothen-
burg-based V-Dem Institute down-
grades India across multiple metrics
compared to its assessment in 2018,
further confirming these notions.
While some accept these reports,
others approach them cautiously or
dismiss them outright. Nevertheless,
there is a growing global perception
of a decline in India’s democracy.
In all democracies, instability, di-
nomic inequality. That is why India is
a “poor and very unequal country”.
Here, we would like to empha-
sise that the twin objectives of high
economic growth and reduction of
inequality can only be achieved with
improvements in human develop-
ment and poverty reduction. This is
what China and Vietnam achieved.
Additionally, improvements in
human development should pre-
cede economic growth if economic
growth is to be sustained in the long
run. At the national level, the States
that sustained high growth over three
decades (over 7% GSDP per year)
were relatively advanced in human
development. These include Kerala,
Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and
Karnataka in the south; Maharashtra
and Gujarat in the west; and Punjab
and Delhi in the north. States that
are relatively backward in the Hu-
man Development Index ranking
include Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Bi-
har, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Uttar
verse voices, and deliberative process-
es are inevitable traits and essential
tenets, and not weaknesses. Despite
the current disillusionment due to
corruption, eroded trust, unemploy-
ment, inefficiency, electoral doubts,
civil liberty violations, and econom-
ic disparities, fortifying democratic
foundations is paramount.
Toward this objective, two seminal
works centred on building a strong
democracy may help. In Strengthen-
ing Democracy by Design: Challenges
and Opportunities, Nancy L. Thomas
and J. Kyle Upchurch (2018) describe
a robust democracy characterised by
four pillars: participatory, free and
equal, educated and informed, and
accountable and justly governed. In-
corporating these fundamental attri-
butes into governance is imperative
for any democracy to truly function
as such, not merely to be labelled as
one. This requires concerted efforts
and well-thought-out measures by all
citizens, including those in authority.
Another inspiring and much-need-
ed work for our times is The Civic
Bargain – How Democracy Survives
by Brook Manville and Josiah Ober
(2023). The authors argue that a ro-
bust ‘civic bargain system’ can help
democracy thrive. After all, democ-
racy entails collective self-governance
where citizens assume responsibility
for their government, collaborating
in a shared endeavour while acknowl-
edging the diversity of interests and
the significance of common goods.
According to them, a civic bargain
comprises a set of norms facilitating
Pradesh, and Rajasthan. These States
were only able to register a growth
rate of less than 5% per annum
post-liberalisation.
Human development
The Human Development Report
(HDR) 2023-2024 ranked India 134
out of 193 countries. India is now the
fifth largest economy but it still ranks
lower than Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and
Bangladesh in human development.
Its economic growth has not trans-
lated into growth in human develop-
ment.
Inequality, unemployment, infla-
tion in India are at all time high, says
Parakala Prabhakar
The poor should not have to wait
for the benefits of economic growth
to trickle down; human development
should be given priority in promot-
ing inclusive growth. In the absence
of improvement in human develop-
ment, enhancement of capability and
functioning, and poverty reduction,
the growth process cannot be inclu-
sive and will only add to inequality.
Economic growth therefore does not
need to be at a higher pedestal in
terms of policy objectives.
As per the HDR 2023-2024, In-
dia’s score comes down by 31.1% if
we account for economic inequality.
The extent of economic inequality is
such that it cannot be overcome by
the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan
Anna Yojana, which provides a few
kilogrammes of free foodgrains to
about 81.35 crore beneficiaries. Sops
without jobs cannot be the basis for
sustained and inclusive growth. As
the paper says, “It is unclear how
long such inequality levels can sus-
tain without major social and polit-
ical upheaval”.
Santosh Mehrotra is a Research
Fellow at The IZA Institute of Labour
Economics, Bonn; Rakesh Ranjan
Kumar is a Senior Research Fellow at
the International Institute for Migra-
tion and Development, Kerala
cooperation among individuals with
differing objectives, along with rules
delineating decision-making pro-
cedures. When coupled with civic
friendship — treating all participants
with respect within the shared en-
deavour — hope for democracy en-
dures. Democracy embodies a com-
mitment to fellow citizens, entailing
responsibility towards each other,
symbolising good citizenship, and
fostering neighbourliness with an
open mind. Under such a framework,
all actions and decision-making pro-
cesses are transparent and account-
able. An informed citizenry is central
to a democracy.
