The Asian Chronicle 18/09/2020

FRIDAY 18 September, 2020 Pages 08, Faridabad Delhi (NCR)

Daily E-Paper m

www.theasianchronicle.com m email id: asianchronicleindia@gmail.com m www.facebook.com/asianchronicle

theasianchronicle.in

UN Secretary-General warns impending Food Security Bhartiya Kisan Sangh and agricultural bills

Masks: Skin diseases and its treatment

Pump The break Need of the Pandemic

Data Mining by Chinese Firms

18 September, 2020 Faridabad/Delhi NCR THEASIANCHRONICLE.COM

nation

Ria Syal

What matters the most is the safety of individuals and their personal data but if you get to know that someone is spying upon your personal data then? Recent reports show that various China-based companies have been continuously spying upon our data and leaking the data in China. The same issue was argued upon in the Rajya Sabha session held on Wednesday and various important points were discussed. Various strategies were improvised to eliminate this severe issue. Under the view of the same issue, India has been outlawing certain Chinabased apps in the past few weeks.

Congress segments in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday displayed attention over a media report that hinted tracking of over 10,000 preeminent Indian selves and bodies by a Chinese technology firm and challenged the government whether it has taken record of the resolution.

Following the issue was proposed by two Congress members, KC Venugopal and Rajiv Satav, during the Zero Hour, Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu

urged the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs to take note of it and notify the minister concerned.

"I would like to invite the attention of this House through you Chairman, a piece of shocking news which is related to national security and privacy of Indian citizens," Venugopal stated.

He announced the Indian Express has reported that a Shenzenbased technology company with

connections to the Chinese government, and the Chinese Communist Party, is tracing over 10,000 Indian people and organizations in its global database of international spots.

"This includes...very shocking, the President of India also you the Vice President of India, the Prime Minister of India and the opposition leaders, including Congress President, Chief Ministers, MPs,

the army chief, and industrialists," Venugopal announced.

The Chinese company has also accumulated the database of bureaucrats in pivotal positions, judges, scientists, academicians, journalists, actors, sportspersons, religious figures, and activists, he appended.

"This is a major area of concern.

I would like to know from the government whether it has taken note of it. If so, what action has been taken," Venugopal questioned.

The Congress leader also accused that the government was not clarifying and consulting reports regarding Chinese intervention in border areas.

Reverberating his views, Satav said this is a very severe issue.

"The government should clarify.

The truth should come out. How can a Chinese company spy on prominent people," Satavanswered.

To this, Naidu entreated the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs to take the mark of the matter.

"It has appeared prominently. So, inform the minister concerned and see what can be done and find out the veracity also," the Rajya Sabha Chairman declared.

Deduction of Airline Travel Cost

Who doesn't like traveling? Come on everyone loves traveling but not everyone can afford air travel due to losses caused by the virus. Neither Airline companies can afford such massive losses! Covid-19 has tossed upside down the whole economy and lifestyle.

COVID-19 and falling oil prices have tonsured last-minute airfares on internal journeys by 20% to 25%. Airlines are keeping behind from escalating fares over waning demand and are instead focusing on advertising aircraft sanitizing aims to capture passenger maverick.

On Thursday, IndiGo stated it had witnessed a 15% to 20% deterioration in regular bookings week on week. “In January and February, IndiGo experienced a modest impact from the coronavirus. We cancelled our flights to China and Hong Kong and reduced frequency to certain other south-east Asian markets. This capacity was redeployed in other markets without having a material impact on our revenues. The decline was seen over the past few days, however,” an airline spokesperson responded.

Artificial intelligence-based tour app corporation ixigo declared it had registered a 27% drop in Delhi-Mumbai fares week on week. “Fares between the Capital and Mumbai between March 9 and 11 were available

for ₹3,333, down from ₹4,569 on March 7.

Similarly, Chennai-Delhi fares had dropped by 22.5% over the past two weeks. However, Delhi-Chennai had seen an increase of 12.29% over the past one week,” replied a spokesperson.

The costliest fare increase over the prior couple weeks was of 41.09% on the DelhiKolkata sector. “Airlines are refraining from increasing prices at the moment as they preempt a weakening of demand on the domestic side. A few sectors have seen a short-term spike in fares this week probably due to Holi travel,” Aloke Bajpai, co-founder, ixigo, announced.

IndiGo, in a report, announced it expects its periodical earnings to be substantially reshaped. “Besides, the rupee has also depreciated sharply, which will harm our dollar-denominated liabilities,” the spokesperson responded.

SpiceJet has proclaimed a spring season sale, offering one-way fares at ₹987 for domestic sectors and ₹3,699 for international sectors like Colombo, Bangkok, and Dhaka.

The fares also propose a meal (veg sandwich) and a complimentary seat on selective inventory. The four-day sale was on till March 15 for travel till February 28, 2021.

Due to a deterioration in the bookings of airline tickets, it becomes an obligation for airline corporations to lessen the airfares to expect a satisfying number of passengers. As both the Airline sector and tourists are interdependent.

Selflessness is the interdependent nature of all things. Without interdependence, nothing could exist.”

