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ASSENG/2015/64205

Vol. II

9 THINGS YOU WEAR THAT ARE REALLY KILLING YOUR BACK

Explosives recovered in Assam Rangia, Oct 25: A huge quantity of explosives were recovered from three persons who were taken into custody in Kamrup (Rural) district today.

Acting on a tip-off, police recovered the explosives from three persons from a boat which had arrived at Nagarbera area of the district last night.

The explosives included 475 detonators and 200 gelatine sticks.

The arrested persons were identified as Hasan Ali, Halim Ali and Mustafijur Rahman and their interrogation was on, police added.

Miao police arrests one hard core NSCN (R) cadre

Issue 99

HOW ASIA STANDS TO SUFFER IF TRUMP IS VICTORIOUS THIS NOVEMBER

P11

Price -

ET Bureau Guwahati, Oct 25

ASSAM DEVELOPMENT RATE

The “extremely” low rate of transformation is keeping Assam an underdeveloped state, said Niti Aayog’s deputy chairman Arvind Panagariya here on Tuesday.

“Assam today has a rate of urbanisation which is only 14% while India in 1951 had a rate of urbanisation of 17%.

So in terms of urbanisation, Assam is not even where India was in 1951. India today is 31% urbanised. The rate in India has been around 2 percentage points per decade, which itself is again low,” Panagariya said.

According to him, when the transformation comes, wages rise which in turn motivates workers to move from agriculture to industry.

Panagariya was speaking at an Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) organised interactive session.

Assam rate of urbanisation is only 14%, while India had 17% in 1951.

NSSO figures 56% workforce in Assam in 2011-12, 6.5% in industry and 37.5% in services.

Share of agriculture to Assam GDP was 32% while the same in 1980-81 was around 44%. figures, 56% workforce in Assam in 2011-12 were in agriculture and only 6.5% in industry and the remaining 37.5% in services. “The transition that’s happening is very slow. In Assam in 201112, the share of agriculture to state GDP was 32% while the same in 1980-81 was around 44%. Though the output of agriculture has halved in three decades times, the share of employment hasn’t,” said Panagariya.

happening in Assam.

He said the growth of industry provides the “pull” for workers to come out of agriculture and it is not

He felt agriculture in Assam too required reorientation in line with what Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat. The farm sector

Panagariya strongly attributes this low rate of industrialisation to the very tendency of Indians to look down upon industry. “Industry is not a part of our thinking process. But if we want the transformation, we have to make conditions conducive for the growth of industry of all sizes, large, small land medium,” said the IndianAmerican economist.

Puerile to think China will not claim Arunachal, says Salman Khurshid ANI Itanagar, Oct 25

Expressing concern over China's objection to U.S. Ambassador Richard Verma visiting Arunachal Pradesh, former external affairs minister Salman Khurshid said it would be unwise to think that Beijing won't claim Arunachal as its territory, despite the Indian gvernment's efforts to contain differences on the same.

He said the government needs to be pragmatic and proceed forward in the best way possible.

Contd. on Page 4

in the two states focus on increasing the growth of high value commodities like fruits and vegetables. Assam can also eye for exports and carving out a share for itself in the world market. He cited the example of tea and how the commodity has made its mark in the international market.

The Niti Aayog vicechairman, however, sounded optimistic with the present economic growth story of India. “Overall I see great future for India. We are growing at a rate of 7.5%. We have so many reforms to be done and now we are back into

Miss Nyohai Wangjen (class IX) of Ramakrishna Sarada Mission Girls School, Khonsa, District Tirap, Arunachal Pradesh qualified for the National level Science Seminar 2016 after topping at the State level held at Itanagar on 28th August 2015.

Former external affairs minister Salman Khurshid

Staff Reporter Pasighat, Oct 2

ANI Guwahati, Oct 25

Inter college debate competition held at Pasighat youth as personal characters and responsibilities of each youth were responsible for being beguiled. 1st prize went to Miss Tripti Mishra, B.Sc. (Horti) 2nd Semester from College of Horticulture & Forestry, Pasighat, 2nd prize was won by Bompi Zirdo, a B.Ed. student from Siang Royal Academy and 3rd by Bomkar Angu, BA 3rd Semester from JN College.

Oshong Ering, (Rtd. DC) graced the debate competition as Chief Guest while DC

Pasighat, Isha Khosla, Chief Councilor, Pasighat Municipal Council, Kaling Doruk etc graced as especial invitees.

While Bormoti Yirang Dai, the first woman graduate of the state was the chief judge of the competition. Group Captain (Rtd) Mohonto Pangging and SK Sinha, Convener-inCharge and Organizing Secretary respectively of AAUN Foundation informed that, AAUN is a non-profit organization being managed by some likeminded individuals.

Top Assam cop alleges harassment by some senior colleagues PTI Guwahati, Oct 25

In a bizarre turn of events Additional Director General of Police (Communication), Assam, R Chandanathan has urged the state government to safeguard him alleging a section of senior police officers have ganged up to tarnish his public image.

cmyk

The senior IPS officer told

reporters here that he was forced to bring the issue to the public domain "as a section of senior police officers against whom I have done enquiries/ investigations under proper government order on various allegation of corruption and criminal misconduct have joined together in pursuance of conspiracy to tarnish my public image".

The alleged attempt to tarnish the image was through

Road and inland water communication in Assam is set to improve in the wake of the Centre deciding to invest nearly Rs 1 lakh crore to improve connectivity.

Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari announced this while discussing several issues related to improvement of transport communication with Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in New Delhi.

An official release said Gadkari announced plans to increase the Central Roads Fund to Rs 800 crore from earlier sanctioned limit of Rs 450 crore. He has also asked the state government to identify 1200-kilomters of new stretch of road for converting the same into national highways.

Gadkari approved SivsagarDesangmukh-TekeliphutaDhakuakhana-North

Further, she represented the State at the National level Science Seminar 2016 held at the Nehru Science Centre,

Lakhimpur-Majuli-Jorhat road project and another project for relieving traffic congestion on Guwahati by-pass by constructing new 4-lane road from Changsari to Kuruwa along the Northern Bank of Brahmaputra with a 6-lane bridge over Brahmaputra between Kuruwa and Narengi.

He has directed officials to explore the scope for an alternative alignment and prepare DPR for 4-laning of East West corridor covering 62-kilometer-long vulnerable stretch in Dima Hasao District.

Gadkari has also approved projects for development of National Highway-36, strengthening stretches from Agomoni to Golokganj, Gauripur to Panbari and Bangalipara on Bilasipara among others.He also sanctioned Rs 30 crore for installation of solar LED Light in the Dhola-Sadia Bridge which is to be inaugurated soon.

The minister approved the proposal for construction of flyovers at several areas.

"propaganda and slander in form of false allegations and also by foisting false and highly malicious criminal case against me", the ADGP maintained.

Asserting he had the image of a clean police officer known for his dedication and professionalism as a police officer during the last 30 years of his service, Contd. on Page 3

doing the reforms which we had discontinued for last 10 years or so during the previous government,” Panagariya said.

Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari

PAGE 12

P9

CM Pema Khandu holds review meeting with power department of Arunachal

He added that the chances of being able to sustain this growth of 8-10% were pretty good over next two to three decades and that would in all certainty help India become a $6-8 trillion economy in next 15 years.

“Even if we grow at 8%, we will surely go from present $2.1 trillion economy to around $6-8 trillion economy in next 15 years’ time,” he said.

A growth in the economy, said Panagariya, would give the country a “handsome” per capita income and help it get out of extreme poverty. “High income not only empowers the people but also gives higher revenues to the state and central governments.

Higher revenues give the government much room to increase public expenditure on social welfare schemes,” he said. (With inputs from agencies)

Nyohai Wangjen Ramakrishna Sarada Mission brings laurel to the state Denhang Bosai Khonsa, Oct 25

Pages- 12

HOW TO STUDY FOR EXAMS

P6

Rupees 1 lakh crore to Inter college debate competition boost road, inland water held at Pasighat transport in Assam In a noble initiative to keep the present youth busy in creative and constructive activities, a inter college debate competition was organized at Jawaharlal Nehru College, conference hall at Upper Campus today by AAUN Foundation, an NGO in which total of seven institutions of higher learning in the district participated.

With the title: “Modernity has beguiled the youth of the Nation” various participants from various colleges spoke on for and against the motion most of which were noteworthy as the students were competitive enough. While some relent on as to why modernity has really damaged or misguided the youth with all the earthly requirements that are readily available these days. While some other didn’t blame the modernity for damaging the

5.00

Extremely low rate of urbanisation keeping Assam underdeveloped: Arvind Panagariya

As per National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO)

Miao, Oct 25: The Police team led by SDPO Miao John Pada, SI R. Rawat and OC PS T. Lanching and other police personnel apprehended one hard core NSCN (R) cadre Sergeant Major Bainong Mungrey from Manmao Bazar line on 24th Oct 2016 at 1930 hrs.

The arrest of one of the top ranking cadre of the organisation has given a serious jolt to the organisation, as a total of 14 NSCN (R) cadres have been arrested by the Police and other security agencies so far in Changlang district.

(Correspondent)

Dibrugarh, Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Mumbai on 04th Oct. 2016.

The topic was: Pulses for Sustainable Food Security: Prospects & Challenges.

About 25 states and 08 Union territories participated at the National level.

She brought laurels to the state by standing second at the National level, first being Tripura. Her presentation was highly appreciated.

Contd. on Page 4

CM Pema Khandu holds review meeting with power department of Arunachal ET Bureau Itanagar, Oct 25

Chief Minister Pema Khandu today took a review meeting of the state department of power along with Power Parliamentary Secretary Thangwang Wangham and Commissioner Power Ashish Kundra.

The meeting was attended by all Chief Engineers, Superintendent Engineers and Executive Engineers of the department.

Summarizing the whole situation of power shortage in the state, Khandu expressed concern that despite being touted as the power house of India, Arunachal Pradesh is yet to meet its own power requirement.

The Superintendent Engineers, who represent power divisions that consist of two or more districts, collectively pointed out that almost all the districts face power shortage particularly during the lean period when generation of power from small hydro projects is at the lowest. They suggested proper transmission lines, purchase of additional power from central grids and maintenance of state-

owned hydro projects.

The Chief Minister called for perfect coordination between the departments of power and hydro-power so that the power generated by stateowned hydro stations are judiciously and equitably distributed by the power department to consumers.

“It is embarrassing to note that where there is power generation there is no transmission lines for distribution. This has to be sorted out mutually by the concerned departments,” Khandu pointed.

The Chief Minister also raised questions over lack of revenue generation by the department, when it was admitted by all that revenue collected has been far less than the actual revenue that should have been collected in all divisions. “The actual revenue collected is meagre compared to the actual number of consumers. This has to be seriously thought about and I request the department chalk out a fool-proof plan in this regard in consultation with the Parliamentary Secretary and Commissioner,” he said.

Contd. on Page 4

PDS SK oil floods Digboi open market, supply department in deep slumber.

ET Correspondent Digboi Oct 25 In what can be called as Diwali rush and opportunist including the unfair traders heated up in making easy money from various unethical, illegal and easy source, a perverted scenario caught the attention of the general people here at Digboi Oiltown in Tinsukia District of Upper Assam concerning the easy procurement and availability of PDS blue Kerosene Oil being sold in open market at the prices much higher than what is fixed by the government of Assam.

Sk Oil is one of the Commodities under the Public Distribution System which In order to ensure the availability of this Commodity to the Consumers at affordable prices, Govt. of India makes allocation to the State for distribution to the general Consumers through PDS regularly.

According to sources on the other hand, the PDS agent who collects their monthly quota from the wholesaler hardly bothers to distribute the item to the beneficiaries particularly in rural areas. The agents dispose the SK Oil in the open market and urban businessmen including the grocers and contractors purchase it at much higher prices than the prevailing government rates and further sale in the market which earns them handsome.

Talking to the Eastern Today

PDS SK oil floods Digboi open market, supply department in deep slumber. here this morning a buyer of PDS SK Oil from an agent who employs a middleman in an open market told that he buys at the rate of 35 and sells to general people at 45 to 50 rupees per liter that the people readily pays. 4 full barrels of SK Oil was transported to his shop and delivered in broad day light.

On the other hands, confirmed source told that a huge network of black marketers operates in the town which collects the common people’s essential commodities and divert the same in various sectors including the running of machinery and fueling the telecom towers across the Districts after mixing the PDS

SK Oil with diesel quite contrary to the norms of the government that the utilization of SK Oil is solely meant for cooking and lightening purpose.

What is irony is here is the fact that the supply inspectors of the concerned department hardly visits or inspects the PDS units which might have boosted the morale of the agents to openly divert the common people’s essential items in the open market depriving the poor beneficiaries. The role of the vigilance committee too is under a big question.

Contd. on Page 3

cmyk

PAGE 8

DIBRUGARH, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26

P2 Engulfed in darkness, Kumar’s of Majuli toil to enlighten up household on the eve of Deepawali ET Correspondent Jorhat, Oct 25: Fighting for sustentation, a community carried along their culture and profession toil to enlighten up households on the eve of Depawali. Pottery, an art which also served as a source of livelihood for the ‘Kumar’s’ a community of Majuli.

Mostly engaged in the making of household utensils out of clay formed along the banks of the river Brahmaputra is on the verse of extinction.

The Kumar’s community, who lives in the river bed of Brahmaputra, is now suffering from massive blows of flood water and soil erosion. Every year, the great Brahmaputra washes away their inhabitants, and the people of Kumar community suffer the most. In the time of summer, when flood hit Majuli, these people have to live in high land mass or boats. In this time

An old women seen making clay pots for her living.

HOROSCOPE Aries

It could be that you feel a bit of pressure today to start or create something that you aren't quite ready for, Aries. There is hesitation on your part that indicates you should take it slowly and learn more of the facts before you jump into the fray. Position yourself in such a way that you take control of the situation rather than become a victim of it.

Taurus

Move forward with your plan of attack today, Taurus. There's an anxious rumble within you that's urging you to get going with a current plan. You have all the facts you need, so don't hesitate any longer.

The power of the word is with you. You will be smooth, collected, and confident even in the most nerve-wracking situations. Words will flow off your tongue with ease.

Gemini

Add spark to your life today, Gemini. It could be that things are getting stale and boring. If so, consider the possibility that you simply aren't challenging yourself enough. Remember that you're responsible for lighting your own fire.

You have the perfect opportunity to get something started today, so go for it. Feel free to get other people to help.

Cancer

Leo

Virgo

People are apt to try to hit you square on the head with their ideas and thoughts today, Cancer, so be ready for the onslaught of information that may come your way. There's a distinct advantage to listening to the whole spiel before you react with your own facts and emotions. The problem is that you're going to be tempted to argue instead of calmly resolve the matter.

Don't take no for an answer today, Virgo. Know what you believe in and stick with it. There's a distinct advantage to holding true to your inner nature. Don't let others throw you off course with their views on how things should be done. Be confident and don't worry about taking things over the top. There's no such thing as excess today. "The more the merrier" should be your motto.

Be a pioneer thinker today, Libra. There's a noble courage in your thoughts, so don't let this quality go to waste. You will be surprised at how cutting edge you can be when you put your mind to it. Take a walk by yourself and contemplate the next major move that you'd like to make in your life. Feel free to brainstorm bold ways to execute this plan.

Scorpio

Be aggressive and forceful when it comes to exerting your will, Scorpio. Let others know that you won't be a pushover. Your opinions are extremely important, and they need to be heard by the people who matter the most. Have faith that whatever you say has the power to come true, especially when you enlist the help of those around you. Opportunity lies in joining hands with others.

Today may be one of those days in which you come to a four-way stop and no one knows whose turn it is. Don't sit and wait for everyone else to go first, Sagittarius.

If you know it's your turn, be bold and make your move.

It wouldn't be a bad idea to signal others that you're going ahead. People might not be used to you taking such an aggressive role.

Capricorn

“We are leading a very hard life”- said one of the old village women. “Nor the former Govt. Neither this Govt. gives us anything to live a better life. In the period of flood, we face many difficulties to earn our food.

Our houses are under the flood water. We have to live in our boats or high lands.”added an elderly women.

“Many of us now have left this profession as it is not sufficient to earn even to meet our daily requirements. Moreover the clay mud, which we used to make the pottery are now rare to find. This also force us to leave this profession”the old women said to this reporter.

There are around 1000 people inhabits in ‘Salmora’ the flood effected area of Majuli, where the Kumar community village is situated. The people residing in this place are below the poverty level.

People would be foolish to challenge your thinking now, Capricorn. The power behind your words is volatile, and you may find yourself going to extremes in order to get your point across. Be careful about making promises you can't fulfill. It could be that you're so adamant about your point of view that you make up hyperbolic situations just to get your ideas across.

Aquarius

Your old ways of thinking have carried you quite far, Aquarius, but you may now find that it's time to seek a new platform for your ideas. Look for more adventurous ways to express yourself. Break out of the old mold and try something new. Once you start in a brand new direction, there will be a great deal of support encouraging you to continue along that way.

Pisces

One quick phone call to a friend may turn into a long discussion about the meaning of life, Pisces. Be conscious of the fact that there's a great deal of momentum building in your mind now.

Once the dam breaks, you may soon have a giant flood on your hands. Be careful about releasing all this energy at once, even though you may not seem to have a choice.

“I am running a very hard life”, added a widow of the villlage.

“My husband died in flood three years back. Now me and my 7 years old boy, lives in this hut”, the women pointing at the deserted hut said.

On the other hand the govt. is in the way to stop the digging of clay mud from the river bed, as it is one of the main reasons of soil erosion.

“The Kumar’s community dug the river bed in search of clay mud around 30-40 feet deep. This cause massive soil erosion in the area.” one of the government officials said to this reporter.

“We also trying our level best to let the people of Kumar o live a better life.

But some are adamant in their decision.” the officer added.

Majuli, fighting to recognize itself as World Heri-

tage Site, is now in the wee moment. To recognize itself as World Heritage site it has to hug all the art and culture of the river island. The pottery art of Kumar’s is also one of the most important art and culture and it is one of the attractions point for the tourist.

The pottery of the Kumar’s is in the path of extinction.

Flood, soil erosion, decrease of clay mud and many other factors took this art and culture to the verse of extinction.

Though the present government declared Majuli as district and above all the Chief Minister Sarbananda himself represent from the River Island, it is now a big question whether the community will be forced to take any other profession for their livelihood or the government wil take any initiative to preserve these rare form of art.

Karnataka on top: C.K. Nayudu Cricket Sports Correspondent Dibrugarh, Oct 25: Karnataka took a lead of 142 runs against Assam in the second day of the round second of plate B Colonel C.K. Nayudu U-23 Cricket Tournament at Tinsukia District Sports Association Stadium here today.

Assam bowlers failed to take wickets like the counterpart did in the previous day. Karnataka scored 334/5 in 117 overs at the end of second day. Opener Nischal D remained unbeaten at 164 off 369 hitting twenty fours. Nischal played superbly in the second day and Karnataka dominated the second day. Samarth Ooty contributed 80 off 142 balls with twelve boundaries to the fence.

On the previous day Karnataka were 65/1 in 26 overs.

The Assam bowlers struggled to take wickets against the Karnataka batsman. Only Mrinmoy Dutta took three for 125 in 32 overs for Assam.

Nipen Deka and Arpan Dutt shared one wicket each.

In the first innings Assam were bundled out for 192 in 62.2 overs. In the previous day Assam batsman has struggled against the pace attack of Karnataka and could not scored much runs. The Karnataka batsmen took advantage of the pitch which suited the batsman.

3 arrested for conspiracy and Drawing competition organised in Naharkatiya Anti-Nationalism in Dibrugarh Bikul Bikash Gogoi Naharkatiya, Oct 25: A drawing competition was organised by the Army Camp Dangrikumar of Dao Division in Borhat Middle School today. A total of 35 students from different classes took part in the said competition .The program also included interaction with the students and teachers of the school. On this occasion OC Dangrikumar Camp addressed the gathering and congratulated all the participants for bringing out the ingenuity through their drawings. During prize distribution ceremony, he also mentioned about the various career options and

Students along with army officials and guests during the competition. schemes to join army. Position holders were felicitated with certificate of excellence and various prizes. All

the students and teachers were congratulated for their warm and enthusiastic response to the competition.

Protest in delay for construction of drain culvert

Anchor yourself in practical matters before you try to prove your point to others. There's a great deal of primal energy rising within you today and searching for some sort of outlet. Be aware of overextending yourself when it comes to issues of the mind. You may be so anxious to prove your point that you end up losing sight of the reality of the situation.

Libra

Sagittarius

of the year, all the pottery works of the Kumar’s are at a halt and they have do other works for their daily livelihood.

Mostly the women, of this community make the raw pots. The, male of the Kumar,s dug the clay mud from the river bed from 3040 ft deep. After, the raw pots is made, the pots are burnt to make them solid.

The men, of the Kumar’s take these pots for trade through the river path.

“We sale our pots both in retail and wholesale”- said one of the Kumar’s villagers to us. He also added that “we sale our household utensils, that is pottery in around 2000 thousand Rupees per 100 pots.”

The clay art or the Pottery is now in the verge of extinction. The government did not take any steps to preserves the pottery art, which is now in the verse of extinction.

Sports

Local shopkeepers in Paltan Bazar area in Dibrugarh on Tuesday demanding fast completion of town drainage work as shops had to be closed for several days in view of construction activities. Pic: Manoj Pandey A Staff Reporter Dibrugarh, Oct 25: The resident of Seujpur today protested against the delay of the box culvert which was constructed to cover up the DTP drain at Paltan Bazar area.

The shopkeepers who have closed down their shops for the construction of the culvert are now demanding to complete the work on time.

“We have shut down our shops for many days and are suffering huge loses. We run our family with this shops and if our shops remained closed day after day then we have to face severe consequences,’’ said a shopkeeper at Paltan Bazar. He added that they appeal to the concerned department to quickly finish the work.

The 169 crore project was funded by Asain Development Bank (ADB) for a work of 9.5 km long drain which was started on October 17, 2016 from Zero point at Paltan bazaar.

The Seujpur -Paltan bazaar road remained closed for several days which has created problems for the local people.

A Staff Reporter Dibrugarh, Oct 25: Three members of United Assamese Youth Power of Assam were arrested by Dibrugarh police today for staging a protest on Oct 23 demanding sovereignty of Assam.

The accused arrested are ; Mridul Dutta, VicePresident from Naliapool, Himadri Dowarah, Vice President from Chiring Sapori and Mandeep Hazarika from Naliapool . Police has filed a case under sections 927/16 u/s 120 (B)/121/121 (A)/124(A)/ 341/506 of IPC.

The three accused arrested by Dibrugarh police.

