RNI No. TELENG/2018/76469

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HYDERABAD DELHI LUCKNOWBHOPAL RAIPUR CHANDIGARH

BHUBANESWAR RANCHIDEHRADUN VIJAYAWADA

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MANDANNA TO VISITNEW DELHI FOR THEFIRST TIME FOR THESHOOT OF ANIMAL

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ANALYSIS 7A YATRA TO UNDERSTANDANCIENT INDIAN SCIENCE

MONEY 8‘YOU BUY UMBRELLA TO USE IT WHEN ITRAINS’: DAS ON USING FOREX RESERVES

SPORTS 12WOULDN'T TERM AUSTRALIA

A BIG TEAM, SAYS MANDHANA

HYDERABAD, SATURDAY, JULY 23, 2022; PAGES 12 `3

TWO INDIANS, THEIR INDIAN-AMERICANFRIEND CHARGED IN CRYPTO CASE

Two Indian brothers and their Indian-American friend havebeen charged in the US in the first-ever cryptocurrencyinsider trading scheme in which they made illicit profits

totalling over a million dollars. Ishan Wahi, 32, and his brotherNikhil Wahi, 26, are citizens of India and were residing in Seattlewhile Sameer Ramani, 33, resides in Houston. United StatesAttorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williamsand Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office ofthe Federal Bureau of Investigation Michael J Driscoll announcedon Thursday the unsealing of an indictment.

STALIN INVITES KCR TO CHENNAICHESS OLYMPIAD

Tamil Nadu CM Stalin has invited Telangana Chief Minister K.Chandrasekhar Rao to attend the 44th FIDE InternationalChess Olympiad organised by the Tamil Nadu State

Government at Chennai from July 28 to August 10. Stalin sent aninvitation to Pragati Bhavan on Friday through his party's RajyaSabha Member Giri Rajan. The Tamil Nadu CM asked KCR toattend the inaugural function on July 28 and to consider it as hispersonal invitation. “Tamil Nadu is hosting the 44th FIDEInternational Chess Olympiad at Mamallapuram, Chennai, fromJuly 28 to August 10.

SALMAN KHAN MEETS MUMBAIPOLICE COMMISSIONER

Bollywood actor Salman Khan on Friday met newly-appointedMumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar at the latter's officein south Mumbai. While the actor said he visited the commissioner

who was his "old friend" for congratulating him, the meeting came in thewake of a threat letter received by Khan last month. The actor arrived atthe Mumbai police headquarters around 4 pm and met Phansalkar, anofficial said, adding that it was just a courtesy visit and had nothing to dowith any case. Khan also met Joint Commissioner of Police (Law andOrder) Vishwas Nangre-Patil When asked by reporters about the purposeof the visit, the actor said, "He (police commissioner) is an old friend."

NOT EVEN PRIMA FACIE MATERIAL WITH CCI

TO INITIATE PROBE: FACEBOOK INC TO HC

Facebook Inc Friday argued in the Delhi High Court that there wasnot even prima facie material available for the CompetitionCommission of India (CCI) to start investigating it while conducting

a probe into WhatsApp's privacy policy. Facebook, now MetaPlatforms, submitted before a bench of Chief Justice Satish ChandraSharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad that CCI cannot investigateit in a creeping fashion . Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi contendedthat just because Facebook is the formal owner of WhatsApp and theinstant messaging platform is said to share its data with the parentcompany does not mean that it is a necessary party to the probe.

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ALMANAC

Updated: JULY 22, 2022 5:00 PM

Forecast: Thunderstorm

Temp: 26oc

Humidity: 94%

Sunrise: 5:52 AM

Sunset: 6:52 PM

Month & Paksham:

Tithi: Dashami: Jul 22 09:32 AM toJul 23 11:27 AM

Ekadashi: Jul 23 11:27 AMto Jul 24 01:45 PM

Nakshatram: Krithika: Jul 22 04:25 PM

to Jul 23 07:03 PMRohini: Jul 23 07:03 PM

to Jul 24 10:00 PM

Rahukalam: 9:09 AM to 10:46 AM

Yamagandam: 1:59 PM to 3:35 PM

Varjyam: 01:01 PM to 02:49 PM

Gulika: 5:56 AM to 7:32 AM

Amritakalam: 04:23 PM to 06:10 PM

Abhijit Muhurtham: 11:56 AM to 12:48 PM

TTOODDAAYY

HYDERABAD WEATHER

SC notices toCentre, TS onKaleshwaramPNS n HYDERABAD

The Supreme Court on Fridayheard the petitions filed on theexpansion of the Kaleshwaramproject. Six petitions were filedregarding displacement and com-pensation to the project outsees.The apex court issued notices tothe Centre and the Telangana gov-ernment.

A displaced farmer, CherukSrinivas Reddy approached theSupreme Court against the expan-sion of the Kaleswaram project.The next hearing is scheduled for27July,2022.

PNS n HYDERABAD

The Union Minister ofFood and PDS, PiyushGoyal, made it clear thatthe free rice supplied bythe Centre must be dis-tributed among BPL peo-ple. He criticised theTelangana Government for nottaking seriously the implementa-tion of the Prime Minister GaribKalyan Anna Yojana (PMGAY).

He said that free rice must bedistributed and that States mustnot neglect the distribution offree rice. “Telangana is not distrib-uting the free rice properly…That's

why pressure had to beput on Telangana,” headded. Piyush said that heis also talking withAndhra Pradesh aboutthe distribution of freerice and he hopes thatsoon the distribution offree rice will be done

properly there as well. Respondingto the question raised by the newlyelected Rajya Sabha Member, Dr K.Laxman, on Friday, Piyush saidthat the Telangana government didnot distribute the free rice given bythe Centre in April and May.

PNS n HYDERABAD

A caste-based investors’ net-work has entered the Hyderabadstart-up ecosystem.

The Vysya community haslaunched their investor net-work named Guptaji Invests.This is similar to MarwariAngels and the JainInternational TradeOrganisation.

Guptaji Invests, an angel net-work of HNIs, NRIs, profession-als and traditional business-men exclusively from theGupta/Vysya community was

launched in the city on Friday.It plans to turn the VysyaCommunity into start-upinvestors.

Disclosing this in a pressnote issued in Hyderabad, RaviTeja Gupta (RTG), an entrepre-neur-cum-seed investor saidthis is India's first Vysya com-munity-based Angel Networkand accelerator exclusivelymeant for Vysya investors.

“Vysyas are traditionally busi-nessmen. Business is in theirDNA. The new generation isshifting away from family busi-nesses, taking up jobs in the cor-

porate world and holding lead-ership positions across theglobe. Guptaji Invests is anopportunity for them to investin futuristic start-ups with afuture full of promises. GuptajiInvests plans to transform theVysya community into start-upinvestors,” he said. In India,there are around 30 active angelnetworks. Myntra, Khatabook,Wow! Momo, BharatPe andcompanies like these and manyothers have raised funds fromangel networks.

‘Centre had to pressurise TRSgovt to distribute free rice’

PNS n NEW DELHI

Telugu films bagged a total of fourawards at the 68th National FilmAwards for 2020 announced onFriday. Colour Photo won the BestTelugu feature film award for theyear 2020. The film features Suhaasand Chandini Chowdary in the leadroles and is directed by SandeepRaj. Chandini thanked and said hewas extremely grateful for every-thing ‘Colour Photo’ film has giventhem . Music Director S Thamanwon the Best Music director awardfor Ala Vaikunthapurramulo. He

thanked the entire team from direc-tor to hero for the award. Natyam,a dance-based social drama, wontwo awards. Sandhya Raju whoplayed the lead role in the film wonthe Best Dance Choreographeraward. TV Rambabu won the bestMake Up Artiste award for thisfilm.

Tamil film "Soorarai Pottru" wonthe National Award for BestFeature, Best Actor and Best Actressat the 68th National Film Awardsfor 2020 announced on Friday.

The second big winner of the daywas Ajay Devgn-starrer "Tanhaji:

The Unsung Warrior" whichbagged the awards for Best Actorfor Devgn and Best Popular FilmProviding Wholesome

Entertainment.Directed by Om Raut, "Tanhaji..."

is based on the life of TanajiMalusare, the military leader of

Maratha king Chhatrapati ShivajiMaharaj's army. Set in the 17th cen-tury, the film also won the BestCostume Designer for NachiketBarve and Mahesh Sherla.

Devgn shared the Best Actoraward with Suriya, who got it for"Soorarai Pottru". The film, inspiredby the life of Air Deccan founderCapt G R Gopinath, also wonAparrna Balamurali the BestActress prize.

The Bollywood star, who previ-ously won the National Film Awardfor Best Actor for his performanc-es in "Zakhm" (1998) and "TheLegend of Bhagat Singh" (2002),said he was elated to receive thehonour for the third time.

"I'm elated to win the Best ActorAward for 'Tanhaji: The UnsungWarrior' at the 68th NationalAwards along with Suriya whowon for 'Soorarai Pottru'.

"I thank everyone, most of all mycreative team, the audience and myfans. I also express my gratitude tomy parents & the Almighty for theirblessings. Congratulations to all theother winners," Devgn said in astatement. Raut, who made hisdirectorial debut with "Tanhaji",called the film a "labour of love" andcongratulated Devgn as well as cos-tume designers Barve and Sherla ontheir wins.

NATIONAL FILM AWARDS

KTR, Sanjay battle it outon Twitter over ED raidsPNS n HYDERABAD

Political leaders are giving eachother names and an online war isgoing on between IndustriesMinister KT Rama Rao and BJPState President Bandi SanjayKumar. KTR named him BSKumar and his followers call himBanti, after Yogi Adityanath recent-ly called him ‘Banti Sanjay.’ OnFriday, Sanjay branded KTR as‘Twitter Tillu’ on the lines of therecent Tollywood film ‘DJ Tillu.’

On Friday, following Sanjay’scomments that “Even KCR willface an ED probe,” KTR took a digat Modi and the ED and said thatthey are the double engine thatruns this country.

KTR called Bandi Sanjay BSwhich as per new lingo means BullShit. In a tweet, KTR said, “DearPrime Minister’s Office, thanks forappointing your BJP state presidentBS Kumar as the chief of ED also.Now we realise that the doubleengine that runs this country isactually Modi and ED.”

Sanjay hit back on Twitter, say-ing that KTR who fears Centralagencies should practice yoga.

Sanjay said, “The signs of fearamong robbers especially TwitterTillu is at an all-time high. Yoga isgood for people experiencing anx-iety... suggest to inhale and exhaletill investigation agencies knock onyour door.”

Of late, KTR and Sanjay areengaging in Twitter fights. Earlier,KTR took to Twitter and mockedthe BJP government over inflation.

He said, “What do you call a PMwho can neither control inflationin the country nor infiltrationinto the country? A) 56”, B) VishwaGuru, C) Achhe Din wale and D)All the above are unparliamentarywords & therefore expunged.”

'Soorarai Pottru' wins big, Suriya and Ajay Devgn share prizeTelugu films bag four awards

Govt issuesnotification tofill 2,440 postsPNS n HYDERABAD

The Telangana government issueda notification for filling up 2,440posts on Friday.

Of these, 1,523 posts are in theCommissioner of IntermediateEducation, 544 in theCommissioner of CollegiateEducation and 359 in theCommissioner of TechnicalEducation. The remaining postsare in the Archives Department.

Minister Harish Rao said, “It'sraining jobs in Telangana forgovernment job hopefuls as thenotification for another 2,440posts in the Education andArchives Departments was issuedon Friday. Under the visionaryleadership of KCR, so far, theFinance department has givenorders to fill up 49,428 poststhrough direct recruitment.”

PNS n HYDERABAD

Students ofTelangana secured apass percentage of97.13 in Class XIIand 99.39 per centin Class X examswhich wereannounced by theCentral Board of SecondaryEducation (CBSE) on Friday.

For Class XII exams, 7,936 stu-dents appeared and 7,708 passedregistering a pass percentage of97.13. The pass percentage record-ed across the country is 92.71.

As for Class X results, of the34,908 students who appeared,34,696 passed registering a pass

percentage of 99.39 percent. The overall passpercentage in thecountry was 94.40 percent.

In both Class XIIand X exams, girls in

the State secured a bet-ter pass percentage than

boys. The pass percentageof girls in Class XII was 97.92

compared to boys who secured apass percentage of 96.41. 4,178 boysappeared for Class XII exams. Inthe case of Class X, the pass per-centage of girls and boys were 99.55and 99.26 respectively.

The independent schools,Jawaharlal Navodaya Vidyalayas(JNVs) and Kendriya Vidyalayas

(KVs), registered pass percentagesof 96.43, 99.05 and 99.30 respec-tively in Class XII exams. The ClassX pass percentage of independentschools, JNVs and KVs was 99.33,100 and 99.84 respectively.

Dr Usha Reddy, the CBSE CityCoordinator and CEO of MeridianSchools said, “Studying online fortwo years and taking offline examsin terms 1 and 2 was difficult forstudents. Students had also to getused to the changed exam pattern.Definitely offline classes and examsare better as the online attentionspan among students is an issue.Social and emotional interactionwith teachers and peers has animpact on students' overall learn-ing environment.

Gujarat bizman held for cheatingcity firm of Rs 8.75 crorePNS n HYDERABAD

A 32-year-old businessman fromGujarat was arrested by the whitecollar fraud team of the CyberCrime Station coming under theDetective Department for cheatinga business owner from Hyderabadof Rs 8.75 crore. The businessmannamed Ilesh Shah is the proprietorof Sri Siddhi Vinayak Solar of Suratand is engaged in the solar modulebusiness. Ilesh Shah got a purchaseorder from Onyx Sri Technologiesof Hyderabad for supplying 5,580‘Jinco Solar Modules,’ for which thecomplainant transferred Rs 8.75crore into the bank account of the

suspect on July 7. Ilesh failed to sup-ply the ordered items and transferredthe money into his personal as wellas proxy accounts. On July 16,Onyx Sri Technologies filed a com-plaint with the CCS, DD ofHyderabad police.The white collarfraud team arrested the suspect inMumbai with Rs 38 lakh. The proxyaccounts which had the remainingRs 8 crore were also frozen by thepolice. The suspect was produced incourt on Friday in connection witha plea for his judicial custody. Thecase is being investigated by ACP SVHari Krishna and his team and issupervised by Addl. DCP CCS(DD) N. Mahender.

Girls outdo boys in CBSE exams

m Over 11 cm rain paralyses city; parts of Telangana hitNAVEENA GHANATE n HYDERABAD

Heavy rains pounded Hyderabadand several other parts ofTelangana on Friday, inundatinglow-lying areas and disruptingnormal life.

More than 11 cm rain lashednorthern parts of Hyderabad,mainly Kukatpally, Qutbullapur,Serlingampally, Moosapet,Balanagar, Tirumalagiri, Ameerpet,Kapra, Alwal; while Secunderabadand other places too recordedsubstantial rains. As of 11pm,11.5cm rain was witnessed inChandanagar, 11.1cm rain inGajularamamam, Jeedimetla and10.9 Kukatpally.

Vehicular traffic was thrownout of gear in Hyderabad and onthe outskirts due to continualrains since morning. Roads wereflooded at many places, causinguntold hardships to motorists andpedestrians. Water-logging was

reported from several areas in thetwin cities as well as on city out-skirts. Water entered PaigahColony in Rasoolpura area ofUppuguda. Many people took toTwitter to complain of water-log-ging and inundation.

The Greater Hyderabad

Municipal Corporation (GHMC)deployed monsoon and DisasterResponse Force (DRF) teams toaddress complaints of water-log-ging. Director of Enforcement,Vigilance, and DisasterManagement of Greater HyderabadMunicipal Corporation Viswajit

Kampati said that the teams ofDRF were on alert and attendingto emergency calls. He advised cit-izens to be cautious against treefalls and structural collapses. Thetraffic police personnel were ontheir toes due to the rain-induceddisruption that compounded 'nor-mal' traffic snarls across the city.

Senior officers were on the fieldat various busy intersections to reg-ulate traffic and check waterloggingpoints. The police appealed tocommuters to defer their travel byat least one hour from the ceasingof heavy rains.

They said it would allow the rainwater to drain out through the dis-charge outlets. Heavy downpourwas reported from areas likeSuchitra, Chintal, Kompally,Secunderabad, Bowenpally,Marredpally, Tirumalgherry,Bolarum, Kushaiguda,Chilkalguda, Begumpet and Kapra.

Flooded homes, roads; chaotic trafficThree moredays of rain

The India MeteorologicalDepartment (IMD) has forecastrains in several parts of the stateover the next three days. Heavy tovery heavy rains are likely at isolat-ed places in Khammam, Suryapet,Mahabubabad, Warangal (Rural),Warangal (Urban) and Jangaon dis-tricts. According to the Hyderabadcentre of the IMD, heavy rains arelikely at isolated places in severaldistricts, including Hyderabad andadjoining Hyderabad and MedchalMalkajgiri districts. As per TSDPS,"From July 23-29, fairly wide-spread/widespread light/moderaterainfall & thunderstorm/lightningwith heavy rain at isolated placesare expected for 3-4 days over thestate during the week. The maxi-mum temperatures are expected tobe in the range of 290 to 320C,while, the Minimum temperaturesare to be in the range of 210 to230C."

HYDERABAD START-UP ECOSYSTEM

Caste-based investors’ network now!

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PNS n HYDERABAD

The BJP government at theCentre and the TRS govern-ment in Telangana should clar-ify their stand on grantingnational project status to theKaleshwaram Project,Congress MP Capt. N. UttamKumar Reddy said on Friday.

“Both the TRS and BJP gov-ernments must clarify as towhy a project built at a cost ofRs 1.20 lakh crore and is calledAsia's biggest irrigation projectis not eligible to be included inthe list of national projects. Ifthe project is not economical-ly viable, then all those whowere involved in its designing,construction and executionshould be punished after ahigh-level probe,” he said.

Addressing a press confer-ence in New Delhi, UttamKumar Reddy said that Chief

Minister K. ChandrasekharRao should reply to theCentre's stand that theKaleshwaram Lift IrrigationProject was not eligible forNational Project status.

“When I raised a question inthe Lok Sabha on Thursday,the Union Minister of State forJal Shakti, Bishweshwar Tudu,revealed that the Telanganagovernment did not obtainthe mandatory investmentclearance from the Centre andtherefore, the KaleshwaramProject is not eligible to getNational Project status. Thereply clearly shows that neitherTRS government nor the BJPgovernment at the Centre areserious in giving national pro-ject status to the KaleshwaramProject,” he said.

Uttam said that the TRS gov-ernment did not seek invest-ment clearance for the

Kaleshwaram project as itscost-benefit ratio was too low.

“After redesigning andrenaming the originalPranahita Chevella Project asKaleshwaram Project, the TRSgovernment doubled the pro-ject cost to over Rs 1 lakh crore.It was built not to bring waterto farmers but to fill the pock-ets of the KCR family. The TRSgovernment was always hesi-tant to answer real questionson the exact capital cost, oper-ational cost, cost-benefit ratio,viability and justification oftaking high-cost loans for theKaleshwaram Project.Consequently, public fundsworth billions were looted byTRS leaders to build an unvi-able project that does not qual-ify to be called a NationalProject,” he said.

He said many experts hadpointed out that the

Kaleshwaram Project wouldruin Telangana as it is notviable.

As per the original DetailedProject Report (DPR), the pro-ject cost was estimated to bearound Rs 80,000 crore forphase-I while the annualOperational & Maintenance(O&M) cost was expected to beRs 13,923 crore. It was claimedin the DPR that the projectwould provide irrigation to 24lakh acres. All these figuresproved false as the project costcrossed Rs 1 lakh crore and theO&M cost also increased sig-nificantly. It also displacedover 30,000 people in 19 vil-lages and affected nearly 40,015hectares of land. Therefore, toget an estimated profit of Rs15,000 per acre, the TS govern-ment is now forced to spendover Rs 53,000 per acre everyyear on O&M costs, Uttamsaid.

“The Kaleshwaram Projecthas benefitted only the KCRfamily while the people ofTelangana and their futuregenerations will have to repayloans and interest,” he said.

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hyderabad 02HYDERABAD | SATURDAY | JULY 23, 2022

EGG RATES

HYDERABAD 385

VIJAYAWADA 385

VISAKHAPATNAM 410

RREETTAAIILL PPRRIICCEE `̀33..8855

`̀//110000

CHICKEN RATES

Dressed/With Skin `308

Without Skin `328

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`̀//KKGG

(IN HYDERABAD)

Te l ang an a C h i e fMi n i s t e r K .Chandrasekhar Rao

and his son, IT Ministerand TRS working presi-dent K.Taraka Rama Raohave mastered the art ofdiverting the attention ofpeople with utmost easefor their political one-upmanship. The recentincessant rains and sub-sequent floods exposedthe duo's skullduggeryonce again.

Apparently inspired byG ove r n or Tam i l i s a iSoudararajan's proposedvisit to the f lood-hitareas, KCR too under-took a visit to meet thevictims. Governor walkedthrough the flood watersand lent her shoulder tothe victims with a heavyheart. KCR came up witha conspiracy theory at ameeting in the flood-hitBhadrachalam. At a timewhen the pump houses ofhis Rs.1.15 lakh croreDream Project were sub-

merged due to very poorplanning and scores ofstudents of IIIT Basarawere admitted to hospi-tals due to food poison-ing, KCR, as part of hisheadline managementstrategy, said: "There isthis new phenomenoncalled cloudburst. Thereare unverified reportsthat these cloudbursts area conspiracy by foreignforces. They first did ac l ou d bu r s t i n L e h -L a d a k h , t h e n i nUttarakhand, and nowwe have received hazyreports that they aredoing these cloudburstsin the Godavari basin."

