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MONEY 6INDIA TO BECOME WORLD’S 5TH

LARGEST ECONOMY IN ’25

NATION 5FARMERS CONTINUE TOTHRONG DELHI’S GATES

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HYDERABAD, SUNDAY DECEMBER 27, 2020; PAGES 12 `3

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12

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‘India, US need tobe attentive todevelopments’

6

21-year-old set tobecome India'syoungest mayor

5

Strange are thetrends in localbody polls

2

VANTAGE POINT -NNARSIM

South star Rashmika Mandanna will feature alongsidemegastar Amitabh Bachchan in filmmaker Vikas

Bahl's next directorial venture. The 24-year-old actor,who works predominantly in Telugu and Kannada-language films, made her acting debut in 2016with Kirik Party (Kannada). Some of her successfulmovies are Yajamana (Kannada), Geetha Govindam(Telugu) and Devadas (Telugu). It is a slice-of-lifecomedy film which Bahl is directing. It starsAmitabh Bachchan, Rashmika Mandanna in thelead. There is also a large ensemble cast, includingNeena Gupta and others, a source close to the film'steam told PTI.

RASHMIKA JOINS AMITABHBACHCHAN IN VIKAS BAHL'S NEXT

FARMER UNION LEADERS ASK GOVTTO HOLD TALKS ON TUESDAY

The Rashtriya Loktantrik Party led by Hanuman Beniwal onSaturday said it was quitting the BJP-led National

Democratic Alliance (NDA) to protest the three agriculturallaws that have provoked massive demonstrations byfarmers. "We won't stand with anyone who are againstfarmers," Mr Beniwal, a Lok Sabha MP from Rajasthan'sNagaur, said, addressing protesters at the Shahjahanpur-Kheda border in Rajasthan's Alwar district. Mr Beniwalhad launched the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) inRajasthan after quitting the BJP before the 2018 stateelections. The party allied with the BJP ahead of the 2019general election but has been critical of the farm laws andextended support to the farmers' movement.

Millions of Americans saw their jobless benefits expire onSaturday after US President Donald Trump refused

to sign into law a $2.3 trillion pandemic aid andspending package, protesting that it did not doenough to help everyday people. Trump stunnedRepublicans and Democrats alike when he said thisweek he was unhappy with the massive bill, whichprovides $892 billion in badly needed coronavirusrelief, including extending special unemploymentbenefits expiring on December 26, and $1.4 trillion fornormal government spending. Without Trump'ssignature, about 14 million people could lose those extrabenefits, according to Labor Department data.

The protesting farmers have accepted the centre's offer oftalks to end the deadlock over the three contentious

agriculture laws passed earlier this year. The joint frontof around forty farmers' unions on Saturday wrote tothe government and proposed that the talks be heldon December 29. They also said that repealing thethree laws should be on top of the agenda. Today,the unions held a meeting to chalk out their futurecourse of action. The fresh discussions came a dayafter Prime Minister Narendra Modi - in his strongestattack on the opposition since the beginning of theprotests - stressed that farmers' lands won't be takenaway, adding that "some people are spreading lies".

BJP ALLY RASHTRIYA LOKTANTRIK QUITSNDA IN PROTEST OVER FARM LAWS

TRUMP REFUSES TO SIGN COVID AID BILL,MILLIONS TO LOSE JOBLESS BENEFITS

Rajinikanth ‘progressing well,BP on higher side’: Hospital

Actor-politician Rajinikanth, who

was admitted to a hospital inHyderabad on Friday over "severe

fluctuations" in his blood pressure, is"progressing well", a medical bulletin

said this morning. His bloodpressure, however, is "still on the

higher side", it added. The 70-year-old megastar was in Hyderabad for

his film "Annathe" but the shoot wascancelled earlier this week after fourmembers of the crew tested positive

for coronavirus. Rajinikanth hadtested negative for Covid on Tuesday,

Apollo Hyderabad said. "Rajinikanthwho was admitted yesterday is

progressing well.

British double agent GeorgeBlake dies in Russia at 98

George Blake, a former Britishintelligence officer who worked as a

double agent for the Soviet Union, hasdied in Russia. He was 98. Russia's

Foreign Intelligence Service, known asSVR, announced his death Saturday in

a statement, which didn't give anycircumstances of his death. RussianPresident Vladimir Putin expressed

condolences, hailing Blake as a brilliantprofessional and a man of remarkable

courage. Blake has lived in Russiasince his daring escape from a Britishprison in 1966 and was given the rankof Russian intelligence colonel. Born in

the Netherlands, Blake joined Britishintelligence during World War II.

Scientists in the UK have begun trials ofinnovative antibody drug treatments thatthey hope could provide instantprotection against Covid. The UniversityCollege London Hospitals NHS Trust saidthat the researchers in the Storm Chasestudy believe a Long Acting AntiBody(LAAB) known as AZD7442, developedby AstraZeneca, may offer immediate andlong-term protection to people who havebeen recently exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and prevent themdeveloping Covid. The study, led byUCLH virologist Dr Catherine Houlihan,recruited the first participant in the worldto the study earlier this month and hasrecruited 10 participants since then.

BJP to hold 25 webinars to pushidea of ‘one nation, one election’

The BJP will organise nearly 25 webi-nars over the next few days on theissue of "one nation, one election", as itseeks to build popular support for whathas been a strong plank of PMNarendra Modi. Party sources said itssenior leaders, besides members ofacademia and legal fraternity, will beattending these 'webinars', seminars.Since coming to power in 2014, Modihas often advocated holding all elec-tions together, from Lok Sabha to stateassemblies and local bodies, arguingthat this will orient various elected bod-ies fully towards development as thecurrent cycle of frequent polls acrossthe country hampers work.

UK scientists trial instant immunityantibody drug treatment for Covid

Oxford vax may be first toget nod for emergency usePNS n NEW DELHI

With preparations underwayfor a possible vaccine-rolloutby January, the Indian drugregulator is looking at the UK,which sources believe maygive its nod to the OxfordCovid-19 vaccine next week,before deciding on givingemergency use authorisation tothe Serum Institute that ismanufacturing the shots here.

Once the UK drug regulatorgives its approval to the Oxfordvaccine, the expert committeeon Covid-19 at the CDSCOwill hold its meeting and thor-oughly review the safety and

immunogenicity data from theclinical evaluations conductedabroad and in India beforegranting any emergency autho-risation for the vaccine here,official sources said.

The process of grantingemergency use approval for

Bharat Biotech's Covid-19 vac-cine 'Covaxin' may take time asits phase 3 trials are still under-way, while Pfizer is yet tomake a presentation.

"Going by this, Oxford vac-cine 'Covishield' is likely to bethe first to be rolled out inIndia," a source said.

Serum Institute of India(SII) last week also had sub-mitted some additional datarequired by the DrugController General of India(DCGI), the sources said.

Amid fears about the mutat-ed variant of SARS-CoV-2detected in the UK,

Bharat Biotech’s ‘Covaxin' may take time as its phase-3 trials still underway

The process of granting emergency

use approval for Bharat Biotech's

Covid-19 vaccine 'Covaxin' may take

time as its phase 3 trials are still

underway, while Pfizer is yet to

make a presentation

5 dead in TSroad accidentPNS n HYDERABAD

Five people died after the sta-tionary autorickshaw in whichthey were sitting was hit by alorry at a village in Vikarabadof Telangana on Saturday.

The five people, includingfour women and a man,boarded the autorickshaw toproceed to a cotton field foragricultural work, they said.

The auto driver parked thevehicle at a wrong place andleft for his home. A lorry hitthe auto, resulting in thedeath of four on the spot. Onewoman, who suffered seriousinjuries, died in a hospital.

Man injured in MIMleader's firing succumbsPNS n HYDERABAD

A man who was injured in thefiring by a leader of Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM)in Telangana's Adilabad townon December 18, succumbedon Saturday, police said.

Syed Zameer, 52, a formercouncilor from Tatiguda inAdilabad, breathed his last atNizam's Institute of MedicalSciences (NIMS) in Hyderabad.

He along with his brotherSyed Mannan and nephewSyed Mohtesin were injuredwhen MIM Adilabad districtpresident Mohammed Farooq

Ahmed opened fire from hislicensed revolver and alsoattacked them with a knife.

Zameer and Mohtesin hadsustained bullet injuries whileMannan received stabwounds. As Zameer's condi-tion was critical, he was shift-ed to Hyderabad for treatment.

Mohammed Farooq, for-mer deputy chairman ofAdilabad municipality,attacked his rivals after a tus-sle between two groups play-ing cricket in Tatiguda area.

A video of the attack wentviral over social media.

JagannathTemple reopensfor Puri residentsPNS n PURI

The Biraja Temple, one of themajor 'shakti peeths' in Odisha,will reopen for devotees fromDecember 29 while the resi-dents of Puri were allowedinside the Jagannath Templefrom Saturday, officials said.

Revanth Reddy to bethe new TPCC chiefRAJESH JAIN NIDARKAR n HYDERABAD

Firebrand leader andMalkajgiri MP AnumulaRevanth Reddy is most like-ly to be named as thenew TelanganaPradesh CongressCommittee chief,bringing to aclose months-long specula-tions and jock-eying for the postwithin party cir-cles.

However, accordingto AICC sources, there isa possibility of further roundsof talks with some of thesenior leaders within the partyso as to arrive at a consensusin this regard.

It is learnt that the AICCchief on Saturday approved the

proposal submitted byManickam Tagore, in-chargeof State affairs, who had con-sulted and coordinated withparty's state leaders over the

past three months toensure a consensus.

The partyh i g h e r - u p s

zeroed in onRevanth ashe is a goodorator and amass leader.

T h eCongress high

command hasdecided to give a

permanent seat in theCongress Working Committeeto Komatireddy VenkataReddy, who has been amongthe strong contenders for theTPCC post.

ISRO developing greenpropulsion for humanspace mission: K Sivan PNS n CHENNAI

Indian Space ResearchOrganisation Chairman KSivan on Saturday said thespace agency was developing'green propulsion' for its ambi-tious human space flight mis-sion, 'Gaganyaan'. He alsosaid it may be adopted for usein every stage of a rocket.

He was speaking at the 16th

convocation of SRM Instituteof Science and Technology,near here. Sivan, also theSecretary, Department ofSpace, advised the new grad-uates to take up 'calculated risk'in their life as it may safeguardthem from 'absolute failure'.

"As India continues to focuson economic growth,

PNS n NEW DELHI

The Supreme Court has issueda show-cause notice to a convictfor misleading it by producinga wrong copy of a trial court'sverdict to get a favourable orderwhich had allowed him to walkfree on payment of a fine onlyin a graft case.

The top court, while issuing

the notice to convict SShankar, asked himwhy it should notrecall the ordersparing him the jailterm and take "fur-ther suitable" actionfor the act of mislead-ing it.

The SC, had on July 23,2019, allowed Shankar to walk

free in the corruptioncase on payment ofRs 1,000 after hislawyer argued thatthe Andhra PradeshHigh Court "wrong-

ly construed" theoperative portion of the

judgement of a trial courtdelivered in the year 2000.

18 UK returnees test positive in TSPNS n HYDERABAD

Out of the total 1,216 UKreturnees in Telangana State,937 passengers have beentracked so far. With two moreamong those tracked testingpositive for COVID-19, as ofSaturday in all 18 people havetested positive among the UKreturnees. Out of 79 immedi-ate contacts of the UKreturnees, three tested positive.The rest of them have beenquarantined.

All positive samples havebeen sent to CCMB forgenome-sequencing and theresults will come in anothertwo days, Telangana Director

of Health Dr Srinivas Rao saidon Saturday.

Among the positive passen-gers, four are from Hyderabad,six from Medchal-Malkajgiridistrict, two from Jagtial dis-

trict, one each fromMancherial, Nalgonda,Rangareddy, Sangareddy,Siddipet and Warangal urbandistricts. "We have kept 18 peo-ple in special wards in varioushospitals. We have identifiedthat 18 out of 79 people arehypersensitive and have placedthem in quarantine and areexamining their health condi-tion", said Dr Srinivas Rao.

"We are collecting details ofthose who came from the UKand examining their healthcondition. Since December 9,1,216 people have come toTelangana from the UK.

Amartya Sen in the crosshairs of ‘Visva Bharati’Yet another gem of an institution on Sangh parivar's chopping block

MURALI RAMASWAMY

The disquiet among well-meaning sections inRabindranath Tagore's brain-child Visva Bharati, due to thecontroversy springing from theUniversity's present ViceChancellor BidyutChakraborty's studied attemptto malign Nobel laureateAmartya Sen, shows that the rothas set in the hallowed

precincts of yet another pre-eminent institution, which isnow on the Sangh parivar'schopping block.

Visva Bharati has been abyword for the spirit of open-ness that characterises aUniversity in the true sense ofthe word. It is the quintessenceof "communion of the worldwith India" as Gurudev envis-aged. God knows what is instore for VBU as its saffronisa-tion has begun.

The VC, unabashedly pro-Sangh parivar, has brought dis-grace to a public research cen-

tral university and an Institutionof National Importance by hisdeeds, utterances and innuen-does against the Nobel laureate,who has been in the bad booksof the Narendra Modi govern-ment just for being his normalself: scholarly, bold and straight-forward. Two recent instancesare enough to establish why Senfell out with the Sangh parivar:One, in an interview to The NewYorker, Sen said: 'Modi does nothave the breadth of vision

about multireligious, multieth-nic India'. Two, when the GatesFoundation conferred an awardon Modi, Sen observed: "Ithink the world likes success,and I think the Gateses like suc-cess" … Modi is so powerfulthat he is often seen as a suc-cess of some kind. I was sur-prised and shocked, quitefrankly, by the news of theGates award to Modi."

SC notice to convict for misleadingthe court to get favourable order

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(IN HYDERABAD)

Aseries of elections held inquick succession to localbodies in Jammu &

Kashmir, Kerala, Rajasthan andin Hyderabad make an interest-ing case study of how people’sperception towards parties canswing in unexpected ways.

A mixed result in Rajasthanbrought no cheer to theCongress government and inHyderabad too the incum-bency factor impacted theGreater Hyderabad MunicipalCorporation results. Just theopposite happened in Keralawhere the Pinarayi Vijayangovernment bucked incum-bency to put up a smart show,while there was an altogetherdifferent story in J & K -- aUnion Territory now underPresident’s Rule (read the NDAgovernment rule). The resultsshow in which directions thewinds will blow in the nextAssembly or Parliamentary

elections, unless parties makemid-course corrections.

These signs can be ignoredonly at the losers’ peril. TheCongress did exactly this in1981, after losing in the pollsto the panchayat samithis dueto public hostility against partyMLAs. As the elections wereheld without party symbols,then Chief Minister T. Anjaiahpapered over the defeat andcleverly announced: “All thosewho won are Congressmen”.Two years later in theAssembly elections, all thosewho lost were mainlyCongressmen. After its deba-cle in the GHMC elections andin the Dubbak Assembly by-election earlier, TelanganaRashtra Samithi (TRS) leadersare in a sullen mood, more sobecause their campaigns werehelmed by the redoubtablecousins T. Harish Rao and K.T. Rama Rao. Party presidentK. Chandrashekara Rao hasshifted to his favourite retreat-- the farmhouse at Erravalli in

Gajwel -- amid unverifiedreports that he is planning tousher in unprecedentedchanges in the party and thegovernment at the very top.

KCR is apparently con-vinced about the need forsuch radical transformation toput the party back on trackafter its sub-par performancein the GHMC elections whenit could win just 56 out of 150divisions, while the BJPincreased its tally from four to48. What must also be weigh-ing on KCR’s mind is the

apprehension that PrimeMinister may execute his planof holding simultaneous elec-tions to the Lok Sabha andState Legislatures which wouldlead to advancing TelanganaAssembly polls due onDecember 2023.

In the immediate future,the party has to fight by-elec-tions for two LegislativeCouncil seats, the Assemblyby-election in Nagarjunasagarand polls to the Warangal andKhammam MunicipalCorporations, at a time when

anti-incumbency is written allover. With some elections oranother always round the cor-ner, it is not enough to dependon populist schemes and cashdoles.

TRS has to keep pace withchanges in other parties too,especially the preference foryounger leaders like BandiSanjay (49), president of aresurgent BJP, and A. RevanthReddy (51) tipped to take

over Telangana PCC presi-dent. Even in Rajasthan, theseptuagenarian Chief MinisterAshok Gehlot has won thelocal body elections but has totake into account the challengeposed by his younger partycolleague Sachin Pilot (43).

In these elections, theCongress could win only 81out of the 222 panchayat sami-tis and five out of the 13 zillaparishads, yielding ground tothe BJP but, paradoxically,performed far better than theBJP in urban local bodies.

This busted several myths.The urban electorate, oftenbandied about as the BJP’s tra-ditional support base, was nottoo willing to support it. Onthe other hand, the assump-tion about the Congress beingstrong in rural areas wasproved wrong though Gehlotclaimed his party polled 40.87per cent votes, against 40.58 bythe BJP.

Now in Kerala, anyoneuntutored with the complex-

ities of religion-based partiesand multiple alliances wouldassume that the Left Frontwould perform poorly in thetwin elections to panchayatand municipal bodies. Theoutcome was exactly thereverse. The LDF won in vil-lages as well as in towns,while the Congress-led UDFput up a poor show.

The allegations of goldsmuggling involving M. SivaSankar, principal secretary toChief Minister, the question-ing of Minister K. T. Jaleel bycentral investigating agencies,arrest of Swapna PrabhuSuresh, following the seizureof 14 kg of gold being shippedto the UAE Consulate, besidesthe implication of BineeshKodiyeri, son of CPI (M)State Secretary, by theNarcotics Control Bureau, allportended defeat for the LDFand a good show by theCongress and the BJP-ledNDA.

Unlike as in Telangana, theincumbency factor did notwork here and the LDF wonthe equivalent of 101Assembly seats out of 140. Or,

as the Leftists would like us tobelieve, the handling of thecorona virus pandemic andthe welfare measures helpedroll back anti-incumbency.

After their release fromlong incarceration in the wakeof scrapping Art 370, leadersof the National Conferenceand the People’s DemocraticParty expected to reap a richharvest in the DistrictDevelopment Council elec-tions called at short notice inJammu & Kashmir. Theirexpectations were partlybelied as the BJP redeemeditself by winning three seats inthe Valley and emerging as thelargest single party in J & K.

The tally – Gupkar Alliance110, BJP 75 and Independents49 – has proved less importantthan the conduct of the elec-tions in a peaceful and trans-parent manner, when theValley was in turmoil.

Among all the recent localbody elections, those inKashmir bear greater signifi-cance for democracy as theymay open the gates for con-ducting elections to the J & KAssembly.

S NAGESH KUMARFormer Resident Editor,

The Hindu

In the immediate future, the party has to

fight by-elections for two Legislative Council

seats, the Assembly by-election in

Nagarjunasagar and polls to the Warangal

and Khammam Municipal Corporations, at a

time when anti-incumbency is written all

over. With some elections or another always

round the corner, it is not enough to depend

on populist schemes and cash doles

‘ALL ANDSUNDRY’

Strange are the trends in local body polls

Rythu Bandhu from Dec 28PNS n MAHBUBABAD

The Central government hasintroduced new farm laws fortheir political gain, allegedMinister for Tribal, Womenand Child Welfare SatyavathiRathod. She was speaking atKesamudram here on Saturday.

The minister, MP MalothuKavita, MLA Shanker Naik,Zilla Parishad chairpersonKumari Aangothu Bindu andPACS chairmen inauguatedAgricultural PrimaryCooperative Centre and RythuVedika buildings. Later, theydistributed loans for farmersunder the aegis of PACS.

Speaking on the occasion,she said that Chief Minister KChandrasekhar Rao wasstriving for the welfare offarmers by implementingmany schemes for their ben-

efit. The TRS has stagedprotests opposing the newfarm laws as the BJP hasintroduced them for the ben-efit of corporates leaving the

farmers in the lurch.Farmers can sell their pro-

duce at local Kesamudrammarket and they no need togo to any other place while

the new farm laws will restrictthat facility and farmers haveto sell their produce only tocorporates.

She reminded that there isno irrigation facility inManukota for the past 20years, but now lakes are brim-ming with and farmers cancultivate two crops, thanks toKCR as he has constructedthe Kaleshwaram project.

The government hasbrought Rythu Bima andRythu Bandhu for the bene-fit of farmers. Rs 5 lakhwould be given to the kin ofthe farmer when he dies in anaccident or natural calamity.Similarly, Rs 7,300 crore willbe distributed to farmersunder the Rythu Bandhuscheme for rabi season from December 28, she dis-closed.

Minister for Tribal, Women and Child Welfare Satyavathi Rathod addresses agathering at Kesamudram on Saturday

SC notice toconvict formisleading...

Continued from page 1

It was argued the trialcourt had not awarded a jailterm of one year to Shankarbut had only imposed a fineof Rs 1,000 for offences ofcriminal breach of trustand conspiracy under theIPC and some othercharges under thePrevention of CorruptionAct.

"Since we find that thetrial court had merelyimposed a sentence of pay-ment of fine of Rs 1,000 onthe appellant, the judgmentof the high court is clarifiedaccordingly. In view of theabove, the appeal standsdisposed of, making it clearthat no sentence of impris-onment was imposed onAccused No. 5 (Shankar) bythe trial court and the highcourt ," the top court hadordered, granting the relief.

18 UK returnees testpositive in TSContinued from page 1

“We have identified 937 of themand performed corona tests.Two more of those whose testresults came today have beenconfirmed positive”.

