SATURDAY
com
June 29, 2024
INTERNATIONAL
EDITION
20 Pages
Chennai » Coimbatore » Bengaluru
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
India slams ‘deeply
biased’ U.S. report
NEWS » PAGE 5
INSIDE
쑽 Canopy collapse at Delhi airport leaves one dead
CB-CID petitions
e90104b3-1d5e-4cfc-9205-2c86f4381705
for custody of
hooch accused
KALLAKURICHI
The Crime Branch-Criminal
Investigation Department led a
petition before a local court in
Kallakurichi on Friday, seeking
custody of 11 of the accused
who have been arrested so far
in connection with the hooch
tragedy. » PAGE 2
Adityanath asked
to look into ‘caste
bias’ in govt. posts
NEW DELHI
Union Minister Anupriya Patel
has written to Uttar Pradesh
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath,
alleging bias in appointments
of Other Backward Classes,
Schedule Caste, Schedule Tribe
candidates for government
posts in the State. » PAGE 3
Manipur figures
in NDA’s 100-day
plan, says Biren
IMPHAL
The Centre has started having
“positive discussions” on the
conflict in Manipur and it is a
“great achievement” that
resolution of the crisis is part
of the 100-day plan of the NDA
government, Chief Minister N.
Biren Singh said. » PAGE 4
Reform world
governance
system, says Xi
BEIJING
The Global South should
actively participate in reforming
and developing the global
governance system and make it
more balanced and effective,
Chinese President Xi Jinping
said on Friday. » PAGE 12
Uproar in Parliament as Opposition raises NEET-UG issue
The Hindu Bureau
NEW DELHI
The row over alleged irreg-
ularities in the conduct of
the NEET examination
rocked both Houses of Par-
liament on Friday, with the
Lok Sabha being ad-
journed for the day after
Speaker Om Birla disal-
lowed adjournment mo-
tions on the issue.
Though the Rajya Sabha
started the debate on the
Motion of Thanks to the
President for her address
to Parliament, there were
dramatic moments as Con-
gress MP Phulo Devi Ne-
tam fainted in the House
while protesting with other
Opposition MPs. They
were demanding a discus-
sion on the exam under
Rule 267.
In a rare instance, the
Leader of the Opposition
(LoP) in the Rajya Sabha
CM
YK
www.thehindu.
» Hyderabad » Madurai » Noida
EXCLUSIVE
‘PM yet to
come to
terms with
poll results’
EDITORIAL » PAGE 6
Accident also left six people injured; the structure over Terminal 1’s forecourt collapsed on waiting cars, leaving four damaged; hundreds of flights cancelled; police register a
case of criminal negligence; Ministry of Civil Aviation asks all airports to conduct a thorough inspection of the structural strength of their buildings within two to five days
Jagriti Chandra
Samridhi Tewari
NEW DELHI
ne person died
O and six were in-
jured when the ca-
nopy over the forecourt at
Terminal 1 of the Indira
Gandhi International Air-
port collapsed on cars fol-
lowing heavy rain in New
Delhi on Friday. At least
four cars were damaged.
Flights arriving and depart-
ing from the terminal were
cancelled and the police
registered a case of crimi-
nal negligence.
The deceased was a cab
driver, the police said. The
airport was privatised in
2006.
As per the India Meteor-
ological Department
(IMD), parts of Delhi near
the airport recorded a mas-
sive 228.1 mm of rainfall in
the previous 24 hours. This
was an all-time record for
Pilgrims’ progress
Under watch: A jawan stands guard as the first batch of pilgrims for the annual Amarnath Yatra arrives amid tight security, at Baltal in
Ganderbal district of south Kashmir on Friday. PTI (REPORT ON PAGE 4)
and Congress chief Malli-
karjun Kharge was seen
walking into the well of the
House. Expressing his an-
guish over this, Chairman
Jagdeep Dhankhar said this
was the first time in history
that the LoP had come into
the well of the House, a
charge promptly refuted
by Congress chief whip Jai-
ram Ramesh.
In the Lok Sabha, LoP
Rahul Gandhi also raised
the issue of NEET, soon af-
ter Mr. Birla read out the
obituaries of 13 former
MPs. “We wanted to send a
joint message to the stu-
dents of India from the Op-
position and the govern-
ment side that we consider
this important and to res-
pect the students, we will
have a dedicated discus-
sion on NEET,” he said.
The chair did not permit
him to make a long speech,
urging him to speak about
FOLLOW US
» Visakhapatnam » Thiruvananthapuram
rainfall in a single day in
June for Delhi.
IIT team to probe
The Ministry of Civil Avia-
tion has assigned a team
from the Indian Institute of
Technology-Delhi to exa-
mine the cause of the col-
lapse, and has also asked
all airports to conduct a
thorough inspection of the
structural strength of their
buildings within two to five
days.
“Since it was raining, it
was difficult to understand
what had happened. Peo-
ple, mostly cab drivers,
started running around
while the cabs were on the
road. I too was running
when a piece of the roof
fell on my head,” said San-
tosh Kumar Yadav, a priv-
ate cab driver, who sus-
tained head injuries in the
incident.
The incident happened
around 5 a.m. outside the
Disrupted state: Opposition leaders protest in the Well of the
House on Friday over the NEET exam irregularities. ANI
NEET during the Motion of
Thanks. Congress MPs
then alleged that Mr. Gand-
hi’s microphone was
turned off.
“I have told you before
that I don’t have a button
here to turn off the micro-
phone,” Mr. Birla told the
House.
Mr. Birla and Parliamen-
tary Affairs Minister Kiren
Rijiju told Opposition
» Kochi » Vijayawada » Mangaluru » Tiruchirapalli
WAR OF WORDS
Biden, Trump clash in
presidential debate
WORLD » PAGE 12
Skyfall: A portion of the roof at Delhi airport’s Terminal-1 collapsed amid heavy rain on Friday. PTI
departure section of T1, Modi in March 2024. Ho-
which is a two-storey wever, Minister of Civil
building with arrivals on Aviation Rammohan Naidu
the ground floor and de- said that the forecourt area
partures on the first floor. was not part of the reno-
The departure section of vated building.
T1 was inaugurated by As a result of the inci-
Prime Minister Narendra dent, IndiGo cancelled 115
CBI arrests
school principal
in Jharkhand
PATNA
A day after arresting two from
Patna in the NEET-UG paper
leak case, the Central Bureau
of Investigation (CBI) arrested
Oasis School principal Ahsanul
Haque and vice-principal
Imtiaz Alam in Jharkhand on
Friday. » PAGE 3
members that they could lowed and committees
raise the issue of NEET have to be formed.
during the debate on the INDIA bloc MPs, includ-
Motion of Thanks. ing Congress members
With Opposition mem- from Tamil Nadu, Manick-
bers unwilling to relent on am Tagore and Vijay Va-
their demand for a discus- santh, had moved adjourn-
sion on NEET, the House ment motions in the Lok
was adjourned until noon, Sabha over the recent leaks
only to see similar scences of question papers of the
when it reassembled. Mr NEET-UG and UGC-NET
Birla said certain norms of exams.
Parliament have to be fol- The Rajya Sabha also
» Kolkata » Hubballi » Mohali
CAPITAL CONUNDRUM
The revival of
the Amaravati
project in A.P.
Resumption of works met
with mixed responses
GROUND ZERO » PAGE 7
flights and SpiceJet can-
celled eight flights. The air-
lines announced free re-
funds for affected
passengers. IndiGo will
move its T1 flights to T2
and T3, while SpiceJet will
move them to Terminal 2
Core sector
output growth
slowed down
to 6.3% in May
Vikas Dhoot
NEW DELHI
Output growth in India’s
eight core infrastructure
sectors eased to 6.3% in
May, from April’s 6.7%
pace, with a double-digit
rise in coal and electricity
production offsetting con-
tractions in three sectors,
including cement and
fertilizers.
Sequentially, the Index
of Core Industries (ICI)
rose 3.7% from April’s
levels.
Electricity generation
rose year-on-year at a se-
ven-month high pace of
12.8%, while coal produc-
tion grew 10.2%.
FULL REPORT
» PAGE 11
witnessed high drama and
sharp exchanges between
the Opposition and Treasu-
ry benches, as the House
had to be adjourned twice
over the NEET protests.
Opposition walkout
The entire Opposition, in-
cluding the Biju Janata Dal
(BJD) which is not part of
the INDIA bloc, walked out
in protest that the Rajya
Sabha was not immediate-
ly adjourned despite Ms.
Netam fainting in the well
of the House.
Rajya Sabha chairman
Mr. Dhankhar said it was
the “first time in history”
that the LoP had entered
the well of the House,
terming it the “worst sacri-
lege that could be commit-
ted for this temple of
democracy.”
RAHUL FLAYS GOVT.
» PAGE 3
» Malappuram » Mumbai » Tirupati
THE COVETED ONE
India and South Africa
eye World Cup glory
SPORT » PAGE 14
4 killed as Delhi
records 228 mm
rainfall in 24 hrs
NEW DELHI
Four people died and several
were injured as the southwest
monsoon arrived in the
national capital bringing with it
228 mm of rainfall in a span of
24 hours, mostly concentrated
between 3 a.m. and 8.30 a.m.
on Friday. This is the highest
rainfall recorded in a 24-hour
period in Delhi in June since
1936. The downpour left
several arterial roads
waterlogged causing traffic
jams. » PAGE 4
until the team from IIT-Del-
hi examines the cause of
the collapse and T1 is
reopened.
Ex-gratia announced
The airport has extended
an ex-gratia of ₹20 lakh for
Soren gets bail; HC
says ‘not guilty of
offence as alleged’
Relief, at last: JMM leader Hemant Soren speaks to the media after
being released from the Birsa Munda Jail in Ranchi on Friday. PTI
Amit Bhelari
PATNA
The Jharkhand High Court
granted bail to Jharkhand
Mukti Morcha ( JMM) lead-
er and former Chief Minis-
ter Hemant Soren on Fri-
day in a money laundering
case linked to an alleged
land scam.
In the court order, Jus-
tice Rongon Mukhopad-
hyay said that “there is rea-
son to believe that
petitioner is not guilty of
the offence as alleged”,
thus satisfying a condition
for bail under the Preven-
tion of Money Laundering
Act.
The court had reserved
its order on June 13, after
hearing arguments from
Mr. Soren’s advocate and
Additional Solicitor-Gener-
al (ASG) S.V. Raju appear-
ing for the Enforcement Di-
rectorate (ED).
After the completion of
bail formalities, Mr. Soren
stepped out of the Birsa
Munda Central Jail around
4 p.m. Accompanied by his
wife Kalpana Murmu So-
ren, he went directly to the
residence of his father Shi-
bu Soren, where he was
met by supporters carry-
ing his picture and shout-
ing slogans in his support,
saying, “Jail ka tala tut
gaya, Hemant Soren chut
gaya (The jail lock is bro-
https://newsth.live/fb
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Vol. 2 앫 No. 155
» Lucknow » Cuttack » Patna
the family of the deceased
and ₹3 lakh for those in-
jured. The government
has also asked airlines to
e90104b3-1d5e-4cfc-9205-2c86f4381705
ensure there is no abnor-
mal surge in airfares for
Delhi flights due to Fri-
day’s cancellations.
Delhi International Air-
port Limited (DIAL) is a
joint venture led by GMR
Airports Limited, which
owns a 64% stake. The Air-
ports Authority of India
owns 26% and Fraport AG
Frankfurt Airport Services
Worldwide owns the re-
maining 10%.
The Delhi Police regis-
tered a case under Sec-
tions 304A (causing death
by negligence) and 337
(causing hurt by act endan-
gering life or personal safe-
ty of others) of the Indian
Penal Code (IPC) against
unknown persons.
OPPOSITION SLAMS GOVT.
» PAGE 4
ken and Hemant Soren is
released)”.
“I am out of jail after five
months. The five months’
time for the people of
Jharkhand and tribals must
be worrying. The entire na-
tion knows for what reason
I was sent to jail. However,
finally the court has pro-
nounced the judgement. I
respect the court, but so-
metimes it troubles me the
way attempts are being
made to suppress the voic-
es of politicians, writers,
journalists, social workers
in a systematic way,“ Mr.
Soren told the media in
Ranchi. He asserted that he
had been put behind bars
on the basis of false and
concocted stories.
‘Will fight’
“Many people like me are
in jail. Even the Delhi CM is
in jail, and to get justice, it
takes a long time. People
who are working in their
field with honesty are be-
ing troubled. I will keep
fighting for the cause of the
people and the tribals. My
release is a message not
only for the State but for
the country that a conspi-
racy was hatched against
me,” Mr. Soren said.
The timing of Mr. So-
ren’s release is also crucial
as the State heads for an
Assembly election this No-
vember.
A IN-X
 THE HINDU
2 Saturday, June 29, 2024

States Chennai

INBRIEF
쑽
‘Elder brother’
Punjab should
share water:
Haryana CM
Press Trust of India
CHANDIGARH
Haryana Chief Minister
Nayab Singh Saini on Fri-
day called Punjab his own
Chhattisgarh govt. for speedy State’s “elder brother”,
urging it to share water
growth in Naxal-hit areas: CM
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on
from the Ravi and Beas riv-
ers through the SYL canal.
He made the suggestion
Friday said his government is committed to while speaking to repor-
expediting the expansion of rail, road and ters on the sidelines of his
telecom connectivity and other developmental visit to the Golden Temple
work in the Maoist-hit areas of the State. He was in Amritsar.
talking to reporters after chairing a meeting of While Haryana has built
the unified command to review the security its portion of the canal,
situation and development-related initiatives in Punjab is reluctant to com-
the left-wing extremism-hit pockets. “After the plete the stretch in its terri-
BJP returned to power in Chhattisgarh six tory, saying it has no water
months back, the State government is fighting to spare.
strongly against the Naxal menace,” the Chief “Punjab is our elder
Minister said. PTI brother, and it is the duty
of the elder brother not to
let the younger brother be
e90104b3-1d5e-4cfc-9205-2c86f4381705
Flurry of sops in Mahayuti govt.
budget ahead of Assembly poll
Finance Minister Ajit Pawar reduces VAT on fuel in Mumbai, announces monthly allowances for women and youth, three
free LPG cylinders a year for a family of five, electricity bill waiver for farmers; Opposition terms it ‘torrent of assurances’
Abhinay Deshpande are in distress and need as- process by the government
MUMBAI sistance. The government and public authorities as
lashing value-added
has decided to bear the
burden of electricity bills
well as in all the govern-
ment schemes. This will
S tax (VAT) on fuel in
the Mumbai Metro-
politan Region, waiving
of farmers and provide free
electricity to agriculture
pumps up to 7.5 horsepow-
make it easier for the mem-
bers of the third gender to
draw benefits of govern-
electricity bill dues for 44 er capacity,” the Finance ment schemes,” he said.
lakh farmers, providing a Minister said.
monthly allowance of Introducing the Mukhya ‘Political hypnotism’
₹1,500 to women in the 21 Mantri Annapurna Yojana, The Opposition leaders
to 60 age group, three free Mr. Pawar said, “We will dismissed the budget as a
LPG cylinders a year for a provide three LPG cylin- “torrent of assurances”
family of five, a stipend of ders free per household in and “false narratives”
₹10,000 per month to a year and this will benefit ahead of the election.
youth for skill training, and 52,16,412 families.” Ambadas Danve, Leader
announcing a policy for He also announced the of the Opposition in the Le-
the third gender were the Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Hol- gislative Council, termed
highlights of the Maharash- kar Mahila Start-Up Yojana the budget “political hyp-
tra government’s budget for women entrepreneurs notism” and claimed re-
for 2024-25 that was pre- — scheduled to launch this gions like Marathwada and

disappointed, Mr. Saini
Cong. seeks CBI probe into said. Recently, after the
Aam Aadmi Party govern-
gang rape, murder of minor ment in Delhi accused Ha-
ryana of not releasing the
The Uttarakhand Congress on Friday demanded capital’s share, Mr. Saini
a CBI probe into the gang rape and murder of a maintained that Haryana is
13-year-old girl in Haridwar while alleging that releasing water to the city
the involvement of BJP leaders in crimes against over and above the agreed-
women has exposed the party’s anti-women face. upon quantity.
Local BJP leader Aditya Raj Saini, who was Mr. Saini had said since
expelled from the party immediately after his there is also an AAP go-
name cropped up in connection with the vernment in Punjab, they
incident, and his aide are among the accused. Six should ask the State to give
people have already been arrested in the case. SYL canal water so that Ha-
However, Mr. Saini who was a member of the ryana’s water shortage
Uttarakhand BJP’s OBC Morcha until his could be met and Delhi
expulsion on June 25, is still on the run. PTI could also get more water.
sented on Friday.
Deputy Chief Minister
and Finance Minister Ajit
Pawar presented his 10th
budget, and the last of the
Mahayuti government,
comprising the BJP, Shiv
Sena and NCP, before the
Assembly election due this
year. He outlined a total ex-
penditure of ₹6,12,293
crore with a revenue deficit
of ₹20,051 crore.
Reducing VAT will lower
petrol prices by 65 paise
per litre and diesel by
₹2.60 per litre, effective
from July 1. This move will
e90104b3-1d5e-4cfc-9205-2c86f4381705
fiscal year along with an Vidarbha were ignored.
Finance Minister Ajit Pawar and his Cabinet colleague Deepak
all-India start-up conven-
tion in the State — and the
Shiv Sena (UBT) presi-
dent Uddhav Thackeray
Kesarkar arriving to present the budget in Assembly. EMMANUAL YOGINI setting up of 18 new medi- described the budget as
cal colleges. mere rhetoric aimed at ap-
cost the State exchequer annual budgetary alloca- peasing voters, especially
₹200 crore, he said. tion of ₹46,000 crore, will Third gender policy women. “The budget is a
Earlier, Mr. Pawar com- be implemented in July. The government also un- torrent of assurances. It is a
menced the budget pre- He also announced that veiled its third gender poli- fake attempt to take all sec-
sentation with an abhang the electricity bill of agri- cy, integrating the option tions of society along.”
(devotional song) by 17th- cultural pumps of 46.06 into recruitment processes State Congress chief Na-
century bhakti saint Sant lakh farmers will be and schemes, facilitating na Patole said the scheme
Tukaram Maharaj and an- waived, leading to an ex- easier access for the third to waive farmers’ electrici-
nounced the Mukhya Man- penditure of ₹14,761 crore. gender community. “The ty bills is a farce, while Ma-
tri Majhi Ladki Bahin “I announce the Mukhya ‘Third Gender’ option has hesh Tapase of the NCP
scheme, providing a Mantri Baliraja Vij Savlat been made available along (SP) highlighted that the
monthly allowance to wo- Yojana to provide relief to with male and female op- State’s debt burden has
men. The scheme, with an my farmer brothers who tions in the recruitment crossed ₹7 lakh crore.

SC guidelines violated during

Bhojshala survey, says cleric
Tamil Nadu hooch tragedy
Guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court were
not followed during the scientific study of the
toll climbs to 65; CB-CID
11th-century Bhojshala/Kamal Maula Mosque
complex in Dhar district, a Muslim leader
seeks custody of 11 accused
claimed on Friday. A local Archaeological Survey
of India (ASI) official said he could not comment
on the issue. The site is claimed by both Hindus The Hindu Bureau
and Muslims, leading to a dispute about its KALLAKURICHI
nature. On Friday namaz was offered at the
complex, a day after the ASI wrapped up its The Crime Branch-Crimi-
98-day scientific study of the area as directed by nal Investigation Depart-
the High Court. Waqar Sadiq, ‘Shahar Qazi’ or ment (CB-CID) filed a peti-
head cleric of Dhar city, alleged while talking to tion before a local court in
reporters that the SC guidelines were “grossly Kallakurichi on Friday,
violated by the ASI team”. PTI seeking custody of 11 of the
21 accused who have been
arrested so far in connec-
tion with the hooch trage-
Vistara flight to Mumbai dy in the district. The peti-
tion is likely to come up for
receives bomb threat hearing on July 1.
The Kallakurichi town
A Thiruvananthapuram-Mumbai flight of Vistara police, who initially
received a bomb threat on Friday following probed the case, handed
which a search was being carried out, police said. over the case diary and re-
A note saying ‘bomb on board’ was found by a lated files to the CB-CID
crew member, said an officer of Mumbai’s Sahar team, led by Additional De-
police station. As the flight landed at the puty Superintendent of
Chhatrapati Shivaji Airport in Mumbai around Police Gomathi, who has
3.15 p.m., the airline informed the police, he said. been appointed as the in-
The passengers were informed about the threat vestigating officer.
after landing and a search of passengers and A preliminary investiga-
their luggage was underway though nothing tion revealed that the
suspicious had been found so far, the officer deaths were caused by
added.“As per protocol, we immediately alerted methanol poisoning, and
the relevant authorities, the airline said. PTI the brew was supplied by
A total of 20 persons are undergoing treatment. FILE PHOTO
bootlegger Govindaraj,
alias Kannukutty, in Karu-
napuram, the epicentre of
the tragedy.
The CB-CID has arrested
21 persons so far, including
Govindaraj; his wife Vijaya;
Chinnadurai; Joseph, alias
Raj; Madesh; Gowtham
Chand; Sivakumar; Bhansil
Lal; Kathiravan; Kannan;
and Sakthivel.
Meanwhile, the toll rose
to 65 with the death of one
more person at the Jawa-
harlal Institute of Postgrad-
uate Medical Education
and Research ( Jipmer) in
Puducherry on Friday.
So far, 32 people have
died at the Government
Kallakurichi Medical Col-
lege; 22 at the Government
Mohan Kumaramangalam
Medical College and Hospi-
tal in Salem; four at the Go-
vernment Villupuram
Medical College and Hospi-
tal; and seven at Jipmer in
Puducherry. A total of 20
persons are undergoing
treatment at hospitals. As
many as 144 patients have
been discharged so far.
Woman party worker
assaulted in post-poll
violence: Bengal BJP
Shiv Sahay Singh
KOLKATA
The West Bengal unit of the
Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) on Friday alleged that
a woman leader of the par-
ty’s Minority Morcha was
beaten up by Trinamool
Congress supporters in the
Cooch Behar district.
Leader of the Opposi-
tion Suvendu Adhikari said
a party colleague belong-
ing to a minority commun-
ity was attacked and wrote
to the National Human
Rights Commission, Na-
tional Commission for Wo-
men and National Commis-
sion for Minorities urging
them to send a team to
West Bengal.
In his communication to
the quasi-judicial bodies,
Mr. Adhikari described the
incident as an “example of
post poll violence” and al-
leged that “she was
dragged by her hair and
subjected to severe physi-
cal assault and her dress
was torn in broad daylight
by TMC goons on 25 June
2024.”
“She is at present admit-
ted to hospital. The police
are not taking any action
against the accused,” he
alleged.
State BJP president Su-
kanata Majumdar also took
note of the incident and
has constituted a seven-
member team led by MLA
Agnimitra Paul to inquire
into it. Trinamool leaders
in Cooch Behar described
the allegations as political-
ly motivated and said that
the attack on the women
was the result of a proper-
ty dispute.
In another develop-
ment, a BJP team led by MP
Biplab Deb visited the State
to inquire into the allega-
tions and recommended
extending the deployment
of the Central Armed Pol-
ice Force (CAPF) units and
securing BJP offices.
Man beaten
to death over
‘mobile theft’
inside hostel
Shrabana Chatterjee
KOLKATA
A 47-year-old man suspect-
ed of having stolen a mo-
bile phone was beaten to
death by a mob at the
Udayan Government Hos-
tel in Bowbazaar, Central
Kolkata. Police detained 15
suspects from inside the
hostel after the incident.
According to sources,
the lynching happened on
the first floor of the stu-
dents’ hostel. The de-
ceased was later identified
as Irshad, employed at a te-
levision repair shop at
Chandni Chowk in north
Kolkata.
‘Dragged inside’
He was reportedly ‘caught’
from the footpath outside
the hostel by an angry mob
and taken into the building
on Friday around 8.30
a.m. He was beaten up
even as he was being
dragged inside.
A shopkeeper near the
hostel raised an alarm after
seeing the man allegedly

Botanical institute sets out to revive CPI(M) to be named accused loitering near the building.
The incident was first
reported to the Bowbazaar

rare flowers used in Jagannath Temple in Karuvannur bank loan case

Satyasundar Barik
BHUBANESWAR
Lucknow-based National
Botanical Research Insti-
tute (NBRI), a Council of
Scientific and Industrial
Research (CSIR) institu-
tion, has set out to revive
endangered flower species
used in the 12th century
Shree Jagannath Temple in
Puri, Odisha.
A year after NBRI signed
a Memorandum of Under-
standing with Shree Jagan-
nath Temple Administra-
tion (SJTA), to cater to the
needs of flowers, the coun-
try’s premier botanical re-
search institute (NBRI) has
supplied Maurya and Da-
vana (Dayana) species
flowers for the temple.
“We are studying va-
rious scriptures that detail
the practices of the Shree
The National Botanical Research Institute has supplied rare Maurya
The National Botanical Research Institute has already supplied rare
maurya and davana flowers to the temple. SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Jagannath Temple. The
temple’s rich traditions in-
volve the extensive use of
flowers and leaves, each
selected for specific rituals
performed in the temple.
However, many of these
plant species are rare and
difficult to procure,” said
Ajit Kumar Shasany, Direc-
tor, CSIR-NBRI, Lucknow.
Dr. Shasany said, “We
have undertaken a mission
to ensure the availability of
these sacred flowers.
Through this endeavour,
we also aim to revive en-
dangered floral species,
preserving both the tem-
ple’s traditions and the bio-
diversity of these plants.”
As per the demand,
quality planting materials
of marigold, tuberose, tul-
si, jasmine, davana (Daya-
na) were supplied and in-
troduced in the Matitota
garden of the temple for
raising these plants for
their use for worshipping
purposes.
“The gardeners are pe-
riodically trained about
the agro-practices for rais-
ing these plants. A poly-
house has been raised in
this garden for continuous-
ly raising the plants
throughout the year,” NBRI
said.
Lotus variety
“Besides, Namoh 108 va-
riety of lotus, released by
CSIR-NBRI, was also intro-
duced in the Koili Baikun-
tha garden of the temple.
All these aromatic flower
and foliage plants are in
much demand in the tem-
ple as these plants are in
use in daily rituals,” the in-
stitute said.
The Hindu Bureau
KOCHI
The CPI(M) will be ar-
raigned as an accused in
the Karuvannur Service
Cooperative Bank loan
fraud case, which is being
probed by the Directorate
of Enforcement (ED).
The investigation agen-
cy on Friday provisionally
attached a 10-cent holding
at Porathussery which was
purchased in the name of
M.M. Varghese, Thrissur
district secretary of the
party, and cash deposits to
the tune of ₹60 lakh in
eight bank accounts as a
prelude to the process.
The ED provisionally at-
tached the properties of
the accused, believed to
have been procured using
the proceeds of crime.
The CPI(M) will be listed
as an accused in the case
records when the final
complaint is filed in the
Special Court probing the
case, sources said.
Incidentally, it is for the
first time in the State that a
political party would be
made an accused in a mo-
ney laundering case. Ear-
lier, the ED had arraigned
the Aam Aadmi Party as an
accused in the Delhi liquor
policy case.
The ED argues that the
CPI(M) purchased the pro-
perty in Porathussery us-
ing the proceeds of the mo-
ney laundering carried out
by the accused in the Karu-
vannur case.
The prosecution case is
that the accused, in conni-
vance with bank officials,
siphoned off the money of
depositors by generating
fake loans from the bank.
Several bogus loans
were sanctioned by the
bank on the same property
multiple times. Benami
loans were also sanctioned
to many who were not
members of the bank and
that too against inflated
property valuations.
Leaders questioned
The ED had earlier ques-
tioned Mr. Varghese, form-
er Minister A.C. Moideen
and party leaders P.K. Biju
and M.K. Kannan in the
case. It had arrested Sath-
eesh Kumar, a money len-
der; P.P. Kiran, a Thrissur
native; P.R. Aravindaksh-
an, a CPI(M) councillor of
the Wadakkanchery muni-
cipality; and C. K. Jils, an
accountant of the bank,
under the provisions of the
Prevention of Money Laun-
dering Act, 2002.
Police Station. However,
the hostel residents did not
let the police enter the pre-
mises.
Later, when Muchipara
Police Station personnel
came to the spot, they too
were allegedly stopped
from entering the hostel.
Irshad was finally res-
cued from the hostel and
sent to Calcutta Medical
College (CMC) for treat-
ment but was declared
dead on arrival.
Complaint lodged
Irshad’s wife lodged a com-
plaint with the local police
station. Police launched an
investigation into the mat-
ter soon after.
They also detained ma-
ny from the hostel. After a
preliminary inquiry, the
police said that the victim
had sustained injuries to
his legs.
They are trying to recov-
er CCTV footage from the
neighbourhood.

