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18 Pages
Vol. 2 앫 No. 120

Chennai » Coimbatore » Bengaluru » Hyderabad » Madurai » Noida » Visakhapatnam » Thiruvananthapuram » Kochi » Vijayawada » Mangaluru » Tiruchirapalli » Kolkata » Hubballi » Mohali » Malappuram » Mumbai » Tirupati » Lucknow » Cuttack » Patna

LOST HABITAT DATA POINT

Lion-tailed BJP’s ticket

macaques distribution
enter cities strategy
COLLABORATIVE EXERCISE MAKING ONSET PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE
It is beyond mere
Elephant census to be Southwest monsoon KKR-SRH in Qualifier 1;
electoral performance
held in southern States hits Nicobar islands RR-RCB in Eliminator
STATES » PAGE 3 STATES » PAGE 2 NEWS » PAGE 4 OPINION » PAGE 9 SPORT » PAGE 16

INSIDE
쑽
Fifth phase today; shed Iran President Raisi missing
after helicopter ‘accident’
‘urban apathy’, says EC Agence France-Presse
TEHRAN
Poll body urges voters to come out in greater numbers and vote with responsibility; 49 seats in
eight States, Union Territories will see polling; voting to be held for 35 Assembly seats in Odisha A helicopter carrying
Israeli strike Iran’s President Ebrahim
Raisi was involved in “an
thg-th-nl-00005541

on Gaza refugee
camp kills 31
RAFAH
An Israeli strike killed 31
people and wounded 20 in the
Nuseirat refugee camp in
central Gaza on Sunday, the
Palestinian territory’s civil
defence agency said, as U.S.
National Security Advisor Jake
Sullivan visited for talks on the
conflict. » PAGE 14
‘No violence
against Indians in
Kyrgyz Republic’
NEW DELHI
There have been no reports of
attacks against Indian students
in the Kyrgyz Republic over the
past three days, official sources
said on Sunday, a day after
videos were circulated online
showing purported attacks by
local people against Pakistani
students in the capital city of
Bishkek. » PAGE 4
The Hindu Bureau
NEW DELHI
n the eve of the
O fifth phase of the
Lok Sabha elec-
tion, the Election Commis-
sion (EC) on Sunday said it
was geared for the polls in
49 seats across eight States
and Union Territories, ma-
ny of them in urban areas
such as Mumbai, Lucknow,
Hooghly, Howrah and
Thane.
Voting in 35 Assembly
constituencies in Odisha
will be held simultaneously
in this phase. Polling will
be held in politically im-
portant constituencies for
the Congress in Uttar Pra-
desh such as Rae Bareli
and Amethi.
‘Vote with pride’
Keeping in mind the low
turnout in the previous
phases, the EC urged the
voters to come out in grea-
ter numbers and vote with
Stage set: Officials collect election materials before leaving for
polling stations at Kargil in Ladakh on Sunday. ANI
responsibility and pride.
“Until now, the Lok Sabha
election 2024 has seen the
voter turnout at polling sta-
tions of about 66.95%.
Around 451 million people
have already voted during
the first four phases,” the
statement said.
Elections will be held in
Bihar, Jammu and Kash-
mir, Ladakh, Jharkhand,
Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar
Pradesh and West Bengal.
Cities such as Mumbai,
Thane and Lucknow are al-
so going to the polls in this
phase, and the EC said
these cities had in the past
suffered from “urban
apathy” in voting. “The
commission specially calls
upon these city dwellers to
erase the stigma by turning
out in higher numbers,”
the statement said.
Amid warnings of heat-
waves in several parts of
the northern States, the EC
said that polling stations
will have ample shade,
drinking water, ramps, toi-
lets and other basic facili-
ties to ensure that polling
takes place in a comforta-
ble and secure environ-
ment. The poll body added
that officials had been ad-
vised to take adequate
measures to manage hot
weather conditions.
“Around 9.47 lakh poll-
ing officials will welcome
over 8.95 crore voters
across 94,732 polling sta-
tions. Over 8.95 crore vo-
ters include 4.69 crore
male; 4.26 crore female
and 5,409 third gender
electors,” the EC said. Se-
venteen special trains and
508 helicopter sorties have
been used to ferry polling
and security personnel.
RELATED REPORTS
» PAGE 5
accident” amid poor
weather conditions on
Sunday, state media re-
ported, with a search un-
der way and no news yet
on his condition.
“An accident happened
to the helicopter carrying
the President” in the Jolfa
region of Iran’s western
province of East Azerbai-
jan, state television said.
Rescue teams were
headed to the area to lo-
cate him and other offi-
cials, state media in the Is-
lamic republic reported,
adding that Foreign Minis-
ter Hossein Amir-Abdolla-
hian may also have been
aboard the aircraft. “The
harsh weather conditions
and heavy fog have made it
difficult for the rescue
teams to reach the acci-
dent site,” state TV said.
In a speech carried on
state TV, Iran’s supreme
leader Ayatollah Ali Kha-
menei urged Iranians to
“not worry” for the coun-
Rescue vehicles seen after a helicopter carrying Iran’s President
Ebrahim Raisi was involved in an ‘accident’ on Sunday. REUTERS
try. “The Iranian people
should not worry, there
will be no disruption in the
country’s work,” Mr. Kha-
menei said.
The accident happened
in the mountainous forest
area of Dizmar near the
town of Varzaghan, ac-
cording to the official IRNA
news agency.
Mr. Raisi, 63, was visit-
ing the province on Sunday
where he inaugurated a
dam project together with
his Azeri counterpart, Il-
ham Aliev, on the border
between the two
countries.
His convoy included
three helicopters, and the
thg-th-nl-00005541
other two had “reached
their destination safely,”
Tasnim news agency said.
IRNA said the Foreign Mi-
nister and local officials
were travelling in the same
helicopter as Mr. Raisi.
The reformist Shargh
daily also reported that
“the helicopter carrying
the President crashed”
while two other helicop-
ters landed safely.
Later, Interior Minister
Ahmad Vahidi said one of
the helicopters “made a
hard landing due to bad
weather conditions”. He
added that it was “difficult
to establish communica-
tion” with the aircraft.

Safe harbour
Police stall AAP march to BJP’s Delhi
headquarters; Kejriwal leads dharna
The Hindu Bureau
NEW DELHI
Delhi Chief Minister and
AAP national convener Ar-
vind Kejriwal on Sunday
said the BJP had launched
“operation jhadu [broom]”
to eliminate the AAP as it
saw the party’s “meteoric
rise” as a threat. Mr. Kejri-
wal said the BJP planned to
“arrest big leaders of the
AAP, freeze the bank ac-
counts and evict the AAP
from its office in an at-
tempt to destroy the
party”.
He was speaking at the
party office ahead of a
march to the BJP head-
quarters along with senior
leaders and MLAs that he
had called for on Saturday
after the arrest of his per-
sonal assistant Bibhav Ku-
mar for “assaulting” the
Out of harm’s way: Fishing boats moored on the Shanghumughom beach in Thiruvananthapuram following a rough sea alert issued by party’s Rajya Sabha mem-
the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services for Kerala and south Tamil Nadu coasts on Sunday. PTI (REPORT: PAGE 5) ber Swati Maliwal.
Taking on: Aam Aadmi Party leaders during a protest march to the
BJP headquarters on Sunday. SHASHI SHEKHAR KASHYAP
Mr. Kejriwal had dared
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi to arrest AAP leaders
en masse during the march
instead of doing it one by
one. The police had barri-
caded the stretch of road
from the AAP’s office to the
BJP office on DDU Marg to
prevent the march.
Mr. Kejriwal instructed
his workers to walk peace-
fully to the BJP office to the
point where the police
stopped them, and wait to
get arrested.
“We will sit there for an
hour and wait for them to
arrest us. If they do not
come and arrest us, it will
be their defeat. We will
come back after waiting for
half an hour,” Mr. Kejriwal
said. The AAP leaders dis-
persed after sitting on a
dharna for half an hour.
The AAP has alleged
that the assault case was
orchestrated by the BJP to
defame the party and that
Ms. Maliwal was a pawn in
this conspiracy.
In his address, Mr. Kejri-
wal told party workers that
they should be ready to
face bigger challenges
ahead.
Speaking about his 50
days spent in jail, Mr. Kejri-
wal said that he utilised his
time effectively and read
the Bhagavad Gita twice
and the Ramayana once.
“The AAP is an idea. It is
written in the Bhagavad Gi-
ta also that an idea cannot
be imprisoned, it cannot
be burnt, it cannot be cut.
The idea of the AAP that is
spreading across the coun-
try cannot be destroyed,”
Mr. Kejriwal said.
CCTV DATA SEIZED
» PAGE 4

Congress rule saw higher growth, says Jairam Ramesh Rahul’s rhetoric will drive
The Hindu Bureau
NEW DELHI
Responding to Union
Home Minister Amit Shah’s
recent statement that sta-
ble governments can help
the stock markets perform
better, the Congress said
there was no basis for the
fear-mongering.
Party general secretary
Jairam Ramesh said in a
statement here on Sunday
that it was a matter of re-
cord that economic growth
and investment were much
higher under the Manmo-
han Singh regime than the
Narendra Modi
government.
CM
YK
away investments, says Modi
“Private investment and
the share of manufacturing
as a percentage were much
greater under Dr. Singh
than in the past decade.
Self-inflicted policy blun-
ders such as demonetisa-
tion, Goods and Services
Tax and an ill-planned
Private
investment and
share of manufacturing
as a percentage were
much greater under
Manmohan Singh than
in the past decade
JAIRAM RAMESH
Congress general secretary
lockdown played an im-
portant role. But equally
important is the atmosph-
ere of fear and uncertainty
created by the Modi go-
vernment that has led to
the biggest exodus of
wealth creators from India
to locations such as Dubai,
London and Singapore,”
he said.
Quoting the Congress
manifesto, Mr. Ramesh
said the most important
contribution of an INDIA
government would be to
“remove the current envi-
ronment of distrust and
fear, and create a healthy
ecosystem”.
“This is a complete con-
trast with the Modi govern-
ment’s vindictive and arbi-
trary approach whose
main goal has been to ex-
tort funds and suppress
competition against a fa-
voured few and eliminate
all freedom in decision-
making. These anti-com-
petitive policies have con-
tributed to underinvest-
ment, concentration of
economic power and un-
sustainable K-shaped
growth,” he said.
He said that the INDIA
government would replace
the current GST system
with a GST 2.0 which
would be a single, moder-
ate rate (with a few excep-
tions). “We will enact a di-
rect taxes code and
maintain stable personal
income tax rates through-
out the next five years. We
will eliminate ‘angel tax’
and all other exploitative
tax schemes that inhibit in-
vestment,” he said.
Amit Bhelari
RANCHI
Lashing out at Congress
leader Rahul Gandhi for
his comments against in-
dustrialists, Prime Minister
Narendra Modi, at an elec-
tion rally in Jamshedpur on
Sunday, said businessmen
would think “50 times” be-
fore investing in Congress-
ruled States.
“I want to challenge the
Chief Ministers of Con-
gress-ruled States, such as
Karnataka, Telangana and
Himachal Pradesh. The
Narendra Modi
Congress’s prince speaks
against industries, indus-
trialists and investment ev-
ery day. Which industrial-
ist would want to invest in
their States?” he said.
Mr. Modi added, “The
Congress considers entre-
preneurs as enemies of the
country. Its leaders openly
declare they will attack bu-
sinessmen who do not give
them money. The Con-
gress and the JMM are not
concerned about the coun-
try’s industries. Many in-
dustrialists come to me
and say that they will not
go to those States because
they are
anti-industrialists.”
Mr. Modi also accused
Mr. Gandhi of speaking the
“language of Maoists”.
A IN-X