Pic. Manoj Pandey

Poacher nabbed at Joypur rainforest Bikul Bikash Gogoi Naharkatia, Oct 25: In an operation conducted by the Joypur forest officials, one poacher was apprehended while another managed to escape today here in Joypur.

According to report a person named Ting Yang Wangsu of Atongkhuwa under Kanubari police station of Londing district was nabbed at Hukanjuri Trucknola area of Joypur rain forest today morning. The forest personal recovered two handmade gun from the poacher.

Poacher named Ting Yang Wangsu apprehended by the forests officials.

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Protest rally by AJYCP Dibrugarh unit members on the issue of granting citizenship to Hindu Bangladeshis. Pic Manoj Pandey

DIBRUGARH, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26

P3

employee It is an attempt to create divisions within the 'greater Railway found dead Assamese society', says BJP blaming Congress ET Bureau Guwahati, Oct 25: Blaming the protests in Assam against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, on 'Congress-Communist' intellectuals and activists, BJP on Monday said it is an attempt to create divisions within the 'greater Assamese society'.

"The BJP-led government in the state is four months old. These intellectuals and activists are bent on destabilizing the Sarbananda Sonowal government. Granting citizenship to religious minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan has long been BJP's stand. In the assembly elections,

BJP came to power with a huge mandate. These intellectuals and activists want to create an impression that BJP is going to make Assam a state like Tripura. This is false propaganda," BJP spokesperson Rupam Goswami said here.

Goswami added that besides Bengali Hindus, there are also Koch Rajbongshis, Hajongs and Chakmas in Bangladesh.

"If members of these communities want to come to India because of persecution in their country, will we not accept them? The people of Assam voted BJP to power despite

knowing our stand on citizenship for religious minorities," he said.

The amendment bill seeks to grant citizenship to religious minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan. It is being examined by a parliamentary joint committee. Several organizations, including the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti, are up in arms against the bill. The organizations have been saying that the identity of indigenous people will be under threat if those belonging to religious minorities from Bangladesh are granted citizenship.

BJP, however, has been silent on whether the 'Con-

gress-Communist' influence was behind opposition by AASU and its partner AGP. Both Aasu and AGP are opposing the bill on the grounds that it is against the spirit of the Assam Accord.

The Accord, signed in 1985 after a six-year-long anti-foreigner movement, had set March 25, 1971, as the cut-off date for detection and deportation of 'foreigners' irrespective of their religious affiliation.

Former chief minister Tarun Gogoi recently accused the BJP government at the Centre of not taking the people of the state into confidence about the

amendment of the Citizenship Act, 1955.

Goswami countered Gogoi's allegation and said it was Gogoi instead who had in the 2011 assembly polls promised to protect Bengali Hindu migrants from Bangladesh.

"Congress's double-speak on the issue has been exposed. BJP is committed to the fulfilment of its promises. Our chief minister has already written to the chairman of the parliamentary joint committee about holding a public hearing on the bill in Assam," Goswami added.

(With inputs from agencies)

19th convention of NACLIN- Businessman shot in Lokhra; succumbs 2016 to be held at Tezpur to injuries ET Correspondent Hon’ble Minister of State the North East are turned Tezpur, Oct 25: The (IC) for DONER Dr into “Smart Libraries” 19th National Convention on Knowledge, Library and Information Networking (NACLIN 2016) is being organized jointly by DELNET-Developing Library Network, New Delhi and Tezpur University, Tezpur from October 2628, 2016 at Tezpur University. DELNET is a major resource sharing library network connecting more than 5600 libraries in India and 8 other countries.

NACLIN 2016 will discuss a large number of latest issues under the theme “Smart Libraries and Inspired Librarians: Managing New Technologies, Digital Content and Service”.

This National Convention is being inaugurated on October 26, 2016 at 12 noon at KBR Auditorium, Tezpur University by the Hon’ble Vice President of India M Hamid Ansari. The Inaugural Session will be presided over by Hon’ble, Governor of Assam, Banwarilal Purohit.

The Guests of Honour include Hon’ble Chief Minister of Assam Sarbananda Sonowal,

Jitendra Singh and Hon’ble Minister of Education & Health, Government of Assam, Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Dr HK Kaul, Director, DELNET, New Delhi and Prof. Mihir Kanti Chaudhuri, Vice-Chancellor, Tezpur University will also be present on the occasion.

The National Convention is going to discuss a number of issues concerning the development of smart libraries and inspiring Librarians. The landscape of “Libraries” has undergone a major shift in the last three decades.

From the traditional libraries to computerized collections and mobile libraries; from local content access to the instant global access; from manual check-ins/checkouts to barcode/RFID, the libraries need to get transformed into the centers of unlimited collections, connections and collaborations.

The emphasis in this National Convention is how to introduce latest technologies among the libraries especially in the North East. We would like that the libraries in

with the amalgamation of state of the art technological tools and technologies, redefined library spaces, resource and services. It is essential to develop a workforce of “inspired Librarians” with proper skillsets and commitments to work as Knowledge Librarians and Embedded Librarians to work in the “Smart Libraries”.

The invited speakers from different parts of India and also from U.K will be participating.

This will certainly be a knowledge sharing & knowledge enriching experience for the delegates from the North East.

An exhibition showcasing various library/technology related products will also be organized during the convention for three days. NACLIN 2016 will help the participants to know about the current day tools & technologies prevalent in transforming the libraries as “Smart Libraries” and also to motivate and enhance the image of the LIS professionals and to inspire them to serve the users well.

PDS SK oil floods Digboi open market, supply department in deep slumber.

Contd. from Page 1

The vigilance committee is expected to check the misuse of SK Oil after it receives the copy of the Block wise or town wise distribution of the same and report the anomalies if found accordingly to the concerned department.

An overall study of several areas including the rural pockets revealed that the beneficiaries were allured by the agents with

their tall talks and baseless excuse that there was no supply of the SK Oil for the current month or for few months or government has stopped its allocation and sometimes lamenting that the full quantities of item could not be procured.

While, the records reveals agents barring a months or so they have collected the item even the clearing and carrying foreword their backlog from the wholesale stockiest fed by

Indian Oil Corp[oration Assam Oil Division in the multiples of 12KL basis as per the instruction of Government of India.

It may be mentioned here that the S.K. Oil under PDS is Blue - dyed in Colour.This is done in order to differentiate the PDS Kerosene from the Open Market Kerosene which is white in colour and much higher in prices and thus help in checking the sale of PDS Kerosene in the Open Market.

Top Assam cop alleges harassment by some senior colleagues Contd. from Page 1

Chandanathan said, "the recent developments have not only affected my professional work but also has the potential to impact my image as an honest police officer".

"I would like to reveal that during my tenure as ADGP Vigilance and Anti-Corruption with government support I was able to not only strengthen government initiatives in Assam on anti-corruption but also for the first time

in the state successfully carry out trap cases on corrupt government employees", he claimed.

The 1986 batch police officer claimed he had always stood for transparency in the police recruitment process and was instrumental in exposing largescale corruption involving senior police officers during recruitment rallies in 2014.

The act of foisting criminal cases is a strategy to slow down the enquiries/ investigations started dur-

ing my tenure, he alleged.

"I have already apprised the state government of these developments and I am sure I will be protected from such highly dangerous and illegal activities.

I am also very confident that I will get the support from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal who are both protagonists of SMART policing and zero tolerance against corruption", Chandranathan said.

ET Bureau Guwahati, Oct 25: Despite government claims of beefing up security measures in the city, a businessman was shot by unknown miscreants late Monday night.

The victim identified as Haidar Ali was shot near the Inter-state Bus Termi-

nus while he was returning to his home.

Subsequent to this, Ali was was shifted to the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital but was declared dead on arrival. Police have intensified the man-hunt to nab those behind the incident. (With inputs from agencies)

ET Bureau Silchar, Oct 25: The body of a railway employee was found at Salchapra near here on Monday morning.

Police suspect the man was murdered.

Sources said locals found the body of Rana Kumar Das (35) by the side of NH37 early on Monday and informed police.

A departmental identity

card and a PAN card was found on the deceased. This helped police to identify the man who was an employee of a medical unit at the Badarpur railway hospital.

Police found cut marks by a sharp weapon on Das's neck. The body has been sent to Silchar Medical Collage Hospital for autopsy.

No one has been arrested till now.

LOST AND FOUND I MISS ANAMIKA BORA DAUGHTER OF P.K BORA OF MULIABARI DIGBOI HAVE LOST MY ORIGINAL AISSCE MARK SHEET BEARING ROLL NO 3626198 OF 2016 BATCH FROM THE LITTLE STARS SCHOOL DIGBOI UNDER CBSE BOARD. FINDER MAY PLEASE CONTACT AT 9854437947.

Original tune of state song to be sung in historic Ban theatre of Tezpur ET Bureau Guwahati, Oct 25: The original tune of 'O Mor Apunar Desh', the state song of Assam penned by literary icon Lakshminath Bezbaroa, will be sung at the historic Ban Theatre in Tezpur on October 27.

"It is indeed going to be a historic moment for all of us as we are going to present the original tune of 'O Mor Apunar Desh' after decades.

After a lot of research, we have found the original tune of the state song of Assam that we feel have been influenced by a kind of tune from Germany. The song was sung for the first time during a huge students' convention of the Assam Chatra Sanmilan held in Tezpur town on October 27 and 28

in 1928. We are happy to present such a precious gift to the present generation," said Rajiv Hari Kaushik, chief researcher of the team which zeroed in on the original tune.

Cultural activists have geared up to sing the song in Guwahati, Dibrugarh and Ahotguri in Nagaon on October 27 to restore harmony and unite people of the state.

Bezbaroa, the doyen of modern Assamese literature, penned the present state song of Assam on May 23, 1910, during his train journey from Calcutta (Kolkata) to Coordinator of the event, Loknath Adhikari, on Monday said the prime thrust is to create awareness among students

and the younger generation about the original tune of the evergreen creation of Bezbaroa. He added that the historic Tezpur town of northern Assam will once again pay homage to its beloved orchestra of Ban Theater, which presented the tune of 'O Mor Apunar Desh' for the first time.

"Mobilizing 5000 people in 1928 was an uphill task.

One can recollect the magnitude of the student movement in Assam in the preIndependence era when 'O Mor Apunar Desh' was sung before such a massive gathering in Tezpur. The event is going to be a reminder of unity among students in Assam," said Adhikari.Jagannath temple in Puri.

Mahindra seeks Uttarakhand-like incentives to set up plant in Assam ET Bureau Guwahati, Oct 25: After establishing its manufacturing footprints across the northern, western and southern regions, Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) has now confirmed that it is evaluating yet another production facility in the eastern region in the near future.

The management decision on the same, however, will heavily rely on the tax incentives, land, availability of necessary infrastructure from the state government and many other crucial parameters.

Autocar Professional had, last week, broken the story that M&M is actively considering setting up a plant in the state of Assam, and had a delegation of top executives meet the state government officials in July earlier this year.

In an email clarification to Autocar Professional, M&M has now con-

firmed its intent of setting up a plant in the region given that it receives incentives from the Central government and the State government which are in line with what the Central government and Uttarakhand government had provided earlier.

“We had met the chief minister (of Assam) a couple of months ago and (had) expressed our intent to put up a plant subject to grant of incentive package by the Central government and State

government to meet our requirement in line with what the Central government and Uttarakhand government had provided, and the availability of land suitable to our manufacturing requirement,” the company said in its statement.

Interestingly, Uttarakhand’s industrial policy is known for encouraging investments by offering 100 percent relief in state excise duty for 10 years and 100 percent relief in income tax

for the first five years.

Thereafter, there is 30 percent relief to companies and 25 percent relief for others, exemption from entry tax on plant and machinery for setting up industry for undertaking substantial expansion and modernisation, 50 percent of the cost incurred in installing pollution control equipment to be reimbursed among other factors.

V K Pipersenia, chief secretary, government of Assam, had earlier con-

firmed to this publication that an M&M delegation comprising top executives had met with the state government in July this year. “They have expressed interest in setting up an automobile manufacturing base in the state, as well as to invest in expanding Mahindra Holidays into Assam,” Mr Pipersenia had told Autocar Professional recently.

Patanjali Yogpeeth and Dabur are, reportedly, the other companies which are set to invest in the state.

With its decision to invest in Assam, M&M could become the first automotive company to invest in the state, which would also provide an upper hand to the homegrown carmaker in terms of logistics and market penetration. Currently, M&M is understood to have a manufacturing footprint of five plants across five states. (With inputs from agencies)

Bird flu: Centre issues High court bans health alert to states sale of whitener in PTI New Delhi, Oct 25: With birds in some parts of the country testing positive for avian influenza, the Centre today issued a health advisory to states asking them to minimise bird-human interface to prevent an outbreak of bird flu.

Birds in Delhi, Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh) and Kerala have tested positive avian influenza AH5N8, which according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), is considered less risky of being transmitted to humans. But the government is taking no chances.

In an advisory to Chief Secretaries of all states and Union territories, Health Secretary C K Mishra listed out precautions to be taken to prevent an outbreak and offered central assistance if needed.

In view of the WHO report

describing AH5N8 as less risky of being transmitted, Animal Husbandry Secretary Devendra Chaudhary said there would be no impact on poultry trade.

"On the public health risk of avian influenza AH5N8, World Health Organisation has informed that 'based on the current knowledge the risk of zoonotic transmission is considered low for H5N8' for human population," Mishra said.

"However, as a matter of abundant caution, you are requested to instruct the concerned department in your state/ UT to minimise bird-human interface, use personal protective equipment by those handling dead or sick birds, keep person exposed to the dead/ sick birds under surveillance and provide them chemoprophylaxis (Oseltamivir 75 mg once

daily for 10 days)," he said in the advisory.

Briefing media about the situation, the Animal Husbandry Secretary said that 45 samples from Delhi were received by the National Institute of High Security Animal Disease (NIHSAD), Bhopal and out of that 13 have tested positive for AH5N8. Rest 32 samples tested negative but these samples are now being tested for some other virus.

"Advisories have been issued by our department as well as the Health Ministry to all states," he said, asserting that the situation is under control.

Chaudhary said the three states have been asked to follow the 'Action Plan of Animal Husbandry for Preparedness, Control and Containment of Avian Influenza', which was released by the Centre in 2015.

Uttarakhand

PTI Nainital, Oct 25: The Uttarakhand High Court today ordered a complete ban on the sale of whitener in the state following the death of a teenager from sniffing an excess of it for a kick in the district.

Taking suo motu cognisance of the death of the 14-year-old boy at Bhowali, about 10 km from here, yesterday due to sniffing excess whitener for a kick, the single bench of Justice Rajeev Sharma directed the state government to put a complete ban on its sale.

Besides, the high court also ordered that items such as Iodex and Feviquick should not be sold to children below 18 years of age in view of prevalent abuse of these among teenagers.

It must also be ensured that no minor gets entry into hookah clubs, Justice Sharma said.

Earlier this month, while rejecting the bail plea of an alleged drug peddler, Justice Sharma had directed the Principal Secretary of State to constitute a special task force to combat the nuisance of drug abuse.

DIBRUGARH, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26

P4

Executive meeting of BJP Awareness campaign on Motor Vehicle held at Changlang Act and Traffic Rules held at Aalo A Staff Reporter Aalo, Oct 25: The Maxicab Association West Siang Unit organized a daylong awareness campaign on Motor Vehicle Act and Traffic Rules at Hotel Aalo on October 23 last.

Chairing the Maxicab Association West Siang Unit, Kirdo Ete president of All Arunachal Transport ET Bureau Itanagar, Oct 25: Changlang District Executive Meeting & Mandal Executive Meeting of Bharatiya Janata Party was held at Changlang community auditorium in which Atum welly, District Incharge of BJP national council had graced the event.

Mayong, Miao State Secretary, District Office bearers, State council members, mandal office bearers, Senior Party leaders, morcha heads and Booth level Presidents of 53-Changlang North and South had also the meeting.

Among the dignitaries Ngilang Tangha, district

president, Tupkam Kitnya District general secretary, and two contesting candidates Hamjong Tangha and Chomjong Hadley were also present during the meeting.

The meeting was father made special when the following persons had joined the saffron brigade.

Federation, West Siang unit, urged members of the association to follow instructions of the government and ensure safe driving measures for passengers.

West Siang DTO Hummo Taipodia stressed on various provisions under the Motor Vehicle Act and advised all vehicle owners and drivers to ensure registration of vehicle, insur-

ance, high security name plates, fitness certificate, road permit, proper driving license, etc for commercial vehicles plying on all routes.

Aalo Police Station OC Minli Geyi dwelt at length on various section of laws and penalties and exhorted the drivers to be disciplined avoiding alcohol, violation of traffic rules,

cally for her till she reached the neighbour’s apartment and saw her lifeless body hanging by the ceiling fan, through a window.

She immediately called up the police and they broke in through the door to recover her body.

The police also informed that a few pages from her diary have been taken into possession, but there was no suicide note.

The body of the deceased is currently at the morgue in Rama Krishna Mission Hospital and will be sent for post mortem tomorrow to ascertain the actual cause of death.

A case of abetment of suicide has also been registered in Women Police Station, Itanagar under section 306 IPC.

This is the third reported suicide within a span of five days.

Earlier on October 20 last, another 17-year-old Epi Mikhu was found dead in her aunt’s rent house near Civil Secretariat in Itanagar.

The police informed that she had used a dupatta (stole/ scarf) to hang herself to the ceiling fan.

A student of Higher Secondary School, Itanagar, late Mikhu was a native of Silipu village in Tuting and was living with her aunt here.

Also, on October 23 last, Aning Gao, a 23-year-old first semester student of the Department of Sociology in Rajiv Gandhi University was found hanging by the ceiling fan inside her hostel room of Pare Hall at around 7 am.

Awareness cum training on Participatory Seed Production held ET Bureau Aalo, Oct 25: A one day programme on awareness cum training on Participatory Seed Production was conducted at Training Hostel Gori Research Farm under "ICAR NSP Seed Project".

Farmers from different villages located under West Siang District attended the programme.

The programme was enlightened by Letngam Tauthang, Scientist PBG (Nodal Officer) about the concept and principle of Participatory Seed Pro-

duction.

The programme was followed by power point presentation by Dr. Rita Nongthombam on Scientific Method of Seed Production of Pea and Rapeseed, also discussed with the farmers on various aspects of seed production and awareness for timely availability of seed.

Badapmain Makdoh, Scientist Agron delivered lecture on Resource Conservation technology - one of the most important issue of the present situation in West Siang

District. Methods and importance of raising nursery for Cole crops was highlighted in details through power point

by Hort. Scientist, Thejangulie Angami.

Kshitiz Kumar Shukla (SRF) demonstrated soil sampling and explained the importance of soil health for raising healthy seedlings of vegetable crops. The programme was concluded with vote of thanks by Dr. Rita Nongthombam and seed distribution to all the participants.

CM Pema Khandu holds review meeting with power department of Arunachal Contd. from Page 1

To the submission by the department that lack of manpower is adversely effecting its performance at the ground level, the Chief Minister asked the officials to submit its exact requirements for the government to take up. He assured that manpower requirements of the department will be positively taken care of in a phased manner.

“Power department directly deals with consumers and has to provide service 24X7, we are aware of its need to have sufficient manpower.

We will ensure strengthening the department as much as possible this year and will take care of rest of the requirements in the next financial year,” Khandu assured.

Calling upon the officers

to be sincere in their duty towards the people, the Chief Minister reiterated that departmental officers are the real caretakers, not the chief minister or commissioner.

“You all are permanent in the department and almost all of you are local officers. It is you who are going to serve the people till you retire whereas we politicians will come and go. So the onus is on you to decide the best possible ways to increase efficiency of the department besides earning revenue for the state exchequer,” he said.

Parliamentary Secretary Thangwang Wangham too advised the officers to seriously take their responsibilities as the power department is one of the most departments of the government.

“Electricity and water are the two main commodities on which life of every

citizen depends. There is a hue and cry if there is power-cut for more than two hours. Being officers of power department increases your responsibilities manifold,” he pointed.

Wangham further urged the officers, especially at the field level, to remain in their places of postings as citizens need them all the time. He also advised the senior officers to routinely take coordination meetings of their junior-level officers so that issues are sorted out or forwarded to higher authorities on time.

Earlier, the Power Commissioner gave a detailed power-point presentation on the power scenario of the state.

Schemes like DDUGJY and IPDS and proposal for computerization of billing system for consumers were also discussed during the meeting.

hind the awareness campaign and procedure to obtain licenses.

Representatives from insurance company, Pollution Control Board, Dhemaji District Drivers’ Association general secretary Sunil Gogoi and Mintu Singh assistant general secretary, were also present and spoke on the occasion. (DIPRO)

WSDSU to carry out spot verification cum Nyohai Wangjen Ramakrishna tour in all over Govt. Schools & Colleges Sarada Mission brings laurel to the state under West Siang District Contd. from Page 1

17-year-old school girl of Arunodaya hangs herself Staff Reporter Itanagar, Oct 25: In yet another case of suicide, one Kenbi Taba, a 17-year-old school girl of Arunodaya School, Itanagar was found hanging by the ceiling fan in Rose Mary building at Ganga, today at around 6.30 am.

A native of Sogum village in Likabali, late Kenbi was living with her aunt in a rented apartment, located opposite the office of the Superintendent of Police.

Reportedly, the deceased committed the act in her neighbour’s apartment in the same building. The neighbor had left his keys with the family as he would be out of town for a few days. When her aunt could not find Kenbi in their apartment, she searched franti-

smoking while driving, display of number plate, under age driving, bare foot driving, driving without license, headphone in ear etc.

He said that since the income is dependent of passengers, the drivers should always try to show good behavior.

MVI Gumnya Naso highlighted the objectives be-

ET Bureau Itanagar, Oct 25: In an emergency meeting of West Siang District Students' Union (WSDSU) under the chairmanship of Interim President Dope Ori, it was decided to carry out spot verification cum tour to all the Govt. Schools & Colleges under West Siang District in a phased wise manner, informed WSDSU in a press release.

The visit shall assess the overall problems faced by the school concerned

and both the teaching and the students' fraternity.

Interaction programmes and career counselling sessions has also been scheduled to be organised in all the Govt.

Higher Secondary Schools under WEST Siang District to be started within the end of the current academic session.

As part of the proposed visit, the team of WSDSU led by its AGS Lukre Likar visited various Govt. schools in and

around Likabali. The team found the schools in a state of utter neglect.

Further, the visiting team also interacted with the students and local students' union of the area.

The team has also urged the DDSE of West Siang District to immediately take up the maintenance of these schools within specific period of time so that students do not suffer. Other schools under the district shall be covered up constituency wise under a phased wise manner.

