The Observer Vol 20 Issue 16

The Observer An IIJNM publication

Under-staffed Covid-19 checkpoint at Meghalaya border causes delay to people coming home | P3

Vol 20, Issue 16

Saturday, May 1, 2021

Their colleagues continue to be insensitive

By Upasana Banerjee

Airport shops get fewer footfalls, see dip in sales

T

he second wave of the Coronavirus pandemic has hit the sales of airport retails shops, leading to a fall in revenue, reports Abhishek Saini.

Despite the airports witnessing a large number of passengers, most stores have seen reduced footfall as commuters avoid visiting fearing the virus.

This loss of revenue has impacted employees of these stores, who are having to work the same shifts at reduced salaries. A lot of them have also lost their jobs.

Yashwanth Kumar, who works as a customer service associate with Hamleys at Bengalur’s Kempegowda International Airport, informed The Observer: “No one can deny that the second wave has impacted our sales. There has been at least a 40-50% drop in our sales over the last few days.”

Full story on page 2

Despite SC decriminalizing same-sex relationships, LGBTQ community is still looked down upon at workspaces | Courtesy: Amanda Burbridge their workplace. Colleagues refuse to recognize their sexual identity, crack jokes, play pranks and comment on what they should or shouldn’t wear. Bullying in schools and colleges has led to such workplace behaviour.

Zoya Khan (name changed), who is recognized as “they/them” said: “People look down upon me

@theweeklyobserver Epaper:https://issuu.com/ theweeklyobserver/docs Website: http://www. theweeklyobserver.in

Covid-19 lockdown affects Ramzan celebrations in Bengaluru for a second consecutive year | P4

LGBTQ community has no law to protect its workplace rights

Bengaluru: Employees from the LGBTQ community receive no legal protection from their employers in case of discrimination meted out on them by their colleagues in the company.

Soumitra Iyer, a recruiter at BXC Technology, informed The Observer: “We are not aware of any anti-discriminatory laws for LGBTQ employees. We do not have such recruitment policy.”

Despite the Supreme Court decriminalizing same-sex relationships, people from the LGBTQ community are still looked down upon at their workspaces. There is a lack of sensitivity and respect for different gender identities.

Employees from the community face harassment and a dismissive attitude from people in around

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as if I don’t belong here. They don’t appreciate us for the kind of work we do, but (look at) what our sexual preferences are.”

Discrimination is manifested in hierarchy in workplaces.

The Indian Constitution forbids anybody from discriminating on the basis of gender, though it specifically does not talk about

people of different sexual orientation, and LGBTQ community.

Unlike transgenders, who are protected under the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, there is no statute for people of other sexual identity.

They can only go to court by referring to previous cases like the Justice Puttuswamy versus the Union of India verdict of 2017.

Vidhusi Manoraj, Programme Manager at Pride Circle, said: “Earlier the situation was worse, but with time corporate firms are trying to be more inclusive and supportive than before. They should understand data protection of employees from the LGBTQ community is vital.”

However, a lot of workplaces — mainly multinational corporations — have started taking the initiative by holding sensitization programmes and encouraging hiring diverse employees.

Organizations like Pride Circle and Humsafar Trust are working to make workplaces more inclusive and anti-discriminatory.

Continued on page 4

News Briefs BSY launches vax drive for people above 18 yrs

Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Saturday inaugurated a vaccination drive for people above 18 years of age at Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital in Bengaluru. He said the government is leaving no stone unturned to ensure availability of sufficient stocks of vaccine. To facilitate treatment of Covid-19 patients, 4,000 ICU beds will be set up in Bengaluru on a war footing.

‘Oxygen on Wheels’ to tackle Maharashtra crisis

In the wake of an acute oxygen shortage in Maharashtra due to the rising number of Covid-19 cases, Mahindra group chairman Anand Mahindra on Saturday rolled out an “Oxygen on Wheels” project to ease the transportation of oxygen from producing plants to hospitals and homes.

Unicef sends 3,000 oxygen concentrators to India The UN children’s agency has sent critical life-saving supplies, including 3,000 oxygen concentrators, diagnostic tests and other equipment to help India combat the second wave of the pandemic.

The Unicef is continuing to support the Indian government in the acceleration of its national vaccine rollout to equitably reach all population groups.

Govt nets Rs 1.41 lakh cr GST in April, a record

The gross Goods & Services T revenue collected in April was Rs 141,384 crore, touching the highest level since its introduction, the government said on Saturday.

