The lockdown to contain the coronavirus outbreak has - AWS

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The lockdown to contain the coronavirus outbreak has disrupted supply chains. One crucial chain is delivery of information and insight — news and analysis that is fair and accurate and reliably reported from across a nation in quarantine. A voice you can trust amid the clanging of alarm bells. Vajiram & Ravi and T he Indian Express are proud to deliver the electronic version of this morning’s edition of The Indian Express to your Inbox. You may follow The Indian Express’s news and analysis through the day on indianexpress.com JOURNALISM OF COURAGE SINCE 1932

Transcript of The lockdown to contain the coronavirus outbreak has - AWS

Page 1: The lockdown to contain the coronavirus outbreak has - AWS

The lockdown to contain the coronavirus outbreak has

disrupted supply chains. One crucial chain is delivery of

information and insight — news and analysis that is fair and

accurate and reliably reported from across a

nation in quarantine.

A voice you can trust amid the clanging of alarm bells.

Vajiram & Ravi and The Indian Express are proud to deliver the

electronic version of this morning’s edition of The Indian Express

to your Inbox. You may follow The Indian Express’s news and

analysis through the day on

indianexpress.com

JOURNALISM OF COURAGESINCE 1932

Page 2: The lockdown to contain the coronavirus outbreak has - AWS

BUSINESS AS USUAL

BYUNNY

DA ILY FROM: AHMEDABAD , CHAND IGARH , DELH I , JA IPUR , KOLKATA , LUCKNOW, MUMBAI , NAGPUR , PUNE , VADODARA

SATURDAY, JULY 18, 2020, NEW DELHI, LATE CITY, 20 PAGES `6.00 (`8 PATNA & RAIPUR, `12 SRINAGAR) WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM

RITUSHARMAAHMEDABAD, JULY17

THE SIGHT of a teacher early inthe day is not a happy prospectformost. ButnotAaminaAbdulSheikh. As Kaliash Ahir arrivesWednesday morning at herhome,the11-year-oldcanbarelystop herself and rushes out tohug her. Holding Ahir by thehand, Aamina leads her intotheirone-roomhouseinRajajinipol in Ahmedabad's Shahpurarea, callingout tohermother.Shahida Bano Sheikh tells

Ahir, 34, how Aamina, who isspeech and hearing impaired,wokeupandgotdressedonherown that morning. “She knewyouwouldbevisiting today.”Aspartofaninitiativeunder-

taken by the AhmedabadMunicipal Corporation, 48 spe-

cial educators like Ahir havebeenvisitingover1,285childrenwith special needs in its areasince June 15. Shahpur inAhmedabadWalledCity, a con-tainment zone earlier, has 52such children. Each educator isassignedacluster,withaspecificnumberof children.Astheysitdownonthefloor

facing each other, Ahir takes offher facemask tobegin a speechtherapy session. Aaminawatchesher lipscarefullyas the34-year-old teacher reads outGujarati letterspaintedonsmallwoodenblocks.Thetwothendo

a lessononcolours, followedbyawriting session on days of theweekandcounting.A proud Shahida says

Aamina has been showing a lotof improvement since a secondcochlear implant surgery, in2017,fiveyearsafterthefirstonewas unsuccessful. She can nowsay a fewwords like “mummy,papa,paisado (givememoney),idharaao (comehere),” saysherfather Abdul Samad Sheikh, anautorickshawdriver.The family of four includes

Aamina's 16-year-old brother.Aamina is in Class 6 of Shahpur

MunicipalSchoolNo.8,oneofthethreeinclusivemunicipalschoolsinAhmedabad’sWestZone.Ahir,whohas been a special

educator for 10 years, says theyhave a special curriculum de-visedby theAMC.With schoolsshut, these classes are reassur-ing not just for the children butalso their parents, she adds.Shahida says besides home vis-its,atleasttwiceaweek,thespe-cial educators hold video chatswith the children and parents.“Teachers tell us about thedailyactivitieswemustconductwithourchildren,” shesays.

AMC School BoardAdministrativeOfficerLDDesaisays they plan to continuewiththehomevisits given the “posi-tive response”.Heli Sompura, a special edu-

catoratNaranpuraWard,saysof-tenparentsasktheirhelpforsim-plethingslikepersuadingachildto take a bath.Withparents un-der a lot ofmental pressure dueto the lockdown, Sompura says,eventhat littlesupportcounts.Apart from the AMC, the

SamagraShikshaAbhiyan(SSA)has reached out to over 88,000

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PAGE1ANCHOR

SpecialeducatorKaliashAhirwithAaminaandherparentsat theirhomeinShahpur,Ahmedabad.RituSharma

Teachers come home as Ahmedabad reaches out to special children

JOURNALISM OF COURAGESINCE 1932

WORLD

U.S. REPORTS 77,000NEWCASES, U.K.EYES ‘NORMALITY’BY CHRISTMASPAGE10

THEEDITORIALPAGE

ENCOUNTER,JUDICIALSTYLEBY PRATAPBHANUMEHTAPAGE12

GEHLOTVSPILOTCRISIS

MILINDGHATWAIGUNA, JULY17

“I WAS left with no choice. Ibegged themnot to destroy thecropbut theydidnot stop. Theydid it last year tooandmydebtshave gone up. Onemore roundof destruction, and I knew Iwould have nothing to feedmysix children,’’ says RajkumarAhirwar,lyingononeofthebedsinthemedicalwardofGunadis-trict hospital, going over the

eventsof July14.That day, Rajkumar, 38, and

hiswifehadconsumedpesticideasananti-enchroachment teamofthepoliceandrevenueofficialsbegan destroying their soybeancrop.As theunconsciouscouplewerebeingbundledintoapolicevan to be taken to hospital,Rajkumar's brother Shishupalhad blocked theway, leading toa lathi charge. Videos of the po-licemen raining blows onShishupal andhismotherGeetahad led towidespread outrage.

On Thursday, the state govern-ment suspended sixpolicemen.A day earlier, it had transferredthe District Collector and theSuperintendentofPolice.Lying on an adjacent bed,

Savitri is in stupor, only to beoccasionallywoken up by rela-tivesasasteadystreamofpoliti-cians andmedia personnel callon the couple. She can barelyspeaksorelativespropherupforphotographs.The IVstandisoc-casionally shifted to make

CONTINUEDONPAGE2

Rebel CongressMLAs get timetill Tuesday toreply to Speaker

HAMZAKHANJAIPUR, JULY17

THERAJASTHANHighCourthasextended till Tuesday eveningthe deadline set by Speaker C PJoshi to the 19 rebel stateCongressMLAstorespondtohisshowcausenotices.AtahearingonFridaythatre-

mained inconclusive, theMLAscontended that the disqualifica-tion notices per sewere uncon-stitutional.Second,thatasperset-tled principles of the RajasthanVidhan Sabha rules, they had tobegivenat least a seven-daype-riodtoreplytothenotices.TheMLAsalsoarguedthatthe

Speakerhadtakenthedecisionin“haste”, and pointed out thataround10months on, nonoticehasbeenissuedinacasepertain-ing to themerger of BSPMLAswith theCongress. They also ac-cusedtheSpeakerofmalice.The petition by the MLAs

makes Joshi aswell as theofficeCONTINUEDONPAGE2

SANDEEPSINGH&AASHISHARYANNEWDELHI, JULY17

AROUND 8 pm on July 13, theKarnataka government ordereda complete lockdown from thefollowingday,andtoldallindus-triestoclose.Companiesinclud-ing automobilemanufacturersannounced theywere shutting;ToyotaKirloskarMotorstoldem-ployeesandvendorsthatitsplantwouldbecloseduntilJuly22,andissuedamediastatement.But on July 14 evening, the

government issuedanother cir-cular — sayingmanufacturingindustrieswereexemptfromthelockdown. Itwas too late—em-ployees of numerousmanufac-turingplantsacrossthestatehadalready left for their homes inotherdistricts.“Even if we want, we can’t

start the plant as workers wholeft can’t return immediately.

Our vendor's plant is facing asimilar problem, so I won’t getsuppliesforproduction,”aseniorofficialofaleadingmanufacturerinKarnatakasaid.

CONTINUEDONPAGE2

HAMZAKHAN&DEEPMUKHERJEEJAIPUR, JULY17

CITINGCONVERSATIONS in twoaudio tapes, the Congress partyFriday saidUnionMinister of JalShaktiGajendraSinghShekhawatand CongressMLA BhanwarlalSharmawere allegedly trying totopple the democratically-elected and legally-establishedRajasthangovernment.Addressingapressconference

Friday morning, All IndiaCongress CommitteeCommunication in-chargeRandeep Singh Surjewala, said“two sensational and shockingaudioclips”hadcometotheforevia themedia. “In these audioclips, Union Cabinet MinisterGajendra Singh Shekhawat,Congress MLA BhanwarlalSharmaandBJPleaderSanjayJainareallegedlyheardtalking.Inthisconversation, the intention and

CONTINUEDONPAGE2

Rajnath: Can’t guaranteetalks outcome, no powercan take inch of India landNearPangong,hetells troops:wantpeace,butcangivebefittingreply

Silence onDepsang maybe linked toPangongresolution

KRISHNKAUSHIKNEWDELHI, JULY17

SENDING A strongmessage toBeijingbyvisitingaforwardpostnot very far from the standoffpoint at Pangong Tso, DefenceMinister Rajnath Singh Fridaysaidthe“progressmadeintalks”between the two countries“should resolve thematter” but“I cannot guarantee” the extenttowhich itwill be resolved.AddressingtroopsinLukung,

around 40 km from Finger 4where Chinese troops continuetooccupyaridgeline,Singhsaid:“Talksarecurrentlyunderwaytoresolve the border dispute. Theprogress made in talks so farshould resolve the matter. Towhat extent itwill be resolved, Icannotguaranteethat.ButIwantto assure you that no power intheworld can touch an inch ofIndianterritoryorcapture it.”Hisremarkscameadayafter

the IndianArmy, in a statement

on the fourth roundof talks be-tween the Corps Commanders,saidwhile the twosides remain“committed to the objective ofcomplete disengagement”, this“processisintricateandrequiresconstantverification”.PangongTsoremainsanarea

of concern for India since theChinesehavecomeuptoFinger4, 8 kmwest of Finger 8whichIndia saysmarks theLAC.PLA troops have vacated the

Finger 4 base but not the ridge-line there. In the talks, Indiahasbeen seeking status quo ante—oftroopsonbothsidesreturningto locations before the start ofthestandoff inMay.Singh told troops that India

wants peace, but is capable of abefitting reply if anyone tries tohurt its self-respect.“If a resolution canbe found

through talks, nothing will bebetter than that. That process ison, talksaregoingonatmilitaryanddiplomatic levels,”hesaid.

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SUSHANTSINGHNEWDELHI, JULY17

INTHE four roundsofmeetingsat the level of the CorpsCommander,Indiahasnotraisedthe issueofChinese ingress intothe Depsang Plains in northernLadakh, even though the area ismore strategically importantthan the other ‘friction points’and the territory on the Indiansideof theLineofActualControl(LAC) beingdenied toArmypa-trols by the Chinese is muchlarger thanatPangongTso.This has raised concerns

within a section of the securityestablishment that the contin-ued Indian silence on Depsangcould result inanewstatusquo

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RajasthanPolicefile2FIRs;CongMLASharma&Shekhawatdenyit is theirvoice

‘I begged them not to destroy thecrop... nothing to feed my kids’

Manufacturers fret assudden lockdowns hitlogistics of production

DefenceMinisterRajnathSinghinLukung,Ladakh,onFriday.ANI

LOCKDOWNLESSONS

CHANGINGCLASSROOMS

ANEXPRESS SERIES

Rajkumar,SavitriAhirwaratthedistricthospital.MilindGhatwai

137DAYSSINCEPANDEMICBEGAN

KEYSTATESTOWATCH■Maharashtra■TamilNadu■Delhi■Karnataka■Andhra

7 DAYS EARLIER:

2.72NOW:

2.55

7 DAYS EARLIER:

7.20NOW:

7.68

DETECTED TODAY

34,956RECOVERED TODAY:

22,942

TOTALCASES2,84,2811,56,3691,18,64551,42238,044

DOUBLINGRATE**23.7223.4948.659.6710.40

SURGEIN24HOURS8,6414,5491,6524,1692,593

7-DAYAVGGROWTH*3.03%3.07%1.48%7.45%6.92%

TRACKING INDIA’SCOVIDCURVE

CASES:10,03,831TESTS: 1,30,72,718| DOUBLING RATE: 21.11**

RECOVERED:6,35,756DEATHS:25,602

*CompoundedDailyGrowthRateover last7days **Calculatedover7-daygrowth

DataasonJuly16, releasedbyUnionMinistryofHealth, ICMRandstates.Oftendailynumbers includedatafrompreviousdays.Assuch, trendsbasedondailynumbersare indicative,notdefinitive

CASE FATALITYRATIO

Deaths as a ratio ofpositive cases (in %);indicator of progressin averting deaths

Positives againstnumber tested

(in %); indicator ofthe spread of disease

Becoming sick vsrecovering; more

recoveries for 14 daysmay signal the peak

POSITIVITY RATE DAILY IN, DAILYOUT

LARGEMANUFACTUR-ERS likeautomakershavesuppliersacross thecountry, anda lockdowninastate fromwherecrucial componentscomeresults inproduc-tionbeing impacted,even thoughtheplant it-selfmayberunning. Thesuddennessof the lock-downannouncementshavealsohadworkersfacinguncertainty.

HitwithoutwarningE●EX

PLAINED

RITIKACHOPRANEWDELHI, JULY17

THE INDIAN Institutes ofTechnology (IITs) on Friday de-cided to drop the Class 12 per-formance criterion for admis-sions this year, while thediscussion on a “one-timechange in the format of JEE(Advanced)duetoCOVID19out-break” remained inconclusive.Accordingtosources,another

meeting of the Joint AdmissionBoard (JAB) will be held nextweektodecidewhetherachangein the examination format iswarranted. JAB is the top deci-sion-making body on JEE(Advanced) and has directors ofallIITsandrepresentativesoftheHRDMinistryas itsmembers.The Indian Express had re-

ported on July 11 that this year,asaone-timeexception,IITswillonly require JEE (Advanced)rank-holders to have passedtheirBoardexams.Usually, a general category

rank holder should have eitherscoredatleast75percentorfig-ureinthetop20percentileofher

CONTINUEDONPAGE2

Class 12 marksrule droppedfor admissionto IIT this year

DIPANKARGHOSEBHAGALPUR, JULY17

FORTHEpasttwomonths,everydayfor18-year-oldNathuKumarhas been the same. He squintsinto his smartphone, remindedevery time that he can’t afford alaptop, asa teacherathis coach-ingcentreexplainsmedicalcon-cepts over a Zoom call. Theteacheroftenmentionsawriting

board,butonthetinyscreen,theboardiseventinier.Theconnec-tionispatchy,andfreezesatsev-eral crucial moments.With 20other students in the call, theteacher can’t wait for any one,andhasthemallonmute.Becoming a doctor is the

shiniest dream for youths likeKumar in Bhagalpur. He hopescoaching classes like abovewillsuffice for theentrancehe takesnext year. “If exams are held atall at this rate,”headds.Bhagalpur, with an ostensi-

ble “smart city” as its districtheadquarters, andthe focusof aseries by The Indian Express to

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ThecoachingcentresareshutsinceMarch-end.DipankarGhose

ASADISTRICTUNLOCKS

ANEXPRESS SERIES

Coaching moves online,Bhagalpur fears losingout to big city students

UnionMinisterGajendraSinghShekhawatathis residence inNewDelhionFriday.Anil Sharma

‘NUMBERS IN 2-3DAYS...FIRST INSTALMENTHASREACHED’SOGFIRNo.48/2020,Sections124Aand120BIPC;Accusedunknown(Excerpts fromthetranscriptof conversationinHindiandRajasthaniallegedlybetweenSanjayJain,CongressMLABhanwarlalSharmaandGajendraSinghShekhawatwhichformsthebasisof thisFIRbytheSOG)VOICE1 (purportedlySANJAYJAIN):“30,basankhyadoteendinmepurihojwagi” (30,thisnumberwillbecompletedwithin2-3days.)

VOICE2 (purportedlyCongressMLABHANWARLALSHARMA):“AajodinmesambhavhaitoekGajendrajirobaataurkaradena.” (Ifpossibletoday,arrangeaconversationwithGajendra ji.)VOICE3 (purportedlyUnionMinisterGAJENDRASINGHSHEKHAWAT):“Haan,GajendraSingharzkarunma-haraj”(Yes, this isGajendraSinghspeakingMaharaj.)

SOGFIRNo.49/2020,Sections124Aand120BIPC;

Accusedunknown(Excerpts fromtranscriptofconversationbetweentwopersonsidentifiedasAandB)A:“Soheissayingthosepeople johamarepassbaithe ,hamaresaathi joDelhimebaithehain,wohpaisalechukehainaurpehlikishtpahuchchukehain.”(Soheissaying, thepeoplesittingwithus,ourassociateswhoareinDelhi, theyhavetakenthemoney,andthefirst instalmenthasreached.)B:“Theekhai”(Alright.)

UnionMinister, bribes, tapes in plotto toppleGehlot govt, saysCongress

New Delhi

Page 3: The lockdown to contain the coronavirus outbreak has - AWS

Rajnath“We do not want disturbance

(ashanti),wewantpeace.Itisourchar-acter thatwehavenever tried tohurtany country’s self-respect. But Iwanttomakeitclearthatifanypowerintheworldtries tohurt India’sself-respect,wewillnottoleratethat.Wearereadytogiveabefittingreply,”hesaid.Expressing grief over thedeathof

20IndiansoldiersintheGalwanValleyclashwithChinese troopson June15,Singhsaid,“Indiawillneverforgettheirsacrifice”and“whateverhashappenedbetween Indian andChinese troops, Ican say, you have not only defendedIndia’sboundaries,youhavedefendedthehonourof130croreIndians”.WiththeKargilVijayDiwas,mark-

ing thevictory in the1999KargilWar,lessthan10daysaway,healsopaidrichtributes to the soldierswho fell fight-ing.AccompaniedbyChief of Defence

Staff General Bipin Rawat andArmychief GeneralMMNaravane, SinghreachedLehFridaymorning.XIVCorpsCommanderLtGeneralHarinderSinghbriefedthemonthesituationalongtheLine of Actual Control including real-timepositionsof troopsonbothsides.TheMinister witnessed assault

drills by troops of the Ladakh Scoutsandexerciseswhich,sourcessaid,“in-volvedapplicationof integratedcom-binedforceinhigh-altitudeterrain,in-volving newer generation IndianAirForcehelicoptersandspecial forces invertical envelopment along withmechanisedcolumnsofgroundforceseffectingspeedylink-up”.

Depsangbeing created in the strategically im-portant area, where Chinesewouldhaveeffectivelyshiftedtheiractualcon-troloftheterritory18kmtothewest.ItwoulddenyIndiaaccesstoasignificantpartofterritoryclosetotheDaulatBegOldie (DBO) airfield and bring theChinesemuch closer to the strategicDarbuk-Shyok-DBOroad.“Depsangistacticallyandstrategi-

callyfarmoreimportanttousthanthePangonglake.ItiscriticalforIndia’sac-

cess totheDaulatBegOldieairstripaswell as to theKarakoramregion. TheDSDBO road is some6kmaway. Anyshift in the LACwouldbedisadvanta-geous,”saidLtGeneral(retd)DSHooda,formerNorthernArmycommander.“By pushing the LACwestward,

Chinathinksitwouldbefurthersecur-ingthewesternhighway, itsmainlinkbetween the two restiveprovinces ofXinjiangandTibet,”hesaid.AseniorArmyofficersaidDepsang

hasnot been raisedwith theChinesesofarasitisnotafaceoffsite,unliketheother four friction points on the LACwhere disengagement is being dis-cussed.Thereisapossibility,theofficersaid, that Depsangwould be raisedwith theChinesewhendiscussiononde-escalationalongtheLACtakesplace.Asectionof thesecurityestablish-

ment, however, contends that theIndian sidehasdeliberately chosen tonot raise Depsang so far, despite itsstrategic importance, as itwants theChinese troops towithdraw fromthePangongarea. Bymaintaining silenceonDepsang,ithopestoincentivisetheChinese side to restore the status quoanteatPangongasofApril.GeneralHooda cited the example

of awatch tower constructed by theChinese on the Indian sideof the LACinSeptember2015.Itwasdestroyedbythe Army,whereby the Chinese ac-cepteditwasontheIndianside.AsreportedbyTheIndianExpresson

June25, BottleneckorY-junction, theplacewhere Chinese troops are ob-structingIndianpatrols, islessthan30kmfromtheDBOairfield andaround7kmfromBurtse townon the strate-gicDSDBOroad.Bottleneck,whichde-rivesitsnamefromarockyoutcropthatprevents vehicularmovement acrosstheDepsangPlains,isaround18kmontheIndiansideof theLAC.

Manufacturers“Becauseofthelackofclarityonthe

announcement of the lockdown, al-most aweek of production has suf-fered.Wenowplantostartproductionon Monday (July 20), and have in-formedemployees andvendors,” theofficialsaid.

Sudden lock-downs, announcedwith very little noticeby stategovernments,havebeguntohurt in-dustrial activity inplants located bothwithin and outsidecontainment zones. Itiscreatinguncertaintyforworkers planningtoreturntoworkastheeconomyreopensaftermultiple phases oflockdown and “un-lock”.While Karnataka

hasannouncedalock-downfromJuly14-22,Maharashtra haslockeddowntheman-ufacturing hub ofPune. Biharwent intolockdownonThursdayuntil July31.West Bengal, UP,

Odisha and Assamhaveannounced lock-downs in certain dis-tricts that are seeingrising cases of coron-avirus infection. Someofthesestateshavein-dustrialset-ups,othersaresuppliersoflabour.Naushad Forbes,

co-chairman ForbesMarshall, said despitethedisruptionsonac-count of these lo-calisedlockdowns,thesupplychainsituationis better thanwhat itwasduringthenation-wide lockdown inMarch-April.“I am told by

friends in the FMCGsector that they havenotbeenabletoaccesstheir warehouses incontainment zones,and so the supplychain is getting im-pacted. Iwould, how-ever,saythatsincethelockdown ismore lo-calisedandmoretem-porary in nature, and

manufacturingandlogisticsarelargelypermitted,thingsaremuchbetter,”hesaid.Aleadingcarmakerinthenational

capital region,which relies on suppli-ersacrossthecountryforthevehiclesitproduces,isfacingdifficultiesduetothesudden lockdownsbeing ordered by

stategovernments.Of India'snineim-portant auto-hub states, five are criti-cal—Haryana,Gujarat,Maharashtra,Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. The lastthree have announced lockdowns inrecentweeks.“If any of these five states an-

nounces a lockdown, it starts hurting

ourproduction,”anofficialofthecom-panysaid.“Withstatesgoingintosud-den lockdownsatdifferent times andfor different periods, our productionplans are being pushed into uncer-tainty.Ourplantisoperational,butifacritical vendor is in a lockdownstate,wewon’tgetparts forproduction.We

are already facing that difficulty,” theofficialsaid.AnofficialofaGujarat-basedauto-

mobilemanufacturersaidtheyarefac-ingalabourproblemasmigrantwork-ers are unable to return due to newlockdowns in their states or areas.“Workersarealsowaitingforthingstostabilise before venturingout of theirvillagesagain,”hesaid.A senior official with a leading

liquormanufacturer agreed. “There isabig issueofworkers,” he said. “Theyarereluctanttocomebackuntilthereiscertaintyofworkforthefullmonth.”In the case of the liquor industry,

there isanadditionalproblem, theof-ficial said. “Wehave toget exciseper-missionfordespatch,andiftheofficialdoesnot come toworkonaccount ofCovid-19which is happening at vari-ous places, our finishedproduct getsstuckintheplant,”hesaid.AseniorexecutiveofanFMCG(fast-

movingconsumergoods)companyinUPpointed to supply chainproblemsarisingoutoftheweekendrestrictionsorderedbythestategovernment.“WeanywaydidnottakeordersonSundays.Since we are now also closed onSaturdays, we take those orders onMondays,”hesaid.Amanufacturer of electrical com-

ponentsthathasfactoriesinBengaluru,Pune,andKolkata,saidthelockdownsannouncedbystategovernmentsweredisruptingsupplies.“The supply disruption is coming

from Pune, etc. in Maharashtra.Sometimeswedonotknowwhenthenext lockdownwill be announced, soyou cannot beprepared either. Thereare problems now in Bengaluru andKolkata,too.It'sdefinitelyachallenge,”atopexecutiveof thecompanysaid.

‘Begged them’spaceforthevisitors.Imagesof thecouple’s sixchildren

cryingnext to their unconsciouspar-ents had gone viral on July 14. Today,thechildrenadjust themselvesonthebeds, clinging to the fatherwhodoesthetalkingorthemotherwhocan’t.Back on their disputed land, the

soybean crop lies partially destroyed.Inonecornerof the field isa tarpaulinshack, in another a semipuccahouse,both of which the Ahirwar familyshared.Standingoutsidethetarpaulinshack, Rajkumar’s younger brotherShishupalandmotherGeetashowtheinjuries from the police beatings ofthreedaysago.OnthepoliceclaimthatShishupal

attacked them, leading to the lath-icharge,hesays,“Ididnotassaultany-one,Ionlypushedaconstablebecausetheywere draggingmyunconsciousbrotheraway.Itoldthemnottodothatandlifthimproperly,’’saysShishupal.“Igotangrybecausetheynotonlyhituswith lathisbutabusedusandcalleduscriminalPardhis,’’hesays.Shishupal has a prominent limp

fromtheblowsonhislegs.“We folded our hands and re-

quested them towait at least till thecrop was harvested in about twomonths.Wedid not sayweown thelandorthatwewillnotvacateit,’’ saysGeeta,showingdarkpurplebruisesonher legs. She had rushed to protectShishupal, one of her nine children,fromthepolice.HerhusbandMangilalis so frail, hedidnot attempt to inter-vene, she says. Today, too, he speaksnothing.Whenaskedwhy the administra-

tion couldn’t have waited for theAhirwars toharvest their cropbeforeevicting them, Gwalior DivisionalCommissionerMBOza said amagis-terial inquirywasonand factswouldbecomeclear after that. Theadminis-trationhasbeensayingthatthelandisownedby the government and is re-servedforamodelcollege.Beforehistransfer,Gunacollector

SVishwanathanhadsaidthatanyfur-therdelay inclearingthe landwouldhavemeant that the college projectwould have been shifted to anotherdistrict.The Ahirwars say they have no

complaints againstGabbuPardhi, themanwhohas claimed ownership ofthe over 40 bigha land in JaganpurChakk, onGuna’s outskirts, onwhichtheAhirwarswork as sharecroppers,growing, besides soybean,maize andjowar. Last year, say the Ahirwars,Pardhi had loaned themRs1 lakh, anamount theywill nowhaveto adjust against a larger

shareof thecroptoParidhi.Pardhi, in his 60s, and his wife

NagkanyawereBahujan Samaj Partycouncilors, he from2004-2009, andshe from2009-2014 in the localmu-nicipal body. The district police saidthere are 13 criminal cases, includingsomeofmurder andattemptedmur-der,againstPardhi.Thecoupleliveinatwo-storeyhouse,notfarfromthedis-putedland.Last year, Pardhimoved theMP

HighCourttochallengeearlierordersoftheGwaliorAdditionalCommissioner,asub-divisionalofficerandatehsildar,all ofwhomhad rejectedhis claim toownershipof theland.“The petitioner belongs to a

ScheduledCaste.Hisancestorsdidnothaveanysourceoflivelihoodandthere-foretheyoccupiedsomelandsituatedatJaganpurSurveyNo13/1to13/5.Thetotalarea8.36hectares(morethan40bighas)wasnot appropriate for culti-vationbutwithhardworkof thepeti-tioner’sancestors,itbecamefertileandthey are in possession for 40 years,’’reads the petition filed in the HC in2019.With thematter still pending in

court, the Guna administration hadtried to takepossessionof the land inNovember 2019.While the adminis-trationclaimsthePardhifamilydidnotallow theoperation to takeplace, theAhirwars claim their entire cropwasdestroyedlastyear.

Ahmedabadchildrenwithspecialneeds inGujaratduringandafterthelockdown,includ-inghomevisitsanddailycommunica-tionwherevisitingisnotpossible.

Class 12 marksBoard results to securea seat at an IIT.SC/ST candidates should have eitherscoredat least65percentor fulfill thetop20percentilerequirement.On Friday, the JAB approved the

proposalondroppingtheBoardexamcriterion.Announcing the decision on

Twitter on behalf of the IITs, HRDMinister Ramesh Pokhriyal said theBoardexamcriterionhadbeenrelaxed“duetopartialcancellationofClassXIIexamsbyseveralBoards”.TheJABmeetingonFridayalsodis-

cussed the feasibility of holding JEE(Advanced) in centres abroad “in thecontext of restrictions imposed byCOVID19 outbreak”. According tosources,adecisiononthiswillbetakenatJABmeetingnextweek.

Bhagalpurunderstand the effects on adistrict ofCovid, the lockdownand the gradualunlocking,hasdevelopedintoanedu-cational hub over the past decade.Along with older universities likeBhagalpur andTilkaManjhi, studentsnowmakeabeelineforcoachinginsti-tutions catering to thewhole range–fromaspiringdoctorsandengineers,tothosehoping tobecomegovernmentofficials and civil servants. In thepastfew years, lodges have sprung up tohousethem.TheCovid shutdowndealt a blow

to this budding ecosystem,with nosigns of a reopening any time soon.Manyarestrugglingwiththeonlinere-placement.Kumar says he had never used

Zoombefore,orevenavideointerface.“Wepay the coaching institution Rs5,000aweek.Multipleteachersteachdifferent subjects through theday, allonZoom.OftenIcan’tunderstandwhatisbeingsaid.”The18-year-oldfearsthissetshim

furtherback in the race for amedicalseat, as compared to “big city chil-dren”.“Theyhavebeenusingtechnol-ogy their entire lives. So far,whatwelackedinresources,wemadeupforinour hardwork. Now,with our smallphones and bad network,willwe beabletocompete?”Abhishek Singh, a first-year

English Honours student of B NCollege,andhisbrotherwhoisinClass12 share one smartphone betweenthem.His college sometimes sendsavideoorprojectsoverWhatsApp,butforthemostparthe leavesthephoneto his brother. An IAS aspirant,Abhishek says he nowwatches TVnewsferventlyinthehopeofkeepingabreastof generalaffairs.

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VARAVARARAO: UNDERSTANDINGHIS POLITICS,WORK, ANDTHE ELGAARCASEOctogenarianpoet-activistVaravaraRaotestedpositiveforCovid-19andwasshiftedtoJJHospital inMumbaifromTalojaCentralJail,NaviMumbaiThursday.Here’sapeekintohispolitical life, literaryworkandtheElgaarParishadcase.

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FROMPAGEONE

Union Minister, bribes, tapes inplot to topple Gehlot govt: Congconspiracytotopplethegovernment,through exchange of money andshiftingtheloyaltiesofMLAsisclear.It is a black chapter in thehistory ofdemocracy,”hesaid.Surjewalaalsoasked“SachinPilot

tocome forwardandclearhis standon‘giveMLAlist’(allegedlydiscussedintheaudiotapes)toBJP.”Followingacomplaintlodgedby

state Government Chief WhipMaheshJoshi,theSpecialOperationsGroupof Rajasthanpolice filed twodifferent FIRs, one ofwhichnamedBhanwarLalSharma,GajendraSinghandSanjayJain,forallegedlytryingtotopplethegovernment.WhiletheFIRdescribes Bhanwarlal Sharma as aVidhan Sabha legislator, it does notdescribeGajendra Singh either as aUnion Minister or a Member ofParliament.The two FIRs, however, said the

accusedwere“unknown”,andmen-tioned charges under IPC sections124A (sedition) and 120B (punish-mentforcriminalconspiracy).Whencontacted,UnionMinister

Gajendra SinghShekhawat toldTheIndian Express itwas not his voice.Bhanwarlal Sharma said in a state-menttheaudiowasfake.OnThursdaylateevening,Lokesh

Sharma,OSDtoChiefMinisterAshokGehlot had circulated three audioclips to several mediapersons.Sourcesinthepartyclaimedthatoneaudio clip revealed that Shekhawatwas in touch with Congress MLAfrom Sardarshahar in Churu,Bhanwarlal Sharma, through oneSanjay Jain,whotheyclaimedwasamemberof theBJP. Inanotheraudioclip, MLA from Deeg-Kumher inBharatpur, Vishvendra Singh,whowas earlier removed as a TourismMinisterbyCongress, ispurportedlyheardtalkingtoanunknownperson.The two MLAs – Vishvendra

SinghandBhanwarlalSharma–weresuspended fromprimarymember-shipof theCongresspartyonFriday“pendinginvestigationintotheaudioclips”.Theywerealsoservedashowcausenotice regarding their allegedinvolvement. Vishvendra Singhdidnot respond to calls and textmes-sages.Following the registrationof the

FIR, the SOG sent a team led by SPVikasSharmatoManesarinHaryana,where the rebelMLAswereputtingup. When the team reached theManesarhotelFridayevening,itwasstoppedbyHaryanapoliceandhotelstaff fromentering. Eventually, theywere let in. But sources in theManesar hotel andHaryana PolicesaidPilot andhis supportershadal-

readyleftThursdayevening.The first FIRwas regarding the

purported conversation betweenCongressMLAfromDeeg-KumherinBharatpur,VishvendraSingh,andanunknown person. The complaint,withoutnamingeither,claimsthataconversationwas played on socialmedia and television channels,wheretwopersonsareheardtalking,andtranscribestheirconversation.Citing the audio clips, Surjewala

said, “Horse trading in Rajasthan isbeingdiscussedforaboutonemonthnow,”SurjewalasaidFriday.AttackingBJP, he said that “after Manipur,Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh,Goa, Karnataka,Maharashtra andMadhya Pradesh, they are openlyplayingagametograbpower.” “Butthis time, they have perhaps chal-lengedthewrongstate.Theyproba-blydidnotunderstandtheeightcrorecitizensofRajasthan,”hesaid.Anextract fromthe transcript of

theaudio clip, cited in theFIR, readsthus:“Soheissayingthosepeoplejohamarepassbaithe,hamaresaathijoDelhime baithe hain, wo paisa lechuke hain aur pehli kisht pahuchchukihain(Thosepeoplesittingwithus, our associateswhoare inDelhi,they have taken themoney).” Oneperson then asks another about“whatlineyouaretaking?”Towhichthepersonreplies:“Yeah,Iamtakingtheir line.”“Inthesaidconversation,theper-

sonsareplanningaconspiracytotop-ple a democratically-elected andlegally-established government,throughexchangeofmoneyandbyspreadingunrest. This comesundersedition.Hence, please lodge a caseagainsttheconspiratorsasperrules,and take action," the complaint byJoshisays.Healsosubmittedtheau-dioclipof theconversation.Thesecondcomplaintdealswith

aconversationpurportedlybetweenBhanwarlalSharma,Shekhawat,andoneSanjay Jain.While theFIRmen-tions the name and designation –MLA - of Bhanwarlal Sharma, andnamesSanjayJain,itsimplymentionsinvolvementofoneGajendraSingh.ItmakesthesameargumentasthefirstFIR, saying that their conversationspointtosedition.Inthisaudioclip, Jain isallegedly

heard telling Sharma that thenum-bers – 30 –will be reached in 2-3days. Interestingly,30isthenumberofMLAs claimedby the Pilot campinitially. Jain tells Sharma aboutsomeone–apparentlyanMLA-whois nervous to cross over, to whichSharmasaysthat there isnoneedtoworry. JainthentellsSharmato“Tell

Sachinjinottogivetheirnamesinthelist.”SharmatellsJainthat“NowIamgetting big offers from RandeepSurjewala,CM,that iwillgetapost. Isaid keepme anywhere, if I leave Ileave.”SharmaseekstotalktoSingh,and Jainpatches the call to Singh; aconversation between SharmaandSinghfollows.Apartofthetranscriptreadsthus:

“Bhanwarlal Sharma: Entirematter,thenumberswillbecompletedin1-2 days. Gajendra Singh: Once thenumbersarecompleted,wewillsendamessage fromhere. I also spoke toSanjay Ji yesterday.Wehave to stayhere 8-10 days. Now raaj (govern-ment)cannotbeinabaara(fence).Assoonastheyleavepeople,peoplewillcomehereBL:Yes I alsounderstandthatgovernmentisn’trunfromaho-tel.GS:Yes.BL:And[they]don’thavethe numbers. GS: Yes, [they] don’thavethenumbers.”Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has

saidthatitisnothisvoiceonthetapesandheisreadytofaceanyprobe."It’snot my voice nor is it my diction.TherearetoomanyGajendraSinghs.ThereareMLAsintheCongresswiththatname.Inmyconstituencyitself,therearemanybythisname,"hetoldTheIndianExpressinDelhi.BhanwarlalSharmasaid,“Theau-

diowhichhasbeenmadeviralisfake.TheCMisgettingfakeaudioscreatedand sending themtoMLAs topres-surisethem.Itisneithermyvoicenordid I talk to anyone.” So far, theSOGhasrefusedtostatewhethertheyhavethecustodyofSanjayJain,andmerelysaidthatheisnotunderarrest.On Fridaymorning, Surjewala

listedfivedemands:thefirstwasreg-istrationofFIRagainstShekhawatbythe SOG –whichwas registered -“andif thereisanindicationthattheinvestigationmaybe influencedbymisusing post –which prima facieseemsso–thenawarrantbe issuedandhebeimmediatelyarrested.”Second, they sought similar ac-

tionagainstBhanwarlalSharmaandSanjay Jain. Third, theydemandedacomprehensiveinquiryintotheflowofmoney, “whoprovided theblackmoney,wherediditcomefrom,howwas it transferred throughhawala,andwas given towhom-all of thisshouldbe investigated.” Fourth,dis-closureof“whoarethepeopleintheCentralgovernment,whoaresittingininfluentialposts,aswellasofficialsand agencieswhich are involved inthe conspiracy of toppling the gov-ernment.”His fifthdemandwas in-vestigationof theirroles.

(WITHINPUTSFROMLIZMATHEWINNEWDELHI)

of the Speaker and the AssemblySecretarypartiestothecase.Theysaynooffencehasbeenmadeoutagainstthem, and that the disqualificationnoticesonthegroundofdefectiongoagainst their right to freedom ofspeech.While the MLAs were repre-

sentedbyformerSolicitorGeneralofIndiaHarish Salve and ex-AttorneyGeneralMukulRohatgi,amongoth-ers,RajasthanAdvocateGeneralMSSinghviandAbhishekManuSinghviwerepartof theteamthatappearedfortherespondents.Thematterwasheard by Chief Justice IndrajitMahantyandJusticePrakashGupta.ArguingonbehalfoftheSpeaker,

AbhishekSinghvisaidtheSpeaker“isthemaster of procedure”, and thatthenotice period “is not a constitu-tionallyprescribedperiod”.AbouttheMLAs’contentionthat

thewhipwasnotapplicabletothem

outsidetheHouseandthatJoshiwasbiased,SinghvisaidtheSpeaker’sac-tions were not mala fide. “… theSpeakercanperselookatallegationsof speech and activities outside theHouse anddoing so is notmala fideand (is)within the contours of theConstitution. Infact,Speakersacrossstate legislatures have done so in amanner consistentwith the TenthSchedule(thatcoversdefection)andincasesidenticaltothecurrentone.”With theMLAs claiming that theyonlywantedtoexpresstheirgenuinegrievances and that thenotices vio-latedtheirrighttofreedomofspeech,Singhvi said the Speaker’s notices“wouldnotfallfoulofthebasicstruc-ture(of theConstitution)doctrine”.Onthepetitionerschallengingthe

constitutionalityoftheanti-defectionlawitself,specificallyitsclause2[1](a),Singhvi said “their argument is un-supportedbylawandisbasedonim-

plausibleleapsofimagination”.Ifthechallengewas allowedby theHighCourt, he said, “all judgments of theSupremeCourt(inthismatter)wouldberendereduseless”.While Clause 2 of the 10th

Scheduledealswithdisqualificationof amember on grounds of defec-tion, its point [1](a) states that amembermaybedisqualified "if hehas voluntarily given up hismem-bership” of a political party. TheMLAshaveargued that "even if ex-pression of views and opinions,however strongly worded, aretreatedtobeapartofclause2[1](a),the saidclause...will have tobede-claredultraviresthebasicstructureof the Constitution" on the groundof the right to free speech. Singhvicouldnotbeheardentirelyandwillresume his argument when thecasenextcomesupbeforethecourtat10amonMonday.

Rebel Congress MLAs get time till Tuesday to reply to Speaker

New Delhi

Page 4: The lockdown to contain the coronavirus outbreak has - AWS

CASESEARLIERREPORTED INMUMBAI

ANANDMOHANJNEWDELHI, JULY17

WHENADelhicourtgrantedbaillast month to a 65-year-oldwoman accused of peddlingaround 50 kg marijuana, herlawyer Karan Tarkar was over-joyed.Notjustbecausebailargu-mentsweredifficult,butbecausehe was going to be paid a Rs10,000 fee—his first significantpaycheck sinceMarch. Butwithwork hardly picking up, KaranhasnowreturnedtohishomeinMathura,hopingtofindclientsinthe localdistrictcourt there.Ithasbeenoverthreemonths

since the Delhi High Court re-stricted its functioning and thatof district courts to urgentmat-

ters only. The latest restrictionhasbeenextendeduntil July31.Lawyers who depended on

day-to-day hearings have,meanwhile, been left in thelurch, with many returninghome in search of jobs in localcourts, or looking for differentjobs till courts fully reopen.Manyofthemhavethree-five

years of work experience, andcite burgeoning rents, EMI pay-ments, working expenses likepaymentforclerksandjuniorad-vocatesasreasons for leaving.A recent report by Vidhi

Centre for Legal Policy, titled ‘ASurvey of Advocates PracticingBefore the High Courts’, statedthat “asmanyas80%of the sur-veyed advocates from theDelhiHighCourtbelievedthatlawyers

intheirfirsttwoyearsofpracticeearn between Rs 5,000 and Rs20,000amonth”.Withonlyurgentmattersbe-

ing heard,many lawyerswork-ingindependentlyareunabletofindnewclients.AdvocateGauravKumar (28)

has been practicing since 2016,andlooksaftercriminalandmat-rimonialcases.Whathaschangedpost-lockdown is a decrease incriminalmattersandanincreaseinmatrimonialones,hesaid.Butthishasn’tmeantahigherincomesincethelatterisnotclassifiedun-der urgentmatters. Gaurav hasnow returned to his home inBijnor. “I used to stay at a rentedaccommodation in Saket. MymonthlyexpensesarearoundRs12,000andIdidn’tearnduringthelockdown.Matterswhereclientswouldapproachthecourttopassdirections for registrationof FIRshave slowed down. Now,small disputes are settled at thepolicestation.”AdvocateYashThakur(38)has

a 14 year old practice and deals

with criminal and civil cases.HehasreturnedtohishometowninHimachalPradesh.“Ifclientsdon’tcometocourt,wedon’tgetpaid.Ihave a chamber at Saket courtwhichhas amonthly rent. I alsohave topaymonthly rent formyhomeandtomystaff.Plus, Ihaveyoungchildrenandcan’trisktheirhealthinDelhi,”hesaid.AdvocateAkshayVerma(25),

inhisfourthyearofpractice,dealswith incometax, chequebounceand arbitration-relatedmatters,buthasnowleftforhishometowninAligarh.Hespendsmostof histimelookingforcasesatlocalGSTand IT tribunals. “Therehasbeensomework but it is a trickle. Iflawyers don’t get support fromthegovernment,wewillnotsur-vive2020,”Vermasaid.

TheBarCouncilofDelhi(BCD)haswrittentothePrimeMinisterseeking financial relief of Rs500crore for lawyersunable tomeetbasic needs. BCD chairman KCMittalsaidthecouncilhasalreadydisbursedRs8croretoadvocatesinneedof financialassistance.However,many fall between

the cracks. Several clerks havebeen leftwithout a job after lawfirms laid them off. NeerajSawariya (19), a clerkworkingwith a law firm, has been luckysincehisemployerpayshimsomemoneyeverymonth.“Myfatherworksasawhite-

washer,heissustainingourfam-ily. I tried to apply for jobs like aZomatodeliverymanandatanACrepair shop, but I have not yetbeenaccepted,”hesaid.