Bansal suicide: CBI to soon submit its report to NHRC PTI New Delhi, Oct 25: CBI will soon be submitting the report of its internal probe in the suicide case of former Corporate Affairs Director General B K Bansal and his family members to National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

The agency has also sought clarification from the Centre whether Delhi Commission for Women (DCW), a body constituted under state law, has authority to summon its officials.

DCW had last week asked the Assistant Inspector General (P) of CBI to present himself

today before the Commission in connection with the suicide of Bansal's wife and daughter in July this year.

CBI sources said while they had responded to the summons issued by the DCW, whether the panel can summon officials of a central government investigation agency needs to be clarified.

CBI is conducting an internal probe under a Joint Director who is not in a chain of command and its report will soon be submitted to NHRC, they said.

The agency is ready to respond to questions raised by statutory bodies but needs clarifica-

Puerile to think China will not claim Arunachal, says Salman Khurshid Contd. from Page 1

"There is a serious concern on how China approaches Arunachal. It's kind of puerile for us to continue saying Arunachal is an internal part of India and nobody can question it. It is true there is no question about it, but there have been differences with China on this, and it has always been our effort to contain these differences, and, I think, we have successfully done that. If today they are surfacing once again, I think the Government of India needs to take a practical, pragmatic and honest view and proceed to follow in the best way possible, Khurshid told ANI. On Friday, Ambassador Verma posted photos of his visit to Arunachal Pradesh on his Twitter account,

thanking Indian officials for their warm hospitality and calling the region a "magical place."

Following the Tweet, China reprimanded United States for sending its ambassador to Arunachal Pradesh and warned that meddling by a third country would further complicate the territorial dispute between India and China.

China claims more than 90,000 square kilometers of territory disputed by India in the eastern sector of the Himalayas. Much of that forms the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, which Chinacalls South Tibet.

India, on its part, has claimed that China occupies 38,000 square kilometers of its territory on the Aksai Chin plateau in the west, and is also suspicious of China's support for Pakistan.

tion on sending its officials on the summons issued by a body created under state government law, they added.

60-year-old Bansal was arrested on July 16 for allegedly accepting bribe from a prominent pharma company. Three days later, his wife Satyabala and daughter Neha committed suicide.

Barely two months after their deaths, Bansal allegedly hanged himself along with his son Yogesh at their residence on September 27 with a purported suicide note claiming "harassment"

by CBI in the alleged corruption case.

She received a certificate, citation, and a cheque for Rs.12,000 besides receiving a Golden Pass for lifetime visit to the Nehru Science Centre free of cost.

On the occasion, as a part of the cultural function, she also presented a slide show on the tradition & culture of Arunachal Pradesh in the traditional attire. It is needless to mention that the R.K. Sarada Mission at Khonsa has been performing brilliantly in the board examinations

conducted by the CBSE over the years.

Apart from that the students of the school have brought laurels to the school, the district and the state in Science Seminars and other cocurricular activities held at the National Level.

The Deputy Commissioner Ravi Jha, has congratulated the bright student Miss.

Nyohai Wangjen and her teachers on her stupendous success and hoped that other students from both government and private institutions would emulate her shining example.

HRD to decide soon on mandatory CBSE class X exam PTI New Delhi, Oct 25: The Union HRD ministry will soon take a call on whether the Class X board examination should be made compulsory for students of CBSE schools.

Speaking to reporters after the 64th CABE meeting today, HRD minister Prakash Javadekar today said that many state boards are already conducting Class X exams.

"Since the matter relates to Class X exams for CBSE which is under the HRD ministry, we will soon take a decision in this regard separately," Javadekar said when asked if any decision related to Class X board exams was taken today.

There were reports that a decision regarding the compulsory CBSE Class X board examinations,

which were scrapped in 2010 in order to reduce pressure on students, are likely to be reintroduced.

Javadekar, however, suggested that the Board exams, if they are introduced may be brought in only from the next session.

In the education sector, changes are generally made with regard to the upcoming session, he said.

Sources suggested that while there is a view in the ministry in favour of making the CBSE class X examination compulsory, a final decision may be taken in consultation with the CBSE. A press release issued by the HRD ministry after the CABE meeting also mentioned that a presentation on Compulsory Board examination in class X was also made.

SPORT

BEMFT- 2016: Kabu SC to play final with Combats FC Bene on Oct 27

A Staff Reporter Aalo, Oct 25: Kabu SC will take on Jummi Combats FC Bene in the final of the first Binga Ete Memorial Football Tournament, 2016, on October 27.

In the second semi-final at Aalo general ground today, Kabu SC beat MAE FC by 2-1 goals to enter the final.

In a thrilling encounter,

MAE FC’s failure to make early pressure pay was punished by Kabu SC, who took the lead through a Ginjom Loya goal.

However, the relentless attack by MAE FC finally paid off when Baken Ete scored the equalizer.

MAE FC went close to taking the lead in the second half but good defence and

exceptional goalkeeping by Kabu SC, kept the scoreline tied.

On the other side, Kabu SC took advantage of the wide gaps created by MAE FC as the match approached the climax.

Biri Pada could not believe his luck as he scored an own goal to hand over a decisive 2-1 win to Kabu SC.

DIBRUGARH, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26

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NORTHEAST

US envoy's wife enthralls with Rabindra Sangeet Manipur Guv condemns IANS Agartala, Oct 25: The wife of a senior American diplomat astonished and enthralled the audience here on Monday evening by singing Rabindra Sangeet in Bengali.

Mesmerising the packed Rabindra Satabarshiki Bhavan here, Meeryung Hall, the wife of US Consul-General in Kolkata, Craig Hall, rendered nine of Rabindranath Tagore's compositions, including the immortal creation "Aguner Poroshmoni" (Purify my life with the purging touch of fire).

Craig Hall, accompanied

by Tripura Chief Minister and Communist Party of India-Marxist politburo member Manik Sarkar, state Information and Cultural Affairs Minister Bhanulal Saha and other dignitaries were among the engrossed audience.

When Meeryung Hall finished her 40-minute rendition with Tagore's famous song "Purano shei

Rabindranath Tagore diner kotha" (Memories of the Good Old Days), the entire audience applauded enthusiastically.

"Music is a universal language. It can bond people of different countries irrespective of caste, creed and religion," Meeryung Hall's husband and US envoy Craig Hall told the audience ahead of the threehour long cultural evening.

Meeryung Hall said that Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore's everlasting creations are

personally meaningful to her and she is deeply inspired by the poet.

"One day I heard a consulate staff in Kolkata singing one of the Tagore songs. I loved it so much and decided to learn it.

'Alo amar alo' was the first song I learnt," Meeryung said.

An official of US Consulate-General in Kolkata said that Meeryung Hall, of South Korean origin, has been actively performing for more than 25 years in solo recitals,

Child rights panel must in WGH schools Agencies Shillong, Oct 25: West Garo Hills DC Pravin Bakshi has made it mandatory for all schools in the district to have child protection committees.

The need for such committees was felt after two students of Kendriya Vidyalaya Tura were allegedly raped by the acting principal and a teacher.

The decision was taken after consultation with the Chairperson of Meghalaya State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Meghalaya State Commission for Women, the District Child Protection Officer and her team, officials of Childline in Tura and other stakeholders.

“Every school – Private, aided and government – will have a child protection committee with not less than 50 per cent women members and a chairwoman. It will be preferable that the committee is a 10-member one with teacher representatives, parents, non-teaching staff, school counsellor if any and students themselves.

“The principal of the school may be the convener and chief patron in case of a male and chairperson if female,” Bakshi said.

The functions and roles of the committee will be to sensitise teachers, students and parents about child rights and the POCSO Act through regular awareness programmes and meetings. It will serve as a forum to discuss and decide on issues of harassment of children, corporal punishment, physical abuse, health and hygiene in school, sexual harassment in whatever form in the school and even outside.

The committee will take steps to have the services of a full-time counsellor (preferably a lady with proper training) in school for girl students, give equal voice to representatives of students and examine matters regarding students’ welfare, among others. It should also make students aware of the E-Button on the website of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, 1098

toll-free Childline number, 100 police number and information about the nearest women’s police station.

The committee will also coordinate with the district administration and the District Child Protection Unit for any awareness or sensitisation programmes on child rights and welfare, organise programmes and events to create awareness among children about ‘good touch’ and ‘bad touch’ and what constitutes sexual harassment.

The duty of the committee will be to immediately report to concerned authorities instances and complaints of sexual harassment, physical abuse and corporal punishment so that action is also initiated as per law.

The DC suggested that each school should have a trained psychological/ adolescent counsellor, however, if that is not possible, a sufficiently senior female teacher with requisite credentials to take the position.

‘Voters will judge party, govt in 2018’ Agencies Shillong, Oct 25: Former chief minister Salseng C Marak has left it to the people of Meghalaya to decide on the state of affairs in the party and the government when it will face the voters in the Assembly polls in 2018.

The statement assumes significance at a time when the AICC is silent on various grievances of the legislators raised in the past against the style of functioning of Chief Minister Mukul Sangma and the subsequent action against rebel Congress

leader PN Syiem by the party.

Marak remained discreet about the political development in the State which, according to him, is an open book. He only said that some party workers may not be happy with the development.

“But what to do, it is up to the people to judge on these issues in 2018,” a helpless Marak said.

When asked whether the question of CLP leadership is still an issue, Marak said the matter was discussed even at the

AICC level and now the issue is apparently shelved, but he asserted that all these will reflect in the next Assembly elections.

“People will give the verdict, let the people judge as there is no use of complaining now,” the former chief minister said.

Asked about the action taken against the KHADC CEM, the former chief minister said it is an open secret that Syiem is not in good terms with the chief minister and that the AICC is aware of it.

Govt mulls road expansion to end traffic woes Agencies Shillong, Oct 25: With traffic congestion in the city worsening by the day, the Public Works Department (Roads) is now exploring ways to widen roads.

Speaking to The Shillong Times here on Monday, PWD (Roads) Minister Martin M. Danggo said he would convene a meeting with officials on Wednesday to discuss the scope of road widening.

The number of vehicles on the city roads has more than doubled in the last few years though the roads have remained the same.

“Though time is short but we will try our best to find a solution to this matter,” the minister said.

In addition, the meeting, where representatives of National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) will also be present, will also discuss other road

projects and issues, besides representatives from National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) would also be a part of the meeting.

Negotiations are on with defence authorities to part with some portions of land in Upper Shillong for widening of the road as the project assumes significance due to the traffic flow on the route at a time when the Shillong-Nongstoin-Tura road is almost complete.

choirs, and with orchestras in the United States, Indonesia, Australia and South Korea and now in India.

"She earned a Master of Music (1992), vocal performance, Baylor University, Texas. Earlier she earned Bachelor of Arts (1990), Major, Vocal Performance, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Texas. In 1985 she earned Bachelor of Arts, Major, Music Education, DanKook University, Seoul, Korea," the official added.

According to the official, during the last one year of her stay in the West Bengal capital Meeryung Hall has staged a number of public performances in the cultural city including at the Raj Bhavan, American Centre and ICCR auditorium in Kolkata.

Kolkata-based musician and fashion designer Rajlakshmi has been teaching the nuances of Tagore songs to

Meeryung Hall.

State Minister Bhanulal Saha said that the state's artistes, both Bengali and tribals, have performed many programmes in many countries besides different parts of India.

"I was personally awe struck by the performance of a woman from different environment and with just one year's efforts," Saha said.

Meeryung Hall and other Tripura artists' gave different performances during the Monday evening event, that was jointly organised by the US Consulate General, Kolkata, and Tripura government's information and cultural affairs department as part of a 'Collaborative Musical Programme'.

Craig Hall during his twoday visit to the northeastern state also shared his observation on India-US relations with students of National Institute of Technology, Agartala, on Tuesday.

No glitch in border fencing survey in EKH Agencies Shillong, Oct 25: The survey for the IndoBangla border fencing at Pyrdiwah in East Khasi Hills district is nearing completion.

East Khasi Hills DC PS Dkhar told The Shillong Times that the survey “is going on smoothly and there is no obstruction from anyone”. The survey will be over by October-end after which the actual land assessment will take place followed by public notices for

claims and objections.

Apart from the staff of the DC office, officials of National Building Construction Corporation are also part of the survey team.

The survey started earlier this month after the East Khasi Hills district administration convened a meeting of land owners in the border areas and the Coordination Committee on International Border (CCIB), which had no objection to the preliminary survey.

Mobile Air Dispensary service proposed for Northeast

IANS Agartala, Oct 25: To meet the crisis of medical care in the hilly terrain of the northeast, DoNER Minister Jitendra Singh on Monday proposed Mobile Air Dispensary service for the region.

The service would envisage a mobile dispensary in a helicopter with a doctor, necessary equipment and medicines flying to far-flung areas in the hills, the minister told media persons here.

According to Singh, if the model becomes a success in the Northeast, then it would be replicated in other hilly states and remote areas having poor connectivity like Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh among others.

Singh's proposal came during his two-day visit (October 24-25) to

Manipur.

Observing that the idea has already been discussed with the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Singh said Minister of State Jayant Sinha has indicated the inclination to work out its feasibility.

"I held negotiations with the management of some of the leading helicopter companies in the country.

A discussion would be held soon with the Health Ministry officials in this regard, Singh said.

He also reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement to set up a Sports University in Manipur and sought an expeditious decision on allotment of land for setting it up.

"This will help in grooming the Northeastern youth in a professional manner," he said.

attack on CM

PTI Imphal, Oct 25: Manipur Governor Najma Heptulla on Tuesday condemned the deadly attack on Chief Minister Ibobi Singh at Ukhrul district and urged all concerned to encourage developmental activities rather than pursuing violence.

"It is very sad and I spoke to him (Ibobi Singh).

Manipur needs more development than violence," she told mediapersons on the sidelines of an event of Indian Medical Association in Imphal West district.

The Governor appealed to all young people that they should work together for education, creating job opportunities and better future.

The state BJP also condemned the attack on the

Manipur Governor Najma Heptulla Chief Minister.

Party spokesperson Biren said the attack on the Chief Minister implies the insecurity of all including the public and asked for an independent investigation to know the details of the incident.

Chief Minister Ibobi Singh escaped unhurt when suspected NSCN (IM) cadres opened gunfire as he was getting out of his helicopter at the Ukhrul helipad, yesterday. A jawan of the Manipur Rifles was injured in the firing.

Ex-UPA min downplays defection in Congress pothetical. It is a sensitive issue and the government will take a call if such things happen. A lot of speculations are made and since it has not happened, we should exercise caution to see that we don’t promote rumour mongering. If they (China) do so, they will have the answers.”

Former UPA minister Renuka Chowdhury Agencies Shillong, Oct 25: Former UPA minister Renuka Chowdhury said on Monday the Congress central leadership “is strong enough” to endure the onslaught of defectors and rebels.

Chowdhury’s comment comes at a time when the Congress in the State is reeling from defection to the BJP and a leadership crisis where several party members are questioning AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s efficiency.

Commenting on the ongoing crisis here, the Rajya Sabha MP from Andhra Pradesh said, “People want to change (party) after enjoying all the benefits and the easiest thing to do is to attack the leadership to justify their betrayal. If there

was a problem they should have approached the party.”

The Congress has seen many leaders leaving the party after the BJP came to power at the Centre. It all started with Chaudhary Birender Singh from Haryana and continued with Assam’s Himanta Biswa Sarma and recently Rita Bahuguna Joshi leaving the Congress for the saffron party in UP. On using technology to map China’s dam building on the Brahmaputra, Chowdhury, who is also the Chairperson of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment and Forests, said, “At this point the situation is hy-

The former Union minister also interacted with the staff at North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC). Refusing to divulge details of the discussions at the Committee level, she said, “We cannot discuss much information about what the committee is doing till we present the report to Parliament.”

When asked about the frequent floods in the North East, Chowdhury said, “Internationally people are working on it. But nature is mightier than man in many ways.”

With India being a predominantly agricultural country, Chowdhury said a lot of data is generated by institutes to focus more on agriculture and climate change impact on the wellbeing and flora and fauna of the country.

Stalker stabs city woman to death in Delhi Agencies Shillong, Oct 25: A woman from the city was stabbed to death by a stalker at MG Road Metro Station in New Delhi on Monday.

A Delhi police officer, who is investigating the case, said the incident happened between 9:30 and 10 am on Monday when one Jitender stabbed Pinki Devi, who was from Lumparing and worked in a beauty parlour at Rohini in New Delhi, multiple times on her face, neck, abdomen and hands.

The police officer said Jitender, an auto driver, was caught and beaten

up by the public before he was handed over to the police. Pinky’s destination from the metro station is yet to be ascertained, said the officer.

Pinky’s husband Man Singh said the accused had been stalking her for a long time. “He would often call her and even me and threaten to take her away from me,” said Man Singh, who works at a pantry in Gurgaon.

The accused had a scuffle with Man Singh two months ago but the matter was not reported to the police. They lived in Sirhaul village in

Delhi.

Minutes before the attack, Pinky had called her husband and told him that the accused was following her. Following Monday’s attack, she was taken to Civil Hospital where she was declared brought dead.

Police also said a case has been registered against the accused under Section 302 and the arms Act. Pinky had divorced her first husband and married Man Singh three years ago. She has a son from her first marriage.

CBI submits MPSC scam report to HC Agencies Shillong, Oct 25: The CBI submitted the final report of the inquiry into the MPSC recruitment scam to the High Court of Meghalaya on Monday.

During the hearing of the case on Monday the division bench of the High Court said the se-

nior counsel for the CBI, V.K Jindal, produced before the court two sealed envelopes said to be containing the final inquiry report by the CBI. During the submissions, the court noticed that the other envelopes containing the documents, sheets, material supplied

to the CBI were not produced to which Jindal sought some time and thereafter produced three more envelopes said to contain the entire material that was supplied to the CBI from the registry of the court.

The hearing remained inconclusive and hence the matter was listed for further hearing on Tues-

day.

One of the job aspirants, identified as Millon Ch Momin, had filed a writ petition questioning the legality and validity of the result of interviews conducted by MPSC between December 15 and 17, 2014, for the post of junior MPS officers in the Home (Police) department.

The petitioner had questioned the fairness of the process adopted by MPSC and alleged that he was not on the select list despite securing higher marks than four Garo candidates. Subsequently, on June 16 this year, the single bench of the High Court had ordered a CBI inquiry into the matter.

EDITORIAL

DIBRUGARH, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26

The aliens in the U.S.

Today's quote of times you have to pretend “toLots join a parade in which you're not really interested in order to get where you're going.

Christopher Darlington Morley

The perils of plastic The data breach at 19 Indian banks that has led to more than 32 lakh debit cards being blocked or recalled is a wake-up call for the banking industry.

While the actual number of complaints received so far, 641, and the sum of money that appears to have been fraudulently withdrawn, Rs.1.3 crore, are both small relative to the scale of the potential data theft, it is disconcerting that it has taken almost six months for the system to officially acknowledge the incidents and initiate steps to address them. It is all the more galling since the Reserve Bank of India and its top officials have been urging bankers for quite some time to accord urgent priority to cyber security. A private bank appears to have been a point of entry for the data criminals who, according to reports, may have infiltrated using malware at ATMs operated by a thirdparty payment services vendor. The National Payments Corporation of India has been coordinating investigations into the incident, and a forensic audit is expected to reveal preliminary findings soon. For the government and the banking regulator, much is at stake as the two have sought to move in concert to harness the digital revolution to advance socio-economic policy objectives. These include increasing financial inclusion, better targeting of subsidies through the direct benefit payments model, improving economic efficiency by lowering transaction costs, and moving toward a cashless economy so as to reduce the circulation of black money and curb tax evasion.

In this context, former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan's comment at a recent banking technology conference is instructive: "Payment systems are the plumbing of the financial system; so long as there is no leakage or clogging, we are unaware of their functioning. But when they do back up, the situation becomes catastrophic quickly." With banks in India having embraced technological change, the onus is on them to integrate inter-generational legacy systems across branches, ATMs and online banking networks into one seamless and secure whole. The Carbanak cyber gang's coordinated and widespread attack, which is estimated to have cost about 100 financial institutions worldwide $1 billion, revealed that today's criminals are using more and more sophisticated tools to access computer systems at banks. As these may gestate for several months before manifesting themselves, banks can ill-afford to be complacent and approach incidents such as the latest debit card data breach with band-aid solutions. Top managements at lenders should reappraise their cyber culture, heed warnings and alerts promptly, and address shortcomings.

Bird flu and what we must do

Several subtypes and strains of avian influenza

viruses are now found around the world, some of them capable of causing death among humans and others inflicting serious losses on poultry farmers. The latest bird flu scare in New Delhi and elsewhere has been triggered by the death of some free living birds in the city's A.N. Jha Deer Park, and 15 painted storks in the Gwalior zoo. Worrying as it is, early detection and identification of the virus subtypes helps in launching containment measures. As a major agricultural nation with a large poultry industry, India has implemented an action plan formulated by the Centre's Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries to deal with avian influenza. It incorporates a clear protocol for preventive checks and testing, for reporting an outbreak, removing farmed birds from an affected area and compensating farmers. The outbreaks in Kerala and Karnataka over the past two years have tested the efficacy of the intervention strategy. It came as a relief when on September 5 India declared itself free of the H5N1 virus, identified by the World Health Organisation as the animal influenza virus of greatest concern for human health. Considering that the virus is endemic in parts of Asia and mutates quickly, the need for vigilant monitoring against its reintroduction and spread cannot be overstated.

The Delhi government's finding that the virus associated with the bird deaths in the capital is the H5N8 type hints at the possible role of migratory water fowl, which are known to carry this virus to wintering grounds. Zoos across the country are at risk, since they often have water bodies within or nearby, attracting winter visitors. A more recent cause for concern has been the virus strain H7N9 that caused serious illness in people mostly in China, but not in birds.

On the positive side, the national plan to combat avian influenza relies on a broad-based periodic testing system for farmed birds and wet markets, and upgrading of apex scientific institutions such as the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases, Bhopal. The efficacy of the measures naturally depends on the alacrity with which the animal husbandry apparatus at the State level collects samples and sounds the alarm when a disease outbreak is imminent. There is a case to tighten the functioning of this machinery, given the impact on people and agriculture, and for a national-level report to be published each year. Border regions that trade in live poultry have a particularly important responsibility to look out for sick birds. Public health messaging, with advice on poultry consumption during a suspected outbreak, is essential to quell any rumors.

P6

Donald Trump posed two questions to Americans during the campaign - who are we and who are our enemies?