Dialogue is essential
In addition, governance should
prioritise inclusivity and unity while
tackling political polarisation and ad-
dressing diverse societal needs such
as economic inequality, social justice,
and environmental sustainability.
Special focus on enhancing education
is crucial, with investments in critical
thinking, media literacy, and conflict
resolution training. Integrating the
study of the Constitution into cur-
ricula can foster transformative per-
spectives. Promoting dialogue and
negotiation strengthens democracy’s
foundation. Fostering faith in democ-
racy is an ongoing and collaborative
effort that demands unwavering com-
mitment from citizens and govern-
ments. It revolves around creating an
inclusive space where everyone feels
their voice is acknowledged and ac-
tively heard, and their concerns ad-
dressed.
Southern Mail
06
NATIONAL ENGLISH DAILY
Toss out the junk food, bring
back the healthy food plate
There needs to be a people’s move-
ment, backed by sincere policy in-
terventions, to promote healthy and
nutritionally diverse diets and ensure
informed food choices
India, like in many other coun-
tries, is undergoing a major “nutri-
tion transition”. In what characteris-
es rapidly changing dietary patterns,
there is a significant shift away from
traditional diets, which were high in
fibre and comprised mostly whole
foods, to more western-style diets,
which are processed and high in cal-
ories. This change has coincided with
rapid economic progress and urban-
isation along with a surge in the con-
sumption of packaged and processed
foods (popularly called “junk foods”).
These foods are nutritionally low in
vitamins, minerals, fibre but are high
in calories, fats, salt, sugar, and innu-
merable preservatives. Categorised as
high in fats, salts and sugars (HFSS)
foods, scientific evidence shows how
junk food has been medically found
to weaken the body’s defences against
infection, increase blood pressure,
lead to a spike in blood sugar, cause
weight gain, and also contribute to
increased risk of cancer. Often pack-
aged as comfort foods in India, ex-
amples of such junk or HFSS foods
include cookies, cakes, chips, nam-
keen, instant noodles, sugary drinks,
frozen meals, canned fruits, Indian
sweets, and bakery products. It should
come as no surprise that India is ex-
periencing an explosion of lifestyle
diseases, with unhealthy diets being
one of the single largest contributing
factors. To put the magnitude of the
health burden into perspective, an
Indian Council of Medical Research
(ICMR) study published in 2023 esti-
mates that in India the prevalence of
metabolic disorders is glaringly high
where 11% has diabetes, 35% is hy-
pertensive and almost 40% are suffer-
ing from abdominal obesity.
A significant factor to consider
while analysing the evolving dietary
habits of Indians is the influence of
aggressive advertising to promote
“tasty” and “affordable” comfort
foods, particularly aimed at young-
er consumers. According to a pan
India survey conducted by the Cen-
tre for Science and Environment
(CSE), 93% of children ate food that
was packaged, 68% drank packaged
No forests or wildlife will be left if animal-
human conflicts are not resolved, SC warns
The court’s observations came
while hearing a case concerning the
demarcation of the boundaries of As-
sam’s Pobitora wildlife sanctuary
The Supreme Court on Wednes-
day warned that animal-human con-
flicts pose a danger to the very exis-
tence of forests and wildlife, a balance
has to be struck which takes care of
the rights of both stakeholders.
“There has to be a balance be-
tween the rights of the stakeholders.
We cannot take a lopsided view. For-
ests and wildlife will not exist if con-
flict between animals and humans
are not resolved,” Justice B.R. Gavai
observed.
INFOGRAPHICS | Human-Wild-
life Conflict: Understanding the Im-
pact on Elephants and Tigers in India
The court’s observations came
while hearing a case concerning the
Health
THURSDAY 25-04-2024
sweetened beverages more than once
a week, and 53% ate these foods at
least once a day. At the same time, the
ultra-processed food industry in In-
dia has expanded at a compound an-
nual growth rate of 13.37% between
2011 and 2021. Moreover, India’s
food processing industry is predicted
to be worth $535 billion by 2025-26.