4 Monday, May 20, 2024
Trade ties with India
was suspended due
to ‘heavy duties’: Pak.
Press Trust of India
ISLAMABAD
Pakistan Foreign Minister
Ishaq Dar has said that
trade ties between Islama-
bad and New Delhi have re-
mained suspended since
2019 due to the imposition
of “heavy duties” by India
on imports from Pakistan
after the Pulwama attack.
In a written reply sub-
mitted to the National As-
sembly on Saturday, Mr.
Dar, who also holds the De-
puty Prime Minister’s slot,
said: “India decided to im-
pose 200% duty on im-
ports from Pakistan, sus-
pended the Kashmir bus
service and trade across
the Line of Control after
the Pulwama attack.”
According to the Dawn
thg-th-nl-00005541
newspaper, Mr. Dar was
responding to a question
by Pakistan Peoples Party
lawmaker Sharmila Faru-
qui seeking details about
trade challenges faced by
Pakistan in its relations
with neighbouring coun-
tries, especially India.
Monsoon sets in over Nicobar, likely
to reach Kerala by May 31, says IMD
Press Trust of India
NEW DELHI
The southwest monsoon,
the lifeline of India’s farm-
based economy, on Sun-
day made its onset over the
Nicobar Islands, the south-
ernmost region of the
country, the India Meteor-
ological Department (IMD)
said here.
“Southwest monsoon
has advanced into some
parts of the Maldives, and
the Comorin area and
some parts of the South
Bay of Bengal, Nicobar Is-
lands and South Andaman
Sea on Sunday,” the weath-
er office said.
The monsoon is expect-
ed to reach Kerala by May
31.
The date of monsoon
onset over Kerala has va-
ried widely over the past
150 years, the earliest be-
Army gets 27,000 AK-203 Critical priority
rifles through joint venture pathogens continue must be targeted: agencies
Dinakar Peri
NEW DELHI
The Indian Army has start-
ed receiving the Russian
AK-203 assault rifles after
the deal with Russia saw
back-to-back delays, partly
due to the war in Ukraine
and payment delays. As
many as 27,000 rifles have
been handed over to the
Army so far by the Indo-
Russian joint venture esta-
blished at Korwa in Uttar
Pradesh, according to offi-
cial sources.
“Everything is on track
after initial delays, and
27,000 rifles have been gi-
ven to the Army. Another
8,000 will be handed over
in the next two weeks. In-
digenisation level achieved
is around 25%,” an official
in the know said.
Under an over ₹5,000-
crore contract signed in Ju-
ly 2021, over 6.1 lakh
AK-203 assault rifles are to
be manufactured in India
with technology transfer
from Russia, by a joint ven-
ture Indo-Russian Rifles
Private Ltd. (IRRPL).
The IRRPL was set up in
2019 between the erst-
while Ordnance Factory
Board [now Advanced
Weapons and Equipment
India Limited (AWEIL) and
CM
YK
In March, during a press
conference in London, Mr.
Dar highlighted the eager-
ness of Pakistan’s business
community to resume
trade activities with India.
However, his office later
clarified that Pakistan has
no plan to resume trade re-
lations with India which
has been “non-existent”
since 2019.
Pakistan downgraded
its ties with India after the
Indian Parliament sus-
pended Article 370 on Au-
gust 5, 2019, a decision that
Islamabad believed under-
mined the environment for
holding talks.
“We have consistently
advocated constructive en-
gagement and result-
oriented dialogue to re-
solve all outstanding is-
sues, including the core
issue of Jammu and Kash-
mir with India...,” Mr. Dar
said on Saturday.
He said that the “onus is
now on Delhi to take steps
for the creation of an envi-
ronment that is conducive
to peace and dialogue”.
The IMD had forecast above-normal rain in the monsoon season in
India with favourable La Nina conditions. K.K. MUSTAFAH
ing May 11 in 1918, and the
most delayed being June 18
in 1972, according to IMD
data.
The rain-bearing system
arrived in the southern
State on June 8 last year,
May 29 in 2022, June 3 in
2021 and June 1 in 2020.
Last month, the IMD fo-
recast above-normal rain-
Profits of organised crime
Another batch of 8,000 AK-203 assault rifles will be handed over in
the next two weeks. SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Munitions India Ltd (MIL)]
from India and Rosoboro-
nexport (RoE) and Kalash-
nikov concern of Russia.
As reported by The Hin-
du earlier, as per contrac-
tual terms, the first 70,000
rifles will be produced in
India with a phased in-
crease in the extent of lo-
calisation from 5% to 70%.
The remaining rifles will be
produced with 100% local-
isation.
The full-scale produc-
tion of the AK-203 rifles is
expected to be reached
within two to three years.
‘Systematic manner’
On the ongoing process of
indigenisation, the source
stated that it was being
done in an “extremely sys-
tematic manner”. “So, the
process will be slow. Even
our initial timelines ca-
tered for two years for this
No violence against Indians
in Kyrgyz Republic: officials
There are nearly 17,000 Indian students and businessmen in the Central Asian country; videos
had surfaced online showing Pakistani students being attacked by local people in capital Bishkek
The Hindu Bureau
NEW DELHI
here have been no
T reports of attacks
against Indian stu-
dents by local people in
the Kyrgyz Republic over
the past three days, official
sources informed The Hin-
du on Sunday.
The clarification came a
day after videos were cir-
culated online showing
purported attacks by local
people against Pakistani
students in the capital city
of Bishkek.
“There are no reports of
any Indian being affected
in the incidents that were
circulated by unverified vi-
deos on Saturday. The Kyr-
gyz authorities have clari-
fied and spoken strongly
against circulation of these
videos. There are 17,000
Indian students and busi-
nessmen in Kyrgyz Repu-
blic and they are located in
fall with favourable La Ni-
na conditions expected to
set in by August-Septem-
ber. La Nina conditions
help in a good monsoon
over India.
Large parts of the coun-
try are battling a brutal
heatwave with maximum
temperatures touching 48
degrees Celsius, shattering
process of 70% indigenous
content,” the source said,
adding, “We are aiming to
achieve it before that.”
As reported earlier,
against the backdrop of re-
peated delays in conclud-
ing the deal, India had pro-
cured and inducted
70,000 AK-103 assault ri-
fles off the shelf under a
deal signed in August 2021.
For a while, the Army
has been looking to replace
the indigenous INSAS (In-
dian National Small Arms
System) rifles in use with a
modern rifle.
The Army has inducted
66,400 of the 72,400
SIG-716 assault rifles which
have been provided to
frontline troops involved in
counter-insurgency
operations.
The AK-203 rifles were
to meet the larger demand
for assault rifles.
THE HINDU
News
Troubled times: The Indian Embassy in Bishkek has asked the
students to stay in regular touch. GETTY IMAGES
various parts of the coun-
try,” an official source said,
indicating that the situa-
tion had returned to nor-
malcy in Bishkek.
‘Destructive forces’
Authorities in Bishkek had
clarified that the videos
were disseminated “delib-
erately” by “destructive
forces” and that “all neces-
sary measures have been
taken to ensure security,
records in several States
and severely impacting
health and livelihoods.
Southern India expe-
rienced heatwave spells in
April.
The crippling heat is
straining power grids and
drying up waterbodies trig-
gering drought-like condi-
tions in parts of the coun-
try. A prediction of
above-normal monsoon
rainfall, therefore, comes
as a huge relief.
The monsoon is critical
for India’s agricultural
landscape, with 52% of the
net cultivated area relying
on it. It is also crucial for
replenishing reservoirs
critical for drinking water,
apart from power genera-
tion across the country.
June and July are consi-
dered the most important
monsoon months for agri-
culture.
to pose threat: WHO
Bindu Shajan Perappadan
NEW DELHI
Critical priority pathogens
present major global
threats due to their high
burden, and ability to re-
sist treatment and spread
resistance to other bacte-
ria, noted the latest Bacte-
rial Pathogens Priority List
(BPPL) updated by the
World Health Organization
(WHO). This includes
gram-negative bacteria re-
sistant to last-resort anti-
biotics, and Mycobacteri-
um tuberculosis resistant to
the antibiotic Rifampicin.
The list features 15 families
of antibiotic-resistant bac-
teria grouped into critical,
high, and medium catego-
ries for prioritisation.
Seven years since it pu-
blished the last such list,
the WHO stated that high-
priority pathogens, includ-
ing salmonella and shigel-
la, are of particularly high
burden in low- and middle-
income countries, along
with Pseudomonas aerugi-
nosa and Staphylococcus
aureus, which pose signifi-
cant challenges in health-
care settings. Antimicro-
bial Resistance (AMR)
occurs when bacteria, vi-
ruses, fungi, and parasites
maintain peace and stabili-
ty”.
Srikakulam MP Kinjara-
pu Ram Mohan Naidu
urged External Affairs Mi-
nister S. Jaishankar to en-
sure the safety of students
enrolled in various medi-
cal institutes in the Kyrgyz
Republic. In a press re-
lease, Mr. Naidu said that
250 out of 2,000 students
from Andhra Pradesh be-
longed to the Srikakulam
Bid to send top lawyer to Rajya Sabha
behind Maliwal episode, claims BJP
The Hindu Bureau
NEW DELHI
The BJP on Sunday
claimed that Chief Minister
Arvind Kejriwal wanted to
send a top lawyer, who de-
fended Aam Aadmi Party
(AAP) leaders in corrup-
tion cases, to the Rajya
Sabha, spiralling into the
episode that led to Swati
Maliwal’s “assault” at his
residence.
The Delhi’s ruling AAP
termed the allegation “rid-
iculous” and accused the
police of acting as the BJP’s
“agent” to tarnish its image
ahead of Lok Sabha polling
in the city on May 25.
Delhi BJP chief Virendra
Sachdeva also trashed the
charge that his party had
any involvement in the
episode.
Earlier, AAP had
claimed that the BJP was
no longer respond to med-
icines, increasing the risk
of disease spread, illness
and deaths. “AMR is driven
in large part by the misuse
and overuse of antimicro-
bials,’’ the document says.
Other high-priority
pathogens such as antibiot-
ic-resistant Neisseria go-
norrhoeae and Enterococ-
cus faecium, present
unique public health chal-
lenges, including persis-
tent infections and resis-
tance to multiple
antibiotics, necessitating
targeted research and pu-
blic health interventions.
“By mapping the global
burden of drug-resistant
bacteria and assessing
their impact on public
health, this list is key to
guiding investment and for
grappling with the antibiot-
ics pipeline and access cri-
sis. Since the first Bacterial
Priority Pathogens List was
released in 2017, the threat
of antimicrobial resistance
has intensified, eroding the
efficacy of numerous anti-
biotics and putting many
of the gains of modern
medicine at risk,” Yukiko
Nakatani, the WHO’s Assis-
tant Director-General for
Antimicrobial Resistance
ad interim, said.
Lok Sabha constituency.
In another press note,
BJP Vizianagaram district
president N. Eswara Rao
urged the Minister to alert
the Indian Embassy and
ensure protection for the
students as attacks were
taking place in hostels of
medical colleges.
He said that many stu-
dents from Vizianagaram
and Srikakulam districts
had joined medical colleg-
es in that country as they
could not get seats in col-
leges in India. Mr. Jaishan-
kar has urged Indian na-
tionals in Kyrgyz Republic
to maintain contact with
the Indian Embassy in
Bishkek.
“Monitoring the welfare
of Indian students in Bish-
kek. Situation is reportedly
calm now. Strongly advise
students to stay in regular
touch with the embassy,”
Mr. Jaishankar said in a
post on X.
blackmailing Ms. Maliwal,
a Rajya Sabha member, in-
to defaming Mr. Kejriwal
by “threatening” to open a
corruption case against
her.
“Ms. Maliwal is an AAP
leader. The incident oc-
curred at the Chief Minis-
ter’s residence and in-
volved the CM’s personal
aide Bibhav Kumar. How
could they claim that the
BJP is involved in this,” Mr.
Sachdeva said. He said Mr.
Kejriwal took to streets af-
ter Mr. Kumar’s arrest in
the case as he is “privy to
his corruption” and the
CM doesn’t want it to come
out in the open.
Meanwhile, Delhi
Health Minister Saurabh
Bharadwaj accused the
Delhi police of spreading
lies at the behest of the BJP.
He said, “This whole con-
spiracy is being hatched to
Devesh K. Pandey
NEW DELHI
The heads of the Financial
Action Task Force (FATF),
Interpol, and United Na-
tions Office on Drugs and
Crime (UNODC) have
called for the need to ur-
gently step up efforts to tar-
get the huge illicit profits
generated by transnational
organised crime that facili-
tate conflicts, fund terro-
rism, and negatively im-
pact vulnerable
populations.
The issue was raised at a
side event of the 33rd Com-
mission on Crime Preven-
tion and Criminal Justice in
Vienna a few days ago.
Heads of the three interna-
tional organisations were
of the view that disincenti-
vising criminal activity
through targeting illicit
profits would also positive-
ly impact across all goals of
the 2030 Sustainable Deve-
lopment Agenda, includ-
ing financial stability, in-
clusive economic growth,
and strengthened institu-
tions and governance.
“Global financial integri-
ty is critical for financial
stability, inclusion, and for
peace and security...it can
only be achieved through
the robust and effective im-
Delhi Police search
Kejriwal’s home, seize
digital video recorder
The Hindu Bureau
NEW DELHI
The Delhi Police on Sunday
conducted a search at the
residence of Delhi Chief
Minister Arvind Kejriwal in
connection with a case of
alleged assault on Swati
Maliwal, Rajya Sabha
member of the Aam Aadmi
Party (AAP).
According to a senior of-
ficial aware of the matter, a
digital video recorder
(DVR) was seized during
the search.
Aide remanded
The Chief Minister’s aide,
Bibhav Kumar, was arrest-
ed on Saturday and is cur-
rently in police remand.
Mr. Kumar has been
booked under Sections of
the Indian Penal Code re-
lated to assault, criminal
intimidation, and outrag-
ing a woman’s modesty.
The allegations were le-
velled against him by Ms.
Maliwal, who gave her for-
mal complaint to the pol-
ice on May 16.
somehow defame AAP.”
He questioned why se-
lective details of assault
complaint were made pu-
blic while these should
have been kept
confidential.
AAP also claimed that
the BJP has nothing to
show in the name of deve-
lopment during its 10-year
rule at the Centre due to
which it is implicating Op-
position leaders in false
cases.
In a statement, the par-
ty asked why the BJP-led
Centre let Prajwal Revan-
na, a Janata Dal (Secular)
leader, “escape from India
on a diplomatic passport”
after he was accused of sex-
ually exploiting a large
number of women for the
past several years.
“Why is the BJP stand-
ing with Brijbhushan Singh
[BJP MP accused of sexual-
The heads of the FATF, Interpol,
and UNODC met recently. AP
plementation of money
laundering and terrorist fi-
nancing standards,” FATF
President T. Raja Kumar
said, speaking on the occa-
sion. He said the FATF was
committed to playing its
part and stepping up its
work on the cross-cutting
activities which enabled all
serious crime, especially
the laundering of the pro-
ceeds of crime.
Interpol Secretary-Gen-
eral Jürgen Stock said all
possible avenues should be
explored to deprive crimi-
nals of illicit gains. Choking
off illegal revenue streams
was essential in promoting
rule of law and protecting
vulnerable communities.
“Money laundering, ter-
rorism financing, and their
predicate offences are
fuelling instability, vio-
Chennai
The police seizing the CCTV DVR
from Arvind Kejriwal’s
residence on Sunday. ANI
The search was con-
ducted a day after Mr. Ku-
mar was produced before
the Tis Hazari court, where
Additional Public Prosecu-
tor Atul Srivastava, repre-
senting the Delhi Police,
said that the pen drive in
which the CCTV footage of
the Chief Minister’s resi-
thg-th-nl-00005541
dence was given to the pol-
ice was found to be blank.
Retorting to it, Mr. Ku-
mar’s counsel had told the
court that the police were
distorting facts. The Delhi
Police also alleged that Mr.
Kumar’s mobile phone had
been formatted.
ly harassing women wres-
tlers] and giving his son a
Lok Sabha ticket?” the par-
ty asked.
Meanwhile, Ms. Maliwal
targeted her own party,
saying it is defending the
person who not only “as-
saulted” her but also tam-
pered with proof by eras-
ing the CCTV evidence,
which would have proved
his crime.
“There was a time when
we all came out on streets
to get justice for Nirbhaya.
Today, 12 years later, we
have come out on the
streets to save the accused
(Mr.Kumar) who made the
CCTV footage disappear,”
the Rajya Sabha member
said in a post on X.
She said had former De-
puty Chief Minister Manish
Sisodia been out of jail,
things “would not have
been so bad” for her.
Interpol
Secretary-General
Jürgen Stock said all
possible avenues
should be explored
to deprive criminals
of illicit gains
lence, and exploitation
worldwide. Safeguarding
financial integrity is vital to
promoting peace and se-
curity, driving sustainable
development, and shield-
ing the most vulnerable,”
UNODC Executive Director
Ghada Waly said, adding
that the UNODC would
work with governments,
the private sector, the
FATF, and the Interpol to
dismantle illegal financial
networks that sustained
terrorism and transnation-
al organised crime.
The three leaders also
laid stress on accelerated
policy reforms and capaci-
ty building ahead of the UN
2026 Crime Congress, to
be hosted by the United
Arab Emirates. They also
appreciated the positive
impact of member coun-
tries increasingly working
with the private sector and
civil society to implement
joint approaches to fight-
ing financial crime.
A IN-X
 THE HINDU
Monday, May 20, 2024 7
SCIENCE
Chennai

Balancing two forms of SNCA protein

could help manage Parkinson’s
Today, Parkinson’s is treated symptomatically by increasing the levels of dopamine or, more drastically, by grafting new neurons in place of dead ones.
A solution based on the SNCA protein is more desirable because it will offer a more sustainable resolution

Somdatta Karak THE GIST

쑽
ynuclein alpha (SNCA) is a SNCA is abundant in neurons,

S mysterious protein. It’s present

in healthy cells but we don’t
know what it does there. It is
notorious for its involvement in
age-related neurodegenerative diseases.
especially in dopaminergic
neurons. It is found near the
nuclei of these cells and at
the junctions between two
neurons. It’s capable of
Twenty-seven years ago, researchers first misfolding as well as forming
associated SNCA with Parkinson’s disease. filamentous structures.
Misfolded proteins don’t
People with this disease lose neurons that
function correctly
communicate with each other using
dopamine as a neurotransmitter in a part 쑽
of their brains. A study reported two ways in
These dopaminergic neurons have which SNCA is present: one
been found to contain aggregated masses that interferes with the
thg-th-nl-00005541

thg-th-nl-00005541
of proteins called Lewy bodies. Most of integrity of cells’ nuclei and
these proteins are SNCA. another that allows the cell to
Since then, researchers have reported degrade misfolded proteins.
SNCA in similar aggregates in the brains of The former are related to
people with other neurodegenerative diseased states while the
diseases as well. But its presence is most latter is important for healthy
prominent in brains with Parkinson’s. cells
SNCA is abundant in neurons, A protein called synuclein alpha is notorious for its involvement in age-related neurodegenerative diseases. GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO 쑽
especially in dopaminergic neurons. It is A smaller population of SNCA
found near the nuclei of these cells and at micrometres long, much like Lewy use a gene-silencing tool, like means fewer misfolded SNCA.
the junctions between two neurons. It’s bodies. The other population was also CRISPR-Cas9, at a precise location. Researchers achieved this by
capable of misfolding as well as forming around the nuclei but as much smaller Researchers have tried this method in cell stopping the SNCA gene from
filamentous structures. So unlike most clumps called aggresomes. Such Twenty-seven years ago, researchers cultures and model animals. But a expressing itself or by
other proteins, which take up predictable aggresomes are formed when cells first associated SNCA with Parkinson’s significant challenge is to cross the destroying the SNCA inside
three-dimensional structures, SNCA can localise misfolded proteins into a small disease. People with this disease lose blood-brain barrier, a liquid that filters the cells. Either of these
fold in multiple ways. Misfolded proteins bunch (like collecting the trash in a blood that goes into the brain, and which interventions needs to happen
neurons that communicate with each only in select locations: if all
don’t function correctly. corner) for further processing. would also prevent a component CRISPR
But beyond these observations, other using dopamine as a from passing through. the SNCA is taken away, the
researchers don’t understand the Breaching the nucleus neurotransmitter in their brains To surmount this barrier, some body will die
dynamics of the formation of these They noticed that the Lewy-body-like researchers have tried to inject molecules
aggregates and how exactly they affect structures formed very slowly. Most of the that inhibit the SNCA gene through the
neurons. time, the aggresomes took up the SNCA Dr. Raychaudhuri’s team was able to skull, directly into the desired brain
proteins and didn’t allow the cross-check its findings in mice with region. Others have used small molecules
Two populations Lewy-body-like structures to grow. But in Lewy-body-like structures in their brains. like modified viruses to beat the barrier.
A recent study from Swasti their experiment, when the researchers They reported that the increasing Some researchers have also identified
Raychaudhuri’s lab at the CSIR-Centre for repeatedly seeded neurons with prevalence of these structures induced enzymes that degrade proteins in select
Cellular and Molecular Biology, misfolded SNCA, the Lewy-body-like conditions mimicking Parkinson’s brain cells, but with varying efficacy.
Hyderabad, published in the Journal of structures formed faster and became big disease. They also found that all the cells Another possibility is to stop SNCA
Cell Science, reported two ways in which enough to affect other parts of the cell. At so affected also had damaged nuclear from forming large aggregates. Dr.
SNCA is present as aggregates in cells: one one point, they became too populous for envelopes. Raychaudhuri has suggested balancing
that interferes with the structural the aggresomes to mitigate their the SNCA population between
integrity of cells’ nuclei and another that prevalence. A therapeutic target? aggresomes and Lewy bodies. The more
allows the cell to degrade misfolded The enlarged Lewy-body-like Many Parkinson’s disease researchers are SNCA that goes into the aggresomes, the
proteins. The researchers found that the structures were situated at the periphery focused on reducing the prevalence of less there will be available to make Lewy
former are related to diseased states while of the nuclei of the cells, and the SNCA in neurons as a therapeutic bodies. How this can be achieved is still
the latter is important for healthy cells. researchers have argued that this measure. Researchers are going about this being worked out.
As such, the study highlights the damages the nuclear envelope. in various ways, but haven’t yet found one Even if any one of these methods
importance of striking a balance between Sometimes, the structures also entered that has been approved for sale. succeeds, it will transform the way
these two SNCA populations to manage the ruptured nucleus. One way is to reduce the cells’ SNCA Parkinson’s disease is treated today.
Parkinson’s disease. A nucleus is the control centre of the content. A smaller population of SNCA Today, Parkinson’s is treated
The researchers cultivated neurons cell. It contains the cell’s genetic material, means fewer misfolded SNCA, too. symptomatically by increasing the levels
outside a living body, providing them with and is the seat of upkeep of this genetic Researchers have achieved this by of dopamine or, more drastically, by
nutrients in a laboratory setup. In these material and its utilisation to make stopping the SNCA gene from expressing grafting new neurons in place of dead
neurons, they artificially created proteins. So it is logical that the itself or by destroying the SNCA protein ones. An SNCA-based solution is more
structures resembling Lewy bodies by accumulation of misfolded SNCA would inside cells, once the cells make them. desirable because it offers a more
adding some amount of misfolded SNCA, render the nucleus dysfunctional and However, either of these interventions sustainable resolution.
called seeds. eventually kill it. In addition, needs to happen only in select locations: (Somdatta Karak, PhD, heads science
Over time, they found two SNCA Lewy-body-like structures can pass from if all the SNCA everywhere is taken away, communication and public outreach at
populations in the cells: one was around one cell to another, so the effect could the animal body will die. CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular
the nuclei, shaped like filaments tens of cascade to neighbouring cells as well. Another workable solution has been to Biology.)

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB
BIG SHOT WHAT IS IT?