Irrespective of which candidate wins, these questions will outlast the presidential election Varghese K. George In August 2015, The New York Times wrote an editorial calling for retiring the word "alien" from America's statutes. In 1798, the country framed the Alien and Sedition Acts, and the word 'alien' has remained part of American immigration debates for centuries. "Non-permanent resident aliens", "alien entrepreneurs"… there are several categories to term non-citizens in the U.S. A particularly curious group, "aliens of extraordinary ability", comprise not the kind that we see in the numerous wars between the American forces and invaders from the outer space in Hollywood films, but people like actor Priyanka Chopra.

It is a different matter that travel magazine Condé Nast put Ms. Chopra on its cover recently, with the words 'refugee', 'immigrant', and 'outsider' crossed out in red and labelling her 'traveller', perhaps trying to convey the fluid nature of national identity people like her could afford and are accustomed to these days, while millions are condemned to the lowly life of being immigrants and refugees. Though the mainstream media platforms such as the NYT have stopped or reduced the use of the term 'aliens', it is being liberally used this election season, particularly

by Republican politicians.

Us and them In July 2016, on the sidelines of the Republican National Convention that formalised the nomination of Donald Trump as the party's candidate, one of his advisers explained the significance of this election for America to some of us foreign journalists.

Joseph Schmitz was speaking on Mr. Trump's foreign policy but it also involved the question of American identity. He drew from Sun Tzu's The Art of War what he called the "Sun Tzu maxim": in order to win wars, you have to know yourself and know your enemy.

"Which is one of the reasons why Donald Trump has been

focussing not only on those principles that define who we as Americans are, but also on who our enemies are," he added.

Mr. Schmitz named democracy, individual liberty, and the rule of law as the basis of America's alliance with European partners after the Second World War. "President (Ronald) Reagan restated, and kind of updated, those three foundational principles in a famous speech he gave in June 1982 in the British House of Commons. He referred to individual liberty, representative government and the rule of lawunder God (emphasis added). You'll probably also see some more details on who we see our enemies as," he said, about how Mr. Trump's campaign would unveil.

A country of immigrants American identity is a problematic notion. George H.W. Bush, who followed Reagan, opened the American borders to more immigration, even as the digital economy was taking shape then. Through the three decades of neo-liberal globalisation, a broad consensus emerged among the political and economic elite of the U.S. that immigration is fundamental to the greatness of America. "Immigrants aren't somehow changing the American character; immigrants are the American character," President Barack Obama said recently.

The argument that immigrants are the American character is a romantic notion and it made also made economic sense, as the economy expanded in a regulated manner, absorbing cheaper and brighter talent from other countries over decades. What held them together was the promise of the "American dream", the promise of prosperity. Those who spoke different languages, looked different and even carried their cultural baggage to their new land were united in their pursuit of wealth that only America could provide.

The notion of a closet alien community threatening the nation continued through many decades, though it kept changing according to the cir-

cumstances. Italians, Japanese and suspected or actual communists were targeted at various periods. But overall, the argument that immigrants contributed to the prosperity and the forward march of the U.S. gained strength in the initial decades of globalisation.

Globalisation, interrupted The promise of globalisation was interrupted by two events at the turn of the century - the meltdown on Wall Street and the 9/11 terror attacks. Just as America was barely recovering from them, in 2008, two disruptive forces struck again - a second economic crisis, and the election of the first African-American President.

"An African-American whose first name was one consonant removed from the world's most infamous terrorist becoming President," as Samantha Power, U.S. Ambassador to the UN, put it, marked a new era in U.S democracy and diversity. Mr. Obama's election also created a massive white backlash. The number of white supremacist 'Patriot' groups in the U.S. jumped soon after he became the President - from 149 in 2008 to 512 in 2009, 824 in 2010, 1,274 in 2011 and 1,360 in 2012. It dipped a bit after his second election but last year, the number shot up again to 998.

Mr. Obama has himself pointed out that the Republi-

can obstructionism that has brought his administration to a standstill in his second term is driven also by a racial element. During the 2008 primary contest, Hillary Clinton staffers circulated pictures of Mr. Obama in African garbs.

Forty-three per cent of Republican voters and 15 per cent of Democratic voters believe he is a Muslim. The White House website does not use his middle name Hussein at all. Mr. Obama symbolised change and promised change.

How much of the change that he promised has been realised remains an open question, but it is clear that America's global supremacy declined under his watch. And an average American is more stressed, financially and socially today than she was in 2008. It is a crisis in the economic model, but it is Mr. Obama who gets the blame. That is the rationale behind Mr. Trump's 'Make America Great Again' slogan.

The rush for self-discovery As the promise of prosperity is diminishing due to the capitalist crisis and more and more people feel themselves as aliens in an increasingly diverse country, Americans have been furiously searching for an answer to the question, "who am I?" Genealogy or tracking one's ancestry has become the second most popular hobby after gardening; and ancestry websites are second only to porn sites in terms of

popularity.

"Discover what makes you uniquely you," is the sales pitch of the website that leads this market, estimated to be over $1 billion two years ago.

In one showcased instance, the site says: "Lezlie had always encountered curiosity about her ethnicity from people she'd meet…now she has discovered that she is 22 percent Congo-Cameroon, 24 percent Ghana/Ivory Coast, 35 percent Great Britain."

But the 'discovery' is an openended one - as more people sign up, and the technology gets superior, the search goes on endlessly, roping in more and more people. Evidently, what drives this craze is not the search of the individual uniqueness but the longing for a community. These platforms also market themselves by advertising startling discoveries - such as Mr. Obama, Hollywood actor Brad Pitt and former Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin sharing some ancestry.

Those who know their Edward Said know that the best way to define yourself is to define your enemy. Mr. Trump framed these questions through his campaign - 'who are we?' and 'who is our enemy?' He has offered his answers and has also forced Ms. Clinton to respond. They offer conflicting visions.

Contending visions of America In Ms. Clinton's account, there isn't a singular enemy figure.

Mr. Trump challenged her to name "Islamic terrorism" as the enemy in their second televised presidential debate. Ms. Clinton, who prefers the word "jihadi terrorism", did not take the bait, and responded, "My vision of America is an America where everyone has a place, if you're willing to work hard, you do your part, you contribute to the community. That's what America is."

Her notion of America was illustrated in a parade of military veterans of diverse ethnic backgrounds at the Democratic National Convention that included Muslims and a turban-wearing Sikh. In this version, the ultimate "contri-

bution to the community" is the willingness to fight its wars and that makes one eligible to partake of its prosperity.

Urging African-Americans and Hispanics to join behind him, Mr. Trump said at a rally last week: "I am going to bring all Americans together. We are going to love each other. We are not going to be divided for much longer… Imagine what we can achieve if we start working as one people, under one God, saluting the American flag." It's a sign-off he's used regularly on the campaign trail.

Here is the crucial innovation that Mr. Trump has made to the racial politics of America.

Those who denounce him are straining themselves looking for white supremacist and anti-Semitic undertones in this campaign. White supremacists and some extremeright Christian groups were traditionally driven by antiSemitic beliefs and many commentators have sought to put Mr. Trump in that basket.

The Republican candidate's attack on big banks was instantly interpreted as a coded anti-Semitic message. It is safe to assume that all xenophobes, racists, misogynists and homophobes are with him but it will be erroneous to assume that only they are with him. A nation "under one god" that has an enemy in "Islamic terrorism" conveys a totally different and unprecedented meaning to a lot of Americans.

"November 8 will be the independence day," he said in the same speech. Lacking in moral authority and hit by sex scandals, Mr. Trump may not succeed in delivering the nation from aliens like it happened in the Hollywood blockbuster Independence Day. He being a white man is also a limiting factor - an AfricanAmerican or a Hispanic version of Mr. Trump in the future would be lethal.

America's search for answers to these questions will outlast this election and the winner will have to help resolve them

How Asia Stands To Suffer If Trump Is Victorious This November The American presidential debates have thus far accounted for four and a half hours of insults, interruptions, personal attacks, and frustrated viewers. Yet, amid this overflow of negativity, there was some room to discuss important foreign policy issues and policies.

With the focus on China, Russia, and the Korean peninsula, there is a lot at stake for Asian countries in this presidential election. With the U.S. 'pivot to Asia', the centrality of the continent in both economic and security matters cannot be ignored.

Perhaps, it is worth isolating these instances of foreign policy discussions from the broader debate to analyse what they insinuate and how they would impact the various Asian actors. So, then the question is: who would serve Asia's interests: Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump?

The North Korean Challenge Let's start with the most daunting threat - the nuclear arsenal of North Korea. The U.S. has over 25,000 troops installed in South Korea to oppose their northern neighbour. Yet, the nuclear menace persists, marked by repeated missile tests and threats from the leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Un. Passing the buck to China, GOP candidate Donald

Trump said in the first de- doxical as it is to nuclearise bate, "You look at North surrounding countries to Korea, we're doing nothing denuclearise North Korea, there. China should solve it's Trump's take on foreign that problem for us." Subtly policy. suggesting that China should Trump's take may definitely invade, Trump said, "China be an invitation to two more should go into North Korea." countries to join the global While his opponent, Demo- nuclear group; however, it cratic candidate Hillary underestimates the deplorClinton made no comments able outcome that could arise specific to North Korea in ei- from use of nuclear weapons. ther of the debates, her run- So, while South Korea and ning mate Tim Kaine Japan may be enticed by this passingly suggested that she idea, for the larger good of Asia, Hillary understands that it is important to Sehr Taneja proposes a more rational, diplowork alongside matic solution.

China to mitigate the threat from a power The Trans-Pacific Partnership like North Korea.

However, following North On the topic of trade, the Korea's latest missile test, trans-pacific partnership is Clinton announced to the especially important given its press on September 9 that it impact on the 12 countries was imperative to rethink the involved. It aims to build nuclear strategy of the U.S. closer economic ties between in relation to North Korea. members of the trade and afShe suggested that the U.S. fects about 18,000 tariffs. increase sanctions and push In the second presidential deChina to understand that this bate, Trump took a toss at is a matter of grave concern. former president Bill Clinton Interestingly, despite stating - over his decision to sign the that China should take North American Free Trade charge of the denucleariza- Agreement (NAFTA) - and tion of North Korea, Trump then followed by saying, has previously suggested that "And now she (Hillary U.S. troops should not be re- Clinton) wants to sign TPP, sponsible in South Korea; even though she said now instead, he thought it a good she's for it. She called it the idea to allow neighboring gold standard." nations of South Korea and While Clinton did not diJapan to build their own rectly address the TPP durnuclear weapons. As para- ing the debate, she stated that

A Priest and Nun in Winter A priest and a nun were lost in a snowstorm. After a while, they came upon a small cabin. Being exhausted, they prepared to go to sleep. There was a stack of blankets in the corner and a sleeping bag on the floor but only one bed. Being a gentleman, the priest said, "Sister, you sleep on the bed. I'll sleep on the floor in the sleeping bag."

Just as he got zipped up in the bag and was beginning to fall asleep, the nun said, "Father, I'm cold."

He unzipped the sleeping bag, got up, got a blanket and put it on her.

Once again, he got into the sleeping bag, zipped it up and started to drift off to sleep when the nun once again said, "Father, I'm still very cold." He unzipped the bag, got up again, put another blanket on her and got into his sleeping bag once again.

Just as his eyes closed, she said, "Father, I'm sooooo cold." This time, he remained there and said, "Sister, I have an idea. We're out here in the wilderness where no one will ever know what happened. Let's pretend we're married." The nun purred, "That's fine by me."

To which the priest yelled back, "Get up and get your own stupid blanket!"

she holds all trade deals to her test: "Will they create jobs in America? Will they raise incomes in America?

And are they good for our national security?" However, at the CNN Democratic debate in October 2015, Clinton clarified that while she had hoped the TPP would be of the 'gold standard', once written up, it did not meet her requirements.

She highlighted that she now believes that the deal would need to be strengthened in favor of the U.S. or otherwise abandoned.

As an extension to this, a matter of utmost importance was China's role in the partnership. Trump articulated that he believes that although China is not part of the deal now, it will find a way in.

Both candidates expressed concern over China's dumping strategy that has impacted jobs and currency value in the U.S., having a negative impact on the U.S. economy.

It then appears that Trumps complete opposition to the TPP is met with Hillary's attempts to strategically modify the deal. While both would harm Asian interests, given the reduction of tariffs on a series of products the deal provides for, Trump by completing clamping down, is sure to be in the less favored view of Asian countries.

On The Matter Of Russia

With their involvement in the Clinton email controversy and Putin's announcement of Trump as the "absolute leader in the presidential race," Russia has a morethan-normal investment in the 2016 presidential elections. The question to consider is Russia's support for Syrian leader Bashar alAssad.

Trump took a defensive stance for Russia, highlighting that Russia and Iran are together fighting ISIS. He further pointed out that Russia's nuclear capabilities are far more developed than those of the Unites States.

With Trump's recent call to Russia to look up and publicly share Clinton's emails, the topic of Russia is a particularly controversial one.

On the other hand, Clinton emphasised Russia's airstrikes that are taking down the city of Aleppo. She stressed the need to get leverage over Russia to bring them to the negotiations table and to find a diplomatic way to effectively take down ISIS. Russia has long been on the opposite side of U.S. and Trump's proclivity toward Russia is rather new in the political rhetoric of the country. However, it is important to note Russia's importance in the global arena with its position as a large and powerful nuclear nation.

For Russia, it appears that Trump would be the winning candidate. However, whether or not the rest of Asia stands with Russia on this is questionable.

So, Who Has Impressed Asia?

There are still other matters that are crucial in this dialogue including China's assertion of power South China Sea and the controversial role of Pakistan as a hub for terrorism. While the question of Pakistan and other South Asian affairs did not come up in the debates, their importance cannot be denied.

A Normura poll has shown that 32 percent of voters believe that Asia will be most affected by a Trump presidency. From this analysis, it appears that with Trump proposing nuclear armament of South Korea and Japan, demanding higher compensation for military support in South Korea and suggesting an abrupt end to the TPP, .

However, with Clinton's more balanced, negotiationcentred strategy for North Korea, the TPP and Russia, most Asian countries would benefit. Nonetheless, Russia is an opposing case of its own. Now, come November, only the people of America can decide whether the results will swing in favor of Russian desires or larger Asian interests.

Plural India After the religion-based Census 2011 data showed that Muslims are the fastest growing minority in India, most English-language editorials were panicky, fearing that there could be mischief-makers misinterpreting the data (‘Hindus dip below 80% of population; Muslim share up, slows down’, August 26). They need not fear. The census data underscores the fact that the only community to grow at more than the usual rate was the Muslim community. The UPA had set up the Sachar Committee to study the socio-economic status of Muslims, which had confirmed the widely perceived impression that the community was relatively poor and neglected. Now, public data reflects that fact. The positive interpretation is that Muslims are flourishing in India, and at 17.2 crore, the community is bigger than in other countries, except in Pakistan and Indonesia. The census data is an eloquent testimony to the multi-religious society India is.

Khirod Baruah Boiragimoth, Dibrugarh

DIBRUGARH, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26

Sensex off to subdued start, Tata group stocks a drag Mumbai, Oct 25: Market benchmark Sensex fell over 91 points today as Tata group stocks pulled down the index after Cyrus Mistry was replaced as its chairman yesterday, amid mixed Asian cues.

Investors were also cautious ahead of October's expiry in the derivatives segment on Thursday.

The 30-share index declined 91.22 points, or 0.32 per cent, to 28,087.86.

Metal, oil and gas, realty, PSU and power stocks ran up most losses.

The NSE Nifty broke the 8,700-mark by falling 22.45 points, or 0.26 per cent, at 8,686.50.

Brokers said sentiment was downbeat after Mistry was removed as chairman of India's largest conglomerate Tata Group and replaced by his predecessor Ratan Tata in the interim, a develop-

Pic for representation purpose. ment that can trigger a confrontation between the single-largest shareholder and the company's founding family.

Major Tata group stocks such as Tata Steel, Tata Communications, Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Tata Power, Tata Chemicals and TCS all bore the brunt and fell by up to 3 per cent.

In the rest of Asia, Hong Kong's Hang Seng was down 0.20 per cent and Shanghai Composite fell 0.06 per cent in early trade.

Japan's Nikkei was trading in the positive zone, rising 0.62 per cent.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average had ended 0.43 per cent higher yesterday.

(PTI)

After Note 7 fiasco, Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge explodes in US According to the PhoneArena website, the person went to a popular US wireless carrier's store with a damaged Samsung Galaxy S7 edge -- the highest-selling device from the South Korean tech giant.

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge owner New York, Oct 25: After the Note 7 fiasco, a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge owner in the US has claimed that the device which he received as a replacement for the Note 7 exploded while charging.

According to the PhoneArena website, the person went to a popular US wireless carrier's store with a damaged Samsung Galaxy S7 edge -- the highest-selling device from the South Korean tech giant.

The customer claimed he received the unit two weeks ago after turning in his replacement Note 7smartphone (version 2 with the "safe" battery).

"According to the owner, it was charging overnight using the OEM (original equipment manufacturer)

charger," the report added.

Last month, a construction worker in Ohio suedSamsung after his Galaxy S7 edge exploded.

"The victim suffered second and third degree burns and had to go through painful skin grafts," PhoneArena reported.

Three US customers from different states -- Nevada, Pennsylvania and California - have already complained about the fire-prone Note 7 devices and may go for a class-action lawsuit against Samsung.

The suit filed in the US District Court in Newark, New Jersey, accuses Samsung Electronics America of fraud and breach of warranty and good faith, NBC News reported.

In a setback to Samsung

Electronics on Monday, 527 owners of Galaxy Note 7 smartphonein South Korea filed a class-action lawsuit against the company for inconvenience experienced after the discontinuation of the device.

According to the Harvest Law Office here, the plaintiffs filed the case with the Seoul Central District Court, seeking 500,000 won (US$440) in compensation each, news agency reported.

Ko Young-yeel, the attorney representing the plaintiffs, said the rights of the consumers were infringed upon as Samsung halted production of the device and asked them to get replacements for other models.

"The consumers were also deprived of their rights to get after-sales service," he said during a press conference held in front of the court. "(Samsung) should compensate for the mental distress caused by such a situation," Young-yeel added.

Earlier this month, Samsung permanently halted sales and production of the fireprone Note 7, about two months after the device's launch.

The South Korean firm estimated that it will lose $3 billion in operating profits over the next six months due to the withdrawal of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone.

(Agencies)

BUSSINESS P7 Brexit fallout would have added to Cyrus Mistry's woes at Tata New Delhi, Oct 25: After the British voted to exit the European Union (EU) on June 23 this year, various companies have been busy formulating strategies to counter the ill effects on their businesses. One of the hardest hit in the process would have been the Tatas, especially two of itscompanies in the UK Jaguar Land Rover Automotive Plc (JLR) and Tata Steel UK Holdings Ltd. Mistry, an Irish national of Indian origin, was appointed as a director in JLR soon after being appointed chairman of the Tata group in December 2012.

JLRwhich manufactures two iconic cars - Jaguar and Land Rover - hasn't performed badly under Mistry.

In 2016, the group's profits were £1.3 billion, which were almost £700 million short as compared to the year before. In 2014, as Mistry completed a year at JLR, the auto maker earned £1.8 billion in profits. Its sales have gradually increased by almost £1.5 billion under Mistry. He also oversaw JLR's expansion in

China after a deal was inked with the Chinese stateowned car maker Chery just months before his appointment at the helm of the Tata group.

But with Brexit, JLR under Mistry was faced with a tough situation. Europe accounts for a quarter of the sales of JLR. With Britain exiting the EU, the exports of JLR cars to Europe would attract a levy of 14 per cent. Import of components to make those cars in Britain would attract a duty of four per cent. These would have made JLR cars more expensive and negatively impacted their demand outside Britain.

The reasons are not far to see. JLR has built an impressive sales and distribution network in nine other European nations apart from Britain from which it derives most of its sales. These include networks in the recovering Iberian economies of Spain and Portugal (JLR Espania SL and JLR Portugal Veiculos e Pecas, respectively). In addition, JLR has robust networks

3,930 crore", a report from Motilal Oswal said.

Nomura, however, is expecting the cigarette business to exceed the suggestions put up by other brokerage reports and expects ITC to post an eight per cent revenue growth for the cigarettes business, with volume growth of four per cent on a low base.

"We do not expect the FMCG business to be EBITpositive this quarter given the aggressive pricing", a report from Nomura said.

In the past four years, the incidence of excise duty and value added tax on cigarettes, at a per unit level, has gone up cumulatively by 118 per cent and 142 per cent, respectively, which in turn, exerted severe pressure on the sector.

Kotak Securities, which is also expecting the cigarette business to stall a bit said thattobacco sales will affect revenue growth. It expects the company to post a rise of five per cent on a yearon-year basis in its total revenue for Q2.

In Q1, ITC's FMCG segment grew by 9.5 per cent amidst weak demand and deflationary price, particularly in the personal care business, while its loss be-

fore interest and tax declined to Rs 4.5 crore against Rs 8 crore in the year ago period.

According to Edelwiess Securities, in FMCG, soaps could see muted numbers given rebalancing by consumer due to price hikes.

Subdued demand in hotels and papers is expected to continue.

"Margins are likely to decline on the back of higher employee expenses and higher salience of agri-business. We estimate per cent growth in profit for the company", a report from Kotak Securities stated.

According to an analyst with SBI Cap, ITC's cigarette division is expected to report an EBITgrowth of eight per cent with sales growth of seven per cent, led by four per cent increase in cigarette volumes and three per cent growth in net pricing. Better performance of the FMCGdivision and ari-business is likely to drive 10 per cent earnings growth.

In Q1, the share of income from the agri business to ITC's total revenue rose by two per cent at Rs 2,794 crore, against Rs 2,325 crore in the first quarter of the last financial year.

(Agencies)

in Russia, Holland, Germany, France, Austria, Italy and Belgium. Spending habits in most of Europe hasn't shown any significant jump. With an increase in export and import duties postBrexit and without a strategy to negate its adverse effects, the future of JLR could be at stake.

After all, the acquisition of JLR by Ratan Tata in 2008 was hailed as an achievement for not just the group but for the country. It is not known whether Mistry's

plan to counter the impact of Brexit on JLR's future cut any ice with Rata Tata.

While the automotive business is at stake, Tata's steel business will also be impacted hard. With the global steel industry in bad shape, there was an urgent need to devise strategies to further counter the impact of Brexit. European nations contribute 52 per cent of Tata Steel's revenue. Tata Steel UK Holdings' exports to EU nations have enjoyed duty free status prior to Brexit. That

Rupee surrenders 8 Why was Cyrus Mistry sacked? paise against dollar Top possible reasons for his exit

Pic for representation purpose.

Mumbai, Oct 25: The rupee today lost 8 paise to 66.93 against the US dollar at the forex market in the wake of increased demand for the American unit amid foreign capital outflows.

