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Wednesday January 2018
Q. With PM Modi’s keynote address at Davos, has India captured the imagination as a biz destination?
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Bitcoin is beset with concerns of high volatility, which is 20-25 times the volatility of stocks, writes Somnath Mukherjee. P8
City
Not a single unit running in the Bawana Industrial Area has received a NOC from the Delhi Fire Services P2
india
The political temperature is rising in Bihar with murmurs of dissent and defection in both NDA and UPA camps P6
world
V-P Mike Pence reiterates to Israeli leaders that Trump plans to pull out of the 2015 Iran nuclear P9
sports Faced with the prospect of a humiliating whitewash, a desperate India would be aiming to make the right selections against South Africa in the third and final Test in Johannesburg P12
Afterhrs Rumour has it that Aamir Khan, not Akshay Kumar, will produce the biopic on music baron Gulshan Kumar
YESTERDAY’S POLL RESULT: Will you watch ‘Padmaavat’? Yes No Can’t say
BSE Sensex 36,139.98
55% 35% 10%
341.97
NSE nifty 11,083.70
PM invites global investment, talks tough on terror DNA Correspondent correspondent@dnaindia.net
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi pitched for a bigger global role for India as he addressed world leaders and global CEOs at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos on Tuesday and invited investors to India. He hardsold his economic reforms back home, and said India is poised to become a $5 trillion dollar economy by 2025. The PM showcased ease of doing business in India to the world’s rich and powerful, and also mentioned three big challenges that the world faces -- “climate change, terrorism and a threat to globalisation with powers of protectionism rising.” While in 2017 Chinese President Xi Jinping cast himself as a steadfast defender of free trade, globalisation and economic openness, Modi took a step forward by moulding himself as a leader of collective efforts and inclusive growth. Modi’s debut at the WEF came a year after Xi Jinping became the first Chinese leader to address the conference. In a 50-minute Hindi speech, he emphasised that the motto of his government ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ was aimed at taking everyone along. Turn to P4
inside Winds of change
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DNA Correspondent correspondent@dnaindia.net
Mobs set fire to more than 30 vehicles — Hanif Sindhi/DNA troversial movie scheduled to be released on Thursday. The mobs went berserk after what started out as an alleged peaceful candle march. The march started at Iskcon,
Slipper hurled in Owaisi rally Mumbai: A slipper was hurled at All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi as he was addressing a rally to seek support of the community against what he called the targetting of Shariat Muslim Personal Law at Nagpada junction on Tuesday. Agitated supporters tried to nab the perpetrator, but he escaped. The Nagpada police has registered a case against an unknown person. The accused has been identified, but is on the run, said Virendra Mishra, DCP Zone 3.
350 markets shut to protest sealing
DNA Correspondent Correspondent@dnaindia.net
New Delhi: Around 350 markets across New Delhi remained shut on Tuesday following the call for a bandh by the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) to protest ongoing sealing drives by civic bodies. While shops in Connaught Place, Defence Colony, South Extension and Karol Bagh were shut throughout the day, some markets in central Delhi were shut only for the first half. Traders in markets such as Chawdi Bazar and Karol Bagh also protested the sealing drive launched by North and South Delhi Municipal Corporations on December 22 on the direction of a Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee. “The traders are demanding the immediate interven-
R.N.I. No. : DELENG/2016/70265
Modi’s Hard sell and India hard talk means biz, PM If you want wellness with wealth, come to India. If you want health and wholeness of life, come to India. If you want prosperity and peace, come to India. You are always welcome
In India, democracy, demography and dynamism are giving shape to development and destiny. People have warmly welcomed the change in policies as the road to a better future
In 2014, after 30 years, Indians provided complete majority to any political party. We have revolutionised our economic and social policies. Our route is: reform, perform, transform
PM Narendra Modi delivers a speech on the opening day of the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday — AFP
PM wraps up with key bilaterals DNA Correspondent correspondent@dnaindia.net New Delhi:Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral discussions with Queen Mxima of the Netherlands, Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Swiss President Alain Berset and Canadian PM
Justin Trudeau. Before flying back to New Delhi, Modi also met a host of business leaders and Indian CEOs. Modi met Jean Pascal Tricoire, group chairman and CEO of Schneider Electric, and ABB group chairman Dr Ulrich Speisshofer. Later he met Marck Machin of Canada Pen-
‘Padmaavat’ stir turns violent in Ahd as mobs torch 60 vehicles Ahmedabad: Mobs believed to be Karni Sena members went on the rampage in Ahmedabad on Tuesday evening, setting fire to more than 30 vehicles outside theatres and pelting stones at shops and malls to protest against Padmaavat. Eyewitnesses said the police did not take any action against the mobs, through the government had earlier promised that it would provide protection to theatres that wanted to screen the con-
117.50
sion Investment Board. The Board is in talks to invest Rs 4,000 crore in India. He also interacted with the International Business Council. During his meeting with the Swiss President, the two leaders are believed to have discussed the progress on automatic exchange of tax information.
Sensex scales 36,000, Nifty tops 11K Mumbai: India’s stock markets have hit a fresh record for the fifth consecutive day as Sensex on Tuesday crossed 36,000 closing 0.96% or 341.97 points higher at 36,139.9 from the previous close. Nifty too ended 1.07% or 117.50 points higher than the previous close ending at 11,083.7 following IMF’s GDP forecast for India coupled with positive global cues. Stocks from consumer durables, metal, realty and IT sectors are among the major contributors of the BSE index growth. BSE Consumer Durables Index, the greatest contributor to Sensex, has gained 52.36% from 15,539.84 in April 2017 to latest 23,676.85. Full report on DNA Money
tells top world CEOs DNA Correspondent correspondent@dnaindia.net
PM in action
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi told CEOs of top global companies at the Swiss Alps mountain resort of Davos that India means business. He met 120 members of the International Business Forum for a round-table conference and hosted a welcome reception and dinner for global industry bosses from 18 countries. Narrating India’s growth story, the Prime Minister mentioned structural reforms done by his government over the past three and a half years to make the country business friendly. PM Modi is accompanied by several ministers, a high-powered business delegation, and two yoga instructors who are taking training sessions for the entire duration of the week-long gathering in Switzerland. Under the tagline of “India means business”, the roundtable was attended by 40 CEOs of global companies and 20 from India. They included Microsoft’s Satya Nadella, Reliance’s Mukesh Ambani and
PM Modi met 120 members of the International Business Forum for a round-table conference He hosted a welcome reception and dinner for global industry bosses from 18 countries Airbus CEO Dirk Hoke. After the meeting, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted about Modi narrating India’s growth story and presenting exciting opportunities for global business in India. The spokesperson also tweeted that the Prime Minister “hosted a roundtable meeting with CEOs of top global companies”. CEO of NITI Aayog Amitabh Kant described the scene at Davos, saying India’s soft power was at full display while referring to Yoga classes and also the PM’s meetings with global businessmen. Turn to P4
IMF chief reaffirms India forecast Davos: IMF chief Christine Lagarde reiterated the body’s forecast of 7.4 per cent growth for India and said it is obviously one of the fastest growing large economies of the world. According to her, future growth would depend on how the country carries forward the reform process. Lagarde on Tuesday said India must continue with its reforms, especially in financial services sector and the one area that needs special focus is gender equality. Report, P7
United Nations: UN Chief Antonio Guterres has ruled out any mediation to resolve the Kashmir issue unless all parties agree to it and asked India and Pakistan to address their outstanding issues through dialogue. The UN Secretary-Generals spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that in principle good offices of the UN chief are always available for mediation, but everyone needs to agree on involving the world body. Asked about escalating tensions between India and Pakistan due to ongoing skirmishes and firing along the border, Dujarric said, “Were obviously aware. Were following this? what’s been going on, really for the last 10 days.” Asked why the SecretaryGeneral is not so keen to involve himself in this crisis, Dujarric said, “In principle good offices of Guterres are always available for mediation, but everyone needs to agree on involving the UN.” “As a matter of principle I’m not talking specifically about this issue, but about any issue where there is conflict between parties, the Secretary-Generals good offices are always available,” he said. “As in any issue, both parties or more than, if there are multiple parties, everyone needs to agree on involving the UN. That is true of any mediation effort,” Dujarric said. “The Secretary-General would encourage both sides to address outstanding issues —PTI through dialogue.”
After dry spell, light rains bring winter chill back in Delhi-NCR DNA Correspondent correspondent@dnaindia.net
throughout the day after the showers on Tuesday. According to the Meteorological department, the minimum temperature recorded was 9 de-
grees Celsius — two degrees above normal. The maximum temperature settled at 17 degrees Celsius — four notches below normal. The weatherman has predicted dense fog in the coming days and the temperature will drop further, with Wednesday likely to have a minimum of 6 degrees Celsius while the maximum will go up by three degrees, at 20 degrees Celsius. On Saturday, minimum temperature will further drop to 5 degrees Celsius, with the possibility of moderate fog. Most residents were caught unawares by the rain and the cold weather.
1,000 more officials Plan to bring impeachment motion against CJI, says CPM for IGI’s immigration
In 2019, Sena will not have truck with BJP
DNA Correspondent correspondent@dnaindia.net
Dhaval Kulkarni dhaval.kulkarni@dnaindia.net
but soon the mob turned violent and began pelting stones at theaters nearby. The first to be targeted was Gulmohar, which saw some stone pelting before the mobs moved to Acropolis Mall. Here they set fire to over 15 vehicles parked outside. “The cops just followed mobs. A fire brigade also followed them trying to douse the fire but no one tried to control the situation,” said an eyewitness. The mobs then moved to Himalaya Mall in Drive-In where they are believed to have set fire to over 15 vehicles and ransacked Turn to P4 shops.
New Delhi: The CPM said on Tuesday that it is in touch with other parties to bring an impeachment motion in Parliament against Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra, 11 days after four top Supreme Court judges revolted against him. “The CPM is discussing with other Opposition parties
SC: States can’t block screening New Delhi: States cannot block Padmaavat, the Supreme Court ruled, clearing the controversial movie’s pan-India release on Thursday by rejecting Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh’s petitions for a ban. The court also chided the two states for failing to ensure law and order. Report, P5
the possibility of bringing an impeachment motion against the CJI,” party leader Sitaram Yechury said. The Budget Session is set to commence on January 29. So far no judge has been impeached in India, though proceedings have been initiated against some. In the latest case, Justice Soumitra Sen of the Calcutta High Court had tendered his resignation in 2011
after the Rajya Sabha passed the motion to impeach him. Justice V Ramaswami was the first judge against whom impeachment proceedings were initiated in 1993. These were cases involved allegations of financial impropriety and extravagance. The current controversy in the Supreme Court involving the CJI, is however, about an allegation that the he was not following established precedents in allocation of cases.
New Delhi: Around 11 am, Delhi and its National Capital Region wore a thick blanket of dark clouds, setting the tone for the weather all week. As rains lashed major parts of the city, mercury plummeted, bringing chill back in the air. The Capital received 4.4mm rainfall on Tuesday morning, ending the 42-day dry spell. Till January, an average rainfall of only 19.3 mm was received. Intermittent rains occurred at various places in NCR on Monday night while the sky remained overcast
DNA Correspondent Correspondent@dnaindia.net New Delhi: The peak hour menace at the Indira Gandhi International airport will soon be put to rest. The Ministry of Home Affairs has decided to hire 1,000 officials for immigration counters in a bid to end the serpentine queues. The home ministry has given approval to the Bureau of Immigration for appointing the immigration
People were caught unawares by the rain and chill — BBYadav/DNA
assistants on a contractual basis. Approval has also been given for the conversion of 350 posts from higher to lower grade. The government also plans to increase the number of operational immigration counters at the airport from 85 to 95 by month-end. According to officials, each passenger spends about 90 seconds at an immigration counter; authorities are planning to reduce this to 30 seconds.
All in a day — quake, flying rocks, lava burst! Shops in Connaught Place were shut for the day —BB Yadav/DNA tion of the government as the basic fundamentals of MCD Act, 1957 have been snatched away and sealing is being conducted in a dictatorial manner under the guise of a Supreme Court order,” said Praveen Khandelwal, secretary general of CAIT. Though it was the weekly off for markets such as Greater Kailash I and II, Kailash Colony and Hauz Khas, their traders still participated in Turn to P4 the protest.
UN Chief’s no to ‘unilateral’ mediation on Kashmir issue
Quake off Alaska prompts tsunami warning A magnitude 8.2 earthquake hit the Gulf of Alaska in the early hours of Tuesday, prompting authorities to warn people to move away from the coast in case it causes a tsunami. The quake hit 256 km (157 miles) southeast of Chiniak, Alaska at a depth of 10 km at 0931 GMT.
Skiers hurt by Flying Rocks on Japanese Volcano Twelve people, including eight soldiers, skiing on the slopes of a volcano in central Japan were injured Tuesday by flying rocks during a sudden eruption, officials said. One soldier later died. Officials had earlier said the injuries were caused by an avalanche, but corrected that account.
Lava fountains shoot from Philippine Volcano Intense lava fountains shot up to 2,300 ft into the air above Mayon, the Philippines’ most active volcano, on Tuesday. More than 40,000 people have already fled since smoke and ash started spewing from the mountain, with scientists warning of the danger of an explosive eruption.
Earthquake makes high-rises sway in Indonesia People rushed outside as high-rises began swaying, while riders were thrown off their motorbikes as a strong quake rattled Indonesia on Tuesday. The US Geological Survey said the 6.0 magnitude quake struck at a depth of 43 km. The epicentre was about 130 km off the coast of Jakarta.
Even as Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was exhorting investors in Davos to bet on ‘Magnificent Maharashtra’, his ally Shiv Sena was announcing that in the coming Assembly and Parliamentary elections, it planned to go it alone. Additionally, it elevated Aaditya Thackeray, son of Sena president Uddhav Thackeray as a party “neta” (leader), effectively inducting him into the core party fold formally. The impact of the announcement was such that Fadnavis had to issue a clarification from Davos that ‘all was well with the alliance’ and that his government will complete the fiveyear tenure. It is believed he had to do this to allay fear in the minds of prospective investors that his government was politically unstable. Against the backdrop of these strained relations, Uddhav on Tuesday launched an attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and announced his party’s resolve to come to power in Maharashtra on its own strength.
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daily news & analysis I NEW DELHI I WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2018
Guru Nanak Eye Centre
Eye Centre to have new super speciality block Guru Nanak Eye Centre situated at Delhi Gate, will have a new super speciality block very soon. The five floors block built on a 0.5-acre land and each floor will have speciality departments like Cornea, Retina etc. This is the only eye centre of the government and sees a lot of rush, the new building will have helped sort the patients and thus decrease discomfort.
Ration dealers to get better returns In a major relief to ration dealers, the Arvind Kejriwal Cabinet on Tuesday approved an increase in margin money to ration dealers by almost 300%. The Food and Civil Supplies department had proposed for an increase in margin money for 2,254 ration dealers in the city from existing Rs 70 per quintal to Rs 200 per quintal of foodgrains. (70 paise per kg to Rs two per kg).
Dancer appointed brand ambassador The East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) has made kathak dancer Nrityashri Alaknanda the brand ambassador of the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM). She is the founder and director of the Alaknanda Institute of Performing Arts (AIPA).
19-year-old sexually assaulted
Not a single factory in Bawana has fire exit
In absence of emergency doors, the fire dept has not given NOC to any unit Sakshi Chand sakshi.chand@dnaindia.net Not even a single unit running in the Bawana Industrial Area has received a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Delhi Fire Services as there are no fire exits in any of the buildings. However, factories are required to keep fire-fighting equipment, which is inspected every year. Besides this, most of the factories have illegal constructions leaving no open area for escape. The Bawana Industrial Area houses around 15,500 factories most of which are divided into 100-150 square metre plots each. The area is small and fails to stick to the original sanctioned plan, and hence the floors are built illegally. On Monday, fire officials were spotted in the area inspecting the fire extinguishers which some factory owners had put for the safety. But, according to the sources, such factories are very few in
Amarjeet Singh /DNA
in brief
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Bawana Industrial Area houses around 15,500 factories
Principal secy to probe bawana fire The Delhi government has appointed the Principal Secretary (Home) to inquire into the tragic fire incident in Bawana. A site inspection will be carried out on Wednesday morning. Commissioner of Industries, Commissioner Labour Department, Commissioner North Delhi Municipal Corporation, DM (North), Additional CP (Licensing), DCP (Rohini), Executive Director DSIIDC and Director Delhi Fire Services have been asked to be present during the time of the inspection. number. “Most of the factories in the area carry out illegal con-
structions as the plots are way too small for them to carry out work. Another is-
sue is that because of thefts the factory owners leave no space in front or back and grill everything which also is problematic in times of tragedy,” said one of the factory owners. Some of the factory owners have three to nine fire extinguishers which they have put on their own and even seek the help of fire officers as and when they need to refill them. Fire officials stated that according to the sanction plan, there should be enough space at the front and the back so that there is space for the fire exit. Also, the factory should be built in such a manner that people can from one end roam around the other end without travelling the same path. The main issue, which some of the owners and workers highlighted, was that the plots are stuck to each other and it is impossible for them to have an entry at the back.
Office of profit case: AAP MLAs move HC Richa Banka richa.banka@dnaindia.net Eight of the 20 AAP MLAs, who were disqualified by President Ram Nath Kovind on the recommendations of the Election Commission (EC) in the office of profit case, moved the Delhi High Court on Tuesday seeking to quash the order. The plea raised questions on the manner in which the opinion and notifications were given stating that the undue haste is arbitrary, malafide and colourable exercise of power. The matter was urgently mentioned before a bench of Justice S Ravindra Bhat and Justice A K Chawla, who posted the matter for hearing on Wednesday. The bunch of pleas would be now heard by Justice Vibhu Bhakru. Appearing for the MLAs, their counsel Manish Vasisht informed the court that the matter requires attention and should be heard. The eight MLAs who have moved the court, according to the counsel, are Alka Lamba, Rajesh Rishi, Somdutt, Kailash Gehlot, Sarita
Prepping up for Republic Day A full dress rehearsal for the R-Day was conducted. It started from Vijay Chowk and headed to Red Fort
The tableau of Jammu and Kashmir displays the beauty of the state
BrahMos missile at display. It is the fastest supersonic cruise missile in the world
approach court The eight MLAs who have moved the court, according to the counsel, are Alka Lamba, Rajesh Rishi, Somdutt, Kailash Gehlot, Sarita Singh, Nitin Tyagi, Madanlal and Sharad Chauhan. Singh, Nitin Tyagi, Madanlal and Sharad Chauhan. The petition stated that “the President of India is not bound by the opinion of the EC and particularly so when the matter relating to the very maintainability of the proceedings was pend-
AAP fires salvos at CEC Rawat on his first day
AAP leader Raghav Chadha Soldiers carry the flags of ASEAN nations.
Allwomen team of BSF performs on motorcycles during the full dress rehearsal
DNA Corresondent correspondent@dnaindia.net
The tableau of Punjab displayed the famous Golden Temple
Delhi Police at the parade rehearsal
bb yadav/DNA
A 19-year-old woman has alleged that she was raped by a middle-aged man in East Delhi’s Ghazipur area. Police said that in a bid to save herself from the accused, the woman bit the man’s finger making him bleed profusely. The accused, whose blood remains were collected from the victim’s clothes, is yet to be arrested. According to the police, the incident took place in Gadholi area where the woman, a class 11th student, had gone to meet a male friend. It was while walking towards the nearby Paper market, that a middle-aged man saw them and started hurling abuses at them, because of which the duo chose to part ways. Taking advantage of her isolation, the man chased the woman and pinned her down near a drain and tried to rape her. It was then in her selfdefence that she bit the man’s finger. The bite was so strong that the man started bleeding and fled the spot. Soon as he fled, the woman also managed to reach home and narrated her ordeal to the family, who in turn, called up the police and reported the crime.
CM Arvind Kejriwal
ing before the HC”. The plea alleged that the notification and the opinion are “illegal, void, arbitrary, ultra vires and contrary to the provisions of Section 15(1) of the GNCTD Act and non est and ought to be declared and quashed”. It also contended that the EC did not give a fair opportunity to the MLAs, despite specific directions given by the EC through its order dated June 23, 2017. It further alleged that the MLAs had not received any benefit, privilege, advantage or power. According to the plea, the notification of the President “travels far beyond the allegations made by the respondent no 3 by embarking upon an erroneous, fishing and roving enquiry against the petitioners and also beyond the scope. Earlier, the six of the disqualified AAP MLAs had filed an application in the HC seeking a stay on the proceedings at the EC. However, the pleas were “dismissed as withdrawn” when the President notified the disqualification of the MLAs on January 20.
Children who won the Bravery Awards wave to crowd present at Rajpath
Air Force contingents marching down at the Rajpath
Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat came under fire on his very first day in office on Tuesday with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) terming as “false” his claim that the Delhi MLAs, disqualified on the charge of holding the office of profit, did not seek hearings on the issue. AAP leader Raghav Chadha said that contrary to CEC Rawat’s assertion in a newspaper interview that the AAP did not request the EC to hold hearings though it was served notices on September 28 and November 2 last year, the party did “respond twice”. “The CEC is lying. We wrote, ‘yes, we want to place our side’, both in written and oral. The EC didn’t respond. How can you not give us a hearing? “Every judicial and quasijudicial body has to function as per law but what happened with us is unprecedented, where the cardinal principles of natural justice were condemned,” he added. In his defence, Rawat said that the “notice was comprehensive. But the AAP did not respond in the context of the notice. Since the matter is sub-judice, let us not talk about it further,” Rawat said. Chadha also dubbed as “illegal” Rawat’s decision to involve himself in AAP-related cases after having recused himself in April 2017 when was the election commissioner. The AAP was in “complete dark” about this, he said. Rawat recusing himself was seen as “an admission of
Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat guilt” on his part pertaining to the allegations that he was close to the BJP, Chadha said. “His role is under a cloud of suspicion,” he said. The AAP’s Rajya Sabhaelect Sanjay Singh alleged that the Commission’s “unilateral action” was in violation of all norms and wondered if the President could not have shown the “minimum constitutional propriety” by meeting the MLAs before acting on the EC advice. “MLAs of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Bengal, Assam and Mizoram have not been disqualified despite their appointments being quashed by the high court. “The EC is showing no enthusiasm in the case relating to Chhattisgarh legislators as the BJP government may fall. Are its actions guided by the prime minister?” Singh asked at a press conference. Chadha also questioned the role of Election Commissioner Sunil Arora in the matter, claiming he was never involved in the case related to the AAP MLAs.—PTI
22-year-old woman raped in Param Veer Chakra winners to address JNU students Gurugram, five arrested Fareeha Iftikhar fareeha.iftikhar@dnaindia.net
DNA Corresondent correspondent@dnaindia.net A 22-year-old woman was dragged out of a car and raped in front of her husband and brother-in-law in Tigra village area of Haryana on Sunday night. Five accused have been arrested over the past two days, police said. The main accused Sanjeet, along with the 3 other co-accused Dharmender, Pawan and Deshveer were arrested on Monday. On their instance, the fifth co-accused Pawan Sharma was also arrested on Tuesday. According to the police, the incident took place when
Caption —Photo Byline the woman, who belongs to West Bengal and lives with her family in Gurugram, was returning from a function with her husband and brother-in-law, in a car. While narrating the horror, they said it was when they stopped near the Business Park Tower in
Sector 56, for the woman’s husband to relieve himself, that two cars stopped by their vehicle and four men stepped out to approach the family while one stayed in the car. “Victims said that the men seemed heavily drunk. They came out and asked why the trio had stopped there and started hurling abuses. When they spotted the woman on the rear seat, one of the men pulled her out and started to drag her to a nearby secluded area. When the woman’s husband and brother-in-law tried to save the woman, the accused men thrashed them brutally. The woman was then raped,” a senior police officer said.
