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monday, may 22, 2017

Delhi City Edition

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Arunachal woman sets record by scaling Everest twice in ive days

Trump puts the onus of ighting terror on Muslim world

Govt. plans to make Air India a great global airline: Jayant Sinha

Man City, Liverpool clinch Champions League spots

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P rin ted at . C h e n na i . C oi mb ato r e . Be n g a lu ru . H y d er ab a d . M a du ra i . Noida . Visa khapat nam . T hiruvan ant hapu ram . Kochi . Vi j ayawada . Ma n ga lu ru . T i ru c hi r a pa l li . Kol kata . H u bb a l li . Mo ha l i . A l la ha b a d . Ma l a ppu r a m . Mu m ba i . T i ru pat i

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NEARBY

Power perch

Accuses Pakistan of fomenting trouble in the State and trying to destabilise India

Tripura will be BJP’s waterloo, says Yechury AGARTALA

Pelling (Sikkim)

“Kashmir is ours, Kashmiris are ours and Kashmiriyat is also ours,” Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday, asserting that the Modi government will find a “permanent solution” to the Kashmir problem. The Home Minister’s assertion came amid continued unrest in the Kashmir Valley. Addressing a public reception here, Mr. Singh accused Pakistan of fomenting trouble in Kashmir. “But I want to tell all of you that our government will find a permanent solution to the Kashmir issue,” he said, without elaborating.

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Calm returns to Jamshedpur KOLKATA

No fresh violence was reported in Jamshedpur on Sunday after the lynching of seven people on Thursday, though anger and anxiety were palpable in certain areas of the town. NEWS

3 soldiers, 4 ultras killed in Handwara

Press Trust of India

The Tripura Assembly elections in 2018 will be the “Battle of Waterloo” for the BJP, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said here on Sunday. He lashed out at the BJP for creating a “war-like” situation to dislodge the Left Front government from power in the State. EAST

Will ind permanent solution to Kashmir issue: Rajnath

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EDGE 쑺 4 PAGES DELHI METRO 쑺 6 PAGES

Winged visitors: Pelicans rest on a high-voltage power line that runs through the Pallikaranai marshland in Chennai. With the city losing over two lakh trees to Cyclone Vardah in December 2016, birds have fewer places to nest this season. SHAJU JOHN *

Hope for change The Minister deplored the fact that there was no change in the “attitude” of Pakistan which wanted to “destabilise” India. “We hope Pakistan will change. If it does not change, we will have to change them. After globalisation, one country can’t destabilise another country as the international community will not forget it,” he said. Unrest has continued in

Peerzada Ashiq Srinagar

Security concerns: Rajnath Singh taking the salute during his visit to 36th Batallion at Gayzing, Sikkim. SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT *

Kashmir since the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani in an encounter in July last year. There has been an unprecedented involvement of students in the protests, with even girls taking to the streets to fight pitched battles with security forces. Around 80 people have lost their lives in the prolonged violence. Mr. Singh said heads of government of all neighbouring countries, including Pakistan, had been invited to the swearing-in ceremony of the Modi government in 2014 in an indication that In-

dia wanted friendly relations with them. The Home Minister is on a three-day visit to Sikkim during which he attended a conference of Himalayan States to review the security situation and development activities along the Sino-Indian border. He also visited the Nathu La border post, besides a few posts of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police and SSB along the Sino-India and IndoNepal borders respectively. POLICE THWART HURRIYAT RALLY 쑺 PAGE 2

Four militants and three soldiers were killed in an overnight operation to foil an infiltration bid in north Kashmir’s Handwara area. An Army spokesperson told The Hindu that the operation launched in the Nowgam Sector in Kupwara district on Saturday afternoon continued into Sunday, with a fresh exchange of firing resulting in further casualties. Two militants and two soldiers were killed in the encounter on Saturday. “Four terrorists have been killed. Three soldiers also attained martyrdom,” the spokesperson said. “The sanitisation operation is on along the LoC,” he said, adding that four weapons and other war-like stores had been recovered from the site. CONTINUED ON 쑺 PAGE 10

Green energy target tough, say oicials

NIA to move cautiously against Geelani

Rooftop solar programme making poor progress as it is not cost-efective

Solid proof needed before knocking on the Hurriyat leader’s door, says oicial

TCA Sharad Raghavan New Delhi

The government is unlikely to meet its much-publicised target of 175 GW of renewable energy by 2022 due to the poor progress of the rooftop solar programme, according to officials in the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. The Ministry is also considering increasing the contribution of other

sources like biogas and small hydro to make up the difference, they added.

Several issues “You see, there are several issues with rooftop solar,” an official in the Ministry told The Hindu on the condition of anonymity. “The policy issue is that the tariff structure right now is such that it is just not re-

munerative for people to set up rooftop solar. The cost of doing so is higher than the money they stand to make. “The other issue is the use that people put their roofs to. “Most roofs in India are flat, and people find several alternative uses for these such as drying clothes, and even hosting parties or meals. There are parts of In-

dia where people even sleep on their roofs. So they don’t want to cover that whole space with solar panels,” the official said.

New plan The government is aware of these issues and is considering a new plan to incentivise rooftop solar, he said. CONTINUED ON 쑺 PAGE 10

Vijaita Singh New Delhi

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which has registered a Preliminary Enquiry (PE) against Kashmiri separatist leaders, for allegedly receiving funds from Lashkar-e-Taiba’s chief Hafiz Saeed to create unrest in the Valley, would be cautious in questioning hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

A senior Home Ministry official said questioning Mr. Geelani would not be easy and the NIA would require “irrefutable evidence” before it lands at the Hurriyat leader’s door. The Centre has on several occasions charged the J&K government with going soft on the separatists. The NIA said in a statement that it would be scour-

ing over 150 cases of rioting and stone-pelting registered in the Kashmir Valley postBurhan Wani’s killing in an encounter with security forces on July 8, 2016 to find possible links to Kashmiri separatist leaders.

‘No hurry’ “There is no hurry to question Mr. Geelani. We are still not done with questioning

others. Procedures would be followed,” an NIA official said. The agency’s concerns also arise from its experience last year, when a similar PE against Mr. Geelani, to probe his links to two bank accounts, through which money was routed to allegedly create unrest in the Valley drew a blank. CONTINUED ON 쑺 PAGE 10

Mumbai snatches victory from the jaws of defeat A. Joseph Antony Hyderabad

Mumbai Indians snatched its third Indian Premier League title with a nail-biting onerun victory over Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Sunday night.

Mumbai’s 129 for eight, largely enabled by Krunal Pandya’s valiant 47 and a 50run stand for the eighth wicket with Mitchell Johnson, was, incidentally, the lowest in the final for a side batting first. Pune’s chase sputtered to

a halt a run short. Working the magic for Mumbai was Johnson (3 for 26), whose bowling display at the death, swung the contest Mumbai’s way. In the very last over, the lethal Queenslander dismissed Manoj Tiwary and Supergiant skipper Steve Smith

(51). Pune, cruising at 71 for two, fell apart in the closing stages as Rohit’s men scripted an incredible comeback. Earlier, Jasprit Bumrah had accounted for M.S. Dhoni, a blow that perhaps paved the way to Pune’s defeat.

Jasprit Bumrah celebrates the wicket of M.S. Dhoni. *

K.R. DEEPAK (SEE ALSO PAGE 15)

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Of cows, compassion and communal amity Mohammed Iqbal JODHPUR

At a time when cow vigilante groups in the northern States are targeting people on the mere suspicion of eating beef or smuggling cattle, an adarsh gaushala (model cow shelter) set up by a Muslim institution in Jodhpur is taking care of old and sick cows. It is also assisting dairy farmers in a dozen surrounding villages in looking after their animals, and earning goodwill for promoting communal amity. Launched in 2004 by Jodhpur-based Marwar Muslim Educational and Welfare Society (MMEWS), the initiative has won mass appreciation, with hundreds of people handing over cows and bulls to the shelter. Old, weak, sick, abandoned, and neglected cows are given priority at the sprawling gaushala located in Bujhawad village, 12 km from Jodhpur. The shelter claims to be the first gaushala to be wholly owned and managed by the Muslim community. Situated on a large piece of land without any boundary wall, the shelter CM YK

MMEWS general secretary Mohammed Atique at the cow shelter. SPECIAL *

ARRANGEMENT

is currently home to 217 bovines tagged by the State government’s Animal Husbandry Department. The shelter’s full-time caretaker Hakim Khan and his wife Allahrakhi are in charge of the bovines’ welfare. “We are glad to receive appreciation from the majority community, which sees the gaushala as an enterprise promoting communal harmony,” says Mr. Khan. A trained team brings the cows to the gaushala in a specially designed vehicle. The MMEWS is planning to double the shelter’s capacity by taking over a part of the 56 acres of land allotted for the construction of the Maulana Azad University, the society’s general secretary, Mohammed Atique, told The Hindu. A ND-ND

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NOIDA/DELHI

THE HINDU

MONDAY, MAY 22, 2017

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DELHI

Timings

Monday, May 22

RISE 05:27 SET 19:09 RISE 02:52 SET 15:21 Tuesday, May 23

RISE 05:27 SET 19:10 RISE 03:34 SET 16:25 Wednesday, May 24

Police thwart Hurriyat rally Separatist leaders prevented from gathering to mark death anniversaries Peerzada Ashiq

Chief Minister promises to visit the soldier’s village

Srinagar

RISE 05:26 SET 19:10 RISE 04:17 SET 17:32

IN BRIEF

Seven killed, nine injured in road accident AMRITSAR

Seven persons, including three women, were killed and nine injured when an SUV hit a stationary auto-rickshaw and a car at Umranangal by-pass near Beas, around 35 km from here, on Sunday. The incident occurred when the SUV, heading towards Amritsar from Delhi, rammed the three-wheeler and the car which were parked on the national highway. PTI

Man booked for kidnapping minor girl PHAGWARA

A man has been booked for allegedly kidnapping a 16year-old girl here, the police said on Sunday. Rajiv Kumar, a resident of Nasirabad village, has been booked on the complaint of the girl’s father, they said. The complainant alleged that the man took away his daughter on the pretext of marrying her, the police said. PTI

Family of martyr agree to end fast after meeting Yogi

Restrictions by the authorities and a separatists’ shutdown call on the death anniversaries of Mirwaiz Moulvi Farooq and Abdul Gani Lone affected life in the Kashmir Valley on Sunday. To foil separatists move to hold a march at the Eidgah in the old city, the authorities imposed restrictions in Srinagar’s Nowhatta, M.R. Gunj, Khanyar, Rainawari and Safa Kadal areas. “All main roads in these areas were barricaded by placing rolls of concertina wires to prevent people from moving towards the venue,” said a Hurriyat spokesman. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who heads a faction of the Hurriyat, had called for a joint rally which was to be addressed by him, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Muhammad Yasin Malik. Mirwaiz Moulvi Farooq, father of the present Mir-

Press Trust of India Sambhal

On the watch: Women walk past as security personnel stand guard during a strike in Srinagar on Sunday. PTI *

waiz, was assassinated by unknown gunmen 27 years ago at his Srinagar residence. In 2003, Abdul Ghani Lone fell prey to bullets from unknown gunmen when he was commemorating the death anniversary of the late

‘Take Capt. Saurabh Kalia’s case to ICJ’

Mirwaiz at Edigah.

Crackdown launched In south Kashmir, a crackdown was launched against known protesters and 13 youth were rounded up. Meanwhile, separatists’ call for a shutdown saw most

Press Trust of India Dharamsala

The Himachal Pradesh chapter of ex-servicemen league has urged the Centre to move the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the case of Army Captain Saurabh Kalia. During the 1999 Kargil conflict, Capt. Kalia was tortured by his Pakistani captors who later handed over his mutilated body to India.

Jadhav case The league’s HP chapter chief, Major (retired) Vijay Singh Mankotia said Capt. Kalia’s case also be taken to the ICJ, the UN’s highest judicial body, to get justice on

the lines of Kulbhushan Jadhav. The ICJ at the Hague has stayed the execution awarded to Jadhav in Pakistan after a military court summarily convicted him of espionage and engaging in subversive activities after India knocked its doors.

Earlier requests Mankotia said the Indian Exservicemen League and the family of Capt. Kalia had made this demand to the previous governments but could not hear anything positive about it. “Now, after the case of Jadhav in the ICJ, a ray of hope has risen in Kalia’s case too,” he said here on Saturday.

‘Promises not met’ The soldier’s family had been agitating claiming nonfulfilment of promises made to them. They had also demanded that the CM should visit them. The health of the deceased soldier’s wife Kavita and mother Santosh Kumari had deteriorated on Sunday. Dr. Neeraj Sharma, who inspected the health of the family members on Sunday,

180 Dalit families renounce Hinduism In protest against ‘one-sided police action’ against the Bheem Army Staff reporter

Ex-servicemen league urges Centre

markets closed and few vehicles on the roads. Describing curbs on separatists as “unethical”, Mr. Geelani said, “The situation in J&K is turning from bad to worse. The PDP-BJP’s brute approach towards the leadership is appalling.”

The protesting family members of a soldier, who was killed in Pakistani firing along the LoC in J&K last year, on Sunday agreed to end their indefinite fast saying Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had promised to visit their village. The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, who was on an official tour to Moradabad, met the father, brother and an uncle of deceased sepoy Sudesh Kumar on Sunday. According to family members, the CM promised to visit not only their village but also those of other jawans, who have laid their lives for the country. “The Chief Minister assured us that development work will begin in our village....He also said that he will visit the house of every

martyr of Uttar Pradesh,” Manoj Kumar, brother of the martyr, said. Adityanath also promised that work for starting an inter-college in the village will begin soon, he added. Manoj said that Uttar Pradesh’s Minister of State for Social Welfare, Scheduled Castes and Tribal Welfare Gulabo Devi will now visit the family to facilitate the ending of their fast.

Meerut

Over 180 Dalit families living in Saharanpur district villages gathered at a canal on Friday and immersed idols of Hindu gods and goddesses in the water saying they “would much rather renounce a faith that doesn’t give them the status of being a Hindu and allows the upper caste to treat them like slaves”. The families from Rupdi, Kapurpur, Ighri and Unali villages near Shabbirpur in Saharanpur said they had renounced Hinduism in “protest against atrocities against the Dalits by the Thakurs, and the subsequent one-sided police action against the Bheem Army”. Saharanpur district had witnessed clashes between Thakurs and Dalits earlier

this month. Narendra Gautam, who was among those who renounced Hinduism on Friday, said the families will go to Delhi to take ‘diksha’ in last week of May in order to officially convert to Buddhism. The families claimed that more people will renounce Hinduism and convert to Buddhism if the Yogi Adityanath government doesn’t stop “targeting the Dalits and the Bheem Army”. Mr. Gautam said: “We’re taking this extreme step as a mark of protest. The Thakur community attacked and burnt our homes because we asked them to respect our saint Ravidas and not play loud music in Shabbirpur this month. Then, the UP government, headed by Mr. Adityanath, who is also a Thakur, took action against

us for protesting against atrocities by the Thakurs. How long should we remain silent? At the time of elections, they call us Hindus. After the elections, they start treating us like slaves.”

Not aware: SSP Saharanpur SSP S.C. Dubey however rejected the renouncement move as “pressure tactic” to avoid police action. The police have booked several volunteers of the Bheem Army on charges of posting “objectionable content and spreading rumours” on WhatsApp and Facebook groups on May 9, which allegedly led to violent protest by the Dalits. “I’m not aware of these conversions,” he told journalists. The renouncement comes days after advocate Chandrashekhar Azad

Ravan, the founder of a Dalit outfit that works for their upliftment in the areas of education and socio-economic empowerment in Saharanpur and its vicinity, appealed to his supporters to attend the protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi to show solidarity against atrocities faced by the marginalised community. “I want to ask the Adityanath government why the entire administration remained a mute spectator as 56 houses and 40 shops burnt to the ground, and hundreds of Dalit brothers and sisters were assaulted and humiliated? The administration didn’t do anything against the injustice and atrocities. When the Bheem Army tried to protest peacefully, they weren’t allowed to do so ,” Mr. Gautam added.

said that the blood pressure level of the martyr’s wife and one of his cousins has dipped. He had suggested that both of them must be hospitalised. On May 19, villagers and family members of Sudesh, who laid down his life on October 16, 2016, had sat on a fast in the Pansukha Milak village in this district, claiming that the promises made by the BJP leaders at the time of his death remained unfulfilled. His mother had said if the CM did not visit them, she will commit suicide. The family members had said that they had been promised the sanction for a petrol pump, construction of a road and a memorial in the village and renaming a village primary school in Sudesh’s name, but none of the promises was fulfilled.

Ex-Cong MP shares stage with Minister Press Trust of India Chandigarh

Former Congress MP Arvind Sharma sharing the dais with Haryana Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma at an event in Karnal and praising the Narendra Modi and Manohar Lal Khattar governments has triggered speculation of him joining the BJP. “The Modi government, which is completing three years at the Centre, is doing well and the people are happy with it. Khattar, is also an honest man working towards taking the State on the development path,” he said. Mr. Sharma had quit the Congress before the 2014 Haryana Assembly polls to join the BSP. However, he quit the BSP last year. .

Taking on a ‘drinking’ problem head-on in Rajasthan Low-cost water ilter developed by a group of students from IIT-Jodhpur has gained acceptance in rural areas intensive and expensive equipment that has entered urban homes isn't suitable for rural families with limited financial resources. Cost-effective solutions like the filter developed by them, which is based on indigenous knowledge, could effectively meet the needs of villages. The students designed a machine in their laboratory for manufacturing these filters and three machines have been installed in homes of potter families in Sar, Banad and Salawas villages.

areaohammed Iqbal JODHPUR

It took an apple falling on the head of Sir Issac Newton for that ‘aha moment’. All it took a group of students from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Jodhpur to come up with gravity as the answer to clean drinking water needs was a visit to ArnaJharna, an open desert museum displaying traditional knowledge systems of local communities on the outskirts of the city in 2013. The mechanical engineering students were inspired to work on a cheap but efficient water filter during an interaction with Kuldeep Kothari of Jodhpur-based Rupayan Sansthan, which functions as an institute of folklore and runs the museum. IIT-Jodhpur Assistant Professor Anand Plappally encouraged them to come up with a solution.

‘G-Filter’ Amrita Kaurwar, Sandeep Gupta, Raj K. Satankar and Devaiah Soyam, and traditional potters worked together in 2013 to develop a ‘G-Filter’ that provides clean drinking water in poor village households at very low costs. The first prototype was developed in December 2016

The 20-litre ilter receptacle looks like a lowerpot and has micro-nano pores through which water percolates due to gravity.

and displayed at the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan pavilion of the India International Science Festival in New Delhi in December 2016.

20-litre capacity The 20-litre filter receptacle looks like a flowerpot and has micro-nano pores through which water percolates due to gravity.

An average of eight litres of water percolates in 10 hours when the receptacle is running at full capacity. During the manufacturing process, sawdust and marble powder are added to the clay to improve the filter’s antibacterial properties. It also provides structural strength to the receptacle, which is kept on a water dispensing

container made of steel or plastic.

Sold by potters The filters, being sold by potters in Jodhpur district at prices ranging between ₹300 and ₹350 each, have gained acceptance in rural areas of western Rajasthan. The students said the reverse osmosis-based, energy-

Workshops for potters The Sansthan also organised a series of workshops for potters to enable them manufacture filters with salt-added clay. Mr. Kothari said the Sansthan was disseminating the technology to individual potters as part of its drive to preserve traditional skills of villagers and promote natural engineered products. Abdul Razak, a potter at Banad village in Jodhpur, said: “I learnt a lot from the workshops organised by the Sansthan. Though we have indigenous knowledge of the filtration properties of sand, I learnt about the right mix of sawdust and marble powder for preparing the

clay from the students. Each water filter weighs about 5kg. It’s very useful and should be kept in every household.”

To clean impurities Dr. Plappally told The Hindu that the filter’s capacity to clean impurities of bacteria, mostly E. Coli, metal contamination and chemical impurities has been certified by the Union government’s National Test House. Besides protection against water-borne diseases, which according to the World Health Organization comprise 65% of ailments, the filter helps maintain robust health and nutritional status of the rural populace, said Dr. Plappally, a post-doctoral fellow with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) before joining IIT-Jodhpur in 2012. “We have applied for patent of the process for manufacturing, rather than the filter itself, to facilitate its supply to areas not getting power and water supply,” he added. IIT-Jodhpur has also provided the filter’s knowhow to the Integrated Rural Technology Centre, Palakkad, and Enactus IITMadras, which is a group of IIT alumni in Chennai.

Six persons injured in UP clash Press Trust of India Jaunpur (UP)

Six persons, including two women, were injured when two groups belonging to different communities clashed over a minor dispute at Khadhar village in the Kerakat area, the police said on Sunday.

Bike hits cycle The incident occurred on Saturday night when

a bike of a man of a particular community hit the cycle of the man of another community near the village, following which they entered into an altercation. When they returned to the village, the people of both the communities clashed with each other in which six persons, including two women, were injured. Later, the police

reached the spot and brought the situation under control.

FIR registered A First Information Report has been registered against 11 persons and four have been detained in this regard, the police said. Heavy police force has been deployed to ensure peace in the village, they said.

Published by N. Ram at Kasturi Buildings, 859 & 860, Anna Salai, Chennai-600002 and Printed by S. Ramanujam at HT Media Ltd. Plot No. 8, Udyog Vihar, Greater Noida Distt. Gautam Budh Nagar, U.P. 201306, on behalf of KASTURI & SONS LTD., Chennai-600002. Editor: Mukund Padmanabhan (Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act). Regd. DL(ND)-11/6110/2006-07-08 RNI No. TNENG/2012/49940 ISSN 0971 - 751X Vol. 7 No. 121 ●

CM YK

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THE HINDU

EAST 3

NOIDA/DELHI

MONDAY, MAY 22, 2017

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Tripura will be BJP’s waterloo: Yechury

IN BRIEF

Anarchy in West Bengal, says State BJP chief

‘Modi govt celebrating three years in oice despite failures’

MALDA

Syed Sajjad Ali

The BJP on Sunday alleged that anarchy was prevailing in the education sector and that democracy was at stake in West Bengal under the ruling Trinamool Congress. “A Naxal-like situation has arisen in the State nowadays. There is an atmosphere of total anarchy in the education sector. Democracy is at stake,” State BJP president Dilip Ghosh told a press conference here. PTI

‘BJD govt in Odisha failing on all fronts’ BHUBANESWAR

The opposition Congress and the BJP on Sunday hit out at the ruling BJD in Odisha, accusing it of failing on all fronts amid rampant corruption, misrule, farmers’ miseries and sluggish industrial activity. “The BJD had promised to transform Odisha, but pushed the State backward with misrule, corruption and neglect of farmers for 17 years,” OPCC chief Prasad Harichandan said.PTI

CPI(M) slams Odisha govt’s approach to ransomware Says State has no concrete, long-term solution in place

Press Trust of India

Staff Reporter BERHAMPUR

Agartala

The Tripura Assembly elections in 2018 will be the “Battle of Waterloo” for the BJP, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said here on Sunday. He lashed out at the BJP for creating a “war-like” situation to dislodge the Left Front government from power in the State. “If it’s a war, then we are ready to fight it. We will fight to win in all the 60 segments of the Assembly,” Mr. Yechury said. He was attending the twoday State committee meeting with his predecessor, Prakash Karat.

‘Stepping stone’ He said the BJP saw Tripura as the “stepping stone” to control Northeast India after wresting power in Assam and Manipur. “The BJP is disillusioned about the outcome of the Assembly elections,” he said. Mr. Yechury asserted that for the BJP, the Assembly elections slated for early

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury at a press conference in Agartala on Saturrday. PTI *

2018 will be the ‘Battle of Waterloo’ that marked final defeat of French emperor Napoleon in 1815. He blamed BJP leaders for making irrelevant statements such as “Chief Minister Manik Sarkar will vote for lotus symbol” and “Election Commission will hold three-tier election in Tripura”. He said the BJP was beating drums despite wresting power by unfair means its back-door power capture in Goa and Manipur, and its

miserable defeat in Punjab in the recent Assembly elections. The voter turnout in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand was less than that for Lok Sabha elections in 2014. He criticised the Modi government for celebrating three years in office despite its “failures”. Party State secretary Bijan Dhar and central committee member Gautam Das were present at the news conference in party’s state headquarters.

Odisha CPI(M) criticised the approach of State government in dealing with the recent threat of the ransomware virus on computers in the State. “Instead of coming out with a concrete long-term solution, the government seems to be helping in marketing an upgraded version of Operating Systems (OS) of private software companies as well as firewalls and antiviruses”, said state secretary of Odisha CPI(M) Ali Kishor Patnaik. The “greatest irony” is that State Information Technology (IT) minister came up with a statement that to fight recent ransomware menace computer users should upgrade to Windows 10 OS and updated versions of anti-viruses, he added.

Open software According to Mr Patnaik, this could have been the right juncture to promote free and safe open software. “Recently, Prakash Rao, the CEO of GSTN, set up to

provide IT infrastructure for GST rollout has stated that this network will not be impacted by the ‘WannaCry’ ransomware attack, as its systems do not run on Microsoft software. He had stated that their software is not based on Microsoft windows operating system and are immune,” Mr. Patnaik said. The GSTN network operates on Linux software which is not affected by the ransomware attack.

High costs But it is ironic that in Odisha, the State government has failed to promote open software among its citizens and goverment offices although the use of official versions of OS like windows involves much expenditure, alleged the CPI(M) leader. He urged the government not to fall into the trap of Proprietary Software and Proprietary Culture being promoted by profit-oriented multi-national software companies. According to him these software companies provide “no knowledge

about the software which is used and try to convert us into mindless support machines for their economic gains” “These profit-based software companies have started to make us believe in a fallacy that computers can only be run by their software. Even our elected leaders have fallen prey to it to declare that paying up money to these companies to upgrade software is the only solution to check computer virus threat,” he said. He cited the example of Kerala, where Linux had been promoted in the official sector.

Grassroot level According to Mr. Patnaik, this is the right time to promote free software at grassroot level to counter the intellectual colonialism of multi-national software companies. “Instead of spending money on upgrading windows software, the government should start shifting its computers to open softwares to check the virus menace,” he said.

Mayachar island residents at wits’ end over land erosion

Animal sightings rise as water dries up

Accuse State govt of not taking any efective measures

Satyasundar Barik

Staff Reporter Kolkata

The lives and livelihood of nearly 6,000 residents of the Mayachar island in Purba Medinipur district is in jeopardy due to land erosion caused by the river Rupnarayan. The residents of the 7-km-wide island, located on the southern bank of the river in the Mahishadal block of the district, have said they are living in constant fear of losing their homes as the river takes up more and more of their land.

Homes lost The locals have also accused the State government of “not taking any effective measures” to address the issue. However, the State’s Minister of Irrigation and Waterways, Rajib Banerjee claimed that “substantial work” has already been done in this regard.

Withering away: Land erosion by the Rupnarayan river at Mayachar island in Purba Medinipur. SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT *

“This (land erosion) has been going on for at least a decade. In the last one month, 25 families have lost their homes due to land erosion by Rupnarayan,” Madhusudhan Guchayat, a local school teacher, told The Hindu. He said the situation had put the residents of the island in a spot as, being farmers, they cannot leave their land and relocate

elsewhere. The residents alleged that despite repeatedly urging the district administration, no effective step to curb soil erosion has been taken so far. “The soil of Mayachar is not very firm and hence prone to erosion. Moreover, the State government has not done much to address the situation,” said Mr. Guchayat.

21 candles and a world record

After bail, Sudip returns to Kolkata

Man also held 90 grapes in mouth

Staff Reporter

Fiery attempt: Manoj Kumar Moharan during the recordbreaking demonstration. L. PANDA *

Staff Reporter BERHAMPUR

In an attempt to make it to the Guinness Book of World Records, Manoj Kumar Moharana — a post-graduate student of mathematics from Ganjam district in Odisha — stuffed the ends of 21 lit candles in his mouth.

Another record Apart from the attempt with candles, he also kept 90 grapes inside his mouth in a second bid to reach the record book. Both these demonstrations took place in the presence of Berhampur Sub-Collector, S.S.Swain at his office on Saturday. Two years’ practice Mr. Moharana, who hails from Khadarada village under Polasara block of Ganjam district, said he had been practising for the potential record in CM YK

Kolkata

Trinamool Congress(TMC) MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay who was granted bail in the Rose Valley chit fund case on Friday returned to Kolkata late on Sunday evening. The TMC MP who was in an Odisha hospital was admitted to a private hospital soon after he landed at the city's airport. Mr. Bandyopadhyay, an MP from Kolkata North was arrested by the CBI for his alleged involvement in the Rose Valley chit fund scam on January 3. Mr. Bandyopadhyay was granted conditional bail by the Orissa High Court on Friday.

Water scarcity in Odisha forests critical, authorites hope for early monsoon forests that is driving the animals out of their habitats.

BHUBANESWAR

Forest officials across Odisha are keeping their fingers crossed for the early arrival of monsoon as water scarcity in jungles has reached a critical stage, forcing wild animals to stray into human habitations more frequently. Such incidents of animals straying past the jungles have seen a rise over the past fortnight. On Sunday, two persons were injured when a wild boar attacked them near their village in Balangir district while a herd of seven elephants wreaked havoc in Gajapati district.

Elephants’ off-season raid It is apprehended that a further stretch in the current dry spell could aggravate the situation. Sample this; a gaur (Indian bison) was found dead near a water source which had completely dried up in Satkosia Gorge Sanctuary in Angul district recently. Forest officials had noticed

Examinees ransack New Jalpaiguri rly station

Every drop counts: Cement rings are illed with water for animals at Satkosia Gorge Sanctuary. BISWARANJAN ROUT *

that the gaur had made a desperate attempt to access water by digging the soil with its horns before its death. In Rajnagar area of Kendrapara district, a spotted deer strayed into human habitation in search of water as there is acute shortage in Bhitarkanika National park. Incident of elephants coming close to human habitations in the State have be-

come extremely common. Earlier, the elephants were known to raid crops between November and February. In summer, the jumbos are expected to stay deep inside the cooler forest environment. However, they have been regularly found wandering near villages this time around. Experts said that it is the acute water scarcity in

Water tankers While authorities have pinned hopes on early showers for a much-needed relief to animals in forests, Satkosia Wildlife Division, for the first time in Odisha, has started dispatching water tankers to forests at regular intervals to quench the thirst of wild animals. As the situation went out of control, we were forced to set up pits using cemented rings at 80 places. It worked wonderfully well, quenching the thirst of wild animals at this critical juncture, he said. Water shortage is one of the reasons behind dwindling elephant population in Satkosia. “In 2012, we had 229 elephants in Satkosia forest, it dropped to 146 in 2015 and there might be a further drop this year. Residential elephants migrate to other places in search of water,” Mr. Rahmen said.

Siliguri

Irate examinees on Sunday went on the rampage at New Jalpaiguri railway station ransacking the station master’s office, damaging an engine and two AC coaches and trying to set fire to the station. NF Railway Area Manager Parthasarathi Shil said over one lakh examinees from Bihar had arrived here on Saturday to appear for the exams for the Group-D posts conducted by the West Bengal government at various centres in north Bengal. They were on their way back home from New Jalpaiguri junction. However, no trains were available for the return journey, Mr. Shil said. The examinees approached the station master on Saturday night and demanded arrangements for them to stay overnight at the station. However, they were allegedly chased away by the RPF, sources said.

Tyres burnt They then ransacked several platforms and the station master’s office, burnt tyres on the tracks, held up the Awadh-Assam express and damaged its engine and two AC coaches and tried to set fire to the station, Mr. Shil said. The RPF, along with the NJP police, brought the situation under control. Several passengers, however, sustained injuries, the sources said. Mr. Shil said the damage to railway property was estimated to be ₹1 crore and the RPF had lodged an FIR against the agitators. Several superfast and long-distance trains were held up as a result of the agitation, which was lifted around 11 a.m on Sunday, after the Railways provided a special train to transport the examinees to Bihar, Mr. Shil said.

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these two fields for over two years.“Recent Guinness record for most lit candles in the mouth is 18, by Dinesh Shivnath Upadhyaya of Mumbai on Jan 7, 2017. The current record for most seedless grapes stuffed in the mouth is 88,” said Mr. Moharana. He said that he hopes to be the new record holder after verification by Guinness officials.

Failed attempt Earlier in 2015, he had tried to create a record using his field of study, mathematics. He had attempted to write squares of every number from 1 to 1000 from memory in 49 seconds. “But Guinness authorities did not accept my endeavour, so I decided to try another field to get recognised,” he said.

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4 WEST

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THE HINDU

MONDAY, MAY 22, 2017

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Maharashtra releases Koyna water to crisis-hit Karnataka

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Passing of a giant

Oicials say 0.5 TMC water to be discharged over a 10-day period Shoumojit Banerjee Pune

The Maharashtra government on Sunday released water from the Koyna dam in Satara district to alleviate the water crisis in Karnataka. Around 0.5 TMC water will be released over a 10-day period, authorities have said. Water level in the Kaveri river basin has plummeted due to the soaring temperature. This is the second such discharge from the Koyna reservoir to Karnataka. Last month, 2.5 TMC water was released from the reservoir following a high-level meeting between officials of the neighbouring States. This cumulative discharge of 3 TMC follows a direct appeal on part of Karnataka

Being neighbourly: Last month, 2.5 TMC water was released from the Koyna reservoir to Karnataka. FILE PHOTO *

Water Resources Minister M. B. Patil to provide relief to Belagavi, Bagalkot and Vijaypura districts. In return,

Karnataka will release water from the Almatti dam to cater to the needs of Solapur district and others parts in

Maharashtra facing water shortage. Late last month, Maharashtra Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan had said nine of the 12 dams in Karnataka barely had 20% of their water stock. “The available live storage in the reservoirs has touched an all-time low,” Mr. Mahajan had said, adding that he had ordered the discharge from Koyna dam to bring immediate relief to farmers in Karnataka. With a storage capacity of 105 TMC, the Koyna reservoir is one of the largest dams in the State. It houses the massive Koyna hydropower generation plant. Three consecutive years of drought have aggravated the agrarian crisis in Karnataka, especially in the north.

The remains: A decomposed carcass of a whale, about 8 metres long, washed ashore at the Juhu Chowpatty early on Sunday. *

VIJAY BATE

Get free Wi-Fi at 28 Konkan Railway stations Cong. accuses Goa govt. of Suresh Prabhu inaugurates internet service, facilities for passengers at Kudal, Chiplun stations Prakash Kamat Panaji

Konkan Railway passengers will now get free, unlimited Wi-Fi at 28 railway stations and better amenities at Kudal and Chiplun railway stations. Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu inaugurated the facilities at a function at Kudal railway station on Sunday. Konkan Railway has tied up with Syscon Joister to provide 2 Mbps peer-to-peer 24x7 free Wi-Fi at the 28 stations in line with the Union government’s Digital India Initiative. The same company provides the JOISPOT Wi-Fi service in educational institutes in Pune and Mumbai, and will provide free Wi-Fi bandwidth to rural areas

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu at Kudal station on Sunday.

along the Konkan route as a corporate social responsibility activity. The network covers the station entrance and surrounding area. To access the

*

SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Wi-Fi, users have to open the JOISPOT mobile application and register using their name and mobile number. They have to request a one-time password to use the internet.

EDUCATIONAL

The facility will be provided at 28 stations from Kolad to Madure in the initial phase. The system can provide access to about 300 users at bigger stations and

100 users at smaller stations. As Kudal and Chiplun are two important stations on the Konkan Railway line, dealing with approximate daily traffic of 5,000 and 3,200 passengers, respectively, Konkan Railway has upgraded the passenger amenities at these stations. The Minister on Sunday inaugurated the improved facilities at Kudal Railway Station which includes several works and cost approximately ₹108 lakh. Improved passenger amenities at Chiplun Railway Station, which were inaugurated remotely, involved an investment of ₹192 lakh, said Mr. L.K. Verma, chief public relations officer of Konkan Railway.

EDUCATIONAL

violating Panchayat Raj Act 186 gram panchayats set to go to polls on June 11 Prakash Kamat PANAJI

The Goa Congress has accused the BJP-led State government in Goa of violating the Goa Panchayat Raj Act in the delimitation of reserved panchayat wards ahead of the ongoing election process. All India Congress Committee Secretary Girish Chodankar said in a statement on Sunday that provisions of Article 243 K of the Act specifically give the powers to delimit and reserve wards to the Goa State Election Commission and not the State government. He said the State Election

Commission has filed an affidavit in the High Court in the Mango Foundation case, stating that it is the constitutionally empowered authority to delimit and reserve wards, while the government is illegally taking over these powers. “People have reacted sharply to the delimitation manipulations, even threatening to boycott the elections because of the blunders dividing voters of the same locality and even of the same family into two different wards. These are not human errors, but deliberate moves made to benefit certain candidates of the rul-

EDUCATIONAL

ing parties,” Mr. Chodankar alleged. He said the government has not followed any transparent criteria in the reservation process. In some cases, where reservation was not possible, ward numbers were changed to suit the needs of the BJP. He said the government was manipulating the Panchayat elections in such a way that people had no option to approach the court of law. The government notified the reservations on May 17 evening, and the election process was notified the next morning. Goa’s 186 gram panchayats will go to polls on June 11.

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THE HINDU

SOUTH 5

NOIDA/DELHI

MONDAY, MAY 22, 2017

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IN BRIEF

Another feather in the cap for police station

Mason swept away in bid to save electronic equipment Rain prevented Shanta Kumar from coming back from storm water drain in Bengaluru

KOZHIKODE

The Kozhikode Town Station that secured the title of the first ISO 9001:2008 certified police station in Kerala in 2011 is all set to update its status further by achieving the tag of the city’s first women and child-friendly police station. Work is in full swing to dedicate two rooms with all facilities to make women complainants and their children feel at home.

Singareni unions firm on strike from June 15 PEDDAPALLI

The National trade unions of Singareni Collieries Company Limited have decided to stick to their call to go on an indefinite strike in the Singareni coal mines from June 15, demanding the revival of dependent job scheme to coal miners.

Bengaluru

fused saying he felt safe in the cabin.