2

AVI to hold nationwide protest to mark one year of vape/e-cigarette ban

TAC New Delhi: As vape ban in India completes a year, the Association of Vapers India (AVI) has called for a nationwide protest on September 18, when vapers from across the country will take part in protests against the decision taken by the government.

The protest will be organised simultaneously in many cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Kolkata. An online protest rally on Friday will involve former smokers, vapers and their family members, along with global health, legal and advocacy experts to stage opposition against the ban imposed on vaping a year ago.

AVI, which leads efforts in India for adoption of harm reduction policies stating that it is a more humane and effective tobacco control strategy, has also written to all members of Parliament to convey 10 reasons why the vape ban has failed, both on health and economic counts, creating more negative outcomes than positive ones.

AVI Director Samrat Chowdhery, who has also been recently appointed to lead global consumer advocacy efforts,said, “We are bringing vapers together to raise our objection against the draconian ban by the government on September 18 last year.

Due to this arbitrary decision, efforts taken to promote harm reduction to reduce India’s tobacco health burden have been wasted. In our country, where nearly a million people die of smoking every year, it is important to promote risk reduction tools and sensitise people about them.”

“Since a significant percentage of the population has been denied the right to health and choice, we will mark September 18 as Black Day. The government has even banned research on vaping so that we could share robust scientific evidence on the net positive impact of vaping. We have raised objections to the ban internationally too,” he added.

In the past year, AVI has taken up the issue at various levels and on several platforms to highlight the challenges faced by lakhs of e-cigarette users, as well as smokers looking for an effective means to quit. The organisation under the aegis of Council for Harm Reduced Alternatives, advocates for harm reduction alternatives and aims to contribute towards a tobacco-free India.

A nationwide protest was organised last year soon after the vape ban in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Chennai where vapers voiced dissent against the decision.

Over 99% sex workers in Pune look for alternative livelihood, shows study nation

3

PUNE, MAHARASHTRA: As the pandemic has brought the world to a screeching halt, 99% of commercial sex workers are now wanting to take up alternative livelihood options, if given an opportunity.

Over the period of lockdown, the demand for sex work has dried down forcing sex workers to borrow loans for survival.

According to a sample survey conducted by Asha Care Trust, a forum that works towards the welfare of sex workers, over 85% of the workers have taken loans and over 98% of them have taken it from their brothel owners, managers and moneylenders, subjecting themselves to further exploitation.

Budhwar Peth is India’s third-

18 September, 2020 Faridabad/Delhi NCR THEASIANCHRONICLE.COM

largest red-light area which nearly houses 700 brothels and around 3,000 commercial sex workers. A study of 300 (around 10%) commercial sex workers inBudhwar Peth was conducted for this report.

What is more alarming is that 87% of workers stated that even before the pandemic struck, their incomes were not sufficient to support themselves or their families. Key factors like lack of education and employable skills compel them to depend on one source of income i.e. earning through flesh trade and remain trapped in the vicious circle. Majority of the workers now want to explore alternative sources of livelihood and get away from flesh trade.

Delving deeper into their plight, the report explores several socioeconomic factors of commercial sex workers and here are the key highlights: m 82% of the workers fall in the age group of 25 to 45 years. Some of them were forced into the trade when they were a minor. m Over 84% of the sex workers have not had any formal education and the rest 16% were pushed into the flesh trade even before they finished high school. m 92.7% stated that they fear resuming sex work but are also crippled with the fear of starvation.

Harassment from brothel managers has led them to worry about their daily bread and butter.

m While 68% believe that the sex trade will pick up in the days to come, 99% stated that they will take up any alternative livelihood option if given an opportunity.

“COVID-19 epidemic has presented us with an opportunity to create a mechanism to rehabilitate sex workers in mainstream society. Our survey suggests almost all of them are looking at alternative sources of livelihood in Budhwar Peth region.

For the women who opt-out of sex trade, trafficking victim relief fund should be provided to help them pay-off their debt and get started with a new chapter,” said Ms. Shilpa Shetty, president of Asha Care Trust.

The survey also suggests that the District and the State Administration can launch basic skill training programs under the National Urban Livelihood Mission for upskilling women in areas like tailoring, data entry, telecalling, sales and marketing, packaging, entrepreneurship training, working with NGOs. Extending support to the initiative, one of the representatives of Freedom Firm, a local NGO that works in the area added, “ This initiative is a positive thing. The red light area in Pune, consists of 500+ brothels which could not have been evolved over night. It is high time that the authorities and NGOs should view this unprecedented time as an opportunity to act quickly for providing alternative livelihood to sex workers who have faced a lot hardships already. I hope this initiative gets support from the government and NGOs as well and brings last-

Vaccine Candidates raising hopes

Over 30 supported, 3 in advanced trials, 4 in advanced pre-clinical stage, says Govt.

Evlyn Ann

The government on Wednesday announced that over 30 vaccine candidates have been supported, 3 are in advanced trials, and 4 are in the advanced pre-clinical development stage.

"More than 30 vaccine candidates have been supported which are in different stages of development, 3 candidates are in an advanced stage of Phase I, II, III trials and more than 4 are in the advanced pre-clinical development stage," Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai addressed the Rajya Sabha. He said that 13 clinical trials of repurposed drugs have been undertaken to build a portfolio of therapeutic options for COVID-19 patients. He also said that a national expert group on vaccine administration for Covid-19 was constituted under the NITI Aayog on August 7, 2020.

