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CITY EDITION
18 Pages ₹ 12.00

Vol.13 앫 No.1

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CM J ND-NDE
YK
 THE HINDU Monday, January 2, 2023
J2 Delhi

CM J ND-NDE
YK
 MONDAY
January 2, 2023
DELHI
CITY EDITION
18 Pages ₹ 12.00
Printed at » Chennai » Coimbatore
India asks Pakistan to free
prisoners, says ready to
solve humanitarian matters
Kallol Bhattacherjee
NEW DELHI
India is committed to ad­
dressing “all humanitarian
matters, including those
pertaining to prisoners”
with Pakistan, the External
Affairs Ministry said in a
statement after New Delhi
and Islamabad exchanged
lists of prisoners on Sun­
day. The exchange takes
place in accordance with
the 2008 Agreement on
Consular Access every year
on January 1 and July 1.
“The Government has
called for early release and
repatriation of civilian pri­
soners, missing Indian de­
fence personnel, and fish­
ermen along with their
boats, from Pakistan’s cus­
tody,” a press note released
by the Ministry said. India
also asked to fast­track the
release and repatriation of
631 Indian fishermen and
two Indian civilian prison­
New Year surge
Festive fervour: The Marina beach in Chennai played host to a sea of humanity on New Year Sunday. Revellers returned to the beach this
time after being kept off by COVID­19 restrictions during the New Year in 2021 and 2022. B. JOTHI RAMALINGAM
Re­issue passport to PDP
chief’s mother, says J&K HC
The Hindu Bureau
SRINAGAR
The Jammu and Kashmir
High Court has directed
the passport office “to con­
sider re­issuance of pass­
port afresh” to former J&K
Chief Minister Mehbooba
Mufti’s mother, and
slammed the passport of­
ficer who rejected her
passport renewal applica­
tion for acting “as the
mouthpiece of the CID”.
“Simply on the basis of
the report of the J&K CID
[Criminal Investigation De­
partment], which did not
recommend to issue pass­
port, the Passport Officer
under the provisions of
Passport Act has not to
shut his eyes and to act on
that. At least the Passport
Officer should have, in the
background of the facts
CM
YK
» Bengaluru » Hyderabad
Indian side sought
immediate consular
access to 30
fishermen and 22
civilian prisoners
ers “who have completed
their sentence and whose
nationality has been con­
firmed and conveyed to
Pakistan”.
The Ministry said that
the Indian side had sought
“immediate” consular ac­
cess to the “remaining 30
fishermen and 22 civilian
prisoners in Pakistan’s cus­
tody, who are believed to
be Indian”.
Delhi has shared lists of
339 Pakistani civilian pri­
soners and 95 Pakistani
fishermen who are in In­
dia’s custody. Pakistan was
also asked to confirm “na­
tionality status” of 71 Pakis­
tani prisoners, including
fishermen, whose repatria­
Mehbooba Mufti
and circumstances, if re­
quired, asked the police
and CID whether there is
anything adverse against
the petitioner,” the court
said.
Justice M.A. Chowd­
hary, in an order issued on
Saturday, held that in such
a situation, without going
into the PVR (Police Verifi­
cation Report), refusal on
part of the passport officer
could simply be termed as
» Madurai » Noida » Visakhapatnam
tion is pending as Islama­
bad has not yet confirmed
their citizenship status.
List of nuclear facilities
The two sides also ex­
changed lists of their nu­
clear facilities on Sunday
as part of a 1988 pact that is
aimed at preventing at­
tacks targeting nuclear in­
stallations in each other’s
territory.
The exchange of the list
took place under the provi­
sions of the agreement on
the prohibition of attack
against nuclear installa­
tions and facilities, the Mi­
nistry said. It was done si­
multaneously through
diplomatic channels in
New Delhi and Islamabad.
The exchange of the list
came amid continuing
strain in ties between the
two countries over the
Kashmir issue as well as
cross­border terrorism.
(With PTI inputs)
“non­application of mind”.
“Passport Officer has
not to act as the mouth­
piece of the CID (nodal
agency). When an authori­
ty is vested with the power,
same is to be exercised jud­
iciously and not arbitrarily
as has been done in the in­
stant case,” Justice Chowd­
hary said.
‘Untenable grounds’
The court directed the
passport officer to “consid­
er the entire matter afresh
and pass orders thereon
within a period of six
weeks”.
The court further held
that the grounds on which
the request of the petition­
er for re­issue of the pass­
port has been rejected is
totally “untenable and un­
sustainable in the eyes of
law”.
www.thehindu.com
» Thiruvananthapuram » Kochi
December GST revenues
up from November lows
The third highest monthly collection so far and 15% higher than a year ago; Bihar reports the
highest growth in revenues at 36%, and Goa, Odisha, Manipur among States that record a dip
Vikas Dhoot
NEW DELHI
ndia’s Goods and Ser­
I
vices Tax (GST) reve­
nues rose to nearly
₹1.5 lakh crore in Decem­
ber, the third highest
monthly collection so far
and 15% higher than a year
ago. December’s GST kitty
also reflected a 2.5% uptick
over November 2022’s col­
lections that were the low­
est in three months.
This is the 10th month
in a row that GST collec­
tions have crossed the ₹1.4
lakh crore mark, with reve­
nues from import of goods
rising 8% and revenues
from domestic transac­
tions (including import of
services) increasing 18%
from the revenues yielded
by these sources during
December 2021.
The gross GST revenue
Thousands visit Bhima­Koregaon war memorial
The Hindu Bureau
PUNE
The 205th anniversary of
the Bhima­Koregaon battle
passed without incident as
lakhs of Ambedkarites
from across Maharashtra
and the country congregat­
ed near the Ranstambh
(victory pillar) at Perne vil­
lage in Pune on Sunday un­
der heavy security cover.
Crowds have been stea­
dily milling in Bhima­Kore­
gaon since Saturday even­
ing to pay floral tributes to
the bravery of the Mahar
soldiers who fought
against the Peshwa forces
in the 1818 battle.
Vigilant police
Keeping an ever­vigilant
eye to avoid any recrudes­
cence of the violence dur­
ing the bicentenary cele­
brations of the battle in
2018, the Pune Rural Police
strictly monitored social
» Vijayawada » Mangaluru » Tiruchirapalli
collected during Decem­
ber 2022, which reflect
transactions undertaken in
November is ₹1,49,507
crore, the Finance Ministry
said.
Of this figure, the Cen­
Haryana Minister Sandeep Singh resigns
The Hindu Bureau
GURUGRAM
Facing allegations of sex­
ual harassment by a junior
athletics coach, Haryana
Sports and Youth Affairs
Minister Sandeep Singh
resigned on Sunday.
A case was registered
against him by the Chan­
digarh Police.
Mr. Singh said that he
was handing over the
Sports and Youth Affairs
Department to the Chief
Minister on “moral
grounds”.
He claimed that an at­
mosphere was being
created to spoil his image
and sought an impartial
investigation into the
“false allegations” by the
junior coach of the Sports
Department.
A victorious past: A huge crowd at the Bhima­Koregaon war
memorial on the 205th anniversary of the battle, on Sunday. PTI
media, deleting over 100
posts found to contain pro­
vocative content with the
possible aim of rupturing
peace. Around 7,000 se­
curity personnel were de­
ployed in the area.
Several prominent polit­
icians, including Vanchit
Bahujan Aghadi (VBA)
chief Prakash Ambedkar,
Union Minister of State for
Social Justice and Empo­
» Kolkata » Hubballi » Mohali
tral GST (CGST) is ₹26,711
crore, State GST (SGST) is
₹33,357 crore, Integrated
GST (IGST) is ₹78,434 crore
(including ₹40,263 crore
collected on import of
goods) and cess is ₹11,005
The public relations of­
ficer of the Chandigarh
Police said a case was re­
gistered against the Minis­
ter at the Sector 26 police
station on charges of out­
raging the modesty of a
woman, unwelcome phys­
ical contact, assault with
intention to disrobe,
wrongful confinement
and criminal intimidation.
He said the matter was un­
der investigation.
Panel formed
A three­member commit­
tee headed by Additional
Director­General of Police
Mamta Singh, at present
Inspector­General Rohtak
Range, has been constitut­
ed by the Haryana govern­
ment for the investigation.
The complainant met
Haryana Home Minister
werment Ramdas Atha­
wale, and NCP MLA Jiten­
dra Awhad visited the site.
“Lakhs of followers visit
this place every year… It is
important that this herit­
age is preserved and this
history is cherished. Ex­
pansion of the memorial
premises is needed and for
that, the acquisition of an
additional 100 acres is re­
quired. We are taking ef­
» Malappuram » Mumbai » Tirupati
crore (including ₹850 crore
collected on import of
goods), the Ministry
added.
CONTINUED ON
» PAGE 10
Sandeep Singh
Anil Vij seeking justice in
the matter, and said that
she expected more vic­
tims to come forward af­
ter the Minister was sent
to jail.
She had held a press
conference in Chandigarh
this past Thursday, accus­
ing Mr. Singh of molesting
The Pune Rural
Police strictly
monitored social
media, deleting over
100 posts found to
contain provocative
content with the
possible aim of
rupturing peace
forts in this direction and a
preliminary plan has been
prepared,” Mr. Athawale
said.
A conspicuous absence
on the occasion was that of
Pune district Guardian Mi­
nister Chandrakant Patil,
who recently endured an
“ink attack” by his detrac­
tors.
While he paid his res­
pects to Ambedkar at his
residence, Mr. Patil, in a
press statement, said, “I
have received the threat of
an ink attack if I visit the
memorial. I am walking on
the path of Dr. Babasaheb
FOLLOW US
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Vol.13 앫 No.1
» Lucknow » Cuttack » Patna
IN BRIEF
쑽
Delimitation can
give safeguards in
Assam: Himanta
GUWAHATI
The process of delimitation can
provide the safeguards that the
exercise to update the National
Register of Citizens could not,
Assam CM Himanta Biswa
Sarma said. » Page 11
Militants shoot
dead 3 civilians
in Rajouri
JAMMU/SRINAGAR
Militants carrying automatic
rifles barged into at least three
houses near Rajouri in the Pir
Panjal Valley of Jammu and
Kashmir and killed three
civilians and injured at least
seven on Sunday. » Page 11
EDUCATIONPLUS » PAGE 5
her at his residence in
September.
The woman alleged
that the Minister inappro­
priately touched her and
asked her to keep him
happy.
Calls charges ‘baseless’
The Minister denied the
allegations as “baseless”
and “absolutely false”.
Following the allega­
tions, several women and
social organisations in Ha­
ryana had held demon­
strations in Rohtak on Sa­
turday burning the
Minister in effigy and
seeking his removal.
Former Haryana Chief
Minister and Leader of the
Opposition Bhupinder
Singh Hooda has demand­
ed an impartial investiga­
tion.
Ambedkar’s thoughts,
thus, I am even ready to
take bullets on my chest.
However, some people
wish that there should be
an untoward incident or
communal riots there. As
scores of people go there
with lot of devotion, their
safety and security is im­
portant for me. So, I have
decided not to go there.”
While the outcome of
the Koregaon­Bhima battle
was inconclusive, Babasa­
heb Ambedkar’s visit to the
spot on January 1, 1927, rev­
italised its memory for the
Dalit community, making it
a rallying point and an as­
sertion of pride.
The 2018 clashes, which
heightened social tensions
across the State while its
reverberations were felt
throughout the country,
resulted in massive des­
truction of property be­
longing to Ambedkarite
members.
M ND-NDE
 THE HINDU
2 Monday, January 2, 2023

City Delhi

INBRIEF
쑽 With push for vibrant nightlife, Two elderly
women

Delhi gets ready to be a 24x7 city charred to

death in GK­II
The Hindu Bureau
An active nightlife is only one among the various components that can help result in the city having a thriving night­time NEW DELHI
economy, provisions for which have been earmarked in the draft Master Plan for Delhi­2041
Two elderly women were
killed in a fire that broke
Muneef Khan night. So, there are multi­ out at an old­age home in
Cold start to the year, NEW DELHI ple challenges,” said the se­
nior DDA official.
South Delhi’s Greater Kai­
lash­II on Sunday morning,
mercury to dip further The plans to promote the police said.

W
ith bars and
After a brief respite, cold and foggy conditions restaurants in
made a comeback in the Capital on Sunday with luxury hotels
the minimum temperature settling at 5.5 degrees being allowed to operate
Celsius, which was two degrees colder than the round the clock, and those
normal for this time of the year. The maximum in other categories till 1
temperature settled at 21.1 degrees Celsius. The a.m., the decision to ease
minimum temperature had risen to 10.7 and 10.2 licensing norms — initiated
degrees Celsius on Friday and Saturday. by L­G Vinai Kumar Saxena
— comes as an initial push
towards understanding the
larger goal of having a vi­
20­year­old mowed down, brant nightlife in the
Capital.
dragged for 4 km; five held Simply put, a vibrant
nightlife is more than just
A 20­year­old woman was killed in the early ‘partying longer into the
hours of Sunday allegedly after her scooty was night’ — it’s a push for mak­
hit by a car, in outer Delhi’s Sultan Puri area, ing Delhi a 24x7 city by
which then dragged her for about four promoting a night­time
kilometres, the police said on Sunday. Five men economy that involves an
travelling in the car have been arrested on array of activities and be­
charges of rash driving and causing death by nefits in various sectors, in­
negligence, an officer said. The accused have cluding increasing jobs and
been identified as Deepak Khanna, 26, Amit improving the overall safe­
Khanna, 25, Krishan, 27, Mithun, 26, and Manoj ty of the city.
Mittal, 27. DCW chief Swati Maliwal issued a Last week, a similar
notice to the police, seeking details of the case. push was initiated for res­
taurants and cafeterias
based in the Qutab Golf
Course, among other esta­
Health clinic for sex workers, blishments under the Delhi
Development Authority
families opened at G.B. Road (DDA), which saw an exten­
sion in their operational
In a first, a health clinic for sex workers and their timings till 1 a.m.
families was inaugurated on Sunday in the city’s Explaining the decision,
red­light area, G.B. Road, with facilities for a senior DDA official said
routine check­ups and treatment. It has been over the next three
started in a part of a non­functional school by months, the urban body
some civil society groups. Shalini (name will observe the footfall at
changed), a sex worker, said she hopes the these establishments to see
facility will help fight the stigma that she faces in the overall response from
visiting clinics in other parts of the city. PTI people. However, he ad­
Night out: A night­time economy will require an active nightlife, which is largely missing in the national
capital. SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR
ded, pushing for an active
nightlife is only one among
the various components
that can help result in the
city having a thriving night­
time economy.
Night-time economy
“A night­time economy will
require an active nightlife,
which is largely missing in
the city. What we [DDA]
are attempting at is within
our establishments, but
the larger plan includes
concerned agencies identi­
fying pockets in the city
where an active nightlife
can be promoted, and the
draft Master Plan for Delhi
(MPD)­2041 has provisions
which lay emphasis on
this,” said the senior DDA
official.
According to the draft
MPD­2041, identifying cir­
cuits where offices can
continue working at night,
along with cultural activi­
ties and events at night to
attract locals and tourists
are among the key compo­
nents towards fostering a
night­time economy.
The draft notes that ex­
tending the utilisation of
work spaces by promoting
a vibrant nightlife will add
towards public safety and
help improve economic
productivity.
“It is basically the con­
cept of a 24­hour city,
where you have a parallel
life at night. Going by this
concept, utilising work
spaces at night will require
appropriate calibrations in
the labour laws and va­
rious other changes,” said
the senior DDA official.
The draft MPD 2041
notes that areas which
have a concentration of
heritage assets and busi­
ness districts that currently
have a “vibrant nightlife”
will be the priority nodes
of ‘Nightlife Circuits’,
which are to be identified
by local bodies and other
concerned agencies.
“The draft also notes
that the agencies will have
to permit extended timings
for restaurants, entertain­
ment and other facilities at
the circuits to function at
night. In the long run,
most establishments will
have to operate beyond 1
a.m. in order to actually
have a nightlife. This also
requires changing the real­
ity of Delhi being unsafe at
the circuits include allow­
ing the concerned agencies
to collaborate with cultural
groups, artist collectives
and market associations,
among others.
While the draft
MPD­2041 is yet be noti­
fied, the tentative timeline
— provided by the Centre
to the Supreme Court —
notes that a letter regard­
ing final approval and noti­
fication of MPD­2041 will
be sent to the Ministry of
Housing and Urban Affairs
(MoHUA), by January 15,
2023.
Infrastructural targets
Serving as a vision docu­
ment for the city’s growth
over the next two decades,
the MPD­2041 has set a
number of infrastructural
targets such as minimising
vehicular pollution, pro­
viding affordable housing,
and making Delhi a 24x7 ci­
ty by promoting a night­
time economy.
“The positive part is that
the Lieutenant Governor is
overseeing the push for a
better nightlife and this
may result in more pro­
gress in connection to this.
Nightlife should not be
confused with night­time
economy; however, the
former is a crucial compo­
nent towards developing a
night­time economy,” said
the senior DDA official.
According to a Delhi Pol­
ice officer, 13 persons, in­
cluding senior citizens and
their attendants, were res­
cued from Antara Care
Homes in GK­II, of which
one elderly person is criti­
cal and was admitted to
Max Hospital, Saket. Other
victims were shifted to a
branch of the care home in
Okhla, the officer added.
The deceased have been
identified as Kanchan Aro­
ra, 86, and Kamal, 92, offi­
cials said.
The Department of Del­
hi Fire Services (DFS) said it
got a call about the incident
around 5.15 a.m. and dis­
patched four fire tenders to
the site. The fire was
brought under control by
6.50 a.m. A senior DFS offi­
cial said the cause of fire
was yet to be ascertained.
The police said the acci­
dent occurred on the third
floor of the building and a
team of personnel from the
C.R. Park Police Station
reached the spot to help in
the rescue operation. A
crime team and mobile Fo­
rensic Science Laboratory
team were also called to
the spot. Further action
will be taken under legal
provisions of the law, the
police said, adding after
the fire was brought under
control, two “completely
burnt bodies” were reco­
vered from the third floor.

More than 300

challans issued to
drunk drivers
The Hindu Bureau
NEW DELHI
Delhi Police issued as many as 318 chal­
lans for drunken driving on New Year’s
Eve in the city, as it recorded a signifi­
cant rise in such cases in the past two
years when various restrictions were in
place due to the pandemic.
In a statement released on Sunday,
Delhi Police said while 299 people
were punished for drunken driving in
2019 before the pandemic, the figure
was 19 and 25 in 2020 and 2021,
respectively.
Sharing the official data, Delhi Traf­
fic Police said a total of 1,329 indivi­
duals were prosecuted for various traf­
fic violations, including drunken
driving, dangerous driving, and triple
riding. It also said that “no death was
reported” on New Year’s Eve this year.
“On December 31, 2022, Traffic Police
deployed 114 teams, armed with
breathalyser to check drunken driv­
ing,” the statement read. “Special pick­
ets were also set up in co­ordination
with local police and PCR to check mo­
torcycles stunts, speeding, reckless­
ness, zig­zag and dangerous driving, at
major points — Connaught Place, Meh­
rauli, Saket, Nehru Place, Vasant Vihar,
South Extension, etc,” it added.
Revellers flock to Kartavya Path
after two­year COVID hiatus
Mehul Malpani
NEW DELHI
One of Delhi’s most favou­
rite tourist spots, the newly
renovated Kartavya Path —
the stretch of road between
India Gate and Rashtrapati
Bhavan — witnessed thou­
sands of visitors on Sunday,
gathered to welcome the
New Year after two years of
muted celebrations due to
the pandemic.
A large number of visi­
tors came with their kids,
families and friends as the
city’s landmark, which was
known as Rajpath until
September 2022, turned in­
to a picnic spot on a bright
sunny day, giving some res­
pite from the extreme cold
that Delhi witnessed in the
past week.
Zeeshan, who was walk­
ing with his son Umar on
his shoulders, said the four­
year­old was tired after
playing at the park. “Now, I
am carrying him around
because he says he is too
Chock-a-block: Kartavya Path echoed with New Year greetings on
Sunday. SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR
tired to walk,” Zeeshan
said.
Vendors selling toys,
candies, ice cream, bal­
loons and snacks also had a
good day as kids dragged
their parents towards the
goodies. Hemant Singh,
who had come with his fa­
mily from Haryana’s Fari­
dabad, said that they came
before 11 a.m. and were go­
ing to leave after 4 p.m.
“My son and daughter are
having a pretty good time. I
bought them all these
snacks and toys and even
ice cream in winter,” Singh
said, pointing to his kids
who started laughing.
Many were seen clicking
pictures and selfies at India
Gate as well as across the
Kartavya Path making it dif­
ficult for one to walk with­
out photobombing.
Heavy security arrange­
ments were also made with
Delhi Police and CRPF per­
sonnel deployed in the
area to avoid any untoward
incident. When asked
about women’s safety ar­
rangements, Diya and Tan­
isha, from Haryana’s Soni­
pat, said even though they
did not spot many female
security personnel around,
they felt safe in the area.
The massive crowd also
provided some respite to
vendors at India Gate who
had suffered major losses
in business during the pan­
demic followed by the re­
novation work. Ranjeet,
who was selling papad,
said the crowd this time
was more than the years
before the pandemic. “It is
good for our business
which was affected when
Rajpath was under renova­
tion,” he said.
The heavy footfall, ho­
wever, caused high traffic
congestion in the nearby
areas. Traffic was also hit
by a protest staged by Jain
community members who
had blocked a road oppo­
site India Gate. They were
demanding recall of a re­
cent Jharkhand govern­
ment order declaring
Sammed Shikharji, a holy
site, as tourist spot, said a
protester.

Women in driver’s seat, but await ‘parivartan’ in mindset

Nearly four months after being inducted into the DTC fleet under ‘Mission Parivartan’, eleven female drivers face a slew of challenges

Samridhi Tewari issues. “Even though we pos­ sexist comments too. Seema
NEW DELHI sess powers, we are still wo­ Devi, 36, said that if their
men. [Men] look at us in a vehicle breaks down at any

I
n August last year, Shar­
mila was among eleven
women — nine from Ha­
ryana and one each from Ra­
jasthan and Delhi — who
joined the Delhi Transport
Corporation (DTC) fleet of
bus drivers.
They made headlines as
the first batch under ‘Mission
Parivartan’ — a joint venture
of the Delhi government and
automaker Ashok Leyland to
induct women drivers for
promoting women’s safety.
But nothing could brace
them for the pitfalls that
CM
YK
way we feel uncomfortable.”
“At night, most men board
the bus inebriated and they
raise their voices if I try to say
something.”
Neetu Devi, 25 faces this
problem even in the daytime.
“Not only do the male drivers
make us feel uncomfortable,
Trailblazers: The first batch of 11 female DTC bus drivers. FILE PHOTO but so do passengers.” Ms.
Neetu, who had a teaching
awaited them in a male­dom­ difficult to tackle them,” said job in Hisar, said pickpockets
inated field. Ms. Sharmila, 35. are another menace.
A former government
Harassed day and night school cook in Haryana, Ms. Taunts by male peers
“Some men don’t know how Sharmila said she takes the The harassment extends to
to respect women, it’s very morning route due to safety not just leers and threats, but
point, men usually taunt
them by saying “If you don’t
know how to drive, why did
you even become a driver?”.
According to Ms. Neetu,
the women currently work
under a one­year contract,
and the Transport Depart­
ment pays them on a per ki­
lometre basis.
Fighting old mindsets
and harassment is part of
the job for these female driv­
ers. Yet, Ms. Sharmila stress­
es that no woman should
feel unsafe when she boards
the bus.
M ND-NDE
 THE HINDU
Monday, January 2, 2023 3
Delhi
States

