Raipur - The Pioneer
Transcription
Raipur - The Pioneer
) *+ 0DXU4QY\i@Y_^UUb -3/3-/4 A40BB4BB8=6C74;4602H >5?E=0A0B8<70A0> RNI Regn. No. CHHENG/2012/42718, Postal Reg. No. - RYP DN/34/2013-2015 VQSUR__[S_]TQY\i`Y_^UUb ,-.!5 $-/ 012 4bcPQ[XbWTS '%# ?dQ[XbWTS5a^\ 34;78;D2:=>F 17>?0; 17D10=4BF0AA0=278A08?DA 270=3860A7347A03D= 278=034?;>HB1><14AB2;>B4B A18C><0:45D=3BCA0=B54A E80B<0AC?7>=4B40B84A ?0AC>5B2BC>0BB4AC2>=CA>; A08?DACD4B30H 9D;H k ( ! %*?064B !C" m 2Xch E^[$ 8bbdT (% 0XaBdaRWPaVT4gcaPXU0__[XRPQ[T 9G9<<257?4 ?6=1>385CD5B* 92B189=?F93 !"C@?BD fffSPX[h_X^]TTaR^\ / 6 /3)70 &$"##' 2^dac>:´b;^SWP_P]T[aTR^\\T]SPcX^]bPbZb6^ecc^ 5RDG WR UHIRUPV _dc1228 fXcWX]AC8 P\QXc206]^\X]TTX]cWT1^PaS 01A070<C7><0BQ =4F34;78 <0G"!(2! <8=!$2! 6T]TaP[[hR[^dShbZh 3HB?BD82834):´C0:0 <8=8BC4A64>A64@D8CB 1T]VP[dad):Pa]PcPZP<X]XbcTa :96T^aVT^]<^]SPhaTbXV]TS bW^ac[hPUcTaPR^dacSXaTRcTS _^[XRTc^aTVXbcTaP]58APVPX]bc WX\X]R^]]TRcX^]fXcWP[[TVTS bdXRXST^U3T_dchBd_TaX]cT]S^U ?^[XRT<:6P]P_PcWh :49A8F0;2;40=B38B74B 0C6>;34=C4<?;4 0\aXcbPa)3T[WX2<0aeX]S :TYaXfP[^]<^]SPhfPbWTS SXbWTbX]cWT6^[ST]CT\_[T³b ZXcRWT]PbP]P_^[^VhPUcTacWT 00? SaTfU[PZU^aST_XRcX]VcWT X\PVT^UcWTBXZWbWaX]TfXcWcWT _Pachbh\Q^[¯Qa^^\¯X]Xcb h^dcW\P]XUTbc^ 585CH34=6D420B4B 8=34;78!!8=9D;H =Tf3T[WX)0c[TPbc$RPbTb^U ST]VdTWPeTQTT]aT_^acTSX] 3T[WXcWXbbTPb^]fXcW!!^U cWTbTaTR^aSTScWXb\^]cW ;0FC>?D=8B760=60 ?>;;DC4ABB>>= =Tf3T[WX) FXcWP]PX\c^bc^_ _d[[dcX^]X]cWT6P]VPcWT 2T]caTXbf^aZX]Vc^QaX]VP[Pf WPeX]VbcaX]VT]c_a^eXbX^]b PVPX]bc_^[[dcTabFPcTa ATb^daRTb<X]XbcTaD\P1WPacX bPXSX]SdbcaXP[P]SbTfPVTfPbcT PaT\PX]b^daRT^U_^[[dcX^] inisters and bureaucrats have no business to govM ern cricket, ruled the Supreme Court on Monday as it landed a major blow to the autonomy enjoyed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The court also asked the Centre and the Law Commission to consider bringing BCCI under the ambit of Right to Information Act. The Bench of Chief Justice TS Thakur and Justice FM Ibrahim Kalifulla said, “The public at large has a right to know and demand information as to the activities and functions of the BCCI especially when it deals with funds collected in relation to those activities as a trustee of wherein the beneficiary happens to be the people of this country.” The Bench went on to order surgical reforms in the administrative set-up of the Board by forming a nine-member Apex Council to take decisions with regard to cricketing affairs of BCCI. The Bench approved almost every recommendation made by the court-appointed Committee headed by former CJI RM Lodha and comprising two former SC judges, Ashok Bhan and RV Raveendran. This Committee was asked to oversee setting up of the Apex Council in six months. This body will have five full members elected by the BCCI annually along with two cricket players (one being a woman) and a nominee of Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG). The court decided it was time to end the political patronage enjoyed by cricket in the country and to make cricketing affairs accountable for a change as it held, “We do not think that the game (of cricket) flourishes in this country because any Minister or civil servants holds office in the state associations or BCCI.” 9P]#! %)9dbcXRTA< ;^SWP_P]T[bdQ\XcbXcb aT_^acc^B2^]ePaX^db Pb_TRcb^UaTU^a\bX]1228 5TQ#) B2PbZb1228c^°UP[[X][X]T±fXcW ;^SWP_P]T[aTR^\\T]SPcX^]bfWXRW bdVVTbcTSXcb\PbbXeTaTbcadRcdaX]V <Pa") B2_d[[bd_1228^eTaaT[dRcP]RTc^ PRRT_c;^SWP_P]T[³baTR^\\T]SPcX^]b* `dTbcX^]b1228^eTa[PRZ^UcaP]b_PaT]RhX] Ud]Sbc^BcPcTb <Pa")B2P[b^ It further capped the age limit of office-bearers at 70 years with a three-year continuous tenure at the helm of the P[[Phb1228³bP__aTWT]bX^]cWPcXcfX[[UPRT 822³bXaTU^aRPaahX]V^dcSaPbcXRaTbcadRcdaX]V QhX]R[dSX]V206]^\X]TTbPhX]VXcS^Tb]^c P\^d]cc^6^eTa]\T]cX]cTaUTaT]RT 0_a$) B2b[P\b1228U^a]^cRWTRZX]VW^f WTUchbd\bPaTQTX]Vb_T]c 0_a') B2RaXcXRXbTb1228U^a\PX]cPX]X]VcWPc P]hYdSXRXP[X]cTaUTaT]RTX]XcbUd]RcX^]X]V f^d[SR^\_a^\XbTXcbPdc^]^\h 0_a!$)B2_d[[bd_1228U^a°\^]^_^[XbX]V± RaXRZTcX]cWTR^d]cah 0_a!() B2_d[[bd_1228PbZbXU_^[XcXRXP]b BCCI and State cricket associations. It also approved the finding by Lodha panel that members cannot hold dual mem- RP]aTcXaTPc&fWh]^c1228^UUXRTQTPaTab <Ph!) B2bPhbP[[bcPcTRaXRZTcPbb^RXPcX^]bWPeT c^°UP[[X][X]T±fXcWaTR^\\T]SPcX^]b^U9dbcXRT ;^SWP_P]T[ 9d[ ')B2PRRT_cb\PY^aaTR^\\T]SPcX^]b^U ;^SWP_P]T[^]aTU^a\bX]1228X]R[dSX]VPQPa ^]<X]XbcTabP]SRXeX[bTaeP]cbP]ScW^bT PQ^eT&Ua^\QTR^\X]VXcb\T\QTab* [TPeTbXcc^?Pa[XP\T]cc^STRXSTXUXcbW^d[S R^\Td]STaAC8P]SQTccX]V^]cWT VP\TbW^d[SQT[TVP[XbTS bership of a State cricket board and BCCI simultaneously. This directly would affect the present BCCI president ?8>=44A=4FBB4AE824Q =4F34;78 I ndia on Monday slammed Pakistan for “sponsoring” terrorism and unrest in Jammu & Kashmir and interfering in the internal affairs of the country. Maintaining that Kashmiris are “our own people and they were being misguided,” Home Minister Rajnath Singh charged ( BaX]PVPa)Cf^\^aT_a^cTbcTab fTaTZX[[TSX]2W^fVP\PaTP^U @PiXZd]SX]B^dcW:PbW\Xa^] [PcT<^]SPhPUcTabTRdaXchU^aRTb ^_T]TSUXaT^]_a^cTbcTabc^ SXb_TabTcWT\FXcWcWXbcWT STPcWc^[[X]cWT^]V^X]VRhR[T^U eX^[T]RTWPbaTPRWTS#% 0RR^aSX]Vc^^UUXRXP[b^daRTb °=X]T_T^_[TfTaTX]YdaTSX]cWT aP]S^\UXaX]V^]PVa^d_^U _a^cTbcTabX]2W^fVP\PaTP^] [PcT<^]SPhTeT]X]V± ?=B Pakistan with playing an “irresponsible role” by claiming itself as protector of Islam and Indian Muslims. Making this assertion in the Rajya Sabha, Singh said the Indian democracy and its people were the best guardians of minorities and chided Pakistan for not being able to set its own house which is rocked by sectarian violence. Referring to the demands for “plebiscite”, Singh said it is “outdated” and people of Kashmir were being “misguided” on this issue. “Kashmiris are our own people. We will bring them on the right path... We will make them aware of the reality,” he said. Home Minister’s strong statement came a day before Pakistan is set to observe Black Day on Tuesday to support the Kashmir cause. Singh said Pakistan’s role in fomenting trouble in Kashmir was “napak (unholy)” and pointed out that the neighbouring country’s failure to manage its own affairs resulted in its division. He was obviously referring to creation of Bangladesh. Assuring the RS that the Centre was taking all possible steps to restore normalcy in the Kashmir valley, Singh said, “I want to assure all minorities in the country that they should have faith in the Government and not be misguided.” The Minister made this point as members from several parties urged the Government to assuage the feeling of alienation among Kashmiris. He said the Government was open to the suggestion of an all-party meeting here in the coming days over the Kashmir issue. This proposal came from Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad and was backed by Sitaram Yechury (CPM), D Raja (CPI) and Sharad Yadav (JDU). Participating in a discussion on the Kashmir situation, these leaders expressed concern over the situation with Azad claiming the State was sliding back to the 1990s when militancy was at peak. He said the curfew was now on for the tenth consecutive day in ten districts of Kashmir Valley causing hardships to common people. Continued on Page 4 ATUTaaX]Vc^cWTST\P]Sb U^a²_[TQXbRXcT³APY]PcW BX]VWbPXSXcXb²^dcSPcTS³ P]S_T^_[T^U:PbW\Xa fTaTQTX]V²\XbVdXSTS³ ^]cWXbXbbdT 0ccWTQTWTbc^UcWTW^]^daPQ[T?<8WPS PRRT_cTScWTAPYhPBPQWP]^\X]PcX^]U^acWT fT[UPaT^U?d]YPQFXcWcWTR[^bdaT^UTeTah fX]S^f[TPSX]Vc^?d]YPQcWT_da_^bT bcP]SbSTUTPcTS8cXb]^fP\TaTQdaST]8 _aTUTa]^cc^RPaahXc8]cWTfPa^UaXVWc^a fa^]Vh^dRP]³cPUU^aSc^QT]TdcaP[aPcWTa cWP]QTX]VbT[URT]cTaTS?d]YPQ³bX]cTaTbcXb _PaP\^d]c =0E9>CB8=67B837D ?=BQ =4F34;78 n a surprise move that will IPunjab have its bearing on the polls, BJP leader and nominated Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament Navjot Singh Sidhu Monday resigned from the Rajya Sabha. He is all set to join the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which hopes to make a major electoral foray in the State. Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari accepted Sidhu’s resignation with immediate effect. Sidhu will be a prominent face and a big crowd puller for the AAP, which is hoping to upstage the BJP-SAD combine in the Assembly elections early next year. The resignation of 52-yearold Sidhu has jolted the BJP as it had nominated former Amritsar Lok Sabha MP to the Rajya Sabha on April 22, something which the party thought would have ‘pacified’ the disgruntled leader. Sidhu had made way for senior party leader Arun Jaitley who contested Lok Sabha poll from Amritsar in 2014 and lost 2^]VV^Tbb^Ucc^QaTPZ6BC X\_PbbT ?=BQ =4F34;78 I 0h^dcW_T[cbbc^]TbSdaX]VP_a^cTbcX]BaX]PVPa^]<^]SPh 0? n a major breakthrough for the Modi Government, the Congress has agreed to a fivehour debate on the GST Bill though no date has been fixed for introducing the Bill for consideration. After the BJP Parliamentary Party meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Government will talk to all parties on the GST and seek a consensus for its passage. Congress leaders in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma are slated to meet Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Tuesday. “We will talk to all parties on the GST and seek a consensus for its passage,” said the Prime Minister. Sources said that top leadership of the Congress has allowed its leaders to “negotiate a compromise on the GST since other Opposition parties have taken a different line. The Business Advisor y Committee (BAC) of Parliament in its meeting on Monday allocated five-hour debate or discussion on the GST. However, no date and scheduled has been fixed. Other parties like the JD(U), the RJD, the TMC, the BJD, the Samajwadi Party as well as the BSP have extended their support to the Bill. The CPI(M) and the AIADMK have, however, expressed certain reservations. On the first day of the Monsoon Session, while the Government indicated it was willing to accommodate most of those changes, the Congress said it was never against the GST per se but only opposed some of its provision. “We are in favour of the GST, we want to give a GST, which is meaningful, which brings down India’s transaction cost, makes our industrial produce globally competitive, brings down the burden on the Indian consumers and the producer i.e. the Industry. That is the objective,” said Deputy Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma at the AICC briefing. Continued on Page 4 BC055A4?>AC4AQ A08?DA M 2aXRZTcTa<^WP\\TS:PXUPSSaTbbTbP?aTbbR^]UTaT]RTX]APX_da>]WXb[TUcXb2B2B_aTbXST]c1P[ST^BX]VW1WPcXP ?X^]TTa_W^c^ two more years,” he added. When asked about outsourcing players, Bhatia said the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has provisioned for playing three outsiders in the team, but the CSCS has picked only one. “We are quite happy to it. The former cricketer was not happy with giving up his Lok Sabha seat and did not campaign for Jaitley during the elections. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal hailed Sidhu’s resignation from the Upper House, saying it requires courage to give up a Rajya Sabha membership to “save” his State. Top AAP sources said the 52-year-old politician will join the party in a few days’ time. There was speculation that Sidhu may be in the race for AAP’s chief ministerial candidate in the State. “People can give their rt hand for an RS seat. Ever seen a sitting RS MP resigning to save his state? I salute Sidhu ji for his courage,” Kejriwal, who is currently touring Punjab, tweeted. Continued on Page 4 !"" # $% ?=BQ =4F34;78 ormer Finance Minister P Chidambaram’s son Karti F has once again defied 0RKDPPHG.DLILV&¶JDUK5DQMLWHDPVNLSSHU ohammed Kaif, the former Indian cricket team all-rounder, has been selected as skipper of Chhattisgarh’s Ranji team, said president of Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh (CSCS) Baldeo Singh Bhatia on Tuesday evening. P Krishnakumar has also been appointed as bowling coach for Team Chhattisgarh, Bhatia said. According to him, Kaif ’s role in the team is not restricted to captainship only. “Kaif will act as a mentor, fielding coach and most importantly his presence will boost the morale of young Chhattisgarh team. Even as the contract with Kaif is signed for one year, his tenure may be extended for one or Anurag Thakur who also heads the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association. Continued on Page 4 1D3DNGHHGVEHKLQG :PbW\XaXbPaT^da ^f]_T^_[TfT´[[ QaX]VcWT\^]cWT .DVKPLUXQUHVW,QGLD aXVWc_PcW)APY]PcW 5X[T__W^c^ sign Kaif as his international and domestic experience will help the team to grow and compete against tough teams in the group,” he said. The R ajasthan T-20, R ajasthan Under-22, Rajasthan “A” and Under-19 teams coach P Krishnakumar has been appointed as bowling coach of Team Chhattisgarh. According to CSCS officials Krishnakumar has successfully led Rajasthan U-19 team to winning the Runners Up trophy at BCCI’s Cooch Behar tournament. He was the also the Assistant Coach for the Rajasthan Ranji team in 2014. Secretary CSCS Rajesh Dave and Treasurer Vijay Shah were also present at the conference. Enforcement Directorate (ED)’s summons in the AircelMaxis probe. Karti was asked to appear at ED’s headquarters on Monday morning. But his advocate handed over a letter to ED officials seeking “clarifications on the need of personal appearance.” This is the second time Karti has evaded his questioning by ED. Earlier, when ED summoned him to appear on July 5, he sought more time claiming he would be travelling abroad. In the summons issued by ED’s Investigating Officer Rajeshwar Singh under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), Karti was asked to bring all his bank accounts — personal and business — from 2005 onward. Continued on Page 4 A08?DAkCD4B30H k9D;H (! % DB´F40?>=BHBC4<<0H 20DB46;>10;F0A<8=6 =Tf3T[WX) 0DBSTeT[^_TS fTP_^]bhbcT\cWPcbcaXZTbcWT Pc\^b_WTaTfXcWPU^RdbTS T[TRca^\PV]TcXRQTP\\PhRPdbT V[^QP[fPa\X]VcWT6^eTa]\T]c ^]<^]SPhbPXSP]S PRZ]^f[TSVTScWPcR[X\PcTRWP]VT Xb[XZT[hc^aTSdRTcWThXT[S^U \PY^aRa^_b[XZTfWTPcP]S\PXiT X]8]SXP CWTDBWPb STeT[^_TSPch_T^UfTP_^]RP[[TS 7XVW5aT`dT]Rh0RcXeT0da^aP[ ATbTPaRW?a^VaP\\T700A? bcaXZTbcWTd__TaPc\^b_WTaTfXcW PU^RdbbTSP]SbcTTaPQ[T T[TRca^\PV]TcXRQTP\ 4]eXa^]\T]c<X]XbcTa0]X[ <PSWPe3PeTc^[ScWTAPYhP BPQWPX]PfaXccT]aT_[h A0:4B7B8=6719?B 27845F78?8=;B =Tf3T[WX)AT_[PRX]V0aYd] <TVWPfP[fW^WPbaTRT]c[h QTT]\PSTPD]X^]<X]XbcTa APZTbWBX]VWPcWaTTcX\T19? <?Ua^\9PQP[_daX]<PSWhP ?aPSTbWWPbQTT]P__^X]cTSPb _PachbRWXTUfWX_X];^ZBPQWP >da_Pach<?Ua^\9PQP[_daP]S PbTPb^]TS[TPSTaUa^\<PSWhP ?aPSTbWAPZTbWBX]VWWPbQTT] P__^X]cTSPb_PachbRWXTUfWX_X] ;^ZBPQWP?Pa[XP\T]cPah0UUPXab <X]XbcTa0]P]cW:d\Pac^[S aT_^acTabWTaT 18;;BC>A4?;024=44C >A38=0=24B =Tf3T[WX)Cf^1X[[bbTTZX]Vc^ aT_[PRTPb\P]h^aSX]P]RTbc^ ZTT_BcPcTQ^PaSb^dc^UcWT P\QXc^Ud]XU^a\\TSXRP[P]S ST]cP[T]caP]RTTgP\X]PcX^]=44C U^acWXbhTPaPaTbTcc^QT X]ca^SdRTSX]cWT;^ZBPQWP^] CdTbSPhCWT8]SXP]<TSXRP[ 2^d]RX[0\T]S\T]c1X[[! % P]ScWTCWT3T]cXbcb 0\T]S\T]c1X[[! %bTTZX]V c^P\T]ScWT8]SXP]<TSXRP[ 2^d]RX[0Rc ($%P]ScWT 3T]cXbcb0Rc (#'c^aT_[PRTcWT ^aSX]P]RTbfTaTb[PcTSc^QT X]ca^SdRTSX]cWT[^fTaW^dbT c^SPhQh7TP[cW<X]XbcTa9? =PSSP 27>>B4;>F4BC?A824B 5>A;C24;B45024740C =Tf3T[WX) 4\_[^hTTbfW^UPX[c^ QdhPXacXRZTcbPccWT[^fTbc_aXRT PePX[PQ[T^]cWTSPhfWX[T d]STacPZX]VY^da]Th^];TPeT CaPeT[2^]RTbbX^];C2R[PX\fX[[ UPRTbTeTaT_T]P[PRcX^]Pb_Ta cWTSaPUcVdXST[X]TbUX]P[XbTSQh cWT2T]caTCWT\^eTR^\TbPUcTa cWTV^eTa]\T]c]^cXRTSX]bcP]RTb fWTaTb^\T^UXcbT\_[^hTTb R^[[dSTSfXcW_aXePcTcaPeT[PVT]cb c^bdQ\Xc;C2R[PX\bbW^fX]V X]U[PcTSPXaUPaTc^R[P]STbcX]T[h ^QcPX]d]SdTQT]TUXcb[XZTUaTT Q^PaSX]V[^SVX]VcaP]b_^ac^a RPbWaTUd]Sb %' ;C(2.#< ?=BQ =4F34;78 4;34A ?70A<024DC820;B 70B2>;;42C43 >E4AO &$2A>A4 5A><>E4A!# 8=E4BC>ABD=34A 2><?0=84B 0224?C0=24>5 34?>B8CBAD;4 B usinessman-cum-TV actor Anuj Saxena, famous for his roles in soaps "Kkusum" and "Kumkum", has been booked by the CBI in an alleged C20 lakh bribery case involving Director-General of Corporate Affairs B K Bansal. The CBI has registered an FIR against Saxena, alleging that his company had bribed Bansal to ensure that he does not order an SFIO inspection against his company Elder Pharmaceuticals for charges of illegal collection of C175 crore from 24,000 investors, diverting funds to companies abroad, and not making returns either on the principal or interests to the investors in due time, agency sources said. Anuj Saxena, named in FIR, is believed to be abroad. Saxena who is Chief Operating Officer of Elder Pharma has not been arrested by CBI, which has already taken into custody Bansal, middleman Vishwadeep Bansal and two more private persons. The case emanated from complaints received by Registrar of Companies (RoC) in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs from investors, who had alleged that Elder Pharmaceuticals has collected over C175 crore from over 24,000 investors under Companies' Acceptance of Deposits Rule. More than 1000 complaints were filed before the Registrar of Companies. Complaints were filed by many, including senior citizens. The company had allegedly lured them by offering attractive rates of interest ranging from 9.5 per cent to 11.5 per cent to investors on deposits ranging from a 12-36 month period. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs instituted an inspection by Regional Director (West) Mumbai, which claimed the company had allegedly not kept 15 per cent of deposits in liquid form in 2013-14, accepted C138 crore through borrowings from other companies which were against law, they said. The RoC report also stated that there was misuse and diversion of funds to subsidiary companies, joint ventures and companies overseas There was a transfer of 9.8 million GBP to Elder International for the acquisition of shares in Nutrahealth PLC, transfer of 10 million euros to Dubai based subsidiary and 3 million euros to acquire a Bulgarian entity. Advancing of 1.9 lakh GBP to Sinchro Health Limited and 4;34A?70A<024DC820;B 0;;4643;H1A8143 10=B0;C>4=BDA4C70C 743>4B=>C>A34A0= B58>8=B?42C8>= remittance of funds to Nepal joint venture partner was also found by the RoC. Investigation recommended a reference to the SFIO for further probe and tracing of end use funds and for the investigation with regard to overseas subsidiaries, joint venture companies and tracing the investment outside the country Report was examined by both the Deputy Director and Director Inspection and Investigation in the Corporate Affairs and they recommended a SFIO investigation To scuttle the probe, the DG Corporate Affairs allegedly demanded a bribe through the Delhi based middleman for not recommended the matter to the SFIO During the course of the investigation the CBI also recovered papers related to 20 properties of B K Bansal and the properties are worth over 6 crores. The total default amount in the main scam is over 175 crores, the sources added. $OOLQW¶ODLUSRUWVVRRQWR EHGLVDEOHGIULHQGO\ 0A270=09H>C8Q =4F34;78 >=B<>>C7CA02:)8=380B8=C4A=0C8>=0;08A?>ACB L 4Pbc FTbc =^acW B^dcW P]S2P[XRdc B^dcW2T]caP[ agging behind its scheduled deadline, the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has finally made the move to fast-track the process of making all the 22 international airports in the country disabled-friendly. The Ministry has invited bids to conduct an access audit of all the international airports to study if they are accessible to 'divyangs', also known as people with disabilities (PwDs). This is first of its kind exercise involving India's international airports to study the barriers, if any, that make travelling difficult for people suffering from various disabilities, for the aged and pregnant women. The Department of Empowerment of People with Disabilities, under the Ministry, has invited bids from empanelled access auditors for the project under the Centre's Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan (Accessible India Campaign). In a bid to achieve universal accessibility to PwDs as desired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of ³2T]caTWPb]´c_Ta\XccTSRd[[X]V^UfX[SP]X\P[b´ ?=BQ =4F34;78 3A05C>=5>A4BC?>;82HBD1<8CC43 mid concerns expressed in the Rajya Sabha over reports A that 'Nilgais' had been killed in Bihar, Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave on Monday sought to put the records straight, saying the Centre had not given any permission to the States for culling of wild animals. Dave clarified that States "utilise the powers vested with them under Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 to mitigate humanwildlife conflict". These include scientific management of population by translocation of animals, fertility control of animals, construction of barriers, improve- ?C8Q =4F34;78 ontinuing its flip-flop, the Government on Monday told C the Rajya Sabha that a forest management institute under the Environment Ministry has submitted a draft national policy, which is under consideration, weeks after dubbing the document ment of habitat, use of deterrents. He further said that declaring a species as vermin is only for a limited period of time and only in areas outside forest, adding that the losses borne by farmers in crop raids by animals, cannot be ignored either. He furnished details on the basis of which Bihar had proposed to get Nilgai and Wild Pig declared as vermin while Himachal Pradesh as merely a "study". Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave, in a written reply, said "The Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM), Bhopal under the Environment Ministry was asked to prepare a draft National Forest Policy. IIFM has submitted the draft policy document which is under consideration." had sought similar status for Rhesus Macaque. Other States, including Maharashtra and Gujarat has placed similar requests for Nilgai, besides Uttarakhand for wild pig. :^[ZPcP6dfPWPcX8\_WP[P]S1WdQP]TbfPa 0W\TSPQPS6^PP]S=PV_da ;dRZ]^fBaX]PVPa9PX_daEPaP]PbXP]S0\aXcbPa 2WT]]PXCaXeP]Sad\CaXRWh?^ac1[PXa2^RWX] <P]VP[^aT1P]VP[^aT2^X\QPc^aT7hSTaPQPS 'Inclusive India', the campaign was launched by Union Minister of Finance A r u n Jaitley and Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawarchand Gehlot last year on December 3 on the occasion of International Day of Persons with Disabilities. In its strategy paper on making India Accessible, the Ministry declared to make that all the international airports accessible to all the people with special needs by July 2016. However, while it was supposed to complete the task by July this year, it could only initiate the process of the exhaustive study. The bids will be finalised next week, following which the selected auditors will have to conduct audit by July next year. They will evaluate the airports on different parameters, including width of doorways, ramps, tactile flooring, adaptation of toilets for wheel-chair users, Braille symbols and auditory signals in elevators, said the official. As per the strategy paper prepared as part of the Centre's campaign, an airport is considered accessible only if people with disabilities face no barrier in entry and are able to use all facilities, including for boarding and disembarking from flights. Access audits are an important means of ensuring accessibility and must cover all stages of planning, design, construction, maintenance, and monitoring and evaluation. .