Human clinical trials for two indigenous vaccine candidates, one devel-

oped by Bharat Biotech International Limited in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and another one by Zydus Cadila Healthcare Ltd, started in the country by mid-June with over 1,000 volunteers taking part.

ICMR director-general Dr. Balram Bhargava informed that Phase 1 human trials of both the vaccine can-

didates have completed and the developers are done recruiting subjects for Phase 2 trials.

Phase 2 human trials on the OxfordAstraZeneca vaccine candidate by the Serum Institute of India (SII) have completed and Phase-3 trials are soon to begin across 14 sites, including AIIMS Delhi, AIIMS Patna, SUM Hospital, etc.

Sputnik V, a Russian developed COVID-19 vaccine candidate, has started Phase 3 trials, and the government is engaged in talks with the Indian high-level committee on carrying out the trials in India.

India is one of the largest manufacturers of generic drugs and vaccines in the world. Several Indian firms have joined in the race to develop an effective vaccine for COVID-19. So, as Nobel Laureate Peter Charles Doherty said, the world expects us to be a ‘major player’ in bringing back the world to health.

ing impact.”

A delegation led by Asha Care Trust along with representatives of other organisations like Shailesh Badhai from SarvajanikGaneshotsav Samiti, Yogesh Bhokre of Maharashtra ItakKamgarSangathana, social worker Pratibha Shinde, Fayyaz sheikh of Pune JilhaGrahakSanrakshan Samiti, Bhola Vanjale and Advocate Vidya Pedankar met the Mayor, Mr. MurlidharMohol, and submitted the report.

The delegation also requested quick action supporting the findings of the study. Talking about the meeting Ms. Shetty stated, “The meeting was very good and the Hon’ble Mayor gave us a very positive response on this. We are very hopeful that the district administration will help us in this regard.”

Reiterating the need for alternate livelihood during the Covid time, one of the sex workers, Nilu (name changed), said, “We have been facing lot of hardships for the last 4-5 months. With each passing day it is getting difficult for us to survive as we have no earnings and hardly any savings. All of us here are bound to start the business as we have no other means of livelihood. Given an opportunity, I would like to opt for alternate livelihood so that I have a better source of income to sustain myself and my children.”

The community members also plan to meet other district and state level decision makers to help them take the initiative forward and provide requisite support to the sex workers in this difficult time.

Healthcare should be available, affordable & accessible

NEW DELHI: Rajesh Bhushan, Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, said that as a country we must try to achieve a mortality rate of less than 1%.

Addressing a virtual conclave 'Clinical Protocol and Case Management in COVID-19', organized by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, jointly with FICCI and AIIMS, Bhushan said, "We must ensure that no patient (of COVID-19) is left untreated and our system should be available, affordable and accessible to all."

Dr Sangita Reddy, President, FICCI and Joint Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals Group, said, "While both the private and public sector healthcare providers are facing their

own challenges, this crisis has given them opportunity to come together and work for the society. This is the time when we need to exchange best practices and evolve most effective care guidelines using collective knowledge and experience.

This will go a long-way in augmenting the Public-Private Partnerships in healthcare for the country."

Dr Reddy also acknowledged the unconditional commitment and immense efforts being made by all the healthcare workers across the country.

Dr Randeep Guleria, Director, AIIMS, highlighted the importance of following evidence-based treatment protocols given the huge heterogeneity in the current treatment modules, leading to increased mortality.

Face Masks: Skin diseases and its treatment

18 September, 2020 Faridabad/Delhi NCR THEASIANCHRONICLE.COM

health

Person 1 Ouch! The mask is too tight. I cannot wear it for long hours.

Person 2 Oh! I have developed rashes on my face.

Person 3 Uff! I kinda feel suffocated while wearing a mask.

Rhythima Agrawal These are the common problems which people complain about when wearing a mask. Indeed, the Covid-19 pandemic has turned our lives topsy-turvy. Wearing a face mask before stepping out of the house and washing our hands has become an essential part of our routine.

Wearing a face mask before stepping out of the house and washing our hands has become an essential part of our routine. As we are aware that every coin has two sides to it; so does our daily routine. We know that washing hands at frequent intervals can make hands dry and itchy. Similarly, wearing a face mask can lead to various skin problems.

Does the face mask cause problems? If yes, what are they? The mask worn by us is tight fitted to ensure maximum protection from the virus by covering our nose and mouth. The skin of our face is soft, and the tight masks can cause irritation and inflammation. The hot and humid weather is also adding to the woes of the people. Continuous friction, irritation and inflammation along with trapped oil, dirt and sweat on the skin due to prolonged use of mask, can flare conditions like Acne Mechanica, Milaria Rosacea and Candida overgrowth.

the folds of your skin, such as under your breasts.

Another Dermatology professor attributes the rising complaints of skin infections to the face masks.

Adam Friedman, a professor of dermatology at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences, says that trapped breath, sweat and oil serve as a perfect breeding ground for fungal infections. He further adds that he has seen a surge in complaints of skin irritation ranging from inflammation with angry red rashes to tiny clusters of pimples around the nose and mouth.