KTR has made a mock-ery of himself by tryingto divert attention fromthe lack of relief effortsand the outrage it hascaused among the suffer-ing public. KTR tried toshift the focus onto theCentre by spreading half-truths via his Twitterh an d l e . Ta g g i ng t h e

PMO, he tweeted thatTelangana did not getany m on e y f rom t heNat i on a l D i s a s t e rResponse Fund (NDRF)since 2018. He asked ifthis was what 'SabkaSaath, Sabka Vikas' andco-operative federalismmeant? Union TourismMinister G.Kishan Reddyquickly established thatthe Centre released aboutRs 3,000 crore in the lasteight years for the StateDisaster Response Fund.He made it clear thatdur ing t he f lo o ds inHyderabad two years ago,the a l locat ion to the

SDRF was around Rs. 599c rore , o f w h i c h t h eCentre's share was Rs.449crores. KTR saw 'blatantlies' in the official datasupplied by the UnionMinister. He tr ied tocover up the State gov-ernment's gaffe by resort-ing to his favourite blamegame.

It is pertinent to recol-lect the scolding the stategove r n me nt re c e ive dfrom the Telangana HighCourt. The Court, inSeptember 2021, foundfault with the govern-ment for "not providingass is tance to farmers

whose crops were dam-aged following incessantrains in September andO c tob er 2020 , underSDRF and NDRF, thoughit had substantial fundsto provide relief."

A d iv i s i on b e n c hobserved that it was notproper for the state gov-ernment to contend thatn o a s s i s t an c e w a sreleased to it by theUnion of India for pro-

viding relief to farmers,and hence the argumentcould not be accepted.

"Substantial amountswere available with thestate government underthe SDRF to providerelief to farmers who suf-fered crop losses. Suchf unds inc lude d sumsmade available by theUnion of India amount-ing to Rs 977 crore onApril 1, 2020, itself, andRs 449 crore was releasedto the state governmentunder the SDRF during2020-21 (Central share),with Rs 149.67 crorebeing the state's share.The amount was creditedto the account of the stategovernment during 2020-21. So, it cannot blamethe Union of India fornot providing funds to itfor the said purpose," thebench observed. Is it nota slap on the face of KCRand KTR?

The KCR governmenti s c au s i ng e n or m ou s

damage to the publicwith its dillydallying andwool-gathering. Insteadof grabbing every oppor-tunity provided by theModi government to helpthe poor and downtrod-den, the TRS governmentspends time evaluatingwhether the particularm ove ge t s p o l i t i c a lmileage for themselvesor it brings a good nameto the Modi government.Due to a lack of innova-tive ideas and a will toserve, it heavily relies onpasting pink stickers onthe Modi-led govern-ment's schemes and pro-jects. The state govern-ment neither acts (eg:Aawas Yojana, Fasal BimaYojana etc), nor acts int i m e ( e g : Ay u s h m anBharat), nor contributesits share (eg: Relief Fundan d S m ar t C i t i e sProjects). It prefers totake up projects withoutprop e r DPR s and i sre lu c t ant t o s h ow

accounts. This govern-ment can be a very goodcase study for nationaland international stu-dents to understand theconcepts of misfeasanceand malfeasance in pub-l ic pol icy and publicadministration.

The KCR government,thanks to its family rule,corruption and misman-a ge m e nt , f a i l e dTelangana on all fronts.Things are going frombad to worse to worstwith every passing day.

All said and done, Ihave a piece of advice tothe son and father, the'headline managers' ofthe highest order. KTR,stop trolling and betterfocus on administration,for God's sake. KCR garu,you can become 'Desh kineta' later, but first focuson the job at hand forheaven's sake.

(The author is BJP TSspokesperson)

KISHORE POREDDY

It is pertinent to recollect the scolding the stategovernment received from the Telangana HighCourt. The Court, in September 2021, found faultwith the government for "not providingassistance to farmers whose crops weredamaged following incessant rains in Septemberand October 2020, under SDRF and NDRF,though it had substantial funds to provide relief."

KCR's 'cloudburst' trick and KTR's 'flood relief' gimmick!

PNS n HYDERABAD

Engineers have differed on thereason for the submerging ofthe Kaleshwaram Project inthe recent floods.

While one said that humanerror and natural calamitycaused it, some others said itwas certainly human error.

The engineers were speak-ing at a round-table meetingheld on Friday on ‘Whethersubmersion of theKaleshwaram Project wascaused by human error or bynature?’ organised by theTelangana Journalists StudyForum on Friday at theSomajiguda Press Club.

Retired Engineers ForumPresident Shyam PrasadReddy said that the submer-sion of the KaleshwaramProject was caused by a com-bination of human error andnatural calamity.

It is not correct to say thatRs 1,000 billion was lost due

to the submersion of twopump sets. However, the pro-ject cannot be operatedimmediately, he said, andadded that if the Pranahita-Chevella Project was notviable the KaleshwaramProject also cannot be viable.

Shyam Prasad Reddy saidthat any lifting of water is notviable if it exceeds threestages. However, Telanganacan get water only throughlifting, he said.

The government took upthe Kaleshwaram Project asMaharashtra did not acceptthe project with a height of152 meters at Thummidihetti.The Central WaterCommission (CWC) hadgiven permission forKaleshwaram and there wereno technical mistakes.

He said that the flood cameup to 131 meters and theAnnaram pumping stage is at130 meters and hence waterentered Manthani town.

Senior engineers differ onsubmersion of pump house

Politicos hold KCR responsible forKaleshwaram Project’s problemsPNS n HYDERABAD

Leaders of various politicalparties said that the submer-sion of the KaleshwaramProject is due to Chief MinisterK. Chandrasekhar Rao’s mis-takes.

They demanded that thegovernment should order aprobe into the irregularitiesthat took place while executingthe project.

The BJP MLA fromHuzurabad, Eatala Rajender,said that he did not understandwhy experienced engineerswere maintaining silence eventhough the billions’ worthKaleshwaram Project’s pumphouses got submerged in theflood waters.

Eatala reminded that ChiefMinister K. ChandrasekharRao had said that he is a bigengineer. He said that the pre-

sent condition is due to KCRwho did not listen to engineers.

Eatala said, “We are onlypoliticians and not engineers.However, KCR at that time hada feeling that he is a designerand creator. The public lost bil-lions due to the mistakes of thegovernment in executing theKaleshwaram Project.”

Participating in a round-table meeting on ‘Whether thesubmersion of theKaleshwaram Project is due tohuman error or natural calami-ty?’ at the Somajiguda PressClub on Friday, Eatala said thatit is painful that KCR has beenspeaking in a manner that theproject’s construction startedonly due to him.

He said that the IrrigationDepartment Special ChiefSecretary irresponsibly wentabroad at a time when the statewas suffering from huge floods.

He said that there is notruth that the KaleshwaramProject is ‘Srirama Raksha’ forfarmers and that good cropswere due to good rains and notdue to the KaleshwaramProject.

TPCC CampaignCommittee Chairman MadhuYashki Goud said that therewas no cloudburst but only amega burst of corruption dueto the floods.

Terming KCR as an engi-neer, doctor and intellectual,Madhu Yashki said that KCRcannot sleep at night as he hasto think about whom todeceive through his conspira-cies.

KCR would have continuedhis business in Monda Marketwithout paying rent if he hadnot created Telangana.

He said that the submersionof the Kaleshwaram pump

house was due to human error.Demanding the government

to arrest Irrigation DepartmentSpecial Chief Secretary RajatKumar, Madhu Yashki saidthat the government shouldarrest Mega Krishna Reddyalso.

TJS Chief Kodandaram saidthat there is a need for politi-cal parties to give a ‘ChaloKaleshwaram’ call. The peoplehad feared defects in theKaleshwaram Project. Theysaid that they cannot live insubmerged areas and are wait-ing for a permanent solution.

He asked the government toexplain whether it would bearthe Kaleshwaram Project’s costor contractor Mega KrishnaReddy will do that.

He demanded the govern-ment to order a probe with asitting High Court Judge.

KCR’s cloudburst theory is

an attempt to avoid responsi-bility for Kaleshwaram errors.He demanded that the govern-ment should seize the assets ofMega Krishna Reddy.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)leader Indira Shobhan saidthat the BJP has its share inevery mistake of KCR. Sheasked the Centre to explainwhy it failed to conduct anaudit about the KaleshwaramProject. She demanded that thegovernment should order aCBI probe into theKaleshwaram Project issue.

CPI leader Pashya Padmasaid that KCR did not listen tothe opposition when theydemanded all-party meetingson the Kaleshwaram Project.

The government now hasthe responsibility of explainingwhether the KaleshwaramProject’s aim has been met ornot.

'Soorarai Pottru' wins big...Continued from page 1

"A film is not a one manshow, it is the effort of its entireteam, the cast and crew are thepillars of each project. Thisaward is for each person whoworked on 'Tanhaji', they are allmy unsung heroes. I'm happyour film got commercial suc-cess and true appreciation.Awards and rewards are trulyheartening," the director said ina statement.

"Soorarai Pottru" also wonBest Screenplay for ShaliniUsha Nair and director SudhaKongara as well as Best MusicDirection (Background Score)for GV Prakash Kumar.

Kongara celebrated the film'swin in a post on Twitter. "We

won maara", the filmmakerwrote alongside two photoswith her team.

The late Malayalam film-maker Sachidanandan KR wasposthumously named BestDirector for "AyyappanumKoshiyum", which took homethree more awards -- BestSupporting Actor for BijuMenon, Best Action Direction(Stunt Choreography) and BestPlayback Female Singer forNanchamma.

The Best Playback SingerMale was given to RahulDeshpande for Marathi film"Mi Vasantrao".

Tamil artiste Lakshmi PriyaChandramouli was named theBest Supporting Actress for herperformance in Tamil movie

"Sivaranjaniyum Innum SilaPengallum", which receivedthe Best Editing award forSreekar Prasad as well.

The Best Hindi Film prizewent to "Toolsidas Junior",directed by Mridul Toolsidas.The Ashutosh Gowariker pro-duction, which was the lastfilm appearance of late actorRajiv Kapoor, also received aSpecial Jury Mention for childactor Varun Buddhadev.

In the music category,Thaman S won the Best MusicDirection (Songs) for AlluArjun's Telugu hit "AlaVaikunthapurramuloo", whileBest Lyrics was given to ManojMuntashir for Hindi film"Saina". In a tweet, Thaman Sthanked the film's producers

for the making the movie's"music a big one for all of usand trusting us immensely".

Telugu movie "Natyam" wonawards for Best Make-up Artist(TV Rambabu) and BestChoreography (Sandhya Raju).

Filmmaker MadonneAshwin won the Indira GandhiAward for Best Debut film ofa Director for his Tamil venture"Mandela". He won anotheraward -- the Best Dialoguewriter. The BestCinematography award wentto Supratim Bhol for theBengali movie "Avijatrik". TheBest Telugu Film award wasbagged by "Colour Photo",while "Sivaranjaniyum InnumSila Pengallum" won the BestTamil Film.

Caste-based investors’ network...Continued from page 1

Our aim is to be one of theactive and happening AngelNetworks in India, said RaviTeja Gupta. Elaborating, RaviTeja said, “We aim to raise Rs50 lakh to one crore for eachstart-up. And we would like tosupport and help 100 start-upsto raise funds in the firstfinancial year of our opera-tions.

Right now we haveonboarded 10 investors and 30more investors are alreadyconfirmed and are in theprocess of onboarding. Weplan to onboard 100 investorsin the next quarter and 500 bythe end of the year.”

Plans are also on the anvil to

create an investment fundfrom the Gupta community.We are confident of creating aRs 100 crore fund in a year, headded.

Among the other things,we look into are strategicinvestments and focus onbridge rounds (short-termrounds to cover up intervalsbetween different rounds ofraising funds), and co-invest-ment opportunities, Ravi said.

There was a huge demandfrom the community's success-ful people and organisations,says Ravi Teja. “They werelooking at exploring invest-ment opportunities in theIndian start-up ecosystem,which is considered as thethird largest start-up ecosys-

tem in the world after the USand China. Guptaji Investswould like to channel theirresources.”

Guptaji Invests brings thebusiness acumen and successsecrets of the Gupta commu-nity and their business values.They are successful merchantsand traders and are known fortheir unwavering grip overhisab kitab.

Guptas dominate the e-com-merce space in India. Four ofthe top 10 e-commerce outfitsin India have been founded orco-founded by people fromthis business community. Thecommunity has defined e-commerce in India. It is alsocalled as the poster boy ofIndian e-commerce.

Continued from page 1

He said the Centre took stepsimmediately after the issue cameto its notice. Piyush said the TRSgovernment distributed free ricein June and July after steps weretaken by the Centre. He said thatthe TRS government did nottake any action against themillers who engaged in irregu-larities and that the millers hadnot set up ethanol centres. DrLaxman asked the Centre toreveal what action it took againstthe Telangana government fornot distributing the free ricegiven by the Centre to peopleBelow Poverty Line (BPL).

Why is the Centre not probingKaleshwaram scam: Uttam

Centre had...Continued from page 1

Fruits were washed away inrain water at Batasingaramfruit market on the outskirtsof Hyderabad. Visualsshowed houses that werecompletely flooded. Waterentered many homes sub-merging personal belong-ings. Other visuals showed acar that was stuck on the roaddue to the incessant rainsbeing pushed forward by abulldozer attached to a trac-tor.

The fresh spell of rainspounded the state even beforethe districts along theGodavari river could recov-er fully from the recent heavyrains and floods.

Some colonies in Thorrurof Mahabubabad district wereinundated. Massive rainslashed Tekkulapalli mandal inBhadradri Kothagudem dis-trict, cutting off road links ata few places.

Flooded homes...

PNS n HYDERABAD

Congress MLAK o m a t i r e d d yRajagopal Reddy onFriday made it clearthat he willannounce his deci-sion to join the BJPafter quitting theCongress.

Condemning news reportspublished in the media that heis going to join the BJP,Rajagopal Reddy said that hestill sticks to the words he hadspoken in the past on chang-ing party loyalties.

Speaking to the media onFriday, Rajagopal Reddy saidthat BJP leaders have beeninviting him to join their partybut he has not yet taken anydecision.

“I will contest the next elec-tions from the party which candefeat Chief Minister K.

ChandrasekharRao. It is truethat I met UnionHome MinisterAmit Shah somedays ago. I willannounce mydecision soon.The TRS hasbeen blockingd e ve l opme nt

funds meant for my con-stituency,” he said.

It is learnt that RajgopalReddy is in touch with BJPleaders like Huzurabad MLAEatala Rajender and hadrecently joined hands withKonda Vishweshwar Reddy,who is also firm on defeatingthe TRS in the next elections.

It may be recalled thatRajagopal Reddy had said sev-eral times that the BJP is theonly party that has thestrength to defeat the TRS andKCR.

Rajgopal Reddy says he hasnot decided on joining BJP

Agony for cityparents till kidsreturned home PNS n HYDERABAD

As heavy rains lashed the cityin the early hours of Friday,the school-going childrenexperienced difficulties. Afew educational institutions,which held only half-dayclasses, too, faced trouble insending the children back totheir homes. Harried parentshad to anxiously wait for theirchildren to return from schoolwith school buses and auto-rickshaws carrying them werecaught in traffic jam. Someparents were seen picking uptheir children from homes inareas like Maredpally, AS RaoNagar and Moula Ali. Someparents said they are forced topick up their children when-ever it rains to ensure the safe-ty of their wards. The opera-tors of private vehicles arejacking up fares as heavy rainscontinue to lash the city tocarry children to schools andget them back.

hyderabad 03HYDERABAD | SATURDAY | JULY 23, 2022

PNS n HYDERABAD

As part of Azadi Ki Rail GadiAur Station celebrations bythe South Central Railways,Telangana Express (train No.12723) from Hyderabad toNew Delhi was flagged off byfreedom-fighters K ChandraPrakash Rao, P Mohan Raoand G Galaiah.freedom-fighter K ChandraPrakash Rao was under thetutelage of Swami RamanandaTirtha and actively participat-ed in student rallis. He wasamong those who was sent toWarangal jail for it. In the year1946, when he was a BalaBhatudu under Hayagrivachary, a prominent freedom-fighter, Chandra Prakash Rao

met Mahatma Gandhi atWarangal on his way toWardha Junction.

P Mohan Rao actively par-ticipated in student rallies as avolunteer under the leadershipof Madapati Hanumantha Rao,a prominent leader and

founder ofAndhra MahaSabha for whichhe was also sentto Warangal jail.

G Galaiah had activelyparticipated in the freedommovement since his 15th year.

He was alsoinvolved in theOperation Pololed by SardarVallabh BhaiPatel. During stu-

dent agitation atParakala, he was

sent to Warangal sub-jail.

The programme was aimedat honouring freedom-fightersto celebrate 75 years of Indian

Independence. The freedom-fighters expressed happinessand appreciated the efforts ofRailways for undertaking thisnoble initiative to promote therich legacy of India's freedommovement. The RailwayProtection Force personnelconducted a band display ofpatriotic songs on the occasion.

Arun Kumar Jain stated thatit is a moment of great pride forthe zone as one could witnessthe freedom-fighters flaggingoff the Telangana Express. Hestated that it is our duty as cit-izens to recognise and honourthe freedom-fighters whodevoted their life to achieveIndependence. He called uponthe people to recall our free-dom struggle with pride.

Freedom-fighters flag off Telangana ExpressThe programme was

aimed at honouring

freedom-fighters to

celebrate 75 years of

Indian Independence

PNS n HYDERABAD

T-Hub launched the ninth cohortof Lab32, one of India's longestrunning seed accelerator pro-grammes. It has changed its cur-riculum to make it more out-come-oriented and focused on afounders-first approach.

The new cohort will build onthe success of the previouscohorts which has facilitated 240startups from across the countryand raised USD 18 million infunding in the last year.

The ninth cohort of Lab32 willfocus on startups working on cut-ting-edge solutions for industries,like Deep Tech, ArtificialIntelligence/Machine Learning,

Augmented Reality(AR)/VirtualReality(VR), Blockchain,Metaverse, Web 3.0, FinTech,AgriTech and HealthTech. Thenew curriculum will be based onobjective-oriented guidance ledby consultants, mentors, and sea-soned entrepreneurs to promotecollaboration and peer-to-peerengagement within startups.

This cohort includes cus-tomised workshops, mentorship,peer review, product evaluationsand other essential interven-tions. It uses an advanced algo-rithm-based metric trackingmechanism and gamificationtechniques to promote participa-tion from the startups. MSR,CEO, T-Hub, said, "T-Hub's flag-

ship seed accelerator programme,Lab32 has been focused on sup-porting technology entrepre-neurs and innovators for morethan five years. It is equipped withinvaluable resources, mentorsand tools that emphasise ondeveloping founders into leaderswho can rapidly execute plansand navigate obstacles that derailthe venture's growth. It's newcohort will be focused on provid-ing mentorship across compo-nents like growth, product,fundraising, design, talent, mar-ket-fit, PR and more.."

The seed accelerator will com-mence on September 6 in ahybrid modality and offer partic-ipating startups constant support

for three months. It will enablemore entrepreneurs across Indiato participate in the programmewithout the need for a physicalpresence in Hyderabad. Lab32'smodules will help the startupsbuild better versions of products,discover and tap into marketopportunities.

Each module will have onetheoretical session by an acade-mic trainer, one best practicesharing session by a unicorn orsoonicorn founder and one prac-tical workshop by the T-Hubinternal team, along with a deliv-erable. The top 20 per cent of theperforming startups will receiveexclusive access to markets, men-tors, media, methodologies and

entry into T-Hub's Angel invest-ment programme on graduationday.

Startups will also gain access toknowledge resource partners,such as Google, Hubspot,Unicorn Founders and outreachpartners such as NASSCOM,CIE, ISB and IIIT Hyderabad, tocreate a high business impact anddrive an innovation culture.Twenty-five startups will beshortlisted after a focused andextensive screening process.Applications close on September1. Lab32 has hosted eight cohortssince its launch in 2018 andhelped 240 startups to scale theirbusinesses quickly and strategi-cally.

T-Hub's Lab32 changes curriculum for 9th

batch

Doctors unhappy with decision tostart evening clinics across TSPNS n HYDERABAD

Doctors from the city are nothappy with the decision takenby the Director of MedicalEducation (DME) on startingevening clinics in all generaland maternity hospitals acrossTelangana. The DME said thatevening clinics will run from4 pm to 6 pm on all workingdays.

In a circular issued by DMEDr Ramesh Reddy on Friday,it was stated that, "During thereview meeting by the HealthMinister, it was noticed thatmany patients who are comingfrom far off places need to waitfor one or two days to com-plete the investigations and gettreatment. Not only this, dueto increase in patient load inOPs, there is a need to runevening OPs in all generaland maternity hospitals."

Speaking to the pioneer, DrSrinivas, Advisor to TelanganaJunior Doctors Association

(JUDA) said, "The govern-ment wants us to work forextra hours but they are notproviding the stipend werequire. The salaries of doctorsshould be increased and incen-tives need to be provided.Then any doctor will be readyto put in extra hours of work.