Bharat Jodo Yatra set Study without stress,

Lok Sabha Speaker
INBRIEF
쑽

to reach U.P.; Congress urges Kota students

workers in high spirits
The march, led by Rahul Gandhi, will enter the State on Tuesday and cover a distance of 120 km;
partymen are working overtime to ensure arrangements for 2,000­2,500 people Uttarakhand CM visits
Rishabh Pant in hospital
Press Trust of India
LUCKNOW/BAGHPAT Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami
on Sunday visited the Max Hospital here to see
Preparations are afoot for cricketer Rishabh Pant who is under treatment
Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jo­ for multiple injuries sustained in a massive car
do Yatra' in Uttar Pradesh, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. FILE PHOTO accident. Mr. Pant is stable and his condition is
an event Congress leaders improving, said sources at the hospital where Mr.
hope will galvanise the par­ Press Trust of India and they will take care of Dhami spent nearly an hour and took updates on
ty's workers and make the KOTA you," Mr. Birla told the his condition from his mother, sister and doctors.
masses aware of the “mis­ students. The Chief Minister assured them that the State
rule’ of the Bharatiya Jana­ Lok Sabha Speaker Om Bir­ He also assured to pro­ government will give all help for the treatment of
ta Party­led government at la has urged students com­ vide them with phone the cricketer. PTI
the Centre. ing to Rajasthan’s Kota city numbers of his local office
According to Uttar Pra­ to study without any stress and the one in Delhi, and
desh Congress leaders, the and reach out to him in asked them to contact him
march will enter the State
on January 3 and cover a
case of any trouble. Ad­
dressing the students on
if anything bothers them.
"Remedy and solution of
Car falls into gorge in Jammu’s
distance of 120 kilometres New Year's eve, he also every problem and every Kathua, three killed
before crossing over to Ha­ touched upon rising con­ difficulty is with me. You
ryana on January 5. cern among parents over just come and meet me," Three employees of a private
AICC general secretary A camp being prepared for the night stay of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other participants of the the aspirants taking their he said at the gathering. telecommunications company were killed and
(communications) Jairam Bharat Jodo Yatra at Mavikala village in Uttar Pradesh's Baghpat district. PTI lives after failing to crack Addressing the issue of stu­ another injured when their vehicle skidded off
Ramesh recently said that various competitive dent suicides in Kota, con­ the road and fell into a 300­foot deep gorge in
the yatra, which is current­ masses aware about the cessary. The effort is to en­ nent non­Congress leaders exams. sidered the coaching hub Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir, the police
ly on a winter break, will “misrule” of the BJP go­ sure that party workers like Akhilesh Yadav, Maya­ "Students should not be of the country, Mr. Birla said on Sunday. The accident occurred on
resume from the Hanuman vernment in Delhi and also from all the 75 districts of wati and Jayant Chaudhary depressed about their stu­ told the aspirants that they Saturday near Sewa on Bani­Basohli road when
Mandir in Delhi's Kashm­ infuse fresh energy in the the State come for the ya­ not showing any inclina­ dies. Life is full of challeng­ were not in the city to end the driver lost control of the car, they added. Ajay
ere Gate on January 3 and party's workers, they said. tra,” former Member of tion to join the yatra, Punia es and one who is deter­ their lives for an examina­ Kumar, Mohan Lal, and Kaku Ram were found
enter Uttar Pradesh's Gha­ The party's Baghpat dis­ Parliament and member of said it is a non­political mined and works hard for tion, but to enjoy their edu­ dead, while Rajesh Kumar was rescued in an
ziabad around noon. trict unit president Yunus the administration coordi­ event with a clear message his goal never fails," he said cational pursuit. injured condition and taken to hospital, said an
Chowdhary said the yatris nation committee of the to end the hatred prevail­ on Saturday. Asked about preference officer. PTI
Halt in Baghpat will be received at the Dun­ yatra P.L.Punia said. ing in the country and un­ The Member of Parlia­ of English as a medium of
It will make a night halt in dahera checkpost and the “And these people who ite it. ment from Kota­Bundi also communication, he said,
Mavikala village in Bagh­ march will halt for the have been asked to come asked the students to re­ "All proceedings in Parlia­
pat. The yatra will pass night at Mavikala village on are all those from the or­ ‘Non­political event’ main positive and in high ment were earlier conduct­
through Shamli in Uttar January 3 where Rahul ganisation as the aim is not State Congress spokesper­ spirits in 2023. He said ed in English and everyone
Pradesh on January 4 and Gandhi will stay at a farm just to gather crowds. Lists son Ashok Singh recently whenever parliamentar­ spoke in that language. But
enter Haryana though Sa­ house. have been sought from said that party general se­ ians from various parts of I started speaking in Hindi
nauli in Panipat on the Arrangements for the block presidents and pass­ cretary Priyanka Gandhi the country visit him, they and now 90 per cent peo­
evening of January 5, the stay of about 2,000­2,500 es are being made with Vadra would be present in talk about the children ple in the Parliament parti­
party leaders said. people are being made, he their photographs. Special the Uttar Pradesh leg of the from their respective states cipate in debates and dis­
Congress members are added. arrangements are on for march that set off from Ka­ studying here and enquire cussions in Hindi."
working overtime for the “The enthusiasm seen their stay and other nyakumari on September 7 about their well­being. According to police, 15
success of the yatra, which in Congress members all needs,” he added. last year and would end in "Each and every family liv­ students allegedly commit­
they hope would make the through the yatra was ne­ Amid reports of promi­ Jammu and Kashmir. ing in Kota is your family ted suicide in Kota in 2022.
U.P. Chief Minister holds
‘Janata Darshan’ on New Year
Policeman among 3 New year rush Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on
Sunday held a 'Janata Darshan' in Gorakhpur
held for ruckus at with almost 300 people in attendance who
shared their complaints with him. According to a

Noida New Year’s bash government press statement, the CM gave people
his assurance that their complaints will be looked
into. "The government will ensure that every
Press Trust of India Greater Noida (West) sur­ issue is resolved quickly and satisfactorily," Mr.
NOIDA faced on social media, Adityanath said. PTI
prompting the police ac­
Three people, including a tion, despite no official
Delhi Police personnel, complaint from either
were arrested after a clash
between two groups result­
side, the official added.
An official at Bisrakh
VHP seeks stringent
ed in injuries to four peo­ police station said, "The anti­conversion law and UCC
ple during New Year cele­ women had claimed that
brations at a group housing the accused were taking The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) has passed a
society near the city, offi­ their pictures without their resolution against religious radicalism, which it
cials said on Sunday. consent and when they in­ said was responsible for terror attacks across the
The clash broke out formed their friends about world, and demanded a stringent law to ban
around 11:30 p.m. on Sa­ it, an argument broke out illegal conversions and implementation of the
turday over the trio alleg­ between the two sides, fol­ Uniform Civil Code (UCC), its functionary said.
edly trying to take pictures lowed by a fight." This resolution was passed and demands were
with two women residents However, the accused made during the three­day meeting of the VHP's
of the society without their were arrested as a preven­ central board of trustees and the governing
consent. However, the ac­ tive measure under Sec­ Going with the flow: Tourists take a boat ride during the New Year celebrations in Varanasi on Sunday. PTI council that concluded here on Sunday. PTI
cused claimed that they tion 151 of the CrPC, Bis­
were taking selfies and the rakh police station
women just happened to in­charge Anil Kumar Raj­
be in the background and
it was a case of misunder­
standing, an official said.
put said.
The accused have been
identified as Bharat Singh
Man beaten to death Discontent brewing among Telangana
Video clips purportedly
of the incident at Gaur Ci­
ty's First Avenue society in
(40), a head constable of
the Delhi Police, Jai Singh
(32) and Kuldeep (35).
in Gurugram sarpanches over allocation of funds
Press Trust of India The police said that
Timings
GURUGRAM Sonu Kumar was N. Rahul government. Many of them for payment of Rythu
DELHI 156 held in A 28­year­old man was al­
allegedly killed by a HYDERABAD Chimpula Satyanaraya­
na Reddy, president of Te­
tendered their
resignations and held
Bandhu instalment to
farmers for rabi from De­
MONDAY, JAN. 02 group of people over
RISE
RISE
07:15
14:05
SET 17:37
SET 03:03
Mumbai for legedly beaten to death by
a group of people over an an old enmity
The sarpanches who
mostly owed allegiance to
langana Panchayat Raj
Chambers, said that the
a mass dharna across
cember 28.
Mr. Satyanarayana Red­
Nirmal district later
TUESDAY, JAN. 03
RISE 07:15 SET 17:37
drunk driving old enmity in the Sector 46
area here, police said on and informed the police. A
the ruling Bharat Rashtra
Samiti in Telangana have
present crisis was due to
diversion of funds depo­
dy said that the funds
were used for payment of
RISE 14:42 SET 04:01 on New Year Sunday.
The deceased has been
police team reached the
spot and later to the hospi­
voiced serious concern
over not receiving govern­
sited in the bank accounts
of gram panchayats. Both
to open different bank ac­
counts for routing its
salaries to panchayat staff,
construction of cement
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 04
RISE 07:15 SET 17:38 identified as Sonu Kumar, a tal to take the statement of ment funds for nearly an the Central and State go­ funds. However, the key of concrete roads, sanitation
RISE 15:24 SET 04:59 Press Trust of India native of Madnaka village the victim, but he was not year. vernments deposited mo­ the digital signatures of and drinking water supply
MUMBAI in Palwal district of Harya­ fit for it, they said. This was reflected in a ney in these accounts. sarpanches and upa­sar­ in villages. Many sar­
na and was currently living Following a complaint dozen of them coming for­ While the Centre contri­ panches, who operated panches spent money on
Mumbai Police caught 156 in Jal Vihar colony in Sec­ by David, a cousin of Ku­ ward to tender their resig­ buted the 14th and 15th Fi­ the accounts, was re­ them from their personal
people for drunk driving tor 46 in Gurugram, they mar, an FIR was registered nations near Sirpur, Ka­ nance Commission funds, tained by the State savings or borrowings due
and 2,465 people for riding said. He was working at against unidentified ac­ gaznagar, in Asifabad the State deposited mo­ government. to pressure from villagers.
motorbikes without wear­ utensils shop of his cused under sections 148 district last week and ney based on population As the opening of the Medi Anjaiah, sarpanch
ing helmet during New relative. (riots), 149 (unlawful as­ holding a mass dharna of villages from a Central new bank accounts took of Timmapur village in Ka­
Year celebrations in the ci­ On Saturday, around sembly), 325 (voluntarily across Nirmal district pool of recovery made about six months, the rimnagar district, said
ty, an official said on 2:45 p.m., a group of over causing grievous hurt), 506 later. from stamp duty and min­ Centre did not release the that he had spent ₹29 lakh
Sunday. eight people on a motorcy­ (criminal intimidation) of An upa­sarpanch in ing cess after the new money during the period. so far, but officials always
Several personnel were cle and a scooter halted at the IPC at Sector 50 police Kataram mandal commit­ State Panchayat Raj Act It was only on December expressed helplessness to
deployed across the city the shop and attacked Ku­ station Saturday night, the ted suicide allegedly due was enacted. 24 that the Central funds clear his dues. The gram
and a campaign was con­ mar with sticks and iron police added. Around 10 to frustration over carry­ Realising that the State were deposited in the new panchayat of Timmapur
ducted from late Saturday rods and fled, the police am Sunday, Kumar’s broth­ ing out gram panchayat government diverted the bank accounts. But, the used to get ₹2.5­₹3 lakh a
night till the wee hours of said. The family members er­in­law of Kumar in­ works with his money funds for other pro­ State mopped up the mo­ month after the 14th Fi­
Sunday to check people and relatives rushed Ku­ formed the police that he which was not reim­ grammes, the Centre ney in the accounts with nance Commission re­
violating traffic norms. mar to a private hospital succumbed to injuries. bursed by the asked all the panchayats the digital key allegedly commendations.
Published by Nirmala Lakshman and Printed by S. Ramanujam at HT Media Ltd. Plot No. 8, Udyog Vihar, Greater Noida Distt. Gautam Budh Nagar, U.P. 201306, on behalf of THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD., Chennai­600002. Editor: Suresh Nambath (Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act).
Regd. DL(ND)­11/6110/2006­07­08 RNI No. UPENG/2012/49940 ISSN 0971 ­ 751X
● ●

CM M ND-NDE
YK

4 Monday, January 2, 2023
0
DISCLAIMER: Readers are requested to verify
and make appropriate enquiries to satisfy
themselves about the veracity of an advertise­
ment before responding to any published in
Jharkhand
man beaten
this newspaper. THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD., the
Publisher & Owner of this newspaper, does not
vouch for the authenticity of any advertisement
or advertiser or for any of the advertiser’s
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Employees of this newspaper/company be held
responsible/liable in any manner whatsoever
‘stealing’ goats
for any claims and/or damages for advertise­
ments in this newspaper.
Press Trust of India
RANCHI
A 32­year­old man was
beaten to death by a mob
for allegedly attempting to
steal goats in Jharkhand’s
Giridih district, police said
on Sunday.
EDUCATIONAL
The incident took place
on Saturday night at Sadi
GENERAL Gawanro, a tribal­domi­
nated village, in the Muffa­
sil police station area of
the district, around 200
km from the State capital
Ranchi, a senior officer
said.
The deceased was iden­
tified as Vinod Choudhary,
a resident of Simaria vil­
lage within the same pol­
ice station limits.
“The man went to the
Sadi Gawanro village to
steal goats. When he was
untying ruminants from a
house on Saturday night,
it came to the notice of vil­
lagers and he was beaten
to death,” Giridih sub­divi­
sional police officer Anil
Kumar Singh said.
The villagers alleged
that the man was involved
in several crimes.
Probe initiated
An investigation has been
started, the SDPO said, ad­
ding that the police are
trying to identify those in­
volved in the killing of the
person.
A.P. social security
pensioners get fake
currency notes
The Hindu Bureau
ONGOLE
Andhra Pradesh officials
have ordered an inquiry af­
ter some beneficiaries of
social security pension
schemes complained that
they had received counter­
feit currency notes, at Na­
rasayapalem village near
Yerragondapalem in Praka­
sam district on Sunday.
The beneficiaries, hail­
ing from Narasayapalem
Scheduled Caste Colony, al­
leged that they were de­
nied essential commodities
when they gave the curren­
cy notes they had received
as social security pension.
They are said to have re­
turned 38 counterfeit notes
in the denomination of
EDUCATIONAL
GENERAL
ECONOMICS OPTIONAL through 400+ Q&
A @ 3500/− www.pramonomics.com
PRAMOD’S IAS App WhatsApp:
6378794488
CM
YK
Amit Shah’s statement on
Amul­Nandini cooperation
sparks political slugfest
Opposition Congress and Janata Dal (S) slam BJP leader; Karnataka Chief Minister and
Cooperation Minister clarify that the statement did not mean a merger of the two entities
The Hindu Bureau
BENGALURU
onths ahead of
M the Karnataka As­
sembly election,
Union Home and Coopera­
tion Minister Amit Shah’s
statement in Mandya on
the coming together of two
milk cooperatives — Karna­
taka Milk Federation (KMF)
and Gujarat­based Anand
Milk Union Ltd. (AMUL) —
has led to a political
slugfest.
While Karnataka Chief
Minister Basavaraj Bommai
and Cooperation Minister
S.T. Somashekar on Sunday
clarified that the statement
did not mean a merger of
the two entities, the Oppo­
sition Congress and Janata
Dal (S) have lashed out at
Mr. Shah’s statement, con­
struing that the suggestion
was for merger of the two
large cooperatives in the
country. Mr. Shah on Fri­
day suggested that Amul
and Nandini, two success­
ful milk unions, could work
towards the welfare of
country’s milk producers,
The beneficiaries
complained that each
one of them got one
to three fake
currency notes.
₹500 to the village volun­
teer, who in turn, handed
them over to the Panchayat
Secretary.
Official inquiry
The beneficiaries com­
plained that each one of
them got one to three fake
currency notes.
Andhra Pradesh officials
are inquiring as to how the
fake currency notes made
their way into the cash
drawn from a bank for dis­
tribution of social security
pensions.
THE HINDU
States
Amit Shah
initiating a “white revolu­
tion”.
Terming the move an in­
justice to Karnataka, form­
er Chief Minister H.D. Kum­
araswamy said that it was
an effort to nullify Karnata­
ka’s development that is
ahead of Gujarat. “Why are
you [Mr. Shah] showing in­
tolerance towards Karnata­
ka? I suspect it is to make
Kannadigas slaves of Guja­
rat. After subsuming Karna­
taka­based banks that were
a model to the country, this
is a hidden agenda,” he
said.
With nearly 26 lakh milk
Child injured Bone-chilling cold
after touching
ball like object
in Kolkata
Press Trust of India
KOLKATA
A child was injured when he
unintentionally touched a
live bomb lying in the open
at Mathabhanga in West
Bengal on Sunday, a police
officer said.
He was playing alone in
an open field in Kedarhat
area of Mathabhanga sub­di­
vision in Coochbehar dis­
trict when he came across
the ball­like object lying near
a culvert, the officer said.
The object went off when
the child touched it unknow­
ingly and injured him. His
parents who were working
in a nearby field rushed to
the spot. They along with lo­
cals rushed him to the hospi­
tal. The boy is stable but in
trauma, the officer said.
DEATH
producing members across
16 district unions, KMF has
reported a turnover of
nearly ₹19,800 crore in
2021­2022.
Mr. Shah’s pitch in Man­
dya comes around a time
when the BJP is trying to
make inroads in the Vokka­
liga dominated Old Mysore
region, and incidentally
the top five district milk un­
ions, including Mandya, in
the State are in this region.
Politically too, the milk un­
ions have played an impor­
tant role in elections.
Multiple leaders in both
the Janata Dal (S) and the
Congress said that the con­
troversy would resonate in
Assembly election too.
Another former Chief
Minister Siddaramaiah also
opposed it, saying any
coming together of the two
milk federations would re­
sult in loss of livelihood for
members of Karnataka.
“Eyes of the Gujarat corpo­
rates are now fixed on the
golden egg laying goose. It
is an attempt to rob Karna­
taka,” he alleged.
The concern over Mr.
A skier walks along the snow­laden valley on New Year’s day in Gulmarg. NISSAR AHMAD
DEATH
Shah’s statement comes in
the backdrop of his earlier
announcement in Assam in
October that the process is
on to merge Amul with five
milk cooperatives to form a
multi­State milk coopera­
tive society, a Congress
leader pointed out.
“This is not an isolated
statement. How can the
two come together when
they compete in the open
market? In fact, coming to­
gether will help Amul more
in accessing new market
that KMF currently has,” he
alleged.
Meanwhile, Chief Minis­
ter Basavaraj Bommai said
that Nandini would main­
tain its separate identity
‘for hundreds of years’,
and that Mr. Shah had only
meant that Nandini and
Amul must cooperate in
technical and marketing as­
pects. “The statement
should not be misunder­
stood and politicised.”
Cooperation Minister S.T.
Somashekar said: “There
has been no proposal for
merger and 100% Nandini
will remain independent.”
Dense fog, cold wave set
to grip north, northwest
India in first week of 2023
Press Trust of India
NEW DELHI
Cold wave conditions re­
turned to large parts of
northwest India with the
onset of the New Year and
the weather office has fore­
cast dense morning fog ov­
er Uttarakhand, Punjab,
Haryana and Uttar Pradesh
over the next three days.
The weather office said
isolated pockets over Utta­
rakhand, Punjab, Haryana,
Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh
and western Madhya Pra­
desh are expected to expe­
rience cold day conditions
over the next two days.
Due to north­westerly
winds from the Himalayas
over plains of northwest
India, minimum tempera­
tures are very likely to fall
by 2­4 degrees Celsius over
northwest and adjoining
central India during the
next two days, the India
Meteorological Depart­
There will be clarity
once final order on
reservation comes
out, says Bommai
The Hindu Bureau
HUBBALLI
Chief Minister Basavaraj
Bommai on Sunday said
that everything will be­
come crystal clear when
the final order on reserva­
tion for Panchamasali and
Vokkaliga communities is
issued and also clarified
that there will be no injus­
tice to any community.
Speaking to pressper­
sons in Hubballi on Sun­
day, Mr. Bommai said that
the government has ex­
plained its stand in the in­
terim order and the final
statistics will be revealed
in the final order.
“Once the final order is
issued, it will be discussed
with all stakeholders. At
any cost, the interests of
the other backwards class­
es will be affected,” he
said.
Clarification
Mr. Bommai clarified that
considering various as­
pects, the interim report
of the commission has
been accepted and if re­
quired, a clarification will
also be issued. But eve­
rything will be clear in the
final order, he said.
Reacting to Congress
Cold wave to severe
cold wave conditions
are likely over the
northern parts of
Rajasthan till
Tuesday.
ment said.
Under its influence cold
wave to severe cold wave
conditions are likely over
the northern parts of Ra­
jasthan till Tuesday.
Delhi and adjoining
areas had a brief respite
from cold wave conditions
last week.
Winters have been rela­
tively warm over most
parts of north India, except
for the latter part of De­
cember when regions of
north and northwest India
experienced cold wave and
dense fog conditions.
The weather office has
attributed the missing cold
conditions over north In­
Delhi
Basavaraj Bommai
leader Siddaramaiah’s re­
marks on the issue, he said
that when in power, Mr.
Siddaramaiah did nothing
to fulfil these long­pend­
ing demands and now that
the BJP government is do­
ing it, it has become a pro­
blem for him.
On the Mahadayi issue,
he said that the issue, for
which both the BJP and
the Congress have fought,
was not going towards a
logical end even after 25
years.
“However, finding fault
with the latest develop­
ment only reveals the
mindset of the Congress.
We are not bothered about
the criticism. The way
ahead is clear. Detailed
Project Report is cleared.
We will get assent from the
Finance Department and
proceed with the work,”
he said.
dia to the lack of strong
western disturbances, or
extra tropical weather sys­
tems, that bring rains to
the plains and snowfall at
higher altitudes.
Western disturbances
This December, there were
seven western disturbanc­
es, of which six were feeble
over India and only one
(December 28 – 30) was
strong. The latest extra
tropical weather system
brought the season’s first
snowfall and rainfall over
upper reaches of Jammu
and Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh and Uttarakhand
during the last three days.
The weather office has
forecast 86% below normal
rainfall of the long period
average (LPA) over north­
west India between Janu­
ary and March. The LPA of
rainfall over northwest In­
dia for January­February­
March is about 184.3 mm.
M ND-NDE

Monday, January 2, 2023
Delhi
Field verification for ESZ may turn futile in Kerala
K.S. Sudhi
KOCHI
The mammoth exercise of
field verification of the
map of the Ecologically
Sensitive Zone (ESZ) un­
dertaken across Kerala
would end up as a futile ex­
ercise as the State govern­
ment has already fulfilled
the two criteria put forth
by the Supreme Court for
dilution of ESZ norms.
The State has already
completed the satellite sur­
vey of the buffer zone and
moved the Central Empo­
wered Committee (CEC)
and the Union Ministry of
Environment, Forest and
Kerala CM calls for
broader alliance
of secular parties
The Hindu Bureau
KOZHIKODE
Calling for a broader al­
liance of the secular, de­
mocratic parties to oppose
the Sangh Parivar on­
slaught, Kerala Chief Minis­
ter Pinarayi Vijayan on
Sunday said it is wrong to
think that one group or
section alone can do this
job.
The Chief Minister was
opening the valedictory ce­
remony of the 10th State
conference of the Kerala
Nadvathul Mujahideen
here.
Mr. Vijayan was indirect­
ly replying to an earlier
statement made by Indian
Union Muslim League
(IUML) leader P.K. Basheer
CM
YK
Climate Change six months
ago for excluding the hu­
man habitations from the
purview of the ESZ.
Rajesh Kumar Sinha, the
then Principal Secretary
(Forest), had written to the
CEC and the Ministry on
June 25 last year seeking to
approve the proposals
marking the ESZ as zero in
human habitations.
In his letter, the official
had requested the Ministry
to forward the proposals to
the Supreme Court “for
getting dilution in the mini­
mum width of the ESZ in
view of overwhelming pu­
blic interest.”
The Supreme Court,
during the conference.
While criticising the CPI
(M) for its alleged anti­Mus­
lim positions in the past,
Mr. Basheer claimed that
the Muslim community
and the IUML should stand
united to protect the com­
munity’s interests.
Mr. Vijayan claimed that
at a time when ideas of the
Rashtriya Swayamsevak
Sangh (RSS) were being im­
plemented at the adminis­
trative level in the country,
secularist people in Kerala
were standing apart by op­
posing them.
“It is not fair to give a
wrong picture at this junc­
ture. Everyone knows
what the CPI(M) is doing to
resist communalism,” Mr.
Vijayan said.
Fight for land: The All Kerala Catholic Congress taking out a march
in Idukki demanding physical and field surveys of ESZs .FILE PHOTO
which proposed a uniform
ESZ of one kilometre from
the forest boundaries in its
June 3 order, had suggest­
Three women killed in
stampede at Guntur event
The incident happened after TDP chief Naidu, who attended event, left the venue; A.P. Health
Minister announced compensation of ₹2 lakh to kin of deceased, ₹50,000 for those injured
The Hindu Bureau
GUNTUR
hree women were
T killed in a stam­
pede at a pro­
gramme held on Sunday in
a ground near JKC College
in Guntur. The incident
happened soon after Telu­
gu Desam Party president
N. Chandrababu Naidu,
who attended the event or­
ganised by the Vuyyuru
Foundation, left the venue.
The incident comes
close on the heels of a simi­
lar stampede three days
ago at a TDP public meet­
ing in Nellore in which
eight people were killed.
THE HINDU
States
ed that the States could
seek relaxation in the ESZ
in the overwhelming pu­
blic interest.
The fallen barricades and footwear strewn around at the venue of
the programme in Guntur on Sunday. T. VIJAYA KUMAR
Two of the deceased
have been identified as
Syed Aashiya (45) of Naga­
rampalem and Gopideso
Rama Devi, a resident of
AP Agraharam. Nine oth­
ers were injured in the
incident.
The court had also indi­
cated that the CEC and the
Ministry shall consider the
requests from the States
and submit them to the
court along with their re­
commendations, pointed
out sources.
The State was forced to
organise field verification
of the map prepared by the
Kerala State Remote Sens­
ing and Environment
Centre following the wi­
despread complaints from
those living in areas close
to protected forests.
Though the map would
be sufficient to be present­
ed in the apex court, the
State could use the data
Health Minister V. Raja­
ni visited the hospital and
announced an ex gratia of
₹2 lakh to the kin of each
deceased and ₹50,000
compensation to the in­
jured. She said Mr. Naidu
should take responsibility
from field verification to al­
lay the fears of the general
public and to substantiate
its claim for excluding
those areas from the ESZ,
sources hinted.
Meanwhile, the State
Forest secretary has so far
received over 24,000 com­
plaints regarding the ESZ.
While most of the com­
plaints argued against the
demarcation, around
9,000 complaints high­
lighted either the wrongful
inclusion or exclusion of
holdings in the zone.
Help desks were consti­
tuted in around 80 villages
to look into the com­
plaints, sources indicated.
for the deaths.
The incident happened
when crowd swelled at the
venue of “Janata Vastraala
Pampini” (free distribution
of clothes).
Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan
Mohan Reddy expressed
shock over the loss of lives.
Mr. Naidu too an­
nounced an ex gratia of ₹5
lakh each to the next of kin
of the deceased.
“It is really painful that
three persons died in the
stampede that took place
after I left the venue. I at­
tended the programme to
encourage the voluntary
organisation that is trying
to help the poor,” he said.
N.C. Debbarma dies,
three­day mourning
declared in Tripura
Press Trust of India
AGARTALA
Senior Tripura Minister
and BJP’s ruling ally IPFT’s
founder­president N.C.
Debbarma died following a
massive cerebral stroke on
Sunday.
He was 80, and is sur­
vived by his wife, four sons
and three daughters.
The BJP­led government
declared a three­day State
mourning as mark of res­
pect for the veteran tribal
leader.
Prime Minister Naren­
dra Modi condoled Debbar­
ma’s death, tweeting, “Shri
N.C. Debbarma Ji will be re­
membered by the coming
generations as a hardwork­
ing grassroots leader who
always worked for the well­
being of people. He made a
rich contribution to Tripu­
ra’s progress. Pained by his
demise. Condolences to his
family and supporters. Om
Shanti [sic].”
The State Revenue and
Forest Minister was not
keeping well for the last
few months as he was suf­
fering from chronic dia­
betes, Indigenous People’s
Front of Tripura (IPFT)
spokesperson Amit Deb­
barma said.
He suffered a massive
cerebral stroke on Saturday
and was admitted to a
State­run hospital here,
where he underwent sur­
gery but breathed his last
on Sunday, the spokesper­
son said.
BJP president J.P. Nadda,
in his condolence message,
tweeted, “Saddened to
hear about the passing
away of N.C. Debbarma Ji,
5
He suffered a
massive cerebral
stroke on Saturday
and was admitted to
a State­run hospital.
senior Cabinet Minister in
Tripura government. He’ll
forever be remembered for
the role he played in the
upliftment of the people of
Tripura & its progress. My
condolences to his family,
and supporters. Om Shanti
[sic].”
Debbarma floated IPFT
in 2009 after his retire­
ment as the director of All
India Radio (AIR), Agartala.
He forged an alliance with
the BJP ahead of the 2018
Assembly elections and
toppled the Manik Sarkar­
led Left Front government,
which was in power for 25
years at a stretch. The IPFT,
under his leadership, won
eight of the nine ST­re­
served constituencies in
the last Assembly election.
Debbarma, along with
Mevar Kumar Jamatia, was
inducted into the Cabinet
of Biplab Kumar Deb.
“It is very sad that we
have lost a senior Minister
of the State Cabinet, who
used to have valuable views
on various issues. His pass­
ing away has left a void in
the State’s political land­
scape. He was a very effi­
cient, honest and clean­im­
age politician,” Chief
Minister Manik Saha told
reporters after offering flo­
ral tributes to Debbarma.
His final rites will be per­
formed at his native Uttar
Maharanipur village in
Khowai district with State
honours on Monday.
M ND-NDE

