PM praises E doctors, tells them to take up
18
BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA FRIDAY, JULY 2, 2021, NEW DELHI, LATE CITY, 18 PAGES `6.00 (`8 BIHAR & RAIPUR, `12 SRINAGAR) WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM GARGI VERMA RAIPUR, JULY 1 KORSA SUKKA, 17, has been home at Sukma in Chhattisgarh now for more than a year. In 2018, he had moved into a 'Pota Cabin School', 36 km from his vil- lage, as part of a government scheme across the state's Naxal- hit areas to house children closer to district headquarters. However, since the Covid lock- down, the schools have been shut, and Korsa, who left for home without his books, says his hopes of returning are dimming every day. Around 30,000 children in 60 Pota Cabin Schools (named so because they are made of pota or bamboo as it is locally known, and other impermanent mate- rial), across Bijapur, Sukma, Dantewada and Narayanpur dis- tricts, are in a similar situation as Korsa. The scheme was meant to bring children from remote and inaccessible areas with few ed- ucation opportunities to the block headquarters, where these residential schools, with fur- nished classrooms and play- grounds, are located. Apart from education, the scheme aims to bring proper nu- trition to children housed in these residential quarters. Before the lockdown hit in March last year, half of those en- rolled in schools in Dantewada district were in such residential schools, including the ashram schools set up by the govern- ment in the 19 tribal districts of the state. "Only 50% of the chil- dren were day scholars. Children also lived in tribal hostels, which are different from ashrams," says a senior district official. The total number of children in residen- tial schools in the state was around two lakh. Officials fear that with these residential schools shut, more than 50,000 children who have no access to the Internet have slipped out of the net. "The en- tire point of them staying at Pota Cabin Schools was that they have no connectivity in their villages. Some of the senior students come sporadically to check if the schools will open anytime soon, but the younger children have not returned. There are no new admissions either," says a war- den in Bijapur. Recently, student bodies held a protest in Koyalibeda block of Kanker, where they claimed that more than 3,000 children in that block alone had dropped out of school since the pandemic began. In Bastar, officials fear that the 50,000-odd children now at home could veer towards Naxals. "They are educated enough to write banners, letters and posters for Maoists and yet young enough to be ideologically brainwashed," a senior IPS offi- cer in Bastar says. "During recent protests, we have seen a rise of children between the ages of 16- 18, who are now being used as mouthpieces and shields. Most of them were enrolled in schools earlier." Security officials believe the Maoists have also strengthened their recruitment networks in- side these inaccessible villages amidst the pandemic. "The en- tirety of 2020 provided Maoists ample time for recruitment. Parents send their children away from these regions either for gainful employment as farm hands or for education. But the pandemic has forced them to re- turn," says an official, adding that Maoists are also enrolling the children in the schools run by them that haven't shut. While denying that Maoists had strengthened their recruit- ment among school-going chil- dren, Bastar IG P Sundarraj con- firms that a rising number of students are being seen at CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 PAGE 1 ANCHOR ‘Pota Cabin Schools’ were set up for children from remote areas in Naxal-hit areas of Chhattisgarh. Express SHEDDING CROCODILE FEARS A crocodile was spotted on a lane in Kogilabana village, in Karwar, Karnataka on Thursday. Forest officials later released it into the nearby Kali river. PTI Residential schools shut, students home, officials fear Maoist influence JOURNALISM OF COURAGE SINCE 1932 WORLD AS DELTA VARIANT SURGES, OUTBREAKS IN MANY COUNTRIES TRUMP ORGANISATION CFO SURRENDERS AHEAD OF CHARGES PAGE 14 GOVT & POLITICS NIA COURT DISCHARGES AKHIL GOGOI IN UAPA CASE PAGE 5 WORKING TOWARDS PREVENTING DRONE ATTACKS: ARMY CHIEF PAGE 6 STUDY ON ADOLESCENTS ONGOING PM praises doctors, tells them to take up studies on yoga KAUNAIN SHERIFF M NEW DELHI, JULY 1 PRIME MINISTER Narendra Modi on Thursday requested the Indian Medical Association (IMA) to take up “evidence- based studies” on yoga in “mis- sion mode”. With 49 per cent of India's vulnerable population of age 60 and above having been given at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, the Prime Minister praised doctors — who were the first to be administered the shots — for playing a crucial role in en- couraging vaccine “enthusiasm and confidence” in the country. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 PRABHA RAGHAVAN NEW DELHI, JULY 1 ZYDUSCADILA,the Ahmedabad- headquartered pharmaceutical company,hasapproachedIndia's top drug regulator for restricted emergencyapprovalforZyCov-D, its three-dose Covid-19 vaccine. If approved for use, this would be the world's first DNA vaccine against Covid-19. The vaccine, which was tested in late-stage human clin- ical trials involving over 28,000 participants, has been found to have a primary efficacy of 66.6 per cent so far — this means it was able to bring down sympto- matic cases of Covid-19 in those who received the vaccine by nearly 67 per cent compared with those who did not receive a vaccine. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 APURVA VISHWANATH NEW DELHI, JULY 1 THE SUPREME Court Thursday dismissed the Centre’s plea seek- ing a review of its May 5 ruling that the power to identify Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) lies ex- clusively with the Central gov- ernment and not states for grant- ing quota in jobs and education. With the review plea dis- missed, the Centre can now move a curative writ petition, the last legal resort available to rem- edy a judgment of the Supreme Court, or address the issue through Parliament. A five-judge bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan said: “We have gone through the re- view petition filed against the judgment dated 05.05.2021 in Writ Petition (C) No.938/2020. The grounds taken in the review petition do not fall within the limited ground on which review petition can be considered.” The bench, also comprising Justices L Nageswara Rao, S Abdul Nazeer, Hemant Gupta and S Ravindra Bhat, said: “The various grounds taken in the re- view petition have already been dealt with in the main judgment. We do not find any sufficient CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 SC rejects Centre’s plea to review ruling against state power on SEBCs TABASSUM BARNAGARWALA & JAYPRAKASH S NAIDU MUMBAI, JULY 1 COVID HAD left Bank of Baroda's Malad branch manager Pramod Kumar on oxygen support for nine days last year. Seven other colleagues had also got infected, leaving them wary of handling customers. So in April, when a long-term account holder, Mahendra Pratap Singh, offered vaccination, Kumar jumped at the opportunity. The vaccination camp was planned at Shivam Hospital for staffers and their family, around 40 people in all, for Rs 800 per shot. At the last minute, the venue for the second dose was shifted to the bank branch office on May 25. Singh and two oth- ers arrived that day carrying an ice-box with vials. While they noted down names and Aadhaar numbers of the beneficiaries, no one mentioned Co-WIN. The bank employees noticed this, but didn't think much about it. The first doubts arose when the 40 received neither their fi- nal vaccination certificate nor did their second dose reflect on Co-WIN. Twenty days later, a bank employee noticed a WhatsApp forward about an ar- rest in a fake vaccination scam; the man was Singh. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 JOHNSON T A BENGALURU, JULY 1 ON JUNE 23, the Central Crime Branch unit of Bengaluru police issued a press release on the ar- rest of five persons, allegedly in- volved in peddling drugs to youths in the IT sector, and the seizure of Rs 30 lakh worth of MDMA, LSD and hashish. The re- lease did not name the arrested persons. The next day, police issued a press release on the arrest of two Cameroonians who were al- legedly dealing in counterfeit foreign currency and overstay- ing in India beyond the expiry of their visas. Again, the press re- lease did not name the arrested persons. Over the last fortnight, Bengaluru police have started leaving out names and blurring photographs of arrested persons from press releases on account of a June 15 order of the Karnataka High Court, directing police to stop identification of suspects in announcements to the media. During the hearing of a peti- tion, filed by advocate H Nagabhushan Rao against the disclosure of investigation de- tails by police to the media, the High Court said police should not reveal details of cases before in- vestigations are completed and CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 After HC order, Bengaluru police blur photos, stop naming accused KHUSHBOO NARAYAN MUMBAI, JULY 1 THE ENFORCEMENT Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached land, machinery and buildings worth Rs 65.75 crore owned by a cooperative sugar mill in Satara, in a case of alleged fraud related to Maharashtra State Cooperative (MSC) Bank in which the agency had earlier named NCP supremo Sharad Pawar and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. The ED has alleged that the funds used to purchase the co- operative mill, Jarandeshwar Sahkari Sugar Karkhana, were routed through another sugar mill, which in turn received the money from Sparkling Soil Pvt Ltd. Ajit and wife Sunetra are majority shareholders in Sparkling Soil. The move comes a day after Maharashtra BJP president Chandrakant Patil wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 ED attaches mill properties, links it to probe against Ajit Pawar KEN MORITSUGU BEIJING, JULY 1 CHINESE PRESIDENT Xi Jinping warned Thursday that anyone who tries to bully China “will face broken heads and blood- shed,” in a defiant speech hailing the country’s rise that elicited loud cheers from a carefully cho- sen crowd at a celebration of the centenary of the founding of the ruling Communist Party. In unusually forceful lan- guage, Xi appeared to be hitting back at the US and others that have criticised the rising power’s trade and technology policies, military expansion and human rights record. In an hour-long speech, he also said the nation must stick to its one-party rule, emphasising the communists’ role in lifting China to global prominence. The rally, which featured a military flyover and people wav- ing Chinese flags and singing pa- triotic songs, in some ways re- called the mass events held by Mao Zedong, communist China’s founding leader. Xi even wore a grey but- toned-up suit like the ones favoured by Mao and spoke from the same balcony atop Tiananmen Gate where the rev- olutionary leader declared the start of communist rule in 1949. More than 70,000 people at- tended Thursday, according to the official Xinhua News Agency. Xi, who heads the party and is thought to be considering a third term starting next year, re- ceived the biggest applause when he said the party had CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Xi’s warning: Broken heads, bloodshed if bid to bully China NAVEED IQBAL SRINAGAR, JULY 1 WITH THE Delimitation Commission set to visit Jammu and Kashmir next week, key mainstream political parties in the Valley including the National Conference and the People’s Conference are likely to partici- pate in the discussions with the Commission, sources told The Indian Express. The Commission is sched- uled to visit J&K between July 6 and July 9 and hold discussions with political parties, public rep- resentatives and officials of the UT administration for redrawing of boundaries of Assembly seats. People’s Conference Chairman Sajad Lone said if CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Valley parties open to discussions with delimitation panel A delegation of leaders from Kargil at North Block, New Delhi, on Thursday. Abhinav Saha THE IDEAS PAGE RULE OF LAW VS RULE BY LAW BY CJI N V RAMANA PAGE 11 Zydus Cadila seeks nod for world’s first DNA Covid vaccine Says 3-dose ZyCov-D effective against Delta variant; 50 million doses by Dec AN EXPRESS INVESTIGATION PART 4 Regulator’s high table to company boardroom: India Inc’s prize pickings IRDAI head joins insurance firm boards; RBI Dy Governor moves as bank director KRISHN KAUSHIK, PRANAV MUKUL & SANDEEP SINGH NEW DELHI, JULY 1 IF INDIA Inc flaunts retired civil servants on its boards as direc- tors, regulators are its prize catch. Registrar of Companies and Ministry of Corporate Affairs records investigated by The Indian Express show that over the last 11 years, at least six heads of top regulatory bodies, and two senior associates, took director- ships with private companies within their regulatory domain raising questions of propriety and conflict of interest. In some cases, even the norm on cooling- off period was given the go-by. Among top regulators, mar- kets monitor Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has a one-year period before its chairman or whole-time mem- ber can accept other employ- ment after tenure. The Reserve Bank of India also has a cooling- off period of one year for its Governor and Deputy Governors. Anti-trust watchdog Competition Commission of India's members cannot accept, for two years after tenure, em- ployment linked to an enterprise that has been part of proceed- ings before it. As for Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), the chairperson or whole-time members cannot ac- cept employment under Central orStategovernmentsoranycom- pany in the insurance sector for a period of two years after tenure. Now, consider an illustrative compilation of top regulators, and associates, who have joined boards of companies linked to their regulatory domain: T S Vijayan: Head of IRDAI CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday. AP Ajit Pawar has declined to comment Behind Mumbai fake vaccine scam: a medical association clerk, a hospital picked as centre Shivam Hospital owners Dr Shivraj Pataria and wife Neeta. Express How ZyCov-D works E● EXPLAINED 9 EU COUNTRIES TO ACCEPT COVISHIELD PAGE 5 ZYCOV-D uses a “plasmid DNA” platform containing a genetically engineered version of a type of DNA molecule that contains the code for the spike protein, which allows the SARS- CoV-2 virus to infect cells and cause disease, thereby helping the body build an immune response. EXPLAINED PAGE 13 New Delhi
Transcript of PM praises E doctors, tells them to take up
BUSINESS AS USUAL
BYUNNY
DA ILY FROM: AHMEDABAD , CHAND IGARH , DELH I , JA IPUR , KOLKATA , LUCKNOW, MUMBAI , NAGPUR , PUNE , VADODARA
FRIDAY, JULY 2, 2021, NEW DELHI, LATE CITY, 18 PAGES `6.00 (`8 BIHAR & RAIPUR, `12 SRINAGAR) WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM
GARGIVERMARAIPUR, JULY1
KORSA SUKKA, 17, has beenhomeatSukma inChhattisgarhnow for more than a year. In2018, hehadmoved into a 'PotaCabinSchool',36kmfromhisvil-lage, as part of a governmentschemeacrossthestate'sNaxal-hitareastohousechildrencloserto district headquarters.However, since the Covid lock-down, the schools have beenshut, and Korsa, who left forhomewithouthisbooks,sayshishopesofreturningaredimmingeveryday.
Around30,000childrenin60Pota Cabin Schools (named sobecausetheyaremadeofpotaorbamboo as it is locally known,and other impermanentmate-rial), across Bijapur, Sukma,DantewadaandNarayanpurdis-tricts,areinasimilarsituationasKorsa.Theschemewasmeanttobring children fromremoteandinaccessible areaswith few ed-ucation opportunities to theblockheadquarters,wheretheseresidential schools, with fur-nished classrooms and play-grounds, are located.Apart from education, the
schemeaimstobringpropernu-trition to children housed in
these residentialquarters.Before the lockdown hit in
Marchlastyear,halfof thoseen-rolled in schools in Dantewadadistrictwere in such residentialschools, including the ashramschools set up by the govern-ment in the 19 tribal districts ofthe state. "Only 50% of the chil-drenweredayscholars.Childrenalsolivedintribalhostels,whicharedifferentfromashrams,"saysaseniordistrictofficial.Thetotalnumber of children in residen-tial schools in the state wasaroundtwo lakh.Officials fear thatwith these
residential schools shut, morethan 50,000 childrenwho have
no access to the Internet haveslipped out of the net. "The en-tirepointof themstayingatPotaCabinSchoolswasthattheyhavenoconnectivity in theirvillages.Some of the senior studentscomesporadicallytocheckif theschoolswillopenanytimesoon,but the younger children havenot returned. There are no newadmissions either," says awar-den inBijapur.Recently, student bodies
held a protest in Koyalibedablock of Kanker, where theyclaimed that more than 3,000children in thatblockalonehaddroppedoutof school since thepandemicbegan.
In Bastar, officials fear thatthe50,000-oddchildrennowathome could veer towardsNaxals. "They are educatedenoughtowritebanners, lettersand posters forMaoists and yetyoungenoughtobeideologicallybrainwashed," a senior IPS offi-cerinBastarsays."Duringrecentprotests, we have seen a rise ofchildrenbetweentheagesof16-18, who are now being used asmouthpieces and shields. Mostofthemwereenrolledinschoolsearlier."Security officials believe the
Maoistshavealso strengthenedtheir recruitment networks in-side these inaccessible villages
amidst the pandemic. "The en-tirety of 2020providedMaoistsample time for recruitment.Parentssendtheirchildrenawayfrom these regions either forgainful employment as farmhands or for education. But thepandemichasforcedthemtore-turn,"saysanofficial,addingthatMaoists are also enrolling thechildren in the schools run bythemthathaven't shut.While denying thatMaoists
had strengthened their recruit-ment among school-going chil-dren, Bastar IGPSundarraj con-firms that a rising number ofstudents are being seen at
CONTINUEDONPAGE2
PAGE1ANCHOR
‘PotaCabinSchools’weresetupforchildrenfromremoteareas inNaxal-hitareasofChhattisgarh.Express
SHEDDING CROCODILE FEARSAcrocodilewasspottedona lane inKogilabanavillage, inKarwar,KarnatakaonThursday.Forestofficials later released it intothenearbyKali river.PTI
Residential schools shut, students home, officials fear Maoist influence
JOURNALISM OF COURAGESINCE 1932
WORLD
ASDELTAVARIANTSURGES, OUTBREAKSINMANYCOUNTRIESTRUMPORGANISATIONCFOSURRENDERSAHEADOFCHARGESPAGE 14
GOVT&POLITICS
NIA COURTDISCHARGESAKHILGOGOI IN UAPACASEPAGE 5
WORKING TOWARDSPREVENTINGDRONEATTACKS: ARMYCHIEF PAGE 6
STUDYONADOLESCENTSONGOING
PM praisesdoctors, tellsthem to take upstudies on yoga
KAUNAINSHERIFFMNEWDELHI, JULY1
PRIME MINISTER NarendraModionThursdayrequestedtheIndian Medical Association(IMA) to take up “evidence-based studies” on yoga in “mis-sionmode”.With 49 per cent of India's
vulnerablepopulationof age60and above having been given atleast one dose of the Covid-19vaccine, the Prime Ministerpraiseddoctors—whowerethefirsttobeadministeredtheshots—forplayingacrucialroleinen-couraging vaccine “enthusiasmandconfidence” in thecountry.
CONTINUEDONPAGE2
PRABHARAGHAVANNEWDELHI, JULY1
ZYDUSCADILA,the Ahmedabad-headquartered pharmaceuticalcompany,hasapproachedIndia'stopdrug regulator for restrictedemergencyapprovalforZyCov-D,itsthree-doseCovid-19vaccine.If approved for use, this
would be theworld's first DNAvaccineagainstCovid-19.The vaccine, which was
tested in late-stagehumanclin-ical trials involving over 28,000participants, has been found tohave a primary efficacy of 66.6per cent so far — this means itwasabletobringdownsympto-maticcasesofCovid-19inthosewho received the vaccine bynearly 67 per cent comparedwith thosewho did not receiveavaccine.
CONTINUEDONPAGE2
APURVAVISHWANATHNEWDELHI, JULY1
THE SUPREME Court ThursdaydismissedtheCentre’spleaseek-ing a review of itsMay 5 rulingthat the power to identifySocially and EducationallyBackwardClasses(SEBC)liesex-clusivelywith the Central gov-ernmentandnotstatesforgrant-ingquota in jobsandeducation.
With the review plea dis-missed, the Centre can nowmoveacurativewritpetition,thelastlegalresortavailabletorem-edya judgmentof theSupremeCourt, or address the issuethroughParliament.A five-judge bench headed
by Justice Ashok Bhushan said:“We have gone through the re-view petition filed against thejudgment dated 05.05.2021 inWrit Petition (C) No.938/2020.
Thegroundstakeninthereviewpetition do not fall within thelimitedgroundonwhichreviewpetitioncanbeconsidered.”The bench, also comprising
Justices L Nageswara Rao, SAbdul Nazeer, Hemant Guptaand S Ravindra Bhat, said: “Thevariousgroundstakeninthere-viewpetitionhavealreadybeendealtwithinthemainjudgment.We do not find any sufficient
CONTINUEDONPAGE2
SC rejects Centre’s plea to reviewruling against state power on SEBCs
TABASSUMBARNAGARWALA&JAYPRAKASHSNAIDUMUMBAI, JULY1
COVIDHADleftBankofBaroda'sMaladbranchmanagerPramodKumar on oxygen support fornine days last year. Seven othercolleagueshadalsogotinfected,leaving themwary of handlingcustomers. So in April, when along-term account holder,
MahendraPratapSingh,offeredvaccination, Kumar jumped attheopportunity.The vaccination campwas
planned at ShivamHospital forstaffersandtheir family,around40 people in all, for Rs 800 pershot. At the last minute, thevenue for the second dosewasshiftedtothebankbranchofficeonMay 25. Singh and two oth-ers arrived that day carrying anice-box with vials. While theynoteddownnamesandAadhaar
numbersof thebeneficiaries,noone mentioned Co-WIN. Thebankemployeesnoticedthis,butdidn't thinkmuchabout it.The first doubts arosewhen
the 40 received neither their fi-nal vaccination certificate nordid their second dose reflect onCo-WIN. Twenty days later, abank employee noticed aWhatsAppforwardaboutanar-rest in a fake vaccination scam;themanwasSingh.
CONTINUEDONPAGE2
JOHNSONTABENGALURU, JULY1
ON JUNE 23, the Central CrimeBranchunit of Bengalurupoliceissuedapress releaseon thear-restof fivepersons,allegedlyin-volved in peddling drugs toyouths in the IT sector, and theseizure of Rs 30 lakh worth ofMDMA,LSDandhashish.There-lease didnot name the arrestedpersons.
Thenextday, police issuedapressreleaseonthearrestof twoCameroonians who were al-legedly dealing in counterfeitforeign currency and overstay-inginIndiabeyondtheexpiryoftheir visas. Again, the press re-lease didnot name the arrestedpersons.Over the last fortnight,
Bengaluru police have startedleaving out names and blurringphotographsofarrestedpersonsfrom press releases on account
of a June 15 order of theKarnatakaHighCourt,directingpolice to stop identification ofsuspects in announcements tothemedia.During thehearingof apeti-
tion, filed by advocate HNagabhushan Rao against thedisclosure of investigation de-tails by police to themedia, theHighCourtsaidpoliceshouldnotrevealdetailsof casesbefore in-vestigations are completed and
CONTINUEDONPAGE2
After HC order, Bengaluru policeblur photos, stop naming accused
KHUSHBOONARAYANMUMBAI, JULY1
THEENFORCEMENTDirectorate(ED) has provisionally attachedland, machinery and buildingsworthRs65.75croreownedbyacooperativesugarmill inSatara,inacaseof allegedfraudrelatedto Maharashtra StateCooperative (MSC) Bank inwhich the agency had earlier
named NCP supremo SharadPawar and Deputy ChiefMinisterAjit Pawar.The ED has alleged that the
funds used to purchase the co-
operative mill, JarandeshwarSahkari Sugar Karkhana, wererouted through another sugarmill, which in turn received themoney from Sparkling Soil PvtLtd. Ajit and wife Sunetra aremajority shareholders inSparklingSoil.Themove comes a day after
Maharashtra BJP presidentChandrakant Patil wrote toUnionHomeMinisterAmitShah
CONTINUEDONPAGE2
ED attaches mill properties, linksit to probe against Ajit Pawar
KENMORITSUGUBEIJING, JULY1
CHINESE PRESIDENT Xi Jinpingwarned Thursday that anyonewho tries to bully China “willface broken heads and blood-shed,”inadefiantspeechhailingthe country’s rise that elicitedloudcheersfromacarefullycho-sencrowdatacelebrationof thecentenaryof thefoundingof therulingCommunistParty.In unusually forceful lan-
guage,Xi appeared tobehittingback at the US and others thathavecriticisedtherisingpower’strade and technology policies,military expansion and humanrights record.In an hour-long speech, he
alsosaidthenationmuststicktoits one-party rule, emphasisingthe communists’ role in liftingChina toglobalprominence.The rally, which featured a
militaryflyoverandpeoplewav-ingChineseflagsandsingingpa-triotic songs, in someways re-called themass events held by
MaoZedong,communistChina’sfounding leader.Xi even wore a grey but-
toned-up suit like the onesfavouredbyMaoandspokefromthe same balcony atopTiananmenGatewheretherev-olutionary leader declared thestartofcommunistrulein1949.Morethan70,000peopleat-
tended Thursday, according totheofficialXinhuaNewsAgency.Xi,whoheads the party and
is thought to be considering athirdtermstartingnextyear,re-ceived the biggest applausewhen he said the party had
CONTINUEDONPAGE2
Xi’s warning: Brokenheads, bloodshed ifbid to bully China
NAVEEDIQBALSRINAGAR, JULY1
WITH THE DelimitationCommission set to visit Jammuand Kashmir next week, keymainstream political parties intheValleyincludingtheNationalConference and the People’sConference are likely to partici-pate in thediscussionswith the
Commission, sources told TheIndianExpress.The Commission is sched-
uled to visit J&K between July 6and July 9 and hold discussionswithpoliticalparties,publicrep-resentatives and officials of theUTadministrationforredrawingofboundariesofAssemblyseats.People’s Conference
Chairman Sajad Lone said ifCONTINUEDONPAGE2
Valley parties opento discussions withdelimitation panel
Adelegationof leaders fromKargilatNorthBlock,NewDelhi,onThursday.AbhinavSaha
THE IDEASPAGE
RULEOFLAWVSRULEBYLAWBYCJINVRAMANAPAGE11
Zydus Cadila seeksnod forworld’s firstDNACovid vaccineSays3-doseZyCov-DeffectiveagainstDeltavariant;50milliondosesbyDec
ANEXPRESSINVESTIGATION PART4
Regulator’s hightable to companyboardroom: IndiaInc’s prize pickingsIRDAIheadjoins insurancefirmboards;RBIDyGovernormovesasbankdirector
KRISHNKAUSHIK,PRANAVMUKUL&SANDEEPSINGHNEWDELHI, JULY1
IF INDIA Inc flaunts retired civilservants on its boards as direc-tors,regulatorsareitsprizecatch.Registrar of Companies and
Ministry of Corporate Affairsrecords investigated by TheIndianExpressshowthatoverthelast11years,at leastsixheadsoftop regulatory bodies, and twosenior associates, took director-ships with private companieswithin their regulatory domainraising questions of proprietyand conflict of interest. In somecases,eventhenormoncooling-off periodwasgiventhego-by.Among top regulators,mar-
kets monitor Securities andExchange Board of India (SEBI)has a one-year period before itschairman orwhole-timemem-
ber can accept other employ-ment after tenure. The ReserveBankof India alsohas a cooling-off period of one year for itsGovernorandDeputyGovernors.Anti-trust watchdog
Competition Commission ofIndia'smembers cannotaccept,for two years after tenure, em-ploymentlinkedtoanenterprisethat has been part of proceed-ingsbefore it.As for Insurance Regulatory
andDevelopment Authority ofIndia (IRDAI), the chairpersonorwhole-timememberscannotac-cept employmentunderCentralorStategovernmentsoranycom-panyintheinsurancesectorforaperiodof twoyearsaftertenure.Now,consideranillustrative
compilation of top regulators,andassociates,whohavejoinedboards of companies linked totheir regulatorydomain:T S Vijayan:Head of IRDAI
CONTINUEDONPAGE2
ChinesePresidentXi JinpinginBeijingonThursday.AP
AjitPawarhasdeclinedtocomment
Behind Mumbai fake vaccine scam: a medicalassociation clerk, a hospital picked as centre
ShivamHospitalownersDrShivrajPatariaandwifeNeeta. Express
HowZyCov-DworksE●EX
PLAINED
9EUCOUNTRIES TOACCEPTCOVISHIELDPAGE5
ZYCOV-Dusesa “plasmidDNA”platformcontainingageneticallyengineeredversionof a typeofDNAmolecule that contains thecode for thespikeprotein,whichallows theSARS-CoV-2virus to infect cellsandcausedisease, therebyhelping thebodybuildanimmuneresponse.
EXPLAINEDPAGE 13
New Delhi
THESECONDPAGE2 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COMTHEINDIANEXPRESS,FRIDAY, JULY2,2021
WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM
ShyamlalYadavjoinshostSnigdhaSharmatodiscusshis investigativereportsthathighlightedhowhalfof theindependentdirectorsonPSUboardshavetieswiththeBJP.
DOWNLOADAPP
MEET THEMIZORAMAPPLESNAIL: INDIA’S NEWESTSPECIESOF FRESHWATERSNAILThesnail,giventhecommonnameMizoramAppleSnail,hasashellheightanddiameterofabout2.5cm.Itshabitathasperennialwaterfallsandthesnailwasfoundamongalgaeandsemi-aquaticplantsinthesprayorsplashzonesofthewaterfalls.
TECH ENTERTAINMENT
APPLE IPADOS15PUBLICBETA
3little thingsthatmakeabigdifference
WEB
EXCLUSIVE
SCANTHISQRCODETODOWNLOADTHEAPP
BESTANDWORSTHINDI FILMSOF2021
Sherni,Radhe,SandeepAurPinkyFaraaronthe list
■VISUAL STORIES
■ DAILY BRIEFING
■ PODCASTS
■ CUSTOMIZABLENEWS EXPERIENCE
IndianExpress★★★★★■4.6
Are independentdirectorsof India’sPSUsreally independent?NEWEPISODEEVERYDAY
Prize pickingsfrom February 21, 2013 toFebruary20,2018.Tookupsev-eral board positionswithin thetwo-year cooling period:MuthootMicrofin(May15,2018till date); Nippon Life IndiaTrustee(June29,2018to Jan28,2020); ShriramProperties (Nov2018till date).MuthootMicrofin is a sub-
sidiary of Muthoot Fincorp,which is in insurance brokingthrough its subsidiaryMuthootRisk Insurance and BrokingServices. Nippon Life IndiaTrustee, formerly known asReliance Capital Trustee Co Ltd,is a subsidiary of Nippon LifeInsurance Company (Japan).Nippon Life Insurance has a 49per cent stake in RelianceNipponLifeInsuranceCompany.Also joined the boards of
Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance andBajaj Allianz General InsuranceonApril1,2020,butvacatedtheseatson July17,2020.InAugust2020,Vijayanwas
issued a show-cause notice bythe Centre to explain why hejoined the board of Yes Bank inDecember2018,allegedlywith-out taking approval -- he waswithYesBanktillMarch5,2020.Vijayan said: “None of the
companiesI joinedareinthein-surancesector.”Ashok Chawla:Headed CCI
from January 2011 to January 7,2016; retired as FinanceSecretary in January 2011.Within twomonths of leavingCCI, joined Yes Bank board asnon-executive director onMarch 5, 2016; sevenmonthslater, became bank chairman.Resigned inNovember2018af-ter being named in a CBIchargesheet on alleged corrup-tioncharges.In April 2018, joined Jet
Airways board. In November2015,underChawla,theCCIhadfinedthreeairlines,includingJet,for contravention of anti-trust
regulations. JetAirwayswaspe-nalisedRs151.69crore,thehigh-est of the three. InMarch 2018,on appeal, the CCI reduced Jet'spenaltytoRs39.8crore--penal-ties for the other twowere alsoslashed.Joined the National Stock
Exchange board onMarch 28,2016, and later named chair-man.Was on board of Reliance
NipponLifeInsuranceCompanyfrom March-Sep 2018. OnFebruary 3, 2016, almost amonthafterheretiredfromCCI,the regulator allowed NipponLife to increase its shareholdingin Reliance Life Insurance to 49percent.Chawla said: “I demittedof-
ficeasChairpersonof theCCI inJanuary2016.SinceIhadalreadysuperannuated from theGovernmentinJanuary2011,theone-yearcooling-offdidnotap-ply to me. I was subject toSection 12 of the CompetitionAct where I could not be con-nected for two years with themanagementof anyenterprise,whichhadbeenapartytoapro-ceeding before the CCI. As thiswasnotattracted ineithercase,Iwasnotbarredorconflicted intakingupaBoardpositionintheNSEorYesBank.”He said: “Further, a Stock
Exchange and a Bank are regu-lated entities -- the former bySEBIandthelatterbytheRBI.Assuch, appointments to theirboards require the specific ap-proval of the regulator. My ap-pointmentsbecameeffectivein2016onlyafter theNSEandYesBank had applied to and ob-tained the approval of SEBI andRBI, respectively. There wasnothing in my role asChairperson,CCI,andbeforethatas FinanceSecretary,whichputme in direct conflict with myroleasaDirectorintheseorgan-isations.”U K Sinha: SEBI chairman
fromFebruary18,2011toMarch
1,2017.JoinedboardofSaumitraResearchandConsulting(Jan10,2018) before end of cooling-offperiod--thecompanyhassincebeenstruckoff.JoinedboardofHavellsIndia
(March 1, 2018), Vedanta Ltd(March13,2018),HDFCLimited(April 30, 2018) and AavishkarVentureManagement Services(May2018).JoinedboardofMaxHealthcare Institute, which gotlistedinAugustlastyear, inJune2019.Sinhadeclined tocomment.Urjit Patel: RBI Governor
from September 4, 2016 toDecember11,2018.JoinedboardofshippingmajorGreatEasternShippingCompanyonAugust1,2020.JoinedboardsofBritanniaIndustries (March31,2021)andJohnCockerill India Ltd (April 1,2021).Patel did not respond to re-
quests for comment.Dhanendra Kumar: CCI
chief fromFebruary28,2009toJune 5, 2011. Founded a com-pany, Competition AdvisoryServices, on October 13, 2011and ismanagingdirector.The company, according to
its website, offers “nicheAdvisory and Consulting firm,providing expert and strategicassistance in the fields ofCompetition Law, Regulatoryand Government Policies andMarketEntryStrategies”.Kumar's profile on theweb-
site states that after retirement,he “headed the Experts’Committee to frame the DraftNational Competition Policy,andsuggestingamendmentstotheCompetitionAct,2002”;andchaired “the Committee of ex-pertsof theMinistryofHousingtosuggestregulatoryreformsinthe real estateandhousing sec-tor”.Kumar said: “I am overseas,
can’t respond in detail, but allruleswere followed.”SudhirMital: joined CCI as
member on April 11, 2014, re-tired as acting chairman onNovember 9, 2018. JoinedHindalcoboardonNovember11,2019.In2018,asCCImember,was
part of a bench that passed anorder in a2015 case againstAVBirla company UltraTechCement for allegedly hiding in-formationduringanacquisitionof cement assets of JaiprakashAssociates.CCI noted that Kumar
Mangalam Birla and his family(KMFamilyinrecords)hadsub-stantial shareholding in twoother cement companies,Century Textiles and Industriesand Kesoram Industries, whichwasnotconveyedtoCCI.TheKMFamily also owned 34.59 percent sharesofHindalco, theCCInoted. It penalised the KMFamily Rs 50 lakh for allegedlyhiding information.AsCCImember,hesatonthe
bench looking at nine othercases involving JaiprakashAssociates,oneofwhichalsoin-cluded UltraTech Cements. OnNovember7,2020,twodaysbe-forecooling-off periodgotover,joined the board of JaiprakashPower Ventures Ltd, which is asubsidiary of JaiprakashAssociates.Joinedalimitedliabilityfirm,
Kisco Business Centre, onDecember 27, 2018 as a desig-nated partner -- less than twomonthsafter retirement.Mital did not respond to re-
quests seekingcomment.Rama Subramaniam
Gandhi: Retired as RBI DeputyGovernor on April 2, 2017; su-pervisorydomainincludedpay-ments systems, IT, Departmentof Banking Operations andDevelopment, andDepartmentofNon-BankingSupervision.According to RoC records,
joined the board of Jana SmallFinanceBankonMarch21,2018.SteppeddowninMay2019,con-tinues as senior advisor. In June2018, joined as an advisor in e-payments giant PayTM, and di-
rectorinElectronicPaymentandServicesPvtLtd,whichdescribesitself as a retail banking techprovider.Gandhi said: “I did not join
anyBoardbeforecompletingtheone-yearcoolingperiod.I joinedJanaSFB inMay2018and in theMay2018meetingonly,myap-pointmentasadirectorwasap-proved. As Dy Governor I hadhandled functions relating toregulation of banks and pay-ment system entities amongother duties. I do not considerhandlinganyof these functionsis in conflict withmy role as aDirector in these companies af-teragapof ayear.”AnandSinha:RetiredasRBI
DeputyGovernoronJanuary18,2014; was in charge of regula-tionof commercial banks, non-banking financial companies,urbancooperativebanksandIT.Joined board of IDFC Bank
(nowIDFCFirstBank) inAugust2016. RBI had granted “in-prin-ciple” bank licence toInfrastructure DevelopmentFinance Co in April 2014, threemonthsafterSinharetired.JoinedboardofKKRARCLtd,
the asset reconstruction armofglobal equity firm KKR, inDecember2016.Memberof theGST Network board since June2016.Sinha said: “I joined the
Boardof the IDFCBankon theirrequestwellaftermyretirementfromRBIandassuchinmyviewtherewasnoconflictof interest.The bank in fact would havebenefittedfrommyexpertiseingaining better understandingand appreciation of regulatoryrequirements and the spirit ofregulationsleadingtobetterad-herence to the requirements.”
SEBCsground to entertain this reviewpetition. The review petition isdismissed.”InMay, thebenchhadunan-
imouslystruckdowntheMaha-rashtra lawgranting reservationtotheMarathacommunityinad-missionsandgovernmentjobsinthestate.Butina2:3splitverdictin the samecase, thebenchalsoheld that after the 102ndConstitutional amendment,states had no power to identifySEBCsforgrantingreservation.The Constitution (One
Hundred and Second Amend-ment) Act, 2018 gives constitu-tional status to the NationalBackwardClasses Commission.It also gives the President pow-ers tonotifybackwardclasses.
Bengaluru policeasked the state government to
issuedirections in this regard.“Weareoftheviewthatvery
comprehensive directions arerequired to be issued to thepo-lice for ensuring that beforecompletionof theinvestigation,theydonotdivulgethenatureofthe investigation, thematerialcollected during the investiga-tion etc.,'' a division benchheaded by Chief Justice AbhayShreeniwasOkasaid.“The other direction will
havetoberegardingprohibitionondisclosing the identityof thecomplainant and the accused,”the bench said. It said punitiveactionwill have to be enforcedagainst police officers for viola-tionofdirections.Thestategov-ernment was asked to imple-ment the directions in fourweeks.In hiswrit petition inwhich
11Kannada televisionchannelsandtheMinistryof Informationand Broadcasting have beennamed as respondents,Nagabhushan Rao said policewere providing details of casesbefore completionof investiga-tionsandthiswouldhampertheprocessof justice in thecourts.The High Court ordered the
inclusion of theKarnataka gov-ernment in thematter and is-sued directions against reveal-ing case details while they areunder investigation.Thematter has beenposted
forJuly20fortheKarnatakagov-ernment to report compliance.
Xi warningrestored China’s dignity afterdecades of subjugation toWestern powers and Japan inthe19thand20thcenturies,andturneditintotheworld’ssecondlargest economy in recentdecades.“TheChinesepeoplewillab-
solutely not allow any foreignforcetobully,oppressorenslaveusandanyonewhoattempts todosowillfacebrokenheadsandbloodshed in front of the ironGreat Wall of the 1.4 billionChinese people,” said Xi, whohaseliminatedlimitsonhistimeinoffice,promptingspeculationthathecouldruleforlife,asMaodid.The strong language ap-
pearedaimedatrevvingupandplaying toadomestic audience.The strongest elements of it —thereferences tobashingheadsand bloodshed—were left outof statemedia’sEnglishtransla-tionof thequote.Xi declared that China had
restoredorderinHongKongfol-lowing anti-governmentprotests in 2019 and reiteratedtheCommunistParty’sdetermi-
nation to bring self-governingTaiwanunder its control.Both policies have been
widely criticised byWesterndemocracies. —AP
Maoist influenceprotests organised byMaoists.“Wewilltrytobringtheseyouthto the mainstreamwhenevertheschoolsopen,”hesays.Officials in Raipur say they
hope to reopen the residentialschools very soon, with thepremises kept ready forwhen-ever the students arrive.However, as an EducationDepartment official says, theyhave to be extra careful as thechances of Covid infection arehigh among students sharinglivingquarters.It's been a fortnight already
since the online classes for thenew session began on June 16.The state government has an-nounced rewards for studentsand teachers for initiatives tokeep classes going. A longwayfromall that,Korsasays, “I likedgoing to school. I wanted to getoutofSukma,studytobecomeaveterinarian. But it feels all toodistant. Howwill I go back toschool at the age of 20, if theschoolsdon'topentill then?”
Zydus CadilaEven though this efficacy is
lower than that of most otherCovid-19 vaccines approved inIndia, the strength of ZyCov-Dlies in its effectiveness againstthe Delta variant of the virus,ZydusCadilamanagingdirectorDrSharvil Patel said.“Thestudywasperformedat
50differentclinical sitesspreadacross the country during thepeak of the second wave ofCovid-19, which reaffirms thevaccine’s efficacy against thenewmutant strain, the Deltastrain,”Patelsaidatapresscon-ferenceonThursdayevening.Almost 27.61 crore people
have been inoculated with atleastonedoseofvaccineinIndiaso far, the bulk of them beingSerum Institute of India'sCovishield. A little more than28.61 lakh shotswere adminis-tered on June 30, but vaccina-tions have averaged over 55.6lakhdoseseverydayoverthe10dayssinceJune21,whenthenewvaccinationpolicykicked in.Zydus Cadila has also tested
ZyCov-D’s safety and ability topromptanimmuneresponseina trial involving 1,000 adoles-centsbetweentheagesof12and18 years. However, it is unclearat this stagewhether the com-pany ispushing forapproval forthisagegroup.
The company has also beenevaluating the possibility of us-ingatwo-doseregimenofZyCov-D, stating that it had found thisdosingregimentopromptanim-mune response “equivalent” tothethree-doseregimen.TwodosesofZyCov-Dmight
be sufficient to prevent severedisease and death, but threedosesmay be required in ordertopreventmoderatesymptomsof Covid, as per the company'sinterim analysis of its clinicaltrial results.Zydus Cadila plans to pro-
duce 100million-120milliondoses of ZyCov-D annually —whichwouldbesufficientforupto 40million people receivingthreedoses.Thecompany’snewfacility tomanufacture the vac-cine is expected to be ready bytheendof July, Patel said.Thecompanyexpectstosup-
ply50milliondosesof ZyCov-Dto India byDecember. This is inline with the Centre’s recentsubmission to the SupremeCourt that ZyCov-Dwould ac-count for 50million of the 1.35billion doses to be supplied toIndia between August andDecember thisyear.ZyCov-Dworksusinga“plas-
midDNA”platform—itcontainsageneticallyengineeredversionof a type of DNA moleculeknownasaplasmid.Similar to mRNA vaccines,
the plasmid DNA contains thecode for the spike protein thatallows the SARS-CoV-2 virus toinfect cells and cause disease.Thisisexpectedtohelpthebodybuildan immuneresponse.