When the circular was releasedby the DME, the governmentshould have released a GO say-ing that we will provide extramonetary benefits for the doc-tors who will be running theevening clinics, but they didnot do so."

Dr Anwar, president of

Telangana TeachingGovernment DoctorsAssociation (TTGDA) saidthat the circular is in violationof GO number 816 which wasissued in 2006. Earlier, theworking hours were 9 am to 2pm. The GO modified theworking hours from 9 am to 4

pm. The GO further said thatthe extension of working hourswill help the teaching facultyin pursuing academic andresearch activities with existingpay.

Attending evening clinicsis not possible as already reg-ular OP, review OP, emer-gency OP and telemedicine OPis being attended by the doc-tors.

In the circular issued onFriday, the following instruc-tions are to be followed:Outpatient slip issue countersshould start from 7:30 am,daily outpatients should startat 9 am and continue till thelast patient is seen. The bloodinvestigations ordered in themorning should be ready thesame day and the treatmentshould be prescribed byreviewing the investigations inthe evening clinics and the labsample collection and reportissue counter should be func-tional during OP timings.

PNS n HYDERABAD

The Healthcare Reforms DoctorsAssociation (HRDA) on Fridayasked the Telangana StateMedical Council (TSMC) torevoke the registration feeswhich was revised on July 1.

The HRDA, in a statement,compared the various registra-tion fees charged in Telanganaand other states. The fee chargedfor provisional certificate inTelangana is Rs 2,000 whereas itis Rs 1,000 in Kerala and Rs 500in Maharashtra and Karnataka.Final registration fee inTelangana is Rs 4,000 whereas itis Rs 3,000 in Kerala and Rs2,000 in Maharashtra andKarnataka.

PG Diploma registration fee

in Telangana is Rs 2,500 where-as it is Rs 2,000 in Kerala and Rs1,000 in Maharashtra andKarnataka. The PG degree reg-istration in Telangana is Rs4,000 while it is Rs 2,000 inKerala, Rs 1,000 in Karnataka

and Rs 120 in Maharashtra. Thesuperspecialty registration inTelangana is Rs 7,000 while it isRs 2,000 in Kerala, Rs 1,000 inKarnataka and Rs 120 inMaharashtra.

The NOC fee in Telangana is

Rs 3,000 in Telangana, Rs 1,500in Kerala, Rs 2,000 in Karnatakaand Rs 120 in Maharashtra. Theonly time a state is charginghigher than Telangana is therenewal fee where it is Rs 3,000in Kerala, Rs 2,000 in Telangana,Rs 1,000 in Karnataka and Rs500 in Maharashtra. The regis-tration charges for foreign grad-uates have also been hiked enor-mously. In a letter to theRegistrar of TSMC, the HRDAsaid, "Exorbitant registrationcharges will cause burden ongraduates and postgraduatesand will also lead to commercial-isation of the profession. Hence,we urge you to revoke therevised fee structure notificationin the interest of medical frater-nity and public health."

TS has 23.97 lakh kids underPOSHAN Abhiyaan: SurveyPNS n HYDERABAD

The state of Telangana has23.97 lakh registered beneficia-ries under the POSHANAbhiyaan. In the NationalFamily Health Survey (NFHS)-5, it was stated that a largenumber of children under fiveyears in Telangana suffer fromstunting, are underweight andwasted.

The data from NFHS-5 saysthat there are 33.1% childrenwho are stunted, 21.7% childrenare wasted and 31.8% childrenwho are underweight inTelangana, while in AndhraPradesh 31.2% are stunted,16.1% are wasted and 29.6% areunderweight. The national fig-ures show that in India 35.5%children are stunted, 19.3% arewasted and 32.1% are under-weight.

While answering a questionin the Lok Sabha on Fridayabout steps taken by the govern-ment to increase awarenessabout the POSHAN Abhiyanscheme, Woman and ChildDevelopment Minister SmritiIrani said, "The abhiyan has pro-

vided a strong platform for tar-geted home visits, communitybased events and growth mon-itoring with greater emphasis onhome visits to promote mater-

nal, infant and young childnutrition practices which havebenefited women and children.Under the scheme, IT systemshave been leveraged to strength-en and bring about transparen-cy in nutrition delivery supportsystems.''

Out of the 23.97 lakh bene-ficiaries from Telangana, 1.01lakh are lactating mothers, 2.2lakh are pregnant women,97,000 are children aged 0-6months, 8.99 lakh are childrenaged six months to three years,8.52 lakh are children agedthree to six years and 2.25 lakhare adolescent girls.

The nationalfigures show thatin India 35.5%children arestunted, 19.3%are wasted and32.1% areunderweight

HRDA asks TSMC to revoke exorbitant fee

PNS n HYDERABAD

LV Prasad Eye Institute(LVPEI) has been honouredwith the Global Alliance ofEye Bank Associations(GAEBA) inaugural nation-al award in recognition of itswell-established eye banknetwork and work donethrough eye banking towardsaddressing corneal blindnessin the country. Celebratingthis achievement, Dr SunitaChauraisa, Senior CorneaFaculty and Medical Directorof Eye Bank at LVPEI said,"Eye banking is an integralpart of LVPEI. We feel hum-bled to receive this presti-gious award and extend oursincere thanks to GAEBAfor this honour. We dedicatethis award to our corneadonor families, partner hos-pitals and supporters fromacross the globe who havemade this incredible journeypossible." Since its inception,LVPEI Eye Bank Network hascollected over 1,19,279corneas and distributed over69,964 corneas to surgeonswith the LVPEI network.

Fake doctors arrested in HyderabadPNS n HYDERABAD

The sleuths of SOT LB NagarZone team, along with Meerpetpolice apprehended accusedKudiletti Vijay Kumar who isworking as a duty medicalofficer (MD), physician in RKHospital, without any valid eli-gibility certificate and treatinggullible patients.

Based on his lead, policeapprehended two other accusedMahboob Ali Junaid and AfrozKhan who provided fake MBBScertificates to him by collectingRs 6,50,000 and seized theamount from them.

They were arrested as per CrNo: 898/2022, U/Sec. 420, 465,468, 471, 473 r/w 34 IPC andSec 15(3) of Indian MedicalCouncil Act-1956 of Meerpet

PS. Kudiletti Vijay Kumar is agraduate from Huzurnagar,Suryapret district. Previously heworked in several hospitals asa compounder/ PRO. By takingit as an advantage he worked inthe medical field by assistingdoctors and hatched a plan toearn easy money by procuringfake MBBS certificates.

Two years ago, he wasacquainted with Afroz Khan

and requested him to providea fake MBBS certificate. Onthat, Afroz contacted his friendMahboob Ali Junaid andinformed about the require-ment of MBBS certificate toVijay Kumar. Junaid demand-ed Rs 8 lakh for it. Accordingly,Vijay Kumar paid an amount ofRs 6,50,000 to them and got afake MBBS and other certifi-cates said to be issued fromKazan State Medical Universityof Russia.

By using the fake certificate,Vijay Kumar worked in LifeCare Hospital, Uppal as a med-ical officer for a period of sixmonths. Thereafter since lastsix months, he has been work-ing in RK Hospital, near MandaMallamma X Roads as a dutymedical officer.

PNS n HYDERABAD

Minister for MunicipalAdministration and UrbanDevelopment, Industries andCommerce and InformationTechnology K T Rama Raoasked the Ministry of Railwaysto review the decision onsenior citizens concession intrain fares. He called it as theminister's duty to take care ofelderly people.

"Taking care of our elderlypeople is not just a responsi-bility but our duty. Was sad-dened to read that theGovernment of India hasdecided to remove the senior

citizen concession in trainfares. Request you to reviewthe decision and take a com-passionate view," he said.

Recently, the Railways hassaid that it has no intention ofbringing back concessions on

tickets for senior citizens orsportspersons. The reply wasin response to question raisedby Lok Sabha MPsMohammed Faizal PP andAntony. The Lok Sabha MPshad asked the Railway

Ministry the reasons for abo-lition and non-resumption ofconcessions to senior citizensin Railways despite the easingof the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Railway Ministry citedrecurring losses suffered by theIndian Railways due to lowfares and concession as the rea-son for non-resumption ofconcession for senior citizens.

The Railway Ministry saidthe revenue foregone due toconcessions in passenger fareto senior citizen passengersduring 2017-18 was Rs 1,491crore, in 2018-19 it was Rs1,636 crore and in 2019-20 itwas Rs 1,667 crore.

PNS n HYDERABAD

The Commissioner's TaskForce, South Zone, along withGolconda Police, arrested onejuvenile and three others inconnection with an automo-bile theft. The police seized 8two-wheelers worth Rs 5 lakh.

According to the police,the juvenile boy is a residentof Asifnagar. He dropped outof school and started workingas a carpenter. He was passion-ate towards bikes but as hecould not afford to buy them,he hatched a plan to committheft of bikes to fulfil his

desire. He stole a total of eightbikes under the limits ofGolconda, Humayun NagardBanjara Hills. Out of the eightstolen bikes, the boy soldthree bikes to persons from hislocality at Rs 10,000 eachwithout valid documents.

On credible information,the Task Force team, alongwith Golconda Police appre-hended the juvenile boy andthe three people who hadpurchased the stolen bikes. Allthe 4 persons, along with theseized bikes were handed overto SHO, Golconda PS for fur-ther investigation.

Taking care of ourelderly people is not justa responsibility but ourduty. Was saddened toread that theGovernment of India hasdecided to remove thesenior citizenconcession in train fares

Call to revive rly concession to senior citizens

PNS n HYDERABAD

The Greater HyderabadMunicipal Corporation(GHMC) has undertaken aninitiative to build 22 foot-over-bridges at a cost of Rs 76.65crore. City Mayor GadwalVijayalakshmi said that sevenfoot-over-bridges have beencompleted at a cost of Rs 23.10crore out of which five bridgeshave become available. MayorVijayalakshmi has inauguratedthe foot-over-bridge in Balanagaron Friday built at a cost of Rs3.25 crore.

The Mayor said that efforts arebeing made to provide infra-structure to the people in the cityfor better transportation.Construction of flyovers, ROBs,RUB, CRMP and SRDP works

are being undertaken and madeavailable to the people. She saidthat the greening of the city isbeing done through beautifica-tion of ponds, theme parks, cityparks and vertical gardens to cre-ate a better environment.

Construction of seven foot-over-bridges under GHMC hasbeen completed so far. Fourfoot-over-bridges have beenmade available earlier and five

more have been made availablenow. So far, the foot-over-bridgesundertaken at Madinaguda,Miyapur, Punjagutta andSecunderabad St. Ann's Schoolhave been made available. TheMayor said that a foot-over-bridge will be sanctioned atMoosapet bus stop (LabourAdda), Shahpur Nagar X Road asper the request of the legislatorsin Kukatpally constituency.

Task Force arrests one juvenile,4 others for automobile theft

LV PE Institutewins GAEBAnational award

22 foot-over-bridges to be built in city

Inter-country

traffickers arrested PNS n HYDERABAD

Rachakonda Police have bust-ed an inter-country racketand apprehended six traffick-ers. They belong to Bangladesh, Maharastra, Rajasthanand Jharkhand. Police res-cued two Bangladeshi vic-tims, including a minor girl.They have seized mobilephones, SIM cards and fakeidentity cards. The sevenaccused were operating inTri-Commissionerates andin other states by procuringwomen and young girls fromdifferent states.

04HYDERABAD | SATURDAY | JULY 23, 2022

PNS n SANGAREDDY

Minister for Finance T HarishRao on Friday questioned as towhy the governments in theBJP-ruled States have notextended financial aid to farm-ers in the same way as the TRSgovernment is providing inputsubsidy to farmers under RythuBandhu scheme.

Speaking at a function,shortly after laying the founda-tion stone for several develop-mental works in Kangti man-dal in the district, Harish Raosaid the TRS government hasbeen implementing RythuBandhu to ensure that thefarmers should not experiencefinancial difficulties. Ministerfor Women and Child Welfare

Satyavathi Rathod also partic-ipated in the programmes.

He wondered why the BJPState government in Karnatakawas not implementing RythuBandhu, Rythu Bhima orKalyana Lakshmi. The BJPgovernment in Karnataka hasbeen providing a mere Rs 500pension. The BJP leaders, how-ever, by claiming that their gov-ernments were 'double engineregimes', were trying to misleadthe people. The people inTelangana would fall prey toBJP tricks, he asserted.

The people in the district inthe past were forced to travel allthe way to Bidar for institution-al deliveries. But, now the gov-ernment has been providing allfacilities in government hospi-

tals for institutional deliveriesin the State.

Harish Rao and SatyavathiRathod laid the foundation of

a bitumen road betweenDegulawadi and Thanda, to bebuilt at a cost of Rs 1.65 crore.

Speaking on the occasion,

Harish Rao said the contractorsused to carry out substandardworks under the Congressregime and swindle publicmoney. He said, added that thegovernment had spent Rs 36crore for laying roads in the lastfive years.

A total of 54 thands wereconverted into panchyats. Hepromised to sanction morebitumen roads in the district.

The Congress government inthe united Andhra Pradeshdid not establish even oneGirijan school. MLA BhupalReddy, after being elected, wasable to secure four schools fortribal students. Now, the trib-al youth are making rapidprogress and becoming doctorsand engineers, he pointed out.

People even in remote areasneed not trudge a long distancefor water with MissionBhagiratha bringing potablewater to every household,Harish Rao observed.

Satyavathi Rathod said ChiefMinister K Chandrashekar Raohas fulfilled the aspirations ofpeople belonging to ScheduledTribes. She reminded the trib-al people that the ChiefMinister had converted allthandas into panchyats. It ledto the emergence of 3,146sarpnches in the State. The TRSgovernment has earmarked Rs600 crore for the welfare ofScheduled Tribes, she said.

TRS leaders and activistsaccorded a grand welcome tothe Ministers on their arrival.

BJP making false claims over ‘double engine growth’The Minister for Finance asserted that people would not fall prey to the saffron party's tricks

Minister for Finance T Harish Rao and Minister for Women and Child Welfare SatyavathiRathod laying the foundation for developmental activities in Sangareddy district

PNS n MAHABUBNAGAR

The BJP government at theCentre will be thrown into theBay of Bengal as Congressleader Rahul Gandhi isembarking on Bharat JodoYatra (walkathon), saidCongress Legislature Partyleader Mallu BhattiVikramarka here on Friday.

Speaking at a protest meet-ing here, the BJP government,led by Prime MinisterNarendra Modi, was afraid ofthe Congress party. That waswhy the Centre was harassingAll India Congress Committee(AICC) president SoniaGandhi and Rahul Gandhi byusing the office of theEnforcement Directorate(ED).

The Union government hasbeen foisting false cases onCongress leaders, he pointedout. Bhatti Vikramarka won-dered how money launderingcan happen in the party-pro-moted Young India andNational Herald. The ED hadclosed the case earlier, makingit clear that there was no evi-dence of money laundering.But, the case has nowreopened to torment Sonia

Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.The Modi government wasadopting a vindictive attitudetowards the Congress leader,he said. The Modi governmenthad promised to 'achhe din'(good days), but failed to ful-fil it. The Centre had failed tofulfil its promise to createjobs. The price is skyrocketingby the day. The Centre wasimposing a backbreaking bur-den on the people. The Modigovernment had borrowed Rs80 lakh crore and mortgagedthe country, he asserted.Bhatti Vikramarka recalledthat Modi, during the electioncampaign, promised to pro-vide 2 lakh job a year anddeposit Rs 15 lakh into the

accounts of people after bring-ing back the black moneyfrom foreign banks. But, allthese promises remainedunfulfilled, he observed. ThePrime Minister, he said, washelping his corporate friendslike Adani and Ambani.

He expressed confidencethat Rahul Gandhi wouldexpose the financial scandalsduring his walkathon.

The Modi government hasbeen hatching a conspiracy tocreate hurdles to RahulGandhi's yatra fromKanyakumari to Kashmir.Rahul Gandhi would embarkon the yatra despite the hur-dles being created by theCentres, he asserted.

Bhatti rips into Modi for‘harassing’ Sonia, Rahul

Congress Legislature Party leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramark addressing a meetingorganised by the Congress party in Mahabubnagar on Friday

PNS n KARIMNAGAR

BJP State unit president BandiSanjy Kumar on Friday saidthat the BJP government atthe Centre has accorded pri-ority to providing basicamenities in villages.

The BJP leader was layingthe foundation for develop-mental activities, to be exec-utive at a cost of Rs 23 lakh inKothapally mandal. Theworks, to be carried out atKamanpoor, Elgandal andChintakunta village, weresanctioned under theMahatma Gandhi NationalRural Employment GuaranteeScheme (MNREGS).

The Modi government hasbeen taking up several devel-opmental activities under theMNREGS. Developmentalactivities like laying internalcement roads, desilting ofdrainage canals and others arebeing implemented under theMNREGS.

Sanjay Kumar said develop-mental activities, such as

drainage works and cementroads, would be carried out inKamanpoor village at a cost ofRs 8 lakh, road works at a costof Rs 10 lakh in Chintakuntaand road laying work at a costof Rs 5 lakh in Elgandal.

Kamanpoor eighth wardmembers Vemula Rajeswariand Anil Kumar distributedfree LPG cylinders and stovesto beneficiaries.

The Ujjawal Yojana wasintended to provide cleancooking fuel such as LPGavailable to rural and

deprived households whichwere otherwise using tradi-tional cooking fuels such asfirewood, coal, and others, hesaid.

Sanjay Kumr, who was thechief guest at the function,said the BJP government atthe Centre had introduced thefree LPG distribution schemeto help women. BJP leadersKunta Tirupathi, MeruguMallesham, Srinu, Sonu,Pranay, Suman, Abhilash, RajKumar and others were pre-sent.

Centre committed to providingbasic amenities in villages: Bandi

BJP State unit president and MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar distributing free LPGconnection to beneficiaries in Karimnagar on Friday

ED CASE AGAINST SONIA

PNS n WARANGAL

In response to a call givenby TPCC president A RevanthReddy, Congress activistsstaged demonstrations atKazipet crossroads andKazipet Railway station onFriday to lodge their protestagainst ED harassment toSonia Gandhi and RahulGandhi.

Addressing the protestors,Warangal and Hanamkondadistricts Congress committeepresident Nayini RajenderReddy objected to ED harass-ing Sonia Gandh and RahulGandhi on the pretext ofinquiry.

He condemned the BJPgovernment's efforts atmaligning the image ofNehru-Gandhi family in thename of ED probe.

He alleged that Modi gov-ernment has been resorting tovictimisation measures againstCongress for its fault of expos-ing the BJP government'sirregularities against weakersections. He charged theCentre with breaking the back

of the people, especially thepoor by hiking the LPG, petro-leum, diesel prices and GST onsome goods. Charging thegovernment with lending sup-port to Ambanis and Adanis,he accused the government oftrying to privatise someCentral government organisa-tions which included the LICand the BSNL. The peoplevoted for BJP giving credenceto its social media campaign,he said, adding that Congressis the only party that protectsthe interests of the poor.

The people saw throughthe omissions and commis-sions of the BJP during thepast eight years, he said pre-dicting that they would burythe BJP in future. Severaldepartments have been shift-ed to other places fromKazipet railway station, hesaid feeling sorry for the rail-way station.

During the past 15 days,several railway guards anddrivers have been transferredto Vijayawada in the name ofpromotions, he said calling thepromotions as not justified.

Modi victimising Sonia, Rahulthrough ED, alleges Cong Ex-minister warns BJP

of ‘dire consequences’PNS n SURYAPET

Telangana Pradesh CongressCommittee (TPCC) seniorvice-president and formerminister Ramreddy DamodharReddy on Friday accused theBJP government at the Centreof imposing an 'undeclaredemergency' in the country.Speaking at a rally, organisedby the town Congress party toprotest against theEnforcement Directorate (ED)summoning All IndiaCongress Committee presi-dent Sonia Gandhi in thename of an investigation intoalleged money laundering, theCongress leaders warned theBJP of dire consequences if itdid not stop harassing theCongress leaders. The massiveprotest rally was led bySuryapet district unit presidentCheviti Venkanna Yadav.

The BJP government at theCentre was foisting false caseson the Congress leaders as thesaffron party was jealous of the

Grand Old Party's growingpopularity. The Central gov-ernment has been trying tomuzzle the voice of the dissentby using the CBI and ED toharass the Opposition leaders,he pointed out. The vindictiveattitude adopted by the BJPgovernment towards SoniaGandhi smacked of the saffronparty's bankrupt policies.Damodhar Reddy ripped intothe BJP government for pri-vatising the public sector unitsand transferring them to cor-poration.The Narendra Modigovernment has been crip-pling the economy, heobserved.

PNS n HYDERABAD

The name of GanakalanidhiVinjamuri VaradarajaIyengar needs no introduc-tion to the connoisseurs ofClassical music of the twincities. Iyengar served as thefounder principal ofGovernment Music Collegein 1952 and as the first musicproducer of All India Radio,Hyderabad. Being the disci-ple of the great TigerVaradachar, he imbibed inhimself the subtle nuances ofCarnatic music and broughtout several kritis and musi-cal operas.

A trust created to promoteand sustain Vinjamuri'sideals on Carnatic music,has compiled a book thathighlights his work in thefield of music through radioas the medium. This bookcontains the raga lakshanas,apoorva kritis and lifesketches of variousVaggeyyakaras of the pastand present as described byIyengar, to inculcate an inter-est among music lovers. It

would serve best as a refer-ence volume in libraries,music colleges and to loversof music. The book is beingreleased by the combinedefforts of South IndianCultural Association ofwhich Iyengar had served asthe vice-president, alongwith the trust named afterhim. It would be released atRavindra Bharati auditoriumon Saturday, July 23 at 6 pm.The book release would befollowed by a music concertby veteran Carnatic musicianOS Tyagarajan.

