,- 1 ,13 4,56!˚ ’-,57// .$˙# ˘ ˛ ˝ :’:;=: ;= b’:=’ 9 ... - english ......2020/09/04...

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A s situation remains tense after repeated intrusion attempts by China at the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh, New Delhi on Thursday blamed Beijing for violation of bilateral agree- ments and called for speedy disengagement from the flash- points at the LAC. Given the surcharged atmosphere, Army and IAF chiefs on Thursday visited border areas of Ladakh to review operational readiness. Making India’s stand clear, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said, “It is clear that the situation we witness over the past four months is a direct result of the actions taken by the Chinese side that sought to effect unilateral change of sta- tus quo. These actions result- ed in violation of the bilateral agreements and protocol which ensured peace and tranquility in the border areas for close to three decades.” The fourth round of Brigadier-level talks between the two countries remained inconclusive. They will meet again on Friday to resolve the latest issue. Reacting to the develop- ments in the last four days when the Chinese troops tried to provoke India, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat said, “Of late we have been seeing some aggres- sive actions by China but we are capable of handling these. Our tri-services are capable of dealing with threats along our frontiers.” He, however, underlined that India wants peace and tranquility across our borders. His comments come days after the CDS said military option could be exercised if talks at all levels fail to resolve the more than four-month long stand-offs at the LAC in eastern Ladakh. Army chief General MM Naravane’s two-day visit begin- ning Thursday comes four days after the Indian Army foiled a major bid by 300 Chinese troops to intrude into the southern bank of the Pangong Tso (lake). The Indian action on the intervening night of August 29 and 30 resulted after timely intelligence tip-off about the movement of the Chinese troops and tanks at night. In a swift move, the Indian troops, including commandos of the covert Special Frontier Force (SFF), thwarted the attempt and occupied strategic heights like the “Black Top” and “Helmet Top”. Naravane visited some key sensitive positions in forward areas of Ladakh to gain first- hand knowledge of the ground situation. He was also briefed about all the aspects of the cur- rent issues by local comman- ders, sources said. Further review meetings are scheduled for Friday regarding status of operational readiness. Since the Indian armed forces are alert on the entire 4,000 km LAC from Ladakh in the west to Arunachal Pradesh in the east, IAF chief RKS Bhadauria discussed the entire gamut of preparations during his one-day visit to the Eastern Command in Shillong. He also visited some forward airbases where the frontline fighter jets are now deployed for the last three months since the stand- offs started. In June, Bhadauria made a quiet visit to Ladakh and Srinagar airbases to review the IAF’s overall preparedness. Meanwhile, highlighting that New Delhi wants to resolve the issue through dialogue, the MEA Spokesperson said, “The ground commanders are still holding discussions to resolve the situation. We reit- erate the consensus reached between the two Foreign Ministers and Special Representatives that the situa- tion in the border should be handled in a responsible man- ner and either side should not take any provocative action or escalate matters.” As regards the develop- ments post the attempt by the Chinese troops to unilaterally change the status quo in the South Bank of Pangong Lake on the night of August 29 and early morning on August 30, Srivastava said the Government’s stand was clear- ly articulated in the statement made on September 1. “I am not going to go over the Chinese actions that caused the recent escalation,” he added. On Tuesday, the Spokesperson had said the Chinese side engaged in “provocative” military maneu- vers in the late night of August 29 and 30 in an attempt to change the status quo in the South Bank area of Pangong Lake. The Indian side respond- ed to these provocative actions and took appropriate defensive steps along the LAC in order to safeguard our interests and defend the territorial integrity. On Thursday, he said now the way ahead is negotiations, both through the diplomatic and military channels. The Indian side is firmly commit- ted to resolving all outstanding issues through peaceful talks. “We, therefore, strongly urge the Chinese side to sin- cerely engage the Indian side with the objective of expedi- tiously restoring the peace and tranquility in the border areas through complete disengage- ment and de-escalation in accordance with the bilateral agreements and protocols,” he said. These assertions came as China has in the last four days blamed the Indian forces for breaching the LAC and occu- pying several hill tops. India has maintained the actions on August 29-30 were carried out to defend its interests within its own side of the LAC. D elhi is seeing a major resurgence of coronavirus cases after more than two months of a relatively sub- dued trend. On Thursday, the national Capital recorded 2,737 cases, the highest single-day tally after 66 days. Delhi alone is not seeing this renewed surge. Several other States are also recording a rising number of cases on a daily basis. This has pushed India’ tally to nearly four mil- lion cases. On June 28, Delhi record- ed the highest 2,883 new cases and after that the situation remained under control even though the number of testing went up in a big way. When Delhi recorded just 652 cases on August 16, it was assumed that the worst may be finally behind for the national Capital. However the hope has been quickly dashed. But the cases have been on the rise during the last fort- night. For example, Delhi recorded nearly 11,000 cases in the week between August 21 and 28. In the last one week again, the national capital recorded 10,000 new cases. With 19 fatalities on Thursday, the total death toll in Delhi stands at 45,000 and the total number of cases at 1.82 lakh. Meanwhile on Thursday, the Union Health Ministry said the Covid-19 positivity rate among healthcare workers is on the higher side in the States and Union territories of Telangana, Maharashtra, Delhi, Karnataka, Puducherry and Punjab. “In Telangana, healthcare workers’ positivity rate is 18 per cent, in Maharashtra it is 16 per cent, in Delhi 14 per cent, Karnataka 13 per cent, Puducherry 12 per cent and in Punjab it is 11 per cent. These are the States where the posi- tivity rate among healthcare workers is on a higher side,” the Ministry said. T he Supreme Court has directed the removal of 48,000 slum dwellings along the 140 km length of railway tracks in Delhi within three months and said there shall not be any kind of political inter- ference in execution of the plan. The jhuggi jhopris will be removed in a phased manner. The top court also restrained any court from granting any kind of stay with respect to removal of encroach- ments in the area and said in case any interim order is grant- ed with respect to encroach- ments along railway tracks that shall not be effective. A bench of justices Arun Mishra, BR Gavai and Krishna Murari, which took note of the report filed by the Environment Pollution (Prevention & Control) Authority (EPCA) directed action be taken be reported to the court within one month on removal of waste and encroach- ments in the area. “We also direct all stake- holders that a comprehensive plan for removal of jhuggies be made and executed in a phased manner. The encroachments which are there in safety zones should be removed within a period of three months and no interference, political or oth- erwise, should be there and no court shall grant any stay with respect to removal of the encroachments in the area in question,” it said. The bench said, in case any interim order is granted with respect to encroachments, which have been made along with railway tracks that shall not be effective. The EPCA, in its report, has sought direction to Railways to present a time- bound plan for solid waste management in the northern region, starting with Delhi and its vicinity. “We direct that let the plan be executed with respect to removal of plastic bags, garbage etc. Within a period of three months and a meeting of all stakeholders, i.e. Railways, Govt of NCT of Delhi and con- cerned Municipal Corporations as well as Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUISB) will be called next week and work will be started forthwith,” it said. Continued on Page 2 B ars in the national Capital will reopen from September 9 and hotels, restau- rants and clubs have been per- mitted to serve liquor. The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has issued a standard operating srocedure (SOP) for operationalisation of bars in hotels, restaurants and clubs as part of measures to contain the spread of Covid-19. According to order, bars in containment zones shall remain closed and only those outside containment zones will be allowed to open. “Entry shall only be allowed to persons with face masks. Only asymptomatic staff, customers and guests shall be allowed. Mandatory provisions for hand hygiene (sanitiser dispenser) and ther- mal screening at the entrance to be made without fail. “Not more than 50 per cent of the approved seating capac- ity shall be allowed inside the hotel, restaurant and clubs so that social distancing norms may be maintained,” it said. The order further stated that adequate manpower shall be deployed by the hotels, restaurants and clubs for ensur- ing social distancing norms and all the staff shall wear gloves, face-masks and maintain com- plete health hygiene such as fre- quent washing of hands, use of sanitiser, etc. Also, the establishments will have to follow Ministry of Home Affairs’ (MHA’s) guide- lines. “With the approval of Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, authorities have allowed hotels, restaurants and clubs to serve liquor from September 9,” a Delhi Government source said. Earlier, on June 12, the Delhi Government had allowed restaurants bars, hotels to sell their stock expiring imme- diately. T he Bombay High Court on Thursday advised the media in clear-cut terms to exercise “restraint” while reporting on the Sushant Singh Rajput death case and not to file stories in manner that will hamper the probe in the case. The CBI questioned Rhea’s father Indajit Chakraborty for the third consecutive day on Thursday for five hours. During the questioning, the CBI once against asked Indrajit about his daughter’s relations with Rajput and the actor’s family, the reason for Rhea leaving Rajput’s home and blocking the latter’s mobile number and Rhea’s role in managing the late actor’s finan- cial matters. Hearing a public interest litigation filed by eight retired police officers who held top positions in the Maharashtra police to stop a section of the electronic media from “influ- encing the course of investiga- tions” in Sushant’s death case through “biased and false” reporting, the high court took serious cognisance of the ques- tionable “media coverage” of the actor’s death case and asked the media “not to hamper the investigations” in any manner. “We urge and expect the media to exercise restraint in reporting of the investigation with respect to the (Rajput) death, which should not ham- per the investigation in any manner,” the Bombay High Court said. Continued on Page 2 T wo days after it temporar- ily stopped routine OPD (Outpatient Department) for two weeks, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) clarified on Thursday that the OPD services would continue as usual. “Reference circular on ‘Temporary suspension of rou- tine OPD admission’ dated September 1, this is to clarify that OPD services at AIIMS, New Delhi, will continue as usual,” the statement said. It did not mention the reason for withdrawing the order. It has has come as a great relief to many patients and their relatives like Rashmi Juneja whose younger brother is admitted at the hospital for serious liver ailment. “Doctors have recom- mended his discharge and home care. But I am worried that what will happen if my brother’s situation worsens again. Good that they dropped the idea of suspending the OPD services,” she said. Continued on Page 2 A fter severe criticism from Opposition parties, includ- ing the Congress for its alleged bias to ruling BJP’s content, Facebook on Thursday banned Telangana MLA T Raja Singh from its platform and Instagram for violating its pol- icy on content promoting vio- lence and hate. “We have banned Raja Singh from Facebook for vio- lating our policy,” a Facebook spokesperson said in an emailed statement. The BJP leader, however, claimed he has no FB account for over a year. The social media giant also responded to the Congress saying the organisation has taken seriously the concerns and recommendations raised by the grand old party and that it takes allegations of bias seri- ously and said it always denounces hate and bigotry in all forms. The action came against the backdrop of both the Congress and Union IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad writing to Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg, accusing the social media platform’s employees of “political bias.” Continued on Page 2 T witter confirmed on Thursday that an account of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s personal website was hacked with a series of tweets asking its followers to donate to a relief fund through cryp- tocurrency. The group known as John Wick has claimed the respon- sibility for the hacking the website. Twitter said it was aware of the activity with Modi’s website account and has taken steps to secure it. The tweets, which have since been taken down, asked the followers to donate to the PM National Relief Fund through cryptocurrency. “We’re aware of this activ- ity and have taken steps to secure the compromised account. We are actively inves- tigating the situation. At this time, we are not aware of addi- tional accounts being impact- ed. Advice on keeping your account secure can be found,” according to a Twitter official. In series of tweets after the takeover of the verified handle, the hacker put out messages seeking donations to the Prime Minister’s relief fund for Covid- 19 using bitcoins. “This account is hacked by John W i c k ([email protected]), We have not hacked Paytm Mall,” the message said. The incident comes after several Twitter accounts of prominent personalities were hacked in July. Continued on Page 2 A new sero-survey conduct- ed by the Gujarat’s Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has revealed that 40 per cent of patients who recovered from Covid-19 did not have the antibodies three months after they were infected. This raises concerns of re-infection among the Covid- survivors with the municipal corporation officials not ruling out second wave of the disease. The survey showed that just 23.24 per cent of samples had antibodies against coron- avirus, indicating that the city has not developed a herd immunity, an official said even as he warned that the city might witness a possible sec- ond and even a third wave of Covid-19 infections, if basic rules of Covid hygiene are not followed. “At this rate, a second or a third wave of Covid may fol- low, if precautions are not taken now,” the official warned. However, much better picture will emerge from the results of the second sero-survey con- ducted by the Centre in 18 dis- tricts across the country. Continued on Page 2

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Page 1: ,- 1 ,13 4,56!˚ ’-,57// .$˙# ˘ ˛ ˝ :’:;=: ;= B’:=’ 9 ... - English ......2020/09/04  · talks at all levels fail to resolve the more than four-month long stand-offs at

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As situation remains tenseafter repeated intrusion

attempts by China at the Lineof Actual Control in EasternLadakh, New Delhi onThursday blamed Beijing forviolation of bilateral agree-ments and called for speedydisengagement from the flash-points at the LAC. Given thesurcharged atmosphere, Armyand IAF chiefs on Thursdayvisited border areas of Ladakhto review operational readiness.

Making India’s stand clear,External Affairs MinistrySpokesperson AnuragSrivastava said, “It is clear thatthe situation we witness overthe past four months is a directresult of the actions taken bythe Chinese side that sought toeffect unilateral change of sta-tus quo. These actions result-ed in violation of the bilateralagreements and protocol whichensured peace and tranquilityin the border areas for close tothree decades.”

The fourth round ofBrigadier-level talks betweenthe two countries remainedinconclusive. They will meetagain on Friday to resolve thelatest issue.

Reacting to the develop-ments in the last four dayswhen the Chinese troops triedto provoke India, Chief ofDefence Staff (CDS) GeneralBipin Rawat said, “Of late wehave been seeing some aggres-sive actions by China but weare capable of handling these.Our tri-services are capable ofdealing with threats along ourfrontiers.”

He, however, underlinedthat India wants peace andtranquility across our borders.

His comments come daysafter the CDS said militaryoption could be exercised if

talks at all levels fail to resolvethe more than four-monthlong stand-offs at the LAC ineastern Ladakh.

Army chief General MMNaravane’s two-day visit begin-ning Thursday comes four daysafter the Indian Army foiled amajor bid by 300 Chinesetroops to intrude into thesouthern bank of the PangongTso (lake). The Indian actionon the intervening night ofAugust 29 and 30 resulted aftertimely intelligence tip-off aboutthe movement of the Chinesetroops and tanks at night.

In a swift move, the Indiantroops, including commandosof the covert Special FrontierForce (SFF), thwarted theattempt and occupied strategicheights like the “Black Top” and“Helmet Top”.

Naravane visited some keysensitive positions in forwardareas of Ladakh to gain first-hand knowledge of the groundsituation. He was also briefedabout all the aspects of the cur-rent issues by local comman-ders, sources said. Further

review meetings are scheduledfor Friday regarding status ofoperational readiness.

Since the Indian armedforces are alert on the entire4,000 km LAC from Ladakh inthe west to Arunachal Pradeshin the east, IAF chief RKSBhadauria discussed the entiregamut of preparations duringhis one-day visit to the EasternCommand in Shillong. He alsovisited some forward airbaseswhere the frontline fighter jetsare now deployed for the lastthree months since the stand-offs started. In June, Bhadauriamade a quiet visit to Ladakh

and Srinagar airbases to reviewthe IAF’s overall preparedness.

Meanwhile, highlightingthat New Delhi wants to resolvethe issue through dialogue,the MEA Spokesperson said,“The ground commanders arestill holding discussions toresolve the situation. We reit-erate the consensus reachedbetween the two ForeignMinisters and SpecialRepresentatives that the situa-tion in the border should behandled in a responsible man-ner and either side should nottake any provocative action orescalate matters.”

As regards the develop-ments post the attempt by theChinese troops to unilaterallychange the status quo in theSouth Bank of Pangong Lakeon the night of August 29 andearly morning on August 30,Srivastava said theGovernment’s stand was clear-ly articulated in the statementmade on September 1.

“I am not going to go overthe Chinese actions that causedthe recent escalation,” he added.

On Tuesday, theSpokesperson had said theChinese side engaged in“provocative” military maneu-vers in the late night of August29 and 30 in an attempt tochange the status quo in theSouth Bank area of PangongLake. The Indian side respond-ed to these provocative actionsand took appropriate defensivesteps along the LAC in order tosafeguard our interests anddefend the territorial integrity.

On Thursday, he said nowthe way ahead is negotiations,both through the diplomaticand military channels. TheIndian side is firmly commit-ted to resolving all outstandingissues through peaceful talks.

“We, therefore, stronglyurge the Chinese side to sin-cerely engage the Indian sidewith the objective of expedi-tiously restoring the peace andtranquility in the border areasthrough complete disengage-ment and de-escalation inaccordance with the bilateralagreements and protocols,” hesaid.

These assertions came asChina has in the last four daysblamed the Indian forces forbreaching the LAC and occu-pying several hill tops. Indiahas maintained the actions onAugust 29-30 were carried outto defend its interests within itsown side of the LAC.

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Delhi is seeing a majorresurgence of coronavirus

cases after more than twomonths of a relatively sub-dued trend. On Thursday, thenational Capital recorded 2,737cases, the highest single-daytally after 66 days.

Delhi alone is not seeingthis renewed surge. Severalother States are also recordinga rising number of cases on adaily basis. This has pushedIndia’ tally to nearly four mil-lion cases.

On June 28, Delhi record-ed the highest 2,883 new casesand after that the situationremained under control eventhough the number of testingwent up in a big way. WhenDelhi recorded just 652 caseson August 16, it was assumedthat the worst may be finallybehind for the national Capital.However the hope has beenquickly dashed.

But the cases have been onthe rise during the last fort-night. For example, Delhirecorded nearly 11,000 cases inthe week between August 21and 28. In the last one weekagain, the national capitalrecorded 10,000 new cases.

With 19 fatalities onThursday, the total death toll inDelhi stands at 45,000 and thetotal number of cases at 1.82lakh.

Meanwhile on Thursday,the Union Health Ministrysaid the Covid-19 positivityrate among healthcare workersis on the higher side in theStates and Union territories ofTelangana, Maharashtra, Delhi,Karnataka, Puducherry andPunjab.

“In Telangana, healthcare

workers’ positivity rate is 18 percent, in Maharashtra it is 16per cent, in Delhi 14 per cent,Karnataka 13 per cent,Puducherry 12 per cent and inPunjab it is 11 per cent. Theseare the States where the posi-tivity rate among healthcareworkers is on a higher side,” theMinistry said.