Dr Srinivas Raoadded:"Among all the UKreturnees, 92 are from otherstates. We have communicatedthe same to respective states anddetails of the other 184 are notyet clear. Their addresses andphone numbers are incorrect.We are trying to trace them all.Therefore, those who have comedirectly to the state from the UKafter December 9 or have trav-eled through the UK are request-ed to provide their details by call-ing 040-24651119 or WhatsAppto 9154170960. Medical health

staff will go to their homes andperform medical tests".

The Telangana MedicalHealth Department is on highalert in the wake of reportsabout the super spread of a newstrain of corona virus.

"We use tracing, testing andtreatment to prevent the spreadof the virus", said Director forPublic Health. "With the helpof the government and thepeople, we have been able tocontrol the spread of the virusand the number of deaths. Weurge people to cooperate evenin the future. People need notworry about the new UK vari-ant, but we urge people to bevigilant. Use the mask proper-ly, follow physical distancing,and wash your hands regular-ly," Dr Rao said.

Jagannath Templereopens for Puri...

Continued from page 1

The Biraja Temple willreopen following a decline inthe number of fresh COVID-19 cases in Jajpur, DistrictCollector Chakravarti SinghRathore said.

Rathore said that devoteeswill be allowed entry to thetemple between 6 am and 5pm every day. "A standardoperating procedure (SOP)for strict compliance ofCOVID-19 safety protocolswill be issued very soon for thevisitors as well as the templeservitors," the collector said.The 13th-century temple willremain closed from January 1-2 to avoid large congregation

of devotees on New Year, hesaid.

Meanwhile, the districtadministration of Puri imple-mented the second phase ofentry to the Lord JagannathTemple from Saturday morn-ing for residents of the pilgrimtown in strict compliance tohealth norms, the officialssaid.

In the first phase that start-ed on December 23, onlyservitors and their familymembers were allowed entryto the shrine.

A total of eight kiosks havebeen set up to assist devoteesand 18 platoons of police per-sonnel deployed to monitorthe law and order situation.

Amartya Sen in the crosshairs of ‘Visva Bharati’Continued from page 1

Naturally, such sane utter-ances (what if they are by aNobel laureate) are red rags toModi bhakts. The VC in ques-tion had his task cut out. So, heis going by the poverb 'Give adog a bad name and hanghim'. As a tool of the parivar,the VC has no qualms aboutdestroying the image and vitalsof an institution that was orig-inally founded by Gurudev asan ashram with an ennoblingphilosophy of learning with theheart in closeness to Naturewithout any superficial barriersbetween teachers and students.

The present controversybegan, when Chakraborty, dur-ing a virtual meeting with fac-ulty members on December 9,claimed that Sen had identifiedhimself as 'Bharat RatnaAmartya Sen' and requestedthat hawkers around his housenot be evicted as his daughter,who visits Santiniketan often,would be inconvenienced. The

VC claimed further that Sensuggested giving space to thehawkers inside his propertyon the university campus.

Subsequently, VBU FacultyAssociation president SudiptaBhattacharyya, who was presentat the meeting, wrote an emailto Sen to know whether whatthe V-C claimed was true.

In reply, Sen denied makingany phone call to the VC. ProfSen wrote, "I am very surprisedto hear about what the Vice-Chancellor of Visva Bharatiapparently has declared in anonline faculty meeting. I do notthink I have had such a conver-sation with him. I should alsomention that I have neverreferred to myself as 'BharatRatna.' I also don't think I couldhave referred to my daughterbuying vegetables from thehawkers and that being a rea-son for keeping the hawkersundisturbed. I don't knowwhere my daughters buy veg-etables! That would be no rea-son anyway to bring in the

question of how the hawkersshould be treated. Finally, thereare no hawkers outside myhome in Santiniketan."

Not unexpectedly, VBUissued a show-cause notice toSudipta Bhattacharyya for "vio-lating the varsity's code of con-duct by reaching out to themedia".

Thereafter, the universityreportedly wrote to the WestBengal government, detailingplots that have been "wronglyrecorded in favour of privateparties". The list includes thename of Sen as his house,Pratichi, occupies around 138decimals of land, while theoriginal lease was given on125 decimals.

There is mischief behind theuniversity's letter. For, it isincontrovertible thatRabindranath Tagore had invit-ed Kshitimohan Sen, a Sanskritscholar of repute (and Sen'smaternal grandfather), in 1908and he played a key role inbuilding the university. Several

plots of lands inside the univer-sity were given to eminentpeople on long-term lease.

Kshitimohan Sen was amongthe early settlers inSantiniketan. Sen's father,Ashutosh Sen, a noted educa-tionist and public administra-tor, built his famed housePratichi in Santiniketan eightdecades back.

Veterans in Santiniketan andsome of Sen's relatives quashedChakraborty's claim that Senhad introduced himself asBharat Ratna -- an honourconferred on him in 1999 afterhe received the Nobel Prize inEconomics in 1998. "He neverspeaks like that. It is sad for us,the descendents ofKshitimohan Sen, that suchfalse allegations and humilia-tion are coming from the var-sity and its present VC," saidShanta Bhanu Sen, a cousin ofthe Nobel laureate.

"I am ashamed that suchallegations are being hurled atthe eminent Sen family. I can

only say it is unfortunate, veryunfortunate," said SupriyaTagore, a descendent of theTagore family and formerPatha-Bhavana (school thatevolved into Viswa Bharati)principal.

"The culture of Santiniketanhas changed so much that evenAmartya Sen is not sparedfrom humiliation. It is nothingbut a degeneration of cultureand tradition under this vice-chancellor," said Swapan KumarGhosh, a writer.

West Bengal Chief MinisterMamata Banerjee on Fridaywrote to Sen voicing support forhim. "Some nouveau invadersin Visva Bharati have startedraising surprising and baselessallegations about your familialproperties … This pains me,and I want to express my soli-darity with you in your battlesagainst bigotry of majoritariansin this country, the battles thathave made you an enemy ofthese forces of untruth."

Responding to the snow-

balling controversy, Senobserved: A big gap existsbetween the Santiniketan cul-ture and that of the Visva-Bharati vice-chancellor,"empowered as he is by the cen-tral government in Delhi, withits growing control overBengal."

Sen said: "We are being toldby Visva Bharati university thatits vice-chancellor BidyutChakraborty is busy arrangingthe 'eviction of unauthorisedoccupation' of leased land onthe campus and that I have alsobeen named in the 'list of occu-pants', even though VisvaBharati has never complainedabout any irregularity of land-holding to us."

"The Visva Bharati land onwhich our house is situated isentirely on a long-term lease,which is nowhere near itsexpiry. Some additional landwas bought by my father as freehold and registered in landrecords under Surul Mouja,"Sen concluded.

Man injured inMIM leader'sfiring...Continued from page 1

Farooq was seen openingfire from his weapon whileholding knife in anotherhand.

Police had arrested theaccused and booked forattempt to murder. WithZameer's death, he will bebooked for murder. Policealso recommended to thecollector and district mag-istrate to cancel accused'sgun license.

Previous grudge seemsto be the source of conflictbetween the two parties,police said The families ofFarooq and Zameer are saidpolitical rivals. Farooq'swife is the councilor fromTatiguda. In the electionsheld last year she haddefeated a woman relativeof Zameer, who had con-tested on Congress party'sticket.

Following the incident,MIM dissolved party 'sAdi labad unit andannounced that a new pres-ident will be announced.

Revanth to be the...Continued from page 1

Damodar Rajanarsimha, for-mer Deputy Chief Minister,will also be given a key posi-tion in the AICC. UttamKumar Reddy, outgoing TPCCpresident, will also be joiningthe AICC, it is understood.

The AICC has decided toappoint Sampath Kumar underthe SC quota, MadhuyashkiGoud under the BC quota, andShabbir Ali under the minor-ity quota as the State partyexecutive presidents.

The high command is alsoplanning to set up a CampaignCommittee for the upcomingelections, retaining BhattiVikramarka (who helmed theCampaign committee for the2018 elections) as its head.MLA Sridharbabu, among theaspirants for the TPCC post,will be appointed as the CLPleader. At one point, the highcommand considered givingthe post of CampaignCommittee chairman toKomatireddy Venkat Reddy,but he rejected the proposal.Should Komatireddy change

his mind and show interest inthe post of CampaignCommittee (in lieu of a post inthe CWC), Bhatti will contin-ue as the CLP leader.

Sridharbabu is likely to bepromoted to the post ofWorking President or to a keyposition in the AICC, ifchanges are made.

An Advisory Committeemay be formed in the TPCCto accommodate senior lead-ers Uttam Kumar Reddy, JanaReddy, DamodarRajanarsimha, PonnalaLakshmaiah and VHanumantha Rao.

A firm decision on thesematters will be taken afterAICC leader KC Venugopaland party State affairs in-charge Manickam Tagore dis-cuss the composition of theTPCC with Rahul Gandhi.

Some seniors say there isroom for many changes andadditions at the behest ofRahul. The names finalised atthe meeting on Saturday willbe announced in a day or twowith party's interim presidentSonia Gandhi's approval.

ISRO developing green propulsionfor human space mission: K SivanContinued from page 1

it needs to ensure that environ-mental damage is limited byadopting green technologies.

ISRO has made space gradelithium-ion batteries and thistechnology is useful for massadoption of electric vehicle", henoted.

On the green propellant,Sivan said, "Even in the rocketpropulsion, ISRO is developinggreen propulsion for its humanspace flight mission.

In future, all the propulsionstages may adopt green propul-sion," he said.

According to ISRO, polarsatellite launch vehicle (PSLV)a trusted workhorse of thespace scientists -- is a fourstage rocket filled with fuelwhich pushes the rocket toensure that the satellite it carriesis placed in the intended orbit.

GSLV or a geo-stationerylaunch vehicle (GSLV) is a threestage rocket with a cryogenicupper stage. The Bengaluru-headquartered space agency

had planned to launch its maid-en human space flight mission'Gaganyaan' by December 2021.

But early this month, ISROindicated that it is likely to bedelayed by one year due to theimpact of COVID-19 pan-demic.

Addressing students throughvirtual platform, the ISRO chiefencouraged them to take up cal-culated risk as it would safe-guard them from 'absolute fail-ure.'

"You may fail, but each fail-ure would provide a valuablelesson. I can say with great con-fidence that India's space pro-gramme has been built on spec-tacular failures and each failurehas resulted in improvements inour system", he said.

Asking the students to inno-vate, Sivan said, innovationwas not just having great ideaon paper.

"Innovation comes with ahigh risk of failure. You may becalled crazy. Initial outcome ofinnovation may be imperfect.

You must realize that you are

not failing means you are nottrying anything hard", he said.

Referring to the space sectorreforms announced by theCentre in June, he said, "the gov-ernment has already announcedspace sector reforms for greaterparticipation of non- govern-mental entities in space activi-ty".

"Our next PSLV (polar satel-lite launch vehicle) launch willhave satellite from start-upagencies which will be the firstproduct of this reform." hesaid.

On the SRM Satellite 'SRM-SAT' launched by ISRO in 2011,he said it was in 'healthy condi-tion' and urged the university tocome forward and make use ofthe space sector reform asannounced by the governmentof India.

"ISRO is very much open toyou all. I request SRM to comeforward with their innovativeidea of making space activitiesas required by the Governmentof India. I am sure that SRM willdo this work", he said.

Oxford vaxmay be first...Continued from page 1

government officials recentlysaid that it will have no impacton the potential of emergingvaccines that are being devel-oped in India and other coun-tries. Bharat Biotech, SerumInstitute of India (SII) andPfizer had applied to the DrugsController General of India(DCGI) seeking emergencyuse authorisation for theirCovid-19 vaccines early thismonth.

The subject expert com-mittee (SEC) on Covid-19 ofthe Central Drugs StandardControl Organisation(CDSCO) on December 9had sought additional safetyand efficacy data for Covid-19 vaccines of SII and BharatBiotech after deliberatingupon their applications.

The application by theIndian arm of US pharmaceu-tical firm Pfizer was not takenup for deliberation as thecompany had sought moretime for making a presenta-tion before the committee.

Transgenders arrested forextortionPNS n HYDERABAD

Cyberabad police have arrest-ed eight transgenders forallegedly harassing a manand extorting money fromhim. The police took theaction after one PanchangamChalapthi, a resident ofPragathianagar, BachupallyMandal in Medchal district,complained that the trans-genders harassed and abusedhim, forcing him to pay themRs 16,500.

The incident occurred onFriday when Chalapathi andhis family members wereperforming puja at his flat aday after his son's marriage.The accused demandedRs.20,000 and complainantrefused, the transgendersstarted abusing them in vul-gar language and created nui-sance. The complainant wasscared and he gave Rs.16,500from his pocket. They fled inan autorickshaw after collect-ing the money.

HYDERABAD | SUNDAY | DECEMBER 27, 2020 hyderabad 03

IN BRIEFIN BRIEF

Family members of a 44-year-old homemaker, P Pavani, aresident of Bollaram,

Secunderabad, who was declaredbrain dead by doctors, havedonated her organs underJeevandan organ donationinitiative.On December 4, Pavanifell in her house and was taken to a local hospital and later shiftedto Care Hospitals, Banjara Hills, for treatment. After a fortnight ofintensive care treatment, the health condition of the woman didnot improve and on December 20, doctors declared her braindead. The cause of death was IC bleed, intracerebralhaemorrhage, caused due to internal bleeding within the braintissue and a known life-threatening type of stroke, doctors said.The hospital staff and officials from Jeevandan grief counselledthe family members of the deceased and they agreed to donateher organs. The consent to donate her organs was given by herhusband P Kumara Swamy and his family members.

PNS n HYDERABAD

The unlock process hasbrought a big relief to denizensas the public transport includ-ing the state-run buses and themetro rail began their ser-vices.

However, the Multi-ModalTransport System (MMTS)passengers are eagerly waitingto resume its services andhope these local trains areback on track. Owing to theCovid lockdown, the MMTShas incurred losses to the tuneof Rs 25 crore in a span of ninemonths.

"On an average the revenuegenerated from these suburbantrains is in the range of Rs 8 to9 lakh per day i.e., around Rs2.5 crore per month. "Withtrain services being suspendedto public since March 22 dueto Covid lockdown the MMTSservices has incurred a loss ofmore than Rs 25 crore," said asenior South Central Railway(SCR) official on condition ofanonymity.

The MMTS was first intro-duced in 2003 running thelocal train, the first-of-its-kindin the city, to Falaknuma fromSecunderabad, which is calledthe lifeline of the local com-muters. But, it remained sus-pended for the past ninemonths even after the railwaysresumed other services. Evenin places like Mumbai, thelocal trains have resumed oper-ation three months ago.

Because of the Covid, 121MMTS train services came toa grinding halt. As if it is notenough, the second phase ofthe MMTS project, launchedeight years ago, remained dys-functional, even now for wantof funds for the execution.

After unlocking the lock-down, trains have beenresumed in phases introducingonly 72 services in place of thesuspended 200 train services.

It is pertinent to note herethat 50 per cent of the totallocal trains have been resumedin cities like Mumbai andKolkata.

Not a single service of the121 local trains that run onLingampalli-Secunderabad,Falaknuma-Lingampal l i ,Na m p a l l i - L i n g a m p a l l i ,

Secunderabad-Falaknumahave become operational so far.

Moreover, the city dwellershave lost an opportunity totravel 40 km on a Rs 15 ticket.

Employees - both govern-ment and private - and pettyvenders have been the mostaffected due to nonoperationalMMTS services.

In all, over 30,000 personswho travel on MMTS serviceson monthly passes have beenaffected. The second phase ofthe project launched eightyears to link outskirts like Gh-atkesar, Pathancheru, Medchal,Unda Nagar and Shamshabad.Out of these works, the secondphase works linking Tellapurwith Ramachandrapuram (5.75km) and Bollaram with med-chal have been through.

The railway security com-mittee inspected the routebetween Bollaram andSecunderabad and certifiedthat the route is safe to oper-ate the MMTS services.

The second phase, com-prising 88.05 km, has beentaken up at an estimated costof RS 850 crore.

The railway department saysthat it did not receive Rs 500crore from the state govern-ment and hence not able topurchase the bogies and wouldnot be able to run trains evenon the completed routes in thesecond phase.

However, trade unionsallege that the privitisation ofthe railways has been causingshelving of the new railwayprojects.

LOCKDOWN AFTERMATH

Lifeline of local commutersyet to chug on tracks in cityMMTS services in Hyderabad ready to resume; await green light

PNS n HYDERABAD

Schools around the world nowlook very different to what stu-dents were once used to, withpupils being told to stay in their'bubble' groups, follow one-waysystems and social distancewhen necessary. Staggered starttimes have also been intro-duced, and hand-washing sta-tions and screens installed.

Bubbles vary widely betweenschools. Some primary schoolstreat each class as a separatebubble, while secondaryschools often have bubblescomposed of entire year groups- sometimes of up to 300 chil-dren.

While this is the case aroundthe world, the Telangana StateEducation Department isunderstood to have come to a

decision not to reopen prima-ry schools for the academic

year 2020-21 and decided tonot allow the private schools to

resume primary classes as vac-cine for the Coronavirus is not

yet ready and in view of threatthrough new strain of thevirus.

The higher officials in theeducation department are ofthe view that the parents areunlikely to send their wards tothe schools because of the fearof new strain and delay in vac-cine administration.

Moreover, even if the schoolsare reopened, the primary stu-dents would not be able toobserve physical distance andpose threat of spreading thevirus to the elderly and theirparents at home.

The sources in the educationdepartment say that the prima-ry schools should not beresumed this year. A high-level meeting held with theSpecial Chief Secretary ChitraRamachandran unanimously

took a decision in this regard. While an estimated 11.36

lakh students are studying ingovernment primary schools,over 15 lakh are studying inprimary sections of privateschools. For all of them, therewill be no schools during thecurrent academic year.

The number of nursery, LKGand UKG students alone con-stitute up to 6-7 lakh.

In spite of no school atten-dance, all these students arelikely to be promoted to nextclass next year.

However, the meeting decid-ed to have at least 90-120 daysof classroom teaching for stu-dents of Class IX and X.

But, the classroom teachingfor classes VI to VIII would besubject condition of COVID inthe state.

No schools likely for primary students this year in TS

DURGA PRASAD SUNKUn HYDERABAD

With the alarming zero convic-tion rate in the special courtdesignated for trial of criminalcases pending against sittingand former public representa-tives, the Forum for GoodGovernance (FGG) urged theTelangana Governor DrTamilisai Soundararajan tointervene and direct the offi-cials to speed-up the process.

Apex Court directed thestate governments to establishspecial courts for conductingthe trail against public repre-sentatives and dispose off thecases within one year in 2017.However, one year after thedirection, special court in statebecame reality in 2018.

During the analysis of affi-davits filed by contesting can-didates in the earlier elections,the Forum has found thatthere are around 509 cases.

An RTI enquiry revealedthat in those 509 cases pend-ing in various courts of the

state till date only 245 cases aretransferred to special court.

"Since March 2018, only 73cases are disposed off includ-ing 50 acquittals, 19 dischargedand 4 transferred," revealed anRTI reply from metropolitansession's court.

Commenting on the apathyof police department, MPadmanabha Reddy from FGGsaid, "So far not even a singlecase is convicted. Since theaccused persons are MLAs

and MPs, such zero convictionwill reflect badly on the effi-ciency of police departmentand people will lose confidenceon administration."

In addition to that, there areseveral other issues includinglack of man power. Only 6 per-sons are posted and 10 personsare working on deputationagainst 30 staff sanctioned.

Further, regular public pros-ecutor is not appointed whichhad direct impact on the pros-ecution trail with the result dis-posal of cases is slow andimproper. This is a hindrancefor successful prosecution ofthe cases, added PadmanabhaReddy.

The forum urged theTelangana Governor DrTamilisai Soundararajan tointervene and direct concernedauthorities to appoint regularpublic prosecutor and remain-ing staff in the special courtsfor conducting speedy trials.Further, ensure police takeinterest in successful andspeedy prosecution of cases.

Ensure speedy trial of criminal casesinvolving politicians: FGG urges Guv

PNS n HYDERABAD

Telangana reported 317 freshCovid cases, taking the tally toover 2.84 lakh while two fatal-ities pushed the toll to 1,529,the state government said onSaturday.

Greater Hyderabad Muni-cipal Corporation (GHMC)accounted for the most num-ber of cases with 71, followedby Rangareddy (27) andMedchal Malkajgiri (25), itsaid in a bulletin, providingdetails as of 8 PM on

December 25. Over 2.76 lakhpeople have recovered fromthe disease so far. As many as6,618 patients are under treat-ment and 30,376 samples weretested on Friday.

The samples tested per mil-lion population was nearly1.79 lakh, the bulletin said.The case fatality rate in the sta-te was 0.53 per cent, while itwas 1.4 per cent at the nation-al level. The recovery rate inTelangana was 97.13 per cent,while it was 95.8 per cent inthe country.