Besides the demand from importers and banks, a stronger dollar against currencies overseas because of increased prospects a US interest rate hike and a

lower opening in the domestic equity market weighed on the domestic currency, dealers said.

The rupee had closed higher by 4 paise to 66.85 yesterday on the back of fresh selling of the US dollarby exporters.

Meanwhile, the benchmark BSE Sensex fell 56.71 points, or 0.20 per cent, to 28,122.37 in early trade today. (PTI)

Hybrid variant of Honda Accord launched at Rs 37 lakh

Modest cigarette growth to drag topline Kolkata, Oct 25: Amidst weak demand in the fast moving consumer goods space (FMCG) and the ongoing stress in thecigarettes industry, cigarettes-toFMCG major ITC is expected to see its topline grow modestly. Analysts are expecting its tobacco business to grow 2-3 per cent in Q2.

"On a base of 16 per cent year-on-year decline, we expect volume growth of three per cent year-on-year in Q2FY17 in cigarettes", an analyst at Edelweiss Securities said. The first quarter of the current financial year, according to the analyst saw a three per cent volume growth on a base of 17 per cent decline in volumes.

In Q1, the revenue share from the cigarette business declined by one per cent in the quarter to touch Rs 8,231 crore, up 6.4 per cent year-on-year, against Rs 7,733 crore in the corresponding quarter of the past financial year.

Motilal Oswal is expecting a lower volume growth in the tobacco business.

"We expect cigarette EBIT to grow 8.9 per cent yearon-year. We have factored in EBITDA growth of 10.4 per cet year-on-year to Rs.

Cyrus Mistry whom Tata Sons on Monday removed as its Chairman, nearly 4 years after he took over the reins of the group.

won't be the case anymore.

What also seems to have surprised the Tata Group's board was some of the decisions taken by Mistry in the face of adversity. Tata Steel has seen a rapid growth in its losses and debt under Mistry owing to global factors not entirely under his control.

Mistry tried to offset losses by going on a selling spree of Tata's global steel assets. In May 2015, Tata Steel's Dutch subsidiary sold its entire stake in Danieli Corus Technical Services. In 2014, it had sold its New Zealand subsidiary, Tata Steel International (Australasia) Ltd. Mistry had also initiated negotiations to sell off Tata Steel's manufacturing and distribution assets in France and Germany as well.

With the panic sale strategy not bearing any fruit, Mistry's options seemed to have run out. And with the actual repercussions of Brexit yet to hit Tata Steel, the prospects of a turnaround were diminishing by the day. (Agencies)

Honda Accord Hybrid.

New Delhi, Oct 25: Japanese auto major Honda on Tuesday launched a hybrid variant of Accord, its premium sedan at Rs 37 lakh (ex showroom, Delhi).

The new vehicle will compete with Camry Hybrid (price approximately at Rs 31 lakh) from its Japanese rival Toyota. This is the second hybrid from Honda in India. In 2008, it had launched the Civic hybrid but discontinued its sales within a year due to weak response.

"Hybrid is the technology for the future. In India, we are taking the current environmental concerns as our top priority. The Accord Hybrid is the most fuel efficient hybrid model

in its segment," said Yoichiro Ueno, president and CEO at Honda Cars India. Honda said the vehicle, which runs on petrol, offers a fuel efficiency of 23.1 km a litre.

The price of the new car in markets outside Delhi will differ due to difference in taxation. In Delhi, electric and hybrid vehicles enjoy a lower value added tax of five per cent against the standard rate of 12.5 per cent. Hybrid vehicles also enjoy fiscal incentives from the central government.

The Accord was launched in India in 2001 and has registered cumulative sales of 27,000 units.

(Agencies)

New Delhi, Oct 25: Ratan Tata, patriarch of one of India's most influential families, will take over as interim chairman of Tata Sons after the salt-to-software conglomerate's board ousted Cyrus Mistry, who had sought to shake up the firm's management.

Tata, who had stepped down as chairman and was replaced by Mistry in late 2012, will head the group for four months while the company seeks a replacement.

Tata Sons is a large shareholder in a string of listedTata Group companies - a business empire ranging from Jaguar Land Rover cars and steel mills to aviation and salt pans.

The board said in a statement on Monday it was decided "it may be appropriate to consider a change for the long-term interest of Tata Sons and Tata group."

While the board gave no detailed reason for the change, some media reports said there has been discontent with some of Mistry's actions, including asset sales.

Here are the possible theories behind Mistry's ouster 1. Welspun acquisition The latest trigger was Tata Power's acquisition of Welspun Renewables' solar and power assets the deal went through without consultation with the Tata Sons board, according to a source. In fact, the process of consultation and getting approvals from a Tata Trusts committee for issues related to the group resulted in tension on several occasions, another source said. Tata Sons is controlled by Tata Trusts, which formed a committee with Tata Sons board member and Bain Capital Managing Director Amit Chandra, Managing Trustee of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust R Ve n k a t a r a m a n a n (Venkat), Trustee Noshir Soonawala and Tata as members.

2. Management restructure The 48-year-old has been trying to shake up the $100 billion company by changing the management structure to bring in new faces at senior levels. He has also battled issues on a number of fronts in recent months, including a costly settlement with Japanese telecom operator NTT Docomo and the sale

Ratan Tata arrives at Tata group's head office Bombay House in Mumbai.

of Tata Steel's loss-making UK business. Britain's vote in June to exit the European Union was a big setback for the steel sale, which Tata has now put on hold. Brexit has also cast a shadow over Tata Motors' luxury car unit Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), which has a large UK manufacturing base. Tata Motors' quarterly profit halved as the pound slumped following the Brexit vote, and JLR's CEO warned that some customers in Europe, its biggest market, no longer wanted to buy British cars.

3. Vision missing?

Sources said the real issue was that Tata felt Mistry may not be the best bet for the group in the long-term and that there was hardly any forward movement under his leadership. The vision was missing, as a source described it. But questions are being raised on this assessment by a board that has at least three members - Ajay Piramal, Venu Srinivasan and Amit Chandra - who were appointed just a few months ago. Whether or not the board was qualified to take a decision to replace Mistry, the buzz Monday evening was that Tatas have kept the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in the loop on the change.

4. Tough decision?

According to reports, several of Mistry's decisions, including the disposal of some of Indian Hotels Co's overseas properties and the move to shut the UK steel operations, did not go down well with Tata Trusts as many were considered Ratan Tata's jewels. The recent controversy over NTT Docomo, the Japanese telecom service provider and erstwhile partner of Tata Telecommunications, that moved courts over an exit clause in the deal, could

have been a point of tussle too between Tata and Mistry.

Departure deliberated over months?

Sources also said that Mistry's departure was deliberated over months and was a result of a difference of opinion between him and the board, without elaborating on the differences.

Tata Sons may have also dismantled Cyrus Mistry's Group Executive Council (GEC) The source also said that Tata was disbanding the group executive council (GEC) - a team of core advisers that Mistry had formed.

Of the five GEC members, two, including Dr Mukund Rajan and Harish Bhat, will take on senior level responsibilities within the group, said the source, adding it is unclear what roles, if any, would be offered to the other three, Madhu Kannan, former CEO of the Bombay Stock Exchange; NS Rajan, former partner at Ernst & Young; and Nirmalya Kumar, former professor at London Business School.

Shapoorji to contest Mistry;s departure?

CNBC TV18 reported that Mistry's Shapoorji Pallonji family, one of the biggest shareholders in Tata Sons, may legally contest his departure, adding that the Tata family had sought legal advice before making the decision.

"Shapoorji Pallonji could challenge this decision, although I think all the rules were strictly followed and I was convinced," said Mohan Parasaran, a senior Supreme Court advocate who was consulted by the Tata family about a month ago. (Agencies)

DIBRUGARH, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26

INTERNATIONAL P8 Taliban uses drones to film attacks in Afghanistan China expresses shock over Government official plays down significance of release of drone video which purportedly shows Taliban attack in Helmand.

Afghanistan, Oct 25: The Afghan Taliban has uploaded a drone footage showing a suicide bomber driving into a police base and blowing it up in the southern Helmand province.

The fighters say the footage proves that they can now deploy drones as an "addition to their sophisticated possessions of advanced technologies".

The 23-minute-long video, which begins with a selfproclaimed suicide bomber speaking in front of an explosives-rigged Humvee, was released on Saturday and appears to be authentic, according to the Afghan defence ministry.

"The remote-controlled drones to capture footage of their [Taliban] fighters conducting attacks is noth-

Taliban spokesman says the video is of an attack which occurred on October 3 ing but to instill fear among people and to indicate how far they can get in defeating us, but in fact using a drone is not something they can call an achievement," Dawlat Waziri, spokesman for the defence ministry, told Al Jazeera by telephone.

"You can get a drone any-

where, in any shop. They found or bought one, and used it."

However, using camera drones near sensitive government sites was banned by the Afghan government in June.

In the video, the purported suicide bomber, dressed in a black turban and white

tunic says: "I am telling the Afghan stooge forces to repent and join the Taliban or we will use this equipment the foreigners gave them, against them and they can't do anything about it."

A drone-mounted camera then films the Humvee speeding towards a compound and detonating in flames, blowing up the entire building.

"This proves that we are well ahead in sending our messages to the people of Afghanistan in many sophisticated ways. Anything that helps us in destroying our enemies [Afghan and US forces] will be used with full force," Zabiullah Mujahid, Taliban spokesman, told Al Jazeera.

"This video has proved to be very influential and we

have many people supporting us."

Mujahid said the video was of an attack on October 3, when the fighters overran parts of Helmand province.

Reuters says a government official in Helmand also confirmed the attack in which the district police chief and several other officials were killed.

Helmand is strategically important for the Taliban as it is the main source of the country's opium output, worth an estimated $4bn a year, much of which funds the war.

Provincial officials say the Taliban now controls 85 percent of the province, while only a year ago the government controlled 80 percent. (PTI)

terror attack in Pakistan

Asked about the attack on a police training school causing heavy casualties, Lu said China is opposed to all forms of terrorism.

Beijing, Oct 25: China today expressed shock over the terror attack on a police training centre in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province and said it will continue to back Islamabad in the fight against terrorism and safeguarding national stability.

"China is shocked by the huge casualties caused by

terrorist attack in Quetta.

We strongly condemn it, mourn the deceased and express sympathy for injured and bereaved families," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang told media here.

Asked about the attack on a police training school causing heavy casualties, Lu said China is opposed to all

forms of terrorism.

"We will continue to support efforts backed by Pakistan government to fight against terrorism and safeguard national stability and safety of people's lives and properties," he said.

At least 61 people, mostly young cadets, were killed and over 100 others injured when heavily-armed ISIS militants attacked a police training centre in Quetta, in one of the deadliest terror attacks in Pakistan.

The recurring violence in the Balochistan province is a major concern for China as it is hub of its USD 46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) being laid through the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The corridor with pipelines, highways and rail networks connects China's Xinjiang province with Gwadar port in Balochistan. (PTI)

India renews talks on building China: Officials deny Pakistan will attend Heart of Asia plans to raise income tax nuclear power plants meet in India this December: Aziz Singapore, Oct 25: The Indian government has put renewed vigour into nuclear power plans as part of its infrastructure development programme, with negotiations on to unlock longstanding agreements with French, Russian and US companies, said a report released here today.

"Its overall goal is to have 14.5 GWe (Gigawatt or one billion watts of electricity power) of nuclear generating capacity online by 2024, compared to 6,219 MWe now," said the World Nuclear Performance Report 2016 released at the Singapore International Energy Week being held this week.

The government gave in principle approval for new nuclear plants at 10 sites in nine states, according to the report by the World Nuclear Association.

Those for indigenous pressurised heavy water reactor are at Gorakhpur in Haryanas Fatehabad; Chutka and Bhimpur in Madhya Pradesh; Kaiga in Karnataka; and Mahi Banswara in Rajasthan.

Those for plants with foreign cooperation are

Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu; in Jaitapur in Maharashtra; Chhaya Mithi Virdhi in Gujarat; Kovvada in Andhra Pradesh and Haripur in West Bengal, though this location has been in doubt.

In addition, two 600 MWe fast breeder reactors are proposed at Kalpakkam.

Unit 2 of the Russian-built Kudankulam nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu was completed in 2015, with the unit continuing in mid2016.

A prototype fast breeder reactor is nearing completion at Kalpakkam, according to the report.

The report also noted performances of the nuclear power plants which were commissioned in Rajasthan in 1973. The unit has had a mixed history with lengthy outages from 1982 to 1987, and 1994 to 1997. It has been put out of service since 2005.

The second unit of nuclear power plant in Rajasthan, which came into operation in 1981, performed more reliably, despite long outages between 1994 and 1998, and from 2007 to 2009. It achieved a lifetime

capacity factor of 56 per cent. Rajasthan 3, starting in 2003, has managed a cumulative capacity factor of 76.5 per cent.

Altogether, the country has commissioned 18 Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors, two small BMRs - boiling water reactors - (in 1969) and two PWRs pressurised water reactors (at Kudankulam in 2014 and 2016, respectively), according to the report.

A dip in the average capacity factor in 2008 and 2009 resulted from contemporaneous outages at Rajasthan 2, Kakrapar 1 and Narora units 1 and 2, it said.

The association noted challenges of providing electricity across the worlds rural regions where people lack electricity. It has set a higher target for nuclear power - 25 per cent of electricity in 2050, which would require an estimated 1,000 GWe capacity.

It said one possible pathway to this target would be to build 10 GWe a year between 2015 and 2020, step this up to 25 GWe per year to 2025, and then 33 GWe per year to 2050.

(PTI)

Malaysia Muslim body says Starbucks' drinks 'halal Kuala Lumpur, Oct 25: An Islamic body in Muslim- majority Malaysia has assured the citizens that drinks served by US coffeechain Starbucks here are "halal" and not as claimed otherwise by some spreading fake information.

A viral message on WhatsApp claimed that several of Starbucks' drinks were 'haram' (not permissible in Islam) as it con-

tained E471 (Emulsifier 471) and a food additive of porcine-origin.

A representative of the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (JAKIM)halal hub division told The Star Online that the fake messages were not new and had previously gone viral two years ago.

"We debunked this rumour before. We can assure you that Starbucks Malaysia is certi-

fied 'halal' and its certification has never been revoked," said the officer, who requested anonymity.

The JAKIM officer said it was not within their power to stop the spread of the fake message.

"We can only repeat what we have said before, but it is Starbucks Malaysia that has to take a legal action against those who spread the fake information," she said. (Agencies)

Beijing, Oct 25: Chinese officials have refuted the speculation that the government was planning to raise personal income tax on earnings of more than USD 18,400 a year, after netizens responded "furiously" to reports that plans were afoot to increase the tax burden on the emerging middle class. Rumours were rife that the government was planning to raise income tax on the earnings of more than 120,000 yuan (USD 18,460) a year, prompting the officials to say that people were putting together two separate things, state-run Global Times reported on Monday.

Citing unnamed experts affiliated with the State Administration of Taxation (SAT) and the Ministry of Finance, state-run Xinhua News Agency on Monday reported that suggestions of higher tax rates for those residents with earning above 120,000 yuan per year misread the document and they were mere rumours.

Despite the clarification, a document from the State Council, China's cabinet indicating a possible increase in income taxes had already resonated over the past few days, the report said.

Following the document's release, articles that suggested a raise have been widely shared on Chinese social media sites, and received comments expressing shock and disbelief over such a low threshold for higher incomes, it said.

"Earning 120,000 a year is high? After all our daily expenses, with that income, we can't even afford a onesquare meter home, and you are telling me that's

high income," one netizen said yesterday on Weibo, a popular social media platform in China.

The 120,000 yuan per year level was pegged during reforms implemented in 2006, which required those falling under that category to file a report with taxation authorities, according to Li Wanfu, director of the Institute of Tax Science, a research arm of the SAT. "People are putting two separate things together and spreading rumours. It was not set as a high income threshold in 2006, and certainly not now after 10 years," Li told the Global Times.

"The working class is very concerned about any changes to their tax rates because it's their hardearned money and they face very high stress living in the cities, and they should not pay higher rates," said Ma Caichen, a professor at the School of Economics at Nankai University.

Ma said that given the huge income gap among different Chinese cities it was impossible for the country to set a specific threshold for high income earners that fits the whole country.

"For example, 120,000 yuan per year in Beijing might be quite low, considering rising housing prices and other living standards, but in Qinghai Province, that's a lot," he said.

But this is just a threshold tax authorities want to monitor, not for implementing higher tax rates, so it is still a "reasonable threshold" on the national level, he said, suggesting that the income tax threshold be adjusted based on changes in prices. (Agencies)

US cannot have reality TV in Oval Office: Obama Washington, Oct 25: US President Barack Obama has appealed to Americans to deliver a big win to Hillary Clinton and a crushing defeat to Donald Trump in the November 8 general elections, saying the country cannot have a reality TV show in the Oval Office. Democratic presidential nominee Clinton, 68, is eminently qualified, really well-prepared, has the temperament, the work ethic, the policy chops to be an outstanding president as compared to Trump, 70, Obama said at a reception in California.

"And then there is the other guy (Trump). And I'm not going to belabor why this other guy is not fit to hold this office, because every time he talks you get more proof that that is not the guy that you want as President of the US," Obama said.

He said the First Lady, Michelle is also campaigning this time because she believes that this is an important election for the country.

"She understands, as I understand, that some more funda-

US cannot have reality TV in Oval Office: Obama mental values are at stake in this election. It has to do with our basic standards of decency - how do we treat people," Obama said.

"Do we treat people who are of a different faith as part of the fabric of America, or do we label them as something foreign, not a 'real American,' and thereby subject to different standards when it comes to how our laws apply? Do we think of women as equal and full citizens, capable of doing anything, or do we think of them as objects of either scorn or lust or our own satisfac-

tions?" he asked.

"Do we think of the Constitution as something fundamental that all of us have an obligation to try to uphold, or do we think that it is just something that we can pick and choose from at our convenience depending on what's expedient?" he said.

"Do we think that government is something serious, that we have an obligation to make sure that to the best of our abilities we leave the country a little bit better off than how we found it.

"Or do we think that it's an

infomercial or a reality TV show and we can say anything or do anything without any fidelity to the truth whatsoever, just make stuff up so that at a certain point everything is contested, there's no solid ground because you can just say anything and do anything?" asked the US President.

"My conclusion, Michelle's conclusion is, is that we can't have that in the Oval Office.

Because what is true is, is that our kids watch us. I said when I ran for President in 2008, I was not a perfect man and I would not be a perfect President, but I took seriously the fact that in this job, our kids are paying attention; the entire world is paying attention," he said.

"It is important to try to uphold those basic standards, even though you know occasionally you're going to make a mistake, even though you know that even when you get it right you're not going to get necessarily 100 percent of what you want. It is important to understand the responsibility of this office," Obama said.

"I don't think I'm alone in

thinking that Donald Trump doesn't believe that and he doesn't care about it. America is great. America can survive just about anything," he said.

"But what America cannot have for any prolonged period of time is to have the person who is the only elected official, elected by all the people of the US, and who speaks on behalf of this nation in world affairs, as a fundamentally unserious person and somebody whose standards of ethics and tolerance and how they treat other people is corrosive. We can't have that," Obama said.

As such, the US President appealed to the audience to make sure that Hillary "wins big to send a clear message about who we are as a people; to send a clear message about what America stands for."

"That is why everybody here has got to work as hard as they can over these next two weeks.

We want to win big! We want to win big. We don't just want to eke it out -particularly when the other guy is already starting to gripe about how the game is rigged," Obama said.

(Agencies)

Islamabad, Oct 25: Pakistan will attend the Heart of Asia conference to be hosted by India in December to boost development in Afghanistan, foreign policy chief Sartaj Aziz said on Monday.

The move by Islamabad appears to be aimed at countering efforts by India to isolate Pakistan on the international stage over the use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy.

Aziz, the adviser on foreign affairs to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, said Pakistan will participate in the regional meet to be held in Amritsar during December 3-4. "Pakistan will continue to attend all international forums," he was quoted as saying by Geo News channel.

India launched a move to isolate Pakistan over the issue of terrorism after an attack on an army camp at Uri in Kashmir in September that was blamed on the Jaish-e-Mohammed.

Troops of the two countries have traded fire on the Line of Control and India carried out surgical strikes that it says resulted in "significant casualties".

Pakistan has denied the

Aziz, the adviser on foreign affairs to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, said Pakistan will participate in the regional meet to be held in Amritsar during December 3-4

surgical strikes and instead raised alleged rights violations by Indian security forces in Jammu and Kashmir. The tensions had sparked speculation about Pakistan's participation in the Heart of Asia conference, which will be attended by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

Aziz did not give details about who would represent Pakistan at the Heart of Asia meet. The last two Heart of Asia meets - in Islamabad in December 2015 and in New Delhi in April this year - were attended by the foreign ministers and foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan and they also held talks on the sidelines.

External affairs minister

Sushma Swaraj and Aziz had agreed on a roadmap for a comprehensive dialogue process in December 2015 but the initiative fizzled out after a terror attack on the Pathankot airbase in January.

Aziz also told Geo News that India should allow a UN observer group to visit Jammu and Kashmir. "India has continuously been violating UN resolutions on Kashmir," he said.

He further said dossiers on Kulbhushan Jadhav, a former Indian Navy officer arrested in Balochistan, were in the "final phase of preparation". Pakistan will hand over these dossiers to the UN and other states, he added. (PTI)

Philippines' Duterte visits Japan after China tilt Tokyo, Oct 25: Acidtongued Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte takes his diplomatic roadshow to Japan today, days after his apparent tilt towards China raised questions about the leader's strategic intentions.

The Philippines and Japan have long been key US allies in Asia, but Duterte has done a dramatic U-turn since coming to office in late June.

That appeared to culminate last week in Beijing where he declared his "separation" from the United States, played down a maritime dispute with China and pledged to enhance friendship and economic ties.

Back home on Saturday, however, the former mayor seemed to walk back his comments, saying he would not be severing the alliance with Washington.

And yesterday, he went further, telling Japanese media that the US will remain the country's sole military ally.

"The alliances are alive,

it is there," he said in a reference to the United States, according to Kyodo News.

"There should be no worry about changes of alliances. I do not need to have alliances with other nations."

Other Japanese media including the top-selling Yomiuri Shimbun quoted him as saying that all military activities with the US should be halted.

His seesawing has been closely watched in Japan, a major investor and aid donor to Manila that is wary of China's rising influence.

"It is important to have good communication and to listen directly to what Mr Duterte has in mind," Japanese foreign minister Fumio Kishida, who will dine with the president later today, told reporters when asked about the firebrand leader's elusive comments on ties with Washington.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has worked to beef up relations with Manila by providing patrol boats and has supported it in

the territorial row with China, as Japan seeks support in its own maritime dispute with Beijing.

