Amid protests, Centre hikes MSP for rabi crops - Sosin Classes

Women can enter NDA,Centre informs SCNEW DELHI

The Union government on

Wednesday gave the

Supreme Court the “good

news” that it had taken a

decision to allow women

entry into the National

Defence Academy. If this

decision comes through

formally on paper, women

can prepare for a career in the

armed forces after Class XII.NEWS A PAGE 8

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NEARBY

Talks fail, farmers tointensify Karnal sit-inGURUGRAM

Leaders of the Samyukt Kisan

Morcha on Wednesday

announced their intention to

strengthen the sit-in agitation

outside the mini-secretariat in

Karnal after another round of

talks between the farmer

leaders and the district

administration failed.

CITY A PAGE 3

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The Tamil Nadu Assemblyon Wednesday adopted aresolution urging the Centre to repeal the Citizenship(Amendment) Act, 2019.While the BJP walked out,its ally, the PMK, welcomedthe resolution. AIADMKmembers were not presentwhen the resolution wasadopted as they had walkedout over another issue.

T.N. Assemblyurges Centreto repeal CAASpecial Correspondent

CHENNAI

DETAILS A PAGE 5

The Jharkhand Assembly onWednesday passed a Bill,which provides 75% reservation for locals in privatesector jobs with a monthlysalary of up to ₹�40,000.Once notifi�ed, Jharkhandwill become the third State,after Andhra Pradesh andHaryana, to pass such a law.

‘The Jharkhand State Employment of Local Candidates Bill, 2021’ was tabledin the House in March butwas later referred to a sixmember select committee.

The committee, chairedby Labour Minister Satyanand Bhokta, amended theBill with a few changes. Itwas named ‘The JharkhandState Employment of LocalCandidates in Private SectorBill, 2021’ and the monthlysalary cap was increasedfrom ₹�30,000 to ₹�40,000.“Every employer shall register such employees receiving gross monthly salary aswages not more than₹�40,000 as the limit notifi�edby the government fromtime to time on the designated portal,” states the Bill.

Jharkhand

House clears

Bill for 75%

quota for localsSpecial Correspondent

PATNA

The government on Wednesday increased the minimumsupport price (MSP) forwheat for the upcoming rabiseason to ₹�2,015 per quintal,a 2% hike from the ₹�1,975 perquintal rate of last year.

Oilseeds and pulses suchas mustard, saffl�ower andmasoor dal saw higher MSPhikes of up to 8% in a bid toencourage crop diversifi�cation, a statement on the decision of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Aff�airssaid.

The MSP is the rate atwhich the government purchases crops from farmers.Currently, rates are fi�xed for23 crops, including six cropsduring the upcoming rabi orwinter season for whichsowing will begin in October.

In a tweet, Prime MinisterNarendra Modi said the government had taken anotherbig decision in the interest offarmers by increasing theMSPs of rabi crops. He said itwould ensure maximum remunerative price for farmers and also encourage themfor sowing operations.

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomarsaid the decision was proofthat the government wascommitted to the MSP system.

The protesting farm unions under the Samyukt Ki

san Morcha pointed out thatthe rate of infl�ation was higher than the MSP hike formost crops, arguing that inreal terms, the MSP forwheat has dropped 4%.

Amid protests, Centrehikes MSP for rabi cropsIt will ensure maximum remunerative price for farmers: Modi

Priscilla Jebaraj

New Delhi

Grain supply: A worker sorting wheat at a farm in Patiala.

The Supreme Court shotdown a petition to direct thegovernment to immediatelyembark on a doortodoorCOVID19 vaccination policy,saying such pleas were a product of ignorance about thediversity of the country andcomplexity of governance.

A Bench, led by JusticeD.Y. Chandrachud, askedYouth Bar Association of In

dia, the petitioner, whetherit wanted the court to directthe government to scrap itscurrent vaccination drivewhen more than 60% of thepopulation had already received at least one dose ofthe vaccine and start down

the path of doortodoorvaccination.

‘Lack of understanding’“Do the same conditionsprevail in Ladakh and Kerala, or Uttar Pradesh? Are thechallenges same in urban

parts of India and the ruralareas? There is a lack of understanding about the diversity of the country, about thecomplexity of governance.You cannot ask the samething, in one stroke of thebrush, for the entire country… Over 60% of the population has taken one dose ofthe vaccine, it is not for usnow to turn around and sayscrap that and go for doortodoor vaccination,” JusticeChandrachud addressed thecounsel on the petitioner’sside.

SC rejects door-to-door vaccination pleaCan’t ask govt. toscrap currentdrive, it saysKrishnadas Rajagopal

New Delhi

CONTINUED ON A PAGE 8

The Union Cabinet onWednesday cleared anoutlay of ₹�10,683 crore on aproduction linked incentivescheme aimed at attractingfresh investments in themanmade fi�bre apparel,fabrics, and technicaltextiles sectors. The

scheme, which the government expects will help drawnew investment of morethan ₹�19,000 crore, aidingin the creation of 7.5 lakhdirect jobs, targetsimproving India’s ability tocompete in the globaltextiles market. A page 14

Cabinet approves incentivescheme for textile sector


One person died and at least35 are missing after two ferries collided on the fl�oodedBrahmaputra river off� Neamatighat in Jorhat district ofAssam on Wednesday.

The dead and the missingwere on the smaller ferry,Maa Kamala, that capsizedafter the collision with thebigger vessel, Tipkai, around3.30 p.m.

Officials said 42 others on

board Maa Kamala, whichhad set sail from Neamatighat for Kamalabari ferry pointin Majuli “island”, eitherswam to safety or wererescued.

All passengers on Tipkai,which was en route to Neamatighat from Kamalabari,were rescued by the personnel of the National DisasterResponse Force and the State Disaster Response Force .

Jorhat SP Ankur Jain saidthe rescued included sevenchildren. A few were admitted to local hospitals, but a28yearold woman amongthem died.

1 dead, at least 35 missing after ferries collide in AssamSPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Guwahati

NDRF personnel carrying outrescue work. * PTI


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thursday, september 9, 2021 Delhi

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Lok Janshakti Party leaderand MP Chirag Paswan onWednesday met Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav in Patna to invite him tothe fi�rst death anniversary ofhis father and founder of theLJP, Ram Vilas Paswan.

The meeting triggeredspeculation over the forgingof a new alliance in Bihar politics but Mr. Chirag said thiswas not “a moment to talkabout politics”.

When asked about RJDchief Lalu Prasad’s earlier

suggestion that both theyoung leaders should cometogether, Mr. Yadav told mediapersons: “We can’t say

anything after what Lalu jihas said.”

‘Close family ties’He added, “Late Ram VilasPaswan ji had close familyties with Lalu ji.”

Mr. Yadav also said, “I remember learning some of myearly lessons in politics whilecampaigning with Paswan jiin the 2010 Assembly polls,which he had fought alongwith my father.”

Mr. Chirag said he will goto Delhi on Thursday to meetMr. Prasad. “Today, I havecome to invite Tejashwi bhai

on the fi�rst death anniversaryof my father, which is goingto be held on September 12.Had my father been alive, hewould have liked Lalu ji andhis family to be part of anyfunction taking place in myfamily... I’m just carrying forward the tradition.”

Mr. Chirag has invitedPrime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah,Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to theevent. He has also extendedthe invitation to his estranged uncle and Union MinisterPashupati Kumar Paras.

Chirag Paswan calls on Tejashwi YadavMeeting stokes speculation over LJP and RJD forging an alliance in Bihar

Chirag Paswan, right, withTejashwi Yadav in Patna. * PTI

Amarnath Tewary

Patna

CMYK

A ND-NDE

A Delhi riots accused onWednesday alleged beforethe Delhi High Court that aninternal enquiry conductedby the police into the leakageof sensitive information tomedia about the probe“yielded no results” and wasan “eyewash” and the probeinto it should be conductedby an independentdepartment.

Asif Iqbal Tanha, a student

of Jamia Millia Islamia, who ischargesheeted in the Delhiriots conspiracy case told thecourt that sensitive information was leaked during thecourse of the investigation topeople who were not supposed to have it.

Arguing before JusticeMukta Gupta, his counselsaid it was necessary to “insulate the investigation” fromthe persons who are to besubjected to the scrutiny. “Ifan enquiry is not yielding the

result, it is only important togo to the next step, which isinvestigation,” said seniorcounsel Siddharth Aggarwal,appearing for Mr. Tanha.

“When enquiry yields noresult, where people to be investigated are the same asthose conducting it, whereenquiry was within closeddoors with no oversight,there is a mandate of entrusting that investigation to an independent department,” thesenior advocate contended.

‘Probe into media leak shouldbe done by independent dept.’Press Trust of India

New Delhi The national capital is likelyto receive rain for the nextthree days, according to theIndia Meteorological Department. While rain wasforecast for Wednesday, thecity received only scatteredshowers. In the past 24hours, ending at 8.30 a.m, itreceived 5.3 mm of rainfall.

The weatherman has forecast generally cloudy skywith light rain/thundershowers on Thursday. Maxi

mum and minimum temperatures are likely to hoverbetween 33 and 25 degreesCelsius, respectively.

“Scattered to widespreadrainfall likely over mostparts of northwest India tillSeptember 12. Isolated heavy rain likely over JK, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana from September 811;U.P. and western Rajasthanfrom September 911; Uttarakhand and eastern Rajasthan from September 812,”the Met department said.

Capital likely to receive rain for next three daysSpecial Correspondent

NEW DELHI

The Delhi High Court onWednesday transferred theprobe into the death of gangster Ankit Gujjar, inside theTihar jail last month, to theCentral Bureau of Investigation (CBI) noting he “lost hislife to custodial violence”.

The 29yearold gangsterwas found dead in Tihar jailon August 4. Justice MuktaGupta directed the CBI tosubmit a status report, aftercarrying out investigation,on October 28.

“A perusal of the postmortem report of Ankit belies the version of the Deputy Superintendent, Narender Meena and other staff�ersthat a scuffl�e took place inwhich both Narender Meenaand Ankit received injuries,”the High Court said.

“From injuries sustainedby Ankit, it is evident thatdeceased was brutally beaten and left unattended bythe jail doctor and nursingstaff�,” the court remarkedadding: “It is unfathomablethat when the jail doctor onduty visited at midnight, hedid not see the multiple injuries on Ankit.”

“Not only did NarenderMeena and others assaultedthe deceased mercilessly,the jail doctor on duty also

failed to perform his dutywhen he examined Ankit at 1a.m. and administered theinjection, as he neither informed the senior offi�cers ofthe condition of Ankit norreferred him to the hospital,” Justice Gupta remarked.

Role of jail doctors“In case proper medicaltreatment was provided tohim, his life could have beensaved. Thus an investigationnot only as to who all committed the off�ence of brutally beating the deceased todeath, but the role of jaildoctors in not providingproper treatment at theright time is also required tobe ascertained by a properinquiry,” the court ordered.

“Walls of prison, howsoever high they may be, thefoundation of a prison is laidon the rule of law ensuringthe rights to its inmates enshrined in the Constitutionof India,” Justice Guptaremarked.

She said that this casecalls for immediate remedialactions by the State and Director General, Prisons sothat unscrupulous offi�cers atthe jail do not take advantage of knowledge of thenonworking of the CCTVs toget away with any illegalact/off�ences.

HC transfers probe intocustodial death to CBI Gangster died inside Tihar last month

Staff Reporter

New Delhi

Environment Minister GopalRai on Wednesday said theStatelevel Environment Impact Assessment Authority(SEIAA) and Statelevel Expert Appraisal Committee(SEAC) have been notifi�ed bythe Centre, “following a proposal by the Delhi government”. Mr. Rai said that nowit will be easier to handle applications and the environment impact assessment willbecome more robust andtransparent in the State.

“Category ‘B’ projects requiring environmental clearance will not have to waitfor the Central government’sapproval and approval willnow be given in a fasttracked manner by the Delhigovernment itself. As muchas fast tracking will be asought after solution, we willalso make the system morerobust and transparent. Environment protection is one

of the prime responsibilitiesof the Delhi government andwe will not compromise onit,” Mr. Rai said.

Delhi government hadsent its proposal for reconstitution of SEIAA/SEAC,along with names of experts,to the Central government in2020 and after multiple correspondence and meetings,the notifi�cation was fi�nallyissued, as per authorities.

“It is to be noted that asper the Environment Protec

tion Rules, all category ‘A’projects [mega projects] areapproved by an Expert Appraisal Committee of theMoEFCC while all category‘B’ projects [large projects]are approved by the StateLevel Authority (SEIAA),” anoffi�cial statement said.

Lower pendencyThe authority will meetmonthly, leading to fasterdecision making and lowerpendency of cases and it canalso mandate regular inspection of project sites whichhave been granted environment clearance (EC) to ensure that they are complyingwith norms, the Delhi government said.

As per the gazette notifi�cation, Sarvagya Kumar Srivastava will be Chairman ofthe SEIAA, Reena Gupta,Special Secretary of Environment Department ofGovt. of Delhi, will be themember Secretary.

Environment protectionto become robust: RaiCentral government reconstitutes State-level authorities

Staff Reporter

New Delhi

Gopal Rai inspecting thenewly inaugurated smogtower in Connaught Place.

* FILE PHOTO

India’s fi�rst elevated crosstaxiway, which is beingconstructed at the IndiraGandhi International Airport, is scheduled to beready by December 2022with 60% of the work already complete, Delhi International Airport Limited(DIAL) said on Wednesday.

Once completed, it willcut 55,000 tonnes of CO2

emission annually and minimise aircraft delay.

Passengers will be ableto reach the terminal fasterafter landing, as the elevated eastern cross taxiway isset to reduce the distancethat an aircraft has to taxifrom 9 km to 2 km, it saidin a statement.

“Environment hasemerged as a major focusarea in the aviation sector.We have implemented AirportCollaborative Decision Making for airport operations and all runwayoperations to minimise aircraft delay and associatedemissions. We have ensured that all airside vehicles run on CNG to reducecarbon emission,” said I.Prabhakar Rao, DeputyManaging Director, GMRGroup, that operates theDelhi airport.

‘Elevated crosstaxiway to be ready by Dec. next year’

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI

IITDelhi is launching weekend lectures and laboratory demos titled ‘SciTechSpins’ for high school students where professorswill engage with studentssharing their research inscience, technology andallied fi�elds.

The institute said thelectures will take studentson “short, but rivetingspins” into the fascinatingworld that surrounds us.The lectures will be informal and in a dialogical settings, with the hope to kindle interest in students.

The fi�rst lecture, titled‘Design Thinking A Powerful Tool for ProblemSolving’, accompanied bya lab demo, will be deli

vered by P.V. MadhusudanRao, Head, Department ofDesign, IITDelhi on September 11.

Proactive stance The institute said it regularly receives multiple requests from schools forcampus tours, workshopsand mentorship programmes for their students and this was a proactive stance on academicoutreach for schools.

V. Ramgopal Rao, Director, IITDelhi said: “Wewant to connect with thousands of other studentswho are outside the IITsystem and inspire andhelp them in all possibleways. The goal of SciTechSpins is to connect with every school in the country.”

IIT to launch lectures for school students The aim is to kindle interest in science


NEW DELHI

Jawaharlal Nehru University ( JNU) on Wednesday announced that it will hold itsfi�fth convocation on September 30, for which Education Minister Dharmen

dra Pradhan will be thechief guest.

JNU restarted holdingan annual convocation after several decades in2018. It will be held onlineand graduates will have toregister to participate.

JNU convocation on Sept. 30Special Correspondent

New Delhi

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DELHI THE HINDU

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 20212EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

CITY

CMYK

A ND-NDE

Published by N. Ravi at Kasturi Buildings, 859 & 860, Anna Salai, Chennai-600002 and Printed by S. Ramanujam at HT Media Ltd. Plot No. 8, Udyog Vihar, Greater Noida Distt. Gautam Budh Nagar, U.P. 201306, on behalf of THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD., Chennai-600002. Group Editorial Officer: Krishna Prasad. Editor: Suresh Nambath (Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act).

Regd. DL(ND)-11/6110/2006-07-08 ● RNI No. UPENG/2012/49940 ● ISSN 0971 - 751X ● Vol. 11 ● No. 215

Delhi Weather

Delhi City

Safdarjang

Palam

max

34

34

33

min

26

26

27

© Copyright Skymet Weather 2019

All rights reserved.

Delhi Palam Today33ºC Light rain and thunder-storm would occur at some areas. Warm and humid day likely with light winds.

Delhi Palam Tomorrow 32ºC Few spells of light to moderate rain and thunder-shower with gusty winds may occur at some areas. A humid day with mainly overcast sky.

Timings

DELHI

THURSDAY, SEP. 09

RISE 06:03 SET 18:34

RISE 08:09 SET 20:17

FRIDAY, SEP. 10

RISE 06:04 SET 18:32

RISE 09:13 SET 20:53

SATURDAY, SEP. 11

RISE 06:04 SET 18:31

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Leaders of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, a conglomerateof hundreds of farmer unions, leading protestsagainst the three farm laws,on Wednesday announcedtheir intention to strengthenthe sitin agitation outsidethe minisecretariat in Karnal after another round oftalks between the farmerleaders and the district administration failed to breakthe deadlock.

Bharatiya Kisan Union national spokesperson RakeshTikait, at a press conference,said the protest outside theminisecretariat would continue till their demands weremet and more farmers fromPunjab and Uttar Pradeshwould join soon. He said thatalong with the ongoing sitinagitations around Delhi, theprotest at Karnal would beanother front against the government. He, however, added that the farmers werewilling to talk to the administration for a peaceful resolution and would ensure thatthe visitors to the secretariatwere not inconvenienced.

Jai Kisan Andolan leaderYogendra Yadav said therewas not the slightest change

in the “obstinate attitude”and “insensitivity” of the Haryana government, causingthe talks to fail for the second day.

Conduct of IAS offi�cer He said farmers had beendemanding registration of acase against IAS offi�cer Ayush Sinhna on charges ofmurder and attempt to murder, but the government wasunwilling. “Suspension ofgovernment employeespending inquiry is a routinein Haryana, but the government is not willing to evensuspend this offi�cial. Itshows that he was acting atthe behest of the Chief Minister,” said Mr. Yadav.

Inderjit Singh, vicepresi

dent, AllIndia Kisan Sabha,Haryana, said the conduct ofthe IAS offi�cer Ayush Sinhawas “unpardonable” and“unacceptable”, accordingto service rules and the criminal law, and the unionswere fi�rm on seeking actionagainst him. “It is an important and a crucial matter forus,” said Mr. Singh.

Karnal Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar saidthe agitating farmers wereadamant on action againstthe offi�cials for the batoncharge, but no action couldbe taken without a probe. Hesaid the administration wasexhibiting patience, restraint and prudence andwanted an amicablesolution.

Talks fail, farmers tointensify Karnal sit-inMore protesters from Punjab, U.P. to join soon, says Tikait

Ashok Kumar

GURUGRAM

BKU spokesperson Rakesh Tikait with farmers during theirsit-in protest outside the mini-secretariat in Karnal. * PTI

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) onWednesday said GaneshChaturthi celebrations wereprohibited in the Capital,advising citizens to observethe festival at home.

This, even as the Delhi government was scheduled toorganise an event to markthe occasion on Friday withChief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his Cabinet colleaguesand their respective familymembers supposed to bepart of a traditional poojaon the day.

Build oxygen plantsLeader of the Opposition inthe Delhi Assembly RamvirSingh Bidhuri accused the

Delhi government of wasting taxpayers’ money on“propaganda” through theevent and arguing that themoney being spent on itcould be utilised on buildingoxygen plants in Delhi.

The DDMA, in an orderon August 30, had announced that all social, political, religious, sports, entertainment, cultural, andreligious gatherings wereprohibited in the city giventhe COVID pandemic.

The DDMA order said ithad been decided that Ganesh Chaturthi celebrationsmay not be allowed in public places. It directed alldistrict offi�cials to ensurethat no pandal or tent waserected or any congregationwas allowed.

Govt. bans GaneshChaturthi eventsObserve festival at home: DDMA order


New Delhi

An artist works on an idol of Lord Ganesha ahead of GaneshChaturthi in Delhi, on Wednesday. * R.V. MOORTHY

An onsite oxygen generation plant has been set up atBatra Hospital, a private hospital here, where people haddied due to oxygen shortageduring the second wave ofthe COVID19 pandemic.

On May 1, the hospital didnot have oxygen for morethan an hour and 12 people,including a senior doctorfrom the hospital, who wasundergoing COVID19 treatment, died because of it, asper hospital authorities.

Similar plantThe plant is expected toserve around 150 hospitalbeds and the hospital isplanning for another similarplant, according to the company which installed the oxygen plant.

Meanwhile, the city reported zero COVID19 deathin 24 hours and the totalnumber of deaths stood at25,083, as per a bulletin re

leased by the Delhi government on Wednesday.

Also, 41 new cases werereported, taking the totalcases to 14,38,082.

A total of 75,079 testswere done in a day and thattest positivity rate (TPR) was0.05%. Of the total cases,14,12,585 people have recovered and there are only 414active cases.

The COVID19 vaccinestock on Wednesday morning would last for six days,another another bulletinstated.

Oxygen plant set up at Batra Hospital City reports zero COVID-19 deaths

Staff Reporter

New Delhi

The plant is expected toserve around 150 hospitalbeds.

Ashoka University laid thefoundation stone for itsnew campus on Wednesday, with plans to doubleits students, faculty andbuiltup spaces over thenext six years with an overall investment of about₹�1,500 crore. It will alsomove from a focus on thehumanities to a greater emphasis on sciences as well,according to Ashish Dhawan, chairman of theboard of trustees.

The Sonipatbased university is currently sitedon a 25acre campus andhad purchased a contiguous plot of another 27acres three years ago. “Ittook us nine years to buildthe current campus, andwe are now bursting at theseams in terms of capacityfor students,” Mr. Dhawantold The Hindu.

By 2027, he expects toadd 1.8 million square feetof builtup space to the current 1.5 million square feet,and increase the studentpopulation to up to 6,000from the current strengthof 2,500. The 180strong faculty team is also expectedto double.

More than the numbersthough, the expansion isabout a shift in focus. “Wewant to start more graduate courses, postdoctoralresearch programmes,”said Mr. Dhawan.

In the fi�rst phase starting this week, Ashoka willconstruct a major researchfacility for the biosciences,and an innovation hub toencourage entrepreneurialventures.

Ashoka varsityto doubleseats, facultyby 2027

Priscilla Jebaraj

NEW DELHI

The BJP, following inauguration of its State Mahila Morcha executive meeting hereon Wednesday passed a resolution against the AamAadmi Partyled Delhi government.

In addition to fl�aggingseveral alleged issues related to its functioning, the unit also questioned the absence of women from theDelhi Cabinet.

The meeting was addressed by senior BJP leaders, including Union minister Smriti Irani, nationalgeneral secretary of the party Dushyant Gautam andDelhi BJP president AdeshGupta. National Mahila Morcha vicepresident RekhaGupta and Delhi BJP MahilaMorcha president YogitaSingh were also present.

The executive sought totake the opportunity to castigate the Delhi governmentfor allegedly hoodwinkingthe people of the city in thename of free water andpower though they were al

legedly being made to payfor these. There was nopure drinking water whileconsumers were allegedlybeing looted in the name offi�xed charges when it cameto power.

The resolution allegedthat the Kejriwal government was “antiwomen”, arguing that though it talks ofwomen’s welfare there wasnot even single woman Minister in the Cabinet. TheMorcha alleged that for pastyears over 20,000 teachers’posts were lying vacant in city schools but the State government is deliberately notfi�lling them up.

BJP resolution calls AAP govt. ‘anti-women’Party’s Mahila Morcha meet under way


New Delhi

Union Minister Smriti Irani at the meeting in Delhi onWednesday. * PTI


THE HINDU DELHI

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CITY

A case has been registeredagainst Afghan SolidarityCommittee chief AhmadZia Ghani for allegedly violating COVID19 guidelineswhile protesting outsidethe United Nations HighCommissioner of Refugees(UNHCR) offi�ce here, theDelhi Police said onWednesday.

Amid the crisis in Afghanistan after the Talibantook over the wartorn nation, a large number of Afghan refugees in India heldprotests in front of theUNHCR offi�ce at Vasant Vi

har in South Delhi demanding the release of“support letters” from theUN agency to migrate toother countries for betteropportunities.

An FIR was registeredagainst Mr. Ghani at VasantVihar police station on August 31. “We registered acase under Indian PenalCode Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) last week for violatingCOVID guidelines. No onehas been arrested yet,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (SouthWest) Ingit Pratap Singh said.

Afghan panel chief bookedfor violating COVID norms Press Trust of India

New Delhi

A day after he was appointedvicechairman of the GandhiSmriti and Darshan Samiti byits chairperson, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former Union Minister Vijay Goel metShabihul Hussain, the newchairman of DERC, regardingthe rising electricity bills inthe city.

Mr. Goel alleged that sincethe last many years, fi�xedcharges have been increasedsix times without any reason;notice is given to increase thefi�xed load, but no notice is given to the consumer when thefi�xed load is reduced, so thathe can save money.

During the lockdown, whenmost of the commercial establishments, shops, factoriesremained closed, in the nameof fi�xed charges, “huge recovery” was made from the public, in which relief should begiven, Mr. Goel demanded.

He said that apart from theper unit price of electricity,power fi�rms were chargingmany “wrong charges” aboutwhich companies were “notable to give any account”.

BJP leadermeets DERCchief over bills


New Delhi

CMYK

A ND-NDE


DELHI THE HINDU


NORTH & EAST

A truce was reached in the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Rajasthan on Wednesday, a day ahead of theState Assembly’s monsoonsession, over former AssemblySpeaker and sitting MLA Kailash Meghwal’s announcement for moving a resolutionagainst Leader of Opposition(LoP) Gulab Chand Kataria.Mr. Meghwal had claimed thatsome of Mr. Kataria’s recentremarks had damaged the party's image.

