March 1, 2021

Nagaland Post www.nagalandpost.com

Vol XXXI No. 84

DIMAPUR, MONDAY, MARCH 1, 2021 Pages 8 ` 4.00

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Covid-19 crisis far from over: CSIR

Myanmar police kill at least 18 in bloodiest day of anti-coup protests Scientists fear COVID-19

Warns 3rd wave would be far more dangerous T H I RU VA NA N THAPURAM, FEB 28 (PTI): Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Director General Shekhar C Mande on Sunday warned that the COVID-19 crisis was far from being over and allowing a “third wave” by lowering our guard is fraught with grave consequences.

Also, continued collaboration across institutions was necessary to come out of the current situation as well as ward off catastrophic situations arising out of climate change and over dependence on fossil fuels which had the potential to wipe out the entire humanity, he said.

Mande was speaking on “India’s response to Covid-19 from S & T perspective” at a virtual “National Science Day Lectures,” organised by Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology here.

The expert clarified that India is nowhere near achieving herd immunity

COVID: India records highest one-day jump in 30 days New Delhi, Feb 28 (PTI): India’s COVID-19 tally climbed to 1,10,96,731 on Sunday with 16,752 new infections, the highest in the last 30 days, according to Union health ministry data.

The country had recorded 18,855 new infections on January 29. The death toll mounted to 1,57,051 with 113 fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.

The active caseload further increased to 1,64,511. It constitutes 1.48 per cent of the total infections, it showed.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,07,75,169, which translates to a national COVID19 recovery rate of 97.10 per cent. The case fatality rate stands at 1.42 per cent.

India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16.

It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.

This is it!

“Are you nuts? How can we function without collecting taxes?”

K Y M C

cases may increase again

and as such people should continue to wear masks and maintain social distancing and hand hygiene to stay away from getting infected by the virus. Cautioning the people and the scientific community against allowing “complacency to set in,” he warned that a third wave would precipitate a far more dangerous situation than the challenge the country had faced so far.

Answering questions from the scientific community, Mande expressed the hope that the Covid-19 vaccines would be effective against the coronavirus variants.

The evidence “is not very strong” that the vaccines would not work against the mutated virus.

“We would like to believe that the vaccines are effective” against the variants as the vaccines worked against the entire part of the virus while the muta-

tion took place on a part of the virus, he explained.

The prevalence of COVID-19 cases had come down not because of herd immunity, but because of other reasons, including wearing of masks and people remaining outdoors during the winter.

The fact that the virus remained suspended in the air in closed areas and it lost its potency in open areas helped a great deal in controlling the spread during the winter, the expertsaid.

Precisely for the same reason, the disease went out of control in the West where people remained indoors during the winter, he added.

Kris Gopalakrishnan, Chairman of Axilor Ventures, and Jayant Sahasrabudhe, National Organising Secretary of Vijnana Bharati, also delivered lectures.

In December-January, it appeared coronavirus was tapering away in India. The three major aspects of the pandemic -- the curve of cases, deaths and hospitalisations -- which have been fluctuating, suddenly plummeted drastically. Many believed this may be the end of the pandemic, after it destroyed thousands of families and the economy.

People began to sense a reprieve, after a year -- when they were continuously being cautioned to maintain strict social distancing and wear masks -- there may be light at the end of the tunnel and post-pandemic life may begin soon.

But February brought out some harsh reality and dashed hopes, that the pandemic was retreating. Scientists believe this is an important phase in the pandemic, as apprehensions are ripe that cases may again begin to rise again, as the year-old coronavirus is unpredictable and also, for how long people will remain immune to it.

In the backdrop of emerging mutations, Prof.

N. K. Ganguly, former

Director General, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), said “As mutations interact with the natural environment, they are likely to increase transmissibility and also increase virulence. Mutations and the new strains are endemic not pandemic. The surge in cases is mostly due to a drop of guard against the virus (non-appropriate Covid behaviour).”

He stressed that decline in cases during winter season in northern India, not sufficient to conclude that virus was less active during winters, and indicated that cases might increase in summers, as it happened last year. Ganguly added that Maharashtra and Kerala have never experienced long winters, unlike northern India, yet cases have begun to increase this month. “In Maharashtra, they started train travel and cases increased”, he said.

Except Maharashtra and Kerala, after a couple of months of lull, cases have also begun to rise in Karnataka, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat and Punjab.

Admit children till Cl Power deptt: DUCCF, GBUD VII free of cost: CCSU oppose new billing system

DIMAPUR, FEB 28 (NPN): Confederation of Chang Students’ Union (CCSU) has demanded that admission for children from nursery up to class VII must be free of cost as per the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2006 at schools established under its purview.

CCSU president C Pongsu and general secretary Ebou Naset in a release also insisted that admission must be done within 10 days from the date the State government’s notification was issued and warned of initiating stern action against those schools delaying in resuming classes for the academic session as per the government’s notification.

They also asserted that CCSU would not entertain any proxy teacher under its purview under any circumstances and asked all teachers to return to their respective places of posting on or before March 5.

Further, CCSU prohibited any form of taxation on employees, contractual workers, etc, of educational institutions within its jurisdiction based on the government’s notification in this regard. Urging employees of all government departments under its purview to be at their work stations, the confederation cautioned that if anyone was found neglecting in performance of his duties, it would take necessary action.

DIMAPUR, FEB 28 (NPN): Dimapur Urban Council Chairmen Federation (DUCCF) and GB Union Dimapur (Sardar) have declared that they would not allow the new billing system till the power department explained and sensitised about the prepaid system adequately.

This was decided at a joint meeting of both the organisations held on February 24, DUCCF president Tsenthungo Nyamo and GB Union Dimapur (Sardar) president NY Ngullie stated in a press note.

The two bodies also appealed to colony chairmen and GBs in urban areas to monitor vegetable vendors in their respective jurisdictions on a daily basis to ensure sale of vegetables as per the prices fixed

by Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC).

They also instructed the colony authorities to check and close illegal meat-selling shops along the roadside and report to DMC authority concerned, if any meat seller charged more than the fixed rate.

YANGON, FEB 28 (REUTERS): Myanmar police fired on protesters around the country on Sunday in the bloodiest day of weeks of demonstrations against a military coup and at least 18 people were killed, the U.N. human rights office said.

Police were out in force early and opened fire in different parts of the biggest city of Yangon after stun grenades, tear gas and shots in the air failed to break up crowds. Soldiers also reinforced police.

Several wounded people were hauled away by fellow protesters, leaving bloody smears on pavem e n t s, m e d i a i m a g e s showed. One man died after being brought to a hospital with a bullet in the chest, said a doctor who asked not to be identified.

“Police and military forces have confronted peaceful demonstrations, using lethal force and lessthan-lethal force that -- according to credible information received by the UN

Govt extends last date for annual GST filing till Mar 31 New Delhi, Feb 28 (PTI): Centre on Sunday extended the deadline for filing GST annual returns for 2019-20 fiscal by a month till March 31. This is the second extension given by the government.

GSTR 9 is an annual return to be filed yearly by taxpayers registered under the Goods and Services Tax (GST). It consists of details regarding the outward and inward supplies made or received under different tax heads.

GSTR-9C is a statement of reconciliation between GSTR-9 and the audited annual financial statement.

Prices of LPG, fuel may come down by Mar or Apr

NEW DELHI, FEB 28 (AGENCIES): Union Minister for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Steel Dharmendra Pradhan has said India is creating pressure on oilproducing countries like Russia, Qatar and Kuwait to increase production so the cost per barrel will come down, so that retail fuel price also falls.

The Hindustan Times has reported that Pradhan said in April last year, major oil-producing countries decided to cut produc-

tion as there was a sharp fall in demand due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“These countries are producing less fuel to make more profit.

While less fuel is still being produced, the demand for fuel has reached the point as it was before pre-Covid situation. Therefore, petrol and diesel prices have increased in the country,” he said during an interaction in Varanasi on Saturday, the report said.

Pradhan said he was in touch

with his counterparts of major oil-producing countries and had spoken to them, and asked them to increase fuel production in order that prices of oil may come down in India which buys fuel from these countries.

He said that no one could, with certainty, predict by when prices of diesel, petrol and gas would come down. “But the prices of cooking gas, diesel and petrol may come down by March or April,” he said.

Congress facing uphill task in poll-bound states New Delhi, Feb 28 (PTI): Congress is hoping to benefit from the antiincumbency factor as well as public protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act and agri laws in the upcoming round of assembly polls, but still faces an uphill task in the coming days.

Barring Kerala, where the party feels it is poised to defeat the ruling Left Democratic Front, the Congress is beset with ally troubles in all other poll-bound states-- Assam, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu -- and the Union Territory of Puducherry.

In West Bengal, the party’s seat-sharing talks with the newly formed Indian Secular Front are still underway with the Left-

Congress alliance keen to have the fledgling party on board to pocket some of the 30 percent Muslim votes in the state.

In Assam too, the party is yet to finalise the agreement with Badruddin Ajmal’s AIUDF, its main ally in the polls.

In Tamil Nadu, Congress is banking fully on DMK to dethrone the incumbent AIADMK, while in Puducherry the grand old party is left with hardly any core strength after the recent fall of the government to face an aggressive BJP. Though seat-sharing talks have started, the Congress is demanding over 50 seats this time which the DMK is reluctant.

Sources say that DMK is citing the Congress’ poor performance in recent polls as well as in the 2016 assembly elections when it won just eight seats out of the 41 it contested.

Winning at least one state full steam is key to the revival of the sagging morale of Congress workers and the credibility of Rahul Gandhi, observers say.

Rahul and his strategists hope to wrest Tamil Nadu and Kerala as power switches sides in these states every five years. They also believe they can upset the incumbent BJP in Assam.

That explains why Congress has announced “mission 100” in Assam which has 126 assembly

seats. But this time, it does not have a stalwart like former chief minister Tarun Gogoi who passed away in November 2020.

The grand old party also faces a major challenge in West Bengal where TMC and BJP having long launched their poll slogans, while the Left and Congress are still dithering on their joint strategy.

The eight-phase elections in West Bengal are likely to witness a keen contest between TMC and BJP, with the Left parties seeking to regain control after allying with the Congress.

In 2016 assembly polls in Bengal, the Congress-Left alliance bagged 38 percent votes, seven percent less

than TMC. But in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP emerged as the main rival to Mamata Banerjee’s TC and the combined vote share of the Congress and the Left plummeted to 15 percent.

With elections announced and seat-sharing details in poll-bound states yet to be disclosed, it remains to be seen how big the turf the Congress gets to fight on as it struggles to retain its pan-India electoral footprint, having lost governments in MP, Karnataka and Puducherry.

Congress party is in power on its own in Punjab, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh and in an alliance in Maharashtra and Jharkhand.

Protesters take cover as they clash with police officers during a protest on February 28. (Reuters)

Human Rights Office -- has left at least 18 people dead and over 30 wounded,” the U.N. human rights office said. Myanmar has been in chaos since the army seized power and detained elected government leader Aung San Suu Kyi and much of her party leadership on February 1, alleging fraud in a November election her party won in a landslide.

T h e c o u p, w h i c h brought a halt to tentative steps towards democracy after nearly 50 years of mili-

tary rule, has drawn hundreds of thousands onto the streets and the condemnation of Western countries.

Among the dead were three people in Dawei in the south, politician Kyaw Min Htike told Reuters from the town. The Myanmar Now media outlet reported two people had been killed in a protest in the second city of Mandalay. Security forces fired again later in the day and one woman was killed, Mandalay resident Sai Tun told Reuters.

COVID-19 vaccination for ageappropriate groups from today that would serve as criteria to qualify for the vaccine).

According to State immunisation officer (UIP) Dr Ritu Thurr, healthcare and frontline workers who were left out (both registered and non-registered) will continue to get the vaccine at all session sites.

