PNS n HYDERABAD

Protesting against the DMDharmadhikari report,employees of the power util-ities on Tuesday obstructedtheir 71 colleagues relieved from AP when theyreached the Vidyut Soudhaon Tuesday to report forduty.

The protesters alleged that"repatriation of AP employ-ees to Telangana was aimedat rendering injustice to thestate". The allotment is notlawful and unjust, they said.

Protesting against the re-port, electricity employeesbegan an indefinite relayhunger strike from Tuesdayonwards.

PNS n HYDERABAD

At least 300 students belong-ing to Telugu states, includ-ing 60 from Andhra Pradesh,are stranded at Kuala Lumpurairport in Malaysia.

These students were ontheir way to India fromPhilippines after their educa-tional institutions declaredholidays in view of theCoronavirus pandemic.According to reports reach-ing here, the Malaysianauthorities are not allowingthem to enter the airport.

Meanwhile, Chief MinisterYS Jaganmohan Reddy hasasked officials to take steps tobring the stranded studentback home safely.

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1st person in US gets trial coronavirus vaccine

GOOD NEWS

New drugs must pass through three iterative phases of clinical trialsPNS n SEATTLE

A healthy volunteer in Seattleis the first person in the U.S. toreceive a dose of an experimen-tal coronavirus vaccine as partof a new clinical trial, govern-ment health officialsannounced on Tuesday.

Over the next six weeks,researchers plan to enroll 45participants in the trial, whichwill test the safety of the vac-cine as well as its ability toinduce an immune response inthe volunteers. The trial willtake place at KaiserPermanente WashingtonHealth Research Institute(KPWHRI) in Seattle.

The National Institute ofAllergy and Infectious Diseases(NIAID) allowed the new vac-cine to be fast-tracked intoclinical trials without thor-ough testing in animal models,which usually stands as a strictprerequisite to human testing.While making the jump tohuman trials could bring thevaccine to market faster, this is

only step one. New drugs must pass

through three iterative phasesof clinical trials before beingdeemed safe and effective forwidespread use. Assuming theinitial tests go well, it may be12 to 18 months before anyvaccine is ready for public use,NIAID Director Dr. AnthonyFauci told the House Oversightand Reform Committee onMarch 12.

"Finding a safe and effective

vaccine to prevent infectionwith SARS-CoV-2 is an urgentpublic health priority," Faucisaid in a NIAID statement,published March 16. "ThisPhase 1 study, launched inrecord speed, is an importantfirst step toward achieving thatgoal."

The new vaccine is a collab-oration between NIAID scien-tists and the biotechnologycompany Moderna Inc., basedin Cambridge, Massachusetts.

China vaccines’clinical trials soon,say officialsBEIJING: Some vaccines for thenovel coronavirus disease(COVID-19) are expected toenter clinical trials as soon aspossible in China, officials saidat a press conference onTuesday. Chinese scientistshave been racing to developCOVID-19 vaccines by fiveapproaches, namely inactivatedvaccines, genetic engineeringsubunit vaccines, adenovirusvector vaccines, nucleic acidvaccines, and vaccines usingattenuated influenza virus asvectors, Xinhua quoted WangJunzhi, an academician with theChinese Academy ofEngineering.

He noted that vaccine safetyhas been a priority in researchand development.

250 Indians in Iran test coronapositive, India cases hit 137PNS n NEW DELHI

Over 250 Indians have testedpositive in Iran, governmentofficials in New Delhi said onTuesday. As of Tuesday, thetotal number of confirmedCOVID-19 cases across Indiastands at 137.

Meanwhile, the ICMR, thegovernment's apex researchbody has recommended thatprivate hospitals should offerCOVID-19 test for free.Currently, the cost of the firststep screening is Rs 1,500 andadditional confirmatory test isRs 3,000.

Tuesday morning the num-ber of cases was 126. The totalnumber of passengers screened

at airports stands at 13,54,858.So far, there have been threefatalities in India.

A helpline email ID forcoronavirus has also been cre-ated by the government:ncov2019@gov.in.

"ICMR, Pune has alreadyplaced orders to augment the

existing stockpile of reagents to1 million tests which would beavailable soon. The WHO hasalso been requested to provideadditional 1 million probes fortesting," said the research body.