** 9:" New Delhi: The Government will soon bring forth a legislation to punish those who pollute River Ganga, Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Minister Uma Bharti said on Monday. She was responding to a question in the Rajya Sabha on whether the industries polluting Ganga have been punished. To this, she informed the House that there are 764 industries on the banks of Ganga, which are polluting the river, "We have taken action against some, and our Government is committed to taking most stringent action." She said that decision in this regard would be taken after consulting the State Governments. "Poor people go to jail even for stealing beedi, but those polluting Ganga do not go to jail," she pointed out. In response to yet another question on whether releasing offerings of prayers like flowers in the river was also polluting it, the Minister said, "Ganga is not polluted because of prayer offerings, it is because of industrial effluents, sewage and plastic, which obstructs the flow." But, when the prayer offerings get stuck in the stagnant water it causes some pollution, she added. The Minister also said that the river is pious, but not chemically pure. "Ganga is always pious. Sadly, if we test the water in a lab, from the perspective of the chemical content, it is not clean but from the point of view of respect, it is pious," she said. PNS 58ABC0==8E4AB0AH>5³B:8;;8=3808=8C80C8E4 "$aeQ\YViV_bG_b\TC[Y\\c 9^dUb^QdY_^Q\3_]`UdYdY_^ =4F<8=B8=CA>3D243C> <4<14AB8=1>C77>DB4B =Tf3T[WX)?aX\T<X]XbcTa =PaT]SaP<^SX^]<^]SPh X]ca^SdRTS]Tf<X]XbcTabc^ \T\QTabX]Q^cW7^dbTb^U ?Pa[XP\T]c^]cWTUXabcSPh^UcWT <^]b^^]bTbbX^]CWT?aX\T <X]XbcTaWPSX]SdRcTS (]Tf UPRTbX]WXb2^d]RX[^U<X]XbcTab X]cWTTg_P]bX^]fWXRWc^^Z_[PRT ^]9d[h$0b_TaRdbc^\<^SX X]ca^SdRTSWXb]TfR^[[TPVdTbX] cWTV^eTa]\T]cc^cWT;^ZBPQWP P]S[PcTac^cWTAPYhPBPQWP^] cWTUXabcSPh^UcWTbTbbX^] CWTbTX]R[dSTS?aPZPbW 9PePSTZPacWT]Tf7A3\X]XbcTa fW^WPbQTT]T[TePcTSc^cWT 2PQX]TcaP]Z AB2>=34<=B8=2834=CB >5C4AA>A8B< =Tf3T[WX)APYhPBPQWP^] <^]SPhR^]ST\]TScWT bT]bT[TbbP]SQPaQPaXRPRcb^U eX^[T]RTX]ePaX^db_Pacb^UcWT f^a[SX]R[dSX]V5aP]RTP]S 1P]V[PSTbWP]SRP[[TSd_^]cWT V[^QP[R^\\d]Xchc^R^\QPc cTaa^aXb\X]d]Xb^]APYhPBPQWP 2WPXa\P]7P\XS0]bPaXaTUTaaTS c^cTaa^aPccPRZbX]ePaX^db_Pacb ^UcWTV[^QTX]9d]TP]S9d[hcWPc R[PX\TSbTeTaP[[XeTbP]S[TUc bTeTaP[^cWTab\PX\TSP]S X]YdaTS ?;08=C>E4A³2A02:3>F= >=<4380´8=:0B7<8A =Tf3T[WX)CWT?aTbb2^d]RX[^U 8]SXP?28RWPXa\P]9dbcXRT 2WP]SaP\Pd[X:d\Pa?aPbPSWPb ^aSTaTSaTVXbcaPcX^]^UP R^\_[PX]c^eTaP[[TVTSRaPRZS^f] ^]\TSXPX]cWT:PbW\XaEP[[Th P]Sb^dVWcPaT_^acUa^\cWTbcPcT V^eTa]\T]c^]cWTXbbdTfXcWX]P fTTZ 7XbSXaTRcX^]RP\T^] PR^\_[PX]cQh_aTbXST]c^U 9P\\dP]S:PbW\Xa?aTbb 0bb^RXPcX^]67:P[^^^]P[[TVTS PccPRZ^]?aTbbX]cWTaTbcXeT BcPcT ?aX\T<X]XbcTa=PaT]SaP<^SXX]cTaPRcX]VfXcWcWT\TSXPPc cWTbcPac^U<^]b^^]BTbbX^]^U?Pa[XP\T]cX]=Tf3T[WX FX]]Tab^U8]SXPBZX[[b2^\_TcXcX^]! %_^bTfXcW<X]XbcTa^UBcPcTU^aBZX[[3TeT[^_\T]cP]S4]caT_aT]TdabWX_<B34 APYXe?aPcP_AdShX]=Tf3T[WX ?=BQ =4F34;78 he first edition of the India Skills Competition 2016 T the first of its kind in the country - culminated on Sunday with 24 winners from different States qualifying for selection at the World Skills International Competition in Abu Dhabi next year. The competition marked the first anniversary of the 'Skill India' initiative by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and witnessed the participants in the 18-22 years' age group competing across 24 skill categories. The winners were awarded a sum of C1 lakh each with the first and second runners-up bagging C75,000 and C25,000 respectively. Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), who gave away the prizes, said, "I am certain, Team India will yet again prove its mettle on the global skills map at WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017." At the last event organised at Sao Paolo, Brazil, in August 2015, a team of 29 candidates (all below 23 years of age) from India participated in 27 skills and won 8 medallions of excellence. !"#$%" &$'()) "!")*+", &"*&""-& %*. %" *&/* %"012 $"& 34"4&-*/+*"", /& 5 ())/"4&" Rudy pointed out that in the past 15 days, MSDE has got cabinet approvals on 22,000 crore worth of outlay for programmes like Apprenticeship Protsahan Yojana and PMKVY 2, to be implemented over the next few years. There has been additional support through World Bank Projects as well, he added. Day one of the three-day Skill India anniversary celebrations had seen Rudy announcing the launch of five major initiatives Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana -2, India International Skill Centres, IndiaSkills Online and a Labour Management Information System (LMIS) at Vigyan Bhawan, where the event was inaugurated by President Pranab Mukherjee. "In order to select the best talent to represent India at IndiaSkills, MSDE and NSDC completed more than 80 regional competitions in 24 skills/trades including hair stylist, welding, car painting, auto body repair, graphic designing, robotics to name a few," a statement issued by MSDE maintained adding close to 4820 candidates registered to participate in the competition this year. The statement said around 40 organisations like Mahindra, Tata, Maruti, Toyota, CII, FICCI, NASSCOM, CREDAI, NID, NIFT came together to make IndiaSkills a success (including consortium partners). -8*"" "" ?C8Q =4F34;78 A t least one in four women lodged in mental health asylums in the country is abandoned by the family, which either refuses to take her back or give false address at the time of admission, a recent study has found. The study by National Commission for Women (NCW) and National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) states 23.7 per cent women had been in mental health asylums for 10 years and above. Conducted across 10 mental health institutions in the country, the survey finds that all centres struggled with reintegrating women patients. Further, according to the study, 60 per cent women in mental asylums are married and 30 per cent of them are homemakers. "Many patients reported that they want to go home. Either their addresses cannot be traced because of illness, or they have been deliberately abandoned by their families. Some families do not want to take the patients back and provide wrong addresses at the time of admission," the study says. BC4?B<DBC14 C0:4=C> A47018;8C0C4 0=3CA08=C74< Some of the other reasons include, "property or inheritance issues, overall lack of awareness and stigma in the community et al". At Calcutta Pavlov Hospital, "Only 10 per cent of those fit to be discharged are reintegrated with their families and only 1 per cent would have been (discharged) with active and sustained efforts of the hospital," the study report says. The survey notes that given the low rate of patients rejoining their families, steps must be taken to rehabilitate and train them. "The departments should explore new, innovative and sustainable income generating activ- >=;H ?4A24=C>5 C7>B458CC>14 38B270A6430A4 A48=C46A0C43F8C7 C748A50<8;84B B8GBC0C4B´A4B?>=B4 B>D67C>=?4C8C8>=>= A4;40B4>5"?4>?;4 ities, provide supported employment and introduce welfare schemes for recovered homeless, abandoned women in the community," the study report says. "There is also a need to work on a comprehensive Rehabilitation Policy and Programmes by the departments," it says. NCW chairperson Lalitha Kumaramangalam, who has decided to monitor these 10 institutions, said there is a need to provide separate accommodation for long-stay patients or those who stay beyond six months for their training and skilling. "Long-stay women should not be kept along with women New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday sought responses from six States on a petition seeking release of nearly 300 people, who are still languishing in mental hospitals in Uttar Pradesh despite being cured of their ailments. A bench comprising Chief Justice T S Thakur and Justice A M Khanwilkar issued notices to Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal Rajasthan, Kerala, Jammu and Kashmir and Meghalaya on a PIL seeking release of persons, who are now fit for discharge from mental hospitals and steps to ensure their social security post-discharge. under treatment," Kumaramangalam said. The 10 centres where this research was conducted were RMH Yerwada, RMH Thane, IPHB Goa, GMH Kozhikode, Calcutta Pavlov Hospital, Berhampore Mental Hospital, RINPAS in Jharkhand, MH Bareilly and IMH Amritsar. These centres were chosen based on the high numbers of long-stay patients. /%% 4&%6 A08?DAkCD4B30H k9D;H (! % &++$77,6*$5+$66(0%/<0216221 6(66,21 ) " '+&""* ' BC055A4?>AC4AQ A08?DA 340C7>5278;3A4=8=:4CD;=0AF0B3D4 C>27>2:8=60B?0ACB>5E><8C8=6F7827 7031;>2:43C748A;D=6B0=3 >4B>?706DBC74E8B24A0A4?>AC8BBC8;; 0F08C438<<4380C4;H05C4A2>=BD<8=6 <8;:=>=4>5C74278;3A4=703B7>F= 0=H:8=3>5B82:=4BB0=38CF0B>=;H 05C4A?0BB8=6>5B4E4A0;7>DAB eath of two children in Bijapur district of Bastar D allegedly due to consuming of flavoured milk under ‘Mukhyamantri Amrut Yojna’ once again rocked the Chhattisgarh Assembly on Monday. Following denial of Women and Child Development Minister Ramsheela Sahu to order a probe into the issue, Congress members staged walkout during the question hour . The issue was raised by Congress member Chunnilal Sahu, who asked that how many children had died after consuming milk at Ketulnar in Bijapur and what action was taken against the officers responsible for it. In her reply , Women and Child Development Minister Ramsheela Sahu informed that death of children in Ketulnar was due to chocking as parts of vomiting which had blocked their lungs and oesophagus. The viscera report is still awaited, she added. The Congress member then asked if the death of chil- C742>=6A4BB<4<14AC74=0B:4385C74340C7>5 278;3A4=F0B=>C3D4C>2>=BD<?C8>=>5<8;:C74= F7H703C74BC0C46>E4A=<4=C?A>E83430BB8BC0=24 >5AB ;0:7C>C7450<8;H<4<14AB>5C7434240B43 278;3A4= dren was not due to consumption of milk then why had the State government provided assistance of C1 lakh to the fam- ily members of the deceased children. The Minister said that it was the commitment of State &ULPLQDOFDVHVDJDLQVW,$6 RIILFHUVDVRQ0D\&0 %""!"&+"%,7&" )""&%" &$' "& ")-#)/&"!/" , " 8-)$010:'& ""(4*"&+ '&*& "/- BC055A4?>AC4AQ A08?DA C hief Minister Raman Singh informed Chhattisgarh Assembly on Monday that the State Anti Corruption Bureau and Economic Offenses Wing (EoW) have registered criminal cases against 15 Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers as on May 31, 2016. In a written reply to Congress member Amarjeet Bhagat, the Chief Minister informed that the State Government had written a letter to the Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension on July 18, 2015 for seeking permission for prosecution proceedings against IAS officers Dr Alok Shukla and Anil Tuteja and the Central Government’s permission is awaited. Government to help people. The Congress member then further said that children at Barra village had also became ²'$ b^[Pa _[P]cb Ud]RcX^]P[X] APX_daSXeXbX^]³ sick after consuming milk; to which the Minister informed that immediately after consuming milk, none of the children had shown any kind of sickness and it was only after passing of several hours during the evening hours they became ill. C ongress member Bhupesh Baghel then said that Government has not received viscera report then how could they claim that death of children was due to consuming milk? The Minister then said that the milk packets were tested by three different Government agencies who have stated that the quality of milk was fine. In the meantime, BJP member Shivratan Sharma asked the Minister to tell how many 1aXY\^WP]0VaPfP[ 0\Xc9^VX BC055A4?>AC4AQ A08?DA requested the presiding chair to give a decision over the argument between the two members. The argument between members Amit Jogi and Brijmohan Agrawal started during discussion over call attention motion on alleged irregularity in distribution of crop insurance amount to farmers in Chhattisgarh. Amit Jogi while asking supplementary question over the issue had placed certain information, however Minister Brijmohan Agrawal said that the information was false over which dissatisfied Amit Jogistaged walkout of the House. griculture Minister Brijmohan Agrawal and A MLA Amit Jogi were locked in a heated exchange of words over the issue of distribution of crop insurance amount to farmers in Chhattisgarh in the State Assembly on Monday. Objecting strongly over the behaviour of member Amit Jogi, Agrawal demanded censure motion against the member. State Higher Education Minister Prem Prakash Pandey also demanded action against Amit Jogi. Congress member Bhupesh Baghel in the meantime &!)e^U\USdbYVYUTfY\\QWUc Y^2QcdQbTYfYcY_^*BQ]Q^ %",4 "+#)$ "4+")$"!))4"#$%" +"'""&+,) -")"/&'",7%/% #" ")"/&'",-,"&"",$) *,%$$&+8$9 BC055A4?>AC4A Q A08?DA C hief Minister Raman Singh informed Chhattisgarh Assembly on Monday that a total of 547 Village Panchayats had 857 solar power plants established between 2013 to May 2016 by Chhattisgarh Renewable Energy Development Agency (CREDA) in Raipur division.In a written reply to BJP member Shrawan Markam, he informed that out of the 851 solar power plants, 8 are inoperative. children could be fed from one packet of milk to which she said that 10 children can be fed from a single packet. Sharma then said that it means other children should have shown some side effects. Congress member Satyanarayan Sharma then informed that the company which is involved in packaging of the milk at Kharao plant in the past had supplied Soya milk in few districts. However, after Government received several serious complaints, the project was called off. In these circumstances will the Minister order probe? The Minister denied to order a probe which led the Congress members to stage walkout of the House. 1aXY\^WP]0\XcX]eTaQP[UXVWc ^eTaRa^_X]bdaP]RTXbbdT BC055A4?>AC4AQ A08?DA hief Minister Raman Singh informed Chhattisgarh C Assembly on Monday that there are 619 unelectrified villages in Bastar division. In a written reply to Congress member Mohan Markam, the Chief Minister informed that in the Kondagaon Assembly segment only one village by the name of Heeramandla is unelectrified which is to be electrified under Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana. The work is expected to be completed by March 2018, he said. ²2^\_[PX]cb PVPX]bcbXg8?B ^UUXRTabPb^] <Ph" ! %³ BC055A4?>AC4AQ A08?DA C hief Minister Raman Singh informed Chhattisgarh Assembly on Monday that complaint against six Indian Police Service (IPS) officers have been received by Lok Ayog between 2008 and May 31, 2016. In a written reply to Congress member Bhupesh Baghel, the Chief Minister informed that no complaints have been registered by the Anti Corruption Bureau and Economic Offenses Wing against any IPS officer in the State. 2B?C2;c^\^SXUh_^fTa[X]TU^a4PbcAPX[2^aaXS^a BC055A4?>AC4AQ :>A10 he Chhattisgarh State Power Transmission T Company Ltd (CSPTCL) will 1X[Pb_da3XbcaXRc2^[[TRc^a0]QP[PVP]?_[P]cTSPbP_[X]VPccWTBcPcT<T]cP[7^b_XcP[_aT\XbTbPcBT]SaXX]1X[Pb_da^]cWT^RRPbX^]^U³EP]<PW^cbPeP´^aVP]XbTSQh 1X[Pb_da5^aTbc2XaR[T^]<^]SPh ?X^]TTak_W^c^ be modifying the 220 KV Korba-Raigarh-Budhipadar power supply line having route length of 1.154 kms for construction of new broad gauge electrified East Rail Corridor from Kharsiya to Dharamjaigarh. The modification is being made on request of IRCON International Ltd, officials informed. For the East Corridor, the Chhattisgarh Government had decided to allocate 14 acres of land in Raigarh district. The Corridor will be about 180 km long from BhupdevpurGharghoda-Dharamjaigarh up to Korba. Notably, the Centre has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) each with the States of Odisha, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh for critical coal connectivity projects to improve transportation . Agreement for World Bank loan of US $ 1100 million for Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) (Phase-2) have also been signed, they stated. Freight train with speed of maximum 100 kms per hour will pass through Chhattisgarh in the East-West Corridor (Kolkata-Mumbai). The train will traverse through the States of West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra as the Ministry of Railways has sanctioned implementation of Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC) and Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC) with freight train speeds of maximum 100 Kmph. The Central Government’s approval for construction of 165 km long third railway line between Anuppur and Katni in Madhya Pradesh is expected to facilitate additional coal transportation traffic from parts of Chhattisgarh. The coal transporation traffic from IB valley, Korba area, East Corridor and Gevra – Pendra Road Project in Chhattisgarh would be chan- nelized through the aforesaid route to the respective destinations, officials stated. The Centre has approved the project at a cost of C1595.76 crore. The project is likely to be completed in 5 ¼ years spanning over 12th and 13th plan period. The Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved construction of six Railway lines and a Railway bridge to cater to both increased passenger and freight needs in various areas of the country. Public sector IRCON International Ltd has also commenced work in connection with the construction of new ‘Broad Guage Electrified Double Railway Line’ in Chhattisgarh on the East West Corridor. The work is being undertaken in Gevra Road-Pendra Road and Dipka, Kathghora, Sendurgahr and Pasan sections, officials stated. 3 )-&&$**")"*&9"/#"' %",*% " BC055A4?>AC4A Q 90630;?DA C7458ABC?70B48B148=64G42DC435A>< 10274;8C>=060A=0A0C0=4BC8<0C43 >DC;0H>5C #2A>A4*0=3C74B42>=3 ?70B4F8;;144G42DC435A><=060A=0A C>E8I060C0=>DC;0H>5C %2A>A4 MDC Ltd which is in the process of laying a 15 N Million Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA) slurry pipeline is executing the project in two phases. The first phase is being executed from Bacheli to Nagarnar in Bastar region of Chhattisgarh at an estimated outlay of C4,000 crore; and the second phase will be executed from Nagarnar to Vizag in Andhra Pradesh at an outlay of C 6,000 crore, officials informed. Notably, to transport pellet feed concentrate from Bailadila to Vizag via Jagdalpur, the company will have the pipeline laid along the highways with a provision of partial off-take to feed its proposed 3 MTPA Steel plant coming up at Nagarnar. The blast furnace to be used for manufacturing steel at NMDC Ltd’s upcoming 3 MTPA Steel Plant at Nagarnar in Bastar region of Chhattisgarh could also emerge as one of India’s largest when commissioned at the plant, officials stated. The plant is scheduled to be commissioned by December 2016 and is likely to commence production by July 2017, they stated. NMDC is also constructing a 'rapid iron ore loading system' with a capacity of 14 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) at its Kirandul complex in Bastar region of Chhattisgarh, officials informed. The project also comprises construction of a ‘Merry Go Round’ (MGR) railway track. The project for doubling of Railway line between Kirandul and Jagdalpur in Chhatisgarh’s insurgency ridden Bastar region is expected to be complete by January 2019, official sources informed. Notably, NMDC had also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Union Ministry of Railways on December 21, 2012 and the aforesaid project would be helpful in significantly augmenting evacuation capacity of NMDC’s Bailadila Sector mines by rail from the existing 28 MTPA to 40 MTPA of iron ore. The company had deposited an amount of C150 crores with East Coast Railway and the expenditure incurred as on March 31, 2015 was C132.00 crore, official sources informed. For execution of the project, the Railways has divided the 150 km length of doubling work into three Sections namely, Jagdalpur to Silakjori 45.50 km, Kirandul to Gidam 52.23 km and Silakjori to Gidam 52.73 km. Notably, the C2000 crore Rowghat to Jagdalpur railway line would also pass through heavily insurgency infested Kondagaon and Narayanpur districts of Bastar division in Chhattisgarh, officials stated. The project is a joint ven- ture between Chhattisgarh Government, NMDC, SAIL and IRCON. NMDC produced 3.29 million tonnes (MT) of iron ore and registered sales volume of 3.31 MT upto May 2016, officials informed. Quite recently, NMDC incorporated a subsidiary company by the name of "NMDC-SAIL Limited" in order to develop, sell and supply iron ore from the allocated mining resources in the State of Chhattisgarh. Notably, NMDC will be generating about 70 MW of captive power using gases from steel making processes in the upcoming 3 MTPA Nagarnar steel plant in Bastar district of Chhattisgarh. The power would be generated from gases released from from blast furnace, coke oven and 'LD gases'. $OWKRXJKHYHU\SRVVLEOHFDUHDQGFDXWLRQKDVEHHQWDNHQWRDYRLGHUURUVRURPLVVLRQVWKLVSXEOLFDWLRQLVEHLQJVROGRQWKHFRQGLWLRQDQGXQGHUVWDQGLQJWKDWLQIRUPDWLRQJLYHQLQWKLVSXEOLFDWLRQLVPHUHO\IRUUHIHUHQFHDQGPXVWQRWEHWDNHQDVKDYLQJDXWKRULW\RIRUELQGLQJLQDQ\ZD\RQWKHZULWHUVHGLWRUVSXEOLVKHUVDQGSULQWHUVDQGVHOOHUVZKRGRQRWRZHDQ\UHVSRQVLELOLW\IRUDQ\ GDPDJHRUORVVWRDQ\SHUVRQDSXUFKDVHURIWKLVSXEOLFDWLRQRUQRWIRUWKHUHVXOWRIDQ\DFWLRQWDNHQRQWKHEDVLVRIWKLVZRUN$OOGLVSXWHVDUHVXEMHFWWRWKHH[FOXVLYHMXULVGLFWLRQRIFRPSHWHQWFRXUWDQGIRUXPVLQ'HOKL1HZ'HOKLRQO\5HDGHUVDUHDGYLVHGDQGUHTXHVWHGWRYHULI\DQGVHHNDSSURSULDWHDGYLFHWRVDWLVI\WKHPVHOYHVDERXWWKHYHUDFLW\RIDQ\NLQGRIDGYHUWLVHPHQWEHIRUH UHVSRQGLQJWRDQ\FRQWHQWVSXEOLVKHGLQWKLVQHZVSDSHU7KHSULQWHUSXEOLVKHUHGLWRUDQGDQ\HPSOR\HHRIWKH3LRQHHU*URXS·VZLOOQRWEHKHOGUHVSRQVLEOHIRUDQ\NLQGRIFODLPPDGHE\WKHDGYHUWLVHUVRIWKHSURGXFWVVHUYLFHVDQGVKDOOQRWEHPDGHUHVSRQVLEOHIRUDQ\NLQGRIORVVFRQVHTXHQFHVDQGIXUWKHUSURGXFWUHODWHGGDPDJHVRQVXFKDGYHUWLVHPHQWV 3ULQWHGDQG3XEOLVKHGE\9LMD\%XGKLDIRUDQGRQEHKDOIRI&0<.3ULQWHFK/LPLWHG´7KH3LRQHHU%XLOGLQJµ&LYLO/LQHV1HDU5DM%KDYDQ2SS6DQVNULWL%KDYDQ5DLSXU7HOHSKRQHDQG3ULQWHGDW.DY\D3UDNDVKDQ([SUHVV7RZHU $GDUVKQDJDU0RZD5DLSXU(GLWRU&KDQGDQ0LWUD5HVLGHQW(GLWRU6XMHHW.XPDU 5 A08?DAkCD4B30H k9D;H (! % ; 9*#" # BC055A4?>AC4AQ A08?DA C74=0;90; B274<4B0A4 ?A>E838=60;>C 4<?;>H<4=C >??>ACD=8C84BC> CA08=43?;D<14AB 8=C744=C8A4BC0C4 he State Government had entered into an agreement T with a number of private sector companies to provide employment to the pass outs from scores of Livelihood colleges in the State, officials informed. They are provided employment through placements. Apart from this the youth are encouraged for selfemploymen, they stated. As a part of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) an agreement had been signed between Durg Livelihood College Society and I.C.I.C.I (Foundation of Inclusive Growth) and Raigarh's O.P. Jindal Community College (Village Poonjipathra). There is a lot of demand for these highly-skilled youth in various construction activities of the State and Union 2WXTU<X]XbcTaAP\P]BX]VWPfPaSX]VRTacXUXRPcTbc^_Pbb^dc^U^]T^UcWT;XeT[XW^^S2^[[TVTb Government, officials informed. Notably, lakhs of toilets are being constructed as a part of Swachch Bharat Mission. There are immense possibilities for masons in the sector. The 'Nal-Jal' schemes are providing a lot employment 5X[T_XR opportunities to trained plumbers in the entire State. The youths are given certificates after the assessment is over, they informed. The youths are given latest knowledge in quality from the visitors of ICICI , CIPET, Maruti Suzuki, Birla Foundation. The Livelihood College Society operates these colleges. The head of the Governing Council of the colleges is Chief Minister Raman Singh. The government had established such colleges in all the 27 districts of Chhattisgarh where basic educational qualifications are not needed. The students are provided with employment -oriented skills and they feel that they are in a normal college. The students are given basic skills in the vocation of their choice and they come out with confidence. The Livelihood Colleges are nicknamed as Mini- I.T.Is and are proving to be successful in passing out trained persons. The admissions are free of cost at the Livelihood Colleges. The students are paid C300 scholarship each to undergo training at the colleges. The boarding facilities are free of cost. Apart from this each student is paid C2, 000 single installment. Livelihood College Society officers said that the first Livelihood College had been established in insurgencyinfested Dantewada district in October 2012. Notably, Chief Minister Raman Singh had inaugurated the first Livelihood College. The State Government on observing the popularity of the Livelihood Colleges among the unemployed youth had launched the colleges in all the 27 districts of Chhattisgarh. The colleges had been operating in all the districts within a span of four years of planning. About 20 thousand students had already been trained in these Livelihood Colleges so far. Short-term courses and training are provided at these colleges. The youth are trained in masonry, plumbing, driving, stitching-embroidery, electrical fittings, welding, solar power plant repairing, office management, basic lessons in computers and several other training courses. The youth are given training under the Chief Minister Skills' Development Scheme and Union Government Skills' Development Initiative Scheme. There is a provision for personality development and English language skills' development. Placement camps are held at regular intervals to provide employment to the trained and skilled youth. The youth are given training under the Chief Minister Skill Development Scheme and Central Government's Skill Development Initiative Scheme. There is a provision for personality development and English language skill development. Placement camps are held at regular intervals to provide employment to the trained and skilled youth. ; ! # ?