PNS n HYDERABAD

Commissioner Of Police,Cyberabad V C Sajjanarappealed to the Public not todownload any Instant LoanApps from Play Store or othersources which are not havingproper licenses fromGovernment authorities. TheCommissioner urged the pub-lic don't give ones' personneland bank credentials to any-one. Always go through theterms and conditions and ver-

ify the licenses of the compa-nies whoever offering loans,whether they obtainedfrom the concernedauthorities like RBI,Dist Collector. Don'tdownload any Appwho asks to giveaccess to the con-tacts, files, gallery, headded. The public wascautioned not to fall preyto the activities of unscrupu-lous elements but to verify theantecedents of the company

offering loans online orthrough mobile

apps. Mentioning

that thenames andaddresses ofthe NBFCsr e g i s t e r e d

with the Rese-rve Bank can be

accessed on RBI'swebsite, the officials

suggested that the public canreport information about

unverified apps to the con-cerned law enforcement agen-cies or use RBI's Sachet portal(https:achet.rbi. org.in) for fil-ing on-line complaints.Complaints against the entitiesregulated by the RBI can beaccessed through RBI'sComplaint ManagementSystem (https:ms.rbi.org.in).

Cyberabad Police alsoappeals to the public not to fallprey to these online instantloan apps and if there is harass-ment.

Don’t download instant loan apps: Top cop

State adds 317 fresh virus cases, 2 deaths

PNS n HYDERABAD

A mosque in Osman Nagar,one of the worst flood-ravagedareas in the city which is stillpartially inundated after theOctober floods, will now housea health care centre to providefree medical treatment to theresidents of over 12 slums in itsvicinity.

The centre is being set up inassociation with the NGOHelping Hand Foundation.Masjid Omer Al Shifa inOsman Nagar's Saif Colony hasapportioned an area, measur-ing nearly 3,000 sq. ft, for a pri-mary health care centre toprovide affordable health careto locals affected by the recentfloods.

The clinic will have threefull-time doctors, nurses, coun-sellors, ambulance services,and will stay open between 10am and 4 pm all days of theweek except Sundays.

This is the third primaryhealth care centre set up by

Helping Hand Foundation in amosque, the other two being inNS Kunta and Wadi-e-Mahmood, Rajendranagar.

"HHF has been runningmedical camps at OsmanNagar for the past 70 days. Onaverage, 150-200 people havebeen provided free medical

care in this area after thefloods. With the absence of anyBasti Dawakana in the nearbyvicinity and with no doctorsavailable at CHC, Barkas, formany years, people in thisarea needed good quality,affordable, and accessiblehealth care services," said

Mujtaba Askari, the founder ofHHF.

Many residents affected bythe floods continue to reelunder poverty and loss ofwages. Affordable and accessi-ble health care is the need ofthe hour, Askari said, adding,"With contaminated waterstagnating in these areas for anextended period of time, theresidents have been sufferingfrom fungal infections, scabies,and other seasonal diseases.Many elderly patients who suf-fer from NCDs like diabetes,hypertension, and CAD havelost their medical records inthe floods and are in need ofproper evaluation and treat-ment." The primary healthcare centre established atMasjid Omer Al Shifa willprovide primary care services.It will also serve as a daycarecentre for other interventionslike fluid replacement, moder-ate trauma injuries, wounddressing, and other basic nurs-ing care.

Mosque in Osman Nagar houses health centre

PNS n HYDERABAD

A lady passenger who tried tohoodwink the Customs offi-cials with gold at Rajiv GandhiInternational Airportat Shamshabad herehas been nabbed onFriday. The officialsseized gold worth ofRs 96 lakhs from herpossession.

With a specificintelligence, airIntelligence officialsof Hyderabad Customs unitintercepted a lady passengerwho arrived from Dubai in AI

952 on Friday."On close examination of

her baggage, Customs officialsfound five gold bars along with22 carat gold jewellery con-

cealed in her bag-gage," said an offi-cial.

As she couldn'tproduce requireddocuments to verifythe gold, she wastaken into custody.Subsequently, Cust-oms officials booked

a case of gold smuggling andfurther investigation is under-way.

Woman held for smuggling

PNS n HYDERABAD

Two persons, who weresmuggling ganja to Mumbaifrom Vishakhapatnam, werecaught by the West ZoneTask Force team at Bhavan-inagar in Old City on Friday.

The accused persons iden-tified as Syed Ghouse, 33, andShaik Niyazuddin, 36, bothnatives of Maharashtra.

The task force team caughtthem and seized 26 kilo-grams of ganja from them.

Two peddlers held, 26 kg ganja seized

27-year-old man found murderedPNS n HYDERABAD

A fruit seller was murdered atKothapet market on Saturday.

The victim identified asRaju, 27, a resident of Malla-pur along with his friendsincluding Mohd Feroz con-sumed liquor. An argumentensued between them overtheft of fruits. We suspect thatthe murder was a result of theargument," said police.

PNS n HYDERABAD

Vice President Venkaiah Naiduon Saturday expressed concernover the erosion of values inpublic life and cautioned thatpeople will lose faith in thepolitical class unless urgent andcollective action is takentowards cleansing the systemand promoting clean politics.

Delivering the third AtalBihari Vajpayee MemorialLecture organised by the IndiaFoundation here, Naiduemphasised that it is the dutyof all political parties to ensure

that their members, includinglegislators, maintain ethical

conduct at all times and at allplaces.

He also appealed to the leg-islators to raise the level ofdebates, follow standards, avoidunruly behaviour and alwaysadhere to 3Ds-discuss, debateand decide-and avoid the 4thD-disrupt.

The Vice Presidentremarked regretfully that theabsence of value-based politics,lack of ideology, hunger forpower, muscle and moneypower and the entry of peoplewith a criminal backgroundinto politics is leading to vio-lence in the political arena anddebasing politics.

‘Need to plug loopholes in anti-defection law'

Organs of 44-year-old brain dead homemaker donated

Students and Teachersfrom All India OBCAssociation (AIOBCSA)

continue their protest forthe third day againstUniversity of Hyderabad(UoH) administrationalleging violation ofreservation policy and discrimination. With the aim to makeUniversity spaces more inclusive for oppressed communitiesAIOBCSA had called for the OBC Satyagraha on Thursday.Members of AIOBCSA has alleged that University administrationhas issued memos and show cause notices issued to the officebearers of staff union and OBC employees, especially those whoparticipated in protests against the administration.According to AIOBCSA, there are several representations from allStudents unions regarding reservations violations in admissionsinto Phd/MPhil , Fee structure which is not on par with the otherreserved categories (SC/ST) for OBC's, Caste baseddiscrimination at Promotions , Appointment into variouscommittees, Representation for No OBC placed in any of theexecutive or administrative posts of the University of Hyderabad.

AIOBCSA continue their protestfor third day against UoH admin

Senior Principal Scientist fromHyderabad-based IndianInstitute of Chemical

Technology (IICT), Dr Chada RajiReddy has been selected for theprestigious 'NASI - RelianceIndustries Platinum JubileeAward (2020) for applicationoriented innovations coveringunder Physical Sciences'. Dr Raji Reddy has been selected for theNASI award, which will be presented by National Academy ofSciences, India during the annual session, for his contributions inthe development of processes of APIs for drugs includingFavipiravir, Remdesivir and others, which successfully transferredto various pharmaceutical organisations. His research focus inorganic synthesis has been widely commended involving thedevelopment of new reagents and catalysts for synthesis of newchemical entities including bio-active natural products as part ofdrug discovery programme. He is an author of 134 papers and aninventor in 8 patents. About 20 Students have been awarded PhDdegree under his supervision and 10 more are currently undertraining. The scientist already is a recipient of CSIR-TechnologyAward-2020, CRSI Bronze Medal-2018, CDRI-Drug ResearchExcellence Award-2017, AVRA - Young Scientist Award - 2011and is also a Fellow of Telangana Academy of Sciences - 2019.

IICT scientist bags NASI award

HYDERABAD | SUNDAY | DECEMBER 27, 2020 hyderabad 04

Added aattraction

The trial run for zip-cycling at Laknavaram Lake in Mulugu district wassuccessfully completed, and the facility is set to be thrown open soon. A pedal boat, on which a 20-minute ride costs Rs 200, will be also be

introduced soon.

PNS n HYDERABAD

What do you do when you can-not go out and involve yourselfin your daily chores? You sitback, use technology to yourcapacity and spend your time.This year, a lot of people gotthis opportunity, and with itcame an increase in cybercrimeincidences in Hyderabad. Since2017, cybercrime is increasingin the city. In 2020, in all, 2,456cyber cases have been regis-tered till December as against325 in 2017. In 2018, 428 caseshave been registered whiletheir number rose to 1,393 in2019.

There is a severe shortage ofhands to crack cyber cases. Thecyber police stations have only58 crew members. There isevery need to increase theirnumber and allot policemen toinvestigate the cybercrimecases at police station level.When the state governmenthas created cyber cell in 2010,there were only 40 personnel toinvestigate the cases. Twoteams have been constitutedwith an inspector, two ASIs,two head constables and 10constables and two homeguards. During the past decade,their strength rose to 58.

The number of cybercrimecases such as credit and debitcard frauds, cybercrime byNigerian criminals, data theft,hacking of websites, frauds com-mitted through sending mis-leading e-mails and SMSes in onthe rise, but not the strength of

the cyber cell. Most of the casespertain to economic crimes viacyber space. This year, the cybercell received over 7,000 petitions.Only after an inquiry, the peti-tions will be registered as cases.The meagre staff of the cyber cellfind it difficult to investigate allthe petitions.

In the city, three kinds ofcyber frauds are being regis-tered. Firstly, claiming to bearmy personnel they place adsin mobile applications,Facebook and the Olx. Secondly,claiming to be bank officials,

fraudsters send seek informationabout credit cards and theirpasswords to clean sweep theiraccounts. They seek personalinformation and the OTP num-ber sent to their mobile to lootthe gullible people. The thirdtype of fraud pertains to call uppeople promising overseas jobs,visas for various countries andoffering bonus on LIC policies,gifts and lotteries.

While the police authoritiesare of the view to constitutecyber teams at zonal level,cyber experts advise the police

to have cyber experts in allpolice stations. The proposedcyber units in police stationsshould investigate small cases,while the sensational casesshould be transferred to thecyber cell. The units at policestations should be kept underthe control of the CCS and theyshould be given training as andwhen required. The officialssent requisition to the govern-ment seeking allotment of 19personnel - three inspectors,six Sis and 10 constables - twoyears ago. But there was no

response from the govern-ment.

In most of the cases, thosewho live in other states arefound to be involved in cyber-crimes. In crimes like person-al abuses, posting obscenephotos and messages in socialmedia and sending them tomobile phones, theft of data ofcompanies and so on locals arefound to be involved.Marketing related crimes andOlx crimes, Alwar andBharatpur in Rajasthan'sMewar region has becomenotorious, while Jaamtara andDeoghar and Giridhi ofJharkand has become notori-ous. Call centre based crimes,Delhi and Kolkata emerged ashotspots. Those who commit-ted cybercrimes are using thebank accounts of people livingin Chittaranjan and Asansol ofWest Bengal state. As a result,one of the teams investigatingthe cybercrime has to stay putin the north constantly.

The fraudsters always usefake identities like phone num-bers, bank accounts and walletsand so on. They lure somemiddlemen, called moneymules, offering them moneyand get their job done withtheir help. As a result, for wantof evidence many cases had tobe closed down without trac-ing the real culprits. Theyinvestigate even these casesand ascertain that there wasbreakthrough in the case forwant of evidence and close thecases.

Spurt in TS cybercrime fraudskeeps police on their toes

PNS n HYDERABAD

The Airports Authority ofIndia (AAI) is likely to submitits report on six regional air-ports in the state either in thelast week of December or in thefirst week of January. Under theUDAN scheme, the govern-ment has decided to constructsix airports in the state as itwould take at least five to sixhours to travel to districtsfrom Shamshabad Airport.

The Airports Authority ofIndia last year visited the pro-posed sites for the regional air-ports near Warangal, Adilabad,Basant Nagar (Peddapalli),Nizamabad, Bhadradri-Kothagudem andMahbubnagar. It is yet to sub-mit the report to the stategovernment.

Chief Minister K

Chandrashekhar Rao, duringhis recent Delhi visit, submit-ted a letter to the Minister forCivil Aviation Hardeep SinghPuri leading to moving the rel-evant file. It is learnt that theAAI has felt that the conditionsare favourable for building air-

ports at all the six places.There is rule that till the 25th

anniversary of the RGIA atShamshabad, which becameoperational in 2008, that noother airport should be locat-ed within a radius of 150 kmfrom Shamshabad.

As the proposed site forbuilding airport inMahbubnagar district -Gudibanda - is within theradius of only 95 km andhence the above rule may affectthe prospects of building anairport here. The officials didnot object to have airport inBhadradri-Kothagudam dis-trict in spite of the proposedsite is located near hilly region.

The identified areas wereBasantnagar in Peddapalli dis-

trict, Mamnoor in WarangalUrban district, Adilabad dis-trict, Jakranpally in Nizamabaddistrict, Devarkadra inMahbubnagar district andBhadradri-Kothagudem dis-trict. The Chief Ministerinformed the Union Ministerthat though AAI has alreadytaken up OLS, soil testing andother investigations at the sitesand some draft reports haverecently come, the final reportsare yet to be given.

AAI to submit report on regional airports soon The identified areas wereBasantnagar in Peddapalli, Mamnoorin Warangal, Adilabad district,Jakranpally in Nizamabad, Devarkadrain Mahbubnagar district andBhadradri-Kothagudem district

PNS n HYDERABAD

The Congress high commandhas taken a serious note of theremarks made by senior leaderV Hanumantha Rao againstAICC Telangana in-chargeManickam Tagore. The seniorleader also took potshots atTPCC working president ARevanth Reddy and otherswho are seriously lobbying forthe TPCC chief post.According to party sources, theparty may issue a show causenotice to VH.

AICC Telangana in-chargeManickam Tagore, who sub-mitted a detailed report toCongress president SoniaGandhi to finalise a name forthe TPCC president's postafter consulting several leadersin the State, also enquiredabout the comments VH madeduring a media interaction.

Following ManickamTagore’s directions, AICC sec-retary Bose Raju submtted areport in this regard. It may berecalled that VH criticisedManickam Tagore by statingthat the latter was sold out to'pacakage'. However, VHalready made it clear that hewill not continue in the partyif high command announcesMalkajgiri MP A RevanthReddy as new TPCC chief.

Mallu Ravi counters VH Meanwhile, TPCC vice pres-

ident and former MP MalluRavi condemned VH remarks."I condemn VH statementthat Mallu Ravi is doing 'chem-chagiri'. I have no need to dochemchagiri to anyone. Ientered into politics for thesake of change in society evenafter pursuing higher educa-tion in medical education," he

said. He further said that theparty high command took myopinion along with other 164leaders on selection of a newTPCC chief. Does openly stat-ing that the high command hasto give TPCC chief position toRevanth Reddy was syco-phancy? he asked. RevanthReddy is TPCC working pres-ident and also an MP. So Iurged the high command togive TPCC chief position tohim," he said.

Making remarks againstManickam Tagore meansdoing allegations against partyhigh command. ManickamTagore took the opinions of165 leaders. Even afterManickam Tagore, in-chargesecretaries also took the opin-ions of important leaders.Manickam Tagore, KCVenugopal submitted a reportto AICC chief Sonia Gandhiafter conducting detailedreview with all sections of theleaders," Mallu Ravi said.

Pick new TPCC chiefafter bypoll: Jagga ReddyCongress MLA T Jayaprakash

Reddy, also known as JaggaReddy, requested the high com-mand not to be in a hurry tofinalise the name for the TPCCpresident's post. He, in a letter,

urged the high command tocomplete the process only afterthe Nagarjunasagar Assemblybypoll. At the same time, theparty should consider the viewsof all the leaders before finalis-ing a name. He urged the highcommand to continue the pre-sent TPCC chief N UttamKumar Reddy till by-election.

VH offers PCC position to Pawan

Much to everyone's sur-prise, senior Congress leader VHanumantha Rao on Saturdayoffered TPCC chief position toJana Sena chief Pawan Kalyanif the latter joined Congress.After unveiling the statue ofVangaveeti Mohana Ranga inDondapadu village in Suryapetdistrict on Saturday, VH said,“Some are making threateningcalls for demanding high com-mand to give TPCC chief posi-tion.". He said that he is readyto sacrifice his life for thesake of the party. However, theparty leaders ridiculed VH'sremarks for stating that he willmake the party to give PCCChief position to PawanKalyan.

Cong may issue notice to VHThe highcommand islikely to issue ashow-causenotice to VHseeking anexplanation forhis remarksagainstManickam andother leaders

PNS n JAGITYAL

IGP Pramod Kumar inaugu-rated the firing range nearVenugumatla vil lage inGollapally mandal of Jagityaldistrict on Saturday.

Speaking on the occasion,he called upon the policepersonnel to avail of the facil-ity to improve their skills infiring and thanked theauthorities concerned for

striving in setting up of thefiring range.

Jagityal DistrictSuperintendent of PoliceSindhu Sharma, additionalsuperintendent of policeSuresh Kumar, DSPsVenkatramana, Gouse Baba,AR DSP Pratap, CIsRamchander Rao, Rajesh,Kishore, RIs Saidulu, Naveen,Vamanamurthy and policepersonnel were present.

IGP inaugurates firing range

IGP Pramod Kumar inaugurates the firing range near Venugumatla village inGollapally mandal of Jagityal district on Saturday

PNS n THORUR

Minister for Panchayat Raj,Rural Development and RWSErrabelli Dayakar Rao termedthe TRS government asfarmer-friendly and lambast-ed the BJP government at theCentre for implement-ing anti-farmer poli-cies.

He laid thefoundation stonesand inauguratedd e v e l o p m e n tworks worth Rs2.32 crore in Thorurmandal on Saturday.Speaking on the occasion, theminister sang paeans to ChiefMinister K ChandrasekharRao for striving for the welfareof farmers and fulfilling thepromise of irrigating one-a-half-crore acres and trans-forming Telangana into

‘Bangaru Telangana’.Reminding the developmentworks taken up by the govern-ment, he said that the govern-ment has been supplying 24hours power, providing waterthrough Kaleshwaram,Devadula and SRSP projects.

Similarly, lakes were renovat-ed with Mission Kakatiya.

Elaborating on thedevelopment works fur-ther, he stated that nurs-eries are being devel-oped in villages through

‘Palle Pragati’, dumpingyards and Vaikunta

Dhamas are being construct-ed across the State. “The gov-ernment is striving to keepseasonal diseases at bay byproviding clean drinking waterand conducting cleanlinessdrive across the State,hence,we are able to fight against theCorona,” he pointed out.

PNS n MULUGU

National Mirchi Task ForceDirector N Sambashiva Reddyon Saturday appealed ChilliTask Force Committee to set upa Mirchi Testing Lab inWarangal.

Sambashiva Reddy, anative of Mulugu district,took part in the NationalMirchi Task ForceCommittee meet ing inGuntur district on Saturday.He felicitated MP and ChilliTask Force CommitteeChairman GVL NarsimhaRao and Spice Board Vice-Chairman DD Mohan Raowith shawls and presentedploughs to mark the 'agrari-

an prominence'. Later, heoffered them prasadam ofBhadrachalam temple.

Agriculture scientists, tradersand transporters were pre-sent.

Plea to set up Mirchi Testing Lab

National Mirchi Task Force Director N Sambashiva Reddy felicitates Chilli TaskForce Committee Chairman GVL Narsimha Rao on Saturday

Errabelli terms govtas farmer-friendly

In 2020, in all,2,456 cyber cases

have beenregistered tillDecember asagainst 325 in

2017. In 2018, 428cases have beenregistered while

their number roseto 1,393 in 2019

Sangareddy policecrack murder mysteryPNS n SANGAREDDY

The Sangareddy Rural Policecracked the mystery surround-ing the rape and murder of anunidentified woman whosebody was found on the out-skirts of Pasalwadi nearSanagreddy on December 17.

The victim was MiriyalaJoythi (40) of Rajampet nearSangareddy and a native ofDwaraka Tirumala in WestGodavari district.

Addressing the mediahere on Saturday,

Sanagreddy DSP A Balajisaid that the accused, VaddeChinnaiah, ofNagasamudram inVikarabad district, had luredthe woman on December 14.She was taken to a farm nearthe Narsapur crossroad,raped, and strangled todeath. Based on the evi-dence found at the crimescene, the DSP saidInspector Shivakumar andSub-Inspector Srikanth hadidentified the accused asVadde Chinnaiah.

BJP leaderstabbed todeath in WyraPNS n WYRA

An RTI activist was done todeath allegedly by one ofhis friends at Wyra town inKhammam district.

Nelavelli Rama Rao (35),who served as the BJP RTICell co-convener, was alsoin the transport businessand owned a lorry. He wasunmarried and lived withhis mother at the old busstand area in the town, thepolice said.

The incident occurredat around 7.30 am at RamaRao’s residence where theassailant stabbed him sev-eral times. The killer fledthe scene when R ao’smother started shoutingfor help. The RTI activistdied while being shifted toKhammam Distr ic tHospital. Financial dis-putes between the deceasedand the accused were saidto be the reason behind theincident, the police sus-pected.

Wyra DSP KSatyanarayana visited thespot while Inspector ofPol ice Vasanth Kumarbooked a case andlaunched an investigationinto the incident. It waslearnt that the police hadfound seven stab injurieson Rao’s body. Meanwhile,BJP district president GallaSatyanarayana and othersstaged a protest at the ACPoffice at Wyra demandingjustice to Rao’s family andarres t of the accusedimmediately.

2020: Year of struggle,innovation for teachers PNS n NEW DELHI

From turning walls of mudhouses into blackboards totaking classes through loud-speakers on moving carts,from 'mohalla' classes to usingpublic announcement systemof panchayat bhawans, 2020was full of struggle and inno-vation for teachers to ensurelearning was not disrupted asschools remained closed dueto Covid-19.