Published by Nirmala Lakshman at Kasturi Buildings, 859-860, Anna Salai, Chennai 600002 on behalf of THG PUBLISHING PVT.LTD. Editor: Suresh Nambath (Responsible for selection of news under the PRP Act). ISSN 0971 - 751X

CM A IN-X
YK

Saturday, June 29, 2024
Chennai
NTA announces fresh
dates for UGC-NET,
2 other examinations
Press Trust of India
NEW DELHI
The National Testing Agen-
cy (NTA) on Friday night
announced the new dates
of cancelled and post-
poned examinations, in-
cluding the UGC-NET,
amid a raging row over al-
leged irregularities in their
conduct.
The UGC-NET, which
was cancelled a day after
being conducted on June
18, will now be held from
August 21 to September 4.
The examination was
cancelled after the Educa-
tion Ministry received in-
puts that the integrity of
the exam was
compromised.
e90104b3-1d5e-4cfc-9205-2c86f4381705
‘Leaked on Darknet’
Union Education Minister
Dharmendra Pradhan had
said the question paper
was leaked on the Darknet
and circulated on the Tele-
gram app.
In a shift from the ear-
lier pattern, the exam was
conducted in offline mode
T.N. Assembly urges Union govt. to
give assent to NEET exemption Bill
The Hindu Bureau
CHENNAI
With widespread irregular-
ities in the conduct of the
National Eligibility-cum-
Entrance Test (NEET) that
have come to the fore re-
cently, spotlighting Tamil
Nadu’s sustained opposi-
tion to the medical en-
trance exam, the State As-
sembly on Friday passed a
resolution urging the
Centre to “immediately
grant assent to the State’s
NEET exemption Bill” and
“make necessary amend-
ments to the National Med-
ical Commission Act” to
abolish the test at the na-
tional level. The Bill, which
was initially returned by
the Governor, was readopt-
ed by the House in Febru-
ary 2022. It is pending the
President’s assent.
While the BJP MLAs
walked out, the members
of the Congress, the VCK,
the CPI, the CPI(M), and
the MDMK — all allies of the
DMK — supported the reso-
Minister urges U.P. CM to look Cong. MP Phulo Devi Modi is matchless, cannot be
into ‘caste bias’ in govt. posts faints during protest compared with Nehru: Trivedi
Ishita Mishra
NEW DELHI
Union Minister of State for
Health and Family Welfare
Anupriya Patel has written
to Uttar Pradesh Chief Mi-
nister Yogi Adityanath, al-
leging bias in appoint-
ments of Other Backward
Classes (OBCs), Schedule
Caste and Schedule Tribe
candidates in government
jobs in the State. Ms. Patel
heads the Apna Dal (S), a
member of the National
Democratic Alliance.
Ms. Patel’s letter, writ-
ten on her party’s letter-
head, comes weeks after
the BJP’s poor perfor-
mance in the Lok Sabha
election and is being seen
as part of a tussle within
the party and its allies in
Uttar Pradesh.
In her letter, written on
Friday, Ms. Patel said the
NDA government under
the leadership of Prime Mi-
nister Narendra Modi has
taken steps to provide re-
servation for students of
Backward Classes in the
entrance examination of
Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navo-
CM
YK
The exam was
cancelled after the
Centre said that the
integrity of the exam
was compromised
this time and on a single
day. However, the resche-
duled exam will now be
conducted according to
the earlier pattern of com-
puter-based test (CBT) that
will be spread across a
fortnight.
The CSIR UGC-NET,
which was postponed as a
preemptive measure, will
be conducted from July 25
to July 27.
The National Common
Entrance Test (NCET) for
admission to the four-year
Integrated Teacher Educa-
tion Programme (ITEP) in
select Central and State
Universities or institutions,
including the IITs, the
NITs, the RIEs, and govern-
ment colleges, which was
postponed hours before its
schedule on June 12, is now
planned for July 10.
M.K. Stalin delivering a speech in the Tamil Nadu Assembly during
the resolution against NEET exams on Friday. SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
lution. MLAs T. Velmuru-
gan, M.H. Jawahirullah,
Manoj P. Pandian, and
those of the PMK also sup-
ported the resolution.
Proposing the resolu-
tion, Chief Minister M.K.
Stalin said that while the
admission system based on
Class 12 marks had ensured
social justice and equal op-
portunities to students, the
NEET was marred by irreg-
ularities, including an un-
precedented number of
students scoring full
Anupriya Patel
daya Vidyalayas, Sainik
Schools and medical cours-
es to ensure their bright fu-
ture. “The candidates from
OBC and SC/ST communi-
ties are contacting me and
saying that they are often
declared “Not Found Suita-
ble” for the posts reserved
for them in various com-
petitive examinations con-
ducted by the State govern-
ment that have an
interview-based recruit-
ment process. Later, these
posts are declared unre-
served,” she wrote.
The Minister said that
Mr. Adityanath would
agree that candidates from
OBC and SC/ST communi-
ties fulfil the minimum elig-
ibility criteria for these ex-
aminations and reach the
Jharkhand school principal
held in NEET paper leak case
CBI arrests Oasis School head Ahsanul Haque and vice-principal Imtiaz Alam; it detains six more
from the State; Haque had admitted that the question paper envelope had been tampered with
Amit Bhelari
PATNA
day after arresting
A two from Patna in
the NEET-UG paper
leak case, the Central Bu-
reau of Investigation (CBI)
arrested a school principal
and vice-principal in Jhark-
hand on Friday.
CBI officials took Oasis
School principal Ahsanul
Haque and vice-principal
Imtiaz Alam, who was the
exam centre coordinator,
into custody and rushed to
Patna late at night.
The agency also de-
tained six others from
Jharkhand for questioning.
From day one, the
school in Hazaribagh was
at the centre of the paper
leak controversy. The Bi-
har police had earlier said
that a partially burnt ques-
tion paper recovered from
a play school in Patna
matched with the question
paper received from the
National Testing Agency
marks, exams being de-
layed and grace marks be-
ing awarded in a manner
not outlined in the rules,
and reports of question
paper leaks at various
places.
“Allegations of corrup-
tion, including invigilators
filling in the answer sheets
at the exam centres, have
shocked students and their
families who have worked
hard and spent a lot over
years to prepare for the ex-
am. The Union govern-
interview on the basis of
their merit. “Hence it is
beyond comprehension
that candidates from OBC
and SC/ST communities
are being repeatedly de-
clared as ‘Not Found Suita-
ble’ and that this should be
stopped by taking effective
action to stop the anger
arising among the candi-
dates from these commun-
ities,” she said.
Ms. Patel urged the
Chief Minister to organise
multiple rounds of inter-
views to fill the posts and
not declare them
unreserved.
BJP’s response
Reacting to Ms. Patel’s let-
ter, a senior BJP office bear-
er from Uttar Pradesh said:
“At a time when the BJP is
trying to overcome its loss
in polls, majorly due to the
Opposition’s pitch in
which it almost convinced
the backward sections of
voters that the party will
change the Constitution if
given 400 seats, this letter
by the party’s ally may
further dent the ruling
party.”
THE HINDU
News
CBI officials at the Oasis School for investigation into the NEET-UG
paper leak case, in Hazaribagh district on Friday. PTI
(NTA), which conducts the
medical entrance exam.
The series of that question
paper had then been sent
to the NEET-UG examina-
tion centre at the Oasis
School, they said.
On Wednesday, the CBI
questioned the SBI officials
and the courier company
that transported the NEET
question papers.
Four days ago, in a con-
versation with The Hindu,
Mr. Haque had admitted
ment, which had initially
denied these allegations,
replaced the head of the
National Testing Agency
(NTA) that conducts the ex-
am, only after being repri-
manded by the Supreme
Court. A CBI inquiry has
been ordered into the alle-
gations of malpractices.
The entrance exam for
postgraduate medical
courses has also been can-
celled,” he said.
Mr. Stalin pointed out
that while Tamil Nadu and
its people had been “fight-
ing alone against the
NEET” for many years, the
opposition to the test
gained momentum now in
various States that had
realised the problems
caused by it.
“West Bengal Chief Mi-
nister Mamata Banerjee
has written to the Prime
Minister that the old sys-
tem in which the State go-
vernments decided on ad-
mission to medical courses
should be reinstated,” he
said.
in Rajya Sabha Well
The Hindu Bureau
NEW DELHI
There was a high drama in
the Rajya Sabha on Friday
when Congress MP Phulo
Devi Netam fainted while
protesting in the Well of
the House.
Ms. Netam and other
Opposition members were
protesting against Chair-
person Jagdeep Dhank-
har’s decision not to allow
a discussion on NEET pap-
er leaks. She said they had
been demanding a discus-
sion on the issue for four to
five hours. Hence, when
the Upper House re-assem-
bled after recess, Opposi-
tion MPs trooped into the
Well and shouted slogans.
That was when Ms. Ne-
tam fell. Seeing this, Mr.
Dhankhar asked her fellow
MPs to help her and ad-
journed the House till 2.30
p.m. She was, then, rushed
to the RML hospital.
She told the media later
that she had felt dizzy and
her blood pressure shot
up. After this episode, the
that the box and envelope
containing the NEET ques-
tion papers had been cut
open. He said the digital
lock was supposed to open
by itself at 1.15 p.m. on May
5, the day of the test. Ho-
wever, when it did not
open, it was seen that the
outer box had been
opened using a cutter. He
admitted that the envelope
within the box had also
been tampered with, and
showed a precise cut.
NTA reform committee calls for
suggestions from students, parents
Maitri Porecha
NEW DELHI
The high-level committee
appointed by the Centre to
review conduct of exami-
nations and functioning of
the beleaguered National
Testing Agency (NTA) has
invited suggestions from
stakeholders, particularly
parents and students.
The committee chaired
by former Indian Space Re-
search Organisation (ISRO)
Chairman K. Radhakrish-
nan is looking into exami-
nation processes, enhanc-
ing data security protocols,
and structure as well as op-
erations of the NTA. It has
sought feedback from sta-
keholders between June 27
and July 7 on
innovateindia.mygov.in.
The seven-member
committee formed on June
22 met for the first time
earlier this week on June
24 at the Indian Institute of
Technology-New Delhi to
kickstart the reform
process.
While the reform com-
Phulo Devi Netam
Rajya Sabha re-assembled
to discuss the Motion of
Thanks on the President’s
address and BJP member
Kavita Patidar seconded
the motion moved by
another BJP MP Sudanshu
Trivedi.
Opposition MPs criti-
cised the Chairperson for
continuing with House
proceedings despite the in-
cident. Congress president
Mallikarjun Kharge, who
visited Ms. Netam in the
hospital, said she was
awaiting a CT scan and
more medical tests over
the next few days.
“I hope she will be al-
right today, but she has to
undergo a complete medi-
cal examination,” he said.
Sources said the vice-
principal too had a role in
the case. It was found that
the question papers were
brought from the SBI to the
school in the SUV belong-
ing to Mr. Alam. On Thurs-
day, electronic devices, in-
cluding the printer from
the principal’s office, were
seized from the Oasis
School, CBI sources said.
Questioned for 3 hours
On Friday morning, an
eight-member CBI team
took Mr. Haque and Mr.
Alam to the school where
they were questioned after
three hours.
The NEET question pap-
ers were delivered to the
bank by the Blue Dart cou-
rier company using an e-
rickshaw on May 3. The
same was delivered from
the bank to the school on
May 5. Sources in the CBI
said the agency also ques-
tioned the e-rickshaw driv-
er who delivered the ques-
tion papers to the bank.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has said the strictest action
would be taken against those responsible for exam irregularities. PTI
mittee will accept sugges-
tions till July 7, aspirants
who sat for the medical en-
trance test NEET-UG, will
have to undergo counsell-
ing process for allocation
of seats from July 6
onwards.
Despite continuous
protests by students over
alleged irregularities in the
conduct of NEET, first in-
formation reports (FIRs)
being filed across multiple
States and the Central Bu-
reau of Investigation (CBI)
launching a nationwide in-
Press Trust of India
NEW DELHI
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi is “matchless” and
cannot be compared with
Jawaharlal Nehru as he was
elected unanimously to
lead his party, unlike the
Congress leader who got
zero votes despite Mahat-
ma Gandhi’s support, BJP
leader Sudhanshu Trivedi
said in the Rajya Sabha on
Friday.
Mr. Trivedi sought to
counter Opposition asser-
tions that Mr. Modi cannot
equal the achievement of
Nehru, saying Modi is atul-
niya (matchless) and there
a vast difference in his ap-
proach to dealing with is-
sues facing the nation and
the one adopted by the
first Prime Minister.
“The Opposition keeps
asserting that Nehru can-
not be compared with Mr.
Modi. I also believe that
there can be no compari-
son,” he said.
“Modi ji Nehru ji kay tul-
na me ek atulniya PM hain
aur unhone yeah atulniya
uplabdhi haasil ki hai (Mr.
It is unfortunate that
govt. does not want
NEET debate: Rahul
The Hindu Bureau
NEW DELHI
Leader of the Opposition
(LoP) in the Lok Sabha Ra-
hul Gandhi, in a video ad-
dressed to candidates of
National Eligibility-cum-
Entrance Test (NEET) and
other competitive exams,
said on Friday that it was
unfortunate that the Na-
rendra Modi government
did not want a discussion
on the paper leak in
Parliament.
“The idea behind the
discussion was to get a re-
solution to this issue. It is
unfortunate the govern-
ment didn’t want it. It
seemed to me the direc-
tion was directly from the
Prime Minister,” Mr. Gand-
hi said in the video posted
on X.
“It is sad the Prime Mi-
nister of India, who should
be leading the discussion
and should be telling us
about his opinion and
what he is going to do,
simply doesn’t want a de-
bate. We don’t want to
vestigation, the top court
has refused to stay the
counselling process. The
NTA is expected to file a de-
tailed response in the top
court on July 8.
While the students had
raised suspicion over the
increase in high scores in
NEET, sources in the Minis-
try of Education said that
the high scores was due to
the question paper being
simpler when compared to
previous years.
“With many students
getting similar high scores
No comparison: BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi speaks in the Rajya
Sabha during the Parliament session in New Delhi on Friday. PTI
Modi is matchless and can-
not be compared with Mr.
Nehru. Mr. Modi has also
had matchless achieve-
ments),” he said.
Humble origins
Nehru, he said, came from
an affluent background
while Modi came from a
very humble family.
Mr. Trivedi said while
Nehru jailed people for
criticism, the Modi govern-
ment has not taken any ac-
tion against his critics.
He further said Nehru
awarded the Bharat Ratna
to himself, while Mr. Modi
has conferred the highest
civilian award to people
across party lines, includ-
3
Rahul Gandhi
fight the government, we
want to place our views on
the table,” he added.
The Congress leader
said that the issue of paper
leaks have affected two
crore students and in the
past seven years, there
have been 70 paper leaks.
“I tried to raise it in Par-
liament, of course I was
not allowed to speak... It is
clear there is a systemic
e90104b3-1d5e-4cfc-9205-2c86f4381705
problem. It is clear there is
a huge amount of corrup-
tion and we simply cannot
continue like this,” Mr.
Gandhi said.
In his post on X, he said,
“We urge the Prime Minis-
ter to debate on this issue
and give the students the
respect they deserve”.
and inflated ranks, a tie-
breaker formula will be ap-
plied in counselling and al-
location of seats, where
those who got higher
marks in biology and so on
will be given preference,”
the source told The Hindu.
Meanwhile, Union Edu-
cation Minister Dharmen-
dra Pradhan said on Friday
that the government is rea-
dy to discuss the issue in
Parliament. He also said
that new dates for can-
celled exams (such as UGC-
NET and NEET-PG) will be
announced soon.
“When the President
herself spoke about the ex-
am in her speech on Thurs-
day, it shows the govern-
ment’s intention that we
are ready to face the is-
sue… our responsibility is
towards the youth, the stu-
dents of the country. We
are going to take the stric-
test action and the CBI is
going to arrest everyone.
We are hoping to discuss
this issue in both Houses
on Monday, Tuesday and
Wednesday,” he said.
ing three leaders associat-
ed with the Congress.
On the Congress’ stand
that it was working to save
the Constitution of India,
he said the Constitution
was always under threat
when the grand old party
was in power. He said the
Congress government
changed the Preamble of
the Constitution and mis-
used provisions of the Con-
stitution to dismiss elected
state governments.
Referring to the Shah
Bano case, when Rajiv
Gandhi was the Prime Mi-
nister, Mr. Trivedi said the
Congress party placed
‘Sharia’ above the
Constitution.
A IN-X

