� MARKETS to operate on odd-evenbasis — half the shops on one day andthe rest the next day. Essential shopswill remain open all days.

� RESTAURANTS can openfor home deliveries, diningfacilities are not permitted.

� GOVT & PVT OFFICES to run,though private offices are encouragedto ensure their staff work from home.

� SPORTS COMPLEXES, STADIAto open but without spectators.

� BUSES to ply, with 20screened and mask-wearingpassengers in one vehicle.

� PVT CARS & CABSallowed to ply, with onlytwo passengers in onevehicle. Cab drivers willhave to disinfect their vehiclesafter every trip.

� AUTO-RICKSHAWS to ply, withone passenger in a vehicle. Two-wheelers have also been permitted,but no pillion riders.

� CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIESallowed with Delhi-based workers.

� INDUSTRIES to openwith staggered timings.Goods trucks permitted.

� 50 people can attend awedding, the cap for a funeral is 20.Only essential services allowed in all73 coronavirus hotspots of the city.

� Flights, Metro, schools, colleges,hotels, cinemas, malls, gyms, bars,saloons and large gatherings. Nightcurfew & the advisory for vulnerable,elderly and children remain in force.

SEEPAGE 7CYCLONE AMPHAN INTENSIFIES, NEARS BENGAL

Vol. 13 No. 185 | Pages 24 | `̀ 5.00NEW DELHI, Tuesday, May 19, 2020 www.mailtoday.in / www.mailonline.in

https://twitter.com/mail_today https://facebook.com/mailtoday

‘We have to gradually movetowards opening up economic activities. Until wehave a vaccine, coronaviruswon’t go. We will have tolearn to live with it.’

WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW

WHAT STAYS CLOSED,AT LEAST TILL MAY 31

— ARVIND KEJRIWAL, DELHI CM

UNLOCKING DELHI

After two months of shutdown, partial opening with extreme caution begins as corona cases breach 10,000-mark

THE formal announcementon how Delhi will start aprocess of gradual reopen-ing came at 5.30 pm, butmany store owners in KhanMarket had began dustingand sanitising their premises in the morning. Turn to Page 2

COUNTRY JOLTED BYANOTHER 24-HR HIGH 5,242 new

cases in India,total 96,169

157 moredeaths,

toll 3,029

299 newcases in Delhi,total 10,054

12 moredeaths, toll

now 160

By Gulam Jeelani in New Delhi

Heavy traffic jam at Nizamuddin Bridge in Delhi on Monday.

C VID-19

PANDEMIC � Pendingclass 10 & 12CBSE Boardexams to beheld from July1-15. � Oppo shutsNoida factoryoperations toscreen 3,000employees assix are foundinfected.

� China gives in to mounting internationalpressure for a probe into coronavirus originand a review of the WHO’s response to thepandemic. India has joined 120 nations at aWHO conference over both crucial issues.

REPORTS ON PAGES 2-6

PANKAJ NANGIA

CAPITAL’S RULE BOOK FORLOCKDOWN 4.0

CURBSEASED,CITYSTILLONATIGHTLEASH

Mail Today, New Delhi / Chandigarh, Tuesday, May 5, 2020 Mail Today, New Delhi, Tuesday, May 19, 2020 2

— DR HARSH VARDHAN, UNION HEALTH MINISTER

PM Modi personally monitoredsituation... leaving no stones unturnedto contain the deadly virus fromspreading.

‘’

Delhi University hasurged its employees to

download the Aarogya Setu appon their phones and announcedthat the varsity will remain

closed till May 31 in view ofextension of the lockdown tocombat the COVID-19 pandemic.During this period,e-learningprocess will continue.

C VID-19 PANDEMIC

continued from page 1

By noon, some shutters wereup with masked staffers ready towelcome customers. Sceneswere not much different else-where in the city.

Life in the National Capital isexpected to limp back to normalin some measure because manyrestrictions, imposed twomonths ago to combat theCovid-19 pandemic, wererelaxed as part of the two-weeklockdown 4.0 that came intoforce on Monday.

Delhi chief minister ArvindKejriwal laid down ground rulesto restart economic activities,while asserting that his govern-ment was prepared to deal withcoronavirus and also saying peo-ple will have to learn to live withit till a vaccine is found. The CM,however, clarified that there willbe no activities, barring essentialservices, in all 73 containmentzones. Wearing masks whilegoing out of homes will remainmandatory, he said.

“Now, coronavirus isn’t goingto go away in the next one or twomonths, not until there’s a vac-cine. Like I have been saying, weneed to habituate ourselves tolive with it. Coronavirus will staybut our lives will go on,” Kejriwalsaid addressing a press confer-ence.

ROAD TRAVELPublic transportation has been

allowed but with conditions. Asannounced by the CM, DTCbuses are now allowed to run,but with only 20 passengers in avehicle. Passengers will bescreened before boarding. Thetransport department willensure that social distancingnorms are followed at all busstops and inside vehicles, theCM announced.

Auto-rickshaws, e-rickshawsand cycle rickshaws will beallowed, with one passenger in avehicle. Taxis and cabs are alsoallowed, with two passengers ina vehicle.

Kejriwal’s announcements arein line with the Central govern-ment’s order issued on Sundayfor the extension of the lock-down until May 31. As in the pre-vious phases, nobody is allowedto move outside from 7 pm to 7am, except for essential services.

MARKET PLACESMarkets will operate on odd-

even basis — half the shops onone day and the rest next day.Essential shops are open alldays. Restaurants will open, butonly for home delivery services.

Traders welcomed Kejriwal’sannouncements but urged himto reconsider the odd-even for-mula for shops as it is not work-able, according to them.

“This was much awaited andwill certainly bring the economyof Delhi back on the wheels andtraders will be able to resumebusiness operations. The tradingcommunity stands in solidaritywith the Delhi government,” saidPraveen Khandelwal, GeneralSecretary, Confederation of AllIndia Traders (CAIT).

Earlier in the day, traffic jamswere reported at several bordercrossings between Delhi andGurugram, and Delhi and Noida.The vehicular queue went up toover a kilometre as local copschecked passes and identitycards of people travelling onDND Flyway.

OTHER RELAXATIONS Government and private

offices will open, although pri-vate offices have been asked toencourage work from home. Thiscame on a day when the Centreasked 50% of its junior staff toattend office.

Marriage gatherings with up to50 guests and funerals with notmore than 20 people have alsobeen allowed. Industries willopen with staggered timing toreduce crowding. Constructionactivities will be allowed as wellbut trans-border workers won’tbe allowed. Sports complexesand stadiums can open butwithout spectators.

THE RISING CURVE As on Monday, Delhi had 10,054

confirmed Covid-19 cases with160 deaths. At least, 4,500patients have recovered so far“The number of cases is high.But the average number ofdeaths is less in comparison toother states and countries,”Kejriwal said.

Flights, Metro, schools, col-leges, hotels, cinemas, malls,gyms, bars, saloons and largegatherings stay shut in the Cap-ital till May 31.

“Senior citizens above the ageof 65, young children below theage of 10, pregnant women, andpeople with co-morbidities such

as heart diseases and diabetesshall remain under strict lock-down because they are at a highrisk of contracting coronavirus,"Kejriwal added.

RWAs CAUTIONED The Delhi government has also

directed Resident Welfare Associ-ations (RWAs) not to prevent anyperson from performing servicesand duties which have been per-mitted under these guidelines.

As per the guidelines issued bythe Ministry of Home Affairs forphase four of the lockdown, stateswere empowered to categorisered, orange and green zones.Inside these zones, containmentand buffer zones will be identifiedby the district administration.

Earlier in the day, the states andUnion Territories were advised

against diluting restrictions underthe guidelines for the lockdown.

WAR OF WORDSBJP leader Gautam Gambhir

urged Kejriwal to rethink relax-ations. “The decision to open upalmost everything in one go canact as a death warrant for Delhi-ites! I urge Delhi Govt to thinkagain & again! One wrong move& everything will be over!”Gambhir tweeted. Defending thedecision, Deputy CM ManishSisodia said. “We have to live withcoronavirus so Delhi decides toopen but slowly & cautiously.Public buses, taxis, autos allowedto operate. Markets, shops,offices, restaurants-home deliveryallowed. Metro, malls, salons,schools closed. Take care andstay safe.”

CITY TAKES BABYSTEPS

RELAXATIONS UNDER SHUTDOWN-IV

Some shops opened on Monday in Connaught Place with allthe necessary precautions.

Defence Colony also saw some shops opening after theannouncement of new guidelines.

Stores at New Delhi’s Khan Market get ready to begin sales after relaxation were announced by the Delhi government on Monday.

PHOTOS: PANKAJ NANGAI

TO NORMALCY

Mail Today, New Delhi, Tuesday, May 19, 2020 3NEWS

—ASHOK GEHLOT, RAJASHTAN CM

Instead of criticising Rahul Gandhi,the Centre should have held talks with the Opposition on what help they need forarranging facilities for migrant workers.

‘’

Over 20 cases wereregistered and

1,833 people detained inthe national capital onMonday for violating

government ordersduring the lockdownimposed to control thecoronavirus outbreak,Delhi police said.

10 People werecaught and finedfor spitting in pub-lic places in Noida

One needs to take babysteps to come out ofthis lockdown. Placeslike restaurants,schools are wheresocial distancing willbe more difficult

than the other thingsthat have opened.

We’ve to think of peopleand not just our business.

We shut our restaurants four days beforethe lockdown was announced.

PRIYANK SUKHIJA, CEO, FIRST FIDDLE RESTAURANTS

The state governmenthas done well to treadcautiously in openingup of economy. Onecan always throwcaution to wind andopen up prioritizingeconomy over lives.But that is notsustainable. Because suchimpulsive moves are followedby even tougher lockdowns. Take-awaysand deliveries across all restaurants is agood way to inch towards normalcy andfoster economic activity in the city.

ANKUR BHATIA,EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BIRD GROUP.

The Midlands Book Shopwelcomes theannouncement bythe chief minister.Book lovers whowere missing thelook and feel of

browsing throughbooks have reason to

be optimistic again.Although we were already

open for the last few weeks, we understandthe perspective behind the odd-evenformula of the government and respect it.

MIRZA AFSAR BAIG, OWNER, MIDLANDS BOOK SHOP

I am sure the CM has thought of the bestpossible way for trade to open. Let's hopefor the best.

ANUJ BAHRI MALHOTRA, OWNER OF BAHRISONS

The no. 1 priority for theindustry is to ensurethe safety of itspatrons andcolleagues. This is awelcome step as there-opening ofbusinesses is a positivemove and will help kickstart the economy as wellas open up room for further employment.The good thing is that it’s being done in aphase wise manner. However allstakeholders have to be on the same page.The takeaway and delivery side of businessis going to be very slow at first as suchlandlords need to appreciate the concernsof the industry and go on a revenue sharemodel till sales go back to normal.

ZORAWAR KALRA, DIRECTOR, MASSIVE RESTAURANTS

It is a good start and it'smuch better than sitting

at home. But all kinds ofconfusion will prevailbefore the odd-evenequation settles down.Getting customers will

be a challenge, though.It is going to be a tough

time for the entire nation,but at least a beginning has

been made for some semblance ofnormalcy.

AMIT SUNDRA, PARTNER, RAM CHANDER AND SONS,

INDIA'S OLDEST TOY STORE

It’s a really good start,this would help things

to normalise a bit andalso help retailbounce back. But itwould be great if thesame rule could also

apply to the malls,Because how is high

street any different thanthe malls in that aspect.

Having said that, it is also the responsibilityof the store staff and the clients tomaintain safety protocols like sanitisingthe store, products, wearing masks, andmaintain distancing by allowing a certainnumber of people in the space.

SHIRIN MANN SANGHA, FOUNDER & CREATIVE HEAD,

NEEDLEDUST

We find that we are ableto open some of ourhigh-street marketstores, though in anodd-even format.Regardless, it is a steptowards rebooting theeconomy and bringingabout some normalcy toour lives. At AMPM, we’veworked intensely on our safetymeasures for all operations, and wesincerely hope that we’ll be able to providea safe and welcoming experience at ourstores.

PRIYANKA MODI, CREATIVE DIRECTOR, AMPM

As an industry person Iwould have wanted itto be open fully butknowing the numberof cases on the riseespecially in Delhi, it’sbetter to be cautious

than to get overexcited. Slow and steady

wins the race after all.Everyone would want things to

come back to normalcy but it’s better totake slow steps rather than taking one stepforward and then having to take two stepsbehind.

CHEF JATIN MALLICK, CO-OWNER, TRES

The decision of allowingstandalone shops to openon odd even basis inDelhi is a step in theright direction. Ofcourse the guidelinesand directives of thegovernment need to befollowed strictly. We atOxford Bookstores willensure that all our patronsand team members are under propersanitization guidelines and socialdistancing is thoroughly maintained. Welook forward to a great bounce back.

SWAGAT SENGUPTA, OXFORD BOOKSTORES CEO

With this odd-even rule, Iam not sure if it’s goingto be the best. But Iam glad that they [thegovernment as well asthe citizens] are alltrying to do

something. It’s stillconfusing for everyone.

It isn’t just about openinga store. It’s about rehiring,

paying the salaries that we haven’t paid in awhile, organising the logistics ortransporting our staff. Then, about gettingadjusted to an odd-even in terms of sales aswell for the customers.

ANUPAMAA DAYAL, DESIGNER & FOUNDER, ANUPAMAA

-- Compiled by Rewati Rau, Antara Ragha-van, Simi Kuriakose and Aasheesh Sharma

DELHI GEARS UP FOR ALIFE LESS-CURTAILED

Markets prepare towelcome customers,with full precautions

NINE persons at Oppo mobilefactory in Greater Noida havetested positive for coronavirus.The company has now asked itsstaff of 3,000 people to gettested. The company that had

resumed functioning on May 8has again suspended all opera-tions.

Oppo India said employeesfound negative in the coronatest will be allowed to visit thefactory after all safety protocols.We are taking strict steps to pro-tect and disinfect employees inthe factory premises.

By Tanseem Haider in Greater Noida

9 test positive at Oppo factory

Eateries begin home delivery at Khan Market in New Delhi.

By Aneesha Mathur &Diwanshu Tomar in New Delhi

As the Capital waited for theDelhi government to make a for-mal announcement about lock-down 4.0, its market associationsstarted preparations for reopen-ing on Monday.

The MHA circular issued onSunday had made it clear that allmarkets, including “non-essen-tial” goods will be allowed toopen, subject to State govern-ment guidelines. At 5:30 theDelhi government announcedthat all markets in the city willnow open, with non-essentialstores opening “on an odd evenbasis” with regard to the dateand the shop number.

In the posh Khan Market, theshop owners started the work ofcleaning and sanitization oftheir stores early Mondaymorning. By Noon, sev-eral stores had partlyopened shutters,with crews of maskclad men busilycleaning the coun-ters and merchan-dise. Servicing ofAir conditionerswas also being done.

“We have been ask-ing the government toallow the market toreopen since 1st May, as thisis a market that can easily followthe distancing norms. Had webeen given more time, we couldhave installed a UV sanitizationtunnel, hired nurses and staff toconduct thermal testing and setup ropes and distancing meas-ures. In any case, we will set upall these measures in the nextfew days,” said Khan Markettraders association President,Sanjeev Mehra. At his own shop,Allied Stores, a children’s toyshop, men were cleaning the Airconditioners, and wiping downthe stock of toys.

Among the dozens of restau-rants in the posh market, only ahandful had the “open for take-away” sign at the door, mosthave remained closed during thelockdown, even after deliverywas opened.

“They have to wait and seewhether it is viable for them toopen for home delivery and take-

away. We are optimistic,” saidMehra, adding that he had alsoreceived a number of queriesregarding reopening of thestores selling beauty products.“the ladies are asking aboutwhen the beauty product storeswill open. People are worriedabout skincare,” Mehra toldIndia Today.

At the GK M Block market,however, traders were less opti-mistic about the market reopen-ing. “I am waiting for the govern-ment orders to come. I’m notsure if I am allowed to open ornot yet,” said the owner of aclothing store.

Despite the note of caution, thestore owners had come to themarket on Monday, and theWhatsApp groups of marketassociations across the citybuzzed in anticipation.

By afternoon, shop staff hadstarted drifting in to Con-

naught Place, with clean-ing as the first job on

the list. Outside aclothing brand store,the guards joked-"we have been theonly ones workingfor the last twomonths, We shouldget overtime now

that the staff is com-ing to clean and set

up.." In Tilak Nagar, west Delhi,

the work of sanitization of themarket area has been started bya group of young shop owners,with several pitching for funds.In the Fancy Electronics Marketof Tilak Nagar, sanitizationmachine was purchased just afew days into the lockdown.