The over 10-month-longshutdown inspired creativeways to teach thousands ofstudents who could not log onto online classes because theydid not have access to smart-phones and computers in sev-eral villages across the coun-try. Government school teach-ers in Dumka's Dumartharvillage in Jharkhand found anew way to impart educationto students who do not haveaccess to smartphones.

They created blackboardson the walls of students' hous-es to teach them while main-taining social distancing. "Westarted with an initiative called

'shiksha aapke dwaar' (educa-tion at your doorstep) to pro-vide education to childrenwho did not have access tosmartphones and internet.More than 100 blackboardshave been created on walls toteach students at their hous-es," said Tapan Kumar, ateacher in Dumarthar.

Every day, Indra MukhiChhetri, a maths and scienceteacher in Sikkim's Ravangala,visited homes of several stu-dents she identified andreached out to around 40 stu-dents in a week from class 1to 5. "Even if I take onlineclasses, these students eitherdo not have devices orInternet connectivity. Some ofthem may have access butthen how do I maintain equal-ity, others might feel left out.So I used to spend about 20minutes with each student ina week. I collected their note-books and write lessons forthem, which they have to fin-ish over the course of theweek. I also brief the parentson what needs to be done," shesaid.

HYDERABAD | SUNDAY | DECEMBER 27, 2020 nation 05

A44-year-old man involved inthe killing of a Pune-basedland developer in 2018 has

been arrested fromMaharashtra's Thane city, policesaid on Saturday. Acting on a tip-off, the Thane police on Fridayevening nabbed AbhimanyuTiwari who had come to a busstop on Ghodbunder Road to sellsome firearms, senior inspector Kishore Khairnar of Kasarwadavalipolice station said. The accused was carrying a country-maderevolver and a live cartridge at the time of the arrest, the official said.An offence under relevant sections of the Arms Act and MaharashtraPolice Act has been registered against him with Kasarwadavli policestation, he said. The accused is a notorious criminal involved in thekilling of Pune-based land developer Deven Shah (52), who wasgunned down in the parking area of his apartment on Prabhat Roadof Deccan Gymkhana in January 2018, the official said.According to the police, the accused also faces charges under theMaharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) and has fiveoffences of beatings and running a gambling den registered againsthim at police stations in Thane and Mumbai.

INDIA CORNER

Mount Abu was recorded thecoldest place in Rajasthanat 2 degrees Celsius as

several places in the state saw adrop of one-two notches in nighttemperatures, the Meteorological(MeT) Department here said onSaturday. In plains, Churu,Sriganganagar and Pilani recorded4.1 degrees Celsius each on Fridaynight, a MeT Department official said. During the same period, theminimum temperature was recorded at 4.5 degrees Celsius in Sikar;6.4 degrees Celsius in Sawai Madhopur; 7 degrees Celsius each inBanasthali and Dabok; 7.6 degrees Celsius in Alwar; 8.2 degreesCelsius in Bundi; 8.3 degrees Celsius in Kota; 8.4 degrees Celsius inJaipur and 8.9 degrees Celsius in Ajmer, the official said.

Drop in night temperatures atseveral places in Rajasthan

Alekhpal has been suspended inUttar Pradesh's Shahjahanpurdistrict for allegedly issuing

fake domicile certificates to twomen who used them to get jobs inthe Army, officials said on Saturday.District Magistrate Indra VikramSingh took action against RakeshKant, the lekhpal (revenue officer) ofKhutar, after he was prima faciefound guilty. Residents ofBulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh, Upendra Kumar and Aman Kumarhad got the fake domicile certificates made with the help of themanager of a 'Jan Seva Kendra', Aftab Khan, in Khutar area of thedistrict, DM Indra Vikram Singh said on Friday. The forgeddocuments showing the two as residents of Khutar area were issuedby the lekhpal on the basis of which they got recruited in the Army,the DM said, adding that the incident came to light when a letterreached Khutar police station for verification.

Revenue officer suspended forissuing fake document

The Delhi Police on Saturday setup a solar energy-enabled"modern beat booth", which is

also water, fire and vandalismproof, at the iconic India Gate here,officials said.Inaugurated bySpecial Commissioner of Police(Law and Order), South Zone,Satish Golchha, the booth is dustproof too, they said.The booth issolar energy-enabled with a storage capacity of 10 hours. It isremote wifi-enabled for digital display of informative or awarenessmessages on LED panels installed on top of it and has a publicannouncement system, said Anil Mittal, Additional PRO (DelhiPolice)."The cabin is equipped with extreme weather regulator,movable wardrobe, first-aid facility and a public facilitation desk.This model beat booth will not only enhance the people-friendlyimage of the Delhi Police, but will also provide a comfortableenvironment even in extreme weather conditions to police personnelmanning it," he said.

Solar energy-enabled modernbeat booth at India Gate

PNS n MUMBAI

A group of farmers fromMaharashtra on Saturdayjoined protesters at one of theborders of Delhi, an All IndiaKisan Sabha (AIKS) leadersaid and added that tillers haveexpressed willingness to discussissues with the governmentbut wanted ceretain clausesfrom the three agri lawsremoved.

On Monday, thousands offarmers from Maharashtra hadleft for Delhi from Nashik invehicles to join the ongoing agi-tation seeking the repeal of thelegislations.

"We received a rousing wel-come at a New Delhi border.

Farmers sitting on protestshere welcomed us and thankedus for joining them," All IndiaKisan Sabha secretary,Maharashtra, Ajit Navle, said ina statement.

He said that farmers haveexpressed willingness to discusstheir issues with the govern-ment, "but we want some claus-es in the recenty-passed laws,which do not protect the inter-ests of farmers, removed".

The farmers fromMaharashtra, who started off inprivate vehicles from Nashik onMonday, were led by leaders ofthe Kisan Sabha.

According to the KisanSabha, cultivators from 21 dis-tricts in Maharashtra hadjoined the "vehicle march" toDelhi.

Enacted in September, thethree farm laws have beenprojected by the Central gov-ernment as major reforms inthe agriculture sector that willremove the middlemen andallow farmers to sell anywherein the country.

However, the protestingfarmers have expressed appre-hension that the new lawswould pave the way for elimi-nating the safety cushion of

Minimum Support Price anddo away with the mandi sys-tem, leaving them at the mercyof big corporates.

The government has repeat-edly asserted that the MSP andMandi systems will stay andhas accused the opposition ofmisleading the farmers.

Multiple rounds of talks heldbetween the government andthe protesting farmers, mostlyfrom Punjab and Haryana,have failed to break the ongo-ing impasse.

Carrying ration and otheressential items with them, sev-eral batches of farmers fromPunjab headed towards Delhiborders on Saturday to join the

peasants protesting against theCentre's new agriculture-relat-ed laws for a month now.

According to farmer unionleaders, peasants from variousplaces including Sangrur,Amritsar, Tarn Taran,Gurdaspur and Bathinda dis-tricts were headed towardsSinghu and Tikri borders.

They began their journeydespite fog and biting coldwave conditions in many partsof Punjab on Saturday.

Tractor trollies, cars andother vehicles carrying farmers,including elderly and women,were seen on the Amritsar-Delhi national highway, pro-ceeding towards the borders

with the national capital.It seemed the farmers were

prepared for a long haul as theycarried their ration and otheressentials in their trollies.

"We will rest only when theModi government repeals thefarm laws," said an elderlyfarmer headed from Amritsarto the protest site near Singhuborder.

Bhartiya Kisan Union (EktaUgrahan), one of Punjab'slargest farmer organisationsprotesting against the recentlaws, claimed that thousands offarmers will march from theKhanauri and Dabwali borderstowards protest sites near thenational capital. The outfit'sGeneral Secretary SukhdevSingh said that many womenare also part of the fresh batch-es of farmers.

On Friday too, several batch-es of farmers under the bannerof the Kisan MazdoorSangharsh Committee (KMSC)headed for the protest sitesfrom Amritsar and otherplaces.

Farmers continue to throng Delhi’s gates

PNS n NEW DELHI

BJP MP Manoj Tiwari onSaturday invited Delhi ChiefMinister Arvind Kejriwal to hisresidence here, offering to clearhis "doubts" and explain to himbenefits of the Centre's threefarm laws. Kejriwal, who is AamAadmi Party's convenor, onFriday claimed the newagricultural reform laws will notbenefit farmers in any way andwill do a lot of harm. Taking a digat the chief minister, Tiwari saidKejriwal does not allow anyoneto enter his house and refrainsfrom meeting public representatives or extending invitations.Recently, three mayors andother leaders of BJP-ruled municipalcorporations saton a dharnaoutside thechiefminister'sresidence for13 days buthe did notmeet them.Tiwari tweetedto Kejriwal,inviting the AAPconvenor to his officialresidence on Mother TeresaCrescent in Lutyens Delhi onSunday 3 pm to explain tebenefits of farm laws beforemediapersons. "Lets doconstructive politics for farmers'benefit," Tiwari said in his tweet.Kejriwal and his Aam AadmiParty have come out strongly insupport of protesting farmers.Earlier this month, the chiefminister had visited Singhuborder, one of the protest sites,and reviewed arrangementsmade for farmers by the citygovernment "The BJP says that

these laws will not harm farmers.But what is their benefit? Theysay that now the farmers will beable to sell their crop anywhereoutside the market. But outsidethe market, the crop is sold athalf the price. How is this abenefit? The truth is that theselaws will do a lot of harm anddon't have a single benefit,"Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi onFriday. Tiwari, former Delhi BJPpresident, said that PrimeMinister Narendra Modi onFriday explained benefits of farmlaws and senior leaders includingUnion Home Minister Amit Shahand national president JP Naddahave repeatedly assured thatMSP and Mandis will continue as

well. "Still, if ArvindKejriwal cannot

find anybenefits in

the threefarm lawsand hassomedoubts hemay

accept myinvitation. I

will be happyto help him see

the benefits of thefarm laws," Tiwari said.

Farmers from various parts ofthe country have been campingat different border points of Delhifor four weeks now to demandrepeal of the three agri laws,which were voted through inParliament in September amidstrong protests by oppositionparties. The three farm lawshave been projected by thecentral government as majorreforms in the agriculture sectorthat will remove the middlemenand allow farmers to sell theirproduce anywhere in the country.

Tiwari offers to clear Kejriwal’s‘doubts' about farm laws

PNS n NEW DELHI

The exponential rise inCOVID-19 recoveries in tan-dem with lower daily infectionshas resulted in a consistentdecline in India's active case-load, which presently stands at2,81,667, the Union HealthMinistry said on Saturday.

The active cases comprise2.77 per cent of the country'stotal infections, it said.

India's total number ofrecovered cases is nearing 97.5lakh (97,40,108) and the cumu-lative COVID-19 recoveriesare the highest in the world, theministry said.

The recovery rate hascrossed 90 per cent in all statesand union territories, it added.

Since the last 29 days, the

daily recoveries recorded in thecountry have been more thanthe daily cases. A total of22,274 people recovered andwere discharged the previous

day, the ministry said.It said 73.56 per cent of the

new recovered cases wereobserved to be concentrated in10 states and UTs.

Among these, Kerala report-ed the highest number of sin-gle-day recoveries at 4,506,followed by 1,954 in WestBengal and 1,427 inMaharashtra.

Kerala also reported thehighest number of fresh casesat 5,397, followed by 3,431 inMaharashtra and 1,541 in WestBengal.

As many as 251 case fatali-ties were reported in the coun-try the previous day, the min-istry said.

Ten states and UTs accountfor 85.26 per cent of the newdeaths.

Of these, Maharashtrarecorded the highest numberof fatalities at 71, followed by31 in West Bengal and 30 inDelhi.

Active Covid caseload continues to decline

PNS n NEW DELHI

The COVID-19 pandemic hada massive impact on the Indianaviation sector in 2020 andmajor airlines facing lossesand challenging times laid offemployees, sent them on leavewithout pay, or cut theirsalaries.

The government also had toextend the deadline for submit-ting bids for Air India fivetimes during the year.

When the pandemic startedspreading across the country,all scheduled internationalflights and domestic passengerflights were suspended fromMarch 23 and March 25,respectively. Scheduled domes-tic flights were restarted in alimited manner from May 25.

The effect of this disruptioncan be gauged by the loss fig-ures of India's two largest air-lines. IndiGo incurred net loss-es of Rs 2,884 crore and Rs1,194 crore in Q1 and Q2 ofthis fiscal respectively. SpiceJetposted net losses of Rs 600crore and Rs 112 crore in Q1and Q2, respectively.

The government, mean-while, permitted special inter-national passenger flightsunder Vande Bharat Missionsince May and air bubble

arrangements were formedwith around 24 countries sinceJuly. However, scheduled inter-national flights remain sus-pended in India.

"The revival of overseas trav-el is expected to be slower andmore challenging than domes-tic. This will hurt Air India inparticular as around 60 percent of its revenue was earliergenerated from internationaloperations," said aviation con-sultancy firm CAPA inOctober.

It estimated that just 50-60

million passengers -- 40-50million domestic and less than10 million international --would travel in 2020-21.

In 2019-20, approximately205 million air passengers --140 million domestic and 65million international -- trav-elled in India.

CAPA India projected inOctober that the Indian avia-tion industry will lose a com-bined USD 6-6.5 billion inFY21, of which airlines willaccount for USD 4-4.5 billion.As a result, the government's

plan to sell Air India has beenhit. After its unsuccessfulattempt to sell the national car-rier in 2018, the government inJanuary restarted the divest-ment process but the pandem-ic forced it to extend the datefor submission of expression ofinterest (EOI) five times.

The last date of EOI submis-sion was December 14. Thegovernment has received mul-tiple EOIs and it will announcethe name of qualified biddersby January 5.

In order to make debt-laden

Air India more attractive, thegovernment changed the bid-ding parameter in October -bidders will now quote enter-prise value instead of equityvalue. This means that thebidder will be able to quotehow much cash it would giveand how much debt of the air-line it would be able to carry.

However, the governmentmade it clear that minimum15 per cent of the bid amounthas to be in cash while theremaining would be the debtcomponent. Air India's debtwas Rs 58,255 crore as onMarch 31, 2019. Later in 2019,Rs 29,464 crore of this debtwas transferred from Air Indiato a government-owned spe-cial purpose vehicle calledAir India Assets HoldingCompany Limited (AIAHL).

While Air India was unableto get a private owner in2020, bankrupt airline JetAirways was able to find one.

A consortium of UAE-

based businessman MurariLal Jalan and London'sKalrock Capital won the bidon October 17 to revive JetAirways. It expects to startoperating the airline by thesummer of 2021.

The consortium said it isawaiting the NCLT and otherregulatory approvals, includ-ing reinstatement of slots andbilateral traffic rights by thecivil aviation ministry andDirectorate General of CivilAviation (DGCA).

When Jet Airways wentbankrupt in April 2019, itsslots and rights were tem-porarily given to other Indiancarriers by the government sothat they can start new flightsand fill the supply gap. Now,as other airlines have addedplanes and started flights con-sidering these slots and rightswill remain with them, it isnot clear what decision thegovernment will take on thismatter in 2021.

Covid had massive impact on Indian aviation sectorWhen the pandemic started spreadingacross the country, all scheduledinternational flights and domesticpassenger flights were suspendedfrom Mar 23 and Mar 25, respectively

PNS n THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

For the first time in life, shehad walked into the presti-gious council hall of the cap-italcity's Municipal Corporation building six days ago totake oath as a Councillor of theruling Marxist party.

Though she was the 'baby'among the councillors, theproud Arya Rajendran facedthe sea of onlookers in front ofher with confidenceanduttered the oath with sheermaturity.

But, that day, the 21-yearold college student- turned-councillor never thought thatshe would soon come back tothe historic council hall as itssupremo-the Mayor.

If ever ything goes asexpected, Arya, now a sec-ond year graduation studentof a city college, would notonly become the new Mayorof Kerala's capital, a positionheld by several significantpersonalities in the past, butalso the youngest ever Mayorin the country.

According to partysources , theThiruvananthapuram dis-trict secretariat of the rulingCPI(M), which met here onFriday, recommended Arya'sname for the post of mayor,which has to be ratified bythe party's state secretariat.BJP leader and formerMaharashtra Chief Minister,

Devendra Fadnavis had

become the mayor of NagpurMunicipal Corporation atthe age of 27. While replyingto endless congratulatorymessages from her modestrented house atMudavanmukal here, Aryasaid she was yet to get officialconfirmation from her partyabout the new responsibility.A staunch party activist hail-ing from a hardcore Marxistfamily, she said maturity andleadership qualities cannotbe measured with anyone'sage.

21-year-old set tobecome India'syoungest mayor

According tosources, theruling CPI(M)recommendedArya's name forthe post of mayor

PNS n RISHIKESH(UTTARAKHAND)

A holistic approach based onthe springshed and aquiferrecharge method to revive theHenwal river – a tributary ofthe Ganga with which it

merges here – has begun to payoff and its discharge level hasimproved, officials said onSaturday.

The Henwal river flows fromnear the revered SurkandaDevi temple in Tehri district toShivpuri area of Rishikesh,

where it merges with theGanga. Efforts to revive theHenwal were launched about ayear ago by the NarendraNagar Forest Division afterconcerns were raised in aCentral Water Board report in2018 over the declining dis-

charge level of the tributary,DFO Dharma Singh Meenasaid. Even the NITI Aayog, ina report in 2018, had said 50per cent of the water resourcesin the Himalayan states,including Uttarakhand, weredrying up, Meena added.

PNS n NEW DELHI

Unaccounted income of Rs100 crore has been detectedafter the income tax depart-ment raided three "leading"contractors of Northeast Indiabased in Assam early thisweek, the CBDT said onSaturday.

The search and surveyaction was initiated onDecember 22 at fourteen loca-tions in Guwahati, Silapatharand Pathsala in Assam and inDelhi.

"Cash of Rs 2.95 crore hasbeen seized. Overall, undis-

closed income to the tune ofapproximately Rs 100 crorehas been unearthed so farduring the search and surveyoperation," the Board said ina statement without sharingthe identities of those raided.

It added that "jewellery ofRs 9.79 lakh has been seizedand the sources of acquisitionof some other jewellery worthRs 2 crore is under verifica-tion."

The entities covered are"leading contractors ofNortheast and one group isalso involved in the hospital-ity business," it said.

I-T detects blackincome of Rs 100 cr

Initiative to revive Henwal river paying off

On the run for two years, murderaccused nabbed in Thane

RAIDS ON CONTRACTORS IN ASSAM

The farmers have expressedapprehension that the new lawswould pave the way for eliminatingthe safety cushion of MSP and doaway with the mandi system, leavingthem at the mercy of big corporates

HYDERABAD | SUNDAY | DECEMBER 27, 2020 money 06

MONEY MATTERS

Anext-generation global leadingtechnology firm ‘CronJ' whichoffers products related to

security, surveillance and safetyusing the latest digitization andmachine vision technologiesrecently completed an AI-baseddigitization project for Saudi ArabiaCoast Guard. Sharing about the project, CEO, CronJ, Mr. MonuKumar said, “Coast guard was looking for advanced automaticcognitive decision-making solutions for any kind of threat orintrusion in the sea 24x7 through multiple media like email,WhatsApp message and hooter/buzzer. Meanwhile, CronJ's AIsolution was able to fulfill their expectations, which further led to theaward of the new projects."

The mandatory requirement of 1per cent cash payment of GSTliability with effect from

January 1 would be applicable toabout 45,000 taxpayers, which isonly 0.37 per cent of the totalbusinesses registered in the Goodsand Services Tax system, RevenueDepartment sources said on

Saturday. To curb tax evasion by way of fake invoicing, the CentralBoard of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) had earlier this weekamended GST rules making it mandatory for businesses withmonthly turnover of over Rs 50 lakh to mandatorily pay at least 1 percent of their GST liability in cash. The new rule restricts use ofinput tax credit (ITC) for discharging GST liability to 99 per centeffective January 1, 2021. However, this restriction will not apply incases where the managing director or any partner have paid morethan Rs 1 lakh as income tax or the registered person has received arefund amount of more than Rs 1 lakh in the preceding financial yearon account of unutilised input tax credit.

Tenders worth Rs 40,000crore was cancelled ormodified due to

discriminatory and restrictiveconditions with an aim topromote 'Make in India' ingovernment procurement,according to the commerce andindustry ministry. Releasing its achievements for 2020 on Friday, theministry also said that unique products with export potential havebeen identified for 500 districts. Technical Regulations (TRs) onfocus products with import value of about USD 47 billion wasformulated to ensure low quality and harmful products do not enterthe market, it said adding customs duty was increased on 173 itemsand imports of 44 items are either prohibited or restricted. "Tendersworth Rs 40,000 crore cancelled/modified due to discriminatory andrestrictive conditions," it added. For startups, it said 80 per centrebate granted to 4,905 patent applications and 50 per cent rebatewas granted to 12,264 trademark applications on filing fee.

Tenders worth Rs 40K cancelleddue to restrictive conditions

CronJ completes security projectfor Saudi Arabia coast guard

Direct-to-home operator DishTV on Friday said it hasreceived a demand notice

from the government forpayment of Rs 4,164.05 crore,which includes licence fee andinterest. The Ministry ofInformation and Broadcasting

(MIB) through a letter dated December 24, 2020 asked the Esselgroup firm to pay the said sum towards licence fee from the periodfrom the date of issuance of DTH licence till the financial year 2018-19, the company said in a regulat-ory filing. The MIB has intimatedthat basis the accounts of the company and payment made by ittowards licence fee from the period from the date of issuance of DTHlicense till FY 2018-19, "an amount of Rs 4,164.05 crore is payableby the company and has directed the company to remit" the amountwithin a period of 15 days, the filing said.