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The Supreme Court hasdirected the removal of

48,000 slum dwellings alongthe 140 km length of railwaytracks in Delhi within threemonths and said there shall notbe any kind of political inter-ference in execution of theplan. The jhuggi jhopris will beremoved in a phased manner.

The top court alsorestrained any court fromgranting any kind of stay withrespect to removal of encroach-ments in the area and said incase any interim order is grant-ed with respect to encroach-ments along railway tracks thatshall not be effective.

A bench of justices ArunMishra, BR Gavai and KrishnaMurari, which took note of thereport filed by theEnvironment Pollution(Prevention & Control)Authority (EPCA) directedaction be taken be reported tothe court within one month onremoval of waste and encroach-

ments in the area. “We also direct all stake-

holders that a comprehensiveplan for removal of jhuggies bemade and executed in a phasedmanner. The encroachmentswhich are there in safety zonesshould be removed within aperiod of three months and nointerference, political or oth-erwise, should be there and nocourt shall grant any stay withrespect to removal of theencroachments in the area inquestion,” it said.

The bench said, in case anyinterim order is granted withrespect to encroachments,which have been made alongwith railway tracks that shallnot be effective.

The EPCA, in its report,has sought direction toRailways to present a time-bound plan for solid wastemanagement in the northernregion, starting with Delhi andits vicinity.

“We direct that let the planbe executed with respect toremoval of plastic bags, garbageetc. Within a period of threemonths and a meeting of allstakeholders, i.e. Railways,Govt of NCT of Delhi and con-cerned MunicipalCorporations as well as DelhiUrban Shelter ImprovementBoard (DUISB) will be callednext week and work will bestarted forthwith,” it said.

Continued on Page 2

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Bars in the national Capitalwill reopen from

September 9 and hotels, restau-rants and clubs have been per-mitted to serve liquor.

The Delhi DisasterManagement Authority(DDMA) has issued a standardoperating srocedure (SOP) foroperationalisation of bars inhotels, restaurants and clubs aspart of measures to contain thespread of Covid-19.

According to order, bars incontainment zones shallremain closed and only thoseoutside containment zones willbe allowed to open.

“Entry shall only beallowed to persons with facemasks. Only asymptomaticstaff, customers and guestsshall be allowed. Mandatoryprovisions for hand hygiene(sanitiser dispenser) and ther-mal screening at the entranceto be made without fail.

“Not more than 50 per centof the approved seating capac-ity shall be allowed inside thehotel, restaurant and clubs sothat social distancing normsmay be maintained,” it said.

The order further statedthat adequate manpower shallbe deployed by the hotels,

restaurants and clubs for ensur-ing social distancing norms andall the staff shall wear gloves,face-masks and maintain com-plete health hygiene such as fre-quent washing of hands, use ofsanitiser, etc.

Also, the establishmentswill have to follow Ministry ofHome Affairs’ (MHA’s) guide-lines. “With the approval ofLieutenant Governor AnilBaijal, authorities have allowedhotels, restaurants and clubs toserve liquor from September 9,”a Delhi Government sourcesaid.

Earlier, on June 12, theDelhi Government had allowedrestaurants bars, hotels to sell their stock expiring imme-diately.

����� ���� ��� ��

The Bombay High Court onThursday advised the

media in clear-cut terms toexercise “restraint” whilereporting on the Sushant SinghRajput death case and not tofile stories in manner that willhamper the probe in the case.

The CBI questioned Rhea’sfather Indajit Chakraborty forthe third consecutive day onThursday for five hours.During the questioning, theCBI once against asked Indrajitabout his daughter’s relationswith Rajput and the actor’sfamily, the reason for Rhealeaving Rajput’s home andblocking the latter’s mobile

number and Rhea’s role inmanaging the late actor’s finan-cial matters.

Hearing a public interestlitigation filed by eight retiredpolice officers who held toppositions in the Maharashtrapolice to stop a section of theelectronic media from “influ-encing the course of investiga-tions” in Sushant’s death casethrough “biased and false”reporting, the high court tookserious cognisance of the ques-tionable “media coverage” ofthe actor’s death case and askedthe media “not to hamper theinvestigations” in any manner.

“We urge and expect themedia to exercise restraint inreporting of the investigationwith respect to the (Rajput)death, which should not ham-per the investigation in anymanner,” the Bombay HighCourt said.

Continued on Page 2

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Two days after it temporar-ily stopped routine OPD

(Outpatient Department) fortwo weeks, the All IndiaInstitute of Medical Sciences(AIIMS) clarified on Thursdaythat the OPD services wouldcontinue as usual.

“Reference circular on‘Temporary suspension of rou-tine OPD admission’ datedSeptember 1, this is to clarifythat OPD services at AIIMS,New Delhi, will continue asusual,” the statement said. It did

not mention the reason forwithdrawing the order.

It has has come as a greatrelief to many patients and theirrelatives like Rashmi Junejawhose younger brother isadmitted at the hospital forserious liver ailment.

“Doctors have recom-mended his discharge andhome care. But I am worriedthat what will happen if mybrother’s situation worsensagain. Good that they droppedthe idea of suspending theOPD services,” she said.

Continued on Page 2

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After severe criticism fromOpposition parties, includ-

ing the Congress for its allegedbias to ruling BJP’s content,Facebook on Thursday bannedTelangana MLA T Raja Singhfrom its platform andInstagram for violating its pol-icy on content promoting vio-lence and hate.

“We have banned Raja

Singh from Facebook for vio-lating our policy,” a Facebookspokesperson said in anemailed statement.

The BJP leader, however,claimed he has no FB accountfor over a year.

The social media giant alsoresponded to the Congresssaying the organisation hastaken seriously the concernsand recommendations raisedby the grand old party and that

it takes allegations of bias seri-ously and said it alwaysdenounces hate and bigotry inall forms.

The action came againstthe backdrop of both theCongress and Union ITMinister Ravi Shankar Prasadwriting to Facebook chief MarkZuckerberg, accusing the socialmedia platform’s employees of“political bias.”

Continued on Page 2

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Twitter confirmed onThursday that an account

of Prime Minister NarendraModi’s personal website washacked with a series of tweetsasking its followers to donate toa relief fund through cryp-tocurrency.

The group known as JohnWick has claimed the respon-sibility for the hacking thewebsite. Twitter said it wasaware of the activity withModi’s website account and has

taken steps to secure it.The tweets, which have

since been taken down, askedthe followers to donate to thePM National Relief Fundthrough cryptocurrency.

“We’re aware of this activ-ity and have taken steps tosecure the compromisedaccount. We are actively inves-tigating the situation. At thistime, we are not aware of addi-tional accounts being impact-ed. Advice on keeping youraccount secure can be found,”according to a Twitter official.

In series of tweets after thetakeover of the verified handle,the hacker put out messagesseeking donations to the PrimeMinister’s relief fund for Covid-19 using bitcoins. “Thisaccount is hacked by JohnW i c k([email protected]), Wehave not hacked Paytm Mall,”the message said.

The incident comes afterseveral Twitter accounts ofprominent personalities werehacked in July.

Continued on Page 2

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Anew sero-survey conduct-ed by the Gujarat’s

Ahmedabad MunicipalCorporation (AMC) hasrevealed that 40 per cent ofpatients who recovered fromCovid-19 did not have theantibodies three months afterthey were infected.

This raises concerns ofre-infection among the Covid-survivors with the municipalcorporation officials not rulingout second wave of the disease.

The survey showed thatjust 23.24 per cent of sampleshad antibodies against coron-

avirus, indicating that the cityhas not developed a herdimmunity, an official said evenas he warned that the citymight witness a possible sec-ond and even a third wave ofCovid-19 infections, if basicrules of Covid hygiene are notfollowed.

“At this rate, a second ora third wave of Covid may fol-low, if precautions are nottaken now,” the official warned.However, much better picturewill emerge from the results ofthe second sero-survey con-ducted by the Centre in 18 dis-tricts across the country.

Continued on Page 2

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Page 2: ,- 1 ,13 4,56!˚ ’-,57// .$˙# ˘ ˛ ˝ :’:;=: ;= B’:=’ 9 ... - English ......2020/09/04  · talks at all levels fail to resolve the more than four-month long stand-offs at

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Islamabad: A High Court inPakistan on Thursday direct-ed the federal government togive India “another opportu-nity” to appoint a lawyer torepresent death-row prisonerKulbhushan Jadhav as itadjourned hearing for amonth.The Islamabad HighCourt (IHC) took up the caseof appointment of lawyer forJadhav to hear the review of thedeath sentence given to him bya Pakistani militarycourt.Jadhav, the 50-year-oldretired Indian Navy officer, wassentenced to death by aPakistani military court on

charges of "espionage and ter-rorism" in April 2017.

Attorney General KhalidJaved Khan told the court thatto comply with the orders ofthe International Court ofJustice (ICJ), Pakistan grantedconsular access to India, how-ever, it has not replied toPakistan’s offer to appoint alawyer for him.According tothe short order issued after thehearing, Khan told the courtthat Jadhav was informedabout the judgment of the ICJand his rights under Article 36of the Vienna Convention onConsular Relations as well as

IHC orders on the appoint-ment of his defence coun-sel.The Attorney General toldthe court that he was informedby the officials of theGovernment of Pakistan thatJadhav has reiterated his ear-lier stance and has preferred topursue the remedy of clemen-cy instead of invoking his rightunder the Ordinance of 2020.

Khan told the court thatIndia was duly informed of theproceedings of the court heldon August 3, but its responseis awaited, according to theorder.The court raised ques-tions about the efficacy of the

case and judgment if India orJadhav were not ready to availthe opportunity of review.Thecourt observed that “in orderto remove any further doubt,India should be given anotheropportunity to appoint alawyer”.

“In order to remove anydoubt, and to fulfill therequirements of a fair trial, wefeel that another opportunityought to be extended to theGovernment of India to con-sider taking appropriate mea-sures so as to ensure effectivecompliance with the judgmentof the International Court...

We, therefore, yet againrestrain ourselves from pro-ceeding in the matter in hand,”according to the order.Thecourt also ordered that toensure an effective review andreconsideration so as to giveeffect to the judgment of theICJ, the Attorney General shallensure that a copy of thisorder is provided to Jadhav.

“The Government ofPakistan shall once again con-vey the orders passed in thispetition to the Government ofIndia to enable the latter toconsider taking appropriatemeasures in order to ensure

compliance with the judgmentof the International Court,” itsaid.The court adjourned hear-ing and directed the Registrarto fix the proceedings at 02:00PM on October 6.

On August 4, the IHCnamed three senior lawyers asamici curiae in the case ofJadhav as it had ordered thePakistan government to give"another chance" to India toappoint a counsel for thedeath-row prisoner.AmicusCuriae is a lawyer appointed bya court to assist in any matteror case.On July 16, Pakistanprovided consular access to

Jadhav, but the Indian gov-ernment said the access was"neither meaningful nor cred-ible" and he appeared visiblyunder stress.

The Ministry of ExternalAffairs said Pakistan is not onlyin violation of the judgment ofICJ, but also of its own ordi-nance.Pakistan has introduceda special law to allow Jadhav toget his sentence reviewed asasked by the ICJ.Indiaapproached the ICJ againstPakistan for denial of consularaccess to Jadhav and challeng-ing the death sentence.TheHague-based ICJ ruled in July

last year that Pakistan mustundertake an "effective reviewand reconsideration" of theconviction and sentence ofJadhav and also to grant con-sular access to India withoutfurther delay.

Pakistan claims that itssecurity forces arrested Jadhavfrom the restive Balochistanprovince on March 3, 2016after he reportedly enteredfrom Iran. India maintainsthat Jadhav was kidnappedfrom Iran where he had busi-ness interests after retiringfrom the Navy.

PTI

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New Delhi: A Delhi courtWednesday sent JNU studentSharjeel Imam, arrested underthe stringent anti-terror law --Unlawful Activities (Prevention)Act, to judicial custody for 14days in a case related to com-munal violence in north eastDelhi in February.

Imam was arrested by theSpecial Cell of Delhi Police onAugust 25 for allegedly beingpart of a “premeditated con-spiracy” in connection to theriots during protests against theCitizenship Amendment Act.

Additional Sessions JudgeAmitabh Rawat sent him to judi-cial custody for 14 days after hewas produced before the courtthrough video conferencing, his

lawyer Ahmad Ibrahim said.The court had earlier sent

him to police custody for threedays in the case.

Pinjra Tod members andJNU students Devangana Kalitaand Natasha Narwal, JamiaMillia Islamia students AsifIqbal Tanha and GulfishaKhatoon, former CongressCouncillor Ishrat Jahan, JamiaCoordination Committee mem-bers Safoora Zargar, MeeranHaider, President of JamiaAlumni Association Shifa-Ur-Rehman, suspended AAPCouncillor Tahir Hussain,activist Khalid Saifi, and formerstudent leader Umar Khalidhave also been booked under theanti-terror law in the case. PTI

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New Delhi: Pitching Indiaamongst the best investmentdestinations worldwide, PrimeMinister Narendra Modi onThursday said the country'spolitical stability and policycontinuity makes it the bestplace for global investors in theaftermath of the COVID-19pandemic.

Addressing the US-IndiaStrategic Partnership Forumthrough video confence, Modialso cited a slew of reformsundertaken by his governmentand asserted that India is com-

mitted to democracy and diver-sity and it has undertaken far-reaching reforms in recentmonths. N o t i n gthat the current situationdemands a fresh mindset thatis human-centric, Modi saidIndia did the same by scalingup its healthcare facilities in arecord time to deal with theCOVID-19 pandemic.

He also said India wasamongst the first globally toadvocate masks and face cov-erings as a public health mea-sure and also amongst those

creating a public campaignabout social distancing. Modifurther said his government hasundertaken far-reachingreforms to make the businesseasier and red-tapism lesser.

Modi said his governmentlaunched one of the largest sup-port programmes for the poorglobally following the COVID-19 outbreak in form of thePradhan Mantri Garib KalyanYojna, under which free food-grains have been provided toover 80 crore people.

PTI

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Earlier on Tuesday, AIIMShad decided to temporarilystop its routine OPD admis-sions for two weeks in view ofthe need to optimise usage ofavailable inpatient beds forhospitalisation.

“In view of the need tooptimise usage of availableinpatient beds for hospitalisa-tion of seriously ill emer-g e n c y / s e m i - e m e r g e n c ypatients, it has been decided totemporarily stop routine OPDadmissions to general wards aswell as private wards in AIIMSHospital and all Centres withimmediate effect for a period oftwo weeks which will bereviewed after that,” said thestatement.

From Page 1The bench said that 70 per

cent of the requisite amountshall be borne by the Railwaysand 30 per cent by the StateGovernment and the man-power be provided by theSouth Delhi MunicipalCorporation (SDMC),Railways and agencies availablewith the Government, free ofcost, and they will not chargeit from each other.

The order of the benchwas passed on August 31, butwas uploaded on the apexcourt’s website recently. JusticeMishra demitted office onWednesday.

The bench directed theSDMC, Railways and otheragencies to ensure that theircontractors do not put thewaste/garbage on the sides f rail-way tracks and Railways shallalso prepare a long term schemethat no such piling of wastetakes place along sides of tracks.

“The picture painted inthe report of the EPCA as wellas in the reply filed by theRailways indicates that nothinghas been done so far and wasteis being piled up and at the

same time, there is humanhabitation which has come inthe same area unauthorisedly,which are required to be takencare of. Let the action taken bereported to this Court withina period of one month,” thebench said.

The bench, took note of theaffidavit filed by AK Yadav,additional Divisional RailwayManager at DRM Office ofNorthern Railway and saidthat it is being stated that thereis a predominant presence of‘jhuggies’ in Delhi along the

140 km route length of track inthe region of NCT of Delhiwhere the railway tracks takeoff in different directions andalso include a ring connectingthe takeoff of all these routes.

“Out of this, about 70 kmroute length of track is affect-ed by large ‘jhuggie jhopri’clusters existing in close vicin-ity of tracks. These clusters sumup to a total of about 48,000numbers of jhuggies in theregion adjacent to railwaytracks,” the bench recorded inits order.

From Page 1“Results will be out within

a week,” Rajesh Bhushan said ata press briefing here.

The antibody study inAhmedabad was conductedbetween August 15 and August29 over a representative samplesize of 10,000 people. It foundthat 23 per cent of the sampledpopulation had Covid anti-bodies, while in the last surveyconducted in June where alarger 30,000 people were sam-pled 17.6 per cent people haddeveloped antibodies.

Another clear sign of peo-ple shedding antibodies over aperiod of time is seen in themunicipal Central zone whichhad seen the outbreak inMarch-April where there isjust a 3.2 % rise in population

having developed antibodiesnow, compared to June.Another such zone is the Eastzone where there has been amarginal rise of 0.74% popu-lation having antibodies againstCovid. Dr Jay Shah, associateprofessor of AMC MET andAmit Parikh, HOD medicine,in SVP hospital said that theincrease in positivity of 5.63 percent in the city after 1.5 monthsof earlier study, and in Unlockperiod, is very low.

“We are fine-tuning ourresults. One task is to findwhether these tests were show-ing presence of other coron-aviruses along with Covid-19and another is to find howmuch time one takes to shedthe antibodies. The Centralzone and East zones are clearexamples of shedding anti-bodies,” said the official.

From Page 1The process for evaluating

potential violators is extensiveand it is what led us to removehis account, the statementadded.

In a video message, RajaSingh claimed he did not havea Facebook account since April2019 and that the pages thesocial networking site nowbanned might have been cre-ated by his followers.

In a letter addressed toCongress general secretary(organisation) KC Venugopal,Facebook’s director of PublicPolicy Neil Potts, said, “At theoutset, we thank you for yourletter dated August 18, 2020.We take seriously the con-

cerns and recommendationsyou raised on behalf of theIndian National Congress.”

Venugopal, in separate let-ter, had alleged a “quid-pro-quorelationship” betweenFacebook India and the rulingBJP.

Before him the Congresshad also levelled similarcharges against Facebook in aletter written after the US-based publication came outwith certain facts as how thesocial media giants through itsplatform including WhatsApphad facilitated the BJP in elec-tions after elections in recenttimes.

“First and foremost, wewant to take this opportunity to

state that we arenon-partisan andstrive to ensurethat our plat-forms remain aspace where peo-ple can expresst h e m s e l v e sfreely. We takeallegations ofbias seriouslyand want tomake clear thatwe denouncehate and bigotryin all forms,”Potts’ letter said.