A desperate effort to save electronic equipment lying in a storm water drain resulted in 34-year-old Shanta Kumar being swept away by a sudden gush of water during the downpour on Saturday night, according to witnesses. Kumar is a mason who was constructing a concrete retention wall on the drain in Kurubarahalli, north Bengaluru. The contractor for the project is Basavaraj, uncle of Shanta Kumar. Witnesses said labourers had retired for the day and were in their makeshift sheds near the work site. The rain came around 8 p.m. when Shanta Kumar had finished making the weekly payment to the workers. As the rain gained intens-

Strong current But the situation changed within minutes. Water starting gushing from upstream, partly submerging the earthmover, which started tottering. Shanta Kumar tried to get down from the earthmover in a bid to make a dash for higher ground. However, as he was climbing down, he was washed away by the strong current. Fire Services and National Disaster Response Force personnel were deployed, but he had not been traced till 5.30 p.m. on Sunday when the operation was suspended. Shanta Kumar is from a village near Maddur. His wife is a homemaker and they have a nine-month-old son.

Staff Reporter

All-out efort: A search is on for Shanta Kumar, inset, who was washed away in heavy rain. V. SREENIVASA MURTHY *

ity, the workers ran for shelter. However, Shanta Kumar rushed towards an earthmover, which was parked a few feet inside the drain. One of the workers said, “Initially, we did not understand why he ran towards the drain. Later, we realised that he had gone to pick up some

equipment that was lying in the drain. But the rain was so heavy that he couldn't come back.” The squall and heavy rain forced Shanta Kumar to take shelter in the cabin of the earthmover. Basavaraj said other workers offered a long iron rod to help him return to the bank, but he re-

Inebriated minor girl gang-raped by four youth in Vijayawada Her boyfriend too arrested for kidnap and rape Staff Reporter VIJAYAWADA

A 16-year-old girl, who just completed Class X, was allegedly raped by four persons who found her in an inebriated condition on a road last week. The four, all aged around 22, and the girl’s friend Akhil, 20, who also allegedly exploited the minor in the name of love had been arrested. Producing the five accused before media here on Sunday, DCP G. Pala Raju said the girl was having an affair with Akhil, whom she met more than a year ago on social media. On May 16, she left home on the pretext of visiting her friend as she planned a short trip with Akhil and their mutual friend Ajay Samuel. The trio met early in the morning and went to

Mustabada on the city outskirts, had booze and spent some time in an abandoned area, the police said. Akhil and Ajay Samuel dropped the girl near her house at 8.30 p.m. while she was still under the influence of alcohol. The police said the accused gang — Srikanth, Abhishek, Pawan Kumar and Sunil — offered her a ride on their motorcycles to her house. “The girl, who accepted the offer, was then taken to Tadepalli near Vijayawada, where the accused bought liquor and came back to their room in Madhura Nagar. She was again forced to consume alcohol and was raped over the night by the four. At around 7 a.m. the next day, they dropped her near her house,” Mr. Pala Raju said. The parents called police

Jumbo collapses near cofee estate YSRC leader, aide done to Workers noticed the elephant lying on the ground in Hassan district har, a veterinarian. He along with Badami, another vet, treated the elephant. Doctors said, the elephant did not move at all early on, but gradually showed signs of recovery after treatment.

Staff Reporter Hassan

A lactating elephant, aged about 20, was found ill in a private land near Kabbinagadde village in Sakleshpur taluk on Sunday morning. The workers at an adjacent coffee estate noticed the elephant lying on the ground. Initially, they thought it was stuck in the mud. They later realised it was ill and had no strength to get up. Assistant Conservator of Forests Ramesh Babu and other officials reached the spot with veterinarians after being alerted by villagers. “We understood that the elephant had fallen sick after not having eaten for the last couple of days. Our doctors

All hands on deck: Veterinarians and oicials of the Forest Department treating the elephant. SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT *

treated the animal and it has shown signs of improvement,” Mr. Babu said. The elephant was found near the estate belonging to retired IAS officer I.M. Vittalmurthy. The doctors suspect that

the animal may have contracted an infection and, as a result, had not taken food. “We have given it some fluids and calcium. Blood samples have been taken for examination,” said Muralid-

Kerala animal welfare forum complains against VIPs

Herd nearby Even as the treatment was being administered, other elephants were seen moving in the area. However, none of them came close as many people had gathered there. “The elephant had given birth to a baby 2-3 months ago, and the baby must be in that group. When people leave the spot, the elephant group is likely to come close to the ailing elephant and may try to take her along,” said Dr. Muralidhar.

death in Kurnool district Narayana Reddy sought protection, fearing threat to his life Nandyal and Veldurthi when the attack took place. He is a close relative of former Union Minister Kotla Jayasuryaprakash Reddy.

Special Correspondent KURNOOL

YSR Congress Pathikonda constituency incharge Cherukulapadu Narayana Reddy and his aide Sambasivudu were murdered by members of a rival faction at Ramakrishnapuram in Krishnagiri mandal of Kurnool district on Sunday. Narayana Reddy’s car went off the road near a culvert after a tractor hit it from behind and about 20 to 25 members of the rival group hurled bombs, dragged him and his aide out of the car and attacked them with hunting sickles and knives, killing Narayana Reddy on

Narayana Reddy

the spot. Sambasivudu, who tried to flee, was hacked to death about 500 metres away. The YSRC leader was returning to Krishnagiri after attending marriages at

Earlier attacks The rival group had attacked his house in Cherukulapadu village some time ago and destroyed vehicles on the premises. He was acquitted by a court in a murder case a few years ago. Narayana Reddy had deposited his revolver with the police for renewal of its licence and had urged the State government to provide protection to him as he faced threat to his life.

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Pretty drops

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

Will a complaint shot off by an animal lover to the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF) prove to be a headache for a few Kerala Ministers? Revenue Minister E. Chandrasekharan, Agriculture Minister V.S. Sunil Kumar, Electricity Minister M.M. Mani, Water Resource Minister Mathew T. Thomas and Forest Minister K. Raju had visited Kappukadu to assess the efforts that had been undertaken to supply water from Neyyar dam, during which they reportedly witnessed a baby elephant sustaining injuries. V.K. Venkitachalam, secretary of the Thrissur-based Heritage Animal Task Force, has written a complaint to the Inspector-Gen-

Kerala Ministers patting a baby elephant.

eral of Forests, MoEF; Chief Secretary, State Police Chief, District Collector and the Forest Department secretary, alleging that the Ministers and other VIPs had been responsible for the four-year-old elephant losing one of its tusks. According to him, three

baby elephants at the Kappukadu elephant camp had been brought to the place where the Ministers had camped. While they attempted to fondle the animal, it ran away and rammed into a tree, injuring itself in the process. Having lost its tusk, the elephant suffered severe pain and bleeding, Mr. Venkitachalam claimed. With the elephant camp qualifying as a zoo as it collected entrance fee from visitors, the guidelines of the Zoo Authority of India were relevant for the functioning of the facility. In the particular case, the guidelines were violated by the parading of elephants in front of the VIPs, he alleged. However, forest officials were of the stance that no laws had been violated during the Ministers’ visit.

Cool scene: Pre-monsoon shower falls over the plantations in Munnar on Sunday. The IMD has forecast that the southwest monsoon is likely to set in over Kerala around May 30. THULASI KAKKAT *

Heat wave and dried-up rivers have badly hit the animals in Bagalkot district “The crocodile, being a cold-blooded animal, is unable to tolerate high temperatures and lack of food and water,” Mr. Doni said.

HUBBALLI

With the heat wave intensifying and rivers drying up in Bagalkot, crocodiles have been affected badly, with at least three deaths in the past fortnight alone. One of the casualties was a huge crocodile measuring 13.4 feet and weighting 365 kg — a rare find in recent years. Veterinary doctors have conducted a post-mortem and the aquatic reptile’s samples have been sent for further tests and preservation. The heat wave is said to the primary reason for the deaths. However, timely intervention by “well-informed” residents and forest officials has resulted in the rescue of at least 12 crocodiles in Bilagi taluk of Bagalkot alone. Recently, an apparently exCM YK

in Palakkad to be sent back Charity outit fails to present documents; manager in custody K.A. Shaji Palakkad

Huge loss: A crocodile weighing 365 kg died reportedly due to the heatwave in Bagalkot district recently. SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT *

hausted crocodile had taken shelter in the sanctum sanctorum of a dilapidated temple in Sonna village of Bilagi taluk, and locals along with officials managed to rescue it. H.B. Doni, Range Forest Officer of Bilagi, told The Hindu that the crocodiles rescued from the banks of rivers Krishna and Ghata-

prabha have been relocated to Chikkasangama.

Lack of food Because of the drought, the Krishna is almost dry, with water available only in pits on the riverbed. Increased temperature and lack of food and water is said to be forcing the crocodiles to venture out of the riverbed.

Kerala godman remanded Staff Reporter THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

The self-proclaimed godman, whose genitals were gashed by a woman a day ago, for alleged sexual advances, has been remanded in judicial custody for 14 days on Sunday. The police said Gangeshananda Theerthapada, alias Hari Swami, was remanded until June 3 by the magistrate who went to the Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College Hospital, where the accused is undergoing treatment. The survivor, who was in the Pettah police station, was shifted to a shelter home run by the Social Justice Department on Sunday.

Bengaluru police out on a bug hunt Bengaluru

12 crocodiles rescued in past two months Children from Noida found Girish Pattanashetti

Motorcycle number Meanwhile, the girl recalled the number of the motorcycle of Srikanth and told her grandmother and parents about the assault. “The parents informed the police about the incident prompting the Satyanarayana Puram police to jump into action and nab the accused in less than an hour with the help of the motorcycle number,” Mr. Pala Raju said. Along with the four, the police also booked Akhil for rape and kidnap under Section 376(d) of Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, Section 366 and 34 of the IPC and Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

Staff Reporter

A baby elephant had lost one of its tusks while being displayed Staff Reporter

since she did not return home. They also inquired with the girl’s friends while local police also searched for her.

Awareness needed He said while forest guards have been deployed on patrol duty along the rivers, taluk officials were organising awareness programmes to clear the misconception among people about crocodiles. “When on land, the crocodile is not that active and rarely attacks”,” he said, adding that it goes on the offensive on when intimidated repeatedly. Wildlife warden M.R. Desai said it has become daunting for crocodiles to find water. “While crocodiles can survive in shade, water is a must,” he said.

The district administration has began efforts to send back 14 children from Noida, who were found at a house at Menonpara near here five days ago. Grace Care Society, a New Delhi-based charity organisation, has failed to produce any legally mandated certificate to prove its claim that the children were taken to Palakkad as part of an educational initiative The children, aged between 11 and 14 years, are now housed at Government Children’s Home at Muttikulangara as directed by the district-level Child Welfare Committee (CWC). Meanwhile, the police are investigating the human traf-

ficking angle. A case has already registered at Kozhinjampara police station against the society. Its manager Aji Mathew George was arrested on Thursday and is now in judicial custody. Kozhinjampara Circle Inspector V. Hamza said there were 17 children in the group and three of them had been shifted to Thiruvananthapuram before the police reached the rented house at Menonpara. The three children too would be brought to Palakkad soon, Mr Hamza said. Mr George told the police that the organisation had purchased five acres at Menonpara to set up a school. The plan, he

claimed, was to enrol the children in the school.

Required papers However, he failed to produce any proof of Grace Care Society running an orphanage. “If the children are destitute they should produce the no-objection certificate issued by the Child Welfare Committees of the respective villages. If the children have parents, they should produce a certificate from the village officer stating the parents had handed over the children to the child care home as they were unable to educate them. The society could not produce any documents in this regard,” said Mr. Hamza.

The city police is out on a bug hunt. The Bangalore City Police (BCP) is now asking for assistance from the city’s app developers after a section of iPhone users complained of not being able to use their apps. Bugs in some apps for the iOS platform have resulted in several users uninstalling the app or not using it at all. “We have three apps which have seen plenty of downloads on Google Play as well as Apple App Store. But many users have reported problems with the (recently launched) SurakshaBengaluru City Police app, when they use it on their iPhones,” said City Police Commissioner Praveen Sood. According to him, there have been nearly 10,000 downloads of the app from the Apple store, but around 7,000 users have chosen to uninstall it. “There are issues with receiving the one-time passwords (OTP) as well as other bugs which are spoiling the user experience. We have not been able to determine what exactly is wrong with the app design,” he said. On Sunday, another app, FindMyPoliceStation, which helps citizens locate the jurisdictional police station based on their GPS location, was launched. However, this is only for Android users currently. “We are having trouble with the app submission to Apple’s App Store. If someone can come forward and help us get this app running on iOS, it would be helpful,” Mr. Sood said. Developers say that it is much easier to get an app into the Google Play Store than the Apple App Store. “Getting an app accepted by Apple usually takes a week’s time. They also have a lot of restrictions on what tasks the app can perform,” said Rohit Singh, an app developer. A ND-ND

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6 NATION

NOIDA/DELHI

THE HINDU

MONDAY, MAY 22, 2017

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IN BRIEF

Leopard safaris put Rajasthan on tourist map Ashok Kumar

Railways mulling track cleanliness survey

Pali (Rajasthan)

Press Trust of India

Pali has become a popular hotspot for spotting the big cat, which is known to be a very shy and elusive animal otherwise

BJP does not support cow vigilantes: Irani NEW DELHI

The BJP does not support cow vigilantes or citizens taking law into their own hands, Union Minister Smriti Irani said at the India Today Editors Round table event here on Sunday. Asked about the ‘anti-Romeo’ squads and cow vigilante groups in U.P. after the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government came to power, Ms. Irani said: “Everyone should work within the ambit of law. If somebody flouts laws unconstitutionally they will not get support from the BJP.” PTI

Six killed, 34 injured as bus falls into pit in MP DINDORI

At least six persons were killed and 34 injured when a bus fell into a gorge near a village here early on Sunday morning, a police official said. The bus, which belonged to a private operator, was on its way to Dindori from Jabalpur when it fell into a ditch near the ghat section in Jogitikaria village around 4 a.m., said Kotwali police station incharge Shivlal Markam. The bus driver, meanwhile, fled from the spot after the accident. PTI

Property dealer shot dead in Aligarh ALIGARH

A property dealer was gunned down by unidentified assailants when he was sitting in his car outside a restaurant on Marris road here, the police said on Sunday. Dhiraj Singh, who was a close aide to former SP legislator Rakesh Singh, was shot dead last night in the posh Civil Lines area, they added. No one has been arrested yet, the police said. The incident comes after two jewellers were killed during a robbery in Mathura on May 15. PTI

CM YK

New Delhi

For over a decade, Patik Patel, an Ahmedabad-based wildlife photographer, has been a regular visitor to Sheoganj in Rajasthan. The area — dotted with low hills and lacking in vegetation — is the place to be if one wants to spot some leopards, the most shy and elusive among the big cats. There are 30-40 sites in neighbouring Pali district — situated in the middle of the Kumbhalgarh-Mount Abu corridor of the Aravallis — where one can sight leopards. The popular among them are located in villages such as Perwa, Jivda, Bisalpur, Sena, Mori, Raghunathpura, Kothar, Velar, Chamunderi and Lundara. As a result, leopard safaris have become common in these areas.

‘Sighting guaranteed’ Sheoganj-based Hotel Woodland, started in 1996, is a pioneer in leopard safari in this region.Its owner, Gopal Singh, claimed that tourists never go back disappointed. “This region has a far better sighting rate for leopards compared to national parks or sanctuaries. This is because it has a lot of barren hills,” said Mr. Singh. A wildlife enthusiast, Mr. Singh recced the area for two years before conducting safaris. Another operator, Thakur Devi Singh Ranawat, a descendant of Maharana Pratap, started the Leopard Lair Resort in Bera village around the same time. Devi Singh’s brother Thakur Baljeet Singh followed in his footsteps to convert his ancestral haveli into “Castle Bera -- A Heritage Home Stay”, one of the most sought-after resorts in the region. Many more followed suit over the few years. Harsh Vardhan, an envir-

Widening its sanitation drive, the Indian Railways will now carry out a cleanliness survey of tracks on busy routes and rank its 16 zones based on performance. The railways had recently released results of a similar survey of 407 stations, carried out by the Quality Council of India. All-out efforts will be made to keep the tracks clean as part of the government’s ongoing cleanliness campaign, said a senior railway ministry official.

On the prowl: There are as many as 30-40 sites in Pali district — situated in the middle of the KumbhalgarhMount Abu corridor of the Aravallis — where one can sight leopards. GOPAL SINGH *

onmentalist, told The Hindu that the leopards in this region mostly come from the sanctuaries in Kumbhalgarh and Mount Abu. Their population has also increased considerably due to good hideouts available in the hills and easy availability of food. “This region is full of granite hills, with cavities which act as good hideouts for the animals. For food,

they are dependent on cattle in the nearby villages. They also feed on rodents in the hills,” said Dr. Vardhan.

‘No man-animal conflict’ He pointed out that the most remarkable feature of the leopards in this region is that they have learnt to live in harmony with humans. “The leopards in this region live in harmony with the villagers. They hardly

prey on sheep, and instead feed on chicken, peacocks, rodents and dogs. Also, it does not need as much food as a tiger requires,” said Dr.Vardhan, who has worked extensively on leopards. Nandu, a resident of Badla village, said they have become accustomed to sighting leopards. “Every village in a way supports a bunch of five-six leopards who frequent the area in the dark to prey on cattle or dogs and quench their thirst at handpumps and wells. But the instances of human-leopard conflict are unheard of in this region,” he said. Aslam, an auto-rickshaw driver in Jawai Bandh in Pali district, claimed that the animals often stray into the railway station and the bus stop. Dr. Vardhan said the forest department should

declare the region a community reserve. “It is not a forest land, but the forest department should declare it a community reserve. At present, there are no fixed timings for tourists to visit these areas. Those conducting leopard safaris use search lights, disturbing the predator, the villagers and the cattle,” he said. Chief Conservator Forest, Udaipur, Rahul Bhatnagar, claimed that 19.58 square km area in the region around Jawai Bandh was declared a leopard conservation reserve, but the locals claimed that the animals are mostly found outside this area. Mr. Bhatnagar further said there was a proposal from the then collector to declare community land as community reserve.

Impending challenges The decision, however, was met with stiff resistance from locals, hoteliers and the mining mafia. Ten licences were also granted for mining in the area a year ago, but the government later withdrew them realising that it was a leopard landscape. The mat-

ter is still in court. The safari operators in the region, meanwhile, have several challenges to overcome. A new entrant, “Jawai Leopard Camp”, started over two years ago, has purportedly kicked off a monopoly battle in the area. “Its entry has been a boon as its owners invite the foreign media, putting the region on the tourist map. The operators, however, have taken several safari sites on lease, gaining exclusive rights for themselves,” said Mr. Baljeet Singh. Another challenge is a new safari hotspot in Jaipur called Jhalana. The safari operators said the region has no less potential as a tourist hotspot than Jaipur, with Udaipur and Mount Abu not very far away from it, but poor connectivity is hurting its prospects. “The region could do better if the area is connected to Goa by rail. The travel agents in Goa promise us more business provided there is better connectivity,” said Shatrunjay Singh, another leopard safari operator in the region.

Human waste a concern Railway tracks at many stretches resemble garbage dump with leftover food, plastic bottles and paper boxes strewn all over. Discharge of human waste from trains is also a cause for concern. The official said accumulation of garbage and human waste from open-discharge toilets were damaging the tracks. Mechanised system In fact, several railway divisions have pressed into service a mechanised system for cleaning of tracks near stations. Besides, installation of bio-toilets in several trains has reduced discharge of human waste on the tracks. The Indian Railways is the third largest rail network in the world, covering 66,000 km and having more than 8,000 stations. It was after the launch of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan on October 2, 2014, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the railways launched ‘Swachh Rail, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’. The railways has also made operational a ‘Swachh Rail’ portal to showcase cleanliness rankings of various stations.

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THE HINDU

NATION 7

NOIDA/DELHI

MONDAY, MAY 22, 2017

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Over the top

Jamsenpa scripts history, scales Everest twice in 5 days Mother of two becomes irst Indian woman to reach mountain top for ifth time

Kajol may lose Prasar Bharati membership NEW DELHI

Press Trust of India

Bollywood actor Kajol may cease to be a member of the Prasar Bharati board for giving crucial meetings a miss. She was appointed a part-time member of the board, which oversees the functioning of public broadcasters All India Radio and Doordarshan, last year. According to the provisions of the Prasar Bharati Act, members absent without taking permission for three consecutive board meetings are understood to have “vacated the office”.

Itanagar

Luxurious Tejas Express to be flagged off today MUMBAI

The much-awaited Tejas Express with ultra-modern amenities on board like LED TV, wi-fi, CCTV et al will be flagged off from the city to Goa by Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on Monday. “Tomorrow [Monday] is going to be a historic day for the Indian Railways when Tejas Express will make its maiden run from Mumbai,” D. K. Sharma, general manager of the Central Railway, said on Sunday. He likened Tejas Express with an “aeroplane moving on the ground.” PTI

2 boys stripped, paraded for ‘stealing’ food item THANE

Two minor boys were stripped and paraded with garlands of slippers for allegedly stealing a food item from a sweet shop in Thane, the police said on Sunday. The shop owner and his two sons were arrested after the incident that took place in Ulhasnagar on Saturday, they said. Police said the act was filmed by one of the accused and uploaded on social media. The children, aged 8 and 9, allegedly picked up a packet of ‘chakli’ (a snack) without the owner’s permission and ate it. PTI

CM YK

Jam-packed: People travel on the roof of an overcrowded train at Patna on Sunday.

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PTI

Hardik, supporters tonsure heads before protest march Embark on two-day ‘justice yatra’ from Botad to Bhavnagar

‘My only aim’ The 32-year-old had achieved the feat of summiting Mount Everest twice within 10 days in 2011. Ms. Jamsenpa had also climbed it in 2013 from the Nepal side. “My only aim now is to

Special Correspondent Ahmedabad

The Patidar quota agitation leader Hardik Patel and his supporters got their heads tonsured on Sunday before embarking on a two dayyatra from Botad to Bhavnagar to seek justice for members of the community subjected to police atrocities during the agitation and afterwards. On Saturday evening, Mr. Hardik held a massive rally in which thousands of Patidars turned up at Botad where they openly vowed to “avenge” the injustice the State BJP government inflicted upon the community when it had asked for quota in education and government jobs.

Political campaign The 23-year-old leader and 50 members of his Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti got their heads shaved as a mark of protest at Lathidad village during

Climber Anshu Jamsenpa on Sunday scripted history by scaling Mount Everest twice within five days. Ms. Jamsenpa, a mother of two, had conquered the world’s highest peak for the fourth time on May 16 last. The mountaineer from Arunachal Pradesh began her double ascent on Friday morning, her husband Tsering Wange said. Ms. Jamsenpa, along with Nepali climber Furi Sherpa, scaled the peak at 8 a.m. on Sunday. She set the world record for becoming the first woman climber to reach the top of Mount Everest twice within five days. She is also the first Indian woman to reach the top of the mountain for the fifth time.

New heights: Ms. Jamsenpa unfurls the Tricolor on Mt. Everest on May 16. PTI

Ex-Miss India inalist shifted

Navy team reaches top

Press Trust of India

Press Trust of India

Kathmandu

New Delhi

At least six persons, including former Miss India finalist Sangeeta S. Bahl, 52, were on Sunday evacuated from the higher camps of Mount Everest after they suffered from high-altitude sicknesses while attempting to climb the world’s highest peak.

A group of Navy personnel on Sunday conquered the Mount Everest, 50 years after the peak was first scaled by Navy climbers. The feat comes a day after B.M. Sharma became the first Defence Civilian of the Indian Navy to scale the world’s highest peak.

cent expedition from Guwahati on April 2 this year.

Balcony is a small platform above the 8,000-m mark considered the mountain’s “death zone.” Chhewang Sherpa, Managing Director at Arun Treks, said Kumar climbed the mountain at 1:28 p.m. on Saturday.

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unfurl the national flag once again atop Mount Everest and pay homage to Lord Buddha. I seek blessings and support from my fellow countrymen,” Ms. Jamsenpa was quoted by her PR manager as having said before starting her second ascent. Prayers were organised in monasteries and temples back home in Arunachal and elsewhere in the region. Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama had flagged off the mountaineer’s double as-

Indian goes missing An Indian climber has gone missing on Mount Everest after successfully scaling it, officials in Nepal said. Ravi Kumar from Moradabad in U.P. had gone out of contact with the Balcony area, the final resting spot before climbers ascend the south summit of the mountain, after he was descending to lower camps. The

American dies An American climber died on his way to the summit of Mount Everest, expedition organisers said. The 50-yearold mountaineer died close to the Balcony.

Haryana reverses order on felling of trees Staff Reporter GURUGRAM

Heading a stir: Hardik Patel gets his head tonsured in protest against the Gujarat government in Bhavnagar on Sunday. PTI *

their “March for Justice.” “Along with the 50 PAAS members, I decided to get our heads shaved to highlight the atrocities committed by this government on our community in the last two years. Now, we are embarking on the Nyay Yatra to seek justice,” Mr. Patel said. “During this two-day Nyay Yatra, we would pass through 50 villages en route from Botad to Bhavnagar.

This is the beginning of our political campaign ahead of the Assembly polls in Gujarat,” Mr. Patel said. This comes a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to be in Gujarat on a two-day visit during which he will attend the annual general meeting of African Development Bank in Gandhinagar and inaugurate certain developmental projects.

In less than 24 hours after the Haryana government passed an order exempting kikar and mesquite trees from the preview of the Punjab Land Preservation Act, 1990, posing a grave threat to green over in Aravallis mountain range in South Haryana, the order was withdrawn on Saturday saying

that it was “misinterpreted”. In its order dated May 19, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Haryana, P.P. Bhojvaid had categorised kikar and mesquite along with trees such as amrood, eucalyptus, tut and bamboo to exempt from the preview of the Act which meant that no permission was required to cut them. The order had, however, led to strong op-

position from the green activists claiming that it would lead to an open season on the forest cover of the Aravalli hills and on the forest cover of Haryana. “It would have led to fait accompli situation whereby owners of privatised Aravalli common lands could clear the entire landholdings on the basis of the exempt tree order, and then claim that as

there were no trees on their lands, their land was not deemed forest as per dictionary meaning and hence the forest Act would not apply,” said environmental analyst Chetan Agarwal. In the wake of the order, green activists had expressed fear that real estate companies that had built up land banks would be the prime beneficiaries of this.

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8 EDITORIAL

NOIDA/DELHI

THE HINDU

MONDAY, MAY 22, 2017

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Addressing the court within India must use this initial victory at The Hague to appeal to our own inest sense of conscience

I

t is arguably the logical consequence of the 2014 Supreme Court order declaring all coal block allocations made since 1993 illegal and arbitrary. The conviction of three Coal Ministry oicials, including former Secretary H.C. Gupta, marks the irst case in which individual criminal liability has been ixed on public servants in the coal block scam. Two previous trials had ended in convictions, but those held guilty were oicials of private companies who had deceived the authorities into allotting them blocks. Mr. Gupta was the chairperson of the screening committee that recommended allocations. It functioned for years without regard for guidelines, norms or transparency, until the apex court halted its irregular run. He and two other public servants have been found guilty of abusing their positions to procure a coal block for Kamal Sponge Steel and Power Limited. While it was fairly clear that the screening committee route was only a mechanism to push through the applications of all and sundry for coal blocks, especially under the irst UPA government, it was not certain if it could be proved beyond reasonable doubt that public servants had manipulated the system to their advantage. Special CBI Court Judge Bharat Parashar has now ruled that Coal Ministry oicials deliberately allowed an incomplete application from an ineligible company to be taken up for consideration. Far from ‘screening’ applications, he inds that the accused actually let all applications pass without any checking so that “they will have an open ield to arbitrarily exercise their discretion in favour of any company”. The verdict is a studied indictment of government processes, or the lack of processes, during the period. Looking at the prosecution charges and the defence claims, it appears there was little clarity on whether the guidelines were being adhered to. The former Secretary and Joint Secretary said in their defence they could not verify applications for completeness and eligibility, as it was the job of the section concerned. The section says this is the job of the administrative ministry or the State government to which applications are forwarded. Other omissions include the failure to evolve any inter se criteria to decide eligibility, or to do any veriication either before or after the screening committee recommended allocations to the Minister. Whether there was a conspiracy between the oicials and the company and whether the prosecution proved that these omissions amounted to deliberate abuse of their positions will be matters that will, no doubt, be taken up on appeal; but the signiicance of the verdict is that it may become a benchmark for other ongoing prosecutions on similar lines. The case also raises questions about the role and responsibility of a Secretary to the government, who is not only the administrative head of a department but also an adviser to the Minister on matters of policy.

suhrith parthasarathy y itself, the International Court of Justice’s order, delivered on May 18, imposing provisional measures injuncting Pakistan from executing an Indian national, Kulbhushan Jadhav, is entirely unexceptional. The ICJ has merely arrived at a prima facie satisfaction — based on an analysis at irst sight — that it possesses the power to rule on India’s application, and that India’s rights, under the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, have plausibly been violated by Pakistan’s detention, trial and ultimate sentencing to death of Jadhav. There is now a worry, not without cause, that Pakistan may not comply with the ICJ’s direction, despite its explicitly binding status. What’s more, the internationalisation of the dispute potentially comes with its political ramiications for India. But much as all these considerations can serve as a basis for cynicism, we mustn’t despair at India’s choice. Its victory, impermanent as it may ultimately prove to be, must be celebrated for what it is: a vindication of the rule of law.

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Dispelling old concerns Too often ontological concerns encumber the study of international law — questions tend to revolve around whether international law is really law at all, and, if so, whether its principles even matter. Despite consistent empirical evidence which shows that international law positively inluences state behaviour, these questions, seeped in scepticism, somehow never seem to go away. India’s choice of the ICJ as a legitimate site for dispute resolution, even if it was borne out of self-interest, can help dispel some of these age-old concerns. But for that to happen, India must take on the additional

T

he resounding victory of President Hassan Rouhani, who had sought re-election on a platform of moderation and engagement with the outside world, is a strong endorsement by the Iranian people for political change. He won one of the most polarised elections in Iran’s recent history, one in which the clerical establishment backed a candidate who was running against a sitting President. The hardliners rallied behind Ebrahim Raisi, who challenged Mr. Rouhani’s economic policies, slammed his outreach to the West and even lung corruption allegations against him. Still Mr. Rouhani won 57% of the vote against Mr. Raisi’s 38.5%. In 2013, Mr. Rouhani was an accidental candidate of the moderates. It was a time when the moderate movement had not recovered from the 2009 crackdown by the state apparatus after Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s controversial re-election. Then both the moderates and centrists led by former President Akbar Rafsanjani backed Mr. Rouhani as a consensus candidate. This time there was no Rafsanjani; Mr. Rouhani fought on his own. During the campaign, he assailed Iran’s deep state in a way no sitting President had done. He reached out to women and the ethnic and religious minorities. The numbers suggest a vast majority of Iranians repose great faith in this cleric who promises them hope and change. Now that he has won, the spotlight turns on the challenges ahead. In the irst term, Mr. Rouhani treaded cautiously. His focus was on the nuclear negotiations Iran was undertaking with six world powers and he was averse to upsetting the conservative establishment. His record in ofering more civil liberties fell short of expectations as young Iranians are still waiting for meaningful changes in the clergy-deined social order. The reformist politicians who were put under house arrest in 2011 are still not free, and Mr. Rouhani hardly spoke for them during his irst term. And unemployment has not eased under his government. Now that the nuclear deal is done and he has a second term, it is time for Mr. Rouhani to act boldly. It is unrealistic to expect radical changes in a society that is tightly controlled by the Ayatollahs. Though the President is the highest elected oicial of the republic, real powers lie in the hands of the Supreme Leader. Any attempt to introduce rapid changes will meet with strong resistance from the deep state. But Presidents can pursue a gradualist reform agenda with popular support. Over the years, Iranian civil society, working within several constraints, has kept the moderate current that powers this reform agenda alive, in sharp contrast to several other countries in West Asia where elections are a sham and dissent is a crime. Mr. Rouhani’s biggest challenge is to respond to this current constructively, by launching gradual reforms at home that ofer more civil liberties and better economic opportunities to the people. CM YK

the other country, but also the right of visiting the detained individual, and arranging for legal representation, if the détenu so desires. It is India’s case that these privileges were denied to it. Pakistan alleges that the Convention’s privileges were not only inapplicable, but that the ICJ, in any event, lacks the jurisdiction to decide the dispute. Or, in other words, the court, it says, does not possess the power to make a legal determination on the dispute. Ordinarily, rows between nations can be taken to the World Court only if both parties consent to the court’s jurisdiction. In this case, however, India relies on Article 36(1) of the Statute of the ICJ which accords to the court the power to decide disputes arising out of treaties or conventions that speciically vest the court with compulsory jurisdiction. The Vienna Convention, through an optional protocol that both India and Pakistan are signatories to, is one such agreement.

ICJ in the picture As India has pointed out in its application, the ICJ has, at least in two notable instances, entertained applications under Article 36(1) of its statute for breaches of the Vienna Convention. In 2001, the court ruled that the United States had violated its obligations to Germany in denying consular access to the LaGrand brothers, citizens of Germany who had been convicted and sentenced to death in the state of Arizona. Similarly, in the Avena case in 2004, the court ruled that

ical question, for now, though remains this: will Pakistan obey the court’s provisional measures? Should it choose to ignore the order, it can glean much from the American experience. The U.S., after all, went ahead in executing one of the LaGrand brothers despite an explicit injunction from the ICJ, prohibiting it from carrying out the death sentence, pending a inal adjudication. Ultimately, in 2005, the U.S. withdrew altogether from the Optional Protocol, which grants the ICJ compulsory jurisdiction over claims made under the Vienna Convention.

A glass already half full When we see naked expressions of power such as this, it’s easy to conclude that international law exists in vacuity, that its principles aren’t merely lawed but that they are also law only in their name. However, we can still see the present proceedings as a tunnel that ends with the optimistic light of day. Even if Pakistan were to disregard the ICJ’s order, the case shows us that there do exist concrete sources — a treaty in this case — which impose an ethical duty on nation-states to follow the rule of law. It allows us to consider what the scholar Thomas M. Franck described as “post-ontological” questions, to address not whether international law really is law, but the more normative concerns over how best to enforce its commands. We must therefore use this opportunity to shun scepticism, and appeal to our inest sense of conscience. We can only do this by resisting a push for greater governmental freedom at the domestic level, which invariably tends to carry itself into the sphere of international relations, where our own obligations — think climate change, customary refugee law, fundamental human rights, among others — often stand breached. To set the right moral example we must start from within. Suhrith Parthasarathy is an advocate practising at the Madras High Court

An opportunity being drained away Sound policies on wastewater treatment and use are vital to sustainable development

Rouhani’s moment His emphatic re-election as Iran’s President gives the reformist agenda a chance

responsibility that comes with its choice, to show us that it possesses the moral authority to charge other nations with a breach of the law. To achieve this, we must drive the Indian government towards greater domestic compliance with its own obligations under both treaty and customary law alike, to demonstrate that our own sense of conscience is stirred by the mandates of the world order. First, though, let’s consider the facts of the present dispute, as they are. Although India and Pakistan disagree over the precise nature of who Mr. Jadhav is and where he was arrested, the crux of India’s case, which Pakistan hasn’t particularly disputed on facts, is this: that Mr. Jadhav was denied consular access, despite numerous requests from India. Pakistan claims that these actions do not breach the Vienna Convention, as Jadhav was involved in espionage and sabotage. India submits that the treaty creates no such exception and that the denial of consular access is an infringement for which Pakistan must make reparations. To this end, India has sought, among other things, an order that would declare the sentence of the Pakistani military court as violating Article 36 of the Vienna Convention, which both countries as parties are bound by. This provision deines the rights granted to consular oicials, with a view to helping them exercise their consular functions. Speciically, it accords a privilege to oicials to not only freely communicate with any national of its state detained in

prakash nelliyat

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ach year a speciic aspect of water is highlighted while observing International World Water Day (March 22); this year’s theme was “wastewater”, which is deined as any water that has been adversely afected in quality by anthropogenic inluences and as a result of domestic, industrial, commercial and agricultural activities. In recent decades, population growth, accelerated urbanisation and economic development have resulted in an increase in the quantity of wastewater and the overall pollution load being generated. Most of our freshwater sources are under threat. When public awareness of pollution is limited, the cost of pollution to our health and the ecosystem is huge. The victims are generally the poor or socially vulnerable communities, and the end result is a high inancial burden on the community and government.

Water facts Globally, over 80% of the wastewater generated goes back to the ecosystem without being treated or re-

used. Another fact is that 1.8 billion people use drinking water contaminated with faeces which increases their risk of contracting cholera, dysentery, typhoid and polio. Also, 663 million people still lack access to improved drinking water sources. The opportunities for exploiting wastewater as a resource are enormous. Safely managed wastewater is an afordable and sustainable source of water, energy, nutrients and other recoverable materials. The beneits to our health, and in terms of economic development and environmental sustainability, business opportunities and ‘green’ jobs far outweigh the costs of wastewater management. By 2030, the global demand for water is expected to grow by 50%. Most of this demand will be in cities. In low-income areas of cities/ towns within developing countries, a large proportion of wastewater is discharged directly into the surface water drain, without or with limited treatment. Traditional wastewater treatment plants may not remove certain pollutants. In India, about 29,000 million l/day (mld) of waste water is generated from class-I cities and class-II towns, out of which about 45% (about 13,000 mld) is generated from metro cities alone. A collection system exists for only about

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Hack it yourself The bold decision by the Election Commission to throw an open challenge to political parties to prove their claims that EVMs can be tampered with should take the wind out of the sails of parties such as the Aam Aadmi Party, whose top leaders have been shouting themselves hoarse levelling allegations (“EVM hackathon from June 3”, May 21). A constitutional body such as the ECI opting to nail the lie of the doubting Thomases is an unprecedented step in Indian electoral history. The EC’s stock will certainly rise once it succeeds in putting all doubts to rest. Some of our political parties are in for a shock. C.V. Aravind, Bengaluru

■ While it is obvious for anyone losing to cry foul,

achieved despite legislative and policy measures being introduced with huge budgets to solve water pollution issues. Water pollution is not a major topic of political debate as yet.

GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO

The coal block allocation case may become a benchmark for other ongoing prosecutions

GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO

Coal comeuppance

the U.S. had failed to comply with the Vienna Convention in several instances involving Mexican nationals. The court here directed the U.S. to review and reconsider its convictions and sentences, in a manner that would take into account the breaches made of the treaty. Pakistan, for its part, has resisted references to LaGrand and Avena. It claims that the two countries are governed by a 2008 bilateral agreement on consular access, which efectively exempts Pakistan from its obligations under the Vienna Convention, and which also ousts altogether the ICJ’s jurisdiction. More ominously, however, it argues that the Vienna Convention does not apply when a person has been detained for ofences involving espionage or terrorism, as concerns over national security always trump the demands of consular relations. The ICJ is yet to rule conclusively on any of these arguments. It has only granted India provisional measures pending a inal adjudication. But, on any reasonable inal consideration, Pakistan’s arguments ought not to pass muster. The 2008 bilateral understanding between the countries no doubt imposes particular responsibilities on them, but by no means does it relieve either country from its obligations under the Vienna Convention. As the opinions in LaGrand and Avena make clear, once a foreign national is arrested the state making the arrest has a duty to allow the consular oicials of the sending state to visit the détenu and to render to him all the assistance that he needs. It’s easy to see that Pakistan is in breach of this fundamental obligation. Its endeavour to wriggle out of this responsibility citing concerns over national security is also likely to fail. Were such an argument to be accepted, it would potentially lead to a most dangerous situation, where countries can ignore their consular obligations purely because they consider the sending state an enemy. Whichever way the ICJ’s decision might eventually go, the crit-

30% of the wastewater through sewer lines, while treatment capacity exists for about 7,000 mld. Industrial water consumption accounts for 22% of the global water used. The industrial sector in India discharges around 30,730 million cubic metres of eluents, without proper treatment, into waterbodies. Unfortunately, most common eluent treatment plants are not performing satisfactorily due to improper operations and maintenance. Run-of from agriculture ields is another major source of pollution. India, with 17% of the world’s population, 4% of water resources and 2.4% of land area, extracts water signiicantly for various developmental purposes. Hence, the water low or storage capacity of water bodies has declined substantially, adversely afecting their waste assimilation/sink functions. Past experience shows that signiicant progress has not been

Management strategies There is suicient evidence to suggest that the problem, though complex, is solvable. While it is not realistic to aim for zero water pollution, a level of socially acceptable pollution, respecting the integrity of ecosystems and service provision, can be reached. At the national and regional levels, water pollution prevention policies should be integrated into non-water policies that have implications on water quality such as agriculture and land use management, trade, industry, energy, and urban development. Water pollution should be made a punishable ofence. The efectiveness and power of the “polluter pay principle” should be considered. Various policies, plans and strategies to protect water resources should be participatory, allowing for consultation between government, industry and the public. At the local level, capacity building enables the community to make decisions and disseminate them to the appropriate authorities, thus inluencing political processes. Market-based strategies

such as environmental taxes, pollution levies and tradable permit systems should be implemented, and can be used to ight against or abate water pollution. Incentive mechanisms such as subsidies, soft loans, tax relaxation should be included in installing pollution management devices. In industrial pollution management, technological attempts should be made through cleaner production-technology. Sophisticated pollution management technology developed overseas should be introduced in India. The application of eco-friendly inputs such as biofertilizers and pesticides in agriculture and the use of natural dyes in textile industries can reduce the pollution load considerably. Since fresh water is increasingly getting scarce, wastewater generated in urban areas can be used for sub-urban agriculture, industry, and even sanitation and certain domestic applications after treatment. Wastewater need not be a burden any longer but an asset instead. Prakash Nelliyat works with the Centre for Biodiversity Policy and Law, National Biodiversity Authority, Chennai. Statistical references are from various published papers and the insights from a recent paper by the writer. The views expressed are personal. E-mail: [email protected]

Letters emailed to [email protected] must carry the full postal address and the full name or the name with initials.

the EC’s attempt to be transparent should also be used as an occasion to make the political parties concerned apologise should they be proved wrong. With the VVPAT EVMs inding a place in the next Assembly and general elections, one hopes that the trend of ridiculing the EC and EVMs will end. Praveen Patavardhan, Bengaluru

Political alignments After the initial high, O. Panneerselvam now inds his political path riddled with potholes as events are not falling into place as expected. (“OPS camp hints at pact with BJP, retracts”, May 21). The confused attempts to patch up with the Edappadi Palanisami (EPS) faction emanate from a lack of clarity on the way forward. It is diicult for a party to survive solely on

the basis of issues such as “keeping away a particular family” or ordering an inquiry into the circumstances around Jayalalithaa’s demise. As long as the EPS faction has the majority, Chief Minister Palanisami should be allowed to rule. The next elections are some years away and taxpayer money should not be wasted. Corrupt and ineicient governments running their full term is not new either as long as they have the numbers. People will get an opportunity to decide who should govern them. Since both factions have the same ideology, Mr. Panneerselvam should try and get back with the ruling group. V. Subramanian, Chennai

Bobbitised Society needs shock

treatments periodically (“Kerala girl cuts godman’s genitals, ends eight-year ordeal”, May 21). The incident may sound bizarre but such a case is bound to happen when there is progressive moral degradation. What sort of a spiritual guide was he? V. Lakshmanan, Tirupur, Tamil Nadu

Blockbuster As an ordinary cine-goer who watched the ilm “Baahubali 2”, I think that apart from the graphics or spectacular visuals that the ilm ofers, the main thing that made the ilm a grand success is its story which is set away from the harsh realistic world that we live in. It is an escape from the challenges, insecurities and fears that we face in day-today life and of being part of a complex and corrupt society. It is one ilm where

you don’t have to explain to your children about the bad things in life. The director has even upheld respecting women by including a scene where Baahubali chops of the head of a security guard who misbehaves with women. We have not had an Indian superhero for a long time, even after the Shaktimaan era. “Baahubali” has given us one. When we laud

Hollywood ilms such as “Gladiator” or “Troy”, even calling them “classic”, why not appreciate it when Indian cinema makes a similar attempt (“The Bali of Cinema” and “Very Worst Graphics”, The Hindu Magazine, May 14 and May 21, respectively)? Neethu S. Nair, Palakkad

more letters online: www.hindu.com/opinion/letters/

corrections & clarifications: A sentence in the story headlined “A spectre is haunting GOP lawmakers” (May 21, 2017) read: “... in Virginia, Dave Brat could hardly have a word tossed above the din that didn’t stop until he did not stop;” It should have been until he stopped. Wrong headline: It was not Netlix that was heckled at Cannes as given in a Life page (May 19, 2017) headline. It was actually the Cannes projection team which was booed for wrong aspect ratio. The correct headline is: “Cannes projection team booed at Okja première”. It is the policy of The Hindu to correct signiicant errors as soon as possible. Please specify the edition (place of publication), date and page. The Readers’ Editor’s office can be contacted by Telephone: +91-44-28418297/28576300 (11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday); Fax: +91-44-28552963; E-mail:[email protected]; Mail: Readers’ Editor, The Hindu, Kasturi Buildings, 859 & 860 Anna Salai, Chennai 600 002, India. All communication must carry the full postal address and telephone number. No personal visits. The Terms of Reference for the Readers’ Editor are on www.thehindu.com A ND-ND

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THE HINDU

OPED 9

NOIDA/DELHI

MONDAY, MAY 22, 2017

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Cool down the rhetoric

FROM THE READERS’ EDITOR

The U.S. will gain little by turning India into an adversary on climate change issues

U.S. President Donald Trump’s accusation against India concerning the Paris Accord that “...the U.S. pays billions of dollars while China, Russia, and India have contributed (to pollution) and will contribute nothing” is inaccurate, misleading and unfair. In fact, India has walked with the U.S. from Stockholm to Paris via Rio de Janeiro, Kyoto and Copenhagen. New Delhi has fought for climate justice, equity and fairness all the way, demanding that developing countries should be entitled to maintain and increase their greenhouse gas emissions for survival and developed countries should mandatorily cut their luxury emissions. At the same time, India has also been sensitive to the constraints of the U.S. and the other industrialised nations in reducing emissions. Indira Gandhi had exposed the Western efforts to impose environmental colonialism at the Stockholm Conference in 1972 and declared that “poverty is the worst polluter” and demanded that “the polluter must pay”. But she had also conceded that development should be sustainable. India’s Chandrashekhar Dasgupta and U.S.’s Al Gore worked together for the historic agreements in Rio de Janeiro, which led to the signing of the Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC) in 1992.

Grand Rio bargain The concept of “common, but differentiated responsibilities” led to the identification of Annex I countries, which agreed to mandatory cuts. The idea that developed countries should meet the “incremental costs” of developing countries using environmentfriendly technologies was another element in the grand bargain at Rio. Huge commitments were made not only for financial support, but also for technology transfer at concessional prices. The fine balance struck by India and the U.S. culminated in the Agenda 21, raising hopes for a renaissance in the areas of both environment and development. When the U.S. and other developed countries — particularly Japan, Canada, Australia and New Zealand — began to renege on their commitments and began demanding mandat-

GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO

T.P. Sreenivasan

ory cuts from China, India and Brazil during the Berlin negotiations (1995), India did not dismiss their demands out of hand. It accommodated various mechanisms to reduce the burden of the developed world. For this reason, the Kyoto Protocol had a reasonable chance of success, but it was the U.S. that refused to sign it and started to wriggle out of every understanding reached. The whole approach was sought to be changed till the adoption of the Copenhagen Consensus, which was disowned by most of the developing countries. In Copenhagen, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh personally participated in the new understanding that all commitments would be voluntary and that the UN would only supervise and evaluate their implementation. This incurred the wrath of many developing countries. What remained was only a myth that the Kyoto Protocol was still alive and well and that the Rio spirit was intact. The much acclaimed Paris Accord was a requiem for Rio and all that the FCCC stood for. The whole value of the accord has been challenged by those who had worked tirelessly for an international consensus to save the planet. James Hansen, formerly the

chief climatologist of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), was forthright in his assessment: “It is a fraud really, a fake,” he said. “It is just b******* for them to say, ‘we will have a 2° Celsius warming target and try to do a little better every five years’. It is just worthless words. There is no action, just promises. As long as fossil fuels appear to be the cheapest fuel out there, they will continue to be burned.” By its very nature, the Paris Accord does not warrant the argument made by Mr. Trump. It contains no financial commitment from the U.S. or any other country except a vague offer of $100 billion after 2020. The Accord deals with the global commitments of countries regarding emissions, mitigation, adaptation and financing from 2020. The allegation that China, Russia and India are only contributing to pollution and not to climate change fund has no basis whatsoever. The essence of the Paris Accord is only a “strong agreement” to hold the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2° Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5° Celsius above pre-industrial

levels. But the “Nationally Determined Contributions” submitted so far make it clear that they will not be able to hold the increase to below 3° Celsius. The advantage that the U.S. and other developed countries have gained from the Paris Accord is that all economies, including China and India, are being made to take action on climate change without any commensurate guarantees from the former on funding and transfer of technology. The financial commitment that the U.S. has undertaken is only to change to new energy sources. Naturally, the cost of the switch will be more for the U.S. than for China or India and this cannot be considered as a payout. As eleven State Governors have written to President Trump, if the U.S. abandons its investments in climate change, India and China will benefit from the low-carbon leadership they acquire over time. By maintaining the momentum in global efforts, the U.S. will benefit through its own transition to clean energy. India had initially hesitated to ratify the Paris Accord out of fear that it might not be able to invest in clean energy like nuclear power, unless it gains entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group. Apparently, it ratified the accord on the basis of certain assurances in this regard from former U.S. President Barack Obama. India was seen as an adversary at the beginning of the Paris Conference, because of its championship of the Kyoto Protocol. It was only after it virtually abandoned Kyoto by saying that the world had to go beyond the failed agreements of the past that its status changed from that of a “challenge” to a “partner” in the eyes of the U.S. The New York Times’s cartoon showing India as the elephant stopping the Paris train in its tracks was not an exaggeration of the Indian position at the time of the beginning of the Paris conference. India may have eventually embraced the lesser evil of voluntary cuts for everyone rather than mandatory cuts for the main emitters, among which New Delhi itself might have been counted. The U.S. will gain little by turning India into an adversary once again at a time when a whole range of issues in India-U.S. relations are yet to be clarified and taken forward. Walking together on climate change will be beneficial to both. The writer was the vice-chairman of the Conference of Parties of the Framework Convention on Climate Change from 1992 to 1995 and Chairman of the G-77 at the Berlin Conference in 1995

The government and the media There is a symbiotic relationship between popular opinion and the focus of a daily, one that we must examine carefully no one to make them but us.” These stories, in a sense, gives us tools to evaluate the role of Indian newspapers in holding those in power accountable.

A.S. Panneerselvan For nearly a decade, the dispatches from the Columbia Journalism Review (CJR) were seen as a harbinger of the new challenges confronting journalism. It documented the crisis in the Western news media industry, it investigated how Silicon Valley companies are upending journalism, it examined the limitation of algorithm-driven journalism, it talked about the failure of the pay wall, and about filter bubbles and echo chambers created by social media and its debilitating influence on journalism. One anticipates its arrival in the mailbox with a sense of trepidation. However, its latest newsletter was a departure. It spoke about the best kind of newspaper war that is happening in the United States right now. It spoke about the competition of competence between the two major U.S. dailies — The New York Times and The Washington Post — in their series of investigative stories about the Donald Trump regime. The CJR writer observed: “It wasn’t that long ago that both papers were in dire straights. Back in 2013, while The Times was struggling to attract digital subscribers and tweaking its pay wall, Jeff Bezos’s purchase of The Post was seen by some as ‘quixotic adventurism’. Four years later, both outlets have stabilised their financial footing, and news consumers are reaping the benefits.”

Scrutinising the White House The close scrutiny of the White House affairs by the two newspaper majors was so intense that Margaret Sullivan, former Public Editor of NYT and the present media columnist for The Post, wrote: “The two papers have been answering each other’s major scoops like smitten teens volleying text messages.” And, to top it, last week also saw Kevin D. Williamson’s article in National Review, “The news ain’t fake,” that addressed the conservative audience who are distrustful of scoops from newspapers seen as left-leaning. He wrote: “We owe it to ourselves to take account of reality. And we owe it to the country, too. It is cheap, it is cowardly, and it is bad citizenship to simply shriek ‘fake news!’ every time reality forces a hard choice upon us. Living in a free, self-governing society means making a great many hard choices, and there is

FROM

SINGLE FILE

Mobilisation of forces in U.A.R. and Israel From the blue of the Mediterranean across the arid desert wasteland to the Gulf of Aqaba armed U.A.R. and Israeli soldiers continue their face-to-face confrontation. No incidents were reported along the 165-mile long frontier in the nearly 48 hours since the U.N. Emergency Force pulled out of its frontline buffer positions. Israel, having completed partial mobilisation of its armed forces – the biggest since the 1956 Sinai battle – is settling back for what could be a long period of waiting. Authoritative Israeli circles vowed that if trouble started it would have to come from the Arab side. But if it comes they are saying, “we can take care of ourselves, with or without U.N. help.” The military build-up in the area has hit high point on the eve of United Nations Secretary-General U Thant’s visit to Cairo on Monday [May 22] for an on-the-spot look at the situation with full mobilisation, including the call-up of reservists in U.A.R.

The movement empowered the women, but also feminised the men Ruchira Gupta

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Ruchira Gupta is an anti-traicking activist and founder of Apne Aap Women Worldwide

CM YK

ARCHIVES

FIFTY YEARS AGO MAY 22, 1967

Gender equality, the freedom struggle way

The Champaran trigger When on the famous day of April 16, 1917, Gandhiji was asked by the British sub-divisional magistrate to leave the district of Champaran, and cease recording the plight of indigo farmers, he refused and wrote two letters. In the irst, he asked a friend for volunteers, especially educated women volunteers, for the constructive action of running schools and ashrams where girls would be educated and hierarchies of caste, class and gender would be overcome. In the second letter, he stated his own civil disobedience: he would not leave Champaran without recording the plight of the farmers. By November, he had opened three girls’ schools and ashrams in Champaran. With the sustained help of these ashrams, an increasing number of volunteers completed and submitted a report on the pitiable condition of Indigo farmers to the British, who were forced to withdraw the unjust laws and ofer some redress. Emboldened with their success in the running of ashrams and schools, women during the freedom struggle began to participate in protest politics. They began to organise public meetings, unionise mill workers, picket liquor shops, boycott foreign goods and court arrest. Organising public meetings meant stepping out of the boundaries of home, unionising mill workers meant overcoming the purdah, boycotting foreign-made cloth meant spinning your own, going to jail and running ashrams meant overcoming caste restrictions. India’s national movement included an unprecedented number of women and ended up creating an unmatched number of women leaders. Eventually, these actions changed the women, but also feminised the men, who too learned to cook, clean, wash, spin, weave and stitch. This role reversal embodied the possibility of women doing men’s work and men doing women’s work; a shared humanity that replaced the gendered polarisation of the dominant and the dominated.

[email protected]

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In this time of toxic masculinity, we must recognise and learn from the successes of the past. Mahatma Gandhi consciously feminised India’s freedom struggle to win against the brute masculinity of British power. He saw his mother Putlibai and his wife Kasturba (in picture) use peaceful resistance against patriarchy at home. His mother would fast to put moral pressure on his father, and his wife would refuse any act that he asked her to do if she did not agree with it. He personally experienced the power that resists rather than destroys. He incorporated this knowledge into a political tool, satyagraha, that combined civil disobedience with constructive action. Not only was each activity in civil disobedience possible for women to do, because it was non-violent, but each act of constructive action was especially suited to women.

Evaluating the NDA government This week will mark the completion of three years in power of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The opinion about the performance of the government and that of the media is evenly divided. Those who support the present government, with an enviable presence on digital platforms, say that newspapers were unnecessarily critical of some of the historic decisions of the government. The other section feels that Indian newspapers have gone into a self-censorship mode and have failed to point out the gap between official rhetoric and the delivery of the official machinery. One criticism, by this section, against the media is that it is focussing more on the acts of omission and commission of the Opposition parties rather than that of the ruling dispensation. Over the next two weeks, this column will look at how Indian newspapers in general, and The Hindu in particular, reported on the government over the past three years. The views of the reading public play a vital role in defining the character of a newspaper’s coverage. There is a symbiotic relationship between popular opinion and the focus of a newspaper. The feedback loop works both ways, implicitly and explicitly. I solicit readers’ views on this crucial topic, which will form the backbone of my analysis. I have no hesitation in agreeing with Milan Kundera’s description of our perception of the present: “There would seem to be nothing more obvious, more tangible and palpable than the present moment. And yet it eludes us completely… Each instant represents a little universe, irrevocably forgotten in the next instant.” In this age of information glut — profound, profane, trivia and rumours — we need to take a pause and relook at what type of newspaper war is happening here? Where does the newspaper’s contrarian and adversarial role end and where does it become a force multiplier for the ruling party? I will restrict my analysis only to newspapers because news television is mimicking gladiatorial sport and that requires a different set of skills and language to explain its content.

A HUNDRED YEARS AGO MAY 22, 1917

“Broken coin” case CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

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CONCEPTUAL

SHELF HELP

Paradox of value

Making sense of the stock market

Economics A term that describes the phenomenon of the market price of goods essential to life, like water, being way lower than that of goods that are non-essential, like diamonds. It is also called the diamondwater paradox. Even though water is much more valuable to life than diamonds, its abundant availability — as compared to diamonds — causes its marginal value to buyers to be lower than that of diamonds. Hence, water usually costs much lesser than diamonds, unless there is a huge scarcity in its availability. In that case, both the marginal value and price of water would be way higher.

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MORE ON THE WEB

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The Cannes coverage http://bit.ly/IndiaatCannes

Books that teach about investing in stocks Prashanth Perumal

Got some money to invest in the stock market? Not sure if you should do it yourself or part your hardearned money with a money manager whose performance is very likely to be mediocre? Or just want to know if investing is your cup of tea? Whatever be the case, here are a some good books that can help you understand the fundamentals of investing, if not make you incredibly rich over time. F Wall Street, written by Joe Ponzio, a relatively unknown hedge fund manager, provides everything a beginner needs to know about investing. Unfortunately, it remains a hidden gem. The book provides a strong but accessible introduction to everything — from the philosophy of investing to how to value a business to keeping your patience. An equally good book is One Up on Wall Street, a bestseller by le-

gendary American money manager Peter Lynch. It describes the tale of how Mr. Lynch found stocks whose price multiplied manifold over the years. The book has been criticised for making investment look too simple, but it is likely to open your eyes to the incredible opportunities hidden in the stock market. Lastly, you’re never going to be a good investor until you understand the nuts and bolts of accounting. Sensible investing requires reading and making sense of annual reports,

which is impossible until you understand the language of business. It takes a little persistence, but in case you want to test the waters, Crash Course in Accounting and Financial Statement Analysis, written by Matan Feldman and Arkady Libman, provides a very accessible introduction to accounting for beginners. You’re likely to find a plunge into any introductory or intermediate accounting book a lot less daunting after this one. As a further mention, once you feel you can handle them, all four books written by accounting professors Charles W. Mulford and Eugene E. Comiskey should set you on course to learning everything you need to know about issues on advanced accounting and due diligence. After you’re done reading these books, you’re equipped with all that you need to analyse stocks in an expert manner. Happy investing!

At the Chief Court to-day was dismissed with costs the suit by Mr. Thomas Cochrane, New York Representative of the Universal Film Manufacturing Company Ltd., against Neikban Cinema Syndicate represented in Rangoon by Mr. E. Fernandes. The suit, pending for the last five months, was to restrain the defendant by injunction (which was recently granted by the Court) from exhibiting the picture film known as the `Broken Coin’ episodes Nos. 15 to 22. The plaintiff ’s counsel explained to the court that certain difficulties which had arisen owing to non-arrival of the affidavit of documents which his clients offered to file. It was presumed that they had been lost in sea in transit from America and his instructions were to allow the case to be dismissed. Moreover the agent (Krishna Das) who had filed the suit on behalf of the plaintiff had ceased relations with the plaintiff and difficulty arose as to who would make the affidavit of documents. CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

DATA POINT

A ND-ND

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10 NEWS

NOIDA/DELHI

THE HINDU

MONDAY, MAY 22, 2017

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FROM PAGE ONE

3 soldiers, 4 ultras killed in Handwara

BJP plays a waiting game Amit Shah says party is yet to decide on candidate for presidential polls keeping a sharp vigil, and the Valley had witnessed such unrest in the past and the situation got normalised back then, he said. The BJP national president also attacked the Congress for criticising the government, claiming that it had no right to do so as the Kashmir problem was an outcome of the policies of its governments since Independence.

Press Trust of India New Delhi

A policeman on Saturday evening decamped with four service rifles in central Kashmir’s Budgam district amid fears that the guns may have landed up with the active militants in south Kashmir. Identified as constable Syed Naved, a resident of Shopian district’s Nazninpora, the policeman was deployed at the Food Corporation of India’s guard room in Nasrullahpora village. Mr. Naved had joined the police in 2012. All the service rifles were self loading INSAS rifles. In

2015, a Peoples Democratic Party leader’s guard, Naseer Ahmad Pandit of the 11 battalion of J&K Armed Police, joined the Hizbul Mujahideen along with two service rifles. Meanwhile, Hizbul Mujahideen spokesman Burhanuddin claimed the policeman had joined his group. “Naveed is asset of this nation. We salute his valour. People like him will continue to join us,” he said. The latest incident has taken the number of service rifles looted in the past month to 14.

NIA cautious on Geelani probe The NIA is yet to find any evidence against Mr. Geelani in the said case. On the 2016 PE against Mr. Geelani, an NIA official said: “There were two bank accounts related to Geelani which are under the scanner. Lots of funds have been disbursed through it. We are finding out the source of funds. The pattern is suspicious. We are taking the help of financial analysts and bank officials in that case.” The NIA quizzed three Hurriyat leaders, Nayeem Khan, Farooq Ahmed Dar alias ‘Bitta Karate’ and Gazi Javed Baba of Tehreeke-Hurriyat, for the second day. Mr. Khan, the National Front chief, was seen on television during a sting op-

eration by India Today TV, confessing to having received money from Pakistan-based terror groups. On Saturday, Mr. Geelani suspended Mr. Khan’s membership from the Hurriyat until “clarification of all related issues comes to the fore.” “The NIA has collected details of 13 accused charge sheeted so far in the cases in the Valley in the recent past, pertaining to the damage caused to schools and public property as part of the larger conspiracy to perpetuate violence and chaos in Kashmir. The NIA is probing all aspects of funding of separatist leaders and use of these funds in fuelling unrest,” the NIA release said.

The BJP is yet to take a decision on its candidate for the presidential election, even as the party rejected the Shiv Sena’s proposal to nominate RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. Replying to a question on the BJP-led NDA’s candidate for the presidential polls in July as the Opposition was already working on putting up a joint candidate, BJP president Amit Shah said in a TV interview that a decision was yet to be taken. “Even if I have a name on my mind, it has to be discussed within the party first,” he said.

Bhagwat not in race He also rejected the Shiv Sena’s proposal regarding Bhagwat, saying the RSS had itself ruled out any such idea. To questions on Kashmir, Mr. Shah said there was no need for even an “iota of

Amit Shah concern” over the situation in the State which had witnessed months of unrest, and asserted that the Narendra Modi government would bring the situation under control. “There is a big gap between the reality and the projection” of the Kashmir situation and the trouble was confined to “three and a half districts”, he said. The government was

Jharkhand lynching Terming the lynching of seven persons in Jharkhand by a mob over abduction rumours an “isolated and stray incident” which happens in a country of 125 crore people, the BJP chief said it would not be appropriate to link such cases of violence to his party. People should look up the crime data to find out if cases of violence have increased under the BJP governments, he said. Ahead of the Modi govern-

ment’s third anniversary, the BJP president said it has won the people’s trust and added that the poor have the belief that it was working for their welfare.

Mass support In a democracy the “biggest certificate is the people’s verdict” and the masses have time and again underscored their support for the BJP-led NDA government, he said in a reference to the BJP’s win in several State elections. The Modi government has been able to rid the country of the politics of casteism, family rule and appeasement, and turned the focus on the politics of performance, the party president claimed. While the United Progressive Alliance government was accused of scams running into ₹12 lakh crore, even rivals of the NDA government have not levelled a single charge of corruption against it, Mr. Shah claimed.

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A house for ex-Presidents

Green energy target tough, say oicials

Restoring the shine: The 10 Rajaji Marg bungalow in Lutyens Delhi, where A.P.J. Abdul Kalam spent his post-presidential years, is undergoing renovation with the term of President Pranab Mukherjee coming to an end in July. The ground loor of the 11,776-sq.ft building has a library and an attached reading space. V.V. KRISHNAN *

“There are talks in the Ministry about what to do about this,” he said. “But at the moment, it looks unlikely that the government will meet the 175 GW target because of this segment, solar rooftops. Every other segment is moving on track.” The government had announced a target of 40 GW of rooftop solar by 2022, but had achieved only about 1.3 GW as of December 2016, which is a little more than 3% of the target. “On current trends, it does look like the rooftop solar target will be missed,” Arunabha Ghosh, CEO of the Council on Energy, Environment & Water told The Hindu. “The challenges for rooftop solar are different.

The first is that we don’t have financial institutions aggregating demand across a fundamentally disparate set of projects. Unless this is done, it will be difficult to attract the kind of investment needed.” The second issue, Mr. Ghosh said, was the de-risking of investment in the rooftop space. While this has been done for commercial solar projects, it has not been done for rooftop solar. The third problem is that there is no regulatory clarity on guaranteed payment by utilities on the net metering basis. “If these are addressed, then the investment in this area can significantly pick up,” Mr. Ghosh said.

Calm returns to Jamshedpur Anger over lynchings boils over

Under control: Police and RAF teams patrol a suburb of Jamshedpur city on Sunday. MANOB CHOWDHURY *

Special Correspondent Kolkata

No fresh violence was reported in Jamshedpur on Sunday after the lynching of seven people on Thursday, though anger and anxiety were palpable in certain areas of the town. “Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure were imposed from 10 p.m. on Saturday to 6 a.m. on Sunday. The situation is under control, and there is adequate deployment of security forces,” Amit Kumar, District Collector, East Singhbhum, told The Hindu. Eighteen people have been arrested in connection with the lynching and the violence, the Collector said. Tension broke out in the Jugsalai area when the last rites of Vikash Verma and Gautam Verma were performed. The brothers were lynched at Nagadih allegedly over rumours of child-lifting. Meetings were organised by community leaders to ease tensions. Iswar Soren, a tribal leader, held a meeting at Karandi on the outskirts of the city.

Twin episodes Four were lynched at Raj Nagar in Saraikela-Kharwawan district and three at Nagadih in the Bagbera police station limits. Those killed at Raj Nagar were Muslims, said to be cattle traders, while those in Nagadi were Hindus. “Fourteen persons have

Mamata names Will stop Godse memorial, 5 for Rajya Sabha says Maharashtra Minister Special Correspondent Kolkata

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee on Sunday announced five names, including two new faces, for nomination to the Rajya Sabha. Party national spokesperson Derek O’ Brien, Sukhendu Sekhar Roy and Dola Sen have been re-nominated to the House. The two other nominations are former Congress leader Manas Ranjan Bhuniya, who recently joined the Trinamool, and Santa Chettri, a former MLA from Gorkha National Liberation Front from the Hills

who had earlier joined the party.

Balancing act The nomination of Dr. Bhunia and Ms. Chettri is being considered in the political circles as a fine balancing act by Ms. Banerjee. On one hand, it is seen a message to the people in the Darjeeling hills that the Trinamool is nominating a representative from the region, while, on the other, it gives a clear indication that those joining Trinamool from other parties will be rewarded as per merit. Dr. Bhunia said he would abide by the instructions of the Chief Minister.

The Hindu Mahasabha is constructing the memorial Press Trust of India Mumbai

Leader of the House and Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrakant Patil on Sunday assured the Legislative Council that the government would take steps to stop the construction of a memorial of Nathuram Godse being built by an organisation in Saparde village near Kalyan in neighbouring Thane. The assurance came after Congress MLC Sanjay Dutt raised the issue via a point of propriety and demanded that the government ur-

gently intervene. As per reports, the Hindu Mahasabha is constructing the memorial of Godse, the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi, at the village, six km from Kalyan and land has been acquired for the purpose.

‘Real face’ “After coming to power by promising ‘sabka sath, sabka vikas’, the real face of the ruling government is coming to light, which proves that for them it is actually ‘Mann mein Ram, dil mein Nathuram (Lord Ram in mind, Nathuram in heart),” Mr.

Dutt said. “The fascist forces, who killed Mahatma Gandhi are now blatantly raising their heads once again to throttle Bapu’s ideals and teachings, while the government is turning a blind eye to it,” Mr. Dutt said. He said the Congress, along with all secular forces, would not allow it to happen, no matter what. “Nathuram’s memorial coming up in Kalyan is a blot on progressive Maharashtra and sends a very wrong message across India and even internationally,” the Congress MLC said.

been arrested from Mango in Jamshedpur town. While 10 of them were involved in stone-throwing on Saturday, four were behind orchestrating the violence on Saturday,” Mr. Kumar said. Violence broke out in Mango when members of the Muslim community called for a bandh protesting against the Raj Nagar incident. Certain shops were open in the area, leading to large-scale violence. The police and the administration have appealed to the people not to believe rumours. The State government announced a compensation of ₹2 lakh to the kin of each of the victims. Rumours of child-lifting gangs operating in certain parts of the State, including Jadugoda in East Singhbhum district, surfaced on WhatsApp on May 10. Senior officials told The Hindu there seemed to be a chain from where the WhatsApp messages originated. The police were trying to ascertain if the rumours were systematically floated as part of a conspiracy to destabilise law and order or were just acts of mischief. The local people said parents in certain areas stopped sending their children to school following the rumours. “While Facebook and other social media sites can be monitored it is difficult to keep a check on WhatsApp forwards,” a senior police official said.

Man held for ‘illegal entry’ into Pak. Press Trust of India Islamabad

An Indian national has been arrested here for not possessing travel and visa documents, a media report said on Sunday. Sheikh Nabi Ahmed from Jogeshwari East in Mumbai was taken into custody on May 19, The Express Tribune reported. The police said he was walking on Nazimuddin Road in Sector F-8 when he was stopped at a checkpost. The police demanded his visa documents after he told them that he was an Indian. He has been booked for illegal entry and stay in the country under Foreigners Act 1946.

Cong. seeks to repeat Punjab model 1,800 IAS oicers fail to disclose asset details Press Trust of India

Party’s Dalit outreach had garnered a majority of reserved seats in the Assembly Smita Gupta New Delhi

The success of the Congress’ Dalit outreach plan in the Punjab Assembly elections earlier this year has encouraged the party to attempt a repeat in the upcoming State polls in Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, K. Raju, who heads the party’s SC Cell said. In Punjab, of the 34 seats reserved for SCs, the Congress won 22, as well as a general seat for which it had fielded a Dalit candidate. In the 2012 elections, the party won just 10 reserved seats.

SP alliance fiasco The strategy however, failed in Uttar Pradesh, where, again the Congress’ SC Cell had carried out an extensive campaign specifically targetCM YK

K. Raju

ing Dalits. Party sources told The Hindu that while the failure was still being analysed, two things were apparent: one that the Congress’ alliance with the Samajwadi Party had failed completely, and two, the success of such an experiment would be determined by the general health of the party in that State.

There is also a sense that the presence of a powerful Dalit party in Uttar Pradesh, combined with the natural antagonism between Dalits and Yadavs — represented by the Samajwadi Party — and the eventual Hindu-Muslim polarisation would have come in the way. As one party source stressed, “We can’t work in isolation from the party not having the potential to win. It has to be part of a broader campaign and involve the Dalit leadership.”

One-on-one contact In the case of the six States now chosen, the Congress is in power in two, Karnataka and Himachal, and is the second party in the four other largely bipolar States. “We will activate the main Congress in every constituency, and conduct a silent

ground level campaign. We will choose six to 10 Dalit youth in every village to make person-to-person contact,” party sources said. In Punjab, where Dalits account for almost 32%, the Congress had kicked off with a convention for them in Amritsar in September last year. They had declared that 33% of chairmanships in the State would be exclusively reserved for Dalits. Additionally, the party had promised 300 units of free power would be provided to dalit households. In U.P., the party had conducted a Dalit Yatra through the State. The campaigns were centred round three issues critical to Dalits — shiksha or education, suraksha or security and swabhiman or self respect.

New Delhi

Over 1,800 IAS officers have not submitted details of their immoveable assets to the government within the timeframe this year. As per Department of Personnel and Training data, as many as 1,856 IAS officers have not submitted their returns for 2016. Of them, the highest of 255 such officers are from the Uttar Pradesh

cadre. As many as 153 are from Rajasthan, 118 from Madhya Pradesh, 109 from West Bengal and 104 from the AGMUT cadre. As per norms, civil services officers are also supposed to give details of their assets and liabilities to the government. Besides, the officers need to take prior permission from the Central government before accepting gifts worth more than

₹5,000. They also need to inform government if they accept gifts of over ₹25,000 from their relatives or friends, according to the rules. There are 82 IAS officers from Karnataka cadre, 81 from Andhra Pradesh, 74 from Bihar, 72 each from Odisha and AssamMeghalaya, 70 from Punjab, 67 from Maharashtra, 64 from Manipur-Tripura and

60 from the Himachal Pradesh cadre who have not submitted the IPR for 2016, according to the DoPT data. As many as 56 IAS officers of Gujarat cadre, 55 of Jharkhand, 52 from Haryana, 51 of J&K, 50 from Tamil Nadu, 43 of Nagaland, 38 of Kerala, 33 from Uttaranchal 29 from Sikkim and 26 from newly-formed Telangana have also not submitted their IPRs, it said.

CBI court to resume Ayodhya case trial today Press Trust of India Lucknow

The trial in the politicallysensitive 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case by a special CBI court will resume here on Monday, following a Supreme Court order to it to hear the case on a daily basis and deliver the verdict

in two years. The SC had on April 19 directed the special court to start the proceedings within a month. The CBI court during its first hearing in the State capital granted bail to five VHP leaders named as accused. A ND-ND

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THE HINDU

NEWS 11

NOIDA/DELHI

MONDAY, MAY 22, 2017

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IN BRIEF

Defence deals await private irms The contracts totalling ₹1.5 lakh crore will be taken up under the new strategic partnership model Dinakar Peri New Delhi

Mary Kom discusses boxing with Goel NEW DELHI

Union Sports Minister Vijay Goel on Sunday met boxing champion and Rajya Sabha MP Mary Kom to discuss ways to promote boxing as a sport in the country. They discussed measures that the Centre should take to improve the training process. “Tournaments should be held twice a year. This will provide more exposure at national and international level to the upcoming sportspersons,” Ms. Kom said. ANI

Twin blasts rock Manipur town, 4 policemen hurt IMPHAL

Two bomb blasts rocked Moreh, a border town in Manipur, on Saturday night. The police said the first blast took place at 9.30 p.m. on the perimeter wall of the town police station. The second occurred at midnight at Gamnom Veng in the town. Four policemen were injured in the twin blasts. Earlier, two troopers of 165 Territorial Army were killed and two others injured along Trans Asian Highway No 2 that leads to Moreh.

The Union government will unveil mega defence deals estimated at over ₹1.5 lakh crore involving the private sector under the strategic partnership model to build a domestic defence manufacturing base in key areas such as submarines and fighter aircraft. “It should possibly be cleared in the next few weeks, likely within the month,” a senior official told The Hindu on Sunday. The Defence Acquisition Council approved the framework of the model on Saturday. The policy will now go to the Finance Ministry and then to the Cabinet Committee on Security for final approval, which is expected to be a formality as the Prime Minister’s Office has already been briefed on the issue. The new model, which is a chapter under the Defence Procurement Procedure, has four segments —submarines, single-engine fighter aircraft,

helicopters and armoured carriers/main battle tanks — and specifically intends to open up defence manufacturing to the private sector. “These big companies will be the lead integrators. The contract will be spread across the Indian industry at various levels. The current model plans to build an ancillary network which works far more efficiently,” the official said. This, he said, will indigenise the sub-systems and components and after a couple of cycles “everything should be built here”. Pointing out that the other aspect of the policy is the export potential, the official said, “We will then get into a supply chain with the global original equipment manufacturers.”

Projects lined up Projects already lined up under the four segments have been held up because of a delay in formulating the policy. The Ministry is gearing up to quickly roll them

companies for each of the projects, officials said. A pool of capable companies will be selected based on technical and financial evaluation and they would then tie up with a foreign OEM which will be short-listed concurrently.