About 45K entities to comeunder 1% cash payment

Dish TV gets notice of Rs 4,164

crores from govt for licence fee

India to become world’s 5th largesteconomy in ’25, 3rd largest by 2030PNS n NEW DELHI

India, which appears to havebeen pushed back to being theworld's sixth biggest economyin 2020, will again overtake theUK to become the fifth largestin 2025 and race to the thirdspot by 2030, a think tank saidon Saturday.

India had overtaken the UKin 2019 to become the fifthlargest economy in the worldbut has been relegated to 6thspot in 2020.

"India has been knocked offcourse somewhat through theimpact of the pandemic. As aresult, after overtaking the UKin 2019, the UK overtakesIndia again in this year's fore-casts and stays ahead till 2024before India takes over again,"the Centre for Economics andBusiness Research (CEBR) saidin an annual report publishedon Saturday.

The UK appears to haveovertaken India again during2020 as a result of the weaknessof the rupee, it said.

The CEBR forecasts that theIndian economy will expand by9 per cent in 2021 and by 7 percent in 2022.

"Growth will naturally slow

as India becomes more eco-nomically developed, with theannual GDP growth expectedto sink to 5.8 per cent in2035."

"This growth trajectory willsee India become the world'sthird largest economy by 2030,overtaking the UK in 2025,Germany in 2027 and Japan in2030," it said.

The UK-based think tankforecast that China will in2028 overtake the US tobecome the world's biggesteconomy, five years earlierthan previously estimated dueto the contrasting recoveries ofthe two countries from theCOVID-19 pandemic.

Japan would remain the

world's third-biggest economy,in dollar terms, until the early2030s when it would be over-taken by India, pushingGermany down from fourth tofifth.

The CEBR said India's econ-omy had been losing momen-tum even ahead of the shockdelivered by the COVID-19crisis.

The rate of GDP growthsank to a more than ten-yearlow of 4.2 per cent in 2019,down from 6.1 per cent theprevious year and around halfthe 8.3 per cent growth raterecorded in 2016.

"Slowing growth has been aconsequence of a confluence offactors including fragility in the

banking system, adjustmentto reforms and a decelerationof global trade," it said.

The COVID-19 pandemic,the think tank said, has been ahuman and an economic cat-astrophe for India, with morethan 140,000 deaths recordedas of the middle of December.

While this is the highestdeath toll outside of the US inabsolute terms, it equates toaround 10 deaths per 100,000,which is a significantly lowerfigure than has been seen inmuch of Europe and theAmericas.

"GDP in Q2 (April-June)2020 was 23.9 per cent belowits 2019 level, indicating thatnearly a quarter of the coun-try's economic activity waswiped out by the drying up ofglobal demand and the collapseof domestic demand thataccompanied the series of strictnational lockdowns," it said.

As restrictions were gradu-ally lifted, many parts of theeconomy were able to springback into action, although out-put remains well below pre-pandemic levels.

An important driver ofIndia's economic recovery thusfar has been the agricultural

sector, which has been buoyedby a bountiful harvest.

"The pace of the economicrecovery will be inextricablylinked to the development ofthe COVID-19 pandemic, bothdomestically and internation-ally," it said.

As the manufacturer of themajority of the world's vaccinesand with a 42-year-old vacci-nation programme that targets55 million people each year,India is better placed thanmany other developing coun-tries to roll out the vaccinessuccessfully and efficiently nextyear.

"In the medium to longterm, reforms such as the 2016demonetisation and morerecently the controversialefforts to liberalise the agricul-tural sector can deliver eco-nomic benefits," the think tanksaid.

However, with the majorityof the Indian workforceemployed in the agriculturalsector, the reform processrequires a delicate and gradualapproach that balances theneed for longer-term efficien-cy gains with the need to sup-port incomes in the short-term.

Centre, states need to continue withcounter-cyclical fiscal measures: RBIPNS n MUMBAI

The Centre and state govern-ments need to continue withthe counter-cyclical fiscal mea-sures to sustain the momen-tum of economic growthwhich went through a roughpatch following the outbreak ofthe coronavirus pandemic,according to an RBI article.

"Capital expenditure, whichcollapsed in H1:2020-21, willneed to be scaled up as a pri-ority. Public investment inhealthcare, social housing,education and environmentalprotection is the need of thehour to build a more resilientand inclusive economy," saidthe RBI article on 'GovernmentFinances 2020-21:A Half-Yearly Review'.

The governments, it added,will have to effectively balancebetween continued fiscal sup-port for the fragile recoveryprocess and addressing themedium-term debt-deficitimbalances, while ensuringgood housekeeping and ade-quate transparency in the fis-cal reporting.

The economic growthdipped by 23.9 per cent in thefirst quarter of the currentfinancial year on account of theimpact of the coronavirus pan-demic. The contraction, how-ever, narrowed to 7.5 per cent

in the second quarter andgrowth is expected to turn pos-itive in the third quarter.

"Notwithstanding the severeimpact of COVID-19 on gov-ernment finances alreadyrealised in H1, it is imperativefor Centre and states to contin-ue with the counter-cyclical fis-cal measures to sustain themomentum of the recovery,"the article said.

The paper noted that GrossFiscal Deficit (GFD) for theUnion Government in 2020-21crossed 100 per cent of thebudgeted amount by the fourthmonth of the financial year(July 2020), and stood at 119.7per cent of the budgetedamount by October 2020.

For states, H1:2020-21 GFDstood at 58.4 per cent of bud-geted amount, significantlyhigher than the 35-40 per cent

observed in a normal year.With deterioration in fiscal

balances at both levels of gov-ernment, the combined GFD(centre plus states) in H1:2020-21 stood at 85.9 per cent of BE,significantly higher than 70 percent in H1:2019-20, said thearticle authored by RahulAgarwal, Ipsita Padhi,Sudhanshu Goyal, SamirRanjan Behera and SangitaMisra in the Fiscal Division ofDepartment of Economic andPolicy Research (DEPR), RBI.

The RBI said the viewsexpressed in the article arethose of the authors and do notnecessarily reflect the views ofthe central bank. As per thearticle, the build-up of com-bined fiscal deficit in H1:2020-21 is sharper, but attributablemostly to the developments inthe first quarter.

Funding renewable energy sector: India to bank on innovative waysPTI n NEW DELHI

India will look to be moreinnovative in its approach togarner additional investmentsworth Rs 1.75 lakh crore forhaving 35 GW of renewablepower generation capacity nextyear to meet the ambitious tar-get of 175 GW of clean energycapacity by 2022.

At present, the country hasa total installed renewableenergy capacity of 90 GW.This includes 39 GW of windand 37 GW of solar generationcapacity.

Around 50 GW of renewableenergy capacity is under con-struction and there is also astrong pipeline of 30 GW fornew bids.

"There is a fund requirementof Rs 1.75 lakh crore to achievethe balance capacity of 35 GW(under bidding/ to be bid out/auctioned) to achieve an over-all target of 175 GW," DirectorGeneral of Solar PowerDevelopers AssociationShekhar Dutt told PTI.

He also said that implemen-tation of renewable projectsand innovation in tenderingthem to attract investors wouldplay a key role in 2021.

According to him, Indianeeds to design innovative ten-ders with the inclusion of wind,solar and energy storage toensure that renewable canreplace fossil fuels to a greatextent.

This year has been challeng-ing for the renewable energysector but the industry hasbeen able to withstand the cri-sis caused by the pandemicwith support of the govern-ment.

Moreover, confidence ofinvestors in the sector hassoared further as was evidentfrom solar power tariff breach-ing the psychological barrier ofRs 2 per unit.

Solar power tariff dropped toan all-time low of Rs 1.99 perunit in an auction of projectsof 500 MW capacity by GujaratUrja Vikas Nigam Ltd(GUVNL) in December.

Prior to that, the tariff haddeclined to a record low of Rs2 per unit in an auction for1,070 MW projects conductedby the Solar EnergyCorporation of India (SECI) inNovember.

In July this year, solar powertariffs fell to a low of Rs 2.36per unit in an auction of 2 GWcapacities by the SECI.

Now, in order the the main-tain the momentum, the gov-ernment will have to be more

proactive and innovative toattract investors into the sector.

India had set an ambitioustarget of having 175 GW ofrenewable energy capacity by2022. This includes 100 GWfrom solar, 60 GW from wind,10 GW from biomass and 5GW from small hydro power.

Talking about the challengeof bringing required invest-ment next year to achieve the175 GW target, Union Powerand New & Renewable Energy

Minister R K Singh said, "Weare going to come out withmore innovative bids (in2021)."

He told PTI that earlierefforts of the governmenthelped to position India as themost favourite destination forinvestment, especially in theclean energy sector and it is evi-dent from USD 64 billioninvestment in renewables.

The minister also cited someexamples of round the clock,hybrid and manufacturinglinked auctions for clean ener-gy in the country.

As per the government esti-mates, the demand for domes-tically manufactured solar cellsand modules is likely to bearound 36 GW over next threeyears. In November, PrimeMinister Narendra Modi saidthere are huge renewable ener-gy deployment plans for thenext decade.

"These are likely to generatebusiness prospects of the orderof around 1.5 lakh crore rupeesor USD 20 billion per year. This

is a big opportunity to invest inIndia," Modi had said.

With the impact of COVID-19 on a gradual decline andhigher visibility of vaccineavailability, 2021 promises to bean exciting year for the renew-able sector.

As per industry estimates,the cumulative capacity of 20GW clean energy is scheduledto be commissioned, whichshows increased opportunitiesfor equipment suppliers.

Dutt said that agenciesimplementing renewable ener-gy projects are facing chal-lenges with respect to signingPower Sales Agreements (PSA)for around 16 GW with powerdistribution companies (dis-coms) and electricity procur-ers.Such a situation shows thatthe implementation of theambitious target of 175 GWwill be possible only whenthere are assured buyers forclean energy across the coun-try. Otherwise, it will not beviable to set up huge generationcapacities.

PNS n BRUSSELS

Ambassadors from theEuropean Union's 27 nationsconvened on Christmas Day tostart assessing the free tradedeal the bloc has struck withformer member Britain, a his-toric accord that takes effect injust a week.

At Friday's exceptionalmeeting, the EU delegationsasked for more time to studythe texts before sending themto lawmakers at the EuropeanParliament, according to anEU diplomat. The ambas-sadors are expected to meetagain on Monday.

British Prime Minister BorisJohnson hailed Thursday'sagreement as a “new begin-ning” for the U.K. in its rela-tionship with its Europeanneighbors.

In a Christmas message,Johnson sought to sell thedeal to a weary public afteryears of Brexit-related wran-

gling since the U.K. voted nar-rowly to leave the EU in 2016.Although the U.K. formally leftthe bloc on Jan. 31, it remainsin a transition period tied toEU rules until the end of thisyear.

Without a trade deal to setout the terms of their new rela-tionship, tariffs and otherimpediments would have beenimposed on trade between thetwo sides starting Jan. 1. Bothsides would have suffered eco-nomically from a failure tosecure a trade deal, with theBritish economy taking a big-

ger hit at least in the near-term,as it is more reliant on tradewith the EU than vice versa.

“I have a small present foranyone who may be lookingfor something to read in thatsleepy post-Christmas lunchmoment, and here it is, tidings,glad tidings of great joy,because this is a deal,” Johnsonsaid in his video message,brandishing a sheaf of papers.

“A deal to give certainty tobusiness, travelers and allinvestors in our country fromJan. 1. A deal with our friendsand partners in the EU,” hesaid.

Both sides claim the 2,000-page agreement protects theircherished goals.

Britain said it gives the U.K.control over its money, bor-ders, laws and fishing grounds.The EU says it protects theEU's single market and con-tains safeguards to ensure thatBritain does not unfairlyundercut the bloc's standards.

No time to rest: EU nationsassess Brexit trade deal with UK

PNS n MUMBAI

The country's foreignexchange reserves surged byUSD 2.563 billion to touch arecord high of USD 581.131billion in the week toDecember 18, RBI datashowed.

In the previous week, thereserves had declined by USD778 million to USD 578.568billion.

In the reporting week, theincrease in reserves was due toa rise in foreign currencyassets (FCAs), a major compo-nent of the overall reserves.

FCAs rose by USD 1.382billion to USD 537.727 billion,the Reserve Bank of India's(RBI) weekly data showed.

Expressed in dollar terms,the foreign currency assetsinclude the effect of appreci-ation or depreciation of non-US units like the euro, poundand yen held in the foreign

exchange reserves.The gold reserves increased

by USD 1.008 billion in thereporting week to USD 37.020billion in the week endedDecember 18, the datashowed.

The special drawing rights(SDRs) with the InternationalMonetary Fund (IMF) rose byUSD 12 million to USD 1.515billion.

The country's reserve posi-tion with the IMF also rose byUSD 160 million to USD4.870 billion.

Forex reserves up by$2 b to record $581 b

Foundriesdemand importduty cut on keyraw materialsPNS n KOLKATA

Hit by surging input costs, thefoundry industry in thecountry has demandedreduction of import duty forpig iron and other rawmaterials, an official said onFriday.

Prices of pig iron andother raw materials for theindustry have gone up by30-50 per cent, Institute ofIndian Foundrymen (IIF)president Vijay S Beriwalsaid.

The industry body hasalso sought subsidies onpower from the govern-ment to stay competitive inthe global markets.

"Steel prices haveincreased by 30-50 per centin the last 5-6 months andfoundry chemicals havebecome expensive by 15-20per cent," Beriwal said.

‘India, US need to be attentive to developments’PNS n NEW DELHI

India and the US will need tobe attentive to the "dangerouscurrents" in the Indo-Pacific toensure that the region contin-ues to be a zone of peace, pros-perity and pluralism, US IndiaBusiness Council presidentNisha Desai Biswal said onFriday.

Delivering the Atal BihariVajpayee memorial lecture,Biswal also said India and theUS will require to work togeth-er closely in the economicsphere to succeed and be com-petitive with the productioncapacity of China.

She said the coming daysand months will be deeplychallenging for both India and

the US as they will have todeploy a tremendous amountof attention and resources tostem the spread of COVID -19,while also deploying approvedvaccines across broad geogra-phies.

The online lecture wasorganised by the Ministry ofExternal Affairs to pay glowing

tributes to former prime min-ister Vajpayee on his 96th birthanniversary.

"We (India and the US) willneed to take bold steps torebuild our economies. And wewill need to be attentive to thedangerous currents in theIndo-Pacific to ensure that theregion continues to be a zoneof peace, prosperity and plural-ism. None of this will be easy.But working together all of itis possible," the US IndiaBusiness Council (USIBC)president said.

There have been mountingglobal concerns over China'smilitary assertiveness in theIndo-Pacific region.

Biswal, a former AssistantSecretary of State for South and

Central Asian Affairs, said thetime has come for the US andIndia to further bolster theirpartnership to realise the fullpotential of the ties, particular-ly considering the challengingsituation thrown up by thecoronavirus pandemic.

"In a world ravaged by thepandemic where businessesand communities are strug-gling to overcome the alienat-ing and isolating impact of thisvirus, when our global institu-tions are weakened and ourtraditional alliances are beingtested, the time has come forthe United States and India inpartnership to rise to their fullpotential to build the betterfuture we know is waiting forus," she said.

DLF rental arm tobuy Hines stakePNS n NEW DELHI

Realty major DLF's rentalarm DCCDL has enteredinto an agreement to acquirethe stake of US-based Hinesin a premium commercialproject in Gurugram for Rs780 crore, the company saidin a regulatory filing.

DLF Cyber CityDevelopers Ltd (DCCDL),the joint venture firm ofDLF and Singapore's sover-eign wealth fund GIC, hasentered into a securities pur-chase agreement with fundsmanaged by Hines for acqui-

sition of their stake in FairleafReal Estate, which owns andoperates 'One HorizonCenter'.

"The purchase considera-tion for this acquisition isapproximately Rs 780 crore,subject to customary closingadjustments," the companysaid in a late night filing onFriday.

Hines has around nearly52 per cent stake in the OneHorizon Centre while therest is with DCCDL. DCCDLhas the first right of refusalwith respect to acquiringHines' stake.

bugged 07HYDERABAD | SUNDAY | DECEMBER 27, 2020

DR KUSHAL BANERJEE

The provision of advice of homeo-pathic or other AYUSH systemswas and still is, conveniently,being equated to promotion of risk

increasing behaviour. The ministries ofAYUSH and of health made it clear thatall public health advice regarding preven-tion of COVID-19 was to be followed.Middle ground seemed to emerge wherecomplementary and alternative medicine(CAM) advice could be dispensed whileenforcing other measures.

Some titans of industry also felt com-fortable lending their voice to encouragethe consumption of homeopathy. Wewere keen to understand the protectiveeffect of our prophylaxis protocol.

It is disappointing that while a vaccinewas developed from scratch following thesequencing of the genomic code of a newvirus discovered just over 11 months agoand run through multi-national trialsinvolving hundreds of thousands of par-ticipants; trials involving homeopathic

drugs which have been in use for two hun-dred years and which have an impeccablesafety profile have still not been complet-ed. The difference in pace may be attrib-uted partly to the almost complete absenceof interest by homeopathic pharmaceuti-cal companies in conducting peer reviewedresearch. Running a series of expensive tri-als involving commonly available home-opathic drugs does not provide any returnon investment to these companies.

India is the torch bearer of CAM forthe world. We should not take this respon-

sibility lightly. Ayurveda is the ancientIndian system of healing, but homeopa-thy’s home has also been India for manydecades. The sheer popularity of the sys-tem amongst Indians is unparalleled.Policy makers should ensure that the allo-cation of resources to AYUSH systems isequitable and rise above a misplacedsense of patriotism.

In the context of COVID-19 and in thepractice of evidence-based medicine ingeneral, the absence of evidence is not evi-dence of absence. This adage is beingapplied to conventional medicine andignored for CAM. CAM should not bewithheld from patients who are notresponding to conventional medicine orthose who are unable to take convention-al medicines because of co-morbidities orconventional drug interactions whichpreclude its use. Most importantly, the val-ues and preferences of patients shouldalways direct our clinical decision-making,rather than our personal bias.

The writer is Consultant Homeopath, Dr KalyanBanerjee’s Clinic

Who could have thought that aninvisible virus could hold the worldto ransom? And that the trillions

of microbes inside us orchestrate our lives :literally determine who we are inside out!What we look like to how well we are!

Twenty five hundred years ago, whenHippocrates stated that: All disease beginsin the gut. He had an incredible intuition thatonly recently has been fully appreciatedbecause of new insights into the pathogen-esis of many chronic inflammatory diseases(CIDs) afflicting humankind. Until 30 yearsago, when the Human Genome Project wasstill in its planning stage, the general hypoth-esis was that genetic predisposition and expo-sure to an environmental trigger were bothnecessary and sufficient to develop CIDs,including infectious, allergic, neuroinflam-matory/neurodegenerative, autoimmunediseases, and cancer.

However, the epidemiological observa-tion showing a major surge of CIDs duringthe past four decades in the Western hemi-sphere coincident with the declining rate ofinfectious diseases was at odds with thegene/environment paradigm. This generat-ed the hygiene hypothesis supporting thenotion that we had made ourselves too cleanfor our own good and that people embrac-ing a Western lifestyle would slowly die ofCIDs instead of rapidly succumbing toinfectious diseases as still is happening indeveloping countries. (Alessio FasanoJanuary 2020)

It is now clear that the gut microbiota iscentral to the pathogenesis of immune sys-tem disorders .While multiple mechanismsare involved, the immune system clearly playsa special role. Indeed, the breakdown of thephysiological balance in gut microbial com-position leads to dysbiosis, which is then ableto enhance inflammation and to even influ-

ence gene expression. Many might be surprised to learn that

more than two-thirds of the immune systemis located in the gut. The function of this system is to try and eliminate an invader bycreating inflammation and activating anti-bodies to fight it. The immune system alsoeliminates the body’s own cells when theybecome diseased.

In order to perform these activities, thecells of the immune system need to be ableto tell friends from foes. Gut microbes againplay a central role in this: during digestion,they break down fibre into small moleculeswhich include short chain fatty acids(SCFAs). These SCFAs influence the immunefunction of the Gut and the activity of the

T cells, the informants whichhelp the body recognise friendfrom foe and decide whetheror not to attack a cell.

A disturbance in the gutmicrobiome directly affectsdiseases such as inflammato-ry bowel disease, diarrhoea andmany other digestive disor-ders. It can also be the startingpoint of several other chronicdegenerative diseases outside thegut including asthma, skin diseases,autoimmune diseases and metabolicdiseases.

Professor Sarkis Mazmanian, Professorof Microbiology at CalTech, who has stud-ied the effect of Gut microbes on health formore than a decade, points out that: The bal-ance of different bacterial species in the gutcan influence whether the immune systembecomes activated or not.

The connection between probiotics andimmunity, although well-established in thescientific circles, is not easily understood bythe common person. Decoding the role ofprobiotics in building immunity can lead togreater acceptance of these foods.

Probiotic organisms exert a directantagonist effect on harmful microbes bydecreasing their numbers, impairing theirmetabolism, and also by directly stimulat-ing our immune system. Seventy per cent ofour immune system is governed by our gut(intestines). Clearly, the gut is not just a diges-tive organ but is also the largest immuneorgan. The discourse around the health ofthe heart, liver and lungs has always beenprevalent, but thanks to the pandemic, wehave begun to take gut health more serious-ly.