The vaccination will be carried out from 9 am to 5 pm at the district hospitals

DIMAPUR, FEB 28 (NPN): COVID-19 vaccination for age-appropriate groups will be launched on Monday. Under this, all citizens above 60 years and above as on January 1, 2022 and all those aged 45-59 years as on January 1, 2022 with co-morbidities or diseases, subject to certification by registered medical practitioners, will be covered. (See the table for list of diseases

(Cont’d on p-6)

Criterion (list of specified comorbidities) Heart Failure with hospital admission in past one year Post Cardiac Transplant/Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) Significant Left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVEF <40%) Moderate or Severe Valvular Heart Disease Congenital heart disease with severe PAH or Idiopathic PAH Coronary Artery Disease with past CABG/PTCA/MI AND Hypertension/Diabetes on treatment Angina AND Hypertension/Diabetes on treatment CT/MRI documented stroke AND Hypertension/Diabetes on treatment Pulmonary artery hypertension AND Hypertension/Diabetes on treatment Diabetes (> 10 years OR with complications) AND Hypertension on treatment Kidney/ Liver/ Hematopoietic stem cell transplant: Recipient/On wait-list End Stage Kidney Disease on hemodialysis/ CAPD Current prolonged use of oral corticosteroids/ immunosuppressant medications Decompensated cirrhosis Severe respiratory disease with hospitalizations in last two years/FEV1 <50% Lymphoma/ Leukaemia/ Myeloma Diagnosis of any solid cancer on or after 1st July 2020 OR currently on any cancer therapy Sickle Cell Disease/ Bone marrow failure/ Aplastic Anemia/ Thalassemia Major Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases/ HIV infection Persons with disabilities due to Intellectual disabilities/ Muscular Dystrophy/ Acid attack with involvement of respiratory system/ Persons with disabilities having high support needs/ Multiple disabilities including deaf-blindness

1 new COVID case reported COVID-19 STATUS AS ON february 28, 2021 District

Dimapur

ACTIVE CASES Symptomatic AsDeath MiympRecovunder Total Critical-ICU Death grattomered InvestiCases Mod- Se- With- With On ed atic Mild erate vere out Oxy- Ventigation Oxygen gen lator 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 6340 62 0 75 6478

Kiphire

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

40

1

0

0

41

Kohima

6

0

0

0

0

0

0

3809

21

0

46

3881

Longleng

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

10

0

0

9

19

Mokokchung

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

183

3

0

7

193

Mon

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

594

2

0

9

605

Peren

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

506

0

0

1

507

Phek

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

47

0

0

0

47

Tuensang

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

246

1

0

1

248

Wokha

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

35

1

0

2

39

Zunheboto

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

139

0

0

3

142

Total

6

1

0

0

0

0

0

11949

91

0

153 12200

*10 deaths not due to Covid-19 *0 deaths under investigation

DIMAPUR, FEB 28 (NPN): Nagaland on Sunday reported only one new COVID-19 case in Kohima.

Further, with the recov-

ery of three more patients from the infection, the active cases dropped to 7. As on February 28, the total caseload stood at 12200.

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2

state

nagalandpost.com Poll Q.: Is the Centre’s goal for more revenue through fuel hikes, hitting the economy?

100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%

Jacob graces JBH 6th session

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

A

B

A Yes. B No. C Can’t Say.

C

95% 5% 0%

Next poll

Q: Is the govt justified in

regulating social media Apps?

 Yes.  No.  Can’t Say.

WEATHER FORECAST march 1

(Temperature in ºC)

Max Min

Agartala Hazy sunshine and hot

35 19

Hazy sunshine

29 14

Guwahati Sunny much of the time

32 15

Aizawl Imphal

Mostly sunny and pleasant

Itanagar A couple of morning showers

29 10 25 14

Shillong

Mostly sunny and comfortable 23 12

Kohima

Partly sunny and delightful

24 12

Dimapur Mostly sunny and pleasant

31 16

Mostly sunny and beautiful

26 13

Mkg

Tuensang Mostly sunny and cooler Wokha

18 8

Mostly sunny and not as warm 24 15

Zunheboto Mostly sunny and nice

23 11

KLCEU celebrates freshers’ day

Jacob Zhimomi speaking at the 6th session of Jimomi Baghi Hoho.

DIMAPUR: The 6th Session of Jimomi Baghi Hoho (JBH) was held at Lizu old village under the theme “Apu Asu Nguagha, Niju Aje Kumto” (the reverence of our forefathers, our proud strength) on February 25.

A press release by JBH stated that while speaking at the occasion, minister PHED, Jacob Zhimomi said that in order to deal with people in good terms, they must polish their personali-

ties. Zhimomi also encouraged the students to start harvesting their knowledge for good and called upon the parents to encourage quality education to their children.

He pointed out how the current generation had adapted western culture where most youngsters did not want humble jobs.

Stating that everybody wanted to live luxurious lives but nobody wanted to work hard, the minister

said that in order to live life with luxury, one has to work diligently. He further said that to grow together, they need to be united and love each other.

Earlier, cultural dance was performed by Lizumi Kiphimi Küqhakulu and the programme began with an invocation by Rev. Hekheyi Zhimomi.

Welcome song by Lizumi Zunheboto Community, welcome address by Khekuto Jimo, exhortation

CHF distributes sanitary napkins to school girls

DIMAPUR: Kohima Law College Evangelical Union (KLCEU) celebrated freshers’ day on February 26 with its vision statement, “Transformed students impacting the campuses and the Nation as the disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ”.

Ekyarhoni led the service with praise and worship team and the scripture portion both Old and New Testament was read out by Khumeng and Soreni respectively.

The programme was graced by asst. professor, Kezhokhoto Savi and asst. professor Soni Magh. A spe- Schools girls and others after receiving the sanitary napkins at Ghokito village. cial prayer for the freshers was said by asst. professor DIMAPUR: As part of the strual hygiene education, (CHF) distributed sanitary charity campaign for men- the Child Help Foundation pads to the school girls of Moasenla.

HIV and AIDS campaign in Kiphire

DIMAPUR: District AIDS Prevention and control unit Kiphire in collaboration with Longya Ward Youth Organization (LWYO) and 7th Assam rifles along with Nehru Yuva Kendra (NYKs) volunteers Kiphire conducted a campaign on HIV and AIDS on Febru-

ary 27 at Kiphire. At the campaign, District Program Officer (DPO) Kiphire , Tsiatsuvi spoke an importance of HIV and AIDS & ABC in order to bring down the new infection or needle drug injected person.

Deputy Commandant 7th AR, Kiphire, Bijimon

Free baking class in Tsg

Members of NCF with senior alumni members in Kohima.

DIMAPUR: In view of the ensuing golden jubilee year of the Naga Christian Fellowship (NCF), Dibrugarh to be celebrated this year, the Golden Jubilee Magazine Committee, NCF held separate meetings with senior alumni members in Kohima and Dimapur on February 27 and 28 to discuss on the history and

K-471

inception of the Naga community in Dibrugarh.

In Kohima, prominent alumni present during the meeting were advisor Urban Development and Municipal Affairs, Dr. Neikesalie Nicky Kire; retd. principal director, Health and Family Welfare, Dr.Neiphi Kire; Dr.Seyiekietuo Angami,

Dr.Niketuo Kiso, Dr. L. Votso Angami, Dr.Ditsülo Mero and Dr. LR Kire.

In Dimapur, the meeting was held at Hotel Saramati on February 28 and was attended by retd medical director, Dr. Limaakum Jamir.

The jubilee is slated to be held in the month of October this year.

Wokha District of Commence and Industry (WDCCI) distributed uniforms to daily wage earners in Wokha town on February 26.

NSCB bids farewell to MD

DIMAPUR: The management, officers and employees of Nagaland State Cooperative Bank (NSCB) bade farewell to managing director, R.Lipoktoba Aier on February 25. The programme was chaired by vice chairman NSCB, Kekhwengulo Lea and was attended by commissioner & secretary, Nagaland, board of directors of the bank L. Akato Sema, officials of RCS department and NABARD among many others. R.Lipoktoba Aier was elevated to the post of managing director on July 1, 2018 and superannuated on February 28, 2021.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Born: 02.01.1978 | Died: 25.02.2021 We the family members of late Watisenla (Longpa) convey our heartfelt gratitude to all who stood by us, physically, spiritually and materially during her prolonged illness and demise on 25th Feb 2021. It is our sincere prayer that our Almighty God will bless you all abundantly.

Loving mother, brothers, in-laws and relatives.

MKC-58

1 ST DEATH ANNIVERSARY Late PUSHITO AWOMI

chaired by president Longya Ward Youth Organization (LWYO), Chamkise T Sangtam and chairman Longya Ward Kiphire Town, Tsasemong Sangtam delivered welcome address. Programme assistant, DAPCU, Supanmong delivered vote of thanks.

Born : 10th Jan. 1972 – Died : 29th Feb. 2020

Born on: 01/08/1927 Died on: 11/02/2021 We, the bereaved family members of Lt. Phyokano Kikon, wife of Lt. Zuthungo Kikon, would like to convey our deep appreciation and heartfelt gratitude to all who stood by us physically, materially, spiritually and morally during our beloved mother’s illness till her demise.

We regret our inability to mention and thank each one of you individually.

But may the Almighty God bless you all abundantly for your love and generosity.

Loving Family members DP-1141

TSUD meeting

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emphasized on the importance of body fitness by keeping away from bad company.

Captain Swami Sharan Singh 7th AR Kiphire briefed the youth on HIV and AIDS and also talked about how to prevent the child from infected mother. The program was

Ghokito village, Dimapur on February 27.

The foundation also educated the middle school and higher school girls and their mother on the proper usage and disposal of sanitary pads as well.

Earlier, the program started with a prayer by youth pastor NCRC, Alen Swu and welcome speech by council chairman, Ahoshe Kiho.

Yashica explained and shared on how million women and girls in India do not have access to safe menstrual hygiene products, endangering their health, curtailing their education and putting their livelihood at risk.

NCF Dibrugarh to celebrate Golden Jubilee

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

DIMAPUR: Beti Bachao Bati Padhao (BBBP) Tuensang conducted a free baking class for single mothers and drop out students at Longkhim town on February 25 and 27.

In a press release, MSK Tuensang women welfare officer Songmao M stated that district administration, BBBP, MSK and Tuensang conducted the training with the aim to empower them economically and assist them to set up business to sustain their livelihood.

The two days pastry chef was P.Supou, who was also one of the selected girls, who got tutored at Pretty Bake Mokokchung sponsored by BBBPTuensang. She would also be tutoring more drops out and single women at different sub division.

D I M A P U R : Te n y i m i Students Union Dimapur (TSUD) has convened a meeting on March 2, 3 pm at Tenyimi Union Complex, Dimapur. All tribal units and sub-ordinate bodies have been requested to attend the meeting.

by Dr. HS Rotokha, special numbers by Lizumi Kiphimi Küqhakulu, Sunon G. Jimomi, Jimokali K. Rotokha, Lizumi, presidential address by T. Vikuto Jimomi and consecration of old and newly elected members by ES SABAK, Rev. Hotokhu Jimomi were the other highlights of the session.

Editorial convener, Aheto highlighted the book “distinguished personalities of Jimomi clan (DPOJC)” which was released by Ihozu Jimomi, Nikheto Jimo while vote of thanks was delivered by VP, Jimomi Hoho, Ahovi Jimomi.

Meanwhile, JBH has selected a new team for 2021 to 2025 with Ahovi Jimomi as president, Vikaho T. Jimomi and Capt. Khekavi Jimomi as vice presidents, Kitoho S. Rotokha as general secretary, Phukato Jimomi, Hesheto Jimomi and Kakuto Jimomi as joint secretaries and Akashe Jimomi as treasurer.

Jimomi clan is derived from a patriarch named Jimo, son of Tomo who lived in Theünuophe between Chedema and Rusoma under Kohima District. More than thousand delegates across Nagaland attended the annual conference.

Nagaland Post, Dimapur MONDAY, MARCH 1, 2021

23.09.1957-18.02.2021 Dear Apo, it is painful that you're no longer with us. Every activity carried out in your presence seemed more meaningful and worthwhile. You were a devoted husband and a caring father. Your legacy of humility, patience and simplicity will stay with us forever. We take comfort that you're in a better place with the Lord. We will cherish every moment spent with you until we meet again.

We, the family of Late Zavisielie Nakhro express our heartfelt gratitude to all churches, organisations, relatives, friends and well wishers for your selfless deeds, love, generosity and prayers during his illness and demise on 18th February 2021. Your many acts of kindness and sympathy continue to be of great comfort in our time of grief. We regret our inability to thank each one of you individually but it is our fervent prayers that the good Lord bless you all abundantly.

Loving wife, children and loved ones

On this day you left us for your heavenly abode. But till today the memories that you left on us still lingers on and on. You will always live in our hearts.

DP-1135(A)

Loving Wife, Children & Relatives

1ST DEATH ANNIVERSARY OF OUR BELOVED MOTHER MRS. LOZANO C. NGULLIE

A year has passed like yesterday when you silently left us in prayers on this day of 1st March 2020. We fondly remember and dearly miss you each moment of our lives, but your faith and prayers in Christ gives us strength as we live on and will continue to guide us until we meet in Jesus feet.