Potts’ men-tioned that as aPublic PolicyDirector atFacebook, helooks afterFacebook’s Trust

and Safety Policy Team - a teamof subject matter experts thatprovides advice and counsel tothe company on various issues,including Counterterrorism,Cybersecurity, Civic Integrity,Safety, and Human Rights.

“We removed 22.5 millionpieces of hate speech contentfrom April-June in 2020, upfrom 1.6 million pieces of hatespeech content removed in thelast quarter of 2017. We knowthere is much more to do andwill continue to invest ourefforts to combat hate speechon our services” he said in theletter.

Facebook also remindedabout the last interaction it hadwith the Congress IT memberswhere it discussed theCommunity Standards of thecompany.

“On the question of hate-ful content by public figures, wewant to assure you that ourCommunity Standards pro-hibit attacks against peoplebased on their protected char-acteristics, including religion,caste, ethnicity, and nationalorigin. In line with our hatespeech policy, we have removedand will continue to removehateful content by public fig-ures in India on our plat-forms,” the letter added.

Facebook also informedthat it has a team with deepexpertise on terrorism andorganised hate, who pay atten-tion to global and regionaltrends and advise on thesematters.

From Page 1A HC division bench com-

prising Justice AA Sayed andJustice SP Tavade — which isalso hearing another similarpetition filed by three activists— stated that it would hear thematter further after hearing asto what the Union Governmentand the CBI, which is probingthe case, have to say in responseto the pleas. The HC benchposted the two petitions forfurther hearing on September10.

In their PIL, the petition-ers - all of whom were of theofficers of the Director Generalof Police rank at the time oftheir retirement and enjoy for-midable reputation - stated intheir petition, “A section of TVchannels has been trying toinfluence the course of inves-tigation being done by theCentral agencies through theirbiased reporting and false pro-paganda. This has created anair of suspicion in the minds ofthe general public as to the factsof the case under investigationand about the Mumbai police,health services and other sup-port services in the State.”

“The anchors of some TVchannels have virtually beenrunning a vituperative 24X7campaign against the Mumbaipolice and its chief, that is theCommissioner of Police, theDCP of the zone and other offi-cers by attacking them by namein the most becoming manner,”they stated.

The eight petitioners - MNSingh, Dr PS Pasricha, DNJadhav, D Shivanandan,Sanjeev Dayal, KSubramaniam, SC Mathur andKP Raghuvanshi - went on tosay, “This irresponsible andmaliciously false propaganda islikely to erode the public con-fidence in the institution ofpolice in particular and the lawenforcement apparatus in gen-eral. Mumbai police is one of

the oldest police forces of Indiaand it has always enjoyed a veryhigh reputation for profes-sional competence and publicservice. Any malicious andirresponsible attempt to run itdown is, therefore, not in pub-lic interest.”

“The adverse media cam-paign against the Mumbaipolice appears to have beendesigned with sinister motives.Reporting is being done reck-lessly with preconceivednotions, coupled with consis-tent and deliberate failure toreport fully and correctly.which with respect, is aimed atsystematic and continued tar-nishing of the fair image of theMumbai police without cogentbasis, apart from causing hin-drance in the investigation ofthe case by the police/CBI andother agencies,” the retiredpolice officers stated in theirpetition.

In their PIL filed througha prominent law firm,Crawford, Bayley & Company’sSenior Advocate Milind Sathe,the retired police officers havemade the Union and StateGovernments, Press Council ofIndia and News Broadcasters’Association as respondents inthe case.

In the second PIL, by film-maker Nilesh Navlakha, jour-nalist MD Shaikh and retiredbureaucrat SC Chaba, filed bylawyers Rajesh Inamdar andShashwat Anand, SeniorAdvocate Devadatt Kamat saidthe media had flouted norms ofPress Council of India andprogramme code under theCable TV Act.

“We are all for the freedomof the press. It is the fourthestate... this country will sur-vive only if there is a vibrantmedia but the media has cer-tain responsibilities, which iftransgressed will destroy theadministration of justice”,Kamat argued in his submis-sion before the HC bench.

On Thursday, the CBI also

questioned Cornerstone Sportsand Entertainment Pvt LtdCEO Bunty Sajdeh, who is thebrother-in-law of Indian crick-eter Rohit Sharma andBollywood actor Sohail Khan,in the Rajput death case.

In a related development,the Enforcement Directorate(ED) questioned VarunMathur, Director of InnaseiVentures, in a connection witha Sushant death-related moneylaundering case registered by it.

The information that sur-faced in the investigationsshows that Mathur launchedthe company with Rajput inApril 2018. The investigatorsasked Mathur about theRajput’s investment in the firm.It also tried to find out fromMathur as to what kind of busi-ness that Innasei Ventures, inwhich the late actor was adirector, was doing.

Whether Sushant was onlya Director along with Mathurand Saurabh Mishra, it wantedto know.

Meanwhile, Sushant’s for-mer manager Shruti Modi’sadvocate Ashok Saraogi con-tested Rajput’s family lawyerVikas Singh’s claim that theactor had no insurance policy.“When a rickshaw puller canhave a policy…Rajput was sucha big actor and it’s practicallyimpossible that he didn’t havean insurance policy. This angleshould be investigated becauseif there is an insurance policywe need to see who the bene-ficiary is,” Sarogi said.

Meanwhile, a Mumbaicourt on Thursday remandedan alleged contraband dealer,who has been arrested in con-nection with the drugs traf-ficking case linked to the caseof actor Rajput’s death, in thecustody of the NarcoticsControl Bureau (NCB) tillSeptember 9.

Zaid Vilatra (21) was pro-duced before a metropolitanmagistrate’s court whichremanded him in NCB’s cus-

tody forseven daysfor furtherprobe in thecase.

T h eNCB hadsaid on

Wednesday it had arrestedVilatra and one Basit Parihar inconnection with the Rajputdeath-linked drug traffickingcase

“We have recovered Indiancurrency worth Rs 9,55,750and foreign currency (USD2,081, 180 British Pounds, 15dirhams), which the NCBclaimed are “proceeds of drugpeddling”, were recovered fromVilatra,” a NCB official hadsaid.

Zaid runs an eatery atBandra in north-west Mumbaiwhich, he told the NCB was notgiving any pecuniary gainssince lockdown.

The NCB official said Zaidwas allegedly into drug ped-dling, especially bud, throughwhich he used to earn a sub-stantial amount of money.

A resident of suburbanBandra, Parihar is “learnt tohave linkages” with the nar-cotics case registered againstRajput’s girlfriend and actressRhea and others, officials said.

The role of Rhea’s brotherShowik Chakraborty and hispurported links with peoplenabbed by NCB are under thescanner of the NCB.

Rajput was found hangingfrom ceiling fan in his closedroom of a duplex flat at MontBlanc building at Bandra’sCarter Road on June 14.

Rhea, her parents Indrajitand Sandhya Chakraborty, herbrother Showik, Sushaant’s ex-manager Shruti ManagerShruti Modi and others havebeen named in an FIR lodgedby the actor’s father KK Singhwith Rajiv Nagar police stationin Patna.

It was on the basis of thisFIR that the Supreme Courtordered the transfer of theSushant Singh Rajput deathcase to the CBI on August 19.

Rhea, her parents, herbrother and others have beenbooked as part of this FIRunder sections 341 (wrongfulrestraint) 342 (wrongful con-finement, 380 (theft), 406(breach of trust),420 (cheating),306 ( abetting suicide) and 120-B ( conspiracy) of the IndianPenal Code.

The CBI, ED and NCB areinvestigating the case from dif-ferent angles.

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From Page 1On August 30, cyberse-

curity firm Cyble had claimedhacker group John Wick wasbehind a “massive” databreach at Paytm Mall, the e-commerce arm of unicornPaytm.

Cyble had claimed thehacker group had access tothe company’s database,

which was denied by Paytm.In July, a hacker group

had taken over the internalcontrols of Twitter compro-mising the accounts of pop-ular verified users such asWarren Buffett, Jeff Bezos,Barack Obama, Bill Gates, JoeBiden, and Elon Musk andput out messages seekingdonation using bitcoin.

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Railways Minister PiyushGoyal held a meeting with

top courier service agencies todiscuss and explore the possi-bilities of expanding the busi-ness of private parcel servicesthrough Indian Railways.

During the meeting it wasinformed that Railways was setto offer reliable, fast, affordableand easy to handle parcel ser-vices for logistics or courieragencies.

“In order to quickly workout the best guidelines and easeof doing business, a joint work-ing group is going to be formedconsisting of railway officialsand representatives of logisticsor courier providers. The aimof the meeting was to facilitaterobust partnership with rail-ways freight and parcel service,”

the minister said in a statement.Speaking on the occasion

the minister said that the solu-tions needed to be there toensure a sustainable businessdevelopment for all.

It may also be noted thattotal 5,292 parcel trains run byIndian Railways from March 22till September 2 out of which5,139 have been time-tabledtrains. Total 3,18,453 tonnes of

consignments have beenloaded in these trains and theearnings have been Rs 116.19crores.

It is worth mentioning thatIndian Railways freight loading

for the month of August 2020with total 94.33 million tonnesof freight loading surpasseslast year’s loading for the samemonth. Total 1,41,049 rakeswith 451.38 million tonnes offreight loaded by IndianRailways from March 25 toSeptember 1.

A number of concessionsare also being given in IndianRailways to make Railwaysfreight movement very attrac-tive, it said, adding thatimprovements in freight move-ments will be institutionalizedand incorporated in theupcoming zero based timetable.

Meanwhile, RajivChaudhry General Managerof northern railways informedthat the refund office has nowbeen conferred with ISO 9001-2015 certification for providingquality management services.

“Refund office is the firstoffice in the commercial orga-nization of Indian Railways towin this prestigious certifica-tion which demonstrates thecommitment of northern rail-ways towards its customer cen-tric approach,” he said.

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Transport Minister KailashGahlot on Thursday met

with officials of Delhi MetroRail Corporation (DMRC) andtransport department and dis-cussed ‘Standard OperatingProcedure’ and other safetynorms to reduce the spread ofthe coronavirus disease (Covid-19) when the services of DelhiMetro resume on September 7.

Following the meeting, hetweeted “Met with officials of@OfficialDMRC &@TransportDelhi to discussSOP for graded reopening ofMetro services. In anticipationto resuming Delhi's transportlifeline, with all precautions, it'sthe duty of both Govt & citi-zens to ensure safety by max.compliance to COVID proto-cols,”

Gahlot also inspected thecontrol room and buses withrecently installed CCTV sur-veillance cameras at Rajghatbus depot.

“The installation, which isbeing implemented byT e l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n sConsultants India Limited(TCIL) is expected to be com-pleted by November 2020. AllDTC and cluster buses willsimultaneously be fitted with 3IP Cameras, MNVR integrat-ed with GPS device, 10 panicbuttons, 1 display for driver,hooter, strobe and 2 numbersof two way audio communica-tion device one each for driverand conductor,” the govern-ment said in a statement.

Passenger, driver or con-ductor can press the panicbutton in case of any emer-gency or panic, it said, addingthat the alert will automatical-ly be sent to the Command &Control centre at KashmiriGate in real time.

“The operator atCommand Centre will filter thealerts and forward the alert torespective stakeholders likepolice, fire and ambulance forquick response with GPS coor-dinates of the bus throughSOPs defined in various alertsscenarios. SMS and email alertswill also be sent to the con-cerned authorities at the timeof emergency in synchroniza-tion to these panic alerts,” itadded.

During the inspection,the Transport Minister said“We are trying to bring ourfocus on petty and unnoticedcrimes faced by women com-muters in the buses. The pres-ence of our bus marshals havealready reduced crimes inbuses. Now, with this initiative,we are confident that com-muters in Delhi can confi-dently use public transportany time of the day,"

Delhi Government hadannounced earlier to upgradethe fleet of around 5,500 DelhiTransport Corporation (DTC)and cluster buses.

The objective of the projectis to ensure safety and securi-ty of the passengers, particu-larly of women passengersthrough IP based CCTV sur-veillance cameras, panic button

and GPS in the buses of DTCand cluster scheme.

Earlier in October 2019,Delhi Government launched afree travel scheme for womenin all DTC and cluster busesallowing them to travel free ofcost by using pink passes. Thegovernment had also deployedmore than 11000 Marshals inall buses to ensure safe journeyof the commuters especiallywomen.

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Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)alleged that the BJP has

spent Rs 5 crore per month inthe name of decreasing theheight of Bhalswa landfill butnot a single inch of the landfillhas decreased.

Senior Aam Aadmi Partyleader and MCD-in chargeDurgesh Pathak on Thursdaysaid that Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) ruled MCDs are using Rs5 crore per month but has donenothing to reduce the height ofthe garbage mountain but theNorth mayor lied to the peoplelast month by saying that theyhave decreased the height ofBhalswa landfill by 12 ft.

"The municipal corpora-tions have destroyed the beau-ty of the city. If you enter the cityfrom either Uttar Pradesh orHaryana or Rajasthan the firstthing you will witness is theGarbage Mountains or the land-fills which are proof of failuresof the Corporations,” he said.

"In the 2017 manifesto ofBJP, it claimed that after com-ing to the power of the munic-ipal corporations of Delhi theywill immediately remove thelandfills but it failed to fulfillpromises,” he said.

Pathak said, "Without doingany work just for one landfill theBJP is spending Rs.5 crore everymonth and the whole money isgoing into their corruption.The people of Delhi are reallyfed up with such corruption and

will respond in the upcomingmunicipal elections by votingthem out”.

Senior AAP leader and for-mer MLA from Laxmi NagarNitin Tyagi said, "The people ofDelhi who stay near thesegarbage mountains are sufferingfrom various health issues. “Ifthe BJP does not know what todo then they should immedi-ately leave the municipal cor-porations of Delhi and theDelhi government will run theMCD,” he said.

Leader of the opposition ofAAP in the North MCD VikasGoel said, "The BJP has no rightto stay in the power of themunicipal corporations of Delhiafter repeated failures to reducegarbage mountain.

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The building department ofSouth Delhi Municipal

Corporation (SDMC) took anaction against the unauthorisedconstructions in various areasincluding Chhattarpur Enclave,Khirki Extension, PanchsheelVihar, Greater Kailash-II, Ladosarai, Toot Sarai and demol-ished eight properties.

A senior SDMC officialsaid a separate demolitionteams were constituted to takeaction and overcome the ten-dency of unauthorized con-structions. “Two properties

each in C block Chhattarpurenclave and one property eachin Khirki Extension,Panchsheel Vihar, GreaterKailash-II, Lado sarai,Toot Sarawas demolished,” he said.

The official said that nec-essary precautions fromCOVID-19 point of view havebeen taken by the departmentwhile undertaking such demo-lition and sealing actions.

The building departmenthas been taking action againstunauthorized constructions fordemolition under provisions ofthe DMC Act 1957. “Thedepartment has also been issu-

ing notices to the unscrupulousbuilders, as it has beenobserved that such builderswere targeting the gullible cit-izens of getting them more hab-itable space at cheaper costwithout getting the buildingplan sanctioned,” he said.

During the last one month,the department has taken 71demolition actions and sealingactions against unauthorizedconstructions in ChhattarpurEnclave, Greater Kailash-II,Lado sarai,Toot SaraiPanchsheel Vihar, KhirkiExtension, Chattarpur Pahariand Chitranjan Park.

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The Delhi Police has arrest-ed a man impersonating as

Indian Forest Service (IFS)officer posted at PrimeMinister’s Office (PMO) forallegedly cheating Gujarat-based businessmen to the tuneof Rs 36 crore.

The accused has been iden-tified as Piyush Bandopadhyay,a resident of Noida in UttarPradesh.

According to O P Mishra,the Joint Commissioner ofPolice, Economic Offense

Wing (EOW), a complaint wasreceived by the representativeof SRM Mahadeo Smart BioToilet Pvt. Ltd. In which theyalleged that they met ShwetaSorout wife of PiyushBandopadhyay.

“Shweta Sorout introducedherself as the Indian head ofIntellectual Innovation ThinkTank Company engaged inselling Patent Technology toGovernment and Non-Government agencies all acrossthe world. She also projectedthat her company is involved inproviding Government and

Non-Government contracts,”said the Joint CP.

“Shweta claimed that herhusband Piyush Bandopadhyayis an IFS officer presently post-ed in Prime Minister Office.She subsequently arranged ameeting of the representativesof the company with her hus-band Piyush in Ashoka Hotel,”said the Joint CP.

“Piyush informed the rep-resentatives that all projectsrelated to Make-in-India, SmartCity, Solar Energy, etc. werelooked after by him. Heclaimed he could get any pro-posal of the company passed bythe government. In order toconvince the company abouthis genuine credentials, he alsoproduced forged documentspurportedly issued by the gov-ernment,” said the Joint CP.

“On the basis of the false

representations by PiyushBandopadhyay and his wife, thecompany convinced theDirectors of MitsumiDisributors, an NRI company(based in Dubai) to purchasethe patent technology fromIntellectual Innovation ThinkTank (IITT). A total amounttransferred of Rs 36 crores wastransferred to IntellectualInnovation Think Tank,” saidthe Joint CP.

“A case under relevant sec-tions of Indian Penal Code(IPC) was registered at EOWpolice station and Piyush wasarrested from his rentedaccommodation in Noida. Thebeacon fitted car used byPiyush for meeting his clientshas also been recovered from asafe hide out. Police have alsoseized papers of property fromthe possession of the accused

procured through the cheatedamount,” said the Joint CP.

“Two more complaintshave also been filed before theCentral Investigating Agencyregarding his impersonation,”the Joint CP added.

Explaining the modusoperandi of the accused theJoint CP said that in order togive an impression about hiscoveted status of senior gov-ernment functionary, he wouldget the phones of all the visitorsand clients deposited before-hand.

“He was very fluent indropping names of high offi-cials before the clients duringbusiness conversations. Heused to highlight recent initia-tives of government as if he hadplayed an important role inpolicy making,” the Joint CPadded.

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The Covid-19 pandemic hasaffected the food and hos-

pitality industry very badly.Particularly in Gurugram,

the industry has been com-pletely paralysed.

Several outlets have beenshut across the city due toCovid-19 fears and restaurantshave reported up to 60% fall inrevenues.

As of now, more than 35pubs, bars and restaurants inthe city have closed down dueto high rent and massivelydecreased footfall.

Most restaurants haveasked their staff to leave, citinglack of funds. Movement ofmigrant laborers back home isanother problem for the sector.