=BQ 347A03D= ven as hundreds of disaster affected villagers in the E mountainous regions struggle to cope with their lot, the death toll due to heavy rain mounted further as a child, reportedly, drowned after being swept off by the current of the water in Badhedi Rajputana village of Roorkee Tehsil on Monday. With light to medium rain being reported from various parts of the State till Monday noon, the level of water in the Ganga and other rivers has remained a couple of metres below the danger level. According to information from the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), a report was received from Haridwar district about a child drowning to death at a village in Roorkee Tehsil on Monday. Earlier, on Sunday, two persons reportedly drowned to death in the Jamalpur Khurd village. As on Monday, water logging was reported from various areas including Khanpur Birla factory, in the railway colony near Dhandera, Milapnagar colony in Roorkee and part of Laksar village. The fire services and police personnel along with villagers were undertaking efforts to drain the water out of the waterlogged areas. In Dehradun district, the level of water at the Triveni Ghat Mayakund dam in Rishikesh was 339. 17 metres with the danger level being 340.50 metres at 4 pm on Monday. The Kalsi-Chakrata and Kwasi-Damta motor roads have remained blocked to traffic with efforts underway to clear the debris. A total of 21 rural roads are blocked in the district with work underway to clear them for traffic. In the Uttarkashi district, the Rishikesh-Gangotri national highway number 108 is not open to traffic upto Gangotri while the Rishikesh-Yamunotri national highway number 94 is open for small and large vehicles up to Janakichatti apart from which 24 motor roads are blocked in the district. In the Rudraprayag district, at 4 pm, the level of water in the Alaknanda river was reported to be 622.85 metres-with the danger level being 627 metres while it was measured at 621.90 metres in the Mandakini river with danger level set at 626 metres. The Rishikesh-Badrinath national highway number 109 is blocked near Munkutia though the bridle path from Gaurikund to Kedarnath is open. A total 29 rural roads were reported blocked in the district. The Rishikesh Badrinath national highway is blocked at Lambagadh with efforts underway to reopen it. A total of 71 motor roads were reportedly blocked in the district as on Monday evening. In the disaster affected areas of Pithoragarh district, about 650 affected persons of different villages are reportedly sheltering in relief camps set up by the authorities in various locations. In the Udham Singh Nagar district, a total of 17 families were affected with their kutcha homes damaged by flooding. The authorities have provided necessary financial assistance apart from shifting the affected persons to safer locations. 1^d]SPahfP[[^U:EbRW^^[X]9^bWX\PcWR^[[P_bTb ?A0344?170=30A8Q 9>B78<0C7 he boundar y wall of T Kendriya Vidyalaya in Sunil, Joshimath, collapsed following heavy rainfall with the debris burying parked vehicles. The collapse of the security wall has made the school building and the school’s playground vulnerable to threat. Personnel of the State Disaster Response Force reached the site to extract vehicles from underneath the debris. The mishap did not result in any human fatality but has given cause for greater concern for the safety of locals, especially the school students. The rainfall being experienced in the mountainous regions for some days now has disrupted routine life especially in areas affected by disaster scenarios. The latest in series of dam- /'"=== He along with other Opposition members also charged the Government with trying to solve the complex problem by the “barrel of the gun.” He grilled the Government over the issue of using excessive force resulting in casualties. Rajnath Singh said he was also pained by the death of civilians in the ongoing unrest adding Prime Minister Narendra Modi had ordered the paramilitary forces to act with maximum restraint. Singh said the Prime Minister was concerned over the situation in the State and called him from Africa when trouble broke out last week. Moreover, as soon as he returned to New Delhi, Modi chaired a review meeting on Kashmir and directed that necessary steps be taken to control the situation, the Minister informed the House. Replying to Azad’s charge that pellet guns used by the security force resulted in serious injuries like some youngster losing their eyesight, the Home Minister said he will look into the matter. He said six people had died and more than 198 injured when pellet guns were used to quell mob violence in the State in 2010. He also favoured suggestion by all Opposition members on lifting restrictions on newspapers and internet, assuring the members that he UNION PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION Subject:- Combined Medical Services Examination, 2016. The written result of the Combined Medical Services Examination, 2016 has been declared by the Commission and the same is available on the Commission s Website (http://www.upsc.gov.in). MOBILE PHONE ARE BANNED IN THE CAMPUS OF UPSC EXAMINATION HALLS Davp 55101/14/0007/1617 will take up the issue with Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. Responding to the other demand by the Elders to start the political dialogue as a confidence building measure and “healing touch,” the Minister said he had called up senior leaders of many parties when situation assumed alarming proportions last week. Rajnath said he received several positive suggestions from them. The Minister said as part of political dialogue, he had expressed desire to visit Kashmir to the Chief Minister two days back. Welcoming the proposal that he will interact with common people, the Chief Minister urged him to wait till things normalised to an extent, the minister informed the House. He also said the Chief Minister said she will come to New Delhi in the next few days to apprise him with the latest situation. Invoking Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s famous remarks of ‘Kashmiriyat, Jamhooriyat and Insaniyat’ (kashmiriyat, democracy and humanity), he said, “If there is any place for Kashmiriyat in ‘Jamhooriyat’ (democracy), it can be only on the basis of ‘Insaniyat’ (humanity) and not ‘Haivaniyat’ (devilish acts). Those believing in Kashmiriyat and Insaniyat cannot give space to haivaniyat.” Azad said while his party stands with the Modi Government and the coalition in the State in dealing firmly with militancy, the “excessive use” of force against the common citizens, including children and women, is not acceptable. For the current unrest, he blamed a number of reasons, including BJP’s participation in Government with PDP in the State, provocative statements made by some leaders of BJP and RSS besides Pakistan, “whose existence is the root cause of all problems.” Leader of House Arun Jaitley admitted that the situation in Kashmir was a “matter of concern” but rejected the contention that the violence in the valley was a result of the BJP getting into power at the State. age experienced following heavy rain was reported from Chamoli district where the retaining wall of the Kendriya Vidyalaya building in Sunil gave way. The collapse at the school site which is near the Indo- Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBP) camp in Joshimath, resulted in debris burying two wheelers and four-wheelers parked in the ITBP parking here. Responding to the incident report, the SDRF personnel === Senior AAP leaders Sanjay Singh and AAP’s Lok Sabha member Bhagwant Singh Mann also welcomed Sidhu’s decision to resign from the Rajya Sabha but parried questions whether he would join the party and become its CM face. “Whoever joins the AAP, he is clearly told that it has to be unconditional. Even when I had joined the AAP, I had said that I will be happy if I am assigned just the duty of pasting posters of the party. I want to make it clear that there is no race for any post in our party...The CM candidate will be decided by the party,” Mann said. In a brief statement on his resignation, Sidhu did not reveal much about his future plans but there were indications that he was unhappy with the BJP. “At the behest of the honourable PM, I had accepted the Rajya Sabha nomination for the welfare of Punjab. “With the closure of every window leading to Punjab, the purpose stands defeated. It is now a mere burden. I prefer not to carry it. “In the war of right or wrong, you can’t afford to be neutral rather than being selfcentered. Punjab’s interest is paramount,” said former cricketer-turned politician who is also often seen in comedy television shows. &$=== 2^]VV^Tb The Board did not favour the recommendations made by Lodha Committee, particularly the one that made only one association from one State entitled for voting right in BCCI’s decision-making process. Regardless of these objections, the bench approved ‘One State One Vote’ policy. The states of Maharashtra and Gujarat stood to lose the most as each have three cricket associations, with every individual association enjoying full membership and voting right. The Bench while realising the historic role played by each such association in the develop- ment of cricket allowed one among the three associations in these states to become a full member on a rotational basis annually. During this period, the remaining two associations will be associate members. This holds significance as BCCI grants an annual fund of Rs 50 crore to full members and Rs 50 lakh to associate members for upkeep of stadia and payment of salary. The court did not disturb the funding aspect of BCCI but ensured financial discipline and transparency by bringing a nominee of CAG in BCCI Apex Council and gave players a “sense of participation” in top level decisions. BCCI opposed to CAG nominee’s presence, citing the prospect of de-recognition by International Cricket Council (ICC) as amounting to Government’s interference. On another contentious recommendation by Lodha panel requiring BCCI to ensure that broadcast of cricket matches is not interrupted by commercials when an over is in play, the bench left it to the BCCI’s discretion to work out suitable agreements with broadcasters to ensure the same. In the best interest of the game, the bench proposed to the Centre and Law Commission to consider framing a law to make betting in sports a legal activity in the country. reached the site and had started work on extricating vehicles buried in the debris. Till the time of this report being filed, the SDRF team had extracted two small vehicles and four motorbikes from the debris. b^Ucc^QaTPZ Sharma said that unlike the present ruling dispensation which opposed it for par t is an p olitics, t he Congress has principled stand on issues. “And that is why we are now engaged constructively and you will get to know as and when there is a forward movement after the next formal meeting,” Sharma said, indicating of an imminent breakthrough. “At no such stage, the Congress said that we will oppose the GST. We have raised issues, those have been registered with the Government and if there are negotiations when you negotiate, it is very clear that your intention and the sincere one is to find a solution in a genuine spirit of accommodation and we hope that the Government recognises the justification of our raising those issues including a mechanism to address the disputes,” Sharma added. The Congress had raised objections to three points in the proposed Bill. The party wants an 18 per cent cap on the tax to be levied, the scrapping of the proposal to levy an additional one per cent tax and wants the formation of a GST disputes settlement authority specified in the bill. However, with the NDA Government now appearing to have managed to gain the support of several other opp osition par t ies, t he Congress may go easy on the 18 per cent cap on tax. Sharma also indicated that the Congress may not insist on inclusion of the tax cap, but the Government would have to suggest ways for legal ring-fencing of the rate. Speaking to reporters outside Parliament House on Monday, newly elected member to the Rajya Sabha and former Finance Minister P Chidambaram said talks are on with the Government and Finance Minister has promised to return with ‘concrete proposals’. Let us see the draft which they bring, and we will respond,” Chidambaram said. His wife, Navjot Kaur, who is Chief Parliamentar y Secretary in Punjab where BJP shares power with Akali Dal, had created ripples on April 1 (April Fool’s day) announcing her resignation from the BJP. Meanwhile, Punjab BJP president Vijay Sampla said in Chandigarh that Sidhu did not take the party into confidence before resigning from the Rajya Sabha and claimed the party will not be affected adversely even if he joins the AAP. “They did not (Navjot Singh Sidhu, his wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu) inform me about their decision. As far as I know they have not informed about their move to the BJP highcommand,” Sampla said. !"" # $%=== Karti was also asked to explain the flow of 2,00,000 dollars into his company from the Malaysia-based telecom company Maxis after his father and then Finance Minister P Chidambaram gave Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to the Maxis to acquire Aircel. Karti’s firm Chess Management Services Private Limited had accepted the amount from three companies belong to Maxis group in Malaysia. During the raid on Karti’s companies in December 2014, the investigative officers found that the money came to Chess Management from Maxis’ companies Astro All Asia Network, Bumi Armada Berhad and Maxis Mobile Sdn Bhd. The CBI and the ED have already chargesheeted Astro and Maxis Mobile. The flow of money into Karti from these companies during the scam period could also spell trouble for Chidambaram. Recently, ED also summoned two senior officials of FIPB, who processed the files about Maixs acquisition of Aircel. 7&),: A08?DAkCD4B30H k9D;H (! % ##'#'"# BA0906>?0;0=Q F0B78=6C>= he Donald Trump juggernaut has finally rolled into T Cleveland for the four-day Republican National Convention that gears up to formally anoint the billionaire real-estate mogul as the party nominee for the 2016 presidential race, even as antiTrump protesters of diverse persuasions are intent on making their presence felt. Beginning as it does against the backdrop of racial tensions capped by Sunday’s killing of three police officers in Baton Rouge and the violence spearheaded by ISIS overseas, the convention that kicks off on Monday evening is devoting its opening day to focus on “Making America Safe Again”. While Cleveland braces for an assortment of anti-Trump protests, unreconciled naysayers within the party who waged the “NeverTrump” campaign for months are still plotting to disrupt, if not derail, proceedings. This, despite the setback they have suffered with the convention’s Rules Committee rejecting their demand to free delegates to vote for whomsoever as they pleased during the nomination process. Although many party bigwigs have fallen in line over the past couple of months as Trump systematically knocked out his 16 fellow-contenders, several top guns will still be staying out of the Cleveland jamboree. They include former Presidents George HW Bush and son George W Bush, as also the other son, Jeb, who was by far the most prominent of Trump’s victims in the primaries. A host of Senators including party veteran John McCain, Lindsey Graham, Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, Jeff Flake, Lisa Murkowski and Ben Sasse will all be skipping the convention Q 2[TeT[P]SQaPRTbU^aP]cXCad\__a^cTbcb Q BTeTaP[6>?QXVfXVbbcPh^dc^U#SPhYP\Q^aTT Q 3Ph>]T³bU^Rdb)<PZX]V0\TaXRPbPUTPVPX] for one reason or another. For some of the Senators, facing reelection in swing States, it is reckoned to be a dicey proposition to be seen rubbing shoulders with Trump. Trump, projecting himself and his vice-presidential pick Mike Pence as “Law and Order Candidates” who will make America safe again, quickly grabbed Sunday’s shooting in Baton Rouge to train his guns on the leadership of President Barack Obama and his own Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. “Our country is totally divided and our enemies are watching. We are not looking good, we are not looking smart, we are not looking tough!” Trump tweeted after a black gunman killed three police officers and injured three oth- ³CdaZThSXb\XbbTbP[\^bc( ^UUXRXP[bPUcTaUPX[TSR^d_´ "VTcSTPcW_T]P[ch $YPX[TSU^a[XUT^eTa 1´STbWfPaRaX\Tb DB4DF0A=CDA:4H >=2>D?2A02:3>F= 1adbbT[b)CWTD]XcTSBcPcTbP]S 4da^_TP]D]X^]^]<^]SPhbcTa][h fPa]TSCdaZThc^aTb_TRccWTad[T ^U[PfPUcTa?aTbXST]cATRT_CPhhX_ 4aS^VP]³bV^eTa]\T]c[Pd]RWTSP \PbbXeTRaPRZS^f]U^[[^fX]VcWT UPX[TSR^d_ CdaZXbW_^[XRT\T]bcP]SVdPaSPccWTbRT]TfWTaTcWT0]ZPaPV^eTa]^a´b^UUXRT bPhbP\X[XcPah^UUXRTafPbSTcPX]TSPUcTaWTbW^cP]SZX[[TScWTSaXeTa^UPeTWXR[T cWPccWT]^UUXRTaWXYPRZTSPcD[dbSXbcaXRcX]0]ZPaPCdaZTh^]<^]SPh 05?Q 8BC0=1D; T urkey has dismissed almost 9,000 officials including a massive number of police officers after a failed coup targeting the Government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the state-run Anadolu news agency said citing the Interior Ministry. A total of 8,777 public personnel including 7,899 police, one provincial governor and 29 governors of towns have been dismissed, the Ministry said. They also include 614 members of the police force that looks after domestic security, it added. Turkey has cracked down on coup plotters that left over 290 dead, as Erdogan pointed the finger of blame at the supporters of US-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is believed to wield influence in the police and judiciary. 0CC02:4A:8;;438=B7>>C>DC >DCB8340=:0A02>DAC7>DB4 0]ZPaP)CdaZXbWbTRdaXchU^aRTb^] <^]SPhZX[[TSP]Pa\TSPccPRZTa fW^bW^cPccWT\Ua^\PeTWXR[T ^dcbXSTcWT0]ZPaPR^dacW^dbT fWTaTbdb_TRcbUa^\cWTUPX[TS R^d_fTaTP__TPaX]VQTU^aT YdSVTbaT_^acbbPXS ³340C7?4=0;CH8=CDA:4H F>D;310A4D<4<14AB78?´ 1adbbT[b)4DRP]SXSPcTCdaZTh f^d[SQTQPaaTSUa^\Y^X]X]VcWT Q[^RXUXcaTX]bcPcTScWTSTPcW _T]P[chU^[[^fX]V[PbcfTTZ³bUPX[TS \X[XcPahR^d_4DU^aTXV]PUUPXab WTPS5TSTaXRP<^VTWTaX]XbPXS ?C8 Q 370:0 T hree Islamists from the infamous Al-badr militia were today sentenced to death while five others jailed until death by a special tribunal in Bangladesh for committing crimes against humanity during the 1971 liberation war against Pakistan. A three-member panel of judges of Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) led by Justice Anwarul Haque pronounced the judgement as two of the convicts appeared on the dock while six others were tried in absentia as they were on the run to evade justice. The verdict came as the prosecution accused all the eight of five charges relating to crimes like mass murders, abductions, tortures and lootings. ers. “President Obama just had a news conference, but he doesn’t have a clue. Our country is a divided crime scene, and it will only get worse!” Obama, speaking on the Baton Rouge episode, said America “as a nation has to be loud and clear that nothing justifies violence against law enforcement”, adding: “Attacks on police are an attack on all of us”. And, in an oblique response to Trump, said: “We don’t need inflammatory rhetoric. We don’t need careless accusations thrown around to score political points or to advance an agenda.” Trump’s wife, Melania, will be among the star speakers of Day One, along with former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Michael Flynn, who headed the Defence Intelligence Agency. Trump’s sons and daughters are also slated to speak on different days of the convention. As Trump’s campaign man- ager Paul Manfort put it, the line of speakers has been so chosen as to enable Americans to get to know “Trump, the man” and not just as a candidate. The convention will focus on the whole personality of the 70-year-old self-made billionaire, it is said. “A Donald Trump administration will listen to and learn from our nation’s heroes who have put themselves in harm’s way and pursue a national security strategy and foreign policy that will strengthen our military and make America safe again,” a convention statement said. While Trump is also slated to speak on the opening day, his main acceptance speech will be on Thursday night on the theme of “Making America One Again”. The intervening two days will deal with “Making America Work Again” and “Making America First Again” – all said to be aspects of Trump’s overall campaign slogan: “Make America Great Again”. 2Q^W\QTUcXY^TYSdc $!_^]ebTUbSXQbWUc Y^" !