PM praiseThePrimeMinister'srequest
to doctors to study yoga comesat a timewhen the IMA,whichdescribes itself as“theonlyrep-resentative, national voluntaryorganisation of Doctors ofModern Scientific System ofMedicine”, hasdeclaredwaronyogaguruRamdev,whohas re-peatedly run down allopathicmedicineinthefightagainstthecoronavirus.“You knowmedical science,
you are the expert and the spe-cialist. It is naturally easy for anIndian to understand yoga.Whenyoustudyyoga,thewholeworldtakesitveryseriously,”thePrimeMinistersaidduringavir-tual interactionwithdoctorsonNationalDoctors'Day.“Can IMA take it forward in
missionmode,cantakeevidence-basedstudiesonyogaforwardinascientificway?”heasked.“Efforts can also be made
that studies on yoga are pub-lished in international journals
and publicized. These studies, Iamsure,willencouragedoctorsacross theworld tomake theirpatients more aware of yoga,”thePrimeMinister said.Already, doctors are con-
tributingtheirtimetoevidence-based studies on the benefits ofyoga indealingwithpost-Covidcomplications,” Modi said.“...People from themedical fra-ternity have come forward tospread awareness about yoga.Theworkthatshouldhavebeendone in the last century afterIndependence to propagateyoga,isbeingdonenow,”hesaid.“Evidence-based studies are
being conducted bymany insti-tutes associatedwithmodernmedical science on how yoga-pranayamaishavingapositiveef-fectonthehealthofpeopleinthistime of Corona, on howyoga ishelping to dealwith post-Covidcomplications...Manyofyouarespendingalotof timeonthis.”Underlining the crucial role
played by doctors, Modi said:“Beit thecountry's fightagainstCorona, or the country's goal ofimproving themedical system,allofyouhavetoplayanimpor-tantrole...Forexample,whenallofyougotthevaccineinthefirstphase, it increased enthusiasmand confidence about the vac-cine in thecountrymanifold.“Similarly,whenyouaskpeo-
ple to follow the appropriateCovidbehaviour,peoplefollowitwith full devotion. I would likeyoutoplaythisrolemoreactively,expandyourscopeevenmore.”Modi emphasised the im-
portance of documenting doc-tors' experience of critical as-pects of the pandemic in detail,and said the record would bevery helpful for all of humanityin the future.“Documentation of your ex-
perienceswith patients is veryimportant... There shouldbede-taileddocumentationof thepa-tient'ssymptoms,treatmentplan,andresponse.Itcanalsobeintheformof a research study,whichnotestheeffectsofvariousdrugsandtreatments...,”Modisaid.
Ajit Pawardemanding a CBI probe againstAjit inconnectionwith thecaseof Sachin Waze. The formerMumbai Police officer is underinvestigationoverexplosivesbe-ing found outside MukeshAmbani'shome.InSeptember2019,amonth
before the Assembly polls inMaharashtra, the ED had regis-tered amoney laundering caseagainst Pawar and Ajit, in con-nection with an alleged Rs25,000crorescamatMSCBank.Ajitdeclinedtocommenton
the latest development, statingthathewasnotawareofanyno-ticebeingserved.
Valley partiesinvited, the partywillmeet themembers of the DelimitationCommission.“Wearenotaversetojoiningtheprocessofdelimi-tation but it has to be fair andtransparent, not only betweenthe two regions (Kashmir andJammu) but alsowithin the re-gions,”hesaid.Observing that J&K’s politi-
cal leadershiphastoensurethat“Delhi delivers”, Lone said, “Wehavetocreateanenablingenvi-ronment for that.” Refuting anyboycottofpolls,hesaid,“Thereisa need to understand that suchactionhasyieldednoresults.Weshould look at the other side aswell askeepingawaytheoppo-nentscouldbea trap.”Meanwhile,thePDPhassaid
thematter of participationwillbe discussed only after an invi-tation isextended.In a communique issued
Wednesday, the Commissionstatedthedecisionwastakenaf-ter ameeting chairedby Justice(retired)RanjanaPrakashDesai,and attended by Chief ElectionCommissionerSushilChandra.
FULLREPORTSONwww.indianexpress.com
FROMPAGEONE
EXP E S EDU TIONR S CA
Contact for Advt. Booking: M/s Friends Publicity Service
Ph.: 23276901, 23282028 (M):9212008155, 9212665841.
Says a shaken Kumar,“When there is good faith, noone suspects anything. Thismanworked in health circles,had a bank account with ussince2013.Wetrustedhim."The employees of Bank of
Baroda are believed to havebeenamongthefirstvictimsofSinghandhisaccomplices,whoareallegedtohaveheldat leastnine driveswith fake vaccinesacrossMumbai. So far, policehaveregistered10FIRs,counted2,680'victims',manyofwhomwere injected actually withsalinewater,andputthegang'searningsatoverRs26lakh.At the heart of it was 39-
year-oldSingh.AClass 10dropout, Singh's
link tomedicine is the15yearshe spent as a clerk with theMaladMedicalAssociation,giv-inghimaccess to2,000doctormembers, pharmaceutical ag-ents andmarketing guys. Thescambegansoonaftertheasso-ciation fired Singh inApril formisusingitsnameandpremises.Next came in Shivam
Hospital owners Dr ShivrajPataria andwifeNeeta,whom
Singh knewwell. One of thehospitals enlisted as a privatevaccination centrewith BMC,Shivam Hospital got 23,350dosesfromthegovernmentforRs 150 each and used 22,826.While BMC AssistantCommissionerSanjayKurhadesaystheytookbacktheleftoverdoses,Mumbai Police believesthe hospital kept the vials andthesearewhatwereusedinthedrives -- in the early days, atleast somemayhavehad gen-uinevaccines.ThePatarias, in turn, are al-
leged tohave roped inManishTripathi,who runsKnowledgeCentreforEducationalPlanningPvtLtd,aprivatecoachinginsti-tute formedical andengineer-ingstudents,fromarentedspaceinShivamHospital. Tripathi al-legedlyenlistedthreeofhisstu-dents for transporting andad-ministering vaccines -- KarimAkbarAli, Roshni Patel andAjitBenwasi,agedbetween19-20.Singh’sfriendSanjayGupta,
an eventmanager, reportedlyhelped arrange the drives,schedule the times and figure
out logistics. In May, SeemaAhujaandShrikantMane,whohad lost jobs due to the pan-demic at travel agency Cox &Kings, reportedly joinedGuptaandSingh.Also an accused is Rajesh
Pandey, Singh's friend and amarketing executive withKokilabenDhirubhai AmbaniHospital,whoisallegedtohavehelped the accused spread theimpression that the hospitalwas behind the vaccinationdrives.The first vaccination drive
was conducted by Singh andothers onApril 23 -- at a timewhen such camps for privategroupswere not allowed. The10thwasheldonJune6.As per Central government
norms, private hospitalsmustsign anMoUwith a society orcorporate officewhere a campis tobeheldand informthe lo-cal civic body. In all the drivesbeing probed, neitherwas anMoUsignednorBMCalerted.Thedupedhousingsocieties
andprivateorganisationsadmitignoranceofnormspluseager-nesstogetvaccinesearly.
APRIL23-24:KandivaliEast, for fourcompanies (618peoplegotshots)MAY25:BankofBarodaMaladbranch(40people)MAY26:RenewBuy’sofficeinThane(122people)MAY26:MansiSharesandStockAdvisorsoffice inBorivali (514people)MAY29:PoddarEducational
Centre inParel (207people)MAY30:HiranandaniHeritageSociety inKandivali(390people)JUNE1:TipsCompanyofficeinVersova(150people)JUNE3:AdityaCollegeofArchitecture inBorivali (225people)JUNE3:Tipsoffice inKhar(200people)JUNE6:KwanTalentCompany(220people)
THEDRIVES
Behind Mumbai fake vaccine scam
New Delhi
EXPRESSNEWSSERVICENEWDELHI, JULY1
FOR THE second day in a row, astretch on Delhi Metro's BlueLine experienced a technicalglitch — this time due to an al-legedcabletheft.Servicesareyetto be restored entirely as ofThursdaynight.Around1pm,theYellowLine
alsodevelopedasnag.The glitches magnified the
woes of commuters taking theMetro, which is struggling tohandle commuter rushdue to a
DDMAordercappingseatingca-pacityper traincoachat50%.ThestretchbetweenDwarka
Sector 9 and Dwarka Sector 21stations on the Blue Line wit-nessed a snag even onWednesday.Theline,whichcon-nects Dwarka Sector 21 withNoidaandVaishali, isconsideredthe Metro's busiest and mostsnag-prone corridor. Whentrains slow down along a lineusually, the impact is felt acrossthecorridor.Around 1 pm, train move-
ment on the Yellow Line alsosloweddown.Thesnaginitially
hitservicesbetweenHUDACityCentre and Sultanpur stations,and gradually affected the en-tire corridor that stretches tillSamaypur Badli. The DelhiMetro Rail Corporation an-nounced the delay in trainmovement at 2.42 pm.Normalservices were restored around3.30pm.Currently, an 8-coach train,
with a capacity of up to 2,400passengers, isrunningonlywith
around250-300people."Lockdown guidelines have
been eased further by authori-ties,enablingmosteconomicac-tivities to takeplace. As a result,there has been continuousbuild-up of passengers outsidestations due to regulated entry,resulting in inconvenience tothem.DMRChopesthesituationshall improve once restrictionsare relaxed," DMRC chiefspokespersonAnujDayal said.
3THEINDIANEXPRESS,FRIDAY, JULY2,2021
THECITYWWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM
MONSOONANOSHOW
EXPRESSNEWSSERVICENEWDELHI,JULY1
DELHI REELEDunder heatwaveconditions for the third day in arowThursday,asmaximumtem-perature touched 43.1 degreesCelsius,sixdegreesabovenormalforthistimeoftheyear.Themin-imum, at 31.7 degrees Celsius,wasfourdegreesabovenormal.Monsoon, which was sup-
posed to reachDelhi by June 27,has been delayed this year afterthe advancement of easterlymonsoonwinds into Delhi andparts of Haryana, Punjab andRajasthanweakened.Thepresentheatwave in the
regionisduetodrywesterlyandsouth westerly winds fromPakistan to Northwest India.“Heatwave conditions are ex-pected in isolated pockets overPunjab,Haryana,ChandigarhandDelhi, north Rajasthan, UP andnorthWestMP in the next twodays,” India MeteorologicalDepartmentofficialssaid.While Delhi was earlier ex-
pectedtogetsomerelieffromthescorchingheat andwarmwindsonFriday,arevisedforecaststatesthatwhile a thunderstormwithrain is expected on Friday, itwilldo little to lower temperatures.Themaximumon Friday is ex-pected to be 41 degrees Celsius,
while theminimumwill settlearound31degreesCelsius.Alightdrizzleisalsoexpected
onSaturday,butthetemperaturewillbeintherangeof40to31de-grees Celsius. IMDofficials saidthe temperature is unlikely todropbelow40degreesCelsiustillat leastWednesday, and there isverylittle likelihoodofmonsoonwinds arriving in Delhi in thecomingweek. Delhi has, so far,seenacoolerthanusualsummerthis year, with April, May andJuneseeing lower thanusualav-eragetemperatures.Asper IMD, in June, theaver-
agemaximumtemperaturewas38.3degreesCelsius,0.8degreeslowerthanthenormalaverageof39.1degreesCelsius.Thehighestmaximum temperature for the
monthwas43.5degreesCelsius,recordedonWednesday. Theav-erageminimumtemperature inJunewas a significant 2 degreesbelowthenormalof27.9degreesCelsius. The lowest minimumtemperature was 17.6 degreesCelsius, recorded on June 1. Thisisalsotheall-timelowesttemper-ature recorded in June sincerecordshavebeenmaintained.Rain, whichwas above nor-
mal inMay,was47%belownor-mal in June.WhileDelhi usuallyseesaround65.5mmraininJune,butthistimeitreceivedonly34.8mmrainduringthemonth.Withthe IMDsaying thatmonsoon isnotexpectedinthecitytillatleastJuly 7, this is the longest delay inits arrival in Delhi since 2006,whenrainscameonJuly9.
City sizzles at43.1°C,little respite thisweek
Discoms cite 2ndCovid wave, pushfor power tariff hike
‘Cable theft’ hits Metro’s Blue Line services
SOURAVROYBARMANNEWDELHI,JULY1
CITINGTHE“graveimpact”oftheCovid-19 secondwave and thepossibilityofathirdwave,Delhi’sthreediscomshavefiledthreepe-titionswith theDelhi ElectricityRegulatory Commission sinceApril–thelatestonJune8–seek-inganincreaseinpowertariff.DERCchairmanJustice (retd)
SatyendraSinghChauhan,whoisset to retire on July 4, told TheIndian Express, “July 4 is going tobemylastworkingday.Icanonlysay that I have completed thebaseworkonthenexttarifforder.The discoms caused somedelayinsubmittinginformationsoughtfrom them. Whatever factorstheymayhavecited,thenewtar-ifforderwillbedecidedbasedontheprevailingcircumstances.”The two discoms BSES and
Tata Power Delhi DistributionLimited (TPDDL) have sent a re-vised estimate of the differencebetween the income and ex-pensesincurredtoDERC.OnJune8,TPDDLwrotetothe
DERCthattheimpactofapossiblethirdwave, “alreadydeclaredbythegovernmentandmedical/sci-entist fraternity” should be con-sideredwhile announcing thenewtariffs.While, DERC is an au-
tonomousbody,sourcespointedout that any changes in power
tariffs are unlikely,with theAAPpromising free power up to 300units ahead of the PunjabAssemblypollsnextyear.Earlier, the discoms inDelhi
hadpitchedforasystemtomakethemechanismof tariff revision“apolitical”.The revised tariff petitions
filed by the discoms — whichhave been demanding a tariffhike for thepast6years— in themonthsofMayandJune,seenbyTheIndianExpress, reflectasenseof anxiety over the uncertaintycausedbythepandemic.While BSES Rajdhani has in-
creaseditsprojectedrevenuegapin2021-22fromRs1,703croretoRs3,577crore, theBSESYamunahas increased the projected gapfromRs 1,148 crore to Rs 1,945crore.TPDDLwrotetoDERCafterthesecondwavesayingitexpectsfurtherdipinincomein2021-22comparedtothepreviousyear.“Itwasbelieved,basedonrea-
sonableassumptionsatthattime,that slowdown from the firstwave would be minimal andcommercial, industrial andpub-lic utilities suchasDIAL,DMRC’setc.consumptionwillrampupinfull swing starting from April,2021... The impactof this secondwaveismorewidespreadandse-verewhichhascreatedasituationmore dismal and catastrophicfromevenlastyear.Thisisunlikeanything that anyone haswit-nessedsofar,”BSESfiled.
DoEenforcesHCorderallowingannualfeecollectionbypvtschoolsNewDelhi:TheDelhigov-ernment’s education de-partmentissuedanorderon Thursday, enforcingtheDelhiHighCourt’sor-der allowing the collec-tionofannual feesbypri-vate schools with adeduction of 15%. In ac-cordancewith the HighCourt’s order lastmonth,privateschools in thecityarenowpermittedtoret-rospectively collectchargesotherthantuitionfeesfortheacademicyear2020-2021, when theDelhi government haddisallowed the collectionofanythingmorethantu-itionfees.Schoolsareper-mitted to collect annualfeesfor2020-2021withadeduction of 15 % in sixequal monthly install-ments, with the first in-stalmentcollectablefromJune10.Aneducationde-partmentofficialsaid‘an-nualfees’includesonlytu-ition fees, annual chargesanddevelopmentandnotanyearmarkedlevies.
Doctors’Day:CMextendshisgratitudetomedicalfraternityNewDelhi:TheDelhigov-ernment Thursdaylaunched a dialysis andpaediatric ward at theIndiraGandhiHospital atDwarka, with HealthMinister Satyendar Jainasserting that the 1243-bed facility is ready tohandle patients in theevent of a possible thirdCovidwave in the city. Atthe event, Jain alsothanked doctors, nursesand paramedic staff fortheir exceptional serviceduringthesecondwaveofCovid-19tomarkDoctors’Day.ChiefMinisterArvindKejriwalalsoextendedhisgratitude to themedicalfraternity.
Dog diesafterfall frombuildingNew Delhi: Police regis-tered a case of animalkilling in South Delhi’sDefence Colony after astreet dog was founddeadinthearea. It issus-pected the dog was al-legedlythrownbyoneofthe residents from thethird-floor of a residen-tial complex.ENS
BRIEFLY
DIRECTORATE OF RESEARCHDR. RAJENDRA PRASAD CENTRAL
AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY,BIHAR PUSA (SAMASTIPUR) - 848 125
ADVERTISEMENT OF RA & SRF POSITIONApplications are invited for one (01) position of Research
Associate and (02) Two position of Senior Research Fellow(SRF) in the project “Climate Resilient Agriculture Programme”Project, at RPCAU, Pusa. The engagement will be purely ontemporary and contractual basis for an initial period of Oneyear, which may be extended further provided the performanceof the candidate is found satisfactory. The engagement will begoverned by the university rules. The interested and eligiblecandidates may send their Bio-data super scribed with name ofpost on the envelope to Director Research, Dr. RajendraPrasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Samastipur - 848125, Bihar through Speed post/Registered post on orbefore 24.07.2021. The shortlisted candidates will be informedby email for interview.For detailed qualification visit www.rpcau.ac.in
Director Research
AtLodhiGarden,Thursday,TheIMDsaidthemonsoonisnotexpectedinthecapitaltillat leastJuly7.AmitMehra
Chief secy assault:SC junks policeplea against sharingwitness statementsEXPRESSNEWSSERVICENEWDELHI, JULY1
THE SUPREME Court Thursdaydismissed a plea by the DelhiPolice against sharing copies ofwitness statements with ChiefMinister Arvind Kejriwal andDeputy Chief Minister ManishSisodia in the 2018 case of as-sault of Anshu Prakash, thenDelhi chief secretary.“Itmightbeapoliticalhotpo-
tato,butlegally, it isnothing. It isnot worth it lingering on thismatter.TheHighCourtverdictisin the interest of liberty andwewill affirm it,” abenchcompris-ing Justices D Y ChandrachudandMRShahobserved.TheDelhi Policehad filedan
appeal against the Delhi HighCourt order inOctober last yearinwhichitallowedKejriwalandSisodia to access statement ofwitnesses and audio-videorecordingofwitnesstestimoniesin thecase.While the trial courthaddeniedtherequest,theHighCourt bench of Justice SureshKait had held in favour ofKejriwal.“TheMay9,2018, statement
specificallystatesthatitisincon-tinuation of the earlier state-ment. Once the statement hasbeen recorded, what is this
aboutnotgiving the copyof thestatement? The investigatingagency cannot pick and choosethingswhicharefavourabletoit.It isthecorrectorderof theHighCourt,” JusticeChandrachudob-served.Additional Solicitor General
Aman Lekhi who appeared forthe Delhi Police argued that nosuch statement of VK Jain,Kejriwal’s then advisor, wasrecordedunderSection161CrPCon February 21 in 2018 thatcould be shared with the ac-cused.SenioradvocateAbhishekManuSinghvi,whoappearedforKejriwal argued that the state-ment,whichisreferredtointhecasediary,waswithheldasitdidnot suit theprosecutioncase.Kejriwal, Sisodia and11AAP
MLAs are accused in the case ofanallegedassault onPrakashatthe CM’s residence in February2018, when the then ChiefSecretarywas called there for ameeting.Jain, awitness in the case, in
his February 21 statement, haddenied witnessing the allegedassault but reportedly said oth-erwiseinlaterstatements,whileproviding an account of the al-leged incident to thepolice.AAPhadallegedthatJainwas
pressured by Delhi Police tochangehis statement
0-50 Good
ANANDVIHARVeryPoor
0 500
314AQIPM:10
ROHINIPoor
0 500
SHADIPURPoor
0 500 500
51-100 Satisfactory 101-200 Moderate 201-300 Poor 301-400 VeryPoor 401-500 Severe
IHBASPoor
0
288AQIPM:10
247AQIPM:10
285AQIPM:10
FORECAST: July2Partlycloudysky.Heatwaveatisolatedplacesaccompaniedwithdustywinds/thunderstormtowardsevening/night
S K Y WA T C H
MAX:414.2°Cabovenormal
MIN:313.2°C abovenormal
New Delhi
EXPRESSNEWSSERVICENEWDELHI, JULY1
AS THE capital came out of alockdownwhichshutdownfac-tories, markets and businesses,the Delhi government-run jobportalrecordedasurgeinregis-trationsinJune,withanaverageof around 1,000 people signingupdaily.Thesurgeinregistrationsco-
incidedwiththegradualunlock-ing of economic activities, indi-cating that many among the 8lakhmigrants who had left thecity, as per state governmentrecords, returned in June.DeputyCMManishSisodia’s
office said, “Every day in June,around 1,000 new job seekersregistered and 300 new jobswerepostedontheRojgarBazaarportal.Atotalof34,212jobseek-ers were registered and 9,522newvacancieswere posted be-
tweenJune1and30,2021.”The portal, jobs.delhi.gov.in,
available in Hindi and English,was launched by CM ArvindKejriwal on July 28, 2020 to“bridge the gap between jobseekers and employers”. Jobseekers can register on it by en-tering amobile number and anOTP. Thenext step involves cre-atingaprofilebyenteringdetailssuch as name, qualification,
workexperience.Uponcreatingaprofile,anin-
dividual is introduced to theavailable jobs. A person lookingtoapplyhastotaponthejobop-tion suiting their qualificationsto get connectedwith the em-ployerconcerned.Asper the statement, 75,000
such connectionsweremade inJune. However, the governmentdidnotgivedetailsonhowmanysuchconnectionstranslatedintoemployment.Customersupportand delivery executives wereamong theareaswith themaxi-mumnumberofopenings,itsaid.“Roughly about half the va-
cancies (45%) are available forfreshers. In termsof genderdis-tribution, nearly 41% jobs areavailable for all, 36%male onlyand23%femaleonly,” thestate-ment said. It said the AAP gov-ernment “will do everythingpossible to help youth find jobsat this timeof crisis”.
4THEINDIANEXPRESS,FRIDAY, JULY2,2021
THECITYWWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM
FARIDABADVILLAGEFACESEVICTION
SUKRITABARUAHFARIDABAD, JULY1
LIVINGWITHOUTelectricityandwaterforweeksbutdeterminedto hold on to their homes— thelinesarebeingdrawndeeperintothe ground in Faridabad’s tenseKhoriGaonasresidentsrefusetobudgedespiteevictionorders.TheSupremeCourt, inanor-
der on June 7, had directed theMunicipal Corporation ofFaridabad (MCF) to “take all es-sentialmeasures to remove en-croachmentsonthesubject for-estlandwithoutanyexception”,giving the civic body sixweekstocomplete the task.On Thursday, the tempera-
ture in Faridabad rose to 43 de-grees but there was no respitethroughfansordesertcoolersatKhori Gaon. According to resi-dents,electricityhasbeencutoffforovertwoweeksnow.Asare-sult, they don’t have access toborewells too.Aamna(10)wipedthesweat
off hermother Razia’s foreheadwith a dupatta and fanned hervigorouslywithabamboohandfan as they sat on the floor of adarkroomintheirhome.Razia’sknee had been injured onWednesdaywhenresidentsandpoliceclashedafterpeoplewerestoppedfromholdingameetingin thevillage’sAmbedkarPark.Haryana CM Manohar Lal
Khattar announcedWednesdaythatthegovernmenthadidenti-fied1,400 families in thevillage,where members are voters in
Haryana,andthatitwillrelocatethem to vacant flats in DabuaColonyinFaridabadatprescribedratesandeasyaccess to loans.But Razia says that is not an
option she is willing to recon-sider: “Our family sold land inMoradabad to buy this land forRs 12 lakh around 12 years ago.If thiswasthegovernment’sfor-est land, whywere there facili-tiesofwaterandelectricityherefor residents? Howwerewe toknow? If our living here had tobe stopped, why wasn’t itstoppedthen?Whyareourlivesbeing turned upside down? Idon’t want anything from thegovernment, I insist on beingabletoliveinthishomemyfam-ilybuilt.”Shelivesintheirhome
withher threechildren.Many residents across the
sprawling settlement similarlyargue that theyhad spent lakhsof rupees to buy the land theirhomesareon from ‘builders’.According toFatima(55), the
homestheybuiltalsoaccommo-datetheir futureplans:“Wesoldour land in Badaun to buy 100squareyardsoflandhere15yearsago.Wehaveahousewith threeroomswheremyhusband and Ilive with our four sons, twodaughters-in-lawandtwogrand-children.We thought thatwhenour third son getsmarried,we’llexpandourhousewithtwomoreroomsonanotherfloor.Howwillweall live inasmall flat?”At the same time, the living
conditions, without electricityandwater, are almost unlivableduring the current heat wave.Women and children go tonearby residential areas withbuckets which they fill fromborewellsandcarrybackfortheirusemultipletimesaday.Familiesarealsobuying20 litrecanistersofdrinkingwater,whichtheysayisa financial strain.Deputy Commissioner of
Faridabad Yashpal said, “Therewas no water supply that thisarea was receiving from theGovernment of Haryana.Whatever was being providedmayhavebeenfromDelhi,soof-ficials therewould be the rightpeople tospeakmoreonthis...”On allegations of electricity
to the village being discon-nected,anofficial fromDakshinHaryana Bijli Vitaran Nigam(DHBVN), speaking on the con-dition of anonymity, said, “Wehad only 46 registered connec-tions from there, but there arethousands of homes in the vil-lage. The others were, as far aswe can tell, getting electricitythroughillegalmeansormaybefromDelhi.Theconnectionsthatweretakenthroughushavealsonow been disconnected sincethe SC has found that peoplehave settled there illegally anddirected the landbecleared.”According to DMSouth East
Vishwendra, “There are somehouseholdswhichwereelectri-fied from Delhi throughFaridabad, those have beendis-continued.” He said Delhi JalBoard tankers continue to besuppliedonthe‘Delhiside’ofthesettlement.
Meanwhile, personnel fromSuraj Kund police station tookroundsof thesettlementduringthedayandaskedresidentstofilla form requesting informationsuch aswhen residents boughtland, from whom, and howmuch.“Wearerequestingcoop-erationfromresidentssothatwecan identify those who havetricked them so that action canbetakenagainstthem,”saidapo-liceofficeras theywentaround.While many were wary of
speakingtothepolice,somesaidtheywerenotamongthosewhohad bought land there, stakingtheir claim to reside there. “Myparents came here around 60years back from Bharatpur inRajasthantowork,andtheybuiltahomehere.Iwasbornhereandthis is our home. The FaridabadMunicipalCorporationwascre-ated in 1993 andwewere herelongbefore that,” saidRaju(65).
DIVYAANEWDELHI,JULY1
THEGOVERNMENTonThursdayinauguratedthenewpremisesofthe Indira Gandhi NationalCentrefortheArts(IGNCA)attherefurbished Janpath Hotel, al-most1.5kmaway fromitspres-entspotonJanpathroad.Thein-stitution,whichfunctionsunderthe aegis of the Ministry ofCulture, is expected to functionfromHotel Janpath for the next
twoyears, till itmovestoitsper-manent location at JamnagarHouseonthe IndiaGatecircle.The IGNCA has been shifted
out from its sprawling campustomakeway for threeministrybuildings, as part of the CentralVista project. The buildings ontheoldcampuswillberazedinafewmonths,andredevelopmentwill commence for the newbuildings, sources said.Union Culture Minister
PrahladSinghPatelandHousingand Urban Affairs Minister
HardeepSinghPuriparticipatedin the inaugural ceremony onThursday. Puri said the hotel,which was refurbished bythe Central Public WorksDepartment,wouldbethetem-poraryhomeforIGNCAtill2023.He added thatwhen the IGNCAisfinallyshiftedtoitspermanentlocation at Jamnagar House, itwill beaworld-class facility.Architect and planner Bimal
Patel,whosefirmHCPDesignhasbeenawardedthecontracttore-develop Central Vista, had said
recently that IGNCAwould beshifted to a 15-acre space inJamnagar House, which hassomehutmentscurrently.IGNCA member-secretary
Sachidanand Joshi told TheIndian Express that the centrewouldbeopened to thegeneralpublic soon: “While all our ad-ministrativeandacademicactiv-itieshavestartedfromday1,we
shallopenthespaceforthegen-eralpublicwithexhibitionsandevents in thenext fortnight.”Around3lakhprintedbooks,
overa lakhslidesonvariouscul-tural traditions, 3 lakhmanu-scripts, 60,000microfilm rolls,thousands of paintings, textiles,and other archival material —partof the IGNCA’srepository—have been placed in variousroomsofthehotel.Overthenextfewdays,unpackingwillbedoneandmaterialwill be assigned todesignatedroomsandareas.The
permanent exhibitions on thecampus, suchas theoneonRajaDeenDayal, will be remountedat thenewlocation.Joshiadded, “Soall ourusual
academic and cultural activities— library, research, art exhibi-tions,culturalevents—willcarryon and nothingwill bemissedout.Wehaveareasonablybigau-ditoriumandamphitheatrealso.It’s anewspace, so recalibratingwilltakeafewdays.Utmostcarehasbeentakenduringtransitandstorageof allmaterial.”
Minor boy ‘sexuallyassaulted at shelterhome by 2 juveniles’
SOFIAHSANNEWDELHI,JULY1
OBSERVINGTHATanimalshavea right under law to be treatedwith compassion, respect anddignity, the Delhi High CourtaskedtheAnimalWelfareBoardof India (AWBI) to designate ar-easinconsultationwithResidentWelfareAssociations(RWAs)forfeeding of community dogs inthenationalcapital.Statingitwasthemoralresponsibilityofeverycitizentoprotecttheanimals,thecourt also directed the AWBI toensureeveryRWAconstitutesanAnimalWelfareCommittee.“Community dogs (stray/
streetdogs)havetherighttofoodandcitizenshavetherighttofeedcommunitydogs.But inexercis-ing this right, care and cautionshouldbetakentoensureitdoesnot impinge upon the rights ofothers or cause any harm, hin-drance, harassment, and nui-sance to other individuals ormembers of the society,” saidJusticeJRMidhainanorder.Issuingguidelinesforthewel-
fareofcommunitydogs,thecourtconstituted a committee for im-plementation of the order andaskedit toholdameeting in fourweeks.Thecommitteewillcom-prise of the Director, AnimalHusbandry Department or hisnominee; a senior officer of theMunicipal Corporations, DelhiCantonment Board and AWBI;Delhi’s Additional StandingCounselNanditaRao,AWBIcoun-selManishaTKariaandadvocatePragyanSharma.The court said the feedingof
community dogs has to takeplace at areas designatedby theAWBIinconsultationwithRWAsorMCDs in areaswhere the for-mer isnotavailable.“Whiledeterminingthe‘des-
ignated area’, the AWBI andRWA/Municipal Corporationshave to be conscious of the factthat every community dog is aterritorial being, and, therefore,community dogs must be fedand tended to at places within
theirterritory.ItisthedutyoftheAWBI and the RWAs to ensureand keep inmind that commu-nitydogs live in ‘packs’ andcareshouldbetakenbytheAWBIandRWAs to see each ‘pack’ ideallyhas different designated areasfor feeding, even if thatmeansdesignatingmultiple areas in alocality,” it said further.Thecourtalsodirectedalllaw
enforcement agencies to ensureno harassment or hindrance iscaused to people feeding streetdogs at designated spots. It alsosaid the RWAs or MunicipalCorporationsmust ensure thatevery community dog in everyareahasaccesstofoodandwaterin the absence of caregivers orcommunitydogfeeders.“Anypersonhavingcompas-
sion for stray dogs can feed thedogs at the private entrance/porch/drivewayoftheirhouseorany other place not sharedwithotherresidents,”theorderreads,addingthatnopersoncanrestrictanyone from feeding dogs untiland unless the same is causingharmtothem.It also said the dogs have to
besterilisedandvaccinatedandthen returned to the samearea.Vaccinated and sterilised dogscannot be removed by themu-nicipality, noted the court fur-ther.Incaseofgrievancewithre-gardtoanyactof caregivers, thecourtsaidtheresidentscanseekredressal through the AnimalWelfare Committee or laterthroughtheAWBI.
Policeaskresidents fordetailsonwhentheybought theland, fromwhom,andforhowmuch.GajendraYadav
EXPRESSNEWSSERVICENEWDELHI, JULY1
AMINORboywasallegedlysex-uallyassaultedbytwojuvenilesatashelterhomerunbyanNGOin North Delhi, said police onThursday.A senior police officer on
Thursday said they have re-ceivedtheboy’scomplaint.“Theboys were apprehended fromthe shelter home. Thematter isbeing investigated,”hesaid.The two have been booked
under the POCSO Act and legalaction will be taken as per theJuvenile JusticeAct, saidpolice.According to the victim’s
complaint,helefthishomeinUPlastmonth.Hewasthenrescuedfrom a railway station andshifted to the shelter home onJune26.Twodays later, on June28, a
boy from the home allegedlyentered the victim’s room atnight and sexually assaultedhim. “I was threatened to not
say anything... or I would bekilled,” alleged the boy in hiscomplaint to police.The next day, he was al-
legedly sexually assaulted byanother boy inside the bath-room.Hewasagainthreatened.Afterthe incident, theboywentto the caretaker of the shelterhome and told him about thetwo incidents.Police said they received a
complaint from officials of theNGO and shelter home care-taker. The boy was taken to ahospital where he was exam-ined.Basedonthemedico-legalreport,acasewasregisteredun-der IPC Section 377 (unnaturaloffences) and the POCSO Actagainst the two juveniles.A trustee member of the
NGO said, “As soon as we re-ceivedinformationaboutthein-cident, we immediately filed areport with the ChildWelfareCommitteeandacomplaintwaslodged with police. The boyswere caught and the victimhasbeenshifted toanotherhome.”
Last date to pay property taxextended, rebate for vaccinated
AttherefurbishedJanpathHotel.Credit: IGNCA
‘WILL BE OPEN TO PUBLIC IN A FORTNIGHT’
IGNCA’s new home for 2 years inaugurated at revamped Hotel Janpath
Nowater, electricity but residents of KhoriGaon stay put: ‘Spent lakhs to buy this land’
Stray dogs haveright to food andpeople have rightto feed them: HC
Woman facingharassment afterconversion, HC tellspolice to protect her
20-year-oldkilled in‘road rage’
SOFIAHSANNEWDELHI, JULY1
THEDELHIHighCourtThursdaydirected the Delhi Police to en-sure protection of a 29-year-oldwoman,whoallegedshewasbe-ing threatened and harassed byUttarPradeshPolice,certainme-dia organisations, and vigilantegroups forconvertingto Islam.Thevacationbenchof Justice
C Hari Shankar, while directinglisting of thewoman’s case be-fore a roster benchon July 5, di-rected the police to take ade-quatestepstoprotectherlifeandsafety till thematter is takenupby the regular bench. “This is amatter which appropriatelyshould be taken by the regularbenchaspertheroster,giventhenature of the averments in thepetition.It ismadeclearthatthisvacationbenchisnotexpressinganyopiniononewayortheotherregardingthecorrectnessof thesaidaverments,” said thecourt.Advocate Sameer Vashist,
representing the police, earliertoldthecourtthatattemptsweremade to contact thewoman attheaddressprovidedinthepeti-tionbutshecouldnotbetraced.AdvocateTanyaAgarwal, repre-senting the woman, told thecourt that given the apprehen-sions, shehashad to repeatedlychangetheaddressandwillpro-vide the current location to thecounselrepresentingthepolice.In her petition, the woman
said she lives inDelhi, butorigi-nallyisfromUP’sShahjahanpur.Her counsel Kamlesh KumarMishra, intheplea,said,“Owingtoherconversionofreligion,sheandherfamilyarebeingtargetedandmalicious contents aboutherisbeingpublishedintheme-diaeverydaywhichneedstobeimmediately stopped.”Accordingtothepetition,the
woman converted to Islam onMay 27 “withmy own freewillandwithout any threat or coer-cionfromanyone”.“Severalnewsreports appeared in the small-timenewspapersandnewspor-talsinUPwithregardtothecon-version of the petitioner givingcompletely absurd and imagi-nary details,” reads the plea,whilespecificallyreferringtoonearticleprintedbyOpIndiaportal.A complaint was made to
DelhiPoliceonJune24butnoac-tion has been taken yet, thewomanhasalleged.OpIndia’sCEORahulRoshan
told The Indian Express that thestorycarriedbytheHindiportalofOpIndiawas“clearlybasedonvarious mainstream mediasources” and no “additional as-sertions”wereaddedby its edi-tors. “Specifically singling outOpIndia isweirdandastory liesthereinabouthowlegalcasesareusedtobuildaspecificnarrativeto target specific publications.Nonetheless, we’re on the rightsideof lawandwe’ll takecareofit within the ambit of Indianlaws,”hesaid.
‘Moral responsibilityofeverycitizentoprotecttheanimals’.Archive
ABHINAVRAJPUTNEWDELHI, JULY1
AFTER COMPLAINTS of glitchesin the online portal and prob-lemsbeing facedbypeople duetothepandemic,theMCDshaveextended the last day to payproperty tax (with a rebate of15%)byuptoamonth.TheEastMCDhaspushedthe
last date to August 31, NorthMCD to July 15, and SouthMCDtoJuly31. Otherbenefits likere-
batesinpropertytaxforfamiliesthat are vaccinated againstCovid-19 have also been an-nounced.NorthDelhiMayorRajaIqbal
Singhsaidthecivicbodyhasex-tendedthelastdatetopayprop-ertytaxwith15%rebateanda3%Covidvaccination incentive.A senior East MCD official
said since the new systemwascreated for online payment ofproperty tax, people have facedproblems with the UniqueProperty IdentificationCode. To
facilitatetaxpayers, thedatehasbeen extended till August 31with 15% rebate. An additionalrebate of 2%would be given onpaymentofpropertytaxonmc-donline.nic.in, and 3% on self-declarationof vaccination.SouthMCDmayorMukesh
Suryansaidpeopleintheirjuris-dictionwould get an additional3%rebate if theyhaveavaccina-tion certificate. He said a 2% re-bateisbeingprovidedononlinepaymentofpropertytaxuptoRs10,000.
Manymigrantworkershavereturnedtothecity
Dailycases Recoveries Deaths TestsJune30 93 111 4 76,468July1 93 111 4 76,468Total 1,357* 14,07,943 24,981 2,15,59,572
CORONAVIRUSIN THECAPITAL *T
otalactivecases
TOTAL CASES
14,34,281VACCINATIONSIN LAST24HOURS
1,46,161
Total VacantHOSPITAL BEDS 19,994 19,123ICU BEDS 4,649 4,181
EXPRESSNEWSSERVICENEWDELHI,JULY1
A20-YEAR-OLDstudentofDU’sSchoolofOpenLearningwasal-legedlystabbedtodeathinfrontof his father by a group of menonThursdaynightinNorthwestDelhi’sAdarshNagar.Policesaidthevictim,DevPriya (20), a res-ident of Burari, was allegedlykilledinanincidentofroadrage.Dev’s father, Jaipal (45)was
returning home when he al-legedly hit a tempo and a car.While the car driver left, thetempodriverandhisfivefriendsgotintoaheatedargumentwithJaipal. Aroundmidnight, JaipalcalledDevtothespot forhelp.A senior police officer said
both parties were drunk andstoppedarguingaftersometime.However, after Dev came, theystarted fighting again and Devwasallegedly stabbedby thesixmen. Jaipalwasalsoat thespot.DCP (Northwest) Usha
Rangnani said, “We got a PCRcall around 12.20 am about ascuffle at Azadpur. Devwas in-jured and rushed to BJRMHospital. He was later shiftedto Fortis Hospital, where hediedduring treatment.”Acaseundersectionsofmur-
der was registered and teamswere sent out to catch the cul-prits. Within six hours, policesaid they arrested all six—Sahil(25), Annu (21), Devender (18),Satyaveer (18), Aakash (18) andAnuraag (19).DCP Rangnani said they re-
covered two knives that wereused at the time of the offence.Further investigation is under-way.
As city unlocked in June, rozgarportal saw 1,000 sign up a day
New Delhi
KANCHANVASDEVCHANDIGARH, JULY1
AMID SIGNALS that theCongresshighcommandissettogive a prominent role to PunjableaderNavjotSinghSidhu,ChiefMinister Capt Amarinder SinghonThursdayhosted a luncheonmeeting with several HinduleaderswhodemandedthatthepostofPunjabPradeshCongressCommittee (PPCC)president gotoaHindu.The meeting and the de-
mand are being seen as yet an-othersignalbythechiefninisterto the high command that hewasnot infavourofSidhubeingappointed as state Congresspresident.Sources say the chief minis-
ter has already conveyed his
view to the central leadership.ThetwoleadersthatAmarinderprefersforthepostaresaidtobeLok Sabha MPManish Tewariand state Education and PWDMinister Vijay Inder Singla.Sources said the leaders at themeeting resolved that theywillnotacceptSidhuasPPCCchief.Besidesraisingseveralissues
likeurbanareasgettingpriority,“Jat Sikh leaders usurpingmore
seats”,absenceofpartypresenceat thegrassroots, andMLAsandministers listening to leaders, anumber of leaders are learnt tohave told the CM that to ensureequal representation to Hindusand Sikhs, the party shouldnameaHinduasPPCCchief.Interestingly, Sunil Kumar
Jakhar,theincumbentPPCCchief,who is also aHindu leader,wasnotinvitedfortheluncheonmeet-ing even though the CM invitedleadersfromacrossthestate.“Anumberofleaderstoldthe
CMthatHinduleaderswerefeel-ing alienated. As many as 15Assembly segments fromwereHindu leaderswere fielded ear-lier,havebeenhandedovertoJatSikhs.We raised this issue. Also,werequestedtheCMthatthePCCchief should also be aHindu,” aleaderfromMalwasaid.
ASSOCIATEDPRESSGENEVA, JULY1
THE WORLD HealthOrganisationsaidThursdaythatanyCovid-19vaccines ithasau-thorised for emergency useshould be recognised by coun-tries as they open up their bor-ders to inoculated travellers.The move could challenge
countries to broaden their ac-ceptanceof twoapparently lesseffective Chinese vaccines,whichtheUNhealthagencyhaslicensedbutmostEuropeanandNorthAmerican countries havenot. In addition to vaccines byPfizer-BioNTech, Moderna Inc,AstraZeneca and Johnson &Johnson,theWHOhasalsogiventhe green light to the twoChinese jabs.
To restore travel acrossEurope,theEUsaidinMaythatitwould only recognise people asvaccinated if they had receivedshots licensed by the EuropeanMedicines Agency. It's up tocountries if they wish to let intravellers who have receivedothervaccines.