The district’s excise officialssaid a few months ago that the

establishment owners hadapproached them, offering tosurrender their licences, asthey are finding it difficult topay monthly rents and staffsalaries. The eatery ownersclaim that in the current situ-ation they have no otheroption, but to vacate theirpremises.

"If the lockdown continuesfor some more time and rentskeep on accumulating, therewill be no option but to exitthose properties where land-lords fail to give any leeway inrental payments. Also, there isno point in booking furtherlosses for outlets that do not getdecent footfalls.

Consumers are avoidingcrowded places. We have seena sales dip of 55-60% sequen-tially, over the past couple ofmonths,” said Lalit Ahalawat,owner at SOI 7.

However, with the growingfear of exposing the staff toinfection, many are shuttingthese down, too.

“35 of such restaurant own-

ers have surrendered theirlicences so far due to highmonthly rent and poor con-sumer footfall. Although manyrestaurants have started theiroperations, people are notinterested in visiting restau-rants,” said Aruna Singh,deputy excise and taxationofficer (East zone).

Excise officials say thatthey have already waived offone-third of the licence fees,bringing it down to Rs 2 lakh.

There are a total of 327restaurants, pubs and barsacross the Gurugram district.Most of the outlets are situat-ed on Golf Course Road, MGRoad, Cyber Hub, Sector 29and Palam Vihar.

The restaurants were givenpermission to resume theiroperations at 50% occupancyfrom June 8. Officials said thehotel association of Gurugramhad written to the departmentin June requesting them towaive their liquor licence fee asthey have been shut sinceMarch 25.

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The Delhi Police has arrested a second yearBachelor of Arts (BA) student in Delhi

University for allegedly harassing a girl by mak-ing fake social media accounts in her name andposting obscene pictures. Police said the boy alsoused to harass the girl by calling her from dif-ferent phone numbers.

The accused has been identified as UmeshKumar, a resident of Sangam Vihar area.

According to Atul Kumar Thakur, the DeputyCommissioner of Police (DCP), South district, acomplaint was received from Geeta (namechanged) in which she stated that someone hadcreated her multiple profiles on Instagram andFacebook using her photo and mobile no withdirty and obscene comments on it.

“She also told police that she was also beingcontinuously harassed by anonymous phonecalls from different numbers. The unknown per-

sons were talking in filthy language and askingfor favours,” said the DCP.

“Due to such acts of the alleged person onSocial media platforms, the victim was suffer-ing from mental trauma and harassment. A FirstInformation Report (FIR) was filed under sec-tion 354D, 509, 506 of Indian Penal Code (IPC)at Neb Sarai police station and investigation wastaken up,” said the DCP.

“During investigation, emails were sent toFacebook and Instagram and after thoroughanalysis of the suspected numbers, one suspectidentified as Umesh Kumar was apprehendedwho later confessed to his crime,” said the DCP.

“During interrogation, the accused disclosedthat he was in friendship with the victim's eldersister. In March 2020, his friendship ended, forwhich he suspected the victim. Thereafter, hedecided to harass her by creating her fake pro-files with obscene posts and comments,” said theDCP.

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The resumption of metroservices in Delhi will not

be a cause of concern as theDelhi Metro Rail Corporation(DMRC) has taken all neces-sary measures to ensure safetravelling amid the coron-avirus outbreak.

Wearing of face mask, fol-lowing social distancing will bemandatory for all commutersduring entry into the stationsand during the entire journeyand use of ‘Aarogya Setu App’for updating health status by

passengers is advisable, asenior DMRC official said.

Forty Five major stationshave been provided with ‘Autothermal screening cum handsanitisation machines where-as, rest of the Metro stationswill be having provision of‘auto sanitizer dispensers’ forhand sanitisation and thermalscreening will be done manu-ally by ‘Thermal guns’, he said.

All passengers will berequired to undergo thermalscreening and hand sanitisa-tion at the entry point itself, hesaid, adding that initially, entryor exit of passengers will bepermitted only through one ortwo identified gates at each sta-tion.

“List of all such earmarkedgate numbers at each stationwill be made available on thewebsite www.delhimetro-rail.com and official socialmedia handles for public infor-mation,” he added.

The official further saidthat passengers having tem-perature or sign of Covid-19will not be allowed to travel. “Ateam of around 800 offi-cials/staff will be deployed forall stations to ensure the clean-liness and orderliness insidestations during revenue hours.In addition, they will regulateentry of passengers to the sta-

tion in case of crowd build upand violation of social dis-tancing norms,” he said.

In order to managecrowds, monitoring will also bedone through CCTV cameras installed at stationsand trains.

Passengers will be per-mitted to sit on alternate seatsinside the train maintainingadequate social distancing anddwell time (stoppage) of trainsat each station will be increasedby 10 seconds (from earlier 10-15 seconds to 20-25 seconds)so that passengers get sufficienttime to board and alight.

Further, train doors will bekept open at terminal stationsto let fresh air infuse in thetrain. “Tokens will not be per-mitted for travelling to preventtransmission of virus throughfrequent touching. Only smartcard holders (including QRcode users on Airport ExpressLine) will be allowed to trav-el, which can be recharged dig-itally by a number of ways eas-ily avoiding human interface,”he said.

Recharge of smart cards atthe Ticket Vending Machines(TVMs) or customer care cen-tre will be through cashlessmodes only(debit/credit/Bharat QR codeetc), he said, adding that allhuman contact areas such aslift buttons, Escalatorhandrails, AFC gates touchpoints, customer handlingpoints will be disinfected at sta-tions every four hours or ear-lier as required.

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Health workers engaged infighting Covid-19 in the

country are continuously get-ting infected with the deadlyvirus.

The Union HealthMinistry on Thursday sharedthe alarming situation ofhealthcare in a few States blam-ing lax infection control in hos-pitals. “There is a need forstringent containment mea-

sures in areas where health pro-fessionals reside to safeguardthem,” said Union HealthSecretary Rajesh Bhushan hereon Thursday.

He said that in Telangana,the healthcare workers’ posi-tivity is 18 per cent, 16 per centin Maharashtra, 14 per cent inDelhi, 13 per cent inKarnataka, 12 per cent inPuducherry and 11 per cent inPunjab.

These are the States where

the positivity rate amonghealthcare workers are on ahigher side, Bhushan toldreporters at a press briefingwhen asked on the health sta-tus of the doctors amid Covid-19 pandemic.

However, the Governmentmaintained silence on the

health situation of the doctorsin States like Uttar Pradesh andGujarat which are reporting aspike in cases.

According to the dataavailable from the Ministry,while Maharashtra reported292 deaths among healthcareworkers, Karnataka and Tamil

Nadu had 46 and 49 deaths,respectively.

Concerned at the plight ofthe health workers, the IndianMedical Association (IMA)too wrote to Prime MinisterNarendra Modi recently draw-ing his attention to over 87,000healthcare workers who have

got infected with Covid-19and another 573 who have losttheir lives and called for morecare for their welfare.

“Healthcare manpower isprecious. Uniform practiceshave to be put in placethroughout the country.Substantial differences are

noticed from district to districtin how doctors and healthcareworkers are deployed. Theirservice situations differ andmostly reflect the logistics ofthe district,” the IMA letter tothe PM said.

The IMA further said,“Districts are not sensitive to

the safety and the concerns ofstress and fatigue of medicalmanpower. Deploying doctors24x7 without intermittentquarantine periods or longworking hours in PPE forCovid care is not the same as24x7 Covid control from safeoffices.”

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On a day Covid-19 casesare set to cross way

beyond the 4-lakh mark, thatcould make India the world’ssecond worst-hit nationreplacing Brazi l , theGovernment on Thursdaysought to project the positiveside by stating that the permillion Covid-19 cases in thecountry is much lesser whencompared to other countriesin the world.

It also cited that deathsper million (population) in

India is among the lowest inthe world — 49 deaths permillion population.

Talking to reporters here,Union Health Secretar yRajesh Bhsuhan said that fiveStates —Tamil Nadu, UttarPradesh, Karnataka, AndhraPradesh and Maharashtra —account for 62 per cent of thetotal active coronavirus casesin the country while AndhraPradesh, Delhi, Karnataka,Tamil Nadu and Maharashtraaccount for 70 per cent of thetotal coronavirus deaths inIndia.

“There has been 13.7 per-cent weekly decrease in thenumber of active cases inAndhra Pradesh, 16.1 percentdecrease in Karnataka, 6.8percent decrease inMaharashtra and 23.9 percentdecrease in Tamil Nadu, 17.1percent decrease in UttarPradesh,” he said.

Bhsuhan also appealedto the people to adopt Covid-19 appropriate behaviour asUnlock 4.0 is already afootand more people are out onthe streets. “The Governmenthas adopted a graded

approach to unlock the coun-try and open up various eco-nomic activities as while livesare important, so is liveli-hood.”

During a press briefinghere on Thursday, the min-istry observed that people aresidelining the use of masksand following of social dis-tancing protocols.

It urged people to followthe mandatory practice ofadopting Covid-19 appro-priate behaviour in view ofthe upcoming festival seasonand the ongoing examina-

tions being conducted acrossthe country.

“In a few days, we will beinto the festival season andcurrently various examina-tions in colleges and univer-sities are being held coun-trywide. In such times, Covidappropriate behaviour shouldbe followed at the commu-nity and social levels,” saidBhushan.

He also said that until avaccine for Covid-19 arrives,social distancing is the onlyvaccine. “Social distancing isthe social vaccine till any vac-

cine for coronavirus arrives,”he said.

“Use alcohol-based sani-tisers, wear reusable face cov-ers or masks at all times inpublic places, wash yourhands frequently and thor-oughly with soap and water,avoid touching eyes, noseand mouth and cover themwith tissue/handkerchiefwhile sneezing or coughing.This way, we can preventthe spread of the infectionand safeguard ourselves fromits contraction,” Bhushansaid.

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Prime Minister NarendraModi’s donations to a num-

ber of public causes coupledwith the proceeds of auctionsof the gifts he received so far,including that during his tenureas the Chief Minister ofGujarat, total more than �103crore,

One of Modi’s latest dona-tions was the initial corpus ofRs 2.25 lakh to the PM CARESFund, which was set up in thewake of the COVID-19 out-break to support relief of anykind relating to a public healthemergency or any other kind ofemergency, calamity or distress,sources said.

The Fund, set up inMarch, received �3,076.62crore in just five days of its for-mation, as per an accountstatement made public onWednesday

Highlighting Modi’s dona-

tions to public causes, rang-ing from girl child educationto the cleaning of Ganga,sources noted that he gave �21lakh in 2019 from his person-al savings to the corpus fundset up for the welfare of sani-tation workers of Kumbh Mela

After receiving the SeoulPeace Prize in South Korea in2019, the Prime Minister hadannounced that the entireprize money of �1.30 crorewould be given to the Namami

Gange project, aimed at clean-ing Ganga river, they added.

During a recent auction ofmementoes received by Modias the PM, �3.40 crore was col-lected and donated to thecause of Namami Gange.

Modi had donated �21lakh from his personal savingstowards the education ofGujarat Government staff ’sdaughter after he quit as theState Chief Minister in 2014 totake over as the country’sPrime Minister.

He had also raised � 89.96crore by auctioning all gifts hereceived as Chief Ministerand donated this to the KanyaKelavani Fund, a scheme foreducation of the girl child.

The PM had also initiatedthe auctioning of gifts hereceived till then in 2015, and�8.35 crore were raised, withthe amount channelled to theNamami Gange Mission,sources said.

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What is common in Kargilin Ladakh, Gautam Budh

Nagar in Uttar Pradesh, Chandelin Manipur and Central Delhi inNew Delhi? All the four districtsare among the most rain-defi-cient districts in the country.

According to the IndiaMeteorological Department(IMD), Kargil recorded a raindeficiency of 92 percent, fol-lowed by Chandel with 91 per-cent, Gautam Budh Nagar with85 percent and Central Delhiwith 62 percent.

Overall, interestingly,

though India has 9 percent sur-plus rainfall this year,150 dis-tricts in the country have record-ed less rainfall this season evenas the monsoon season hasentered in its last month. Indiahas recorded 795 mm rainfallagainst the normal of 730.8percent.

As per the IMD, Kargil dis-trict has recorded only 2.5 mmrainfall as against the normal of28.9 mm — a shortfall of 92 per-cent. Chandel is the second inthe most rain deficient districtwhich recorded 148.8 mm rain-fall as against the normal of1681.6 mm – a shortfall of 91

percent. Gautam Budh Nagar,which is the third most rain defi-cient district has recorded only66.3 mm rainfall against the nor-mal of 452 mm – a shortfall of85 percent. It is the secondmost rain deficient district in thecountry after Chandel.

Central Delhi district hasrecorded 62 percent less rainfallthis monsoon season so farand is the second-most raindeficient district in northwestIndia. The district has gauged222.9 mm rainfall against thenormal of 582.3 mm since June1, when the monsoon seasonstarted. Northeast and

Northwest Delhi have alsorecorded 33 percent less pre-cipitation so far. WhileNortheast Delhi has gauged401.5 mm rain against the nor-mal of 582.3 mm, NorthwestDelhi reported 276.5 mmagainst 399.7 mm recordedusually.

Two districts of Assam-Darrang and Morigaon haverecorded 65 percent less pre-cipitation so far. Districts whichhave recorded over 50 percentrainfall deficiency includePanchkula (-61 percent),Mathura (-60 percent),Ghaziabad (-60 percent),

Kausambi (-57 percent),Bulandshahr (-60 percent),Kanpur Dehat ( -60 percent),Rohtak ( - 57 percent), Rampur(-55 percent), Hoshiarpur (-53percent), Rohtak (-52 percent), Deoghar ( -51 percent), Lehand Ladakh ( - 51 percent),Hardoi ( - 50 percent), Gumla( - 50 percent), Mansa (-50 per-cent), Bhiwani (-48 percent),Pauri Garhwal (-46 percent),Champawat (-48 percent),Uttarkashi (-43 percent),Mahoba (-48 percent), Yavatmaland Akola (-30 percent each)Trishur , Dahod, Dangs, andSurguja (-27 percent each).

According to the IMD,India received 27 per cent morerainfall than normal in August,the fourth highest amount in thelast 120 years. This is due to for-mation of five low pressureareas in Bay of Bengal in Augustwhich led to heavy to moderaterainfall across India. The Augustof 1926 saw 33 per cent morerainfall than normal, the high-est precipitation recorded so farin the month; 1976 recorded28.4 per cent more rainfall thannormal, while the August of1973 recorded 27.8 per centthan normal. This year saw 27per cent rainfall.

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Aiming to plug leakage ofclassified information and

personnel falling prey to coun-terintelligence operations ofhostile countries and non-stateinimical groups, the CRPF hasbarred its personnel, civilianemployees, contractors andvisitors from using smart-phones in office spaces han-dling classified informationlike Operations Room andConference Halls.

The 14-page document forsmartphone usage on Fridayalso provided guidelines forusing social media in order tosecure classified data and infor-mation.

The high sensitivity officesencapsulate places designatedor accredited for the process-ing, handling or discussion ofclassified information in realtime like conference hall andOperations rooms and smart-phones that store and recorddata are now prohibited forsmartphone usage. If broughtto the office, such devicesshould be kept at specified

counters.Likewise, medium sensi-

tivity offices include opera-tional active duty and specificareas of facility having directhandling of confidential docu-ments like specific branches ofadministrative block, field duty,operations and hospitals. Insuch offices, smartphones willbe allowed subject to approvalof the Head of Office butmobile camera or recorder willbe strictly prohibited.

Low sensitivity offices thatdo not engage in active duty orhandle classified documentslike Lines will be open tosmartphones usage withoutany restriction.

“The fundamental princi-ples of information security areconfidentiality, integrity, andavailability. Every element of aninformation security program

and every security control putin place by an entity should bedesigned to achieve one ormore of these principles.Therefore, it is important toconsider the acceptable and notacceptable use of smartphonesin an organisation,” reads thecopy of the order issued by theAdministrative Directorate ofthe Central Reserve PoliceForce.

Excessive unrestrictedusage can lead to breach ofsecurity and can compromisenational security, it said.

The order clearly definedthe smartphone as devices thatperform many of the functionsof a computer, typically havinga touch screen, interface, cam-era, Internet access and anoperating system capable ofrunning downloaded applica-tions.

“This policy prescribes the

guidance and procedures forsmartphone restriction withinCRPF,” the order said, addingsignage depicting the categoryof office will be put up.

Likewise, the guidelinesfor social media usage seeks tosensitise the personnel againstunintentionally putting classi-fied information in the publicdomain.

“Government officialsusing various social platformsare also vulnerable to beingcounterintelligence (CI) targetsof State agencies as well as rad-ical non-state inimical groups.Social media platforms arebeing used to ferret informa-tion from unsuspecting usersand recruit gullible officials tolater exploit them for subver-sion,” it added in justificationfor social media guidelines.

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The Congress on Thursdayaccused the Modi

Government of pushing thecountry towards an economiccollapse and a financial emer-gency, saying the note ban, GSTand lockdown were “disasterstrokes” not “master strokes”.

AICC chief spokespersonRandeep Singh Surjewala saidthe GDP slump in the first quar-ter will have an adverse impacton the average income of everyIndian, which is likely to declineby almost �15,000 per person ifthe GDP fell by 11 per cent inthe full year.

He said the Governmentand Finance Minister NirmalaSitharaman should not stay inoffice for any longer as theyhave “inflicted a big blow anddamage” to the country’’s econ-omy, seen never before in thecountry’’s history since inde-pendence.

“There are dark clouds ofeconomic decay all around us.Lives, livelihoods and jobs havebeen ravaged. Businesses andsmall and medium industries liedilapidated. The economystands destroyed as GDP hasbeen razed. India is beingpushed towards an economiccollapse and a financial emer-gency,” Surjewala said a virtu-al press conference.

The Congress leaderalleged that demonetisation,GST and lockdown were not“master strokes” but “disasterstrokes”.

Surjewala alleged the Modigovernment has “plundered”the economy in the last six yearsand is now “describing its ownineptitude and incompetence asan act of God”.

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To provide access to millionsof persons with disability

(PwD) in rural areas seekingassistive devices and appliances,the Common Services Centers(CSC) has partnered with theArtificial Limbs ManufacturingCorporation of India (ALIM-CO) to register Persons withDisability and senior citizens inremote and inaccessible areas.