4 Saturday, June 29, 2024
Northern
States brace
for heavy rain
till July 2
The Hindu Bureau
CHANDIGARH
As the monsoon continues
to advance, rain is expect-
ed to intensify across the
northern States, including
Punjab, Haryana, Hima-
chal Pradesh, and Chandi-
garh over the weekend.
Shimla, the capital of Hi-
machal Pradesh, wit-
nessed heavy rain on Fri-
day, while other parts of
the State also experienced
moderate rain.
According to the India
Meteorological Depart-
ment (IMD) at Shimla, the
rain activity is likely to in-
tensify from Saturday.
Light to moderate intensity
rain is expected in low and
mid-hill districts of the
State between June 28 and
e90104b3-1d5e-4cfc-9205-2c86f4381705
July 1.
As per the IMD, very
heavy rainfall is expected
at isolated places over Ha-
ryana between June 29 and
July 1 and over Punjab bet-
ween June 30 and July 1.
A spell of heavy rainfall
is expected at isolated plac-
es in Chandigarh between
June 28 till July 2, it said.
Have full faith in Centre, Manipur
figures in NDA’s 100-day plan: Biren
Abhinay Lakshman
IMPHAL
The Union government has
started having “positive
discussions” on the con-
flict in Manipur and it is a
“great achievement” that
resolution of the crisis is
part of the 100-day plan of
the new National Demo-
cratic Alliance (NDA) go-
vernment, Chief Minister
N. Biren Singh told The
Hindu during an interac-
tion on Friday. He added
he has “full confidence”
that the Centre under-
stands the issues in
Manipur.
This comes on a day
when the Coordinating
Committee on Manipur In-
tegrity (COCOMI), one of
the most influential civil
society organisations
(CSOs) in the Imphal Val-
ley, took out a mass rally
where thousands of peo-
ple, including several Mei-
ra Paibi groups, protested
against the Centre’s han-
dling of the conflict, ac-
cused it of being involved
in the “extermination of in-
digenous peoples of Mani-
pur”, and raised slogans
against any compromise
on the integrity of Mani-
pur’s borders.
Mr. Singh said of the
protests earlier in the day,
“I am listening to the peo-
ple. We cannot reveal what
the Centre is planning at
the moment. The public’s
anger will subside once
these plans reveal them-
selves. The public is angry
and wants a quick solution.
Everyone does. But this is-
sue is so complex that you
cannot rush it.”
The Chief Minister ad-
24 arrested for killing
bovine animals in M.P.
Press Trust of India
BHOPAL
The Madhya Pradesh Pol-
ice have arrested 24 per-
sons in connection with
the killing of more than 60
bovine animals, in Seoni
district, officials said.
Eight of the arrested ac-
cused are from Nagpur,
where the conspiracy to
kill these animals was
hatched to whip up com-
4 killed as monsoon brings Corruption and negligence
record rainfall to capital city behind collapse of shoddy
Delhi receives 228 mm rain, the highest in a 24-hour period in June since 1936; the downpour
left several arterial roads waterlogged, causing traffic jams and affecting several low-lying areas
The Hindu Bureau
NEW DELHI
our people died and
F several were injured
as the southwest
monsoon arrived in the na-
tional capital, bringing
with it 228 mm of rainfall in
a span of 24 hours, mostly
concentrated between 3
a.m. and 8.30 a.m. on Fri-
day. This is the highest
rainfall recorded in a 24-
hour period in Delhi in
June since 1936.
The deluge left several
arterial roads waterlogged
causing traffic jams and af-
fecting several low-lying
areas. It led to the closure
of several underpasses, in-
cluding the recently con-
structed Pragati Maidan
tunnel, the road under
Minto Bridge, the ITO rail-
way crossing, and the
Moolchand underpass.
Several colony roads were
also inundated, with water
filling the basements and
flowing into the ground
floor. As a precautionary
Women take part in the ‘Save Manipur Walk’ from the Thau Ground
to Khumanlampak Stadium in Imphal on Friday. PTI
ded he is confident that the
Centre will not succumb to
any demands that threaten
the territorial integrity of
Manipur.
Ever since the conflict
broke out on May 3, 2023,
the Kuki-Zo community
had been insisting that the
only way to bring peace
back was to carve out a
separate administration
for their people in the form
of a Union Territory.
Soon after the violence
broke out, a Unified Com-
mand was set up in the
State to take security-relat-
ed decisions, which report-
ed to the Centre. This com-
mand has been headed by
Security Adviser Kuldiep
Singh.
However, since this ap-
paratus had begun func-
tioning, the people of Ma-
nipur, and newly elected
Congress MP of Inner Ma-
nipur, A. Bimol Akoijam,
have routinely asked
whether the State govern-
ment or Centre is in-charge
of the law and order situa-
tion in the State, and who
should be held
accountable.
Mr. Singh told The Hin-
munal frenzy, the police
said. “The persons were
assigned the job of killing
the animals in return for
money and local residents
[of Seoni] were also found
to be involved in the
crime,” an official said.
“The police headquar-
ters in Bhopal had directed
its personnel to ensure the
arrest of those involved in
this inhuman act,” the offi-
cial added.
Vehicles pass through a waterlogged road in New Delhi on Friday. R. V. MOORTHY
measure, power was dis-
connected in large parts of
the capital to prevent inci-
dents of electrocution.
Two children — aged 8
and 10, both residents of
New Usmanpur in north-
east Delhi — drowned in a
rainwater pool in the Kha-
dar area, the police said.
They went swimming, but
they drowned as the water
du, “This centralisation of
the command for the last
one year has been done for
the good [of people]. But
the effectiveness of this
structure has to be seen on
the ground, then people
will be happy. The people
in the field here have to
start dealing with the
ground realities here from
time to time. Some excess-
es, legally, if needed, might
be necessary.”
He added that the bor-
der-fencing work along the
Indo-Myanmar border in
Manipur had started and
that the State government
was already in the process
of identifying and clearing
land for the said work.
On rumours that some
MLAs from Manipur were
now calling for his resigna-
tion, the Chief Minister ca-
tegorically denied it. He
said, “Almost 35 MLAs had
met with me on Thursday
and the decision was taken
to seek an appointment for
a meeting with the Prime
Minister and Home Minis-
ter. That is all.”
Earlier in the day, at the
mass rally attended by
thousands from across Im-
Prajwal case: HC refuses to stay probe against former MLA
The Hindu Bureau
BENGALURU
Observing that the issue in-
volved is about the image
of a woman and her right
to privacy, the High Court
of Karnataka on Friday re-
fused to stay the investiga-
tion against former BJP
MLA Preetham Gowda in a
criminal case registered
against him for allegedly
recording and circulating
explicit images and clips of
Prajwal Revanna’s video
calls with a woman.
THE HINDU
News
was deep, they added.
According to DCP
(Southwest) Rohit Meena,
three labourers in Vasant
Vihar were trapped in the
muddy waters and are yet
to be rescued. “The men
are feared dead but it can-
not be confirmed,” he said.
Another person in north-
west Delhi died after being
electrocuted.
phal, Moirang and Bishnu-
pur districts, among oth-
ers, the COCOMI and allied
Meitei organisations raised
calls for an end to the “di-
vide and rule policy of In-
dia”, and also demanded
that all combing opera-
tions and weapon recovery
be suspended till the
armed conflict is brought
to an end.
The rally was also at-
tended by hundreds of stu-
dents from schools and
colleges of the city who
marched in their uniforms.
Their slogans included
calls to “eliminate all Ku-
kis, uproot Kukis from
Manipur”.
Responding to the sloga-
neering, the Indigenous
Tribal Leaders’ Forum, a
Kuki-Zo CSO in Chura-
chandpur, issued a state-
ment, calling these calls
“horrifying”, adding that
these “reflected the views
and attitude of the majori-
ty of the Meitei”. “Total
separation is the only solu-
tion,” the ITLF said.
Imphal West Indepen-
dent MLA Nishikanta Singh
Sapam, who also attended
the rally, said, “The people
are clearly feeling that the
need is to be able to pro-
tect themselves because
the administration has
failed them.”
After the rally, COCOMI
coordinator Th. Somoren-
dro put out a “People’s Re-
solution” which called for
expediting the process of
implementing the National
Register of Citizens so that
“foreign illegal immi-
grants” including the “Nar-
co-terrorist sections
among the Chin-Kukis”
can be deported.
The court, however, res-
trained the Special Investi-
gation Team (SIT) of the
Criminal Investigation De-
partment (CID), which is
probing all three rape cas-
es registered against Mr.
Prajwal, from arresting Mr.
Gowda for now but al-
lowed it to interrogate him
from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Also, the court permit-
ted the SIT to conduct
search and seizure for dis-
covering the materials re-
lated to the alleged
offences.
“Water started draining
immediately after the rain
stopped. We had an emer-
gency meeting to take
stock of the situation and a
24x7 control room has
been set up at the PWD
headquarters to monitor
the situation and deploy
pumps wherever re-
quired,” Delhi Water Minis-
ter Atishi said.
52-day Amarnath Yatra begins today,
security tightened in Kashmir Valley
Peerzada Ashiq
SRINAGAR
With elaborate and multi-
ple security rings in place,
the first batch of pilgrims
arrived in the Kashmir Val-
ley on Friday for the an-
nual Amarnath Yatra,
which will begin from the
twin base camps in the Val-
ley on Saturday.
Earlier in the day, J&K
Lieutenant-Governor Ma-
noj Sinha flagged off the
Bringing to light
Smart move: The Tourism Department in Karnataka is planning to promote the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Somanathapur as part of
Mysuru tourism circuit before Dasara this year. This will be through cross-promotion of the 13th-century heritage site at popular places of
tourist interest such as the Mysuru Palace, zoo and the Chamundi Hills so that visitors can plan a visit. M.A. SRIRAM
Justice Krishna S. Dixit
passed the interim order
on a petition filed by Mr.
Gowda, who has chal-
lenged the legality of the
registration of a first infor-
mation report (FIR), in
which he has been ar-
raigned as suspect number
four based on a complaint
lodged by the woman.
While Mr. Prajwal is ar-
raigned as an accused, Ki-
ran and Sharath, both as-
sociates of Mr. Gowda,
have been arraigned as sus-
pects number two and
infrastructure, says Kharge
The Hindu Bureau
NEW DELHI
The roof collapse at the In-
dira Gandhi International
(IGI) airport in Delhi on
Friday prompted Opposi-
tion leaders to hit out at
the government for the
poor quality of infrastruc-
ture, for which they also
blamed “corruption” as
well as “ribbon-cutting ce-
remonies” before
elections.
“Corruption and crimi-
nal negligence are respon-
sible for the collapse of
shoddy infrastructure fall-
ing like a deck of cards, in
the past 10 years of Modi
govt.,” Congress president
Mallikarjun Kharge wrote
on X.
He cited various inci-
dents, including the roof
collapse at the Jabalpur air-
port this week, water leak-
age at the Ram Mandir and
potholes on the roads lead-
ing up to it following rains,
cracks on the Mumbai
Trans Harbour Link road,
collapse of 13 new bridges
first batch of 4,603 pil-
grims from the Yatri Niwas
at Bhagwati Nagar in Jam-
mu, with devotees raising
slogans and singing
hymns.
“Elaborate security ar-
rangements have been put
in place for the smooth
conduct of the pilgrimage,”
Mr. Sinha said.
This year, the Amarnath
Yatra will be held for 52
days. Pilgrims are expect-
ed to trek from the twin
three, respectively.
The CID’s Cyber Crime
police station had on June
10 registered the FIR based
on the complaint lodged
by the 42-year-old victim.
The complainant had al-
leged that she had taken
Mr. Prajwal’s help in 2019
for admission of her son to
a school as he was a mem-
ber of the Lok Sabha then,
and at that time he had ta-
ken her mobile number,
and later he kept frequent-
ly calling her.
After some time, Mr.
Civil Aviation Minister
K. Rammohan Naidu at the IGI
airport in Delhi on Friday.
in Bihar in 2023 and 2024,
submergence of the newly
built tunnel near Pragati
Maidan in the national cap-
ital, and the Morbi bridge
collapse in Gujarat in 2022.
‘Corrupt and inept’
The canopy of the fore-
court that collapsed is out-
side the Terminal 1 build-
ing at the IGI. Prime
Minister Narendra Modi in-
augurated Terminal 1 in
March after it underwent
renovation work from 2019
to bring both arrivals and
departures under one roof.
base camps located in
south and central Kash-
mir’s tourist places of Pa-
halgam and Sonmarg.
This year’s pilgrimage is
taking place under the sha-
dow of militant threat after
nine pilgrims were killed
and 33 injured in Reasi on
June 9 when militants at-
tacked a bus carrying pil-
grims from Shiv Khori to
Katra.
J&K Director-General of
Police R.R. Swain stressed
Prajwal allegedly made a
video call to her and com-
pelled her to strip despite
her resistance.
Mr. Prajwal had told her
that his political oppo-
nents were posting
morphed images when she
called him over the phone
in the presence of her hus-
band on April 22, it has
been stated in the
complaint.
Stating that some of her
images and video clips
again became viral on May
28, a few days prior to Mr.
Chennai
Referring to this inaugu-
ration, Mr. Kharge said the
government was indulging
in “ribbon-cutting ceremo-
nies before elections” and
called it “corrupt and in-
ept”.
Civil Aviation Minister K.
Rammohan Naidu as well
as the GMR-owned airport
explained that the canopy
itself was constructed in
2008-2009.
Congress leader Gaurav
Gogoi said “the common
man is helpless because
the government is working
for big industrialists and
contractors”, resulting in
flaws across road, rail and
airport infrastructure.
Communist Party of In-
dia leader D. Raja said on
e90104b3-1d5e-4cfc-9205-2c86f4381705
X, “Infrastructure develop-
ment has to be people-cen-
tric and sustainable but
Modi made it photo-cen-
tric. BJP and PM Modi’s ob-
session with inauguration
and claiming credit is
creating hardships for the
people. Poor quality infras-
tructure has also exposed
rampant corruption.”
the need to follow the cut-
off timings for vehicles car-
rying pilgrims to the Valley.
He directed the security
agencies to remain vigi-
lant, adhere to standard
operating procedures, and
conduct regular training
and drills.
A three-tier security set-
up is in place at the base
camp in the Bhagwati Na-
gar area in Jammu. Special
Quick Reaction Teams
have also been constituted.
Prajwal’s arrest, she has al-
leged that she heard from
people that Mr. Kiran, Mr.
Sharath and Mr. Gowda
had intentionally made
those images and videos vi-
ral, despite knowing that it
is an offence.
Gowda’s arguments
It was argued on behalf of
Mr. Gowda that the com-
plainant had not directly
alleged that the petitioner
had committed the offence
as she was acting merely
on hearsay.
A IN-X
 THE HINDU
Saturday, June 29, 2024 5
Chennai
News

INBRIEF
쑽
German
Chancellor
to visit India
in October
Dinakar Peri
NEW DELHI
German Chancellor Olaf
Scholz is scheduled to visit
India in the second half of
NIA conducts searches in October for inter-govern-
Laos fake call centre case
mental consultations dur-
ing which ease of doing bu-
siness, migration,
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on geopolitics, and climate
Friday searched multiple locations in Delhi, change will be high on the
Haryana, and Rajasthan to identify people agenda, German Ambassa-
involved in the Laos human trafficking and cyber- dor to India Philipp Acker-
fraud case. Five locations were subjected to mann said on Friday.
thorough searches by the NIA teams, the NIA In addition, the 18th
said. The locations covered during the operation Asia-Pacific Conference of
were premises associated with the aides and German Business 2024
offices of the key accused, Balwant alias Bobby (APK 2024) is also sche-
Kataria. The suspects were allegedly handling the duled to be held in the na-
victims in trafficking, and also managing their tional capital from October
logistics and recruitment to a company indulging 24 to 26. The Indian Navy’s
in cyberfraud in Laos. multi-billion deal for six
conventional submarines
under P-75I in which TKMS
e90104b3-1d5e-4cfc-9205-2c86f4381705
India slams ‘deeply biased’ U.S.
report on religious freedom
The report reflects ‘one-sided projection of issues’ and has selectively picked incidents to advance
a pre-conceived narrative, says government while questioning the law and order situation in U.S
Kallol Bhattacherjee
NEW DELHI
ndia on Friday
I slammed the U.S.
State Department’s re-
port on International Reli-
gious Freedom for 2023 as
“deeply biased” and said it
reflected “one-sided pro-
jection of issues”.
During the weekly press
briefing, External Affairs
Ministry spokesperson
Randhir Jaiswal said the re-
port questioned the “inte-
grity” of certain legal judg-
ments of the Indian courts
and highlighted the United
States’s own record in han-
dling domestic hate
crimes.
al religious freedom and
pointed at a number of
countries for failing to pro-
tect religious rights of mi-
nority groups and basic hu-
man rights. He noted that a
wide array of violence
against religious minorities
were taking place in India
The exercise
itself is a mix of
imputations,
misrepresentations,
selective usage of facts,
reliance on biased
sources and a one-sided
projection of issues
RANDHIR JAISWAL
MEA spokesperson
groups and flagged a num-
ber of factors like the cam-
paign for Uniform Civil
Code (UCC) as well as the
campaign for creating a
“Hindu Rashtra” in India.
Responding to the criti-
cism, Mr. Jaiswal raised the
law and order situation in
abroad,” he said.
Mr. Blinken had focused
on Pakistan, India, and
other countries that also
included the U.S. for grow-
ing threat against religious
minorities and said, “In In-
dia, for example, Christian
communities reported that
local police aided mobs
that disrupted worship ser-
vices over accusations of
conversion activities or
stood by while mobs at-
tacked them and then ar-
rested the victims on con-
version charges.”
The U.S. report also re-
ferred to the drive for the
UCC and observed that “
various personal laws, in-
stead of a uniform civil
Vikram Misri
Deputy NSA
Vikram Misri
is next Foreign
Secretary
The Hindu Bureau
NEW DELHI
Deputy National Security
Adviser Vikram Misri will
take charge as the Foreign
Secretary on July 15, the go-
vernment announced on
Friday. Mr. Misri, a former
Ambassador to China, will
succeed current Foreign
Secretary Vinay Mohan

of Germany and Navantia
Fifth bridge collapses in of Spain are competing is
expected to figure promi-
Bihar in just over a week nently in talks during the
visit.
Another bridge has collapsed in Bihar, making it “This is the best mo-
the fifth such incident to have been reported in ment in history for India
the State in just over a week. The latest cave-in and German businesses.
has been reported from the Bheja police station German companies have
area of Madhubani district. Officials were never been more optimis-
tight-lipped about the incident, though sources in tic about India. They want
the Rural Works Department, which was to be part of ‘Make in In-
entrusted with the construction of the dia’, invest in India, local-
75-metre-long bridge, confirmed that one of its ise and produce in India,”
pillars got washed away a few days ago. They said said Stefan Halusa, Direc-
the bridge was being built at a cost of ₹3 crore tor General of the Indo-
over the Bhutahi river that has been in spate after German Chamber of Com-
heavy rains in the catchment areas of Nepal. PTI merce India (AHK India).
“The exercise itself is a
mix of imputations, misre-
presentations, selective us-
age of facts, reliance on
biased sources and a one-
sided projection of issues.
This extends even to the
depiction of our Constitu-
tional provisions and duly
enacted laws of India. It
has selectively picked inci-
dents to advance a pre-
conceived narrative as
well,” Mr. Jaiswal said.
On Wednesday, U.S. Se-
cretary of State Antony
Blinken unveiled the an-
nual report on internation-
and said, “In India, we see
a concerning increase in
anti-conversion laws, hate
speech, demolitions of
homes and places of wor-
ship for members of mi-
nority faith communities.
At the same time, people
around the world are also
working hard to protect re-
ligious freedom.”
In nearly 69 pages dedi-
cated to the state of reli-
gious freedom in India, the
report elaborated on appa-
rent complicity between
the law enforcement agen-
cies and the majoritarian
the U.S. and highlighted
the crimes committed by
racially motivated indivi-
duals against Indians and
other coloured communi-
ties. “In 2023, India has of-
ficially taken up numerous
cases in the U.S. of hate
crimes, racial attacks on
Indian nationals and other
minorities, vandalisation
and targeting of places of
worship, violence and mis-
treatment by law enforce-
ment authorities, as well as
the according of political
space to advocates of ex-
tremism and terrorism
code, apply to members of
different religious com-
munities in matters of mar-
riage, divorce, adoption,
and inheritance based on
religion, faith, and cul-
ture”.
Referring to the remarks
regarding Indian legal pro-
visions, Mr. Jaiswal said the
report appeared to intrude
into the legislative affairs of
India. “In some cases, the
very validity of laws and
regulations are questioned
by the report, as are the
right of legislatures to
enact them,” he said.
e90104b3-1d5e-4cfc-9205-2c86f4381705
Kwatra.
“Appointment of Vik-
ram Misri, IFS (1989), De-
puty National Security Ad-
visor in the National
Security Council Secreta-
riat to the post of Foreign
Secretary w.e.f. 15th July
2024 vice Shri Vinay Kwa-
tra,” the Personnel Minis-
try said in an announce-
ment.
Mr. Misri, known for be-
ing a specialist in India-Chi-
na relations, is expected to
bring a special focus on the
ongoing tension between
New Delhi and Beijing.

Screen all pregnant women for gestational India achieves ‘outstanding

diabetes with point-of-care test, say experts
Ramya Kannan
CHENNAI
Researchers from India,
London, and Africa have
proposed that the oral glu-
cose tolerance test (OGTT)
used to determine if a preg-
nant woman has deve-
loped gestational diabetes
be replaced by an HbA1c
test that can also be used at
the point of care. They
have recommended that
this be administered in ear-
ly pregnancy, during the
first trimester itself.
In a paper published in
The Lancet Diabetes and
Endocrinology, authors ar-
gued that HbA1c offers a
simple screening test for
gestational diabetes, allow-
ing those at highest risk to
receive early intervention
and greatly reduces the
need for OGTTs. Research-
ers used the results from
STRiDE, a prospective co-
hort study, set up in seven
centres in south India and
seven in western Kenya.
More than 90% of gestational diabetes cases are estimated to occur
in low-income and middle-income countries. AFP
Participants were also in-
cluded from the PRiDE co-
hort in the U.K.
The proposal is signifi-
cant for India. More than
90% of gestational diabetes
cases are estimated to oc-
cur in low-income and
middle-income countries.
Currently, guidelines re-
commend that mothers
take an OGTT, which is a
concentrated 75 g oral so-
lution at fasting, and then
wait two to three hours to
do a follow-up, at the 24 to
28-week stage. This throws
up a lot of challenges, par-
ticularly in screening wo-
men who are in far-flung
rural areas and in hard-to-
reach areas. In such situa-
tions, a trained health care
worker can instead be gi-
ven a point-of-care testing
kit and, with just a drop of
blood, test the woman for
HbA1c at her own home.
The study concluded
that in India, an HbA1c re-
sult of 4.9 rules out dia-
betes, while women who
have a score of 5.4 or above
can be ‘ruled in’ for gesta-
tional diabetes. If the risk
score classifies them in the
lowest risk group, they
would not have to take an
OGTT; only those in the in-
termediate group between
these two values would
have to do the more com-
plicated test. “We roughly
estimated this will be
around 25% of all pregnant
women,” explained P. Sara-
vanan, professor at the
Warwick Medical School in
the U.K.’s University of
Warwick, and one of the
authors of the study.
For rural, remote areas
“This would be particular-
ly useful for women living
in rural areas and hard-to-
reach terrains where OGTT
will be impossible to do.
Although the direct cost of
this is roughly double that
of OGTT, if you include the
cost of travel, lost wages,
etc, it will be cost neutral.
Moreover, HbA1c is cur-
rently more expensive
partly because it is not
used routinely. However,
more usage will also bring
the costs down,” he added.
V. Mohan of the Madras
Diabetes Research Founda-
tion, another author of the
paper, said the big advan-
tage is this could help
avoid 50% to 64% of all the
OGTTs being done current-
ly. “While we believe that
the OGTT is a gold stan-
dard test and still do it in
our labs, using point of
care HbA1c test would real-
ly make a difference in a
public health setting, by
being able to reach more
women who might other-
wise be left out of the net.”
Another of the authors,
Uma Ram, senior obstetri-
cian at Chennai’s Seetha-
pathy Clinic, pointed to
two advantages of HbA1c
test: it confers the ability to
identify a high-risk group
earlier on in pregnancy,
and an opportunity to in-
tervene with diet and exer-
cise. There is data that ear-
ly intervention helps
prevent development of
gestational diabetes.
outcome’ in FATF evaluation
Devesh K. Pandey
NEW DELHI
India has achieved an out-
standing outcome in the
mutual evaluation con-
ducted during 2023-24 by
the Financial Action Task
Force (FATF), the govern-
ment said on Friday.
The Mutual Evaluation
Report of India, which was
adopted at the FATF plen-
ary held in Singapore from
June 26 to 28, places India
in the “regular follow-up”
category, a distinction
shared by only four other
G-20 countries.
“This marks a signifi-
cant milestone in the na-
tion’s efforts to combat
money laundering (ML)
and terrorist financing
(TF),” read a Press Infor-
mation Bureau release.
In a statement, the FATF
said the plenary concluded
that India had reached a
high level of technical com-
pliance with its require-
ments. The country’s anti-
money laundering (AML),
The report was adopted at the
FATF plenary held in Singapore.
countering the financing of
terrorism (CFT), and coun-
ter-proliferation financing
(CPF) regime was achiev-
ing good results, including
international cooperation,
access to basic and benefi-
cial ownership informa-
tion, use of financial intelli-
gence, and depriving
criminals of their assets.
However, the FATF ob-
served that improvements
were needed to strengthen
the supervision and imple-
mentation of preventive
measures in some non-fi-
nancial sectors. “India also
needs to address delays re-
lating to concluding ML
and TF prosecutions, and
to ensure that CFT mea-
sures aimed at preventing
the non-profit sector from
being abused for TF are im-
plemented in line with the
risk-based approach, in-
cluding by conducting out-
reach to NPOs [Non-Profit
Organisations] on their TF
risks,” it said.
Among other things, the
FATF has recognised the ef-
forts made by India on the
issue of mitigating the risks
arising from ML/TF, in-
cluding the laundering of
proceeds from corruption,
fraud, and organised
crime, and the effective
measures implemented by
India to transition from a
cash-based to a digital eco-
nomy to reduce ML/TF
risks. “This recognition is a
testament to the rigorous
measures implemented ov-
er the last 10 years to safe-
guard the financial system
from ML/TF threats,” the
government said.

To solve this puzzle online,

SCAN TO PLAY
14214 get across to our crossword site.
(set by Gussalufz)
@ https://qrgo.page.link/jjpTn
16 Seek carbon quota reforms at the earliest stage (4,2,6,3)
19 Unexpected exits from dodgy road sport (9)
22 Log 10 miscalculated? Well! (5)
24 Wholesome meal unwrapped on desk (7)
26 "Trailer," per simmering wife describing fight (7)
27 Bar featured in bible verse (5)
28 Coffee and cigarettes essentially carried by French sycophant
(9)
Down
1 Settled up a bill involving Gussalufz (6)
2 Hic! City parties, drinking hard like a fish (8)
3 Happy to tour, I'm in and out (10)
4 Excellent weed, mine to roll up (6)
5 Devotee's bench in church, with "I DIE PURE" scribbled (4-4)
6 Pickle of squash? Maybe not right (4)
7 Dropping regulars!? Team's ethicist rejected proposal (6)
8 Sees drag racing as an Olympic sport (8)
15 Deals with rowdy male teenagers (10)
16 In Berlin, please rely on English getting ignored with
resentment (8)
Across
17 Get away from the woman defending boundless love of force
9 Old, old relics repurposed as packing material (9) (5,3)
10 Holding maybe a chunk of western venture capital (5)
18 Exceptional points in set — result: 1-0 (8)
11 Crack a ton; draw (7)
20 Lively, uplifting musical showcasing Cuba (6)
12 Is in Barcelona, absorbing encounters in retreat with counts (7)
21 Sea's full of unlimited epic colours (6)
13 Senior member of party getting foreign money (5)
14 Vampire's soup recipe: some type of blood with fresh veggies 23 Embarrassed about combat payment (6)
(9) 25 Poet excluded in recitation (4)
CM
YK
SUDOKU FAITH
쑽 쑽
Lord saves Gajendra
The elephant Gajendra fought for several years to get liber-
ated from the crocodile’s clutches, but in vain. After get-
ting exhausted and all its faculties debilitated, it called
Lord Narayana for help, who rushed to the elephant’s res-
cue, shed tears, and told the elephant why he had not
called Him earlier. When the Lord asked the elephant
what boon he wanted, the latter pleaded that all those
who worship Him should be protected (Lokah samasthah
sukhino bhavanthu).
Trichy Sri Kalyanaraman said in a discourse how the
Tamil saint-poet Kambar had metaphorically handled the
doctrine of ‘Gajendra Moksha’ in his work Kamba Ra-
mayanam. In the Ayodhya Kanda, when Kaikeyi wanted to
see Rama, the speed at which Rama was going was like the
Lord transcending to save Gajendra. Dasaratha was like
the elephant, and Kaikeyi, the crocodile. In the Aranya
Kanda, when the demon Viraada was kicked by Rama, the
Solution to previous puzzle Solution to yesterday’s Sudoku
demon, realising his true nature, said his body was like the
crocodile and soul that of the elephant.
In the Sundara Kanda, Hanuman told Ravana that Brah-
ma had written on Gajendra’s forehead the fate of facing
the crocodile and that Lord Narayana had come to rescue
the elephant and slay the crocodile. So also the fate of Ra-
vana. In the Yuddha Kanda, Kambar recalls Prahlada.
When Prahlada’s father tried to get his son killed by an ele-
phant, Prahlada told the elephant to remember that the
Paramatma residing in his heart had saved the elephant’s
ancestor, Gajendra. The elephant had withdrawn, un-
harming Prahlada.
A IN-X