Duterte's predecessor took Beijing to an international tribunal over its extensive claims in the South China Sea -- where it has built artificial islands capable of hosting military facilities -- and the Philippines won a resounding victory in July.

Japan's Asahi Shimbun newspaper said that improvement in diplomatic relations among "neighbouring nations" is desirable in principle.

"But if they disrespect the rule of law for the sake of narrow bilateral interest, that would be a grave concern for the Asian region," it said in a Saturday editorial, referring to Duterte'sBeijing visit.

Duterte told Japanese public broadcaster NHK that his talks with Abe will centre on economic cooperation and "shared interest" in an interview ahead of his three-day visit. (PTI)

DIBRUGARH, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26

INTERNATIONAL P8 Taliban uses drones to film attacks in Afghanistan China expresses shock over Government official plays down significance of release of drone video which purportedly shows Taliban attack in Helmand.

Afghanistan, Oct 25: The Afghan Taliban has uploaded a drone footage showing a suicide bomber driving into a police base and blowing it up in the southern Helmand province.

The fighters say the footage proves that they can now deploy drones as an "addition to their sophisticated possessions of advanced technologies".

The 23-minute-long video, which begins with a selfproclaimed suicide bomber speaking in front of an explosives-rigged Humvee, was released on Saturday and appears to be authentic, according to the Afghan defence ministry.

"The remote-controlled drones to capture footage of their [Taliban] fighters conducting attacks is noth-

Taliban spokesman says the video is of an attack which occurred on October 3 ing but to instill fear among people and to indicate how far they can get in defeating us, but in fact using a drone is not something they can call an achievement," Dawlat Waziri, spokesman for the defence ministry, told Al Jazeera by telephone.

"You can get a drone any-

where, in any shop. They found or bought one, and used it."

However, using camera drones near sensitive government sites was banned by the Afghan government in June.

In the video, the purported suicide bomber, dressed in a black turban and white

tunic says: "I am telling the Afghan stooge forces to repent and join the Taliban or we will use this equipment the foreigners gave them, against them and they can't do anything about it."

A drone-mounted camera then films the Humvee speeding towards a compound and detonating in flames, blowing up the entire building.

"This proves that we are well ahead in sending our messages to the people of Afghanistan in many sophisticated ways. Anything that helps us in destroying our enemies [Afghan and US forces] will be used with full force," Zabiullah Mujahid, Taliban spokesman, told Al Jazeera.

"This video has proved to be very influential and we

have many people supporting us."

Mujahid said the video was of an attack on October 3, when the fighters overran parts of Helmand province.

Reuters says a government official in Helmand also confirmed the attack in which the district police chief and several other officials were killed.

Helmand is strategically important for the Taliban as it is the main source of the country's opium output, worth an estimated $4bn a year, much of which funds the war.

Provincial officials say the Taliban now controls 85 percent of the province, while only a year ago the government controlled 80 percent. (PTI)

terror attack in Pakistan

Asked about the attack on a police training school causing heavy casualties, Lu said China is opposed to all forms of terrorism.

Beijing, Oct 25: China today expressed shock over the terror attack on a police training centre in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province and said it will continue to back Islamabad in the fight against terrorism and safeguarding national stability.

"China is shocked by the huge casualties caused by

terrorist attack in Quetta.

We strongly condemn it, mourn the deceased and express sympathy for injured and bereaved families," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang told media here.

Asked about the attack on a police training school causing heavy casualties, Lu said China is opposed to all

forms of terrorism.

"We will continue to support efforts backed by Pakistan government to fight against terrorism and safeguard national stability and safety of people's lives and properties," he said.

At least 61 people, mostly young cadets, were killed and over 100 others injured when heavily-armed ISIS militants attacked a police training centre in Quetta, in one of the deadliest terror attacks in Pakistan.

The recurring violence in the Balochistan province is a major concern for China as it is hub of its USD 46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) being laid through the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The corridor with pipelines, highways and rail networks connects China's Xinjiang province with Gwadar port in Balochistan. (PTI)

India renews talks on building China: Officials deny Pakistan will attend Heart of Asia plans to raise income tax nuclear power plants meet in India this December: Aziz Singapore, Oct 25: The Indian government has put renewed vigour into nuclear power plans as part of its infrastructure development programme, with negotiations on to unlock longstanding agreements with French, Russian and US companies, said a report released here today.

"Its overall goal is to have 14.5 GWe (Gigawatt or one billion watts of electricity power) of nuclear generating capacity online by 2024, compared to 6,219 MWe now," said the World Nuclear Performance Report 2016 released at the Singapore International Energy Week being held this week.

The government gave in principle approval for new nuclear plants at 10 sites in nine states, according to the report by the World Nuclear Association.

Those for indigenous pressurised heavy water reactor are at Gorakhpur in Haryanas Fatehabad; Chutka and Bhimpur in Madhya Pradesh; Kaiga in Karnataka; and Mahi Banswara in Rajasthan.

Those for plants with foreign cooperation are

Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu; in Jaitapur in Maharashtra; Chhaya Mithi Virdhi in Gujarat; Kovvada in Andhra Pradesh and Haripur in West Bengal, though this location has been in doubt.

In addition, two 600 MWe fast breeder reactors are proposed at Kalpakkam.

Unit 2 of the Russian-built Kudankulam nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu was completed in 2015, with the unit continuing in mid2016.

A prototype fast breeder reactor is nearing completion at Kalpakkam, according to the report.

The report also noted performances of the nuclear power plants which were commissioned in Rajasthan in 1973. The unit has had a mixed history with lengthy outages from 1982 to 1987, and 1994 to 1997. It has been put out of service since 2005.

The second unit of nuclear power plant in Rajasthan, which came into operation in 1981, performed more reliably, despite long outages between 1994 and 1998, and from 2007 to 2009. It achieved a lifetime

capacity factor of 56 per cent. Rajasthan 3, starting in 2003, has managed a cumulative capacity factor of 76.5 per cent.

Altogether, the country has commissioned 18 Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors, two small BMRs - boiling water reactors - (in 1969) and two PWRs pressurised water reactors (at Kudankulam in 2014 and 2016, respectively), according to the report.

A dip in the average capacity factor in 2008 and 2009 resulted from contemporaneous outages at Rajasthan 2, Kakrapar 1 and Narora units 1 and 2, it said.

The association noted challenges of providing electricity across the worlds rural regions where people lack electricity. It has set a higher target for nuclear power - 25 per cent of electricity in 2050, which would require an estimated 1,000 GWe capacity.

It said one possible pathway to this target would be to build 10 GWe a year between 2015 and 2020, step this up to 25 GWe per year to 2025, and then 33 GWe per year to 2050.

(PTI)

Malaysia Muslim body says Starbucks' drinks 'halal Kuala Lumpur, Oct 25: An Islamic body in Muslim- majority Malaysia has assured the citizens that drinks served by US coffeechain Starbucks here are "halal" and not as claimed otherwise by some spreading fake information.

A viral message on WhatsApp claimed that several of Starbucks' drinks were 'haram' (not permissible in Islam) as it con-

tained E471 (Emulsifier 471) and a food additive of porcine-origin.

A representative of the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (JAKIM)halal hub division told The Star Online that the fake messages were not new and had previously gone viral two years ago.

"We debunked this rumour before. We can assure you that Starbucks Malaysia is certi-

fied 'halal' and its certification has never been revoked," said the officer, who requested anonymity.

The JAKIM officer said it was not within their power to stop the spread of the fake message.

"We can only repeat what we have said before, but it is Starbucks Malaysia that has to take a legal action against those who spread the fake information," she said. (Agencies)

Beijing, Oct 25: Chinese officials have refuted the speculation that the government was planning to raise personal income tax on earnings of more than USD 18,400 a year, after netizens responded "furiously" to reports that plans were afoot to increase the tax burden on the emerging middle class. Rumours were rife that the government was planning to raise income tax on the earnings of more than 120,000 yuan (USD 18,460) a year, prompting the officials to say that people were putting together two separate things, state-run Global Times reported on Monday.

Citing unnamed experts affiliated with the State Administration of Taxation (SAT) and the Ministry of Finance, state-run Xinhua News Agency on Monday reported that suggestions of higher tax rates for those residents with earning above 120,000 yuan per year misread the document and they were mere rumours.

Despite the clarification, a document from the State Council, China's cabinet indicating a possible increase in income taxes had already resonated over the past few days, the report said.

Following the document's release, articles that suggested a raise have been widely shared on Chinese social media sites, and received comments expressing shock and disbelief over such a low threshold for higher incomes, it said.

"Earning 120,000 a year is high? After all our daily expenses, with that income, we can't even afford a onesquare meter home, and you are telling me that's

high income," one netizen said yesterday on Weibo, a popular social media platform in China.

The 120,000 yuan per year level was pegged during reforms implemented in 2006, which required those falling under that category to file a report with taxation authorities, according to Li Wanfu, director of the Institute of Tax Science, a research arm of the SAT. "People are putting two separate things together and spreading rumours. It was not set as a high income threshold in 2006, and certainly not now after 10 years," Li told the Global Times.

"The working class is very concerned about any changes to their tax rates because it's their hardearned money and they face very high stress living in the cities, and they should not pay higher rates," said Ma Caichen, a professor at the School of Economics at Nankai University.

Ma said that given the huge income gap among different Chinese cities it was impossible for the country to set a specific threshold for high income earners that fits the whole country.

"For example, 120,000 yuan per year in Beijing might be quite low, considering rising housing prices and other living standards, but in Qinghai Province, that's a lot," he said.

But this is just a threshold tax authorities want to monitor, not for implementing higher tax rates, so it is still a "reasonable threshold" on the national level, he said, suggesting that the income tax threshold be adjusted based on changes in prices. (Agencies)

US cannot have reality TV in Oval Office: Obama Washington, Oct 25: US President Barack Obama has appealed to Americans to deliver a big win to Hillary Clinton and a crushing defeat to Donald Trump in the November 8 general elections, saying the country cannot have a reality TV show in the Oval Office. Democratic presidential nominee Clinton, 68, is eminently qualified, really well-prepared, has the temperament, the work ethic, the policy chops to be an outstanding president as compared to Trump, 70, Obama said at a reception in California.

"And then there is the other guy (Trump). And I'm not going to belabor why this other guy is not fit to hold this office, because every time he talks you get more proof that that is not the guy that you want as President of the US," Obama said.

He said the First Lady, Michelle is also campaigning this time because she believes that this is an important election for the country.

"She understands, as I understand, that some more funda-

US cannot have reality TV in Oval Office: Obama mental values are at stake in this election. It has to do with our basic standards of decency - how do we treat people," Obama said.

"Do we treat people who are of a different faith as part of the fabric of America, or do we label them as something foreign, not a 'real American,' and thereby subject to different standards when it comes to how our laws apply? Do we think of women as equal and full citizens, capable of doing anything, or do we think of them as objects of either scorn or lust or our own satisfac-

tions?" he asked.

"Do we think of the Constitution as something fundamental that all of us have an obligation to try to uphold, or do we think that it is just something that we can pick and choose from at our convenience depending on what's expedient?" he said.

"Do we think that government is something serious, that we have an obligation to make sure that to the best of our abilities we leave the country a little bit better off than how we found it.

"Or do we think that it's an

infomercial or a reality TV show and we can say anything or do anything without any fidelity to the truth whatsoever, just make stuff up so that at a certain point everything is contested, there's no solid ground because you can just say anything and do anything?" asked the US President.

"My conclusion, Michelle's conclusion is, is that we can't have that in the Oval Office.

Because what is true is, is that our kids watch us. I said when I ran for President in 2008, I was not a perfect man and I would not be a perfect President, but I took seriously the fact that in this job, our kids are paying attention; the entire world is paying attention," he said.

"It is important to try to uphold those basic standards, even though you know occasionally you're going to make a mistake, even though you know that even when you get it right you're not going to get necessarily 100 percent of what you want. It is important to understand the responsibility of this office," Obama said.

"I don't think I'm alone in

thinking that Donald Trump doesn't believe that and he doesn't care about it. America is great. America can survive just about anything," he said.

"But what America cannot have for any prolonged period of time is to have the person who is the only elected official, elected by all the people of the US, and who speaks on behalf of this nation in world affairs, as a fundamentally unserious person and somebody whose standards of ethics and tolerance and how they treat other people is corrosive. We can't have that," Obama said.

As such, the US President appealed to the audience to make sure that Hillary "wins big to send a clear message about who we are as a people; to send a clear message about what America stands for."

"That is why everybody here has got to work as hard as they can over these next two weeks.

We want to win big! We want to win big. We don't just want to eke it out -particularly when the other guy is already starting to gripe about how the game is rigged," Obama said.

(Agencies)

Islamabad, Oct 25: Pakistan will attend the Heart of Asia conference to be hosted by India in December to boost development in Afghanistan, foreign policy chief Sartaj Aziz said on Monday.

The move by Islamabad appears to be aimed at countering efforts by India to isolate Pakistan on the international stage over the use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy.

Aziz, the adviser on foreign affairs to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, said Pakistan will participate in the regional meet to be held in Amritsar during December 3-4. "Pakistan will continue to attend all international forums," he was quoted as saying by Geo News channel.

India launched a move to isolate Pakistan over the issue of terrorism after an attack on an army camp at Uri in Kashmir in September that was blamed on the Jaish-e-Mohammed.

Troops of the two countries have traded fire on the Line of Control and India carried out surgical strikes that it says resulted in "significant casualties".

Pakistan has denied the

Aziz, the adviser on foreign affairs to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, said Pakistan will participate in the regional meet to be held in Amritsar during December 3-4

surgical strikes and instead raised alleged rights violations by Indian security forces in Jammu and Kashmir. The tensions had sparked speculation about Pakistan's participation in the Heart of Asia conference, which will be attended by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

Aziz did not give details about who would represent Pakistan at the Heart of Asia meet. The last two Heart of Asia meets - in Islamabad in December 2015 and in New Delhi in April this year - were attended by the foreign ministers and foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan and they also held talks on the sidelines.

External affairs minister

Sushma Swaraj and Aziz had agreed on a roadmap for a comprehensive dialogue process in December 2015 but the initiative fizzled out after a terror attack on the Pathankot airbase in January.

Aziz also told Geo News that India should allow a UN observer group to visit Jammu and Kashmir. "India has continuously been violating UN resolutions on Kashmir," he said.

He further said dossiers on Kulbhushan Jadhav, a former Indian Navy officer arrested in Balochistan, were in the "final phase of preparation". Pakistan will hand over these dossiers to the UN and other states, he added. (PTI)

Philippines' Duterte visits Japan after China tilt Tokyo, Oct 25: Acidtongued Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte takes his diplomatic roadshow to Japan today, days after his apparent tilt towards China raised questions about the leader's strategic intentions.

The Philippines and Japan have long been key US allies in Asia, but Duterte has done a dramatic U-turn since coming to office in late June.

That appeared to culminate last week in Beijing where he declared his "separation" from the United States, played down a maritime dispute with China and pledged to enhance friendship and economic ties.

Back home on Saturday, however, the former mayor seemed to walk back his comments, saying he would not be severing the alliance with Washington.

And yesterday, he went further, telling Japanese media that the US will remain the country's sole military ally.

"The alliances are alive,

it is there," he said in a reference to the United States, according to Kyodo News.

"There should be no worry about changes of alliances. I do not need to have alliances with other nations."

Other Japanese media including the top-selling Yomiuri Shimbun quoted him as saying that all military activities with the US should be halted.

His seesawing has been closely watched in Japan, a major investor and aid donor to Manila that is wary of China's rising influence.

"It is important to have good communication and to listen directly to what Mr Duterte has in mind," Japanese foreign minister Fumio Kishida, who will dine with the president later today, told reporters when asked about the firebrand leader's elusive comments on ties with Washington.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has worked to beef up relations with Manila by providing patrol boats and has supported it in

the territorial row with China, as Japan seeks support in its own maritime dispute with Beijing.

Duterte's predecessor took Beijing to an international tribunal over its extensive claims in the South China Sea -- where it has built artificial islands capable of hosting military facilities -- and the Philippines won a resounding victory in July.

Japan's Asahi Shimbun newspaper said that improvement in diplomatic relations among "neighbouring nations" is desirable in principle.

"But if they disrespect the rule of law for the sake of narrow bilateral interest, that would be a grave concern for the Asian region," it said in a Saturday editorial, referring to Duterte'sBeijing visit.

Duterte told Japanese public broadcaster NHK that his talks with Abe will centre on economic cooperation and "shared interest" in an interview ahead of his three-day visit. (PTI)

DIBRUGARH, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26

EDUCATION How to Study For Exams

Just when you presume the day will be relaxing and easy-going, your teacher springs a quiz or test when you least expect it. As much as we all despise taking an exam, exams are, inevitably, an unavoidable part of school life. Everyone hates taking exams, but you can improve your study technique for them to avoid being caught unprepared.

Setting the Foundation for Later Review your syllabus Figure out when all of your exams will be and how much of your grade they are worth. Put these dates into your calendar or planner so they don't sneak up on you! · Plan review sessions beginning at least a week in advance of each exam. Ideally, you'll do several mini-reviews well in advance, gradually increasing the time in which you study, rather than trying to cram everything into one mega session the night before the test.

Pay attention in class This seems like a nobrainer, but actually paying attention while you're in class will help you immensely once exam time comes. Don't fall into the trap of thinking you'll just "absorb" knowledge; be an active learner. · Listen carefully, because teachers often give hints like "The most important thing about this topic is...” Or they may just place emphasis on certain words and issues.

This is the real key to testing well. The more you absorb the information early on, the less studying you'll need to do.

Take good notes This is easier said than done, but learning how to take good notes will help you immensely once it comes time to study. Write down everything your teacher writes on the board or puts up in slides.

Try to record as much of what the teacher says as possible, but don't allow taking notes to distract you so much that you forget to listen. · Review your notes daily, right after class.

This will help reinforce the information you just learned.

Make studying a part of your habits Too often, it's easy to view studying as something that only gets done at the last minute in a huge overnight cram session. Instead, try setting aside some time every day to study. Scheduling it just like another appointment or class may help you stay motivated to continue the habit.

Ask about the exam format Ask your teacher what format the test will be in, how it will be graded, if there are any opportunities for extra credit, and if they would be willing to talk to you about highlighting in your notes what the most important broad subjects will be.

Creating an Optimal Environment for Learning Study in a clean, quiet and orderly room

lieve that they're good at multitasking, such as studying with the TV on or while chatting online with friends, research suggests that this is not true for the vast majority of people. For better studying performance, eliminate distractions such as TV and loud music with lyrics. Rapidly swapping attention between studying and watching TV makes it more difficult for your brain to prioritize information acquisition.

Decide if music is right for you Music's effect on memory performance varies between individuals.

Some studies have found music to aid the memory performance of individuals with ADD/ADHD, while reducing it in individuals without the disorder. Classical music appears to be the most effective in enhancing studying performance.

You must determine

Keep anything and everything away from where you are that may cause you to get distracted.

Jumping up to read a text message on your phone or periodically checking social media is ill-advised whilst studying.

Turn on the light!

Studying in a dark room is not recommended. Add lamps at night, or in the daytime, open the window coverings (open the window a little, too). People tend to study and focus better in a brighter, oxygenated room with little noise.

Turn the TV off While many students be-

whether you're better off with or without it. If you do enjoy listening to music whilst studying, make sure you're actually concentrating on the material you have to study for, and not the catchy tune that's playing in your head. · If you absolutely must listen to music, find instrumental music so that the words in the music don't interfere with your studying. · Listen to background sounds from nature in order to keep your brain active and prevent other noises to distract you. There are several free background noise

generators available online. · Listening to Mozart or classical music won't make you smarter or keep information in your brain, but it may make your brain more receptive to receiving information.

Organizing Your Learning Focus on your work objectives What do you intend to accomplish during this session? Setting a concrete study goal may help you.

Creating study plans is also a good idea. If 3 out of 5 lessons are easy and can be finished fast, finish them first, so you can spend quality time on the difficult lessons without fretting. Also, keeping a folder for your exam reviews is a good way to keep organized.

Write yourself a study guide Go through your notes and rewrite the most important information. Not only will this give you a more focused way to study, but it creating it is another form of studying!

Just don't spend too much time on the guide itself: you need to have time to go over it too!

Reinvent your notes in other formats Rewriting your notes is great if you're a kinesthetic learner. Mind mapping is the most effective way of doing this. Also, when you re-write something, you will probably think about what you are writing, what it's about, and why you wrote it down.

Most importantly, it refreshes your memory. If you took notes a month

ago and just found out that those notes will be relevant in your exam, rewriting them will remind you of them when you need it for your exam. · Don't simply copy your notes over and over again. This tends to lean towards memorizing the exact wording of your notes instead of the actual concepts. Instead, read and think about the contents of your notes (such as think of examples), and then re-word them.

Ask yourself questions about your material This can help you tell if you have remembered what you just studied.

Don't try to remember the exact wording from your notes in your answer to yourself; synthesizing that information into an answer is a much more useful tactic. · It can also help to say the answers to your questions out loud, as if you were trying to explain it to someone else.

Review previous tests and assignments If you missed questions on previous work, look up the answers and understand why you missed these questions. This is particularly helpful if the exam you're studying for is cumulative or comprehensive, meaning it cov-

P9

ers things you also covered earlier in the course.

Find the right hours Don't study when you're really tired. It's better to get a good night's sleep after studying for a short time than to push on at two in the morning. You won't remember much and you're likely to see a performance drop the next day.

Start as early as possible Don't cram. Cramming the night before is proven to be ineffective, because you're taking in so much information at once that it's impossible to memorize it at all — in fact, you'll hardly retain anything. Studying before and going over it multiple times really is the best way to learn the material. This is especially true with things like history and theoretical subjects. · Always study when you have the chance, even if it is only for 15 or 20 minutes. These short study periods add up fast! · Study in chunks of 25 minutes using the Pomodoro Technique. After that make a break of 5 minutes; repeat the process 3x, then make a longer pause of 30-45 minutes.

Study for your learning style If you're a visual learner, using pictures can help.

Auditory learners should record themselves saying notes and recite it afterwards. If you are a physical person, lecture to yourself (out loud) while also using your hands or moving around; this way it will be easier for you to memorize.

Adjust your study techniques to fit your subject Subjects such as mathematics require a lot of practice with problem sets in order to become familiar with the processes required. Subjects in the humanities, such as history or literature, may require more information synthesis and memorization of things such as terms or dates. · Whatever you do, don't just re-read the same set of notes over and over again. In order to actually learn, you need to take an active role in knowledge creation as well as information review. Try find-

matter as much.