COVAXurges equalvaccine recognitionUnitedNations:Callingfor“equalrecognition of vaccines”, CO-VAX—the global alliance for eq-uitable vaccine distribution—Thursdayurgedallgovernmentstorecogniseas“fullyvaccinated”thosepeoplewhohavereceivedshots deemed safe byWHO. Itsaid anymove restricting travelbasedonthevaccinesonehasre-ceivedis“counter-effective,bothinspirit andoutcome”. PTI
ENSECONOMICBUREAUNEWDELHI, JULY1
AN EXPERT panel of India’s topdrug regulatorhas soughtmoreinformation from Dr Reddy’sLaboratories to decidewhetherto recommendmarketing au-thorisation for Sputnik Light —the single-dose version of theRussia’s SputnikVvaccine.“After detailed deliberation,
the committee recommendedthat thefirmshouldpresent thesafety, immunogenicity and ef-ficacy data of the phase 3 clini-cal trial of Sputnik Light that isbeing carried out in Russia forconsidering the proposal forgrantofmarketingauthorizationin the country,” stated theSubjectExpertCommittee(SEC)looking into DRL’s proposal onWednesday.The SECalso refused toback
SerumInstituteof India'srequestto test Covovax on children be-tweentheagesof2and17yearsuntil it perused data from theadult trials.
EXPRESSNEWSSERVICENEWDELHI, JULY1
HOME MINISTER Amit ShahThursday advised Indian PoliceServiceprobationerstoavoidso-cial media and not chase afterpublicity.Shahaskedthemtobesensitivetowardstheconcernsofthepoor,Dalitsandtribalpeople,aHomeMinistrystatementsaid."There are allegations of no
action and extreme actionagainst the police. ... the policeshouldavoidtheseandmoveto-wards just action... Just actionmeans natural action and thepolice should understand thelawanddotherightthing,”Shahwas quoted as saying during avirtualaddresstotheprobation-aryofficersofthe72ndIPSbatch.According to the statement,
the HomeMinister said “com-munication and sensitivity” isnecessaryto improvethe imageof the police, and so there is aneed to sensitize all police per-sonnelandincreasecontactwiththepeople.Shahcautionedagainstpub-
licity and use of social media."OfficersofAll IndiaServices,es-pecially IPSofficers, should stayawayfrompublicity.Theurgetoseek publicity hinders work...Although it is difficult to stayaway from social media in thepresent times, police officersshouldstayawayfromitandfo-cus on their duties. Before leav-ingthepoliceacademy,allofyoushouldtakeavowthateverydayyouwillmakeanote inyourdi-arywhether thework youhavedonewasdoneonlyforthesakeof publicity,”hesaid.
PRESSTRUSTOFINDIANEWDELHI, JULY1
THE CHHATTISGARH govern-ment hasmoved the SupremeCourtagainsttheHighCourtor-ders granting stay of investiga-tion in an FIR registered againstsenior BJP leader and formerchiefministerRamanSinghandparty spokesperson SambitPatra for their tweets in the al-leged fake toolkit case.TheChhattisgarhHighCourt
on June 11 passed two separateorders and granted interim re-liefs in the same FIR lodgedagainstSinghandPatra.The state government has
filed two separate appealsthrough standing CounselSumeerSodhiinthetopcourt—oneagainst the relief granted toSingh and the other against therelief granted toPatra.
EXPRESSNEWSSERVICERAIPUR, JULY1
THE CHHATTISGARH Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB)Thursdayconductedsearchesin15locations intwostates linkedtoAdditionalDirectorGeneralofPoliceGPSingh.The searches were con-
ducted after an FIR was regis-tered against Singh under thePreventionofCorruptionActforallegedlyhavingdisproportion-ateassets.A 1994-batch officer, Singh
had earlier been posted as theADGof theACBintheEconomicOffence Wing, before he wasshunted to the Police AcademyinChandkhuri.AccordingtoACBDIG Arif Sheikh, several com-plaints were lodged againstSingh. “A total of 15 locationswere simultaneously raided inRaipur, Rajnandgaon and otherlocations in Odisha. We haveprimafaciefounddisproportion-ate assets, along with moneylaundering and othermalprac-tices,” Sheikhsaid.The searches will continue
on July2,officials added.
FREEDAFTER anNIA court dis-missed all charges against him,activist andMLAAKHILGOGOIspoke to TORA AGARWALAabout the Citizenship(Amendment) Act, and its im-pactonAssam.Editedexcerpts.
Whatdoyouhavetosayabouttheverdict?Thisisamiracle—that’swhat
I toldmy advocate. I had neverthoughta strong,braveandhis-toricverdictlikethiscouldcomefrom the Indian judiciary — es-pecially during the rule of theBJP. But this judgment provesotherwise — it will set a prece-dent for theentirecountry.Everyone inAssamknewall
the allegations againstmewerefalse. All of Assamprotested theCAA. Yet, Iwas singledout. Theysaid themovementwas secretlyledbyMaoists.Soweretheysay-ingeveryAssamesewasaMaoist?
Goingbypoll results, it seemstheCAAstirhasfizzledout…CAAisthebiggestissueinthe
history of Assam. It is wrong tosaythatnothingcameoutof themovement. It was going tochange the social fabric of Indiabutunfortunately,theleadershipbetrayed it. The movement
could not be taken to its logicalconclusion courtesy someAssamese nationalist groups,which acted either in collusionwith the government, or out offear. It isbecauseofCAAthattheCongress-led alliance even gotsome seats. They would havegottenmorebutmadeahistoricblunder: to defeat one commu-nalparty[BJP],theytiedupwithanother [AIUDF].
Whatwillbeyour issuesoffocusasa legislator?First, to fight the implemen-
tation of CAA, restore federalstructure of Assam, as well asother issues like land rights,which I have always spoken upfor.ForSibsagar,Iwouldworkforits development and also bringto focus its rich archaeologicalhistoryandthereby,helpitattainthe status of aWorld HeritageSite. For Assam, Iwill fight hardso that it does not become an-other Uttar Pradesh. WewantAssam to be secular and demo-cratic. The current governmenthas only one political pro-gramme:evictionofminorities.Theyterroriseandsubjugatemi-noritiestowinthesupportofthemajority. We must speak upagainst that.
TORAAGARWALAGUWAHATI, JULY1
ASSAMACTIVIST and SibsagarMLAAkhilGogoiwalkedfreeonThursdayafteraspecialNIAcourtin Guwahati cleared him of allcharges under the UnlawfulActivities(Prevention)ActforhisallegedroleinviolentCitizenship(Amendment)Actprotestsinthestate inDecember2019.In the 120-page order, the
court said therewas no “primafaciematerials to framechargesagainst the accused persons”and the “ends of justice de-mands that the accused be dis-charged, without making himsuffer theprocessof trial”.The court also said it had
foundthe“conductandapproachof the investigating authority /prosecutioninthiscase,tobedis-couraging, tosaytheleast”.Itadded,“Thecourthashigh
expectations fromapremier in-vestigating agency like the NIA,entrustedwith the profoundlyimportanttaskofprotectingourcountryandus,citizensfromthemenace of terrorism. The courthopes and expects that, suchhigh standards will be upheld,for sake of the country and thisonewill be justanexception.”The court said “ordinary
bandhs,blockades,shutdownsaspart of someprotests, unaccom-paniedbyincitementtoviolencewouldnot comewithin the am-bit of theexpression– ‘threaten-ing the economic security ofIndia’...Rather,thesaidexpressionhasamuchgraverconnotation”.After his release, Gogoi vis-
ited the home of Sam Stafford,the17-year-oldstudentkilledinpolicefiringduringtheanti-CAAprotestsin2019.HewillleaveforhisconstituencyFridaymorning.Several cases were filed
against Gogoi of which two —filed at Chandmari and Chabua—weretakenoverbytheNIA.Inboth cases, Gogoi was chargedwith sedition and under provi-sions of theUAPA, amongotheroffences. Gogoi was cleared intheChabuacase in June.
EXPRESSNEWSSERVICENEWDELHI, JULY1
THE SUPREME Court onThursday agreed to hear a pleaseekingdirections to theCentreto impose President’s Rule inWest Bengal over alleged inci-dentsofpost-pollviolenceinthestate.A bench comprising Justices
Vineet Saran and DineshMaheshwariissuednoticetotheCentre, West Bengal and theElectionCommissionof India.The plea filed by advocate
Ranjana Agnihotri also soughtdirectionstodeployarmedpara-militaryforcestobringnormalcyin the state and set up a SpecialInvestigationTeam(SIT)toprobethe causes and reasons of post-poll violence inWestBengal.Agnihotri, a lawyer practis-
ing in Uttar Pradesh, had inOctober lastyearfiledapleainaMathura court seeking the re-moval of the Shahi Idgahmosque—situatedneartheShriKrishna temple complex — inwhichshehaddescribedherselfas the “next friend” of ShriKrishnaLalaVirajman.Thecourtdismissed theplea.Under Article 356 of the
Constitution,President’srulecanbe imposed in “caseof failureofconstitutional machinery inState”if thePresident,onreceiptof areport fromtheGovernorofthe State or otherwise, is satis-fiedthatasituationhasariseninwhich the government of theStatecannotbecarriedoninac-cordancewith theprovisions oftheConstitution.
THEINDIANEXPRESS,FRIDAY, JULY2,2021
GOVT&POLITICS5DELHICONFIDENTIAL
DEADLINE NEARINGUTTARAKHANDCHIEFMinisterTirathSinghRawathastobe-comeanMLAbeforeSeptember10,whenthesix-monthperiodsincetakingoverthereinsofthehill-stateends.AndthisseemstobegivingsleeplessnightstotheBJPleadership.Rawathadalate-eveningmeetingwith BJP chief J P Nadda and HomeMinister Amit ShahWednesday, but therewasno finalwordonhis future, it is learnt.Amidspeculationoverotheroptionsbeforetheparty,includingappointinganewCMtoavoidalast-minuteelection,differentaspirantshave,meanwhile,stationedthemselves in thenational capital. It seems theparty leader-shipisnotinamoodtorushforaby-election,havingconcludedthatGangotri,thevacantseat,isnotsafeforRawat.TheBJPstateunitalsodoesnotseemtohaveanyideaaboutwhat'shappen-ing,asleadersthereapparentlyhavenotbeenkeptintheloop.Althoughasectionhassuggestedthatthestateelectioncouldbeadvanced,thepartyleadershipapparentlydoesnothavetheconfidencetooptforit,givenreportsfromtheground, includ-ingfrompartyMLAs,onastronganti-incumbencyperceptionagainsttheBJPgovernmentinthestateduetoitsmismanage-mentof theCovid-19situationandlackofdevelopmentworkinitiated.Theresultisseenascrucialsincethiselectionisboundtoleaveits impactonthecrucialUPpollsnextyear.
GOOD ENCOUNTERWHENAFGHANISTAN’S envoy to India, FaridMamundzay,described his recent encounterwith an Indian doctor, littledidherealisethatPrimeMinisterNarendraModiwouldcom-mentonit.Mamundzay,whocametoIndialatelastyear,gaveanaccountofhisvisit toadoctorwhorefusedtochargeafterlearning that his patientwas Afghanistan's Ambassador toIndia,sayingthathewillnotchargeabrother.ThetweetwasinHindi.Modi said this incident sharedbyMamundzayhasthe essence of the fragrance of India-Afghanistan relations.The Afghan envoy responded stating that good friends arelikestars inthesky—onemaynotbeabletoseethemall thetimebutoneknowstheyarealways there.
DIAL D FOR DIGITALTHEEVENTtocelebrateDigital IndiaonThursdaybroughtinsome surprise accolades for the electronic toll payment in-strument,FAStag.SpeakingtoPrimeMinisterNarendraModi,aDehradun-basedtaxidriversaidthetaghashelpedhimim-mensely.ThiscameafterModidescribed inhisaddresshowFASTaghasbroughtdowntimeandcostof transportinIndia.Asabonus, thetaxidriveralsosaidthathehadinstalleddig-italpaymentappBHIMthedayModiannounced it.
AkhilGogoiafter theNIAcourtclearedhimofall charges.
Gogoi walks free as courtclears him of UAPA charges
DasarathDeka
EXPRESSNEWSSERVICECHANDIGARH, JULY1
THE PUNJAB andHaryanaHighCourtThursdaystayedtheongo-ingtrialagainst formerHaryanachief minister Bhupinder SinghHooda and Associated JournalsLtd (AJL) in a case pertaining toallegedallotmentofaplottothelatter inPanchkula.The order came on the back
of two petitions—one fromHooda and the other from theAJL, theCongress leader'scoun-sel Arshdeep Singh Cheemasaid.A single bench of the Justice
Arvind Singh Sangwan stayedthe proceedings against Hoodain a special CBI court atPanchkula.Thecourtalsoissueda notice to the CBI. The detailedorderwas yet to be released bytheHighCourt.
SHUBHAJITROYNEWDELHI, JULY1
NINE COUNTRIES in theEuropeanUnion (EU)have con-veyedtotheIndiangovernmentthattheywillaccept individualsvaccinated against Covid-19withCovishieldwithintheirbor-ders, sources saidonThursday.Austria, Germany, Slovenia,
Greece, Iceland, Ireland, andSpainhaveconfirmedtheyhaveincludedCovishield in their na-tional list of approved vaccines,thesources said.Switzerland also allows
Covishield,andEstoniahascon-firmed that it will recognise allvaccines authorised by theIndian government for travel toEstonia, theysaid.With the EU having drawn
up a Digital Covid Certificateframework to facilitate freemovementofvaccinatedpeoplefrom July 1, India has asked EUMemberStates toacceptCovid-
19 vaccines authorised by theWorld Health Organization ornational authorities for IndianstravellingtoEurope,sourceshadsaidonWednesday.Sources said Indiawould be-
ginareciprocalpolicyonexemp-tionfromquarantine.Thiswouldmean thatunless theEUacceptsCovishield and Covaxin certifi-catesissuedbytheIndiangovern-ment, certificates issued byEuropean national authoritieswould not be accepted in India,andpeople coming from theEUwouldhave to undergomanda-toryquarantineuponarrival.TheEU’sresistanceinaccept-
ingIndian-madevaccinesfor its‘vaccination passport’ haspromptedNewDelhitocomeupwith thispolicy.“We have noted that the
European Union (EU) DigitalCovid Certificate framework, tofacilitate freemovement duringthe Covid pandemic, is to comeinto effect from 1 July 2021.Under this framework, persons
vaccinatedwithvaccinesauthor-izedbytheEuropeanMedicinesAgency(EMA)willbeexemptedfrom travel restrictionswithintheEU.Individualmemberstateshavetheflexibilitytoalsoacceptvaccines that have been autho-rised at the national level or bytheWorldHealthOrganisation,”thesourcesaid.Sources said Indian officials
have requested EU MemberStates to individually considerextending exemptions to thosewho have been administeredCovishieldorCovaxin,andacceptthevaccinationcertificateissuedthrough the government'sCoWINportal. The genuinenessof such vaccination certificationcan be authenticated on theCoWINportal, thesourcesaid.Under the EU's new “Green
Pass”scheme,memberstatesac-ceptonlythevaccinesapprovedby the EMA—Pfizer, Moderna,AstraZeneca, and Janssen.Covishield,AstraZeneca’sIndianversion, isyet togetclearance.
Drug panel seeksdata from Russiatrials for SputnikLight decision
UN: Recognise vaccineswith WHO nod for travel
EU green pass row: Nine countriesnowsay theywill accept Covishield
‘Judgment a miracle,will set a precedent’
Stay off social media:Shah to IPS probationers
ChhattisgarhACB searches 15locations linked tosenior IPS officer
ASADREHMANLUCKNOW,JULY1
AHEADOF Saturday’s zila pan-chayat president elections inUttar Pradesh, the AllahabadHighCourtonThursdaydirectedthe State Election Commission“toensurefreeandfairelectionsandtostrictlyimplementthecir-culars/orders” issued by theElectionCommission.Justice Saurabh Lavania and
JusticeRajanRoyoftheLucknowBench of the High Court madetheobservationwhilehearingapetition filed by a candidate forthe zila panchayat presidentelection inSitapurdistrict.The petitioner, identified as
Anita,contendedinherpleathat“immensepressure is being ex-ercised on the candidates, theirrelatives and agents so as to in-fluencetheelectionsinfavourofthe private opposite partywhoisaffiliatedwiththerulingpartyof thestate”.“(FIRs) are being lodged
against relatives of the candi-dates etc... The apprehension isthat the electionwould not befreeandfair.Hence,theprayerisfor appointmentofObserverbytheCourtandforvideographyofthe election process,” the peti-tioner’s lawyers submitted.The petitioner also sought
that the election be conductedstrictly in accordancewith theUP Zila Panchayat (Election ofPresidentandVicePresidentandSettlementofElectionDisputes)Rules, 1994 and Circular datedNovember30,2010.“The contention is that at the
behestoftheoppositepartyNo.8,every attempt is beingmade toensurehersuccessintheelectionsbymanipulating things in herfavourinviolationofthelawoftheland,”thepetitionerpleaded.The counsel for the State
ElectionCommission submittedthat theHigh Court has alreadydirected the Commission to en-surethatelectionsareheldstrictlyin accordance with lawwhilehearingasimilarwritpetition.
SC to hearplea seekingPresident’sRule in Bengal
At Amarinder luncheon, demandfor ‘Hindu face’ as state Cong chief
Thursday’smeeting.ANI
Ensure fair zila panchayatelections: HC to UP SEC
‘Toolkit’ case:Chhattisgarhmoves SC
HC stays trialagainst ex-CMHooda, AJL
SANTOSHSINGHPATNA, JULY1
RJD CHIEF Lalu Prasadwill ad-dress his party’s office-bearersvirtually on the party’s founda-tion day on July 5 — in the firstsuchinteractionsincehisreleaseonbail inApril.While Lalu’s political opin-
ions,includingthosetakingajibeat the NDA governments at theCentre and Bihar, were beingsharedthroughhisTwitterhan-
dlesincehisincarcerationinfod-der scam cases, this will be thebest time hewill directly inter-actwithhisparty functionaries,from the national executive toblock level functionaries.A senior RJD leader said,
“Even though Tejashwi PrasadYadavhasbeenleadingfromthefront,Lalu-jiaddressingtherankand file of the partywould gal-vanisethecadre.”Anotherleadersaid Leader of OppositionTejashwiwillmoderate theses-sionopenedbyLaluPrasad.
First time after bail, Lalu to addressRJD workers virtually on July 5
DEEPTIMANTIWARYNEWDELHI, JULY1
POLITICAL AND civil societyrepresentatives from Ladakh’sKargil district Thursday metMoSHomeGKishanReddyanddemanded full statehood forLadakhandrestorationofArticle370and35A.A delegation of Kargil
DemocraticAlliance, a coalitionof political, social and religiousorganisations in Kargil, had anovertwo-hourmeetingwiththejuniorminister at North Block.Theministerislearnttohaveas-sured the delegation that theministry will study their de-mands and convey the same tothe toppolitical leadership.Themeeting comes days af-
ter political leaders of Jammuand Kashmirmet PMNarendraModi and demanded full state-hood for the Union territoryapart from discussing restora-tionofArticle370.“Wewant full fledged state-
hood for Ladakh...We spent twoandahalf hourswith thehonor-ableminister andhaveput forth
our demand. We also wantrestorationof Article 370and35A.Weare residents of border ar-eas andwewant to become thestrengthofthenation.ButAugust5 decisions have created a trustdeficit.Wealsospokeaboutsafe-guards for our culture, identity,language,landandjobs.KargilandSkardu (inGilgit Baltistan) routeopeningwas alsodiscussed. Theminister assuredus that ourde-mandswouldbelookedinto,”saidpoliticianandsocialactivistSajjadHussain,amemberofthedelega-tion.“Itwasthefirstmeeting.Wewantmoresuchmeetings.”“TheAugust5decisionswere
takeninanunconstitutionalman-ner and statehoodwas snatchedillegally...We have never de-mandedbeingaUT,”formerstateMinister and co-chairmanof theKDA,QamarAliAkhoon,said.“LehwantedUT...Buttheyarenowsay-ingitisacarwithoutanengineasthereisnoprotectionforlandandjobs. They demanded SixthSchedule.Weare not in favor ofSixth Schedule. Soweall agreedthatweshouldseekfullstatehoodfor Ladakh and restoration ofArticle370and35A.”
Kargil panel meets MoS,discusses statehood forLadakh, Art 370, 35A
New Delhi
EXPRESSNETWORK6 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COMTHEINDIANEXPRESS,FRIDAY, JULY2,2021
NOTICE INVITING e-TENDERSFRESH E-NIT No. 25 of 2021-22 ISSUED
UNDER NO;PHEK/: 1602-14 Dated.29-6-2021For and on behalf of the Lt. Governor of UT of J&K e-tenders (Two cover System) are invited on item rate basis with mainte-
nance period of Three Years which includes DLP of one year from reputed and resourceful contractors/Firms/companies/joint venture of repute in PWD or Equivalent in CPWD/Railways and other state Governments for thefollowing works, which should be uploaded on the Procurement web portal http://jktenders.gov.in for the subjected work(s)referred below to be received by the Executive Engineer Engineer, Special PHE Division Kulgam and as per the details men-tioned in this e-tender notification and to whom all the terms and conditions of detailed e-NIT /Tender Documents/ PWDForm No:- 25 double are accepted. The detailed tender document and Specifications etc. can be downloaded on the e-procure-ment portal http://jktenders.gov.in. The cost of tender documents (Non- refundable/Non-Transferable) should be the shape of e-Challan or Treasury Challan/Receipt in favour Executive Engineer PHE Division Kulgam
The bidders shall have to upload the following documents with their bid:i. Scanned copies of Tender Fee in the shape of Treasury challan & Bid security form to be sworn on affidavit duly notarized
be attached with the Bidii. Scanned copies of Registration Card duly renewed upto 31/03/2022 & bidders address format.iii. Scanned copies of Latest GST Registration with clearance certificate( not prior to March 2021)iv. Experience of similar nature of work/undertakingPosition of Funds:- Available; Major Head of Account: JJM
The Bidding documents consisting of eligibility criteria, specification, drawings, bill of quantities (B.O.Q) set of terms & condi-tions of contract and other details can be seen/ downloaded from the e-procurement Portal “http://jktenders.gov.in”as per sched-ule of dates given below:
For and on behalf of the Lt. Governor UT of Jammu & Kashmir.Sd/-
Executive Engineer,(JSD) PHE Division, Kulgam,DIPK-3838
Government of OdishaOffice of the Superintending Engineer,
Rural Works Circle, Sambalpur.Tel-0663-2548268,E-mail Id [email protected]
Bid Identification No. Road tender Online - RWCSBP-14 No: 1607 Dated: 30.06.2021The Superintending Engineer Rural Works Circle, Sambalpur on behalf of Governor of Odisha invites online percentage rateBid from experienced & eligible bidders for 1 ( one) group of road works under Periodical renewal of Post DLP roads for theyear 2021-22, such as renewal coat with laying SDBC in the districts of Sambalpur.
* Further details can be seen from the e-procurement portal www.tendersorissa.gov.in. (https//tendersodisha.gov.in)* Subsequent modification/ corrigendum/Addendum if required shall appear in website only.* The amount put to bid is exclusive of GST.* Bidder should inspect the road before bidding and quote his rate accordingly.
Sd/-Superintending Engineer,
Rural Works Circle, Sambalpur.OIPR-25091/11/0018/2122
O-401
1. Name of work. : Periodical renewal of Post DLP roads for the year 2021-22 , such as renewal coat with layingSDBC under R.W Division, Kuchinda.
2. No of works : 1(One) group details as annexed.
3. Estimated cost : Approximately Rs.202.95 lakhs.
4. Class of Contractor. : B and A
5. Cost of tender paper and mode of deposit. : Rs. 10,000/- per set.( to be deposited On-line) in favour of concerned Executive Engineer.
6. Mode of submission of tender : Tender should be submitted only On line in website www.tendersorissa.gov.in(https//tendersodisha.gov.in)
7. EMD and mode of deposit : No.EMD is required but Bid Security declaration should be furnished in prescribed format bythe bidders as mentioned in DTCN.
8. Summary of key dates are provided below:
Procurement Officer Bid Identifica-tionNo.
Availability of Tender on-line forbidding
Last Date & timefor seekingclarification
Date & Time of opening oftender
From To Technical Bid Financial Bid
1 2 3 4 5 6 7Superintending Engineer, Rural
Works, Circle, SambalpurRoad Tender Online -
RWCSBP- 1405.07.2021 at
11.00.A.M.19.07.2021 up to
4.00 P.M.16.07.2021 up to
4.00 P.M.20.07.2021 at
11.00 A.M.To be intimated
later
GGOOVVEERRNNMMEENNTT OOFF MMAAHHAARRAASSHHTTRRAAEExxeeccuuttiivvee EEnnggiinneeeerr
PP..WW.. DDiivviissiioonn,, PPaallgghhaarree--TTeennddeerr NNoottiiccee NNoo.. 0055 ffoorr 22002211--2222
OONNLLIINNEE Tenders (e-Tender) in ''''BB--11'''' ffoorrmm for the work is invited bythe Executive Engineer, P.W. Division, Palghar on Government ofMaharashtra Electronic Tender Management System from the registeredcontractors in appropriate class of Public Works Department ofMaharashtra State.
This tender notice contains 0044 ((FFoouurr)) works and their details can bealso viewed and downloaded online directly from the Government ofMaharashtra e-tendering Portal hhttttpp::////mmaahhaatteennddeerrss..ggoovv..iinn and sub portalwwwwww..mmaahhaappwwdd..ccoomm
The Executive Engineer, P.W. Division, Palghar Reserves right toAccept or Reject any offer. Conditional offers will not be accepted.
All registered contractor should note :EE--TTeennddeerr AAvvaaiillaabbllee DDaattee 0077..0077..22002211 ttoo 3311..0077..22002211LLaasstt DDaattee ooff SSuubbmmiissssiioonn 3311..0077..22002211EE--TTeennddeerr OOppeenniinngg DDaattee 0044..0088..22002211OO..CC.. AApppprroovveedd bbyy EE..EE..
No. P.W./Palghar/Tender/3056Office of the Executive Engineer Sd/-P.W. Division, Palghar, Vevur Road, EExxeeccuuttiivvee EEnnggiinneeeerrOld Government Rest House, P.W. Division, PalgharPalghar (East)-401 404. forDate : 29.06.2021 DGIPR/2021-2022/1044
SSrr..NNoo..
NNaammee ooff WWoorrkk EEssttiimmaatteedd CCoosstt((EExxcclluuddiinngg
GG..SS..TT..))
FFuunndd HHeeaadd
1 Widening of Agarwadi Edvan Datiware RoadMDR-37 Km. 0/000 to 1/300 in Taluka Palghar,District Palghar.
50,37,286/- Budget 5054 (04)Road & Bridge S.H.
2 Construction of approach road to bridge on SHNo. 34 to Kokaner Chahade Khadkoli LalthaneTandulwadi Penand to ODR-61 Road MDR No. 29Km. 9/150, in Tal. Palghar, District Palghar.
57,12,126/- Budget 5054 (04)Road & Bridge S.H.
3 Strengthening of Agarwadi Edvan Datiware RoadMDR-37 Km. 1/300 to 2/500 in Taluka Palghar,District Palghar.
59,28,928/- Budget 5054 (04)Road & Bridge S.H.
4 S.T. Depot (Parnaka) to Arnala-Kaner-Shirsad-Ambadi Road Km. 0/00 to 34/650 Construction ofretaining wall in Km. 32/00 to 33/00 on Left sideTal. Vasai, Dist. Palghar.
76,15,214/- 5054 (03)Road & Bridge S.H.
EXPRESSNEWSSERVICENEWDELHI,JULY1
DAYSAFTER thedrone attack atanAirForcebaseinJammu,ArmyChief General MM NaravaneThursday said these unmannedaerialvehicleshavenowbecomeDIY (do-it-yourself) projects thatcanbeeasilyaccessedbystateandnon-state actors for use in com-bat.Naravane said India iswork-
ingonbothoffensiveuseofdronesand counter-drone systems toprevent attacks on critical facili-ties,liketheoneinJammuwheretwo explosive devices weredroppedontheIAFstation.Atawebinarorganisedbythe
GlobalCounterTerrorismCouncil,Naravane said: “The character ofwarfare has been changing con-tinuously, and the advent ofdrones and counter-drone sys-temshasradicallyalteredthewaywethinkandhowwewillbehav-ingtofightinthefuture”.Hesaid:“With the ease of availability,dronescanbeeasilyaccessedandcanbeusedbybothstateandnon-stateactors”.“Wewill also have to factor
this in aswego along andmakeourplans. But Iwould like to as-surethatwearefullyseizedofthisissue, and areworking towardsmakingsurethatwearenotfoundwantinginthisregard.”Probed about the topic, the
ArmyChief said: “In fact youcaneven make (drones) at home,thereisaDoitYourself(DIY)proj-
ect,definitely increasesthecom-plexityandthechallengesthatwehavetodealwith”.Speakingaboutthereaffirma-
tionof ceasefire by theDirectorsGeneralofMilitaryOperationsofIndiaandPakistaninFebruary,hesaid that the situation in J&Khassince seen a “marked improve-ment”,speciallyasfarasterrorismisconcerned.Naravane said that there has
been little orno infiltration fromacrosstheLineofControl,andthatthenumberofterror-relatedinci-dentsintheValleyhavealsoseenaconsiderabledecline.
LACsituationnormalNaravane said the situation
alongtheLineofActualControlineasternLadakh—whereIndiaandChinahavebeenlockedinamili-tary standoff sinceMay2020—isnormalandthattalksaregoingon.The last roundof diplomatic-
level talkswereheldon June25.Thenext roundofmilitary-leveltalksareawaited.Chinacontinuestohaveasmallamountof troopson the Indian side of the LAC atGogra Post andHot Springs, andisblockingIndiantroopsaccesstoits five traditional points inDepsangPlainsinthenorth.
AVANEESHMISHRALUCKNOW,JULY1
MEMBERS OF the Shri RamJanmabhoomi Teerth KshetraTrust on Thursday gave them-selvesacleanchit inconnectionwith the allegations of corrup-tionandfraudinlandpurchases,claiming that no evidence of ir-regularities was found by a“team of experts who scruti-nised all thedocuments relatedto the landdeals”.Speaking to mediapersons
aftera three-daymeetingof theTrust members, TreasurerGovind Dev Giri said that theTrustwill not get into any “me-diatrial”andwillansweronlyto“competent authorities” if andwhenasked for theproof.Giri said that all the docu-
ments related to the land pur-chases “show full transparencyandhonesty”.“Therehavebeensomeinci-
dents to create hurdles in the
constructionof theRamTempleinAyodhyainthelast15-20days.Somepeople, includingpoliticaland so-called religious figures,saidthattherehavebeenirregu-larities or a scam. I got severalphone calls placing confidencein the temple trust, but also re-questing me to look into thematter. In the last three days,since I have arrived here, I havebeen investigating thematter. Ibrought lawyers, lekhpals andcharteredaccountantswithme.Wearehappytoinformyouthat,as expected, the entire processof the land purchases has no ir-regularities,”Giri said.“Afteraproperinvestigation,
we can say that nothing illegalhas happened in the landdeals.All the lands have been pur-chased on amounts equal to orless than the current marketprice.Wehavearequest,aswellas a challenge, to thosemakingtheallegationsthattheycanpur-chase land at a lesser price, wearereadytopurchase land from
them,”Giri added.On March 18, according to
the legal documents, the trusthad purchased a 1.208hectares plot for Rs 18.5 crorefrom property dealers SultanAnsari andRaviMohanTiwari,who in turn had purchased itfrom landowners HarishPathak and Kusum Pathak forRs 2 crore the same day. Thisdeal had landed the trust in acontroversy with SamajwadiParty andAamAadmiParty al-leging corruption and fraud.The trust, however, denied itclaiming that the Pathaks andthepropertydealershadapre-viousagreement,which iswhythe landwas first purchasedatthepricedecided in the agree-ment, but later sold at thepre-vailingmarket rate.However,aninvestigationby
TheIndianExpress foundthatthevery same day, the trust pur-chased another parcel of 1.037hectaresof landfromPathaksforRs8crore.Thetrusthasn’tyetre-spondedto thenewfindings.“We do notwant to get into
mediatrial.However,wheneverany authorised personwill askus,wewillprovidethemwithallevidence.But ithastobeacom-petent authority.We urge peo-ple to not trust thosewho havepolitical agendas and want tocrushnationalist feelings.”
FULLREPORTONwww.indianexpress.com
EXPRESSNEWSSERVICENEWDELHI,JULY1
CHIEFJUSTICEofIndiaNVRamanaThursday said the “governmentnotgivingprioritytomedicalsec-tor”isan“immediateconcern”.Healsoaskedwhy“medicalprofes-sionalsareatthereceivingendforsomeoneelse’sfailure”.“Themedicalbodiesandcon-
cerned agencies in the govern-menthave toput their heads to-gethertoaddresstheseconcerns.
Only thencanwesincerelygreetthe doctors on the first of Julyeveryyear,” theChief Justicesaidwhileaddressingmedicalprofes-sionals onWorldDoctorsDay atanevent.Healsolaunchedacam-paign against diabetes by aHyderabad-basedsociety.
“It is saddening that ourdoc-tors are being brutally attackedwhile onduty.Why is it that themedical professionals are at thereceivingend for someoneelse’sfailure,”CJIRamanaasked.“Issues such as insufficient
numberofmedicalprofessionals,infrastructure,medicines, out-dated technologies, andgovern-ment not giving priority to themedicalsectorareissuesofimme-diate concern. It is a fact that thetraditionof familydoctor is van-ishing.Whyisitthattheprofiteer-ingbycorporatesandinvestors isbeingblamedondoctors?”
ASSAM RIFLEWOMEN IN KASHMIRInGanderbaldistrictonThursday.Womensoldiers fromtheAssamRiflesarenowassistingtroops insecurity-relatedoperations inKashmir.TheAssamRiflewomenhavebeendeployedinsomeareas tohelp friskwomenandchildrenatcheckpoints,officials said.Theyalsoassist incordonandsearchoperations, theyadded. ShuaibMasoodi
‘TEAMOFEXPERTSSCRUTINISEDALLDOCUMENTS’
No proof of irregularities inland deals: Ram temple trust
GeneralNaravane:DronesnowDIY,easilyaccessible
‘Medicalprofessionalsatreceivingendforsomeoneelse’sfailure’
Working towardspreventing droneattacks: Army chief
Govt not giving priority to medicalsector an immediate concern: CJI
New Delhi
EXPRESSNETWORK 7WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COMTHEINDIANEXPRESS,FRIDAY, JULY2,2021
EMPANELMENT OF VENDORSfor distribution of NCERT Publications
In different States/UTs in India and abroadNCERT wishes to empanel Vendors for distribution of its publicationsincluding school textbooks from 01.01.2022 onwards. Reputed stockist/whole sellers having experience in distribution of books with sound financialbackground and who are in a position to give stipulated target business in ayear and fulfil other conditions as detailed in the application form may apply.The application form and documents can be downloaded from the NCERTwebsite- www.ncert.nic.in. The existing vendors may also need to applyafresh if they wish to get empanelled from 01.01.2022. The dully filled-inapplications along with the required documents and Demand Draft ofRs.1000/-, issued in favour of Publication Division NCERT payable at NewDelhi, should reach the Administrative Officer, Publication Division, NCERT,Sri Aurobindo Marg. New Delhi-110016 (Ph.:011-26562708) latest by10/08/2021.
davp 21104/11/0002/2122
REQUIREMENT OF ACCOMMODATION FOR BOYS HOSTELNational School of Drama, an autonomous institution under Ministry ofCulture, Govt. of India, requires independent premises on rent to be usedfor Boys Hostel to accommodate 50 boys and Hostel Warden inindependent unit. The premises should preferably be located within a radiusof 5 km from Bahawalpur House, 1 Bhagwan Das Road, New Delhi-110001.For further information and enquiry, please contact to Assistant Registrar,(Estate), National School of Drama. Proposal giving the details of thepremises and the expected rent should reach the Registrar, NationalSchool of Drama, Bahawalpur House, Bhagwan Das Road, NewDelhi-110001 latest by 16 July, 2021 at 15.00 hrs. The tender documentis available on our website: www.nsd.gov.in. The cost of the tender is Rs.1000/-, which may be paid by DD in favour of Director, National Schoolof Drama, New Delhi along with technical bid.Enquiry:- 011-23031131, 23389402, 23382821davp 09130/11/0009/2122 REGISTRAR (I/C)
NATIONAL SCHOOL OF DRAMA(An autonomous Institution of Ministry of Culture)
NEW DELHI
Case No.: OA/913/2019
To,(1) M/SAMPRAPALI LEISURE VALLEY PVT LTD, 307, III FLOOR, NIPUN TOWER, PLOTNo. 15, COMMUNITY CENTRE, KARKARDOOMA, DELHI - 110092AlsoAt.: CORPORATE OFFICEAT C 56/40 , SEC 62 , NOIDA, UP
DEBTS RECOVERY TRIBUNAL DELHI (DRT 3)4th Floor, Jeevan Tara Building, Parliament Street, New Delhi-110001
Summons under sub-section (4) of section 19 of the Act, read with sub-rule (2A)of rule 5 of the Debt Recovery Tribunal (Procedure) Rules, 1993.
UNION BANK OF INDIA VS PARVEEN KUMAR AND ORS
SUMMONS
Exh. No.: 2465
WHEREAS,OA/913/2019 was listedbeforeHon'ble Presiding Officer/Registraron24/06/2021.WHEREAS this Hon'ble Tribunal is pleased to issue summons/ notice on the said Applicationunder section 19(4) of the Act, (OA) filed against you for recovery of debts of Rs. 2431785.00/-(applicationalong withcopiesofdocumentsetc.annexed).In accordance with sub-section (4) of section 19 of the Act, you, the defendants are directed asunder:-(i) To show cause within thirty days of the service of summons as to why relief prayed for shouldnotbegranted;(ii) To disclose particulars of properties or assets other than properties and assets specified bythe applicantunderserialnumber3Aof theoriginalapplication;(iii) You are restrained from dealing with or disposing of secured assets or such other assets andproperties disclosed under serial number 3A of the original application, pending hearing anddisposalof the application forattachmentofproperties;(iv) You shall not transfer by way of sale, lease or otherwise, except in the ordinary course of hisbusiness any of the assets over which security interest is created and/ or other assets andpropertiesspecified ordisclosed under serialnumber3Aof the originalapplication without the priorapprovalof theTribunal;(v) You shall be liable to account for the sale proceeds realised by sale of secured assets or otherassets and properties in the ordinary course of business and deposit such sale proceeds in theaccount maintained with the bank or financial institutions holding security interest over suchassets.You are also directed to file the written statement with a copy thereof furnished to the applicant andto appear before Registrar on 03/08/2021 at 10:30A.M. failing which the application shall be heardand decided inyourabsence.Due to ongoing Pandemic situation, all the matters will be taken up through Video Conferencingand for that purpose: - (i) All the Advocates/Litigants shall download the Cisco Webexapplication/software; (ii) Meeting ID and Password for the next date of hearing qua cases to betaken by Registrar/Recovery Officer-[land Recovery Officer-II shall be available one day prior tothe next date at DRTOfficial Portal i.e. drt.gov.in under the Public Notice Head. (iii) In any exigencyqua that, theAdvocates/Litigants can contact the concerned official at Ph.No.23748469. NOITCEBEPUBLISH ININDIANEXPRESS (ENGLISH)ANDJANSATTA(HINDI).Given under my hand and the seal of this Tribunal on this date:30/06/2021.
Note :Strike out whichever is not applicableSignature of the Officer
Authorised to issue summons.
Form No. 3[See Regulation-15 (1)(a)] / 16(3)
MAHARASHTRA
GulshanKumarmurdercase:HCupholdsconvictionofDawoodaideMumbai:The BombayHighCourt on Thursday upheldthe conviction of AbdulRauf Merchant in themurder case of GulshanKumar, founder of T-Series.Abdul Rauf, an aide ofgangster Dawood Ibrahim,was sentenced to lifeimprisonment in 2002 forKumar's murder in 1997.The bench also dismissedan appeal by the stategovernment against theacquittal of accusedRamesh Taurani of TipsIndustries. The courtfurther partly allowed anappeal by the stategovernment against theacquittal of accused AbdulRashid DawoodMerchant,Abdul Rauf's brother,sentencing him to lifeimprisonment. ENS
BRIEFLY
TAMILNADU
2kids‘sold’freed;NGOdirector,aideabscondingChennai: Multiple teamshavebeenformedbythepo-lice in search of the directorof a prominent Madurai-basedNGOafteritwasfoundthat he was allegedly en-gaged in selling childrenthroughadestitutehomeheran in the city. OnWednesday and Thursday,policerescuedtwochildren-- a one-year-old boy and atwo-year-oldgirl--fromtwocouples who had allegedlybought the children fromGR Shivakumar, Director ofIdhayamTrust.About80 in-mates, including about 40women and children, wereshifted to other homes inMadurai. Police also seizedcomputers and other docu-ments from the NGO’s of-fice.A senior officer saidShivakumar and his associ-ate Mathershah are on therun. ENS
KARNATAKA
KinofdeceasedHALstafftogetcompensationBengaluru: With severalCovid-19 deaths being re-portedamongitsemployeesover the last two years, thepublic sector HindustanAeronautics Limitedhas an-nouncedaschemetoprovidefamilies of employeeswhodiedwithmonthlypaymentsforsustenance.The“financialassistanceschemeforthede-pendents of deceased em-ployees”, announced by theHALmanagement on June28, aims toprovidemonthlypayments of Rs 15,000 toRs20,000 in the case of work-men and Rs 20,000 to Rs50,000inthecaseofofficerswho died since January 1,2020, by any cause otherthansuicide. ENS
AVINASHNAIRAHMEDABAD, JULY1
TO GET Tesla the world’s pre-miumelectriccarmaker,tosetupitsmanufacturing unit in theirstate, Gujarat, Karnataka andMaharashtraarekeentorollouttheredcarpet.Gujaratisofferingan estimated 1,000 hectares inMundraontheKutchcoast.A senior government official
in Gujarat said, “They are unde-cidediftheyshouldcometoafar-awayplaceinGujarat,ordigdeepinBengaluru.Thereis littleornosociallifeinGujarat,whileitisnotso in Bengaluru. They are tryingto negotiate with both GujaratandKarnatakagovernments.”OnJanuary8, theelectricve-
hicle manufacturer set up itsIndia office by registering TeslaIndiaMotorsandEnergyPrivateLimited inBengaluru.Whencontacted,PAnbalagan,
Chief Executive Officer,Maharashtra IndustrialDevelopment Corporation, toldThe Indian Express, “The govern-
mentofMaharashtraandTeslaof-ficershadfourmeetings, andthelast onewas nearly 7-8monthsback.Wealsooffered them landsothattheycouldstartproductionfacilities inMaharashtra as thereare already several auto compa-niesinthestate.”AnbalagansaidtheTeslaoffi-
cialswantedabigwebof charg-ing stations in the MumbaiMetropolitan Region and alsonear the Jawaharlal Nehru PortTrust,theportwherethecarswilllandfollowing imports.Sincetheir last interactionin
2020, Maharashtra has not re-ceivedanycorrespondencefromthecompany.OnJanuary12,KarnatakaChief
MinisterBSYediyurappasaidTeslawouldsetuparesearchanddevel-opmentunitinKarnatakabutlaterdeletedthetweet. InFebruary,heput out a statement that Teslawouldopenitselectriccarmanu-facturing unit in Karnataka. HementionedTeslafollowingthean-nouncementofthecreationofanindustrial corridor at Tumakuru,around60kmfromBengaluru,at
acostofRs7,725croretogenerate2.8lakhjobs.Gujarathasofferedlandboth
inside and outside Adani Portsand Special Economic Zone(APSEZ) inMundra. The APSEZhas8,400hectareofwhichhalf islyingvacant.“Wehavetoldthemland will not be an issue.However, they are yet to decidewhether the new unit in Indiawill be a pure export unit or amixof both,” theofficial said.Accordingtoofficialsources,
the Gujarat government is try-ing to create an electric vehiclehub inMundra and, therefore,has also proposed to allocateland for ancillary units thatwouldaccompanyTesla.Thisincludeslandforanelec-
tricvehiclebatterymanufactur-ing unit and other componentmanufacturers. Thecompany is,however, yet to provide a list ofdemands and requirements tothestategovernment forsettinguptheproject.