BJP national general secretary and incharge for Rajasthan Arun Singh, who rushedto Jaipur, convinced Mr. Meghwal to withdraw his move andwork in the interest of the party. Mr. Meghwal, 87, who wasalso a Union Minister of State,wrote a 10page letter to partypresident J.P. Nadda with hisgrievances and chargesagainst Mr. Kataria.

A known supporter of former Chief Minister VasundharaRaje, Mr. Meghwal said themain reasons for his decisionto bring the resolution againstMr. Kataria at the BJP’s Legislature Party meeting before theAssembly session were hisstatements on Rajput warrior

Maharana Pratap and LordRam. The LoP’s remarks hadadversely aff�ected the BJP’sfortunes in the three Assembly byelections earlier thisyear, he said.

Mr. Singh summoned theoctogenarian leader to theparty headquarters here andhad a detailed discussion withhim. Mr. Meghwal agreed todrop his plan to move the censure motion and said he wouldjoin the fi�ght against the rulingCongress as a “disciplined BJPworker”.

“The BJP has promoted methroughout my political career. It is my duty to work inthe interest of the party,” Mr.Meghwal told reporters whilecoming out of the meeting.Mr. Singh earlier said after hisarrival here that the BJP wasnot going to keep such statements in cold storage, whe

never they appeared.Mr. Meghwal had alleged in

his letter that misappropriations to the tune of crores ofrupees had taken place underMr. Kataria’s protection during the distribution of partyposts and tickets. “There is acommon refrain in the publicon how the Opposition is being unsuccessful in eff�ectivelyraising the issues of people'sproblems and public welfarein the Assembly,” he said.

Long-time rivalsMr. Meghwal and Mr. Kataria,who are in the rival camps inthe BJP’s Rajasthan unit, havehad diff�erences over several issues since long. Mr. Meghwalhad asked BJP State presidentSatish Poonia, who is also anMLA, to preside over the Legislature Party’s meeting, asthe resolution was going to bemoved against the LoP.

While campaigning for theAssembly bypolls in April thisyear, Mr. Kataria had triggereda row by making some derogatory remarks about MaharanaPratap, which angered the Rajput community. Around thesame time, he also said thatLord Ram would have been“in the sea” if the BJP had notbeen there.

Truce in Rajasthan BJP, MLAdrops motion to censure LoP Kailash Meghwal talked out of moving resolution at party meet Mohammed Iqbal

JAIPUR

Leader of Opposition GulabChand Kataria. * FILE PHOTO

0DISCLAIMER: Readers are requested toverify and make appropriate enquiries tosatisfy themselves about the veracity ofan advertisement before responding toany published in this newspaper. THG PU-BLISHING PVT LTD., the Publisher & Own-er of this newspaper, does not vouch forthe authenticity of any advertisement oradvertiser or for any of the advertiser’sproducts and/or services. In no event canthe Owner, Publisher, Printer, Editor, Di-rector/s, Employees of this newspaper/company be held responsible/liable in anymanner whatsoever for any claims and/ordamages for advertisements in thisnewspaper.

The Odisha Forest and Environment Department hasarrested 35 people for illegally clearing a reserve forest area to set up a hamlet.

“These people mostlytribals from Deogarh andRairakhol of Odisha andfrom bordering Jharkhandwere trying to clear onehectare of land inside theTal reserve forest to construct permanent dwellingunits,” said RamakantNayak, Divisional ForestOffi�cer of Rairakhol in Sambalpur district, onWednesday.

This group had made asimilar attempt earlier andit was thwarted by forestemployees, he stated.

Replying to a query inthe Assembly on Tuesdayon the steps being taken toprevent felling of trees andpoaching of wild animals,Forest and EnvironmentMinister Bikram KeshariArukha said, “during fi�veyears [201617 to 202021],a total of 55,412 forest offences had been registeredand the involvement of50,740 criminals found inthese cases. The enforcement agencies have seized6,185 cubic metres of timber and 558 vehicles”.

35 arrested forclearing forestin Odisha

Satyasundar Barik

BHUBANESWAR

On the occasion of the International Literacy Day,hundreds of young girlsfrom West Bengal’s South24 Parganas district on

Wednesday participated ina virtual storytelling session and were presentedwith books.

The event was organisedjointly by Emirates AirlinesFoundation and NGO IIMPACT which is working forempowering girls througheducation and dedicated totransforming the lives ofwomen in India.

An Emirates cabin crewmember treated the girls toa virtual storytelling session and they were also given a glimpse into the exciting life of an Emirates cabincrew.

Literacy Day celebratedspecial correspondent

Kolkata

XPRESSIONS

BON VOYAGE

EDUCATIONAL

PUBLIC NOTICE

EDUCATIONAL

LEGAL NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

TENDERS

CMYK

A ND-NDE

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THE HINDU DELHI


Weather WatchRainfall, temperature & air quality in select metros yesterday

Temperature Data: IMD, Pollution Data: CPCB, Map: INSAT/IMD (Taken at 18.00 Hrs)

Forecast for Thursday: Heavy/very heavy rainfall likely at isolated places over Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan,Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, central Maharashtra, Konkan & Goa, coastal Karnataka and Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Thunderstorm with lightning likely at isolated placesJammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Haryana, Delhi, Jharkhand and Kerala

city rain max min city rain max min

Agartala................—....32.8....26.0 Kozhikode.................. 42....30.3....23.5

Ahmedabad........... 7....34.9....27.2 Kurnool .................... 0.7....32.6....22.7

Aizawl................. 21....28.8....21.4 Lucknow...................... 3....33.0....26.9

Allahabad..............—....31.4....26.6 Madurai .......................—....37.6....23.5

Bengaluru .......... 0.4....27.6....20.5 Mangaluru ................. 41....29.0....23.0

Bhopal ..................—....30.0....24.6 Mumbai ..................... 79....30.1....23.8

Bhubaneswar.........—....31.5....24.6 Mysuru ........................ 4....28.4....21.0

Chandigarh ...........—....34.4....28.1 New Delhi ................... 5....33.7....26.0

Chennai ................—....35.5....27.1 Patna ........................ 17....34.0....25.5

Coimbatore ...........—....31.3....22.7 Port Blair.....................—....30.5....26.6

Dehradun ............ 18....32.9....22.9 Puducherry ..................—....35.2....24.0

Gangtok............. 0.4....21.7....16.4 Pune......................... 2.2....29.7....22.5

Goa..................... 39....28.9....23.2 Raipur ...................... 0.2....32.2....23.6

Guwahati .............. 6....35.0....24.5 Ranchi ......................... 6....29.6....23.0

Hubballi ................—....25.0....21.0 Shillong....................... 5....24.6....16.4

Hyderabad ......... 0.5....29.2....21.4 Shimla......................... 3....26.4....19.0

Imphal ..................—....30.2....21.6 Srinagar.......................—....33.3....18.4

Jaipur ...................—....31.0....26.0 Thiruvananthapuram.........—....31.4....25.1

Kochi ....................—....30.4....25.4 Tiruchi.........................—....35.3....24.2

Kohima ................. 3....26.0....16.4 Vijayawada ..................—....34.6....26.2

Kolkata ............... 22....32.7....25.5 Visakhapatnam ........... 47....31.2....24.4

(Rainfall data in mm; temperature in Celsius)

Pollutants in the air you are breathing Yesterday

CITIES SO2 NO2 CO PM2.5 PM10 CODE

In observation made at4.00 p.m., Bhiwadi,Rajasthan recorded anoverall air quality index(AQI) score of 182indicating a moderate levelof pollution. In contrast,Shillong, Meghalayarecorded a healthy AQIscore of 16

Ahmedabad..... ..5 ..— .30 ..172 .144 ....*

Bengaluru ....... 11 .24 110 ....41 .....— ....*

Chennai .......... 26 .17 .36 ....42 ...50 ....*

Delhi .............. ..5 .29 .74 ....62 .125 ....*

Hyderabad ...... ..4 .62 .18 ....11 ...11 ....*

Kolkata........... 11 .22 .43 ....18 ...28 ....*

Lucknow ......... ..7 .41 .57 ....45 ...89 ....*

Mumbai .......... 14 .10 ...— ....66 .103 ....*

Pune............... ..— .29 .57 ....32 ...30 ....*

Visakhapatnam 17 .55 .48 ....30 ...53 ....*

Air Quality Code: * Poor * Moderate * Good (Readings indicate average AQI)

SO2: Sulphur Dioxide. Short-term exposure can harm the respiratory system,

making breathing difficult. It can affect visibility by reacting with other air

particles to form haze and stain culturally important objects such as statues

and monuments.

NO2: Nitrogen Dioxide. Aggravates respiratory illness, causes haze to form by

reacting with other air particles, causes acid rain, pollutes coastal waters.

CO: Carbon monoxide. High concentration in air reduces oxygen supply to

critical organs like the heart and brain. At very high levels, it can cause

dizziness, confusion, unconsciousness and even death.

PM2.5 & PM10: Particulate matter pollution can cause irritation of the eyes,

nose and throat, coughing, chest tightness and shortness of breath, reduced

lung function, irregular heartbeat, asthma attacks, heart attacks and premature

death in people with heart or lung disease

‘Take up ring road underBharatmala project’BENGALURU

Karnataka Chief Minister

Basavaraj Bommai on

Wednesday called on Union

Minister for Road Transport

and Highways Nitin Gadkari

and urged him to instruct the

National Highways Authority

of India (NHAI) to take up the

development of the

remaining part of the

Satellite Town Ring Road

around Bengaluru under the

Bharatmala Pariyojana.

IN BRIEF

Boys outshine girls inengineering test in A.P.VIJAYAWADA

Boys stole the thunder by

elbowing out the girls from

the top 10 ranks in the

engineering stream of the

Engineering Agriculture and

Pharmacy Common Entrance

Test (EAPCET21). Education

Minister A. Suresh released

the results on Wednesday and

said Koyi Sree Nikhil from

Parigi mandal in Anantapur

district bagged the first rank

in the engineering stream.

Man kills parents underinfluence of alcohol THRISSUR

In a gruesome incident under

the influence of alcohol, a

man bludgeoned his parents

to death at Avinissery in

Thrissur, Kerala. The

deceased have been

identified as Karuthedath

Ramakrishanan and wife

Thankamani. The police

arrested their son, Pradeep, in

connection with the incident

that happened on Tuesday.

Telugu actor Rana Daggubatiappeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) inHyderabad, Telangana, onWednesday after being summoned as part of an ongoingmoney laundering investigation in connection with ahighend drug racket bustedin 2017.

The actor is among the over 10 Telugu fi�lm industrypersonalities, including actors and directors, to besummoned by the ED.

Since August 31, notedfi�lmmaker Puri Jagannadh,and actors Charmee Kaur,Rakul Preet Singh and Nandu have appeared before theCentral agency.

On July 2, 2017, the Prohi

bition and Excise Department in Telangana had busted the drug racket byarresting a threemembergang, including musicianCalvin Mascrenhas, for allegedly peddling narcoticdrugs. Subsequently, severalcases related to the drugtraffi�cking were registeredand over 20 persons were ar

rested. According to offi�cials, the gang catered toaround 1,000 customers, including school and collegestudents, persons associatedwith the Telugu fi�lm industry, senior offi�cials of multinational corporations(MNCs) and employees of Information Technology companies in Cyberabad.

The names of personalities from the Telugu fi�lm industry surfaced during theinterrogation of the personsarrested in connection withthe drug bust.

A Special InvestigationTeam of the Prohibition andExcise Department had alsoprobed the alleged druglinks with the Telugu fi�lm industry, and had then questioned 11 persons.

Actor Rana Daggubati appearsbefore ED in drug racket caseHe was summoned as part of an ongoing probe

Press Trust of India

New Delhi

Rana Daggubati

Concern over the Nipah infection seems to be fadingaway in Kerala as 46 personson the contact list of Mohammed Hashim, the 12yearold from Chathamangalam in Kozhikode districtwho had succumbed to itearlier this week, have tested negative for the virus.

They include 17 personssymptomatic of the infection, such as Hashim’s parents, relatives and healthcare workers who attendedto him at various levels. Thiswas declared by Health Minister Veena George onWednesday. While the results of 20 samples were declared on Wednesday morning, those of 16 others wereannounced in the evening.The other results were

made public on Tuesday.Ms. George said though

there was no need to getscared, the public should remain alert. The sampleswere tested at the NationalInstitute of Virology lab inPune and a special facilityset up at the GovernmentMedical College Hospital,Kozhikode. The results of 15more samples would bemade available by Thursday.

Meanwhile, the numberof persons on the contactlist had risen to 265. This follows the publication of aninstitutional route map ofHashim, who had visitedfi�ve healthcare institutionsbetween August 29 and September 1.

Right now, only 12 persons were symptomatic ofthe infection, but their condition was stable.

Nipah scare eases as 46test negative in KeralaThey include 17 symptomatic persons

Staff Reporter

Kozhikode

The Tamil Nadu Assemblyon Wednesday adopted a resolution urging the Union government to repeal the Citizenship (Amendment) Act,2019. While the BJP walkedout, its ally, the Paattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), welcomedthe resolution.

All India Anna DravidaMunnetra Kazhagam(AIADMK) members werenot present when the resolution was adopted as they hadwalked out earlier overanother issue.

The resolution said: “Thisaugust House considers thatthe Citizenship (Amendment) Act is not in tune with

the secular principles laiddown in our Constitution,and also not conducive tothe communal harmony thatprevails in India.”

According to the established democratic principles, a country should be governed on the basis of theaspirations and concerns ofall sections. “But it is clearthe Act was passed in such away that it does not accord awarm support to the refugees, considering theirplight, but discriminatesagainst them on the basis oftheir religion and country oforigin,” said the resolution,moved by Chief MinisterM.K. Stalin.

Therefore, to protect India’s unity and communalharmony and uphold thesecular principles enshrinedin the Constitution, “this august House resolves to urge

the Union government to repeal the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019”, it said. After a voice vote, Speaker M.Appavu said the resolutionwas being adopted “unanimously”.

Before staging the walkout prior to the adoption ofthe resolution, BJP fl�oorleader Nainar Nagenthran

(Tirunelveli) contended thatthe CAA was not against theMuslims living in India.While India was protectingthe rights of minorities livingin the country in line withthe LiaquatNehru Pact of1950, the status of minoritiesin Pakistan was not thesame. While 20% of the population in Pakistan was Hin

dus during Partition, it stoodat a mere 3% now.

The Chair intervened andpointed out that even peoplefrom the same communitycould not coexist in Afghanistan. PMK fl�oor leader G.K.Mani (Pennagaram) urgedthat the Act favour the SriLankan Tamil refugees livingin India too.

Since Leader of the Opposition and AIADMK fl�oorleader Edappadi K. Palaniswami had earlier led his party members out over another issue, AIADMK MLAs werenot present when the resolution was moved andadopted.

While moving the resolution, Mr. Stalin said, “We feelthat the Union governmentmust stop the preparation ofthe National Population Register and the Register of Citizens.”

T.N. Assembly calls for repeal of CAABJP walks out,PMK hailsresolution


CHENNAI

Taking a stand: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalinaddressing the Assembly on Wednesday. * SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Kerala to offer incentivesto vaccine units THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

The Kerala government will

offer attractive incentives,

including longterm loans and

fast track approval within 30

days, to industrial units

willing to launch vaccine

manufacturing enterprises

inside the Life Sciences Park

at Thonnackal here.

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WEST

The Bombay High Court onWednesday severely criticised a drinking water service provider for failing toprovide for the residents of avillage in Thane district.

“It is unfortunate thateven after 75 years of Independence people have toknock on the doors of thecourt to get regular drinking

water, which is their fundamental right,” the court said.

A Division Bench of Justices S.J. Kathawalla and MilindJadhav was hearing a petition fi�led by some residentsof Kambe village in Bhiwandi. They complained thatthey got drinking water onlytwice a month and that toofor two hours. The serviceprovider is STEM Water Distribution and Infrastructure,

a joint venture of the ThaneZilla Parishad and the Bhiwandi Nizampur MunicipalCorporation. The villagerssaid the service provider illegally supplied water to politicians and tanker lobbies.

Bhausaheb Dangde,STEM’s MD, told the courtthat water was being supplied daily, but only up to aparticular location. Heclaimed that the distribution

of water from that point tothe petitioners’ homes wasnot the responsibility of thecompany but that of the village’s gram panchayat.

The court interrupted himand said, “Water has to besupplied daily for at least afew hours. This is their fundamental right. People cannot suff�er like this.”

The court directed Mr.Dangde to fi�le an affi�davit.

People have fundamental right to drinking water: HCCourt criticises service provider for failing residents of village in Thane district


Mumbai

Ahead of Ganeshotsav,the State governmenthas decided to regulatetraffi�c on NationalHighway 66.

Vehicles with grossweight of over 16 tonneswill be barred fromusing the highway fromthe midnight ofSeptember 7 till 8 p.m.on September 10; from8 a.m. on September 14till 8 p.m. on September15; and from 8 a.m. onSeptember 19 till 8 p.m.on September 20.

Vehicles transportingsand will not be allowedto ply from midnight onSeptember 7 till 8 p.m.on September 20.

The ban will not applyto vehicles transportingmilk, petrol, diesel,cylinders, liquid medicaloxygen, foodgrains, andvegetables.

Traffi�crestrictionson NH66 Raina Assainar

Navi Mumbai

Amid fears of a third wave ofthe pandemic, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued freshcurbs for Ganesh Chaturthi.

The civic body hasbanned physical darshan fordevotees at public Ganpatimandals and has appealed tocitizens to celebrate the festival without ceremony.

As per the norms, restrictions have been imposed onthe number of participantsin processions for bringingthe idols and during theirimmersion. Not more than10 people will be allowed inthe processions of publicpandals and not more thanfi�ve for household Ganpatis.All participants should havetaken both doses of the COVID19 vaccine and completed 15 days after taking the second dose, the rules said.

In a previous notifi�cation,the BMC had restricted theheight of household Ganpatiidols to two feet, and fourfeet for the public mandals.

Meanwhile, the State reported 4,174 new COVID19cases against 4,154 recoveries during the day. The activetally stands at 47,880, while65 deaths took the total toll

to 1,37,962. The case fatalityrate remains at 2.12%. The total case tally has reached64,97,872, while recoverieshave risen to 63,08,491, withthe recovery rate at 97.09%.

“Of 5,53,38,772 laboratorysamples tested thus far,64,93,698 (with the averagecase positivity falling incrementally to 11.77%) have returned positive, with morethan 1.79 lakh samples beingtested in the last 24 hours,”said State Surveillance Offi�cer Dr. Pradeep Awate.

Pune reported nearly1,000 new cases, taking itstally to 11,26,345, while fourdeaths pushed the total toll

over 18,760. As per districtauthorities, the active casetally has exceeded 8,600.

532 cases in Mumbai

Mumbai reported a surge of532 cases to take its totalcase tally to 7,47,605, whilethe active case tally rose to4,435. Four deaths took thecity’s death toll to 16,004.

Ahmednagar reported over 800 new cases and 12deaths, taking its total casesto 3,15,193, of whom 5,263are active. The district’sdeath toll rose to 6,629.

Satara reported 436 newcases and six deaths. Sanglisaw 236 cases and no deaths.

BMC issues fresh curbs for GaneshotsavMaharashtra reports 4,174 new COVID-19 cases, 4,154 recoveries, 65 deaths

Festive mood: An artist gives fi�nishing touches to a Ganapatiidol at a workshop in Lalbaug on Wednesday. * EMMANUAL YOGINI

Staff Reporter

Pune

CMYK

A ND-NDE


DELHI THE HINDU


EDITORIAL

On the TalibanThe newly announcedinterim government inAfghanistan is adisappointment and iscertainly noninclusive(Page 1, September 8). If it iscomposed ofUNdesignated terroristsand has a stamp of Pakistanall over it, one cannotexpect peaceful,prosperous, progressiveand friendly rule. Given itsdoubtful credentials andfanatic history, there isbound to be trouble.Pakistan may be the onlynation that is satisfi�ed withthe turn of events as it canfi�sh in troubled waters. Theinternational communityshould act as one withoutany bias in dealing with thenew rulers of Afghanistan.There cannot be asprouting of terrorismagain. Dr. D.V.G. Sankararao,

Nellimarla, Andhra Pradesh

■ The suggestion that theworld community should

strive to restore peace inAfghanistan, which wouldinclude putting pressure onit in the form of imposingconditions on fi�nancialgrants which the Talibanbadly require, is welcome.But international pressure,without suffi�cient militarybacking, will have littleimpact on recalcitrantgroups such as the Taliban.Besides, every nationengaging with the Taliban inAfghanistan has its ownagenda to fulfi�l. The questionis who will bell the catdispassionately?Dharmarajan A.K.,

Thalassery, Kerala

■ We are indeed struck bythe incongruity of thesituation in Afghanistan:those who have been in the‘wanted lists’ withmultimillion dollar bountiesannounced on their personsnow take up leading roles inthe new Taliban government.The tasks of launching aninsurgency and sustaining itfor two decades and running

a government requirediff�erent commitments, skillsand priorities. The Taliban have to reinventthemselves as anorganisation that respectshuman rights, divergentopinions and ways of life,women’s autonomy andprioritises economic renewalabove religious agenda ifthey are to succeed as agovernment and gaininternational recognition.G. David Milton,

Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu

■ It is clear that Pakistannow wields tremendousinfl�uence. The cabinetformation in Afghanistan issure to be dominated by orcontrolled back stage by theHaqqani faction. Therefore,it is time to bid farewell tothe idea of an allinclusivegovernment. The situationnow is going to be verydangerous and will ensurethat terror casts its darkshadow over the wholeregion. The puppet stringmaster, Pakistan’s

InterServices Intelligence,must be forced to withdraw. Pankaj G.,

Panchkula, Haryana

■ For the U.S., Afghanistanwas too distant till the fellingof the Twin Towers iin 2001,by inspired terror elements.It then stormed intoAfghanistan with massivetroop strength in revenge. Inthese two decades it hassuff�ered some losses with nopalpable economic orpolitical gains except for amacho image.It is Pakistan that has thrivedall the while on big U.S.grants while China hasquietly built itspoliticoeconomic webaround the region which itwould like to encash. Indelayed wisdom, the U.S. hasnow walked away and couldwell suff�er criticism,domestic and international.But time will vindicate U.S.President Joe Biden’spragmatism and resolve. R. Narayanan,

Navi Mumbai

proposes. Reservation today,is more a politicalinstrument than a socialjustice tool. The makers ofthe Constitution neverintended that the reservationpie should expand infi�nitely. A farcical regime ofaffi�rmative action will createa new underclass ofdiscontents. If we go oncreating more backwardclasses years afterIndependence, there issomething wrong withsociety and our notion ofprogress because itpresumes backwardnesspersists across generations.Limiting the reservationscheme to two generations isthe least one can think of ininfusing a degree of fairnessinto the principle ofcompensating for historicalinjustice. The argument thateconomic advancement hasno impact on social status isquestionable.V.N. Mukundarajan,

Thiruvananthapuram

■ One of the aspects of theU.S.’s long and disastrous warin Afghanistan is its “giftingaway” a vast amount ofmilitary gear and equipment“that have made the Talibanbetter armed than ever”.Reports say that the Talibanand its associates arebelieved to controlsophisticated armouredvehicles, military drones andother hightechnologyhardware and ammunition.The havoc all this can causein the wrong hands isunfathomable. There is alsothe factor of China in all thiswhich would be waiting toreverse engineer much ofthis sophisticatedtechnology. Is the U.S.planning to do somethingabout this ? Anuvansh Rawat,

New Delhi

Reforms, not refi�ningThe reservation policy needsreforms and not merelyrefi�ning as the article (OpEdSeptember 8) “Refi�ning thereservation policy”,

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters emailed to [email protected] must carry the full postal address and the full name or the name with initials.

To read more lettersonline, scan the QR code

Pritam Singh

Scientists and technocratshave for years been engagedin the quest of discovering al

ternative fuels to fossil fuels whichare responsible for the productionof over 830 million tons per annum of carbon dioxide, in turn catalysing humaninduced globalheating. The latest studies by abattery of scientists representingabout 195 countries have signalledthe crucial issue of climate vulnerability, especially for the Asiancountries. The forthcoming 26thUN Climate Change Conference ofthe Parties (COP26) in Glasgowfrom November 112, 2021 is to reexamine the coordinated actionplans to mitigate greenhouse gasesand climate adaptation measures.

In order to achieve the goal ofan alternative source of energy, governments are placing large betsin the hope of adopting a multifaceted practical approach to utilise‘Green hydrogen’ as a drivingsource to power our industries

and light our homes with the ‘zeroemission’ of carbon dioxide.

Energy-rich sourceHydrogen is the most abundantelement on the planet, but rarelyin its pure form which is how weneed it. It has an energy density almost three times that of diesel.This phenomenon makes it a richsource of energy, but the challengeis to compress or liquify the LH2 (liquid hydrogen); it needs to be keptat a stable minus 253° C (far belowthe temperature of minus 163° C atwhich Liquifi�ed Natural Gas (LNG)is stored; entailing its ‘prior to useexorbitant cost’.

The production techniques ofthis ‘EnergyCarrier’ vary depending upon its applications — designated with diff�erent colours suchas black hydrogen, brown hydrogen, blue hydrogen, green hydrogen, etc. Black hydrogen is produced by use of fossil fuel,whereas pink hydrogen is produced through electrolysis, but using energy from nuclear powersources.

‘Green hydrogen’, the emergingnovel concept, is a zerocarbonfuel made by electrolysis using renewable power from wind and solar to split water into hydrogenand oxygen. This ‘Green hydro

gen’ can be utilised for the generation of power from natural sources— wind or solar systems — and willbe a major step forward in achieving the target of ‘net zero’ emission. Presently, less than 0.1% orsay ~75 million tons/year of hydrogen capable of generating ~284GWof power, is produced.

The obstacle of costThe ‘production cost’ of ‘Greenhydrogen’ has been considered tobe a prime obstacle. According tostudies by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IREA),the production cost of this ‘greensource of energy’ is expected to bearound $1.5 per kilogram (for nations having perpetual sunshineand vast unused land), by the year2030; by adopting various conservative measures.