6 Saturday, June 29, 2024
A fresh start
The GST Council must not lose sight
of broader reforms
T
he Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council
was convened last week for the first time
in nearly nine months. With 11 new State
Ministers on board and a recalibrated NDA go-
vernment at the Centre, the Council began afresh
with a loaded agenda of clarifications, tweaks,
forbearances, and other procedural changes,
based on industry feedback and vetted by offi-
cials, that awaited its nod. Acknowledging that it
could not conclude deliberations on all that had
accumulated on its plate, the Council has re-
solved to meet again in August to take up the rest
of the items. Yet, it is quite creditable that the
Council could, over an afternoon preceded by
Union Budget consultations with States, arrive at
a consensus on a flurry of issues aimed at easing
the lot of taxpayers, reducing litigation, and even
providing tax relief on some items. To help stu-
dents, hostel accommodation costing up to
₹20,000 a month has been exempted from GST
altogether, along with railway services availed by
passengers. A uniform 12% rate has been ap-
proved for packing cartons, milk cans, and solar
e90104b3-1d5e-4cfc-9205-2c86f4381705
cookers, doing away with confusing classification
differences based on material or technologies.
Apart from several industry-specific measures,
a few of which will kick in with retrospective ef-
fect, the Council also opted to waive interest and
penalty on tax dues for the first three years of
GST, provided they are paid by March 2025. Mo-
reover, it lowered the stipulated pre-deposits for
filing appeals, including those that will be filed
with the upcoming GST Appellate Tribunals, and
approved a new form for taxpayers to correct er-
rors or oversights in previous returns. Beyond
nitty-gritties, the Council also signed off on end-
ing the anti-profiteering clause that required
firms to pass on any tax cut gains to customers,
and mandating biometric-based Aadhaar authen-
tication for all GST registrations in a phased man-
ner across India. The former will quell a difficult-
to-implement industry irritant, and one hopes
the latter will effectively ease the registration pro-
cess that some say has become cumbersome in
recent times, while curbing fraud perpetrated
through fake invoicing. The ground-level impact
of these moves may depend on the fine print that
may follow, but the intent to simplify and declut-
ter the seven-year old indirect tax regime is clear.
It is refreshing that the Council also plans to take
stock of the 2021 plan to rationalise the multiple-
rate GST structure, that has been in cold storage
for a while, when it meets next. The apex GST bo-
dy must not only revive and expedite GST rate re-
forms but also incorporate a road map to bring
excluded items such as petroleum and electricity
into the GST net while rejigging tax rates.
Debt trap
Kenya must find ways to service its debt
without punishing its people
T
he Kenyan President’s decision to rush
through Parliament an IMF-backed fi-
nance Bill that sought to increase taxes
on everything from imported sanitary pads and
tyres to bread and fuel backfired, with protesters
storming a section of the Parliament on Tuesday.
After the protests, which rights groups said had
left at least 23 people killed and 200 injured, Pre-
sident William Ruto announced that he would
not sign the Bill. The Kenyan government could
have avoided this bloody confrontation had it
paid more attention to the public mood. The go-
vernment’s plan was to raise an extra 200 billion
Kenyan shilling (some $1.55 billion) in taxes. Ear-
lier this year, the country had reached a deal with
the IMF to secure $941 million in additional lend-
ing. In subsequent talks in Nairobi, they agreed to
reforms, including tax increases, to stabilise the
country’s debt-battered financial situation. The
IMF deal triggered street protests. But the go-
vernment still went ahead with the plan to im-
pose additional taxes on the country of 54 million
people, a third of whom still live in poverty.
The government argues that its hands were
tied as the country struggles to repay its huge
debt burden — domestic and foreign debt was a
staggering $80 billion last year, accounting for
nearly three-fourths of its GDP. The government
spent more than half of its revenue servicing
debts last year. The crisis is an indictment of the
development model Kenya and several other
countries in the continent follow. Kenya, one of
the fastest growing countries in Africa, has bor-
rowed heavily from multinational lenders such as
the World Bank and the IMF as well as bilateral
partners such as China, to finance its infrastruc-
ture projects. But growth tanked and expenses
rocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic years.
The Ukraine war has led to a spike in global food
and energy prices, hitting African economies.
When the advanced countries increased interest
rates to fight inflation, the payment burden of
debt-ridden countries ballooned. In Africa, Zam-
bia and Ghana defaulted on their payments, and
then reached agreements with their creditors to
restructure debt. Mr. Ruto, who came to power in
2022, has promised to address the debt problem.
But he has been unimaginative and conventional,
letting the unpopular IMF dictate one-sided poli-
cy measures. Now that the Bill has been with-
drawn, he will have to tread carefully. He has yet
to spell out his next measures, besides saying that
austerity measures would be rolled out. He will
have to strike a balance between his people’s
needs and Kenya’s creditors. Multinational and
bilateral lenders should help the debt-laden
countries in Africa come out of this trap without
punishing their poor populace.
CM
YK
Editorial
Preaching consensus, provoking confrontation
O
n June 4, 2024, the verdict of our
country’s electorate was delivered
clearly and resoundingly. It signalled a
personal, political, and moral defeat
for a Prime Minister who had awarded himself a
divine status during the campaign. The verdict
negated not only such pretensions, but it was also
an unequivocal rejection of the politics of
divisiveness, discord and hatred, a repudiation of
both the substance and style of governance of Mr.
Narendra Modi.
The fading of accommodation
Yet, the Prime Minister continues as if nothing
has changed. He preaches the value of consensus
but continues to value confrontation. There is not
the slightest evidence that he has come to terms
with the electoral outcome, or understood the
verdict and has reflected on the message sent to
him by millions of voters. The first few days of the
18th Lok Sabha have, sadly, been far from
encouraging. Any hope that we might see a
changed attitude has been dashed. Any hope that
a new spirit of mutual respect and
accommodation, let alone camaraderie would be
fostered, has been belied.
I would like to remind readers what the INDIA
bloc parties told the Prime Minister when his
emissaries sought unanimity for the post of
Speaker. The response was simple and
straightforward: we said that we would support
the government — but in keeping with convention
and tradition, it was only fair and to be expected
that the post of Deputy Speaker would be given to
a member from the ranks of the Opposition. This
perfectly reasonable request was found
unacceptable by a regime that, it bears recall, had
not filled the Constitutional position of Deputy
Speaker in the 17th Lok Sabha.
And then, the Emergency was dredged up by
the Prime Minister and his party — astonishingly,
even by the Speaker whose position is
incompatible with any public political stance
other than one of strict impartiality. This attempt
to divert attention away from the assault on the
Constitution, on its foundational principles and
values, on the institutions it has created and
empowered, does not augur well for the smooth
functioning of Parliament.
It is a fact of history that in March 1977 the
people of our country gave a categorical verdict
on the Emergency, which was accepted
Tuning into the narratives in the American election
I
n this year of successive world-wide
elections, the issues in the United States
presidential election, to be held in
November, have not yet aroused considerable
scrutiny. Yet, 1892 was the last time an
immediately former President was contesting
with his successor incumbent. The election’s
main issues will cover immigration, democracy,
foreign policy, abortion and Donald Trump’s
indictments. In the current deeply polarised
setting, opinion polls show that supporters of the
former Republican President, Donald Trump, will
do so again; and the same applies to the current
Democrat President, Joe Biden’s followers.
The economy, the perception
The economy has become an important issue in
the November presidential elections; normally,
the economy should be decisive since history
shows that a sitting President with a strong
economy gets re-elected. But different economic
indicators are travelling in different directions;
some are positive, with low unemployment and a
rising stock market, but negatives also appear in
the high interest rate which affects everyone
using credit. The rate of inflation has not come
down, nor have prices even after the COVID-19
pandemic, though incomes have gone up.
The good aspects of the economy take time to
impact the public, unlike the negatives. Mr. Biden
is considered a better economic manager than
Mr. Trump, and 65% of the electorate appears to
think that the economy is in good or very good
shape. But whether this will be a steady trend or
only a momentary reaction cannot be
anticipated, remembering that Mr. Trump’s
pre-pandemic economy was quite strong. Most
voters are not focusing on the economy — at least
for now.
Polarisation in American society covers social
issues as well as the urban versus
rural/semi-urban divide. The latter since the
1990s are Republican, the former Democrat and
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Talking about Emergency history instead of debating
The President of India contemporary issues.
mentioning the Emergency Kshirasagara Balaji Rao,
that was imposed by the Hyderabad
Congress-led government in
1975, in her first address to I am 85 years old and have
Parliament after the 2024 worked in the central
general election, was government. The attempt to
unusual (Page 1, June 28). harp on the Emergency is
There is no doubt that the unwarranted. That Mrs
Emergency episode was a Gandhi was re-elected after
nightmare but most people the Emergency must not be
in India have forgotten forgotten. The leader also
about it. Though the speech expressed her regrets over
had the line, “My the events. The people of
Government is continuously the country understood
working for lasting peace in what had happened and
the North-East”, there has acted. I do wish the people
been no mention of the of this nation now recognise
burning strife in Manipur. It the wolves and the power
is a pity that the ruling mongers of today, who,
party and its government at tactfully and with political
the Centre talk about ingenuity, are clandestinely
THE HINDU
Chennai
unhesitatingly and unequivocally. That less than surprising given the communal invective and
three years later the party that was humbled in blatant falsehoods that the Prime Minister
March 1977 was returned to power, with a
majority never achieved by Mr. Modi and his
inflicted on the people during the election
campaign. He provocatively escalated the
party, is also very much part of that history. rhetoric out of fear that the election was slipping
away from him, showing complete disregard for
Sonia Gandhi Issues that need extensive debate the dignity and maryada of his position.
Member of We need to look ahead. The bizarre and In February 2022, the BJP and its allies got a
Parliament (Rajya unprecedented suspension of 146 Members of convincing majority in the Assembly elections in
Sabha), is Parliament, who were legitimately demanding a Manipur. Yet, within 15 months, Manipur began
Chairperson of the discussion on a deplorable breach of Parliament’s to burn — or should it be said was allowed to
Congress security, was clearly a way of ensuring that three begin to burn. Hundreds of people have been
Parliamentary Party far-reaching criminal justice laws could be passed killed and thousands dislocated. Social harmony
without any discussion. Several legal experts and in this most sensitive State has been shattered.
many others have expressed grave concerns Yet, the Prime Minister has not found either the
about these laws. Should these laws not be kept time or the inclination to visit the State nor to
in abeyance till they have undergone fuller meet with its political leaders.
Parliamentary scrutiny in keeping with accepted It is no wonder that his party has lost both the
parliamentary practice and especially since the Lok Sabha seats there, but this does not seem to
electoral verdict of 2024? have had any impact on his most insensitive
Similarly, amendments to forest conservation handling of the crisis that has engulfed Manipur’s
and biological diversity protection forest laws variegated society.
were pushed through last year when there was The Prime Minister diminished himself by the
uproar and chaos in Parliament. An ecological campaign he ran for over 40 days. His words did
and humanitarian disaster is awaiting us as the untold damage to our social fabric and to the
Great Nicobar project is pushed through. Should dignity of the office he is privileged to hold. It is
they also not be revisited to give meaning to the for him to reflect and introspect and recognise
Prime Minister’s stated desire for consensus and that in rejecting his call for 400-plus
for passage of laws after full debate and parliamentary seats, crores of our people — to
discussion? whom he promises sabka saath, sabka vikas —
e90104b3-1d5e-4cfc-9205-2c86f4381705
On the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test sent a powerful message, that they had had
(NEET) scandal that has wreaked havoc on the enough.
lives of lakhs of our youth, the immediate
response of the Education Minister was to deny The Opposition will reflect India’s voice
the magnitude of what has happened. The Prime The INDIA bloc parties have made it clear that
Minister who does his ‘Pariksha pe Charcha’ has they do not seek a confrontationist attitude. The
been conspicuously silent on the leaks that have Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, has
devastated so many families across the country. offered cooperation. The leaders of the
The inevitable ‘high power committees’ have constituents of the alliance have made clear that
been constituted, but the real issue is how the they are looking to being productive in
There is no professionalism of educational institutions such Parliament and to impartiality in the conduct of
evidence that as the National Council of Educational Research its proceedings. It is our hope that the Prime
the Prime and Training, the University Grants Commission Minister and his government will respond
Minister has and universities themselves have been so deeply positively. The initial evidence does not augur
come to terms damaged in the last 10 years. well, but we in the Opposition are committed to
with the Meanwhile, the campaign of violence and restoring balance and productivity in Parliament,
intimidation against India’s minorities has once to ensure that the voice of the millions who have
electoral
again intensified. In Bharatiya Janata Party sent us there as their representatives is heard and
outcome or has (BJP)-ruled States, bulldozers are again their concerns are raised and addressed. We live
reflected on the demolishing the homes of minorities based on in hope that the Treasury benches will step
message sent to mere allegations, violating due process, and forward so that we can fulfil our democratic
him by voters inflicting collective punishment. None of this is duties.
the two are sharply divided. De-industrialisation, place in society has been taken over by
deregulation since the 1990s, job losses, and evangelical movements and gun lobbies, which
agribusiness suffering have affected the rural attract strong support among rural communities.
areas deeply and magnified these differences. Support for unions appears still high among the
President Biden has tried to rectify this but has American public, and Mr. Biden was the first U.S.
not received any credit for his initiatives because President ever to join a picket line, but this factor
Krishnan the rural and semi-urban areas remain feeling is not likely to help his campaign for a second
Srinivasan
a former Foreign
discriminated against. Mr. Biden knows very well
that the rural vote needs more attention, but it
term.
Secretary will take decades for such a divide to be properly Factors now present
rectified. Four danger signals seem key to the future of
In industry, employment levels are good but American democracy: extreme partisan
inequality is still grave. A great deal of current polarisation; social questions of ‘belonging’, such
investment goes into hi-tech, high-skilled, as anti-immigration and racism; high economic
high-salaried jobs, but many of these projects are inequality and executive aggrandisement,
long term in gestation. Republicans tend to avoid namely, when a leader expands his/her power
involvement in the economy, but, here too, beyond the customary checks and balances.
Republican opinion seems to be changing. Mr. Some experts feel that all four factors are now
Trump has been talking of a 10% across-the-board present in the United States.
tariff but this will add to inflation and increase Mr. Trump was unwelcoming to immigrants,
each family’s expenditure by $1,500-$2,500 every and by the end of his term, public support for
year. immigration had risen. Mr. Trump’s policies on
immigration will prove inflationary since he
The approaches to trade wishes to deport thousands of low-wage earners.
In trade policy, there are clear differences Mr. Biden is more welcoming, but perhaps more
between the Biden and Trump approaches. Mr. so than the American public at large wanted, and
Trump is no believer in multilateralism, and he mismanaged border issues.
during his tenure used tariffs to leverage better This is now a contentious issue even among
bilateral trade deals. Mr. Biden retained some of Democrats and will be another factor going into
these tariffs but lowered others for Europeans, the elections. Mr. Biden tried to outflank the
for example, to block Chinese steel and Republicans with a bipartisan bill that the
aluminium in order to limit the high carbon used Democrats would not normally have agreed to,
to make these in China. The age of neo-liberal but Mr. Trump gave Mr. Biden a lifeline by
fundamentalist Democratic policies seems to be opposing it; Mr. Biden will now lose fewer votes
In the Biden over, while on the Republican side, the debate as a result.
versus Trump continues; the libertarians are very powerful but Opinion polls suggest that Democrat support
face-off, the core there are nascent signs of rebellion against them. among minorities such as African-Americans,
Regarding the unions, in some regions Latinos and Asian-Americans is slipping. But all
issues to shape
blue-collar workers have become newly these polls have a small sample size and the shifts
the November unionised at a time when the recent trend has could be small, and more marked among men
election exist seen the union movement decreasing. Unions than women. Nevertheless, they give cause for
but have still to have been helpful socially and assisted the the Democratic candidate in a few key States to
stir up scrutiny Democrats, but with de-industrialisation, their be worried.
engaged in cutting the roots was certainly a need to of February, with the 1,000 government seats
of democracy. keep India’s memory alive notification in late January. available across India. Our
Pulipaka Moorthy Kumar, to an event that highlights The authorities went ahead cause always goes
Nazerpet, Tenali, Andhra Pradesh the downside to the with the exam despite a unnoticed as we are not
temptations of power. That court ruling that the exams considered to be an
It is not necessary for the the Congress, the claimant of NEET MDS and NEET PG important part of the
BJP to illuminate the to India’s oldest political should be conducted medical fraternity.
Congress’s dark past. The tradition, chose to go on the around the same time as Gayathri,
party has faced the defensive, is a reminder the counselling process. The Thiruvananthapuram
consequences of its actions. that remorse is a rare recent developments of
The ruling party seems to emotion in politics. paper leaks, the NTA’s Fourth bridge collapse
be unable to digest the Jayanthy Subramaniam, deeds and indefinite Reports of bridges
changed composition of the Mumbai postponement of NEET PG collapsing in Bihar are proof
Lok Sabha. The way 2024 lead one to question of the extent of corruption.
parliamentary conduct has NEET MDS, counselling the decision to declare that When loot is the norm,
changed from day two is I had appeared for the NEET the counselling for NEET there is more in store for us
evidence of this. MDS 2024 which was MDS will begin from July 1. (Inside pages, June 27).
P. Paramasivan, conducted despite protests Unlike NEET PG which is V. Lakshmanan,
Chennai from aspirants of there attempted by around two Tirupur, Tamil Nadu
being inadequate time lakh people, the MDS exam Letters emailed to
On the anniversary of the between notification and has around 25,000 aspirants letters@thehindu.co.in
dark event in the evolution examination. It was every year, in the backdrop must carry the full postal
of democracy in India, there conducted in March, instead of there being less than address.
A IN-X

Saturday, June 29, 2024
Chennai
e90104b3-1d5e-4cfc-9205-2c86f4381705
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu inspects the Amaravati capital region. G.N. RAO
The promised land
The victory of Chandrababu Naidu has breathed life into Amaravati, his dream project that had turned to dust
under the previous regime. However, it has also led to decreasing land prices in Visakhapatnam, which was
touted by Jagan Mohan Reddy to be the administrative capital, and caused resentment in Kurnool, which was
proposed as the judicial capital. V. Raghavendra reports on public sentiment in Andhra Pradesh
n Thullur in Guntur district of coastal And-
I hra Pradesh (AP), people still wince when
they remember the sound of armed police
personnel marching through the narrow
lanes of the village about four years ago.
Aluri Pavani, a farmer in her 50s, remembers
the time vividly. In early 2015, she had given 2.75
acres of land to the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) go-
vernment, headed by Chandrababu Naidu,
which had announced its plan to build a new cap-
ital, Amaravati, for AP.
The previous year, the combined State of AP
had been bifurcated into two, AP and Telangana,
and Hyderabad was stipulated to be the joint cap-
ital for 10 years. From 2024, according to the
Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, AP
would have its own capital. Amaravati, an impor-
tant centre of Hinduism and Buddhism in India,
was Naidu’s dream project. He said in 2015 that
he envisioned a “smart, green, and sustainable
city” that would be a “symbol of pride for the pe-
ople of Andhra Pradesh and India”.
The project went on smoothly until early
2019. However, in May that year, the YSR
Congress Party (YSRCP) assumed power and
Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy proposed
three capitals instead — Visakhapatnam as the ex-
ecutive capital, Amaravati as the administrative
capital, and Kurnool as the judicial capital.
The 28,736 farmers who had parted with a
combined 33,000 acres of land, as part of a Land
Pooling Scheme in which they would be given a
developed plot of land in return, for the capital of
Amaravati were furious.
“Trying to stage protests on the streets be-
came the ‘new normal’ for us,” recalls Pavani.
The police imposed Section 144 of the Code of
Criminal Procedure, which prohibits the assemb-
ly of four or more people in an area. “They made
our lives miserable,” she continues. “We had to
confront the police all the time. The situation was
so bad that we had to show our Aadhaar cards to
step out of our homes.”
A. Rajani, a farmer from Thullur, says, “Not a
single day would pass without the police cracking
down on farmers who spearheaded the agitation
that went on for more than 1,600 days.”
The people of Thullur, one of the 29 villages
that constitute the capital region of the State, are
today hopeful because Naidu has come back to
power, but the cases booked against some of
them for violating the police curbs have not yet
been closed, they say.
Naidu’s dream capital
AP has been grappling with the question of a cap-
ital ever since bifurcation. In 2014, the Union Mi-
nistry of Home Affairs set up the Sivaramakrish-
nan Committee to study possibilities for a new
capital for the State. The Committee said there
was no need for a “single super capital city” and
favoured decentralisation. It opposed a green-
field capital as it believed that the costs of build-
ing it were too high. However, the Committee ad-
ded that if the government still wished to
construct a greenfield capital, it should search
for locations where large parcels of government
land were available.
Notwithstanding the recommendations of the
Committee, in September 2014, Naidu finalised
Amaravati as the capital on the basis of recom-
CM
YK
THE HINDU
GROUND ZERO
mendations of a panel headed by the Minister for
Not a single
day would
pass without
Municipal Administration, P. Narayana. The next
year, on October 22, the Prime Minister laid the
foundation stone for Amaravati at Uddandarayu-
nipalem village in Thullur Mandal.
A petition questioned the role of the Centre in
the police the State’s capital decision. The Supreme Court
said the setting up of the capital city was within
cracking
the State government’s discretionary powers.
down on Naidu was thrilled. He involved the Governments
farmers who of Singapore and Japan and renowned architects
spearheaded such as Foster + Partners to lend their expertise
the agitation. in designing and building the capital city, which
A. RAJANI was to be spread over 217 sq km and span the
Farmer erstwhile Guntur and Krishna districts.
“The TDP government had invited tenders
worth ₹48,000 crore for Phase-I of the capital ci-
ty project and even made payments amounting
to nearly ₹9,000 crore for works that had been
completed,” recalls Narayana.
Several villas and high-rise buildings were
constructed to house judges, bureaucrats, elect-
ed representatives of the State, and gazetted and
non-gazetted officers in Amaravati. An interim
government complex came up at Velagapudi,
about 20 kilometres from Vijayawada.
A ghost city
However, in 2019, all this came to a grinding halt
when the YSCRP government rode to power.
Reddy believed in decentralisation. His govern-
ment passed the Andhra Pradesh Capital Deve-
lopment Authority Repeal Act, 2020. Promptly,
all the new buildings constructed by the previous
TDP government were abandoned except the in-
terim government complex. Amaravati turned
into a ghost city overnight. Until June this year,
pipes, cables, and other construction material
could be seen everywhere, gathering dust. Roads
were lined with weeds. Dense vegetation had
grown around high-rise buildings.
Many people in the region say they lost a great
deal due to the agony of the changing circum-
stances. P. Bharat, a farmer who gave 2.5 acres of
land for the capital to the TDP government, alleg-
A view of the Haritha Resorts on Rushikonda Hill in Bheemunipatnam Assembly constituency. V. RAJU
es that his wife, a computer operator working on
contract in the Thullur Mandal Revenue Office,
lost her job because of the YSRCP. “Our child had
dressed up as Lord Venkateswara during the
protests against the capital shift. They fired her
on finding that out,” he says.
Hundreds of farmers describe January 10,
2020, as “an unforgettable day”. This was when
they embarked on a journey to the Kanaka Durga
temple in Vijayawada on foot to pray that Amara-
vati be retained as the capital of Andhra Pradesh
and were stopped by the police. “Several women
were injured in the clashes,” recalls Gottipati
Lakshmi, a farmer who was part of the protest.
Besides affecting the people, the AP Capital
Development Authority Repeal Act, 2020, and
the AP Decentralisation and Inclusive Develop-
ment of All Regions Act, 2020, which were in-
tended to split the capital into three parts,
sparked a major legal battle.
The Rajadhani Rythu Parirakshana Samithi, an
association of aggrieved farmers from the capital
villages, along with other entities challenged the
YSRCP government’s decision in court soon after
Reddy proposed the idea of three capitals.
On March 3, 2022, the YSRCP government was
forced to beat a hasty retreat after the High Court
ruled that the government had no legislative
competence to shift or even split the capital. The
Court issued an order saying the government
should develop Amaravati as the capital within
six months.
However, during its hearing of a Special Leave
Petition filed by the YSRCP government against
the High Court order dated March 3, 2022, the Su-
preme Court observed that the High Court was
“not a town planner or engineer” to say that Am-
aravati should be developed in a particular time
frame. The Special Leave Petition is pending final
adjudication by the apex court.
All eyes on Visakhapatnam
Meanwhile, with Reddy announcing Visakhapat-
nam as the executive capital, hectic political ac-
tivity and infrastructure development began in
the coastal city in 2019. While TDP and Jana Sena
Party ( JSP) leaders from other parts of the State
questioned his decision, local TDP and JSP lead-
ers welcomed it given the public sentiment in
Visakhapatnam.
There were several debates over where the ex-
ecutive capital should be located. After a series of
inspections, the YSRCP zeroed in on the Bheemu-
nipatnam region, located in south Visakhapat-
nam district, which is also considered the gate-
way to Visakhapatnam.
The decision led to an increase in land prices.
Construction activity boomed in many parts of
the city, especially Hanumanthuwaka, Arilova,
Marikavalasa, Madhurawada, Kommadi, PM Pa-
7
We never imagined that Reddy would try and
shift the capital. Regardless of who the Chief
Minister is, they should ensure continuity of
governance.
GADDE TIRUPATI RAO
Managing trustee of Amaravati Parirakshana Samithi
lem, and Rushikonda.
“People wanted to purchase flats or sites when
the capital announcement was made, assuming
that the prices would see a drastic increase when
the capital work began,” says Koteswara Rao, a
realtor from the city.
The government formed a committee to select
suitable places for the offices of various depart-
ments, head offices, and the camp office of the
Chief Minister. It recommended using existing
structures as temporary offices. Some engineer-
ing colleges were also proposed to be used as go-
vernment buildings.
The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corpo-
ration and Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region
Development Authority developed roads in the
wards of the Bheemunipatnam Assembly Consti-
tuency, which had been neglected for years.
Residents say there were regular inspections
by government officials, YSRCP ministers, and
MLAs in the region. “They used to check the de-
velopment of roads and the feasibility of con-
e90104b3-1d5e-4cfc-9205-2c86f4381705
structing some government blocks in the sur-
rounding areas of Rushikonda and
Bheemunipatnam,” says one resident. The
YSRCP government reportedly planned to make
the existing IT Towers and Special Economic
Zone region temporary office blocks.
“The present Greater Visakhapatnam Munici-
pal Corporation office was to be used as a Munici-
pal Administration and Urban Development De-
partment office. In contrast, a new office for the
Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation
was being allotted at the outskirts,” says a senior
roads and buildings department official.
Government officials and ministers began
looking for apartments in Madhurawada and
Yendada, which are located close to Bheemuni-
patnam. The YSRCP government organised sev-
eral meetings, including an Investors Summit, to
attract investments to Visakhapatnam.
In 2021, a major controversy erupted when the
YSRCP government demolished the government-
owned Haritha Resorts on Rushikonda Hill in
Bheemunipatnam Assembly Constituency, claim-
ing that the space would be developed as a five-
star resort for tourism. The TDP, JSP, and BJP al-
leged that the YSRCP government was construct-
ing the Chief Minister’s residence by destroying a
hill.
Last October, a committee appointed by the
YSRCP government said that the construction on
Rushikonda would be suitable for the Chief Minis-
ter’s camp office. When the YSRCP lost the elec-
tions in June this year, TDP and JSP leaders
barged into the site and alleged that the YSRCP
government was constructing the Chief Minis-
ter’s residence-cum-camp office at a staggering
₹500 crore.
Optimism once again
Now, with the TDP back in power, Amaravati has
come alive again. The sounds of more than 100
earth-movers clearing the jungles and doing civil
repair work have broken the eerie calm that has
prevailed for the last five years. Farmers have
gone by foot to Tirumala to express gratitude to
Lord Venkateswara for TDP’s return to power.
Naidu says he intends to rebuild the capital as
soon as possible on the basis of the old master
plan. “At a high-level review meeting, the govern-
ment will arrive at the estimated cost of recon-
struction,” says Narayana.
Gadde Tirupati Rao, managing trustee of Ama-
ravati Parirakshana Samithi, a group of farmers
affected by the proposed capital shift, points out
that the lands were given not to Naidu, but to the
government. “We never imagined that Reddy
would try and shift the capital. Regardless of who
the Chief Minister is, they should ensure conti-
nuity of governance,” he says.
The fact that the original Capital Region Deve-
lopment Authority Act of 2014 was restored by
the YSRCP government as a consequence of the
High Court order has offered no solace to farmers
as the dispute has still not been solved in the Su-
preme Court.
With the YSRCP reduced to just 11 MLAs in the
175-member Legislative Assembly, Naidu is likely
to face little resistance to his ambitious plan. In
the 2024 Assembly elections, the YSRCP was de-
feated in both the Mangalagiri and Tadikonda As-
sembly constituencies in which Amaravati falls. It
also did not win a single seat in the three urban
constituencies of Visakhapatnam, and Kurnool.
One major challenge Naidu faces is the finan-
cial crunch in the State. However, the Centre may
come to his aid as it is obliged under the AP Reor-
ganisation Act to extend financial support for
capital development.
Resentment in Kurnool
While Amaravati has begun to spring back to life,
there is disappointment in Kurnool, which will
not become the judicial capital in the changed
circumstances.
Lawyers say Naidu should fulfil his election
promise of creating a High Court Bench in Kur-
nool, now that their hopes of having the principal
seat of the High Court in Kurnool are dashed gi-
ven the government’s plan of establishing a single
capital city, Amaravati. The Reddy government
had established “quasi-judicial institutions” such
as Lokayukta and Human Rights Commission in
Kurnool as a prelude to its much-publicised slo-
gan of making Kurnool the judicial capital. The la-
wyers hope that the two institutions will be al-
lowed to continue in Kurnool. “This is all we ask
now,” they say.
With inputs from Harish Gilai in Visakhapatnam
and K. Uma Shankar in Kurnool
A IN-X