6 Monday, January 2, 2023
Ayes and nays
Higher turnout is worth striving for, but
not without sufficient safeguards
G
iven the regional variations in demo­
graphic trends and economic opportuni­
ties, India has a high rate of migration,
which doubled in the census decade of 2001­2011.
Migrants often see their political and economic
rights compromised at their place of origin and
residence. The Election Commission of India
(ECI) has now proposed a mechanism to facilitate
remote voting for domestic migrants. The Re­
mote Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) prototype
can be used for up to 72 constituencies simulta­
neously from a single, remote polling booth. The
ECI has invited political parties for a demonstra­
tion of the prototype on January 16. A concept
note by the Commission takes into account the
legal, operational, administrative and technolog­
ical challenges at hand. Voter participation is
comparatively high in India; yet, in 2019, one in
three voters did not turn up. Going by the 2017
Economic Survey, there are around 14 crore inter­
nal migrants in the country, and they have to
cross many hurdles to be able to vote. Anything
that advances their rights must be welcomed. But
a hurried move will only do more damage to the
integrity of the electoral process, which many
fear is eroding, and for valid reasons. The ECI’s
recent conduct, including in the 2022 Gujarat As­
sembly elections, has been less than reassuring.
The ECI proposes to have remote voting for
migrants as early as this year. While there is no
technical basis for allegations of fraud in the cur­
rent, single­constituency, non­networked EVMs,
public trust in them has never been lower than it
is today. Public trust is the only strength of any
electoral process. With EVMs, the voter has no
way to see whether the vote is recorded as it is
cast. The ECI’s ambitious plan comes against this
backdrop of public scepticism about its own im­
partiality and, less justifiably, about the reliability
of the EVMs. The proposed plan will add more
questions to the mix, including some fundamen­
tal ones such as about the correlation between ci­
tizenship and territoriality. In an era of unprece­
dented human mobility, the idea of portable
voting rights is worth considering, but it will have
far­reaching ramifications that should be ac­
counted for. Defining a migrant who is eligible to
vote remotely is going to be controversial — for in­
stance, when does a migrant at a place become a
resident? Even the ECI had expressed doubts
AP
about the practicality of remote voting rights for
migrants in the past. Meanwhile, there is also an
active demand for voting rights for Non­Resident
Indians. Higher turnout is worth striving for, but
not without sufficient safeguards.
A broken formula
Some small savings schemes have been
unreasonably left out of the rate hikes
L
ast Friday, the government increased the
returns on some small savings schemes
for the first quarter of 2023 by 20 basis
points to 110 basis points, or 0.2 to 1.1 percentage
points. These will kick in for eight of the 12 small
savings schemes where small investors park their
household surpluses through banks and post of­
fices. A similar selective hike was effected for the
previous quarter too, after a long 27­month pause
in small savings rates, but the range was minimal
at 10 to 30 basis points and only applied on five
schemes. In the latest review, the highest rate
hike of 1.1 percentage points has been granted on­
ly for one­, two­ and three­year time deposits. For
other schemes, the increase is more nominal —
40 basis points for senior citizens and monthly
income schemes and just 20 basis points for the
National Savings Certificate and Kisan Vikas Pa­
tra. Returns on the popular long­term savings
avenue, the Public Provident Fund (PPF), have
been left unchanged at 7.1%, prevailing since
April 2020 when they were slashed from 7.9% at
the onset of the pandemic. Neither is there relief
for those investing in the Sukanya Samriddhi Ac­
count Scheme, launched by Prime Minister Na­
rendra Modi in January 2015 to encourage fami­
lies to invest in the education of girl children and
save for their marriage expenses, under the Beti
Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign.
For the October to December quarter, the Re­
serve Bank of India had estimated that the re­
turns on the PPF should have been 7.72% and the
Sukanya Samriddhi Scheme at 8.22%. Having
adopted a formula­based approach to resetting
small savings rates every quarter since 2016, the
government must not resort to selective imple­
mentation. There has been no perceptible easing
of yields on government securities to which these
returns are supposed to be linked, in the last
quarter of 2022. Perhaps, the decision to offer
the highest gains for shorter tenure deposits is
driven by the government’s debt management
planning, but the status quo on PPF and other
schemes is not fair to the risk­averse middle class.
Investments in PPF, for instance, are in any case
capped at ₹1.5 lakh a year and overall deposits are
far lower than bank deposits, if boosting the lat­
ter to ensure healthy credit availability for indus­
try was a concern. Inflation in general has been
elevated since the 2020 rate cuts and was above
the 6% tolerance threshold through most of
2022, accompanied by sharp interest rate hikes.
Households have also grappled with income loss­
es and higher health expenses through the past
two and a half years, and deserve better.
CM
YK
Editorial
India’s dilemmas in an Asian century
I
f 2022 was a momentous year for India and
the rest of the world, 2023 is likely to
further sharpen the geopolitical fault lines
set in motion by the previous year. Amidst
all the tectonic shifts around us, what appears to
be a certainty is the emergence of an Asia­centric
century. But is that really good news for India?
The geopolitical and economic rise of Asia
coincides with several regional and global
developments which have the potential to
undermine the stability and prosperity India had
hoped an Asian century would bring. The
withdrawal of the U.S. from much of continental
Asia and the aggressive rise of China and the
Ukraine war appear to have ended the great
power concert in Asia, or what appeared as one
for some time. Today, two major powers — Russia
and China — are trying, though in varying
degrees, to undermine the global balance of
power, with several regional powers such as Iran,
Turkey and Saudi Arabia in tow. Asia may be
headed towards more global prominence, but
instability will be its possessive partner.
For India, the rise of the Asian century might
turn out to be too steeped in harsh realpolitik for
its comfort. A deeply status quoist, risk­averse
New Delhi is inherently opposed to playing
high­risk games of chicken that cross its own
self­defined red lines. New Delhi might speak like
a revisionist power, but don’t go by what it says;
go by what it does. Is it, therefore, prepared to
deal with the harsh headwinds of the geopolitical
contestations of an Asian century?
Asian century and (multi)polarity
There can be no meaningful Asian century in a
unipolar world. One alternative to a unipolar
world is a multipolar world with Russia, China,
Japan, India and other, smaller powers asserting
themselves on the global stage. The other
Bolsonaro’s legacy will take time to undo
O
n January 1, 2023, after his inauguration,
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (known as Lula)
walked into Palácio do Planalto, the
official presidential office in Brasília, and got to
work. Two days before Lula’s inauguration,
former President Jair Bolsonaro got onto a flight
and left Brasilia for Florida in the U.S. It is not
clear when he will return. Mr. Bolsonaro will
certainly be away for the inauguration and, as has
been widely expected, will stay away from Brazil
for some time since he fears criminal
investigation. He leaves Brazil in tatters with his
mismanagement of the COVID­19 pandemic
coupled with his policies that enriched the
wealthy and increased hunger amongst the poor.
It is into this ruin that Lula has now entered.
A difficult road ahead
People, therefore, cannot afford to have high
expectations of Lula’s third term in office (he was
the president of Brazil from 2003 to 2010). Lula
will face a Chamber of Deputies and a Senate that
are in the grip of the right wing. This is not a new
phenomenon, although the Centrão (centre), the
opportunistic bloc in parliament that has run
things, will now have to work alongside far­right
members of Mr. Bolsonaro’s movement. With its
leader in the U.S. and not expected to return
soon, the Bolsonarista movement has no desire to
open a dialogue about the future of Brazil. Its
members have a harsh attitude, shaped by fake
news and a suffocating attitude to money and
religion. Brazil’s Vice President, Geraldo Alckmin,
has been deputed to work with a difficult
legislature to pass Lula’s necessary agenda,
including new policies to end hunger, which had
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Opposition unity by those parties. Such
Rahul Gandhi’s statement is disunity will enable the BJP
not new (“If Opposition to continue in power.
comes up with a vision, BJP D. Sethuraman
cannot win: Rahul,” January Chennai
1, 2023). Every Opposition
leader stresses the A party which was
importance of unity among dilly­dallying on electing its
the Opposition parties to own president does not
defeat the BJP, but these inspire confidence among
parties are never able to other Opposition parties or
forge this unity. Even the the public. The Congress's
Congress's invitation to the internal democracy faced a
Samajwadi Party, the severe credibility crisis with
Rashtriya Lok Dal, and many leaders deserting the
Bahujan Samaj Party to join party when their efforts to
its Bharat Jodo Yatra when revitalise it were ignored by
the yatra passes through the leadership. The party
Uttar Pradesh was declined also failed to elect a young
THE HINDU
alternative is a China­dominated Asia. Herein lies
the challenge for India. It is clear that a
China­dominated Asia won’t serve India’s
geopolitical interests. Would a multipolar Asia be
useful to Indian interests? Not necessarily
either. A multipolar world/Asia with new and
Happymon Jacob shifting alliances; formal, informal, secret, open
teaches at the School and in­between pacts; and competing coalitions
of International vying for dominance will invariably take away
from the relative ‘stability’ of the current world
Studies, Jawaharlal
Nehru University, New order where the power of the U.S. is on the
Delhi, and is the decline and that of China is (still) on the rise.
founder of the Council More so, while multipolarity is desirable in
for Strategic and theory, what kind of multipolarity are we seeing
Defence Research the emergence of? For India, multipolarity is one
premised on the rule of law or peaceful
coexistence. In the words of former Indian
foreign secretary H.V. Shringla in 2021, “India
values a multipolar international order,
underpinned by international law, premised
upon respect for the sovereignty and territorial
integrity of all countries, resolution of
international disputes through peaceful
negotiations, and free and open access for all to
the global commons”. If anything, a multipolar
world led by Asian powers for the most part is
likely to be the opposite of what Mr. Shringla
outlined.
One of the likely implications of a multipolar
For status world in which Asia takes the centre stage would
quoist India, be a sharpening of opposition against the current
global financial order. The so­called
the rise of the
weaponisation of globalisation and trade,
Asian century
might turn out sanctions against Russia, and Russia’s attempts in
turn at evading them with help from its Asian
to be too partners (China, Iran, Turkey, India, etc.) will
steeped in pose serious challenges to dollar­based trade and
harsh Western payment systems such as SWIFT. The
realpolitik for aftermath of the Ukraine war has led to a serious
search in parts of Asia for alternative trading
its comfort
arrangements and payment mechanisms. India
may have issues with dollar­based trade, but
would it like trading arrangements centred
around Yuan?
Delhi’s dilemmas
New Delhi has consistently campaigned for a
multipolar world where key Asian powers have a
place at the high table of international politics.
Yet it may hesitate to engage the emergent Asian
century for various reasons. For one, the Indian
establishment has a deeply status quoist view of
the world order despite its frequent calls for
change. While it believes in a more democratic,
orderly and rules­based world order, it recognises
that major systemic changes could also be
accompanied by chaos. New Delhi,
therefore, likes slow, peaceful and consensual
transformation of the system which, of course, is
been a landmark achievement of Lula’s previous
presidency through the Fome Zero or Zero
Hunger policy.
Lula’s appointments
During the heart of the pandemic, a study
Vijay Prashad
showed that half of Brazil’s 213.6 million residents
is Director of were struggling to find enough food to eat. Part of
Tricontinental: the answer to this problem will be the passage of
Institute for Social an agrarian reform bill, which is long overdue.
Research, which has Lula will tackle the problem of hunger with an
an office in São Paulo, understanding that it reveals the many fissures in
Brazil. His most Brazilian society around class, gender, and race.
recent book (with He has made it clear that he understands that the
Noam Chomsky) is hunger epidemic is not merely about lack of
‘The Withdrawal: Iraq,
income, as hunger demonstrates the reassertion
Libya, Afghanistan
and the Fragility of
of wretched old inequalities and the
U.S. Power’ mistreatment of people of African descent and of
indigenous communities. That is why Lula has
created a new Ministry of Indigenous Peoples,
which will be led by the charismatic Sônia
Guajajara. He has brought in Anielle Franco, the
sister of the assassinated politician Marielle
Franco, as the Minister of Racial Equality. With
Marína Silva as the Minister of Environment and
with the singer Margareth Menezes as the
Minister of Culture, Lula has made it clear that
neither will he enable the kind of social toxicity
Lula faces that Mr. Bolsonaro championed (namely, the
serious crises racism and sexism that saturated his government)
within Brazil, nor will he allow the social basis of equality
between humans, and between humans and
which is divided
nature, to be damaged. Just the appointment of
along economic, these powerful women suggests a new way
political and forward for Brazil.
social lines The space for manoeuvre within Brazil will
president, which would guilty, it should put up
have attracted young voters detailed results of its
to its fold. Many regional investigation for the world
leaders are aspiring for the to see. A satisfactory
prime ministerial post. The response instead of a blame
Congress needs to do more game could save the
to strengthen its cadre. pharma industry from this
V. Subramanian disgrace.
Chennai Vidhi Jain
Jaipur
Disappointing reaction
It is disappointing to see the Corrections & Clarifications
>>In the story, “Nomination of Garcetti as Ambassador to India hits a dead
government’s reaction to
end for Biden Administration” (Jan. 1, 2023), the reference in the opening
the deaths flagged by paragraph to confirmation by the House and the Senate should be correc­
Uzbekistan from toxic cough
ted to say by the Senate. Also, the reference in the second paragraph to
syrup (“Precipice of shame,”
the House of Representatives should be amended to Senate Foreign Re-
Editorial, December 31, lations Committee.
2022). India should have The Readers’ Editor’s office can be contacted by Telephone:
apologised. And if it is not +91­44­28418297/28576300; E­mail:readerseditor@thehindu.co.in
Delhi
not what is happening today.
Second, New Delhi’s biggest fear would be an
Asian century without stable multipolarity. Even
if it emerges, a multipolar world is most likely
going to be a passing phenomenon, to be soon
replaced by a bipolar world dominated by the
U.S. and China with the others bandwagoning,
balancing and hedging. For India, a bipolar
international system dominated by China and the
U.S. is a bad deal. If such a world leads to bipolar
rivalry, India, being a next­door adversary of
China, could often be the target of Chinese ire.
Third, if a bipolar world leads to great power
accommodation between the U.S. and China,
India’s situation could be worse off. If the U.S.
accommodates China as a peer, it could mean the
U.S. accepting China’s sphere of influence. This
could make India a casualty at the altar of great
power politics. Put differently, whether the U.S.
and China compete or accommodate each other
in a bipolar world, India has reasons to worry.
But how real is the emergence of a China­U.S.
G2? Look at it this way: the more the Ukraine war
goes on, the more the U.S./West could attempt to
choreograph a working relationship with China
(we are already witnessing the early signs of it
with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reaching out
to China). That China has not gone all out in
support of Russia’s war efforts could encourage
the West/U.S. to do precisely that. For China, an
American offer of accommodation in a G2 format
outweighs the utility of a closer strategic
partnership with an embattled Russia.
Post­Indian South Asia
Finally, there is little doubt that an Asian century
will be a China­dominated one. China’s growing
material power – both economic and military – is
already paving the way for it, especially with the
U.S.’s focus firmly entrenched in the
Russia­Ukraine theatre. As far as our
neighbourhood is concerned, we may be looking
at a ‘post­Indian South Asia’ in the not­so­distant
future, tucked away in the Chinese sphere of
influence, though not entirely inimical to Indian
interests. Perhaps this is an exaggeration, but I
am evocatively emphasising a point that some of
us may be conveniently ignoring. Imagine a South
Asia which, in varying degrees, trades with China
using Yuan, is deeply entrenched in the Belt and
Road Initiative projects and its associated debt
traps, is militarily closer to China, toes Beijing’s
line on international issues, and maintains just a
minimum relationship with India? That looks like
a post­Indian South Asia.
Navigating the emergent Asian century is not
going to be easy for New Delhi, but being
cognisant of its many vagaries is perhaps a good
start.
become narrow, which is why Lula has promised
to exert himself in the region and in the world.
His Foreign Minister, Mauro Vieira, is a veteran
diplomat who held the same post for two years
during the presidency of Dilma Rousseff, a close
confidant and ally of Lula. Mr. Vieira is close to
Lula’s former Foreign Minister and adviser, Celso
Amorim. A few days before the first round of
elections in October, Lula spoke at an event
where he reminisced about his time on the world
stage. He spoke about his role in bringing down
the tensions against Iran. There is no doubt that
he was telling this story to suggest that he will
play such a role in Ukraine. Lula will travel soon
to China and the U.S. in an attempt to reduce the
tensions between these two major countries. The
choice of Lula’s Finance Minister, Fernando
Haddad, is significant because Mr. Haddad has
made it clear that Brazil needs to lead a policy of
South American integration, with the possibility
that Brazil will create a new continent­wide digital
currency (the sur) that will anchor this
integration. Major countries in the Global South
have begun to assert themselves — for example,
by wishing to mimic the U.S. position on the
Ukraine war. But there has been no credible
leader from the Global South who has been able
to put this new mood into the global discussion.
Lula will likely be just this leader.
Lula faces serious crises within Brazil, a society
divided along economic, political, and social
lines. This divisiveness was exaggerated by Mr.
Bolsonaro, who leaves a legacy that will take time
to undo. It would be too much to expect Lula to
rush through his agenda given this political and
social landscape.
NJAC debate deepened," Jan. 1, 2023). It
The collegium system is not is incomprehensible how
mandated by the the collegium is what we
Constitution, whereas have while the NJAC was
Parliament was empowered deemed unconstitutional.
by the Constitution to make Duggaraju Srinivasa Rao,
Vijayawada
new laws (“As the NJAC
debate is revived by the
government in 2022,
political fault lines have
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Letters emailed to
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address and the full name or
the name with initials.
M ND-NDE
 THE HINDU
Monday, January 2, 2023 7
Delhi
Opinion

India-China: between pre-1962 and now The north-south divide in West Bengal
There is growing politics around the demand of a separate State

T
he clash between Traditionally, China has enjoyed Zero­COVID policy, and growing
Indian troops and the advantage in terms of terrain and authoritarianism. The tendency to
Chinese PLA at Galwan logistics in Tibet. China has always create external diversions is a Hill Council (1988­2012) and
in 2020 and the projected a spurious common thread. STATE OF PLAY GTA (2012­till date) have not
recent altercation between troops interpretation of the LAC and There are important lessons to been fully able to address the
at Yangtse in Arunachal Pradesh shied away from clarifying its be imbibed from the past. In 1962, Shiv Sahay Singh grievances of the people o­
have served to highlight the Sujan Chinoy position through an exchange of India was forced to approach the shivsahay.s@thehindu.co.in f Darjeeling hills.
lingering boundary dispute as well is Director General of large­scale maps following the U.S. and other Western countries Different political parties

as the complex Line of Actual
Control (LAC).
It is tempting to examine the
parallels in India­China relations
in the 1960s and the current
situation along the LAC. Both
situations concern the boundary
question, although the focus in the
1950s was on the fundamental
question of the “territorial
dispute” involving the whole of
Aksai Chin claimed by India and
the whole of NEFA (now
Arunachal Pradesh) claimed by
China. Today, however, with the
Chinese firmly in occupation of
Aksai Chin and India firm in
guarding its territorial integrity in
Arunachal Pradesh,
the immediate issue has moved on
to transgressions along the LAC.
The differences in the western
sector (Ladakh) are no longer
confined to Trig Heights in the
Daulet Beg Oldie (DBO) area and
Demchok in the south as was the
case in earlier decades. The
Depsang Bulge, Galwan, Pangong
Lake and Hot Springs are areas
where China is seeking to
press expedient claims. Since the
Galwan incident, the two sides
have disengaged at multiple
friction points even as military
and diplomatic talks continue to
find a way out of the impasse at
Depsang and Demchok.
In the middle (central sector),
the Barahoti pasture north of
Chamoli in Uttarakhand has been
at the centre of the dispute for the
past seven decades.
In the eastern sector (Arunachal
Pradesh), the international
boundary and the LAC are defined
by the 1914 McMahon Line, based
on the watershed principle. Yet,
China seeks to make inroads in the
Tawang sector as well as other
areas such as the Upper Subansiri
region, and further, near the
tri­junction with Myanmar.
the Manohar Parrikar one­off exchange of maps two
Institute for Defence decades ago concerning the
Studies and Analyses, middle sector.
New Delhi. Views Unlike in the past, India is
expressed are rapidly building its border
personal infrastructure. China has had a
headstart in building its own, yet
has the temerity to object to
improved logistics on the Indian
side, solely to keep intact the
asymmetry. There are other
similarities and differences
compared to the past. Both
periods involve contention over
frontier tracts which underwent
redefinition as the Republic of
India and the People’s Republic of
China came into their own in
quick succession in the late 1940s
and sought to interpret their
geographies through clear­cut
boundary lines. The difference
today is that the focus is primarily
on the LAC as against the larger
boundary dispute even though
neither side has given up its
extensive territorial claims.
In the 1950s, China had yet to
reveal its true bias in favour of
Pakistan, including on Kashmir. As
ties deteriorated, China’s support
for Pakistan on Kashmir became
self­apparent in the 1960s. Today,
China openly works in tandem
with Pakistan against India’s
interests to internationalise the
issue at the UN.
China’s internal vulnerabilities
have always cast a shadow on
bilateral relations with India.
Whether under Mao Zedong or Xi
Jinping, Tibet has remained a
source of insecurity for China. In
The biggest the late 1950s, Mao Zedong
difference today adopted an aggressive stance
is the political towards India as a means of
will of the Modi consolidating his leadership in the
face of internal challenges and
government and avoiding censure of disastrous
the Indian army political and economic policies.
to block Chinese Today, Mr. Xi is facing
patrols mounting scrutiny for the dreadful
for military assistance to meet the
Chinese challenge. But it was
meagre and came too late. In the
current phase, India has rapidly
inducted new weapon
systems albeit with heavy
emphasis on aatmanirbharta
(self­reliance) in defence
manufacturing.
The LAC between India and
China, not being the result of
bilateral negotiations,
is frequently open to challenge by
either side. There are areas along
the LAC that have been patrolled
by both sides in the past. The
Chinese ingress in Sumdorong
Chu valley in the Tawang sector in
1986­87 resulted in close
confrontation that lasted eight
years. It was only in 1995 that the
two sides pulled back, with India
relocating its Jaya and Negi posts
on the south side of the
Hathungla­Lungrola ridgeline.
Nobody insinuated then that India
was creating a buffer zone on its
own territory, so why take that
line now in regard to the
disengagement already achieved
in Ladakh? China encroached on
Longju in Upper Subansiri way
back in August 1959, yet the
government of the day did nothing
about it thereafter.
The biggest difference between
the situation in the 1960s and now
is the political will of the Modi
government and the
determination of the Indian army
to block Chinese patrols, and not
just in Yangtse.
Overall, Prime Minister
Narendra Modi’s endeavour to
engage China has been in keeping
with India’s broader world vision
of good­neighbourly and peaceful
ties, and inclusive growth. China’s
vision is contrarian. It seeks to
build a China­centric hierarchy
with scant regard for notions of
equality and multipolarity.
I
n the second week of De­
cember 2022, Gorkha
Janmukti Morcha (GJM)
president Bimal Gurung or­
ganised a national seminar in
New Delhi on the issue o­
f Gorkhaland, which seeks a
separate State to be carved ou­
t of territories of Darjeeling
and Kalimpong districts of
West Bengal.
The convention was a fresh
attempt by the GJM leadership
on creating a platform to reig­
nite the statehood stir in Dar­
jeeling hills. Representative­
s of different political parties
including Hamro Party chief
Ajoy Edwards and Binay Ta­
mang (who was in Trinamool
Congress at that point) joined
the seminar, giving more cre­
dence to the event.
A few days after the conven­
tion, on December 28, when
the Bharatiya Gorkha Praja­
tantrik Morcha (BGPM) and
the Trinamool Congress
wrested control of Darjeeling
Municipality from Hamro Par­
ty, Binay Tamang quit the Tri­
namool Congress accusing
West Bengal’s ruling party of
bulldozing democracy in the
hills.
With these two develop­
ments, the new realignment
of Darjeeling politics looks
clear. Bimal Gurung, Binay Ta­
mang and Ajoy Edwards have
come together to take on the
Anit Thapa­led BGPM and the
Trinamool Congress in Darjee­
ling. Last June, elections to the
Gorkhaland Territorial Admi­
nistration (GTA) were held af­
ter a period of 10 years and the
BGPM won the regional auto­
nomous body.
Political realignment and
allies turning political adver­
saries are not new to the polit­
ics of the hills, a region which,
since the 1980s, has witnessed
several movements for crea­
tion of a separate State.
While political considera­
tions may be the reason why
the parties in the hills choose
these alignments, one cannot
look away from the regional
disparities in the State that
triggers the demand of a sepa­
rate State. For decades, deve­
lopment in West Bengal has
been Kolkata­centric and re­
mote districts in the State have
waited for their turn.
The political discourse in
the State has often centred on
the divide of north and south
Bengal. Development issues
are not the only reasons be­
hind the recurrent demands
for separate States. There are
divides of ethnicity and lan­
guage that form the basis o­
f such demands. There is a cla­
mour for demand of ‘Greater
Cooch Behar’ State in Cooch
Behar also.
The Trinamool Congress
government has over the past
11 years tried to address these
issues. The government set up
a new State Secretariat in
north Bengal, announced the
formation of several boards
for different communities in
the hills. But these initiatives
have failed to bring any lasting
solution. The experiments o­
f granting limited autonomy in
the form of Darjeeling Gorkha
have different stands on the
demands of autonomy and
creating a separate State ou­
t of the territories of West Ben­
gal. The ruling Trinamool
Congress is opposed to any di­
vision of the State and the par­
ty leader and chairperson Ma­
mata Banerjee has clearly
made this point on several oc­
casions. The State leadership
of the Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) claimed that they are not
in favour of any division; ho­
wever, the local leaders occa­
sionally make statements
about the discontent among
the people in hills triggering
the debate about the north­
south divide.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls,
the BJP won all the seats in
north Bengal including Dar­
jeeling. Any support for the
demand of a separate State
may help the BJP reap some
electoral dividends in north,
but will result in serious set­
backs in south Bengal.
While the politics around
the north­south divide in West
Bengal may appear to be mur­
ky, but outside the ambit o­
f politics, there is a trust deficit
between the north and the
south. Ms. Banerjee has been
frequently visiting districts o­
f north Bengal, holding go­
vernment and party events.
However, this may be the time
for her government to look at
something other than a Kolka­
ta­centric model of develop­
ment and try something diffe­
rent to assuage the
leadership of the north. Mere
assurances of development
and setting up a development
board will not be enough in
the long run. The regional dis­
parities of north Bengal need
to be addressed at the earliest.