Nucleosynthesis: the element factory

Karthik Vinod

Stellar nucleosynthesis is the

process by which stars forge
elements inside their cores.
The only element not formed in
this way is hydrogen, the most
abundant and lightest element
in the universe: it was formed in
the initial aftermath of the Big
Bang.
The cores of stars have
crushing pressures and
temperature. For example, the
sun’s core temperature is about
15 million degrees C. In these
harsh conditions, the nuclei of The cores of stars have crushing pressures and
atoms undergo nuclear fusion. temperature. Representative image. GETTY
The hydrogen nucleus is just IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO
one proton. Inside the core,
these nuclei come together to
form helium nuclei (two protons return increases its temperature,
and two neutrons). This is the triggering nuclear fusion yet again. This
p-p (short for proton-proton) process goes back and forth until the star
process. starts to produce iron in its core. Iron is
In more massive stars, the lightest element for which fusion
however, stellar nucleosynthesis consumes more energy than it releases.
treads a different path — one Elements heavier than iron can only be
dictated by the availability of synthesised outside a star when it goes
energy. More massive stars have supernova.
a higher core temperature.
There, in the so-called
carbon-nitrogen-oxygen (CNO)
cycle, the nuclei of these
elements come together in For feedback and suggestions
X different ways to form elements for ‘Science’, please write to
Mt. Ibu, on the remote Indonesian island of Halmahera, erupts spectacularly, spewing a grey ash cloud 4 km into the sky as streaks of lightning flash around its crater. Authorities from helium onwards. science@thehindu.co.in
have evacuated people from seven nearby villages. Ibu’s eruption follows a series of such outbursts from different volcanoes in Indonesia, which sits on the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’ When a star runs out of nuclei with the subject ‘Daily page’
and has 127 active volcanoes. AFP to fuse, its core contracts. This in
CM A IN-X
YK

8 Monday, May 20, 2024
Ordinary men
The AAP needs to go by what it
demands of other political parties
T
he Delhi police have arrested a personal
aide of Delhi Chief Minister and National
Convenor, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Ar-
vind Kejriwal, following allegations of the aide as-
saulting a Rajya Sabha member of the AAP, Swati
Maliwal. Accusations made by Ms. Maliwal
against the aide, Bibhav Kumar, are of a serious
nature. In a public statement, she has said that
Mr. Kumar beat her “brutally” and “slapped and
kicked” her. AAP leader Sanjay Singh had in a pu-
blic statement, on May 14, said that the aide had
“misbehaved” and “acted indecently” with Ms.
Maliwal, when she arrived at Mr. Kejriwal’s offi-
cial residence to meet him. Mr. Singh went on to
add that Mr. Kejriwal had taken note of the inci-
dent and that “strict action” would follow. But
that was not how events unfolded. The AAP did
not act against Mr. Kumar and Ms. Maliwal filed a
police complaint, leading to his arrest. In an
abrupt change of tune, the AAP now accuses Ms.
Maliwal, who has been an associate of Mr. Kejri-
wal for two decades, of being a “pawn” of the
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The BJP has waded
thg-th-nl-00005541
into the troubled waters, and the Congress has
reminded Mr. Kejriwal that he had campaigned
for laws that gave precedence to a woman’s
words in a case of assault.
A media trial or a political tug of war cannot
determine the truth. A professional, unbiased in-
vestigation can. The position of the BJP which is
in power at the Centre and controls the Delhi pol-
ice should not be allowed to influence the investi-
gation. In fact, the BJP’s outrage here is hypocrit-
ical, considering its muted reaction to more
serious allegations against Prajwal Revanna, a sit-
ting MP of its ally, the Janata Dal (Secular). Mr.
Kejriwal also must speak up on the issue. Conti-
nuing silence or making rhetorical allegations
against the BJP is not the answer. The AAP that
rose to prominence as part of a response to the
decadence of politics in India, is today facing the
catalogue of charges it had stuck on all other par-
ties — from corruption and nepotism to authori-
tarianism and toxic masculinity. Despite being
around for over a decade, it remains insulated
from public scrutiny or internal accountability. It
has no organisational structures of decision-mak-
ing, and often takes recourse to arbitrary mea-
sures. Irrespective of the outcome of the Maliwal
case, and quite apart from the BJP’s tendency to
use enforcement agencies for political purposes,
the AAP needs to do some serious introspection.
Talking peace
India must push for a more inclusive
peace effort against the Ukraine war
T
wo years after Russia’s invasion of Uk-
raine, Switzerland has stepped in to or-
ganise a peace conference, making a spe-
cial effort to broaden global consensus on the
war by enlisting those who have not joined the
western coalition thus far. As a close partner of
Russia, a member of the BRICS and SCO group-
ings, a leader in the Global South, and an aspirant
to world leadership, India is, no doubt, at the top
of the list. And the Swiss Foreign Secretary Alex-
andre Fasel’s visit to Delhi this week, following
closely those of two Swiss Ministers, and the Uk-
rainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba over the
past few months, is evidence that the invitation to
India at the head of state/head of government le-
vel is a priority. Of the 160 or so countries that in-
vitations for the conference have gone to — it is to
be held in the resort town of Bürgenstock on June
15-16 — about 50 have confirmed their atten-
dance, mostly from the European Union, NATO
alliance, G-7 countries and U.S. allies such as Ja-
pan, South Korea and Australia. Russia has not
been invited, and Mr. Fasel made it clear that
their diplomacy was hoping to bring over ‘BICS’
leaders (BRICS minus Russia) so they could con-
vey the outcomes to Moscow, with a view to invit-
ing Russia to a future round of talks. With Brazi-
lian President Lula indicating that he would not
attend, and South Africa’s citing its general elec-
tions on May 29 to formally decline the invitation,
all eyes are on whether Chinese President Xi Jinp-
ing, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, if he is
re-elected, or official nominees would attend.
Convincing the rest of the world to attend a
platform that appears stilted towards Ukraine re-
mains a tall order for the organisers. While Swit-
zerland prides itself on its “neutrality”, it has al-
ready chosen sides in the current conflict by
imposing sanctions on Russia. Another venue
may have appeared more impartial. The agenda
for the conference is to build a framework for or
road map to peace, and to discuss issues such as
ensuring food security and freedom of naviga-
tion, nuclear safety and humanitarian issues. It
seems unlikely that much headway can be made
on any of these issues without both parties to the
conflict at the table. It is also hard to foresee what
else can be achieved as long as Russia and Uk-
raine believe they can make or consolidate more
gains on the battlefield — a real negotiation begins
when either one or both sides believe they have
exhausted military options. If the aim of the con-
ference then is, as Russian President Vladimir Pu-
tin says, to “pressure” Russia into announcing a
ceasefire or ceding territory it has won, then it is
hardly likely to succeed, given the UN General As-
sembly’s failure to bring such pressure through
multiple resolutions. New Delhi, that has thus far
refused to join any statement that is overtly criti-
cal of Russia, and has not diluted ties with Mos-
cow, may thus find it easier to hedge its bets, and
only show its hand once a truly balanced and
more inclusive peace effort gets under way.
CM
YK
Editorial
A minor girl victim support scheme that loses its way
O
n November 30, 2023, the Ministry of
Women and Child Development
notified the “Scheme for Care and
Support to Victims under Section 4 &
6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual
Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012”. The objective is to
provide integrated support and assistance to
minor pregnant girl child victims “under one
roof” and facilitate immediate emergency and
non-emergency access to services for long-term
rehabilitation. For reasons best known to the
Ministry though, the name of the scheme does
not reflect the intent.
Oversights and inconsistencies
While it was for only abandoned or orphaned
pregnant girls, initially, the scheme has now been
expanded to include all pregnant girl victims
under the mentioned sections of the POCSO Act.
Therein lies the rub: besides some cosmetic
inclusions, the scheme has not been redrafted to
reflect the new inclusiveness, and many of the
commiserate changes warranted have been left
out.
The misleading nomenclature, either by
oversight or deliberate, results in confusion (a
constant feature that runs through the scheme),
on two counts. It is important to note that victims
under Sections 4 and 6 of the POCSO Act could
be of any gender. Second, when the scheme is
precisely for all pregnant girls/victims under 18
years, is it to obfuscate while acknowledging
tacitly in its introduction that a disproportionate
number of these girls are between 13-18 years and
“In many of these cases, girls become pregnant”,
the empirically established fact that adolescent
sexuality is a stage of human development in
which adolescents experience and explore sexual
feelings, which would then put the onus on
government to be proactive and provide sexual
and reproductive health (SRH) information and
services to youth rather than being reactive? The
law has not, certainly, as indicated by
sociological, medical and judicial data, proven to
be very effective, largely because many of these
cases involving pregnant girls arise out of
marriage and non-exploitative, explorative sexual
activity among young people. But this is in no
way obscures the fact that there are cases of
pregnancy because of sexual violence and
exploitation, which also highlights the need for
the government to step up its efforts in promoting
and setting up safeguarding systems for children
and adolescents, promoting SRH information and
ensuring abuse prevention education for the
entire community.
While ostensibly seeking to serve “every minor
pregnant girl child victim”, the only definite
categories are now those who continue, by choice
or default, with their pregnancies and those who
were not permitted by the court to undergo a
medical termination of pregnancy (MTP). The
A towering hazard, the height of poor enforcement
T
he incident in Mumbai, on May 13, 2024,
where a giant outdoor hoarding collapsed
in a widespread dust storm leaving at least
16 people dead and over 70 people injured has
led to serious questions. The billboard was
installed without authorisation from the
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
After the accident, the BMC has said that action
would be taken against those who have put up
illegal hoardings in the city.
This post-facto response is a lack-lustre
reaction, especially when deaths caused by illegal
hoardings are not new in India. Just days after
this incident, a hoarding collapsed on on the
Pune-Solapur highway, following rain, injuring an
animal. In May 2023, again in Pune, an
unauthorised hoarding collapsed leaving five
people dead. And in June 2023, three workers
were crushed when the huge hoarding that they
were erecting collapsed at Thekkalur near
Karumathampatti in Coimbatore district.
In the case of the Mumbai incident, that a
hoarding nine times the permissible size was
allowed to remain until it collapsed indicates a
lack of oversight on the part of the BMC. A review
of outdoor advertisement policies across different
cities in India shows that these policies have very
little to offer with respect to time-bound action
against illegal hoardings.
Violations of dimensions
Although the policies provide for maximum
dimensions for hoardings, many cities have
billboards that are well beyond permissible sizes.
High Courts often haul up corporations for their
inaction or lack of enforcement with respect to
advertisement regulations. Previously, the
Bombay High Court went so far as to provide the
procedure for the removal of illegal hoardings,
and directed that it be undertaken by two police
personnel, accompanied by a civic staff member
at the time of removal.
Despite a slew of orders since 2017, negligence
by the corporation has resulted in a serious
incident, leading to a flurry of action by
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
AAP and incident blame games by the Aam
The Delhi Chief Minster Aadmi Party (AAP) are
Arvind Kejriwal must come unwarranted. The truth
clean on the issue involving must come out and justice
a Rajya Sabha Member of must prevail. With
Parliament from his own controversies galore every
party, who was allegedly day the AAP cannot be
beaten by the Chief termed as a party with a
Minister’s personal assistant difference when such an
in the Chief Minister’s incident is said to have
official residence. Political taken place in the Chief
THE HINDU
scheme remains silent on whether the benefits
will continue to be provided if the victim of a
reported case opts for an MTP or has a
miscarriage.
So also with a girl who may have attained 18
years subsequent to the case being reported and
Vidya Reddy the pregnancy confirmed, or if her personal
circumstances change in the course of time which
works with Tulir –
Centre for the may be up to 23 years of age and till when
Prevention and benefits of Mission Vatsalya (“a road map to
Healing of Child achieve development and child protection
Sexual Abuse, a priorities aligned with the Sustainable
Chennai-based Development Goals”) can be accorded. It would
non-governmental be disappointing if this scheme meant for a very
organisation vulnerable group discriminates and actually
leaves them short-changed.
The scheme is fraught with glaring oversights
and inconsistencies with prevailing legislations,
rules, orders and guidelines.
For instance, it is wrongly stated that Section
27, POCSO Act, 2012, which actually refers to the
medical examination of a child, is to be taken into
Sannuthi Suresh
account to decide on the placement of the minor
works with Tulir – pregnant girl in institutional
Centre for the care/non-institutional care. It also erroneously
Prevention and implies that the Child Welfare Committee (CWC)
Healing of Child can consent for the sexual assault medical
Sexual Abuse, a examination of any child below 12 years of age,
Chennai-based
whether or not her parents/guardian are present.
non-governmental
organisation Further, it is mentioned that in case of an MTP,
the district magistrate, on advice of the district
chief medical officer, shall order for an MTP to a
government facility or registered medical
practitioner. When every minute matters in these
situations, this delaying stipulation is redundant
and superfluous, and is not in consonance with
the MTP Act.
It is also puzzling that the reference to MTP is
reduced to two sentences that have been inserted
at random in the 21-page document. Surely,
keeping in mind the circumstances within which
the pregnancy has occurred, conversations on
the choices of discontinuing it or not must be
facilitated at the outset.
Contrary to the rules
Victims under the POCSO Act, including those
who are pregnant, do not automatically qualify as
Children in Need of Care and Protection (CNCP).
There are many
Benefits can be extended to them without
gaps in the categorising them as CNCP if the family or
Scheme for guardian is able to provide necessary care and
Care and protection. However, as indicated in the scheme,
Support to to avail its benefits, all pregnant girls will need to
Victims under be considered as CNCP. This is contrary to Rule
4(4), POCSO Rules and Section 2(14), Juvenile
Section 4 and 6
Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015
of the
( JJ Act) and will entail in their unnecessary
Protection of production before the CWC and the observance
Children from of all other attendant procedures under these
Sexual legislations.
Offences Act The scheme needs to unequivocally clarify
Sneha Priya corporations across India. But will this interest in
Yanappa clearing illegal hoardings be sustained?
is Senior Resident
No transparency, weak enforcement
Fellow, Vidhi Centre
for Legal Policy
There are two key issues that hinder the
enforcement of advertising regulations by city
corporations: the lack of transparency and
intermittent enforcement. Insofar as
Deepa Padmar transparency is concerned, advertisement
is Research Fellow, policies must expressly state the process through
Vidhi Centre for Legal which complaints against illegal advertisements
Policy may be raised and the action to be undertaken.
As far as enforcement is concerned, there is a
need for a mechanism which ensures the prompt
removal of unauthorised hoardings.
Raghunandan Enforcement mechanisms do exist in the
Sriram various outdoor advertising regulations in force.
is Research Fellow, The Delhi Outdoor Advertising Policy, 2017
Vidhi Centre for Legal requires that the owners of non-compliant
Policy advertisements be asked to remove the structure
within a specified time, failing which they are to
be removed by the municipal authority. The
policy also allows the suo motu removal of
unauthorised devices that pose a hazard to road
traffic.
A more comprehensive enforcement regime is
contained in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara
Palike Advertisement Rules, 2021 — but they were
withdrawn after public backlash. The rules vested
the Chief Commissioner with the power to
remove unauthorised hoardings, and constituted
an Advertisement Regulatory Committee to
monitor compliance enforcement and the
Policies and removal of unauthorised advertisements.
guidelines lay The Tamil Nadu Urban Local Bodies Rules,
down safety 2023 require the municipal officials concerned to
requirements review the licensing of hoardings every three
for outdoor months and submit quarterly reports to the chief
advertising administrative officer of the urban local body.
One mechanism through which a check can be
infrastructure,
kept on unauthorised hoardings is through the
but periodic appointment of inter-departmental bodies which
enforcement of undertake periodic zone-wise or ward-wise
these standards inspection of outdoor advertisements to ensure
in India is weak that they meet the standards laid down in law.
Minister’s official residence. counselling, to reunite, of their children.
Brij Bhushan Goyal, given the circumstances, in K. Chellappan,
Ludhiana, Punjab the interest of their only Chennai
daughter is a rare yet
Reunited revered judicial ruling. The playoffs now
The efforts of a family court, Such verdicts are worthy of The match on Sunday, in
in Alappuzha, Kerala, in emulation by estranged Bengaluru, between
reuniting a couple after 14 couples fighting in other Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
years of divorce courts, which is becoming and Royal Challengers
proceedings are quite common. They must Bengaluru (RCB), said it all
praiseworthy (May18). The ponder over the well-being (‘Sport’ page, May 19). Every
Chennai
whether all the entitlements for the girls who opt
for institutional care listed in the “Process Flow of
the Scheme”, also apply to those in
non-institutional care, i.e., for girls who prefer to
live with their family.
If the young mother chooses to surrender the
baby, “the newborn may be placed in the
designated SAA till the girl child victim attains the
age of 18 years. Thereafter, she will be informed
of the process of surrender as per Section 35 of
the JJ Act”. This is contrary to the Adoption
Regulations overseen by the Central Adoption
Resource Authority (CARA) which does not have
any age thresholds for a mother to surrender the
infant. The scheme now condemns the infant to
an unnecessarily long period of
institutionalisation (perhaps for a few years, as, in
some cases, the mother may be a young
teenager).
Monetary implications
Finally, given the ignominiously high position
India occupies in the ranking of child marriages
and teenage pregnancies, the burden on the
exchequer, proposed by the scheme, is going to
be multifold. To avail the scheme, each child who
fulfils the new criteria — every reported case
booked under the POCSO Act, 2012 of a pregnant
girl under 18 years — would be given an initial
thg-th-nl-00005541
payment of ₹6,000 and a monthly payment of
₹4,000 as stipulated in Mission Vatsalya up to the
age of 21 years with possible extension of up to 23
years. With the prevailing mandatory reporting
provision in the POCSO Act, 2012, pointing to an
exponential increase of cases being reported by
health authorities at the time of delivery or
pregnancy-related hospital visits, a thorough
analysis of health data and police data needs to
be undertaken to plan, budget and provide for
the scheme.
As gleaned from an RTI reply, 1,448 girls below
18 gave birth from January 2021 and October 2023
in a southern district. Even as a sample
hypothetical working, if the average age of these
young mothers at the time of delivery was 16
years, and taking into account that Mission
Vatsalya allows support until the age of 23 years,
the direct financial outlay for each mother as per
the scheme would be ₹6,000 (a one-time
payment)+₹4,000X84 months = ₹3,42,000. For
1,448 girls and their babies, it would work out to
₹49,52,16,000.
To avoid the roiling confusion that is bound to
happen if the scheme is implemented in its
present form — it is a hotchpotch now — it is
imperative for the Ministry of Women and Child
Development to rectify it, bearing in mind the
provisions of the various prevailing legislations,
rules, guidelines and protocols with which it will
integrate and intersect. Data which can
substantiate many of the aspects put forth will
further give it the backing of solid evidence.
This will make periodic inspections a mandatory
duty rather than a discretionary power of the
municipal authority. Such enforcement and
monitoring bodies may include relevant
personnel from the traffic department along with
zonal- or ward-level officers of the corporations
and departmental safety engineers.
Multiple forms of risk
City-level policies or bye-laws must also specify
the course of action to be taken by corporation
officials subsequent to the identification of
unauthorised hoardings. It may be noted here
that unauthorised hoardings include not only
durable installations but also unauthorised
banners and flexes (often put up by political
party operatives), which, despite being
temporary, also pose a significant safety risk.
Action must also be taken against officials who
fail to remove illegal structures despite
complaints.
Corporations must also look towards creating
platforms and mechanisms through which
citizens may report violations. Compliance may
be monitored through the effective deployment
of technology, such as the embossing of QR codes
on all authorised hoardings.
Policies and guidelines lay down safety
requirements for outdoor advertising
infrastructure, but periodic enforcement of these
standards continues to be overlooked. Very often,
when harm is caused due to unauthorised
hoardings, corporations attempt to evade
responsibility by claiming that such structures
were illegal in the first place. However, it is
important for municipal authorities to actively
recognise their role in the removal of illegal
outdoor advertisements and assume
responsibility for the identification of
unauthorised advertising structures. The need is
for municipal bodies to institute proactive
enforcement mechanisms, instead of taking
action only in response to either court orders or
harrowing incidents such as the one in Mumbai
last week.
RCB player played with
clinical precision. The CSK
players have been
inconsistent from the
beginning of the IPL season.
It is inconsistency and
overconfidence which led to
the dethroning of the
formidable CSK.
M.C. Vijay Shankar,
Chennai
A IN-X
 THE HINDU
Monday, May 20, 2024 9
Chennai
Opinion