The global population is growing at a rate of 1.1%, adding about83 million human heads every

year on the planet. As a result, theInternational Energy Agency (IEA)forecasts the additional power demand to be to the tune of 25%30%by the year 2040. Thus, powergeneration by ‘netzero’ emissionwill be the best solution to achievethe target of expert guidelines onglobal warming to remain under1.5° C. This will also be a leap forward in minimising our dependence on conventional fossil fuel;in 2018, 8.7 million people diedprematurely as result of air pollution from fossil fuels

A power hungry IndiaIndia is the world’s fourth largestenergy consuming country (behind China, the United States andthe European Union), according tothe IEA’s forecast, and will overtake the European Union to become the world’s third energy consumer by the year 2030. Realisingthe impending threats to economies, the Summit will see severalinnovative proposals from all overthe world in order to reduce dependence on use of fossil fuels.

The scale of interest for ‘plucking the low hanging fruit’ can begauged by the fact that even oilproducing nations such as SaudiArabia where the day temperaturesoars to over 50° C in summer, is

prioritising plans to manufacturethis source of energy by utilising‘idlelandbanks’ for solar andwind energy generation. It is working to establish a mega $5 billion‘Green hydrogen’ manufacturingunit covering a landsize as large asthat of Belgium, in the northernwestern part of the country.

India is also gradually unveilingits plans. The Indian Railways haveannounced the country’s fi�rst experiment of a hydrogenfuel celltechnologybased train by retrofi�tting an existing diesel engine; thiswill run under Northern Railwayon the 89 km stretch between Sonepat and Jind. The project willnot only ensure diesel savings tothe tune of several lakhs annuallybut will also prevent the emissionof 0.72 kilo tons of particulate matter and 11.12 kilo tons of carbon perannum.

It is high time to catch up withthe rest of the world by going in forclean energy, decarbonising theeconomy and adopting ‘Green hydrogen’ as an environmentfriendly and safe fuel for the nextgenerations.

Pritam Singh is a retired Offi�cer from an

R&D institution in Dehradun. He delivers

scientifi�c lectures in colleges and

universities on vehicular pollution

Green hydrogen, a new ally for a zero carbon future It holds promise as an alternative, truly clean fuel and in aiding the world’s decarbonisation goals

GE

TT

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AG

ES/I

ST

OC

KP

HO

TO

On September 5, 2021, in Uttar Pradesh, lakhs of farmers gathered at Muzaff�arna

gar’s government intercollegeground for the kisan mahapanchayat organised by the SamyuktKisan Morcha (SKM). At the mahapanchayat, Bharatiya Kisan Union(BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait reiterated the farmers’ demands to repeal the three farm laws and forthe “legal guarantee of MSP [Minimum Support Price].” Mr. Tikaitand other farmer leaders presentdeclared their determination tooust the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) government in Uttar Pradeshin the upcoming 2022 State legislative elections. The farmer leadersunanimously appealed for communal harmony while chanting‘Allah Hu Akbar’ and ‘Har Har Mahadev’ together with an estimatedthree to four lakh farmers.

Secular vs the divisiveThis retrieval of the old secularpolitical language openly countersthe BJP’s divisive and communalpolitics that has gripped the localand the national scene after the2014 general election. Women andyoung farmers across religiousand caste lines, from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan,Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttarakhand and other Statesattended the mahapanchayat inMuzaff�arnagar. It is a surprise thatthe ongoing farmers’ movementhas been openly engaging withgender and environmental issuesand has provided them their rightful space.

By enabling the convergence ofdiff�erent farmer organisations and

space for the voices of marginalised groups, the Muzaff�arnagar Kisan Mahapanchayat has not onlyreclaimed the language of secularism and communal harmony butalso shows cautious potential tochallenge the BJP’s politics and hegemony in the legislative assemblyelections due in fi�ve States nextyear (Punjab, Uttarakhand, UttarPradesh, Goa and Manipur).

Message of harmonyMuzaff�arnagar had communalriots in 2013 which polarised thewestern Uttar Pradesh regionalong religious lines. The BJP localleadership converted a caste dispute into brutal communal riotswhich ended up benefi�ting the BJPin the 2014 and 2019 general elections, across Uttar Pradesh, as thiswas the local script used at theState and the national levels. Thecommunal polarisation not onlycaused fi�ssures in the social fabricbut also impeded the farmers’identity and unity that was traditionally the support base of theBKU under the leadership of thelate Mahendra Singh Tikait in the1980s.

Realising this social and political loss, his son, Rakesh Tikait,and his supporters, over the lastcouple of years, began to revivethe BKU’s old legacy of secularism.However, these attempts have only gathered momentum since January 2021 when the BJP government forcefully attempted toremove the protesting farmers including Mr. Tikait from the Ghazipur border of Delhi. An emotionalappeal by an overwhelmed Mr. Tikait mobilised both Hindu andMuslim Jat farmers, changing theepicentre of the farmers’ protestfrom Punjab to rural western UttarPradesh and Haryana.

The SKM has spectacularly reasserted the secular language particularly in the post2014 sociopolitical environment. Its act of couragein the Muzaff�arnagar Kisan Maha

panchayat is a reminder to the ‘timid’ political Opposition and other political parties to do theirconstitutional duty in maintainingIndia’s political legacy. In their appeal for communal harmony, Mr.Tikait and other farmer leadershave categorically said no to communal violence in the region. Mr.Tikait and other farmer leaders accepted being swayed by communal divisiveness and have vowed tocounter the hatred and violence.“They talk of dividing, we speak ofuniting. The hallmark of the BJP isthe hate politics”, Mr. Tikait declared loud and clear.

More importantly, Mr. Tikaitand the BKU’s activists have beenvisiting village after village and organising collective meetings withHindu and Muslim farmers. Innumerous street corner meetings,BKU activists have been attempting to recreate a common platformfor farmers across religious andcaste divisions by reclaiming andreasserting religious and caste unity among the farmers to heal andrepair the damage caused by theMuzaff�arnagar riots.

Mission 2022 and hopeThe Muzaff�arnagar Kisan Mahapanchayat has transformed theongoing farmers’ protests into anational movement. With the BJPgovernment’s lack of acknowledgement and response to the movement, farmer leaders under theSKM have decided to connect thesuff�erings of farmers with electoral politics directly with the announcement of ‘faslo ke dam nahi,to vote nahi (no vote, if no legal

guarantee of MSP’) and pronouncing their method as ‘vote ki chot(hit by vote’). The SKM and its leadership will campaign against theBJP in the Uttar Pradesh Assemblyelections due next year. In addition to spreading the message ofpeace and communal harmony,farmer leaders including Mr. Tikaithave announced that they will goto every home in the villages toeducate farmers about the threefarm laws and the ways in whichthese laws will destroy farmersand farming. Using the idioms ofkheti, kisani and bhaichara, theBKU and its leadership will also inform them about the BJP’s betrayalof farmers through its procorporate policies.

Besides the farm laws, severalother proximate factors have setthe stage for broad electoral mobilisation that may convert angryfarmers and labourers into politically conscious voters when theyface continued agrarian distress,the doubling of electricity charges, and the rising cost of diesel andfertilizers. More importantly, theunpaid dues of sugarcane mills tofarmers have severely aff�ectedfarmers and labourers across generation, caste and religious lines.

Furthermore, in Uttar Pradesh,the Yogi Adityanathled BJP government’s stringent anticattleslaughter measures have devastated already broken farmers as straycattle continue to plunder fi�eldsand ruin crops. The COVID19 epidemic has not only struck anothermajor blow against the rural economy but has also highlighted thefragility of urban jobs. The participation of young farmers in largenumbers explains in one go theongoing agrarian crises and jobless growth that has created a bigclass of ruralurban precariat.

While the emerging broad alliance and solidarity generatehope and a new grammar of politics, competitive party politics andexisting socioeconomic divisions

continue to pose several challenges to Mission 2022. The ongoingfarmers’ movement does not showany sign of converting itself into apolitical party. In this case farmervoters depend on the existing political parties that have already loststeam and failed in the face of theBJP’s propaganda, organisationalskills and politics. In fact, some ofthem have started imitating theBJP’s style by adopting a softer version of the Hindutva.

U.P. politics todayIn Uttar Pradesh in particular, Opposition political parties such asthe Congress, the Samajwadi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party andthe Rashtriya Lok Dal are competing for the same pie. Hence, it istoo early to know how these competing parties will compromisetheir interests and put up a unitedopposition. Besides, the Jats areno longer a politically unitedgroup as they were in the 1970sand 1980s. The emerging politicalcompetition led by the aspiringmiddle class within the Jats hasproduced new leaders such asSanjeev Baliyan that has opened achasm to be exploited by the BJP’sstyle of politics. Moreover, farmersfrom the most ‘backward’ castessuch as Morya, Nishad and Gaderiyas have hardly been an ally of theBKU and a part of the ‘kisan’ identity popularised by Charan Singh.

By projecting these farmers asthe victims of the dominant landowning farmers the BJP has weaponised them as new warriors ofHindutva. Despite these limitations, the Muzaff�arnagar Kisan Mahapanchayat has shown the way toreclaim the Indian Constitutionand the legacy of secularism by simultaneously linking socioeconomic injustices to environmentaland gender issues.

Satendra Kumar teaches Sociology at the

G.B. Pant Social Science Institute,

University of Allahabad

Farmers’ stir, the new dimension in U.P.’s politics Its retrieval of the old secular political language openly counters the BJP’s divisive and communal politics

Satendra Kumar

RE

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The Kerala High Court’s intervention regarding the

time lag between the two doses of Covishield vac

cine is both interesting and unusual. It has asked

the Government to allow the scheduling of the second

dose four weeks after the fi�rst for those who want it. A

single judge has held that the relaxation in the 84day

norm for some categories of people, when it is normal

ly not open to the public to get their second jabs earlier,

amounts to discrimination. The direction that CoWIN,

the national vaccination portal, should allow schedul

ing of the second dose after 28 days — the period initial

ly fi�xed — for those who want early protection is likely to

be questioned on appeal, even though it has its own log

ic. The petitioners are two companies that have pur

chased vaccines for their employees and their family

members and did not want to wait for the current man

datory 1216 week period to administer their second

doses. Pointing out the relaxation from the minimum

12week rule for some categories among those travelling

abroad, the petitioners wanted the same relaxation for

employees availing of paid vaccination. The court has

countenanced this argument favourably and termed as

discriminatory the denial of “early protection” to those

who wanted the second dose after 28 days.

The court framed it as an issue over “better protec

tion” off�ered by the scientifi�cally validated 12week gap

between two doses, and “early protection” favoured by

individuals. The Union government argued that the re

laxation was to meet unavoidable contingencies, and

an earlier second dose could not be claimed as a matter

of right. The court based its order on what it believed to

be “discrimination” in favour of some sections but re

frained from deciding the question “whether a person

is entitled to make a choice between early protection

and better protection” while accepting the Govern

ment’s free vaccine. It is fairly obvious that a delayed se

cond dose enables reaching more people for their fi�rst

dose. This means the order to allow earlier administra

tion of the second dose could impinge on the public

health objective of giving some protection to more peo

ple rather than full protection to fewer people. To that

extent, the court’s intervention in a policy matter may

invite an appeal. However, it also raises the issue wheth

er the policy of an 84day gap between doses should

continue, given the increased pace of vaccination. Des

pite being approved by experts, the change from the

fourtosix weeks norm to the current 1216 weeks may

have been dictated as much by higher effi�cacy as by the

extent of vaccine availability then. The time may have

come for the Government to review the norm and allow

a shorter gap based on the availability of vaccines and

COVID19 prevalence in a given geography.

The lag between jabsKerala HC order on allowing earlier second

dose fl�ags need to review 84day gap

State governments have taken the diffi�cult decision

to reopen schools for some classes, encouraged by

a consensus among public health experts that the

benefi�ts to students and society at large outweigh the

risks of a COVID19 surge. A week after many of them re

opened, mainly at the secondary and higher secondary

level, infections among teachers and students have not

triggered an alarm, although general social attitudes to

wards the pandemic have turned negligent. Data from

Tamil Nadu show that postreopening, about 30 stu

dents and teachers have tested positive, to which the

State has responded by tracing contacts and testing,

while keeping the institutions open. Kerala, which has

struggled to contain the infection rate and continues to

report about 25,000 cases a day, is venturing only to re

open residential higher education institutions and fi�nal

year college classes within a biobubble of at least sin

gledose vaccination; resumption of schooling conti

nues to pose a dilemma. The crippling absence of

education for millions in the country has raised the

question of whether governments have shown alacrity

to limit the harm from prolonged closures. A study by

economists in August showed that a mere 8% of stu

dents in rural areas had regular access to online learn

ing and 37% were not studying at all. It also found that

only a minority of students with smartphones, i.e., 31%

in urban areas and 15% in rural settings, received regu

lar instruction. This crisis has remained neglected for

over a year, and the fi�ndings underscore the need for in

person teaching to resume.

Among the major concerns surrounding reopening

of schools is possible transmission of the virus on cam

puses, with implications for vulnerable individuals in

the students’ home. Here, the advocacy of the Euro

pean Technical Advisory Group on schooling during

COVID19 — smaller class sizes, wider spaces between

desks and staggered breaks at school — is worth consi

dering. The panel underscores the importance of evolv

ing a followup protocol, when a cluster of cases leads

to schoolwide testing. Many public health experts ar

gue that younger children, typically in the 6 to 14 age

group, have the lowest risk of moderate or severe CO

VID19 infection, while this is also the cohort that needs

good foundational teaching. Most of these students are

not eligible for vaccination. WHO recommends that for

these pupils, the approach towards reopening should

be caveated: risk based, and taking note of community

transmission, ability to maintain physical distancing

and good ventilation. Vaccination of teachers and

school staff� and eligible students, and free testing for all

are other major factors. Hesitancy or refusal should be

fi�rmly countered. Governments should end their popu

list indulgence of unsafe behaviour in public spaces to

prevent communitylevel spikes that can jeopardise the

nascent return of schooling.

Back at schoolThe nascent reopening of schools can be

sustained with a commitment to safety

CMYK

A ND-NDE


THE HINDU DELHI


OPED

The Bengalee of the 7th inst. writes: His Excellency the Governor of Madras has observed that the Moplah revolt is the outcomeof a widespread conspiracy hatched with theobject of overthrowing the British Government. In view of this observation it is worthwhile to inquire how long ago the fact of thisconspiracy was brought to the notice of LordWillingdon, and why no attempt was madeto scotch it before the actual outbreak. DidHis Excellency hear of the conspiracy beforeor after? The question is important enoughas the answer to it will determine whetherand how far the Intelligence Department inMadras is effi�cient. We think therefore, wehave a right to seek positive information onthis point. Supposing, however, that the Governor of Madras was, as he should havebeen, aware of the conspiracy long beforethe outbreak of lawlessness, we are at a lossto make out why the opportunity was at allallowed to the conspirators to rise in opendefi�ance of the majesty of law.

A HUNDRED YEARS AGO SEPT. 9, 1921

The Moplah revolt

In 2017, a man in Delhi, aff�ected by autism,underwent his fi�rst DNA blood test at the ageof 40. He tested positive for Fragile X Syndrome (FXS). This is caused by changes in agene called FMR1 which make an importantprotein (FMRP). This protein is required forbrain development.

Largely undetected in IndiaIt was in 1991, 14 years after that man wasborn, that the mutation was discovered andnamed FRAXA by three American geneticists— Ben Oostra, David Nelson and StephenWarren. They found that it was the leadinginherited cause of autism worldwide.

Three decades ago, there was no primaryknowledge of this among healthcare professionals. However, even after the discovery ofFMR1, the lack of awareness and appropriatetraining to diagnose FXS in time prevails everywhere. In India, the lack of adequatescreening and diagnostic facilities, the stigma attached to mental health, the absence ofsurveys in community settings, and bare minimum hospital data based on clinical experience have all kept FXS largely undetected.

According to a 2019 review paper of theAdvanced Centre for EvidenceBased ChildHealth, established by PGIMER, Chandigarh,under the aegis of the Indian Council of Medical Research, “there is an underrecognitionof the genetic disorder due to delay in diagnosis at young age and the lack of uniformapplication of validated, accessible and aff�ordable diagnostic tools.” It is estimated thereare 4,00,000 individuals who have beenidentifi�ed with mutated FMRI in India and40 lakh undiagnosed carriers of the gene.

According to Centers for Disease Controland Prevention (CDC), one in 7,000 malesand one in 11,000 females are aff�ected withFXS. FXS is the leading inherited cause of autism in 4% of the population worldwide. TheCDC estimates that one in 259 women andone in 800 men carry Fragile X. A motherwho is a carrier has a 50% chance of passingthe mutated gene to her children, who willeither be carriers or have FXS. Men who arecarriers do not pass the premutation totheir sons, but only daughters, who becomecarriers. This knowledge is crucial and thenumbers are critical and demand attention,according to Professor Sumantra Chattarji,senior neurobiologist at the National Centre

for Biological Sciences in Bengaluru. His research is focused on correcting the powerfulemotional symptoms of FXS. It helps empower parents with information about babies in whom the FMR1 shuts down the production of FMRP.

Shalini Kedia, who founded the Fragile XSociety of India in 2003 as a support systemfor families impacted with FXS, says that it isevery woman’s right to make an informedchoice of becoming a special mother. Studiessuggest a high eff�ect of consanguineous parenting on FXS prevalence.

Timely detectionThe simplest tool for timely detection is aDNA test. In the U.S., FXS testing is mandatory for every child diagnosed with autism.This helps parents plan their family better. InIndia, doctors often fail to appropriatelyguide women who have fertility issues, latepregnancies, opt for IVF with donor eggs, ordonate embryo for surrogacy.

Experts suggest an overhaul of the MBBScurriculum to include a detailed chapter onFXS and more governmentorganised Continuing Medical Education programmes forpractising healthcare professionals so thatFXS is treated as a major public health concern. Mass awareness and an additional testin the list of pregnancy and prenatal and neonatal tests for other chromosomal abnormalities (such as Down Syndrome) will bebenefi�cial. But the majority of people areeither not aware of the FXS test or cannot afford it. Tests are done in major governmenthospitals and in a few private labs and costbetween ₹�4,500 and ₹�7,500.

People must understand that autism triggered by FXS is a behavioural condition. Thesymptoms are learning diffi�culty, speech delay, aggressive behaviour, hyperactivity, attention defi�cit, fear of the unfamiliar, sensory processing disorders and problems inmotor skills. These cannot be cured, but early therapy can improve the individual’s quality of life.

The National Policy for Treatment of RareDiseases, 2017, was limited by challenges inimplementation. This year, the governmentintroduced the National Policy for Rare Diseases Act. It calls for systematic epidemiological studies on incidence and prevalence ofrare diseases. Without naming FXS directly,it recommends prenatal tests for lesserknown singlegene and other genetic disorders. This is profound as the dialogue onrare diseases has to be kept open, even during the pandemic. Or else, it will leave allthose who are trying to cope feel even morevulnerable and isolated.

[email protected]

Detecting Fragile X SyndromeThe symptoms cannot be treated but early detection andtherapy can improve the individual’s quality of life

Soma Basu

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DATA POINT

Reservation as a tool of social engineering seems to be fl�avour of theseason in India. To add to the competitive populism of castebased reservations, a few months ago, the Odisha government proposed a 15%reservation for government schoolstudents in medical and engineeringcolleges to reduce “inequity arising”from lack of “physical andeconomic access to coaching institutions”. The statemachinery hailed it a historic decision. But is it?

A number of reportshighlight the poor condition of governmentschools in many parts ofthe country. Odisha is noexception. Whether theState government has any seriousplan of action to improve the functioning of government schools is notclear. But this decision certainly refl�ects a lack of political will in improving the state of education in schools.This intervention gives the impression that little can be expected of government schools. The current obsession with developing modelschools reinforces this impression.

Failing in its dutyAbout 62% of students attend government and governmentaided schoolsin India. The other 38% go to privateinstitutions, some of which belong tothe elite category and the rest ofwhich are of questionable quality. Amuch higher percentage of studentsin Odisha go to government schools.Reserving seats in higher technicalinstitutions for government schoolstudents rather than focusing on improving these publicly funded institutions defi�es all logic. By announcing this policy of reservation, thegovernment seems to be admittingthat it has failed in its duty to providethe majority of students with goodeducation and equip them with requisite competence to get admissionin technical institutions on the basisof their own merit.

Decades ago, students from Odisha had a high success rate in nationallevel competitive examinations.This was attributed to the strong educational foundation laid in govern

mentrun schools. During those days,teachers were known for their unquestionable sincerity and integrity.They were dedicated to their callingand commanded respect from the society. Over time, this seems to havechanged.

There is no dearth of ideas or practices that can improve the quality ofeducation in government schools.What is lacking is the government’s

resolve to work on theseideas including capacitybuilding of teachers toimplement new pedagogic practices, emphasis on language teaching, fi�lling up vacantteaching posts, and achange in the mindsetamong people and policymakers that govern

ment schools are typically backwardand inferior to private schools. Instead of addressing relevant issues,government is trying to fi�nd a solution which could worsen the problem. The policy of automaticallypromoting the students to higherclasses without passing examinationsneeds to be scrapped.

Building an institution is tough.Rebuilding it is even more so. Thestate can’t simply shirk this responsibility of improving education in government schools where an overwhelming majority of the childrenstudy. Focusing on them will go along way in building the morale ofteachers and students who are likelyto grow up with an inferiority complex if fl�awed policies like the onementioned above are pursued.

Benefi�ts to fewSome may argue that the quotawould help some sections of the society which have long been deprivedof good education and decent jobs.But this justifi�cation can neverthelessbe questioned on several grounds.One of them is that the benefi�ts of quota, if any, would be cornered by thecreamy layer of students with betteraccess to coaching and additionaltechnologyenabled resources. Theremight also be an urban bias in the benefi�tsharing.

Ananya Behera holds a PhD in Sociology

from Utkal University

A questionable quota policyA proposal of the Odisha government betrays a lackof political will in improving government schools

Ananya Behera

Roman Catholic opposition leaders rebuff�eda British peace feeler today [Belfast, September 8] as bomb blasts rocked NorthernIreland’s capital and a Protestant politicianraised the spectre of outright civil war. Fearsof an impending off�ensive by gunmen of theoutlawed Irish Republican Army (I.R.A.)sent Chief of Britain’s General Staff� Gen. SirMichael Carver fl�ying into Belfast to reviewthe military setup. He fl�ew from London unexpectedly last night for talks with offi�cerscommanding 12,500 British troops onpeacekeeping duties in Ulster. Two bombsexploded in Belfast after midnight, one at anarmy veterans club and the other at a smallfactory. Five persons were taken to a hospital with undisclosed injuries. The Britishpeace move was announced in London lastnight after two days of summit talks betweenPrime Minister Edward Heath and Irish Republic Prime Minister Jack Lynch that endedin icy dispute over ways of stopping thebloodshed in the North. One hundred liveshave been lost in the past two years. HomeSecretary Reginald Maudling invited all sections of Northern Ireland’s feuding communities to a round table conference aimedat giving the Catholic minority “an active,permanent and guaranteed role” in the British province ruled by Protestants for 50years.

FIFTY YEARS AGO SEPTEMBER 9, 1971

Spectre of civil war in N. Ireland

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FROM THE ARCHIVES

Military Force in Afghanistan — youwould now be much richer.

As someone who has observed West

Asia for decades, who are the major

stakeholders in the Arab world? The

unrest in West Asia is often attributed

to be the by-product of the U.S. or

‘imperial’ involvement in the region.

■ Without imperial intervention, theArab world would have been verydiff�erent. Egypt might not be the tyranny it is today. With the rise of Gamal Abdel Nasser and the popularhope of a nationalist, semisocialistEgypt and a region shaped by panArabism, the U.S. and Britain responded by deploying religious extremism. Their fi�rst victory was thecrushing of Nasserism. Since then,Israel, a colonial creation of theWest, has been modern imperialism’s watchtower and attack dog inthe region. Without American support, Israel would have been forcedto become a normal country and tomake peace with its neighbours; Palestine would have emerged as an independent entity. Instead, Israel remains a permanent provocateur.

The general narrative created before

any intervention perhaps is that

‘imperial occupation is the only

viable solution to bring about regime

change in a corrupt and dictatorial

state’. How do you look at this in the

light of examples from Latin

America, Africa, West Asia, etc.?

When you accept that ‘might is right’– the maxim of imperialism — you accept the place of criminality in worldaff�airs.

You have been a critic of Western

foreign policy for decades. How is it

John Pilger is one of the world’s mostacclaimed investigative journalistsand documentary fi�lmmakers. He isa recipient of several prestigiousawards, including an Emmy and aBAFTA. He has contributed to various international publications andnews services, including The Guardian, The New York Times, BBCWorld Service, and Al Jazeera. Mr.Pilger has directed more than 60documentaries capturing some ofthe important events of 20th and21st centuries. In 2003, he directedBreaking the Silence: Truth and Liesin the War on Terror. In this interview, he talks about the present political developments in Afghanistan,the war on terror, and the history ofthe Taliban. Edited excerpts:

Twenty years ago, the U.S. entered

Afghanistan with the promise of

overthrowing the Taliban,

establishing democracy and ending

terrorism. But today the Taliban are

back. How do you look at the

situation?

■ President George W. Bush’s ‘promise’ to establish democracy in Afghanistan was a rhetoric for domestic consumption. The invasion ofAfghanistan was a fraud; the Talibanwere a convenient target to satisfy apolitical lust for revenge for 9/11. Anauthentic military response to 9/11might have seen U.S. bombs fallingon the palaces of Saudi Arabia —most of the 9/11 hijackers were Saudinationals, not least Osama bin Ladenhimself; not one was an Afghan.

Moral posturing over 9/11 had almost nothing to do with the invasionof Afghanistan; bin Laden had already left Afghanistan and the Talibananyway wanted to get rid of him. Tothe U.S., Afghanistan’s usefulnesshad been as a battleground on whichto bring down the Soviet Union. Thishad been achieved long before 9/11.