Full order sheet: Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders is building the Scorpenes now. More orders are in the pipeline. PTI *

out once the policy is in place. Of the four deals, submarines and helicopters are for the Navy. The single-engine fighter is for the Indian Air Force and armoured vehicle for the Army. The deal for six submarines under Project-75I is ex-

pected to cost around ₹50,000 crore, the one for 100-plus fighter aircraft is estimated at ₹60,000 crore and the Future Infantry Combat Vehicle (FICV) programme is estimated at ₹50,000 crore. Expression of Interest (EoI) will be issued to Indian

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Remembering a leader

Police seize explosives, liquor in Rohtas district

To spread ‘save the cow’ message Press Trust of India Lucknow

The iftars to be organised by the Muslim Rashtriya Manch, a wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, in Uttar Pradesh during Ramzan this year will serve only cow’s milk and its products to drive home the messages of “save the cow” and how consumption of beef invites diseases. Mahiraj Dhwaj Singh, national co-convener (organisation) of the MRM for Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, said that for the “first time”, people observing roza (fast) would be ending it with a glass of cow’s milk. “Emphasis will be laid on the use of cow’s milk and other dairy products at the iftars. And, it will be for the first time that such an iftar will be held in Uttar Pradesh,” Mr. Singh said. Citing the benefits of cow’s milk, Mr. Singh said, “Even Muslim scholars are

The police on Sunday seized a consignment of explosives and liquor from a pick-up van from Mufassil police station area in Bihar’s Rohtas district, a police officer said.The police intercepted the pick-up van near Karbandia petrol pump during routine checking and seized the explosives and liquor, the SP said. PTI

Chandigarh

UNNAO

Floral tributes: Congress president Sonia Gandhi, along with her son Rahul Gandhi, pays homage to the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 26th death anniversary at Vir Bhumi in New Delhi on Sunday. R. V. MOORTHY *

The Border Security Force and the Punjab Police in a joint operation on Sunday claimed to have busted a terror module with links to Canada and Pakistan after arresting two suspected Khalistani terrorists. The two were arrested from the Indo-Pak border area when they were trying to recover weapons that were earlier smuggled into India from Pakistan, a Punjab Police spokesperson said. “Those arrested have been identified as Mann Singh (40) from Sri Hargobindpur in Gurdaspur and Sher Singh (28) from Kartarpur in Jalandhar,” he said. Security forces have seized an AK-47 assault rifle, five hand grenades, a modified machine-pistol (MP),

five pistols and over 450 rounds of ammunition of different calibre from the duo, he said “The terrorists during preliminary interrogation have said their module was raised and indoctrinated by an Ontario- based Sikh hardliner Gurjivan Singh, who was in touch with them for the past two years, and had motivated them to commit terror strikes in Punjab,” the spokesman said. “Gurjivan made two trips to Punjab in the last six months, and had arranged the arms and ammunition for their operations through his Pakistan-based Khalistani contacts,” he said. The spokesman said they were planning to target “enemies of the Panth”. They also said during his last two trips to Punjab, Gurjivan had imparted them

Urjit to brief MPs’ panel on note ban only in June

Explain Gorshkov cost: CIC

Framing of monetary policy to hold up RBI Governor

New Delhi

Navy asked to disclose reasons for accepting price escalation by Russia Press Trust of India

Press Trust of India New Delhi

Manmohan to the rescue Mr. Patel has been asked to appear on May 25 after former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh prevailed upon the BJP MPs on the

Urjit Patel

panel, who were opposed to summoning the RBI Governor again. It was Mr. Singh who had rescued Patel from a tough grilling during the January meeting when he intervened to say the Reserve Bank and

the Governor’s position as an institution should be respected. He should not be put to odd questions, Mr. Singh, who himself was RBI Governor once, is believed to have told the standing committee. Instead of Mr. Patel, all secretaries from the Finance Ministry will be present on May 25 to update the panel about digital economy. The panel is chaired by Congress leader M. Veerappa Moily, . BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, who is a member of the panel, has suggested to the chairman that it now deliberate on digital economy, as “demonetisation was not an issue any more”. The members are now likely to question Mr. Patel on how much money has come back into the system.

The Central Information Commission has asked the Navy to disclose the reasons for India agreeing to cost escalation by Russia for purchase of the refurbished aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov. The deal for purchasing the now 30-year-old warship renamed INS Vikramaditya was signed in 2004 by the then NDA government for $974 million which was increased to the final price of $2.35 billion in 2010. The commission has also directed the the Navy disclose the “net final cost” incurred on the modifications, renovation and remodelling done on the ship, besides dates of payments made by India. The Navy had earlier told the Commission that the information was to be provided by the Defence

New role: The Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier of Russia was renamed INS Vikramaditya after India acquired it. AFP *

Ministry, which claimed the relevant files were with the naval headquarters and that they have been asked to disclose the details. Information Commissioner Amitava Bhattacharyya directed the Navy to disclose the file notings, correspondence, and documents related to the acceptance of cost revisions sought by the Russians. Mr. Bhattacharyya noted

In India, it is more of waiting than lying Air traveller only spends around 24.68% of the total travel time, in a one-stopover light, actually lying Soumya Pillai New Delhi

Have you ever had to wait endlessly at an airport for a connecting flight? You may not be alone in suffering the predicament in India. A study by the School of Planning and Architecture shows that an Indian air traveller on an average only spends around 24.68% of the total travel time, in a one-stopover flight, flying. The rest of the time is spent waiting at the airports. The research, carried out by Amal Jose, a postgraduate student of the institute, unCM YK

Welcomes move Waseem Raini, president of Lucknow-based Pasmanda Muslim Samaj said, “If sweets such as pedhaa made using cow’s milk are served during iftar, we have no objections. This will increase brotherhood between Hindus and Muslims.”

BSF nabs two suspected Khalistani terrorists Press Trust of India

Lokmanya Tilak express derails at Unnao in U.P.

RBI Governor Urjit Patel will appear before a parliamentary panel for a second briefing on demonetisation on June 8, and not on May 25 as scheduled, as work on framing the monetary policy will be under way at that time. The Standing Committee on Finance, which had questioned Mr. Patel on January 18 on the move to ban notes of ₹500 and ₹1,000 denominations, allowed him to appear at a later date after he made a request expressing his inability.

of the view that it is good for health, and ghee made using this milk is medicine.” Mr. Singh said that during Ramzan, special prayers would be offered through which appeals would be made to protect cows. “All living beings (animals, birds, trees and plants) owe their existence to Allah. If we adopt a humane approach towards them, we will incur His blessings,” he said. “During Ramzan, prayers will be held. A message to end animosity and spread love, bonhomie and brotherhood will be disseminated,” he said.

They were arrested from the Indo-Pak border area

DEHRI-ON-SONE

Eleven coaches of the Mumbai-Lucknow Lokmanya Tilak Express derailed here on Sunday, but there was no report of any casualty, in the sixth such incident in U.P. in seven months. At around 2 p.m., 11 coaches of the train derailed when it was crossing platform number 3 of the Unnao railway station, 20 km from Kanpur. PTI

Indian bidders According to officials, for the submarines, the likely contenders are Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and Reliance Defence and Engineering Ltd., which have their own shipyards and the public sector Mazagon Docks Ltd., which is building the French Scorpene submarines. For the fighter and helicopter segments, the likely bidders are Tata Advanced Systems Ltd. and Mahindra, both of which have a footprint in the aviation sector. In the armoured segment, the FICV programme under way will be taken up under the SP model. L&T, Mahindra and Tata Motors are leading the race, for which bids have already been submitted.

RSS wing to hold iftars with milk

der guidance of Sewa Ram, Senior Professor of Transport Planning, is a comprehensive study of over 60 airports in India. It has analysed major and minor airports of various countries on parameters such as air, network and land accessibility. The study shows that in India if a passenger takes a flight with one stopover, on an average she spends 75.32% of the total travel time only waiting at airports. This waiting time increases when the passenger has two or more stopovers,

where the average waiting time becomes 83.55% and the flight time is the remaining 16.45%. This means, for example if a person is flying from New Delhi to Bagdogra in Darjeeling, in a direct flight, she takes around two hours. However, if she stops over at either Guwahati or Kolkata, the total travel time more than doubles mainly because of the waiting time at the airports. This, the study states, when compared to its international counterparts is an inconvenient state. Sample

this—in China an air traveller, who takes a flight with a single pit stop, spends as much as 70.20% of her total travel time actually flying, which means only about 29.80% of the time is spent waiting at airports. With over two interchanges, the average flight time still remains 54.20%, which is fairly high. In western countries such as the U.S. and the Europe, the waiting time is not very high. In the U.S., a single stopover amounts to a passenger spending around 67.9% of the time actually

travelling. With two or more stopovers, the percentage of average flight time becomes 58.5. In European countries, this average flight time stands at 61.3% of the total travel time in a single stopover flight, and with two or more, it slumps to 52.1%. To pack it together, the study shows that an Indian air traveller on an average spends as much as 458 minutes waiting at the airports, when taking a flight with a single stopover. This is at least four times higher than China.

that the Navy was trying to put the onus of disclosure on the Defence Ministry whereas the Ministry made it clear that the reply was to be furnished by the force. The Commission has ordered the disclosure to be made as it found “larger public interest” was involved. The Ministry and the Navy had withheld the information on the grounds of national security.

Mr. Bhattacharyya also directed the Navy to disclose reasons why India chose to opt for a refurbished warship instead of buying a new one. The RTI application was filed by activist Subhash Agrawal who had demanded a range of information on the acquisition of the 44,500-tonne aircraft carrier. The ship was originally commissioned by the erstwhile USSR on December 20, 1987 and was decommissioned in 1996. After being inducted into the Navy as Vikramaditya, the ship is now a floating 284-metre airfield. It is a 20-storey steel megastructure from the keel to the highest point. The ship can carry over 30 aircraft. With 22 decks and a capacity to house 1,600 personnel, the warship can sustain itself at sea for 45 days up to 13,000 km.

theoretical training on handling arms, including the AK-47 rifle, he said. “One of the arrested has said the Ontario-based hardliner travelled with them to Uttar Pradesh to procure arms but were unsuccessful. Subsequently, Gurjivan had promised to arrange it through his Khalistani contacts in Pakistan and their ISI handlers,” the spokesman said. During the interrogation, Mann also confessed to having made several visits to Pakistan and being in touch with some Khalistani activists there, he claimed. The spokesman said the arms and ammunition seized during the operation were found buried close to the Indo-Pak border and the suspects had been provided with the co-ordinates of the spot.

Navy rescues Maldivian landing craft Special Correspondent NEW DELHI

The Indian Navy rescued a Maldivian landing craft 120 nautical miles east of Male on Saturday evening. A Dornier aircraft of the Navy spotted the landing craft Maria 3 floating 60 nautical miles from its last known position and informed the INS Kirch, which was 50 nautical miles away. “The ship’s forward ramp collapsed, so it was unable to propel. A joint boarding party was sent... to provide assistance. All crew members are safe. The Maldivian National Defence Force has been informed,” a Navy spokesperson said on Sunday. Maria 3 was travelling from K Thulusdhoo to L Gan with a six-member crew on Thursday when it went adrift. (With inputs from PTI)

Japan plans war museum in a Manipur hillock Site held Japanese camp during Second World War: envoy Iboyaima Laithangbam IMPHAL

Japan plans to build a war museum in a hillock at Maiba Lokpa in Bishnupur district of Manipur where a Japanese camp was located during the Second World War, the country’s Ambassador to India, Kenji Hiramatsu, said here on Sunday. Mr. Hiramatsu said about 70,000 Japanese soldiers died from March to June in 1944 during battles in Im-

Kenji Hiramatsu

phal and Kohima. He said the mortal remains of those soldiers would be located for the last rites, seeking the co-

operation of the people in the region. The Ambassador said that 25 persons from Nagaland and Manipur would be invited to visit Japan. A seminar would also be organised in November to help students interested in pursuing studies in Japan. Welcoming the museum plans, Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh promised assistance to the Japanese government for implementing the project. A ND-ND

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12 WORLD

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THE HINDU

MONDAY, MAY 22, 2017

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ELSEWHERE

Trump puts the onus on Muslim world to combat terrorism In speech to Arab and Muslim leaders, President rejects notion of clash between the West and Islam

China killed, jailed CIA informants It crippled spying operations for years The New York Times Washington

Associated Press

Indian-origin Minister may become Irish PM LONDON

An Indian-origin doctor and Ireland’s irst openly gay minister has emerged as the frontrunner in the prime ministerial race. Leo Varadkar, 38, the son of an Indian father and Irish mother, has won support for his leadership bid from several senior Ministers. PTI

Taliban kill 20 soldiers in coordinated attacks KABUL

Militants launched attacks on several check points in southern Afghanistan, killing at least 20 soldiers, a provincial official said on Sunday. Gul Islam Seyal, a spokesman for the provincial Governor in Zabul province, said the battles began late on Saturday when dozens of Taliban fighters launched coordinated attacks on security posts in the Shah Joy district. AP

Turkey’s ruling party elects Erdogan as leader ISTANBUL

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has returned as leader of the country’s ruling Justice and Development Party on Sunday, pushing back against criticism that his tenure has curtailed freedoms and polarised the country as he vowed to serve the nation and combat terror. Mr. Erdogan was was the only candidate for the post of party chairman. AP

Riyadh

U.S. President Donald Trump called on Middle Eastern leaders to combat a “crisis of Islamic extremism” emanating from the region, casting the fight against terrorism as a “battle between good and evil”, not a clash between the West and Islam. Mr. Trump’s address on Sunday was the centrepiece of his two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, his first stop overseas as President. During a meeting of more than 50 Arab and Muslim leaders, he sought to chart a new course for America’s role in the region, one aimed squarely on rooting out terrorism, with less focus on promoting human rights and democratic reforms. “We are not here to lecture we are not here to tell other people how to live, what to do, who to be, or how to worship,” Mr. Trump said, speaking in an ornate, multi-chandeliered room. “Instead, we are here to offer partnership based on shared interests and values to pursue a better future for us all.” Even as the President pledged to work alongside Middle Eastern nations, he put the onus for combating terrorism on the region. Bellowing into the microphone, he implored Muslim leaders to aggressively fight extremists — “Drive them out of your places of worship. Drive them out of your communities.” The President has been enthusiastically embraced in

Important message: U.S. President Donald Trump delivering a speech to the Arab Islamic American Summit, the centrepiece of his visit to Saudi Arabia, in Riyadh on Sunday. AP *

Riyadh, where the ruling royal family has welcomed his tougher stance on Iran, its regional foe. Sitting alongside Mr. Trump, Saudi King Salman declared: “The Iranian regime has been the spearhead of global terrorism.” Mr. Trump’s welcome in the region was also put on display during a series of individual meetings with Arab leaders. He praised Egyptian President Abdel Fattah alSisi, telling him: “You have done a tremendous job under trying circumstances.” Mr. Trump promised to schedule a trip to Egypt soon, and he singled out the Egyptian’s choice of foot-

Pak. detains social media activists Those held have been critical of the military and Islam MUBASHIR ZAIDI KARACHI

Pakistani authorities have launched a crackdown against social media activists critical of the country’s military and Islam. Several of them have been detained, officials of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) cyber crime cell confirmed on Sunday. A source in the FIA, requesting anonymity, confirmed that 13 people are being questioned for criticising the military and Army Chief General Qamar Bajwa, and three people for mocking the judiciary, while four people are being questioned for ridiculing Islam. However, no case has been registered against anyone so far, the source added. Political parties and human rights activists have condemned the detentions,

claiming that the social-media activists did not commit any crime. Shah Mehmood Qureshi, a senior leader of the Opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, which is headed by Imran Khan, confirmed that two of the party’s social-media activists had been questioned. “We have repeatedly instructed our activists to follow the laws and they have been doing that. But a general case has been registered by FIA to question the activists.”

Online campaign Salar Sultan Zai from Quetta was brought to Islamabad and released after questioning, but Owais Khan, the other person held, is still under detention. The PTI has launched an online campaign to protest against the detentions. “We stand by

each and every PTI volunteer. Even if they get summoned and searched by anyone all they will find is love for Pakistan,” the party tweeted. Meanwhile, the PML(N), Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ’s party, also confirmed that one of its socialmedia activists — Dr Faisal Ranjha from Lahore — had been detained. He was picked up on Saturday morning from a government hospital, when he was treating patients. A journalist from Islamabad, Taha Siddiqui, was questioned over phone. Earlier this year, four bloggers were picked up by the authorities and detained illegally for over a month for allegedly questioning the military and religion. All the four left the country after being released as they feared for their safety.

wear, a pair of shiny black shoes. “Love your shoes. Boy, those shoes,” he said. Reinforcing his theme of U.S. economic deals, the U.S. President told Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad AlThani they would discuss “lots of beautiful military equipment because nobody makes it like the United States”. To Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, Mr. Trump declared that the two nations had a lot in common and “there won't be strain with this administration”. The King lauded the relationship and said it had led to “great stability in the region and prosperity”.

Swiss vote against use of n-power Associated Press

And in a meeting with the emir of Kuwait, Sabah alAhmad al-Sabah, Mr. Trump noted Kuwait bought large amounts of U.S. military equipment. The Kuwaiti leader referred to Mr. Trump as “my brother”.

Welcome escape For Mr. Trump the visit has been a welcome escape from the crush of controversies that have consumed his administration in recent weeks. He’s been besieged by a series of revelations about the ongoing federal investigation into his campaign’s possible ties to Russia and his decision to fire FBI Director James Comey, who had

been overseeing the Russia probe. The President’s trip to Saudi Arabia also served as something of a reset with the region following his presidential campaign, which was frequently punctured by bouts of anti-Islamic rhetoric. He once mused that he thought “Islam hates us”. And only a week after taking office, he signed an executive order to ban immigrants from seven countries Iraq, Iran, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen from entering the United States, a decision that sparked widespread protests at the nation’s airports and demonstrations outside the White House. That ban was blocked by the courts. A second order, which dropped Iraq from the list, is tied up in federal court and the federal government is appealing. But on Sunday, Mr. Trump was full of praise for Muslim world’s history and culture. He declared Islam “one of the world’s great faiths”. White House officials said they considered Mr. Trump’s address to be a counterweight to President Barack Obama’s debut speech to the Muslim world in 2009 in Cairo. Mr. Obama called for understanding and acknowledged some of America’s missteps in the region. That speech was denounced by many Republicans and criticised by a number of the United States’ Middle East allies as being a sort of apology.

The Chinese government systematically dismantled CIA spying operations in the country starting in 2010, killing or imprisoning more than a dozen sources over two years and crippling intelligence gathering there for years afterwards. Current and former U.S. officials described the intelligence breach as one of the worst in decades. It set off a scramble in Washington’s intelligence and law enforcement agencies to contain the fallout, but investigators were bitterly divided over the cause. Some were convinced that a mole within the CIA had betrayed the United States. Others believed that the Chinese had hacked the covert system the CIA used to communicate with its foreign sources. Years later, that debate remains unresolved.

Huge damage But there was no disagreement about the damage. From the final weeks of 2010 through the end of 2012, according to former U.S. officials, the Chinese killed at least a dozen of the CIA’s sources. According to three of the officials, one was shot in front of his colleagues in the courtyard of a government building — a message to others who might have been working for the CIA. Still others were put in jail. All told, the Chinese killed or imprisoned 18 to 20 of the CIA’s sources in China, according to two

North Korea ires mid-range missile U.S. says it will continue to apply economic, diplomatic pressure on Pyongyang Associated Press

named his new Foreign Minister nominee and top advisers for security and foreign policy. He did not make a public statement.

SEOUL

BERLIN

Swiss voters are supporting a referendum to withdraw the country from nuclear power in favour of renewable energy. A projection from Sunday’s referendum shows a majority of cantons (States) voted for the plan. Under Switzerland’s direct democracy system, initiatives need a majority of both cantons and votes to pass. The projection for SRF public television showed 58% of voters in favour and 42% against the proposal. The government wants to ban the construction of new nuclear power plants and decommission the country’s five existing ones at the end of their technically safe operating lives.

former senior U.S. officials, effectively unraveling a network that had taken years to build. Assessing the fallout from an exposed spy operation can be difficult, but the episode was considered particularly damaging. The number of U.S. assets lost in China, officials said, rivalled those lost in the Soviet Union and Russia during the betrayals of both Aldrich Ames and Robert Hanssen, formerly of the CIA and the FBI, who divulged intelligence operations to Moscow for years. The previously unreported episode shows how successful the Chinese were in disrupting U.S. spying efforts and stealing secrets years before a well-publicized breach in 2015 gave Beijing access to thousands of government personnel records, including intelligence contractors. The CIA considers spying in China one of its top priorities, but the country’s extensive security apparatus makes it exceptionally hard for Western spy services to develop sources there. At a time when the CIA is trying to figure out how some of its most sensitive documents were leaked onto the Internet two months ago by WikiLeaks, and the FBI probes possible ties between President Donald Trump’s campaign and Russia, the unsettled nature of the China probe demonstrates the difficulty of conducting counter-espionage investigations into sophisticated spy services like those in Russia and China.

North Korea fired a mediumrange missile on Sunday, U.S. and South Korean officials said, the latest ballistics test by a country speeding up its development of nuclear weapons and missiles. The rocket was fired from an area near the North Korean county of Pukchang, in South Phyongan Province, and flew eastward about 500 km, said South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff. The U.S. Pacific Command said it tracked the missile before it landed in the sea. White House officials travelling in Saudi Arabia with President Donald Trump said the system that was tested, which was last launched in February, had a shorter range than the missiles fired in North Korea’s

Perilous times: A man in Seoul passes by a news show showing the image of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Sunday AP *

most recent tests. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said both economic and diplomatic pressure would continue to be applied to North Korea. “Hopefully they will get the message that the path of continuing their nuclear arms program is not a path-

way to security or certainly prosperity. The ongoing testing is disappointing, disturbing and we ask that they cease that,” he said. South Korea’s new President, Moon Jae-in, held a National Security Council meeting to discuss the launch, which came hours after he

‘Challenge to the world’ An official from South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff also said the missile appeared to be similar in range and apogee to the mid-range missile that North Korea testfired in February. The missile launched on Sunday reached a maximum altitude of 560 km, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, citing office rules. In Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called the launch a “challenge to the world”, and vowed to bring up the issue as the “main agenda” of this week’s G-7 summit in Italy.

U.N. experts’ murders raise tough questions They had no protection in DR Congo The New York Times

Zaida Catalán was on to something, and it was making her jumpy. Weeks later, Ms. Catalán, a U.N. investigator with little training and no safety equipment or even health insurance, headed into a remote area teeming with militia fighters to find the culprits behind a massacre in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A grainy cellphone video shows what happened next: a cluster of men with rifles and red bandanas lead Ms. Catalán, a 36-yearold Swedish-Chilean, into a grove with her American colleague, Michael J. Sharp, 34. The two investigators are barefoot. Mr. Sharp starts arguing. He and Ms. Catalán are forced onto the ground. Suddenly, shots are fired, hitting Mr. Sharp first. Ms. Catalán screams and tries to run for cover. She is shot twice. Their bodies were discovered weeks later in a shallow grave. Ms. Catalán had been decapitated. Her head had been taken. Their deaths raise tough questions about the U.N. CM YK

and its work in the most dangerous places in the world. Almost two months passed before the U.N. even assembled a panel to look into what went wrong. The U.N. Security Council could go further and order a more formal investigation, but more than two months after the murders, it has taken no steps in that direction. Instead, it has left the investigation to Congo, a nation where violence, corruption and impunity are widespread.

Sharp debate The killings have also stirred a sharp debate over the U.N.’s responsibility to prepare and protect the people it hires to investigate wrongdoing around the world. Asked whether the U.N. had done enough to prepare and protect the experts, José Luis Díaz, a spokesman, said the organisation was asking itself the same question. “This is why the U.N. is looking at the whole sequence of events. We want to assess whether things worked as they should, and if what we have in place is adequate or robust enough.” A ND-ND

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THE HINDU

BUSINESS 13

NOIDA/DELHI

MONDAY, MAY 22, 2017

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IN BRIEF

‘Centre has plan to make AI a great global airline’ Working on strategy to strengthen inances and improve corporate governance for the ailing carrier, says Jayant Sinha Somesh Jha NEW DELHI

Bajaj Auto looks to rev up sales this iscal NEW DELHI

Bajaj Auto is hoping to put up an improved sales show in 2017-18 on the back of recoveries in both domestic and export markets after a rough ride last iscal. With an aim to increase its overseas shipments, the company plans to enter at least ive new markets this iscal. The company’s total sales declined by 5.85% in 2016-17 at 36,65,950 units as against 38,93,581 units in 2015-16. PTI

Natco gets green nod for ₹480-crore project NEW DELHI

Natco Pharma has received the environment clearance for its ₹480-crore expansion project in Telangana that would generate 1,500 jobs. The proposal is to increase the production capacity of 66 Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) and API intermediates at a time with R&D activity from 115.5 tonnes per annum (TPA) to 645 TPA in the existing land area of 34.17 hectare at Mekaguda village. PTI

Centre may block PSUs from buying GDF stake NEW DELHI

The Oil Ministry may block any attempt by state-owned GAIL, IOC, ONGC and BPCL to buy the 10% stake of France’s GDF International in Petronet LNG Ltd. as it is keen to keep the liqueied natural gas importer a private limited company. GDF, a unit of French energy giant Engie SA, has decided to sell its entire stake in Petronet to the company’s principal promoters — GAIL (India) Ltd, ONGC, Indian Oil Corporation and BPCL. PTI

CM YK

The Central government has a ‘winning’ strategy for its ailing national carrier Air India which is to turn it into a “great” global airline, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said in an interview. His comments come days after Cabinet Minister for civil aviation Ashok Gajapathi Raju said that the Centre is reviewing a range of options, including possible disinvestment, to revive Air India. “I think Air India has a terrific future ahead of itself because India does need a great global airline like British Airways, Lufthansa, Qantas or Emirates and we think that Air India, in that regard, has a winning strategy to become a great global airline for India,” the Minister said in an interview

to The Hindu. Interestingly, all the flag carriers mentioned by the Minister, except United Arab Emirates’ Emirates, have been privatised a long time ago by their countries. While British Airways, flag carrier of the U.K., was privatised in 1987, Australian carrier Qantas was partly privatised in 1992 and fully in 1995, while Germany’s Lufthansa was fully privatised in 1997.

Global share Till March this year, Air India operated its flight on 118 domestic and 64 international routes. The share of Indian airlines in total international traffic has declined to 36% in January-March 2017 from 38% a year earlier. International carriers ferried 64% of Indian passengers abroad in JanuaryMarch 2017, compared with

Crushing load: We have to ensure that the debt burden of the airline is reduced, says Jayant Sinha. SHANKER CHAKRAVARTY *

62% a year earlier. While Jet Airways carried the most number of international passengers to and from India (14.5%), it was followed by Air India (10.7%) and Emirates (9.5%) in the period.

Mr. Sinha said the government is working on a “robust” multi-dimensional transformation plan for Air India which includes strengthening its financial position, improving corpor-

ate governance, strengthening the airline’s board and inducting new people in its management. When asked if Air India would shift its focus from domestic to international markets, Mr. Sinha said, “It’s not one or the other because the reality is if you want to win as far as the international routes are concerned, you need a strong domestic network that feeds your international route as well.” To a question on whether disinvestment for the national carrier is being contemplated, the junior civil aviation Minister said, “We are considering a number of different alternatives.”

NITI roadmap The Centre recently asked NITI Aayog to formulate a roadmap for Air India’s future as the government is reconsidering its strategy on

future equity infusion into the national carrier. As part of the turnaround plan, the Centre has infused ₹24,745 crore as equity into Air India, as at the end of 2016-17. He said that the Centre had to ensure that the current debt burden of the airline, which is a “crushing load” on its performance, is reduced. “Due to the debt burden that they are carrying right now, it is very difficult for them to invest in their equipment, services, marketing, talent development and so on. So, the debt burden which, of course, we inherited from the previous government, is a crushing load that Air India is carrying right now and we have to find a way of restructuring it,” the Minister said. Air India’s debt stood at ₹50,357 crore at the end of 2015-16.

Bid to boost India, Africa trade ties PRESS TRUST OF INDIA GANDHINAGAR

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will discuss potential areas of boosting cooperation between India and Africa here on Monday. Mr. Jaitley will open the IndiaAfrica Cooperation session being held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the African Development Bank (AfDB). The sessions will cover areas such as trade and investment, agriculture, renewable energy and manufacturing among others. Total trade between India and Africa increased almost fivefold between 2005-06 and 2015-16, and stood at $52 billion in March 2016-17. This is the first time that the African Development Bank is holding its annual meeting outside of the African continent.

Softbank-Saudi tech Nasscom steps up U.S. lobbying fund raises $93 billion on immigration, visa issues

Sinor withdraws resignation from BBB

Other investors include Apple Inc.

He had resigned citing ‘despondency’

REUTERS RIYADH

The world’s largest private equity fund, backed by Japan’s Softbank Group and Saudi Arabia’s main sovereign wealth fund, said it had raised over $93 billion to invest in technology sectors such as artificial intelligence and robotics. “The next stage of the Information Revolution is under way, and building the businesses that will make this possible will require unprecedented large-scale, long-term investment,” the Softbank Vision Fund said. Japanese billionaire Masayoshi Son, chairman of Softbank, a telecommunications and tech investment group, revealed plans for

the fund last October and since then it has obtained commitments from some of the world’s most deep-pocketed investors. In addition to Softbank and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), the new fund’s investors include Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment, which has committed $15 billion, Apple Inc, Qualcomm, Taiwan’s Foxconn Technology and Japan’s Sharp Corp. The new fund made its announcement during the visit of President Donald Trump to Riyadh and the signing of tens of billions of dollars worth of business deals between U.S. and Saudi companies. Mr. Son was also in Riyadh.

Money spent on such activities rose by a third, a report says PRESS TRUST OF INDIA WASHINGTON/NEW DELHI

Facing rough weather amid large-scale layoffs and visa curbs in the U.S., the Indian IT industry body Nasscom has significantly stepped up its lobbying with the American lawmakers with a more than one-third increase in money spent on such activities. According to the latest lobbying disclosure reports filed with the U.S. Senate, the National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom) paid a total amount of $1,50,000 (about ₹1 crore) to its two registered lobbyists in the first quarter of 2017. This marks a significant rise from $1,10,000 paid to

Nasscom has paid $1,50,000 to its two lobbyists in the irst quarter of 2017.

the two lobbyists in the previous quarter ended December 2016. Among the two lobbyists, The Lande Group was paid $50,000 in the JanuaryMarch quarter of 2017 — the same amount as in the four

quarters of 2016. But the other lobbyist, Wexler & Walker, a unit of Hill+Knowlton Strategies, LLC, was paid $100,000 in the first quarter of 2017, as against $60,000 in the previous three-month period and in many of the previous quarters. As per the lobbying disclosure report, the “specific lobbying issues” undertaken by this lobbyist included those related to immigration. The “general issues” included tax and trade matters. The houses of Congress and federal agencies with whom it lobbied on behalf of Nasscom, included the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives.

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT Mumbai

H.N. Sinor, the veteran banker who resigned from the Bank Board Bureau (BBB) on May 12 as a non-official member, decided to ‘re-engage’ with the bureau, the BBB said in a statement on Sunday. “In what he perceived as inadequate progress that the recommendations of the Bureau were making, and the resulting despondency, he had offered to withdraw his engagement with the Bureau,” the statement said. “However, following a detailed discussion with Vinod Rai, the Chairman of the Banks Board Bureau, Mr. Sinor has decided to re-engage with the activities of

H.N. Sinor the Bureau, with his usual fervour and vigour,” the statement added. The BBB has also decided to appoint two ‘alternate' experts,’ former Allahabad Bank chairman and managing director S. Panse and Pradip Shah, former managing director of rating agency Crisil.

A ND-ND

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14 BUSINESS REVIEW

NOIDA/DELHI

THE HINDU

MONDAY, MAY 22, 2017

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Rainbow turns out to be a mirage

GUEST COLUMN

The conclusion to the two-part series says that there are no easy answers to the NPA problem faced by Indian banks their ‘advice’. And, who in India does not know that a king’s ‘advise’ is actually an ‘order’? All in all, the amendment is unlikely to make any significant dent on the NPA situation, except at the margin perhaps.

S4A a non-starter This is also a non-starter, with only three cases cleared so far. While there is excitement and expectations surrounding the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016, it is well-nigh impossible that resolution of even the largesized NPAs can be brought about within a reasonable period of time under the mechanism contained in this

EXPLAINER

*

A solution for the NPA problem for PSU banks has proved elusive so far. The authorities have been in denial mode for long and the problem’s depth and extent have been revealed only recently. The efforts of RBI have not borne fruit: The 5/25 scheme which permitted extension of loan amortization period up to 25 years with interest reset every 5 years did not work as the higher interest burden due to tenor extension required additional borrowing which worsened the initial problem. The sale of NPAs to Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARC) has so far been very low due to two main reasons: banks have been reluctant to sell NPA at a price reflecting their realisable economic value; and, banks received only 15% of the NPA sales consideration in cash, while the rest was given by way of security receipts (SR) which meant that the seller bank continued to be exposed to the risk of short recovery of the loan from the borrower. The Strategic Debt Restructuring scheme (SDR), unveiled in June, 2015, involved banks taking over companies by converting debt into equity, replacing the promoters and thereafter selling their equity holdings to new investors. However, as of December, 2016, only two such cases of sale had materialised. The Scheme for Sustainable Structuring of Stressed Assets (S4A) was introduced in June, 2016, whereby the outstanding bank loan is required to be bifurcated into sustainable and unsustainable portions, enabling the borrower company to be revived and making it possible for the sustainable portion to be repaid.

GETTYIMAGES/ISTOCK

Sivaprakasam Sivakumar Himadri Bhattacharya

< > path would lead The insolvency

to a ‘ire sale’ in a growing economy statute. The judicial authority for this purpose — the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) — currently clears 6,620 cases a year and it has a backlog of 24,900 cases. Further, both resolution and bankruptcy will cause significant loss to banks. But the boards and senior management of PSU banks have all the incentive to prefer a much higher loss through resolution or bankruptcy visa-vis a commercially driven write-off decision. The insolvency route would lead to a “fire sale” of assets in a growing economy — a paradox of sorts. This is a sad reality that lies at the core of resolving the NPA problem.

A para-banking solution? Like all grand ideas, the proposition to set up a Public Sector Asset Rehabilitation Agency (PARA) a la what China did in the past catches attention. The details are sketchy, untenable, and even confus-

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Prompt corrective action for banks thresholds are breached. There are three risk thresholds which are based on certain levels of asset quality, profitability, capital and the like. The third such threshold, which is maximum tolerance limit, sets net NPA at over 12% and negative return on assets for four consecutive years. Manojit Saha MUMBAI

As the financial health of banks had deteriorated over the last three years, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has revised the norms for prompt corrective action early last month, and has promptly imposed those norms on a couple of public sector lenders.

What is PCA? 쐍 PCA norms allow the regulator to place certain restrictions such as halting branch expansion and stopping dividend payment. It can even cap a bank’s lending limit to one entity or sector. Other corrective action that can be imposed on banks include special audit, restructuring operations and activation of recovery plan. Banks’ promoters can be asked to bring in new management, too. The RBI can also supersede the bank’s board, under PCA. The provisions of the revised PCA framework will be effective April 1, 2017 based on the financials of the banks for the year ended March 31, 2017. The framework will be reviewed after three years. When is PCA invoked? 쐍 The PCA is invoked when certain risk CM YK

What are the types of sanctions? 쐍 There are two type of restrictions, mandatory and discretionary. Restrictions on dividend, branch expansion, directors compensation, are mandatory while discretionary restrictions could include curbs on lending and deposit. In the cases of two banks where PCA was invoked after the revised guidelines were issued — IDBI Bank and UCO Bank — only mandatory restrictions were imposed. Both the banks breached risk threshold 2. What next? Some more lenders are expected to come under the corrective action framework as and when their asset quality worsens, putting profitability under pressure. Some public sector banks have breached the net NPA parameter as well as the profitability parameter. These banks are comfortable on the capital parameter, thanks to the government’s commitment to ensure the PSU banks are not starved of capital. However, as the government has its own commitment for maintaining fiscal discipline, it remains to been seen how long it can afford to infuse capital in these banks.

쐍

ing, though. By way of illustration, if PARA were to operate professionally and not on political principles, it will be required to buy NPAs at prices that will involve deep writedowns by banks. How is it conceivable that PSU banks that are reluctant to agree on debt workout involving writeoffs will be enthusiastic in doing so while selling NPAs to PARA? More importantly, if the PSU banks are to cleanse their balance sheet within a year of PARA coming into existence, their aggregate credit loss of around ₹4 trillion will have to be funded upfront. Who will do this? The accompanying table illustrates the debt of top ten stressed corporate groups aggregating ₹7.5 trillion, which needs to be written down to spur their revival. It is beyond the ability of the government to do this even over three years. The idea that a slice of RBI’s capital can be used for funding PARA (or loss of PSU banks?) is almost irresponsible. If RBI parts with a portion of its holding of government securities, the resultant loss will have to be absorbed either by its current income

or through a drawdown of its usable equity (equity that can be freely used to meet any kind of loss) which, in RBI’s case, is almost identical with its internal reserves. The RBI took a policy decision in 1997 to achieve and maintain a ratio of internal reserves to assets at 12% to ensure adequate risk capital for its balance sheet. The ratio increased steadily thereafter, exceeding 12% in 200910 and remaining close to 12% in the following year. It fell subsequently and now it is at 7.5%. Needless to say, the last three years have witnessed a sharp drop in the usable equity of RBI. By all indications, RBI is undercapitalised right now. Asking RBI to deplete its usable equity further will worsen its financial position, thereby undermining its ability to pursue policies independently.