--WITHYOGESHNAIKINMUMBAIANDJOHNSONTA
INBENGALURU
STATESVIEFORCARMAKER
Gujarat offers Tesla1,000acres inMundra
ARUNSHARMAJAMMU,JULY1
ONTHURSDAY,avideoshowingMohan Singh, a J&K special po-lice officer (SPO) and village de-fencecommittee(VDC)member,carrying a man named BashirAhmed, 72, on his back andtrekking uphill for over an hourto reach a vaccination camp inReasidistrictwaswidelyshared.In Singh's arduous climb lay
the story of Reasi district’s suc-cessinvaccination,andeffortsofthe 5,700-plus VDCmembersacross remote andhilly areas toallay vaccine fears among peo-pleandhelpthemreachinocula-
tioncentres.And at night, these VDC
membersreturntotheirdutyofguarding their villages againstmilitantattacks.Reasi's ChiefMedical Officer
DrRajeevSharmasaid74percentofthedistrict'spopulationabove45yearshasbeenvaccinated.Officialssaidthispercentage
wouldhavebeenhigher,but fortheremoteandhillypartsof thedistrict, especially in GulabgarhandMahore, where a sizeablearea still has poor road connec-tivityandalargenumberofpeo-ple, being illiterate, are appre-hensiveof thevaccine.Theysaidwhile 90 per cent people havebeen vaccinated in areas form-
ing part of Reasi Assembly con-stituency, justabout50percentinoculationhasbeenachievedinremoteareas.And it is here— in thesedis-
tant, hilly areas — that policehavejoinedthevaccinationdriveasa forcemultiplier.Reasi SPShalindraSingh said
he got 16 troop carrier vehiclesmodified intopolice vaccinationambulances to help HealthDepartmentofficialsreachremoteareas.Healsoactivatedmorethan6,000policepersonnel andVDCmembersinremoteareaswiththetaskofmotivatingvillagers.While VDC members take
elderlypeopleontheirbackandconvincetheyoungeronestogo
uptothevaccinationcentres,po-lice provide lunch topoor fami-lies coming for inoculation,Singhsaid.Hesaidnearly70percentstaffatpolicestationsinre-mote areas is engaged in Covidvaccinationdutyduringtheday.Besidestheadvantageofbe-
ing local residents and therebyclose to local problems, VDCmembers also have a big influ-enceamongvillagerssince theywereatthevanguardagainstter-rorattacksevenduringpeakmil-itancy. Even now, the SP said,theyguardtheirvillagesagainstany suspicious movement atnight, and thus enjoy people'sconfidence,whichhelp themintheirpro-vaccinationmessaging.
SPOMohanSinghcarriesaseniorcitizenonhisbacktoavaccinationcentreuphillin J&K'sReasidistrict. Express
J&K’SREASIAIMSFOR100%VACCINATION
Cops take the load, help Health Dept carry out drive
SOHINIGHOSH&LEENAMISRAGANDHINAGAR, JULY1
WHILETHEGujaratgovernmentwas prepared to face the firstwave of Covid-19, therewas no“epidemic intelligence” aboutthe secondwave, said outgoingstate principal secretary, healthandfamilywelfare, JayantiRavi,who will join as secretary,Auroville Foundation in TamilNaduafterafour-yearstintinthehealthdepartment.In an interview to The Indian
Express, Ravi said, “The second(wave)hitusall of a suddenandthere was not much of an epi-demicintelligencefromanycor-ner — not only from withinGujarat but nationally... and itwas almost nine times of thecurve (of the firstwave, of daily
newcasesofCovid-19).”As compared to that during
the firstwaveGujarat had some“lead time” andwas readywiththe 1,200-bed Ahmedabad civilhospital, although there was aproblemofstaff.“Wehaddoctorsand nurses but suddenlywhenthe numbers go up, you needmorenurses,youneedmorejan-itorsalso.Wetriedourbesttogetasmany as we could but there
were some areaswhere peoplewerenotwilling to joinbecauseof the taboo and stigma relatedtoCovid-19,”saidRavi.The Gujarat High Court is
hearing twosuomotupetitionsregisteredduringthetwowaves,duringwhich it issued stern di-rectives to the government toputsystems,dataandpoliciesinplace. Ravi, on a directive fromthe court, filed affidavits on themanagementof thepandemic.Askedwhythedeathregistra-
tionswerenotbeingmadepublicfor theCovid-19years, Ravi said,“Thatdatawillalsobemadeavail-ableatthesuitabletime...Itishap-pening on a computerised plat-form,sothereisnowaythatsomedeathswillgounreported,it’sjustthatitwilltakesometime.Somemayreportitimmediately,someafter threemonths, someothersaftersixmonths.”
OutgoingGujaratHealthSecy JayantiRavi
‘Second wave hit suddenly, notmuch epidemic intelligence’
MANAMANSINGHCHHINACHANDIGARH, JULY1
WITHPUNJAB reeling under anunprecedentedelectricityshort-ageamidextremetemperaturesand the ongoing paddy sowingseason,ChiefMinisterAmarinderSingh Thursday ordered curtail-ment in timings of governmentoffices from Friday, and cuttingdownofpowersupplytoenergy-guzzling industrieswith imme-diateeffect,tosavecropsandeasethedomesticpowersituation.The orders came soon after
the state-owned power utilityPSPCL imposed two-day com-pulsoryshutdownof theindus-try, including rollingmills, arcandinductionfurnaceswithim-mediate effect to mitigate thecrisis. The Punjab State PowerCorporation Limited also ap-pealedtogovernmentandpub-lic sector offices in the state touse electricity judiciously andswitchoff ACsupto July3.While therewasnodecision
on the use of ACs, the order is-suedbytheCMsaidthatgovern-ment officeswill function from8amto2pmfromFridaytill fur-therorders.
SHAJUPHILIPTHIRUVANANTHAPURAM,JULY1
FOLLOWING SUPREME Court'sdirectiontotheNationalDisasterManagement Authority to rec-ommendguidelinesforexgratiatofamilymembersofthosewholost their lives during the pan-demic,thedemandtoreviewthecoronavirusdeathtally inKeralahasgatheredmomentum.The state government has
beenunderfirefromoppositionparties and some public healthexpertsforallegedlyeliminatingmanyCovid-19deaths fromtheofficial list.State HealthMinister Veena
George,however,saidthegovern-
ment has nothing to hide. “Wehave a decentralised Covid-19deathreportingsystem,”shesaid.However, George added, “If
anydeathhasbeenmissedinthepast, the government is open tolook into (it).Wearenotagainstensuringhelp forvictims.”As on July 1, Kerala has offi-
ciallyreported13,360Covid-re-lateddeaths,with a fatality rateof0.4percent,oneof thelowestin the country.With a popula-tionof3.33crore,Kerala,with29lakhcases, nowranks second inconfirmedCovid-19casesinthecountry. The state governmenthas highlighted the relativelylowfatality rateas itsmajor featin theCovid-19battle.The US-based Institute for
HealthMetrics and Evaluation,
however, has projected thatKerala may have had 25,000Covid-19deaths so far.On Thursday, Opposition
leader V D Satheesan said thegovernmentshoulddisclosethe“actual” Covid-19 toll in Kerala.“Inthebackdropof theSCorder,alleligiblepersonsshouldbein-cludedinthelistofCovid-19vic-tims. The figures released so farby the government are erro-neous,” he alleged. “A fresh listof peoplewhodied of Covid-19shouldbeprepared.”ReactingtotheOppositional-
legation,HealthMinisterGeorgesaid, “At present, doctors whotreated the patients (who died)are uploading the report,whichwouldbecoordinatedatthedis-trict level.Wehavebeenfollow-
ing ICMRandWHOguidelines.”Untilthreeweeksago,Covid-
19 deaths in Kerala were de-claredbyastatelevelauditcom-mittee, which took a decisionbased on reports from the dis-tricts.Hundredsofdeathsofpa-tients, who tested negative forthevirusbutdiedof post-CovidcomplicationsorCovid-induceddiseases, have been droppedfrom the official list of Covid-19deaths, itwaspointedout.Public health expert Dr NM
Arun, who is tracking Covid-19deaths,saidKeralahaddroppedatleast1,600deathsfromtheof-ficial list in the first wave. “Therepeated test of critical patientsismeant only to drop Covid-19as cause of death from the list,’’hemaintained.
AFTERSCDIRECTIONTONDMA
Oppn seeks ‘actual’ Kerala Covidtoll, govt says nothing to hide
Punjab powercrisis: 2-dayshutdown forindustry
487DAYSSINCEPANDEMICBEGAN
TRACKING THE SECOND SURGE
NEWCASES: 43,329ACTIVE CASES:5,09,041TOTAL VACCINATION:33,57,16,019
DAILY DEATHS858
TOTALDEATHS4,00,317
WEEKLY CFR1.44%
OVERALL CFR1.35%
TESTS TODAY: 21,59,117 | TOTAL TESTS: 41,41,80,611
WEEKLY POSITIVITY: 2.19% | OVERALL POSITIVITY: 7.35%
STATESREPORTINGMOSTCASES
STATE NEW ACTIVE WEEKLY TOTALCASES CASES POSITIVITY VACCINATION
■Kerala 12,868 1,02,475 10.33% 1,40,96,824
■Maharashtra 9,195 1,16,667 4.17% 3,24,39,765
■TamilNadu 4,481 37,526 2.99% 1,56,42,773
■Andhra 3,841 38,178 4.15% 1,57,04,570
■Karnataka 3,203 65,335 2.19% 2,27,12,679
STATESREPORTINGMOSTDEATHS
STATE TODAY’S TOTAL WEEKLY OVERALLDEATHS DEATHS CFR CFR
■Maharashtra 258 1,25,397 3.49% 2.11%
■Kerala 124 13,408 0.91% 0.48%
■TamilNadu 102 32,721 0.92% 1.36%
■Karnataka 94 35,134 1.39% 1.26%
■Odisha 45 4,116 0.93% 0.47%
Note:DataasonJuly1;vaccinationnumbersasofJune30.Deathsincludethosefrompreviousdays.
5 bodies dug outin Dewas: MPCM says case tobe fast-tracked
EXPRESSNEWSSERVICEBHOPAL, JULY1
TWODAYS after bodies of fivemembers of aDalit familywerefound buried in a field inNemavar, inMadhya Pradesh’sDewas district, Chief MinisterShivraj Singh Chouhan onThursday announced compen-sationof Rs40 lakh for the fam-ily under SC/STAct and said thecasewill be tried in a fast-trackcourt,evenasOppositionleaderKamalNathof theCongressde-mandedaCBI inquiry.The five deceased were re-
portedmissingonMay13.Theyhave been identified as RapaliKaste (21), her motherMamtabai Kaste (45), sisterDivya Kaste (14), cousin sisterPooja Oswal (15), and cousinbrotherPavanOswal (14).Thebodiesweredugupfrom
an eight-foot pit dug on a fieldowned by the accused,SurrendraSinghChouhan.Police learnt that they had
beenkilled andburied after de-tainingSurrendraandquestion-ing him—Dewas SP Shiv Dayalsaid Surrendra confessed to thecrimeduringquestioning.
New Delhi
EXPRESSNETWORK8 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COMTHEINDIANEXPRESS,FRIDAY, JULY2,2021
II SanjayAroraS/oG.C. AroraR/oC5A/84, Third Floor,Janakpuri,Delhi-59, havechangedmyminor sonnameSaranshArora toRiyanArora.
0040575213-1
II Samir SinghS/oSh. SurinderSinghR/o 330, Kohat Enclave,Pitampura, Delhi-110034 havechangedmyname toAgnostosTheos for all purposesnotmyreligion. 0040575144-4
II NeetuDuggal D/oVinodKumarandW/oNamoeshKochharR/oHouseNo-5494/1, JassianRoad, StreetNumber-2,Raghuvir Park, Habowal Kalan,Ludhiana, Punjab-141001, havechangedmyname toNitikaKochhar 0070745177-1
II NARENDARKUMAR@NARENDERKUMAR@,NARINDERKUMAR@NARENDARKUMARRUSTAGI@NARENDRARASTOGI@NARENDREKUMARS/oSh.SatyaPal, PermanentR/oH.no.30/1576, NaiWala,KarolBagh,NewDelhi-110005,presently residingatN-543,R.K. Puram, Sector-8, NewDelhi-110022, have changedmyname toNARENDARKUMAR forall purposes. 0040575268-2
IIMeetu SananD/oAnil KumarandW/oRohit KochharR/oHouseNo-177-A, TagoreNagar,Civil Lines, Ludhiana, Punjab-141001, have changedmynametoTanvi Kochhar
0070745181-1
IIMdWashiAlamSiddiqueS/oMdRahmtullahR/oDumari,Sikandarpur, Siwan, Bihar-841434, have changedmynametoMdAayanSiddiqui
0070745184-1
II Jasneet KaurD/oBhupinderSinghandW/oMandeepSinghR/o 104, VrindavanGarden,Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, UP-201005, have changedmynameto Jasneet KaurPanesar
0070745183-1
II DeepaShuklaD/o LateSh.AkhileshShuklaR/oD-26,AurangzebRoad,NirmanBhawan, Central Delhi, Delhi-110011havechangedmynametoDeepali Shukla for allpurposes. 0040575144-2
II AshokKumar Luthra S/oGulzari Lal LuthraR/o-T-65,BaljeetNagarDelhi-8,havechangedmyname toAshokLuthra. 0040575250-2
II Amit KumarYadavS/oMr. HariRamYadavR/oB-34F, VijetaVihar, Sector-13, Rohini, NewDelhi-110085have changedmyname toAmit Yadav for allpurposes. 0040575144-1
II AbdheshKumar S/oPutti laldeclare thatmynamehasbeenwronglywrittenasAvadeshKumar inmyminor sonKishanKumaraged 17 year his SCcertificate no-SC/4/948/6395/23/6/2014/90519489469425/6489. The correctnameofmy isAbdheshKumar.
0040575201-1
II ANANDITA is legal daughter ofDAVANANDPANDEYR/oN-85CAMEROComplex, SubrotoPark, NewDelhi-10 havechangedmyName fromANANDITA toANANDITAPANDEYvideAffidavit dated 22Jun 21. 0040575217-1
I,GurmukhSinghChanni,S/oHakamSinghR/oWZ-106/3GFRajouri-GardenDelhi-110027,have changedmynametoGurmukhSingh.
0040575284-2
I, SreenishS/OVRSNair, R/o 3rdFloor- B11, BBlock, SectorD,Nangal DewatVasant Kunj,SouthWestDelhi- 110070., havechanged mynameandshallhereafter beKnownasSreenish Sreedharan Nair.
0070745142-1
I,Snehalkumari HadmatsinhDevadaW/o-AshishDavidR/o602-Block-2,6th-Floor,NursesResidential-Complex,Sriniwaspuri,Delhi-110065,have changedmynametoDevadaSnehalkumari.
0040575260-6
WWee,, JitenderKumarand IshaChandna, bothR/o FlatNo. B-403, SayaZenithApartment,PlotNo. G-11, AhinsaKhand-2,Indirapuram,Ghaziabad, U.P.-201014have changednameofourminor son fromJihaanChandna to JihanshChandnafor allfuturepurposes.
0040575164-1
IItt is for general information thatI, SoniaNayyarW/oLateAjayKumarNayyar, R/o 108/10RailwayColony, KishanGanj,Delhi-07, declares that nameofminehasbeenwronglywrittenasTaranjeet KaurAhuja inmy10th&Graduation&TaranjeetKaur inmy12thdocuments andasSonia inmypancard&BirthCertificate. Theactual nameofmine is SoniaNayyar,whichmaybeamendedaccordingly
0040575253-1
II,,VVaarriinnddeerr s/oV.K. TalwarR/o-F3/60, GreenAvenue,MohanGarden,Vikas-Nagar, Uttam-Nagar,NewDelhi-110059,havechangedmyname toVirenderKumarTalwar,permanently.
0040575260-7
II,,VVIIJJAAYY LAXMI,W/O INDER JEETNISCHAL,ADDRESS-77,VIJAY-BLOCK,LAXMI-NAGAR,Delhi-110092.Changedmyname toVIJAYLAXMINISCHAL,forall,futurepurposes.
0040575250-8
II,,UUrrmmiillW/o-MukeshKumar,R/o-H.No.459,GH-9,Pashchim-Vihar,New-Delhi-110087,informthatmyhusbandname iswrongly-writtenasMukesh inmydaughterVarnikaBirthCertificate.Theactual-namemyhusband isMukeshKumarwhichmaybeamendedaccordingly. 0040575271-10
II,,TTAAJJIINNDDEERRKAUR,W/o-INDERJITSINGHCHATRATH,ADDRESS-F-235, VIKASPURINEW DELHI-110018. changedmyname toTAJINDERKAURCHATRATH,permanently.
0040575250-9
II,,SSiittaa RamVermaS/oRamRatan,R/oH.No.-C-2/120, NewAshokNagar,nearbyPiliKothi,Delhi-110096, confirmthat Sita Ramalias SitaRamVermaandSitaRamPrajapatiall,namebelong to SamePerson. 0070745176-1
II,,RReekkhhaaW/O.TarunMatrani R/O(RWA-83),A-4,Kewal ParkExt.GuruNanakMarg,Azadpur,Delhi-110033, after-marriagemyname is changedGeetikaMatrani,w/oTarunMatrani
0040575260-9
II,,RReekkhhaaGulatiW/oOMPrakashBatra,R/oB-94Gujrawala TownPart-1, Delhi-110009,HaveChangedmyName toRekhaBatra, permanently.
0040575271-7
II,,RRAAMMAANNDDEEEEPPKAURBADESHAW/OHARJEETSINGHR/OB-68Y,DDAFLATS,JAHANGIRPURI,MAHENDRAPARK,DELHI-110033.CHANGEDMYNAMETORAMANDEEPKAUR.
0040575271-6
II,,PPrriiyyaannkkaaD/Osh.kundanLal,R/OPlot.NO.23K-4.1,Independent-Floor sector-83,Vatika IndiaNextGurgaon,Haryana-122004,HaveChangedMyName toPriyankaNogia,for all purposes
0040575271-2
II,,PPoooojjaa Yadav,D/o LateSh.RakeshKumar,R/o-13A,SherSingh-Enclave,NewGopalNagar,Najafgarh,NewDelhi-110043,declare that nameofmygrand father is LateSh.Chiranji Lal aliasChiranji LalYadav. 0040575250-10
II,,MMaannoojj KumarAsrani S/oTarlokNathAsrani R/o-3026/4,Gali.No.4 RanjeetNagarDelhi-110008 changedmyname toManoj Asrani.
0040575260-10
II,,MMaaddhhuulliikkaa,,DD//oo Sh.R.SNogia,resident of,plot.No.23, K-4.1,Independent Floor, Sector-83, Vatika IndiaNext,Gurgaon,Haryana-122004,HaveChangedmyName toMadhulikaNogia,forall purposes. 0040575271-3
II,,MMAANNDDEEEEPP SINGHS/OINDERJEETSINGHR/OC-18/19,GALINO.5,MAJLISPARK,ADARSH-NAGAR,DELHI-110033.CHANGEDMYNAMETOMANDEEPSINGHSAINS.
0040575271-5
II,, PawanKumarS/oSh. ChanderBhanSharmaR/o L82B,ShivVatikaGol Chakkar, ShariNagar, Delhi-110052, herebydeclare that I have changedmyname toPawanKumarGautam.Now I shouldbeknownasPawanKumarGautam for all futurepurposes.
0040575245-1
II,, OnkarNath Seth S/oSohanLalSethR/oB-26OverseasApartment Sector-9 RohiniDelhi-110085 changedmyname toOnkar Seth.
0040575271-9
II,, No.3200641YSep LakhanSinghRathore, S/oHemrajSinghR/oVillage-Buora,PO-Baktal, Tehsil-Sehore,Distt-Sehore,MadhyaPradesh-466001,have changed thenameofmydaughter fromAshwaniRathore toAshwini Rathore forall purposes.
0040575284-4
II,, Taru SinhaS/ONKSinha, R/oFlatNo- B3/406, KendriyaVihar2, 169, BadraNorth, Kolkata,NorthDumdum(m), Birati,North 24Parganas,WestBengal- 700051, have changedmynameandshall hereafterbeKnownasTarunSinha.
0070745166-1
II,, SonuYadavD/OKrishanSinghYadav , R/o 87/1 , Gali No - 4 ,Mahavir Nagar , Rewari ,Haryana-123401 , havechangedmynameandshallhereafter beKnownasSonia .
0070745150-1
II,, ShyopatRamNayakS/OBheraRamNayak , R/o 10-MagriwalaGhar , Roshan Ji Ki Badi , Savina, HiranMagri Sector - 12 , Girwa. Udaipur Rajasthan- 313001,have changedmynameandshall hereafter beKnownasSaurrabhNayak .
0070745158-1
II,, NehaKumari D/OSunil KumarJha , R/oSatlakha Laksayar,Satlakha,Madhubani, Bihar-847238. declare thatNameofMinehasbeenwronglywrittenasNeha Jha inmyEducationalDocuments . Theactual nameofMine isNehaKumari,whichmaybeamendedaccordingly.
0070745170-1
II,, Narender SinghNegi S/oGSNegi has lost Possession Letter&Allotment Letter ofmyFlatNo. B-604, PlotNo-11, PrabhaCGHS, Sector-23, Dwarka, Delhi–110075. If Foundcontact:8800653884
0040575168-1
II,,PPaarraammjjeeeett KaurW/oRaj KumarSharmaR/o-201, DDA-LIG-Flats,Pocket-3,PaschimPuri,Delhi-63,have changedmyname toRenuSharma. 0040575250-4
II,,IInnddrraajj Singh,S/OSh.NarayanSinghR/O,Village-Sadullapur,GautamBuddha-NagarU.P.-203207,inform thatIndraj Singhand InderRajSinghbothareoneand thesameperson. 0040575271-4
II,,HHaarr Jeet Kaur,D/oKhemSinghW/oGurmukhSingh,R/oWZ-106/3GFRajouri-Garden,Delhi-110027,have changedmynametoHarjeet Kaur.
0040575284-1
II,,GGeeeettiikkaaW/o-AnkurRohila R/o-Flat.No.212, BahawalpurCghs,Plot-1,Sec-4,Dwarka,ND-110075,have changedmynametoGeetikaRohila,for allpurposes. 0040575271-1
II,,FFAARRDDEEEENNS/O.KAMALANWAR,ADD-N.76/164,NEWOMNAGAR,DHOBI-GHATSANGAM-PARKRANA-PRATAPBAGH,NORTHWESTDELHI-110007,Changedmyname toFARDEENANSARI,permanently.
0040575260-3
II,,BBuusshhrraaNoorAbdul RaufKhan,W/O-FarhaanQureshiR/O-Plot.No-D-22,ResidentialSector-B-1,TronicaCity(TDSCity),Ghaziabad,UttarPradesh-201103,HaveChangedMy,NameToBushraQureshiForAll,FuturePurposes.
0040575260-4
II,, SantoshSahW/oSh.MunilalSahR/o 38, ShivMander,Amahi,Madhubani, Bihar -847402inform thatmynamehasbeenmentioned inmyLICpolicy no. 114251422 asSantoshSahu. Ideclare thatSantoshSah, SantoshKumarSahuandSantoshSahuareoneandsameperson.
0040575180-1
II,, SanjayKumarYadavS/OBasantYadav , R/oHNo- 156 ,Village- Ranipur , Post-Sathiaon , Dist- Azamgarh ,Uttar Pradesh- 276406 . DeclarethatNameofMineandMyFather hasbeenwronglywrittenasSanjayKumarYadava and Basant Yadava inmy10thClassCertificate . Theactual nameofMineandMyFather are SanjayKumarYadavandBasantYadav ,whichmaybeamendedaccordingly.
0070745147-1
II,, Samir KantColvin S/o. JeraldHermanColvinR/o. FlatNo. 41AnekantApartments,Vasundhara Enclave, Delhi -110096have changedmynametoSameerKantColvin for allfuturepurposes
0040575171-1
II,, RimpyRaniW/oArunKumarGoyal R/oB-96,Ground-FloorOriental Apartment Sector-9,Rohini Delhi-110085,changedmyname toRimpyGoyal.
0040575271-8
II,, RiaD/ONitin SinghSalaria ,R/o 1441, RosewoodEstate 2,BarwalaRoad, DeraBassi SASNagar (Mohali), Punjab-140507. Declare thatNameofMyMother hasbeenwronglywrittenasSimmi inmy10thClassCertificateNo-1366842 .Theactual nameofMyMotheris Simmi Johal,whichmaybeamendedaccordingly.
0070745168-1
II,,BBhhuuppiinnddeerr SinghS/o-CharanjitSinghBawaR/o-G-32,NarainaViharDelhi-110028havechangedmyname toBhupinder SinghBawa.
0040575250-5
II,,AAsshhmmeeeett Kaurw/oTarvinderPal SinghR/o.VN-3,WZ-60B,TF,Street.No.9, Virender-Nagar,Delhi-110058,have changedmyname toAshmeetKaurAnand,permanently.
0040575260-8
II,,AArrsshhRathore s/oAkanshaSinghR/o-1/902 Shaktikunjapartment sector-62Noida-201301,have changedmynametoArshSingh. 0040575250-1
II,, RashmiKumari D/oAshokKumarPandeyR/oVillage-Kachainia Post-Athar, Distt-Buxar, Bihar-802126, havechangedmyname toRashmiPandey for all purposes.
0040575284-3
II,,AANNKKIITT,, Address:106, BankColony, St-02,Modinagar, U.P-201201,haveChangedmyMinor daughter name ViDhi toVidheeParashar.
0040575260-1
II,, PradeepSabharwal s/oMaharaj Krishan r/o 10752, 1stfloor, PratapNagar, Delhi-110007 have changedmynametoPradipKumar Sabharwal.
0040575233-1
II,, harleen kaur jetleyw/o vikramjetley,R/o-14/1104 heritage citym.g.roadgurgaon,haryana-122002,Changedmyname toharleen kaur.
0040575260-2
II,, ZAHRAKHAN,W/OMOHSINSAEED,H.NO-3162, SECOND-FLOOR, LEFT-SIDE, KUCHA-TARACHAND,NEARDAIWALIMASJID,DARYAGANJ,DELHI-110002,have changedmynametoZAHRA,permanently.
0040575260-5
II,, Urvi APatel ,W/OAshishG.Patel R/oB/3,Maruti KrupaSociety, Near Tulsi Dham,ZadeshwarRoad, Bharuch,Gujarat- 392011 . have changedmynameandshall hereafterbeKnownasUrvi Choksi Patel .
0070745163-1
II,, PradeepBabbar S/oRadhaKishanBabbar,R/o F-58, TF,LajpatNagar-2, Delhi-24,havechangedmyname toPradeepKumarBabbar.
0040575250-3
II,, Satbir SinghS/oHeera Lal R/oH.No 24, VPOGhumanhera,NewDelhi inmyFard/ TehsildarrecordmynamewronglyrecordedasSatyaveer, butmycorrect name is Satbir Singh
0040575209-1
II,, NAFISAHMED, S/O.ABDULGHAFFARKHAN,ADD-C-72,AFOURTH-FLOORSHAHEEN-BAGHABU-FAZALENCLAVE-2JAMIA-NAGARDELHI-110025.Changedmyname toNAFISAHMAD, permanently.
0040575250-6
II,, ROHILDABASs/oYASHPAL r/oHouseNo-168, VillageRasulpur, Delhi-110081havechangedmyname toRUDRAKSHHDABAS.
0040575150-1
II,,Mani RamHarijanS/o LateJummuRamR/oSMQNo-357/03, Air ForceStation,Rajokri, NewDelhi-110038havechangedmyname fromManiRamHarijan toMani RamVideAffidavit Date 01-07-2021
0040575244-1
II,,Madhavi DW/oRamulu SlegallyweddedspouseofArmyNo. 15574816NNKRamuluSR/oVilla-Jangamayapally PO.-Pamireddypally, Teh-Wanaparthy, Distt-Wanaparthy(Telangana),have changedmynameMadhavi S toMadhavi Dfor all,futurepurposes.
0070745117-1
II,, KRISHANKUMAR@KRISHANRUSTAGI@KRISHANKUMARRUSTAGI, S/o Late Sh.NandKishoreRustagi, Agedabout 56 years, R/o Flat no.607,SupertechResidency,Sector-5,Vaishali, Ghaziabad, U.P.-201019, have changedmynametoKrishanKumarRustagi forall purposes. 0040575268-1
II,, KHUSHBOO,W/O-DEEPAKNISCHAL,ADDRESS-77,VIJAY-BLOCK,LAXMI-NAGARDELHI-110092.Changedmyname toKHUSHBOONISCHAL,forall,futurepurposes.
0040575250-7
II,, Ishant S/ORajenderKumarbornon02-JAN-1996 residingatG-27/179 Sector-3 Rohini Delhi-110085, have changedmynameto Ishant Kumar videaffidavitdated 09-APR-2021 atDelhi
0050180242-1
II,, HakeemSyedGyazuddin S/OHakeemSyedAzeezuddin , R/o21/122, GunthaBazar , 7 Roads ,Kadapa , CuddapahAndhraPradesh- 516001. declare thatNameofMine&MyFather andMyMother hasbeenwronglywrittenasShaikGyazuddin&SAzeezuddin andShahidaBegumShaik inmyMyPassport no- Z4976806, ThatTheNameofMineAndMyFatherHasBeenWronglyWrittenasShaikGyazuddinandSAzeezuddin InMyAllEducational Documents . Theactual nameofMine&MyFather andMyMother areHakeemSyedGyazuddin&HakeemSyedAzeezuddinAndSyedShahidaBegum,whichmaybeamendedaccordingly.
0070745173-1
II,, GANESHVIDOLKAR, S/ORAVINDRARAMRAOVIDOLKARbornon07 Feb 1988, residingatS2VikasKunj, IIT Roorkee,Roorkee, Dist.Haridwar,Uttarakhand-247667havechangedmyname toGANESHRAVINDRAVIDOLKARvideaffidavit dated 28 June 2021 atRoorkee. 0070745118-1
II,, DyvanTeDylanS/OAbdulShukurKarukapadathKochumohammed, R/oKarukapadathHouse,Koolimuttam PONedumparambu, Kodungallur,Thrissur, KL- 680691, havechangedmynameandshallhereafter beKnownasDyvanDylan. 0070745144-1
II,, Devaki Bai ,W/OAgarwal LalitKumarR/o 4 - 3- 72/1 , KandaSwamyLane , KapedlaAppartments , Hyderabad,Telangana- 500001 . havechangedmynameandshallhereafter beKnownasDevkiAgarwal . 0070745148-1
II,, AnuKumari ,W/ORajatAnandR/oNearBazar Samiti, FlatNo-301, ShivamPrasarResidency,RajendraNagar Patna, NayaChak, Patna- 800016 . havechangedmynameandshallhereafter beKnownasAnuSharma . 0070745161-1
II,, AbhishekKumar S/ORati KantSingh, R/o FlatNo-103, SuryaSumitra SadanApartment,LaneNo-7, SKPuram,NearAryaSamajMandir, Danapur,Dinapur- Cum-Khagaul, Patna,Bihar- 801503. declare thatNameofMyFather andMyMother hasbeenwronglywrittenasSri Rati Kant SinghandUshRani inmy12thClassCertificate . Theactual nameofMyFather andMyMother areRati Kant SinghandUshaRani,whichmaybeamendedaccordingly.
0070745172-1
II,, DharamKaur ,W/OAjit SinghR/oVill- Bajwa, P.O- Panwan,Dasuya,Hoshiarpur, Punjab-144205 . have changedmynameandshall hereafter beKnownasDharamjit Kaur .
0070745164-1
II,,MukeshKumar S/OGanpatRam,R/oA4/119 First Floor,PaschimVihar,WestDelhi-110063, have changedmynameandshall hereafter beKnownasMukeshKumarTungaria.
0070745159-1
II,, SonuKatyal S/OLateMahenderPal , R/o 1/205/6 ,GeetaAshram ,Sadar Bazar ,MoradabadPahari , Delhi Cantt, SouthWestDelhi-110010, havechangedmynameandshallhereafter beKnownasSunilKatyal .
0070745139-1
PPEERRSSOONNAALL
LLOOSSTT&&FFOOUUNNDD
Classifieds
PUBLIC NOTICEBe it known to all that my client Ritu SharmaW/o Dinesh Kumar R/o 1001, BPTP ParkSerene, Sec-37D, Gurugram and Preeti AroraW/o Vikas Arora R/o A-502, ChitrakutApartment, Sec-22, Dwarka, Delhi are nowsole and absolute owner of the Propertybearing No. B-2/414, Yamuna Vihar, Delhi-110053 consisting Ground Floor, First Floorand Second Floor by virtue of registered WILLdated 16.12.2020 executed by Mishta Sharma(mother of my clients) who expired due tocovid and Suman Sharma her Daughter andminor son are in possession of First Floor ofthe abovesaid property. Probate case hasbeen filed which is pending before concernedHon’ble court of Karkardooma. There are alsomultiple litigation between the parties, pendingbefore Hon’ble court of Karkardooma so ifanyone deals with them regarding theabovesaid property then he/she/they will do athis/her/their own risk, cost and consequences.My client shall not be responsible in anymanner whatsoever for the same and shallhave no liability and responsibilities in future.
Sd/- Avinash Pandey AdvocateChamber No. 748 Western WingTis Hazari Courts, Delhi-110054
PUBLIC NOTICEOn behalf of my client Sh. PANCHURAM S/o Late Sh. PUNI RAM R/o H-Block-777, Shakur Pur, Anand Vas,Delhi-110034 sever all relations andnow debarred his Son, Daughter-in-Laws and Grand Daughter (RAMKISHAN @ RAJE his wife URMILA@ ANJANA and his daughterKAVYA) as far as from all his inheritedand occupied movable andimmovable properties due to improperdealings, misbehave anddisobedience and out of control. Myclient will not be responsible for theirany act/deed in future.
Sd/- SANJAY MANDAWAT (ADV.)Ch. No. 419-A, 4th Floor, Lawyers
Chamber Building, District Court,Rohini, Delhi-85
PUBLIC NOTICE
Know all concerned thatmy client Smt. ParvinderKaur @ Parvinder KaurA n a n d W / o L a t ePurshotam Singh, R/o C-64. Nand Niwas, ShivajiPark, West Punjabi Bagh,New Delhi-110026 hasdisinherited her sonnamely Gurneet SinghAnand and daughternamely Gurleen KaurBaweja W/o HardeepSingh Baweja, R/o WZ-K-7, Street No.13, KrishnaPark, West Delhi, Delhi-110018, from her allmovable and immovableproperties due to theirmisconduct, abusive anddisobedient behavourtowards my clientess. Myclientess has also severedher family/social relationsfrom her said son &daughter. My clientessshall not be responsiblefor any acts or deeds doneb y h e r s a i d s o n &daughter, in future in anymanner.
ANKUR MINOCHAADVOCATE
Chamber No. M-6,Civil Side, Tis HazariCourts, Delhi-110054
Plot No. 99, Block -C, Sushant Lok Phase-I, Gurugram, Haryana Public at largehereby informed that my client Sh.Jitendra Sharma s/o Sh. Bhopal Sharma,r/o 21/C-1, Hariom Gali, Baburpur,(Distt.-North East) Delhi 110032 is the absoluteowner and in physical and vacantpossession of property/ plot bearing no.Block -C, Sushant Lok Phase -I, situatedin around villages Sarhaul Sukhrali,Chakarpur Salokhara, Kanhai, Tehsil &Dist. Gurugram, Haryana measuringabout 350 sq. meters. Public at largeinformed that abovesaid residential plotowned and possessed by my client since10.06.2019 from the date of purchasefrom its erstwhile owner under regd. saledeed against the valuable consideration. ifany person claimed any right, title, chargeor interest in the said property and dealwith anyone in any manner or try to takeillegal possession of that property in thatevent that my client shall not beresponsible in any manner and thatdealing will not binding upon my client inany manner and that person shall beresponsible for the same illegal act.S a n d e e p G a r g A d v o c a t eD-68A, IlI Floor, Aruna Park (Opp.Metro Pillar No. 50), Vikas Marg,Shakarpur,Delhi, India-110092
PUBLIC NOTICE
PUBLIC NOTICETo whomsoever it may concern
Our client states that SHRI DEEPAK GARG &SMT MEENAKSHI GARG are the absoluteowners of the property bearing UNIT NO.CGT-104 DLF CAPITAL GREENS PH-IISHIVAJI MARG NEW DELHIThe original of the said following documentsbeing:-1. Sale deed executed by M/s DLF HomeDevelopers Ltd in favour of Mr Deepak Garg &Mrs Meenakshi Garg-duly regd in the office ofSub-Registrar-II, Basai Darapur, New Delhi on17.08.2020 vide Regn no. 5637 in Book no. Iwere lost by our client, while in their custody.An FIR dated 29.06.2021 was lodged by ourclient in this respect.The said property is in possession of SHRIDEEPAK GARG & SMT MEENAKSHI GARGand is absolutely free from any encumbrancewhatsoever.If any person has any claim or interest overthe said property, he/she is requested toforward their claim/s along with the relevantdocuments to us within 15 days of this publicnotice. If we do not receive any claim from anyperson within 15 days, it will be strictlypresumed that this property is absolutely freefrom any claim or encumbrance and no onehas any claim over this property.
RAVI CHOPRAADVOCATE - 9811020745
ENRL. NO. DL/215/01
PUBLIC NOTICETo whomsoever it may concern
Our client states that SHRI VIJAY SHARMA isthe lawful of property bearing FLAT NO. B-G02, GF, TOWER-B BPTP PRINCESS PARKSECTOR-86 FARIDABADThe original of the said following documentsbeing :-1. Permission to mortgage issued by BPTP2. NOC document of BPTPwere lost by our client, while in their custody.An FIR dated 21-02-2020 was lodged by ourclient in this respect.If any person has any claim or interest overthe said property, he/she is requested toforward their claim/s along with the relevantdocuments to us within 15 days of this publicnotice. If we do not receive any claim from anyperson within 15 days, it will be strictlypresumed that this property is absolutely freefrom any claim or encumbrance and no onehas any claim over this property.
Ravi ChopraADVOCATE
ENRL NO. DL/215/01 Office No. 1, FirstFloor, DDA Market Pocket-A-1,Mayur Vihar-III, Delhi-110096
PUBLIC NOTICEThis is for all general public fortheir information that my clientShri Azad Singh S/o Late ShriJage Ram R/o Plot No.24-25,KhasraNo.1244/1246/1247/1280,Vijay Nagar, Kirari SulemanNagar, Near R.C. Plaza, Delhi,mob.+91-9210099663 has notauthorized any person(s) todeal/transaction of any kindwith respect to his Lal Doraproperty bearing Plot No.24-25,KhasraNo.1244/1246/1247/1280,Vijay Nagar, Kirari SulemanNagar, Near R.C. Plaza, Delhiwhich is in his physical andabsolute possession andpresently he is residing in thesaid property with his family.My client neither authorizedany person to deal with theproperty nor he sign or executeany type of documents/paper infavour of anyone. If any persontried to negotiate on the basisof any documents, the same isfake, forged and manipulateone. The said property is LalDora property and my client isrightful and absolute owner ofthe same. No other person(s)was/is either co-owner or shareholder in the said property. Ifany person(s) tried to purchasethe same on the basis of forgedand fake documents, thenbefore entering any agreementhe/she shall contact my clientpersonally otherwise he/sheshall be fully responsible forthe same.
Sunil Kumar (Advocate)248, Vidya Vihar, West Enclave,
Pitampura, Delhi-34 En.No. D/943-R/97,Email:[email protected]
''IMPORTANT''Whilst care is taken prior toacceptance of advertisingcopy, it isnotpossible toverifyits contents. The IndianExpress (P) Limited cannot beheld responsible for suchcontents, nor for any loss ordamage incurredasaresultoftransactions with companies,associations or individualsadvertising in its newspapersor Publications. We thereforerecommend that readersmake necessary inquiriesbefore sending any monies orentering into any agreementswith advertisers or otherwiseacting on an advertisement inany manner whatsoever.
PUBLIC NOTICEThe general public is hereby informed that ourclient Munni Devi Wd./o Late Sh. SheeshpalSingh resident of House No.1-10, BhagatSingh Park, Siraspur, Delhi-42 has servedrelations with her son Mr. Omprakash @Shivam and her daughter in law Mrs. Rajni asthey have beaten her up. Both of them wantsto throw our client out of the property abovementioned and takeover the said property byforce. They have also threatened our client toimplicate her in false case of dowry demandand harassment for wihch complaint hasbeen made by our client with concernedpolice station. Our client through this noticedisowns her son Mr. Omprakash @ Shivamand her daughter in law Mrs. Rajni from herestate and they shall not be entitled to anyinheritance from her estate. Any persondealing with them shall be doing so at theirown cost and will and our client shall not beresponsible for any acts of them.
Sd/-Sameer Nandwani
AdvocateChamber No. 405, Block III,
High Court of DelhiSher Shah Marg
II,,RRaaddhhaaKrishanGoyal,S/oGopiRamGoyal,R/o 64,Bhagrathi-Apartments,Sector-9,Rohini,Delhi-110085,havelost our original part ofProperty Papers,Court Decreeandother relevantDocumentsin respect ofProperty.no.2900/VI ,Bazar-SikriwalaHauzqazi,LalkuanDelhi-110006..An FIR on thiseffect hasbeen lodgedvideLR.No.420948/2021dated-25/06/2021.Findermaycontact-9313973881.
0040575271-12
II ParveenKumar S/oSh. RamNiwasBansal have lostmyoriginal DDA- documents filefor property bearingPlot.No.42/1, Block-C,LawrenceRoad Indl. Area,Delhi-110035., If anyone foundplz contact at:-9810270451.