THEINDIANEXPRESS,SATURDAY, JULY18,2020

THECITYWWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM

3

ASTHASAXENANEWDELHI, JULY17

OVERTHE last fewmonths, sev-eral hospitals in Delhi have re-ported childrenwith Covid-19reporting symptoms similar tothose associatedwith a rare ill-ness called Kawasaki disease—suchasrashesandinflammation.Such cases were earlier re-

ported fromMumbai.Kawasaki disease is a syn-

drome of unknown cause thatleadstofeverandmainlyaffectschildrenundertheageof5.It isaform of vasculitis where bloodvessels become inflamedthroughout the body. The fevertypically lasts formorethanfivedays, and does not respond tousualmedications.Oneof thecountry’stopchil-

dren’s hospitals, Kalawati Saranin Delhi, has reported five-sixcasesofchildrenpresentingwithfever, rashes, respiratory andgastrointestinalissues—someofthe symptoms of Kawasaki dis-ease.TheyhadalltestedpositiveforCovid-19.“Thesearethemostcommon

symptomswhichhavebeende-

scribedall over theworld.Whileothervirusescanalsoleadtothissyndrome, but aswe are in themiddleofthepandemic,itislikelythatthediseaseisrelatedtoCovid-19.WearenotexactlysayingtheywereinfectedwithKawasaki,butthey had Kawasaki-like symp-toms. The children had unex-plained tachycardia and someofthemwere inastateof shock.Allthese positive caseswereman-aged in theCovidcarearea,” saidDr Virendra Kumar, head of the

department of paediatrics,Kalawati Saranhospital, addingthatoneof thepatientsdied.InMay, a report released by

theWHOstated that clusters ofchildren and adolescents fromEurope andNorth America hadrequiredadmission to intensivecareunitswithamultisystemin-flammatory condition (MIC)with some features similar tothose of Kawasaki disease andtoxic shocksyndrome.“This is not a direct effect of

the virus but an abnormal im-mune response induced by it.Thismultisysteminflammatorysyndromealsocausesalotofdi-gestiveissues, liketherearechil-dren who are presented withjust pain in the abdomen, vom-itingandloosemotions.Ifyoudonot recognise the symptomsearly, thentheymayhaveafataloutcome. Some children mayalsohavekidneyfailure,”saidDrRachnaSharma,in-chargeofthepaediatric intensive care unit atBLK hospital, which has seentwosuchcasesover the last fewmonths.Sir Ganga Ramhospital has

seensixsuchcases,inwhichfourwere found to be infectedwithCovid-19whiletheothertwohadnot developed any antibodiesagainstthedisease.OnThursday,the hospital attended to a two-and-a-half-year-old boy fromNajafgarhwith persistent feverandrespiratoryissues.“Thechildhadcoldextremitiesandwasex-posed to the virus three-fourweeks ago. His blood pressurehaddroppedsignificantlyandalltheparameterswerepointingto-wardsKawasaki-likesymptoms.This syndromedysregulates the

immune system and can affecttheheart,intestine,liverandkid-ney. Three of the six such casesrequiredICUadmissions,”saidDrDhirenGupta, paediatric inten-sivistat thehospital.Experts further highlighted

that timely intervention andidentificationofsymptomsplaya crucial role. For instance, a13-year-oldboywaspresentedwithhigh-grade fever and rashes todoctors at BLK hospital. As thefeverpersisted,parentsgotanx-ious and got the Covid test,whichcamepositive.Hestartedhaving increasing fever spikeswithpainintheabdomen,vom-itingandpoororal intake.“The child became drowsy

andhisbloodpressuredropped.Hishandsand feetbecamecoldandbluish.Thediseasehadpro-gressed fromasimple fever to amore serious situation wherethediseasehadaffectedhisheartandkidney.Hisbloodreportsforcoronawereshowingsignsofse-vere disease. In this Covidmul-tisystem inflammatory syn-drome, the heart is usuallyaffected in 50-60% of the casesandthechildgoes intoashock,”saidDrSharma.

Delhi hospitals see Kawasaki-likesymptoms in childrenwith Covid

Govt’s premier schoolsmaintain edge in exams

RestrictionsonDelhicourtsbeganover3monthsago.Archive

AMID PANDEMIC, COURTS RESTRICT FUNCTIONING TILL JULY 31

Many lawyers head home in search of work: ‘No cases since March’

Amediccollects swabsamplesof achild forCovid-19testatagovernmentschool.AmitMehra

New Delhi: Students of Delhigovernment’s premier Schoolsof Excellence (SOEs), set up in2018,andRajkiyaPratibhaVikasVidyalayas(RPVVs)scoredbigintheclassXCBSEboardexams.Hariom Singh, a student of

SOE Rohini, scored a 100% inmathematics and got a total of95%. “I didn’t always likemathe-matics butmy teachers helpedmealot.Iwouldcreditthemalotformyresult.Now,Iwanttostudysciencewithmaths,”hesaid.Anjali Ojha, a student of SOE

DwarkaSector23,scored94%andwill be taking up the science

stream.BothstudentshadjoinedtheirrespectiveschoolsinclassIXafterstudyinginprivateschools.“My family decided on this

schoolbecausethefacilitieswerereally good and, unlike at a pri-vate school, wewould not havetogivedonationshere,”shesaid.Anotherbig scorer is Praveen

Rawat,astudentofRPVVDwarkaSector10,whoscored97%. “I got100% inbothmaths and science.The teachers regularlyhelpedusthroughthepreparation,andgavee-learningmaterialtouseathome.I’mgoing toopt for sciencewith-outbiologyinXI,”hesaid.ENS

EXPRESSNEWSSERVICENEWDELHI, JULY17

CMARVINDKejriwalonFridayvis-itedaslumdemolitionsiteinEastDelhi's Jagatpuri andassured thefamilies renderedhomeless thattemporary accommodationswouldbearrangedforthem.Kejriwalwas toldby the resi-

dents that thedwellingsof threefamilies,whowereunderquaran-tine,were alsodemolished. TheCMsaid thedemolitionwas car-riedoutbythelocalmunicipalcor-porationbasedonacourtorder.

“I went tomeet the familieswith teamsof officials andhaveordered the district magistrateto make housing and foodarrangements for them imme-diately,”Kejriwal tweeted.Healsodirectedofficialstoex-

ploreoptionsforsettlingthefam-iliespermanently.Thefamiliesun-derquarantinewill be shifted tonearbyisolationcentres,hesaid.There are thousands of va-

cant EWS flats, built under theJNNURM,acrossDelhi,whichinmanycaseshave fallen intodis-repairwithauthorities failingtoshift families there.

SOURAVROYBARMANNEWDELHI, JULY17

THEDIFFERENCEintheirageisasvastasthedistancebetweentheircountries. Butwhat bounda14-year-oldfromNepaland74-year-old SheikhAl Amin fromSudantogetherwas a religious gather-ing—and a shared fourmonthsindetention—inaforeignland.Having spent over four

months in quarantine centresever since theywere evacuatedfromtheNizamuddinMarkazinMarch,theduohavenowshiftedto twoprivate schools inSouth-east Delhi, which are doublingupaslodgingfacilitiesforaround200foreignnationalswhowerepartof thegathering.They have been sharing

damp, airless roomswith citi-zens of countries that can beplotted all over aworldmap—fromneighbouring Sri Lanka tofaraway Brazil — for over amonthnow,aftertheDelhiHighCourt had onMay 28 allowedaround 955 foreign nationals,whowerepartof thegathering,tomovefromquarantinecentrestoalternateaccommodations.The rooms, emptied of

benches and other classroomparaphernalia, house three tofour persons each and featurenotmore than a few thin rugs,pillows andwater bottles. Themen,youngandold,mostlykeepto themselves, immersed inscriptures.Thegatheringhadfounditself

in the eye of a storm after theMarkaz emerged as a Covidhotspotduring the initial daysofthepandemic, and itsmembersfoundthemselvesbeingmalignedbypoliticians, the general publicandsectionsof themedia.Whilepolicehadbookedforeignmem-bers of the gathering for allegedviolationsofvisarules,manyhavenowstartedreturningafterenter-ingintopleabargainsincourt.Asked about their experi-

encesover the last fewmonths,mostrespondinmonosyllables,while some turn philosophical.But the longing for home andthe worry for dear ones, be itwifeorchildren, isacauseofdis-tress formany.“Inmycase,sinceIhavebeen

at theMarkaz over the last one

year, my separation from themwould not have been a cause ofworry. But they are constantlyworried about my health dueto the pandemic,” said theNepaleseteenager,whohasnowbeen allowed to return homewithabatchof 34others.He has been strandedwith

threeof his brothers, aged13, 16and19.Avolunteer assisting thechildren said that in case of resi-dents of Nepal, charges werepressed for violation of govern-mentguidelinesandtheEpidemicDiseases Act and the DisasterManagementAct,while in casesof residentsfromothercountriespassportswerealsoseized.“I don’t have any grievances.

Whatever I have learnt in life isan outcomeofmy long associa-tionwiththeJamaat.IhavebeencomingtoIndiaforover40years.Of course, things have changedovertimeandruleshavebecomestricter. But given a choice, Iwould surely return,” said alAmin,whohasalsobeenallowedto return after pleading guiltyandfurnishingafineofRs5,000.On Friday, around 125

Malaysians,whowerestayingata Mahipalpur hotel based onarrangements made by theMalaysian Embassy, flew backhome, becoming the first batchof foreign nationals among the955-oddTablighis,stayingacrosseight accommodations acrossDelhi, to return.IlmiAdamfromDjibouti,hav-

ingneurologicalcomplications,isamong the ones stillwaiting fortheircasestocomeupbeforethecourt.Butthelongwaithasmade

himresentfulandanxiousabouthis family back home,who aredependent on his income fromsaleofvegetablesandfruits.“At the quarantine centre, I

hadabitterexperience.Wecouldnot even step out of our rooms.The behaviour of the police andstaffwasrude.Myintakeofmed-icinesbecameirregularasacon-sequenceofwhichIamsuffering.I have four sons and a daughter.Theimpressionof IndiaIhadbe-foreisnotsomethingIamcarry-ingback,”Adam,aged55, said.ButAbdullahAhmed,whose

left foot had to be amputateddue to an infection in 2017, hasmadepeacewith thesituation.“The lack of medicines is

causingtrouble,yes.Butnoneofus foresaw a situation like this.So I cannot really complainagainst anyone. I have diabetes.Thesedays, Iammostlykeepingroza and reading the scripturesall through the day,” Ahmed, aSudanesenational, said.Backhome,heearnsthrough

oddjobsasanelectricianandbyworking atworkshops of metalscraps. All the foreign tablighisThe Indian Express spoke to saidtheyhadtestednegative.The 14-year-old fromNepal,

“boredofbrowsingthemobile”,is sanguine about the prospectofreturninghomesoonandget-ting tomeet his friends. For hisbrother Abdur Rehman (19),who has spent more time inIndia,therecentdeteriorationintiesbetweenIndiaandNepalisamatter of concern. “Wewill re-turn home soon. But the futurelooksuncertainnow,”hesaid.

TheNizamuddinMarkazgatheringfounditself in theeyeofastormafter it initiallyemergedasaCovidhotspot.Archive

Teen from Nepal, Djiboutifruit seller among 955Tablighis still in capital

TRUE GRITAhealthworkerataCovid-19testingcentreonFriday.PraveenKhanna

CM visits slum demolitionsite, assures alternatives

0-50 Good

ANANDVIHARModerate

0 500

109AQI

Pollutant:CO

SIRIFORTSatisfactory

0 500

SHADIPURSatisfactory

0 500 500

51-100 Satisfactory 101-200 Moderate 201-300 Poor 301-400 VeryPoor 401-500 Severe

DWARKA- SECTOR8Satisfactory

0

94AQIPM:10

71AQIPM:10

86AQIPM:10

ANANDMOHANJNEWDELHI, JULY17

ADELHIcourthasgrantedbailtoa Northeast Delhi riot accused,observing that he was impli-cated in this case based on hisdisclosure statement and therewasnoevidenceagainsthim.Theaccused,Salman,wasar-

rested inconnectionwithariot-relatedincidentatBrijpuriPuliya.Asper courtdocuments, the

complaintwas registered by anassistant sub-inspector, whostatedthatamobof1,000-1,500people, includingwomen, wasfound chanting slogans againstCAA/NRC and Delhi Police, andarmedwithstonesandrods.TheFIR stated that the mob thenpeltedstonesatpoliceandthere

werealsosoundsof gunshots.Duringinvestigation,Salman

wascalledtoDayalpurpolicesta-tiontoexplainhowhesustainedinjuries during the riots and hispresence at the spot. Hewas ar-restedafterhewasunabletopro-videanexplanation,policesaid.District and Sessions Judge

Dr Sudhir Kumar Jain, whilegrantingbail,observed,“Thepe-rusal of record reflects that theonlybasisof thearrestof theac-cused/applicant Salman in thepresent FIR is that he could notexplain his presence at the spotand the nature of injuries re-ceivedbyhim.Itappearshewasimplicatedonthebasisofdisclo-sure by him. At this stage, it ap-pearsthat(thereis)noevidenceagainsthim.”Hewas granted bail on fur-

nishing personal bond of Rs25,000 with one surety of thelike amount. He has been in ju-dicial custody since April 9. Thecourtdirectedhimtojointhein-vestigation as and when di-rected, not leave the stationwithout prior permission fromthe court, and not induce orthreaten witnesses or tamperwithevidence.Salman’scounselUsmanand

Deeksha Dwivedi argued thatpolicehadnotassignedanyroletotheaccusedandtherewasnoevidence against him. They ar-gued that Salman “was himselfavictimandwasarrestedonhisdisclosure statement”. SpecialPublic Prosecutor Amit Prasadtold the court that he could notexplain his injuries or presenceat thespot.

Court grants bail to NE Delhi riotaccused, cites lack of evidence

Nocurfew:GurgaonadminGurgaon:Amid rumoursthat theGurgaonadmin-istration is considering acurfeworweekend lock-down along the lines ofUP, the district’s deputycommissioner AmitKhatriFridaysaidthoughmeasures taken to com-bat Covid-19maybe “in-tensified,”thereisno“im-mediate” need forthis.“We should look atthings on a case to casebasis,andwhereverthereisacaseoutbreakitcanbeconsidered,butasablan-ket there is no such planasofnow.”

JalBoardtoresumechecksNew Delhi:The Delhi JalBoardhasorderedstafftoresumecheckingformis-use of potable water,which had to be tem-porarilysuspendedowingto Covid-19 outbreak, of-ficials said. A fine of Rs2,000willbeimposedona consumer for wastingwaterinthefirstinstance,followedbyadailyfineofRs500forrepeatoffence.“Peoplecaninformaboutsuch violations by takingpicturesandtaggingusonourofficialTwitterhandleorlodgingacomplaintonour helpline number –1916,”saidDJBvice-chair-manRaghavChadha.

DelhiBJPprotests‘huge’powerbillsNewDelhi: TheDelhi BJPFriday staged protests atdiscomoffices across thecity, demanding relief forconsumers from “huge”power bills being sent tothem during the lock-downperiod. Party lead-ers and itsDelhiMPs de-mandedwaiversonfixedcharges.

Manjumpsintorivertofleecops,heldNewDelhi: Amanwhowas previously involvedin many snatching androbbery cases was ar-rested by a police picketteamFridaymorning,af-ter he allegedly jumpedinto the Yamuna river ina bid to escape fromthem in North Delhi’sKashmereGate.ENS

BRIEFLY

New Delhi

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AAGGRR IICCUU LL TTUURR EE :: BB AACCKKBBOONN EE OO FFIINNDD II AANN EECCOONNOOMM YY

What is the current standing of ourcountry at a global level if we talkabout agriculture?

Despite the various developmentsacross other sectors like the services sector,India primarily remains an agriculture-ledeconomy. It is leading country on multipleparameters when it comes to productionand export to other regions. With itsfavourable weather patterns, topographyand rich soil, it is one of the best regions forcrop growth and farming.We are also oneof the leading countries on science andtechnology when it comes to agri-tech,food processing etc.While there is enoughneed for an upgrade, we continue to dom-inate at a world level.

We have seen the global econ-omy going in recession due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. World over,people have been moving back totheir homes, leaving cities, puttingpressure on the rural economy.What do you see could be the im-pact of COVID-19 crisis on agricul-ture sector in the country?

Yes, there has been a significant impacton the economy. But by far, there has beena limited impact of COVID-19 on the agri-culture sector. More specifically, rural areasare a little less impacted. As rural areasare slightly free of COVID-19 outbreak, thefarming community is still away from theoutbreak. This said it doesn’t mean thatthey are immune to the infection. But thespread is seen lesser in those parts of thecountry. However, we need to implementsafety measures there too. Farmers in Indiahave shown a typical resilience, as shownby the entire nation. The community as awhole is less impacted.

In general, what are some of thechallenges that you see for theagriculture sector in the country?

There are numerous challenges. Thegovernment has brought several reforms inthe past to help the farmers and the agri-community. For instance, on 15 May, Fi-nance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, whilelisting out various schemes under the At-manirbhar Bharat Abhiyan (self-reliant In-dia campaign), announced that the gov-ernment will end the monopoly of theAgricultural Produce Marketing Committee(APMC) markets or mandis by passing acentral law to amend the existing APMCAct.The government has also approved anordinance to amend the Essential Com-modities Act, 1955, to deregulate com-modities such as cereals, pulses, oilseeds,edible oils, onion and potatoes. With therise in production of grains, it was perti-nent that India abolishes the archaic laws.India, in fact, has become an exporternow.

But still, these reforms have been a par-tial exercise.There are various other chal-lenges and issues have not been ad-dressed yet. For instance, the issue ofpesticide procurement and the banning ofcertain pesticides, fungicides and herbi-cides. Recently, the government hasbanned 27 pesticides including productslike mancozeb, 2,4-D, deltamethrin, andchlorpyrifos. Recently, the Government ofIndia has also restricted the use ofglyphosate through pest control operators(PCO), which will hamper farmers’ abilityto manage weeds at a time of labourshortages caused by Covid-19 pandemic.Earlier this year, the government has is-sued another notification banning impor-tant fungicide Tricyclazole, which is indis-pensable for the management of neckblast in rice. These abrupt decisions with-out consulting stakeholders includingfarmers have far-reaching implication forfood production and might impact theproductivity of farmers.

Whatever the environmentalists maysee in this, there has to be a balance be-tween the reforms, and the intended pur-pose of these reforms.We need to keep inmind the welfare of the farmers.

Moreover, penalty clauses under vari-ous acts, such as the Biodiversity Act &Draft Pesticide Management Bill 2020 inthe country may often amount to criminalproceedings. The penal procedures andpenalties are harsh. As a result, the per-sons caught in these are made criminalsout of petty misunderstood laws. Amidstthe retrograde policies, as a result, in-vestors shy away from investing or puttingin money in such technologies or any suchventures.

In PM Narendra Modi’s Atmanirbhartacall, there is a message on being self-re-liant. This self-reliance in the agriculturesector is based on technological and sci-entific innovation.There are other aspectsto being self-reliant.

India currently needs food securityacross various sub-segments – vegeta-bles, pulses, edible oils etc. But unfortu-nately, we have a severe deficit of produc-tion across the segments, most visibleacross the edible oil segment.

According to reports and governmentdata, India does not even produce half ofits edible oil requirements, mainly due torainfed conditions, narrow genetic base,lack of technological interventions, small-holding with limited resources, low seedreplacement rate, and low productivity.The country needs 25 million tonnes of ed-ible oils to meet its requirement at the cur-rent consumption level of 19 kg per per-son per year. Out of the total requirement,10.50 million tonnes are produced do-mestically from primary and secondarysources and the remaining 60%, is metthrough import. There exists a gap be-tween the demand and supply of oilseeds.We need to bring reforms that help in thisdirection.

So what is your suggestion here?Farmers should be given the freedom to

use genetically improved crops such as in-sect-resistant, herbicide-tolerant and highyielding hybrid vigour. Moreover, thereshouldn't be any restrictions.All these ef-forts are commendable. But there is aneed to bring conducive policies to in-crease farm productivity.

Four months of the lockdown was agood time to ponder over these issues andbring certain reforms.Technological inno-vations and crop modification is one sucharea of work here.

There are multiple areas of work thatneeds the support of the government.Farm labour reforms are one such area.The recent reverse migration of labourershas proved the point that there is a need tobring more training and skilling. Farmmechanisation and dryland agriculture areother key areas of work that needs sup-port and vision.

Labour reforms have not helped farm-ers or the farming community in the coun-try.The government should do somethingto include labourers who have left theircities and has gone back to their villages.But in the absence of any training, theyare unable to take up, agriculture, back inthe villages. In the absence of any train-ing, they go back from where they started.Though, employing labourers for agricul-tural work under MNREGA can be a goodstart.

What about other relevant chal-lenges such as climate change, andproblems that the country faceswhile applying agrarian farmingtechnologies?

Ans. There are several fundamentalchallenges to agriculture in the country.First and foremost is the small fragmenta-tion of land.This kind of model of farmingis not at all remunerative and productive.The country must focus on cooperativeland building and massive push for con-tract farming across several states. Andthe government should bring in supportfor this. The mere formation of small pro-duction organisations such as FPOs by thegovernment would not really help untilthese FPOs are converted into entrepre-neurs and develop backwards-forwardlinkages. For doing so, successfully mod-els of Western Maharashtra, Punjabshould be duplicated and followedhere.The farmers by choice and by natureof work, or the crop form should be al-lowed to come together and form infor-

mal groups. And then they can work to-wards a single crop in the season.This hassolved the challenges of farm produceacross other countries. Such a model canhelp them against basic challenges relat-ing to income generation of farmers. Sucha model is possible in Gujarat, varioussouthern states and MP. Smaller groups,formed in such manner, are more compet-itive at the global level.

The other big challenge is climatechange. This can be mitigated by variousconventional and traditional methods ofcultivation, including shifting of crops. Buthere it is vital to share information on sea-son change or weather patterns prior tothat weather change with the farmers. Socommunication here is important.

Fortunately, India favours a variety ofcrops.And we have been able to cultivateresistant crop varieties that can withstandthe weather change and climate change.But we need to consider the entire spec-trum of problems. It is not just climatechange, but there are other disasters inthe country that need to be considered as anational calamity. Just like an earthquakeor a flood.

For instance, very recently, the locustsattack across the farmlands of Rajasthanhas drastically impacted the cotton, pearlmillet and mung bean farmers. This willsubsequently impact their produce in-coming season. Government has initiatedsteps that need to be scaled up at excep-tionally large level to manage the incur-sions of locusts. It needs concerted effortsbetween central and State governments.

Another example is Fasal Beema Yojna.Under this farmers are compensated forthe seasonal loss due to adverse weatherconditions, or any other natural calamity.

Farmers are supposed to be insured incase of loss. But one can find, severalfarmers allegedly insured remain unpaidunder the programme. While they do notget the real price of the farm produce, theyalso suffer losses in terms of the insur-ance.

What is happening in the re-search and innovation front in the

country?India has a robust network of research

and innovation.The country has 103 com-modity research centres. Each of these in-stitutions has produced vast amounts ofexcellent, research, and have helped thecommunity hugely. But the adaption ofthe technology and research on the fieldhas been an issue.

The key aspect is that we lag basic re-search. Instead, the country and thesecentres have produced high volumes of re-search on advanced things. Basic researchhas remained neglected. Governmentministries and the state governments’ roleis vital in taking the research to the farm-ers. There is a gap here in using the re-search on the field.

There's a need to physically contact thefarmer and take the knowledge to themdirectly.

There are several technological innova-tions brought in across crop categoriesthat can be implemented in India. For ex-ample, genetically modified crops acrosssoybean, mustard, cotton, maize and veg-etable crops are great examples of suchinnovation. Other than this, hybrid tech-nology in millets, maize and vegetableshave given astounding success to farmers.Successful plant breeding technology canalso lead to increased turnover and in-come. New breeding technologies such asgenome editing can open a new dimen-sion of R&D and commercialization of nu-tritionally enriched crops to tackle the is-sues of malnutrition and poverty.

But all these need to be taken to farm-ers.

What is your vision for India'sstrong agricultural community?

There is a need to commercialize bio-in-novation in the country. India today hasone of the largest cultivable lands in theworld.The country has around 144 millionhectares of land under cultivation rightnow.

Both geographically and from the per-spective of climate, the country is rich inresources. It has a favourable topographyfor farming.As a result, the agriculture can

become the engine of growth for our slug-gish economy post Covid-19 pandemics.

But we have not been able to harnessthe potential of startups, the technologicalinnovations and entrepreneurial spirits ofthe farmer community. At this stage, en-trepreneurship in farming makes a perfectsense.

What role do you envisage of theprivate sector?

There are various components of thefarming ecosystem.A key segment are in-put suppliers. Then there are output seg-ment that involves the buyers, the middle-men and the mandi operators.

The inputs suppliers of micronutrients,pesticides, fertilizers and seeds can beroped under a PPP model. The countrymust embark of contractual research &commercialization under PPP model. Rop-ing in these suppliers and category stake-holders, along with the government cando wonders for farming community in thecountry.There are various successful ex-amples of collaboration with the privatesector. What ICAR has done with the pri-vate sector and in the commercialization ofPUSA varieties of rice & wheat and whatthe MP Government is doing with involv-ing the private sector for aggregations aregreat examples.These models of engage-ment can be replicated across India.

What is the challenge at the tech-nology front in the private sector?

Technology usage still lags other keydiscoveries. It is needed in the fields in-stead of just labs. Hence, any technology orinnovative method considered vital for en-hancing farm produce need to be adaptedand refined at the farmland. Only then canscientists know about the challenges andthe loopholes of that innovation. Unfortu-nately, it's not happening in India at a veryrobust pace. Many potential technologiessuch as DU’s mustard technology are keptin shelves because of policy and regula-tory hurdles. With the cooperation of theprivate sector and the government, tech-nology upgrades can easily be promotedacross the farming community.

How important are such collabo-rations at a global level?

Across the globe, there are innumerableexamples where efforts have fulfilled theneeds of an entire generation. Green Rev-olution, for example, that started in Mexicois a great example of such a collaborationat the world level. Such global collabora-tions, help in technology transfer directly tofarmers.

SABC has also recently done extensivecampaign under Project SAFFAL on fallarmyworms, which has been a huge suc-cess in the country. Unfortunately, such ef-forts still yearn for government support.Hence, there is a need for NGOs, govern-ment bodies, private sector companies toform a PPP model at a large scale.

So what is missing?Ans. We need to engage with farmers

proactively.There are returns when we in-crease the farm produce. But how to makefarms, productive and income-generatingdepends on focused engagement withfarmers. The government should not lookat retrograde policies and reforms. Theyshould, in fact, substitute the reformsabolished, with some logical, progressivepolicies.

For example, in the US, there is a policyof Fallow Land Subsidy Management Sys-tem. Indian Government should bring in apolicy that encourages farmers to managefallow fields through farm subsidies. Thisshould be followed here also.

Another big area is to focus on post-harvest management and food process-ing. At present, there is only 8-9% of thefarm produce that is processed mechani-cally across the industry. This should bebrought up to the level of 20%, at least.To help farmers, there is a need to invest insuch a technology that increases farmlandprocessing and farm produce.

ADVERTORIAL

“Make India the Global FoodProduction Hub”

Highlighting the importance of research in the Agriculturesector, Dr CD Mayee, President South Asia Biotechnology

Centre & Mr Bhagirath Choudhary, Founder & Director,South Asia Biotechnology Centre, say, “It is a must that

technology and innovation brought in farming methods by theresearch sector is taken to farmers to implement on farmlands.

Only then will the farm produce increase and will strengthen thefarming communities in the country.”

Union Minister Shri.Nitin Gadkari flagging off the program “War on Pink Bollworm” in cotton at Nagpur.

New Delhi

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ADVERTORIAL5 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM

THEINDIANEXPRESS,SATURDAY, JULY18,2020

New Delhi

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MALLICAJOSHINEWDELHI, JULY 17

FEWERDEATHShavebeenreg-istered in the city over the sec-ond quarter this year as com-pared to2019.According to Delhi govern-

ment sources, data collated bythemshowsthat27,152deathreg-istrationsweredone in the capi-talinApril,MayandJunelastyear.This year the number is 21,344.This includes Covid-19 deaths,whichstandat3,571sofar.On Friday 1,462 new cases

were added to the city’s tally,taking the total to 1,20,107. Thedeath toll went up by 26 and1,608peoplerecoveredinasin-gleday.While3,696peoplearestilladmittedinhospitals,9,595areunder home isolation.The Delhi government is in

the process of compiling a re-portanalysingdeaths thathavetaken place in the city sinceCovid-19. At present, Delhi hasamong the highest number of

Covid cases among cities. Theactive cases, however, havebeen dipping, and stood at17,235 on Friday. The city’sdeath rate is around3%.The health department had

prepared an analysis into thedeaths of people in the city for15 days, lastweek. The depart-

menthadanalysed691deaths,andwhile it contained data re-garding date of hospitalisationanddeaths, itdidnotgointothedetails of age, gender and co-mordbid conditions. A new re-port is nowbeingprepared.While several offices re-

mained shut during April and

May and registration of deathswas put off by many, officialssaidthatseveralpeopleappliedfordeathcertificates inthesec-ondhalf ofMayand Junewhenrelaxations were given and of-fices reopened.“Since offices have re-

opened, many people whocouldn’t report deaths becauseof the lockdown got registra-tionsdoneinMayendandJune.If some still haven’t done that,itwillbeasmallnumber,”anof-ficial said.

The lockdown in April andMayalsomeant road accidentsresulting in fatalities fell.AccordingtodatasharedbytheMinistryofRoadTransportandHighways, Delhi sees the high-estnumberof roadaccident-re-lated deaths among all bigcities. In2018, thisnumberwas1,690 — around 140 deaths amonth.While 775 of these were

pedestrians, 570 were on twowheelerswhentheygot intoanaccident.

ASTHASAXENANEWDELHI, JULY 17

“AAP PAISE kamat sochiye, humsab hain aapke saath." Thiswasthemessagesentoutbyseveraldoctors across the capital toRajinder Chaudhary (51), afarmer, who was struggling tomeetmedicalexpensesafterhissontestedpositiveforCovid-19.His son Joginder (27), a jun-

iorresidentdoctoratDelhigov-ernment’s Baba SahebAmbedkar (BSA)Hospital, con-tracted thevirus on June27.Heis undergoing treatment at SirGanga RamHospital and is ad-

mitted to the ICU.As Chaudharyworried over

mountingmedicalbills, severaldoctors stepped in to raisefunds. So far, around 100 doc-tors from around the city andBSAHospital’s residentdoctors’association have raised aroundRs3 lakh.On June 29, Chaudhary had

rushed to the capital fromNeemuch district in MadhyaPradesh after receiving a callabout his son’s condition.“Kabhi umeed nahi thi ki sab loghumari itni madad karenge (Inever thought somany peoplewouldhelpus),” he said.Joginder was posted in the

casualty department at BSAHospital.After he tested positive for

thedisease,hewasadmittedtoLok Nayak Hospital. However,the family shifted him to SirGangaRamon July 7.The RDA has alsowritten to

Delhi Chief Minister ArvindKejriwal seeking help. A seniorhealth official said the detailshavebeensharedandthehealthdepartment is working on thecase. “We are trying to help thefamily,” said theofficial.On Thursday, Joginder also

wrotea letter tothemedicaldi-rector of Sir Ganga RamHospital, requestingtheadmin-

istration to waive off themed-icalexpenseswhichhasshotupto aroundRs3.4 lakh.A spokesperson from Sir

Ganga Ram hospital said: “Thepatient is presently in the ICUandisbeingchargedminimumpackaged rates. At the time ofdischarge, thehospitalwillhelpto themaximumextent.”A senior doctor from BSA

hospital,whohasamong thosewho helped the family, said, “Ihave never met Joginder norhave I worked with him at thehospital. But the current pan-demic has brought all of uscloser to each other. We willfight this together.”

LIQUOR,HOOKAHRECOVERED

EXPRESSNEWSSERVICENEWDELHI,JULY17

WHENTHE beat constable no-ticed an unusual spike in thenumbers of cars parked in theotherwisesleepystretchinouterDelhi'sPaschimViharonTuesdaynight, he knew somethingwasamiss.Thesoundofbangingmu-sic confirmed his doubts — apartywas in full swing at a cluband lounge. The club's name:Playgue.Around10pm,araid,headed

bySHOPaschimVihar (east), re-sulted in the arrest of 31people,including the owner and hisbrother. DCP (Outer) Dr A Koansaid,"TheownerLovishKhuranaandhisbrotherKashishKhurana,whowere present at the club atthetime,havebeenarrestedun-der various IPC sections, ExciseAct, Epidemic Act, DisasterManagement Act, and Cigarette& Other Tobacco Products Act.Other29peopleareoutonbail."Apoliceofficer said thatdur-

ing interrogation, it was foundthatTuesdaywasthefirstdaytheownerhadreopenedthebarandlounge since the lockdown. TheDCP said that 77 bottles of beer,seven bottles of different hardliquor, and eight hookahswererecovered."Adaybeforetheparty,theor-

ganiser,whowas not present at

the venue at the time of raid,made a WhatsApp group andmessageditsmembersabouttheparty.Duringnightpatrolling,thebeatconstablenoticedmanycarsparkedoutside,andpeoplewalk-inginandout,"saidtheofficer.Theofficersaidthattheparty

probably started around 4 pm,andmanypeoplehad leftbeforethe raid. As per the FIR, theKhuranabrotherswere asked toproduce the liquor licence, buttheydidn'thaveone. "Theyhaveapplied for one, we have beentold.Butitdoesn'tmatterasbarsandloungesaren'tallowedtoop-eraterightnow.Therewasnoso-cial distancing being followed,andnoonewaswearingmasks.Assoonaspeoplespottedpolice,they covered their faces withmasks,napkins,"saidtheofficer.During interrogation, the

owner is learnt to have told thepolice that as business had suf-feredsinceMarch,hedecided to"takeachancebyopeningit,andto 'figure things out' if thepolicefoundout".

‘OwnerLovishKhurana,hisbrotherKashish,whowereattheclub,werearrested,”saidDCP(Outer)DrAKoan

31heldafterraid at clubcalledPlaygue

DrJoginderChaudhary

3,571peoplehavediedof coronavirusso far.AbhinavSaha

CORONAVIRUS IN THECAPITAL

TOTAL CASES

1,20,107Total Vacant

HOSPITAL BEDS 15,465 11,792VENTILATORS 1,180 689

Dailycases Recoveries Deaths TestsJuly 16 1,652 1,994 58 20,225July 17 1,462 1,608 26 20,464Total 17,235* 99,301 3,571 7,77,125

*Total active cases

THECITY6 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COMTHEINDIANEXPRESS,SATURDAY, JULY18,2020

EXPRESSNEWSSERVICENEWDELHI, JULY 17

A 27-YEAR-OLD man was ar-restedfromMadhyaPradeshbytheDelhiPolice, ina jointoper-ationwith Indorepolice, for al-legedly impersonatingtheper-sonal secretary of UnionHomeMinisterAmit Shah.According to police, the ac-

cused, Abhishek Dwivedi, al-legedlycalledapersonalstaffofUnionTransportMinisterNitinGadkari, seekingcancellationofthe transfer of a transport de-partment official inGwalior“Wereceivedacomplainton

July 3 from the Union HomeMinister’s office, where it wasalleged that someonemisusedthe minister’s personal secre-tary’snameandpositiontoseekfavours from the personal staffof theUniontransportministerregarding cancellation of thetransferof amotor licensingof-ficer (MLO) in Gwalior. On July5,acasewasregisteredandpo-licestartedinvestigation,”saidasenior police officer.During investigation, police

saidthe locationof theuserof asuspect mobile number wastraced to Mumbai. Searcheswere carried out in Kolambeli,Khargar,BelapurandTalojaareaof NaviMumbai.Meanwhile, Dwivedi re-

alised police were on his trailand fled Mumbai, the officersaid. Later, his location wastracked to Indore, and he wasarrested on Thursday. Themo-bilephoneandSIMcardusedtomake the calls has been recov-ered, police said.During questioning, police

foundthatDwivedi’schildhoodfriend, a resident of Rewa, hadrequested him for cancellationof his transfer, the officer said.PolicesaidDwivediwaspro-

ducedinthecourtandtakenona four-day transit remand toDelhi.

NGT junks plea on cremationsNew Delhi: The National GreenTribunal Friday refused to en-tertainapleaseekingdirectionsto installalternativemethodsofcremation to reduce air pollu-

tionandtocontainspreadof thecoronavirus infection, as it didnot pertain to a substantialquestion concerning the envi-ronment.PTI

e-Tender Extension Notice´fÂffaIY: 1661/A²fe.Ad·f.(IYf¹fÊVff»ff.)Q.d½f.d½f.d³f.d»f./d³fd½fQf Àfc¨f³ff dQ³ffaIY: 17.07.2020

TenderNo.

Short Description EstimatedCost in

Rs.

RevisedEarnest

Money inRs.

RevisedTenderFee in

Rs.

TenderOpeningDate &Time

35/2019-20 Repairing of 10/16 KVA to100 KVA T/F at workshopPanki (Sachendi) underEWD, Kanpur

Approx.Rs. 208.50

Lac

Rs.2,10,000.00

Rs.5,000.00

(GSTExtra)

28.07.202015:00 Hrs.

36/2019-20 Repairing of 10/16 KVA to100 KVA T/F at workshopAgra under EWD, Agra

Approx.Rs. 208.20

Lac

Rs.2,10,000.00

Rs.5,000.00

(GSTExtra)

28.07.202015:00 Hrs.

39/2019-20 Repairing of 10/16 KVA to100 KVA T/F at workshopKanpur (Jainpur) underEWD, Kanpur

Approx.Rs. 208.50

Lac

Rs.2,10,000.00

Rs.5,000.00

(GSTExtra)

28.07.202015:00 Hrs.

43/2019-20 Repairing of 10/16 KVA to400 KVA T/F at workshopAuraiya (Etawah) underEWD, Kanpur

Approx.Rs. 83.81

Lac

Rs.84,000.00

Rs.3,000.00

(GSTExtra)

20.08.202015:00 Hrs.

56/2019-20 AMC of EOT Crain atvarious workshops underEWC, Agra

Approx.Rs. 30.00

Lac

Rs.30,000.00

Rs.3,000.00

(GSTExtra)

10.08.202015:00 Hrs.

58/2019-20 AMC of Machineries atvarious workshops underEWD, Kanpur

Approx.Rs. 35.00

Lac

Rs.35,000.00

Rs.3,000.00

(GSTExtra)

28.07.202015:00 Hrs.

59/2019-20 AMC of Machineries atvarious workshops underEWD, Jhansi/Banda

Approx.Rs. 25.00

Lac

Rs.25,000.00

Rs.3,000.00

(GSTExtra)

10.08.202015:00 Hrs.

69/2019-20 Repairing of 100 KVA to1000 KVA T/F at workshopPanki (Sachendi) underEWD, Kanpur

Approx.Rs.

208.175Lac

Rs.2,10,000.00

Rs.5,000.00

(GSTExtra)

20.08.202015:00 Hrs.

70/2019-20 Repairing of 100 KVA to1000 KVA T/F at workshopKanpur (Jainpur) underEWD, Kanpur

Approx.Rs.

208.175Lac

Rs.2,10,000.00

Rs.5,000.00

(GSTExtra)

20.08.202015:00 Hrs.

71/2019-20 Repairing of 100 KVA to1000 KVA T/F at workshopShikohabad under EWD,Agra

Approx.Rs.

102.485Lac

Rs.1,00,000.00

Rs.5,000.00

(GSTExtra)

20.08.202015:00 Hrs.

72/2019-20 Repairing of 100 KVA to1000 KVA T/F at workshopAgra under EWD, Agra

Approx.Rs.

123.425Lac

Rs.1,25,000.00

Rs.5,000.00

(GSTExtra)

20.08.202015:00 Hrs.

Other Terms & Conditions have been given in detailed tender for which please visitat eprocurement portal of UP Government https://etender.up.nic.in or contact us atgiven address as follows:

Urja Bhawan, 220 KV Sub-Station, Bye PassRoad, Sikandra, Agra- 282007 (UP) Ph. No.9068944455

Superintending Engineer(Workshop)

D.V.V.N.L. AGRA

DAKSHINANCHAL VIDYUT VITRAN NIGAM LIMITED(UNDERTAKING OF U.P. GOVERNMENT)

(CIN: U31200UP2003SGC027460)

MARTYRS OF 205 Bn, COBRA

Martyrs of 205 Bn, COBRA, CRPF madesupreme sacrifice during a search and destroyoperation in Chakrabandha reserve forest,Gaya, Bihar on 18th July 2016 in a true act ofvalour. The brave soldiers will always beremembered for their patriotism and courage.To these brave martyrs we pledge that we shallalways be guided by their immortal spirit anddo their name proud.

IG & All Ranks of COBRA

HC/GD K.

OPENDRA

SINGH

HC/GD ANIL

KUMAR

SINGH

CT/GD

DIWAKAR

KUMAR

CT/GD RAVI

KUMAR

CT/GD

PALASH

MONDAL

CT/GD

DIPAK

GHOSH

CT/GD

SINOD

KUMAR

CT/GD

MANOJ

KUMAR

CT/GD

HARVENDRA

PANWAR

CT/GD

RAMESH

KUMAR

Over 21,000 deaths registered in capital inApril-June quarter, 5,800 less than in 2019

Man poses aspersonal secyto HomeMinister, held

As doctor’s family struggles to pay hospital bill,fraternity from across capital comes together

New Delhi

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7THEINDIANEXPRESS,SATURDAY, JULY18,2020

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DELHICONFIDENTIAL

FIRST MEETINGAGROUP of Opposition politiciansmet physically on Friday.Foralmostallof them,itwastheirfirstphysicalmeetingpost-lockdown.BeforeattendingavirtualmeetingwiththeElectionCommission,leadersofthegrandallianceinBihar—includingCongress’s ShaktisinhGohil, RJD’sManoj Kumar Jha, RLSP’sUpendraKushwahaandJitanRamManjhiofHAM(S)—metatConstitutionClub.TheywerejoinedbyLeft’sSitaramYechuryandDRaja.WhiletheLeftisstillnotofficiallypartof thegrandalliance, their joining themeeting is seen as an indication ofthepartiescomingtogether to fight theNDAinBihar.

SWEET DEVELOPMENTPOLITICALDEVELOPMENTSinRajasthanhavedrawnanum-berofvisitorstoJalShaktiMinisterGajendraSinghShekhawat’sofficialresidenceinDelhi.Allthevisitors—betheypoliticiansormediapersons—gotonethingforcertain,Shekhawatmadesure theywere treated to cookies and cakes. Heproudly toldthemtheywerehome-made.HisdaughterSuhasini’sfavouritepastimeisbaking,andshedistributes thegoodiesamongherfriendsand familywho, according toShekhawat, enjoy themthoroughly.With his residence being frequented by peoplefromhisconstituency, too, thekitchenwouldbebusy.

UNUSUAL OATHIN ANOTHER pandemic-induced first, members recentlyelectedtotheRajyaSabhawillforthefirsttimetakeoathinthechamberoftheHousebetweensessions.Usuallymemberstaketheoathduringthesession,andwhenParliamentisnotinses-sionitisdoneinthechairman’schamber.Butthe61memberswhohavebeenelected/re-electedincludetwochairpersonsofParliamentary committees,whichhave to resumemeetings.Meetingscannotbeconveneduntilthechairpersonstakeoath,and re-electedmembers cannot attend themuntil they takeoath. So, to maintain social distancing, Vice-PresidentMVenkaiahNaiduwill administer oath in the chamber of theHouseonJuly22.Thememberswillbeallowedoneguesteach.

NEW DATEAMEETINGof the joint select committee on data protectionscheduledforFridaywaspostponedtoJuly27duetoconcernsaboutquorumamidCovid-related travel restrictions, evenascommitteemembers tweeted about the timeline. In reply toBJP’sRajeevChandrasekhar’s tweetthathehadtoquarantinehimselfafteracommitteesecretariatstaffmembertestedpos-itive,Congress’JairamRameshwroteonJuly14,“SorrytohearaboutthisRajeev.takecare.thismeansyouwillnotmakeitforthecommitteeondatasecurityon17ththathasbeencalledat3 days notice?” A day later, Rameshwrote that themeetinghadbeenpostponed,adding, “Whywecannotmeetvirtuallybewildersallmembers!”

RAJASTHANPOWERPLAY

MANOJCGNEWDELHI, JULY17

NINE OPPOSITION parties onFriday joined hands and ap-proached the Election Comm-issionarguingthat thecampaignfor the forthcoming Assemblyelections in Bihar cannot be “alldigital” and that it should fix a“limit”forexpenditureonthedig-italcampaigns.Theysaidadigitalcampaignwillmean that two-thirdof theelectoratewill be leftoutof theprocess.While thepartiesdidnotde-

mandpostponementof theelec-

tions, they asked the EC to takestepsto“satisfythepeoplethattheentire poll exercise”will not be-come a “super spreader event”.They asked theEC to review thesituationinconsultationwithpub-lichealthexpertsandotherstake-holderskeepinginmindthe“rap-idlyworsening”Covidsituation.Leaders of the nine parties

askedtheECtocreateconditionsfor theusual campaignensuringmaximumvoter participation, alevel-playing field forall contest-antsandproactiveinterventionbythe poll body to penalise thoseseekingcommunalandsocialpo-larisationduringthecampaign.