The government has alsocome up with a comprehensiveguideline for dead body man-agement after three peopledied because of the deadlyvirus.

"Place the dead body in aleak-proof plastic bodybag.The exterior of the bodybagcan be decontaminated with 1per cent hypochlorite. Thebodybag can be wrapped witha mortuary sheet or sheet pro-vided by the family mem-bers," reads the guideline.

PNS n HYDERABAD

Telangana recorded its fifthCovid-19 positive case onTuesday. The patient is anIndonesian national who hadtoured certain places in thecountry. The other four per-sons who tested Covid-19positive are Indian nationals.

According Health MinisterEtela Rajender, the 58-year-oldfifth patient visited Delhi onMarch 9 and travelled by train.The governments of therespective states have been

alerted about the places he hadvisited as part of his itineraryand used public transport.

The Telangana governmenthas kept 11 people who hadcome along with the patient ata center. Ten of these people areIndonesian nationals and theother one is an Indian fromUttar Pradesh attached tothem. The Minister said:"Except Indonesia patients, Ispoke to all the corona positivepatients and I assured themthat I'll visit them in day or two.

Fifth person testsCovid-19 positive in TS

Health Minister Etela Rajender talking to media persons after a review inHyderabad on Tuesday

Patients have wi-fi facility, want TV

NAVEEN KUMAR n HYDERABAD

In a revolting throwback tothe November 2019 Dishaincident, the naked body ofan unidentified woman, withher face smashed beyondrecognition, was found along

a culvert at Chevella nearHyderabad on Tuesdaymorning.

The police are yet to deter-mine whether the victim wassexually assaulted, thoughher body more many injurymarks.

The spot underneath the culvert where the woman’s body was found in Chevella on Tuesday

TS hospitals asked to hold electivesurgeries to help Covid-19 patientsNAVEENA GHANATE n HYDERABAD

If you have scheduled an elec-tive surgery, it could be can-celed by the hospital authori-ties in view of fresh ordersamid Covid-19 blues.

As Telangana prepares for apossible increase in the num-ber of Covid-19 patients, theDirector of Medical Education(DME), Telangana has calledon hospitals to halt all electivesurgeries. An order issued onTuesday reads, "All the elective

surgeries in all teaching andspecialty hospitals under thecontrol of DME will bestopped from 18-03-2020 till25-03-2020. All regular out-patient services, emergency

surgeries, and emergency ser-vices will continue as usual."

An elective procedure isone that is planned in advance,rather than done in an emer-gency situation. These includehysterectomy, bariatric, vari-cose veins sx, Thyroid sx etc.

This initiative was taken "inview of preparedness forCOVID-19", after a reviewheld by Chief Secretary andSpecial Chief Secretary ofHealth, Medical and FamilyWelfare on Monday.

GHMC seals 66establishmentsFAILURE TO ABIDE BYCOVID-19 ORDERPNS n HYDERABAD

The Greater HyderabadMunicipal Corporation(GHMC) has sealed 66 estab-lishments, including educa-tional institutions, gymnasi-ums as well as bars and pubs,for violating governmentorders to remain shut amidCovid-19 scare.

Notices have been issued toall malls, hyper markets,commercial establishments,etc. directing them to checkvisitors using thermal screen-ing devices and sanitize theareas where there will bemovement of public as manytimes as required. They havebeen asked to provide handgloves, masks, sanitizers, etcto the staff and hand sanitiz-ers to visitors.

Three bar and restaurantsin Serilingampally -Chillis,Smash and Resign sky bar --and K L Restaurant bar inKukatpally have been sealedfor violating governmentorders.

Case against YouTuber‘hubby’ of Lavanya PNS n HYDERABAD

Lavanya Tripathi, a Tollywoodactress, has lodged a complaintwith the Cybercrime Police ofHyderabad against a person,identified as Sunishith, formaking objectionable remarksand defaming her on socialmedia platforms.

In a video uploaded onYouTube, the accused claimedthat he had married her andmade other statements con-tested by the actress.