The suff�ering in Afghanistan hasalso been profi�table. The Americanwar industry has tested and deployed numerous new productsthere. A recent study tells us that ifyou purchased $10,000 worth ofstock in America’s top fi�ve defencecontractors on September 18, 2001 —the day President George W. Bushsigned the Authorization for Use of

possible for a ‘superpower’ to retain

its dominance without ‘dealing’ with

the threatening countries?

■ Modern powers can and do asserttheir power without behaving like19th century enforcers. China’s ‘Beltand Road’ plans have brought welcome structural investment to hundreds of developing nations. China,while asserting its undisputed developmental power, gives no impression of seeking to dominate by forceor coercion: the principal methodsof imperialism. This is not to say that‘client’ nations can aff�ord to droptheir guard when dealing with China, or Russia, or any other apparently benign great power; but the historical and contemporary record tellsus that China has none of the colonising ambitions of Europe and the U.S.Whatever criticism one may have ofChina, its modernism and willingness to live in peace with the worldare demonstrable.

The Taliban are in power in

Afghanistan. What helped them gain

power so rapidly?

■ The Taliban were part of the rise ofjihadism brought about by the U.S.and Britain in the 1980s and 1990s.They are a puritanical off�shoot of themujahideen, which were backed andemboldened by Pakistan’s intelligence services and bankrolled andarmed by the CIA and Britain’s MI6.For the U.S., the singular strategicpurpose was destabilising the SovietUnion, which shares a border withAfghanistan. When the Sovietswalked into the ‘trap’ laid by theWest, and invaded Afghanistan, theinternational power of jihadism grewrapidly. There are many ironies andtragedies. The Taliban gained power

in Afghanistan by overthrowing thatcountry’s most progressive government – which in the 1970s had givenequal rights to women.

In planning to leave Afghanistan, the

Trump administration chose the

Taliban to discuss the transfer of

power in Doha. Many argue that this

action gave some legitimisation to the

Taliban. Why did it prefer the Taliban

to the Western-supported

democratically elected government?

■ The Afghan government was notdemocratic, neither was it democratically elected. It was a corrupt shell,and Donald Trump and his plannersknew it would fall without U.S. backing. They were being expedient.When the U.S. abandoned the SouthVietnamese regime in 1975 – which ithad installed – the regime fell overnight. Its only legitimacy was itsAmerican sponsorship. The peoplesuff�ering at Kabul airport are the victims of this same sponsorship; theyare the victims of imperialism.

With the Taliban in Kabul, will

Afghanistan be a haven of Islamist

terrorists in the coming days?

■ Well, it depends on what you meanby terrorism. The most ubiquitousterrorism in the world is statesponsored; America’s ‘war on terror’ was,in reality, a war of terror. Eight Muslim countries were devastated. In Latin America, the U.S. has been running a war of terror since the early20th century. If you mean ‘Islamicterrorism’, the future is unclear. TheTaliban have a serious enemy in theIslamic State, whose terrorism is only too well known.

What does the Taliban rule mean for

the world and West Asia in

particular?

■ I am not a futurist. I don’t knowwhat Taliban rule will be like for Afghans. If the UN allows the West toisolate and ‘sanction’ Afghanistan,the Taliban will develop a siege mentality and their rule is likely to beharsh. The one lesson of the disasterin Afghanistan is that imperialismcauses incalculable human suff�ering.Isn’t it time we learned that lesson?

Jipson John and Jitheesh P.M. contribute to

various national and international

publications

INTERVIEW | JOHN PILGER

‘The invasion of Afghanistan was a fraud’The journalist says the Taliban were a convenient target to satisfy a political lust for revenge for 9/11

Jipson John & Jitheesh P.M.

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CMYK

A ND-NDE


DELHI THE HINDU


NEWS

FROM PAGE ONE

he added. “The expected returns to farmers over theircost of production are estimated to be highest in caseof wheat and mustard seed(100% each), followed bylentil (79%), gram (74%);barley (60%) and saffl�ower(50%),” an offi�cial statementsaid.

The government also saidthat concerted eff�orts weremade over the past fewyears to realign the MSPs infavour of oilseeds, pulsesand coarse cereals to encourage farmers to shift to alarger area under thesecrops and adopt best technologies and farm practicesto correct the demandsupply imbalance.

BKS welcomes hikesThe RSSaffi�liated farm union Bharatiya Kisan Sangh(BKS), which held a nationwide agitation on Wednesday, welcomed the MSPhikes, but pointed out thatmost farmers would not getthe benefi�ts as they werestill unable to sell theircrops at that rate.

“We welcome this attempt to diversify crops andencourage pulses and oilseeds like masoor and sar-son (mustard). The waterand labour costs are lowerfor these crops, and sincethe MSP has been increased,profi�ts should be higher forfarmers,” said BadrinarayanChaudhary, general secretary of the BKS. “ Our ando-lan remains because the government does not procurecrops from all farmers. Westill want a law which willguarantee remunerativeprices for all,” he added.

(With PTI inputs)

The unions are now in thetenth month of protestagainst the three farm reform laws, which they claimwill hurt the MSP regime,and have also demanded alegal guarantee for MSP.

The Agriculture Minister,in a statement, said, “Somepeople who are spreadingthe illusion that MSP will beabolished should also learnfrom this decision. After thepassage of the new agricultural reform laws, not onlyhave the rates of MSP increased but there has alsobeen a continuous increasein the procurement by thegovernment.”

According to the Centre,the cost of production ofwheat for the upcomingmarketing season of 202223is ₹�1,008 per quintal, meaning that the new MSP of₹�2,015 will result in 100% returns. Rapeseed and mustard farmers, who saw MSPrise 8.6%, or ₹�400 per quintal, to a rate of ₹�5,050 perquintal can also expect100% returns. Masoor dal also saw a ₹�400 per quintalhike, which means MSP forthe lentil will be 7.8% higherthan last year, with 79% returns over the cost of production. Chana or gram sawa 2.5% hike in MSP, resultingin 74% returns.

Mr. Tomar said the government had decided to fi�xthe MSPs of all kharif and rabi crops at least 1.5 timesmore than their productioncost and this has helped inenhancing the farmers’income.

The Centre’s decision toprocure pulses and oilseedsapart from wheat and paddyis also benefi�tting farmers,

Amid protests, Centrehikes MSP for rabi crops

proach the Ministry ofHealth with the suggestions.

In a separate case, thecourt admonished the petitioner for presuming thatevery death caused by thepandemic was due to thenegligence of the State.

“We cannot start with thepresumption that everydeath was due to negligence… Our country hasgone through an unprecedented pandemic,” JusticeChandrachud addressed petitioner Deepak Raj Singh’scounsel advocate Sriram Parakkat.

ThisPIL petition hadsought action against theauthorities for “committing” gross negligence, leading to the deaths of patientsin the second wave of COVID19. It urged the court todirect the government to initiate a compensationscheme for those aff�ectedby the pandemic.

The petition had sought ageneral order to the Centreto begin doortodoor vaccination for the disabled, theaged, those unable to approach vaccination centres,among others.

It asked the court to direct the government toframe a Standard OperatingProcedure for doortodooradministration of vaccines.It sought a 24X7 portal forthis type of vaccination.

“Vaccination is alreadyunder way. The court ismonitoring it in a suo motupetition… The court hasconstituted a National TaskForce. At this stage, it’s diffi�cult to give a general direction considering the diversity of this country… Weshould not impinge uponthe administrative power ofthe state to give vaccine, including doortodoor,” thecourt said. It, however, gavethe petitioner liberty to ap

Court rejects plea fordoortodoor vaccination

ferry sank.Prime Minister Narendra

Modi tweeted: “Saddenedby the boat accident in Assam. All eff�orts are beingmade to rescue the passengers. I pray for everyone’ssafety and wellbeing.”

Union Home MinisterAmit Shah called up ChiefMinister Himanta Biswa Sarma to take stock of the situation. The Chief Minister isscheduled to visit Neamatighat on Thursday to assessthe situation. Ports andShipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who representsthe Majuli Assembly constituency, expressed deep anguish over the ferry mishap.

“A communication errorbetween the operators ofthe two boats perhaps led tothe collision,” he told TheHindu.

The ferries on the Brahmaputra operate under theInland Water Transport Department. Passengers paythe fare onboard but sincetickets are not issued, offi�cials could not specify thenumber of passengers onthe illfated ferry. The mechanised ferries have a capacity to carry 7080 peoplealong with vehicles, mostlytwowheelers. But localsclaim most ferries haul 100120 people. About 30 twowheelers on the capsized

1 dead, 35 missing afterferries collide in Assam

Timely help: Local residents trying to rescue passengers ofthe illfated ferry on Wednesday. * PTI

The Supreme Court onWednesday said it did notwant press freedom to bemuzzled even as it grantedinterim protection to journalists of a news websitefrom any coercive actionby the State of UttarPradesh.

“We are aware of fundamental rights. We do notwant press freedom to bemuzzled,” Justice L. Nageswara Rao addressed advocates Nitya Ramakrishnanand Shadan Farasat, appearing for the Foundationfor Independent Journalism, which runs The Wirewebsite.

The foundation andsome journalists with thewebsite had approachedthe court against FIRs registered against them bythe State. The court, however, advised the petitioners to approach the Allahabad High Court fi�rst.The petitioners agreed towithdraw the plea from theSupreme Court.

Don’t wantpress freedommuzzled: SC

Legal Correspondent

NEW DELHI

The Union government onWednesday entered into aoneyear ceasefi�re agreement with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland(K) Niki Group. More than200 cadres of the outfi�t, with83 weapons, have joined thepeace process.

The agreed ceasefi�reground rules were alsosigned. In a statement, theUnion Home Ministry saidthe agreement would boostthe Naga peace process, under the guidance of UnionHome Minister Amit Shah,fulfi�lling Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of an insurgencyfree and prosperous northeast.

The development camedays after demands wereagain raised by some politicians and activists for a new

interlocutor, in place of Nagaland Governor R.N. Ravi,for the peace process, owingto the sharp disagreementsbetween him and the IsakMuivah faction of NationalSocialist Council of Nagalandor NSCNIM.

The Centre has alreadysigned a framework agreement with the NSCNIM and

ceasefi�re agreements withother Naga groups, the NSCN(NK), NSCN(R) andNSCN(K)Khango.

In August 2019, the government had signed an accord with National Liberation Front of TripuraSabirDebbarma (NLFTSD), underwhich 88 cadres along with44 weapons joined the main

stream in Tripura.With the signing of the Bo

do Agreement in January lastyear, over 2,250 cadres of insurgent groups, including allfactions of National Democratic Front of Boroland,along with 423 weapons anda huge quantity of ammunition, had surrendered in Assam and joined themainstream.

On February 23, 1,040leaders and cadres of various underground Karbigroups of Assam surrendered along with 338 weapons, which was followed bythe signing of the Karbi Anglong Agreement on September 4.

In December 2020, thegovernment had acceptedthe off�er of Niki Sumi to revive the ceasefi�re agreementafter he floated a new factionof NSCNKhaplang.

Ceasefi�re with NSCN(K) Niki groupAgreement will boost the Naga peace process under way, says Home Ministry

Long road: A deserted street in Dimapur on August 3 during abandh by the NSCNIM in protest against the Centre’s ‘silence’on the Framework Agreement. * PTI


New Delhi

Cadres of Manipur outfit killed in MyanmarNEW DELHI

Two cadre of the Manipur

extremist outfit, People’s

Liberation Army (PLA), were

executed at the Nanyang

Wakathan camp of the

National Socialist Council of

Nagaland (KhaplangYung

Aung) in Myanmar on August

1617 for deserting the

organisation, according to

security agencies. The

incident happened days after

six members were killed in a

factional fight, triggered by

the decision of some cadre to

desert the outfit, said an

official.

The Delhi High Court onWednesday allowed moretime to the Centre to submitits response to a petitionchallenging the appointment of Gujaratcadre IPS offi�cer Rakesh Asthana as Delhi Police Commissioner.

A Bench of Chief JusticeD.N. Patel and Justice JyotiSingh permitted SolicitorGeneral Tushar Mehta’s pleafor more time. The HighCourt will hear the case onSeptember 16.

The High Court issued afresh notice to the IPS offi�ceras it was not served on himdue to want of payment ofprocess fee by the petitioner.

Last week, the High Courthad allowed an application

fi�led by a nongovernmentorganisation, Centre for Public Interest Litigation(CPIL), seeking to be made aparty in the case. The CPIL,in its impleading application, argued that the petitionbefore the High Court fi�ledby Sadre Alam was a “copypaste” of its plea before the

Supreme Court. The CPILhas stated that it got to knowabout the fi�ling of Mr. Alam’spetition before the HighCourt from media reportsand “was surprised to seesome of the paragraphs ofthe writ petition, as quotedby media, to be copypastedfrom the applicant’s writ petition fi�led before the Supreme Court”. The NGO saidhis petition “seems to be only to defeat public interest byscuttling the genuine, bonafi�de and wellresearchedand deliberated PIL petitionfi�led by the applicant [NGO]before the Supreme Court”.

Mr. Alam’s plea said the1984batch IPS offi�cer wasappointed Delhi Police Commissioner just four days before his retirement.

Asthana appointment: HCallows more time to CentreThe Bench will hear the case on September 16

Staff Reporter

New Delhi

Rakesh Asthana

The Supreme Court hasheld that the Railways willhave to pay passengers compensation for the late running of trains if unable to establish or prove that thedelay was due to reasonsbeyond its control.

“These are the days ofcompetition and accountability. If the public transportation has to survive andcompete with privateplayers, they have to improve the system and theirworking culture,” a Bench ofJustices M.R. Shah and Aniruddha Bose observed in anorder on Tuesday.

The court upheld thecompensation awarded to apassenger whose train wasdelayed by four hours whiletravelling to Jammu with hisfamily in 2016. They missedtheir flight and had to takean expensive taxi to Srinagar. They also lost theirbooking of a boat on DalLake.

The District ConsumerForum put it down as defi�ciency in service by the Railways.

The forum ordered theNorth Western Railway topay the disgruntled passenger ₹�15,000 for taxi expenses and ₹�10,000 towardsbooking expenses, alongwith ₹�5,000 each towardsmental agony and litigationexpenses.

Though the Railwayswent on appeal, the eff�ortfailed both at the State andNational Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions.

The consumer fora, in thesame voice, said the Rail

ways had never explainedwhy the train was delayed.

Railways’ argumentIn the top court, AdditionalSolicitorGeneral AishwaryaBhati, for the Railways,vehemently submitted thatlate running of trains couldnot be said to be a defi�ciency of service. She quotedRules 114 and 115 of the Indian Railway Conference Association Coaching Tariff�,which said there should notbe any liability of the Railways to pay compensationfor the late running oftrains.

“There may be a numberof reasons for delay and laterunning of trains,” sheargued.

However, the court wasnot convinced. “No evidence at all was led by theRailways explaining the delay and/or late arrival oftrains at Jammu,” it said.

The court said “everypassenger’s time is precious, they might havebooked tickets for furtherjourneys”.

“Like in the present casefrom Jammu to Srinagar andthereafter further journey,”it noted.

Laterunning trains to cost Railways dear Passengers must get relief: SC


New Delhi

The court said everypassenger’s time is precious.

Senior Bihar Congressleader Sadanand Singh (76)passed away on Wednesday. He had been undergoing treatment at a privatehospital in Patna for twomonths.

Mr. Singh was the Congress Legislature Partyleader in the Assembly andninetime MLA from Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur. He wasa Minister and AssemblySpeaker (20002005). Hehad been the Bihar Pradesh Congress Committeepresident twice.

SadanandSingh passesaway


Patna

The Union government onWednesday gave the Supreme Court the “goodnews” that it had taken a decision to allow women entryinto the National DefenceAcademy (NDA), so far amale bastion for recruitmentinto the armed forces.

If this decision comesthrough formally on paper,women can prepare for a career in the armed forces immediately after Class 12.

“There is good news. Theforces at the highest leveland the government has taken a decision last evening toinduct girls for permanentcommission through the National Defence Academy,”Additional Solicitor GeneralAishwarya Bhati informed aBench led by Justices SanjayKishan Kaul and M.M.Sundresh.

The Bench asked the government to fi�le an affi�davitin this regard by September22, the next date of hearing.It said the armed forces wasa respected institution, but it

had more to do regardinggender equality.

The court admitted that itwas not a happy situation forit to constantly nudge theauthorities into taking actionon bettering gender representation. The Bench saidthe authorities needed to actby themselves.

The court commendedMs. Bhati for taking proactive measures in favour ofwomen interested in a career in the armed forces.

Ms. Bhati urged the courtfor the time being to maintain status quo about the ad

missions to the NDA in thepresent academic year. Shesaid the NDA exam, originally scheduled for September5, had been postponed toNovember.

“Consider granting statusquo for this examination andlet it continue, as it will needpolicy, procedure, trainingand infrastructure changes,”she submitted. On August 18,the court issued an interimorder allowing women candidates to take the NDA exam, which was then scheduled on September 5.

The court had also then

questioned why “coeducation is a problem” in thearmed forces. It had orallyobserved that it was “absurd” that women were notallowed to appear for the exam even after the SupremeCourt, in a judgment, directed permanent commissionfor women in the Army.

Feb. 2020 rulingOn February 17 last year, thecourt upheld permanentcommission for women offi�cers. It dismissed the government’s submissions thatwomen were physiologicallyweaker than men as a “sexstereotype”. It declared thatShort Service Commission(SSC) women offi�cers wereeligible for permanent commission and command postsin the Army irrespective oftheir years of service.

“Women offi�cers of the Indian Army have brought laurels to the force… Their trackrecord of service to the nation is beyond reproach,”Justice Chandrachud had observed in a 54page judgment in the Army case.

NDA will admit women: govtCentre informs SC of its decision, to fi�le an affi�davit by September 22

Legal Correspondent

New Delhi

In command: Women offi�cers of the Army have broughtlaurels to the force, the Supreme Court said. * FILE PHOTO

BJP workers set fi�re to theCPI(M) State offi�ce in Agartala and burnt down several vehicles parked outsideon Wednesday. The workers were protesting againsta clash with CPI(M) cadresat Dhanpur in Sepahijaladistrict recently. The activists also attacked the offi�ce of Pratibadi Kalam, avernacular daily, and ransacked the building. Thevehicle of its editor wasvandalised and motorbikesof journalists were burnt.

Three journalists wereinjured and two of themwere admitted to hospital.

The offi�ce of Daily Desh-er Katha, the CPI(M)mouthpiece, was also raided and ransacked. The CPI(M) alleged that police andparamilitary troops weremere spectators when theattacks were taking place.

The party said seniorleaders would speak aboutthe incidents at a pressconference later.

(With inputs from PTI)

BJP workersset fi�re toCPI(M) offi�ce

Syed Sajjad Ali

Agartala

The Supreme Court on Wednesday did not intervenewith the government’s decision to “retrospectively extend” the tenure of SanjayKumar Mishra as the Director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), saying his tenure is anyway drawing to aclose in November 2021.

In a judgment pronounced on Wednesday, aBench led by Justice L. Nageswara Rao, however, saidMr. Mishra should not be given any further extension atthe top of the specialisedCentral agency which investigates sensitive cases underthe Prevention of MoneyLaundering Act.

The court, however,upheld the power of the government to extend his te

nure beyond two years.“As the tenure of appoint

ment of Director of Enforcement is not a maximum period of two years, a personcan be appointed as Director of Enforcement for a period of more than twoyears... The decision to extend the tenure of the respondent [Mishra] is pursuant to therecommendation made bythe highpowered committee,” Justice Rao, who authored the 30page judgment,interpreted the law on a petition by NGO, CommonCause, represented by advocate Prashant Bhushan. However, the court said thepower to grant extensionsfor a “reasonable period” tothe ED Director should bedone rarely and only afterrecording the reasons.

Centre can extend EDDirector’s term, says SCBut no further extension, Bench rules

Legal Correspondent

New Delhi

CBI to probe more casesrelated to judge’s deathNEW DELHI

The Central Bureau of

Investigation has taken over

two more cases linked to the

death of Additional District

and Sessions Judge Uttam

Anand (in photo) in

Jharkhand’s Dhanbad in July.

Earlier lodged with the local

police, the FIRs pertained to

the theft of three mobile

phones allegedly involving

Rahul Verma, who is an

accused in the case.

IN BRIEF

Chargesheet againstthree in IS module caseNEW DELHI

The NIA on Wednesday filed a

chargesheet against three for

allegedly being part of an

Islamic Stateinspired module

that was involved in

promoting violence. The

accused have been identified

as Mohammed Ameen,

Mushab Anwar and Rahees

Rasheed, all residents of

Kerala. On March 5, the

agency had registered the

case against seven known

persons and others.

The Shiromani Akali Dal onWednesday decided to swaptwo seats with the BahujanSamaj Party, its alliancepartner for the Punjab Assembly poll next year.

SAD chief Sukhbir SinghBadal said his party has given two Assembly seats,Sham Chaurasi and Kapurthala, to the BSP and takenback Amritsar North and Sujanpur Assembly constituencies from it.

The Akali Dal had lastmonth declared its two candidates from Amritsar Northand Sujanpur constituen

cies. At that time, Mr. Badalhad said the decision was taken with the consent of theBSP.

Both Amritsar North andSujanpur were among the20 seats given to the BSP aspart of the seatsharing arrangement between boththe alliance partners.

“SAD president SukhbirSingh Badal announced thatit has taken Amritsar Northand Sujanpur seats backfrom the BSP. In place, theBSP has been given ShamChaurasi and Kapurthala Assembly seats,” senior SADleader Daljit Singh Cheemasaid on Wednesday.

Akali Dal swaps two seatswith ‘ally’ BSP in PunjabPress Trust of India

Chandigarh

CMYK

A ND-NDE


THE HINDU DELHI


NEWS

India and Russia conductedtheir fi�rst “detailed and extensive review” of the situation in Afghanistan, agreeingto coordinate their positionsat the United Nations, as adelegation led by Russia’s Security Council SecretaryGeneral Nikolai Patrushevmet National Security Adviser Ajit Doval in Delhi, offi�cials said.

During the meeting thatcame a week after Russia decided to abstain from a UNSecurity Council Resolutionon Afghanistan under India’spresidency, the two sidesstressed areas of “convergence”, including the needto hold the Taliban to theirpromises thus far, the threatof terrorism from international terror groups insideAfghanistan, fl�ow of weapons, radicalisation and increase in opium productionand drug traffi�cking underthe new regime.

“[Mr. Doval and Gen Pa

trushev] touched upon humanitarian and migrationproblems in [Afghanistan],as well as prospects for theRussianIndian joint eff�ortsaimed at creating conditionsfor launching a peaceful settlement process on the basisof an intraAfghan dialogue,”a statement issued by theRussian Embassy in Delhisaid, adding that the twosides “agreed to coordinatethe approaches of Russia andIndia in multilateral formats

on the Afghan settlement.”The Russian Security chiefalso met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.Mr. Modi appreciated Gen.Patrushev’s visit “at a timewhen major changes are taking place in the region”.

Sources said India raisedthe issue of Pakistan’s linkswith Taliban, internationalterror groups, and the LashkareToiba and JaisheMohammad, believed to be op

erating in Afghanistan aswell, in the talks with theRussian delegation.

The Indian delegation alsoraised the “special responsibility that Pakistan bears toensure that Afghanistan soilis not used to spread terrorism,” the sources said. Signifi�cantly, neither side gaveany indication of talks on thestatus of the Haqqani Network, a UNSCdesignatedterror group that has carriedout attacks on the IndianEmbassy and consulates inAfghanistan, whose leaderSirajuddin Haqqani has beennamed the Interior Ministerof the new regime. The talksfollowed a day after CIA Director William Burns fl�ew into Delhi to meet Mr. Doval,reported by The Hindu.

The U.S. has been discussing the issue of housing itsAfghan evacuees who are being processed in other countries, the emerging terrorthreat from developments inAfghanistan and any futureengagement with the Taliban

government, now headed byMohammed Hassan Akhund,who is also on the list ofUNSCdesignated terrorists.

The Modi government hasthus far maintained an independent posture from boththe U.S. and Russian standson the Taliban regime, deciding to close down its embassy in Kabul unlike Russia,China and other countriesthat kept their missionsopen.

In an interview to RIA Novosti on Tuesday, Ambassador to Russia Venkatesh Verma said the results of theU.S.’s Doha Agreement andthe Russialed Troika plustalks which included theU.S., China and Pakistan hadnot been “matched by subsequent developments” in Afghanistan.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi willhost Russian President Vladimir Putin and leaders of China, Brazil and South Africafor the BRICS summit in avirtual format.

India, Russia review Afghanistan situationNew Delhi raises issues of Pakistan’s links with the new Taliban regime, JeM and LeT in the talks

Suhasini Haidar

NEW DELHI

High-level meet: NSA Ajit Doval with Secretary of the RussianSecurity Council General Nikolai Patrushev in New Delhi. * PTI

West Bengal Chief Ministerand Trinamool Congresschairperson Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday began hercampaign for the Bhabanipur Assembly byelection byaddressing a meeting of party supporters in the constituency. She targeted the BJPfor allegedly indulging inpolitical vendetta.

“Just after the bypoll datesare announced, TrinamoolCongress leaders are beingsummoned by Central agencies. Notices are being sentto Abhishek [party generalsecretary Abhishek Banerjee] and Partha [party leaderPartha Chatterjee),” she said.She dared the agencies to investigate the allegationsagainst Mr. Banerjee.

Her remarks come afterthe Enforcement Directorateserved a second notice onMr. Banerjee in a coal pilferage case.

The Chief Minister has toface the byelection as shelost the election at Nandigram by a narrow margin of1,956 votes to BJP leader Su

vendu Adhikari. “I have tocontest a poll again due to aBJP conspiracy. We havegone to court over the issue.If there is no merit in the petition, the court would nothave accepted it,” she said.