Amendment to BR Act From an operational perspective, the amendment has two new elements: (i) Direct power for the government (to be exercised through RBI) asking banks to initiate insolvency proceedings against specific delinquent borrowers. (ii) RBI to

constitute oversight authorities/committees for providing ‘advice’ to banks in taking decisions on debt resolution. Seemingly, both the elements are intended to take care of the unwillingness or lethargy of PSU banks in dealing with corporate stressed assets. What is interesting here is that the initiative/approval of the ‘state’ is sought to be introduced where the boards of PSU banks should be able to take decisions themselves based on commercial considerations alone. This bears the hallmark of a ‘rent-seeking’ economy. An unintended consequence here will be that PSU banks will henceforth be reluctant to initiate any insolvency proceedings on their own. As for the government, will there be clear and transparent guidelines as regards which of the defaulters to proceed against? There is every possibility that debt resolution will henceforth follow a political process. The same logic applies to oversight authorities/committees. It goes against the very grain of corporate governance because the boards of banks will have to heed

No magic solution There is no magic solution. Nor is there any possibility of finding a solution within the extant political-bureaucratic paradigm that seeks to keep the PSU banks within a ‘command and control’ framework. A genuinely fresh ‘out-ofthe-box’ approach is needed. We propose a framework with six elements: One, U.S. style stress tests should be introduced to determine the capital shortage in respect of each PSU bank; two, the government should devise and declare a policy for capital infusion based on objective performance criteria; three, mergers and acquisitions of PSU banks by the private sector and foreign banks to be allowed, as there are too many PSU banks; four, banks should give priority to those loan restructuring where institutional investors are willing to provide equity for business turnaround. Such restructuring can be an eclectic combination of all the schemes launched so far, the guiding principle being loss-sharing: the promoters should shed their equity in favour of banks at realistic valuation to the extent the latter are reducing debt. The incentives of all concerned in a debt resolution aimed at a business turnaround, namely the promoter, the bank and the new investor will be aligned through a combination of debt writedown, reduction in promoter’s stake and infusion of fresh equity at realistic valuation; five, boards of banks should have full freedom to decide on restructuring; and six, vigilance action to be taken if, and only if, there is clear evidence of malfeasance as distinct from post facto detection of decision error. (Sivaprakasam Sivakumar is MD, Argonaut Global Capital LLC, U.S., and Himadri Bhattacharya is Senior Advisor, RisKontroller Global)

Before sunlight turns shadowy K.E. Raghunathan

The per unit price of solar power in India has dropped from ₹15 to ₹2.44 in 5 years In fact, it has fallen from ₹4.50 within one year. Has the technology improved so much in the solar sector to facilitate this fall? Has solar become commercially viable and attractive for everyone? Have government incentives enabled this price fall? How much further will prices fall in the next five years? Is this sustainable? If this sector is in profitable growth mode, why have giants like Sun Edison, Solar World, Sungevity Beamreach, Climate Energy and Mark Group filed for bankruptcy in the past year? Also, Yingli Green Energy, a former world leader in solar panel volume, recorded a loss of $267.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2016 on $294 million in revenue. So, all is not hunky dory with the industry.

Viability questions The per unit price is the price that state utilities pay the developer for power supplied. For unit cost of ₹2.44 to be viable, it would mean an a seven-year RoI and functioning of the plant for 20 years. The project cost needs to be under ₹3 crore per MW, excluding land and connectivity. Also assumed is that all power generated gets consumed by state-run generation and distribution companies (Gedcos) and all dues get paid in 30 days. Is it possible to run such projects profitably? The quality of material used becomes suspect. Interest costs alone can be substantial. A 60 GW solar capacity, the Centre’s 2022 goal for ground-mounted projects, would need 3 lakh acres and ₹2,50,000 crore in investment. The assumptions are: the average cost per MW would be ₹3.5 crore; and generation of 240 million units a day into the grid. Assuming average tariff of ₹4.50, it would mean a daily payout of ₹100 crore by a Gedco. Is this feasible, given their financial ill health? If a state becomes power surplus, it must export solar

power generated to other states. Such sale cannot occur at a price lower than the ₹4.50 per unit at which the state has bought the power. If other states can buy power at rates now lower than ₹4.50, the selling state is left with no buyers. Also, who will account for transmission losses and distribution costs? If there is viability gap funding, and if the projected power is not generated after a few years, then the subsidy is wasted.

eiciency of < > The equipment should determine the level of import duty Imports of China-made solar modules without any duty, irrespective of their efficiency or quality is hurting industry prospects. If the modules fail to generate adequate power after a while and if the firms that supplied the modules with 25 years warranty go bankrupt, what happens to the plant?

What is needed? Duties based on efficiency of the material imported would discourage poor quality. On arrival of shipment at an Indian port, a sample module must be submitted to an MNRE-approved testing centre for measurement of efficiency and accordingly customs duty should be levied. Lower the efficiency, higher the duty. This will allow quality imports and promote ‘Make in India’ — whose incentives can make benefit the solar industry. The Centre should also publish the actual quantum generated monthly by each solar power plant feeding into the grid, state wise. A minimum generation criteria per MW is to be fixed. Failure to meet this target should result in a penalty. Power purchase agreements must ensure that failure to generate a certain million units per MW a year for two consecutive years would result in cancellation of the PPA and in the recovery of land. (The author is MD, Solkar Solar Industry Ltd. and National President, All India Manufacturers’ Association)

Google woos start-ups to heat up its cloud Ofers technology that combines a large amount of storage and computing to ventures that study Earth and simulate cities This includes its telco and transport network, power grid, sewage systems, housing demographics and even the way in which people move around and interact with the city. “This is the largest simulation of its kind, ever created,” said Mr. Narula, chief executive at Improbable. The company intends to foster a community where developers can share code, and build and create new services and businesses. Mr. Narula said the age of closed systems and trying, in effect, to get developers into committing to a closed ecosystem were over. “We can’t succeed unless you succeed and I think Google recognises that,” he said.

Peerzada Abrar BENGALURU

Google is wooing some of the world’s hottest start-ups to sell its cloud computing technology. These include ventures that send satellites into the space to study the changing earth, firms that convert traditional manufacturing plants into smart factories and start-ups that are simulating entire cities. Google is offering cloud technology that combines a large amount of storage and computing. It then sells it to customers who may want to enhance or set up new data centres. Planet Labs, Inc, a start-up which is on a mission to image the entire Earth every day, and make the global change visible, said that it has switched to Google Cloud to host its imagery and do data processing. “There are a handful of companies that can offer storage and processing, we are really impressed by Google Cloud’s core technology,” said Will Marshall, cofounder and chief executive of Planet Labs, at Google Cloud Next conference held recently in San Francisco.

Natural disasters Founded in 2010 by ex-NASA scientists, Planet Labs operates the largest constellation of Earth-imaging satellites. These satellites are collecting a new data set with realworld applications such as tracking natural resources, quantifying agricultural yields and assisting first responders after natural disasters. To image the whole of the Earth every day means preparing for 7 to 10 terabytes of data daily. Google

On cloud nine: Start-ups such as Planet Labs, Improbable and Oden Technologies have got into Google’s bandwagon to reap technological beneits. GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCK *

Cloud now hosts this growing photography repository and the data processing for Planet Labs. “We have the capacity to image every point on the earth every single day and the sea changes that happen. We see every port, every city, every farm and every forest,” said Mr. Marshall. In February, with help from the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO), the California-based firm successfully launched 88 Dove satellites to orbit. This is the largest satellite constellation ever to reach orbit. These satellites rode aboard ISRO’s workhorse — the polar satellite launch vehicle (PSLV rocket) from

the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. Planet Labs has now introduced a tool called ‘Planet Explorer Beta’ that provides data to individuals, small and medium-sized businesses, developers and researchers around the globe.

Immersive experience Google also provides its cloud platform to Improbable, a London-based startup co-founded by Indian-origin entrepreneur Herman Narula. It is dedicated to building technology to enable powerful virtual worlds and simulation designed to help solve previously stubborn problems. In gaming and enter-

tainment, this enables the creation of richer and more immersive virtual worlds. For instance, top studios are building their products on Improbable’s distributed operating system, SpatialOS. These include top video games like Worlds Adrift, Rebel Horizons and Chronicles of Elyria. Improbable has now taken a huge leap of simulating entire cities that could impact everything ranging from city planning to healthcare. At the Google Cloud conference, Mr. Narula said that Improbable has built a complete simulation of an entire British City, in conjunction with a public sector partner.

Smart factories Manufacturing is one of the most important sectors of the U.S. economy. The gross output of U.S. manufacturing industries was $6.2 trillion in 2015, about 36% of U.S. gross domestic product. But these industries have less access to the new technological advancements in the information technology sector, according to Oden Technologies, a leading industrial Internet of Things venture. The New York-based firm is betting big on changing this and it runs its entire platform on the Google cloud platform. Using a combination of IoT — a technology where devices communicate with each other intelligently — wireless connectivity, and big data, Oden is helping manufacturers enhance production efficiency. “We probably wouldn’t be comfortable scaling up to thousands and thousands of

factories, tens and thousands of machines, all streaming data, if we didn’t know we had the infrastructure of Google to allow us to do that,” said Willem Sundblad, founder and chief executive of Oden Technologies. For example, Google’s cloud platform provides the base for obtaining and storing data collated by Oden’s wireless devices. It captures and stores about 10 million metrics on each manufacturing line per day. This includes highly granular details, such as melt profile of the materials and measure of power moving to the machines. Environmental insights like temperature and humidity are also obtained. This way, manufacturers can find if there are weather-related consequences on their manufacturing efficiency. In March, Mountain View, California-based Google also acquired Kaggle, a community platform for data scientists. The Kaggle community has used machine learning to grade high school essays, diagnose heart failure and increase the discovery significance of the Higgs-Boson, an elementary particle in the Standard Model of particle physics. Making Google Cloud technology available to its community will allow it to offer access to powerful infrastructure and the capability to store and query large data sets. “We are going to enable our community to do far more powerful things,” said Anthony Goldbloom, chief executive of Kaggle. (The writer was recently in the U.S. at the invitation of Google) A ND-ND

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THE HINDU

SPORT 15

NOIDA/DELHI

MONDAY, MAY 22, 2017

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Mumbai Indians has the last laugh

Former players hold court

Heartbreak for Rising Pune Supergiant as it falls short by just one run IPL-10 FINAL A. JOSEPH ANTONY HYDERABAD

Poised on the precipice, Mumbai Indians, powered by Mitchell Johnson’s stupendous bowling (three for 26) at the death, sneaked home to its third title in the Indian Premier League at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Sunday night. Rising Pune Supergiant, shepherded by skipper Steve Smith’s masterly 51, requiring 11 off the last over, fell a run short in what could be its last hurrah, unless the championship is expanded to 10 teams in the next season. For Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma, he was party to a fourth title, three as captain and earlier with the now-defunct Deccan Chargers. Whirling arms, wiles and guiles, Jasprit Bumrah’s bootlace bombs swung things Mumbai’s way. He drew blood first, rapping Rahul Tripathi on the pads. On his second spell, he got M.S. Dhoni, promoted to twodown, caught behind by Parthiv Patel, a blow that perhaps impacted Pune more than it would have wished. Ajinkya Rahane (44, 5x4) nearly perished on 14, lobbing Lasith Malinga to Krunal Pandya, who spilt the chance at cover. Off the next over, the stylish striker sent the Sri Lankan slinger to the fence, this time with a fullblooded hit. With Pune in charge for most of the chase, the reprieve for Rahane could have proved costly, the placidfaced Pune batsman despatching Johnson to the Mumbai dugout, as if to rub it in. Bringing right knee down

to the turf, he swept Pandya to long-leg. His captain Steve Smith was content playing second fiddle. Rahane departed six short of a half-century, picked up by long-on, Kieron Pollard, clutching the catch inches above the grass.

Lowest total Earlier, Mumbai skidded to the lowest total in a final when batting first, logging 129 for eight. The previous nadir was Deccan Chargers’ 143 at Johannesburg in 2009, while the all-time depths were plumbed by Chennai Super Kings’ 125 against Mumbai Indians in 2013. Pune’s wicket-to-wicket assault left little room for Mumbai openers Lendl Simmons and Parthiv Patel but scamper for singles. Throttled thus in the first two overs, Parthiv grew restless and reckless too. Taking a swipe across at a rising Unadkat delivery, he spooned a simple catch to Shardul Thakur at mid-on. Parthiv’s partner fell three balls later, Simmons’ leading edge lapped up by a leaping Unadkat, raking up the catch with his ring finger and off his own bowling. If Pune’s new ball operators Unadkat and Washington Sundar were miserly, Shardul Thakur was no less niggardly, keeping the explosive pair of Rohit Sharma and Ambati Rayudu on a tight leash. Mumbai’s first boundary came in the sixth over, from Rohit’s pat off Lockie Ferguson. In fine touch Slopping talent like a careless barman spilling expensive drinks, Mumbai’s captain barely brought blade to ball to send it racing to the ropes four times in that over off the Kiwi seamer.

Star-studded: A bevy of celebrities, including Sushant Singh Rajput and actress Kriti Sanon, witnessed the IPL inal at Hyderabad on Sunday. K.R. DEEPAK *

A. JOSEPH ANTONY Hyderabad

Unbelievable: Mumbai Indians celebrates a nerve-wracking victory. Rayudu was ‘thrown out’ by mid-off Smith’s direct hit to the non-striker’s end. The Hyderabad-born batsman had set out for a sharp single. It was Adam Zampa who struck the next blow. Rohit’s pull to mid-wicket found Thakur take an outstanding catch, his balancing act to hold the lofted shot well within the bounds of the taped hoardings skirting the boundary. The eighth-wicket pair of Krunal (47, 3x4, 2x6) and Johnson provided the proverbial lash from the lower order, mopping up Mumbai’s most valuable partnership of 50.

SCOREBOARD

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K.R. DEEPAK

MUMBAI INDIANS VS RISING PUNE SUPERGIANT

Mumbai Indians: Lendl Simmons c & b Unadkat 3 (8b), Parthiv Patel c Thakur b Unadkat 4 (6b), Ambati Rayudu run out 12 (15b, 1x4), Rohit Sharma c Thakur b Zampa 24 (22b, 4x4), Krunal Pandya c Rahane b Christian 47 (38b, 3x4, 2x6), Kieron Pollard c Tiwary b Zampa 7 (3b, 1x6), Hardik Pandya lbw b Christian 10 (9b, 1x6), Karn Sharma run out 1 (5b), Mitchell Johnson (not out) 13 (14b, 1x6); Extras (b-1, lb-2, w-5): 8; Total (for eight wkts. in 20 overs): 129. Fall of wickets: 1-7 (Parthiv, 2.1 overs), 2-8 (Simmons, 2.4), 341 (Rayudu, 7.2), 4-56 (Rohit,

10.1), 5-65 (Pollard, 10.6), 6-78 (Hardik, 13.2), 7-79 (Karn, 14.1), 8-129 (Krunal, 19.6). Rising Pune Supergiant bowling: Jaydev Unadkat 4-0-19-2, Washington Sundar 4-0-13-0, Shardul Thakur 2-0-7-0, Lockie Ferguson 2-0-21-0, Adam Zampa 4-0-32-2, Dan Christian 4-0-34-2. Rising Pune Supergiant: Ajinkya Rahane c Pollard b Johnson 44 (38b, 5x4), Rahul Tripathi lbw b Bumrah 3 (8b), Steve Smith c Rayudu b Johnson 51 (50b, 2x4, 2x6), M.S. Dhoni c Parthiv b Bumrah 10 (13b, 1x4), Manoj Tiwary c Pollard b Johnson 7 (8b, 1x4), Dan

Christian run out 4 (2b), Washington Sundar (not out) 0 (1b); Extras (b-1, lb-5, w-3): 9; Total (for six wkts. in 20 overs): 128. Fall of wickets: 1-17 (Tripathi, 2.2), 2-71 (Rahane, 11.5), 3-98 (Dhoni, 16.2), 4-123 (Tiwary, 19.2), 5-123 (Smith, 19.3), 6-128 (Christian, 19.6). Mumbai Indians bowling: Krunal Pandya 4-0-31-0, Mitchell Johnson 4-0-26-3, Jasprit Bumrah 4-0-26-2, Lasith Malinga 4-0-21-0, Karn Sharma 4-0-18-0. Toss: Mumbai Indians. Man-of-the-Match: Krunal Pandya. Mumbai Indians won by one run.

Under a densely overcast sky, the Rajiv Gandhi international stadium saw quite a sprinkling of stardust before the showdown for the Vivo Indian Premier League trophy got underway. From the pantheon of the game’s greats, striking a sparkling presence were Sunil Gavaskar, Kevin Pietersen and Scott Styris. What set them apart was the stylish kurtas they donned, underscoring the Indian ethos of the over month and a half long extravaganza. Years spent in the middle of cricket arenas across the world and never far from the spotlight even after hanging up their boots, the trio holding court in the media box showed no signs of stage fright. The stadium, half full already a good one and half hours before the summit clash, broke into spontaneous applause on seeing a curly haired gent going by the name of Sachin Tendulkar. Staying close to the season’s last practice ses-

Kumble explains Poonam, Mithali salary structure guide India to win theme to CoA, BCCI

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Full entertainment

Mumbai

India’s head coach Anil Kumble is understood to have impressed upon the Committee of Administrators (CoA) and BCCI officebearers to take an encompassing look at revising the Indian team salary structure, both central contracts and match fees. Kumble made a power point presentation to them in Hyderabad on Sunday. During the course of the India-Australia Test series, the CoA met Kumble and skipper Virat Kohli and support staff members to ascertain their views on the player remuneration. On being asked to make a presentation, Kumble submitted a report after the series. Kumble seems to have taken note of the salary structures followed by Cricket Australia and England and Wales Cricket Board and accordingly

Having fun: Fans cheer during the IPL inal between Mumbai Indians and Rising Pune Supergiant in Hyderabad on Sunday. K.R. DEEPAK *

Gurindervir, Abhishek strike gold

CM YK

Ghalay inishes 31st Sports Bureau Munich

The scores: South Africa 156 in 40.2 overs (Luus 55, Goswami three for 22) lost to India 160 for two in 33 overs (Poonam Raut 70 not out, Mithali Raj 62 not out).

The results: Men: 50m rifle prone: 1. Kim Jonghyun (Kor) 248.3 (628.8), 2. Stian Bogar (Nor) 248.2 (625.4), 3. Thomas Mathis (Aut) 227.1 (627.3).

Mithali Raj...captain’s knock. *

AP

Elina Svitolina ights of Simona Halep for the women’s title

Sports Bureau Bordeaux

Agassi to work with Djokovic

Agencies

Two bronze medals India also won two bronze medals through Akshay Nain (boys’ 400m) and Seema (girls’ 3,000m). Mohit narrowly missed the decathlon gold, his 5976 a mere seven points behind the gold winning score. Another Mohit won the silver in shot-put with an 18.82m.

Taking a closer and keen look at the gleaming trophy was Match Referee Javagal Srinath. The assembly of a cross-section of cricket’s whos-who was not surprising considering it was a culmination of the game’s most compact format.

Purav-Divij pair triumphs

Sports Bureau

Gurindervir Singh and Abhishek Mathew won gold medals for India at the Asian youth athletics championship in Bangkok on Sunday. Gurindervir clocked 10.77s for the 100m gold while Abhishek pipped Sri Lankan Harsha Dissanayaka in a photo-finish to win the 800m in 1:54.99s.

In the other half of the ground, standing tall with the aura of cricketer evolved into the game’s elder statesman was Stephen Fleming.

‘Sacha’ Zverev masters Djokovic in inal ITALIAN OPEN

Bangkok

worked on a fair formula for the Indian team. Kumble may have also conveyed to the CoA and BCCI the need for long-term professional coaching system, delivering contracts on time and most importantly, maintaining continuity. Kumble replaced Ravi Shastri (Team Director) and has met with extraordinary success. His tenure will end at the conclusion of the ICC Champions Trophy. Kohli interacted with the CoA and BCCI members through video conference and was on the same page as Kumble on the burning issue the India captain raised with the BCCI before the IndiaNew Zealand Test series last year. Recently, the CoA doubled the central contracts remuneration for Grade-A players to ₹2 crore, Grade-B to ₹1 crore and Grade-C to ₹50 lakh.

If anyone from the country could come close, it could only have been Robin Singh, who was also at hand. Keeping an eye on the Mumbai attack’s preparations was another worldbeater in the pace-bowling department, a policeman turned cricket pro — Shane Bond.

played top form throughout the tournament. Raut had scored an unbeaten 109 against Ireland while Raj came to the final after scoring two half—centuries. Chasing a modest target, India lost opener Deepti Sharma and Mona Meshram cheaply before Raut and Raj completed the job in a clinical fashion.

Potchefstroom

G . Viswanath

Mumbai’s fielders couldn’t have found a better guru than the South African who continues to be a livewire, bat in one hand and baseball glove in the other to collect the throw-ins.

Sushil Ghalay (622.7) finished 31st in the 50m rifle prone event at the shooting World Cup in Munich on Sunday, placing ahead of Chain Singh (37th with 622.1) and Sanjeev Rajput (65th, 616.6). Gagan Narang shot in the MQS section and returned a score of 622.1. In the 25m rapid fire pistol event, Neeraj Kumar shot 578 for the 18th place. Harpreet Singh had 577 and Gurpreet Singh 572, which meant none of the Indians was close to qualification, with 585 being the cut-off. In the women’s 50m rifle 3-position elimination round, Tejaswini Sawant shot 581 and Gaayathri Nithyanadam 580, while Elizabeth Susan Koshy had 575. The qualification phase and the final will be held on Monday.

Press Trust of India

Poonam Raut and Mithali Raj shared an unbeaten 127run stand as India defeated South Africa by eight wickets in the final of the Women’s Quadrangular Series here on Sunday. Veteran Jhulan Goswami starred with the ball with three wickets, helping India dismiss South Africa for a paltry 156 in 40.2 overs. Raut (70 off 92 ) and Raj (62 off 79) then delivered with the bat, taking India to a comfortable win in 33 overs after a rather jittery start to the chase. The win was more sweet considering India had lost to South Africa in the league stages. Captain Mithali not only guided the team to a resounding win, but also became the first Indian to lead the side in 100 ODIs. The tournament also turned out to be good preparation for India ahead of the World Cup, which begins in the UK next month. Both Raut and Raj dis-

sion, also in the blue hue of the Mumbai Indians was a fielder non-pareil — Jonty Rhodes.

Rome

Alexander Zverev stunned four-time Rome champion Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-3 to win his first Masters title on Sunday, confirming his status as a Roland Garros danger-man. The 20-year-old became the youngest player in a decade to win an ATP 1000 title, and he will now move to World No. 10. Djokovic, who turns 30 on Monday, was the previous youngest Masters champion, winning Miami as a 19-year-old in 2007. “Playing against Novak, one of the best players to ever play — it was an honour being on the court with you,” said Zverev. “You’re an amazing player. Unfortunately this week you didn’t win, but I’m sure as we get closer to Paris you’ll be one

D

A landmark triumph: Alexander Zverev’s irst ever Masters triumph will see him enter the top-10 in the World, and he will head to Paris as a dark horse. AP *

of the favourites.” Djokovic had 27 unforced errors to 14 for Zverev, who also had 16 winners to the Serb’s 11. “I wish you go on to win many of these titles,” Djokovic told the young German. “Yesterday I played what I

thought was one of the best matches of my life on clay (in beating Dominic Thiem 6-1, 6-0 in the semifinal). Today I played something else. But that’s sport.” Elina Svitolina won the women’s title with a 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 victory over Simona Halep.

jokovic said on Sunday that Andre Agassi will be his new coach. “I spoke to Andre the last couple weeks on the phone, and we decided to get together in Paris. So he’s gonna be there,” said Djokovic, adding there was no long-term commitment. “It’s just us trying to get to know each other in Paris.” Djokovic, who said he had “persuaded” Agassi, added: “He had this approach to tennis and to life that was quite different from others. That’s why he’s so interesting.”

Third-seeded Purav Raja and Divij Sharan won their first title of the season as they beat fourth seeds Santiago Gonzalez and Artem Sitak 6-4, 6-4 in the final of the €106,000 Challenger here on Sunday. It was smooth passage to the title for the Indian pair, which had won four Challenger titles apart from a Tour title last season. Purav and Divij, who had won all their matches in straight sets, except for the quarterfinals against Alex Bolt and Thanasi Kokkinakis, collected 110 ATP points and €6,580. The duo had defeated second seeds Leander Paes and Scott Lipsky in the semifinals, for the loss of five games. It will be a better level next week for Purav and Divij as they will compete in the €540,310, ATP 250 event

Winning combination: Purav Raja and Divij Sharan, who took the honours in the €106,000 Challenger in Bordeaux on Sunday. FILE PHOTO *

in Lyon, France, with a tough first round against Jonathan Erlich of Israel and Andre Sa of Brazil. Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan has also a got a wild card entry for the same event with Christopher Rungkat of Indonesia. There was some good news from the $250,000 WTA event in Strasbourg (France), as Prarthana

Thombare won her first WTA-level match with Vera Lapko of Belarus. The results: €106,000 Challenger, Bordeaux: Final: Purav Raja & Divij Sharan bt Santiago Gonzalez (Mex) & Artem Sitak (Nzl) 6-4, 6-4. WTA Strasbourg International: First round: Vera Lapko (Blr) & Prarthana Thombare bt Liang Chen (Chn) & Katarzyna Piter (Pol) 6-3, 6-4. A ND-ND

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16 SPORT

THE HINDU

NOIDA/DELHI

MONDAY, MAY 22, 2017

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Oloitiptip, Cheptai emerge winners

IN BRIEF

World record-holder Komon inishes eighth N. Sudarshan

TCS WORLD 10K

BENGALURU

Irene Cheptai, the reigning women’s World cross country champion, made a memorable 10k road race international debut by winning the TCS World 10k here on Sunday. The Kenyan clocked 31:51 and even threatened to break compatriot Lucy Kabuu’s course record set in 2014, but fell three seconds short. Ethiopia's Worknesh Degefa was next, nine seconds behind and Helah Kiprop of Kenya a further two seconds away. On the men's side, Kenya’s Alex Korio Oloitiptip, the champion here in 2013, won in 28:12. Compatriot Edwin Kiptoo came number two but was 14 seconds slower. Stephen Kissa, the pacemaker, after staying true to his role for half the race, staked a claim for the ultimate prize before settling for third (28:28). Two-time defending champion Mosinet Geremew was a pale shadow of his former self, coming in a rather dispiriting 10th. World record-holder Leonard Komon was equally uninspiring in eighth. Among the Indians,

Anderson sufers groin injury LONDON

England’s James Anderson missed the whole of Saturday’s play in Lancashire’s Roses clash with Yorkshire because of a groin injury and may take no further part in the match. Anderson has not been in action at Old Trafford since limping off clutching his groin on Friday’s first day. AFP

Harikrishna outwits Nepomniachtchi MOSCOW

Indian GM P. Harikrishna defeated Russian GM Ian Nepomniachtchi in the eighth round of the Moscow FIDE Grand Prix. With his second win, Harikrishna climbed to the 12th spot with four points. He will take on Teimour Radjabov of Azerbaijan in his last game in his quest to achieve a higher rank and find a spot in the Candidates tournament.

Naveen Kumar and Saigeeta Naik crossed the tape first among men and women respectively with times of 30:56 and 36:01. Neither the late start times nor the high summer temperatures leading up to the race made any dent. While overnight rains had brought down the temperatures significantly, persistent cloud cover ensured that the athletes wouldn't tire easily. It perhaps reflected in the results — the top four in both men and women all had better times than the 2016 winners in the respective categories. Of the two, the women’s race shaded the men’s. Pacemaker Carolyne Jepkosgei dropped back rather early, leaving Cheptai, Degefa and Gladys Chesir to push each other. The result was a slow 16:19 5km split. Cheptai and Degefa were neck and neck, but at about the 8km-mark Cheptai decided to break away. She sprinted towards the end even as Degefa couldn’t find the same finishing kick. Chesir, who was all along in with a chance to be in the

NBA: Durant sinks Spurs

Thomas out for rest of playofs BOSTON

Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas will miss the remainder of the NBA playoffs after aggravating a hip injury during Game Two of the Eastern Conference final, the team announced on Saturday. Reuters

Warriors lead 3-0 in the series

top three, tapered off towards the end, with Helah Kiprop, a marathon runner with enough lasting power, completing the podium. Among the men, Oloitiptip was part of the leading pack from the start and finished with aplomb. His closest challengers were first Kiwi Zane Robertson and Kiptoo and then Kissa. At the 6km mark, Robertson fell by the wayside and then a kilometre later Oloitiptip decided to leave everyone behind. A fierce battle ensued for the second spot before Kiptoo passed Kissa with barely a few hundred metres left. The results: Overall: Men: 1. Alex Korio Oloitiptip (Ken) 28:12s; 2. Edwin Kiptoo (Ken) 28:26s; 3. Stephen Kissa (Uga) 28:28s. Women: 1. Irene Cheptai (Ken) 31:51s; 2. Worknesh Degefa (Eth) 32:00s; 3. Helah Kiprop (Ken) 32:02s. India: Men: 1. Naveen Kumar 30:56s; 2. Sandeep Tayade 31:02s; 3. Shankar Man Thapa 31:07s. Women: 1. Saigeeta Naik 36:01s; 2. Kiran Sahdev 36:30s; 3. Preenu Yadav 36:46s. Winner's Prize money: Men: $26,000; Women: $26,000. Indians: Men: ₹2.5 lakh; Women: ₹2.5 lakh.

BURIRAM (THAILAND)

India’s racer Armaan Ebrahim and his teammate Jack Bartholomew of the UK continued their good run in the Super Trofeo Asia Series, clinching a second successive podium despite engine problems at the Chang International Circuit here on Sunday. Spearheading the FFF Racing team, Armaan and Jack did well in race 2 to finish third.

Bengaluru

All too easy: Kenya’s Irene Cheptai came up with a strong inish to easily best the ield. K. MURALI KUMAR *

Mahindra’s Heidfeld on the podium again

San Antonio

Shiv Kapur produced a magnificent finish for the second straight time with a closing eight-under 63, which almost brought him a second successive win. Kapur, who had a closing bogey-free eight-under 64 during his win in Taiwan, had no less than 10 birdies besides two bogeys in his 63

on Sunday. With 65-63, Kapur was 14-under for the weekend and was tied second with Gaganjeet Bhullar (67) at 19-under. Rattanon Wannasrichan (67) totalled 21-under to complete a sensational victory. Jeev Milkha Singh (72) was tied-32nd, while Shankar Das (70) and Khalin Joshi (70) were tied-42nd.

Press Trust of India Paris

Mahindra Racing recorded its best ever double-points finish in the Formula E Championships, with Nick Heidfeld and Felix Rosenqvist taking third and fourth places in the Paris E-Prix here on Saturday. This performance bettered Mahindra’s performance at last week’s

Kevin Durant.

*

AP

Double for Bulgaria's Ivet Lalova-Collio Kawasaki

Vaishali reigns Chennai

India’s R. Vaishali won the women’s title with eight points from nine rounds in the Asian continental Blitz chess championship in Chengdu on Sunday. She was at her best in the Blitz event, winning seven games and posting two draws in the nineround event. Padmini Rout finished third with seven points after a last round victory over Yuxin Song of China. Soumya Swaminathan (5.5) took the 12th spot,

Thompson posts world leading time KINGSTON

Double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson cruised to a world leading equalling 22.09s to win the 200m at the Jamaica International Invitational meeting on Saturday. Thompson is the fifth fastest woman over the distance with 21.66. Reuters

TV PICKS NBA: Sony Six & Six HD, 6 a.m.

Monaco E Prix where Heidfeld got third and Rosenqvist sixth. With six races left in the FIA electric-powered car racing series over three double-header weekends, Team Mahindra is in the third spot in the constructors’ championship. In the drivers’ standings, Heidfeld is in fourth place while Rosenqvist is in sixth place.

Gatlin claims 100 metres gold Reuters

Press Trust of India

Hockey Chandigarh clinched the seventh Hockey India sub-junior boys’ National championship 2017 (‘A’ Division) title after registering a fluent 4-0 victory over Sports Authority of India in the final here on Sunday. Sanjay, with two goals, starred for Chandigarh in the summit clash. Coming into the game as the firm favourite after dominating in all its previous matches, Chandigarh took time to get off the blocks against the solid defence of SAI. After a goalless first-half, Sanjay broke the deadlock by converting a penalty corner. Chandigarh then

Kapur and Bhullar inish joint second Bangkok

The result: Warriors 120 (Durant 33, Green 10, McGee 16, Thompson 17, Curry 21) bt Spurs 108 (Simmons 14, Aldridge 18, Ginobili 21, Gasol 12, Murray 10).

Principal Correspondent

MOTORSPORTS

Press Trust of India

Armaan & Bartholomew finish third

A walk in the park: Hockey Chandigarh dominated from the start to win 4-0 against SAI.

GOLF

Reuters

Kevin Durant scored 33 points, 19 of them in the decisive third quarter, and pulled down 10 rebounds as Golden State Warriors easily dispatched San Antonio Spurs 120-108 on Saturday in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals. Warriors lead 3-0 in the best-of-seven series with Game 4 set for Monday in San Antonio.

Hockey Chandigarh clinches title

while Mary Ann Gomes finished 16th. In the open section, Tamil Nadu’s Aravind Chithambaram finished fourth with a tally of seven points. He won six games, drew two and lost one. M.R. Lalith Babu (6.5 points), Vidit Santhosh Gujrathi (6.5 points) and B. Adhiban (6 points) finished seventh, eighth and 10th respectively. Surya Shekhar Ganguly was 22nd, while Sandipan Chanda and S.P. Sethuraman were 24th and 25th.

Veteran American sprinter Justin Gatlin fended off the challenge of a host of Japanese hopes when he won the men's 100 metres in 10.28 seconds at the Golden Grand Prix here on Sunday. The Rio Olympic silver medallist started slowly but rallied to dip ahead of Asuka Cambridge, who finished .03 seconds behind the American, while another Japanese, Shuhei Tada, came third in 10.35. Any hopes of clocking a fast time were scuppered by a 1.2-metre headwind at the Todoroki Stadium, although Gatlin said he was pleased with his performance in testing conditions. “It was a tough wind, but the competition was even

Breezing through: Justin Gatlin, right, strides ahead of Aska Cambridge, centre, and Abdul Hakim. AP *

tougher going against some of the future stars of Japan,” the 35-year-old was quoted as saying by Kyodo. “They put together a good race, and they're going to be formidable opponents. I've been a little bit injured, not being able to train as hard as I want to, but I've been work-

ing on my finish and it helped out today.” Canada's Aaron Brown won the men's 200m in 20.62, while Bulgaria's Ivet Lalova-Collio claimed the women's 100 and 200m. The winners: Men: 100m: Justin Gatlin (USA) 10.28. 200m: Aaron Brown

(Can) 20.62. 800m: Timothy Kitum (Ken) 1:47.03. 3000m: Paul Kipngetich Tanui (Ken) 7:52.67. 3000m steeplechase: Jairus Kipchoge Birech (Ken) 8:19.54. 110m hurdles: Xie Wenjun (Chn) 13.51. 400m hurdles: Quincy Downing (USA) 48.96. High jump: Michael Mason (Can) 2.30. Pole vault: Hiroki Ogita (Jpn) 5.60. Long jump: Wang Jianan (Chn) 8.14. Triple jump: Wu Ruiting (Chn) 17.18. Javelin: Thomas Roehler (Ger) 86.55. Women: 100m: Ivet LalovaCollio (Bul) 11.40. 200m: Ivet Lalova-Collio (Bul) 22.98. 1500m: Nelly Jepkosgei (Ken) 4:06.86. 100m hurdles: Queen Harrison (USA) 12.65. Long jump: Tianna Bartoletta (USA) 6.79. Shot Put: Jeneva Stevens (USA) 18.48. Hammer: Gwen Berry (USA) 74.13. Javelin: Liu Shiying (Chn) 66.47.

began to attack in droves. Amandeep struck a field goal in the 47th to double the lead. Five minutes before time, Sanjay recorded a brace, and a minute from the final whistle, Harpreet Singh made it 4-0. Earlier, Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy finished third in the championship after defeating Hockey Odisha 3-2 in the third-place playoff match. The results: Final: Hockey Chandigarh 4 (Sanjay 40, 65, Amandeep 47, Harpreet Singh 69) bt Sports Authority of India 0. Third-place playoff: Madhya Pradesh HA 3 (Haider Ali 8, Shailendra Singh 27, 32) bt Hockey Odisha 2 (Sunit Lakra 25, Sushant Toppo 37).

Harinder bags title

Harinder.

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FILE PHOTO

Sports Bureau Makati City (the Philippines)

Close on the heels of his Malaysian success, India’s Harinder Pal Sandhu bagged another PSA title, his second in a little over a week’s time and seventh overall, when he beat Mohd Syafiq Kamal of Malaysia 11-5, 11-7, 11-7 in the final of the Nissan Makati Open, a PSA World Tour event here on Sunday. The second seed had moved into the final late on Saturday night after accounting for fourth seed Tang Ming Hong of Hong Kong 11-5, 11-7, 11-6 in the semifinals.

Bangalore races cancelled BENGALURU: The Stewards of the Bangalore Turf Club decided to cancel the races scheduled to be held here on Sunday (May 21), due to heavy overnight rain, according to a BTC press release.