Thevirtualmeetingwith theECwas attended by Congress’sShaktisinh Gohil, RJD’s ManojKumar Jha, RLSP’s UpendraKushwahaandotherleadersoftheMahaGathbandhan like formerCMJitanRamManjhiofHAM(S).CPMgeneral secretary SitaramYechury,hisCPIcounterpartDRajaandCPI(ML) (Liberation) generalsecretaryDipankarBhattacharyajoinedthemeeting,indicatingthattheLeftpartieswillbepartof thegrandalliance.Askedwhetherthepartiesde-

manded postponement of theelections, Jha told The IndianExpress,“Wehaveputcertaincon-

ditions (in thememorandum)which are precarious in nature.AndtheEChasassuredustheyaremonitoring thecoronavirussitu-ation everyday. Ultimately con-ductingelectionshas tobe left tothewisdomoftheEC.”Inthememorandum,thepar-

tiesasked,“HowdoestheECplanto ensure physical distancing...Peopleneedexplicitclaritysothatwholesomeparticipationof themajorityofvotersisnotadverselyimpacted. Peoplealsoexpect thecommissiontoensureandsatisfythepeoplethattheentirepollex-ercise does not becomea superspreaderevent.”

Asfordigitalcampaigning,theparties—withoutnamingtheBJPandJD(U)--saidtherulingpartieshadatameetingconvenedbytheChief Election Commissionerpushedtheirproposal“regardingvirtual election campaignsthrough digitalmedia and pro-hibitingtraditionalelectioncam-paignmethods”.QuotingTRAI figures, theyar-

guedthatonlyalittleoverhalfthepopulation has amobile phoneand 34 per cent have a smart-phone.“Itwillbeatravestyofun-pardonableproportiontoofficiallylegitimizeamodeofelectioncam-paignwhich is not only severely

limitedbyitsreachbutexclusion-arybyitsdesign.Almosttwothirdsof theelectoratewillbeleftoutoftheprocess.Uncaringabout thisthe parties in power have kickstarted their virtual blitzkriegwhiletheElectionCommissionisyettofixthelimitofexpenditureofthisvirtualpoliticalcampaign.”They reminded theEC that it

hastheConstitutionalmandatetoensureafreeandfairelectionguar-anteeingalevelplayingfieldtoallcontestantsandpartiesandaskedthe EC to take a “proactive ap-proachtoprioritisethehealthandwellbeingofthepeopleofBiharaswellasthespiritofdemocracy…”

PRESSTRUSTOFINDIANEWDELHI, JULY17

JUSTICERBanumathi,whoretiresonJuly29asajudgeoftheSupre-meCourt, saidonFriday that sheandher familywerevictimsof adelayandcomplicated legalpro-cedures that prevented them ingetting compensation for thedeathof her fatherwhodied inabusaccidentwhenshewasachild.The judge, who for the last

timeon Friday conducted courtproceedings,addedinherfarewelladdress that therewere “moun-tainsofobstaclesfornoreason”inherthree-decadecareerasajudge—firstofasubordinatecourtandthentheapexcourt.Speakingatawebinarorgan-

isedtocommemoratehercareeras a judge, she said, “I lostmy fa-therinabusaccident,whenIwasof twoyearsofage. Inthosedays,wehad to file a suit for compen-sation.Mymotherfiledtheclaimandcourtpassedadecree.But,wecouldn’t get the amount due tocomplicatedprocedures&lackofassistance.Myself,mywidowedmotherandmytwosisters,wearevictimsofcourtdelayanditspro-cedural lags.Wedid not get thecompensationtill thelastday.”Sheaddedthatduringherju-

dicialservice,therewere“moun-

tainsofobstaclesfornoreason”.The judge laudedvarious ini-

tiativestakenbythegovernmentsandthe judiciary toensuremoreefficiencyinthesystemaswellastoaidintheaccessibilitytojustice.“Thetechnologypresenttoday

wasn’t therewhen I entered thejudiciary. Inthepresentday,eve-ryonespeaksofpendencyofcasesand theypass a lot of commentssayingthatthependencyisaffect-ingtheeconomyofthenation.”“Iwanttostrikeapositivenote

thatvariousinitiativeshavebeentakenbytheCentralGovernment,StateGovernmentsandthejudici-arytoaidintheaccessibilitytojus-ticeandtoensuremoreefficiencyof thesystem,”shesaid.JusticeBanumathistartedasa

sessionscourt judge in1988.Shewaselevatedto theMadrasHighCourtonApril2,2003.Shewasel-evatedtotheapexcourtonAugust13,2014.

BIHARASSEMBLYELECTION

Nine Oppn parties to EC: Virtual campaigning exclusionary

Was victim of courtdelay: Justice Banumathi

LIZMATHEW&HAMZAKHANNEWDELHI, JAIPUR, JULY17

ASPOLITICAL events unfold at arapidpace in Jaipur, themain fig-ure inOpposition BJP has beenkeeping a calculated distance.Unlike in neighboringMadhyaPradesh,whereasimilarpoliticaldrama led to BJP replacing theCongress government and thepartyhadChiefMinister ShivrajSinghChouhanandseniorleadersin the loop for negotiations,VasundharaRaje Scindia, formerRajasthanCMandtallestBJPleaderinthestate,hasbeenmissinginac-tioninthedevelopmentsinJaipur.Instead, the developments

have seen Union ministerGajendraSinghShekhawat,whoseappointment as stateparty chiefRaje hadopposed in thepast, asthefaceandvoiceofRajasthanBJP.ThisledtotheCongresstarget-

ingShekhawat,andthepartyac-

cusedhimofbeingpartof acon-spiracytotoppletheAshokGehlotgovernment. Shekhawathasde-niedhavinganyrole.AsourceclosetoRajesaidshe

didnotwanttobepartof thede-velopmentssincetheparty lead-ership“didnotkeepherinformedabout the events, nor did theyhave any discussionswith her”.According to the source, she didnotwant to take “credit” for dis-rupting the government, as she“wouldnotliketotaketheblame

if itdoesnotseepositiveresults”.Raje's absencehasbeen con-

spicuous. Although the BJP hadscheduled a core committeemeeting earlier this week inwhichRajewasexpected topar-ticipate,sheskippedit.Whileherabsencefromthescenetriggeredsome whispers in the party,HanumanBeniwal,anMPofNDAallyRLP,publiclyallegedthatRajewastryingtosavetheGehlotgov-ernment.About Beniwal's allegation,

Shekhawat told The IndianExpress, “Idonotknowanysuchdevelopments.”SourcesinBJPsaidthat likein

MP, where the party is keen tobringup a fresh set of leaders tosucceed fourth-term CMChouhan, thepartywants anewleadershiptoemergeinRajasthan,another political and ideologicalbastionof thesaffronparty.InMP, recent developments

and negotiations had seen en-gagement of senior leaders

NarendraSinghTomar--–seenasa potential CM– andNarottamMishra,whothepartyissaidtobekeen to see as a top leader, alongwithChouhan.Besides, reports that the

SachinPilotcampisseekingnoth-ing less than the post of CM forhimputs Raje in an unenviableposition.Considerthebreak-upofMLAs:88CongresslegislatorsarewithGehlot,andof thoseelectedonBJP ticket around45were onRaje's recommendation. Pilot, incomparison, is said toenjoysup-portofonly18others.Then there are thosewithin

theBJPwhonurseambitions,for-merHomeMinisterGulabChandKatariaseenasbeingone.In an interview to 'Rajasthan

Patrika'onThursday,Pilothadal-legedthatGehlotwasbusysavingRaje rather than fulfilling prom-isesmade by the party. He hadcitedhowRajewasstill livinginagovernmentbungalowdespite aHighCourtorderagainstit.

JusticeRBanumathi

SAKSHIDAYAL&VARINDERBHATIAMANESAR,CHANDIGARH,JULY17

THEREWAShighdramaatahotelinManesaronFridayasateamofSpecialOperationsGroup(SOG)ofRajasthanPolicearrivedtocollectvoice samplesof somedissidentCongress MLAs. They reachedaround6.15pmto findHaryanaPolice personnel denying thementry.Aftermuchdiscussion,theywere finally allowed into thepremisesat7.45pm.HaryanaPolicepersonnelwere

deployedoutside the ITCGrandBharat sincemorning.WhentheSOG arrived, the five-memberteamwasfirstdeniedentrybyho-telstaffandsomepolicemenatthespot. Haryana Police InspectorJitenderKumar thenarrivedandtoldtheSOGteamtoparktheirve-hicleononeside.Healso soughttheirdocumentationonthecase.As additional forces arrived,

discussionsbetweenpolice offi-cials fromboth states continuedfor over anhour. Apolice officerpresentoutsidethehoteltoldTheIndianExpress,“Theywereallowedinsidearound7.45pmafter theirdocumentswerecheckedandduepermissionwasgranted.Theyleftanhourlater.”Aseniorpoliceofficersaid,“The

policedeployment is routine. It isdone whenever a politicallychargedatmospherebuildsup. Itwasdonetoprotectthehotelprop-ertyandpreventdisturbance.”A topofficial inHaryanagov-

ernmentsaid,“Privacyofguestsisatoppriorityofanyhotel.SOGwastoldthattherewasnobodyinsidewhomtheywanttoquestion,butthey insisted theywould like tosearchtheresort’srooms.Thatwasnot allowed since they did nothavesearchwarrants.”TheSHOofNuhpolicestation,

underwhosejurisdictiontheareafalls,andPROofNuhpolicedidnotrespondtorepeatedcallsseekingcomment. TheNuhSPcouldnotbecontacted.Sources inHaryanagovernment said the RajasthanCongressMLAs left the resort onThursday.“Whilesomewentbackto Rajasthan, someothersweretakenbySachinPilot toanundis-closedlocation,”anofficialsaid.

DramaatManesar asHaryanacopsblockSOG

EXPRESSNEWSSERVICEJAIPUR, JULY 17

WHILE TWO audio clips haveformedthebasisforseparateFIRsbytheSpecialOperationsGroup(SOG) of Rajasthan Police for analleged conspiracy to topple theAshok Gehlot government, athird audio clip, released by theruling Congress on Thursdayevening, has twopeople talkingpurportedlyaboutan“amount”,and alsomentioning names ofCongressMLAs.

This clip is notmentioned intheFIRs.The clip has onepersonpur-

portedly asking, “The talk ofamounthasbeendone?”.Tothis,theotheranswersintheaffirma-tive.TheconversationtakesplaceinHindiandRajasthani.Theaudioclipwas sent to re-

portersbyLokeshSharma,OSDtotheRajasthanChiefMinister, onThursday evening. The IndianExpresscannotindependentlyver-ifyauthenticityoftheaudioclip.Lokeshalso sentanunsigned

statement,claimingthattheper-

son asking about the amount isBhanwarlal Sharma, CongressMLA from Sardarsahar and aSachinPilotloyalist.Bhanwarlalhasdeniedthathis

voice is in the tape and has ac-cusedtheChiefMinisterofcreat-ing“fakeaudios”.On Friday, the Congress re-

movedBhanwarlal fromprimarymembershipofthepartypendinginvestigationintotheaudioclips.Duringthepurportedconver-

sationontheamount,onepersonin the audio clip, described asSanjayJaininthenotesentbyOSD

Lokesh Sharma, is heard tellingthe other individual – supposedtobeBhanwarlal–thathissenior-ityandagewillbeconsidered.The individual alleged to be

Bhanwarlal also mentionsCongressMLAChetanDudi,CPMMLABalwanPooniaandanotherperson,whohedescribesas“sonofVijaypal-ji”,whoheclaimswillcomealong.Congress MLA Vijaypal

Mirdha is son of senior partyleaderRichpalMirdha.“And I have told Sahab that

youwon’t come in the list from

Sachin-ji’send.Thatwillbegood.Yourmatterwillbekeptasecret.Whatever you want, I willarrange,” theman alleged to beJain is heard saying inRajasthaniintheaudio.Jain is being questioned by

theSOG.Dismissing the allegations,

Bhanwarlal said in a video state-ment,“Myaudio,whichhasbeenmadeviral, is fake.TheCMisget-tingfakeaudioscreatedandsend-ing them to MLAs to pressurethem.ItisneithermyvoicenordidItalktoanyone.”

Not part of FIR, audio clip has MLA ‘talking amount’

Policemenkeepvigiloutsidethehotel inManesar, Haryana,on Friday. AbhinavSaha

EXPRESSNEWSSERVICENEWDELHI, JULY17

PRIMEMINISTERNarendraModionFriday said that “multilateral-ismneedstorepresenttherealityofthecontemporaryworld”ashecalledforthereformoftheUnitedNationson the75anniversaryoftheinternationalorganisation.Virtually delivering the key-

note address at this year’sHigh-LevelSegmentoftheUN’sEcono-micandSocialCouncil (ECOSOC)session,Modi said, “India firmlybelieves that thepath to achievesustainablepeaceandprosperityisthroughmultilateralism.Aschil-drenofplanetEarth,wemustjoinhands to address our commonchallengesandachieveour com-mongoals.However,multilateral-ismneedstorepresenttherealityofthecontemporaryworld.

“Only reformedmultilateral-ismwithareformedUnitedNati-onsatitscentrecanmeettheasp-irationsofhumanity.Today,whilecelebrating75yearsof theUnitedNations,letuspledgetoreformtheglobalmultilateral system, toen-hanceitsrelevance,toimproveitseffectiveness,andtomakeittheba-sisofanewtypeofhuman-centricglobalisation.TheUnitedNationswasoriginallybornfromthefuriesof theSecondWorldWar. Today,thefuryofthepandemicprovidesthecontext for its rebirthandre-form.Letusnot lose thischance,”thePrimeMinistersaid.

Multilateralism needs torepresent reality ofcontemporary world: PM

BJP collectedmoney to toppleGehlot govt fromMumbai, saysCongress leader

EXPRESSNEWSSERVICEMUMBAI, JULY17

MAHARASHTRAHOMEMinisterAnilDeshmukhonFridaysaidthatthestategovernmentisinvestigat-ing allegations made by stateCongressgeneralsecretarySachinSawant,accusingtheBJPofraisingmoney from businessmen inMumbai to funda conspiracy totopple theCongressgovernmentinRajasthan.“There

seems tobetruth intheseclaims.We are col-lecting in-puts abouthow muchmoney wassentandhowit was trans-ferred toRajasthan.Oncewegather complete infor-mation,wewilldecideonthenextcourseofaction,”DeshmukhtoldTheIndianExpress.SawantonFridayaccusedthe

BJP of raisingmoney frombusi-nessmen inMumbai to fund theconspiracy to topple the AshokGehlotgovernment.Wehavegot informationthat

collectionofmorethan500croreshavebeendone fromMumbai inorder to topple the@ashokgehlot51ji led @INCIndiagovtinRajasthan.Ihavespokento@AnilDeshmukhNCP ji and re-questedhimtolookintothisseri-ousmatter to find themaster-minds,”Sawanttweeted.

Cops planning to kill me, kin: Bengal BJP MPEXPRESSNEWSSERVICEKOLKATA, JULY17

BJPMPArjunSinghonFridayal-leged that thepolicewere plan-ningtokillhim,hiswife, andsonPawan inan “encounter”. PawanSinghisMLAfromBhatpara.TheBarrackporeMPtweeted

avideoofpoliceoutsidehishomeinBhatpara, near Kolkata,whilehewasawayinNadiadistrict.“Ihavecomeforacondolence

meetingof aBJPworker inNadiadistrict. It seems thepolice have

reachedmyhouse. Police are at-temptinganencounterofmyson,theBhatparaMLA,me,andotherfamilymembers. Didi, in fear oflosingyourseat,howlowwillyoustoop?”Singhsaid ina tweet, re-ferringtoCMMamataBanerjee.Thiscamehoursafterapolice

teamwent tohishomeinsearch

ofoneofhisnephews,butwasde-nied entry by the paramilitarypersonnelinchargeofSingh’sse-curity. Thepoliceofficersdidnothaveasearchwarrant.Pawan Singh said, “I told the

policethatyoucannotsearchtheplace.Youdon’thaveawarrantorproof.Theysaidtheycannotshowmetheproof.YouaretalkingtoanMLA,youarecomingintoanMLAandMP’s house, youwill searchthehouse just like that? I cannotallowyou.”BJPnationalgeneralsecretary

KailashVijayvargiya,too,tweeted

abouttheincident.“Wearefearfulthatthepolicewanttoencounterhimandhis son Pawan Singh. Ifthecopseventrytodosomething,thentheconsequenceswillbese-rious,”hetweeted.WhileBarrackporePolicehave

not commented on thematter,stateministerandTMCNorth24ParganasunitpresidentJyotipriyoMullicksaid,“Theraidwasincon-nectionwithascamatalocalco-operativebank.Thecultureofen-counter is encouraged in UttarPradesh.WestBengaldoesnotbe-lieveinencounterkillings.”

BJPMPArjun Singh

PrimeMinisterNarendraModi

Raje out of Rajasthan heat, BJP seenas keen to have fresh faces in state

VasundharaRaje

MaharashtraConggensecySachinSawant

New Delhi

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THEOUTBREAKWWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM

SHAJUPHILIPTHIRUVANANTHAPURAM,JULY17

KERALACHIEFMinisterPinarayiVijayan on Friday said commu-nity spread of Covid-19 has be-gunalong thecoastalbeltof thestate capital — in Pulluvila andPoonthuraregionsofthedistrict.TheCMsaidacompletelock-

downwouldbeinforceintheaf-fected coastal areas fromSaturday,withtheaffectedzonesbroughtunderpolicecontrol.Thiscomesonadaythepan-

demic situation grew grimmerelsewhereinthestate,withclus-tersofcasesdevelopinginurbancentres,markets,coastalvillagesandcampsof uniformed forces,thestategovernmentsaid.The state's case count went

up to 11,066 on Friday, with 54per cent of them active cases.The graph of active cases hasovertakenthatof thecuredonesfor first timesincemid-April.AfterFriday'sreviewmeeting,

Vijayan said the coastal areas ofThiruvananthapuramis facingagrave situation. “CommunityspreadhashappenedatPulluvilaand Poonthura coastal regions.The infection is spreading veryfast in the coastal belt…. InKerala, alsoweareentering intoanewphaseof infection.”HesaidsixseniorIASofficials

havebeenappointedasincidentcommanders in the region.Movement of people to andfromthecoastalregionwouldbecompletelybanned,headded.Vijayansaidthat84commu-

nityclustershaveemergedinthestate, 10 of them large clusters.“We are trying to contain thespreadofthediseasewithaclearcluster containment strategy.Lockdown have been put inplace in all clusters and areaswhereclustersarelikelytocomeup,’’ he said.Amongthestate's14districts,

themost boggeddownby case-load is Thiruvananthapuram,where 80 per cent of the total

casesarenowattributedto localtransmission. This, officials said,was largely reported in coastalsuburban fishing hamlets and afew other villages. In the city, amarket and a shopping centrehavealsoemergedasclusters.OnFriday,outof246casesre-

ported in Thiruvananthapuramdistrict, 237were attributed tolocal transmission.Withdaily caseshovering at

700-plus for the last two days,andapprehensionsthattheyareset to rise, the government istemporarily putting up morefirst-line Covid treatment cen-tres.Thesecentresaremeantfortreatingasymptomaticpatientsandthosewithmildsymptoms.Sincesuchtemporaryhospi-

tals are planned in all panchay-ats, the state plans to ensure50,000 beds at first-line treat-mentcentres.Until two weeks ago, the

state’s Covid-19 caseswere re-portedmainly fromamongpeo-ple travelled fromother parts ofthecountry, aswellasexpats re-turning from abroad. Amongthem,therehavebeenlocaltrans-mission cases in single digit, butthe situation, officials said, grewworseasclustersassociatedwithmarketsandcoastalareasdevel-oped in Thiruvananthapuram,Ernakulam, Thrissur andMalappuram.Besides, the ITBP camp in

AlappuzhaandtheCISFcampinKannuralsoreportedoverahun-dredeachcases.Theshareof lo-cal contact cases to total caseshasgrownto35percentfrom11percent inearly July.

PRABHARAGHAVANNEWDELHI, JULY17

BHARAT BIOTECH and ZydusCadilakickedoffhumantrialsfortheir Covid-19 vaccines thisweek,withsomeoftheircentresvaccinating the first set of per-sons inwhat is expected tobe acloselywatched race for immu-nisation against the contagiousvirus.Bothfirmsinoculatedtheirfirst setof personson July15.Since then, the All India

Institute of Medical Sciences inPatna, testing Bharat Biotech’sCovaxin, has injected nine par-ticipants with the inactivatedvaccine.PGIMSRohtakonFridaybecame the second of the 12sitestestingthesafetyandeffec-tiveness of the vaccine to beginphase I of the clinical trials byvaccinating threeparticipants.Both sites aim to vaccinate

18-20 participants in the firstround, 7-14 days after which aDataSafetyMonitoringBoardre-viewisexpected to takeplace.“Accordingly,wewill decide

howmanymorepeopletorecruitandhowmanytovaccinate...onlyif thesafety(of thevaccine)ises-tablished,”saidDrCMSingh,theprincipalinvestigatorfromAIIMSPatna.However,giventhecurrentsituation of the lockdown inBihar, it is unclearwhen the site

will be able tomeet its target forthefirstround,hesaid.“There is a delay because of

the lockdown. Those who stayfarawayare facingaproblemincoming(tothesite),”hetoldTheIndianExpress.Around200peo-ple have expressed interest inenrollingforthetrialsatthissite,according tohim.PGIMS Rohtak expects to

complete vaccination of its tar-getgroupinthenextthreedays,bywhenitisexpectedtoreceivetest resultsof 14additionalpar-ticipants that will ensure theyarefit tobevaccinatedaspartofthetrial.“Assoonastheirresultscome, they can be vaccinated,”

DrSavitaVerma,theprincipalin-vestigator for the site, told TheIndianExpress.“Wehavealreadyhad70reg-

istrationswhohavevolunteeredforthestudyandIhope,afterto-day, wewill receivemore peo-ple,” she said. So far, the sitehasreceived10dosesof thevaccinefromBharatBiotech,andwillget10morebySaturday.A statement from Bharat

BiotechonFridaysaidthatthisisa randomised, double blindplacebo controlled clinical trialin375volunteersinthecountry.“Eventually we plan to enrol1125 for bothphase I and II. Thehuman clinical trials com-

menced at AIIMS Patna,” thestatementadded.It is unclear howmany par-

ticipants Zydus has vaccinatedaspartof theadaptivephase I/IItrial of itsplasmidDNAvaccine,ZyCov-D. A query about this tothe company on Friday nightwasunanswered.Thefirmistar-getingasamplesizeof1,048par-ticipants in the trials, accordingto the Clinical Trials Registry ofIndia. The trials will be con-ducted at one site and are ex-pected to take a year to com-plete, according toCTRI.Of the remaining10 sites in-

volvedintheCovaxintrial,somelike AIIMS Delhi are still await-ing ethics committee approval,without which the site cannotadvertise for recruiting partici-pants. Others, like Nizam’sInstitute of Medical Sciences,havereceivedapprovalsandwillbegin vaccination next week.Tamil Nadu’s SRM Hospital &Research Centre has startedchoosing volunteers whileOdisha’s Institute of MedicalSciencesandSUMHospitalhavechosenparticipants.According to CTRI, the

Covaxin phase I and II trials areexpected to take one year andthreemonths.

--WITHINPUTSFROMENSPUNE,NEWDELHIANDCHANDIGARH

Healthcarestaff collectingswabs inMumbai'sDadarWestonFriday.NirmalHarindran

Two firms start human trialsfor their Covid-19 vaccines

EXPRESSNEWSSERVICEPATNA, JULY17

WITH BIHAR seeing a spike inthe number of Covid-19 cases,theUnionMinistryofHealthandFamilyWelfarehassentamulti-disciplinary teamto the state toassess thesituation.OnJuly1,Biharhadrecorded

10,205 Covid-19 cases, but thatnumber has jumped to 23,300casesasofFridayafternoon,withPatna, Bhagalpur, Munger, EastChamparan, Begusarai andNalanda theworstaffected.AHealthMinistrylettersaid,

“In view of the rising trend ofCovid-19 cases being observedin Bihar, a decision has beentaken todepute... (a) multi-dis-ciplinaryteamtoBihartoreviewandcoordinatewithStateHealthDepartment in managing theCovid-19outbreak in theState.”The letter said the three-

member team, which includesMinistry of Health and FamilyWelfare Joint Secretary LavAgarwal, “shall undertake thevisit immediately and coordi-natewith State Health authori-ties toreviewtheexistingsitua-tion and provide necessarysupportandguidance”.Meanwhile, people in Patna

andBhagalpurhaveallegedthatthey are finding it hard to getthemselves tested for the virus,and finding beds is becomingverydifficult.A Bhagalpur resident, who

got his father admitted to theJawahar Lal Nehru MedicalCollege and Hospital — a spe-cialised Covid hospital — said,“For the last twodays,nodoctorhas cometo seehim.The toiletsare very dirty. There is no clueabout testsbeingdone.”Meanwhile, Bihar Health

Minister Mangal Pandey said,“Wearecreatingover40,000iso-lation beds across the state.Wearetryingtodealwiththecrisis.”Refuting his statement, a

doctor at AIIMS, Patna howeversaid,“Thereistoomuchpressureonus. All VIPs are coming to us.AsAIIMSisdeclaredaCovidhos-pital,wecannowtakeonlyseri-ousandreferral cases.”

ALL-ROUND CAREAhealthcareworker talks toachildatan isolationcenterat theCommonwealthGamesVillage inNewDelhionFriday.PraveenKhanna

Mumbai: Bollywood actorAishwaryaRaiBachchanandherdaughterAaradhyawereadmit-ted to Nanavati hospital onFriday, five days after testingCovid-19positive.Bothhavemildsymptomsandremainstable.ThefirstintheBachchanfam-

ily to test positivewasAmitabhBachchanon July 11.Hehadde-velopedmild fever and under-went an antigen test. The samenighthewashospitalised.HissonandactorAbhishekbachchanalsotested positive andwas hospi-

talised. Of the six other familymemberstested,onlyAishwaryaandAaradhyawerepositive.The BMC has declared their

Juhu house Jalsa a containmentzone and disinfected the entireproperty. ENS

SREENIVASJANYALAHYDERABADJULY17

THE TELANGANA governmenthas announced 10 per cent ad-ditional pay to all governmentpersonnelat the frontline in thefightagainstCovid-19.AtameetingonFriday,Chief

Minister K Chandrashekar Raoapproved a proposal to give theadditional pay to governmentdoctors, paramedical staff, andeveryoneworking in the healthdepartment, including contrac-tualemployeesandthoseropedinfromprivateagencies,police-men, and sanitationworkers inmunicipalities and panchayats.An additional sum of Rs 100

crore has been allotted to thehealth department to imple-ment themove.As per the request of Health

Minister EtelaRajender, the gov-ernment also agreed to recruit1,200 doctors who have com-pletedpostgraduation into gov-ernment service, and fill up 200vacanciesofMBBSdoctorsinpri-mary health centres across thestate. The government also re-leased funds to purchase andstockinjectionvialsofRemdesivir,TocilizumabandFavilavir tabletsinlargequantities.“Givethemfreeofcosttotheneedy.Thereshouldnotbeanyshortageofthesemed-icines,’’ theCMsaid.Amid criticism that private

hospitals are turningawaypeo-

ple with symptoms similar tothoseofCovid-19,Raosaidpeo-ple need not go to the privatehospitals and spend hugeamounts when governmenthospitalswere capable of treat-ing themfreeof cost.The Chief Minister said the

statewasprepared to tackle thespike in Covid-19 cases. He saidthat at Gandhi Hospital andTelangana Institute of MedicalSciences in Hyderabad, 3,000beds with oxygen facility areavailable and 5,000 such bedsare available across the state. Inall, 10,000 beds are earmarkedforCovid-19patientsandatleast1,500 bedswith ventilators areavailable in hospitals across thestate,hesaid.

SERUM INSTITUTE of India PvtLtd, theworld's largest vaccinemanufacturer by the number ofdosesproducedandsoldglobally(morethan1.5billiondoses),haspartneredwith AstraZeneca tosupport efforts for a vaccineagainst Covid-19. It has also gottheDCGI go-ahead tomanufac-ture itsown indigenouslydevel-oped pneumococcal vaccine.Serum Institute CEO ADARPOONAWALLA speaks toANURADHA MASCARENHASabout their efforts to developthesevaccines.

Howlongwill it takeforavaccineagainstCovid-19tobemadeavailable?It will be a long time before

everyonegets a vaccinebecauseofthenumberofdosesthatneedstobeadministered.Thisincludeschallenges in administering thedosesinallpartsoftheworldanditmaynotnecessarilymeanthat

thefirstvaccinethatislicensedisthebestone.Therearemanydif-ferent scientific approaches be-ing taken tomake the Covid-19vaccineandwewillhave towaitandseewhichisthebestvaccinetobegiventotheworld.

SerumInstitutehaspartneredwithAstraZenecatosupportOxfordUniversity’seffortsforavaccineagainstCovid-19.HowpromisingaretheresultsofclinicaltrialsandwhataretheplansatSerumInstitute?Among the leading vaccine

candidates is the AstraZenecaproduct, to which Serum hascommittedhundredsofmillionsof dollars. Wewould not havedonethatifwedidnotbelieveinthe AstraZeneca vaccine.RegardingtheAstraZenecaprod-uct, an announcement will bemade soon.We shouldwait forthat and then comment on the

phase 1 trials they have con-ducted. I cannot comment onthe amount of doses we havemadesofar,butweplantomake

millions of doses over the nextthreemonths after we get themanufacturinglicense.Wehavecommittedhundredsofmillionsof dollars in Capex andOpex tostartproducing thevaccine.

VPM1002,whichisalsoproducedbySerumInstitute,ispartof clinical trials toassess if theseanti-TBshotscanbeagamechanger inthefightagainstCovid.What isthepresentstatus?TheVPMBCGvaccine for TB

isundergoingclinicaltrials.Morethan 1,000 patients have beenvaccinated and in twomonthswewill knowwhether it signif-icantly reduces the severity ofCovidornot.

SerumInstitutehasbecomethefirst tomanufactureanindigenouslydevelopedpneumococcalvaccine.Earlier thedemandwasmet

by licensedimporters.Howlongdidtheprocess take?This is apneumococcal poly-

saccharideconjugatevaccinethattookfiveyearstodevelopandcon-ductmulti-centricglobaltrialsbe-fore itwas licensed. This is typi-callyhowlongvaccinestake.Thevaccine is used for active immu-nization against invasivediseaseand pneumonia caused byStreptococcus pneumonia in in-fants.TheDCGIlookedattheevi-dencefromhumantrialstoallowthefirst fully indigenouslydevel-oped PneumococcalPolysaccharideConjugateVaccinefor marketing in India. SerumInstitutehadfirstobtainedtheap-provalofDCGItoconductPhaseI,PhaseIIandPhaseIIIclinicaltrialsof the vaccine. After reviewingclinical data, on July 14 SII wasgrantedpermission tomanufac-ture the first domesticallydevel-opedpneumococcalpolysaccha-rideconjugatevaccine.

ABHISHEKSAHAGUWAHATI, JULY17

AT BHURAGAON in Assam’sMorigaondistrict,adjacenttotheBrahmaputra and severely af-fected in this year’s floods, twohectaresof thepaddyfieldof36-year-oldfarmerAnowarHussainliesubmerged.Hesaidhehassuf-feredalossofat leastRs1.5 lakh.What is worse is that for

sevenmonths before the lock-down began inMarch, Hussainhad cultivatedmaize.When itwas time to sell inMarch-April,the lockdown hit the prospectsof fetchingagoodprice.Hussainstruggled to make ends meetand had to sell one of his cowsforRs43,000.Noor Jamal, 25, lives at

Satrakanara village in Barpetadistrict,whichisheavilyflooded.“Inthelockdown,Icouldnotsellour produce of vegetables andjute.Andnowthere is floodwa-terinthepaddyfield,itwilldam-age the crops,” he said. He esti-mates the lossesatRs2 lakh.Amajority of Assam’s farm-

ers suffered a double blow thisyear. At first, the lockdown tocurb the spread of Covid-19 hitsupply chains of vegetables atthetimeofsaleandthenewcropwas damaged by the flood thatcameearly thisyear.Rajesh Prasad, Principal

Secretary, Department of

Agriculture and Horticulture,toldTheIndianExpress,“Wehaveflood-resilientvarietiesof cropsthat survive flood waters foraround15days.Butthistime,thefloodscameearly.Once thewa-ter recedes,wewillneed to findthe exact extent of the damage.The damage is expected to beslightlyhigherthanotheryears.”Accordingtoestimatesbythe

DirectorateofAgriculture,cropsacross 2.5 lakh hectares weresubmerged and over 9.2 lakhfarm familieswere affected be-tweenMay15and July14.“No doubt Assam’s farmers

areaffected thisyear. First therewaslossduetoCovid,aroundRs40croreintheagriculture-horti-culture sector,” Atul Bora, thestate’sAgriculture,Horticultureand Food Processing minister,toldThe IndianExpress.He said the Centre was ex-

tending necessary support andthe state government was en-couraging banks to help outfarmers.Prasad said the government

has prepared amulti-prongedstrategy to tackle the situation -- first, compensation for thelossesaccordingtoexistingpro-visions; second, an intensiveRabicultivationprogrammeandcultivation of short durationcrops; and third, insurance forsome farmers under thePradhan Mantri Fasal BimaYojana.

EXPRESSNEWSSERVICEMUMBAI, JULY17

A 25-YEAR-OLD man wasbookedFriday forallegedlyrap-ingawomanadmittedataCovidCareCentreinNaviMumbai,po-lice said.The Covid-19 test results of

the accused, quarantined at thehigh-rise apartment complexThursday aftermembers of hisfamily tested positive for thecoronavirus, is awaited, policesaid.Themunicipalcorporationhad acquired 1,000 apartmentsat the complex to isolate con-tactsof Covid-19patients.Police said the accusedwas

housed at an apartment on thesecondfloorofa15-storeybuild-ing. On Thursday, he allegedlyclimbed to the fifth floor of the

buildingwhereotherpeople, in-cludingthewoman,wereplacedinquarantine.A seniorNaviMumbai Police

official said themanhadenteredthe woman’s room and intro-duced himself as a doctor. “Herapedthewomanandreturnedtohisroom.Thewomaninformedanursewhocametocheckonher.”The nurse informed the po-

lice and also identified the ac-cusedonthebasisofthedescrip-tiongivenbythewoman.Acaseof rapewasregisteredFriday.Police are awaiting the result

ofthe25-year-old’sCovid-19test.“Wehaveasked forhis reportonpriority. In case theaccused testsnegative,wewilltakehimintoourcustody.Ifhetestspositive,wewillplacepolicemenoutsidehisapart-mentforthedurationofhisquar-antine,”saidtheofficial.

THE EXPRESS

INTERVIEWWITH

ADARPOONAWALLASERUM INSTITUTECEO

‘Plan to make millions of vaccine doses over 3 months’

Telangana nod to 10% pay hikefor frontline health workers

Central teamto visit Biharto assesssituation

AishwaryaandherdaughtertestedpositiveonJuly12

Aishwarya, daughteradmitted to hospital

Man booked for rapingwoman at Covid carecentre in Navi Mumbai

EXPRESSNEWSSERVICEKOLKATA, JULY17

WEST BENGAL on Friday re-ported a record 1,894 Covid-19cases—thethirdrecordrisethisweek that pushed up the casecount to38,011— and26 fatali-ties,whichtookthetollto1,049.With the state already hav-

ing added 7,998 cases in fivedays, 111more than the infec-tions detected in the entire lastweek, a ban on flights from sixcities—allCOVID-19hotspots—toKolkatawasextendedtill July31. The state has an active case-loadof 14,709atpresent.According to sources in the

stateadministration,thebanwasextended following a requestfromChiefSecretaryRajivaSinha.“The restriction on arriving

flightstoKolkataAirportfromsixcities viz Delhi,Mumbai, Pune,Chennai,NagpurandAhmedabadhasbeenextendeduptoJuly31,”tweeted the Netaji SubhashChandra Bose International(NSCBI)airport.OnJuly4,theair-porthadannouncedthatnopas-sengerflightswouldarrivefromthesecitiesfromJuly6toJuly19.The overall recovery rate in

the state has continuouslydropped since July 5, and was58.54percentonFridaydespitethedischargeofarecord838pa-tients fromhospital.

Flood-affectedpeople inAssam’sDhubridistrict. PTI

Lockdown and earlyfloods: Double troublefor Assam farmers

EXPRESSNEWSSERVICEMUMBAI, JULY17

THE NATIONAL Human RightsCommission (NHRC) on FridayrecommendedthatpoetVaravaraRao,namedasanaccused in theElgaarParishadcase,whotestedpositiveforCovid-19onThursday,be provided “the best possibletreatmentinareputedsuperspe-ciality private hospital withoutanyfurtherdelay”.TheNHRCsaidthatithadre-

ceivedseveral communicationsregarding the deterioratinghealthconditionofRaowhowasearlier lodged in Taloja centraljail andwas shifted to state-runJJHospitalonMonday.Aftertest-ing Covid-19 positive onThursday, he was shifted to StGeorgehospital.TheNHRCsaidthatithadbeen

informed about the treatmentmetedout tohimat thehospitalas observedbyhis familymem-bers visiting him on Thursday.“The health condition of Rao asmentioned in the various com-municationswas alreadyworri-someandnowthathehastestedpositiveforCovid-19,dangertohislife has grownbiggerwhich is amatterofconcernforthecommis-sion.Itisaquestionofsavingapre-cioushumanlifeleavingapartthelegal aspect of thematter,” theNHRCsaid. It also said that it ex-pectedthechief secretarytoper-sonallyensurethatRao isshiftedto the 'bestpossibleCovidhospi-tal'.TheNHRCalsosaidthatsinceheisanundertrialprisoner,theex-penditure of themedical treat-mentshouldbebornebythestatebeing his lawful custodian. Itsoughtforacompliancereporttobesubmittedimmediately.Meanwhile,thebailpleafiled

by Rao's lawyers before theBombay High Court did notcome up for hearing due topaucity of time. His lawyer RSatyanarayanan has moved apraecipe for urgent hearing onJuly20.

Surge in viruscases, Bengalextends ban onflights from sixcities till July 31

Communityspread in twocoastal villages,says Kerala CM

KeralaCMPinarayiVijayan

Provide bestpossibletreatment toVaravara Rao,says NHRC

New Delhi

Page 10: The lockdown to contain the coronavirus outbreak has - AWS

GOVERNMENT OF INDIAMinistry of Labour & Employment

O/O Chief Controller of AccountsPrincipal Accounts Office (HQ)

Room No.518, Shram Shakti Bhawan Rafi Marg,New Delhi — 110001

Applications are invited from retired government/autonomous bodies/central PSUs officers retired not below the Level (pay level of AAO) orequivalent for the engagement of consultants on contract basis forinternal audit of the schemes under various units of Ministry of Labourand Employment (MoLE). The eligibility criteria, scope of work and otherdetails terms and conditions are available at our website: labour.gov.in.Last date of submission of applications : 31/07/2020Note: Any change or amendments to this notice will be posted on theabove website only

Senior Accounts Officerdavp 23101/11/0002/2021 Principal Accounts Office (HQ)

In compliance of Hon’ble Punjab and Haryana High Courtorder dated 10.06.2020 passed in CWP No. 7678/2020 title PinkiRani & another and in continuation of earlier notices dated01.04.2019, 11.04.2019 and 10.02.2020 to the candidates forScrutiny of Documents before Interview/Viva Voce for the post ofStaff Nurse against advt. No. 1/2015. Cat. No. 01, the commis-sion has decided to give last opportunity for scrutiny of docu-ments before interview/viva voce on 28.07.2020, 29.07.2020and 30.07.2020 to candidates who remained absent on09.04.2019, 25.04.2019, 14.05.2019, 25.05.2019, 24.02.2020and 25.02.2020 for Scrutiny of documents before interview-vivaVoce. Any candidate with directions of Hon’ble Punjab andHaryana High Court may also come for Scrutiny of Documentson 30.07.2020 for the above said post.2. The absentee candidates are directed to fill scrutiny form(enclosed) and bring all original documents, downloaded appli-cation form, along with one set of self attested copies of all doc-uments mentioned in their application form, One ID proof. Thenotice is also available on the web-site www.hssc.gov.in of theCommission.Candidates are directed to submit their documents along withfilled & signed scrutiny form as per schedule given below:-

HARYANA STAFF SELECTION COMMISSIONBAYS NO. 67-70, SECTOR-2, PANCHKULA-134151

(www.hssc.gov.in)Notice to the absentee candidates for Scrutiny of

Documents before Interview/Viva Voce for the post ofStaff Nurse, Advt. No. 1/2015 Cat. No. 01

Sr. Roll Number DateNo.1. 15100001-15107633 28.07.20202. 15107670-15114273 29.07.20203. 15114278-15120831 30.07.2020

Note:- Other terms and conditions are same as mentioned inearlier notices for Scrutiny of Documents.Scrutiny form to be brought by the candidates along withdocuments is enclosed herewith.

Sd/-Superintendent

Place: Panchkula, for Secretary, Haryana Staff SelectionDated:16th July, 2020 Commission, Panchkula

81805/HRY

ANANTHAKRISHNANGNEWDELHI, JULY17

THE JULY10encounter inwhich“dreadedgangster”VikasDubeywaskilled “cannever be termedas ‘fakeencounter’ lookingat theincidentintotality”,UttarPradeshPolicehastoldtheSupremeCourt.In an affidavit filed in the top

court, UP Director General ofPolice (DGP) Hitesh ChandraAwasthy said the Special TaskForce(STF)personnelhadnoop-tionbut to return the fire in “selfdefence”asDubeysnatchedapis-tol and fledwhile being taken toKanpur.Narrating what had hap-

pened, the affidavit said the STFteam was already in Gwaliorwhennewsof Dubey’s arrest inUjjain came on July 9. The STFteam then reachedUjjain, tookhim in custodyandbroughthimtillGuna,253kmaway, inavehi-clewithUPregistration.At Guna, teams from STF

headquarters and that of theInvestigatingOfficer(probingtheJuly2incidentinwhicheightpo-lice personnelwere killed) fromKanpurmet the convoy. The IOtook custodyof Dubeyand fromthere hewas taken in an SUV, a

TUV 300, according to the affi-davit.At about 6.35 amon July 10,

when the convoy reachedSachendi (village areaof Kanpurcity),heavyrainstartedatBarajorToll Plaza. “After getting downfromelevated road, Bharat CNGpetrolpumpwascrossed,infrontofKanhayaLalHospital,aherdofcattlesuddenlycamerunningonthe road fromthe right side. Thevehiclewasmovingfastwhenthedriver... tried to swerve thevehi-cletotheleft,theSUVhitadividerathighspeedandvehiclegotover-turned,”theaffidavitsaid.Allfourpolicepersonnelinthe

SUVwere seriously injured andlostconsciousness,thepolicesaid.Dubey, the DGP said, thensnatchedthepistolfromInspectorRamakantPachauri,whowassit-ting near him, and escapedthroughthebackdooroftheSUV.Meanwhile,thevehicleofthe

STFreachedthespotandDySPTBSinghwastoldbyoneof thein-juredpolicemen thatDubeyhadescapedwiththepistol.Thepoliceparty ledbySingh

pursued him. Dubey fired ninerounds. ThoughSinghwashit inthe chest, he escaped as hewaswearingabulletproof jacket.TheSTF team“asked”Dubey “to sur-

render”buthe“continuedtofleeandfire”.TwoSTFpersonnelsuf-feredinjuries.“Inselfdefence,themembersoftheSTFteamfiredsixshotsatVikasDubey.ThreeshotshitgangsterVikasDubey.Hewasrushed tohospitalwherehewasdeclareddead,”theaffidavitsaid.ThepolicesaidDubeywasnot

handcuffedastherewere15per-sonnelandthreevehiclestoescorthimdirectly to theKanpur courtwhere he had to be produced

within24hoursofarrest.Thepolicealsodeniedreports

thatithadstoppedmediavehiclesfromtrailingtheconvoy.Dubeyand80-90of his gang

memberswere involved in theJuly 2 “brutalmassacre” of eightpolicemen,itsaid.Thegang“bru-tally cut the Circle Officer’s(Devender Mishra) leg aftershootinghimdead”,itsaid,addingthey“mutilatedthebodiesof thepolicemen”.Onallegationsthatauthorities

demolishedDubey’s house ille-gally,thepolicesaidthatonJuly4,therewasinformationthatdeadlyweaponswere“embeddedinthewalls, floor…”“In theprocess of excavating

theweaponsandexplosivesfromhollowwallsofthehouse,theloadbearing capacity of thewalls re-duced…HenceJCBmachinewasused for further recovery. In theprocess of recovery somepart ofbuilding collapsed,” theDGPex-plained.TheaffidavitsaidDubey,who

wasservinglifesentenceinacaseandwasout onparole, “not onlyhadastrongreasonandmotivetofleefrompolicecustody...buthadthe capacity, potential andexpe-rienceofattackingthepoliceper-sonnelandkillingthemwhichinfacthappenedon10.07.2020...Theonlyoptionavailabletotheescortparty, under the circumstances,wastofirebackinselfdefence”.The state, it said, has set up a

Commissionof Enquiry toprobetheincident.AnSITheadedbytheUPAdditionalChiefSecretaryhasalso been set up to look intoDubey’s crimes and the allegedcollusionbetweenhim,policeandpoliticians. In addition, a SpecialTeamunder SP, Crime, KanpurNagarisalsoinvestigating.