Coming to the steps that have
been taken to protect consumers
from unhealthy foods, a ruling by the
Supreme Court of India, in 2013, of-
fers a constitutionally sound place to
begin. The Court said, “We may em-
phasize that any food article which
is hazardous or injurious to public
health is a potential danger to the
fundamental right to life guaranteed
under Article 21 of the Constitution
of India.” Recognising the need to
promote people’s health and well-be-
ing, the Government of India has
prioritised the promotion of healthy
foods and an active lifestyle through
its initiatives such as Eat Right India,
the Fit India Movement, and Prime
Minister’s Overarching Scheme for
Holistic Nutrition (Poshan) 2.0.
As children are more exposed to
the advertising of unhealthy foods,
the Food Safety and Standards Au-
thority of India (FSSAI) released the
Food Safety and Standards (Safe food
and balanced diets for children in
school) Regulations, 2020, restricting
demarcation of the boundaries of
Assam’s Pobitora wildlife sanctuary,
which hosts one of the largest rhi-
no populations in the country, and
the settlement of rights of villagers,
drawn from the marginalised, Sched-
uled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and
backward communities, who reside
within the sanctuary.
The Assam government, rep-
resented by senior advocate Nalin
Kohli, submitted that it has constitut-
ed a special committee chaired by the
Chief Secretary (Forests) to survey
and suggest alterations in the bound-
aries of the sanctuary to protect the
rights of the wildlife as well as the hu-
man inhabitants. A preliminary sur-
vey of the sanctuary had already been
done and a map prepared.
The Bench said the State’s propos-
als regarding the sanctuary, including
the sale of HFSS in school canteens/
mess premises/hostel kitchens, or
within 50 metres of the school cam-
pus. Recently, the National Commis-
sion for Protection of Child Rights
also issued notice to a health drink
giant to evaluate and withdraw all
misleading advertisements, packag-
ing and labels that brand the product
as a “health drink”, citing the prod-
uct’s high sugar content that can ad-
versely impact the health of children.
Despite a policy intention to pro-
vide a safe food environment, there
is still much work that needs to be
done in ensuring effective implemen-
tation of interventions that can have
an impact on the consumption of
junk foods. Here are four strategies
that hold the key to translating policy
intention into meaningful change on
the ground.
First, a good starting point for the
government is to protect growing
children from the harmful impact
of junk foods. While the FSSAI has
released regulations for restricting
the consumption of HFSS foods, cur-
rently, there is no way to “define” or
“identify” which foods fall into the
category of HFSS foods. Thus, it is
imperative that as the next step, the
FSSAI goes ahead and “defines” what
exactly constitutes HFSS foods in
the Indian context which can enable
better implementation of food safety
alterations in the boundaries would
be cleared by the National Board of
Wildlife and also undergo the scruti-
ny of the top court.
The court ordered the States to
include the Chief Wildlife Warden
and the Field Director of the Pobitora
wildlife sanctuary to be made mem-
bers of the special committee in or-
der to represent the concerns of the
wildlife.
The court noted in its order that
“from the primary facie perusal of
regulations. Moreover, institutions
such as the National Commission
for Protection of Child Rights can
play an instrumental role in ensuring
stricter compliance of school food
regulations.
Second, Front-of-Pack Labelling
(FOPL) appears to be a low-hanging
fruit which can enable consumers to
make informed choices about what
foods they choose to eat. Current-
ly, we have access to a mathematical
nutrition table in small print on the
back of food packets which most of
us neither notice nor comprehend.
For instance, the next time you open
a package of chips, are you going to
sit and calculate how much salt are
you consuming in a packet when the
label states that there are xx micro-
grams of sodium per 100 grams?
As an alternative, a “warning la-
bel” that states “high in salt” on the
front might make more sense, par-
ticularly if you are a hypertensive
patient. The latter example is an illus-
tration of a front of package nutrition
labelling practice that draws one’s
attention with clear and understand-
able signals that can help you make
an informed food choice.
The Indian Nutrition Rating
(INR), where packaged food prod-
ucts would be given a star rating
based on the overall nutritional pro-
file of the product, is in fact included
the map, it appears that the State pro-
poses to delete smaller areas of the
wildlife sanctuary and include a larg-
er area so as to account for the land
of the settlers and also the issue of the
growing population of rhinoceros”.
Justice Gavai said the court re-
spects environmental activists, but
the human aspect of the problem
should also be taken into consider-
ation.
“You have to take into consider-
ation the human angle. You cannot
exist only for animals,” Justice Gavai
told an environmental activist, who
appeared as an intervenor.