ALIMCO, a PSU under theMinistry of Social Justice &Empowerment, and CSC SPV,a Special Purpose Vehicle underthe Ministry of Electronics & IT,signed a MOU to utilize around4 lakh CSCs across the countryto register Divyangs and SeniorCitizens for distribution of freeof cost assistive aids and appli-ances under various schemes ofGovernment of India such asADIP , RVY and CSR schemes.

CSC will also help createawareness about ALIMCO andits initiatives and further mobi-lize and support divyangs andsenior citizens to avail assistiveaids and appliances under theschemes.

Under the partnership,Divyangjans and SeniorCitizens can visit their nearestCSC to get registered for freeAssistive Aids and Appliancesfrom ALIMCO.

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The Supreme CourtThursday issued a notice

on Andhra PradeshGovernment’s plea seeking tomake English the medium ofeducation from class one tosix in its schools.

A bench comprisingJustices D Y Chandrachud,Indu Malhotra and K MJoseph sought response ofSrinivas Guntipalli on whoseplea the Andhra Pradesh

High Court had stopped the implementationof the plan in Government-run Telugu medium schools.

In April this year, thehigh court had set aside theorder for government schoolsto convert the medium ofinstruction from Telugu toEnglish.

Senior advocate K VVishwanathan, appearing forthe State Government,assailed the order during thehearing conducted via videoconference.

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Jaipur: A Khap panchayat, an unelect-ed council of village elders, recentlypenalised a man and woman from theSansi Community in Rajasthan's Sikardistrict by making them bathe publiclyto wash their alleged 'sins'.

The nephew and aunt who wereallgedly involved in an 'illicit' relationship,were asked to deposit �31,000 and�22,000 respectively by the Khap pan-chayat as penalty before they wereallowed to return to the social fold. OnTuesday, Sansi Samaj members submit-ted a memorandum to theSuperintendent of Police, demandingstringent action against the khap pan-chayat.

They said that the guilty should beput behind bars, the amount collected bythe woman given back to her and thosewho gathered at the site booked for flout-ing social distancing norms.

Sikar SP Gagandeep Singla, mean-while, said that a probe is underway andthe team is recording villagers' statements. “Also, we are trying to getvideos or pictures of the incident,” headded. IANS

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Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Thursday thatthe BJP was yet to learn the trick of the trade as far

as administration and governance were considered. Hewas replying to an allegation raised by the BJP spokesmanSandeep Warrier that a Government order issued in hisname on September 9, 2018 had the fake signature of theChief Minister.

Warrier had made the allegation in a specially con-vened press meet at Thiruvananthapuramon Thursday. ‘A Government order issued on September9, 2018 in the name of the Chief Minister had

been signed by an impostor and this is a gravesituation.

The Chief Minister was on a US tour from September1 to 23 and chances are that the government order couldhave been signed by another person. Vijayan’s signaturehas been faked by somebody in the Chief Minister’sOffice,” alleged Warrier.

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Though there has been asmall fall in the number of

new persons diagnosed withCovid-19 on Thursday, ChiefMinister Pinarayi Vijayanwarned the people of Keralathat the State would see a majorhike in the number of personsby the month of October.

Briefing the media aboutCovid-19 update in the State,Chief Minister said that onThursday 1,553 persons testedpositive for the pandemic. “Outof this, 1,391 persons contract-ed the disease through socialcontacts. There were 156patients on Thursday whocould not pinpoint how andwhere they contracted the dis-ease. The day also saw 1,950patients getting cured of thepandemic,” said Vijayan.

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Most elderly people in the countrylive with their children. Their risk

of contracting the infection from fam-ily members remains high, said Prof SyedZiaur Rahman, Department ofPharmacology, J N Medical College(JNMC), Aligarh Muslim University(AMU).

He was delivering the keynoteaddress in an International online webi-nar on 'Protecting Elderly from thePandemic' organised by the Center forExcellence in Science and Technology forHigher Education on Drugs andCosmetics from the Moist TropicalForest and Its Environment,Mulawarman University, Samarinda,Indonesia. �����'!�����$������������$��$�

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Dr. Kafeel, who was releasedfrom jail in Aligarh for his

address against the CitizenshipAmendment Act in December2019, said that he has sufferednot only mental but also phys-ical harassment in the jail. Dr.Kafeel was acted upon by theAligarh administration underthe National Security Actwhich the High Court declaredillegal and ordered his imme-diate release.

Dr. Kafeel told media thatthe barrack had a capacity of 40prisoners but 150 prisonerswere kept. At the time of thepandemic, where the PrimeMinister of the country talksabout social distancing, theserules are being broken insidethe jail. In such a situation, thehealth of the detainees in jail isin serious danger.

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The ruling CPI(M) in Kerala, already reeling underthe gold smuggling scam, has been further embar-

rassed by the disclosures made by Mohammed Anoop,an accused held by the Narcotics Control Bureau inBangalore, that he was having business dealings withBineesh Kodiyeri, son of Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, theparty Secretary.

The link between Bineesh and Anoop could opennew chapters in the gold smuggling scam as it has cometo light that the former had called the latter many timeson the day Swapna Suresh and Sandeep Nair, the kingpins in the case were held by NationalInvestigation Agency at Bangalore in the month of July.

P K Firoz, general secretary, Youth League (theyouth wing of Muslim League) told reporters atKozhikode that Anoop, who is a Bangalore based drugdealer had told investigating agencies about his ties withBineesh. Balakrishnan’s son also had friemndship withRijesh Raveendran who was nabbed along withAnoop and serial artist Anikha for possessing high-end drugs MDMA and LSD.

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The sleuths of the NationalInvestigation Agency (NIA)

probing the gold smugglingscam inspected the KeralaGovernment Secretariat onThursday and examined theClosed Circuit TV camera visu-als available with the GeneralAdministration Department.

The NIA is probing the roleof the Chief Minister’s Office inthe gold smuggling scam andwanted to examine the linksbetween Swapna Suresh, Sarithand Sandeep Nair, the kingpins, have with M Sivsankar, thesuspended principal secretaryto Chief Minister PinarayiVijayan and any other officials.

Sivsankar had been ques-tioned by the NIA, Customsand Enforecement Directorateover the last two months.Meanwhile, the SecretariatOfficials had informed the NIA

that visuals of certain dayscould not be recorded as theCCTV system went bustbecause of lightning.

Sources in the Secretariatsaid the NIA asked for visualsof last one year from 70 cam-eras installed in the complex. KSurendran, president of theKerala BJP demanded theimmediate resignation of ChiefMinister Vijayan as the NIAentering the SecretariatComplex was rarest of rareincident. “This is the ideal timefor Vijayan to quit on his own.Kerala has never seen any cen-tral agencies entering theSecretariat till date to probe acriminal case,” Surendran toldreporters at Kozhikode.

There are reports that theSecretariat officials handed overto the NIA recordings of visu-als of last three months.

But R Ramachandran Nair,former chief secretary of Kerala

who is also the longest servingbureaucrat in the State, saidthere was nothing unusual inthe NIA team’s inspection of theSecretariat. “They had takenprior permission from theSecretariat. We also saw reportsabout a fire that broke out in thesecretariat destroying certainfiles. The NIA is probing therole of certain persons in thegold smuggling scam. Hencethere is nothing unusual in thewhole episode,” said Nair.

P Rajan, former editor ofMathrubhumi, said it was goodthat the NIA had discussionswith the secretariat officialswith respect to the controver-sial visuals.

“The gold smuggling scamhas taken much sheen off thePinarayi Vijayan government.But as on today, it is too earlyto write off the prospects of theCPI(M) losing the 2021 elec-tion,” said Rajan.

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Several mainstream politiciansholding their party flags are

roaming freely and organisingmeetings in different parts ofJammu & Kashmir.

Ironically, on Thursdayleaders belonging to the PeoplesDemocratic Party (PDP) wereprevented by the policemenfrom stepping out of their hous-es to reach party headquarters toattend a maiden meeting afterthe abrogation of Article 370 and35-A.

PDP leaders claimed, “whenwe were ready to step out of ourhouses we were prevented by thepolicemen stationed there fromstepping out”. “None of the lead-ers, including former Cabinetministers were handed over anyofficial order or were verballyinformed by any senior officerwhy they were being preventedfrom stepping out of their homesto attend a meeting convened atthe party headquarters by PDPgeneral secretary Ghulam NabiLone Hanjura”, a junior PDPleader told local reporters at theparty office in Srinagar.

To expose the local author-ities, several PDP leaders post-ed images/ videos showing howpolicemen disallowed themfrom stepping out on differentsocial media platforms. “Despitebeing free on paper and in gov-ernment submissions in theHigh Court and Supreme Court,PDP leadership continues to beunder illegal detention, withoutany official orders. Video fromtoday - I wasn't allowed toattend the PDP meeting norwere any of my colleagues”,tweeted former minister NaeemAkhtar along with a video clip.

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Even as the BJP attacked theMamata Banerjee

Government for failing to walkits talk the State Governmenthas announced a two-dayAssembly session that will be held on September 9and 10.

Sources in the Governmentsaid the State Assembly wouldopen and function for only twodays in strict compliance withthe social distancing norms.

“It is just a formality andwe are opening it just becausewe had to open it,” a seniorState minister said adding theGovernment is only following the norm fixed by theCentre.

He referred to the rulesaccording to which theAssembly must be convenedonce in every six months.

The Assembly wasadjourned on March 17 fol-lowing the advent of coronapandemic.

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With a large number can-didates having failed to

appear for the JEE-Main exam-inations on September 1, theBengal Government hasrequested the Kolkata MetroRailways ensure that the trainsservices remained functionalon September 13 when the cen-trally held entrance examswould take place.

“As there is little chance ofthe Metro services gettingresumed before that date con-sidering the fact that they willhave to put in place all the corona protocols,” the StateGovernment has requested toat least run the trains on theexam dates,” a senior Government officialsaid.

A meeting involving theState Government officials andt heir Metro Railways coun-terparts was held on Thursdayat the State secretariatNabanna.

Jammu: The Union territory ofJammu & Kashmir onThursday recorded the highestever jump by detecting 1,079fresh cases of coronavirus while11 Covid-19 patients died tak-ing the death toll to 743 and thetotal active positive cases to8441.

For the first time, Jammuregion recorded 622 cases inone single day while Kashmirdivision recorded 457 cases.On the other hand, 680 patientswere discharged from varioushospitals taking the total tallyof recovered patients to over30,000.

According to the mediabulletin, “the total coronaviruscases in Jammu and Kashmirstood at 39943 while 743deaths have been reported inthe region”. Out of these 39943cases the total active positivecases stood at 8441 in J&K.

Compared to Srinagar,Jammu district has more num-ber of active positive cases.

According to the mediabulletin, Jammu districtThursday recorded 484 freshcases alone while Srinagarrecorded 139 cases. PNS

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The neo-Keynesian pressure on theUnion Government to spend moreand more and generate purchasing

power among the largest segment of theIndian populace has been counteracted bya strong monetarist lending policy. Theeconomic gap between the people whoneed cash and wage support and those whotake loan to run their businesses is so wideacross India that a monetarist policy canhardly overturn the situation of fallingdemand.

A perceptual illusion about a rise indemand for small cars, pharmaceuticaldrugs and online sale of several consumerproducts no doubt raised consumptionindices with the unlock phases of the econ-omy but it could not offset the fall ofdemand in food, milk and cereal markets.The rise in consumption spurred by lend-ing activity is limited to specific sectors,while larger demand still remains depen-dent on a rise in income and employment.

This brings us to two parallel streamsof lending activity by banks and otherfinancial institutions and generation ofincome and wages by larger sectors of pro-duction and distribution. The seeming dis-junction between the two reflects a certainkind of weakness in the overall framing ofeconomic stimulus package and otherpolicies to revive the economy. Market-directed moves of expanding the creditmarket by the RBI and the Government,irrespective of the fiscal deficit of allkinds like revenue deficit, GST shortfall,non-availability of revised estimate offunds for critical healthcare and education,are a kind of provisioning that RBI earnsthrough various financial instruments.

The expenditure policy is gettingdetermined by instant availability of funds,for which the RBI is taken to be the mostresourceful institution, re-fuelling theGovernment over the last few years. Thispresents a paradoxical situation of fundcrunch, austerity and internal borrowingson the one hand and credit and lendingactivity to generate a large part of fiscalexpenses on the other. The tax exemptionsgranted to the rich and the corporates bythe Modi government capture the grossreduction in tax revenue, which lead tohigher public debt in relation to the grossdomestic product (GDP). In effect, creditexpansion in the financial sector is riskedagainst shortfall in revenue generation,which as a policy measure, further con-tracts targetted Government expendituresupposed to counter the falling demand.

This perpetual imbalance betweenmonetary and the fiscal sides leaves theGovernment with very little policy optionsexcept the so-called God’s hand. IfAtmanirbhar Bharat is taken into account,the Government’s spending as assistancetowards MSME and agriculture cannotgenerate sustainable trade and employmentas the most important product market

remains sluggish. The localchain of markets for agri andMSME products is still todevelop into a continuous sup-ply chain, for which the localgovernments need to have size-able interventions. This bringsone to the role of StateGovernments in generatingdemand activity, which again isdependent on MNREGA,developmental work and build-ing up a vibrant human capi-tal. Homeward migration dur-ing COVID lockdown placedan added responsibility of find-ing productive work for atleast four crore returnees, whoare still struggling.

The bleak picture does notdeter economists from produc-ing their own variety of greenshoots of economic theory. Ina recent piece, Kaushik Basuargued for revival of the Indianeconomy through IT, outsourc-ing of digital economy, highereducation, all of which ironical-ly lack any labour-linking tech-nological innovation.Seemingly the demand side istaken to be a suo moto avail-able thing by Basu. In contrast,economists Anu Abraham andMohd Imran Khan in theirpaper—Covid-19: How longcan consumption be sustained inlockdown?—had shown thatnearly 33 crore poor peoplecannot sustain consumption-to-income ratio at a satisfacto-ry level and can at most sustain

themselves for six to sevenweeks. Combining Basu andAbraham and Khan, one gets arather contrarian picture ofgrowth in the service industryversus a total deceleration inbasic income-generating sec-tors, which monetarist inter-ventions cannot alter. Thisdoes not address the disequilib-rium between cash flow, capi-tal formation and demand gen-eration at the levels of macro-economics or meta theory.One interesting way of lookingat this knowledge gap is whatEconomics Nobel prize winnerRobert J. Schiller considered ascreation of a mainframe narra-tive to drive growth in aneconomy. In the case of theAmerican economy, borrowingfrom medical sciences, Schillerconsidered a trending curve asan “art of narrative” by whichan economy develops certaindemands and succeeds in gen-erating money. He furthershowed the role of a variety ofnarratives in sustaining macro-economy and most notably anepidemiological narrative thatgoes viral, in which income isthe most contagious elementthat resembles the hump-shaped epidemiological mod-els. For example, the distresssale of foreign securities in theIndian stock market due to thepandemic, resulting in out-flow of capital, when com-bined with fiscal deficit due to

the stimulus package, looksjust like a COVID-synchro-nised model of economic loss-es that Schiller had predicted asan “epidemic of fear.”

India’s highly priced UStreasury holdings of $ 162.7 bil-lion at two per cent with equal-ly huge foreign currency-basedloans worth $105 billion fromthe World Bank at 9.5 per centresult in a massive loss of�50,000 crore per annum fromIndia’s coffers. Combined withshort selling of bonds andsecurities, India’s attempt tohold foreign government secu-rities has resulted in a costworth a million crore in thecapital account, leading to achallenging trend of capitalaccount deficits and currentaccount surpluses. Capitalaccount deficits worth �139crore in 2020 show a trend ofexcessive financial outflowwhile current account surplusto the tune of 0.1 per cent of theGDP shows sharp fall in importas well as export due to reces-sionary conditions. The mon-etary management by adjust-ment of rates and control onmoney market by the RBI is notable to bring sustainability inthe balance of payment. This ishow India’s balance of paymentlooks more like a rising epi-demiological curve that showsno sign of receding.

The demand managementthrough Atmanirbhar Bharat

or the “Made in India” narra-tive cannot match the pandem-ic-induced fall in demand.

The other narrative of self-reliance in key sectors likespace and defence productionhas nothing much to do withcapital outflow or demand con-traction. A futurist narrative ofcompanies off-shoring them toIndia in digital technologieswith a positive impact on jobcreation gets blunted by privati-sation of the ordnance indus-try involving substantial joblosses. One-time revenue gen-eration through selling publicsector giants in contrast withpast nationalisation of keyindustries is an impact of thepandemic hump. The risingdeath rates in India combinedwith restrictive lockdownsspawn new gaps between over-burdened health infrastruc-ture and overall fund crunch.

In the absence of a plausi-ble narrative, one could look atsustainability economics.Advocated by environmentaleconomists like Giorgos Kallisand institutional economistslike Kate Raworth, this showshow economies can sustainthemselves through an equi-table contraction of demand. Ina Corona-hit economy, such acontraction certainly reducespressure on natural and mate-rial resources. At the sametime, it does not create a steadystate economy of equilibriumbetween income and employ-ment; rather it increases thebullish behaviour in stocksand securities.

Sustaining degrowth bydecoupling employment andgrowth could be a fiscal alter-native in which a contractionin demand could release anextra or reserve fund for givingcash to poor and middle class-es as a “political right.” On theother side, a contraction ofdemand has resulted in unem-ployment and job loss to thetune of five million salariedemployees in July alone.Altogether 1.8 crore salariedpeople have lost jobs sinceApril, as stated by CMIE data.

This certainly requireswhat degrowth theorists pro-posed, a universal basic incomeand job guarantee decoupledfrom economic growth. Thepolicy framework of govern-ment spending right nowfocusses more on increasingconsumption and demandinstead of reducing the impactof a fall in demand. This can bemade possible by way of distri-bution of resources in a social-ly co-operative manner. This ishow we can grow the greenshoots.

(The author is a politicaleconomy analyst based inShillong)

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���������� ����Sir — In an unprecedented move,the Prime Minister NarendraModi-led NDA Government hasopted to do away with QuestionHour using the curtailed mon-soon session of Parliament as anexcuse. If the Opposition jointlyfails to thwart this unparliamen-tary move, it can be used as aprecedent by the present dispen-sation, which goes all out todestroy all institutions that safe-guard democracy and the rightsof the people.