DP-1138

DP-1123

Loving Children, Grand and Great grand Children and Relatives

K Y M C

3

Northeast/State

Nagaland Post, Dimapur MONDAY, MARCH 1, 2021

Visible changes in health sector soon: Vardhan

BJP fears Gandhi-Nehru family, 24-hr shutdown in very scared of Rahul too: Baghel Moreh to protest

IMPHAL, Feb 28: Union minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan on Sunday said that the consistent efforts of the centre have started bearing fruit and that Northeast region will witness visible changes in the healthcare delivery system.

The union minister, who was on a two-day visit in Manipur, said this while addressing a function held at the Jubilee Hall of Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Imphal.

He inaugurated a new MRI block with 3-Tesla MRI machine, new PG ladies hostel -100 capacity (G-3), new block Neuro block and College of Nursing (new block) among others.

Guwahati, Feb 28 (PTI): The BJP “fears” the Gandhi- Nehru family the most in Indian politics, feels Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, who also insisted that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is the “only choice” for the party’s national president post.

Baghel said the saffron party is also very scared of Gandhi as he constantly raises pertinent issues affecting the people.

“If BJP fears someone or something the most, it is the Gandhi-Nehru family.

When Indira Gandhi came to power, then the same Jan Sangh people used to call her ‘gungi gudiya’ (dumb doll). They made fun of her using that phrase.

“But, Indira Gandhi proved that she was an

Correspondent

Dr. Harsh Vardhan (NP)

Among others, MP (Lok Sabha) RK Ranjan Singh and MP (Rajya Sabha) Maharaja Sanajaoba Leishemba and director prof A Santa Singh of RIMS attended the occasion.

Addressing the function, Dr. Vardhan lauded the RIMS authority for timely completion of the infrastructures despite hard-

ships faced while procuring equipment, particularly the imported Tesla MRI machine amidst the COVID-19 lockdown.

“The timely completion of the projects showed the level of commitment of the RIMS authority in their efforts to provide best healthcare service to the people of the region,” he said.

The union minister further assured all possible assistance from his ministry to develop the RIMS as one of the best healthcare centres not only in the Northeast region but also in the country.

He asserted that his ministry was giving priority in the development of the healthcare sector in the region as the centre

under the leadership of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi was committed for all round development of the region.

“Many goods in the healthcare sector will be seen in the coming years,” he said.

He said that the Centre had already decided to create 75 new medical colleges in remote districts of different states of the country.

The setting of Churachandpur Medical College in Manipur and Mon Medical College in Nagaland which he had laid the foundation stone on Saturday were part of the Central government’s initiative toward improved healthcare delivery system, he claimed.

Earlier, addressing

the occasion as guest of honour, MP, RK Ranjaan drew the attention of the union minister in introducing nuclear medicine in the RIMS. It will not only ease the inconveniences being faced by the people of the state and other Northeast states in treatment of cancer but would be able to save a huge amount of money being spent by them, he added.

Rajya Sabha MP Maharaja Sanajaoba Leishemba, reminded his recent proposal to the minister regarding development of RIMS at the level of AIIMS. The union health minister, who arrived in Imphal on Saturday evening from Kohima, left for New Delhi on Sunday evening.

iron lady through her work.

When she got a chance, she divided Pakistan and created Bangladesh. The world has not seen anything like what she did,” Baghel told PTI in an interview.

The Chhattisgarh CM, a close confidante of Rahul Gandhi, said the Lok Sabha MP is the only pan-India leader fighting against the BJP and RSS across the country.

“Why is the BJP so scared of Rahul Gandhi?

He is just an MP. Because, Rahul is down to earth. He listens to the voice of common people and raises their issues,” Baghel said.

Gandhi speaks about every segment - youths, the unemployed, women, farmers, adivasis and scheduled tribes – he added.

Signing of peace accord deferred: KA insurgents Grand Alliance to decide CM candidate after polls Correspondent Diphu, Feb 28: Four Karbi Anglong underground organizations, who recently laid down arms, have stated that due to certain technical snags “on the summary of the proposed written accord”, the peace accord supposed to be signed on February 25 has been deferred.

This was stated in a joint press meeting held at the residence of chairman of

the Karbi Longri and NC Hills Liberation Front , P. Dilli also attended by leaders of KLNLF, Karbi People’s Liberation Tigers (KPLT) led by chairman, Donri Kramsa and the KPLT faction led by chairman, Ron Rongpi and United People’s Liberation Army (UPLA).

P. Dilli said, “The peace negotiation with the Central and State government is going on the right track. The talks have not been stopped and it’s continuing. The date

for signing of the peace accord has to be deferred due to some technical snags appearing in the draft.”

The organization leaders therefore, advised everyone to not misguide the people in the name of peace accord and also appealed to all political parties, social organizations and student organizations to refrain themselves from passing any comment targeting the groups who are going through the peace procedure

‘Keep our city clean’ campaign in Kma

Bikers of Kohima at the launching of the campaign.

Correspondent Kohima, Feb 28 (NPN): Bikers of Kohima, gathered at the heart of the town and launched a campaign, “Keep Our City Clean”, that aims to raise citizen awareness about keeping one’s city clean on February 26.

With the theme ‘Together We Can’, the bikers’ campaign ride was flagged off from Razhü point. The bikers’ campaign ride start-

ed from Razhü point to PR Hill and culminated at High School junction.

Addressing the gathering, Khriehuzo Lohe, a pioneer of the campaign, said keeping the city clean was an initiative to create awareness on cleanliness with the theme “Together we can”.

He said the initiative was taken to create awareness among citizens.

Thanking the Kohima village for generously sharing

NDWM Nagaland commemorate ‘Hope Day’

DIMAPUR: National Domestic Workers Movement (NDWM), Nagaland region commemorated “Hope Day” at Assisi auditorium on February 27, under the theme “rebuilding hope and confidence”.

A press release by Assisi Centre for Integrated Development stated that resource person, Priya Shyam, expressed that the pandemic had shattered hope and confidence that cannot be build by others but by individuals alone. Shyam also stated that platform provided through NDWM Child Right Movement Nagaland Region through Assisi Centre for Integrated Development was an appropriate place for children to know their rights and to lobby with government to implement laws for safety and security of children.

Coordinator, NDWM Nagaland region, Sr. Pramila, stated that Hope day was celebrated every year to break silence and voice out against gender disparity and inequality.

K Y M C

their land for habitation, Lohe said that in return, it is the citizens’ duty to maintain the city.

He encouraged the two wheelers and taxis to effectively educate the people to keep the city clean as they are all stationed in the heart of the city at different locations. He also urged the passers-by and vendors not to litter the city by throwing waste randomly but encouraged them to maintain dustbins.

with the government.

Dilli further called upon KarbiAnglong Autonomous Council, Assam and Centre to extend their cooperation for accomplishing the signing process. “Not signing the peace accord does not mean it is a failure of the ongoing talks with the Central government.

We are very much positive that we can bargain with the government to sign the peace accord,” said KPLT chairman, Ron Rongpi.

Guwahati, Feb 28 (PTI): The opposition Congress-led Grand Alliance in Assam on Sunday said its chief ministerial candidate will be decided in consultation with other constituents after the assembly elections are over.

Addressing a joint press conference of the partners of the Grand Alliance, AICC general secretary, in-charge of Assam, Anirudh Singh, said that the prime concern of the grouping is to defeat

the BJP and its partners.

“After the polls are over, all the parties will sit together and decide about the chief ministerial candidate,” he said.

With the joining of the Hagrama Mohilary-led Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) in the opposition grouping, the Grand Alliance will surely reach its target of winning 101 out of the total 126 assembly seats in the upcoming polls, Singh said.

The Congress, which was earlier in power for 15 years in the northeastern state since 2001, had initially formed the Grand Alliance with the AIUDF, CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML) and the Anchalik Gana Morcha (AGM) to fight the assembly polls against the BJP-helmed National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

On Saturday, the BPF joined the alliance to add to the strength of the anti-BJP grouping.

against blast

Correspondent IMPHAL, Feb 28: A 24hour total shutdown imposed by civil societies in protest against the blast hit normal life in Moreh, Manipur on Sunday.

A hand grenade suspected to have been lobbed by militants rocked the border town on Saturday night.

There was no report of casualty, however, window panes of a resort was damaged by the impact of the blast.

Though police has collected CCTV footage, no arrest has been made till the time of filing this report.

Soon after the blast, the border town wore deserted as all shops and business centres downed their shutters and people remained indoors.

Denouncing the blast at crowded areas of the town, various civil society based in the border town imposed the shutdown.

During the shutdown, residents of the border town staged sit-in-protest at various places including the site where the blast was triggered.

“Stop terrorism”, “Stop terrorising people”, “We want peace”, “We condemn bomb blast”, etc. read some of the placards displayed at the protest site.

State

Anganwadi workers trained on mental health

DIMAPUR: Anganwadi workers under Chumukedima Block were trained on various topics by staff of Community Mental Health Programme (CMHP) under Prodigals’ Home and Senior Supervisor of Women Helpline 181 Nagaland at Chumukedima on February 25.

In the first session, resource persons, Akovi, Nitoka, Sentimenla, Yangerjungla and K. Sani under CMHP, briefed the Anganwadi workers on concept of mental health, mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, other psychotic disorders, depression, anxiety, phobias, etc, convulsive epilepsy and intellectual disability.

They maintained that since, Anganwadi workers work closely with the community and thus the main objective of the training was to accustom them with the cited illnesses/disorders so that they can easily identify persons with such illnesses/ disorders and refer them to CMHP project for treatment and intervention.

In the second session,

senior supervisor of Women Helpline 181 Nagaland, Chothalu Phesao oriented the participants about toll free number 181 which is a 24X7 helpline number specifically for women.

She informed that the helpline number was launched in 2016 in Nagaland and that the helpline number was aimed at providing integrated assistance, medical, legal and psychological assistance to women affected by harassment and violence. Notably, the ‘181’ helpline was launched in India after a horrific rape incident in 2012 in Delhi that sent shock waves across the country.

Phesao further informed that since its inception, the helpline number has assisted and reached out to more than a thousand women in distress.

She also informed that the 181 helpline number can also be accessed by anyone desirous of knowing about various facilities and scheme for women in the State of Nagaland. Ending the session, Yangerjungla, on behalf of “Menstrual Initiative Nagaland” briefed

Anganwadi workers with the resource persons and organisers at Chumukedima on February 25.

about the initiative of how it aims to end sanitary pads poverty, break the stigma attached to menstruation and make bio-degradable pads available for all who cannot afford the same.

Later, the participants, which included 18 Anganwadi workers, were given sanitary pads by “Menstrual Initiative Nagaland”.

It may be noted that CMHP Project provides services for persons with the above cited illnesses such as diagnosis and medication by a consultant psychiatrist from Guwahati and clinical psychologist from CIHSR, Dimapur.

The CMHP funded by Azim Premji Philanthropic Initiatives, Bangalore and technically supported by

Ashadeep, Guwahati, is currently intervening in all the villages/wards under Chumukedima Block.

Affiliation programme of LBCN

Nkwarew Baptist Church choir presenting special song.

DIMAPUR: Liangmai Baptist Association (LBA) Nagaland or ganised affiliation programme to the Liangmai Baptist Church Nkwarew (LBCN) on Febr uar y 28 at Nkwarew Baptist Church premises under Peren district.

According to LBA media cell, LBA executive secretary, Rev, Kitanwi Chawang, who ministered the affiliation programme, stated that Nkwarew Baptist Church, the youngest and the most matured in the Holy Spirit church was

established in 2014 with 230 church members.

Stating that “we are living in a day of unprecedented spiritual attacks by the enemy”, he encouraged the church congregation to focus on the benefits of living for God Church.

H e s a i d , “ Je s u s gave the authority upon the believers to cast out devil, heal the sick, raise the dead and preach the gospel” and for which Nkwarew Church has been entrusted to walk with faith and extend God’s Kingdom.

He also encouraged the new affiliation church to be a faithful and to be wise a servant in walking with God.

Dear Limi, I am such a lucky man to have you as my wife. Thank you for always being my best supporter. I love you so much.

Happy Birthday.