An ode to veteran musician,Vinjamuri Varadaraja Iyengar

K. VENAKTESHWARLU

n HYDERABAD

Criticising TRS WorkingPresident KT Ramarao for say-ing that the Centre did notgrant a single Rupee toTelangana from the NDRFafter 2018, Union TourismMinister G. Kishan Reddy saidthat the Centre had released Rs2,970.87 crore in the last eightyears and around Rs 1,500crore from 2018 for disasterrelief.

Kishan said that the TRSgovernment has been allegingthat the Centre is biased againstTelangana and has not releasedNDRF funds to Telangana after2018.

But the Centre did notrelease NDRF funds toUttarakhand, which facesfloods frequently, although theBJP has been rulingUttarakhand since 2017.

He said the TRS leadersmust understand that there isa procedure to release NDRFfunds and added that TRSleaders must stop spreading liesagainst the Centre.

Kishan said that as per theCAG report the Telangana

SDRF had Rs 977.67 crore as itsopening balance. TheTelangana government has per-mission to use Rs 397.11 crore,in which the Centre’s share isRs 282 crore. From it, theTelangana government usedonly Rs 21.03 crore.

He said the Union HomeMinistry has expressed readi-ness to help the State govern-ment regarding Godavarifloods.

In a statement issued onThursday, Kishan said thatTRS leaders have been spread-

ing lies in the media saying thatthe Centre did not give a sin-gle Rupee to Telangana fromthe National Disaster ReliefFunds (NDRF) after 2018.

Kishan said that TRS leadershave been saying that theCentre did not release funds tothe State when floods hitHyderabad in 2020 and whenthe Godavari got flooded in2022.

He said that States have theresponsibility of taking upflood relief operations imme-diately after calamities occur. In

general, States take up reliefoperations using funds in theState Disaster Relief Funds(SDRF). The Centre will pro-vide funds to States from theNDRF in case of serious natur-al calamities as per the esti-mates of Central teams, he said.

Kishan said that the Centreallocated Rs 599 crore to theTelangana government whenfloods hit Hyderabad in 2020-21. However, the Central shareis Rs 449 crore. The Centredeposited it in two instalmentsof Rs 224.50 crore each to the

SDRF.Central funds were about Rs

1,200 crore in the TelanganaSDRF which has around Rs1,500 crore.

These funds were enough tohelp the flood affected peoplein Hyderabad in 2020 andfarmers including tenant farm-ers who were affected by theheavy rains across Telangana.

In the same manner, theCentre allocated Rs 479.20crore to Telangana SDRF in the2021-22 fiscal in which theCentral share was Rs 359.20crore.

The Centre also depositedRs 179.60 crore this year to theSDRF similar to last year.

Kishan said that the fundsallocated by the Centre fromthe NDRF and SDRF from2014 amounts to Rs 2,979.87crore.

He said the Centre allocat-ed Rs 172.41 crore in 2014-15,Rs 673.70 crore in 2015-16, Rs544.16 crore in 2016-17, Rs58.40 crore in 2017-18, Rs226.50 crore in 2018-19, Rs487.50 crore in 2019-20, Rs449.00 crore in 2020-21, Rs359.20 crore in 2021-22, and Rs377.60 crore in 2022-23.

TRS must stop spreading liesabout NDRF, SDRF funds: Kishan

Kishan said that

TRS leaders have

been saying that

the Centre did not

release funds to

the State when

floods hit

Hyderabad in

2020 and when

the Godavari got

flooded in 2022.

PNS n HYDERABAD/

BHUPALAPALLY

YSRTP chief Y S Sharmila saidthat KCR is promoting MeghaKrishna Reddy just as Modi ispromoting Adani. She said ,"That is why all the projects inthe state are being given to MegaKrishna Reddy. Megha KrishnaReddy did corruption of70000crores"

She alleged that An intelli-gence director himself said that12000crores of GST will have tobe paid.

"Since you are the partners,you are giving all the projects tomegha. Even BJP and Congressare tight lipped. Everyone areMegha Krishna Reddy's friends.Whatever he has to give toRevanth he will, likewise tobandi Sanjay. I am YSR's child,I won't fall for these things"

She demanded action againstMegha Krishna Reddy.

YSR Telangana Party presi-dent Y S Sharmila staging a sit-in at Annaram crossroads forbeing barred from visiting theKaleshwaram project, atAnnaram crossroads on Friday

YSR Telangana Party presi-dent Y S Sharmila has wonderedwhether there is a governmentin Telangana at all as it is notcoming forward to help the poorand farmers hit by heavy rains.She said The construction ofKaleshwaram Project withouttechnical knowledge has led toan enormous increase in back-

waters affecting standing cropsin thousands of acres.

She inspected the flood-hitareas at Damerakinta underKataram mandal. Later, sheproceeded to Lakshmi Barrageat Annaram. Afterwards, she setout for Kannepalli pump houseat Kaleswaram project.

However, the police did notallow Sharmila to proceedbeyond Annaram crossroads.DSP Bonala Kishan said that shecould not be allowed to visitKaleswaram. An irate Sharmilastaged a sit-in on National

Highway 353 stating that therewas no question of her goingback without visitingKaleswaram. She sought toknow why the opposition lead-ers are not being allowed to visitKaleshwaram project, a presti-gious project of CM KCR. Shealleged that KCR is not allow-ing the Opposition and mediato visit the project because itwould expose misdeeds of thegovernment.

She protested on the road forover one hour. KCR built irriga-tion projects spending lakhs ofcrores of rupees, but the farm-ers raising paddy have no optionexcept committing suicide, shesaid.

YSRTP district presidentAppam Kishan and party lead-ers Pitta Ram Reddy, YepuriSomanna, Santi Kumar,Chaitanya Reddy andRaghunadha Reddy took part inthe event.

‘Adani is to Modi what Megha Krishna Reddy is to KCR’

PNS n RAJANNA SIRICILLA

Minister for MunicipalAdministration K T RamaRao on Friday distributedstudy materials, worth Rs 2lakh to students at BC StudyCentre.

Speaking on the occasion,KTR said the governmentwould soon build a permanentbuilding for the BC StudyCentre here. He said a coach-ing centre was established at

CiNaRe Kalamandi for 500candidates under the aegis ofthe police department. Freestudy materials and freecoaching are provided for thecandidate for competitiveexaminations.

He recalled that the ChiefMinister, K ChandrashekarRao, had sanctioned 134 addi-tional study circles. ‘RajannaSircilla district has been trans-formed into an education hub,’he said.

Permanent building for studycentre in Sircilla: KTR

Heavy inflows in Nagarkurnoolirrigation projects PNS n NAGARKURNOOL

Water level increased inSrisailam and Nagarjuna Sagarproject due to heavy inflowsinto them following the recentheavy rains that lashed the statefor about a week.

Water level in Srisailamreservoir was on Friday morn-ing at 881.05 feet. Water storedin the reservoir is put at 195.03tmcft as against the FRL of 215tmcft. The officials have beenmaking arrangements for hydel

power generation in the powerhouse on the left canal.

On account of heavy rains inthe upper reaches of the pro-ject, the project officials havebeen discharging water liftingfive gates to downstreamNagarjunasagar project.Thewater level in Nagarjuna Sagarproject reached 535.8 feet markas against the FRL of 590 feet.The officials have been dis-charging flood water by lifting10 gates up to a height of 25 feetinto the sea.

PNS n WARANGAL

Warangal Police on Fridayarrested two persons forallegedly attacking an elder-ly woman and robbing herornaments.

According ot WarangalPolice Commissioner TarunJoshi, the arrested areAzharuddin and OrugantiRaju. They were childhoodfriends. The duo droppedout of school and worked aselectricians for sometime.

The Police Commissionersaid that they had becomeaddicted to vices.Consequently, they had fall-en into a debt trap. They tookto crime not only to repay theloans borrowed from friendsbut also to fund their vices, hesaid.

The duo conducted a recceat the house of an elderlywoman to steal jewelleryfrom her house. They raidedthe house of an elderlywoman on July 15. Theyrobbed the woman of goldornaments and escaped,Tarun Joshi said.

Two culpritsarrested for robbingelderly woman

Y S Sharmila at a sit-in at Annaram crossroads on Friday

nation 05HYDERABAD | SATURDAY | JULY 23, 2022

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More than 2000 trains were affected due to the Agnipath protests across thecountry, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed the Parliament on Friday. Ina written reply in Rajya Sabha, he said 2132 trains were cancelled between June

15 and June 23. Vaishnaw also said that separate data regarding amount of refundgranted to passengers due to disruption of rail services on account of public disorderconsequent to agitations like those heldafter launching of Agnipath scheme forrecruitment in the armed forces, is notmaintained. "However, during the period14.06.2022 to 30.06.2022, a total refundof approximately ? 102.96 crore wasgranted on account of cancellation oftrains and a loss of Rs 259.44 crore due todamage / destruction of railway assets inagitations against Agnipath scheme wasincurred. All the affected train servicescancelled on account of Agnipath schemehave been restored," he said.

Over 2000 trains cancelled duringAgnipath protests: Rly Minister

Around 1.05 crore domestic passengers travelled by air in June, approximately 12.5per cent lower than the 1.2 crore who travelled in May, aviation regulator DGCAsaid on Friday. Overall, 5.72 crore people travelled on domestic flights in January-

June period of 2022, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) stated in itsmonthly statement. IndiGo -- India's largest carrier -- carried 59.83 lakh passengers inJune, a 56.8 per cent share of thedomestic market, it mentioned.SpiceJet flew 10.02 lakh passengersand Go First flew 9.99 lakhpassengers in June this year,according to the data shared by theDGCA. Vistara, Air India, AirAsia Indiaand Alliance Air carried 9.92 lakh, 7.83lakh, 5.9 lakh, 1.2 lakh passengers,respectively, in June, the data showed.The occupancy rate or load factor forSpiceJet was 84.1 per cent in June,the DGCA noted.

1.05 cr domestic air passengers inJune; 12.5 pc lower than May: DGCA

Current global evidence suggests approximately 10 to 20 per cent of people who developCOVID-19 experience a variety of mid- and long-term effects after they recover from theirinitial illness, the Lok Sabha was informed on Friday. The Union health ministry had on

October 21, 2021 issued National Comprehensive Guidelines for Management of Post-CovidSequelae, Minister of State for Health BharatiPravin Pawar said in a written reply. "Accordingto the World Health Organisation, most peoplewho develop coronavirus fully recover, butcurrent global evidence suggests thatapproximately 10 per cent-20 per cent of peopleexperience a variety of mid- and long-term effectsafter they recover from their initial illness," Pawarsaid in her reply. The symptoms of long Covidmay include fatigue, shortness of breath ordifficulty breathing, memory, concentration orsleep problems, persistent cough, chest pain,difficulty in speaking, muscle aches, loss of smellor taste, depression or anxiety and fever.

PNS n NEW DELHI

Manish Sisodia is a "hardcore hon-est" man, Delhi Chief MinisterArvind Kejriwal said on Friday,fearing that his deputy will beframed in a "completely fake case" bythe CBI and arrested in a few days.

His remarks came after DelhiLieutenant Governor (LG) V KSaxena recommended a probe by theCentral Bureau of Investigation(CBI) into the Delhi Excise Policy,2021-22 over alleged violations ofrules and procedural lapses. Sisodiaheads the excise department of theDelhi government. At an onlinepress briefing, Kejriwal said he hasknown Sisodia for 22 years.

"I came to know that a case hasbeen sent to the CBI against ManishSisodia and the agency is going toarrest him in a few days. It is a com-

pletely fake case. There is not evenan iota of truth in this case," thenational convenor of the AamAadmi Party (AAP) said. "This casewill not hold in a court. Manish is ahardcore honest man and he willwalk free," he said.

Kejriwal also said AAP leaders

are not afraid of going to jail as theyhave done no wrong.At a pressbriefing, AAP chief spokespersonSaurabh Bhardwaj alleged that theCBI probe was recommended bythe LG at the behest of the BJP-ledCentre to implicate Sisodia in a fakecase and keep the Kejriwal-led

party at bay in the upcomingAssembly polls. He also alleged thatthe Centre has been making effortsto "somehow" implicate all theministers in the Delhi governmentin fake cases as Prime MinisterNarendra Modi is scared of thegrowing popularity of the AAP andKejriwal.

"The Centre will try to implicatemore of our ministers. It has askedofficials to find out anything, trueor false, and launch a probe so thatthe AAP can be kept confined toDelhi and Punjab," Bhardwaj saidreplying to a question.

He, however, asserted that noth-ing will come of it and people willeventually understand everythingand wonder why Modi is after AAPleaders. Referring to the arrest ofSateyndar Jain by the EnforcementDirectorate (ED) in a money-laun-

dering case, Bhardwaj alleged thatthe Centre has been making effortsto "somehow" implicate the minis-ters in the Delhi government in fakecases since the AAP's stupendousvictory in the Punjab Assemblypolls earlier this year.

"We have been anticipating thatafter Jain, the Centre will try toimplicate Sisodia also," he said."This is happening because thegrowing popularity of ArvindKejriwal across the country hasscared the Centre and PrimeMinister Narendra Modi,"Bhardwaj said. He added that theCentre is "jealous" of Kejriwal'spopularity. "It is very sad for thiscountry that the LG has recom-mended a CBI inquiry to implicateManish Sisodia, the most populareducation minister in the country,in a fake case," the AAP leader said.

PNS n NEW DELHI

An estimated 4 crore eli-gible beneficiaries havenot taken even a singledose of COVID-19 vac-cine as on July 18,Minister of State forHealth Bharati PravinPawar informed the LokSabha on Friday.

A total of 1,78,38,52,566 vaccine doses (97.34per cent) have beenadministered free of costin Government Covid

Vaccination Centres(CVCs) till July 18, shesaid in a written reply. "Ason 18th July, an estimat-ed 4 crore eligible benefi-ciaries have not takeneven a single dose ofCovid vaccine," she said inresponse to a question onthe number and percent-age of people who havenot taken even a singledose.

Precaution doses wereavailable free of cost tohealthcare workers

(HCWs), frontline work-ers (FLWs) and all bene-ficiaries above 60 years ofage, from March 16 thisyear in government CVCsand for 18-59 years agegroup from April 10 inprivate CVCs. A special75-day drive to adminis-ter precaution doses to allaged 18 years and aboveat government vaccina-tion centres began fromJuly 15. The drive 'COVIDVaccination Amrit Mahotsava' aimed at boosting

the uptake of Covid pre-caution doses among eli-gible population, is beingheld as part of the govern-ment's Azadi Ka AmritMahotsav to celebrate the75th anni versary ofIndia's Inde pendence.According to the healthministry officials, 98 percent of India's adult pop-ulation has received atleast one dose of theCOVID-19 vaccine, while90 per cent have beenfully vaccinated.

BJP's Joshua De Souza electedDy Speaker of Goa AssemblyPNS n PANAJI

Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) legislator Joshua DeSouza was on Friday elect-ed as the Deputy Speaker ofGoa Legislative Assemblyas he defeated Congresscandidate Delialah Lobo by 12 votes. The elec-tion for the post was held on the last day of themonsoon session of the assembly, which had com-menced last week. The Congress had fielded Lobo- its only woman legislator in the state - againstDe Souza of the ruling party. While De Souzapolled 24 votes, Lobo bagged 12 votes - 11 of theCongress and one of the Goa Forward Party(GFP). De Souza, 33, represents the Mapusaassembly constituency in North Goa. He was firstelected as the MLA in 2019 following the deathof his father, Francis De Souza, who was then aminister in the state cabinet. Two MLAs of theAam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the lone MLA ofthe Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) - bothbelonging to the opposition benches - abstainedfrom voting. AAP legislators had earlier in the daysaid that they had no idea whom the oppositionhas fielded as its candidate for the post.

PNS n LUCKNOW

The BJP-led Uttar Pradeshgovernment accorded'Y' category securityto SuheldevBharatiya SamajParty presidentOm PrakashRajbhar, a moveseen in the contextof the SP ally'sgrowing proximity tothe ruling party. Thedevelopment comes daysafter Rajbhar's party brokeranks with the SamajwadiParty (SP) and voted forNDA's presidential candi-

date Droupadi Murmu, whohas defeated opposition pickYashwant Sinha. The move

has irked theSamajwadi Party

which claimedthat Rajbhar hasbeen rewardedfor his recentaggressive pos-tures against the

party leadershipand that the party

was aware of his con-tinued links with the BJPever since it returned topower for the second consec-utive term in the Assemblypolls earlier this year.

Rajbhar gets Y category securityamid growing proximity to BJP

PNS n THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The BJP may lackelected MPs and MLAs from Kerala but the party's stateunit is on cloud nine over NDA's Droupadi Murmu possiblyreceiving one vote in the just concluded Presidential pollsfrom the state, dominated by blocs led by the CPI(M) andthe Congress. Murmu scripted history on Thursday bybecoming the country's first tribal President, defeatingOpposition's joint candidate Yashwant Sinha in an electionwhere the MPs and MLAs voted to pick the country's con-stitutional head. The BJP neither has representation in the state Assembly nor in the Lok Sabha. Thesingle vote polled to Murmu from Kerala has kicked up a debate in the Left-ruled state as the BJP val-ued it higher than the other 139 votes that went to Sinha while the ruling CPI(M) and oppositionCongress did not want to pin the blame on anyone without knowing facts.

PNS n NEW DELHI

The Supreme Court on Fridayallowed the Centre to contin-ue with the security cover forindustrialist Mukesh Ambaniand his family members inMumbai.

A bench comprising ChiefJustice N V Ramana andJustices Krishna Murari andHima Kohli allowed the appealof the Central governmentchallenging the Tripura HighCourt's direction on a PIL.

A vacation bench, on June29, had stayed the orders of theTripura High Court on a PILchallenging the grant of secu-rity cover to the industrialistand his family members inMumbai.

Solicitor General TusharMehta, appearing for the

Centre, had said that the PILpetitioner (Bikash Saha ) inTripura has nothing to dowith the security of individu-als provided in Mumbai.

The Tripura High Courthad on a PIL filed by oneBikash Saha passed two inter-im orders on May 31 and June

21 and directed the CentralGovernment to place the orig-inal file maintained by theMinistry of Home Affairs(MHA) regarding threat per-ception and assessment reportof Ambani, his wife and chil-dren based on which securityhas been granted to them.

PNS n NEW DELHI

The Central Board ofSecondary Education (CBSE)will conduct class 10 and 12exams for the 2022-23 acad-emic session from February15 next year, according toexamination controllerSanyam Bhardwaj. Unlikelast year, there will be onlyone exam at the end of theacademic session in 2023. "Inlight of the lessening ofimpact of the Covid pandem-ic across the globe, the boardhas decided to conduct the2023 examination fromFebruary 15, 2023," Bhardwajsaid. "CBSE has decided togo back to the conventionalpractice of holding boardexams once a year.

10-20% Covid affected people experiencelong-term effects after recovery

Arvind Kejriwal claims Sisodia to be arrested in ‘fake case'

CBSE's class 10,12 board examsfrom Feb 15

DISPLAY NAMES IN MARATHI

4 cr eligible beneficiaries not jabbed at all!

L-G recommends probe into Delhi Excise Policy

SC allows Centre to continue withsecurity of Mukesh Ambani, family

SC notice to Maha govt on traders’ plea PNS n NEW DELHI

The Supreme Court Friday soughtresponses from Maharashtra andothers on a plea challenging aBombay High Court which refusedto quash the state government's rulemandating shops and establishmentsto display their names in Marathi(Devanagari script) language.

A bench of Justices K M Josephand Hrishikesh Roy issued notice tothe Maha rashtra government,Mumbai Municipal Corporation,Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, andothers on an appeal filed by theFederation of Retail Traders WelfareAssociation challenging the February

23, 2022 order of the high court. Thehigh court had dismissed a petition

filed by the Federation of RetailTraders and imposed a cost of Rs25,000 on it. The high court hadnoted that there was no bar on usingany other language on their displayboard and the rule only mandatedthe shop's name to be displayed inMarathi. The petition had chal-lenged an amendment to theMaharashtra Shops andEstablishments (Regulation ofEmployment and Conditions ofService) Act, 2017, as per which allshops and establishments have to dis-play signboards of their names inMarathi, the font of which shall bethe same as that of the other scriptand not smaller.

LONE VOTE FOR MURMU FROM KERALA KICKS OFF

DEBATE; WE EXPECTED ONE MORE, SAYS BJP

TThe Supreme Court decision allowing abortion at 24 weeks to an unmarried womanis both timely and apt. It will go a long way in giving autonomy to women overtheir bodies. This is even more progressive and in keeping with the times than the

US court's position on abortion which is conservative and orthodox to the core.Giving the landmark ruling the bench of Justices DY Chandrachud, Surya Kant, and

AS Bopanna said. "We are of the view that allowing the petitioner to suffer an unwan-ted pregnancy will go against the parliamentary intent and the benefits under the Actcannot be denied to her only on the basis of her being unmarried."