Breathe and relax because these skin infections can be treated with some basic tips. Experts suggest following these five things to keep your skin healthy, clean and pro-

Acne Mechanica

Physical manipulation and pressure of a mask on the skin trigger acne. Friction and emotional stress of COVID19 lead to acne. Dr Craig Kraffert, a dermatologist, says that mask-wearing tends to worsen skin maladies. Together, stress and masks act synergistically to worsen facial skin disorders.

Milaria

The skin disorder, also known as heat rash, can result from occlusion and sweat under the mask. Milaria directly results from the immune system responding to trapped dead skin cells, bacteria, and sweat salts in the openings of the skin where they don't belong.

Rosacea

A condition that causes redness and often small, red, pusfilled bumps on the face. Its key symptoms are facial redness with swollen red bumps and small visible blood vessels.

Candida Overgrowth

As per the National Institute of Health, there are around 700 species of microbes in a person's mouth, including the genus of yeasts known as Candida. Candida is typically found in small amounts in the mouth and intestines and on the skin. A specific species, called Candida albicans, can cause an infection if it grows out of control. If this type of Candida overgrows in the vagina, it is known as a yeast infection; if it overgrows inside the mouth, it's called thrush. It's possible to have this yeast growth in

tected when wearing a face mask:

mChoose soft, natural and breathable fabric- Choose a mask which covers your nose and mouth and allows you to breathe. Never wear masks made of synthetic materials such as polyester, nylon and rayon, because they can make you sweat, which will dampen the fabric and, in turn, may cause irritation. Many cloth masks are available in the market. These cloth masks can be purchased online as well. mCause of irritation- It may be possible that irritation is caused due to a foreign particle in your mask and not by humidity or sweat. For instance, if the rash is on the tip of your nose, it might be because of the adhesive strip.

If the area covered by the mask turns red, it could likely be the soap, etc.

mApply a moisturizer- Applying a moisturizer on your

face throughout the day is the best way to get rid of dry skin and chapped lips. Apply an oil-free moisturizer about every two hours to dampen the skin. If moisturizing alone doesn't work, apply a thick ointment, like petroleum jelly and cover each hand with a cotton sock overnight to lock in the extra moisture.

mKeep your skin clean- If possible, stick to natural ingredients and avoid using harsh soaps on your skin. Always remember to wash your face before and after wearing a face covering. Do apply a moisturizer after washing your face.

mAnti-fungal ointments- Candida overgrowth can be treated easily. The anti-fungal creams used for athlete's foot can help cure Candida overgrowth. A shampoo having anti-fungal ingredient ketoconazole as a face wash can cure Candida overgrowth.

4

5

Pump The break Need of the Pandemic

18 September, 2020 Faridabad/Delhi NCR THEASIANCHRONICLE.COM

life style

Photo Courtesy/medium.com

This COVID-19 pandemic has shaken us to our core existence. No one could imagine in their wildest imagination that we would face something remotely like this. Apart from financial and economic implications, the emotional toil has been too much for most people to handle. There are reported cases of rise in anxiety and depression levels as well as domestic abuse.

With no end in sight, the daily dose of fear and isolation is causing a great amount of psychological trauma.

No doubt, these are unprecedented times but these are also the times that provide the best opportunity to introspect.

No one can ever predict the ways of nature or how or when a calamity would strike but we can always strive to minimize its effects especially on mind and body.

Most of us are still blessed to have enough on our plates and thankful for our health but still we are all anxious about getting back to normal. What normal are we talking about?

It is high time to pause and think.

In the age of Globalization and Consumer Marketing, we forgot our basic needs and ourselves. We took for granted our culture of mind full living and joined the bandwagon of work hard, party harder.

Our success and failures all became about our worldly possessions, smart phones and insta followers. In an attempt to post that perfect selfie, we forgot to enjoy that perfect moment.

Our smiles became pouts and birthday wishes became a post on facebook.

The idea of perfect life was sold to us and we bought like a box of free candy. Our self esteemed is trampled with and our confidence is ridiculed to make us feel inferior till the time we are not living in a particular way. We are fed that we are not smart enough if we don't have the latest smart phone. The sad part

is that we believe it and actually fall for all these gimmicks, especially the young children and adults. The pressure of Social media and to fit in ruined the small pleasures of life.

We all dreamed about a perfect world and it collapsed in front of us like a house of card.

The decadence of quality of life signified with the rise of drug abuse and mental disorders.

Think of this pandemic to get back to actual life and things that matter. Let's learn to be mindful of our needs, actions and thoughts.

The universe responds to our energies.

Rather than always cribbing, let’s sit down for a moment and savour that moment. We are living but it’s time to feel alive.

We are making history right now. Let’s take the responsibility to show our future generations the right path of mindful living. Let’s show them that we learned from our mistakes, took responsibility and tried our level best to heal the planet and ourselves.

Few of the simple techniques that can help us to be mindful of our actions and thoughts-

Screen Time

Be honest –how much time you are spending on screen working or enhancing your skills and how much is just mindless scrolling. It will make an immense difference to

Photo Courtesy/scientificamerican.com

your daily routine. You will be surprised how much time you can afford to do things that actually matter.