From, Sanjib K Y M C

4

OPINiON/EDITORIAL

Nagaland Post Vol. XXxI NO. 84 Dimapur, MONDAY, MARCH 1, 2021

Profiteering policy

P

rices of petrol and diesel have increased 25 times in 2021 and there appears to be no let up as the government is reluctant to lighten the burden on the consumers. There is no doubt that governments run on taxes but when taxes keep going up, they turn predatory and start to hurt people they claim to serve. Massive taxes on petroleum products are hurting household budgets and transportation costs are impacting the profitability of small businesses. The only logic that explains government’s obstinacy in bringing down tax rates is it wants to keep the fiscal deficit numbers to the lowest level possible. Finance Minister Nirmala Seetharaman justified the hikes saying that the oil companies fix the prices, not the government but that is only partially correct. The oil marketing companies are raising prices only because crude prices are going up but the increase is only marginal and prices will not come down unless the taxes come down. The significant hikes were particularly felt during COVID induced lockdown from Marh 25.2020. That was when the round of high taxes on petroleum products started as an emergency measure as tax collections from all other sources had dried up. During global pandemic, international crude oil prices had also crashed but oil marketing companies were continuing to make windfall profits. This prompted the government to raise excise duty on petrol by Rs 13 per litre and diesel by Rs 16 a litre. What appeared to have started out as an exercise to take profit away from the Oil marketing companies, instead ended in downright excessive taxation as retail prices for petrol have gone up by almost Rs 20 per litre since March 2020,at a time when crude prices were at the historic lows. To understand the quantum of taxes, it may be pointed out that in May 2014 when the price of petrol made 2/3rd of the price, both state and central taxes added to about 32% with dealer commission at around 3%. This changed significantly in February 2021 as the commodity itself is 36% of the total price while central taxes make 37% of the costs and total state and central taxes has gone up to a massive 60%.

At global price, the price of petrol itself has come down by 32%, while the effective rate of tax has gone up from 47% in 2014 to a massive 167% now.

The Centre’s tax (basic excise, surcharge, agri-infra cess and road/infra cess) is currently Rs 31.83/litre for diesel and Rs 32.98/litre for petrol. Former union finance minister P Chidambaram said, “Government is poor, it needs more taxes. Oil companies are poor, they need better prices.” Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi in a letter on February 21 to prime minister Narendra Modi accused his government of profiteering amidst the slowing down of economy, job losses, inflation. Gandhi said that the Centre has increased excise duty on diesel by 820 per cent and on petrol by 258 per cent and collected upwards of Rs.21 lakh crore in the last six and a half years. What appears undeniable is that both the government as well as the oil marketing companies are making huge profits through a symbiotic relationship. Having hiked excise on fuel by Rs.10, the central government is depriving the economically burdened citizens of benefits and giving billions of rupees to corporate houses.

DailyDevotion “Do You Now Believe?”

"By this we believe…." Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe?" —John 16:30-31 “Now we believe….” But Jesus asks, “Do you…?

Indeed the hour is coming…that you…will leave Me alone” (John 16:31-32). Many Christian workers have left Jesus Christ alone and yet tried to serve Him out of a sense of duty, or because they sense a need as a result of their own discernment. The reason for this is actually the absence of the resurrection life of Jesus. Our soul has gotten out of intimate contact with God by leaning on our own religious understanding (see Proverbs 3:5-6). This is not deliberate sin and there is no punishment attached to it. But once a person realizes how he has hindered his understanding of Jesus Christ, and caused uncertainties, sorrows, and difficulties for himself, it is with shame and remorse that he has to return.

We need to rely on the resurrection life of Jesus on a much deeper level than we do now. We should get in the habit of continually seeking His counsel on everything, instead of making our own commonsense decisions and then asking Him to bless them. He cannot bless them; it is not in His realm to do so, and those decisions are severed from reality.

If we do something simply out of a sense of duty, we are trying to live up to a standard that competes with Jesus Christ. We become a prideful, arrogant person, thinking we know what to do in every situation. We have put our sense of duty on the throne of our life, instead of enthroning the resurrection life of Jesus. We are not told to “walk in the light” of our conscience or in the light of a sense of duty, but to “walk in the light as He is in the light…” (1 John 1:7).

When we do something out of a sense of duty, it is easy to explain the reasons for our actions to others.

But when we do something out of obedience to the Lord, there can be no other explanation— just obedience. That is why a saint can be so easily ridiculed and misunderstood.

Quotes

Perfection is attained by slow degrees; it requires the hand of time. ~ Voltaire

Nagaland Post, Dimapur MONDAY, MARCH 1, 2021

Post-mortem

GST, e-way not El Dorado: India must simplify ease of biz

T

he goods and service tax (GST) or ‘one nation one tax’ is not the kind of El Dorado the country had promised to itself.

The players are all unhappy – the states, traders, manufacturers, chartered accountants and possibly even the centre as it is burdened with all the problems along with the collection and sharing of the revenue and too much non-cash digitisation. In the trader circle it has earned the nickname of BST – burdensome tax.

No wonder the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) the umbrella body of over 8 crore traders belonging to more than 40,000 trade associations across the country, leads the country to a strike - ‘Bharat Vyapar Bandh’ to protest against what they sum up as the “draconian, arbitrary and critical” amendments made recently in GST rules. The All India Transporters Welfare Association (AIWA) also joins the strike on issues of “un-practicable” e-way bill and unviable pricing policy of diesel, because of high taxes on fuel.

The states are in a quan-

I

dary. They agreed to the one-nation tax subsuming their sovereignty to the GST Council as also did the centre in 2017. The tax collection now has become complex.

The Centre collects GST to distribute to the states.

But there are host of VAT and other taxes that states and the centre also levy on fuel and liquor. It does not prevent states from collecting other kinds of charges either.

State specific taxes thus still continue.

The larger share of the taxes, that were earlier the domain of the states, however, is collected by the centre.

The centre owes Rs 2.06 lakh crore to the states, which is one-third of the total GST collected across the country since July 2017, the finance ministry data reveal. The pending dues are in addition to Rs 84,000 crore, which was recently released by the Centre as compensation under a special borrowing window.

Since October 2020 average monthly collections are around Rs 1 lakh crore and in January 2021 Rs 1.20 lakh crore collections surpassed the January 2020 collections of Rs 1.19 lakh crore.

When women shape political outcomes

n 1973, a woman, accompanied by her husband, approached Prime Minister (PM) Indira Gandhi, seeking to contest an assembly election. Her confidence impressed the PM and she was given a Congress ticket for an assembly constituency in a backward district of Uttar Pradesh.

At that time, the candidate did not know of the difficulties that lay ahead.

While on the campaign trail, she had to ensure that family elders were with her in the jeep. She had to return home before dusk due to family compulsions. She pressed on regardless, the only saving grace being that since she was a woman, she could enter any house and reach out to women.

On election day, the women voter turnout was considerably more than witnessed in previous assembly elections. The woman candidate did not win but the participation of women ensured that the Congress did not lose its deposit in the constituency for the first time since 1952. This was a small victory of sorts for women.

A lot has changed since then.

Let us look at the results of the Bihar assembly elections last year. In this politically sensitive state, male turnout was 54.45%, whereas 59.69% of women voted.

Though this was about 0.79% less than in the previous election, women played a significant role in determining the political arithmetic and, therefore, government formation.

This was, among other reasons, due to the women-oriented schemes implemented by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government since it assumed power in 2014. These include the Ujjwala scheme, the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan which ensured a toilet in each house, bank accounts and free treatment during pregnancy. PM Narendra Modi’s image of being honest and hard-working contributed to women’s faith in these schemes.

Women have proved to be loyal supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s in many elections so far.

However, the elections in West Bengal may prove an ordeal for the BJP. There are around 35 million women voters in Bengal who will play a significant role in this election. Chief minister (CM) Mamata Banerjee, who has been in power for the last 10 years, is aware of the power of women voters. The BJP won 18 seats in the 2019 general election.

Banerjee gave 40% of the seats to women candidates. But since the Trinamool Congress (TMC) did not do well in that election, she launched a new wing of the party called the Bang Janani Vahini.

Now, members of this women’s brigade go door-to-door to tell people about the CM’s policies as well as participate in street Reader’s note: Articles

Between July 2017 and February 2021, the Centre has accumulated `5.43 lakh crore in GST, which should have been paid to the states.

Of this amount, two-third has been paid as of February 2021, says finance ministry data presented to Parliament.

The states have been collectively given `3.37 lakh crore while an amount of `2.06 lakh crore is still pending for the period April to November 2020. It means that post-lockdown states have not been paid their share.

The centre insists that they survive on borrowings.

T h e interest burShivaji den would be borne by the states. Most state governments were aware of the anti-federal nature of the law, but the carrot of a guaranteed 14 percent revenue growth bought their acquiescence. It is just not during the covid19 that payments to states are delayed. Since August-September 2019, records show that the compensation to states has never been released on time.

There is a bigger problem with opaque GST. It is stated to be skewed against

rallies.

The TMC has nine women Members of Parliament (MPs) in the Lok Sabha. They are given the freedom to express their opinions vocally. The speech of first-time MP Mahua Moitra on the Presidential address during the budget session of Parliament is a good example of this strategy. The TMC gave her precedence over a senior member such as Saugata Roy in such a crucial discussion.

Banerjee has also encouraged women at the gram panchayat level. She has strived to strengthen the female vote by providing them maternity child care leave as well as by instituting schemes for them in educational institutions.

The TMC has consistently tried to prove that the BJP is anti-women by selectively cherrypicking and publicising alleged misogynistic statements by the BJP leaders. This explains why, while addressing a public meeting recently in Hooghly, the PM said, “Centre has provided water connections to over 3.6 crore households since the launch of the Jal Jiwan Mission, the number in Bengal has only gone up from two lakh to nine lakh. Out of 1-1.75 crore houses (in West Bengal), only nine lakh have a water pipeline. The way state government works, no wonder how many more years it’ll take to deliver water to the poor. This shows that TMC doing injustice to ‘Bengal Ki Beti’.

Can they be forgiven?”

The BJP’s leaders are trying to prove, buttressed with data, that they have not lagged behind when it comes to development schemes for women. The aim is to convey to the public that women in the state are still insecure despite a woman CM in the saddle. It will be interesting to see what data set or which slogans will convince women voters. But as I see it, the efforts by both parties suggest empowerment of women which should not be looked at only in terms of electoral defeats or victories.

It is clear that since reservations given to women in panchayat elections, there has been an increase in political awareness among them. In 2019, Narendra Singh Tomar, then Union minister for rural development and panchayati raj, told the Lok Sabha that there were a total of 4.1 million public representatives in gram panchayats, of which 46% were women. But they still have to make a mark in the higher echelons of political power. Today, we have 78 women MPs, the highest-ever ratio of women in Parliament, but this is not enough.

It can only be hoped that the Bengal elections, like Bihar before, will strengthen political empowerment among women voters.

Shashi Shekhar, Editor-inchief, Hindustan (The views expressed are personal)

the unorganised sector, and is thus annihilating jobs. It has always been an open secret that small, unorganised manufacturers and service providers in India, survive because they don’t pay their full share of taxes.

So it is becoming an all-problem tax. The tax return filing is becoming a complicated and oppressive issue as the rules of the game are changed without any discussion – since 2017 the rules changed 950 times and compliance is in oppressive mode.

The GST return (GSTR 3B) is a monthly self-declaration to be filed by Sarkar a registered dealer along with GSTR 1 and 2 forms for declaring summary tax liabilities. One has to file GSTR 3B even if there is business activity or nil return during a particular period. Non-filing attracts oppressive complex penalty. In reality, it is not one tax. There are three variants – CGST (central tax), SGST (state tax) and IGST (inter-state transaction tax).

There are instances where for failure of filing return of less than Rs 500 transaction in a month one had to pay over

Rs 50,000 as penalty.

So there are complaints that the penalty sometimes equals or exceeds the value of the goods. If a truck reaches late by a day, it can be penalized up to 108 percent as under e-way bill rules. A transporter Gati Kintetsu was fined Rs 1.32 crore for technical glitches of nonfiling of certain details in 2018 in Madhya Pradesh.

The bare minimum e-way penalty is Rs 10,000, often the freight charged for short distances. If there is a mistake, a penalty of 200 percent of the tax amount is levied to be paid from the electronic cash ledger and if one does not have it the goods can be seized. An appeal is possible after paying 25 percent of the penalty but the goods will remain confiscated till the resolution of the case.

For a wrong entry on input credit the bank accounts can be seized. Even normally the input credit is paid after a long delay. Classifications of products vary in different states. The National Advance ruling Authority that was to clarify the aberrations has yet not been set up nor has the appellate tribunals. The high

arbitrariness is smothering businesses, the CAIT and AIWA allege.

Overall despite some moderation, the rates are high and causing inflation.

The Assocham has suggested 25percent rate cut for all slabs. It says that it would encourage businesses to pay more GST. There are many infirmities in the tax proposals. The variants of IGST, CGST and SGST are considered new acronyms of central excise, VAT, CST and service tax.

As such there is nothing new except the collection by the centre. The bandh is a mere attention seeking measure but the country has to discuss how there could be a tax system that would not be oppressive and add to growth.

Multiple taxes and, cess on goods, fuel, liquor, and tolls on city entries and highways are stymieing growth and initiatives apart creating an extortive system.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi should look into the complex taxation. With digitization, cash transactions are equally needed for fast growth and ease of business.