Renew the generalised system of preferences Time for Congress to answer wake-up calls
The party needs to reassert itself before its political space shrinks further

I
n the pantheon of obscure
international trade
terminology, the
“generalised system of
preferences,” or GSP, has a special
place. GSP refers to an approach
that has been adopted by nearly
imports also help reduce the tariff
bills paid by American companies,
many of which are small- and
medium-sized enterprises.
The coalitions of support in the
U.S. are diverse. Last November, a
Mark Linscott bipartisan group of Florida
though India has gone into
overdrive in negotiating free trade
agreements (FTAs) with a wider
circle of trading partners,
including the European Union, the
U.K., the European Free Trade
Association, Australia, and the
STATE OF PLAY and depend solely on the
strength of their alliance
Udhav Naig partners to get re-elected.
udhav.naig@thehindu.co.in This is not the first time that
a Tamil Nadu Congress presi-

all developed countries for
roughly the last half-century to
offer incentives for economic
reform in developing countries
through lower tariffs. Each
developed country has customised
its own GSP programme to
identify qualification criteria it
deems important in economic
reform, although all ensure that
their programmes are constructed
to avoid harm to domestic
production. In short, it is the
oldest and most far-reaching
approach to “aid for trade” in the
modern multilateral trading
system, embodied in the World
Trade Organization.
Renewing GSP
What is unique about the GSP
programme in the U.S. is that its
authorising legislation periodically
thg-th-nl-00005541
is a Senior Advisor at members of the House penned a
the U.S.-India letter expressing their strong
Strategic Partnership support for GSP renewal on an
Forum and a former urgent basis, highlighting its
Assistant U.S. Trade importance in sourcing away from
Representative in the China and lowering the tariff bill
Bush, Obama, and for Florida’s consumers and
Trump manufacturers. In an era of
administrations
friendshoring and nearshoring,
GSP can be an effective tool in
pursuing new supply chain
objectives. Surprisingly, there is
even strong bipartisan support for
restarting GSP talks with India.
U.S.-India trade relationship
While there should be no need to
offer additional arguments in
favour of renewing GSP without
further delay, the U.S.-India trade
relationship may help to put
support over the top. It is accepted
wisdom that GSP renewal would
UAE, the Biden administration is
clear that the U.S. will not
negotiate FTAs with any country
for the moment. There are several
trade dialogues between the two,
but these lack the leverage for a
hard-nosed trade negotiation that
can shoot for ambitious results.
The private sectors in both
countries are teaming up to
increase investments in
high-profile sectors across critical
and emerging technologies from
smartphone manufacturing to
semiconductor production, but
they lack the stability in regulatory
certainty and ease of doing
business that a strong, enforceable
trade agreement can bring.
This is where GSP should come
into the picture. Each side would
have much to gain through
negotiations on India’s GSP
M
ore than three weeks
after polling for the
39 parliamentary
seats in Tamil Nadu ended,
State Congress chief K. Selva-
perunthagai called upon party
cadres to strive to “recapture
power” in order to gain politi-
cal “respect” from the DMK,
the leader of the alliance of
which it is a part in the State.
The Congress’s allies are be-
wildered by this sudden ap-
peal given that the party made
serious efforts to challenge the
principal Dravidian parties,
the DMK and AIADMK, only
once in 1989 after losing pow-
er in 1967 in the State. A de-
cade ago, when the Congress
decided to fight the Lok Sabha
elections alone, it polled just
4.37% of the votes. Since then,
emerged over time and enjoy
influence in pockets across
some regions. They have stea-
dily chipped away at the Con-
gress’s base, forcing it to de-
pend on the Dravidian majors.
Party sources say Mr. Selva-
perunthagai’s comment may
have been made to allay the
anxieties of the party cadres,
who have often complained
about mistreatment by the
DMK and its local district lea-
dership. In successive elec-
tions since 2019, the DMK has
driven a hard bargain with the
Congress, reducing the num-
dent has spoken about reviv-
ing the party. However, his re-
marks have gained
significance because the party
appears to have woken up to
the need to match the ambi-
tions of its national competi-
tor, the BJP. In Tamil Nadu, the
BJP has been dominating polit-
ical headlines thanks to the its
rambunctious State president,
K. Annamalai, who aspires to
make the BJP the principal Op-
position party to the DMK.
The forceful nature of the
State BJP has shaken the Con-
gress, which has been in a
comfortable position and con-
tinues to be courted by the
DMK and the AIADMK.
Despite Mr. Sevaperuntha-
gai’s curious comment, many
in the State leadership wonder

expires until Congress sees fit to
renew the programme. New
legislation is never an easy
proposition, especially in a
polarised environment, making
bipartisan legislation a herculean
endeavour. That is the case with
GSP now. The U.S. programme
expired in 2020 and despite
repeated assurances of bipartisan
support, it remains in limbo.
GSP can play a vital role in
establishing stable market access
for developing countries that
otherwise struggle to tap into
global trade flows. It can be
especially valuable for small
businesses and women-owned
enterprises, thus helping to
empower them beyond limited
domestic markets. More recent
analysis suggests that GSP is vital
in offering alternatives to Chinese
imports and providing an
advantage to suppliers in trusted
developing country markets. GSP
criteria promote reforms on
labour and environmental
sustainability and intellectual
property rights protection. GSP
offer an avenue for wide-ranging
U.S.-India trade negotiations that
can help in vaulting the bilateral
trade relationship from the $200
billion it is presently at to a much
higher level. It is clear there needs
to be higher ambition on trade in
order to take the U.S.-India
strategic relationship even further.
Before the expiration of the GSP
programme in 2020, negotiations
between the Office of the U.S.
Trade Representative and the
Indian Ministry of Commerce and
Industry had come close to sealing
a wide-ranging deal. Estimates at
the time suggested that an
unprecedented bilateral trade
agreement between the U.S. and
India might cover as much as $10
It is clear there billion in trade, including medical
needs to be devices, several agricultural
higher ambition commodities, corn-based ethanol
on trade in used for fuel, and information
technology products.
order to take
The U.S. and India have already
the U.S.-India come a long distance in their trade
strategic relationship. Yet the tools they
relationship have available to achieve this
even further increase in trade are limited. Even
benefits when the U.S. Congress
acts to renew the programme.
Short of a change in U.S.
administration policy on
negotiating FTAs again, no other
trade tool or policy could be more
effective with India than GSP.
Depending on what qualification
criteria the Congress includes in
the final renewal legislation, a GSP
negotiation could cover trade in
goods and services, protections
for internationally accepted labour
rights and restrictions on child
labour, enforcement of
environmental laws, and
provisions on good regulatory
practice and other areas relevant
to ease of doing business.
As the U.S.-India strategic
partnership continues to grow and
the two countries play critical,
collaborative roles in the
Indo-Pacific, they should aim
much higher in their trade
relationship. GSP is not the full
answer to comprehensively
achieving this, but it would be a
strong statement of their mutual
desire to be on this path.
it has been a junior partner in
the DMK-led alliance, notwith-
standing the BJP’s attempts to
expand its base.
In independent India, the
Congress was the ruling party
in Tamil Nadu between 1952
and 1967. After its loss in the
1967 Assembly elections to the
DMK, it became the main Op-
position party. When the
AIADMK emerged as a force in
Tamil Nadu politics, the Con-
gress slipped further to be-
come a dominant third party
securing close to 20% of the
vote share. Today, it is fighting
to preserve its shell. The party
which contested the 1980 As-
sembly elections from 114
seats, two more than the DMK
in the same alliance, is now
forced to settle for significant-
ly fewer seats given its deplet-
ed strength, except in a few
pockets. Ideologically diverse
parties such as the Naam Ta-
milar Katchi, the Viduthalai
Chiruthaigal Katchi, and the
Pattali Makkal Katchi have
ber of seats allotted to it. This
is perhaps why Mr. Selvape-
runthagai told the party
cadres that they will have to
strengthen the Congress for
better negotiations with al-
liance partners if they want to
reclaim respect.
However, quick backpedall-
ing has created a sense of disil-
lusionment. Congress leader
E.V.K.S. Elangovan said that he
will unhesitatingly call Chief
Minister M.K. Stalin’s rule as
“Kamarajar’s rule (after K.
Kamaraj, the first Chief Minis-
ter of the State)”. On Sunday,
during a press conference, Mr.
Selvaperunthagai himself
echoed Mr. Elangovan’s view.
Congress leaders say when
the party is an alliance, voters
elect a significant number of
its candidates to Parliament
and Assembly, but they reject
the Congress when it fights
elections on its own. The
elected representatives do not
make adequate efforts to build
the Congress at the grassroots
thg-th-nl-00005541
whether the Congress high
command culture of making
appointments and designing
the party’s strategy for Tamil
Nadu from New Delhi will al-
low him to chart an indepen-
dent path for the party in Ta-
mil Nadu. It will also not be
easy for the party to do this as
both the DMK and Congress
are firmly a part of the Opposi-
tion INDIA bloc at the national
level. If the bloc forms the go-
vernment at the Centre, the
State leadership of the Con-
gress will have to perform pol-
itical gymnastics to oppose
the DMK in Tamil Nadu.
Be that as it may, the Con-
gress in Tamil Nadu needs to
find ingenious ways of reas-
serting itself, even if it is in an
alliance with the DMK. This
will not be easy in a State
where it will have to compete
with parties with varied politi-
cal ideologies. But it is clear
that the Congress must make a
start somewhere before its
political space shrinks further.

Understanding the BJP’s 2024 ticket distribution strategy F R O M T HE A RC HI V ES

An analysis shows the importance of factors beyond the party’s electoral performance, such as candidate performance and internal party dynamics
FIFTY YEARS AGO MAY 20, 1974

DATA POINT
a narrow victory margin (less than Safe technology developed
50,000 votes). About 48% of sit-
ting MPs in these constituencies by India for nuclear
Jyoti Mishra, Vibha Attri were not re-nominated. This sug-
& Ananya Sharma gests a cautious approach by the explosions
BJP, which clearly aimed to replace

T
he BJP achieved an impres-
sive mandate in the 2019
general elections, winning
303 seats in the Lok Sabha.
Beyond the seat count, the party’s
historic win was also defined by
significant victory margins in va-
rious constituencies. With an aver-
age victory margin of nearly 2.3
lakh votes, the BJP showed how
popular it was among voters. In
this analysis, we delve into the
BJP’s ticket distribution strategy
for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Of the 303 BJP MPs who were
elected in 2019, the party en-
dorsed 167 to re-contest the elec-
tions from their respective consti-
tuencies, and moved five to
different constituencies. It denied
112 MPs tickets. Twelve seats be-
came vacant as sitting MPs contest-
ed Assembly elections in 2023, in-
dicating their shift towards
regional politics. In Haryana’s Ku-
rukshetra constituency, for in-
stance, the sitting MP resigned to
become Chief Minister. The party
had to select new candidates to fill
two seats, which were left vacant
due to the death of MPs (Table 1).
Of the 303 seats, only three
seats were allocated to allies: Bi-
har’s Sheohar constituency, where
a Janata Dal (United) candidate
contested; Karnataka’s Kolar
(Scheduled Caste) constituency,
where a Janata Dal (Secular) candi-
date contested; and Uttar Pra-
desh’s Baghpat, where an Rashtri-
ya Lok Dal candidate contested the
elections. In bypolls, the BJP faced
setbacks in two constituencies —
Mandi in Himachal Pradesh and
Asansol in West Bengal — and man-
aged to retain two — Belgaum in
Karnataka and Khandwa in Mad-
hya Pradesh.
The BJP’s ticket distribution
strategy reflects a calculated ap-
proach. There was a high rate of
ticket denial in constituencies with
CM
YK
candidates in more competitive or New Delhi, May 19: The Meteorological
uncertain constituencies with new Department here to-day announced it had
faces to enhance its chances of recorded India’s first underground nuclear
winning. On the other hand, in explosion set off on Saturday.
constituencies with moderate vic- The event was detected at 8-06 a.m. and it
tory margins (1 lakh-2 lakh), there registered a force equivalent to an earthquake of
were higher retention rates, with magnitude 4.5 in the Richter Scale.
61% of MPs being allowed to re- Meanwhile scientists here are both elated and
contest. puzzled about the reported absence of any
The BJP employed mixed strate- radioactive fallout following the nuclear
gies for constituencies with high explosion.
victory margins. Surprisingly, 47% They say it suggests that the AEC has
of MPs who won by over 5,00,000 developed the technology of peaceful nuclear
votes were denied tickets. An ex- explosives to such an extent that they can be
ample of this is Karnal, where the exploded even at a fairly shallow depth without
BJP replaced sitting MP Sanjay venting and contaminating the atmosphere.
Bhatia with former Haryana Chief Saturday’s explosion, which had a power in
Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, des- the range of 10-15 kilotones, was set off at a
pite Karnal recording the second- depth of about 100 metres, according to AEC.
highest victory margin (6.56 lakh According to declassified documents of the
votes) in the 2019 Lok Sabha elec- U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, an explosion
tions. This indicates the impor- of this magnitude at such a depth in
tance of factors beyond the party’s Rajasthan-like terrain would almost definitely
electoral performance, such as produce venting, as well as a surface crater
candidate performance, public followed by atmospheric contamination.
perception, internal party dynam- But the Indian explosion at a depth (shallow
ics, caste, and anti-incumbency, in by American definition) which according to the
ticket allocation (Table 2). AEC Chairman, Dr. H.N. Sethna, produced
An analysis of the BJP’s ticket neither venting nor contamination suggested
distribution strategy reveals a that AEC had developed a safe technology for
nuanced approach to candidate nuclear explosions for peaceful purposes.
selection. There appears to be no Dr. Sethna, in fact, said that an aerial survey,
significant relationship between a minutes after the explosion, at heights as low as
candidate’s performance, as mea- 30 metres above the explosion area showed no
sured by the margin of victory, and increase in the level of radioactivity.
the likelihood of ticket denial. Dr. Sethna said that details of the experiment
The data indicate that among would be published for the benefit of scientists.
the candidates who were denied
tickets, 112 had an average victory
margin of 2,35,111 votes in the 2019 A HUNDRED YEARS AGO MAY 20, 1924
elections. In contrast, 167 candi-
dates who were re-nominated had Heavy rains in Salem Dt.
an average victory margin of
2,23,686 votes. The statistical ana- Salem, May 19: We are having unusually hot
lysis, with a p-value of 0.542, indi- weather but from several parts of the Salem
cates no significant correlation District heavy rains are reported. There was a
between victory margin and ticket heavy rain accompanied by cyclonic winds
denial. This suggests that the BJP’s yesterday and day before yesterday. Many
decision-making process for candi- houses are reported to have fallen and a number
date selection is influenced by a of trees have been uprooted and are lying across
variety of factors beyond mere the roads causing much inconvenience to the
electoral performance. traffic.
A IN-X