In her complaint, Lavanyastated that Sunishith,along with someother persons fromthe Telugu filmindustry, madeobjectionable com-ments against herand uploadedthe video.

In thev i d e o ,Sunishitha l s oclaimed that

he and Lavanya secretly got'married' in a hut, but were'separated' later on. His 'wed-ding photos' were taken,though no photos of the 'split'were available, he added.

The actress told police thatSunishith also sent out emailsto her friends and others inmovie circles that he hadmarried her. The emailswith false information were

being circulated on sever-al social media plat-forms.

Based on her com-plaint, the police haveregistered a case.Investigation is on.

People with blood type A vulnerable, O at low riskPreliminary study looked at blood group of patients in China who contracted the diseasePNS n BEIJING

People with blood group 'A'may be more prone to the newcoronavirus (COVID-19)infection while those withblood type 'O' has a lower riskof contracting the deadly virus,a first-of-its-kind study claimedon Tuesday.

Reported by the SouthChina Morning Post (SCMP),

the preliminary study looked atthe blood group of patients inChina who contracted the dis-

ease. Researchers led by WangXinghuan with the Centre forEvidence-Based and

Translational Medicine atZhongnan Hospital of WuhanUniversity looked at bloodgroup patterns of more than2,000 infected patients inWuhan and Shenzhen.

They found that blood typeA patients showed a higher rateof infection and developedmore severe symptoms.

Of 206 patients, 85 had typeA blood -- 63 per cent more

than 52 with type O."People of blood group A

might need particularlystrengthened personal protec-tion to reduce the chance ofinfection," the authors wrote,adding that Sars-CoV-2-infect-ed patients with blood group Amight need to receive morevigilant surveillance andaggressive treatment.

An elective procedureis one that is plannedin advance. Theseinclude hysterectomy,bariatric, varicoseveins sx, thyroid sx etcIn a video uploaded on

YouTube, the accusedclaimed that he hadmarried her and madeother statementscontested by theactress

KAVITHA TO GET LOCALBODIES' MLC TICKETPNS n NIZAMABAD

Former MP of Nizamabadand chairperson of TelanganaJaagruthi KalvakuntlaKavitha is likely to get theTRS MLC ticket from theLocal Bodies' constituencyin Nizamabad. The last datefor filing nominations from

this constituency is Thursday.So, it is expected that a for-mal announcement in thisregard may be made onWednesday.

Although there is no officialword yet, speculations are rifethat Kavitha would be nomi-nated for this seat.

Of 206patients, 85had type Ablood -- 63 percent more than52 with type O

2

2

2 2 2

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RAILWAY PLATFORM TICKET TOCOST RS 50, COURTESY COVID-19

The head of Israel's shadowy Shin Bet internal security service said onTuesday that his agency received Cabinet approval overnight to start

deploying its counter-terrorism tech measures to help curb the spreadof the Coronavirus in Israel. While Nadav Argaman acknowledged thatusing the agency's capabilities on sickIsraeli citizens deviates from ShinBet's typical operations againstPalestinian militants, he said the goalwas still in line with its overall missionof “saving lives.”

LAS VEGAS GRINDS TO HALT ASCASINOS CLOSE OVER VIRUSSlot machines switched off, blackjack tables deserted... several of the

biggest casinos in Las Vegas shut their doors Tuesday to tackle thespread of the new coronavirus. The sweeping closures deal a heavyblow to tourists and gamblers — and many of the city's vulnerablecontract workers. The virus claimed its first victim in Nevada onMonday, with a death reported in Clark County, whichencompasses the Las Vegas Strip, a street packed withworld-famous hotels and casinos. US authoritieshave recommended that mass events with 10 ormore people be canceled, MGM Resorts said.

Joe Biden has won the Democratic primary in Washington state, USmedia have projected, in another boost for the frontr-

unner who is hoping to build an insurmountable leadover rival Bernie Sanders. After most of the votes werecounted on Monday night, NBC and the New YorkTimes called the result -- a narrow victory for Biden,who is up against Sanders for the chance to chal-lenge President Donald Trump in November. Theysaid that Biden had won 37.9 percent of the vote,with Sanders close behind with 36.4 per cent.