Referring to the recent Assembly election in which theTrinamool registered a convincing victory over the BJPby winning 213 of the 294 Assembly seats, she said theCentre, all its agencies and“money and muscle power”of the BJP could not defeather. There was a planned attack on her in Nandigram inwhich she suff�ered a foot injury and had to confi�ne herself to a wheelchair duringthe campaign, she said.

The Bhabanipur constituency will go to the polls onSeptember 30.

Mamata begins campaign for bypollAddressing a meet at Bhabanipur, she targets BJP for alleged political vendetta

Game on: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee duringa party workers’ meeting in Kolkata on Wednesday. * PTI

Shiv Sahay Singh

Kolkata

The BJP on Wednesday announced a slew of organisational appointments for thefi�ve States going to the pollsearly next year.

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has beenput in charge of elections inUttar Pradesh, along withUnion Ministers Shobha Karandalaje, Arjun Meghwal,Annapurna Devi and AnuragThakur as co incharge. SarojPande and Captain Abhimanyu are part of the team.

Mr. Pradhan has overseenimportant polls in the past,having held charge of Statessuch as Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Karnataka duringAssembly polls.

Uttar Pradesh has alsobeen divided into six partsfor organisational purposes,with Lok Sabha memberSanjay Bhatia being put incharge of western Uttar Pradesh, Bihar MLA Sanjeev

Chaurasia of the Brij region,national secretary Y. SatyaKumar of Awadh, additionaltreasurer of the BJP SudhirGupta of Kanpur, nationalsecretary Arvind Menon ofGorakhpur and Sunil Ojha(sah prabhari for Uttar Pradesh) of Kashi.

Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat hasbeen given charge of Punjab,along with Union MinistersHardeep Singh Puri andMeenakshi Lekhi and LokSabha member Vinod Chavda.

Parliamentary Aff�airs Minister Pralhad Joshi has beenasked to look after Uttarakhand along with Lok Sabhamember from Bengal LocketChatterjee and party spokes

person R.P. Singh. Environment Minister

Bhupender Yadav has beenput in charge of Manipur,along with Union MinisterPratima Bhowmick and Assam State Minister AshokSinghal.

Former MaharashtraChief Minister DevendraFadnavis, who had heldcharge of the Assembly election in Bihar in 2020, hasbeen put in charge of Goa,along with Tourism MinisterG. Kishan Reddy and Minister of State for Railways Darshana Jardosh.

With this, the BJP seemsto have put in place an organisational architecture togo into the very crucial set ofpolls next year.

BJP announces poll managers5 States go to the polls early next year; Dharmendra Pradhan is in charge of U.P.

Dharmendra Pradhan


NEW DELHI

National Conference president Dr. Farooq Abdullahsaid the government mustrestore Statehood in Jammu and Kashmir beforeelections. He pledged tocontinue the fi�ght for restoration of special status.

‘Restore J&K’sStatehoodbefore poll’

special correspondent

Srinagar

A day after the Congressdecided not to fi�eld a candidate against West BengalChief Minister and Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee inthe Bhabanipur Assemblybypoll, the CommunistParty of India (Marxist) onWednesday announced itscandidate, Shrijeeb Biswas, a 31yearold lawyer atthe Alipore court, for theseat.

Since the Congress willstay away from campaign,the candidate will not campaign under the banner ofthe Samyukt Morcha, afront created before the Assembly polls with the LeftFront, Congress and IndianSecular Front.

CPI(M) fi�eldslawyer to takeon Bengal CM

Special correspondent

Kolkata

The Supreme Court Collegium, led by Chief Justice ofIndia (CJI) N.V. Ramana, hasapproved the names of 10additional judges of the Karnataka High Court and twofrom the Kerala High Courtfor appointment as permanent judges of these courts.

Elevation to the HighCourt Bench is followed by aperiod of work as an additional judge before the Collegium recommends for permanent judgeship.

The Collegium recommendations were made onSeptember 7, close behindthe August 24 and September 1 recommendations of a

whopping 68 names for appointments to 12 HighCourts. The past few weekshad begun on a historic notewith the Collegium recommending nine judges to theSupreme Court in one go.One of these judges, JusticeB.V. Nagarathna, is poised tobe India's fi�rst woman CJI in2027.

Filling vacanciesThe Collegium is pushinghard to fi�ll vacancies. Thereis likely to be a steady fl�ow ofrecommendation of namesfor fi�lling vacancies in the 25High Courts, which have over 465 vacancies. This is over 41% of the total sanctioned judicial strength of

1,098 in the High Courts.The additional judges re

commended for permanentjudgeships in the KarnatakaHigh Court are Justices Maralur Indrakumar Arun, Engalaguppe SeetharamaiahIndiresh, Ravi VenkappaHosmani, Savanur Vishwajith Shetty, ShivashankarAmarannavar, M. Ganeshaiah Uma, VedavyasacharSrishananda, Hanchate Sanjeevkumar, Padmaraj Nemachandra Desai, and P. Krishna Bhat. The Collegium hasalso recommended the appointment of additionaljudges of the Kerala HighCourt Justices M.R. Anithaand K. Nair Haripal as permanent judges.

SC Collegium approves 12names as permanent judges10 additional judges from Karnataka and two from Kerala

Legal Correspondent

NEW DELHI

U.S. Acting Ambassador AtulKeshap met RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Wednesday,in a meeting considered signifi�cant as it comes daysahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit thismonth to the U.S., where heis expected to hold his fi�rstbilateral meeting with President Joseph Biden and attend the Quad summit.

“Good discussion withShri Mohan Bhagwat abouthow India’s tradition of diversity, democracy, inclusivity and pluralism can ensurethe vitality and strength of atruly great nation,” Mr. Keshap tweeted.

Mr. Keshap was on around of farewell calls, andhad also met Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra onTuesday. He is expected toreturn to the U.S. shortly, after completing just over two

months as Charge D’Aff�aires. “The U.S.India relation

ship has never been better.Working together, our twogreat democracies will continue to advance human happiness around the world foryears to come,” Mr. Keshapsaid in a statement announcing his departure.

The Deputy Chief of Mission will offi�ciate until Mr. Biden’s Ambassadorial nominee, Los Angeles Mayor Eric

Garcetti, receives confi�rmation in the U.S. Senate.

U.S. Embassy offi�cials declined to comment onwhether the Ambassador’swords to Mr. Bhagwat weremeant to carry any specialimport. During a visit to Delhi last month, U.S. Secretaryof State Antony Blinken hadalso mentioned the importance of “democracy, pluralism, human rights and fundamental freedoms”.

The meet comes days ahead of Modi’s visit to America


New Delhi

Farewell call: U.S. Acting Ambassador Atul Keshap with RSSchief Mohan Bhagwat in New Delhi on Wednesday. * TWITTER

Outgoing U.S. envoy meets RSSchief, discusses ‘inclusivity’

The Jammu and Kashmirpolice conducted searchesand detained four journalists in Srinagar on Wednesday. They were freed atnight.

Around 7 a.m., simultaneous searches were carried out by multiple teamsof the police at the residences of Hilal Mir, Shah Abbas,aand Azhar Qadri, all freelance journalists, and Showkat Motta, editor of theKashmir Narrator magazine, in diff�erent locationsin Srinagar.

“We were asleep whenthe police raided my house.Later, they took away mymobile phone and laptop.Even my wife was asked tohand over her mobile andlaptop. Our passports were

also seized,” one of the fourdetained journalists toldThe Hindu.

Another journalist saidthe mobile phones of all thefamily members wereseized. Three of the four detained journalists contribute to foreign publications.“We were asked about ourbackground. We were nottold about the case in whichwe have been summonednor intimated of any charges,” another detained journalist said.

A senior police offi�cersaid the four were detainedin connection with the FIR82/2020 lodged last year.“They are questioned aspart of the investigation inthe case,” he said.

Reporters Sans Frontières termed the detentions“crude intimidation”.

4 journalists detained,freed in KashmirPolice link it to an FIR lodged last year


SrinagarFive people have died inrainrelated incidents inGujarat, as parts of Saurashtra and a few other regions have come underheavy spell of monsoonrains since Tuesday.

The fi�ve died in separateincidents of lighteningstrikes, as heavy rains battered Rajkot, Morbi andAmreli districts among others. According to theweather department, morethan 10 districts have received moderate to heavyshowers and this will continue till Friday.

So far, Gujarat has missed good rains due in theabsence of any system inthe Arabian Sea, which normally brings good rainsduring the south westernmonsoon.

5 die as heavyrain lashesGujarat


AHMEDABAD

CMYK

A ND-NDE


DELHI THE HINDU


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1 Encourage fi�ght to obtain a container (3,3)

5 Volcanic glass in observation at India is broken (8)

9 Sex change operation in Spring? Lot (8)

10 Artists depend little... (6)

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12 After leaving me its gloom (4)

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place (42)

17 Day scholar cycling with maiden without help; crazy people (6)

19 Death by vain fi�ght, one entering with boxer, totally gutted (8)

21 Sketch of small gear... (4)

22 ... say, gear gets ticks (5,5)

25 Teak, Ironwood, Mahogany, Birch, Elm, Red Sanders primarily are

similar to this (6)

26 Cowboy perhaps new, heartbroken covered by journalist (8)

27 Company left after setting up telescopes in towers (8)

28 A lucky charm from Letham, a Scottish town (6)

■ DOWN

2 Gory, hairraising operation undergoing, likely to look at the sources

for spirit (5)

3 Throw weight behind boy to get reward (5)

4 Unknown grainy representation while diagnosing perhaps (16)

5 Collection of only nimbus clouds (7)

6 It is used wrongly by modern girls — old bathing implement (7)

7 Lived with a madcap (9)

8 Say, a doctor with substance, everyone at emergency room goes to

fi�rst (9)

14 Debar bishop’s programme after absence (9)

15 One, two men on list take turn but permanent (9)

18 Descendant’s back with 500000000000, it’s an opening perhaps (7)

19 Cooks adding a bit of nutmeg and dill seeds for allies (7)

20 Somehow make it a target (4,3)

23 Hotel’s arrival gate has obstacles perhaps (23)

24 Fine mythical ship in US city (5)

SCAN TO PLAY

+ 13348SUDOKU

Solution to puzzle 13347 Solution to yesterday’s Sudoku

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

Many miracles occurred on the night of Krishna’s birth.Chains that bound Vasudeva fell off�, the prison doorsopened, the guards fell into deep sleep, and Vasudeva set off�for Gokula. Adisesha and Garuda were with him, protectingand guiding him. But how was he to cross the Yamuna,which was overfl�owing its banks? Miraculously, the watersparted and made a path for Vasudeva. A river usually movestowards the ocean. Will a river ever reverse course andmove upwards? That is what Yamuna seemed to be doing.While this was part of the marvels of Krishna’s birth, onecan fi�nd a reason for this in the Ramayana, said V.S. Karunakarachariar in a discourse.

Kumbhakarna tells Ravana that he should have asked hisministers and elders for advice, before hastily bringing Sitato Lanka. Instead, he was seeking advice after his act. Thiswas not proper. The river Yamuna, when it comes downfrom a mountain, fi�lls up the earth in its path. It does not goback in reverse to its point of origin. Seeking advice after thecommission of an act was as ridiculous as expecting the Yamuna to go back. Maybe the Lord was impressed withKumbhakarna’s analogy. He might have wanted to show thatthe impossible was possible with Him. So, the river, whichshould rush towards the ocean, moved aside so that babyKrishna could cross it safely.

Vedanta Desika in his Yadavabhyudaya says that the Yamuna moved up so that it seemed as if she was trying toclimb the Kalinda mountain, her father’s abode. So, one canimagine that she was like a bride who, on her way to her husband’s place, changes her mind and wonders if she shouldgo back to her father! Desika’s poetic imagination makes Yadavabhyudaya a unique account of Krishna avatara.

FAITH

The Yamuna’s retreat

HC declines urgenthearing on Kochhar pleaMUMBAI

The Bombay High Court on

Wednesday refused to

urgently hear businessman

Deepak Kochhar’s plea to

quash the proceedings

initiated against him by the

Enforcement Directorate in

the ICICI and Videocon bank

scam. The matter will be

heard on September 22.

IN BRIEF

The solution grid displayed in yesterday edition pertained to THC 13346, which waspublished on 7-9-2021 (set by Anon), and not 13336 as was wrongly printed.

Even as growing evidenceemerged on the links between physical and mentalhealth and social disadvantage, former Health Secretary Keshav Desiraju recognised poverty, deprivationand poor social networks aspredictors for poor healthand mental health outcomes.

Therefore, it was not a surprise that as architect of India’s Mental Health Policyand Mental Health Care Act,he emphasised mentalhealth care as a basic rightfor every citizen, placing theonus on the state to fi�nd bothfunding and developing aroad map to ensure appropriateness and accessibilityof care. This was his biggest

win! Mental health care wasno longer exclusively withinthe ambit of health care, butwas part of the broader development discourse andlinked to how people livedand to corresponding valuesof equity, dignity, universality and personcentredness.

Keshav was a visionary notjust in that he made landscapelevel changes in howhe placed mental health careat the centre stage within thehealth agenda, but also inthat perhaps for the fi�rsttime, he outlined precipitating and perpetuating factorslinked to structural barrierssuch as caste, class and genderrelated disparities.

He, therefore, recommended convergence between health and social sectors in developing robust

responses. Mental healthwas now also a social justiceissue that in the absence ofadequate care pathwayschurned out social crisesranging from higher mortality rates to homelessness andfrom rights violations to unemployment andsegregation.

Innumerable innovationsThis paved the way for innumerable innovations thatpromoted community inclusion and addressed mentalhealth concerns across one’slife span.

Besides ensuring that theperson living with a mentalhealth challenge could access care in spaces that weretherapeutic and responsiveand placing the needs of theperson fi�rst, balancing care

with rights and the pursuit ofcapabilities, the focus was always on participation andagency, key tenets of the recovery process.

Further, innovations suchas basic income, outofworkallowances, family supportstructures and outreach services on the streets were entering mainstream mentalhealth conversations. Gradually mental health and

wellbeing also found theirway into the sustainable development goals and rightfully so. It is our belief thatKeshav and his ilk contributed signifi�cantly towards this.

While advised by 10 members in drafting the Policy(including the fi�rst author),and by scientifi�c evidenceand ongoing practices in themental health sector, hewould always in parallelwant to get a feel of what thereal and messy world lookedlike. This was his most endearing quality both as a bureaucrat and policymaker.

Strong empathyHe would travel widely tohospitals, homes of impoverished persons, and always remain connected to thosewho may never have found

their way into his life. We could see that he felt

their suff�ering and in a sensethat strengthened his senseof urgency to better understand issues and learn frompeople’s wisdom. There wasno diff�erence between an IvyLeague contributor or an experiential expert’s insightssince his brilliant mind sawthe need for, and importanceof, both.

This grounding, respectand capability to listen to people whom he believed he‘served’ made him one of ourfi�nest offi�cers and a rarebreed. In this is a tip for budding bureaucrats in a changing culture; to hold close toone’s heart, values of humility, integrity and a sense ofconscientiousness and purpose.

Post retirement, he continued to work with civil society organisations to build organisational stability and

valuebased care approacheswith focus on the advancement of the vision of equitable access to health in fi�eldsranging from cancer care tomental health, women’shealth to disability, palliativecare to framing better healthsystems.

Commitment to tasksA man committed to completing a task on hand, smallor large, he ensured that thePolicy and Act were seenthrough to their completionand how!

Similarly, even a few hoursbefore he passed, while theparamedics were by his side,he sent out mails to cancelappointments indicating thathe would get back to thoseindividuals/ institutions oncehe returned from thehospital.

This same sense of determined commitment to servehis fellow citizens and ensure

that those relegated to themargins on account of theirdisability, distress or socialvulnerabilities would experience a better future inspired him in all that he did,and he strived to do his bestwith quiet and understatedelegance.

To honour his memoryand celebrate his life, hewould have liked manythings to happen, and top onthat list would have been theneed for young Indians andbudding public servants topursue just one goal ardently— the need to work towardsan equal, secular, inclusive,just and caring India.

Better health and qualityof life outcomes would benatural byproducts.

(Vandana Gopikumar isco-founder, The Banyan andThe Banyan Academy, andRavi Chellam is a wildlifebiologist and CEO of Me-tastring Foundation)

‘Keshav Desiraju placed focus on mental health care as basic right for all’ The former Health Secretary called for convergence

between sectors in developing robust responses

Keshav Desiraju

Vandana Gopikumar

Ravi Chellam

TRIBUTE

Arunachal govt. keenon oil palm cultivation GUWAHATI

Contrary to some

northeastern States such as

Meghalaya, the Arunachal

Pradesh government is keen

on “reaping the benefits” of

oil palm cultivation. Seeking

to allay fears over the impact

on forests, Chief Minister

Pema Khandu clarified that

the 1.33 lakh hectares

identified for taking the

National Mission on Edible

Oils – Oil Palm (NMEO-OP)

forward is wasteland.

Assam govt. unveilselectric vehicle policyGUWAHATI

The Assam government on

Wednesday unveiled an

electric vehicle (EV) policy for

phasing out vehicles running

on fossil fuels by 2030. The

mission, approved recently,

entails converting all

government vehicles and

fleet of public buses to

electric and deploying 2 lakh

EVs within the next five years.

The Union government hasconstituted a committee forframing legislation regardingnew drugs, cosmetics andmedical devices. The eightmember panel, headed byDrugs Controller General ofIndia V.G. Somani, is scheduled to submit a draft document by November 30.

The Ministry of Healthand Family Welfare, in an order dated August 27, said thecommittee would preparethe New Drugs, Cosmeticsand Medical Devices Bill.

The other members of thepanel are Rajiv Wadhawan(Director, Ministry of Healthand Family Welfare); S.E.

Reddy; A.K. Pradhan; theDrugs Controllers of Haryana, Gujarat and Maharashtra; and IAS offi�cer N.L. Meena.

The committee is allowedto coopt one or more member if needed.

The order further statesthat the committee shall undertake prelegislative consultations and examine the

present Act, previouslyframed Drugs and CosmeticsBills and submit a draft document for a new Drugs, Cosmetics and Medical DevicesBill.

‘Keep pharma distinct’Reacting to the move, RajivNath, forum coordinator, Association of Indian MedicalDevice Industry, said medical devices have outgrownthe “joint family home”shared too long with pharma.

“The separate rules werea good step to allow us tohave our own home but theCentral Drugs Standard Control Organisation [CDSCO] isnot letting go. If food can

have the FSSAI [Food Safetyand Standards Authority ofIndia], we need somethingsimilar for devices, whichare engineering goods undergoing constant innovation,” Mr. Nath stated.

The NITI Aayog Bill to regulate devices separatelyfrom drugs and decriminalise minor noncomplianceswas in the right direction, henoted.

The composition of thecommittee was a seriousconfl�ict of interest and unprecedented, he said. “Involving stakeholders like manufacturers, scientists,doctors and patient groupswould have been benefi�cial,”he added.

Panel set up to draft Bill on drugs,cosmetics and medical devices Eightmember committee will submit draft document by November 30

Bindu Shajan Perappadan

NEW DELHI

The government is looking atnew laws on drugs, cosmeticsand medical devices.

Implementing the Code onSocial Security, 2020, andbringing large numbers ofworkers within the ambit ofsocial security schemeswere the top priorities of thegovernment, according toLabour and EmploymentMinister Bhupender Yadav.

Mr. Yadav told The Hinduon Tuesday that the focus onexpanding social securityschemes would be discussedduring the Employees’ StateInsurance Corporation’smeeting on Friday. Mr. Yadav, who was inducted intothe Cabinet during the expansion of the Modi Ministryin July, said the task aheadfor him and the Ministrywould be to ensure that thebenefi�ts of the Code on Social Security “reach the poorand downtrodden”. Amongthe features of the social se

curity code is the expansionof benefi�ts under the Employees’ State InsuranceCorporation (ESIC) to gigand platform workers.

“The need of the hour isthat a large number of workers must come under theambit of social securityschemes,” Mr. Yadav said.

The social security code,along with the codes on wages, industrial relations andoccupational safety, is yet to

be implemented as the rulesframed under the Act havenot been notifi�ed. Askedwhen the four labour Codeswould be implemented, Mr.Yadav declined to commenton a timeline.

According to Labour Ministry sources, the rulesframed under the fourCodes are ready to be notifi�ed and States are in theprocess of notifying theirown rules for the same.

Earlier in the year, Labourand Employment SecretaryApurva Chandra had saidthe rules would be ready before April 1. Offi�cials havesince then not commentedon when the rules would benotifi�ed. A Ministry sourcesaid once notifi�ed, the ruleswould take some time to beexecuted and employerswould likely be given threemonths to comply with theprovisions.

Bhupender Yadav declines to give implementation timeline

Damini Nath

New Delhi

Bhupender Yadav

Implementing social security code a priority, says Minister

India and Australia will holdthe inaugural 2+2 Ministerialmeeting here during the upcoming visit of Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Minister of Defence PeterDutton. The meeting will bepart of Australia’s engagement with regional partnersas the Ministers will also visitIndonesia, South Korea andthe U.S. for IndoPacifi�c consultations.

“These inaugural 2+2 discussions are a cornerstoneof the AustraliaIndia Comprehensive Strategic Part

nership, which is foundedon a shared commitment toa secure, stable and prosperous IndoPacifi�c region,”said Ms. Payne before starting the tour.

A statement from the Minister said the bilateral relationship is at a “historichigh” and the discussionbetween Ms. Payne and herIndian counterpart S. Jaishankar will cover economicissues, cyber security, climate change, critical technology and supply chains.Mr. Dutton will hold the defence cooperation relatedmeeting with his Indian

counterpart Rajnath Singh. The Sydney Morning Her-

ald has reported that the discussion in Delhi is likely toinclude a bilateral free tradeagreement. India and Australia have been in negotiation over a possible freetrade deal, which has so farnot yielded a positive result.The Ministerial meetingswill be held in the backdropof the evacuation of westernforces from Afghanistanwhere Australia had a military presence. Australia hasevacuated around 4,100 persons from Afghanistan before the end of August.

India, Australia to hold 2+2 meet

Kallol Bhattacherjee

NEW DELHI

Discussion on bilateral free trade agreement is likely

PM to lay stone forMahendra Pratap varsity GHAZIABAD

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

will lay the foundation stone

for the Raja Mahendra Pratap

Singh University in Aligarh on

September 14. Uttar Pradesh

Chief Minister Yogi

Adityanath visited Aligarh on

Wednesday to take stock of

the preparations.

Bahujan Samaj Party chiefMayawati on Wednesday instructed partymen to workon a war footing to expandthe party’s base among the‘sarv samaj’, a day after addressing a ‘prabudh vargsammelan’ aimed at garnering the support of intellectuals, especially Brahmins,before the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

Reviews preparationsMs. Mayawati in a tweet inHindi said she addressed senior offi�cebearers and district unit presidents of theBSP in an important meetinghere.

She reviewed the prepara

tions of the party up tobooth level in view of thechallenges of the upcomingpoll and the ongoing eff�ortsto expand the party’s baseamong among all sections of

the society. The former ChiefMinister also directed partymen to work on a war footing in this direction.

At the sammelan held onTuesday in Lucknow, she as

sured that the Brahmin community will be treated rightif her BSP forms the government in 2022.

“Now when a BSPled government is formed, my efforts will not go into buildingmemorials, parks and statues. My whole energy willgo into changing the face ofUttar Pradesh so that the entire country and world cansay that the BSP chief haschanged the face of theState,” Mayawati said.

The former Chief Ministergave a call for forging strongunity among Dalits andBrahmins so that the resultsof 2007 could be repeated,when the party had formeda government of its own inUttar Pradesh.

Work to expand BSP’s base: Mayawati Party chief addresses offi�cebearers, asks partymen to work on war footing

BSP chief Mayawati at a ‘Vichar Sangosthi’ in Lucknow.* FILE PHOTO


Lucknow

CMYK

A ND-NDE

History is believed to never happen bychance, but it was an accident thatcreated and shaped this mesmerisingaccount of the past. Ten years ago,author and journalist Akash Kapur waslooking through the contents of adrawer in a New York apartment whenhe came across a bunch of folderscrammed with letters, pages fromdiaries, and old photographs. Theywere papers of John Walker, theadoptive father of Akash’s wife,Auralice.

The discovery of the folders, whichwere preserved by John’s sister, was atonce painful and liberating.

In 1986, when Auralice was just 14,John and Auralice’s mother Diane haddied within hours of each other inAuroville under circumstances thatwere obscure and perplexing.

John had grown up in privilege,born in a family of great wealth, animpressive lineage, “a pedigree he hasto live up to”. Diane was a beautiful,sunny and fl�irtatious Belgian hippiewho lived near Antwerp with a motherwho relied on welfare checks. Whatthese two unlikely partners sharedwas an itch to escape their lives andfollow their dreams, a hankering thatwould lead them separately toAuroville, not so long after it wasfounded in 1968.

Soon after John and Dianemysteriously died, Auralice wouldmove to the US to live with theformer’s family. In America, she wouldmarry Akash, who also grew up inAuroville; the two knew each other aschildren.

In 2004, the couple returned to livein the experimental city thatmanifested in the dreams of SriAurobindo’s foremost disciple, theMother (Frenchwoman Mirra Alfassa).Their reasons for moving back, Akashsays, were varied, and included suchthings as being homesick and wantingto try something. But the searinglytragic saga of Auralice’s parents —which included a fall that paralysedDiane’s hips for years and the death ofan infant son (Aurolouis) by drowning— continued to hang like a fog overtheir heads.

The diaries off�ered a forensic as wellas a cathartic opportunity: to clear themist and come to terms with the past.

Bringing up the divide

It is a journey that took Akash, now46, almost 10 years to complete, aproject that involved “tracking downold friends of John and Diane’s, their

former lovers, fellowtravellers fromAuroville… on six continents”.

As he set out to write about thetwo, the scope of the book, perhapsinevitably, widened. The story of Johnand Diane would also become a socialhistory of Auroville; their lives, afterall, were inextricably twinned withthe place they chose to live in.