We are making history right now. Let’s take the responsibility to show our future generations the right path of mindful living. Let’s show them that we learned from our mistakes, took responsibility and tried our level best to heal the planet and ourselves. in the house everyday. You will realize that life is about simple things and even simpler joys. They will always love you, no matter what. You work so hard to provide them with every luxury but the truth is they can live happily without few of them but they need you and your time. Set an example for kids by being there simply.

In the words of Pema Chodron (She is a Buddhist nun and author of several books about mindfulness),”Rejoicing in ordinary things is not sentimental or trite. It actually takes guts.”

Are you ready to show your guts?

Eating habit

Show respect to your food that it deserves.

Be conscious of what you eat and how much you eat. Fix a time for eating and try your best to stick to it. Make a promise to yourself that you will leave your phone aside while eating.

Be thankful for the energy and nourishment the food provides you.

Being Aware- of your thoughts and emotions

If we do not sit with ourselves and talk to ourselves, how will we become aware of what’s happening inside us? If we can’t befriend ourselves, how will we be good friends to others? Sit with yourself even if it for 2-3 minutes initially. Do not try to drown the noise in your head by outside stimulation always. Listen to it. Give it sometime. It will become out to talk e clear slowly. You will be amazed to find a wonderful person inside you.

Talk to children and elders alike

Take time out to talk to children and elders

Dr. Vinita Malik

Vinita Malik is a dentist by profession, now a stay-at-home mother.

Various facets of the human mind attract her, and she is now following her passion of writing, exploring the experiences of human life. An avid runner, fitness keeps her motivated.

She is proud of where she's reached in life, and even prouder of her outlook.

18 September, 2020 Faridabad/Delhi NCR THEASIANCHRONICLE.COM

TV Makers urge Government to Extend zero duty on Import of Open Cells beyond Sept, 20 NEWS

Nishica Choudhary

The India Cellular & Electronics Association (ICEA) has urged the Finance Ministry to extend the zero duty on open cell for televisions beyond September, for another three years to boost domestic manufacturing and curb imports of LED TVs under FTAs.Television manufacturers in India have urged the government to extend zero duty on import of open cells beyond September 2020, cautioning that not doing so could increase TV imports from ASEAN countries having free trade agreements with India.

The ministry of electronics and IT (Meity) had proposed to impose 5% duty on import of open cells and bring pure cell to zero percentage to encourage the process of polarizer film and COF bonding for open cell in India.

An industry body representing the likes of Panasonic, LG have written to the finance ministry warning about the flourishing of grey market if open cells (with bonding) and pure cells (without bonding) are taxed differently as both compo-

“There was a proposal by MeitY to impose duty of 5 per cent on open cell and bring pure cell to zero percentage to encourage the process of polariser film and COF bonding for open cell.”

6

nents have the same HS code and cannot be visually differentiated. In its letter to the Finance Ministry, the industry body said currently there are no manufacturers for open cell and that it will take 3-4 years for a company to establish a plant.

“The grey market will flourish as opportunistic traders will import complete open cell by wrongly declaring it as pure cell for processing it at reduced duties,” the India Cellular and Electronics association said in a letter dated August 10 to revenue secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey.

It has instead recommended the implementation of the proposed phased manufacturing plan for TVs where duty on open cells can be levied post the fab becomes operational. Open cell panel is most important component used in TV manufacturing, accounting for 6570 per cent of its production cost.There are no open cell manufacturers in India and the set-up will require at least 3-4 years. Imposing 5% duty will lead to high import of LED TVs in India under FTA, a huge blow to Make in India programme and domestic TV manufac-

turers, ICEA said.

ICEA said that Indian TV makers have approached open cell makers for this project but none of them have shown interest to outsource the technology to any third party anywhere in the world.

“There was a proposal by MeitY to impose duty of 5 per cent on open cell and bring pure cell to zero percentage to encourage the process of polariser film and COF bonding for open cell.”

Stating that it is visually not possible to identify the difference between pure cell and cell with polariser film and bonding, it added that there is no separate HSN code which differentiates the pure open cell and open cell (with polariser film and COF bonding). It also said that the process will not consume much human resource as it is highly automated and the entire plant can be run by maximum 50 persons.

“Indian domestic television manufacturers have contacted open cell makers for this project. However, none of them has shown interest to outsource the technology to any third party, nor they have allowed elsewhere worldwide,” it added.

India's GDP to contract by 8.6% in FY21, UBS Advocates Fiscal Stimulus The country is among the few world over where the brokerage has downwardly reviewed its growth estimate, she said, adding that in many other countries, it is an upward revision from the previous estimates given right after the pandemic began.

Bhoomika Mohan

UBS Securities stated it anticipates a GDP contraction of 8.6%in FY21 mentioning factors including the modest government action to the crisis for its estimate.

Swiss brokerage UBS Securities said it forecasts a GDP contraction of 8.6 percent in FY21 as against its earlier prediction of 5.8 percent, citing factors including the “modest” government response to the crisis for its estimate. It said the country's potential rate of growth has also come down to 5.75-6.25 percent as per its estimate as against 7.1 percent, driven by factors including the weak government response to arrest the growth slide.