The supreme court decision is in sync with the changing social mores of the soci-ety as many couples, especially in metros are in live-in relations which sometimes endabruptly leaving the woman to bear the brunt of the relationship if she is expecting. Thedecision would go a long way for such women

The matter came up for hearing after a northeastwoman approached the Delhi High court to termi-nate her pregnancy after her live-in relationship didnot work and left her 24 weeks pregnant. The Delhihigh court in keeping with the present law denied herthe right to abort the fetus as it is not permitted forunmarried women. She then approached the apexcourt for relief saying she would be stigmatized andwould be under tremendous financial strain as well.The Supreme Court overturning the Delhi High courtorder said that she could not be denied the right toterminate the pregnancy. This indeed opens a newchapter in women's liberty as Supreme Court deci-sions are a law unto themselves.

Most of our laws are archaic and predominantly male-centric giving little elbow tothe fair sex. It is interesting to note that till the 1960s it was illegal to abort a fetus and awoman found guilty of it could be sentenced to three years in jail and a fine. The MedicalTermination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 1971 came into force on 1 April 1972 changedbut it was only for married women and up to 20 weeks beyond which two doctors hadto give their consent. This was later modified in 2021 when only seven categories ofwomen could terminate the pregnancy. These categories included minors, rape survivors,mentally ill women, physically challenged women, etc. but did not include unmarried women.

However for pregnancy to be terminated between 20-24 weeks the opinion of twodoctors is required to ensure if the termination would be safe for the mother and child.

That manufacturing is not languishing is quite well-known. Something or the othercomes up every day telling us that industry is not doing good in the country, notwith-standing the well-intentioned Make in India and production-linked incentives. Now

there is a media report that information technology (IT) companies account for around43 percent of the forex revenues of listed firms. A decade ago, this was 22 percent.While the listed IT services companies earned nearly `4.2 lakh crore through exportsin 2021-22, a rise of 15 percent over the previous fiscal, the forex revenues or exportsof the rest of the BSE500 companies were down 11.9 percent to `5.6 lakh crore inFY22. Minister of State for Commerce & Industry Som Parkash said in Parliament onWednesday that the Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade (DPIIT),which is under his Ministry, is spearheading the next phase of Ease of Doing Business

which is aimed at reducing the compliance burdenon businesses and citizens. Parkash said. “The exer-cise is an ongoing effort, aimed at achieving a con-ducive regulatory environment.”

He went on to list the important government initiatives: simplification of procedures related to applications, renewals, inspections, filing records, etc.;rationalization of laws; digitization by creating onlineinterfaces eliminating manual forms and records; anddecriminalization of minor violations.

The DPIIT also interacts regularly with CentralMinistries Departments and industry associations “tounderstand concerns of the industry and facilitate

resolutions of these issues.” Then there is the Business Reform Action Plan (BRAP)exercise which began in December 2014, he said. Parkash said, “BRAP covers reformareas such as access to information and transparency, the single window system, landadministration, transfer of land, property, etc.” Industry representatives appreciate theapproach and efforts of the Central government; the problem, however, is at the statelevel. It is here that business persons face the real challenge.

Not all state governments are as eager about industrialization as they should be,given the benefits it entails — faster higher growth, augmented economic activity, greaterrevenue to the state, employment generation, general prosperity, and better electoralprospects as a result. It is not within the powers of the Centre to order states to adopta particular course, but it can encourage and nudge them. The DPIIT, for instance, ranksstates on the initiatives taken by them to develop the startup ecosystem for promotingbudding entrepreneurs. In its recent ranking, Gujarat and Karnataka topped the list.Meghalaya was adjudged to be the best performer among smaller states. While nudging is good and may have yielded some good results as well, a lot more needs tobe done. And that has to be at the political rather than governmental level. Leaders instates must be made to realize that good economics can also be good politics.

Let’s make it India!

GST IS MAKING LIFE MISERABLESir — The increase in the Goods andServices Tax (GST) on several essentialcommodities like flour, pulses, dairyproducts, and hospital rooms is bound tofurther skewer the economy, make priceseven more unaffordable for commonpeople and take the inflation rate tounsustainable levels.

This is at a time when jobs are scarce,incomes are down and thousands of smallbusinesses, which used to account for a lotof employment in this country, have gonebelly up. To rub salt into their wounds,Union ministers are heard saying that infla-tion impacts the rich worse, not so muchthe poor (this was even seen in a recent gov-ernment economic review report).

How does consumption data, theapparent basis of this surmise, miss theeffect of the increase in prices of rice, milk,curd, flour, and other such essentials on low-income groups? GST has broken the back-bone of the common people who are strug-gling for survival and have almost becomemiserable under the present regime.

Bhagwan Thadani | Mumbai

ENSURE MATERNAL HEALTH Sir — Gradually but surely the maternalmortality rate (MMR) is rising. This isindeed a cause of concern. Several moth-ers die from complications in pregnancy.Maternal Mortality Ratio(MMR) of Indiafor the period 2016-18, as per the latestreport of the national Sample Registrationsystem (SRS) data is 113/100,000 livebirths. Even the health of women in preg-nancy is alarming. The situation is worri-some on many counts as it affects the healthof the women but also the newborn baby.There is a need to strengthen the health caresystem which is responsive and accessibleto all. Reduction of MMR can occur byimprovements in access to contraceptives,antenatal care, post-delivery health care,reduction of higher order births, andbirths at higher ages. This intense action canreduce eminently preventable deaths.

Anushka Panwar | Madhya Pradesh

FALLING INDIAN CURRENCYSir — The Indian currency (rupee) is perpetually falling against the US dollar.The foreign exchange rates are decided bythe market forces and factors like demandand supply. The major reason for thefalling rupee is capital outflows, ascend-ing oil prices, and current account deficitwhich denotes that the exports are notascending at the same speed as imports.But the situation in India is not the worstbecause, after the Russia Ukraine war, andthe crises, Bangladesh's currency hasfallen by 8.2% and the Chinese Yuan by5.7% whereas the Indian rupee is at 5%currency depreciation. The Governmentcan make it more captivating for peopleoutside India to buy Indian products so that they pay dollars to buy more Indian rupees.

Sambhav Jain | Ujjain

THE UNEVEN RAINS ARE PLAYING HAVOCSir — The rainfall is so uneven this mon-soon that in some parts of the countrypeople are clamouring for rain while inother areas they are praying to stop it.There are some states with too much rain-fall, whereas there are some states withabsolutely low rainfall. The states likeAssam are facing excessive rains and itsvast areas are submerged. This is a veryproblematic situation for the administra-tion that has to deal with it. Late monsoonhad its ramifications and farmers are fac-ing issues with it. The distribution of rain-fall is creating trouble and all this is dueto anthropogenic reasons. Man mustchange his lifestyle to heal the environ-ment and mother earth.

Kirti Wadhawan | Kanpur

P A P E R W I T H P A S S I O N

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HYDERABAD | SATURDAY | JULY 23, 2022

06

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A timely decisionThe Supreme Court decision to allow abortion tounmarried women is both progressive and timely

PICTALK

A man walks on a breakwater in front of wind turbines in Bath, Netherlands AP

LETTERS TO TTHE EDITOR

While the Centre is trying hard to boost manufacturing,states’ response is not as enthusiastic

As expected, NDA's presidential candidateDraupadi Murmu was declared the winnerby a huge margin of votes. This is the beau-

ty of Indian democracy that in the world's largestdemocracy, a woman from a tribal communityhas been elected to the highest constitutionalposition. She has become the first tribal leaderand the second woman (after Pratibha Patil) tobe elected President of India. Her elevation to thetop constitutional post is a landmark in the coun-try’s post-Independence history. Let us hope thatthis victory is not symbolic but significant.

Let us expect that her victory would bringabout a big change in the lives of the Dalits,deprived women, and the tribal society of the

country. Marginalized and victimized over thedecades, more than 700 Scheduled Tribes witha total population of around 10 crores can now hope that their pressing issues will be high-lighted and addressed at the highest level.

The tribal community has been grapplingwith poverty, denial of rights, loss of agricultur-al land and traditional livelihoods, displacementtriggered by industrialization, deforestation andmining operations, and lack of access to the gov-ernment’s welfare schemes.

In a country full of cultural, social, and reli-gious diversities, it was a natural curiosity as towhether a person from a marginalized sector ofsociety can ever be in the highest office.

It is no secret that even after seven decadesof independence; the marginalized sections haveto go through various levels of struggle to gainrepresentation and participation. Now afterDraupadi Murmu was elected as the President,it can be said that the country has strengthenedits democratic nature and has taken concretesteps toward ensuring everyone's participationin it.

Abhijit Roy | Jamshedpur

Welcome Madam President

SOUNDBITE

Going by the records,there is no denying the factthat many of the words utteredmay look harmless, but, in aheated exchange betweenParliamentarians, they maynot be uttered in a virtuoustone or manner.

In democracies, illumi-nating debates and eloquentspeeches are considered thesoul of the proceedings of theParliament. It has been apractice that the ruling partyMPs highlight and defend thepolicies, programs, and pro-posed laws of the governmentwhereas the members of theopposition, if not convinced,put forth their argumentagainst them, both sides sub-stantiating their respectiveviews with the decent point ofviews and reasoning. Therecords of Parliamentary pro-ceedings of the 50s and 60sclearly indicate the real spiritof “give and take”. The argu-ments put forth by the leaderslike the first Prime Ministerof the country, Jawahar LalNehru and his cabinet col-leagues and the Socialistleader Ram Manohar Lohiaand other distinguished MPsare a case in point. In the 70sand 80s, even though theexercise tended to becomeheated and noisy, the leadershad mutual respect and were

polite in dealing with eachother. They followed Houseetiquette. The debates initia-ted and conducted in theHouse by Atal Bihari Vajpa-yee, Chaudhary CharanSingh, Morarji Desai, Chan-der Shekhar and other poli-tical luminaries are the casein point.

However, the situationstarted deteriorating in the90s when the debates startedturning into shouting match-es, hurling abusing languageat each other, and using slanderous remarks and off-ensive outbursts became anew normal.

At this stage, the need forexpunging the unparliamen-tary remarks from the recordof the house was felt. There islittle scope for constructive dis-cussion in the House. Initially,during the first two decadesafter independence, Englishwas the primary languageused for Parliamentary work inthe Indian Parliament. Thesocial composition of theParliament started changing inthe 70s. At present, 30 lan-guages are used by Parlia-mentarians during the pro-ceedings and deliberations inParliament and many of theminsist on speaking their moth-er tongue during crucialdebates.

Shortly, the need may befelt to expunge the derogatorywords in the regional lan-guages as well. The situationstarted changing with theintroduction of modern dig-ital technology and the prac-tice of broadcasting the pro-ceedings of both houses ofParliament. In many casesdue to utterance of unparlia-mentary remarks, the livetransmission was halted bythe Chair, but, the order of theChair is often relayed by lateevening to reporters, andvideo clips have already beencirculated. Undoubtedly, weneed to improve the stan-dards of Indian political dis-course. The elected represen-tatives should realize thatthey represent the responsi-ble citizens of the country andtheir utterances in and out ofParliament are being reportedby the media and analyzed bythe people. The governmentshould consult the oppositionbefore initiating any changewhich affects the freedom of expression of the electedrepresentatives, thereby,allowing space to enable adialogue.

(The writer is a seniorjournalist and Chairman,Panwar Group of Institutions,Solan, Himachal Pradesh. Theviews expressed are personal.)

Debate is to parliament what air is to humans. Gagging it would killthe democracy itself but certain restrains are need of the hour

MANY OF THEWORDS UTTERED

MAY LOOKHARMLESS, BUT,

IN A HEATEDEXCHANGE

BETWEENPARLIAMENTARIA

NS, THEY MAYNOT BE UTTERED

IN A VIRTUOUSTONE ORMANNER.

BRIJENDER SINGH PANWAR

Sir please mindyour language!

Acontroversy of the sorthas erupted just beforethe onset of the mon-soon session of Parlia-

ment when the LokSabha Secre-tariat released a 50-page bookletthat listed words like “ashamed”,“abused”, “jumlajeevi”, “tanashahi,“betrayed”, “corrupt”, “drama”,“dictator”, “hypocrisy”, “liar”,“murder”, “shame” etc. as unpar-liamentary expressions. Althougheven during the tenure of theCongress-led UPA government,many derogatory words had beenconsidered unparliamentary andoften expunged from the pro-ceedings of the Parliament, but,now, the opposition parties con-sidered this act of the Govern-ment as an attempt to silencethem. They termed it as a “Gagorder issued on MPs”, “an attemptto restrict their vocabulary” andcommented that the “MPs will beleft with no other option but touse sign language”. They felt thatthis sensitive matter should havebeen discussed with the opposi-tion parties and put up in theRules Committee where all polit-ical parties are represented.

Defending the decision, theLok Sabha secretariat stated thatputting together a list of unpar-liamentary words has been a tra-dition since 1954. The latest listmerely compiles words that havebeen found undignified in a spe-cific context and expunged fromthe records of various state assem-blies and two houses of Parlia-ment. The government arguedthat this list is at best only“instructive” and not “definitive”.The content of the documentindicates that the context inwhich these words are used is farmore important than the wordsthemselves. Moreover, the onus ofdeciding whether a word is“unparliamentary” or not wouldrest on the Presiding Officer of theconcerned House. The Lok Sabhaspeaker, Mr. Birla, came forwardto clarify that no words have beenbanned and members are free toexpress their views. He empha-sized the point that no one cansnatch the right of a free and fairexpression of the members, but,it should be as per decorum of theParliament.

HeartyCongratulations toSmt. DraupadiMurmuji on beingelected as thePresident of India.Your role in giving voice to hopes &aspirations of people is exemplary.

Speaker Lok Sabha—Om Birla

Today publicly, thevoice of the peopleof the country isbeing suppressed.'Truth' will prevailover this arroganceand dictatorship

Congress leader

—Rahul Gandhi

I don't fight to win, Ifight for excellence,I fight to get better.Gold is the goal, soI put in the hardwork consistently

and focus on getting better. Athlete

—Neeraj Chopra

A functioningsewage system is abetter indication ofnational solidaritythan hanging flags.Care about yourneighbors? Pay your taxes to getpublic infrastructure built.

Author

—Yuval Noah Harari

Ukraine's militaryhas the potential tomake gains on thebattlefield and inflictmajor losses onRussia.

Ukraine President—Volodymyr Zelenskyy

A yatra to understandancient Indian science

A CHIEF MINISTER ATTENDING SUCH A CONFERENCE

WILL SET A BAD PRECEDENT. AND IT WILL BE

'INAPPROPRIATE' FOR A CHIEF MINISTER TO ATTEND IT.

—DELHI LG

VINAI KUMAR SAXENA

I AM NOT A CRIMINAL. I DON'T UNDERSTAND

WHY I AM BEING STOPPED. SINGAPORE GOVT

HAS CALLED ME TO TELL THEM ABOUT DELHI.

—DELHI CHIEF MINISTER

ARVIND KEJRIWAL

Ihave used Sanskrit words to convey what I wish to state, because‘sukha’ is mostly misunderstood and ‘duhkha’ has many manifes-tations. Sukha is neither enjoyment of our senses nor abundance

of comforts. They constitute sukha only. But real sukha must havepeace. That is why Lord Krishna states in the Bhagavad-Geeta, “Fromwhere could there be any sukha for one who is not peaceful?” (2.66)Unfortunately, we lull ourselves to think that we are sukhi when weare enjoying our senses and possess lots of comforts and facilities.If it was so, why would the rich class be so prone to serious prob-lems like depression?

Duhkha has many sides. There are many kinds of suffering.Beginning with the physical kind, they are mental, emotional and oth-ers. The physical kind is pain from the body. The mental sufferingsare accounted for by fears, anxieties, depression, and so on. Emotionalsufferings also come from the sense of hurt due to perceived humil-iation, injustice, etc. Examples will make the matter clearer. Enduringphysical pain in some parts of the body and miserable living condi-tions are prime examples of physical duhkha. Severe financial loss-es and loss of livelihood are examples of great mental suffering.Untimely death of a near and dear one, being informed about a ter-minal disease, verbal humiliation by a close relative, fire of hate, rejec-tion by someone who one loves, and failure to gain what one wantsdearly are examples of emotional duhkha. Similarly, there are manytypes of sukha/happiness. But sukha with peace as its main ingre-dient can only be obtained by a good connection with God.

Whether sukha or duhkha, they are forever coming and going. LordKrishna has stated, “Pleasure and misery, being temporary, they comeand go.” (2.14) No one can escape sufferings in this world, becausethey are results of earlier impious acts, in this life and earlier ones.However, all suffering is temporary, while some may extend to thenext life, but they ultimately cease. Lord Krishna has guided in theGeeta on a way to deal with sufferings and transcend them.

Similarly, there are pleasures in everyone’s life, because Earth isnot a concentration camp where only miseries are heaped upon itsinhabitants. There are many more pleasures in our lives than we real-ize. But our uncontrolled minds force us to keep our focus on mis-eries only. If detailing of all the enjoyment is done, one may be pleas-antly surprised, as scales of pleasures will be heavier.

Fortunately, we, human beings, have been given the opportunityto enhance sukha and minimize duhkha. Lord Krishna has guided,“One whose eating and recreation are appropriate; of one who strivesappropriately in activities; of one who sleeps and stays awake asrequired; there will be reduction in his duhkha.” (6.17) These instruc-tions take care of physical health. Similarly, the Lord has guided aboutmental health in verse no. 6.35, “The mind can be brought under con-trol by practice and detachment from harmful sense objects.” Howevergenerous help is required from God, because our minds are fickle,strong, obstinate, etc. (6.34) God is prepared to help if we take Hisshelter as He has instructed, “Take shelter of God. By His mercy youshall achieve supreme peace.” And peace is what we need for gain-ing sukha — the real thing, as mentioned earlier.

The Bhagavad-Geeta has detailed instructions about enhancingsukha and reducing duhkha. Spiritual health can be strengthened bydeveloping a good connection with God. Similarly, intellectual healthbenefits by supplementing material knowledge with spiritual learning.Both sukha and duhkha have permanence. That is why Lord Krishnastresses on tolerance. (2.14)

(The author is a spiritual teacher.)

HYDERABAD | SATURDAY | JULY 23, 2022

07

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FIRSTCOLUMNSUKHA AND DUHKHA

ARE TEMPORARY

POINTCOUNTERPOINT

BALAKRISHNAN SATYAM

Pleasure, misery are forever comingand going. Peace is what we need

EXPLORINGOUR

SCIENTIFICHERITAGE IN

AN INTENSIVEAND

EDUCATIVEWAY IS VASTLY

DIFFERENTFROM

FORWARDINGVAINGLORIOUS

WHATSAPPMESSAGES

ABOUTFORTRESS

DESIGNS, ANDRUST-FREE

COLUMNS. AVIJNANA YATRA

CAN BEEMPOWERING

TO GIVEINSIGHTS,

WHILE ALSOBEING

INSPIRATIONAL

Rural unemploymentremains a crucial factorresponsible for lower

income and skills and badsocio-economic conditions.Data released by the Center forMonitoring Indian Economy(CMIE) in May 2022 showedthat rural unemployment hasrisen to 7.8 percent from 7.12percent out of the total work-force, while World Bank esti-mates that the majority of theIndian population about 65.07percent lives in rural areas.

According to the Foodand Agriculture Organizationof the United Nations, theIndian agriculture sector in thecurrent scenario provideslivelihood to about 70 percentrural population, out of which82 percent of people belong tothe category of small and mar-ginal farmers. Deendayal

Antyodaya Yojana - NationalRural Livelihood Mission(DAY-NRLM) is a schemethat relies on three supportingstructures -- financial inclu-sion, enhancement of liveli-hood and social mobilizationat the universal level of therural poor people. A majorfocus of this scheme is theempowerment of rural poorwomen by including at leastone woman from every ruralhousehold in a Self HelpGroup (SHG). According tothe Ministry of RuralDevelopment, DAY-NRLM isoperating in 6,769 blocks in706 districts in 30 states andsix Union Territories. Thisscheme relies on SHGs for theelimination of rural poverty.The SHGs are groups formedby rural people, involvingabout 10 to 20 members and

DAY-NRLM has a provision ofinstitutional credit facilitiesfor establishing micro-enter-prises in rural areas for thesegroups. This scheme has suc-cessfully transformed about8.01 crore female membersbelonging to the vulnerableand poor section of the soci-ety into about 73.19 lakhsSHGs.

In India, total SHGs are6.9 million which consists ofabout 75 million members asof May 2021. NRLM has maderural people more empow-ered in terms of healthcare andeducational facilities. It alsohas enhanced income for ruralpeople, making them eligibleto buy land for growing food,besides addressing gender dis-crimination such as child mar-riage and dowry system. SHGshave also been instrumental in

the rising participation ofwomen in political parties,improved financial literacy,knowledge and awareness ofadministrative facilities andsupport, more involvement indecision-making of importantissues and improved mobility.

According to the WorldBank, this scheme has alsosupported rural women tobecome a part of the work-force and resulted in largerparticipation by women mem-bers in SHGs under DAY-NRLM, a 20.4 percent rise invarious self-employment activ-ities was noticed during 2011-2017. The NRLM has alsoimproved financial literacyamong rural women andhelped them avail institution-al credit facilities. This schemeemploys social capital, microinstitutional loans and skill

enhancement, which resultedin enhanced family income ofbeneficiaries, while boostingsaving habits. It is also noticedthat members of SHGs underDAY-NRLM and their familymembers are giving more pref-erence to various kinds ofinsurance schemes related todisability, health and life.