Ashok Manu, owner of the For-eign currency exchange put in 25thousand rupees to buy the san-itaization machine, and otherspitched in to stock up on thechemicals including Sodiumchloroxide.

Bengali Sweets, the flagshipstore at Central Delhi’s Bengalimarket, opened its doors onMonday after more than amonth. The store and the Mar-ket had been put under quaran-tine on April 8 after employees ofthe sweet shop tested positivefor Coronavirus.

(With inputs from SanjaySharma in New Delhi)

MHAhad made itclear that all

markets, includingthose of

‘non-essential’goods will be

allowed toopen

THE much-relaxed fourthphase of the lockdownbegan with restarting ofmarket complexes, autos,taxis and inter-state busesin various parts of the coun-

try. With an aim to reboot numer-ous locked down economic activ-ities, authorities across thecountry ordered reopening ofmarkets, intra-state transportservices and even of barber shopsand salons in some states, bar-ring in containment zones. How-ever, schools, colleges, theatres,malls and religious gatheringswould remain shut down, at leasttill May 31.

BENGAL TO OPEN BIGSTORES AND SALONSWhile extending lockdown in thestate till May 31 in accordancewith Centre's guidelines, WestBengal CM Mamata Banerjee onMonday announced that nonight curfew will be imposed byher government.

The state government hasdivided containment Zones intothree categories: A (affectedzone), B (buffer zone) and C(clean zone). While most restric-tions will be placed in zone A,there will be some relaxations inthe B zone and complete relax-ation in C zone.

All big stores in the state willbe allowed to open from May 21in non-containment zones,Mamata Banerjee announced.

The state government has alsogiven autorickshaws permissionto ply from May 27 but only withtwo passengers. Interdistrictbus services will resume fromMay 21.

Hawkers markets may open onalternative days based on anodd-even formula. Police com-missions and municipalities willlay down the fine print of hawk-ing areas so that social distanc-ing norms are strictly followed.

While restaurants shall con-tinue to remain shut, hotels,salons and parlours have beenallowed to resume functioningoutside non-containment areaswith proper sanitization.

“Private offices, too, have been

can be used to transport essen-tial services. Government officeswill function with 50% work-force. Barbers operating in ruralTamil Nadu and who do notcome under cities, municipali-ties, corporations and town pan-chayats are allowed to resumetheir services.

State buses will function onlyto pick and drop governmentemployees.

— By Shalini Maria Lobo in Chennai

NORMS EASED IN K’TAKA;BUSES, TAXIS GET SIGNALKarnataka is finally alive andkicking, at least a large part ofit. Lockdown 4.0 has breathedlife into what was easily becom-ing a major concern for thechief minister. On Tuesday,after a meeting with his cabinetcolleagues, CM BS Yediyurappasaid public transport will beallowed across the state alongwith train operations as well.

There will not be any colourcoded zones anymore however,strict lockdown measures willbe enforced in containmentzones. Economic activities willbe allowed to function in allother areas.

People will be allowed totravel to other districts in nonAC Rajahamsa buses but theyneed to compulsorily wearmasks, carry hand sanitizersand maintain social distance atall times.

FIRST DAY,FIRST SHOW

LOCKDOWN 4.0 IN INDIA

State govts order reopening ofmarkets, intra-state transportand even salons in non-hotspots

KSRTC employeesguard MajesticBus Stop as BMTCgears up toresume itsoperations inBengaluru onMonday.

Teachers receive answersheets of 10th examinations forevaluation in Kozhikode onMonday. (Below) Employeeswork at the Secretariat inChennai on Monday.

Mail Today, New Delhi / Chandigarh, Friday, March 27, 2020 Mail Today, New Delhi, Tuesday, May 19, 2020 4

— YOGI ADITYANATH, UTTAR PRADESH CM

Ensure that people do not walk oruse three-wheelers, bikes, trucks and other unsafe modes of transportwhile returning.

‘’

Haryana ChiefMinister M L Khattar

on Monday announced thatlockdown restrictions willnow be limited to

containment zones andstate transport buses willresume services fromTuesday within and outsidethe state.

C VID-19 PANDEMIC

For people who walk in theparks, they can do so for 2hours in the morning from 7-9am and another 2 hours in theevening from 5-7pm. Karnatakahas also decided to have a coldcomplete lockdown on Sundayswith only essential servicesfunctioning.

Cabs and autos will also beallowed to ply on the roads.Cabs can have 3 people includ-ing the driver while autos canalso function.

Barber shops will also openbut there as well, properhygiene will need to be main-tained.

— By Nolan Patrick Pintoin Bengaluru

allowed to operate with up to 50per cent workforce," the chiefminister announced.

— By Indrajit Kundu in Kolkata

NO RELAXATIONS IN 12 TAMIL NADU DISTRICTSAs the country enters thefourth phase of the lockdown,Tamil Nadu has divided itselfinto two. Twelve districts,including the capital Chennai,will not see any relaxationsfrom the existing ones while 25districts which are recoveringwell from Covid-19 pandemicobserved new relaxations start-ing Monday.

The 12 districts which will notsee any new relaxations includeChennai, Kanchipuram, Thiru-vallur, Chengalpattu, Villupuramand Cuddalore.

The 25 districts where newrelaxations were put in placeinclude Coimbatore, Salem,Erode, Tirupur, Namakkal,Karur, Thirunelveli, Thootukudi,Tenkasi, Kanyakumari, Theni,Madurai and Sivagangai.

Movement within the 25 dis-tricts no longer requires an e-pass. However, an e-pass isneeded for movement betweendistricts. MNREGA works canfunction with 100% workforce.Industries and factories employ-ing less than 100 people canfunction with full workforce.Establishments employing morethan 100 people can functionwith 50% workforce. Hired taxis

COMPLETE LOCKDOWN ON SUNDAYS IN KERALAKerala Chief Minister PinarayiVijayan on Monday held a pressconference where he told mediaoutlets that schools, colleges andtraining centres will not beallowed to open in the state as ofyet. He also told media personsthat a complete lockdown will beenforced each Sunday.

He added that public travel hasbeen given the go-ahead butonly with 50 per cent seatingcapacity to maintain social dis-tancing. Passengers will not beallowed to stand inside vehiclesand local travel is only permittedin non-containment zones.

Civilians can only travel fromone district to the other withoutany special pass but an ID cardwill be mandatory for the same,CM Vijayan said. He furtheradded that a maximum of twopeople will be allowed to travelin a taxi, one passenger in anautorickshaw. A pillion rider willbe allowed on motorcycles if the

rider is a family member.At the same time, morning

walks and cycling will not beallowed. Shops inside shoppingcomplexes in Kerala will now beallowed to function on alternatedays with 50 per cent of theworkforce.

Barbershops will also be able tooperate but without AC and onlyfor hair cutting, hairdressing andshaving. At one time, only twopeople will be allowed to waitoutside a barbershop and cus-tomers will be encouraged tobook their appointmentsthrough mobile and take theirown towels, Kerala CM PinarayiVijayan said.

For liquor stores, the chief min-ister said that they can deliverbeverages home once the onlineregistration process is enabled.He added that clubs can alsofunction with limited members.

Meanwhile, government officesin Kerala are to operate with 50per cent staff and Saturday willbe a holiday until further notice.Places of worship will alsoremain closed as a precaution.

-By P S GopikrishnanUnnithan and Jeemon Jacob in

Thiruvananthapuram

DEVOTEES THRONG TEMPLESAS PUNJAB LIFTS CURFEWThe first day of the extended lock-down saw devotees violating socialdistancing norms in the famousGolden Temple and some othertemples including BhadrakaliMandir in Amritsar on Monday.

The Punjab government hasended the curfew and allowedmovement of people within thestate from 7 am to 7 pm. Restric-tions in the containment zones,however, continue as lockdown inthe state has been extended toMay 31.

Punjab has allowed the move-ment of cab aggregators, taxis andfour wheelers. The state govern-ment has imposed restrictions onthe number of persons that cantravel in taxis, autos and rick-

shaws.Shops in Punjab can now reopen.

The Punjab government hasallowed the shops to open from 7am to 6 pm.

The Punjab government has alsoallowed inter-state movement ofbuses, but with mutual consent ofother states.

Punjab has allowed barber shopsand salons to reopen. The salonsand barber shops have been askedby the administration to ensuresocial distancing and prevent over-crowding.

Sports complexes and stadiumshave been allowed to open in Pun-jab, but no spectators will beallowed.

While movement of people hasbeen allowed in Punjab from 7 amfor 12 hours, night curfew will beimplemented across the state from7 pm to 7 am. People above 65years of age, persons with co-mor-bidities, pregnant women, childrenaged below 10 shall have to stay athome. These relaxations do notapply to containment zones.Hotels, restaurants, cinema halls,malls, swimming pools, gyms willcontinue to remain shut till May 31.

-By Manjeet Sehgal in Chandigarh

MP ALLOWS PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN GREEN ZONESLockdown 4 will have only twozones—red and green—in Mad-hya Pradesh, state Chief Minis-ter Shivraj Singh announced in atelevised address on Monday.

While the entire districts ofIndore and Ujjain have beenkept in the red zone, the samehas been confined to the munic-ipal and nagar palika limits inBhopal, Burhanpur, Jabalpur,Khandwa, Dewas Mandsaur,Neemuch and Dhar.

Rest of Madhya Pradesh hasbeen declared a green zonewhere all markets will open fromTuesday. Malls and cinema hallswill however remain closed inboth the red and green zones.Schools and colleges will alsoremain closed. The red zoneshave further been divided intocontainment and buffer areas.

Economic activity will bestarted in the green zone areasand industry would be allowed toget their work force in buses forwhich the government will assistin making arrangements.

- By Hemender Sharma in Bhopal

Devotees offer a chunni on a statue of the Goddess Kali at theBhadrakali Temple in Amritsar on Monday.

Mail Today, New Delhi, Tuesday, May 19, 2020 5NEWS

—VIJAY RUPANI, GUJARAT CHIEF MINISTER

While there will be no relaxations inthe containment zones, shops in non-containment zone can remain openbetween 8 am and 4 pm.

‘’

The Rajasthangovernment has

allowed opening of allshops, except incontainment zones and

malls, with certainrestrictions as part ofrelaxations for theextended coronaviruslockdown.

3,491Residents have returned to HP from Goa,Maha, K'taka in five spl trains since May 13

AFTER a number of roadand train accidents killedmigrant labourers trying toreach their home states,the government has nowbanned the movement oflabourers between citieson foot. However, severallabourers told India TodayTV that they were com-pelled to walk long dis-tances on highways due toapathy.

India Today TV conducteda round-trip by road, pass-ing through Chandigarh,Punjab and Haryana. Thecrew saw young migrantswalking, travelling in over-packed trucks and even oncycles on the highway.

All they had was some

baggage, rotis (flatbread),a few bananas and water.

Four migrants who werecycling to Madhepura inBihar said they were “com-pelled” to take the journeyand blamed it on corrup-tion among authorities.

The labourers claimedthat cops deployed in andaround Sector 43 Chandi-garh demanded moneyfrom them when theyapproached to board a bus.

- Manjeet Sehgal

FOLLOWING MHA’s nod inthe second half of lockdown3, the Haryana governmenthas been continuously mak-ing efforts to send migrantworkers back to their homestates.

According to officialspokesperson of Haryanagovernment, more than 1.7lakh migrant labourers havebeen sent back to theirnative states throughShramik Special trains andHaryana roadways busesfor free till Monday evening.

Over 27 lakh workers fromBihar, Uttar Pradesh, Mad-hya Pradesh, Rajasthan,Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand,West Bengal, Assam,Andhra Pradesh, J&K livedin Haryana’s various dis-tricts and employed in thefield of agriculture, indus-tries, roads and housingconstructions before theylost jobs due to corona cri-sis and lockdown.

“The entire cost of trainsand buses incurred to sendmigrant workers to theirhome states is being borneby the Haryana govern-ment,” the spokespersonsaid. - Ajay Kumar

Haryanasends 1.7 Lback home

Migrantssay copsasked formoney

Migrant workerssent to home states

Vehicles ply on the HowrahBridge in Kolkata on Monday.

6 NEWS Mail Today, New Delhi, Tuesday, May 19, 2020

— K CHANDRASHEKAR RAO, TELANGANA CM

Govt is declaring all zones in the stateto be green zones except containmentareas. All shops can be opened in the stateexcept in Hyderabad.

‘ With three persons,including two migrant

workers, testing positive forcoronavirus in Chhattisgarhon Monday, the total number of

the Covid-19 cases in the statehas risen to 95, officials said.Two cases are reported fromRaigarh district and one isreported from Surajpur.

C VID-19 PANDEMIC ’

By Pooja Shali in New Delhi

AS India enters into lock-down 4.0, online fatigue isseeping into the Indianlifestyle. Absence of phys-ical interactions whileextreme dependence onthe Internet and manag-ing technical glitches, itseems, is taking a toll onmany.

Based in Ghaziabad,exhaustion is visible onfaces of professionals Jatinand Akriti Sachdeva. Theyhold online official meetingsevery day.

“It is a task to organise elabo-rate online meetings. Also, nowit takes more time to uploadreports due to slow data speed.It is also very difficult to conductinteractions with employees andworkers without clear facialexpressions,” said Sachdeva.

Restricted in home, sur-rounded with uncertainty, anxi-ety is creeping in, especially ifalone, behind the veil ofonline revolution.

Delhi Universityprofessor AbdulHameed saidonline classes area struggle withstudents whodo not haveaccess to dataconnectivity.He records lec-tures and thensends them asvideo or audiomessages. Often,the lectures are aone-way interaction asmany students cannotstay active during the hour-longsessions.

“Internet connectivity and agood wi-fi connection are a priv-ilege even in Delhi. Some stu-dents do not even have smart-phones. It is just too much toexpect them to join us in a livesession,” he said.

Academicians are now unableto replicate classroom magicdue to the absence of long-termresources.

“Technical glitches, absence ofclear facial expressions, andunsteady phone connections are

leading to increased fatigueamong teachers and pupils withan added pressure to finish thesyllabus,” added anotherteacher of the Delhi University.

MEDICAL ADVICE“Many people, due to restric-

tions, are spending 12-16 hoursonline in meetings, whichrequires more concentration.

This produces mentalhealth issues, strain on

eyes, headache,insomnia and

mood swings. Itis important todo relaxingactivities anddistract your-self and rejuve-nate the frayednerves,” saidDr Anshu

Rohatgi, a neu-rologist.Camera angles,

lighting, and back-grounds can also

determine the scope ofinteraction. Bandwidth delaysmay get incorrectly perceived aslack of response, which in turntends to raise exhaustion andanxiety levels.

Dr Samir Parikh, psychiatrist,Fortis Hospital said, “If you arefacing bandwidth issues, this isbeyond your control. Do not getanxious. Remember, once lock-down gets lifted, everything willreturn to normal. Take a 10-15minutes break in between meet-ings. Indulge in an activity thatis not virtual, dividing screentime with small breaks.”

Many people are spending 12-16 hours online in meeting.

This results in mental healthissues, headache & insomnia.‘ ‘

Technical glitches, absence offacial expressions & unsteady

phone connections are leading tofatigue in teachers & students.‘ ‘

New ‘work-from-home’ formula amid the lockdown startstaking a big toll as tech glitches make meetings exhausting

Online fatigue setsin as curbs remain

Restricted in home,surrounded with

uncertainty, anxiety iscreeping in for many.

— A Delhi University teacher — Dr Anshu Rohatgi, Neurologist

Pending class 10, 12 CBSE exams to be conducted from July 1-15THE Central Board of SecondaryEducation (CBSE) on Mondayannounced the date sheet forthe pending class 10 and 12board exams, which will nowbe held from July 1-15 with strictdistancing norms in place.

The exams were postponeddue to the nationwide lock-down imposed on March 25 tocontain the spread of Covid-19.While class 12 exams will beconducted across the country,the class 10 exams are onlypending in North East Delhi,where they could not be helddue to the law and order situ-ation in the wake of protestsagainst the amended citizen-ship act.

The class 10 exams will bestaggered on four dates, start-ing July 1. The first paper willbe of Social Sciences, whilethe next day students will berequired to appear in Scienceexam, CBSE Controller ofExamination SanyamBhardwaj said.