UBS Securities has downward revised its projection for India’s GDP in 2020-21 to 8.6 per cent contraction from 5.8 projected earlier. The Swiss brokerage also scaled down projection for India’s potential rate of growth to 5.8-6.2 per cent from its previous estimate of 7.1 per cent. This downward re-

vision is on account of the permanent damage done by the pandemic because of the problems on company balance sheets and the modest policy response to the crisis, it added. UBS also advocated for a another round of fiscal stim-

ulus from the government coupled with reforms.

It can be kept in mind that the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) shrunk by almost a fourth in the June quarter as the COVID19 pandemic fuelled lockdowns

chilled all financial activity. The infections continued to increase, making India the 2nd most affected country.

Jain said the modest recovery which we are seeing right now can not be sustained because of the rising infections and likewise income uncertainty, which is keeping back people from usage in the economy that relies 60 per cent on usage.

We are a little bearish as versus the consensus and feel that the GDP will contract by 8.6 percent

in FY21 prior to growing by 10 per cent in FY22, she said.

India needs a reputable fiscal stimulus, she stated, adding that the reaction needs to be coupled with reforms.

The federal government requires to spend on facilities advancement and building and construction activities, undertake more work generation act works in both the rural and metropolitan locations and broaden the rewards for producers moving base to India as part of the international supply chain realignment, she stated.

The country is among the few world over where the brokerage has downwardly reviewed its growth estimate, she said, adding that in many other countries, it is an upward revision from the previous estimates given right after the pandemic began.

There is a rise in savings in the country despite the absence of a corresponding rise in incomes, she said, pointing out that these are precautionary spendings undertaken by cutting expenditure and may be temporary.

18 September, 2020 Faridabad/Delhi NCR THEASIANCHRONICLE.COM

economy

RBI battle ready to revive the economy, India will certainly bounce back: Governor RBI

7

NEW DELHI: Shaktikanta Das, Governor, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) today emphasized that India has tremendous potential and it will certainly bounce back. "We all need to act together and act in time," he said.

Addressing FICCI's National Executive Committee Meeting (NECM), Das said, "The enabling policy environment would evolve around the initiatives taken by India's businesses to seize these opportunities and actualize the potential of the Indian economy as a rising economic power of the 21st century."

He also outlined key areas which can help India to propel. "India has tremendous scope to capitalize on the new opportunities. The 5 areas that will determine our ability to sustain India's growth in the medium-term include Human Capital in education and health, Productivity, Exports, Tourism and Food processing," he added.

Das said that by all indications, the recovery is likely to be gradual as efforts towards the reopening of the economy are confronted with rising infections. He further urged the industry to play an active role by investing more in the R&D. "Government, private sector must work together to enter the global value chain," he emphasized The RBI Governor said that India needs to move up on global agriculture value chain.

Despite being one of the largest food producers, India's position in the global value chain is quite low. He further added that food processing is a sunrise industry for India.

Das said that the tourism and hospitality sector has been impacted more by COVID but also expressed hope for early revival.

"Tourism as an engine of growth and pent

up demand could drive a V-shaped recovery.

Employment elasticity for the tourism sector is also quite high," added Das. He further said that among the sunrise sectors that offer potential for higher exports in the post-COVID period are drugs and pharmaceuticals. "A sharp policy focus on other global value chain intensive network products, including equipment for IT hardware, electrical appliances, electronics, telecommunications, and automobiles would also provide the cutting edge to India's export strategy with considerable scope for higher value additions," Das added.

The Governor said that the immediate policy response to COVID in India has been to prioritize stabilization of the economy and support a quick recovery. He also stated that with a view to further promoting innovations in financial services, RBI has announced an Innovation Hub. "This will focus on new capabilities in financial products and services that can help in deepening financial inclusion and efficient banking services," he noted.

Dr Sangita Reddy, President, FICCI said that reviving the economy requires coordinated efforts from all stakeholders including

the government, regulators and the industry.

"The RBI stands battle-ready to fight the economic downturn and industry appreciates this and stands alongside in this joint battle," she added.

Dr Reddy further said that although the unlocking phases of economy have helped restarting of businesses, the damage caused

by COVID-19 is colossal and will require a much longer time before improvement is seen on a sustained basis. "A lot more support is needed to rebuild, restart, revive and sustain businesses, especially in the hard-hit sectors like tourism, aviation, hospitality, retail and healthcare," she emphasized.

"Credit off-take by the MSMEs under the ECLGS can be considerably increased by making the scheme simpler and expanding its coverage," she said.

Dr Reddy added, "We would like to thank the RBI for announcing the much needed one-time restructuring scheme. We would like a review of the eligibility criteria and timelines laid out under the scheme as we feel that several deserving accounts may not qualify and miss out on this window of opportunity."

Uday Shankar, Senior Vice President, FICCI said that during the pandemic time, the role of the RBI is to stabilize the entire financial sector and ensure that the revival is faster.

FICCI Past Presidents - Sandip Somany, Y K Modi, Dr Jyotsna Suri, Harsh Pati Singhania, Sudhir Jalan, Rashesh Shah, Habil Khorakiwala, Sidharth Birla, along with other FICCI National Executive Committee members also interacted and shared their perspective with the RBI Governor.