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THE HINDU CROSSWORD 12013 1

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17 Man wearing old clothing in vehicle (5)

7 They are set up to go down in game (8)

24 The sort of documentation with which Father's curiously paltrier (5,5)

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6 One minute past insect's inal stage (5)

21 Wild man could summon PAC (6)

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15 Celebration fast dissipates — with odd wife entering (6)

20 One's related nice concoction to go with drug (5)

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(set by Gridman)

27 Chacha longingly exhibited symbol of goodness (4) 29 Nigh to new leader in good time (6)

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30 Stay with more crazy puzzle (8) 31

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31 Make a logical conclusion: 'cut' is what's needed (6) ■ ACROSS 1 Flower best ward dissected (8) 5 By half-a-minute present a small ish (6) 9 Tattered like a leather watchstrap? (4-4) 10 King going through Venetian passage becomes lustful (6) 12 Out to all but press forward work (4) 13 Clumsy person's shoe (10)

CM YK

11 One has to show it to prove who one is (1,1,4) 14 Exercise over the Italian's stack (4) 16 Son's card game is gloomy (6) 17 Snare section put up (4) 18 Such a gift is still wrapped up (8) 19 Secretly planned material put under river (4-4)

Solution to puzzle 12012 22 Women confuse duck movement (6)

■ DOWN

23 Heads of Hard Recruiters hiring men back to back results in dismay (6)

2 City in West Bengal is nearly slow twice (3,3)

Eicacy of worship

8 Being erudite, scanned perfectly (4-4)

32 There's no doubt: it's a signal that the danger's over (3,5)

1 Continue hitting with head for a fastener? (6)

FAITH

SUDOKU

25 Historical object about to be discarded by mad cleric (5)

3 Pulls bookworm up (4)

26 Plan by learner is perfect (5)

4 A range of hearing (5)

28 Record of Lambadi school (4)

N O B O D I E S

I M E E T H R A N N E

I S T R R E U A M I

R O V T E R S T R MA D N N E O O U P D A L E R E K S T A

D W R O R I C E S T R E R E S H I R K E

A D E F F E N E U S T A R A T I S O N N

MO N I S H S N O C A T E R A E D A R R A T E R S P E N S E R E A D O R N D U T W I S T E R C S A L A T I O N T D C S E R E N E

Solution to yesterday’s Sudoku

The Gita offers a comprehensive account of the two basic forms of worship: meditation on the unmanifest form of the Lord known as Nirguna or Akshara Brahman and on the His manifest form, with attributes and auspicious qualities, known as Saguna Brahman. Krishna dwells at length on matters such as Brahma Tatva, the state of Yoga Nishta, Vibhuti yoga, Viswarupa yoga, and so on, right from the second chapter to the eleventh and asserts that meditation on Nirguna Brahman is capable of granting Moksha. Then when He reveals His cosmic form to Arjuna, the Lord highlights the worship of the Saguna Brahman and states that His bhaktas are also able to reach Him. So Arjuna wishes to know which of these upasanas is better and which is to be adopted, pointed out Sri K. Ramasubramania Sarma in a discourse. Krishna makes it clear that both types of upasakas are equally qualified to attain Him if single-mindedness is the basis of their worship. Nirguna Upasana implies an aspirant who perceives the oneness of creation behind the diversity, who transcends his attachment to the body and the pulls of the senses and is always compassionate to all objects and beings. The Saguna upasaka is drawn by the Lord’s auspicious qualities and form and develops unswerving devotion to the Lord. But the efficacy of devotion is determined by bhakta’s ability to dwell on the Supreme Brahman at all times, and by dedicating his thought, word and deed to Him, whatever may be his form of worship. When one’s mind and heart is filled with desires and one’s attention is diverted by the senses and emotions, and one yields to selfish longings that do not allow him to be considerate towards others, his meditation is of no use. This applies to any upasaka, the onus being solely on involvement, concentration, sincerity, renunciation and purity of mind. A ND-ND

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THE HINDU

SPORT 17

NOIDA/DELHI

MONDAY, MAY 22, 2017

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Man City and Liverpool romp to CL spots Arsenal has to settle for Europa League; Kane wins Golden Boot; Terry celebrates last game at Chelsea EURO LEAGUES

Bengaluru FC wins Fed Cup Vineeth scores a brace in extra-time

Reuters

Y.B. Sarangi

London Cuttack

Manchester City made sure of third place in the Premier League when it romped to a 5-0 win at Watford on Sunday to ensure a Champions League berth for next season. Over at Anfield, Liverpool ensured a return to the Champions League by beating relegated Middlesbrough, although it will have to play in a qualifying round after finishing fourth in the Premier League, two points behind Manchester City. But for the first time in 20 years Arsenal won’t be part of the premier continental championship as even a 3-1 win over Everton 3-1 with 10men was not enough to secure a top-four finish. Chelsea celebrated its title and captain John Terry’s last game at Stamford Bridge with a 5-1 defeat of relegated Sunderland, bringing its season’s Premier League win tally to a record 30 games. A third-minute goal on the rebound from Sunderland’s Javier Manquillo did not mar the festivities and five minutes later Willian equalised after sustained Chelsea pressure. Most of the Chelsea players, as though warming up for the FA Cup final next Saturday, had a pop at the beleaguered Sunderland goal during the game.

Tearful goodbye Antonio Conte, aiming for the double in his first season in charge, brought Terry off in the 26th minute — his shirt number — to a standing ovation. The former England captain wept as he hugged his teammates and brought to an end a 22-year career at Stamford Bridge. Harry Kane won the Premier League Golden Boot for the second successive year after scoring a second

One last hurrah: John Terry holds the Premier League trophy at the end of a glittering Chelsea career, while the others, right, take selies with the prize before the presentation ceremony. AP *

hat-trick in four days as Tottenham thrashed relegated Hull City 7-1.

Stuttgart wins promotion Meanwhile, VfB Stuttgart won promotion to the Bundesliga a year after its relegation following a 4-1 demolition of Wuerzburg on Sunday in the season finale. It will be joined by Hannover 96, which was also relegated last season, courtesy of its 1-1 draw at Sandhausen. The results: Premier League: Swansea City 2 (Jordan Ayew 71, Llorente 86) bt West Brom 1 (Evans 33); Burnley 1 (Vokes 23) lost to West Ham 2 (Feghouli 27, Andre Ayew 72); Chelsea 5 (Willian 8, Hazard 61, Pedro 77, Batshuayi 90, 90+2) bt Sunderland 1 (Manquillo 3); Hull City 1 (Clucas 66) lost to Tottenham Hotspur 7 (Kane 11, 13, 72, Alli 45+2, Wanyama 69, Davies 84, Alderweireld 87); Leicester City 1 (Vardy 51) drew with Bournemouth 1 (Stanislas 1); Liverpool 3 (Wijnaldum 45+1, Coutinho 51, Lallana 56) bt Middlesbrough 0; Watford 0 lost to Manchester City 5 (Kompany 5, Sergio Aguero 23, 36, Fernandinho 41, Jesus 58); Manchester United 2 (Harrop

15, Pogba 19) bt Crystal Palace 0; Arsenal 3 (Bellerin 8, Sanchez 27, Ramsey 90+1) bt Everton 1 (Lukaku 58-pen); Southampton 0 lost to Stoke

City 1 (Crouch 58). La Liga: Atletico Madrid 3 (Torres 8 & 11, Correa 89) bt Athletic Bilbao 1 (Williams 71); Celta Vigo 2 (Aspas 54-pen,

Hjulsager 90) drew with Real Sociedad 2 (Oyarzabal 82, Juanmi 90+4); Valencia 1 (Nani 54) lost to Villareal 3 (Soldado 1, Trigueros 58, Sansone 88).

The Juventus juggernaut rolls on The sixth consecutive title is something extremely significant, said Juve’s 39year-old goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who has won eight Serie A titles at the club.

Reuters Milan

Juventus became the first team to win the Serie A six times in a row when it beat Crotone 3-0 on Sunday to clinch the title with one game to spare. Mario Mandzukic, Paulo Dybala, with a stunning free kick, and Alex Sandro shared the goals as the Turin side also won a league and cup double for the third time in a row and stayed on course for a treble. Juve’s win over its relegation-threatened opponent, took it to 88 points from 37 games, four clear of AS Roma which won 5-3 at Chievo on Saturday. Napoli is a further point behind in third, the Champions League playoff

AFC Cup finalist Bengaluru FC redeemed some pride by edging out Mohun Bagan 2-0 in the summit clash and claiming its second Federation Cup crown at the Barabati Stadium here on Sunday. In the tightly contested tussle befitting a final, BFC overcame a bit of hard luck to ride on C.K. Vineeth’s extra-time brace and bag the prestigious title despite the unavailability of two of key players, Sunil Chhetri and Cameron Watson. BFC showed a big heart and fought bravely even as Bagan had the ball in control for most part of the goalless first half. Most importantly, the Blues stuck to their well-planned defensive structure, led by John Johnson, Juanan Fernandez and Sandesh Jhingan, to close the gaps and force Bagan have a go at the goal through corners, free-kicks and long balls. The stout BFC defence marked Bagan’s main weapon, Sony Norde, strongly and brought down the Haitian twice within the first quarter. Norde retaliated by pushing Harmanjot Khabra to invite a yellow

card. BFC, which witnessed some failed attempts from the industrious Udanta early in the second half, was again caught in the offside trap. Lyngdoh’s free-kick from the left was headed by Johnson and kicked in by Juanan, but the effort was flagged to the utter frustration of BFC. Bagan stepped up its attack and had its chances too. Balwant utilised a Norde pass to fire a long ranger, but Amrinder Singh dived to his right to palm away the threat. Soon, Norde’s angled shot missed the target by a whisker. Amidst free flowing action towards the end of the regulation period, Bagan had a couple of opportunities but could not break the deadlock. The Blues tasted success when C.K. Vineeth’s shot from just inside the box got deflected from a defender to beat Debjit in the 107th minute. The Keralite, who had replaced Udanta around the hour mark, sealed the match by hitting home again following a brilliant solo. The result (final): Bengaluru FC 2 (Vineeth 107, 119) bt Mohun Bagan 0.

“We have written indelible pages in the history of football,” he said.

Right on top: Juventus’ Leonardo Bonucci lifts the trophy as the rest celebrate their unprecedented sixth consecutive Serie A title. AP *

spot. Juventus, which is Italy’s most successful side in domestic terms with 33 league titles, will face Real

Madrid in the Champions League final on June 3 when it will attempt to complete the treble.

The results: Empoli 0 lost to Atalanta 1 (Gomez 13); Genoa 2 (Rigoni 32, Simeone 54) bt Torino 1 (Ljajic 89); Juventus 3 (Mandzukic 12, Dybala 39, Sandro 83) bt Crotone 0; AC Milan 3 (Deulofeu 69, Honda 73, Lapadula 90+1) bt Bologna 0; Sassuolo 6 (Magnanelli 7, Berardi 12, Politano 13, Sensi 34, Iemmello 56-pen, Matri 90) bt Cagliari 2 (Sau 25, Ionita 60); Udinese 1 (Thereau 5) drew with Sampdoria 1 (Muriel 64-pen).

Perfect ploy: Bengaluru FC coach Albert Roca got his tactics spot on by not giving space to Bagan’s key player Sony Norde. BISWARANJAN ROUT *

Archana Girish Kamath.

India wins all gold medals on ofer Press Trust of India New Delhi

India added six more golds on the concluding day to take home all the 10 gold medals on offer in the South Asian junior table tennis championships at Mount Lavinia, near Colombo, on Sunday. India also claimed four silvers. India and Sri Lanka booked their berths in the Asian junior championships at Ansan, Korea, from June 29 to July 4. Manav Thakkar defeated Parth Virmani 11-6, 6-11, 11-7, 11-9 for the junior boys’ gold while Sri Lanka’s P.D. Umesh Tennakon and K.D.V. Madhushan took bronze. In junior girls’ final, Archana Girish Kamath accounted for Priyanka Pareek 11-9, 11-5, 11-7. Sri Lanka’s S.H.S. Imasha De Silva and K. Hansani Puimila won bronze.

CM YK

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18 LIFE

NOIDA/DELHI

THE HINDU

MONDAY, MAY 22, 2017

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IN BRIEF

Cool of with self-ventilating gym wear MIT researchers design moisture-responsive suits that have laps lined with live microbial cells an example, and this can let people know you are running in the dark. In the future we can combine odourreleasing functionalities through genetic engineering. So may be after going to the gym, the shirt can release a nice odour,” said Wang.

Press Trust of India Boston

Prince Harry’s girlfriend at Pippa’s reception WASHINGTON

She might not have made it to the wedding but Prince Harry’s girlfriend Meghan Markle made it to the reception of Pippa Middleton and James Matthews’ on Saturday evening. Markle is said to have skipped the morning ceremony to avoid stealing the spotlight from the bridge and groom. ANI

Schnabel to make Vincent van Gogh ilm CANNES

Julian Schnabel will direct a film about Vincent van Gogh starring Willem Dafoe as the Dutch post-impressionist master. The film was announced on Saturday at the Cannes Film Festival by production company Rocket Science. Schnabel has earlier made a film on artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. AP

Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, U.S., have designed a breathable workout suit with ventilating flaps that open and close in response to an athlete’s body heat and sweat. These flaps are lined with live microbial cells that shrink and expand in response to changes in humidity. The cells act as tiny sensors and actuators, driving the flaps open when an athlete works up a sweat, and pulling them closed when the body has cooled off.

Mositure wicked away: (Left) An athlete wearing the breathable garment before exercise when ventilation laps are lat; after exercise, the laps have curved (right). MIT

Shoes too The researchers have also fashioned running shoes with an inner layer of similar cell-lined flaps to air out and wick away moisture. The moisture-sensitive cells require no additional elements to sense and re-

spond to humidity. The microbial cells used have proven to be safe to touch and even consume. In a study published in the journal Science Advances, the researchers engineered moisture-sensitive cells to not only pull flaps open but

Uber is expanding into a new field with a version of its on-demand ride application that lets truckers book cargo hauls with simple taps on smartphones. The app, Uber Freight, rolled out at first in the U.S. would match truckers with customers. Movement of the cargo can be tracked in real-time. AFP

Press Trust of India Washington

Astronomers have created the first map of the largescale structure of the universe based entirely on the positions of quasars. Quasars are the incredibly bright and distant points of light powered by super-massive black holes. “Because quasars are so bright, we can see them all the way across the universe,” said Ashley Ross of the Ohio State University in the U.S. “That makes them the ideal objects to use to make the biggest map yet,” said Ross. The amazing brightness of quasars is due to the supermassive black holes found at their centres. As matter and energy fall into a quasar’s black hole, they heat up to in-

An artist’s conception of a quasar. ESO *

credible temperatures and begin to glow. To make their map, scientists used the Sloan Foundation Telescope to observe an unprecedented number of quasars. During the first two years of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey’s survey, astronomers measured three-dimensional positions for more than 1,47,000 quasars.

Michel Hazanavicius has documented the most politically radical period of Jean Luc Gordard’s life as a comedy Namrata Joshi

SAN FRANCISCO

also light up in response to humid conditions. “We can combine the cells with genetic tools to introduce other functionalities into these living cells,” said Wen Wang, a former MIT scientist. “We use fluorescence as

Astronomers track bright light

Redoubtable in Cannes: cheeky portrait of a revered ilmmaker Cannes

Uber extends on-demand service to trucking

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Bacterial role The researchers first worked with the most common nonpathogenic strain of E. coli bacteria, which was found to swell and shrink in response to changing humidity. They further engineered the cells to express green fluorescent protein, enabling the cell to glow when it senses humid conditions. They then used a cell-printing method they had previously developed to print E. coli onto sheets of rough, natural latex. The team printed parallel lines of E. coli cells onto sheets of latex, creating two-

layer structures, and exposed the fabric to changing moisture conditions. When the fabric was placed on a hot plate to dry, the cells began to shrink, causing the overlying latex layer to curl up. When the fabric was then exposed to steam, the cells began to glow and expand, causing the latex flatten out. After undergoing 100 such dry/wet cycles, Wang said the fabric experienced “no dramatic degradation” in either its cell layer or its overall performance. The researchers worked the bio-fabric into a wearable garment, designing a running suit with cell-lined latex flaps patterned across the suit’s back. “People may think heat and sweat are the same, but in fact, some areas like the lower spine produce lots of sweat but not much heat,” said Lining Yao, a former graduate student at MIT.

Mapping the universe with quasar positions

It was in May 1968 that filmmaker Jean Luc Godard, along with directors Louis Malle and Francois Truffaut, coaxed the Cannes Film Festival to be brought to a halt as a mark of solidarity with the students’ protest in Paris. On Saturday, Michel Hazanavicius’ Le Redoutable on the same phase in Godard’s life was delayed by about an hour at the festival due to security concerns at the Salle Debussy theatre lending an additional unintended layer of irony to the viewing of the film. Hazanavicius treats Godard with a cheeky, straightfaced irreverence than put-

negating his own early work. A man wanting to break away from the past, trying to bring the revolution on the streets to the process of filmmaking as well by embracing the “auto-managed” cinema of the Dziga Vertov school.

ting him up on the pedestal. Godard himself comes across as the one who shares the filmmaker’s sense of humour —risqué, not always in good taste and often directed at his own self.

An odd combination Godard is a man oddly charismatic and charming even when he is confrontational, a man with a razor sharp tongue and a man committed to politics, a man preoccupied with Palestine and Che Guevara’s idea of the “inner Vietnam”. It’s not Godard, the cheer- Bold take: French director Michel Hazanavicius. AFP leader of the French New Wave cinema, who we en- apart for La Chinoise. Here is “making love to a dead wocounter on screen but the a man who is cynical of film- man” and who is being one who is being ripped making itself comparing it to whipped for disgracing and *

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Chasing rainbows

A touch of impertinence Watching the film I also wondered what would have happened if we were to make a film with a similar brazen tone on one of our revered filmmakers. The impertinence of Hazavanicius may rile many, Godard himself may have called the film a “stupid idea”, but the fact is that it hasn’t just got made but is also in competition for the Palme d’Or,

the highest prize in Cannes. It’s proving to be a good innings at Cannes for Netflix. The reactions may not have been as tremendous as for Okja but its second production in the competition section also walked away with a fair amount of appreciation on Sunday. Noah Baumbach’s The Meyerowitz Stories (New And Selected) is a finely wrought slice of family life with a nicely in-tune ensemble. Dustin Hoffman as the pater paterfamilias and Emma Thompson as his current wife are expectedly solid but it’s the children, the halfbrothers and half-sister who reach out. The loser brother Danny

(Adam Sandler) and the perennial winner Matthew (Ben Stiller) surprise with their unusually mature and mellow turns as does Elizabeth Marvel as the sister Jean. It’s a family that is dysfunctional in its normalcy. It’s about the tiny bad things they do to each other — the little regrets and disappointments, the unthinking discrimination amongst kids, the concomitant sibling rivalries — than some devastating, crushing, scarring issue. The incessant chatter through the film underlines the larger chaos in relationships yet there is an all round warmth and humour that makes it so viewable and easy to connect with.

A breath analyser to spot diseases Press Trust of India Washington

Picture perfect:The Kampung Pelangi village in Semarang, Indonesia, has painted all its houses in bright colours hoping to make itself a tourist attraction. REUTERS *

Scientists have developed a low-cost, disposable sensor that can detect disease markers in one’s breath, giving patients an early warning sign to call the doctor. The device is made of a thin square of an organic plastic. “We developed this method to directly print tiny pores into the device so we can expose these highly reactive sites. We increased the reactivity by ten times and can sense down to one part per billion,” said Ying Diao, professor at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the U.S. For example, monitoring the change in ammonia concentration in the breath could give patients a warning sign to go for a kidney function test.

The little women who stand tall The International Dwarf Fashion Show aims for inclusivity in the world of glamour Ms. Khumri said. She does manage to buy tops and dresses off-the-rack, she said, “but with a bit of difficulty since I do have to search in the petite section. Sometimes in the kids’ section.”

Agence France-Presse Dubai

Colleen Theriault has her hands full with her fouryear-old son and a full-time career as head baker at a patisserie in the U.S. state of North Carolina. But the 24-year-old is also an advocate for a budding movement that is breaking into the international fashion scene. Its models, like their initiative, are small but strong.

No barriers to beauty The International Dwarf Fashion Show, a non-profit organisation that aims to “reverse the discriminatory diktats of beauty”, brought seven women with dwarfism to Dubai this week for a show dedicated to raising awareness about the need for more inclusivity in fashion. Zahra Mufaddal Khumri lives with dwarfism and is married to a man who has CM YK

Breaking norms: A model with dwarism advocates for diversity on the ramp. INTERNATIONAL DWARF FASHION SHOW *

the same condition. After living in Dubai for more than a decade, she recently set up a Facebook support group. She and her banker husband have built “a pretty good life” for themselves in the global shopping hub, she said, but even there the basic

task of finding clothes that fit has remained a struggle. The couple generally seek out the help of a tailor to alter or make garments to be the right size, particularly traditional Indian clothes. “You should be comfortable in anything you wear,”

Turning the tide It was witnessing first-hand the exasperation of a woman with dwarfism shopping for basic staples that inspired Myriam Chalek to set up the International Dwarf Fashion Show. “It was seeing this little lady shopping in a kids section — very frustrated, not finding clothes that fit her,” she said. “I work in the fashion industry, so you always deal with designers and clients who ask you for tall and skinny,” Ms. Chalek added. “Even though some people are trying to turn the tide, like we are, unfortunately that still remains the norm.” A ND-ND

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www.thehindu.com/education www.facebook.com/eduplus.thehindu

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www.twitter.com/thehindueduplus

Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family. Kofi Anan

DELHI Monday • May 22, 2017

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Leave it to Gen Y Ultimately, the decision of what to study in college should rest with the student, and not the parents Anand Samuel

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It’s admission time again. For the students who have completed Class XII it’s a time of anxiety and for their parents it’s a nightmare! As the kids are wondering about the marks they are going to get, the parents are too busy deciding what their wards are going to study! May be many have decided what their wards will study and are now only thinking about the institution where they will study! Even though this is the order of the day in most families, it’s time to have a re-look at it. Gen Y students are known as ‘netizens’ and the Internet to which they are hooked to always, makes them well informed — many a time much more informed than the parents. They are also known for their extraordinary networking skills and have more friends than we could ever imagine. Of course it includes virtual friends too. They have an urge to be independent and decide their future! Parents, because of their enthusiasm, lack of trust in their wards, the feeling that

Parents should be mentors and give inputs in a friendly manner, based on their experience and knowledge. only they know everything and the fear that their kids will make mistakes, want to decide their wards’ future, seldom realising that it will boomerang. The parents’ fear may be true and real in a few cases. The parents are not being blamed here; only their ignorance resulting from their anxiety is highlighted. This is reflected in one of the frequently asked questions, “Sir, please tell me which is the best degree programme for my son/daughter?” And in many cases parents decide that their ward will be an engineer and ask, “Which branch of engineering is best for my ward?” It has to be understood that these are the wrong questions to be asking. Parents should realise that they should not be the deciding authority in this matter. Instead, they should be mentors and give inputs in a friendly manner, based on their experi-

Global Content Writer Intern at Alibaba Group (UC Web)

Content Writing/ Journalism Location: Work from home Stipend: ₹50,000/month Eligibility: All students http://bit.ly/Twenty 19TH788 b Web Designer Intern at Next Labs Category:

Category:

Web Design & Development/Frontend Location: Bangalore Stipend: ₹2,000 ₹5,000/month Eligibility: Computer Science/IT Students U.G. and P.G. http://bit.ly/

ence and knowledge. But ultimately, they should let their wards decide.

The right fit Every individual student has unique characteristics, capacity and talents. As they grow, they also develop the urge to become something, maybe based on their role models or what

Save the date)

Internships) b

SATHEESH VELLINEZHI

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Twenty19TH791 Short Film Maker Intern at Team Everest

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Category: Advertising Location: Chennai Stipend: ₹1,500 - ₹3,000/

month Eligibility: All students

http://bit.ly/ Twenty19TH792 b Operations Intern at Seraniti.com Category: Operations Location: Pune Stipend: ₹10,000/month Eligibility: All students

http://bit.ly/Twenty 19TH793 Courtesy: www.twenty19.com

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B.Tech at IIST

A pass in Plus Two and at least 75% aggregate marks in five subjects, including physics, chemistry and mathematics. SC/ST/PD required 65% marks. Only Indian citizens can apply. Application: Online. The portal will open on May 22. Deadline: June 12 Selection: Based on JEE Advanced 2017 all-India rank. www.iist.ac.in/admissions/ undergraduate. b BS- MS Admission IISERs Eligibility:

Five –year integrated programme. Eligibility: There are three channels of admission- Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana (KVPY), Joint Entrance Examination ( JEE Advanced) Duration:

they have heard from people whom they respect. For success in life, one’s career should match well with his/her characteristics, capacity, talents and dreams. Deviation in this creates problems in growth. Some may argue that this is not the case, quoting their personal experience of doing well, even after choosing a career

which is not of their choice and forced by parents! Point to be understood here is that the parents are Gen X and the grandparents are Boomers. Obeying elders and adapting to life situations was then a reality. But it’s Gen Y that is under question now, and so it is necessary to respect their feelings, instead of thrusting your views on them.

For a bright future, what matters are the right attitude, deep knowledge and appropriate skills one acquires during college days, in his/her chosen field of study. One’s interest and involvement to equip oneself well while in college, is the key. That can’t be and shouldn’t be forced. Hence, parents should motivate the students to explore themselves and decide on the degree programme and the branch of study of their choice. Guidance can come from parents or others, but the final decision must be that of students. There is nothing like a ‘good degree programme’ or a ‘bad degree programme’. All are good degree programmes if the student equips himself/herself well and is job-ready. The same programme may become bad if the student does not take interest in studies and doesn’t equip himself/herself well. What parents and others mean by a ‘good programme’ is whether it will be easy to get a job. Getting a job is not dependent on the programme of study, but depends on how good the candidate is equipped in attitude, knowledge and skills to stand tall in this highly competitive world. A recent survey revealed that India will have a more than 17 million strong workforce by 2020! That may mean unemployment for many people. But the same survey indicated that the workforce will face a deficit of more than 20 million in other regions, including U.S., Europe, and China. Jobs may not be available in India, but they will be, elsewhere. Taking the degree programme or branch of study of one’s choice based on individual’s traits and tastes, being well-equipped to compete in the global market should be the focus of every student and parent. The author is Vice-Chancellor, VIT University.

Global Ed)

New varsity Singapore officialy welcomed it’s sixth university, Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS). Minister for Education Ong Ye Kung said that it would be “clearly differentiated” from the existing five universities, with its focus on industry partnerships and adult education.

University strike Twelve Argentinian public universities have been on strike, demanding that President Macri allocate a higher education budget, and increase faculty pay by 35%. The government has been focussing on austerity measures. This is the largest Argentinian strike in the last 12 years.

Super-campus plan stalled In 2010, then-President of France Nicolas Sarkozy unveiled his plans to build a science super-campus out of existing institutions near Paris. It was meant to rival universities like Massachusettes Institute of Technology. However, plans are currenty stalled as one of the institutions involved has withdrawn its endorsement.

and State and Central Board Plus Two exams. Deadline: Applications through KVPY channels: June 12; JEE Advanced: June 19; State Central Board Exam Channel (IISER Aptitude Test): June 25. www.iiseradmission.in b Special Education Diploma at NIEPID Diploma in early childhood special education, Vocational rehabilitation, Special education (mental retardation / hearing impairment). Selection: Based on merit in interview. Application: Detailed prospectus-cum-application form is available on the website. Deadline: June 5 www.nimhindia.gov.in. Courses:

Compiled by Gopakumar Karakonam

Scholarships) b

Transform Together Scholarship Sheield Hallam

Sheffield Hallam University, U.K., is offering scholarships to academic performers from postgraduation and undergraduation courses and present his or her efficiency in the chosen course. Eligibility: Candidates having 2.1 or equivalent in honour’s degree for postgraduation and academic entry requirement in English language for graduation Application: Online Prizes and rewards: Partial tuition fee waiver and contingency allowance Deadline: May 30 http://www.b4s.in/plus/TTS0 b Tolani Maritime Institute Scholarship (TMISAT) Tolani Maritime Institute invites scholarship applications to study in Marine Engineering and Nautical degree programmes. Eligibility: Undergraduates below 21 years of age with 60% in physics, chemistry and mathematics Application: Online Prizes and rewards: Up to ₹40,000 Deadline: May 31 http://www.b4s.in/plus/TMI3 b Kyushu University Friendship Scholarships Japan Kyushu University, Japan, is offering scholarships to foster nation’s future leaders to cultivate joint research and bring external capital for global education aspirants to study in Japan and contribute to the growth of their nation. Eligibility: Graduates or postgraduates who are eligible to take admission in schools of Kyushu University Application: Online Prizes and rewards: ¥80,000 p.m. for U.G., ¥1,00,000 p.m. for graduates with up to ¥1,00,000 as travel allowance. Deadline: May 31 http://www.b4s.in/plus/KUF0 Courtesy www.buddy4study.com

CM YK

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Hangouts)

VIDEO CAFE

Much cherished ‘Guru’

At the entrance of the worldfamous 250-hectare campus of IIT Madras, one could take a few minutes to admire its beauty. Featuring beautiful mysterious woods, a shopping complex, a swimming pool, and plenty of places to eat, it is little wonder that the campus is called “a city” of its own. So, in this green city, where would one go to relax and blow off steam? At every corner of this campus, you never know what you might find in the midst of nature. On a casual stroll, one might see groups of students in The Quark, a red-brick food court. The two-floor Himalaya Mess, with its rolling green lawns, provides another charming hangout spot and delicious food.

We could sit here and chill for hours...that’s IIT-M’s Gurunath Student Facility Centre Janani Suri

All-purpose oasis However, when you pass by Gurunath Student Centre — located amidst a group of trees, exuding a relaxed vibe — it is evident that this place is not just a spot cherished by students but an integral part of IITM. “We come here for everything — juice, ice cream, biriyani, even birthday cake,” says Nitisha, a second-year chemistry student. Located just a few feet away from most of the student accommodations, the

SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

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In harmony: Amid nature.

Add value to your proile through what you wear

Identify your brand Building your own brand is a key part of building your career and leaving an indelible impression in the minds of people you interact with in your professional life. In this exercise, choosing two to three top qualities about yourself which you would like to highlight becomes key. That would be the foundation to build your brand upon. For instance, is it your strategic thinking? Creativity? People skills? Your ability to execute ideas? Once you have identified the core of your brand, you can start building a plan to promote or socialise it. Your social media profile, the way

Personal brand: The image you create for yourself.

you present yourself in dayto-day communication, how you greet others, speak on the phone, write your emails, what you wear — these are all part of your brand. I have discussed some key elements of social media and emails in this space. Today, let’s discuss wardrobe. We can all agree that when it comes to our wardrobe reflecting our own respective personal brands, we don’t have to go in for the most expensive clothes. It’s all about smart, efficient, clean and simple cuts.

Formal wear Once we move into our career days, we need to sometimes conform to accepted norms of formal wear. Both women and men are expected to demonstrate professionalism in their choice of wardrobe. In most corporate organisations in India, formal wear constitutes full-sleeved shirts and formal trousers for men. Sometimes, depending on the role, a jacket and tie become necessary. But many companies are moving away from a mandatory tie, except, perhaps, on certain days of the week. Classic colours are usually white, cor-

Nitisha

student centre sells everything one needs — from stationery, toiletries, electronic items to shoes and college T-shirts. The facility includes an ATM vestibule, a xerox shop, a salon, and a travel desk, making it a blend of information and utility. Umbrella-shaded tables arranged outside enable the IITians to relax and sit back with delicious food. A bakery, an ice cream shop, a fast-food centre, a milkshake parlour and a fruit vendor all in one place, no wonder this centre is indispensible to students, all times of the day. “We could sit here and chill for hours,” says Charan, a fourth-year student of engineering design. Another attractive feature of “Guru”, as it is affectionately referred to by students, is its harmony with nature. Groups of deer can be seen there at times, lazing around on the lawns, and are as much a part of the environment as the shops. “The deer mostly come here when there is no traffic,” adds Nitisha.

The author is a writer and literary journalist. She also heads Corporate Communications at UST Global. Twitter: @anupamaraju

know your english)

S. upendran “How do you pronounce c..l..e..r..k? Does the ‘er’ rhyme with the ‘ar’ in ‘dark’ and ‘park’?” “Well, that’s the way the British pronounce the word. The Americans, on the other hand, pronounce the ‘er’ like the ‘er’ in ‘perk’ and ‘jerk’. Both pronunciations are acceptable.” “That’s good to know. I always get confused about the pronunciation…” “Did you know that ‘clerk’ actually comes from ‘cleric’? It’s…” “Cleric? You mean a priest?

CM YK

Approach to wellness Life is hard and no one who has succeeded in life would deny it. In this short video, motivational philosopher Jay Shetty discusses how failure may not build résumés, but build character and also teach us the ability to change and adapt. He supports his stance by giving examples of celebrities and their moments of failure. The prominent point he puts forth is that life is all about making an impact and one should learn from one’s mistakes. He adds that failures lessen the load and brings people to a feeling of being understood and empathised with. https://youtu.be/fQNFMxYxFSQ

Defer not Procrastination provides us a strange sense of relief though it is imagined and short-lived. This video by Michael Aranda, talks about our tendency to put off work that could probably be done immediately and why we probably feel the urge to do so. When the task seems unpleasant, monotonous or tedious, the mere thought of working on the task causes one to lose all interest, motivation and energy. Aranda gives scientific explanations behind procrastination and gives ideas on how to avoid them. In addition, he elaborates on the pros and cons of procrastinating. https://youtu.be/pKyHX0zqynk

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Sarthak Saraswat

Backpacker’s Guide) Usha Raman

When was the last time you let your mind chase the question “What if--?” in an academic setting? It’s a question that we naturally ran with as children, building those castles in the air and exploring fantastic scenarios limited only by rules of our own creation. As the years went by and we grew older and somewhat wiser, something curious happened to our minds. Yes, we still dream and we still wonder about the world — this one and the others we might wish to inhabit — but put us in a classroom, give us a course outline, and all that dreaming and wondering come to a dead halt. Except of course, when we want to escape the reality of that classroom — then our minds seem to effortlessly wander and have to be forcibly restrained from running away all together.

Thought experiments But what I’m talking about is taking one idea or concept and really playing with it; understanding it from the inside, taking it apart and putting it back together in different ways just to see how it works (or doesn’t), rearranging its parts to see how it looks and what it can offer us when it is upside down or turned on its side. If you’re one of those who likes to take apart and reassemble objects — machines, toys, instruments — you know the joy that this activity can bring. But in some ways this activity is limited by the fact that you know what you have taken apart and you know how to put it together again. The curiosity — and the ele-

Prey Publisher: Bethesda Softworks Genre: Action-adventure

ment of play — in this case is about seeing the ‘inside’ of the object. Can we extend this to nonphysical objects as well? Can we play with ideas in the same way we play with physical objects? In fact, we do it all the time, in unconscious ways. Every time we apply ourselves to understanding something, we are drawing on things we have learned from different spheres to make sense of the new phenomenon. When we meet someone new, we are making judgments based on what we know about (among other things) this category of individual, how they look and behave, etc. We also often connect with people based on possibilities, rather than firm knowledge. Our minds are quite accustomed to juggling information, experience, opinion and conjecture in complex ways to come up with analytical possibilities — and most of the time, we’re not even aware of it.

Logic Why not use this innate ability to play with academic ideas as well? Scholars in many fields do this quite routinely in what they call “thought experiments”. You take a concept — or two — that you are interested in, and play with it, pitting it against or combining it with other ideas, placing it in different situations to see how

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Just as physical play exercises the muscles, mental play brings agility and suppleness to the mind. it might behave. The process involves a healthy dose of imagination as well as the application of logic and reason. The crucial element is however a sense that multiple possibilities exist. Quantum physics in many ways owes its origins to this sense that one can play with ideas, that all possibilities must be imagined and considered. If not, how would we have ever come to accept the idea that an electron could be both a wave and a particle? Now, even if you have no interest in physics or philosophy, bringing this element of play into your study can help give you a sense of freedom and open your mind to different — and more individualised — ways of understanding the subjects you have to deal with. Just as physical play exercises the muscles, mental play brings agility and suppleness to the mind. And it can begin with that intriguing question that drives so much innovation: “What if--?” The author teaches at the University of Hyderabad and edits Teacher Plus. [email protected]

We’ve put our plans on the back burner What’s the connection between…” “In the old days, priests were among the few people who could read and write. So, they were often hired by kings and noblemen to write letters and maintain accounts.” “I’m going to tell Sujatha this when I meet her on next Friday. She’ll be...” “When you use ‘next’ and ‘last’ with the days of the week, you don’t use ‘on’. I met Kapil last Monday. You don’t say, I met Kapil on last Monday.” “I’ll be meeting Sujatha next Friday. I think I’ve understood. What did your boss think of your proposal? Did he say it was terrible or did...” “On the contrary, he liked it. He said that some of the ideas proposed were exciting. But he felt that they

Deepikaa Sekhar

GAME ON

Give your imagination free reign to give studies a boost

porate blue, grey and so on for shirts, while trousers are meant to be in dark shades of brown, grey, blue or just black. Of course, styles keep changing. Shoes must be polished while socks should complement the overall attire, never calling attention to them. For women, though the “rules” are slightly more relaxed, norms still apply. When it comes to western formal wear, more or less the same trends apply. Of course, the choice extends to knee-length formal skirts and dresses in pleasing colours. Patterns or designs should be mild. Shoes are meant to be closed-toe if the chosen attire is western. Indian formals are usually saris and salwar kameez. The fabric could be crisp cotton or silk as long as the garment is manageable. When choosing salwar kameez, choose appropriate colours and patterns. Open-toed footwear is fine for Indian wear. In some companies, Fridays are kept for smart casuals. Of course, in certain sectors — advertising or cinema or creative, product-oriented companies — casuals are an accepted norm. Jeans, Tshirts, slacks are all ok. But in all this, the overriding question remains: While following the dress code of organisations, what is the brand you are establishing or the image you are creating about yourself in the choice of your clothes? It may seem a bit shallow to stress so much on how you look — after all, appearances are deceptive. But dressing is a fine art and the function of art is to make appearance significant and add value to your presence.

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SATHEESH VELLINEZHI

“Impossible is nothing,” goes the slogan of Adidas, the iconic sports brand. I’m sure most of you would have recognised the product even if it were unnamed, thanks to this phrase. It was somewhere in the 1970s that the brand got associated with this slogan, borrowed from boxing legend Muhammad Ali. Erich Stamminger, member of the Executive Board of Adidas-Salomon AG, describes “Impossible is Nothing” as a brand and an attitude that is “known and shared by all athletes around the world...” A slogan represents the brand and carries the significant responsibility of conveying crisply what you want the brand to stand for. Now, what if you were creating your own brand? What would you want YOU to stand for? And what would your path-breaking slogan be?

K. R. DEEPAK

Anupama Raju

juice, ice cream, biriyani, even birthday cake.

What if...?

Wear your attitude PS & QS)

usually come < > We here for everything —

were not going to fly. Not right now, anyway.” “What are you talking about? Ideas don’t fly, do they?” “When you say that something is ‘not going to fly’, what you’re suggesting is that it’s not likely to succeed. It’s unlikely to work in a given situation.” “I see. How about this example? You’ve given me a good reason why you deserve a raise. Do you think it’ll fly with your boss?”

Risky business “I don’t think it’ll fly with the boss. My cousin Suresh is in the film business. Writers send him scripts. He says that most of them just won’t fly.” “Making films is a risky business. So, what’s your boss going to do with your proposal? Is he going to throw it away or…?”