Delving into Auroville’s past meantdealing with a shadowy time whenthe utopia that was designed to be aplace for “unending education,constant progress, and a youth thatnever ages” turned dark and almostdystopian.

The passing of the Mother in 1973was followed by deep divisions withinthe multicultural community. A partof the reason for this was the strugglefor power and selfdetermination, onethat pitted the Pondicherrybased SriAurobindo Society (SAS, which ownedmost of the land and assets in theexpansive township) against residentsof Auroville. There was an attendantideological dimension, which cleavedAuroville down the middle.

There were revolutionaries (loosely,those who wanted to break free fromthe SAS) and the Neutrals (a groupingthat was attacked for its alleged lackof revolutionary ardour and theirsupposed softness towards the SAS).

The collective that dominatedAuroville was revolutionary and therewas a period in which there prevaileda climate of slander, threats,evictions, deportations, and arrests.Children were ‘liberated’ by theclosure of schools and, quiteastonishingly, a bonfi�re was lit ofbooks pulled from shelves from itslibrary. Akash says terrible though itwas, the book burning was an“isolated incident”, a moment ofmadness. “The greater longtermdamage was done by shutting downthe schools. The ideology behind thisand book burning was the samethough. That the old forms ofknowledge were unnecessary at atime when Aurovilians were going toreinvent the world.”

Even children were infected by thepolarisation. Akash recalls, with astirring honesty and immense regret,that when he was about 10, somefriends and he chased a couple ofNeutrals down the road, sneering andthrowing twigs and pebbles at them.“I am embarrassed about this andvery ashamed. All kinds of thingshappened to the Neutrals at that time.They are now reintegrated into thecommunity, but one of the revelationsin talking to them for the book is thatthe pain still runs below the surfacefor many of them.”

Balancing the dark and the light

“Auroville walked to the edge of theprecipice and back,” he says whentalking of that period. Has it walkedback too far? Hasn’t some of that earlyfervour, which saw the fi�rst fewAurovilians living simply in thatchedhuts with no money and fewresources, vanished?

“It’s fair to say that Auroville ismiddleaged now, and with this comesa certain complacency,” he replies.“But there are still people here whoare very idealistic, sometimes to afault. As the book suggests, there is adarker side to idealism andextremism. If that has dimmed, maybeit is not such a bad thing at all.”

Bigger, more prosperous

Auroville is also much bigger today,with about 3,500 people from almost60 countries. And, of course, muchmore prosperous. “Yes, that is true.And then, there is the tourismeconomy. And the restaurants. Butwithin the Auroville master plan, noneof us owns a house,” he says. “My kidsare in a school where it doesn’t matterwhether your dad has a fl�ashy car orthe biggest house. None of the gamesthat play out in big cities play outhere.”

What sets Better to Have Gone

(Scribner, ₹�699) apart is Akash’s voiceand approach. It would have been fareasier to have pulled off�, for example,what Peter Washington did of anothernew age movement (theTheosophists). In Madame Blavatsky’sBaboon, he panned the main playersas eccentric founders of a cult, whichclaimed to receive divine wisdom intheir visions and which encouraged allkinds of irrational ideas (which ofcourse they did).

Notions such as immortality andtalk of transforming cellularconsciousness were very muchpresent in the thoughts of the Motherand those close to her. But despitebeing someone who lives “closer tothe side of reason”, Akash isempathetic to even those he disagreeswith.

There is a recognition, the kind thatgood novelists have, that everyone hasa story and that the truth is often notin black and white, but shades of grey.“Auroville has so many diff�erent pointsof view. I decided that I was going tostate things as they were, but also thatI was going to step out of the frame.”

There are meditations on doubt andcertitude, on the dangers that resultwhen an imperfect species fl�irts withnotions of utopia, and the virtues offallibilism, moderation andincrementalism — values that lie at theheart of any true liberal project. Theresult is an empatheticnonjudgmental work, written with aspare, almost frugal beauty,illuminating in its silences, andrevealing in what is left unsaid.

Is Auralice in a better place now thatshe knows about the tragedies ofDiane and John? “I think so,” Akashreplies. Yes, it was diffi�cult when theresearch threw up painful facts. Butoverall, if you have family membersdie in these circumstances and if youdon’t understand why or how, it isliberating to see the bigger picture andwhat happened to them.”

In short, and to tweak the title ofthe book a little, it is better to haveknown.

:: Mukund Padmanabhan

Auroville and the price of perfection

(Clockwise from far left) TheAmphitheatre with theMatrimandir in thebackground, children beingcarried around on cycles inAuroville, the township’sgalaxy master plan, JohnWalker, snapshots of John,Diane and Auralice inAuroville, and early days ofconstruction * RAKHAL, MUNIANDI

RADHAKRISHNA, ANITA REICHLE, RAVENA

Writer Akash Kapur turns his gaze inwards in his new book, Better to Have Gone, to investigate themystery behind the deaths of two family members, and unravel larger truths about the City of Dawn

Akash Kapur with his wife Auralice * SIMBARASHE CHA


THE HINDU DELHI


SHOWCASE

A green tin trunk. Inside are toff�eeboxes fi�lled with stamps that have travelled countries, continents and time.Handwritten recipes, letters, and sepiatinted envelopes. A pictorialstamp inscribed for the Ottoman Empire in 1914, when they were nearingtotal collapse, featuring the former Ministry of War which is now the entrance to the Istanbul University; ahandwritten recipe for Everton toff�ee;a 1935 stamp of Ferdinand Magellan’slanding on the island of Cebu (nowpart of the Philippines) in 1521.

When photographer Ami Guptachanced upon this treasure chest, anew world opened up. The world ofBanoo Pestonji, a woman she had never met and to whom the trunk belonged. Ami instantly realised that thisunique collection of historical markers is worth a display.

In the group show A Moment InTime at VA Art Gallery, curated by Varuna Arvind and Upasana Asrani, Amiuses photography to record them forposterity. “This was given to my fatherby his friend in the ’80s, but they dateback to much earlier. There was also abook that was partrecipe and partstamp book. For the stamps, I alsoused a magnifying lens to show the details, especially the texture of the paper,” she says.

Alongside her display stand portraits, landscapes, people and architecture, frozen in time by other Chennaibased photographers: PraneethReddy, Rakshitha Arvind and NiraliDatta. In the quaint gallery space,each artist gets their own section,amid a fl�urry of art and decor piecesthat have a permanent place.

Praneeth’s collection is a series ofpowerful blackandwhite images — allshot in one corner of his room. Thefour portraits show models in veils,drapes falling in waves across their

faces; an attempt to recreate medievalsculptures through portraits. “In all ofmy pictures, I would like it if the identity of the person is not revealed. I tryto use masks or similar props to ensure that,” says Praneeth. In his notable work titled Hew, thin, streaked fabric masks a face. The controlledlighting makes a powerful statement.

As for Nirali, mundane activitiescall for documentation. Hers is a mixof black and white, as well as colouredphotographs, with a specifi�c interestin the sea and skies of Chennai. Aseemingly pixelated frame of a building keeps one guessing: It is the refl�ection of a building on a pool of water.

Meanwhile, Rakshita Arvind’s windowscapes take one through Chennaiin lockdown. Says Rakshita, whoshoots on fi�lm, “Last year, I found myself drawn to windows. There was something about trying to show thespace or the people inside. There’s alittle mystery to it.”

A Moment in Time is on display atVA Art Gallery, Gandhi MandapamRoad, till September 21

What makes a city?Windowscapes to portraits that mimicsculptures — this group show by Chennaibasedphotographers meditates on a moment in time

:: Gowri S

Fleeting frames (Top) PraneethReddy’s Hew; a frame from RakshitaArvind’s series of windowscapes

* SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT *

On the cylindrical facade of aformer cyclone shelter in Thiruvottiyur, a scene unfolds: smilingfi�sherfolk, some wielding oarsand others holding baskets oftheir haul, invite you into thefrothy ocean.

The expansive sea meets thesky dotted with clouds in whatreminds one of simpler, happiertimes. The twostoried buildingof around 17,000 square feet, located where Ennore ExpressRoad meets Kathivakkam HighRoad, is now a canvas.

The debris that once surrounded this shelter has nowdisappeared; and so have theempty liquor bottles. Cut to Manali, and a therukoothu artistegazes into the distance from thecompound wall of the bus terminus.

These are only a couple of thenewfound canvases that NorthChennai is now home to. As partof the Greater Chennai Corporation’s Singara Chennai 2.0 initia

tive that looks at multiplebeautifi�cation drives acrossthe city, this wall art projectbolstered by CSR initiatives

is a workinprogress. The artists? Chennai’s

very own, born out of anearforgotten practicecalled banner art.

Leg up to local talent

Helmed by JPK Vijay, this teamof artists who have had a diffi�cultcouple of years due to the pandemic, has worked on the facades of Chennai PrimarySchool, Manali; Manali bus terminus; Madhavaram roundabout and the former cycloneshelter/Amma Unavagam, Kathivakkam. The overarching themeof these murals points to TamilNadu’s culture.

“The fi�rst site I got was theAmma Unavagam building and I

wanted it to be oneofakind. Iwanted to use the art to spreadawareness. I took inspirationfrom the area and depicted thefi�shing community that formsthe heart of Ennore,” says Vijay.

He recalls resentment fromthe local community when theystarted work. “But as soon as westarted painting, they becamecurious and wanted to help us. Ithas now become a special placefor them to preserve,” he says,adding that their success lies inhow the artwork helped bringbehavioural changes indirectly.

“We are looking for sponsorsto fund landscaping and fountains in the entrance to thebuilding, benches for senior citizens and toilets. The wall artproject is only one part of thebeautifi�cation planned for thesite,” says R Jayakumar, AssistantExecutive Engineer, Zone 1,Kathivakkam. “We want the public to benefi�t from this.”

On the compound walls ofChennai Primary School, Manali, a group of children in uniformplay a heated game of gilli-dan-da. “Games like gilli remain for

gotten. Children don’t know ofthem anymore,” says Vijay.

In the bus terminus, on theother hand, therukoothu takescentre stage. The fact that theru-koothu is not portrayed as oftenas other traditional artforms likesilambam is what led him to pickthe folk form.

On another plastered wall,stone sculptures of Mamallapuram seamlessly blend onto thetexture of the facade. “When itcomes to Madhavaram roundabout which was a small site, wethought of depicting traditional

foods,” says Vijay.What makes these murals

stand out is their realistic portrayal of people: familiar facesthat call for an instant, ratherpersonal connection for a passerby. This lifelike quality is anoff�shoot of the artists’ years ofexperience with handpaintedboards and cine banners.

This expertise with bannerart, which uses emulsion paintsand acrylics, helps them movefrom wall to wall swiftly. A public art project usually takesanywhere between two weeks to

months to be completed, butsome of these walls were done ina day’s time.

“Wall art is also ecofriendly.Flex prints for instance, leave ahuge carbon footprint. Now, after seeing such works, the publicis also slowly moving back tohand painted boards, bannersand walls,” adds Vijay.

In the noughties most bannerartists lost their livelihood, owing to the digital shift and thefl�ex culture. Handpaintedboards that ensured employment to many smallscale artistswere the norm until then. Vijay’sfather JP Krishna, president ofBharatiya Kalakar Sangh wasone among them; a pioneer incine banner art in the 1990s.

“There were lakhs of artists inChennai who lost work aroundthe time when fl�ex printing started dominating,” says Vijay.

Singara Chennai 2.0 is a revival, and a tribute to their talent.

Vijay’s next for the city will bethe one kilometrelong subwaynear the RBI building and Secretariat. “The walls and the ceilingwill be inspired by the wallpaintings inside the Brihadeeswara temple’s gopuram, whichgave birth to the Tanjore style ofpaintings,” says Vijay.

The biggest advantage of suchbeautifi�cation projects is itsscope for employment, especially for those who belong to thewidelyhit arts sector, he adds.

“Many of the largescale artworks that we see in Indira Nagar MRTS and Kannagi Nagar aredone by artists from across Indiaand abroad. We have the talent,right here in our State, but wedon’t utilise them,” he says.

A silver lining to these projects is that the Greater ChennaiCorporation is also identifyinglocal, upcoming artists fromeach zone to beautify their ownlocalities.

Sea and sand, onan expressway

Noticed lifelike muralsdotting parts of the

city, recently? Behindthese public art

projects are bannerartists, now turning thewalls of North Chennai

into their canvas City walls,redefi�ned(Clockwise fromleft) Thecompound wallsof Manali busterminus; AmmaUnavagam atKathivakkam; atChennai PrimarySchool, Manali;and artist Vijay atthe site * B JOTHI

RAMALINGAM AND

SPECIAL

ARRANGEMENT

:: Gowri S

Madras for a two year postgraduation in November2020. After 10 months of studying at the University of Madras, last week, I fi�nallywalked through its doors.

September 1 will be cherished by many students, as‘the’ day we got to fi�nally stepinto college after spending anacademic year entirely online. I entered my postgraduate classroom with mixedemotions. There were tracesof uncertainty but the excitement to meet my friends,whom I had only connectedwith virtually till now, surpassed the doubt and nervousness. Social distancingwas not a problem, since the

classroom is huge and only50% of the class strength ispresent for offl�ine classes, setto be held on alternate days.The rest have chosen to continue learning online.

The room bustled withgreetings, gossip and laughter. I walked in seeing a familiar face (despite the mask)and yelled out, “Atul”. I expected Atul Ignatius David’seyes to light up with equal joyin response, but he seemedconfused. It took him a minute to realise that it was me.

“You’re tall. I’ve always assumed that you’d be short,”exclaimed Shermin Oviya Jegath, another surprised classmate. I too had assumptionsabout my classmates, madeover a year of correspondingvia Zoom and WhatsApp, onlyto have them shattered themoment we met. Rasmi M,who always looked serious onscreen, turned out to be funnier than the rest of us.

Despite the awkwardnessof having just met, we managed to connect. Informal online meets back in our fi�rst

year had ensured that wedidn’t ‘disconnect’ afterclass like our modems,

making this easier. A sight we never get

to see online, thatgave me goosebumps,is when our professors walked into theclassroom together.Four hours a day of

virtual class did not give usmuch of a chance to engagewith professors. The six offl�ine lectures so far have beena completely diff�erent experience. We do not have to gorunning to answer the doorbell, and there are no Internetglitches to worry about.

Small joys

During virtual classes, we hadmissed the little connections:passing chits during lectures,or making eye contact with aclassmate till they giggle.These memories were fi�nallycreated on our fi�rst day.

Until I got home, I did notrealise that I hadn’t used mymobile for almost fi�ve hours.Locked in our homes, the only entertainment most of ushad were bingeable webseries and social media. My eyeswould tear up, just to remindme that I have been staring atthe screen for hours.

Many of my classmates travel for almost an hour toreach college before classesstart at 10 am, since most of uslive in diff�erent corners of thecity. I was surprised to seemany students from other districts and states in class: Theysomehow managed to arrangeuniversity hostels and privatehostels within a week’s notice, despite being given thechoice to continue online.

Given the possibility of athird wave, I am unsure abouthow long offl�ine lectures willcontinue. Since we do notknow how much time we willget together, we are going allout to create memories asquickly as we can.

What is it like to meet your classmatesfor the fi�rst time, after almost twoacademic years online? As collegesreopen, join this student on her fi�rst dayon campus at the University of Madras

:: Sowmya Bai

Back on campus Collegesreopened for offl�ine class onSeptember 1 * R RAGU

Professor, you lookeddiff�erent on Zoom

How sad is it that my fi�rst dayof college, in offl�ine mode, isalso one of the fi�nal days ofmy college life? That studentsof this generation have spentmore than oneandahalfyears staring at screens fromclosed spaces.

Nevertheless, I considermyself lucky: at least I enjoyedtwoandahalf years of myundergraduation in a realclassroom, before COVIDwreaked havoc on the world,before we began to live ourlives online, from March2020. I fi�nished my third yearat Ethiraj College online, andthen joined the University of

SOPS FOR REOPENING

COLLEGES

All colleges shouldensure that theclasses, chairs andsporting equipmentare properly cleanedand sanitised

All students, teachersand support staff�should compulsorilyhave taken both dosesof vaccination.Certifi�cates should bekept ready forGovernmentinspection

If any student showssymptoms ofCOVID19, people inclose contact shouldundertake RTPCR test

Clean drinking watershould be madeavailable for allstudentsAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

CMYK

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DELHI THE HINDU


SHOWCASE

CMYK

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THE HINDU DELHI


After capturing Kabul on August 15, Taliban leaders hadrepeatedly said they wouldestablish an “inclusive government” representing allsections of Afghan society.There were also discussionson whether the Taliban 2.0would be diff�erent from thelast time they were in power.

But with the formation ofan interim government onTuesday, the Taliban havemade it clear that the oldguard who ran Afghanistanfrom 1996 to 2001 still reignssupreme in the group andthat they care little aboutwhat the world thinks abouttheir conduct of governance.

Old guardAlmost all the senior positions of the interim government have been allocated totop Taliban leaders whowere associated with the oldregime. Mullah Hassan Akhund, who was the ForeignMinister of the previous Islamic Emirate, will head thegovernment. Mullah Akhund, who is on a U.N. blacklist, is one of the Taliban’sfounders. Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, another cofounder who was heading the Taliban’s Dohabasednegotiations with the U.S.and other countries, will behis deputy.

Sirajuddin Haqqani, whois heading the dreaded Haqqani Network, is the InteriorMinister. Sirajuddin’s fatherJalaluddin Haqqani was a Minister in the previous Taliban regime and then a commander of the militants.Mohammad Yaqoob, the oldest son of the Taliban’sfounder Mullah Omar, is theDefence Minister.

Khalil Haqqani, anothersenior member from theHaqqani Network, has been

named the Minister of Refugee Aff�airs. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahidhas said the list is not complete. But the fi�rst list indicates that the key portfolioshave been divided betweenthe Taliban’s religious leadership and the Haqqanis,who provide military muscleto the group.

Sirajuddin is a globally designated terrorist wanted byWashington. The FBI has offered a reward of $5 millionfor information about him.He will now be in charge ofinternal security, police forces and intelligence. His Haqqani Network has close tieswith Pakistan’s military establishment and had helpedalQaeda in the past.

The appointment, whichsuggests Pakistan’s deep infl�uence on the Taliban,could make it diffi�cult forother countries, especiallyfor India and those in theWest, in normalising relations with the regime. (TheHaqqanis are blamed for the2008 bombing of the IndianEmbassy in Kabul in which58 people were killed). Butthe Taliban leadership, liketheir peers in the 1990s,doesn’t seem to care.

Four of the top fi�ve commanders who were detainedin the Guantánamo prisonand released by the Obamaadministration in 2014 in exchange for Sgt. Bowe Berg

dahl were also given seniorposts in the regime — MullahKhairullah Khairkhah, Minister for Information and Culture; Mullah Noorullah Noori, Minister of Borders andTribal Aff�airs; MohammadFazl, Chief of Army Staff�; andAbdul Haq Wasiq, Directorof Intelligence.

Most of the Ministers arePashtun, which is the largestethnic group in Afghanistan.Unsurprisingly, there is nowoman in the government.Afghanistan’s Shia minority,who make up roughly 10% ofthe population, has alsofound no representative inthe interim government.

In the 1990s, the Shia Hazara minority, who are largelyconcentrated in Mazari Sharif in northwest Afghanistan,faced systemic persecutionunder the Taliban regime.Iran, a Shia theocracy thathad established contactswith the Sunni extremist Taliban years ago, had reportedly put pressure on Afghanistan’s new rulers to includeHazara Shias in the government. But the Taliban didnot relent.

Crackdown on women Two days before the government announcement, theTaliban’s Education Ministryhad issued an extensive doc

ument, issuing instructionsto educational institutionsand the women who weregoing to colleges and universities. All female students,teachers and staff� must wearan abaya robe and niqab covering the hair, body andmost of the face as well asgloves to ensure hands arecovered, stated the document, signalling how the regime would treat women. Italso ordered classes to be segregated by gender or divided by a curtain.

Protests broke out in partsof Afghanistan, including inKabul, where women stagedrallies demanding freedoms.On Tuesday, the crowdswere dispersed by the Taliban using force, which wasfollowed by Zabihullah Mujahid’s nighttime press conference in which he announced the governmentformation.

Islamic systemIn September 1996, aftercapturing Kabul, MullahOmar said the Taliban wouldestablish “a pure Islamic system” in Afghanistan. On September 7, 2021, after the interim government wasannounced, Hibatullah Akhundzada, Taliban’s Emirwho will be the supremeleader of the new Afghanistan, issued a statement saying: “Our previous 20 yearsof struggle and Jihad had hadtwo major goals. Firstly toend foreign occupation andaggression and to liberatethe country, and secondly toestablish a complete, independent, stable and centralIslamic system in the country.”

He added: “Based on thisprinciple, in the future, allmatters of governance andlife in Afghanistan will beregulated by the laws of theHoly Shariah.”

In new govt., Taliban off�er old regime Group’s old guard and Haqqanis get key portfolios; women, Shias excluded

A university classroom divided by a curtain in Kabul. * AFP

Stanly Johny

NEWS ANALYSIS

Former President AshrafGhani, who fl�ed the countrylast month, apologised onWednesday to the Afghanpeople, because he “couldnot make it end diff�erently”.

In a statement on Twitter,Mr. Ghani said he left at theurging of the palace securityto avoid street fi�ghting, andagain denied stealingmillions from the treasury.

Ghani regrets‘how it ended’Agence France-Presse

Kabul

China on Wednesday welcomedthe Taliban’s announcement offormation of an interim government as “a necessary step” and“an end to the anarchy” inAfghanistan.

Beijing also appeared to water down its earlier stand of underlining the importance of theTaliban setting up an “inclusive” government, which someoffi�cials had suggested was anexpectation of Beijing as it considers recognising the new regime.

Asked how China viewedTuesday’s announcement bythe Taliban of an interim government — one comprised ofseveral sanctioned terrorists,no minorities, and no women —and whether Beijing would recognise this government, Foreign Ministry spokespersonWang Wenbin said: “The Chinese Embassy in Afghanistan is

operating normally. We standready to maintain communication with the new Afghan government and leaders.”

“We hope the new Afghanadministration in the capacityof interim government willbroadly solicit the opinions ofall ethnic groups and factionsand live up to the expectation ofthe Afghan people and aspiration of the international community,” he added. “We notedthat the Afghan Taliban stressedthat all people will benefi�t fromthe new administration.”

Necessary stepChina earlier said it would consider recognising the Talibanonly after governmentformation in Kabul. Mr. Wang welcomed the announcement of aninterim government, saying“this has put an end to the anarchy in Afghanistan that lastedfor over three weeks and is a necessary step for Afghanistan to

restore domestic order and pursue postwar reconstruction.”

"China’s position on the Afghan issue is consistent andclear,” he said. “We always respect the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrityof Afghanistan, adhere to noninterference in Afghanistan’s internal aff�airs, and support theAfghan people in independent

ly choosing a development pathsuited to the country'sconditions.”

Mr. Wang did add that Chinahoped “Afghanistan will establish a broadly based and inclusive political structure, followmoderate and prudent domestic and foreign policies, resolutely combat all types of terrorist forces, and live on friendlyterms with other countries, especially its neighbours”.

Regular engagement China and Russia, as well as China and Pakistan, have been regularly engaging on the Afghanissue in recent weeks. Mr. Wangsaid China had on September 5attended a meeting with specialrepresentatives of Pakistan,Iran, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan andTurkmenistan held “under thechairmanship of the Pakistaniside”. Its special envoy YueXiaoyang had attended themeeting where the countries

“exchanged views mainly onthe situation in Afghanistan, especially cooperation among Afghanistan’s neighbouring countries on the Afghanrelatedaff�airs, and maintained communication with Russia, reachingmuch consensus”.

China would “urgently provide 200 million yuan ($30.96million) worth of grains, wintersupplies, vaccines, and medicines to Afghanistan” as well as3 million vaccines, Foreign Minister Wang Yi announced onWednesday at the “fi�rst meetingof Foreign Ministers of Afghanistan’s neighbouring countries”, held virtually and attended by offi�cials from Pakistan,Iran, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan andTurkmenistan.

Chaired by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, Mr. Wang saidthis new grouping would serveas “a new coordination mechanism among Afghanistan’sneighbours.”

China welcomes Taliban govt. as ‘end to anarchy’We stand ready to maintain communication with the new Afghan government & leaders, says Foreign Ministry

Wang Wenbin

Ananth Krishnan

Hong Kong police onWednesday arrestedfour members of thegroup behind the city’s

Tiananmen Square vigils, a day after they refused to cooperate witha national securityinvestigation.

Prominent barrister

Chow Hangtung, vicechairwoman of the alliance, along with members Simon Leung,Sean Tang and Chan Towai, was arrested.

Agence France-Presse

Hong Kong

Tiananmen vigil leaders held in HK

Russia’s EmergenciesMinister has died tryingto save a fi�lmmaker whoslipped from a cliff� during training exercises inthe Arctic, offi�cials saidon Wednesday.

Yevgeny Zinichev,who previously servedin President VladimirPutin’s security detail, isthe fi�rst Russian Cabinetmember to die on duty.

He was lauded by senior government offi�cials and the Russian

leader as a loyal civil servant and a “hero”.

The Ministry identifi�ed the fi�lmmaker as 63yearold Alexander Melnik. It said he also diedin the incident that tookplace earlier onWednesday.

Russian Minister dies trying tosave fi�lmmaker in Arctic drillsAgence France-Presse

Moscow

The U.S. and Germanyon Wednesday steppedup pressure on Iran toreturn soon to talks onits nuclear programme.

The last round oftalks by the remainingparties to the 2015 Irannuclear accord ended inJune and no date hasbeen set for their resumption. Last week,Iranian Foreign MinisterHossein Amirabdollahian said “it takes two to

three months for thenew administration toestablish and do planning for any sort ofdecision.”