Bhartiya Kisan Sangh and agricultural bills

Rhythima Agrawal

Farmer's union Bhartiya Kisan Sangh (BKS), affiliated to the Rashtriya Sevak Sangh has demanded that the government should send the three agricultural bills to the parliamentary standing committee.

Dinesh Kulkarni, National Secretary at the Bhartiya Kisan Sangh said, “The three ordinances were declared on June 5.

The government still has time until December. Why is there a hurry to get the bills passed?”

BKS general secretary Badri Narayan Choudhary had written a letter to the Prime Minister and agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar on August 19, raising objections to the three bills.

BKS urged the government to make four changes to the bills.

Firstly, introduce a legal provision ensuring that the farmers get a minimum support price. Secondly, all the traders should get

themselves registered with the Central and State government and put a security deposit. Thirdly, establish agricultural courts in each district so that the farmers can battle legal matters easily. The BKS raised objections on the definition of contract farming in the agricultural bill, by saying that the definition of contract farming includes corporate entities too.

Lastly, the definition of contract farming should include those farmers who are entirely dependent on agriculture.

Apart from writing the letter,

BKS has arranged for 12,000 letters by farmers across the country to the PM and agriculture minister demanding changes in the current bills.

On September 14, the parliament introduced three bills on agricultural reforms to replace the ordinance issued during the lockdown. They are; The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020; The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020.

The farmers in Punjab and Haryana are protesting against all three ordinances. Besides the farmers, the commission agents are also opposing these ordinances, fearing that the new laws will bypass their business and they will be rendered jobless. The biggest fear which is haunting the farmers is losing the MSP. The

Price Assurance Bill, while offering protection to farmers against price exploitation, does not prescribe the mechanism for price fixation. There is apprehension that the free hand given to private corporate houses could lead to farmer exploitation. The farmers are also concerned about the sections relating to “trade area”, “trader”, “dispute resolution” and “market fee” in the first ordinance.

Section 2(m) of The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020 defines "trade area" as any area or location, place of production, collection and aggregation including (a) farm gates; (b) factory premises; (c) warehouses; (d) silos; (e) cold storages; or (f) any other structures or places, from where the trade of farmers' produce may be undertaken in the territory of India.

The definition excludes private

market yards, private market subyards, direct marketing collection centers, and private farmer-consumer market yards managed by persons holding licenses or any warehouses, silos, cold storages or other structures notified as markets or deemed markets under each State APMC Act in force in India.

The government in its defense said that provisions would be beneficial to farmers, consumers and traders. Ramesh Chandra, a member of the NITI Aayog said, “Almost all agriculture experts and economists were batting for these reforms in the agriculture sector. The Centre was also persuading states to implement the Model APMC Act, 2002-03. But the states did not fully adopt it.

Therefore, the Centre had to adopt the ordinance route”. He further said that this is very forward-looking legislation and it is a win-win situation for all farmers, consumers and entrepreneurs.

18 September, 2020 Faridabad/Delhi NCR THEASIANCHRONICLE.COM

issue

8

UN Secretary-General warns impending Food Security

Sajeeda Feroz “Food insecurity in conflict-affected countries is now further exacerbated by natural disasters, economic shocks and public health crises, all compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic”, says AntonioGuterresUN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned the danger of famine and widespread food insecurity in four conflict affected countries, Congo, Yemen, northeast Nigeria and South Sudan and therefore the lives of millions of people living there are in danger.

According to the 2020 Global Report on Food Crises and recent food security analyses, in a note to Security Council members obtained by The Associated Press on Friday, the UN chief said the four countries rank the highest among the largest food crises in the world, but funding to help is verylow.

Guterres urged for immediate action to help fund these countries.

Having endured years of armed conflict and related violence, the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Yemen, northeast Nigeria and South Sudan are again facing the spectre of heightened food insecurity and potentialfamine.

The UN chief said key indicators are similarly making their presence in a number of other conflict-hit countries including Somalia, Burkina Faso and Afghanistan as well.

The situation varies from country to country, but civilians are being killed, injured and displaced; their livelihoods are destroyed and access to food and its availability are disrupted, amid growing fragility, Guterres said. At the same time greed has prevented humanitarian operations from reaching on time and they are attacked, delayed or obstructed from delivering life-saving assistanceputting humanity to

shame.

He said food insecurity in conflictaffected countries is now further exacerbated by natural disasters, economic shocks and public health crises, all intensified due to the COVID-19 pandemic and therefore the myriad problems it has brought forth such as the economic contraction, the declining availability of basic public services, the insecurity into which extremist groupsareoccupyingthemselves.

UN Humanitarian Chief, Mark Lowcock said in an interview with AP that the economic fallout from the pandemic including lock downs, border closures and restrictions on movement have all had a big effect on food security and agricultural productivity and also added that extremists have taken the opportunity to make way out of all this. Lowcock said that everybody has been very preoccupied with the COVID-19 virus, but it isn’t the

virus that’s creating most of the carnage.