8 Saturday, June 29, 2024
e90104b3-1d5e-4cfc-9205-2c86f4381705
Students get their documents checked at an examination centre in Bengaluru before entering the hall for NEET on May 5. K. BHAGYA PRAKASH
Write NEET and repeat
The number of students who write NEET more than once — taking a year or more off exclusively to prepare for it — to finally get a seat in a medical college
is on the rise. Jayanth R. speaks to students and parents on the different issues
I did not get a medical seat because I got
“ only 320 out of 720 marks in NEET (Na-
tional Eligibility cum Entrance Test) re-
sults last year. I had the dream of becom-
ing a doctor since childhood, so I skipped the
year, joined a coaching centre, and studied hard.
This year, I got 600 marks, and I am hoping to get
a medical seat,” said Namrata (name changed), a
20-year-old student from Kolar, a town about 65
km from Bengaluru.
Pradyumna, from Bengaluru, is also a repea-
ter. He appeared for NEET for a third time this
year and is waiting for medical counselling. “I
have been writing NEET continuously since 2021,
hoping to get a government quota seat. I got the
32,000th rank in this NEET exam. Last year, I se-
cured the 3,52,000th rank even though I trained
all year,” he said.
For Monica S.J., a resident of a village in Rama-
nagara district, close to Bengaluru, it has been a
challenge to attend college as well as prepare for
NEET since she is from a rural area. “I could not
go to coaching centres because there are none
nearby. I stu-
died with
notes from col-
lege lectures,
online re-
sources, and
by referring to
guides,” she
said. But her
rank is below
17 lakh, which
means a medi-
cal seat is out
of the
question.
Recurring stories
Several such students have written the NEET this
year. They are waiting for counselling, which has
been delayed because of the alleged exam scam
and the ongoing Central Bureau of Investigation
investigation.
Now, even high scorers are unsure of getting a
seat of their choice. For example, Kalyan V. of
Bengaluru, who got the All India Rank-1 (AIR-1) in
the NEET this year and wanted to join the All In-
dia Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, is
not certain about getting a seat since an unprece-
dented 67 students have got AIR-1.
The alleged exam scam this year aside, statis-
tics show that the trend of students taking a
break after II PU to prepare for NEET exclusively
has been growing. A large number of candidates
are repeaters.According to the information pro-
vided by the Karnataka Examination Authority
(KEA), out of the total 10,917 medical seats avail-
able in 2023, as many as 7,012 went to repeaters,
that is 64.2%. This includes a student who passed
the II PU exam in 2007 and attempted UGNEET
successfully. This year, out of 89,088 students
who have qualified for counselling, 53,616 are re-
peaters, that is 60.2%.
Among those who have registered for coun-
selling, which has yet to start, is one candidate
CM
YK
THE HINDU
KARNATAKA
It is the
students'
right to
appear again
and again for
NEET.
However,
the Union
government
should
impose
some
restrictions
on repeaters.
PUSHPALATHA
parent
Students protesting at Freedom Park on June 11, against the alleged irregularities in the conduct of NEET;
(Left) Candidates at a NEET examination centre in Mangaluru on May 5. K. MURALI KUMAR & H.S. MANJUNATH
each who passed II PU in 1999,
2000, 2004, 2009, 2011, 2013, and
2015.
“Freshers, meaning students who
are writing II PU exams and also tak- Freshers find it hard to
ing NEET in the same year, find it compete with repeaters
hard to compete with repeaters who who have dedicated a
have dedicated a full year for prepa- full year for preparation. partment estimates, there are
ration,” said Divya Prakash, a stu-
DIVYA PRAKASH
dent from a Bengaluru college. student
Demand for restrictions
Students and parents are unhappy with this
trend of candidates writing the exam repeatedly.
They are calling for restrictions on the number of
attempts. “As of now, it is their right to appear
again and again for NEET.
However, the Union government should im-
pose some restrictions on repeaters,” Pushpa-
latha, a parent from Bengaluru, argued.
Speaking to The Hindu, Sharan Prakash Patil,
Karnataka Minister of Medical Education, said,
“In this regard, with the concurrence of the
States, the Union government should bring regu-
lations. There is an age limit for the entrance ex-
ams conducted for the various government re-
cruitments. Similarly, repeaters appearing for
NEET should have a limit of two or three at-
tempts or an age limit.”
Coaching centres
Meanwhile, intense competition
for NEET has resulted in coach-
ing centres mushrooming. Ac-
cording to Higher Education De-
around 2,000 coaching centres
in Karnataka. Most repeaters
join one of them and train for a
year. These centres charge a hefty fee, conduct
classes with boarding facilities, and have strict
schedules and restrictions.
“The question pattern has got tougher by the
year. Because of mobile phones, TV and the in-
ternet, children are unable to study properly at
home. So, at the coaching centres, we keep them
away from all these distractions,” said Pradeep
Eshwar, an MLA and founder of Parishrama
NEET Academy, Bengaluru. “We make them stu-
dy continuously for at least six to seven hours a
day. Thus, coaching centre students are more
successful in NEET.”
Even though the Higher Education Depart-
ment has ordered that these coaching centres
should be registered under the Karnataka Educa-
tion Act, 1983, pay a fee of ₹25,000, and meet 22
Chennai
e90104b3-1d5e-4cfc-9205-2c86f4381705
conditions, none have complied so far. However,
Pradeep Eshwar said Parishrama NEET Academy
has obtained permission from the Ministry of
Corporate Affairs to run a coaching centre. “I am
paying 18% GST on the fees received from each
student,” he said.
Beyond their reach
While on the one side, academies are thriving, on
the other side, medical education is beyond
reach for students who have no adequate finan-
cial resources or can’t skip a year. This is particu-
larly true for those from rural areas or those who
have studied in Kannada medium schools. Des-
pite the NEET being conducted in regional lan-
guages, this time, the number of students who
wrote NEET in Kannada is only 1,065.
“Medical courses are a daydream for rural and
Kannada medium students,” said Sripada Bhat,
an education activist. “Those who have money
go to coaching centres. Except for tier 1 and tier 2
cities, there are no coaching centres available for
CET, NEET and JEE exams. Therefore, the go-
vernment should immediately take steps to pro-
vide training for these exams at the college level.”
No free training
Earlier, the Higher Education Department used
to train students seeking admission to engineer-
ing courses through an online programme called
GetSetGo. It also helped medical seat aspirants
partially, as they also trained in Physics and Che-
mistry subjects as part of this course. However,
this hasn’t happened for a year.
In the 2024 Budget, the Karnataka govern-
ment announced that it would provide CET and
NEET training in all government-run PU colleges.
However, no steps have been taken to implement
this yet. Medical Education Minister Sharan Pra-
kash Patil said, “We are working on that. From
this academic year, CET and NEET coaching will
be started in the government colleges.”
Meanwhile, Monica, the student from Rama-
nagara, has given up on her dream of pursuing
medical education. She cannot afford to drop
one year, and even if she does, there are no spe-
cialized NEET training centres near her village. “I
am just hoping to get an engineering seat or join
some other professional course that will fetch me
a job,” she said.
A IN-X

Saturday, June 29, 2024
Chennai
e90104b3-1d5e-4cfc-9205-2c86f4381705
Khushi Rathi uses her father’s smartphone to study when it is available, at Kanwari village in Hisar district, Haryana. SHASHI SHEKHAR KASHYAP
A phone of her own
Across rural India, data show that girls are less likely to own smartphones than boys. Ashna Butani visits Haryana’s Hisar district to understand the
repercussions of the gap in ownership of digital devices on young women, their admission to college, and preparation for competitive examinations
n the winding alleys of Haryana’s Nalwa
I village, Hisar district, just about 165 km
west of New Delhi, India’s Capital, a group
of teenage girls takes time out from study-
ing and housework to meet in the evening. They
talk of leaving, to study in a bigger city and build
a life of their own.
For Raveena Saroha, 16, the appeal of going
out to study stems from her desire to “experience
the world outside”. Saroha, who hails from a fa-
mily of farm labourers, has relatives who moved
to Delhi, and who, in their weekly calls, tell her
about the many reputed colleges that she can go
to, given her calibre and performance in school.
Currently in Class 12, she says, “I do not know
about the admission process or the entrance ex-
am, as I do not have my own phone to use for re-
search and studies.” The first-generation learner
has only one phone at home, which she gets little
access to. When she imagines her future, she
thinks of studying Punjabi, her favourite subject,
and returning to Hisar to teach. But the path in
front of her has not been laid out just yet.
The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER)
(rural) 2023, ‘Beyond Basics’, which surveyed
35,000 youth in the 14-18 age group in one or two
rural districts in each State, showed that 90% of
surveyed households had smartphones. Of the
surveyed youth, 94.7% of males and 89.8% of fe-
males could use them. Of the males who knew
how to use smartphones, 43.7% owned such a
device, while in females, only 19.8% owned one.
In Sirsa district, this number was 32.4% for
males and 9.9% for females in the 14-16 age
group. The percentage was higher in youth aged
17-18, where 69.6% of males and 36.8% of females
owned phones. This device gap has an impact on
how much information comes to girls for higher
education, in terms of online application to un-
iversities and paid or free online study resources.
Hisar, one of the 22 districts in Haryana, has
many villages where vast expanses of fields are
accompanied with some schools, skill training
centres, and colleges. In 2023, the National Com-
mission for Women recorded 1,115 complaints of
crime against women, of the total 28,811. As per
the 2011 Census, the sex ratio of Haryana stood at
879. As per government numbers shared in 2022,
the sex ratio in the State was 865 for 2017-2019.
Sunil Jaglan, a gender and education activist in
the State, points out that boys’ education is prior-
itised. While many girls would like to study, even
those with the highest marks are left with little in-
formation about what to do next, and how to ap-
ply to colleges for entrance tests, he adds.
Jaglan, who started the ‘Selfie with Daughter’
and ‘Lado go online’ campaigns to encourage the
presence of girls online, and normalise society’s
outlook towards this in rural Haryana, says, “Ear-
lier, all information about admissions would ap-
pear in local papers and TV channels. Due to the
changing nature of information intake, the only
way for students to know more is through their
phones, as most information comes to phones.”
He says most girls are ambitious and want to
CM
YK
THE HINDU
HARYANA
study further, so some look to private companies
I do not
know
about the
that guide students, while others manage to do
the research on their own when their parents al-
low them to use smartphones at home.
Yogender Singh, a government school teacher
in Yamunanagar district, says smartphones are
still a luxury for many in rural Haryana. A good
admission smartphone would set a family back by ₹8,000,
process or and though less expensive than a laptop, it is still
the entrance hard to afford as a personal device.
exam as I do “Many families are struggling to make ends
not have my meet, so they cannot afford smartphones. In ad-
own phone dition to this, they have to recharge data, which
earlier used to cost around ₹100 a month but has
to use for
gone up to ₹200 a month in the past year or so,”
research says Singh, who teaches students from Classes 9
and studies to 12. There is also the pressure to get married at
RAVEENA a young age, he says.
SAROHA
Student
A different reality for those with means
Meanwhile, a handful of students who have the
means and access to information, hope to
change the situation in their hometowns. A few
kilometres down the same road slathered in dust
from a highway construction, another student
has similar dreams of going to a city and study-
ing. Hailing from a well-to-do family, the daught-
er of a government teacher, Surabhi (name
changed on request), who studies in one of the
few private Central Board of Secondary Educa-
tion schools in Nalwa, says the admission process
has been smooth for her.
“There are two tablets and a laptop at home,
so that has helped me figure out the admission
process,” she says. Surabhi adds that the access
helped her in filling out forms for the Common
University Entrance Test (CUET) for undergrad-
uate courses in Central universities and the Com-
mon Law Admission Test, the pan-India en-
trance exam for entry into law colleges. She gets
enough time on the devices to prepare for the
tests, with online material.
The ASER survey noted, “Girls use the devices
equally and equally well as the boys in rural set-
tings when they are given equal and unfettered
Girls cannot access online study material easily because they don’t own
smartphones or are not given free use of them. SHASHI SHEKHAR KASHYAP
access to the devices. In contrast, when their ac-
cess is constrained, their learning also is likely to
be affected negatively.” It also noted that the Na-
tional Education Policy 2020 strongly recom-
mends leveraging technology to improve educa-
tional processes and outcomes by promoting
digital literacy and tech-based initiatives.
It further observed that the data show that
more females in the age group are likely to aspire
to higher education than their male counter-
parts. However, while similar proportions of
male and female youth reported having used a
smartphone for education-related tasks and for
social media during the week, males were twice
as likely as females to have ever used a smart-
phone to access online services such as paying a
bill or booking a ticket (38% of males vs 19% of fe-
males had ever done so). Up to 50.6% of males
had an email ID compared with 29.9% of females.
Parents worry about ‘misuse’
Like Raveena, many girls in villages have restrict-
ed access to devices. Piyush Sangwan, 16, a Class
12 student got a tablet during the COVID-19 pan-
demic from her government school. Recalling
how she shifted to
online classes
then, she says
most of her studies
now take place on
I want my daughter to the device. Her
study hard and make a mother, who
keeps a close eye
name for herself, but I
on her while she
cannot afford a new uses it, says, “Ma-
phone at the moment ny students misuse
DINESH RATHI these devices, so
Truck driver we have to make
sure that our
daughters are not taking the wrong path. We res-
trict access for their safety.”
Priyanka Barwar, 18, who is currently seeking
admission in a BA course in Hisar, says she is still
confused about what she wants to do next — a dis-
tance learning course while preparing for the ci-
vil services exam or a professional or skill-based
course that would secure her a job. For her too,
research hours are limited. “Whenever I want to
use the phone, my parents are concerned that I
am talking to someone,” she says. The same rule
does not apply to her brothers, aged 16 and 12,
who play the video game PUBG when they get ac-
cess to the phone. She asks her 16-year-old broth-
er to help her find courses.
The ASER survey showed males were also far
more likely than females to use a smartphone for
entertainment. So, 69% of males versus 46% of
females reported playing games on a smartphone
in the week preceding the survey.
Some parents are also worried about how so-
ciety will perceive their daughters once they have
a phone, points out Anjum Islam, 23, a lawyer
who grew up in Haryana’s Mewat and fought ste-
reotypes to pursue her educational aspirations.
“When I started my internship in college and
9
e90104b3-1d5e-4cfc-9205-2c86f4381705
saved up some money, I could finally buy my own
phone. I had to explain to my family that I was
not doing anything wrong with having access to
the information that is out there in the world. Pe-
ople in the village would still tell my family that I
had been ruined because I had a presence on-
line,” she says, recalling the online trolling.
She now volunteers for the ‘Selfie with Daught-
er’ campaign, which aims at instilling a sense of
pride among parents in their daughters in the
State. She works on cases pertaining to gender-
based violence.
Economic stress doesn’t curtail dreams
In Kanwari village, Khushi Rathi, 15, wakes up at 4
a.m. to study on the one smartphone shared
among five siblings. Since her brothers use the
phone during the day, Khushi, who her family
calls “studious”, tries to make the most of the
morning hours.
While she hopes to become a doctor and is
preparing for the National Eligibility-cum-En-
trance Test (NEET) via YouTube videos and on-
line applications, her younger brothers, in Class
8, are interested in engineering and technology.
“I decided I wanted to become a doctor when I
saw that there are not enough doctors in govern-
ment hospitals in Hisar,” Khushi says. She uses
the National Council of Educational Research and
Training mobile application to study Biology,
Chemistry, and Physics.
Her father, Dinesh Rathi, who works as a truck
driver, often drives to other States, so phone ac-
cess is interrupted for the children. “I want my
daughter to study hard and make a name for her-
self, but I cannot afford a new phone at the mo-
ment,” he says.
The NEET forms cost ₹1,700 for the general ca-
tegory; ₹1,600 for Other Backward Classes (OBCs)
and Economically Weaker Section (EWS); and
₹1,000 for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled
Tribes (STs), and Persons with Benchmark Dis-
abilities (PwBDs).
In the CUET forms, students are asked to pro-
vide their details as well as preferences for test
centres. Students also have to attach copies of
their identity proof and caste certificates if any.
The fee structure is ₹400 per subject for the gen-
eral category, ₹375 for OBCs and EWS category
students, and ₹350 per subject for SCs, STs,
PwBDs, and gender-minority students.
Speaking about how smartphones play an im-
portant role in the admission and examination
preparation phases, Jaglan says, “Since the pan-
demic, education has moved online slowly. Infor-
mation on admissions and forms are available on-
line.” He adds that most rural areas have
Common Service Centres — government centres
aimed at assisting people in areas of agriculture,
health, education, banking, and financial servic-
es — free of cost. Though students get assistance
while applying for scholarships, information on
admissions is not as accessible in these centres.
When Khushi isn’t studying online, she is
found buried in her books, joke her brothers.
With a Science book and a Hindi translation of
Rabindranath Tagore’s short stories in her hands,
Khushi, who finds happiness in borrowing story-
books from the community library, says prepara-
tory material is expensive and hard to find. The
only time she stepped out of the district was dur-
ing a school trip to Ambala in Class 5, a formative
memory for her. She hopes to study outside the
district and later return to practise medicine.
Unsure of whether her father will be able to af-
ford the fees, Khushi remains focused on the end
goal: “Not many girls have become doctors in my
district. I hope to change that.”
A IN-X