The simplest way to maintain a healthygut is to ensure an adequate supply of

macronu-trients (carbs, proteins, fats) and micronu-trients (vitamins, minerals) that can supportthe cells and tissues of the immune system.Besides a wholesome balanced diet, regularconsumption of probiotics is linked to goodimmunity. The immune response reliesupon the balance of the microbes residingin the gut. Manipulating the population ofthese microbes through the consumption ofprobiotics is a sureshot way to betterimmune health. Several strains of bacteria,including the genera lactobacillus and bifi-dobacterium, have been recognised fortheir ability to suppress pathogens andbuild up resistance to infections. However,it is critical to choose a scientifically provenand established probiotic strain for this pur-pose.

The modus operandi of probiotics intheir immunity-providing avatar is variedand complex. Explained in simple terms, onreaching the intestines, the probiotic bacte-ria get into a competitive mode to oust anydisease-causing and aberrant microbes.Probiotic bacteria occupy the sites on the

intestinal cell wall wherever adhe-sion is possible such that the dis-ease-causing microbes do not getoutnumbered.

All in all, probiotics augmentour defense through antibodyproduction, increasing naturalkiller-cell activity and the process

of engulfing of foreign matter par-ticles.

Today we know that all diseasesbegin with inflammation in the gut and

that two-third of our immune systemresides here. The gut is the largest immune

organ called gut associated lymphoid tissueand produces more antibodies than anyother tissue in the body — B&T lympho-cytes . If what we eat is wrong for our gutit is wrong for immunity. And that strength-ening our gut means strengthening ourimmunity.

With 25 years of my clinical practice thisconcept has stood the test of time . The recog-nition of food sensitivities and gut health hasmade it possible for me to treat almost all dis-eases from the root including Diabetes,coronary artery disease, thyroid disorders,arthritis, asthma , psoriasis , depression toname a few.

While the pandemic has thrown upuncertainties, gloom & despair the good newsis that it has also brought with it a positiveimpact by way of being a leveller & a timewhen immunity & diet have assumedunprecedented importance.

It’s the perfect time to begin taking a deep-er dive into the gut and heal yourself to build

a resilient body.The writer is practicing clinicalnutritionist, columnist, author,

entrepreneur, researcher &welfare worker

DR PARTAP CHAUHAN

We have all heard the saying,‘Sleep is the best medicine’ butdue to our ever increasing

deadlines, especially in the work fromhome era where work never seems to stopand home has become the 24x7office, we are increasingly sac-rificing our sleep. Getting 6-8 hours of sleep every nightcan help in restoring phys-ical, mental and emotion-al health.

Along with good sleep,we also need to have a bal-anced, healthy diet andlifestyle. Ayurveda placesgreat emphasis on ahar (diet)and vihar (lifestyle). For exam-ple, you must have heard fromelders to have kadha once a day for pro-tection against Coronavirus and boostimmunity. Yoga is also known to be ben-eficial for all sorts of health problems.

What is important to understand isthat the use of alternative medicine can

make us live happier and healthier lives.And during the pandemic, if we practiceall these things, we can have improvedrespiratory efficiency, less anxiety andbetter immunity.

The reason why Ayurveda is soeffective is that it treats the actu-

al cause of the disease. Itgoes to the root of the

problem. While main-stream medicine focus-es more on treating thesymptom of the dis-ease, Ayurveda cor-rects the root cause of

the problem andimproves the overall

quality of life.So while you are regular-

ly wearing your masks andmaintaining social distancing along withwashing your hands, do not forget toinculcate the ageold practices of Ayurveda,which can help in leading a better life.

The writer is Director of Jiva Ayurveda, author,public speaker, TV personality and Ayurvedacharya

The pandemic exposed chinks in India’s healthcare sector. Till date there have been 1.47 lakh deaths in our country with the global deathsstanding at 1.74 crore. With compromised immunity, people resorted to alternate medicine and probiotics to increase their body’s

resistance to fight the Coronavirus. Yoga and exercising took the front seat as did following a healthy eating pattern. Meanwhile, countrieshave been scrambling to find a cure and an effective vaccine is in the pipeline with India starting vaccination in 2021

GO WITH YOUR GUT

Conventionally yours E F F E C T I V E S U G A R P I L L S

THE REASON WHY

AYURVEDA IS SO

EFFECTIVE IS THAT IT

TREATS THE ACTUAL

CAUSE OF THE DISEASE.

IT GOES TO THE ROOT OF

THE PROBLEM

COVIDWARRIORMASOOM REZA

NEW DELHI

A phlebotomist by profession, 35-year-old Rezawas the first person in Delhi-NCR to collect asample of a suspected Corona patient back inMarch. It wasn't as easy as it seems. Theprofession demanded him to keep a close watchon his body to check for any symptom. In thenine-month long fight against Corona, despitebeing on the forefront, Reza has come acrosspeople who didn't shy away from discriminatingagainst him, because he wore a PPE kit.

ISHIKHOSLA

THE SIMPLEST WAYTO MAINTAIN A

HEALTHY GUT IS TOENSURE AN

ADEQUATE SUPPLYOF

MACRONUTRIENTSAND

MICRONUTRIENTS.BESIDES A

WHOLESOMEBALANCED DIET,

REGULARCONSUMPTION OF

PROBIOTICS ISLINKED TO GOOD

IMMUNITY

TOTALCASES IN INDIA

HAS BREACHED THE1 CRORE MARK

According to the list put out by IMA,

at least 500 doctors have lost their lives

in the fight against COVID-19 till October

Global COVID caseload stands at7.98 crore with 4.47 crore recoveries and

17.51 lakh deaths

US is the worst-hit countrywith 1.91 crore cases

#VIRAL2 2

TEAM AGENDA DESK > NAVNEET MENDIRATTA, CONSULTING EDITOR | H LAYOUT AND DESIGN > SATISH CHANDRA JAKHMOLA, SENIOR EDITOR (CREATIVE)

NNooww yyoouu ccaann wwrriittee ttoo uuss aatt aaggeennddaappiioonneeeerr@@ggmmaaiill..ccoomm

India with its diverse cultureand religions is a melting potof customs and traditions. Vrat

or fasts are observed in almost allreligions, be it Hinduism, Jainism,Buddhism, Sikhism, Christianity,or Islam. Fasting is a spiritual actmainly performed to purify thebody and mind and acquire divineblessings.

Rohini Vrat is one of the mainfasts undertaken every month bywomen from the Jain community.Women observe Rohini vrat for along, fulfilling married life as wellas for the longevity of their hus-band’s life. Women end the fastwith the rising of the MargashirshaNakshatra. The religious textsdescribe 27 constellations, amongwhich one is the constellation ofRohini. The Rohini nakshatra riseson the 27th day of every month. Sovrat is observed once every 27 daysby the women of the Jain commu-nity when Rohini Nakshatra risesin the sky. This month, the vrat isobserved on Monday, December28. Rohini Nakshatra Begins onDecember 27, 2020, at 1:19 pm andends on December 28, 3:40 pm.

Why is Rohini Vratobserved?

Jainism advocates strict formsof spiritual practices. While saintsfollow the strict codes, the com-mon man is granted some lenien-cy in the spiritual practices fol-lowed by the Jain community.Rohini vrat helps the women inJain households observe the spiri-tual discipline in a trouble-freeway since it is usually difficult forthem to observe strict fasts. Whenwomen observe Rohini vrat, theirhusbands, and immediate familymembers too receive blessings.The fast helps to imbibe patience,self-control, and harmony withinoneself. It helps one endure alldifficulties in life and also controldesires. This helps them to culti-vate good values and understand-ing within the families. Usually,

only the women of the familyobserve Rohini Vrat, but in somehouseholds, the entire familyobserves the vrat. On Rohini vratday, the women revere BhagavanVasupujya and seek blessing forthe family. The women pray forprosperity and enrichment oftheir quality of life.

What are the benefits ofRohini Vrat?

The vrat undertaken by womenwill secure the good health andlong life of their husbands. Under-taking this fast also brings in pros-perity. Misunderstanding betweencouples is cleared and promotes aharmonious relationship withinthe family. Women can feel peaceand helps to maintain tranquillityat home.

Rohini Vrat fasting rules

The vrat can last for three, five,or seven years, continuously. Vratfor five years and five months isthe most advocated duration and

it is completed with theUdyapana. On the day of Rohinivrat, the women undertaking thefast wake up early in the morningand take a holy bath. They set thealtar in the puja room with theidol of Bhagavan Vasupujya whois one of the twenty-fourTirthankaras. Elaborate rituals arethen conducted by giving the idola bath with holy water, followedby decorating with fragrant mate-rials. Puja is performed and final-ly, the Prasad is offered. At theconclusion of the puja, the fastingprocess commences which lastsuntil the Margashirsha Nakshatrarises in the sky. Women whoobserve Rohini vrat can decide onthe duration to observe the vrat;at the end of this period, the vratshould be concluded with anappropriate udyapana, or con-cluding ritual, which may includefeeding the poor and the needy,visiting the temple of Vasupujyaand engaging in charity.

— Inputs by Click Astro

Just as every fast has an asso-ciated story, Rohini vrat alsohas a vrat katha which

should be recited while under-taking the fast. The story is asfollows:

King Madhava ofChampapura lived with hisqueen Lakshmipati, seven sonsand a daughter named Rohini.Once, the king consulted agyani (learned man) to knowabout the ideal husband for hisdaughter. The gyani said thatRohini will be married toAshoka, the prince ofHastinapur. Upon the gyani’sadvice, King Madhava organ-ised a Swayamvara in whichPrincess Rohini chose PrinceAshoka as her husband andthey were married. PrinceAshoka along with family wentto meet Sage Sricharan in theforest of Hastinapur. Ashokaconfided in the sage that hiswife remained very calm andasked the reason for her calm-

ness. The sage narrated that inancient times, there lived a kingnamed Vastupala in the citywho had a friend Dhanamitra.Dhanamitra had a daughterwho had a foul body odour andwas therefore called Durgandha.Dhanamitra was always worriedabout his daughter.

Once, Sage Amritsen visitedHastinapur and Dhanamitrawent to meet the sage alongwith his daughter to enquireabout her future. The sage stat-ed that King Bhupal who ruledin a city near Mount Girnar hada wife, Sindhumati, who wasvery proud of her beauty. Whenthe king and the queen wentout to visit the forest, they sawthe sage and the king asked hiswife to arrange for the sage’sfeast. While Sindhumati agreedto obey her husband’s order, shewas enraged within and in heranger, she served the sage a bit-ter gourd and after consumingthe food, the sage died. When

the king learned about his wife’sdeeds, he was enraged andexpelled her from the palace.Due to her evil deeds, she wasafflicted with leprosy and had toface a lot of anguish beforefinally dying. After her death,Sindhumati reached hell whereshe suffered a lot and was thenfinally born inside an animalbefore being born asDhanamitra’s daughter.

Hearing this, Dhanamitraasked for a solution to over-come this curse. The sage statedthat Durgandha should observethe Rohini fast on Rohininakshatra of every month andabstain from consuming food.She should spend time in per-forming religious worship andcharity and should perform thisfast for five years and fivemonths. Dhanamitra and hisdaughter Durgandha duly fast-ed on the day and as a result;she attained moksha andreached heaven.

Since ages, religion, philosophyand science have been trying toexplain about creator, creation,

God and Soul with umpteen theories.However clarity and completenessare not to be found in any of these.Religions do not agree with oneanother while Science has not beenconsistent with new theories beingproposed with the advancement ofresearch.

Here is a saint, the scientific saint,explaining and elucidating the longstanding chaos about the origin ofuniverse, formation of life, humanmind, atma, paramatma etc for thebenefit of human – not based on ageold scriptures and complex theoriesbut by His Divine Wisdom, in a waythat is comprehensible by human rea-soning.

Not restricting Himself to theory,He is making people experience theOmni concepts: Omnipresence,Omniscience and Omnipotence. Heis The Scientific Saint, His HolinessSri Sri Sri Guru ViswaSphoorthi –The Omnipresent, The Omniscient

and The Omnipotent."Having been with the universal

inspiration of the inventive and intu-itional mind, caused by the influenceand confluence of the sci-ence and conscience... itis my inclination ofbeing coronated asthe scientific saint"… Sri Sri Sri GuruViswaSphoorthi

Sri Sri Sri GuruViswa Sphoorthi –The ScientificSaint, is an embodi-ment of simplicity. Itwould be quite unbeliev-able, at the first glance, that He whois leading such a ‘down-to-earth’ lifein its truest sense is the genitor of themagnanimous super-humangrandeur that is experienced throughmulti-dimensional depth in His writ-ings and the mystic yet practical spir-itual performance through'Mediums'.

Guruji usually lives in solitude. Hisappearance in public is quite rare.

People who seek his divine guidanceand blessings can reach Him at spiri-tual centers known as Dhyana ManoPrasthan. Even at these centers

Guruji doesn’t arrive with Hisphysical form. He interacts

with people using a uniquedivine method referred toas ‘Medium’ Concept. A“Medium” is a personwho is under control ofGuruji’s spiritual vibra-tions. Guruji, who has

been conducting His spiri-tual activities through the

'medium' process lives at hisown residence and converses

with people who come to Him at var-ious places on different issues andproblems simultaneously. During theperiod Guruji is in ‘Medium’ nothingpersonal related to the ‘Medium’ isexposed. As long as Guruji dwells inthe ‘Medium’, the bodily changes,expressions, including modulation,are naturally of Guruji. After Gurujileaves the ‘Medium’ they resumetheir own ‘personality’ and do not

know the activities performed theirbodies before.

Also, wherever the programmesrelated to Guruji are conducted, Hisinvisible arrival is suggested by ‘redo-lence’ – a particular pleasant fra-grance. All those who assemble therecan feel and experience it. Besides,those who silently chant Guruji'smulamantra get the similar experi-ence, including Guruji’s voice andvision. Guruji also spiritually treatspatients remotely through spiritualvibration from the place of his resi-dence. All these are not written justbecause of anyone’s personal belief,figment of imagination or respect forHim. It can be confirmed with peo-ple who have got such experience atdifferent places. And YOU can expe-rience it too.

Since Guruji’s Medium perfor-mance is contemporary to our lives,there is opportunity for anybody toget proof of it personally and experi-ence it. There is no need to suspect it;nor any place for belief. Just be withno Prejudice.

THE ROHINI VRAT KATHA

This week you will get greaterrecognition at work, especiallyif you work in media andcommunication. You mightgain in lottery or even plan atrip abroad. While you may feelall pumped up with energy, trynot to be aggressive orintimidating.

Lucky colour: Red

This week, you may want to takesome time off, indulge in your

hobbies or catch up with friends.You may want to redecorate yourhome or even opt for renovation.

With your carefree attitude,abstain from dictating over

others, mainly at your workplace.

Lucky colour: Green

This is a week oftransformation as you will tryto understand things betterand make some importantchanges in life. You willcommit to your romanticpartner or deepen the bondwith your spouse. You willalso make big plans for yourfuture and strive towardsthat goal.

Lucky colour: Green

You are more focused onyour career, and want to

make big gains with yourgenuine ideas, especially in

group projects at work.You will feel drawn towards

people of authority. Youmay work harder and earn

more, but be careful ofyour rising expenditures.

Lucky colour: Yellow

You are more focused at work,pay attention to minute detailsand strive for perfection. Youwill find someone who issmitten by you and will begindating them, or take yourexisting relationship to the nextlevel. If you feel bored, trylearning about differentcultures. Lucky colour: Red

This week, you will be thecentre of attention and will

spend a lot of time andenergy enhancing your

personality and appearance.You might develop a secret

liking for someone. Youmay deal in real estate andeven acquire a new house.

Lucky colour: Blue

You will take a more practicalapproach and weigh in all

options before arriving at anyconclusion. You may work onyour appearance, but try tocontrol your expenses. You

are likely to feel moreenergetic, but have a tough

time dealing with yourpartner and children. Lucky colour: Yellow

You need to spend some'me' time, away frompeople and the spotlight,to help you rejuvenateand move ahead. You willfeel comfortable withsomeone who sharessimilar interests and willtry to build a rapport withthem as they are easy totalk to. Lucky colour: Blue

There might be somemisunderstandings and you

will try to iron out thedifferences with your

partner. You are moreambitious and work harder,

but there might be someissues with your boss or

seniors, and you may needa creative approach to settle

such disputes. Lucky colour: White

It is your time tosocialise, make shorttrips, or convey your

thoughts very easily, asyou find it easy to

communicate. Try not tosplurge on expensive

articles. You will feel veryenergetic, so try to keepyourself busy, or it might

turn into anxiety. Lucky colour: Red

You may want to go on a solo trip to a

place of different culture or some place

that offers religious solace as you seek

spiritual growth. Take the much needed

alone time so that you are back with

your best when the time is right.

Lucky colour: White

This week, you feel more comfortable athome and bond with your family, particularlywith your younger siblings. Any businessventure in the communication sector is likelyto get a boost. You might need to makesome adjustments-personally andprofessionally-to continue your relationships. Lucky colour: White

YYOOUURRWWEEEEKK

AHEAD

For good health and long life

Picking up threads from the previ-ous issue, let us first have a lookinto the construct and chemistry of

mind. For, it defines and drives throughthe functional mandate of a being. Thereare three functional tools of mind —Buddhi, Ahamkara and Manasa. Theydon’t have separate identity by them-selves. They are rather interwoven intoan integrated mechanism, all working insupport of each other.

Coming to individual attributes ofthe three, Buddhi is the faculty of dis-criminate intelligence. It lets you dispas-sionately analyse the issues in hand, andarrive at the right judgment to pick upthe right lead. But Buddhi doesn’t playout involuntarily. It has to be consciouslyinvoked by Ahamkara. With its inbuiltsense of ‘I’ consciousness, Ahamkaramandates how to go about in life. AndManasa, acting from the front acts twoways. It translates the indwelling desiretrends into action. Also, it gathers outerfield data. In both cases, Ahamkara issupposed to engage Buddhi for due dili-gence before taking any call. The irony,however, is that often Ahamkara takesthe inputs on their face value, whenManasa would react and respond on

instinctive judgment ending, which car-ries equal probability of ending up eitherway — rewarding or frustrating.

Now, coming to the chemistry ofmind. Mind takes off on the thoughtfeeds in store — the Karmic carryoverfrom the past. Mind does also respondto external promptings and influences.In both cases, Ahamkara is supposed toengage Buddhi for due diligence beforeallowing them a field play. The paradox,however, is that for those living unmind-fully, often Ahamkara takes the thoughtfeeds on their face value, when it doesn’tfeel the necessity of due diligence. It,thus, comes out that we fail to use ourempowerment tools optimally, and whenwe fail, we try to find escape in our des-tiny.

It may be pertinent to add here thatin store thought feeds in mind, precon-dition our minds. They bind you to itsinherent tendencies one is born with —desire trends, virtues and attributes, likesand dislikes, prejudices and obsessions,habits and attitudes. That restricts ourscope of vision to a limited mind-spacehaving in store only the thought feedscarried over from the past. We, thus lookat issues in hand within the scope of a

limited window frame, usually not opento look beyond for a reality check orexplore a better option available. Suchminds are seldom receptive to fresheducative inputs.

Another aspect of mind is thatunmindfully it continuously keepsbreeding thoughts, a good majority ofthem inconsequential, some of themeven negative. And mind keeps random-ly flirting with them like a monkey inthe wild, playfully jumping from onebranch of tree to the other. That furtherclutters our minds so much that it does-n’t leave scope to process an issue inhand or any fresh thought objectively,and with obvious consequences.Consequently, mind becomes so com-plexed that it can’t see simple truthslying in front. It keeps moving roundand round, but truth eludes its attention.Remember, you cognise only such thingswhere you pay attention. That makes itincumbent upon us to first come out ofthe limitations of mind, if at all wish toimprove our lot. But habits die hard.Even if you become aware of your inher-ent tendencies either through self-reflec-tion, which we are capable of, or bywhatever means, it is ordinarily difficultto come out of their bind. They involun-

tarily keep playing out. Here comes the role of a Guru. He

doesn’t play a magic wand. Having him-self addressed his limitations, andexpanded his vision, he would knowhow to lead you through towards a bet-ter tomorrow. He first makes you awareof your latent potential, which thoughimmense, remains untapped. He, thus,first encourages you to get betterempowered. The way forward is to trainyour mind to access its full landscape,where after it knows no limits, as it looksat issues in hand with an open mind,without any limitations whatsoever topick up the right lead. To make it hap-pen, the Guru first puts you through aprocess to clear off the clutters of mind.Sufficient mind-space thus becomesavailable to absorb fresh educativeinputs. Second, he make aware of yourinherent limitations and the way toaddress them. He then offers lessons inrealities of life, which when absorbed inthe deep realms of mind, finds reflectionin your usual conduct. You are thusgeared up to rewrite your own destiny.