Despite the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic affecting several parts of the country, Indian businesses have once again shown remarkable resilience by not only filing requirements but by also paying their GST dues in a timely manner.

Nirav Modi seeks nod to challenge extradition Fugitive diamond dealer Nirav Modi, who is wanted in India for allegedly defrauding the Punjab National Bank out of an estimated $2 billion, has sought permission to appeal in the United Kingdom High Court against his extradition to India.

BUSINESS

2

The Observer Saturday, May 1, 2021

Airport retail stores see drop in sales

Eateries hit too; staff working on reduced salaries

By Abhishek Saini Bengaluru: Right opposite boarding gate 30 of the Kempegowda International Airport is a brightly lit merchandise store called WK Life London. Despite a variety of goods on offer, stacked neatly across long white shelves, the store has been struggling to make its ends meet.

“Sales have dipped massively in the past 10-12 days. We are failing to meet our monthly sales targets,” said Raghu M.G., a sales executive at the store .

WK Life London is one out of many airport retail stores that have seen their revenue plummet due to the second wave of Covid19 pandemic that has hit India.

Yashwanth Kumar, who works as a customer service associate with Hamleys toy store at KIA, informed The Observer: “No one can deny that the second wave has impacted our sales. There has been at least a 40-50% drop in our sales over the last few days.”

The situation is similar at eateries at airports across India.

Devender Singh, who works as a cashier at Café Buzz at the Chandigarh International Airport, feels that a reduced fre-

People believe that retail stores don’t take the required precautions to fight the virus. Retail stores at airports are now banking on the vaccination drive to restore footfalls to their shops | Courtesy: Piara Dhadwar quency of flights is impacting business at his shop.

“We get limited flights at Chandigarh now. The ones that come have low occupancy, so naturally the sales will fall. I don’t know how long we can continue like this,” Singh said.

Owing to the loss in revenue, many people working for these retail stores have lost the jobs.

“From May 2020 to February 2021, business was good. But currently we’re suffering. We have

less manpower now,” said Anil Kumar Mohanty who works as a personal shopper at Bengaluru Airport's Shoppers Stop.

The store’s average daily earnings have dropped from Rs 17 lakh per day to Rs 4-5 lakh per day in the last one month, Anil Kumar Mohanty added.

“Luckily, neither me nor the other employees has been fired, but we are getting reduced pay for our shifts,” Singh from Café Buzz shared with The Observer.

To avoid getting stuck in lockdowns, most passengers travel in a hurry to return to their hometowns. Therefore they don’t get time to visit retail stores. This has been the main reason for the decrease in footfalls.

“I’m here because I need to rush back home. I just want to reach as soon as possible,” said Tushar Yadav, a passenger waiting at the Bengaluru Airport.

Some people believe that the retail stores at airports flout

Amid pandemic, small sports goods retailers find it tough to compete against big players

By Padmini Dhruvaraj Bengaluru: Small sports retail stores are struggling to stay in business against sports giants amid the economic slump created by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Kiran Kumar, owner of Sugam Sports in Vasanthapura, Banashankari Stage V, said: “Our revenue largely depends on the daily walk-ins. The second lockdown has hit us harder than the first one. We should be allowed to open for at least a couple of hours in the evenings. Unlike big companies, we don’t have enough manpower to provide home delivery servicses to customers.”

In recent years, India’s sporting industry has seen a shift from being a one sports nation to a multi-sport viewing nation.

Arun Karumbaiah, owner of Twenty Twenty Sports on M.G. Road, said: “Now, we have IPL, the UEFA Euro League, NBA and the 2021 Olympics. This is our peak season, but we are unable to utilize its benefits.”

The pandemic has changed the way people shop. People now prefer to shop online rather than visit brick-and-mortar stores.

Vrushank Kumar, a basketball player, said: “During the pandemic, online shopping is the best option. I get to choose from different brands of various price ranges

Indian sports goods manufacturers like Shiv-Naresh are finding it difficult to compete with international brands. | Courtesy: Kiran Kumar and get it delivered at home. This way my exposure to Covid-19 virus will be minimal.”

While small businesses are hanging by the thread, sports giants like Decathlon, Puma, Adidas and Nike have a different pandemic tale to tell.

“Since Decathlon opened an outlet on Brigade Road, my business has gradually slumped. Earlier, their presence was mainly on the highways; now they have also entered the city,” Karumbaiah informed The Observer.

Over the years, sports clubs and sports enthusiasts have shifted to Decathlon citing low

prices, easy exchange and good quality of products.