The Question Hour is meantfor the members of both rulingand Opposition party leaders toraise issues affecting the peoplewho have sent them to Parliamentto represent them. Participating ina TV debate over this move, theBJP’s national spokesperson andRajya Sabha MP GVL NarasimhaRao went on to claim that theWest Bengal Assembly will con-vene for just three days as com-pared to the 17 days of theParliament without caring torealise that as the Parliament rep-resents the Union of India, con-sisting of 28 States and eightUnion Territories, it requiresmore than 30 days, if not more, tofunction properly.

In view of the current pan-demic, a short session may be theright decision but it should havebeen planned better. TheGovernment should have accom-

modated the Question Hour afterclearing important financial Billsand so on, instead of just avoid-ing grilling by the Opposition oncontentious issues like the pan-

demic management and the econ-omy. A Parliament session with-out debate is “life without oxygen.”

N NagarajanSecunderabad

������� ���Sir — This is with reference to the“Global Innovation Index.” Goneare the days when India used tobe known as a nation of snakecharmers. We have been progress-ing in all spheres and disciplinespost-Independence. Under theable leadership of various PrimeMinisters over the decades, wehave come a long way from beinga nation that once was consideredpoor and under-developed.

Today we are reaching for themoon and India is making rapidinroads in several significantdomains and meeting worldbenchmarks. Our improved posi-tion in the top 50 nations of theGlobal Innovation Index bearstestimony to the fact that we aremaking progress in this direction.India ranked first among centraland south-east Asian countriesand as compared to 2019, weclimbed four spots to reach the48th position, up from 52. As perthe index, India is now the third-most innovative lower middle-income economy in the world.

Rahul ChouhanUjjain

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Page 7: ,- 1 ,13 4,56!˚ ’-,57// .$˙# ˘ ˛ ˝ :’:;=: ;= B’:=’ 9 ... - English ......2020/09/04  · talks at all levels fail to resolve the more than four-month long stand-offs at

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Can this really be happening? The Britishare famously — and proudly — the mostdifficult people in the world to terrorise

or bully. The population that stood with tire-less phlegm and humour against relentless bom-bardment, that made its historical mark with anunflinching rationality which never permits hys-teria to sweep the public discourse — must nowbe chivied into leaving the confines of their ownhomes or the safe harbours of their immediateneighbourhoods.

And the most perplexing thing of all is thatthis is the response of most of the Westernworld. They, who have always stood up for theirpersonal liberties, are now willingly covering athome at the thought of an invisible virus get-ting them. It is like the Bogeyman of the MiddleAges has been let loose upon the planet and ifwe don’t hide from it, that will be the end of us.If we look back at history, it seems that overtime, society goes from “terror to terror.”Whether the “Red Scare” of communism in the50s, or the Al Qaeda, immigration, and the Bearmarket, the Swine Flu and now the Coronavirus.

Where did this come from? Well, on the onehand, it is perfectly clear: With an officialGovernment campaign deliberately designednot only to inculcate fear but to suggest that pro-tection against the great threat of the contagionwas simple and clear-cut. And furthermore,obeying the “stay safe, stay home” edict wouldnot just protect you and your immediate fam-ily but the rest of society as well. So lockingyourself away was a moral obligation as well asan insurance against the personal danger ofcatching the dreaded Coronavirus. The combi-nation of anxiety and appeal to the conscienceof the common man was unbeatable — evenwhen it involved deprivations of liberty whichwould once have been unconscionable.

So where are we now? Trapped in a state ofwhat appears to be a spiral of fear so profoundthat it has become a permanent condition. Ofcourse, as everybody has said, the Government’sincoherent messages have something to do withthis: One day there is solemn talk of aninevitable “second wave” of the Coronavirus andthe next day... well you know the rest.

But the big question on everybody’s mindsis how much of this epidemic of national trep-idation is pretext? We gather that a great manyprofessionals — particularly those in the ser-vice industries on whom the British economydepends — are really quite smugly pleased withtheir new home-based work arrangements.

They are so relaxed, it seems, that whenGovernment Ministers try to tell them that,actually, they might be putting their jobs at riskby becoming permanent ghost-like unpersonsin the workplace, they rise up indignantly — asif refusing to venture into the office was now aright.

In fact, of course, the new Governmentadvice is simply common sense. If an employ-ee can do his job from home indefinitely, socould a floating free-lancer who will be owed

no security, no sick leave, no healthinsurance, pension benefits or parentalleave.

All the protections and rightswhich employees have fought hard towin over the generations will count fornothing once managements discoverthat most of the functions now carriedout by those in formal employmentcan be done anywhere by people pre-pared to carry out the same functionson their own premises (and providingthe necessary equipment at their ownexpense).

But surely those clever profession-als in their home offices could havecome to this conclusion themselves.Anybody who has ever worked in anorganisation knows that there is moreto a successful career than simplydoing the tasks that are required. Sowhy has such a large cohort of the edu-cated population suddenly become soperversely obtuse about what wasonce a commonplace of adult life?

There has to be something biggerinvolved in this startling social devel-opment which nobody, so far as Irecall, foresaw. Nursing my own per-sonal grief over the loss of the cultur-al landmarks of the year — the con-certs and the theatre, the opera and theart exhibitions — it suddenly struckme that virtually all of these events hadbeen hit recently by their own traumat-ic identity crises.

I found myself thinking aloud:“Western culture has been consider-ing a means of suicide for a while.

Maybe it’s finally found it.” In momentsof despair it had occurred to me thatthere was something of a medievalDark Age about the current mood:Extinction Rebellion with its childsaints and the self-flagellating Wokeculture.

Being given an apparently soundreason to disable the most notablemanifestations of that historical tradi-tion which we are now being encour-aged to denounce: What could be bet-ter suited to the weird, vaguely hyster-ical, fashion of the times? Fear may bethe most dangerous contagion but I amcoming around to the view that this isnot simple fear. It is a mass neurosisof which irrational and prolonged anx-iety is a symptom. A corrosive loss ofconfidence and understanding of one’srole and identity which will, if it pre-vails, ultimately undermine the qual-ity of modern life more irrevocablythan any virus.

It is not only our official culturalinstitutions that are at risk here. Oneof the most fundamental principles ofpost-war liberal democracy is on trialor, at least, coming up for examination.

The pandemic has been a moralpredicament at least as much as ahealth crisis. When this whole bizarrechapter is finally over, the questionsthat needed to be put, but for whichthere was no time, will be luminous-ly clear. How much should we haveasked the general populace to sacrificein order to protect what we knew,almost from the start, would be a quite

small, vulnerable minority? Is personal liberty — normally of

unquestionable value in a democracyduring peacetime — expendable whenhealthcare systems are under sufficientstrain? Where exactly do we draw theline on the right of governments to dic-tate the terms of personal relations?

Perhaps we have learned morethan we wished to know about theassumptions that underpin theGovernment in the modern era. If, forexample, we accept that the Stateshould provide healthcare in somemore or less comprehensive form, doesthat mean that it has the right (or eventhe duty) to ensure that its medicalinfrastructure is not threatened?

And does that provision oblige theState to put the protection of everyindividual life above, say, the qualityof life of the unaffected majority? Isthat the essence of the modern polit-ical conscience, and if it is, hadn’t webetter discuss it openly? After all, theseare our personal liberties at stake.

So there was an odd mix here: Onthe one hand, the very modern ideathat it is the duty of governments toprevent a single life being lost — anotion which the medieval mind withits fatalistic acceptance of mortalitywould have found absurd — combinedwith a darkly superstitious dread ofsome unfathomable threat. Everybodyis saying that we have lived through astrange time. It may have been strangerthan we knew.

(Courtesy: The Daily Telegraph)

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At times, I lecture at mass commu-nication institutes and a few univer-sities. Often, I am struck by the near

sartorial uniformity among the students— the ubiquitous denim jeans. My esti-mate is that 80 per cent of college girls inDelhi wear trousers or a variant of it, 18per cent an assortment of garments andthe remaining two per cent salwar suits.Of the 80 per cent who wear trousers, Ireckon, 85 per cent would swear by jeans.Garima, like many of her tribe, finds themto be comfortable and requiring “littlemaintenance.” On the other hand,Anusuya, a second year student in a promi-nent women’s college, feels that the jeans-tee ensemble brings out her best features.

Starting from the 70s, more andmore women in India have been riding onthis craze whereas the adoption of this“male” garment in the West had its moor-ings in the exigencies of the period and inideology. According to FashionEncyclopedia, the term “jeans” has exist-ed since the 1600s, where it was a compre-

hensive term to describe the “roughclothing worn by working men.” Since thefabric for making this apparel often camefrom Genoa in Italy, it was labelled as“jean”. With weavers in the Nimes, Francereplicating this fabric, it acquired a newname: Denim, a corruption of the words“de Nimes.” The indigo dye used tocolour the fabric blue came from India.Hence, denim meant blue jeans.

During World War I (WW-I), women,having joined the workforce, started wear-ing uniforms that were akin to men’s in fab-ric and style. This meant the transforma-tion in the appearance of women from thefeminine to masculine. Hence, taking totrousers was the next logical sartorial step.But then these tacky tracks didn’t go toofar. The end of the war brought fundamen-tal changes in British society as womenoutnumbered men. They felt compelled toappear more attractive. Hollywood hero-ines inspired them to wear make-up. Thenew German cult of sun-bathing becamepopular and sun-tanned bodies a statussymbol of rich and fashionable women.With significant changes in sexual moral-ity, availability of contraception and thefounding of the abortion clinic of MarieStopes, women were spurred to revealmore of their bodies: legs, arms, chest,back. But the great depression of the 30s,coupled with the Wall Street crash, highunemployment and higher taxation in theUS led to a social churning. Marriedwomen were compelled to give up theirjobs and return to “sweet domesticity.” Yet,

in 1934, Levi Strauss & Co. took a risk, for-ever altering the course of women’s fash-ion. It introduced the world’s first jeansmade exclusively for women: Lady Levi’sjeans for women working on farms andranches. However, Europe was slow inwarming up to this concept. Thus, for adecade or so, almost all sartorial symbolsof masculinity remained mothballed.

WW-II put women back into theworkforce and pants this time on bothsides of the Atlantic. Popular posters ofwomen workers encouraged others to wearpractical overalls, dungarees and jeans. Butpost-war, women again succumbed to thenatural instincts of femininity, prodded bymyriad fashion pundits. Christian Diorlaunched the “New Look” in Paris, return-ing women to an overtly feminine silhou-ette which gave them an hour-glass figureand an extravagance so long denied tothem. Some other Parisian fashion hous-es like Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent andPierre Cardin, too, captivated the imagi-nation of the fashion conscious, stimulat-ed, as they were, by Hollywood divas likeMarilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn andElizabeth Taylor.

But it was the rapid economic inde-pendence of women and their growinginterest in sports and leisure activities, therelaxing of parental control over teenagersand the latter’s craving to dress like theiranti-establishment idols Elvis Presley,James Dean and Beatles that led to a revivalof interest in trousers. Another set ofcounter-culturists were the beatniks who

rejected notions of glamour. The hippy rev-olution of the 70s, which held sway overthe imagination of people globally, broughta new dimension. For the first time,women wore everything from “bedazzledand studded to bootcut jeans in public.”

Almost concurrently, and as a reactionto the entire package of fashion that sculpt-ed the female body into a sexual object, theWomen’s Liberation Movement began inthe late 1960s. Femininity, the feministsargued, was a male ploy for manipulationand control over women. The crusadersadvocated wearing dungarees and jeansand no adornment. In the gambit ofachieving gender equality through sarto-rial parity, some women found trousers socomfortable that they abandoned wearingdresses and coined a new word, “powerdressing.” In India, too, there is no short-age of power dressers. Thus, shorn of anyexistential exigencies, Indians have suc-cumbed to be swaddled in trousers andblue jeans to conform to the global pull.While for the upper classes, foreign labelsare a way of identification with theirWestern peers, for the not so privilegedwearing jeans is a practical way of life anda means to be at par with their aspirationalmodels. Notwithstanding the advent ofnew fabrics and silhouettes, trousers andjean have maintained a firm footing. It hasbecome a universal cultural languagethat inscribes the body.

(The writer is former ADG,Doordarshan and founder ExecutiveDirector, Lok Sabha TV)

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New Delhi: Facebook founderMark Zuckerberg on Thursdaysaid the social network wouldstop accepting new political adsin the week before the US pres-idential election in Novemberamid concerns that its looserules could once again beexploited to interfere with thevote like in 2016. The announce-ment comes amid heightenedscrutiny of Facebook’s influ-ence on politics including incountries like India where thesocial media giant has beenaccused of ignoring hate speechby BJP leaders to placate the rul-ing party.

In a Facebook postannouncing the changes, MrZuckerberg, chief executive ofthe world’s biggest social net-work, wrote that he was con-cerned about the unique chal-lenges voters would face due tothe coronavirus pandemic,which has prompted a surge invoting by mail. “I’m also worriedthat with our nation so dividedand election results potentiallytaking days or even weeks to befinalized, there could be anincreased risk of civil unrestacross the country,” he said. MrZuckerberg has previouslydefended his decision to allowfor a freewheeling political con-versation on Facebook. AFP

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APakistani court onThursday directed the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs toexecute a non-bailable arrestwarrant against former primeminister Nawaz Sharif in a 34-year land allotment case,according to media reports.

During the plot allotmenthearing, Model Town PoliceInspector Bashir Ahmed toldLahore Accountability Court’sJudge Asad Ali that Sharif wasnot at his residence.

Last month, the account-ability court had issued a bail-able arrest warrant and servedsummons at all known address-es of the three-time prime min-ister, who is currency in Londonfor medical treatment.

London: A prominent Britishhuman rights lawyer is conven-ing an independent tribunal inLondon to investigate whetherthe Chinese government’salleged rights abuses againstUighur Muslims in the far west-ern Xinjiang region constitutegenocide or crimes againsthumanity.

The tribunal is expected toreveal new evidence and testi-mony over several days’ hearingsnext year. While the tribunaldoes not have government back-ing, it is the latest attempt to hold

China accountable for its treat-ment of the Uighurs and ethnicTurkic minorities, who havebeen subject to an unprece-dented crackdown since 2017.

Barrister Geoffrey Nice,who previously led the prose-cution of ex-Serbian President?Slobodan Milosevic over theBalkans war and worked withthe International CriminalCourt, was asked by the WorldUighur Congress to investigate“ongoing atrocities and possiblegenocide” against the Uighurpeople. AP

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For the first time, Hinduwidows in Bangladesh will

have the rights to both agri-cultural and non-agriculturallands of their deceased hus-bands after a top court ruled intheir favour, according to amedia report.

The Bangladesh HighCourt on Wednesday ruledthat no separation has been made between the agri-cultural and non-agriculturallands. So Hindu widows havethe rights to the lands of theirhusbands, The Daily Starreported.

Under the current norm,Hindu widows in the countryare only entitled to their spouses' homesteads and not

any other assets like agricul-tural land.

"Hindu widows will havethe rights to both agricultur-al and non-agricultural landsthat belonged to their hus-bands. They will also get theright to sell the lands for legalnecessities during their life-time," the report said, citingthe court order.

The verdict by the HighCourt came following a civilrevision petition filed by civil-ian Jyotindranath Mondal fromKhulna district challenging alower court verdict.

On March 7, 2004,Khulna's joint district judgedelivered judgement in a casefiled by Jyotindranath, sayingthat Gouri Dasi, widow ofJyotindranath's elder brotherAvimannu Mondal, will getright to the agricultural land ofher late husband.

The land had been record-ed in the name of Gouri afterAvimannu died in 1996.

Jyotindranath had filed thecase with the court of an assis-tant judge in Khulna challeng-ing the record of the land in thename of Gouri Dasi in 1996.

Berlin: German ChancellorAngela Merkel faced growingpressure on Thursday to recon-sider the Nord Stream 2 pipeline,which will take gas from Russiato Germany, after she saidKremlin critic Alexei Navalnywas poisoned with a Soviet-stylenerve agent.

Merkel said on Wednesdaythat Navalny, who is being treat-ed in a Berlin hospital, was thevictim of a murder attemptusing the nerve agent Novichok,and demanded an explanationby Russia.

Moscow has denied involve-ment in the incident and theRussian foreign ministry saidGermany’s assertion was notbacked by evidence.

Western countries have con-demned the attack on Navalnyand many German politicianswant a tough response.

“We must pursue hard pol-itics, we must respond with theonly language (RussianPresident Vladimir) Putinunderstands - that is gas sales,”Norbert Roettgen, head ofGermany’s parliamentary for-eign affairs committee, toldGerman radio. “If the Nord

Stream 2 pipeline is completednow, it would be the maximumconfirmation and encourage-ment for Putin to continue thiskind of politics,” Roettgen, amember of conservatives, toldGerman television earlier.

Nord Stream 2 is set to dou-ble the capacity of the existingNord Stream 1 pipeline in car-rying gas directly from Russia toGermany. Led by Russian com-

pany Gazprom with Westernpartners, the project is morethan 90% finished and due tooperate from early 2021. Thismay complicate efforts to stop it.

The project has divided theEuropean Union, with somecountries warning it willundermine the traditional gastransit state, Ukraine, andincrease the bloc’s reliance onRussia for energy supplies. AFP

Taipei: China’s “vulgar threats”over a visit by the CzechRepublic’s senate speaker toTaiwan are like a cold, unwel-come winter wind and contrastwith the courteous words thespeaker offered while inTaiwan, a senior Taiwanesepolitician said on Thursday.

China, which claimsTaiwan as its sovereign terri-tory, has condemned CzechSenate speaker Milos Vystrcilfor going. The Chinese gov-ernment’s top diplomat WangYi said this week he would pay

a “heavy price” for visiting thedemocratic island.

Vystrcil declared himself tobe Taiwanese in a speech atTaiwan’s parliament onTuesday, channelling the lateU.S. President John F.Kennedy’s defiance of com-munism in Berlin in 1963,further angering Beijing butwinning plaudits in Taipei.

Speaking with Vystrcil byhis side Taipei, Taiwan parlia-ment Speaker You Si-kunpraised his “stirring” speech atthe legislature. AP

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Moscow: Russian PresidentVladimir Putin’s spokesmanbrushed off allegationsThursday that the Kremlin wasinvolved in poisoning Putin’smost determined critic, accus-ing Germany of not providingMoscow with any evidenceabout the condition of Russiandissident Alexei Navalny.

Navalny, a politician andcorruption investigator, fell illon a flight to Moscow on Aug.20 and was taken to a hospitalin the Siberian city of Omsk. Hehas been in an induced coma

for more than a week in a Berlinhospital after being flown fromSiberia to Germany for treat-ment more than a week ago.