The second dose—myths and realities

I

t is a remarkable feat that within a year of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have vaccines against the virus.

However, unlike many vaccines known to us, these have to be given twice in quick succession. Several issues need to be understood. Why two doses? Are two doses enough to increase immunity sufficiently?

What is the best time of getting the second dose administered and is a booster dose required after the second dose?

A few weeks after vaccines were initially tested, the first dose gave rise to a relatively low level of immunity as judged by the antibody titres in the blood. The next set of trials looked at giving two doses of the vaccine and it was found that immunity was substantially strengthened after the second dose, and these vaccines were found to be highly effective in preventing infections that cause the symptoms. This led to the second dose becoming part of the protocol. The subsequent trials, therefore, started to look at the immunity conferred after the second dose of vaccine which was administered three to four weeks after the first dose.

However, as all these later trials had already decided to administer two doses right from the outset, it is hard to determine how much immunity was conferred by the first dose alone. The production of the vaccine in sufficient amounts is a challenge especially when millions of people have to be vaccinated in a short period. A case can, therefore, be made for delaying the second dose till most of the population has received the first dose. But an argument in favour of two vaccines is that people who get just one dose may have only partial immunity to Covid-19 infection and vulnerability to potential vaccine-resistant variants.

However, these questions cannot be answered unless proper trials are conducted on the impact of the first dose of any new vaccine.

In a recent announcement from Johnson and Johnson, a single dose adenovirus-based vaccine has completed its Phase Three Ensemble Clinical Trial. It has demonstrated 66 per cent efficacy in protecting 43,783 participants from moderate and severe COVID19 infection up to 28 days after vaccination. The data is yet to appear in a peer-reviewed journal.

Meanwhile, they are also studying the two-dose strategy to compete with the two-dose regimen.

In India, the adenovirus-based vaccine Covaxin, from Bharat Biotech is currently in Phase Three of the clinical trial, but has been launched prematurely. The data is still awaited regarding its efficacy, whether two doses are required or what the gap should be between the two doses.

The information on the timing of the second dose is based largely on the Pfizer and Moderna mRNAbased vaccines which are not available in India (due to cost and difficult storage requirements) and

the Oxford AstraZeneca’s vaccine, Covishield. For the mRNA-based vaccines, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention of the USA has recommended that the second dose be given within three to four weeks of the first dose. Under no circumstances is the second dose of this vaccine supposed to be delayed beyond six weeks.

The data regarding the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine, being bulk manufactured by Serum Institute of India at Pune, recommends that the second dose be given after four weeks. This is the protocol being followed in our country presently.

More than 10 million healthcare professionals and frontline workers have received the shots. But the pace of vaccination is not adequate to meet the target of 300 million people by August 2021.

The new data from the UK, the country of origin of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine, now suggests that the dosage interval of 12 weeks is preferable for Covishield. The researchers found vaccine efficacy reached 82.4 per cent after a second dose in those with a dosing interval of 12 weeks or more. If the two doses were given less than six weeks apart, the efficacy was only 54.9 per cent. A single dose of vaccine provided 76 per cent protection overall against symptomatic Covid-19, but how long this protection might last with a single dose is not understood.

This additional data has come from trials involving 17,177 participants in Brazil, South Africa and the UK. The analyses suggest that it is the dosing interval and not the dosing level that has the greatest impact on the efficacy of the vaccine. This is in line with previous research supporting greater efficacy with longer intervals with vaccines such as for influenza and Ebola. If we take all this evidence together, the 12-week gap between the first and second dose seems to be a better strategy as more people can be protected quickly and the ultimate protective effect is greater.

Some people who have received the Covid-19 vaccination reported illnesses after the first shot, usually fever, chills, body aches, malaise, swelling of face and soreness at the site of the shot.

These symptoms are transient and not life-threatening and subside by taking common medicines like paracetamol. More people have reported that the second shot can also be followed by symptoms.

These common symptoms are signs that the vaccine has triggered an immune response, which it is supposed to do. Such symptoms are usually over a very short-term — in any case, it’s much better than being sick with COVID-19.

The data suggests that the new variants seem to increase the ability of COVID-19 to spread but without any change in the degree of sickness. The current vaccines appear to work against the new variants. When vaccines are created, they are designed to create different antibodies to various components of the virus.

That means even if one part of the virus mutates, the antibodies may recognise another part of the virus. There may be a variant that reduces vaccine efficacy but researchers and the companies that make vaccines are constantly creating modifications that are likely to work against new strains of Covid-19. Whether they will actually work or not needs yet to be tested and firmly established.

For any new vaccine, whether two doses will be required or a single dose is adequate can only be answered by proper longer-term trials conducted on the impact of its first dose. Equally, for all vaccines, whether a booster dose would be needed at a later stage even after 2 doses can only be determined by a longer follow up and research.

It is very important to remember that vaccines increase the immunity to face the infection but do not in any way prevent the transmission of the virus. There will, therefore, be very few asymptomatic infections that are far less infectious than symptomatic ones.

Therefore, the hygiene measures for prevention need to continue for quite some time to come.

We are fortunate to have effective vaccines against COVID-19.

At present all the vaccines need two doses one after the other. The success rates after the second dose are high enough to eradicate the virus. The timing of the second dose is still evolving and recommendations are likely to change for Covishield to 12 weeks or more from the present four weeks.

We should not be shy of getting vaccinated twice against this very infectious virus.

Upendra Kaul & Meera Shah Kaul is a well-known cardiologist recipient; Shah works in Public Health.

(This article was first published in Indian Express on February 28)

Reader’s Post

Sir,

Refrain from public drinking

Street foods are available at almost every corner of Dimapur and youth’ indulging on these foods is understandable. However, what I don’t understand is the need of these people to drink alcohol in public. These are places flocked by people of all ages and on most occasions, children happens to be regulars too. Therefore, I request the public to maintain some decency and refrain from public drinking for the sake of underage kids.

Amelia Rongsen, Dimapur

or letters published in any of the columns do not reflect the view of this newspaper nor that of the Editor in any manner.

Rahul calls Modi a ‘formidable enemy’

Tirunelveli (TN), Feb 28 (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday described Prime Minister Narendra Modi a “formidable enemy” who ‘crushed’ his opponents and vowed to send him to political oblivion by following the path of love and non-violence.

During an interaction titled ‘Educators Meet’ at the St Xavier College here, Gandhi, touring southern Tamil Nadu for the second day as part of his second leg of campaign for the April 6 assembly polls, also said he counted on the people’s support to defeat the BJP. When a participant wanted to know if Gandhi felt it was possible to nudge the Modi government to implement his ‘good ideas’ rather than waiting to assume power which seemed ‘Utopian’, he said it could be done with the ‘powerful’ and ‘valuable’ support of the people. It was important to dream big, though some of it may not come true, he said in an obvious reference to snatching the reins of power from the BJP at the

‘MVA avoids debate on performance’ Mumbai, Feb 28 (PTI): Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday accused the MVA government of preparing a strategy to ensure there is no debate on its performance during the budget session of the state Legislature which begins on Monday. Addressing a press conference on the eve of the 10- day budget session, Fadnavis said the BJP boycotted the meeting of the Legislature’s Business Advisory Committee on February 25 since it had decided that there will be no debates and calling attention notices during the House proceedings.

The state budget session is normally held for six weeks, but in view of the current COVID-19 pandemic situation, it has been curtailed.

Rahul Gandhi speaks at Alangulam during his election campaign rally in Thenkasi district, Sunday. (PTI)

Centre. Continuing, he said, “yes we are fighting a formidable enemy (Modi). We are fighting an enemy that is dominating the money in this country. We are fighting an enemy that is crushing its opponents. But we have done this before. We have defeated a much bigger enemy (British) than this new enemy that has come.”

Recalling the country’s independence movement, he said the Britishers were much more powerful than Modi would ever be.

“Who is Narendra Modi in comparison to the British empire? nobody.

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Nagaland Post, Dimapur MONDAY, MARCH 1, 2021

People of this country sent the British empire back and in the same way we will send Narendra Modi back to Nagpur (RSS headquarters in Maharashtra),” he said.

Apparently, he meant that Modi would go into political oblivion after defeat by the Congress with people’s support.

Gandhi said this would be achieved without any hatred, anger or violence towards PM Modi or his party even if they may ‘abuse’ or unleash ‘violence’ against them. Congress is an ally of the DMK in Tamil Nadu and BJP is a partner of the

ruling AIADMK. The Congress leader, replying to another participant, alleged the BJP-led Centre claimed to “represent Hinduism” in several ideas they espoused, but in reality it had nothing to do with that faith. Hindusim does not preach insulting, killing or beating up people, Gandhi asserted, alleging “but they do it.”

The essence of all religions was love but the Central government’s ‘whole game’ is to ‘steal’ money of ordinary people, including farmers through initiatives like farm laws, and give it away to the biggest businesses in the country, he alleged. To another question, he said he did not like the Centre’s New Education Policy, 2020 either.

When a professor alleged the NEP was agenda driven, Gandhi said any policy on education should be an outcome of deliberations with learners and teachers.

“Unfortunately this was not done,” he claimed adding it concentrated too

much power in the hands of the Centre and it was set to damage the education system. Though NEP had a positive aspect of flexibility, it was however, a “weapon to communalise, to push a particular ideology into the Indian system and that is why I do not like it.”

He batted for more scholarship so that more and more poor students got education and underscored women empowerment.

To a demand on bringing back education to the state list of the Constitution from the concurrent category, he said, “I don’t know we will look into it.”

Centralising everything was a bad idea and decentralisation and facilitating access to education from all corners of the country were fundamental, he said.

In 1976, the then Congress government led by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi shifted education, which was previously a state subject, to the concurrent list allowing Centre to legislate on the matter besides the states.

Jaish-ul-Hind claims responsibility for explosives- laden SUV near ‘Antilia’

File photo of cops outside Ambani’s residence

Mumbai, Feb 28 (PTI): An organisation named Jaish-ul- Hind has claimed the responsibility of placing an explosives-laden SUV near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s house in south Mumbai, police said on Sunday.

A senior police official said that all possible angles

WB polls: Left, Congress hold joint rally at Kolkata

Supporters during a joint rally of Left, Congress and Indian Secular Front (ISF), ahead of West Bengal assembly polls, in Kolkata, Sunday. (PTI)

KO L K AT A , F EB 2 8 (IANS): For the first time, the CPM-led Left Front and the Congress are going to hold a joint rally at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade ground on Sunday, in a bid

to display the strength of the Third Front ahead of the high-voltage West Bengal Assembly polls.

Hooghly’s Pirzada Abbas Siddiqui-led Indian Secular Front (ISF) will also

take part in the mega rally.

Thousands of Left and Congress supporters from various West Bengal districts started pouring into Kolkata by trains and busses since Saturday night. Camps

were opened at Howrah and Sealdah railway station - two major railheads in eastern India. Both the parties took out numerous processions, ran extensive campaigns on social media asking people to attend the rally.

But the three-party electoral coalition will miss its poster boy and former West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee at the rally as he won’t be able to attend the meeting this time owing to poor health.

The Left leadership in Bengal wanted Bhattacharjee to be present at the mega show and requested the former CPI-M politburo member.

But at the last moment, the ex-CM sent a written communication to the party saying he won’t be to able to make it.

CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechuri, state secretary Sujyakanta Mishra, Left Front chairman Biman Bose, Congress state president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, ISF’s Pirzada Abbas Siddiqui and other leaders will be present at the programme. Congress leader and Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel will be there at the rally too, sources said.

The Left-Congress and ISF coalition will launch the poll campaign from the mammoth rally in order to mark the beginning of their canvassing for the forthcoming Assembly election.

Left front chairman Biman Bose went to the parade ground on Saturday afternoon to take a stock of the preparations.

were being investigated in this connection.

The outfit claimed the responsibility by posting a message on social messaging app Telegram, which went viral on social media and came to the notice of Mumbai police, the official said.

A Scorpio with gelatin

sticks was found parked on Carmichael Road near ‘Antilia’, the multi-storey residence of Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries, on Thursday evening. The registration number on the vehicle’s number plate was the same as that of an SUV in Ambani’s security detail, police had said.

Pooja suicide case: Maha minister Rathod resigns

Sanjay Rathod

M U M BAI , F EB 2 8 (AGENCIES): Maharashtra forest minister Sanjay Rathod from Shiv Sena resigned after meeting with chief minister Uddhav Thackeray at Varsha bungalow, CM’s official residence.

Rathod’s name had surfaced in connection with the death of TikTok star Pooja Chavan (22)

who allegedly ended her life by jumping off a building in Pune on February 8. Rathod along with wife met Thackeray on Sunday afternoon and discussed the issue.