On July 10, examswill be conductedfor both courses ofHindi, and on July

15 for both courses of English.On health guidelines for stu-

dents, Bhardwaj said, they willbe required to carry own sani-tiser bottles and wear mask totheir examination centres.“Parents will have to ensuretheir ward is not sick and can-didates will have to strictly

follow physical-distanc-ing norms,” he said.

The class 12 datesheet has two sec-tions — one forexams in North-east Delhi and the

other for exams across thecountry. In North East Delhi,Physics exam will be held onJuly 3, Accountancy (July 4),Chemistry (July 6), English(July 8) and Political Science(July 14).

On July 15, four class 12 examshave been scheduled in NorthEast Delhi — Mathematics, Eco-nomics, History and Biology.For class 12 exams across thecountry, the Home Scienceexam will be held on July 1, fol-lowed by both courses of Hindithe next day. —PTI

Studentswillhave tocarrytheirownbottlesofsanitiser& wearmasks inexamhalls.

By Akshaya Nath in Chennai

AN innovator from TamilNadu came up with a brilliantidea for a better implementa-tion of social distancing inthe wake of the coronavirusoutbreak.

Karthik Velayutham fromCoimbatore has built a littlerobot to shop for him insteadof him standing in longqueues without any social dis-tancing. “This is an awarenesscampaign to make peopleunderstand the need for socialdistancing in this pandemictime,” said Karthik.

He said his machine can beoperated from anywhere inthe world. “By using thisRobo, you can maintain socialdistancing. It can be used inhospitals where doctors andnurses can use this to dis-patch the medicines withoutpersonally interacting with

the patient.”“The Robo can be used from

anywhere in the world usingthe Internet. All you need todo is enter the login details,”added Karthik.

The Robo is currently con-nected with an androidphone. There are video andcall facilities and the ownercan use these to interact andoperate it with other people.

The Robo at present cancarry up to 30kg of weight.

Man inventsrobot to buyliquor, avoidlong queues

CBSEwas not able

to conduct class10 and 12 exams on8 examination days

PHOTO FOR REPRESENTATION

PHOTO FOR REPRESENTATION

7NEWSMail Today, New Delhi / Chandigarh, Tuesday, May 19, 2020 Mail Today, New Delhi, Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Artist Sudarsan Pattnaik creates a sandsculpture on Cyclone Amphan at Puribeach in Odisha on Monday.

A vehicle crushed under a collapsed wall after a storm in Coimbatore, ahead of Cyclone Amphan’s arrival overthe Bay of Bengal on Monday. It is likely to cross West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts on Wednesday.

REQUIREMENTS, PREPAREDNESS

Fear in Odisha &Bengal ahead of‘super cyclone’,authorities on asafety overdrive

By Manogya Loiwal in Digha

CYCLONE Amphan inten-sified into a super cyclonicstorm on Monday.

The speed of the cyclone,which has been movingtowards West Bengal andOdisha coasts, was 160 kilo-metres per hour on Monday.

It is likely to move across thenortheast Bay of Bengal, andcross West Bengal andBangladesh coasts betweenDigha and the Hatia Island onWednesday. At least 12 districtsin Odisha and five districts inWest Bengal are on high alert.From Sunday, all the fishingoperations have been stalled tillfurther notice. The Indian CoastGuard has initiated a series ofpre-emptive measures to tacklethe situation. A coast guard offi-cial said, “Our aim is to achievezero loss of life at sea.”

The intensifying of the cyclonehas raised the likelihood of heavyrains and high-velocity winds inOdisha and the state govern-ment has initiated the process ofevacuating people from vulnera-ble areas, the India Meteorologi-cal Department said. “Fishermenhave been advised not to ventureinto the sea,” said Special ReliefCommissioner PK Jena said.

‘MONITORING 24X7’West Bengal chief minister

Mamata Banerjee said on Mon-day that all precautionary steps,including evacuation of peoplefrom coastal areas, have beentaken to deal with any eventual-ity arising out of Amphan, whichis fast approaching the the state.“We will be monitoring the situa-tion for Cyclone Amphan 24X7.Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha,Home Secretary Alapan Bandy-opadhyay and the Secretary of

Reviewedthe pre-parednessregardingthe situationdue to CycloneAmphan. The responsemeasures as well as evacu-ation plans were discussed.I pray for everyone’s safetyand assure all possible support from Centre.

‘

‘

— NARENDRA MODI, PRIME MINISTER

Amphan is aserious one as itis only the sec-ond time after1999 in Odishathat a storm hit-ting India’s coasthas been cate-gorised as asuper cyclone…This is a cause ofconcern.

‘

‘

— SN PRADHAN,NDRF CHIEF

AMPHAN SCARE567

cyclone, flood sheltersin 12 coastal districts to

house people in caseevacuation is required.

7,092additional buildings

arranged to keep people,says Special Relief

Commissioner PK Jena.

37NDRF teams deployed inBengal and Odisha. 24

other NDRF teams are onstandby across India.

185 km/hrexpected wind speed of

Cyclone Amphan onWednesday, says the

Ministry of Home Affairs.

11Lpeople likely to be

evacuated, says the stategovernment which is

ready with a rescue plan.

4 daysof diversion of AC specialtrains between New Delhi

and Bhubaneswar,starting on Monday.

Disaster Management Depart-ment will be keeping a closewatch on the situation,” she said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modichaired a high-level meeting onMonday to review the responsepreparedness against Amphan.He took full stock of the situationand reviewed the measures aswell as the evacuation plan pre-sented by the National DisasterResponse Force, the Prime Min-

ister’s Office said in a statement.A National Crisis Management

Committee meeting headed byCabinet Secretary Rajiv Gaubawas held on Monday. Gauba tookstock of the situation and pre-paredness for rescue and reliefoperations and directed thatimmediate assistance be pro-vided, a statement said

—Inputs by Tapas Ghosh,Baidyanath Jha and Prosenjit

By Manjeet Negi in New Delhi

LENDING his support to the Centre’sdecision to hike Foreign Direct Invest-ment (FDI) limit in defence sector,Indian Air Force (IAF) chief RKSBhadauria said on Monday that thedecision will have a large impact in sup-porting Make in India in the militarysector. Talking exclusively to IndiaToday TV, Bhadauria said the forcewould induct its second squadron of theindigenous Light Combat Aircraft intoservice in Sulur, Tamil Nadu, by the endof May, even as it is preparing to placeorders for over 300 LCA-series fighterjets including the LCA Mark 2,Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft.

“This (74% FDI limit in defence) willhave a large impact as far as Make inIndia is concerned. The 74% FDI limitshould be seen with support measuresfor MSMEs, and the broad directionstowards public sector enterprises whichhave come out in terms of sectoralreforms,” the IAF chief told India TodayTV. He also said that in the next fewmonths, the IAF would be inducting

and finalising contracts worth morethan `47,000 crore for the LCA Mark 1and 83 LCA Mark 1A.

“The worth of the squadron comingup in Sulur is around `8,000 crore, whilethe contract for 83 LCA Mark 1Aswould be around ̀ 39,000 crore,” he said.Speaking about the future programmeson LCA, Bhadauria said, “We are push-ing hard for 83 LCA Mark 1A, that’s our

immediate focus area. Within the nextquarter, we should be able to sign it.Most of the negotiations have beencompleted, and I think the ministry isgoing to move it in a month or so.” Hesaid that over the coming next 30-35years, the IAF would be inducting morethan 450 fighter jets.

The list of aircraft planned to beinducted by the IAF include 36 Rafales,114 Multirole Fighter Aircrafts, 100Advanced Medium Combat Aircraftsand over 200 variants of the Light Com-bat Aircrafts. “In the next 15 years, 83LCAs are our primary focus and afterthat LCA Mark 2 will come in we arelooking at 100 of those, and that willmake it near 200 of LCA class,” he said.

On the Kashmir issue, Bhadauria saidthat Indian armed forces may respondacross the border if a terrorist attack onit is linked to Pakistan. “Whenever thereis a terrorist attack on our soil, Pakistanshould be worried. They have to stopabetting terrorism in India if they haveto get out of these worries,” he saidwhen he asked if Pakistan should fearretaliation after Handwara encounter.Indian Air Force chief RKS Bhadauria

IAF chief backs defence FDI move, warns PakWhenever there is a

terrorist attack on oursoil, Pakistan shouldbe worried. They haveto stop abetting terrorism in India ifthey have to get out ofthese worries.

‘

‘

— RKS BHADAURIA,IAF CHIEF

PANKAJ NANGIA

8 COMMENT

EVEN before the Wuhanvirus crisis internationalrelations had enteredinto a phase of new dis-ruptions triggered byTrump’s inward look-

ing, anti-globalisation and pro-tectionist policies, erosion ofmultilateralism, renewed US uni-lateralism in repudiating theParis climate change accord, theIranian nuclear deal, signedtrade agreements, and extra-ter-ritorial application of US lawsthrough secondary sanctions.

Clash of culturesThe uncontrollable economic rise of

China aided by the US and its allies onfalse assumptions that more prosperitywill bring more democracy to China hasbeen another source of disruption.Instead of behaving as an increasinglyresponsible stake-holder in the systemthat enabled its rise and transferredhuge financial power to it, China hassought hegemony in Asia and promotedits Belt and Road Initiative to attachcountries across the world to it politi-cally through trade and debt depend-ence. Xi Jinping has disclosed his “ChinaDream” to be at the centre stage of inter-national relations by 2049, with his coun-try becoming dominant in high-techmanufacturing by 2025. The US accusesChina of cyber espionage and theft oftechnology and is now determined toderail China’s 2025 ambitions with itsinternational campaign against Huawei.

China’s expansionist thinking has beenaccompanied by an open repudiation ofwestern values and democracy, and moreauthoritarianism and social control athome, with Xi arrogating all power tohimself as a reincarnated Mao. China hasbuilt a technological surveillance societyunprecedented in scope and scale, with afreedom-suppressing social credit sys-tem. Xi is now vaunting China’s politicaland economic system as superior towestern style democracy for meeting the

needs of developing countries.Externally, China, confident of its polit-

ical and economic leverages and grow-ing military strength, has begun to chal-lenge US power in the western Pacific,violate the Law of the Sea in the SouthChina Sea, and exacerbate territorialdisputes with Japan, Vietnam, Indone-sia, Philippines and Malaysia. As theworld’s second largest economy thatoffers a huge market, it has weaponisedeconomic interdependence that global-isation has fostered by threateningcountries that resist it politically withrefusal to buy their products or sanctionthem in other ways as it has done mostrecently with Australia, and earlier withJapan, South Korea and Mongolia.

Hostile gestures China has relentlessly countered India

strategically and undermined its vitalinterests. It opposes India’s permanentmembership of the UN Security Councilas well as NSG membership. It shieldsPakistan on the issue of terrorismagainst India. It is pursuing the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in fullknowledge of its illegal status. It contin-ues to make aggressive claims on Indianterritory. It has shown no inclination toclarify the Line of Actual Control, muchless move towards a settlement despitetwenty two meetings of the Special Rep-resentatives. It counters India’s influ-ence in its neighbourhood, most notablyin Nepal and Sri Lanka, and earlier inMaldives. Its bid to inscribe the Kashmirissue on the UN Security Council agendaonce again was exceedingly provocative.

It has not tried to address seriouslyIndia’s unsustainable trade deficit withit. There is virtually nothing that Indiacan put on the positive side of the bilat-eral ledger of its relations with China.

US-China relations, already tension-

filled and in the throes of a trade war,have further nose-dived after the coron-avirus pandemic. Trump is seeking anindependent probe into its genesis andaccountability for China’s apparentlapses. The issue has got caught up inUS electoral politics.

Time to resistWHO’s role in handling the would-be

pandemic has been legitimately ques-tioned in the light of the pro-Chineseleanings of its Director General. Chinahas unleashed its “wolf-warrior” diplo-macy to oppose any demand for an inde-pendent international probe and therestoration of Taiwan as an observer atthe forthcoming meeting of the WorldHealth Assembly (WHA). Chinese diplo-mats are showing their obnoxious facein openly threatening countries thatsupport an international probe and intheir sharp exchanges with the US.

China’s efforts to change the Covid-19narrative in its favour despite its clearculpability and intimidate countries thatseek transparency, if only to preventsuch pandemics in the future, have to beresisted. If China succeeds in thwartingthe US and others in this power tussle, itwill further tilt the balance in China’sfavour and will boost its geopoliticalascendancy. China must be put in itsplace and now is the chance to do it.

India should support the demand foran international probe into the origin ofthis virus in the interest of transparency.India too has suffered gravely. Therestoration of Taiwan’s observer statusat the WHA should also be supported.The One-China policy is not inscribedin the UN Charter and is not part of anyinternational agreement. If China wantssupport for its territorial integrity itmust not brazenly violate the territorialintegrity of others. India has ceased toendorse the One-China policy in view ofChina’s aggressive position againstIndia’s unity. It is a reflection of China’sunabashed hypocrisy when it seeks sup-port for “One China” even as it makesterritorial claims on others, occupiestheir land and violates their sovereignty.

The writer is a former foreign secre-tary. The views expressed are personal.

HUMOURDAILY What is important is to

spread confusion; noteliminate it.

—Salvador Dali

As the man converses, he is the lover; silent,he is the husband.

— Honore de Balzac

Common sense is so rarethese days that it should beseen as a superpower.

SO FUNNY

WE will emerge from lockdown onlyto crash into a recession.

The first move will be to calculate:who is dispensable. The cleanersand construction workers areamong these.

If the loss of life is at a leveldeemed acceptable by big businessand government, the focus will shiftto moving on while minimising theneed for change. The old order willsurge back rather than retreating. Policies to help the vulnerable in the

pandemic will be quietly jettisoned.The homeless returning to the streetswill be joined by others sent there bythe economic downturn. They will bescapegoated, along with the rest ofthe dispensable victims.

None of this inevitable, but it is alllikely if we are not vigilant. Historyshows us that whatever horrors acrisis exposes, they can be coveredup in the shattered aftermath.

Yes, we must imagine the newworld that needs to come out of thiscrisis: but it will not come to passwithout a fight.

Real change canhappen onlyafter a battle

DAY IN WORDS

DAY IN NUMBERS

AROUND THE WORLDTHE GUARDIAN

ON THE FIGHT FOR A NEW WORLD

20 years since the Oops!album …. Thanks to you folks…. thank you forsticking with meand growing withme. I am oneLucky girl.

We were asked to join thecamp at the end of the monthbut I feel it is too early. Training can wait until the situation improves.

— G SATHIYAN, Table tennis player, onthe Table Tennis Federation asking

players to join training camp

The old order will surge backrather than just retreat

—RAHUL GANDHI, Senior Congressleader, tweeting his response tobudget approval for MNREGA

”

161illegal Indian to bedeported by the

United States andsent to Amritsar in

Punjab

1.6 Lmigrant workers

sent from Haryanaback to own states

on special trainsand buses

The Prime Minister approved`40,000 crore for MNREGAscheme created during UPAera. We express our gratitude

“

by KanwalSibal

— BRITNEY SPREARS,singer, in a message

to fans on 20thanniversary of her

‘Oops' album

“

NEWSMAKER OF THE DAY BY SIDDHANT JUMDE

ARVIND KEJRIWALThe Delhi Chief Minister onMonday announcedguidelines for Lockdown4.0, with certainrestrictions in place butalong with a number ofrelaxations that gave asemblance of normalcyreturning to the nationalCapital. With publictransport resuming exceptthe Metro, Kejriwalstressed upon makingpeace with Covid-19 andappealing for an urgentrevival of economic activity in the city.

China must payfor its actions

”

Mail Today, New Delhi / Chandigarh, Tuesday, May 19, 2020 Mail Today, New Delhi, Tuesday, May 19, 2020

9Mail Today, New Delhi / Chandigarh, Tuesday, May 19, 2020 Mail Today, New Delhi, Tuesday, May 19, 2020 SPOTLIGHT

MAHA MATTERSKIRAN D TARE

THE Maharash-tra govern-ment’s initiativeto revive theeconomy islikely to bear

fruit after much discus-sions and deliberationson the subject. It hadformed a committee of 11bureaucrats to suggestmeasures to revive theeconomy in the Covid-19pandemic time. The com-mittee submitted itsreport on May 8 to a Cab-inet sub-committee head-ed by finance ministerAjit Pawar. The sub-com-mittee too has recom-mended several measuresafter discussing the rep-ort. Now, the Cabinet islikely to take a final callon the recommendationsin its next meeting soon.

A senior minister, who is amember of the sub-committee,told MAIL TODAY that it hasrecommended writing off EMIs

A good agenda foreconomic revival

and interests on all kinds ofloans for three months. Thecommittee also has recom-mended that the migrantlabourers be allowed to go backto their home states to reducethe state’s financial burden ontheir shelter and food.