On March 13, the apex court
stayed the Assam government’s deci-
sion to denotify the Pobitora wildlife
sanctuary.
“State government was not right
in resolving to withdraw the notifi-
in the most recent draft of the Food
Safety and Standards (Labelling &
Display) Amendment Regulations,
2022. However, there are a num-
ber of concerns here. Above all, star
ratings will give producers a clear
escape route: they may add one or
two healthy components to raise the
overall star rating while still selling
unhealthy foods that are dangerously
high in fat, sugar, and salt. Moreover,
regulations are voluntary until a peri-
od of four years from the date of final
notification of the regulations.
Have subsidies for healthy foods
Third, policies can also be devel-
oped to facilitate the positive subsi-
dies for healthy foods such as whole
foods, millets, fruits and vegetables
that will improve their availability,
affordability, and thus greater con-
sumption in rural and urban areas.
The question for policymakers is how
to make a fruit more affordable than
a ₹5 high salt chips packet and ₹2
high sugar biscuits.
Fourth, in addition to the poli-
cies, a behavioural change campaign
targeting children and young adults
alike can play a critical role in help-
ing youth adopt healthy dietary
habits and mindful eating practices.
This can include multimedia mes-
saging on the health impacts of junk
foods; campaigns building on “vocal
for local” which promotes local and
seasonal fruits and vegetables and
traditional foods such as millets; and
interactive discussions on balanced
diets and tapping into social media
influencers to mainstream conversa-
tions about the health risks of junk
foods.It is critical to acknowledge the
urgency of switching to healthier di-
ets and creating public demand, or, as
Prime Minister Narendra Modi calls
it, a “Jan Andolan” or people’s move-
ment, for healthy and nutritionally
diverse diets. These efforts must be
accompanied by sincere policy inter-
ventions that help Indians exercise
their right to make informed food
choices.
Ananya Awasthi is a public poli-
cy researcher and founder-director
at Anuvaad Solutions, an accelerator
for translating scientific evidence to
inform policy action on India’s nutri-
tion agenda. Apoorva Kalra is a pub-
lic health nutrition expert and man-
ager at Anuvaad Solutions
cation dated March 17, 1998 notify-
ing Pobitora wildlife sanctuary…. We
direct that no further steps be taken
with respect to the withdrawal of the
notification dated March 17, 1998 by
the State,” the court had noted in its
March 13 order.
The Assam government had rea-
soned that the sanctuary was notified
unilaterally by the Forest Depart-
ment without consulting the Reve-
nue Department or even the Chief
Minister.
The sanctuary was declared with-
out settling the rights of the people
living in villages in the area, includ-
ing Thengabhanga, Murkata and
Mayong. These villagers had been
residing in the area even before In-
dependence. Mr. Kohli had justified
that the notification was withdrawn
only to correct this error.
Southern Mail
07
NATIONAL ENGLISH DAILY
Analysing digital ad campaigns
during the silence period of the first
phase of the Lok Sabha elections
Section 126 of the Representation
of People Act, 1951 prohibits the dis-
play of election matter to the public
during the 48-hour silence period.
Despite clear rules, a study conducted
by the CSDS-Lokniti has found polit-
ical parties to be spending substantial
money on advertising campaigns on
social media during this time
As the world’s largest elections are
underway, all eyes are on digital plat-
forms and the role they are playing
in influencing the electorate. How-
ever, it may also be time to question
the effectiveness of the Model Code
of Conduct (MCC) set down by the
Election Commission (EC) in ensur-
ing free and fair elections in India.
Section 126 of the Representation
of People Act, 1951 prohibits the dis-
play of election matter to the public
through television or similar appa-
ratus during the 48-hour silence pe-
riod ending with the hour fixed for
the conclusion of polls. The EC in its
various notifications has clarified that
‘similar apparatus’ under Section 126
includes social media as well. Despite
clear rules prohibiting political cam-
paigning during the silence period, a
study conducted by the CSDS-Lok-
niti has found political parties to be
spending substantial money on ad-
vertising campaigns on social media
during this time.
Social media campaigns
It was found that BJP posted
60,500 ads from April 17 to 19, 2024
on Google and 6,808 on Meta plat-
forms, while the Congress posted
1,882 and 114 ads respectively during
the same period (Table 1). This reve-
lation is note-worthy since the Inter-
net penetration in India is over 50%.