Bad loans share at a decadal low in Indian banks F RO M T H E A RC HI V E S

While fresh accretion of bad loans declined, writing off loans from the bank’s books also helped
FIFTY YEARS AGO JANUARY 2, 1973

DATA POINT
maintain healthy balance sheets. Hanoi wants quick accord
In the first half of FY23, the loan
write­offs as a ratio of GNPAs to end war
Vignesh Radhakrishnan slightly increased to 22.6% after
declining for two consecutive Saigon, Jan. 1: North Vietnam said to­night it had

I
n September 2022, the gross
non­performing assets
(GNPA) ratio of all Scheduled
Commercial Banks (SCBs) was at a
seven­year low, the latest data
from the Reserve Bank of India
showed. GNPA ratio is the propor­
tion of gross non­performing as­
sets in gross loans and advances.
The GNPAs are bad loans which
the borrower is not in a position to
repay at the moment. A loan turns
bad or becomes an NPA if they are
overdue for over 90 days.
In September, the net non­per­
forming assets (NNPA) ratio was at
a ten­year low. NNPA ratio is the
proportion of net non­performing
assets in net loans and advances.
Banks have to set aside (or provi­
sion) a part of their profit as a buff­
er for potential losses that may ar­
ise from the NPAs. Thus, NPAs
reduce a bank’s available capital to
lend fresh loans. The NNPA de­
ducts these provisions from GNPA
and so is a better indicator of the
bad loans in a bank’s books. Chart
1 shows the NNPA ratio of all SCBs.
These two data points show
that the issue of non­performing
assets, which was a major hea­
dache for banks after the RBI car­
ried out an expansive asset quality
review in 2015, is not that trou­
bling anymore.
One important factor that led to
the reduction of the NPAs is the
drop in slippage ratio of SCBs. The
slippage ratio indicates fresh ac­
cretion of NPAs in a year and is
plotted in chart 2. Slippage ratio is
arrived at by dividing fresh NPAs
by standard advances at the begin­
ning of the period. The slippage ra­
tio is around 2% in September
2022 for SCBs, which is the lowest
since at least 2015.
While fresh accretion of NPAs
reduced, another way to reduce
bad loans is to write them off from
the bank’s books. Banks voluntari­
ly choose to write off NPAs to
CM
YK
years. So, a combination of both agreed to resume peace talks with the United
declining slippage and increasing States. The announcement ever Radio Hanoi
write­offs brought the bad loans to was the first comment from North Vietnam
its lowest point in many years. since President Nixon, two days ago, called a
As noted before, banks have to halt to the bombing of the Hanoi­Haiphong area
“provision” a part of their profit and said his envoy, Dr. Henry Kissinger, would
depending on the value and years resume negotiations in Paris on January 8. Radio
an NPA exists. Additionally, due to Hanoi said: “On the occasion of the bombing
the moratorium during the pan­ halt, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam agrees
demic, banks had to also set aside to resume talks between Special Adviser Le Due
some profits as a contingency mea­ Tho and Minister Xuan Thuy with Dr. Kissinger
sure. Both factors affected their and meetings between experts of the two sides.”
net profits. However, with reduc­ The broadcast said North Vietnam had always
ing NPAs, provisions declined, approached the negotiations with a good will
with moratorium lifted, contingen­ and a serious attitude. Radio Hanoi said the U.S.
cies were relaxed. These two should approach the negotiations with similar
meant that net profit of both pu­ good intent so that an agreement on ending the
blic and private banks soared as war could be signed rapidly and peace could be
shown in chart 3. restored in Vietnam. North Vietnam yesterday
Due to the above factors, the reaffirmed its insistence for an immediate
profitability of the banks im­ signing of the draft leave accord reached by the
proved. Bank profitability is Presidential Adviser, Dr. Kissinger, and Hanoi’s
gauged by measuring a bank's Re­ chief negotiator, Mr. Le Due Tho, in October. In
turn on Assets (RoA = net profit by a statement following a 30­minute meeting with
average total assets). An RoA of the French Foreign Minister Mr. Maurice, the
>=1% is generally considered good. Hanoi Delegate­General to France, Mr. Vo Van
As shown in chart 4, RoA of all Sung, said: “For us, the position is clear. There
scheduled commercial banks had was an accord reached on October 20.”
dipped to negative territory in Sep­
tember 2019. By September 2022,
it was back to 0.8%, levels last seen
in 2014­15. A HUNDRED YEARS AGO JANUARY 2, 1923
Another factor that led to all the
changes mentioned above is the Public health
drastic shift in the sectors which
the banks funded. In 2016, 40% of Coimbatore: Outbreak of plague in this town at
all outstanding credit went to in­ present seems to be under no man’s control. In
dustries, whereas just 20% was gi­ July, the first case was recorded and on August
ven out as retail loans. However, 31, 31 persons fell victims out of 53 persons who
by 2022, retail loans’ share sur­ contracted this epidemic. September tolls were
passed industry credit, as shown three times more than that of August, as many
in chart 5. as 91 deaths were recorded from amongst 131
This was due to the very high persons attacked. 137 persons died out of 161
share of bad loans in the industry patients suffering from plague during the month
sector till 2018, as shown in chart of October. The theory that the virulence of this
6. The NPA in the industry sector epidemic increases in the cold season is amply
has been brought down since, by a proved by the fact that in November, there were
combination of recovery mechan­ 266 fresh attacks out of which 125 succumbed.
isms such as insolvency and bank­ In the current month, 117 persons died of plague
ruptcy code and also by issuing out of 276 persons suffering from this dire
fewer fresh loans to the industries. disease. Total deaths from plague since the
On the other hand, bad loans are commencement is 949 attacks and 670 deaths.
barely there in the retail sector. Total number of persons protected is 1,978.
M ND-NDE
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Text&Context
NEWS IN NUMBERS
Ratio of corporate tax
to GDP exceeds 3% in
FY22 after two years
3 20
In percentage, the ratio of corporate
tax collection to GDP, a feat that was
achieved after a gap of two years in
2021­22, reflecting the overall
improvement in profitability of India Inc
propelled by an increase in demand for
goods and services. However, the
corporate tax collection is yet to surpass its
five­year high of 3.51% of GDP recorded in
2018­19. PTI
The danger of deepfakes
What are the ways in which AI­manipulated digital media can impact the lives of individuals as well as influence the public discourse? How is it employed by various groups
EXPLAINER
Ashish Jaiman
isinformation and hoaxes have
D evolved from mere annoyance to
warfare that can create social dis­
cord, increase polarisation, and in some
cases, even influence the election out­
come. Nation­state actors with geopolitical
aspirations, ideological believers, violent
extremists, and economically motivated
enterprises can manipulate social media
narratives with easy and unprecedented
reach and scale. The disinformation threat
has a new tool in the form of deepfakes.
What are deepfakes?
Deepfakes are digital media ­ video, audio,
and images edited and manipulated using
Artificial Intelligence. It is basically hyper­
realistic digital falsification. Deepfakes are
created to inflict harm on individuals and
institutions. Access to commodity cloud
computing, public research AI algorithms,
and abundant data and availability of vast
media have created a perfect storm to de­
mocratise the creation and manipulation
of media. This synthetic media content is
referred to as deepfakes.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)­Generated
Synthetic media or deepfakes have clear
benefits in certain areas, such as accessi­
bility, education, film production, crimi­
nal forensics, and artistic expression. Ho­
wever, as access to synthetic media
technology increases, so does the risk of
exploitation. Deepfakes can be used to
damage reputation, fabricate evidence,
defraud the public, and undermine trust
in democratic institutions. All this can be
achieved with fewer resources, with scale
and speed, and even micro­targeted to gal­
vanise support.
Who are the victims?
The first case of malicious use of deepfake
was detected in pornography. According
to a sensity.ai, 96% of deepfakes are porno­
graphic videos, with over 135 million views
on pornographic websites alone. Deepfake
pornography exclusively targets women.
Has India tided over the
problem of bad loans?
What is the status of non­performing assets? How does the RBI go about describing it? Have the government
strategy and RBI norms helped?
K. Bharat Kumar
The story so far:
n December 2022, Finance Minister
I Nirmala Sitharaman told Parliament
that banks had written off bad loans
worth ₹10,09,511 crore during the last five
financial years. A National Asset
Reconstruction Company Ltd. (NARCL)
was announced in the Union Budget for
2021­2022 to resolve stressed loans
amounting to about ₹2 lakh crore in
phases.
What is a bad loan?
A bad loan is that which has not been
‘serviced’ for a certain period. Servicing a
loan is paying back the interest and a
small part of the principal — depending
on the agreement between bank and
borrower — to begin with so that over
CM
YK
Delhi www.thehindu.com Monday, January 2, 2023
● ●
0
‘Electric­two wheeler
sales likely to miss
FY23 target’
The percentage by which
electric two­wheeler sales
could miss the target of 10
lakh units in fiscal 2022­23, mainly due to
the withholding of around ₹1,100 crore
subsidy by the government, according to
industry body Society Of Manufacturers Of
Electric Vehicles (SMEV). In 2022, sales of
electric two­wheelers stood at around 6
lakh units. PTI
Follow us facebook.com/thehindu
and how can society overcome the ‘infodemic’?
New menace: Having taken cognizance of the issue, almost all social media platforms have some policy for deepfakes. ISTOCK
Pornographic deepfakes can threaten, inti­
midate, and inflict psychological harm. It
reduces women to sexual objects causing
emotional distress, and in some cases,
lead to financial loss and collateral conse­
quences like job loss.
Deepfake can depict a person as indulg­
ing in antisocial behaviors and saying vile
things that they never did. Even if the vic­
tim could debunk the fake via alibi or oth­
erwise, that fix may come too late to reme­
dy the initial harm.
Deepfakes can also cause short­term
and long­term social harm and accelerate
the already declining trust in traditional
media. Such erosion can contribute to a
culture of factual relativism, fraying the in­
creasingly strained civil society fabric.
Deepfake could act as a powerful tool by
a malicious nation­state to undermine pu­
blic safety and create uncertainty and
time, you pay back the principal as well as
the interest accrued in the duration.
In 2009, the RBI brought out norms
that set out categories of NPAs and what
banks must do as these bad loans aged.
Bad loans are a problem, for, with time,
there is less and less certainty that the
loan would be paid back in full.
The RBI’s master circular in 2009
started off the journey on NPA
recognition. It states that if an asset has
been ‘doubtful’ for a certain period, the
value of that asset must be provided for in
parts, as the asset ages. There was a
revision in October 2021 which made
recognition far more stringent.
Interestingly, even if the asset is
standard and there is no problem with it,
banks are expected to make provisions
depending on the risk element for that
sector. Like home loans with teaser rates
India’s coal production Over 1,000 lives lost
in FY24 expected at due to use of mobile
997 MT phones while driving
997.14 1,040
In million
tonnes, the
quantity of
coal the country is expected to produce in due to the use of mobile phones by drivers
the coming financial year. Of the projected while driving in 2021, according to a
figure, state­owned CIL’s output is likely to Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
be 760 MT, followed by Singareni Collieries (MoRTH) report. The report titled ‘Road
Company Ltd (SCCL) at 75 MT, and captive accidents in India —2021’, said 555 road
and others at 162.14 MT, according to accidents took place due to jumping of red
government data. PTI light which claimed 222 lives in 2021.PTI
twitter.com/the_hindu
chaos in the target country. Deepfakes can
undermine trust in institutions and diplo­
macy.
Deepfakes can be used by non­state ac­
tors, such as insurgent groups and terro­
rist organisations, to show their adversar­
ies as making inflammatory speeches or
engaging in provocative actions to stir anti­
state sentiments among people.
Another concern from deepfakes is the
liar’s dividend; an undesirable truth is dis­
missed as deepfake or fake news. The
mere existence of deepfakes gives more
credibility to denials. Leaders may weapo­
nise deepfakes and use fake news and al­
ternative­facts narrative to dismiss an ac­
tual piece of media and truth.
What is the solution?
Media literacy efforts must be enhanced to
cultivate a discerning public. Media litera­
are at greater risk than those that aren’t.
Hence provisions have to be made for
such loans.
In the last five years, how much have
banks had to mark as bad loans? What
has come back to the banking system?
Minister of State for Finance Bhagwat
Karad told the Rajya Sabha in December
that loans written off by scheduled
commercial banks (SCBs) during the last
five financial years totalled ₹10.1 lakh
crore. Significantly, only ₹1.32 lakh crore
has been recovered. As a percentage of
write­offs, this comes to only about 13%.
One explanation is that if an NPA is fully
recognised in a particular year, even the
fastest of legal processes may not resolve
for full repayment. Not only do banks
take significant haircuts when it comes to
recovery but the amount to be repaid
Electricity demand
surged 11% from
April to November
11
The number of The percentage by which
lives lost in electricity demand jumped
road accidents between April­November,
indicating a buoyancy in the economy
while the power deficit in the country rose
slightly to 0.6%. Experts say that India is a
power surplus state but sometimes
discoms don't have funds to afford a
round­the­clock supply of electricity. PTI
COMPILED BY THE HINDU DATA TEAM
instagram.com/the_hindu
THE GIST
쑽
Deepfakes are digital media ­
video, audio, and images
edited and manipulated using
Artificial Intelligence. It is
basically hyper­realistic digital
falsification.
쑽
AI­Generated Synthetic media
or deepfakes have clear
benefits in certain areas, such
as accessibility, education, film
production, criminal forensics,
and artistic expression.
쑽
Collaborative actions and
collective techniques across
legislative regulations,
platform policies, technology
countermeasures, and media
literacy approaches are a few
of the ways in which deepfake
threat can be mitigated
cy for consumers is the most effective tool
to combat disinformation and deepfakes.
We also need meaningful regulations
with a collaborative discussion with the
technology industry, civil society, and pol­
icymakers to develop legislative solutions
to disincentivising the creation and distri­
bution of malicious deepfakes.
Social media platforms are taking cogni­
zance of the deepfake issue, and almost all
of them have some policy or acceptable
terms of use for deepfakes. We also need
easy­to­use and accessible technology so­
lutions to detect deepfakes, authenticate
media, and amplify authoritative sources.
To counter the menace of deepfakes, we
all must take the responsibility to be criti­
cal consumers of media on the Internet,
think and pause before we share on social
media, and be part of the solution to this
‘infodemic’.
post­haircut may be delayed. Time will THE GIST
tell whether recoveries would eventually
improve.
쑽
Why is there a need to recognise A bad loan is that which has
NPAs? not been ‘serviced’ for a certain
In the banking system, the government period. Servicing a loan is
and regulatory authorities need to have a paying back the interest and a
good view of how healthy the financial small part of the principal.
system is. A weak financial system can
eventually ruin lives and livelihoods. 쑽
Unless we know we have a problem, how The Rajya Sabha was told that
can we fix it? loans written off by scheduled
India became more aggressive in commercial banks (SCBs)
recognising loans as ‘bad’ in the 2014 to during the last five financial
2015 period. years totalled ₹10.1 lakh crore.
The periodic asset quality review was Significantly, only ₹1.32 lakh
introduced. Further, the regulator
stepped in to prevent evergreening of
loans (i.e., lending more to an already
crore has been recovered.
쑽
The Finance Minister said that
stressed asset in the hope that it could be
brought back to its feet). with the government’s
“strategy of recognition,
resolution, recapitalisation and
Has recognising NPAs helped?
reforms,” NPAs had declined to
Replying to a question in the Rajya Sabha,
5.9% by March 2022.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said
that with the transparent recognition of
NPAs, this percentage for gross loans rose
from 4.1% in March, 2014, to 11.46% in
March 2018. She said that with the
government’s “strategy of recognition,
resolution, recapitalisation and reforms,”
NPAs had since declined to 5.9% by March
2022.
M ND-NDE
 THE HINDU
Monday, January 2, 2023 9
Delhi
Text&Context
FROM THE ARCHIVES

The advent of ‘app-solute’ chaos in NREGA

under the guise of transparency
The new National Mobile Monitoring Software application is unnecessarily complicating the lives of workers and is plagued by problems that are
clearly eroding the right to work

CHAKRADHAR BUDDHA
LAAVANYA TAMANG KNOW YOUR ENGLISH
igitally capturing the

D attendance of workers
employed under the Mahatma
Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Scheme
(MGREGS) has been made universal by the
‘Nightmare’
and its evil
Centre from January 1, 2023. The Union
government, arguing for transparency
and accountability in May 2021, had
started a pilot project to capture
spirit connect
attendance via a mobile application, the
National Mobile Monitoring System A likely reasoning for why people
(NMMS). Chakradhar Buddha and get up gasping for breath when
Laavanya Tamang discuss the
complications arising out of the decision. they have a nightmare
In May 2021, the Ministry of Rural
Development (MoRD) launched the
National Mobile Monitoring Software S. Upendran
(NMMS) app, a new application meant for
“improving citizen oversight and “Hey, Happy New Year! What time did
increasing transparency” in National you get back from the party last night?”
Rural Employment Guarantee Act “I didn’t even go. A couple of friends
(NREGA) works. It is to be deployed by called to say that traffic was a nightmare.”
NREGA Mates, local women at the “Nightmare? Isn’t a nightmare a
panchayat level who are selected and terrifying dream?”
trained to monitor NREGA worksites. The “Yes, but the word can be used in
main feature of the app is the real­time, other contexts as well. When you say that
photographed, geo­tagged attendance of Collateral damage: NREGA has had a higher proportion of women workers and has been pivotal in changing their working conditions. FILE PHOTO traffic was a nightmare, what you’re
every worker to be taken once in each suggesting is that it was terrible. Driving
half of the day. We spoke to Mates, staying at the market. process. However, there is no information geo­tagged attendance could be one way in it was an unpleasant and frightening
NREGA workers, and activists across available publicly about the errors found of addressing this corruption, the MoRD experience.”
multiple States to understand their Other challenges and measures taken to address them. Our has not provided much clarity on either “I see. How about this example? My
experience of the app. There are challenges of implementation Right To Information applications have the magnitude of this corruption or the sister’s trip to the U.S. turned into a
with the NMMS as well. A stable network also not yielded any satisfactory manner in which the NMMS addresses it. nightmare when she missed her
Conditions affecting workers is a must for real­time monitoring; responses. Despite the persistent errors, There are no parameters established to connecting flight in London.”
While such an app may be useful in unfortunately, it remains patchy in much on May 13, 2022, the MoRD released a assess the app’s performance, either on “That’s a good example. When I asked
monitoring the attendance of workers of rural India. This could lead to workers circular announcing that NMMS would transparency, or on quicker processed Anil how the interview was, he said it was
who have fixed work timings, in most not being able to mark their attendance, now be mandatory for all NREGA payments. a nightmare.”
States, NREGA wages are calculated based and consequently lose a day of wages. worksites employing more than 20 “That’s his usual reply. Tell me, where
on the amount of work done each day, Workers in Kerala and Jharkhand are workers, with no option for manual Strengthen social audits does the word ‘nightmare’ come from?”
and workers do not need to commit to already facing problems in uploading attendance other than in exceptional Instead of focusing on this app or “The word is made up of two words –
fixed hours. This flexibility has been key their attendance on the app due to circumstances. Within a week of the introducing other complex technological night and mare. We all know…”
to NREGA’s widespread demand. network problems. Further, a recent mandate, many States submitted reforms, we strongly believe social audits “We all know what ‘night’ means. A
However, marking attendance on the app NewsClick report has also highlighted the complaints and reports of the same errors must be strengthened. Social audits are female horse is usually referred to as
mandates that workers are at the worksite problems faced by differently­abled that were seen during the pilot stage. The citizen­centric institutions, where the ‘mare’, right?”
the entire day. This causes significant NREGA workers from Tamil Nadu in MoRD is yet to offer any solutions, citizens of the panchayat have a direct “Right! But ‘mare’, in this case, doesn’t
difficulty for NREGA workers. marking their attendance on the app. reassurances, or even a response. role and say in how NREGA functions in refer to a female horse, but an evil female
Priya Devi from Rajasthan finishes her The app has adversely impacted their panchayat. Audits have worked well spirit.”
NREGA work by 9 a.m., and then sets up NREGA Mates as well. The role of a Mate No physical records in the past, allowing the local rights “Female spirit? Is it this evil spirit
a stall in the local haat to sell the produce was conceptualised as an opportunity to Beyond the problems in implementation, holders to be invested in decisions, and which causes us to have bad dreams?”
she grows in her kitchen garden. Since the empower local women to manage the intended purpose of such an hold the administration accountable “That’s right! What this female spirit
introduction of the NMMS app, she either attendance and work measurement in application, and its effectiveness remain themselves. But instead of strengthening does is to sit on people who are sleeping.
needs to be present at the worksite all day their panchayat. But now, to be a Mate, unclear. The app claims to “increase citizen­centric institutions such as social It tries to suffocate them.”
or travel twice to mark her attendance. one needs to have a smartphone. This citizen oversight” by “bringing more audit units and gram sabhas, the MoRD “By sitting on them? That’s interesting!
Ms. Devi expressed concern about losing new condition disqualifies thousands of transparency and ensuring proper seems keener on introducing I guess this explains why people get up
customers at her stall in her absence. women who do not own smartphones monitoring of the schemes, besides technological reforms that can be gasping for breath when they have a
Another worker from Andhra Pradesh from becoming Mates. Already women potentially enabling processing payments complex to understand and nightmare.”
said her daughter was now missing school from Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh have faster”. However, it appears to be doing fundamentally inaccessible for workers. “It certainly does. Anyway, how did
frequently because she had to take over reported being passed over for selection exactly the opposite. With no physical It seems ironic that an application you spend New Year’s Eve? Did you go
some of her mother’s chores. as Mates for this very reason. Now, attendance records signed by workers meant to improve citizen oversight and anywhere?”
NREGA has historically had a higher smartphone­owning men are likely to be anymore, workers have no proof of their transparency was implemented with no “I did. Sujatha had a little get together,
proportion of women workers (54.7% in given preference as Mates. Alternatively, attendance and work done. In the district consultation and discussion with NREGA and she invited me over. Anjali was there,
FY 2021­22) and has been pivotal in women could become proxy Mates — of West Singhbhum, Jharkhand, workers workers, functionaries, or government too.”
changing working conditions for women officially registered, but deferring to men reported having worked on a NREGA field officials. The NMMS is consequently “Sujatha and Anjali! Nice way to end
in rural areas. Due to the traditional who work and get paid. Many selected project, the attendance records of which blind to the actual functioning of NREGA the year, I guess. They must have had a lot
burden of household chores and care Mates also reported that they had not do not exist on the NREGA website. Since on the ground. The MoRD’s habit of of fun needling you.”
work on women, the app is likely to been given proper training in using the there are no physical records the workers passing reforms with no stakeholder “Needling me? What are you talking
disproportionately affect women workers. app. This could lead to errors in recording can use as evidence, they have no way of consultation does not fall in line with the about?”
The conditions for registering NREGA workers’ attendance, that ultimately proving their attendance, and will principles of transparency and “When you needle someone, you
attendance on the app put them in a results in delayed or non­payments. consequently lose out on pay for two full citizen­participation enshrined in NREGA. deliberately annoy or embarrass the
dilemma where they may end up weeks of work. This is a clear erosion of The NMMS has very clear problems that person.”
foregoing NREGA work. Such a sentiment Errors in pilot process the transparency and citizen oversight the will make it increasingly difficult for “How do I do that? By making fun of
was echoed (to us) by many women The app had been launched on a pilot app claims to improve. workers to continue working under them?”
workers across the country. Priya Devi, basis last year, with States using it Corruption has been a rising problem NREGA, eroding the right to work that “You achieve this by making fun of
for instance, is afraid she will have to voluntarily. Officials and activists in NREGA, with funds being siphoned off underwrites the NREGA Act. them continuously. Or you could try and
choose between the two — committing to confirmed these implementation errors by faking attendance records. While Chakradhar Buddha and Laavanya upset them by making rather nasty
NREGA work that occupies her full day, or had been evident throughout the pilot ostensibly the NMMS’s focus on real­time, Tamang are affiliated with LibTech India remarks.”
“That’s something both Anjali and
Sujatha are good at. They always needle
me by talking about the terrible marks I
Please send in your answers to
used to get in Physics while I was in
THE DAILY QUIZ dailyquiz@thehindu.co.in school.”
“And now, poor Mythreye is their new
victim. They needle her about her
A quiz on the women who made the news in 2022 weight.”
“Yes. The interesting thing is Mythreye
knows that the two are saying things just
Women have made history and Barack Obama and John Key if Answers to the previous day’s daily quiz: to needle her. But no matter how hard she
headlines with many triumphs and they meet because they are of 1. The Hindi word ‘chaatna’, meaning ‘to lick’ tries, she always ends up losing her
victories in 2022. As we welcome similar age…” Who said this? has led to a genre of popular street food. Name temper.”
the new year, here is a quiz on X the food. Ans: Chaat
women and their achievements. QUESTION 4 2. A batter made of rice and urad dal is steamed
X Emma Tucker was named the to make this soft, spongy and savoury snack
QUESTION 1 editor­in­chief of which found all over Gujarat. Ans: Dhokla
Three countries that did not have a newspaper. She will be the first 3. In general, Goan cuisine is known for its
single women parliamentarian in woman to head the abundance usage of fresh seafood, but one of
the previous year broke the cycle 133­year­old publication. Goan speciality includes this spicy dish that
and elected them in 2022. Name X features pork, What’s one of its most famous
the three countries. QUESTION 5 dish? Ans: Vindaloo
X Massive protests broke out in 4. By what popular name do we know a
QUESTION 2 Iran after the death of a young tempered mix of spices(noun) and the same
This actress made history by woman after she was detained word also is a verb describing the act of
becoming the first openly queer by the country’s ‘morality tempering spices in hot oil ? Ans: Tadka
woman of colour to win an Oscar in police’. Prior to this another 5. A popular breakfast of Karnataka that is a
the acting category. In her speech, country witnessed protests over combination of kesari bath (sweet) and Khara
she thanked Rita Moreno for paving wearing Hijabs. Name the bath (spicy rava upma). Ans: Chow­Chow
the way for women of colour in the country and the specific State Baath
industry. Name the actress and the where the protests began. Visual: The man who passed away recently
whose claim on the popular food dish he
film she won the award for. X
invented has always met with polemics in India!
X QUESTION 6
QUESTION 3 Ans: Ali Ahmed Aslam the Inventor of
Droupadi Murmu became the
Chicken Tikka Masala For feedback and suggestions for
In a recent viral video, two first tribal woman to hold the
important leaders shut down a office of the President. Before Text & Context, please write to
press person’s sexist question with becoming the President, she X Early Birds letters@thehindu.co.in
a firm and fiery response. “I wonder held portfolios as a Minister of This Indian team won gold for which sport at the Commonwealth Games Sushma Gupta ­ Bharat Yadav ­ Seema Magnur ­ with the subject ‘Text & Context’
whether or not anyone asked which State? 2022 held at Birmingham, U.K.? Which team did they beat? GETTY IMAGES Apoorva Maniktala
CM M ND-NDE
YK
 THE HINDU
10 Monday, January 2, 2023