In a first, several senior Army personnel, including three Param Veer Chakra winners, will gather for the Republic Day celebrations at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Thursday evening, in a move to promote patriotism among the students. According to the organising committee of the event, the idea behind inviting the three legends of Indian Army who received the country’s highest Gallantry award -- Rifleman Sanjay Kumar, Subedar Yogendra Singh Yadav, Subedar Major Honorary Captain Bana Singh-- was to send across a “larger message” to the nation. “People have a wrong per-
The ‘wall of heroes’ in JNU campus ception about JNU. We want to tell them that students and teachers at JNU respect our national heroes who are always ready to sacrifice their lives for the sake of the country,” said Budhha Singh, coordinator of the event and an
assistant professor at JNU. JNU is also the first varsity to set up a ‘wall of heroes’ on its campus, displaying the photographs of 21 Param Veer Chakra award winners under the title ‘Our Heroes’, following the lines
of Centre’s ‘Vidya Veerta Abhiyan’ campaign. “We already have the pictures of these legends on our wall of heroes. It will be a wonderful experience for students to meet them in person now,” he said. According to JNU’s Rector-III Rana Pratap Singh, this year’s Republic Day celebration at the University will be more “relevant” as the students’ will get to listen the first hand accounts of war heroes. “Every year we used to organise cultural programmes on the Republic Day at JNU. But, this time, in the presence of our legendary heroes, students will have totally a different experience. They will get to listen their war stories and understand the role of army heroes in their lives,”he said.
tribute to heroes
JNU is the first varsity to set up a ‘wall of heroes’ on its campus, displaying the photographs of 21 Param Veer Chakra award winners under the title ‘Our Heroes’, following the lines of Centre’s ‘Vidya Veerta Abhiyan’ campaign.
According to JNU’s Rector - III, Rana Pratap Singh, this year’s Republic Day celebrations at JNU will be more “relevant” as the students will get to listen to the first-hand accounts of war heroes.
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NEW DELHI I WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2018 I daily news & analysis
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traders unite to protest The CAIT has demanded an amnesty ordinance. It said that the day-long bandh in the Capital, supported by the AAP, BJP and the Congress, led to an estimated business loss of `1,500 crore — this, after several shops opened during the second half of the day to avoid further losses pictures: BB Yadav
DNA Correspondent Correspondent@dnaindia.net Traders in wholesale markets across the city observed a bandh on Tuesday against the ongoing sealing drive by the north and south civic bodies. While some shops remained shut throughout the day, few observed a partial strike and were open after 2 pm. However, all the markets wore a deserted look till the first half of the day. “We observed a complete shutdown in solidarity with the traders who have come under the MCD’s sealing drive. All the shops on Qutub road remained shut for the whole day,” said Harjit Singh Chhabra, head, Sadar Nishkarm Welfare Association. The bandh organised under the umbrella of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) against the BJPruled municipal corporations’ recent sealing drive on the instructions of the Supreme Court-appointed Monitoring Committee, witnessed the participation of as many as several lakh traders across
Here, alleging corruption in the sealing drive means the Monitoring Committee which ordered it, is indulging in corruption —Manoj Tiwari, Delhi BJP president
the Capital. “The traders are demanding the government to protect them from sealing by bringing an ordinance, an ‘Amnesty Scheme’ on building and commercial activities on ‘as is where is basis’ as on 31 December, 2017, notifying 351 roads as commercial or mix land use and increase in FAR (floor area ratio) to protect additional construction,” said Praveen Khandelwal, Secretary General of CAIT. The CAIT pointed out that the day-long bandh led to an
estimated business loss of Rs 1,500 crore and drain out the working hours of about 20 lakh people,” he added. Meanwhile, several shops at Sadar Bazar and Chandni Chowk were seen open after the first half of the day. “Shutting the shop for the whole day would have caused us a huge loss. We already suffered in the last one year following demonetisation and then the implementation of the GST,” said Rajiv Saxena, a trader in Sadar Bazar. All political parties, in-
Despite BJP being at the Centre and in MCD; AAP ruling the Capital, the drive took place
MCD is harassing traders. Request the BJP to stop illegal collection in the name of procurement charges
—Ajay Maken, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee Chief
— Brajesh Gupta, Chamber of Trade & Industries
More than 7 lakh traders across the Capital on Tuesday observed a shutdown to protest the sealing drive in the city and demanded the government bring out an amnesty ordinance to protect traders.
cluding the AAP, the Congress and the BJP extended its support to the day-long bandh. AAP MLA’s also took out rallies in their respective constituencies against the sealing. “Traders are saying the Modi government can bring an Ordinance to stop sealing in Delhi. Intentionally delaying the Ordinance to collect maximum money using threats of sealing(sic),” AAP’s chief spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj said. “We understand the problems of traders and support the bandh call,” said Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari.
If the BJP-led MCD will not take any decision on the sealing and FDI, we will again hold a protest in front of Parliament on January 29 —Gopal Rai, Delhi AAP unit chief
Markets wear deserted look on day of bandh DNA Correspondent Correspondent@dnaindia.net Three prominent markets of the Capital remained shut as traders along with across the city protested against the sealing drive being carried out by the Supreme Courtappointed Monitoring Committee. M Block in Greater Kailash-I, Defence Colony Market and Khan Market downed their shutters on Tuesday morning, bringing business to a halt on the second day of the week. An uneasy calm prevailed in GK’s M Block, which is a major shopping hub, as the alleys remained empty. Businessmen in the market observed a day-long bandh, enduring the loss of business worth lakhs of rupees. The market has a lot of restaurants, cafes, jewellery, garment shops and saloons, all of which suspended work to show solidarity towards the traders whose units have been sealed. Vikas Sahota, who sells clothes from the basement of a small shop, said, “Our fellow shopkeepers are being harassed by the committee. They should give us some time to rectify the violations if there are any. They cannot snatch our bread and butter without any warning.” Talking to DNA, Vikram
of these establishments allegedly did not pay the ‘conversion charges’, which are mandatory for commercial properties running from residential sites after changing the land use. The traders want the state and Union
government to bring suitable law or an amnesty scheme approving the constructions done till December 31, 2017, notify 351 roads under commercial or mix land use and increase in floor area ratio to protect additional construction.
The Capital on Tuesday morning witnessed heavy traffic in many areas due to the Republic Day restrictions and rain. However, the Delhi Traffic Police had earlier issued an advisory informing the public about traffic restrictions put in place for the Republic Day. The areas that saw heavy traffic were particularly the bordering ones. But Mayur Vihar, Pitampura, Naraina, Dhaula Kuan, Mangolpuri also saw long queues of vehicles at peak hours on Tuesday. South Delhi areas like Moolchand and Lodhi road also witnessed crawling traffic due to the bad weather. Similarly, traffic moving from Ashram towards Sarai Kale Khan was also disrupted. “I had to pick someone from Green Park and go to Okhla. It took me more than two hours. The traffic was crawling due to heavy rain. Since there were traffic restrictions in New Delhi area,
Our fellow shopkeepers are being harassed by the committee. They should give us some time to rectify the violations if there are any Vikas Sahota, A cloth seller Bhasin, president, Traders Welfare Association, M Block, GK-I stated, “The response to the strike was very encouraging. There was a complete shutdown. We did suffer losses today as there was no trade but we are looking at the bigger picture. The committee cannot close shops and make us suffer. The government must take cognizance of the sealing
Picture for representation the traffic was also diverted to south Delhi leading to chaos,” said Shahid, who works as a driver at a taxi stand in Greater Kailash. Similarly, Ankur Saxena, an employee at an advertising agency, who said he had to bring his car to the office in RK Ashram only because of rain, but got delayed. “Usually, I leave an hour before as I live in Saket. On Tuesday, I left 15 minutes early keeping in mind the weather but it was worse
We have received no prior notice from any of the market association head. The information was not rightly distributed. Our shop was open throughout the day and we made some good profit as other shops were shut Manish Jindal A shop owner at Mehrauli main market
DNA Correspondent Correspondent@dnaindia.net
The strike is expected to cause a loss of business worth Rs 1,500 crore.
The sealing drive started in the city on December 22 with the South Delhi Municipal Corporation closing down the upper floors of Defence Colony shops and restaurants. The owners
Defence Colony, Greater Kailash, Khan Market, Chandni Chowk, Sadar Bazar, Chawri Bazar, Kamla Nagar, Karol Bagh, Kashmere Gate, Khari Baoil, Naya Bazar, Bhagirath Palace, Paharganj, Rajouri Garden
drive going on across the city.” The traders assembled in South Extension - Part I to air their grievances where leaders cutting across all party lines met them. Bhasin further stated, “Senior leaders from the Aam Aadmi Party, Bharatiya Janata Party, Congress and local councillors visited us and assured of quick redressal. We suggested that some ordinance must be brought in the Assembly that puts a ban on sealings.” Some shops in Khan Market opened around 2 pm while some others remained shut till evening. Anshu Tandon, president, Khan Market Welfare Association said, “We are standing by our fellow businessmen. What is happening across Delhi is sheer high handedness. The buck must stop somewhere.”
R-Day rehearsal, rain lead to traffic jams
The bandh in numbers
Over 500 shops have been sealed so far in areas like Defence Colony Market, Hauz Khas, Chhattarpur, Karol Bagh, Khan market, Civil lines.
Markets Affected
city suffers Heavy traffic was witnessed particularly in the bordering area Mayur Vihar, Pitampura, Naraina, Dhaula Kuan, Mangolpuri saw long queues of vehicles at peak hours than expected. It took me two hours to reach office,” he said.
Ahead of the ASEAN Special Commemorative Summit 2018 that is to be held on Thursday, the Delhi Traffic Police on Monday issued a traffic advisory for the citizens to maintain smooth flow of traffic and ensure a chaosfree day. Senior police officers said that while ensuring a clear and uninterrupted passage during the movement of these dignitaries, traffic at various places like Rashtrapati Bhawan, Rajpath and Hotel Taj Palace, will be stopped on certain roads. Police advised people to avoid Satya Marg, Shanti Path, Teen Murti, South Avenue Road, Dara Shukoh Road, Akbar Road, Krishna Menon Marg, Vijay Chowk, Mother Teresa Crescent Road, Sardar Patel Marg, Panchsheel Marg and San Martin Marg during the day. In addition, the police said that traffic on Kautilya Marg, Tyag Raj Marg, Safdarjung Road, Kushak Road and K Kamraj Marg will also be affected.
I did not close my shop because if no one is taking initiative for a protest or bandh, then why should I. We have not released any circular regarding the bandh because it is Tuesday and 90 per cent of shops are closed otherwise also in the market. 70 per cent of shops were open today Pawan Gupta, A shop owner at Mehrauli market
I had come to the market urgently taking leave from work, as I had to travel for my brother’s wedding and needed to shop. However, my day was wasted as most markets were shut. It is so disappointing that in the fight between the government and traders, people have to suffer Manoranjan Sharma, South Extension
I had to come to buy some essentials. It was raining and I got stuck in a long traffic jam after which I reached the market only to find the shops were shut. I had no idea the market will be closed. Both the shoppers and the traders feel harassed. The government must make sure that the people are not at the receiving end all the time Ratna Joshi, Kamla Nagar
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Dancer turned to robbery to splurge The accused, identified as Adnan Khan, also took part in several dancing shows including Jhalak Dikhla Ja DNA Correspondent correspondent@dnaindia.net A well-known dancing sensation who also owns an active YouTube channel, and is familiar in Capital’s club culture, landed in the Delhi Police custody on Monday, for his alleged involvement in a robbery at a pizza outlet in Dwarka. Police said the accused wanted to splurge money on his girlfriends and therefore hatched the plan of robbery. The accused, identified as Adnan Khan alias Addi, also took part in several TV dancing shows, including, Jhalak Dikhla Ja and Nach Baliye. He even got an offer for a role in a Hindi movie.
outlet robbed
In 2014, Adnan Khan won ‘Mr Uttarakhand’ dance competition According to the police, it was on December 11, 2017, when one Amit Yadav, manager at a Domino’s Pizza outlet in Dwarka Sector-12, had
SSB constable moves High Court against cut in salary DNA Correspondent correspondent@dnaindia.net A 30-year-old constable of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) moved the Delhi High Court alleging that 85 per cent of his salary is being deducted illegally for the money incurred on medical expense for his kidney transplant procedure. Manish Kumar, who claims to have been deputed at hard postings for continuous six years including high altitude mountains and the dreaded Kalapaani in Uttarakhand, claimed that the force was “harassing and coercing” him to repay the amount that was given to him by labeling it as loan, even as it actually is part of his medical reimbursement. Following this, a bench of Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Pratibha Rani on Tuesday issued a notice to the Centre and called for entire records of the constable’s case within seven days. The plea was mentioned urgently before a bench of Justice S Ravindra Bhat and
Justice AK Chawla on Monday following which it was listed on Tuesday. Kumar alleged that he has been receiving a meager amount of Rs 5,000 as monthly salary from the last six months. Advocate Tushar Sannu, appearing for Kumar, claimed that as a result of these hard postings the health of his client deteriorated. “Finally it was found in the medical examination that the kidney of the petitioner was badly damaged,” he said. In 2013, the doctors at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital advised immediate kidney transplantation for Kumar and gave an estimate of Rs 11 lakh for expenditure. However, since he could not afford such a huge amount, he sought for a loan of which Rs 6 lakh was approved by the SSB. The rest of the amount was arranged by his father and friends through loans. Kumar was paying Rs 5,000 as the instalment for the loan which he had to give for 60 months.
tenders & Notices
reported that some unidentified persons with knives had barged into the store around 3:30 am and robbed around Rs 3.5 lakh.
According to the police, it was on December 11, 2017, when one Amit Yadav, manager at a Domino’s Pizza outlet in Dwarka Sector-12, had reported that some unidentified persons with knives had barged into the store around 3:30 am. The robbers allegedly robbed around Rs 3.5 lakh from the store. DCP Dwarka, Shibesh Singh said that following a probe, one person identified as Ram was arrested and sent to jail. “The interrogation of
State raises remission of prisoners In a relief to prisoners, the Delhi government has increased remission of imprisonment by up to one month. A government official said that prisoners undergoing sentence of 10 years and above will now get remission of three months, which was earlier 60 days. The government remission to prisoners lodged in various jails, including Tihar prisons, is granted on the occasion of Republic Day every year. “The government has also decided to increase remission of imprisonment for those prisoners serving sentence of five years to 10 years by two months against the earlier 45 days,” the official said. Delhi Home Minister Satyendar Jain directed the superintendent prisoners (HQ) of Central Jail to make a proposal seeking to give maximum permissible remission on Republic Day this year. The move will also help government de-congest jails in the national capital. The government has also introduced new category of remission for those prisoners serving sentence of three months to six months. —PTI
Ram revealed that four persons were involved in this case and one of them is a dancer of a club, who was roped in as he did not have any previous criminal record. Accordingly, many informers were deployed and CCTV recordings were analysed. Traps were also laid at several places during the drive to zero down on the accused,” Singh said. It was finally on Sunday that a specific information was received that one accused namely Adnan would come to a bus stand at Dwarka Mor. He was spotted and arrested. The DCP added that it was during questioning that Adnan revealed his involvement in the crime.
“A class 10 dropout, Adnan is the son of a mechanic. He started taking dance classes at an early age and also started a YouTube channel to display his dance performances. He also took part in several TV dancing shows. In 2014, he won ‘Mr Uttarakhand’ dance competition. Due to the fame, he was very popular among girls and to earn the money he started dancing in Delhi’s clubs and restaurants,” Singh said. However, since he could not earn enough, he had to drop a film offer. In order to overcome the financial crunch, he hatched the robbery plan, police said, adding that efforts are being made to arrest his other accomplices.
by the river banks
A mannequin head lies beside a hut, on the banks of the Yamuna River —Reuters
Noida bizman receives ‘join terrorism’ SMS Advitya Bahl correspondent@dnaindia.net Noida: Just three days ahead of the Republic Day, Noida Police’s cyber cell received a complaint from businessman who got an SMS, which read, “Bin Laden is our God, Join Terrorism — Jihad”. Just hours after this, a car selling and buying website was also allegedly hacked by a Pakistani. The website displayed “Pakistan Zindabad” on it. The cases have been transferred to the district’s cyber cell and Intelligence Bureau has also been roped in. According to the police, on Monday afternoon they received a complaint at the Sector 24 police sin which the complainant, a business by profession stated that he has been getting messages on his phone. “In his complaint, he has mentioned that he has been getting messages like “Bin Laden is our God, Join hands with Terrorism” and “Jihad” from a very long time to which he kept ignoring. But now, he is worried as he has called on the number a lot of time, however, no one is responding on the number,” said Arun Kumar Singh, Superintendent Of Police (City) Gautam Budh Nagar. In another incident, a car selling and buying website , “http://www.easybuycar. com”, has been hacked for which a complaint filed in Phase III police station. “In the complaint, the owner of the website stated that our website was hacked and it displayed “Pakistan Zindabad” on it. They suspect some terror group of hacking
Last year, official websites of the Delhi University, Indian Institute of Technology- Delhi (IIT-D) and Aligarh Muslim University were also allegedly hacked for few hours. their website,” said Rajeev Kumar, Circle Officer-2 (City), Gautam Budh Nagar. The Police said the cases have been transferred to the district’s cyber cell and Intelligence Bureau to find out the source and server. According to experts, in this form of hacking the hackers hack the DNS server and reredirect the traffic to the account having malicious content, instead of hacking the server hosting the authentic website.
800 government schools declared tobacco-free Cheena Kapoor cheena.kapoor@dnaindia.net
As many as 800 government schools in the national Capital have been declared tobacco-free which means no tobacco vendor would now be seen in a 100-metre radius of these institutes. After sending out 32 letters to the Di-
rector of Education (DoE), the Delhi State Tobacco Control Department has managed to make these schools tobacco-free. The city has 1,029 government schools. In an earlier communication, the department had asked the Central Board of Secondary Education and the DoE, to with-
draw recognition to schools that do not display ‘no smoking’ signs on their campus. “Under the Delhi Prohibition of Smoking and Nonsmokers Health Protection Act, 1996, there has been a ban on the sale of cigarettes to minors, prohibiting the sale in 100-metres radius from a school building, but
it is a shame that nobody ever adhered to it,” said Dr SK Arora, Delhi State Tobacco Control Officer. Apart from the 100-metre perimeter restriction and no smoking in the school premises, the institutes are also supposed to share the contact details of the nodal officer on the ‘no smoking’
Kejriwal may summon docs 350 markets to but not following process: HC protest sealing... The Delhi High Court on Tuesday said Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has a right to be allowed to confront a witness with documents in connection with a defamation suit filed by Union Minister Arun Jaitley against him, but he was not following proper legal procedure. The court’s remarks came during the hearing of an appeal filed by Kejriwal challenging a joint registrar’s decision to dismiss his plea to summon the minutes of meetings of cricket body between 1999 and 2014 in the suit. Jaitley, who was the President of Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) from 2000 to 2013, has filed the defamation suit against Kejriwal who had alleged that there was corruption during his tenure.
similar cases
Delhi High Court “You should be allowed to put these documents to the witness but you are not following proper legal procedure,” Justice Manmohan said. The court asked Jaitley’s counsel to seek instructions on the plea and listed the matter for February 5 for passing directions. Advocate Anupam Srivastav, appearing for Kejriwal, said the joint registrar rejected their plea by strictly
reading the procedural rules. To this, the court said rule of law has to be followed. Kejriwal’s counsel had earlier submitted that the minutes of meetings of DDCA between 1999 and 2014 were necessary as they formed the basis of his defence in the defamation matter. He had said the union minister was the president of DDCA from December 1999 till 2013. The advocate had said the defamation suit was filed in the backdrop of their allegation with regard to corruption in the DDCA, which the CM now seeks to establish. Kejriwal had submitted that a DDCA official be summoned and asked to produce records pertaining to minutes of the meetings of the cricketing body held between —PTI 1999 to 2014.
From p1 “The response to the call for strike was very encouraging,” says Vikram Bhasin, president of Traders Welfare Association, M Block, GK-I. “There was a complete shutdown. We suffered losses, but we had to look at the bigger picture.” “All traders are united against the unreasonable sealing drive,” said Vijay Kumar, president of South Extension I Market Association. Some high-end markets, such as Khan Market, observed a partial bandh. “What is happening is sheer highhandedness. The buck must stop somewhere. The monitoring committee cannot seal us for rules we have not flouted,” says Anshu Tandon, president of Khan Market Welfare As-
Modi’s hard sell & hard talk From p1 He began with how the world has changed in the past two decades — from a time when tweeting was a job of birds to the age of big data and artificial intelligence — and gradually set the tone for India, ready to roll out the red-carpet for the world to do business. He said that India has replaced red-tapism with red carpet and removed artificial borders within the nation by introducing one nation, one tax in the form of the Goods and Services Tax. “We have pledged to end the licensing regime from its roots. We are removing red tape and laying a red carpet. More than 1,400 archaic laws have been abolished,” he said, adding that ‘reform, perform and transform’ is his mantra for development. He said, predictable, stable, transparent and progressive India is good news in an otherwise state of uncertainty and flux across the globe. He told the gathering, while
ensuring peace, security and stability has emerged as serious global challenges, technology was assuming immense importance and deeply influencing the various aspects of life. “Mountains of data are getting created and there is a race to control those as the feeling is that the one who gets control of this data would rule the world,” he said. The PM said that terrorism is dangerous, but what is equally dangerous is artificial distinction made between good and bad terrorists. He called upon leaders to create a ‘heaven of freedom’, where there is cooperation and not division and fractures. “If you want wealth with wellness, health with wholeness and prosperity with peace, come to India,” he said. Referring to WEF’s theme of ‘Creating a shared future in a fractured world’, he said the Indian philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (the world is one family) has become more relevant in to-
day’s time to address fissures and distances in the world. Emphasising how world has changed past 20 years since first Indian PM Deve Gowda addressed the WEF in 1997, Modi said the Indian economy has changed significantly and so has the rest of the world. He said very few people had heard of Osama bin Laden and even Harry Potter was an unheard name. “Also, chess players did not have any big fear of the computer while Google was not there in cyber space and Amazon of that time was about dense forests. Tweeting was done by birds at that time and not by humans,” he said. “The world is changing fast today and there are new and serious challenges related to peace and security and various other matters. We believe in linking people, not bending them or breaking them. But the challenges the world faces are as numerous as they are daunting,” he added.
sociation. All three major political parties — the ruling AAP, Congress and the BJP (which also controls the three municipal corporations) — have extended their support to the traders. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the sealing drive has hit traders hard and if it is not stopped, a number of people will lose their jobs. “The economic situation is already grim,” he tweeted. “It is our duty to protect them.”
signs. The officer can be contacted in case of non-compliance of the order and can fine the violator. “We have also issued guidelines to the schools on the smoking violation and fines to be charged. If not adhered to, their recognition will be cancelled,” he added.