Out of the total ads posted from
April 17 to 19 on Google, 500 ads, 250
ads posted by the BJP and another
250 posted by the Congress, were se-
lected for analysis using randomised
selection. Out of this sample, 64 ads
posted by the BJP and 32 posted by
Sam Pitroda says Congresss redistribution
of wealth in interest of
people; advocates inheritance tax in India
Mr. Pitroda also said that the sub-
ject of wealth distribution is strictly a
'policy issue' and he feels concerned
about Prime Minister Narendra Modi
after his remarks on Congress mani-
festo.
Chairman of Indian Overseas Con-
gress Sam Pitroda has backed the par-
ty's stand on redistribution of wealth
and advocated an inheritance tax law
in the country.
Emphasing the need for policy
towards wealth redistribution, Mr.
Pitroda elaborated on the concept of
inheritance tax prevailing in the U.S.
"In America, there is an inheritance
tax. If one has $100 million worth of
wealth and when he dies he can only
transfer probably 45% to his children,
55% is grabbed by the government.
That's an interesting law. It says you
in your generation, made wealth and
you are leaving now, you must leave
THURSDAY 25-04-2024
the Congress were found to be target-
ed to States/constituencies that voted
in the first phase of elections (Table
2).
This study revealed that 13 out of
every 50 ads of the BJP were aired
during the silence period in constitu-
encies participating in the first phase
of elections. Notably, political ads
were observed in 11 States and Union
Territories preceding the first phase
of elections, with several States being
majorly targeted (Table 3).
This data underscores the strategic
placement and targeting of political
advertisements during critical phases
of the electoral process.
Of the total number of Congress
ads, States voting in the first phase
of elections were targeted as a whole.
However, except for Haldwani in
the Nainital constituency in Uttara-
khand, no other Congress ads specif-
ically micro-targeted any poll-bound
constituencies during the silence pe-
riod (Table 3).
your wealth for the public, not all of it,
half of it, which to me sounds fair," Mr.
Pitroda said.
"In India, you don't have that. If
somebody is worth $10 billion and he
dies, his children get $10 billion and
the public gets nothing... So these are
the kinds of issues people will have
to debate and discuss. When we talk
about redistributing wealth, we are
talking about new policies and new
programs that are in the interest of the
people and not in the interest of the su-
per-rich only," he added.
‘Have concerns about PM’s brain’
Mr. Pitroda also said that the sub-
ject of wealth distribution is strictly a
'policy issue' and he feels concerned
about Prime Minister Narendra
Modi after his remarks on Congress
manifesto."This is a policy issue. The
Congress party would frame a policy
through which the wealth distribution
India
The strategy of geotargeting
During the silence period, the
BJP’s digital campaign showcased an
impressive level of location based tar-
geting precision, evident in its focus
on specific locales such as a pancha-
yat in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh, and
Belthangadi in Karnataka. These in-
stances provide just a glimpse into
the party’s widespread use of tailored
strategies.
Additionally, the BJP targeted
the Nagina constituency in Uttar
Pradesh with a substantial number
of advertisements during this crucial
period, recognising the historical sig-
nificance of the Muslim-Scheduled
Caste (SC) combination in securing
victories in this constituency (Ta-
ble 4). However, the northeastern
region remained largely overlooked
throughout the silence period.
The Congress avoided constitu-
ency-level targeting. In fact, 42% of
Congress ads specifically excluded the
poll bound constituencies from the
would be better. We don't have a min-
imum wage (in India). If we come up
with a minimum wage in the country
saying you must pay so much money
to the poor, that's the distribution of
wealth. Today, rich people don't pay
their peons, servants, and home help
enough but they spend that money
on vacation in Dubai and London...
When you talk about the distribution
of wealth, it is not that you sit on a chair
and say I have this much money and I'll
be distributing it to everybody," Pitro-
da said. In apparent rethink, PM Modi
targeted States which went for polls
in the first phase. All the constituen-
cies in Rajasthan, Assam, Bihar and
Chhattisgarh which voted on April
19 were excluded in the ads posted by
the Congress in these States. Similar-
ly, in ads targeted to Madhya Pradesh,
all poll-bound constituencies, except
Sidhi, were excluded. Unlike the BJP,
the Congress was found to be vigilant
in its presence across Manipur with a
major chunk of its targeted ads focus-
ing on all the major themes during
the period of analysis (Table 3 and 5).