He mentioned that it was all other things, and that we need to focus on the things that will really cause the biggest loss of life.He said, “A lot of effort has gone into things like providing personal protective equipment, public information campaigns on the virus, water and sanitation campaigns, all of which are goodies. But if you are doing those at the expense of basic humanitarian needs in these badly affected places, what you finish up with isn't a discount in loss of life but an increase in loss of life”.

He said having four countries meet the need during a 2018 Security Council resolution to report back to the council when the danger of conflict-induced famine and widespread food insecurity occurs is highly significant.

According to the UN SecretaryGeneral’s note, escalating violence in volatile eastern Congo is again driving disastrous levels of food insecurity and hunger, and over 21 million people are in crisis or worse levels of acute food insecurity according to the latest analysis.

With only 22% of the UN humanitarian appeal currently funded, Guterres said, core programmes will need to be reduced or suspended.

“In Yemen, where the international community mobilised to prevent famine two years ago, the risk is slowly returning. Escalating conflict and economic decline brought the Arab world’s poorest nation to the brink of famine two years ago, and similar conditions and worsening key indicators are emerging today”, he said.

A recent survey indicated that 3.2 million people in government-controlled areas are now highly food insecure, and food prices are 140% above averages before the conflict began in 2015. But with only 24% of humanitarian requirements funded in 2020, agencies are now forced to scale back or close core programs.

In northeast Nigeria’s Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states, alarming levels of food insecurity and hunger have arisen largely as a result of the actions of extremists affiliated with armed groups.

Guterres said, “Estimates suggest quite 10 million people within the three states-about 80% of the population- need humanitarian assistance and protection, an almost 50% increase since the last year and the highest recorded since humanitarian operations began. Yet, the UN appeal is only 33% funded at its lowest level”.

In South Sudan’s Jonglei and Greater Pibor administrative area, Guterres said things deteriorated rapidly within the half of 2020, fuelled by escalating violence and insecurity. Fighting has been amid widespread attacks on agricultural and pastoral land and therefore the looting of livestock and food, leaving more that 1.4 million people within the area facing crisis or worse levels of acute food insecurity, he said. In addition, a minimum of 350,000 children suffer from severe or moderate acute malnutrition.

Guterres said the latest outlook from the Famine Early Warning Systems Network is flagging worsening catastrophe conditions in areas affected by the violence.

US restrictions on textile imports from China may benefit India: Icra Shivani Shukla

The US restrictions on some textile imports from Xinjiang in China is likely to augur well for the Indian textile exporters, according to a report.

On September 14, the US imposed restrictions on the import of certain products originating from the Xinjiang Autonomous Region in China, citing concerns on illegal and inhumane forced labour in the region, rating agency Icra said in a report.

The agency said it expects this development to benefit domestic textile exporters.

While there were speculations of a more broad-based ban on the products originating from the region, the restrictions have been limited to a few entities, for now, it said.

Besides banning imports of other product categories, including hair products and computer parts, it also includes restrictions on some entities from the region involved in manufacturing apparels and producing

and processing cotton.

Xinjiang is a major cotton-producing belt, which accounts for an estimated 8085 per cent of China’s cotton output.

“While the immediate impact, in terms of the market catered to by the identified entities, is not quantifiable, this development

could have major repercussions for the global textile trade.

“With China being the leading apparel exporter, accounting for more than 35 per cent of the global trade and more than three-fourths of China’s cotton originating from the Xinjiang region, any extension of the ban to a wider base in China could trigger a material shift in global apparel trade in coming years,” Icra Ratings Senior VP and Group Head Jayanta Roy said.

Amid concerns on origination of the coronavirus from China, there have already been reports of several international buyers looking at diversifying their sourcing base across countries, the report opined.

Several major apparel exporters from India have either already started receiving increased orders or are in active discussions with large international buyers, looking at increasing their sourcing from India.

The shift, which was previously expected to take place gradually over the medium

term, could be expedited in the light of this recent development, the report added.

“While over the past few years, Vietnam and Bangladesh have been the key beneficiaries for a shift away from China, India also stands to gain from any such market opportunity which may arise, given its strong presence in the cotton-based apparels,” Roy added.

Widening of the scope of the ban could, however, be practically challenging as the existing systems are not adequate to track the origin of the raw material.

Accordingly, cotton originating in the Xinjiang region could end up as yarn or fabric in another region/ country, which could be processed further to manufacture apparels.

Further, there could be likely retaliatory actions by China, as seen over the past couple of years amid the ongoing USChina trade war, which could prevent widening of the scope of the ban, Icra report added.

Printed & Published by Virender for and on behalf of Karamvir Kamal (Owner) from 2569, Street No. 2, Jawahar Colony, N.I.T, Faridabad, Haryana and printed at Joy Printers, 3G-142, N.I.T. Faridabad-121001, Haryana.

Editor Karamvir Kamal* (responsible for selection of news under PRB Act 1867), Sub Editor Bhoomika Mohan. RNI No. HARENG/2016/67803. Executive Office: 431, Saraswati Vihar, Gurugram-122004, Haryana. Contact +91 9212 46 0446, 9899 73 1532, Email: asianchronicleindia@gmail.com, WWW.THEASIANCHRONICLE.COM | WWW.THEASIANCHRONICLE.IN