‘Padmaavat’ stir turns violent in Ahd
From p1 Some restaurants and shops downed their shutters to prevent customers from being attacked. A mobile shop was reportedly ransacked by the mob. The police also fired two rounds outside Himalaya Mall to disperse the crowd. Home minister Pradipsinh Jadeja said at least 10 people have been arrested in connection with the violence. Deputy chief minister Nitin Patel added that instructions have been given to the police to take strict action. Meanwhile, Ahmedabad police commissioner AK Singh, DCP sector 1, KN Rao were unavailable for comment. Protesters also blocked the Ahmedabad-Viramgam highway by setting tyres on fire. In Surat, police arrested 57 people with links to Karni Sena.
India means biz, PM tells CEOs
Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Queen Maxima of Netherlands at World Economic Forum 2018 in Davos on Tuesday —PIB India/Twitter From p1 Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra, who had also participated at the meet, tweeted: “Let me add my compliments to you all. You did us proud with your world-beating organisational skills. Every global CEO was floored by the personal touches in your hospitality. I am proud to be on the board of Invest India.” Among the ministers accompanying the PM are Arun Jaitley, Suresh Prabhu, Piyush Goyal, Dharmendra Pradhan, MJ Akbar and Jitendra Singh.
They will participate in seven roundtables on clean energy solutions, development of railway industry and skill development in a digital world. Apart from the usual selling points like favourable demographics, a large Englishspeaking population and huge domestic market, Modi has been luring investors highlighting his latest reforms the Goods and Services Tax that has simplified tax structure, the bankruptcy code and announcement of a $33 billion recapitalisation plan for struggling state-run banks.
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indi 05 SC rejects MP, Raj pleas, clears ‘Padmaavat’ Anandiben is MP Governor
NEW DELHI I WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2018 I daily news & analysis
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in brief
Bhopal: Senior BJP leader Anandiben Patel was on Tuesday sworn in as the governor of Madhya Pradesh. Madhya Pradesh High Court Chief Justice Hemant Gupta administered the oath of office to Patel at a ceremony held at the Raj Bhawan. Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, his cabinet colleagues and other leaders were among those present at the ceremony. Earlier, Chief Secretary Basant
Bench led by Chief Justice of India Misra refused to modify its order staying the notifications to ban film in 4 states
DNA Correspondent correspondent@dnaindia.net
Anandiben Patel Pratap Singh read out the warrant of appointment issued by President Ram Nath Kovind, appointing Patel as the governor of MP. Earlier, Ramnaresh Yadav retired from the gubernatorial post in MP. —PTI
Four arrested with 314 cartridges
‘Larger dams needed in India’
Canning(WB): Four persons have been arrested from Canning station in South 24 Parganas district and 314 cartridges were seized from their possession. The arrested had boarded a Canningbound train after disembarking at Sealdah. — PTI
Thiruvananthapuram: Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal stressed the need to build larger dams in India for increasing storage capacity to meet demands of population growth, economic growth and sustainable —PTI development.
3 firms, NTPC staff face graft case DNA Correspondent correspondent@dnaindia.net New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a corruption case against officials of the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and three other companies, allegedly for over-invoicing inferior coal imported from Indonesia between 2012-15. The scam caused caused a total loss of Rs 487 crore. The CBI registered a case based on an inquiry by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI). The DRI has probed the allegations and served notices to the parties concerned. The DRI alleged that officials of NTPC, Metals and Minerals Trading Corporation (MMTC), Aravali Power Company Limited (APCPL) and Chennai-based Coastal Energy Private Limited (CEPL) cheated the government exchequer of Rs 487 crore by importing inferior quality coal from 2011-12 to 2014-15. APCPL is a joint venture company with 50 percent share of NTPC Ltd, 25 percent of Haryana Power Generation Company Ltd and 25 percent of Indraprastha Power Generation Company Ltd of Delhi government. The company also runs coal based thermal power plants. The agency has filed a case for criminal conspiracy cheating and provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act against Ahmed A R Buhari, promoter of CEPL, unidentified officials of NTPC, MMTC and APCPL.
For representation
loss figures The scam caused caused a total loss of Rs 487 crore. The CBI registered a case based on an inquiry by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI). The DRI has probed the allegations and served notices to the parties concerned. As per the FIR, the NTPC and APCPL had floated global tenders for the supply of imported coal of a certain grade and quality. The grade and quality of the coal are crucial for achieving certain levels of power plant operations. The MMTC and CEPL emerged successful bidders for the supply of coal. The CEPL instead of importing coal from Indonesia directly, routed their supply through Dubai-based sister concerns, enabling them to manipulate invoiced and quality certification. CEPL entered into agreements with its sister concerns in Dubai and MMTC entered into tripartite agreements with CEPL and its sister concerns in Dubai.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court pulled up Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh for failing to control the law and order situation over the release of the Padmaavat. The bench led by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra along with Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud refused to modify its order staying the notifications or orders to ban the film in four states. Taking exception to the growing violence towards the release of the film, CJI Misra pointed out that if people had a problem with the film, they could choose to avoid watching it. “Look, we have passed an order. 100 people cannot create some problem in a particular area and the state cannot say there is a law and order problem. Let us not come to a stage where exhibition of a movie of this nature after issuance of certificate is crippled. Let those who don’t like the movie not watch it,” he said. The bench that also comprised Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud remarked, “People should understand that a statutory body (censor board) has taken the decision and we have also passed an order, so abide by it.” Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the two states persisted in his efforts and submitted, “If an occasion arises we should be allowed to stop screening in some areas on ground of public order.” To which, Justice AM Khanwilkar said, “you are preempting law and order problem. First implement our order and then come to us if there is an issue.” “It is implicit in your argument that you cannot handle law and order problem,” Justice Khanwilkar added. “Your whole petition is based on the premise that the
Two Rajput organisations - Karni Sena and Akhil Bharatiya Kshatriya Mahasabha — are on the forefront of the agitation
MP to move Supreme Court again Bhopal: Hours after the Supreme Court refused to modify its earlier order on ‘Padmaavat’, Madhya Pradesh Law Minister on Tuesday said that they would again approach the apex court. “We are talking to legal experts to ensure that we abide by Supreme Court decision but at the same
We will go among the public now. A Janta curfew will be imposed on film halls across the country when Padmaavat is released. Lokendra Singh Kalvi, chief patron, Karni Sena film is a distortion of history,” Justice Chandrachud quipped. Two Rajput organisations - Karni Sena and Akhil Bharatiya Kshatriya Mahasabha, who are on the forefront of the agitations submitted an application suggesting that a film must be “made for uniting the society and not to break it”.
time respect sentiments of the people. We will also explore options to again approach the court,” Rampal Singh said. Meanwhile, Rajasthan Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria said that they have no other option than to maintain law and order situation in the state post top court’s order. —ANI
Maha ministers divided on Padmaavat
Jaipur: The Karni Sena said on Tuesday that a ‘Janta curfew’ will be imposed on cinema halls across the country if Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Padmaavat’ was released. “We will go among the public now. Janta curfew will be imposed on film halls across the country when the film is released,” Lokendra Singh Kalvi, chief patron of the group, said. He said a ‘janta’ curfew on cinema halls meant the public will stop the film from being exhibited. We have asked the cinema hall owners and distributors to support us, he said. Kalvi said he had visited various states and sought support from chief ministers against the film. The organisation, which is opposing the film, said that it had asked distributors to not purchase rights of the movie. The Cinema Owners and Exhibitors Association of In-
DNA Correspondent correspondent@dnaindia.net
Lokendra Singh Kalvi dia (COAEI) has written a letter to the Home ministry seeking security outside theatres screening Padmaavat. The association has also advised theatres that they should show the film after ensuring proper security. Several incidents of violent protests are being surfaced in different parts of the nation against the release of the Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s magnum-opus. In some states, including Uttar Pradesh, Telangana and Har—Agencies yana.
Padmavati kin question film, Bhansali’s rationale Sangeeta Pranvendra sangeeta.pranvendra@dnaindia.net
Jaipur: The erstwhile royal family of Mewar, that is known to have decended from the queen Padmavati, has raised questions about the certification process of Padmaavat and also the ethics of its director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Vishvaraj Singh, son of erstwhile king Mahendra Singh has also questioned the ration-
lighting of the lamps
ale of Bhansali in extending an invitation to him to preview the film. Singh has also written to the Prime Minister and Chief
Minister of Rajasthan and raised several pertinent points. Speaking to DNA Vishvaraj Singh said, “The present situation and crisis could have been averted had timely notice been taken of the conduct of firstly the filmmaker and then the CBFC.” Singh flayed Bhansali and questioned his ethics “I cannot be sure what lengths Bhansali can go to for his movie.
Joint group to tackle environment issues
Devotees light lamps at Shiv Yogi Moni Swami’s camp in Sangam, the confluence of the rivers Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati during the annual Magh Mela festival in Allahabad —PTI
‘Jan 23 should have been a national holiday’
DNA Correspondent correspondent@dnaindia.net
Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee hit out on the Central government on Tuesday at an event put up on the 121st birth anniversary of Subhas Chandra Bose alleging that not all his files have been declassified, and for not declaring January 23 a national holiday. “How did Netaji disappear? Will won’t the nation know the truth as to what happened to this national leader? It is a shame that we
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mamata said
Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee don’t know what happened to him after 1941. Files related to that have not been declassified. The next generation has the right to
West Bengal had announced Jan 23as a national holiday, years ago. The present government at the Centre is unable to show any respect to him and it is best not to expect anything from them. know and there should be a time-bound investigation into what happened to him,” Mamata said. She said that she had put forward a small
request of declaring Netaji’s birthday as a national holiday and the Centre could not even do that. “The national freedom fighter is yet to be paid his due respect. The state had announced it as a national holiday, years ago. The present government at the Centre is unable to show any respect to him and it is best not to expect anything from them,” she said. She also criticised the Centre for doing away with the planning commission.
New Delhi: With the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change at the helm, a joint-working group of all scientific ministries has been formed to tackle issues such as air pollution, climate change and solid waste management. Union Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan is currently incharge of all scientific ministries and he chaired a meeting with officials from the concerned departments on Monday. The joint-working group, comprising of top officials of environment ministry, earth sciences ministry and ministry of science and technology, will meet every month and the minister will chair a meeting every quarter. The department of scientific and industrial research, department of biotechnology and department of scientific and industrial research under the ministry of science and technology will also be a part of this working group. Vardhan said that there was a need for all the scientific departments to work in cohesion and collaborate on specific projects to provide solutions in a time-bound manner. “The focus of the joint-working group has to be
Mumbai: Maharashtra Minister of for Home Deepak Kesarkar told media persons that it is responsibility of the Home department to provide adequate security for incident-free release of the film. He said that his department would provide security and has already in contact with theatre owners in the state in this regard. However, despite the Supreme Court verdict in favor of Padmaavat, the movie made by Sanjay Leela Bhansali which is set to release, Maharashtra Minister for Tourism Jaikumar Rawal has appealed against watching it. Rawal spoke to media persons at at Mantralaya on Tuesday and appealed that people don’t watch it. When asked as to was it fair on his part as a minister to appeal so, Rawal said, in addition to being a minister, he is a human being and would not like anyone to watch a distortion of history. Kesarkar said that if at all Minister Jaikumar Rawal has said anything in this regard, he has right to have personal opinion since he hails from the Rajput community. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had taken a stand of not interfering even during the controversy.
mns support The Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has jumped into the fray and claimed it would ensure that the release of the movie in Maharashtra was smooth.
J&K hands over minor’s rape probe to police DNA Correspondent correspondent@dnaindia.net
DNA Correspondent correspondent@dnaindia.net
OP Singh takes charge as UP DGP Lucknow: The 1983-batch IPS officer, OP Singh, finally took charge of the Director General Police (DGP) of Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday 23, days after his appointment on December 31. His relieving file was finally cleared by the PMO on January 20. He was relieved from the central deputation where he was serving as the Director General (DG) CISF. Singh is returning to his home cadre afOP Singh ter four years at the Centre. He is the third IPS officer under the Yogi Adityanathgovernment in the last 10 months to serve as the DGP of the Uttar Pradesh Police. Earlier, Javeed Ahmed and Sulkhan Singh were the DGP under the present regime. Straight from the airport, Singh drive to Hanuman Temple to pay obeisance before taking the charge. “Crime will continue to happen and our job is to deal effectively with it. The encounter drive will continue and my priority will be to strengthen law and order situation further in the state.”
Janta curfew on film release: Karni Sena
not only creating technology, but look at the entire delivery chain, where we are able to prove the technology and then scale it up”, Dr. Harsh Vardhan said. “This requires convergence between one who has the technology and the other who needs the technology”, he added. While the first meeting did not identify and initiate work on any specific projects, the minister urged departments to identify 10 priority areas. Officials from the ministry said that curbing air pollution, creation solutions for climate change adaptation and water conservation are some of the issues that were discussed in the first meeting. Officials added that the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research is already working on creating smokeless firecrackers in the wake of pollution generated by bursting of crackers during festivals across the country.
Srinagar: The Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP-BJP government on Tuesday handed over the alleged rape and murder case of an eight-year-old tribal nomad girl to the Crime Branch of the Jammu and Kashmir police. The body of the girl was found near the jungles at Rasana village of Hiranagar in Kathua district on January 17, a week after she went missing near her home in Kota village. The girl’s family had alleged that she was raped before being murdered given the nature of wounds on her body. The police have only registered a case of murder and abduction and not rape as demanded by the family. The alleged rape and murder has snowballed into a major controversy with Opposition parties gunning for the Mufti-led government. Jammu and Kashmir Minister for Revenue and Parliamentary Affairs, Abdul Rehman Veeri told the Legislative Assembly, “The government has accorded sanction to the transfer of the case to Crime branch for further investigation”, said Veeri. Additional Director General of Police, State Crime Branch later constituted a Special Investigation Team.
Former IIT graduate Come together: Displays on 50 yrs of The Beatles sells paintings in DC Arshad Ali arshad.ali@dnaindia.net
what was happening in her life. The group of three youths Kolkata: A former IIT-ian met Jayshri Gill and after was found on a Washtalking to her, put up a ington footpath, selling video and her photopaintings to eke out a graph on Facebook, living. along with her details The 50-year-old IITfor those who can offer Kharagpur graduate her a job. She said she has been living in a had lost all her IDs and small hotel of Bellevue only retained photosince 2016, when she copies. Gill used to lost her passport and Jayshri Gill have a regular job till other documents. A 2014 but then things group of Indians stumbled went haywire in her life. She upon the software engineer, used to share an apartment whose family members claim with few others but had to that they had no inkling of leave the place.
New Delhi: In rumpled white kurtas and pyjamas, John Lennon and Paul McCartney strum their guitars on the steps of a verandah. Ringo Starr, a bit out of place in a long coat, looks on. With marigold garlands around their necks, Starr and McCartney -- this time with George Harrison -- sit crosslegged on a dais, in front of yoga guru Mahesh Yogi, and with a host of others. The stills, among the many photographs that capture the seven weeks the Fab Four spent in the yogi’s ashram near the Ganges, will be on display in Liverpool, UK, from next month to mark 50 years of The Beatles in India, an
The Beatles with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi during their visit to Rishikesh in 1968. event that will also be celebrated by the ashram, organisers said. One of the sitars of composer-instrumentalist Ravi
Shankar, who famously introduced The Beatles to Hindustani classical music, will also be on display at Liverpool. The two-year exhibition
will be part of a permanent museum called The Beatles Story in the hometown of the four. In February 1968, The Beatles -- John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney -- travelled to Rishikesh in what is now Uttarakhand to learn transcendental meditation at the Chaurasi Kutia Ashram of Mahesh Yogi. They wrote around 48 songs during their seven-week stay at the centre, now known as the Beatles Ashram. Among them were “Ob-la-di, Ob-lada”, “Back In The USSR” and “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”. The exhibition -- Beatles in
India -- is scheduled to open to the public in the museum dedicated to the band in Liverpool on February 16, 50 years to the day that Lennon, with wife Cynthia, and Harrison, with wife Pattie Boyd, arrived in India. “Beatles in India will look at this key and relatively secretive part of the Beatles’ story... with never-before-seen memorabilia, imagery and personal accounts from the people who were there with the band in 1968,” Dave Milner, marketing and PR executive of The Beatles Story, told PTI from Liverpool. Shankar’s sitar, he said, has been loaned to the museum by the Ravi Shankar Foundation. —PTI
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Chadha banned from religious events Amritsar: The Akal Takhat, the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs, on Tuesday prohibited former president of charitable-cum educational body Chief Khalsa Dewan Charanjit Singh Chadha from taking part in any religious, political, educational functions for the next two years. Chadha, who was earlier removed by the Chief Khalsa Dewan trust members after his purported objectionable video with a female principal went viral on social media, appeared before the five Sikh head priests headed by Jatehdar Akal Takhat herse. —PTI
‘Ulterior motive’ in scrapping airport tenders: Oppn
Amaravati: There was an “ulterior motive” behind the Andhra Pradesh government’s move of cancelling tenders for an international airport at Bhogapuram, opposition parties have alleged, even as fresh details have emerged on the offer made by the AAI, which had won the —PTI bid.
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son mulls Talks of defection heat up Bihar Stalin’s career in politics After conviction of RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, both NDA and UPA camps look to switch over Vithika Salomi vithika.salomi@dnaindia.net Patna: The political temperature in Bihar is rising with murmurs of dissent in leaders from both NDA and UPA camps. Talks of split in both factions gained momentum, especially after conviction of RJD President Lalu Prasad Yadav, one of the key players in Bihar politics. A section of the Congress leaders in Bihar have openly digressed from the party lines on several issues, indicating a widening rift between its factions. Congress MLC Ram Chandra Bharti not only participated in the January 21 anti-dowry human chain on CM Nitish Kumar’s call, he also questioned his party’s decision to side with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on this issue. Both the Congress and the RJD had distanced itself from the human chain. Earlier, on Makar Sankranti, ex-president of Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee Ashok Choudhary par-
political scene in bihar Earlier, on Makar Sankranti, ex-president of Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee Ashok Choudhary participated in a feast hosted by the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) state chief Bashishtha Narayan Singh.
We know that Rajya Sabha polls are at hand and all legislators need to be kept together if the RJD-Congress combine hope to win three of the six seats coming up for election. A Bihar Congress leader ticipated in a feast hosted by the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) state chief Bashishtha Narayan Singh. Though Choudhary maintained that
his participation was purely due his personal relationship with Singh, it sent ripples in the political circles in the state. “We know that Ra-
sniffing for trouble
Police officers patrol railway tracks with a sniffer dog, ahead of India’s Republic Day celebrations in Guwahati on Tuesday —Reuters
BJP releases book to fire fresh salvo at Tripura CM DNA Correspondent correspondent@dnaindia.net
lish for wider appeal. Releasing the book, Madhav said, “It will help remove misconceptions about Manik Sarkar government by bring-
ing out the facts in public domain.” Hitting out at the popular people’s friendly image of Manik Sarkar government, Madhav said the perception is a smoke screen. BJP’s Tripura in-charge, Sunil Devdhar said the image of a honest leader that Manik Sarkar has made is a virtual reality like the Drishyam film and the book will bust this myth. He claimed that the situation of women was grave in Tripura as they are not safe and the police have been ordered not to file FIR on crimes perpetrated against them.
HC:Marriage registry can happen via video
TN AAP protest against MLAs’ disqualification
Kochi: The Kerala High Court has permitted an Indian couple living in the US to appear before the registrar at Kollam through video conferencing to get their marriage registered to seek permanent American resident status. The court gave the direction while considering a plea filed by Pradeep K Cletus and Beryl Pradeep, who cited certain difficulties in returning to the US if they come to India now for the marriage registration, which was required for to apply for permanent resident status. Justice P B Suresh Kumar in his recent order directed the Kollam registrar to permit them to appear before him through video conferencing for registering their marriage. The judge also said that the power holder of the petitioners should be allowed to sign in the marriage register on behalf of the couple. Pradeep married Beryl at St Casimir’s Church, Kadavoor in Kollam district on January 1, 2000. He took up a foreign assignment in Ireland in 2001 and was residing there with his family since then. During 2009, the couple
Chennai: The Tamil Nadu unit of Aam Aadmi Party on Tuesday staged a protest here against the disqualification of the party’s 20 MLAs in Delhi for holding offices of profit. State AAP convenor SAN Vasigaran led the agitation of party workers at Saidapet against the disqualification of the MLAs. The protesters carried brooms, the party’s symbol, at the protest. Police said they briefly detained the agitating AAP workers. President Ram Nath Kovind had on January 21 accepted the recommendation of the Election Commission (EC) to disqualify 20 MLAs of Delhi’s ruling AAP for holding offices of profit. A notification issued by the law ministry had quoted the president as saying that in the light of the opinion expressed by the EC, the 20 MLAs were disqualified. The AAP MLAs were appointed parliamentary secretaries and their appointment was described as them holding offices of profit by a petitioner. The 20 legislators, who later moved the Delhi High Court against their disqualification, withdrew their petitions challenging EC. —PTI
New Delhi: The BJP is not leaving out any medium to attack the Manik Sarkar-led CPM government in Tripura that often is described as a people-friendly government run by a simple chief minister. Firing fresh salvo from its arsenal, the BJP leaders led by national general secretary Ram Madhav released a book titled “Manik Sarkar – Real and the Virtual” at Delhi’s Constitution Club. The book originally written in Marathi has been translated in Hindi and Eng-
jya Sabha polls are at hand and all legislators need to be kept together if the RJDCongress combine hope to win three of the six seats
Tripura CM Manik Sarkar
For representation
the order Justice PB Suresh Kumar in his recent order directed the Kollam registrar to permit them to appear before him through video conferencing for registering their marriage. acquired Irish citizenship and in 2016 they relocated to the US on the strength of a L-1 Visa which Pradeep holds and L-2 visa by Beryl and their children. In their petition, Pradeep and Beryl submitted that so as to apply for permanent resident status in US, they need to provide their marriage certificate issued by the competent authority of their country along with —PTI their applications.