0070745186-1
II,,Manjit SinghS/oBaljeet SinghR/o.-88H, Pocket-A3,MayurVihar Phase-3, Delhi-96,havechangedmyname toManjeetSingh. 0070745188-1
II SunitaKwatraD/oSh. Sant LalAhuja residingatHNo. 27/94B,Lahori Street, JawalaNagar,Shahdara, Delhi-110032, havechangedmyname ‘Nitu’ to‘SunitaKwatra’ for all FuturePurposes. 0040575167-1
II SayedTahirHussain aliasGulamRasoal aliasGhulamRasool aliasGulamRasul S/oLate TalibHussainR/oH.No.60,Gali No.2, Block-A, Ziyauddin,NewMustafabad, North East,Delhi-110094have changedmyname toSayedTahirHussainfor all purposes.
0040575144-3
EXPRESSNEWSSERVICELUCKNOW,JULY1
THEGANGRAPEofa15-year-oldgirl inSultanpurdistrictcametolight after policemen stopped aprivate bus late Monday nightfor routinechecking.Police have arrested two
men, who allegedly raped thegirl, anda19-year-oldstepsisterof theminorwhoallegedlycon-spired in thecrime.Aman,whowasreportedly ina relationshipwith the 19-year-old woman,has also been booked for con-spiracy.He isabsconding.As per the complaint lodged
by the Station Officer, policestopped a bus during a routinecheck on Monday night. “Thedriveranda21-year-oldmansit-ting next to him panicked. Thedriver (22) couldn't show hisdriving licenceandalsocouldn'tgive satisfactory answers...Onsearching the bus, we saw thefeet of a personon the rear seat.Oncallingout,twogirlsanda10-year-oldboycameout,”thecom-plaintstated.“On questioning bywomen
officers, the15-year-oldgirlsaidthat the other girl,whowasherstepsister, deceitfully broughther to the bus. Theminor saidshe was raped at the house ofoneoftheaccusedandinsidethebus,” thecomplaintadded.The10-year-oldboyfoundin
the bus has been identified asher stepbrother.The FIR was lodged late
Tuesdaynight after themedicalexamination report confirmedthesexual assaulton theminor.However, on Thursday, the
Sultanpur SP and the SOdeniedthat theminorwas raped insidethevehicle but that the incidenttookplaceataresidentialpropertyandoutsidethebusnearadrain.The SO said the minor was
handed over to her mother onThursday after recording herstatement in front of amagistrate.
EXPRESSNEWSSERVICENEWDELHI,JULY1
THEPROGRESS of themonsoonhas stalled since June19, leavingmanyparts of the country expe-riencing deficient rainfall. Thismonsoon“break”islikelytocon-tinuetill thesecondweekof July,as is the heatwave currently af-fectingpartsofnorthwesternandcentralIndia,IMDofficialssaidonThursday.“Till the time that themon-
soonbreakhappened, themon-soon had already coveredmostpartsof thecountry,exceptpartsofRajasthan,Punjab,HaryanaandDelhi.Wehavenotwitnessedanyprogress of themonsoon sinceJune19.Gradually,monsoonac-tivity reduced over the countryand became weak, and this islikely to continue till the secondweekof July. FromJuly7, there islikely to be some improvement,and then in the third and fourthweek of July things will nor-malise,” IMDdirector-generalDrMrutyunjayMohapatrasaid.“Whilesuchmonsoonbreaks
arenotcommon...therehavebeenrecords of this in the past. Foreverymonsoonforecastthereisastandarddeviationofaweek,andthere are records of monsoonbreakswhichcantakeplaceupto10-12days.”Mid-latitudewesterlywinds,
an unfavourableMadden JulianOscillation(MJO)andtheabsenceof the formationof low-pressuresystems over the north Bay ofBengal are some of the reasonswhy the progress of the mon-soonshasstalled,Mohapatrasaid.Mohapatrasaidthemonsoon
“break”islikelytoimpactagricul-tural operations like sowing andtransplantationofcrops,irrigationscheduling and power require-ment. “Early sowncropswill re-quire protective irrigation or toconservesoilmoisturetopreventevaporationlosses,”hesaid.
Heatwave tillJuly 2nd week,IMD points to‘monsoon break’
UP minorgangraped,stepsisteramong 3 held
New Delhi
EXPRESSNETWORK 9WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COMTHEINDIANEXPRESS,FRIDAY, JULY2,2021
Rs 17.25 cr recovered from UK accountoperated by Nirav in sister’s name: EDKHUSHBOONARAYANMUMBAI, JULY1
THEENFORCEMENTDirectorate(ED)hasrecoveredRs17.25crorefrom an account in the UK,whichwasopenedandoperatedby fugitive businessman NiravModi in the name of his sister,theagencysaid inastatement.PurviModi,who turned ap-
prover in themoney launderingcaseagainstNirav,hadtoldtheED
aboutthisaccount.TheEDsaidthemoneydidnotbelongtoPurviandtheaccountwasbeingoperatedbythefugitivebusinessman.Nirav and his uncle Mehul
Choksi are accused of routingtransactions of about Rs 13,600crore through fraudulent LoUsofPunjabNationalBank.Botharebe-ingprobedunder thePreventionofMoneyLaunderingAct.Thebusinessman left India in
the firstweekof Jan2018, beforethePNBscamcasebecamepublic.
InMarch2019,Niravwasarrestedin theUKand is currently lodgedatWandsworthprisoninLondon.So far, the ED has seized as-
sets worth Rs 2,400 crore be-longingtothefugitivebusiness-man in Indiaandabroad.Earlier thisweek,NiravModi,
moved theUKhigh court for anoralhearingwitharenewed“leavetoappeal” application fora judgetodetermineif itcanproceedtoafull appealhearingagainst extra-ditionorderedbyalowercourt.
ED: Deshmukh played role in cops’ postingsSADAFMODAKMUMBAI, JULY1
THEENFORCEMENTDirectoratehas claimed before a specialcourt that its investigation hasshowedthatformerhomemin-isterAnilDeshmukhhad“aroletoplay”intransfersandpostingsof police officers, including IPSofficers, and that an “unofficiallist” was prepared after meet-ingswereheld.Thecentralagencyisprobing
amoney-launderingcasewhere
Deshmukh’s private secretary,SanjeevPalande,andprivateas-sistant, Kundan Shinde, havebeenarrestedsofar.Thelawyersfortheaccusedcalledtheallega-tions a “concocted story” andclaimedthatDeshmukhdidnothave the powers to transfer IPScadreofficials,andthatthepow-erswerewiththechiefminister.Special Judge S M Bhosle
granted further custody ofShindeandPalandetotheEDtillJuly6. Intheremandapplicationsubmittedbefore the court, theED claimed that Palande, in his
statement, saidDeshmukhhada role in the transfer and post-ings of police officials. Theagency has also claimed thatnew facts, including transac-tions related to police officers,hademergedandrelevantstate-ments are tobe recorded.TheEDfurthersaidduringthe
investigation, some names, in-cluding that of aminister’s, hadbeenrevealedand,thus,detailedinterrogation of Palande andShindewasnecessaryastheyei-ther attended suchmeetings orhadpersonalknowledgeofthem.
Lawyer Shekhar Jagtap, rep-resenting Palande, said the EDhad presented a “concoctedstory”. Itwas further submittedthat the date referred to by theED (March 4), was the timewhen the Assemblywas in ses-sion. It was submitted thatDeshmukh as home ministerhad to attend and discuss withall concernedofficerson the re-quirements to respond toques-tionsputforthduringthesessionand, therefore, meetings werenotconnectedwithanytransfersof IPSofficersasclaimed.
EXPRESSNEWSSERVICELUCKNOW,JULY1
THEALLAHABADHighCourthasobserved that a journalist is notexpected to dramatise a “sensa-tional and horrifying incident”andcreatenewsbyputtingthelifeofapersonatriskwhilerejectingthebail applicationof a TV jour-nalistwhowas accusedof abet-tingasuicideinLucknowlastyear.JournalistShamim,whosebail
application was rejected, andNaushad Ahmad had allegedlycontacted a person namedSurendra Chakraborty and in-ducedhimtosethimselfonfireinfront of theVidhanSabhabuild-ing,sothattheycanfilmtheinci-dentandtelecastitontelevision.“The journalist keeps an eye
on the anticipated or suddenevents happening in the societyandbrings themto the informa-tionofallthepeoplethroughvar-ious news media without anytampering, this is his business,”saidJusticeVikasKunvarSrivastavwhile rejecting the bail applica-tioninanorderpassedonJune21.The journalists allegedly in-
ducedChakrabortytoimmolatehimself so that he does not getevictedfromhisrentedhouseinLucknow’s Udaiganj area.Chakrabortywasbeingforcedtoevict the rented house by land-lordZavedKhan,whoisaco-ac-cused in thecase.
This decadewill be India’s‘techade’: PMPRESSTRUSTOFINDIANEWDELHI, JULY1
PRIME MINISTER NarendraModionThursdaysaidthecom-bination of the nation’s demo-graphicdividendanddata,withproven tech prowess presentsimmenseopportunitiesasheex-udedconfidencethedecadewillbe “India’s techade”.Speakingatavirtualeventto
markthecompletionofsixyearsofDigitalIndia,ModisaidIndiaisfullyconsciousof itsresponsibil-itiesasa“datapowerhouse”andnoted thatworkwas underwayonall aspectsof dataprotection.“Dataanddemographicdividendpresent amassive opportunityfor India... together, wewill besuccessfulinmakingthisdecade,'India's techade',”Modisaid.Estimatessuggestthatdozens
oftechcompaniesinIndiawillen-ter theunicornclub (with$1bil-lionvaluation)incomingyears,hesaidandassertedthatdataandde-mographicdividendcollectivelyoffershugepotential.Modi spokeviavideoconfer-
ence to beneficiaries of variousschemes of Digital India pro-gramme,includingDiksha,eNAM,eSanjeevanisolutionfortelemed-icine,DigiBunaiandPMSVANidhischeme.Hetalkedaboutthecriti-calroletechnologyplayedduringthepandemic toensurecontinu-ityofeducation,accesstohealth-care,andothercitizenservices.
Journalists notexpected todramatise incident,create news: HC
EXPRESSNEWSSERVICENEWDELHI, JULY1
THE SUPREME Court ThursdaystayedaNationalGreenTribunalorder finalisingthecompensationdeterminedbyapanelof expertsfor theblowoutof IndianOilLtd’sBaghjanwellinAssamlastyear.Thepetitionersraisedquestionsofcon-flict of interest as theManagingDirector of Oil India (OIL)was amember of the committee ap-pointedbytheNGTtodeterminecompensation.“Weare surprisedby this or-
der. Being the National GreenTribunal, it must have somealacrityandconcernfor theenvi-ronment,” a bench comprisingJusticesDYChandrachudandMRShahobserved.Theblowout—anuncontrolledreleaseofnaturalgas— tookplace atWellNo5 in theBaghjanoilfieldinMaylastyear.TheSupremeCourtThursday
issuedanotice toOIL andsaid initsorderthat“thereshallbeastayof theoperationof theimpugnedjudgmentandorderof theNGT”.“It has been submitted that thiswillbe inbreachof theprinciplesofnaturaljusticesincetheconductofOil India Limited isbasically inissue and, hence, theManagingDirectoroughtnot tobeamem-beroftheCommitteeinanycase,”thecourtorderrecorded.
SC stays NGT’sBaghjan ruling,flags Oil India MDpresence on panel
New Delhi
10WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM
COMPASSION & CAUTIONAone-checksolution,as theSupremeCourt suggests,maynotdo justice to itsownreadingofpandemicand its tragedy
COVID-19PANDEMICISapeculiardisaster…whichthecountryandtheworldhaveexperiencedinalongtime.…Itsextremespreadandimpactrequireanapproachdifferentfromtheonethatisappliedtootherdisasters/naturaldis-asters,” a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court observed presciently on
Wednesday,while callingout thegovernment for its failure toprovide relief to thenextof kin of Covid victims. This recognitionof the exceptional circumstances forcedon theworld by the coronavirus is consistentwith several recent judicial orders.Whether incallingout theCentre’svaccinationpolicyor inpushingstates torampuphealthcare fa-cilities or in demanding sensitivity to the problem of migrants, courts have constantlykept the executive on its toeswhile being scrupulous to the constitutional principle ofseparationof powers.OnWednesday too, the SCdid the right thing in refusing to spec-ify the relief amount. But the crux of its verdict — directing the National DisasterManagementAuthority to frameguidelines for compensation to thenextof kinof fam-iliesof thoseconsumedbythevirus—raisesmorequestions thananswers.Much of the complication stems from the government’s invocation of theNational
DisasterManagementAct,2005inMarchlastyear.TheSC’sdirectiveofex-gratiapayment,thoughinsyncwiththeAct,doesnotdojusticetoitsownreadingof thepandemic’specu-liarities.The2005law’sdefinitionofadisaster—“acatastrophe,mishap,calamityorgraveoccurrence inanyarea, arising fromnaturalorman-madecauses”— indicates that itwasnot framedtocater to thedemandsof acountrywidepublichealthcrisis.Evenduringtheearlydaysofthepandemic,itwasclearthatthevirusisheretostayandlearningtolivewithCovidusingvaccinationandprecautionis thekey.That’swhytheuseof thedisasterman-agementlawwasanill-advisedmoveinthefirstplace. Invokingit foranexgratia isenter-ingunchartedwaters—itcouldsetaprecedentinacountrybesetwithseveralotherhealthcrisesinadditiontoCovid-19.Themistakehasbeenmitigatedtoanextentwiththegovern-mentplacingsocialsecurityatthecentreof someof itspost-pandemicpolicies.Undoubtedly, Covid’s toll hasdevastatedcountless families, deathshavecast a terri-
ble emotional and, inmany cases, economic shadow. As the court rightly pointed out,“Deathshaveaffected families fromall classes…Manyhave lost the solebreadearner”.Suchrelief isbestorganisedbylocalgovernments—indeed,somestateshaveannouncedstepsforthosewhohavelosttheirsolebreadwinnerorchildrenwhohavebeenorphaned.A one-check solutionmay not be themost equitable one. The court would have donewell inaskinglocalauthoritiestolearnfromeachother’sexperiences. Indirectingacen-tralauthority,theNDMA,toframeguidelines,theSChasattenuatedacomplexproblem.
THE GOOD DOCTORSThepandemichasseenthetriumphof scienceandservice.Themedical communityexemplifies thebestof that spirit
THEHARDBLOWof thepandemichas fallenonall, but fewhavewrestled asclosely and as relentlesslywith the deadly pathogen as doctors across theworld.InIndia’soverwhelmedhospitalsandwards,doctors,nursesandhealth-workers have turned up every day, double-masked, sleep-deprived and al-
mostburntout, tosavelivesandoutfoxacannyvirus.Theyhavewatchedscenesofhelp-lessnessandmortalityunprecedentedinmemory,ascitiesranoutofoxygenandlife-savingdrugs.Theyhavealsobeenwitnesstotheintimate, lonelygriefof thoseinCovid-19isola-tionwards,towhomtheyprovidedararehumanconnection.Theyhavestoicallystoodinfornearanddearones inthe lastmomentsofmanypatients.Despite theirdailyencoun-terswithdeath,theyhaveevenscrubbedupforfun—astheydancedinPPEsuitsandhos-pitaluniformsinvideosthatwarmedthehearts. If thepandemichassometimesbroughtout theworstof humanprejudiceandsystemic inequalities, ithasalsoseenthetriumphof scienceandthespiritof service. In the lastyearandmore, themedicalcommunityhasexemplifiedthebestofthatspirit.ThatexplainsthespontaneousstandingovationforNHSworkers atWimbledon recently; and themany tributes, including fromPMNarendraModi,onNationalDoctors’Day,observed in IndiaonThursday.Throughthisall, thecostthatthemedicalcommunityhashadtopaymustnotgoun-
counted.AccordingtotheIndianMedicalAssociation(IMA),over1,500doctorshavediedofCovid-19,ofwhich800liveswere lost in thesecondwave.Thetollondoctors’mentalhealthafterayearofservinginhigh-stressenvironmentsisboundtobealarming.Whiledoctorsdositontopof thehierarchyofhealthcareworkers, thechronicunderfundingofthehealthsectorinIndiahasalsoaffectedthem.Itmakesthemvulnerabletoviolenceandrageofpatients’ families;severalof themhavehadtogoonstriketodemandtimelypay-ment of salaries. Despite the lessons of thepandemic, hospitals continue tohire healthworkerson temporarycontractsand forapittance.Thestate’smanyfailureshavebeenlaidbarebytheCovid-19pandemic.But itwould
besafetosaythatthosefailureswouldhaveaddeduptoamuchgreaterhumantollwereitnotforthesacrificeandworkofhealthcareworkers.Tohonourtheirservicewouldnotonlymean a substantial pledge of national resources to health, but also a disavowal ofmisinformationandarenewedcommitment toscience.
CHESS MATEAbhimanyuMishra, theyoungest tobeGM, is inaneclecticcompany.But there isnocorrelationbetweenageandsuccess
ABHIMANYUMISHRABECAMEtheyoungestGrandMaster inchesshistoryonWednesday.The12years, fourmonths,25days-oldAbhimanyu,createdhistory at Budapest by bettering the prodigy-mark of Russian SergeyKarjakin,whohadbeen12yearssevenmonthsgettingtherein2002.Most
interestingly, the New Jersey-resident became the first of American “youngest in theworld” sash bearers since Bobby Fischer in 1958. Chess, never too far from the geopoli-tics of the day, can fancy an uptick in American interest on the back of thismassivelydrivenpre-teen,giventhegenerousmentoringofGarryKasparov.OnceAbhimanyustartsconqueringbiggerboards,Americanbillionairescanbeexpectedtoqueueupwithfunds.Whilehisparentstoldthisnewspaperthatakarateblackbeltandvideogamesmight
be the next recreational goals, thewell-rounded childhoodmightwell get reclaimed.While theMishraswill give their elder son complete freedom to choose if hewants tocontinueonthecheck-pathatall, seedsofpassionhavebeenadequatelysownashesetshis sightsonbecomingWorldChampion.Thecurrentchesschampion-breedwithMagnusCarlsen,IanNepomniachtchi,Anish
Giri andHikaruNakamura are aneclectic bunchwith varied interests. AndAbhimanyuborn20yearslater,mightwellwearthiscrownlightly—thoughhisaggressiveopeningsandattackinggamesarealreadycomparedtoFischer’s.Karjakinisyettobeworldcham-pion though hewas the youngest and only human to beat a computer, “Deep Junior”,backatameetinBilbao.AndCarlsenwas13yearsandsixmonthswhenhetrappeddownthe GM title, so the correlation between youngest andwinningest isn’t an axiom. Butthere’snodoubtingthattheAmericanboystartshislifeinafishbowlnowashisgamegetsdissectedandporedover forperennial signsof greatness.
Pratap BhanuMehta
UmaMahadevanDasgupta
APewsurveyfinds Indiansarecommittedtoreligiousdiversity,butexclusionaryintoleration
BREAKING THE CHAINAgrassrootsmovement isnecessary to fightdowry
THE JUST RELEASED PewResearch CentreReport, Religion and India: Tolerance andSegregation,basedonserioussurveydatawithalmost30,000respondents,isaone-of-a-kindglimpseintothecomplexinterplayofreligion,identityandpolitics in India.All surveyshavesignificantlimitations.Butthisistheonlyma-jor,relativelycrediblesurveywehaveofIndianreligiousattitudes,andsoitisworthreflectingonitsfindings,withallcaveatsinmind.Indiaemergesfromthesurveyasanover-
whelmingly religiouscountry, acrossall reli-gions.Butthisisalsotrueofeverydimensionof religion from ritual observance to socialidentity, belief andpractice. In his last book,Religion’s SuddenDecline, the doyenof valuesurveys, Ronald Inglehart had arguedbasedonsurveydata thatbetween2007and2019,theworldhadgenerallybecomelessreligious;43out of the 49 countries studied showedamarkeddeclineinreligion.Thebigexceptionto this storywas India,where religiosity in-creased.Thissurveyconfirmsthestaggeringlyhighdegreeofreligiositythatseemsnottode-clinewitheducationorclass.Thesecondstarkfactisthattheideologyof
respectforreligionisveryhigh,nearlyidenti-calacrossallreligiousgroups.Forinstance,80percentofHindusand79percentofMuslimssaythatrespectingotherreligionsisaveryim-portantpartof theirreligious identity;and78percentofMuslimsand85percentofHindusthink it is important to being truly Indian.Twenty-four per cent of both Hindus andMuslims think religious diversity harms thecountry. Interestingly, there is little belief inreincarnation. But thenumbers of those be-lieving in the doctrine of karma is identicalamongstHindus andMuslims. The religioussensibilitiesaresimilar.Butthenthingsgetabitmorecomplicated.
Religioussensibilitiesaresimilar,buttheyes-chew anything common. Religious groupsclaim to know less about each other’s prac-tices.Asthetitleofthereportindicates,Indianreligious identities are segregated. India iscommitted to an ideology of toleration butpracticeswhatIelsewherecalledsegmentedtoleration: Each community has its place solongaseachstays in itsplace.Thedrawingofboundaries isquite sharp. Stopping religiousintermarriage for bothmenandwomen is avery high priority for almost 70 per cent
Hindus and Muslims. While 45 per centHindusarefinewithhavinganeighbourfromanyreligion,45percentdonotwantamem-ber of another religion as a neighbour.Incidentally,61percentofJainswouldexcludeMuslims,SikhsandChristiansfrombeingtheirneighbour.Therateof inter-religiousconver-sionisverylow,lessthanonepercent,thoughHindusgainasmuchastheylose.Thereisre-gional variation, with Christianity being asmallnetgainerinsouthIndia.Foodpracticesremain the strongestmarkerof religiousob-servance: Eating beef or eating pork is justabout the only thing that two-thirds of yourco-religionistsbelievewilldisqualifyyoufromthatreligion.The segmentation continues in terms of
caste.Oppositiontocasteintermarriageisonlyslightly lessthanreligiousintermarriage,butdeclinesmorewith college education. It ishigher amongst Muslims, 70 per cent ofwhomoppose inter-castemarriage formen,compared to 63per centHindus. Thirty-fiveper cent Indians self-identify as OtherBackwardCastes.Butthepuzzlethedatamightthrowupis
on discrimination. In aggregate only 20 percent Indians say castediscriminationexists;evenamongstSCs,thisnumberisonly27percent,andamongstOBCs18percent.Itishigh-est in theNortheast, and reported discrimi-nationbyDalits is highest in the southat 30per cent. But the numbers on religious dis-criminationareevenmore interesting.Only24percentofMuslimssaythereisalotofdis-criminationagainstMuslims;but16percentofMuslimssaythereisdiscriminationagainstHindus. Seventeen per cent of Hindus saythere is a lot of discrimination againstMuslims,but20percentperceivediscrimina-tion against Hindus. So, on this basis, Indiadoesnotcomeoutasahugelydiscriminatorysociety.Butthisfindingcouldalsobeconsis-tentwith another interpretation— itmightturnonhownormsofdiscriminationareun-derstood. In segmented societies, discrimi-nation is not a category since exclusion istakenasanacceptablenorm.Thepossibilityof discrimination requires inhabiting samespaces, competing for same things, sharingsocialworlds.Itisquitepossibleforanexclu-sionarysociety to think it isnotdiscriminat-ing.We have not even progressed fromex-
clusiontodiscrimination.Nationalismisverystrong in India, across
all communities. Eightyper cent ofMuslimssupportallmarkersofnationalloyalty,andonlyon the national anthem is the gap betweenthemandHindus 11 points.MoreMuslimsthanHindus think that the Partitionof Indiawasonbalancebad,thoughthisnumberisthehighestforSikhs,66percentofwhomthinkitwas bad. Amajority ofMuslims are againsttriple talaq, though two-thirdswouldprefertheir owncourts inmatters of personal law.AbouthalfofallIndianssupportauthoritarianrule, but across communities. But the surveyfinds very strongevidence forHindunation-alism.Sixty-fourpercentHindusthinkbeingaHindu/oridentificationwithHindiisneces-saryforbeingagoodIndian;thisnumberriseswithsupportfortheBJPandislowestinsouthIndia.Buteventhereit is42percent.What implications this has for politics is
anopenquestion,butthepotentcombinationof exclusionary benchmarks of nationalismandauthoritarianismarepresent. Intermsofissuesthatmattermosttopeople,unemploy-ment,corruptioncrime,and,veryimportantly,violenceagainstwomenrankasthetopissuesof concern, but 65 per cent also name com-munal violence as amajor issue of concern.Andconcernwithcommunalviolenceseemstorise if theareahasjustexperiencedariot.Currently,thereisagreatappetiteforfus-
ingreligionandpolitics—religiousobservanceandnationalismarebeingincreasingly iden-tified.Interestingly,two-thirdsofmembersofall communities think it is fine forpoliticiansto get entangledwith religion. Politics can,oddlyenough,makeasocietyprofessreligionmore. Butwe know from comparative evi-dencethatthereisaflipside.Thatwhendeepdisenchantmentwith politics sets in, itwillalsoreboundonreligion.TheoverallpictureofIndiainthesurveyis
ofareligiouscountry,ideologicallycommittedtoreligiousdiversity,butexclusionaryandseg-mentedinitstoleration,withlesssupportforindividual freedom, increasingly committedtoHindutvabenchmarksofnationalidentity,and tempted by authoritarianism.Will thistrendcontinue?Godandnationwilldecide.
Thewriter iscontributingeditor,TheIndianExpress
ACONVOYOF cars brings thenewlyweds tothe bridegroom’s house. After awhile, theother cars pull out anddrive off. Eventually,onecarremains,stillwrappedinsatinribbon.It is a part of the bride’s dowry. This scene isasmuch from theMalayalam film TheGreatIndianKitchen as it is fromreal life—a scenethatsymbolisesentrenchedpatriarchywithinthefamilyhome.Last week, a young woman named
VismayaNairwas founddead in her house,days aftermessaging a relative thatherhus-bandhadbeatenherup.Afterherdeath,herparentsaccusedthehusbandoftorturingherfordowry.Theyhadgivenacar,100goldsov-ereigns,andanacreofland.Hewantedmore.Nairisjustonemoreintheendlessstatis-
tics of horrifying dowry deaths. They are socommon that if a youngwoman dieswithburnsorother injurieswithin sevenyearsofmarriage, it isdeemedtobeadowrydeath.We live in an agewheremoral outrage
spreadsoversocialmediafasterthanyoucanblink,andyetadowrydeathhardlymovestheneedleonourmoralcompass.Whydoesthisdisgracefulanachronism,ascondemnableassatiorchildmarriage,continuetothrive?Not forwant of legislation: The Dowry
ProhibitionActwaspassed60yearsago.Norforlackofeducation:Keralahasnear-totallit-eracy. And yetweddings continue to be lav-ish,withbrides’parentsoftentakingloansandnearly bankrupting themselves. The bride is
nowacommodity,handedoverasapackage,bundledupwithgold,whitegoods,acarandapieceof landnolessthananacre.In2021, it is time tochange these regres-
sivesocialnorms.Acceptingdowryshouldbemade a social stigma. Get superstars to en-dorse this. The young should also speak up.Women should flatly refuse to give dowry;andmenshouldrefusetotakeit.Whyshouldparentsofbridesbeforcedintogivingexpen-sive “gifts”,which are really a dowry by anyothername?Simple,inexpensive,dowry-lessmarriagesshouldbenormalised,ratherthanBollywood-styleextravaganzas.The larger context for the practice of
dowry is thepoorpresenceofwomenintheworkforce, and their lack of financial inde-pendence.Women should be supported totake up jobs. Thismeanswe should expandchildcare and safe public transport, reducediscriminationinhiring,andcreateaffirmingworkplaceenvironments.Menshouldsharedomesticworkandcareresponsibilities.Discriminationpervadesallaspectsoflife.
States should look at gender-disaggregateddataacrossthelifecycletoaddressgenderin-equality.Boysandgirls shouldbesystemati-callysensitisedongenderequality.Asalargerinitiative,lawsandregulations
shouldbescreenedtoremovegenderbias,re-placingwordslike“manpower”withgender-neutralequivalents.Insurveyquestionnaires,the“headofthefamily”isassumedtobemale
by default; husband andwife should be de-finedasjointheads.As fordomestic violence, there shouldbe
zerotolerance.Likesomanywomenbeforeher,Nair’sdeathwasprecededbyotherinstancesofassault.Familiesshouldstoreevidenceandre-port at once, instead of sending batteredwomenback. Support systemsmust be ex-panded to help victimswith shelter, coun-selling,legalfollow-upandlivelihoodsupport.Womenarenot lifelongvictims,butempow-eredsurvivorsseekingjusticeanddignity.To becomeamassmovement, thismust
startatthegrassroots.Weknowthatmarriageregistration protectswomen’s rights.Withovertwo-and-a-halflakhgrampanchayatsinrural India, if registration is decentralised topanchayatsecretaries, itwillbeaccessible torural families. Peoplewill be able to registermarriageseasily.Familiescanspendless.Similarly,millions ofwomen’s self-help
groups have been a quiet force for financialsupportintimesofstress.However,thenear-exclusive focusoneconomic issueshasbeenattheexpenseofsocialawarenessandgenderconscientisation.Thesegroupsshouldbeori-entedaboutviolenceagainstwomenandtheexistenceoflocalsupportsystems.Byactivelyspreadingawareness anddisplaying solidar-ity,women’sself-helpgroupscanplayapow-erfulroleinbuildingamoreequalsociety.
Thewriter is intheIAS.Viewsarepersonal
Currently, there is a greatappetite for fusing religionand politics — religiousobservance and nationalismare being increasinglyidentified. Interestingly, two-thirds of members of allcommunities think it is finefor politicians to getentangled with religion.Politics can, oddly enough,make a society professreligion more. But we knowfrom comparative evidencethat there is a flip side. Thatwhen deep disenchantmentwith politics sets in, it willalso rebound on religion.
Like so many women beforeher, Nair’s death waspreceded by other instancesof assault. Families shouldstore evidence and report atonce, instead of sendingbattered women back.Support systems must beexpanded to help victimswith shelter, counselling,legal follow up, andlivelihood support whenrequired. Women are notlifelong victims, butempowered survivorsseeking justice and dignity.
FOUNDED BY
RAMNATH GOENKA
B E C A U S E T H E T R U T H I N V O L V E S U S A L L
§ §
THEINDIANEXPRESS,FRIDAY, JULY2,2021WORDLYWISE
Medicines cure diseases, but onlydoctors can cure patients.
— Carl JungTHEEDITORIALPAGE
Our religious soul
STALEMATE ON ASSAMTHE TALKS BETWEEN the Union govern-ment and theAssammovement leaders ontheforeigners’issueappearedclosetobreak-ing point onWednesday with both sidesadoptingrigidpositions.Afterwaitinginvainfor the promised government clarificationonthefourpoints,theAssamleadersangrilyaccusedthegovernmentofdillydallyingandthreatened to resume theagitation if no re-sultemergedinthenextfewdays.Thepres-identandgeneralsecretaryof theAssamag-itation,PrafullaKumarMahantaandBhriguKumar Phukan, said that the governmentwasmistaken if it thought that themove-
ment leaders could be kept away from thefieldbyprolongingthenegotiations.AHomeMinister spokesperson accused the leadersof being interested in propaganda ratherthan in reachingasolution.
ZIA’S MESSAGEINDIA’S AMBASSADORTOPakistanNatwarSinghmet PrimeMinister Indira Gandhi onJuly1andissaidtohaveconveyedanimpor-tantmessagefromGeneralZia-ul-Haq.Singhwho had met the Pakistani president inIslamabaddrovetothePM’sresidencestraightfromtheairport.Ziaissaidtohavesuggestedmore exchange of delegations between the
twocountries invariousfields.Healsosentagift of choicest Pakistani mangoes forPresidentSanjeevaReddyandMrsGandhi.
CCP CELEBRATIONSTHECHINESECOMMUNISTPartycelebratedits60thanniversarywithamajesticshowofunitywith thenewly-electedChairmanHuYaobangurgingoldrevolutionariestomakewayforyoungbloodtomoderniseChina.AsHudominated thebirthdayrally,hisoustedpredecessorHuaGuofeng lookedglumly atthepartyline-up.Thenewchairmansaid“nooneindividualisallowedtohavethefinalsay.Cadres shouldbeable tocorrecterrors”.
JULY 2, 1981, FORTYYEARSAGO
New Delhi
11THEINDIANEXPRESS,FRIDAY, JULY2,2021 WHATTHEOTHERSSAY
“A hundred years after it set out to remake the minds and transform the fortunesof the Chinese people, it still cannot trust them with the truth, the chance tospeak freely, or the right to choose their own leaders.”
—THEGUARDIANTHE IDEASPAGEWWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM
It has always been wellrecognised that the mereright to change the ruler,once every few years, by itselfneed not be a guaranteeagainst tyranny. The ideathat people are the ultimatesovereign is also to be foundin notions of human dignityand autonomy. A publicdiscourse, that is bothreasoned and reasonable, isto be seen as an inherentaspect of human dignity andhence essential to a properlyfunctioning democracy. AsJulius Stone observed in hisbook, ‘The Province of Law’,elections, day-to-day politicaldiscourses, criticisms andvoicing of protests is integralto the democratic process.
ON JULY 1, the Communist Party of China(CPC),celebrateditscentenary.Thelasttimethat such an event occurredwas in 1981when the party had completed 60 years.DengXiaopingwastheparamountleaderatthat time,andheusedtheoccasiontopushthrough a major reform agenda. Fourdecades later, the party is celebrating thismost-awaited eventwith a completely dif-ferentagenda.With its power and influence, the CPC
wouldhavelikedthecentenarytobeaglobalevent,markingthearrivalofwhatPresidentXiJinpingdescribedin2018asthe“newpo-litical-party system”—one-party rulewithexpansivepublicconsultationmechanisms.But theCovid-19pandemicspiltwaterovertheseambitions.Thecelebrationswillbecon-finedlargelytoChinaanditspeople.July 1was unilaterally decided as the
FoundationDaybyMaoTseTungin1941,al-though the official records show that thepartywas born on July 23, 1921, atMao’shouseinShanghai’sFrenchQuarter.Tworep-resentatives from the Comintern —CommunistInternational— werealsopres-entalongwithahandfulofMao’scolleagues.Themeetinghadtobehurriedlyabandonedwhenanunknownpersonenteredtheroom,forcingtheleaderstodisperse.Thenexttwodecadessawthepartyrisingthroughrelent-less struggle to finally build a formidablePeople’sLiberationArmyofoveronemillionsoldiersbytheendoftheSecondWorldWarandcapturepowerin1949.TheCPCbeganitsjourneyasapartywith
collectiveleadership.Intheinitialyears,itwasaligned with Chiang Kai-shek’s rulingKuomintang. But a major fallout withKuomintang in1926had resulted in brutalpurges by Chiang Kai-shek’s NationalRevolutionary Army in 1927 and 1933.Considerablyweakened, the party hadde-cidedtogiveupitscharacterofcollectivelead-ershipanddeclaredMaoasthe“coreleader”in1935,vestingboththepartyandarmylead-ershipinhim.Thatwasthetimewhencruelauthoritar-
ianswererisingtopowerinotherpartsoftheworldtoo.AfterbecomingtheChancellor in1933,HitlerquicklyturnedGermanyintoanauthoritarian state. In neighbouring Italy,BenitoMussolini, who captured power in1922withoutfightingtheelection,graduallyconsolidatedhisgripby1929byconvertingthecountryintoasingle-partystate.InSovietRussia,Stalinhademergedastheall-power-ful cruel dictatorwith firmcontrol over theSovietCommunistPartyapparatus.Maohadnever readMarx, but hewaswilling to beguidedby Stalin’s cronies initially. TheCPCthat hehadmoulded in the initial decadeswasStalinist inorganisationalstructureandnationalist incharacter.From1949untilhisdemisein1976,Mao
remainedthesupremeleaderoftheCPC.HemodelledChinaasaone-partystatewithallpowers concentrated in the hands of the
“core leader”. Hiswas the lastword in theparty. Incidentally, the concept of “coreleader” has returned to the CPCwhen thepartypasseda resolution in2018anointingXiJinpingasone.In its 100-yearhistory, theCPChas seen
three leaderswith toweringprofiles:DengafterMao,whoremainedat thehelminthe1980sand’90sandnowXi.Deng’s era was the golden period in
Communist China’s history. The reformistagendahe introduced in1981ledtoChina’sopeningupto therestof theworldand isattherootoftheeconomic,scientificandtech-nologicalprogressthatthecountryenjoysto-day. EveryChinese citizenoweshis $11,000(per capitaGDP) toDeng.As soonashebe-cametheparamountleaderinthelate1970s,Deng embarkedon courting arch-enemieslikeJapanandhatedcapitalists likeAmericaforsupport.“Thecolourofthecathardlymat-tersaslongasitiscatchingthemice”,arguedthispragmaticnationalist.But Dengwas a loyal Communist too.
AlthoughMao’sSoviet-stylecollectivisationprogrammes in the1950s and thedreadedCultural Revolution in 1966-76haddevas-tated the country, Deng refused to do aKhrushchevinChina.AfterStalindiedin1953,his successor, Khrushchev, chose the 20thPartyCongressin1956todenounceandden-igrate Stalin, thus effectively ending theStalinist legacy.But thanks to Deng’s liberal attitude,
Mao’s legacy remained intact. Xi is aggres-sively pushing for its revival. Denghad at-temptedtheseparationofstateandpartybyappointingdifferentleaderstoheadthetwo.HuYaobangwasaskedtohandlepartyaffairswhileZhaoZiyangwasmadetheheadofthegovernment. But under Xi, the party hasmadeagrandcomeback. In the lastdecade,theCPChasre-emergedasthesinewsoftheentireChinesenation. TheubiquitousPartyCommittees that had lost relevanceduringDeng’s era have comeback in full force inevery office and village. The 92-million-memberCPC’smembershipisatapremiumtodaywiththousandsapplyingforitandveryfewsecuringitafterthoroughscrutiny.XigottheCCPCharteramendedin2017torestoretheparty’ssupremacy,saying,“Government,themilitary,societyandschools,north,south,eastandwest—thePartyleadsthemall.”TheCPCisproudof itshundred-yearex-
istence—almostnoothershaveexisted forthatlongelsewhereintheworld.Italsoclaimsthat the “Xiaokang society”— “moderatelywell-offsociety”—thatithadsetasthetargetforthecentenaryhasbeenachievedwithac-celeratedprogressinallareasincludingmil-itary,space,cyber,economyandevenclimateprotection.Thatgivesitasmugbeliefthattherestof theworldshouldemulateit.But,despiteabsolutepowerinhishands,
Maowasinsecureallthroughandindulgedinrepeatedpurgesoftheseniorleadership,in-cluding Deng. Xi too betrays insecuritythroughhis repeatedpurgesof senior lead-ers likeBoXilai and incessant references toKhrushchev’s“treachery”.Itisthisinsecuritythat reflects in the centenary-year propa-ganda’svilificationofDeng’sremarkableeraofprogress inthe1980sas“anotherdarkesthour arriveddue to the impact ofWesternliberalistthought”.
Thewriter ismember, boardofgovernors,IndiaFoundation
WHENTALKINGABOUTRuleofLaw,it isnec-essarytofirstunderstandwhatthelawis.Law,initsmostgeneralsense,isatoolofsocialcon-trolthatisbackedbythesovereign.However,isthisdefinitioncompleteinitself?Iwouldthinknot.Suchadefinitionoflawmakesitadouble-edgedsword.Itcanbeusednotonlytorenderjustice,itcanalsobeusedtojustifyoppression.Renowned scholars have, therefore, ar-
guedthata lawcannot reallybeclassifiedasa “law” unless it imbibes within itself theideals of justice and equity. An “unjust law”mightnothavethesamemorallegitimacyasa “just law”, but itmight still command theobedienceof somesectionsof thesociety tothedetrimentof others.What is clear is that both these thoughts
highlightcertainfacetsofwhatismeantbytheterm“law”.Ithinkthatanylawbackedbyasov-ereignmust be temperedby certain ideals ortenets of justice.Only a state that is governedbysuchlaw,canbesaidtohavetheRuleofLaw.TheBritishcolonialpower…usedthelaw
asatoolofpoliticalrepression,enforcingitun-equally on theparties,with a different set ofrules for theBritishand for the Indians. Itwasanenterprisefamousfor“RulebyLaw”,ratherthan “Rule of Law”, as it aimedat controllingthe Indian subjects…Our struggle for inde-pendence thusmarkedour journey towardstheestablishmentofastatedefinedbytheRuleof Law…Aframeworkwasneeded toensurethis.Theframeworkthatformsthebindinglinkbetween lawand justice in this country. Thatiswhat “We thepeople” gave to ourselves intheformoftheConstitution. . .…More than70years down the line, the
entireworld is facinganunprecedentedcrisisin the formof Covid-19. At this juncture,wenecessarilyhavetopauseandaskourselvesastowhat extentwehaveused theRuleof Lawtoensureprotectionto,and,welfareofallofourpeople.Idonotintendtoprovideanevaluationof the same.Bothmyofficeandmytempera-mentpreventmefromdoingso.ButIbegantofeelthatthispandemicmightyetbeamerecur-tain-raisertomuchlargercrisesinthedecadesto come. Surely, wemust at least begin theprocess of analysingwhatwe did right andwherewewentwrong.Fromwithin theperspectiveof legalposi-
tivism,manyconceptionsofRuleof Lawhaveemerged…Itwouldberelevanttoemphasisefourprinciples.Thefirstprincipleisthat“lawsmustbeclear
and accessible,”…(that) the people at leastought to knowwhat the lawsare. There can-not,therefore,besecretivelaws,aslawsareforsociety.Anotherimplicationofthisprincipleisthat theyshouldbeworded insimple,unam-biguouslanguage.Thesecondprinciplerelatestotheideaof
“equalitybeforethelaw”…Animportantas-pectofequalitybeforelawishavingequalac-cesstojustice.Thisguaranteeofequaljusticewill be renderedmeaningless if thevulnera-ble sections are unable to enjoy their rightsbecause of their poverty or illiteracy or anyotherkindofweakness.Another aspect is the issue of “gender
equality”.Thelegalempowermentofwomennot only enables them to advocate for theirrightsandneedsinsociety,butitalsoincreasestheirvisibilityinthelegalreformprocessandal-lowstheirparticipationinit.Biasandprejudice
necessarilyleadtoinjustice,particularlywhenit relates tominorities. Consequently, the ap-plicationof theprinciplesofRuleofLawinre-spectofvulnerablesectionshastonecessarilybemoreinclusiveoftheirsocialconditionsthathindertheirprogress.This leadsme to the third principle, the
“righttoparticipateinthecreationandrefine-ment of laws”. The very essenceof a democ-racy is that its citizenryhas a role to play, di-rectly or indirectly, in the laws that governthem. In India, it is done through electionswherethepeopleget toexercise theiruniver-saladultfranchisetoelectthepeoplewhoformpartofParliamentwhichenactslaws…Inthe17nationalgeneralelectionsheldso
far, thepeoplehave changed the rulingpartyorcombinationofpartieseight times. Inspiteoflarge-scaleinequalities,illiteracy,backward-ness,povertyandallegedignorance,thepeopleof independentIndiahaveprovedthemselvestobeintelligentanduptothetask.Themasseshaveperformed their duties reasonablywell.Now, it is the turnof thosewhoaremanningthekeyorgansofthestatetoponderiftheyarelivinguptotheconstitutionalmandate.Ithasalwaysbeenwell-recognisedthatthe
mererighttochangetheruler,onceeveryfewyears,byitselfneednotbeaguaranteeagainsttyranny.Theideathatpeoplearetheultimatesovereign isalso tobe found innotionsof hu-mandignityandautonomy.Apublicdiscoursethat is both reasonedand reasonable is to beseen as an inherent aspect of humandignityandhenceessential to aproperly functioningdemocracy. As Julius Stone observed in hisbook,TheProvinceofLaw,elections,day-to-daypolitical discourses, criticisms andvoicing ofprotestsisintegraltothedemocraticprocess.Theideaofthejudiciary,asa“guardian”of
theConstitution, bringsme to the fourth andfinalprinciple:Thepresenceofa“stronginde-pendentjudiciary”.Thejudiciaryistheprimaryorganwhichis
taskedwithensuringthatthelawsthatareen-actedare in linewith theConstitution. This isoneofthemainfunctionsofthejudiciary,thatof judicial reviewof laws.TheSupremeCourthasheld this function tobeapartof thebasicstructureoftheConstitution,whichmeansthatParliamentcannotcurtailthesame.Buttheimportanceofthejudiciaryshould-
n’tblindustothefactthattheresponsibilityofsafeguarding constitutionalism lies not justwiththecourts.Allthethreeorgansofthestate,i.e.,theexecutive,legislatureandthejudiciary,are equal repositories of constitutional trust.