The scheme, however, hasfaced several challenges, as themajority of SHGs are still giv-ing preference to the farm sec-tor and they are engaged inagricultural activities, mak-ing them less productive as theprimary sector is already fac-ing disguised unemployment.This blocks adoption of vari-ous latest technologies toimprove efficiency of theenterprise. The majority ofSHGs have not become vibrantand are just acting as microfi-

nance units with lesser traits ofbusiness enterprises. A hugeconstraint in the effectiveimplementation of this schemeis unwilling female membersand their cooperative familymembers in rural areas asrural women are not evenallowed to go outside theirhomes for business activities.According to beneficiaries,they have less freedom toinvolve themselves in any deci-sion-making process at theirdiscretion as everything ismostly pre-decided in thescheme. The DAY-NRLM hasreceived a smaller allocation offunds compared to otheremployment generationschemes like MGNREGS.

The scheme should focuson both the agricultural andnon-agricultural sectors andsimultaneously give attention

to the enhancement of liveli-hood through rising incomeearning opportunities andexpanding entrepreneurshipskills. The DAY-NRLM mayalso expand its scope towardsthe private sector and start-upbusiness entities to empowerthem for employment gener-ation in rural areas. In the cur-rent financial year, more bud-get has been allocated towardsDAY-NRLM which shows amore promising future forbeneficiaries.

This scheme has helpedthe rural people through sus-tainable development withhelp of the creation of jobs,skill enhancement and otherlivelihood enhancement facil-ities irrespective of genderwhile providing larger supportto female members of thehouseholds.

The women-led SHGs, supported by the NRLM, are successful, but they need to work with startups

National Rural Livelihood Mission: a game changer

(Ravi Gupta is AssistantProfessor and Maheshwari is

Research Assistant at theDepartment of Humanitiesand Management science,Madan Mohan MalaviyaUniversity of Technology,

Gorakhpur, UP.)

RAVI KUMAR GUPTA

ANDUDIT MAHESHWARI

AJIT KUMAR BISHNOI

The word pilgrimage carries imme-diate connotations. It is a tripundertaken to offer thanks. Weembark on it to experience a

higher state, an elevation — sometimesphysically represented by a hill summit.The determined spiritual seekers go intodeep forests and remote mountain caves,while the more ordinary among us visitmajor and lesser shrines that honourdeities, saints, or ascetics. Likewise, ourscientific teams go as far as Antarctica ordive under sea to study ancient port cities.They journey to remote places to studythe grammar structure in isolated dialectsas spoken currently. So we too ourselvescan undertake modest but stimulatingitineraries.

The benefits of a Vijnana Yatra areclosely comparable to any Teerth Yatra ortrips to holy sites. Let’s make the compar-ison in some details. Science has given ourlives many things we can be thankful for— life saving medicine, effort savingappliances, entertainment devices, speedytransport, and when we look to our his-tory — Ayurveda, astronomy, semantics,calisthenics with a holistic approach, tex-tiles, manuscripts on constructing struc-tures, mathematics and many more.

It takes us to a higher plane of knowl-edge — through particle physics, the studyof genes, molecular structure, carboncompounds, life cycle of stars, and marinebiology. It powerfully harnesses wind, solar,hydel, hydrocarbon and atomic energy.There are modern plants and installationswhere hundreds of megawatts are gene-rated and distributed.

Our scientific research, like our pil-grimages, connects us with the larger forcesand mysteries of Nature. Like scripture, itgives us an opportunity to ally with a tra-dition of belief and dedication. Science hasan organised body of updated theory andongoing saga of rigorous research. It is afine example of proceeding with estab-lished knowledge and determinedly pur-suing new results. The struggles of scien-tists, their perseverance and steadfastnesscan serve as lessons for us.

Exploring our scientific heritage in anintensive and educative way is vastly dif-ferent from forwarding vaingloriousWhatsApp messages about fortressdesigns, and rust-free columns. A VijnanaYatra can be empowering to give insights,while also being inspirational — a pilgrim-age that helps us develop and apply a sci-entific approach to more aspects of ourlives.

We need better curated walk-throughsof Ayurveda and ancient astronomy. Theemphasis has to be on how the knowledgewas obtained, how it was applied, and theextent of proof or results obtained. Aninput from today’s scientists can be of helpto us in connecting ancient records withthe current frontiers of knowledge andapplication.

Scientific knowledge quite often has

Vijnana Yatra envisages journey through scientific heritage toignite minds to further build greater edifice of discoveries

(The writer is a creativedirector, advertising

faculty.)

economic and cultural implica-tions. An institution such as theCalico Museum in Amdavad con-veys information on the manual,technical, chromatic, aesthetic,social, commercial and historicalaspects of weaving in an inter-related manner. Our prominent sci-ence museums help us under-stand basic laws in physics throughtheir apparatus displays. The plane-tariums create a mind-expandingexperience by helping us conceivehow vast the galaxies and nebulaeare. The Jantar Mantar in variouscities tells us a fascinating story ofhow techniques and implementswere devised to measure distancesto celestial bodies with remarkableaccuracy.

Our manuscript museums andpreservation centres in Pune,Thanjavur, Tirupati, Varanasi,Guwahati, Shravanabelagola, Sam-bhalpur, Nalanda, Gaya, Kolkata,Guwahati and elsewhere hold cen-turies-old commentaries anddetailed debates on methods, rulesof evidence, atoms and states ofmatter, and the experiencing ofeternity.

To really cherish something wehave, we should actually feel thank-ful for it. Without such a felt grati-tude, we merely take all that longlegacy for granted, which we canwave airily at and swagger about.When we sincerely treasure knowl-edge, we have an idea of how it isgleaned, refined and transmitted.We can actually appreciate thehuman attentiveness and diligencerequired for these processes.

Isaac Newton said that he sawbecause he stood on the shouldersof giants, and we have more reasonsthan anyone to be grateful to somany savants, sages, scholars andscribes for adding to the wealth in

almost every generation to theextent the general circumstancesallowed.

Tours need promoters. Tra-ditional bus tour operators typicallyoffer religious tours of a week ortwo, and similarly the online travel portals should be able to easily market Vijnana Yatras to colleges, where they can do aninformative three-hour pre-tourorientation. Not only would sucha trip be relevant to science andengineering students, it’s easy tochalk out customised itineraries forlife science or mathematics or lin-guistics students. The idea of relat-ing concepts to actual places,objects, history and people, is totake the successors physically clos-er to their vast legacy in enquiryand systematic knowledge.

To extend support and encour-age such Vijnana Yatras, the rail-ways can subsidise these bookingsor have the fare partially borne bythe Ministry of Science andTechnology. Over time, various stu-dent groups can be safely expectedto assemble and edit video clipsfrom their tour and upload thecontent to an online platform,which itself would be richly infor-mative to all students. Labs, factoryfloors, power stations, observato-ries, botanical hothouses, sanctu-ary parks, heritage institutions,museums, archives have lessons tooffer about nature, society and sci-entific principles. Not only youngstudents, other types of visitorgroups — families, corporategroups, media teams, bureaucrats,science publishers and others —could find them appealing and useful.

In our country especially, pil-grims derive satisfaction from a dipin a lake or river, or from wearing

certain clothes during the journey.To satisfy such needs, it shouldn’tbe difficult to develop selfie pointsand suitable souvenirs to cele-brate these Vijnana Yatras.

There is a true saying that youcan take a fellow pilgrim to theriver bank, but it’s up to him or herto take a dip. Science itself is a bodyof evidence about a unifyingsupreme principle as there is anunmistakable similarity of structureacross the basic laws operating inNature. The spirit of science is toshare and explore patterns in thevast universe around us, and not tothrust limiting conclusions or nar-row dogmas. Its message is alwaysto foray towards a further frontier.

The common faith that drivesboth the Teerth as well as theVijnana Yatra is that with an open-ness and a seeking, we receiveglimpses and have insights by thehour and by the day. Over a fewyears, they add up to a vision ofwhat is true and properly alignedwith the universal principle. Thus,pilgrimages are cumulative. Theybegin in the very first step of thejourney and are not only about agrand culmination at the end.

This is why inculcating a sci-entific outlook in our everyday liv-ing does so much for us as itencourages an active intellect andalert senses and reasoning in everyindividual. Underestimating theplace of science can make us relyheavily on some revelation experi-ences of a few. Taking sound guid-ance where it’s available can beadvantageous. Placing our trustcould also serve us. However, adetailed understanding of a mas-terpiece in its outer and innerdimensions is the best tribute andsalute to its creator, and reachedonly through scientific knowledge.

HYDERABAD | SATURDAY | JULY 23, 2022 Money 08

MONEY MATTERS

The UAE is an importantexport market for Indiangems and jewellery,

accounting for around 15 percent or USD 5.8 billion in FY2021-22, according to a topofficial of an industry body.Colin Shah, Chairman of theGem and Jewellery Export

Promotion Council (GJEPC), said that India's plain gold jewelleryexports to the UAE jumped 63 per cent to 135.27 million in Mayand 59 per cent to USD 116.70 million in June this year on a year-on-year basis. “I believe that the fruition of the Indo-UAE CEPA willspur many more such opportunities for our traders to connect andnetwork, as evidenced by the immediate spike in bilateral gem andjewellery trade, especially plain gold jewellery, post the tradeagreement's enforcement on May 1 this year,” Shah said, urgingbuyers from the UAE to visit the India International Jewellery Show(IIJS) Premiere event next month in large numbers.Shah wasspeaking at an event organised by the GJEPC and the Indianembassy in the UAE, which was the first-ever IJEX BSM inconjunction with this year's IIJS Premiere roadshow on July 19here.The event saw leading retailers from the UAE connecting withtop gem and jewellery manufacturers from India. Sunjay Sudhir,Ambassador of India to the UAE, said the bilateral trade betweenIndia and the UAE was doing well.

UAE accounts for 15 per cent ofIndia's gems and jewellery export

PNS n MUMBAI

Amid the rupee fa l l ingagainst the US dollar, RBIGovernor Shaktikanta Dason Friday said "you buy anumbrella to use it when itrains!', indicating that thecentral bank is using foreignexchange reserves to dealwith currency volatility.

Das also said that byeschewing sudden andvolatile shifts, the centralbank has ensured that expec-tations remain anchored andthe forex market functions ina stable and liquid manner.

He also noted that the cen-tral bank will continue toengage with the forex marketand ensure that the rupeefinds its level in line with itsfundamentals.

The governor said in recog-nition of a genuine shortfallof supply of forex in the mar-ket relat ive to demandbecause of import and debtservicing requirements andportfolio outflows, the RBIhas been supplying US dollarsto the market to ensure thatthere is adequate forex liquid-ity.

"After all, this is the verypurpose for which we hadaccumulated reserves whenthe capital inflows were

strong. And, may I add, youbuy an umbrella to use itwhen it rains!," Das said.

The country's foreignexchange reser ves haddeclined by a massive USD8.062 billion to USD 580.252billion in the week endedJuly 8.On Thursday, the rupeetouched an all-time intra-day low of 80.06 against theUS dollar but managed torecover the lost ground andclosed at 79.05 against thegreenback.

"I would like to reiteratethat we have no particularlevel of the rupee in mind, but

we would like to ensure itsorderly evolution and we havezero tolerance for volatileand bumpy movements," Dassaid while speaking at thebanking conclave organisedby Bank of Baroda.

According to him, therupee is holding well com-pared to currencies ofadvanced and emerging mar-ket economies due to thecountry's resilient macroeco-nomic fundamentals.

The recovery is gradual-ly strengthening, the currentaccount deficit is modest andinflation is stabilising, he said

and added that the financialsector is well-capitalised andsound.

Due to the RBI actions,including measures toencourage inflows, the move-ments of the rupee have beenrelatively smooth and order-ly, the governor pointed out.

Earlier this month, the RBIhad announced a slew ofmeasures including liberalis-ing norms for foreign invest-ments in government bondsand increase in overseas bor-rowing limits for companies,to boost foreign exchangeinflows and curb the fall in

the rupee.Further, Das said a pre-

dominant part of the out-standing ExternalCommercial Borrowings(ECBs) is effectively hedged.

As per the RBI's internalresearch estimates, the opti-mal hedging ratio for India isat 63 per cent.

Taking into account natur-al hedges and the exposure ofpublic sector companies, theoptimal hedge ratio conditionis comfortably satisfied inthe case of the stock of ECBsin the country's external debt,he said.

‘You buy umbrella to use it when itrains’: Das on using forex reserves

The country's

foreign

exchange

reserves had

declined by a

massive USD

8.062 billion to

USD 580.252

billion in the

week ended

July 8

PNS n NEW DELHI

The government is commit-ted to reduce emissions fromthe shipping sector and allthe major ports will be madefully self-sustainable on elec-tricity by 2030, Parliamentwas informed on Friday.

In a written reply to theLok Sabha, Union Ministerfor Ports, Shipping andWater ways SarbanandaSonowal said that to devel-op global standard ports inIndia, Maritime India Vision(MIV) 2030 has identifiedinitiatives, such as develop-ing world-class Mega Ports,transhipment hubs andinfrastructure modernisa-tion of ports.

According to the minister,as a part of SagarmalaProgramme, more than 800

projects at an estimated costof around Rs 5.5 lakh crorehave been identified forimplementation during 2015to 2035 across all coastalstates.Further, he said underholistic development ofcoastal districts, a total of567 projects with an estimat-

ed cost of around Rs 58,000crore have been identified.

MIV 2030 estimates theinvestments to the tune of Rs1,00,000-1,25,000 crore forcapacity augmentation anddevelopment of world classinfrastructure at lndianPorts, he added.

All major ports to be made self-sustainable on electricity by 2030

PNS n NEW DELHI

The Export Import Bank ofIndia (Exim Bank) plans toraise USD 3.8 billion throughforeign currency fund mop-up in the current fiscal yearunder its global medium-term note (GMTN)progBeing a policy bank,fully-owned by the union gov-ernment, the bank also has abudgeted allocation of Rs1,500 crore for the current fis-cal year.

"For FY23, Exim Bank hasa budgeted allocation of Rs1,500 crore by the govern-ment. Typically that would berequired by the bank for itsgrowth as well as to maintainthe required capital adequacyratio," Harsha Bangari,Managing Director, EximBank told PTI.

She said during the currentfiscal year 2022-23, Exim

Bank will request the govern-ment to provide from thebudgeted capital dependingon the requirement.

"As regards our require-ment, we are a financial insti-tution so we will have a cap-ital mix of equity and debt.For the year FY23, we have aforeign currency resourceraising programme of about

USD 3.8 billion."This proposed USD 3.8 bil-

lion would be across tenors.It's not really long-term fund-ing, it will be short-termfunding as well. The bank hasa GMTN programme where itcan access international cap-ital (market). We issue bondssuch as foreign currencybonds," Bangari said.

Exim Bank mulls raising US$ 3.8 bn inFY23 by issuing bonds in global markets

No plan to extend deadline for filing income tax returns

JSW Steel net profit falls 85 pc to Rs 839 crPNS n NEW DELHI

JSW Steel on Fridayposted over 85 per centfall in its consolidatednet profit at Rs 839crore during the June2022 quarter, mainly onaccount of higher expens-es.

The company's profit stood

at Rs 5,900 crore during theApril-June period of

the preceding 2021-22 fiscal, JSW Steelsaid in a regulatoryfiling.

However, its totalincome during

April-June 2022 roseto Rs 38,275 crore from Rs

29,100 crore in the year-ago

quarter.Expenses were higherat Rs 36,977 crore as against Rs20,804 crore in April-June2021.

JSW Steel is the flagshipbusiness of the USD 22-billiondiversified JSW Group, whichhas its presence in sectorssuch as energy, infrastructure,cement, paints, sports andventure capital.

PNS n NEW DELHI

HDFC Asset ManagementCompany (AMC) on Fridayreported a 9 per cent declinein profit after tax at Rs 314.2crore in the three monthsended June 2022.

In comparison, the assetmanagement firm had post-ed a Profit After Tax (PAT)of Rs 345.4 crore in theyear-ago period, HDFCAMC said in a regulatory fil-ing.

The company's revenuefrom operations rose 3 percent to Rs 521.6 crore in thefirst quarter of FY23 from Rs507.1 crore in the same quar-ter preceding fiscal.

Its Average Asset UnderManagement (AAUM) stoodat Rs 4.15 lakh crore for theJune quarter. The same wasRs 4.17 lakh crore for thecorresponding period lastyear.

HDFC AMC profitdeclines 9 pc to Rs314 cr in June quarter

PNS n NEW DELHI

India will have a battery stor-age potential of 600 gigawatthour (GWh) by 2030, anddemand for electric vehicles,stationary storage and con-sumer electronics will main-ly drive adoption of batterystorage, a Niti Aayog reportsaid.The report further said acoherent regulatory frame-work incentivising all stake-holders to participate in therecycling process will help inthe development of a batteryrecycling ecosystem in thecountry."Based on our analy-sis, the total cumulativepotential for battery storage inIndia will be 600 GWh by2030 – considering a basecase scenario and with seg-ments like EVs and con-sumer electronics projectedto be major demand driversfor the adoption of batterystorage in India," it said.

According to the report,the current deployment oflithium-ion batteries (LIBs) inIndia is dominated by con-

sumer electronics, whichcomprises smartphones, lap-tops, notebooks, tablets andis further expected to growwith the digitalisation of plat-forms and the integration oftechnology in day-to-day life." In India, segments like elec-tric vehicles (EVs), stationarystorage and consumer elec-tronics are projected to bemajor demand drivers forthe adoption of battery stor-age," the report titled'Advanced Chemistry CellBattery Reuse and RecyclingMarket in India' said.Thereport pointed out that in2020, consumer electronicsenergy storage was the biggestmarket for LIBs, with acumulative market of 4.5GWh, though EV salesaccounted for around 10 percent of the LIB market (0.92GWh).As per the report,between 2010 and 2020, theglobal demand for batteriesgrew at a compound annualgrowth rate (CAGR) of 25 percent to reach an annualdemand of about 730 GWh.

India's battery storage potential tobe 600 GWh by 2030: NITI report

PNS n NEW DELHI

Gold in the national capital onFriday jumped by Rs 594 toRs 50,341 per 10 grams,reflecting a rally in interna-tional precious metal prices,according to HDFCSecurities.In the previoustrade, the yellow metal settledat Rs 49,747 per 10 grams.

Silver also surged by Rs 998to Rs 55,164 per kg from Rs54,166 per kg in the previoustrade.

"Spot gold prices for 24-carat gold in Delhi climbed byRs 594 per 10 grams in linewith rising global gold pricesand haven demand," saidDilip Parmar, ResearchAnalyst at HDFC Securities.

In the international mar-ket, gold was trading higherat USD 1,718 per ounce,while silver was flat at USD18.81 per ounce. Gold priceswitnessed buying in the pre-vious session on the weak dol-lar and rally in equity indices,Parmar added.

Gold jumps Rs594/10 gms; silverrallies Rs 998/kg

PNS n NEW DELHI

Aditya Birla group firmUltraTech Cement on Fridayreported a decline of 6.94 percent in its consolidated netprofit at Rs 1,582.02 crore inthe June 2022 quarter, impact-ed by inflationary trends.

The company had posted anet profit of Rs 1,700.03 crorein the April-June period ayear ago, UltraTech Cementsaid in a BSE filing.Its revenuefrom operations was up 28.18per cent to Rs 15,163.98 croreduring the quarter under

review as against Rs 11,829.84crore in the correspondingperiod of the last fiscal."Aftera strong end to FY22, cementdemand was impacted byoverall inflationary trends andlower labour availability inMay 2022. However, cementdemand picked up in June2022 on pre-monsoon con-struction activity," saidUltraTech Cement in its earn-ings statement.The compa-ny's total expenses were at Rs12,980.06 crore, up 36.51 percent in Q1 FY23 as against Rs9,508.26 crore.

UltraTech Q1 net profit falls 7 pc to Rs1,582.02 crore; net sales rise 28 pc

PNS n NEW DELHI

The government is not consid-ering extending the last datefor filing income tax returns asit expects most returns tocome in by the due date of July31, a top official said on Friday.

Revenue Secretary TarunBajaj said over 2.3 croreincome returns were filed byJuly 20 for fiscal 2021-22 andthe numbers are picking up.

Last fiscal (2020-21), about5.89 crore ITRs (Income TaxReturns) were filed by theextended due date ofDecember 31, 2021.

"People thought the routinenow is that dates will beextended. So they were a little

slow in filling the returns ini-tially but now on a daily basis,we are getting between 15lakhs to 18 lakh returns. Thiswill slightly go up to 25 lakhto 30 lakh returns," he toldPTI.

Typically, return filers waittill the last day to file returns.

"Last time 9-10 per centfiled on last day. Last time, wehad over 50 lakh (filing returnson the last date). This time, Ihave told my people to beready for 1 crore (returnsbeing filed on the last day)," hesaid.

As per I-T rules, the dead-line for filing ITRs of a fiscalby individual taxpayers whodo not need to get their

accounts audited is July 31 ofthe subsequent financial year.

Through ITR, a person issupposed to submit to the

Income Tax Department ofIndia. It contains informationabout the person's incomeand the taxes to be paid on itduring the year.

The Income TaxDepartment has prescribed 7types of ITR forms, whoseapplicability will depend onthe nature and amount ofincome and the type of taxpay-er.