#VQSd_biVQ\\ 0? Q 370:0 Bangladesh court on Monday indicted 41 people A for murder in the deaths of more than 1,100 people in the collapse of a building that housed five garment factories and became known as the country’s worst industrial disaster. Investigators initially said those accused of wrongdoing in the 2013 collapse of the Rana Plaza building would be charged with culpable homicide, which carries a maximum punishment of seven years in jail. But they later changed charges to murder due to the gravity of the disaster. Masud Rana, who owned the building outside Dhaka, and 33 other people pleaded not guilty when the charges against them were read out in court. Another seven who absconded will be tried in absentia, said Mizanur Rahman, a public prosecutor. District Judge SM Kuddus Zaman announced their trial will begin Sept. 18. Those found guilty of murder could face death penalty as a police report submitted to the court called the deaths a “mass killing.” The defendants include Rana’s parents and the owners of the five factories housed in the building. Investigators from Bangladesh’s Criminal Investigation Department said the change from culpable homicide charges came after the investigation found that Rana, his staff and the management of the five factories had forced the workers to enter the building the day of the collapse despite their unwillingness to work after the building had developed major cracks a day before. ?T^_[T^QbTaeTP\X]dcT^UbX[T]RTX]caXQdcTc^cWTeXRcX\b^UcWTSTPS[h=XRTPccPRZ^]1PbcX[[TSPh 0? )#$/# =^bXV]bcadRZPccPRZTa[X]ZTS #'#" c^TgcaT\Xbc]Tcf^aZ)5aP]RT =XRT) 5aT]RW?aX\T<X]XbcTa<P]dT[EP[[bfPbQ^^TSX] =XRT^]<^]SPhQTU^aTP]SPUcTacWT\X]dcT^UbX[T]RT U^acWTeXRcX\b^UcWTSTPS[h1PbcX[[T3PhPccPRZ BW^dcb^U°<daSTaTab±P]S°ATbXV]±aP]V^dcPbEP[[b P]Scf^<X]XbcTab[TUccWTbTPUa^]cfWTaTPWdVTRa^fS VPcWTaTSc^aT\T\QTacWT'#_T^_[T\^fTSS^f]^] 9d[h #QhcadRZSaXeTa<^WP\TS;PW^dPXTY1^dW[T[P] 05?aT_^acTabPXS4\^cX^]bX]5aP]RTWPeTQTT] ad]]X]VWXVWbX]RTcWT" hTPa^[SCd]XbXP]aP\\TSP (c^]]TcadRZX]c^PRa^fS[TPeX]VPUXaTf^aZbSXb_[Ph [TPeX]VPcaPX[^URad\_[TSQ^SXTbX]WXbfPZT >__^bXcX^]_PacXTbWPeTPRRdbTScWTB^RXP[Xbc V^eTa]\T]c^U]^cS^X]VT]^dVWc^_aTeT]ccWTcWXaS \PY^aPccPRZX]5aP]RTX] '\^]cWb 05? ?PaXb)5aP]RT³b8]cTaX^a<X]XbcTabPhbX]eTbcXVPc^ab WPeT]^TeXST]RTb^UPacWPccWTcadRZSaXeTafW^ ZX[[TS'#_T^_[TX]=XRTWPS[X]Zbc^°cTaa^aXbc ]Tcf^aZb± 1Ta]PaS2PiT]TdeTbPXS^]<^]SPh^]AC;aPSX^ cWPcfWX[TcWT8B8BVa^d_WPbR[PX\TSaTb_^]bXQX[Xch U^acWT1PbcX[[T3PhPccPRZcWTSaXeTa\PhWPeTQTT] \^cXePcTSQh8B8B\TbbPVTbQdc]^c]TRTbbPaX[h R^^aSX]PcX]VfXcWP[PaVTa]Tcf^aZ 2PiT]TdeTbPhb)°CWTbT[X]ZbU^a]^fWPeT]^cQTT] TbcPQ[XbWTSQhcWTX]eTbcXVPcX^]± 0dcW^aXcXTbbPh<^WP\TS;PW^dPXTY1^dW[T[P Cd]XbXP][XeX]VX]=XRTWPSQTR^\TaTRT]c[hP]S aP_XS[haPSXRP[XbTS 0? D:<?bc^e^cT^]=dR[TPafTP_^]bbhbcT\aT]TfP[ 80=B Q ;>=3>= ritain’s MPs are set to decide on whether to renew the B country’s Trident Nuclear weapons programme in a House of Commons vote on Monday, a move backed by newly appointed Prime Minister Theresa May. The vote will decide whether to press ahead with the manufacture of the next generation of nuclear submarines, BBC report- ed. Opposition Labour Party is split with leader Jeremy Corbyn opposing renewal, but the party’s MPs will get a free vote on the issue. The Scottish National Party — which opposes the renewal — had called for the vote to be delayed to allow “proper scrutiny”. In a statement to the Telegraph, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said that a vote to renew Trident will show that despite the Brexit vote “we are certainly not turning our back on the security of Europe and the rest of the world”. The new Prime Minister, Theresa May, will use her first appearance in the House of Commons since assuming office at 10, Downing Street to expose divisions in the Labour over Trident and warn that abandoning the nuclear deterrent would be “misplaced idealism”. &+$" <&4 )(='&#-))"*&'4"& Washington: A new kind of strong spider silk based fibres — known as Dragon Silk — could be soon be used by the US Army for bulletproof apparels. The US-based Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, developer of spider silk based fibers, announced that it has received a contract valued at up to $1.0 million, for the development of high performance fibers for protective apparel applications. The company will deliver ballistic shoot packs constructed from a material called ‘Dragon Silk’ for performance testing. These shoot packs will be tested and evaluated for critical soldier protective applications including ballistic impact. “Dragon Silk scores very highly in tensile strength and elasticity, which makes it one of the toughest fibers known to man and the ideal material for many applications,” said Jon Rice, Chief operating officer. PTI &KLQDGHSOR\V ERPEHUVFORVHVSDUWRI 6&6WRDVVHUWFRQWURO ?C8Q 14898=6 C hina on Monday closed a part of the South China Sea for military manoeuvres as it moved quickly to assert control over the disputed waters after an international tribunal struck down its claims over the region. The People’s Liberation Army Air Force has conducted a combat air patrol with long range bombers in the South China Sea recently, which will become “a regular practice” in the future, a military spokesperson said. The PLA sent H-6K long range strategic bombers and other aircraft including fighters, scouts and tankers to patrol islands and reefs including Huangyan Dao, state-run Xinhua news agency quoted Shen Jinke, spokesman for the PLA Air Force as saying. During the mission, the aircraft carried out tasks including aerial scouting, air combat and island and reef patrol, fulfilling the patrol’s objective, Shen said. The air force aims to promote real combat training over > #' $ " ?C8 Q 370:0 hree persons were arrested on Monday for their T involvement in an attack on three elderly Sufi Muslims, including two women, and critically injuring them in western Bangladesh’s border town with India. Eight to 10 assailants attacked several ‘Bauls’ (mystic singers) around midnight Sunday with sharp weapons, iron rods and bamboo sticks at their ‘Akhra’ (residing place) at Ektarpur village in Chadanga district, some 240 kms from here. According to one of the victims Bulu Begum, the men barged into the Akhra (place where Bauls stay) and started beating them with iron rods. All the three injured are in critical state. The Akhra’s owner Shahidul Islam filed a case against seven to eight unidentified men with the police last night, said local police OC Humayaun Kabir, Bdnews24 reported. He said police arrested three persons the same night. They accused have been identified as Ariful Islam, 22, Shahed Ali, 30 and Jamat Ali, 40. the sea, improve combat abilities against security threats and safeguard China’s sovereignty and security, he said. “To effectively fulfil its mission, the air force will continue to conduct combat patrols on a regular basis in the South China Sea,” he said. Shen pointed out that the South China Sea islands have been China’s territory since ancient times, and China’s rights and interests in relevant maritime areas should not be infringed upon. “The PLA Air Force will firmly defend national sovereignty, security and maritime interests, safeguard regional peace and stability, and cope with various threats and challenges,” he said. Separately the maritime administration in Hainan province, which overseas China’s expansive claims over the South China Sea said it is closing off a part of the sea for military exercises this week as China simultaneously moved on both air and the sea to establish firm control over the area which was awarded by the tribunal to the Philippines. 1A>C74A>54G;0=:0= ?A4I0AA4BC435>A5A0D3 2^[^\Q^) 5^a\TaBaX;P]ZP] ?aTbXST]c<PWX]SPAPYP_PZbP³b Qa^cWTaU^a\Ta4R^]^\XR 3TeT[^_\T]c<X]XbcTa1PbX[ APYP_PZbPfPbPaaTbcTSQhX]eTb cXVPc^ab^]<^]SPh^eTacWT \XbP__a^_aXPcX^]^UUd]SbP\^d ]cX]Vc^\X[[X^]bcWT_^[XRTbPXS CF8=1><18=6B :8;; 8=H4<4= 0ST]) BdXRXSTQ^\QTab^] <^]SPhPccPRZTScf^0a\h RWTRZ_^X]cbX]PU^a\Ta bca^]VW^[S^U0[@PTSPX] b^dcWTPbcTa]HT\T]ZX[[X]V _T^_[TWTP[cWP]SbTRdaXch ^UUXRXP[bbPXS <86A0=CB7DAC8=<0BB 1A0F;0CA45D64420<? 1dSP_Tbc)4XVWc_T^_[TfTaT W^b_XcP[XbTSPUcTaP\PbbQaPf[ X]e^[eX]Vb^\T!\XVaP]cb Qa^ZT^dcPcP\XVaP]cRP\_X] 7d]VPah^]Bd]SPhPbT]X^a 6^eTa]\T]c^UUXRXP[bPXS <0374B8BC>E>C4 0608=BC>;86>EC :PcW\P]Sd) 0]P[[XP]RT^U <PSWTbXbP]S ^cWTaTcW]XR \X]^aXch Va^d_bX] =T_P[^] 5aXSPh STRXSTSc^e^cTPVPX]bc?aX\T <X]XbcTa:?BWPa\P>[X[TS 6^eTa]\T]cSdaX]VP]^ R^]UXST]RT\^cX^]X]cWT ?Pa[XP\T]ccWXbfTTZ *6 A08?DAkCD4B30H k9D;H (! % gggTQY\i`Y_^UUbS_] * ) #7' (UGRJDQZLOOQRZEHFOHDQLQJXSµWKHYLUXV¶ WTUPX[TSR^d_X]CdaZThc^^dbc?aTbXST]cATRT_CPhhX_4aS^VP]^]9d[h $ WPbbW^f]W^fT[TRcTS6^eTa]\T]cbX]cWPcR^d]cahfX[[WPeTc^R^d]cTa \PbbXeTd]aTbcfXcWX]XcbPa\hU^a[^]VCW^dVWU^acWTcX\TQTX]VcWTSXb bT]cTabWPeTQTT]cPZT]X]c^R^]ca^[hTcRWP]RTbPaTcWPccWTSTT_bcPcT\Ph bcaXZTQPRZPcP]hcX\T7^fTeTa?aTbXST]c4aS^VP]beXRc^aX^dbb_TTRWPSSaTbb X]VcWT_dQ[XRaXVWc[hd]STa[X]TbcWPccWTcTaa^aT[T\T]cb\PbcTa\X]SX]VcWTR^d_ WPeTP[aTPShSTbRT]STSX]CdaZThP]SWXbaTb^[eTc^bcP\_^dc²cWTeXadbXbP bcTa]fPa]X]Vc^V[^QP[YXWPSXb b_aTPSX]V\T]PRT_PacXRd[Pa[hPRa^bbFTbc0bXP 8caT\PX]bPQXV\hbcTahW^fcWTCdaZXbW\X[XcPah^]T^UcWT\^bc_^fTaUd[X]bcX cdcX^]b^UcWTR^d]cahfWXRWXbZ]^f]PbcWTeP]VdPaS^UcWTbTRd[PacaPSXcX^]b aTb_^]bXQ[TU^abdRRTbbUd[[h_d[[X]V^UUcWaTTR^d_bX]cWT[PbcRT]cdahWPbR^\T c^PcX__X]V_^X]c^UbcPVX]VcWTQP]]Ta^UaTe^[cPVPX]bcP]T[TRcTS_aTbXST]Rh 1TbXSTbcWTa^d]SX]V^UUcWT\T\QTab^UcWT\X[XcPahP]SWP]S[X]VcWTeTahT[T \T]cb^UcWT_dcbRWXbcb\Phd]Z]^fX]V[hWT[_X]bTT_X]VPbT]bT^USTT_T] X]VSXeXSTfXcWX]cWT0a\hP]SQTcfTT]cWT6^eTa]\T]cP]ScWTV^eTa]TSU^a bdaT0bcWT4aS^VP]6^eTa]\T]cXb[TPeX]V]^bc^]Td]cda]TSc^X]XcXPcTPRcX^] PVPX]bc5TcWd[[PW6d[T]cWTDBQPbTS8b[P\XR_aTPRWTafW^\PhWPeTX]b_XaTS ^aaPcWTaSXaTRcTSWXbcTaa^aXbcVa^d_ c^_[^ccWXbR^d_cWTaTU^aTcWTbTRd aXch TbcPQ[XbW\T]c QPRZ W^\T \dbc VTPad_U^aP]hd]c^fPaSX]RXST]cX] cWTSPhbc^R^\TCWTVa^d_QTWX]S cWT R^d_ fWXRW RP[[TS XcbT[U cWT 2^d]RX[U^a?TPRTX]cWT7^\T[P]SXb P__aTWT]bXeTPQ^dccWTaTP[X]cT]bX^]b ^U 4aS^VP] RXcX]V WXb X]RaTPbX]V[h PdcW^aXcPaXP]cT]ST]RXTb8cXb^QeX^db cWPc4aS^VP]fX[[bTXiTcWT\^\T]cc^ aTPRW^dcc^cWTSXeTabT_^[XcXRP[[P]S bRP_T^UcWTR^d]cah7TfX[[STUX]XcT [hTPa]PRR^[PSTbQ^cWUa^\WXbaT[X VX^db[hR^]bTaePcXeTbd__^acTabP]S Ua^\cWT[XQTaP[P]SbTRd[PaCdaZbfW^ ^__^bTScWTR^d_P]SWPcTUP[[X]VcWTXa R^d]cahX]c^P]PQhbb 0c P cX\T fWT] FTbc 0bXP Xb T]Vd[UTSQhcWT\X]S[TbbeX^[T]RT^U YXWPSXbcWaTPcT]X]VcWTeTahbdaeXeP[^UcWT]PcX^]bcPcTbRaTPcTSQhcWTWXbc^aXR BhZTb?XR^c0VaTT\T]c^U ( %cWTX\\TSXPcTR^]RTa]bW^f]Qhf^a[S[TPS Tab[XZTDB ?aTbXST]c1PaPRZ>QP\PP]S8]SXP]?aX\T<X]XbcTa=PaT]SaP<^SX PaTWXVW[hP__aTRXPcTS1dccWT]>QP\PaPXbX]VWXbR^]RTa]X]aTVPaSc^cWTcaTPc \T]c\TcTS^dcc^cWTaT]TVPSTUPRcX^]b^UcWTCdaZXbW0a\hP]S^cWTaR^d_ _[^ccTabdaVX]V4aS^VP]c^aTb_TRccWTad[T^U[PfXbRPbcX]VS^dQc^eTacWT_a^RTbb ^UR[TP]X]Vd_cWTPUcTa\PcW8cXbP\PccTa^UbTaX^dbX]cTa]P[_^[XcXRP[RaXbXbfWXRW \Ph_a^QPQ[hb]^fQP[[X]c^PaTVX^]P[RWP^b8]bcTPS^UX]cTaeT]X]VP]SVdXS X]VcWTCdaZXbW[TPSTa^]W^fc^STP[fXcWcWTR^d_[TPSTab>QP\P\dbcf^aZ WPaSPccWTW^\TUa^]cfWTaTX]cWTaPRXP[UXVWcQTcfTT]cWTQ[PRZP]ScWTfWXcTb PaTcPZX]VP]dV[hcda]D]STa>QP\P0\TaXRPWPb[^]V[^bccWTWTVT\^]XRa^[T cWPcXcdbTSc^_[PhX]FTbc0bXPPb\P]h^UXcb^[STaP[[XTb]^ffW^[[hQ[P\TXc U^ad][TPbWX]VcWTRdaaT]ccaPVTShX]cWTaTVX^]FWPcb^TeTaXc\PhQTcWT_di i[X]V`dTbcX^]XbcWPcfWX[TUT]SX]V^UUcWTR^d_XbUX]TWPbcWTRaXbXb[TUc4aS^VP] \^aT_^fTaUd[^a[TSWX\c^Z]^fcWTbX\\TaX]VSXbbT]cPVPX]bcWXbad[T_aT_Pa X]VWX\c^PRR^\\^SPcTWXbaXbX]V^__^]T]cb. 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This has resulted in a string of untruths being bandied about for decades about personalities and events both in the pre and post-independence eras. Such is the grip of these two schools over academia that even after free-thinking historians, who are not prisoners of ideology, exhumed many truths that negated the mythologies palmed of by these palace historians, misrepresentations continue to permeate the text books and lectures in schools and colleges. Subhash Chandra Bose, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, BR Ambedkar, Syama Prasad Mookerjee, Rajendra Prasad are some of the names that immediately come to mind of national leaders whose contributions have been deliberately ignored and who have been victims of the falsification of history. In more recent times, a prominent victim of the machinations of these two schools is PV Narasimha Rao, one of India’s most cerebral and successful Prime Ministers who saved India’s unity and integrity and pulled the country out of an economic rut during 1991-1996 and put it on the high road to growth. The purpose of the so-called scholarship by entrenched academics from these two schools has been three-fold: One, to present members of the Nehru-Gandhi family as near faultless individuals who were deeply wedded to the core values of the Constitution and who sacrificed everything for the country; two, to present all their contemporaries as petty individuals with petty goals and with questionable commitment to constitutional values; and, three, credit all national achievements to members of this family and all failures to others. This shameless and continuous glorification of one political family makes one wonder whether our academia secretly pines for a return to monarchy. Seen in the context of this fraudulent output by these historians, specially in the capital’s universities, Vinay Sitapati’s Half Lion: How PV Narasimha Rao Transformed India — comes as a breath of fresh air. Narasimha Rao became the Prime Minister at a critical moment in the nation’s history. India was standing at the door of the International Monetary Fund with a begging bowl and its foreign exchange reserves had slipped to such an alarming low that there was danger of default on loans. Rao picked up Manmohan Singh as his Finance Minister and began the noble task of dismantling the socialist economy that Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi had thrust on the country. He opened up the economy, liberated it from the licence-permit raj, unshackled the entrepreneurial instincts of millions of Indians and invited foreign investments into various sectors. These decisions brought about a spectacular turn around in the economy, restored hope among Indians and gave them the confidence to take on the world. He also pulled Punjab, which was engulfed by secessionist forces, from the brink and saved the unity and integrity of India. Instead of acknowledging the man’s phenomenal contribution, the NehruGandhis and acamedics and writers hovering around this family, have falsely accused him of damaging India’s secular fabric and of being complacent in the fall of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya. Having pinned this monstrous charge on him, they hope this will wipe out his 9XQfUQ\gQic RU\YUfUTdXQddXU Q^cgUbd_dXU 3_^WbUcccbUfYfQ\\YUc ^_dY^_^UY^TYfYTeQ\ RedY^QS_\\USdYfU U^TUQf_eb 3_^WbUcc= =@ ±:QYbQ]BQ]UcX B8C0?0C8³B1>>: 8BC7458ABC B27>;0A;H455>AC C>2>AA42CC74 38BC>AC8>=BC70C 70E42A4?C 8=C>>DA D=34ABC0=38=6 >5B>280;0=3 ?>;8C820; 34E4;>?<4=CB8= 8=380>E4AC74;0BC C7A44342034B phenomenal contribution to the country. One scholar even spread the story that Rao was napping while the Masjid was being demolished. Another said he was “doing puja” while the demolition was on. Sitapati’s scholarly book covers a whole range of issues from Rao’s early days to his tenure as a Union Minister, his prime ministership, the challenge on the economic front, the crisis in Punjab and elsewhere, the nuclear policy and the fall of the Babri Masjid. For want of space, this column will confine itself to just the Babri Masjid issue. The author throws up enough evidence to demolish the false accusations made against Rao regarding his conduct on December 6, 1992, the day the Masjid was demolished by Hindu zealots and in the weeks and months preceding this event. Sitapati makes some telling observations. He shows how Rajiv Gandhi succumbed to Muslim fundamentalism and overturned the Supreme Court verdict in the Shah Bano case, banned Salman Rushdie’s Satanic Verses and then began Hindu appeasement by unlocking the Ram Temple in the Masjid premises for Hindu prayers and thereafter sending his Home Minister, Buta Singh for the Shilanyas ceremony for construction of the Ram Temple. As regards the build up to the demolition of the Masjid, Sitapati shows how the Union Cabinet was unwilling to impose President’s Rule in Uttar Pradesh prior to December 6, merely on the suspicion that the BJP Government in the State would not protect the structure. Article 356 of the Constitution cannot be invoked on assumptions. The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA), that considers such issues, met five times in November alone and held the view that the situation did not warrant imposition of central rule. The State’s Governor too sent in a report just five days prior to the demolition that he had no apprehension regarding failure of constitutional machinery. The law and order situation, specially on the communal front “is satisfactory”, he declared. Yet, Rao ensured massive deployment of central forces near the disputed structure prior to December 6. These forces could be called in within minutes, if there was danger to the structure, but the call would have to be taken by the State Government, because ensuring law and order was the responsibility of the State not the Centre. There was also the worry that the Supreme court may quash a presidential order based on presumptions. Thus, the situation that prevailed just prior to the demolition was that “the Supreme Court, the State Governor and law Ministry officials, all seemed against Central rule”. That is why after the demolition, Pranab Mukherjee told partymen “all of you were members of the Cabinet and some of you were members of the CCPA. All decisions were taken in the meetings of the Cabinet and the CCPA. Responsibility is collective; the onus cannot only be on the Prime Minister or the Home Minister.” Sitapati, who had access to Rao’s personal papers, takes us through this narrative that presents facts that negate the spurious tomes that have been churned out on this issue until now. There is lots more to this book, but that will have to wait till later. Half Lion is the first scholarly effort to correct the distortions that have crept into our understanding of social and political developments in India over the last three decades. It also seeks to restore Narasimha Rao’s well-deserved place in the pantheon of great Indian leaders. 9Q]TiY^Wd_]Q[UQgQb VY\]9g_e\TQ\c_\Y[Ud_ ]Q[UQX_bb_bVY\]RedQ gQbVY\]Ycc_]UdXY^WdXQd YcTUVY^YdU\i_^]i]Y^T DXU`U_`\U_V@e^ZQR gY\\dUQSX1bfY^T ;UZbYgQ\Q\Ucc_^ @U_`\U_V4U\XY QbUbUQ\YcY^WgXQdQ RYW]YcdQ[UdXUi XQfU]QTU 4YbUSd_b ±1\Y1RRQcJQVQb E^Y_^= =Y^YcdUb ±8QbcY]bQd;Qeb C>C74438C>A 9^db_c`USdY_^dY]U Sir — The Congress Government in Arunachal Pradesh has managed to reinstate itself, leaving the BJP highly discomfited. The political drama was needlessly initiated in December 2015, by State BJP leaders who could persuade its central leadership to wade into a mess. With less than one-fifth of the MLAs, the BJP enjoyed a short-lived stint at running the State. In return, it has paid a heavy price by losing credibility, besides being chastised by the apex court. It had stung itself similarly in Uttarakhand. The BJP must introspect on the utility of its political strategies. R Narayanan Ghaziabad @QcdU^TUQf_ebc Sir — This refers to the editorial, “Terror revisits France” (July 18). The killing of over 80 people in Nice, France, needs to be condemned in the strongest possible terms. Moreover, the West needs to do some soul searching as Western-sponsored terror acts have shattered peace in large parts of West Asia. Syria is the latest example of "? C WXbaTUTabc^cWTQaPX]bc^a\Ta°EX^[T]RTX]9P\\d:PbW\Xa¯a^PS PWTPS9d[h $5^a\Ta?aX\T<X]XbcTa0cP[1XWPaXEPY_PhTTbS^RcaX]T^U _TPRT_a^VaTbbP]S_a^b_TaXchX]9P\\d:PbW\XafPbPRR[PX\TSQh _^[XcXRXP]b^UP[[WdTbX]R[dSX]VcWTbT_PaPcXbcbP]STgcaT\XbcT[T\T]cbX]cWT eP[[Th3Tb_XcTP[[bTcQPRZbc^WXbSXP[^VdTX]XcXPcXeTbX]R[dSX]VcWT:PaVX[R^] U[XRccWTWXVWYPRZX]V^UP]8]SXP]0Xa[X]Tb_[P]Tc^:P]SPWPaP]SPcTaa^aXbc PccPRZ^]?Pa[XP\T]ccWTcWT]=306^eTa]\T]cR^]cX]dTSc^T]R^daPVTR^] UXST]RTQdX[SX]V\TPbdaTbX]cWT[PaVTaX]cTaTbc^U_TPRTP]ScaP]`dX[Xch 4gRTbbXeTdbT^UU^aRTX]:PbW\XaX]cWTfPZT^U_a^cTbcb^eTa7XiQd[\X[ XcP]c1daWP]FP]XbZX[[X]VX]P]T]R^d]cTabW^fbcWT[PRZ^U_aT_PaTS]Tbb^] cWT_Pac^UcWTRXeX[PS\X]XbcaPcX^]X]STP[X]VfXcWcWTd]aTbc8cXbcX\TcWT_^[XcX RXP]bbc^__TSbc^ZX]VU[P\Tb^UWPcaTSQhVXeX]VPR^\\d]P[R^[^dac^cWT bT`dT]RT^UTeT]cb0bca^]V\PX]bcaTP\[TPSTabWX_XbX\_TaPcXeTU^aR^P[X cX^]P[WPa\^]hP]SSTeT[^_\T]cX]9P\\d:PbW\Xa BWaThP]b9PX] 3T[WX the West’s meddling. Rather than blaming the Muslim community for the wave of terror attacks, leaders need to take some responsibility for the wrongdoings of the past. Abhijit Roy Jamshedpur 6YWXddUbb_bYc] Sir — This refers to the editorial, “Terror revisits France” (July 18). The ghastly terror attack in Nice, France yet again points to the fact that the world must unite to fight terrorism. Their training camps, stocks of arms, ammunitions etc should be destroyed. Hansraj Bhat Mumbai D_eWXRQdd\U Sir — This refers to the editorial, “Congress’s last hope” (July 16). In a bizarre move, the Congress has pulled a rabbit out of its hat by projecting former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit as its chief ministerial candidate in Uttar Pradesh. Election strategist Prashant Kishor chose her on the logic that the Brahmin voter in the State can be lured by a prominent Brahmin face like Dikshit, who was born in a Punjabi Khatri family, and is also the daughter-in-law of Uttar Pradesh Congress veteran Uma Shankar Dikshit who had served as a Union Minister and Governor for a long time. It has been more than 30 years since the party ruled that State, and the entry of Dikshit will require a Herculean push by the party to be a real contender for the top stakes. Padmini Raghavendra Secunderabad <__[RUi_^T Sir — This refers to the editorial, “Congress’s last hope” (July 16). In 2014, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram had rightly said that someday a non-NehruGandhi family member can be the president of the party. Under the present leadership of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, the party’s chances of revival are almost zero. Former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has rightly been projected as the chief ministerial candidate for Uttar Pradesh. The Congress must look beyond the Nehru-Gandhi family. Mahesh Kumar Via web BT]Shh^daUUTTSQPRZcc^) [TccTabc^_X^]TTa/V\PX[R^\ 6&,"$"? A08?DAkCD4B30H k9D;H (! % @?9>D @?9>D %($- 79@+;) 7A'& ",& 4+$ ,%%& -*"&'&+4 %" 2/))",,"!")*"," &-)",#$%"8. B %&$8) -*&"+ ##' %!"9- &","7 **"& %%!")(", %"7""')-& ,7%/% ))$') " ,+ /%"!- . 