German authorities saidWednesday that tests showed“proof without doubt” that hehad been poisoned with achemical nerve agent from theNovichok group. But Kremlinspokesman Dmitry Peskovinsisted Thursday that Russianauthorities still had notreceived any evidence fromGermany to back up their alle-gation. AP

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Wilmington (US): Joe Biden iscalling the struggle to reopenUS schools amid the coron-avirus a “national emergency”and accusing President DonaldTrump of turning his back tostoke passions instead aboutunrest in America’s cities.

The Democratic presiden-tial nominee’s broadsides camea day ahead of his own trip toKenosha, Wisconsin, whereBiden said he wants to help“heal” a city reeling fromanother police shooting of aBlack man.

The wounding of JacobBlake and subsequent demon-strations have made the polit-ical battleground state a focalpoint for debate over police andprotest violence, as well as theactions of vigilante militias.

Biden assailed Trump forhis vilifying of protesters as wellas his handling of the pandemicthat has killed nearly 190,000Americans and crippled thenational economy, leaving mil-lions out of work, schoolsstraining to deal with studentsin classrooms or at home andparents struggling to keep up.

An American president,Trump’s challenger declared,should be able to lead through

multiple crises at the sametime.

“Where is the president?Why isn’t he working on this?,”Biden asked.

“We need emergency sup-port funding for our schools —and we need it now. Mr.President, that is your job.That’s what you should befocused on — getting our kidsback to school. Not whippingup fear and division — notinciting violence in our streets.”

Trump answered almostimmediately with his ownevent in North Carolina, wherehe continued casting theprotests generally as “violentmobs here at home” that mustbe met with a strong show offorce.

“These people know onething: strength,” he said.

If local leaders would askfor federal muscle, Trump said,“We’ll have it done in onehour.”

Trump later tweeted, “MyAdministration will do every-thing in its power to preventweak mayors and lawless citiesfrom taking Federal dollarswhile they let anarchists harmpeople, burn buildings, andruin lives and businesses.” AP

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Six young Portuguese activistslaunched on Thursday a

European human rights caseagainst 33 countries in the lat-est legal effort to force govern-ments to step up their fightagainst climate change.

The six filed a claimThursday asking the EuropeanCourt of Human Rights tohold the countries accountablefor their allegedly inadequateefforts to cut greenhouse gasemissions.

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New Delhi: Team NTPC over-came a stiff challenge to emergeas winner at the recently con-cluded All India ManagementAssociation (AIMA) -Chanakya (Business SimulationGame) National ManagementGames (NMG) 2020. The vic-tory was also significant sinceNTPC won the prestigiousNational Management Gamesfor the first time in five years.The team from NTPC Vallur,Tamil Nadu achieved the feat ofbeing crowned the national

champion after competingagainst teams from 112 organ-isations from different parts ofthe country.

The team comprised ShriChinnathambi G, Manager,C&I Maintenance; ShriSenkguttuvan P J, Manager,Operations (Main Plant); ShriYoginderkumar J, Manager,Operation from NTPC Vallur.Team NTPC Vallur qualifiedfor the regional rounds, whichwas held online and subse-quently qualified for the Finals.

New Delhi: Strongly welcoming thereview of ASEAN-India FTA agreedupon by ASEAN countries on India’srequest, Indian Paper ManufacturersAssociation (IPMA) has requested theUnion Ministry of Commerce &Industry to put paper & paperboardin the negative list so as to provide alevel-playing field for Indian papermanufacturers who have been bearingthe brunt of indiscriminate import ofcheap paper, especially writing, print-

ing paper, from ASEAN countries.“Domestic paper mills have been

severely impacted due to importsflooding into the country from ASEANcountries at nil basic customs duty.Several smaller paper mills, and evena few large ones, have been forced toshutdown their operations due tocommercial unviability. There is ade-quate production capacity in the coun-try which is currently under-utilised,”said IPMA president AS Mehta.

Greater Noida: Greater NoidaCity is developing very fast asa modern city. Over here alltypes of modern facilities,international level basic facili-ties, broad-gauge roads, allmodern facilities like multiplex,golf, greenery, parks and recre-ation facilities. Due to coron-avirus epidemic, swimmingpool gym clubs etc. are closedin the State. Also, people arenot able to take advantage ofthese facilities due to the said

epidemic and social distancing.The Greater Noida

Authority is considering to pre-pare an alternative system keep-ing in view the current eventsand circumstances. So that thecommon people/residents herestart their morning in a healthyand natural environment of theabove activities by going out ofthe buildings / houses to starttheir morning in a better way,such as morning walk, yoga,exercise and recreation etc.

New Delhi: Airports Authorityof India, in collaboration withthe Defense Research andDevelopment Organisation(DRDO) and StateGovernment is developing theDeoghar Airport in Jharkhand.The development of airportwith project cost of �401.34Croreis underway and will becompleted very soon

The airport will spreadacross 653.75 acres of land andits Terminal Building is beingbuilt in an area of 4000sqmeter. With a 2,500-meter-long runway, the airport will besuitable for operation of Air Bus320 type of aircraft.The termi-nal building will have six check-in counters and two arrival beltswith peak hour handling capac-ity of 200 passengers.

With environment-friendlyarchitectural design and state-of-the-art passenger facilities, theterminal building will be a com-posite structure inspired by the

Shikharsof the BaidyanathTemple. The interiors will depictlocal tribal arts, handicrafts,and pictures of local touristdestinations highlighting theculture of the region.

Deoghar Airport, the sec-ond airport in Jharkhand afterRanchi, a six-hour drive away,is situated on the North Easternside of the state and will have awide catchment area includingNorthern West Bengal andSouth-Eastern Bihar.Development of this airportwillgive an impetus to local tourismand will generate employmentas large part of the local popu-lation depends on tourism forits livelihood.

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Diesel price on Thursdaywas cut for the first time in

close to six months after state-owned fuel retailers reducedretail selling rate by 16 paise perlitre. Diesel now costs �73.40per litre in the national Capital,as against �73.56 a litre previously, according to a pricenotification of state-owned fuel retailers.

Petrol, which witnessedthe second rally in rates begin-ning mid-August, wasunchanged at �82.08 a litre.

This is the first reductionin diesel price since mid-Marchwhen Indian Oil Corp (IOC),Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd(BPCL) and HindustanPetroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL)froze rates for 82 days to adjusta record hike in excise duty onauto fuels against falling bench-mark cost.

Diesel rates had gone up by�12.55 a litre between June 7,when oil firms resumed revis-ing prices in line with cost, andJuly 25. Diesel price has

remained unchanged in thecountry since July 25, except inDelhi where a reduction inVAT lowered the rate by �8.38 per litre.

Petrol price went up by�9.17 per litre between June 7and June 29 before hitting a pause.

The revision cycle againstarted on August 16 and rateshave gone up by �1.51 sincethen. In all, the petrol price hasrisen by �10.68 since June 7.

In Mumbai, petrol comesfor �88.73 per litre while dieselis priced at �79.94, as against�80.11 previously, according tothe price notification.

In Kolkata, petrol is pricedat �83.57, while diesel nowcosts �76.90 a litre, down from�77.06 previously.

In Chennai, petrol comesfor �85.04 a litre and diesel for �78.71, as against �78.86previously.

State-owned fuel retailersrevise rates of petrol and dieseldaily based on average price ofbenchmark fuel in the preced-ing 15 days.

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Benchmark equity indicesclosed lower in a volatile

trade on Thursday, dragged bylosses mainly in banking coun-ters as overall weak macroeco-nomic scenario weighed oninvestor sentiment.

The BSE Sensex ended95.09 points or 0.24 per centlower at 38,990.94; and the NSE Nifty closed 7.55 points or 0.07 per cent down at 11,527.45.

On the Sensex chart, ICICIBank was the top loser, shed-ding around 2 per cent, fol-lowed by Bharti Airtel, AxisBank, Kotak Bank andPowerGrid.

On the other hand, Titan,Tech Mahindra, Nestle, Maruti,Sun Pharma and Asian Paintswere among the gainers.

Sectorally, BSE bankex,finance, metal, energy, realtyand utilities indices fell up to1.51 per cent.

While consumer durables,IT, teck, capital goods, indus-

trials and auto indices rose upto 3.37 per cent.

Broader midcap and small-cap indices outperformed theBSE benchmark, ending up to0.74 per cent higher.

“Markets exhibited volatil-ity and ended flat for the day,switching between gains andlosses. However, global mar-kets, especially Europe, weregenerally positive for the day,anticipating better economicdata,” Vinod Nair, Head ofResearch at Geojit FinancialServices, said.

Domestically, dataemerged that the services sec-tor had contracted for the 6thconsecutive month, in spite ofphased reopening of the economy in the last twomonths, he said, adding thatthis has led to worries that thecomeback, foreseen for theeconomy, could be long drawn out.

The market turned nega-tive after the latest IHS Markit Services PurchasingManagers’ Index (PMI) con-

tracted for the sixth successivemonth in August.

The seasonally adjustedIndia Services Business ActivityIndex rose sharply from 34.2 inJuly to 41.8 in August, the high-est since March, before theescalation of the pandemic.

The downturn in India’sservices sector activity eased inAugust but remained in thecontraction zone as Covid-19pandemic-induced restrictionscontinued to adversely impactclient demand and businessoperations.

Bourses in Shanghai andHong Kong ended in the red,while Tokyo and Seoul closedwith gains.

Stock exchanges on inEurope were trading on a pos-itive note in early deals.

Global oil benchmarkBrent crude was trading 1.40per cent lower at USD 43.81 perbarrel.

In the forex market, therupee depreciated 44 paise and closed at 73.47 against theUS dollar.

Chennai: Auto component manufacturers are expected tosuffer about 15-18 per cent decline in their revenues inFY21 and an average of 100 basis points (bps) in their EBIT-DA due to sharp contraction in demand over what theindustry experienced during FY20, said Brickwork Ratingsin a report released on Thursday.

According to Brickwork Ratings, during FY20, the rev-enues of auto ancillaries declined about 8-10 per cent aftera year-on-year (yoy) increase until FY19. The reductionin revenue is owing to the shrinking order book fromOriginal Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) due to lowerautomobile sales in the country last fiscal, it said.

According to the rating agency, the auto componentmakers’ revenue is expected to slip by about 15-18 per centin FY21 on account of lower income levels and continued

weak sentiments.“BWR (Brickwork Ratings) expects export revenues

to decline as well in FY21 as more than 50 per cent of ourexports are to markets in Europe, the UK and the US, anddemand from these markets is expected to decline amidthe Covid-19 outbreak and postponement of model launch-es or deferment/cancellation of orders,” the report said.

According to the report, auto components players willbe affected adversely in the first quarter of the current fis-cal and, to some extent, during the second quarter as well.

The rating agency expects a gradual recovery in vehi-cle sales from the second half of the current fiscal owingto pent-up demand, an improvement in OEMs produc-tion activities and the easy availability of credit fromfinanciers. IANS

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The NHAI has debarred theconcessionaire of the under

construction elevated corridoron 6-laning of NH-248-A fromRajiv chowk to Sohna fromparticipating in any NHAI bids(directly or in association/ JV)involving major structuralworks after its explanation for the collapse of a span of the stretch was found unsatisfactory.

Following the collapse lastmonth, the concessionaire, M/sRajiv Chowk-Sohna HighwayPvt. Ltd. and its promoters i.e.M/s Oriental StructuralEngineers Pvt. Ltd, was issueda show cause notice to explainthe violation of the obliga-tions under the ConcessionAgreement.

The explanation furnishedby the concessionaire wasfound to be unsatisfactory,NHAI officials said, addingmoreover, lapses were alsofound in implementation of thesafety measures/workman-ship/adherence to construc-tion methodologies/ proce-dures, which were highlightedtime and again to the contrac-tor before the incident.

Therefore, it was establishedthat the concessionaire failed todischarge its obligation to con-struct a safe structure and toensure safety of the user and pedestrians on the previ-ous occasions and during theaccident as well, the officialsmaintained.

Accordingly, with imme-diate effect, the concessionairehas been debarred from par-ticipating in any NHAI bids(directly or in association/ JV)involving major structuralworks until they demonstratereliable construction method-ologies/ designs and adequatesafety measures at sight; anddemonstrate that such type ofaccident does not occur inother part of their works.

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Finance Minister NirmalaSitharaman on Thursday

directed banks to roll out res-olution schemes for Covid-related stress by September 15.

During her interactionwith the heads of scheduledcommercial banks and NBFCsthrough a video conference,Sitharaman focused on lendersimmediately putting in placeboard-approved policy for res-olution, identifying eligibleborrowers and reaching out tothem, said an official statement.

She also called for quickimplementation of a sustainedresolution plan by lenders forrevival of every viable business.

Sitharaman told the lendersthat as and when moratoriumon loan repayments is lifted,borrowers must be given sup-port and Covid-19 related dis-

tress must not impact thelenders’ assessment of theircredit-worthiness.

Further, she also called for asustained media campaign tocreate awareness among the bor-rowers for the resolution scheme.She advised lenders to ensurethat regularly updated FAQs onthe resolution framework areuploaded on their websites inHindi, English and regional lan-guages, and also circulated totheir offices and branches.

“The lenders assured thatthey are ready with their reso-lution policies, and have start-ed the process of identifyingand reaching out to eligibleborrowers, and that they willcomply with the timelines stip-ulated by the Reserve Bank ofIndia (RBI),” said the FinanceMinistry statement. The min-istry said that it has also beenengaging with the RBI to

ensure that the lenders areassisted by the central bank inthe resolution process.

As the pandemic has led tosevere economic stress acrosssectors, the RBI in Augustannounced to provide a reso-lution framework to enablethe lenders to implement a res-olution plan, in respect of eli-gible corporate borrowers with-out change in ownership whilecontinuing the account statusas standard, subject to specifiedconditions.

During the virtual meet onThursday, the Finance Ministeralso reviewed the progress madeby various lenders under ECLGS,PCGS 2.0 and subordinate debtschemes announced as part ofthe ‘Aatmanirbhar BharatAbhiyaan’, and advised lenders totry and extend the maximumpossible relief to borrowersbefore the festive season.

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Everyone loves to go out and eatbut amid the COVID-19 pan-

demic and health and governmentofficials urging people to stayhome as much as possible, we havebeen forced to eat home-cookedfood every day. And during thistime, while many waited impa-tiently for the unlock, many choseto bring out their inner chef andtaste the joy of home-cooking.Social media videos and YouTubechannels became the learning tool,teaching people how to prepare allkinds of quick and easy restaurant-styled recipes in their own kitchen.Well, social media is a testament toall those delicacies.

However, how many tried toadopt or cook meals the tradition-al way? For instance, a thali mealsystem is something that we shouldintroduce into our daily lives. Thistime is also a good opportunity. Athali (plate) is a big round base thatholds small bowls (also calleddunas), carrying specified quanti-ties of various food items. The firstmention of dunas can traced backin the texts from the Vedic period,but the portions we see in today’sthalis have changed drastically.Well, most of it would find its rootsin the establishment of new socialstructures and modern lifestyles.

The significance of this thali isthat it offers the right amount ofnutrients required to maintain ahealthy body and lifestyle. It helpsus ensure that we are consumingbalanced meals. This situation ofstaying home has presented us withan opportunity to prepare and con-sume these balanced meals. Ahealthy diet can protect the humanbody against several diseases, espe-cially non-communicable onessuch as obesity, diabetes, cardiovas-cular diseases, some types of can-cer and skeletal conditions. It alsohelps us maintain a healthyimmune system, important to

fight the fast-spreading viruses likeCOVID-19.

For decades, it has been ourculture to eat together as a family.This was another advantage of thelockdown with all family membersstaying at home. Indian cultureencourages consumption of whole-some meals and have also passedon several combo recipes to us. Itlays great emphasis on portioncontrol to avoid problems like obe-sity, experiencing the variety offlavour and textures and sharing offood with everyone. Indian thalishave hence been a rich diet mealthat does not only take care of the

tastebuds but also provides all thenecessary nutrients. We shouldcontinue to carry our tasty andhealthy food culture with us anduse it in our daily lives.

Here are some of the tips toprepare a healthy and balancedIndian thali at home:

- Striking a balance in the pro-portions of carbohydrates, fats,proteins, vitamins, minerals, andwater they consume, is important. � Including these items in yourdaily meals is crucial to follow abalanced diet — fruits, vegetables,grains, proteins, dairy and oils.Fruits and vegetables are rich in

several nutrients, especially vita-mins and minerals. Dark, leafygreens such as spinach, cabbage,broccoli, and green beans are alsohighly-nutritious ingredients thatshould not be skipped.� Consuming whole grainsinstead of refined grains since thelatter lack the hull containingmost of the grain’s nutrition.Adding proteins to your meals inthe form of meats and beans willaid in muscle and brain growth.� The breakfast should contain acombination of complex carbs,proteins, and fibre. Experimentwith different kinds of omelettes,

vegetable rich poha, upma orsandwich, stuffed parathas,idli/dosa/uttapam with chutney orsambar.� For lunch, remember to fillyour plate half with vegetables andfruits, one fourth with proteinsand the remaining one-fourthwith carbs. Simple meals can betasty too, if cooked the right way.Mix vegetable khichdi or pulao orRajma rice with buttermilk orcurd, paneer wrap with boiledchana and lassi or pasta withpaneer salad and curd are allgreat meals for a soul-fillinghealthy lunch. Non-vegetarians

can opt for items like fish currywith rice and curd.� The dinner should always bethe lightest meal. Bisibele ricewith curd, dal rice and vegetableor soup with pulao are the bestchoices to end your day with.

- Between these meals, onecan have another round of fruits,a chana chaat or sprouts as asnack instead of caffeine-filledtea/coffee.� Adding nutrient-rich ingredi-ents like pepper, ginger, garlic,cumin, cloves, fenugreek seeds,turmeric to your everyday foodregulates the healthy factor in thebody. These spices carry chemi-cal compounds which have anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-micro-bial and anti-viral propertieswhich help fight several kinds ofinfections.� Hydrating beverages shouldnot be missed out. Apart fromdrinking at least two litres ofwater every day, one can alsoconsume healthy and tasty drinkslike fruit juices, milk shakes,buttermilk, coconut water tobeat dehydration.� Other items which can beincluded are roasted chana,peanuts, makhana, chikkis,puffed rice, bajra, jowar, maize,ragi flour, wholegrain breads,wheat pizza bases and wheat pas-tas, tender coconut, green tea,olive oil, groundnut, soyabeanand mustard oil in your kitchenpantry. These are some of thehealthiest ingredients available inthe local Indian markets.