The meeting was attended by urban development minister Eknath Shinde, transport minister Anil Parab and environment minister Aaditya Thackeray. 49-year-old Rathod is a four-time MLA said to be a strong leader representing the community in Vidarbha which is a stronghold of Shiv Sena.

Earlier in a day, Banjara community leaders came forward in support of the minister and demanded that the CM not let him step down.

ISRO launches Amazonia-1 mission Kejriwal blames Centre for R-Day violence

NEW DELHI, FEB 28 (IANS): Congratulating NSIL and ISRO on the success of the first dedicated commercial launch

of Amazonia-1 Mission, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said this ushers in a new era of space reforms in the

of Space reforms in the country. 18 co-passengers included four small satellites that showcase dynamism and innovation of our youth.”

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and its commercial arm NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) were engaged in the mission.

A 44.4 metre tall PSLV-C51 rocket blasted off from the first launch pad in Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota laden with 14 foreign and five Indian satellites. With this successful mission India has slung a total of 342 foreign satellites into orbit, all for a fee.

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day after Azad and other ‘G-23’ dissident leaders, who have been pressing for a leadership change and organisational overhaul in the Congress, gathered on one stage here and said the party is weakening.

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JAMMU, FEB 28 (PTI): Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Sunday said he likes leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi who are proud of their roots and noted that Modi speaks frankly about his past as a tea-seller.

Addressing a function

by Gujjar Desh Charitable Trust here, the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said a person should not try to hide his background from the world.

“I, myself, had come from a village and I am proud of being a villager. I admire a lot of things about leaders like our prime minister who also says that he was from a village. He used to sell tea.

“I might have political differences with Modi but he is also frank about his past of being a chaiwala (tea-seller),” Azad said.

The remarks come a

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Azad praises PM for being ‘frank’ about his past as ‘tea-seller’

MEERUT, FEB 28 (AGENCIES): Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) president, Arvind Kejriwal, on Sunday, blamed the centre of orchestrating violence on Republic Day at Red Fort during the farmers’ tractor rally.

Addressing a ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’ in Meerut,

Kejriwal extended his support to the farmers and said: “The centre is behind the Red Fort violence, not the farmers. It misguided the farmers who did not know Delhi roads.”

The Delhi Chief Minister said that he was aware of what had happened on the day the farmers took out a

tractor parade.

“The farmers of our country are unhappy. It has been more than 90 days that they have been protesting near Delhi along with their families. More than 250 farmers have died in these three months, but the centre has done nothing about it,” he said.

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ISRO launches the Brazilian satellite Amazonia-1 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Sunday. (PTI)

country. The Prime Minister’s message comes after India on Sunday morning successfully placed into orbit 19 satellites including Brazil’s earth observation satellite Amazonia-1-the primary passenger-in a textbook style.

The multiple satellite launch space mission that lasted just under two hours was one of the longest for PSLV. In a tweet, the Prime Minister said, “Congratulations to NSIL and @ isro on the success of the 1st dedicated commercial launch of PSLV-C51/ Amazonia-1 Mission.

This ushers in a new era

Nitish govt reshuffles bureaucracy in Bihar Patna, Feb 28 (IANS): Following the retirement of Bihar Chief Secretary Deepak Kumar, the Nitish Kumar-led government reshuffled the top Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officials on Sunday.

Deepak Kumar has been replaced by Arun Kumar Singh as the new Chief Secretary.

Dee pak Kumar, a 1984 batch IAS officer, retired on Sunday and has now been appointed as the Principal Secretary-

cum-Advisor to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. A notification in this regard was issued by the Cabinet Secretariat. Arun Kumar was earlier holding the post of development commissioner.

Chaitanya Prasad has been given the responsibility of Principal Secretary of the state’s home department. Besides, he has also been given additional responsibility as the Secretary of the state’s liquor prohibition department.

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Amit Shah

Addressing an election rally of BJP here, an enclave of the union territory,Shah claimed that the Congress government, which collapsed earlier this month

Analysis shows that genomes isolated from the two episodes fell under two distinct clusters of genomes, closely related with other genomes from Andhra Pradesh. The close resemblance of the genome isolates from the two episodes of infection yet the presence of distinct variants in the two genomes suggests that the patient acquired both infections from the same location in Andhra Pradesh at two different time points.

Recent studies exploring the role of novel coronavirus genetic variations in escaping immune response has shed light on the possible mechanisms of the pathogen to evade antibody response and immune reactions. The N440K variant has been reported to be resistant, the researchers reported.

Army cancels recruitment exam after paper leaked New Delhi, Feb 28 (PTI): The Army has cancelled an examination for pan-India recruitment of general duty personnel after paper was found to have been leaked, officials said on Sunday.

They said at least three persons have been arrested in Pune so far in this connection.

“The Indian Army has zero tolerance towards corrupt practices in the recruitment process for selection of suitable candidates,” an official said.

Based on a proactive joint operation with local police at Pune, a case of possible leakage of question paper for the Common Entrance Examination for Recruitment of Soldiers (General Duty) was reported last night, the official added.

While further investigation is still underway, it was decided to cancel the examination to ensure continuous transparency in the recruitment process, he added.

The soldiers (general duty) are the backbone of the army and consist

Cong collapsing across India due to dynasty: Shah KARAIKKAL (PUDUCHERRY), FEB 28 (PTI): Lambasting the erstwhile Congress government in Puducherry, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday alleged that V Narayanasamy, who headed it, gave “cut money” to the “Gandhi family” from Rs 15,000 crore Central funds.

Merit had no place in Congress and Narayanasamy was made Chief Minister in 2016 though the party fought the then polls under A Namassivayam, now in BJP, for the former’s ‘servitude,’ Shah said.

Juturu Vijaya Lakshmi, Bani Jolly, Abhinav Jain, Avileli Surekha, Vigneshwar Senthivel, Pulala Chandrasekhar, Mohit Kumar Divakar, Damam Srinivasulu, Rahul C Bhoyar, PR Vanaja, Vinod Scaria, and Sridhar Sivasubbu found 15 and 17 genetic variants in the genomes from the two episodes of infection in the public service employee, respectively. Of them 14 variants were common between the two episodes.

“A close comparison of the genetic variants with a compendium of immune escape variants revealed a Spike N440K variant in the genomes isolated from both episodes of infection,” the study revealed. Incidentally, this variant was also found in a case of reinfection previously reported by the team in a healthcare worker from

after losing majority, indulged in “petty politics” over Central schemes meant for the union territory. With the aim of making Puducherry a ‘model’ UT, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave more than 115 schemes for its overall development, “but there was a government which wanted to do petty politics.”

“They were afraid that if the projects become popular in Puducherry, it may become detrimental (to Congress’ prospects). They did not allow the projects and the (then) Narayanasamy

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government is responsible for this,” Shah said.

Seeking a mandate for the BJP, he assured to make the small UT “the jewel of India and take it across the world,” if voted to power in the April 6 polls. Shah also charged Narayanasamy with focussing more on serving the “Gandhi family” in Delhi and giving “cut money”.

“So many senior leaders (form Congress) are joining Puducherry BJP -- Congress is collapsing due to dynasty and family not just in Puducherry, but across the country,” he said.

Woman stabbed to death in Delhi NEW DELHI, FEB 28 (PTI): A 25-year-old woman was stabbed to death while resisting a chainsnatching bid in northwest Delhi’s Adarsh Nagar area, police said on Sunday.

A senior police officer said that the woman, Simran Kaur, was returning home from the market along with her two-year-old daughter and mother when the incident occurred around 9:30 pm on Saturday.

The incident took place hardly 20 metres from the victim’s house. There is a police post around 100 metres from the spot.

The accused stabbed the victim and fled, police said, adding that she was taken to a hospital where she was declared brought dead. A CCTV footage of the incident went viral on social media.

In the video, the two women can be seen walking when a man chases them and tries to snatch the victim’s chain from behind.

Simran chases him, following which he falls on the road.

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Punjab Cong chief accuses ‘G-23’ dissident leaders of opportunism Chandigarh, Feb 28 (PTI): The public squabbling in the Congress intensified on Sunday with the party’s Punjab unit chief Sunil Jakhar hitting out at ‘G-23’ dissident leaders and asking them to shun the “politics of opportunism”.

In a statement, the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president referred to remarks of party leaders Kapil Sibal, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Raj Babbar and Anand Sharma, made at a public event in Jammu on

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Saturday, and said those opposing reforms in the organisation were doing a great disservice not only to the party but also to the country.

“Come and join me in the protest which would be a refresher course for you all in raising the voice for the people we serve far away from the cozy environs of Rajya Sabha galleries,” Jakhar said, referring to the Punjab Congress’ planned march to “gherao the Punjab Raj Bhavan against the spiralling prices of essential commodities”.

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physics-chemistry and labs.

He called for expanding science with a mantra of ‘lab to land’.

Modi said water has been crucial for the development of humankind for centuries and people should understand their collective responsibility towards its conservation.

He said that in most parts of India, rainfall begins in May-June and asked “can we right away start a 100-day campaign for the sake of cleaning up water sources around us and conserving rainwater”.

With this very thought in mind, in a few days from now, ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan Catch the rain’ is being initiated by the Jal Shakti Ministry, he said.

“We shall commit ourselves to the task right now…we shall get exist-

had said their work had shown that Covid-19 can cause reinfection irrespective of the virus undergoing mutation in the spike protein or not.

Re s e a r c h e r s f r o m Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool, Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Delhi, and Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, Ghaziabad, have found that N440K has a high prevalence of over 33% in Andhra Pradesh.

A 44-year-old public service employee was diagnosed positive for Covid-19 on July 25, 2020. He tested negative on August 2, 2020.

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ing rainwater harvesting systems repaired, clean up lakes and ponds in villages, remove impediments in the way of water flowing into water sources; thus we shall be able to conserve rainwater to the maximum,” he said.

Modi highlighted an assertion made by a person who had written to him from Kolkata that the Atmanirbhar Bharat campaign is not just a government policy but also a national spirit, and said this was hundred per cent correct.

When every person in the country takes pride in indigenous products and connects with the idea of self-reliance, Atmanirbhar Bharat doesn’t just remain an economic campaign but becomes a national spirit, he asserted.

“When we see fighter plane Tejas made in our own country doing acrobatics in the sky, when Made in India tanks, Made in India missiles increase our pride, when we see Made in India coaches in Metro trains in wealthy-advanced nations, when we see Made in India Corona vaccines reaching dozens of countries, then our heads are held high,” Modi said.

(AGENCIES): Researchers, including those from Kurnool medical college, have said that the novel coronavirus variant, N440K, can cause reinfection, a Tims of India report stated. According to them, this variant can escape the immune system and can cause reinfection in patients already recovered from Covid-19.

The researchers studied a case in Kurnool, which they said was the second case of Covid-19 reinfection in India caused by the variant N440K, one of the most rogue mutants of the pandemic virus. The study was published on pre-print research server OSF. Earlier, researchers from CCMB and Apollo hospitals in Hyderabad recorded two cases of Covid19 reinfection in the city, but these were not related to

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NEW DELHI, FEB 28 (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday underlined that Atmanirbhar Bharat is not just a government policy but also a national spirit, and said the mantra of self-reliant India is reaching villages of the country.

In his monthly Mann Ki Baat radio programme, Modi also called for a 100day campaign to clean up all water bodies and prepare them for rain water harvesting before monsoon starts.

Stressing the importance of collective responsibility towards water conservation, he said the Union Jal Shakti Ministry will soon initiate a “Catch the rain” campaign with its main theme being “catch the rain, where it falls, when it falls”.

Conveying greetings on the National Science Day, Modi pointed out that this day is dedicated to the discovery of ‘Raman Effect’ by the great scientist of India, Dr C V Raman.

Asserting that there is a lot of contribution of the power of science in the Atmanirbhar Bharat campaign, Modi said there is a need to make science more popular and that science cannot be limited to

NEW DELHI, FEB 28 (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said he regrets not being able to learn the world’s oldest language Tamil during his long political innings as a chief minister and prime minister.

He stated this during his monthly ‘Mann Ki Baat’ radio address. The prime minister said sometimes even a very small and simple question rankles the mind.

“A few days ago Aparna Reddy ji of Hyderabad asked me one such question.

She said ‘You have been PM for so many years and were CM for so many years. Do you ever feel that something is missing?’” Modi said.

Noting that the question seemed simple but was difficult, he said, “I pondered this over and told myself that one of my shortcomings was that I could not make much effort to learn Tamil, the oldest language in the world; I could not make myself learn Tamil!”

The prime minister praised the Tamil language and its rich literature. “It is such a beautiful language, which is popular all over the world. Many people have told me a lot about the quality of Tamil literature and the depth of the poems written in it,” he said. Modi highlighted that India is a land of many languages, which symbolise its culture and pride.