10
ILLUSTRATION:
SATHEESH VELLINEZHI
e90104b3-1d5e-4cfc-9205-2c86f4381705
Trading
in the
red market
Kerala Police have allegedly unearthed an international organ trade racket functioning primarily
between India and Iran. M.P. Praveen looks at the developing story of horror which came to light with
the arrest of a suspect in Kochi in mid-May
few months ago, a passenger hurrying
A to board an international flight to Iran
was stopped by officials at the Mum-
bai airport, on a tip-off. This wasn’t
the first time. Previously, he had been turned
back at a major south Indian airport on suspi-
cion that his trip to Cambodia was connected to
an organ trade racket.
What happened at the Mumbai airport,
though, had consequences for another man. Be-
fore letting the suspect go in Mumbai, authori-
ties chanced upon suspicious-looking text mes-
sages, including medical reports, on his phone.
On May 18, Sabith Nasar, 30, of Valappadu in
Thrissur district, the man allegedly behind those
messages, was on his way back from Iran. Alrea-
dy on their watch list, immigration officials de-
tained him at the Cochin international airport
immigration counter. Assistant Immigration Of-
ficer Ramesh Kumar alerted the Nedumbassery
police in Kochi.
A team led by Station House Officer of Ne-
dumbassery T.C. Murugan took him into custo-
dy. A gruelling interrogation by officers at va-
rious levels ensued. The interrogation then
shifted to the Ernakulam Rural district police
headquarters in Aluva, where District Police
Chief (Ernakulam Rural) Vaibhav Saxena took ov-
er, exposing an alleged organ trade racket whose
real magnitude, the police claim, defied belief.
Police pressure
Initially stubborn, Nasar’s defence started to
crack as the grilling entered its fifth hour, say the
police. Eventually, he confessed to having played
the role of an agent for a Hyderabad-based rack-
et trafficking people to Iran as organ donors. It
emerged that, initially, Nasar had flown to Sri
Lanka as a potential donor, but was turned down
as his kidney didn’t match the recipient’s.
“As he declined to return to India, the racket
that hired him as a donor offered him another
role. He could work as a middleman in the illegal
organ trade for a lucrative commission. He
agreed and was put in touch with Madhu, origi-
nally from Palarivattom in Kochi city, who later
emerged as the mastermind behind the racket
trafficking organ donors to Iran. Since then, Na-
sar had frequently flown to Iran, where he
stayed with Madhu,” say investigation sources.
As Nasar buckled under intense interroga-
tion, he revealed names, one of which — Pratha-
pan’s — caught the attention of the investigation
team. What triggered it was the suspiciously fre-
quent and high number of online money transf-
ers, often running into lakhs of rupees, from Na-
sar to a private bank account in Hyderabad
attached to that name.
“At that point, we just had a name. Nasar him-
self knew little about the man who he had never
contacted. Later, we found that Prathapan only
maintained contact with Madhu. But we were
CM
YK
THE HINDU
KERALA
convinced that he was crucial to the whole
In this case,
the human
case,” says Saxena.
The Nedumbassery police registered a case
invoking Indian Penal Code Section 370 (traffick-
ing of persons) and relevant sections of the Hu-
man Organs and Tissues Act, 1994 covering a pe-
trafficking riod between January 1, 2019 and May 17, 2024.
charge will The Angamaly Judicial First Class Magistrate re-
also stick, manded Nasar in judicial custody on May 20.
especially IPC The police’s remand report painted the pic-
ture of a man who misled vulnerable people into
Section 370
paid organ donation by convincing them that it
that was permissible. He handled logistics such as
references travel for donors flown from India to Iran, post-
the forcible surgery accommodation in an apartment for up
removal of to 20 days, and their return flight to India, ac-
organs. cording to the remand report.
Besides, the
Case developments
victims are
On a directive of Ernakulam Range DIG Putta Vi-
also Indians. maladitya, Saxena formed a 10-member special
So, there is investigation team (SIT) led by Aluva Deputy SP
solid ground A. Prasad to probe the case. The police withheld
for the Prathapan’s name in the FIR and from the media
extradition of to prevent him taking flight. He still did, even as
the accused a dedicated team kept digging for information
about his identity and whereabouts.
JOHN S. RALPH
Lawyer Another team was despatched to Thirunellai
village in Palakkad district to track down Sha-
meer, who, according to Nasar, was the sole Ker-
ala resident among the 20 donors flown to Iran
during the four-and-a-half-year period. Shameer
was allegedly paid ₹6 lakh for donating a kidney,
Nasar had claimed, as per the police. But the
police team could not find Shameer, who, locals
said, had moved reportedly to Tamil Nadu, at
least a year ago.
In the meantime, the SIT made a second ar-
rest on May 24. Sajith Shyam of Edathala, near
Aluva town, was picked up after the SIT esta-
blished an online money trail between him and
Nasar. Shyam was allegedly a trusted man of
Madhu’s and a safekeeper of the profit Madhu
made through the organ trade. The two had
even set up a fictitious medical tourism compa-
ny as a cover for their allegedly illegal business.
Madhu maintained two separate channels of on-
line transactions with Nasar and Shyam, say the
police. Nasar was transferred the money to be
paid to Prathapan as commission, which varied
according to the time he invested in luring po-
tential donors. The rest of the profit was largely
parked in Shyam’s account.
According to sources, two accounts that Mad-
hu maintained in his personal name and in the
name of his company had ₹13 crore, while Na-
sar‘s account had ₹1.97 crore, and Shyam’s ac-
count ₹40 lakh. With the investigation still under
way, more accounts may emerge, they say.
The SIT found out that the racket charged the
recipients anywhere between ₹50 lakh and ₹60
lakh, and in some cases even up to ₹80 lakh, for
an organ. The
donors were never
paid more than ₹6 lakh.
Most of the donors were
from Andhra Pradesh and Telanga-
na, while the recipients were primarily from
Punjab, Rajasthan, Delhi, and Jammu and Kash-
mir. All transplants were allegedly done in Iran
and coordinated by Madhu.
“Initial check-ups, such as kidney function
tests and blood group tests, were suspected to be
made in hospitals and laboratories within the
country. Even after accounting for ₹6 lakh paid
to donors and up to ₹20 lakh towards flight tick-
ets, cost of surgery, three days of post-surgery
care, and 20 days of accommodation in an apart-
ment, it still left the racket with a substantial pro-
fit on each donation,” says Saxena.
Tracking down a chain
Meanwhile, the SIT kept trying to track down
Prathapan. They rummaged through hundreds
of call detail records of phone calls before zero-
ing in on one mobile number. While it remained
mostly switched off, it crackled to life
occasionally.
The team, under Inspector Mr. Murugan, Sub-
Inspector S.S. Sreelal, and ASI Ronnie Augustine
and Sreelal, locked onto the tower location when
the phone was switched on in Hyderabad. But it
was still a vast area with no exact coordinates of
his hideout.
The team had to plan meticulously, which
they did, aided by local intelligence inputs. They
patiently eliminated potential targets and finally
landed outside a nondescript hotel in Hyderabad
where he was found holed up. For a man who
left a bunch of professional cops chasing sha-
dows, he gave in quite meekly, say the police.
Ballamkonda Ramprasad, who went by the
name Prathapan, is a 41-year-old from Vijayawa-
da in Andhra Pradesh.
Prathapan had also started off as a potential
donor for a Delhi-based organ trade racket but
was rejected due to diabetes. He turned into a
middleman after linking up with another mid-
dleman who worked for Madhu in Kadapa, And-
hra Pradesh. Soon, he rivalled the Kadapa agent
as he cast his net far and wide both online and of-
Even after accounting for ₹6 lakh paid to
donors and up to ₹20 lakh towards flight
tickets, cost of surgery, three days of
post-surgery care, and 20 days of
accommodation in an apartment, it still
left the racket with a substantial profit
on each donation
VAIBHAV SAXENA
District Police Chief (Ernakulam Rural)
Saturday, June 29, 2024
Chennai
e90104b3-1d5e-4cfc-9205-2c86f4381705
fline, maintain-
ing the public persona
of a real estate agent to stave
off suspicion, say the police. He allegedly prow-
led the Internet and social media platforms,
sneaking into groups related to organ transplan-
tation to find potential targets. He also toured the
hinterlands of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana,
luring the poor as donors.
“Prathapan was the go-to man for many organ
trade rackets. He had the uncanny ability to find
the perfect match, which is quite rare in organ
donation. He supplied many of the donors in the
case [registered in Ernakulam Rural], and none
of them were rejected by the hospitals in Iran. He
claims to have been in the trade since the pan-
demic, but considering his seasoned operations,
we suspect he had been in the trade longer,” says
Saxena.
Soon after, the police traced Shameer to Ben-
galuru. He was also enticed by Prathapan on so-
cial media. He confessed that he went into hid-
ing, scared of the consequences of becoming a
donor for the racket that was on the police radar.
An ultrasound scan proved that one of his kid-
neys was indeed missing, matching his confes-
sion that he had donated it in Iran in May. After
finding himself neck-deep in debt due to his on-
line game addiction, he thought donating an or-
gan for a fee was his ticket to a debt-free life. But
that was not to be, as the racket short-changed
him.
The SIT has since added charges of cheating
and conspiracy against the accused for not pay-
ing Shameer the promised amount. The SIT has
now trained its focus on Madhu, who is in Iran.
After dabbling in digital marketing for a while,
Madhu is suspected to have turned to organ
trade at least a decade ago. He rarely visited In-
dia during that period, except for a week in Delhi
recently. He was the one to place the order for
donors with Prathapan. “
An Indian can be held responsible for an act
committed abroad if it is a punishable offence in
India, even if it is not in the foreign country con-
cerned. In this case, the human trafficking
charge will also stick, especially IPC Section 370
that references the forcible removal of organs.
Besides, the victims are also Indians. So, there is
solid ground for the extradition of the accused,”
says lawyer John S. Ralph, who recently dealt
with a similar case.
Getting hold of Madhu, the police say, will re-
veal more about the racket, which is believed to
have operated in ways that make the saying
“truth is stranger than fiction” ring true. The pol-
ice have initiated steps to get the Interpol to issue
a ‘Blue Corner’ notice, issued to facilitate infor-
mation on a missing person across country bor-
ders, against Madhu.
A IN-X
 THE HINDU
Saturday, June 29, 2024 11
Chennai
Business

INBRIEF
쑽 Coal, electricity buoy core output MARKETS
쑽
MARKET WATCH
FRIDAY % CHANGE
May’s heatwave likely spurred output at the two energy sectors, Index of Core Industries (ICI) data show; production of Sensex dddddddddddddddddddddddddd 79,033 dddddddddddddddddddddddd -0.27
US Dollar ddddddddddddddddddddddd 83.34 dddddddddddddddddddddddddd 0.13
cement contracted for the second consecutive month to hit the lowest level since November; ICI growth eased to 6.3% Goldddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd 72,550 dddddddddddddddddddddddddd 0.51
Brent oil ddddddddddddddddddddddddd 86.44 dddddddddddddddddddddddddd 0.72

Vikas Dhoot tracted for the second suc- The eight core sectors
NEW DELHI cessive month, dipping constitute just over 40% of NIFTY 50
0.8% following a 0.5% fall the Index of Industrial Pro- PRICE CHANGE
Adani Enter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 3177.15. . . . . . . . . . . . 2.00

O
utput growth in In- in April. However, in abso- duction (IIP). IIP growth Adani Ports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 1478.10. . . . . . . . . . -7.40
dia’s eight core in- lute terms, cement pro- had slowed to a three- Apollo Hosp. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 6185.70. . . . . . . . . . -6.80
Asian Paints. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 2917.05. . . . . . . . . . 36.20
frastructure sec- duction levels were the month low of 5% in April, Axis Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 1265.25. . . . . . . . -23.70

Ashok Leyland, Bajaj Finance tors eased to 6.3% in May,

from April’s 6.7%, with a
to offer vehicle financing double-digit rise in coal
and electricity production
Ashok Leyland has entered into a strategic pact offsetting contractions in
with Bajaj Finance to provide customised vehicle three sectors, including ce-
financing solutions to its customers across India. ment and fertilisers.
The MoU would enable both Ashok Leyland and Sequentially, the Index
Bajaj Finance to offer customised and seamless of Core Industries (ICI)
financial solutions to their customers, the rose 3.7% from April.
commercial vehicle manufacturer said in a Electricity generation
statement. “This strategic partnership will rose year-on-year at a se-
strengthen Ashok Leyland’s market position,” ven-month high pace of
said Ashok Leyland CFO K.M. Balaji. 12.8%, while coal produc-
tion grew 10.2%, both like-
ly triggered by higher de-
mand amid the heatwave
in most parts of the coun-
try through May.
Natural gas output rose
7.5% while steel produc-
tion increased 7.6%.
However, refinery pro-
ducts saw a mere 0.5% up-
tick in May, the slowest rise
in four months.
Cement output con-
lowest since November.
‘Upward revision’
The Commerce and Indus-
try Ministry revised April’s
ICI, reflecting a 6.7% rise,
higher than 6.2% estimat-
ed earlier.
The revision was driven
by upgrades to electricity
and steel, which are now
reckoned to have grown
10.2% and 8.8%, respec-
tively, compared with 9.4%
and 7.1% estimated earlier.
and ICRA chief economist
Aditi Nayar said she ex-
pects May’s IIP to rise in
the range of 4% to 5%.
“A combination of fac-
tors including the heat-
wave over parts of the
country and the phased
Parliamentary elections
could have curtailed activi-
ty and execution in some
sectors, even as the heat-
wave boosted demand for
coal and electricity,” noted
Ms. Nayar.
Bajaj Auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 9501.65. . . . . . . . . . 84.20
Bajaj Finserv . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 1588.15. . . . . . . . -14.95
Bajaj Finance . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 7115.55. . . . . . . . -51.20
Bharti Airtel . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 1444.05. . . . . . . . -31.75
BPCL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . 303.95. . . . . . . . . . -0.90
Britannia Ind . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 5475.55. . . . . . . . . . 45.25
Cipla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 1480.80. . . . . . . . . . -0.10
Coal India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . 473.15. . . . . . . . . . . . 6.10
Divis Lab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 4596.45. . . . . . . . . . 74.10
Dr Reddys Lab . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 6402.35. . . . . . . . 166.45
Eicher Motors . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 4672.95. . . . . . . . -40.85
Grasim Ind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 2670.45. . . . . . . . . . 32.85
HCL Tech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 1459.60. . . . . . . . . . . . 4.70
HDFC Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 1683.80. . . . . . . . -12.35
HDFC Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . 595.05. . . . . . . . . . . . 1.80
Hero MotoCorp . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 5579.60. . . . . . . . . . 94.40
Hindalco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . 693.55. . . . . . . . . . . . 8.30
Hind Unilever . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 2473.05. . . . . . . . . . 10.90
ICICI Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 1199.60. . . . . . . . -20.30
IndusInd Bank. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 1464.50. . . . . . . . -38.25
Infosys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 1566.75. . . . . . . . . . -6.60
ITC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . 424.90. . . . . . . . . . -0.70
JSW Steel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . 931.50. . . . . . . . -11.65
Kotak Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 1802.50. . . . . . . . -28.05

Bansal Wire Industries L&T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 3548.45. . . . . . . . -15.95

Strike call: Tata Steel

LTIMindtree Ltd. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 5385.05. . . . . . . . . . . . 8.00

unveils ₹745-crore IPO Fiscal deficit at 3% of RBI raises bar M&M . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 2866.65. . . . . . . . -22.30
e90104b3-1d5e-4cfc-9205-2c86f4381705

e90104b3-1d5e-4cfc-9205-2c86f4381705
Maruti Suzuki . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . 12033.85. . . . . . -144.90

for States/UTs’ NestleIndia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 2551.65. . . . . . . . . . 17.90

Bansal Wire Industries has announced to open

bids for its initial public offering (IPO) of equity target by May end WMA by 28% may shut Port Talbot NTPC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . 378.35. . . . . . . . . . . . 1.20
ONGC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . 274.20. . . . . . . . . . . . 6.70
PowerGrid Corp . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . 330.95. . . . . . . . . . -0.60
Reliance Ind . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 3130.80. . . . . . . . . . 69.70
shares on July 3 in the price band of ₹243 to ₹256
per share with a face value of ₹5 each. Bids can
be made for a minimum of 58 shares and in The Hindu Bureau Expenditure was just
to ₹60,118 cr. blast furnaces early SBI Life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 1491.95. . . . . . . . . . 28.50
State Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . 848.95. . . . . . . . . . . . 4.95
Shriram Finance
Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 2911.50. . . . . . . . -39.55
multiples of 58 shares thereafter. Total issue size NEW DELHI Sun Pharma . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 1520.85. . . . . . . . . . . . 4.60
comprises fresh issue up to ₹745 crore. The IPO
13.1% of projection, as
The Hindu Bureau The Hindu Bureau our assets through the pe- TataConsumerPro-

will close on July 5. Funds will be used for In the first two months of capital expenditure, MUMBAI MUMBAI riod of strike action, we
duct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 1097.45. . . . . . . . . . 11.85
Tata Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . 989.75. . . . . . . . . . 17.65
repayment of debt, working capital FY25, the Centre’s fiscal slowed to 12.9% of will not have any choice Tata Steel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . 174.01. . . . . . . . . . -0.15

requirements, and general corporate purposes. deficit was ₹50,000 crore,
or just 3% of the full-year fi-
gure penned into the Inte-
rim Budget, with receipts
Emcure Pharma fixes IPO price at 18.6% of the target aided
by the ₹2.1 lakh crore divi-
band at ₹960-₹1,008 a share dend transfer from the
central bank in May.
Emcure Pharmaceuticals has announced an IPO In contrast, expenditure
the annual target
nance Ministry said.
Economists reckoned
these numbers create
space for the Centre to pur-
sue greater fiscal consoli-
dation this year than the
The Reserve Bank of India
increased the Ways and
Means Advances (WMA) li-
mits of State governments
and Union territories to
₹60,118 crore from ₹47,010
crore effective July 1.
State/UT-wise break-up
of the limits is available on
Tata Steel Ltd. said it may
go for early closure of blast
furnaces at Port Talbot ow-
ing to the impending strike
by Unite Union.
“Following the announ-
cement by Unite Union to
unilaterally call strike ac-
tion from 8 July, Tata Steel
but to pause or stop heavy-
end operations (including
both blast furnaces) on the
Port Talbot site.”
“The company again
calls for Unite to withdraw
its industrial strike action
and join Community and
GMB unions in giving con-
TCS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 3904.15. . . . . . . . -30.00
Tech Mahindra . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 1430.35. . . . . . . . . . -1.90
Titan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 3404.20. . . . . . . . . . 23.60
UltraTech Cement . . . .. . . . . 11667.90. . . . . . . . -48.80
Wipro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . 514.85. . . . . . . . . . . . 4.05
EXCHANGE RATES
Indicative direct rates in rupees a unit except yen at 4
p.m. on June 28

of equity shares on July 2 in the price band of was just 13.1% of the projec- 5.1% of GDP target set in the RBI’s website. It said is unfortunately forced to sideration to the compa- CURRENCY TT BUY TT SELL

₹960 to ₹1,008 per share. Bids can be made for a tion, as capital expendi- the Interim Budget. “The Special Drawing Facility commence legal action to ny’s proposed Memoran- US Dollar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . 83.18. . . . . . . . . . 83.50
Euro. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . 89.08. . . . . . . . . . 89.43
minimum of 14 shares and multiples of 14 shares ture slowed to 12.9% of the revenue upside seen from (SDF) availed by States/ challenge the validity of dum of Understanding, British Pound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 105.26. . . . . . . . 105.67
thereafter. The IPO will close on July 5. The IPO annual target compared non-tax revenue... suggests UTs will continue to be Unite’s ballot,” a company which puts forward a wide- Japanese Yen (100) . . . . . . .. . . . . 51.82. . . . . . . . . . 52.02
Chinese Yuan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . 11.45. . . . . . . . . . 11.50
comprises a fresh issue of ₹800 crore and an with 16.8% by end May headroom to boost expen- linked to the quantum of spokesperson said. ranging proposal including Swiss Franc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . 92.54. . . . . . . . . . 92.91
offer for sale of up to 1,14,28,839 equity shares by 2023. Of the ₹6.23 lakh diture and target a faster investments in marketable “In the coming days, if generous employee sup- Singapore Dollar . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . 61.37. . . . . . . . . . 61.61
Canadian Dollar . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . 60.75. . . . . . . . . . 60.99
selling shareholders. The firm proposes to utilise crore expenditure by May fiscal consolidation,” ICRA securities issued by the go- we cannot be certain that port packages, training, Malaysian Ringitt . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . 17.63. . . . . . . . . . 17.71
the proceeds towards repayment or prepayment 2024, ₹1.43 lakh crore was chief economist Aditi vernment, including Auc- we are able to continue to and skills development,” Australian Dollar . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . 55.39. . . . . . . . . . 55.60
of borrowings and general corporate purposes. on the capital account, Fi- Nayar said. tion Treasury Bills (ATBs). safely and stably operate Tata Steel added. Source:Indian Bank

Need to eliminate ‘Tariff hikes signal Property owners Ad inventory selling

biases in algorithms better profitability
as AI on the rise: Das for telecom industry’ hotel brands: ITC
Press Trust of India
MUMBAI
Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
Governor Shaktikanta Das
on Friday emphasised on
the need to eliminate bias-
es in algorithms as the use
of artificial intelligence (AI)
and machine learning (ML)
is on the rise.
Delivering the inaugural
address at the 18th Statis-
tics Day Conference organ-
ised by the RBI, he said the
use of statistics had been
ever growing as a preferred
tool for drawing inferences
in diverse fields and the
discipline had moved
beyond collection of facts
to focus more on interpre-
tation and drawing infe-
rences, taking into account
keen to partner with at 40-50% premium
Shaktikanta Das
levels of uncertainty.
RBI has ventured into
AI/ML analytics in multiple
areas. Under the RBI’s aspi-
rational goals for
‘RBI@100’, Mr. Das said
the central bank was aim-
ing to develop cutting edge
systems for high frequency
and real-time data moni-
toring and analysis.
for Kensington Oval
Press Trust of India
NEW DELHI
The latest telecom tariff
hikes announced by telcos
could yield additional pro-
fits of ₹20,000 crore for
the industry once they are
fully absorbed, ICRA reck-
oned on Friday.
With an improved finan-
cial metrics, the industry
will have the headroom to
undertake deleveraging,
fund capex for technology
upgrade, and network ex-
pansion, Ankit Jain, VP and
Sector Head of Corporate
Ratings, ICRA said.
The rating agency’s view
comes after Reliance Jio
and Bharti Airtel an-
nounced they would roll
out tariff hikes between 10-
With improved
financials, industry
will have room to
fund capex and
deleverage: ICRA
27%, marking the first ma-
jor telecom tariff increase
in the industry in a span of
two-and-a-half years.
“The latest round of ta-
riff hikes, as telcos in-
creased prepaid tariffs by
around 15-20% will provide
traction in the (Average Re-
venue Per User) ARPU le-
vels,” ICRA said.
It expects revenues to
grow 12-14% in FY25, which
is likely to translate into
healthy expansion in oper-
ating profits by 14-16%.
Mithun Dasgupta
KOLKATA
Diversified conglomerate
ITC’s hotels business is wit-
nessing growing interest
among property owners to
partner with its brands, re-
sulting in healthy genera-
tion of leads and pipeline
of management contracts.
“Your company’s hotels
business continues to lev-
erage its ‘asset-right’ strate-
gy to be amongst the fas-
test growing hospitality
chains in the country with
over 130 properties and
12,000 rooms under dis-
tinctive brands,” ITC Ltd.
said in its annual report for
the financial year ended
March 31, 2024.
Notably, the board of di-
rectors of the cigarette-to-
soap maker on August 14,
2023 approved the pro-
nessing growing interest
amongst property owners
to partner with its iconic
brands resulting in healthy
generation of leads and pi-
peline of management con-
tracts. The business is con-
fident of rapidly scaling up
revenues through this
route going forward,” it
said.
In the last 24 months, 25
hotels were opened under
Meenakshi Verma
Ambwani
NEW DELHI
It promises to be a Super
Saturday for cricket fans
and advertisers. With India
entering the final of ICC
T20 World Cup after a gap
of ten years, there is a fren-
zy to book last minute ad
spots, which are being sold
at hefty premium.
Restaurants and pubs
are also gearing up for caster, Disney Star, which
higher footfalls and reve- began with 19 sponsors,
nues on Saturday evening ramped up the count by
for the tentpole event. roping in more sponsors.
Sources said the prices This included brands such
for the last minute ad spot as Asian Paints, Under Ar-
buys for the final clash with mour, Skoda and Grasim
South Africa at the scenic Birla among others.
Kensington Oval in Barba- Existing advertisers are
dos are being sold at 40- also looking to put in high-
50% premium. er spends on the final
match. Mayank Shah, VP,
Renewed interest Parle Products, said, “We

U.S. inflation ebbed in May Small savings

rates kept
posed demerger of the ho-
tel business into a separate
entity, ITC Hotels.
the brand portfolio, out of
which 24 are managed
properties.
“India in the World Cup fi-
nals is a national event.
There is bound to be re-
will be spending about 25%
higher on World Cup finals
than other matches. Unlike

as prices of goods declined unchanged

Reuters
WASHINGTON
U.S. monthly inflation was
unchanged in May as a
modest increase in the cost
of services was offset by
the largest drop in goods
prices in six months, draw-
ing the Federal Reserve
closer to start cutting inter-
est rates later this year.
The report from the
Commerce Department on
Friday also showed con-
sumer spending rose mar-
ginally last month. It raised
optimism the U.S. central
bank could engineer a
much-desired “soft land-
ing” for the economy in
which inflation falls with-
out triggering a recession
and a sharp rise in unem-
CM
YK
ployment. Traders raised
bets for a Fed rate cut in
September.
‘Better behaved’
“It helps the argument in-
flation is looking better-be-
haved, which may well
open the door to interest
rate cuts later in the year,”
said James Knightley, chief
international economist,
ING. The flat reading in the
personal consumption ex-
penditures (PCE) price in-
dex last month followed an
unrevised 0.3% gain in
April, the Commerce De-
partment’s Bureau of Eco-
nomic Analysis said.
Goods prices dropped
0.4%, the most since No-
vember. There were big de-
clines in prices of recrea-
tional goods and vehicles
as well as furnishings and
durable household equip-
ment. The price of gasoline
and other energy goods
dropped 3.4%. Clothing
and footwear were also
cheaper last month.
The cost of services rose
0.2%, lifted by higher pric-
es for housing and utilities
as well as healthcare.
The Hindu Bureau
NEW DELHI
The Centre on Friday de-
cided to maintain the same
rate of return on small sav-
ings schemes for the July to
September quarter, the se-
cond quarter in a row that
the rates are unchanged.
The interest rates on
small savings schemes
such as Public Provident
Fund (PPF) and National
Savings Certificate (NSC)
are reset each quarter as
per a formula.
The PPF rate has been
frozen at 7.1% since April
2020. The return on Suka-
nya Samriddhi Account
Scheme, which is tax-free
like PPF, was raised to 8.2%
earlier this year.
ITC shareholders, ear-
lier this month, approved
the conglomerate’s plan to
carve-out its hotels busi-
ness with an overwhelm-
ing majority. According to
the scheme, all the equity
shares of the new entity,
ITC Hotels, will be listed
and/ or admitted to trading
on the NSE and BSE. ITC
Hotels is presently a wholly
owned subsidiary of ITC
Ltd.
Focus areas
In its annual report, re-
leased on Friday, the com-
pany said ITC Hotels’ focus
is on sweating existing as-
sets, increasing the foot-
print of management con-
tracts, and creating
additional revenue streams
to engender the next hori-
zon of growth and value
creation.
“The business is wit-
The hotels segment
EBITDA stood at ₹1,049.88
crore for FY24, exceeding
the ₹1,000-crore mark for
the first time. Segment
PBIT for the year stood at
₹753.77 crore, witnessing
growth of about 39% over
FY23. During the last finan-
cial year, ITC’s non-ciga-
rette FMCG business
crossed consumer spends
of ₹32,500 crore, which
grew about 12% year-on-
year from ₹29,000 crore in
FY23.
The company said in ru-
ral markets it continued to
deploy market-specific in-
terventions to enhance di-
rect coverage on the basis
of socio-economic indica-
tors and market potential.
ITC’s digitally-enabled
sales have grown rapidly in
recent years.
(The writer is with The
Hindu businessline)
newed advertising interest
especially for fence sitters.
It will be sold out,” said Na-
vin Khemka, CEO-South
Asia, Essence Mediacom.
Sarfaraz Ansari, Senior
VP, Mudramax said,
“There has been strong ad-
vertiser interest to pick up
last minute ad spots for the
final match. About 10-15%
ad inventory was left with
the broadcaster, which is
being sold at a premium.
“It is expected to be sold
out by Friday evening.”
The T20 World Cup be-
ing held in the U.S. and
West Indies started on a te-
pid note when it came to
advertiser interest with
lower-than-expected vie-
wership due to early morn-
ing matches and delayed
night matches due to rains.
As the tournament pro-
gressed, however, interest
picked up. Official broad-
the IPL, the World Cup is a
punt if India does well it
draws good numbers. We
expect the finals to garner
one of the best viewership
ratings,” he added.
Meanwhile, restaurants
and bars are padding up to
cash in on the finals fer-
vour. Rahul Singh, Foun-
der & CEO, Beer Cafe, said,
“We are expecting a super
Saturday with the finals,
and expect to garner dou-
ble the revenue compared
to a regular screening.”
“Overall, we have been
seeing a good growth in
business during the crick-
eting season earlier, and
we are optimistic about the
final match on the same
lines,” added Divya Aggar-
wal, Chief Growth Officer,
Impresario Entertainment
& Hospitality Pvt. Ltd.
(The writer is with The
Hindu businessline)
A IN-X