Following a healthy Indianthali system can play an instru-mental role in not only enhanc-ing the quality of your health butcan also uplift your mental well-being.

(The writer is the goodwillambassador of MyThali pro-gramme.)

Afew years ago,Maruti had

invited automotivejournalists to theUmaid BhawanPalace in Jodhpurto experience something com-pletely new in the small carspace. Well, ostensibly, the carwas the new Maruti-SuzukiCelerio. The new was the factthat the car featured an‘Automated ManualTransmission’ or AMT gear-box. While AMT was not a newtechnology, by bringing it intocompact hatchbacks, Marutihad once again transformed themarket and made automatics, ina manner of speaking, afford-able. AMTs are not really ‘auto-matic’ gearboxes. After its clutchpedal has been removed, theheadache of always moving yourleft foot in urban traffic condi-tions still remains.

As a few years went by,AMTs really began to feel a bitsluggish, particularly as enginepower outputs went up. Moreoften than not, you found your-self in a power band that felttotally inappropriate for theconditions on some cars. Not all,to be fair, but the fact was thatsomewhere down there as anautomotive writer, you knewthat AMT gearboxes were acost compromise. They certain-ly didn’t allow for any enthusi-astic driving. Although theycould be deadly efficient onceyou mastered the throttle pedal.This was an old technology andwhile it had its purpose in pop-ularising automatic gearboxesamong Indians, carmakers coulddo a bit better. Truth be told, sev-eral of them have done a lot bet-ter. There have been consider-able efforts in making CVTgearboxes and regular torqueconverter gearboxes much moreaffordable. Lately, dual-clutchgearboxes are also coming downthe value chain with Hyundai-Kia making it an option on theirtop-end Venue and on the forth-coming Sonet.

However, both these carswill have something totally fas-cinating as an option, the‘Intelligent ManualTransmission’ — a gearbox thatthe manufacturers claim will

give you the thrill of changinggears while removing the clutch.Hyundai was first off the markand celebrated the first anniver-sary of last year’s ICOTY win-ning Venue by launching theIMT version of that car.

There are a lot of sensorsconnected to a lot of softwarecode that allow the driver to dothis, but my first impressions ofthe car were very weird. Asaccustomed as I have become todriving automatic cars over thepast few years, this felt likesomething had gone wrong tomy poor brain. No clutch, sodon’t change gears it went andthen you hear an alarm goingoff instructing you to changegears, wait, what? As the sayinggoes, you can’t teach an old dognew tricks. Well, this was a newtrick on the car, and it took mesome time to get adjusted. I’msaying this after years of quiteeasily jumping from one car tothe next without any prob-lems, going from a 50 horse-power hatchback to a 500+horsepower supercar, from alimousine longer than someboats to the Tata Nano. Beenthere, done that, but neverdone this.

It took me a bit of time, butpossibly this dog isn’t ready forthe pasture yet. Once I got thehang of it, the IMT was actual-ly quite a bit of fun. Sure, it isn’tquite as exhilarating as a man-ual is on the Venue turbo-petrol. The gear changes do feela bit notchy at times, but onlya couple of hours with the carand one can get used to thisnew feeling. If you do buy thiscar, I’m pretty sure you will alsogo through a learning curvethat will require a few days.That said, what did concern mewas — once used to such a car,how would a driver get back toa regular manual? I don’t havean answer! But the way themarket is evolving, manuals areincreasingly a thing of the past.This is just a step to makingthem extinct.

Were you confusedabout the kind oftattoo you wanted

some time back? Did youscroll through hundreds ofpictures to decide what tofinally get inked and where?Well, you perhaps got a lit-tle late in deciding things asthe pandemic has turnedeverything upside down.

The nature of this pro-fession is highly personal asgetting inked cannot be acontactless activity.Considering safety andsocial distancing as theneed of the hour, most ofthe people are now hesitat-ing to get tattooed. Also,now that people only stepout for the essentials, theybelieve tattooing can waitfor a while! However, thishas landed the industry insome major troubles.

The impact has beensuch that it seems to havepierced a hole in the indus-try. Several tattoo artistsand studios are strugglingto meet even their basicexpenses. Unlike other pro-fessions, these artistes can-not join another companyafter a job loss as their jobis not based on qualifica-tion but skills. And workfrom home definitely can’tbe an option here.

Veteran and celebrity

tattoo artist Vikas Malani,founder, BodyCanvasTattoos, says, “We areartists and need clients torun our businesses andshowcase our skills. Sincetattooing is a person-to-person job, the loss is highin this industry. Earlier,around 20 customers usedto visit our studio every dayon an average but now thefootfalls have reduced totwo or three. Even theones who visit are our reg-ular customers, there areno new ones. With suchless clients, the inflow ofmoney seems to be scary.”

He further adds thatthey require at least one ortwo hours to ink, unlikeother places where people

go into a store, purchaseand leave within a fewminutes. So the chances ofcontracting the virus ishigh as people are in con-stant contact with the stu-dio artists who meet a lotof other customersthroughout the day.

Now, after a series oflockdowns and relaxations,the industry is slowlyrestarting and people havebeen constantly thinkingabout newer and safe waysto run their tattoo studios.They are following fre-quent sanitisation, use faceshields, gloves and masks.It is also advised to providea safety kit to the artists andpeople visiting the studio.

“Even before this pan-

demic, we used to wearsafety gloves and masks.However, now it hasbecome more significant asit can be one of the mostcommon or easy ways forthe transmission of virus,”says Vikas.

Though it becomeschallenging to run the busi-ness with limited resources,necessary precautions areessential for safety. Vikaslists some of the safetymeasures to considerbefore getting a tattoo.

Safety measures for studiocrew�Sanitise your hands andwear a fresh pair of protec-tive gloves for each client.�Check the body temper-ature of all the staff mem-bers, including the artists,every day before they enterthe studio.�It is advisable to allowonly one client at a timeinside the studio.�Ensure that the studio,including furniture andworkstation, is properlysterilised.�Sterilise non-disposableequipment, instrumentsand supplies.�Don’t miss sanitising fre-quently used areas such asdrawers, handles, sinks andtables.

Safety measures for clients�Make sure that youapproach a standard andreputed tattoo parlour thatoperates with experiencedprofessionals and followsthe correct safety guide-lines.�Do all the consultationthrough phone calls andbook an appointmentbefore entering the studio.�Discuss the details,design and positioningover a call to reduce phys-ical contact. Ask your artistif they can digitally repre-sent the tattoo design to geta clear idea.�Try to visit the studiodirectly from your home toavoid transmission from athird party.�Only the person to beinked should enter the stu-dio to maintain social dis-tancing.�Be cautious about thecommon spots like door-knobs, chairs, tabletopsthat are touched frequent-ly by several people. Washyour hands after touchingany common area and usehand sanitiser.�Avoid carrying severalthings inside the studio.Some studios also providelockers for clients to keeptheir belongings to avoidpossible risks.

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Under normal circumstances,Karolina Pliskova wouldnot have been seeded No 1

at the US Open and so, while a sec-ond-round loss certainly wouldhave been disappointing to her, andnoticed by others, it wouldn’t havebeen as newsworthy.

But what’s normal in 2020?With the women who are 1-2 inthe rankings choosing to skip thetrip to Flushing Meadows becauseof the pandemic, No 3 Pliskovaascended to the top spot in thedraw — and by Day 3, she wasgone.

Pliskova, the 2016 runner-up at the US Open, made hermood clear during a 6-1, 7-6 (2) loss to 50th-rankedCaroline Garcia onWednesday by throwinga racket, then againafterward with a seriesof clipped responses ather news conference.

Pliskova fidgetedwith the microphone.Sighed. Shruggedher shoulders.Rolled her eyes.

When areporter offeredpossible explana-tions for the defeat —a new, faster surface onthe courts, a lack of atmos-phere because there are no spec-tators, the pressure of her highseeding — Pliskova replied:“Nothing from what you said.”

Her reasoning for the result?“I didn’t play good,” Pliksova said,“so that’s it.”

When another member ofthe media said this back-and-forth must be boring toPliskova, she said, “Yeah, a lit-tle bit. Did you see the matchor no?” and soon afterremarked, “I don’t know if youunderstand tennis well enough.”

After a first round thatwent more to form than ever —29 of 32 seeded women wontheir opening matches, a USOpen record since the num-ber of seeds was doubled from16 in 2001 — the surprisesstarted in the second round.

Three Americans turned inupsets of seeded women. ShelbyRogers, ranked 93rd, beat 11th-seeded Elena Rybakina 7-5, 6-1;

Ann Li, who is ranked 128th,topped 13th-seeded Alison Riske 6-0, 6-3 in a matchup between twoplayers from Pennsylvania; andMadison Brengle, ranked 84th,took out 19th-seeded DayanaYastremska 6-2, 6-3.

Other seeded women whowere eliminated: No 12 MarketaVondrousova, No 30 KristinaMladenovic, No 31 AnastasijaSevastova.

Mladenovic’s loss was thewildest of them all. She led 6-1, 5-1, then later held four matchpoints, but never was able to fin-ish things off and ended up on thewrong end of a 1-6, 7-6 (2), 6-0result against 102nd-rankedVarvara Gracheva.

Two seeded men exited, too:No 13 Cristian Garin and No 24Hubert Hurkacz.

Unlike Pliskova, the No 1-seeded man, Novak Djokovic, onlyhad a brief blip on his way to thethird round and a 25-0 record in2020. Going back to late last sea-son, his winning streak is 28matches overall.

“I’m actually glad I did drop aset and got tested the way I didtoday against Kyle. I expected itto be a tough, tough task,” saidDjokovic, who has won five of thepast seven Grand Slam tourna-ments to raise his major trophytotal to 17, three behind RogerFederer and two behind RafaelNadal. “I’m really glad having anearly kind of tough match in thetournament,” Djokovic said,because it kind of serves me bet-ter, I think, for the rest of the tour-

nament.”Next up for him is No 28 Jan-

Lennard Struff, someone Djokovicdismissed 6-3, 6-1 last week at theWestern & Southern Open.

Other winners on Wednesdayincluded No 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas,No 5 Alexander Zverev and No 7Davis Goffin.

Tsitsipas made it to the USOpen’s third round for the first timeby withstanding the so-rare-these-days serve-and-volley style of his168th-ranked American oppo-nent, Maxime Cressy 7-6 (2), 6-3,6-4 after two-time Grand Slamchampion Naomi Osaka’s 6-1, 6-2win against Camila Giorgi.

Cressy’s loss was part of arough day for men from the US,who went 1-7.

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Jorge Messi, father and agent of Lionel Messi,appeared to concede his son could remain at

Barcelona this season, according to footagebroadcast by Spanish media on Thursday.

Messi senior seemingly replied “yes” whenasked by a reporter if they had considered thepossibility of staying at the club for another sea-son and then leaving for free next year, in a videorecorded by Spanish TV station Cuatro.

The images were captured as Jorge Messipulled into a parking garage reportedly foranother day of meetings with the family’slawyers.

He had arrived in Barcelona on Wednesday,landing at the private terminal in El Prat air-port on a flight from the Argentine city ofRosario.

Six-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi boy-cotted Barcelona’s first pre-season trainingsession on Monday, as he tries to force his wayout of the club he joined as a 13-year-old.

He also failed to attend a coronavirus testat Barcelona’s training ground on Sunday.

Messi’s father was followed throughout thecity by reporters and TV crews on Wednesday,and told reporters it would be “difficult” for hisson to stay at Barcelona.

According to local reports, club directorsmet with Messi and his advisers for more thantwo hours on Wednesday, but neither party waswilling to alter their stance.

Further negotiations are expected to be heldin due course between Barcelona and Messi’sentourage, which also includes his brotherRodrigo.

Barcelona insist their cap-tain remains under contractuntil June 2021 and will onlydepart if his �700 million releaseclause is activated, a stance thathas been backed by LaLiga, which says thatrelease clause stillapplies.

But Messi andhis lawyers arguehe should beallowed to go forfree this summeraccording to anotherclause in his contract,which they claim was trig-gered on Aug 25 when aburofax stating Messi’sintention to leave arrivedat Camp Nou.

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Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne may have towait to make his T20I debut despite a dazzling

start to the tour of England, according to captainAaron Finch.

Labuschagne, a breakout star of last year’sdrawn Ashes campaign in England, scored 100 off51 balls when opening in a T20 practice game onTuesday.

But with Finch and David Warner establishedas an opening pair and star batsman Steve Smitha powerful presence in the top order, the 26-year-old may be unable to force his way intoAustralia’s side to play England.

The first game in a three-match T20 seriesbetween the two top-ranked teams in the for-mat takes place in Southampton on Friday.

“We’re pretty settled with how we struc-ture our T20 side at the moment,” Finch tolda conference call on Thursday. “He(Labuschagne) played nicely the other day,but I think he might have to wait a little bitlonger in T20 cricket.”

Wicketkeeper Alex Carey struck 107 inthe same innings as Labuschagne, while all-

��3����The Chennai Super Kingssquad, barring the two players whotested positive for coronavirus lastweek, is likely to train from Fridaysubject to clearance after a secondround of testing was conducted onThursday.

“Tests were done today. Resultswill come late night or tomorrowmorning,” a CSK official told PTI.

Earlier, CSK CEO KasiViswanathan had said that the teamwill start training from Friday afterthe second round of testing.

The coronavirus-free playerswere made to undergo two addi-tional tests after 13 cases were con-firmed last week, delaying theteam’s training.

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Gareth Bale will consider areturn to the Premier

League if his current club RealMadrid allow him to end hisstint in Spain, the Wales inter-national has said.

The 31-year-old was on theverge of leaving for Chinese clubJiangsu Suning last year beforethe deal fell through, and hebarely featured for Real in theirrun to the La Liga title when thecampaign resumed after theCovid-19 stoppage.

Despite winning fourChampions League titles withReal, Bale has divided opinionin Spain because of a perceivedlack of commitment and poorinjury record.

“If those options (interestfrom Premier League clubs)arise, it’s something I’d look at forsure,” Bale, who made 146Premier League appearancesfor Tottenham Hotspur between2007 and 2014 before moving toMadrid, told Sky Sports.

“We’ll see what hap-pens. We have plenty oftime in this transfer win-dow and a couple of othersas well. Time will tellbut mainly I think thereason is that the deci-sion is in Real Madrid’shands.”

Bale, who hasjoined up with theWales squad aheadof their upcomingNations League

games against Finland andBulgaria, said he was happy tobe back in an environmentwhere he felt “a little bit moreappreciated”.

“I tried to leave last year, but(Real) blocked everything atthe last second,” he added.

“There have been otherinstances where we have triedto go but the club won’t allowit or they’ve done something.

It’s down to the club.“I am only 31 still,

but I feel I am in greatshape still and feel likeI have a lot to give. Wewill see what hap-pens. It’s in the club’shands, but they make

things very difficult tobe honest.”

rounder Glenn Maxwell hit108 in a 50-over warm-upmatch.

Top-ranked T20 sideAustralia also face England,the world champions in 50-overcricket, in three one-day inter-nationals later this month.

“It’s been a really good hitout the last few days,” saidFinch. “Obviously with Maxwellgetting a hundred, Marnus,

Alex Carey all getting hundredsin two different formats is real-ly pleasing.”

DESPERATE TO BEATEngland pacer Mark Wood

has said the team is desperateto beat their Ashes rivals in theupcoming limited overs series.

“It’s always good when youplay for England — don’t get mewrong — but there’s an extraincentive when you playAustralia — your biggest rivals,”Sky Sports quoted Wood astelling reporters.

“They’re desperate to beatyou; you’re desperate to beatthem. It doesn’t matter if it’sAshes, white-ball, T20; we’ll bedesperate to beat them.”

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Three senior male wrestlers,including world champi-

onship Silver-medallistDeepak Punia, have testedpositive for Covid-19, theSports Authority of India (SAI)said on Thursday.

Besides the Olympic-bound Punia (86kg), the othertwo wrestlers who have testedpositive for the virus are Navin(65kg) and Krishan (125kg).All three are part of a nation-al camp at the SAI Centre inSonipat ahead of which thewrestlers are in quarantine.

“Three senior men’swrestlers, who had reported to

the National Wrestling Campat SAI Centre in Sonepat,have tested positive forCovid -19 virus,” the nodalsports body said in a state-ment.

They have beenmoved to a SAIempanelled hospi-tal as a precaution-ary measure forfurther monitor-ing.

Punia said heis asymptomatic.

“I don’t haveany symptomsand I don’t feelanything unusualin my body. I am

perfectly alright, I don’t knowhow I tested positive. I amjust now waiting for anoth-er test after two days. I amnot worried,” Punia said.

All wrestlers were test-ed, upon arrival, as

per the SAI SOPfor resumption ofsports activities.

As per pro-tocol, allwrestlers alongwith the coach-es and supportstaff under-went themandatory RT-PCR test todetect Covid-19

on arrival.When contacted, the

Wrestling Federation of India(WFI) Assistant SecretaryVinod Tomar said the campwill go ahead as planned.

“They (the three) will betested again after two days andif they return negative tests,they will be brought back,” hesaid

“There is no threat to thenational camp. It will contin-ue. The wrestlers will begintraining only after they com-plete their quarantine periodof 14 days,” Tomar added.

All the wrestlers assem-bled for the camp onSeptember 1.

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India’s Divij Sharan and hisSerbian partner Nikola Cacic

fought hard before going down inthree sets to eighth seeds NikolaMektic and Wesley Koolhof in thefirst round of the US Open men’sdoubles event.

Sharan and Cacic lost 4-6, 6-3, 3-6 against Croatia’s Mektic andKoolhof of the Netherlands in atough contest that lasted onehour and 46 minutes onWednesday.

Inconsistency in servesplayed a big role in Sharan and

Cacic not being able to cash in ontheir comeback in the second seton Wednesday. The pair made apoor start to the match but madeup for it by forcing the game intoa decider with a dominant 6-3win in the second set.

The winners will next playItaly’s Simone Bolelli and MaximoGonzalez of Argentina.

The other Indian in the men’sdoubles draw — Rohan Bopanna— and his Canadian partnerDenis Shapovalov will take onErnesto Escobedo and NoahRubin of the United States in thefirst round.

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