Thesiteof theallegedencounterontheoutskirtsofKanpurcity inwhichVikasDubey(right)waskilledbyUttarPradeshPoliceonJuly10. File

YOSHITASINGHUNITEDNATIONS, JULY17

ABOUT273millionIndiansmovedoutofmulti-dimensional poverty between 2005-06 and2015-16, accordingtoaUNreport,whichnotedthat India has recorded the largest reduction inthenumberof people living in this category.The data, released by the United Nations

Development Programme (UNDP) and theOxford Poverty and Human DevelopmentInitiative (OPHI), shows that 65out of 75 coun-tries studied significantly reduced theirmulti-dimensional poverty levels between 2000 and2019.Multidimensionalpovertyencompassesthe

various deprivations experienced by people inthe category in their daily lives—such as poorhealth, lackofeducation, inadequatelivingstan-dards,poorqualityofwork,thethreatofviolenceandlivinginareasthatareenvironmentallyhaz-ardous, amongothers.Of the 65 countries that reduced their

MultidimensionalPovertyIndex(MPI)value,50also reduced the number of people living inpoverty. “The largest reduction was in India,whereapproximately273millionpeoplemovedoutofmultidimensionalpovertyover10years,”the report said.Thereportsaidthatfourcountries--Armenia

(2010-2015/2016), India (2005/2006-2015/2016), Nicaragua (2001-2011/2012) andNorthMacedonia (2005/2006-2011)—halvedtheir global MPIT value and did so in 5.5-10.5years.“These countries showwhat is possible for

countrieswithverydifferentinitialpovertylev-els.Theyaccountforroughlyafifthoftheworld'spopulation,mostlybecauseof India's largepop-ulation,” the report said.MPIT is theMultidimensionalPoverty Index

estimate that is basedonharmonised indicatordefinitions for strict comparabilityover time.“FourcountrieshalvedtheirMPIvalue. India

(2005/2006-2015/2016) did so nationally andamong children and had the biggest reductioninthenumberofmultidimensionallypoorpeo-ple (273million),” it said.

EXPRESSNEWSSERVICECHANDIGARH, JULY17

A15-YEAR-OLDgirlwasburnt todeath, allegedlyby twomenshehadaccusedofgangrapefourdaysago,inBhiwanidistrictofHaryanaon Thursday. The accused at-tacked the girlwhile shewas inher house, asleepwith others ofher family, her father said in hiscomplainttothepolice.The duo allegedly poured

dieselonherandsetherafirebe-fore fleeing. Shewas rushed toRohtak’s PGIMS in critical condi-tion,whereshedied.Police later apprehended the

mainaccusedbuthisuncle,whois the secondperson accused inthegangrape, isontherun.“Wehave arrested themain

accusedwhile theother is yet atlarge. Further investigation is on.The girl’s bodywashandedovertoherfamilyafterapostmortem,”saidSHOShriBhagwanYadav.Police said the families of the

victimandtheaccusedhaveahis-tory of filing complaints againsteachother.Thedeceased’s fatherhadonJuly13lodgedacomplaintagainstthemainaccused,hissis-ter andhis uncle, accusing themofgangrapinghisminordaughterand criminal conspiracy.He alsoaccusedthemofmakinganobjec-tionable video andblackmailingthevictim.Soonafterthecasewasfailed, themain accused’s fathercommitted suicide. A complainthadthenbeenlodgedagainstthevictim,herfatherandothers,seek-ing the registration of a case ofabetmenttosuicide.

EXPRESSNEWSSERVICEAHMEDABAD, JULY17

A 27-YEAR-OLDDalitmanwasbeatentodeathafterallegedlybe-ingabductedbymembersof an-other caste from a village inGujarat’sBanaskanthadistrictonThursdaynight. Six people havebeendetainedinthisconnection.According to the police, the

victimhasbeenidentifiedasPintuGalchar, a residentof RavivillageinDhanera taluka,whowas al-legedlyabductedfromoutsidehishousebyagroupofsixmen.Early on Friday, his naked

body,bearingseveralinjuries,wasfound near a bus stand at a tri-junctionroadoutsideRavivillage.Galcharwasadailywager,accord-ingtohisfamily.Hoursafterthebodywasdis-

covered, an FIR was filed at

Dhanerapolicestationandthepo-licedetainedsixpeople—HansrajPurohit, Chetan Purohit, RamaPurohit,RamabhaiBabujiPurohit,Kirti Purohit and GautamPurohit—whohavebeennamedin the FIR filed by the victim'sbrother.AllsixareresidentsofDhanera

andhavebeenbookedunderIPCSections formurder, abduction,obscenityandunlawfulassemblyalongwithsectionsofScheduledCaste and Scheduled Tribe(PreventionofAtrocities)Act.“Around 10 pm, Hansraj,

Chetan, Ramabhai, Kirti andGautam arrived in a BoleroCamper vehicle and forcefullytookhimawaywith them.Nextmorning,wewere told that hisbodyhas been foundnear a busstand," saidSanjayGalchar

(23), youngerbrotherof Pintu, inhiscomplainttothepolice.According to police, the vic-

tim’s family has been unable tomention anymotive behind theaccused abducting Pintu.However, the initial policeprobehas suggested that the accusedmayhavesuspectedthevictimofbreakingintoashopatamarket-placeinDhanerarecently.“The postmortem report is

awaited. The deputy SP (SC/STcell) has beenmade the investi-gatingofficer,” saidSADabhi, in-chargeofDhanerapolicestation.VadgamMLAJigneshMevani

tweeted: “It is clear that the vic-tim has been stripped anddraggedafterhisgruesomemur-der. Till all accused are held,wewillnotsitquietly(sic).”

SANTOSHSINGHPATNA, JULY17

OFFICIALS IN Bihar have filedthreeFIRsagainstmembersofthepublic after a portion of the ap-proach road to abridge thatwasopenedbyChiefMinisterNitishKumar only last month waswashed awayby floodwaters oftheGandak.TheFIRshaveaccusedpeople

ledbypanchayatleadersinNorthBiharofdamagingthe24-metre-wideapproachroad,andofham-pering repair and constructionworkonit.NoFIRhasbeenregis-tered against the Hyderabad-based company that built thebridgeandtheapproachroads.The9.1kmbridge–including

a total 8.06kmof approach roadonboth sides of the river – con-nects Baikunthpur inGopalganjdistrict to Kesaria in EastChamparan district. The chiefminister inaugurated thebridgeanditsapproaches,builtatacostof Rs 263.48 crore, by video linkonJune16,exactlyamonthago.OnThursday,a60-metre-long

sectionoftheapproachroadclosetotheriverontheGopalganjsideof the bridgewaswashed away.Thebridgeitself remainsintact.In an FIR, project engineer of

theChamparan-Motihari upperdivision, Mohit Kumar Gupta,said:“Afterexcesspressureofwa-terontheapproachroad,thepub-liccuttheroadandinterferedwithour people fromdoing damagecontrolwork.”The secondFIR, registeredby

Basantpur Circle Officer Pankaj

Kumar,allegedthataround11.30am, Zila ParishadmemberVijayKumar had led 10-15 unknownvillagerstothebridgeinviolationof lockdownnorms.InanotherFIR,Gandakdepart-

mentcontractorUdayKumarhassaid: “On July 15, a small bridge(puliya)was constructed on theapproachroadbetweenShitalpurandKhomharipur.Therisingwa-tersoftheGandakputpressureonthesmallbridge,andstartederod-ingtheapproachroad.“Westartedanti-erosionwork

around3pmon July 15. But thehusband of the Faizullahpurmukhiya, Chandrashekhar Rai,cameandstartedabusingourjun-ior engineer and workers.Between11pmonJuly15and11amonJuly16,repairworkwasob-structedbecauseofthem,”itsaid.Bihar Leader of Opposition

Tejashwi Prasad Yadav allegedthat poor qualitywork had re-sultedintheapproachroadbeingwashedawaywithin amonthofbeing inaugurated. “Thegovern-mentistryingtoshielditsofficersbyputtingtheblameonthepub-

lic,whohad, in fact, alertedoffi-cials about theweakeningof theapproach road to the Satarghatbridge. Thegovernment is inde-nial about corruption in govern-mentprojects,”he said.Road ConstructionMinister

NandKishoreYadav said ahigh-level teamhad visited the spot,andanyfurtheractionwouldfol-lowonlyaftertheteamfilesitsas-sessment report. The companythat built the bridge and the ap-proach roads – BashisthaConstructions Private Limited,Hyderabad–wasboundbycon-tract tomaintain and repair thebridgeanditsapproachedfortwoyears, Yadav said. “There is nodamagetothebridgeandonlytheapproach road has caved in be-causeofpressurefromthewater,”Yadavsaid.“Ifthereisanylapseonbycompanyintermsofthequal-ityofwork,wewilltakesteps.”The bridge is an important

roadlinkinNorthBihar. Ithasre-duced thedistancebetween thetownsof SiwanandSaranby40km, and between Siwan andMuzaffarpurby52km.

9THEINDIANEXPRESS,SATURDAY, JULY18,2020

EXPRESSNETWORKWWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM

Haryana: Teen burned todeath, father points to twomen accused of raping her

At 273 mn, India recordslargest reduction innumber of people livingin poverty: UN report

Dalit man abducted, beaten todeath in Gujarat, six detained

Theapproachroadtothebridge.GovindKumar

SHAJUPHILIPTHIRUVANANTHAPURAM,JULY17

AMIDTHEprobe into the recov-ery of smuggled gold in diplo-maticcargo,astatepoliceconsta-ble who worked as a securityguardtotheUAEConsul-Generalallegedly attempted suicide, po-licesaid.SRJayaghoshwasfoundwithaslashedwristaround200metres fromhis house here onFridaynoon, the police said. He

hadbeenmissingsinceThursdaynight.Hisconditionisstable.Former Consulate employee

SwapnaSuresh,whohasbeenar-restedinthesmugglingcase,hadcalled Jayagosh the day beforeCustomsexaminedthecargo.Hewas slated to be questioned byagenciesprobingthesmuggling.Jayagosh’sbrother-in-lawVS

AjithKumarsaidhehadbeenun-der severe pressure and feared

thathewouldbeimplicatedinthecase. “Jayaghosh told us that hewas facing threat. On Thursdaynight, he left thehouseafter get-tingaphonecallfromapolicemanwhohadearlierworkedwithhim.Thenhewentmissing,”hesaid.Policesaidtheywouldrecord

Jayaghosh’s statement in a dayand look into the alleged threat.While being shifted to hospital,Jayaghoshsaidhewasinnocent.

STATE COUNCIL OF EDUCATIONALRESEARCH & TRAINING

VARUN MARG, DEFENCE COLONY, NEW DELHI-110024

Public Notice for engagement of Change Makers inEducation (CMIE) Fellows and Education Interns in SCERT

State Council of Educational Research & Training invites onlineapplications from eligible candidates for Change Makers in Education(CMIE) Fellowship and Internship Programme 2020-2021.

CMIE programme is an opportunity for the dynamic youth who aim tocontribute to society through a holistic transformation of the schooleducation system in Delhi.

25 (Twenty Five) fellows and 25 (Twenty Five) interns shall beselected to be part of CMIE 2020-2021

Fellows shall receive a stipend of Rs. 60,000/- per month and Internsshall receive a stipend of Rs. 20,000/- per month.

For details of eligibility criteria, age limit and other terms andconditions of engagement log in to:

http://www.scertdelhi.nic.in

The application deadline is 24.07.2020. Submission of applicationother than online mode shall not be entertained. Applicants are strictlyinstructed not to send any hard copy of the application to this Council.

Sd/-DIP/SHABDARTH/0163/20-21 DIRECTOR, SCERT

KERALAGOLDSMUGGLINGCASE

Cop slated to be questioned ‘attempts suicide’

VIKASDUBEYKILLING

Can’t be termed fake encounter, STFfired in self-defence: UPPolice to SC

Month after Nitish openedBihar bridge, river washesaway part of approach road

New Delhi

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10THEINDIANEXPRESS,SATURDAY, JULY18,2020

THEWORLDWWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM

BRITAIN

CAPTAINTOMMOOREKNIGHTEDQueen Elizabeth II knighted Captain Tom Moore on Friday, recognising the100-year-old for lifting the spirits of the nation during the coronavirus outbreak.The WWII veteran raised a record sum of £33 million by walking 100 laps of hisgarden with the aid of a walking frame in April in the run-up to his birthday.

USA

CTVivian,civilrights icon, isdeadat95THEREVERENDCTVivian,apioneering civil rights or-ganiserandfieldgeneralforthe Rev DrMartin LutherKing Jr and his SouthernChristian LeadershipConference in the historicstruggle for racial justice ahalf-century ago, died onFriday.. Hewas95.Hediedat his home inAtlanta. In anation trying to come togripswith racial inequalityin the 1960s, Vivianwas apaladin of nonviolence onthefrontlinesofbloodycon-frontations, leadingpassiveprotesters through shriek-ingwhitemobs and,withdiscipline and endurance,absorbingtheblowsofseg-regationists and complicitlaw enforcement officialsacrosstheSouth.

VivianwasadisciplinedadvocateofnonviolenceinthebattleforracialjusticeintheUS

TOPOFTHEWORLD

YEMEN

DecrepitoiltankerthreatensdisasterTHINKOFYemen’s prob-lems, andwar, starvation,diseaseandpovertycometomind.Nowaddanotherattribute: a rusting, neg-lected 1,188-foot tankermoored off the country’swesterncoast, ladenwithroughly48milliongallonsof oil, at risk of sinking oreven exploding at anytime.TheUNandavarietyof environmental expertshavewarnedthattheves-sel, the FSO Safer, is like afloating bomb, one thatcould cause an ecologicalcrisiswithanyleakinoneof its 34 storage tanks.Together, they hold fourtimes the amount of oilspilled in the 1989ExxonValdezdisaster.

BRITAIN

BritishAirwaysbidsfarewelltojumbojetsTHE“QUEENoftheskies”will no longer don thered,whiteandblueof theUnion Jack after BritishAirwaysretireditsfleetofBoeing 747s on Friday asa result of the coron-aviruspandemic.Theair-line, which was theworld’s biggest operatorof the 747-400 model,had already planned toground its fleet of 31 ofthe iconic wide-bodiedjets in2024.But thepan-demic, which has seenmost planes groundedfor three months, hashastenedits journeyintoretirement.

REUTERS&NYTLONDON, JULY17

THEUNITEDStatesshattereditsdaily record for coronavirus in-fections on Thursday, reportingmore than 77,000 new cases asthe number of deaths in a 24-hourperiodrosebynearly1,000,according toaReuters tally.Britain, on theotherhand, is

looking at a return tonormalitybefore Christmas, with PrimeMinister Boris Johnson settingout a phased removal of lock-down restrictions. But hewarned thatwhile hewas hop-ingforthebest,thecountrymustalsoprepare for theworst.IntheUS,Thelossof969lives

was the biggest increase sinceJune 10, with Florida, SouthCarolina andTexas all reportingtheirbiggestspikesonThursday.More than 138,000

Americans have died fromCovid-19,atollthatexpertswarnwill likelysurgefollowingrecentrecord spikes in case numbersandanalarmingriseinhospital-isations inmanystates.Thehardest-hitareasinTexas

and Arizona are running out ofplaces to store bodies as theirmorgues fill up andarebringingincoolersandrefrigeratedtrailers.However,Americanshavebe-

come increasinglydividedon is-sues such as the reopening ofschoolsandbusinessesandwear-ing facemasks inpublic, hinder-ingthefightagainstthevirus.Governor Brian Kemp of

Georgia, who announced thisweekthathewassuspendingall

localmaskmandates,filedalaw-suitonThursdaychallengingtheauthorityof leadersinAtlantatorequiremasks inside their city’slimits. As themayor of Atlanta,the suit said, Keisha LanceBottoms“doesnothavethelegalauthority tomodify, change orignoreGovernorKemp’sorders,”only tocarry themout.Maskshavebeenbroadlyac-

cepted inmany European andAsian countries. Britain and

France issued nationwidemaskorders for certain public placesthisweek,joiningalonglistofna-tionsthatalreadyrequiredthem.Britain’s death toll of more

than45,000fromconfirmedcasesofCovid-19istheworstinEuropebut the countryhasbegun to liftlockdownmeasuresascasenum-bersandinfectionratesfall.Johnson set out the latest

timetable for easing on Friday,saying employers would begiven more discretion overworking from home rules, thatthe safety of larger gatheringswouldbeevaluated,andthatso-cial distancing rules might bedropped in time forChristmas.“It ismy strong and sincere

hope thatwewill be able to re-viewtheoutstandingrestrictionsand allowamore significant re-turn to normality fromNovemberattheearliest–possi-blyintimeforChristmas,”hesaid.However,hestressedthatthe

planwasconditionalonsuccessinkeepinginfectionratesdown,setting out extra healthcarefundingandnewpowers for lo-cal government to lock downCovid-19hotspots.

EuropeanCouncilPresidentCharlesMichel(right)greetsGermanChancellorAngelaMerkelduringaroundtablemeetingatanEUsummitinBrussels,Friday.FrenchPresidentEmmanuelMacronandFinland'sPrimeMinisterSannaMarinarealsoseen.AP

SHIRISHBPRADHANKATHMANDU, JULY17

A CRUCIALmeeting of Nepal’sruling communist party waspostponedfor the fifth timeun-til Sunday to givemore time toPrimeMinister K P Sharma Oliand the rival faction led by for-mer premier Pushpa KamalDahal ‘Prachanda’ to sort outtheirdifferences.The Standing Committee

meetingoftheCommunistPartyofNepal(NCP)wasscheduledforFridaybut itwaspostponedun-til3pmonSundayattherequestof Oli and Prachanda. Earlier inthe day, the meeting was de-ferredforafewhoursforparleys.“Themeetinghasbeenfixed

for 3 pm Sunday,” Surya Thapa,Oli'spressadvisor, tweeted.ThelastStandingCommittee

meetingwasheldon July2.Thepartyhasalsodecided to

holdacrucialmeetingof its441-member Central WorkingCommittee(CWC),GaneshShah,aStandingCommitteemember,sai.ThePM'sfatewillnowbede-

cided in the CWCmeeting thatcouldbeheldnextweek,hesaid.TheCWCisauthorisedtotake

a formal decision on the 'one-man, one-post' to be imple-mentedinthepartyasperthede-mandof the dissident group ledbyPrachanda,hesaid.Sunday’s Standing

Committeemeeting is expectedtofixthedatefortheCWCmeet-ing,whichwillultimatelydecidethefateofOli,Shahsaid.The two leaders on Friday

held informal talks to sort outtheirdifferences.Oli’sfutureasPMisontheline

aftertalkstostrikeanewpower-sharing deal between him andexecutive chairman of theNCP,Prachanda, failed tomake anyheadwayonThursdaytoo.PTI

RAFCASERT&MIKECORDERBRUSSELS, JULY17

EUROPEANUNION leaders ac-knowledgedFridaytheyareaboutas far apart fromreaching adealonanunprecedented1.85trillioneuro($2.1trillion)EUbudgetandvirusrecoveryfundastheseatingdistance imposeduponthemforhealthreasonsattheirsummit.“Thedifferencesare still very,

very big and so I can’t predictwhetherwewill achievea resultthistime,”saidGermanChancellorAngelaMerkelasshearrivedattheEuropa summit site. “So I expectvery,verydifficultnegotiations.”The challenges facing the 27

EU leaders—someofwhomar-rivedmasked,someunmasked—

areformidable.Theblocissuffer-ing through theworst recessionin itshistory andmember statesarefightingoverwhoshouldpaythemost tohelpother countriesandwhichnationsshouldgetthemost to turn around their bat-

teredeconomies.Asthesummitgotunderway

all leaderswerewearingmasks.Theusualhugs,handshakesandkisseswere replacedby friendlynodsandelbowbumps.Afteraddressingtheleaders,

European Parliament PresidentDavid Sassoli said the stakescould not be higher. “Any post-ponement could trigger newstormsandimperiltheEuropeanscene.We know that forecastsareverynegative,”hesaid.French President

Emmanuel Macron led theearly negotiations, arrivingThursday and using the thepre-summit hours to meetwith Dutch Prime MinisterMark Rutte, a stringent budgethardliner and considered oneof the biggest obstacles toreaching a deal at the two-daymeeting.Macron highlighted the im-

portance of the challenge. “Thecominghourswill be absolutelydecisive,”hesaid.“ItisourprojectEuropethatisatstake.”REUTERS

USsees record77,217newcases inaday,UKeyes ‘normality’ byChristmas

COVID-19PANDEMIC:AMERICANSDIVIDEDOVERSCHOOLS,MASKS

PMofBritain,oneEurope’sworst-hit countries, laysout timetable forphasedrelaxationof curbs

TouristsinBarcelonaThursday.WithEurope’ssummervacationseasonkickingintogearformillionswearyofmonthsof lockdown,therearefearsofaresurgenceof infectionsincountriesthathavebattledtoflattenthecurve.AP

Researchersinvent 20-minuteblood test forcoronavirus

REUTERSSYDNEY, JULY17

RESEARCHERSINAustraliahavedevisedatestthatcandeterminenovel coronavirus infection inabout 20minutes using bloodsamples in what they say is aworld-firstbreakthrough.The researchers at Monash

Universitysaidtheirtestcande-termine if someone is currentlyinfectedandiftheyhavebeenin-fected in thepast.“Short-termapplications in-

clude rapid case identificationandcontact tracingto limitviralspread,whilepopulationscreen-ingtodeterminetheextentofvi-ralinfectionacrosscommunitiesis a longer-term need,” the re-searchers said in a paper pub-lishedinthe journalACSSensorsonFriday.

Taiwanhasseengatherings, like thisone inTaipei lastmonth, insupportofHongKong’spro-democracyprotesters.The islandhasalsoat timesofferedsanctuarytoHongKongprotesters, triggeringBeijing’sanger.Reuters

Hong Kong demandsTaiwan officials sign‘one China’ documentfor visa renewalHKpro-democracypoliticianarrested

REUTERSTAIPEI,HONGKONG, JULY17

TAIWANESEOFFICIALS inHongKong have been told their visaswillnotberenewedunless theysign a document supportingBeijing’s claim to Taiwan underits “one China” policy, a personwith direct knowledge of thematter toldReuters.ThemovecomesafterTaipei

criticisedanewsecuritylawim-posedonHongKongbyBeijing,and opened an office in Taipeithismonth to help peoplewhomaywant to leave the Asian fi-nancial centre.SeveralTaiwaneseofficialsat

itsdefactoHongKongconsulatewho were due to renew theirvisas have been asked by thecity’s government to sign thedocument, a seniorTaiwanoffi-cialwithknowledgeof themat-ter toldReuters.Theofficialsaidthemovewas

unprecedentedandpresentedan“unnecessary political obstacle”forTaipei-HongKongties.“Theywon’t issue the visa if

wedon’tsignthedocument,”theofficial said, declining to benamed due to the sensitivity ofthematter. “It’s entirely a prob-lemcreatedbythem.”Taiwan’s China policy-mak-

ing Mainland Affairs Councilurged Hong Kong to return to“existingconsensus”tomaintain

normal exchanges betweenTaiwanandHongKong.Taiwan has 15 Taiwanese

staff at its de facto consulate inthe city, another person withknowledgeof thematter said.Meanwhile,HongKongpolice

arrestedonFridaypro-democracypoliticianTamTak-chi,whoisex-pectedtorunforaseat intheleg-islatureinSeptember’selection,oncharges including incitement toparticipateinunlawfulassembly.Tam,47,thevice-presidentof

thePeoplePowerpartyandafor-merradiohost,wonanunofficialprimarypollorganisedbytheop-position to select candidates fortheLegislativeCouncilvote.Police said the incitement to

takepart in anunlawful assem-bly charge was related to aJanuary protest. It did not saywhat the charges for seditiousintentionanddisorder inpublicplaceswere related to.

TamTak-chi isexpectedtorunforaseat intheHongKonglegislature inSept

Assistant held over murderof tech CEO in ManhattanASSOCIATEDPRESSNEWYORK,JULY17

A PERSONwas taken into cus-tody in the killing of a 33-yeartech entrepreneur who wasfound dismembered inside hisluxuryManhattan condo, a lawenforcementofficial saidFriday.The person in custody had

worked as Fahim Saleh’s per-sonal assistant, the official toldTheAssociatedPress.Saleh was found at around

3.30 pmTuesday inside his lux-ury seventh floor apartment ontheLowerEastSide.A relative calledpolice after

going to check on Saleh andmaking the gruesome discov-ery.Respondingofficersdiscov-ered a clothed torso, bags con-tainingaheadandarmsandanelectric saw in the living room,police had said.Investigators had recovered

securityvideoshowingSalehex-iting an elevator that leads di-

rectlyintothefull-floor,two-bed-roomapartmentearlierTuesdayafternoon, closely followed by amaskedpersondressedentirelyinblackaccordingtoanotherlawenforcement official whowasbriefedonthecase.It also shows a struggle be-

tweenthetwothatensuedattheentrance to the apartment, saidtheofficial.Policebelievethattherelativemayhaveinterruptedtheintruder before that person fledoutabackexit.Salehwasthechiefexecutive

officerofaride-hailingmotorcy-clestartupcalledGokadathatbe-ganoperatinginNigeriain2018.Saleh’s LinkedIn biography

described him as a self-taughtbusinessman who foundedGokada, building on his experi-enceof first“seeinganopportu-nity inhis parent’s native coun-try of Bangladesh” and startingthatcountry’s largestride-shar-ing company. It said he also in-vested in a similar venture inColombia.

Nepal rulingparty meet onOli’s futuredeferred again

THE US PRESIDENT’S SON-IN-LAW IS IN CHARGE OF THE CAMPAIGN’S DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS

Trump shakes up campaign staff, but quiet influence of Kushner a constantJONATHANLEMIRE,JILLCOLVINANDZEKEMILLERWASHINGTON, JULY17

US PRESIDENTDonald Trump’slong-in-coming campaignshakeup rearranged some bigjobtitlesbutisn’tlikelytochangethe identity of the person trulyin charge of day-to-day opera-tions: JaredKushner.Kushnerwieldshis influence

quietlyandisrarelyapresenceinthe campaign’s suburbanWashington headquarters.Fittingly, hewas nowhere to beseenThursdaywhen, inanemo-

tional changing of the guardmeeting, campaign managerBradParscalesurrenderedhis ti-tletoonetimedeputyBillStepien.Facing strong electoral

headwinds, it was TrumpwhodemotedParscaleandelevatedStepien. But Kushner, thePresident’s son-in-law and aseniorWhite House adviser, isexpected to remain the drivingforce behind a political opera-tionbuilt torespondtoTrump’sinstincts and give him anotherfour years in office.Parscale’s ouster reflects

Trump’s willingness to shakethings up as the coronavirus

blocks him from holding histrademarkralliesandashegrap-pleswithpollsshowinghimsig-nificantlytrailingDemocraticri-val JoeBiden,accordingtosomeof the seven campaign officialsandRepublicanswhodiscussedtheshakeupontheconditionofanonymity because they werenotauthorisedtospeakpubliclyaboutprivateconversations.But it alsoshowsanewwill-

ingnessbyTrumptodiversifyhisinner circle, even if Kushner re-mains at the helm. SomeRepublican Party officials andoutsideallieshavebeenencour-aging Trump to listen to a

broaderarrayofpoliticaladvice,believingthatKushnerhasfilledthe President’s ear with voicesthatechoKushner’s.That process began when

Trump first elevated Stepien tosenioradviserandreturnedJasonMillertothecampaignlastmonth.Parscale,forhispart,wasoncethehand-picked choice of Kushner,

but the President’s son-in-lawwas among those who havesouredonhiminrecentweeks.Kushner’sWhiteHouseport-

folio is sovast that ithasbecomefodder for late-night comics. Buthealsohasbeentheultimatedeci-sion-makeronthecampaign,andsomeTrumpallies said ParscalewaspayingthepriceforKushner’sownlackofpoliticalexpertise.Despitethedeficits,thecam-

paignonThursdaybeganitsnewchapterwith typicalbravado.“Wehave a better team, bet-

ter voter information, a bettergroundgame,betterfundraising,andmost importantly, a better

candidatewith a better record,”Stepiensaid.Kushner has long been the

driving force behind the cam-paign,which someRepublicansfelthadfailedinrecentmonthstonegativelydefineBiden.The for-mer vice-president has risen inthepolls ashe largely stayedoutofsightandasTrump’sownpolit-ical standing spiralled during apandemic that has killed nearly140,000Americansandputtensofmillionsoutofwork.MillerpraisedKushner’s vital

role. “Jared is a very importantvoicewithinPresidentTrump’sor-bit,”hesaid.“Inadditiontobeinga

verysmartandcreativethinker,heis someone who always hasPresidentTrump’sbackandlooksout forhim,notonlyas someonewhoisPresidentof theUS,butassomeonewhoisfamily.”But some Republicans are

worried that Kushner is spreadtoothin,withaWestWingport-folio that includes the coron-avirus, immigration,reinventinggovernmentand,forgoodmeas-ure, theMiddleEast.Kushner originally hired

Parscale to run the 2016 cam-paign’s digital operation. Ratherthanpartingways,Parscalewillre-maininhisoriginalcapacity.AP

RACE FORTHEWHITE

HOUSETrumpwithKushner

Disagreement over recovery fund

WITHMANYmajorEuropeancountrieshavingfacedsevereCovid-19outbreaks,theEU’seconomyhassuf-feredamassivehit.OneofthemeasureproposedbytheEU’sexecutive,andbackedbybigplayerssuchasGermany,isa750-billion-eurofundwhich

willbedistributedtothenationsthatneeditthemostasloansandgrants.Butsomenations,suchastheNetherlands,are

againsttheideaofgrants,whichwouldbepaidforbyallmembersofthebloc.Thisre-sultedinadeadlockevenbe-forethesummitstarted.

‘Differences still very, very big’: EU holdsmasked budget summit amid pandemic

New Delhi

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EXPRESSNETWORK 11WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COMTHEINDIANEXPRESS,SATURDAY, JULY18,2020

ADVERTORIAL

YESTERDAY afternoon, Armeniacommitted yet another militaryprovocation in the direction ofTovuz on the Azerbaijani-Armen-

ian border. This is not the first time Arme-nia has committed military provocations onthe state border. As a result of these mili-tary provocations in the last few months,our servicemen, as well as civilians, havebeen killed. Several of our servicemen werekilled as a result of another provocationyesterday afternoon. Artillery fire wasopened at our military post, and as a resultof this insidious act, our servicemen werekilled and wounded. May Allah rest ourmartyrs in peace and send healing to ourwounded soldiers.

I can say that yet another provocation ofArmenia was resolutely prevented and ade-quately rebuffed.The death of our soldiershas been avenged. All the attempts of theArmenian side failed, with Azerbaijan pro-tecting its state border, and Armenian sol-diers could not cross even an inch intoAzer-baijani territory.

The situation on the border continues tobe tense today. I was in touch with all rele-vant agencies and commanders last night. Iwas informed early this morning too thatthe situation on the border has not sta-bilised. All the responsibility lies squarelywith the military-political leadership of Ar-menia. Such events occur because of thehypocritical and dishonest activities of theArmenian leadership. On the one hand, itappeals to the international community andasks for help in strengthening the ceasefireon the Armenian-Azerbaijani contact line.On the other,by committing military provo-cations it wants to invade the territory ofAzerbaijan, seize our positions, fire on thecivilian population and our villages. Thisugly and insidious policy will lead Armeniainto an abyss.All the responsibility falls onthe leadership of Armenia. Azerbaijan willcontinue to protect its territorial integrityand borders.The crushing blows inflicted onthe enemy yesterday afternoon and thisnight showed this once again. Our fallenservicemen have been avenged; their bloodhas not and will not remain on the ground.

Such ugly acts are a manifestation ofAr-menia's aggressive policy. It is impossibleto explain this policy logically. Because thispolicy is very contradictory and poses agreat threat to Armenia. I have said this

many times and I want to say it again thatAzerbaijan will never put up with the occu-pation of its occupied lands, will not put upwith the occupation and will do its best torestore its territorial integrity.

Relevant appeals have been sent to in-ternational organisations, and as soon asthe operational situation permits, we willinvite foreign military representatives op-erating in Azerbaijan to the area so thatthey can see the situation with their owneyes. Let them see who committed this mil-itary provocation, what happened as a re-sult of this military provocation and who isresponsible for the escalation of the situa-tion. Ours is a cause of justice andAzerbai-jan will not take a step back from its princi-pled position.

As you know, the domestic situation inArmenia has already reached a criticalpoint. Internal commotion is pervasive. Atthe same time, they are very concerned

about the recent international successes ofour country. This has strengthened theirsense of envy. In particular, our successfulactivities within international organisa-tions, recent statements by all leading in-ternational organisations on the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, thedecisions made, the support for the territo-rial integrity of our country have, of course,dealt a serious blow to Armenia's positionon the conflict.At the same time, the specificfacts and convincing arguments we regu-larly communicate from high-profile podi-

ums on the history of the conflict and thehistory of the region have undermined theirpropaganda,of course.The whole world al-ready knows that Nagorno-Karabakh is his-torically the land of Azerbaijan. There areenough documents confirming this, and weare now sharing these documents with thewider international community. At thesame time, the whole world recognisesNagorno-Karabakh as an integral part ofAzerbaijan. There are many internationaldocuments and statements confirming this.In particular, the recent so-called “elec-

tions” in the self-styled “Nagorno-Karabakh republic” were not only notrecognised by any country, but were alsocondemned by all leading international or-ganisations, neighbouring countries andcountries involved in this issue. Thus, sup-port for the territorial integrity of our coun-try was once again expressed and it wasonce again made clear that Nagorno-Karabakh is an integral part ofAzerbaijan.

Therefore, it is the current chaos inArme-nia and the fact that events are reaching acritical point that have prompted them tocommit these heinous acts. On the otherhand, it is no secret that Armenia has longbeen trying to form an opinion on the con-flict, especially on the Armenian-Azerbai-jani border, that it isAzerbaijan that attacksthe territory of Armenia. However, this is alie.All the attacks are committed by Arme-nia, and this is well documented; there areeven video and photo documents.Azerbai-

jan simply responds adequately to allprovocations. If Azerbaijani positions andAzerbaijani villages are fired upon from theterritory of Armenia, of course, we will re-spond and give a fitting rebuff. Therefore,Armenia is using all opportunities and, atthe same time, fabricating information anddoing its best to draw attention to the stateborder. Yesterday's military provocation isanother manifestation of this ugly policy.

I think that another reason for thisprovocation is thatAzerbaijan has recentlyachieved great success in the internationalarena. It was at our initiative that summitsof international organisations have beenheld. A special session of the UN GeneralAssembly has been held at our initiative.This proposal was supported by more than130 countries, and Armenia opposed thisinitiative and once again was humiliatedand isolated itself from the world. Today,with its incomprehensible position on thefight against COVID-19, which is on top ofthe world agenda, it has attracted the at-tention of the whole world to its ugly policyyet again. How can it be that at a timewhen Azerbaijan requires that the wholeworld unite in this struggle, Armenia op-poses it?

Therefore,Armenia is losing almost all itssupport in the international arena.The inter-nal situation is quite tense. Everyone un-derstands now that the promised“prosper-ity” was just a fantasy, a lie. Of course, theinformation released by the Armenian au-thorities about yesterday's incident is an-other sign of a lie. In their report, they wantto shift the responsibility to Azerbaijan.However, there are no grounds for that, andI want to say again – all independent ex-perts can confirm this – our military postwas hit by artillery fire without any reason.As a result, our servicemen died. They areonly strong enough to fire on the civilianpopulation or to suddenly open fire on ourmilitary post. They did so and once againrevealed their ugly and insidious nature.

I want to say again that the enemy re-ceived an adequate response yesterday andthis night. Our servicemen have beenavenged and we will continue to do so inthe future.The blood of our servicemen andmartyrs does not and will not remain on theground. We will use every opportunity todefend ourselves and show the enemy itsplace again.

Azerbaijan can stand up to any challengeAgainst the backdrop of the Azerbaijan-Armenia border flare-up, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev chaired a

meeting of the Security Council on 13th July, 2020. His address to the Security Council meeting:

I WANT TO SAY AGAINTHAT OUR MILITARYPOST WAS HIT BYARTILLERY FIREWITHOUT ANY REASON

SUCH UGLY ACTS ARE AMANIFESTATION OF APOLICY WHICH POSES AGREAT THREAT TOARMENIA ITSELF

Damage caused in Azerbaijani villages by Armenian military shelling

EXPRESSNEWSSERVICENEWDELHI, JULY17

CHINAHASchosentoviolatetheLineofActualControlandmakeincursions into the Indian terri-tory now because the Indianeconomy and NewDelhi’s for-eign policy and its ties with itsneighbours are troubled at thispoint of time, senior Congressleader Rahul Gandhi said onFriday,drawingasharpcounter-attack from External AffairsMinisterS Jaishankar.Jaishankar countered Rahul

point by point and said India’smajorpartnershipsarestrongerand international standing ishighernow.There are regular summits

andinformalmeetingswiththeUS, Russia, Europe and Japan,Jaishankarstated.“IndiaengageswithChinaonmoreequaltermspolitically. Ask the analysts,” hetweeted.Earlier in theday, Rahul said

the PrimeMinister’s “constantblundersandindiscretions”havefundamentallyweakened India

and left the country vulnerable.He argued that “empty wordsdon't suffice in the world ofgeopolitics.”“Today you have a country

which is economically in trou-ble; in trouble as far as foreignpolicy is concerned; in troublewith its neighbours and that’swhy the Chinese have decidedthatthisispossiblythebesttimeto act and that iswhy theyhaveacted,” Rahul said in a videomessage,whichhisofficesaid isthe first in a series of videos tohelp“demystify”complexissuesfor thepublic.Rahul said: “Why have the

Chinese chosen to violate LACwithIndiaatthispointintime?....

What is it about thismoment intime that has allowed theChinese to have the confidencetheycanmoveagainstacountrylike India?.... Countries are pro-tected not by one particularthing but by a confluence offorces, by a confluence of sys-tems...by its foreign relation-ships, its neighbourhood, itseconomy;by the feeling that itspeople have….over the last sixyears inall thoseareas Indiahasbeendisturbedanddisrupted.”He said India’s relationship

withtheUSandEuropehavebe-cometransactionalinthelastsixyears, and New Delhi has dis-rupted its tieswithMoscow.Hesaid these countries “used tohelp us manoeuvre in theworld”, but India’s neighbourstoo are now angry with thecountry.Hittingbacl througha series

of tweets, Jaishankar said, “Wespeak our mind more openlynow.OnCPEC, on BRI, on SouthChina Sea, on UN-sanctionedterrorists, etc. (We) address theborderinfrastructureimbalancelegacy. Compare 2014-20with

2008-14. Budget up by 280%,roadbuildingby32%,bridgesby99%andtunnelsby6 times...”On Rahul's remarks on the

neighbourhood, he said theHambantotaPortagreementbe-tween Sri Lanka and Chinawasconcluded in 2008. “Ask thosewho dealt with it,” he said, sig-nalling that the UPA was inpower then.Hesaidthe“difficulttieswith

Maldives, after India watchedPresident (Mohamed) Nasheedbeing toppled in 2012, nowstandtransformed.”“A settled land boundary

(2015)with Bangladesh; openspath tomore development andtransit. And terrorists no longerfindsafehaventhere.Askourse-curity.Nepalafter17yearsisget-ting PrimeMinisterial visits....Bhutanfindsastrongersecurityand development partner. Andunlike 2013, they don’t worryabout their cooking gas.Afghanistan sees completedprojects (Salma Dam,Parliament), expanded trainingandseriousconnectivity.AsktheAfghanstreet,”hesaid.

ASADREHMANLUCKNOW,JULY17

THEVARANASIpoliceFridayar-restedfourpersonsafteravideosurfaced on social media pur-portedlyshowingaNepalesecit-izen,whose headwas tonsuredand ‘Jai Shri Ram” inscribed onit, being forced to chant ‘Jai ShriRam’ and slogans againstNepalPrimeMinisterKPSharmaOli.An FIR lodged at Bhelupur

police station named ArunPathak, linked toVishwaHinduSenaSangathan,asthemainac-cused. “All arrested personsclaim that they aremembers ofthesameoutfit—VishwaHinduSena Sangathan. Pathak is ab-sconding... Those arrested areSantosh Pandey, Raju Yadav,Amit Dubey and AshishMitra,”SP(VaranasiCity)VikasChandraTripathi toldThe IndianExpress.“There are three otherswho

werepartofthegroupthatshavedtheman’shead,”addedTripathi.The accused have been

bookedundersectionsoftheIPCrelatingtopublicmischief,defil-ingplaceofworshipwithintent

toinsultreligion,andSection67of the IT Act. Later, they addedtwo more sections—one forcriminal conspiracy and otherfor promoting communal en-mityandrelevantsectionsoftheCriminal LawAmendmentAct.Sources said the Nepal em-

bassy had raised the issuewithIndian authorities, at the stateandcentrallevelsafterthevideowentviralonsocialmedia.A statement issued by UP

DGP’s office said instructionswereissuedtoseniorpolicemeninVaranasi to takestrict action.In thevideo, theunidentified

manisseensittingnearariverandpurportedlybeingforcedtoshoutslogansagainstNepal and itsPMOli.HeisalsomadetopraiseIndiafor providing “livelihoodoppor-tunitiestoNepalnationals.”Thecomplaint, registeredby

the police after the videowentviral,said,“Inthevideo,apersoncan be seen with his headshaved.Inthe(Facebook)post, itiswrittenthatheadsofNepalesepeopleshouldbeshavedand‘JaiShriRam’bewrittenonthemsothatnoOlicanhavethecouragetosayanythingaboutLordRam.”

ABHISHEKSAHAGUWAHATI, JULY17

ADAYaftera journalist inAssamwasarrestedonchargesofextor-tion andmisbehaviourwith thewifeofadistrictforestofficial,thedistrict Superintendent of Policewas transferred on Friday and aCIDenquirywasannouncedintothearrest.RajibSharma,acorrespondent

of DY365 channel in the borderdistrict of Dhubri in westernAssam,was arrested at 2 amonThursday fromhis rentedhouseinGauripur,wherehewasstayingwithhis ailing father. The fatherdiedhours after Sharmawas ar-rested.DY365executiveeditorPranjit

SaikiatoldTheIndianExpressthatSharmareportedregularlyonthe“cow syndicate” inDhubri, and

separatelyinatweet,allegedthatthepolicemachinerywasfullyin-volvedinthe“cowsyndicate”andseveral forest officialswere also“corrupt”.ADGP (Law and Order) G P

Singh visited Dhubri on Friday,andhispreliminaryfindingswereto be submitted to the govern-ment later that day.He told TheIndianExpress,“Thecasehasbeenhanded over to the CID.Corruption charges against theforest officialwouldbeenquiredby the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption wing. Allegationsagainst Dhubri policewould belookedintobyanSIT.”Intheevening,anorderissued

by the stateHomeDepartmentstated thatDhubri SPYuvrajwastransferred andposted as com-mandant of the Assam PoliceBattalion, Ligiripukhuri, andwasreplacedbyAnandMishra.

Sharma’sarresthasbeencrit-icisedbyboth the rulingBJP andCongress,with the saffronpartydemanding an enquiry into thecow smuggling syndicate inDhubri.OnJuly15,Dhubridistrictfor-

estofficerBiswajitRoyfiledapo-lice complaint, claiming thatSharmahad tried to extort Rs 3lakhfromhimonJuly8,threaten-ing tobroadcastanewsreportof“againsthim”.Roy claimed that when his

wifeaskedSharmathereasonforthedemand, the journalist “mis-behavedwithherbyusing slanglanguage…”The complaint fur-therallegedthatSharmaforciblytookRs10,000fromRoyafterthealtercation.YuvrajonThursdaynighthad

toldTheIndianExpressthatacasewas registered against SharmaunderIPCSections384,385,389,

354and506.HesaidSharmawason interimbail for twodaysduetothedemiseofhisfather.Sharma,whospoketolocalre-

porters after getting bail onThursday, said that hewas tar-geted for reporting on the “cowsyndicate”.HesaidhehadgonetoRoy’s house to take a byte for astory and that it was Roy whotriedtobribehimwithRs10,000tonotcarrythereport.Hesaidhedeclined themoney offered tohim, and thatRoy’swifewasnotpresent in the house during hisvisit.Yuvraj could not be reached

forcommentonFriday.BoththeBJPandtheCongress

criticised Sharma’s arrest andcalledforaninquiry.State BJP chief Ranjeet Dass

told The Indian Express that ateamofpartyofficials ledbyhimmet ChiefMinister Sarbananda

SonowalonFridayoverSharma’sarrest. Dass condemned the ar-rest, demanded an enquiry intothe cowsmuggling syndicate inDhubri— including looking intotheroleoftoppoliceandforestde-partmentofficials—andurgedthegovernmenttocurbsmugglingofcattleacrosstheborder.Dass said the party has also

submittedamemorandumtothestateDGPagainst theDhubri SP,sayingSharmawasnot any infa-mouscriminalandhecouldhavebeen arrested thenextmorninginsteadofat2am.Former chief minister and

senior Congress leader TarunGogoi tweeted, “Arrest of a jour-nalistRajibSharmabyDhubripo-lice in the midnight on a falsecomplain by an officer againstwhomthereischargesofcorrup-tionasdisclosedbyMrSharma,ismostcondemnable.”