10
Text&Context
NEWS IN NUMBERS
Share of Nayara
Energy’s fuel sold in
India
70
In percentage. India’s largest
private fuel retailer, Nayara
Energy’s exports dropped as
the firm met rising local demand for fuel.
The firm posted robust a 24% year-on-year
growth in domestic retail sales and a
12.5% rise in institutional sales. PTI
Why was Purkayastha’s arrest invalidated?
thg-th-nl-00005541
Why was the NewsClick founder’s arrest considered ‘illegal’ and in violation of the fundamental right guaranteed under Article 22(1) of the Constitution? What
had the High Court said earlier? Has the Court commented on the merits of the case?
EXPLAINER
Aaratrika Bhaumik
The story so far:
O
n May 15, the Supreme Court
ordered the release of the
online portal NewsClick’s
founder Prabir Purkayastha
from custody after concluding that his
arrest and remand under the draconian
Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 1967
(UAPA) by the Delhi Police were “invalid
in the eyes of law”. A Bench of Justices
B.R. Gavai and Sandeep Mehta pointed
out that neither Mr. Purkayastha nor his
designated counsel were provided the
grounds for his arrest in writing, which is
“sacrosanct and cannot be breached
under any situation”. The ruling
emphasises the need for law enforcement
agencies to adhere to proper procedure
and due process, especially in stringent
UAPA cases where there is a reverse
burden of proof on the accused. This
makes obtaining bail extremely difficult in
such cases.
Why was the arrest ‘illegal’?
As per the arrest memo, Mr. Purkayastha
was arrested on October 3, 2023, at 5.45
p.m. by invoking stringent UAPA
provisions on the ground that he had
allegedly received funds through Chinese
firms to spread pro-China propaganda.
Earlier on August 17, 2023, an FIR was
lodged by the Delhi Police envisaging
serious offences under Sections 13
(unlawful activities), 16 (terrorist act), 17
(raising funds for terrorist acts), 18
(conspiracy), and 22(C) (offences by
companies, trusts) of the UAPA, and
Sections 153A (promoting enmity
between different groups) and 120B
(criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal
Code, 1860 (IPC).
During the proceedings, senior
advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing on behalf
of Mr. Purkayastha, contended that the
FIR was neither made available in the
public domain nor was a copy supplied to
him until his arrest and remand, in
violation of the fundamental right
guaranteed under Article 22(1) of the
Constitution. Further, the Court was
apprised that on the morning of October
4, 2023, Mr. Purkayastha was produced
before the remand judge at his residence
without intimating his designated lawyer
Mr. Arshdeep Khurana. He was instead
represented by a legal aid lawyer whom
he had never engaged before.
Mr. Purkayastha’s lawyer was finally
informed about the remand proceedings
at 7.07 a.m. through a WhatsApp message
— after the remand order granting seven
days of police custody had already been
passed. However, two sentences were
subsequently inserted in the remand
order to give the impression that the
lawyer had been heard before the passing
of the order. This, Mr. Sibal argued,
violated the Supreme Court’s verdict in
Pankaj Bansal versus Union of India and
Others (2023) wherein it was held that to
give effect to constitutional safeguards, “it
would be necessary, henceforth, that a
copy of such written grounds of arrest is
furnished to the arrested person as a
matter of course and without exception.”
On the other hand, Additional
Solicitor-General S.V. Raju, appearing for
the Delhi Police, pointed out that the ratio
of Pankaj Bansal applied only to money
laundering cases under the Prevention of
Money Laundering Act, 2002, (PMLA),
and not those under the UAPA. The law
officer argued that the UAPA required the
police to only “inform” the accused of the
reasons for arrest, without needing to
provide them in writing to him.
CM
YK
Chennai www.thehindu.com Monday, May 20, 2024
● ●
0
Worth of money, drugs The compensation for
and goods seized by treating with wrong
ECI till now blood in the U.K.
8,889
in crore. The
haul exceeds
the entirety
seized during the last general election in
2019, and comes as authorities have
vowed a crackdown on money used to
bribe voters during elections. AGENCIES
Follow us facebook.com/thehindu
Brief relief: Prabir Purkayastha, founder of NewsClick after his release from prison. SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
What does Article 22 stipulate?
Mr. Purkayastha’s case is based on the
constitutional safeguard provided under
Article 22(1) of the Constitution, which
dictates that no person who is arrested
can be detained in custody without being
promptly informed of the grounds for
their arrest. It further stipulates that an
arrested person cannot be denied “the
right to consult, and to be defended by, a
legal practitioner of his choice.”
Notably, both the PMLA as well as the
UAPA contain similar provisions, which
mandate the intimation of the grounds of
arrest to an accused. Under Section 19 of
the PMLA, the Enforcement Directorate
(ED) officer should not only have material
with him giving him “reasons to believe”
that a person is guilty of an offence under
the law but such reasons should also be
“recorded in writing before effecting
arrest of any person.” Further, these
written grounds of arrest must be
communicated to the accused for a valid
arrest to take place. This, according to the
Supreme Court’s verdict in Pankaj Bansal,
affords an opportunity to the arrested
person to prove before a trial Court that
there are grounds to believe that he/she is
not guilty of such offence, to avail the
relief of bail. Similarly, Sections 43A and
43B of the UAPA mandate the furnishing
of the grounds of arrest to an accused at
the earliest.
Mr. Sibal had pointed out that the
language of both the statutory provisions
is pari materia (upon the same subject
matter) and thus the law laid down in
Pankaj Bansal squarely covers Mr.
Purkayastha’s case.
What was the Delhi High Court’s
verdict?
In a verdict delivered on October 13, 2023,
Justice Tushar Rao Gedela of the Delhi
High Court agreed with the Delhi police
that the ratio of Pankaj Bansal would not
apply to the facts of Mr. Purkayastha’s
case. He underscored that the verdict in
Pankaj Bansal was delivered purely in
relation to PMLA provisions and that it
10
in billion pounds. Britain will
spend this amount ($12.70
billion) compensating
thousands of people who were treated
with blood contaminated with HIV or
hepatitis C in the 1970s and 1980s, the
Sunday Times reported. REUTERS
twitter.com/the_hindu
cannot “by any stretch of imagination, be
made applicable, mutatis mutandis, to the
cases arising under UAPA.”.
Justice Gedela also noted that the
offences alleged in the NewsClick case
directly impact “the stability, integrity,
and sovereignty of the country” and bear
significant national security implications.
He further reproduced Solicitor General
Tushar Mehta’s submission that the email
exchanges between Mr. Purkayastha and
other entities indicated an attempt to
portray Jammu and Kashmir and
Arunachal Pradesh as “disputed
territories.”
However, the Court added that
considering the stringent provisions of
the UAPA, it would be advisable that the
investigating agencies, henceforth,
provide grounds of arrest in writing, after
redacting what in their opinion would
constitute “sensitive material.”
What about the Supreme Court?
The top Court ruled that there is “no
significant difference” in the language
employed in Section 19(1) of the PMLA
and Section 43B(1) of the UAPA which can
support the Delhi Police’s contention that
the law laid down in Pankaj Bansal should
not be applied to an accused arrested
under the UAPA.
“...The requirement to communicate
the grounds of arrest is the same in both
the statutes. As a matter of fact, both the
provisions find their source in the
constitutional safeguard provided under
Article 22(1) of the Constitution of India,”
it reasoned. Thus the judges emphasised
that the “salutary and sacrosanct”
requirement of informing the arrested
person of the grounds of arrest in writing
will henceforth apply to all UAPA cases as
well. It will not suffice to convey them
orally only. This, according to the Court,
is the “only effective means” for the
arrested person to consult his lawyer,
oppose the police custody remand and
seek bail.
It further asserted that the mere fact
that a charge sheet has been filed “would
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518 103
They died in 511 accidents In the past 24 hours,
till May 15. The National Russian air defences
Highway-24, NH-8, Ring downed 103 Ukrainian
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where the highest number of fatal crashes on Sunday. REUTERS
have occurred this year so far. PTI COMPILED BY THE HINDU DATA TEAM
instagram.com/the_hindu
thg-th-nl-00005541
THE GIST
쑽
The Supreme Court ordered
the release of the online portal
NewsClick’s founder Prabir
Purkayastha from custody after
concluding that his arrest and
remand under the draconian
Unlawful Activities Prevention
Act, 1967 (UAPA) by the Delhi
Police were “invalid in the eyes
of law”.
쑽
Mr. Purkayastha’s case is based
on the constitutional safeguard
provided under Article 22(1) of
the Constitution, which
dictates that no person who is
arrested can be detained in
custody without being
promptly informed of the
grounds for their arrest.
쑽
During the proceedings, senior
advocate Kapil Sibal,
appearing on behalf of Mr.
Purkayastha, contended that
the FIR was neither made
available in the public domain
nor was a copy supplied to him
until his arrest.
not validate the illegality and the
unconstitutionality committed at the time
of arresting the accused and the grant of
initial police custody remand to the
accused.“ The Bench also differentiated
between the meaning of the terms
‘reasons of arrest’ and ‘grounds of arrest’.
While the former relates to general
parameters based on which a person had
to be arrested, the latter requires the
police to list out specific facts
necessitating the arrest of the individual
concerned, so that he/she could
effectively oppose the plea for remand or
seek bail, it said.
Notably, the judges expressed serious
reservations that Mr. Purkayastha’s lawyer
was not informed about the remand
proceedings despite the Delhi police
having access to his phone number. The
Court further remarked that the “charade
of informing” the NewsClick founder’s
lawyer after the remand order had
already been passed was an exercise in
futility.
The judges also pointed out that the
two sentences inserted in the remand
order to give the impression that Mr.
Purkayastha’s lawyer Arshdeep Khurana
was heard before its issuance was an
afterthought. “A bare perusal of the
remand order is enough to satisfy us that
these two lines were subsequently
inserted in the order because the script in
which these two lines were written is
much finer as compared to the remaining
part of the order and moreover, these two
lines give a clear indication of subsequent
insertion,” the Bench underscored.
What happens next?
After the pronouncement of the verdict,
Mr. Raju sought a clarification from the
Bench as to whether the ruling would
preclude the police from exercising its
“correct powers of arrest” in the case in
the future.
In response, Justice Gavai said, “We
have not said anything about that.
Whatever you are permitted under the
law, you can do.”
A IN-X
 THE HINDU
Monday, May 20, 2024 11
Chennai
Text&Context
CACHE

KNOW YOUR ENGLISH

The new
recruit is a
curmudgeon
He is good at everything except
writing financial statements; that is
his Achilles’ heel

S. Upendran
thg-th-nl-00005541

thg-th-nl-00005541
What is the origin of the expression
‘Achilles’ heel’? (Hitesh, Delhi)
Achilles, the hero in Homer’s epic poem
Iliad, was a famous Greek warrior who
died in the beautiful city of Troy while
fighting against the Trojans. Legend has it
that no sooner was Achilles born, his
mother, Thetis, dipped the new-born
baby in the waters of the river Styx
(pronounced ‘sticks’). The Greeks
believed that no harm would come to any
infant who had been completely
immersed in the waters of this river —
being a goddess herself, Thetis wanted to
ensure that her son would remain
AFP immortal. Unfortunately for Achilles,
when his mother dipped him in the river,

Why is the European Union probing

she held on to his heels; as a result, this
portion of his foot never became wet. It
became the great warrior’s weak spot. If
anyone wanted to kill him, all they had to

Facebook and Instagram?

do was to injure one of his heels; it was
the chink in his otherwise impregnable
armour. In fact, this is how during the
battle for Troy, Paris kills Achilles — he
pierces the warrior’s heel with an arrow.
The 27-nation bloc has said it is concerned that Facebook and Instagram’s recommendation engine could ‘exploit the weaknesses and inexperience’ The expression ‘Achilles’ heel’ is mostly
of children and stimulate ‘addictive behaviour’ used nowadays to refer to an individual’s
weakness; one that the enemies are aware
of and take undue advantage of. It usually
Nabeel Ahmed February. It stipulates very large online testing an AI-driven “nudity protection” working on “improving internal leads to one’s downfall. Some dictionaries
platforms, which have over 45 million tool that would find and blur images controls”, and that it had eliminated 27 list the expression as ‘Achilles heel’,
The story so far: users in the EU, to provide an option in containing nudity that were sent to paedophile networks in addition to without the apostrophe.
he European Union has opened their recommender systems that is not minors on the app’s messaging system. removing 4,90,000 accounts that Hema lost the match because of her

T fresh investigation into Meta’s

Facebook and Instagram over
suspicions that they are failing
to protect children on their platform, a
violation that could result in fines of up to
based on user profiling and share their
data with the Commission and national
authorities to assess compliance under
the law.
The platforms are also required to take
Additionally, the company said it
would roll out measures to protect users
under 18 years of age by tightening
content restrictions and boosting parental
supervision tools
breached its kid safety regulations in just
one month.

What are the general practices of

6% of their annual worldwide revenue.
What led to the investigation?
The 27-nation bloc has said it is concerned
that Facebook and Instagram’s
recommendation engine could “exploit
the weaknesses and inexperience” of
children and stimulate “addictive
behaviour”. The bloc’s executive arm
further said that these systems could
reinforce the so-called “rabbit hole” effect
that leads users to watch increasingly
disturbing content. As part of the probe,
the commission will look into Meta’s use
of age verification tools to prevent
children under the age of 13 from
accessing Facebook and Instagram. And
also find out whether the company is
complying with the bloc’s Digital Service
Act (DSA) and enforcing a high level of
privacy, safety and security for minors.
What does the DSA mandate?
The bloc’s DSA came into effect in
THE DAILY QUIZ
measures to protect minors from content
that may impair their physical, mental or
moral development. Additionally,
platforms must take targeted measures to
protect the rights of minors, including age
verification and parental control tools
that are aimed at helping minors signal
abuse or obtain support. Facebook and
Instagram have more than the stipulated
number of users, and so are designated as
very large platforms, bringing them under
the law’s purview.
The EU regulator will now carry out an
in-depth investigation as a “matter of
priority” and gather evidence by sending
additional requests for information,
conducting interviews and inspections.
The commission can also accept
commitments made by Meta to remedy
the issues raised during the investigation.
What has Meta done to protect
children on its platforms?
Earlier this year, Meta announced it was
This is not the only investigation Meta’s
platforms are facing in the EU. In April,
the regulator opened an investigation,
accusing Meta of having failed to tackle
deceptive advertising and disinformation
in the run-up to the European Parliament
elections.
The antitrust regulator’s move against
Meta stemmed from the platform being
used as a potential source of
disinformation by Russia, China and Iran
to influence voters in EU.
Are these platforms under scrutiny of
other countries outside the EU?
Even before the DSA was implemented in
the EU, Meta’s Instagram faced backlash
in the U.S. after a report by the Wall Street
Journal, published in June 2023, said the
platform “helps connect and promote a
vast network of accounts openly devoted
to the commission and purchase of under
age sex content”.
At the time, the company said it was
protecting minors online?
With children growing up in an
increasingly digital world, it has become
increasingly difficult for parents and
caregivers to ensure their online safety.
Parents are advised to ensure they are
up to date with online risks and have set
up safeguards to protect their child’s
digital experience.
These could include setting up of kid’s
profiles, choosing age-appropriate apps
and games and setting up child-friendly
sites and search engines, and ensuring
age restricted content is inaccessible on
the devices and platforms they are using.
Parents are also advised to supervise and
spend time with their children online to
ensure they do not engage in harmful
activities or fall prey to online predators.
And minors using social media
platforms must ensure they know how to
report and “block” accounts with
offensive material and foster open
conversations to ensure an adult is
available if something doesn’t feel right.
Please send in your answers to
dailyquiz@thehindu.co.in
terrible temper. It is her Achilles’ heel.
As for the pronunciation of the name
‘Achilles’, the first vowel sounds like the
‘a’ in ‘china’, and the following ‘chi’ is
pronounced like the ‘ki’ in ‘kit’ ‘kiss’ and
‘kill’. The final syllable rhymes with the
words ‘please’ ‘cheese’ and ‘seize’. The
word is pronounced ‘e-KI-liiz’ with the
stress on the second syllable.
How is the word ‘curmudgeon’
pronounced? (K. Jaya, Secunderabad)
The word consists of three syllables; the
‘u’ in the first, and the ‘o’ in the third, are
pronounced like the ‘a’ in ‘china’. The
‘m..u..d..g..e’ in the second syllable
rhymes with the words, ‘judge’, ‘budge’
and ‘nudge’. The word is pronounced
‘ke-MUDGE-en’, with the stress on the
second syllable. It is also possible to
pronounce the ‘r’ in the first syllable.
There is a question mark about the origin
of the word; scholars are not really sure
about the language it comes from.
Although some dictionaries list the use of
this word as being ‘old fashioned’, it
continues to be used in everyday contexts
even today to refer to an old individual,
usually a man, with a bad temper. The
person is rather set in his ways, and
remains grouchy most of the time; he is
someone who gets angry very easily.
Ever since the accident last year, my
once cheerful uncle has turned into a
complaining curmudgeon.
upendrankye@gmail.com

A quiz to celebrate World Bee Day that is observed on May 20

V.V. Ramanan Questions and Answers to the May 17 edition of the
daily quiz: 1. The singles winners who have won both in
X Amateur and Open Eras. Ans: Margeret Court, Ken
QUESTION 1 Rosewall and Rod Laver
The day was chosen as a tribute to which Slovenian who in 2. The Cup presented to the singles winners. Ans: Coupe
the 18th century pioneered modern beekeeping techniques? des Mousquetaires (The Musketeers’ Cup) and Coupe
X Suzanne Lenglen (Suzanne Lenglen Cup) for the men’s
QUESTION 2 and women’s singles respectively
How many pairs of wings and eyes do honey bees have? 3. The only brother-sister duo to have won the mixed
X doubles crown. Ans: Spaniard Emilio Sanchez and his
QUESTION 3 sister Arantxa
What is the name given to the dance that bees perform to 4. Name the only twin brothers to have won the men’s
communicate the location of food sources? doubles titles. Ans: Mike and Bob Bryan
X 5. The number of doubles titles Leander Paes and Mahesh
QUESTION 4 Bhupathi have won together. Ans: Two, in 1999 and 2001
To an apiarist, what is ‘Propolis’ as regards the hive of a bee? 6. The two players who have won four men’s doubles titles
X each. Ans: Max Mirnyi of Belarus and Daniel Nestor of
QUESTION 5 Canada
What critical function does the enzyme Invertase perform 7. The only player across gender to have won all three types
after the nectar is collected by the bee? of titles in the open era. Ans: Martina Navratilova For feedback and suggestions for
X X Visual: Identify the players and their feat. Ans: Yannick Text & Context, please write to
QUESTION 6 Visual question: Noah and Mary Pierce. They were the last french letters@thehindu.co.in
Of the three types of bees in the hive, what is the name Name the part of a flower from which these bees are collecting pollen nationals to win singles in 1983 and 2000 respectively. with the subject ‘Text & Context’
given to the male bees which do not have a stinger? from. FILE PHOTO Early Bird: Rajmohan. V
CM A IN-X
YK