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Sri Lanka ‘Priority One’ partner in defence: India Remove me if you can: PM C O LO M B O, F E B 2 8 (PTI): India on Sunday described Sri Lanka as “Priority One” partner in the defence sphere and said the participation of its military aircraft in the 70th anniversary celebration of the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) is indicative of the growing cooperation, camaraderie and friendship between the two militaries.

The SLAF is celebrating its 70th Anniversary on March 2 and to commemorate the historical event, a Fly Past and an Aerobatic Display is being organised for the first time in the country at a grand scale.

A total of 23 aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Indian Navy would participate in the grand event.

Sri Lanka is “Priority One” partner for India in the defence sphere, the Indian High Commission in Colombo said in a statement on Sunday. It said the assurance of India’s fullest cooperation in the field of defence and security was recently reiterated to Sri Lanka’s leadership by National Security Adviser

Indian Air Force (IAF) arrives to participate in the 70th anniversary of the Sri Lanka Air Force, in Colombo. (ANI)

Ajit Doval during his visit to Colombo for a trilateral Maritime Security Cooperation talks.

Doval attended the high-level trilateral maritime dialogue in Colombo among India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives in November last year. The meeting – hosted by Sri Lanka - took place after six years. The last meeting was held in New Delhi in 2014. The statement underlined that the participation of the In-

dian Air Force and Indian Navy aircraft and personnel in the 70th Anniversary celebration of the SLAF is indicative of the growing cooperation, camaraderie and friendship between the Armed Forces of the two nations.

“As a gesture of solidarity, and in keeping with years of close interaction and camaraderie between the two countries and their militaries, Indian Air Force (IAF) and Indian Navy

will participate in the event with an Aerobatic Display

by Sarang (Advance Light Helicopter), Surya Kiran (Hawks), Tejas Fighter Aircraft, Tejas Trainer and the Dornier Maritime Patrol Aircraft,” it said.

“The deployment of such wide variety and huge inventory of aircrafts and helicopters of IAF and Indian Navy is testimony to the strong bonds of friendship and close interoperability shared between the corre-

sponding forces of India and Sri Lanka services,” the Indian mission said.

It said that all the Indian aircraft on display are ‘Made in India’ and as such represent the indigenous technical prowess of Indian research and development sector and reliability of products of India’s defence industry.

Tejas Trainer, on display for the first time, would also afford the opportunity of independent sorties for the Sri Lankan pilots, accompanied with the Indian pilots whilst adhering to relevant strict health guidelines, the statement said.

During the deployment, the officers from Sri Lanka Air Force and Sri Lanka Navy will also have firsthand experience onboard the Indian Navy’s Maritime Patrol Aircraft Dornier, it said.

Sri Lanka Air Force pilots and Sri Lanka Navy observers will fly along with the Indian crew. This is in continuation of the half yearly Dornier training sorties being facilitated for SLAF/SLN, it added.

Oli challenges Prachanda

KATHMANDU, FEB 28 (PTI): Nepal’s embattled Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli on Sunday challenged the ruling Nepal Communist Party’s splinter faction led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ to remove him from the top post if he can.

Addressing an event in his home district, Jhapa, Prime Minister Oli challenged the Prachanda-led faction to table a vote of no confidence motion and endorse that, My Republica newspaper reported.

“K P Oli is still the parliamentary party leader of the NCP. He is the party chairman as well as the prime minister,” 69year-old Oli said. “If you have restored parliament, remove KP Oli from the prime ministerial post.”

Nepal plunged into a political crisis on December 20 after President Bidya Devi Bhandari dissolved the House and announced fresh elections on April 30 and May 10 at the recom-

K P Sharma Oli

mendation of Prime Minister Oli, amidst a tussle for power within the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP).

In a landmark ruling, a five-member constitutional bench led by Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher last week annulled the Oli government’s “unconstitutional” decision to dissolve the 275-member lower house of Parliament. The court ordered the government to summon the House session within the next 13 days.

The ruling party suf-

fered a vertical split following Oli’s decision to dissolve the lower house.

“Remove me if you can. If I am ousted, I’ll emerge victorious with a two-thirds majority in the next election,” Prime Minister Oli was quoted as saying by the paper.

Prachanda has been making efforts to garner support from the opposition Nepali Congress and Janata Samajbadi parties in an apparent bid to oust Oli from power.

Oli’s Press Advisor Surya Thapa last week said the prime minister will not resign immediately and implement the Supreme Court’s verdict against him by facing Parliament.

Oli is under pressure to step down following the court verdict.

NCP Vice-president Bamdev Gautam, who maintained a balance between Oli and his rival Prachanda, last week urged the prime minister to step down.

10 killed in Education must evolve: Hasina Israeli-owned ship docked in Biden urges Senate to quickly shooting attack pass $1.9trn relief package Dubai after mysterious blast in Mexico

The Israeli-owned cargo ship, Helios Ray, sits docked in port after arriving earlier in Dubai, UAE, Feb. 28.

DUBAI, FEB 28 (AP): An Israeli-owned cargo ship that suffered a mysterious explosion in the Gulf of Oman came to Dubai’s port for repairs Sunday, days after the blast that revived security concerns in Mideast waterways amid heightened tensions with Iran.

An Associated Press journalist saw the hulking Israeli-owned MV Helios Ray sitting at dry dock facilities in Dubai. Although the crew was unharmed in the blast the vessel sustained two holes on its port side and two on its starboard side just above the waterline, according to American de-

fense officials.

It remains unclear what caused the blast, but the incident comes amid sharply rising tension between the U.S. and Iran over its unraveling 2015 nuclear deal. Iran has sought to pressure President Joe Biden’s administration to grant the sanctions relief it received under the accord with world powers that former President Donald Trump abandoned.

The blast on the ship Friday recalled a string of attacks on foreign oil tankers in 2019 that the U.S. Navy blamed on Iran. Tehran denied any role in the suspected assaults, which happened

near the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil chokepoint.

The Helios Ray had discharged cars at various ports in the Persian Gulf before making its way out of the Middle East toward Singapore.

The blast hit as the ship was sailing from the Saudi port Dammam out of the Gulf of Oman, forcing it to turn to Dubai for inspection.

Iranian authorities have not publicly commented on the ship. Israeli media has run reports saying the assessment in Israel is that Iran was behind the blast.

Iran’s hard-line Kayhan daily, whose editorin-chief was appointed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, alleged the Helios Ray was “possibly” on an “espionage” mission in the region, without offering any evidence to support the claim.

The report speculated the ship may have been “trapped in an ambush by a branch of resistance axis,” referring to Iranian proxies in the region.

WASHINGTON, FEB 28 (IANS): US President Joe Biden has urged the Senate to quickly pass the $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief package, which was approved by the House on Saturday.

“Now the bill moves to the United States Senate where I hope it will receive quick action... we have no time to waste,” Biden said at the White House on Saturday, Xinhua news agency reported.

“If we act now -- decisively, quickly, and boldly -- we can finally get ahead of this virus. We can finally get our economy moving again,” he said.

“And the people of this country have suffered far too much for too long.

We need to relieve that suffering,” said the president.

“And it’s time to act.”

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen also said on Saturday on the Twitter that as an economist and an American, she applauds “the House’s favourable vote on the American Rescue Plan.” “There’s a broad consensus among economists: People need more

help putting food on the table and keeping a roof over their head until the virus is under control. This plan does that,” she said.

The rescue plan contains direct payments of $1400 per person for working families, which is on top of the $600 check in the $900 billion relief package approved in December.

It would also boost federal unemployment benefits to $400 dollars per week and extend the measure through the end of September.

The House-approved bill also includes a provision to raise the federal minimum wage to $15, which would face tough tests in the 50-50 split Senate, where parliamentarians have ruled that the wage increase violates the budget reconciliation process and cannot be included.

The Senate is set to tackle the bill next week.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell on Saturday blasted Democrats over the House passage of the relief package, calling it a “deliberately partisan process”.

MEXICO CITY, FEB 28 (AP): Ten men were killed and a woman and two boys were wounded in a shooting attack on a home in western Mexico Saturday.

Prosecutors in the state of Jalisco said the bulletridden bodies of the 10 men were found by police on the sidewalk in front of the home. Another wounded boy was found inside, and a woman and another boy were located at a local hospital.

The prosecutors’ office said the attack was carried out by unidentified assailants travelling in an SUV. The state is home to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, one of Mexico’s most violent and powerful. More bodies have been found in clandestine burial pits in Jalisco there than in any other state in recent years. The cartel has been fighting a breakaway faction in and around Guadalajara.

Earlier this month, police found 18 plastic bags full of hacked-up body parts on the outskirts of Guadalajara, the state capital.

Sheikh Hasina

DHAKA, FEB 28 (IANS): Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called for greater emphasis on science and technology, and technical education to ensure employment opportunities for the people in keeping with the requirements of the modern age. Hasina said this while speaking at the inaugural event for the distribution of stipends, tuition fees, admission assistance and financial grants among poor and meritorious students under the Prime Minister’s Education Assistance Trust via video conference on Sunday, bdnews24 reported.

She said the government is setting up various universities in the country with the aim of providing the necessary tools to succeed in the modern workplace. “We have established the Maritime University, the Civil Aviation and Aerospace University. In other words, we are looking at

the subjects and the kind of education that is very important in different parts of Bangladesh and setting universities accordingly. We are doing this so that everyone can receive a proper education.”

Education in science and technology alongside technical training is crucial as it improves job prospects, according to the Awami League chief. “It’s relevant both at home and abroad.

And it’s necessary in our country in light of the 100 economic zones that we are creating. There will be domestic and foreign investment. It will take a lot of people with technical expertise there. Therefore, we want to create a skilled workforce.”

“If we create skilled manpower, they will be able to make a huge contribution to our economic development. Therefore, we are taking various measures to that end.” The Prime Minister also highlighted the steps taken by her father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to modernise and develop the education system of the country while outlining the various initiatives taken in this regard by her Awami League government.

Russian helicopter crash-lands in northern Syria, casualties BEIRUT, FEB 28 (AP): A Russian military helicopter made an emergency landing for technical reasons in northeast Syria on Sunday, Russia’s Defence Ministry said. Syria’s state media said there were casualties among the crew.

Russia joined Syria’s war in September 2015 and has since helped tip the balance of power in favour of President Bashar Assad’s forces. Russian troops are deployed in different parts of Syria, including the

northeast.

Syria’s state news agency SANA said the incident happened near the village of Tel Tamr in northeastern Hassakeh province. One crew member was killed and others were wounded, the report said, without further details.

The Russian Defense Ministry said a Russian Mi-35 helicopter made an emergency landing for technical reasons while patrolling Hassakeh province.

“According to the

crew’s report, there was crash-landed near a Russian clear. It said several people no firing impact on the military post and said the on board were wounded, helicopter,” the ministry reason for the crash wasn’t including one critically. statement said. It added the helicopter’s crew was evacuated.

FELICITATION “The crew of the Mi35 helicopter was promptly With immense joy, we heartily congratulate delivered to the airfield by Dr. K. N. Zubemo Humtsoe for his appointment the search and rescue service. There was no threat to as the President of Nagaland Veterinary the fliers’ lives,” the minis- Association. We are extremely proud of you try said.

The Britain-based Syr- and we wish you the best in your future ian Observatory for Human endeavours.

Rights, an opposition war With much love and prayers, monitor, said the helicopter DP-1140

Family members and in-laws

The Naga Student’s Union Mizoram (NSUM) congratulates Ms. Muzilu Vero, daughter of Mrs.Vezovolu Vero and Mr. Therise Vero of Runguzu village (Phek district) for achieving Gold Medalist in Civil Engineering (B.Tech) batch of 2016-2020 under Mizoram University (MZU). The union wishes the best in her future endeavours.

Kenyusinlo Khing Keneiser Mere (President,NSUM) (MZU Unit Representative, NSUM) K Y M C

MKC-57

DP-1142

FELICITATION

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8

sports

Nagaland Post, Dimapur MONDAY, MARCH 1, 2021

Sharma moves to careerMumbai city beat ATKMB 2-0 to finish top Rohit best Test ranking of eight makeshift defence time and again. In what was a straight shootout to finish top of the league stages between the top two sides, Mumbai City registered a convincing win to finish level on points (40) after 20 league games.

Mumbai finished above Mohun Bagan courtesy of better head-to-head record between the two sides this season.

This is Mumbai’s first Shield triumph and will make its first-ever appear-

Mumbai City players celebrate Ogbeche’s goal against ATK Mohun Bagan in the ISL match on Sunday.