Adith K.P., a football enthusiast, said: “I like shopping at Decathlon because of their quality apparels. Their one-year warranty policy helps us with easy exchange in any Decathlon store across the world.”

Sports clubs, schools and corporates are being wooed by Decathlon partnership deals.

Sandhya Manjunath, CEO of Awaken The Sports Man In You, said: “We buy bulk sports equipment from Decathlon as it is costeffective and better in quality. We also get sports a sponsorship.”

People who manage sports grounds say tie-ups with Decathlon have increased their booking slots. An employee of Dribble Arena, a mini football court in Uttarahalli, shared: “We have a business tie-up with Decathlon. They conduct and sponsor events here. In return, we help them in advertising.”

Ripin P.K., a former employee of Decathlon Sports India, said their strategy is to have lowerend pricing for consumers who prefer value for money to brand names. This appeals to people of different age groups.

Decathlon, which opened its first store in India in 2009, now has 70 stores spread across the country. Generally, Decathlon stores are much larger than other smaller sports goods shops.

In India, the company sells more than 500 products related to 70 sporting disciplines. In contrast, most other retailers sell cricket and football goods.

Smaller Indian sports goods manufacturers like Nivia, Costco and Shiv-Naresh are finding it difficult to compete with the international brands.

Small retailers that sell Indian brands say they should be supported by the government and given a push with the help of the Make in India policy. padmini.d@iijnm.org

guidelines and don’t take precautions to fight the virus Bikram Mandal, a passenger waiting at KIA to board a flight to Kolkata, said: “I don’t trust these stores with safety. I can see many sales agents in these stores who do not wear their masks properly.

Who can guarantee that they follow other protocols properly?”

The pandemic also has brought a change in the customer profiling for retail stores.

“We see less corporate employees and businessmen these days.

These types of customers don’t bother about the price of a product. But now, when more students and young adults are travelling, the price of a product makes a huge difference,” Mohanty from Shoppers Stop said.

Retail stores at airports are now banking on the thrid phase of the vaccination drive to restore footfalls to their shops.

Saadab Kesar, team leader of WH Smith at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, said: “All 53 employees in our team have got two doses of Covaxin. If people think that they are safe from the virus, then they might shopw with us.”

With the Bengaluru International Airport Authority Limited planning to inoculate KIA staff starting May 1, retail stores hope that adhering to safety guidelines and marketing customer safety would bring back their revenues. abhishek.s@iijnm.org

Quiz 1. In which state, the government has launched the Corona Warriors Scheme, in April 2021?

2. The Kerala government has slashed the price of RT-PCR tests to Rs 500 from how many rupees at all private laboratories in the state, in April?

3. Which state has decided to set up dedicate oxygen war rooms at the district and state levels to meet the increasing demands?

4. JSW Steel will commence supplies of how many tonnes per day of Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) from 30 April 2021?

5. Deepak Trivedi passed away in April 2021, due to Covid related complication. He was the Chairman of the IAS Association of which state?

6. When was the name of the Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindivi islands changed to Lakshadweep by an Act of Parliament in?

7. Which membrane-bound cell organelle, containing digestive enzymes are known as the suicidal bags present in cells?

8.Which is the only vowel that is not used as the first letter in the name of a state in the United States of America?

9. Who is the youngest person ever to be appointed as the Prime Minister of United Kingdom?

10. In 1975, Britain held its first ever referandum. On what subject was this referendum held in Britain?

Answers on page 4

COVID IMPACT

The Observer Saturday, May 1, 2021

Returnees to Meghalaya tired of long wait for Covid-19 test Have to await their turn in sweltering heat

By Queeneerich K Shillong: A shortage of staff at the Covid-19 testing checkpoint at Umling, Shillong, is leading to a long wait, and causing stress to the returnees.

An intern at the Christian Medical College, Vellore, who did not want to be named informed The Observer: “It is quite taxing to wait for hours for a one-minute Covid test after travelling on a three-hour flight. The authority concerned needs to address the issue as there is only one person to collect samples.”

Checkpoints help in controlling the spread of the virus, the intern added, but its functioning lacks efficiency as waiting hours are very long. More testing centres should be created with enough working staff. The government should exempt students from paying for their Covid test.

A majority of travellers waiting for the test are Meghalaya’s students and workers. The returnees are irritated by the long wait. They have to wait inside their cars in the sweltering summer heat until their turn comes.