“The committee has insistedthat the state’s revenue generat-ing activities must be resumedas early as possible,” the minis-ter said. “It includes sale of liqu-or, sand and houses.” The sub-committee is of the view thatrestaurants and hotels in non-containment zones should beopened. “We have suggestedthat hotels be made operationalwith 50 per cent occupancy. Allthe public places in non-con-

tainment zones should beopened for commercial activitiesexcept for the tourism,” he said.

Maharashtra has seen anexodus of migrant labo-urers since a couple ofweeks. That has add-ed to the worries inthe state’s industrialzones. The state hasnot yet given athought on amend-ing the labour laws inview of the exodus ofthe migrant labourers.Labour minister DilipWalse-Patil says the stategovernment will study the sit-uation thoroughly before takingany decision. “We have allowedto increase the shift hours from

six to 12 in the factories wherethere is shortage of labourers,”he told MAIL TODAY. “This will

be in place till the situa-tion is normalised.”

Industries MinisterSubhash Desai said25,000 companieshave started pro-duction in thestate. “The gove-rnment has issuedlicences to 57,745

companies outsidethe red zones. Aro-

und 6.5 lakh labourershave joined work in

these 25,000 companies,”Desai said.

The writer is senior associateeditor, India Today.

Thepanel

suggested thatpublic places in

non-containmentzones be openedfor commercial

activities

THE BJP demol-ished all expecta-tions of rehabili-

tating senior leaders andopted for fresh faces forfour seats in the Legisla-tive Council biennialelections. The party hasnominated Pravin Datke,Gopichand Padalkar,Ramesh Karad and andRanjitsinhMohite-Patil forthe seats.The partydeniedtickets tosome sen-ior lead-ersdroppedduring theOctober2019 Assembly electionsor sidelined for variousreasons. They includeformer heavyweightministers Eknath Khadse,ChandrashekarBawankule, PrakashMehta, Vinod Tawde andPankaja Munde.

THE Maharashtra Congresspresident Balasaheb Thoratsaid the party has borne thetravel expenses of nearly27,865 migrant workers andsent them back to theirnative places. He said thatarrangements are beingmade to send 24,000 moremigrant workers from Maha-

rashtra to their native states.Thorat further elaborated

that 3,567 workers were sentto their native states in pri-vate vehicles from placessuch as Satara, Ahmedna-gar, Pune, Nagpur, Chandra-pur, Kolhapur and Sangliand their travel expenseswere also borne by theIndian National Congress.

CONG COMES FORWARDTO HELP MIGRANTS

State Congress PresidentBalasaheb Thorat

No Army in Mumbai

FORMERCM IS LIVIDLEADER of Opposition Deven-dra Fadnavis has alleged thatthere was no co-ordinationamong various state govern-ment agencies while battlingCovid. He urged the Chief Min-ister Uddhav Thackeray to takeinitiative for such co-ordination.

Fadnavis raised several ques-tions on the state govern-ment’s functioning at the firstever meeting of the oppositionparty leaders called by Thack-eray last week. Fadnavisalleged that Maharashtra’shealth machinery has seen acomplete collapse. “The gov-ernment has stopped testingasymptomatic patients. It also

has stopped tracing the highrisk contacts. The number ofpatients and deaths is alsobeing suppressed,” he said.

CHIEF Minister UddhavThackeray has ruled out thepossibility of deployingArmy in Mumbai amidst thegrowing COVID-19 cases inthe city. He, however, madeit clear that the state gov-ernment may request fordeploying other centralforces in the city to give restto the police who areexhausted after workingtirelessly for close to 45

days.“Policemen are tired. They

are living under stress. Wewant to provide them withsome rest and we haverequested Centre for addi-tional forces to give themsome relief.” Thackeray saidin a Facebook address.

However, he cautionedthat people should notpanic thinking that Army isbeing called in.

The CMsaysthere isno needto callthe armyto dealwith theCovid-19crisis

Thackerayis richeststate CMWITH a declared asset of Rs125 crore Uddhav Thackerayhas become the richest ChiefMinister so far. Thackeraydeclared his asset in an affidavithe submitted while filing nomi-nation for the Legislative Coun-cil election on May 11. Thack-eray has declared movable andimmovable assets, which

include joint properties withwife Rashmi, but does notinclude his two sons, Aadityaand Tejas. Both Uddhav andRashmi Thackeray own threebungalows and a farm house atKarjat in Raigad district. Ironi-cally, both of them do not ownany vehicle. Thackeray hasFixed Deposits worth Rs 1.60crore, wife has Fixed Depositsworth Rs 34.86 lakh. Invest-ments in bonds and sharesdeclared for self is Rs 21.68crore and that of wife is Rs33.79 crore. Thackeray has loanliability of Rs 4.06 crore, butRashmi has a loan liability of Rs11.44 crore. Thackeray pos-sesses jewellery worth Rs 23.20lakh, whereas Rashmi has jew-ellery worth Rs 1.35 crore.

Uddhav and RashmiThackeray

Devendra Fadnavis

The party picked upthe travel tab Eknath

Khadse

(L to R) Maharashtra Finance Minister Ajit Pawar; Industry Minister Subhash Desai

PHOTO FOR REPRESENTATION

10 Mail Today, New Delhi, Tuesday, May 19, 2020

� INNOVATIVENEW COURSETHE University of Strath-clyde, Glasgow is launchinga new course in ‘MSc Tech-nology Policy & Manage-ment. The course will run inacademic year 2020-21.

TPM is a new and trulymulti-disciplinary mastersdegree. MSc TechnologyPolicy & Management is oneof only a few globally, thatplaces a focus on policy for-mulation, analysis and com-munication in relation to themanagement of innovationand technology.

With innovation as the cen-tral thread runningthroughout studies, TPM willequip students with a thor-

ough theoretical groundingand practice-based under-standing of technology pol-icy and management. Stu-dents will also developpractical skills in the forma-tion, analysis and communi-cation of technology policy.

The duration of the courseis for one year and the appli-cation deadline is in August.

RISHIHOOD University, with avision to reimagine highereducation in India for thenext 100 years, has officiallybeen recognised as a pri-vate state university by theGovt. of Haryana.

Established under TheHaryana Private Universities(Amendment) Act, 2020,Rishihood University is the24th private state university,with a world class infrastruc-ture and facilities in an over25-acre campus, in Sonipat.

In the first phase RishihoodUniversity has introducedthe School of Creativity,School of Education, Schoolof Entrepreneurship and

School of Healthcare. Theuniversity has begun theadmissions process for thefirst batch of students apply-ing for UG & PG Programs. Ithas also recently launchedIndia’s First Master’s in Pub-lic Leadership Program. Theadmissions process andcommencement of UG & PGcourses are underway, andwill begin by September 1.

NEWS BRIEFS

� RISHIHOOD GETS RECOGNITION

THE Indian Institute ofArt and Design (IIAD) incollaboration withKingston School of Art,London offers undergradu-ate programmes in Fash-ion Design, Fashion Busi-ness Management,Communication Designand Interior Architectureand Design.

The institute also offers

postgraduate programmesin Fashion Design andFashion Business Manage-ment. The Institute offersthese programmes throughits creative studio-basededucation at its state-of-the-art campus in NewDelhi. To know more aboutthe admission process andscholarships, visitwww.iiad.edu.in

� TIME TO APPLY FOR BA DEGREE IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATIONJK Business School(JKBS) is inviting appli-cations for admission in athree year BA course inBusiness Administration.

Eligible Candidate musthave passed 10+2 levels(with minimum 50 percent in any stream). Stu-dents who have clearedthe 10+2 exams or equiva-lent examination fromCBSE/Board of School

Education, Haryana/orother recognised board/orits equivalent are eligibleto apply.

For the selection proce-dure, there will be ascreening on the basis ofClass XII results, groupdiscussions, personalinterview and a writtenaptitude test.

The last date for admis-sion is May 20.

EDUCATION

By Rupashree Mitra

SIX months, more than 4.7 mil-lion affected with Covid-19,and the world awaits a vac-cine. Never before hasimmunology gained suchprominence. As medical

research centres across the globestrive to develop a new dose for thevirus, immunology is fast emergingas a promising science. Also, diseaseoutbreaks like Ebola, cholera andchikungunya posing fatalthreats have highlightedthe need for public health,like effective immunisationsystems, at all times.

Dr Ranjan Gupta, AssistantProfessor, Department ofRheumatology, All India Instituteof Medical Sciences (AIIMS),explains, “Immunology is thebranch of biomedical sciences,which deals with immune mecha-nisms behind normal physiologi-cal processes like immune res-ponse to infections and duringpathological processes like dis-eases. Its association with otherspecialties has made it versatilelike Immunogenetics, TransplantImmunology, Clinical Immunol-ogy, and so on. To understand thephysiological and pathologicalfunctioning of the biological sys-tems at subcellular level, it isessential to know immunology.”

This science focusses on an indi-vidual’s immune system. Dr SonalMehra, Consultant Rheumatolo-gist and Immunologist, JaypeeHospital, Noida, adds, “The cen-tral science of Immunology is thestudy of molecular and cellularcomponents that comprise theimmune system, including theirfunction and interaction. Theimmune system has been dividedinto a more innate immune sys-tem and an acquired or adaptiveimmune system. Clinical imm-unology is the study of diseasescaused by disorders of theimmune system (failure, aberrantaction, and malignant growth ofcellular elements). It involves dis-eases of other systems, where i-mmune reactions play a part inpathology and clinical features.These include immunodeficiency,autoimmunity, hypersensitivitiesand allergies.”

With the occurrence of the pan-demic Coronavirus, immunologyleads the list of new-gen forays foryoungsters. Unperceived, lethal

threats have given impetus tomedical research and science. DrGupta reiterates, “Over the years,it has grown vastly from the pre-liminary experiments of EdwardJenner in smallpox vaccination tocontributing in developing drugsto combat malignancies. In thelast few years, the science ofImmunology has seen the land-mark discoveries of vaccines toeradicate smallpox and polio andhave helped save many lives.”

The prime concern for theglobal medical and scientific fra-ternity is to fight against Covid-19. “Researchers in Immunologyare looking at passive immunity— both by using what is known asconvalescent sera, that is theserum (blood without its cells)

from patients who have recoveredand have antibodies against thevirus as well as the developmentof monoclonal antibodies againstCovid-19 for this purpose,” sharesDr Varun Dhir, Additional Profes-sor, Department of InternalMedicine (Rheumatology Unit),PGIMER Chandigarh.

However, apart from the ongo-ing pandemic, a major focus ofImmunology has been towardautoimmune diseases. “These arediseases, which are mediatedthrough an aberrant immunesystem. Autoimmune diseasescan be systemic or organ specific.These are important and debili-tating diseases, which havebecome well-known due to celebswho had them. The most notable

� IIAD PARTNERS WITH KINGSTON COLLEGE TO LAUNCH NEW COURSES

BOOSTINGCAREERSIMMUNITY

Success stories of immunology are set to usher in an era offuturistic personalised medicine

DIPLOMA COURSE:three-year (Class 10)

■ Diploma in Immunol-ogy & Blood transfusionBACHELOR DEGREECOURSES: three-year(10+2 with PCB) ■ B.Sc in Immunology■ B.Sc in Micro-Biology& ImmunologyMASTER DEGREECOURSES: two-year (B.ScBiology/ Chemistry)■ M.Sc in Immunology■ M.Sc in Medical Labo-ratory Technology(Microbiology &Immunology)

POST GRADUATEDIPLOMA COURSE:

■ PGD in Medical Micro-biology and Immunology

■ PGD in Clinical Virologyand Immunology

DOCTORAL DEGREECOURSE:

■ DM in ClinicalImmunology

■ Ph.D in Immunology

■ Ph.D in CancerImmunology

■ Ph.D in Immunity &Infection

■ Ph.D in Allergy andImmunology

COURSES (WITH ELIGIBILITY)

ATA

GLA

NC

E

(Left to Right) Dr. Ranjan Gupta, Dr. Varun Dhir, Dr.Sonal Mehra

WITH

11Mail Today, New Delhi, Tuesday, May 19, 2020

MAIL

example of ALS was Dr StephenHawking and for Sjogren’s isVenus Williams. Thus, before thepandemic, much of the researchwas directed to the cure or allevi-ation of these autoimmune dis-eases. Doctors who treat theseautoimmune diseases are calledrheumatologist or clinical immu-nologist. The other aspects areallergy and immunodeficiency.Allergies are again present inalmost one-third of the popula-tions in some countries and canreally affect the quality of life.”

Immunology is offered at manyinstitutes through diploma todegree courses. Medical studentsmay pursue Doctorate of Medi-cine (DM) and Diploma ofNational Board (DNB) inRheumatology and ClinicalImmunology. This is a two tothree-year super-specialisationcourse after post-graduation(MD/DNB) in internal medi-cine/paediatrics and involvestraining in management ofautoimmune rheumatic diseaseand related immunology. “Thereare almost 50 seats available inone year and except for threemedical colleges (AIIMS Rishi-kesh, PGIMER Chandigarh andJIPMER Puducherry), selectionat all other colleges takes placethrough a nationwide entrancetest, usually held in June. Theprogramme involves a research

project/thesis,” informs DrGupta. There are options ofdiploma or degree programmesfor those who have a keen inter-est in science (see box, below).

Interestingly, Immunology hasapplications in numerous disci-plines of medicine, particularly inthe fields of organ transplanta-tion, oncology, rheumatology,virology and infectious diseasesbacteriology, parasitology, psy-chiatry, and dermatology. Acco-rding to Dr Mehra, SARS-CoV2can escape the immune systemby suppressing innate anti-viralresponses. “Tissue damage and

antibody dependent enhance-ment can lead to unfavourableoutcomes. Scientific therapiesare in research trials. Deepunderstanding into the patho-genesis of the immune cells canguide us to develop advancedtherapeutic drugs to combatpandemics,” she says.

A rapidly advancing disciplinewith many past accolades, devel-

oping vaccine for diseases likeHIV, malaria, hepatitis B andeven Covid-19 remain the biggestchallenge in Immunology. Thereare also opportunities to explorenewer frontiers. An example iscancer immunotherapy, wherethe initial success with thecheckpoint inhibitors.

Dr Dhir says, “Science like bio-logical life sciences, animal sci-ences, plant sciences, physics andchemistry will be the force of thenext century. Countries whichinvest in basic science will do thebest. The specific case of therotavirus vaccine spearheaded bylate Professor MK Bhan, ex-sec-retary Department of Biotechnol-ogy, is strong evidence to ourcapabilities.”

In short, the role of immunolog-ical interventions in diseases hasa wide spectrum ranging fromprevention to treatment, as DrGupta elaborates. “With the fast-growing field of organ transplan-tation, manipulation of immunesystem has become an essentialcomponent of clinical care acrossall medical specialties. These suc-cess stories from various fields arethe beginning of a new era of tar-geted therapeutics in diseaseswhich, with molecular biology,would transform today’s gener-alised patient care into person-alised medicine of tomorrow,”sums up Dr Gupta.

MAIL� ON THE SPOT �

EDUCATION MAIL lines up some of the country’s tophiring executives and finds out what they look forwhile selecting a candidate for a corporate role

‘Passionatepeople thriveto achievebigger goals’■ Talent spotters now regardpotential as one of the keyemployee attributes for hiring.How do you spot potential andpassion during a job interview?We are always looking for thosewho are proficient in meetinggoals and who also demonstratededication. We feel passionatecandidates bring positivity andmotivation in the workplace andinspire their teammates to per-form better. Passionate peopleare hungry for knowledge. Theyare stubborn and always thriveto achieve more.

■ What are some of the otheressential attributes you lookfor in a job applicant?Positive Attitude: Candidateshaving a positive outlooktowards life create vibrancy andproductivity in the work envi-ronment.Team Player: Candi-dates who excel inworking individuallyas well as with theteam increase theefficiency of thebusiness.. Adaptability: Welook at people andtheir flexibility tolearn and adapt moreto the working environ-ment. Confidence: Confident candi-dates have high self-esteem,which boosts employee morale.

■ What are some of the com-mon issues, which you confrontin graduates while hiring?Graduates enter with no workexperience and they do nothave a taste of the professionalworld. Companies expect themto be more responsible for theiractions and tasks, whichrequires a lot of handholding.Accepting work culture andabsorbing in the working envi-ronment takes time.