Ask for help If you need help, ask someone who is good at these subjects. Friends, family, tutors, and teachers are all good options. If you don't understand what the person helping you is communicating, don't be afraid to ask them to elaborate. · Asking teachers for help conveys your commitment to the material and can be helpful in the

may make it more difficult to remember concepts in their entirety.

Think positive but work hard Self-confidence is important; focusing on how little you've studied or how badly you think you will do on the exam just distracts you from working on achieving success.

However, this doesn't mean that you shouldn't study hard. You still need to work at it, even if you

hand, typically require at least 10+ hours. Poor sleep has been found to accumulate (referred to as "sleep debt"); in order to make up for prolonged poor sleep habits, several weeks of daily optimal sleep may be required to return to optimal performance. · Don't consume caffeine or any other stimulating substance within 5-6 hours prior to sleeping. (However, if a

future as well as with your exams. Always remember to ask your teacher if you do not know what she is talking about or if you need more information. The teacher will probably be glad to help. · There are often resources at schools and colleges that can help you cope with stress, answer study-related questions, give you study tips and other forms of guidance.

Ask your teacher or visit your school's website to learn how to use these resources.

Keeping Motivated Take breaks You need some time to have fun and it is better to study when you are feel-

have confidence in yourself. Confidence just keeps away roadblocks to success.

Work with others Arrange study dates at a library with your friends to compare notes or explain things the other one might not understand.

Working with other people can help you cover gaps in your own knowledge and also help you remember more information, since you may have to explain things to them or have conversations about the topic. · If you ask for help from others, don't joke around. Concentrate on what you are doing.

Call for help If you're stuck on a sub-

ing the "big picture" among what you've taken down or reorganizing your notes by theme or date.

Think of your teacher Ask yourself: What is my teacher most likely to ask on the exam? What materials should I focus on to give myself the best chance of knowing what I need to know? What trick questions or wrinkles could my teacher introduce that might throw me for a loop? This may help you focus on the most important information, rather than getting stuck on things that might not

ing relaxed than to exhaust yourself studying all day!

Carefully structure your break and study time. Usually, 20-30 minutes of study and then a 5 minute break is the most effective method. · If you have trouble bringing yourself to study, instead of long uninterrupted sessions, chunk your work into 20 minute periods, taking a 10minute break at the end of every period. · Make sure that you structure the chunks logically so that you're not breaking up concepts across chunks, as this

ject, do not be afraid to call a friend and ask for help. If your friends cannot help, ask a tutor for help. · If you have time before your exam and find that you're not understanding material, ask if your teacher will go over it with you.

Preparing Yourself for Test Day Get plenty of rest the night before Children in elementary school (in the UK, primary school) require on average 10-11 hours of sleep for optimal performance.

Adolescents, on the other

doctor prescribed you a stimulant to take at a specific time, take it at that time regardless of when you fall asleep, and ask your doctor before changing anything.) Such substances reduce the efficiency of sleep, meaning that even with sufficient sleep time, you may not feel well rested upon waking.

Eat a healthy, light meal Eat a balanced breakfast full of lean protein, vegetables, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants. A sample breakfast might include a spinach omelet with smoked salmon, whole wheat toast, and a banana.

Bring a snack If your exam is a long one, bring a snack with you if you're permitted to do so. Something with some complex carbohydrates and protein, such as a whole-wheat peanut butter sandwich or even a granola bar, will help boost your concentration when it begins to flag.

Get to the exam room with time to spare Give yourself at least five or 10 minutes to gather your thoughts before starting the exam. This way, you can get settled in and have time to relax before the test starts.

Do the questions you know first If you don't know the answer to the question, do the next one and come back to it at the end.

Struggling and concentrating on a question you don't know the answer to can be time consuming, which makes you lose valuable marks.

Make flashcards If you have a grammar test or English, its good to make flashcards to remember definitions of a word. You can take it to school and just flip through them before your exams start.

NATION

DIBRUGARH, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER26

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PETA asks Centre not to Party, family united, says SP supremo Mulayam lift ban on Jallikattu New Delhi, Oct 25: Amid reports that the Centre is planning to allow popular bull taming sport 'Jallikattu', animal rights body PETA today said that the ban should not be withdrawn and that it will hold a protest at Jantar Mantar tomorrow.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)India said that two giant inflatable bulls will run beside PETA supporters in a "bloodless Jallikattu" to protest the government's reported intention to lift the ban on such bull races and bullfights.

"India must not turn back the clock and allow bulls to be tormented and killed.

The world is watching and hoping that the government of India will do the right thing by keeping these dangerous and cruel spectacles illegal," said

PETA India Chief Executive Officer Poorva Joshipura.

PETA India said that there are reports that the Environment Ministry plans to amend The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, to allow these cruel spectacles despite Supreme Court banning them.

The animal rights body said that the court's 2014 ruling stated that cruelty is inherent in these events, as bulls are not anatomically suited for such activities and making them participate, causing them unnecessary pain and suffering.

However, on January 7, 2016, the Environment Ministry attempted to overturn the ban through a Gazette notification. The notification was later challenged by PETA India and other animal-protection groups, and it was stayed by the court, meaning Jallikattu and similar events cannot currently

be held.

The final hearing of the case is expected to take place on November 9, PETA India said in a statement.

PETA India has documented that terrified bulls are often deliberately given substances like alcohol in order to disorient them and that their tails twisted and bitten.

They are also stabbed and jabbed with sickles, spears, knives, or sticks and are punched, jumped on, and dragged to the ground while three bulls even died during Jallikattu events in 2014.

"When Jallikattu was permitted in the past, hundreds of human participants were injured each year and many were killed. Between 2010 and 2014, approximately 1,100 injuries to humans were reported by the media as a result of cruel and dangerous Jallikattu-type events and 17 people died - including a child," it said. (PTI)

Lucknow, Oct 25 : Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav today insisted that the "party and family are united" but remained evasive on whether Shivpal Yadav will be reinstated in the Akhilesh Yadav Cabinet. Amid a deep divide in the party and the family, Mulayam, flanked by party's state unit chief Shivpal Yadav and three other sacked ministers addressed a press conference here where CM Akhilesh was conspicuous by his absence.

To send out a message, he said that SP had come to power in 2012 because of him only and still Akhilesh was made the Chief Minister. He however, ruled out becoming the Chief Minister with Assembly elections barely

few months away.

"My entire life is devoted for the welfare of the people and he will continue to work for them," he added.

Mulayam strongly defended party MP Amar Singh, who is being blamed by the Akhilesh faction for the problems in the family, asking "why to drag him in all this"?

"My family and party are united. All workers are united.

There are some conspirators, who do not have any mass base," Mulayam told hurriedly convened press conferences.

"There is not 'matbhed' (difference) or 'manbhed' (ill feelings) among our leaders," Yadav said.

Asked whether Shivpal and other sacked ministers would then be reinstated in

BJP distances itself from Yashwant-led team's meet with Syed Ali Shah Geelani

Seven schoolkids killed, 15 injured as bus falls into canal in Punjab According to the police, there was no railing on the narrow bridge from which the bus fell.

The bus lost control on a narrow bridge.

Amritsar, Oct 25: Seven students were killed and 15 injured after a DAV Public School bus fell into a canal near Amritsar Tuesday. The bus driver, owner and the school management were booked after students and parents alleged that rash driving led to the accident.

According to the police, there was no railing on the narrow bridge from which the bus fell. Also, the bus was packed beyond its capacity: 35 children were travelling on the vehicle that had a capacity of 20.

Most of the children were aged between 7 and 15 years, the police said.

The police identified the deceased as Gurmanpreet Kaur (5), Robanpreet Kaur (8), Sehajdeep Kaur (10), Yuvraj Singh (8) of Muhawa village and Sehaj Preet Singh (7) Anshpreet Kaur (5), Jasmin Kaur (10) of Tibbi village. Sehajdeep and Yuvraj were siblings, the police said. A team of divers came from Phillaur

near Ludhiana to help in searching for the bodies. All the bodies were recovered, the police said.

The bus had started from the DAV school, Nesta, around 1 pm. The police said some of the students claimed that the driver, Satnam Singh, was a new recruit and had only joined duty on Monday. They told the police that he was driving rashly and lost control over the bus on the narrow bridge. He fled the spot after the accident, the police said.

Amritsar Deputy Commissioner Varun Roojan reached the spot after the accident.

Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) leader and market committee chairman Hardev Singh Lali alleged that he had written many times to the authorities to widen the bridge and repair the railing, but that his requests had gone unheeded.

"We have booked the bus driver, Satnam Singh, based on the statements of some

students and their parents.

Preliminary investigation indicates he was driving rashly. Also, there was no railing on the bridge. We have also booked bus owner Tarsem Kumar Bawa of Attari. School management has been also booked for the accident," said Senior Superintendent of Police (Amritsar rural) Harkamal Preet Singh Khakh.

Despite repeated attempts to contact them, no one from the school management was reachable for comment.

According to the students, the bus was stuck on the broken railing for around two minutes. This gave some time for some of the students to help others get out of the bus before it fell into the canal, they said.

The Punjab government has announced a compensation of Rs 11 lakh each to the families of the deceased and also promised free treatment of the injured. The injured students were admitted to hospitals in the area.

Expressing sorrow over the incident, Harman Singh Sidhu, president of NGO ArriveSAFE, alleged that the state government was "adopting a casual attitude towards such incidents." He cited a report released by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, according to which narrow bridges led to 81 deaths in Punjab and 155 in Haryana in 2015.

UDF stages walkout over policepoliticians-mafia nexus in Kerala Thiruvanathapuram, Oct 25: The Congress-led UDF Opposition today staged a walkout in the Kerala Assembly after its demand for discussing alleged "goonspolice-politicians nexus" in the state was rejected.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said a special police team would probe into the charges, but Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan disallowed a discussion on the issue, following which the Opposition members staged a walkout.

Replying to a notice seeking an adjournment motion on the increase in the number of cases involving 'political' goons intimidating people, Vijayan said the government viewed the matter "very seriously".

"There is a section of people who indulge in extortion racket," he said asserting that the government would not give protection to those people just because they side with a particular party.

He was referring to the charge of P T Thomas (Congress), who moved the no-

tice for the motion, that some of the goons were getting the support of certain CPI-M leaders in Kochi.

Stating that the government was committed to taking stern action against mafia groups indulging in organised crime and extortion, Vijayan said, "The LDF is ready to probe the issue by a special police team."

A total of 87 persons had been charged under the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act 2007 after the LDF government came to power, he said.

"There is no politics in this.

The government's aim is to ensure protection to citizens," he said.

The Chief Minister also rejected the charge of UDF that the law and order in the state had collapsed.

On the Opposition's demand for the transfer of Central Range IG S Sreejith for his alleged links with goons, Vijayan said "evidence is necessary for that."

The Opposition also brought to the notice of the House the alleged threatening and intimidation of a

woman by a group of "antisocial elements" as well as an attack on a used car showroom in Kochi recently.

Thomas alleged that goons had the support of local CPIM leaders and also a section of police.

Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala alleged that "quotation groups" were using the name of ruling CPI-M and so police were unable to act effectively. Quotation groups are the 'Supari' gangs in the state who are paid to extort, kill, intimidate or recover.

Indian Union Muslim League leader (IUML) and former minister P K Kunhalikutty said the government should take stern action against police officials who misuse their power.

"Effort is there to intimidate people by naming them as terrorists," he said.

Calling for stern action against terrorism, he said "Campaigns by some religious outfits are also on to attract youths to terrorism.

(Agencies)

Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

New Delhi, Oct 25: BJP Tuesday distanced itself from the meeting between Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and a delegation led by its leader Yashwant Sinha, saying the party has nothing to do with it.

"It is not a BJP delegation.

BJP has nothing to do with this," its National Secretary Shrikant Sharma said.

A five-member civil society delegation led by the former Union Minister Tuesday met Geelani amid continuing volatile situation in the valley.

Some media outlets have

said that it is a BJP delegation which is absolutely wrong, Sharma said, adding Sinha too maintained that he took up the enterprise in his personal capacity. The other members of the delegation are Wajahat Habibullah, the former chairman of National Commission for Minorities, Kapil Kak, former Air Vice-Marshal, journalist Bharat Bhushan and Sushoba Barve of Centre for Dialogue and Reconciliation.

They plan to meet other separatist leaders too.

(PTI)

Rajnath speaks to Odisha CM after forces killed 24 Maoists New Delhi, Oct 25: Home Minister Rajnath Singh today took stock of the situation along the OdishaAndhra Pradesh border where 24 Maoists were gunned down by security forces in a fierce gunbattle.

Singh, who is in Bahrain, called up Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who apprised him about the incident and the prevailing situation in the state.

The Home Minister assured the Chief Minister of providing all central assistance in its fight against the Naxals, official sources

said.

At least 24 Maoists, including their top leaders, were gunned down in a fierce gun-battle with security forces in Odisha's Malkangiri district on the border withAndhra Pradesh yesterday, giving a major blow to the ultras.

A commando of the elite anti-Naxal force, Greyhounds of Andhra Pradesh was also killed, while another commando was injured in the encounter that took place in the cut-off area of remote Chitrakonda on AndhraOdisha border. (Agencies)

Zambian student commits suicide Ahmedabad, Oct 25: A Zambian student allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself at an apartment here, police said today.

Mulaiya Zuka Syakavuba (20), a Bachelor of Arts student, was found hanging at her home in Nilima Park Society where she lived alone, on Sunday night, they said.

"Syakavuba was a thirdyear student of St Xavier's College of Gujarat University. Her body was found hanging from the ceiling of her apartment," inspector of University police station A S Bariya said.

A neighbour of the girl informed the police about

the incident yesterday.

He said the reason behind suicide is unclear as no suicide note was found from her possession.

"We have scanned her mobile phone. She was constantly in touch with a boy whose number is saved in her mobile phone as 'Sugar'. We have filed a case of accidental death but have not been able to ascertain the reason behind the extreme step," he said.

The body of the deceased has been kept in a cold storage at V S Hospital here and the Zambian High Commission in New Delhi has been informed, Bariya said. (Agencies)

A file photo for representation purpose. the Akhilesh cabinet, he said, "I leave this to CM.... You ask him why he made them ministers and why he sacked them."

Appearing cautious while replying to a questions, Mulayam said, "I will not make any single controversial statement.

Whatever you may ask."

To a question whether he would take over the reins of the state from his son Akhilesh, the SP supremo said, "Why will I consider it now when Assembly elections are just few months away."

He said Model Code of Con-

duct will come into force in November or December and government will not be able to work freely.

When asked about son Akhilesh Yadav's reservations against Amar Singh, Mulayam said, "Why do you drag him into all this?"

Sacked ministers Om Prakash Singh, Narad Rai and Sayeda Shadab Fatima were also present, besides tainted minister Gayatri Prajapati.

On Brother Ramgopal Yadav's statement, Mulayam said, "I do not give him any importance now." About party Chief ministerial candidate for 2017, Malayam said, "Ours is a democratic party. First let us get majority and then elected representatives will select their CM. (PTI)

Union Cabinet nod soon for AP spl financial package: Chowdary Hyderabad, Oct 25: Union Cabinet would soon approve the special financial package announced last month for Andhra Pradesh, Union Minister of State for Science and Technology, Y S Chowdary said today.

"The Centre will be giving the Cabinet approval as a guarantee soon. The TDP (ruling party in Andhra Pradesh) will always push for the best interests of the State, and Telugu people," he told PTI in an interview.

He was asked whether the TDP is pushing for getting legislative guarantee or legal status to the package announced by the Centre.

The financial package announced by the Centre on September 7includes full funding of Polavaram irrigation project, tax concessions and a special assistance.

Leaders of the ruling TDP have said they will make efforts to get some sort of a guarantee from the Centre for the implementation of the package, which was announced as a substitute for the special category status (SCS) promised to AP by the previous UPA government following the bifurcation of undivided AP. The SCS, promised to Seemandhra (new Andhra Pradesh) on the floor of parliament by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, has become an emotional issue in the state with the opposition parties in particular forcefully demanding that the NDA government keep up the promise.

YSR Congress president and opposition leader Y S Jaganmohan Reddy held a meeting in Kurnool district to voice the demand for SCS. Actor-turned-politician and Janasena party

founder Pawan Kalyan had also been pushing the case for SCS. Top BJP leaders, including Arun Jaitley and Venkaiah Naidu, who are now in government, had also demanded according SCS to Andhra Pradesh during the previous UPA regime.

The Centre would "100 per cent" announce a special railway zone at Visakhapatnam "soon", Chowdary, a representative of TDP in the NDA government, said.

"Yes, 100 per cent. We will have a railway zone in Visakhapatnam soon.

Our leader N Chandrababu Naidu has emphasised enough times and we have no doubt.

With the Railway Minister (Suresh Prabhu) being an MP (Rajya Sabha member) from Andhra Pradesh, we need have no worries.

In fact, Suresh Prabhuji has already announced several projects for AP with the belief of our NDA government that Railways can and should become the backbone for economic development," he said.

Chowdary is a key interlocutor with the top NDA leaders on behalf of the TDP in realising the benefits promised to Andhra Pradesh.

The NDA government would continue to support AP in various spheres like infrastructure development and industrial promotion till it becomes a leading state again, he said.

"The Centre is constantly creating and modifying policies and creating a mood conducive for industrial investment and growth. The state too is taking initiatives for rapid development, creation of jobs, infrastructure building and enhancing ease of doing business.

As an ally and partner, we have a friendly ear in the Centre, and they will readily support and continue doing so till AP becomes a leading state again," he said.

Noting that the special package announced by the Centre "far exceeds" SCS, Chowdary hit out at Opposition parties for "spreading lies and misinformation."

"Opposition parties have a single-line job description today - criticise the government; including when it is doing good work, and for justifying that they spread lies and misinformation. They must know that they will remain in opposition for many terms - be it at the Centre or in state of Andhra Pradesh.

"We have already elaborated in a series of public and media interactions that nomenclature aside, the Special Package offered by the Central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for AP far exceeds the possible benefits that would have come from Special Category Status.

Consider Polavaram, which is Independent India's first 100 per cent Centrally-funded State irrigation cum drinking water and power projects - which is greater than the 90 pc promised in Parliament by the-then Congress government," he said.

Andhra Pradesh, under the leadership of a visionary Chief Minister like N Chandrababu Naidu, would become a frontline state in terms of development in a decade, he said.

"People are looking forward to the benefits to reach them and our State, led by a visionary leader like N Chandrababu Naidu, will achieve foremost status in the country within a decade," Chowdary said. (PTI)

Pakistan violates ceasefire in J-K's Naushera sector, India hits back Srinagar, Oct 25: Pakistan has violated ceasefire yet again by resorting to unprovoked firing in Naushera sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district. This is the second violation in Naushera in 3 days.

in shelling. The Indian Army retaliated appropriately.

"The shelling and firing in the Naushera sector began at 8.30 p.m. on Monday night and continued till 1.30 a.m. today (Tuesday)," defence sources said.

The firing that went on from 8.30 pm last evening to about 1.30 late in the night witnessed Pakistan forces use small arms, automatics and 82 mm mortars

"They used 82 mm mortars and automatics. No damage or casualties were reported," they added.

There have been no reports of any casualties to

HIGHLIGHTS Pakistan violates ceasefire in J-K's Naushera sector, 2nd violation in 3 days.

Pakistan forces used small arms, automatics and 82 mm mortars in shelling.

In the firing that went on for about 5 hours till 1.30 am, India responded appropriately. our troops till reports last came in. (Agencies)

DIBRUGARH, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26

P11

13 Simple Vastu Tips for Home HAVE A NAMEPLATE OUTSIDE YOUR DOOR

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS! Home is where the heart is... goes the saying and it holds true for all of us. Be it at the end of a long day or early in the morning, we look forward to being at our own home. An individual's home is where one seeks comfort,

solace and good memories with family. Because our home is so important to, we are always worried about saving it from the evil eyes or negative e n e rg i e s s u r r o u n d i n g us.

There is a science behind the idea of having a nameplate outside one's door. Vastu experts advise people to place a nameplate outside their home. This

indicates ownership of the house and it works in the favour of the owners as it helps trace positivity and good opportunities back to you.

second best option. However, make sure your gas stove is placed in the southeast direction.

LEMON DRIVES AWAY NEGATIVE ENERGY To shoo away negative energy, place a lemon in a glass of water. This water

SALT ABSORBS NEGATIVE ENERGY

DON'T KEEP MEDICINES IN KITCHEN Proof your kitchen against all evils. You can do so by keeping medicines away from the kitchen. This is

PLACE HOLY WATER IN HOUSE

In the dark, unused corners of the house, place holy Ganga jal. This needs to change every weekly. Placing holy water helps the inflow of positive energy.

because a kitchen indicates health and happiness, and medicines indicate otherwise.

Light lamps, diyas and incense at home each evening and morning.

This acts as a cleanser, shooing away the negativity or any evil eye.

sure to the sole of the foot."

Flats, including ballet flats and flip flops, may not be the solution either. "They don't have an arch support and you don't get the shock absorption," explains Dr. Hansraj.

2. Halter Tops That cute strap "pulls the neck forward," says Dr. Hansraj. "This is especially true for women with larger breasts, who will be putting additional stress on their necks." He suggests a strapless bra for extra support.

3. Heavy Necklaces "Statement jewelry typically pulls you into poor posture," cautions Hansraj, who recommends only wearing large necklaces for short periods of time, or even better: "Protect your-

in your neck. Thicker straps can help distribute the weight better, but Dr. Hansraj cautions, "Think it through. Do you really need everything thrown in there?

Those pounds cause almost immediate neck pain that is completely preventable."

And the American Chiropractic Association has a good rule-of-thumb: Make sure the weight of your bag is no more than 10% of your body weight.

8. Purses with One Strap Slinging a bag on one shoulder causes an imbalance of weight on the spine - and does it enough, you could have uneven muscles and joints. "The person carrying the bag will hike one shoulder to subconsciously guard against the weight, holding

Salt is a healer. In this case, placing salt bowls in the corners of the house helps to absorb all the negative energy

needs to be changed every Saturday. This must be done religiously each week.

for? We sized up your closet for the worst offenders.

1. High Heels Well, duh. But do you know why? Heels change the body's stance. "There's a mismatch - women can feel amazing wearing high heels but it's not that great for them," says Dr. Kenneth Hansraj, chief of spine surgery at New York Spine Surgery & Rehabilitation Medicine. When you walk in them, you lose heel strike (having your heel hit the ground first), which tilts the pelvis, sticks out the buttocks, and stresses the lower back with very step.

Though this creates a visually slimming effect, he adds, "the spine becomes hyper-arched - and the end of it can even be pinched, causing sciatica." He recommends commuting in a supportive sneaker - and only wearing heels for a special occasions or occasional workdays.