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Given the repeated ouster of Islamist party Governments, either by the judiciary or the military, in the past, in 2003, newly elected Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had a clear but difficult path ahead. He had to destroy the Army’s ability to coherently carry out domestic political interventions and also forward the Islamist agenda. Destroying the Army’s ability to act coherently is probably his only tangible and positive achievement. This was done through the ruse of actively pushing Turkish membership to the European Union. The EU membership would have been the pinnacle in the scheme of things envisioned by Turkey’s founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk for a modern European Turkey, and, therefore, it was something no Army Chief could have acted against. This was the cover that Erdogan used for a series of purges of the Army that grew in scope and depth as his power relative to the Army increased. The purges were not blunt Stalinist purges, but were rather carefully calculated to destroy the political coherence of the Army and dilute its ideological foundation. This succeeded spectacularly but it came at a heavy price. Several interviews with former defence attachés from the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation who served in Turkey reveal an almost uniform pattern in the severe erosion of the operational capabilities of the Turkish military. Much of this was educational — the transmission of institutional lessons to succeeding officers. The impact was mostly on command and control. For example, in a 2013 interview, one Air Force official observed how bad the situational awareness and ability to communicate within the Air Force itself had become. It followed logically that this was the case with the Army and the Navy as well. This was not just because of the erosion of the knowledge base of the military, but also because promotions had become highly political, leading to significant interpersonal tension gravely impacting coordination. Further, close and institutionalised surveillance of military officers that became de riguer by 2008, followed by sackings of officers on the flimsiest of excuses, meant that not only were internal communications curbed, but officers themselves self-censored. No longer were jokes on coups tolerated, with any such remarks, either picked up by surveillance or reported by fellow officers themselves. All of these symptoms bore rich rewards on the July 16 coup attempt. The degrading of operational capability and ability to coordinate manifested themselves spectacularly in the sheer clumsiness of the coup. The internal strife within the Army carefully fostered by Erdogan meant the military was no longer willing to act as one organic unit, and the distrust carefully nurtured meant that the officers simply weren’t willing to trust or talk to each other during critical moments of the coup or during the planning stages. The internal surveillance mechanism instituted by Erdogan was just as crucial. There is now an emerging body of evidence to show that the plotters believed the planning of the coup had been picked up and their plans compromised. This forced them to bring forward the coup and move hastily with all the attendant costs. What is the way forward for Turkey from here? The crisis in Syria is rapidly refracting onto Turkey itself. Combined with a reinvigorated Kurdish rebellion in eastern Anatolia, Turkey has never needed its military to be in a better shape in modern history. It is at this critical juncture when Erdogan should have been most comfortable, secure in the knowledge that a coup would not happen, that the re-organisation of the military should have happened to make it an operationally potent but apolitical force. Yet, it is at this very juncture that the failed coup has made all of Erdogan old paranoia’s resurface, at a time when it is most counter-productive. Already several generals have been arrested and many more will be detained in the coming days. Invariably, whatever operational levels had been stabilised by the military to date will be eroded even further due to not just purges but a further politicisation of the Army. As things stand, far from quelling the Kurdish rebellion, the brutal, tactless and wanton destruction of the Kurdish hinterland by Turkish forces is only bringing tougher resistance forward. Ably aided by an almost open border, and sympathetic Kurdish populations in Syria and Iraq which are also militarily and economically powerful, the militancy is likely to strengthen as the power vacuum in Syria grows. More importantly, the complete de- 'LJLWLVLQJKHDOWKUHFRUGVLQ,QGLD 4[TRca^]XR\TSXRP[aTR^aSbhbcT\bRP]WT[_X\_a^eTcWTTUUXRXT]RhP]SST[XeTah^UWTP[cWRPaTbTaeXRTbX]8]SXPCWTD]X^]P]SBcPcT 6^eTa]\T]cb\dbc\PZTTUU^acbc^_a^\^cTXcbPS^_cX^]b^Pbc^PRWXTeTd]XeTabP[WTP[cWR^eTaPVTfaXcTb<>78C:D<0A3060 U niversal Health Coverage (UHC) has been a longsought goal for consecutive administrations in India. The quest for a universal safety net for health-related expenditure is important for a country where, as per the 71st round of Survey by the National Sample Survey Organisation, less than 14 per cent of the rural households have access to any form of health insurance and they spend an average amount of C16,900 for every case of hospitalisation. As a prerequisite to deploy an efficient and effective UHC system, it is necessary to create an enabling ecosystem which includes the digitisation of all health records within the healthcare system. In 2011, the High Level Expert Group for UHC for India had suggested the adoption of electronic medical records (EMR) mechanism to enable equitable delivery of health services to the people. Simply, an EMR or electronic health record (EHR) is a digital summary of various medical records that are generated whenever an individual interacts with any healthcare service. EHRs are designed to be used beyond any one health organisation and to share information with other health care providers, such as laboratories and specialists, so as to contain information from all professionals involved in the patient’s care. EHR allows better diagnosis and care for the patient as it provides an overview of the patient’s history. As a large proportion of health expenditure is spent on diagnostics/lab tests, EHR can lead to significant savings for the patients as it allows re-use of past results. EHR can help increase accountability of healthcare personnel in cases of medical malpractice. Finally, in an UHC regime, with the participation of private insurers, a well-functioning EMR system can help insurers design and optimise their products, while providing easy portability for patients between providers, thus increasing the competitiveness of the health insurance market. On the policy level, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare notified EMR/EHR standards for India in September 2013. However, these standards have not been made mandatory and State Governments have only been advised to adopt EMR standards in their healthcare systems. In May 2012, revised rules for Clinical Establishments Act mandated the “maintenance and provision of EMR/EHR for every patient”" for registration and continuation of all clinical establishments. In addition, EHR has been made mandatory for empanelment of hospitals under the Central Government Health Scheme. The Ministry of Health too has released a concept note on the establishment of a National e-Health Authority (NeHA) as a nodal body responsible for the development of an integrated health information system for the country. In spite of all these provisions, the adoption of EHR has been inconsistent and more is prevalent in private hospitals only. Even in case of hospitals that have adopted EHR, the systems do not always meet the interoperability norms which are necessary for a health system wide integration. Some serious challenges impede the adoption of systemwide EHR in India, which needs to be addressed immediately. As per National Family Health Survey III, more than 34.8 per cent of the population relies on private non-institutional points of care like single doctor clinics. Smaller clinics do not transition to EHR due to the high initial investment involved. This, along with the incomplete coverage of Aadhar as a unique and multipurpose identifier for linking EHRs poses significant issues for implementation. The availability of IT infrastructure and Internet connectivity in rural health centres also remains poor, in spite of mandated requirements under the Indian Public Health Standards. Internationally, the reluctance by practitioners in adopting new systems has been known to slow down the transition to EHR systems. In order to address these issues, a strategic approach to promote the adoption of EHR needs to be adopted by both the Central and State Governments. A large amount of investment (possibly in public–private partnership mode) will be required to deploy EHR systems in pub- lic hospitals and set the trend along with the creation of NeHA for regulation of these systems. Some States like Tamil Nadu have taken initial steps to implement EHR. The Tamil Nadu Health Systems Project has deployed a hospital management information system with EHR in over 1,771 PHCs and 267 secondary care hospitals. A set of financial and regulatory incentives and disincentives will have to be put in place to encourage small clinics and private practitioners to become a part of the EHR regime. The Aadhar database needs to be leveraged to link health records across healthcare and insurance providers. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare must consider creating an enabling legislative framework for the adoption of EHR. (The writer is research and knowledge support lead at Swaniti Initiative) legitimisation of the Gülen movement (the Hizmet) will have severe consequences for the cohesion of Turkey itself. When Ataturk forcibly ‘secularised’ a deeply religious non-industrial country, it was done without any consensus or without the requisite social changes that slowly come about as a result of industrialisation. What The Hizmet did was a careful synthesis of Islam and modernism. It rejected many outdated notions, focussing on dialogue and secularism. In this way it sought — however naively — to build a bridge to the past and cure the deep scars left by the violent so-called ‘secularisation’ of Ataturk that had ripped Turkey from its past. Erdogan is, however, not as much of an Islamist as people would believe. In fact, he is a classic Kemalist who has ditched, double-crossed and persecuted almost all of his former Islamist allies in his quest for power. Effectively then the expected harsh reprisals against the Hizmet seems aimed at consolidating all power, temporal and spiritual, into Erdogan’s hand — much like the Ottoman sultans who doubled as Caliphs. The problem is since the soft Islam of the Hizmet is being discredited by the state, its replacement is likely to be a Hanafi orthodoxy. Given a rapidly sinking economy, this strain will have to grow more virulent as it adapts to the social realities of the downturn. In the process it will simply end up alienating Turkey’s Alawite population even further, creating a toxic mix from where there is no return. In short, though the coup may have failed, it has probably cooked Turkey’s goose. WKLQN QRZ %!"/+"//"*%" '"")4'(74 7%"&"+44."/- " )$7%"7"&" - *",",+,2&7% ),4 4%%7"'&/" -&74 -&!"),) #"4-&')4%., 7"')$ 7" ))+$(77%"&" 7"&"44.-%" +&/)" %"-'),4' %"74 .-+$(7 7%"&"$-3&"44#-$(7% )4 $*&",$-&74 %"7, 7))/&&$$-. B8$")) &"& 1 A08?DAkCD4B30H k9D;H (! % 7*"' " #84 T =Tfb_P_TaUPX[c^WXcbcP]Sb T ?3?<;0WdacPbeTWXR[Tcda]bcdac[T T <TWQ^^QPRP[[bP[[_Pach\TTc^]9d[h! :7DAB7443F0=8<>78C :0=370A8Q BA8=060A90<<D wo more civilians, including a woman, were killed in T Chowgam area of Qazikund in South Kashmir late Monday evening after security forces opened fire on protesters to disperse them. With this the death toll in the ongoing cycle of violence has reached 46 in last 10 days while over 3,300 have been injured. According to official sources, “nine people were injured in the random firing on a group of protesters in Chowgam area late Monday evening”. Two civilians killed in police firing have been identified as Sayeda Bano and Showqat Itoo. The duo succumbed to their bullet injuries while seven others have been shifted to the Srinagar hospital. Fresh clashes erupted in the area following firing on protesters, local reports said. Meanwhile, deceptive calm prevailed on the streets of Kashmir Valley on Monday even as curfew continued for the 10th consecutive day adversely impacting life of common Kashmiris huddled inside their houses in the absence of news papers, cable TV, suspended internet /mobile/ prepaid services. According to police spokesman, “Overall situation across Kashmir valley remained peaceful on Monday. Only stray incidents of stone pelting were received from Hajin in Bandipora, Gogloosa Payeen in Kupwara, Kondbal, Mansbal in Ganderbal, Batamaloo in Srinagar and Khrew in Awantipora”. A few persons and police/CRPF men were injured in these incidents. A Base camp store of potato seed belonging to Agriculture Department was set on fire in Wouhlutra, Rafiaabad by miscreants. Meanwhile, leaders cutting across party lines in New Delhi also sent clear signals of applying ‘healing touch’ from Parliament but there were no early signs of improvement in the ‘tense situation’ on ground zero. The separatists leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Yasin Malik and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq issued a joint statement extending the ‘shutdown’ call up to July 21 across Kashmir <^WP\\PS8bWP`P]T\_[^hTT^UcWT3PX[h:PbW\Xa8\PVTbWPbWXb[d]RW]TPa cWTbWdcS^f]_aX]cX]V_aTbb\PRWX]Tb^]cWT^dcbZXacb^UBaX]PVPa 0? Valley. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti convened an All Party Meeting at SKICC in Srinagar on July 21 to discuss the prevailing “law and order” situation in Kashmir. “Invitation has been extended to all the political parties including the PDP, the BJP, National Conference, the Congress, the CPI(M), the CPI, the National Panthers Party, the Democratic Party Nationalist, Peoples Democratic Front and others to discuss the prevailing situation and the measures to be taken to restore peace and normalcy in the Valley,” the Government said in an official statement. Three-time PDP MLA from Pulwama Mohd Khalil Bandh was badly injured late Sunday night when his official car turned turtle soon after his driver decided to reverse the car after spotting large number of protesters near Frisal on Pulwama road. Sixty-four-year-old Khalil Bandh received critical injuries and was rushed to district hospital in Pulwama and from ?a^cTbcTacWa^fbbc^]TPc_^[XRT\T]SdaX]VP_a^cTbcX]BaX]PVPa^]<^]SPh there he was shifted to Army hospital in Srinagar in the wee hours. His condition is reported to be stable. The State Government spokesman said, “The PDP MLA was travelling to his residence from Srinagar to Pulwama when he met with an accident late Sunday night”. “The MLA has sustained fracture in leg and is being treated at a local hospital,” the spokesman said. The Chief Minister visited him in the hospital to inquire about his health. Former Chief Minister and working president of the National Conference Omar Abdullah, however, wasted no opportunity to target her. He immediately took to the micro-blogging social networking site to criticise Chief Ministers action. Omar posted a tweet,” That @MehboobaMufti went to see her injured MLA is understandable; that she didn’t visit any other injured is inexplicable & unforgivable!!!” This is the second major attack on PDP MLA during the 0? last one week. Earlier, house of PDP MLA from Kokernag AR Rather was torched by the protesters along with sprawling Apple orchard. The Chief Minister also chaired a high-level security review meeting where the Principal Secretary Home briefed the meeting about the overall law and order situation and the steps being taken to restore normalcy in the Valley. He said the situation has stabilised in most of the districts and except for some sporadic incidents of protests and stone- pelting the overall law and order scenario has improved substantially. While taking a review of the condition of injured and availability of medicines and other equipment in hospitals, the Chief Minister was informed by the Commissioner Secretar y Health and Medical Education Department that out of the 2,115 people injured during the prevailing law and order situation, 1,924 have been discharged from the hospitals while 191 are still undergoing treatment — including 70 people with eye injuries. Meanwhile, no major incident of street violence or stone pelting was reported from Srinagar city even as rural pockets in South Kashmir remained tense with small groups of angry protesters engaging in ding dong battles with the paramilitary forces. The interior roads across rural pockets have been virtually dominated by the young protesters making it difficult for any one to pass through the area due to numerous road blockades. Due to prevailing law and order situation the Karvan-eAman Cross-Line of Control (LoC) bus remained suspended for the third consecutive week. On the 17th day of Shri Amarnathji Yatra, 6,679 Yatris paid obeisance at the Holy Cave. Till date 1,79,530 Yatris had darshan at the Holy Cave. :Pa]PcPZP<X]XbcTa:96T^aVT ! ':# aTbXV]bPUcTaR^dac^aSTab58A F ?=BQ 60=378=060A :4BCDAE0BD:8Q 14=60;DAD I n a major setback to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah-led Congress Government in Karnataka, controversial Bengaluru Development Minister and close aide KJ George has finally resigned. He resigned after a magistrate court in Madikeri on Monday ordered filing of FIR on the basis of a complaint filed by the wife and son of the deceased Deputy Superintendent of Police MK Ganapathi. KJ George said “I have submitted my resignation to the Chief Minister. My conscious is clear. I will come out clean. I fully believe in the probe. I have never harassed anyone in my life. I am confidant and fully aware I will come out clean.” George also indicated that he would appeal against the lower court order in the Karnataka High Court. “I will also explore legal remedy” he said. Even though unperturbed by the Opposition protests both inside and outside the House Siddaramaiah so far had justified his close confidant and Bengaluru Development Minister KJ George and two police officials and ordered a judicial probe which was rejected by the family of MK Ganapathy. But Siddaramaiah who had justified so far was under intense pressure after the Madikeri court had ordered an :Pa]PcPZP19?_aTbXST]c1BHTSShdaP__fXcW^cWTa[TPSTab_a^cTbcbPVPX]bcBcPcT 6^eTa]\T]cP]S<X]XbcTa:96T^aVTPcEXSWP]PB^dSWPX]1T]VP[dad^]<^]SPh ?C8 FIR and had no way but to seek George’s resignation. In a major development of the day the magistrate’s court in Madikeri in the Kodagu district of Karnataka ordered the filing of an abetment of suicide case under section 306 of the Indian Penal Code against KJ George, and two senior police officers, based on allegations of harassment made against them by a police officer MK Ganapathi who committed suicide at a private lodge in Madikeri on July 7. The order by Additional Judicial Magistrate First Class Annapurneshwari came on a private criminal complaint filed by the deceased police official’s son Nehal Ganapathy requesting the court to direct the Kodagu police to take up investigation against the minister and two officers for allegedly abetting his father’s suicide. Ganapathy’s wife Pavana and Nehal had approached the court, stating that the police had rejected the complaint lodged by them with the Kushalanagar police on July 10 against George and IPS officials AM Prasad and Pranab Mohanty. In his complaint, Nehal had said his father had made a “dying declaration” naming George and the two officers and their acts amounted to “abetting the commission of suicide.” Appealing to the court to take cognisance of the offence punishable under IPC section 306 read with Section 34, the complaint had also claimed that the accused were highly placed and influential persons who had prevailed upon police from taking action against them. ive Dalit youths on Monday attempted suicide in protest against brutal assault on fellow community members for alleged skinning of cows in Una town of Gir Somnath district. According to police, Anil Madhad, Jagdish Rathod, Bharat Solanki, Raju Parmar and Ramesh Parghi, all residents of Gondal town, tried to kill themselves by consuming phenyl in Saurashtra town Gondal. Madhad is a sitting Congress councillor of Gondal municipality. All five are now being treated at a hospital in Gondal. Hundreds of Dalits gathered in Gondal town, around 45 km from Saurashtra region’s largest city Rajkot to protest against atrocity committed against Dalits in Una. They demanded strict action against the accused. They took out a protest march from Gondal town to civil hospital. Police resorted to lathi-charge after some of the protesters pelted stone on Government buses Later, the Dalits brought animal carcasses loaded in three vehicles to Deputy Collector’s office and staged a dharna demanding swift action against the accused involved in 2C@=@cTYcbe`dBQZiQCQRXQ ?=BQ =4F34;78 T he Rajya Sabha on Monday witnessed a brief adjournment on the opening day of Monsoon session as BSP members trooped into the Well alleging atrocities on Dalits in Gujarat. When the Question Hour began soon after laying of papers, BSP chief Mayawati raised the issue of recent incident in which some members of the Dalit community, engaged in skinning dead animals, were beaten up in Gujarat. She said some anti-social elements tied their hands, stripped them and beat them up in a market in broad daylight. The police did not take immediate action and the crowd too did not intervene, the BSP leader alleged and blamed the state government too for not taking prompt action against the culprits. She accused the ruling BJP of being ‘anti-dalit’ and said the state police swung into action only after the incident was highlighted by the media. Countering the allegations, Urban Development and Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the “saviour” of the entire country and said that as per convention, name of any political party should not be taken while raising issues. As Mayawati was speaking on atrocities against dalits, some BSP members trooped into the Well raising slogans. Chairman Hamid Ansari then adjourned the House for ten minutes. J udges of Calcutta High Court have unanimously declined to accept the Centre’s proposal for renaming it as Kolkata High Court and have communicated the view of the full court to Union Law Ministry. “The Ministry has not yet reverted back on the issue,” a senior High Court official said here on Monday. “The Full Court of High Court at Calcutta in a meeting held on July 11 unanimously declined to accept the proposal of the Government of India for changing the name of ‘High Court of Judicature at Calcutta’ to ‘High Court of Judicature at Kolkata’ in view of long history and tradition associated with the existing name of the High Court at Calcutta,” High Court Registrar General Sugato Majumdar said in a communication to the Incorporated Law Society (ILS) here as per direction of the Chief Justice of the High Court. In the communication to the ILS president, in reply to his letter to the Chief Justice of C74=0<420;2DCC0 70B8CB>F= 6A0=34DA0=3 CA038C8>=386=8CH 0=374A8C0640=3 8CB7>D;3=>C14 ;>BC8=>1;8E8>= B Calcutta High Court Justice Manjula Chellur protesting the Centre’s decision, the registrar general said “the view of the Full Court has been communicated to the Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India.” “The name Calcutta has its own grandeur and tradition, dignity and heritage and it should not be lost in oblivion,” RK Khanna, president of ILS of Calcutta High Court said, adding “same would apply to Bombay and Madras.” “If necessary, we will make an appeal to the President of India to maintain the tradition,” Khanna told PTI. He said that he hoped that as President Pranab Mukherjee hails from West Bengal, he would appreciate the sentiment. “We totally support the resolution of the Full Court in this regard,” Calcutta High Court Bar Association general secretary Suranjan Dasgupta said. West Bengal Law Minister Moloy Ghatak could not be reached over phone despite several attempts for the state government’s views in this regard. The Calcutta High Court has the distinction of being the first High Court and one of the three Chartered High Courts to be set up in India, along with the High Courts of Bombay and Madras. The High Court at Calcutta, formerly known as the High Court of Judicature at Fort William, was brought into existence by the Letters Patent dated May 14, 1862, issued under the High Court’s Act, 1861. Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had on July 5 said that the name of Calcutta High Court would be changed to Kolkata High Court alongwith Madras and Bombay high courts. PTI Mumbai: The gangrape and killing of a minor girl in Ahmednagar district, today rocked the Maharashtra Assembly, as the Monsoon Session of State Legislature got underway. Making a statement after ruckus by the Opposition in the Lower House, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the accused in the gangrape and killing of the girl in Kopardi village of Ahmednagar district, have been arrested and the matter will be heard in a fasttrack court. Ujjawal Nikam will be the public prosecutor, he said. The State Government has given C5 lakh financial help to the victim’s family, Fadnavis said. DNA samples of the victim and the accused have been sent for forensic tests, he said. Raising the issue in the Lower House, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislator Ajit Pawar said the Kopardi case was heinous than the Nirbhaya gangrape in Delhi. “I request CM Fadnavis to take action against the guilty, considering the victim as your and our daughter,” Pawar, a former Deputy CM, said. Former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan insisted that the House discuss the issue today itself. Leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, who raised the issue through an adjournment notice, said the matter was serious and the House should discuss it. Fadnavis said the matter could be discussed in a meeting of party group leaders in the House, before it is discussed in the Assembly. The House was later adjourned after transacting other items on the agenda, which included paying condolences to former members of the House and introduction of new Ministers. A 15-year-old girl was brutally raped last week, allegedly by three men who inflicted injuries all over her body and broke her limbs before throttling her in the village in Ahmednagar district, sparking outrage as well as political slugfest, with the Congress demanding Fadnavis’ resignation on “moral grounds”. PTI request him to take quick action against the accused. Meanwhile, Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel took to Twitter to express her pain over the incident. “Deeply pained by the incident,” she tweeted on Monday. Gir Somnath district administration has paid Rs 1 lakh each to all the victims, she added. The Gujarat Government announced to set up a special designated court in consultation with High Court for the trial of the accused in the case. The Government also decided to hand over the case to CID crime branch. As many as eight people were booked under Atrocities Act and four police personnel were suspended in the case. The case is being investigated by Deputy Superintendent of Police of SC/ST cell. 2 /# " ' +7 C=A067D=0C70Q <D<108 n what came as a relief to Maharashtra’s former beleaIguered Minister and senior BJP leader Eknath Khadse, Anti—Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Monday told the Bombay High Court that it — in its preliminary investigations — found that he had no terrorist link nor had he exchanged telephone calls with Karachibased under world don Dawood Ibrahim. In a submission made before a HC division Bench of 0[[PWPQPS) 5^da_Tab^]bfTaT Justices NH Patil and PD ZX[[TSX]PUaTPZ\XbWP_^]cWT Naik, Maharashtra’s ATS advo^dcbZXacb^UcWTRXchfWT]cWThV^c cate Niteen Pradhan said that S^f]Ua^\PcaPX]d_^]WTPaX]V there was no need for a CBI ad\^dab^UcWTT]VX]TWPeX]V RPdVWcUXaT^][hc^VTcad]^eTaQh inquiry into the allegations made by the petitioner, since cWT7^faPWQ^d]S:P[ZP4g_aTbb the matter was being investifWX[TcahX]Vc^Ra^bbcWTcaPRZb gated properly in the State. CWTX]RXST]cc^^Z_[PRT[Pbc]XVWc “The ATS conducted prePc<P]SPA^PS^dcTaPQ^dc# Z\bUa^\cWTRXchfWTaTcWTSaXeTa liminary inquiry. No terrorist angle has been found as ^UcWT;^Z\P]hPCX[PZ4g_aTbb alleged by the hacker. No calls R^\X]VUa^\1WPVP[_daX]1XWPa were exchanged between P__[XTST\TaVT]RhQaPZTbfWT]P Khadse and underworld don bcaPhRPcc[TWTPSV^cZ]^RZTS Dawood, as alleged by the S^f]QhcWTcaPX]PRR^aSX]Vc^ hacker,” Pradhan told the twob_^ZTb\P]^U=^acW2T]caP[I^]T member HC division Bench. 0\Xc<P[PeXhP The HC division Bench is °0bPaTbd[c^UT\TaVT]RhQaPZX]V hearing a petition filed by b\^ZTQX[[^fTS^dc^UcWT Vadodara — based hacker T]VX]TCWXbfPbR^]bcadTSQh Manish Bhangale, demandb^\T^UcWT_PbbT]VTabPbPbXV] ing a CBI probe into the ^UcWTT]VX]TWPeX]VRPdVWc much-discussed KhadseUXaTCWTh_P]XRZTSP]SbcPacTS Dawood call log case and VTccX]VS^f]P]SSXS]^c]^cXRT seeking police protection on cWPcPb_TTSX]VcaPX]fPbR^\X]V the ground that he faced a ^]P]PSYPRT]ccaPRZ±<P[PeXhP threat to his life. bPXS Bhangale, who claims °0\^]VcWTU^daSTRTPbTScWT himself to be an “ethical hackf^\P]WPbQTT]XST]cXUXTSPb er” had laid hands on the 1PbP]cX3TeX"$Ua^\PeX[[PVT telephone records of Dawood ]TPa?Pc]P8ST]cXcXTb^UcWT Ibrahim by hacking into the aT\PX]X]VcWaTTSTRTPbTSfTaT Pakistani Telecom Company’s QTX]VTbcPQ[XbWTS±<P[PeXhP PSSTS ?C8 data base. He had claimed & #@&;/< :^_PaSXVP]VaP_Ta^RZb )RXUNLOOHGLQ IUHDNPLVKDS <PWPaPbWcaP0bbT\Q[h RQUDLOWUDFNV #@&<" ?C8Q :>;:0C0 Dalit atrocities. They also threatened to stop disposing of animal carcasses from villages and towns. In Saurashtra city in Surendranagar also, members of Dalit communities brought and dumped animal carcasses at Tehsildar’s office. They staged a protest rally in the town. “We have made adequate arrangements to control the situation,” Antrip Sood, SP, Rajkot Rural, said. Last week, a video of some men beating half-naked members of Dalit community went viral. The men, who claimed to be cow protectors, were shown beating the Dalit men allegedly for skinning a dead cow. The Opposition Congress also decided to submit memorandum to the Gujarat Governor on Tuesday and early this year that calls had been made from Dawood’s Karachi residence to then minister Khadse’s mobile number 9423073667. Dismissing the petitioner’s allegation the State ATS was investigating the KhadseDawood call log case in a partial manner, Pradhan told the High Court, “The claims made by the petitioner that the information provided by him to the state machinery has been taken lightly is not correct. We are doing the needful and CBI probe is not required”. While giving a prima facie clean chit to Khadse, the ATS lawyer told the HC division bench that though nothing incriminating information linking the former minister with Dawood had emerged, certain other revelations have come to the light in its investigations. “Certain other serious things have come to the fore during the preliminar y inquiry. But those will have to be probed by experts from the city police’s cyber crime cell. The ATS will submit its preliminary inquiry report to the cyber crime cell of the police’s crime branch which shall then investigate,” Pradhan told the court. Disposing of Bhangale’s petition seeking a CBI inquiry into his allegations against Khadse, the HC Bench, “We cannot jump to CBI every time. We have to trust and have faith in the state machinery also. If at a later stage the petitioner feels probe is not being done properly, he can approach the High Court again”. E A08?DAkCD4B30H k9D;H (! % "* (2 2LOILHOGVDXFWLRQLVVXHURFNV+RXVH -$.7$& T 0=D?B70A<0Q 6DF07C8 B0D60AB4=6D?C0Q :>;:0C0 B oth the Left and Congress leadership in Bengal have gone into a tizzy following reports that about 20 of their Legislators are set to join the ruling Trinamool Congress. Though their senior leaders put up a brave front in public saying this time round it would be an uphill task for the Trinamool to get Opposition MLAs to defect to their side, in private many of them said, “the Trinamool has huge amount of chit fund money which they will now spend in buying off MLAs.” The defection rumour of got further impetus after Trinamool vice-president Mukul Roy conceded in public that there were a number of CPI(M) and Congress MLAs who were in direct touch with him and were waiting in the sidelines to join the Trinamool Congress. “Wait for a few more days and you will see that 20 MLAs from CPI(M) and the Congress will join the Trinamool Congress as they want to be a part of the ongoing development programmes,” Roy said, adding his party did not contact these Legislators, “rather they contacted us.” The Trinamool is going to observe its Martyrs’ Day on July F08C5>A054F <>A430HB0=3 H>DF8;;B44 C70C!<;0B 5A><2?8<0=3 C742>=6A4BB F8;;9>8=C74 CA8=0<>>; 2>=6A4BB B 21 which will be a first mass gathering of the party after Mamata Banerjee roared back to power for the second time in a row with a brute majority. The defecting MLAs could join the Trinamool on the same day, inside sources said though Roy would not make definite comments on when such “switch over” would take place. Taking a dig at the LeftCongress alliance, Roy wondered “what is the basis of this alliance. At times one wonders what Rahul Gandhi and Buddhadeb Bhattacharya told each other when they jointly addressed a public meeting in Kolkata. Did they tell each other to forgive and forget whatever they had told against each other?” He added the MLAs who wanted to join the Trinamool were fed up with political hypocrisy of their leaders and so they had expressed their desire to join the ruling party “which is the only reliable political force in the State.” Roy’s statement was immediately rejected by the CPI(M) and the Congress with senior Marxist leader Rabin Deb saying “they hold an expertise in engineering defection either by using money power or by showing threats but this time they will not be able to do so and there will be no defection from our party.” State Opposition Leader and Congress veteran Abdul Mannan also said that the “Trinamool is making hollow threats” and that “not a single MLA from our party will join them. They have already given a written undertaking for not doing so.” Meanwhile, even as both the Left and the Congress sources complained of silent threats being used by the Trinamool leaders to induce their elected representatives like panchayat members to join the Trinamool, PCC president Adhir Chowdhury had started plans for mass movement against what he said the “Trinamool’s dirty game plan.” 0U[^^STSbcaTTcPUcTa WTPehaPX]X]<PcWdaP ^]<^]SPh ?C8 F><0=<>AC6064B ³<0=60;BDCA0´C> 1D8;3C>8;4C0C7><4 Sasaram (Bihar): A woman has mortgaged her ‘mangalsutra’ to construct a toilet in her house at Barahkhanna village here following which Rohtas district administration made her the Brand Ambassador of total sanitation programme recognising her effort. Phool Kumari took the step after she had failed to raise adequate money by working as a cook at a local primary school as her farm labourer husband’s income is meagre, the local panchayat said. She also braved the opposition of male members of her family while mortgaging her ‘mangalsutra’ to arrange the required money, they said. Rohtas District Magistrate Animesh Kumar Parashar said, “On Wednesday, I and other district administration officials ould participate in the inauguration of construction work for a toilet at Kumari’s house in the presence of her husband and father-in-law.” The woman was made brand ambassador of the total sanitation programme in the district to inspire others, the District Magistrate said. “We will ensure that the toilet is constructed within 10 days,” he said. PTI he first day of the Budget Session of Assam Legislative Assembly witnessed noisy scenes on Monday over the issue of ongoing agitation regarding the issue of proposed auctioning of 12 oil fields in Assam, leading to walkout by the Opposition MLAs. The problem started after the members of Congress and All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) demanded the Speaker to have a discussion over the issue of Statewide agitation regarding the Central Government’s decision to auction 12 small oil fields in Assam. While the Leader of the Opposition Debabrat Saikia moved an adjournment motion, AIUDF’s Aminul Islam also moved an adjournment motion demanding a discussion over the issue. Congress Legislator Ajanta Neog had also submitted a notice to the Speaker in this regard. Speaker Ranjit Das, who accepted the notice of Neog, however, disallowed the discussion and said that the matter had been listed for discussion later. At this, the Opposition leaders rushed to the Well of the House and insisted the Speaker to allow the discussion. At this BJP Legislator Suman Haripriya rushed to the Well of the House saying that the Opposition members are going to attack the Speaker. At this other BJP MLAs also rushed to the Well, forcing the Speaker to temporarily adjourn the House for five minutes. When the House resumed, the Opposition members again 0bbP\;TVXb[PcXeT 0bbT\Q[hb_TPZTaAP]YXc 3Pb^]WXbfPhc^cWT 7^dbT^]cWTUXabcSPh^U 1dSVTcBTbbX^]Pc 3Xb_daX]6dfPWPcX^] <^]SPh ?C8 rushed to the Well and demanded him to allow the discussion on auction of oil fields. The Speaker, however, went ahead with the scheduled business of the House leading to walkout by erala’s Marxist Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan K on Monday came down heavily on the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), political wing of Islamist outfit Popular Front of India (PFI), describing it as an organisation that was training people to commit murder. “There are certain organisations in our State that train people to commit murder. The SDPI is one among them. Their aim is not to indulge in political work but to teach people how to kill,” Pinarayi told the State Assembly while replying to a notice for adjournment motion on the recent murder of a Muslim League activist allegedly by SDPI activists at Velam near Kuttiyadi in Kozhikode district. Stating that political enmity was the reason behind the killing of the Muslim League worker, Pinarayi said that two SDPI activists had already been arrested in connection with the crime. There would be a detailed investigation to find out whether the murder was pre-planned, adding that the influence of the SDPI was goring in Kerala. Despite being a political party, the SDPI is seen as an Islamist organisation mainly because of its connection with the Popular Front. Almost all the accused in the gruesome attack on TJ Joseph, a professor, in July, 2010 in which his right hand was chopped off for allegedly blaspheming Prophet Muhammad, were SDPI activists. “Stringent action will be taken against such forces. Necessary instructions have already been given (to the police) to ensure that such incidents (like the Muslim League man’s murder) does not occur again,” the Chief Minister assured the Assembly, adding that action would be taken after inquiries if there was any failure on the part of the police.” While taking part in the discussion over the notice for auction 67 small oil and gas fields that includes 12 from Assam. Protests have rocked different areas of the State opposing the Centre’s move to auction the 12 oilfields. 0bbPd[cRPbT)6^ec\^eTb72 &# PVPX]bcBPaPbfPcWX´bPR`dXccP[ # 9#" # "")$ :D<0A274;;0??0=Q 274==08 T he Tamil Nadu Government on Monday filed an appeal in the Madras High Court challenging a lower court’s verdict acquitting Sankarachar ya Jayendra Saraswathi, the pontiff of the Kanchi Kamakotipeeth and eight others in the 2002 Auditor S Radhakrishnan assault case. Justice R Subbiah who heard the appeal, ordered notice to all the accused including Jayendra Saraswathi (81) on the maintainability of the plea and adjourned the matter for hearing after two weeks. Monday happened to be the birthday of Jayendra Saraswathi and the appeal against the trial court order is seen by the devotees of the Mutt as Tamil Nadu Government’s “birthday greetings” to the Pontiff. The First Additional Sessions Judge P Rajamanickam, the trial court judge, on April 2016 had acquitted all the accused. The prosecution case was that Radhakrishnan, a former auditor of the Kanchi Mutt, and his wife were assaulted by a gang on September 20, 2002 as a result of the conspiracy hatched by the pontiff. The prosecution further charged that the seer suspected the former auditor of sending anonymous letters in the name of Somasekhara Ganapathigal highlighting the irregularities in the Mutt. Both Radhakrishnan and his wife were seriously injured in the attack. Jayendra Saraswathi, who was upset over the development asked Sundaresa Iyer, the Mutt manager and Raghu, the brother of his junior Vijayendra Saraswathi “to do something to silence the letter writer”. The Chennai Police had registered a case against Jayendra Saraswathi and 11 others in connection with this case. While one accused Ravi Subramanian turned approver, two died during the trial. The pontiff was also an accused in the 2004 Sankararaman murder case. Sankararaman, a former devotee of Kanchi Mutt was found murdered in the famous Varadarajaperumal Temple at Kanchi. Jayendra Saraswathi, his junior Vijayendra Saraswathi and 21 others were listed as accused in the case. But in the final verdict all were acquitted following the failure of the witnesses to establish the role of the monks in the conspiracy to eliminate Sankararaman. @69µcQb]C4@9dbQY^Y^W 602 +),`U_`\Ud_[Y\\*;UbQ\Q3= -," 4" EA90H0A09Q :>278 the entire Opposition. It may be mentioned here that Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan recently announced that the Centre is going to the adjournment motion on the Muslim League man’s murder at Velam, Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala agreed with Pinarayi on almost all points he had used to describe the SDPI but charged the Chief Minister and the CPI(M)-led ruling LDF with adopting a soft approach towards the Islamist outfit. Stating that the RSS and SDPI were two sides of the same coin, Chennithala alleged that the LDF was able to score a huge victory in the last Assembly election by appeasing communal organisations. “This is why the accused in murder cases are said to be getting good treatment in police stations,” Chennithala said. Moving the notice for the adjournment motion, Parakkal Abdullah, Muslim League member from Kuttiyadi, said the SDPI was acting like a recruiting agent of the ISIS and alleged that there was an unholy relationship between the police and that outfit in the Velam area where the murder was committed. The MLA wanted a special investigation team to probe the case of the Muslim League man’s murder. The CM said the Government would consider the demand seriously. Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan refused leave for the motion after the Chief Minister’s reply following which the Opposition staged a walkout in the House. '&""#- * " -D\DODXQFKHV VPDUWFDUGV :D<0A274;;0??0=Q 274==08 fter introducing free nutriA tious noon meal and breakfast for school students in the State, the Government of Tamil Nadu launched on Monday another innovative scheme which is expected to benefit 31.11 lakh students. Hereafter students in Government run schools, polytechniques, ITIs and arts and science colleges can commute freely in Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation buses to attend their classes. They are being provided with Smart Cards which enable them to commute to schools/colleges and back free of cost in TNSTC buses. Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa inaugurated the scheme on Monday by distributing smart cards to five selected students from schools and colleges in the State. The selected students were summoned to Fort Saint George (Tamil Nadu Government’s seat of power) where Jayalalithaa handed over them the smart cards. A release issued by the Government said all students in schools, Government arts and science colleges, Governmentrun ITIs and polytechniques would be benefited by this scheme which is expected to cost the exchequer C504.31 crore. The release also said that the Jayalalithaa-led Government has been implementing various schemes to ensure that students from poor economic background get education without any break. It pointed out that students in the State have been provided with bicycles, laptops with free internet connectivity, nutritious breakfast and meals and also education equipment like school bags and instrument boxes. The AIADMK Government has also launched free sanitary napkin scheme for girl students. The 2016 Assembly election manifesto of the AIADMK had promised a number of scheme to student community in the State including waiver of education loans for those who availed the loan and failed to get employment. 0=D?B70A<0Q 6DF070C8 A ssam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday launched a scathing attack against Congress party, particularly against former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and said that both conspired to break Gujarat’s economy by debarring oil companies to pay royalty to State on the well head price determined by the actual price of equivalent crude oil prevailing in the international market. Sarma said this on Monday while addressing a conference after the first day of the Budget Session of the Assam Legislative Assembly and said due to the conspiracy hatched by the duo, oil producing Assam also suffered. “Singh and Gogoi colluded to break the Gujarat economy as the State was ruled by the BJP and Narendra Modi was Chief Minister in 2008. The Congress could not defeat Modi in Gujarat so they wanted to cripple the State economically, however, it did not happen. Gujarat moved court and court ordered payment of royalty at pre-discounted price with effect from February 1, 2014,” Sarma said. “This, however, affected oil producing State like Assam. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi had often used the issue of oil royalty to criticise the BJP Government at the Centre since BJP came to power at the Centre in 2014. Gogoi remained silent on the issue since 2008. However, when the BJP Government came to power he shouting that Modiji has done this injustice to Assam,” he said. “I would have moved motion in the House today to censor him. However, due to extreme personal regard for Dr Singh, I am refraining myself from doing this,” he said adding that Manmohan Singh did this to Assam, the state which have elected him several times to Rajya Sabha. Gogoi also never discussed the issue in the state cabinet, Sarma said. It may be mentioned here that Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas on Friday last examined the matter of onshore royalty at pre-discounted prices on the interim decision of the Supreme Court dated February 13, 2014 and it was decided that ONGC Limited and Oil India Limited would pay royalty to all similarly placed crude oil producing States, including Assam at pre-discounted prices with effect from February 1, 2014. +"$0 A08?DAkCD4B30H k9D;H (! % )74+&("/, %"#- " &/(4%", '%"+&("7% - ", +&4+*&!"+"." /-"+("*&4&" -&*&&" ' &"4%"4 %"/&"'-&#- " 7%)" ,&!4*"&)"''/"/" 2EJJ 6B?= 3?B@ B B29 @,"!)-'&-*""A+$ '' "$#""' $-4"'&+ %","!)-.$#")"' % ,$= !)