Asked whether thedelay suggested by Iranis too long, Mr. Blinkensaid: “I’m not going toput a date on it, but weare getting closer to thepoint at which a strictreturn to the compliance with the (nuclear deal) does not reproduce the benefi�tsthat that agreement

achieved.” “We’ve beenvery clear that the ability to rejoin the (deal),return to mutual compliance, is not indefi�nite,” he added.

On Tuesday, the U.N.nuclear watchdog saidIran has continued to increase its stockpile ofhighly enriched uranium in breach of the accord. The IAEA also saidthat its verifi�cation andmonitoring activitieshave been “seriouslyundermined”.

Iran urged to resume nuclear talks Agence France-Presse

Ramstein

Hours after the Taliban announced a government inKabul that included UN designated terrorists, the U.S.mission to the UN has saidthe UN Security Council willbase any decisions on delisting terrorists on the Taliban’s human rights policies.The U.S. position is of particular importance to India,which is not only a closeneighbour of Afghanistanbut also the head of the 1988UNSC Sanctions Committee,the ‘Taliban SanctionsCommittee’.

Among those in the newlyformed Taliban governmentare Prime Minister Hasan Akhund — a UN designated terrorist — and Interior MinisterSirajuddin Haqqani, who islisted as a terrorist by boththe UN and the U.S.

“We stand by Resolution2513. We are watching theTaliban's actions closely,” aU.S.UN mission spokesperson told The Hindu via emailon Tuesday.

Resolution 2513, adoptedby the UNSC in March 2020when the Trump administration was representing theU.S., supported, in principle, the delisting of individuals to facilitate an intraAfghan dialogue and peace.

The resolution linked a review of the listing decision tothe actions of the Taliban insupporting peace and stability in Afghanistan.

“The Security Council willtake into account any behaviour that disregards the human rights of Afghans as itreviews the travel ban exemption and the status of designations. We continuouslyreview all UN sanctions pro

grammes and are preparedto adjust them in light ofevolving circumstances.Needless to say, however,should the Taliban supportor harbour terrorists whothreaten the security of theinternational community, orfail to uphold human rightsin Afghanistan, including forwomen and girls, sanctionswill remain in place,” themission spokesperson saidon Tuesday.

India’s Permanent Representative to the UN T.S. Tirumurti said no requests hadbeen discussed as of Wednesday morning.

“There have been no delisting requests yet. Thesanctions committee willtake a decision on the requests if and when they aremade. It is premature for meat this stage to predict whatthe Committee will decide,”he told The Hindu onWednesday.

India is following a ‘waitand watch’ approach withthe Taliban, including onmatters related to the UNSC.Committees are based on

consensus, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringlatold reporters in Washingtonlast Friday when asked aboutwhether the Security Council would delist Talibanterrorists.

“Don’t forget that we areone out of 15 [UNSC] members and we have to also seewhat the rest of the international community is saying,”he said, adding that no delisting requests had beendiscussed.

The recognition of the Taliban is “a matter that’s doneby Member States, not byus,” Farhan Haq, DeputySpokesperson for the Secretary General, said, as reported by the Press Trust of India. The 1988 Committee isexpected to meet in midSeptember. This roughlycoincides with the September 17 expiration of the UNAssistance Mission In Afghanistan (UNAMA).

U.S. policy The U.S. government, acrossits branches, appears not tohave a clear policy yet and is

watching the evolving situation in Afghanistan as well asother countries’ reaction(e.g., China) to thedevelopments.

Asked whether he is concerned about China fundingthe Taliban, U.S. PresidentJoe Biden on Tuesday saidthat China, like other countries, will try and work outan arrangement with thegroup. “Well, China has areal problem with the Taliban, so they're going to try towork out some arrangementwith the Taliban, I'm sure —as does Pakistan, as doesRussia, as does Iran,” hesaid. “ They're all trying to fi�gure out, what do they donow. So it will be interestingto see what happens.”

On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken,in Doha on a visit, said theU.S. would be “looking very,very carefully” at whetherthe Taliban were living up totheir commitments (such asupholding human rights ofAfghans, especially womenand girls, and allowing freetravel).

Sanctions relief will be basedon Taliban’s behaviour, says U.S.‘If they harbour terrorists or fail to uphold rights, sanctions will stay in place’

Sriram Lakshman

Washington

Track record: Nawaz Sharif and Mullah Mohammad HassanAkhund, right, in Islamabad on August 26, 1999. * AFP/FILE

The last member of Afghanistan’s Jewish community has left the country. Zebulon Simentov,who lived in a dilapidatedsynagogue in Kabul, keptkosher and prayed in Hebrew, endured decades ofwar.

But the Taliban takeover last month seems tohave been the last straw.Moti Kahana, an IsraeliAmerican who organisedthe evacuation, said he hasbeen taken to a “neighbouring country.”

Mr. Kahana said Mr. Simentov, who had lived under Taliban rule before,was not worried aboutthem. But Mr. Kahanawarned him that he was atrisk of being kidnapped orkilled by the far more radical Islamic State group. Hesaid Mr. Simentov’s neigh

bours also pressed him toleave, so that their children could join him on thebus out. They joined an exodus of tens of thousandsof Afghans who have fl�edsince the Taliban sweptacross the country.

Mr. Kahana said hisgroup is reaching out toU.S. and Israeli authoritiesto fi�nd a permanent homefor Mr. Simentov, whoseestranged wife and children live in Israel.

Afghanistan’s last Jew leaves countryHe is now in a ‘neighbouring country’

Associated Press

Kabul

Zebulon Simentov at asynagogue in Kabul, in thisfi�le photo. * AFP

Nearly 80 Yemen rebelsand progovernmenttroops have been killed asfi�ghting intensifi�es for thenorthern city of Marib, offi�cials said on Wednesday,nearly seven years into awar that has triggered amajor humanitarian crisis.

Scores of rebels werekilled in airstrikes afterthey renewed their attemptto capture the strategic city, the internationally recognised government’s lastoutpost in the north, according to loyalists.

“Sixty Houthi rebelswere killed — most of themin airstrikes conducted inthe last 24 hours — while 18progovernment troopswere killed and dozens injured in clashes over thepast 48 hours,” an offi�cialsaid. The fi�gures were confi�rmed by other sources,while the rebels rarely report casualty numbers.

78 killed asMarib fi�ghtingintensifi�esAgence France-Presse

Dubai

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

CMYK

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DELHI THE HINDU


NIFTY 50

PRICE CHANGE

Adani Ports. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 746.85. . . . . . . . . 1.35

Asian Paints. . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 3336.60. . . . . . . . . 0.35

Axis Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 794.70. . . . . . . . . 6.85

Bajaj Auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 3725.35. . . . . . -45.35

Bajaj Finserv. . . . . . . . . . .. 16560.75. . . -220.45

Bajaj Finance . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 7463.20. . . . . . . . . 5.90

Bharti Airtel . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 667.85. . . . . . . . -2.70

BPCL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 489.55. . . . . . . . . 7.60

Britannia Ind . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 4061.40. . . . . . -34.05

Cipla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 951.80. . . . . . . . . 1.30

Coal India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 149.15. . . . . . . . . 1.95

Divis Lab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 5085.05. . . -125.05

Dr Reddys Lab . . . . . . . .. . . . 4911.30. . . . . . . 13.85

Eicher Motors. . . . . . . . .. . . . 2800.00. . . . . . -23.15

Grasim Ind . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 1576.70. . . . . . . 22.25

HCL Tech. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 1188.80. . . . . . . . . 6.60

HDFC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 2829.30. . . . . . . . -7.70

HDFC Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 1576.40. . . . . . . . . 7.15

HDFC Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 743.65. . . . . . . . . 9.40

Hero MotoCorp . . . . . .. . . . 2798.35. . . . . . . . . 0.60

Hindalco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 456.30. . . . . . . . -6.00

Hind Unilever . . . . . . . . .. . . . 2800.90. . . . . . . 23.20

ICICI Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 720.95. . . . . . . . . 4.05

IndusInd Bank . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 999.60. . . . . . . . -1.65

Infosys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 1693.25. . . . . . -13.40

Indian OilCorp . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 112.60. . . . . . . . . 0.75

ITC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 211.25. . . . . . . . -0.50

JSW Steel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 687.05. . . . . . . . . 3.25

Kotak Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 1815.35. . . . . . . 50.50

L&T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 1666.55. . . . . . -15.15

M&M . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 754.75. . . . . . . . . 1.65

Maruti Suzuki . . . . . . . . .. . . . 6781.25. . . . . . -95.90

Nestle India Ltd. . . . .. 19839.60. . . -528.85

NTPC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 114.05. . . . . . . . -1.80

ONGC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 118.95. . . . . . . . -1.00

PowerGrid Corp . . . . .. . . . . . 172.85. . . . . . . . -0.15

Reliance Ind . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 2431.35. . . . . . . . -9.55

SBI Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 1220.05. . . . . . -18.70

State Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 431.35. . . . . . . . . 2.25

Shree Cement . . . . . . . .. 30794.80. . . . . 141.20

Sun Pharma . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 777.45. . . . . . . . . 7.55

Tata Consumer

Products Ltd. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 879.80. . . . . . . 11.50

Tata Motors . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 295.25. . . . . . . . . 0.65

Tata Steel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 1429.85. . . . . . . . . 1.15

TCS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 3774.15. . . . . . -41.75

Tech Mahindra . . . . . . .. . . . 1427.85. . . . . . . . -7.35

Titan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 2055.95. . . . . . . 22.05

UltraTech Cement. .. . . . 7992.90. . . . . . -33.35

UPL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 762.00. . . . . . . . . 9.95

Wipro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 662.20. . . . . . -12.05

EXCHANGE RATES

Indicative direct rates in rupees a unitexcept yen at 4 p.m. on September 08

CURRENCY TT BUY TT SELL

US Dollar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 73.40. . . . . . . 73.72

Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 86.74. . . . . . . 87.15

British Pound. . . . . . . . . . . . .101.01. . . . 101.47

Japanese Yen (100) . .. . 66.60. . . . . . . 66.90

Chinese Yuan . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 11.36. . . . . . . 11.42

Swiss Franc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 79.72. . . . . . . 80.07

Singapore Dollar . . . . . . .. . 54.54. . . . . . . 54.79

Canadian Dollar. . . . . . . . .. . 57.91. . . . . . . 58.19

Malaysian Ringitt . . . . . .. . 17.67. . . . . . . 17.76

Source:Indian Bank

market watch

08-09-2021 % CHANGE

Sensex dddddddddddddddddddddd 58,250 dddddddddd-0.050

US Dollardddddddddddddddddddd 73.60 ddddddddddddd-0.24

Gold ddddddddddddddddddddddddddd 46,140 ddddddddddddd-0.59

Brent oil ddddddddddddddddddddd 72.49 ddddddddddddddd0.97

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a ₹�10,683crore Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for thetextile sector with a view to“helping India regain its historical dominant status inglobal textiles trade”.

The incentives are designed to encourage investment in new capacities inmanmade fi�bre (MMF) apparel, MMF fabrics, and 10 segments or products of technical textiles. The governmentexpects the scheme to helpattract fresh investment ofmore than ₹�19,000 crore,creating an additional 7.5lakh direct jobs.

Terming the move a ‘gamechanger’, Union Minister forTextiles, Commerce and Industry, Consumer Aff�airs,Food and Public Distribution

Piyush Goyal told The Hindu

that any investment in thesector would have a multiplier eff�ect especially in jobcreation. “The PLI as a wholeis a game changer. And, fortextiles it will be a big, bigboost. Because... you createmaximum employment in

the textile sector, for everyrupee invested,” he added.

Twothirds of India’s textile exports now are cottonbased whereas 6670% ofworld trade in textiles andapparel is MMFbased andtechnical textiles. India’s focus on the manufacture of

textiles in the MMF sector isexpected to help boost itsability to compete globally.

Two categoriesThe scheme envisages twolevels of investment with different sets of incentives.While any person or fi�rm caninvest a minimum ₹�300crore in plant, machinery,and civil works to producethe identifi�ed products to ensure eligibility for the PLI, inthe second category a minimum investment of ₹�100crore would make an individual or fi�rm eligible to applyfor the incentives.

Priority would be givenfor investment in aspirational districts, tierthree, tierfour towns and rural areas.The scheme is expected tobenefi�t States such as Gujarat, U.P., Maharashtra, TamilNadu, Punjab, Andhra, Te

langana and Odisha.Textiles Secretary Upen

dra Prasad Singh said guidelines for implementation ofthe scheme would be notifi�ed by the end of thismonth. A portal would beopened to receive applications and the plan is to allowtwo months time to the unitsto apply for benefi�ts underthe scheme.

Applicants would havetwo years as investment period and 20242025 would bethe ‘performance’ year. Theincentive fl�ow would start in20252026 and extend forfi�ve years.

S.K. Sundararaman, chairman of the Indian TechnicalTextile Association, said thePLI plan, along with otherschemes, was ‘a boon’ to theMMF sector. It would helpaccelerate decisions by fi�rmseyeing the sector.

Govt. clears ₹�10,683 cr. textiles PLI plan Incentives aim to boost investment in new capacities in manmade fi�bre apparel, technical textiles


COIMBATORE

Spinning support: The plan may help draw investment ofover ₹�19,000 crore, adding 7.5 lakh jobs. * S. SIVA SARAVANAN

The government has appointed 10 merchant bankers, including GoldmanSachs (India) Securities, Citigroup Global Markets India,and Nomura Financial Advisory and Securities India, tomanage the mega initial public off�ering of the country’slargest insurer LIC.

Other bankers selectedare SBI Capital Markets, JMFinancial, Axis Capital, BofASecurities, JP Morgan India,ICICI Securities and KotakMahindra Capital Co Ltd,the disinvestment department said in a circular on itswebsite. “Government hasfi�nalised the book runninglead managers and someother advisors for the IPO ofLIC,” the Department of Investment and Public Asset

Management (DIPAM) Secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandeytweeted.

DIPAM had invited applications from merchantbankers on July 15. Following this, 16 applicants madepresentations for managingthe listing and partial disinvestment of Life InsuranceCorporation (LIC). The department is also in the process of appointing a legal adviser for the stake sale.

DIPAM picks 10 merchantbankers for LIC IPOGoldman, Citigroup, Nomura in list

Press Trust of india

New Delhi

Strong infl�ows in new fundoff�ers (NFOs) and a stableSIP book helped equity mutual funds (MFs) attract anet investment of ₹�8,666crore in August, making itthe sixth consecutivemonthly infusion, amid anuptrend in stock markets.

This was much higherthan July’s net infl�ow of₹�22,583 crore, data from theAssociation of Mutual Fundsin India (AMFI) showed onWednesday. Equity schemessaw net infl�ow of ₹�5,988crore in June, ₹�10,083 crorein May, ₹�3,437 crore in Apriland ₹�9,115 crore in March.

Equity schemes had consistently witnessed outfl�ows

for eight months from July2020 to February 2021.

The infl�ow pushed assetsunder management (AUM)of the MF industry to an alltime high of ₹�36.6 lakh croreat Augustend from ₹�35.32lakh crore a month earlier.

Arun Kumar, head of Research, FundsIndia, saidmany investors who werestaying on the sidelineswere slowly getting back.The trend also refl�ected inrecord NFO collections.

“The decline of the second wave, increase in vaccinations, sharp equity rally... and the stability of themarkets despite the secondwave have added to investorcomfort and confi�dence,”he added.

Equity MFs get ₹�8,666cr.on strong infl�ow in NFOsStable SIP book adds to Aug. numbers


New Delhi India’s largest carmakerMaruti Suzuki India (MSI)on Wednesday said its totalproduction in August declined by 8% on a yearlybasis to 1,13,937 units, asthe global semiconductorshortage impacted its manufacturing schedules.

The fi�rm had produced atotal of 1,23,769 units ayear earlier, MSI said in aregulatory fi�ling. Semiconductors cater to controland memory functions inproducts such as automobiles, computers and cellphones. MSI said total passenger vehicle output was1,11,368 units last month,as against 1,21,381 units inAugust 2020.

Maruti outputdips 8% onchip shortage


New Delhi

The Income Tax department on Wednesday said anumber of technical issuesin the new ITR portal arebeing progressively addressed and 1.19 crore ITRsfor 202021 fi�scal year havebeen fi�led so far.

Giving updates of activities carried out by taxpayers on the portal, theIT department said morethan 8.83 crore unique taxpayers have logged into theportal till September 7.The Income Tax Return(ITR) fi�ling has risen to 3.2lakh daily in September.

“A number of technicalissues are being progressively addressed,” theCBDT said in a statement.

‘IT site issuesbeing resolvedprogressively’

Press trust of india

new delhi

Life insurers fi�rstyear premium (FYP) rose 2.89% to₹�27,820.74 crore for Auguston the back of another goodshow by the private players.

Market leader and Stateowned Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) saw a3.82% decline in FYP to₹�18,960.77 crore, accordingto the new business statement of life insurers released by IRDAI. On a sequential basis, it faredbetter. In July, the FYP stoodat ₹�12,030.93 crore.

For the 5month periodup to August, the FYP of allthe lifer insurers stood at

₹�1,00,980.72 crore, 1.63%higher. For LIC, it declined6.75% to ₹�66,592.38 crore.

Emkay Global FinancialServices said in a researchnote ‘poor sales of highticket annuity products’ and‘low focus on ULIPs’ seemedto be hurting LIC’s growth.Overall, the trend of marketshare consolidation towards

the bigger private playerscontinued.

The 23 private players,who between them command a little more than 35%market share, in August mobilised a FYP of ₹�8,859.97crore, an increase of 20.95%.Up to August this fi�scal, theyhad reported an increase of23.05% to ₹�34,388.34 crore.

The August performanceis continuation of a patternset by life insurers sinceApril of neither a growth nordecline consecutively fortwo months. In April, theirFYP rose (by 44.76%) whilein May it declined (5.55%). Itrose in June (by 3.95%). In July, it was 11% lower.

IPObound LIC saw drop infi�rstyear premium in Aug.Life insurers logged 2.89% yearonyear increase last month


HYDERABAD

Cement consumption in thecountry is expected to go upwith the Centre raising investments in infrastructureand State governments alsospending on housing, irrigation and roads, among otherprojects, said N. Srinivasan,vicechairman and MD, TheIndia Cements Ltd. (ICL).

At the fi�rm’s 75th AGM onWednesday, he said therewere signs that the COVIDsituation was easing and thatcement demand was alsopicking up. He also cited reports of ‘good’ rainfall forthe third consecutive year,with the farm sector and therural economy expected todo better, thus creatingmore rural demand. Therewas an increase in house

building and constructionactivity in urban and semiurban centres due to relocation of workplaces and increasing workfromhomeoptions, he pointed out.

The new government inTamil Nadu had started giving a push to housing and infrastructure development,he said. Andhra Pradesh and

Telangana governmentswere also implementing irrigation, roadbuilding andother infrastructure projectsand new housing schemes,he added. These developments gave room for cautious optimism for cementdemand in the comingmonths, he said, adding thatcapacity utilisation would

rise in proportion with demand. Asserting that therewas uncertainty over thepossibility of a third wave,he cautioned: “Therefore,one has to be cautiously optimistic about the immediatefuture.”

Highlighting that plant capacity utilisation had improved to 50% in Q1 against35% a year earlier, he said itwas slightly better in Q2 andwas expected to improvefurther. To raise capacity,ICL would undertake debottlenecking of one or twoplants in the South and alsoset up a new plant in Madhya Pradesh, he said.

At the AGM, shareholdersapproved Mr. Srinivasan’sreappointment as MD forfi�ve years eff�ective May 26,with requisite majority.

‘T.N., A.P., Telangana channelling funds into irrigation, road, housing projects’


CHENNAI

Rural cheer: Good rainfall for the third consecutive year willhelp spur rural demand, says Srinivasan. * SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Cement consumption expected to riseon infrastructure spending: Srinivasan

Hinduja group fl�agship Ashok Leyland Ltd. (ALL) is‘looking at all options’ forthe manufacture of batteriesfor electric vehicles, according to chairman Dheeraj G.Hinduja.

Addressing the 72nd Annual General Meeting onWednesday, Mr. Hindujasaid, “This is an area whichgoes hand in hand with ourEV ambitions. I don't want todisclose any plans at thismoment except to say that ..very much looking at all options,” he said

Asked by shareholderswhether the companywould go in for productionof electric cars on the linesof Tesla, he said ALL’s corecompetence lay in making

intermediate commercialvehicles, light commercialvehicles and medium & heavy commercial vehicles(M&HCV) and that the company did not want to (makecars and) compete with Tesla directly.

He said that the outlookfor FY22 was positive, evenwhile pointing out that the

performance of the company was aff�ected in FY21 dueto volatility in the automotive sector, coupled with theglobal shortage of semiconductor chips.

He said there were reports about a potential thirdwave and that ALL was monitoring the situation closely.Referring to the improvedscenario, he said capacityutilisation in the M&HCVsegment was in the range of52% to 70% at various plants,while for LCVs it was closerto 100%. “Demand is strongand we are doing debottlenecking wherever required.”

Vipin Sondhi, MD andCEO, informed shareholdersthat the performance of thecompany in the comingquarters would be betterquarteronquarter.

Ashok Leyland ‘looking at alloptions’ to make EV batteries‘Outlook for FY22 positive, capacity utilisation improving’


CHENNAI

Dheeraj G. Hinduja

Shri Bajrang Power and Ispat Ltd., among top 10steel producers in India,has lined up brownfi�eld capacity expansion planworth ₹�217 crore of which₹�145 crore has already beeninvested, a top offi�cial said.

The fi�rm would set up a0.20 MTPA additionalsponge iron plant, expandsteel meltingshop capacityto 0.37 MTPA, set up a 0.10MTPA galvanising plantand a 16 MW waste heat recovery based power plant.Its arm would set up a 50MW solar unit for ₹�175crore. “The solar plant willcome up in FY23 throughinvestment from internalsources,” said SandeepGoel, CFO. The fi�rm wouldfi�nance capacity expansionvia internal accruals andexternal borrowings.

Shri Bajrang Power to addsteel capacity


MUMBAI

Mondelez India, the makersof Cadbury Dairy Milk,Bournvita, and Oreo, onWednesday announced itsentry into the snack bar category with the unveiling of‘Cadbury Fuse Fit’.

“After a lot of focus onour core [products] for thelast 18 months, we are againstarting our journey of innovation again,” said Anil Viswanathan, senior director –Marketing, Mondelez India.

“We have now thoughtabout categories beyondour core where we seegrowth. Snack bar is onesuch category,” Mr. Viswanathan added.

The ‘snack bar’ segmentin India is pegged at about₹�150200 crore.

The Cadbury Fuse Fit,priced at ₹�50 for 40 grams,

will be available in two variants — Almonds and Peanuts and Cranberry andNuts — and is targeted largely at ‘young adults’ lookingfor ‘good for you’ alternatives in daily snacking.

“Consumers are now increasingly looking for onthego snacks that could befor midmorning hunger,mental stimulation or evento break fatigue, as theyspend most time at home,”Mr. Viswanathan said.

Mondelez India foraysinto snack bar segmentDairy Milk maker unveils Fuse Fit


NEW DELHI

India’s passenger car markethas seen a Vshaped recovery and MercedesBenz haswitnessed a strong comeback since midJune, saidMD & CEO Martin Schwenk.

“MercedesBenz was witnessing a Vshaped recoverywith a doubledigit salesgrowth in the January to August period,” he said.

“By the end of August, wesold almost as many cars aswe sold the whole of lastyear,” Mr. Schwenk told The

Hindu here on Wednesday. “If I look into the current

order situation, and whathappened in the last one totwo months, we are basicallyon a prepandemic level,” headded.

Strong demand for Mer

cedesBenz products had also led to a waiting period ofup to even 816 weeks forsome of the car lines, hesaid. There were still constraints, so the luxury carmaker needed to prioritisewith regard to delivery, espe

cially for models like the GLSor GLE, and GLA, the MD added. “We just need to produce enough cars now. Thepandemic induced supplyconstraints are only slowlygoing away,” Mr. Schwenksaid. On taxation issues, he

said the car business was along and a cyclical one.

“So, to take advantage ofany policy, planning aroundit, executing it and accordingly delivering the benefi�tsto customers always tooktime, sometimes evenyears,” he said. “I hope therewill some further movement[on industry’s talk with thegovernment on duty regime]and if there is a movement, Iwould hope for consistencyand visibility on what theplans are then for the coming years,” Mr. Schwenk said.

On the contribution fromthe preowned cars (POCs)segment, the CEO said MercedesBenz would add 100POCs a year to its sales volumes, which would be closeto a 50% increase in thesegment.

India’s passenger car market has seenVshaped recovery: Martin SchwenkOrder situation puts MercedesBenz at a prepandemic level, says MD

On the cards: The carmaker needs to prioritise on delivery andproduce enough cars, Mr. Schwenk said. * SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Mini Tejaswi

Bengaluru

Sun Pharmaceuticalintroduces nutrition barsMUMBAI

Sun Pharma said its consumer

healthcare division has

forayed into the nutritionbar

segment with Revital NXT.

The product is a brand

extension of Revital H, a

health supplement for over

three decades. “Revital NXT

bar helps you stay active and

ace life's demands,” said Vidhi

Shanghvi, head, Sun Pharma

Consumer Healthcare.

IN BRIEF

Arun Kumar Singh takescharge as BPCL CMDMUMBAI

Arun Kumar Singh took

charge as the new Chairman

and Managing Director of

BPCL on Tuesday. He has

been with the company,

leading several divisions in

the past. In a statement, the

country’s secondlargest fuel

marketing company said Mr.

Singh has more than 36 years

of experience in the oil and

gas industry. Vetsa

Ramakrishna Gupta has been

elevated as Director

(Finance), BPCL said.

Germany’s Schueco buysfacade maker Alufi�t CHENNAI

Germany’s building products

maker Schueco International

KG has acquired a majority

stake in facade maker Alufi�t

India Pvt. Ltd. for an

undisclosed sum. “We have

bought 75% stake in Alufi�t,”

Andreas Engelhardt, CEO and

managing partner, Schueco

International KG, told The

Hindu. “Both are privately

owned family businesses. We

have known each other for a

long time and it fi�ts well with

our synergies.”