“Since he likes it, he might just decide to put it on the back burner. You know just…” “Put something on the back burner? Does it mean keep it in cold storage?” “Something like that. When you put something on the back burner, you’re delaying doing something. You’re not going to act on it because it doesn’t require your immediate attention. My cousins are coming over next weekend. So my plans of going to Kodaikanal with my friends have been put on the back burner.” “It doesn’t mean you’re cancelling your trip, right?” “No! It means that I’m merely postponing it. I won’t be going next week, but sometime later. Both ‘not going to fly’ and ‘on the back burner’ are used in informal contexts.” “Because the students have been

on strike, teachers have been compelled to put the unit tests and the assignments they give at this time of the month on the back burner.” “Good example.” “But tell me, what does this back burner refer to? Is it…” “It refers to the burners on a stove. Sometimes, you have two burners in the front and two in the back. Items that don’t require the cook’s immediate attention are usually put on the back burner.” “Could you make use of one of the front burners to make me a cup of coffee, please?” ***** “When nothing is going right, go left.” — Anonymous

If you like experimenting and creative problemsolving, you’ll love this game. It is set in a space station called Talos I and players take the role of Morgan Yu to battle hostile aliens. It features an open-world environment and players are required to collect various weapons and resources to defend themselves. An interesting aspect is that it has multiple endings, which depend on the player’s actions at various points in the game. It has been praised for its in-depth environments and engaging side quests.

Injustice 2 Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Genre: Fighting

Injustice 2 is a sequel to Injustice: Gods Among Us which was released in 2013. Available for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, it also has a companion mobile app for iOS and Android. The game’s storyline continues from its previous instalment. It includes several new playable characters such as Black Canary, Brainiac, Poison Ivy and Gorilla Grodd, among others. It has been lauded by many critics for its impressive narrative and visuals.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III Publisher: Sega Genre: Real-time strategy

Released last month for Microsoft Windows, the game offers stimulating strategic gameplay that will keep you hooked. This third title in the Dawn of War series has brought forward several elements from the previous instalment. The game revolves around the search for the Spear of Khaine, a catastrophic weapon, discovered on the lost planet Acheron. It offers singleplayer as well as multiplayer mode. A new feature in Dawn of War III is that players can choose from three factions — Space Marines, Orks, and Eldar — in one campaign.

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EAR SHOT ASHOK RAJAGOPALAN

The author teaches at the English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad. [email protected]

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Postcard from.... York, the U.K)

admissions)

Lessons in global economy A research-oriented curriculum, industry connections and a beautiful city make studying here rewarding Coming from Bengaluru, one of India’s major entrepreneurial and IT business hubs, I had always dreamt of making a mark in the business world. After completing BBA from Christ University, I decided to pursue a master’s that would give me relevant industrial exposure, inculcate in me research and entrepreneurial skills, and enable me to become a competent professional capable of taking independent and innovative initiatives. This vision was accompanied by my dream of studying abroad for an international perspective on global business scenario and practices. My search led me to the Russell Group website, which comprises 24 leading U.K. universities committed to sustaining the very best research, teaching practices and excellent links. I came across the University of York and its M.Sc. International Business and Strategic Management programme, which suited all my preferences and requirements. The York Management School of the university provides students a world-class experience through research-oriented curriculum, academic aid, excellent faculty and state-of-the-art infrastructure.

Networking opportunities The School’s extensive links to industry, businesses and organisations across the private and public sectors is among the best one can find. I received a scholarship of £7,500 from the British Council to pursue this course. The British Council offers 198 scholarships to Indian students enrolling for courses across universities in the U.K. and I’m proud I was one of them. This M.Sc. helped me develop skills in critical analysis, information processing and data presentation. Moreover, content is prepared in an international context to prepare graduates for the global economy in

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Postgraduate Fellowship Programme

Institution: Anant National University Duration: One year Eligibility: Graduates and postgraduate

professionals from all fields, with preference to those with a background in architecture, design, planning, environmental science and en-

gineering, civil and construction engineering. Also open to graduates and postgraduate professionals from geography, sociology, anthropology, economics, geology, political science, geophysics, sustainability, ecology, and heritage. Open to both Indian Nationals and In-

ternational Students. Candidates should have successfully completed their undergraduate degrees from recognised institutions with a sound academic and extra-curricular record. Deadline: June 15 http://fellowship.anu.edu.in/

Name:

Nirmal Raj University:

University of York, the U.K. Course:

which organisations operate. I got to learn politics, strategic management and international business, which I had not been introduced to earlier. My first day here was quite scary as it was the first time that I was all alone in a new country. But the university is well organised and the people are extremely welcoming; they helped me settle into a routine soon. I got to meet people from all walks of life whose experiences provided a lot to learn from. The York Management School organises ‘Masterclass’ from time to time where I had the opportunity to meet Nestle’s (U.K. and Ireland) CEO, Fiona Kendrick, and various other big shots from the business world. The management school also organises placement fairs and ‘meet and greet’ events to initiate discussions with employers from various organisations regarding the opportunities they provide. I also enrolled myself in various B-Plan competitions along with my friends to gain more exposure. After completing the course, I am looking forward to exploring opportunities in technological consulting. In

M.Sc. in International Business and Strategic Management

this context, professors at York Management School have helped me immensely in enhancing my analytical thought process to make it more constructive. The city of York is beautiful and safe. You can fearlessly go out at any time of the day. To take a breather from academics, I indulge myself in my beloved hobby, photography. I have had a wonderful time clicking photos of the enchanting campus and the city. The town is also filled with cute boutiques and highstreet fashion stores. The one thing that I really look forward to is the programmes that the City Council conducts every few months. So far, I have attended the York Food Festival and the Christmas Market and it was an experience I’ll cherish for life. Nirmal Raj is studying M.Sc. in International Business and Strategic Management at the University of York, U.K.

M.Sc. in Information Management The University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, is inviting applications for their M.Sc. Information Management course starting in September 2017. Delivered by the top information science school in Scotland and among the top three in the U.K., this is the only dual-recognised information management degree providing graduates with direct entry to two internationally-affiliated professional bodies.

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Core subjects include business systems analysis, data analytics, strategy and architecture, information law and introduction to cuttingedge technologies. To be eligible, graduates of Indian universities should have at least 60% and an IELTS score of at least 6.5. The fee is £16,000 for international students. Scholarships: The university is offering a range of scholarships for

international students starting their studies in September 2017. Postgraduate Elite Scholarships: £3500/£2500 available for full-time one-year master’s programmes. Applications should be made online once the student has received an offer of a place in this course. The deadline to apply is September 1. For further information, contact [email protected].

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UPSC Prep)

Study Abroad)

What makes your proile tick?

Suryanarayanan Paneerselvam

b

Detail is the key to a great personal document b

SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Pursuing master’s right after undergrad or couple years of work experience is one of the most common career objectives. The U.S. has been one of the best destinations to pursue this career opportunity. There are reasons for it being the most preferred country such as, high concentration of top institutions, state-of -the art technologies for research, good job opportunities across the country, high-paying jobs post your master’s, and diverse culture and its benefits. But the recent news of stricter H1B processing rules and immigration policies has most people worried about jobs post a master’s degree. The common question we hear is — will I get a job? What if H1B visas are scrapped in totality? While all these questions are valid, it is necessary to understand that they arise due to rumours and not facts. The fact is that The United States Citizenship

University matters: Move from a lottery-based system to merit-based.

Masters in Trumpland How America’s decision to crackdown on the misuse of H1B visas may not afect job prospects post a master’s degree

: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

If you go to a consultant and if they mention they have partner universities, examine the rankings of the university. and Immigration Services (USCIS) is scrutinising companies that abuse the H1B process and not all. In fact, moving forward, the Trump administration has indicated that the H1B processing will be moving towards a meritbased system, rather than a lottery-based processing system. Here is how the H1B processing works. There is a total of 85,000 H1B visas available every year, out of

which 20,000 are for students who pursue their MS/ Ph.D. in the U.S. Whenever the number of applications goes higher than the 85,000 mark, visas are granted based on lottery. Over the last several years, the U.S. government has realised that this is not the right way to go about the process, mainly because some companies abuse the lottery system by applying more than what they need, in order to increase their chances. This affects companies that are in real need of these H1B visas for their high-skilled talent that they recently recruited.

Is there a solution to this? Yes — a merit-based system which will give priority to people who pursue an advanced degree (MS/Ph.D.), have higher average salaries, have made technical advancements in their respective fields, and so on. Doesn’t this sound like a better way to provide H1B visas rather than a lottery? This is exactly what Trump administration signals it will be doing. As an applicant, remember that the university you get into plays an important part in deciding your future. There are several advantages of getting into a good university.

SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Shaping young minds: Balancing the gender ratio.

Rockstars of science Outreach programme, Umang, aims at getting more young minds excited about science Deeksha Teri

A few students of University School of Information, Communication and Technology, Delhi, (USICT) have initiated ‘Umang’ to target primary school kids who will soon be stepping into higher levels of education. Umang hopes to generate hope and curiosity towards science in young minds. According to the volunteers, “Shaping their minds at such an age and encouraging them towards science can go a long way in promoting the apparently difficult scientific careers.” As various worldwide researches have pointed out, students from underprivileged classes, especially girls, often drop out of school at the important stages of primary education. The causes for the same include social, financial as well as psychological reasons. This disrupts the gender balance, be it in scientific domains or otherwise. “Being students of engineering, we ourselves have witnessed the lack of a proper gender ratio in our field. Even in the 21st century, we still haven’t been able to bridge this gap,” says Sanna Nazir, a volunteer. The Umang School Outreach Programme was launched with the vision of finding a solution to this problem. The curriculum was designed not just to teach the students about science, but overcome social barriers as well. Keeping in mind the need for female participation, the targeted schools comprised two girls’ schools and one boys’ primary school in Dwarka, Delhi. For each school, a time slot of six hours was secured. A group

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low-ranked university might affect your getting an F1 visa. Advanced degrees that help you gain futuristic skills and a high-paying job is a higher priority in a meritbased system. This might be exactly the opposite for a low ranked university which is not reputed enough. So, if you go to a consultant and if they mention they have partner universities, examine the rankings of the university. Remember, it is not the degree that defines you, it is the skills that you gain. The writer is Co-founder, EdX Engine

The civil services personality test or the interview, serves as the final gateway for selection in the long-drawn threestage examination process. The preparation for the personality test, particularly for the personal profile, however, remains perplexing to many — how much should I prepare? Can I be asked about my last job, where I only had a short stint of less than a year? Being an engineering graduate from IIT, will my switch to the generalist stream be perceived negatively, and so on. These are some befuddling doubts which repeatedly nag aspirants. Here are some pointers which would be helpful in preparing for the personal profile and also in tackling some of the aforesaid unremitting and lurking fears. So, what does the ambit of personal profile entail? This includes the entire gamut of information which is furnished by the candidate in the detailed application form (DAF) submitted to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). This would range from one’s name and date of birth, the State of domicile, current job, educational profile, hobbies, interests and achievements, family background, and optional subject to the subjects of graduation. The DAF is the only document about the candidate available to the board members. Understandably, it catches their attention and culminates in a reasonable

number of questions. The queries from personal profile may initially be factual or ice-breaking type questions pertaining to hobbies and interest or even one’s name (particularly if it is uncommon). But later, questions to gauge critical thinking, analytical ability, views and opinion, and thoughts of the candidates are invariably asked. The latter type of queries are often from the candidate’s job experience, challenges before the State of domicile, concurrent issues emanating/relating to one’s optional/graduation subject, reasons for switch from a technical/well-paying job, or even from hobbies, interests and achievements.

Past experience Previous job experience (if any) is one of the most crucial areas of the personal profile and must be prepared well irrespective of

one’s job tenure. If the association is greater than a year old, the expectations are more and mere superficial knowledge would not suffice. To begin with, understand the objectives and functions of the organisation, its structure and hierarchy, its strengths and weakness, challenges before it and how to surmount them. More specifically, one’s role, job content and its demand. The probability of questions from this area become higher if the organisation/its functioning has been in the news in the recent past. Identify key issues relating to your job and read expert reports and articles on it. If possible, discuss the issues with domain experts. Where you have switched multiple jobs, try to prepare for all of them to the best of your ability. It is pertinent to realise that while the ambit of interview preparation is vast, the area of personal profile, and particularly, of the previous job experience is specific and defined. A well-prepared reply to a somewhat anticipated question, has the potential to change the course of the interview and possibly of one’s career and life. The author is an IRS officer and author of ‘Civil Services Interview: How to Excel’ , and other civil services examination preparation books. This is the second of a five-part series on the civil services exam.

PG diploma in Gandhian thought

Inspiration)

b

You will be working with professors who will be leaders in specific fields. This allows you to work on problems of the future — gain skills for the present and the future ● Getting involved in research helps you secure a research assistantship or a teaching assistantship which will waive your tuition fee ● These experiences increase your probability of getting into top companies — Facebook, Tesla, Google, Amazon, among others ● Getting into a good university also has its merit during your F1 student visa interview. Similarly, getting into a ●

Madhukar Kumar Bhagat

of 40 students participated in the activity on behalf of the school and a team of 10 volunteers visited on behalf of the IEEE USICT student branch. The entire cost of hosting the activities were borne by the student branch. The school only provided venue assistance.

How it works The hands-on activities were so designed to generate inquisitiveness among the children towards science and technology. The interaction sessions, which were predominantly held by the female volunteers, were so designed and executed as to provide the young girls with a role model in science, who they could relate to and imitate. The Q&A sessions were used to determine the retention powers of the children and to reinforce the taught concepts. A method of positive narration — simple rewards for good performers to encourage a healthy competition — was employed. Moreover, the sharing of personal experiences, by both the volunteers and the students, was planned in a manner to delineate the concepts of everyday science.

The Institute of Gandhian Studies, Wardha, has invited applications for its residential post-graduate diploma course in Gandhian thought. The objective of the course is to provide an intensive study of the philosophy, life and methodology of Gandhi. It also provides experience in community life, manual work, spinning, sanitation, agriculture and devotional music. The classes and discussions are held in English/Hindi. Applicants must have a master’s or bachelor’s degree in arts, commerce, or science. The upper age limit for admission is 30. No fees

In brief)

will be charged for the course. Hostel facilities will be provided free of cost. The institute offers stipend of ₹1,500 per month to a limited number of economically disadvantaged students. The total number of seats in the course is 15. Applications must reach the institute on or before May 30. The course will commence in the first week of July. For details and application, write to the Dean, Institute of Gandhian Studies, Gopuri, Wardha - 442001 (Maharastra), or visit the website of the institute at www.gvpwardha.in.

Postcard) The Hindu EDGE invites Indian students in foreign universities to share their experience about the campus, course, quality of education, city life and adapting to changes abroad. The article should not be more than 500 words. Send three different pictures of yourself on the campus of minimum 2MB size to [email protected]

Blackboard) The Hindu EDGE invites teachers to send in their contributions on issues and challenges they face. The article should be about 500 words. Please email it to educationplus @thehindu.co.in

National Award Amrita University’s Technology Business Incubator (TBI) recently won the National Award for being the country’s best TBI. President Pranab Mukherjee presented the national awards for excellence in technology at a ceremony in Delhi to mark the 19th National Technology Day. Krishnashree Achuthan, CEO, and Snehal Shetty, COO, Amrita University’s TBI, received the award.

Feedback Mail your suggestions and feedback to edge@the hindu.co.in

“The feedback received from the students was indescribable. Being simple government/municipality controlled schools, wherein English is not taught as a first subject, the students visualised the volunteers as ‘science rockstars.’,” said Sanna Nazir. “By hosting this activity, we were able to elevate the status of scientific and academic achievements to that of a celebrity. We were able to encourage the students to question and be inquisitive about everyday things. We were able to inspire the teachers as well,” continues Sanna.

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Crawl before you ly

The gifted Mr. Ganguli

Celebrating human spirit

Shop before you drop

Study says IGIA ranks lowest out of 60 airports in terms of average speed (time taken to reach airport) Page 2

Cultural impresario and founder of Liberatum speaks about his new documentary on climate change Page 4

Chef Vikas Khanna says shooting for Buried Seeds, a docu-drama on his life, was cathartic Page 5

We ferreted out the ine print and got the gyan from experts; here’s a quick guide to health insurance Page 6

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IN BRIEF

Race to DU begins, online registration from today 60 undergraduate programmes on ofer, 56,000 seats up for grabs; process is entirely online, application window will close on June 12

University going all out to attract foreign students

Jaideep Deo Bhanj New Delhi

Kejriwal speaks out against allegations NEW DELHI

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal spoke out for the irst time on Sunday since ousted Cabinet Minister Kapil Mishra levelled allegations of corruption against him. "The most painful experience in the world is a close friend backstabbing you," Mr. Kejriwal said at an all-rank meeting of the party at Punjabi Bagh. CITY

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Two killed, six injured as SUV overturns NEW DELHI

Two men were killed while six others were injured when the SUV they were travelling in overturned on NajafgarhBahadurgarh Road on Saturday. The incident was reported around 11.35 p.m., when the victims were on their way to Gurugram to attend a wedding. CITY

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Neema Bhagat set to be east Delhi mayor today NEW DELHI

BJP councillor Neema Bhagat is slated to be elected as the east Delhi mayor on Monday, after the safron party won the mayoral post unopposed in north and south corporations last week. The team of the newly elected East Delhi Municipal Corporation will also take charge on Monday. BJP's Patparganj councillor Bipin Bihari Singh is set to become deputy mayor. PTI

City can become a desert if green cover goes: HC NEW DELHI

Delhi can turn into a desert if the green cover and forest land fall prey to illegal construction and encroachment, the Delhi High Court observed while hearing a plea against alleged encroachment on forest land near Neb Sarai village. PTI

Delhi University’s (DU) online application process for admissions will begin on Monday from 5 p.m. The process will enable undergraduate applicants to seek admission to 60 undergraduate programmes in 63 colleges of the university. There are around 56,000 seats up for grabs that usually receive nearly 2,50,000 applications. The application window will close on June 12. The application process went online for the first time last year and the university has said that it has sought feedback to strengthen the portal and has added dedicated servers to handle the traffic on the website. Complete information for admissions is likely to be uploaded by Monday noon.

Focus is mainly on applicants from African countries Staff Reporter New Delhi

Easy process: Applicants will have to ill out only one form.

Single form The university has said that applicants will have to fill out only one form and can can edit it till the last day ( June 12) by adding courses and updating information. This year, students will have to upload their Class XII Board examination roll number to ensure that a single student does not fill multiple forms. Those students who are awaiting their Board results can register themselves and fill in their marks once the results are declared. During online registration, applicants will have to upload a passport-size photograph, scanned signature, self-attested Class X Board exam certificate, and self-attested Class XII marksheet. For those applying for reserved seats, sports quota or ECA admission the respective certificates will also have to be uploaded. Helpline and ‘open days’ The university informed that it will organise ‘open days’ to guide and counsel admission seekers and their parents between May 22 and May 31 at the conference centre, gate number 4, in North Campus from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. For undergraduate admis-

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Delhi University has announced that it will be conducting a special drive to enrol more foreign students, especially from African countries, apart from extending the deadline for online registration for foreign nationals, and setting up an email and helpline for their queries. The university said that it was in touch with Ambassadors of various African countries and had received an ‘enthusiastic’ response with some indicating that they may institute scholarships for their nationals to pursue studies at DU. It further added that the university will offer foreign applicants several pro-

believe this < > We outreach programme launched by DU is the irst-of-its-kind in India Tarun Das DU Registrar

grammes, which will not have an entrance test for admission.

E-mail and helpline This year, the Foreign Students’ Registry of DU has received over 300 applications from African students and the university is hoping more wil apply as it is making sure that the special needs of the students are addressed. “To increase the number,

the university will be extending online registration deadline for foreign nationals from April 20 to May 31,” the university said in a statement, adding that it will answer questions from African students on [email protected] and [email protected] and respond to phone calls on 91-11-27666756. “We believe that this outreach programme launched by the university is the firstof-its-kind in India. DU has a diverse demography and we intend to further enrich it. The varsity is committed to reaching out to international students, which will result in strengthening of social, cultural and political ties between countries,” said DU Registrar Tarun Das.

Entrance exam for 9 courses Registration to begin on May 31; 1,600 seats on ofer Jaideep Deo Bhanj New Delhi

sion seekers, a help desk will be set up at room number 4 of the centre from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m throughout the admission process. The university has also launched a helpline number 011-27006900 to deal with queries from students. For students who do not have access to the internet or a computer, several DU colleges have been asked to make available networked computers to applicants.

Cut-offs This year, the CBSE has announced that it will be doing away with moderation of marks, which has been blamed for the sky-high cutoffs at DU.

Since 80% of applicants to DU are from the CBSE Board, the cut-offs may fall by a few percentage points. DU officials, however, said that they cannot comment on the percentage falling due to CBSE doing away with moderation as DU is a central university and receives applications from students who have cleared their examinations from various other boards. Only after all the data is collected will the university have an idea of what the cutoffs are going to be like. The CBSE had written to DU to give appropriate weightage to its students for this admission season, but the university said it cannot differentiate between stu-

dents from different boards. Officials refused to comment it they had replied to CBSE’s letter.

Women’s education In an effort to promote “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao”, the university said that all female students who are residents of the National Capital Territory will automatically register themselves for DU’s Non Collegiate Women’s Education Board (NCWEB) when they fill out the admission form and opt for either BA (Programme) or B.Com (Pass) or both. They will not have to pay any separate fee. Further information about the entire admission process is available at www.du.ac.in.

While registration to fill approximately 56,000 undergraduate seats at Delhi University (DU) will begin on Monday, registration for nine undergraduate programmes that need candidates to take an entrance examination will begin on May 31. The nine courses are: Bachelor of Management Studies (BMS); Bachelor of Business Administration, Financial Investment Analysis, (B.B.A); B.A. (Hons.) Business Economics; B.A. (Hons.) Humanities and Social Sciences; Bachelor of Elementary Education (B.El.Ed.); Bachelor of Science in Physical Education, Health Education & Sports B.Sc. (P.E., H.E. & S.); B.A. (Hons.) Multimedia and Mass Communica-

tion; B.Tech. (Information Technology and Mathematical Innovations) and B.A. (Hons.) Music.

Popular choice As entry to these courses are not based primarily on cutoffs, they will be a popular choice with students who do not have marks high enough to make it to colleges on the basis of the Board examination results. Sources said that among all the entrance-based courses mentioned above, B.A. (Hons.) Multimedia and Mass Communication course will be open only to women candidates. For certain courses such as BMS and BBA, the university will also conduct interview/group discussion after entrance test.

The online registration process for these courses will begin on May 31 along with the online registration for post-graduate courses that are also based on entrance examination. Last year, admission to eight of the nine courses were also conducted via an entrance examination. This year, B.A. (Hons.) Music has been added to the list. University officials said that the finer points of the entrance examinations are yet to be finalised, but an announcement will be made before May 31 providing the number of centres at which students can appear for the test as well as the date-sheet. The courses have approximately 1,600 seats and the bulletin of information will be uploaded online soon at www.du.ac.in.

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Jazz back in life of diplomat’s family Missing for 24 days, three-year-old Dalmatian named Jazz ‘rescued’ from Kalyanpuri Shubhomoy Sikdar New Delhi

Shackled, renamed and confined many kilometres from her home for almost a month, a three-year-old Dalmatian named ‘Jazz’ was reunited with her owners on Saturday. The canine, who has different-coloured eyes, belongs to the family of the President’s Press Secretary, Venu Rajamony. Jazz’s ‘rescue’ comes in the nick of time as Mr. Rajamony has been appointed as the Indian Ambassador to the Netherlands and the family is set to move to the country in June.

‘Dog-breeding gang’ The man from whose home the dog was rescued has maintained that he was attempting to find the real owner, but the family suspects the role of an illegal dogbreeding gang behind the whole episode. So far, the police have chosen to believe the man, a resident of east Delhi’s Kalyanpuri. On the morning of April 27, when Mr. Rajamony and his wife Dr. Saroj Thapa were out of the country on vacation and their son Kartik had gone out, the staff working at their official residence at President’s Estate noticed that one of the family’s three dogs was missing. The family suspects that a storm had flung open one of the gates allowing Jazz to leave the CM YK

Happy to be home: Jazz with her owner Saroj Thapa, wife of IFS oicer Venu Rajamony. V. V. KRISHNAN *

premises. “When Kartik returned home, he along with the servants carried out an extensive search, but to no avail. We got posters made and started an online campaign. One of the leads we got was about a dog that looked like ours, but when the search ended we found that its owner was someone in Mandir Marg. There were many other tip-offs but none helped,” said Dr. Thapa.

Pedigree dogs It was not until early last week that they got close to tracking the canine. “An animal lover from Mayur Vihar noticed that someone was seen walking a dog in Trilokpuri whose description matched the ones we had provided in our

message. I sent my staff to check it out but they could not find much. I went myself, but didn’t see Jazz anywhere. On May 18, I decided to go to Trilokpuri again and there I saw that many pedigree dogs were being walked, something that is unusual in that area. I grew suspicious,” said Dr. Thapa. The family informed the cops. On Saturday, a police team visited Mr. Rajamony’s residence and gathered details about what Dr. Thapa had seen. “Six hours later, I received a call that a police team had traced Jazz. We sent our staff member Anil who takes care of the dogs at home,” said Dr. Thapa. Describing what happened when he reached the house in Kalyanpuri, Anil said: “From

the outset, the house owner admitted it was not his dog and that he intended to return her. Jazz was chained and when she saw me, she started playing with me. The cops made us undergo a test where I had to call Jazz by her name while the man, who had named her Maggi, was told to do the same. The dog responded to Jazz and the police were convinced. Jazz was brought to the police station and eventually reunited with the family,” said Anil. Her new “owner” reportedly told the police that he had found the dog on the day she went missing while he was on his way to Patel Nagar. He said that he took the dog in order “to save it from being mauled by strays, and he brought it home with the purpose of returning her”.

‘Traumatised’ While the police have accepted that the move was altruistic, the family is sceptical. Mr. Rajamony said that the man had the dog for 24 days but made no effort to inform the police and had kept the canine as if it was his own. Since her reunion, the family has seen visible changes in Jazz’s behaviour, once the leader of her pack of three. “She has lost weight and growls at the other dogs. She looks traumatised,” added Mr. Rajamony.

Surprise: Dark clouds plunged the city into near darkness around 5 p.m. on Sunday.

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V. V. KRISHNAN

Rain cools city; hailstorm in some areas Temperature plunges by nearly 10 degrees Celsius after downpour Staff Reporter New Delhi

It was almost dark at 5 p.m. in several parts of the Capital as thick clouds cast a shadow over the city on Sunday. Dust storm, heavy rain and hailstorm lashed many areas bringing mercury below the 30 degree Celsius mark by late evening. The weather station at Safdarjung received 2.2 mm of rain by 5.30 p.m., the time

when the reading for the day is taken. Weather stations in Palam and the Ridge received only traces of rain while Lodhi Road, Ayanagar and Gurgaon received 4.4 mm, 8 mm and 5 mm, respectively.

Traffic chaos The heavy rain caused many traffic woes as several roads got waterlogged. “Although it was a Sunday,

it took nearly an hour for me to cross the ITO junction as I was driving towards east Delhi from India Gate and there was a hailstorm,” said Abhinvav Bisht, a commuter. While most parts of the city received heavy rain, residents of Dwarka said they got a dust storm accompanied by only a light drizzle. The maximum temperature on Saturday was recorded at 39.6 degrees Celsius,

normal for the season. The humidity level oscillated between 65% and 25%.

More rain likely today The MeT office has forecast overcast conditions along with the possibility of rain and thunder storm in the same areas for Monday. The maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to hover around 37 and 27 degrees Celsius. B ND-ND

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NOIDA/DELHI

MONDAY, MAY 22, 2017

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IN BRIEF

AAP sponsor scam-ridden: Mishra Former Minister questions businessman’s claim of sponsoring party leaders’ foreign trips Mr. Kejriwal remembers that in AAP’s 49-day government this scam was investigated by forming a committee and that that the companies whose projects were cancelled during that tenure were continued in their present tenure. “If the truth behind this comes out then Mr. Kejriwal will have to leave this country,” Mr. Mishra added.

Staff Reporter New Delhi

Nearly 37,000 people ‘challaned’ for speeding NEW DELHI

Traffic police authorities have fined nearly 37,000 motorists in the national capital for speeding -- one of the major causes of road accidents in the country -- besides issuing over 7.1 lakh ‘challans’ for helmet-related rule violations this year. At least 2,06,427 commuters have been fined till May 15 this year for seat belt violations and 9,259 for drunk driving, the police added. Issues of road safety have been brought to the fore by a few recent cases, including the Punjabi Bagh accident. PTI

Property dealer shot dead in north Delhi NEW DELHI

A property dealer was found murdered at his residence in north Delhi's Burari on Saturday. The police said Munavar Hassan was shot three times by unidentified assailants. The victim was out on parole and property dispute is being suspected as the motive behind the murder. Hassan is a native of Muzaffarnagar and has been involved in the property business for the last 15 years, the police said. STAFF REPORTER

Two electrocuted after storm and rain in city NEW DELHI

A youth was electrocuted in Dilshad Garden after he stepped on a pool of water in which a live wire had fallen following rains and storm on Sunday evening, the police said. Robin Thomas (18) was rushed to a hospital where he was declared brought dead. The deceased’s mother works as a nurse in GTB Hospital and his father is staying abroad. In another incident, an unidentified man, in his 50s, was electrocuted in north Delhi's Kotwali, the police said. PTI

In another round of allegations, sacked Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Tourism and Water Minister Kapil Mishra said that the person who has come out to accept that he has sponsored party leaders Sanjay Singh and Ashutosh’s trip to Russia is a “scam-ridden” businessman. Mr. Mishra said that Mr. Sheetal Singh, who accepted before the media to have sponsored the foreign trip, runs a business of high-security registration plates and is directly involved with companies that are under the scanner for allegedly committing fraud. “I have asked for the details of foreign trips of five AAP leaders, but no information in the regard was shared. The day the information in this matter comes out, (Chief Minister) Arvind Kejriwal will have to leave the country,” said Mr. Mishra

Fresh salvo: Kapil Mishra said he had not been given the details of the foreign trips of ive AAP leaders. PTI *

at a press conference.

‘Registration plate scam’ Mr. Mishra also asked if Mr. Kejriwal was aware of Mr. Singh, and whether he knows that Mr. Singh owns a business of high-security re-

gistration plates. He also asked if Mr. Kejriwal is aware that in Delhi, a scam of ₹400 crore with regard to the high-security registration plates is being investigated. Soon after Mr. Mishra levelled these allegations

against Mr. Singh, a caution notice was shot by the owners of Rosmerta HSRP Ventures Pvt. Ltd, who alleged that Mr. Mishra was using their company’s name and connecting it to Mr. Singh. He also went on to ask if

Appeal made Mr. Mishra also called on all former AAP members who quit the party to join hands and clean it. He also apologised to co-founder of the party Prashant Bhushan and former member Yogendra Yadav for not paying heed to them when they pointed that few elements were brewing corruption in a party that was constituted to fight the menace. However, Mr. Yadav has asked Mr. Mishra to decide if his apology is out of “remorse or revenge”.

CM breaks silence over graft charges Says ‘close friend’ backstabbed him Staff Reporter New Delhi

Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal spoke out for the first time on Sunday since former minister Kapil Mishra levelled corruption allegations against him. “The most painful experience in the world is a close friend backstabbing you,” said Mr. Kejriwal at an allrank meeting of the AAP at Punjabi Bagh. Without naming Mr. Mishra, the Chief Minister said that the allegations against him were baseless. “It is good that the Opposition is raising so many allegations against us. It means we are doing something right. They think we are a threat,” said Mr. Kejriwal. He added that the allegations were so absurd that

4 members of ‘Namaste gang’ held

Liquor bottles found in car; police probing whether victims were inebriated

51 robbery cases solved with their arrest, say police

to be critical, are admitted at Safdarjung Hospital. The police are waiting to record their statements.

Staff Reporter NEW DELHI

Two men were killed while six others were injured when the SUV they were travelling in overturned on NajafgarhBahadurgarh Road on Saturday. The incident was reported around 11.35 p.m., when the victims were on their way to Gurugram to attend a wedding.

Vehicle hits tree According to the police, the driver, Ajay, lost control of the vehicle while speeding and went on to hit a vegetable cart before ramming a tree. By the time it came to a halt, the vehicle had overturned and its front portion was reduced to a mangled heap. The police and firemen

Mangled heap: The victims were going to Gurugram when the accident happened on Saturday. SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT *

reached the spot and rushed the victims to Rao Tula Ram Hospital, where Ajay and the vehicle’s owner, Shiv Raj, were declared dead. According to the police, they had suffered severe in-

Demand cancellation of FIRs, compensation for victims’ kin

juries on their head and face. Narender, Vivekanand and Anil, who were sitting on the rear seats, escaped with minor injuries. Two others, who are said

Former cop’s wife robbed of gold chain

Staff Reporter NEW DELHI

The Namaste gang is back in the city. After being busted in west Delhi a few months ago, the gang allegedly resurfaced in east Delhi recently, said the police on Sunday. Four members of the alleged Namaste gang — Javed Malik alias JD (29) ,Wasim Malik (31), Iqrar Ahmed alias Bhura (34) and Mohammad Shahid (31) — were arrested on Sunday. Loaded pistols, jewellery worth lakhs and vehicles were recovered from them. With this, the police claim to have solved 51 cases of robberies — a number they believe could reach 100. Javed, who is believed to be the gang leader, allegedly took to crime to impress his girlfriend.

Narrow escape The cart driver had a narrow escape as he had landed on a pile of dust, said the police. He was taken to a hospital and released after treatment. Few bottles of countrymade liquor were found in the car, but it is not confirmed if the car’s occupants were inebriated, said the police. The victims hailed from Julana village in Jind. Shiv Raj was a former Sarpanch of the village. A case of rash driving and causing death due to negligence has been registered. The police are probing whether the driver had dozed off while driving.

He is believed to have been involved in all the 51 identified robberies. Before he formed his own gang, Javed reportedly sold fake mobiles.

Trick of the trade Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Ombir Singh Bishnoi said the gang members would wear wigs to avoid identification. Explaining their modus operandi, Mr. Bishnoi said, “After identifying a target, one gang member on a bike would smile at the driver and say namaste, making him slow down. Another group of riders, meanwhile, would approach from the other side. Once the driver rolled down the window, the gang would open the door and get into the car. They would

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Centre of attraction

Staff Reporter

The wife of former Meghalaya Director General of Police Anil Pradhan was injured when two youth allegedly snatched her gold chain in southeast Delhi’s Amar Colony on Friday. The incident happened around 6:20 a.m., when Shanta Pradhan had gone for a morning walk in the area with a friend.

Staff Reporter NEW DELHI

Sea of blue: The protesters at Jantar Mantar on Sunday. The agitation call had been given by the Bhim Army. R. V. MOORTHY *

permission and violence broke out at several places in the district in which Dalit protesters allegedly set fire to a police post and over a dozen two-wheelers. Addressing the rally, Mr. Chandrashekhar said they had come to Delhi to protest against the oppression they had been facing in their villages. “We are not weak. We must fight back those who

Only 46.3% turnout in north ward by-election Voting percentage down from 2012 Staff Reporter New Delhi

Only 46.3% of votes were cast in the by-election to Sarai Pipal Thala ward of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation on Sunday, a decline of over 14% votes from the 2012 municipal poll. A total of 24,739 voters, comprising 13,116 males and 11,623 females, cast their votes in the by-poll, said a senior official of the Delhi State Election Commission.

‘Area neglected’ The ward has over 53,000 registered voters, he said. The voting percentage of the ward in the 2012 MCD poll was 60.6%. The by-poll thus saw a decline of over 14% votes this time, the official CM YK

said. Maheshwar Kumar, a leader, said the area had always been neglected by political parties. “Residents here do not have access to basic facilities such as clean drinking water and electricity. The political representatives show their faces only when they come to ask for votes,” he said. The by-poll in the ward was necessitated after Samajwadi Party candidate Dinesh Singh died. His son Himanshu is in the fray from the party. The voting, meanwhile, was mildly affected due to power failure at some of the 57 polling booths because of the rain, said an election official.

are trying to oppress us,” said the leader. The activists demanded that the FIRs lodged against Mr. Chandrashekhar and other Dalit activists be cancelled and a judicial probe be initiated into the clashes at Saharanpur. They also demanded that the families affected in the Shabbirpur violence be awarded a compensation of ₹10 lakh.

Victim hurt Ms. Pradhan told the police that as they reached Frank Anthony School, two youth on a motorcycle snatched her gold chain. She then fell down on the road and hurt herself. “She started bleeding and was left with a swollen nose,” said a police officer. A case under relevant sections of the IPC has been registered. The police are scanning CCTV footage of nearby areas to identify the accused.

then rob the victim at gunpoint.”

Tip-off received Mr. Bishnoi said that a police team had laid a trap near the A-Block bus stand in Jagatpuri around 1.50 a.m. on Sunday based on a tip-off. Soon after, the suspects were seen approaching the spot on three two-wheelers. The police claim that while two of the gang members on one two-wheeler got away, pillion riders on the other two-wheelers opened fire at them. “The police party managed to overpower the two armed pillion riders. Sub-Inspector Ram Niranjan and Constable Arvind, meanwhile, overpowered the riders on both scooters after a small chase,” said Mr. Bishnoi.

DELHI TODAY Talk: Public lecture on “Socio-Economic Impacts of Irrigation Projects in India” by Satyendra Tripathi, Senior Research Fellow, India Foundation, at Seminar Room, irst loor, Library Building, Nehru Memorial Museum & Library (NMML), Teen Murti House, Teen Murti Marg, 3 p.m.

NEW DELHI

‘Will resist oppression’ On May 9, the Bhim Army had also called for a meeting at Gandhi Maidan in Saharanpur to protest against the Shabbirpur violence. The police did not grant them

Charges rubbished Mr. Kejriwal also rubbished charges against his deputy, Manish Sisodia, about signing off a ₹1,600 per plate bill, and that of Cabinet Minister Satyendar Jain allegedly handing over ₹2 crore to him. He further said that all party leaders would meet people without appointments everyday at 10 a.m. for an hour. This, he said, was a step towards making AAP more accessible. Further, workers of all wards in a constituency would share home-cooked food at 7 p.m. on all first Sundays in a month, he said. Mr. Kejriwal, meanwhile, will join in at 8 p.m. via Facetime sessions.