News Delhi

From Page One India and Austria to sign Fill vacancies in SSB,
CAPFs from reserved
Dec. GST revenues up
from November lows
migration and mobility list, orders Delhi HC
“The government has settled ₹36,669 crore to the
CGST and ₹31,094 crore to SGST from IGST as reg­
ular settlement. The total revenue of Centre and
agreement, shore up ties The Hindu Bureau
NEW DELHI

the States after regular settlements in the month Accord will help combat the rise in illegal migration from India, says Austrian Foreign Ministry; The Delhi High Court has
of December 2022 is ₹63,380 crore for CGST and ruled that the unfilled va­
₹64,451 crore for the SGST,” the Ministry said.
Jaishankar and Schallenberg also to discuss India’s G­20 Presidency and situation in Ukraine cancies for various posts in
On a sequential basis, while there was a 2.5% the Sashatra Seema Bal
rise in revenues from November to December Suhasini Haidar Austria by an Indian Fo­ (SSB) and the Central
2022, the number of e­way bills generated went NEW DELHI reign Minister in 27 years, Armed Police Forces
up 3.95% to 7.9 crore in December. the Ministry of External Af­ (CAPFs), due to the non­
While revenues from domestic transactions lose on the heels of fairs said in a statement joining of selected candi­
rose 18% overall, a dozen States recorded higher
growth in tax collections and 13 States reported
slower growth rates.
C similar mobility
agreements with
France, the United King­
last week. Mr. Jaishankar
also met with the Austrian
Chancellor Karl Neham­
dates and leftover seats,
can be filled from the re­
serve list.
The petitioners had moved the
court seeking a direction to fill
Goa, Odisha and Manipur reported a contrac­ dom, Germany and Fin­ mer on Sunday, and will The order came after a up the vacancies based on
tion in revenues of 22%, 6% and 5%, respectively, land, India will sign a meet the Director­General bunch of candidates, who merit. GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO
even as Chhattisgarh’s revenues were flat “Comprehensive Migration of the Vienna­based Inter­ had scored above the qual­
year­on­year. and Mobility Partnership national Atomic Energy ifying marks but were not in 2019 and due to inordi­
Agreement” (MMPA) with Agency (IAEA) Rafael Gros­ appointed, moved the nate delay in completing
Bihar top gainer Austria on Monday during si on Monday. court seeking a direction to the recruitment process,
Bihar reported the highest growth in revenues at External Affairs Minister S. Mr. Grossi had earlier in­ the Centre to fill up the lef­ many candidates could not
36%, followed by Nagaland (30%), the erstwhile Jaishankar’s visit to Vien­ teracted with Mr. Jaishan­ tover or unfilled vacancies, join the department. It was
State of Jammu and Kashmir (28%), and Aruna­ na. Close watch: The pact will regulate multiple entry visas for kar in 2016, when he was on the basis of merit. stated by the petitioners
chal Pradesh (27%), with Gujarat and Andhra Pra­ While India has been professionals and student exchange programmes. the head of the Nuclear A Bench of Justices Su­ that out of the 746 vacan­
desh seeing GST inflows rise by 26% each. Tamil keen to finalise these Suppliers Group (NSG) and resh Kumar Kait and Neena cies, 674 vacancies were
Nadu’s revenues rose 25%, followed closely by Ra­ agreements with European son to Austrian Foreign Mi­ mat for the Central Euro­ worked on proposals for Bansal Krishna directed filled and 72 vacancies
jasthan and West Bengal (24%), Madhya Pradesh countries as a stepping nister Alexander pean countries. India’s membership appli­ the Centre to fill the un­ were pending for the post
(22%) and Maharashtra (20%). stone to resolving issues Schallenberg, when asked cation, which is still pend­ filled vacancies due to the of Head Constable.
Among the Union Territories, Ladakh reported over the long­pending In­ about the MMPA. “The Points of discussion ing. More recently he has non­joining of candidates Similarly, an advertise­
a sharp 68% spike in revenues, followed by Dadra dia­European Union (EU) agreement is now a useful On the agenda for bilateral been at the forefront on as well as the leftover seats ment to conduct open ex­
Nagar Haveli (37%), Chandigarh (33%) and Pudu­ Free Trade Agreement and tool to combat illegal mi­ and multilateral talks, Mr. monitoring the Russian oc­ for a recruitment process amination to the post of
cherry (30%). However, Daman and Diu reported facilitating Indian profes­ gration together, as it ena­ Schallenberg’s spokesper­ cupation of Ukrainian Nu­ initiated by the SSB in 2016 Constables in CAPFs was
a whopping 86% drop in GST collections, with sionals working in these bles the swift return of ille­ son spoke of India’s Presi­ clear Power Plant (NPP) at and another recruitment published in 2018.It was
Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar Islands countries, the European gal migrants.” dency of the G­20, as well Zaporizhzhia where India process conducted by contended by the petition­
recording contractions of 36% and 19%, countries also see them as In addition, the agree­ as “the position of India on was amongst countries CAPF in 2018 from the pool ers that out of 60,210 posts
respectively. a way to curb illegal immi­ ment will regulate multiple the Russian war of aggres­ that expressed concerns of candidates from the re­ of Constable (GD) in CAPF,
Abhishek Jain, partner, indirect tax, KPMG, gration from India. entry visas for profession­ sion in Ukraine and its glo­ over nuclear safety risks. served list. 54,411 candidates were
said the robust GST collections suggest that ₹1.5 “This is a much­needed als and student exchange bal negative ramifica­ Also of interest for India is In 2016, applications to provisionally selected and
lakh crore may be “the new normal” for monthly agreement, especially in programmes, and will be tions”. During a visit to the IAEA’s assessment of fill up the 872 posts of Sub­ rest of the posts were left
revenues, as the December’s numbers came in af­ view of the sharp increase reviewed regularly by a Delhi in March, Mr. Schal­ Iran’s nuclear programme Inspector, Assistant Sub­ vacant. The petitioners al­
ter peak festive sales are over. in illegal migration Austria Joint Working Group. lenberg, had told The Hin- and efforts to revive the Inspector and Head Con­ so contended that if the
was confronted with last Mr. Jaishankar and Mr. du that the war in Europe Joint Comprehensive Plan stable in the SSB were invit­ Centre releases fresh ad­
year, including over 15,000 Schallenberg on Sunday would have repercussions of Action ( JCPOA). ed through an advertise­ vertisement to conduct a
illegal migrants from India held a combined meeting for the whole world, and Monday’s meeting bet­ ment and the process of similar examination to fill

Union government with practically no chance

of asylum,” explained Clau­
dia Türtscher, spokesper­
with Foreign Ministers of
Czech and Slovakia, under
the “Slavkov” trilateral for­
no country could “stay at
its sidelines”.
This is the first trip to
ween Mr. Jaishankar and
Mr. Schallenberg will be
their fifth formal meeting.
selection was conducted in
three stages.
The result was declared
the leftover vacancies it
would cause “serious pre­
judice” to them.

may enact a uniform

civil code, says Vaiko 5 killed as fire breaks
The Hindu Bureau
CHENNAI
out in two factories
in Maharashtra
Marumalarchi
Munnetra
Dravida
Kazhagam
(MDMK) general secretary
Vaiko on Sunday said the
Union government led by
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi might introduce a Bill
for a uniform civil code
soon, as a private member
Bill on the issue moved in
the Rajya Sabha by BJP
member Kirodi Lal Meena
secured 63 votes. Only 23
persons voted against it.
“The party [the BJP]
may introduce it [the Bill]
in the Lok Sabha and might
succeed in enacting a law
since the BJP government is
fulfilling its agenda one by
one,” said Mr. Vaiko, who
had insisted on a division
when the Bill was moved in
the Rajya Sabha.
“The voting exposed
those in favour of the com­
mon civil code and those
against it,” he said during
an interaction with media
persons in Chennai.
Mr. Vaiko pointed out
that Uttar Pradesh Chief
Minister Yogi Adityanath
spoke in favour of a un­
iform civil code in 1999 in
Parliament. “I opposed it
saying it would cause divi­
sion in society and would
lead to bloodshed,” he said.
Asked how the Opposi­
tion could stall the victory
of the BJP in 2024 when
there was no unity among
the Opposition parties, Mr.
Vaiko said there was an ef­
fort to bring all the Opposi­
tion parties together.
“But it is beyond my
means,” he said, replying
to a question on whether
he would take the initiative
to unite them.
Mr. Vaiko felt that Con­
gress leader Rahul Gand­
hi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra had
created a lot of enthusiasm
among the youth and said
it was an attempt to esta­
blish contact with the peo­
ple.
“It may be his plan to
test the waters. He may as­
sume the leadership of the
party after that,” he said,
responding to a question
on how Mr. Rahul could in­
vigorate the party organisa­
tion without becoming the
party’s president.
The Hindu Bureau
PUNE
At least five people were
killed and more than 20 in­
jured on Sunday in two
separate fire accidents in
Nashik and Solapur dis­
tricts of Maharashtra.
Two people were killed
and 17 injured in a massive
fire that broke out at the
factory Jindal Polyfilm Ltd.
in Igatpuri taluk of Nashik
around noon. In the se­
cond incident, at least
three persons were killed
and three injured as a fire
broke out following a blast
at a firecracker factory at
Barshi in Solapur district.
Ex gratia announced
Announcing a high­level
probe into the Igatpuri in­
cident, Chief Minister Ek­
nath Shinde said the go­
vernment would give ex
gratia of ₹5 lakh each to the
next of kin of the deceased
and bear the treatment ex­
penses of the injured. “It
was a major accident. The
fire is under control. I have
myself spoken with the in­
jured. Two are believed to
be in critical condition.
Our priority was to bring
the fire under control and
conduct rescue and relief
operations. The govern­
ment will conduct a high­
level inquiry into the inci­
dent,” Mr. Shinde said.
Earlier, the Chief Minis­
ter, after speaking with the
authorities at the Devlali
Air Force Station, activated
a helicopter rescue opera­
tion when the inferno was
raging. Sources said the
fire is expected to be com­
pletely doused only by
Monday.
In Solapur, the firecrack­
er factory explosion oc­
curred in Shirala around 3
p.m. Senior police officials
and fire authorities rushed
to the spot. The local admi­
nistration said the death
toll may rise.
Unemployment rate rises
to 8.3% in Dec., highest
in 16 months, says report
Reuters
NEW DELHI
India’s unemployment rate
rose to 8.3% in December,
the highest in 16 months,
from 8% in the previous
month, data from the
Centre for Monitoring In­
dian Economy (CMIE)
showed on Sunday.
The urban unemploy­
ment rate rose to 10.09% in
December from 8.96% in
the previous month, while
the rural unemployment
rate slipped to 7.44% from
7.55%, the data showed.
Mahesh Vyas, managing
director of the CMIE, said
the rise in the unemploy­
ment rate was “not as bad
as it may seem,” as it came
on top of a healthy in­
crease in the labour parti­
cipation rate, which shot
up to 40.48% in December,
the highest in 12 months.
“Most importantly, the
Upward curve: The urban unemployment rate rose to 10.09% in
December from 8.96% in the previous month. REUTERS
employment rate has in­
creased in December to
37.1%, which again is the
highest since January
2022,” he told Reuters.
The unemployment rate
had declined to 7.2% in the
July­September quarter
compared to 7.6% in the
previous quarter, accord­
ing to separate quarterly
data compiled by state­run
National Statistical Office .
In December, the unem­
ployment rate rose to
37.4% in Haryana, followed
by 28.5% in Rajasthan and
20.8% in Delhi, the CMIE
data showed.
Meanwhile, Congress
leader Rahul Gandhi on Sa­
turday said that India
needs to move from a sin­
gle focus on GDP growth to
growth with employment,
skilling of youth and creat­
ing production capacities
with export prospects.
Coast Guard
saves crew
from sinking
in Arabian Sea
Press Trust of India
AHMEDABAD
The Indian Coast Guard
(ICG) on Sunday, claimed
to have rescued 12 crew
members of a sinking sup­
ply vessel in the Arabian
sea off the Gujarat coast.
The operation was car­
ried out on Saturday after a
distress message was re­
ceived by the Mumbai­
based ICG Maritime Res­
cue Coordination Centre
(MRCC) at around 11 a.m., a
Defence release said.
The crew from the Mo­
torised Supply Vessel
(MSV) 'Nigahen Karam',
which was on her passage
to Djibouti, was taken on­
board the Motor Tanker
(MT) Searanger.
Upon receiving the call,
the MRCC alerted the ves­
sels operating in the vicini­
ty and coordinated with
the Maritime Rescue Sub
Centre (MRSC), Porbandar.

Work on Kalasa­Banduri project will Several injured in Toyota Kirloskar Motor

commence soon, says Pralhad Joshi attacks on Christians
The Hindu Bureau
HUBBALLI
Replying to the charge
made by Congress leaders
that the clearance given to
the Detailed Project Report
(DPR) of Kalasa and Bandu­
ri schemes is just an eye­
wash, Union Minister for
Parliamentary Affairs, Coal
and Mines Pralhad Joshi on
Sunday said the work on
the project will start in
two­and­a­half months.
Addressing pressper­
sons in Hubballi, the Union
Minister clarified that there
is no need for environmen­
tal clearance as it is a drink­
ing water project and as far
as forest clearance is con­
cerned, it will be secured
CM
YK
Congress that has ex­
pired,” he said.
On the Congress allega­
tion that the BJP has duped
the Panchamasali and Vok­
kaliga communities on re­
servation under 2A catego­
ry, Mr. Joshi countered
saying that it is the Con­
gress which is good at dup­
Clearing the air: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi addressing ing people.
presspersons in Hubballi on Sunday. KIRAN BAKALE Clarifying that there is
nothing in law that pre­
at the State­level itself, as Congress politics that is vented announcing a deci­
the requirement of forest outdated now and not the sion on reservation based
land is very less. document. on an interim report, the
On the questions raised “The document is dated Union Minister said that
by Congress leader H.K. December 29, 2022 and the decision has not been
Patil and KPCC president there is also a government taken in a hurry but after
D.K. Shivakumar on the va­ to government communi­ considering various sur­
lidity of the document as it cation on the project indi­ veys and the interim report
[document] is undated, cating the clearance. It is by the Backward Classes
Mr. Joshi said that it is the the date of Mr. Patil and the Commission.
in Chhattisgarh
The Hindu Bureau
BHOPAL
Several persons, including
a police officer, were in­
jured in an alleged attack
on Christian families in
Gorra village of Chhattis­
garh’s Narayanpur on Sun­
day. The latest incident
comes two weeks after
Christian families were al­
legedly assaulted and dri­
ven away following coordi­
nated attacks in over a
dozen villages in the
district.
Some of the injured per­
sons told journalists that
the attack was carried out
by a mob of nearly 400 to
500 — that comprised peo­
reports data breach
Press Trust of India
NEW DELHI
been “notified by one of its
service providers of an in­
cident that might have ex­
ple from Gorra village and Toyota Kirloskar Motor on posed personal informa­
outsiders — on nearly a do­ Sunday reported a data tion” of some of its
zen Christians. breach in its system but customers. The Indian
“We were called to at­ said the extent of intrusion Computer Emergency Res­
tend a meeting and when was being confirmed. ponse Team had been not­
we reached, we were at­ The company said it had ified, it added.
tacked with sticks and even
thrones. They accused us
of following a foreign reli­
gion and forced us to take
shelter in the nearby for­
ests,” said one of the wo­
men victims.
A senior police officer,
however, described it as a
clash between two groups
and said that eight persons
were injured. Sources from
the ground further claimed
that such incidents were
reported from other villag­
es too.
M ND-NDE
 THE HINDU
Monday, January 2, 2023 11
Delhi
News

Congress can fulfil dream Delimitation can provide Mamata vows

to strengthen
of a progressive, liberal safeguards in Assam that India’s federal
structure
and secular India: Kharge
Sandeep Phukan
NEW DELHI
NRC could not: Himanta The Hindu Bureau
KOLKATA

West Bengal Chief Minister

Before the Bharat Jodo Ya­
tra’s onward march to Jam­
mu and Kashmir ( J&K) —
through Uttar Pradesh, Ha­
ryana and Punjab — res­
umes on January 3, former
Congress chief Rahul
Gandhi on Sunday posted
a New Year message that
conveyed the
theme. “Hoping that in
yatra’s
2023, every lane, every vil­
lage, every city will have a
mohabbat ki dukaan (a
shop that sells love). Wish­
ing everyone a very Happy
New Year!” Mr. Gandhi
tweeted, with a video col­
lage of his yatra that has
been on the road for 108
days before taking a nine­
day year­end break.
Though the tweet does
not quite answer what is
next for the party after the
yatra reaches its final desti­
nation of Srinagar by Janu­
ary 26, Congress president
Mallikarjun Kharge’s New
Year message brings clarity
to the party’s ideological
positioning.
“Every Indian should
feel that Congress is the
medium and vehicle in rea­
lising their dreams and as­
pirations of a secular, pro­
gressive and liberal India.
Congress has always stood
for India, and we need to
strengthen this ideological
bond and invaluable rela­
tionship,” the Congress
chief said in his message to
citizens and party cadres.
But as far as Mr. Gand­
hi’s plans are concerned,
they still seem to be un­
clear. “The other day so­
What lies ahead: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with party chief
Mallikarjun Kharge and Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot in Alwar. PTI
mebody was asking me
‘what next?’ He was saying
we should start planning
what to do after the yatra.
Someone else was saying
we should start an east­
west yatra, some others
were saying something
else. Look, this yatra is tell­
ing us something. If we get
onto doing something
without listening to what
the yatra is telling us, it will
be insulting the voices of
the people of India,” he
said.
The party is working out
various ground­level con­
tact programmes in an ef­
fort to reconnect with the
voters in 2023.
On January 5, Mr.
Kharge will launch the Bi­
har edition of the yatra that
will travel across the State.
“The idea is to keep the
momentum going by car­
rying forward the goodwill
and message generated by
Rahul ji’s yatra,” senior
Congress leader Kishore
Kumar Jha said.
Similar yatras have been
carried out in States that
have not been covered by
the main route of the BJY
and they include Assam,
Tripura and Odisha. West
Bengal too will have its
own version of the march.
Follow­up campaign
From January 26, the party
has already announced the
Haath se haath jodo abhi­
yaan, a follow­up of the
Bharat Jodo Yatra that will
focus on connecting with
people at the grassroots le­
vel. That campaign is ex­
pected to continue till
March and will culminate
in district­level conven­
tions and State­level public
rallies.
As part of this cam­
paign, party general secre­
tary Priyanka Gandhi Va­
dra will lead foot marches
and rallies with women
members in State capitals.
She will also be leading
programmes where wo­
men party workers will be
focusing on inflation and
women­related issues. In
his New Year message, Mr.
Kharge said, “Let this be
the year that we work hard
to raise the voice of every
Indian, especially the
weakest. The onus is on us
to save our Constitution
and Democratic ethos”.
Chief Minister faults criterion of readjusting Assembly constituencies on the basis of population,
says it’s akin to punishing those who abide by the two­child policy and rewarding those who don’t
Rahul Karmakar
GUWAHATI
he process of de­
T limitation can pro­
vide the safeguards
that the exercise to update
the National Register of Ci­
tizens (NRC) could not, As­
sam Chief Minister Himan­
ta Biswa Sarma said on
Sunday. But he was critical
of the criterion of delimit­
ing Assembly constituen­
cies on the basis of popula­
tion, which he said was
akin to punishing those
who abide by the govern­
ment’s two­child policy
and rewarding those who
disregard this policy to
“produce 12 children”.
“The NRC was unsuc­
cessful and the Assam Ac­
cord did not live up to ex­
pectations. Delimitation
for redrawing Assembly
constituencies can be one
exercise through which we
can safeguard the future of
Assam for two decades by
at least ensuring the State
Assembly is less affected
by demographic changes,”
Mr. Sarma said told press­
persons in a New Year
interaction.
The Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP) had opposed
the last delimitation exer­
cise in 2008, insisting that
it should be carried out on­
ly after the NRC exercise to
weed out “illegal immi­
grants” was completed.
Reaching out: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at an interaction , Notun Dinor Aalap, with
journalists in Guwahati on Sunday. PTI
The term is often used to
mean Muslims who came
or relocated from present­
day Bangladesh.
Started in October 2013,
the Supreme Court­moni­
tored NRC exercise, which
cost ₹1,602.66 crore, re­
sulted in the publication of
the complete draft of citi­
zens in August 2019. The
draft list left out 19.06 lakh
people out of the 3.3 crore
applications for failing to
submit documents proving
their citizenship “beyond
reasonable doubt”.
The BJP and NGOs bat­
ting for indigenous people
rejected the NRC draft list
as faulty and petitioned the
top court for a revision.
The general belief is that
more than 40 lakh “Ban­
gladeshis” have been living
in the State illegally since
August 25, 1971 — the cut­
off date for detecting, de­
taining and deporting such
people according to the As­
sam Accord of 1985.
The Assam Accord pre­
scribes constitutional, le­
gislative and administra­
tive safeguards to even­
tually reduce the political
representation of non­indi­
genous communities. “De­
limitation is being done in
the interest of Assam and
its (indigenous) people.
But the exercise is non­pol­
itical, based on the 2001
Census,” Mr. Sarma said.
“After the emotions as­
sociated with the Assam
Agitation and NRC, it is
time to follow logic and
take tough decisions for
the sake of the race and the
country. The calculation is
simple: each of Assam’s
126 constituencies should
have 2.11 lakh voters if the
2.55 crore people as in
2001 are divided equally
with a margin of 10%,” he
said. “We cannot under­
take the delimitation this
time on the mandated pol­
icy of going by population.
But I believe Parliament
has to debate the popula­
tion benchmark for the
next exercise, as it invaria­
bly rewards people for hav­
ing more children against
government policies and
punishes others who fol­
low the rules to have small­
er families,” the Chief Mi­
nister said.
Mamata Banerjee on Sun­
day congratulated Trina­
mool Congress workers on
the party’s 25th foundation
day, saying the party
would “continue to streng­
then the federal structure
of our great country”.
“Our journey began on
January 1, 1998; through all
these years, we have been
committed to always keep­
ing nation first, people
first. Today we remember
the many sacrifices and un­
relenting efforts of each
and every member of our
Trinamool family,” Ms. Ba­
nerjee said in a Facebook
post. “All those who have
supported us from the very
beginning and our new
members who have joined
from different States, we
will continue to strengthen
the federal structure of our
great country; we dedicate
ourselves to serve the peo­
ple and commit ourselves
again to ensure their wel­
fare,” she added.
The Trinamool Con­
gress was founded in 1998
and it formed the govern­
ment in West Bengal in
2011 after defeating the
Left Front.
Trinamool leader Abh­
ishek Banerjee spoke
about a host of issues, in­
cluding the upcoming pan­
chayat elections. He said
the elections would be
held peacefully.
He has made similar as­
surances in the past but
violence has erupted even
before the dates for the
polls have been an­
nounced.