BIDEN WINS WASHINGTON STATEDEMOCRATIC PRIMARY: US MEDIA

SPYING ON VIRUS: ISRAEL SECRETSERVICE TO TRACK PATIENTS

As a way to restrict congregation of public at railway stations in thecontext of the accelerating spread of Covid-19, the

SCR, like other railway zones, has increased the priceof platform ticket with effect from Tuesday midnight.This is purely to discourage non-essential visitto railway stations, say railway authorities. Therevised price of platform ticket at major railwaystations and at all Suburban Stations will beRs 50, while at small stations, it will be Rs20 until 31" March 2020.

‘Will explaineverything aftertaking oath’

5

VW warns of ‘very difficult’ year

8

Jagan’sreactionto SEC’saction posesquestions

2

PINPOINT

Unidentified woman’s bodyfound under culvert in TS

300 Telugustudents strandedin Malaysia

17 power staffrelieved by APblocked in TS

HYDERABADWEATHER

Current Weather ConditionsUpdated March 17, 2020 5:00 PM

ALMANACTODAY

Month & Paksham:Phalguna & Krishna PakshaPanchangam:Tithi: Dashami: 04:25 am (Next Day) Nakshatram: Purva Ashadha: 01:01 pmTime to Avoid: (Bad time to start

any important work)Rahukalam: 12:24 pm – 01:53 pmYamagandam: 07:54 am – 09:24 amVarjyam: 09:37 pm – 11:20 pmGulika: 10:54 am - 12:24 pmGood Time: (to start any important

work)Amritakalam: 07:58 am – 09:39 amAbhijit Muhurtham: NIL

Forecast: Mostly sunnyTemp: 36/22Humidity: 35%Sunrise: 06.21Sunset: 06.26

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Th erecentdevel-

opments on thepolitical front in

A n d h r aPradesh, vis-a-visthe decision to post-

pone the local bodyelections by the State ElectionCommissioner, and the reac-tion to this decision by the rul-ing party, give birth to somequestions that are crucial to ademocratic setup.

Should the ruling party’swish prevail over public safe-ty? Can democratic institu-tions work at their own discre-tion or act according to thediktats of the ruling party?

When State ElectionCommissioner NimmagaddaRamesh Kumar announcedhis decision to postpone thelocal body elections, ostensiblywith a view to combat thespread of Coronavirus, YSRCPpresident YS JaganmohanReddy saw it as a plot to savethe main Opposition theignominy of defeat. He levelleda slew of allegations against theSEC, including one alluding tohis caste.

Generally, the system acts asper the powers bestowed bythe Statute.

The same system is con-trolled by persons with politi-cal power that has beenbestowed upon them by thepeople who are supposed to bethe real rulers in a democracy.Those in power invariably beginto believe that this power allowsthem a completely free hand,and strongly desire that every-body falls in line and carries outtheir wishes. Jagan too appearsto be thinking similarly; heundoubtedly believes that peo-ple are very much with him andwants to prove this by baggingthe maximum number of seatsin the local body elections.

In other words, he wants torepeat his party’s performanceof 2019, when the YSRCP cre-ated history by securing 86 percent (151 of the 175) seats inthe Assembly.

Jagan’s wish of a grand vic-tory in local body polls wascommunicated to party cadre

well in advance, and responsi-bilities fixed on local leaders toachieve this goal.

Naturally, the YSRCP cadrewas enthusiastic, waiting tofulfil their responsibilities.Creating an atmosphere whereelections were unanimous insome places led to resentmentamong the TDP, the Jana Senaand Left parties.

The bid to get a ‘unanimous’result in Macherla town ofGuntur district led to acrimo-nious scenes in which func-tionaries of the oppositionwere allegedly subjected toharassment and even violence.

While the Macherla 'result'

came in handy for Jagan toshow the credibility his partyenjoys in local bodies to showthat his party proved itsstrength even before pollingtook place. Similarly, in the2006 municipal elections, thethen ruling party, the Congressbagged all the 20 seats in Tunimunicipal council leaving theopposition TDP red-faced.

The then Chief Minister YSRajasekhara Reddy often men-tioned this on the floor ofundivided AP Assembly andthis gloating left the Tuni leg-islator and YanamalaRamakrishnudu embarrassed.