■ How crucial is a candidate’sdomain knowledge when itcomes to hiring and what isyour experience on this frontfrom campuses?We look for candidates having asimilar root of sale wherein theymight have a fair understandingof the domain that we deal in.For mid-level management, welook for those with an expo-sure to the similar root ofsale, and for low-level man-agement, we hire them andprovide on-job training.

■ What is the transitionalchange which a candidatehas to be prepared forwhen he/she enters the jobmarket from the campus?The first thing that a candidateexperiences after joining thecorporate world is ‘howto manage work-lifebalance?’. Next aresoft skills. To beable to commu-

nicate with colleagues and con-vey your message withoutemerging as impudent is alsoessential.

■ The role of social media inhiring candidatesSocial media and Artificial Intelli-gence have transmuted the hir-ing scenario for potential candi-dates. Most job seekers areactive on social media thusengagement with thembecomes easily accessible.Social media also plays animmense role while doing theirbackground check.

■ How can a candidate makehimself/herself valuable intheir line of workThe company measures its ROIon team members working inthe organisation. So one should

measure their own ROI tomake themselves valu-

able. How effectivelyone can deliver taskswithin a timeframereflects the flavourof their team mem-bers. Be smart, doa lot of self-learn-ing. Be adaptable.

Put a time limit onyour own goals and

keep monitoring yourperformance. Be respon-

sible for your actions and ownthe work so that one gets expo-sure in every dimension. Wewelcome innovative ideas andencourage cross-functionalcontributions. Punctuality, sin-cerity, hard work with smartwork, and positive attitudemakes a team member morevaluable.

■ How severe can the cost ofmaking mistakes be on a pro-fessional level, as opposed toacademics, where it can endwith a little red circle?We give our people the freedomto make mistakes because mis-takes help them to learn andgrow. But we identify the areasthat we are comfortable inallowing our people to experi-ment. A mistake committed forthe first time is understandablebut repetition of mistakes issomething to counteract andthere are consequences foreach of it. We always say ‘fail,

but fail fast’, whichmeans it is okay to

make mistakesuntil you learnfrom them with-out wasting time.

Graduatesenter with no

work experienceCompanies expectthem to be moreresponsible with

their work

INSTITUTES ■ Government MedicalCollege, Surat

■ Amity University, Noida

■ National Institute ofImmunology, New Delhi

■ Vels University, Chennai

■ Jawaharlal Institute ofPost Graduate MedicalEducation & Research(JIPMER), Puducherry

■ Sanjay Gandhi PostGraduate Institute ofMedical Sciences (SGPGI),Lucknow

■ Postgraduate Instituteof Medical Education andResearch (PGIMER)Chandigarh

■ AIIMS, Delhi

■ CMC Vellore

■ Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education & Research(IPGMER), Kolkata

■ Nizam's Institute ofMedical Sciences (NIMS),Hyderabad

SPECIALISATIONS■ Cancer Immunology

■ Allergy and Immunol-ogy

■ Evolutionary immunol-ogy

■ Immunology & bloodtransfusion

■ Clinical Immunology

■ Reproductive Immunol-ogy

■ Microbiology Immunol-ogy

■ Medical microbiologyand immunology

■ Diagnostic immunology

AVENUES■ Governments fundedinstitutes

■ Hospitals/ laboratories

■ Research agencies

■ Pharmaceutical firms

■ Biotechnology compa-nies

(Inputs by Dr. Sonal Mehra,Jaypee Hospital, Noida)

Interest in thisfield has grown

exponentially

HIMANSHUAGARWAL,

Founder &CEO, Magneto

CleanTech

In these times, there is anever-increasing demand

for qualified anddedicated immunologists

than ever before.

1312 Mail Today, New Delhi / Chandigarh, Sunday, March 15, 2020 Mail Today, New Delhi, Tuesday, May 19, 2020 Mail Today, New Delhi / Chandigarh, Sunday, March 15, 2020 Mail Today, New Delhi, Tuesday, May 19, 2020

China gives in to global pressurefor probe into coronavirus origin

Nuns walk on the day of St Peter’s Basilica’s full reopening as the Vatican eased measures on Monday.

A woman takes part in a protest in Leon, Spain, on Sunday.

Early trials forCovid vaccineshow promiseC VID-19

PANDEMIC

— ANGELA MERKEL, GERMAN CHANCELLOR

I am convinced we willovercome the pandemic. Themore we work together, thequicker we will achieve this.

‘’ — EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT

Europe was without doubtput at fault at the beginning ofthis crisis.A Europe of healthhas to be our priority.

‘’

The United Kingdomhas added the loss of

smell and taste to its officiallist of Covid-19 symptomsincluding fever and new

continuous cough — a stepthat it hopes could help pickup about 2 percent morecases of the novelcoronavirus.

The US economy isshowing

encouraging signs andthere’s no need foranother spending

package to combat thedownturn caused by thecoronavirus pandemic, aWhite House advisorsaid on Monday.W RLDLY

ISE

A representational photo of aresearcher at work.

But coronavirus continues marchelsewhere, with mounting casesin South America, Asia and Africa

EUROPEAN LANDMARKSREOPEN

Spain to relax borders late June?TOURISM-DEPENDENT Spain aimsto reopen borders to visitors aroundthe end of June as its coronavirus lock-down fully unwinds, a minister said onMonday, in a much-needed boost forthe ravaged travel sector.

Madrid last week surprised its Euro-pean Union partners by imposing atwo-week quarantine on all overseastravellers and effectively keeping bor-ders closed, saying that was needed toavoid importing a second wave of theCOVID-19 disease.

But the move was meant to be tempo-rary and Transport Minister Jose LuisAbalos said it would be phased out in

parallel with travel being allowed withinSpain, whose regions are easing restric-tions in different phases.

“We can’t allow foreigners to travelwhile the Spanish population is con-fined,” he said. “From late June, we’llstart the tourism activity, I hope ... Wemust make Spain an attractive coun-try from the health point of view.”

Tourism accounts for over 12% ofSpain’s economic output. Even with areopening of borders in late June, theindustry’s revenues will fall by between93 billion ($100 billion) and 124 billioneuros ($134 billion), lobby group Excel-tur estimated in a report last month.

One of the worst-hit nations with27,650 deaths and 231,350 infections,Spain is slowly easing a strict lock-down in place since mid-March whichhad meant for weeks people could not

even go out for exercise.Restaurants and bars were gradually

reopening — even though staff knewcustomers would be scarce.

In the Mediterranean city of Valencia,restaurant manager Cristina Gonzaloand her staff were out early preparingtheir beachside bar. Dressed in whiteshirt and matching mask, a waiterpainstakingly measured out spacebetween tables to ensure they conformwith social-distancing requirements.

Gonzalo said she had doubts aboutthe reopening but was happy to behelping staff, who had been furloughedunder the government’s temporarylayoff program.

“They did not receive the money toshop for essentials and they were des-perate,” she said. —Reuters

The nation has seen 27,650deaths and 2,31,350 cases

THE coronavirus pandemicshould serve as a wake-upcall to the world which mustbe more united in respondingto the crisis, UN chief Anto-nio Guterres said Monday.

The secretary-general saidCOVID-19 was the greatestchallenge of our age and haddemonstrated the world'sfragility, as nations wenttheir own way in tackling thepandemic.

Guterres said the crisis wasan opportunity to rebuild abetter world — but he ques-tioned whether countrieswere up to it.

Despite great scientific andtechnological advances inrecent decades, a virus hadbrought us to our knees, theUnited Nations chief said atthe start of a virtual meetingof the WHO's World HealthAssembly.

He said the pandemic hadexposed the frailties not justin health systems but ininternational institutions,tackling the climate crisis,cyber-security and nucleardisarmament.

“Covid-19 must be a wake-up call. It is time for an endto the hubris,” Guterres said,slamming countries for theirdisjointed approach.

LACK OF UNITY“We have seen some solidar-

ity, but very little unity in ourresponse to Covid-19. Differ-ent countries have followeddifferent, sometimes contra-dictory strategies and we areall paying a heavy price.Many countries have ignoredthe recommendations of theWorld Health Organization.As a result, the virus hasspread across the world.”

He said COVID-19 was nowspreading in the southern

hemisphere, where its impactmight be more devastating.

Guterres reiterated his callfor a WHO-led internationalresponse, expanded mentalhealth services and policiesto address the social andeconomic problems causedby the crisis.

ECONOMIC REVIVAL “Unless we control the

spread of the virus, the econ-omy will never recover,” thesecretary-general said.

The former Portugueseprime minister and formerhead of the UN refugee agencysaid the recovery from the cri-

sis must lead to more equaland sustainable economies.

“It is an opportunity torebuild differently and better,”he said, referring to the cli-mate crisis and flawed socialprotection systems.

“Instead of going back to sys-tems that were unsustainable,we need to make a leap into afuture of clean energy, inclusiv-ity and equality, and strongersafety nets, including universalhealth coverage.”

But he asked: “We can do it,but will we? Either we getthrough this pandemictogether, or we fail.”

—AFP

ChinesePresidentXiJinpingdeliversa speechonMonday.

CHINA supports an compre-hensive evaluation of theglobal response to thecoronavirus pandemic afterit has been brought undercontrol, President Xi Jinpingtold the World HealthAssembly on Monday.

Xi told the virtual meetingvia video that China has

always had an open, trans-parent and responsible atti-tude, and had shared infor-mation on the virus in atimely manner.

The assembly, held onlinefor the first time in its his-tory, is set to discuss a reso-lution tabled by the Euro-

an investigation into the ori-gins of the virus, which hasbecome a flashpoint in dete-riorating tensions betweenWashington and Beijing.

Both US President DonaldTrump and Secretary ofState Mike Pompeo haveaccused China of a lack oftransparency over theissue, and repeatedlypushed the theory that thevirus emerged from aWuhan maximum-securitylaboratory.

Most scientists believe thevirus originated in animalsbefore it was passed on tohumans. —AFP

WHO response to virusalso under question

EARLY-STAGE human trialsfor a coronavirus vaccinehave shown encouragingsigns, with the experimen-tal shots inducing immuneresponses in healthy volun-teers, US drugmaker Mod-erna announced Monday.

The interim results, theMassachusetts-basedbiotech company said in astatement, show that thevirus-fighting antibodiesthe vaccine labelled mRNA-1273 generated were at similar levels topeople who recoveredfrom Covid-19.

The company is expectedto start the second phase ofthe trial soon and the final-stage experiments in July.

“When combined with thesuccess in preventing viralreplication in the lungs of apre-clinical challengemodel at a dose thatelicited similar levels ofneutralizing antibodies,these data substantiate our belief that mRNA-1273has the potential to pre-vent Covid-19 disease andadvance our ability toselect a dose for pivotal trials,” Moderna’s chiefmedical officer Tal Zakssaid.

Moderna was the firstcompany to announce andcarry out human trials forthis RNA-based drug earlierin March, saying it would beable to produce “a limitedvaccine by fall of 2020”.

MAJOR landmarks includingSaint Peter's Basilica andthe Acropolis in Athensreopened Monday as Europeaccelerated its lockdowneasing, but mounting coron-

avirus infections in Brazil, India andSouth Africa showed the worst isstill to come in many countries.

The relaxation of curbs in Europe comes asgovernments walk the tightrope of strugglingto repair the vast economic damageunleashed by the pandemic while preventingnew infections that would force anotherround of restrictions.

The World Health Organization has warnedthat reopening too quickly without a vaccinecould trigger a second devastating wave ofinfections in the pandemic that has alreadyinfected 4.7 million people.

The UN agency on Monday starts a virtualglobal health assembly to help chart a courseout of the crisis, which has seen Japanbecoming the latest to slump into a reces-sion while the Fed warned of a severe USdownturn.

Once the worst-hit country in the world,Italy on Monday took its latest step in a cau-tious, gradual return to normality, allowingbusinesses and churches to reopen after atwo-month lockdown.

In a live-streamed prayer Sunday, PopeFrancis spoke of the “joy” of restarting serv-ices, calling it a “sign of hope for allsociety” as Saint Peter’s Basilicathrew its door open to visitors.

NOT READYThe Vatican, an independent

enclave in the heart of Rome, hasapplied the same anti-virus meas-ures as Italy, which imposed strictlockdowns after a dizzying rise inCovid-19 deaths and infectionsthat overwhelmed hospitals.

While restaurants, bars, cafes,hairdressers, and stores will beallowed to re-open in Italy on Mon-day, not all proprietors havejumped at the opportunity toreceive customers again.

“Either they’re not ready to go orthey don’t have the economicstrength to do so,” said Mauro, aconstruction worker sipping a cof-fee at the only cafe open at Rome’sPiazza Navona.

In Greece, President KaterinaSakellaropoulou was among thefirst to visit the historic Acropolisof Athens as archaeological sitesacross the country reopened aftertwo months.

With an eye on dampening theeconomic storm unleashed by theCovid-19 pandemic, French Presi-dent Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkelwould present plans to kick-startEuropean Union activity laterMonday.

SOUTH AMERICA ANDAFRICA HIT HARD

Despite the optimism in parts ofEurope, the deadly pandemicremains on the march havingclaimed more than 315,000 lives.

The latest data has focussed fearson South America and Africa.

Deaths in Brazil have risen

sharply in recent days, and withmore than 241,000 infectionsreached over the weekend, SouthAmerica’s largest country now hasthe fourth-highest caseload in theworld.

While President Jair Bolsonarohas been a staunch opponent oflockdowns, claiming they haveunnecessarily hurt the Brazilian

economy, experts and regionalleaders have warned that health-care infrastructure could collapse.

The far-right leader alongside sev-eral ministers greeted hundreds ofsupporters in the capital Brasiliaon Sunday in defiance of social dis-tancing measures, telling thecrowd that the virus restrictionswere too much.

Latin America and the Caribbeanhave recorded more than half a mil-lion infections, almost half of themin Brazil, and there is growingalarm about the impact of the viruson the least privileged in theregion.

Ecuador reported the first Covid-19 case in one of its indigenousAmazon tribes, deepening the cri-sis in one of South America’s hard-est-hit countries.

—AFP

number of deaths dueto Covid-19 worldwide

315K

number of worldwideCovid-19 infections

4.7 M

� The relaxation of curbs inEurope comes as various governments walk the tightropeof struggling to repair the vasteconomic damage.

� The World Health Organiza-tion has warned that reopeningtoo quickly without a vaccinecould trigger a second and a

more devastating wave.

� In South America, deaths inBrazil have risen sharply inrecent days to 16,118, and thereare more than 241,000 infectionsin the continent’s largest nation.

THE BALANCING ACT

Second stage of trials to begin soon

A file photo of the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland.

— Antonio Guterres, UN Chief

Coronavirus is a‘wake-up call’ forthe world, says UN

We have seen some solidarity, but verylittle unity in our response. Different

countries have followed different, andsometimes contradictory strategies and we are all paying a heavy price for it.

‘ ‘

500 billion eurofund proposedby France and

Germany torelaunch EU’s

economy

pean Union that calls for animpartial, independent andcomprehensive evaluationof the internationalresponse to the coron-avirus crisis.

In his speech, Xi said that

the inquiry into the globalresponse should sum upexperiences and improveshortcomings.

Governments including theUS & Australia have alsocalled in recent weeks for

By Ankit Kumar in New Delhi

14 Mail Today, New Delhi, Tuesday, May 19, 2020 W RLDLY WISE

A SUICIDE bomber in astolen military Humvee tar-geted a base in easternAfghanistan belonging tothe country's intelligenceservice early on Monday,killing at least nine mem-bers of the force, Afghanofficials said.

The Taliban claimedresponsibility for theattack. At least 40 mem-bers of the force werewounded in the attack nearthe city of Ghazni, theprovincial capital ofGhazni, according to ArifNoori, the spokesman forthe provincial governor.Eight of the wounded werein critical condition andwere transferred to the cap-ital, Kabul, for further treat-ment, Noori added.

Earlier reports had sevendead but Tariq Arian,spokesman for the Afghaninterior minister, con-firmed the latest casualtytolls. According to Noori,the bomber used a stolenmilitary Humvee full ofexplosives, detonating it ashe approached the mainentrance gate to the base.

Taliban spokesman Zabi-hullah Mujahid said theinsurgents were behind theattack in Ghazni province,where the Taliban controlmost of the countrysideand the rural areas. Theprovincial capital briefly fellto Taliban control twice inrecent years. —PTI

‘Sajid Javidrefused toextraditeTiger Hanif’

Tiger Hanif iswanted for hisalleged role in two bomb blasts inSurat which tookplace in 1993.