‘PC shipments hit 5yearhigh of 4.1 million units’ NEW DELHI

PC shipments in India hit a

fi�veyear high to about 4.1

million units in the June 2021

quarter, growing at 42.7%

yearonyear, according to

research fi�rm Canalys.

The 4.1 million shipments

included more than 2.4

million notebooks, 5,15,000

desktops, more than 1 million

tablets and 54,000

workstations. Shipments of

notebooks, the largest by

volume, grew 43% over Q2

2020, Canalys added. pti

CMYK

A ND-NDE


THE HINDU DELHI


SPORT

British 18yearold sensationEmma Raducanu becamethe fi�rst qualifi�er to reach theU.S. Open women’s semifi�nals by defeating TokyoOlympic champion BelindaBencic 63, 64 onWednesday.

The World No. 150 Raducanu, only the fourth qualifi�er to reach a Grand Slamsemifi�nal, made the Swiss11th seed the highestratedvictim of her young career inmaking history on the NewYork hardcourts.

Tough assignment“It was a really tough match,”Raducanu said. “I'm reallyglad to have come through.”

Raducanu is the youngestOpen women's semifi�nalist

since Maria Sharapova in2005, although she is only acouple of months youngerthan 19yearold Leylah Fernandez, who will face secondseeded Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in the othersemifi�nal.

On Tuesday, it was a nightto remember for Canada asFernandez and Felix AugerAliassime, 21, reached theirmaiden Slam semifi�nals.

Fernandez, who had ousted defending champion Naomi Osaka and threetimeSlam winner Angelique Kerber, delivered another stunner to defeat Ukrainian fi�fthseed Elina Svitolina 63, 36,76(5).

Fernandez booked a lastfour matchup against the Sabalenka, who beat Czecheighth seed and reigningFrench Open champion Barbora Krejcikova 61, 64.

Lefthander Fernandez,who turned 19 on Monday,snapped the Tokyo Olympicbronze medallists ninematch win streak with clutch

shotmaking, fi�ring 42 winners, as spectators roaredtheir delight.

Fernandez broke for a 42lead and captured the fi�rst

set in 38 minutes, the fi�rstSvitolina surrendered at theOpen.

In the second set, Svitolinabroke twice to lead 51 but

Fernandez broke in the seventh game and forced threebreak points in the last gamebefore a Svitolina ace mandated a third set. Fernandez

and Svitolina exchanged fourbreaks on the way to the tiebreaker, in which the teenager never trailed, advancingafter two hours and 24 minutes with a service winner.

“I told myself to trust myshots,” Fernandez said.“Even if I lose, I’ve got to gofor it. And I’m glad I did.”

“She’s playing well,” Sabalenka said of Fernandez.“She’s moving well and thecrowd cheers for her. I’d saynothing to lose for this one.”

Alcaraz unfortunateAugerAliassime, seeded12th, advanced when 55thranked Spanish 18yearoldCarlos Alcaraz retired, trailing 63, 31 with a leg injury.The Canadian will next takeon Russian second seed Daniil Medvedev.

Asked about his match,AugerAliassime said “It’s an

amazing milestone. It’s aweird way to end but I’ll havea chance to play one of thebest players in the world.”

‘No choice’“It’s really tough to end agreat tournament like this,”Alcaraz said.

“I had no choice to stillplay. I have to take care of mybody and to stay healthy. Ididn’t feel good to still play.”

Raducanu creates history; Fernandez and Auger-Aliassime’s great run continuesBriton is the fi�rst qualifi�er to make the women’s semifi�nals; Canadian sensations set up last four meeting with second seeds Sabalenka and Medvedev respectively


NEW YORK

U.S. OPEN

Surging ahead: Leylah Fernandez added another big scalp to her name by taking out Elina Svitolina in three sets, while FelixAugerAliassime made the last four when Carlos Alcaraz retired with an injury. * AFP, AP

Quarterfi�nals: Men: 12AugerAliassime (Can) bt Alcaraz (Esp)63, 31, retd.Women: Fernandez (Can) bt 5Svitolina (Ukr) 63, 36, 76(5);2Sabalenka (Blr) bt 8Krejcikova (Cze) 61, 64; Raducanu(GBr) bt 11Bencic (Sui) 63,64.Fallen seeds: Women: 5Svitolina, 8Krejcikova, 11Bencic.

THE RESULTS

The Indian cricket team willplay six whiteball matchesagainst England in July nextyear, the England and WalesCricket Board announced asit unveiled its internationalhome fi�xtures for 2022.

The Indian team is currently playing a fi�veTest se

ries against England with thelast match slated to startSept. 10.

However, unlike otheryears, India’s red and whiteball series have been segregated due to the length ofthe tours in times of the COVID19 pandemic.

England men will play allof their home whiteball

matches in July against India, followed by SouthAfrica.

England vs India, whiteballschedule, 2022:

T20I series: July 1: EmiratesOld Traff�ord, July 3: TrentBridge, July 6: Ageas Bowl.

ODI series: July 9: Edgbaston,July 12: Kia Oval, July 14:Lord’s.

India to play T20I and ODIseries in England Press Trust of India

London

Favourite India narrowlyfell short of maintaining

a clean slate and held the second spot after three roundsof Top Division’s Group ‘B’in the FIDE Online ChessOlympiad on Wednesday.

After a convincing 60 victory over Egypt, but not before Vaishali was awardedthe game because her victorious rival failed to keep oneof the two cameras on forthe duration of the game, India suff�ered a mild setbackwith fourth seed Francepulling off� a 33 draw. In theday’s third round, India defeated Sweden 42.

On a day when India fi�elded all 12 players, B. Adhibanwon both his games, Viswanathan Anand and TaniaSachdev contributed 1.5points each from two gameswhile seven others remainedunbeaten. However, R.Praggnanandhaa and debu

tant Savitha Shri lost a gameeach.The scores: Third round: Indiabt Sweden 42 (P. Harikrishnabt Nils Grandelius, B. Adhibanbt Erik Blomqvist, K. Humpydrew with Pia Cramling, TaniaSachdev drew with Inna Agrest,Nihal Sarin bt Milton Pantzar,B. Savitha Shri lost to MargaritaZaritovskaja); Azerbaijan lost toHungary 24; Belarus bt Shenzhen China 3.52.5; Moldovadrew with France 33; Sloveniadrew with Egypt 33.

Second round: France drew

with India 33 (Etienne Bacrotdrew with Anand, Yannick Gozzoli drew with Vidit Gujrathi,Marie Sebag drew with Humpy,Pauline Guichard drew with D.Harika, Marc Andria Maurizzi btR. Praggnanandhaa, FlorenceRollot lost to R. Vaishali); Hungary bt Slovenia 3.52.5; Egyptlost to Moldova 2.53.5; Sweden bt Belarus 5.50.5; Shenzhen China drew with Azerbaijan33.First round: India bt Egypt 60(Anand bt Ahmed Adly, Adhiban bt Adham Fawzy, TaniaSachdev bt Shahendra Wafa,Bhakti Kulkarni bt Ayah Moaataz, Praggnanandhaa bt AdhamKandil, Vaishali bt Sara Adel);Shenzhen China lost to Hungary 24; Azerbaijan bt Sweden5.50.5; Belarus lost to France2.53.5; Moldova drew withSlovenia 33.Standings (after threerounds): 1. Hungary (6 matchpoints); 2. India (5); 34.France, Moldova (4 each); 5.Azerbaijan (3); 68. Slovenia,Sweden, Belarus (2 each), 910.Shenzhen China and Egypt (1each).

India lies second after mixed dayRakesh Rao

B. Adhiban... a clean start.* FILE PHOTO

Off�spinner R. Ashwin, whohas been forced to warm thebench in the ongoing Test series in England, has been recalled for the T20 World Cupto be played in the UnitedArab Emirates and Omanfrom October 17.

In yet another surprise,M.S. Dhoni, India’s last ICCtournamentwinning captain, has been roped in as theteam mentor for the marquee event.

The national selection panel met on Wednesday evening in a virtual interaction,with India captain Virat Kohli in attendance, to fi�nalisethe squad. Ashwin will return to wearing blue after afouryear hiatus.

Chetan Sharma, the chiefselector who addressed themedia for the fi�rst time sincehis appointment last December, said Ashwin’s consistentoutings in the IPL, along withWashington Sundar’s injury,won him the nod.

“He has been performingwell in the IPL. And an off�spinner will always be handyin UAE in a world tournament. Since Washington(Sundar) was unavailable, wedecided to go with Ashwin,”Sharma said.

Interestingly, Ashwin wasdropped from the whiteballsquads in 2017, with theteam management and theprevious selection panel believing that wristspinnerswere the matchwinners inshorter formats.

The champion spinnerwill have rookies VarunChakravarthy and RahulChahar for company in thespin department along withthe seasoned Axar Patel andallrounder Ravindra Jadeja.

Rahul, the younger of theChahar cousins, was pickedahead of Yuzvendra Chahal,who has been India’s leadingspinner in limitedoverscricket since the conclusion

of the 2017 ChampionsTrophy.

Chahal will not be the onlyone feeling hard done by.Veteran opener Shikhar Dhawan, who was the captainfor India’s tour to Sri Lankain July, has not found a placein the squad, with the selectors picking Ishan Kishan asa lefthanded batsmancumkeeper option.

“Shikhar is a very important player for us. I can’t dis

close the discussion we hadbut he is in the loop. Wethought the need of the hourwas to look at others and resthim,” Sharma said.

According to Sharma, theselection committee has included K.L. Rahul primarilyas Rohit Sharma’s openingpartner and “fl�oater” Ishan,“who can bat in the middleand keep wickets if required”, as the backupopener.

Interestingly, after opening the innings with Rohit inthe T20I seriesdecideragainst England in March,captain Kohli had indicatedthat the partnership wouldcontinue. The selection committee has a diff�erent perspective, however, althoughSharma left the choice to theteam management.

“If Virat bats at No. 3, theteam can bat around him.Still, if the management feels

the need for him to open later on, it’s their decision. Fornow, we have selected Rohit,Rahul and Ishan as openers,”Sharma said.

With Sharma confi�dentthat Hardik Pandya would beable to “bowl his full quota inevery match”, Shardul Thakur was pushed from themain squad to the threestandbys, along withShreyas Iyer and DeepakChahar.

Ashwin recalled, Dhoni named mentorChahal and Dhawan miss out; Varun makes it; Shreyas, Shardul and Deepak Chahar on standby

Amol Karhadkar

MUMBAI

T20 WC SQUADM.S. Dhoni will return tothe Indian dressing roomfor the fi�rst time after the2019 World Cup semifi�nal.The most successful Indiancaptain in the limitedoversformat has agreed to jointhe squad only for themarquee event as teammentor, according to BCCIsecretary Jay Shah.

“As far as MahendraSingh Dhoni is concerned, Ispoke to him when I was inDubai. He was okay withmy decision and agreed tobe the mentor of TeamIndia for the T20 WorldCup only. I discussed thisissue with my colleaguesalso,” said Shah, in his fi�rstoffi�cial interaction with themedia after taking over asBCCI secretary in October2019.

“I spoke to the captainand vicecaptain as well ascoach Ravi Shastri. Theywere all on the same pageand that’s why this matterreached its conclusion.”

Only for T20 WCThe timing of Dhoni’sappointment — with headcoach Shastri’s tenure setto end after the T20 WorldCup — is bound to create adoubt whether the WorldCupwinning captain’s stintwith the Indian team maycontinue.

But, as Shahemphasised, thearrangement is only for theT20 World Cup as of now.

While the national teamwill have a mentor for thefi�rst time, it will not be thefi�rst time that the headcoach will have company atthe top of the teammanagement.

During Dhoni’s tenure asskipper, Shastri was theteam director, with DuncanFletcher as the head coachfor the 2015 World Cup.

Dhoni’s presence islikely to be of immensehelp to the teammanagement in the UAE.

Despite tastingunprecedented successacross the globe in the Testarena, a World title in thelimitedovers formats haseluded the captaincoachcombination ofKohliShastri.

In fact, it was Dhoni whowon India its last ICC title —Champions Trophy, 2013. Itwas the third World crownDhoni clinched as Indiacaptain after the 2007 T20World Cup and 201150over World Cup.

Dhoni will hope to havea big infl�uence on theplayers and help Indiaregain the T20 World Cup.

Can MS be India’s talisman?Amol Karhadkar

MUMBAI

On the same page: Shastri and Kohli backed the idea ofhaving Dhoni on board as mentor for the World Cup,revealed Shah. * FILE PHOTO: K.R. DEEPAK

The Indian athletes who won19 medals, including fi�vegold and eight silver in theTokyo Paralympics, were felicitated by the Sports Ministry on Wednesday.

Threetime Paralympicsmedallist Devendra Jhajaria,who had won gold in 2004and 2016, apart from a silverthis time, was overwhelmedby the response from thewhole nation, as he proudlysaid, “I have succeeded inmy mission today.”

Jhajaria had spent his ownmoney to compete in the2004 Athens Olympics, andhas seen the paralympicmovement grow to inspiringheights. He said that the entire contingent was inspiredby the Prime Minister’s interaction with the athletes.

“Our country gives somuch respect to sports persons, that other countriesare learning from our prime

minister,” Jhajaria said.Suhas Yathiraj, the District

Magistrate of Gautam Buddha Nagar, felt that “everylong journey starts with asmall fi�rst step.”

Table tennis medallistBhavina Patel said that shegained immensely by playingagainst an advanced robot

which provided tremendousvariety in improving hergame.

Nineteenyearold rifl�eshooter Avani Lekhara, whowon a gold and bronze, saidshe was “so happy, and sograteful. Still a long way togo.”

Government support en

sured an electronic targetsystem was installed at herplace during the pandemic,ensuring high quality training. “It kept me motivatedand kept me positive. Ithelped me win the medals,”said Avani.

Sports Minister AnuragThakur said the athletes will

get all the support they need.“We will leave no stone unturned for supporting themin future. No target is toohigh and no fear that theycan’t overcome,” he said.

The president of the Paralympic Committee of India(PCI), Deepa Malik, acknowledge the support of everyone, but was particularlyappreciative of the coaches.

“I congratulate the coaches, I salute all the gurus,” shesaid, insisting that “we aregetting bette.”

She was also happy aboutthe fact that from havingthree women athletes in thelast Paralympics in Rio, theIndian contingent had 14 women athletes this time in Tokyo, and they had won goldand silver.

The former sports minister Kiren Rijiju congratulatedevery athlete. “You are theinspiration of the wholecountry,” he said.

Sports Minister felicitates Paralympic medal winnersKamesh Srinivasan

NEW DELHI

Reward and recognition: Tokyo 2020 Paralympics medallists along with dignitaries during thefelicitation function in New Delhi on Wednesday. * SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR

CMYK

A ND-NDE

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DELHI THE HINDU


US OPEN 2021: SS Select 1 &2 (SD & HD), 9.30 p.m.

England Women vs NewZealand Women: 3rd T20I,Sony Six (SD & HD), 11 p.m.

WC 2022 Qualifiers: SonyTen 2 (SD & HD), 2 a.m.(Friday)

TV PICKS

Sumit Nagal was beaten75, 63 by Carlos GomezHerrera of Spain in the prequarterfi�nals of the€44,820 Challenger tennistournament here onWednesday.Other results: €44,820 Challenger, Cassis, France Doubles (prequarterfi�nals): Ernesto Escobedo (USA) &Fernando Romboli (Bra) btAnirudh Chandrasekar & PCVignesh 64, 64; ToshihideMatsui & Kaito Uesugi (Jpn)bt Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan &Purav Raja 75, 61.$15,000 ITF men, Monastir,Tunisia: Singles (fi�rst round):Abhinav Sanjeev Shanmugambt Fabrizio Andaloro (Ita) 63,76(4).$15,000 ITF men, Cairo,Egypt: Singles (fi�rst round):Nitin Kumar Sinha bt RishabAgarwal 76(4), 06, 64.

GomezHerrerbeats Nagal inprequarters

Sports Bureau

Banja Luka (Bosnia)

INDIANS ABROAD

Reigning champion Francebeat Finland 20 in a WorldCup qualifi�er on Tuesdaythanks to Antoine Griezmann’s double strike to snapa fi�vegame winless streakwhile Scotland kept its hopesalive with a 10 win inAustria.

In other action, Portugaland the Netherlands stayedon track to reach the fi�nals inQatar next year, with Memphis Depay grabbing a hattrick for the Dutch in a 61 demolition of Turkey.

France was roared on by57,000 passionate spectatorsin Lyon where Griezmann —who ended an unhappy spellat Barcelona with a loanmove back to Atletico Madrid in the transfer window— combined well with KarimBenzema as their side overcame a disjointed start.

Delightful backheel

Benzema’s delightful backheel released Griezmann inside the box and he supplieda smooth fi�nish after 25minutes.

Griezmann made it 41goals for his country whenhe beat Finnish ‘keeper Lukas Hradecky at the nearpost to make it 20 in the54th minute.

After a frustrating 11 drawwith Ukraine in their lastgame, the victory was a welcome boost for the Frenchwho are still smarting aftercrashing out of Euro 2020 atthe last 16 stage this summer.

“We did not do everythingwell but we have rediscovered our confi�dence,” saidFrance coach DidierDeschamps.

“This puts our fate in ourhands and we must fi�nish thejob in November.”

Scotland grabbed a valuable three points in its bid toqualify for Qatar with a 10

win against the Austrians inVienna as AustralianbornLyndon Dykes’ VARawardedpenalty proved thediff�erence.

The victory moved theScots up to second in GroupF, seven points behind Euro2020 semifi�nalists Denmarkwhich is cruising with a 100percent record after thrashing Israel 50.

“Some people in (Scotland) don’t believe in thisgroup of players, but I do,”Scotland manager SteveClarke told Sky Sports. “Ilove my players. We’re agood team.”

RuthlessThe Netherlands was ruthless against Turkey as Depay’s hattrick took the Barcelona forward’sinternational goal tally to 33.

The Dutch led 30 by halftime and any remainingchance for the Turks vanished when Leicester defender Caglar Soyuncu was sentoff� for a second bookable offence shortly before thebreak.

Louis van Gaal’s sidemoved into top spot inGroup G by virtue of goal difference above Norway whichoutclassed minnows Gibral

tar 51, with Erling Braut Haaland notching a hattrick.

Setback for SerbiaSerbia’s bid to qualify for asecond successive WorldCup fi�nals suff�ered a setbackas Nikola Milenkovic’s lateown goal and a superb display from teenage goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu gave the Republic of Ireland a battling 11draw in Dublin.

Lazio midfi�elder SergejMilinkovicSavic had put Serbia ahead in the fi�rst half.

The Serbs trail Portugal —which was a 30 winner inAzerbaijan — by two pointsin Group A.

No missing RonaldoThe Portuguese did not missthe suspended Cristiano Ronaldo as Bernardo Silvascored a sparkling opener on26 minutes before Andre Silva added a second fi�ve minutes later in Baku.

Liverpool forward DiogoJota completed the job with asecondhalf header to continue his bright early seasonform.The results: Europe: Group A: Azerbaijan 0lost to Portugal 3 (Bernardo Silva 26, Andre Silva 31, Diogo Jota 75); Ireland 1 (Milenkovic 86

og) drew with Serbia 1 (MilinkovicSavic 20).

Group D: France 2 (Griezmann25, 53) bt Finland 0; Bosnia 2(Pjanic 74pen, Menalo 85)drew with Kazakhstan 2 (Kuat51, Zaynutdinov 90+5).

Group F: Faroe Island 2 (Olsen68, Vatnsdal 71) bt Moldova 1(Milnceanu 84); Denmark 5(Poulsen 28, Kjaer 31, Olsen 41,Delaney 57, Cornelius 90+1) btIsrael 0; Austria 0 lost to Scotland 1 (Dykes 30pen).

Group G: Norway 5 (Thorsvedt22, Haaland 27, 39, 90+1, Sorloth 59) bt Gibraltar 1 (Styche43); Montenegro 0 drew withLatvia 0; the Netherlands 6(Klaassen 1, Depay 16, 38pen,54, Til 80, Malen 90) bt Turkey1 (Under 90+2).

Group H: Russia 2 (Smolov 10,Bakaev 84pen) bt Malta 0;Slovakia 2 (Schranz 54, Koscelnik 77) bt Cyprus 0; Croatia 3(Livaja 33, Pasalic 66, Vlasic90+4) bt Slovenia 0.

Asia: Group A: South Korea 1(Kwon Changhoon 60) bt Lebanon 0; Syria 1 (Mahmoud AlBaher 64) drew with UAE 1 (AliMabkhout 11); Iraq 0 lost to Iran3 (Alireza Jahanbakhsh 2, Mehdi Taremi 71, Ali Gholizadeh90).

Group B: Vietnam 0 lost to Australia 1 (Rhyan Grant 43); China0 lost to Japan 1 (Yuya Osako40); Oman 0 lost to Saudi Arabia 1 (Saleh AlShehri 42).

France ends a winless runScotland revives its hopes; Portugal, the Netherlands stay on track

WC QUALIFIERS

Smart fi�nish: Antoine Griezmann seals France’s win over Finland with his second strike of thenight. * REUTERS


Paris

The toppers of the Champions league, Rashmi Kumari and Mohd. Arif, willcompete in the fi�nal of theIndian online carrom challenge, organised by the AllIndia Carrom Federation.

The players who hadplaced second to fourth inqualifying for the knockoutin the men’s and women’sevents will play amongthemselves in deciding thechallenger for the toppers.

Thus, Nidhi Gupta willplay S. Shainy in the fi�rst

match of women’s knockout on September 11.

The winner will play S.Appoorwa who had fi�nished second in the league.

The emerging winnerwill challenge Rashmi in thefi�nal.

Same pattern for men

Similarly, in the men’sevent, Riyaz Akbar Ali willplay Vikas Dharia in thefi�rst match.

The winner will face Abdul Rahman, to decide thechallenger for Mohd. Arif.

All the knockout matches are scheduled to beplayed on September 11 and12.

Knockout matcheson Sept. 11 and 12

CARROM


NEW DELHI

Threetime Paralympic medalwinning javelin throwerDevendra Jhajharia, formercricketer Venkatesh Prasadand champion boxer L. Sarita Devi have been named inthe selection committee forthis year’s National SportsAwards.

Retired Supreme Courtjudge Justice MukundakumSharma has been picked asthe chairperson of the committee, which also includesshooter Anjali Bhagwat andformer women’s cricketteam captain Anjum Chopra, the sports ministry stated in a circular.

This year’s awards weredelayed after the government decided to wait for India’s performance at boththe Olympic and Paralympic

Games.

The highest honour is theKhel Ratna award, whichwas rechristened from RajivGandhi Khel Ratna to DhyanChand Khel Ratna this year,followed by the ArjunaAward.

The Khel Ratna carries aprize money of ₹�25 lakh,while the Arjuna comeswith a prize money of ₹�15lakh.

For coaches, the Dronacharya award is there. Theannual honours also includethe Lifetime Achievementaward, the Rahstriya KhelProtsahan Puruskar, and theMaulana Abul Kalam Azadtrophy for the year 2021.

The selection committeealso includes hockey coachBaldev Singh, Sports Authority of India directorgeneral Sandip Pradhan, andsenior journalists Vijay Lokapally and Vikrant Gupta.

Jhajharia and Prasadin awards committeeRetired Supreme Court judge

Justice Mukundakum is chairperson

GENERALPress Trust of India

New Delhi

Aditi Tyagi in semifinalsJHAJJAR

Aditi Tyagi beat Aditi Rawat

36, 75, 60 in the girls

under16 quarterfinals of the

AITA Super Series junior

tennis tournament here on

Wednesday.

The results (quarterfinals):Under16 boys: Vansh Nandalbt Dhruv Kumar 61, 62;Hitesh Chauhan bt EkamjeetSingh Cheema 62, 62; ArjunPandit bt Mayank Sharma76(2), 62; Manish Yadav btSatwik Murali Kollepalli 75,63; Under16 girls: TamannaTakoria bt Dheepa Yazhini 75,60; Thania Sarai bt MahikaKhanna 64, 62; Asmi Adkarbt Saijayani Banerjee 63,60; Aditi Tyagi bt AditiRawat 36, 75, 60.

Navya, Riya win titlesNavya Verma and Riya

Kaushik won the boys’ and

girls’ titles respectively in the

AITA Championship series

under18 tennis tournament

here on Wednesday.The results (finals):Under18 boys: Navya Vermabt Aditya Chauhan 62, 62.Under18 girls: Riya Kaushikbt Radhika Vasudeva 63, 75.

Indian Navy became thefi�rst among the six regimental sides to pick up awin when it beat SecondDivision League side DelhiFootball Club 21 in agroupC league match ofDurand Cup football hereon Wednesday.

The Trinidad and Tobago striker took Delhi FCahead in the 21st minute.

The sailors secured theequaliser within fi�ve minutes when V. Shreyasfoxed the Delhi defence tofi�nish a cross from NihalSudeesh. Indian Navyfound the winner in the86th minute throughDalraj.The result: Delhi FC 1 (WillisPlaza 21) lost to Indian Navy 2(V. Shreyas 26, Dalraj 86).

Indian Navyfi�ghts back tobeat Delhi FC


Kolkata

Akshit slams centuryNEW DELHI

Akshit Sharma’s 128 helped

We Cricket Leaders (WCL)

defeat Dream Chasers in the

Push Academy (under13)

league. For Dream Chasers,

Gorish Dahiya’s unbeaten 124

went in vain. In another

match, Mihier Doi Ganesh

(107) shone for Sonnet Club.The scores: Dream Chasers275/6 in 40 overs (GorishDahiya 124 n.o.) lost to WeCricket Leaders 277/4 in 39.4overs (Akshit Sharma 128,Rudra Bhiduri 79). Sonnet Club 269/3 in 40overs (Mihier Doi Ganesh 107,Mohammad Owais 41) bt PushTulip 55 in 32.5 overs(Shaurya Sindhu 3/9).

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