The Observer saw passengers sneak past the Umling checkpoint to avoid taking the test. The movement of these individuals is not being recorded properly, posing a threat of Covid-19 spreading in the state.

Words of the day 1. Dross: Something that is base, trivial, or inferior 2. Clandestine: Marked by, held in, or conducted with secrecy : surreptitious 3. Amicable: Characterized by friendly goodwill : peaceable 4. Fustian: Pompous or pretentious speech or writing.

5. Rococo: Excessively ornate or intricate 6. Herald: To greet especially with enthusiasm 7. Epicure: One with sensitive and discriminating tastes especially in food or wine 8. Pertain: To belong as an attribute, feature, or function 9. Esoteric: Designed for or understood by those with specific knowledge or training, difficult to understand 10. Quisling: One who commits treason : traitor, collaborator

Weather Partly cloudy Min Temp 21°C Max Temp 30°C Precipitation: 1% Humidity: 49% Wind: 8 km/h

Umling, Meghalaya, has opened an entry/exit point to control the infiltration of Covid-19 cases in the state | Credit: Queeneerich K As reported in The Times of India, Meghalaya deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong inaugurated the much-awaited fac ilitation centre (entry-exit point) at Umling, Ri-Bhoi district, on December 21, 2020.

Tynsong said similar facilities would be developed in other parts of the state. “Similar infrastructure is coming up in the next few months at Rattacherra in Jaintia Hills and Bajengdoba in Garo Hills.” The state government would ensure that the facilitation centres follow the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act, he added.

Buhari Rynjah, a tourist car driver, said: “Waiting for long hours for a Covid test is a great loss for me and other drivers as

we can make only one trip a day.

Before this testing centre, passengers only had to show a negative Covid report and register on the Meghalaya Covid website while entering the state. That was faster and easier.”

The Meghalaya health department has agreed to lower the prices of Covid-19 tests. RT-PCR test and Cartridge Based Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (CBNAAT), which earlier cost Rs 1,000, will now be priced at Rs 500. The Rapid Antigen Test, which previously cost Rs 500, will now cost Rs 250, reported East Mojo, a digital news platform.

Ranald Wahlang, the tourist officer at the Umling centre, said: “The main challenge we are facing now is the lack of cooperation

from the public. This disrupts the workflow. Also, due to an increase in the number of citizens coming back to the state, there is a delay in the test reports. Hence, the samples collected are being sent to the Nongpoh PHC and the Pasteur Institute.”

The Umling covid test centre tests around 600-800 Meghalaya returnees every day.

UNI reported that on April 25 confusion reigned at the Umling entry point with understaffed workers working 12-hour shifts in the middle of a relentless deluge of stressed returnees waiting for registration and Covid tests.

The Umling entry point is one of Meghalaya’s busiest entry points, with just 25 workers employed round the clock. People must wait for hours before reaching their homes.

On March 22, Meghalaya health minister A.L. Hek said extra precautionary steps are being taken to combat the second surge of Covid-19. “The condition would not necessitate the use of lockdown. There has been no such judgment. Covid-19 protocols will be followed indefinitely. We keep reminding the public not to be complacent and adhere to the Standard Operating Procedures.”

As of April 29, Meghalaya had confirmed two deaths due to Covid-19 in the previous 24 hours, taking the total number of deaths in the state to 169. During the past 24 hours, the state registered 187 new Covid positive cases, taking the state’s total number of active cases to 1,531. queeneerich.k@iijnm.org

DURING THE PANDEMIC, 1,000 KG OF BIOMEDICAL WASTE GENERATED AT KIA DAILY With the Kempegowda International Airport witnessing an influx of passengers who are returning home to avoid getting stuck in a lockdown, the Bengaluru International Airport Authority Limited (BIAL) seems prepared to handle the disposal of biomedical waste that will be left at the airport. Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, flyers have been asked to wear masks, face shields, gloves and PPE kits to curb the spread of the virus at airports.

This has led to a pile-up of biomedical waste that needs to be disposed of properly. In 2020, during the festive rush, used PPE were found strewn on the airport, posing a health hazard for all passengers and staff. In an attempt to reduce PPE waste, BIAL is managing the disposal of biowaste in a scientific manner, as stipulated by the Government. Thus, BIAL has placed 139 bio-waste bins of different sizes to collect an estimated 800-1,000 kg of biomedical waste on a daily basis. A BIAL press statement has urged passengers to use the biowaste bins to dispose of their PPEs | Credit: Abhishek Saini

3 Citizen’s voice Calls for help on social media don’t cause harm Cases have been lodged against people for making posts on social media asking for assistance on ICU beds, oxygen and essential medicines. The Centre and the state governments should understand that this is a humanitarian crisis. If people don’t stand beside each other, then who will?