EPFO staff, pensioners seek clarity
on circular to implement SC verdict
The Hindu Bureau
NEW DELHI
The headquarters of the
Employees’ Provident
Fund Organisation (EPFO)
is likely to come up with
yet another circular on im­
plementing the recent Su­
preme Court order on
higher pension. EPFO em­
ployees have sought furth­
er clarifications on the cir­
cular released by the EPFO
head office on December
29 that laid out certain pro­
cedures for submitting
“options” for eligible pen­
sioners and employees co­
vered under the EPFO. Ac­
tivists on pensioners’
rights had also voiced con­
cerns against the circular.
R. Krupakaran, general
secretary of the All India
EPF Staff Federation, said
the circular, based on the
verdict, has given the
green signal to exercise the
The circular has
given the green
signal to exercise the
option to claim
higher pension
option to claim higher pen­
sion for people who are
currently working too.
Need proper guidelines
“We have not sent or pro­
cessed any ‘options’ as of
now, but definitely our
work will increase mani­
fold in the coming days.
Since the limit of salary is
just ₹15,000, more and
more workers are likely to
opt for this scheme of high­
er pension. A proper gui­
delines must be made
available to all EPFO offic­
es,” he said.
The Federation had gi­
ven a detailed representa­
tion to the EPFO authori­
ties on the delay in framing
the guidelines for imple­
menting the Supreme
Court order.
“The circular is silent
about the proper imple­
mentation of the Supreme
Court verdict. It has also
failed to communicate how
new applications have to
be processed,” he said, ad­
ding that without a new
clarification, the process of
adding “options” cannot
be completed in a proper
manner.
Staff crunch
Mr. Krupakaran said that at
present, EPFO offices are
working with a small num­
ber of people in the pen­
sion sections. “Recruiting
more people is the only so­
lution. Without more staff,
the EPFO will not be able
to satisfy the requirements
of pensioners and work­
ers,” he added.
Militants shoot dead 3 civilians in Rajouri
Peerzada Ashiq
JAMMU/SRINAGAR
They entered the houses
and fired indiscriminately.
place at three houses sepa­
rated at a distance of
said. The deceased were
identified as Satish Kumar,
The militants managed to around 50 metres from Deepak Kumar and Pritam
Parveen Kohli, an acti­ Militants carrying automat­ escape after the attack. each other. Two civilians Lal.
vist for pensioners’ rights, ic rifles barged into at least It is for the first time in have died of their injuries
feared an attempt to hide three houses near Rajouri more than a decade that and four others are in­ One injured in Srinagar
the real facts from the Su­ in the Pir Panjal Valley of members of the minority jured,” a senior police offic­ In Srinagar, one civilian
preme Court as certain re­ Jammu and Kashmir and community have faced an er said. was injured when militants
view petitions have also killed three civilians and attack of this scale in However, officials at the lobbed a grenade on a
reached before the court. injured at least seven on Rajouri. Government Medical Col­ CRPF vehicle in Zadibal.
He said the December 29 Sunday. “An incident of firing al­ lege, Rajouri, put the total In another case, the pol­
circular was “just to con­ Witnesses claimed mili­ legedly by two armed men number of people hit by ice said they arrested a
fuse everyone”, and for tants came down from a was reported in village bullets at 10. youth who snatched a rifle
trying to escape contempt forest area to the upper Dungri, seven to eight km “Two were brought from a CRPF jawan in
of court. Dungri area around 7 p.m. from Rajouri. Firing took dead. One died later,” they south Kashmir’s Pulwama.
“The EPFO is supposed
to comply with paragraph
44 (ix) of the judgment
within eight weeks from
November 4. It is a fact that
the R.C. Gupta judgment
has already been imple­
mented through the circu­
lar dated March 23, 2017,
and the pensions of 24,672
employees who retired be­
fore September 1, 2014, has
also been revised. This fact
had been suppressed by
the EPFO from the Su­
preme Court,” Mr. Kohli
said.

Rahul’s ‘aura’ can bring

political change: Raut
Press Trust of India
MUMBAI

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Sun­

day said Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s lea­
dership found a new “aura” last year and if
the trend continued in 2023, the country
may see a political change in the next Lok
Sabha election.
In his weekly column Rokhthok in the Se­
na mouthpiece Saamana, Mr. Raut also said
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union
Home Minister Amit Shah should not sow
“seeds of hatred and divisiveness”.
As the Ram temple issue was settled and
no votes could be sought on the matter, a
new “love jihad” angle was being explored,
he said.
Referring to the death of actor Tunisha
Sharma last month and the murder of
Shraddha Walkar allegedly by her boy­
friend, Mr. Raut asserted these were not
cases of “love jihad”, but maintained that
no woman should face atrocities.
CM M ND-NDE
YK
 THE HINDU
12 Monday, January 2, 2023

News Delhi

INBRIEF
쑽 A labour of love, archive on BHU founder takes shape
Jagriti Chandra
VARANASI
To create an archive on the
principal founder of Bana­
ras Hindu University
(BHU), ‘Mahamana’ Madan
Mohan Malaviya, Dhrub
Singh, a Professor of Histo­
ry at the university, along
Politicians, others attend with two of his assistants,
traversed the country for
prayer meet for PM’s mother over nearly a decade to
give shape to their labour
Many political leaders and well­wishers attended of love. They visited the
a prayer meet organised in the memory of Prime National Archives of India
Minister Narendra Modi’s mother Hiraben at the and the Nehru Memorial
his birthplace Vadnagar in Gujarat on Sunday. Museum and Library in
Hiraben passed away aged 99 in Ahmedabad on Delhi; various State ar­
Friday. Traders in Vadnagar had called for a chives such as that of Mah­
three­day self­imposed market bandh from arashtra; and princely ar­
Friday as a tribute to her. PTI chives, including the one at
Lallgarh Palace in Bikaner
and those of the Maharajas
of Jodhpur and Darbhan­
ICCR felicitates foreign ga. They researched priv­
ate papers of Malaviya’s
artists of Indian classical arts contemporaries, including
paleo­botanist Birbal Sahni
The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and other BHU founding
on Sunday felicitated foreign artists of Indian members such as Rai Baha­
dance and music from countries selected dur Sir Sunder Lal, and An­
through a first­of­its­kind talent recognition nie Besant at the Theo­
initiative. These artists, selected from eight to 10 sophical Society in
countries, will perform at Pravasi Bharatiya Chennai; and perused old
Divas event which will be held in Indore, ICCR newspapers and
president Vinay Sahasrabuddhe said. PTI magazines.
In December 2011, at a
commemoration event to
mark Malaviya’s 150th
birth anniversary, then
Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh announced various
projects under the Culture
Ministry to celebrate his
life and achievements, in­
cluding a repository dedi­
cated to the BHU’s foun­
der. A national
implementation commit­
tee was set up under the
chairmanship of Karan
Singh, then Rajya Sabha
member and Chancellor of
BHU, to oversee the execu­
tion of various projects.
Archive layout
Professor Singh was en­
trusted with the responsi­
bility of setting up the ar­
chive at an initial cost of
₹40 lakh extended by the
University Grants Commis­
sion and the Culture Minis­
try. Nearly 10 years later,
the mammoth task has
neared completion.
Housed in the Mahamana
150th Birth Centenary
Building, the archive com­
prises 25 different catego­
ries of documents, includ­
ing his speeches in the
Finish line: Professor Dhrub Singh started the project in 2011 which
now has 25 different categories of documents. SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Imperial Legislative Coun­
cil, interventions in the
Congress, evidence from
various commissions, and
other landmark events
during the Freedom Strug­
gle such as his defence of
accused protesters in the
Chauri Chaura incident of
February 1922 participat­
ing in the Non­cooperation
Movement.
There is also a collection
of more than 1,000 photo­
graphs of Malviya, includ­
ing those taken at the time
the university was being
set up, such as an image
where he can be seen con­
ducting a land survey, as
well as pictures from a do­
nation drive across the
country during which he
was accompanied by the
Maharaja of Darbhanga,
Rameshwar Singh, to raise
the ₹1 crore needed to set
up the university.
The team of five, which
also includes two adminis­
trative staff, has also col­
lected several newspapers
and magazines Malaviya
was involved with, includ­
ing a Hindi language week­
ly, the Abhyudaya (1907);
the Leader of Allahabad,
an English­language daily
(1909); and the Hindi dai­
lies such as Aaj, which also
covered daily activities at
the BHU.
As Malaviya played an
important role in the Hindi
Nagari movement, re­
sources were also collected
from the Nagari Pracharini
Sabha, the 129­year­old so­
ciety for promotion of Na­
gari in Varanasi, which
played a significant role in
developing a standard
grammar for modern Hin­
di, gathering rare manu­
scripts, publishing Hindi’s
first dictionaries, encyclo­
paedias and journals.
Going digital
“We are now starting the
process of digitising and
cataloguing the documents
and various resources so
that readers have better ac­
cess. The archive will con­
tinue to be a work in pro­
gress and we will continue
to acquire documents from
different sources we dis­
cover. We are also trying to
get traces of his [Malavi­
ya’s] voice and films made
on him, and have already
started a gift register where
anyone can donate mem­
orabilia associated with
Malaviya, and we will pre­
serve the gift under the
contributor’s name,” Pro­
fessor Singh said.
Though Malaviya was a
Hindu nationalist leader
who helped set up the Hin­
du Mahasabha, Professor
Singh said historical docu­
ments show the 106­year­
old university was truly na­
tional in its character. “The
name BHU includes the
word Hindu but in its cha­
racter, conduct, recruit­
ment and intake of stu­
dents, it was truly national.
There was no sectarian­
ism. In the early years of
BHU, there were Muslim
boys and girls graduating.
When he [Malaviya] spoke
about Hindu, he had a
community in mind that
had to evolve and acquire
positive elements of the re­
ligion, but not the exclu­
sion of other religious com­
munities from the
university. In his convoca­
tion address in 1929, he
proudly states students
came from States such as
Andhra, Punjab, Kerala,
which shows he was con­
scious that he was building
a national institution,” Pro­
fessor Singh added.

PM Modi to address Centre, States to join U.P. panel on OBC

108th Indian Science
Congress tomorrow
The Hindu Bureau
NEW DELHI
R.K. Krishnakumar
Prime Minister Narendra
Former Tata Modi will virtually address
the 108th Indian Science
quota to submit first
hands to promote report in 3 months
This comes as Union Mi­
nister of State (Indepen­
millets consumption The Hindu Bureau
LUCKNOW
The committee will
visit all 75 districts
dent Charge) for Science in Uttar Pradesh
and Technology Jitendra Union Ministry of Sports will celebrate International Year of Millets in The committee formed by and conduct a
Singh on Sunday outlined
the Centre’s 2023 Science
Jan., along with the governments of Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, Rajasthan the Uttar Pradesh govern­
ment to look into the reser­
triple-test survey

Sons director Congress (ISC) on January

3, which is expected to fo­
Krishnakumar cus on ways to increase the
representation of women
passes away in Science, Technology,
Vision, which he said will
“define India at 2047”.
Mr. Singh said the ISRO’s
key focus areas is on scien­
tific exploration missions,
The Hindu Bureau
vation for the Other Back­
ward Classes (OBCs) in
NEW DELHI local bodies is likely to sub­
mit its preliminary report
to get accurate data in the
triple­test survey. It will al­
n an effort to promote in three months, and will so study related cases from

The Hindu Bureau

MUMBAI
R.K. Krishnakumar, a Tata
Group veteran and consi­
dered a close confidant of
Ratan Tata, passed away in
Mumbai on Sunday due to
cardiac arrest. He was 84.
Krishnakumar was a di­
rector in Tata Sons, the
holding company of the
Tata Group. Earlier, he was
the vice­chairman of India
Hotels Company Ltd.
In a statement Ratan Ta­
ta said, “Words cannot de­
scribe the deep sense of
loss I feel on the passing of
my friend and colleague
Mr. R.K. Krishnakumar. I
will always fondly remem­
ber the camaraderie we
shared both within the
group and personally. He
was a true veteran of the
Tata group and the Tata
Trusts and will be missed
dearly by all.”
Engineering and Mathe­
matics (STEM) fields. It is
an effort to provide them
with equal access to STEM
education keeping in line
with this year’s theme of
“Science and technology
for sustainable develop­
ment with women
empowerment”.
Among a slew of events
scheduled to be held
alongside the 108th ISC,
will be the Children’s
Science Congress and the
Farmers’ Science Con­
gress. Additionally, the Tri­
bal Science Congress will
be held to platform the
“scientific display of indi­
genous ancient knowledge
system and practice”.
The event, scheduled to
be held at the Rashtrasant
Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur
University, will also see lec­
tures by renowned women
in STEM as part of a special
programme, a statement
from the Prime Minister’s
Office said.
technology demonstra­
tions, and human space­
flight programme Gaga­
nyan, in 2024.
Blue Economy
At the same time, the Earth
Sciences Ministry will be
focusing on deep sea mis­
sions and technologies to
find ways of adding value
to India’s economy in
times to come, the Minister
said, adding that this year
will also see further head­
way in “Blue Economy”,
an umbrella term used for
economic benefits deriva­
ble from the larger marine
ecosystem.
In addition, the Depart­
ment of Atomic Energy will
be delivering about 21 lakh
equipment for the Election
Commission of India,
which will include Ballot
Units, Control Units, and
VVPATs, to be completed
by the ECIL between Sep­
tember and October, this
year.
I cultivation and con­
sumption of millets on
a larger scale, the Union
government, with the help
of various States and In­
dian embassies around the
globe, has launched the In­
ternational Year of Millets
(IYM) on Sunday. Union
Ministries, States and In­
dian embassies have been
allocated a ‘focussed
month’ each in 2023 to
promote millets. In Janu­
ary, Union Ministry of
Sports and Youth Affairs,
and the Chhattisgarh, Miz­
oram and Rajasthan go­
vernments will conduct
IYM events and activities.
The Sports Ministry has
planned 15 activities over
15 days in January which
include engaging sport­
spersons, nutritionists and
fitness experts through vi­
deo messages, conducting
webinars on millets with
leading nutritionists, dieti­
cians and elite athletes,
promotion amplification
Stay fit: The Prime Minister at the celebration of the ‘International
Year of Millets 2023’ in New Delhi.SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
through Fit India app and
so on, the government said
in a release. The Food Pro­
cessing Industries Ministry
will organise millet fair­
cum­exhibitions in Andhra
Pradesh, Bihar and Mad­
hya Pradesh this month
and the Food Safety and
Standards Authority of In­
dia will organise “Eat
Right” Melas in Punjab,
Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Chhattisgarh, Mizoram
and Rajasthan will conduct
food festivals and train
farmers on millets cultiva­
tion. Awareness cam­
paigns, workshops/ semi­
nars will also be held.
“Other States that are orga­
nising similar activities in
January include Maharash­
tra, Uttarakhand and Pun­
jab,” the Union Agriculture
Ministry said in a release.
“Millets are important
by virtue of their mam­
moth potential to generate
livelihoods, increase farm­
ers’ income and ensure
food and nutritional secur­
ity all over the world,” the
Ministry said.
take two or three more
months to complete the re­
maining procedures.
Speaking with pressper­
sons after the panel’s first
meeting, the committee’s
Chairman, Justice Ram Av­
tar Singh (retd.), said that
the guidelines of the Su­
preme Court and the High
Court would be followed in
letter and spirit regarding
the reservation for OBCs in
urban civic bodies. “The
committee will submit its
first report in the next
three months. The remain­
ing necessary procedures
will be completed in a pe­
riod of two or three
months,” the Chairman
said.
Six-month deadline
The committee added that
the work would be com­
pleted within the six­
month deadline stipulated
by the State government.
The committee will visit all
the 75 districts of the State
States such as Maharash­
tra, Madhya Pradesh and
Karnataka.
Amid criticism from Op­
position parties after the
Allahabad High Court deci­
sion directing the Uttar
Pradesh government to
conduct urban local body
elections in the State with­
out the OBC quota, the
State government last
week constituted a five­
member committee to
look into the issue.
The panel will conduct a
triple­test formula, and the
OBC reservation for muni­
cipal polls will be decided
on the basis of the report.
Apart from Justice
Singh, the five­member
committee has retired IAS
officers Chob Singh Verma
and Mahendra Kumar,
former legal advisor San­
tosh Kumar Vishwakarma
and former additional legal
advisor and additional dis­
trict judge Brijesh Kumar
Soni.

To solve this puzzle online,

SCAN TO PLAY
SUDOKU FAITH
쑽 쑽
(set by WrdPlougher)
+ 13752 get across to our crossword site.
@ https://qrgo.page.link/jjpTn
Heavenly Vaikunta Ekadasi
16 Unproductive bank (4)
17 First fled, burying upturned white­blue speckled vase (5) Devotees across the world put aside all other work and ob­
18 Actor is animated: "I'm me" (4) serve Vaikunta Ekadasi each year with reverence and fer­
19 Lacking coach, essentially teach no kind of music (6) vour as it is the day Vishnu opens the heavenly portals, as
21 Without anyone's help, solver... (8) it were, for mortals and even devas, said Dhamal Ramak­
23 ... partially gets convoluted clue without second­guessing setter, rishnan in a discourse. Ekam signifies one and dasam is
conundrum finally grasped, basically fills a square containing the numeral ten, totalling eleven. At an equidistant 11 days
next seed? (4,4) from new moon day and full moon day, the eleventh day
26 Screen contents of blood (6) in a month is ekadasi. Every calendar year, we have bet­
27 Rant about modern oeuvre, without regard to gamut (regularly ween 24 and 25 ekadasis, wherein devotees try and ob­
selected) of early 20th­Century paintings (3,7)
serve the ritual of fasting. However, ekadasi in the month
28 Complain about train lacking internet at first (4)
of Margazhi is extremely special as it is the day the Vaikun­
Down
1 Messy crude science without substance about revolutionary quark
ta vaasal (gate) is thrown open, allowing devotees uninter­
(4,6) rupted darshan of Vishnu.
2 Outpouring of grief — milieu ultimately engulfed in escalating According to Padma Purana, Muran, a demon, was ha­
pandemonium (8) rassing the saints and devas. Unable to bear it, they all
3 Issue a sharp report (like a pig or a rat perhaps) (6) seek Siva’s help. However, pointing out that Muran had se­
4 Information found at app stores (4) cured immunity even from Vishnu’s weapons of conch
5 Proud parrot, chanter in essence, absorbing song at last (8) and chakra, He advises them to seek saranagati with Vish­
6 Runs topless out of an old hood, not wearing shoes (6)
Solution to previous puzzle Solution to yesterday’s Sudoku nu and gain His help. Ever ready to help His devotees,
7 Young women raising plant — waste? (4) Vishnu engages in solo combat with Muran and due to the
13 Foolish old one that means to waste time along with dally (5) demon’s boons, the battle goes on for long. Vishnu de­
Across 15 Tribute that may be paid to court? (10) cides to take a break and seeks refuge in a cave in Badri­
8 Stuff­renouncing saint admitting hoarding initially instead, in a 17 Pair of French buns sent back unwrapped by Masterchef's first
bad mood (4) nath to rest. However, Muran follows Vishnu and when he
food channel? (8)
9 Contrives to lose, both sides chasing leaderless team in central tries to catch Him unawares, a female form springs up and
18 Abort Mission Impossible right in the middle of frightening... (8)
square (10) vanquishes the demon. She is none other than Ekadasi.
20 ... kind of hostage situation — CIA counter­terrorism bureau
10 Played demure Tully in a 'Game...' show? (6) reach, finally retreating (6)
When Vishnu blesses her, she seeks a boon — whosoever
11 Saying "Oh!", get map in a pickle (8) 22 Peacekeepers advertise: "Relax!" (6) observes ekadasi virat, focuses the mind on god and ob­
12 Excited about the drill (8) 24 To some extent, fear none, get rich (4) serves fast, should be granted mukti. Vishnu grants her re­
14 Move a muscle, take by force (6) 25 Invented German song (4) quest, which is why Vaikunta Ekadasi is also known as
Moksha Ekadasi.
CM M ND-NDE
YK
 THE HINDU
Monday, January 2, 2023 13
Delhi
World
KABUL ZAGREB KAMPALA LOS ANGELES
Several killed, wounded in blast Croatia adopts euro, enters 9 killed in stampede at Uganda Grammy­winning singer Anita
near Kabul military airfield: official borderless Europe club mall during New Year celebrations Pointer dies of cancer at 74

AP AFP
X X
An explosion at the entrance to a military airfield in the Afghan Croatia on Sunday switched to the euro and entered Europe’s
capital killed and wounded several people on Sunday, an official borderless zone — two steps Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic called
said. The cause of the blast at the gate of the facility next to Kabul’s a “historic moment”. The Balkan nation bid farewell to its kuna
international airport was unclear, Interior Ministry spokesman currency and became the 20th member of the eurozone. It is also
Abdul Nafy Takor said. AFP now the 27th nation in the passport­free Schengen zone. AFP
AFP AP
X X
A stampede during New Year’s celebrations at a popular mall in Grammy­winning singer Anita Pointer died on Saturday at the age
Uganda’s capital, Kampala, left at least nine people dead, including of 74 following a battle with cancer, her publicist said. One of the
children, the police said on Sunday. The stampede happened at the founding members of R&B group The Pointer Sisters, she delighted
Freedom City Mall in Namasuba suburb as revellers rushed to watch fans across the world with hits, including “I’m So Excited,” “Jump,”
fireworks. AP and “Fire.” AFP

Pope pays
homage to
‘beloved’
Benedict
Agence France-Presse
VATICAN CITY
Pope Francis hailed the
“beloved” Benedict XVI on
Sunday as he addressed
thousands of Catholics in
New Year’s Day services at
the Vatican, the day after
his predecessor died aged
95.
“Today we entrust the
beloved Pope Emeritus Be­
nedict XVI to the most holy
mother [the Virgin Mary],
to accompany him in his
passage from this world to
God,” Pope Francis said at
a mass for peace at St. Pe­
ter’s Basilica.
Later, delivering his
Sunday Angelus prayer in
front of thousands gath­
ered in St. Peter’s Square,
the Pope bowed his head
in a moment of silence in
memory of the late pontiff.
Funeral on Thursday
Benedict, a conservative
intellectual who in 2013 be­
came the first pontiff in six
centuries to resign, died on
Saturday at his home in a
monastery inside the
grounds of the Vatican.
His body will be moved
on Monday morning to St
Peter’s Basilica, where for
three days the public will
be able to pay their res­
pects before a funeral on
Thursday. The ceremony
will be “solemn but sim­
ple”, the Vatican has said,
after which he will be bu­
ried in the papal tombs un­
der St Peter’s Basilica.
Ukrainians cheer Lula returns for third term as Brazil
New Year as Russian President, event held under tight lid
drones are shot down
Kyiv says it destroyed 45 Iranian­made Shahed drones; defiant residents
shout praise for the country as sirens of air raid blare in the city
Reuters
KYIV/DONETSK PROVINCE
FRONT LINE
krainians cheered
U from their balco­
nies while their air
defences blasted Russian
missiles and drones out of
the sky in the first hours of
2023, as Moscow saw in the
New Year by attacking civi­
lian targets across Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Air Force
command said it had des­
troyed 45 Iranian­made
Shahed drones overnight —
32 of them on Sunday after
midnight and 13 late on Sa­
turday.
That was on top of 31
missile attacks and 12 air
strikes across the country
in 24 hours.
Russian President Vladi­
mir Putin signalled no let­
up to his assault on Uk­
raine, in a grim and defiant
New Year’s speech that
contrasted with a hopeful
message of gratitude and
unity from Ukraine’s Presi­
dent Volodymyr Zelensky.
As sirens blared in Kyiv,
some people shouted from
their balconies, “Glory to
Ukraine! Glory to heroes!”
Fragments from the
late­night attack caused
minimal damage in the
capital’s centre, and preli­
Symbol of hope: A Ukrainian firefighter receives New Year's gifts at
their station in Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine on Saturday. AFP
minarily reports indicated
there were no wounded or
casualties, Kyiv Mayor Vita­
li Klitschko said on social
media. Attacks earlier on
Saturday had hit residen­
tial buildings and a hotel in
the capital, killing at least
one person and injuring
more than 20.
‘War crimes’
At the front line in Ur­
kaine’s eastern Donetsk
Province, troops toasted
the New Year. Soldier Pavlo
Pryzhehodskiy, 27, played
a song on guitar he had
written at the front after 12
of his comrades were killed
in a single night.
“It is sad that instead of
meeting friends, celebrat­
ing and giving gifts to one
another people were
forced to seek shelter,
some were killed,” he said.
“It is a huge tragedy. It is a
huge tragedy that cannot
ever be forgiven. That is
why the New Year is sad.”
Since October, Russia
has launched mass missile
and drone attacks on Uk­
raine’s energy infrastruc­
ture, casting cities into
darkness and cold as win­
ter sets in.
Moscow says the strikes
aim to reduce Ukraine’s
ability to fight; Kyiv says
they have no military pur­
pose and are intended to
hurt civilians, a war crime.
Agence France-Presse
BRASÍLIA
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva
took office on Sunday for a
third term as President of
Brazil, capping a remarka­
ble comeback for the vete­
ran leftist after he defeated
far­right leader Jair Bolso­
naro in October elections.
The 77­year­old ex­me­
talworker, who previously
led Brazil from 2003 to
2010, took the oath of of­
fice before Congress, vow­
ing to “maintain, defend
and obey the Constitution”
as he returned to lead La­
tin America’s biggest eco­
nomy after a bitterly divi­
sive election.
Sunday’s swearing­in
capped a remarkable polit­
ical comeback for 77­year­
old Lula, who returns to
the presidential palace in
Brasilia less than five years
after being jailed on con­
By the book: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (left) waving to supporters on
his way to the National Congress, in Brasilia, on Sunday. AFP
troversial, since­quashed
corruption charges.
Stepped-up measures
In a sign of the scars that
remain from Mr. Lula’s
brutal election showdown
with far­right ex­Army Cap­
tain Bolsonaro in October,
security was exceptionally
tight at the pomp­filled ce­
remony in the capital.
Some 8,000 police — in­
cluding more than 1,000
federal officers, a record
deployment for a presiden­
tial inauguration in Brazil —
provided security.
The stepped­up mea­
sures come after a Bolsona­
ro supporter was arrested
last week for planting a
tanker truck rigged with
explosives near the Brasilia
airport, a plot he said
aimed to “sow chaos” in
the South American coun­
try. Mr. Bolsonaro himself
left Brazil for Florida in the
United States on Friday —
reportedly to avoid having
to hand the presidential
sash to his bitter enemy, as
tradition dictates.
Thousands of Lula sup­
porters have been flooding
the capital, travelling by
plane, car and even bicycle
to camp out near the Espla­
nade of Ministries.
It was the first time
since the end of Brazil’s
1965­1985 military dictator­
ship that an incoming Pre­
sident does not receive the
yellow­and­green sash
from his predecessor.