The tax department's newincome tax filing portal isnow very robust to take theincreased loads."So far, thereis no thinking of extending thelast date of filing," he said.Bajajsaid the feedback beingreceived from taxpayers isthat the return form has

become very easy to file andthat refunds are also beingmade in a very quick time.

On some complainingabout difficulty in filingreturns, he said 2.3 crore peo-ple have already filed returnswithout any complaints.

"Previously 50,000 peoplewere filing returns daily andnow this number has gone upto 20 lakh. I am confident thatreturns will go up in the nextfew days and people will filetheir returns," he said.

Over the last two financialyears, the government hadextended the deadline for fil-ing ITRs to ease compliancefor taxpayers battling covidpandemic.

Sugar output in 2022-23 may dipslightly to 355 lakh tonnes: ISMAPNS n NEW DELHI

India's sugar production mayfall slightly to 355 lakh tonnesin the 2022-23 marketingyear starting October, due todiversion of sugarcanetowards ethanol manufactur-ing, according to industrydata.

Indian Sugar Mil lsAssociation (ISMA) on Fridayreleased the preliminary esti-mates for sugar productionfor 2022-23 marketing year(October-September).

As per the ISMA, the sugarproduction in 2022-23 is esti-mated at 355 lakh tonnes asagainst 360 lakh tonnes in thecurrent marketing year end-ing September.Net sugar pro-duction before consideringdiversion towards ethanol isestimated to be higher at399.97 lakh tonnes in 2022-23as against 394 lakh tonnes inthe current 2021-22 market-ing year.ISMA estimates thatthe diversion of cane juice

and B-molasses to ethanolwill reduce sugar productionby about 45 lakh tonnes in thenext marketing year. In thecurrent 2021-22 marketingyear, about 34 lakh tonnesdiversion has been estimated.

The annual domesticdemand is seen at around 275lakh tonnes in the 2022-23,which will leave a surplus ofabout 80 lakh tonnes forexports.In May, the Centrecapped sugar exports at 10million tonnes in the current

2021-22 marketing year tomaintain the domestic avail-ability and price stability.

ISMA said that estimateshave been made assumingnormal rainfall and otheroptimum conditions duringthe remaining period.Basedon the satellite images pro-cured in the latter part of June2022, ISMA said that thetotal acreage under sugar-cane is estimated to be high-er by 4 per cent to 58.28 lakhhectares in 2022-23.

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SaturdayJuly 23, 2022

SHIKHA DUGGAL

ometimes your grandmother's old recipes remaincherished forever because there are some foods thatare attached to specific memories and after you tastethem, it kind of stirs a plethora of emotions in you.

That’s what Ram Vemireddy, a Telugu NRI, isbringing this delightful South Indian factor through a

new venture called Desi Authentic that is based in Hyderabad butwill supply across the world so that Telugus have no more cravings.

He exclusively informs us, “For the past 25 years, I have been liv-ing in California, but we operate from Begumpet. But, if you are liv-ing outside of your motherland, you miss your own food. That’sdesirability. Though South Indian food is available in the states,nothing can beat the taste of Hyderabadi food. Vadiyalu, crunchysakinalu, ariselu, chegodeelu, annamayya laddu, gongura pachchadi,murukulu, atukula mixture, palli podi, and idli karam podi aresome of the ingredients.It stirs up warm memories.”

So, if you are away from your home, you can still enjoy yourfavourite pickles, sweets, snacks, and not just that, but also an accu-mulation of South Indian clothes, toys, handlooms, masalas, andspices. Thanks to the internet, we guess.

He continues, “The dishes in the states are flavoured, and I havewitnessed the Telugus here craving originality. You wouldn’t feellike going back to the restaurant and relishing it again. This takesme to my hometown, Kadappa.”

Hyderabad has been famous for its history, but this young manwants to make it known for its public enterprises too.

He says, “There are fresh emerging opportunities to do businesshere now. The economic pattern has changed. You cancall it the most diversified IT industry in the countrytoday. Why do you think I am doing business here and

not in California? Cyberabad is the main hub. Although, in manyother ways, even America is way organised, like if you talk about thetraffic sense. But, the industry-friendly environment here is the best.They opened the largest incubation centre for start-ups here, wherewe can just walk in with an idea and walk out with entrepreneurshipin our hands.”

He enlightened us on how there are many Telugus settledabroad, and now whenever this community craves homely food,native art or culture, there is his unique business vertical, and theircravings are addressed and attended to. That’s what he is spot onabout and says, "Hyderabad City ensures that talent is well versedwith advancement for the next level of growth. Another reason forme to indulge in this venture was when I could see the upcominggeneration is so occupied with gadgets that they don’t have any ideaabout the childhood toys we used to play with. The pleasure it usedto give This division is separating us. Many of them are even com-ing to the conclusion that the olden days were the golden days forthe native villages of Hyderabad. The toys are from Kondapalli;they are hand-made. Their colours are naturally derived from thewood. It’s safe for our children to use without any sharp edges.”

Another extension of Hyderabad city is the way it’sadapting to be an organic cosmopolitan. “Our ances-

tors used to consume organic food, unlike

today, when all edibles are laden with harmfulresidues of pesticides. Increasing health awarenesslevels among people here are now leading to manyseeking to explore healthy things. Hence, there is a cur-rent rise in demand for pure and unadulterated naturalproducts. In particular, in the surroundings of Hyderabad,of late, the majority of farmers have taken up organic farm-ing,” he adds.

The food that is served in Telangana is generally spicierthan usual cuisines and ingredients such as sesameseeds, tamarind, red chillies, and others are widelyused in preparing Telangana cuisines.

“The food is really irresistible here, and I am abig fan of the myriad of mouth-watering sweets.They hog the limelight for us even back in theUSA. If there was ever a competition for cookingup the fiercest delicacies, we would certainly winaway all the glory. Red chilli is our hot favourite.Take a bite of an authentic Telugu dish and youare sure to fan your mouth cool right after thevery first bite. There has been a demand fordehydrated curry leaf powder in the states toomuch,” he signs off.

Food is somethingthat every South

Indian would missif they moved toanother state or

country. Ofcourse, there isno food like the

cuisine of theSouth. And to

stop yourcravings, the Desi

Authentic comesto the rescue.

The Pioneer

speaks to thefounder, RamVemireddy, a

Telugu NRI, forthis week’s

edition ofHyderabond.

‘Industry-friendly environment

TEJAL SINHA

eha Karode, whose name has been all over on social mediafor bringing to us a different form of music altogether. If wetalk about her recent releases, she has given two uniquealbums to Ayushmann Khurrana-starrer Anek andAbhimanyu Dassani-starrer Nikamma.

Neha has been trained in classical music for many years asa kid. Even when she was in college, she was a part of a band.

Taking us through her journey, she says, “I got admission to my col-lege because I was a singer. There was extracurricular activities quota.Music was a big part of my college life as well. The next thing Iknew was that I wanted to come to Mumbai because I did wantto pursue it. I did my masters in filmmaking. Later, I got myfirst job as a filmmaker. There was also a music studio. I hap-pened to approach them and wanted to learn how to makesongs and wanted some guidance. My friends pushed me to tryfacing the microphone because I hadn’t done recordings beforethat, and then I got comfortable with the studio mike. Thereare a lot of differences between studio performance and liveperformance. That’s how I became comfortable and started tak-ing baby steps, starting my own covers, and my YouTube chan-nel. When you start doing all these things, you start meeting allthese new people who are in that field. When you try like 10songs, out of those, one song might just click and people mightwant to retain your voice.”

After she started singing in Mumbai, the kinds ofmusic that she was expecting were very different.They all had these westernised influences.

She further continues, “I have been fond of lis-tening to music that is not Indian. I somehowwanted to bring those influences of mine andput them together with what I have beentrained in, which is why I decided I couldmake a format out of it. I take up a ban-dish, which is based on the raag. I havebeen working with the popular bandishand I am going to continue to do that,at least for the time being. Peoplewho already knew those bands willbe interested in hearing how theycan sound in a new form withdifferent genres.” Neha hasmusicians, who have beentrained in jazz. She mixes bothher style and the musician’s styleand makes one bandish out of it. Sheis also trying to learn electronic music.

“My friend does the music for me. Icompose and write. We tried to learn aboutwhich bandish would go well with whichgenre. That has been fun, but there are peoplewho believe that music should be in its purestform. I believe that my music is not for them.They want the exact traditional setup. Butthere are people who see bandish as a song. It'sthose people I want to cater to,” she says.

Apart from Oh Mama, Rabbit and Nasha Ishq

Ka, her recently releasedalbums also includeKoyaliya Bole, whichwas one of the millenni-als’ favourite songs. Forthis album, Neha collab-orated with AbhayJodhpurkar.

Anek, a politicalaction thriller movie,directed by AnubhavSinha, takes us throughthe story of how, amidthe turmoil in northeastIndia, an undercoveragent tasked with peacenegotiations crossespaths with a tenaciousboxer fighting for herdreams. While AnubhavSinha is known as arisk-taker in the indus-try, the film has got atotal of 5 songs. Out ofthem, 4 of them werenon-Hindi.

Neha, who has sungtwo songs for the film,

says, “We are in an industry where the success of the film is oftendefined by the success of its music album, and in such a space, he actu-ally decided to have an album of 5 songs, of which 4 were non-Hindi.What he wanted with the two songs that I wanted was to bring an odeto the revolutionary music that the Beetle, Bob Dylan, created a coupleof decades ago, and he wanted to bring that spirit of revolution throughthese songs. He has done a brilliant job because he has been looking athimself. That really showed how he wanted to drive the narrative. It’s abrilliant aspect of filmmaking that shows how music can actually drive

a narrative. It’s just not as a song break. The song is a part ofthe story. Both of my songs were incorporated because

they both tell a story about the feelings of peopleover there. I think it’s very interesting that it’s afilm about the northeast and how a lot of north-east people feel that they are different, but at thesame time it’s a story about bringing peopletogether, the differences together. It is alsoreflected in the music. You have songs in differ-ent languages; 2 songs in English, 1 in Hindi, 1in Naga, and 1 Kashmiri song. Music is coming

together. It is kind of metaphorical.”The singer believes that there is still a long way

for Indie songs to reach the audience in terms ofpopularity and growth. She continues, “There isnot a clear distinction between Indie andBollywood Indie. There are many big labels, and

they also make independent songs, andthose songs are promoted more

than the film songs. Is that con-sidered Indie, or is it a kind ofgrey area in my mind? Thosesongs are heavily successful,and the biggest singers singthem. If we don’t include that,then I think yes, independent

music is stilllagging.

Therewas atimewhen Iwas

young andsingers like

Sonu Nigam, Shaan,and bands like Bibawere like superstarsand their songs were

the ones that actuallytrended. After that, film

music became a really big thing.”On the work front, she is cur-

rently working on her bandish-based original project, which

she says is constantly goingto be a working projectin her life.

“I am going to do aband in Raag Darbari

called Ghar Jaane de, andthat should be out inAugust. At the same time, Ido a lot of pahadi songs. Ihave an alternate channel

where I do a lot ofUttarakhandi and Pahadi

songs. I am coming up withNepali originals and Pahadioriginals,” she signs off.

roubled with acne but can’tseem to put your finger on itexactly? Suffering from persis-tent pain due to a pimple thatdoes not want to come to ahead?

Chances are you might have a condi-tion known as “the blind pimple”. Theswollen, lumpy region surrounding theblind pimple is usually red and full of pusdue to evident inflammation. Blind pim-ples are one of the most annoying andpainful pimple experiences as they areimmune to general topical treatment dueto their deep-seated presence amid thelayers of skin. Moreover, blind pimplescan stay for long intervals of time if leftuntreated and can also leave behindscars.

Numerous factors can cause blind pim-ples to occur. These range from excessoil, dirt, debris, and bacteria trappedinside the skin pores, which causeinflammation. Although they are difficultto treat, it is possible to rectify themthrough proper medical care and ahealthy skin care regimen. When itcomes to blind pimples, it can be toughto get rid of them. But, we have got youcovered. Shikha Dwivedi, MSc, ClinicalNutrition and Dietetics and in-housenutritionists at OZiva share 5 rules foryou to tackle them.

Rule No. 1: Never pop ablind pimple

Never ever pop a blind pimple or anyzit with no visible blackheads, as it wors-ens the inflammation and causes morepimples to form in the adjoining region.Blind pimples occur deep within the lay-ers of skin and have no relation to thesurface of the skin. Therefore, it is essen-tial that one must avoid touching,squeezing, or picking a blind pimple toavert the risk of infectionand post-inflammatoryscars.

Rule No. 2: Use heatcompression

The safest and sure-shot method to treatblind pimples is toexpose the pimple toheat so that it convergesupwards to a head.When the pimplecomes to a head,topical treatmentbecomes pos-sible. Itisrec-

ommended that you apply warm com-presses to the affected region for 10-15minutes, about three-four times a day forpus release and overall healing.

Rule No. 3: Add some ice to itYou can also choose to apply ice to the

inflamed area. Wrap some ice in a papertowel or napkin and apply it with somepressure to the affected region todecrease pain and swelling. The dimin-ishing spot will also aid in curbing thelifespan of the pimple while also relievingthe pain due to swelling. Make sure yourepeat the process 3 or 4 times a day.

Rule No. 4: Be wise. Choose natureIt is better to select natural remedies

and alternative measures that are gentleon the skin as compared to harmfulantibiotics. You can use a variety ofthings like raw honey, regular honey, andtea tree oil to help treat it efficiently. But,do ensure that you first dilute the tree oilwith some oil such as coconut oil or oliveoil. Just apply some oil to the pimple,leave it for the night, and wash the areaproperly in the morning using a cleanser.Investing in clean plant-based with ingre-dients like Salicylic Acid which hasstrong antioxidant properties, helps inpreventing and reducing acne scars. Keepdistance from products with parabens,silicone, and sulphates, as these ingredi-ents have side effects that will worsenyour skin with time.

Rule No. 5: Adopting a more holistic wellness approach

If you are constantly heckled by blindpimples, it is imperative that you enforcesome clear-cut changes in your lifestyle.Firstly, stay hydrated and drink a lot ofwater to maintain sebum production. Youcan also choose to practice various stress-

busting methods like yoga or workoutto keep clear of stress. Ensure that

you use some sun protection tolower the possibility of breakoutsand pigmentation as a result ofacne. Most importantly, theneed to adopt a clean holistic

approach to your skin cannotbe stressed enough. Be mind-ful of what you consume andif you want to use any kindof beauty products, makesure they are clean plant-based beauty products, freefrom harmful chemicals,agents, and additives.

Remember to be patientand follow the aforemen-

tioned rules religiously andyou will see the results.

THE PIONEER BRINGS TO YOU THEJOURNEY OF NEHA KARODE, ACLASSICAL SINGER, WHO HAS RECENTLYSUNG TWO ALBUMS IN THE AYUSHMANNKHURRANA-STARRER ANEK, AND ISBRINGING A REVOLUTION WITH HER MUSIC.

about arevolution

MUSIC ISBRINGING

TACKLE THEblind pimples

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Hyderabad | Saturday July 23, 2022 what’s brewing?

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ESHA IVF Fertility Centre situatedin Banjara Hills, Hyderabad in

association with ShieldPharmaceuticals has organised aCME(Continuation of MedicalEducation) on Fertility Preservationin Oncology and Non-Oncologyconditions. The session was held atPark Hyatt, Hyderabad, on Friday.

HEALTH FIRST

The Fortune Toyota carried out thefirst "Maiden Mass Delivery" of

cars from the sales showroomlocated at Tolichowki. The eventwas inaugurated by popularplayback singer Saketh Komanduri.He handed over the keys to theesteemed customer who hadbooked the vehicles recently.

HOT WHEELS

Senior IAS officer K Siva Prasad,Financial Commissioner, Rural

Development and Panchayats,Govt. of Punjab, Chandigarh haswritten an amazing book onBhagavad Gita titled ‘Gita Acharan-A beginner perspective’. It is alsotranslated in Hindi as Gita Acharan -ek sadhak ki drishti se. A copy ofthe Hindi book was presented to thePresident of India Ram Nath Kovindby the author K Siva Prasad atRashtrapati Bhawan recently.

BOOK PRESENTATION

l Saketh l Nirav modi

l Nishatl Poojakiran and Shakila

l Kusuma

l Sailakshmil Pushpa

l Chandana l Chandini l Yasyasni

Self-care has grown in popularity over theyears. Today, Gen Z are not just talkingbut deeply practicing wellness,

mindfulness, therapy, stress management, andself-love and more. To educate and spreadawareness on the importance of self-care,Glance and Roposo are hosting a special event‘S.L.A.Y - Self Love And You’ on International

Self-Care Day (24th July). Through thisday-long celebration, users will get anopportunity to watch 11 engaging liveshows specially curated for their well-being across categories such as yoga,nutrition, music therapy, habit building,retail therapy, mindfulness at theworkplace, and many more. Using thehashtag #TogetherWeSlay, thechallenge involves a creator showing a

small part of what they do to practice self-careand invites fellow-creators and users to jointhe challenge by sharing their own uniqueways to ensure their physical, mental, andemotional well-being. The live extravaganza,S.L.A.Y, will be streamed on Glance andRoposo simultaneously on 24th July from 8am onwards. It will kickstart with a specialshow - Music Spa ForThe Mind, which willhelp viewerschannelize their self-healing powers, while

experiencing a relaxing and rejuvenating soundbath with expert sound healer, Manjula Singh.This will be followed by Yoga For The Body,

which will be a live show byYoga expert Khushi Bajwa whowill guide users through differentyoga routines, followed by HabitCoach Ashdin Doc who will help

viewers develop habits that will make themmore energetic, more productive, and mostimportantly, stress-free. In the afternoon, aunique Art for All show with Kanupriya Soniand Samiksha Suri, followed by SLAY withRetail Therapy, where Yashasvi will reveal toeveryone how retail therapy can make you feelhappier and relaxed. In the evening, a spokenword artist and an Indie singer will collaborateto bring you stories along with music, whilespeaking about music as a form of self-expression during Surily Stories. There willalso be a comedic take by Sorabh Pant on self

love on a show titled Pant’s Rants which willalso feature Vividh the Kurta Guy. Popularmakeup artist and LGBTQIA+ creator,Bhumneshwar Manhas will also be seentalking about the importance of acceptingyourself while sharing some makeup tips andtricks during his live show - Bhumneshwari’sMagic Brush. Last but not the least, the daywill end with a showstopper talking about self-care and self-love! Krishna Shroff will be onboard to talk about her fitness and her self-love funda.

SELF-CARE!

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GINGER MEGGS

NANCY

Yesterday’s solution

CALVIN AND HOBBES

SPEED BUMP

SUDOKU

Rulesl Each row and column can

contain each number (1 to 9)exactly once.

l The sum of all numbers inany row or column mustequal 45.

Ace producer Dil Raju shared that it is very important for filmmakers to pause and under-stand how audience perceive entertainment in the post-covid times. The Indian film indus-try has seen a massive change in film consumption patterns, since the onset of the pan-

demic and the revolution of OTT platforms when India was in lockdown.Be it Hindi or the southern film industry, very few milestone films have made a big mark at the

box-office and other films have seen great response when they release on OTT after theirtheatrical run.

Keeping in mind the change in content consumption, producer Dil Raju wantsto take time to understand audiences’ mindsets and make films accordingly.

Talking about the same producer Dil Raju shares: “Due to the change inaudience mindset post-pandemic, I asked my team to stop working on

ten scripts which we started working on long back and I also stoppedtaking two films onto the sets.”

He added: “I would suggest all the producers to not startnew films now. First, analyse how the audience mind-

set going to evolve in 2023 and then according-ly select the scripts and start the shoots.”

Director Anoop S.Panicker’s long-awaitedthriller, Cadaver, featur-

ing actress Amala Paul in thelead is all set to have a digitalrelease.

The film will release onDisney + Hotstar.

The actress took to Twitterto make the announcement.She wrote: “The wait is almostover! I’m elated to announce,Cadaver — my first ever pro-duction — soon to be releasedon Disney Plus Hotstar. It’s anabsolute pinch me moment.”

Apart from Amala Paul, thefilm will also feature HarishUthaman, Munishkanth,Trigun, Athulya Ravi,Rithwika, Vinod Sagar, JayaRao, Vaishnavi Pillai,Pasupathi, Nizhalgal Ravi,

Pushparaj and Velu Prabhakar.Cadaver is a gritty bone -

splitting crime thriller in whicha police surgeon, Bhadra(Amala Paul) is brought onboard by ACP Vishal as aninvestigation officer in a caseof a cold-blooded murder. Themurders continue to take placeand the mystery thickens as itdeepens. As the case almostdraws up to a close, Bhadra’srelentless pursuit of the caseleads to the unveiling of thebrain behind the murders.

The film, which has cine-matography by Aravind Singh,has editing by San Lokesh.

Produced by Amala Paulherself under her home ban-ner, the fast-paced thriller hasmusic by Ranjin Raj and dia-logues by Abhilash Pillai.

Legendary filmmakers Anthonyand Joe Russo, are in India topromote their highly anticipat-

ed action spectacle on Netflix — TheGray Man, starring Ryan Gosling,Chris Evans, Ana De Armas withDhanush, who is also accompanyingThe Russo Brothers on their IndiaTour.