The Meta campaign
In the case of Meta, the parent
organisation of both Instagram and
Facebook, both the BJP and Congress
are seen to have run ad campaigns
during the first phase of the election.
This analysis is based on their official
social media handles.
Unlike Google ads, none of the ads
on Meta platforms were pin code-spe-
cific. Still, they were State-specific,
stating that ad campaigns operating
plays down ‘400-plus’ slogan
"It's naive to think like that. The PM
of a country thinks like that... I have
some concerns about his brain," he
said when asked to comment on the
Prime Minister's criticism of the Con-
gress manifesto.
Prime Minister Modi and the BJP
have criticised the Congress manifes-
to saying the poll document smacks
of appeasement and that if it came to
power, it would redistribute people's
wealth and also give reservations to
Muslims from the quota for SC, ST,
and OCB communities.
Mr. Pitroda also expressed disap-
pointment over Mr. Modi equating
the Congress manifesto for Lok Sabha
elections a "poll document of the erst-
while 'Muslim League'". Mr. Pitroda
said that he feels ashamed of the Prime
Minister and called him a 'pathologi-
cal liar'.
in a particular State apply to the terri-
torial area of the whole State, includ-
ing those constituencies involved in
the first phase of elections. Of the
6,808 ads posted by the BJP, several
ads were circulated in more than one
State. For Congress, which posted
114 ads during this time, Tamil Nadu,
Chhattisgarh, and U.P. were the main
targets (Table 6).
This data throws light on the ad
campaigns by the two major parties
on Meta from April 17 to 19, the offi-
cial silence period for the first phase
of the election.
There is a clear lead by the BJP
in the sheer number of ads posted.
There is also a more diversified cam-
paign from the BJP, in contrast to the
Congress, as can be evident from the
language in which the ads are posted.
The BJP has posted ads in more than
seven languages, while the Congress
has posted only in three.
In the lead-up to the first phase
of elections, it became apparent that
political parties are stretching the
boundaries of the MCC, particularly
through digital media ad campaigns.
There seems to be a lack of preven-
tive as well as punitive actions taken
to address such violations, raising
questions about the effectiveness of
the MCC in ensuring free and fair
elections.
By utilising location-based target-
ing in digital campaigns and focusing
on key locales, it seems that parties
may have found ways to reach voters
during a period when campaigning is
restricted.
As the second phase of Lok Sabha
elections approaches, it may be worth
considering these observations re-
garding adherence to the MCC.
Sanjay Kumar is a Professor at
CSDS, Aditi Singh is an Assistant
Professor at O.P. Jindal Global Uni-
versity, and Abhishek Sharma, Hana
Vahab, Subhayan Acharya Majumdar
are researchers with Lokniti-CSDS.
"I feel sorry for them, I am amazed
that they would talk like this, It is a lie.
EC. This manifesto has nothing to do
with the Muslim league. I am ashamed
of my Prime Minister. His team is ly-
ing about the manifesto. He is a patho-
logical liar. How can they lie through
their teeth and feel comfortable," Mr.
Pitroda told ANI.Slamming the Prime
Minister over his recent 'those who
have more children' remark, Mr. Pitro-
da said that fear has set in the minds of
the BJP after the first phase of polls and
this has led them towards making such
comments."How can you insult our
women... Muslims really don't have
more children. He (PM Modi) can say
whatever he likes, he also has moral
responsibility. He is not above the law.
It looks like you can't comprehend, I
think it is maybe due to fear, panic has
been set in after the first phase. India is
angry at the PM's comment," he said.
 Southern Mail NATIONAL ENGLISH DAILY
Life & Style
08 THURSDAY 25-04-2024

An overview of the PMAY-U scheme

What are the objectives of the Pradhan Man-
tri Awas Yojana scheme? How has the in-si-
tu slum redevelopment vertical under the
scheme fared? Has the participation of the
private sector in social housing been a suc-
cess?
The story so far: As the current Union
government completes two terms, one of
its flagship programmes was Housing For
All (HfA) by 2022, both in urban and
rural areas, planned under the PMAY
(Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana) scheme
in 2015.