The role of the judiciary and scopeof judicialaction is limited, as it only pertains to factsplacedbeforeit.This limitation calls for other organs to
assumeresponsibilitiesofupholdingconsti-tutional values and ensuring justice in thefirstplace,withthejudiciaryactingasanim-portant check.For the judiciary toapplychecksongov-
ernmental power and action, it has to havecomplete freedom. The judiciary cannot becontrolled, directly or indirectly, by the leg-islature or the executive, or else the Rule ofLawwould become illusory. At the sametime, judges should not be swayed by theemotional pitch of public opinion either,whichisgettingamplifiedthroughsocialme-dia platforms. Judges have to bemindful ofthe fact that the noise thus amplified is notnecessarily reflective of what is right andwhat themajoritybelieves in.Thenewmediatools thathaveenormous
amplifyingabilityareincapableofdistinguish-ing between right andwrong, good andbadand the real and fake. Therefore,media trialscannotbeaguidingfactor indecidingcases. Itis, therefore, extremelyvital to function inde-pendentlyandwithstandallexternalaidsandpressures.While there is a lot of discussionaboutthepressurefromtheexecutive,itisalsoimperativetostartadiscourseastohowsocialmediatrendscanaffecttheinstitutions.Theabove,however,shouldnotbeunder-
stoodasmeaningthat judgesandthejudici-ary need to completely disassociate fromwhatisgoingon.Judgescannotstayin“ivorycastles”anddecidequestionsthatpertaintosocial issues.The oathwe took, to performour duties
“without fear or favour, affection or ill-will,”appliesequallytogovernmentalandnon-gov-ernmentalentities.Theultimateresponsibil-ity of a judge is, after all, to uphold theConstitutionandthe laws….I amtaking the liberty toquote inTelugu,
MahaKaviGurajadaAppaRao,agreatpoetandreformist of the 19th/20thCentury. He said:“Desamamtemattikadoi,Desamamtemanushuloi.”Gurajadagaveauniversaldefinitiontotheconcept of nation. He said “a nation is notmerelyaterritory.Anationisessentiallyitspeo-ple.Onlywhenitspeopleprogress,theNationprogresses”.
ThewriteristheChief JusticeofIndia.Theseareeditedexcerptsfromthe17thJusticePD
DesaiMemorialLecturehedeliveredonJune30
NVRamana
RamMadhav
Theformer iswhatwefought for, the latter isaninstrumentof colonial rule. Inthefaceofapandemic, it’simportanttoreflectonhowthetensionbetweenthetwodefinesthequalityof justice
Rule of Law vs Rule by Law The return ofthe Party
Asitturns100,theCommunistPartyofChinaunderXiJinpingbetraysasenseof insecurity, ispresentinevery
aspectofChinesesociety
CR Sasikumar
GET HELPTHISREFERSTO the editorial, ‘Locationnobar’ (IE, July 1). TheSupremeCourt’sdeadline for the Centre to ensureOneNation,OneRationCard is laudable.Butthescaleof theprojectrequiresthegov-ernment to implement a lot of tech inverylittletime.Itistimethatthegovern-mentseeksoutsidehelpbyoutsourcingthetechnologicalchallenges.
UditSarkar,Kolkata
HOLISTIC POLICYTHISREFERSTO the editorial, ‘A biggerbasket’(IE, July1).WhiletheemergencyapprovalfortheModernavaccineisgoodnews, several issuesremain.Apart fromthesafetyandfinancialaspects,combat-ingvaccinehesitancyandmanagementof large-scaleproductionare significantchallenges. Amulti-pronged approachwithastreamlinedvaccinepolicyshouldbethewayahead.
IlaRailkar,Mumbai
WRONG PRIORITYTHISREFERSTOthearticle,‘Photoopandcautionarytale’(IE,July10).TheNDAgov-ernment indeed seems tobe too cleverbyhalf.Evenifdelimitationofassemblyseats is necessary for technical reasons,itcanwait.Ourfirstandforemostmotiveshouldbe towin the trustandcoopera-
tion of opposition leaders in J&K byrestoringstatehoodfirst.
TarsemSingh,Mahilpur
PAY THE PEOPLETHISREFERSTO the report, ‘SCpulls upgovernmentonexgratia’(IE, July1).Thegovernmenthastimeandagainrunawayfromits responsibilitiesduringthepan-demic.Nogovernment can turnablindeye to thesedemandsand it is itsmoralduty tomake theprovision for exgratiafor the families adversely rocked byCovid-inducedfinancialcrises.
AanyaSinghal,Noida
LETTERS TO THEEDITOR
IDEASONLINE
ONLY IN THE EXPRESS
●●TIMETOREFORMSEDITIONLAW:
GSBAJPAIANDANKITKAUSHIK
●● CARINGFORCHILDRENAFFECTEDBYPANDEMIC:MADHAVBELLAMKONDA
www.indianexpress.com
AFTERANY loss, grieving is human.Death istheultimateloss,especiallythedeathofadearone.Ourcohabitantsonthisplanetalsogrieve.Buthumansareuniqueinthesensethattheytake their grieving to the stage ofmourning.Theperformanceofmourning isanessentialpartof culturesacrosstheglobe.Whilegrievingcanbeapersonalact,inthe
ritual ofmourning,we invite others to shareour grief. Our community takes shape in thecourseofmourning.Werememberthosewhocare toparticipate inourmourning.Bydoingthis,theyshareourlossandalsoofferapartofthemselvestofillthegapthatthelosshascre-ated.Webecomeone.Who is allowed to grieve?When does
grievingbecomecollectiveorcommon?Inan-sweringthesequestions,societiesandnationsalso tell us about their self-image. How theywanttobeviewedbyothers.Alldeathsarenotequal.Wehave seendeaths in these timesofthe pandemic andblamed the apathy of thestate, the broken health systemandnature.But itwaslargelynon-discriminatory.Deathsbydiseaseorageingaredifferent
from those causedbyviolence. There, too, ifsomeonewhodoesnotknowmedecides tokill me because he hates a part of my iden-tity, the pain of death becomes very differ-
ent.Itaffectsallthosewhosharethatidentity.Amanwithabeard,akippah,awomanwithaburqaornaqab—if thesesignsareenoughtoarousehatredandviolence,thenitcantar-get anyone bearing these signs. Or names.The grief arising out of such deaths is alsomixedwithanger. It goesbeyond the familyof theonekilled.Such outpourings of grief mixedwith
angerwerewitnessed lastyear in theUSandother parts of theworld after the death ofGeorgeFloyd.Blackpeople felt it in theirgutsandburst out inanger. But theywerenot leftalone. Thousands ofmourners, a large num-berofthemWhite,linedupoutsidethechurchwherehisbodywasbroughttooffertheircon-dolences.ThegovernorofTexas,GregAbbott,travelledtoHoustontooffertheflagflownovertheTexascapitoltoFloyd’sfamily.Themourn-ingwasalong-drawnaffair.This mourning was separate from the
processof justice.ButitshowedthatAmericahadembracedFloydandtheAmericanestab-lishmenthadalsodissociated fromtheactofoneofitsofficers.Lastmonth,wesawfourcas-ketsrollingoutinthecompoundoftheIslamiccentreofOntariodrapedinthenationalflagofCanada. They contained the bodies of SyedAfzaal, 46, hiswife,MadihaSalman, 44, their
15-year-old daughter, Yumnah Afzaal andSyedAfzaal’s 74-year-oldmother. Theywerekilled by a 20-year-oldWhite Canadian. ThePrimeMinisterofCanadawasjoinedbyallpo-litical leaders in expressing grief and anger,callingthekillinganactof terrorbutalsoem-phasising that the killer aimed to divideCanadians.Theattemptfailedastheystoodasonepeople inmourningthedeaths.Throughthisactofmourning, theyclaimedtheimmi-grantfamilyasoneof them.ThisperformanceofmourninginOntario
tookoneback toChristchurch,NewZealand,whereasimilaractofcollectivemourningwasperformedafterthemasskillingsatamosquebyawhiteextremistgunmaninMarch2019.AcallofprayerwasairedonnationalTVwiththe PrimeMinister in attendance, her headcoveredbyascarf tohonourtheIslamicprac-tice.ShequotedtheProphetMuhammad,“Thebelievers in theirmutual kindness, compas-sion, and sympathy are just like one body.Whenanypartof thebodysuffers, thewholebody feelspain.” “NewZealandmournswithyou;weareone,” JacindaArderntoldher fel-lowmourners.Intheactofmourning,afellowshipisborn.
When you join them in theirmourning youtakeresponsibility for their lives. It cannotbe
an empty act. We hear Rachel RosenthalthroughKristinPrevallet,“Inperformance,yousqueeze out yourself, you dredge it up fromyourunconscious. It is aprocessof giving it aformfromthe inner to theouter.Theprocesscannotbefrivolous,butmustbeadeep,adeepcommitment to yourself.” It is important togrieve publically, Prevallet tells us, quotingFreudwhosaidthatgriefcouldbeproductiveif connected to a larger collective or culturalloss. If internalised, it turnsintoanger.When we mourn the way the New
ZealandersorCanadiansdid,weseeidentitiesgetting pluralised, as Derrida had said, thusgiving thosewhohave lost someone assur-ancethattheyarenotalone.Whenwemournfor andwith peoplewho are not like us— inreligion, language, colour etc—we identifywiththeirvulnerabilityandsuffering.Theacute lonelinessof the familyof the
young Dalit woman raped and killed inHathras became starkly visible when theysaid that none of their upper caste neigh-bours came to mourn their daughter. It isthis loneliness thatanhonestactofmourn-ingcanactagainstandcreatethewarmthoftogetherness.
Thewriter teachesatDelhiUniversity
Apoorvanand
Solidarity, through griefBymourningwiththosewhohavelostsomeonetoviolence,wecreatefellowship
FORTHERECORD
New Delhi
PR 248891 Rural Work Department(21-22).D
>>kkjj[[kk..MM lljjddkkjjxkz eh.k dk;Z foHkkxxkz eh.k dk;Z foHkkx
e[q ; vfHk;ark dk dk;kyZ ;e[q ; vfHk;ark dk dk;kyZ ;102102] f}rh; rYyk] vfHk;a=.k Hkou] dpgjh jkMs ] jkaph] f}rh; rYyk] vfHk;a=.k Hkou] dpgjh jkMs ] jkaph
'kqf) i=
uksMy inkf/kdkjhbZ&izksD;qeZUV lsy
,nr~ }kjk lwfpr fd;k tkrk gS fd xzkeh.k dk;Z foHkkx]dk;Z ize.My] cksdkjks ds bZ&fufonk vkea=.k la[;k 22/2021-22/RWD/BOKARO fnukad 29-06-2021 PR NO.-248391 ds}kjk izdkf'kr fufonk esa NIT- ds dafMdk 8 esa fufonk 'kqYd>kj[k.M jkT; esa vofLFkr Hkkjrh; LVsV cSad@vU; jk"Vªh;cSad }kjk fufonkdkj ds uke@vdkmaV ls gh fuxZr cSad Mªk¶Vds :i esa dk;Zikyd vfHk;ark] xzkeh.k fodkl foHkkx¼xzk0dk0ek0½] dk;Z izeaMy] cksdkjks ds i{k esa ,oa cksdkjks esaHkwxrs; gksxk tks ykSVk;k ugh tk,xkA
ds LFkku esafufonk 'kqYd >kj[k.M jkT; esa vofLFkr Hkkjrh; LVsVcSad@vU; jk"Vªh; cSad }kjk fufonkdkj ds uke@ vdkmaV lsgh fuxZr cSad Mªk¶V ds :i esa dk;Zikyd vfHk;ark] xzkeh.kdk;Z foHkkx] dk;Z izeaMy] cksdkjks ds i{k esa ,oa cksdkjks esaHkwxrs; gksxk tks ykSVk;k ugh tk,xk i<+k tk,A
foLr`r tkudkjh ds fy, osclkbZVjharkhandtenders. gov. in esa ns[kk tk ldrk gSA vU; 'krsZa;Fkkor jgsxsaA
Government of Jammu & KashmirOFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE ENGINEER SEWERAGE & DRAINAGE
DIVISION No: Ist SULIMAN COMPLEX DALGATE SRINAGARNotice Inviting e-Tendering
GIST of e-NIT No: 05 of 2021-22
****For and on behalf of the Lt. Governor, J&K State e-tenders are invited on item rate basis from approved andeligible Contractors registered with J&K State Govt. and other State / Central Government for the followingwork:-
Tender Receiving Authority : Executive Engineer S&D Division Ist
Sulaiman Complex Dalgate SrinagarSd/-
Executive EngineerS&D Division Ist Srinagar
No: SDDI/CC/701-712Dated: 30/06/2021DIPK-3882
1 Date of publishing 30/06/2021
2 Period of downloading of bidding documents 30/06/2021 to 22/07/2021 up-to 4:00 PM
3 Bid submission Start Date 30/06/2021 from 4:00 PM
4 Bid submission End Date 22/07/2021 up-to 4:00 PM
5 Date & time of opening of bids (online) 23/07/2021 at 11:00 AM or any other convenient date.
IMPORTANT DATES:
S. Name of work Est. cost Cost of T/doc. Period of Class ofNo (Rs. In lacs) (In rupees) Contract contract
IncludingDepartmental
Supply
1 2 3 4 5 6
1. 61.84 2000/= One Year “AAY”Operation & Maintenance of Sewerage and drainage networkunder the jurisdiction of Sub Division Ist by way of Clearance /Desilting (including removal of any sort of Blockade) of sewer line/ drain (open / closed), manholes, sump house, connection cham-bers including raising or repairing of manholes, replacing of RCC/ PVC Pipes and fixing of polycrate manhole covers including otherallied works for Annual Maintenance Contract of one year
PUBLIC NOTICEGOVERNMENT OF HARYANA
EXCISE & TAXATION DEPARTMENTNOTICE FOR INVITING e-TENDERS FOR ALLOTMENT OF RETAIL ZONES OF
COUNTRY LIQUOR (L-14A) AND IMFL (L-2) VENDS IN FOURTEEN (14) DISTRICTS FROMTHE GENERAL PUBLIC FOR THE POLICY YEAR 2021-22 IN THE STATE OF HARYANA.
It is informed to the general public that e-TENDERS for ALLOTMENT of 52 retail zones ofCountry Liquor (L-14A) and IMFL (L-2) vends in 14 districts are invited for the policy year 2021-22. The reserve prices of these zones has been reduced in accordance with the provisions ofclause 2.16 of the Haryana Excise Policy for the year 2021-22. The detail of such reducedreserve price is available in the Excise arrangement for these 52 zones. The district wise detailof zones available for e-bidding is as under:-
Schedule for invitation and evaluation of e-Tenders forun-allotted Zones of retail liquor vends
1 The e-Tenders for these zones should be submitted online as per Public Notice issued by the Department(published on 01th June, 2021) in the leading newspapers inviting e-Tenders for allotment of retail liquorlicenses of Zones of vends for the year 2021-22. The copy of Public Notice is available on the departmen-tal website i.e. www.haryanatax.gov.in.
2. The excise arrangements of these Zones of vends in the Districts and venue for evaluation of e-Tendersshall be conspicuously displayed in the offrce of DETC (Excise) & DETC (ST) concerned. The excisearrangement shall also be available on the departmental website i.e. www.haryanatax.gov.in.
3. The e-Tenders shall be received and Zones of vends shall be allotted in the manner prescribed in theHaryana Excise Policy for the year 2021-22 and the Haryana Excise Act, 1914, the rules framed thereun-der. The detailed procedure for participating in the e-bidding process is also available on the Departmentalwebsite i.e. www.haryanatax.gov.in. Any clarification regarding the procedure may be obtained from officeof DETC (Excise) in the districts.
4. The relevant provisions contained in the previous Public Notice issued for allotment of vends for the year2021-2022 shall hold good and are not reiterated.
5. The allotment shall be subject to the approval of the Excise and Taxation Commissioner,Haryana. He mayreject, without assigning any reason, any allotment in public interest as the case may be within 10 days ofthe date of allotment.
Excise & Taxation Commissioner,Haryana3534/HRY
12 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COMTHEINDIANEXPRESS,FRIDAY, JULY2,2021
New Delhi
CORONAVIRUSDASHBOARD
TOTALVACCINATED IN INDIA (at least one dose)
27,60,99,880
DOSESONJUNE30 28,61,492JUNE29:38,25,017 (28,82,263st doses; 9,42,7542nd)
June21 June30
■Firstdose ■Seconddose
80,00,000
40,00,000
0
COVISHIELD87.8%
COVAXIN12.2%
TOTALDOSES33,57,16,019(Sputnik V's 87,480dosesnot represented in pie)
INDIAACTIVECASES 5,23,257
June21 June30LAST 10 DAYS
INDIATOTALCASES 3,04,11,534Source:Ministry of Health & FamilyWelfare, updated at 11 pmon July 1
10,00,000
5,00,000
0
Note: The June30 figures in thesegraphsarebasedon thegovernmentupdateson July1
20,86,280
79,39,714
7,89,589
6,62,521
523,257
7,75,212
LAST 10 DAYS (daily)
Facing up to drone challengeSIMPLYPUTQUESTION&ANSWER
Sunday’sdroneattackinJammuunderlinesanemergingthreataswellasaneedtobuildcapacity inthisfield.Howis Indiaplacedindronetechnologyandoffensivemeasurestocountersuchattacks infuture?
DEEPTIMANTIWARY&KRISHNKAUSHIKNEWDELHI,JULY1
IN THE early hours of Sunday, two dronesdroppedanIEDeachpackedwithhighgrade-explosives on an Indian Air Force base inJammu.One IEDbroke through the roof of abuildingwhiletheotherdroppedafewyardsaway, injuring two IAFpersonnel. Itwas thefirst-everattackinIndiawheresuspectedter-roristshaduseddrones.ArmyChief GeneralMMNaravane em-
phasisedthisnewthreatonThursdayandsaidDIY (do it yourself) drones can be easily ac-cessedandusedbystateandnon-stateactors,and India is building its offensive anddefen-sivecapabilitiestopreventsuchattacks.
Sincewhenhavethemilitaryandterroristsbeenusingdrones?Over the last one decade, drones, or un-
mannedaerial vehicles (UAVs), arebeing in-creasinglyusedforlawandorder,courierserv-ices,andsurveillanceandattackinthemilitarydomain.Moderndronesarebeingusedmili-tarilysincethe1990s,includingbytheUSdur-ingtheGulfWar.UAVs range from250 g (maximumalti-
tude2,000 ft andrange2km) toover150kg(300,00 ft andunlimitedrange). In India, themostcommonlyknowndronesarequad-andhexacopters used for civil and commercialpurposes,andHerondronesusedformilitarysurveillance. Different UAVs operate undervarious technologies ranging from remotecontrolbyahumanoperatortousingGPSandradiofrequencies,andautopilotassistance.According toAssociation of theUSArmy
(AUSA), the firstattempteddroneattackbyaterrorgroupcanbetracedto1994whenAumShinrikyo, a Japanese doomsday cult, used aremote-controlled helicopter to spray saringas,butfailedasthehelicoptercrashed.In 2013, al-Qaeda attempted an attack in
Pakistan usingmultiple drones but securityforcespreventedit.TheIslamicStatehasreg-ularlyuseddronesforattacksinSyriaandIraq,while the Talibanhas used them for surveil-lance inAfghanistan. Hezbollah andHouthirebelstoohaveusedthemforattacks.In January2018,aswarmof13dronesat-
tackedtwoRussianmilitarybasesinSyria. InAugust 2018, an assassination attemptwasmadeonthePresidentofVenezuela,NicolãsMaduro,usingtwoIED-carryingGPS-guideddrones thatexplodedduringamilitarycere-monythePresidentwasattending.
According to AUSA, between 1994 and2018,morethan14plannedorattemptedter-rorist attacks tookplaceusingdrones. Thesehaveonlyincreasedinthelastcoupleofyears.Lastyear,droneswereusedtocountertra-
ditionalplatformsliketanks intheArmenia-Azerbaijanwar. Naravane referred to it onThursday and said the “imaginative and of-fensive use of drones, riding on (ArtificialIntelligence)algorithms,firstinIdlibandtheninArmenia -Azerbaijan,havechallenged thetraditional military hardware of war: thetanks, theartilleryandthedugininfantry”.
What'stheIndianexperience?Inthelastfewyears,Indiaanditsenemies
have frequently used drone surveillanceagainst each other. The last three years havealsoseendronesdroppingweapons,ammu-nitionanddrugs.OnMay14,theBSFdetectedweapons dropped by a suspected PakistandroneinJammu.OneAK-47assault rifle,onepistol, onemagazine, and 15 rounds for a 9mmweaponwere recovered 250m insideIndianterritory.On June20 lastyear, theBSFshotdowna
droneinHiranagar,Jammu.Thehexacopter’spayload includedaUS-madeM4semi-auto-maticcarbine,twomagazines,60roundsandsevenChinesegrenades.Sources said in recent years there have
beenanestimated100-150 sightingsof sus-pecteddronesnearIndia'swesternborderan-nually.Mostof thesearesuspectedtobesur-veillancedrones.
Howtotacklethem?The entireworld is strugglingwith the
problemofdroneattacks.Conventionalradar
systemsarenotmeantfordetectingsmallfly-ingobjects,and,eveniftheyarecalibratedthatway,theymightconfuseabirdforadroneandthesystemmaygetoverwhelmed.Currently,borderforcesinIndialargelyuse
eyesight tospotdronesandthenshootthemdown.Itiseasiersaidthandoneasmostroguedronesarevery small andoperateatheightsdifficult totarget.India has been exploring technologies to
detectanddisabledronesusingelectromag-netic chargeorshoot themdownusing laserguns.Technology todisable theirnavigation,interferewiththeirradiofrequency,orjustfrytheir circuits using high energy beamshavealsobeentested.Noneof thesehas,however,provenfoolproof.“Onewouldideallyliketohaveatechwall
that can disable drones coming fromacrosstheborder.Butdroneattackscanbelaunchedfromwithin aswell. Then there is the prob-lemofswarmdrones,wherescoresofdronesoverwhelmand confuse detection systems,resulting in some of the drones sneakingthrough,"asecurityestablishmentofficersaid.
Whataretheotherchallengesintacklingsmalldrones?A senior armed forces officer, who has
worked onUAVprojects earlier, said the useofsmalldronestoattackisa“totallydifferentspectrum”.Droneshavecontrolanddeliverymechanisms, and to counter them, he said,“either you can counter the controlmecha-nismbyjamming,orcancontrolthedeliverymechanism”.Itdependsonwhatkindofradaris being used,which is critical for the size oftheUAVthatneedstobedetected.“When you have to look at any kind of
counter-strategy, it should give you enoughwarning to positively identify that it is not abird, to fire. If you are firing, youdon’t knowwhatit iscarrying.”He said it raisesmultiple questions, like
who (thearmed forcesor the civilian forces)would be responsible for suchmechanisms.“Itisasub-tacticalthreat,butrequiresastrate-gic response. Entire threat perceptionhas toberelooked.”
DoesIndiahaveanti-dronetechnology?TheDefenceResearch andDevelopment
Organisation(DRDO)hasdevelopedadetect-and-destroy technology for drones, but it isnotyetintomassproduction.Thenthereisthechallengeofthetechnology'sstrategicdeploy-mentandthemoneythegovernmentisreadytospend.TheDRDO's Counter-Drone Systemwas
deployed forVVIPprotectionat theRepublicDay parades in 2020 and 2021, the PrimeMinister’sIndependenceDayspeechlastyear,andformerUSPresidentDonaldTrump’svisittoMoteraStadium,Ahmedabadlastyear.TheDRDOsystem,developedin2019,has
capabilities for hardkill (destroying a dronewith lasers) and softkill (jamming a drone’ssignals).Ithasa360°radarthatcandetectmi-crodronesupto4km,andothersensorstodosowithin 2km. Its softkill range is 3 kmandhardkill rangebetween150mand1km.Ithasbeendemonstratedtovarioussecu-
rityagenciesincludingattheHindonAirForcestationinJanuary2020andNationalSecurityGuardManesar inAugust 2020 and again inJanuary2021.
WhatareIndia'splanstousetheminwarfare?Thearmedforceshavebeenslowlyinduct-
ing capacity. Last year the, Navy got twoun-armedSeaGuardianPredatordronesonleasefromtheUS.Thethreeforceswant30oftheseUAVsbetweenthem.Themilitaryhasbeenworkingtowardsus-
ing small drones for offensive capabilities aswell.OnJanuary15,duringtheArmyDaypa-rade,theArmyshowcaseditsswarmtechnol-ogy,with75dronesswarmingtogethertode-stroy simulated targets. The Army ChiefmentionedthisonThursdayandsaidthe“dis-playofpre-programmeddronesdestroyingavarietyofsimulatedtargetsisreflectiveofourseriousnessandfocusonthisemergingtech-nology”andaddedthat“muchworkisunder-wayinthisdirectiontooperationalisetheca-pability in different terrains, at varyingaltitudesandoverextendedranges”.
13WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM
OVERTHElast15months,thepandemichasdentedhouseholdearnings,especiallyinthemiddle and lower income categories. A ris-ingcashcrunchandunforeseenmedicalex-pensesseemtohavepromptedpeopletogofor gold loans. Over the 12-month periodendedMay2021, thegold loansegment forscheduled commercial banks recorded thehighest credit growth among all sectors at33.8%.Whilemany people are looking tomonetise their gold holdings tomeet theirimmediate needs, the question is:Whenshouldyouconsidertakingagoldloan?
Howmuchhavegoldloansgrown?Over the last 12months, gold loan out-
standingwithbankshasrisenfromRs46,415crore inMay2020 toRs 62,101 crore. SinceMarch2020whenCovidstruck, ithas risenby86.4%,orRs33,308crore,RBIdatashows.Industry insiders note this is only the busi-nessdonebyscheduledcommercialbanks.“Ifyouincludetheloansextendedbygold
loan companies likeMuthoot Finance andManappuramFinance, theoutstandingwillbemuchhigher.Thegold loansegmenthasemergedasamajorgrowthareaforbanksasit’seasier toget,” saidanofficialof anation-alisedbank.Publicsectorbanks,whichwerenot very keen on gold loans earlier, havefound this amajor growth area. State Bankof India haswitnessed a 465% jump to Rs20,987croreinFY20-21.
Whythejump?Industry insiderssay it couldbean indi-
cationofstressinruralareas,thelow-incomegroupandmicrounits.Lockdownsimposed
bytheCentrelastyearandstategovernmentsthisyearhavekeptsmallbusinessunitsun-der extreme pressure. Also, decline in de-mandhas impactedthecash flowformanyunits across industries, and their ability topaytheiremployees.Pledginggoldascollateraltomeetfinan-
cialneedshasbeenanconstantfeatureoftheIndiangoldmarket.Traditionally,householdsusegoldloanstomeetcostsofhealth,educa-tion andmarriage,while small businessesusethemfortheirworkingcapitalneeds.TheWorldGoldCouncilsaiddemandfor
gold loans, both through banks and non-banking financial companies, has grown inresponsetotheeconomicimpactofthepan-demic. “As a result, outstanding organisedgold loan is expected togrowtoRs405,100crore($55.2bn)inFY2021fromRs344,800crore($47bn) inFY2020,” itsaid.ManappuramFinance’s aggregate gold
loandisbursementswentuptoRs263,833.15crorefromRs168,909.23crorethepreviousyear. As ofMarch 31, 2021, it had 25.9 lakh
livegoldloancustomers.Despitethe10-12%declineingoldprices,MuthootFinance’sloanbookgrewby4%quarter-on-quarter.EveninthesecondCovidwave,loandemandislikelytoremainhigh.
Shouldyougoforagoldloan ?Theentryof public sectorbanks inabig
mannerinthegoldloanbusinesscomesasaboostforcustomers.Asagainstarateofcloseto10%chargedbyNBFCs,StateBankofIndiaisofferingloansat7.5%.Butlowratesshouldnotbethereasonfor
individuals or small business owners to gofor a gold loan. Experts say taking a loan inthese timescouldbebothagoodandabadideadependinguponwhoyouareandwhatyouareborrowingfor.Takingaloanforconsumptionneedsorto
fundamarriagemaynotbeagoodideaif in-comeisunderstress. if youareunabletore-paythegoldloan,youruntheriskofthefin-ancier selling the gold you pledged. In thequarter endedMarch 2021,Manappuram
FinanceauctionedgoldworthRs404crore,compared toa totalof Rs8croreduring thefirst threequarters.However, if theloanisforfundingshort-
termworkingcapitalneedsandtocoverupforastretchedpaymentcycle, it isadvisabletotakeit.“Forasmallbusinessmanwhoseneedis
drivenbyariseinthepaymentcycleandwhois lookingtocoveragapforafewmonths, itisnotabadidea.Whilegoldloansarequick,itwouldmakesenseonlyifthedisruptionincashflowistemporaryandtheindividual istakingtheloanjusttofundthat,”saidVishalDhawan, founder of Plan AheadWealthAdvisors.Bankingexpertssaythat if businessvia-
bility is not very clear, even small business-men should not take a gold loan. “In theCovid-hit economy, many small andmedium-sizedbusinesseshavelostbusinessviabilityandarestrugglingtocopewithrou-tinepayments.Itdoesnotmakesensetobor-row further, just to keep paying the bills,
withoutachanceofbusinesssurvival. If theintentishonest,theymaywanttolookattak-ing recourse under IBC and to restart busi-ness life all over again,” said SrinathSridharan,CorporateAdvisor&independentmarketscommentator.
Shouldyousellgold?If your income flowhas been impacted
anddebthasbecomeanissue,youcancon-sider liquidating part of your gold assets.Whilegoldistraditionallyconsideredanas-set for unprecedented times, onemust notgetemotionalaboutsellingapartof it tore-payaloan,especiallysincepriceshaverisensignificantlyoverthelast15years.“Don’t let emotions come in between.
Oneneeds tobe rational about it. Sinceonehas gone through anunprecedented crisis,don’tborrowbutsell.Youcanalwaysbuy itback laterwhen the situation improves,”Dhawansaid.In fact, a part of themoney should be
utilisedtotakehealthcoverandlifecover.
PRABHARAGHAVANNEWDELHI,JULY1
AHMEDABAD-BASED Zydus Cadila has ap-plied to Central Drugs Standard ControlOrganisation(CDSCO),thenationaldrugsreg-ulator, seekingemergencyuseauthorisation(EUA)forZyCov-D,itsCovid-19vaccine.Ifap-proved,ZyCov-Dwillbetheworld'sfirstDNAvaccineagainst infectionwithSARS-CoV-2.
WhatisZyCov-D,andhowdoesitwork?ZyCov-Disa“plasmidDNA”vaccine—or
a vaccine that uses a genetically engineered,non-replicatingversionofatypeofDNAmol-ecule knownas a ‘plasmid’. The plasmids inthiscasearecodedwithinstructionstomakethe spike protein of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Vaccination gives the code to cells inthe recipient’s body, so they canbeginmak-ing the spikeprotein. The immunesystemisexpectedtorecognisethisasathreatandde-
velopantibodies inresponse.MostCovid-19vaccinescurrentlyaregiven
intwodoses,withacoupleofsingle-shotonesalso available. ZyCov-D, by contrast, will begiven in three doses, with an interval of 28daysbetweeneachpairof shots.Theotheruniquethingaboutthevaccine
is theway it is given.Noneedle isused— in-stead, a spring-powered device delivers theshot as anarrow,precise streamof fluid thatpenetratestheskin.ZyCov-D has been developedwith the
supportof theDepartmentofBiotechnologyand the Indian Council ofMedical Research(ICMR).
Howsafeandeffectiveisthevaccine?ZyCov-Dhasbeentestedinphase1,2and
3clinical trials involvingover28,000partici-pants inall. A thousandof theseparticipantswereofagesbetween12and18.InDecember2020, ZydusGroup chairmanPankaj R Patelhadsaidthefirsttwophasesshowedthevac-
cinewas“safeandimmunogenic”.According to trial data so far, the vaccine
has been able to bring down symptomaticcasesofCovidinthosewhoreceiveddosesbynearly67%comparedwiththosewhodidnot.This is based on79 to 90RT-PCR-confirmedcasesofCovid-19fromthosevaccinatedinthephase3trials,ZydusCadilamanagingdirectorDrSharvilPatelsaid.Twodosesseemtobeenoughtoprevent
peoplefromdevelopingseveresymptomsanddeath,whilethreedoseskeepevenmoderatesymptomsatbay,accordingtotrialdata.
HowdoesitfareagainsttheDeltavariant?The large-scale phase 3 trial was con-
ductedat50clinicaltrialsitesacrossthecoun-try “during the peak of the secondwave ofCovid-19”,andthecompanybelievesthatthis“reaffirms”thevaccine’seffectivenessagainsttheDeltavariantof thecoronavirus.“Youknowthat99%ofallstrainsthathave
been found in sero (surveillance) tests have
been theDelta variant... Our datawas in thepeakofApril,May,andJune,”DrPatelsaid.He said the company can “upgrade”
ZyCov-D “if needed” to target other variantsof concern and variants of interest that be-comemore infectious or virulent in nature.The company is currently “making the con-structs” to study the current effectiveness ofthevaccineinneutralisingthesevariants.
Arethereanyconcernswiththevaccine?According to Dr Patel, the company has
submitteddatafromphase1trials,andthisis“almost” readytobepublishedonapreprintserverforpeerreview. It ispreparingphase2data for publication aswell—but data fromthephase3trial,whichisstillunderway,willtakeanotherfourtosixmonths.Public health activists have pointed out
that little scientific evidence from the trialshas been published so far on the vaccine’ssafetyandimmunogenicity(abilitytopromptanimmuneresponse).
Historically, some safety concerns havebeen raised about DNA vaccines, includingtheirpotential, theoretically, tointegrateintocellularDNAorcauseauto-immunediseases.However, physician and vaccine re-
searcherDrMargaretALiuwroteina2019ar-ticlepublishedinMDPIthat“Todate,bothpre-clinicaltestingandcarefulclinicalmonitoringhaveshownDNAvaccinestonotinduceortoworsenauto-immunity...”.DrPatelsaidDNAvaccinesare“non-infec-
tious”bynature. Theydonot involve theuseof otherpotentiallyharmfulparticles likevi-ral vectors,whichminimises the risk of vac-cine-enhanceddiseases,hesaid.
Whathappenshereonward?The regulator will go through Zydus
Cadila’sapplicationforrestrictedemergencyusepermission(knownasEUAinothercoun-tries) to check for anymissing information.Thereafter, ameeting of the CDSCO SubjectExpert Committeewill be convened,where
the companywillmake its case for an EUA.Whilemaking its decision, the SECwill alsolookintodetailssuchaswhetherthereissuf-ficient data to back theuse of this vaccine inadolescents aged between 12 and 18, andwhetherthereismerittothecompany’sfind-ings that twodoses prompt an immune re-sponse“equivalent”toathree-doseregimen.
If cleared,bywhenwillthisvaccinebeavailable,andwhatwill itcost?ZydusCadilaissettingupanewfacilityto
manufacture up to 120million doses a year.Thiswouldmeanupto40millionpeoplecanbevaccinatedwiththreeshots inayear.Thenewfacilityisexpectedtobereadyby
the endof thismonth, andproduction is ex-pected tobeginbymid-August, according toDr Patel. The companywill produce 10mil-liondoseseverymonththenon,andhopestosupply 50million doses to the country byDecember.Thecompanyhasnotyetdecidedonapriceof thevaccine,DrPatelsaid.
@ieExplained#ExpressExplainedIf there are questions of current or contemporary relevance that youwould likeexplained, pleasewrite to [email protected] EXPLAINED
THEINDIANEXPRESS,FRIDAY, JULY2,2021
How the ZyCov-D vaccine works, how it’s different
EXPLAINED YOURMONEY
Dronesurveillanceduringanti-CAAprotestsatRedFort inDecember2019. Filephoto
GeorgeMathew&Sandeep Singh
Gold loans rising: should you pledge your holdings, or sell someof them?
New Delhi
14THEINDIANEXPRESS,FRIDAY, JULY2,2021
THEWORLDWWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM
BRITAIN
DIANA STATUEUNVEILEDBY SONSBritishPrincesWilliamandHarryunveiledastatuetotheirlatemotherPrincessDianaonwhatwouldhavebeenher60thbirthday,onThursday.Thebrothers,whosefalling-outhasbeenthesubjectofintensemediascrutiny, lookedrelaxedastheyrevealedthestatuetheycommissionedinhonourofDianaintheSunkenGardenofKensingtonPalaceinLondon.
PAKISTAN
TreatmentofUighurs:ImransaysPakaccepts‘Chinese version’PAKISTANPRIMEMinisterImranKhan on Thursdaysaidhiscountryacceptsthe“Chineseversion”ofeventsregarding the issue of thetreatmentofUighurs,ami-norityMuslimethnicgroup,inChina’s restiveXinjiangprovince. TheUS and theEU,alongwithseveralothercountries, have accusedChinaofcommittinggeno-cide against Uighurs inXinjiang. Speaking toChinese journalists, KhansaidtheChineseversionontheUighur issuewascom-pletelydifferentfromwhatwasbeing reported in theWesternmedia.“BecauseofourextremeproximityandrelationshipwithChina,weactuallyaccepttheChineseversion,” he was quotedas saying by the Dawnnewspaper. PTI
PakPMImranKhan
TOPOFTHEWORLD
USA
2adults,1childfatallyshot inHoustonAUTHORITIESINHoustonsearched Thursday for asuspect after two adultsand a child were foundshot todeathatanapart-ment complex. HoustonAssistant Police ChiefPatricia Cantu said an-otherchild,believedtobeabout 10 years old, waswounded in the lateWednesdayshootingbutwasabletocallhergrand-mother, who then called911.Whenauthoritiesar-rived, they found aman,a woman and a girl be-lieved to be about 5 to 7years old fatally shot,Cantusaid. AP
PAKISTAN
PakinductsChina-madebattletanksTHEPAKISTANArmyhasformallyinductedthefirstbatch of the China-madeVT-4 battle tanks into itsarmoury. Produced byChinese state-owned ar-mouredvehiclemanufac-turer,Norinco,thedeliveryof VT-4 tanks from themanufacturer began inApril last year. Pakistan isthe third country to havebought these tanks fromChina after Thailand andNigeria. Commander ofManglaCorps,LieutenantGeneral ShaheenMehmood, onWednesday visited theArmoured Division andinspectedthefirstbatchofVT-4tanks. PTI
ROBERTD.MCFADDENJULY1
DONALDRUMSFELD, the secre-taryofdefenceforUSPresidentsGeraldFordandGeorgeWBush,who presided over America’sColdWarstrategies in the1970sand, in the newworld of terror-ism decades later, the wars inAfghanistan and Iraq, died onTuesdayathishomeinTaos,NewMexico.Hewas88.The cause was multiple
myeloma, said Keith Urbahn, aspokesmanfor the family.Encores are hardly rare in
Washington, but Rumsfeld hadthedistinction of being the only
defence chief to serve twonon-consecutive terms: 1975 to1977underFord,and2001to2006un-der Bush. He also was theyoungest,at43,andtheoldest,at74,toholdthepost—firstinaneraof Soviet-Americannuclear per-ils, theninanageofsubtlermen-acebyterroristsandroguestates.A staunchally of formerVice
PresidentDickCheney,whohadbeen his protégé and friend foryears,Rumsfeldwasacombativeinfighterwho seemed to relishconflictsashechallengedCabinetrivals,members of Congress andmilitaryorthodoxies.Andhewaswidelyregardedinhissecondtourasthemostpowerfuldefencesec-retary since RobertMcNamara
duringtheVietnamWar.Like his counterpart of long
ago, Rumsfeld in Iraqwaged acostly anddivisivewar that ulti-matelydestroyedhispolitical life
andoutlivedhis tenurebymanyyears.ButunlikeMcNamara,whoofferedmeaculpasina2003doc-umentary, The Fog of War,Rumsfeldacknowledgednoseri-
ous failings and warned in afarewell valedictory at thePentagonthatquittingIraqwouldbeaterriblemistake,eventhoughthewar,thecountrylearned,hadbeenbasedona falsepremise—that SaddamHussein, the Iraqileader, had been harbouringweaponsofmassdestruction.“Aconclusionbyourenemies
that the United States lacks thewillortheresolvetocarryoutourmissions that demand sacrificeanddemandpatienceiseverybitasdangerous as an imbalanceofconventionalmilitarypower,”hesaid. “Itmaywell be comfortingto some to consider graceful ex-its fromtheagoniesand, indeed,the ugliness of combat. But the
enemythinksdifferently.”In his 2011memoir, Known
and Unknown, Rumsfeld,morethan four years out of office, stillexpressednoregretsoverthede-cision to invade Iraq,whichhadcosttheUnitedStates$700billionand4,400American lives, insist-ing that the removal of Saddamhad justified the effort. “Riddingthe region of Saddam’s brutalregimehascreatedamorestableandsecureworld,”hewrote.He sidestepped the issue of
whethertheIraqWarhaddivertedresourcesfromAfghanistan,lead-ing toaTaliban resurgence there.“Itwaspreciselyduringthetough-est period in the IraqWar thatAfghanistan,with coalitionhelp,
took someof itsmostpromisingsteps towarda freeandbetter fu-ture,”hedeclared.Inretrospect,militaryexperts
gaveRumsfeldhighmarksforhisfirstterminthePentagon,andfortrying tomodernise themilitaryinhissecond.ButtheyfaultedhishandlingoftheIraqWar,heldhimto account for themistreatmentof prisoners, and said he hadalienatedcolleaguesandthepub-licwithhis imperiousstyle.He was defiant to the last,
however. “I have benefitedgreatly from the criticism,” hesaid,invokingWinstonChurchillon the day he resigned, “and atnotimehaveIsufferedfromthelack thereof.” NYT
DONALD RUMSFELD, 88, WAS THE ONLY US DEFENCE CHIEF TO SERVE TWO NON-CONSECUTIVE TERMS
Rumsfeld, defence secy who presided over Afghan & Iraq wars, dies
RumsfeldwasUSdefencechief from1975-77and2001-06
HANNAHBEECH&LIVIAALBECK-RIPKAJULY1
ININDONESIA,gravediggersareworking into the night, as oxy-gen and vaccines are in shortsupply. In Bangladesh, urbangarmentworkers fleeingan im-pending lockdown are almostassuredlyseedinganothercoro-navirus surge in their impover-ishedhomevillages.And in countries like South
Korea and Israel that seemed tohavelargelyvanquishedthevirus,newclustersofdiseasehaveprolif-erated.ChinesehealthofficialssaidonMondaythattheywouldbuildagiantquarantinecentrewithupto 5,000 rooms tohold interna-tional travellers.Australiahasor-deredmillionstostayathome.Ayearandahalfsinceitbegan
racingacrosstheglobewithexpo-nentialefficiency,thepandemicison the riseagain invast stretchesoftheworld,drivenlargelybythenew variants, particularly thehighly contagiousDelta variantfirstidentifiedinIndia.FromAfricato Asia, countries are sufferingfromrecordcaseloadsanddeaths,even aswealthier nationswithhigh vaccination rates have lettheirguarddown,dispensingwithmaskmandates and revelling inlifeedgingbacktowardnormalcy.Scientists believe the Delta
variant may be twice as trans-missible as the original coron-avirus,anditspotential to infectsome partially vaccinated peo-plehasalarmedpublichealthof-ficials. Unvaccinated popula-tions, whether in India orIndiana,mayserveasincubators
ofnewvariantsthatcouldevolvein surprising and dangerousways, with Delta giving rise towhatIndianresearchersarecall-ingDeltaPlus.TherearealsotheGammaandLambdavariants.