AVISHEKGDASTIDARNEWDELHI, JULY17

THECHINESE engineering firmwhich was chucked out of aRs470-croresignalingcontractre-cently has dragged Railways tocourt against themove even asIndia served it the formal termi-nationletteronFriday.The World Bank, which is

funding the Eastern DedicatedFreight Corridor, has not given ano-objectioncertificatefortheter-mination yet. Railways has de-cided to notwait for theWorldBankandfundthisportionof theprojectonitsown.“Wehaveservedthetermina-

tion letter today.Wewould likethis work to be done by someIndian player.We are drawingfreshspecificationsforare-bidtothat effect,” saidAnurag Sachan,ManagingDirector of DedicatedFreight Corridor Corporation ofIndiaLimited(DFCCIL).TheChinesecompanyhasap-

proachedtheDelhiHighCourtto

preventtheDFCCILfromencash-ing its bankguarantee. Themat-terwasheardonThursday.“Wewill go by Indian stan-

dards and specifications for theworknow,”Sachansaid.AsubsidiaryofChinesemajor

China Railway Signal andCommunication Corporation(CRSC)baggedthecontractforsig-nalingworksofover400kmrail-waylinesbetweenNewBhaupur(Kanpur) andMughalsarai (nowDeenDayalUpadhyay)sectionforRs470crore.As first reported inThe Indian

Express, the DFCCIL terminatedthecontractduetonon-perform-ance.However,thedevelopmentwasviewedinthelightofprevail-ing tensions between India andChinaasitcameatatimelikethis.Beijing National Railway

Research andDesign Institute ofSignalandCommunicationGroupCo.Ltd,asolely-ownedsubsidiaryof CRSC, bagged the contract in2016. Since then, therehas beenjustabout20percentprogressinthework.

Chinese firm suesRlys after losingRs 470-cr contract

AMILBHATNAGARMEERUT, JULY17

UNDERTHEscorchingsun,morethan50 villagers standnext to aborewellinMeerut'sRohtavillage.Theborewell,nineinchesindiam-eter, iscrucial intheinvestigationinto themurder of 20-year-oldandisdrawingpeopledaily.According to police, Rupak’s

bodywaschoppedintopiecesanddumped in this borewell. After aweekofdiggingbythepoliceandadministration, themutilatedbodyisyettoberecovered.On June 25, Rupak left his

home in Meerut's Cantt areaaround7.50pm,sayingthathe isgoingoutwithsome friends. It isalleged that hewasmurderedshortlyafterinanothervillage.

Policehavearrested fivepeo-ple in this connection. “AccusedVikas,Amardeep,Manish,Monuand Vishal have been arrested.During questioning, they con-fessed thatVikas had an enmitywithRupakandtheyshothimatJataula village andburiedhim inthefield.WhenAmardeepwasar-rested, Vikas feared about thebodybeingdiscovered.Soheandanaccomplicecutitintosixpiecesand dumped it in the borewell.We are still trying to recover it,”saidSP(City)AkhileshSingh.Forthepastoneweek,atleast

fourpolicemen, people fromtheadministration and two earth-movers have been parked at afarmneartheentranceof thevil-lage.Accordingtolocalresidents,thepolicemenhavebeendiggingfor 3-4hoursdaily. Theborewell

is around 200 ft deep and theyhavesofarduguptonearly50ft.Piecesof fleshandhair, allegedlybelongingtoRupak,havebeenre-covered.Everydaymorethan100peo-

ple turn up at the spot. Amongthem aremembers of Rupak’sfamilywhoreachtheredailyandstareattheborewell inhorror.“Nine inches is nothing. And

hewasawell-builtboy.Theymusthave cut him brutally to fit hisbodyinthepipe.Wecannotevenimaginewhat his lastmomentsmust have been like,” said hiscloserelativeSiriChand.Police havewritten toNDRF,

seekingequipmenttodigthesub-mersiblepipeline.ThehelpoftheSDRFwasalsosoughtbuttheydidnothaveequipmenttodigbeyond50ft,policesaid.

Nepal man forced tochant anti-Oli slogans,head tonsured; 4 held

Amid outcry, CID to probe journalist’s arrest in Assam Cops look for body parts in borewell,crowd turns up daily to watch digging

RahulGandhiandSJaishankar. File

PM’s ‘indiscretions’weakenedIndia: Rahul; Jaishankar counters

New Delhi

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THE HIJACKINGMisappropriationofAmphanrelief reflectspoorlyonWBengalgovernment.Statemustbringguiltytobook,makeamends

TWOMONTHS AGO, Cyclone Amphan ripped through Eastern India andBangladesh.West Bengal bore the brunt of the storm.Winds blowing at130kmperhourdestroyednearly30 lakhhouses anddamagedcrops in17 lakhhectares of land. At least 95people lost their lives. Tendays later,theWestBengalgovernmentannouncedareliefpackageofRs6,250crore

— it released the first tranche on June 2. But in less than twoweeks, the state govern-ment’sreliefeffortswereriddledwithallegationsofcorruptionandithadtofaceprotests.Chief MinisterMamata Banerjee has defended her government and claimed that “al-most 99 per cent beneficiaries got government relief for Amphan”. However, as an in-vestigationbythispaperhasrevealed, therewereirregularities inpreparinglistsofben-eficiaries,misappropriationof reliefmaterial, andnepotismandpolitical favouritismatpanchayat-level institutions in thedisbursalof funds.Helpingpeoplepickup thepiecesafter anaturaldisaster requiresgovernment inter-

ventiononmultiple fronts—organising food, potablewater andmedical aid, rebuildinghouses flattened by the cyclone, restoring livelihoods.With its human and financial re-sourcesalreadytaxedbythecoronaviruspandemic,WestBengalhaditstaskout.Therea-sons fordevisinga foolproof systemtoreachreliefmaterial to the intendedbeneficiariescouldn’thavebeenmorecompelling.Butthestategovernmentresponsetothischallengehasleftmuchtobedesired.Bogusnameshaveappearedinthelistsofbeneficiariesandpeo-plewhosehouseshavewithstoodtheravagesof thestormhavereceivedcompensation,apparentlybecausetheyhadlinkswiththepoliticallypowerful.Asmembersof thepartyinpower, theTrinamoolCongress(TMC)cadreshouldhavebeenat theforefrontof reha-bilitationefforts. Instead,goingbytheshowcausenoticesissuedbythepartytoitserrantmembers,nearly200TMCactivists,severalofthempanchayatfunctionaries,facechargesof filingfalseclaims.Theallegedparticipationofmembersof theBJPandCPMinthecor-ruptionshowshowdeeptherotruns inWestBengal’s local-levelbodies.Anumberofstudies,includingreportsoftheIntergovernmentalPanelonClimateChange

(IPCC),havepointedoutthatthefrequencyofseverecyclonicstorms—likeAmphan—willincrease in the IndianOceanbecauseof globalwarming. These studieshave talkedaboutbuilding theresilienceof people in theareas threatenedbytheseeventsbysecuring theirlivelihoods.If itspost-Amphanreliefeffortsareanyindication,theWestBengalgovernme-nthasmuchtodoonthatfront.Thefarmersinthestate’sbetel-vinebelt, forinstance,havenotreceivedthepromisedcompensationfortheirdamagedcrops. Instead,thosewithpo-liticalconnections,includingmanywhodonotcultivatebetel,havesiphonedoffmoney.Suchcorruptionisworryinggiventhatbuildingclimateresiliencewillrequirerobustinstitutionsatthegrassroots level.Thoseguilty intheAmphanrelief scammustbebroughttobook.

RUSSIAN BEARSGluttedwithpoliticaldata, theyarenowaccusedofhuntingcoronavirusresearchers.Butwhere’sthecolourfulGuccifer2.0?

THEUK’S NATIONAL Cyber Security Centre and the USNational SecurityAgencyhaveaccusedCozyBear,ahackergroupidentifiedwiththeRussianintelligence community, of running spear-phishing campaigns againstvaccineresearch labsandhealthcareorganisations.Thetiming is signifi-cant,astheOxfordvaccineclearsearlyhumantrialswithpositiveresults.

Thenationwhich takes firstmover advantage in vaccinedevelopment can reap signifi-cant strategicandcommercial gains.Hackers servingspookswouldbeexcited.CozyBeargainedglobal famein2016,whenitwasfoundtohaveinfestedtheservers

of theUSDemocraticNational Committee (DNC) for over ayear, andhadbriefly sharedtherackwithlateentrantFancyBear.DisplayingSmiley-gradespookiness,thetwohackergroups in the samemachine did not seem to be aware of each other’s existence. And acolourful entity namedGuccifer 2.0was also in the fray, distracting forensic efforts totracemalwareandphishingattacks.Guccifer 2.0was the public face of data theft operations in the US and interference

withelectionsthereandintheUK,apartfromexploitsinthePentagon,theWhiteHouse,and in South Korea, Germany, the Netherlands andNorway.While the operations ap-peared to have been run by the bears, Guccifer 2.0 allegedly dispensed the harvest toeveryone fromGawker to Julian Assange. Hewas an affableman about town, alwaysready tohelppeopleoutwithabit of stolen information—especially if it hadapoliticalfallout. The fact thathe isno longer in the fray, nowthat thebears are gambolling againafteraperiodinhibernation,suggeststhatthecurrentattackshavenothingtodowithdo-mesticpolitics.This isaquest for intelligenceaboutnationalresponsestothepandemic,andpossiblyvaccinedata. It is geopolitics—biggamehunting.

AFTER THE RIOTAfact-findingreport intocommunalviolence inDelhi inFebruaryunderlines theneedfora freeandfairprobe

THE REPORT OF the fact-finding committee appointed by the DelhiMinoritiesCommission(DMC),astatutorybodyof theDelhigovernment,is the first by an agency authorised by the government on the Februaryviolence,thefirstinstanceof large-scaleriotinginthenationalcapitalsincethekillingof Sikhs in1984.Byall accounts, riotershada free runof some

partsof thecityforfivedays—atleast53personswerekilledandmanyhomesandbusi-nessestablishmentsattacked.TheDMCreportrecordsseveralactsofomissionandcommissionof theDelhiPolice,

lendingweight to criticism that the police force has not been impartial, while the vio-lence raged and then in investigating it later. Speeches by BJP leaders during the Delhiassemblyelectioncampaign,thereportsays,mayhaveincitedviolenceagainstanti-CAAprotesters.ViolencebrokeoutindifferentpocketsinNorthEastDelhialmostimmediatelyafter“theinstigatingspeechofKapilMishra”atMaujpuronFebruary23—however, theDelhiPolice told thecourtonMondaythat, “during the investigationsconductedso far”inconnectionwiththeriots,“noactionableevidencehassurfacedyetindicatinganyrolebeing played by” any prominent political leader. The panel recorded testimonies thatpoint topolice inactionduring the riots, and insomecases, complicityof policeperson-nelintheviolenceitself.Thereporthasrecordedthatinafewcases,“victimsthemselveshave been arrested, especiallywhere they filed or attempted to file complaints againstnamedindividuals”.Thepanelsayschargesheetsweresubmittedwithoutproperinves-tigation. Thisnewspaperhas reported that confessionstatementsof nineamongthe12accusedofmurderinga20-year-oldwerenear identical. And that amid theongoing in-vestigation,arrestsandprosecutionbytheDelhiPolice inaslewof riotcases, theSpecialCommissionerof Police (Crime) issuedawrittenorder to senior officers that theymust“suitably”guideinvestigatingofficersinlightof“resentmentamongtheHinducommu-nity”overarrestof “someHinduyouth”.TheDMCreport is yet another reminderof theneed for justice tobedone, and tobe

seen tobedone, in the caseof theDelhi violenceearlier this year. For that tohappen, allstepsmustbe taken toensurea freeand fair investigation.

Encounter, legally

Pratap BhanuMehta

ThelonelinessofVaravaraRao,AnandTeltumbde,SudhaBharadwajtellsadisquietingtaleaboutstateandus

ANANDTELTUMBDE,ONEof India’s impor-tantandcourageous thinkers, just turned70inprison.He,alongwithSudhaBharadwajandothers, is being held in the BhimaKoregaoncase. They are being repeatedly denied bail.Varavara Rao, poet andMaoist intellectual,contractedCOVIDandhasbeensubjecttode-gradingandhumiliatingconditionsattheageof 80. The overwhelming power that theUnlawful Activities (Prevention)Act gives tothestate,thesheerimpunitywithwhichgov-ernment can treat this groupof accused, theKafkaesque role of the judiciary in denyingbail andmakingprocedural safeguards inef-fective,andthedeafeningpoliticalsilenceontheirdetention,allwarrantdeeperreflection.Theaccused in theBhimaKoregaoncasearenot the first tobevictimised in thisway;andtheywill not be the last. TheUAPA is beingusedtotargetprotest fromAssamtoDelhi.Anand Teltumbde’s work, particularly

“Republic of Caste”, presciently forecast hisowncondition.He,liketheothers,hasdrawnsupport from the usual petition-writingcrowdof intellectuals.ButhiscaseprovidesadisturbingwindowonthepoliticallonelinessofagenuineintellectualinIndianconditions.Hereisawell-knownDalitintellectualbe-

ing put in prison and yet no serious politicalprotest,evenfromDalitpoliticians.Teltumbdehad,inanothercontextwritten,“WhenSudhirDhawale,aDalitactivist,wasarrestedin2011onthetrumpedupchargeofbeingaNaxaliteand incarcerated for nearly four years, therewashardlyanyprotestfromthecommunity.”This phenomenonof figures like Teltumbdenotdrawingbroaderpoliticalsupportrequiressome reflection. Teltumbdehimself, in part,attributedthistodivisionsamongstDalits,andtheir greater faith in the state. But hisworkpointstowardsasubtlerreason.For all of India’s handwringing, thatwe

needtoescapeidentitypolitics,thereisagreatantipathy to anyonewho tries to escape it.Teltumbdeisoneofthoserarefigureswhoar-gued that the Left and liberals failed to takecasteseriously,andcastemobilisationfailedtotakeclassandeconomicsseriously.Butthere-sult is a kind of suspension in between two

constructions:Most of society does not getoutragedbecause he is often reduced to be-ing aDalit intellectual; Dalits don’t get out-raged because he becomes a “Left” intellec-tual. The blunt truth is that, if we leave therarefiedworldofpetitions,theonlymodalityofprotestthatispoliticallyeffectiveistheonethat has the imprimatur of communitymo-bilisationbehindit.Ifyoucanshowacommu-nity identity is affected, all hell will breakloose;without it, thereisnopoliticalprotest.Teltumbdewas also prescient about the

waytheterm“Left”isusedinIndia.Teltumbdehimself is closer to the Left in his economicimagination.Buttherhetoricalfunctionofthe“Left” in India is not to describe the contestover the freemarket versus the state. Therhetorical functionof the“Left” is todescribeanyideologicalorpoliticalcurrentthat,whilerecognisingtheimportanceofidentity,wantstoescapeitscompulsoryorsimplisticcharac-ter; so anybroadly liberal position or a posi-tion that distances itself from “my commu-nity right orwrong” also becomes Left. ForHindutva, anyonewho resists or transcendsthenarcissismsofcollectiveidentitybecomes“Left.” But the same is increasingly true ofother identities—Maratha, Jat, Dalit, Rajput.“Left” is anyonewho complicates identityclaims.That, ratherthansecularversuscom-munal, isthebigchasminIndianpolitics.Butthe result is that if you are labelled “Left” inthisway,youwillhavenopoliticalprotection.ThechargeofMaoismisthehyperversion

of this“Left” inthecontextofAdivasimobili-sation.Whichiswhytheentirepoliticalclass,andsomuchofIndia’sdiscursivespace,keepsinvoking the “Left” spectre. And Teltumbdewas insightful in thinking that once youhadbeenlabelledLeftinIndia,itwaseasytosecu-readiminutioninyourlegalandculturalstan-ding.EventheCourtswillturnofftheirthink-ingcap.Itisinthisthatthegenuineintellectualenterprise is a lonely one,whose disastrouspoliticalconsequencesTeltumbdeis facing.The BhimaKoregaon cases also throw a

spotlight on somany state institutions. TheUAPA,anditsubiquitoususe isatravesty inaliberaldemocracy.Thelawyer,AbhinavSekhri,

has,inarecentarticle(“HowtheUAPAisper-verting the Idea of Justice”, Article14.com)pointedouttwobasicissueswiththelaw.Thelaw is designed in away that it makes thequestion of innocence or guilt almost irrele-vant.Itcan,ineffect,inflictpunishmentwith-outguilt.TheideathatpeoplelikeTeltumbdeortheexemplaryBharadwajcannotevengetbail underscores this point. And second, thesafeguards of our criminal justice processworkunevenlyatthebestoftimes.Butinthecaseof theUAPA,thecourtshaveoften,prac-tically,suspendedseriousscrutinyofthestate.What legitimises this conduct of the court istwothings:Thebroaderideologicalconstruc-tionof the“Left”asanexistential threat.Andthe impatience of societywith proceduralsafeguards.TheUAPAhasinsomesensesbe-comethejudicialversionof theencounter—where the suspension of the normalmean-ingof theruleof lawis itself seenasakindofjustice.ThestatehasbeengoingafterVaravaraRao

for his entire life. He is a complicated figure.He is an extraordinarily powerful poetwhomadevisibletheexploitativeskeinsof Indiansociety;hispoetry,evenintranslation,cannotfailtomoveyououtofacomplacentslumber.Hewas formidable in consciousness raising.Of thisgroup,hisideologicalexcusingofhor-rendousMaoistexcesses,hasbeenindefensi-bleanddisturbing.Hismoralstanceoncepro-moted a deeplymeditative critique on themorality of revolutionary violence byApoorvanand (“‘Our’ ViolenceVersus ‘Their’Violence”,Kafila.online).ButthefarcethattheIndianstateisenact-

ing in pursuing Varavara Rao in the BhimaKoregaonprosecutionsisprovinghimcorrectin twoways.First, inhis insistence thatwhatisknownasbourgeoislawisashaminitsownterms; the rule of law indeed is rule by law.Andsecond,thatrepressionanddegradationis indeed the argument of a despotic state.Wheredoesoneturnwhenlaw,politicalpar-tiesandthestateturntheirbackonjustice?

Thewriter iscontributingeditor,TheIndianExpress

For all of India’shandwringing, that we needto escape identity politics,there is a great antipathy toanyone who tries to escape it.Teltumbde is one of thoserare figures who argued thatthe Left and liberals failed totake caste seriously, andcaste mobilisation failed totake class and economicsseriously. But the result is akind of suspension inbetween two constructions:Most of society does not getoutraged because he is oftenreduced to being a Dalitintellectual; Dalits don’t getoutraged because hebecomes a ‘Left’ intellectual.The blunt truth is that, if weleave the rarefied world ofpetitions, the only modalityof protest that is politicallyeffective is the one that hasthe imprimatur ofcommunity mobilisationbehind it.

FOUNDED BY

RAMNATH GOENKA

B E C A U S E T H E T R U T H I N V O L V E S U S A L L

§ §

THEINDIANEXPRESS,SATURDAY, JULY18,2020WORDLYWISE

NowIdonotunderstand/WhyGoddon'tprotectaman/Frompolice brutality.

— LANGSTON HUGHESTHEEDITORIALPAGE

KhaledAhmed

A MANDIR IN ISLAMABADWhyImranKhangovernmentmustaid,not stall, theproject

IN 2018, AN allotted piece of land for a ShriKrishnaMandirinIslamabadwasattackedandoccupiedbyclericalprotesterssayingaHindustructurecouldnotbebuiltinacitynamedaf-ter Islam. In June thisyear,under thegovern-mentofImranKhan,theprojectwasrestartedwithafirstfundinginstalmentof$1.3million.But the“protesters” reappeared, eggedonbythe big seminaries in Karachi, saying Islamwouldbeinsultedbyit,anddisappointingLalChandMalhi, aHinduparliamentarian andmember of the ruling party, the PakistanTehreek-e-Insaf(PTI).HethoughttheKrishnatemplewouldcleanupthe imageof an ideo-logicalstateguiltymaltreatingitsminorities.Sadly,PakistanMuslimLeague(Quaid-e-

Azam)—akeyallyof the rulingPTI— joinedthe frog-chorus of the pious and forced an-otherhalttotheconstructionofthefirst-everHindu temple in Islamabad. The CapitalDevelopmentAuthority(CDA)hadtransferredownershipoftheplottotheIslamabadHinduPanchayat;andasmallgroundbreakingcere-mony for the templeconstructionhad takenplaceendofJune,attendedbythefederalmin-ister for religious affairs and representativesof theHinducommunity.In Pakistan’s first census in 1951, Hindus

madeup1.6 per cent of the total populationofWestPakistan.SoontheHinduminorityfeltdiscriminatedagainstandbegantricklingoutfromPakistantoIndia.Muslims had treatedHinduswith great

respectinhistory.Longago,oneoftheCentralAsianastronomers involved in theproject ofmeasuringdistancebetween twomeridiansAbu Jafar Muhammad ibn Musa al-

Khwarizmi (780-850), learnedhismost im-portantlessonsfromHindumathematicians.Al-Khwarizmiwasthemostinfluentialmath-ematicianduringtheearlyMiddleAges.Al-Khwarizmigottoday’stermalgorithm

namedafterhimafterreadingHinduwritings.Hisbookletpennedin825calledAlgoritmidenumero Indorum was picked up fromBrahmagupta. Amazed by the usefulness ofthesimplesymbolsandofpositionalnotationby Brahmagupta, he demonstrated in hispamphlettheirsuperioritytotheGreeknum-bersthenusedinBaghdad,andtotheBeduinnumberstheArabshadbroughtwiththem.Brahmaguptahadbenefitedfromanother

greatHindumathematician,Aryabhata,cred-ited with writing a work called theKhandakadyaka,whichmeans“foodpreparedwith candy,” possibly referring to the pleas-ure it gives to seekers of knowledge. But theoriginal has been lost. Only a heavily editedandannotatedversionexiststoday,reworkedbyBrahmagupta(598-665).Intheearly4thcentury,theGuptadynasty

seizedmost of northern India and launchedHinduIndia’sclassicage.Intheearlyfifthcen-tury,itmadegreatstridesinmathematicsandastronomy,recordingtheminaseriesoftextsknown as “siddhantas”, or “systems” of as-tronomy.ItwasthenthatAryabhataproducedgreat work: Estimates of pi, basic rules oftrigonometry, themotionof theplanets andstars,andthelengthof theyear.Modern algebra itself comes fromoneof

Al-Khwarizmi’s books, Kitab al-jabr wa al-muqabalah (Calculation by Restoration andReduction).Later,thisbecameastandardtext-

book ofmathematics in Europeanuniversi-tiesuntilthe16thcentury.Thewordalgorithm— algoritmus in Latin — comes from theEuropeans’useofAl-Khwarizmi’sownnameto refer to the study ofmathematics. But hehadgot itafterreadingBrahmagupta.In 1979, Pakistani scientist Abdus Salam

wasawardedtheNobelPrizeinPhysicsforhiscontributions to the theory of the “unifiedweak and electromagnetic interaction be-tween elementary particles, including, interalia, the prediction of theweakneutral cur-rent”. Growing up in a village in Pakistan’sPunjab province, Salamwas introduced tomathematicsbyaHinduschoolteacher.Aftergetting hisNobelmedal hewent straight toIndia,gothisfriendstofindoutwherehisoldteacher was, and hung his Nobel medalaroundhisneck.Pakistanmustrecallthegoldenagewhen

Muslims andHindus benefited from eachother.ReligionhasgotMuslimstheirPakistanbutmathematics remains theweakest sub-ject taught in their schools anduniversities.Lahore’sFCCUniversity recently firedPervezHoodbhoyfromthedepartmentofmathandphysicsbecauseofhis “rational”objectiontothe state’s ideology. In foreign policy,Chanakya’smandala of inter-state relationsrecommendsgoodrelationswiththe“firstcir-cle” of neighbouring states. PM ImranKhanshouldnotstoptheprojectofbuildingandre-pairingall theHindutemples todayseeninadilapidatedstate inPakistan.

Thewriter isconsultingeditor,NewsweekPakistan

Pakistan must recall thegolden age when Muslimsand Hindus benefited fromeach other. Religion has gotMuslims their Pakistan butmathematics remains theweakest subject taught intheir schools anduniversities. Lahore’s FCCUniversity recently firedPervez Hoodbhoy from thedepartment of math andphysics because of his‘rational’ objection to thestate’s ideology. In foreignpolicy, Chanakya’s mandalaof inter-state relationsrecommends good relationswith the ‘first circle’ ofneighbouring states.

US IN INDIAN OCEANTHE US PRESIDENT Jimmy Carter has or-dered a new assault force of 1,800marinesandfivewarshipsintotheIndianOcean.Theships led by the helicopter carrier,Guadalcanal, aremoving through the SuezCanal from theMediterranean. In a weektheywill join a battle group headed by theaircraftcarrier,Constellation. TheUSalreadyhas one marine battalion in the region.Officialssaidnoexerciseshavebeenplannedbut theyalsodidnot ruleout thepossibilityof thembeingconducted.Thenewbattalionhasnotonly infantrybutalsoartillery, tank,anti-tankunits, combat engineers and sup-port forcesmaking it a self-sustaining unit

fora shortperiodof time.

INDO-PAK STATEMENTINDIA AND PAKISTAN issued a joint state-ment to continue talks. The statementwasissued at the end of two days of talks be-tween the Pakistani foreignminister AghaShahiandtheMinisterforExternalAffairs,PVNarasimhaRao. The statement—a ratherbrief one—makes it clear that the talkswillbeat the levelof foreignsecretariesandfor-eign ministers. The statement makes nomention of the issues that came up duringthetalks.Nordoesitgiveanyclueaboutwhatthetwogovernmentstoldeachotheracrossthe tables.

RELIEF FOR FARMERSFARMERSWILL GET higher procurementpricesforwheat, jowarbajraandothercropsfromthe1980kharif season to compensatefor the rise in fertiliser prices. Agricultureminister Rao Birendra Singh said that thegovernment formulated a five-point strat-egy tomeet the 1980-81 target of 135mil-lion tonnes.

CANDIDATE REAGANSIXTY-NINEYEAR-OLDRONALDReaganwasvotedastheRepublicancandidatefortheUSpresidential elections. He immediately an-nounced that 56-year old George Bush, hisformer rival,wouldbehisvice-president.

JULY 18, 1980, FORTYYEARSAGO

New Delhi

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13THEINDIANEXPRESS,SATURDAY, JULY18,2020 WHATTHEOTHERSSAY

“People gave the electoral mandate to Oli to ensure good governance andstrengthen Nepal as a secular federal republic. His constant resorting tonationalism, and now mixing it with religion, does not bode well.”

—THEKATHMANDUPOSTTHE IDEASPAGEWWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM

Despite President Trump’svocal determination to findways out of it, the decisionnow maps the futureitinerary of the recission ofDACA. But the message isloud and clear: Judicialpower and process isultimately neither thehagiography nor biographyof power, but rather itsbiopsy and in extremesituations its radical therapy,though never a completecure for carcinogenicusurpations of power.

Adecline foretoldRootsofdisintegrationofCongresswerelaidby

Nehru.Butextentofpalaceculturetodayisabreakfromthepast

THE FACTIONAL FIGHT in the Rajasthanunit of the Congress, which has led toSachin Pilot dissociating from the party,wasprecededbytheexodusof JyotiradityaScindia andmany others. Such episodescannotbedescribedasanti-partyactivitiesor localproblems,norcantheybemaskedbytheconvenientconspiracytheoryabouttheBJPfanningdisaffectionintheCongress.The departure of these leaders poses alarger question about the decline of theCongress. None of themhas shown ideo-logicaldisagreement. It isastonishingthatthe 10 Janpath Brains Trust seems to be-lieve that the party is strengthenedwitheveryexit.The radical break from the past in the

party’scultureisobvious.DuringtheIndiraGandhi and Rajiv Gandhi era, the partyhigh-commandwas constituted by bothmembersof theNehru-Gandhi familyandeminent non-family leaders. Though thepartywas runoligarchically, it hadnot ex-hausted the capacity to co-opt dynamicleadersfromthestates.Thisensuredthatitwasatleastminimallysustainable.Thehighcommand or party leadership has shrunkto themembers of the family, which be-lieves that the Congress cannot survivewithoutthem.Thepresent crisis is nothing but a logi-

cal conclusion of the seeds sown duringJawaharlalNehru’s period.He inauguratedandimposedhegemonicpolitics,whichen-sured the progressive decline of the party.Theelectionof thepartypresident in1950marked the beginning. Therewere no ob-jectionswhenNehrucouldnotdigestinter-nal party democracy. Purushottam DasTandon, an immensely popular veteranCongressman,bagged1,306votestodefeatJBKripalani(1,092votes),whowasbackedbyNehru. Hewasmade to relinquish theelectedofficethroughpressureandmanip-ulation. Nehru masked his dislike for astrongmanbytakingtheshelterofideology.First, he denounced Tandon for attendingtheRefugeesConferenceinDelhiandwhenthiswascontested,heusedstrangelogic.Hesaid, “Tandonexerciseda restraining influ-ence on the refugee's conference but hispresence andpresidentship gave a certaininfluenceandprestigetotheConference.”Itwas awrong diktat. Cohesiveness in thepartydoesnotmeantheendof an individ-ual’s freedomtothink,expressanddissent.The difference betweendissent and dissi-denceshouldnotbediluted.The emasculation of democratic prin-

ciplesgotvocalsupportwhen29membersoftheAll-IndiaCongressCommitteepasseda resolution on July 13, 1951, givingNehruthefinalwordintheselectionofmorethan4,300 candidates for the Lok Sabha andstates’elections.Collective decision-making is the

mother of democracy. But the dynamic ofpower in theCongress left fewunscathed.The idealists, who grew under themoralleadership and training of MahatmaGandhi,failedtostanduptotheindividual-ismof Nehru. Distinctiveness and humancreativity suffer in the face of political ex-pediency.Leadersinsuchscenariosdevelopa dislike for alternative voices andautonomy.Nohistorian in Indiahas thus far ven-

tured to re-examine the decline of theparty.Thereisampleindividualisminpol-iticsbut it isemptyof intellectualism.Thisdichotomy is injurious.When intellectu-als write without passion and prejudice,theyreflecttruthandusetheirenergyandpathos to rightwrongs. Now, there is notevenaslightdifferencebetweenintellec-tuals and party theoreticians. They lackrigour. That is the reason the removal ofSubhasChandraBosefromtheparty,whodefeated P Sitaramayya for the Congresspresidentship in 1939, remains largelyundiscussedbecause ithurts the imageofMahatma Gandhi. There is another inci-dent, and perhaps exceptional in the ef-fective lifeof theCongress.Thehighcom-mand suggested to theMadras Congresslegislature party in 1946 that it elect CRajagopalachari, but this was rejected. TPrakasam secured 148 votes againstRajaji’s 38 votes. But the high commandmanipulated local politics and he rose totheoffice in just 11months.IndiraGandhi didnot disguiseher dis-

like forpeoplewhounderminedhercom-mand. She threw outmany leaders whostood by her in a crisis. The example ofDevraj Urs comes tomind. However, theCongress under Sonia andRahul is guidedevenmore by coercive individualism. Thepalace culture demands unalloyed loyaltyinitsautocracy.Itencroachesonhumanlib-ertytotheextentofexpectingmembersnottousetheir rationality.ShankarRaoDeo,onceaCongresspres-

ident, delivered three lectures in August1949andpredictedthedeclineoftheparty.InhissecondlectureonJuly15,hesaid:“Itissaid that theCongresshasan idealbut thatthereisnoidealismleftintheCongressmen.Translated intoplain and simple language,this statementmeans that nomore haveCongressmen, ingeneral, theaimofattain-ingmoral and social excellence, nor havetheyanyzealleftinthemtoworkforitevenat the cost of immediate pleasure or com-fort.”He realised that theCongress leader-ship had little or no affection for whatGandhi hadpreached andpractised: “…tothe vast majority of the Congressmen,Gandhiji was essentially a political, not amoralleader.The…purificatorysidewasac-cepted…asapriceof his leadership thanamatterof innerconviction.”The organisational decline of the

Congress has been preceded first by amoral decline and subsequently by beingin an ideological wilderness. Therefore, itis folly to cover its ineffectuality and inca-pacitybyblamingtheBJPgovernmentandRSS ideology.Onecanmeet ideologywithan ideology, organisation by an organisa-tion. As Deo said, “there is no half-wayhouseonthis road”.

Thewriter isaBJPRajyaSabhaMP

WHENEVER I READ the German thinkerRainer Frost who urges that underlying allhuman rights is the right to justification ofany state action, I amremindedof thegreatachievement of the Indian Supreme Courtwhose jurisprudence of administrative lawhas always been to extoll “the duty to givereasons”.Thecloserelationbetweenadmin-istrativelaw,constitutionallaw,andenviron-mental lawin Indiahasnowmatured intoawider judicial doctrine insisting as a back-bone of democratic public accountabilitythat all power is held as a public trust, andadministrative actionmust always be ac-companied by the reasoned elaboration ofexecutiveaction.The elected representatives have their

owntheoryofconstitutionalgood,whichcanonlybeattainedbylegislativeandexecutivesupremacy. The courts have given awidermargin of appreciation to these claims butatthesametimeinsistedonthefairnessdis-ciplinewhichcurbsthe“fly-now-pay-later”approach of leading political and bureau-cratic actors. The continuing debate on theroleandlimitsof judicialpowerisadynamicaspect of Indian constitutionalism and thecitizensstandtogainwhenthehumanrightto justification triumphs as promoting thepublicgood.The SupremeCourt of theUnited States

(SCOTUS)hasarrivedatthesameresultinitsown bicentennial constitutionalism, espe-ciallythroughthefamous14thAmendmentdueprocessjurisprudenceandbystrictlyen-forcing the fairness disciplinemandated bythe Administrative Procedures Act, 1946(APA).ThatActsummons“reasonedelabora-tion” and non-arbitrary or capricious stan-dardsforpublicaction.Courtshaveheldthatitenactsa“basicpresumptionof judicial re-view[for]onesufferinglegalwrongbecauseof agencyaction”.Most recently (on June 18, 2020), the

SCOTUSheldthatthisstandardhadbeenvi-olated in the Department of HomelandSecurity (DHS) decision to scrap the execu-tive programme named DACA (DeferredAction for Childhood Arrivals), which pro-videdall childhoodarrivals in2007—“whohave continuously resided since 2007; arecurrent students, have completed highschool, or arehonourablydischargedveter-ans;havenotbeenconvictedof any seriouscrimes; and do not threaten national secu-rity or public safety”—with the twinbless-ingsofbenefits (access, forexample, towel-fare andMedicare payments) and a duty of“forbearance”(suspendingremovalenforce-ment action). DACA recipients were statedto have placed reliance on the programmeand “enrolled in degree programmes, em-barked on careers, started businesses, pur-chased homes, and evenmarried and hadchildren”anditwasestimatedthattheirex-clusionfrom“thelawful labourforcemay…result inthelossof$215billion…andanas-sociated $60 billion in federal tax revenue

over thenext tenyears”.TheSCOTUStookaccountofcertainpolit-

ical facts: The Congress had been paralysedfor twodecadeson the statusof “illegal’’mi-grants, the DACAwas promulgated by thepresident, BarackObama, andwassought tobe rescinded by his successor president,DonaldTrump,andtheadditionalfactthatthepresidentialelectioncampaignbugleshadal-readysoundeddidnotmerit judicialnotice.TheSCOTUSclarifiedthatithadtodecide

onlythenarrowquestionofwhethertheAPAstandardwas violated here. The Court wasunanimousinholdingthattheexecutivehasthepower torescindanadministrativepro-gramme, the legislature had the power tomake, unmake, or remake any law, and theagencydiscretionwasacritical resource forgovernance. The SCOTUSwas only seizedwith the issuewhether the agency had ex-erciseditspowersarbitrarilyorcapriciously,withoutfollowinganyreasonedelaboration.AnditheldbyamajoritythattheDACAreces-sionorderviolated this standard.Themajority led by Chief Justice John

Robertswas subjected to awithering criti-cism by Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Thomas(withSamuelAlioto,andNeilGorsuch),andJusticeBrettKavanaugh—thelatter inmoredeferential tones. Themostwelcome SCO-TUS traditionof strident and robust judicialdissent,which our apex court canwell em-ulate, comesagain to the forehere.Findingitall“mystifying”and“perverse”,

Justice Clarence Thomas said thatwhile themajority“actsasthoughit isengaging intheroutineapplicationof administrative law” itisdoing“anythingbut”that.Themajority,in-stead of leaving thematter in the politicalrealm, “has decided to prolong DHS’ initialoverreachbyprovidingastopgapmeasureofitsown”.It“hasgiventhegreenlightforfuturepolitical battles to be fought in this Courtrather thanwhere they rightfully belong—the political branches”. Justice Thomas in-

dicted such judicial “timidity” which “for-sakesthe…dutytoapplythelawaccordingtoneutralprinciples”,andwarnedthatthe“rip-pleeffects”of this“errorwillbefeltthrough-outoursystemof self-government”.Iwillnothereexplorethelogicof thedis-

sentbutmerelysaythatthisstrongcriticismis equally strongly repudiated by ChiefJustice Roberts who holds that the DHSerred inmultiple ways. First, it erred in ig-noringthe“foundationalprincipleofadmin-istrative law” that judicial reviewof agencyaction is limited to “the grounds that theagency invoked when it took the action”.Second, the recissiondecisiondidnot at alladdress the “forbearance” obligations,whichlayatthevery“heart”ofDACA.Third,it failedtoaddressthe“legitimate…relianceinterests”of thepersonsinvolved;hadthesebeenconsidered“moreaccommodatingter-mination dates” may have been found orsuggested“forrecipientscaughtinthemid-dle of a time-bounded commitment, to al-lowthemto,say,graduatefromtheircourseof study, complete theirmilitary service, orfinishamedical treatmentregimen”.Thesefaultlines in the recissiondecisionwere ar-bitrary and capricious. (Following the leadof Justice Rohinton Nariman, the Indiancourtswouldnowcall thisa“manifestlyar-bitrary”decision).Despite President Trump’s vocal deter-

mination to findwaysout of it, thedecisionnowmaps the future itinerary of the recis-sion of DACA. But themessage is loud andclear: Judicial power and process is ulti-matelyneither thehagiographynorbiogra-phyofpower,butratheritsbiopsyandinex-tremesituationsitsradicaltherapy,thoughitmay never deliver by itself a complete curefor carcinogenicusurpationsof power.

Thewriter isprofessorof law,UniversityofWarwick, and formervicechancellorofUniversitiesof SouthGujaratandDelhi

A BETTER CUT

THISREFERSTOthearticle,'Diversityandnuance’(IE,July17).Thewriterhasraisedvalidpointsandmostofuswouldagreewithwhatshestates.Onewould like toaddthatthesyllabithatarepreparedfordifferentcourseshaveorganicunity,likethehumanbody.If30percentreductionis sought then that should be accom-plished by reducing the overallweightrather than cutting the limbs or differ-entpartsof thebody!

KusumChadda,Delhi

WORK TOGETHERTHISREFERSTOtheeditorial‘Stateofdel-uge’(IE, July17). It isastonishingthatweare still using embankments to controlfloods.Theseembankmentshaveneitherbreachedforthefirsttimeandsadly,northelasttime.TheAssamgovernmenthasnotlearntitslessonsandhumansandan-imalsareatthemercyofGodeveryyearduringfloods.Itisnotonlyneighbouringstates but all stakeholders that need togetonthesamepage.

BalGovind,Noida

THINK LOCALTHIS REFERS TO the article,'Counterproductive lockdown’ (IE, July17).Thestringentnationwidelockdownintheearlyphaseof thepandemicout-break did give our policymakers sometime to optimally channelise public re-sources andexpand thecapacityof ourexistinghealthcarefacilities.Theplausi-ble fallouts of such a policy could havebeenmanagedbetter.Nowthelocalised

containmentstrategyanddecentraliseddecision-makingisperhapsthelearningfromthepreviousphasethatwasputtopractice. The scale of the challenge ne-cessitatesacentralisedvisionbutwithastakeholder-led implementation strat-egyworkedoutatthegrassroots level.

SudipKumarDey,Kolkata

POLICE STATETHISREFERSTOTHEREPORT, ‘Six copssuspendedoverassaultatGunaevictionsite, probe ordered’ (IE, July 17) RisingcasesofpolicebrutalityinIndiaarecon-cedingthefactthatcountryisonthewayofbecominga“policestate”,whichcon-tradicts the democratic values of ourConstitution. Police-state is harmful toevery citizen but its impactwould beworst onmarginalised communities.TheGunaincidentexemplifiesthis.

AdityaRao,Kanpur

LETTERS TO THEEDITOR

WHILETHEUSgranteduniversal adult fran-chise incrementally, Indiamoved froma re-strictive15percentofIndianshaving(limited)voting rights to universal adult franchise,drivenby the transformative impetus of thenationalmovementandtheidealsofequalityandnon-discriminationthatitthrewup.When it came to voting rights, itwasBR

Ambedkar’s clarity of vision that resulted inArticle326oftheConstitution,whichnotonlyprovidedthatelectionsbeheldonthebasisofuniversaladultfranchise,butensuredthatelit-istnotionsofqualifications—suchaspropertyownership—didnotexcludeindividualsfromeither voting or standing for elections.Ambedkarhad influencedpublicopiniononthematterfordecades,givingevidencebeforethe Southborough committee, whichwasrecordingevidenceondesigningrepresenta-tive institutions for the IndianDominion in1919.Heemphasisedthat,ultimately,adem-ocraticgovernmentwasinseparablefromtheright to vote, and it was voting thatwouldprovetobe(oneof)theharbinger(s)ofpoliti-caleducation.The post COVID-19 India needs to recall

this richhistory. It is thewill of all the Indianpeople getting reflected in policy and thechoicesof partiesof governance through theballotthatepitomisestheveryfoundationsofa representative democracy.With all atten-dantillsofuncheckedmoneypowerinpolitics,class, caste and community interests over-shadowing amodern and truly transparent

electoralprocess,Indiacannotlookitselfintheeyeandexplainhowsuchalargesectionofitspopulation—simplybyvirtueofitsworkdef-inition,which is being away fromhome— isexcludedfromthisbasicconstitutionalright.India’s gaze has, for the first time, been

turned towards the “migrant labourer”. ForIndian democracy to learn the right lessonsfrom the plight that a sudden lockdowncausedthisvastsectionofIndians,aconditionthathasbeenbroughtbeforethemoresettledandprivilegedsections, includingpoliticians,onecrucialelementmustsurelybetosecuretothemtherightandfacilitytovote.The Constitution guarantees freedomof

movementtoeverycitizenandfreedomtore-side in anypart of the country. According tothelatest2011Census,thenumberofinternalmigrantsstandat450million(45crore),a45percentsurgefromthe2001census.Amongthese,26percentofthemigration,thatis,117million(11.7crore),occursinter-districtwithinthesamestatewhile12percentofthemigra-tion, that is, 54million (5.4 crore), occurs in-ter-state. Both official and independent ex-perts admit that this number isunderestimated.Circularmigrationaccountsforthosemigrantswhohavenotpermanentlyrelocated tohost cities, and instead circulatebetweenhost andhome cities. For instance,short-termandcircularmigrationcoulditselfamount to 60-65millionmigrants (6-6.5crore),whichincludingfamilymemberscouldapproach100million itself (10crore).Half of

theseareinter-statemigrants.Migrant labourersmostlyhail frommost

poverty-driven rural areas and fromamongthemostmarginalised sections (SC/STs andOBCs, and other minorities, includingMuslims). They aremostly uneducated, andlack assets including land. As of 2011, UttarPradeshandBiharwere the largest sourceofinter-statemigrants,with83lakhand63lakhmigrantsrespectively.Mostmigrant voters have voter cards for

their home constituency. A 2012 studyshowedthat78percentofmigrantlabourerssurveyed possessed voter ID cards and hadnames on voters lists in their home cities.Economic constraints disable amajority ofthemfromvotingastheycannot,inthemidstofharshworkcycles,commutetotheirhomestates on the polling day. One survey showsthatonly48percentof thosesurveyedvotedinthe2009LokSabhaelections,whenthena-tional averagewas 59.7 per cent. These pat-ternshave stayedconsistent. In the2019LokSabhapolls,majorsenderstatessuchasBiharandUPhadamong the lowest voter turnoutrates at 57.33per cent and59.21per cent re-spectively,whilethenationalaveragewas67.4percent.Giventhenatureofmigrationbeingcircu-

lar and seasonal, migrants are notpermanent/long-termresidentsinhostcitiesanddonotsatisfytherequirementsofbeingan“ordinary resident” under Section 20 of theRepresentationof PeopleAct, (RPAct), in the

host state, to obtain voter cards. They are,therefore,unabletotransfertheirconstituency.Only10percentofmigrantlabourerssurveyedpossessedvoterIDsintheirhostcities.TheElectionCommissionofIndiahasun-

der Section 60(c) of theRPAct the power tonotify a certain class of persons to vote viapostalballot.TheECI’smuch-proclaimedmis-siontoensure“novotersare leftbehind”hasresultedinattemptstoensureasecuresystemof postal ballots. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elec-tions,morethan28lakhvoteswerereceivedviapostalballots.The Indianmigrantworkerdeserves the secured right to have access tovotethroughasimilarsystem.The SupremeCourt has interpreted the

righttovoteasanextensionofthefundamen-tal right of the freedomof expression. Thisbringswith itapositiveobligationontheECItoensureoptimal conditions for theexerciseof this freedom. Ensuring this fundamentalfreedomtotheIndianmigrantworker,regard-less of caste, gender, creed, ethnicity or faith,therefore, isaconstitutionalobligationof theECI. The failure to ensure that this “class ofIndians”islegitimatelyallowedtoexerciseitsfranchise is tantamountto invisibilisingtheirsecurity, dignity andoverallwell-being fromthepoliticaldiscourseof thecountry.