By Munish Pandeyin New Delhi

SAJID Javid, the Pakistan-origin Home Secretaryhad turned down India’sextradition request of underworld donDawood Ibrahim's closeaide Tiger Hanif in con-nection with 1993 Suratblasts case, India Today TVhas learned.

Tiger Hanif is wanted bythe Indian investigativeagencies for his allegedrole in two bomb blasts inSurat which took place in1993. The London HighCourt had earlier ruledthat Hanif can be extra-dited to India based onthe evidence provided bythe investigative agen-cies. The extraditionpapers were then sent tothe UK Home Office forapprovals, however, thenHome Secretary SajidJavid refused to clear hisextradition to India.

Taliban suicidebomber kills 9troops in eastAfghanistan Afghan securityforces at the siteof bomb explosionin Kabul.

REUTERS

Mail Today, New Delhi / Chandigarh, Wednesday, August 2, 2017 Mail Today, New Delhi, Tuesday, May 19, 2020 15COFFEE BREAK

TWO PAGES OF ASTROLOGY, PUZZLES AND GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

ARIES Apr 14-May 14You will enjoy wonderfultime with your mate todayand will relish them. You

could also buy your beloved a lovelyand luxurious gift which he/she maylike the most.

CANCER July 16-Aug 15You will spend a joyful daywith your beloved. You will

like to be left alone and which will turnout to be a very enjoyable andaltogether wonderful experience for both of you.

LEO Aus 16-Sep 15There will be a lot of scopefor betterment in yourrelationship. Relations with

your loved one has been degeneratingfor some time and now is the chance toset things fine.

SCORPIO Nov 16-Dec 15You will spend a wonderfulevening with your beloved,

tough you will be kept busy with work inthe first half of the day. You will gift anexpensive item.

AQUARIUSFeb 12-March 13It is going to be a taxing timefor you. Reading between the

lines will help you appreciate yourbeloved better. A lot of things willbecome clear to you this way.

SAGITTARIUSDec 16-Jan 13There are strong chances ofgetting into a new

relationship, one that offers a lot ofpromise and excitement. You areheading for a day full of action.

GEMINI June 16-July 15

There is scope for lot of bet-terment in your relationship.

Relations with your beloved one havebeen degenerating for some time andnow is the chance to set things fine.

TAURUS May 15-June 15You might have to get extrabusy in your work, leaving

some love matter unanswered. Makesure you deal with it as soon as likelyas it could go out of hands.

VIRGO Sep 16-Oct 15It is going to be a delightfulday. There will be much todeliberate with your mate.

The future looks safe and you will bepleased the way things are moving.

LIBRA Oct 16-Nov 15Someone you are friendlywith could try and disturbyour relationships much to

your disbelief and extreme uneasiness. Make an effort to take care of yourself.

PISCES Mar 14-Apr 13The caring and sharing isvery understandable and

brings you a great sense satisfaction.You will be quite satisfied with the waythings are going in your relationship.

CAPRICORNJan 14-Feb 11You will take time off fromyour work and spend relax-

ing moments with your lover whomyou could be seeing after a while. Itwill be a welcome break for you.

By Dr Ajai Bhambi

Coffee Break

Difficulty Rating

Cross out numbers to create blanks. No digit canappear in a row or column more than once. No twoadjacent squares can be blacked out. All the squaresleft unblacked must be connected — vertically or horizontally — to form a single shape.

SCRABBLE GRAMS

DAILY JUMBLE MINI SUDOKU SUDOKU X

CODEWORDSUDOKU

Difficulty Rating

Difficulty Rating

Difficulty Rating

Difficulty Rating

KAKURO SUDOKU CLASSIC HITORI

*Datesbased

on VedicSun Signs

Mail Today, New Delhi / Chandigarh, Wednesday, August 16, 2017 Mail Today, New Delhi, Tuesday, May 19, 202016 COFFEE BREAK

by Manisha KoushikFOCUSFOCUSASTROASTRO

ARIES Mar 21-Apr 20

You will be in upbeat mood due toyour health bank balance. Yourfocus and devotion to the

task will win you success on theprofessional front.

TAURUS Apr 21-May 20

Some will become lavish in theirspending as money is not an issue.Your career front is about to be

shine as you will impress someone with your professional excellence on the professional front.

GEMINI May 21-June 21

You will get money from theleast expected source. A big

relief is indicated as all professional issues will be resolved soon. You will enjoy total fitness.

CANCER June 22-July 22

Some may expect incrementsor arrears. You will getappreciation by seniors due

to your excellent performance atwork. A prolonged health issue willdisappear soon.

LEO July 23-Aug 23

You may be able to steady yourself onthe financial front. You will manage to

come into the good books of seniors at workwith your efforts. Self motivation will work andyou will get back in shape.

VIRGO Aug 24-Sep 23

Freelancers will receiveoutstanding payment and worktoo. You can expect extra work onyour full time job. A distinct

improvement is foreseen in health condition for those on medication.

LIBRA Sep 24-Oct 23

You will find yourself more securethan before on the financial front.Some will implement their ideasat work successfully. You will

remain fit and energetic with your effortson the health front.

SCORPIO Oct 24-Nov 22

Your financial condition will beimproved and stable withsteady earning. A home

remedy will prove effective in getting rid of your ailment.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 23-Dec 21

New avenues for earning money willopen up soon. This is a promising dayboth on professional and personal

front. An alternate medicine or home remedywill prove helpful in managing a health issue.

CAPRICORN Dec 22-Jan 21

You will seal a lucrative deal thatmay bring a lot of money to you.Progress of work will be slow due

to some distractions. You will remain in fitand fine by remaining regular in workouts.

AQUARIUS Jan 22-Feb 19

Financial boon is foreseen forsome playing the stocks.Flawless performance will be

delivered by some pursuing performingarts. Some may need rest and feel sick.

PISCES Feb 20-Mar 20

Things will start improving in leapsand bounds, so no more financial

worries. Your side business will provebeneficial and promising. A prolonged healthissue will disappear soon, so fret not.

KEN-KEN Each row & column must contain numbers 1 to 4 (easy) or1 to 6 (difficult). The numbers within the heavily outlinedboxes must combine to produce the numbers in the top-left corner.

CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS2 I meant to get a Pom to

put on a show at Christmastime (9)

8 I owe this state for introduc-ing me to another (4)

9 Our duchess holds hertongue (4)

10 The system of belief held ona ship as told in long effusions (7)

13 See! The little Apple Isle!How it tantalises one! (6)

15 Observe! The Mediterraneanor what appeared to be (6)

17 Firstly, Pete goes out andscatters litter - the destruc-tive little horror! (11)

20 You need a decoy to catchthat sort of panter! (6)

23 Laverne loses a point forappearing in spring (6)

25 Adam and Leo get in thefashion (7)

26 There’s a report that it’sgone to your head! (4)

27 Some dame has produced adrink made with honey (4)

28 It concerns me that it takesten to resist it (9)

DOWN1 Oliver’s strange dance rou-

tines! (6) 3 How they get together at a

church service (5) 4 Tries to arrange them

in layers (5)5 There’s some point to him

being in the bulrushes (5)6 You need some to catch this lit-

tle pest (5)7 It’s a dud, Sir! Belongs to some

old priests (6)11 Found in the middle of the cart

by Len (7)12 Let Ed in twice or get blotted

out (7)14 Do be a brick and get it

for me! (5) 16 Both mother and child work in

stone (5) 18 Bleats about needing a place to

keep his horse (6)19 Hammer on the ice? (6) 21 Little Georgia takes a nap?

What a heathen! (5)22 It takes a crane to extract

mother-of-pearl (5) 23 How I love that thin

material! (5)24 That’s right! It’s time to go out

and send the money (5)

SUDOKU Fill in all the squares in the grid so that each row, column and each of the 3X3squares contains all the digits from 1 to 9. Solutions are below.

Difficulty Rating Difficulty Rating Difficulty Rating

TODAY’S SOLUTIONS

HITORI CRYPTIC CROSSWORDKAKURO

SUDOKU SUDOKU CLASSICMINI SUDOKU

CODEWORD

Scrabble and scrabble tiles are registered trademarks. Allrights in the game are owned in the USA by Hasbro Inc., inCanada by Hasbro Canada Inc., and elsewhere by J.W. Spear &Sons Limited., a subsidiary of Mattel, Inc

SCRABBLE GRAMSSUDOKU X

KEN-KEN

17INTERACTIVEMail Today, New Delhi, Tuesday, May 19, 2020

LETTERS�Appreciate DelhiCM for helping themigrant workersIT WAS good to learn that DelhiChief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday saying that the gov-ernment is responsible for themigrant labourers living in theCapital and that the governmentwill take care of them if theywant to remain in the city.

For those who want to return totheir home States, he said thegovernment would arrangetrains for them. He has orderedall the officials to ensure that nomigrant labourer should face any problem. He will arrangetrains as many as needed forstranded labourers.

His order stated that we shouldsee that no migrant worker walkson the road or on the railwaytracks. Really, Delhi governmenthas taken an appreciable step for migrants facing many difficul-ties during this time and losingtheir lives every day.

Although the decision came abit late, I highly commend thisdecision and I also hope all stategovernments take care ofmigrants and make properarrangements for them.

— B AHSANULLAH, Delhi

�Must stay alertas risk of virusreturning is real OVER THE past week, the the-ory in government circles haschanged from flattening thecurve to learning to live with thevirus. This is understandable. Itis important that India opens up but ‘safely’.

The new MHA guidelines are awelcome change. Daily life set to become easier, as all shops and other services will be nowavailable. Allowing interstatepassenger bus services will helpmigrants walking and state gov-ernments should predominantlywork towards it.

Nation has seen its highestever single day spike of 5242Covid-19 positive cases in 24hours. In such situations, risk

1) FILTERCOPY | WHEN YOU STUDY AT HOME | LOCKDOWN SPECIAL | FT.AHSAAS CHANNA

Writer - Jackie J. Thakkar;Director - Pallavi Kedia;Assistant Director -Priyankar Biswas

2) [BANGTAN BOMB]TODAY'S SONG IS ABOUT A SPECIAL GUEST? - BTS The video has gainedmore than 3 M viewswithin a day of it's upload

3) BYN : VIDEO CALL GONEWRONG FEAT. SAHIL KHAN, DOLLY SINGH

The video has gainedmore than 1.2 M viewswithin a day of it's upload

4) A DAY WITH CRINGETIKTOKER | HARSH BENIWALDirected By - HarshBeniwal; Written By -Harsh Beniwal; Co written- Purav Jha; Cast-MohitChhikara, Purav Jha,Harsh Beniwal

YOUTUBE QUESTIONMail Today poll

BLOGS

SEYFRIED IS PRO AT STAYING HOME AMANDA Seyfried is a‘pro at staying home’.The ‘SCOOB!’ actress is a‘homebody’ so hasn'tfound the social distanc-ing measures imposed to slow the spread ofcoronavirus difficult toadhere to. She said: “I'vebeen practicing for iso-lation for a really longtime. I'm a homebody,I’m a nester. I probablycrocheted more beforequarantine, honestly.“I’m a pro at stayinghome. I just didn't everthink I was going to haveto.” contactmusic.com

After 2 months of shutdown, government allows partial opening and relaxations in Delhi with caution.Do you think there will still be a surge in the number

of Corona cases in the city?

YESTERDAY’S RESPONSE

YESTERDAY’S QUESTION

60%YES NO

40%

WRITE TO THE

EDITORYou can now email your opinionto letters@mailtoday.in

THE BEATLES PHOTOGRAPHERDIES AGED 81ASTRID Kirchherr has died aged 81.

The German photogra-pher - who helped TheBeatles develop theiriconic style through herearly shots of the band -sadly passed away lastweek a few days beforeher 82nd birthday, fol-lowing a short illness.Historian Mark Lewisohnrevealed the news onsocial media, as hetweeted: “Danke schon,Astrid Kirchherr.”

contactmusic.com

If they do not wear masks anddon’t follow social distancingnorms, it could mean a return ofa wave of infections. That is therisk India faces.

And it is a problem that hasonly one solution a responsiblecitizen that recognises what is atstake. It is better if we step outonly for essential reasons.

Until and unless a vaccinecomes to our rescue, coron-avirus is going to be with us.

— RAVI TEJA, Hyderabad

�Killing of top Hizbcommander in Dodaa boost to forces THE killing of top HizbulMujahideen (HM) commanderTahir Ahmed Bhat is a big suc-cess for the security forces.

As per reports, he was also apart of a group that killed RSSactivist Chandrakant Sharmaand his PSO in April 2019.

They were trying to revive ter-rorist activities in Doda andKishtwar and after thisencounter, their revival planswill get a big jerk.

— B O CHANGA, Murshidabad

Do you think the Delhigovernment, which has been

struggling to roll out summeraction plan as water shortfall

reaches an alarming level, will beable to bring relief to the people?

of returning to full lockdown is very real if transition not man-aged carefully.

As states execute the lock-down relaxation, it will be diffi-cult for police to enforce basichealth and distancing protocols.This has to be done voluntarilyby people.

A flamboyance of flamingos feed at a creek during a nationwide lockdownto control the spread of coronavirus, in Navi Mumbai on Sunday. BIRDS OF A FEATHER

PTI

K ASIF

18

By Mail Today Bureau in New Delhi

FOOD delivery startupSwiggy said on Monday itwould lay off 1,100employees, or nearly 14%of its workforce, to cutcosts, as the ongoing

nationwide lockdown to curb thedeadly coronavirus outbreak hasbrought restaurants to a standstilland hit the demand for online foodordering.

Sriharsha Majety, co-founder and chiefexecutive at Bengaluru-based Swiggy,sent an email to employees saying thecompany was “laying off 1,100 employeesacross grades and functions in cities andthe head office over the next few days dueto the impact of coronavirus pandemic onits business.”

The company, backed by South Africaninternet giant Naspers, also said it willscale down its businesses and has alreadyshut several of its cloud kitchens thatcater to takeaway orders.

“The core food delivery busi-ness has been severely impactedand will stay impacted over theshort term, but is expected tostart growing again after that,”Majety said.

“We also need to build a muchleaner organisation and reducecosts to be able to withstandany further risks from the uncer-

Swiggy sacks 1,100staffers to cut loss

tainty,” he added.The company which had about

8,000 employees on its payroll asof October last year, said itwould provide three months ofsalary to all affected workers.

Swiggy, one of the country’sbest known startups, is amongmany that are laying off employ-ees and reshaping their businessin response to the COVID-19pandemic. Its arch rival Zomatohad on Friday fired more than500 employees, or 13% of its totalworkforce and cut the pay of therest by up to 50%.

Zomato founder and CEODeepinder Goyal had said, “A

large number of restaurantshave already shut down perma-nently, and we know that this isjust the tip of theiceberg.There’s no going back tothe normal, his note to employ-ees had added.

The company has alreadydiversified into grocery deliver-ies as a way to sustain its busi-ness. It has also targeted a pushinto alcohol deliveries.

Backed by Ant Financial - anaffiliate of Chinese e-commercegiant Alibaba Group Holding –Zomato had bought Uber’sIndian food delivery business inJanuary.

Swiggy also sees opportunitiesto continue investing in its gro-cery delivery and other serviceofferings that it thinks will con-tinue to do well, Majety said.

The company will identify andsignificantly reduce every singleindirect cost like hubs, officeinfrastructure, he added.

Other startups such as hoteloperators Oyo and Treebo havealso shed employees.

Cure.fit, a Bengaluru-based fit-ness firm which had to shut itsgyms and health clinics aroundIndia, slashed salaries and laidoff about 800 people in recentweeks.

STARTUPS’ DREAM RUN TURNS SOUR � India’s startup indus-try had rapidly becomeone of the world’sbiggest, raising a record$14.9 billion in 2019.

� Walmart’s purchase ofIndian e-tailer Flipkartfor a whopping $16 bil-lion helped attract bil-lions of dollars as U.S.and Chinese tech giantslooked for ventures witha big potential.

� But the global eco-nomic meltdown amidthe pandemic and anexodus of venture capi-tal have suddenly turnedthe dream run into anightmare.

� A group of the topventure firms, includingU.S. groups Sequoia andAccel, warned startupsthis month that it will be“very difficult” to raise

financing anytime soon.

� With SoftBank,another major funder ofIndian start-ups, facinghuge losses there is nofresh funding expectedfrom the Japanese tech-nology backer.

� Chinese capital is alsofacing hurdles in India,making the situationworsen.

Enough warning hasbeen given to officialsnot taking decisions. Alarge number of ourhighway projects aresuffering due to this. It istime that such officialsbe demoted or removed.