“We’re in a race against thespread of the virus variants,”saidProfessorKimWoo-joo,aninfectious disease specialist atKoreaUniversityGuroHospitalin Seoul. NYT
AceremonyatTiananmenSquare inBeijingonThursdaytomarkthe100thanniversaryofthe foundingof theChineseCommunistParty.AP
GABRIELCROSSLEY&MARTINPOLLARDBEIJING, JULY1
PEOPLEGATHEREDonThursdayinBeijing to takephotographsofcelebratoryflyoversandsingrev-olutionary songs as the rulingCommunist Party celebrated its100thbirthday, expressingpridein China’s development andwishesforamorepowerfulnation.Somecongregatedbyanan-
cient canal once used to bringgrainintothecity,butnowover-shadowedbytheskyscrapersofthe financial district, to watchhelicopters flyover, spellingout“100”across thesky.PresidentXi Jinpinghailed a
“new world” created by theChinese people as the partymarkedthecentenaryofitsfound-
ingwitha ceremony in the capi-tal’scentralTiananmenSquare.Wang Peng, 34, an engineer
atelectronicsgiantXiaomi,whotooktimeoffworktofilmtheair-craftonhistelephone,wasespe-ciallyexcitedbyashotof thejetsreleasingcolourfulsmoketrails.“IhopeChinawillgetstronger
in technology, especially in keytechnologies,sothatforeigncoun-triescan’tseizeusbyourthroat,”hesaid,echoingoneofXi’sprior-itiesastheUSsqueezesthecoun-try’s access tohigh-tech. Almostall the key chips in Xiaomi’sphonesareimported,hesaid.Oncethehelicoptersandjets
had disappeared into the dis-tance towards Tiananmen, agroup of laughing onlookersbroke into a revolutionary songfromthe1940s.“TheCCPtoilsforthenation,”theysang,adding,“It
leadsChina towards the light.”Others sat on benches
watchingtheceremonyontheirhandsets. A jogger in blue ranpast, Xi’s voice audible fromhisphone’s tinnyspeakers.ZhangYing,64,amemberof
theCommunist Party fornearlythree decades, said she haddressed up specially for the oc-casion.Hermainconcernforthefutureisnationaldefence.“Ifourcountry is not strong, then oth-erswillbullyus,sowehopeforastrongercountry,especiallymil-itary-wise.Wewouldn’twanttobully others, but to protect our-selves,” shesaid.Most of those who spoke
with Reuters said they wereproud of the party, which hadmadeChinesepeople’slivesbet-terandeffectivelycontrolledthecoronavirusepidemic.REUTERS
MICHAELRSISAKJULY1
DONALD TRUMP’S longtime fi-nance chief surrendered earlyThursday to NewYork authori-ties for arraignment in the firstcriminalindictmentarisingfromatwo-yearinvestigationintotheformerUSpresident’scompany.Trump Organisation CFO
Allen Weisselberg was seenwalking into a building thathousesboth thecriminal courtsandtheManhattandistrictattor-ney’sofficearound6.20am.Weisselberg, 73, was due to
bearraignedintheafternoonona grand jury indictment charg-inghimandTrump’s namesakecompanywithtaxcrimesrelated
to fringe benefits given to em-ployees, like the use of apart-ments, cars and school tuition,people familiarwith themattertoldTheAssociatedPress.The indictment, returned
Wednesday, will remain undersealuntilWeisselberg’scourtap-pearance, thepeople said.A lieutenant togenerationsof
Trumps,Weisselberghasintimateknowledge of the former presi-
dent’s businessdealings and thecase could give prosecutors themeanstopressurehimintocoop-eratingwithaprobeintootheras-pectsofthecompany’sbusiness.In a statement, the Trump
Organisation saidWeisselbergwas being used byManhattanDistrict Attorney Cyrus VanceJr.’s office as “a pawn in ascorched-earthattempttoharmthe formerpresident”. AP
NEILMORALESMANILA, JULY1
AUTHORITIES IN thePhilippinesstarted evacuating thousands ofpeopleonThursdayafterthealertstatuswasraisedonarestivevol-canothatspewedaone-kilome-trehighplumeofgasandsteam.Thealert for theTaal volcano,
about 70 km south of Manila,moved to level 3 from level 2onthe5-level scale,which the seis-mologyandvolcanologyagencysaidmeant a “magmatic intru-sion”atthemaincrater“couldfur-therdrivesucceedingeruptions”.Taal is one of the world's
smallest active volcanoes.Despitestandingatonly311me-tres, an eruption in 1911 killedmore than1,300people.InJanuarylastyear,Taalshot
a column of ash and steam ashighas15kmintothesky,whichforcedmore than 100,000 peo-ple to abandon their homes,widespread flight cancellationsandheavyash falls inManila.Whilethesituationcouldgoei-
therway,authoritiesonThursdaywarned that the typeof eruptioncould potentially bemore haz-ardousthanthatof lastyear.WaterinTaal'scraterboiledbe-
foreandafteritseruption,avideopostedontheFacebookpageoftheseismologyagencyshowed.Magmamadecontactwiththe
crater’swater,whichthenturnedintogas,knownasaphreatomag-maticeruption. REUTERS
UK opens new post-study work visa routeADITIKHANNALONDON, JULY1
THEUKHomeOfficeonThursdayformally opened its new post-studyworkvisa for internationalstudents,whichwouldofferover-seas graduates from India andother destinations the option toapply for the right to stay on forjobexperienceattheendof theiruniversitycourses.The graduate route visa, an-
nounced last year by UKHomeSecretaryPritiPatel, isnowopenfor applications from thisweekand is expected to particularlybenefitIndianstudents,whoare
known to choose their degreecoursesbasedontheprospectofworkexperience.The graduate route is de-
signed for international gradu-ates who have been awardedtheir degree from a recognisedUKuniversitytostayonandlookforwork forat least twoyears.“Toput it into some context,
lastyearmorethan56,000Indiannationalsweregrantedastudentvisa, that’s a13per cent increaseonthepreviousyear,andthatisal-mostnowaquarterofallstudentvisasissuedbytheUK,”Patelsaid.“Whenyouthinkaboutthose
numbers,thinkaboutthetotalityin terms of how this routewill
benefit India, it’s a very, very bigmove. And,wewill continue toworkwith thevariousacademicinstitutionsonmakingthisrouteviable,”shesaid.For the new route, interna-
tionalgraduatesmusthavecom-pletedaneligiblecourseataUKhigher education providerwitha track record of compliancewiththegovernment’simmigra-tionrequirements.It is unsponsored, meaning
applicants donot need a job of-fer to apply and crucially theycanuseatwo-yearperiodtostayon and look for a job. There areno minimum salary require-mentsorcapsonnumbers. PTI
ANDREWSELSKY&JIMMORRISSALEM,JULY1
HUNDREDS OF deaths inCanada,OregonandWashingtonmay have been caused by thehistoricheatwavethatbakedthePacificNorthwestandshatteredall-time temperature records inusually temperatecities.Oregonhealthofficialssaidlate
Wednesdaymorethan60deathshavebeentiedtotheheat,withthestate’slargestcounty,Multnomah,blamingtheweatherfor45deathssincetheheatwavebeganFriday.BritishColumbia’schiefcoro-
ner, Lisa Lapointe, saidher officereceived reports of at least 486“suddenandunexpecteddeaths”between Friday and 1 pmWednesday. Normally, she saidabout165peoplewoulddieintheprovinceoverafive-dayperiod.
“While it is too early to saywithcertaintyhowmanyofthesedeaths are heat related, it is be-lievedlikelythatthesignificantin-creaseindeathsreportedisattrib-utable to the extremeweather,”LaPointesaidinastatement.Washingtonstateauthorities
linkedover20deathstotheheat,andthenumberwaslikelytorise.Theheatwavewascausedby
whatmeteorologistsdescribedasadomeof highpressureover theNorthwest and worsened bycaused climate change,which ismaking such extremeweathereventsmore likely andmore in-tense.Seattle,Portlandandmanyother cities broke all-timeheatrecords, with temperatures insomeplacesreachingabove46°C.Environment Canada issued
heat warnings for Alberta andSaskatchewan.Heatwarningsalsowere in place forWashington,Oregon,IdahoandMontana. AP
STEVESCHEREROTTAWA,JULY1
MULTIPLECITIESscrappedCanadaDaycelebrationsonThursdayaf-terthediscoveryofhundredsofre-mainsofchildrenatformerindige-nousschoolssparkedareckoningwiththecountry’scolonialpast.Calls to scale back or cancel
celebrations snowballed after,beginning inMay, almost 1,000unmarkedgraveswerefoundatformer so-called residentialschools inBritishColumbia andSaskatchewan,thatweremainlyrun by the Catholic Church andfundedbythegovernment.Traditionally the holiday is
celebratedwithbackyardbarbe-cuesandfireworksmuchlikeJuly4 in theUnited States, howeverthisyearCanadianPrimeMinisterJustinTrudeausaidthedaywouldbe“atimeforreflection”.A#CancelCanadaDaymarch
isbeingheldinOttawa,thecapital,and Toronto is hosting rallies tohonourthevictimsandsurvivorsofCanada'sresidentialschoolsys-tem. The schools forcibly sepa-rated indigenous children fromtheirfamilies.“Canadaishavingareckoning
with its history,” said AkwasiOwusu-Bempah, aUniversity ofTorontoprofessor.“Idon’tthinkwecancelebratethiscountryforwhatitiswithoutrecognisingthiscoun-tryforwhatit isn’t:autopiaandabastionof equality and freedomand equal opportunity for allmembersofsociety.” REUTERS
NATIONS TAKEMEASURESTOCURBOUTBREAK
UK TO OFFER BOOSTER SHOTSTHEUKgovernmentispreparingtooffermillionsofvulnerableBritons,whohavereceivedtwodosesof theCovid-19vaccine,abooster jabfromSeptembertoensurethattheprotectionismaintainedagainstnewvariantsbeforewintercomes,accordingtoreports.Morethan30millionofthemostvulnerableshouldreceiveathirddose,expertssaid.
RUSSIALAUNCHESBOOSTERRUSSIANHEALTHauthoritiesonThursday launchedboosterCovidvaccinationforthosewhowere immunisedoversixmonthsago,as thecountry facesasurge innewinfectionsanddeaths.
NEWCURBS IN INDONESIAINDONESIAPRESIDENTJokoWidodoannouncedcurbsincludingtheclosingofplacesofworshipandworkfromhomemandates forpartsof JavaandBali islandstocontaintheDeltavariant.
AsDeltavariantsurges,outbreaksreturn inmanypartsof theworld
ISRAELRACESTOVACCINATEKIDS:ChildrenataCovidtestingsiteinBinyamina,Israel. Israel,aworldleaderincoronavirusvaccinations,reporteditshighestdailyinfectionrateinthreemonthsasitscramblestocontainthespreadofthenewDeltavariant.Authoritiesarenowracingtovaccinatechildren.AP
Pandemictourism: Thailandlaunches Phuket‘sandbox’ plan
TASSANEEVEJPONGSA&DAVIDRISINGPHUKET, JULY1
THAILAND EMBARKED on anambitious but risky planThursday that it hopes willbreathe new life into a tourismindustrydevastatedbythepan-demic, opening the popular re-sortislandofPhukettofullyvac-cinated foreigners fromlower-riskcountries.Asthefirst flightarrived,air-
portfiretrucksblastedtheirwa-ter canons to form an arch overtheEtihadjetfromAbuDhabiasit taxied to itsgate.The “Phuket sandbox” pro-
grammecomesascoronavirusin-fections are surging in Thailand,includingasignificantnumberofcases of the Delta variant, andmanyhave questioned if it’s tooearly towoo tourists back, andwhether they’ll come in signifi-cant numbers in any casedue totherestrictionsthey’llstill face.But thenumberof newcases
ontheislanditselfislow,inthesin-gledigitsdaily,andmorethan70%ofitsresidentsarefullyvaccinated.Under thesandboxplan,visi-
tors to Phuketwill be allowed toroamtheentire island, insteadofhaving to quarantine in a hotelroomfor14days liketheywouldhave to if theywent to anyotherpartofThailand. AP
In Beijing, pride and hopes for astronger China on party centenary
Historic Northwest heatwave may have killedhundreds in US, Canada
Anemergencyvehicle is setupasacoolingstation inCalgary, inCanada’sAlbertaprovince,onWednesday.AP
Mass evacuationas Philippinesraises volcanodanger level
AllenWeisselbergwithDonaldTrumpandhissonDonaldTrumpJr inthis2017 image.AP
Canada Daymuted as countryreckons with darkcolonial history
THECHARGESagainstWeisselberg,whohasworkedcloselywithTrumpsincethe1970s,deliversablowtotheformerpresidentjustashere-sumedholdingpoliticalrallies.IfWeisselbergstrikesadealwithprosecutors,expertssaythatcouldcompoundTrump’slegalwoes.ThelegaltroublefacingTrump’scompanycouldcostitlargesumsofmoneyif itisfoundguilty,andcouldalienatepartnerswhostoodbyitevenaftertheCapitolriot.
Trump’sfinancial, legaltroublesgrowE●EX
PLAINED
Top Trump organisation executive AllenWeisselberg surrenders to face charges
New Delhi
15SENSEX: 52,318.60 ▼ 164.11 (-0.31%) NIFTY: 15,680.00 ▼ 41.50 (-0.26%) NIKKEI: 28,707.04 ▼ 84.49 HANG SENG: 28,827.95 ▼ 166.15 FTSE: 7,104.23 ▲ 66.7 DAX: 15,589.69 ▲ 58.65
THEINDIANEXPRESS,FRIDAY, JULY2,2021
ECONOMYWWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM
Internationalmarketdatatill1900IST
GOLD`46,310
RUPEE`74.55
OIL$73.70
SILVER`68,654
Note:Gold,silverratesatDelhispotmarket;goldper10g,silverper1kg;Crudeoil (Indianbasket)asonJune30,2021
ENSECONOMICBUREAUMUMBAI, JULY1
THE RESERVE Bank of India(RBI) has cautioned that badloansof thebankingsystemareexpectedtohit11.22percentofthe advances under a severestressscenario.Thecentralbankalsowarnedabouttheincipientsigns of stress amongmediumandsmall units.TheFinancialStabilityReport
of theRBIsaidmacrostresstestsindicate that the gross non-per-forming asset (GNPA) ratio ofbanksmayincreasefrom7.48percent inMarch 2021 to 9.80 percent byMarch 2022 under thebaselinescenarioandto11.22percent under a severe stress sce-nario. However, have sufficientcapital,bothattheaggregateandindividual level, even understress, it said.Within the bank groups,
NPAs of public sector banks areexpected to rise to9.54per centinMarch 2021 and edge up to12.52 per cent byMarch 2022under the baseline scenario.However,thisisanimprovementoverearlierexpectationsandin-dicativeofpandemicproofingbyregulatorysupport, it said.
Forprivatebanksandforeignbanks, the transition of theNPAratio from baseline to severestressisfrom5.82percentto6.04per cent to 6.46 per cent, andfrom 4.90 per cent to 5.35 percentto5.97percent,respectively.While banks’ exposures to
better rated largeborrowers aredeclining, there are incipientsignsofstressinthemicro,smalland medium enterprises(MSMEs) and retail segments,
theFSRwarned.Thedemandforconsumer credit across banksandnon-bankingfinancialcom-panies (NBFCs) has dampened,with some deterioration in theriskprofileofretailborrowersbe-comingevident, it said.Onthedomesticfront,thefe-
rocity of the second wave ofCOVID-19hasdented economicactivity,butmonetary,regulatoryand fiscal policymeasures havehelped curtail the solvency risk
offinancialentities,stabilisemar-kets, andmaintain financial sta-bility, according to the FSR. Thecapitaltorisk-weightedassetsra-tio (CRAR) of scheduled com-mercialbanksincreasedto16.03per cent and the provisioningcoverage ratio (PCR) stood at68.86percent inMarch2021.Going forward, asbanks re-
spondtocreditdemand inare-covering economy, they willneed to reinforce their capitaland liquiditypositionsto fortifythemselves against potentialbalance sheet stress, the RBIFSR said.AccordingtotheRBI,only0.9
per cent of the total loanswererestructured.Themicro,mediumand small enterprises (MSME)sector saw themaximumdebtrecastat1.7percentfollowedbythe corporate loans, which saw0.9percentofthesectorloanbe-ingrestructured.Retail segmentsaw only 0.7 per cent loans re-structured.Banks’resorttorestructuring
under the COVID-19 resolutionframeworkwas not significantandwrite-offsasapercentageofGNPA at the beginning of theyear, fell sharplyascompared to2019-20, except for privatebanks, theRBIsaid.
FINANCIALSTABILITYREPORT: FALLINGCREDITDEMAND
GEORGEMATHEWMUMBAI,JULY1
THE GOVERNMENT hasgazetted27ofamendmentsinthe LIC Act, 1956,which arepart of Finance Act 2021,pavingthewayforthe65-yearold Corporation, with overRs35lakhcroreassets, tocor-poratise and list its sharesondomestic stockexchangesviaaninitialpublicoffering.LIChasalsoappointedArijit
Basu,formerMDofStateBankofIndia(SBI)andformerMD&CEOofSBILife —whohadledthe life insurer tobe listed inthestockexchanges,asacon-sultanttohelpinlaunchingtheIPO.Aftertheamendment,likeanyother listedcompany, thecorporation,nowgovernedbythe Companies Act and SebiAct (post-IPO), has toprepareitsquarterlybalancesheetwithprofitorlossfiguresandmakepublickeydevelopments.Further, the authorised
sharecapitalwillbeRs25,000crore,dividedinto2,500croresharesofRs10each,aspertheamendment.Currently,LIChasacapitalbaseofRs100crore.Accordingtosources,inthe
originalLICAct,1956,theword‘profitability’wasnotthereanditwas stipulatedany surplus,whichiscalculatedwithactu-arial framework,will be dis-tributedbetweenpolicyhold-ers and thegovernment (solestakeholder) in the ratio of95:5.However,thepolicyhold-ersoftheCorporationwillnowreceive90per centof surplus(or anyhigher amountasde-cidedby itsboard) generatedby it, while the rest as divi-dendswill go to the govern-ment and shareholderswho
willbeinvestingviatheIPO.AftertheIPO,althoughLIC’s
policyholdersmayappear toget lessbonusthanwhattheyaregettingnow,itmaynothap-pen that way as the Corpo-rationwill findnewways tocontinuetoofferthesamelevelof bonus to its customers,sourcessaid.Asperoneof the27proposedamendments,theCentrewillholdatleast75percentinLICforthefirstfiveyearsposttheIPO,andsubsequentlyholdat least51per cent at alltimesafterfiveyearsofthelist-ing.LIC,now,isallowedtoraiseresourcesviasecurities,includ-ingbonds,debentures,notes,commercial paper andotherdebt instruments, tomeet itsrequirements.The board of directors of
theCorporationwillconsistofdirectors,notexceeding15,ofwhomat leastonehastobeawoman. LIC’s boardwill havetwoofficersoftheCentralgov-ernmentnotbelowtherankofa joint secretary to theGovernmentof India.Moreover,twoindividuals
will be nominated by theCentralgovernment,whohavespecialknowledgeorpracticalexperience inprofessionalar-eas.LICalsoisrevampingallitsinternal systems involvingmanyareasofoperationsthatwillmake it anefficient listedorganisationmeeting theex-pectationsofbothpolicyhold-ers aswell asnewsharehold-ers.Policyholderswillgetupto10percentoftheLICIPO.Currently,thegovernment
owns100percentstake.Oncelisted, it is likely to be one ofthe leading companies bymarketcapitalisationwithanestimated valuation ofRs8-10lakhcrore.
SECTORWATCHPUBLICLISTING
As IPO processgathers steam,LIC corporatised
ENSECONOMICBUREAUNEWDELHI,JULY1
INDIAISwell-preparedintermsofmedicalinfrastructuretodealwiththe third Covid wave, FinanceMinisterNirmalaSitharamansaidonThursday,addingrevenuecol-lectionswouldhelp inprovidingresourcesformeetingchallenges.“...Therampingupofmedical
infrastructure,lookingatdifferentsegmentsofthepopulation,look-ing at children, is happening atgoodspeed.Godforbid, if thereisathirdwave,wearemedicalinfra-structure-wisewellprepared,”shesaidwhile speaking at the IndiaGlobalForum.She saidGST revenues have
kept up pace in the last eightmonthsandhavecrossedRs1lakhcrorepermonth.“ ... revenuegen-eration, I think,will giveus abit
more leeway to be able to keepsome resources formeeting upwiththechallenge”. Shealso saidwithactivitypickingup, thegov-ernment’splannedCPSEprivati-sationdriveisoncourse.
Office of the Superintending Engiheer PHED,Project Circle, Jaipur,
Sector 26, Near Ayush Bhawan, Pratap Nagar, JaipurEmail: [email protected] [email protected]
No. 293-300 Date 25.06.2021
Notice Inviting Bid No. 05/2021-22UBN-PHE 2122WLOB04108Online bids are invited on behalf of the Governor of Rajasthan from eligible enlisted "AAclass contractors of PHED, Rajasthan and meeting eligibility criteria. Contractors enlistedwith other departments of Government of Rajasthan or enlisted with CPWD/ Postal/Telecom/ Railways/ MES/ other State Government/ Central Government undertakings/organization in class equivalent to "AA" class of Rajasthan and meeting prescribedeligibility criteria may also apply after depositing prescribed Bid Security. Details of this Bidnotification and pre- qualification criteria can also be seen in NIB exhibited on web sitewww.dipr.rajasthan.gov.in, http://sppp.rajasthan.gov.in and http://eproc.rajasthan.gov.in. Bids are to be submitted online electronic format on web sitehttp://eproc.rajasthan.gov.in.
Important Dates:-
Sd/-(Bharat Lal Meena)
Superintending EngineerDIPR/C/6199/2021 PHED, Project Circle, Jaipur
NIB No Particulars of work NIB Cost
05/2021-22 Bids for the Retrofitting Works of 37 Villages of Banskho IPS under Bassi-Bisalpur, water supply project to carry out works of providing FunctionalHousehold Tap connections under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM)
Rs. 22.52Crores
SN Events Date & time Website / Location
1. Date & time fordownloading of bid
document.
From 28.06.2021 at10.00 AM to 19.07.2021
up to 06.00 PM
http://www.eproc.rajasthan.gov.in
2. Date & time for onlinesubmission of bid
document
From 09.07.2021, 10.00AM to 19.07.2021
up to 6.00 PM
http://www.eproc.rajasthan.gov.in
3. Date & Time for Openingof Technical bid.
20.07.2021at 03.00 PM
In the Office of Superintending Engineer,PHED, Project Circle, Jaipur
4. Opening of Price bid Will be intimated afterdecision of Technical Bid
In the Office of Superintending Engineer,PHED, Project Circle, Jaipur
No.: EE/VJNL/UBP/Div-6/Challakere/J.B.C- CORRIGENDUM-2/2021-22/219 Date:28.06.2021
Visvesvaraya Jala Nigam Limited(Govt. of Karnataka Undertaking)
Upper Bhadra Project Division No. 6, Somaguddu Road,Challakere. Phone/Fax No.: 08195-250307,
e-mail: [email protected]
On behalf of the Managing Director, VJNL, Bangalore, theExecutive Engineer, VJNL., UBP Division No.06, Challakere, wasinvited the tenders from the VJNL Category–I enrolledcontractors with reference to tender notification no.:153dated 08.06.2021, Addendum-3 notification no:215 dated25.06.2021 and Corrigendum-1 notification no:186 dated18.06.2021 for construction of Tank filling and Drip Irrigationproject of Jagaluru taluk. Due to technical reasons the followingbelow changes are made(1) Name of work:- Construction of Jagaluru Branch Canal andproviding drip irrigation system under Jagaluru Branch Canalof upper Bhadra project by Gravity Bulk Feeder Pipe Lines tosupply to zones and filling of Tanks including Construction ofPump Houses, Supply, Installation, Testing and Commissioningof Pumping Machineries, Transmission line, Electrical SubStations, Pipe Distribution Network (MS/DI/ HDPE/PVC/LDPE)drip lines, SCADA, Fertigation System and Operation andMaintenance for 5 years after successful commissioning of thescheme on Turn-Key Basis : Jagaluru Block pipe line, filling of 9tanks and Drip network for 18423 Ha (JBC-Package-1)(INDENTNO:1692) (2) Last Date for Receipt of Tenders/Bids through e-protal 02.07.2021 at 4.00PM. (3) Date of Opening of TechnicalBid 03.07.2021 at 4.30PM. (4) Date of Opening of Financial BidTentatively as 05.07.2021 or On any convenient day afterobtaining approval to the technical bid from the competentauthority the time and date will intimated to the contractorsqualified in technical bid. Eligible contractors may obtain allthe details from http://www.eproc.karnataka.gov.in online andsubmit ther bid process.
Sd/-Executive Engineer, VJNL, UpperBhadra Project, Division 6, Challakere
Corrigendum to tender
DIPR/CTA/MCA/225/2021-22
LICbuildingatNarimanPointinMumbai.Express file
NewDelhi:FinanceMinisterNirmala Sitharaman saidtaxpayer base has almostdoubledto1.28croreinfouryearsofGSTrollout.Meanwhile, theCouncil
hasdecidedtocontinuewiththestatusquoonstates tax-ing extra-neutral alcohol,Joint Secretary in the GSTCouncilSKRahmansaid.PTI
‘Taxpayer basealmost doubledin 4 yrs of GST’
Medical infra in place todeal with 3rd wave: FM
Auto wholesales in fast laneMumbai: Wholesale autodespatches saw a sharp jumpacrosssegmentsinJunecomparedtothesamemonthlastyearaswellas the preceding months.However, barringMaruti Suzuki,thedespatchesarestilllowerthanwhat itwas in June, 2019 for allothermanufacturers.Thereasonforthesharpturn-
aroundinJunethisyearisbecausedealershipsandplantsreopened.MarutiSuzuki,whichreported
salesof 1.26 lakhunits in thedo-
mesticmarket,inchedclosertoitsdespatches of 1.3-1.5 lakhunitsduring normal times. HyundaiMotorIndiasold40,496unitsdur-ing June, a 90per cent gain overJuneoflastyear,but4percentfallfrom2019levels.TataMotorswit-nessedayear-on-yearincreaseof125percentinJunesalesvolumesto43,704unitsonthebackofgoodsales inbothpassengerandcom-mercial vehicles, but thewhole-saledespatchesdeclinednearly11percent,asagainstJune2019.FE
KARUNJITSINGHNEWDELHI,JULY1
PETROL AND diesel sales rosemonth-on-monthinJuneasanin-creasingnumberofstatesrelaxedCovid-relatedtravelcurbs,accord-ing to salesdataof leading state-ownedoilmarketingcompanies.Diesel consumption in June
rose9.5percentto5,357thousandmetric tonnes (tmt),whilepetrolsalesrose18.2percentto2,120tmtinJuneoverlastmonth.Dieselsalesweredown1.8per
centcomparedtoJune2020whi-chwasalsoimpactedbyCovid-19related restrictions,while petrolsales rose5.7percent, comparedtoyear-agoperiod.Salesofbothfu-elswerelowerthanJune2019.
ApetrolpumpinKolkata. File
Petrol, diesel sales rise on easing curbs
Express file
ENSECONOMICBUREAUNEWDELHI,JULY1
THEMINISTRYofElectronicsandInformationTechnology (MeitY)on Thursday approved a total of14 companies, including tendo-mesticones,aseligibletopartici-pate in theproduction linked in-centive (PLI) scheme for laptops,tablets,all-in-one-personalcom-puters,andservers.Global laptop and computer
conglomerateDellandotherelec-tronic giants like Wistron,Flextronics, and Foxconn havebeenapprovedas eligible,whiledomesticcompaniessuchasLavaInternational,DixonTechnologies,Bhagwati(theparentcompanyofMicromax), Neolync, Optiemus,Netweb,SmileElectronics,VVDNand PanacheDigilife have beenapprovedaseligible.EarlierinFebruary,theUnion
Cabinet had approved the Rs7,325-crore PLI scheme for lap-tops,tablets,all-in-one-personalcomputers, and servers, and itwas notified onMarch3. As perthe scheme, incentives rangingbetween 1 per cent and 4 percentwouldbe given to these 14companies on net incrementalsales over base year, which is2019-20.Theschemewillruntill2024-25.TheMeitYestimatesthatthe
totalproductionfor information
technology hardware over thenextfouryearsundertheschemecould be of up to Rs 1.61 lakhcrore, of which the approvedcompanieshaveproposedapro-ductionof Rs84,746crore. “Theapproved companies under do-mesticcompaniescategoryhaveproposed a production of Rs76,007 crore. The schemewillbringadditionalinvestmentinITHardwaremanufacturing to thetune of INR 2,517 crore,” theMeitYsaid inarelease.The incentives forcompanies
would be on achievement of aminimumthreshold of cumula-tive incremental investmentandincremental sales of manufac-turedgoodsnetof taxes.
Fullreportonwww.indianexpress.com
ENSECONOMICBUREAUMUMBAI,JULY1
INDIA’SMANUFACTURINGsectorcontractedtoan11-monthlowinJune as the intensificationof theCovid pandemic and strict con-tainmentmeasuresputthesectorintothe“reversegear”.At48.1inJune, theseasonally
adjustedIHSMarkitIndiaManuf-acturing PurchasingManagers’Index (PMI)wasbelow the criti-calno-changemarkof50.0forthefirsttimesinceJuly2020.ThePMIwas50.8inMay.ThePMIaveraged51.5 in the
opening quarter of fiscal year2021-22, the lowest three-month figure since the sameperiod one year ago, IHSMarketsaid.
The stretch of new ordergrowth that started in August2020cametoanendinJune,withfirms linking thedeterioration indemandtothepandemic.
THECENTREhasnowcompletedthetrifectaofelectronicsmanufacturingschemesformobilephonesanditsalliedcom-ponents,coreandperiph-eraltelecomequipment.IndiabuysRs30,000croreof laptopsandRs3,000croreof tabletsperyear.
TrifectaofschemescompleteE●EX
PLAINED
IT hardware PLI: Dell,Wistron, Foxconnamong 14 cos cleared
‘DEMANDDETERIORATIONDUETOPANDEMIC’
ManufacturingPMI80
60
40
20
0Mar2020 Jun2021
51.8
49.3
48.1
46.4May’21
ServicesPMI
Note: Reading below 50 suggestscontraction and above it indicatesexpansion; Source: IHSMarkit
‘Manufacturing PMI at11-month low in June’
Source:JLL India/PTI
COVID-19 IMPACT
‘Net office space leasing up32% annually in Apr-Jun’Net leasing of office space rose 32% on-year to 4.39million sq ft in April-June across sevenmajor cities, butfell 16% over the previous quarter, as per JLL India
19%Year-on-year fall innetabsorptionof
officespace in firstsixmonthsof2021, i.e. to9.63millionsqft
75%Y-o-y rise innewofficespace
completionsduringH12021,i.e. at25.11millionsqft
Lockdowneffect:Giventhestrictnationwide lockdownsacrossthecountry in thesecondquarter,netabsorptiondippedby16%versustheJanuary-Marchquarter
Highoccupancies expected:Corporate occupiers areholding on to office spaces,hopingwith vaccinationdrives, occupancywill improve
RBIGOVERNORShaktikantaDassaidthesecondwaveofthepandemichastakena“grievoustoll” in India. “Therecoverythathadcommencedinthesecondhalf of2020-21wasdented inApril-May2021,butwiththewaveof infectionsabatingasrapidlyas ithadset in,economicactivityhasstartedto lookupin lateMayandearly June,”Dassaid.ENS
SECONDWAVE TOOKGRIEVOUSTOLL: DAS
RBI raisesalarmonspikingbad loans,stress inMSMEs
LEIGHTHOMASPARIS,JULY1
MOSTOFthecountriesnegotiat-ingaglobaloverhaulofcross-bor-der taxation of multinationalshavebackedplans for newrulesonwhere companies are taxedand a tax rate of at least 15 percent, they saidonThursdayaftertwodaysof talks.
TheParis-basedOrganisationfor Economic Cooperation andDevelopment (OECD), whichhostedthetalks,saidaglobalmin-imumcorporateincometaxofatleast 15 per cent could yieldaround$150billion inadditionalglobaltaxrevenuesannually.It said 130 countries, repre-
sentingmore than90percentofglobalGDP,hadbackedtheagree-mentatthetalks. REUTERS
130 countries back globalminimum corporate tax of 15%
TheOECD,whichhostedthetalks,said130countrieshadbackedtheagreement. APfile
Crypto exchanges flounderREUTERSMUMBAI,JULY1
CRYPTOCURRENCYEXCHANGESare scrambling to secure viable,permanentpaymentsolutionstoensure seamless transactions af-terbanksandpaymentgatewaysstartedcuttingtieswiththem,sixindustryinsiderssaid.Theexchangesare struggling
tocopeafterthecentralbank,theReserveBankof India,whichhassaiditdoesnotfavourdigitalcur-rencies, outof concernover theirimpactonfinancialstability,infor-mallyaskedbankstosteerclear.Customercomplaintshavein-
undatedall India’skeyexchangesas thepulloutbymajorpaymentgatewayshashittransactions,ac-cordingtosocialmediaandusers.“Banks are reluctant to do
business,”saidAvinashShekhar,aco-chiefexecutiveofZebPay,oneofIndia’soldestcryptoexchangesthatisnotofferingimmediateset-tlement. Options being resortedto include tyingupwith smallerpaymentgateways,buildingownpayment processors, holdingback on immediate settlementsor offering only peer-to-peertransactions, the heads of 5 ex-changessaid.
BRIEFLYInterestsubsidyMumbai:Aninterestsubsidyscheme for post- and pre-shipment export credit isnowextendedtoSeptember,anRBIcircularsaid.
OneWeblaunchNewDelhi:OneWebannou-nced lift-off of 36 satellitestodeliverinternetserviceinthenorthernhemisphere.Itsexecutive chairman SunilBhartiMittalsaidtariffsneedtogoup. PTI
SocialmediacosMoscow:PresidentVladimirPutin signeda lawobligingforeignsocialmediafirmstoopenofficesinRussia,asperdocuments.REUTERS
‘Joblessnessfalls’NewDelhi:Unemploymentrate fell to 9.17 per cent inJune, from11.9 per cent inMay,asperCMIEdata. FE
New Delhi
CALENDAR16 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COMTHEINDIANEXPRESS,FRIDAY, JULY2,2021
CROSSWORD4471
Across1 It’squite roughandreadyasarule (5)4Singular-lookinggiant? (7)8 Itmay lightuphalf thearcade(3)9 It isplaced inachallengingposition(6,3)10Amclearoutof burntsugar(7)11Anearperhaps formakingmusic (5)13Timetomakethingsmorepalatable (6)15Corset-makingcompany(6)18Animalcomes fromAsiaandis taken inby father (5)19Disconcertedmagnate turnsdeepred(7)21Freeofduty?(2,7)23Atrap for thedrinker (3)24Oncemoreagoodmanis inopposition(7)25Recordedaswellknown(5)
Down1Restcancomefromsuchhypnotic states (7)2 Indefinite truce inanengagement (9)3Should itbemadefrombrushwood?(5)4Lightvesselgets ledastray (6)5Vehicle runsonthetankers’contents (7)6Analternative toakeyring(3)7OldEnglishboyholdsanumber (5)12Finalword foroneabout toretire (9)14Eggs turn intocheers (7)16Oneshouldbe inenteringanewtrade(7)17Whatmaybecharged for theoddmanout (6)18Squaremarketplaceabroad(5)20 Inexperiencedwhere itcomestoputting (5)22TheFrenchgooverameadow(3)
ARIES(Mar21-Apr20)Everyoneislikelytofeelisolatedoralonefromtimetotime.Rightnow,youmay
feelslightlyletdown,butonlybecauseyouhavebeenatthecentreofthingsforsolong.Youhaveeverythingtoliveforatthemoment.You'reonalong-termcycle,sorememberthatevenunimportantdevelopmentscouldturnouttohaveamuchdeepersignificancethistimenextyear.
TAURUS(Apr21-May21)Currentdevelopmentsinyoursolarchartindicatethatthereare
newprofessionalroadstotravelandnewlandstoconquer.Today'splanetarypatternsreallydoindicatethatyouarestandingonthebrinkofanexcitingnewphase.Thequestionis,areyouready?
GEMINI(May22-June21)Howeveraccommodatingyouare,otherswillstillwantyoutogiveeven
moreground.Actuallyanycompromisemusttakeintoaccountthefactthatyouhaveuppedyourdemandsinrecentweeks.Thereisagreatdealtobesaidforkeepingoutoftrouble,sonobendingtherules.
CANCER(June22-July23)Otherpeoplehavealreadyplayedtheirtrumpcards,soitisuptoyoutomakethe
nextmove.Marsisanallyatthemoment,soyoucanbeconfidentthatdecisiveactionwillproducetheconsequencesyoudesire.Lifeismovingalongveryfastatwork,sokeepyourmindonthematterinhand.
LEO(July24-Aug23)Anumberofplanetsseemsettoopposeoneanotherwiththeresultthatboth
personallyandprofessionallyyouhaveenteredaperiodwhenyoumustbecomedecidedlymorediscerningaboutwhereandhowyouuseyourenergy.Childrencouldbeahandful,butratherthanblockingthem,trytodirectthemalongapositivepath.
VIRGO(Aug24-Sept23)Thepastfewdaysmayhavebeenmentallyandphysically
exhausting,largelythankstoMercury,planetofthemind.Ifpersonalambitionshavestartedtofallapartattheseams,theproblemisalmostcertainlyalackofrealcommunicationorcommonsense.
LIBRA(Sept24-Oct23)Yououghtnowtobebackonformandreadytoastoundeveryonewithyour
creativityandzestforlife.Yetbeawarethattoday'sSun-Moonangleobligesyoutodealwiththenitty-grittyofyourfinancialcommitmentsandexpenditure.Doitnowandyou'llbedoingyourselfaverybigfavourindeed.
SCORPIO(Oct24-Nov22)Onapersonal level,youappear tohavegotyourself intoarathercomplexand
unusual situation.Theindicationsarepositive, sodon'tworryonthatscore.However,do fostergoodwillwhereveryoucan.Anddopleasekeepotherpeoplesweet.
SAGITTARIUS(Nov23-Dec22)Pluto is stillencouragingsensitiveregionsofyourchartand it is
worthrememberingthat themaindanger lies indwelling inthepast.Atall costs focusonimmediateday-to-dayaffairs.Bytacklingeventhesmallest,microscopicdetailsyouwillbeable togetyourprimaryambitionsbackontrack.
CAPRICORN(Dec23- Jan20)Itmay indeedbesometimebeforemajordifferencesare ironedout. So,
whynotalteryour tackandrealise thatopposingpointsofviewandlifestylesareproviding just thestimulationyouneedtorefreshandrenewyourownpersonalandintimateaffairs.
AQUARIUS(Jan21-Feb19)Mostpeoplewillbeonthedefensive toonedegreeoranother, even if this
manifestsasbelligerence.Whatisnowrequired isasubstantialreadiness togiveaswellas totake.Afterall, it takes twototango. It also takes twotoputyourdreams intopracticeatthemoment!
PISCES(Feb20-Mar20)Recentdevelopmentshaveleftothersunableorunwilling tomake
firmcommitments.However,this isnoreasonwhyyoushouldputyourownplansonholdorgiveupatreasuredambition.Youwill soonbeableto tacklecertain longtermquestions, suchashowtoearnthemoneytomakeavisioncometrue.
SUDOKU4520
DifficultyLevel1sInstructionsTosolveaSudokupuzzle,everydigitfrom1to9mustappear ineachofthenineverticalcolumns, ineachoftheninehorizontalrowsandineachofthenineboxes.