-"'%"&-*"" *&"$&" #)",,= %(7" %-),"+*% " +!4"7$&%"%"& %" 7"&$*&#)"+ ; 8 5%,WRPDNHIXQGVWUDQVIHUYLDVPDUWSKRQHVHDVLHU 7H34A0103) RBI on Monday said it will become easier in coming weeks for people to transfer funds between bank accounts through their smartphones. Speaking at the IDRBT Banking Technolog y Excellence Awards function, RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan also made a case for tax benefits to merchants for promoting digital transactions. Leveraging the high mobile density, mobile banking services are being encouraged through inter-operable USSD channel like *99# and the Unified Payments Interface (UPI). “I am especially enthused by UPI, as smartphones become more widely available. Transfers from bank account to bank account will become easier in a few weeks via smartphone through the Unified Payment Interface,” the Governor said. Elaborating, Rajan said a villager needing to pay a shopkeeper only needs to know the latter’s alias – say Ram@xyzbank.Psp to transfer funds. “Neither needs to visit the bank to take out or deposit money, no point of sale machine is needed. With the price of smartphones falling sharply, we are on the verge of solving the last-mile problem,” he said. The Governor said that despite the huge potential, activation rates and usage levels of electronic payment services remain at low levels though growth is picking up. “No doubt, the fear of taxation as payments move from cash to electronic plays a part in dampening activity. As information technology brings down the possible space to avoid or evade tax, and as the benefits... I have no doubt that merchants will push more for electronic payments,” he said. “Some tax benefits to those merchants who show increases in digital transactions, and perhaps innovative 7DWD6WHHOSODQVWRUDLVHXS WR CNFUYLDSYWSODFHPHQW =4F 34;78) Tata Steel on Monday said it will seek shareholders nod to raise up to C10,000 crore through v ar i ou s d e bt s e c u r it i e s including redeemable nonc onve r t i bl e d e b e ntu re s (NCDs). The firm will approach its shareholders at its annual general meeting scheduled for next month, it said in a regulatory filing. It plans to “create, offer, invite for subscription, issue and allot, from time to time, in one or more tranches and/ or series, whether s e c u re d or u ns e c u re d redeemable NCDs including but not limited to bonds and/or other debt securities, denominated in Indian rupees or any foreign currency aggregating to an am ou nt n ot e xc e e d i ng C10,000 crore or its equivalent...” The issue will be on a private placement basis, during the period of one year from the date of this Annual General Meeting (scheduled for August 12) or such other period as may be permitted under the Act....., it added. Explaining the rationale behind the exercise, Tata Steel said over the last few years, the company has been investing in its steel making facilities in India and mining assets worldwide, while continuing to upgrade its facilities in Europe and SouthEast Asia. “The company seeks to balance its growth ambitions with its goal of having a h e a lt hy b a l an c e s h e e t . Growth opportunities are c are f u l ly e v a lu ate d and benchmarked against its cost of capital. Moreover, all selected growth projects are phased keeping in mind the financial health of the company,” it added. As a s t e p t ow ard s improving its capital structure, the firm strives to maximise the use of internal accruals and to monetise its non-core assets regularly to fund capital expenditure, it said. It also seeks to continuously optimise its borrowings by ensuring they are aligned in terms of quantum, risk, maturity and cost with its earnings profile. “Financial markets are very dynamic in nature and it is hard to predict when and which market may provide us with windows of opportunity to raise capital that is cost-effective, has better terms and can help lengthen our maturity profile,” Tata Steel said. ?C8 µ&XUUHQWSRVLWLRQRIUXSHHLVSUHWW\UHDVRQDEOH¶ 7H34A0103 : Governor Raghuram Rajan on Monday said the current level of the rupee is “pretty reasonable” and any attempt to devalue it may lead to a surge in inflationary pressures and “offset any benefits”. He also said that India has to go a long way to reach the per capita GDP level of China and needs many more years of sustainable strong growth. Rajan was speaking here at an interactive session at National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj. “The issue of value of the rupee is a complicated one. Some people think that to increase exports, the answer is devaluing rupee. There are, strictly, ways of doing it (deval- uation), but lot of them require significant actions on the financial system that some of our neighbouring countries used for long time,” Rajan replied to query on the devaluation of rupee to deal with the global slowdown. “It has lot of side effects including...The inflation will pick up in this country if you have to pay significantly more for your imports. You have to pay significantly more for your oil, it will have inflationary impacts. “It (devaluation of rupee) may offset any benefits you get from the devaluation. My belief is that today’s value of the rupee is pretty reasonable and I don’t think we should emphasise moving one way or the other as the answer to any problem,” he said. On growth, Rajan said India’s growth rate has to be stronger and sustainable to reach Chinese levels. He said: “China’s per capita GDP is about four times of India today. So yes, we have a long way to catch with the level of per capita GDP and that means many years of strong sustainable growth. “I want to emphasise here, because a few years of growth will not help. After those few years, we have very slow growth. We need sustainable growth which is why we need systems in place, we need macro-stability in addition to the growth.” He said India’s credit to GDP is 50 per cent, which is significantly below when compared to some of the emerging markets such as China, where the value is 150 per cent.Rajan said growth should not happen at the cost ofenvironmental sustainability. “Now whether just the GDP numbers are not enough to say that we have developed...Absolutely not. It is good we reach their level of per capita GDP without the environmental damage that has occurred in some parts of China, that is also occurring in some parts of India. “We have to have an environmental sustainable development path and also we have to have equitable development path,” he added. ?C8 ways to encourage customer participation, may be beneficial.” Rajan also stressed on the importance of systems that offer security of transactions even to the unsophisticated user and do not place a huge burden of care on them. “There is no point creating security for the ideal customer, instead the system ' # $A>( 05?Q ;>=3>= J apanese mobile giant SoftBank has agreed a cash takeover of iPhone chip designer ARM Holdings for around 24.3 billion pounds, the pair said on Monday, in a major investment boost for postBrexit Britain. “We have long admired ARM as a world renowned and highly respected technology company that is by some distance the market-leader in its field,” SoftBank chairman and chief executive Masayoshi Son said of the deal valuing the British group at about $32 billion or 29 billion euros. Son added that the deal marked SoftBank’s “strong commitment to the UK and the competitive advantage provided by the deep pool of science and technology talent” in the university city of Cambridge where ARM is headquartered. Britain’s new finance minister Philip Hammond praised the mega deal that comes amid warnings about a slowdown to growth in the country after its vote last month to exit the European Union. “This 24 billion pounds investment would be the largest ever from Asia into the UK,” Hammond said in a separate statement. “It would guarantee to double the number of jobs in ARM in the UK over the next five years and turn this great British company into a global phenomenon. “Just three weeks after the referendum decision, it shows that Britain has lost none of its allure to international investors. Britain is open for business and open to foreign investment,” said Chancellor of the Exchequer Hammond. Analysts said the vast weakening of the pound, in particular against the dollar, since the referendum result is making British companies attractive for foreign groups. “We can see in this deal the effect of Brexit and the collapse in the pound as British companies become ripe takeover targets,” said Neil Wilson, analyst at ETX Capital trading group. “A lot more British firms could become foreign-owned quite soon,” he added - also after South African general retail group Steinhoff International last week agreed a takeover of British discounter Poundland for around 597 million pounds. SoftBank meanwhile said it would offer 17 pounds for each ARM share, a premium of around 43 per cent compared with Friday’s closing price of 11.89 pounds. That resulted in ARM’s share price rocketing 45 per cent in early trade today. “The consideration values the entire existing issued and to be issued share capital of ARM at approximately 24.3 pounds billion,” said the company statement. ARM chairman Stuart Chambers said the “compelling” offer for the company’s shareholders “secures the delivery of future value today and in cash”. He added: “The Board believes that by accessing all the resources that SoftBank has to offer, ARM will be able to further accelerate the use of ARMbased technology wherever computing happens.” ARM develops and licenses technology central to digital electronic devices, including those made for Apple’s fierce rival Samsung. should incorporate the possibility of mistakes by the actual customer that we have,” the Governor said. Rajan emphasised that the payment mechanism should be cheap and scalable so that they are suited to the economy where ticket sizes are small but transaction volumes huge. An additional desirable element would be for the different payment systems to be inter-operable – or at least be able “to talk to each other”. An effective process of consumer redressal that allows speedy and fair resolution of customer complaints is also needed, he said, adding that “so long as customers adhere to a reasonable level of care, residual risks should be absorbed by the operator”. Rajan further said that while banks find it “more profitable” to cater to requirements of privileged customers, the digital divide should not widen as more and more digital payment options are being designed to serve requirements of those who already have access, but a large segment of society is left dependent on cash. The Governor is of the view that no technology-based or digital services can be offered without consideration for security of transactions, pointing to a recent spate of frauds (through vishing and phishing) in some segments of payment services. “Banks have a very high level of responsibility when adopting digital channels – to not only ensure security of the channel at infrastructure level, protect data security and personal privacy at system level, but also address the need to build customer awareness on security matters,” Rajan said. The Reserve Bank, Rajan said, will soon be laying down the framework for customer liability in electronic payments. Banks have to necessarily build this aspect into their customer education and grievance handling processes. ?C8 &%'7SUHSDUHVODNK VSO FDVHVWRFRQIURQWWD[SD\HUV =4F 34;78) The CBDT on Monday cautioned blackmoney holders saying it has prepared a database of about “nine lakh pieces” of instances of highvalue transactions whom it will soon “confront” during the ongoing one-time black money window scheme. Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) Chairman Atulesh Jindal, while talking to reporters here, said all those people who have such untaxed assets and funds should come forward and make their declarations before it is too late to utilise the Income Declaration Scheme (IDS) that ends on September 30. “A detailed exercise has been carried out and we have prepared a database of 9 lakh pieces of information (on cases of high-value and potential unreported cases)....It (database) has been prioritised. This is one area to tackle the tax evasion besides other enforcement measures. We will issue them (taxpayers) letters and confront them that we have information. “We will certainly like to give them opportunity to come clean. People should avail this window. We want to say that we have this database and we will make them aware about this. The option is with them (to use the IDS or not),” Jindal said. He said over one lakh cases under this database relate to transactions of over C1 crore. The CBDT boss, to whom the Income Tax department reports, called the IDS a onetime opportunity given to black money holders to come clean. “The Finance Minister has clarified in all the meetings that this (IDS) is not an immunity scheme and any comparison with past disclosure schemes should not be done. We have tried to give an opportunity to those taxpayers to come clean, who, because of some reasons could not report their correct income in the past...Just an opportunity has been given, just a window has been given,” he said. He said the I-T department is “very very serious” about combating tax evasion. “We have an extensive database of information collected from various sources which we are utilising and we will utilise more effectively during the days to come,” he said. As part of the IDS exercise, the CBDT recently clarified that black money declarants using the one-time compliance window cannot pay tax and penalty from undisclosed income to bring down their liability and such acts will not get any immunity.?C8 +8/4JURZVWRCFU 7^b_XcP[XchX]SdbcahX]\XSbc^UcdaQd[T]cRWP]VTb)>QTa^X =4F34;78)FMCG major HUL on Monday reported a 9.79 per cent increase in its standalone net profit at C1,173.90 crore for the first quarter ended June, driven by growth across all segments and improvement in margins. The company, which today announced investment of about C1,000 crore to set up a new manufacturing unit at Doom Dooma in Assam, had posted a net profit of C1,069.16 crore in April-June quarter of the previous fiscal. Hindustan Unilever’s net sales were up 3.56 per cent at C7,987.74 crore during the quarter under review as against C7,712.71 crore a year before, the company said in a statement. “Net profit at C1,173.90 crore was up 10 per cent, aided by a one-time writeback of provision for pension benefits arising from plan amendments,” the company said. Its lower input costs led to 100 bps reduction in cost of goods sold, and brand investments were maintained at competitive levels across segments. “During the quarter, against the backdrop of a challenging environment where market growth further slowed in both volume and value terms, the business continued to track ahead of market with sustained margin improvement,” said @:.C1222# *"# " =4F 34;78) FMCG major HUL on Monday said it plans to invest of about C1,000 crore to set up a new facility at Doom Dooma in Assam, while announcing a change in its management committee after the resignation of ED and VP, Sales & Customer Development, Punit Misra. The new manufacturing unit will be in the vicinity of the existing factory premises in Doom Dooma. It is expected to be commissioned in early 2017 and will augment the production capacity of personal care products for HUL, the company said in a statement. “This investment is subject to receipt of requisite approvals and clearances,” it added. At present, Hindustan Unilever Ltd has a manufacturing facility in Doom Dooma Industrial Estate of Upper Assam set up in 2001. ?C8 HUL in a statement. “Domestic consumer business growth was at 4 per cent, with 4 per cent underlying volume growth and operating margin expansion by 70 bps. The growth was broad-based across segments.” Expenses in the period went up 2.78 per cent to C6,585.58 crore as against C6,407.39 crore a year ago. HUL Chairman Harish Manwani said: “In slowing market conditions, the business is tracking ahead of the market with sustained margin improvement. We continue to make progress on our priorities of strengthening the core of our business while driving operational efficiencies.” He further said: “While the near-term market growth is likely to remain muted, we are optimistic for the medium term and remain focused on driving competitive and profitable growth.” HUL’s revenue from the home care segment was up 6.77 per cent at C2,559.64 crore during the quarter as against C2,397.24 crore in the previous period, led by healthy volumes. “In fabric wash, growth was driven by the premium segment with Surf, the largest brand sustaining its strong growth momentum. In household care, Vim liquids continued to do well while in the water (segment), the strategic interventions taken to play in the wider market are starting to deliver,” said HUL. ?C8 =4F 34;78) The hospitality industry is in the midst of “turbulent changes” at present due to disruptions by new-age technology driven businesses such as Airbnb, Ola and Uber, according to EIH Executive Chairman PRS Oberoi. Addressing the company’s shareholders in the company’s annual report of 2015-16, Oberoi further said that external risks from incidents like terror attacks in Paris, Brussels and Orlando will have a negative impact on the tourism sector. “We view the hospitality industry presently in midst of turbulent changes. With the advent of internet, easy smartphone access and ubiquitous mobile coverage, the business to consumer model has become the norm and the online travel agents are growing exponentially,” he said. Explaining further how the old economy business model is being forced to change by newer technologies, he added: “Telephone incomes in hotels have been disrupted by mobile telephones and ground transportation threatens to be overtaken by companies such as taxi aggregators such as Uber and Ola.” Almost all large hotel companies have changed their business models from asset intensive to asset light thus transforming themselves to pure management companies, he added. On a global perspective, Oberoi said: “The recent merger of Starwood with Marriott valued Starwood at over $13 billion will create the largest hotel company in the world with more than 1.1 million rooms. This would undoubtedly have an impact on rates and rebalance occupancy levels in highly consolidated markets.” Companies such as Airbnb are reportedly valued at around $25 billion, largely underpinned by revenues diverted from hotels to private homes, he said. Stressing on the external risks from terrorism, he said it will continue to bear negatively against tourism. “The recent terrorist attacks in Paris, Brussels and Orlando would have a significant impact on travellers’ sentiment. The industry and the Government must take significant steps to counter any slowdown,” Oberoi said. He also asked the Finance Ministry to accord full infrastructure status to all hotel projects saying the current status is “highly restrictive” and granted to hotel projects in cities with population of less than one million and development costs of over C200 crore, not including land cost or lease charges. In terms of openings of new properties, EIH Ltd, which runs hotels and resorts under Oberoi and Trident brands, is planning to open more new hotels in India and overseas by the end of 2019 as part of its expansion plans. “The Oberoi Al Zorah located in the United Arab Emirates is in the final phase of construction... The Hotel is expected to open in the last quarter of 2016,” EIH Ltd said in the company’s latest annual report. The Oberoi, Marrakech is under construction. In addition to the luxury hotel consisting of 109 keys, Oberoi branded villas for sale are planned within the development. The hotel is scheduled to open in the last quarter of 2016, it added. Construction of Oberoi, Casablanca is in progress. The hotel is scheduled to open in the last quarter of 2018, EIH said. “The Oberoi Al Zorah, Oberoi Marrakech and Oberoi Casablanca will all be managed by a wholly owned subsidiary of the company,” it added. Construction of Oberoi, Doha is currently underway. The hotel is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2019 and will be managed by an overseas subsidiary of the company, EIH said. In India, the construction of Oberoi Sukhvilas near Chandigarh is in the final phase of completion. The hotel will be managed by the company and is scheduled to open in October, 2016, it added. The work has commenced on Oberoi Rajgarh Palace located near Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh. The construction at the site is progressing, EIH said. In Goa, the planning consent for the company’s 55 acre beach front site is awaited. Other Government and environmental approvals are in the process of being obtained. The planning in respect of Oberoi Hotel and luxury branded residences in Bengaluru is presently in progress, it added. The planning and design of Oberoi luxury service apartments in Lusail, Qatar is also in progress. It is scheduled to open in the last quarter of 2018. The development will be managed by an overseas subsidiary of the company. A luxury jungle resort ‘The Oberoi Gir’, spread over 50 acres, located on the periphery of Gir National Park in Gujarat is scheduled to open in the last quarter of 2019. ?C8 *&00 A08?DAkCD4B30H k9D;H (! % GUbUc`USdC3cfUbTYSd*CXe[\Q 8?;RWPXa\P]APYTTebPXSWTfX[[[^^ZX]c^fPhbc^X\_[T\T]c;^SWPaTR^\\T]SPcX^]b ?C8Q =4F34;78 T he BCCI respects Supreme Court's verdict on sweeping reforms in the cricket board and it will work towards implementing the recommendations made by the Lodha panel, senior BCCI functionary and IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla said on Monday. "We respect SC's decision. Will look into how we can implement the Lodha panel recommendations," Shukla was quoted as saying by television channels. The Supreme Court on Monday accepted major recommendations of the Lodha Committee on reforms in BCCI including a bar on ministers and civil servants and those above 70 from becoming its members but left it to Parliament to decide whether it should come under RTI. Former India cricketers Bishan Singh Bedi and Kirti Azad too hailed the verdict of the apex court. "Let's all accept Supreme Court's verdict gracefully & humbly-after all isn't health o Indn Crkt more imp than any personality pol/otherwise!" tweeted Bedi. Azad too took to Twitter to express his views. 5A><;45C) 8?;RWPXa\P]APYTTeBWdZ[P1228bTRaTcPah0YPhBWXaZTP]S1228_aTbXST]c0]daPVCWPZdaX]PUX[T_W^c^ "my stand vindicated, #SupremeCourt accepts Justice Lodha committee report. Wait for my further 1228=443B<4<>A4)B78A:4 "I have always said that I have no fasaction against #DDCA and #BCCI," BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke on cination for designations. If somebody wrote Azad, who alongside Bedi has led Monday made it clear that he will be relin- wants, they can take away both posts a crusade against corruption in the quishing his post of president of (BCCI and MCA) from me. But if you ask DDCA. Maharashtra Cricket Association as the me, I feel at this juncture, the board (BCCI) A bench of Chief Justice T S Thakur "parent body will need him more" in a sit- needs me more than my state association. and Justice F M I Kalifulla also rejected uation when it is going through major I am a person who will not run away from BCCI's objection against recommenda- structural reforms. my responsibilities unless the members ask tions for one-state-one-vote and said that With Supreme Court making it clear me to do so," Shirke told. states like Maharashtra and Gujarat hav- that it will be a case of one post per perIncidentally, under the One-State One ing more than one cricket associations son in the cricket body, the Pune based Vote recommendation by Lodha panel will have voting rights on rotational basis. business tycoon has made his choice. which has been accepted by Supreme 4)" 70AH0=06>ECC>68E4C $;0:7 C>A8>1>D=30C7;4C4B CHANDIGARH: 7PahP]P V^eTa]\T]c fX[[ ^aVP]XiT P b_TRXP[ Ud]RcX^] c^ W^]^da P[[ cWT!!b_^acb_Tab^]bUa^\cWTbcPcTfW^ WPeT `dP[XUXTS c^ _PacXRX_PcT X] AX^ >[h\_XRb fWTaT TPRW ^U cWT\ fX[[ QT WP]STS RPbW PfPaS ^U C $ [PZW bPXS B_^acb P]S H^dcW 0UUPXab <X]XbcTa 0]X[ EXYEXY bPXS)>[h\_XR R^]cX]VT]c R^\_aXbT ^U \T]P]S !f^\T]b_^acb_Tab^]b Ua^\^dabcPcTfWXRWXba^dVW[hPQ^dc! _TaRT]cCWPcbP\PccTa^U_aXSTU^adb7T bPXS cWPc cW^bT _[PhTab fW^ f^d[S QaX]V [PdaT[b c^ cWT R^d]cah P]S cWT bcPcT Qh fX]]X]V\TSP[bX]cWT>[h\_XRbf^d[SQT W^]^daTS fXcW RPbW PfPaSb Pb _Ta cWT ]Tf b_^acb _^[XRh ^U cWT bcPcT V^eTa]\T]cD]STacWT_^[XRhRPbWPfPaS ^U C% Ra^aT Xb VXeT] U^a fX]]X]V V^[S \TSP[C#Ra^aTU^abX[eTa\TSP[P]SC!