G Jagannath g.jagannath@dnaindia.net Chennai: Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam working president MK Stalin’s son and producer-turned-actor Udhayanidhi expressed his wish to take up an active role in politics in the view of many actors – Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan – taking a political plunge. The 40-year-old Udhayanidhi will be the third generation politician from the family of DMK chief M Karunanidhi following his father Stalin, uncle Alagiri and aunt Kanimozhi. “I had campaigned for my father in the Thousands Lights Assembly seat and for Thalaivar (Karunanidhi). I had accompanied my father during his several campaigning tours. After I started working in movies, I had kept myself away from the politics. Now all the actors are entering politics. So I think it is time for me to play an active role,” Udhayanidhi said in an interview to a Tamil website. Both Rajinikanth and Haasan, the two top actors of Tamil cinema, have an-
Udhayanidhi nounced their political forays, proposing to float their political parties in the coming days. Udhayanidhi made turned producer after launching Red Giant Movies in 2008 producing actor Vijay starrer Kuruvi. After producing a string of hit movies, he made a debut as hero in 2012. He has acted in the lead role in eight movies with only two movies succeeding in the box office. Apart from his social media posts in support of his father or DMK, he had kept himself away from the politics. But his participation in the DMK’s day-long fast condemning incidents involving trust motion in the state assembly in February last year created a lot of buzz.
Gutkha probe report submitted to HC DNA Correspondent correspondent@dnaindia.net
‘More than 10mn tourists visited India in 2017’
New Delhi: For the first time, annual foreign tourist arrivals in the country have crossed the 10- million mark in 2017, Tourism Minister K J Alphons said today. Speaking at a function organised by the National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology (NCHMCT) in Noida, the minister said that the sector saw a growth of 15.6 per cent in 2017 over 2016. Tourism in India alone earned Rs 1,80,379 crore —PTI in 2017.
Senior BJP leader and Bihar health minister Mangal Pandey said many members of the Congress and RJD feel stifled and were mulling to switch over. However, the defections may not be one sided, as claimed by the Congress leader in his counter-attack, as both camps in Bihar were dissatisfied.
coming up for election,” said a Bihar Congress leader. Senior BJP leader and Bihar health minister Mangal Pandey said many members of the Congress and RJD feel stifled and were mulling to switch over. However, the defections may not be one sided, as claimed by the Congress leader in his counterattack. Of late, ex-Bihar CM Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular (HAM-S) has shown a soft corner towards RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav. HAM-S leader Brishen Patel called on incarcerated Lalu in Ranchi fuelling talks of a split in the NDA. Patel said Lalu was also one of his old leaders and he had come to know about his well-being. It is also known that Manjhi too shares good terms with the RJD president. Besides the RJD, Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha (RLSP) too had expressed sympathy towards Lalu and family over the ongoing cases against them.
Chennai: The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption on Tuesday filed a status report on its probe into the gutkha scam in a sealed cover before the Madras High court on Tuesday. The first Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Indira Banerjee adjourned the hearing to Wednesday after the Income Tax department supported DMK MLA J Anbalagan’s plea seeking CBI probe into the gutkha scam case in which bribes were allegedly paid to a Tamil Nadu minister and top officials to “facilitate” the sale of banned gutkha in the state. The income tax depart-
Gutkha scam In the gutkha scam case, bribes were allegedly paid to a Tamil Nadu minister and top officials to “facilitate” the sale of banned gutkha in the state. DMK MLA J Anbalagan’s plea sought a CBI probe into the scam.
ment had informed the court on January 12 that its confidential letter seeking action against those involved in the scam was seized from a room occupied by expelled AIADMK leader Sasikala in the Poes Garden residence of Jayalalithaa during a search on
November 17, 2017. This information was disclosed in an affidavit submitted by the principal director of income tax, Chennai, Susie Babu Varghese, on a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by DMK MLA J Anbazhagan for a CBI probe into the al-
leged scam. As the DMK legislator’s counsel wondered how did IT department’s secret letter to the chief secretary and DGP reached Sasikala’s room and wanted an impartial probe by the CBI. The IT department told the first bench that it also favours a CBI probe into the issue. The advocate general contended that Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption probe is going on in the right direction. He also filed a status report on the investigation conducted so far in gutka scam before the court in a sealed cover. He also complained to the court that IT department has refused to provide original documents and hard disks seized from gutka manufacturers.
Woman jumps off 12 new faces, sitting ministers building in protest figure in Left’s Tripura poll list Anurag Bende correspondent@dnaindia.net Pune: A 30-year-old woman jumped from the fourth floor of a building on Tuesday afternoon to oppose the anti-encroachment drive in Pimple Gurav area of Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation limit. She succumbed to injuries while undergoing treatment. Devibai Ram Pawar is survived by her husband, a daughter and a son. She was a resident of Devkar park area in Pimple Gurav where an anti encroachment department of PCMC was being carried out. According to police officers from Sangvi police station, Devibai along with other residents of Devkar park were opposing the action by the anti encroachment department. “The team was razing illegal structures with the help of JCB and cranes, which the residents were opposing. In the afternoon, when the team moved close to a building where Devibai’s family stays, the residents opposed the action. When
Devibai Ram Pawar PCMC officials tried to make their way to the building, Devibai went inside the building and before anybody could realise, she jumped from fourth floor of the building,” a police officer from Sangvi police station said. The 30 year old sustained serious injuries and was rushed to a hospital where she succumbed to injuries. Meanwhile, the mob opposing the anti encroachment drive became furious after Devibai jumped from building and they started pelting stones on the anti encroachment team of PCMC. The situation became tense as she lost her live and the police had to deploy additional force in the area to make sure that the situation does not go out of control.
Agartala: Twelve new faces and as many sitting ministers figured in the ruling Left Front’s list of 60 candidates for the upcoming Tripura assembly elections. The north eastern state goes to polls on February 18 and the results will be out on March 3. Barring the 12 new faces, the Left Front’s list did not spring any major surprise as most of the old guards were accommodated in the list. The list of candidates was released today. The RSP, CPI and Forward Bloc, three key constituents of the ruling alliance, were allotted one seat each, down from two in the previous election. The newly appointed convener of the Left Front, Bijan Dhar, maintained that the candidates who hold sway over the masses have been nominated. “Altogether, seven women are contesting the assembly election this time, two more than the last time,” Dhar, who is also secretary of the state unit of CPI(M), said. “Not a single minister has been dropped from the list. They would contest the election from their current constituencies,” he said.
For representation
Altogether, seven women are contesting the assembly election this time, two more than the last time. Bijan Dhar, convener of the Left Front Chief Minister Manik Sarkar will contest the polls from his home turf - Dhanpur assembly constituency, Dhar said. The Communist Party of India (CPI) has re-nominated Jail Minister Manindra Reang from Santir Bazar (ST) seat in south Tripura,
while the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) has decided to field a new candidate Srikanta Datta from Radhakishorepur constituency. Prominent among the new faces are Forward Bloc’s Biswanath Saha, mayor of Council of Agartala Municipal Corporation, and Amal Chakraborty (CPI-M), president of the state unit of Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI). “The Left Front would win the elections with a thumping majority, giving a befitting reply to the BJPIndigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) alliance in the election,” Dhar asserted. — PTI
Protests continue against bus fare hike in TN Chennai: Protests against the hike in bus fares in Tamil Nadu continued across the state for the fourth day today as the main opposition DMK petitioned the Chief Minister K Palaniswami, seeking its rollback. College students held protests in different parts, including Chennai, Karur, Coimbatore, Thanjavur and Tiruchirappalli, with several of them boycotting classes opposing the government move, police said. After a hiatus of six years, the state government had on January 19 hiked ticket fares of buses operated by state run transport corporations and private entities by about 20 to 54.54 per cent. Commuters continued to throng railway stations as
price hike After a hiatus of six years, the state government had on January 19 hiked ticket fares of buses operated by state run transport corporations and private entities by about 20 to 54.54 per cent. Commuters continued to throng railway stations as several felt travel by trains “was cheaper” compared to bus fares.
For representation several felt travel by trains “was cheaper” compared to bus fares. Public also demanded that more trains be operated on various shorter distance
routes connecting local junctions. DMK Working President and Leader of Opposition in the state assembly M K Stalin wrote to the Chief Minister
demanding rollback of the fare hike, saying it affected all sections of the society. He cited as “mere excuse” the government’s defence that the increase was effected
due to a host of factors including rise in fuel price, maintenance cost, salaries and pension and purchase of new buses to increase efficiency. Stalin suggested measures such as streamlining the administration of transport corporations, operating buses on profitable routes and using advertisement for revenue generation to make them economically viable. Instead of using such ‘practical’ measures, hiking fares would not ensure stability of transport corporations, he added. The fare hike had severely impacted various sections of the society including officegoers and would further affect people already facing general price rise, the DMK leader said. —PTI
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he International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Christine Lagarde on Tuesday reiterated IMF’s forecast of 7.4 per cent growth for India and said it is obviously one of the fastest growing large economies of the world. According to her, future growth would depend on how the country carries forward the reform process. Lagarde said India must continue with its reforms, especially in financial services sector and the one area that needs special focus is gender equality. “I genuinely hope there will be a focus on inclusion of Indian women in the economy. We have research to show that India’s GDP can grow by 27 per cent if the women are brought to the same level of men in terms of economic and workforce participation,” she said. The IMF on Monday had projected India’s growth at 7.4 per cent for 2018, as against China’s 6.8 per cent, making it the fastest growing country among emerging economies. This announcement came a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos. In its latest World Economic Outlook (WEO) update, the IMF has also projected a 7.8 per cent growth rate for India in 2019. Growth rate projections for both 2018 and 2019 remain unchanged since its October 2017 WEO projections. The IMF said that China, during the same period is expected to grow at 6.6 per cent and 6.4 per cent, respectively. Emerging and developing Asia will grow at around 6.5 per cent over 2018-19, broadly the same pace as in 2017, IMF had said, adding that the region continues to account for over half of the growth in the world. “Growth is expected to moderate gradually in China, though with a slight upward revision to the forecast for 2018 and 2019 relative to the fall forecasts, reflecting stronger external demand, pick up in India, and remain broadly stable in the ASEAN-5 region,” the IMF had said.
In the year gone by, China (6.8 per cent) was ahead of India (6.7 per cent), giving China the tag of being the fastest growing emerging economies, as has been the case for major parts of the past several decades. India was the fastest growing country among emerging economies in 2016. However, due to demonetisation in late 2016 and implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), India’s economy slowed down a little to 6.7 per cent. Further, in 2017, India’s growth rate dropped to 6.7 per cent. However, according to IMF Economic Counsellor and Director of Research, Maurice Obstfeld, the two biggest national economies driving current and near-term future growth are predictably head-
The Indian colours in a white Davos
MEAIndia/Twitter
T
Billionaires, world leaders and investors have gathered in Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting to hobnob and discuss topics ranging from the global economy and sexual harassment, to the risks and opportunities of artificial intelligence
Spokesperson of Ministry of Extrernal Affairs Raveesh Kumar tweeted this photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the World Economic Forum in Davos and captioned it: “The world applauds 1.3 bn people of India at the @wef in #Davos appreciating the remarkable transformation in improving the business climate. PM @narendramodi interacting with the top global CEOs at the International Business Council event. #IndiaMeansBusiness (sic)”
PM Modi meets Trudeau to discuss issues of interest Davos: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday discussed issues of mutual interest with his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau. The two leaders are here to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting where Modi earlier in the day delivered the opening plenary address. Tweeting about the meeting held on the sidelines of the WEF summit, a spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs said the two leaders discussed issues of mutual interest. “A strategic partnership underpinned by shared values of democracy and plu-
ed for slower growth. “China will both cut back the fiscal stimulus of the last couple of years and, in line with the stated intentions of its authorities, rein in credit growth to strengthen its overextended financial system. Consistent with these plans, the country’s ongoing and necessary rebalancing process implies lower future growth,” Obstfeld said at a news conference in Davos. —Agencies
PM Modi with Canadian PM Justin Trudeau in Davos —AP ralism!,” the spokesperson tweeted. Modi also met Queen Maxima of the Netherlands. The two leaders discussed steps to further strengthen the bilateral re-
lationship, the MEA spokesperson said. PM Modi on Tuesday said that he is looking forward to the visit of his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau to India in February. Prime Minister Modi met Trudeau after addressing at the plenary session of WEF in Davos. “Delighted to meet you, PM Justin Trudeau. Looking forward to welcoming you to India next month,�” PM Modi tweeted. On Monday, Modi also held a bilateral with Swiss President Alain Berset and is likely to have further meetings in Davos. —PTI
Billionaires of 2017 The world’s 500 richest people increased their net worth by $1.0 trillion North America Jeff Bezos $100 billion (1st - USA) Europe Amancio Ortega 73.5 billion (4th - Spain)
Asia Jack Ma 45.4 billion (16th - China) + 177 bn for China, a gain of 65% from ’16 Africa
Aliko Dangote 12.2 billion (116th - Nigeria, 1st in Africa) Source: AFP
India hosted the opening reception with strong display of its cuisine and culture. The catering staff were dressed in safas and colourful, traditional sleeveless jackets. A large screen at the Congress Hall dna in davos ran statistics about India’s economic might. The entire Pranjal Sharma branding and imaging is beacing severe weather ing managed by Invest Inwith constant snow that dia, the national Investment has not been seen in Promotion and Facilitation more than a decade, the al- Agency of India which is pine village of Davos greet- the first point of contact for ed delegates rather harshly. foreign investors. Invest InSnow banks along the dia has been set up as a nonroads were more than 7 feet profit agency. high as snow ploughs This is a significant worked strenuously to keep shift in the approach of Inthe roads clear. dia. In 2006, India made its Slightly wet mark by a global snow fell incescampaign to poGiant santly and held sition itself as billboards the “world’s up traffic with delegates being featuring fastest growing delayed by 2-3 free market PM Narendra hours. In a rare economy”. situation, the Modi welcomed Since then InWorld Economic delegates to dia’s positionForum delayed ing has changed. Davos. This is the opening cerThe previous emony by half the first time a campaigns were hour. Usually, billboard created and run the programme by India Brand featuring an runs like a Equity FoundaSwiss watch Indian PM have tion jointly run with no slip-ups been set up at by the governin timing. ment and indusDavos Amid the try bodies. Inwhite snow dia’s brand been banks and wet streets, the well established, the focus colour was infused by In- is now on generating and dia’s aggressive promotion engaging with foreign infor investors. Giant bill- vestors. In the new apboards featuring Prime proach, the government is Minister Narendra Modi focusing on specifics and welcomed delegates to Da- numbers. Invest India has vos. This is the first time a identified key sectors and billboard featuring an regions for investment proIndian PM have motion. From general been set up branding, India has sensiat Davos. bly moved to practical and C l e a r l y, operational steps. brand India is led The underlying theme of from the front by Mr Modi. India’s strategy is more conHe met investors over dinfident and action oriented ner for a frank conversanow. At Davos, investors will tion on where India has realise what the billboards delivered and how it is with Mr Modi promise, “Inworking on removing hurdia Means Business.” Report: www.dnaindia.com dles for investors.
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Open for business PM Modi invites the world on India Inc’s behalf
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wenty one years is a long time. In 1997, former PM HD Deve Gowda in his address at the World Economic Forum set a desperate tone, signalling that India was looking for foreign investors to keep its economy buoyant after the heady promises of liberalisation had started turning wan. To be fair, Gowda was at the helm of a government that could best be described as a patchwork of political parties existing in an ideologically uncomfortable yet politically convenient coalition. Economic interests took a backseat, and India’s economy doddered, sputtered and groaned under the weight of its bureaucracy. For all purposes, the economy had been opened but hundreds of caveats were surreptitiously laid out in fine print. Unlike the late 90s, today’s India is politically different. In 2014, it spoke in one voice, and did so rather thunderously. The result is the leadership of PM Modi who still enjoys wide-spread popularity across India. Successive state elections show that BJP’s growth blueprint has been emphatically endorsed by the people of India. In a nutshell, there never was a better time for India to “reform, perform and transform”. In his debut address, PM Modi reiterated his commitment to ending the license-raj, a practise that put the squeeze on the Indian economy, dragging the country’s growth rate to a dismal 3 per cent, dubbed as the Hindu growth rate by yesteryear economists. Evidently, those days are behind us and India is in a much better position: India’s GDP, according to the IMF, is poised to grow at 7.4 per cent in 2018; there is a large upside still to be explored when it comes to India’s tax-GDP ratio; the latest factory output growth shows that Indian economy is back on the recovery track while inflation is under control. Club these positives with the government’s appetite for game-changing reforms and the turnaround will be writing itself. Under President Donald Trump, the US administration has ceded its leadership position as the country at the vanguard of globalisation while the UK’s earth-shaking decision to exit from the EU has damaged the resilience of the global economy. At such a critical juncture, PM Modi has made all the right gestures. His statement that India is laying out the red carpet for foreign investors and stemming the red tape is exactly what the economists had prescribed. As things stand, India’s demographic dividend needs to be fed a large serving of jobs in the formal and informal sectors. Since public sector units seem to be immune to change, the real change of job creation and material progress can only be orchestrated by the private sector. Lastly, the pall of inequality can be felt all over the world, and India has been no exception. As per a report, 73 per cent of the increase in wealth in India has accrued to the top 1 per cent in 2017. India must pour its energies into remedying this inequity.
Daughters of India The rise in demand for girl child is healthy
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he traditional Indian mindset that sons are the true inheritors of family legacy and are crucial in taking the bloodline forward, is changing and how. And, this challenge to a male-heir-centric obsession is coming from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Muslims and rural households who want daughters more than sons. The National Family Health Survey (NFHS) data show that about 79 per cent of women in the age group of 15 to 49, and 78 per cent of men aged 15-54 have expressed keenness to have at least one daughter. Imagine, even a couple of decades ago, girls were considered a burden to their families because of the dowry needed to be paid at the time of marriage. What’s remarkable in the survey is that more rural women (81 per cent of respondents) — a huge percentage of which have also have been deprived of education — rather than their urban counterparts (75 per cent), wanting to have daughters. This trend continues among men too, with more rural men (80 per cent) than urban men (75 per cent) expressing a similar desire. The desire for a girl child is even more among men who haven’t received a formal education. The overall rise in preference for the girl child can be best judged from the figures of the 2005-06 NFHS survey where 74 per cent of men and 65 per cent of men wanted a girl child. The desire for a girl child has grown exponentially across all religions as well. However, realities on the ground do not encourage the safety and well-being of girls. The growing incidence of rapes and other forms of sexual violence is regrettable. As more girls are born, the government should not only provide for their future, but also keep the roads safe from predators.
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Bitcoin here for the long run
The cryptocurrency is beset with concerns of high volatility, which is 20-25 times the volatility of stocks by invitation Somnath Mukherjee
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itcoin has assumed cult proportions, and naysayers in both financial markets (through their dire warnings of a Dutch Tulip redux) and global governments (through pre-emptive executive actions) have not really been able to fully dampen the enthusiasm of cult-followers. The real question though is if Bitcoin would be ever able to transcend its cult-status into its promised nirvana, ie, an alternative global currency. Prospects of that happening, while enormous challenges remain, are perhaps not the in “not in my lifetime” domain. Why? Let us examine the key hot buttons — demand and supply considerations of an alternative global currency. Starting with demand — is there a demand for an alternative global currency? This is an easy answer — it is a loud, unambiguous YES. There are multiple intellectual convincing and politically powerful support for Bitcoins as an alternate currency. First, the current international financial system is predicated on the status of US Dollar (USD) as the de facto reserve currency. Bulk of trade settlements, capital flows and money transfers happen in USD — giving the US government supranational powers to regulate the international financial system. Along with USD as the reserve currency, the entire global financial architecture is run by financial institutions around US rules. This gives enormous political powers to the US government — it can (and has) try to influence behaviour of people, corporations, even countries, by sanctioning their access to the global financial system. States at the receiving end of such action — Russia, Iran, Venezuela come immediately in recent memory — have enormous interest in breaking out of the straightjacket of USD. Bitcoin, where custody, transfer and trust are ensured by a disaggregated, decentralized protocol (rather than US laws), reduces the leverage of sanctions today that US government has. Second, the crisis of confidence in the traditional monetary regime. Under the traditional monetary policy, new money is primarily created by “fiat”, or by central banks (representing their respective sovereign governments) printing money. Post the global financial crisis in 2008, central banks around the world used this power to print very large sums of money (popularly described as Quantitative Easing), with the objective to keeping interest rates low, finance government buy-outs of toxic financial assets, and give a general “monetary boost” to a crisis-hit global economy. In some parts, it worked. But it also left in its wake a crisis of confidence with a section of thought-leaders — as currency as
The rise of Bitcoin as well as other cryptocurrencies can be linked to a crisis of confidence in the traditional monetary regime —tHINKstock an asset was seen to have been devalued by printing such large amounts, opening up possibilities of run-away inflation in the future. Next, what about supply? Is Bitcoin (and the whole family of cryptocurrencies at large) geared up to become an alternative form of money? Any form of money has two features — as a medium of exchange and as a store of value. At an overarching level, money also has to support business cycles in the real economy. As a medium of exchange, Bitcoin (and cryptocurrencies in general) shows the maximum promise — as a decentralised, public architecture — since money transfers can be done faster, cheaper and without taking credit risk on various intermediaries along the chain. A typical international wire transfer today navigates its way through multiple banks, clearing houses, custodians and transfer protocols (like SWIFT) — takes several days, with the only beneficiary being the intermediary banks making money out of the idle float. Cryptocurrencies like Litecoin can do the transfer in minutes, and cost virtually nothing. The real issue with Bitcoin today though, is as a store of value. Rather, as a “stable” store of value. Volatility in Bitcoins today is very high, 20-25 times the volatility of stocks. Now, no one would generally like to be paid in a form of money that can be worth 15 per cent more (or less) the day after. Part of this is growing
QUOTE HANGER Anand Mahindra @ anandmahindra Indian delegation breaks into applause as @PMOIndia chooses to speak in Hindi. He’s in his element & connects with the audience by making humorous comments on the changing times. Shehzad Jai Hind @Shehzad_Ind Seen this many times as a Maharashtrian. First Shiv Sena gives Instant Triple Talaq to BJP then does Nikah again! Old wine in older bottle J.K. Rowling @jk_rowling When rereading last week’s work, the trick is to stop for a biscuit just before your blood sugar levels drop to ‘every single word of this is worthless’.
Atul Khatri @one_by_two I have seen more pix of Taimur than of my own 2 children.