‘QUOTE OF THE DAY

— NITIN GADKARI, UNION MINISTER`1,709 cr in MSME dues still stuck with

govt and public sector firms.

NUMBER OF THE DAY

Gold prices jumped morethan 1% in the global market

on Monday to its highest sinceOctober 2012 after a batch of weakdata knocked hopes for a speedyglobal economic recovery. Spot gold was up 1.3% at$1,763.93 an ounce and futures rose 1% to $1,772.90.

mybiz ‘

By Mail Today Bureau in Mumbai

THE BES benchmark 30-shareSensex plunged 1,069 pointsto close at a six-week low onMonday, as the government'sstimulus package failed tolive up to market expecta-tions.

Contrary to an overall posi-tive trend in world markets,domestic bourses endedsharply lower as the Rs 20lakh crore economic pack-age, announced in fivetranches spread over asmany days, left investors dis-appointed, besides worries

grew over the biggest eversingle-day spike in the num-ber of COVID-19 cases in thecountry.

The Sensex closed 3.44 percent lower at 30,028.98, whilethe broader NSE Niftyplunged 313.60 points or 3.43per cent to 8,823.25 amidheavy selling in financial andauto counters. Sectorally, BSEbankex, finance, auto, realty,capital goods, oil and gas,metal and consumer durablesindices sank up to 6.69 percent, while IT and teck indicesended with gains. In thebroader market, midcap andsmallcap indices plunged upto 3.87 per cent. With thenationwide lockdown beingenforced for the fourth time,investors remained cautious.

Stocks crashas stimulusdisappoints

By Mail Today Bureau in Mumbai

AMERICAN brokerage Gold-man Sachs expects the Indianeconomy to shrink by 5% in2020-21, making it the worstever year for the country.

The brokerage said the thecountry’s GDP will contractby as much as 45% in theApril-June quarter as com-pared to the January-Marchperiod because of the contin-uing lockdown before itmoves on to the revivalphase.

Goldman Sachs was earlierexpecting a 0.4 per cent con-traction before revising itdown to a level it shares withJapanese brokerageNomura.

The -5 per cent growth weforecast for the currentfinancial year would bedeeper than all 'recessions'India has ever experienced,its analysts wrote in the note.However. It said the reboundwill be very strong in theSeptember quarter.

Goldman seesIndia’s GDPshrinking 5%

By Mail Today Bureau in New Delhi

BILLIONAIRE Sunil Mittal-ledBharti Airtel swung into a consol-idated loss of Rs 5,237 crore dur-ing January-March 2019-20 from aprofit of Rs 107.2 crore in the cor-responding period of the previousfinancial year, mainly due to provi-sions for statutory dues.

The telecom player registeredconsolidated revenue of Rs23,722.7 crore during thereported quarter. The companyhad posted revenue of Rs

20,602.2 crore in the correspon-ding quarter of 2018-19.

The company posted excep-tional items totalling Rs 7,004crore during the quarter ended onMarch 31, 2020, that comprises acharge on account of reassess-ment of regulatory cost.

For the year ended on March 31,2020, the company posted a netloss of Rs 32,183.2 crore and a rev-enue of Rs 87,539 crore. For 2018-19, Bharti Airtel had reported anet profit of Rs 409.5 crore andrevenue of Rs 80,780.2 crore.

Gopal Vittal, MD and CEO,

India & South Asia, of Bharti Air-tel said, “These are unprece-dented times for everyone acrossthe world as we battle the impactof COVID-19 and its consequentimpact on livelihoods.”

He added that telecom hasplayed an essential role in keep-ing the country going, and hopedthat the government will imple-ment the recommendations of theregulator and the intent of theNew Telecom Policy and bringdown the high levels of regulatorylevies and taxes that the sector issubjected to.

Airtel plunges into ̀ 5,237 cr loss in Jan-March

WEWORK FIRES20% WORKFORCE

CO-WORKING startupWeWork India, owned byrealty firm EmbassyGroup, will lay off around20% of its total 500employees with effect fromJune to cut its operationalcosts after its business hitby the coronavirusoutbreak. WeWork IndiaCEO Karan Virwaniinformed this decisionthrough internalcommunication tocompany employees.Around 100 workers wouldbe affected by the decision.According to sources,WeWork India will honourthe notice period.

LOCKDOWN BLUES: File photo of a Swiggy delivery staffer

Airtel chairman SunilBharti Mittal

Mail Today, New Delhi / Chandigarh, Tuesday, May 19, 2020 Mail Today, New Delhi, Tuesday, May 19, 2020

19

Startups drill$10 bn holein Softbank

MY BIZ

CAB aggregators Uber and Olasaid they have made it manda-tory for both drivers and cus-tomers to wear masks during aride from Monday to ensuresafety amid the coronaviruspandemic.

Uber said drivers will also haveto upload on their app a selfiewearing a face mask. Beforeevery trip, the rider will have toconfirm that they are wearing aface mask, and have washed orsanitised their hands. Drivers

and riders have also beenallowed to cancel trips if theydon't feel safe, including if auser is not wearing a mask orface cover. Uber also advisedriders not to sit in the front seat,and only two riders will beallowed in the rear seat of thecar. Meanwhile, Ola also said itis compulsory for AC to beswitched off and all windows tobe rolled down, only two pas-sengers allowed in a cab, loadand unload luggage themselvesand use cashless payments. Dri-vers are not allowed to travel incontainment zones, it said.

Uber, Ola backon roads withsafety gear

INTERGLOBE Enterprises, ledby Rahul Bhatia hasn't made thelist of suitors selected by VirginAustralia Holdings Ltd's adminis-trators.Virgin Australia HoldingsLtd's administrators have short-listed potential buyers BGH Cap-ital, Bain Capital, Indigo Partnersand Cyrus Capital Partners, asource with knowledge of the mat-ter said on Monday.

The airline's administratorsexpected to receive as many aseight non-binding indicative offersfrom potential buyers before asubmission deadline on Friday.

Binding offers for the airline aredue on June 12. The administra-tors at Deloitte said they hadshortlisted a small number of well-funded parties with strong avia-tion credentials.

IndiGo out ofrace for VirginAustralia airline

Vision Fund piles up a total loss of $18 bn

By Sam Nussey in Tokyo

JAPAN’S Soft-Bank GroupCorp reported astunning $18 bil-lion loss at itsgiant Vision

Fund, pushing MasayoshiSon’s conglomerate to arecord loss and highlight-ing the deepening crisis atits portfolio companiesfrom the global downturn.

The disastrous 1.9 trillion yen($18 billion) operating shortfallat the Saudi-backed VisionFund, including losses of almost$10 billion at office-sharing firmWeWork and ride- hailing appUber Technologies Inc alone,left SoftBank with its worstannual loss of 1.4 trillion yen.

Son, who has been pressuredby U.S. hedge fund Elliott Man-agement to make share buy-backs and bolster governance,said SoftBank would raise 1.25trillion yen against its stake inChina’s Alibaba Group.

“The coronavirus is anunprecedented crisis,” anotably downbeat Son told anearnings presentation, compar-ing it to the Great Depression.

Appearing far more subduedthan usual, Son said some of histech unicorns had fallen “intothe valley of the coronavirus”.

“I believe some of them will flyover the valley,” he added,standing beside a slide depict-ing cartoon unicorns droppinginto a hole as a lone winged uni-

corn escaped to the other side.The crisis has pushed the

Vision Fund’s portfolio under-water, with its $75 billioninvestment in 88 startupsworth $69.6 billion at the end ofMarch. The $100 billion fundhad already delivered two con-secutive quarters of lossesbefore being upended by theoutbreak.

SoftBank booked a $7.5 billionloss on other tech investments,which it attributed primarily tothe economic shock caused bythe virus. The outbreak hasexacerbated underlying prob-lems at many of its bets onunproven startups.

SoftBank provided scantdetail on which companies sawwritedowns but offered a sectorbreakdown showing invest-

ments in construction and realestate were worth less than halfof cost price, with flagshiptransportation investmentsalso underwater. The companyhas leveraged its investmentsto supply further funding forother bets - a strategy that hascome under strain as valua-tions tumble - with losses largerthan the group’s revised esti-mate from just last month. Sondeclined to set a dividend forthe current financial year forthe first time, underscoring thepressure for SoftBank. With hisusual emphasis on the totalvalue of SoftBank’s assetsrather than profits, which arebuffeted by the Vision Fund’snebulous valuations, Sonadmitted that shareholdervalue has fallen.

No rides without masks

—MT Bureau

JACK MA PARTSWAYS WITH SONSOFTBANK Group Corpsaid on Monday thatAlibaba co-founder JackMa will resign from itsboard, in the latestdeparture by a high-profileally of CEO MasayoshiSon.

Thedepartureof Ma, whoretired asAlibaba’sexecutivechairmaninSeptember,comes as hepulls backfrom formalbusinessroles to focus onphilanthropy.

SoftBank will proposethree new appointments tothe board, including groupChief Financial OfficerYoshimoto Goto, at itsannual general meeting onJune 25. The number ofboard members willexpand to 13.

“Who is the voice ofreason who can stand upto Son? You probably needmore than one,” saidNicholas Benes of TheBoard Director TrainingInstitute of Japan.

Ma’s exit follows thedeparture of Tadashi Yanai,founder -CEO of Uniqloparent Fast Retailing.

Alibaba co-founder

Jack Ma

PAYTM, OYO MAY GET HIT

� SoftBank hasinvested nearly $1.5billion in Oyo, whichhas seen revenuesplummet 60%.

� Another big bet,Paytm, will have tofight the combinedforces of Reliance Jioand Facebook in digitalpayments and retail.

� With the pandemicforcing several busi-nesses to turn towardsgrocery delivery, Soft-bank-funded Grofersmay have to jostle forspace in the market.

� SoftBank is not likelyto add further funds to these firms.

SoftBank Group CEOMasayoshi Son in afile photo.

By Andrea Shalal, AlexandraAlper in Washington

U.S. lawmakers and officials are craft-ing proposals to push American compa-nies to move operations or key suppli-ers out of China that include taxbreaks, new rules, and carefully struc-tured subsidies.

Interviews with a dozen current andformer government officials, industryexecutives and members of Congressshow widespread discussions underway- including the idea of a “reshoringfund” originally stocked with $25 billion- to encourage U.S. companies to dras-tically revamp their relationship withChina.

President Donald Trump has longpledged to bring manufacturing back

from overseas, but the recentspread of the coronavirus andrelated concerns about U.S.medical and food supplychains dependency on Chinaare “turbocharging” newenthusiasm for the idea inthe White House.

On Thursday, Trumpsigned an executive orderthat gave a U.S. overseasinvestment agency newpowers to help manufactur-ers in the United States. Thegoal, Trump said, is to “pro-duce everything Americaneeds for ourselves and thenexport to the world, and thatincludes medicines.”

But the Trump administration itself

remains divided over how best toproceed, and the issue is

unlikely to be addressed inthe next fiscal stimulus tooffset the coronavirusdownturn. Congress hasbegun work on anotherfiscal stimulus packagebut it remains unclearwhen it might pass.The push takes on spe-

cial resonance in an elec-tion year. While anti-China,

pro-American job proposalscould play well with voters, giv-ing taxpayer money or taxbreaks to companies that

moved supply chains to China at a timewhen small business is flailing may not.Both Republicans and Democrats are

crafting bills to decrease U.S. relianceon China-made products, whichaccounted for some 18% of overallimports in 2019.

“The whole subject of supply chainsand integrity of supply chains... doeshave a greater place in members’minds,” Representative Mac Thorn-berry, the top Republican on the Houseof Representatives Armed ServicesCommittee, told reporters May 7.

The medical supply chain anddefense-related goods are top of thelist.

“Coronavirus has been a painfulwakeup call that we are too reliant onnations like China for critical medicalsupplies,” said U.S. Senator LindseyGraham in a press release on Friday. Heis expected to issue a new bill this week.

US plans tax breaks to get factories back from China

DonaldTrump

SENSEX31,097.73

MONDAY’S CLOSE30,028.98FRIDAY’S CLOSE

8,823.25FRIDAY’S CLOSE

H: 9,158.30L: 8,806.75

-313.609,136.85

MONDAY’S CLOSE

NIFTY

-1,068.75H: 31,248.26L: 29,968.45

MA

RK

ET

S

BU

LL

ION

1 TCS 2.72 1,944.852 INFOSYS 1.73 663.60

% change Price (`̀)TOP GAINERS

% change Price (`̀)

TOP LOSERS

1 INDUSINDBNK -10.02 376.852 ULTRATECH -7.59 3,308.253 HDFC -7.55 1,512.104 AXIS BANK -7.55 359.305 ICICI BANK -7.44 298.65 E

XC

HA

NG

E R

AT

EFriday

(SILVER)

(GOLD)

Friday Monday

Tue Wed Thu Fri Mon

100

90

80

70

60Thu Fri Mon

$ YEN

DOLLAR,YEN Thu Fri Mon

£

EURO,POUND

76

72

68

64

60

Dollar `̀75.52 `̀75.79

Euro `̀81.86 `̀82.14

Pound `̀92.37 `̀92.25

Yen (100) `̀70.77 `̀70.57

GOLD/10 gm `509 `47,890

SILVER/1 kg `2137 ̀ 48,855

45,000

40,000

35,000

400

380

350

Tue Wed Thu Fri Mon

¤

Mail Today, New Delhi / Chandigarh, Tuesday, May 19, 2020 Mail Today, New Delhi, Tuesday, May 19, 2020

—MT Bureau

20 Mail Today, New Delhi, Tuesday, May 19, 2020

21Mail Today, New Delhi / Chandigarh, Monday, May 18, 2020 Mail Today, New Delhi, Tuesday, May 19, 2020

SportsMail

Dortmund showdown setto decide league: Mueller

Delhi Capitals’ pacer Ishant Sharma.

DELHI Capitals’ pace spearhead IshantSharma on Sunday referred to HeadCoach Ricky Ponting as “the best coach”he’s met during his career. The 31-year-old right arm pacer made the commentduring a candid Instagram Live sessionwith the franchise’s official handle.

Having played with and against theAustralian great during his ongoing 12-year long career, Ishant got the opportu-nity to play under Ponting for the veryfirst time during the 2019 IPL seasonand believes it was a confidence booster.“He’s the best coach I’ve ever met. I wasvery nervous when I was making areturn to the IPL last season. I wasalmost feeling like a debutante walkinginto the camp the first day, but he gaveme a lot of confidence since the first dayI arrived at the Delhi Capitals’ camp,”said Ishant.

“He just told me, ‘You’re a seniorplayer and you should help the young-sters. Just don’t worry about anything -

you’re my first choice.’ And I think thatbit of conversation really helped me,”the experienced pacer added.

Speaking of the time when he got thebetter of the Australian legend, in 2008,Ishant said, “People still talk and ask meabout the Perth Test, and the spell I

bowled to him. Later that year whenAustralia visited India too, I was in greatform. Gary (Kirsten) was our coachthen, and he told me that the Aus-tralians play only to win, which is why aperformance against them, even onhome soil, counts a lot, and would helpme get noticed. That success I hadagainst them in 2008 is easily one of thehighlights of my career.”

The 31-year-old was asked about thepotential changes that could take placein cricket going forward. “We know thereare talks of some changes and adjust-ments in cricket, but I feel cricketerswill have to get used to the new normal,whatever that is. The ball may not shineas per your liking if you are not allowedto use saliva, or you may have to go andfetch the ball yourself during nets – butthere is no option but to get used tothese things,” said Ishant.

—Mail Today

Ponting is best coach I’ve met, says Ishant Sharma

Matches

Ishant under PontingBestWkts Avg Eco

STATS

13 3-38 7.5913 26.85

Matches

Delhi Capitals in the last two years

—Compiled by Manoj Kumar

LostWon Win %

30 1515 50.0

By Rohit Panikerin New Delhi

IT’S the first non-essential break SrihariNataraj has taken inover 10 years. TheCOVID-19 pandemichas put the country

under lockdown, but withnew norms released onSunday, athletes breathed asigh of relief as stadiums arenow permitted to be open.

The same, however, can’t be saidfor the Srihari and Co. as swim-ming pool is still a restricted area.The Sports Authority of India’sStandard Operation Protocol(SOP) for training resumptionacross the country also has nomention of swimming.

On Sunday, some of India’s eliteswimmers, who have achieved the‘B’ qualifying mark for the TokyoOlympics, requested sports min-ister Kiren Rijiju to re-open swim-ming pools for their training.