Thewriter issecretary,CitizensforJusticeandPeace.ShereceivedresearchassistancefromSanchitaKadam,RadhikaGoyaland

SharvariKothawade,all lawyers

ElectionComissionmustensureoptimalconditionsforexerciseofthisfreedom

Themigrant’s right to vote

Teesta Setalvad

IDEASONLINE

ONLY IN THE EXPRESS

●● PANDEMICANDWOMEN’SRIGHTS:ARGENTINA

MATAVEL

●●USEESIFORHEALTHINFRASTRUCTURE:AMARTYADEY

www.indianexpress.com

Upendra Baxi Rakesh Sinha

CR Sasikumar

USSupremeCourt recentlyheldTrumpadministration’smovetodenybenefits tochild immigrantsasunlawful—upholdingtheprinciple thatexecutivecan’texercisepowersarbitrarilyorcapriciously

The executive must explain

New Delhi

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EXPRESSNETWORK14 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COMTHEINDIANEXPRESS,SATURDAY, JULY18,2020

J&K Projects Construction Corporation Ltd.(A Union Territory of J&K Govt. Undertaking)

Office of the Deputy General Manager – Mechanical UnitABBREVIATED SHORT TERM E- TENDER NOTICE

For and on behalf of the Managing Director JKPCC Ltd., Jammu, e-tendersare hereby invited by Deputy General Manager, Mechanical Unit, JKPCCLtd, Jammu for the following works:-

The NIT Consisting of qualifying information, eligibility criteria, specifica-tions, Bill of Quantities can be seen/downloaded from the departmentalwebsite www.jktenders.gov.in from Dt: 14-07-2020 from 1600 Hrs to Dt:29-07-2020 upto 1400 Hrs.

Sd/-(Er. K. K. Padotra)Deputy General Manager,

JKPCC Ltd., Mechanical Unit, Jammu.

No: JKPCC/Mech./J/577-83Dt: 11-07-2020DIPJ-872

SlNo

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ESHAROYNEWDELHI,JULY17

EVENASthedelimitationprocessforManipur is underway, a plat-formof14politicalparties,includ-ingCongress andBJP, havewrit-ten to PrimeMinisterNarendraModiopposingthemove.Thelasttimedelimitationtook

placeinManipurwas1973.Whileall other states have undergonedelimitation,Manipur’sdelimita-tion,whichwas to take place in2002,wasputonholdduetocon-flictinvolvingitsinsurgentgroups.The announcement earlier

this year triggered an uproar in

Manipur, widening the rift be-tweentribalandnon-tribals.Politicalparties,barringNaga

People’s Front, are largely domi-natedbyHindu-Meitei commu-nity.Thiscommunityisopposingthemove, sayingusing the2001CensusasabasisfordelimitationisquestionableasthisCensuswas“incorrect”. Tribal bodies are infavour of delimitation andhaveaccusedtheMeiteicommunityoftryingtomarginalisethem.“Wearenotopposedtodelim-

itation inprinciple.Ourobjectionis to have it based on the 2001Census.Becauseof theconflict inManipuratthetime,andbecauseof active insurgentgroups,noac-

tual surveywas done. Officialscouldnotmoveaboutandwhentheydid, therewerenopeople inthe homes they visited. So theCensusisbasedonestimates...’’saidCPIleaderandmemberofAllPartyCommitteeDrMoirangthemNara.“Ifthegovernmentweretode-

cidethat thedelimitationbecar-riedoutbasedonthe2011Census,wewouldnot have suchaprob-lem,’’saysCongressspokespersonONabakishore.BesidesNabakishore andDr

Nara,members of the All PartyCommittee include former CMOkramIbobiSinghfromCongress,state BJP vice-president MAsnikumar Singh, BJP executive

member JohnsonElangbamandleadersfromNCP,NPP,TrinamoolCongress, andothers.DrNara contends thatmost

members of the committee aredemandingthatthedelimitationbedoneafterthe2021Census.Senior officials, however, say

waitingforthe2021Censustobecompletedmaynotbepragmatic.Buttheyhavesaidthedemandformakingthe2011Censusthebasiswillbeconsidered.On June29, 10days after the

committee submitted itsmemo-randum, theAll Tribal StudentsUnion Manipur submitted amemorandumtotheChairpersonof theDelimitationCommission.

“Alltribeshavecometogetherforthis cause. Tribals occupy90percentofManipur’slandandMeiteisoccupy10percent.Also,tribalsac-countforabout40percentof thepopulation, yetwehaveonly20representativesandtheyhave40in theAssembly,” said theoutfit’sgeneral secretary SeiboiHaokip.“The anomalies that theMeiteigroupsaretalkingabouthavebeenrectified.Webelievethatifdelim-itationtakesplace,thenthetribalswill get at least two-threemoreseats in the assembly...,” saidLakpachui Siro of theManipurTribals’ForumforDelimitation.

FULLREPORTONwww.indianexpress.com

SAGARRAJPUTMUMBAI, JULY17

THE BSF on Thursday appre-hendedamanwhoallegedlyun-dertook a 1,200 km trip fromOsmanabadtoKutchduringthelockdowninanattempttocrossover to Pakistan to meet hisPakistanigirlfriend.Zeeshan Siddiqui (20), a

third-year engineering student,left his home in Osmanabad togo to Pakistan to meet thewomanwithwhomheissaidtohave come in contact throughsocialmedia.Siddiqui first rode a bicycle

over 225 km fromOsmanabadtoAhmednagar,thentookamo-torbike till Kutch in an attemptto cross the border, where hewasapprehended,police said.Siddiqui, who hails from

Allahabad, has been stayingwith his parents and sisters inOsmanabad. His father isa Maulana while his mothersells sarees.Osmanabad police officials

said that SiddiquiwentmissingonJuly11.Hisfathersaid,“Heleftthe house around 9.45 am.We assumed he went to get anewcharger.”As he did not return, his fa-

ther tried calling him but hisphonewasswitchedoff.At7pm,he lodgedamissingreportwiththepolice.“I remembered that he

wouldalwaystypeonhislaptoptill late,” saidhis father, andthat

Siddiqui would claim hewasstudying.OnMonday, his father took

Siddiqui’s laptop to the policestation. “Wewent through hischatsandrealisedthathewasintouchwithawomaninPakistan.It looked like they had fallen inlove and as she called him, hewenttomeether,”saidhisfather.The police went through

CCTVcamerasandsawhimrid-ing a bicycle. As their investiga-tion proceeded, they realisedthat he rode his bicycle tillAhmednagar, after which hetookabike tillKutch.“His preliminary number

was switched off, but weman-agedtogethisnewnumberandlearntthathewasinKutch,”said

Osmanabad SP Raj TilakRoushan.“Weinformedsecurityagenciesaswell.”On Thursday, the

Osmanabad police received acall fromKutchthathisbikehadbeen traced in the desert, andhours later theywere informedthat he had been apprehendedby the BSF. Roushan said, “Wehavesentourteam.TheyshouldreturnwithhimonSaturday.”Security agencies are also

probingwhether therewereat-tempts to radicalise the man.Anti-TerrorismSquad,which isconducting a parallel probe,said that Siddiqui receivedcalls from multiple numbersfromPakistan.Roushan said, “Our prelimi-

nary investigationssuggest thathe went to meet a girl withwhomhefellinlove.Butwecan-not ruleoutotherpossibilities.”Investigators said they are

trying to get details onSiddiqui’s trip to Hyderabadearly thisyear.Hewasaway foramonth, saying hewould do acomputer course.This is not the first instance

of amantrying tocross thebor-der for the sake of love. In 2012Hamid Ansari, a Mumbai resi-dent, slipped into PakistanthroughtheAfghanistanbordertomeetagirl.Ansari was arrested in

Pakistan and returned to Indiaaftercompletinghisprisonsen-tence in2018.

Manipur: Delimitation row widens non-tribal,tribal divide, brings political rivals together

EXPRESSNEWSSERVICESRINAGAR, JULY17

ATOPJaish-e-Mohammed(JeM)commander was among threemilitantskilledinagunbattlebe-tween militants and securityforces in South Kashmir'sKulgamdistrictonFriday.Threesoldiers were also injured dur-ing theoperation.Police officials said an en-

counter broke out in Nagnad-ChimmerareaofKulgamdistrictafter a joint cordon-and-searchoperationwas launched by se-curityforcesonFridaymorning."Three terroristswere killed

intheoperation.Oneofthemwasidentified as JeM commanderWaleed,whowasanIEDexpert,"IGPKashmirVijayKumartoldTheIndian Express, adding that hisname was high on the list ofwantedterrorists intheValley.Addressing a press confer-

enceintheafternooninSrinagar,KumarsaidWaleedhadescaped

four times from such cordons."Hewas active for the last one-and-a-half years..."hesaid.Policesaidthatofthe12most

wantedmilitants in the Valley,twowerekilled recently.The IGP also said the allega-

tion that policewere harassingthe families ofmilitantswas in-

correct."Thisiswrong.Wedon'tharassany family,"hesaid.In the Valley, 133militants

havebeenkilledthisyearaspartof anti-militancy operationswhich have seen an increasefromMarch this year. So far inJuly, 15 militants have beenkilled in theValley.

BASHAARATMASOODSRINAGAR, JULY17

THE JAMMU and KashmirAdministrative Council hasamended the Jammu andKashmir Development Act,paving the way for notifying“strategic areas” for the armedforces in the Union Territory.The proposed amendmentswould regulate construction inthese areas “through a specialdispensation”.“TheAdministrativeCouncil

gave its nod to the proposal ofamending the Control ofBuilding Operations Act 1988and the J&K Development Act,1970 to provide for special dis-pensation for carrying out con-struction activities in strategicareas,” anofficial releasesaid.“The amendmentswill pave

wayfornotifyingcertainareasasstrategic areas in terms of re-quirement of armed forces andin such areas; the regulation ofconstruction activity shall bethroughaspecialdispensation.”Sources said the amend-

ments empower the govern-ment to define and notify astrategic area and that once astrategicarea isnotified, theex-isting authority would be re-placed by a new authority onthe pattern of the cantonmentboards.“Forexample,wehaveatleast

twoecologicallyfragileandtouristareaswherearmedforceshaveahugepresence,” a senior officialtoldTheIndianExpress.“Ifthesear-

eas are declared strategic areas,tourismdevelopmentauthoritieswould lose the power and itwouldbegiventoanewauthority.This authoritywould decide onconstructionintheseareas.”Thereleasesaidthedecision

toamendtheActwouldfacilitateconstruction of strategic infra-structure.“The approval has been

granted keeping in view thestrategic importance of certainlocations and reconciling theirsecurity needs with develop-mental aspirations.”Aseniorofficialsaidthatwhile

the amendment allows the gov-ernmenttonotifystrategicareas,thenewsetofrulesforsuchareasisstillbeingworkedout.Mainstream parties have

slammedthemove.“This is scarier than the

scrapping of special status. Itseemswemightnotbeleftwithenough land even for grave-yards… Itmeans no resident ofJammu and Kashmir has anypower in determining even thebasic functions of local govern-ment,” PDP leader NaeemAkhtar toldThe IndianExpress.TheNationalConferencehas

demanded an immediate roll-back of the decisions by the ad-ministrativecouncil.Theparty’schief spokesperson AgaRoohullahsaid,“Noweverythingis decided inNewDelhi againstthe wishes of the people ofJammuandKashmir.EverysteptheyhavetakensinceAugustlastyear has been anti-Jammu andKashmir.”

SAJJADHUSSAINISLAMABAD, JULY17

ADAYafterIndiatermedthesec-ond consular access toKulbhushan Jadhav as "neithermeaningful nor credible,"Pakistan ForeignMinister ShahMahmoodQureshihassaidthatIslamabadiswillingtoprovideathird meeting with the Indiandeathrowprisoner,accordingtothePakistanimedia.Pakistan on Thursday pro-

videdasecondconsularaccesstoJadhav, a 50-year-old retiredIndianNavyofficer,whowassen-tenced to death by a Pakistanimilitarycourtonchargesofespi-onageandterrorisminApril2017.The Indian government said

the second accesswas "neithermeaningful nor credible," andJadhav appeared visibly understress."TheConsularOfficerswerenot given unimpeded, unhin-

deredandunconditional access"toJadhav,ExternalAffairsMinistryspokespersonAnurag SrivastavasaidinNewDelhiThursday.Foreign Minister Qureshi,

however, said the Indian con-sularofficerswereprovidedac-cess to Jadhav as desired byNewDelhi.QureshisaidPakistanwas willing to provide yet an-other consular access to India,TheExpressTribune reported."They had objected over the

presenceofsecurityofficialsdur-ing themeeting, we arewillingeventoremovethoseofficials. IfIndiawantsanotheraccessthenour offer is open. If they (India)want tomeethimtonightor to-morrow,we are ready," the pa-per quoted Qureshi as telling anews channel. A PakistanForeignOfficespokespersonsaidthat New Delhi was informedabout the decision. "Pakistan isawaiting India's response," saidthespokesperson.PTI

J-K admin paves wayto notify ‘strategicareas’ for armed forces

HARISHDAMODARANNEWDELHI,JULY17

DESPITEEFFORTSatdisposingofsurplusfoodgrains–includingbydistributing these freeunder thePradhan Mantri Garib KalyanAnna Yojana (PMGKAY) and aspecial scheme for migrantlabourersreturningtotheirhomestates –wheat and rice stocks intheCentral pool have registeredmarginaldecline.At 94.42million tonnes (mt)

ason July1, total stockswerebe-lowlastmonth’sall-time-highof97.27mt,butstill2.3timestheop-erational-cum-strategic reserverequirement of 41.12mt for thisdate. The 94.42mt comprised54.99mtwheatand27.17mtrice.In addition, FoodCorporationofIndia (FCI)andstategovernmentagenciesheld18.3mtofun-milledpaddy,whose rice equivalent, atan outturn ratio of 67 per cent,workedoutto12.26mt.Outturnisthe share of rice extracted frompaddygrainsafterremovalof theouterhuskandinnerbranlayers.ForJuly1,thenormativemin-

imumstocks to run the targetedpublicdistributionsystem(TPDS)andotherwelfare schemes, plusmaintain a strategic reserveoverand above that, are 27.58mt ofwheat and 13.54mt of rice. Asagainst this, actual stocksamountedto54.99mtand39.43mt(includingricefromun-milledpaddy),respectively.The currenthigher stock lev-

els compared to last year (seetable)arenotwithstandingmeas-ures taken for liquidation, espe-

ciallyinthecontextofwidespreadeconomic distress following thecoronavirus-inducedlockdown.As against 62.19mtgrainoff-

take from public godowns in2019-20 and65.91mt for 2018-19, theNarendraModi govern-menthas allocated a total quan-tityof 92.7mt for this fiscal. Thatincludes 55.3 mt under TPDS(beneficiary families are entitledtoamonthlyper-personrationof5 kgwheat or rice at Rs 2-3/kg);3.6 mt under Mid Day Meals,Integrated Child DevelopmentServicesandotherregularwelfareschemes;32mtunderPMGKAY;0.8mtformigrantlabourers;andonemtofadditionalCovid-relatedallocations. The 5 kg extra grainpermonthto80crorepersonsun-der PMGKAY (during April-November)and8crorereturningmigrantlabourers(forMay-June)arebeinggivenfreeofcost.Butthesemeasureshaven’tso

far resulted in any significantwhittling down of public grainstocks.WhileTPDSandPMGKAYofftakeisexpectedtogoupinthecomingmonths, thesameunderMDM/ICDSmaybeimpactedduetoschoolsbeingshutandangan-wadicentresnotfullyoperating.Higher procurement is also

a major reason for stocks re-maining way above necessarybuffer levels. Governmentagencieshaveprocuredarecord38.94mtofwheatand50.27mtof rice from the 2019-20 crop.With annual procurement at80-90mtandnormalofftakeat62-65 mt, FCI’s problem ofplenty may require morePMGKAY-like interventions.

PUBLICWHEATANDRICE STOCKS■2020 ■2019 (All figures in lakhtonnes)

1000

800

600

400

200

0April 1 May1 June1 July1

Note: Stocks includericeequivalentofun-milledpaddy.Source:Departmentof Food&PublicDistribution.

738.49

568.08 799.70

711.81 972.69

821.86

944.22

812.94

At94.42milliontonnes (mt)asonJuly1, total stockswerebelowlastmonth’sall-time-highof97.27mt. File

Foodgrain stocksfall marginallydespite PMGKAY

EXPRESSNEWSSERVICENEWDELHI, JULY17

JUSTICE S N Shukla, theAllahabadHighCourtjudgewhowasindictedinFebruary2018ina case of alleged corruption inmedical college admissions, re-tiredonFriday.Themedical college case led

to an unsuccessful impeach-mentmotionagainst thenChiefJusticeof India(CJI)DipakMisra.Justice Shukla, whowas not

allocatedanyjudicialworksinceFebruary2018,wasnotaccordedaretirementfarewellbytheHighCourt Bar. The Allahabad HighCourt’sLucknowbenchisclosedfor administrative and judicialworkuntilJuly19forsanitisationworkafter sixemployees tested

positive forCovid-19.In 2018, then CJI Misra had

constituted a three-membercommittee to look into allega-tions of corruption againstJustice Shukla. The panel foundsubstance in the allegations,prompting the CJI to write toJusticeShuklatoeitherresignortakevoluntaryretirement.AfterJusticeShukladeclinedbothop-tions,all judicialworkwaswith-drawnfromhim.Although the government

hadthendefendedCJIMisra,no

action was initiated againstJustice Shukla. The only proce-dure as per the Constitution toremove a judge is via impeach-mentbyParliament.Theinternalcommitteefound

that Justice Shukla allegedly al-lowedprivatemedicalcollegestoadmitstudentsforthe2017-18ac-ademicyear–includingatPrasadEducationTrust in Lucknow– inviolationofSupremeCourtorders.When the Medical Council ofIndia challenged theHighCourtorder, the case involving PrasadEducation Trustwas heard by abenchledbyCJIMisra.In September 2017, days be-

forethefinalhearinginSupremeCourt,theCBIlaunchedaprelim-inaryinvestigationbasedonthearrestofapurportedmiddlemaninanallegedmoney laundering

case.TheFIRstatedthat Justice IM Quddusi, a retired judge ofOrissa High Court andmemberofPrasadTrust,hadallegedlyen-gaged a middleman to getfavourablecourtordersfromtheapexcourtbypayingabribe.Lawyers Prashant Bhushan

and Kamini Jaiswal moved theapex court on November 10,2017, seeking a judicial probeinto allegations that SC judgeswere allegedly bribed to getfavourable orders in the PrasadTrust case, whichwas heard bythenCJIMisra.ThelawyersarguedthataCBI

probe coulddamage independ-enceof the judiciary.Thecasewasmentionedbe-

fore a benchheadedby Justice JChelameswar(retired),whowasthen next only to the CJI in sen-

iority. A bench of JusticesChelameswarandAbdulNazeerreferred the case to a largerbenchtobeheardlaterthatday,but CJI Misra set up a differentlargerbench.Eventually, another bench

comprisingJusticesRKAgarwal,Arun Mishra and A MKhanwilkar dismissed the pleaseekingajudicialprobe,andrep-rimandedthepetitioners..Even as the impeachment

motionwasmovedby64mem-bers of Rajya Sabha from sevenopposition parties against CJIMisra, he ordered an inquiryagainst JusticeShukla.Rajya Sabha Chairman M

VenkaiahNaiduhadrejectedtheimpeachment notice byOppositionMPswhohadsoughtCJIMisra’s removal.

HC judge indicted in medical admissions case retires

MILITANTSMAYTARGET AMARNATHYATRA,WARNSARMYSrinagar: The Indian Army,addressing a press confer-ence insouthKashmir, saidit has inputs thatmilitants“wouldtrytheirbest”totar-getAmarnathYatra.“There are inputs that

we are getting that they(militants)would try theirbest to target theyatra.Butwe have got our systemsand resources in place toensure that it (yatra) goesonunhindered andpeace-fully,” said Brigadier V SThakur, Commander 2Sector, adding that“NationalHighway44con-tinues to be sensitive be-cause that is the Axis (ya-tris )will take up toNorthern route”.ENS

Top JeM commander among three killed ingunfight between security forces, militants

SecuritypersonnelcheckvehiclesontheJammu-SrinagarNationalHighwayonFriday,aheadof theAmarnathYatra.PTI

Qureshi says Pakistanwilling to provide thirdconsular access to Jadhav

Manmakes 1,200-km trip tomeet girl in Pakistan, nabbed

EXPRESSNEWSSERVICENEWDELHI, JULY17

CANCONVICTS serving 14-yearjail sentences be released pre-maturelyonthebasisofapolicyframed by a state andwithouttheircases’factsbeingplacedbe-fore the Governor, who has thepower topardon?A five-judge bench of the

Supreme Court Friday askedChief Justice S A Bobde to referthe question to a larger bench,noting that the law in vogue onthe issue is a 1980 judgment byanother five-judgebenchof thecourtinthecaseofMaruRamvsUnionof IndiaandOthers.Thelegalquestionhadarisen

in the context of the bail plea ofamurdercaseconvict,onePyareLal. The top court was told thathehadbeenreleasedfromjailaf-ter being granted the benefit ofremission by the Haryana

Governor as per a policy of thestategovernment.The Supreme Court noted

that in the case of Pyare Lal, theHaryana government had ac-cepted that no “facts pertainingto any of the caseswere placedbefore theGovernor”.“TheGovernor, thus, did not

havetheoccasiontolookintotheissues such as severity of thecrime or themanner in whichthe crime was committed...orhow the matter was seen andconsidered by the concernedcourtswhileholdingoruphold-ing that the concerned convictswerefoundguiltyoftheoffencesinquestion,” it said.AGovernorhasthepowerto

grantpardonsunderArticle161of theConstitution.The larger bench will also

look intowhether the exercise“can override the requirementsunder Section 433-A” of theCodeof CriminalProcedure.

ThemotorbikeusedbyZeeshanSiddiqui forapartofhis journeytotheborder

SC refers to larger benchissue of grant of remissionto convicts by states

JusticeShuklawasnotaccordedaretirementfarewellbytheHighCourtBar

EXPRESSNEWSSERVICEPANJIM,JULY17

THEBOMBAYHighCourtofGoaonFriday sent notices to the ChiefWildlifeWarden, theGoa StateWildlife Board and theNationalBoard forWildlife, amongothers,overaPILchallengingtheapprovalsgrantedforthreelinearinfrastruc-tureprojectsthroughtheBhagwanMahavirWildlife Sanctuary andNationalParkatMollem.Issuing notices, a division

benchoftheBombayHighCourtcomprising Justice M S Sonakand Justice M S Jawalkar havekeptthenexthearingonJuly24.ThePIL,filedbyGoaFoundation,challengedtheapprovalsstatingthat theyare in “violationof themandategivenbyArticle48Aofthe Constitution and the provi-sions of theWildlife ProtectionAct, 1972 and are also contraryto public policy and the recom-mendationsof theNBWLitself”.Thethreeprojectsareforthe

expansionof NationalHighway4A, the construction of a trans-missionlineandthedoublingoftheexisting railway line.On July 3, The Indian Express

hadreportedonsixmembersofthe state board saying they hadred-flagged the clearance andexpressed concerns. They fur-ther said they had not recom-mendedtheproposals.Thearti-cle isnowpartof thePIL.The Goa Foundation has

askedthecourttoquashthede-cision of both boards and alsogive a stay to the felling of treestill thedisposalof thePIL.

Goa: HC issuesnotices overclearances tothree projects

New Delhi

Page 16: The lockdown to contain the coronavirus outbreak has - AWS

CORONAVIRUSDASHBOARD

1,003,832India

269,440Iran

324,041Mexico

294,803United Kingdom

323,698Chile

324,221South Africa

3,592,316US

2,012,151Brazil

341,586Peru

TOTAL CONFIRMED: 13,885,746 DEATHCOUNT:592,573Source: JohnsHopkinsUniversity,updatedat11pmonJuly17. JHU’sIndiatallyandHealth

Ministry’stally(below)maynotmatchiftheseareaccountedatdifferenttimes.

THEWORLD758,001Russia

TOP 10STATES

INDIA COUNT: 10,03,832 (25,602 DEATHS)

2,84,281Maharashtra

1,56,369Tamil Nadu

27,174Rajasthan

43,441 UP1,18,645 Delhi

45,481Gujarat

36,117West Bengal

38,044Andhra Pradesh

41,018Telangana

Have a question on the COVID-19 outbreak andwhat you should/should not do?

Write to [email protected]

51,422Karnataka

UnionHealthMinistryupdateasof11pm, July17.Somestatesmayhavereportedhighernumbers.Onlystates/UTswithatleastonecaselistedabove.6,35,757PATIENTSDISCHARGEDIN35STATESANDUNIONTERRITORIES

RESTOFINDIAAndamanandNicobarIslands 180ArunachalPradesh 543Assam 19754Bihar 21764Chandigarh 651Chhattisgarh 4732DadraandNagarHaveli 552Goa 3108Haryana 24002HimachalPradesh 1377JammuandKashmir 12156Jharkhand 4624Kerala 10275Ladakh 1147MadhyaPradesh 20378Manipur 1764Meghalaya 377Mizoram 272Nagaland 916Odisha 15392Puducherry 1743Punjab 9094Sikkim 243Tripura 2283Uttarakhand 3982

A PAPER by OxfordUniversity researcherssuggests that the UKpopulationmayalreadyhave developed suffi-cient levels of herd im-munityrequiredtopre-vent a secondwave ofthe coronavirus pan-demic in the country.The paper, titled ‘Theimpact of host resist-ance on cumulativemortality and the threshold of herdimmunity for SARS-CoV-2’, is pend-ing peer review and is currently on-lineonapreprint server.EpidemiologistSunetraGuptaand

three other Oxford University col-leagues base their conclusion on thesuggestion that the herd immunitythreshold(HIT) requiredtopreventaresurgenceis lowerthanit is takentobe.“It iswidelybelievedthattheherdimmunitythreshold(HIT)requiredtoprevent a resurgence of SARS-CoV-2(COVID-19) is inexcessof50percentforanyepidemiologicalsetting.Here,we demonstrate that HIT may begreatly reduced if a fraction of thepopulation is unable to transmit thevirusduetoinnateresistanceorcross-protectionfromexposuretoseasonalcoronaviruses,”notes thepaper.Herd immunity can be calculated

basedonahomogeneousorahetero-geneousmodel. The homogeneousmodelassumesthateverybodyhasthesamelevelofimmunity.Theheteroge-

neousmodel,whichhasbeenthebasisofanum-ber of studies on SARS-Cov-2,assumesdifferinglevels of immunitywithinthepopulation.The new paper

workswithamodelthathasfoundthatwhenre-sistantpeoplemixwithnon-resistant people,the threshold dropssharply.“ThedropinHIT

is proportional to the fraction of thepopulation resistant onlywhen thatfractioniseffectivelysegregatedfromthe general population; however,whenmixing is random, the drop inHITismoreprecipitous.Significantre-ductions in expectedmortality canalso be observed in settingswhere afractionof thepopulation is resistantto infection. These results help to ex-plainthelargedegreeofregionalvari-ationobservedinseroprevalenceandcumulative deaths and suggest thatsufficientherd-immunitymayalreadybe inplace to substantiallymitigateapotential secondwave,” it says.ThestudycomesdaysafterKing's

College London scientists, in anotherpreprint paper, suggested antibody-mediated immunity to SARS-CoV-2infectionmay be short-lived. Theyanalysed the immuneresponseof 90recoveredindividuals,andfoundanti-bodiesagainstSARS-CoV-2decreasedduringan18-65dayfollow-upperiod.

EXPRESSNEWSSERVICE

PAPERCLIP

NEWRESEARCH

Has UK reached herd immunitythreshold to prevent 2nd wave?

SHUBHAJITROYNEWDELHI,JULY 17

CHINAANDIranareclosetosealinganambi-tiousdeal onaneconomic and securitypart-nership,amovethathascaughttheattentionofpolicymakersinIndiaandacrosstheworld.The seeds were sown during Chinese

PresidentXi Jinping’s visit to Iran in January2016,whenthetwosidesagreedtoestablishties based on a Comprehensive StrategicPartnership, while announcing discussionswouldbeginaimedatconcludinga25-yearbilateralpact.A18-pagedraftagreementshowsitwillfa-

cilitatetheinfusionofabout$280billionfromBeijing, whichwants to buy oil from cash-strappedIran.Chinawillalsoinvest$120billionintoIran’stransportandmanufacturinginfra-structure,thusgivingitinroadsintomajorsec-tors in Iran includingbanking, telecommuni-cations, ports and railways. Iran is already asignatory of China’s Belt andRoad Initiative(BRI),andthisisinlinewithChina’s“debt-trapdiplomacy”.Thedealhascomeundercriticismfrom Iran’s political actors, including formerPresidentMahmoudAhmadinejad.

Ancient tiesRelations between Iran and China date

back to 200 BC,when civilisational contactwas established between the Parthian andSassanid empires (in present-day Iran andCentral Asia) and theHan, Tang, Song, YuanandMing dynasties.When theKushan em-pire since the first century,withKanishkaatits helm, became the crossroads for Sino-IndianBuddhisttransmissions,manyIraniansweretranslatingSanskritsutras intoChinese.Fourteenth-century Chinese explorer

ZhengHe,aMingdynastynavygeneral,camefromaMuslimfamily—legendhas it thathemayhadPersianlineage—andsailedthroughIndia and Persia. Relics fromhis journey in-cludeChinese-Tamil-Persianinscriptions.In1289,MongolemperorKublaiKhanes-

tablishedaMuslimuniversityinBeijing,wherePersianworksweretranslatedintoChinese.As countrieswithhistorical contacts, Iran

andChinavieweachotherassuccessorstatestocivilisationalempires.Bothshareasenseofpasthumiliationinthehandsofforeignplayers.

ModerndiplomacyModern-daydiplomatictiesbetweenIran

andChina are just about 50years old. China

was invited to the 2,500-year celebration ofthePersianEmpireinOctober1971.Inthe1970s,thetieswerelukewarm,since

theShahofIranMohammedRezaPahlaviwasclose to theUS. China’s topmost leaderHuaGuofeng(1976-81)—whobecamethechiefofCommunistPartyofChinaafterPremierZhouEnlaiandChairmanMaoZedong—wasoneofthe last foreign leaders to visit the Shah inAugust 1978, before hewas overthrown in1979.Thevisitissaidtohaveleftaverystrongnegative sentiment about China amongIranians. After ShahwasoverthrownduringtheIslamicRevolutionin1979,Chinawasquicktorecognisethenewgovernment.ThenexttestofSino-Iraniantiescamedur-

ingtheIran-Iraqwar(1980-88).WithIrande-privedofweaponsfromwesterncountries, itturnedtoChina.Behindafacadeofneutrality,Chinaobligedandthe Iranianregimeboughtcheap,low-technologyarmsthroughinterme-diaries inHongKongandNorthKorea.ChinaunderDengXiaoping,whichalsosoldarmstoIraqdiscreetly,signedarmscontractswithIranincludingforanti-shipmissiles.

ThenuclearprogrammeCoincidentally, June 3-4, 1989marks a

landmarkforChinaandIran.TheTiananmenSquare incident coincidedwith thedeathofthe Islamic Republic’s founder, AyatollahKhomeini.Chinasufferedglobalcensureandwestern sanctions, and Iran consolidated itstheocracyunderitsnewleaderAliKhamenei.Through the 1980s and ’90s, China pro-

videddirect assistance to Iran’s nuclear andmissile development programmes. After a1997commitmenttoUSPresidentBillClinton

by Chinese President Jiang Zemin, Chinastoppedfurtherassistancetotheprogrammeandsalesofcompletemissiles,butIranbythenhadprogressedsufficientlytocarryon.WhilesupporttoIrancontinuedunderthe

radar,ChinawasforcedtotakeapositioninJune2010 at theUNSecurity Council against theIranian nuclear programme after theInternationalAtomicEnergyAgency flaggedviolations.UNsanctionsonIranfollowed.That changed Iran’s behaviour over the

next few years, and the P-5+1 (permanentmembersof theUNSC&Germany)countriesnegotiatedthenucleardealwithIranin2015.With the US under the Trump adminis-

trationwalkingoutof thenucleardealwithIranin2018,Chinahasmovedintonegotiatebroader and deeper ties with Iran. It hadsownthe seeds in2016 itself,when the restof theworld, includingIndia,hadstarteden-gagingwithIran—PMNarendraModiwenttoTehran inMay2016.Today,bothChinaandIranseetheWestern

PacificandthePersianGulf asregionsof con-testationwiththeUS.

Stakes for IndiaWhile IndiawatchesChinawithconcern,

whatisalarmingforNewDelhi isthatBeijingisalsoconcludingasecurityandmilitarypart-nershipwithTehran. Itcallsfor“jointtrainingandexercises,jointresearchandweaponsde-velopment and intelligence sharing” to fight“the lopsidedbattlewith terrorism,drugandhumantraffickingandcross-bordercrimes”.InitialreportsinIranhavesuggestedChina

will deploy5,000 security personnel to pro-tect its projects in Iran. Some reports suggest

Kish Island in thePersianGulf, locatedat themouthof theStraitofHormuz,maybe“sold”toChina. Iranianofficialshavedeniedthis.WithagrowingChinesepresence in Iran,

India is concerned about its strategic stakesaround theChabahar port project that it hasbeendeveloping,andforwhichitcommittedRs100croreinthelastBudget.TheportisclosetoGwadarportinPakistan,whichisbeingde-velopedbyChinaaspartof itsChina-PakistanEconomicCorridor that links it to the IndianOceanthroughBRI.India’s pace indeveloping theprojecthas

beenslowduetoUSsanctions.ThathasmadeIranimpatientandlastweek,itdecidedtostartworkontheChabahar-Zahedanrailway.

TightropewalkNow,Indiafindsitselfcaughtinthegeopo-

liticalrivalrybetweentheUS&ChinaoverIran.WhileIndiagotawaiverfromUSsanctionsfordevelopmentoftheport—onthegroundsthatit will help access Afghanistan bypassingPakistan—it isstillnotclearwhetherrailwayandotherprojectsareexemptfromsanctions.Iranhasstartedlayingthetracksfora628-

kmrailwaylinkbetweentheprovincialcapitalof ZahedanwithChabahar. The governmentfaceselectionsin2021,andplanstocompletethe railway’s initial 150kmsectionbyMarch2021,andthefull lengthbyMarch2022.Indiahascommittedtosupplyingtracks

and rakes. Since steel is not exempted,NewDelhi feels it will wait forWashington tomake a concession before it decides to pro-vide tracksandrakes.India’sdilemmaalsostemsfromthefact

that robust support fromtheUS is essentialwhen it is locked in a border stand-offwithChina. Indiamaywanttowaitfortheresultsof the November US election. If Joe Bidencomesbacktopower,theremaybenothreatofsanctions;butifTrumpisre-elected,Indiamay prefer a long-term, strategic decisionbefore continuingwith the railway project.“One cannot just spend Indian taxpayers’moneywithoutmaking sure theywon’t beunder sanctions,” a government source inNewDelhi said.WhileNewDelhi has indicated toTehran

thatitmay“joinlater”withtheproject,Tehranhasconveyedthat it couldnotbedeniedthatinabusinesspartnership,therulingprincipleis"firstcome,firstserved".“Ifonedoesnotre-actpositivelyandtimelytoanoffer,othersmaytake it soon or later,” a Iranian governmentsourcetoldTheIndianExpress.

15WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM

AS PEOPLE look to resume outdoor activi-ties, thereisgrowingconcernovertheriskstheyfaceofnovelcoronavirusinfection.Butnotalloutdooractivitiescarrythesamelevelofrisk,anditisimportantthatpeopleareju-dicious inwhat they do once they ventureoutoftheirhomes.Thisiscrucialtokeepingtheepidemic incheckas lockdownrestric-tionsareprogressivelyrelaxed.Thecriticalthingtounderstandisthatthe

risktoinfectionisdirectlyproportionaltothedurationof potential exposure to the virus,and to the viral load that one is exposed to.Forinstance,aninfectedpersonemitsabout20viralparticlesperminuteduringthenor-mal process of breathing. Butwhen the in-fectedpersonspeaks,between200and2,000viral particles could be ejectedperminute.Thiscangouptoashighas200millionpar-ticleswhen the person coughs or sneezes.Quiteobviously,proximitytoaninfectedper-sonwho is coughing exposes one tomuchgreater risk. The emitted viral particles canremain in theair for a fewhours in apoorlyventilatedenvironment.Itisimportanttoknowtherisksinvolved

indifferentactivities–andtocarrythemoutdependingonhowessentialtheyare.Basedon criteria used by the Centers for DiseaseControl in theUnitedStates, andtheWorldHealthOrganization,hereisanindicativelist

of activities graded according to the risk ofinfectiontheycarry.Theriskcategorisationassumes that peoplewearmasks and fol-lowtheusual rulesofphysicaldistancing.LOWRISK:Opening amail or parcel

potentially touchedbyan infectedperson;getting restaurant takeaways; playing anon-contact sport like tennis.MODERATELY LOWRISK: Shopping

for groceries; going for awalk; running orbikingwithothers;sittingin,say,adoctor'swaiting room.MODERATERISK:Shoppingatamall;

workingforaweekinoffice;visitingelderlyrelatives;havingdinneratsomeone'splace.MODERATELYHIGHRISK:Visiting a

hairsalonorbarbershop;diningatarestau-rant; travellingbyplane; playing a contactsport like football; attendingaweddingorfuneral;huggingor shakinghands.HIGHRISK:Attendingpubliceventswith

manyotherpeople;visitingreligiousplaces.Let us now look at someof the precau-

tions we need to takewhile carrying outsomeroutineactivities.

Awalk in the park■Keepyourmaskonandmaintaindis-

tancefromfellowwalkers.Avoidrestingonpublic benches. If youmeet an acquain-tance, remember to limit conversations tofourminutesor less.

■ The best time towalk is early in themorning,andfornotmorethan45minutes.

■Once you return home, take a headbath.Washclothesseparately inhotwaterwithbleach.RiskFactor:Moderately low

Eating out■Avoideatingout if youcan.Duetoair

conditioning, the riskof viral transmission

inclosedenvironments ishigh.■ Carry your own sanitiser, and avoid

usingrestaurantwashrooms.■Orderitemsthatarewellcooked.RiskFactor:High

Going to office■ Try to ensure your office follows oc-

cupational safety protocols, including ex-hausts for ACs, negative pressure ventila-tion/airpurifiers.

■Wearmasksatall times.■ Ifyoumustusetheofficecanteen,eat

alone.RiskFactor:Moderate tohigh

At themall■Avoidfoodcourtsandpublicrestrooms.■Keepyourmaskon, and spendas lit-

tle timeaspossibleat themall.■Avoidbeautysalons.

RiskFactor:High

Entertaining at home■Askgueststoremovetheirshoesout-

side,orprovide themwithshoecovers.■ Limit their movement to a single

space.Itwillbeeasiertosanitisetheseatingareaafterguests leave.

■Avoidsharingfood,sittingclose,shak-inghands, orhugging.

■Keeptheelderlyandchildrenaway.RiskFactor:Moderate

Disclaimer: These suggestions are in-dicative. Please followguidelines issuedbytheHealthMinistry and local authorities.Consultmedicalpractitionerswhenindoubt.

DrShashankJoshi isDeanof the IndianCollegeofPhysicians.Hespoke to

AnuradhaMascarenhas

In China-Iran, India’s concernsSIMPLYPUT

ChinaandIranareclosetosealinganeconomicandsecuritydeal.Whatdoes itmeanfor Indiaanditsinvestments in Iran,givenitsstandoffwithChinaandtheneedtofactor inUSsanctionsonIran?

Dr Shashank Joshi

RITIKACHOPRANEWDELHI, JULY17

THEELECTIONCommission’sformerlegalad-viser S K Mendiratta has red-flagged theCentre’s order setting up a DelimitationCommissionforArunachalPradesh,Manipur,AssamandNagaland, calling it “unconstitu-tional” and “illegal”.Whendelimitation lasttookplace(2002-08),thesestateswereleftout.

What isdelimitation?Delimitation is the redrawing of bound-

ariesofLokSabhaandAssemblyseatstorep-resentchanges inpopulation.Thenumberofseatsallocatedtoastatemayalsochange.Theobjectiveistoprovideequalrepresentationforequalpopulationsegments,andafairdivisionofgeographicalareas,sothatnopoliticalpartyhas an advantage.DelimitationCommissionorderscannotbequestionedbeforeanycourt.

Howoftenhasdelimitationbeendone?Delimitation is done on the basis of the

precedingCensus. The first such exercise in1950-51was carried out by the President,with the help of the Election Commission.FollowingtheDelimitationCommissionAct

in 1952, all such exercises have been con-ductedbyDelimitationCommissions,setupin1952,1963,1973and2002.Therewasnodelimitationafter the1981

and1991Censuses—afalloutoftheprovisionthat the ratio between the number of LokSabhaseats inastateanditspopulationis,asfar as practicable, the same for all states.Althoughunintended, thismeant states thattooklittleinterestinpopulationcontrolcouldendupwithmoreseats inParliament,whilethe southern states that promoted familyplanningcouldendupwithfewer.Amidtheseconcerns, the Constitutionwas amended in1976tosuspenddelimitationuntil2001.Anotheramendmentextendedthefreeze

on thenumberof seats until 2026, bywhenthe countrywas projected to achieve a uni-formpopulationgrowthrate.Thelastdelim-itation exercise of 2002-2008, based on the2001Census, only readjustedboundaries ofexisting Lok Sabha andAssembly seats andreworkedthenumberof reservedseats.

Whywerethesefourstates leftout?In Arunachal, Assam, Manipur and

Nagaland, various organisations hadmovedtheGauhatiHighCourtchallengingtheuseofCensus2001forreference.FromAssam,anall-

party delegationmet thenHomeMinisterShivraj Patil pleading that delimitation becalled off because theNational Register ofCitizens (NRC)was yet to be updated. TheDelimitationActwas amended in2008, andonFebruary8,2008,Presidentialorderswereissuedtodeferdelimitationinthesefourstates.

So,whathaschangednow?OnFebruary 28 this year, President Ram

NathKovindclearedthedecksforresumptionofdelimitationinthefourstatesbycancellingthe order of 2008. The fresh order issuedbytheLegislativeDepartmentoftheLawMinistrysaid“itappearsthatthecircumstancesthatledto thedeferringof thedelimitationexercise”in these states “have ceased to exist and thatthedelimitationof the constituencies as en-visagedundertheDelimitationAct,2002couldbecarriedoutnow”.Itnotedareductioninin-surgency incidents. On March 6, the LawMinistrynotifiedtheDelimitationCommissionfor the fourNortheast states and JammuandKashmir,whichwasalsoleftoutin2002-08.

Willdelimitationchangethenumberofseats inthesestates?NotinthefourNortheaststates.Because

of the freeze until 2026, delimitation will

onlyredrawtheboundariesofseats,andcanrework the number of reserved seats.However, because of past circumstances,J&K’s seatswill increase from107to114.