It's not just the height of your heel, either. Dr. Amy Harmening of the Illinois Back Institute warns patients to "avoid" the narrow stiletto, which causes instability and pressure. Instead, she recommends a wedge: "The surface area is increased and therefore, improves stability ‌ and doesn't apply so much pres-

self by maintaining good posture - keep your ears above your shoulder and your angel wings pulled back - when you have them on."

4. Pencil Skirts This office go-to brings the knees together and restricts movement, straining the back. "Over time, this will eventually cause damage that could lead to disc or muscle problems, which are quite painful," warns Dr. Hansraj.

5. Skinny Jeans Skintight denim is another constricting trend. Not all skinnies are bad, just those that are so tight that they restrict your knees, hips, and thighs. "This will unavoidably change the way the body moves while walking," Hansraj explains, which "will place an added stress on joints resulting from the decreased shock absorption." In plain English, painted on jeans are bad.

6. Skimpy Bras Thin straps may look sexy, but they may not be providing enough support. Instead of spreading out across the surface of your shoulder, the pressure concentrates on one spot, which pulls down the shoulders and causes pain.

7. Heavy Bags Carrying too much can, unsurprisingly, cause a crick

the other shoulder immobile," Dr. Richard Brassard, a former president of the American Chiropractic Association, explains on the organization's website. "This results in the unnatural counterbalance movement of one shoulder and little control over the movements of the arms and legs. Even worse, the spine curves toward the shoulder." Alternating sides frequently or wearing a backpack is a better bet.

9. Shapewear First, shape wear can be great for your back, says Hansraj. "Spanx and other shape wear, appropriately sized, are good because they engage your core and you start to use those muscles more and more." But most women size down to appear even smaller, which is a bad move. "When they're constricting, you lose range of motion of the various pelvic muscles and then you start to put more stresses to the lower back," he says.

Fortunately, it takes a long time to do permanent damage. "Most forms of back pain can be helped," says Dr. Hansraj. "When you start to employ smarter strategies and get a few treatments like massages, hot packs, and physical therapy, you get better faster." So don your heels for a date night - and then treat yourself to a day at the spa.

Use wind chimes as the tinkling bells help to break negative energy patterns and help the positive energy to flow easily.

MEDITATE FREQUENTYL

Clear your mind. To do so, meditate for at least 15-20 minutes in a day. Chanting mantras also helps calm the mind.

A clear mind can help do wonders. Plus, they are known to infuse positivity and good energy in the surroundings.

MIRRORS IN BEDROOM

There should not be any mirrors in the bedroom. If you already have a dressing table or a wardrobe mirror, you need to cover it with a curtain while

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know why your feet are hurting after a day of wearing stilettos. But those must-have pumps may also be damaging your back and they might not be the only fashion saboteur in your wardrobe.

Any clothing or shoes that change your range of motion or your body's shape (think tight, stiff or constricting) can harm your spine because they strain your back, neck, and shoulders. And since back pain is the leading cause of disability in Americans under 45 years old, according to the American Academy of Pain Medicine, you might want to rethink some of your sartorial choices.

Not sure what to watch out

WIND CHIMES IN HOUSE

PLACEMENT OF KITCHEN

Build your kitchen in the south-east corner of the house. If not possible then, the north-west corner is the

LIGHT LAMPS AND DIYAS

9 Things You Wear That Are Really Killing Your Back

sleeping. Also, make sure the mirror is kept away from the bed. According to Vastu, it leads to ill health and family discords.

USE HOLY SYMBOL OF SWASTIK Swastik is the symbol for wealth and prosperity. It is auspicious to use Swastik symbols in house. On the outer side of your main door, draw holy symbols of Swastik and OM.

PERFORM PUJA IN HOUSE To maintain the peace and happiness of your home it is important that you perform the Navagraha puja and

Ganesh puja at least once in three years.

This helps to do away with the Vastu dosha from the house.

KEEP THE RIGHT PICTURE FRAME Picture frames that depict tragedy, war, anger or have an eagle or an owl are not good for a home. They in-

vite trouble and are inauspicious. If you have these in your house, remove them immediately.

The 5 Weirdest Things That Turn Women On, According to Science The question of what women want has been baffling people for years. Many books, papers, irate blogs, pick-up artist seminars, films, art, and music have been devoted to this pressing topic, each one seeming to contradict the last.

If we are to believe men's magazines, women want men to dip their penises into a jar of Nutella. If we are to believe women's magazines, women want to fellate donuts. If we are to believe fan fiction (erotica involving characters from books, TV and movies), which is primarily written by women, women want to see Severus Snape from Harry Potter get it on with a Teletubby.

Predictably, science has stepped in to provide some more concrete answers than those involving pastries or fuzzy aliens. The following studies set out to discover what turns women on. The

results will definitely surprise you.

1. Everything, but a naked male. In Meredith Chivers' famous study on the subject of female desire, women were hooked up to a plethysmograph (which measures vaginal blood flow and lubrication) and shown a variety of porn clips, including sex between men and women, women and women, men and men, a ripped naked man walking along a beach, and a pair of bonobos mating. The women, both straight and lesbian, were turned on by just about all of it, What didn't turn women on was the muscled naked man.* When Chivers tried a similar experiment on men, they responded in predictable patterns: Straight men's arousal soared when women were onscreen, and not much at all when men were onscreen. Gay men had the opposite re-

sponse, and neither male group responded at all to the apes. While being turned on by apes is not exactly something women can brag about at cocktail parties, Chivers' study shows that women respond to a much wider array of stimuli than they were aware of. It also proves that the stereotype of women needing emotional connection and established intimacy to be turned on is not the case after all.

Naked men of the world, don't

despair! When women were shown a naked man who had an erection, they were turned on. It turns out that a flaccid penis doesn't do much for the lady libido, regardless of how hot the rest of the man is.

2. Ten-day-old beards. A study published in Evolution and Human Behavior in April of this year found that straight women are more attracted to men with beards, specifically 10-day stubble and full beards.

Researchers from the Univer-

sity of New South Wales had both men and women rate the attractiveness of different facial hair growth (cleanshaven, five-day stubble, 10day stubble, full beards).

While the men gave higher ratings for the clean-shaven look, women rated clean-shaven faces as the least attractive.

However, no photos were shown of men with the upturned mustaches of Victorian-era oil barons, so we can't be totally sure the smooth face is losing this war. Researchers also found that women perceived full-bearded men to be better and more protective fathers. So there you have it.

Science shaves the day once more.

3. The names James, Jack and Ryan. What's in a name? A lot, it seems. Richard Wiseman conducted what he called "The Name Experiment," which he presented at the 2008 Edinburgh International Sci-

ence Festival. Wiseman surveyed more than 6,000 people in order to find out what names people in the UK most associate with success, luck and attractiveness.

Women found Ryan to be the most attractive name, followed by James and Jack.

James was also deemed most successful, which perhaps explains why it took us so long to get over the crippling rejection of our high school boyfriend. The least attractive names were Peter, Thomas and George. For women, men found the names Sophie, Rachel and Olivia to be the babeliest, and Helen, Jane and Ann to be the least. Wiseman also points out that "Women shared strong opinions about names, whereas men are more even-handed."

4. Gasoline, leather, printer ink. Take this "study" with a large grain of salt, or if you're a man, a large dab of baby oil.

A survey by soap company Daz involving 2,000 participants determined that British women are turned on by the smell of leather, gasoline, paint, and printer ink (?), while men are turned on by the scent of lipstick, baby lotion or a roast dinner.

While the erotic potential of printer ink has been thoroughly documented (PUT IT IN MY TRAY), we have no idea how the soap company supposedly came to these conclusions. It seems like, from the items mentioned, these "researchers" were just trying to get women high in a really ineffective manner. "Here, inhale some gasoline. It's for science."

5. Not penile thrusting. A 1984 study on the erotic sensitivity of the vagina, conducted by a team of Colombian researchers, paid 16 prostitutes and 32 feminists (who were unpaid) and manually stimulated their

vaginal walls in a lab. Heli Alzate, a physician and professor of sexology, provided the "frictioning" to the sex workers and Mari Ladi LondoĂąo, a psychotherapist, jerked off the feminists. Their results showed that more than three-fourths of the prostitutes had an orgasm, compared with only one in eight feminists*.

While this appears to be a setup for every feminist joke in existence (ending in "that's not funny"), the researchers weren't studying who gets off easiest.

They were trying to determine whether penile thrusting is an effective way to bring about orgasm. Surprise! It's not.

Though it does appear that getting jerked off by a strange man is easier if you're a sex worker, and hence, probably somewhat used to it.

cmyk

cmyk

DIBRUGARH, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26

P12 First HI 5-a-side Senior National Championships from tomorrow Pune, Oct 25: The 1st Hockey India five-a-side Senior National Championship 2016 (Men and Women) will be held at the Shiv Chattrapati Sports Complex in Balewadi from tomorrow.

This explosive short format for field hockey played on a half-regulation size hockey pitch, is seen as an innovative format for the future development and growth of the sport worldwide.

The objective of Hockey 5's is to allow flexibility so that it can be played on any surface, on different sized pitches.

The format differs from field hockey in some key areas. The size of the court is 38.5m x 22.5m.

The game is split into three periods of 10 minutes, with a three minute break between the periods. Every team is allowed a total of 9 players which includes one goal keeper.

Players cannot hit the ball, and instead have to push, scoop or flick it to move it around.

Hosted by Hockey Maharashtra, the championship will have eight teams including Association of Indian Universities, Hockey Haryana, Hockey Odisha, Hockey Jharkhand, Hockey Maharashtra, Hockey Karnataka, Hockey Punjab and Uttar Pradesh Hockey.

Several veteran players as well as future stars are going to turn out for the event for their various teams. Some of the key players in the Men's tournament are, Nithin Thimmaiah and Pradhan Somanna (Hockey Karnataka), Yuvraj Walmiki, Vikram Pillay, Adrian D'Souza and Amit Gowda (Hockey Maharashtra), Pankaj Kumar Rajak and Nilam Sanjeep Xess (Hockey Odisha), Harpal Singh, Bharat and Mandeep Antil (Hockey Haryana).

In the women's side JWC 2013 bronze medallist Sanarik Chanu will be playing for Hockey Maharashtra. (PTI)

Yasir Shah spins Pakistan to series- India v New Zealand, 4th ODI, clinching Test win against Windies Ranchi: Hardik looks upto Virat Dubai, Oct 25:Leg-spinner Yasir Shah took six second-innings wickets in Pakistan's crushing 133run second Test win over West Indies in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday as they took an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

This is Pakistan's 10th consecutive win in international matches.

The wily spinner finished with 6-124 to secure his second ten-wicket haul in Test cricket after claiming four wickets in the first innings as West Indies were bowled out for 322 before tea on a weary fifth and final day pitch at Sheikh Zayed Stadium.

Shah had deprived West Indian batsman Jermaine Blackwood his second Test hundred when he bowled him for 95 in the pre-lunch session.

West Indies, set a mammoth 456-run target for an unlikely victory, still fought hard and batted for 108 overs with Shai Hope also scoring a fighting 41.

Hope and Devendra Bishoo fought for 45 runs during their eighth-wicket stand before left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar (2-51) had Hope and Bishoo (26) caught to fin-

Yasir Shah celebrates after taking the wicket of Windies batsman.

ish the match.

In between Babar's wickets, Shah had Miguel Cummins bowled for nought to finish the match with figures of 10-210, having taken 4-86 in the first innings.

Pakistan won the first Test by 56 runs in Dubai, leaving the third and final Test in Sharjah starting from Sunday inconsequential.

Captain Misbah-ul-Haq showed delight at the series win.

"It's a good win and I am very happy," said Misbah, who equalled Imran Khan's record of most matches as Pakistan captain with 48.

But this is Misbah's 23rd victory while Imran had only 14.

"The pitch was not helping the spinners so it was tough to get West Indies out even on a fifth day pitch but we have matchwinners like Shah who bowled very well."

Meanwhile, West Indian captain Jason Holder was pleased with his team's fight despite the defeat.

"We've showed signs of improvement," said Holder who has now lost eight of his 11 Tests as captain.

"Unfortunately we weren't able to start the game the way we like.

They scored too many runs on the first day, we didn't bat well in the first innings. Pleased with the guys like Blackwood, the way they showed application."

Blackwood defied Pakistan's spin-cum-pace attack in the first session

by adding 63 for the fifth wicket with Roston Chase (20) and another 57 with Hope for the sixth to counter the weary pitch.

When it seemed Blackwood would complete his second Test hundred, Shah produced a beautiful delivery which kept straight and hit the batsman's pad, dislodging the stumps.

Blackwood hit 11 boundaries during his enterprising 127-ball stay.

Shah then trapped Jason Holder leg before for 16 to complete his fivewicket haul, the second in the series.

Resuming at 171-4 West Indian pair Blackwood and Chase batted without any problems for the first nine overs, but in the tenth of the day Shah produced a sharp turning ball which took the edge off Chase's bat to wicket-keeper Sarfraz Ahmed for an easy catch.

Pakistan took the second new ball with the score on 223-5 but Blackwood hit two boundaries in Sohail Khan's first over.

Shah then took two more wickets to derail West Indies' fight.(Agencies)

Saqlain Mushtaq hired as spin consultant for England's tour of India London, Oct 25: The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has appointed former Pakistan off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq as a spin consultant to the national cricket team for its upcoming tour of India.

Saqlain will reach India on November 1 and remain with the English team for 15 days, helping them prepare for a Test series, which is expected to be played on spin friendly pitches. The five-Test series is starting on November 9.

"I have been entrusted the task of helping the English spinners prepare for the series in India where normally pitches help the spinners," he said.

"I will also be giving tips to the English batsmen on how to counter the Indian

The off-spinner toured India in 1999 with the Pakistan team and shone with ball in the Test matches to help his team win in Chennai and Kolkata with a bagful of wickets

spinners on their home pitches. It should be a challenging assignment," Saqlain added.

The off-spinner toured India in 1999 with the Pakistan team and shone with ball in the Test matches to help his team win in Chennai and Kolkata with a bagful of wickets.

"I am hopeful my advice will be helpful the England players in India," he said.

Ads by ZINC Saqlain, who is based in the United Kingdom, said he had no concerns over travelling to India despite the ongoing tensions between the two countries.

"I am not expecting any

negative reaction in India to my presence there," he said.

Saqlain, now a British national, said he didn't expect any problems in India since he would be part of the touring contingent, which would be given foolproof security in India.

Credited with inventing the "Doosra" delivery, Saqlain has worked as spin consultant with the West Indies, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and England teams in the past.

Ironically he has never got a permanent coaching assignment from the Pakistan Cricket Board.

Last year also Saqlain had worked with the England team during its series against Pakistan in the UAE and faced taunts of traitor from some quarters. (PTI)

2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup: Malaysia may 'take a October 6-28, draw on July 7 break' from hosting F1 HIGHLIGHTS The mega event set to run from October 6-28 It is the biggest ever football tournament allotted to India The FIFA team gave its official approval for 2017 World Cup to D.Y Patil Stadium as host for matches in Navi Mumbai.

Kolkata, Oct 25: The FIFA under-17 World Cup in 2017, which will be held in India, officially has six venues now after the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata was ratified by the FIFA delegation after an inspection on Tuesday.

The other five venues that had been ratified before Kolkata are Kochi, Mumbai, Goa, New Delhi and Guwahati.

At the same time, competitions department head of FIFA, Marion MayerVorfelder, announced at a

press meet here after the inspection that the tournament will be held from October 6 to October 28, 2017. The draw for the event will be held on July 7 next year.

"Massive work has been done since the last inspection. That gives a very good feeling. This stadium in Kolkata can be one of the best in the country," said Mayer-Vorfelder.

Javier Ceppi, the tournament director, said: "We are very happy with the work done in spite of few

Kochi, Navi Mumbai, Goa and New Delhi had already got FIFA's nod constraints. Regarding whether Kolkata can host the final, it will be decided only after a review of the venues following completion of all the works that need to be done."

The state sports minister, Aroop Biswas, who was present at the post-inspection media interaction assured all co-operation from the state government and said that all work at the Salt Lake Stadium will be over by January 31, 2017. (Agencies)

Kuala Lumpur, Oct 25: Malaysia may scrap the Formula One Grand Prix race after its contract ends in 2018 given the event's failure to spur economic benefits for the country, sports officials said today.

High costs combined with falling ticket sales and TV viewership have dented returns, according to officials, who are due to meet later this week to discuss the future of the race.

"The locals are not buying the tickets to watch F1," Razlan Razali, the chief executive of Sepang International Circuit (SIC) where the races are held told AFP. "If there is no economic value, why should we continue. We better take a temporary break."

Razlan said the huge circuit can accommodate 120,000 fans but this year's spectator figures for the weekend race were only around 45,000, compounded by poor race-day TV ratings.

Hosting F1 was "very expensive... It runs into millions of dollars," he added.

In comments on Twitter ear-

lier, Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said competition from other venues outside of Malaysia was also taking its toll and the number of foreign tourists attending the race was dwindling.

"When we first hosted the F1 it was a big deal. First in Asia outside Japan. Now so many venues. No first mover advantage. Not a novelty."

"F1 ticket sales declining, TV viewership down. Foreign visitors down b/c (because) can choose Singapore, China, Middle East. Returns are not as big."

"I think we should stop hosting the F1. At least for a while. Cost too high, returns limited."

Malaysia's Sepang International Circuit hosted its first Grand Prix in 1999, making it one of the oldest in the region.

State energy firm Petronas, which is the title sponsor and backs the championship leading Mercedes team, has been badly hit financially due to volatile oil prices, which along with other commodities have also battered Malaysia's growth prospects. (Agencies)

and Dhoni for 'inspiration'

HIGHLIGHTS Dhoni looks to have regained his destructive form after promoting him to number four.

Pandya said it's exciting time for Team India.

Pandya is enjoying Dhoni's approach to batsmanship after the skipper promoted himself up the order.

Ranchi, Oct 25: He believes that his game thrives well in pressure situations and Hardik Pandya does not have to look too far as he has both Mahendra Singh Dhoni andVirat Kohli for "inspiration."

"There's a lot to learn when both (Kohli and Dhoni) of them bat. Their batting, running between wickets inspire us. It's at another level. It's fun to watch them bat together," Pandya paid glowing tributes to his seniors on the eve of their fourth ODI against New Zealand in Ranchi.

A 151-run match-winning partnership between Dhoni (80) and Kohli (154 not out) set up their sevenwicket win in Mohali as India will look to seal the issue in the five-match rubber at the Jharkhand State Cricket Association Stadium Complex on Wednesday.

Dhoni looks to have regained his destructive form after promoting him to number four and Pandya said it's exciting time for Team India.

"It shows positive intent. I enjoyed his (Dhoni) bat-

ting. As batsman, whatever number I bat at, we should play according to situation.

It's a job for everyone. It gives us confidence for someone who bats lower down the order. It's pretty good."

While he is enjoying Dhoni's approach to batsmanship after the skipper promoted himself up the order, the young allrounder is game about batting at any No which the team management wants him to.

"I'm pretty ready for everything, whatever overs I get."

Pandya returned with impressive 3/31 in India's sixwicket win against New Zealand in Dharamasala to be adjudged man-of-thematch in his debut ODI. The youngster said he's fitter and stronger now.

"I was putting the same effort but I've worked a bit more on my fitness. I'm stronger now."

Pandya nearly pulled off a thrilling chase but went out for 36 from 32 balls after being done in by Trent Boult in angled short delivery in the second ODI in

Delhi.

"Well I've played that shot before, it was just not my day. I will try not repeat that and learn from mistakes and experience certainly plays a key role."

Asked whether the team was affected by over dependency on Kohli, he said: "When Virat is in full flow, it boosts the confidence. He is a high impact player, so obviously it creates pressure when he gets out cheaply and the team has to start building (the innings) again. Generally, he scores for the team. But as a cricketer, we are ready for any situation."

Pandya further hailed Kedar Jadhav, for giving important breakthroughs with his part-time off-spin.

"It helps a lot; coming as sixth bowler he's certainly making a difference. Winning is important but we are taking match by match and not thinking too far ahead on the result of the series."

"New Zealand is a dangerous side in limited overs.

We will have to adjust according to the situation."

(PTI)

Saina Nehwal to skip IOC Athletes Commission meeting New Delhi, Oct 25: India's top shuttler Saina Nehwal will not be able to attend International Olympics Committee's Athletes Commission meeting next month as she will be preparing for super series tournaments in China and Hong Kong.

Saina, who was appointed by the IOC President Thomas Bach as its Athletes Commission member last month, has written to the Indian Olympic Committee to convey to the IOC her inability to attend the meeting of the prestigious body.

"I have been invited to attend very important maiden IOC athletes Commissionmeeting at Lausanne from 6-11 Nov. 2016 but I am not joining there because of my earlier commitments to Play in China and Hong Kong coinciding the prestigious meeting. If any feedback related to our subject, may please apprise me so that it may be conveyed to IOC," Saina said in the letter addressed to IOA Secretary General Rajeev Mehta.

China Super Series Premier will be held from November 15-20 and Hong Kong Open Super Series from November 22-27.

Saina Nehwal Saina, who won a bronze in women's single in the 2012 London Olympics, said she was proud to have been made a member of the IOC's Athletes Commission.

"It is my proud privilege to write that I was appointed as IOC Athletes Commission Member by President IOC, Thomas Bach and I will be working in Athletes commission with Ms Angela Ruggiero the Chair IOC Athletes Commission.

I am glad to be associated with Olympics IOC Athletes Commission," she said.

Regarding the role she wants to play as member of the IOC Athletes Commission, she said, "I am from India, a badminton

player where a lot is to be done for the promotion of Olympics particularly for women, though during this year the share of women at RiO 2016 Olympics was cent percent for India. P V Sindhu (silver), Sakshi Malik (bronze) in wrestling and Deepa's performance in gymnasts are the landmarks in this chapter of Olympics."

In a rare honour for an Indian sportsperson, Saina was appointed as a member of the IOC Athletes Commission last week.

The Commission is chaired

by American ice hockey Olympian Angela Ruggiero and comprises nine vice presidents and 10 other members. (PTI)

Griezmann beats Messi and Ronaldo to Liga award Madrid, Oct 25: Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann has been named La Liga player of the season for 2015/16, ahead of the likes of star duo Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Atletico's Diego Simeone also took the coach of the season award while

Barcelona's Uruguay striker Luis Suarez was named the top non-EU player.

Curiously, though, Barca's Argentina international Messi was recognised as the best forward at the award ceremony in Valencia yesterday.

Atletico dominated the

awards as Jan Oblak was best goalkeeper, Diego Godin top defender and Frenchman Griezmann also claimed the fans' award.

(Agencies) Real Madrid weren't left empty-handed, though, as Luka Modric was named best midfielder.

(Agencies)

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