12
TOKYO
Japan firm probing 76 deaths in
latest supplement tablets scare
X X
Japanese health supplement maker Kobayashi Pharmaceutical said
on Friday it was probing 76 deaths possibly linked to its tablets
containing red yeast rice, meant to lower cholesterol. It deepens a
scandal that erupted earlier this year when the company said it was
probing OTC products after complaints of kidney problems. AFP
Biden, Trump clash in presidential debate
In the first debate ever between a President and a former President, each traded personal insults and accused the other of being history’s worst;
while Biden, speaking rapidly in a soft, trailing-off voice, stumbled on his words often, Trump spoke loudly as he rushed through a list of complaints
e90104b3-1d5e-4cfc-9205-2c86f4381705
Agence France-Presse
ATLANTA
A
halting Joe Biden
struggled on Thurs-
day to hold off a
forceful offensive from Do-
nald Trump as the two
traded personal insults in
the fiery first debate of a ra-
zor-close presidential race.
A bombastic Trump
lashed out at his successor,
calling him a failure on the
economy and the world
stage. Mr. Biden looked to
hit back, but his delivery
was hesitant as he spoke
rapidly in a soft, trailing-off
voice and stumbled on his
words several times.
It was the first debate ev-
er between a President and
former President — and
each accused the other of
being history’s worst. Mr.
Trump and Mr. Biden, who
were each the oldest Presi-
dent when first elected,
even accused each other of
Bolivia’s Arce
lambasts
accusations
of ‘self-coup’
Associated Press
LA PAZ
Bolivian President Luis
Arce on Thursday angrily
called accusations that he
was behind an attempted
coup against his govern-
ment “lies,” saying the gen-
eral who apparently led it
acted on his own.
He also vowed that the
former general would face
justice.
Meanwhile, Mr. Arce’s
supporters rallied outside
the presidential palace on
Thursday, giving some pol-
itical breathing room to the
embattled leader.
Iran votes in snap poll
for new President
Associated Press
DUBAI
Iranians voted on Friday in
a snap election to replace
the late hard-line President
Ebrahim Raisi, with the
race’s sole reformist candi-
date vowing to seek
“friendly relations” with
the West in an effort to
energise supporters in a
vote beset by apathy.
Voters face a choice bet-
ween hard-line candidates
and the little-known refor-
mist Masoud Pezeshkian.
As has been the case since
the 1979 Islamic Revolu-
tion, women and those
calling for radical change
have been barred from
running, while the vote it-
self will have no oversight
from internationally recog-
nised monitors.
CM
YK
AP
being childlike as they ar-
gued over their golf swings.
Mr. Biden, 81, and Mr.
Trump, 78, did not shake
hands as they walked to
their podiums at the CNN
headquarters in Atlanta.
There was no live audience
and their microphones
muted as the other spoke —
rules agreed as they open a
campaign in a deeply po-
larised country.
Mr. Biden, who was re-
ported to have a cold, hit
Mr. Trump with clearly re-
hearsed lines as he sought
to remind millions of tele-
vision viewers that Mr.
Trump would be the first
convicted felon in the
White House.
“Think of all the civil pe-
nalties you have. How ma-
ny billions of dollars do
you owe in civil penalties
for, for molesting a woman
in public,” Mr. Biden said,
and “for having sex with a
porn star on the night,
Spiritual climb
Tenggerese Hindu worshippers and villagers climb Mount Bromo and gather at its top during the Yadnya Kasada festival in Probolinggo, East
Java, Indonesia. The festival is held to express their devotion and gratitude to their ancestors and gods. REUTERS
The voting comes as
wider tensions have
gripped the West Asia over
the Israel-Hamas war in the
Gaza Strip. In April, Iran
launched its first-ever di-
rect attack on Israel over
the war in Gaza, while mil-
itia groups that Tehran
arms in the region — such
as the Lebanese Hezbollah
and Yemen’s Houthi rebels
— have escalated their
attacks.
Meanwhile, Iran conti-
nues to enrich uranium at
near weapons-grade levels
and maintains a stockpile
large enough to build —
should it choose to do so —
several nuclear weapons.
More than 61 million Ira-
nians over the age of 18 are
eligible to vote, with about
18 million of them between
18 to 30.
BUENOS AIRES
Argentina Parliament approves
Milei’s pro-business reform plan
Argentina’s Parliament handed populist President Javier Milei his
first legislative triumph on Friday, approving his business-friendly
economic reform package after months of debate. Mr. Milei hailed it
as “the greatest fiscal adjustment not only in Argentina history, but
in the history of humanity”. AFP
Face to face: Joe Biden and Donald Trump participate in the first
presidential debate of the 2024 elections in Atlanta on Thursday. AFP
while your wife was
pregnant?”
“You have the morals of
an alley cat,” Mr. Biden
said.
Mr. Trump, a veteran of
rallies and reality televi-
sion, spoke loudly as he
rushed through a long list
of complaints about Mr. Bi-
den’s record.
“It’s a shame what’s
happened to our country
Make world governance more effective and balanced: Xi
Nikhil M. Babu
BEIJING
The Global South should
actively participate in re-
forming and developing
the global governance sys-
tem and make it more ba-
lanced and effective, Chi-
nese President Xi Jinping
said on Friday.
“China’s resolve to stay
on the path of peaceful de-
velopment will not
change. We will never take
the trodden path of colo-
nial plundering, or the
wrong path of seeking he-
gemony when one be-
comes strong. We will stay
on the right path of peace-
ful development,” Mr. Xi
said, in a thinly veiled at-
tack at the West.
He made the comments
at an event marking the
70th anniversary of the
“Five Principles of Peace-
ful Coexistence”.
THE HINDU
World
AFP
in the last four years,” Mr.
Trump said. “I’m friends
with a lot of people. They
cannot believe what hap-
pened to the United States
of America. We’re no lon-
ger respected.”
Mr. Trump sought to
seize on Mr. Biden’s deliv-
ery, saying at one point, “I
really don’t know what he
said at the end of that sen-
tence. I don’t think he
Mr. Xi said that during
the Cold War, newly inde-
pendent countries aspired
to safeguard their sove-
reignty and grow their na-
tional economy and the
five principles were includ-
ed in the China-India and
China-Myanmar joint state-
ments, which jointly called
for making them basic
norms for state-to-state
relations.
The Five Principles are
mutual respect for sove-
reignty and territorial inte-
grity, mutual non-aggres-
sion, mutual
non-interference in each
other’s internal affairs,
equality and mutual bene-
fit, and peaceful
coexistence.
“The Five Principles of
Peaceful Coexistence were
born in Asia, but quickly
ascended to the world
stage... The Non-Aligned
Movement that rose in the
MANILA
Philippine troops kill ten
communist rebels in a clash
AP
X X
Philippine troops killed at least 10 suspected communist guerrillas
in a clash in a remote northern area in the latest blow to a
decades-old insurgency that has weakened considerably, with only
about a thousand guerrillas remaining, military and security
officials said on Friday. AP
knows what he said either.” sonal attacks, Mr. Biden cit-
Kate Bedingfield, a ed accounts that Mr.
former Biden communica- Trump had described sol-
tions director, acknow- diers who died in the Nor-
ledged that “it was a really mandy landing as “suck-
disappointing debate per- ers” and noted his own son
formance” from the Beau, who served in Iraq
President. and later died of cancer.
“I don’t think there is “My son was not a loser,
any other way to slice it,” was not a sucker. You’re
she told CNN after the the sucker. You’re the los-
debate. er,” Mr. Biden said.
Mr. Trump denied the
Economic record remarks and repeatedly ac-
Mr. Biden immediately at- cused Mr. Biden of not be-
tacked Mr. Trump when he ing coherent.
was asked about stubborn On the world stage, Mr.
inflation, saying he inherit- Trump accused Mr. Biden
ed an economy in — who faces a backlash
“freefall”. from parts of his Demo-
Mr. Trump said he led cratic base over his sup-
“the greatest economy in port for Israel — of not
the history of our helping Israel “finish the
country”. job” against Hamas.
Mr. Biden shot back: Mr. Trump described
“Well, look, the greatest Mr. Biden’s withdrawal
economy in the world? from Afghanistan as the
He’s the only one who “most embarrassing mo-
thinks that.” ment in the history of our
In one of the most per- country”.
U.S. Supreme Court order
curbs power of federal agencies
Agence France-Presse
WASHINGTON
The conservative-majority
U.S. Supreme Court struck
down 40 years of legal pre-
cedent on Friday, curbing
the power of federal agen-
cies to regulate critical is-
sues affecting Americans’
daily lives, from air quality
to drug safety and more.
In a 6-3 vote, judges
overruled the landmark
1984 ruling in Chevron v
Natural Resources Defence
Council, which said judges
should defer to govern-
ment experts in determin-
ing a “reasonable” inter-
pretation of the law if the
language is ambiguous.
Xi Jinping during a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of People on
Thursday in Beijing, China. GETTY IMAGES
1960s adopted the Five fundamental principles of
Principles as its guiding international law,” he
principles. Over the past added.
70 years, the Five Princi- Mr. Xi said that of all the
ples of Peaceful Coexis- forces in the world, the
tence have transcended Global South stands out
time and space and over- with a strong momentum,
come estrangement, show- playing a vital role in pro-
ing robust resilience and moting human progress.
everlasting relevance. Standing at a new histori-
They have become open, cal starting point, the Glo-
inclusive, and universally bal South should be more
applicable basic norms for open and more inclusive,
international relations and and join hands together to
DENPASAR
Indonesia detains 103 Taiwanese
involving suspected cybercrime
Indonesian immigration authorities have detained 103 Taiwanese
people after a search at a villa on the resort island of Bali, officials
said on Friday. They were accused of misusing their visas and
residence permits and are suspected of possible cybercrimes,
director of immigration supervision and enforcement said. AP
Russia warns of
‘response’ against U.S.
drones over Black Sea
Associated Press
MOSCOW
Russia’s Defence Minister
ordered officials to prepare
a “response” to U.S. drone
flights over the Black Sea,
the Ministry said on Friday,
in an apparent warning
that Moscow may take for-
ceful action to ward off the
American reconnaissance
aircraft.
The Russian Defence Mi-
nistry noted a recent “in-
creased intensity” of U.S.
drones over the Black Sea,
saying they “conduct intel-
ligence and targeting for
precision weapons sup-
plied to the Ukrainian mili-
tary by Western countries
for strikes on Russian
facilities”.
“It shows an increased
involvement of the U.S.
and other NATO countries
in the conflict in Ukraine
on the side of the Kyiv re-
gime,” the Ministry said in
The U.S. Supreme Court in
Washington DC. AFP
But that had proved to
be “fundamentally mis-
guided,” and defied the
command of a statute ask-
ing courts to exercise their
independent judgment on
whether federal agencies
have overreached, said the
take the lead in building a
community with a shared
future for mankind, he
said.
Force for peace
“Together, we should be
the staunch force for
peace. We should promote
peaceful settlement of in-
ternational disputes, and
participate constructively
in the political settlement
of international and re-
gional hotspot issues. To-
gether, we should be the
core driving force for open
development. We should
restore development as the
central international agen-
da item, reinvigorate glo-
bal partnerships for deve-
lopment, and deepen
South-South cooperation
as well as North-South dia-
logue,” he added.
Countries should jointly
uphold the “golden rule”
of non-interference, and
Saturday, June 29, 2024
Chennai
AP
e90104b3-1d5e-4cfc-9205-2c86f4381705
a statement.
It noted that “such
flights significantly in-
crease the probability of
incidents involving Russian
military aircraft, which in-
creases the risk of direct
confrontation between the
alliance and the Russian
Federation”.
“NATO members will
bear responsibility for
that,” it added.
The Ministry said that
Defence Minister Andrei
Belousov has directed the
General Staff to “make pro-
posals on measures of op-
erative response to
provocations”.
Washington and Mos-
cow have clashed before
over U.S. drones in the
Black Sea. In a 2023 inci-
dent, a Russian fighter jet
damaged an American
drone there, causing it to
crash. A repeat of such a
confrontation could furth-
er fuel tensions.
majority opinion written
by Chief Justice John
Roberts.
The decision divided
the court along its conser-
vative-liberal fault line,
with the three judges ap-
pointed by Democrats vot-
ing against.
Backlash was swift
among lawmakers and
non-profits. Environmen-
tal group Earthjustice said
the ruling “has granted
their request carving out a
path for industries to take
advantage of the changed
landscape to challenge reg-
ulations they don’t like be-
fore judges who will be em-
boldened to second-guess
federal agencies”.
jointly oppose acts of im-
posing one’s will on others,
stoking bloc confrontation,
creating small circles, and
forcing others to pick
sides, he said.
The Chinese President
added that in the face of
new challenges, the auth-
ority and central role of
the UN can only be streng-
thened rather than wea-
kened.
“The purposes and
principles of the UN Char-
ter are never outdated, and
they are getting ever more
important. China advo-
cates the vision of global
governance featuring ex-
tensive consultation and
joint contribution for
shared benefit, and China
believes in true multilater-
alism,” he said.
(The correspondent is in
China at the invitation of
the China Public Diploma-
cy Association)
A IN-X
 THE HINDU
Saturday, June 29, 2024 13
Chennai
World

Protests in Kenya expose jet-setting

Ruto’s neglect of discontent at home
Hammered by a cost-of-living crisis and angry over those in govt. enjoying the largesse, Kenyans forced Ruto to ditch plans to introduce tax hikes
after days of protests; it has left the President weakened domestically, seeking to harness the wave of discontent ahead of 2027 polls, say analysts

Reuters monstrations dissipate, to complaints over the di-

NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter captured by Mars NAIROBI this civil disobedience is a rection the country was
Perseverance rover. FILE PHOTO generation-defining mo- taking, according to two

I
n the two years since ment,” said Declan Galvin, sources in regular contact
Meteorites strike he was elected, Ke-
nya’s President Wil-
managing director of Nai-
robi-based Exigent Risk
with his office.
Having campaigned as a

Mars far more often liam Ruto has wowed glo-

bal climate activists under
Advisory, a consultancy.
“The next election is
champion of low-income
“hustlers”, Mr. Ruto’s op-
the Eiffel Tower, brushed still several years away but ponents have since given
than thought: probe shoulders with global tech
titans in Silicon Valley and
Mr. Ruto clearly needs to
shift his political position
him the nickname “Za-
kayo”, the Swahili name
was toasted as a global pea- to address public needs for for a greedy tax collector in
Agence France-Presse cekeeper at the White his own political survival.” the Bible.
PARIS House. Mr. Ruto has earned a As protests mush-
As he notched up do- reputation for a fierce roomed, videos of politi-
Mars is bombarded with basketball-sized meteo- zens of foreign trips, ho- work ethic but has strug- cians flaunting their wealth
rites on a nearly daily basis, five times more often wever, citizens back home gled to shake an indict- circulated widely. Homes
than previously estimated, seismic recordings endured gruelling eco- ment by the International and businesses of parlia-
from a NASA spacecraft have revealed. nomic hardship. Criminal Court for his role mentarians who support-
Before the new study was published on Friday, Already hammered by a in post-election violence in ed the tax hikes have been
the best guess for how many meteorites strike cost-of-living crisis and 2007-08 even after the targeted.
Mars was made by looking at images taken by or- watching those in govern- court dropped the case.
e90104b3-1d5e-4cfc-9205-2c86f4381705

biting spacecrafts or models based on craters on ment enjoy the largesse de-
the Moon. But NASA’s InSight probe, which land- rived from their positions,
ed on a Martian plain called Elysium Planitia in Kenyans forced Mr. Ruto to
2018, has allowed scientists to listen to the inter- ditch plans to introduce
nal rumblings of the red planet for the first time. eye-watering tax hikes af-
Mars is roughly twice as big as the Moon and is ter days of protests.
much closer to our solar system’s main asteroid The U-turn has exposed
belt, making it a prime target for large rocks hur- the gulf between the image
tling through space. Most meteorites taking a shot of Mr. Ruto as the jet-set-
at Earth break apart in our atmosphere. But the ting global voice not just of
Martian atmosphere is 100 times thinner than Kenya but the wider conti-
Earth’s, giving it little protection. nent, and the grinding
Rather than scouring through images taken realities his nation faces -
from far away, the international team of research- weighed down by debt,
ers behind the new study in Nature Astronomy corruption and security
were able to listen in on meteorites smashing into threats.
Mars. “Listening for impacts seems to be more ef- It has left him severely
fective than looking for them if we want to under- weakened domestically
stand how often they occur,” study co-author Ga- with his administration di-
reth Collins of Imperial College London said in a vided in its response and
statement. his opponents rejuvenat-
The researchers used the data from InSight’s ed, seeking to harness the
seismometer to estimate that every year Mars is wave of discontent ahead
hit by between 280 to 360 meteorites, which all of elections in 2027, ana-
blast craters bigger than eight metres (26 feet) lysts and politicians said.
wide. “Enslaved and support-
Kenyan riot police arrest a man during a protest over proposed tax hikes in a finance bill in Nairobi. AP
ed by foreign interests, and
never pro-people in its out-
look and interests, [Ruto’s
administration] was bound
to face the consequences
of its priorities,” Willy Mu-
tunga, Kenya’s former
Chief Justice, said.
“As long as the material
interests of the youth are
not addressed, the chasm
grows bigger and bigger,”
he said.
Kenya - already one of
Africa’s biggest economies
and strongest democracies
– has in recent years ex-
panded its global role.
On the eve of the climax
of the protests, Mr. Ruto
flagged off 400 policemen
to lead a stabilisation force
in Haiti.
The U.S. has designated
Kenya as a major non-NA-
TO ally, the first in sub-Sah-
aran Africa, which gives it
access to training and
equipment but does not
oblige it to join NATO
operations.
Strong advocate
Earlier this month, Mr. Ru-
to spoke at the G-7 summit
about the need to reform
the global financial system
to help the poor and has
emerged as a powerful ad-
vocate for Africa in calls for
action on climate change.
However, with protests
erupting countrywide, in-
cluding in Mr. Ruto’s ho-
metown, Eldoret, and
louder calls for his depar-
ture, some analysts say his
administration is fighting
for survival.
Should Mr. Ruto dedi-
cate more time and energy
to addressing domestic
concerns, Western powers
risk losing the focus of one
of their strongest allies in
the battle for influence in
Africa, where they seek to
counter the growing power
of Russia and China, diplo-
mats and analysts said.
Mr. Ruto has offered dia-
logue to allay the fears of
protesters but it is not clear
if that will be accepted or
who talks would be with.
He must also come up
with a new plan to tackle
Kenya’s economic chal-
lenges, likely a hard sell
due to the deficit cuts he
will need to make to meet
the conditions of interna-
tional lenders for future
funding.
“Even if nationwide de-
Gabrielle Lynch, a Ke-
nya expert at the Universi-
ty of Warwick in the U.K.,
said that Mr. Ruto was “an
incredible performer”,
able to roll out facts and fi-
gures for donors and then
adapt his body language
and tone for a local rally la-
ter the same day. “It is as if
presenting himself as a
world leader would help
legitimise him at home and
remove the tag of the paro-
chial instigator of vio-
lence,” Lynch said.
Underscoring the scale
of his globe-trotting, Mr.
Ruto went on a total of 62
trips to 38 countries in his
first 20 months in power,
according to a tally by Ke-
nya’s Daily Nation
newspaper.
But when home, Mr. Ru-
to has appeared tone deaf
e90104b3-1d5e-4cfc-9205-2c86f4381705
‘Brazen arrogance’
Mutula Kilonzo Jr, a mem-
ber of the Opposition and
governor of Makueni
County, said the “brazen
arrogance” of government
officials fuelled discontent.
Anger has also been di-
rected at the World Bank
and the International Mo-
netary Fund (IMF), seen as
the drivers of Mr. Ruto’s fis-
cal policies. Since his
climb-down on tax rises,
Mr. Ruto must now find
another path to make his
nation’s debt pile of some
$80 billion, around 70% of
GDP, more manageable.
Kenya’s relationship
with the U.S. has deepened
under Mr. Ruto’s presiden-
cy but critics complain the
mutual admiration has
clouded Washington’s view
on Kenya’s challenges.

In ruby mining Closing rally

hub, Myanmar
ethnic fighters
battle junta
Agence France-Presse
YANGON
A Myanmar ethnic minori-
ty armed group was bat-
tling junta troops in a ruby
and gem-mining hub on
Friday, the group and resi-
dents said, with reports of
civilian casualties in shell-
ing and air strikes.
The Ta’ang National Lib-
eration Army (TNLA)
launched attacks on junta
troops earlier this week in
Mandalay region and
neighbouring Shan state,
shattering a ceasefire bro-
kered by China in January.
Its fighters were inside
Mogok, a town surrounded
by hills rich with rubies,
sapphires, spinel, aquama-
rine and other semi-pre-
cious stones, General Tar
Bhone Kyaw said, without
giving details.
Mogok residents said
the town had been hit by
artillery shelling and air
strikes by military planes
since fighting in the area
started on Tuesday.
“As far as I know, four
people including two wo-
men were killed yesterday
because of artillery shell-
ing,” one 57-year-old Mo-
gok resident said.
“We have no experience
like this”
Myanmar produces
much of the world’s rubies,
and top-quality stones
from Mogok – known as
“pigeon’s blood” for their
deep red colour – can fetch
more per carat than
diamonds.
The industry is noto-
riously opaque, with high-
value rubies often smug-
gled over the border into
Thailand or China to be
sold directly to private
buyers or made into
jewellery.
For decades Myanmar’s
junta and its opponents
have taxed local miners for
income.
CM
YK
Supporters of the President of Mauritania and leader of the Union for the Republic Mohamed Ould Ghazouani during the final campaign
rally in Nouakchott on Thursday. Seven candidates are running in Mauritania’s presidential election on June 29. AFP
Outrage as Afghan women excluded from UN-led talks with Taliban
Agence France-Presse
KABUL
Afghanistan’s Taliban auth-
orities will meet interna-
tional envoys on Sunday in
Qatar for talks presented
by the United Nations as a
key step in an engagement
process, but condemned
by rights groups for sidelin-
ing Afghan women.
The Taliban govern-
ment has not been official-
ly recognised by any state
and the international com-
munity has wrestled with
its approach to Afghanis-
tan’s new rulers.
When the UN, some 25
envoys including from the
United States and a Taliban
delegation meet in Doha
on June 30 and July 1, the
agenda will include eco-
nomic issues and counter-
narcotics. But the exclu-
sion of civil society groups
including women’s rights
activists has sparked an
outcry.
“Caving into the Tali-
ban’s conditions to secure
their participation in the
talks would risk legitimis-
ing their gender-based in-
stitutionalised system of
oppression,” said head of
Amnesty International
Agnes Callamard in a
statement.
“Sidelining critical dis-
cussions on human rights
would be unacceptable
and set a deeply damaging
precedent.”
A Taliban fighter stands guard as women wait to receive food being
distributed by a humanitarian aid group in Kabul. AP
Taliban authorities were
excluded from the first
talks in May last year. They
refused an invitation in Fe-
bruary, insisting on being
the only Afghan represen-
tatives at the official meet-
ing, to the exclusion of civil
society groups.
In this round, that con-
dition has been met.
The UN and internation-
Mongolia goes to the polls
to elect new parliament
Associated Press
ULAANBAATAR
Voters in the relatively
young democracy of Mon-
golia were electing a new
parliament on Friday in
their landlocked country
squeezed between China
and Russia, two much larg-
er authoritarian states.
At stake were 126 seats
in an expanded Parlia-
ment, 50 more than in the
previous election in 2020.
That contest was won by
the Mongolian People’s
Party in a landslide. The
governing party still ap-
pears to hold the upper
hand, but other parties
may be able to capitalise
on voter discontent to eat
into its majority.
About two dozen voters
lined up on a staircase
heading down to a polling
station in the outskirts of
Ulaanbaatar early on Fri-
day morning
Mongolia became a de-
mocracy in 1990, ending
al delegations will have the
chance to meet with civil
society representatives, in-
cluding women’s rights
groups, on July 2, after the
close of the main meetings.
Since returning to pow-
er in 2021, Taliban authori-
ties have enforced rules
based on a strict interpre-
tation of Islamic law, which
they have said ensure all ci-
tizens’ rights.
‘Gender apartheid’
Women have borne the
brunt of restrictions the
UN has labelled “gender
apartheid”. They have
been pushed out of public
life.
In a letter to the UN,
G-7+ countries said they
Mongolia became a
democracy in 1990,
ending more than six
decades of one-party
communist rule
more than six decades of
one-party communist rule.
While people have wel-
comed the freedoms that
came with the end of the
communist system, many
have grown cynical of the
Parliament and its mem-
bers, seeing them as work-
ing mainly to enrich them-
selves and their business
associates.
The Mongolian People’s
Party has recognised those
problems but largely
blamed them on other pol-
itical parties.
The Prime Minister, Oy-
un-Erdene Luvsannamsrai,
said on Friday that democ-
racy and trust in the Parlia-
ment are weakened when
personal interest is put
ahead of the national inter-
were “disappointed” over
the lack of human rights on
the agenda. An open letter
from 12 high-ranking wo-
men politicians from va-
rious countries called the
exclusion of women “out-
rageous” and out of step
with the UN Charter.
Afghan activists have
urged invitees to boycott
the meeting and called for
protests in multiple
countries.
The Taliban authorities
had warned shortly after
announcing that they
would attend the talks that
changes to the agenda
could affect their decision.
Rosemary DiCarlo, UN
Under-Secretary-General
for Political and Peace-
est. He called for a new
page of cooperation bet-
ween the government and
citizens after the first three
decades of democracy.
Corruption scandals
have eroded confidence in
the government and politi-
cal parties. Besides the
centre-right Democratic
Party, the HUN Party has
emerged in this election as
a potential third force.
In addition to corrup-
tion, major issues for vo-
ters included unemploy-
ment and inflation in an
economy rocked by the
COVID-19 pandemic and
then by the fallout from the
war in Ukraine.
There were 2,198 polling
stations spread out across
the sparsely populated
country, which is large ge-
ographically but has a pop-
ulation of only 3.4 million
people.
The voting stations are
to close at 10 p.m. with pre-
liminary results expected
early Saturday morning.
building Affairs, will chair
the talks. She defended the
set-up, saying: “This is not
an inter-Afghan dialogue.”
DiCarlo said the talks
were a positive step in a
process of engagement
that would “take time”.
“This is not a meeting
about recognition. This is
not a meeting to lead to re-
cognition,” she said. “En-
gagement doesn’t mean
recognition.”
Taliban Foreign Minister
Amir Khan Muttaqi has
said the invitation to Doha
“indicates that the interna-
tional community under-
stands the importance and
status of the Islamic Emi-
rate of Afghanistan more
day by day”.
A IN-X