The wwriter iis aan aastrologer, vvastu cconsultant and sspiritual ccounsellor. CConnect wwith hhim aat

Tel: 991-111-99818037273/9871037272Email: bbharatbhushanpadmadeo@gmail.com

ASTROTURFBHARAT BHUSHAN PADMADEO

Let guru be your guide

sundaymagazine

tarot 8Hyderabad, December 27, 2020

ONE IS NEVER AFRAID OF THEUNKNOWN; ONE IS AFRAID OF

THE KNOWN COMING TO AN END— JIDDU KRISHNAMURTI

Scientific Saint Guru ViswaSphoorthi

sundaymagazine

F R O M T H E I N S I D E

The internet to me iskind of like a blackhole, and I never

really go on it— Jennifer Lawrence

Hyderabad, December 27, 2020

The British had placed a legislative stampon a process they had started moresubtly decades earlier: the assault onpastoral livelihoods and commonlyheld village land, and the replacement

of such land with individual, salable plots inter-spersed with government-controlled enclaves.

From Sacred Grove to Real Estate This process, which started on the Northern

Ridge, took a long time to spread southwards;indeed, the story is still unfolding at the far reach-es of the Southern Ridge and beyond. Here, onecan find traces of older ways of life, of the “reser-vation of wood-producing land... generally con-nected with religion”, which the British foundwhen they first entered the region. The mostremarkable example of this is the sacred grove ofMangarbani. The grove technically falls inHaryana, outside the bounds of the NationalCapital Territory of Delhi (a clear- cut boundarythat owes its contours to the British). Officially itis not part of the Delhi Ridge. But it is on theAravallis, so its underlying stones and soil areidentical to those of the Ridge.

What grows out of this stony soil has amazedobservers from Delhi. Mangarbani is denselyforested, and it is full of trees that have long disap-peared from the Delhi Ridge, most notably thegraceful, hardy dhau tree. The thriving forest ispart of common lands shared by the three villagesof Mangar, Bandhwari and Baliawas, which aredominated by the Gujjar community; these vil-lages maintain Mangarbani as a sacred grove inhonor of a holy man named Gudariya Baba whoused to roam these parts.

The very existence of such a remarkableecosystem in the midst of three Gujjar settlementsneatly refutes the argument originally put forwardby Maconachie and Beadon, and still echoedtoday by some government officials and environ-mentalists: that villagers, especially those withstrong pastoral traditions, like the Gujjars, do notcare about trees, and land must be taken awayfrom them and vested in the government if it is tobe protected.

Instead, Mangarbani suggests another lesson:that the ecological behavior of pastoralists ismolded by the larger systems in which they areensconced. For example, during Mughal times,the Gujjars living close to Shahjahanabad putexcessive pressure on their commons because ofurban demands for meat and milk; meanwhile,the Gujjars of Mangarbani, much further awayfrom city influences, left a more balanced ecologi-

cal footprint. This remained the case duringBritish rule as well, despite the compulsions ofBritish land settlement efforts and despite pocketsof quarrying. But, over the past several decades,Mangarbani has increasingly been drawn into theorbit of a rapidly expanding Delhi, a trend thathas threatened the survival of the grove.

Regular readers of Delhi newspapers may befamiliar with this story. On almost a weekly basis,one reads about a new threat to the old forest. Orabout threats to people in the forest. By far themost dramatic headline came on 31 March 2014:“Birdwatchers Thrashed at Mangar Forest”.

The events described in the article are a com-bination of the disturbing, the tragic, and theabsurd, a mix that characterizes much of theDelhi region in an era of runaway growth. Thebirdwatchers were from nearby Gurgaon-not toolong ago, a sleepy farming village and now anurban hub conjoined to Delhi and filled withautomobile factories, multi-national corporateoffices, small-scale garment industries, and aseemingly endless expanse of malls. (The city wasrenamed Gurugram in 2016, a Hindu nationalistnod to the Mahabharata sage Guru Dronacharya,who supposedly lived in this area thousands ofyears ago. However, for the sake of avoidinganachronisms, I will stick with “Gurgaon”, thename that was current when the following eventstook place.)

The birders had gone to Mangarbani to spotwinged wildlife in the native forests of the grove.When the first car reached the grove, they cameupon a man who said he was the priest at thelocal temple; he wanted to know what they weredoing there. Things got a bit heated, and the priesttook out his phone and made a call. Within min-utes, a group of young men sped onto the scene ina jeep. They jumped down, armed with sticks andiron rods, and attacked the birdwatchers, a groupwhich included an elderly woman and a youngchild. The attackers fled, though, when the rest ofthe birdwatchers, another four or five carloads,arrived on the scene.

The priest was later arrested, along with someof the assailants. Now, though, they are all out onbail, as the rusty machinery of the justice systemdoes its agonizingly slow work. Many of the newsreports after the attack asserted that the priest hasplayed a central role in real estate transactions inthe area. The British may have been the first tointroduce the idea of land as a commodity in theDelhi region, but now, centuries later, the idea hasbecome common sense. It is embraced with gustoby the wide range of players that make the real

estate industry tick, a group that, apparently,includes a temple priest and his hired muscle.

Real estate is now the shadow that hovers,unavoidably, over Mangarbani and the three vil-lages that surround it. This, though, is a relativelyrecent development, and it has gained tractiondue to the changing role of the Gujjar landownersin the villages. The fact that Gujjars are the domi-nant landowners suggests that, in this area at least,they long ago made the transition from nomadictribe to settled community. Pastoralism still playsa role here, but it has long been complemented byagriculture, and it has taken place around fixedvillage settlements. And Gujjars have integratedinto a caste-based village structure, finding them-selves in a powerful position within the local hier-archy.

The complexity of the caste system is in fullview with the Gujjar community. In most states inIndia, Gujjars come under the administrative cat-egory of Other Backwards Classes (OBC), whichputs them below the traditionally “high” castes,but above Dalits (administratively: ScheduledCastes or “SC”) and tribals (Scheduled Tribes or“ST”). It also makes them eligible for a range ofreservations made available by the state. But thiscut-and-dry state-imposed category hardly gets atthe nuances and the internal differences withinGujjar communities. In some parts of India, espe-cially in the Himalayan foothills, Gujjars still live amore tribal, nomadic existence, with little integra-tion into settled caste systems; however, in othercontexts, including Mangarbani, they are not onlyintegrated, they are also the most powerful com-munity in a given village.

While OBC may, then, be a wholly inadequateway to describe Gujjars, the designation is stillvitally important, given its link to reservations. Insome cases, Gujjars have demanded a lower sta-tus, so that they have access to more state benefits.These are the exigencies of modern-day caste pol-itics. While the impulse behind reservations is adeeply progressive one-to provide support andopportunities to groups that have historically beenexploited and marginalized-their application mustdeal with the messy terrain of competing commu-nities, internal discord, and intersecting layers ofprivilege and power.

Such complex dynamics often lead to explo-sive results. In 2007, in the state of Rajasthan, agroup of Gujjars began to agitate for the inclusionof Gujjars as a Scheduled Tribe (ST), in a sense astep “down” from OBC, but one which would pro-vide them with more state support. As theprotests gained momentum, they triggered state

repression. Within a span of four days in May2007, police opened fire on four different groupsof protesters, in conflicts which left 25 Gujjars andone policeman dead.

In early June, the protest turned national, asGujjar groups from around the country descend-ed on Delhi and other major cities, includingJaipur and Ahmedabad. In a remarkable show ofcommunity strength, the protesters successfullycut off all road access to Delhi, effectivelyblockading the national capital. While the agita-tion was largely non-violent, some protesters setfire to buses and trains. For the elite of Delhi, thisdestruction of property and interruption of theireveryday life could not be countenanced. All theslurs and all the urban disdain toward Gujjars,from Babur to the British, were dredged up. Amunicipal councilor in Delhi is on the record say-ing that, for Gujjars, “killing is in their blood”.Protests continued the next year, with 38 moreGujjars shot down by police. The agitation onlystopped when the government agreed to giveGujjars reservations, not as a Scheduled Tribe, butas a Denotified Tribe-the official post-colonialterm for groups that the British had dubbedCriminal Tribes.

At the height of the agitation, protesters fromRajasthan got strong support from leaders ofGujjar-dominated villages in the Delhi region, whoboth benefit and suffer from their proximity tostate power. Their strength at the village level givesthem significant pull in local elections, but despitethat they cannot compete with the real powerplayers of the capital. Economically, too, they havebenefited from the ever-expanding markets ofDelhi, but, except in rare cases, they have notfound a place at the table of the city's elite.

The traditional ruling classes in Delhi still seeGujjar-dominated areas as a backwards hinter-land, even though, with the expansion of the capi-tal, they are often right in the midst of the urbansprawl. If not physically, they are still metaphori-cally on the edge of an urban zone that houses afar more powerful set of elites. And it is increas-ingly not just an Indian elite housed in the Indiancapital, but an international elite housed in themultinational offices and luxury high-rises ofGurgaon. This is the larger context in which theMangarbani drama has played out, as the sacredgrove is being inexorably pulled into the capital'ssphere of influence.

Excerpted from Fractured Forest, QuartziteCity by Thomas Crowley, jointly published by

SAGE Publications and Yoda Press under the Yoda-SAGE Select imprint

The Covid-19-induced lockdownhas taken a toll on everyone.

THE VERY EXISTENCE OFSUCH A REMARKABLE

ECOSYSTEM IN THEMIDST OF THREE

GUJJAR SETTLEMENTSNEATLY REFUTES THE

ARGUMENT ORIGINALLYPUT FORWARD BYMACONACHIE AND

BEADON, AND STILLECHOED TODAY BY

SOME GOVERNMENTOFFICIALS AND

ENVIRONMENTALISTS:THAT VILLAGERS,

ESPECIALLY THOSEWITH STRONG

PASTORAL TRADITIONS,LIKE THE GUJJARS, DO

NOT CARE ABOUT TREES

HYBRID HISTORIESOF MOBILE ECOLOGIES,

HYBRID HISTORIESOF MOBILE ECOLOGIES,

Fractured Forest, Quartzite City: A History of Delhi and Its Ridge by THOMAS CROWLEY tells thetale of the Ridge, which resonates far beyond the boundaries of Delhi. The Ridge offers a crucialvantage point for viewing these historical and geographical interconnections. Its trees can't beseparated from the stones below them, nor the cities that rose and fell around them. Only with thisperspective does a clear picture of the Ridge — and Delhi as a whole — emerge. An edited excerpt: Illustrations by deepani seth

Naoroji: Pioneer of Indian Nationalism is the first authenticbiography of the Grand Old Man of India that hits thebookshelves across the country 112 years after his...10 11

How about a rejuvenating jaunt?The untold story of a great life

sundaymagazine

books 10READING IS A

CONVERSATION. ALLBOOKS TALK. BUT A GOODBOOK LISTENS AS WELL

— MARK HADDON HYDERABAD, December 27, 2020

NEWARRIVALS

The Rock Babas and OtherStories is a map of humanfragilities and resilience that is

as true in the Himalayas as it is in the stateof Georgia. An ageing tycoon, TakahashiWatanabe, donates his fortune to charitywhen faced with a terminal illness, in anattempt to reconnect with his estrangeddaughter. Special Agent Jackson Holder, anAfrican-American agent of the GeorgiaBureau of Investigation overcomes racialbiases to crack a homicide with domestichate crimes undertones. Swiss HotelierHelmut Kauffman’s transforms under thetutelage of the eponymous ‘rock babas’, agroup of monks playing rock and roll andliving high up in the Himalayas. A deposeddictator in prison reflects on his life andtimes. Thought-provoking and mystic,profound and light of touch, caustic andcomic, Ameya Prabhu’s sparkling debut isan ode to the challenges life throws up andto the people who rise up to meet them.

THE ROCK BABAS

AND OTHER STORIES Ameya PrabhuWestland, `399

It is said that history is written byvictors. This is a refrain which someattribute to Winston Churchill.Though there are disagreementsover who the author of this dictum

is, it has been stated by many historians,archaeologists and philosophers that thepower and mighty decide and manufac-ture history to suit their convenience.Hence robbers and dacoits get elevated asfreedom fighters and great warriors.

India is a victim of manufactured his-tory. Our political masters decided whatthe countrymen should and shouldn’tlearn as history. Much has been writtenby S L Bhyrappa about the manufacturedhistory from his personal experience. TheKarnataka scholar has written a trueaccount of how late G Parthasarathi, theadvisor to former Prime Minister IndiraGandhi played a pivotal role in gettingthe Indian history re-written to suit thepolitical convenience of his master.

Sir Henri Miers Elliot, English civilservant and historian who authored TheHistory of India, As Told by Its OwnHistorians has stated frankly that hisobjective while writing history was to“make the native subjects of British Indiamore sensible of the immense advantagesaccruing to them under the mildness andequity of the present rule”. Hence, he hadquoted only those portions from Persianand Arabic works which make theIndians feel that they were better servedby their colonial masters.

This has been reproduced by Dr K MMunshi, former union minister andfounder of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, in hisforeword to The History And Culture ofthe Indian People, the 11-volume series ofthe sub-continent’s story edited by thelegendary R C Majumdar. The patternwas blindly followed by the brown sahibswho manipulated and mis-interpretedfacts and documentary evidences to writehistory as per their whims and fancies.The result? Many fighters who foughtfrom the frontline battles againstinvaders, colonial masters and thugs whorobbed India of its spiritual and material-istic wealth ended up as unsung heroesand non-entities.

History students feigned ignorancewhen asked about Shivji Maharaj, TatiaToppe and Chapekar Brothers of Punewhose names evoked respect, adorationand admiration throughout the sub-con-tinent. Damodarpant Chapekar of Poonadid not think twice before eliminatingWalter Charles Rand, the special plaguecommissioner in Poona on June 22, 1897when all pleas by the citizens to save

them from the pandemic fell on deaf ears.Thousands perished in this pandemicwhich could have been averted had theBritish administrators showed some con-cern for Indian lives. This was the periodbefore the advent of MohandasKaramchand Gandhi, Vallabhbhai Patel,Jawaharlal Nehru, Subash Chandra Boseetc into the arean of the freedom move-ment. This was the era when the EastIndia Company and the British colonialmasters swindled India bare.

The shining star who led India’s questfor freedom from British exploitation andcoined the term self-rule too died unsung— Dadabhai Naoroji (1825-1917). Otherthan unofficially honoring him with thetitle ‘The Grand Old Man of India’, themotherland is yet to give due recognitionto this great son of the sub-continent whoresembled a commander-in-chief of theIndian freedom movement while strate-gising and devising ways and means toliberate India from the shackles of slaverywithout shedding a drop of blood or sac-rificing the lives of innocent agitators.

The sub-continent was blessed with a

galaxy of stars like Dadabhai Naoroji,Gopal Krishna Gokhale (1866-1915) BalGangadhar Tilak (1856-1920), ChetturSankaran Nair (1857-1934) who stood forliberating the country from the colonialmasters using intellectual prowess andknowledge. There is a common threadwhich united these personalities whostruggled for their objective beforeGandhi and Nehru entered the scene.Their motto was to educate the masses,especially women, and take on the Britishfrom a position of bargaining powerwithout giving them an option to bossover the Indians.

While we have sufficient literatureabout Gokhale and Tilak, there wasn’tmuch known published works on the lifeand times of Dadabhai Naoroji, born in apoor Parsi family in Gujarat and went onto emerge as a unifying force of theIndian National Congress in its Calcuttasession in 1906. Had it not been Naoroji,the Congress would have split verticallyin that session and subsequent the partywould have disintegrated into factionsand fractions.

It was Naoroji who set the IndianIndependent Movement in motion bytelling the world about the unashamedrobbery committed by the British mas-ters. Angus Maddison, the British econo-mist who specialised in quantitativemacro economic history found that Indiaand China were the world leaders, con-tributing more than 40 per cent share tothe global GDP before the Mughals andBritishers annexed the country.Maddison’s finding was sometime in 2006as part of a project he undertook for theOECD and European Union.

But Naoroji had established throughhis research between 1867 and 1880 thatIndian poverty and pestilence were thefall outs of the drain of wealth from Indiaby the “European leeches”. He took thefighting straight to the lion’s den —Britain. The white men had no answer tothe claims by the Parsi gentleman fromBombay. The story of Naoroji’s life andtimes has been retold in an immaculatestyle by Dinyar Patel, an Indian-born his-torian working as an assistant professor atthe University of South Carolina.

Naoroji: Pioneer of IndianNationalism authored by Patel is the firstauthentic biography of the Grand OldMan of India and it hits the bookshelvesacross the country 112 years after thedemise of the protagonist. Dinyar Patelhas done an excellent job in presenting tothe new generation of Indians the periodin which Naoroji lived and the challengeshe had to face.

Between the late 1860s and the early1880s, he produced a prodigious amountof literature — containing extensive cal-culations, international comparisons,compilations of historical evidence andrefutations of government pronounce-ments and statistics — highlighting thestark impoverishment of Britain’s Indiansubjects. Significantly, he established adirect link between poverty and Britishrule. “So far as my inquiries go at present,the conclusion I draw is that wherever theEast India Company acquired territory,impoverishment followed their steps”,argued Naoroji.

Naoroji famously contended that thedrain of wealth, whereby as much as one-

fourth of the annual tax revenue raised inIndia, went into British coffers ratherthan being reinvested in the country.

This inference was not based onGovernment statistics. It was arrived at bythe young students of Bombay’sElphinstone College, the topmost of thembeing Dadabhai Naoroji, who occupiesthe numero uno place in the list of theCollege’s Distinguished Alumni. It wasthe education which he received fromElphinstone College which helped him tounderstand the truth that the provincesthat had employed Indian bureaucratswere buffered from drain of wealth andwere economically more robust thanBritish India.

For Naoroji, national educationmeant mass public education. He dreamtof an India that was developed, progres-sive and prosperous as France which hevisited in 1855 during his trip to the UK.

Patel’s book reads like the script of afilm and he creates right in front of us aperiod in India, uncorrupted by digitaltechnology and greed. It is an era of inno-cence and love the theme of which wasManav Seva Madhav Seva.

Naoroji: Pioneer of Indian Nationalism is the first authentic biography of the Grand Old Man of Indiathat hits the bookshelves across the country 112 years after his death, writes KUMAR CHELLAPPAN

NAOROJI: PIONEER OF

INDIAN NATIONALISM

Dinyar PatelHarvard, `699

The untold story of a great life

As a mathematicalphysicist andresearcher in gen-eral relativity andcosmology, initial-

ly I was bit annoyed with thevery title of this book, and Ithought that Mitra was brag-ging, there could never beanything like a “fall” of theblack hole paradigm. But as Ifinished through the book, Irealised that even if we com-pletely ignore the peerreviewed research by Mitraand his few American col-leagues: The black hole para-digm has always been contro-versial as apart from AlbertEinstein, almost two dozengeneral relativists who haveargued that true mathemati-cal black holes should notoccur even within the contextof classical general relativity.

I was not aware that wayback in 1969, the noted Frenchrelativist Luis Bel had shownthat a true mathematical blackhole, assumed to be a sphere,should actually behave like apoint implying that its mass-energy is E=Mc2 =0. If this istrue, the black hole paradigmcertainly fell right in 1969 eventhough we mathematical physi-cists cannot accept such a trag-ic climb down. I was alsounaware of a 1988 researchpaper by two famed Indian rel-ativists Jayant Narlikar andThanu Padmanabhan in whichthey had argued that the“problems related to the source(black holes) could be avoidedif the event horizon did notform and that the universe

only contained quasi-blackholes.”

Mitra goes at great lengthsto explain what these “quasi-black holes” could be. For mostof the practical purposes, theypretend like true black holesand we certainly cannot ruleout the fact the Event HorizonTelescope detected the shadowof a black hole pretender andnot the same of a true blackhole possessing an event hori-zon.

I also learnt that post theresearch of Mitra, in the pasttwo decades, innumerable the-oretical physicists have arguedthat the formation of trueblack holes may be inhibitedby some quantum mechanical

or quantum gravity effects; andthe black hole mimickers couldresult from such unknownmysterious quantum gravityeffects. Mitra exerts that thereis not a single research paperwhich has ever shown howmassive stars composed of pro-tons , neutrons, electrons andradiation can turn into anExotic Compact Object com-prising negative pressure darkenergy bubble or seething ballof elementary strings.

On the other hand, Mitraemphasises that if formation oftrue black holes must be pre-vented, it must be due to somewell known generic effectwhich can be equally effectiveand inevitable for incipient

black hole mimickers havingeven billions of solar masses.And the only such knowngeneric effect is that, all kindsof light, heat and radiationmust get trapped by the rapidlyincreasing gravity of the col-lapsing star as it would beabout to become a true blackhole. Mitra then argues thatthe outward radiation pressureof the trapped radiation mustcounteract the inward pull ofgravity, and the massive starshoul turn into a quasi-staticball of fire supported entirelyby its radiation pressure.Though this ball of fire isalmost as compact as a mathe-matical black hole, it has noevent horizon and hence keeps

on leaking bit of radiation. Inthis sense, this ultra-hot ball ofradiation should keep on con-tracting eternally in order toachieve true black hole stateE=Mc2 =0 suggested by theBel’s 1969 paper. Mitra nick-named such an ever contract-ing ball of fire as EternallyCollapsing Object (ECO). As amathematical physicist, I donot understand all the finerpoints of this narrative but Irely on the fact the relevantpapers have been published inreputed journals like PhysicalReview (D), New Astronomy,Monthly Notices RoyalAstronomical Society ,andMonthly Notices RoyalAstronomical Society Letters.

Mitra and his Americancolleagues have argued thatECOs must be strongly magne-tized and should beMagnetospheric ECOs orMECOS. It is heartening to seethat, in 2006, Center forAstrophysics, Harvard, issued along Press Release on aresearch claiming that the so-called black hole at the heart ofa famous quasar should be aMECO. This press releaseadmitted that the concept ofMECO can be traced to theidea of ECO developed by theIndian astrophysicist AbhasMitra in 1998. While as anIndian, I feel proud to see thatan ivy league press release isrelated to an idea developed bya lone Indian battling innu-merable odds both within hisinstitution and outside world,my heart bled when I read thatCfA later removed its ownpress release later for reasonsbest known to them.