While the PMAY is a centrally spon-
sored scheme both the Union and the
State governments are supposed to fi-
nancially contribute to it. The declared
objectives of the scheme included reha-
bilitation of slum dwellers with private
developers’ participation; promotion of
affordable housing for the weaker sections
through Credit Linked Subsidy Schemes
(CLSS); affordable housing in partnership
with public and private sectors; and subsidy
for Beneficiary-led Construction (BLC).
How has the scheme panned out?
Even though two more years have passed since
the supposed completion of the scheme, HfA remains
a distant reality. In August 2022, the government ap-
proved the continuation of the PMAY-Urban (PMAY-U)
up to December 31, 2024, for the completion of already
sanctioned houses till March 31, 2022.
Currently, according to the government’s es-
timates, there is a shortage of around 20 mil-
lion houses in rural areas and three million
in urban centres. However, these figures
do not speak of the actual reality. Till
2023, the urban shortfall was more
than 60 lakh houses. According
to a study by the ICRIER, ur-
ban housing shortage in-
creased by 54%, from
1.88 crore in 2012
to 2.9 crore in
2018. Thus, the
Actress Pinup Photo
actually faltered. Even according to data from the PMAY
dashboard (as of April 15), there is a shortfall of around
40 lakh houses from the sanctioned and completed seg-
ments. This means that the vertical that is supposed to
meet the largest demand, called in-situ slum redevelop-
ment (ISSR), has failed. According to a PIB press release,
under the ISSR, which is the most pressing need in cities,
only 2,10,552 houses have been sanctioned for eligible
beneficiaries. According to another report by Newslaun-
dry, the PMAY-U has only addressed a 25.15% of the
housing shortage by delivering 80 lakh homes. Even if
the remaining houses sanctioned are constructed by the
end of 2024, it would have addressed just about 37% of
the real need. Almost 2.4 crore households will still be
without a roof.
The current housing programme which was a kind
of merger of the Rajiv Awas Yojana into the PMAY has
spent over $29 billion in the last five years providing sup-
port for both rural and urban low-cost housing. Despite
this focus and budgetary infusion, “Housing for All” re-
mains an unfulfilled promise.
The scheme is euphoric in the participation of the
private sector in bridging the gap of public investments
in social housing. The current estimates suggest that in
the Indian urban landscape around 40% (according to
the World Bank, 49%) of the people are living in both
designated and informal slums. Hence, the success of the
PMAY was dependent on addressing the housing ques-
tion in the slums.
In some of the projects where spaces occupied by the
slum dwellers were handed to private players, the ver-
tical growth of such settlements created more problems
for the residents rather than addressing them. Take for
example a multi-storey building with the recurring cost
of water, electricity and sewerage utilities which at times
ing typologies and linear design with squeezed spaces
dissuaded people from occupying such houses. Land
was also a major issue. Land registered under airports,
railways, forests, etc., was impossible for ISSR. Moreover,
plans for ISSR were drawn up by consultants, without
any role from the community.
Another major hurdle is the dichotomy existing
between the city’s master plans and PMAY-U. Most of C
M
the cities’ plans are now being dictated by big consul- Y
tants who favour large capital-intensive technological K
solutions. Take for example, the transit-oriented devel-
opment models being advocated by the Delhi Develop-
ment Authority in its 2041 master plan. It does not speak
about social housing and states that this must come from
market forces. In such a scenario, almost all verticals of
PMAY fail.
It is worth noting that the Centre’s contribution to the
overall investment expenditure under this scheme is just
about 25%, or ₹2.03 lakh crore. The bulk of the money
is shelled out by the beneficiary households themselves,
that is 60% or ₹4.95 lakh crore. State governments (to-
gether with Urban Local Bodies) spend ₹1.33 lakh crore
on the scheme as well. The architecture of PMAY does
not address the landless and the poor. Around 62% of the
houses sanctioned come under the BLC vertical where
the government’s role is limited to just cost sharing with
the beneficiaries. CLSS beneficiaries are supposed to be
21%. In both the above, the government has a limited
role with just the provision for providing interest subsidy,
whereas land is owned by the beneficiaries. Slum-dwell-
ing families that are to be rehabilitated under ISSR make
up just about 2.5% of the total beneficiaries.
The writer is former deputy Mayor, Shimla, and
Member, Kerala Urban Commission.
As the current Union government completes two
terms, one of its flagship programmes was Housing
For All (HfA) by 2022, both in urban and rural areas,
planned under the PMAY (Pradhan Mantri Awas Yoja-
na) scheme in 2015.While the PMAY is a centrally spon-
sored scheme both the Union and the State governments
are supposed to financially contribute to it.