12
Focus:
senior
citizens’
healthcare
COVERNOTE
Old age and health challenges
thg-th-nl-00005541
go hand in hand; as we look to
a future with higher life
expectancies and the large
young and middle-aged
population moving into the
silver years, funding healthcare
through insurance becomes
important
K. Nitya Kalyani
A couple of instalments ago in
CoverNote, we briefly noted a poll
promise of State-sponsored health
insurance of up to ₹5 lakh for those
above 70 years of age.
The BJP election manifesto said
that it would extend the Ayushman
Bharat coverage to this demographic.
‘Largest’ healthcare progamme
Also called Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya
Yojana, the scheme is reported to be
the world’s largest
government-funded healthcare
programme. Its main benefit is
hospitalisation costs of up to ₹5 lakh
per family per year.
It has about 12 crore beneficiaries
who are from the economically
weakest 40% of the nation’s
population. The coverage is limited on
pre- and post-hospitalisation costs
compared with a regular
hospitalisation policy, but has the big
bonus of coverage for all pre-existing
conditions from inception.
Changing finance dynamics
Extending coverage to older people
can change family and hospital
finance dynamics in a couple of
interesting ways.
Let’s stop a quick moment to look
at the age distribution in India’s
demographics, the median age in
India is relatively low compared with
the rest of the world with about 25%
in the age group 0 to 14 and almost
68% between ages 15 and 65. Barely
7% are older than 65 years and yes,
their healthcare requirements as a
group would be significant,
nevertheless.
Some things are not clear about the
shape of the scheme in future. For
example, the existing coverage is per
family. Will the 70+ family members
be added to the same family unit, in
which case they will now share the
umbrella ₹5 lakh cover (what we
would call a floater sum insured in a
commercial hospitalisation policy) or
will they be eligible for a separate ₹5
lakh sum insured?
Personal Loans
Lowering burden
Nevertheless, their addition to the
scheme can mean hospitalisation bills
will be less of a burden for the rest of
the family or can even mean access to
meaningful healthcare where they
may otherwise be helplessly ignored
by a family with fragile finances.
Underwriting the contingency of
old-age healthcare becomes more
important as life expectancy of
Indians has gone up significantly, not
to speak of healthcare costs.
An interesting side benefit became
apparent as I chatted with a doctor
friend.
He said that government hospitals,
too, were preferring insured patients,
including those under mass-insurance
schemes, because it meant revenue
versus giving free treatment out of
their budgets.
One could argue that it is money
from one pocket of the government to
another, but to somebody insured
under one such scheme it means
better access to a scarce resource.
(The writer is a business journalist
specialising in insurance & corporate
history)
CM
YK
Understanding fixed income
funds for portfolio
There are multiple categories of fixed income funds; decide on your cash-flow horizon and select funds of
appropriate maturity; you can check portfolio maturity of funds in the monthly factsheet
FUND CHOICE
Joydeep Sen
here are multi-
T ple categories of
funds in Mutual
Funds, which
have been defined by SEBI.
One fundamental diffe-
rence between equity and
fixed-income funds is in
the latter, you can ladder
or structure.mar There are
funds available for all in-
vestment horizons. In
equity, all funds require
long investment horizon.
Here are the basic con-
cepts. Any fund can broad-
ly be categorised as either
open-ended or close-end-
ed. Open-ended funds are
ones which you purchase
from the AMC — the Asset
Management Company
constituted by the Mutual
Fund. When you require
money, you redeem (sell
back) with the AMC. Hence
the corpus size of the fund
changes every day.
In close-ended funds,
you cannot buy or redeem
with the AMC and the cor-
pus size does not change,
from this perspective. The
funds are listed on the ex-
changes (NSE/BSE) for in-
vestors to trade. Market-
price changes impact the
size of open and close end-
ed funds as NAV is comput-
ed at market prices.
The other important
concept is of ‘accrual’ in
fixed income funds. Instru-
ments in such funds have a
known interest rate. For
daily NAV computation,
proportionate interest for
a day is added to the NAV.
There is a change in mar-
Rates and Charges
Name of Lender Interest Rate (%)
HDFC Bank 10.50 onwards
Tata Capital 10.99 onwards
State Bank of India 11.15-15.30
ICICI Bank 10.80 onwards
Bank of Baroda 11.05-18.75
Axis Bank 10.99 onwards
Kotak Mahindra Bank 10.99 onwards
Bank of India 10.85-14.85
Canara Bank 10.95-16.40
Punjab National Bank 10.40-17.95
Federal Bank 11.49 onwards
Union Bank of India 11.35-15.45
Bajaj Finserv 11.00 onwards
Punjab & Sind Bank 10.75-13.50
South Indian Bank 12.85-20.60
UCO Bank 12.45-12.85
IDFC First Bank 10.99 onwards
Bank of Maharashtra 10.00-12.80
Karnataka Bank 13.43
IndusInd Bank 10.49 onwards
THE HINDU
Monday, May 20, 2024
MONEYWISE
Chennai
Is land
better than
property?
THINKINVESTOR
An alternative is to buy REITs
which are listed vehicles that
ILLUSTRATION: SOUMYADIP SINHA buy commercial complexes
to earn lease rentals; REITs
must pay at least 90% of net
distributable cash flows
to investors every year
Venkatesh Bangaruswamy
Any discussion on real estate is bound
to bring passionate debate among
individuals and not without reasons.
After all, parents and grandparents
would have primarily accumulated
wealth investing in real estate.
thg-th-nl-00005541
Importantly, the physical nature of the
asset makes it compelling as an
investment compared with equity.
Here, we discuss two factors relating
to real estate. One, investment in land
may be more optimal than investing in
properties. And two, investment in
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
is not a pure bet on real estate.
Land vs. property
Land is scarce. Building is a
depreciable asset. Therefore, investing
modulate the portfolio ma- in land appears better than investing
come fund categories, the turity, from high (say 10 in property. Another benefit of
important ones are: years) to low (say four investing in land is you can build a
There is a possibility of Liquid Fund: SEBI’s de- years) as per market view. house for self-occupation or to
finition is the fund will in- You need, say, a five-year generate rental income at retirement
interest rates coming
vest in instruments with horizon as the fund faces if you are unable to sell it for decent
down sometime this
year, hence, this is an
opportune time to invest
in fixed-income funds
residual maturity of up to
three months. Given the
the portfolio maturity is
very low, less than three
months, mark-to-market
market cycles of varying
mark-to-market impact.
Gilt Fund:These funds
invest in government
bonds, minimum 80% as
gains. Property investments, on the
other hand, may not always be
optimal. Why?
Low rental yields
volatility is very low. The per regulation. These have Property investments, like equity and
ket price every day and the funds earn mostly from ac- long maturity and you bonds, can provide capital
NAV is computed as per cruals. As it is a very defen- need a long horizon, say 10 appreciation and rental income. The
price level of the day. That sive category, you can keep years. Market goes through issue is rental yields are low because
adds to (when prices rise) the emergency cash-equiv- cycles, and this category of high property cost. Achieving
or takes away from (when alent component of the has a relatively higher im- capital appreciation depends on the
prices slide) the accrual in portfolio in Liquid Funds. pact of mark-to-market. age of the property at the time you sell
the funds. The impact of Minimum investment hori- Target Maturity Fund: and the cost at which you bought it.
market-price movement is zon is one to two weeks. There is defined maturity, Given the current property prices, it is
called mark-to-market, as Money Market Fund: which could be, say, three moot if the investments can generate
the NAV computation hap- These funds invest in in- years or seven years, from high capital appreciation the way they
pens at prices marked to struments with a maturity launch date. In the initial did in the past. Also, if you buy
the day’s market. of up to one year. This is a portfolio construct, the apartments in high-rise buildings,
In fixed-income funds, relatively-defensive fund; bond maturity in the port- your undivided share of land is small.
most returns come from mark-to-market has limited folio is same as the maturi- So, the potential for gains depends on
accrual and a small com- impact on returns and ac- ty of the fund. Upon ma- the rise in new property prices in the
ponent from mark-to-mar- crual plays a major role. turity, the fund ceases to area at the time you sell the property.
ket gains. This is due to the You require an investment exist and money flows But old property may not fetch the
nature of bonds; there is a horizon of a few months. back to investors. Over the market rate for a new property. Also,
defined maturity value, Banking and PSU course of the fund, the ba- it is moot if returns are likely to be
which is usually the bond’s Fund: As much as 80% or lance maturity rolls down. better than that of equity investments,
face value and a defined more of this fund must be There are TMFs of various which is more liquid and less lumpy.
maturity date. invested in instruments is- maturities. The credit qual-
Market price can rise sued by banks, PSUs. Port- ity is usually of the highest Conclusion
only so much as on matur- folio maturity is not de- grade. Till you hold TMF Not everyone can buy land or
ity it is the face value that is fined. A horizon of 3 years till maturity, you have high property, given the lumpiness of the
going to flow back. In equi- should be enough depend- visibility on the returns. investment. The alternative is to buy
ty funds, most returns ing on fund maturity. REITs — listed vehicles that buy
come from price rise, as di- Corporate Bond Conclusion commercial complexes to earn lease
vidend yield viz. dividend Fund: The definition is You can check the portfo- rentals. REITs must pay at least 90%
paid divided by the stock’s 80% or more of the fund lio maturity of funds in the of their net distributable cash flows to
market price, is on the low- should be invested in in- monthly factsheet. Decide their investors every year. You must
er side. In fixed-income struments of highest credit on your cash-flow horizon be mindful of two factors.
funds, there are 16 open- rating. Fund portfolio ma- and pick funds of appro- Capital appreciation from REITs
ended categories. Plus, turity is not defined and priate maturity. may be lower compared with direct
there are close-ended AMCs usually run a portfo- There is a possibility of investment in land. And, REITs are
funds like Fixed Maturity lio maturity of three to five interest rates coming down not pure bet on real estate. This is
Plans (FMPs) and one use- years. Depending on the sometime this year, hence, because prices of REITs can decline
ful category called Target portfolio maturity, hori- this is the time to invest in when stock markets crash, even if the
Maturity Funds (TMFs), zon of three years should fixed-income funds. real estate market is stable.
which may be either be be adequate. (The writer is a corporate (The author offers training
open or close ended. Of Dynamic Bond Fund: trainer (financial markets) programmes for individuals to manage
the 16 open-ended fixed-in- The fund manager can and author) their personal investments)
Car Loans
Loan amount 5 lakh Loan amount 1 lakh (% of loan amount) Rates and Charges Loan amount 5 lakh (% of loan amount)
Tenure 5 years Tenure 5 years Tenure 5 years
EMI (Rs) EMI (Rs) Processing fee Name of Lender Interest Rate (%) EMI (Rs) Processing fee
10,747 onwards 2,149 onwards Up to Rs 4,999
Union Bank of India 8.70 - 10.45 10,307 - 10,735 Rs 1,000
10,869 onwards 2,174 onwards Up to 5.5%
Punjab National Bank 8.75 - 10.60 10,319 - 10,772 0.25% (Rs. 1,000 - Rs. 1,500)
10,909-11,974 2,182-2,395 1.50%(Min Rs 1,000 to
Max Rs 15,000) Bank of Baroda 8.85 - 12.70 10,343 - 11,300 Up to Rs 2,000
10,821 onwards 2,164 onwards Up to 2%
Canara Bank 8.70 - 12.70 10,307 - 11,300 0.25% (Maximum Rs 2,500)
10,884-12,902 2,177-2,580 Up to 2% (Min Rs 1,000
Bank of India 8.85 - 10.85 10,343 - 10,834 0.25% (Rs. 1,000 - Rs. 5,000)
Max Rs 10,000)
10,869 onwards 2,174 onwards Up to 2% UCO Bank 8.45 - 10.55 10,246 - 10,759 Nil
10,869 onwards 2,174 onwards Up to 3% State Bank of India 8.75 - 9.80 10,319 - 10,554 Up to Rs 1,500
10,834-11,856 2,167-2,371 0.50%-1% (Min Rs 250
IDBI Bank 8.80 - 9.60 10,331 - 10,525 Rs 2,500
Max Rs 10,000)
Bank of Maharashtra* 8.70 - 13.00 10,307 - 11,377 0.25% (Rs. 1,000 - Rs. 15,000)
10,859-12,266 2,172-2,453 0.50% (Maximum Rs 2,500)
10,772-12,683 2,144-2,537 Up to 1% Indian Overseas Bank** 8.85 - 12.00 10,343 - 11,122 0.50% (Rs 500 - Rs 5,000)
10,994 onwards 2,199 onwards Up to 3% ICICI Bank 9.10 onwards 10,403 onwards Up to 2%
10,959-12,013 2,192-2,403 Up to 1% (Maximum Rs 7,500)
HDFC Bank 9.20 onwards 10,428 onwards 0.50% (Rs 3,500 - Rs 8,000)
10,871 onwards 2,174 onwards Up to 3.93%
10,809-11,505 2,162-2,301 0.50%-1%
Karnataka Bank 8.88 - 11.37 10,350 - 10,964 0.60% (Rs 3,000 - Rs 11,000)
Federal Bank 8.85 onwards 10,343 onwards Rs 2,000 - Rs 4,500
11,338-13,414 2,268-2,683 Up to 2%
11,236-11,338 2,247-2,268 Up to 1% (Minimum Rs 750) South Indian Bank 8.75 onwards 10,319 onwards 0.75% (Max: Rs 10,000)
10,869 onwards 2,174 onwards Up to 2%
IDFC First Bank 9.75 onwards 10,562 onwards Up to Rs 10,000
10,624-11,325 2,125-2,265 1% (Rs 1,000-Rs 10,000)
City Union Bank 14.45 - 14.95 11,751 - 11,882 1.25% (Min: Rs 1,000)
11,487 2,297 Up to 2% of loan amount
*0.25% interest rate concession for existing housing loan borrowers and corporate salary account holders
(Min. Rs 2,500 Max. Rs 8,500)
**0.50% interest rate concession to borrowers with credit scores of 800 and above. Interest rate concession of 0.25% to borrowers having
10,744 onwards 2,149 onwards 1.5% -3.5% credit scores of 750-799.
Rates and charges as on May 15 Source: Paisabazaar.com
A IN-X
 THE HINDU
Monday, May 20, 2024 13
Chennai
Business

PNB: scripting The Godrej group scripts a new

a turnaround playbook for an amicable split
The agreement takes into account the older and younger generations may have different interests and ways they would want to drive the future of
the group; there is an elaborate non-compete agreement and the use of the Godrej brand to prevent differences from cropping up in the future

Executive Chairperson of niture, interior design, ar-

NEWS ANALYSIS Godrej Consumer and Pi- chitectural fittings, IT, soft-
rojsha, the Executive ware as well as
Janaki Krishnan Chairman of Godrej Pro- infrastructure solutions.
MUMBAI perties. Jamshyd has two Godrej Industries Group
children and Smita two, in- (GIG) will have Nadir Go-