This book not only dis-cusses several critical issues onastrophysics and general rela-tivity in a layman’s language,but also reveals several anec-dotes on scientific intoleranceand herd mentality which tryto ostracise a minion non-influential researcher whorefuses to sing the mainstreamnarrative. A must read for notonly students of physics butalso for all professional astro-physicists and general rela-tivists.

The reviewer is a professorin the Department of

Mathematics, GauhatiUniversity, India

De-mystifying the black hole paradigm

THE RISE AND FALL OF THE

BLACK HOLE PARADIGM

Abhas Mitra

Macmillan, `599

Sivagami’s missteps have onlydeepened her determination tofulfil her father’s wish andstop the despicable activities at Gauriparvat.And so she battles on. Unknown to her,however, Maharaja Somadeva’s challengershave begun to close in on the king, andSivagami finds herself suddenly at adisadvantage. With a player like Somadeva,though, the biggest mistake you can makeis to not immediately checkmate anddestroy. The game of chaturanga is notquite over. As Sivagami takes on thekingdom’s enemies, guided by Somadeva,she finds in her own manoeuvres an echoof the man she has always detested. In herjourney to becoming the queen, Sivagamimust choose between love and ambition,principles and deviousness, selflessnessand envy. What does she hold on to?

QUEEN OF

MAHISHMATHI Anand Neelakantan

Westland, `499

Annie Besant with an aged Dadabhai Naoroji at his house in Versova in 1915

Mitra’s book discusses critical issues on astrophysics and general relativity in layman'slanguage, as also shares anecdotes on scientific intolerance, writes Dr Kanika Das

HYDERABAD | SUNDAY | DECEMBER 27, 2020 In focus 11

Bored withbeing coopedup at home orsuffering fromFOMO? Feellike escaping

to some place,where you can

be sure of avitalising

break? SundayPioneer's

K RAMYA

SREE enlistsweekendgetaways

where you canhave your

wishesfulfilled and

get back homethe same day.

he Covid-19-inducedlockdown has taken atoll on everyone.Shrewd ones amongus have explored and

discovered untapped skillswithin us, during the whale ofa time we had during thelockdown. Having gonethrough Covid scare, workstress, anxiety linked toprolonged stay indoors, manymillennials want to escapefrom the hustle-bustle at leastfor one day to reconnect withthemselves.

People who do not have in-

depth knowledge of the richhistory of Telangana in generaland Hyderabad in particularmay think that there is hardlyanything to explore aroundHyderabad. Fortunately, thestate government is going all-out to give facelift to less-known, but enchanting touristspots in Telangana. There areumpteen spots to which onecan go from Hyderabad,unwind in Nature's lap, andreturn home rejuvenated thesame day. Be it treating yourloved one with a romanticweekend getaway or aninvigorating trek with friends,here is a list of some of theplaces near Hyderabad to de-stress and rejuvenate oneself:all in one day!

RACHAKONDA FORT:

Rachakonda Fort is anenchanting place to trek. It issecluded from even thesurrounding villages. Many callit ‘a hidden gem’! The history of

the Rachakonda Fort isintricately woven with thehistory of the Velamarulers. The fort gives abreathtaking view of theentire city, particularlywhen you take thevantage point at the fort’ssouth-east corner. Theuniqueness of this fort liesin its construction. It hasbeen built without usingany mortar in cyclopeanmasonry. The fort is alsoadorned with beams andlintels with ornate rock-cut walls. These rocks areabout 2.5 million yearsold. Every inch of this fortprovides plenty of foodfor thought for thosesteeped in history. A trekin this spot will take you

through plenty of gateways,underpasses, inscriptions andgive you an inkling of the

medieval Hindu town planningand architecture, apart fromunending views of the valley.Once you trek to the top, enjoythe lush green shrubs around thefort. Just feel the mesmerisingbreeze at the top. The best timeto start your trek will be in themorning or before noon. Thiswill ensure you are back downbefore dusk. It takes easily about2-2.5 hours overall to completethe trek. However, if you want tocatch the sunset, you can alwaysstart early in the afternoon andreturn before dark.

HOW TO REACH:

If you plan to drive toRachakonda from Hyderabad, itwill take you roughly around 1.5hours to reach the Galib SahebDargah. Rachakonda is situated64 km from Nalgonda and is wellaccessible by road.

Distance from Hyderabad:56.5 km

KondapochammaReservoir

Everyone knows Shamirpetlake. If you travel about 15 kmfrom Shamirpet, you can find thepicturesque KodapochammaSagar Reservoir. Ever since itsambience came into limelight, theplace has been attracting legionsof young and old alike. The spot,located around 50 km fromHyderabad, offers a breath-takingview. It is also a perfect locationto picnic with your family. Theview from there seems like it isstraight out of a dream, nowhereclose to the concrete city. Withlush greenery on the one side andpristine blue water body on theother, this place is just the sightone needs to beat monotony.

How to reach: This place islocated 50 km from Hyderabad.It can be reached both on a two-wheeler and a four-wheeler andthe drive is quite smooth andeffortless.

Gottam gota or GottamGutta:

Located on the Telangana-Karnataka border, 120 km fromHyderabad, this is a paradise fortrekking and camping. It is abeautiful, wooded area whereeveryone would love to camp andenjoy a night of adventure withall your friends. It is as if MotherNature is there to meet yourdemands for excitement and shesmiles at you positively when shemakes you happy. The touristlocation is set amidst thick greentrees and the natural beautymakes it an ideal place for hikers

and adventurers. The forests area privileged destination fortourists looking to spend timein the lap of nature. There arehistoric temples nearby.Amidst the amazingbackwaters of the

Chandrampalli Dam builton the Bhima River,this place is a naturalbeauty, whichcalls for a visit.

How toreach: It is120 kmfrom

Hyderabad.Can be reachedvia Zaheerabad,followed byChandrapalli. It is 25km from Zaheerabad and7 km from Chandrapalli.

Osman Sagar lake:

Osman Sagar, also calledGandipet, is an excellent picnicspot, located on the outskirts ofHyderabad. Osman Sagar is abeautiful lake, located 20 km westof Hyderabad. The lake has anabutting bund with lush gardens,which provide an ideal ambiencefor an outing. It also houses aheritage building, Sagar Mahal,which was built as a resort by theHyderabad Nizam. It was latertransformed into a lake resort bythe Department of Tourism. TheGandipet lake beckonsholidaymakers all over the yearfrom all corners of the twin cities.The cool breeze and soothingambiance add to the sereneenvironment. Sprawling gardenswith colorful flora, vegetation, andtrees towards the dam’s lowersides make the place trulypicturesque. The lake also offersboating facilities to visitorslooking forward to a pleasantride.

How to reach: Osman Sagarlake is accessible by road atnearly 30 km from Hyderabad.

Bhongir Fort:

Many of India’s heritagestructures have lost their charmin course of time due toelements; yet, to this day, theyrepresent magnificent pieces ofarchitecture. The Bhongir Fortin Nalgonda district ofTelangana is one such structure.It is a massive, impregnablestructure erected by Chalukyaruler TribhuvanamallaVikramaditya VI, and is tracedback to the 10th century. At thehighest point, the Bhongir Fort

offers a breathtaking panoramicview of the entire region. Visitorscan find an impressive collectionof armories, stables, trap doors,and other tools of historicalinterest. Special trekking tours toascend the fort are addedattractions.

How to reach: The Bhongirfort in the Nalgonda districtof Telangana is at nearly35 km Hyderabad andis well accessible byroad and train.

SingurDam

The

SingurDam,constructedacross theManjeera River, isamong the mostfavorite places for aone-day trip fromHyderabad. The deep watersof the reservoir are home toabout 1,000 crocodiles. The damprovides water to Hyderabad andSecunderabad and is a source ofhydro-electricity power. Itattracts many migratory birds inwinter. The lush greenery aroundthe dam is a delight for naturelovers and bird watchers.

How to reach: It is 92 kmHyderabad and is accessible byroad from Sangareddy in Medak

district.Things to do: Nature,

sightseeing.Besides, if you are a heritage

buff or enjoyworship in arusticambience,youhave

places like Chilkur BalajiTemple, Sanghi Temple,

Keesara Gutta, Sri RamaChandra Temple, Yadagirigutta,Jain Temple, Kolanupaka, MedakChurch, all distanced below 100km from Hyderabad.

So, what are you waiting for?Pickup your trekking shoes,pack your bags, and get ready tobe lost in Nature this weekend.

(With inputs from Telangana Tourism)

TheNagarj

una Sagar Dam,India's second-

largest reservoir withthe tallest and the largest

dam in the world, is one ofthe most picturesque places

near Hyderabad. It has been so formany decades now and will continue

to be so for generations to come.It is not just the dam that holds your

attention here, but also the lush greenlandscape around it. Tourists flock

to this dam for boating, fishing,and photography. The sunset

here is sure to give yousome Instagram-

worthy pictures.You can see

excavatedancient

Buddhistsites nearthe dam andthe NagarjunaHill nestled in anisland amid thereservoir. There are severalwaterfalls in the area that add to thebeauty of the place and one suchwaterfall that you must visit is theEthipothala Waterfalls. This waterfall is at asmall distance of 15 km from NagarjunaSagar and offers a breathtaking view of clearwater cascading down from a height of 70feet. If you are a nature lover and a wildlifeenthusiast, you must head to the NagarjunaSagar Wildlife Sanctuary, which is a tigerreserve. You would be able to spot severalrare species of plants, animals, andbirds here, while observing theirbehavior in their natural habitat.

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How to reach:There are two ways of reaching this damfrom Hyderabad. One route takes youthrough Nalgonda and the other takes youthrough Devarakonda, the latter being abeautiful pit-stop worth a stopover.

DISTANCE FROM HYDERABAD: 153 KM

Located at about 90 km from Hyderabad City,Ananthagiri Hills is a popular destination for

trekking and for those who love adventure. Ancientcaves, medieval forts-like structures and ancient

temple give one an idea of the rich history of the area.Visitors rate it as one of the most beautiful places fora weekend getaway from Hyderabad. The road is in

good condition and takes you into dense forests withbeautiful trees and streams all along the way. Near

the lighthouse, if you take a 2 km diversion, you canreach the topmost point in the Vikarabad region,

which offers an excellent viewpoint. A trip toVikarabad on a cloudy day with a little drizzle is

simply an unforgettable experience and it is a poorman's Ooty in summer. Do not forget to make a halt

at the picturesque Sunflower Garden en route. How to reach: Ananthagiri Hills are easily accessible

road, located nearly 90 km away from Hyd.

At 3.5 km from Nagasanpally, 19 km from Medak Bus Station, and 110 kmfrom Hyderabad, the shrine of Sri Edupayala Vana Durga Bhavani is located

near Nagasanpally in Medak district of Telangana. This is one of the popularpilgrimage sites to visit around Medak and Hyderabad and one of the famousone-day trips near Hyderabad. Built in the 12th century, the Edupayalu templeis one of the most famous and powerful temples in Telangana. RiverManjeera, flowing as seven streams, confluence at this place. The nearesttown, Medak, is mere 8 kilometers away. Most tourists who visit Edupayala,go to the temple first, reach Medak, and then continue towards Edupayala.How to reach: Edupayala has good road connectivity. You can easily drive herefrom anywhere in the state. Medak is close to this location and is connected tothe rest of the state through bus facilities. You can first reach Medak and thentake a bus to Edupayala, if you do not have a personal vehicle or a hired car.

Edupayala Vana

Durga Bhavani

Temple

Kondapochamma

Reservoir

Trek at

Rachakonda Fort

Ananthagiri

Hills

This place is a must-visit if you love picnics by the lakeside. You can sit under shades oftall trees and enjoy your meal first, and then walk a bit on the dam or dip your feet in

the water. You can carry your barbeque equipment with you, grill meat, and enjoy theyummy food, lost in nature. There is a wildlife sanctuary near the dam, which is

surrounded by lush green forest. The place has rich flora and fauna, attractingwinged visitors such as Brahminy Bucks, Bar-Headed Goose, and Open Billed

Stork. The sanctuary is home to animals like Wild Dog, Leopard, Wolf,Jackal, Forest Cat, Sloth Bear, Sambar, Nilgai, Chinkara, Chital, and

four-horned Antelope. History and architecture lovers can stopby the Medak Fort, which is now abandoned. If you like

to get a good view of Medak, you should getto the top of the fort too.

Pocharam

Dam

Howto reach: It is

well accessible byroad from Medak, nearly15 km away and around

110 km fromHyderabad.

T

A PROUD FATHER…

I married Vanitha, a distant relativeof mine in 1985. She is a home-maker. Our son, Sankalp, wasborn on December 26. He shareshis birthday with Mao Zedong.Mao changed the life of 1.5 billionpeople; I hope and wish my sonmakes a positive difference to 1.5million people. I am a friendlyfather, I gave him freedom whileraising him to be focussed. Hehas fairly good academic career.After graduating in ComputerScience and Engineering fromBITS Pilani, he joined theUniversity of Columbia in NewYork. He was working forBloomberg in New York inQuintech area but quit andwent to join Harvard BusinessSchool. He’s now working for atech strategy consultancy. I ama proud father!

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HYDERABAD | SUNDAY | DECEMBER 27, 2020

From not knowing the difference between IFS, IAS and IPS to even what a

newspaper is, S Narsing Rao has come a long way to become the principal

secretary to Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. While he credits

his success to unbridled curiosity, focus and determination, he humbly fails to

mention his acute intelligence, his excellent grasp of Chemistry and, above all,

his drive to do well. Narsing Rao is described as ‘gutsy’ for his spontaneous and

bold decisions, and it was one such decision that drove him to Civil service.

From Singareni to ITDA project, he has excelled in every responsibility,

including the ones thrust on him. Hailing from an agricultural family, Narsing

Rao’s journey is a true roller-coaster ride. In a first, he speaks to The Pioneer’s

K RAMYA SREE about his childhood, education, agriculture, weathering the

storm of State formation and everything in between.

A GUTSY,

SELF-MADE

OFFICER

WANTED TO

EXCEL IN

CHEMISTRY…

My mother always

wanted me to become a

teacher. One of my

cousin was a primary school

teacher. He used to take care of

farm work and manage his job as

well. She wanted me to do the

same, but she wanted me to

become a high school teacher. She

also didn’t want me to go to

Hyderabad for higher studies as

she felt I might fall into bad com-

pany. She insisted I go to

Sangareddy for my

Intermediate. I would stay

home for a few months

and attend college for

a few months as I

had to take care of

farming as well. I

joined a college in

Jogipet for BSc. I

became serious

about education

only after my UG.

I defied my

mother for the

first time by opt-

ing for a Masters

instead of

becoming a

teacher. I took

admission in

Osmania

University for

MSc Chemistry.

My dream was

to do something

in the field of

Chemistry, some-

thing respectable.

NOT READING

NEWSPAPERS…

You’ll be sur-

prised to know I

didn’t even know

the difference

between tennis and

table tennis nor had I

ever read a newspaper.

After my Class X results

were declared, I went to

my school, and asked the

son of one of my teachers if

I had passed. He said yes.

When I asked him how he

knew, he said they were pub-

lished in the Indian Express. I

had no idea that a newspaper

called Indian Express existed!

In Sangareddy, I started going

to the information centres to

read newspapers out of curiosi-

ty. Until +2, I had never touched

a newspaper.

THE ROAD TO

CIVIL SERVICE...

During my PG, I went to the

room of one of my friends in the

college hostel. My friend’s room-

mate was preparing for Civil

Services. One look at the books

spread all over triggered my

curiosity and I ended my dream of

doing Phd overseas. I saw a test

paper and I could answer a few

questions. I decided to try for

Civil Services. I went to Koti and

purchased all the books I could,

not even knowing what an aspi-

rant should study. Even the shop-

keeper took pity at my confusion

and innocence. During my second

year, more than attending classes,

I would sit and study for Civils. I

first applied for State Forest

Service, later IAS. Surprisingly, I

cleared my prelims and then the

fitness test. Everybody was

thrilled. I cleared my UPSC exam

too.

FROM STATE FOREST

SERVICE TO IAS…

I didn’t even know the differ-

ence between the State Forest

Service and IAS. As luck would

have it, I cracked IAS in my first

attempt, solely because of my

smart preparation. With my back-

ground in Chemistry and

Zoology, I got All-India No. 5

rank. I did two years of State

Forest Service training, one year of

Indian Forest Service, two years of

IAS — six years of continuous

training. It certainly helped me a

lot in my career. During my

course in Chittoor, I wanted to

study Economics and enrolled

myself in SV University. I used to

work in the morning and study

from 10 pm to 1 am. I had kind

lecturers, and I had privilege as a

collector, but they used to be sur-

prised at my commitment and

patience.

HAVE BEEN A FARMER

EARLIER…

I never played any sports in

school or college. Things started

moving only post Masters. But it

doesn’t mean that my childhood

was dull; rural life allows one to

enjoy more than kids in urban

areas can.

Life was harsh but enjoyable; we

got electricity in our village in

1972. We used to study in the

lamplight. I was born in a small

village in Narsapur.

My parents were from an agri-

cultural background. I too was a

farmer — my father passed away

when I was 12 years old.

From 1971 to 1979, I worked as

a farmhand for my livelihood. At

the age of seven, I used to walk 8

km to and fro to attend school, for

eight years.

BEST TIME WITH

TRIBAL WELFARE…

Early on, I worked mostly in

tribal areas in East Godavari,

Srikakulam and Visakhapatnam.

The people at the International

Fund for Agricultural

Development used to like me for

my knowledge and interest. I

worked really hard for tribal

development. My posting in Vizag

with the tribal welfare department

is most memorable and the sec-

ond-most was Burma. I think

because of my rural background,

agriculture knowledge and sinceri-

ty, I could perform extremely well

there.

T

Describe yourself in one sentence:

I was lucky enough to be able to serve

society, and I think in the given

circumstances, I did my best, I have no

regrets.

What do you do in your leisure period:

When I get free time, I read, write a bit,

mostly economics related. I’m not much

into watching movies.

Do you play any sports:

I used to play tennis a lot, but I stopped

5-6 years ago. I go for a brisk walk

in the morning.

Favourite holiday destination:

I don’t go on holidays, only pilgrimages.

Since my son lives in the US, we go there

to visit him.

SHORT TAKES

12TOUCHING

MOMENT…

In the 1980s and 1990s,there were a fewashram schools in thetribal areas that wereworking fine. I got thisidea to take somechildren from thesebackward areas and getthem admitted in niceschools, one from eachMandal. It was not asolution for everybodybut a few kids could actas role models. InSitapet, there was aChristian Missionaryschool and we gotsome 20-30 kidsadmitted there. Later,when I was in the area,I asked a tribal familywhat it was like. Theywere so thrilled to seetheir child in a properuniform, their pride andjoy was evident on theirfaces. It’s a memorablemoment for me.

SEPARATION

OF TS…

During bifurcation ofAndhra Pradesh, therewere some complexissues andapprehensionsregarding Law & Order(safety and security tothe lives and propertiesof people from outsideTelangana), Left-wingextremism andelectricity crisis etc.The TS Govtimmediately focusedon these issues veryseriously and theresults are there beforeus on all theseissues—law and order,naxal issue andelectricity etc. The factthat TRS party won66% of the GHMC seatsin February 2016 is atestimony that withinone year the govermentcould dispel all suchfears from the minds ofpeople.

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WORKING OVERSEAS…

In 1997, there was a position for a technical

advisor overseas. I wanted to experience the thrill

of working overseas. I applied and got the job. I

went to Rome, but I was confused in terms of han-

dling my family as my son was just six at that time.

Later, I applied for a chief tech advisor position in

Burma. They offered me the post of chief tech

advisor, rural development. I worked overseas for

many years and saved quite some money. As time

passed by, the urge to return to your home country

intensified. The government too wanted me to

return. My wife too was keen to return, but my son

wanted to continue there in an international

school. There was also the fact that I felt responsi-

bility for my mother — it’s the son’s responsibility

to take care of his parents.

THE URGE TO SEE HPS…

Studying in a rural school, I barely knew how a

school in a city looked like. When I was studying

here, a friend came from Karimnagar to seek

admission for his brother’s child in HPS. I was so

thrilled hearing that name itself. I wanted to see

what HPS was like. I went with him to the school

just to have a look at HPS. Coming from Zilla

Parishad, looking at such a humongous school was

a thrilling moment in my life. And now my son has

been to two Ivy League universities — Columbia

and Harvard.

SINGARENI’S DEVELOPMENT…

My vision for Singareni was straightforward — I

knew a one-time investment would fetch perma-

nent returns. Without the power plant, there's no

Singareni. Now, Singareni yields a net profit of Rs

600 crore and will continue to do so for the next 25

years. This was achieved by a lot of hard work. I

joined Singareni in 2006; and there were no strikes

in 2007, for the first time in its history. Earlier,

workers used to strike every year. I would not

reveal how we did it, suffice to say that I did not

want the trade unions to dictate terms to the gov-

ernment.

OPENING A BANK IN MALDIVES…

I had a substantial part to play in setting up a

developmental bank in Maldives. Before 2002,

there was no such bank in Maldives. When we

started the Bank of Maldives, we could hardly find

anyone qualified for a bank job. Today they have a

thriving business.

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