14
BACKING CLASS
Don’t want to jinx it but there’s a
big one coming up for Kohli: Rohit
X X
India skipper Rohit Sharma has backed his opening partner Virat
Kohli to come good in the summit clash against South Africa. “I
don’t want to jinx it but I think there’s a big one coming up. I’m just
loving his attitude and that he’s committing himself on the field — I
think he deserves it,” Rohit said after the semifinal win.
History and heartbreak beckon as the T20
extravaganza reaches much-awaited climax
e90104b3-1d5e-4cfc-9205-2c86f4381705
There is little to choose between India and South Africa; Rohit’s men will rely on their experience in finals while Markram’s side will be buoyant after winning close games
Cliffhanger: Few teams understand the agony of not winning ICC tournaments the way India and South Africa do. While the Indians seek to end their 11-year drought, the Proteas eye their maiden World crown. K.R. DEEPAK & X@PROTEASMENCSA
WORLD CUP
Ashwin Achal
BRIDGETOWN (BARBADOS)
ndia has not won an
I ICC title since 2013.
South Africa has
reached the final of a men’s
World Cup for the first
time, after seven semifinal
defeats.
Come Saturday, at the
grand finale of the 2024
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup
at the Kensington Oval, a
jinx will be broken. This is
a battle between the two
unbeaten teams in the
tournament.
India, having overcome
all challenges posed by va-
Dravid gets ready for last dance
with elusive ICC crown at stake
Ashwin Achal
BRIDGETOWN (BARBADOS)
Rahul Dravid was the eter-
nal team man as a player.
Not much has changed in
his reign as the India head
coach. Dravid is not one to
hog the limelight.
But on Saturday, the
cameras are bound to turn
to Dravid. Now in his last
assignment as head coach,
Dravid has the chance to
script a fairytale ending
with a ICC Men’s T20 World
Cup title.
Dravid’s men have come
close to glory before — hav-
ing reached the final of
World Test Championship
and the 2023 Cricket ODI
World Cup.
On both occasions, the
team fell short. His primary
goal — to guide India to a
long-awaited ICC title — has
remained unfulfilled. A vic-
tory over South Africa here
will allow Dravid to walk in-
to the sunset.
To stay relaxed in a pres-
sure game is the key, Dra-
vid said. “We have just have
one day (between the sem-
ifinal and final). It is about
ensuring that we are physi-
CM
YK
K.R. DEEPAK
rying conditions and quali-
ty opposition, will believe
that a second T20 World
Cup trophy is within arm’s
reach.
The side has breezed
past stiff competition
posed by Pakistan, Austra-
lia and England. From the
low scoring games at New
York to the wind-affected
outing at St. Lucia, India
has found a way to get the
job done.
As the campaign pro-
gressed, new heroes have
emerged. In the Super 8
stage against Bangladesh,
Hardik Pandya hit top gear
with the bat to stand tall as
an ace finisher. Skipper Ro-
hit Sharma came to life by
blasting Australia all over
Final push: Kohli and Dravid will hope to finish on a high. ICC
cally, mentally and tactical-
ly ready.
“We need to be fresh,
mentally relaxed and look-
ing forward to the game.
We will try to get the
players into the right frame
of mind,” Dravid said at the
press conference.
This is a clash between
the two top sides in the
tournament. “Everyone
will agree that this is the
top two teams in this tour-
nament. South Africa and
India have played the best
cricket. They are deserving
finalists. Hopefully it is
TOO HOT
Men in Blue dethrone Buttler’s
England in emphatic style
England wilted under Indian might in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup
semifinal at Georgetown on Thursday.
The scores: India 171/7 in 20 overs (Rohit 57, Suryakumar 47,
Jordan 3/37) bt England 103 in 16.4 overs (Brook 25, Bumrah 2/12,
Axar 3/23, Kuldeep 3/19). PoM: Axar.
the park, and followed it
up with a fine 57 against
England in the semifinal.
Kuldeep Yadav, drafted
into the eleven when the
side moved from USA to
the West Indies, has been
among the wickets. And
then there is Jasprit
Bumrah, who has re-
mained unplayable
from start to finish.
Suryakumar Yadav
and Rishabh Pant are
the other proven per-
formers, giving the un-
it an air of invincibility.
Rohit’s diktat to not
take a step back, to at-
tack even when on the
back foot, has brought
the players to the
right mindset.
great game and we end up
on the right side,” Dravid
said. To reach three world
event finals in the space of
one year is no mean feat.
“It is a good thing that
we are consistent. It shows
that we have been playing
good cricket for a few years
now.
“To get into the world fi-
nals in three formats is cre-
dit to all our players. As for
Saturday’s final, if we play
well, and if we have the rub
of the green, then we can
definitely win,” Dravid
said.
THE HINDU
Sport
ICC@X
India also has the added
advantage of having played
one game at this venue — a
47-run win over Afghanis-
tan. This will be South Afri-
ca’s first match in the
island.
The Proteas have had a
few close shaves in
this journey. Not
least the must-win
West Indies outing in
the Super 8, which
went down to the
wire.
South Africa has
the goods to tackle In-
dia’s three-man spin
attack. Heinrich Klaa-
sen, David Miller, Ai-
den Markram and Tris-
tan Stubbs can let
loose when the slow
A World Cup summit clash has its pressures
and it’s hard to predict who will rule the day
Sunil Gavaskar
Saturday's ICC Men's T20
World Cup final will see
two teams who have tra-
velled unbeaten. One
among India and South
Africa will taste defeat and,
with it, endure their first
and hardest heartbreak.
India replicated its do-
minant run in the 50-over
World Cup in this cam-
paign too. Rohit Sharma’s
men are through to their
second successive ICC final
after making the summit
clash in the ODI format last
time, losing the title decid-
er to Australia. India made
amends this time around.
Australia was beaten com-
prehensively in the Super 8
stage, eventually contri-
buting to the team’s ouster.
India also swept past En-
gland in the semifinal
fixture.
Waiting for India is a
LEGACY
‘To make them proud and to have
their support means a lot to us’
X X
Aiden Markram is happy that former South Africa players and
captains have wished the team well ahead of the T20 World Cup
Final. “There has been a lot of support from our past players. These
are guys who inspired us when we were younger. To make them
proud and to have their support means a lot to us,” he said.
bowlers come on — a
strength which most other
teams lacked.
Like India, South Africa
boasts of gun players in
most spots. Kagiso Rabada
and Anrich Nortje offer
pure pace, while Marco
Jansen can trouble the In-
dian batters with extra
bounce. Quinton de Kock
has fired at the top of the
order, while Tabraiz Sham-
si has come good with his
left-arm wrist spin.
On paper, there is little
to choose between the
teams. It could come down
to mental preparedness
and staying calm under the
pump.
There is a chance that
rain could cause an inter-
Centrepiece: Kagiso Rabada will spearhead a deadly pace trio along with Nortje and Jaansen that will
hope to strike early against a strong Indian batting unit. GETTY IMAGES
South African side that
knows the pain of defeat
better than anyone else
and will be hungry to
clinch its first-ever ICC
World trophy.
The Proteas brushed
aside Afghanistan in the
semifinal on a pitch that
kicked up a storm in the
cricketing world. On the
other hand, India has also
K.R. DEEPAK
ruption. The final has a re-
serve day, to go with an ad-
ditional 190 minutes
available on Saturday to ex-
tend playing hours. The
millions watching will pray
for a full and cracking
contest.
The teams (from):
India: Rohit Sharma (Capt.),
Hardik Pandya, Yashasvi Jaiswal,
Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav,
Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson,
Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja,
Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav,
Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep
Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, and
Mohammed Siraj.
South Africa: Aiden Markram
(Capt.), Ottniel Baartman, Gerald
Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Bjorn
Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Marco
Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav
Maharaj, David Miller, Anrich
traversed arduous surfaces
but managed to play some
eye-popping cricket along
the way. Rohit’s half-centu-
ry in the campaign opener
against Ireland and Surya-
kumar Yadav's knock
against USA came on wick-
ets which not only tested
the batters’ technique but
also their temperament.
These star players have
TEAM EFFORT
‘It is down to the squad that has
been on a journey to its first final’
Skipper Aiden Markram credited the whole team for South Africa’s
entry into the World Cup final. “We’ve been together for a few years
now and we have a good understanding between us. This will help
us with the small margins. It was not me who got us here. It is down
to the squad that has been on a journey to its first final.”
Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan
Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, and
Tristan Stubbs.
Umpires: Christopher Gaffaney
and Richard Illingworth; TV
umpire: Richard Kettleborough;
Fourth umpire: Rod Tucker;
Match referee: Richie
Richardson.
been ably supported by
vice-captain Hardik Pan-
dya, whose cameos have
often been the difference
between victory and de-
feat for the outfit.
India bats deep and
that’s a huge advantage
against a testing new ball
attack that the Proteas
have. The competitive
edge for the 2007 T20
Saturday, June 29, 2024
Chennai
GETTY IMAGES
e90104b3-1d5e-4cfc-9205-2c86f4381705
Kohli. K.R. DEEPAK
Kohli will
bank on his
big match
credentials
Ashwin Achal
BRIDGETOWN (BARBADOS)
Virat Kohli cut a forlorn fi-
gure on Thursday after yet
another failure in the tour-
nament. With five single di-
git scores in seven outings,
he has had a poor run.
Kohli, accustomed to
dominating all and sundry,
will be desperate to make it
count in the final on Satur-
day.
Opening the innings, he
has struggled to adapt to
the bowler-friendly condi-
tions in USA and West In-
dies. The opener has gone
hard at the ball, when the
sticky surfaces demand
playing late. Rather uncha-
racteristically, Kohli has re-
sorted to wild swings, too.
His dismissal against En-
gland, knocked over after
walking down the track
and heaving across the
line, was a sign that Kohli
was on edge.
Kohli will do well to rev-
ert to his old self, where
timing and neat batsman-
ship did the trick. Only a
repeat can silence critics.
World champion comes
from its superior spin arse-
nal. Axar Patel and Kul-
deep Yadav have been al-
most unplayable in the
Americas thus far.
The South Africans do
have spin-immune re-
sources in the likes of Hein-
rich Klaasen, Quinton de
Kock and Aiden Markram.
Their pace trident features
Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jan-
sen and Anrich Nortje, but
Rohit's PowerPlay fluency
means the seamers have to
bowl their best to shake the
Indian skipper. The In-
dians have a pace trump
card of their own in Jasprit
Bumrah whose presence
has elevated the side’s
showing in this edition
compared to the 2022
chapter.
Big finals come with
their own pressures and
it’s hard to predict who will
emerge triumphant. Ho-
wever, this South African
unit looks a different beast
that’s determined to bury
the 'choke' word once and
for all.
(Professional Manage-
ment Group)
A IN-X
 THE HINDU
Saturday, June 29, 2024 15
Chennai
Weekend Sport
GETTY IMAGES

When Wimbledon starts on Monday, one

of the questions will be whether
Berrettini can refine his adept
grass-court game and successfully quell
the challenge from the maverick
all-courters

the slick lawns, Djokovic, Murray and more re-

cently Alcaraz have counted on bespoke skills to
blunt murderous power. They have used an ab-
breviated forehand technique so as to not feel
rushed. They also use a mixture of blocked and
sliced returns to either send the ball deep or reset
the point. Though they may not be ace masters,
spot-serving is now a necessary skill and no one is
as proficient at this as Djokovic.
Another aspect in which players are getting
better is movement. Among the hardest things to
accomplish when the tennis caravan shifts from
clay to grass is the transition that happens “under
the feet”, according to Vijay Amritraj. When
pushed wide on clay or a hard court, modern-day
players invariably slide. The stance is open and
they plant their leg in one big leap, make contact
with the ball while stopping their slide and quick-
ly recover to the centre.
This is not an option on grass during the first
week of Wimbledon when the courts are still slip-
pery. Once the shot is executed, the player has to
decelerate with smaller steps, turn and acceler-
ate again. The more efficient the player is at this
facet, the quicker he or she will be in getting to
e90104b3-1d5e-4cfc-9205-2c86f4381705

e90104b3-1d5e-4cfc-9205-2c86f4381705
the next ball.
Last year, American Christopher Eubanks,
who won the Wimbledon tune-up in Mallorca

Can Matteo Berrettini ride his monstrous

and made a rousing run to the quarterfinals at
SW19, revealed on social media an interesting ex-
change he had had with Belgian Kim Clijsters
wherein he said that he needed 17 steps to change

serve to Wimbledon’s summit?

direction out of the corners.

The Italian’s mammoth first delivery and hissing, rearing second have helped him win four titles on grass and make deep runs at the Championships. But in
the golden age of returners on modern-day lawns, which are slower and bouncier than before, can he go all the way?

N. Sudarshan semifinalist once. Four is half the number of tit- When Berrettini lands his first serve,
les he has won all career. it’s either unreturnable or sets up an

I
n tennis, there has always been the stereo- Berrettini has made at least one grass fi- easy putaway. On the second serve, he
typical image of the traditional grass-court nal in four of the five seasons since 2019
imparts so much spin that it locks the
player: moderately tall and lanky, with a (with Covid washing out 2020). With the
big booming first serve, an intelligent se- grass swing lasting just three weeks bet- returner into awkward positions In fact, Pete Sampras expanded this grass-
cond serve, a sound volley, a good slice and a de- ween the end of the French Open and the court technique to his play across surfaces. Ho-
cent overall game. start of Wimbledon, replicating success wever, in what is perhaps an indication of how
Since the turn of the millennium, though, a year on year is remarkably tough. What also to the 2020s, for it is now fairly established that play on grass has evolved, Djokovic and the rest
distorting distance has developed between this makes the 28-year-old’s achievement note- players in the current era are hitting with unseen have now found a way to slide and stretch on the
image and the reality. As the lawns at worthy is the fact that no other man, other levels of power and Berrettini is one of the best hallowed green fields, more so in the second
Wimbledon — the place where grass- than Djokovic, has won more than two grass practitioners of that. On grass, where the ball week when the area around the baseline is bone
court tennis finds its greatest exposi- titles in this period. bounces lower and manages to retain more of its dry.
tion — changed hue and racquet-and- Through his career, one of the biggest points speed than on other surfaces, it is doubly difficult When Wimbledon starts on Monday, one of
string technology improved, consum- of difference between Berrettini and the rest to play someone like Berrettini, for it shortens the the questions will be whether Berrettini can re-
mate all-courters have ruled the roost. has been his serve. Most times, when he time a returner has and often hurries them into fine his adept grass-court game and successfully
In the 21 editions from 2002 to 2023, Novak lands his first serve, it’s either an unreturna- shots. quell the challenge from the maverick all-cour-
Djokovic has won seven times, Andy Murray and ble or it sets up a second shot that is an ea- A comparison between his overall career sta- ters. But he is unseeded and ranked 60 in the
Rafael Nadal twice each, and Lleyton Hewitt and sy putaway. On the second serve, he im- tistics vis-a-vis grass lays bare this fact. On grass, world, and has suffered debilitating wrist and an-
Carlos Alcaraz once. Even the great Roger Feder- parts so much spin that it locks the he serves more aces (15.4% vs. 11.6%), wins a big- kle injuries over the past two seasons.
er, who appeared every bit the quintessential returner into awkward positions, making ger percentage of first-serve (80.6% vs. 77.7%) and
grass genius when he won the first of his eight tit- it harder to find angles. second-serve points (54.7% vs. 53.6%) and holds Thinner draw
les in 2003, moved away and held on to only a On grass, such traits have outsized better (91% vs. 87.7%). His Dominance Ratio — % He did, however, show glimpses of his best form
few of the basic tenets. consequences, for the ball, on average, of return points won divided by % of serve points by reaching the final in Stuttgart two weeks ago.
travels faster than elsewhere. In May lost — is also higher (1.2 vs. 1.13). It helps that there is no Federer and Nadal, and
Reclaiming space 2018, in an article in the International that the 37-year-olds, Djokovic and Murray, are
In the last five years however, there has been one Journal of Performance Analysis in More egalitarian grass just about recovering from knee and back surger-
man who has tried — and been fairly successful at Sport, five researchers, Frantisek Va- Why then has Berrettini not been able to crack ies respectively.
— upsetting the apple cart and reclaiming the verka, Jan Hendl, Jiri Nykodym, Zha- the code at Wimbledon? He did hold his own for There is defending champion Alcaraz and Ita-
place for his ilk — Matteo Berrettini. nel Jiri and David Zahradnik, com- a set and a half against Djokovic in the 2021 final lian top seed Jannik Sinner, fresh off his title in
The 6’5” Italian possesses a monstrous first pared data sets from 2008, 2012 and before withering away. The reason could well be Halle. Sinner has reached the semifinals and
serve, a second serve that hisses and rears, a 2016 and concluded that players at — as seen from the number of titles the likes of quarterfinals the last two years and only lost to
crushing forehand, a reasonable volley, an effec- Wimbledon “mostly strive to obtain a Djokovic, Nadal and Murray have won — that the Djokovic both times. The 22-year-old is drawn to
tive slice and a solid backhand. And with these higher speed of the first serve during grass court of today — slower and bouncier than meet Berrettini in the second round.
tools, he has won four of the 11 grass-court events the match relative to playing at the other before — offers a wider variety of players chances But there is still an unmistakable feeling that
he has entered starting Stuttgart 2019, finished a Grand Slam tournaments”. at excelling. this is one of the most open draws at Wimbledon
finalist twice — including 2021 Wimbledon — and It wouldn’t be a stretch to extrapolate this This is also the golden age of returners, and on in recent times. Can Berrettini make it count?

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STACKING UP

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 THE HINDU
16 Saturday, June 29, 2024

Weekend Sport Chennai

‘Crossing a legend like Tendulkar gives you the

assurance you are on the right track’
In this conversation, 22-year-old Sai Sudharsan discusses his dazzling rise from breaking through in the TNPL to breaking a record in the IPL, his endeavour to constantly improve and add to his game,
and the challenge of stepping up from domestic to international cricket
GETTY IMAGES

INTERVIEW

B. Sai Sudharsan
S. Dipak Ragav

O
ver the last three years, B. Sai Sudharsan
has quietly but rapidly risen through the
ranks. From bursting onto the scene in
the TNPL in 2021 to debuting for India in One-Day
Internationals in December 2023, it has been a
remarkable journey for the 22-year-old. He came
into the limelight with a brilliant 96 in the 2023
IPL final for Gujarat Titans against Chennai Super
Kings. He went on to have an impressive tour of
Sri Lanka with India-A in the Emerging Teams
Asia Cup, a short but fruitful county stint with
Surrey and an eye-catching performance in the
Irani Cup, which fast-tracked him into the Indian
e90104b3-1d5e-4cfc-9205-2c86f4381705

e90104b3-1d5e-4cfc-9205-2c86f4381705
set-up. This year, the Tamil Nadu left-hander
went one better in the IPL, topping the run-
charts for GT (527 in 12 games) and, in the pro-
cess, becoming the fastest Indian batter to 1,000
runs (25 innings), beating Sachin Tendulkar and
Ruturaj Gaikwad’s record (31 innings). He spoke
to The Hindu about his growth as a cricketer.
Excerpts:

You have had a terrific run in the last three

years. How do you look at it?

It’s been a great experience, for sure. There were

so many learnings, and I think I have good things
to take forward. It’s definitely been a dream. So-
metimes, when I feel we are playing so many
matches together, it is what we dreamt of. From
that first TNPL game in 2021, three years, it’s
been a great journey. I’m really grateful because ity. Just the consistency of the ity had to improve because I didn’t have many risks. I got that understanding after a few games
wherever I went, I have got an opportunity, start- people or the bowlers execut- options. I worked on that. of experience. Now, I want to get better at it so
ing with the IPL in 2022. In the first year, I got five ing is better. But it’s more about that I can do that from the first game of the sea-
games… that was a great opportunity for any I played the external things. You get more Last year, it seemed you added more shots, son, which can directly help the team. I am not a
youngster to get exposed to the conditions so under-19 pressure with 100,000 people like the uppercut and lap. person who generally sees a lot of stats, but so-
that they know what they can get better at and Challenger watching you. Cricket, I feel, is the metimes, when you see yourself cross a legend
what it takes to be there or how to improve as a and got same wherever we play. So, it is bet- In the first year, I couldn’t hit like that [Tendulkar], it definitely gives you a
batter. ter not to get affected by external through the lines or challenge the sense of happiness. It gives you an assurance that
dropped. factors. I visualise and meditate a speed and hit. In the second year, I you are on the right track and you are working in
Before COVID, you missed the under-19 bus, But it was lot. I try to keep everything similar was able to manage that or use the the right way so that you can get even better as a
and there was no cricket for a year. But from the best and not try something different pace. In 2022, I was trying to go batter.
your first TNPL, you have never looked thing to when I go to the next level. I have the after [the ball], but the next
back. Talk us through the work you put in happen to same processes and volumes during year, I was calmer and let the How do you balance the demands of the
during that time. me practice. When you are under pressure, ball come to me because it was a shorter formats with long-form cricket?
your second nature comes out, and that better option. That clarity has And is Test cricket a goal for you?
I played the under-19 Challenger and got has to be your best belief. gotten better. This year, I felt I
dropped. But it was the best thing to happen to had improved in risk-taking and I think Test cricket is the dream. It’s the purest
me. The experience teaches you a lot. What Where do you feel you have improved as a opened up a bit more. In 2023, we form. I believe red-ball cricket complements my
could have happened later, happened earlier to batter? all played around Shubman Gill white-ball game. Yes, I am also finding it a little
Exposure me, and made me aware that I should get better. because he was having such a difficult, but I’m trying to understand what it
to difficult The one good thing was I had one-and-a-half Game awareness. Sometimes, you practise a lot, great season. This year, since no takes to get better and adapt as early as possible
conditions years of work behind me. There was completely even some particular shots. But you don’t know one had a big season, I was from one format to another. I feel it’s about deci-
undistracted work or complete, deliberate prac- where to use it. I think that has gotten better in forced into a situation to step up sion-making and risk-taking. That is the crucial
and better tice each and every day, waking up, getting fitter, three years. Exposure to difficult conditions and and increase the intensity or difference.
opponents getting better as a batsman, as a person. There better opponents has helped my game aware- pace. I have some learnings and
has helped was more focused practice because we couldn’t ness, and my judgement has gotten better be- also areas to improve for next What are the goals for the new season?
my game do much else. I had all the time to focus on cause of that. As a batter in my first year [in IPL], year.
awareness, myself. I had a few things to work on after playing five There were many improvements and lessons
and my games. Last year, I played eight games, and How would you rate your from the last season. I went to Ranji, India-A, and
judgement How do you prepare when you move from again, I had a few things to work on. After ev- 2024 season? played in different conditions. I want to adapt
one level to another to bridge that gap from ery game, I try to analyse what’s hap- quickly when switching between white- and red-
has gotten domestic to IPL or international cricket? pened and what I can do better if I find I felt my approach could ball formats. Sometimes, it is difficult because the
better myself in that position again. That gives have been better in the requirements change and your basics change. It
because of I feel there is not much difference as you go up. some clarity on where I can get better. first half and that I could will always be difficult, but I want to see how
that Yes, there is definitely a slight difference in qual- After IPL 2022, I felt my shot-making abil- have taken more quickly I can do it.

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GAME THEORY PICTURE THIS

fields right through sport’s his- some have even encountered seball tend to be attention-
Pitch invasion tory — as a celebration, a prot- physical force from athletes seekers and pranksters, who are
est, a prank or a publicity stunt. irate with the disruption. On ejected from the ballpark and
An unidentified fan is tased by Not all of them suffer as much rare occasions, fans storming potentially banned from it.
an officer as he runs on the field pain as the punter in this photo- the field have created ‘a mo- Typically, the broadcast of
during the baseball game bet- graph, but the consequences for ment’ — especially after an epic the game cuts to another came-
ween the Cincinnati Reds and unauthorised entry can often be triumph — but even these cases ra shot to avoid encouraging
Cleveland Guardians earlier this severe. endanger the safety of everyone such behaviour by giving it air-
month in Cincinnati, Ohio. Fans have faced criminal involved. time or, in the case of streakers,
Fans have rushed playing charges, fines, even prison time; The intruders in modern ba- to avoid showing nudity.
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