I don’t know if they have to think a little bit about the health of the players. I don’t know if we keep playing in these very, very hard surfaces what’s going to happen in the future with our lives. — Rafael Nadal, hits out at organisers of Australian Open after retiring injured
up pangs, Bitcoins do not have the normal full suite of financial products underlying the asset — most financial assets that do not have well-traded option contracts tend to be non-ergodic (in simple terms, subject to massive blow-ups). Recently, mainstream exchanges like Chicago Board of Trade and Chicago Mercantile Exchange started offering futures contracts on Bitcoins. Its not enough, futures contracts, sans a large, liquid options market, will not bring volatility down markedly. The point though is, this is just the beginning. Moore’s Law in financial market innovation will kick-in at some stage, especially with mainstream financial market participation increasing, and newer derivative instruments would start trading off Bitcoin underlyings. However, this is the toughest condition for Bitcoin to achieve for it to become a form of money. Which brings us to the last issue, does
Bitcoin lend itself to viable monetary policy formulation, one that can support the real economy? The first objection would be in terms of its finite quantity – Bitcoin is limited to 21 million. In times of economic downturn, it limits the ability of governments to expand the money supply to tackle the same. This isn’t as such a difficult problem, as Bitcoin is but one of many cryptocurrencies, there are many more (like Litecoin, Dash etc). The bigger issue, though, is around the power of the State associated with money. Fiat money today is printed by governments, it’s a sovereign obligation. How would states react to a new architecture stripping that power away? Philosophically, this would be the biggest supply-side question that Bitcoin has to answer. Good news (for Bitcoin fans), is that there is a modern precedent. About 500 million citizens in dozens of States, gave up their sovereignty to print money to a common shared pool — the European Monetary Union, on January 1, 1999 — giving birth to Euro. Some of the objectives of the Euro are not very dissimilar to the demand-side arguments for Bitcoin. In a nutshell, it has happened before! While the obstacles are many, so it would seem are the arguments in favour of Bitcoin. How the cookie crumbles would be an interesting story of our lifetime! The author is Managing Partner of ASK Wealth Advisors. Views expressed are personal.
slowburn
China’s scientific progress rattles US
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hina has made breath-taking progress in science and technology, and it reflects in terms of the volume of scientific research papers that its researchers have produced. The biennial Science and Engineering Indicators report, published by the US National Science Foundation (NSF), stated that for the first time, China has overtaken the US in terms of the volume of total scientific papers published. It shows how in the recent decades, China has made rapid strides in scientific achievement. Though the US still leads by many S&T [science and technology] measures, the lead is decreasing in certain areas. There are reasons for China’s marvellous march in the scientific domain. In 2016, China’s spending on research and development (R&D) accounted for 2.1 percent of GDP in 2016. The spending reached 1.54 trillion yuan ($233 billion) in 2017, with over 78 per cent coming from enterprises. This means that the public-private partnership model has not only worked, but also yielded tremendous dividends. According to the country’s government, the contribution of the scientific and technological progress increased to 56.2 per cent in China’s economic growth in 2016. In 2016, China
published over 426,000 scientific studies — accounting for about 18.6 per cent of the international total. The US came in second, by producing 409,000 published papers. China is heavily investing in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, the technologies of the future. The US, among other countries, are worried.
Mexico: Drug cartels’ rivalries fuel crime
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he rising crime graph in Mexico, fuelled by drug-related violence, made 2017 Mexico’s most murderous year on record, according to government statistics. Official data revealed there were 25,339 homicides in Mexico last year, a 23 per cent jump from 2016 and the highest number since at least 1997, the year the government began tracking the data. Though overall, murders in Mexico had been declining in recent years, reaching a low of 15,520 in 2014, crime experts say a surge in drug-related crime reversed that trend. Many parts of western Mexico have been caught up in violence between competing drug cartels.
India’s ASEAN outreach on R-Day to curb Chinese ambitions Harsh V Pant
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gainst the backdrop of India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) commemorating 25 years of their partnership, 15 years of summitlevel interaction, and five years of strategic partnership in 2017, the visit of 10 ASEAN leaders and heads of government as Chief Guests on the Republic day this week marks a major outreach by India to the Southeast Asian region. India and ASEAN are today central in shaping the emerging regional architecture in the wider Indo-Pacific as similar threats and concerns call for greater collaboration. The two are crucial to the creation of new ‘rules of the game’ in Asia, at a time when the region is in the throes of a disruptive phase that could well determine the future balance of power. India’s ‘Look East’ policy, which was an initiative to build stronger economic relations with the Asia-Pacific countries, was initiated during the prime-minister-
ship of PV Narasimha Rao. It yielded great dividends and successive governments led by Prime Ministers AB Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh pursued it with vigour. As India-ASEAN relations gained momentum in the late 1990s and early 2000s, India became a full dialogue partner of the ASEAN in 1995, a member of the ASEAN Regional Forum in 1996, and a founder member of the East Asian Summit in 2005. India and ASEAN also became strategic partners in 2012. India’s ‘Look East’ policy was transformed into the ‘Act East’ policy in 2014, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with an intent to strengthen the strategic dimension in this partnership. India and ASEAN view each other as natural allies in creating a liberal and inclusive regional order. They are active participants in the East Asia Summit (EAS), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus), and the Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum (EAMF). An essential aspect of India-ASEAN partnership is economic cooperation. In-
dia’s ‘Look East’ policy gained momentum after the creation of the India-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement in 2003. The ASEAN-India Free Trade Area (AIFTA) has been completed with the entry into force of the ASEAN-India Agreements on Trade in Service and Investments on July 1, 2015. This agreement reflects India’s adherence to the vision of having a solid foundation for economic engagement
with ASEAN. Addressing the 15th ASEAN-India Summit last year, PM Modi said India’s relationship with ASEAN is a key pillar of its foreign policy. Referring to India’s Act East Policy, he underlined that “its centrality in the regional security architecture of the Indo-Pacific region is evident.” He focused on terrorism as well, suggesting, “It is time that we jointly address this challenge by intensifying cooperation in this crucial area.” Targeting China, PM Modi also assured ASEAN of “steady support towards achieving a rules-based regional security architecture that best attests to the region’s interests and its peaceful development.” The East Asia Summit, which includes India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, the US and Russia apart from the 10 ASEAN member states, also gave PM Modi another opportunity to underline ASEAN’s credentials: “ASEAN began in times of a great global divide, but today as it celebrates its golden jubilee, it shines as a beacon of hope; a symbol of peace and prosperity.”
India-ASEAN strategic cooperation assumes greater significance against the background of an assertive and rapidly growing China. Beijing’s territorial claims in the resource-rich South China Sea, a vital international maritime trade route, have generated considerable regional anxiety. China’s rise as an economic giant and its robust economic ties with the ASEAN countries gives India enough reason to step up its collaborative efforts vis-à-vis ASEAN. Structural changes shaping the region are having a significant impact on the way regional actors are re-evaluating their external outreach. India and Southeast Asian countries share longstanding historical and civilisational ties. The impact of the cultural exchange is evident in religion, language, literature, beliefs, customs, cuisine, and architecture of the two regions. The cultural linkages have evolved over the centuries through the exchange of people, values, education, trade and commerce. The large Indian diaspora in many of the Southeast Asian countries, especially Malaysia and Singapore, helps
strengthen diplomatic, economic and security relations between India and ASEAN. The Indian diaspora is an important instrument of India’s soft power, facilitating greater interaction between the two regions but it needs to be nurtured. India needs to do a more convincing job as a beneficial strategic partner of the ASEAN by boosting its domestic economic reforms agenda, enhancing connectivity within the region, and increasing its presence in regional institutions. The ASEAN nations too should be clearer and more specific in their expectations from New Delhi and nudge India for a deeper, more broad-based engagement. There is much at stake for both sides. As the 10 ASEAN leaders land in New Delhi to celebrate the achievements of India-ASEAN partnership over the two and a half decades, they should be ready to chart out an ambitious agenda for this partnership for the next decade. The author is Professor of International Relations, King’s College London, and a Distinguished Fellow at Observer Research Foundation
Vol 02 n Issue No. 105 RNI: DELENG/2016/70265. Printed and published by Anurag Bhatnagar on behalf of Diligent Media Corporation Ltd., Printed at Jagran Prakashan Ltd., Plot no D- 210 & 211, Sector 63, Noida, Uttar Pradesh- 201301. Published at Diligent Media Corporation Ltd, B-10, Essel House, Lawrence Road Industrial Area, New Delhi. 110035. Editor : Dwaipayan Bose Responsible for the selection of news under the PRB Act
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NEW DELHI I WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2018 I daily news & analysis
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Search for missing flight MH370 resumes Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia kicked off a new search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 on Monday, its civil aviation department said. The aircraft disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in March 2014 with 239 people, mostly Chinese, on board, in one of the world’s greatest aviation mysteries. This month, the southeast Asian nation agreed to pay US firm Ocean Infinity up to $70 million if it finds the plane within 90 days.
Poet, physicist Nicanor Parra dies Santiago: Nicanor Parra, a Chilean physicist, mathematician and selfdescribed “anti-poet” whose eccentric writings won him a leading place in Latin American literature, has died. Parra was 103. His death was confirmed Tuesday by Chilean President Michelle Bachelet. Parra’s works were characterized by wit and irreverence. He was also a respected physicist, earning a degree from the University of Chile and then studying physics at Brown University and cosmology at Oxford University in England.
Gas leak shuts train station London: A major gas leak in central London forced the closure of Charing Cross train station and the evacuation of hundreds of people from nearby nightclubs and hotels on Tuesday. Police closed the Strand, a major road artery that leads into Trafalgar Square - the very heart of the capital city - and advised people to avoid the area.
Call Me By Your Name
best Actress
Christopher Nolan, ‘Dunkirk’
Timothee Chalamet, ‘Call Me By Your Name’
Sally Hawkins, ‘The Shape of Water’
Chile’s ‘A Fantastic Woman’
Daniel Day-Lewis, ‘Phantom Thread’
Frances McDormand, ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Russia’s ‘Loveless’
Dunkirk, The Post
Jordan Peele, ‘Get Out’
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Greta Gerwig, ‘Lady Bird’
Daniel Kaluuya, ‘Get Out’
Lebanon’s ‘The Insult’
Get Out
Paul Thomas Anderson, ‘Phantom Thread’
Gary Oldman, ‘Darkest Hour’
Margot Robbie, ‘I, Tonya’ Saoirse Ronan, ‘Lady Bird’
Hungary’s ‘On Body and Soul’
Guillermo del Toro, ‘The Shape of Water,’
Denzel Washington, ‘Roman J Israel, Esq’
Meryl Streep, ‘The Post’
Sweden’s ‘The Square’
Darkest Hour
Lady Bird Phantom Thread
Vice President Pence reiterates his country’s stand as such unless the nuke pact is amended Jerusalem: Vice President Mike Pence reiterated to Israeli leaders on Tuesday that the Trump administration plans to pull out of the landmark 2015 Iran nuclear deal unless the pact is amended. The remarks came as Pence wrapped up his visit to Israel. On Monday, he repeatedly referred to Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, speaking alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He also used a high-profile speech to the parliament to announce plans to speed up the timing of the opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem — moving it from Tel Aviv — by the end of 2019. On Tuesday, Pence met with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and vowed the United States would counter the Iranian nuclear threat.
all weather allies On Tuesday, Mike Pence met with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and vowed the United States would counter the Iranian nuclear threat
US Vice President Mike Pence visits the Western Wall, Judaism’s holiest prayer site, in Jerusalem’s Old City on Tuesday —Reuters He then headed to the most emotional part of his visit — a tribute to the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial and a visit to the Western Wall. He was to depart the Holy Land later in the day. Rivlin praised Pence’s
speech to parliament and his role in pushing for the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. “You are a mensch,” Rivlin told a smiling Pence. Pence also repeated the administration’s plan to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal,
Rivlin praised Pence’s speech to parliament and his role in pushing for the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital which has been vociferously opposed by Israel, unless the pact is enforced and amended. He noted US efforts to gain support from European allies to address what he described as flawed parts of the agreement, adding that Pres-
ident Donald Trump “has made clear” the US will leave the nuclear deal if that doesn’t happen. “We are sending a signal to our European allies that the time has come for changes in the Iran nuclear deal,” Pence said, sitting alongside Rivlin. “Punitive sanctions will be available for many years to come to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and you have our commitment to work closely with our allies around the world to achieve that.” Pence’s trip to the Middle East also included stops in Egypt and Jordan. Pence aides said the vice president would be making “a personal visit,” in the same manner in which Trump prayed at the Western Wall during his visit to Israel last year. —AP
‘Pyongyang Olympics’ Myanmar says it’s ready to jibe rejected by South begin Rohingya repatriation Seoul: Seoul’s presidential Blue House rejected criticism on Tuesday that next month’s Winter Games had been hijacked by North Korea, saying the event will help defuse tensions over Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programmes. Some opposition politicians and conservatives in South Korea have criticised North Korea’s participation in the Games to be held in the South Korean alpine resort town of Pyeongchang, dubbing them the “Pyongyang Olympics”. “Just one month ago, acute tensions gripped the Korean peninsula, but the administration’s efforts to tackle the crisis through dialogue has led to North Korea’s participation in the Olympics,” Blue House spokesman Park Soohyun told a news conference. “We’re confident that the Olympics will be a stepping stone to bring peace to the Ko-
rean peninsula, to Northeast Asia and the world.” After a months-long standoff over the North’s nuclear and missile tests, the two Koreas agreed during their first formal talks in nearly two years that the South will help arrange for the North to join in the Games. Some specific plans, however, including fielding a joint women’s ice hockey team and marching under a united flag, have proven controversial, with conservatives and younger South Koreans upset that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is stealing the spotlight. —Reuters
Naypyitaw: Myanmar officials said Tuesday they are ready to begin a gradual repatriation of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh despite a delay announced by Bangladesh authorities. Under an agreement between the two countries, a two-year repatriation process was to begin Tuesday. But officials in Bangladesh on Monday said a number of issues remain unresolved, in particular concerns that refugees were being forced to return. Myanmar Union Minister Thaung Tun told reporters on Tuesday that his country is “ready to receive those who will be coming across the border.” More than 6,80,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh to escape a brutal crackdown by Myanmar’s military that began in August. The Buddhist-majority country’s security forces have been accused of atrocities against
Various ministers from Myanmar during a press conference on Tuesday —AP
getting ready Myanmar Social Welfare Minister Win Myat Aye said they have provided a list of 700 Rohingya and 400 Hindu refugees who are eligible for repatriation Rohingya including killing, rape and arson. The United Nations and the US have described the army crackdown
blessings for the pooch
Rex Tillerson (L) with French Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian —AFP petrators in Syria have failed, repeatedly blocked by Syrian ally Russia. Activists said the Syrian government launched an attack Monday with suspected poisonous gas. —AP
Mexican priest Moises blesses animals in the Church of San Pablo Ermitano, in the Mexico City neighbourhood of Iztapalapa, during a nnual festivities —AFP
S African jazz legend Hugh Masekela dies aged 78 Johannesburg: South African jazz legend Hugh Masekela died on Tuesday aged 78, his family announced, triggering an outpouring of tributes to his music, his long career and his anti-apartheid activism. “After a protracted and courageous battle with prostate cancer, he passed peacefully in Johannesburg,” Masekela’s family said in a statement. It hailed his “activist contribution” to music, which it said “was contained in the minds and memory of millions.” President Jacob Zuma praised Masekela as a “jazz
best Actor
‘US aims to pull out of Iran deal’
US, others to name, shame chemical weapons users Paris: The United States and 28 other countries are launching a new plan to better identify and punish anyone who uses chemical weapons, amid new reports of a suspected chemical attack in Syria. The initiative was announced Tuesday in Paris, where US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and diplomats from the other signatory countries. The group plans to publish information about chemical attacks to name and shame perpetrators and eventually sanction them. UN efforts to punish per-
best Director
The Shape of Water
They are being seen as a chance for Hollywood to support female filmmaking, with #MeToo and Time’s Up campaigns against sexual misconduct being mainstay of the award circuit in brief
best picture
A file photo of Hugh Masekela —AFP artist, legendary trumpeter, cultural activist and liberation struggle veteran.” “He kept the torch of freedom alive globally fighting apartheid through his music
and mobilising international support,” Zuma said. “It is an immeasurable loss to the music industry and to the country at large.” South African singer Johnny Clegg described Masekela as “an outstanding musical pioneer and a robust debater, always holding to his South African roots.” Masekela fled white-ruled South Africa in 1960, and did not return until after the release of Nelson Mandela in 1990. Among his greatest hits were the beloved anthem “Bring Him Back Home”. —AFP
as “ethnic cleansing.” Thaung Tun said Myanmar is currently prepared to receive 300 returnees a day and “the number could increase based on the progress of the first batch that will be coming across.” Myanmar Social Welfare Minister Win Myat Aye said Myanmar has provided Bangladesh with a list of 700 Rohingya and 400 Hindu refugees who are eligible for repatriation. —AP
A file photo of the LG exhibit during the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Donald Trump approved steep tariffs on imports of solar panels and washing machines to protect US producers —AFP
Trump angers China, S Korea with trade tariffs Washington: President Donald Trump has approved steep tariffs on imports of solar panels and washing machines to protect US producers, triggering an outcry in China and South Korea and even protests at home. Seoul said Tuesday it planned to take the issue to the World Trade Organization while Beijing expressed “strong dissatisfaction”. “Together with other WTO members, China will resolutely defend its legitimate interests,” its commerce ministry warned, without indicating any specific counteraction. At home in the US, the move was decried by the solar industry, which said the tariffs would create a “crisis” and cost thousands of US jobs and billions in investment without helping domestic suppliers meet rising demand. US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said the tariffs were imposed after an “exhaustive” review by USTR and the independent US International Trade Commission, which determined that US producers were “seriously injured by imports.” The administration imposed tariffs of up to 50 percent on imports of large washing machines over three years, and up to 30 percent on solar panels over four years. South Korea, which has signed a free trade deal with
Prez signs bill to end shutdown Washington: President Donald Trump signed a government spending bill Monday evening that ends a three-day partial shutdown, the White House said in a statement. But that leaves the fight over a politically charged immigration proposal unresolved for at least another three weeks. The impasse broke after Senate Democrats accepted a deal from Majority Leader Mitch McConnell that will fund the government through February 8. —Bloomberg the US and is a crucial ally in Washington’s confrontation with North Korea, said it would a file a petition at the WTO. Its Trade Minister Kim Hyun-Chong said the tariffs were “excessive” and may constitute a “violation of WTO provisions.” Samsung, South Korea’s biggest firm, said the tariffs were “a tax on every consumer who wants to buy a washing machine.” “Millions of Americans love their LG washers,” said another South Korean company, LG Electronics. —AFP
After girl’s killing, Pakistani women speak out on abuse Kasur: The brutal rape and killing of Zainab Ansari, a 7-year-old girl whose body was left in a garbage dump, has unleashed a wave of revulsion around Pakistan, revealing a string of child abductions and killings by a suspected serial predator and generating outrage at a culture of silence surrounding sexual abuse. Zainab’s death has even given birth to a nascent Pakistani version of #MeToo movement. A number of prominent Pakistani women have come forward with their own sto-
speak up Maheen Khan, a legendary Pakistani fashion designer, tweeted that she had been sexually abused as a child by an Islamic cleric who taught her the Quran ries of sexual assault, saying they want to change traditions that consider abuse as a mark of shame for the victim. Those traditions, they say, help predators get away with abuse and
encourage an already corrupt police force to ignore such crimes. Maheen Khan, a legendary Pakistani fashion designer, tweeted that she had been sexually abused as a child by an Islamic cleric who taught her the Quran. “I froze in fear day after day,” she tweeted. At 73, Khan has spoken publicly only once before of the abuse. “We are now saying enough is enough,” she said in a telephone interview from her home in the southern city of Karachi. “I am ashamed to say it has taken this one little girl’s death.” —AP
Iranian woman skydiver looks to break stereotypes Tehran: For Iranian parachuting enthusiast Bahareh Sassani, skydiving is “a way to prove that women are just as capable as men” -- a small step from a big height for women’s equality in her country. The 35-year-old accountant has been skydiving less than two years but already has more than 220 jumps under her belt. “I encourage all women to try this experience. It gives you the feeling you can do whatever you want. Women should not be excluded from anything,” she said. Sassani -- one of just a handful of female skydivers in her deeply conservative homeland -- refuses to de-
changing times There were a handful of women parachutists in prerevolutionary Iran: archived images show the first four of them from 1965. But today, women are not permitted to join the army
Iranian skydiver Bahareh Sassani jumps in Zibakenar —AFP scribe herself as a “feminist”. But her motto is firmly “there is no difference between men and women and a woman can do anything she wants and succeed”.
That still runs against the grain of Iranian society, where women have had a lower legal status than men since the Islamic revolution of 1979 even if they have bat-
tled to stay equal in daily life. Her favourite pastime is still very much the preserve of men in Iran -- made more complicated by the fact there is no parachuting club so she must do it with the army. “When they organise jumps, the army invites everyone, including civilians,” she explained.