Growing concerns ‘Militiaman

killed in
central Iran
protest’
Agence France-Presse
TEHRAN

A member of Iran’s securi­

ty forces has been shot
dead during protests in the
city of Semirom, state me­
dia said on Sunday, more
than 100 days after Mahsa
Amini’s death sparked na­
tionwide unrest.
Strict scrutiny: Passengers of a flight from China wait in a line for checking their COVID­19 vaccination Iran has been rocked by
documents at an airport in Paris on Sunday. Australia and Canada joined the U.S., U.K., India, France and protests — dubbed “riots”
several European nations in imposing tougher COVID­19 measures on Chinese travellers. AFP by the authorities — since
Amini, 22, died in custody
on September 16 following
her arrest for an alleged
breach of the country’s
strict dress code for
One soldier, Kim orders expansion women.
four militants “A Basij member was

killed in Pak.
Associated Press
ISLAMABAD
An Army operation in Pa­
kistan’s northwest target­
ing militants triggered a fi­
refight that left a soldier
and four fighters dead, the
Army’s media wing said on
Sunday. This comes weeks
after Pakistani Taliban de­
tainees seized control of a
counter­terrorism centre.
CM
YK
of nuclear arsenal
Associated Press
SEOUL
North Korean leader Kim
Jong­un ordered the “expo­
nential” expansion of his
country’s nuclear arsenal
and the development of a
more powerful interconti­
nental ballistic missile,
state media reported on
Sunday, after he entered
2023 with another wea­
pons launch following a re­
cord number of testing ac­
tivities last year.
Mr. Kim’s moves are in
line with the broad direc­
tion of his nuclear pro­
gram. He has repeatedly
vowed to boost both the
quality and quantity of his
arsenal to cope with what
he calls U.S. hostility. Some
experts say Mr. Kim’s push
signals his intention to so­
lidify his future negotiating
power.
killed in the city of Semi­
rom by armed criminals,”
official news agency IRNA
reported, referring to the
paramilitary force linked
to the powerful Islamic Re­
volutionary Guard Corps.
Iranian officials say hun­
dreds of people have been
killed in the nationwide
unrest, including members
of the security forces, and
thousands arrested.
Tehran accuses hostile
foreign powers and opposi­
tion groups of stoking the
unrest.
M ND-NDE
 THE HINDU
14 Monday, January 2, 2023

MONEYWISE
Delhi

Triple
dilemma
COVERNOTE
Filling in a salvage buyer’s
name in the transfer form can
leave him handicapped as he
would be buying the vehicle
only to repair and resell it.
PRECIOUSMETALS Such issues need to be sorted
out in the insurance sector
Gold, silver K. Nitya Kalyani

consolidate In the previous instalment of Cover

Note, we saw how selling a vehicle

on gains without duly filling the date and buyer’s

information in the transfer forms gives
room for the buyer to delay transfer of
the title to his name and opens the seller
B. Krishnakumar up to a whole world of liability.
First off, on selling the vehicle,
Precious metals consolidated the third­party liability insurance effectively
gains recorded in November and ceases after an interim cover period.
managed to end December on a After that, should the vehicle be in an
positive note. Gold prices gained accident that damages somebody’s
almost $200 from a more than property, injures or kills somebody,
two­year low recorded in September,
on hopes that the U.S. central bank
might slow its pace of interest rate
Clarity on building your guess who will be held responsible? The
person whose name is on the RC.
In the worse possibility, the vehicle

increases.
The subdued trend in the U.S.
dollar played a key role in helping
precious metals consolidate the gains
recorded in November. Comex gold
gained 3.7% in December to end the
month at $1,826.2 per ounce. Comex
silver recorded a much stronger rally
of 10.5% to close at $24.04.
Mirroring the global trend,
precious metals closed on a strong
note in the domestic markets too.
MCX gold gained 3.9% to settle at
₹55,017 per 10 gm. MCX silver gained
9.4% to end at ₹69,413 per kg.
Silver outperforms
Apart from the firm trend in these
metals witnessed in the last couple of
months, an interesting development is
silver’s outperformance compared
with gold. The relative performance
chart of these two metals suggests that
silver was outperforming gold and
there is a case for the trend to sustain
in the near term.
Though Comex gold ruled firm, the
target of $1,870­1,880 mentioned in
December is yet to be achieved. The
short­term outlook remains positive
and Comex gold appears on course to
reach this target zone.
However, a drop below the recent
low at $1,740 would be a cause for
concern. This would invalidate the
outlook and delay the journey
towards the target zone.
Positive outlook
The price action in Comex silver was
in sync with November’s expectations.
Unlike Comex gold, silver managed to
achieve the target of $24.5­$25. The
short­term outlook is positive and
Comex silver is likely to head to the
immediate target of $25.5­$26.
A move above $24.6 will strengthen
the case for a rise to the target zone.
On the other hand, a fall below $23
will be a sign of weakness and can
invalidate the positive view.
In the domestic market, the metals
managed to seek higher levels. MCX
gold ruled firm and reached the
₹55,000­55,500 target. In the
short­term, MCX gold is likely to head
to the next target of ₹56,700­57,500.
The short­term positive outlook
would be confirmed if the price moves
above ₹55,400. However, a fall below
₹53,900 would invalidate the
possibility of a rise to this target zone.
MCX silver ruled firm in December
and moved well beyond the target
financial plan
Setting financial goals, fixing timelines and choosing investments need to be well thought out,
with as much time spent on them as required; investing is as important as earning money
FINANCIAL PLANNING riage, and the like.
It could also be uncon­
ventional goals such as ear­
Joydeep Sen ly retirement or pursuing
your passion.
f you are a do­it­ The clarity you require
I yourself (DIY) inves­
tor and want to
know how to go
about your financial plan­
ning, the basics are just a
is in terms of time and mo­
ney; there is only so much
you can do in life. You have
to put timelines and priori­
ties to these. That will lead
Google search away. To jot to more focussed savings
down the basics: and investments for these
Set financial goals — put goals. Once you decide for
financial numbers to your yourself, you have to put
emotional goals. down the estimate in terms
Plan for retirement — es­ of money.
timate future expenses ad­ The estimate may not be
justed for inflation. accurate, but is better than
Make a budget — for not having an estimate.
your expenses and savings. Once your goals are set, it
Channelise savings into can change. Nothing is
appropriate investments. fixed in life. However, any
Have adequate term in­ change, either in a goal or
surance cover, and so on. in priorities or timeline,
Today, we will discuss should be a well thought­
one requirement to help out one. There is a diffe­
prepare a financial plan, rence between being fick­
even if you are taking in­ le­minded and taking a
puts from a professional considered decision.
adviser. And that is, your
own clarity. Let us see Your investments
what it means and why it is This is where there is a big
required. need to have clarity.
When you are deciding
Your goals on your investments, espe­
Financial planning re­ cially if you are DIY, you
quires converting your would look at past returns
emotional life goals to from that avenue. You have
measurable terms. to look at not only the past
Here you need to have performance but past vola­
clarity on what you want to tility as well.
do in life, and the order of In particular, what is re­
priority. It could be con­ ferred to as a drawdown —
ventional goals like pur­ the maximum loss or ad­
chase of a home, a car, verse market movement,
budgeting for a vacation, historically. Unless you
children’s education, mar­ have clarity that you can
Bank Fixed Deposit Rates
. .
Even after your goals are
set, they can change.
Nothing is fixed in life.
But, any change, either in
a goal or in priorities or
timeline, should be given
due consideration
bear that much of volatili­
ty, that mode investment
may not be suitable for
you. You are investing for a
goal, with a defined, or at
least estimated, time hori­
zon. Unless there is a com­
pelling reason, you need
not change your portfolio
every now and then.
There is a distinction
between trading and in­
vestment. Trading is for
achieving a particular tar­
get price over a short hori­
zon. An investment is for
the long horizon, which is
not expected to be shuffled
due to market fluctuations.
Your investments
should be for an objective,
which is your financial
goal. It should not be in­
fluenced by the ‘flavour of
the times.’ There are times
when cryptocurrencies are
a rage. There are times
when the equity market is
rallying or gold is gaining
ground. Something that is
moving up every day and is
flashed in front of you, and
looks attractive.
You have to avoid these
temptations and be clear
about what you are invest­
Home Loan Interest Rates
could be used for illegal purposes.
As advised earlier, it is safer to date
the transfer papers, fill in the buyer’s
details and inform the RTA through
registered post acknowledgement due
giving details about the sale, including
the date and identity of the buyer.
Please do this however persuasive your
buyer is, would be my advice.
However, in this claim case, the
salvage buyer pointed out that doing
ing for and what is appro­ this would handicap him as he was
priate for you. buying the vehicle to repair and resell it
as that was his business. Extensive
Existing finances repairs would need about 90 days, he
You may do­it­yourself or said. The insured was highly hesitant,
you may work with a finan­ for his own safety, to sign blank forms.
cial planner. Whatever the
case, you have to do your
house­keeping. Usually pe­
ople have staff scattered
here and there.
The issues have to be sorted out by
the vehicle insurer, perhaps, via the
General Insurance Council, and light
thrown on RTA and GST matters.
One other option to avoid both the
You may have someth­ GST and RTA issues was to get the RC
ing invested in a few equity cancelled, in effect making the vehicle
stocks because someone non­existent. Since it was not a sale and
had recommended those. no transfer of title was involved, GST
There are some mutual was irrelevant, was the logic. Transfer
fund schemes with you, for issues and liability, if the transfer is
a similar reason. deferred, also don’t arise.
Money is allocated ev­ In another claim of the same insured,
ery year to EPF, PPF, etc. his home and contents were covered (by
There are multiple bank an insurer different from his vehicle
and demat accounts. You insurer) under a fire policy, which
have to get everything to­ includes flood risk. A suitable claim
gether, as an inventory. offer for repair of the home and
This has to fit in with your repair/replacement of contents was
overall financial plan. made and accepted.
When it came to replacement of
Conclusion some contents like appliances, the
You are working hard in insurer agreed to foot GST separately.
your job or business or Informally, the company suggested that
profession, to earn money. replacements could be billed to the firm
This is to save and invest, and not the insured, enabling them to
for what you want to do in avail GST input credit.
life. When you are giving so The insured shot back that the input
much time and effort to credit was his to take and, when he
earning money, you owe it renewed his home insurance, how
to yourself to do a tho­ would the firm insure appliances and
rough job when you are in­ furniture not in his name (but in the
vesting those earnings. name of the insurance company)! By
You need clarity on now, the insured and the insurers were
what you want to do (finan­ convinced the former should consult for
cial goals), when you want insurers in addition to his usual
to do (timelines) and how industrial clients! The answer to the
you want to do it (aggres­ issues, it seems, belongs right there
sive or conservative invest­ along with Vikram and vetaal stories!
ments, and the like). (The writer is a business journalist
(The writer is a corporate specialising in insurance & corporate
trainer and author) history)
. .

zone of ₹65,000­65,500. The Interest Rates (%) Interest Rates (%) Loan Amount (Rs.) Loan Amount (Rs.)
Bank Name Bank Name Name of Lender Name of Lender
short­term outlook remains positive, Highest 1­year 3­year 5­year Highest 1­year 3­year 5­year Upto 30 lakh Above 30 lakh & Above 75 lakh Upto 30 lakh Above 30 lakh & Above 75 lakh
Slab Tenure Tenure Tenure Slab Tenure Tenure Tenure upto 75 lakh upto 75 lakh
and the price is likely to head to the . .

(In %)
.

(In %)
.

next target zone of ₹71,750­72,500. 7.25 6.50 7.00 6.25

Small Finance Banks SFB Karur Vysya Bank Public Sector Banks Dhanlaxmi Bank 9.15­10.30 9.15­10.30 9.15­10.30
The positive outlook for MCX silver
AU Small Finance Bank 7.75 6.10 7.75 7.20 Kotak Mahindra Bank 7.00 6.75 6.30 6.20 State Bank of India 8.75­9.50 8.75­9.40 8.75­9.40 TMB 8.75­9.25 8.75­9.25 8.75­9.25
would be confirmed on a move above
Capital Small Finance Bank 7.50 7.10 7.10 7.10 Nainital Bank 6.80 5.75 5.60 5.75 Bandhan Bank 8.65­14.00 8.65­14.00 8.65­14.00
₹70,000. A fall below ₹65,000 would Bank of Baroda 8.60­10.35 8.60­10.35 8.60­10.60
and invalidate the view. To Equitas Small Finance Bank 8.00 7.50 7.75 7.00 RBL Bank 7.55 7.00 6.55 6.55 RBL Bank 8.90­11.30 8.85­11.05 8.85­11.05
Union Bank of India 8.60­10.50 8.60­10.70 8.60­10.70
summarise, the short­term outlook for ESAF Small Finance Bank 8.00 5.50 5.75 5.25 SBM Bank India 7.50 6.75 7.00 7.00
Punjab National Bank 8.60 ­ 9.35 8.55 ­ 9.25 8.55 ­ 9.25 CSB Bank 9.69 9.69 9.94
precious metals remains positive in Fincare Small Finance Bank 8.00 7.25 7.00 7.00 South Indian Bank 7.00 6.50 6.50 6.00
Bank of India 8.65­10.60 8.65­10.60 8.65­10.60 Housing Finance Companies (HFCs)
the short­term. There are increasing Jana Small Finance Bank 7.85 7.25 7.85 7.25 TMB 7.00 6.30 6.00 6.00
Canara Bank 8.55­13.35 8.55­13.35 8.55­13.35 LIC Housing Finance 8.65­10.10 8.65­10.30 8.65­10.50
signs suggesting that the prior Suryoday Small Finance Bank 8.51 7.00 7.25 6.75
downtrend for precious metals might Ujjivan Small Finance Bank 8.00 6.50 7.20 7.20 Public Sector Banks UCO Bank 8.75­9.75 8.75­9.75 8.75­9.75 HDFC Ltd. 8.65­10.35 8.65­10.60 8.65­10.70
be over. Keep a tab on the key levels Utkarsh Small Finance Bank 8.00 7.50 7.50 7.50 Bank of Baroda 7.05 6.75 6.75 6.25 Bank of Maharashtra* 8.35­10.55 8.35­10.80 8.35­10.80 Bajaj Housing Finance 8.70 onwards 8.70 onwards 8.70 onwards
mentioned above for confirmation of Bank of India 6.75 6.00 6.50 6.00 Punjab and Sind Bank 8.60­9.70 8.60­9.70 8.60­9.70 Tata Capital >=8.95 >=8.95 >=8.95
the short­term direction. Private Sector Banks Bank of Maharashtra 6.30 6.15 6.00 5.75 Indian Overseas Bank 9.30­10.70 8.50 onwards 8.50 onwards PNB Housing Finance 8.75­13.00 8.75­13.00 8.85­10.85
(The writer is a Chennai­based Axis Bank 7.00 6.75 7.00 7.00 Canara Bank 7.00 6.75 6.50 6.50 Indian Bank 8.50­10.15 8.50­10.15 8.50­10.15
analyst / trader. This is not meant to Bandhan Bank 7.50 7.00 7.00 5.60 GIC Housing Finance >=8.10 >=8.10 >=8.10
Indian Bank 7.00 6.10 6.25 6.25
be trading or investment advice) CSB Bank 7.50 5.00 5.75 5.75 Private Sector Banks Repco Home Finance >=9.00 >=9.00 >=9.00
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deposit.