“We have been requesting to thefederation to open up facility forthe elite swimmers. My priority issafety, and being able to train in afacility with few people and poolmaintained and cleaned, all therequirements are meant. Notmany people should be allowed,social distancing is the mostimportant thing. But we have notreceived any information regard-ing this. The federation is workingon it,” Srihari told MAIL TODAY.

For a sport like swimming,indoor training isn’t exactly help-ful. Swimmers often complaintabout losing endurance and pool

stamina as it becomes a challengeto regain form and momentum.

Asked if the lockdown has hadany affect on his body, Srihari said,“The first two weeks were difficult.But now I am getting used of it.Not training in the pool does haveits effects. I have lost theendurance and stamina for pool,but that’s not something I amworried about. I can regain that inno time. Ideally, preparing for acompetition, I need two monthsof training. So I hope when westart training, we can cover up.”

The 18-year-old is one of India’sleading contenders at the TokyoGames. He is currently in Ben-galuru, and given a chance, wouldlike to train in his city. Going toDelhi or Mumbai is something, hesaid, he ideally wouldn’t prefer.

Swimming Federation of India’sgeneral secretary Monal Choksisaid the association has submit-ted its SOP to the SAI and is nowwaiting for its approval.

The SFI’s main contention is theopening of swimming pools forcompetitive and not recreationalpurpose. Only elite swimmer aim-ing for Tokyo, or having alreadybreached the ‘B’ qualifying mark,shall be allowed to training understrict social distancing norms.

A few other guidelines for train-ing resumption include outdoorshower facilities, limited entriesfor people and strict cleanlinessand safety protocols.

“We have sent the SOP forreview. We have formulatedguidelines mainly for the field ofplay, the rest of the guidelinesare for facility managementwhich are common with SAIcentres. The guidelines remainsame for any centre of non-SAIacademies the swimmers train,”Choksi told MAIL TODAY.

“We have more stringent rulesfor the field of play. We have rec-ommended strict cleaningnorms for the pool, outdoorshower facility as players canavoid taking bath inside thelocker room. We have also rec-ommended one swimmer perlane, and swimmers starting onopposite lanes to avoid contactbetween them during breaksbetween the sets,” he added.

Veteran open water swimmerMeenakshi Pahuja, too, put her

weight behind the Indian elites asthey train at home. She said, “It’ssad to see swimming not part ofSAI’s training resumption plans.We have over 400 pools in Delhi,and with a scientific approachand safety protocols, swimmerscan easily train. Australia, USAand New Zealand have alreadyresumed training and it’s abouttime our swimmers get thechance to train as well.”

PANDEMICC VID-19

We have recommended oneswimmer per lane, and

swimmers starting on oppositelanes to avoid contact betweenthem during breaks.

‘

— Monal Choksi, SFI general secretary

‘

SWIMMERSAWAIT THEIR

CHANCE

Nataraj prefers totrain in hometown

Bengaluru

Srihari says nottraining does put

him at adisadvantage, butwill also not let it

affect himmentally.

Srihari leads the way as India’s elite request Rijiju tore-open pools, the federation sends SOP for review

By Chetan Sharma in New Delhi

FOLLOWING government’s deci-sion to reopen sports complexesand stadia, there are mixed reac-tions coming in from elite ath-letes. Some welcomed it, where asa few expressed their concern.

As the home ministry announced new guidelinesfor lockdown 4.0 on Sunday, a joy triggered among allthe athletes. However, when the Sports Authority ofIndia (SAI) came up with a detailed ‘Standard Oper-ating Procedure’ (SOP) for each sport, it left thesportspersons divided. The conflict was majorlyamong contact sports athlete such as boxing andwrestling. The SOP stated ‘for contact sports, ath-letes will have to train alone without engaging inphysical combat with other athletes.’

Speaking to MAIL TODAY, Indian grappler PoojaDhanda expressed her concern and said what is theneed of resuming the training when there partner isnot allowed.

“I am feeling scared right now. The way Coronavirusis spreading we need to be more careful. If it is notthat necessary we should stay at home,” she said.

Divya Kakran also echoed similar sentiments. “I willcontinue to train at home till this pandemic gets over(in one or two month). My coaches Vikram Kumar sirand Vladimir Mestvirishvili sir are making my sched-ule and I am following it. Social distancing is the needof the hour,” she said.

Meanwhile, Indian boxer PoojaRani said, “Yes, stadia are opennow and it is heard that every ath-lete will get separate room. But Iwill not get out of house till June.Even in my area there are cases ofCorona. So I am very scared rightnow. We need to take care of our-selves,” she added.

However, Indian wrestler BajrangPunia welcomed the move andsaid the SAI has also taken a rightdecision for contact sports.

“It is a good news the stadia willbe open for training. And I thinkSAI also did right as social distanc-ing is very important. It is correctthat in our sport we need partnerfor training. But we must take itpositively.

“Everybody was locked at theirhomes and now as stadiums areopen, we can get a place to trainwith all the required equipment,”he added.

WFI Assistant Secretary VinodTomar confirmed to the paper thattraining can start for a minimumof 13 weight categories. In eachcategory, two wrestlers can join thecamp.

Padma Shree Sakshi Malik said,“It is a good decision. There will bemore facilities as we can workmore on our fitness and stamina.Running can be done properly. Itwill no doubt be better than exer-cising at home. Yes, the situationis not right so we need to be extracareful.”

Vinesh Phogat, too, shared herviews on the matter. “It will be dif-ficult for athletes in contact sportbut I think it better to have some-thing than nothing. If everythinggets settles within two or threeweeks, then full training shouldresume.”

22 Mail Today, New Delhi / Chandigarh, Monday, May 18, 2020 Mail Today, New Delhi, Tuesday, May 19, 2020 COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Conflict over

training without

sparring partner

Pooja & Divya want to stay home even nowas relaxation made for athletes to train

‘I’M FEELINGSCARED’

It is a good newsthe stadia will be open

for training. Everybodywas locked at their homes

and now as stadiums areopen, we can get a place totrain with all the required

equipment.

‘

‘

— BAJRANG PUNIA,WRESTLER

— DIVYA KAKRAN,WRESTLER

I will continue to train athome as social distancingis need of the hour. I amfollowing training scheduleof my coaches VikramKumar sir (in pic) andVladimir Mestvirishvili sir.

‘

’

— ANJUM MOUDGIL, SHOOTER

I am really happy withgovernment’s decision aswe athletes really needed totrain. We are ready to followguidelines such as wearingmask and maintaining social distance.

‘

’

— SIMRANJIT KAUR,BOXER

We will be able to trainwell, it is ok withoutpartner for some time. Wecan ask questions directlyto our coaches. That feelingof being in training hall is really nice.

‘

’

23Mail Today, New Delhi / Chandigarh, Monday, May 18, 2020 Mail Today, New Delhi, Tuesday, May 19, 2020 COVID-19 PANDEMIC

If camp starts incouple of days, I will

not go as cases of COVID-19are increasing rapidly. I will

not get out of house till June.Even in my area there are cases

of Corona. So I am very scaredright now.

‘

‘

— POOJA RANI,BOXER

— POOJA DHANDA,WRESTLER

I am feeling scarednow. The way virus isspreading we need to becareful. If it is not thatnecessary we shouldstay at home. We shouldwait until the pandemicis over.

‘

’

— VINESH PHOGAT,WRESTLER

It will be difficult forathletes in contactsport but I think it isbetter to havesomething thannothing. Full trainingcan resume later.

‘

’It is a good decision.

There will be morefacilities as we can workmore on our fitness and

stamina.Running can be

doneproperly.

‘

’— SAKSHI

MALIK,WRESTLER

By Aditya K Halder in New Delhi

FOLLOWING the relaxationinto restrictions with COVID-19 lockdown 4.0, India’sfastest sprint duo DuteeChand and Amiya Mallick —coincidentally both hailingfrom Odisha — were back onthe track for the first timeafter a gap of near twomonths at the Kalinga sta-dium in Bhubaneswar onMonday.

“It was a nice feeling to beable to train at the trackagain. I used to train here reg-ularly earlier but now return-ing here feels new,” 24-year-old Dutee told MAIL TODAYwhile admitting she felt rustyas the duo did light trainingon resumption.

Both the 100m nationalrecord holders, who arefocused on qualifying for the2021 Tokyo Olympics in theirforte event, are in no hurry toget into competitive mould.The duo targets Olympic

qualification standards postNovember when the gates to Tokyo qualification willopen again.

“The objective for both of usremains the same and that isqualifying for the Olympics,”said 27-year-old Amiya.“Things are uncertain at themoment as we don’t knowhow many events we will getto lead us to Tokyo while theOlympics itself is in doubt.But at least training hard is inour hands and I will leave nostone unturned for that whenqualification resumes inDecember.”

CAMPERS WAIT FOR MINISTRY GUIDELINESIt might not be wrong to saythat Dutee and Amiya wereamong few of track and fieldathletes in India to resumetraining on the day as all thenational campers are yet tohit the track.

The sports ministry on Mon-day gave its go ahead to the

resumption of training in itscomplexes and stadia afterthe government permittedthem to reopen in the fourthphase of the coronavirus-forced lockdown, the Athlet-ics Federation of India (AFI)is waiting for ministry’sinstruction on how to trainunder controlled environ-ment.

“We can’t start trainingbefore Ministry of HomeAffairs guidelines are sent tous on how to conduct trainingwhile maintaining social dis-tance and other safety stan-dards. We have been informedit will be sent us in next one-two days,” said an AFI official.

While many athletes wouldwish to work on theirstrengthening by startingworkout at the gym, sportsminister in his tweet specifiedthat athletes are only allowedto train at sporting complexesand stadia. Rijju clearlystated that swimming poolsand gyms are not part of therelaxation list.

By S.Kannan in New Delhi

AT A time when Formula Oneis fully focussed on restartingthe season, with no fans andeven having two races in onecircuit, the domestic racingcalendar will also be on.

Speaking to MAIL TODAY onMonday, Sanjay Sharma,Head, JK Tyre, Motorsportsaid their season may bedelayed but will be definitelyon. “It is good to see sportresuming soon in India andhow stadia will also be openedup for the athletes. Likewise,

for motorsports, too, it is veryimportant the drivers can getback to working on their phys-ical fitness,” said Sharma.

The JK racing calendar runsthree weekends at the KariMotor Speedway in Coimbat-ore with the finale at theBuddh Circuit in GreaterNoida in November/ Decem-ber. “As far as we are con-cerned, our racing season is onfor 2020. There may be a fewchanges here and there anddepending on the logistics wemay have two round over eachweekend. The idea is the driv-ers get more races. So, wecould have two racing week-ends in Coimbatore packed

with action,” added Sharma.Asked about crowd restric-

tions in place and how sport-ing arenas are supposed to bespectator-free, SanjaySharma said if it has to workthat way, so be it.

“If F1 races are going to beminus spectators, then youcan well imagine what thescenario is. I see no problemin holding our races withrestrictions in place. Yes, forus, the crowds which come tothe Buddh Circuit for thefinale is a big plus.

“We still have time on handand will know in the next fewmonths how to plan indetail,” said Sharma.

He also said the national ral-lying season will happen. “Asof now, the events have onlybeen postponed,” he said.

C VID-19 PANDEMIC

Sprint duo Dutee andAmiya resume training

Says crowd atBuddh Circuit a big plus

Racing season ison, says JK head

100m stars Dutee Chand and Amiya Mallick start training at Kalinga stadium inBhubaneswar on Monday.

HOCKEY legend BalbirSingh Senior’s conditioncontinues to be criticalwith the Padma Shriawardee remaining onventilator support.

The 95-year old hasbeen hospitalised inMohali for the past 10days after complainingof high fever andbreathing problems.While he remains‘hemodynamically nearstable’ and has not suf-fered another cardiacarrest since the last oneon May 13, fresh clot hasbeen detected in hisbrain.

“MRI brain reportshows a small freshblood clot in the brainwhich is insufficient toexplain continuedunconsciousness. He iscurrently in semi-coma-tose condition. Sec-ondary near pan-resist-ant klebsiella infectionand fresh pneumoniapatches detected in thelungs,” his maternalgrandson Kabir said inthe latest update onMonday.

“Doctors continue toassess and monitor hiscondition.”

—Mail Today

BALBIR SINGHSR IN SEMICOMATOSESTATE

JK Tyre Motorsport chiefSanjay Sharma

Mail Today, New Delhi / Chandigarh, Monday, May 18, 2020 Mail Today, New Delhi, Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Published & Printed by Amit Gupta on behalf of G.H. Prints Pvt. Ltd, A-256, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase -1, New Delhi - 110 020. Published at F – 26, Connaught Place, New Delhi – 110 001. Editor: Dwaipayan Bose

RNI No.: DELENG / 2007 / 21922

T.V. Today Network Limited. Printed at The Indian Express (P) Limited Press, A-8, Sector-7, Noida - 201301 andFirst Floor,

SportsMail

Mike Tyson has been working hard on areturn at the age of 53.

SHANNON Briggs has declared that hewill be the man to fight Mike Tyson onthe legendary heavyweight’s boxingreturn.

Tyson, 53, has been training hardahead of a controversial comeback anda trilogy fight against 57-year-old Evan-der Holyfield appeared to be edgingcloser.

But 48-year-old Briggs made hisannouncement on Instagram live,claiming a fight with Tyson is ‘official’.

He said: “I just talked to Mike Tyson,it’s going down, me and Mike, we’regoing to make it happen, it’s official,you’re going to see it happen,Brownsville versus Brownsville.

“Me and Tyson are going to lace up thegloves, we’re going to rumble, rumble in

the jungle. We’re going to let our fist dothe talking.”

The ‘Cannon’ is one of the more engag-ing characters in the heavyweight divi-sion but has not fought since 2016.

He says the fight against Tyson will bean exhibition with the two KO artistsgoing toe-to-toe.

Briggs had previously revealed negoti-ations were taking place for a charitybout, telling Sirius XFM: “The money is there, the money is almost there, Ican’t say much more, I’ll leave it at that.

“This is for charity, this is exhibition, Iwant people to understand. We allknow it’s an exhibition and then wewill see what’s left in the tank.

“It’s for charity, it will be fun, butthis is Mike Tyson we are talking

about. He naturally hits hard, so hemight hit me and he might break my rib.We have to be fully prepared.”

On Saturday, Holyfield said his teamwere in talks with Tyson’s and he wasconfident over an agreement beingreached, though no deal had beenstruck.

Both men have recently posted work-out videos showing off their physicalprowess and Tyson has wowed fans withhis famous power on the pads, though

many from the boxing worldare discouraging him

from lacing the glovesup again over fears ofserious injury.

Briggs announces he will fight Tyson on his boxing return

Chelsea star isunder suspicionof rape after amodel he metonline calledthe police

CALLUM Hud-son-Odoi wasarrested on sus-picion of rape inthe early hours ofSunday morning

after a model he met onlineand invited to his home wastaken to hospital.

Metropolitan Police officersattended reports of an incidentat the England international'sapartment after being called bythe woman. An ambulance alsoattended the scene.

The 19-year-old was arrested byofficers and taken into police cus-tody before being released on bail.

A police spokesman said:“Police and London AmbulanceService were called at 03:53hrson Sunday, 17 May to a report ofan unwell woman.

“When emergency services

attended, a woman reportedthat she was raped. She wastaken to hospital.

“A man was arrested at thescene on suspicion of rape. Hewas released from custody andbailed to return on a date inmid-June.”

Police returned to Hudson-Odoi's property on Sunday tocontinue their investigationsinto the matter.

The Sun reported that Hud-son-Odoi met the woman online

and invited her to his home, inbreach of lockdown guidelines,sending a vehicle to collect her.

Neighbours of the 19-year-oldtold The Sun that his acquain-tance was 'very glamorous'before the property was 'crawl-ing with police'.

The report says that theChelsea star is said to haveasked the woman to arrive at hisproperty wearing lingerie andthat the pair exchanged flirta-tious messages beforehand.

Meanwhile, Premier Leagueclubs have voted for a return totraining this week in a much-needed boost to Project Restartfollowing weeks of talks.

Players at a number of top-flightclubs are already back trainingindividually, but they will now beallowed to work together ingroups of five from Tuesday aslong as social distancing rules arefollowed. —Daily Mail

AHolyfield

trilogy clash is alsoon cards for the legend

EnglandinternationalHudson-Odoiwas released onbail on Mondaymorning andhas not madeany comment.He testedpositive forCoronavirus inMarch and histeam-mates areaware of hisarrest.

C VID-19 PANDEMIC

CALLUMARRESTED

Footballerwas later

released on bail

INSTAGRAM

ALONSO LINKED WITH MOVE BACK TO RENAULT

—Daily Mail