DifficultyLevel1s=Veryeasy;2s=Easy;3s=Medium;4s=Hard;5s=VeryHard;6s=Genius S
OLU
TIONSUDOKU4519
Givenbelowarefour jumbledwords.Solvethejumblestomakeproperwordsandmovethemtotherespectivesquaresbelow.Selecttheletters intheshadedsquaresandjumblethemtogettheanswerforthegivenquip.Wealth, ineventhemostimprobablecases,managestoconveytheaspectof____.-JohnKennethGalbraith(12)
SOLUTION:EMCEE,DIGIT,LONELY,COSIGNAnswer:Wealth,ineventhemostimprobablecases,managestoconveytheaspectofintelligence.-JohnKennethGalbraith
CMEEE EOYLLN
DGIIT COIGNS
SolutionsCrossword4470:Across:1Helicopter,8Ghana,9Seamist,10Outside,11Swell,12Hermit,14Static,17Anglo,19Charity,21Teatime,22Slice,23Eightbells.Down:2Exactor,3Iraqi,4Ousted,5Transit,6Raise,7Italictype,8Goodhealth,13Ironing,15Trivial,16Accent,18Grave,20Aisle.
JUMBLEDWORDS
OVERTHEHEDGE byMichael Fry&TLewis
CALVIN&HOBBES byBillWatterson
MARVIN byTomArmstrong
DAYTODAY BYPETERVIDAL
PR 248888 Rural Work Department(21-22)#D
>kj[k.M ljdkjxzkeh.k dk;Z foHkkx
eq[; vfHk;ark dk dk;kZy; 102] f}rh; rYyk]vfHk;a=.k Hkou] dpgjh jksM] jkaph
'kqf¼ i=,nr~ }kjk lwfpr fd;k tkrk gS fd xzkeh.k dk;Z foHkkx]
dk;Z ize.My] nqedk ds bZ&fufonk vkea=.k la[;k 21/2021-22/RWD/DUMKA fnukad 29-06-2021 PR NO.-248792 ds}kjk izdkf'kr fufonk esa NIT- ds dafMdk 8 esa fufonk 'kqYd>kj[k.M jkT; esa vofLFkr Hkkjrh; LVsV cSad@vU; jk"Vªh; cSad}kjk fufonkdkj ds uke@vdkmaV ls gh fuxZr cSad Mªk¶V ds:i esa dk;Zikyd vfHk;ark] xzkeh.k fodkl foHkkx ¼xzk0dk0ek0½]dk;Z izeaMy] nqedk ds i{k esa ,oa nqedk esa Hkwxrs; gksxk tksykSVk;k ugh tk,xkA
ds LFkku esafufonk 'kqYd >kj[k.M jkT; esa vofLFkr Hkkjrh; LVsV
cSad@vU; jk"Vªh; cSad }kjk fufonkdkj ds uke@ vdkmaV lsgh fuxZr cSad Mªk¶V ds :i esa dk;Zikyd vfHk;ark] xzkeh.k dk;ZfoHkkx] dk;Z izeaMy] nqedk ds i{k esa ,oa nqedk esa Hkwxrs; gksxktks ykSVk;k ugh tk,xk i<+k tk,A
foLr`r tkudkjh ds fy, osclkbZV jharkhandtenders.gov.in esa ns[kk tk ldrk gSA vU; 'krsZa ;FkkorjgsxsaA uksMy inkf/kdkjhuksMy inkf/kdkjh
bbZZ&&iizzkkssDD;;qqeeZZUUVV llssyy
PR 248834 Drinking Water and Sanitation(21-22).D
Office of the Chief Engineer-cum-Executive DirectorOffice of the Chief Engineer-cum-Executive DirectorProgramme Management Unit (SWSM)Programme Management Unit (SWSM)
Drinking Water & Sanitation Department, JharkhandDrinking Water & Sanitation Department, JharkhandDoranda Bazar (Water Tower Compound, First floor)Doranda Bazar (Water Tower Compound, First floor)
Doranda, Ranchi – 834002, Jharkhand, Phone: 0651-2480166Doranda, Ranchi – 834002, Jharkhand, Phone: 0651-2480166Email:Email: [email protected]@gmail.com, Website: dwsd.jharkhand.gov.in, Website: dwsd.jharkhand.gov.in
CORRIGENDUM/ADDENDUM
(Deepak Kumar Mahto)Deputy Director-I
S. N. Particulars Previous Date Modified Date1 Document Download/ Sale End
Date 01.07.2021 -04:00 pm 10.07.2021 -04:00 pm2 Bid Submission End Date 01.07.2021 -04:00 pm 10.07.2021 -04:00 pm
3Last Date of Submission of Costof BOQ and EMD (In Hard
Copy)02.07.2021 -04:00 pm 13.07.2021 -04:00 pm
4 Date of Opening of Tender 5.07.2021 -01:00 pm 14.07.2021 -01:00 pm
5 Name &Address of OfficeInviting Tender
Office of the Chief Engineer-cum-ExecutiveDirector, Programme Management Unit,DWSD, Jharkhand, Doranda, Ranchi
6 Email [email protected] Contact No. of Procurement
Office 0651-2480166
The notice inviting Expression Of Interest For The Supply SupplyingVarious Equipments with FiveYearsO&M and Glasswares For 12 nos. of NABL proposed District Level Water Testing Laboratories OfJharkhand,(Chatra,Ramgarh,Garhwa,Chaibassa,Khunti,Deoghar,Godda,Jamtara,Jhumeritellaiya,Gumla,Pakurand Latehar) Of Jharkhand in Jharkhand published vide PR NO. -248011 dated 15.06.2021, followingCorrigendum/Addendumaremade.
All other Terms & Conditions will remain same.
Regd. Office.: PSPCL Head Office, The Mall, Patiala-147001CIN: U40109PB2010SGC033813; Website: www.pspcl.in
Office of Chief Engineer Suth Zone D-2, Shakti Vihar, PatialaPhone No 0175-2215160, Mob no. 96461-01200, 96461-01201
Fax No. 0175-2211424, Website: [email protected]
Tender Enqiry No. 02/CE/DS, South Zone/2021-22 Dated, 30.06.2021
Chief Engineer/DS South Zone,PSPCL, Patiala (Punjab) invites e-tender forwork of attending to or resolving the Fuse-Off-Call Complaints & LT/HT lineBreakdowns for restoration of electrical Power Supply in the various Sub-divi-sions under CE/DS, South Zone, Patiala. For detailed NIT and TenderSpcifications please refer to https://eproc.punjab.gov.in from 30.06.2021,05.00 PM onwards.
NOTE: Corrigendum and addendum, if any will be published online athttps://eproc.punjab.gov.in C-255-21 5680/Pb
WXdSX¹ff¯ff SXfª¹f ªf`½f d½fd½f²f°ff¶fûOÊX, ´fa¨fIcY»ff
Haryana State BiodiversityBoard, Panchkula
S.C.O. No. 206, 2nd Floor, Sector-14, Panchkula,Haryana Email: [email protected],
Website: sbb.haryanaforest.gov.in,Contact No. 0172-4046984, 2930434
NOTICE FOR COMPLIANCEIt is hereby brought to the notice of all concerned that as perSection 7 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, "No person, who isa citizen of India or a body corporate, association or organizationwhich is registered in India, shall obtain any biological resource forcommercial utilization, or bio-survey and bio-utilization exceptafter giving prior intimation to the State Biodiversity Board con-cerned; Provided that the provisions of this section shall not applyto the local people and communities of the area, including grow-ers and cultivators of biodiversity, and Vaids and Hakims, whohave been practising indigenous medicine."As per Sections 7 & 24 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, readwith Rule 14 of the Biological Diversity Rules, 2004 andRegulation 2 of Guidelines on Access to Biological Resources andAssociated Knowledge and Benefits Sharing Regulations, 2014,such prior intimation is required to be given in the prescribed for-mat along with a fee of Rs. 1,000/- (Rupees One Thousand Only)by filling up the prescribed forms (Form-I & Form-A) along with aDemand Draft for Rs. 1,000/- drawn on any Bank at Panchkula infavour of 'Member Secretary, Haryana State Biodiversity Board'.The procedure for furnishing 'prior intimation' is also elaborated atthe official website of the Board: www.sbb.haryanaforest.gov.in.Parties accessing the biological resources from Haryana/havingtheir manufacturing/trading units in Haryana are hereby notified tostrictly comply with the above legal provisions within a period ofone month from the date of issue of this notification, failing whichpenal action will be initiated against the violators under Sections55, 56 & 57 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 and the BiologicalDiversity Rules, 2004.
ChairmanHaryana State Biodiversity Board
Panchkula3532/HRY
C251/21 5674/PB
New Delhi
THEINDIANEXPRESS,FRIDAY, JULY2,2021
WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM
SPORT17
VolLXXXIXNo.200Regd.No.DL-21046/03-05R.N.I.No.506/57. PrintedandPublishedbyR.C.Malhotraonbehalf of The IndianExpress (P) LimitedandPrintedatThe IndianExpress (P) LimitedPress,A-8, Sector-7,Noida -201301andDBCorpLtd,DainikBhaskarVillageUnanTola,NearDanapurCantt, ShivylyaRoad,Post
Khagaul, Shahpur, Patna (Bihar) andPublishedatThe IndianExpress (P) Limited,MezzanineFloor, ExpressBuilding,9&10,BahadurShahZafarMarg,NewDelhi110002.Editorial office:The IndianExpress (P) Limited,MezzanineFloor, ExpressBuilding,9&10,BahadurShahZafarMarg,NewDelhi-110002.Phone:0120-6651500.Advertisingoffice:The IndianExpress (P) Limited,B1/B, Sector-10,Noida-201301.Phone:01206651291.Chairmanof theBoard:ViveckGoenka,Chief Editor:RajKamal Jha, Editor:UnniRajenShanker, Editor (Delhi):RakeshSinha**
**Responsible for selectionofNewsunder thePRBAct.Copyright:The IndianExpress (P) Limited.All rights reserved.Reproduction inanymanner, electronicorotherwise, inwholeor inpart,withoutpriorwrittenpermission isprohibited.The IndianExpress®
NEYMAR& SANCHEZRETURNDefending champion Brazil and Chile will have their star players back in action whenthey meet in the Copa America quarterfinals on Friday. Neymar will return for Brazil andAlexis Sanchez has recovered from a calf muscle injury ahead of the encounter at theNilton Santos Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. The Selecao spared a group of regular startersin the 1-1 draw with Ecuador on Sunday, resting Neymar, defender Thiago Silva andstriker Gabriel Jesus. Others, including Casemiro, entered as substitutes in that game. AP
SANDIPGJULY1
JUST 42minutes into their opening gameagainst Finland, Denmark lost their hero.ChristianErisken,theirmostfamousfootballerofthisgeneration.Threeandahalfgameslater,theyhavefoundanewhero.KasperHjulmand,theirpoetry-reciting,chest-thumpingcoach.Eriksenunifiedand inspiredhis teamand
country; Hjulmand forged a strong-willedteam,notjustafeel-goodstory,butcontenderscapable of topplingbigger teamsandwouldstartasfavouritestobeattheCzechRepublicinthequarterfinalsonSaturdaynight.Reachingthelasteightafterthetragedyit-
self is a stirringnarrativeofmental fortitude.Butthemanneroftheirjourneyhasreinforcedthat theyarenot just anordinarybunchsud-denlygalvanisedbyatragedy,butwithinher-entpotentialandqualityto leapdeepintothetournament.For75minutesagainstBelgium,theytigerishlyguardedthecitadelwhilestorm-ingBelgium’sfortrepeatedly,beforewiltingtotheinventivenessofKevindeBruyneinthefi-nal10minutes.Russiawerebrushedasidelikechampions
sidesconsignunderdogs.Walesweretacticallyout-maneuvered. Theywere not bereft ofEriksenalone, but twoothersdeemed indis-pensable;theirchiefgoal-scoringoutletYussufPoulsenandutilityplayerDanielWass.Thetrio’sabsencewasfelt,Eriksen’sabsence
forceda formational andpositional overhaul,Poulsen’sminimisedtheirgoal-scoringthreat,Wass’smeanttheywerebereftofplayerswhoprovidedversatility and structural flexibility.Buttheyremainedundaunted.Hjulmandhadasolutionforeverything.AfterEriksen’sdeparture, hemoved from
his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation to a 3-4-3againstBelgiumandRussia toa4-3-3againstWales.HepushedPierre-EmileHøjbjergintoamoreadvancedrole.ThoughnotascreativeasEriksen,hisdirectness,leadershipandpassinghavemadeamassivedifference.To fill the hole Højbjerg left in central
midfield, he furnished licence for fullbackAndres Christen to join the midfield andscreen the defence. All of his changesworked. Kasper Dolberg struck a braceagainstWaleswhileJensStrygerLarsenpros-pered on the right flank, his pace and cun-ningaddinganotherdimensiontotheDanes.WhereasEriksenwasoncethefocalpointof
theirattackingthrusts,thethreatismorescat-tered. It couldcome fromanywhere. There isalsoamoredirectnesstothegame,withanem-phasisonlong-rangersthanbefore.Thenumberstheyhaverackedupare im-
pressive.Theirchancesperminute(2.15)isthethird-highestof all teams; their37 touches in
theoppositionboxper90minutesisthemostamongtheremainingteams.There is attacking verse aswell as defen-
siveobduracy—lettingjustsixshotsonanav-erage,thesecond-lowestofallteams.Theflex-ibility and pragmatism of Hjulmand, whoidolises PepGuardiola andworships JohanCruyff, scoffed as a hopeless romantic in hisBundesligastint,hadevenhisstaunchestcrit-ics change theirmind. TheDanish press hasgivenhimanewname:“frelser”,looselytrans-lated as “saviour.” Butmore forwhat hehasaccomplished in the dressing room thanhehasonthefieldaftertheEriksentragedy.After the game against Russia, captain
Kasper Schmeichel, said: “The players arerightly getting a lot of praisebut there is onepersonweshouldn’t forgetandthat isKasperHjulmand.”
Unifying factorDefenderJoakimMæhleelaboratedhisin-
fluence in thedressing room: “He is goodattalkingwiththeplayerandgivingthatfreedomthatmanyplayers need.Healso showedhisfeelings afterwhathappenedwithChristianand that heneededhelp too.Whatwehavebeen throughhas just brought us closer to-gether.Heisagoodcoachandnowafriendforustoo.” Hjulmandhimselfwasdistraught.HeandEriksenweregood friendsandadmittedhefelt vulnerablefordaysaftertheincident.“Ifeltfootballwasmeaningless,”hesaid.It
helped that hehad experienced somethingsimilarduringhisdaysastheassistantcoachofNordsjaellandin2008.Inthemiddleofareservegame,amidfielder
wasstruckbylightning,andsubsequentlyhadaheartattacksoseverethathewasinacomafortwo weeks and his left leg amputated.Hjulmandhadenduredsetbacksinhisplayingcareer,havinghiskneeoperatedninetimesbe-forehequitprofessional football at theageof26andwenttotheUSAtocompletemastersinbusinessstudies.Hehad to toleratea considerableamount
of ridicule when he became the coach ofDenmarklastyear,succeedingthehighlysuc-cessfulNorwegian,AgeHareide.Aweekafterhetookover,he invitedlead-
ingsportsmen, former footballers,politicians,artistes,andbusinessmenovertoaboardroomtodiscuss the identityofDanish football, “theidealsthatshouldreflectintheirfootballteam.”Thephilosophical leaningssawhimbeing
called“dreamer,”“poet”andeven“drifter”inanegativesense.Onewhosestintwasdestinedtobedoomed.But no longer though. He has won
swathesofadmirersinthelastfortnight.“Thisis how amodern leader acts, and KasperHjulmand has shown theway for all otherleadersinthiscountry.Hjulmandistheleaderof the year,”wrote Danish newspaper BT inaneditorial.AmagazineEuromanobserved:“WemaynotbecomeEuropeanchampions.But instead,wehaveanewworldchampioninmanagement.”Acoachwhohashisgraspovertacticsbutisalsohumane.Ahero,orbet-terstill a frelser.
BRIEFLYMessiisafreeagent,butBarcahopefulBarcelona:Six-timeBallond'OrwinnerLionelMessiisofficiallyafreeagentwithhisBarcelonacontractexpiringbutthepresidentof theCatalanclubsaystheyare intheprocessofnegotiatinganewdeal. The34-year-oldArgentina inter-national's Barca contract expired onJune 30, amid speculation of amoveaway fromCampNouwhich he hascalledhomesince2000.Barcelonapres-identJoanLaportaconcededthesitua-tionwasnotidealbutsaidnegotiationswereongoing. “Wearedoingwell butyouhave to fit adeal into the financialfair play,” Laporta said. “Wewanthimtostayandweareexcitedforhimtostay.IwishIcouldtellyouthatLeoisstayingbutIcan'tsayyet.“Weareintheprocessoffindingthesolution.”Messiexpressedadesireto leaveBarcelonalastoff-sea-son,withagrowingdissatisfactionwiththedirectionof theclubonandoff thefield. He remained with Barcelonaboundby a clause in his contract, re-ferred to by former president JosepMariaBartomeuwhohassincebeenre-placedbyLaporta. AP
JhajhariarewritesworldrecordforTokyoberthNewDelhi:India’sgreatestParalympian,javelin throwerDevendra Jhajharia,rewrote his ownworld record onceagain ashepunchedhis ticket for theTokyoParalympicsduringanationalse-lectiontrialhere.The40-year-old,whohaswontwogoldmedals inthemen’sF-46categoryat theParalympics, sentthe spear toadistanceof 65.71mdur-ing the trialhereonWednesday.Withthateffort,henotonlysealedaspotfortheTokyoParalympicsbutalsobetteredhisownworldrecordof63.97m,setattheRioGames in 2016. "Today at theJawaharlal Nehru Stadium inDelhi, Iqualified for theTokyoParalympicsbysetting a newworld record of 65.71,breakingmyolder recordof 63.97 inaqualifyingevent. PTI
DunkleyleadsEnglandwomentoaserieswinTaunton: England beat India by fivewickets in thesecondwomen’sODI totakea2-0series-clinchinglead.SophiaDunkley (73 not out) andKatherineBrunt(33notout)shared92runsforthesixthwickettochasedownthetargetof222 with 15 balls to spare onWednesday.OpenerLaurenWinfield-Hill(42)wastheothernotablecontrib-utorforEngland.ForIndia, leg-spinnerPoonamYadavtooktwowicketsfor63runswhile veteran JhulanGoswami,ShikhaPandeyandSnehaRanagotonewicketeach.Earlier,captainMithaliRajtop-scoredwith 59 off 92 balls andstitched a68-runpartnership for thefourthwicketwithHarmanpreetKaur(19) as Indiawere all out for 221afterbeingputintobat.YoungopenerShafaliVermacontributed44off55balls.BRIEF SCORES: India: 221 (MithaliRaj 59, Shafali Verma 44; Kate Cross5/34) lost to England: 225/5 in 47.3overs (SophiaDunkley73notout)by5wickets.PTI
Denmark’sKasperHjulmandhasemergedastherallyingforcefollowingtheexitof starmidfielderEriksen
Friend, philosopher, guide…coach
Charter for Muslim athletes launched in UK;Football clubs sign up, county team in talks
ONTHE TUBE■SwitzerlandvsSpain,9:30PM(Friday)■BelgiumvsItaly,12:30AM(Saturday)LiveonSonynetwork.
Hjulmandhasprovidedhisplayerswithmuch-neededclarity. AP
When anirresistible forcemeets animmovable object
Federer sweeps past Gasquet for 3rd round berth
Youngest GM Abhimanyu is a Kasparov trainee, Potter newbieNITINSHARMACHANDIGARH, JULY1
WHEN JUST 8, AbhimanyuMishra joinedGarry Kasparov's Young Stars Programme.Threeyears earlier, at 5, hehadcompleteda300-pieceocean-lifejigsawpuzzleinjustun-der3hours.BesidesworldchampionMagnusCarlsen, Abhimanyu idolises Indian greatVishwanathanAnand.Heremembersinde-tailhowthelegendbeatLevonAronianonce,playing black. The American 12-year-old,born to Indian parents originally fromAgraand Bhopal,might be one of the rarest pre-teens to start aHarryPotter, butgetweanedaway from the book for something slightlymore important- tocreatechesshistory.Abhimanyu onWednesday evening be-
came the youngest Grandmaster (GM) inchess at 12 years, fourmonths and 25 daysbeating the earlier record of Russian GMSergey Karjakin of 12 years and sevenmonths.Hehadleft thePotterbackhomeinNewJerseyandwill resume,after returningvictorious fromHungaryas theyoungest to
holdthethirdGMnorm.“IstartedreadingaHarryPotterbookandcouldnotbringithere.Thatwillbemynextbigassignmentposttheworldcup,” chucklesAbhimanyu.Mother Swati Sharmawho stayed back
with her younger daughter Ridhima in theUS,rememberstheearlypuzzleshecracked.“Whether bagging the IM or GMnorm,
Abhimanyuwould play video games afterthe game to cool off. When he was two-years-old,webroughthima40-piecejigsawpuzzle.While hewould also start chess sixmonthslater,hewouldsolvea300piecejig-sawpuzzleinthreehourstimeatfive.Atthattime, we never thought hewould becometheyoungestGMintheworld,” shetellsTheIndianExpress.BothSwatiandhusbandHemantworked
in a data management company, and theyoung Abhimanyuwould be introduced tochess byhis father,whoplayed thegameatcollegeandcorporatelevel.ThechildwouldformallystarttrainingunderaRussiancoachin New Jersey before joining Kings andQueensAcademy.“We never saw Abhimanyu as a super
chess prodigy. It was always an aim to de-velophisinterestgradually.Abhimanyuonlyremembered the pieces as elephant, horse,camelandnotrook,knightandbishop.OnceAbhimanyucompeted ina tournamentand
didnotknowhowtowrite thechessmovesandHemant arguedwith the organisers toallowhimtoplayjustbecausehelovedplay-ing,” sharesSharma.After winning a string of local tourna-
ments, Abhimanyu became the world’syoungestInternationalMasterin2019,beat-ing the earlier record of Indian RPraggnanandhhaa’s.“OnceAbhimanyu’s gamewent beyond
midnight,andatiredAbhimanyuofferedthemucholderopponentadraw.Another timein a winter tournament, he left one of hisgames as he was worried about it gettingdark and the return journey. But then kidsarekidsandwhenhewouldreachhomeandsee his chess books including Silman'sCompleteEndgameCourseandstudybooks,hewouldforgetaboutthelossorthegame,"sherecalls.ButtherewasnoexhaustionthataSilman'sCompleteEndgameCoursecould-n’t wipe off, as hewould shrug off the lossandstart again.This one time a very tall opponent came
up tohimandaskedhim to call his father toplay inhis stead. “It felt abit intimidating for
Abhimanyu. Hewon the game butwe alsoworked a lot on ensuringhe looks his oppo-nents in theeyenomatterhowexperiencedorolderanopponentis,’”remembersHemant.Having dipped into his college fund and
spending $260,000 on chess, the familywouldstartcrowdfundingtopushhimposthisdebutFIDEratingsat1681in2016."Whenhe won the third IM norm in California,Abhimanyu practiced sleeping late, adjust-ing to the timedifference,” saysMishra.TheKasparovprogrammewouldfollowin2018,wherehewaspickedasoneofthe15players.“I admire Kasporov's energy. His under-
standingofopponents'gameisamazing.HetoldmeIhavetoworkhardforeverywinandthat’sthemantra.HowCarlsenisdominatingtheworld is simply amazing. I alsowish tomeet Anand sir and I remember one of hisgames against Levon Aronian where heplayedwithblack anddefeatedhim. I oftenwatch that game,” shares Abhimanyuwhocurrently has a performance ELO rating of2619and ranked742 in theworld. “Myaimwillbetogetpast the2700ratingandtobe-comeworldchampionsomeday,”hesays.
SHAHIDJUDGEMUMBAI,JULY1
WHENTHEChennaiSuperKingswalkedouttoplaytheirfirstmatchofthe2021IndianPremierLeague,asponsorshippatchwasvisiblymiss-ingonMoeenAli’s jersey. Thedecision to re-movethenameofthealcoholbrandwastakentorespecttheEnglandcricketer’sfaith.Nowin theUnitedKingdom,anon-profit
organisation,NujumSports, is hopingmoresportingorganisationsshowsuchculturalandreligioussensitivity.Tohelpeducateandencour-age football clubs in theUKachieve this, thegroup launchedthe ‘MuslimAthletesCharter’lastSaturday.“MoeenplayedintheIPLandwesawhis franchise takingoff a sponsor thathedidn'twant.Hedidn'task for it, but theydid itanyway. That's the awareness we want,”founder and CEO of Nujum Sports EbadurRahmantellsTheIndianExpress.“Theidea(forthecharter)cameaboutafter
speakingtoalotof(football)clubsoverthelastfewmonths.We’vebeensupportingathletesandclubsforayearorsonow.Therewasaneedforit,wefelt.WewantedsomethingtosupportourMuslimathletesintheUK.”Sofarthechar-terhasbeenmetwarmlyby football clubs.Asmanyas fivePremierLeagueteams, includingnewlypromotedsidesBrentfordandWatford,and15 teams in the seconddivisionEnglishChampionshiphavesignedupforit.Thecharterprovides10points forclubs to
incorporate tomake itmorewelcoming to-wardsMuslimathletes.Thisincludes,butisnotlimitedto,thenon-consumptionofalcohol(pro-hibitedbyIslamiclaw),providingaprayerspace
atthevenueortraininggroundforplayers,mak-inghalalfoodavailable,theprovisionofplayersbeingallowedtovisitamosqueonFridayswhennotcompeting,andplayersbeingallowedtofastduringtheholymonthofRamadan.“Muslimsarethesecondlargestfaithcom-
munityintheUKandthefastestgrowing,witharound70MuslimplayersatPremierLeagueclubs,”newlypromotedPremierLeagueteamBrentford’s spokespersonKevinColemanwasquotedbytheBBC. “Assistingclubs tosupportthoseplayers tobe themselvesbothathomeandatwork is invaluable.Thischarterandthesupport thatgoeswith it is something that isneededandwillbewelcomedbyclubs.”Meanwhile,fromtheirofficialTwitterhandle,
Watfordposted:“WeareproudtobeamongthefirstPremierLeagueclubstopledgeoursupportfortheMuslimAthletesCharter.”Inaddition,asixthdivisionteaminSweden,FKCosmos,hasacceptedthecharter,andanEnglishcountycricketteamisalsointalkswithRahman’sorganisation.“Onceour charter is acceptednationally
acrossallsportsyou'llseeabigdifferenceacrossclubs,” saysRahman,whopreviouslyworked
with the English Football Association (FA).“IndividualclubsinthePremierLeaguehaveac-ceptedit.WehaveaclubinSweden,andthere'sacountycricketclubnowtoothathasacceptedit.We’ve started talking to the England andWalesCricketBoard tosignup.”Presently, Rahman says stepshavebeen
takentomakeMuslimathletesmorecomfort-able.Somuchso,thatnon-alcoholicchampagnehasbeenpresentedtowinnersaftertheFACupandLeagueCup(CarabaoCup)afterthefinal.“TheUKisveryopentochange.Wefounda
lotofsupportratherthanobstacles.And(non-Muslimplayers)havebeenveryreceptive.Theclubshavealsobeenterrific,”Rahmansays.The charter also asks forprovisions tobe
madeforfans,suchasavailabilityofhalalfood,aprayer space, andalcohol free zones at thevenue. So farRahman’s organisationhas re-ceived“nobacklash.” A reason is thewindofchangeblowingthroughtheUK,heasserts.The likes of star Muslim players in the
Premier League, like Paul Pogba,MohamedSalah, SadioMane,N’GoloKanteandAntonioRudigerhavemadeagreatimpactinthechang-ingperceptionofthefaithinthecountry.Inthelatter’scase,there’safamousfan-song
withthelyricsreading:“Ifhescoresanotherfew,thenI’llbeMuslimtoo…He’sgoodenoughforme,thensittinginamosqueiswhereIwannabe.”Pogbarecentlyhadremovedabottleofbeerplacedinfrontofhimforapressconference.“NodoubtarolemodellikeMoSalahplayed
aroleintheunderstandingofourreligion,”addsRahman.“HavingPogbaplayingatthehighestleveldoeshelp.But ingeneral in theUKwe’reslowlystartingtoseechange.Littlebitatatime,butwe’restartingtoseethatdefinitely.”
Theidea(forthecharter)cameaboutafterspeakingtoalotof(football)clubs.We’vebeensupportingathletesandclubsforayearorsonow.Therewasaneedforit,wefelt.WewantedsomethingtosupportourMuslimathletesintheUK.”EBADURRAHMAN,CEOOFNUJUMSPORTS
ITALYVSBELGIUM
London: Belgium’s leading scorer at theEuropean Championship is no stranger toItaly’s veteran defenders. They all play inSerieA.RomeluLukakuwilllikelybethemainat-
tackingthreatwhenBelgiumtakesonItalyinMunichonFridayintheEuro2020quarterfi-nals.TheInterMilanforwardhasscoredthreegoals inhisteam’sfourvictoriessofar.And with Kevin De Bruyne and Eden
Hazardbothdoubtfulforthegame,Italycap-tainGiorgioChielliniandteammateLeonardoBonucci—bothdefendersat Juventus—willknowjustwhotofocuson.“It’s a quarterfinal. It will be decided on
small details,” Belgium midfielder YouriTielemanssaid.“I think one phase can turn the game in
our favour, oragainstus.Wehave tobecon-centrated from the first minute and finishstrongly.It’sgoingtobevery,verytough,very,veryphysical.”Belgium,whichistryingtowinitsfirstmajorfootballtournamentthreeyearsafter a third-place finish at theWorld Cup,hasn’t lost in13gamesandisthetop-rankedteamintheworld.The Italianshaven’tbeenbeaten inana-
tional teamrecord31matches, thoughtheywere taken to extra time by Austria in theround of 16. “It’s a nice challenge to beatthemafterarunof31unbeatengames. Ies-timate the odds 50-50,” said Belgiummid-fielder Thorgan Hazard, Eden’s youngerbrotherandthescorerof theonlygoalintheteam’s 1-0 victory over Portugal in the lastround.“It’sanadvantagethatwedidn’thavetoplayextra time.”Both teamswon all three of their group
matches, and with France, Portugal, theNetherlandsandGermanyalleliminatedfromEuro2020,thewinnerinMunichwillcertainlybeamongthefavouritesforthetitle.“Wemustcontinue to believe in ourselves,” Italymid-fielder Jorginhosaid. AP
REUTERSLONDON,JULY1
THESUN finally cameout atWimbledononThursday and eight-time champion RogerFederer got his old sparkle back on CentreCourt to eclipse RichardGasquet andmoveserenelyintoroundthree.Itwasnotquitevin-tageFederer,butthe7,500fanspackedaroundhis favourite court did not care as the Swissgavethemplentytooohandaahaboutina7-6(1)6-16-4victory.The39-year-oldSwisstookawhile to findhis timingandneeded to savethreebreakpointsinhisfirstservicegame.Buthavingbeenpushedintoatiebreak,the
20-timeGrand Slam champion flicked theswitchandhisgamebegantoflow.After tak-ingtheopenerthesixthseedmovedsmoothlythrough thegearsandGasquetcouldnot livewithhimashesufferedan11thsuccessivede-featagainstFederer.NextupfortheSwisswillbe in-formBritish29thseedCameronNorriewho thrashedAustralianAlexBolt. "Itwas awonderfulmatchformeandI'mreallyhappywithmyperformance,"Federersaidoncourt.
KerberprevailsFormer Wimbledon champion
AngeliqueKerber needed3hours, 19min-utes to get past unseeded Sara SorribesTormo7-5, 5-7, 6-4 in the second round.Top-rankedAshBartyadvancedtothethird
round of aWimbledonwomen’s drawde-pletedofothertopcontendersbybeatingAnnaBlinkova6-4,6-3Thursday.No. 3-seededElina Svitolina became the
latestupsetvictim,andeightofthetop11play-ersintheWTArankingsareoutofthetourna-mentduetodefeat,withdrawalorinjury.Bartyavoidedanexitbyovercominganun-
characteristically unreliable serve. She com-mittedninedouble-faults, including three inthefirstgame,andwasbrokenthreetimes.Butshealsohit33winnersto12forBlinkova.“Notmybestservingday,”Bartysaid.“Iwasjustoutof rhythmalittlebit.Some
daysyoufeellikeyou’re8-feettallandyoucan’tmiss thebox.Other days, like today, you feellikeyou’re3-foot-nothing. It’s certainlynoth-ingthatwillconcernmeoveralongerperiod.”
MedvedevdispatchesAlcarazSecond-seededDaniilMedvedevsawoff
promisingSpanishteenagerCarlosAlcarazin straight sets to reach the third round atWimbledon. Medvedev beat the 18-year-
oldAlcaraz6-4,6-1,6-2andthenpredictedhis opponentwill soonbe a top-10player.CocoGauff beat an opponent twice her
age to reach the third round atWimbledon.The17-year-oldAmericande-feated 34-year-old Russian veteran ElenaVesnina 6-4, 6-3 to keep her on track formaking another run into the secondweekat theAll EnglandClub.KEYRESULTS:CameronNorriebeat Alex
Bolt6-36-16-2;DaniilMedvedevbeatCarlosAlcaraz instraight sets,winning6-46-16-2;Alexander Zverev beat Tennys Sandgren7-56-2 6-3;Matteo Berrettini beat Botic vandeZandschulp6-36-47-6(7-4);Monfils lost toPedroMartinez6-36-44-67-6(7-5).
AbhimanyuwithparentsHemantMishra,SwatiSharmaandsisterRidhimaMishra.
RogerFedererwillnowfaceCameronNorrieinthethirdround. Reuters
SANIAMAKESAWINNINGRETURNLondon:SaniaMirzaandherAmericanpartner Bethanie Mattek-SandsstunnedsixthseedsDesiraeKrawczykand Alexa Guarachi tomake the sec-ond round of the women’s doublesevent at the Wimbledon here onThursday. Mirza and Mattek-Sandswere a bit rusty at the start but oncetheygottheirrhythm,theydominatedthematchandwon7-56-3againsttheAmerican-Chileancombinationinonehourand27minutes.However,RohanBopanna and Divij Sharan made anearlyexitafter losingtheirmen’sdou-bles first round6-7(6)4-6toEdouardRoger-Vasselin andHenriKontinen.The Indians had paired up to preparefor the Tokyo Games but could notmake thecut.
PRESSTRUSTOFINDIA
New Delhi
What prompted you to startBun Maska?
The idea to open Bun Maska cameto us during the lockdown when wewere searching for different varietiesof food items to cook with at home.Since breakfast is the most importantmeal of the day, we thought why notmake it exciting. The butter segmenthas always been dominated by oneplayer and, consequently, there hasbeen no innovation in that space for along time. That’s why we thought ofnaming our company on the name ofone of the most famous breakfastdish “Bun Maska”. We introducedflavoured butters such as Garlic &Fresh Herbs, Sundried Tomato &Olives, Pesto & Walnut and Baconbutter for non-veg lovers.
We wanted to provide differentoptions to consumer to choose fromand make home cooking easier andfaster.We have since then expandedour product line to include Hotsauces, Salad Dressings, Pizza andPasta Sauces.
How has the journey beensince the company’s inceptionlast year?
We are fairly new in the industryas we started back in December2020. So from idea to inception, thecompany was started during thecovid-hit period. It has been an inter-esting journey so far, as the tradi-tional channels of offline distributionhave now seen couple of disruptions,and also it’s been tough keeping thestaff safe as well. Logistics and supplychain has seen disruptions as wellbut we have tried to manage it. Thiswas more so visible in the secondwave, wherein we saw a big disrup-tion because of which we had toclose down our facility and refuse or-ders on the back of low availabilityof quality raw material.
On the e-commerce side, we havebeen partnering and expanding fastas we are now available and sellingthrough a lot of different channels.Alot of smaller marketplace compa-nies have really done well during thepandemic and we are increasingly re-lying on them to acquire customers.
What were the initial road-blocks you faced while settingup your venture?
We started working on the idea inJune 2020, in the middle of the firstlockdown. It was a blessing that allthe family members were invested inthe idea and gave their inputs. Thetough part was to get it started —Incorporating a company, doing mar-ket research, getting to understandhow the FMCG industry functions
etc. Usually before starting anynew business, we would haveliked to spend time with distribu-tors, industry experts and on-ground people to get a feel, how-ever, due to the current scenario,we had to do all that virtually,and no matter how technologi-cally advanced the world has be-come, meeting someone alwayshelps you get more out of thatmeeting.
The licences and incorporationof the company took more timethan usual as the government of-fices were short-staffed. Oncethat was done, getting the rightpeople for the job was also diffi-cult as most of the people werescared to come back to Delhi.Overall, overcoming these initialchallenges was difficult.
How did you overcomethese challenges? How cru-cial is the support of familymembers when it comes toentrepreneurship?
Our launch was delayed by ap-proximately 2 months due to allthe challenges we encounteredin setting up “Bun Maska”, butwe kept going at it with a posi-tive mindset. It was difficult attimes as we had to eventuallymove out of the house and makesure we get everything in placeand, with a young kid at home,there was always a scare ofbringing the virus home. How-ever, my family was very support-ive during this period and madesure to provide their uncondi-tional support. My family mem-bers were also very patient andsupportive, especially during the“taste trials” — not all productsthat I made in the kitchen weregood. My wife actually runs mar-keting campaigns for the com-pany and is very diligent in mak-ing sure we post every day andthat there is constant engage-ment on the social media plat-form. She also helps me in theB2B segment and in securingbulk orders.
The other challenge was help-ing our employees get the rightaccommodation and ensuringtheir safety.We conduct periodictests for all our staff and ensurethat the staff is well taken careof, especially during the secondwave. Around 70% of our staffwent back to their villages aswell, and we allowed them thatfreedom so that they could comeback and join us back as soon asthings improve. We are happy
that all of them are now backand working with us. We alsopaid salaries to people duringthat period and made sure thatthey don’t have to worry aboutthe financial aspect of things.
Please tell us about thevarious food products ofBun Maska?
Currently, we have a widerange of products as we have ex-perimented and expanded ourproduct line very fast. As men-tioned earlier, we currently have4 different variants of butters –Garlic & Fresh Herbs, SundriedTomato & Olives,Pesto &Walnutand Bacon butter. We are in theprocess of introducing somenew flavours as well. Our otherbestseller food products includeour Pizza and Pasta Sauces –Red Pesto,Basil Pesto &Arrabbi-atta sauce. We have alsolaunched a vegan range of SaladDressings and Black Truffle HotSauce, which are being liked bybothVegans and Non-Vegans.
Going forward, we arelaunching a range of Chinesesauces and also some morehealthier options in the saladdressing space. We are experi-menting with Peanut Butter aswell.
What are the USPs ofyour food products? Howdo you ensure quality ofyour products?
Our USP is to create newflavours using fresh ingredi-ents. We would like to beknown as an “innovative foodcompany” with an aim to pro-vide new and unique flavouredcombinations to customers.
Food quality for us is ofparamount importance andwe have a strong quality con-trol department. From sourc-ing of raw materials to produc-tion, we maintain a tight gripon things.All raw materials arepurchased from the same sup-pliers, and there are strictnorms for our purchase de-partment to adhere to. Some-times this has led to increasein costs for us, but we are okaywith it as we believe that theproduct that is going out in themarket has to be of the bestquality. The process is everevolvingand we learn newways to improve every singleday and strive to eventuallyreach perfection one day.
How do you marketthese products in the
country?Currently, we rely on Instagram
and Facebook for marketing ourproducts. We have been workingwith influencers as well on theseplatforms to make our brand knownand visible to the public.
Given that ours is a bootstrappedventure, there are limitations on themarketing budget. We rely on word-of-mouth publicity and our channelpartners to help spread the word.Our customers are also a big voicefor us.
How is your brand differentcompared with the establishedfood brands in the market to-day?
We believe that our products areinnovative. We are experimentingwith new flavours in most of ourproducts and, hence, we are provid-ing a varied choice to our customers.While established food brands havereally helped in opening up the mar-ket, we believe that giving newchoices to customers is the need ofthe hour.
What are your future plansfor the company?
The future looks good and we arevery excited. We are launching Chi-nese sauces, adding more flavours toour existing line of butters and saladdressing.We are really excited aboutthe new launch.
We are continually expanding ouronline presence and are partneringwith bigger players such as Big Bas-ket, Flipkart, Amazon, Satvakart,Qtrove,Corahealth and Grofers to get aPan-India reach for our products.
On the traditional store front, weare currently available at two of thelargest chains in Delhi-NCR – ModernBazaar and 37 Krishna Supermarche.We are keen to expand to othergourmet stores.We have seen a lot ofqueries from gourmet food stores insmaller towns such as Dehradun,Moradabad etc, and we are seeinggood demands from these places aswell. We would like to focus on theseareas as well in the long run.
Being an entrepreneur, whatwould be your advice to strug-gling entrepreneurs who areworking tirelessly to make theirdream come true?
The journey of an entrepreneur isnot an easy one but it is the most satis-fying. Seeing your products beingbought and appreciated by customersis the best possible feeling. I wouldrecommend to all other entrepreneursto continue to believe in their visionand keep working at it. There will beups and downs but take one day at atime and keep fighting.
Experience the innovative taste of “Bun Maska” food products!ADVERTORIAL
THE JOURNEY OF ANENTREPRENEUR IS NOTAN EASY ONE BUT IT ISTHE MOST SATISFYING,ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU
SEE PEOPLE BUYINGYOUR PRODUCTS.
WE ARE CURRENTLYAVAILABLE AT TWO OFTHE LARGEST CHAINS
IN DELHI-NCR –MODERN BAZAAR AND 37 KRISHNASUPERMARCHE.
If you enjoy re-inventing your regular foods to make them more palatable, then there’s nobetter place than “Bun Maska” to buy those fresh, choicest ingredients, such as flavouredbutters, salad dressings and sauces, that will greatly enhance the taste of your mundane,daily dishes. Speaking at length about his new venture, Rajat Chandna, Founder, BunMaska, says “Since breakfast is the most important meal of the day, we thought why notmake it interesting by offering a wide variety of choices in butters, such as Garlic & FreshHerbs, Sundried Tomato & Olives, Pesto & Walnut and Bacon butter for non-veg lovers. Wealso have a range of sauces and salad dressings to make your meal even more appetizing. At BunMaska, the focus is on providing consumers with innovative food products withoutcompromising on their taste or quality quotient.”
Currently we are selling our products via our website - www.Bunmaska.in We are also selling online through Flipkart, grofers, bigbasket, Kaze living, True leaf and Cora Healthcare.We are available in all stores of Modern Bazaar and Krishna Supermarche across Delhi NCR. Insta #Bunmaskaofficial Facebook. #Bunmaskaofficial
18 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COMTHEINDIANEXPRESS,FRIDAY, JULY2,2021
New Delhi