2 killed, 6 injured as SUV overturns

Dalits gather at Jantar Mantar to protest Shabbirpur violence A large number of Dalits from across the country, particularly from Saharanpur district in Uttar Pradesh, gathered at Jantar Mantar on Sunday to raise their voice against the caste-based violence that occurred in Shabbirpur on May 5. Dalit rights activists, wearing blue caps, were led by the Bhim Army, which had given a call for the protest on social media. Bhim Army founder Chandrashekhar, who had gone underground after the police launched a crackdown on the organisation, was present on the occasion.

even his arch rivals in the political arena had refused to believe them.

Talk: “The Goods and Services Tax: The Road Ahead” by Arun Goyal, IAS, presently Additional Secretary, GST Council and head of the Project Monitoring Group, PMO; Chair: Air Marshal Naresh Verma, AVSM, VSM (Retd.), at Conference Room – I, India International Centre (IIC), 6:30 p.m. Photography: “Seeds of Identity – 31 Foods Mexico Gave the World”, photography show by Ariadna Cuadriello and Juan Pablo Cardona, at Annexe Art Gallery, India International Centre (IIC), 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Art: 15th Annual Art Show by Delhi College of Art School at Lalit Kala Akademi, Rabindra Bhavan, Copernicus Marg, Mandi House, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Paintings: “Inheritance of Loss”, a painting show by Ashish Khushwaha, at Kamaladevi Complex, India International Centre (IIC), 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Exhibition: “Evergreen Delhi”, a solo photography exhibition by Rajat Bhushan, at Delhi ‘o’ Delhi Foyer, India Habitat Centre (IHC), 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Standing tall: BJP national president Amit Shah inaugurated a 12-feet-high steel charkha at the Charkha Museum in Connaught Place on Sunday. The wheel is corrosion-resistant and nonmagnetic. SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR *

Exhibition: “Keeping Faith: Indian Religions in the United States”, at American Center, 24, Kasturba Gandhi Marg, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Mail your listings for this column at [email protected])

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Traic policemen battle it out on rain-battered roads Downpour makes commuting diicult for most, but the going gets tougher for cops who have to maintain order come what may arrangements and a longer stay in the rain for some, say the policemen.

Shubhomoy Sikdar NEW DELHI

It’s around 5:30 p.m. and it has started pouring. The sudden rain has made commuting difficult for most, but the going is much tougher for the traffic policemen manning the ITO intersection, arguably the city’s busiest.

Caught unawares “Who would have seen this coming on such a warm day,” quips a constable when asked if he is carrying a raincoat. He races against time to cover the distance between the traffic police booth and the intersection and manages just in time to change his shoes for a pair of sandals. But, what about his uni-

Respite from the heat: Youngsters enjoy the rain on Sunday.

form? He is not carrying a spare one. Not that he and his colleagues have a choice. His walkie talkie has just an-

*

SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR

nounced that LieutenantGovernor Anil Baijal will pass by and any shortcoming would mean a barrage of

letters. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is also expected to pass by, which means more

Some relief They, however, thank their stars that the final IPL is not being played at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, for the rain would have created a “gridlock for the entire evening”. By now, some passers-by have also come inside the booth to seek shelter. But for those it is meant for, staying inside is not an option, especially at such a busy time. In sight are three or four more policemen, who try to save themselves from getting drenched.

“In this weather, carrying a raincoat is pointless. Also, there is no place to keep raincoats in the booth,” says one of them.

Other worries Further, the two windows inside the booth cannot be locked. As the rain picks up, water enters through them and leaves the premises wet. The policemen say unlocked windows also mean an easy opportunity for thieves. “The thieves are mostly drug addicts. They don’t spare anything, not even the packaged water jars we get for ourselves. Life is tough, but duty comes first,” says a policeman. B ND-ND

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4 SHOWCASE

NOIDA/DELHI

THE HINDU

MONDAY, MAY 22, 2017

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The gifted Mr Ganguli Cultural impresario and founder of Liberatum speaks about his new documentary on climate change, his love of art and more The movers and shakers: Ganguli seen with celebrities such as Alan Yentob, Terry Gilliam, Sadie Frost, Francis Ford Coppola, Sinead Cusack, Jeremy Irons Cher and Tomas Auksas; (below) with Nicole Kidman and Victoria Beckham DAVE BENETT

*

tsering dolma

Loneliness, says Pablo Ganguli, drove him to be more creative. “You want to fill the void with something that keeps you happy and fulfilled.” A childhood spent with his nose in books translated into a love of cultures and a gift for languages (he speaks fluent French, Bengali and English, among others), which today helps him curate high-profile, multi-disciplinary festivals across the globe. And while he is acquainted with some of the biggest names on the global map the cultural entrepreneur, and founder of Liberatum, the London-based cultural organisation, still “prefers his own space” over social gatherings. Condé Nast’s managing director, Nicholas Coleridge, once called him a “fearsome networker”. But 33year-old Ganguli says, “I am the worst kind of networker there is; I hardly leave my house or studio. (He does much of his work online). But if you are passionate about an idea, then you must communicate with people and collaborate.” Such collaborations have produced over 15 cultural and literary festivals across cities like Florence, Marrakech, Mumbai and Hong Kong, attracting leading global figures including Susan Sarandon, VS Naipaul, Nicole Kidman and Vivienne Westwood. “I want to connect people

from different fields and different walks of life, to find out more about each other, to realise that we have more in common than differences,” he says.

Reel effect Ganguli has also directed two films with his Brazilian partner, Tomas Auksas — Inspiring Creativity (2014), featuring James Franco and other artists, and Artistry/Technology (2015), with Susan Sarandon and MIA, to name a few. He’s back in the headlines with his upcoming documentary, In This Climate, the trailer of which has been doing the rounds on social media recently. ““I wanted it to have a human angle, to show a human connection,” he says. He has bagged the who’s who of both the art and science worlds including pop star Cher, actor Mark Ruffalo, scientist-historian Noam Chomsky and broadcaster David Attenborough. Scheduled to release on June 28, Ganguli says the film was delayed as “we decided to make it a longer feature documentary, as opposed to a 20minute short as originally planned. ” Excepts from an interview: Working with global figures ● To be honest, it’s also a rich experience when you talk to a fisherman, a housewife or a farmer. It’s ultimately about the human experience. We wanted to open a cultural dialogue

where people tell stories. We wanted to start a discussion where these great minds come together, imploring people to make a change. Cher will reach a certain demographic that Noam Chomsky can’t, and vice versa. Cher was glorious; she was absolutely concerned about the issue. She is also working on a project where the goal is to put on virtual reality glasses to see these wild animals instead of going to the zoo. Mark Ruffalo was a gracious gentleman who cares very deeply about the environment. You can see how dedicated he is and how genuine his commitment is.

They say there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish by 2050. ● You don’t see these issues being covered by the media as often as it should be. We need to talk about how to preserve our rainforest, ways to protect our planet. People want to know what clothes the celebrities are wearing. For god’s sake, we have better things to talk about. Talk about planting more trees, please.

names first and then making them talk about an issue. It’s much more organic, well-researched and thought through. It almost takes a year to plan a festival. AL GORE IS BACK

Eleven years after the release of his groundbreaking film An Inconvenient Truth, former US Vice President Al Gore is back with An Inconvenient Sequel, a new film about the climate crisis. Directed by Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk, the film is to be released on July 28

their community. We also spoke with the leading environmentalist, Sunita Narain, who is a very vocal figure in India. She says India is suffering because of the West. She was talked about the mass production in India that is run by western companies.

Shooting in India ● I went to the Sundarban district in

Organising cultural festivals

West Bengal and spoke to the residents. The rising sea level is not only affecting the biodiversity (mangrove forests) but also the socio-economic conditions of

● For every new festive summit, we

start with a new palette, a new topic, and then decide on the guest speakers. It is definitely not picking up famous

What’s next? ● We are working on a big festival in

Mexico City. It's a global cultural diplomacy festival and the goal is to create a strong, exciting annual landmark event that will bring together some of the greatest minds from different fields and connect them with their Mexican counterparts through a dynamic programme open to the public.

VIRUNGA, BY ORLANDO VON EINSIEDEL (2014): about the national park in Congo where people risk their lives to protect mountain gorillas BEFORE THE FLOOD, BY FISHER STEVENS (2016): about the issue of climate change

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Theatre feast

with Dev in Italy, learning how to make pasta, following the dreams he left the US to pursue at the end of season one. In some ways, the first two episodes of the new season herald the end of Dev’s meandering young adulthood.

Black and white The first episode is shot entirely in black and white and is a homage to the Italian classic Bicycle Thieves. As Dev finishes his adventure in Italy, which was full of laughter and food and friendship and delight, we see that he is now turned into more of an adult and has realized that he can no longer simply

How do you see Liberatum growing? ● I would like it to be a strong house of culture. Liberatum is not meant for making money, but to give people the opportunity to have access to the great minds of our time. People who don’t get the chance to go to the Oscars, Cannes or Oxford — I’m bringing these important figures for them. I see my organisation as a cultural university, which is free of charge for everyone.

THE ACT OF KILLING, BY JOSHUA OPPENHEIMER (2012): about the abuse of Indonesians

Aziz Ansari’s Master of None returned to screens last week with a second season that journeys through Italy and New York and traverses the ups and downs of adulthood Dev Shah is the directionless, amiable and extremely relatable lead in Aziz Ansari’s show Master of None, played by the actor-writer himself. In its first season, the show was a breath of fresh air to the comedy genre on television. Ansari cast his family and friends in the series, drew from his and co-writer Alan Yang’s personal experiences to create content and managed to perfectly balance naivety and boldness to produce a charming 10-episode season that earned them an Emmy for Outstanding Writing last year. The second season begins

finance. The costs are different depending on the size of the festivals. Sometimes, it takes about a million dollars for one. Most of our sponsors are governments, watch and car companies.

THREE TO WATCH

Wearing its heart on its sleeve ramya devaraj

The biggest challenges ● The biggest challenge is getting the

On a personal quest: (left to right) Aziz Ansari, Netlix vice president of original series Cindy Holland and Alan Yang

do what he wants, but must choose to do what is right. This development is made very evident in his growing relationship with already en-

gaged friend, Francesca. Their lives come together so suddenly, it will leave you wondering how Ansari and Yang pulled her out of seem-

ingly nowhere and turned her character into the embodiment of a warm hug. Smart, witty, funny and heart-warming, her person-

ality draws a pretty good parallel to the atmosphere of the entire show. Master of None is in many ways a celebration of life. The sixth episode, titled “New York, I Love You”, focuses on the minor characters in the show and details their lives in lovely intricacies. And for a show that is abundant with so much dialogue, it comes as a pleasant surprise that it’s final scene meets its viewers with silence that leaves them to simply look, and feel. Master of None finishes its second season at a destination, leading its viewers to believe that the best is yet to come, and above all else, there is hope. Hope for life, hope for love, and hope for a future.

The ongoing Summer Theatre Festival 2017 which has been organised by Asmita group for celebrating its 25 years of journey in the theatre world is a treat for the theatregoers of DelhiNCR. The group will stage well known plays, directed by Arvind Gaur, that deal with important social issues while at the same time entertain the audience. Among the plays scheduled are Hindu Code Bill (on May 27), showing why there was such a division in support for it. While Ambedkar supported it, others like Shyamprasad Mukherjee were against it. Operation Three Star will be on board on May 28. Other plays to be staged in the next two months include Unsuni written by Mallika Sarabhai based on Harsh Mander’s book “Unheard Voices”,

Arvind Gaur Moteram Ka Satyagrah penned by Habib Tanvir and Safdar Hashmi is based on Munshi Premchand’s story, Ek Mamooli Aadmi written by Ashok Lal and Log Baag written by Neil Simon, based on Anton Chekhov stories. Besides Ye Aadmi Ye Choohe adapted from John Steinback’s “Of Mice & Men” too will be staged.

5 EVENTS WORTH-YOUR-WHILE

EXHIBITION

MUSIC

SHOW

FILM

ART EXPOSITION

Weaving Labyrinths

Ashim Berry

Seeds of Identity

Jagte Rao

Desi Canvas

The 12th Habitat Film Festival being presented by the Habitat Film Club will be screening the classic Hindi film “Jagte Raho”. Directed by Amit Maitra and Sombhu Mitra, it features Raj Kapoor who plays a naive man from the village who gets trapped in the web of greed and corruption. Venue: Gulmohar Hall, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi Time: 6.30 p.m.

Desi Canvas an extension to The Drifting Canvas, a multimedia art exposition, is showcasing works of 41 Indian contemporary artists, including Paramjeet Singh, Aparna Caur, Anupam Sud, Kalicharan Gupta and Anandamoy Banerjee. The featured artists change every Friday. This week’s show is ‘IM Print’. Venue: Select Citywalk, Saket, New Delhi Time: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Triveni Gallery will be holding a solo art exhibition “Weaving Labyrinths: A Ritual of Mark-Making and Soft Sculptures” by Nandini Hasija. This body of work attempts to explore the development of identity of an individual based on an adoptive mother-daughter relationship. Venue: 205, Tansen Marg, Mandi House Time: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

CM YK

Piano Jazz Club will present a performance by Ashim Berry who is a percussionist based in New Delhi. With a background in Hindustani classical music he has been playing the tabla for 16 years and he developed his new found love for the steel tongue drum into a solo project. Venue: B 6, Commercial Complex, Safdarjung Enclave Time: 9 p.m.

The photography exhibition “Seeds of Identity-31 Foods Mexico Gave The World”, by Ariadna Cuadriello and Juan Pablo Cardona describe the flora of Mexico through the voices of the first chroniclers and astonished travellers guiding those who wonder where certain foods come from. Venue: Art Gallery, IIC Annexe Bld., New Delhi Time: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

B ND-ND

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THE HINDU

SHOWCASE 5

NOIDA/DELHI

MONDAY, MAY 22, 2017

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Celebrating the human spirit Chef Vikas Khanna says shooting for Buried Seeds , a docu-drama on his life, has been a cathartic journey for him Madhur Tankha

Korean connection National Museum, New Delhi, has now added Korean language to its audio tour service. This project assumes significance as it seeks to increase tourism in India and encourage Korean tourists to gain a profound understanding of the nation’s history, heritage and culture. Before upgrade of Korean service, the audio tour had been available in Hindi, English, German, French and Japanese languages. With Korean language being added, now visitors from there can enjoy 75 minute tour that includes 64 masterpieces among the numerous national heritages, from the Dancing girl statuette made in 2500 BC to the sword of Tipu Sultan. The launching ceremony was graced by Cho Hyun, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to India, along with B. R. Mani, Director General of National Museum. Pointing out that Korea has witnessed sharp increase in tourism from India, Cho Hyun said adding audio guide will help in strengthening the relation and helping in reducing linguistic barrier. Kim Kum-pyoung, Director of Korean Cultural Centre India, said: “I hope more Korean tourists visit India and have a deeper understanding of the culture and art of India through the audio guide.” The Korea audio guide project was initiated by Korean Cultural Centre India.

This is Vikas Khanna’s moment in the sun. Forty minutes away from the screening of trailer of Buried Seeds, a docu-drama on his journey from Amritsar to America, the Michelinstarred chef ’s voice over phone from Cannes is humble as always. “It was not my idea. American-Russian director Andrei Severny came up to me and said, ‘Chef, can you help me in making this film?’ He told me that my family had sacrificed so much so that I was able to represent all kinds of Indian food globally. He appreciated my frank approach and was clear that it would not be a regular film. He said, ‘I want to make a powerful film which tells the practical side, pain, loss, defeat, betrayal and bullying.’ You need to talk about these facts so that our generation can understand the struggle and sorrow undergone by you,” he says. The film, expected to release in fall 2017 and travel to India by the end of this year, has a message for the new generation, particularly immigrants who are desperate to make a mark. “The film is important to tell today’s generation how difficult it is to fulfil your dream when so many odds are stacked against you. When an auto rickshaw driver’s daughter becomes a doctor, we all celebrate. Similarly, when the son of an owner of a video library becomes Michelin-starred chef, it is a huge honour for the entire country he comes from. For such people there is no self entitlement. It is victory of human spirit.” In his honesty to give an authentic presentation, is he not revealing things which he would have otherwise kept under wraps? “Right from day one of shooting, we were convinced that Buried

Turning dreams into reality: Vikas Khanna

Seeds will capture not only the highs but also pathos, pain and turbulence which I had undergone while trying to educate myself and make a career out of cooking. It is not that when you land up in America, the locals roll out red carpet before you . They behave normally but the moment you start competing

we started, < > When becoming a chef was like a back up plan. Now the world is giving us so much importance.

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with them, everything changes.” Two incidents are perennially etched on his mind. “One chef used to work with me in an American restaurant where fried chicken and pizza were cooked. Once the chef was so angry with me that he wanted to cut off all my fingers. I saved my hand by fraction of a second. Similarly, while I was doing research in an America university, I was mocked at by a budding chef. I was making my notes and I was known for writing like a poet. This guy came up to me and said

‘Look here no matter how hard you might try you would still be 10 times inferior to me.’ Those days I was working on brushing my English so his comments were incomprehensible to me. So I replied I am improving my English. He had the audacity to tell me ‘It is not your English; it is your skin. My reply was ‘I don’t want to be equal with you, I want to be 11 times better than me’.” On that day, Vikas took a vow that his limitation cannot be decided by his pigmentation. “My pigmentation is my

pride, it comes from my heritage. It is a story from where I come. My colour is from the place I come from. And I am proud of my lineage. The comment by the local chef still pinches me. That incident was my Mahatma Gandhi moment.”

Blessing in disguise That comment was a blessing in disguise as it propelled him to put all his creativity, passion into his work and realise his dream. However, he adds, one cannot generalise. “Andrei has made a documentary

which touches you emotionally. Story of a home where not much food is there but still there is happiness around needs to be told. The story touches core of Indian ethics. My father owned video library business failed. He ran business of blanket making; that too got shut. He became a property broker.” While growing up in Amritsar, life was not easy for Vikas. “I had clubbed feet and it made my life miserable. Here I was wearing oversized funny looking shoes in school and I was laughed at and teased.

I could neither play nor go out with friends. I also had braces. Perhaps, God had a bigger plan for me but that time I was completely disheartened. To give me reason to live, my grandmother would take me to Golden Temple. That was her way of teaching me about life.” To seek comfort, he would enter the kitchen. “When we had to shoot in Amritsar for the third time; it was very difficult for me to go back. Those memories kept rushing back. We went to the same spot at the Golden Temple where me and my grandmother used to go.” Indians like fun and excitement in their food as well as in films. Just like he puts tadka to make dal makhni delicious. Vikas gets the hint. “I did not want masala . The film shows the power of culture. It has been made in an organic way and would have impact worldwide as it is a universal story. When we started, becoming a chef was like a back up plan. Now the world is giving us so much importance. Earlier people laughed at our profession. At every level, I have been honest about my life. You know Andrei’s last film Gravitation: Variation in Time and Space was based on greatest ballerina Diana Vishneva. When he picked me as a subject, I thought it would be interesting to go ahead. Bollywood films have glamour and are inspired by private lives. I do not have any private life. And why should all films be of same genre?” The film’s title is interesting. “Kismat hai (laughs). Bury means daphnana and many people feel it has negative connotation. Remember seeds were sown in Amritsar. There is an interesting quotation on my notice board: ‘They tried to bury us; they did not know we were seeds’.”

DOWN MEMORY LANE

Prince Philip’s tryst with the Taj Queen Elizabeth and her consort’s decision to retire from public life refreshes memories of the royal visits to the monument of love R. V. Smith

Now that Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh and consort of Queen Elizabeth II, has decided to retire from public life, one has to sift through hazy memories to recall his first visit to India in 1958. On landing at Delhi Airport (there was no Indira Gandhi International Airport then), he remarked that he was surprised on seeing fog in Delhi, probably because he thought it was warm and sultry throughout the year. And who could blame him for this misconception? After all, the closest he had come to India earlier was during World War II when he was in the Royal Navy and his ship had anchored in Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) with its A date with royalty: Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of all-year tropical climate. Edinburgh at the monument during their 1961 visit; (below) Nephew of Lord Mountbat- Princess Diana seated at the Taj HINDU ARCHIVES, REUTERS ten, last Viceroy and first Governor-General of liber- Uncle Ceastan of Armenian The latter found him very ated India, he had not had descent (from Siestan), handsome, but Mota Dixit an opportunity to come dressed in late 19th Century was fascinated with his clothes like Rudyard Kip- shoes and the laces he during his uncle’s tenure. The prince’s first outing ling, who read newspapers thought were tied to perfecafter landing in Delhi in the Queen Mary Empress tion. The Duke was taken (where he had to attend a Library in the Cantonments around by the chief guide, conference and later an- and discussed each item Islamuddin but the Comwith passers-by, missioner of Agra Division, other one in Bangalore) was even to Agra to see the Taj. One Mother Joan, Rev Mother in John Stanley Lall, himself a remembers that quite a few charge of St Joseph’s School, history buff, also helped to British nationals in the city an Irish lady who hadn’t explain the mysteries of the thought it worthwhile to stirred out of the convent Taj. When the Duke heard greet him. Among them was for 40 years, and Abid Bhai, the sonorous echo in the the Rev T.D. Sully, principal given forced retirement as Cenotaph Chamber he of St John’s College, a haft- Daroga of the Excise Depart- wanted to know whether zaban padre (linguist) who ment after he went daft. the same khadims gave the was a mathematician, musi- Abid Bhai came in Kale azaan in the Taj masjid and cian, English language ex- Khan’s tonga to meet whom also why there was a pert, philosopher and, of he thought to be “Badshah mosque facing east on the course, theologian of note. Salamat”. Curiosity also opposite side of the main Among those who also brought the burqa-clad wo- one. He was told that the trooped in was the cynical men from Tajganj who khadims were not muezzins wanted to see Yunan but only the ones who (Greece) ka Shehzada, mar- demonstrated the echo of ried to Malika Elizabeth — the azaan. The other with pretty Begum Anwar mosque, it was pointed out, ‘Anardana’ lifting up the was known as the “Jawaab” niqab to wave to him with and had been built just for the sake of imparting symher bejewelled hand. metry to the ambience of the monument. Historic moment On seeing the Yamuna The Duke, wearing a fine Saville Row suit, was the cy- and being told that it wennosure of attraction of stu- ded its way up to Allahabad, dents, both boys and girls. where it met the Ganga and *

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the mythical Saraswati to form the Sangam, the Duke suggested that there should be a lot more water in the river so that besides regular boating the more adventurous could go all the way to the Sangam. He also opined that there should be a bridge connecting the Taj with the Mahatab Bagh, were Shah Jahan wanted to build a black marble Taj. There were no grand hotels in Agra then but the prince spent the night in the best one from where he could see the Taj. Desmond Doig, the noted journalist who covered his visit, wrote the next day: “Thousands of parrots awake Agra every morning. They probably awoke the Duke for he was up early, sitting on a chair and admiring the rosy tainted hue that enveloped the monument before the sun rose over the Jamuna.” Doig accompanied the Duke on his extended tour and wrote endearingly about night falling on the royal visit: “A policeman throws a stone at a dog, a chakor calls to its mate in the hills.” When the Duke accompanied Queen Elizabeth on her first visit in 1961 he was able to explain better the nuances of the Taj to her but when Princess Diana came, unfortunately without Prince Charles, purportedly held up in Delhi for some official assignment, she had to sit alone on the Lotus Pond marble seat where the Duke and the Queen had been photographed in a memorable pose. However to make up for Diana’s disappointment her son and daughter-inlaw, Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton posed on the famed seat years later alright, and perhaps gladdened the hearts of the Queen and her consort, the nonagenarian Prince Philip. the author is a veteran chronicler of delhi

A worm’s eye view: A group of bird watchers in complete concentration

Let them spread their wings The engaging activity of bird watching requires encouragement to help document the large variety of avian species in the country asani bhaduri

“By the time you remember a bird’s name it is already changed” – quipped someone in a recent bird walk. She was probably referring to Brown-eared bulbul turning into Ashy bulbul or Yellow-throated sparrow becoming Chestnutshouldered Petronia. Indeed, birders have used many and in fact any lingos possible — from “Blackgoggled Tanager” to “Bananaquit” the list grows on. Thankfully another list is also growing — that of birders, birdwatchers, birdphotographers, twitchers (the ones running after rare birds or ‘lifers’), checklisters, citizen scientists, bird-environmentalists and unfortunately even stringers (the ones misleading others for rare birds). Do we celebrate the numbers or get scared that birdwatchers will lose the ‘nicest person around’ epithet? Undoubtedly, the increase in interests has a lot to do with terrific guide books covering each and every feather of the sub-continent, innumerable bird-walks organ-

ised throughout the years, social networks, forums and diligent media coverage of bird-spotting and finally the blossoming bird-festivals and bird-days. Of course, it also helps that we have over 1200 birds in India and luckily no part of our country is yet birdless. However, enthusiasm in birding should also be balanced by ethical and scientific bird watching and photographic documentation. Birding veterans point out that earlier the only concerns were birders and bird photographers crowding the nesting sites or getting too close to photograph a ‘lifer’. The newer apprehensions are as diverse and as disturbing. Recordings of bird calls/ songs are often being played by naturalists and birders in search for specific birds which may disturb roosting or feeding. Another upsetting trend that is often murmured by photographers abroad is that of capturing birds for studio photography. The spotting and reporting too are not so honest — the fraudulent entry of certain species to increase one’s bird count are unfortunately a norm now.

Misleading report of a migrant or vagrant on the other hand carry the risk of leading a researcher to waste time in an unwanted area. Bird enthusiast and novice bird watchers have to understand that reporting an unusual sighting or preparing a checklist is appropriate and warranted but these do not formulate a scientific study alone. It takes years to observe a particular group of birds to know their behaviour, habitat, adaptation, breeding and migration pattern and years more for designating the ecological importance and threat to a species.

Tool of documentation Although often frowned upon by birders, bird-photography does cater to important documentation. While maintaining a safe distance, quickly taking snaps and following other birding ethics is paramount for bird photography. It should not be confined to the affluent with expensive equipment either as the more admirers we involve, the more birds we document and save. Unfortunately, apart from Bombay

Natural History Society and Nature Conservation Foundation, the number of ornithologists in most of our research institutes and universities are very few — leading to a dearth of training in scientific documentation of birds. The bird festivals embody a solution for this and if every State starts organising its own bird festival involving senior researchers and expert birders, the bird-walks and workshops will turn a new crop of bird enthusiasts into prolific but ethical birders all over India. Karnataka, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh are having successful festivals for quite sometime now and sooner others follow the merrier. Bird-watching is passing through an interesting and encouraging time in India and instead of worrying too much or restricting the growth of bird-enthusiast we should cherish it more albeit with some monitoring and mentoring. (A benign birder, the writer teaches Molecular and Computational Biology at the University of Delhi) B ND-ND

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6 HEALTH

NOIDA/DELHI

THE HINDU

MONDAY, MAY 22, 2017

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Diet ditcher We’ve heard of training the brain, but training fat cells, or rather, re-training them? This new book tells you how shonali muthalaly

Let’s start with the simple rules. Calories in, calories out: Don’t eat more than you can work off. Except, people followed these rules and still got fat. Along came Atkins, South Beach and the Zone diet. Then Paleo, Primal and Keto exploded on social media. Along with bulletproof coffee, turmeric lattes and cauliflower rice. If you’re a serial dieter, you’ve probably tried it all. Why is Dr David Ludwig’s Always Hungry (AH) different? After all, every year someone comes up with a ‘radical’ new diet plan that promises to make you drop several dress sizes, get you bikini-ready and earn you a rash of super-likes on Tinder. A New York Times best seller, this book (recently released via Hachette in India) has sold more than 2,00,000 copies and spawned an active AH Facebook group with almost 10,000 members. Described as an ‘obesity warrior’, Dr Ludwig is a practising endocrinologist, researcher and professor at Harvard Medical School. He also directs the New Balance Foundation Obesity Prevention Center at Boston Children’s Hospital. But, most importantly, he doesn’t believe diets have anything to do with willpower. Can’t resist that third piece of chocolate cake? It’s not your fault. Conventional wisdom tells us that overeating makes us fat. Dr Ludwig says the process of getting fatter is what causes us to overeat. Discussing the AH diet in an interview with MetroPlus over Skype, he explains how, by locking away cal-

The Obesity Warrior: Dr David Ludwig *

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ories in fat tissue, there are fewer circulating in the bloodstream to meet the body’s requirements. The central problem is one of distribution. “We have an abundance of calories, but they’re in the wrong place. As a result, the body needs to increase its intake. We get hungrier because we’re getting fatter,” he says.

Use it, don’t lose it Dr Ludwig has been working on these ideas for 25 years. “If you are looking at food as simply calories, you tend to naturally gravitate to an ‘eat less, move more’ approach. That never works, because the body fights back. Deprive your body of calories, and you lose weight, but hunger increases. Even if you could ignore that, your metabolism slows down next. And that is a battle between your mind and metabolism that you will lose. Even if it works for a while, you will feel so miserable you’ll eventually want out.” According to Dr Ludwig, food is information. “Depending on what you eat, your hormones can change in dramatically different ways, and that’s a way to communicate with cell tissue. You can use food to make your body feel better, and to lose weight.” He adds, “If you give your body the right food, you don’t have to starve it. It will shed calories without you trying to take control.” Even if you have been 10 kilos overweight for longer than you want to remember. “Years ago, you would

Shop before you drop

almost never see obesity. Now it is common. That is not genetic. If we figure what is causing our weight to go up, we can push it back down,” he says. His book explains how to reprogram fat cells by eating in a way that lowers insulin levels. This in turn reduces inflammation, prompting fat cells to release excess calorie stores. As your body enjoys better access to fuel, he says metabolism improves, cravings subside and weight loss begins.

Eat it, to beat it The AH diet comes with a set of recipes that are high-protein, with high-quality fat and carbs from fruits and pulses. Spinach omelettes with cheddar cheese, chickpea waffles with whipped cream, coconut curry shrimp... There’s also a decadent breakfast shake with coconut milk, blueberries, peanut butter and whey protein. “This is designed to be maximum benefit for minimum deprivation. On AH, for the first two weeks, you give up grains, potatoes and sugar, but can eat a range of vegetables, fruits and beans,” says Dr Ludwig. He adds, “The weight-loss is slower. But if you’re not hungry and uncomfortable, who cares how long it takes.” He says this is particularly useful in India, with its high diabetes rates. “Eating this way targets the underlying problem, which is the same for obesity as it is for diabetes: too much insulin. And insulin resistance. When you treat that—when your fat cells calm down—you don’t have to make as much insulin.” Dr Ludwig’s wife, Chef Dawn Ludwig, has created recipes for the book, and is currently working with him on an AH cookbook that will be published by March 2018, with 150 new recipes. Yes, this includes dessert. “The advantage of not focusing on calorie restriction is we don’t have to demonise fat. Fat is delicious. And it is helpful for weight loss because it doesn’t raise your insulin. Instead of sugar, we emphasise on desserts that are rich, like berries with heavy cream. Or dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa. I lost almost 10 kilos over three months of eating this way. And I have chocolate almost every day,” he says, adding “Forget calories. Focus on food quality. Let your body do the rest.”

Coconut curry sauce Use this recipe to make a variety of vegetables, and protein choices more hearty and satisfying. Add it to your favourite vegetables and tofu, ish, shrimp, chicken or tempeh. 쮿

Preparation time: 5 minutes

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Total time: 5 minutes

Makes about 2½ cups Ingredients 쮿

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¾ cup raw cashews

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¾ cup hot water

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1¼ cups canned coconut milk

쮿 ½- to 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into ¼-inch rounds 쮿

1 small clove garlic

1½ to 2 tablespoons curry powder, or more, to taste

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Red pepper lakes (optional)

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1 teaspoon salt

Method 쮿 Place all the ingredients in a high-speed blender or into a large jar or deep bowl that will it an immersion blender without splashing. 쮿 Blend until smooth. If using an immersion blender, work the blender into the thicker pieces of vegetables and nuts until they are smooth and creamy. 쮿 Place a lid on the jar. Allow the lavours to develop for 1 hour or more in the refrigerator. The dressing will keep for 1 to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Tip: Peel ginger by scraping it with a spoon. This removes the skin without losing any of the ginger lesh. For thicker skin, use a vegetable peeler or knife.

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Excerpted with permission from Always Hungry? by David Ludwig, published by Hachette India

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EARNEST ATTEMPT

We ferreted out the ine print and got the gyan from experts; here’s a quick guide to health insurance

vaidehee s deshpande

It’s one of those things you tend to procrastinate most on, because somehow, none of us believes it will happen to us: get sick and not be able to pay the bill. Don’t mean to scare you, but the right time to buy health insurance is now, especially if you have age and good health on your side. The good news is that 35 crore Indians got insured in 2015-16 as per the IRDA Annual Report. The bad news that we already knew: over 70% of the medical expenses in India are still borne by individuals, paying out-of-pocket. With more than 30 insurance companies and over 300 health insurance products, there’s no dearth of choice.

There are 3 types of health insurance Group insurance that your company

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Most hospitals have a link between room rate and all the other medical expenses gives you the benefit of; individual, which protects a single person; floater that provides coverage for you and family members you name in the policy. Even if you have group coverage, it is smart to purchase an additional basic health policy, as employee medical policies typically have limited coverage and are valid only until you are employed. Also, if you are not employed for a while, you will need to be covered. For families, a floater is cost-effective, says Dr Abhijeet Chattoraj, Professor and Chairperson, Centre for Insurance and Risk Management, BIMTECH, Greater Noida.

There are different kinds of costs to account for Don’t just let lower premiums drive your decision. “Choose a decent limit of coverage,” says Sushobhan Sarker, Director, National Insurance Academy, Pune. A coverage of ₹3-5 lakh is sufficient for a small city; you need ₹5-10 lakh coverage for a metropolis. Check what the policy dictates on room rents. Often, only a percentage of the sum insured will be paid: typically 1% of hospital room rent and 2% for the ICU. Beware of sub-limits on hospitalisation. Most hospitals have a link between room rate CM YK

and all the other medical expenses, including doctor’s fees and medical tests. This means that if you exceed the room-rent limit, the insurer proportionately reduces the reimbursement sub-limits for all other associated medical expenses. You will end up paying for the difference in cost not only of the room, but also of all the associated medical expenses. Ask about the sub-limits, and if possible, get a policy with no sub-limit.

There are built-in safety measures If you have a pre-existing condition

like diabetes, there may be a waiting period of 2-4 years in which no claims relating to your condition will be paid. Choose plans with the smallest waiting period, or those that cover your illness from day 1. There are 5 stand-alone health insurance companies in India, including Star Health, Apollo Munich, Max Bupa, Religare and TTK. These companies have various specialised disease-specific products, such as diabetes- or cancerspecific insurance policies. They also have maternity and newborn care products. Take advantage of the ‘Free look period’ every insurance company is obligated to provide you as part of the IRDA Health Insurance Regulations (2016). This gives you 15 days to review the terms and conditions of the policy before finalizing it. If you are not happy with the services of your current insurer, you can transfer your policy to another company. There is also a way to avoid paying twice for health insurance for the same period while travelling outside the country. “Provide your current insurer with proof of your overseas policy while travelling abroad and you may be able to extend your current policy for the length of your stay outside the country,” says Dr S M Deshpande, Health Insurance Consultant and former DGM, National Insurance Company.

QUESTIONS TO ASK ■ Does the group policy provide coverage during pregnancy, something an individual policy will usually not do? ■ Does the group policy allow for a top-up premium, so you can add your parents to it?

Does the family loater have sub-limits for each family member (it shouldn’t)?

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Can extended family be covered under the loater?

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Are there any sub-limits and can I get a policy with no sub-limit?

Is there a co-pay clause that will require me to share a speciied percentage of the claim amount with the insurance company? (Buy a policy that does not require co-pay.) ■

■ Which are the hospitals in the vicinity of my house that will provide a cashless facility against your policy? ■ Are pre-existing diseases covered in the policy (if you already have diabetes, for instance)? ■ Are there any particular surgeries that you will not cover—aesthetic or cosmetic procedures such as plastic surgery, breast reduction or even bariatric surgery?

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Strike a balance: Eat knowing that you’ll burn it the next day

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My weight in gold

susanna myrtle lazarus

You’d find it difficult to find someone as lazy as I am when it comes to working out. I’m the queen of excuses. Right now, it’s, “Too hot. If I want to work up a sweat, I’ll walk down the stairs and back up again.” Earlier, it was, “I don’t have a scooter to get to the gym and it’s ridiculous to bargain with auto rickshaw drivers every morning.” Mind you, this was a place 1 km away from home, easily walkable in 10 to 15 minutes (yes, I’m Captain Slow), through residential roads. The only time I didn’t use (genuine?) excuses to skip the gym—deadlines, interviews, travelling—was when I was introduced to strength training. It was there that I found something I didn’t totally suck at, and which made me feel like I was doing the real thing, you know, like Batman, not Robin. Granted, it made my baby cousins treat me like a real beast of burden with their requests for “horsey rides”. It was a welcome change from being asked for elephant rides though. What struck me during and way after I’d lost sight of the barball was just how invested some people are in other people’s fitness routines. I got the friendly neighbourhood Aunty ‘joking’: “Are you getting into wrestling?” to guy friends telling me to

“Man up”. Not sexist at all guys. Bet you if I had continued a few months longer, they’d have known the true meaning of the kettlebell swing. I had someone text me months after I took a break from strength training, “I see taking public transport has made you slimmer than that gym stuff you were doing.” In my head, I used some choice words that are unpublishable in a family-friendly newspaper, and then replied with, “LOL. Nothing I could do now would have the effect of those workouts.” Maybe next time, I’ll just pull up a picture of my erstwhile trainer every time someone tells me I’m gonna bulk up like the Hulk if I bench-press and dead-lift: she’s a state-level gold medallist in powerlifting. (I promise, we’re not a cult.) But you couldn’t tell if you glanced at her on the street: she’s about five feet tall and looks like she is 15 years old, but she’s one of the strongest people I know. What I won’t be sharing a picture of is one of my earlier trainers from a typical gym, who told me how to do a plank instead of showing me, because she “would get out of breath”. Coincidentally, that was the day I stopped going to that particular gym. Of course, there are women with muscles—Instagram star Sonali Swami is a great example—and that’s because they want them. My motivation is completely different: I just want to enjoy my pepperoni and cheese pizza knowing that I’ll burn off most of those calories the next day. Oh, and why I stopped strength training? I told you: it really did get too hot. B ND-ND