WhathasMendirattared-flagged?According toMendiratta, whowas the

EC'slegaladviserforover50yearsuntil2018and isconsideredanexpertondelimitation,theLawMinistry’snotificationofMarch6vi-olates the Representation of the People Act1950. In 2008, after the President deferreddelimitation in the four Northeast states,Parliament decided that instead of creatinganotherDelimitationCommission,thislim-ited exercise therewould be carried out bythe EC. For this, Section 8Awas introducedintheRepresentationofthePeopleAct1950.Mendirattawrote to the three Election

CommissionersonJune4pointingoutacon-tradictionbetween theMarch6notificationand Section 8A of the RP Act. Since the Actstatesthatdelimitationinthefourstates,whenheld, would fall within the EC’s remit, theCentre should not have notified a separateDelimitationCommission, hewrote. Hence,anydelimitationtherebythenewCommissionwouldbe“declaredvoidbythecourts”andre-sultin“wastageofhugepreciouspublicfunds”.

@ieExplained#ExpressExplainedIf there are questions of current or contemporary relevance that youwould likeexplained, pleasewrite to [email protected] EXPLAINED

THEINDIANEXPRESS,SATURDAY, JULY18,2020

Why questions raised on delimitation in N-E

ANEXPERTEXPLAINS

Eating out, shopping, jogging in the park:What is safe, what isn’t

IranPresidentHassanRouhaniwithPMNarendraModi inDelhi. ExpressArchive

New Delhi

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J&K PROJECTS CONSTRUCTION CORPORATION LTD(A (UT) J&K Govt. Undertaking)

--------------------------------OFFICE OF DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER, MECHANICAL UNIT, JAMMU

Short Term E-NIT Tender NoticeFor and on behalf of the Managing Director JKPCC Ltd., Jammu e-ten-ders are hereby invited vide - E-NIT No: Mech./J/NIT/28 of 2020 Dated:16-07-2020 for Supply, Installation, Testing and Commissioning of mini-mum 320 KVA capacity silent DG set at Rajiv Gandhi hospital Gangyal,Jammu. The details of e-NIT can be seen/downloaded from the depart-mental website www.jktenders.gov.in from Dt: 16-07-2020 from 1800Hrs to Dt: 25-07-2020 upto 1600 Hrs i.e. last date of submission of online bid is 25-07-2020 upto 1600 hrs.

Sd/-(Er. K.K.Padotra)Deputy General Manager,

JKPCC Ltd., Mechanical Unit,Jammu.

No: JKPCC/Mech./J/608-15Dt: 15-07-2020DIPJ-902

SXfáÑXe¹f ¸ff³f½f Ad²fIYfSX Af¹fû¦fNational Human Rights CommissionManav Adhikar Bhawan, Block-C, INA, New Delhi-110023E-mail : [email protected] Website : www.nhrc.nic.in

Invitation for Expression of Interest for Research ProjectsNHRC, a statutory body constituted under the Protection of HumanRights Act, 1993, invites Expression of Interest (EOI) from reputedresearch institutions, universities, NGOs devoted to the espousal of thecause of human rights, for undertaking research projects/ studies onvarious human rights themes/ thrust areas. For details about theeligibility, themes/ thrust areas, application format, research guidelines,etc., please visit our Website: www.nhrc.nic.inThe eligible institutions/ organizations may submit the proposal online inthe prescribed format to the Joint Director (Research) on the email [email protected] last date of submission of research proposal is 14th August,2020 up to 05:00 p.m. davp 53101/11/0003/2021

CSIR- NATIONAL PHYSICALLABORATORY

Dr. K.S. Krishnan Marg, PusaNew Delhi-110012

Press brief NIT (04/0160/2018-W&S) (AC)Item rate tenders in two cover (stage) system. are hereby invited, online throughe-tendering portal https://etenders.gov.in for thg below mentioned work.

Date of submission/opening of tenders: 25/07/2020, 5:30PM/ 27/07/2020, 11:00 AM.For details please log on website https://etenders.gov.in & www.nplindia.org.Corrigendum addendum if any will be on website only.

Sd/-davp 36209/11/0002/2021 Sr. S.E. & Head, W&S

Name of workEstimated

Cost (In lacs)EMD/Tender Fee

as per NITTime of

Completion

Civil, Elect. & AC works forQuantum Nano Photonics Met.Activity at CSIR NPL-S.I.T.C. ofCentral AC Plant at R. No. 30,Incl. CAMC.

Rs 17.420Rs. 35,000/-

Rs. 500/-60 Days

Office of

Executive Engineer B&R Division HPPWD, Joginder NagarHimachal Pradesh Public Works Department, Mandi-175015

Phone No. 01908-222033 E-Mail: [email protected]

e-PROCUREMENT NOTICE

INVITATION FOR BIDS (ITB)

The Executive Engineer, B&R Division, HPPWD, Joginder Nagar on behalf of Governor of HimachalPradesh invited the online bids on item rate, in electronic tendering system, in 2 cover system for theunder mentioned work from the eligible and approved contractors/firms registered with HPPWDdepartment:-Sr. Name of Work Estimated EMD Cost of Eligible TimeNo. Cost Tender class of Limit

contractors

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7)

1. ` 48,45,035/- ` 97,000/- ` 2000/- Class C & ThreeB Months

(90 days)

Construction of 180.00 metre span RCC Bridge overBeas River at Sandha in District Mandi (H.P.) underNABARD Project RIDF-XVII (Sub Head:- Constructionof approaches R/wall at Sandha side)

2. Availability of Bid Documents and mode of submission:- The bid document is available online and bid shouldbe submitted online on website htt://hptenders.gov.in.The bidder would be required to register in the website whichis free of cost. For submission of the bids, the bidder is required to have Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) fromone of the authorized Certifying Authorities (CA) “Aspiring bidders who have not obtained the user ID and pass-word for participating in e-tendering in HPPWD may obtain the same from the website: htt://hptenders.gov.in.Digital signature is mandatory to participate in the e-tendering Bidders already possessing the digital signatureissued from authorized CAs can use the same in this tender.

3. Key Dates:-

1. Date of online Publication: - 15/07/2020 10:00 Hrs.

2. Document Download Start and end date:- 20/07/2020 10:00 Hrs upto 06/08/2020 17:00 Hrs

3. Bid Submission start and end date:- 20/07/2020 10:00 Hrs upto 06//08/2020 17:00 Hrs

4. Physical submission of EMD and cost of tender document on or before the time and date of submission ofbids: - 07/08/2020 upto 11:00 A.M.

5. Date of Technical Bid opening will be 07/08/2020 11:30 AM, Evaluation of technical bid opening and financialbid opening will follow on accordingly.

4. Tender Details:- The tender documents shall be uploaded online in 2 cover.

i) Cover 1:- Shall contain scanned copies of all “Technical Documents/Eligibility information.

ii) Cover 2:- Shall contain “BOQ/Financial Bids” where contractor will quote his offer for each item.

5. Submission of Original Documents:- The bidders are required to submit (a) original demand draft towards thecost of bid document and (b) Original bid security / Earnest Money Deposited (EMD) and other technicalDocuments in O/O the Executive Engineer, B&R Division HP.PWD. Joginder Nagar District Mandi (H.P) on orbefore the time and date of submission of bids failing which the bids shall be declared non-responsive. No physi-cal documents will be accepted after the closing date & time of submission of bids.

6. Bid Opening Detail:- The bids shall be opened on 07/08/2020 11:30 Hrs. in the office of Executive Engineer B&RDivision HP.PWD. Joginder Nagar District Mandi (H.P) by the authorized officer in their interest the tenderer areadvised to be present along with original documents as the specified in Key dates at Sr. No. 4. If the office hap-pens to be closed on the date of opening of the bids as specified, the bids will be opened on the next working dayat the same time and venue.

7. The bids for the work shall remain valid for acceptance for a period not less than 120 days after the deadline datefor bid submission.

8. Other details can be seen in the bidding documents. The officer inviting tender shall not be held liable for any delaydue to system failure beyond its control. Even though the system will attempt to notify the bidders of any bidupdates, the employer shall not be liable for any information not received by the bidder. It is the bidder’s responsi-bility to verify the website for the latest information related to the tender.

9. In addition to instructions for use of standard form in bidding documents the bidder should upload the followinginformation also.

(i) Total annual volume of Civil Engineering construction work executed and payment received in the last five yearproceeding this year duly verified by the Chartered Accountant

Executive Engineer,B&R Division HP PWD,

Joginder NagarDistrict Mandi (HP) on behalf ofGovernor of Himachal Pradesh

Ph. 01908-2220331623/HP

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80,000.00

GOVERNMENT OF MAHARASHTRA

OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE ENGINEERPUBILC WORKS (ELECTRICAL) DIVISION,

Bandhkam Sankul Bunglow No.39/1.Civil line ,[email protected] Telephone No-0712-2560589

(Online) E-Tender from appropriate Class Registered Electrical Contractor forfollowing works in B-1 Format are invited by Executive Engineer, Public Works(Electrical) Division, Nagpur (Tel.Ph.0712- 2560856) for the follwing works fromthe Bidder who satisfy the qualifying Criteria. The tender documents should bedownloaded from the Government website http://mahatenders.gov.in. The compe-tent authority reserves the right to reject/accept any or all the tenders.Conditionaltenders will not be accepted.

Name of Work :1) Estimate No. 2183/CND/2019- 20 SUPPLYAND INSTALLATIONSOPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF ACTIVE STEREO 3D DIGITAL PLANE-TARIUM SYSTEM, 12 M FRP DOME, WITH 05 YEAR AMC FOR BOTANICALGARDEN AT VISAPUR, TAH. BALLARPUR, DISTT. CHANDRAPUR.

Estimated Cost : Rs.12,32,41,800/-

Document Download/Sale Period : Date. 23/07/2020 from 11.00 pm To Date.17/08/2020 upto 18.00 pm

Prebid Meeting Date & Place : 11/08/2020 @ 12.00 pm Office of the ChiefEngineer (Electrical), 3rd floor, Bandhkam Bhawan, Marzban Road, Fort, Mumbai400 001

Bid Opening Date:20/08/2020 after 11.00 pm (If Possible) and SuperintendentEngineer (Elect), Nagpur Region Electrical Circle, PWD., Nagpur

All information about E-Tender is available on following website.1. https://mahatenders.gov.in

(If there will be change in E-Tender Notice, it will be informed on abovewebsite)

2. Notice Board of office of the Executive Engineer, Public Works (Electrical)Division, Nagpur.

3. Criteria of post qualification is included in the work agree

ON/EE/NGP /TC/2149 12020Date:15/07/2020

sd/-(M.R.Patil)

Executive Engineer,Public Works Electrical Division, Nagpur

Davp /383/2020

E-Tender Notice No. 20 /2020-21

Government of RajasthanDIRECTORATE OF CIVIL AVIATION

State VIP Hangar, Sanganer Airport, Jaipur- 302011Telefax: 0141-2550543 Email: [email protected]

Ref. No. F. 3 (10) DCA/2020/319 Dated: 13.07.2020

E-BidE-bids are invited from DGCA approved Operators/Owners having valid SOP/NSOP/AOP for hiring of a Multi-engine Mid SizeTurbine Jet (turbofan) Aircraft on short Term Contract.The details are as under:-

Detailed terms and conditions and other documents can be downloaded from the website http://www.eproc.rajasthan.gov.inand also can be seen on http://sppp.rajasthan.gov.in. Bidders are required to submit bid security, bid form fee and processingfee offline in physical mode in this office on or before 1200 hours on 03.08.2020 and scanned copies of the same need to beuploaded with the bids otherwise bid will be rejected. Also, Bidder should be in possession of a valid Digital signature Certificate(DSC) of Class III for online submission of bids. Prior to bidding DSC need to be registered on the web site mentioned above.For free of cost training of e-bidding process, if required and for any other assistance bidder may contact to the helpdesk (eproccell) at Tel. 1800 3070 2232, 0141-4022688 or mobile Nos. 7878007972/7878007973 or mail at [email protected]

Sd/-(Capt. Keshri Singh)

DCA 2021SLDB00010 Director

d 12 10hRLY(29)

S.No.

Name of work Durationof

Contract

EstimatedValue

Bid FormFee (in

Rs.)

Bidsecurity

Fee

BidPublish/Sale date

Last date &Time of bidSubmission

TechnicalBid

OpeningDate

FinancialBid

1 Hiring of a Multiengine Mid sizeTurbine Jet(turbofan)Aircraft on Shortterm contract

04 months 900.00lacs

1000.00 18.00 lacs 13.07.2020 03.08.2020upto 12.00

Noon

03.08.2020at 03.00

PM

To beintimated

accordingly

HIMACHAL PRADESHPUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT

“CORRIGENDUM”

The on-line tenders for the work namely C/o140.00mtrs. Span Double Lane Bridge across MoulKhad on Hamirpur Sujanpur Thural Maranda roadat RD 31/540 under CRF Job No. CRF-HP-2018-19-152(SH:- C/o 105.50 mtrs. span PSC BoxGirder bridge i/c approaches and temporary diver-sion for plying of vehicular traffic invited vide thisoffice N.I.T. No. PWD/BWD/T.A/NIT/2019-20/5380-5438 dated 06/07/2020 published vide R.O. No.1419/2020-2021(Classified)dated09/07/2020 inWeekly Giriraj Shimla are hereby postponedin viewof CWP No.2118/2020.

Executive EngineerHPPWD Division Bhawarna

Pin-176083, Tel:01894-247777e-mail: [email protected]

on behalf of Governor of H.PHIM SUCHANA AVAM JAN SAMPARK1651/HP

WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COMTHEINDIANEXPRESS,SATURDAY, JULY18,202016

New Delhi

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17WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COMTHEINDIANEXPRESS,SATURDAY, JULY18,2020

RECRUITMENT OF PARAMEDICAL STAFF IN CENTRAL RESERVEPOLICE FORCE

Help line No. 011-26160255 Opening Date 20.07.2020 Closing Date: 31.08.2020

Central Reserve Police Force is conducting recruitment for the various posts of Paramedical Staff Applications are invited frommale & female Indian citizens for filling up the combatised posts of group”B” and “C” non-ministerial, non-gazetted, combatisedParamedical staff in Central Reserve Police Force on All India basis. The posts are temporary but likely to become permanent.Details are as under:

1. VACANCIES NOTIFIED FOR MALE/FEMALE CANDIDATES:Sl.No.

Post Group UR OBC SC ST EWS Total Scale of Pay

1. Inspector (Dietician) Group-B 1 0 0 0 0 1 Level -7 (44900-142400)2. Sub-Inspector (Staff Nurse) 81 40 26 11 17 175 Level -6 (35400-112400)3. Sub-Inspector (Radiographer) 4 3 1 0 0 8 Level -6 (35400-112400)4. Assistant Sub-Inspector

(Pharmacist)Group-C 35 17 14 10 8 84 Level -5 (29200-92300)

5. Assistant Sub-Inspector(Physiotherapist)

2 0 2 1 0 5 Level -5 (29200-92300)

6. Assistant Sub-Inspector (DentalTechnician)

3 0 0 1 0 4 Level -5 (29200-92300)

7. Assistant Sub-Inspector(Laboratory Technician)

28 15 10 5 6 64 Level -5 (29200-92300)

8. Assistant Sub-Inspector /ElectroCardiography Technician

1 0 0 0 0 1 Level -5 (29200-92300)

9. Head Constable (PhysiotherapyAssistant/Nursing Assistant/Medic)

35 25 13 6 9 88 Level-4 (25500-81100)

10. Head Constable (ANM/Midwife) 3 0 0 0 0 3 Level-4 (25500-81100)

11. Head Constable (DialysisTechnician)

5 2 1 0 0 8 Level-4 (25500-81100)

12. Head Constable (Junior X-rayAssistant)

35 23 12 6 8 84 Level-4 (25500-81100)

13. Head Constable (LaboratoryAssistant)

4 0 1 0 0 5 Level-4 (25500-81100)

14. Head Constable (Electrician) 1 0 0 0 0 1 Level-4 (25500-81100)

15. Head Constable (Steward) 3 0 0 0 0 3 Level-4 (25500-81100)

16. Constable (Masalchi) 2 1 1 0 0 4 Level-3 (21700-69100)17. Constable (Cook) 44 33 20 7 12 116 Level-3 (21700-69100)18. Constable (Safai Karamchari) 50 39 12 8 12 121 Level-3 (21700-69100)

19. Constable (Dhobi/Washerman) 2 3 0 0 0 5 Level-3 (21700-69100)20. Constable (W/C) 3 0 0 0 0 3 Level-3 (21700-69100)

21. Constable (Table Boy) 1 0 0 0 0 1 Level-3 (21700-69100)

VETERINARY

1. Head Constable (Veterinary) Group-C 3 0 0 0 0 3 Level-4 (25500-81100)

2. Head Constable (LabTechnician)

1 0 0 0 0 1 Level-4 (25500-81100)

3. Head Constable (Radiographer) 1 0 0 0 0 1 Level-4 (25500-81100)

Note: Detail notification is available on CRPF website www.crpf.gov.in and in e-Employment News paper Dated 18.07.2020.

Sd/- 25.06.20(Manoj Dhyani)

davp 19140/11/0003/2021 DIG Recruitment CRPF

COMPETITON COMMISSION OF INDIA8th floor, Block-1. Kidwai Nagar (East)

New Delhi-110023

Engagement of Allopathic and HomeopathicMedical Practitioner on a Part –time contractbasis.

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) a StatutoryAuthority to promote Competition in markets in India, intendsto engage the services of qualified and experiencedAllopathic and Homeopathic doctors on part time ContractBasis. The last date for receipt of applications in CCI is31.07.2020. For detailed advertisement, eligibility criteriaand experience etc. please visit our website:www.cci.gov.in and look for the caption ‘Career’.

davp 07112/11/0003/2021

i12 10hRLY(16)

Fair CompetitionFor Greater Good

Ministry of Finance(Department of Revenue)

(CENTRAL ECONOMIC INTELLIGENCE BUREAU)(COFEPOSA WING)

ORDERNew Delhi, the 17th March, 2020

S.O.1118(E). -Whereas the joint Secretary to the Governement of India, speciallyempowered under sub-section(1) of Section 3 of the Conservation of ForeignExchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974 (52 of 1974) issuedOrder No. PD-12001/02/2020-COFEPOSA dated 21.01.2020 under the said sub-section directing that Shri Amit Pal Singh, S/o Shri Bhupinder Singh, R/o ED-118,First Floor, Tagore Garden, New Delhi-110027 be detained and kept in Tihar Jail,New Delhi with a view to preventing him from smuggling goods, abetting thesmuggling of goods and engaging in transporting or concealing or keeping smuggledgoods, in future.2. Whereas the Central Government has reasons to believe that the aforesaidperson has absconded or has been concealing himself so that the said Order cannotbe executed.3. Now, therefore, in execrise of the powers conferred by clause (b) of sub-section(1)of Section 7 of the said Act, the Central Government hereby directs the aforesaidperson to appear before the Commissioner of Police, Government of NCT of Delhi,within 7 days of the publication of this Order in the Official Gazette.

[F.No. PD-12001/02/2020-COFEPOSA]davp 15405/11/0002/2021 RAVI PRATAP SINGH Jt. Secy.

·ffSX°f ÀfSXIYfS/GOVT. OF INDIAIY»ff½f°fe ÀfSX³f ¶ff»f AÀ´f°ff»f/Kalawati Saran Children’s Hospital

No. KSCH/RR Cell/257/20-21/2473 Dated: 08.07.20VACANCY NOTICE

ADDENDUM¸fWX°½f´fc¯fÊ Àfc¨f³ff: ¹fW ·f°feÊ ³fûdMÀf I »ff½f°fe ÀfS³f d¨f»Oѳf AÀ´f°ff»f I e Afd²fI fdSI ½fZ¶fÀffBM ´fS dQ³ffaI 18 ¸fBÊ 2020 I û ·fe ´fiQdVfÊ°f dI ¹ff ¦f¹ff ±ffÜ BÀf Àf¸¶f³²f ¸fZÔ Àf¸fÀ°f Af½fZQ³fI °ffÊAûÔ I û ¹fWd³fQZÊdVf°f dI ¹ff ªff°ff W` dI dªf³f A·¹f±feÊ ³fZ ´fW»fZ A´f³ff E´»feIZ Vf³f R fg¸fÊ ½fZ¶fÀffBM ´fS ´fiQdVfÊ°f d½fÄff´f³f IZ ¸ff²¹f¸f ÀfZ ªf¸ff/A´»ffBÊ I S dQ¹ff W`, C³fWZÔ dR S ÀfZ Qû¶ffSf A´»ffBÊ / R f¸fÊ ªf¸ff I S³fZ I e

ªf÷ S°f ³fWeÔ W`Ü BÀf Àf¸¶f³²f ¸fZÔ ÀfaÀ±ff³f I û Qû¶ffSf A´»ffBÊ/R fg¸fÊ ªf¸ff Af½fZQ³fûÔ I û d³fSÀ°f I S³fZ I f Ad²fI fS Wû¦ffÜ Àf¸fÀ°f ´fQûÔ IZ Af½fZQ³fûÔ I û ªf¸ff I S³fZ I e Aad°f¸f °ffSe£f Sûªf¦ffS Àf¸ff¨ffS ¸fZÔ BÀf

d½fÄff´f³f IZ ´fiI fdVf°f Wû³fZ IZ 21 dQ³f °fI We ¸ff³¹f W`Ü

IMPORTANT NOTE: THE SAME VACANCY NOTICE WAS EARLIER UPLOADED ON THE HOSPITAL WEBSITE LHMC-HOSP.GOV.IN ON 18TH MAY 2020. ALL THOSE CANDIDATES WHO HAVE EARLIER APPLIED IN ANY OF THE FOLLOWINGPOST NEED NOT APPLY AGAIN OTHERWISE INSTITUTION HAVE A RIGHT TO CANCEL THEIR APPLICATION IN CASE OFRESUBMISSION OF APPLICATION FORM. HOWEVER, THE LAST DATE OF SUBMISSION OF APPLICATION FORMS FOR ALLTHE POSTS WILL BE WITHIN 21 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THIS ADVERTISEMENT IN EMPLOYMENTNEWSPAPER.Applications are invited from eligible Indian Citizens for filling up the following posts in Kalawati Saran Children’s Hospital, New Delhi.

For further details regarding eligibility criteria and other information etc. Please visit the hospital website lhmc-hosp.gov.in-Sd-

(Addl. Medical Supdt.), KSC Hospital, New Delhidavp 17146/11/0001/2021

SN Name of the Post/Pay Scale Level No. Of Posts/Category01 Medical Social Welfare Officer/ Social Worker (MSWO) Pay Scale: Level-6 as per 7th CPC 01 (One) - UR02 X-Ray Technician (XRT) Pay Scale: Level - 5 as per 7th CPC 02 (Two) UR=01, EWS=0103 Post: Haemodialysis Technician (HTs) Pay Scale: Level - 4 as per 7th CPC 04 (Four) - UR-3, OBC-104 Post: Data Entry (Technician) (DET) Pay Scale: Level - 4 as per 7th CPC 01 (One) - UR05 Post: Dark Room Assistant (DRA) Pay Scale: Level - 3 as per 7th CPC 01 (One) - UR06 Post: Nursing Attendant (NAs) Pay Scale: Level - 1 as per 7th CPC

(Note: Backlog vacancies of ST/OBC/EWS)16 (Sixteen) ST=02, OBC=09,EWS=05

07 Post: Dhobi (Dho) Pay Scale: Level - 1 as per 7th CPC 02 (Two) - URINDIAN STATISTICAL INSTITUTE203, B. T. ROAD, KOLKATA — 700108

ADMISSION 2020-21: IMPORTANT NOTICEISI ADMISSION TEST 2020, which had earlier been rescheduled to August 02, 2020,will be conducted on Sunday, SEPTEMBER 20, 2020.During JULY 20-25, 2020, the ISI Application Portal will be reopened to enableo fresh applications for the Admission Test from previously unregistered individualso log-in by candidates who had registered previously to complete the application process,

update centre preferences, upload pending documents and complete payment ofapplication fee, as required.

For online application and further details, please visit the official ISI Admission websitehttp://www.isical.ac.in/~admission.

Online Application Portal ReopensApplication Portal ClosesISI ADMISSION TESTdavp 39103/11/0011/2021

20 July, 202025 July, 202020 SEPTEMBER, 2020

Dean of Studies

GOVERNNENT OF INDIAMINISTRY OF PERSONNEL,

PUBLIC GRIEVANCES & PENSIONS(DEPARTMENT OF PERSONNEL & TRAINING)

Applications are invited for the post of Vigilance Commissioner in theCentral Vigilance Commission.

The details of eligibility, etc. and the proforma for sending particularsfor consideration for the post may be downloaded from theDepartment of Personnel and Training website:www.persmin.nic.in. The last date of receipt of applications in theDepartment is 17th August, 2020.

davp 32201/11/0003/2021

New Delhi

Page 19: The lockdown to contain the coronavirus outbreak has - AWS

18 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COMTHEINDIANEXPRESS,SATURDAY, JULY18,2020

HARYANA PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSIONBAYS NO. 1-10, BLOCK-B, SECTOR-4, PANCHKULA

ANNOUNCEMENTIt is hereby announced for the general information to the

candidates who were scheduled to appear before theCommission for Viva-Voce on 20.07.2020, 21.07.2020 &22.07.2020 for the Post of Assistant LabourCommissioner in Labour Department, AssistantPrefessor (College Cadre) in the subjects of ComputerScience, Psychology, Public Administration &Sociology in Higher Education Department, DrugControl officer in Health Department, DistrictHorticulture Officer and Horticulture DevelopmentOfficer in Horticulture Department that the Commissionhas decided to postpone the scheduled interviews till furtherorder. New dates/schedule shall be announced soon.

This announcement is also available on the Commission’swebsite i.e. http.//hpsc.gov.in.

Sd/-Dated: 16.07.2020 Deputy Secretary,

Haryana Public Service Commission,Panchkula.81806/HRY

LLOOSSTT&&FFOOUUNNDD

EEDDUUCCAATTIIOONNAALL

SSmmttManisha spouseof no15495955wswrkapil Kumarunit 85armd regt declared thatinmyhusband’s servicedocumentmyDOBwaserroneously publishedas01/01/1989MycorrectDOB is20/01/1989 so I have changedmyDOB20/01/1989 inmyhusband’s servicedocument.

0040542057-1

IItt is notified that I,LubnaSadafW/O-AsimAhmedKhanR/O-3899,3rd-Floor, Khirki-TafazulHussain,KalanMahal,DaryaGanj,Delhi-110002,I AmCorrectingMyNameOfMySon’s Passport LubnaSadafKhanToLubnaSadaf.Hereafter LubnaSadafwill BeCorrectNameForHisFuture,Purposes. 40542126-5

II,,Wasiullah s/oMotiur rehmanR/o-H-780, KhaddaColony,JaitPur Extn.,Part-2, BadarPur,Delhi-110044, have changedmyname toMohdWasiullahPermanently. 0040542114-5

II,,Vishal SaxenaS/oKailashKumarSaxenaR/o Flat.No-202,KH.No.506, VillageBijwasanDelhi-110061 changedmyname toVishal KumarSaxena.

0040542126-3

II,,VeenaGanjooW/oAmit KaulR/oC-89, Sector-52, Noida,G.B.Nagar, U.P.-201301, Havechangedmyname toVeenaKaul Permanently.

0040542106-1

II,,UmeshKumar s/oHarsawrupR/o-J-4/37D, First-Floor,Flat.No-B-2, Khirki-Extn.,Malviya-Nagar, Delhi-110017,have changedmyname toUmeshVatsPermanently. 0040542114-7

II,,UmeraAlimuddin Syed,W/oAlimuddinKarimuddin Syed,R/o 1206, Tower-28, 12thFloor,LotusBoulevard, NoidaSector-100, GautamBudhNagar, U.P.-201301havechangedmyname fromUmeraSyed toUmeraAlimuddin Syedfor allpurposes. 0070708885-1

II,,Sunil Saraswat,R/o-MohanNagar,BarolaByePass,Aligarh,Uttar Pradesh-202001, have changed thenameofmyminor son fromPrateek toPrateekSaraswatfor all purposes.videaffidavitno.96AD608508. 0040542130-2

II,,SonuKasana s/oVedpalKasanaR/o-F-94, ChhuriyaMohalla, Tekhand-Village,Okhla, Ph-1,Delhi-110020havechangedmyname toSonuPermanently. 0040542114-6

II,,Sindhu John D/oOonnunnyJohn W/o-Crise Jacob,R/o-Flat.No.29, Ground-Floor, Lilac-A-2,South-City-2,Sector-49,Gurugram(Haryana)-122018,have changedmyname to SindhuCriseJacob,for all,purposes.

0040542114-8

II,,GauravSharmaS/o.ShriSushil Kumar Sharma,R/o.H.No.327, Sector-28,Faridabad,Haryana-121008,have changemynametoGauravSushil Sharma,forall purposes. 0040542130-5

II,, SONIKUMARIW/O-NO-14672061FCFNMANISHKUMAR,VILL-SANTKABIRNAGARP.O JADHUA, TEH-HAJIPUR,DIST-VAISHALIBIHAR-844102,MYACTUAL-DOB,IS 02/02/1995INSTEAD,OF,02/02/1994,VIDE-AFFIDAVITDATE,15-JUL2020,BEFOREMADANLALGUPTA,(DELHI). 0040542126-8

II,,SHALINI KUMARI,Daughterof,Sh.RakeshKumar,Presently, Residingat,L-7/95,ShradhaPuri,Phase-I,KankerKhera,Meerut-250001,UttarPradesh.have changedmyname,fromSHALINI KUMARI toSHALINI vide-affidavit dated-17.07.2020before-NationalCapital Territory ofDelhi.

0040542114-10

II,,SARLADEVI,W/O,OF JC-771663F,NBSUBRAJ SINGHR/O-VILL&POGUDHANA,DIST-GURUGRAM,(HR)MY,ACTUALDOB,IS 5,MAY-1976,INSTEAD17-JUL 1977,VIDE,AFFIDAVITDATED,15-JUL 2020,BEFOREMADANLALGUPTA,(DELHI).

0040542126-10

II,,SARALADEVI,W/O-OF JC-771663FNBSUBRAJSINGH,R/O-VILL&POGUDHANA,DIST-GURUGRAM,(HR)HAVECHANGEDMY,NAMEFROMSARALADEVI,TOSARLADEVI,VIDE-AFFIDAVIT,DATED15-JUL 2020,BEFOREMADANLALGUPTA(DELHI).

0040542126-9

II,,RAVI S/O JAI SINGHR/OB-4/6,DDUCOMPLEX,HARINAGAR,DELHI-110064. HAVECHANGEDMYNAMETORAVIRAJPUT. 0040542130-1

II,,RAHULKIRARS/OSANTRAMR/O-R-9 SHOP,MARKET.NO.2,RAGHUBIR-NAGAR, DELHI-27,have changedmyname toRAHUL. 0040542114-4

II,,Pankhuri D/O-Mansi GoyalSinghandPuranSingh, R/o-House.No.D-11/2, 2nd-Floor,DLF-Exclusive Floors,DLF-5,Gurugram,Haryana-122009,have changedmyname,fromPankhuri Goyal toPankhuri,for all,futurepurpose. 0040542130-6

II,,NEELAMRANI W/ODEVENDRASINGH, R/o-RZ-7C/211-212, J-BLOCK,GALI. NO-3,WEST-SAGARPUR, DELHI-110046, have changedmyname to NEELAMSINGH.

0040542114-3

II,,MishikaDhingraD/oGurmeetSinghDhingraR/o-C-114,Ground-Floor, Kirtinagar,N.Delhi-15 have changedmyname toMishikaKaurDhingra.

0040542126-1

ClassifiedsPPEERRSSOONNAALL

II,,MdHasnain S/oAnwarAli R/oMohammadpurPojha, PO-Babhantoli, Bhagwanpur,Vaishali, Bihar-844114, thatnameofmy father andmotherhasbeenwronglywrittenasMdAnwarandSamsaKhatoonrespectively inmyEducationalDocuments. Theactual nameofmy father andmother isAnwarAli andBibi Salmarespectively . 0070708845-1

II,,MadhuBala,W/O-Shri DeepakRikhi, R/O-B-6/27, Second-floor, Sector-15,Rohini, Delhi-110089, have changedmynametoMadhuRikhi. 0040542126-7

II,,Gurjit Kaur SachdevaW/oGurcharanSinghR/oFlat.No.28-CNP-BlockPitampuraDelhi-110034havechangedmyname toGurjeetkaur. 0040542126-4

II,,Deepanshu, S/O-Shri AshokKumar, R/O-G-112,NewSaraswati Appartment, Sector-9, Rohini, Delhi-110085, havechangedmyname toDeepanshuChutani.

0040542126-6

II,,AzizuddinAlimuddin Syed, S/oAlimuddinKarimuddin Syed,R/o 1206, Tower-28, 12thFloor,LotusBoulevard, NoidaSector-100,GautamBudhNagar, U.P.-201301havechangedmynamefromAzizuddin SyedtoAzizuddinAlimuddin Syedfor all purposes. 0070708883-1

II,,AzimuddinAlimuddin Syed,S/oAlimuddinKarimuddinSyed, R/o 1206, Tower-28,12thFloor, LotusBoulevard,NoidaSector-100,GautamBudhNagar, U.P.-201301havechangedmyname fromAzimuddin Syed toAzimuddinAlimuddin Syed for allpurposes. 0070708882-1

II,,AlkaZandari D/oRamParshadMahajanR/o-10-DHimalayaLegend,NyayKhand-1IndirapuramGhaziabad-201014,HaveChangedMyNameToAlka. 0040542114-2

II,,AliyaZandari D/oHamidZandari R/o-10-DHimalayaLegend,NyayKhand-1IndirapuramGhaziabad-201014,HaveChangedMyNameToAliya. 0040542114-1

IITejal DeepakMetri D/oDeepakRamdasMetri R/oHouseno-F-F-7, Agali Estate, Agali,MargaoTownSalcete, SouthGoa-403602, have changedmynametoQuinnScott. 0070708864-1

IISatvinderKaurW/o JatinderSinghThukral R/oWZ-24B, SPMukherjeePark, Near TilakNagar, NewDelhi-110018changedmyname toSatvinderKaur Thukral. 0070708876-1

IIRamanpreet SinghS/O-JaspalSinghR/O-C-57-B,TilakVihar,TilakNagar, S.O,Delhi-110018, changedmyname toIsrael Abraham.I Don’tWannaChangeMyReligion.

0040542126-2

IIPushpaKumari D/oKesharSinghR/oHouseNo-714, SanjayEnclavenaglaRoad, Sector-22,NIT Faridabad,Haryana-121005, have changedmynametoPaavi Chaudhary

0070708879-1

IIPradip SinghS/oPiara SinghThukral R/oWZ-24B, SPMukherjeePark, Near TilakNagar, NewDelhi-110018changedmyname toPradipSinghThukral. 0070708873-1

IIPayal ChoudharyW/oVickyVermaR/oHouseNo-6,Wardno-22, Tarapuri VishnuNagar,JagadhriworkshopYamunaNagar, Haryana-135002, havechangedmyname to LovelyVerma. 0070708836-1

IIParasNathYadavS/oSarajuYadavR/oAmghatGhazipur,Jashdeopur, UP-233231, havechangedmyname toParasNathKumar. 0070708868-1

IIMohdBasit S/O,MohdAyyubKhanR/oH.no 1731 StreetChandiWali Pahari Bhojala,Delhi -110006havechangedmyname toAbdul Basit for allpurposes. 0040542059-1

IILakhanSinghS/oBadamSinghPathakR/oVamanpura, Agra,UP-283122, have changedmyname to LaxmanSingh.

0070708830-1

IIHemantKumar S/oKrishan LalWadhwaR/oHouseNo-27,GopalNagar, FatehNagar, TilakNagar, Delhi-110018, havechangedmyname toHemantWadhwa. 0070708824-1

IIGinniMatharuAliasGuneetKaurD/oParmeet SinghandW/oPuneet SinghMakanR/oG-12B, VijayNagar Single Storey,GTBNagar, Delhi-110009, havechangedmyname toGuneetKaur. 0070708846-1

IICharanSinghAliasCharanSinghDeol S/oMukhtiar SinghR/o 780,Wardno-19, BakkarKhanaRoad, Khanna,Ludhiana, Punjab-141401, havechangedmyname toCharanSinghDeol. 0070708844-1

IIChamanS/oSh.NareshKumarR/o 220/1B, Gali No.4, PadamNagar, Delhi-110007havechangedmyname toReyanshBhardwaj for all purposes.

0040542103-1

IIBhanwari JanguD/oNandRamR/oChak 1 LM,HanumanNagar,Makeri, Delitalai,Bikaner, Rajasthan-334023,have changedmyname toBhawna. 0070708843-1

IIAzhar S/oRizwanKhanR/o9/370KhichripurDelhi-110091havechangedmy name toAzharKhan for all purposes.

0040542114-9

IIAnjali AliasAnjali KanojiaD/O,SanjayR/o 5510, B-block, StreetNo. 115/18, NearGurudwara,SantNagar, Burari, NewDelhi-110084havechangedmynametoAnjali for all purposes.

0040542110-1

IIRajuRamS/oKumbhaRamR/oAagoreChohtanBarmer,Rajasthan-344702, havechangedmyname toRajivBhakar. 0070708833-1

II Anant Kumar SinghS/oKalikaSinghR/oHouseno-114A,Yuvarajpur, TehZamania, Dist-Ghazipur, UP-232332, havechangedmyname toAnandSingh. 0070708847-1

I, AbhishekYadavS/oVinodKumarR/o LIG-237, Sector-16B,Pocket-3C, Dwarka, Delhi-110078, that nameofmy fatherandmother hasbeenwronglywrittenasVinodYadavandSeemaYadav respectively inmyEducational Documents.Theactual nameofmy fatherandmother isVinodKumarandSeemaRoy respectively

0070708840-1

IItt is notified for the informationthatmyoriginal qualifyingcertificate ofMain Secondaryexaminationof year 2011 rollno. 8195153, AndSeniorSecondary examinationof year2013 roll no. 9170165 issuedbyCBSEhasbeenactually lost.Deepti Yadavd/oDevtadinYadav,H-17/16 SangamViharNewDelhi-110062MobileNo.7982875905. 0040542090-1

AAddmmiissssiioonnss for onlinepart-timelanguagecourses inGerman,Japanese, CommunicativeMarathi and for BA inGermanStudies,MA inGermanStudiesandBA inChineseStudies atDepartment ofGerman,University ofMumbai. Check:www.german-mu.com

0050166610-1

PUBLIC NOTICEMy clients Smt. Amita Barua W/oBabu Lal Barua both R/o H.No. 168B, DDA Flat, Shahpur Jat, AndrewsGanj S.O, South Delhi, Delhi1100049, have severed all relationswith her son namely Sh. PrashantBarua and have disowned &disinherited him from all theirmovable and immovable propertiesdue to their untoward behaviour &conduct. Whosoever dealswiththem in any manner, shall do so athis/ her own risk & consequences.

ANIL SINGH (ADVOCATE)ENRL. D/791/06

DWARKA COURTS, SECTOR 10,DWARKA, DELHI 110075

PUBLIC NOTICEBe it known to all concerned that myclient Smt. Maya Devi W/o Late ShriRan Singh R/o H. No. D-55/1, YadavNagar, Samay Pur, North West Delhi,Delhi- 110042 aged 64 years isdisowning her son Shri Dixit & his wifeSmt. Minakshi from all of her movable &immovable properties. My client is doingso as she is not able to live with herabove mentioned son & his wifebecause of their rude & adamantbehavior & at this stage of life my clientswant to live peacefully; therefore, myclient is severing all her relationshipswith her aforesaid son & his wife.

Sd/- MOHIT KUMAR (ADVOCATE)Office: Chamber No. 321 Civil Wing,

Tis Hazari Courts, Delhi-110054

PUBLIC NOTICEGeneral Public is hereby put to noticethat my client Sh. Raj Kumar S/o Sh.Banwari Lal has entered intoAgreement for Purchase with Sh. AshokKumar S/o Sh. Om Prakash forpurchase of Ground Floor of PropertyNo. B-10, B-Block, Krishna Park, DevliRoad, Khanpur, New Delhi on 13th ofMay, 2016 and presently a suit forspecific performance is pending in thecourt of Sh. Sumit Dass, ADJ-03,South, Saket, New Delhi bearing CSNo. 146/2020 titled as "Raj Kumar VsAshok Kumar". Therefore, it is broughtto notice of one and all that any persondealing with the said property shall bedoing so at his own costs, risks andconsequences.

Sd/-Pankaj Vivek, Advocate

P-33A, P-Block South ExtensionPart-2, New Delhi 110049

Mobile No. 9811215778.

PUBLIC NOTICEMy clients Sh. Deepak Kumar S/o late Sh.Bahadur Singh & Smt. Poonam W/o Sh.Deepak Kumar both R/o E-130R, AshokVihar, Phase-1, Delhi-110052 have sevser allrelations with their sister/sister-in-lawrespectively namely Smt. Arti W/o Sh. MadanMohan R/o E-130R, Ashok Vihar, Phase-1,Delhi-110052, due to her disrespectfulbehaviour, out of control of my clientsdisobedience and commits cruelty upon myclients and their children. My clients have alsodebarred and disowned her from our movableand immovable properties. If anybody dealswith her in any manner, he/she shall do so athis/her own risk, cost and consequences. Myclients shall not be liable or responsible forthe same in any manner.

PRADEEP KUMAR ANANDADVOCATE

153, Deena Nath Road,Roshanara Road, Delhi-110007

PUBLIC NOTICEMy client Maya Devi W/o LateRamchander R/o H. No. C-69,Block-C, Camp No-4, Jwala Puri,Sunder Vihar, West Delhi-110087,has disowned/ debarred hisdaughter-in-law Roshni and herdaughters named Rani, Mehak andHeena, from her movable,immovable property and hassevered all connection due to theirmisbehaviour and out of controlactions. Anybody dealing with them,my clent shall not be responsible fortheir act and conduct.

RAKESH TANWAR (Advocate)B-124, UPPER FLOOR,

BAWA BLOCK,Tis Hazari Courts, Delhi-54

PUBLIC NOTICEThis information for the General Publicthat my client LAXMAN DASS, S/OSHRI SHYAM LAL, R/O H. NO. 2726,CHOWK RAI JI, NAI SADAK,ROSHAN PURA, DELHI-110006,have disowned and disinherited hiswife namely MANJU and his sonnamely KARTIK KASHYAP from allhis movable & immovable properties.And have also severed all his relationsfrom them as they are out of hiscontrol. If anybody deals, relationswith them then my client will not beresponsible in any manner.

SUNIL KUMAR & AMIT NAYYAR(Advocates)

Seat No. 374-375, Gajanand Block,Tis Hazari Courts, Delhi-54

PUBLIC NOTICENotice is given on behalf of myclient Smt. Anita Nayyar w/o Sh.Ashwani Nayyar that the propertyas more particularly described inthe schedule hereunder andsituated at Sector-C, Pocket-8,Vasant Kunj, New Delhi-110070,which is currently owned and inpossession of Sh. Rajeev ChawlaS/o Sh. Vasdev Chawla and Smt.Arti Chaudhary W/o Sh. Sunil DuttChaudhary, has decided to sell thesaid scheduled property to myclient mentioned above.Therefore any person(s) havingany claim in respect of the abovereferred property or part thereof byway of sale, exchange, mortgage,charge, gift, maintenance,inheritance, possession, lease,tenancy, sub tenancy, lien, license,hypothecation, transfer of title orbeneficial interest under any trustright of prescription or pre-emptionor under any agreement or otherdisposition or under any decree,order or Award or otherwiseclaiming, howsoever, are herebyrequested to make the sameknown in writing together withsupporting documents to theundersigned at their office at D-52,Basement, Panchsheel Enclave,New Delhi-110017, within a periodof 14 days (both days in inclusive)of the publication hereof failingwhich the claim of such person(s)will deemed to have been waivedand/or abandoned.

SCHEDULEDDA Built-up freehold SFS Flatno. 8111 on second floor + thirdfloor (duplex) along withscooter garage, category-III,situated at Sector-C, Pocket-8,Vasant Kunj, New Delhi- 110070vide DDA’s file no.F126(847)87/SFS/VK/III.

Sd/- Yajur BhallaAdvocate

Chamber No. 206, CK Dapthary,Block Supreme Court of

India - 110001Date this 18 day of July, 2020Place: New Delhi

PUBLIC NOTICEThis is brought to the notice ofPublic at large that my clientsRohtash S/o Sh. Itwari and RaniDevi W/o. Rohtash Both R/oA-173, A Block, KusumpurPahari, Delhi-110057 havesevered all their relations withtheir son Kishore PreviouslyR/o. A-173, A Block, KusumpurPahari, Delhi-110057 onaccount of his misconduct andinvolvement of criminal cases.My clients are living separatelyfrom their father and any persondealing with him will be doing soat his own cost and risk.