L
ate in the evening cluding Nyrika Holkar, ED, drej as Chairperson and
Out of woods: Improving recoveries and digital /HR on April 30, one of Godrej & Boyce. will be controlled by Adi
tranformation aided the lender’s turnaround. THE HINDU India’s oldest fami- Godrej, Nadir Godrej, and
ly-owned businesses, the Who gets what immediate families. This
Godrej group, said in a “All settlements involve de- group has all the listed
K.R. Srivats statement, “The Godrej fa- termination of financial companies, including Go-
mily today announced an worth of the business or drej Industries, Godrej
Punjab National Bank (PNB) has come out with a ownership realignment of businesses. It is never easy, Consumer Products, Go-
strong financial performance in 2023-24. their shareholdings in the and large, multi-divisional drej Properties, Godrej
Once burdened with bad loans and other Godrej companies. The conglomerates find it more Agrovet and Astec Lifes-
strong challenges, the country’s second-largest realignment has been ar- difficult,” says Prof. Kavil ciences. The listed compa-
public sector bank has become more agile. rived at in a respectful and Ramachandran, Senior Ad- nies have a combined reve-
For Q4 FY24, net profit surged 78.1% to touch mindful way to maintain visor, Thomas Schmidhei- nue of $5.3 billion and
₹3,100 crore, the highest in 16 quarters. For FY24, harmony and to better ny Centre for Family Enter- market capitalisation of
the bank’s consolidated net profit rose almost align ownership in ack- prise, Indian School of more than $30 billion.
thg-th-nl-00005541

thg-th-nl-00005541
threefold to ₹8,329 crore. nowledgment of the differ- Give and take: The Godrej corporate office in Vikhroli, Mumbai. BUSINESSLINE Business. “It is all the more
Profit in just the fourth quarter of 2023-24 has ing visions of the Godrej fa- challenging if the number Split rationale
exceeded that of the entire previous financial mily members.” realignment was in the gineering, agriculture, of family stakeholders is The intent to prevent dis-
year, says Atul Kumar Goel, MD and CEO. Also, That last sentence is making for several years chemicals, technology, large and that too with a lot harmony among the family
for the first time the bank’s quarterly profit has what stands out, particu- before reaching a conclu- and pharmaceuticals. The of cross interests in owner- members is clearly spelt
crossed the ₹3,000-crore mark, he adds. larly the words “respectful sion last month, but nowh- The split along the Godrej brand comes with a ship and management.” out in the purpose of enter-
Mr. Goel credits the results to the hard work of and mindful.” In corporate ere was there a whiff of ani- unlisted enterprises and certain amount of trust The Godrej family has ing into the agreement.
the bank’s one-plus lakh employees and points to India, family business mosity among the family the listed industries and reliability. managed the split in an “To preserve mutual res-
the efforts to improve Non Performing Assets splits are usually accompa- members – at least nothing group in itself is very Founder Ardeshir did equitable way pect, goodwill, amity and
(NPA) recoveries; and he said, the bank’s decision nied by ugly public squab- expressed overtly and not have any children. His According to the an- harmony and to manage
interesting and
to adopt digital and HR transformation over the bles, legal wranglings that found their way into the brother Pirojsha Godrej nouncement made by the diverse expectations and
past two years paid huge dividends. go on for years and all- media. That in itself makes heartening had four children Sohrab, group, Godrej Enterprises varied strategic directions
Between March 2023 and March 2024, PNB’s round acrimony. for a refreshing change. PROFESSOR TULSI Dosabai, Burjor, and Nao- Group (GEG) comprising desired by each family
JAYAKUMAR
gross NPA (GNPA) declined from ₹77,328 crore to The Ambani brothers in “The division itself and roji. Burjor had two chil- Godrej & Boyce (G&B) and branch…”.
₹56,343 crore. As a share of advances, GNPA is 2004, the Ranbaxy broth- the perceived brand value dren — Adir, the chairman affiliates will now be con- The agreement also
down to 5.73% from 8.74%. Credit cost fell sharply ers in the 2000s, Amar- could have been a huge esting and heartening.” emeritus of the Godrej trolled by Jamshyd Godrej, takes into account the ol-
to below 0.7% as the net non-performing loan chand Mangaldas & Suresh bone of contention,” says The 127-year-old group, group and Nadir Godrej, CMD, Nyrika Holkar, ED der and younger genera-
(NPL) ratio is below 1%. Mr. Goel said PNB has Shroff & Company in 2015, Tulsi Jayakumar, Professor, had its beginnings in 1897 the CMD of Godrej Indus- and immediate families. tions may have different in-
targeted 5% GNPA and less than 0.5% NNPA for the Singhanias, Kirloskar Finance & Economics, Ex- when lawyer-turned-serial tries, Godrej Agrovet and This group has interests terests and way they want
the current fiscal. Yet another reason for the group, the Mafatlals, tussle ecutive Director — Centre entrepreneur Ardeshir Go- Astec Lifesciences. Naoroji across multiple industries to drive the future of the
bank’s strong showing is the improvement in the between Onkar Kanwar for Family Business & En- drej, struck by the rising in- had two children Jamshyd spanning aerospace, avia- group. There is an elabo-
underwriting standard for new loans and and Raunaq Singh over trepreneurship, Chairper- cidents of burglaries in Godrej, MD of Godrej & tion, defence, engines and rate non-compete pact and
collection efficiency, said Mr. Goel, adding “now, control of Apollo Tyres, son, PGP in Family-Man- Bombay, saw an opportun- Boyce and Smita motors, energy, security, use of the Godrej brand to
we have removed the power of the branches. the Bajaj group, to name a aged Business, SPJIMR. ity in making ‘unpickable’ Crishna-Godrej. building materials, con- prevent differences crop-
Everything is going to the processing centre.” few, are cases of family “As such, the split along locks. The group now has a Adi Godrej has three struction, green building ping up in the future.
In 2023-24, PNB invested ₹2,000 crore in splits that were carried out the unlisted enterprises sprawling empire spread children — Tanya, ED and consulting, EPC services, (The writer is with The
technology and targeted ₹2,900 crore for FY25. in full public glare and the listed industries across consumer goods, chief brand officer of Go- intralogistics, healthcare Hindu businessline. With in-
(The writer is with The Hindu businessline) The Godrej group family group in itself is very inter- real estate, appliances, en- drej Industries, Nisaba, the equipment, durables, fur- puts from G. Naga Sridhar)

Regaining glory
Why rate cuts by the Reserve Bank
of India continue to remain elusive
Karthik Srinivasan
The monetary policy com-
mitte (MPC) of the Reserve
Bank of India (RBI) is likely
to maintain a status quo on
key rates in the upcoming
policy review, notwith-
standing the expected be-
nign consumer price infla-
tion of 4.5% for FY2025.
The MPC would likely
assess the progress of the
monsoon as well as the Un-
ion Budget for FY25 to be
presented by the new go-
vernment before embark-
ing on rate cuts. The im-
pact of capital flows on the
inclusion of Indian govern-
ment bonds (IGBs) in glo-
bal bond indices in June
Gaining ground: This photo shows construction of a new semiconductor factory by Rapidus Corp. in Chitose, Hokkaido prefecture. Japan's would also be closely
Rapidus project, that brings together some of the world’s biggest companies, is the ‘last opportunity’ to put the country’s once-dominant watched. Additionally, the
semiconductor sector back on the global map, its Chairman warned. AFP strong credit growth in the
banking sector and persis-
tent liquidity deficit pose a
challenge in undertaking
rate cuts in the near term.
With an all-time high in-
cremental bank credit of
₹22.3 lakh crore during
FY24, the credit-to-deposit
ratio for banks, too, neared
an all-time high of 78% as
of March 2024. High credit
growth in the banking sec-
tor, in relation to deposits
growth, keeps upward
pressure on deposit rates
and tightens systemic li-
quidity; this could go con-
trary to the MPC’s decision
for a rate cut.
Election impact
Despite sizeable policy rate
rises over the last two
years, credit growth has
largely remained immune,
driven by strong growth in
direct and indirect
(through non-banking fi-
nancial companies or
NBFCs) retail credit. While
consumption demand has
remained robust, invest-
ment demand from the
corporate sector remains
muted. If the election out-
come brings more certain-
ty to the investment plans
of the corporate sector, the
interest rates must help
bolster this demand.
Inflation in various de-
veloped economies re-
mains sticky, driving un-
certainty on the quantum
as well as the timing of rate
cuts. Nonetheless, the ex-
pectations of rate cuts in
many developed econo-
mies during the current
year will provide a window
to the MPC to embark on a
rate-cut path, if the domes-
tic inflation-growth dy-
namics remain supportive.
However, we expect the
MPC to pivot on this rate
cycle only when there is a
certainty in the direction
of global rates.
(The writer is Senior VP
and Group Head, Financial
Sector Ratings, ICRA)

CXO job search: how to connect, network and land a job

COMMENT
Kamal Karanth
What would you do if you
were in a leadership role
and felt a strong urge to
change your job? Would
you look through job por-
tals, trawl through the job
ads on LinkedIn, call a few
executive search firms or
text your former peers and
bosses? Most times, it
might be all of the above.
Greener pastures
These days, I get a lot of re-
quests from CXOs looking
for a change. Everybody
has their own valid reasons
to move. We know there
are headwinds in some
sectors, which are causing
restructuring and downsiz-
ing. Hence, appraisals and
CM
YK
bonuses haven’t been at-
tractive this year. However,
the external hiring market
is surprisingly demonstrat-
ing a new trend.
Over the last 12 months,
45,000 senior leaders with
a median tenure of 2.8
years changed jobs in In-
dia, which is a clear indica-
tor of the opportunities in
roles like GM, Director, and
VP. The IT sector alone saw
4,600 such leaders moving
to another employer in the
same period. Moreover,
close to 100 new GCCs
have come to India in the
last two years and recruit-
ed more than 1,200 leaders
to their newly-formed enti-
ties. Last financial year,
more than 150 Indian com-
panies went the IPO route,
and the estimation is even
higher for this financial
year. This is creating more
opportunities at the lea-
dership or board levels and
raising aspirations of pro-
fessionals vying for
growth. So, how easy or
difficult is it to find a job in
a leadership role?
Ambiguity
“The last three leadership
roles I got hired via my net-
work, someone referred
me to these jobs; I have
never made a CV for 15
years”, shared an MD of an
IT MNC. “Should I start
posting more on LinkedIn
for me to be more visible to
prospective employers?"
asked a pharma MNC CFO.
“Forwarding my resume
may make it sound desper-
ate and also fall into the
wrong hands. Is there a so-
time, over 1,000-1,200
leaders with a salary above
₹1 crore per annum are
looking for jobs on various
online job platforms. This
is a go-to talent pool for re-
cruiters and enterprises
that don’t have the time to
court passive talent. But it
doesn’t mean leaders
whose CVs aren’t online
wouldn’t be keen for a
change. The popular con-
sensus among recruiters is
everyone is a passive job
Job hunt: At any given time, 1,000-1,200 leaders with a salary over seeker until the right op-
₹1 crore per annum are looking for jobs online. GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCK portunity is presented.
Most often, search com-
phisticated way of posi- leadership hiring can panies secure job openings
tioning my candidature stretch from six months to with clients and then look
without a CV?” asked a VP a year. So, if a leader is for leaders who are likely
of a telecom major who working in a volatile organ- to fit. The logic is you will
was keen for a change. isation or has clear signs of get a call if you are good
Do some of these con- a push coming the way, enough or fit the skill, sal-
versations strike a chord one has no choice but to ary, and location criteria.
with you? look into open roles on However, one cannot deny
It is common knowledge platforms. At any given cementing relationships
with search firms is a great
insurance for repeat op-
portunities in a long ca-
reer. As a leader with all
the demands of the role,
can one make the time to
keep these multiple rela-
tionships at play? But
would the executive search
consultants find you wor-
thy of meeting without an
active mandate?
During my employment
days, the headhunting calls
I used to get for new oppor-
tunities were courtesy my
ex-bosses or peers. I am
sure in your career as a
leader, some of the moves
would be due to a recom-
mendation from someone
who worked with you.
In a technology and so-
cial media-connected
world, there is no excuse
for not making the time
and effort to stay in touch
with your alumni. We need
to socialise constantly to
keep our networks active.
Different approaches
As leaders, we can be sub-
tle in our approach by be-
ing on the radar of people
who matter.
Growing up the ladder,
the acquired titles became
our identity, and some of
us have stopped doing cer-
tain things that took us
there. Leadership roles are
the most vulnerable during
times of crisis, and it will
cause no harm building
some serious relationships
in our alumni group. Else,
you have to swear by the
famous book by Cal New-
port, “So good that they
can’t ignore you?”
(The writer is co-founder
of Xpheno, a specialist
staffing company)
A IN-X

14
KATHMANDU
Nepal PM Prachanda set to seek
vote of confidence for fourth time
X X
Nepal Prime Minister Pushpakamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ is set to seek
vote of confidence from the House of Representatives on Monday
amidst obstruction of parliament proceedings by the Opposition
Nepali Congress. The move was forced after the Janata Samajbadi
Party (JSP) withdrew its support for the government last week. AFP
Israeli strike on Gaza refugee Ukraine, Russia mount
camp kills 31, wounds 20
thg-th-nl-00005541
Witnesses say an entire residential complex ‘was destroyed’ and ‘there are still bodies under the
rubble’ in the central Nuseirat refugee camp; Biden says he is pushing to get a two-state solution
Agence France-Presse
RAFAH
An Israeli strike killed 31
people in central Gaza on
Sunday, the Palestinian ter-
ritory’s civil defence agen-
cy said, as U.S. National Se-
curity Advisor Jake
Sullivan visited for talks on
the conflict.
Gaza’s civil defence
agency said an Israeli strike
killed 31 people and
wounded 20 in a home in
the central Nuseirat refu-
gee camp.
Israel’s military, which
on Sunday reported its air-
craft had “struck dozens of
terror targets” over the
past 24 hours, said it was
checking the reports.
Witness Yasser Abu Ou-
la said an entire residential
complex “was destroyed”
and “there are still bodies
under the rubble”.
Israel’s Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu has
vowed to keep fighting Ha-
mas in Gaza.
But he has faced intense
Nine dead after Taiwan’s new dawn
attacks on
Mexico mayor
candidates
Agence France-Presse
TUXTLA GUTIÉRREZ
Two attacks against mayo-
ral candidates in Mexico’s
June elections have left
nine persons dead in the
southern state of Chiapas,
the prosecutor’s office in
the organised crime-
plagued region said on
Sunday.
The two candidates sur-
vived, though one was
wounded, in the on-
slaughts on Saturday night
and early Sunday in the
municipalities of Villa Cor-
zo and Mapastepec, it said
in a statement.
The attacks marked an
escalation of violence in
Chiapas against politicians
intending to seek office in
the June 2 vote, when Mex-
icans will also elect a new
President.
Last week, six persons,
including a minor and
mayoral candidate Lucero
Lopez, were killed in an
ambush.
More than two dozen
politicians have been killed
since September last year,
according to the NGO Data
Civica.
The toll increases to
more than 50 people if re-
latives and other victims of
those attacks are counted.
Spiraling criminal vio-
lence has seen more than
4,50,000 people mur-
dered in Mexico since the
government of then-presi-
dent Felipe Calderon
launched a controversial
military offensive against
drug cartels in 2006.
CM
YK
REUTERS
drone attacks; four killed in
Reduced to rubble: Palestinians look at the destruction after an
Israeli strike on a residential building in Nuseirat Refugee Camp. AP
opposition and calls to an-
nounce a plan for Gaza’s
post-war governance —
from top ally Washington
and from mass street prot-
ests, and now also from
members of his war
Cabinet.
Centrist politician Ben-
ny Gantz threatened on Sa-
turday to quit the govern-
ing hard-right coalition
unless Mr. Netanyahu ap-
proves a post-war “action
plan” by June 8.
A man takes pictures of the stage for the inauguration ceremony of Taiwan’s President-elect Lai Ching-te and Vice-President-elect Hsiao
Bi-khim in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei on Sunday, on the eve of the inauguration ceremony. AFP
No respite for Afghanistan as new spate of
floods kill 66 people in northern province
Agence France-Presse
KABUL
Fresh floods killed 66 peo-
ple in northern Afghanis-
tan, a provincial official
said on Sunday, after
weeks of flooding that has
inundated farms and villag-
es and swept away swathes
of communities.
Hundreds of people
have died in flash floods
this month that have also
swamped agricultural
lands in a country where
80% of the population de-
THE HINDU
World
DENPASAR
Elon Musk launches Starlink
Internet service in Indonesia
AFP
Tech billionaire Elon Musk launched on Sunday his Starlink service
on Indonesia's resort island of Bali as the country aims to extend
Internet to its remote areas. Millions of people in Indonesia, a vast
archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, are not currently hooked
up to reliable Internet services. AFP
nistration that will manage
civilian affairs in the Gaza
Strip”.
Mr. Netanyahu dismis-
sed Mr. Gantz’s comments
as “washed-up words”,
saying they would lead to
“a defeat for Israel” and
“the establishment of a
Palestinian state”, which
he fiercely opposes.
U.S. President Joe Biden
called on Sunday for an im-
mediate gaza ceasefire and
said he was pushing for a
regional peace deal “to get
a two-state solution, the
only solution”.
Amid the political tur- The Gaza war broke out
moil, Mr. Sullivan was to after Hamas’s unprece-
meet his Israeli counter- dented October 7 attack on
part Tzachi Hanegbi and Israel, which resulted in
Mr. Netanyahu for talks on the deaths of more than
the brutal Gaza conflict 1,170 people. Hamas also
and post-war scenarios. took about 250 hostages
during the October 7 at-
‘Day after’ scenarios tack, of whom 124 remain
Mr. Gantz demanded steps held in Gaza including 37
to defeat Hamas, to bring the Army says are dead.
home the hostages, and to- Israel’s retaliatory offen-
wards the formation of an sive against Hamas has
“American, European, killed at least 35,456 peo-
Arab and Palestinian admi- ple in Gaza.
The latest floods hit governor, in a statement.
multiple districts of “Due to the floods 66
Faryab province on people were killed,” he
said, adding that at least
Saturday night
five persons were injured
causing many losses and others were still mis-
sing.
pends on farming to 1,500 houses hit
survive. The flooding damaged
The latest heavy floods more than 1,500 houses,
hit multiple districts of Fa- swamped more than 1,000
ryab province on Saturday acres of agricultural land
night and “resulted in hu- and killed hundreds of liv-
man and financial losses,” estock, he said.
said Asmatullah Muradi, The floods came a day
spokesman for the Faryab after provincial police said
BRATISLAVA
Slovak PM Fico’s life no longer in
danger after being shot four times
X X
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico’s life is no longer in danger
following an assassination attempt, Deputy Prime Minister Robert
Kalinak said on Sunday. A lone gunman, who appeared in court on
Saturday, shot Mr. Fico four times. “His condition remains serious
and he requires intensive care,” Mr. Kalinak said. AFP
strike on Kharkiv outskirts
Associated Press
KYIV
Russia said it shot down
some 60 drones and sever-
al missiles over its territory
while Ukraine in turn said
it destroyed over 30 Rus-
sian drones. At least four
persons were reported
killed in an attack on the
outskirts of Kharkiv on
Sunday as Russia pushed
ahead with its renewed of-
fensive in Ukraine's war-
ravaged northeast.
Russian air defences
shot down 57 Ukrainian
drones over the southern
Krasnodar region over-
night, the Russian Defence
Ministry said.
Local military officials
said drone debris hit an oil
refinery in the town of Sla-
vyansk-on-Kuban, but
there was no fire or dam-
age.
Nine long-range ballistic
missiles and a drone were
destroyed over the Russia-
occupied Crimean Penin-
sula, following Friday
morning’s massive Ukrai-
more than 50 people were
killed in flash flooding in
the western province of
Ghor.
Just over a week ago,
more than 300 people
were killed by torrents in
northern Baghlan pro-
vince, according to the UN
World Food Programme.
Taliban officials have
warned the tolls would go
up in regions impacted by
flooding, as destroyed in-
frastructure hampered aid
delivery and efforts to find
the missing.
REUTERS
Costly game: A recreational area that came under Russian attack
on the outskirts of Kharkiv in Ukraine on Sunday. AP
nian drone attack that cut
off power in the city of
Sevastopol.
A further three drones
were shot down over the
Belgorod region, which
borders Ukraine.
The Russian-installed
Governor of Ukraine's par-
tially occupied Kherson re-
gion, Vladimir Saldo, said
that one person died and
16 were wounded when a
Ukrainian drone hit a mini-
bus on Sunday morning.
Ukrainian air force offi-
cials said air defenses shot
down all 37 Russian drones
Three dead after DR Congo’s
Army thwarts coup attempt,
arrests several foreigners
Associated Press
KINSHASA
DR Congo’s Army said it
foiled a coup attempt early
on Sunday and arrested
the perpetrators, including
several foreigners, follow-
ing attacks on the presi-
dential palace and the resi-
dence of a close ally of
Congo’s President that left
three persons dead in the
capital, Kinshasa.
At first, local media
identified the armed men
as Congolese soldiers but
then reported they were
linked to self-exiled oppo-
sition figure Christian Ma-
langa, who later posted a
video on Facebook threa-
tening President Felix
Tshisekedi.
Mr. Malanga was killed
at the presidential palace
after he resisted arrest by
guards, Congolese Army
spokesperson Brig. Gen.
Sylvain Ekenge said.
Mr. Tshisekedi was re-
elected as President in De-
cember in a chaotic vote
amid calls for a revote from
the Opposition over what
they said was a lack of tran-
sparency. The Central Afri-
can country has witnessed
similar trends of disputed
elections in the past.
Mr. Ekenge said on state
television Sunday that the
attempted coup d’état was
“nipped in the bud by Con-
golese defence and securi-
ty forces (and) the situa-
tion is under control.”
Among the perpetrators
were three Americans, in-
SIHANOUKVILLE
Two Chinese warships dock in
Cambodia as part of military drills
Two Chinese warships docked in Cambodia on Sunday as part of
the biggest-ever joint military drills with the Southeast Asian nation,
with Beijing’s ambassador hailing their “ironclad” friendship.
Cambodia has long been a staunch ally of China and has received
billions of dollars in investment. AFP
launched against the coun-
try overnight.
In the Kharkiv region,
where Moscow recently
launched a new offensive,
regional Gov. Oleh Synie-
hubov said Sunday morn-
ing that one person died
and 11 were wounded as a
result of shelling over the
previous day.
Later on Sunday, Synie-
hubov said four persons
were killed and 15 wound-
ed in a Russian strike on
the outskirts of the region-
al capital, also called
Kharkiv.
Security forces secure the streets of the capital Kinshasa in the
Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday. AP
cluding the son of Mr. Ma-
langa, Mr. Ekenge later
said.
This also came amid a
crisis gripping Mr. Tshise-
kedi’s ruling party over an
election for the parlia-
ment’s leadership, which
was supposed to be held
Saturday
postponed.
but was
Clashes ensue
Clashes were reported on
Sunday between men in
military uniform and
guards of Vital Kamerhe, a
federal legislator and a
candidate for speaker of
the National Assembly of
Congo, at his residence in
Kinshasa, about 2 km from
the presidential palace and
where some embassies are
also located.
Kamerhe’s guards
stopped the armed men,
Michel Moto Muhima, the
politician’s spokesperson
said on X, adding that two
police officers and one of
the attackers were killed in
Monday, May 20, 2024
Chennai
AFP
New graft
allegations
against
Imran Khan
thg-th-nl-00005541
Press Trust of India
ISLAMABAD
Pakistan’s accountability
watchdog has levelled
fresh corruption allega-
tions against jailed former
Prime Minister Imran
Khan, accusing him of “il-
legally” possessing and
selling seven high-value
watches and 10 other pre-
cious gifts linked to the
state gift repository when
he was in power, media re-
ports said on Sunday.
The National Accounta-
bility Bureau (NAB)
launched an inquiry
against the 71-year-old Pa-
kistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
(PTI) founder Mr. Khan
and his wife Bushra Bibi
over the alleged misuse of
the Toshakhana — the state
gift repository. The belea-
guered former first couple
has been convicted in ear-
lier Toshakhana corrup-
tion cases as well.
The previous Toshakha-
na graft case was filed by
the Election Commission
of Pakistan (ECP) in the
charges of hiring the sale of
state gifts.
the shootout that started
around 4:30 a.m.
Situation under control
Footage, seemingly from
the area, showed military
trucks and heavily armed
men parading deserted
streets in the neighbour-
hood as the Army said the
situation has been brought
under control.
Meanwhile, the self-ex-
iled Malanga appeared in
the live-streamed video at
the presidential palace sur-
rounded by several people
in military uniform and
said: “Felix, you’re out. We
are coming for you.”
On his website, the op-
position leader’s group —
the United Congolese Party
(UCP) — is described as “a
grassroots platform that
unifies the Congolese Dias-
pora around the world op-
posing the current Congo-
lese dictatorship.”
Mr. Tshisekedi has not
so far addressed the public
about Sunday’s events.
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 THE HINDU
Monday, May 20, 2024 15
Chennai
World