Posts seeking help on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter do not harm or offend; they are made out of desperation. Free speech is the right of Indians, the citizens of a democratic country.

Upasana Banerjee

Media houses have blood on their hands

The media, the fourth pillar of democracy, have forgotten principles and ethics. An organization that is supposed to amplify the voices of the marginalized cannot stop itself from flashing exit polls on their channels. The Madras High Court was right in saying that the Election Commission has blood on its hands. Media also have blood on their hands.

Puran Choudhury

Social media have been a ray of hope

It’s been well over a year that we have lived in a time of uncertainty. It’s appalling to see the second most populated country crumble due to the failure of governments. But social media have acted as a ray of hope in this difficult time. People collate information and resources on social media to lend a helping hand to the needy. An end to the fight against the virus is undetermined, but the eventual victory of humankind is certain.

Akshara Suresh

Unplanned vaccination drive for the young

The Centre opened a vaccination drive for people over the age of 18 from May 1. But the reality has hit the young population hard: The states don’t have vaccines for them. What has the government planned to step up vaccination?

Baranjot Kaur

Censorship required for citizen journalism

Citizen journalists have the authority to freely publish all content. When posted on social media sites and blogs, such uncensored content can be harmful since it can promote hate and discrimination.

Queeneerick K

Working from home affects mental health

Another lockdown has forced people to work from home. While companies are more than happy to not have their employees in their office, working from home has created a negative impacted on the employees’ mental health.

It has led people to work constantly, sometimes 24/7. One loses sense of time and is unable to differentiate between work and family time. Companies need to stop taking advantage of the pandemic and the lockdown.

Puran Choudhury

CITY

4

The Observer Saturday, May 1, 2021

Lockdown dampens the Ramzan spirit With eateries shut, foodies miss their favourite fare in Fraser Town, Shivajinagar

Bengaluru: A deafening silence welcomes visitors to the pre viously smoky, crowded roads in Fraser Town and Shivajinagar where people jostled with each other and the Bangalore traffic to find the perfect food stall during Ramzan.

Farhat Atchia, who works for a digital media company, informed The Observer: “I miss the food stalls on Mosque Road. Malpua and halwa puri are my favourites, but for past two Ramzans, I couldn’t get any of these.”

Bengalureans are missing the festive atmosphere as they are staying indoors, and because most shops are shut, in the wake of a two-week lockdown imposed by the state government due to the second wave of Covid-19.

Ramzan celebration has been affected for the second time since the pandemic started.

Abul Khair, an HR assistant in Amazon’s sales department, said: “It’s the same as last time. It is our most favourite and beloved time of the year. Our celebration and enjoyment are limited.”

Street food stalls in the Fraser Town have remained closed since last year. Owners of brick-andmortar restaurants say they are incurring losses. The situation is worsened by people not

Twitteratti Talk @B.S. Yeddiyurappa To facilitate treatment of Covid19 patients, 4000 ICU beds will be set up in Bengaluru on a war footing. 500 ICU beds in each of the 8 BBMP zones will augment the healthcare infrastructure and reduce the caseload on existing hospitals.

@N. Ram

India Covid SOS is surely familiar with WHO’s advice “against the use of remdesivir in hospitalized patients, regardless of disease severity, as there is currently no evidence that remdesivir improves survival and other outcomes in these patients.”

@Shashi Tharoor

The British rulers went hunting (for game) while Indians were suffering & dying in famines that they mismanaged. The BJP rulers went hunting (for votes) while Indians were suffering & dying from #Covid that they mismanaged.

@RanaAyyub

At least some institutions in this country continue to have a strong spine. Madras High Court to the Election Commission of India : You are responsible for the Covid 19 surge in India, should be charged with murder.

We’ve been asked to shut down the shop completely... because of the name ‘Chai’. They think chai is not essential, but chai is only part of our menu.

- Abdur Rehman, the owner of India Chai

Mosques have been shut in the wake of the lockdown. Prayers and iftar are performed at home | Courtesy: KPN ordering home delivery.

Khalid Ahmed Sharif, the owner of Charminar Kabab Paradise, Mosque Road, said: “Only 20% business is happening since last year. It does not look like Mosque Road anymore. We had to lay off 70% of our staff. And due to the lockdown, 3-4 of our chefs have also gone back home fearing stringent restrictions like last years lockdown. We are unable to offer delivery services of all the items on the menu.”