There were a handful of women parachutists in prerevolutionary Iran: archived images published recently by the ISNA news agency showed the first four female army skydivers from 1965. But today, women are not permitted to join the army. The police has an elite unit that does some parachuting practice, but Sassani says she knows only five other qualified women from the civilian population. Unlike her friends who chose to buy a car, clothes or jewellery with their first pay cheques or savings, Sassani said she opted instead to invest in parachuting, despite the adventurous sport being a male bastion in Iran. —AFP
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daily news & analysis I NEW DELHI I WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2018
Microsoft to open four data centres
Paris: Microsoft is to open four data storage centres in France to meet strong customer demand for cloud computing, the head of the software giant’s French operations said on Tuesday. “There’s strong demand from our clients. A lot of them prefer to have (cloud computing) infrastructures and their data in their home territory,” Carlo Purassanta said. He did not reveal the size of the planned investment, but said that three of the centres would be located in the Paris region and the fourth in Marseille. France would become the fourth European country — after Germany, Ireland, and the Netherlands — to host Microsoft cloud data storage facilities. The centres would be opened by the end of this quarter, it added. Companies that hadn’t yet moved into cloud computing “are those which were waiting for the arrival of data storage facilities in France,” Purassanta said. “We already have several thousand that have signed up for the centres,” he said. Microsoft, which opened its “AI Factory” at the Station F startup campus in Paris last year to mentor young companies specialising in artificial intelligence, said that six more startups had joined the programme. The group said it was also planning to open a college specialising in AI at its French headquarters in Issyles- Moulineaux. Other hi-tech firms, such as Google and SAP have also announced major investments in France, particularly in the areas of AI and startups, this week. —AFP
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ASEAN 1st cryptocurrency deal sealed ‘India, should work in Virtual currencies like Bitcoin are now making inroads into food commodity trading as well The first freight deal settled in Bitcoin was executed last month on a vessel carrying wheat from top shipper Russia to Turkey, according to Prime Shipping Foundation, the venture behind the transaction. The consignment was part of pilot testing of Prime Shipping Foundation’s blockchain payment system for bulk commodities, said Chief Executive Officer Ivan Vikulov. The ledger-based digital technology will enable immediate processing of payments and conversion into and out of cryptocurrencies, according to the company, a partnership between Gibraltar-based Quorum Capital Ltd. and ship broker Interchart LLC. The group is also planning to create its own digital currency. “We are trying to develop a cross-border payment system that’s easier and faster
russia to turkey The vessel used in Prime Shipping’s transaction carried 3,000 metric tons of wheat from Rostov-on-Don to Samsun While the cargo is small, it highlights the potential cryptocurrencies could play in agricultural commodity markets than what’s available now,” Vikulov said by phone. “As far as we know, this is the first freight deal done in a cryptocurrency.” The announcement comes soon after Louis Dreyfus Co., one of the world’s largest foodstuffs traders, said it struck the
Global temp targets likely to be missed within decades London: Global temperathe University of Southamptures are likely to rise more ton in the UK. than the targets set by the “Our latest research uses a Paris Agreement within a few combination of a model and decades if immediate action historical data to constrain to limit carbon emission rate estimates of how long we have is not taken, a study warns. until 1.5 degrees Celsius or 2 Researchers found that degrees Celsius warming ocEarth’s global average temcurs,” said Goodwin, author perature is likely to rise to 1.5 of the study published in the degrees Celsius above the pejournal Nature Geoscience. riod before the industrial revo“We’ve narrowed the unlution within the next 17-18 certainty in surface warming years, and to 2 degrees Celsius projections by generating in 35-41 years respectively. thousands of climate simulaThrough their projections, tions that each closely match researchers advise that cumuobservational records for lative carbon emissions neednine key climate metrics, ined to remain below 195-205 cluding warming and ocean petagrammes of carbon (PgC) heat content,” he added. from the start of “This study is 2017 to deliver a likeimportant by ly chance of meeting providing a narthe 1.5 degrees Celrower window of sius warming target how much carImmediate while a 2 degrees bon we may emit action is required Celsius warming before reaching to develop a target requires 1.5 degrees Celemissions to remain carbon-neutral sius or 2 degrees below 395-455 PgC. Celsius warmor carbon“Immediate acing,” said Ric negative future Williams from tion is required to develop a carbon- or, alternatively, the University of neutral or carbonLiverpool. prepare negative future or, “There is a adaptation alternatively, prereal need to take pare adaptation action now in destrategies strategies for the veloping and Philip Goodwin, adopting effects of a warmer the climate,” said Philnew technoloUniversity of ip Goodwin from gies to move to a Southampton more carbon- efficient or carbon-neutral future as we only have a limited window before reaching these warming targets,” said Williams. The researchers had earlier evaluated a single equation connecting global warming to the amount of carbon emitted, warning of the detrimental effects of the nearly irreversible nature of carbon emissions for global warming. —PTI
wheat from Rostov-on-Don to Samsun. While the cargo is small, it highlights the potential cryptocurrencies could play in agricultural commodity markets. International sanctions against countries such as Syria have affected their access to US dollars, limiting their ability to im-
Montana becomes 1st US state to mandate ‘net neutrality’
Stop patching for chip bug, says Intel Intel Corp said that patches it released to address two highprofile security vulnerabilities in its chips are faulty, advising customers, computer makers and cloud providers to stop installing them. Intel Executive Vice President Navin Shenoy disclosed the problem in a statement on the chipmaker’s website, saying that patches released after months of development caused computers to reboot more often than normal and other “unpredictable” behaviour. “I apologise for any disruption this change in guidance may cause,” Shenoy said. “I assure you we are working around the clock to ensure we are addressing these issues.” The issue of the faulty patches is separate from complaints by customers for weeks that the patches slow computer performance. Intel has said a typical home and
first agricultural commodity trade to use blockchain. The 166-year-old trading house used the technology to sell a cargo of US soybeans to China’s Shandong Bohi Industry Co. The vessel used in Prime Shipping’s transaction carried 3,000 metric tons of
port food. Prime Shipping Foundation is seeking to get a banking license in Gibraltar, one of the most crypto-friendly jurisdictions, the company said in an emailed statement. That would make conversions between governmentissued and cryptocurrencies faster and easier, according to Vikulov. The venture is developing its own cryptocurrency and plans to raise funds for it in mid-2018, he said. While accepting payment in Bitcoin comes with its challenges due to market volatility, there are now futures on exchanges such as that run by CME Group Inc. that would allow hedging to take place, Vikulov said. Bitcoin prices have dropped more than 40 per cent since reaching a high in December. —Bloomberg
business PC user should not see significant slowdowns. Intel’s failure to provide a usable patch could cause businesses to postpone purchasing new computers, said IDC analyst Mario Morales. Intel is “still trying to get a handle on what’s really happening. They haven’t resolved the matter,” he said. Intel asked technology providers to start testing a new version of the patches, which it began distributing on Saturday. —Reuters
Billings: Montana became the first state to bar telecommunications companies from receiving state contracts if they interfere with internet traffic or favour higher-paying sites or apps, under an order from Gov. Steve Bullock intended to protect so-called net neutrality. The Democratic governor’s order comes after the Federal Communications Commission last month repealed rules enacted in 2015 that had more tightly regulated companies such as AT&T and Verizon. Commission members said the repeal was needed to ensure the government maintains a “light touch” in its oversight of the internet. But critics such as Bullock contend change will hurt consumers and make it harder for startup companies to enter the market. “There has been a lot of talk around the country about how to respond to the
We simply cannot have 50 different regulations governing our internet Sally Aman, US Telecom’s senior vice president for public affairs
recent decision,” Bullock said in announcing his order before a group of computer science students in Helena. “It’s time to actually do something about it.” Attorneys from more than 20 states and the District of Columbia have sued to block the repeal. State le gislatures in New York, California and elsewhere have introduced bills
tracking evolution
This mosaic of WFPC-2 images shows the evolution of the G impact site on Jupiter (the 21 comet fragments of Shoemaker-Levy 9 were each assigned a corresponding letter to identify the impact site; G represents the 7th fragment to strike the planet. It was also the largest impact) —ESA/Instagram
Now, new Artificial Intelligence system to predict corruption
London: Scientists have developed a new artificial intelligence system that can predict the likelihood of corruption in a government. The computer model based on neural networks developed by researchers from the University of Valladolid in Spain predicts provinces in which cases of corruption are more likely to appear, as well as the conditions that favour their appearance. The system also confirms that the probabilities increase when the same party stays in government more number of years. The study, published in the journal Social Indicators Research, does not mention the provinces most prone to corruption so as not to generate controversy. Researchers explained that “a greater propensity or high probability does not imply corruption will actually happen.” The data indicates that real estate tax, exaggerated increase in the price of
Our model confirms that the increase in the number of years in the government of the same political party increases the chances of corruption, regardless of whether or not the party governs with majority Ivan Pastor, University of Valladolid housing, opening of bank branches and the creation of new companies are some of the variables that seem to induce public corruption, and when they are added together in a region, it should be taken into account to carry out a more rigorous control of the public accounts. “In addition, as might be expected, our model confirms that the increase in the number of years in the government of the same political party increases the chances of corruption, regardless of whether or not the party governs with majority,” said Ivan Pastor, from University of Valladolid.
To carry out the study, researchers relied on all cases of corruption that appeared in Spain between 2000 and 2012. The collection and analysis of all this information has been done with neural networks, which show the most predictive factors of corruption. Researchers hope that the study will contribute to better direct efforts to end corruption. —PTI
promoting net neutrality, but Bullock is the first governor to taken action, according to the National Conference on State Legislatures. His order applies to any company seeking a new state contract for telecommunications services. At that time, in order to receive a state contract companies must not “unreasonably interfere” with Montana internet users’ ability to access content. —AP
the digital arena’
New Delhi: Information and Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Tuesday that India with its software prowess as well as expertise in large digital projects and the ASEAN nations, which lead in hardware, should explore ways to “supplement” and “complement” each other. He also said that India and ASEAN members are negotiating the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement which may be firmed up by the year-end. The 16-member RCEP comprises 10 ASEAN members (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Laos and Vietnam) and their 6 FTA partners India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. RCEP is a mega trade pact among these countries and aims to cover goods, services, investments, economic and technical cooperation, competition and intellectual property rights. “We are involved in the trade initiative of having a RCEP. We expect that to be concretised by this year end,” Prased said while addressing the ASEAN-India Business and Investment Meet and Expo being held here. Showcasing a slew of digital initiatives undertaken by India, Prasad said that flagship programmes like biometric identifier Aadhaar and BharatNet, for broadband connectivity across 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats, were transforming India and enabling digital inclusion of people. Moreover, initiatives like Common Services Centres and BPO in smaller towns had taken the entrepreneurship and employment opportunities to the grassroots, he added. He asserted that Indian IT companies did not displace jobs but rather created em-
what prasad said We have proposed a hub through Myanmar extending till Indonesia. We are also looking at extending digital connectivity to ASEAN through Bangladesh Techn has uncanny habit of creating opportunities and destroying barriers The understanding of services itself needs to be revisited in this context
ployment opportunities, infused investments and expanded capacities in markets where they are present. “Indian IT companies do not displace jobs but create jobs and they create capacities. That is their record in 200 cities across various countries, and that will be their record also in ASEAN countries in capacity building, local languages and hi-tech,” he said. India leads in software while many of the 10 ASEAN countries are known for their hardware prowess, Prasad said, adding that it is ready to share its experiences and expertise in the digital space with the grouping. “We have to see how can we supplement and complement each other...,” he said. Elaborating on the digital connectivity initiatives in the region, he said India is already connected digitally with the ASEAN region, with Singapore as a hub. —PTI
Scientists identify moss that can remove lead from water Tokyo: Scientists have identified a type of moss that can efficiently absorb a large amount of lead, providing a green alternative for decontaminating polluted water and soil. Lead-contaminated water is a serious environmental concern that has recently proved to be disastrous when left untreated. Compounding the problem, the typical way to remove lead or other heavy metals from water requires fossil fuels and a tremendous amount of energy. As an alternative to these typical processes, phytoremediation is a method that uses photosynthesising organisms to clean up soil or water contamination. Researchers from RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science (CSRS) in Japan began their search for a phytoremediation-based removal method by looking at F hygrometrica, a moss that is
known to grow well in sites contaminated with metals like copper, zinc, and lead. “We found that the moss can function as an excellent lead absorbent when in the protonema stage of development,” said Misao Itouga, first author of the study published in the journal PLOS One. “This valuable ability means that moss protonema will likely make exceptional wastewater cleaners in mining and chemical industries,” Itouga said. To characterise the metalabsorbing ability of the
moss, the team first prepared solutions with varying concentrations of 15 different metals and exposed them to F hygrometrica protonema. After 22 hours of exposure, mass-spectrometer analysis showed that the moss cells had absorbed lead up to 74 per cent of their dry weight, which is quite high and much higher than any of the other metals. Knowing where the lead accumulates is important for understanding how it occurs and for developing the most efficient phytoremediation. —PTI
‘Mid-sized asteroid to fly past Earth safely’ Washington: An intermediatesized near-Earth asteroid will make a close approach to Earth on February 4, without posing any threat of colliding with our planet, according to NASA. At the time of closest approach, the asteroid named 2002 AJ129 will be no closer than 10 times the distance between Earth and the Moon - about 4.2 million kilometres. “We have been tracking this asteroid for over 14 years and know its orbit very accurately,” said Paul Chodas, manager of NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the US. “Our calculations indicate that asteroid 2002 AJ129 has no chance — zero — of colliding with Earth on February 4 or any time over the next 100 years,” said Chodas. 2002 AJ129 is an intermediate-sized near-Earth asteroid, somewhere between 0.5 and 1.2 kilometres across. It was discovered in 2002 by the former NASA-sponsored Near Earth Asteroid Track-
ing project at the Maui Space Surveillance Site in Hawaii. The asteroid’s velocity at the time of closest approach, 34 kilometres per second, is higher than the majority of near-Earth objects during an Earth flyby, NASA said. The high flyby velocity is a result of the asteroid’s orbit, which approaches very close to the Sun — 18 million kilometres. Although asteroid 2002 AJ129 is categorised as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA), it does not pose an actual threat of colliding with our planet for the foreseeable future, according to NASA. —PTI
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Older people may be more sick by 2035 Study shows number of elderly people with four or more diseases will double; one-third will have dementia, depression
A
study published on Tuesday in Age and Ageing, the scientific journal of the British Geriatrics Society, reports that the number of older people diagnosed with four or more diseases will double between 2015 and 2035. A third of these people will be diagnosed with dementia, depression or a cognitive impairment. The study, conducted by researchers at Newcastle University’s Institute for Ageing, found that over the next 20 years, there will be a massive expansion in the number of people suffering from multiple diseases, known as multi-morbidity. As a result, two-thirds of the life expectancy gains, predicted as 3.6 years for men, 2.9 years for women, will be spent
multi-morbidity Study was published in Age and Ageing, scientific journal of British Geriatrics Society Over next 20 years, largest increase in diagnoses will be cancer (up by 179.4%) and diabetes (up by 118.1%) in the older population; arthritis and cancer will see greatest rise in prevalence
Photo for representation with four or more diseases. Over the next 20 years the largest increase in diagnoses will be cancer (up by 179.4%) and diabetes (up by 118.1%) in
Marijuana may not lower chances of pregnancy It was an opportune time to study association between marijuana use and fertility Lauren Wise, Lead author of study Washington DC: Findings of a recent study suggest marijuana use does not lower a couple’s chances of getting pregnant. It was led by Boston University School of Public Health researchers. The study was the first to evaluate the link between fecund ability — the average percycle probability of conception — and marijuana use. Marijuana is one of the most widely used recreational drugs among individuals of reproductive age. Previous studies have examined the ef-
fects of marijuana use on reproductive hormones and semen quality, with conflicting results. “Given the increasing number of states legalizing recreational marijuana across the nation, we thought it was an opportune time to investigate the association between marijuana use and fertility,” says lead author Lauren Wise. In Pregnancy Study Online, a web-based prospective cohort study of North American couples, researchers surveyed 4,194 women aged 21 to 45 liv—ANI ing in US or Canada.
and depression, will more than double in absolute numbers between 2015 and 2035. Professor Carol Jagger, Professor of Epidemiology of Age-
On the rise: Diabetic Retinopathy
Beware! Weekends could be fatal
New Delhi: As per clinical data provided by Delhi-based experts, there has been a considerable rise in the number of cases of Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) amongst patients suffering from diabetes. This highlights an urgent need to raise awareness about retina-related eye diseases. There were over 72 million cases of diabetes in India in 2017. Given that diabetes is a major cause of blindness and one out of three people suffering from diabetes have some degree of DR, there is an urgent need to raise awareness about diabetic retinopathy - a major health concern for diabetics. DR is the leading cause of vision loss among adults in the working age of 20- 65 years. This disease affects people during their productive years of life, impacting the quality of life of the patients and their families. Diabetic Retinopathy leads to Diabetic Macular Edema (DME), which is the most common form of DR. —ANI
Washington DC: Turns out, patients are more likely to die during off-hours or on weekends — whether due to a brain bleed, a heart attack or a blood clot in the lungs. Doctors call it the “weekend effect”. A new study, based on a previous research about lower survival rates from in-hospital cardiac arrest during nights and weekends, showed that the “survival trends during the odd-hours have improved in past decade or so”. The new study, carried by Dr Uchenna Ofoma, indicated that the treatment has gotten better but the night-andweekends gap is yet to be closed. Dr Ofoma is an assistant professor of medicine at Temple University and a critical care physician at Geisinger Health System in Danville, Pennsylvania. The study stated that between 2000 and 2014, weekend survival jumped from 16 percent to 25.5 percent, while weekend-weeknight survival rose to 21.9 percent from 11.9 percent.
Cause of mysterious polio-like illness found
Portman was ‘sexually terrorised’ as a child
The Oscar winner talks about turning 12 on film sets, and how she was objectified I understood very quickly, even as a 13-year-old, that if I were to express myself sexually, I would feel unsafe. And that men would feel entitled to discuss and objectify my body to my great discomfort — Natalie Portman, actor
hood, her voice and her desire. At that moment of my life, I too was discovering.” She described other instances of sexual objectification that she faced soon after the film’s release, including
Professor Jagger adds: “These findings have enormous implications for how we should consider the structure and resources for the NHS in the future. Multi-morbidity increases the likelihood of hospital admission and a longer stay, along with a higher rate of readmission, and these factors will continue to contribute to crises in the NHS.” The authors state patients with complex multi-morbidity need a different approach. They conclude a single-disease-focused model is unsuitable for patients with multimorbidity. There needs to be a focus on prevention of disease, and a bespoke healthcare provision for patients with multi— Agencies morbidity.
the older population, whilst arthritis and cancer will see the greatest rise in prevalence. In the population over 85 years, all diseases, apart from dementia
se uality
Washington D.C: The discussion of sexual misconduct in Hollywood is at its prime — more and more actresses are joining the conversation with their stories. The latest entrant is Natalie Portman who has revealed that she was sexually terrorised as a child while shooting for her first feature film, reports Contactmusic. com. The Academy-award winning actor, who was present at Women’s March in Los Angeles with fellow actor Eva Longoria and Constance Wu, spoke about her terrifying experiences growing up as a child star. She said, “I turned 12 on the set of my first film Leon: The Professional, on which I play a young girl who befriends a hitman and hopes to avenge the murder of her family. The character was spontaneously developing and discovering her woman-
ing at Newcastle University’s Institute for Ageing, led the study which has developed the Population Ageing and Care Simulation model. She said: “Much of the increase in four or more diseases, which we term complex multi-morbidity, is a result of the growth in the population aged 85 years and over. More worryingly, our model shows that future youngold adults, aged 65 to 74 years, are more likely to have two or three diseases than in the past. This is due to their higher prevalence of obesity and physical inactivity which are risk factors for multiple diseases.” In the UK, healthcare delivery was built, and generally remains centred, on the treatment of single diseases.
movie reviewers talking about her “budding breasts” and her local radio station starting a countdown to her 18th birthday to keep track of “the date that I would be legal to sleep with”. The actress added, “I understood very quickly, even as a 13-year-old, that if I were to express myself sexually, I would feel unsafe. And that
Back in the game
Comedian Bill Cosby returned to the stage for the first time in nearly three years Monday, just months before his retrial for alleged sexual assault in Philadelphia, USA. The 80-year-old has been accused by more than 60 women of rape, drug-facilitated sexual assault, sexual battery, child sexual abuse, and sexual misconduct — AFP
men would feel entitled to discuss and objectify my body to my great discomfort.” The Black Swan star also explained how she changed the way she presented herself in public, rejecting roles which could sexualise her and building a reputation as “prudish, conservative, nerdy, serious”. “I felt the need to cover my body and to inhibit my expression and my work in order to send my own message to the world: that I’m someone worthy of safety and respect. The response to my expression, from small comments about my body to more threatening deliberate statements, served to control my behavior through an environment of sexual terrorism,” explained Portman. The actress took to the stage to share her views, as did Scarlett Johansson and Mila Kunis. —ANI
survival rate A new study showed that the “survival trends during the odd-hours have improved in past decade or so” It is also noted that there was no significant change in the gap between weekday and off-hours survival rate. Around 300,000 patients from 470 hospitals were monitored for the research. It showed that more than half of the patients being studied experienced cardiac arrest during off-hours.
Dr. Seth Goldstein, a pediatric surgical fellow at John Hopkins Hospital shared his views. He said that children admitted to the hospital for common, urgent surgeries on weekends had a higher adjusted risk of death, blood transfusion and other complications. Similarly, Ofoma and his team noted that the patients whose hearts stopped offhours could have been sicker in ways that weren’t measured by the study. Their cardiac arrests were also less likely to be witnessed by someone else in the —ANI hospital.
Very low birth weight affects devpt of brain E very year, one in 10 babies worldwide are born too early. That’s roughly 15 million children, according to the World Health Organization. When children are born too soon, they are at higher risk of mental and physical disabilities, especially if they weigh less than 1500 grams at birth. While three-quarters of these preterm births are thought to be preventable, sometimes it’s simply not possible. That last fact has researchers like Alexander Olsen, an associate professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), working to better understand the consequences of very low birth weights on cognitive development. Olsen is director of the Clinical Neuroscience Laboratory at the university, which focuses on investigating the consequences of brain injury and disease, in part by using advanced neuroimaging. “The idea emerged that a lot could potentially be learned through studying groups in parallel, because they are both typically characterized by alterations in the
preterm births
When children are born too soon, they are at higher risk of mental and physical disabilities, especially if they weigh less than 1500 grams at birth
white matter of the brain, although for different reasons,” he said. The white matter is important because it helps provide connectivity between different areas of the brain. “Comparing how brain function adapts differently to pre- and perinatal injuries and those acquired as adults could provide important information on how the brain works in general,” he added. Olsen and his colleagues wanted to see how the brains of very low birth weight individuals differed from their normal birth weight cohorts when it came to cognitive control, and the ability to think proactively or reactively about different tasks. That’s because cognitive control dysfunction is one of the biggest problems facing very low birth weight individuals, Olsen — Agencies said.
A virus called Enterovirus D68 may be the cause of a mysterious polio-like illness that has paralysed children in the US, Canada and Europe, scientists say. Researchers at in Australia analysed scientific literature on the condition known as acute flaccid. —PTI
‘Police extorts trans sex workers, raises HIV risk’ Mumbai: Police in India routinely extort female transgender sex workers, which pressures them to earn more by engaging in unsafe sex that increases the risk of disease, researchers say. Gender minorities need more protection and police need sensitivity training, said a report by the Chennaibased Centre for Sexuality and Health Research and Policy (C-SHaRP) and the Mumbai-based Humsafar Trust. “We found that transgender women have poor earnings and they have to share that too with the police and ruffians who exploit them,” said Venkatesan Chakrapani, a doctor who chairs C-ShaRP, adding “Because of this extortion, they try to earn more and do not insist their customers use condoms.” The study, published in late 2017, was based on interviews with 300 transgender women working in the sex industry in metros. The results showed that they face a
The study says transgender sex workers and pressurised into earning more, which makes them engage in unsafe sex high risk of abuse and sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV. The HIV prevalence among the transgender community is estimated at 7.5 per cent, much higher than India’s average of 0.3 per cent, government data shows. “Biologically, most transgender women are born male, so it is not clear whether they could be penalised for having sex (under Section 377) with a man,” Chakrapani said.