BAMBOLIM, FEB 28 (AGENCIEs): Mumbai City FC beat ATK Mohun Bagan 2-0 in the final league stage game of the season to finish top of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2020-21 table and seal the AFC Champions League slot for next seasonat the GMC Stadium in Bambolim, Goa on Sunday.

Mourtada Fall gave Sergio Lobera’s side the

lead in the 7th minute, and Bartholomew Ogbeche doubled it in the 39th, with both goals coming from headers from set pieces.

ATKMB only needed a draw to secure top spot, but failed to hold their defensive shape, especially in the first half against wave after wave of Mumbai attack. Already missing Subhasish Bose in their back-four, Antonio Habas’

side suffered another major blow in defence just 19 minutes in when Sandesh Jhingan had to be substituted due to an injury.

Mumbai were without their talismanic midfielder Hugo Boumous, currently serving a four-match suspension, but Ahmed Jahouh and Raynier Fernandes controlled the midfield, and capitalised on gaps in ATKMB’s

Vinesh Phogat wins gold in 53kg freestyle

Vinesh Phogat

NEW DELHI, FEB 28 (IANS): Star wrestler Vinesh Phogat outplayed European bronze medallist Vanese Kaladzinskay of Belarus 10-8 to win the women’s 53kg freestyle title in the Outstanding Ukrainian Wrestlers and Coaches Memorial tourna-

ment in Kiev, Ukraine, on Sunday.

The 26-year-old Asian Games champion from Haryana trailed 6-8, but in the closing stages of the bout, she pinned her rival to emerge victorious.

This was Vinesh’s first international tournament of

the year. The tournament attracted more than 500 wrestlers from across the globe.

Vinesh is one of the four Indian wrestlers to have qualified for the 2021 Olympic Games. Male wrestlers Bajrang Punia (65kg), Ravi Dahiya (57kg) and Deepak Punia (86kg) are the others.

Vinesh, a world bronze medallist, had been training in Hungary for a while to prepare for the Olympics that start on July 23 in Tokyo. For this reason, she skipped the wrestling nationals held in January in Agra.

The Wrestling Federation of India has named Vinesh in the national team for the upcoming World Ranking Series in Rome starting March 4.

ance in the Champions League group stage in 2022.

Both teams had already qualified for the playoffs which will begin on March 5.

The league stage winners will now face fourthplaced FC Goa in the playoffs, while ATKMB will be up against Khalid Jamil’s resurgent NorthEast United FC. FC goa secured their place in the playoffs earlier in the day with a draw vs Hyderabad.

FC Goa hold Hyderabad FC to 0-0 draw, through to playoffs

FC Goa held Hyderabad FC to a goalless draw on Sunday at the Fatorda Stadium here to qualify for the playoffs of the Indian Super League (ISL).

A brilliant defensive performance from Ivan Gonzalez and some crucial saves from goalkeeper Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem were enough for Goa to get the point they needed. They were lucky not to concede late in the game and a good show from Hyderabad was not enough to stop Juan Ferrando’s men from qualifying for their fourth consecutive semifinals, extending their unbeaten run to 13 games.

Hyderabad remain unbeaten in the 12 matches they have played in 2021 but they had to settle for the fifth spot on the table.

as they are set to make a return to the ring for the first time since the Asian Olympic Qualifiers held in Jordan in March last year.

The highly-competitive tournament will feature 19 nations with their Tokyo-bound boxers.

The Indian team will consist of eight men and six women pugilists, including nine Olympic qualified boxers. Young boxer Jasmine, who was highly-impressive during the national camp, is also accompanying the boxers for her maiden senior tour.

She will participate in the women’s 57kg category.

KARACHI, FEB 28 (IANS): The 2021 Asia Cup could be postponed if India reach the World Test Championship (WTC) final, said Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ehsan Mani. The tournament is scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka in June while the WTC final is slated to be held from June 18-22 at the Lord’s in London.

“Asia Cup was set to be held last year, but it got postponed to this year. Right now, it looks like the tournament won’t be going ahead this year as the WTC final is set to go ahead in June.

Sri Lanka had said that they

Rohit Sharma

dran Ashwin have also made gains on the bowlers’ rankings after helping carve out a crucial win that helped India remain in contention for the ICC World Test Championship final. Left-arm spinner Patel’s 11-wicket match haul has helped him gain 30 slots to reach 38th position while off-spinner Ashwin’s seven wickets have lifted him four places to third position.

England spinner Jack

Leach entered the top 30 for the first time, moving up three places to 28th after taking four wickets.

England captain Joe Root’s maiden five-wicket haul has lifted him 16 places to 72nd among bowlers while he is now joint-13th among all-rounders.

Crawley’s knock of 53 in the first innings has helped him advance 15 places to 46th in what was the only notable gain for any of England’s batsmen.

6th Nagaland Shooting Championship 2021 concludes DIMAPUR, FEB 28 Results: 1. 10M Air Rifle (NR) (NPN): The 6th Nagaland Championship Men IndiShooting Championship vidual.

2021 was held at the ArGold -Krishna Wangsu ies Rifle & Pistol ShootSilver - Lipokmeren ing Academy NST colony Bronze - Yimkhong B and Aries Sports Complex, 2. 10. Air Rifle (NR) ChamBamun Pukhuri-1 on Februpionship Women Individual ary 26 and 27.

Gold - WapangnunglaLongEight shooters have kumer qualified to participate at the Silver - Lochumi Shitiri 8th North East Zone Shoot3. 10M Air Rifle (NR) ing Championship 2021 Championship Sub Youth which will be held at the 4th Men Individual Battalion Assam Police, KaGold - Tsungchir Imchen hilipara, Guwahati, Assam 4. 10M Air Rifle (NR) from Match 4 to 8.

Championship Sub Youth Altogether, 24 shooters Women Individual from the Ladybird School Gold -Lipu Chishi Shooting Academy, Ao5. 10M Air Rifle Bench nokpu Rifle Shooting Club, Rest Naga Shooting Sports Club Gold - Sungti Imchen and the Aries Rifle & Pistol 6. 10M Air Pistol (NR) Shooting Academy partici- Medal winners of the 6th Nagaland Shooting Championship Men Indipated in nine events.

Championship 2021. vidual

Mary Kom to lead 14-strong Asia Cup to be postponed if India Indian boxing team in Spain reach WTC final, says Ehsan Mani

NEW DELHI, FEB 28 (PTI): Six-time world champion MC Mary Kom will spearhead a 14-member Indian boxing in the Boxam International tournament in Castellon, Spain from March 1 to 7.

According to a release issued by the Boxing Federation of India (BFI), the Indian contingent left for Spain in early hours on Sunday.

Besides Mary Kom, the team also has Commonwealth Games silver medallist Manish Kaushik (63kg).

The duo are key highlights of the Indian team

AHMEDABAD, FEB 28 (IANS): Opening batsman Rohit Sharma moved up to a career-best eighth on the Test rankings for batsmen after his first innings 66 and unbeaten 25 in a lowscoring third Test between India and England.

Sharma was one of two batsmen, the other being England opener Zak Crawley, who managed to score a half century in the match which ended in two days. As many as 17 wickets fell on the second day as India won by 10 wickets to knock England out of contention for a place in the World Test Championship final that will be played at London’s iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground in June.

Rohit’s rating points aggregate is 742 in the rankings that the International Cricket Council released on Sunday, 20 more than his previous best of 722 in October 2019 when he was ranked 10th.

Player of the match Axar Patel and Ravichan-

Ehsan Mani

would try to host the tournament in June,” Mani told reporters in Karachi.

India’s victory over England in the third Test of the four-match series earlier this month helped them take a 2-1 lead in the series. They now need only a draw in

the fourth Test to qualify for the WTC final where they will face New Zealand.

“The dates are clashing. We think the tournament would not be going ahead, and we might have to push the tournament to 2023,” Mani added.

Originally scheduled to be held in September 2020, the Asia Cup was postponed to 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Pakistan had won rights to host the tournament but it was moved out of the country after the Board of Control for Cricket in India requested for a change in venue due to security concerns.

Gold - Myingthungo Ababe Ezung Silver - VikuoMetha Bronze - Dr. Michael Imchen 7. 10M Air Pistol (NR) Championship Women Individual Gold - Christine ImlikoklaLongchari Silver - TongpangyulaLongchar Bronze - Imchanaro 8. 10M Air Pistol (NR) Championship Sub Youth Men Individual Gold -Imnanungsang Tzudir Silver -Merentsungba Bronze - Taochilong 9. 25M Standard Pistol (NR) Championship Men Individual Gold - Vikuo Metha Silver - Myingthungo Ababe Ezung

Canelo to fight Saunders in May after beating Yildirim

Arsenal comeback stuns Leicester 3-1 in Premier league L O N D O N, F E B 2 8 (AGENCIES): Leicester’s increasingly forlornlooking pursuit of Premier League leaders Manchester City suffered a big blow as Arsenal came from behind to claim an impressive victory 3-1 at the King Power Stadium.

On a miserable afternoon at the end of a dire week for the Foxes, they also had influential winger Harvey Barnes carried off on a stretcher with his leg in a brace to add to their already considerable injury problems.

Things had started well for the hosts, who were given an early tonic for their midweek Europa League exit as YouriTielemens was allowed to run unchecked down the right before firing a low shot into the far corner with just six minutes played.

Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez lands a punch on Avni Yildirim during their super middle weight offending tackle on Pepe lian’s pass had deflected championship bout in Miami on Saturday.

had taken place just outside the area.

Ivory Coast forward Pepe got in on the act himself, tapping into a largely unguarded net after Wil-

his way.

Arsenal move up to ninth, eight points off the top four but with a renewed interest in events above them in the table.

Spurs thrash Burnley 4-0

Arsenal teammates celebrate their goal against Leicester during the premier league match on Sunday.

Arsenal refused to be adversely affected, though, and took control of the game with impressive attacking intent and far greater fluency than Leicester.

David Luiz brought them level, finding space in the box to steer a header in from Willian’s free-kick.

Alexandre Lacazette

then put them ahead after the video assistant referee (VAR) judged that Wilfred Ndidi had blocked Nicolas Pepe’s shot in the box with an outstretched arm.

It was second time lucky for the Gunners, who had earlier had a penalty awarded on the pitch but then downgraded to a freekick after VAR decided the

Gareth Bale scored twice and made another as Tottenham cruised to an easy Premier League win over Burnley 4-0 that boosted their hopes of European qualification.

Spurs had lost five of their previous six league matches but went ahead inside two minutes when Bale converted Son Heung-min’s low cross.

Bale’s superb long pass released Harry Kane to net Tottenham’s second, before Lucas Moura added a third from Sergio Reguilon’s delivery.

Son was the architect for the fourth as he ran at the Burnley defence before finding Bale, and the Wales forward curled a fine finish into the far corner to seal the emphatic win.

The victory takes Jose Mourinho’s side up to eighth. They are six points behind fourth-placed West Ham, who occupy the final Champions League qualification spot, but have a game in hand on the Hammers.

LO N D O N, F E B 2 8 (AGENCIES): Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez beat Avni Yildirim to set up a world title unification fight with Britain’s Billy Joe Saunders on 8 May. M ex i c o ’s A l va r e z cruised past Turkish challenger Yildirim to retain his WBC and WBA titles on Saturday, before promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed the forthcoming bout with Saunders.

The Briton’s WBO title will also be on the line when the pair meet.

The venue for the fight has yet to be decided.

Alvarez, 30, is a fourdivision world champion who now boasts a record of 55 wins, one defeat and two draws, including 37 knockouts.

Meanwhile, 31-year-

old Saunders boasts an unbeaten record, having won all 30 professional fights, with 11 knockouts.

The IBF belt is held

by American Caleb Plant (21-0), but victor y for Canelo will move him one step closer in his bid to become the first undisputed super-middleweight champion in boxing history.

“No-one has done it,” Alvarez said. “I want to make history. No-one has done it at 168 [pounds].”

Following the announcement of the fight, Saunders said he was “ready to rock and roll”.

“You have to dare to be great and you are not going to be a great if you don’t beat the greats,” said Saunders.

“I believe I am the only one with the footwork,

knowhow, skillset, mindset and brain to unlock that door in Canelo.”

Yildirim retired before the start of the fourth round after being knocked down by the Mexican in the third at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium.

“I wanted to have a great fight and I did what I had to do,” said Alvarez.

“I needed a knockout and that’s what I did. It doesn’t matter if they’re taller, if they’ve got more reach, or they’ve got a good trainer.

“I came to do my job, I came here to win.”

Fighting in his first bout since beating Britain’s Callum Smith in December, Alvarez dominated and floored his opponent with a crisp left-right combination.

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