While talking about the making ofthe film at the press conference thatwas held with The Russo Brothersand Dhanush in Mumbai earlier onFriday, they spoke in detail aboutbringing to life this magnum opus.The Russo brothers shared, “Beinghere in India has let us see first-handhow much entertainment is thrivinghere. We are extremely thrilled tohave brought The Gray Man to lifewith Netflix and for people all over

the world to enjoy the film and seeDhanush in action. He is a con-summate professional we deeplyadmire and respect, and we trulyhope for more opportunities towork together again.” Talking abouthis experience while working onThe Gray Man, Dhanush said, “TheRusso Brothers taught me patienceamong many other things and Ihad a wonderful learning experi-ence on the sets of Gray Man. Itwas an unbelievable experience andI enjoyed every moment of it. It’sbeen always my intention toexplore and learn more, lookingforward to many such experiences”Stream The Gray Man only onNetflix on July 22. And gear up formore action, drama and anotherblockbuster — The Gray Man 2!

RashmikaMandanna tovisit NewDelhi for the

first time for theshoot of

Animal

Rashmika Mandanna is currently the talk ofthe town with multiple project releasesacross all industries. The actress was

shooting for her films subsequently and is nowheading to Delhi for the shoot of Animal co-starring Ranbir Kapoor.

A source close to the actress revealed,“This is the first time Rashmika will be visitingDelhi for the shoot of 'Animal' and other workcommitments. She is very excited about theshoot and to explore the city and meet herfans. Due to her busy schedule, she couldnever visit Delhi but now she will there for theshoot and her fans will be equally excited tohave her in the capital city.”

The source further added, “Rashmika willbe travelling to Delhi on 26th and will bethere for a couple of days.”

While on the work front, apart fromAnimal, Rashmika will be making hermuch awaited Bollywood debut withGoodbye opposite Amitabh Bachchan.She also has the sequel of Pushpa 2under her kitty along with MissionMajnu opposite Sidharth Malhotra, andVarisu with Vijay Thalapatty.

Afew months ago, there were media reports thatSamantha Ruth Prabhu had received Rs 250 Crfrom Naga Chaitanya as alimony after her divorce

from him. The Majili actress has described the same asthe worst rumour she has heard about her. Appearing onthe latest Koffee With Karan episode (streaming onDisney+Hotstar), Sam even joked that she expects IT offi-cials to knock on her door every morning seeking anaccount of the money. “First they (the media) made up thestory about alimony. Then they realized it doesn’t seem likea believable story. Then they said there’s a pre-nup (pre-nup-tial agreement) because of which I can’t ask for alimony,” theRangasthalam actress said.

She added, in the context of another question, that it wasnot easy post divorce. “It has been hard but it’s good now. It’sfine. I am stronger than I have ever been,” the Shaakuntalam andYashoda actress added.

11

Hyderabad | Saturday July 23, 2022 tollywood

K. RAMYA SREE

The most-awaited film fromMass Maharaja Ravi Teja thisyear is Rama Rao On Duty. It is

a unique action thriller directed bySarath Mandava and produced bySudhakar Cherukuri under the ban-ners of Shree Lakshmi VenkateswaraCinemas LLP and Ravi Teja TeamWorks. The film will have RajishaVijayan and Divyansha Kaushik play-ing the female leads. The film is slat-ed for a grand theatrical release onJuly 29. Ahead of the film’s release,actress Rajisha Vijayan opened upabout her character in the film, work-ing with Ravi Teja, and more.Speaking about how she came onboard this project, she informs us,“Director Sarath saw my film Karnanin Tamil and rang me to inform meabout the Rama Rao On Duty. He

narrated a wonderful story. My char-acter is very strong. While beingintroduced to a language, I expected astrong story and characters. I got therole I was waiting for with this movie.I play Malini in this film, who is verybeautiful and strong. It is a pleasureto make my debut with such a bril-liant film like Rama Rao on Duty.”Rajisha, who grew up in North India,apparently used to watch Ravi Teja’smovies dubbed in Hindi. “All myfriends know Ravi Teja. He had agreat reach even before the pan-Indiaphenomenon existed. Working withRavi Teja was a great experience. RaviTeja is a great mass hero and a super-star. He is full of energy,” says theactress, also heaping praise on herdirector. “Sarath is a perfectionist. He

is very clear. Rama Rao On Duty is amass-market film with lots of enter-taining elements, action and dance.At the same time, there is a strongstory. This is a thought-provokingfilm that entertains. The directormust have a lot of clarity to make afilm with so many elements. Sarath isa director with such good clarity. Thismovie has been made in very goodquality with good technical values,”asserts Rajisha.

The actress is presently learning theTelugu language and is sure to dubinto the language very soon. For Raji-sha, the script is more important thanthe star cast, director, and producer.On the career front, the actress hasfive Malayalam films in her kittyand two others in the talks.

UAE honours Kamal Haasanby granting him Golden VisaT

he United Arab Emirates has grantedKamal Haasan, one of Tamil film indus-try’s top stars, its prestigious Golden

Visa.Kamal Haasan took to Twitter to make the

announcement. He wrote: “I’m honored toreceive the Golden Visa from the United ArabEmirates. Thank you Lieutenant GeneralMohammed Ahmed Al Marri, DirectorGeneral GDRFA for tour in the GeneralDirectorate of Residency and ForeignersAffairs offices in Dubai.”

“Thanks to the Dubai Film and TV

Commission for supporting the talents andcreative people.”

Kamal is not the only one to have beengranted the Golden Visa. Prior to him, severalactors including Nasser, Mammootty,Mohanlal, Tovino Thomas, Parthiepan, AmalaPaul and Shah Rukh Khan have received it.

The UAE Golden Visa is a long-term resi-dence visa system, extending from five to 10years. The visa is automatically renewed. It isgranted to achievers from various fields, pro-fessionals, investors and those with promisingabilities.

I wait for IT raidson my Rs 250 Cr:Samantha Ruth Prabhu

THE RUSSOBROTHERS ONTHEIR LOVE FORINDIA, DHANUSH, & THE GRAY MAN!

Amala Paul-starrer

Cadaver torelease on OTT

Need to analyse how audiencemindset will evolve in 2023: Dil Raju

I got the role I was waiting for:

RAJISHA ON Rama Rao on Duty

The female lead of Rama Rao on Duty, Rajisha, opens up about hercharacter in the film, making her debut in Tollywood and more.

sports 12HYDERABAD | SATURDAY | JULY 23, 2022

PTI n NEW DELHI

ICC Elite Panel member NitinMenon is among 10 officials

grouped in the newly introducedA+ category of BCCI umpires.

The others in the A+ cate-gory include four internationalumpires — Anil Chaudhary,Madangopal Jayaraman,Virender Kumar Sharma and KN Ananthapadmabhanan.

Rohan Pandit, NikhilPatwardhan, Sadashiv Iyer,Ulhas Gandhe and NavdeepSingh Sidhu are also part of theA+ category.

Twenty umpires includingC Shamshuddin form the Agroup, 60 are in Group B, 46 inGroup C and 11 in Group Dwhich falls in the 60-65 agebracket.The complete list wastabled at the Apex Councilmeeting on Thursday followingthe work done by former inter-national umpires K Hariharan,Sudhir Asnani and AmieshSaheba, and members of BCCIumpires' sub-committee.

Umpires in A+ and A cate-

gory are paid `40,000 a day fora first-class game while ̀ 30,000a day are paid in the B and C cat-egory.

Though the list was present-ed as 'gradation of umpires', aBCCI official clarified that theboard has created groups.

"It is not grading. There aregroups with A+ being the newcategory. A+ and A, one can sayform the cream of Indianumpires. Umpires in B and Ccategory are also good.

"When it comes to assign-ing duties across domestic eventsstarting at the top with RanjiTrophy, preference will be givengroup wise. The grouping hasbeen done after reviewing theperformances of the 2021-2022season," said the official.

The board has not added toits umpires' list since 2018. Withthe threat of COVID-19 reduc-ing, the BCCI has decided toconduct a full fledged domesticseason after two years. Theboard plans to organise as manyas 1832 games across age groupsin men and women's cricket, amassive exercise.

PTI n BENGALURU

Nemesis Australia await Indiain their CommonwealthGames opener but senior

batter Smriti Mandhana is in nomood to lose sleep over that andmake their rivals "feel good aboutit".

Days before women's cricketmakes its debut at the multi-sportevent, Mandhana refused to call thefive-time T20 world champions abig team.

The Harmanpreet Kaur-led sidewill open its campaign againstAustralia on July 29, and Mandhanasaid they have their plans in placefor each opposition.

"We have played them(Australia) in the openers in quitea lot of tournaments.

"In a T20 tournament, anyteam can beat any team. I would-n't term Australia as a big team andmake them feel good about that.Definitely in our heads, Australia,Pakistan and Barbados matchesare important. We will go as theycome and will look to win all ofthem," Mandhana said.

For the record, India lost toAustralia in their last T20 WorldCup game.

India, though, will enter theBirmingham CWG after winningthe T20I and ODI series in SriLanka recently, and Smriti said,

"Our preparations have been real-ly good and I hope it will lead us tothe medal."

‘AIMING FOR GOLD'Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra's

Gold medal winning feat at theTokyo Olympics last year gave her

goosebumps, and Mandhana andher teammates will look to takeinspiration from that when theycompete in their first multi-sportevent.

As the sport marks its return tothe Commonwealth Games for thefirst time since Kuala Lumpur 1998

in the form of women's T20 crick-et, the star India opener said theywould strive to win no less than aGold medal.

"We all have watched theOlympics and the CWG, when theIndian flag goes high and we hearthe National Anthem, we know the

kind of feeling it evokes," the left-hander said during a virtual mediainteraction on the eve of the team'sdeparture for UK.

"Definitely we are aiming forthe Gold. I don't think we will justlook for a podium finish becausewhen the flag goes higher, and theNational Anthem is played, that'sthe best feeling you have.

"I literally got goosebumpswhen Neeraj got the Gold at theTokyo Olympics. We have anopportunity to be there, try and dothat -- of course not for theOlympics but for CWG. So, we allare really excited."

On taking part in the CWG, shefurther said: "It's something verynew for me and also the wholeteam, we never experienced a multi-sport event.

"Definitely looking forward toit and catching up with a few ath-letes at the Games Village andinteracting about their trainingregimen. It would be a good expe-rience for us."

Eight teams will vie for the tophonours across 16 matches atEdgbaston and India are groupedwith Australia, Pakistan andBarbados.

Group B will feature England,New Zealand, South Africa and SriLanka. The two teams will make thesemi-finals and all the medal roundswill be decided on August 7.

"We are looking to win everymatch. Not one match and thenthink of what will happen. We haveour plans ready for the three teams.We will try to win all the threematches," the 26-year-old said.

‘LOT OF MATCH-WINNERS'The best thing to have happened

to the Indian women's team in therecent past is the development of alot of match winners.

"Luckily we have developed a lotof match-winners in T20 cricket. Soeven if 2-3 batters or bowlers clickon that day, it would be our day.

"That's one good thing that hashappened over the years. We nowhave a lot of match winners in ourteam."

She further said that the teamboasts of multiple wicketkeeper-bat-ters with Yastika Bhatia as the first-choice stumper and Taniya Bhatiyaas back-up.

"We have 2-3 people who cankeep and bat, that's something wereally wanted. I think we are head-ing towards a good direction as faras comp for the spots in the team isconcerned," she signed off.

TWIN BLOW FOR SATwo players from South Africa's

tour of England are returning homeand are in doubt for theBirmingham CommonwealthGames.

After missing the first T20I,Marizanne Kapp and TumiSekhukhune will miss the remain-der of the series and are in doubt forthe Games, which begin on July 28,the ICC said in a press release.

Sekhukhune re-injured hergroin earlier on tour and will recu-perate at home, while Kapp returnsto Gqeberha to attend a family mat-ter.

While a Cricket South Africastatement did not disclose the mat-ter, Kapp's wife and Proteas team-mate Dane van Niekerk confirmedvia social media that their brother-in-law had been involved in an acci-dent that had left him in intensivecare.

Batter Tazmin Brits was calledto the squad for the rest of the T20Iseries, though a finalCommonwealth Games squad is yetto be determined, and must gothrough the South African SportsConfederation and OlympicCommittee as per Games require-ments.

With Kapp and Sekhukhuneunlikely to return, it leaves SouthAfrica at risk of missing out on amedal at the Games, having alreadylost Lizelle Lee (retired from inter-national cricket) and van Niekerk,who is still nursing an ankle injurysidelined her before the ICCWomen's Cricket World Cup earli-er in the year.

PTI n PORT OF SPAIN

Senior opener ShikharDhawan says he is not both-

ered by the criticism or chatterabout his form amid stiff com-petition from younger players,as he has been facing it for thepast 10 years.

Considered one of India'stop batters alongside RohitSharma and Virat Kohli in thenot-too-distant past, Dhawanwill lead a side comprisingmany fringe players in the three-match ODI series against theWest Indies.

When a scribe asked him onthe eve of the tour opener if hefinds the criticism odd, Dhawanresponded in negative.

"Ajeeb kya lagega, aab toh10 saal hogaya (I don't feel odd,I have heard it for 10 years).People keep talking, I keep per-forming. If I listened to them, Iwouldn't be here.

"I have the experience, soI'm not too worried. As long asI self-analyse and improve, noth-ing else matters," Dhawan said.

"I'm a very positive person.For me, positivity is about self-belief and the confidence youtake in. I have that since I'vebeen playing for so many years.

I'm here because I've done somegood things. That is the positiv-ity I want to pass on to theyoungsters."

Dhawan, who lost his placein the last T20 World Cup sideowing to indifferent form, ishoping to re-establish himself inthe ODI squad.

With young talents lookingto grab their chances, Dhawanwill be facing stiff competitionfrom players like RuturajGaikwad, Ishan Kishan andSanju Samson.

His Instagram reel featuringhead coach Rahul Dravid andother members of the squad hasbeen a big hit, India's stand-incaptain says it is his way of cre-ating a lively dressing-roomatmosphere.

"Earlier, we had team din-ners. Now, we do reels," he saidat the pre-match press confer-ence.

"We want to create the kindof energy where we put faith ineach other to ensure the resulttakes care of itself. There is pres-sure in international cricket,sure, but it's not the kind of pres-sure that will change my person-ality or style of play. I have a lotof belief in myself and theteam," he added.

PTI n LONDON

England's Test coach Brendon McCullumviews Ben Stokes' abrupt decision to

retire from ODIs as an "absolute positive"but is not sure if this would become a trendfor other players, given cricket's taxingschedule.

The 2019 Word Cup final hero BenStokes on Monday made a surpriseannouncement to retire from the 50-overformat, saying playing three formats hasbecome "unsustainable" for him.

"Yeah of course I am," McCullum toldSENZ Breakfast when asked if he washappy with Stokes' decision.

He was asked if Stokes' move couldbecome a trend for other players aroundthe world. "There are not too many all-for-mat players," the former New Zealand cap-tain said. "He's probably in a luxurious posi-tion that he's able to do that, but also withthe demands of the schedules and with hisheightened schedule as Test captain, itwould've become too much. He also has ayoung family and there's a lot going on.

"I don't know if it's symbolic of wherethe game itself is at around the globe, butI see it as an absolute positive to be hon-est.

"I'm looking forward to being able tospend even more time with 'Stokesy' try-ing to get this thing cracking."

It came as a shock to many given hisage -- he is only 31 -- but McCullum lookedat Stokes one-day retirement differently.

"Obviously we would've loved to seeBen Stokes playing in three forms of thegame, he's an out and out superstar andwe've seen what he's been able to achieve,but sometimes things have to give way andI look at it as a positive that he's going tohave the time to really immerse himself inthe Test side."

Stokes' ODI career will forever beremembered for his Player-of-the-Matchperformance in the World Cup finalagainst New Zealand at the Lord's threeyears ago.

McCullum said, "Stokes is the skipperof our Test side and the job that I've seenhim do with this team in a very short peri-od of time really excites me about what hecan do with this side, particularly now thathe'll have more available time rather thanjumping from series to series to series.

AP n GALLE

Pakistan's first-Test star fastbowler Shaheen Afridi has a

bruised knee and won't play inthe second Test against SriLanka starting Sunday.

The 22-year-old Afridi wasthe pick of the seamers fromeither side in the first Test, fin-ishing with four wickets in thefirst innings that Pakistan wonby four wickets in Galle.

Pakistan team officials con-firmed on Friday that he wouldnot play in the second Test.Afridi finished on 99 Test wick-ets at the end of Sri Lanka's firstinnings and hopes of him com-pleting the milestone of 100wickets in the second Testended with the injury.

Afridi, fielding at mid-wick-et, dived in an attempt to cut offa Dinesh Chandimal boundaryon day three and was seenhobbling off the field. He was

taken for scans and althoughthere was no fracture, swellingand pain ruled him out.

Pakistan has uncappedquick Harris Rauf or seambowling all-rounder FaheemAshraf as replacements.

Sri Lanka, meanwhile,brought in uncapped off-spin-ner Lakshitha Manasinghe afterMaheesh Theekshana was ruledout of the match. Theekshanasustained a cut on his right

index finger during the firstTest.

The hosts also recalledPathum Nissanka, who hadtested positive for COVID-19during the Australia series.

Although Sri Lanka hasnot called up a replacementwicketkeeper, a teamspokesman said that DineshChandimal is set to take overwicketkeeping duties fromNiroshan Dickwella.

PTI n KARACHI

PCB chairman Ramiz Rajahas lauded the national team

for its recent win against SriLanka in the Galle Test, sayingthe victory is at par withPakistan's historic triumph overIndia in the 1987 BangaloreTest.

Pakistan chased down astiff 342-run target on the finalday to register a four-wicket winover Sri Lanka in the openingTest in Galle to go 1-0 up in thetwo-match series.

"From a difficulty point ofview I would say this is one ofPakistan's best Test wins in arun-chase probably the best. Interms of difficult conditions Iwould say the Galle win is at parwith the victory we achieved inBangalore against India on aturning pitch," Ramiz told a

Pakistani news channel.The former Test captain

was part of the team led byImran Khan that beat India ina low-scoring Test at Bangalorein 1987.

Ramiz feels giving a freehand to Babar helped him tobuild a strong team.

"The team is his propertyand I am happy to say that notonly he as captain but otherplayers also took full ownershipof the team and performances,"he said.

"I have never tried to inter-fere in team matters although aschairman I can and we havegiven Babar a free hand and hehas made a good team.

"We should internally alsogive respect to this team theydon't get the same respect inter-nally that they get internation-ally."

WOULDN'T TERM AUSTRALIAABIG TEAM, SAYS MANDHANA

ODI cricket is dying aslow death: KhawajaPTI n BRISBANE

Australian Test opener Usman Khawaja believes ODIcricket is witnessing a slow death because of the pro-

liferation of T20 leagues around the world and a hecticinternational calender.

Khawaja is the latest cricketer to join the debate overthe existence of 50-over cricket after England superstar BenStokes on Monday stunned the cricketing world byannouncing his sudden retirement from ODI cricket at theage of 31.

"I think personally one-day cricket is dying a slowdeath," Khawaja, who has represented Australia in 40 ODIssince making his debut in the format in 2013, told reportersin Brisbane on Friday.

"There's still the World Cup, which I think is really funand it's enjoyable to watch, but other than that, even myselfpersonally, I'm probably not into one-day cricket as mucheither."

Khawaja argued that 50-over format has lost its rele-vance, of late, as the T20 World Cup in knocking on thedoors.

"Right now it feels like it's not really that importantbecause of the T20 World Cup," Khawaja said.

"Something has to give, because you can't have all threeformats all together playing all the games; you're going tohave to decide and choose."

However, the 35-year-old was of the opinion thatdespite a choc-a-bloc international calendar, Test cricketwill continue to remain the pinnacle of the sport.

"You've got Test cricket, which is the pinnacle, you'vegot T20 cricket which obviously has leagues around theworld, great entertainment, everyone loves it, and thenthere's one-day cricket, and I feel like that's probably thethird ranked out of all of them," he said.

Khawaja feels while it is not impossible for any crick-eter to be a three-format player, it is gradually becomingquite exhausting for all and sundry.

I don't feel odd, I haveheard it for 10 years:Dhawan on criticism

McCullum backs Ben Stokes'decision to retire from ODIs

DC’s Chetan Sakariya, CSK’s MukeshChoudhary set for T20 Max series debutPTI n BRISBANE

Two Indian fast bowlers —Chetan Sakariya and

Mukesh Choudhary — willply their trade in the inaugu-ral edition of the T20 Maxseries starting here nextmonth.

Both Sakariya andChoudhary representedIndian Premier League sidesDelhi Capitals and ChennaiSuper Kings respectively inthe past and will spend timein Brisbane as part of anexchange programme

between MRF PaceFoundation and CricketAustralia.

"Player and coachingexchanges between the MRFPace Foundation and CricketAustralia have been in placefor almost 20 years, with thetwo Indian players markingthe resumption of the rela-tionship that was paused dueto COVID," Cricket Australiasaid in a statement.

While Sakariya had madehis ODI and T20I debuts lastyear against Sri Lanka,Choudhary had a break-

through season in this year'sIPL under Mahendra SinghDhoni at CSK, picking up 16wickets in 13 games.

In the competition inAustralia, Sakariya will playfor the Sunshine Coast, whilethe 26-year-old Choudharywill feature for Wynnum-Manly.

Apart from taking part inthe competition, the Indianduo will train at the BupaNational Cricket Centre andalso join the QueenslandBulls pre-season prepara-tions.

Afridi out of 2nd SL Test ‘Pak’s win against SL at parwith 1987 B’lore Test victory’

BCCI introduces A+category for umpires