The 2011 census recorded half a million transgender people, but campaigners estimate the number at about 2 million. Doley Barman, director of the National Police Academy, said police training includes “sensitisation modules on dealing with the transgender community”, as well as visits to areas where trainees can interact with transgender people. — Thomson Reuters Foundation
Rape survivor writes letter in blood to Modi
Raebareli (UP): Desperate for justice, a rape survivor has reportedly written a letter in her own blood to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath, demanding action against perpetrators. “The police is not taking action against the accused due to their powerful links. They (accused) are putting pressure on me to withdraw the case. I should be given justice otherwise I’ll commit suicide,” the letter written on January 20 said. ASP Shashi Shekhar Singh said an FIR was registered on March 24, 2017 against Divya Pandey and Ankit Verma on rape charges. The woman’s father alleged that the accused raped his daughter, an engineering student, and had been blackmailing her. In October, 2017, another FIR against unidentified persons was registered in Raebareli which alleged that a fake Facebook profile of the woman was made and obscene pictures were posted on it. “A probe is on,” Singh said. — PTI
Rise of democracy, FGM & child marriage in Gambia Banjul: Wearing a long black veil with her newly circumcised daughter on her lap, Aminata Njie vehemently gives her justification for having the two-year-old cut. “Female circumcision is our religion and tradition,” says the mother of five. “If Gambia is a democracy now, why should anyone stop us from practicing our religion and tradition?” One year after Gambia’s leader Yayha Jammeh flew into exile, residents of the tiny West African nation are enjoying newfound freedoms under president Adama Barrow. But to the dismay of human rights activists, some are also returning to harmful practices that the former president had banned during his 22 years of autocratic rule. Three weeks ago, Njie, travelled across the river to
Ban backlash Yayha Jammeh banned FGM and child marriage during his 22year autocratic rule He installed steep fines and jail sentences for practitioners and abettors
Gambia’s leader Yayha Jammeh (L) flew into exile a year ago and was replaced by the democratically elected President Adama Barrow (R) her husband’s village to have her youngest daughter circumcised. Female circumcision, or Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), involves the partial or total removal of the female genitalia and can cause fatal health problems, health experts say. Jammeh instated steep
fines and jail sentences for those taking part in the ancient ritual in 2015. “Before the ban, all my three daughters were circumcised. By the time I had this one, the ban was in force and no one was doing it here,” said Njie. “Now that (Jammeh) left we are free to do it
The new govt has no plans to remove the laws, says Information minister
because Barrow does not ban it and he is going to remove the law.” In fact, the law against FGM is still in effect and there are no plans to remove it, information minister Demba Jawo says. “We are convinced that FGM has serious health implications. If
anything, this government would be even more rigorous in enforcing the ban,” Jawo said. But many people have been misinformed, rights groups say. The same is true of Jammeh’s 2016 law against child marriage. “It’s taken us back to square one,” says Lisa Camara of Safe Hands for Girls. Campaigners from the government, the United Nations and local rights groups have launched national information campaigns to teach Gambians that Jammeh’s laws are still in effect. Billboards along the highway say “Stop FGM” with pictures of smiling girls. Before the bans, about 75 percent of girls in Gambia were cut and 30 percent married before the age of 18, UNICEF says. — Thomson Reuters Foundation
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BADMINTON Saina Nehwal
wants to skip next month’s Asia Team Championship to prepare for All England, but Badminton Association of India is convincing her to play the event
cricket
FOOTBALL Real Madrid coach
Zinedine Zidane singles out fit-again Gareth Bale for praise as he prepares his side for a Copa Del Rey quarterfinal return leg against Leganes on Wednesday
The ICC has announced Antigua and Barbuda, Guyana and St Lucia as the venues for this year’s Women’s World T20 from Nov 9-24
BALL GAME
Bangladesh beat Zimbabwe
Opener Tamim Iqbal and all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan continued their rich vein of form as Bangladesh maintained their winning streak in the ODI tri-series in Dhaka on Tuesday, recording a 91run win against Zimbabwe. Tamim (76, 105b, 6x4) posted his third successive half-century and Shakib (51, 80b, 6x4) made his second in succession to help Bangladesh to 216/9 on a tricky wicket before the latter finished with 3/34 to dismiss Zimbabwe for just 125 in 36.3 overs. Brief scores: Bangladesh 216/9 in 50 ov (T Iqbal 76, S Al Hasan 51; K Jarvis 3/42, G Cremer 4/32) bt Zimbabwe 125 in 36.3 ov (S Raza 39; S Al Hasan 3/34, M Mortaza 2/29, S Islam 2/29, M Rahman 2/16)
Stokes’ late return, Root to miss T20s Joe Root pulled out of England’s T20 tri-series against Australia and New Zealand (Feb 3-21), as Ben Stokes confirmed his return to international cricket would be delayed by a court appearance. Root will return to England before playing in the ODIs against New Zealand from Feb 25-Mar 10. Stokes is due in court to face charges of affray on Feb 13, the same day England play NZ in T20. Stokes tweeted: “As has been confirmed in the media, a first hearing date at court has been set for 13th February. In the circumstances, I have decided that it would not be right to join my teammates until after attending court on the 13th.”
on the tube (all Live) Star Sports 1 ICC U-19 World Cup Q/Fs 03:00 Pakistan vs South Africa 03:00 (Thu) New Zealand vs Afghanistan 14:20 & 18:20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 Star Sports 2 20:00 ISL, FC Pune City vs Jamshedpur FC Sony Six & Sony Ten 2 05:30 & 05:30 (Thu) Australian Open Sony Ten 1 & 3 13:30 South Africa vs India, 3rd Test, Day 1 Sony ESPN 14:10 BBL T20 18:50 PWL Semifinal 1 Sony Ten 3 03:30 (Thu) PSA World Tour
Under-fire Kohli seeks redemption With his team selection questioned after losing Test series to SA, India captain looks for win in third & final match starting today
Chance for everyone to step up: Kohli
India in South Africa 3rd Test
Johannesburg: Faced with the prospect of a humiliating whitewash, a desperate India would be aiming to make the right selections against an unrelenting South Africa in the third and final Test starting here on Wednesday. The hosts have already clinched the series after winning the first Test by 72 runs and the second by 135 runs. This was the first overseas Test series loss for India under Virat Kohli (discounting the 2014 loss in Australia as MS Dhoni was full-time captain back then). The tour has also ended India’s streak of nine consecutive series wins since 2015. The side, however, will not lose its No.1 Test ranking even if the rubber ends 0-3. As if responding to the severe criticism of selections so far, Bhuvneshwar Kumar is set to return to the side, after mysteriously sitting out the previous Test. Jasprit Bumrah, a surprise selection in both the previous Tests, is expected to be left out. While all five pacers bowled in the nets on Monday, a more certain hint emanated when four of them — Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami – batted in pairs and took firststrike on the freshly-rolled practice wickets. The Indian skipper is expected to make at least one more change though. Since Sunday, when the team regrouped after a three-day midtour break, Ajinkya Rahane has batted the longest in nets. He has had four long practice stints over the past two days and is assured of a starting spot after Rohit Sharma scored 78 runs in four innings at Cape Town and Centurion. Despite Rahane’s anticipated comeback, however, it isn’t assured that Rohit will make way. India could yet go in with six batsmen and an all-pace attack at the Wanderers. They were certainly mulling this strategy 48 hours before the Centurion Test, so it only seems logical that this is again an option on a green pitch with ample pace and bounce. Overall, the scenery has changed quite drastically for Kohli. Six months ago, he had led the side to an emphatic 3-0 victory in Sri Lanka, a feat never achieved by an Indian team. Now, he stands on the brink of another 3-0 scoreline, fortunes reversed, as no Indian team has previously been whitewashed on the
south africa VS INDIA 3rd Test, New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg Live on Sony Ten 1 & Sony Ten 3, 01.30 pm
India look to maintain unbeaten run at Jo’burg
team news South Africa: The hosts are on a roll and might not tamper with the winning 11 from Centurion Test. Opener Aiden Markram, who suffered a mild thigh strain, is expected to be fully fit for the Test.
Captain Virat Kohli (L) and chief coach Ravi Shastri chat during the Indian team practice in Johannesburg on Tuesday. (Top right) India’s (from left) KL Rahul, Dinesh Karthik and Murali Vijay at fielding practice —AP/AFP
India obviously under pressure: FAF Johannesburg: At the Wanderers ground, which usually favours fast bowlers, South Africa have yet to beat India in four Test matches. South Africa captain Faf du Plessis admitted that was “an amazing stat”. He acknowledged that teams get a boost from playing where they or their predecessors have enjoyed success. “You get some grounds where you get a bit of confidence with the way that you play and you run with it,” he said on Tuesday. “I can think of a place like Perth in Australia, where we have never lost, and we get to the ground and we feel, ‘we are confident here, we can perform here’.” But he said the South Africans were determined to complete a 3-0 series sweep. “What you can do is keep them under pressure. They are obviously under pressure now, being 2-0 down in the series.” —AFP South African soil. Since 1992, India have visited six times and their worst defeat was 0-2 in a three-Test series in 1996-97 under Sachin Tendulkar’s captaincy. Since 2006, in their last three visits to South Africa, India have managed to win or draw at least one Test. In this endeavour, their record at the Wanderers Stadium should help. India have played four Tests at this ground — November 1992, January 1997, December 2006 and December 2013 — and are yet to lose a single game. In fact, they have one win here under Rahul Dravid in 2006, thanks largely to Shanthakumaran Sreesanth’s matchhaul of 8/99. More than 11 years later, India will be relying on a similar green, quick and bouncy pitch to do the damage as will be the case for this third Test. —PTI
Johannesburg: South Africa’s most successful Test captain Graeme Smith was not sure if Virat Kohli can be a long-term leader for India and felt the star batsman’s leadership skills aren’t challenged enough by the team management. “I don’t know, when I look at him, if he is a long-term captaincy option for India,” Smith said here. “At the end of this year, he’d have been away from home for a while, the pressure he’ll face, the scrutiny from the press – I know he only gets that in India – but if you’re away from home and you’re struggling for form as a team, I don’t know if I’d want to burden
49 191
No. of runs for which England U-19 lost all their 10 wickets against Australia on Tuesday
The highest individual score ever made in U-19 WC by Sri Lanka’s Hasitha Boyagoda against Kenya on Tuesday
Australia’s 8-wicket hero Lloyd Pope (right) appeals against England’s Jack Davies in the ICC U-19 World Cup quarterfinal in Queenstown on Tuesday –ICC Super League quarterfinal: Pakistan v South Africa, Christchurch (Live on Star Sports 1, 3am onwards) Plate Championship: PNG v Ireland (13th place play-off), Namibia v Kenya (13th place play-off), Zimbabwe v Sri Lanka (Plate semi-final 1), Christchurch
there straight away and take wickets, I love those scenarios in the game.” Pope said despite the fact his side had set such a paltry target at the John Davies Oval in Queenstown, no-one believed they’d lose the game, even after Banton had given England a blistering start. “Everybody had some real fight left in them and we were constantly talking about winning the game,” Pope said. “We didn’t think we were ever falling behind. We all felt
Key contest vs Virat Kohli
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No. of Tests India have won at the Wanderers, Johannesburg in 4 attempts. India have never lost at this venue in the other 3 matches
0
No. of times South Africa have whitewashed India in six Test series at home
did you know?
South Africa’s Vernon Philander is on the verge of playing his 50th Test. He is series’ highest wicket-taker with 10 scalps
that we were in it and could win. We always had the belief even when they 47 for none.” Pope followed his doublestrike by removing Will Jacks for one and then had Banton and Finlay Trenouth both caught by Sangha at slip to leave England reeling on 79/5 at the scheduled lunch break and staring defeat in the face. He finished off the tail after the break and the comparisons to leg-spinning great Shane Warne were immediately being made.
The SA pacer excelled in his debut Test in Centurion, picking up 6 wickets in the second innings. He will look to continue his form but will be wary of the Indian captain, the lone centurion for the visitors this series. HEAD TO HEAD: P: 35, SA: 15, Ind: 10, Draw: 10 Pitch report: Pitch has grass on it. Looks a typical Wanderers surface, hard with good pace and bounce. Weather report: Thundershower in spots expected on each day of Test. But good drainage should keep water off playing area.
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Watchability quotient: (1-3: Forget it; 4-7: If there is nothing else to watch; 8 and above: try not to miss it) Punter Point: SA: 4/6, India: 11/2, Draw: 9/4
WHAT TO EXPECT: India will take comfort from the fact that they have never lost a Test at this venue. One of their only two wins in South Africa have come at this venue. Having faced brickbats for the series loss, Kohli and Co will be fired up to pull one back. But SA will be keen to make it 3-0.
Johannesburg: Captain Virat Kohli revealed on Tuesday there has been some hard talking in the India camp ahead of the third and final Test against South Africa. He said his call after defeat in the second Test at Centurion to “be hard on ourselves” had been followed through. “Everyone has been spoken to individually as to what went wrong, what happened and why it happened,” Kohli said. “The guys have taken it well. Any time that you step on to the field, it is an opportunity to correct your mistakes and that is how you progress at the international level.” He said batting coach Sanjay Bangar had worked with all the batsmen with a view to salvaging something from a series in which India are facing the possibility of a 3-0 defeat. “I am sure everyone is looking forward to rectifying those mistakes and, if they are in the same positions (again), to consolidate those positions,” said Kohli. The Indian captain added: “We have looked at the positives from the first two games as well. It is not many times on overseas tours that we have taken 40 wickets in two Tests. “If the bowlers can continue doing their job, whichever team bats better can win the Test match. It’s a chance for everyone to step up and turn things around.” —AFP
‘Don’t know if Kohli is long-term captaincy option’
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PLAYING TODAY
India: Ajinkya Rahane’s omission has been criticised widely. Whether he plays is unclear. Bhuvneshwar Kumar is likely to replace Jasprit Bumrah while Ravindra Jadeja may be the preferred spin option.
Lungi Ngidi
India captain Virat Kohli (right) addresses the media on the eve of the third Test against South Africa in Johannesburg on Tuesday. (Left) Graeme Smith —AP/Reuters Virat Kohli with that... Or, if India have a better leader in that enviro n m e n t , ” said the for-
Pope’s magic spell takes Australia to semis Wellington: Lloyd Pope produced something of a cricketing miracle on Tuesday when the leg-spinner took tournament record figures of 8/35 to bowl Australia into the semifinals of the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup here. The 18-year-old’s haul was even more impressive considering the fact that his side had been dismissed for 127 in the 34th over of their quarterfinal against England, who were cruising to victory at 47/0 after seven overs. Pope, however, was then thrown the ball by captain Jason Sangha and he proceeded to run amok, taking two wickets in his first over off successive balls. “Sangh (Sangha) put me on pretty early,” Pope told reporters after England were bowled out for 96, despite opener Tom Banton scoring 58. “I like putting myself in pressure scenarios, I feel like I bowl better under pressure. “Sangh throwing me the ball gives me a bit of confidence that my captain is trying to advance the game and for me to land the ball in
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did you know?
Australian Lloyd Pope’s spell of 8/35 is the best-ever in the ICC U19 CWC, bettering his teammate Jason Ralston’s 7/15 against PNG earlier in a league match. This is second to former India pacer Irfan Pathan’s 9/16 against Bangladesh in Lahore in 2003 in all U19 matches
The Australian is widely considered to have changed the art of leg-spin as he tortured batsmen worldwide with his control and variations before retiring with 708 Test wickets but Pope said he did not feel anything like him. “I don’t tend to compare myself to him,” said Pope, whose long unkempt hair would be shorn when he returns home. “It is good to look at him and learn. I really would like to put my red-ball
cricket up where he was, that’s the aspiration for any leg-spinner really. Comparisons? I don’t really think about them too much.” Warne took to Twitter to compliment a youngster armed with a formidable bag of tricks that also includes sharp leg-breaks and awkward skidders. “This is terrific & brings a huge smile to my face. I had the pleasure of meeting this impressive young man in Adelaide a while ago! Was nice to have a bowl with him too Lloyd give it a rip — well done & congrats! Spin to win my friend,” Warne tweeted. —Reuters
Brief scores (quarterfinals) Super League: Australia 127 in 33.3 ov (J Sangha 58; D Pennington 3/27, W Jacks 3/21, E Bamber 3/31) bt England 96 in 23.4 overs (T Banton 58; L Pope 8/35) Plate Championship: SL 419/5 in 50 ov (H Boyagoda 191, N Madushka 60, K Mendis 53, N Fernando 35*; A Chidambaram 2-68) bt Kenya 108 in 35.5 ov (T Ochieng 45; H Buddhila 4/27, N Malinga 2/14); Ireland 278/8 in 50 ov (N Rock 91, H Tector 69, M Donegan 38; J Royal 3/59, R Alimohamed 2/31) lost to Windies 281/6 in 48.2 ov (N Young 55*, B Yadram 53, E Stewart 50, K Kallicharan 46)
mer opening batsman. Smith felt Kohli needed a person around him who can challenge his decisions in a constructive way. “When I look at Virat, I think he needs someone in the support staff
who can constructively challenge him and help him grow,” the 117-Test veteran said. “He has all the capabilities tactically, he knows his own game, he sets the standard in the field for everyone else. I think if he had a really constructive person in his environment, who could talk to him, make him think, maybe even challenge him with some different ideas, in a constructive way, not an angry or aggressive way, but make him think, open his eyes to other possibilities, that would make him a really good leader.” Kohli is aggressive and expressive on the field and that can affect his teammates either way, felt Smith. “We all know he’s an outstanding player, his intensity really
Shorey’s 84 in vain as Delhi lose by 3 runs Kolkata: Delhi’s Dhruv Shorey (84, 46 balls, 7x4, 4x6) hit a second successive fifty but it went in vain as Delhi went down to Bengal by three runs in a thrilling finish in te Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 tournament here on Tuesday. Opting to field, Bengal amassed 170/6 with Sudeep Chatterjee scoring a 34-ball 51 (7x4). In reply, Delhi were 68/4 before Shorey and Lalit Yadav (45, 29b, 5x4, 2x6) eked out an 88-run partnership for the fifth wicket to revive their chase. But Sayan Ghosh (3/24) dismissed both of them in space of five balls to derail Delhi. Virtually out of the final reckoning, this was Bengal’s first win of the Super League stage (Group B) in 3 matches. In another match (Group A), Rajasthan pacer Deepak Chahar produced a careerbest 5/15, guiding his team to an upset 22-run win over Karnataka. Defending 161 against a star-studded batting line-up, Chahar ran through the toporder in an astonishing first spell of 3-0-9-4 as Karnataka folded up for 138 in 20 overs, their second successive defeat that virtually ended hopes of making the final. —PTI
STARWATCH Yuvraj Singh, 17 (33b, 1x4), Punjab vs Jharkhand; Suresh Raina, 61 (41b, 7x4, 1x6), UP vs TN; Washington Sundar, 2/32 in 4 overs & 33 (30b, 3x4), TN vs UP
BRIEF SCORES Group A: Punjab 149/7 in 20 ov (M Singh 48, A Gupta 31*; V Aaron 2/20, K Singh 3/26) lost to Jharkhand 150/6 in 19.3 ov (I Kishan 54, K Singh 29; BS Sran 2/19) Rajasthan 160/8 in 20 ov (A Garhwal 31, A Lamba 58; R Vinay Kumar 2/29, S Aravind 3/25) bt Karnataka 138 in 20 ov (Aniruddha 73*; D Chahar 5/15, CP Singh 2/31)) Group B: UP 162/4 in 20 ov (S Chaudhary 38, S Raina 61, A Nath 38*; W Sundar 2/32) lost to TN 163/5 in 19.2 ov (W Sundar 33, S Yadav 52) Bengal 170/6 in 20 ov (S Goswami 26, V Singh 32, S Chatterjee 51, M Tiwary 25; P Sangwan 2/27, K Khejroliya 2/25) bt Delhi 167/8 in 20 ov (D Shorey 84, L Yadav 45; K Seth 3/25, S Ghosh 3/24)
benefits his own personal game, he loves that confrontation, that intensity brings the best out of him,” Smith said. “But sometimes as a leader, you’ve got to consider how you impact the others in the environment, that’s an area of his leadership that he needs to grow. You can see, he’s often at his players. He’s very aware, he’s focus on the game is on, sweeping or mid-on.” Smith said Kohli needed to connect more with his teammates. “But often his reaction to situations... I think that can sometimes impact on your team negatively. We all know how powerful Virat Kohli is in world cricket, in Indian cricket. He may find a level where he can connect with all his players.” –PTI
COA to review India’s Test debacle in SA New Delhi: The Committee of Administrators (COA) running the BCCI will review India’s dismal performance in South Africa following the conclusion of the tour. “We will review the performance after getting the full report from the team manager. Nothing can be done now as the players and officials are in South Africa,” said a BCCI official who was present in the COA meeting here on Tuesday. COA chief Vinod Rai, member Diana Edulji and BCCI CEO Rahul Johri were part of the meeting. None of the BCCI office-bearers including acting president CK Khanna and acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary were called for the meeting. In the meeting, COA ratified the decisions taken by the IPL Governing Council yesterday. The IPL GC announced the dates of IPL-11, from April 7 to May 27, and accepted broadcaster’s request of changing the match timings from 8pm to 7pm, and 4pm to 5.30pm. The next COA meeting is expected to take place after the Supreme Court hearing on January 29. —PTI
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hot on heels
Wenger rules out Arsenal spree Arsene Wenger insisted on Tuesday there was no chance he would jeopardise Arsenal’s financial stability with lavish spending on new players during the rest of the January transfer window. Monday saw Alexis Sanchez leave the Emirates for Old Trafford in a high-profile swap deal, with Manchester United’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan coming the other way.
India begin 2nd-leg campaign today India will begin their campaign in the secondleg of the Four Nations Invitational Tournament in Hamilton against the hosts New Zealand at the Gallagher Hockey Stadium on Wednesday. “As a team, we have made progress match after match. We had four young players make their debut and even scored in matches, which is good. We came close to beating Olympic Silver Medallist Belgium which gives us a lot of confidence going into an important calendar year for hockey,” said Chief Coach Sjoerd Marijne.
Star pugilists for India Open From five-time world champion MC Mary Kom to three-time Asian medallist Shiva Thapa, the best of Indian boxing will be in action in the inaugural India Open Tournament, from where pugilists for the Commonwealth Games trials would be finalised. The USD 100,000 event will kick-start on Sunday and is expected to feature boxers from close to 25 countries, including Cuba, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Russia, at the Thyagaraj Stadium, New Delhi.
Russian skaters banned for doping Russian skaters Ksenia Stolbova and Ivan Bukin have been banned from the Pyeongchang Winter Games, the Russian figure skating federation said in a statement, citing the country’s Olympic Committee. “According to information from the Russian Olympic Committee, the International Olympic Committee without giving any reason has not permitted members of the Russian figure skating team Ksenia Stolbova (pairs) and Ivan Bukin (ice dance) to participate in the 2018 Winter Games in Korea,” the statement said.
Disappointing start for Indians
ff the field
India witnessed a dismal start at the Indonesia Masters as none of the shuttlers could cross the qualifying stage at the USD 350,00 World Tour Super 500 tournament, in Jakarta on Tuesday. While Abhishek Yelegar lost 20-22 14-21 to Vega Vio Nirwanda of Indonesia, Subhankar Dey suffered a 9-21 21-23 loss against Panji Ahmad Maulana in the men’s singles qualifiers.
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n World No.1 suffers leg muscle injury n Abandons match with Cilic leading 5th set 2-0 n Questions calendar
Nadal retires hurt in quarters again
Melbourne: Rafa Nadal’s Australian Open quarter-final curse struck again on Tuesday, an injury forcing the top seed to retire in the fifth set against Croatia’s Marin Cilic. A wincing Nadal struggled with a muscle strain in his upper right thigh from late in the fourth set before abandoning the match at 3-6, 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-2, 2-0, leaving a packed Rod Laver Arena crushed with disappointment. It was only the second time the world number one has retired in over 250 Grand Slam matches, his last, coincidentally, during the 2010 quarterfinals against Andy Murray. “It’s not the first time here,” an ashen-faced Nadal told reporters. “I am a positive person... but today is an opportunity lost to be in a semifinals of a grand slam.” Of the seven grand slam quarter-final defeats of his career, five have now come on the blue hard courts at Melbourne Park. The 16-times grand slam champion said he felt the strain in the third set but was not affected until the fourth when it twinged during a scramble for a drop-shot. Nadal said tour organisers had to do something about the growing number of injuries among players after the withdrawals of Andy Murray and Kei Nishikori before the tournament and Novak Djokovic struggling ahead of his exit on Monday. “Somebody who is running the tour should think a little bit about what’s going on,” said the Spaniard. “I don’t know if they have to think a little bit about the
health of the players. “Not for now that we are playing, but there is life after tennis. I don’t know if we keep playing in these very, very hard surfaces what’s going to happen in the future with our lives.” It overshadowed a majestic performance from sixth seed Cilic who reached his second Australian Open semi-final eight years after losing to Murray at the 2010 tournament.