Food stalls are flocked not only by those observing roza – an act of fasting during Ramzan – but

also by food lovers from other faiths. “We have a special menu only during the Ramzan. A lot of my non-Muslim brothers call me and say they are missing our food,” Sharif added.

In Fraser Town, a few food shops and have been asked to shut down completely, even restricting takeaways.

Abdur Rehman, the owner of India Chai, said: “We’ve been asked to shut down completely by the police and BBMP because of the name ‘Chai’. They think chai is not essential, but chai is only part of our menu. Our revenue is

Our masjids are the centrepiece of our community. Their being shut again saddens us. Every masjid was adhering to social distancing; it was safe enough.

- Abul Khair, an HR assistant in Amazon negative right now.”

Rehman said he is unable to lay off workers as he has to train new employees after the lockdown.

He faced a similar difficult situation last year.

Mosques have been shut in the wake of the lockdown. With clerics advising people to stay home, they are unable to get together for prayers and iftar, a fast-breaking ritual in the evening.

“Our masjids are the centrepiece of our community. Their being shut again saddens us deeply. Every masjid was adhering to social distancing; it was

‘Employers should enforce policies to provide security to all workers’ Continued from page 1

E

xperts from the LGBTQ community say more companies should conduct sensitization workshops and track the progress of such measures. If an individual can’t be who he/she/they are at work, then it impairs productivity. Therefore, there is an economic incentive for firms by allowing such diversification and sensitization.

Arvind Narrain, a founding member of the Alternative Law Forum and an advocate working for LGBTQ rights, said: “We are looking for a law that covers all public spaces because the gap lies in the legal regime. Till that gap is addressed, there is not much one can do about it.

“As adjudicated by Justice Nariman, it is the responsibility of the government to publicize the judgment of Navtej Singh Johar by using the media… that sexual preference is part of one’s dignity and a fundamental right. But the government has done nothing. There is a lot they should have done by now, but didn’t.”

More and more corporate firms are considering hiring employees from the community.

But, according to experts, employers should enforce policies that provide security to all workers irrespective of their gender and sexual preferences,

safe enough,”Khair said.

Rozedars, people who fast during Ramzan, say it’s a relief that essential services are open in the morning.

Ameena Firdose, who works in Amazon’s cloud computing wing, said: “Thankfully, shops are open from 6 to 10am. We can stock up what we want, especially fruits, as it is must for us when we eat breakfast.”

For many, a halt of commercial and industrial activities during the lockdown has also led to financial constraints.

“Ramzan is a time of giving.

With a limited income, it becomes a little difficult to help others,” said Farhat Atchia.

A few Muslim associations in the city are providing essential food and health care services to the poor.

Shamsudeen Koodali, a media spokesperson at the Malabar Muslim Association Office Bangalore, said: “We are providing rice, dates, sugar and other rations to poor people as food fests are not allowed now. We are trying to help in all possible way.”

Ramzan, which is marked by month-long fasting by the faithful, concludes with Eid ul-Fitr (the Festival of Breaking the Fast). Muslims hope the lockdown will ease before Eid. padmini.d@iijnm.org

Quiz Answers 1. New Delhi 2. Rs. 1,700 3. Kerala 4. 1000 tons per day 5. Uttar Pradesh 6. 1973 7.Lysosomes 8. E 9. William Pitt 10. Remaining in the EEC (1975)

By Padmini Dhruvaraj

Across the City Poetry In Gold Art Show At Sublime Galleria 23 Apr, 11 am – 12 May, 8 pm 2020 Oral Storytelling Meetup - Bangalore Storytelling Society Sun, 2 May, 4–6 pm UAV Drone Summer Internship -Sky Aerospace 2021 Thu, 6 – Mon, 10 May Best Machine Learning Training in Bangalore 17 Apr – 8 May

Team Observer

Being oneself in the workplace will increase the diversity and economic productivity in a company | Courtesy: Adrij Basu and punish offenders in case of any harassment.

Section 377 of the IPC is just the base, but it puts forward a

very powerful and resonant voice towards a more inclusive society for the LGBTQ community. upasana.b@iijnm.org

Editor: Padmini Dhruvaraj Copy Editors: Abhishek S., Queeneerich K., Upasana B., Page Editors: Abhishek S., Padmini D Photo Editor: Queeneerich Reporters: Padmini D, Upasana B., Abhishek.S, Queenerich K.