Ashish Upadhayay, Advocate248, Patiala House Court,

New Delhi# 9811215280

PUBLIC NOTICEMY CLIENT VIDHYA DEVI W/OVIJAYPAL AND VIJAYPAL S/O SH.KUNDAN LAL, H.NO. 221, VILLAGESHAHPUR TURK, SEVERE ALLRELATION AND DEBAR HER SON AJAYAND HIS WIFE MAYA AND HISDAUGHTER NAVYA FROM ENTIREMOVABLE-IMMOVABLE PROPERTIESDUE TO HOSTILE BEHAVIOUR. MYCLIENT SHALL NOT BE RESPONSIBLEFOR THEIR ANY ACTS/DEEDS.

Sd/-MANJEET KR. CHAHAL

ADVOCATECHAMBER NO 415 LAWYERS

CHAMBERS ROHINI COURTCOMPLEX ROHINI, DELHI-110085

MOBILE NO: 9467284300/9467103200

PUBLIC NOTICENotice is hereby given to allconcerned that my client Sh.Sardar Gurbachan Singh S/o Lt.Sh. Gurdayal Singh R/o WZ-94,Gali No. 11, Krishna Park, TilakNagar, Delhi-110018, hasdisowned/ debarred/ discarded hisreal daughter Nancy @ RachpreetKaur, from his assets due to theirmisbehavior, disobedience, illegalactivities, also ceased all hisrelations with her, any personwhosoever deals with her shall doat his/her their own risks/ cost/consequences.

Vimal Tripathi (Advocate)Off:- 373, Ground Floor, Pocket-4,

Sec-22, Rohini Delhi.

PUBLIC NOTICE

It is to be notified that my clients ShVinod Kumar s/o late Sh. PuranChand and Smt. Jasbir w/o Sh.Vinod Kumar both R/o 56/20, OldRajinder Nagar, New Delhi - 110060,bo th sen io r c i t i zens , haved is inher i ted , d isowned anddebarred their son namely Mr. VarunKumar aged 37 years and his wifeMs. Bainey, who are residingseparately from all their movableand immovable properties and havesevered all social ties with them. Mr.Varun Kumar and his wife havefailed to fulfill their obligationstowards my clients, in capacity ofthey being their children and havedeserted them in their old age. Theydo not have kind of right, title orinterest in any of our properties.Rajesh Kumar Sharma Advocate

Chamber No. 435, Civil Wing,Tis Hazari Courts, Delhi-110054

PUBLIC NOTICEKNOW ALL MEN that my client Sh. SUKHPAL S/OSH. ABHAY RAM R/O H. No. 124, NEW ROSHANPURA VILLAGE NAJAFGARH, NEW DELHI-110043, have severed all his relations with his sonSonu Kumar and his wife Smt. Suman and hisdaughter Kayra, and also another son namelySUNNY and his wife Smt. Rani all R/o H. No. 124,NEW ROSHAN PURA VILLAGE NAJAFGARH,NEW DELHI-110043, disowned, discard anddisinherit all of them from all my client’s movableand immovable properties with immediate effect,as all of them are not under my control.Henceforth, anyone dealing with all of them shallbe doing so at his /her own risks andconsequences.

Sd/-(HARSH VARDHAN TYAGI)

ADVOCATEEnrl. No. D/2160/06

Ch. No. 313, Lawyers ChamberDwarka Courts, New Delhi-75

Mob: 9871786494

PUBLIC NOTICEThis General Public is hereby informed thatmy client, SH. RAMCHANDER PRASADSINGH S/O LATE SH. LAHWAR PRASADSINGH R/O D-6/260/1, SECTOR-6, ROHINI,DELHI-110085, has several all relation fromtheir son SH. AJEET KUMAR SINGH andtheir daughter-in-law SMT. SUMAN DEVI.Due to their cruel and harassing behaviortowards my above named client. Now myclient has no domestic relations with themand has disowned them from their all movable& immovable properties. Any person dealingwith his/her/him /them will do at his/her/ themown cost & risk and my client’s shall not beresponsible for the same, if any.

Sd/-SURENDER KUMAR

AdvocateEnrl. No. D-152/88

PUBLIC NOTICEMY CLIENT SH. HANSRAJ S/OSARDAR SINGH R/O H. NO: 1017,MAIN BAWANA ROAD, DELHI,SEVERE ALL RELATIONS, DEBARHIS SON ROHAN KUMAR, HISWIFE SMT. SUSHMA & GRANDDAUGHTER DAKSHITA FROMALL MOVABLE-IMMOVABLEPROPERTY(S) DUE TO THEIRMISCONDUCT & MISBEHAVIOUR,MY CLIENT WILL NOT BERESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR ANYACTS IN FUTURE.

VIKASH BHARDWAJAdvocate

CH. NO: 722,ROHINI COURT, DELHI

CLASSIFIEDS&TENDERS

New Delhi

Page 20: The lockdown to contain the coronavirus outbreak has - AWS

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THEINDIANEXPRESS,SATURDAY, JULY18,2020

ECONOMYWWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM

GOLD`49,729

RUPEE`75.02

OIL$43.22

SILVER`53,382

Note:Gold, silverratesatspotmarket inDelhi;goldper10g, silverper1kg;Brentcrudeasof2230 IST

Internationalmarketdatatill1900IST

MSAMB invites proposals from Financial Institutions (FIs) for initialscreening and short listing of potential participants for the implementationof Financial Intermediation Loan (FIL) Facility under Asian DevelopmentBank (ADB) funded Maharashtra Agribusiness Network (MAGNET)Project to be implemented in the State of Maharashtra.The interested Financial Institutions may submit Expression ofInterest through email and may obtain further information about theservices and procedure for submission of the EOI etc. atwww.msamb.com. Managing Director

Website: www.msamb.com Email: [email protected]: 020-24528100/ 24528200

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (EOI)Preliminary Screening of Potential Participating FinancialInstitutions for Financial Intermediation Loan Facility of

MAGNET Project, Maharashtra.

Maharashtra State Agricultural Marketing Board, Pune

Prayagraj Nagar Nigam1, Sarojini, Naidu Marg,

Prayagraj- 211001Uttar Pradesh

CORRIGENDUM-4Letter No. 162/ENV/2020 Date:-17/07/2020"Design, Supply, Construction, Installation & Commissioning ofRecycling Facility for Construction & Demolition (C&D) Wasteincluding Collection & Transportation with Operation & Maintenanceof Five (o5) years period in Prayagraj City (U.P)" on EPC Contractmode in Prayagraj"This is to inform to all prospective bidders that the RFP was uploaded onE-Procurement website for the above works. Due to some technical andunavoidable reasons there are some changes in the RFP clause and bidsubmission Date on above work is being made. which may be seen on e-tender website. The last date of Bid submission is extended as givenbelow :-

For more details, please visit the website athttp://www.etender.up.nic.in.Rest all terms and conditions will remain as per original RFP.

Sd/-(Ravi Ranjan)

Municipal CommissionerMunicipal corporation Prayagraj

´fÂf Àfa. OXe. : 176/´f¹ffÊ./2020 dQ³ffaIY-17/7/2020

Last date of Bid submission 29/07/2020 up to 15:00 hrs

Technical Bid opening Date 29/07/2020 16:00 hrs onwards

ENSECONOMICBUREAUNEWDELHI,JULY17

AN I-T assessee fromMumbai,whofeaturedintheHSBCaccountleaksandhaddeclaredonlyRs1.7lakhasincome,hasbeenorderedby the Mumbai Bench of theIncome Tax Appellate Tribunal(ITAT)topaytaxesonundeclareddeposit of Rs 196.5 crore kept inthe Swiss bank account atHSBCPrivateBank (Suisse) SA,Genevafor the concerned assessmentyear.TheITATorderisbeingseenassignificant,withthetaxauthor-ities expected to refer to it for re-covering blackmoney stashedabroadgoingahead.OctogenarianRenuTikamdas

Tharaniwasfoundtobetheben-eficiary of the account that held$3.97 crore (orRs196.5 crore ac-cording to foreign exchange rateofthattime)duringfinancialyear2005-06afterthetaxdepartmentbeganareassessmentproceedingin2014fortheincometaxreturnfiledin2006,whereinshe hadde-claredanincomenotliabletotax.Tharaniobjectedtothevalid-

ity of the reassessment and thepropositionthatshewastheben-

eficiaryoftheSwissbankaccountinthenameofafamilytrust.The tribunal, however, held

that the assessee’s conductwaslike “runningwith the hare andhuntingwith thehounds”as shehad declined to sign a ‘consentwaiver’soastoenabletheincometax (I-T)department toobtainallthe necessary details from theSwissbank.The ITATsaid theac-countinformationinHSBCclearlyshowed that the assesseewas a

beneficial owner, adding that noreasonablepersoncanacceptherexplanationasshe isnotapublicpersonality likeMother Teresathat someunknownpersonwillsettleatrusttogiveher$4crore.“It isalso inconceivable thata

Rs200crorebeneficiaryinatrustwillnotknowaboutwhohasset-tled that trust. Similarly, whiledealingwithCaymanIslandenti-ties, livingindenialaboutbenefi-cialownerships,andconfiningtolegal ownerships, is preposter-ous,”theITATordersaid.Shailesh Kumar, partner,

Nangia&CoLLP, said, “Thisdeci-sionreinforcesanimportantprin-ciplethatconductofthetaxpayerandcooperationwiththeauthor-ities, seenwith overall circum-stancesplayan important role inappellate authorities/courts de-ciding any issue. In cases involv-ing deposits in Swiss Bank ac-count or tax haven companies,where the general perception isalready against the taxpayer ofhavinganyundeclaredincome,itisimportanttodemonstratefromconductofthetaxpayersthatnec-essarycooperationismadeandallthefactsareproperlydisclosedtotheauthorities.”

BRIEFLY`71,229croreofI-TrefundsNewDelhi:The IncomeTaxDepartment has issued re-fundsworthRs71,229croreto over 21 lakh taxpayersduringApril8toJuly11.

YesBankFPOsubscribed93%NewDelhi: Yes Bank’s fol-low-onpublic(FPO)offertoraise Rs 15,000 crorewassubscribed93percentonfi-naldayofbiddingFriday.

BharatBondgarners`10KcrNew Delhi: The secondtrancheof BharatBondETFwas over-subscribedmorethan 3 times, collectingaroundRs10,000crore. PTI

InitiativebyBISforMSMEsNewDelhi:Bureau of IndiaStandards (BIS) has started‘Knowyourproduct’ initia-tivetofacilitateunderstand-ingof IndianStandardsbei-ngfollowedbyMSMEs. ENS

NewSAPappointmentNewDelhi: SAP SE has ap-pointedKulmeetBawapres-identandMDforSAPIndiansubcontinent. PTI

ENSECONOMICBUREAUNEWDELHI,JULY17

ROSHNINADARMalhotrawasap-pointed the chairperson of HCLTechnologies onFriday, after herfather ShivNadar steppeddownas thechairmanof thecompany.Withthis,Roshnibecamethefirstwomantoheada listed Indian ITcompany and shewill now ledIndia’s 13thmost valuable com-pany,havingamarketcapitalisa-tionofRs1.69lakhcrore.ShivNadarwouldcontinueto

be themanaging director of thecompany with designation aschief strategy officer, the com-panysaid.He isalsochairmanof

HCL Corporation — the groupholdingcompany.AnMBAfromKelloggGradu-

ateSchoolofManagement,Rosh-niworkedwithSkyNewsUKandCNNAmericaasanewsproducerbeforejoiningHCLCorporationin2009.While shewas appointedexecutive directorwithin a year,she is currently CEO and ED of

HCLCorporation.She joined the board of HCL

Technologiesin2013andwasthevicechairpersonbeforebeingel-evated to chairperson. Roshni isalso Trustee of the Shiv NadarFoundation. As per the latestHurunRich List, Roshni is India’srichestwomanwithanetworthofRs36,800crore.

NewDelhi:HCLTechnologieson Friday posted 31.7 percentrise inconsolidatednetprofitinJune2020quarteratRs2,925crore,andsaiditex-pectstoseeapositivegrowthtrajectory in the comingquarters on the back ofstrongdealpipeline. PTI

HCL Tech Q1 netprofit rises 31.7%

ENSECONOMICBUREAUNEWDELHI,JULY17

THECENTREFridaysignedMoUswiththeUnitedStatesoncooper-ation on strategic petroleumre-servesandboostingcollaborationinareas includingbio-energy,re-newableenergyinagricultureandhigh-efficiencycoaltechnologieswith lowemissions,at themeet-ing of the US-India StrategicEnergy Partnership. Union OilMinister Dharmendra Pradhanco-chaired the meet with USSecretary of Energy DanBrouilletteviavideoconferencing.The two countries signed a

memorandumofunderstanding(MoU) to begin cooperation onoperation andmaintenance of

strategic petroleumreserves, in-cludingexchangeof informationandbest practices, and also dis-cussedthepossibilityofIndiastor-ingoil intheUSStrategicPetrole-umReserve to increase India’sstrategicoilstockpile,ajointstate-mentissuedFridaysaid.Thecen-

tral government took theoppor-tunityofthefallincrudepricesinMarchandApriltofillthenation’scurrentlyoperationalstrategicpe-troleumreservestorage.“Apartfromfosteringbilateral

energytradeandinvestments,weareseekingtoalignenergycoop-erationwithenergy security, ex-pandenergyandinnovationlink-agesacrossourrespectiveenergysectors,facilitateincreasedindus-tryandstakeholderengagementaswell as institutions of excel-lence fromboth countries,” saidPradhan,alsonotingthatbilateralhydrocarbonstradetouched$9.2billionduring2019-20, account-ingfor10percentoftheoverallbi-lateral tradeand significantly re-ducing the tradedeficit betweenthetwocountries.

RoshniNadarMalhotrajoinedHCLCorporation in2009. Source:Company

No initiation of proceedings to obtainsanction: Special court pulls up CBI

YESBANKCASE

NewDelhi:SeniorCongressleaderPChidambaramFridayquestionedtheNDAgovernmentoveritshan-dlingof the economy, alleging ithas causednine successivequar-ters of economicdecline andanimpendingrecessionin2020-21.“Thosewhoscoff at theUPA’s

recordmust know that econo-

mists are laughing at their igno-ranceandineptitude,”theformerfinanceministerwroteonTwitter.Heaskedas towhat theNDA

governmenthasdonesince2015.“Only caused a decline in eco-nomic growth for 9 successivequartersandanimpendingreces-sionin2020-21?”PTI

NewDelhi:Aspecial court Fridayrapped the Central Bureau ofInvestigation(CBI)intheYesBankcasefornotinitiatingproceedingstogainsanctionagainstthebank’sfounderRanaKapoor, accused inanallegedcheatingcase. TheCBIhadmadeaplea for the court totakeitscognizance.

Thecourt remitted thepend-ing bail applications of DHFLpromoters Dheeraj and KapilWadhawan to themagistrate’scourt. The CBI had filed achargesheet againstKapoor andsevenothers,claiminghehaden-tereda criminal conspiracywiththeWadhawans. ENS

Impending recession in FY21: Chidambaram

“Apart from fosteringbilateral energy trade andinvestments,weareseeking to align energycooperationwith energysecurity, expandenergyand innovation linkagesacross our respectiveenergy sectors ...”

DHARMENDRAPRADHANUNIONOILMINISTER

Shiv Nadar steps down as HCL Techchairman, daughter Roshni takes over

■RenuTikamdasTharaniwasfoundtobethebeneficiaryoftheaccountthatheld`196.5croreduring2005-06aftertheI-Tdepartmentbeganareassessmentproceedingin2014forthereturnfiledin2006

■ShewhofeaturedintheHSBCaccountleaksandhaddeclaredonly`1.7lakhasincome

FEATURED INHSBCACCOUNTLEAKS

Precedent for black money recovery:ITAT orders woman to pay taxes onundeclared deposit in Swiss bank a/c

KARUNJITSINGH&SANDEEPSINGHNEWDELHI,JULY17

THEINITIALpublicoffering(IPO)byRossariBiotech is oneof theonly two IPOson theBSEand theNational StockExchange thiscalendaryear,withtheotherbeingSBICardsandPaymentServices.IPOsbyMSMEshavealsodriedup,withonly17IPOs intheyearsofarraisingatotalofRs115crore,comparedto 51 IPOs raising Rs 673 crore. At a timewhencompaniesarelookingforavenuestoraisefundsinordertosustainthisperiodofstress, there is ample liquidity, FPI inflowsremainstrongandrecordnumberof retailinvestorsenteringthemarket,whatisstop-pingcompaniesfromcomingoutwiththeirIPOstoraisefunds?

WhyhaveIPOsslowedtoacrawl?A look into thepast throws

some answers about the cur-renttrend.Inthe10-monthpe-riodbetweenSeptember2008andJune2009,whentheworldwasundergoingafinancialcrisisandtherewashighvolatilityinthemarkets,onlythreecompanies entered themarket to raisefundsthroughtheirIPO.Experts saywhenmarkets are volatile

andinvestorsentimentislow,IPOstendtofadeaway.Thisisonaccountofseveralfac-tors.Whileinvestorsaremorecomfortablewith proven,well-known companies intimesofstressandareunlikelytoventureinnewlesserknowncompanies,itisnotwiseonpartofcompaniestocomeupwiththeirissue in such timesas their ability topricethe IPO at a premiumgoes down signifi-cantlybecauseof themarketconditions.Primarymarketactivityisonlyareflec-

tionofthesecondarymarketand,ifthesec-ondarymarket isweak then it is unlikely

thatthemarketwillseecompaniesventur-ingwiththeirIPOs.

Whatwill spurarecovery in IPOs?Asprimarymarketsfollowthesecond-

arymarket,ideallythingswillimproveonlywhen there is stability in the secondarymarketandconcernsaroundCOVID-19arebehind.Manyfeel that onceamedicalso-lution to COVID-19 is achieved and theeconomyopensupcompletely,themarketmay see returnof IPOs as companieswillenter themarket to raise funds for futuregrowthandexpansionplans.VikasKhattar,head,equitycapitalmar-

kets at Ambit Capital, said IPOswould bedifficult tocomebyfromsectorsthathavebeennegativelyimpactedbythepandemic.

Inwhatwayscancompaniesraisefundsfromthemarketinthesetimes?While new companies

looking to get listedwill havetowait formarket conditionsto improve, experts say largecompaniesmay lookatusing

rightsissuesorfollow-upofferingsorqual-ifiedinstitutionalplacementstoraisecap-italfromtheequitymarkets.Many feel that listed companiesmay

preferrightsissueoverfollow-uppublicof-feringsasrightsissueisamoredemocraticapproachtoraisingfundsanditallowstheexistingshareholderstherighttoinvestfirstinthecompany.Further,thereisnorequire-mentofshareholders’meeting.Aboardap-proval fromtheboardof directors is suffi-cientandadequate.Thus,theturnaroundtimeforthiscap-

ital raise is short,which ismuchsuited forthepresentsituationunlikeotherformsofcapitalraisingwhichrequireshareholders’approvalandtakesometimetofructify.Full reportonwww.indianexpress.com

AASHISHARYANNEWDELHI,JULY17

THE TELECOMDisputes Settle-mentandAppellateTribunal(TD-SAT)onFridaystayeduntilfurtherorders the TelecomRegulatoryAuthorityof India’s(Trai’s) July11direction to Vodafone Idea andBhartiAirtel to stopofferingpre-miumand ‘priority onnetwork’services.Theregulatorybodycan,however, continue its probeagainstboththetelcos,theTDSATsaid,andpassfinalordersinaccor-dancewithlawattheearliest.“Duringsubmissionsalsoithas

notbeenshownthat fordetailed

examinationbyTraiitisnecessaryto withhold/suspend theVodafoneRedXoffer forthwith.Hence, the interimdirection inParagraph2of theimpugnedlet-terdated11.07.2020isstayeduntilfurther orders,” TDSATChairperson Justice Shiva KirtiSingh,saidinhisorder.Theorderwaspassedonaplea

movedbyVodafone Idea. Earlier

thisweek onMonday, the telcohadmovedTDSATagainst a July11lettersentbyTrai,inwhichthesector regulator had sought toknowdetails of Vodafone Idea’sRedXplan.TheTraihadinits letterasked

both Vodafone Idea and BhartiAirtel to explain their premiumservices offeringwithin aweekand directed them to stop on-boardingnewcustomersuntilfur-therorders.In its plea before the TDSAT,

Vodafone Ideahad raisedobjec-tionstothetimingofTrailetter,andhadarguedthatsinceofferhadal-readybeeninthemarketformorethannine-months,acallforbanaf-

terallthistimeseemedarbitrary.Ontheotherhand,theTraihad

initsreplysaidthatthatthemainissuewasthatoffersof‘priorityonnetwork’offeringmayunilaterallyalter the service quality of othercustomerswithout anycommu-nicationtothem”.“Assuch,protectionofinterest

ofsuchconsumerswhohavebeenassuredbesteffortserviceisamat-terofconcernforTRAI,”theregu-latorhadtoldtheTDSAT.Vodafone Idea,which offers

premium services under itsVodafone Red umbrella, hadlaunchedVodafoneRedXservicebackinNovember2019.Thenewpremiumservicewas a limited

timesubscriptionplanwhichof-feredhigherdataspeedsatRs999permonth. Itwas later amendedinMaythisyear,andofferedupto50per cent higher speeds com-pared toother customers on the4Gnetwork.Thepriceofthepack-agewasalsoupped.Sunil BhartiMittal-ledBharti

Airtel, too had, on July 6, an-nounced its foray into the pre-miumservicesegmentwithoffersofhigherspeedsforpostpaidusersonRs499orabovemonthlyplans.Theseplatinumusers,whichithadplaced in a new ‘Priority 4GNetwork’category,wouldbeableto enjoy advanced technologies,thetelcohadthensaid.

TRAIORDERASKINGVODAIDEA,BHARTIAIRTELTOSTOPOFFERINGPREMIUMSERVICESSTAYED

ENSECONOMICBUREAUNEWDELHI,JULY17

TERMINGITasfair,reasonableandnon-discriminatory,Indiahasde-fendedthe2percentequalisationlevyonnon-residente-commercecompanies.Ina six-pagewrittensubmis-

sion to theUnited States TradeRepresentative (USTR), India saidthelevyisapplicableonlyforcom-panieswithannualrevenuesinex-cess of Rs 20 million (about$267,000),which isa lowthresh-oldaimedatexemptingverysmalle-commerceoperators globally,adding that India is ready to en-gage inbilateraldiscussionswiththeUSonthematter.“It does not discriminate

against companies based in theUnitedStatesas itappliesequallyto all non-resident e-commerceoperatorsnothavingpermanent

establishment in India, irrespec-tiveof theoriginof suchcompa-nies,”Indiahassaid.TheUSTR,lastmonth,initiated

investigations into taxesadoptedorunder considerationby10na-tions,includingIndia,onrevenuesofUSdigitalservicecompanieslikeNetflix,Airbnb,Uber,LinkedInandSpotifyandcompanieswereseek-ingfurtherclarification.“Far from targeting any US

companyor companies, thepur-poseoftheEqualisationLevyistoensure greater competitiveness,fairness,reasonablenessandexer-cisetheabilityof governmentstotax businesses that have a closenexus with the Indian marketthrough theirdigital operations,”Indiasaidinitscomments.India assured theUS that the

equalisation levy is entirely con-sistentwithIndia’scommitmentsundertheWTOandinternationaltaxationagreements.

India tells US: 2% equalisationlevy is non-discriminatory

ENSECONOMICBUREAUNEWDELHI,JULY17

THESALESof itemsofdailyuseinthefast-movingconsumergoods(FMCG) segment, impacted se-verelyduringAprilandMay,madeasignificantrecoveryinJuneasthecountryunlockedandrelaxedre-strictions, global data analyticscompanyNielsensaidinareport.TherecoveryintheFMCGsec-

torinIndia,however,hasbeende-layed compared to othermajorAsian economies such as China,Indonesia,Malaysia,andThailand,theagencysaidinitsreport.“If we take China’s case, the

severity of the pandemic waslargely limited to one provincewhere it was controlled effec-tively—thisledtoanearlygrowthrecoveryforFMCGindustrycate-gories. The industry in India haswitnessed a delayed growth re-coveryinlieuofthelockdownfora significant period affectingmanufacturing and supplychain,”Nielsensaid.Sales of skincare andbeauty

productssawasharpriseinJune.

‘1,377 of 7,516 risky exportersuntraceable, claimed GSTrefunds worth `1,875 crore’ENSECONOMICBUREAUNEWDELHI,JULY17

OFA total list of 7,516 risky ex-porters, 1,377exporterswhohadclaimed GST tax refunds of Rs1,875crorehavebeenfoundtobeuntraceablebythegovernmentinaverificationexercisecarriedoutunder the indirect tax regime, aFinanceMinistryofficialsaid.Thelist includes sevenstar exportersand for 2,830exporters, IGST re-fund /drawbackworthRs 1,363croreissuspended,theofficialsaid.“Asmany as 1,377 exporters

whohave fraudulently claimedIGSTrefundamountingtoRs1,875crorehavebeenfounduntraceableat their principal place of busi-ness,”theofficialsaid.

The official further said thegovernmenthasreceivedadversereportsinrespectof2,197riskyex-portersandasmanyas10‘’starex-porters’’ haveclaimed IntegratedGoodsandServicesTax(IGST)re-fundsamountingtoRs28.9croredeceitfully. “The field formationsof the Central Board of IndirectTaxesandCustoms(CBIC)havede-tectedoffencecasesamountingtoRs115croreagainstidentifiedriskyexporters.“Also,outofthe234suppliers’’

verificationreceivedsofar,82sup-pliershavebeenfoundnon-exist-ingattheirprincipalplaceofbusi-ness,”theofficialsaid.Thepilferageof revenuehas been among themajorconcernsunderGST,whichwas expected to incorporate in-voicematchingandcheckevasion.

‘FMCG inchedback to recoveryin June, followingunlocking, easingof restrictions’

Just 2 offerings in 6 months:What is ailing IPO market?

Theregulatorybodycan,however,continueitsprobeagainstboththetelcos,theTDSATsaid

TDSATinterimrelieffortelcosinpremiumplancase

NewDelhi:SeniorCongressleaderPChidambaramFridayquestionedtheNDAgovernmentoveritshan-dlingof the economy, alleging ithas causednine successivequar-ters of economicdecline andanimpendingrecessionin2020-21.“Thosewhoscoff at theUPA’s

recordmust know that econo-

mists are laughing at their igno-ranceandineptitude,”theformerfinanceministerwroteonTwitter.Heaskedas towhat theNDA

governmenthasdonesince2015.“Only caused a decline in eco-nomic growth for 9 successivequartersandanimpendingreces-sionin2020-21?”PTI

Impending recession in FY21: Chidambaram

1stfemaleheadoflistedIndianITco

India considers plan to store oil in US; inks MoUfor cooperation on strategic petroleum reserves

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Page 21: The lockdown to contain the coronavirus outbreak has - AWS

20THEINDIANEXPRESS,SATURDAY, JULY18,2020

SPORTWWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM

VolLXXXVIIINo.215Regd.No.DL-21046/03-05

R.N.I.No.506/57. PrintedandPublishedbyR.C.Malhotraonbehalf of The IndianExpress (P) LimitedandPrintedatThe IndianExpress (P) LimitedPress,A-8, Sector-7,Noida -201301andPublishedatThe IndianExpress (P) Limited,MezzanineFloor, ExpressBuilding, 9&10,BahadurShahZafarMarg, NewDelhi-110002. Editorial office:The IndianExpress (P) Limited,MezzanineFloor, ExpressBuilding, 9&10,BahadurShahZafarMarg, NewDelhi-110002. Phone:0120-6651500.Advertisingoffice: The IndianExpress (P) Limited,B1/B, Sector -10,Noida -201301. Phone:0120-6651291.Chairmanof theBoard:ViveckGoenka,Chief Editor:RajKamal Jha, Editor:Unni

RajenShanker, Editor (Delhi):RakeshSinha ** **Responsible for selectionofNewsunder thePRBAct. Copyright: The IndianExpress (P) Limited.All rights reserved.Reproduction inanymanner, electronicorotherwise, inwholeor inpart,withoutpriorwrittenpermission isprohibited. The IndianExpress®

FansallowedinEnglishsportseventsfromnextweekSpectatorswillbeallowedbackintosomesportseventsinEnglandfromnextweekascoronaviruspreventionmeasuresaretestedaheadofaplannedwiderreopeningofsta-diumsinOctober. DomesticcricketonJuly26-27issettobethefirstsportthatfansareallowedtowatchinpersonsinceMarch.

IPL to be held in UAE,conditions applySibley120(372balls)&Stokes176(356)grindoutanimposing1stinningstotalof469/9

ASSOCIATEDPRESSMADRID, JULY17

THEREWAS Zinedine Zidane again, beingthrowninto theairbyhisRealMadridplay-ers inanother title celebration.With the Frenchman back in charge,

Madrid isback tocollectingmajor trophies.Madridclinched its34thSpanish league

title, and first since 2017, after extending itsperfect run following the pandemic breakwith a 2-1win over Villarreal on Thursday,opening a seven-point gap to second-placeBarcelonawith oneround to go.Barcelonalostto10-manOsasunaattheCampNouStadium.KarimBenzema

scoredtwicetogiveMadridits10thcon-secutive leaguevic-tory. Itwas theonlyteamwithaperfectrecord after thecoronavirus-en-forcedbreak,havingtrailedBarcelonabytwopointsbefore the leaguewashalted. “This isoneofthebestdaysinmylifeprofessionally,”said Zidane, who alsowon the ChampionsLeague andWorld Cup as a player. “It's an-otherleaguetitle,aftertheconfinementandeverything else that happened. I wish wecould celebrate with the fans, but I'm surethey are very happy at home seeing theirteamwinthe leagueagain.”

Ronaldo notmissedZidane quit asMadrid coach in 2018 af-

ter leading the team to three straightChampions Leaguetitles,thenreturnedlessthanayear laterwith the teamfloundering.Inhisfirstfullseasonbackincharge,MadridwrestedtheleaguetitleawayfromBarcelonafor the first time in threeyears.ItwasalsoMadrid'sfirstleaguetitlesince

Cristiano Ronaldo left to join Juventus twoseasonsago.Thetitlecelebrationsweresub-duedasthetriumphcamewithMadridplay-ingatitstrainingcenterbecausetheSantiagoBernabeuStadiumremainsundergoingren-ovationwork.

DEVENDRAPANDEYMUMBAI, JULY 17

THE INDIANPremier League is likely tobeheld in the UAE during October andNovember, subject to government clear-anceand the InternationalCricketCouncil(ICC)announcing thepostponementof theT20 World Cup scheduled to be heldin Australia.BCCI president SouravGanguly and sec-

retaryJayShahapprisedthemembers attheApexCouncilmeetingonFriday.OncetheT20WorldCup,supposedtobe

heldoverthesameperiod, isofficiallypost-poned, the BCCI will approach the Indiangovernmenttocheckif theycanhosttheIPLinIndia. If thesituationinthecountryasre-gardsthepandemicremainsinconducivetohosting the tournament, theywill shift theIPL to theUAE.

No domestic cricket till DecThe board also informed it's Apex

Council that no domestic cricket would beheld until December. Thirty-eight teamstakepart invariousdomesticandage-grouptournaments played across the country.Since players’ mobility is a big factor, theboard doesn’twant to taking any hasty de-cisionon itsdomestic calendar.Tournaments like Duleep Trophy,

DeodharTrophyandChallengersserieswillbescrappedandage-grouptournamentstoowill takeamajorhit this season.

Notjustdomesticcricket,butnointerna-tionalgamesarelikelytobeplayedathomethis year.

Camp in AhmedabadThe world’s biggest cricket stadium at

MoterainAhmedabadcouldn'thost its firstgameduetoCovid-19,butchancesareIndiawillholdacricketcamptherebeforethese-ries inAustralia.Thestadiumhasqualityaccommodation

inside its premiseswhere players can stay.Theycanalsobequarantined, ifneeded,andcontracted players can experience openspaces for a return to groove after an ex-tendedperiodaway fromcricket.

New CEO advertisementTheIndianboardhasdecidedtoissuean

advertisement calling for applications forthepostof itsChiefExecutiveOfficer (CEO).BCCI lastweekacceptedRahul Johri’s resig-nation from the position and relieved himof his serviceswith immediate effect.

EXPRESSNEWSSERVICEJULY17

HUNDREDSFROMBenStokesandDomSibleyputEnglandinacommandingpositionagainstWest Indies on the seconddayof the secondTest atOldTrafford. Thehostswouldbelievethat their first innings totalof 469/9declaredwouldsufficetosquaretheseriesonasurfacethatcoulddeteriorate.Asthedayprogressed,thenarrativeshifted

fromSibley’spatiencetoStokes’srestraint.Bothdeparted with three-figure scores — theopenercompiled120andtheall-roundercom-posed176—butasmuchastheruns,theyof-feredreassurance.Englandseemstohaveun-earthedagenuineinheritortoAlastairCook’slegacy inSibley. Englandhasbeenindesper-atepursuitof batsmenwithTestmatch tem-perament.Asencouragingly,theyhavecoerceda maturerversionofStokes.Unlessit’sacruelcoincidence,Englandaregraduallyfindingtherightpiecestofill intheirbattingjigsaw.It’s beyond argument that Stokes is a

splendidbatsman,buthehasn’tbeenquiteasconsistent in this format as he or Englandwouldhavewishedfor.Anaverageinthelow30s isatravestytohis immenseabilities.Butduringthecompositionofthisknock,hewenta long way in demonstrating that he hasturned a corner andmight be yet to hit thepeakasaTestbatsman.OnFriday,darkanddesolate,hefaced356

deliveries,themosthehaseverinaTestmatch,and38moredeliveries thanhehad in seveninningsinSouthAfricaearlythisyear.Heonlyhit17foursandabraceofsixes.Hehungintheunusual companyof stealthy singles andur-gentdoubles, somuch so that he seemedanunfamiliarman.Maybe, it couldbe a signof retooling, re-

casting fromcavaliermould to a roundheadrole.Nowthathe’sEngland’ssecondmostex-periencedbatsmen,amidstabunchofyoung-sterscuttingtheirteethin,hecouldn't beflip-pant. Since his Leeds heist, he had gone 16outingswith a solitaryhundred.He ensuredhegotonehere.Later, almostanhour into thesecondses-

sion, hebegan toaccelerate, adding73off 97balls in the session to tea, seamlessly shiftinggears.Thereweremoreinstancesof thatcav-alierbatsmanship.Heunfurledagorgeousflickthroughmidwicket off ShannonGabriel to

markthe250thrunoftheirpartnership,afterhe had lasered the same bowler down theground.What followedwas fromhis usualmanual—thecuts, thedrivesandtheheaves,thethrillingstuff thatmakesStokes.ButEnglandwouldberatherpleasedwith

his pre-century approach, the slowest of histen Test centuries (255 balls). Hewas lessStokes andmore,well, Sibley,whohadbeenEngland’sfindof theyear.Enroutetocompletinghissecondhundred

ineightTests, Sibley collecteda fair bit of un-fashionable trivia.Hebecamethethirdslow-estcentury-makerforEnglandinahomeTest,behindMichaelAthertonandKeith Fletcher.His first hundred runs featured only fourboundaries,thefewestbyanEnglandbatsmansince Graham Thorpe, the team’s battingcoach,whoreachedthreefiguresatLahorein2000withasolitaryboundary.Theglacially slowbattingbefore Stokes’s

teeing upwas asmuch as a reflection of thesluggishwicketasEngland’snecessity topileonagargantuantotalintheabsenceofbowlerswithgenuinefirepower,whichtheywouldre-quireifthestripdoesn’tsheditsunresponsivenature. If itdoes, off-spinnerDomBesscouldplay a definitive role in deciding thematch.Their intentionwassolelyonlayingthefoun-dationforabigscore.As a consequence, the tourists hardly got

anysuccour. ItwasunderstandablethatWestIndies delayed taking the newball until the93rdover.Theoldballwasmovingaround,thebowlerswere putting on amuch-improvedshiftandtheballwassosoftthatitmaderun-makingincrediblydifficult.Thenewball,atthisjuncture, carried the risk of Stokes cuttingloose.Theywouldn’thavetakenthislonghadthey takenanearlywicketor two. It couldbemisconstrued as defensive cricket, but theywere somuchbehind in the game that theycouldnotaffordtheslightestof risks.Infairness,theybowledmuchbetterthan

theyhadonDayOne.Theybowledmuchfullerinthemorningsessionandinducedplentyoffalsestrokes.Theproblem,though,wasanin-ability tomaintain the pressure of seriouslytestingballs.Theywereunfortunatewiththeirreviewsaswell—severalofthemcamedowntoumpire’scall.Similarly,insideedgeseludedthe stumps, outside edges evaded the fields-men.Pilingontheiragony,Alzarri JosephandShannonGabrielpickedinjuriesthatrestrictedtheir influence.Later,KemarRoachendedhislongwaitfor

wicketswithatwinblow,RostonChasepickedhissecondfive-for,butEnglandhavetheir in-signiastampedonthismatch.BRIEFSCORES:England469/9declaredin162ov(DomSibley120,BenStokes176,RostonChase5/172)vWestIndies32/1in14oversatstumps.

Zidane guidesReal to 34thLa Liga title

Englandall-rounderBenStokesplaysareverse-sweeponDay2ofthesecondTestagainstWestIndiesatOldTraffordonFriday.AP

England’s battingmarathon

NOOBJECTIONRAISEDATSHAH’S PRESENCEBCCIsecretary JayShahattendedtheApexCouncilmeetingandtherewasnoobjectionraisedbyanyof itsmembers.BoardPresidentSouravGangulyshared legalopinionfromaformerchief justiceof IndiaandalsofromtheBCCI’s legal teamthat theeligibilitycriteriaandcooling-offperiodwererelevantonly forcontestingelectionsandnot forattendingmeetings,andShahbreachednorulesbydoingso.The

representativeof theComptrollerandAuditorGeneral (CAG)of India intheApexCouncil,AlkaRehaniBharadwaj,hadraisedaredflagoverthematter inhermaildatedJuly4.ShearguedthatShahcouldn’tattendthemeetingashistermhadendedlastmonthandheshouldgoforacooling-offperiod,aspertheLodhaCommittee’srecommendations.Shehadaskedforthejointsecretaryto“officiate”asthesecretaryduringthemeeting.

CROSSWORD4173

ACROSS1 Footsoregroupofworkers ledbyablockhead(6)

4 Material foracracker (8)9 Acted likeavandalandwasdismissed(6)

10PerhapsNeddoesright togetconfirmed(8)

12Vesselsof theRoyalNavy inU.S.(4)

13Total is twelvedozen(5)14 Fitproperly (4)17 Nostalgia isnotacomplaintrequiringhospital care (12)

20 Thesameascompleteagreement? (2,10)

23 Clapthis rubbish (4)24 Is fondof similar things (5)25 His initial characterdifferedbeforeconversion(4)

28 Manyacreatureseen inawood(8)

29Oldcourtofficial -namelyonestandingbefore thequeen(6)

30 Strangemysteryaboutanumber inharmony(8)

31 Ridiculed forbeingpoorlydressed(6)

Down1 Thebogusarrangementaskedfor (8)

2 Apopularcalling,perhaps (8)3 Theodddoesofpoetry (4)5 Extremely importantpartsofthebody(5,3,4)

6 Peopleavailable foragame(4)

7 Loveduets freshly turnedout(6)

8 Commonlydo(6)11 Icanreport it improved,doctor(12)

15 Turncoats,of course (5)16 Averyexactingbusiness(5)

18 Fightingandwinning(8)19 Announcedanumberhaveclearedout (8)

21 Apolitician in thestreetsforming impressions (6)

22 Possiblyborderonacriminalact (6)

26 Acomplaint I’dnotput inaguide (4)

27 Verykeentoriseasasinger(4)

ARIES(Mar21-Apr20)Yourstarsbegin tolookmorerelaxedandenjoyable,althoughthoseof

youwithresponsibility forchildrenmayhavetodreamoffuturepleasuresrather thanexperiencethemnow.Youshouldrespectaconfidence fora littlewhile longer: the lastthingyouwant todo isblurtoutsomebodyelse’s secret.

TAURUS(Apr21-May21)Anupheaval on thework frontmayhave beendelayed.Today’s planets

put the emphasis firmly onhomeand family, and youmayhave to face up to dutiesyou’d hopedwould go away.Your financial stars begin tolook easier, so that’s goodnews.Whether your costsare actually cut isanother question.

GEMINI (May22- June21)Mercurialalignmentsoftenbringout thebest inyourcharacter.

Today is thereforeamoment forrapid thought,plentyof chat,and livelysocialvisits.Don’t letroutinechoresget inyourway,foryour firstpriorityshouldbepleasure.

CANCER(June22- July23)Theemotionalpressureyou’vebeenundershouldnowbeginto lift,which

meansyouareunlikely toexperienceany lows,butyoumaymiss thehighsaswell.Youmightappreciate thedrifttowardsamoresettledexistence,welcomingtheopportunity torestoreasenseof order.

LEO(July24-Aug23)Nowthat theMoonissostrong,youcancall theshots.Thereisnoreasonforother

people toholdyouback,and iftheydon’tdancetoyour tune,that is theirproblem! In love,yourdreamsmaybeof aspiritualunionrather thanrawpassion.Not that there’sanythingwrongwiththat.

VIRGO(Aug24-Sep23)Youmayspendasmuchtimeasyoulikebyyourself, andmakesure thatother

peopledon’tpry intoyouraffairsorextract secretswhichtheyhavenoright toknow.Forthebusiness-minded, thebestinvestmentsare tobe foundintheworldof ideasorcommunication.

LIBRA(Sep24-Oct23)Youmaystillbewonderingwhathityou,orwhyotherpeopleseemso

reluctant toapportionblame.Atleast, in futureyouwon’thavetoworksohardtokeepeverythingniceandpleasant.That taskcanbe left topeoplewhothinktheycandobetter.

SCORPIO(Oct24-Nov23)Leisureactivitiesarelikely tobeaffectedbycertain long-standingambitions,

andthebestcourseof actiontoday isonewhich increasesyourstatus,prestigeandself-confidence.Evenromanticconnectionswillbeaffectedbyyourpride!Ontheotherhand, therearepeoplewhomightbeputoff if youappear tobetooarrogant.

SAGITTARIUS(Nov24-Dec22)Timehasmovedon,andoldproblemsarereallynotsoimportant.Youcan

nowbeginto lookathomeandfamilyaffairswith fresheyes,free fromtheuncertaintiesoftherecentpast.Never forget thelessonsthathavebeen learnt,andremember thatsometimestheoldwaysare thebest.

CAPRICORN(Dec23- Jan20)It’s timefor romanticoptimism,perhapstoget in touchwithlovedoneswhoare

faraway,orwhohavebeenkeepingthemselves tothemselves for far too long.Youmaybringtravelplansuptodatenow,or riskaseriesofmessymisunderstandings.Andthere’snopoint in that,now,is there?

AQUARIUS(Jan21-Feb19)Youwant todoyourbest, tobenoticedandappreciatedbut,aboveall, it’saday

forpartnership, for takingcareof lovedones, andfordoingeverything inaspiritofteamworkandco-operation. Ifothersappear tobetakingalion’s share,begraciousandgive themtheirdue.

PISCES(Feb20-Mar20)It’s certainly a dayto keepbusy, andmanyof youmaybeputting in a spot of

overtimeor otherwiseoccupying yourself onunpaidbusiness. You seem tohavemore energy thanusual at themoment, especially now thatall those old emotional caresare easing.

SUDOKU4173

DifficultyLevel3sInstructionsTosolveaSudokupuzzle,everydigitfrom1to9mustappear ineachofthenineverticalcolumns, ineachoftheninehorizontalrowsandineachofthenineboxes.

DifficultyLevel1s=Veryeasy;2s=Easy;3s=Medium;4s=Hard;5s=VeryHard;6s=Genius

SOLU

TIONSUDOKU4172

Givenbelowarefour jumbledwords.Solvethejumblestomakeproperwordsandmovethemtotherespectivesquaresbelow.Selecttheletters intheshadedsquaresandjumblethemtogettheanswerforthegivenquip.Alwaysbea____thannecessary-JamesMBarrie(6,6)

SUEER HIRLLT

ABIIT BIODKN

SolutionsCrossword4172:Across:1Ethos,4Footpad,8Raw,9Unsettled,10Terence,11Messy,13Crying,15Ankara,18Squib,19Neutral,21Americans,23Err,24Stickup,25Tread.Down:1Erratic,2Howareyou,3Spurn,4Faster,5Ottoman,6Pal,7Daddy,12Seabreeze,14Niblick,16Allured,17Encamp,18Stays,20Upset,22Eli.

JUMBLEDWORDS

OVERTHEHEDGE byMichael Fry&TLewis

CALVIN&HOBBES byBillWatterson

MARVIN byTomArmstrong

DAYTODAY BYPETERVIDAL

Theboardalso informed itsApexCouncil thatnodomesticcricketwouldbehelduntilDecember. Thirty-eight teamstakepart invariousdomesticandage-group tournamentsplayedacross India.

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