Wozniacki stutters into last four Second seed Caroline Wozniacki withstood a fightback from Spain’s unseeded Carla Suarez Navarro to stutter into the semi-finals of the Australian Open 6-0 6-7 (3/7) 6-2 on Wednesday morning. “I knew it was going to be tough against her because in the first set a lot of games were very close,” said the Dane, who is into a second semi-final at Melbourne Park, after losing her first against China’s Li Na back in 2011. “Another semifinal here, I’m excited,” she added after completing a see-saw win in 2hr 11min. Wozniacki will face another unseeded player, Elise Mertens of Belgium, on Thursday for a place in the final. —Reuters/AFP
Quarterfinal results Women’s singles: Elise Mertens (BEL) bt 4-Elina Svitolina (UKR) 6-4 6-0; 2-Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) bt Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) 6-0 6-7 (3/7) 6-2
Send in your answers to sportsdna@gmail. com. Names of the first 10 winners will be published tomorrow
Pshots
Bops-Babos in quarters
Marin Cilic Rafael Nadal 20 Aces 3 8 Double Faults 2 83 Winners 39 62 Unforced Errors 32 5/19 Break Point Conversions 2/10 157 Total Points Won 145
seedwatch Men’s singles: 6-Marin Cilic (CRO) bt 1-Rafael Nadal (ESP) 3-6 6-3 6-7 (5/7) 6-2 2-0 ret; Kyle Edmund (GBR) bt Grigor Dimitrov (BUL x3) 6-4 3-6 6-3 6-4
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Match analysis
Spain’s Rafael Nadal receives medical attention during his quarterfinal match against Croatia’s Marin Cilic in Melbourne on Wednesday —AFP
Edmund wins to join British greats Melbourne: Kyle Edmund became only the fourth British man to reach the Australian Open semifinals in the post-1968 Open Era with an impressive win over world No. 3 Grigor Dimitrov at the Australian Open on Tuesday. The unseeded Edmund, ranked 49, won 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in 2hr 49min on Rod Laver Arena and will face former US Open champion Marin Cilic for a place in Sunday’s final. By winning Edmund also became only the sixth British man to make the last four at a Grand Slam. It marked his first victory against a top-five ranked player. With another British Grand Slam semi-finalist Tim Henman watching in the stands, Edmund kept Dimitrov under pressure with his powerful forehand and serve. “I am loving it right now, just the way I’m playing. I’m 23 years old, my first Grand
I am loving it right now, just the way I’m playing. I’m 23 years old, my first Grand Slam semifinal. First time I played on one of the biggest courts in the world. — Kyle Edmund after his win over Grigor Dimitrov Slam semifinal. First time I played on one of the biggest courts in the world,” Edmund said. “To beat a quality of player like Grigor. They’re great feelings. You don’t obviously play in the semifinals of a Grand Slam every day, or a quarter like today. “So I’m just trying to enjoy it as much as possible. There’s no reason why my tennis wasn’t good enough to win. It’s obviously about go-
ing out there and doing it.” Edmund is the only British man in this year’s field after five-time finalist Andy Murray’s injury withdrawal before the tournament. “I know what it feels like to be Andy Murray for the last eight years or however long,” Edmund said of the expected media attention after his win. “Yeah, of course, it comes with the territory of playing the sport. The better you do, the more attention you get. “It’s probably the first time I’ve done well on my own. So it is more attention there, but of course you just take it in your stride, trying to embrace it as much as possible.” The only other British men to get so far at a Slam were Henman, Murray, John Lloyd, Roger Taylor and Greg Rusedski. Murray, Lloyd and Taylor did it in Australia. —AFP
Explosiveness, aggression & unpredictability...
...Just what street footballer Sanchez brings to table for Manchester United
quit in 2013 after nearly 27 trophy-filled years. He looks to be just the player United needs now, too. Current United manager Jose Mourinho isn’t short of forward options — Romelu Lukaku, Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata are Mourinho’s choices in attack — but Sanchez will offer something else, like a
Manchester: Alexis Sanchez was welcomed to Manchester United by its greatest manager when he arrived at Old Trafford on Monday to put the finishing touches to his highprofile transfer from Arsenal. Alex Ferguson was spotted chatting to Sanchez and his representative outside the ground, eight years after trying — but failing — to bring the Chile international to United from Italian team Udinese. A tireless and direct runner with a natural inclination to attack, Sanchez would likely have been a good fit for United under Ferguson, who
young Wayne Rooney did a decade ago. Explosiveness. Aggression. Unpredictability. Mourinho likes his attackers to fit in to an overall team
framework, keeping it solid and in a good shape with and without the ball. Sanchez might just be that player to provide that spark and offthe-cuff flair that regular match-goers at Old Trafford love to see. “Attack, attack, attack” is a chant that often swirls around the home of United and it was a philosophy that came naturally to Ferguson’s trophy-winning teams. That could easily be Sanchez’s motto, too. No wonder he is being handed the No. 7 jersey that so any greats — George Best, Eric Cantona, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo among them — have worn over the years. Expect Sanchez to start life at United either on the right of a front three, effectively replacing Juan Mata in a position he played at Barcelona from 2011-14.
Melbourne: India’s Rohan Bopanna and his Hungarian partner Timea Babos entered the quarterfinals of the Australian Open mixed doubles event with a straight-set win, here on Tuesday. The fifth-seeded pairing of Bopanna and Babos beat USA’s Vania King and Croatia’s Franko Skugor 6-4 6-4 at the Melbourne Park. The match, which lasted a little over an hour, saw Bopanna and Babos break in the third game of the opening set to take a 2-1 lead. In the fifth game of the second set, Bopanna and Babos broke Skugor’s and made it 3-2. The IndoHungarian pair sent down eight aces compared to their opponents’ five. Bopanna and Babos had dispatched the unseeded Australian pairing of Whittington and Perez 6-2 6-4 in the previous round. They will face the unseeded pair of Juan Sebastian Cabal from Colombia and Abigail Spears from the USA in the quarterfinals on Tuesday. Bopanna now remains the only Indian in title contention at the Australian Open. Leander Paes, Purav Raja, Divij Sharan and Bopanna himself lost in the third round of the men’s doubles competition on Tuesday. —PTI
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fplay
Rod Laver Arena Morning session (5:30 am) 21-Angelique Kerber (GER) v 17-Madison Keys (USA) Tennys Sandgren (USA) v Chung Hyeon (KOR) 1-Simona Halep (ROM) v 6-Karolina Pliskova (CZE) Evening session (1:30 pm) 19-Tomas Berdych (CZE) v 2-Roger Federer (SUI) Live on: Sony Six & Sony Ten 2
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Kyle Edmund of Britain celebrates his win on Tuesday —REUTERS
SSquote
I don’t know if we keep playing in these very, very hard surfaces what’s going to happen in the future with our lives
—Rafael Nadal
Anand to take on Carlsen in round nine Wijk Aan Zee (The Netherlands): World rapid champion Viswanathan Anand will take on long-time nemesis and world No.1 Magnus Carlsen of Norway in the ninth round of the Tata Steel Masters here. With two wins, five draws and one loss, Anand is sharing the sixth spot in the 14-player, 13-round tournament and the Indian ace will look for a good finish in the last five rounds of this marathon event. Anand had lost his world chess champion crown to Carlsen. Anish Giri, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan and Carlsen share the top spot on 5.5 points apiece while Wesley So of United States and Vladimir Kramnik of Russia follow the three leaders a half point behind. Anand is next on 4.5 points and giving him company is Sergey Karjakin
of Ukraine. In the remaining five, Anand has three white games and the most important one will be in the next round. Thereafter, Anand has white games lined up against Yifan Hou of China and Wesley So while his two black games will be against Gawain Jones of England and Mamedyarov respectively. The Indian will need at least two victories to pose a serious challenge to the three leaders at this stage. —PTI Pairings round 9 Masters: Gawain Jones (Eng, 3.5) vs Yifan Hou (Chn, 1); V Anand (Ind, 4.5) vs Magnus Carlsen (Nor, 5.5); Wesley So (Usa, 5) vs Peter Svidler (Rus, 4); Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Aze, 5.5) vs Vladimir Kramnik (Rus, 5); Maxim Matlakov (Rus, 3.5) vs Anish Giri (Ned, 5.5); Sergey Karjakin (Rus, 4.5) vs Wei Yi (Chn, 3); Fabiano Caruana (Usa 3)vs B Adhiban (Ind, 2).
Long break has given us time to recover, says captain Mithali After long hiatus post WC, Indian women team heads to SA for bilateral series
Mithali speaks
Taus Rizvi r_taus@dnaindia.net
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Mumbai: Indian women are all set to fly off to South Africa for an important bilateral series which comprises three ODIs and five T20Is. However, there is no buzz. A team which delivered a special performance in the ICC Women’s World Cup, finishing as runner-up in July last year, ought to create excitement in their follow-up assignment. As the team heads to the Rainbow Nation, the enthusiasm seems to be missing. Why? The blame can be put on the long gap between the team’s last international assignment — World Cup and their next series to be held in first week of February. Some players played BCCI’s domestic tournaments, while a few of them went to Australia for the Women’s Big
On talented youngster Jemimah Rodrigues
On team’s interaction with Sachin Tendulkar
Jemimah is a young talented girl. She has scored a lot of runs in U-19 and senior. She is promising cricketer. As captain I want her to perform at the international level. She is one of the best fielders in team.
Talking about the interaction with Sachin (Tendulkar), it was very important for the team as well as the players individually because we got to learn from his vast experience. He told us how he handled pressure, failure and things like that. It will benefit all the players to handle different situations in their career
Harmanpreet to lead T20 series Star all-rounder Harmanpreet Singh was on Tuesday named captain of the Indian women’s cricket team for the five-match T20 series against South Africa in Potchefstroom from February 13. Smriti Mandhana has been named as the vice-captain. India Women’s T20I squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Mithali Raj, Veda Krishnamurthy, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Anuja Patil, Taniya Bhatia (WK), Nuzhat Parveen (WK), Poonam Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Jhulan Goswami, Shikha Pandey, Pooja Vastrakar, Radha Yadav India women’s cricket team captain Mithali Raj at a practice session in Mumbai on Tuesday —Aadesh CHoudhari/DNA Bash League. But isn’t the gap too big? Yes it is, and the Indian captain Mithali Raj, too, said so. “Long season after the world cup it was important for the girls, who had injuries, to recover. Ideally as players, (we)
would have preferred to have continuation,” the captain said at the pre-departure press conference on Tuesday. “But when you have injuries in the side, you need to have time to recover,” she added.
Mithali, however, gave it a positive twist. “In a way it is good because players...all of them are fit. We have been playing domestic matches, we have had enough time to prepare for this series. It’s a beginning for us. Need to start
afresh. Two other series are lined up after South Africa tour. It is always good to start the year on a fresh note,” she added. The Indian team has been based in Mumbai for their preparatory camp ahead of the tour. The captain said her
team has prepared well for it. “The girls have been in the match-mould playing domestic cricket. We have had a preparatory camp here and couple of them are coming from WBBL. The girls have worked really hard on their fitness level. I am sure if you look at
them, they all look agile and fit,” she said. Mithali said the tour of South Africa will be a test for players. “We have toured South Africa before, for the quadrangular series. Having said that, the South African team is also a very good side. “You have seen they have almost made it to the final of the World Cup. It is going to be very competitive cricket. It will also test each and every player and as a team also. It’s important the girls need to be confident,” she said. The Indians would be playing a T20 series after a long gap. The last one was Asia Cup in December 2016 where they beat Pakistan in the final. Raj said the focus was then on ODIs now it will go back to the T20s since the World T20 is approaching. “I think now (focus) is the preparation for T20 World Cup. Playing five T20 games in South Africa. It’s an ICC championship. It’s been a while since we played in T20 format. We are looking forward to T20 games. We also need to work hard in this format.”
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second front page
For most of those people who continue to doubt Netaji’s death in Taihoku in August 1945, one possible option for proof would be a DNA test of the remains of Netaji — provided DNA can be extracted from the bones remaining after his cremation. —Anita Bose-Pfaff, Subhas Chandra Bose’s daughter
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NEW DELHI I WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2018 I daily news & analysis
www.dnaindia.com I twitter.com/dna I epaper.dnaindia.com I facebook.com/dnaindia
snapshot
‘India can become sourcing destination for ASEAN’
Smriti Irani, Textiles Minister India has potential to become the one-stop sourcing destination for brands and retailers from ASEAN as opportunities exist for textile manufacturers from the 10-nation bloc to invest here and cater to the domestic market as well as exports.
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India has strengths in production and exports of almost all kinds of textiles and apparel including all handloom and handicraft products that demonstrate the unique skills of the country’s weavers and artisans.
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‘EC will convey concerns to govt’ CEC OP Rawat talks about electoral bonds, disqualification of AAP MLAs on his first day The Election Commission issued two notices to AAP, but they responded on something which was not in the context of the notice.
Manan Kumar manan.kumar@dnaindia.net New Delhi: The Election Commission is yet to firm up its view on the BJP government’s new scheme of electoral bonds — described dangerous for the democracy by many political parties — and will soon flag its concerns to the government. “Our Secretariat is examining threadbare as to what are the imports vis-à-vis our earlier suggestions and issues on electoral bonds. The examination will be complete in a couple of days, and the Commission will then decide as to what of its concerns have been met and which are remaining. Then we will respond to the scheme accordingly,” said Chief Election Commissioner Om Prakash Rawat in his first interaction on Thursday. Rawat said that the Commission will not hazard initial thoughts on electoral bonds
OP Rawat, Chief Election Commissioner
CEC Om Prakash Rawat (C) with Ashok Lavasa (L) Election Commissioner and Sunil Arora Election Commissioner in New Delhi —BB Yadav/DNA as it is dicey. “We thoroughly examine and consider all aspects in the meeting and then finalise our views. That exercise will take more time. But surely, we will respond,” he said. On the issue of discrepancy in lawful donations, where the government on one hand has lowered the limit of
cash donations to Rs 2,000 but on the other has made it mandatory to reveal and seize donations of above Rs 20,000 made in cash, Rawat said the issue is being examined as it was also part of the finance bill, 2017. “We don’t opine on such issues in a hackneyed manner. Our Secretariat is already in
Tribute to Netaji
In the year 2016, India exported textiles and apparel worth $1,203 million to ASEAN and imported textiles and apparel worth $546 million from ASEAN.
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A new friendship (referring to IndiaASEAN relations) that we can forge to ensure that we give better manufacturing opportunities, better wage opportunities and also help strengthen our legacies in the handloom and handicraft sectors.
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I am hopeful that this is just one of the many areas where we can participate and leverage our strengths.
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Senior BJP leader LK Advani, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and others pay floral tribute to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his 121st birth anniversary at Parliament in New Delhi on Tuesday —PTI
Can’t question adult’s choice to marry: SC Hadiya case
DNA Correspondent correspondent@dnaindia.net New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday observed that the probing agencies could not question the legitimacy of an adult’s choice to marry a person of their choice. The top court had reconvened for the first time since it had allowed Hadiya, aka Akhila KM, a 24-year-old homeopathy students from Kerala to move out of her parents home and study in Salem, Tamil Nadu. “She is 24-years old. If an adult says she married some-
The SC bench said the probe would not have a bearing on Hadiya’s marital status.
one with her own consent, how can one contest that marriage?” the bench led by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said. The bench, also comprising Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud, said an investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in
the Kerala love jihad matter would not have a bearing on Hadiya’s marital status. However, representing Hadiya’s father Ashokan KM — who had opposed his daughter’s marriage to Shafin Jahan — advocate Madhavi Divan said, “Your Lordships are looking at marriage in isolation. Please note that she was not married at the time the
petition was filed before the Kerala High Court. The prayer at that time was that the girl was unwilling to return to her parents. The marriage is merely a devise to legitimise her illegal confinement.” Justice Chandrachud replied, “You may be right that the marriage is solely a devise. But once Hadiya says that she is married, we cannot question the legitimacy of her choice” “The girl has appeared before us and the High Court. She is not in illegal detention,” CJI Misra said. “We cannot see how she has been brainwashed. We cannot interfere,” the bench said.
an advanced stage of examining the full electoral bond scheme. We have written on all points, including this and many other. The commission will take a view where they are falling short and where some tweaking is needed and will respond accordingly,” said Rawat. Rawat said the government will have to do a lot of work — in the realm of bringing amendments in the constitutions and the laws and provide logistics to the Commission — to make simultaneous
elections a possibility. Rejecting charges made by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) that the Commission did not accord them a hearing, Rawat said, “The commission issued two notices to AAP, but they responded on something which was not in the context of the notice. The notices were very comprehensive and AAP could have said whatever they wanted to explain.” Rawat said he does not subscribe to the view of trust deficit between EC and political parties. He said expression of adverse opinions is not really indicative of a trust deficit, as politics is the art of the possibilities and politicians work on those lines. “Whereas, the EC has to have a 360 degree comprehensive information on every issue and decide objectively. So we are doing whatever is befitting to us and they are doing whatever is befitting to them,” he said. Full report: dnaindia.com
SC poses questions to Aadhaar challengers DNA Correspondent correspondent@dnaindia.net New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked petitioner challenging Aadhaar what difference the assertion of Aadhaar would make in this “networked” society. “All of our data is anyway with private entities. So does the interpolation of Aadhaar number make any difference?” Justice DY Chandrachud, one of the five judges on the bench, asked. Representing one of the petitioners, senior advocate Kapil Sibal said that the apex court needed to decide the extent to which a state could seek personal information. “Yes, we are in a networked world. We have to share information...To what extent should private entities be given personal data and to what extent do we protect ourselves?” Sibal said. To this, Justice Chandrachud queried whether the concern and “danger” of a
Don’t donate over `2K in cash to parties: I-T New Delhi: The Income Tax (I-T) Department on Tuesday cautioned people against indulging in illegal cash transactions including donating more than Rs 2,000 to political parties. In a bid to clean up election funding, the government early this year had notified ‘electoral bonds’ that can be bought from specified branches of the SBI and used to donate money to political parties. According to the scheme, no person should make a cash donation of over Rs 2,000 to a political party. The tax department, in advertisements published on Tuesday, said a person should not “donate in excess of Rs 2,000 in cash to a registered trust/political party.” This is the first public advisory that the department or its policy-making body — the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) — has issued vis-à-vis political donations. It is understood that the clause has been added in the I-T public advisory in the backdrop of the government notifying the electoral bonds scheme. The department also stipulated some more don’ts for the public like: “do not accept cash of Rs 2 lakh or more in aggregate
Cleaner funding from a single person in a day or for one or more transactions relating to one event or occasion”, “do not receive or repay Rs 20,000 or more in cash for transfer of immovable property.” The I-T Department also added that one should not pay “more than Rs 10,000 in cash relating to expenditure of business or profession”. The taxman asked public to say “no to cash transactions” of all these kinds. It added that contravention of these threshold cash limits “may result in levy of tax/penalty”. “Go cashless. Go clean,” the advertisement said. The department also urged the public to inform it about such violations or any instance of blackmoney or benami assets transaction to it over email. The electoral bonds, which are being pitched as
The Income Tax Department issued a public advisory about donation to political parties on Tuesday. The government had earlier notified that electoral bonds can be used to make donations to political parties. The move by the I-T department comes in a bid to clean up election funding to political parties. an alternative to cash donations made to political parties, will be available at specified branches of the State Bank of India (SBI) for 10 days each in months of January, April, July and October. The bonds, which would be valid for 15 days, will not carry the donor s name even though the purchaser would have to fulfil KYC norms at the bank. —PTI
personal data leak could be avoided if there is a declaration that “personal information collected would only be used for the purpose for which they are collected.” Senior advocate Shyam Divan and advocate Vipin Nair, arguing against Aadhaar, said it was the state’s responsibility to protect citizens from both non-state and state actors. However, representing the Centre, Attorney General KK Venugopal informed the court that data protection regime recommended by the Justice BN Srikrishna Committee would be ready by March. Full report: dnaindia.com
Pak shelling at LoC & IB stops after six days DNA Correspondent correspondent@dnaindia.net Srinagar: Life in Jammu and Kashmir saw a relative calm on Tuesday after six days of continuous shelling along the International Border (IB) and Line of Control (LoC) by Pakistan Rangers. The shelling claimed 12 lives and uprooted thousands of people from the Valley as security forces had to carry out evacuation in the border region. “The situation is normal and no ceasefire violation is reported from anywhere,” said an Army spokesman at the Nagrota-based White Knight Corps. A Border Security Force (BSF) spokesman said there was no cross-border firing on the IB as well. The heavy shelling stopped after BSF destroyed fuel and ammunition dump besides several Pakistan forces posts in a massive retaliation to the repeated ceasefire violations along the IB. More than 12 people have been killed in the Pakistani shelling since Wednesday night while over 50 have suffered injuries. Schools and educational institutions in the five kilometre range of IB and LoC have been shut. “The borders were relatively calm in Jammu. There was no shelling since Monday afternoon. However, nobody has returned home as there is no certainty,” said Arun Manhas, additional district commissioner, Jammu.
Make national anthem recitation must: Waqf DNA Correspondent correspondent@dnaindia.net Lucknow: Welcoming the steps being taken by the Modi and Yogi governments for modernisation of madrasas, the Uttar Pradesh Shia Central Waqf Board now wants tricolour hoisting and national anthem recitation to be made mandatory in the madrasas across country. In yet another letter written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the board Chairman Waseem Rizvi demanded that recitation of national anthem be made mandatory in all madrasas along with hoisting of tricolour every morning to inculcate feeling of nationalism among the students. “Both of these are fundamental rights of all citizens under Article 51 (A) of the Indian Constitution. Thus, they should be made mandatory in all madrasas across country to bring them at par
Apprehension UP Shia Waqf Board had written to PM Modi and UP CM Adityanath seeking a change in the current education system in madrasas saying it was producing terrorists.
For representation with other schools,” he said. The Shia Board also suggested that the Central government develop a mechanism to check and verify foreign funding of Islamic educational institutions to put an effective check on funding by terror organisations. “Foreign students seeking admissions in madrasas should be given admissions only after proper verification and thorough checking of their personal credentials to curb entry of anti-nationals and those owing allegiance of terror groups,” he added to his suggestions made in the letter. Earlier, Rizvi had sent a letter to the PM and the CM demanding scrapping of current education system in madrasas as it was producing more terrorists than civil servants, doctors, engineers etc.
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