It is worth noting that the Centre’s contribution to the
overall investment expenditure under this scheme is just
about 25%, or ₹2.03 lakh crore. The bulk of the money
is shelled out by the beneficiary households themselves,

PMAY-U has went beyond the scope of residents’ expenditure. Build- that is 60% or ₹4.95 lakh crore.

Australian broadcasters India chief of bureau

leaves India abruptlyas visa is denied
The Chief of Bureau
of Australia’s state-run
news outlet in New
Delhi has stated that
she had to leave India
‘abruptly’ after govern-
ment officials denied her
a visa-extension. The public
announcement by Avani Dias, the
journalist came after she and her
team from the Australian Broad-
casting Corporation (ABC) were
questioned by an officer from the
Criminal Intelligence Depart-
ment when they were produc-
ing a programme on the Indian
government’s alleged targeted
assasination of pro-Khalistan
separatists in western coun-
tries. Sources here have de-
scribed her version as “mis-
leading”.
“Last week, I had to
leave India abruptly. The
Modi Government told
me my visa extension
would be denied, saying
my reporting “crossed a
line”. After Australian
Government interven-
tion, I got a mere two-
month extension…less
than 24 hours before
my flight. We were also
told my election ac-
creditation would not
come through because
of an Indian Ministry di-
rective,” said Ms Dias in a
post on ‘X’.
The Australian journal-
ist was a foreign national
working in New Delhi as the
Bureau Chief of ABC on a J1
(Journalist) class visa. Her visa was
due to expire on 20 April and she had
applied for an extension on 1 January.
However, the process of renewal of her
Indian visa coincided with ABC’s cov-
erage of the situation in Punjab. The
Hindu has learned from sources rele-
vant to this development that Ms. Dias
and her crew were “intimidated and
pressured” by government officials,
and they were even questioned by an
officer from the Criminal Intelligence
Department during this time over
their reporting plans. Subsequently,
YouTube blocked an ABC report on
the June 2023 killing of pro-Khalistan
figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Cana-
da. YouTube had informed ABC that
“it had received an order from India’s
Ministry of Information and Broad-
casting” to take down Sikhs, Spies and
Murder: Investigating India’s alleged
hit on foreign soil.
While researching their report on
the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar,
the Australian crew had visited the
family home of the late Mr Nijjar and
met representatives of a Sikh separat-
ist group in Punjab. Following this, it
was conveyed to Ms Dias that the re-
search had “crossed a line that no one
has crossed”. Ms Dias has also been in
the spotlight after her podcast “Look-
ing for Modi” got widely circulated
online. In the documentary, Ms Dias
explored the popularity of Prime Min-
ister Narendra Modi and reports of
crackdown against dissenting voices
in India. Before the Australian outlet,
the BBC had faced troubles and a raid
from tax officials after it aired a docu-
mentary titled India: The Modi Ques-
tion that probed the Indian PM’s track
record.
Flouted security rules
Government sources however said
that Ms. Dias’ sudden departure came
as a surprise, citing the fact that the
journalist had herself paid the fees
for visa extension a day prior to fly-
ing out, and the extension had been
granted before Ms. Diaz left. In addi-
tion, sources said that Ms. Diaz had
been found to have flouted the Border
Security Force’s security norms while
filming at the Wagah border and the
ABC film crew had not followed the
visa norms for documentary making
while in India.
The issue of her visa extension had
been under discussion between the
journalist, MHA, MEA and the Aus-
tralian High Commission. The sources
said the government had conveyed in
early April that a visa extension would
be granted. They further described her
version of events as “misleading and
mischievous”. “Ms. Dias was found to
have violated visa rules while under-
taking her professional pursuits. In
spite of this, on her request, she was
assured that her visa would be ex-
tended for the coverage of the general
elections,” an official source said. The
Indian side also contested her version
that she was not permitted to cover
elections as “factually incorrect”.
“Coverage of election activities
outside of booth is permitted to all
Journalist Visa holders. Authority
letters are required only for access to
C
polling booths and counting stations. M
This, however, cannot be processed Y
while the visa extension is under pro- K
cess,” said the source elaborating that
two other journalists working with the
same Australian outlet have “received
their letters”.

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