A decade on, thousands of Syrian lives

are forgotten in desert refugee camp
Refugees in the isolated Rukban camp find themselves stranded in no-man’s land; established on Syria’s border with Iraq and Jordan in 2014, at the
height of the country’s ongoing civil war, the camp houses desperate people who fled Islamic State group jihadists and government bombardment

Agence France-Presse deported from Jordan after heads the Washington-

Dominican Republic’s President Luis Abinader votes at a BEIRUT serving time on drug-relat- based Syrian Emergency
polling station in Santo Domingo on Sunday. REUTERS ed charges. Task Force association,

I
n a no-man’s land on
Syria’s border with
Dominicans go to Iraq and Jordan, thou-
sands are stranded in an
isolated camp, unable to
polls with focus on return home after fleeing
the government and jiha-
neighbour in crisis dists years ago.
When police defector
Khaled arrived at Rukban,
Associated Press he had hoped to be back
SANTO DOMINGO home within weeks — but
eight years on, he is still
Voters in the Dominican Republic cast ballots on stuck in the remote desert
Sunday in general elections likely to reinforce the camp, sealed off from the
government’s crackdown on its border with Haiti rest of the country.
and the hundreds of thousands of people fleeing Damascus rarely lets aid
the violence-stricken nation. in and neighbouring coun-
Leading the presidential race is President Luis tries have closed their bor-
thg-th-nl-00005541
He expressed anger at
being dumped at the
camp, and said he feared
arrest if he returned to his
home in Homs province,
now in an area under go-
vernment control.
“My relatives are all in
Jordan. Everyone who was
in Syria has either been
killed or left. And our
homes in Homs have been
razed,” he said. “Where
can I go?” he said.
Asked about the depor-
tations, a Jordanian go-
Isolated childhood: Displaced Syrian children play near mud houses at the Rukban camp, located in a vernment official denied
no-man's land in southern Syria on the border with Iraq and Jordan. AFP authorities had forcefully
returned refugees.
said “the number one
thing that they need (in
Rukban) even more than
food is doctors”. He noted
a total lack of staff trained
even for caesarean section
births.
‘Worst conditions’
Rukban “has the worst liv-
ing conditions... I have ev-
er seen in any refugee
camp”, said Mr. Moustafa,
whose association has air-
lifted aid into the camp
with help from the nearby
U.S.-led coalition base.
Mohammed, 22, who
had a liver problem, said

thg-th-nl-00005541
Abinader seeking reelection. Trailing behind him ders to the area, which is Jordan largely sealed its “My daughters are living lidi said. “If I didn’t fear for “Jordan has not and will that thanks to donations,
are former President Leonel Fernández and protected from Syrian forc- side of the border in 2016. off bread and tea. The myself, my children... I not force any Syrian refu- he was able to be smuggled
Mayor Abel Martínez. Dominicans are also voting es by a nearby U.S.-led coa- Many people have since camp is running out of wouldn’t put up with this gee to return to Syria,” the to government-held terri-
in legislative elections. lition base’s de-confliction returned to government- food,” Khaled said by tele- life of disease and hunger,” official said, requesting tory for surgery, after living
Mr. Abinader’s anti-corruption agenda and zone. “We are trapped bet- held areas to escape hun- phone. he said. anonymity because they in Rukban for years with
push to grow the Dominican Republic’s economy ween three countries,” ger, poverty and a lack of Despite dire conditions, were not authorised to his family.
has resonated with many of the 8 million voters in said Khaled, 50, who only medical care. The United ‘Scarce remittances’ a handful of people keep speak to the press. He later fled to neigh-
the Caribbean nation. Much of his popularity, ho- gave his first name due to Nations has also facilitated Mohammad Derbas al-Kha- arriving — but not by Rukban camp residents bouring Lebanon to avoid
wever, has been fuelled by the government’s security concerns. voluntary returns with the lidi, who heads the camp’s choice. “are Syrians and the camp military service and still
harsh crackdown on Haitians. “We can’t leave for (oth- help of the Syrian Arab Red council, said most families The council and the Syr- is located on Syrian territo- lives there despite a grind-
The Dominican Republic has long taken a hard er areas of ) Syria because Crescent. survived on scarce remit- ian Observatory for Hu- ry. It is therefore necessary ing economic crisis and
line stance with Haitian migrants, but such poli- we are wanted by the re- The last UN humanitar- tances that are funnelled in man Rights war monitor to help them return to growing anti-Syrian senti-
cies have ramped up since Haiti entered a free fall gime, and we can’t flee to ian convoy reached the and largely smuggled aid, said several dozen Syrians their regions inside Syria,” ment. “Any place on earth
following the 2021 assassination of President Jove- Jordan or Iraq” because camp in 2019, and the bo- while about 500 men released from Jordanian he added. is better than Rukban,” he
nel Moïse. As gangs have terrorised Haitians, the the borders are sealed, he dy described conditions working with the nearby prisons have been deport- Medical care in Rukban said.
Dominican government has built a wall along its added. there as “desperate” at the U.S. base receive salaries of ed to Rukban in recent is almost non-existent. Using a pseudonym be-
400 km border. Mr. Abinader has also repeatedly The camp was esta- time. Today, only about around $400 a month. years. Camp chief Mr. Khalidi cause he is in Lebanon ille-
urged the United Nations to send an international blished in 2014, at the 8,000 residents remain, The father of 14 said he Most have been convict- said the site had nurses but gally, Mohammed said he
force to Haiti, saying such action “cannot wait any height of Syria’s ongoing living in mud-brick houses, was wanted by the govern- ed of crimes from drug no doctors, and people has not seen his mother
longer.” war, as desperate people with food and basic sup- ment for helping army de- trafficking to illegally en- seeking medical treatment and older brothers in two
The government has also rejected calls to build fled Islamic State group ji- plies smuggled in at high fectors flee early in the tering Jordan or other se- must be smuggled into go- years because they are
refugee camps for those fleeing the violence and hadists and government prices. war. curity infractions, accord- vernment-held areas, with stuck in the camp.
carried out mass deportations of 1,75,000 Hai- bombardment in hopes of Residents say even Only a safe passageway ing to council data, with 24 a round-trip costing about “My family knows
tians just last year, according to government fi- crossing into Jordan. those meagre supplies risk to Syria’s rebel-held north- people sent to the camp so $1,600. Many camp resi- they’re never getting out...
gures. While the policy is popular among voters, it At its peak, it housed running dry as govern- west or its Kurdish-admi- far this year. dents making the journey They’re not even thinking
has provoked sharp criticisms from human rights more than 1,00,000 peo- ment checkpoints blocked nistered northeast could Mohammed al-Khalidi, have disappeared into jails, of fleeing,” he said.
organisations which call the policy racist and a ple, but numbers have smuggling routes to the “save the people who re- a mechanic not related to he added. “The camp is like a pri-
violation of international law. dwindled, especially after camp about a month ago. main in Rukban”, Mr. Kha- the camp chief, said he was Mouaz Moustafa, who son”, he added.

Clean-up ritual
Haitians struggle to bury loved ones
as killings surge in violent capital
Associated Press
PORT-AU-PRINCE
Dressed in black and
white, the crowd of angry
teenagers squeezed into a
narrow street in Haiti’s
capital.
They stopped in front of
a cemetery and hoisted a
coffin onto their shoulders,
tears rolling down some
faces.
“Viv Ansanm manje li!”
they chanted loudly in Hai-
tian Creole as they walked
to and fro, the coffin sway-
ing gently with their 16-
year-old friend inside.
Their chant accused a
gang coalition called ‘Live
Together’ of killing their
friend. He was struck by a
stray bullet earlier this
month in his community of
Solino, which gunmen
Turtle tradition: Men carry a turtle to be released into the sea during the Segara Kerthi, a ritual which seeks to physically and spiritually have repeatedly attacked.
clean the sea, held as part of the opening of the 10th World Water Forum in Serangan Island in Bali in Indonesia on Sunday. REUTERS Finding closure for
Restless deaths: A motorcycle taxi transports a coffin for a family
which live on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince in Haiti on May 14. AP
loved ones killed by gangs
on a relentless rampage
through Haiti’s capital and
beyond is growing harder
day by day in a country
where burial rituals are
sacred and the dead vener-
ated.
More than 2,500 people
were killed or injured in
just the first three months
of the year, according to
the UN.
Victims of gang violence
are increasingly left to de-
cay on the street, prey to
pigs and dogs, because a
growing number of areas
are too dangerous for peo-
ple to go out and retrieve
the bodies. Some bodies
are never seen again, espe-
cially those of officers with
Haiti's National Police who
are killed by gangs.
Death and life are tightly
intertwined in Haiti, where
many believe that bodies
need a formal resting place
so their spirits can drift in-
to the afterlife.
The gang coalition creat-
ed by a former elite police
officer named Jimmy Ché-
rizier, best known as Bar-
becue, is blamed for the
killings and attacks in Soli-
no. A neighbourhood of
roughly 80,000 people, it
already has nine large ma-
keshift shelters crowded
with families who have fled
violence, said Daniel Sain-
tiace, a community leader
who vowed that Solino
would not be taken by
gangs.
“We resist. That’s how
we stay strong,” he said as
he called on people to help
Solino. “We are not going
to run.”

Iran cinema, noted for its social dramas, finds foothold among audience in comedy
Agence France-Presse
TEHRAN
Social dramas have made
Iranian films and their di-
rectors renowned at inter-
national festivals such as
Cannes, but at home it’s
comedy that sells and has
long been the favoured
genre.
There are around 750
screens in the Islamic repu-
blic, and going to the mo-
vies is a preferred leisure
activity for people seeking
distraction from often diffi-
cult daily lives.
An Iranian film may be
in competition at this
year’s Cannes, but it was
comedy that monopolised
the top six box office plac-
es in the Iranian year 2023-
2024 that ended in March.
CM
YK
“These films offer a sim-
ple plot and structure that
make them accessible to
everyone,” movie critic
Houshang Golmakani said.
Generic formula
It’s a generic formula that
works well and generally
has stereotypical charac-
ters — pretty women,
young people wanting a
better life, a “Don Juan”
and clumsy pious men.
Take one of the big suc-
cesses of the past few
months, the comedy Hotel.
This film tells the tale,
replete with misunder-
standings and mix-ups, of a
man who hides his fiancee
from his former wife so he
can borrow money from
his ex’s aunt.
It was filmed on the is-
land of Kish, where Ira-
nians like to recharge their
batteries in a relaxed set-
ting inspired by Dubai just
a 12-hour ferry ride across
the Gulf.
Hotel was seen by 6.2
million people, but even it
was overtaken by Fossil
which, at 7.5 million, be-
came one of the top-
viewed movies in the histo-
ry of Iranian cinema.
Fossil chronicles the ad-
ventures of a group of mus-
icians before and after the
Islamic revolution of 1979,
after which pop music was
banned for more than two
decades.
It plays on nostalgia for
the golden age of popular
music by covering hits
sung by actors resembling
Iranian stars of the 1950s to
flexibility of the country’s
rulers towards young peo-
ple. Dynamite recounts the
setbacks of two Shia semi-
narians who move into a
flat and become neigh-
bours with a cannabis deal-
er and two young female
Instagram influencers.
The directors obey the
restrictions imposed by
the Islamic republic: wo-
men should wear hijab
head scarves, men and wo-
Humour boost: An Iranian woman walks past a movie theatre men must not touch each
showing posters for comedy films in Tehran on April 13. AFP other and alcohol cannot
be shown.
1980s, many of whom Shah-era culture, “promis- But that does not pre-
went into exile in the U.S. cuity” and “Westernisa- vent them from mocking
Fossil was not a hit with tion”, and urged officials to official cultural values such
Iran’s ultra-conservatives “block the cultural in- as “protecting the family at
and did not make them fluence of enemies” on all costs”, said Mr. Golma-
laugh. younger generations. kani, adding that such mo-
Kayhan newspaper Many Iranian comedies vies “end without really
raged that it promoted use satire to criticise the in- harming these values”.
The authorities tolerate
comedies because “they
respond to the needs of the
population”, the critic
added.
Iran’s cinema-going pu-
blic has few choices be-
cause of the low number of
foreign productions, par-
ticularly Hollywood mo-
vies, shown locally.
The country is also sub-
ject to international sanc-
tions and has no diplomat-
ic relations with the U.S.
People can also see se-
rious works by, among oth-
ers, Asghar Farhadi, Oscar-
winning director of A Sepa-
ration, and Saeed Roustaee
who made Law of Tehran.
But three 2022 films that
drew international acclaim
— Leila’s Brothers, World
War III, and Beyond the
Wall — were not allowed to
be screened, meaning en-
thusiasts had to download
them.
The Iranian film in com-
petition at Cannes this
year, The Seed of the Sacred
Fig by Mohammad Rasou-
lof, will not be shown at
home as its director fled
abroad after being given a
prison sentence.
Mr. Golmakani believes
that the success of come-
dies pushes producers to
favour the box office to the
detriment of social dra-
mas, which are “increas-
ingly marginalised” at a
“time when costs are
increasing”.
“The excessive produc-
tion of comedies affects
the overall quality of Ira-
nian cinema,” he said.
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