CM M ND-NDE
YK

Monday, January 2, 2023
Delhi
BREAKING THROUGH
Koustav Chatterjee becomes latest
entrant to India’s GM club
X X
Koustav Chatterjee has become the 78th Grandmaster of the
country. The 19­year­old secured his final GM norm by drawing with
Mitrabha Guha in the 10th round of the National championship,
said a release on Sunday. Koustav got his first GM norm in October
2021 and the second at the Asians in November 2022.
BCCI shortlists 20 cricketers
for workload management
NCA will monitor these players on a daily basis for the next seven months in the lead­up to the ODI World Cup
to be hosted by India in October­November 2023; Yo­Yo test and Dexa scan reintroduced
BCCI MEETING
Amol Karhadkar
MUMBAI
he Board of Con­
T trol for Cricket in
India (BCCI) has
shortlisted a pool of 20
male cricketers whose
workload and perfor­
mance will be closely mon­
itored with an eye on re­
gaining World Cup glory at
home later this year.
The list, yet to be made
public, was finalised dur­
ing a review meeting for
the men’s team at a hotel
here on Sunday, New
Year’s Day.
The meeting was attend­
ed by men’s team head
coach Rahul Dravid, cap­
tain Rohit Sharma, Nation­
al Cricket Academy (NCA)
head V.V.S. Laxman, BCCI
secretary Jay Shah and pre­
sident Roger Binny. Rohit
and Binny attended the
meeting via
video­conferencing.
Lengthy discussions
“The issues of player avail­
ability, workload manage­
ment and fitness parame­
ters were also discussed at
length during the meeting
along with the roadmap to
Hussamuddin, Solanki and
Chongtham advance
Sports Bureau
Two­time Commonwealth
Games bronze medalist
Mohammad Hussamud­
din, 2018 Commonwealth
Games champion Gaurav
Solanki and 2021 Asian
youth champion Biswami­
tra Chongtham advanced
to the round of 16 in their
respective weight classes
in the National boxing
championships in Hisar on
Sunday.
Hussamuddin, also an
Asian bronze medallist, ex­
Hazarika claims 59kg gold
K. Keerthivasan
NAGERCOIL
Railways’ Popy Hazarika
warded off a tough chal­
lenge from Sukarna Adak
and Sneha to win the wo­
men’s 59kg gold medal in
the National weightlifting
championships here on
Sunday.
A National record­holder
in snatch (94), Hazarika
could come up with an 85,
but held her own amidst
mounting pressure to finish
clean & jerk at 107, which
was one more than Sukarna
and three more than Sne­
CM
YK
Preparing the roadmap: Coach Dravid and captain Rohit will be keeping a close eye on the players
given the aim to recapture World Cup glory. FILE PHOTO
the ICC Cricket World Cup
2023,” said Shah in a
statement.
While the BCCI state­
ment did not specify about
the shortlist, The Hindu un­
derstands that the primary
pool of cricketers has been
identified days before the
new selection committee
takes charge.
hibited his fine movement
and superb punching skills
to outsmart Bulen Burago­
hain 5­0 and reach the
57kg pre­quarterfinals.
Important results
(preliminary rounds): 48kg:
Ashish (Har) bt Jasvinder Singh
(Chd) 4­1, Abhishek Rana (Utk) bt
Kughaho Swu (Nag) 3­2.
51kg: Ruchir Srivas (MP) bt
Subhachbhai Rathod (Guj) 5­0,
Ajay Pendor (RSPB) bt Sumit
Singh (Ben) 5­0, Yogesh (Har) bt
Kane Natung (Aru) 5­0, Jakson
Singh (Man) bt Karan Rupini (Tri)
5­0, Bishwamitra Chongthan
Hazarika. K. KEERTHIVASAN
ha. Hazarika cleared 107 in
her second attempt but
failed to lift 110 in her third.
Sneha (108) and Sukarna
(109) failed to lift in their
MISSING OUT
Saina among shuttlers to skip
trials for Asian Mixed Team event
Two­time Commonwealth Games champion Saina Nehwal, Malvika
Bansod and the injured M.R. Arjun will miss the National badminton
trials for the Asian Mixed Team Championships scheduled to be
held in Dubai from February 14 to 19. Saina was named along with
Aakarshi Kashyap and Malvika Bansod for the trials.
The performance, fit­
ness, workload and injury
management of each of
these players will be moni­
tored by the NCA on a daily
basis for at least the next
seven months, in the lead­
up to the ODI World Cup,
to be hosted by India in Oc­
tober­November 2023.
It will result in Indian
(SSCB) bt N. Madhaba (Odi)
RSC­R1.
54kg: Aguk Juja (Aru) bt R.
Parthiban (TN) 4­1, Visweswara
Raonpedda (AP) bt Chandu
Chapala (Tel) 4­1, Manuj Thakuria
(Asm) bt Rajasimha SR (Kar) 5­0,
Roshan Sain (Raj) bt Deepak
Kumar (Odi) 5­0.
57kg: Mohammad Hussamuddin
(SSCB) bt Bulen Buragohain
(Asm) 5­0, Lallawmawma (Miz) bt
Amir Tajo (Aru) 4­1.
60kg: Varinder Singh (RSPB) bt
Rahul (Chd) 5­0; Gaurav Solanki
(Har) bt Navraj Chauhan (HP) 5­2.
63.5kg: Ankit Narwal (RSPB) bt
Arun Kumar (Pud) RSC­R1.
third and final attempts.
“I am not happy with my
lifts. I was tired too after
having competed in seven
tournaments in 2022,” said
Hazarika.
The results: Senior: Women:
59kg: 1. Popy Hazarika (RSPB)
85, 107, 192; 2. Sukarna Adak
(WB) 85, 106, 191; 3. Sneha (Har)
83, 104, 187. Junior: Women:
59kg: Sonam Singh (UP) 80, 104,
184; 2. M. Deepana Yomi (AP) 75,
105, 180; 3. Nikita Kamalakar
(Mah) 75, 103, 178.
Youth: Women: 59kg: Nikita
Kamalakar (Mah) 75, 103, 178; 2.
B. Harika (AP) 76, 94, 170; 3.
Sagun Rav (UP) 74, 91,165.
THE HINDU
Sport
Premier League (IPL) fran­
chises having to share mi­
nute details of these
players’ fitness with the
BCCI.
“Keeping in mind the
men’s FTP and prepara­
tions for ICC CWC 2023,
the NCA will work in tan­
dem with IPL franchises to
monitor the targeted In­
Arsenal opens up a
seven­point lead
Tapping it in: Nketiah, right, netting Arsenal’s third goal. AP
PREMIER LEAGUE
Reuters
LONDON
Arsenal closed out 2022
with a 4­2 win over Bright­
on & Hove Albion on Satur­
day that gives it a seven­
point lead at the top of the
Premier League after title
rivals Manchester City and
Newcastle United both
dropped points.
Arsenal opened up a 3­0
lead through Bukayo Saka,
Martin Odegaard and Ed­
die Nketiah but Brighton
never gave up, pulling two
goals back either side of a
Gabriel Martinelli strike to
set up a nervous finish for
the Gunners, who held on
to win.
Setback for Chelsea
Meanwhile, Chelsea
dropped more points in its
NO BIG DEAL
McDonald backs no tour game
policy during India tour
X X
Australia head coach Andrew McDonald is confident that their “no
tour game” policy on overseas tours will serve them well in the Test
series in India in February­March. “No tour game is something we’ve
done in the last few series, before embarking on overseas tours,” he
was quoted as saying by the Sydney Morning Herald.
dian players participating
in the IPL 2023,” the state­
ment said.
Efforts in the past to
synergise it did not yield fa­
vourable results, thus re­
sulting in multiple players
being converted into ‘IPL
specialists’.
It will be interesting to
see whether the BCCI man­
ages to ensure the impor­
tance of international
cricket is underlined with­
out diluting the IPL.
In a major develop­
ment, the Yo­Yo test and
Dexa scan have been rein­
troduced as a “part of se­
lection criteria and imple­
mented in the customised
roadmaps of the central
pool of players”.
The tests, among key
elements of India’s Test
successes with Virat Kohli
and Ravi Shastri at the
helm of affairs, had been
relaxed in the last year to
facilitate certain indivi­
duals’ selection based on
skill rather than fitness.
Meanwhile, the Cricket
Advisory Committee
(CAC), headed by Ashok
Malhotra, is set to conduct
interviews of 20 shortlisted
candidates through video­
conferencing for the na­
tional selectors’ posts on
Monday.
quest to climb back up the
standings as Serge Aurier
earned Nottingham Forest
a 1­1 draw with Graham Pot­
ter’s side on Sunday after
the visitors had gone ahead
through Raheem Sterling.
Tottenham Hotspur’s
hopes of regaining its place
in the top four was scup­
pered as it suffered a 2­0
home defeat against Aston
Villa.
The victory left Arsenal
in pole position on 43
points from 16 games with
champion City on 36, New­
castle on 34 from 17 and
Manchester United on 32
from 16.
The results:
Tottenham 0 lost to Aston Villa 2
(Buendia 50, Luiz 73).
Nottingham Forest 1 (Aurier 63)
drew with Chelsea 1 (Sterling 16).
Saturday: Brighton 2 (Mitoma
65, Ferguson 77) lost to Arsenal 4
(Saka 2, Odegaaard 39, Nketiah
47, Martinelli 71).
Cilic’s return adds lustre to
a competitive field
TATA OPEN
N. Sudarshan
PUNE
The last time Marin Cilic vi­
sited these parts, things
were rather swish. It was
the inaugural edition of the
Tata Open Maharashtra
(2018) and everything
about the tournament was
fresh and exciting.
The stands were
spruced up, the courts
were immaculately laid
and the hospitality was
grand. Cilic, sporting an ex­
otic line of FILA clothing,
was a cool No. 6 in the
world.
Five years on, the Croat
will return to the leafy envi­
rons of the Balewadi Stadi­
um to a comparatively less
swanky atmosphere but no
less exciting. The 34­year­
old may now be No. 17 and
no longer a FILA athlete,
but the event seems to have
rediscovered its mojo.
After a year’s cancella­
tion because of Covid and
two years spent in the less­
than­ideal window after
the Australian Open (2020
and 2022), the competition
is back to being an impor­
tant build­up tournament
to the season’s first Major.
This has reflected in the
player roster. Wherein
2020 and 2022, there was
just one top­60 player in
the singles draw, the next
Mary stops
Soumya
Sports Bureau
In a battle involving two
former champions, Mary
Ann Gomes beat her In­
dian Oil teammate Soumya
Swaminathan in 53 moves
to lead with 6.5 points
from seven rounds of the
MPL National women’s
chess championship at Kol­
hapur on Sunday.
Mary came out stronger
in a rook­and­pawn end­
game for her fourth succes­
sive victory and sixth in the
competition.
Decisive battles on the
top­12 boards left defend­
ing champion Divya Desh­
mukh (6) waiting in the se­
cond spot to take on Mary
on Monday.
Leading results: Seventh
round: Mary Ann Gomes (6.5) bt
Soumya Swaminathan (5); Divya
Deshmukh (6) bt Aashna Makhija
(5); Sakshi Chitlange (5.5) bt
Bhakti Kulkarni (5); Arpita
Mukherjee (4.5) lost to Vantika
Agrawal (5.5); M. Mahalakshmi
(4.5) lost to Isha Sharma (5.5);
Swati Ghate (4.5) lost to Rucha
Pujari (5); P. Saye Sreezza (4) lost
to Srija Seshadri (5); Aakanksha
Hagawane (4) lost to P. Supreetha
(5); Nisha Mohota (bt) V. Rindhiya
(4); C. Lakshmi (4) lost to V.
Varshini (5); B. Mounika Akshaya
(4) lost to H. Hajra Chandreyee (5);
C.M.N. Sunyuktha (5) bt Mrudul
Dehankar (4); Bristy Mukherjee
(4.5) drew with A.G. Nimmy (4.5);
Samriddha Ghosh (5) bt Tejaswini
Sagar (4); Srishti Pandey (4) drew
with G. Tejaswini (4.5).
ACTION MISSING
Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr. says
LaLiga doing nothing about racism
Real Madrid’s Brazilian forward Vinicius Jr. on Saturday accused
LaLiga of continuing to do nothing about racist fans, after videos on
social media showed fans shouting abuse and throwing objects at
him at a match a day earlier. LaLiga issued a statement saying it
was following up on instances of racism at the match.
Star attraction: Cilic, the top seed, will be spurred to give his best
in the coming week. SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
week will see as many as
eight, including five in the
top­50 (rankings as on Sun­
day).
The strength is evident
as well, where the world’s
second­best pair of Rajeev
Ram and Joe Salisbury will
be in action alongside
home favourite Rohan Bo­
panna (teaming up with
Netherlands’ Botic van de
Zandschulp).
The competitive field
will no doubt spur Cilic, the
star attraction and top
seed, to give his best after a
bittersweet 2022.
The 2014 US Open
champion didn’t win a sin­
gle ATP title but reached
the semifinals at Roland­
Garros for the first time in
his career, snapping a run
of 12 Majors without a
quarterfinal.
Second seed and World
No. 35 Van de Zandschulp
Sethuraman, Abhijeet,
Mitrabha stunned on
a day of surprises
NATL. MEN’S CHESS
Rakesh Rao
NEW DELHI
Unexpected winners from
three out of the top four
boards in the 11th round of
the MPL National chess
championship turned the
title­race on its head on
Sunday.
Front­runners
With two rounds to go,
Karthik Venkataraman,
Aronyak Ghosh and N.B.
Hari Madhavan were the
surprise front­runners
with overnight co­leader
Koustav Chatterjee at 8.5
points.
Joint overnight leader
Abhijeet Gupta, top seed
S.P. Sethuraman and rising
star Mitrabha Guha suf­
fered stunning losses to the
new leaders while Koustav
was extremely lucky to es­
cape with a draw against
S.L. Srihari on the second
board. Abhijeet, firmly on
a comeback trail after mak­
ing amends for two succes­
sive defeats, suffered a
third loss from the thresh­
old of victory.
Facing Karthik, Abhijeet
gained a pawn early and
15
will look to build on the
previous season’s perfor­
mance, where he reached a
career­high ranking of No.
22 and made his first ATP
tour final in Munich.
Among Indians, apart
from the three wildcards —
Mukund Sasikumar, Sumit
Nagal and Manas Manoj
Dhamne — Ramkumar Ra­
manathan made it to the
main draw, coming
through the qualifying on
Sunday.
That no Indian singles
player is in the top­300 is
an unsettling fact. The
onus will be on these four
to lift the pensive mood.
The results (qualifying, final
round): Flavio Cobolli (Ita) bt
Zdenek Kolar (Cze) 6­4, 6­4; Elias
Ymer (Swe) bt Yuki Bhambri 6­1,
6­4; Maximilian Marterer (Ger) bt
Nikola Milojevic (Srb) 6­2, 6­3;
Ramkumar Ramanathan bt
Mattia Bellucci (Ita) 6­3, 7­5.
held a good position. Kar­
thik did well to regain the
lost ground and but in an
oversight, delivered a
queen­check without rea­
lising that the queen could
be captured by Abhijeet’s
rook.
On his part, Abhijeet
overlooked the simple cap­
ture and moved his king
out of check. Karthik
promptly grabbed Abhi­
jeet’s rooks off successive
moves to force resignation.
Facing Aronyak, Sethu­
raman resigned on the
50th move when he found
no way of saving a bishop.
Hari Madhavan tormented
Mitrabha for the better
part of 60 moves before
the Bengal player gave up.
Leading results (11th round):
Abhijeet Gupta (8) lost to Karthik
Venkataraman (8.5); L.R. Srihari
(8) drew with Koustav Chatterjee
(8.5); Aronyak Ghosh (8.5) bt S. P.
Sethuraman (7.5); Mitrabha Guha
(7.5) lost to N. B. Hari Madhavan
(8.5); N. R. Visakh (8) bt Deep
Sengupta (7); P. Shyaamnikhil
(7.5) drew with Mehar Chinna
Reddy (7.5); Sayantan Das (8) bt
Ajay Krishna (7); Deepan
Chakkravarthy (8) bt M. R.
Venkatesh (7); Soman Kamotra
(7) drew with Leon Mendonca (7);
S. Nitin (7.5) bt M. Shyam Sundar
(6.5); P. Iniyan (7.5) bt P.
Karthikeyan (6.5).
M ND-NDE
 THE HINDU
16 Monday, January 2, 2023

Sport Delhi

INBRIEF
쑽 Brazil makes short work of Vaidehi beats top seed
Laskutova for maiden
Norway despite Ruud’s form pro singles title
Kvitova seals the issue against Germany; Mertens battles in vain as Belgium bows to Bulgaria;
Nadal’s cheering from the team box notwithstanding Britain beats Spain Sports Bureau

Second seed Vaidehi

UNITED CUP
Agence France-Presse
BRISBANE
orld No. 3
Luis Suarez signs two­year
Gremio deal W Casper Ruud
cruised past
Thiago Monteiro in straight
sets but Norway crashed in
Uruguayan international striker Luis Suarez has
their mixed teams United
signed a two­year contract with Brazilian club
Cup tie against Brazil here
Gremio. The 35­year­old had returned to his
on Sunday. After the Brazi­
boyhood club Nacional last summer, scoring
lians won both opening
eight goals in 14 matches to help it win the
singles rubbers on Satur­
Uruguayan league title. Suarez played at the
day, Ruud’s 6­3, 6­2 victory
World Cup in Qatar without scoring as his
brought his country back
country was eliminated in the group stages. The
into contention.
club confirmed that Suarez had signed until
But the comeback was
December 2024. Suarez first left Nacional in
short­lived with the South
2006 for a season at Dutch club FC Groningen
Americans taking the tie
before spending four years at Ajax Amsterdam.
when Laura Pigossi outlast­
ed Ulrikke Eikeri 6­3, 6­4.
Brazil won the mixed dou­
bles for a 4­1 victory.
ATK Mohun Bagan signs Ruud was far too consis­
midfielders Gallego, Puitea tent for the 71st ranked
Monteiro, who made 27
Indian Super League (ISL) club ATK Mohun unforced errors, wrapping
up a dominant win in only
Bagan announced the signing of midfielders
70 minutes to at least give
Federico Gallego and Lalthathanga Khawlhring
him confidence heading in­
(Puitea) on Saturday. Uruguayan Gallego, who
to the new season.
represented NorthEast United FC for four
The Norwegian was run­
seasons from 2018­2022, played 47 matches and
ner­up at last year’s French
scored nine goals. Puitea joins from Kerala
and US Opens and said he
Blasters FC where he played over 50 ISL games
was feeling confident
and has one goal.
ahead of the Australian
Open later this month
where he will bid to win a
first Grand Slam title.
LIVE TELECAST Harriet Dart missed a
chance to close out victory
쑽 “I am very happy to win
Pakistan vs New Zealand: 2nd Test, day 1, Sony Sports Ten for Britain over Spain with
5 (SD & HD) & LIV, 10.30 a.m. an eager Rafael Nadal in
the team box continually
Tata Open: Sports 18­1 (SD & HD) & Jio Cinema App, 2 p.m.
urging on his compatriots.
onwards
Dart took a 6­7(6/8), 7­6
ISL: Star Sports 1 (SD & HD) & Hotstar, 7.30 p.m. (7/5), 6­1 loss to Paula Bado­
Premier League: SS Select 1 (SD & HD) & Hotstar, 11 p.m. sa, who cramped in the se­
Winning touch: Pigossi cemented Brazil’s win over Norway beating Eikeri in the fourth rubber. AFP
cond set but apparently
cured her ills with swigs of
pickle juice along with ice
massages.
After failing twice to
serve for the second set,
Badosa finally gave Spain
its first point of the tie with
victory in three hours.
Dan Evans put things
right for the Brits, defeat­
ing Albert Ramos­Vinolas
6­3, 1­6, 6­3 to clinch a final
four spot with a 3­1 win.
In Sydney, two­time
Wimbledon champion Pe­
tra Kvitova proved too
strong for Germany’s Lau­
ra Siegemund, romping
home 6­4, 6­2. German Os­
car Otte defeated Dalibor
Svrcina 7­6(1), 6­2 and Ger­
many won the mixed dou­
bles, but the Czechs won
the tie 3­2. In Perth, Bulga­
ria beat Belgium 3­2.
Overnight 1­1, Elise Mer­
tens put Belgium ahead
beating Gergana Topalova
6­4, 3­6, 6­0 before Bulga­
ria levelled the tie when
Dimitar Kuzmanov
downed Zizou Bergs 6­2,
6­0. Shinikova and Lazarov
clinched the mixed dou­
bles and the match for
Bulgaria.
The results (on Sunday):
In Sydney: Czech Republic bt
Germany 3­2 {Petra Kvitova bt
Laura Siegemund 6­4, 6­2; Dalibor
Svrcina lost to Oscar Otte 6­7(1),
2­6; Marie Bouzkova & Jiri
Lahecka lost to Siegemund &
Zverev 4­6, 6­7(1)}.
Great Britain bt Spain 3­1
{Harriet Dart lost to Paula Badosa
6­7(6), 7­6(5), 6­1; Dan Evans bt
Albert Ramos­Vinolas 6­3, 1­6,
6­3}.
In Brisbane: Brazil bt Norway
4­1 {Thiago Monteiro lost to
Casper Ruud 3­6, 2­6; Laura
Pigossi bt Ulrikke Eikeri 6­3, 6­4;
Luisa Stefani & Rafael Matos bt
Eikeri & Viktor Durasovic 6­4, 7­5}.
Poland bt Kazakhstan 4­1
{Hubert Hurkacz bt Alexander
Bublik 7­6(8), 4­6, 6­3; Magda
Linette bt Zhibek Kulambayeva
6­2, 6­1; Hurkacz & Iga Swiatek bt
Grigoriy Lomakin & Kulambayeva
6­3, 6­4}.
In Perth: Bulgaria bt Belgium
3­2 {Gergana Topalova lost to
Elise Mertens 4­6, 6­3, 0­6; Dimitar
Kuzmanov bt Zizou Bergs 6­2, 6­0;
Isabella Shinikova & Alexandar
Lazarov bt Mertens & David Goffin
1­6, 7­6(5), [10­6]}.
Croatia bt Argentina 5­0 {Petra
Martic bt Nadia Podoroska 6­2,
4­6, 6­1; Borna Gojo bt Federico
Coria 7­6(5), 6­4; Tara Wurth &
Gojo bt Podoroska & Tomas
Martin Etcheverry 1­6, 6­4, [10­4]}.
Chaudhari was at her fight­
ing best as she beat the top
seed Ksenia Laskutova 7­5,
6­4 to clinch the title in the
$15,000 ITF women’s ten­
nis tournament at the City
Centre Tennis Complex in
Gwalior on Sunday.
Watched by an appre­
ciative audience which
came alive as the match
hotted up, Vaidehi
bounced back from 1­4
down and facing set­points
at 3­5 to make it a straight
forward affair.
It was her maiden sin­
gles title on the profession­
al circuit for Vaidehi, who
had won her maiden dou­
bles title on Saturday with
Laskutova as her partner.
Quite appreciative, the
26­year­old Laskutova put
things in perspective at the
presentation ceremony, as
she called Vaidehi, “my
doubles partner, opponent
and friend”, despite being
hurt at the loss after having
played so well.
After winning the Na­
tional women’s title in Oc­
tober, the 22­year­old Vai­
dehi has really stepped up
her game. She was quite re­
laxed as the match pro­
gressed and sported a com­
mendable degree of
concentration, playing
sensibly to the demands of
the situation to exasperate
the wiry Russian.
a double crown here”, said
Vaidehi, even as she quick­
ly acknowledged the splen­
did role of her long­time
coach Jignesh Rawal and
parents.
“I had lost a few singles
Vaidehi. KAMESH SRINIVASAN
and doubles finals earlier. I
was confident coming into
this tournament and deter­
mined to do my best. I am
happy with the way I
played the final, particular­
ly with my return of serve.
At 2­5, I stopped worrying
about winning or losing,
and tried to play solid on
every point. That was the
biggest gain from this
match. In the second set,
when it was going up and
down, I managed to stay
calm and play strong”, said
Vaidehi.
Vaidehi converted five
of 11 break points in the
match, while Laskutova
managed to capitalise on
three of eight break points
that she forced. The Rus­
sian tended to get flustered
at her mistakes and that
did not help her cause.
“I will try to do well in
the upcoming $40,000
and $15,000 tournaments.
I want to get into the In­
dian team for the Billie
Jean King Cup,” said
Vaidehi.
The results (final): Vaidehi
Chaudhari bt Ksenia Laskutova
7­5, 6­4.

Pakistan and New Zealand seek Test

turnaround in new year
NZ IN PAKISTAN
Agence France-Presse
KARACHI
A draw last week having
stopped a run of defeats for
Pakistan and New Zealand,
both sides will be seeking
to go one better in the se­
cond and final Test in Kara­
chi starting on Monday.
The draw halted Pakis­
tan’s four­Test losing streak
at home including a first­
ever 3­0 whitewash by En­
gland. New Zealand also ar­
rived in Pakistan on the
back of a 3­0 drubbing by
England.
Skipper Babar Azam
vowed his team would play
“positive and aggressive
cricket” after Pakistan fin­
Waiting in the wings: Henry takes his turn in the nets watched by
Conway, right, Ronchi and Southee, left. AP
ished 2022 without a Test
win at home.
New Zealand was in a
good position to win the
first Test on the final day
with Pakistan on 77 for
two, needing 97 runs to
avoid an innings defeat.
But Saud Shakeel (55 not
out) and Mohammad Wa­
sim (43) averted the danger
with a 71­run eighth­wicket
stand eating up time and
overs to salvage a draw.
Pakistan will look to
bring in pacer Naseem
Shah or Hasan Ali, while
New Zealand may consider
Matt Henry in place of a
spinner if it finds the pitch
suitable for pace.
The teams (from):
Pakistan: Babar Azam (Capt.),
Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed,
Hasan Ali, Imam­ul­Haq, Kamran
Ghulam, Mohammad Nawaz,
Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad
Wasim, Naseem Shah, Nauman
Ali, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Agha
Salman, Saud Shakeel, Shan
Masood and Zahid Mahmood
New Zealand: Tim Southee
(Capt.), Michael Bracewell, Tom
Blundell, Devon Conway, Matt
Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl
Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Ajaz
Patel, Glenn Phillips, Ish Sodhi,
Blair Tickner, Neil Wagner, Kane
Williamson and Will Young.

It’s Humanitarian vs. Queen Envied

in the Golconda Oaks
HYDERABAD: Humanitarian and
Queen Envied should fight out the
finish of the Golconda Oaks, the
stellar attraction of Monday’s
( Jan. 2) races.
ABERADER PLATE (1,400m),
1 rated 20 to 45 (Cat. III), 12.40
p.m.: 1. Strauss (2) Suraj Narredu
60, 2. City Cruise (3) R.S. Jodha
59.5, 3. Mireya (7) Surya Prakash
58, 4. Soorya Vahan (5) Md. Ismail
56.5, 5. Arba Wahed Arba (1) Afroz
Khan 54.5, 6. Cash Register (6)
Kuldeep S 54.5, 7. Flaming Falcon
(8) B. Nikhil 54.5, 8. My Marvel (9)
P. Ajeeth Kumar 53.5 and 9. N R I
Majestic (4) Rafique Sk. 52.5.
1. STRAUSS, 2. CITY CRUISE, 3.
ARBA WAHED ARBA
HOVERCRAFT PLATE (1,400m)
2 (Terms), 3­y­o only (Cat. II),
1.10: 1. Huntingdon (6) Afroz Khan
56, 2. Assured Success (5) Surya
Prakash 52, 3. Faiz (4) Rafique Sk.
52, 4. Ice Blue (1) Gaurav Singh 52,
5. Lucky Nine (2) B.R. Kumar 52,
6. Golden Gazelle (7) P. Ajeeth Ku­
mar 50.5, 7. N R I Doublepower (8)
Hindu Singh 50.5 and 8. Santa
Barbara (3) B. Nikhil 50.5.
1. HUNTINGDON, 2. N R I DOUBLE­
POWER, 3. LUCKY NINE
3 CUPID PLATE (DIV. III)
(1,200m), 5­y­o and upward,
CM
YK
rated 40 to 65 (Cat. II), 1.40: 1.
Maximum Glamour (3) Deepak
Singh 60, 2. Top In Class (5) P. Tre­
vor 58.5, 3. Sun Dancer (1) Mukesh
Kumar 57.5, 4. Vintage Brut (2)
Rafique Sk. 57, 5. Rhythm Selec­
tion (6) Ajay Kumar 55, 6. Mind
Reader (4) R.S. Jodha 54, 7. Laurus
(8) Akshay Kumar 53 and 8. Above
The Law (7) Md. Ismail 52.5.
1. MAXIMUM GLAMOUR, 2. TOP IN
CLASS, 3. LAURUS
4 MOTHER TERESA PLATE
(1,400m), 5­y­o and upward,
rated upto 25 (Cat. III), 2.10: 1.
Aiza (7) Sonu Kumar 60, 2. Hot
Seat (9) A.A. Vikrant 60, 3.
Kachnar (2) Shivansh 60, 4. Lady
Danger (4) Akshay Kumar 60, 5.
Muaser (3) P. Ajeeth Kumar 59, 6.
Wot’s Up Jay (1) B.R. Kumar 59, 7.
Silk Route (10) Mukesh Kumar 57,
8. Sweet Melody (8) Afroz Khan 57,
9. Red River (6) Ajay Kumar 56.5
and 10. Ar Superior (5) Santosh
Raj 54.5.
1. LADY DANGER, 2. KACHNAR, 3.
WOT’S UP JAY
5 SRI A.S. KRISHNA MEMORIAL
CUP (1,600m), rated 80 and
above (Cat. I), 2.45: 1. Hartnell (4)
Shivansh 62, 2. Top Secret (5)
Mukesh Kumar 60, 3. Watch My
Stride (3) Akshay Kumar 57.5, 4.
Premier Action (6) Afroz Khan 57,
5. Kesariya Balam (1) Hindu Singh
51.5 and 6. Mark My Day (2) Md.
Ekram Alam 50.
1. WATCH MY STRIDE, 2. TOP
SECRET, 3. PREMIER ACTION
6 RANGA REDDY
(2,400m), rated 40 to 65
CUP
(Cat. II), 3.15: 1. Nightmare (2)
Sonu Kumar 60, 2. Francis Bacon
(4) Surya Prakash 58, 3. Just In­
credible (3) Srinath 57, 4. Jura­
mento (1) Akshay Kumar 56.5, 5.
Yesterday (6) P. Trevor 56, 6. Wal­
lop And Gallop (7) P. Ajeeth Ku­
mar 55 and 7. Path Of Peace (5)
Afroz Khan 53.5.
1. YESTERDAY, 2. JURAMENTO, 3.
JUST INCREDIBLE
7 BEST OF GOLD PLATE (DIV. II)
(1,400m) Maiden, 4­y­o and
upward, rated 20 to 45 (Cat. III),
3.45: 1. Milton Keynes (8) Md.
Ekram Alam 60, 2. Visionary (7)
Kuldeep S 59, 3. Eastern Blaze (4)
B. Nikhil 56.5, 4. Protocol (2) Md.
Ismail 56.5, 5. Role Model (9)
Gaurav Singh 56.5, 6. Riffa (6)
B.R. Kumar 56, 7. Track Blazer (3)
Santosh Raj 55.5, 8. Chica Bonita
(1) A.A. Vikrant 55 and 9. Samrat
(5) Mohit Singh 55.
1. VISIONARY, 2. MILTON KEYNES,
3. EASTERN BLAZE
GOLCONDA OAKS (Gr. 2)
8 (2,400m) (Terms), Fillies 4­
y­o only, 4.15: 1. Hoping Cloud (1)
Mohit Singh 57, 2. Humanitarian
(3) Suraj Narredu 57, 3. N R I Su­
perpower (5) Akshay Kumar 57, 4.
Nugget (2) Srinath 57, 5. Princess
Daka (4) Gaurav Singh 57 and 6.
Queen Envied (6) P. Trevor 57.
1. HUMANITARIAN, 2. QUEEN
ENVIED
9 WISHFUL THINKING PLATE
(1,600m), rated 20 to 45
(Cat. III), 4.45: 1. Grand Duke (10)
Gaurav Singh 60, 2. Carnival Lady
(2) B. Nikhil 59.5, 3. Superstellar
(7) P. Trevor 59.5, 4. Desert Sul­
tan (4) A.A. Vikrant 56, 5. Queen
Blossom (9) Md. Ismail 56, 6. Spe­
cial And Thong (6) Aneel 54.5, 7.
Alpine Girl (8) Santosh Raj 54, 8.
N R I Ultrapower (1) Akshay Ku­
mar 54, 9. Akash (5) G. Naresh
53.5, 10. I Am Superman (3) Surya
Prakash 53 and 11. Sucker Punch
(11) Afroz Khan 52.
1. SUPERSTELLAR, 2. N R I ULTRA­
POWER, 3. AKASH
Day’s Best: SUPERSTELLAR
Jackpot: (i) 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5. (ii) 5, 6, 7,
8 & 9.; Mini Jackpot: (i) 2, 3, 4 & 5.
(ii) 6, 7, 8 & 9.
Treble: (i) 2, 3 & 4, (ii) 4, 5 & 6,
(iii) 7, 8 & 9.
Tanala: All races.
M ND-NDE
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