$ Ra^aT U^a Qa^]iT \TSP[ 0[b^ TPRW _PacXRX_P]c VTcb C $ [PZW X] RPbW Pb P aTfPaS\^]Th B0 0C7;4C4 384B F78;4 2;8<18=6 :8;8<0=90A> JOHANNESBURG: 0B^dcW0UaXRP]cahX]V c^ bd\\Xc :T]hPb <^d]c :X[X\P]YPa^ c^ \PaZ<P]ST[P3PhSXTS0bcPcT\T]cUa^\ cWT =T[b^] <P]ST[P 5^d]SPcX^] bPXS WT WPS_a^Q[T\bQaTPcWX]VTPa[h<^]SPhCWT U^d]SPcX^] bPXS cWT PcW[TcT fPb _Pac ^U P CaTZ#<P]ST[P cTP\ W^_X]V c^ bd\\Xc c^ \PaZ<P]ST[PbQXacWSPh0dcW^aXcXTbbPXS cWTh fTaT R[X\QX]V X] bd__^ac ^U VXa[b Ua^\ SXbPSeP]cPVTS R^\\d]XcXTb8] WXb [Pbc 5PRTQ^^Z _^bc 6dVd Id[d ^] BPcdaSPh bPXS 0\ WPeX]V U[d [XZT bh\_c^\b P]S bcadVV[X]V fXcW cWT \^d]cPX] Qdc cPZX]V Xc bcT_ Qh bcT_7T fPbWXZX]VfXcWWXbfXUT;TcbWTV^fW^ STbRT]STS cWT $'($\TcTa ("# U^^c\^d]cPX]fXcWWX\cWTU^d]SPcX^] bPXSB^dcW0UaXRPbb_^acb\X]XbcahRP[[TS 6dVd Id[d P VaTPc cP[T]cTS \^c^ab_^ac PcW[TcTfW^TgRT[[TS^]cWTaPRTR^dabT A>=0;38=7>;40E4B5>A1A0I8; PANAJI: 1aPiX[XP]VaTPcA^]P[SX]W^fW^ T]cWaP[[TS cWT Ra^fS fXcW WXb STUc bZX[[b SdaX]V cWT UXabc cf^ \PcRWTb ^U cWT ?aT\XTa 5dcbP[ fX[[ ]^c QT P _Pac ^U cWT 6^P [TV Pb WT WPb [TUc U^a WXb R^d]cahA^]P[SX]W^ fX[[ QT aT_[PRTS Qh U^a\Ta 1aPiX[XP] RP_cPX] 2PUd fW^ Xb P S^dQ[T F^a[S 2d_ fX]]Ta ((# P]S !!8cWPbQTT][TPa]ccWPcA^]P[SX]W^ WPbQTT]P__^X]cTS1aP]S0\QPbbPS^a ^U?PaP[h\_XR6P\TbX]AX^fWXRWfX[[QT WT[S aXVWc PUcTa cWT >[h\_XR 6P\Tb P]S WT]TTSTSc^WTPSQPRZc^WXbR^d]cah8c Xbd]U^acd]PcTcWPc8WPeTc^[TPeTU^a\h W^\T R^d]cah 1aPiX[ Pb \h R^d]cahb R^\\Xc\T]c R^\Tb UXabc CWT _PaP >[h\_XRbR^\\XccTTWPbW^]^daTS\Tc^ QTcWTXaP\QPbbPS^afWXRWaT`dXaTb\T c^ QT X] 1aPiX[ 8 fPb [^^ZX]V U^afPaS c^fPaSb QTX]V X] 6^P Qdc 8 [TPa]c ^] Bd]SPh^UcWXbSTeT[^_\T]cA^]P[SX]W^ fPb`d^cTSPbbPhX]VX]P_aTbbaT[TPbT 72 =>C824 C> 1228 >E4A =>8B4 =>A<B E8>;0C8>= 8= 8?; MUMBAI: CWT 1^\QPh 7XVW 2^dac ^] <^]SPh XbbdTS ]^cXRT c^ 1228 P]S <PWPaPbWcaP2aXRZTc0bb^RXPcX^]bTTZX]V cWTXaaTb_^]bT^]P?8;P[[TVX]VeX^[PcX^] ^U ]^XbT _^[[dcX^] ]^a\b SdaX]V 8?; \PcRWTb:P_X[ B^]X P] PSe^RPcT UX[TS cWT _TcXcX^] X] ! # P[[TVX]V cWPc SdaX]V cWT 8?; \PcRWTb WT[S X] ! 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Court, Maharashtra despite being the mother state may not have voting rights along with Vidarbha as Mumbai is the biggest cricket team from the region. However rotation policy may allow one unit to get voting right per year. Shirke said that the board members will be meeting in Mumbai next week as there are a few meetings lined up at the Cricket Centre. "We have to study and digest the 143page report first. The members will be land- ing in Mumbai as there are a few routine meetings lined up regarding the finances. The balance sheet is being prepared. Since the members will be coming, it is only obvious that we will be speaking and the issue will come up for discussion. Together, we will chart a road ahead," said Shirke. It will be interesting as to what decision BCCI president and BJP MP Anurag Thakur takes as he is also the president of Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA). # ** +"B ?C8 Q =4F34;78 e careful what you wish for kid", was British boxing star Amir B Khan's response to Vijender Singh and his promoters' proposal of a possible showdown with the Indian in the coming few months. Congratulating the Vijender for winning the WBO Asia Pacific Super Middleweight title here on Saturday, Khan also reacted to Vijender and his promoter Queensberry Promotions hints at a possible face off. "Congratulations to @boxervijender on the win. Careful what you wish for kid!," tweeted Khan, a former Olympic silver-medallist and WBA light welterweight world champion. The 30-year-old Vijender clinched his seventh straight win and the Super Middleweight title by outlasting former WBC European champion Kerry Hope in a 10round contest. "Mine and Amir's weight categories are different. So, in case he increases his weight or I decrease mine then we can work it out. We are thinking about it, so let's see. I hope that when that big fight happens, it happens in India only," said Vijender. Khan, who is currently in Dubai, recently tried himself in the middleweight by taking on world champion Saul Canelo Alvarez. However, it ended in disaster for him when he was knocked out in the sixth round. The Pakistan-origin boxer had expressed a desire to take on Vijender in India before the showdown with Alvarez. E894=34AD=;40A=C54F C02C82B)140A3 Vijender Singh has had to unlearn a few tactics from his amateur days in his unbeaten journey to the WBO Asia Pacific title, reveals the Indian boxing star's renowned British trainer Lee Beard ?PZ´bBWPWbRP[Tb =^ b_^cX]CTbc ?C8Q 3D108 W who "makes it hard for him in the gym to make him more spiteful and angry in the ring". Beard, who has worked with the likes of Floyd Mayweather Sr besides being the assistant trainer to former world champion Ricky Hatton, detailed Vijender's rise to the WBO title that was won amid frenzied fans here on Saturday. "All his amateur experience has been a huge help for him because he has won on some very big occasions — Olympics, World Championships. By the time he turned pro, he had already learnt to deal with pressure. He was smart and skillful even before he came to me. I have only added to his game, made him think differently," Beard said. "I have tried to make him punch harder and harder and use his jab more. His footwork used to slow him down because as an amateur he used to run around in the ring. The main thing he has unlearnt is the footwork from amateur days with regards to running around the ring. It's no good for a 10-round bout," he added. Beard, who fondly calls Vijender just V, said another aspect of the Indian's game he has tried to improve is his defence. "He is more fluent now, there is bit more rhythm. His defence is also so much better now. Now when you see him in the ring, it is not easy to connect to him because he is walking, turning, his defensive jab has improved a lot. His allround understanding, his patience and control over the fight has improved. He can't be reached that easily. I have educated him about energy because in Olympics it is just three rounds so the pace is very fast. But in pro, you have to slow it down a bit. "When I spoke about energy with him I said 'V, there is a glass of water here, when you drink it the level goes down, imagine that is your energy. So if you are in the fight, and every time you throw a punch, it is like you are drinking and the level will go down. So you have got to be careful that you don't empty it before the final bell'," explained the Manchesterbased coach. rist spinner Yasir Shah has scaled the number spot in the ICC Test rankings, becoming the first Pakistani bowler to do so since Mushtaq Ahmed achieved the feat in December 1996. He reached the numberone spot after bowling Pakistan to a 75-run victory over England in the first Test at Lord's on Sunday. Yasir, who returned with figures of six for 72 and four for 69, has leapfrogged India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and England's fast bowling pair of James Anderson (who missed the Test due to an injury) and Stuart Broad into the top spot after his achievement earned him 32 points. Yasir won the player of the match award in his first Test outside Asia and now leads Ashwin by seven points and Anderson by 10 points. The 30-year-old looks strong to gain further points and create more daylight between him and rest of the field as he is still in the qualification period. A bowler qualifies for a full rating after he has taken 100 wickets, while Yasir has so far claimed 86 wickets in 13 Tests. Pakistan's Rahat Ali, who took four wickets in the match, has also achieved a careerhigh ranking of 32nd after jumping three places, while Mohammad Amir has returned to the rankings just inside the top 100 in 93rd position. There was more good news for Pakistan when its middleorder batsman Asad Shafiq also achieved a career-high ranking in the batsmen rankings. Asad scored 73 and 49 for which he has been rewarded with a jump of two places that has put him in 11th spot. Asad now has a top 10 place firmly within his sights as he trails 10th ranked Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews by seven points. Pakistan captain Mishabul-Haq, who scored his 10th Test century while scoring 114 in the first innings, has moved up one place to ninth, while wicketkeeper/batsman Sarfraz Ahmed has gained two places and is now in 17th position. For England, Jonny Bairstow and Gary Ballance have improved their rankings. Bairstow is now on a careerhigh 16th position after moving up two places, while Ballance is in 40th position having risen two places. *&0 A08?DAkCD4B30H k9D;H (! % ;- C # D 8>0_aTiAP\PRWP]SaP]_[PhbS^f]>[hTg_TRcPcX^]bSdaX]VbT]S^UURTaT\^]h^UAX^R^]cX]VT]c 8fP]cc^QTb_^acb ?=BQ =4F34;78 D espite India sending its record contingent for Olympics with 121 athletes, Indian Olympic Association president N Ramachandran was not interested in putting too much weight on the athletes' shoulders and said that qualifying in itself is difficult for Olympics. A total of 121 athletes, including 54 women, will represent India at next months' Summer Olympics, which is one third more than the 83 athletes participated in the 2012 London Olympics. "The contingent this time is one third more than last time and this itself proves that Indian athletes are improving. It is not just about winning medals but qualifying to participate in the Olympics itself is a huge thing," Ramachandran said during IOA's official send-off ceremony of the Indian Olympic contingent. "If you want the athletes to do well, don't put pressure on them. Creating undue pressure only spoils their focus. So let them enjoy and give their best," he added. Ramachandran also said that he wants the IOA to be self-dependent on the lines of the US Olympic Association. "In the next few years, I want to see the IOA to function like the US Olympic Association. In the US, the association doesn't depend on the government for funding. I don't know if it happens during my tenure or not but I want the IOA to generate its own source of funds without depending on the government. At present the total brand value of IOA is C500 crore," he said. Tennis ace Sania Mirza, shuttlers PV Sindu and Kidambi Srikanth, talented wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Babita and Sandeep Tomar and paddler Manika Batra were some of the wellknown athletes present on the occasion. Also present there at the event was IOA's Goodwill Ambassadors Salman Khan and music maestro AR Rahman. "People have a lot of hope from this contingent, I wish you guys all the very best. I am here from Bombay to give you a send-off and respect that you deserve. I know how difficult it is to be a sportsperson and I know it because I couldn't become one," said the Sultan star. "I didn't have that much `dTT])EX]TbW?W^VPc Vinesh Phogat may be representing India in her maiden Olympics next month, but that hasn't prevented her from reducing her expectations level any bit as the Balali wrestler will be aiming nothing but Gold in Rio. The 21year-old who will be competing in the women's 48kg believes the help she will get from her sisters Geet and Babita Phogat will help her go long way at Rio. She tells SHUBHREET RANDHAWA on how she not just wants to be the wrestling queen, but the sports queen itself strength to become a sportsman but you guys have it and that's why you guys have qualified. Go there and give your best. Please don't come early." F8;;C0A64C58=0;58ABC)38?0 Dipa Karmakar, who rocked the entire nation when she became the first Indian female gymnast to qualify for Olympics in 52 years, said her primary target at the Summer Olympics is to first reach the final round. "My preparation is going well. I want to do well in Rio. My first target will be reach the final first," the 22year-old from Agartala said. "I am trying to improve my score by at least 0.34 points then also it will be great. My practice is going on well and I am trying to improve on that. I'm practicing in Indira Gandhi stadium." One of the highlights of the athletes' career so far was when she 10;;8=1228B2>DACF4=443 CA0=B?0A4=2H8=B?>ACB)6>4; ?C8Q =4F34;78 XYPh6^T[d]X^]\X]XbcTaU^ab_^acb bcPcTS cWPc cWT X\_[T\T]cPcX^] ^U cWT Bd_aT\T 2^dac eTaSXRc ^] ;^SWP 2^\\XccTTb aTR^\\T]STSaTU^a\bfX[[QT^]1228 PbcWTQP[[XbX]cWTXaR^dac CWT QP[[ Xb X] 1228b R^dac 8\_[T\T]cPcX^] WPb c^ QT S^]T Qh 1228 1228 ]TTSb c^ cPZT ]^cT ^U cWT Bd_aT\T 2^dac ^aSTa P]S ;^SWP R^\\XccTT aT_^ac 0b UPa Pb 8 P\ R^]RTa]TSP[[8fP]cXbcaP]b_PaT]RhX] b_^acb6^T[c^[S\TSXP_Tab^]bPccWT ^UUXRXP[ bT]S^UU ^U cWT 8]SXP] >[h\_XR R^]cX]VT]c 6^T[ aTUdbTS c^ SaPf X]c^ P]h ER[TPa[h AdbbXP]X]`dXahUX]SbRWTPcX]V fT]cQTh^]SB^RWX>[h\_XRb 0?Q C>A>=C> A n investigator looking into Russian doping found the country's statedirected cheating program resulted in at least 312 falsified results and lasted from 2011 through at least last year's world swimming championships. The investigator, Richard McLaren, dubbed Russia's program the "disappearing positive methodology." But he did not make any recommendations for the future of the Russian team, saying it was up to others, including the International Olympic Committee, to "absorb and act upon" the 97-page report. McLaren said allegations made by Moscow's former anti-doping lab director about sample switching at the Sochi Olympics went much as described in a New York Times story in May. That program involved dark-ofnight switching of dirty samples with clean ones; it prevented Russian athletes from testing positive. But McL aren, whose report went public Monday, said Russia's cheating also included the 2013 track world championships in Moscow and was in place during the 2015 swimming world championships in Kazan. Russia's deputy minister of sports would direct lab workers which positive samples to send through and which to hold back. He said the 312 results that were held back represented only a "small slice" of the data that could have been examined. McLaren had only 57 days for his investigation, which was commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency after the Times story came out. Time was of the essence because the Olympics begin Aug 5, and decisions about Russia's participation in Rio must be made. 44cYW^=Y\Q^C_bQ] ?=BQ =4F34;78 0?Q ?4B0A> match, which he took, on his third match point. The Argentines celebrated on the clay court, and will take a 31 record against Britain into their semifinal from Sept. 16-18. S erial semifinalist Argentina did it again when it handed Italy its first home loss in the Davis Cup in seven years on Sunday. Federico Delbonis beat Fabio Fognini 6-4, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 in an entertaining 3 1/2 hours for the Argentines to win their quarterfinal 3-1 and advance to their 11th semifinal in 14 years. After winning in Poland and Italy this year, the Argentines go to Britain in September, their fate depending on whether Andy Murray makes himself available in the week after the U.S. Open. Murray, after winning Wimbledon last weekend, did not help Britain beat Serbia 3-1 in Belgrade. Delbonis lost to Fognini in the first round of Wimbledon in five sets, but Fognini was playing here for a second straight day. He played singles and doubles on Saturday, eight sets of tennis over 5 1/2 hours, while Delbonis rested after winning the opening singles on Friday. The first two sets took a similar pat- 2A>0C80140CDB tern. Delbonis broke early, Fognini rallied to level, and Delbonis broke back to clinch each set. They swapped places in the third set. Fognini went up early, Delbonis came back to even terms, and Fognini, despite some racket throwing, broke back and held on. In a dramatic fourth, Delbonis' errors put him down 5-3 before breaking serve to love for 5-4. Fognini had four set points on Delbonis' serve in the next game, but the Argentine saved them all and made it 5-5. Fognini conceded a third straight game, and gave Delbonis a chance to serve for the ;$#*):< ewly-appointed Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho can have an effect similar to the iconic Alex Ferguson at the English Premier League (EPL) club, according to reigning EPL champions Leicester City coach Claudio Ranieri. Ranieri and his players defied odds of 5000/1 last season to muscle in on English football's elite and win a first top-flight title in Leicester's 132-year history. But the Italian believes that Leicester should be even bigger outsiders this time around given the commitments of a debut Champions League campaign and the arrival of new managers at three of the league's biggest clubs. Ranieri's compatriot Antonio Conte has taken over at Chelsea, while Mourinho and Pep Guardiola are now installed on opposite sides of the Manchester divide. "Mourinho can be the new Ferguson. He will not stay 26 years, but he will leave his imprint. Antonio and Chelsea are made for Croatia rallied for a comeback 3-2 victory over the United States, with Borna Coric beating Jack Sock 6-4, 36, 6-3, 6-4 in the decisive match in Portland, Oregon to set up a semifinal against France. Marin Cilic set up the deciding fifth match by beating John Isner 7-6 (9), 63, 6-4 in the first reverse singles match on Sunday after combining with Ivan Dodig on Saturday for a win over twins Bob and Mike Bryan in doubles to keep Croatia alive in the contest after the Americans swept the opening singles matches. Croatia Croatia reached the semifinals for the first time since 2009. It won its only Davis Cup title in 2005. The U.S. lost for the fourth time in 161 tries when leading 2-0 lead in a Davis Cup tie. 8F8;;146>3>5 <0=274BC4A)I;0C0= 80=BQ <0=274BC4A N Zambrotta said. Milan started his senior career in 2010 with the Pailan Arrows where he played for three years before moving to Shillong Lajong for another threeyear stint. He was then signed up by NEUFC first, and then by DSK Shivajians. He has scored 10 goals in his professional career and has also turned up for the India Under-23 side for six times. Milan will be joined by his childhood friend Soram who made his professional debut with Pune FC. He played with them for two years before joining Shillong Lajong FC. He then had a one-year run with Pailan Arrows. He went on to join Bengaluru FC on loan for two years before donning Aizawl FC colours during the recently-concluded season of the I-League. indeed the sports queen. Q What you will do in the last 15 days before the start of the Olympics? I will try to lose weight and I will keep telling myself I have to get the Gold medal. Plus I have to control my diet and train more. How, during the weight loss, there are chances of getting injuries so I will try to be careful. I would also observe other players and notice how they go about it during the tournament. Q How has your recent training been? The training in Bulgaria and Spain was a good exposure for me. Q Where do you draw you confidence from? I have self-confidence from the time I was a young girl. Q Being a female athlete, what will be your message for other female sports persons? I want to be the role model for the women of the country and will aspire each one of them to follow their dreams. I like it if people look up to me. $UJ&URDWLDDGYDQFHWR6) 80=BQ ;>=3>= elhi Dynamos have made a couple of strategic signings that will D not only fortify their defence but will also reach out to the sizeable North Eastern football fans living in the Capital. They have brought on board two highly promising and young Manipuri players for the forthcoming Hero Indian Super League. Soram Poirei is an exciting goalkeeper making his ISL debut while Milan Singh is a dynamic central midfielder who might well become the fulcrum of new coach Gianluca Zambrotta's plans. Milan has come on loan from DSK Shivajians although he has added to his reputation by turning out for North East United in ISL's opening season. Porei has been the stubborn custodian for newly promoted Aizwal FC. "I am very pleased to have Soram and Milan on my team. These two players are really talented and i look forward to working with them. Their names were discussed over the last couple of days among all of us, including club president Prashant Agarwal and the backroom staff. We believe that they fit perfectly in our plan for the upcoming season," STcPX[TS R^]eTabPcX^]b fWT] PbZTS ^] cWT_a^_^bP[^UWPeX]V1228d]STaAC8 P\QXc 8P\]^cV^X]VX]c^TeTahR[PdbT^U cWT ;^SWP R^\\XccTT 0b 8 WPeT bPXS QP[[XbX]cWT1228bR^dacWTbcPcTS >]cWT>[h\_XRUa^]c6^T[[PdSTS cWT TUU^acb ^U cWT PcW[TcTb P]S bd__^ac bcPUUFTPaTbT]SX]V ! PcW[TcTbcWXb cX\T fWXRW Xb cWT WXVWTbc R^]cX]VT]c cX[[ ]^f CWXb R^]cX]VT]c Xb ^]T cWXaS \^aT cWP] [Pbc hTPab FT PaT bT]SX]V _[PhTab X] $ SXbRX_[X]Tb ?[PhTab WPeT f^aZTSeTahWPaSP]STeT]cWTR^PRWTb PaT f^aZTS fT[[ FT WPeT _a^eXSTS cWT\ P[[ cWT UPRX[XcXTb d]STa cWT eXbX^] ^U ?aX\T <X]XbcTa fWXRW Xb ZWT[^ Pda ZWT[]TS^6^T[bPXS logged the highest score on a Produnova in the world: 15.300. Only two of her contemporaries have attempted the Produnova: Yamilet Pena of Dominican Republic and Fadwa Mahmoud of Egypt but none have managed to garner a high of 15.100 in a high-profile competition. Karmakar said: "I know Produnova vault is dangerous. But I have been doing it for two years. You have to take a little risk trying to do something. Since 2014, I have been doing it and I will try to do better at Olympics." Karmakar, who will be leaving for the Games in Rio on 29th July, will be participating in four events at the Brazilian capital - Vaulting horse, balancing beam and floor exercise and uneven bar. Dipa also said that she will try to spread the reach of the sport in the country. Q What is your target for Rio Olympics? India has already received silver and bronze in wrestling, all I aspire for is Gold. I am not over confident but I am confident about myself. I want to prove myself. Q Since this will be your maiden Olympics, how do you plan to tackle the pressure aspect of the Olympics? I play well under pressure, but I don't want to take up too much pressure on me. Q Since you come from a sports background, with your sisters Babita and Geeta Phogat are also wrestlers, how much that you think will help you? My sisters Babita and Geeta will be my pillar of support during the Olympics. Babita is from my village and since I will be able to see her perform I will keep advising her during the tournament. Q Are you looking to be the wrestling queen? I want to prove it to the nation and especially to the women that wrestling is a good sport. I don't just want to be the queen of wrestling but anchester United's heavyweight summer signing M Zlatan Ibrahimovic has respond- each other. Guardiola seems to be the right man in the right place," Ranieri was quoted as saying by Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport on Sunday. On Leicester's aims for the season he said, "The basic concept is to start from scratch. We have won the title, we accomplished something perhaps unique, but now we turn the page. If at the beginning of last season the bookmakers quoted 5000/1 on our chances of the title, this time it's 6000/1." "The goal to start with is the threshold of 40 points to survive. Then we will raise the bar: getting in the top 10, the Europa League, a place in the Champions League and maybe win a trophy from the five in which we will play," the Italian said. ed to club legend Eric Cantona's claim of being the king of the former English Premier league (EPL) champions by saying he will be 'god' at Old Trafford. Cantona, who wore the Manchester United jersey from 1992-1997, welcomed the Swedish forward to the English powerhouse with a message saying the move is the best decision he has ever made. "I have a personal message for Zlatan: You decided to go red. It is the best choice you ever made," Cantona stated in his welcome message. The Frenchman, one of the greatest players to grace Old Trafford with four EPL titles and two League and FA Cups during his fiver-year stint, asserted that there can be only one king in Manchester, himself, and offered Ibrahimovic the title of a prince. "I admire Cantona. And I heard what he said," Ibrahimovic was quoted as saying by the Telegraph on Monday. "But I won't be King of Manchester. I will be God of Manchester." The Swedish striker signed for United earlier this month on a free transfer. Last season Ibrahimovic plied his trade for French Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint Germain. Following a low key Euro 2016 campaign, he quit international football after 115 games and 62 goals for Sweden.