YSR quite enjoyed seeing

the pale face of Yanamalawhen he said that there was noplace for the opposition inTuni municipality.

Now, Jagan is keen to makethe most number of local bod-ies free of the TDP and hasdrawn up a plan to achieve thisgoal. However, the means toachieve this goal has comeunder scrutiny, as has the apa-thy of the police in containingacrimonious scenes that

unfolded at many places. Thisultimately drew the attentionof the SEC and witnessed arare instance of the entireelection process being post-poned in one go.

While the SEC’s decisionwas rare, the reaction of Jaganto this was also not somethingthat is seen often.

Jagan crossed all tradition-al barriers by finding fault withthe SEC for the unexpectedand unilateral stoppage ofelections without consultingthe state government.Transferring police officers,including IPS officers, too hasbecome an indigestible matterfor the government. This liter-ally made Jagan questionwhether he was the ChiefMinister of the state or not.Jagan’s outburst paved the wayfor some spicy discussion inpolitical circles.

Inability to digest the deci-sions of Constitutional bodieslike the Election Commissionis common for democratical-

ly-elected rulers and is not newfor Jagan's family also. Duringthe 2009 Assembly elections,the EC had transferred thenDGP SSP Yadav for ‘derelictionof duties’ and appointed AKMohanty in his place.

YSR was quite unhappywith the decision but main-tained silence. YSR reappoint-ed Yadav in the same post afterretaining power, despite verygood performance byMohanty.

As Chief Minister, Jagantried hard to paint his politi-cal bête noire Naidu as astumbling block in the devel-opment of state by holdinghim responsible for the possi-ble loss of nearly Rs 5,000 croredue to non-completion of theelection process by March-end,the deadline set by 14thFinance Commission.

Sensing that Jagan canderive considerable politicalmileage from this kind ofaccusation, Naidu began dam-age control. He is going to

town, saying that the stategovernment should pursuethe issue with the FinanceCommission and citing hisown experience in such a sit-uation.

Caste is another issue thatrocked political circles acrossthe state in this high level tus-sle. Unlike his predecessors,Jagan lost his cool by attribut-ing caste to the SEC’s decisionto postpone the polls.

The TDP supremo deniedthe allegation that RameshKumar's appointment wasconfirmed during his tenure,saying that the SEC was not hischoice but of the thenGovernor ESL Narasimhan.

While Jagan may have hisown views on the postpone-ment of local body polls,directly attacking the SEC andhis caste, his appointment tothe post etc appear to be an ill-thought out move on his part.Enjoying absolute dominancein his party, there is no one tocriticise Jagan.

M D RATNA KUMAR Senior Journalist

Those in power invariably begin tobelieve that this power allows them acompletely free hand, and stronglydesire that everybody falls in line andcarries out their wishes. Jagan tooappears to be thinking similarly

Jagan’s reaction to SEC’s action poses questionsPIN

POINT

PNS n HYDERABAD

The Telangana State TractorDealers' Association hasexpressed concern over farm-ers worrying about the govern-ment BS-IV rule regardingtractors, BS-IV category vehi-cles, as scrap if they are not reg-istered by March 31.

Association president andsecretary VV Rajendra Prasadand PS Sekhar on Monday saidthat the BS-VI category appliesto only two and three wheel-ers of M and N category of theMotor Vehicles' Act and trac-tors do not come under itspurview.

Rajendra Prasad urgedChief Minister KChandrasekhar Rao to give anopportunity to register tractorstill September 30 as Article115(A) of the MV Act does notapply to tractors, equipment of

construction sector, powertillers and harvesters. TheKarnataka Government onMarch 10 declared that tractorsdo not come under BS-IV cat-egory. This is also clearly men-tioned in state TransportDepartment's booklet, theysaid. The deadline to get reg-istered vehicles that do notcome under Article 115purview is not March 31, butSeptember 30. Rajendra Prasadurged the Chief Minister tointervene in the matter to pro-vide an opportunity to gettractors registered on or beforeSeptember 30.

Rural parts see increase ininquiries about coronavirusPV KONDAL RAOn WARANGAL

Inquiries about the symptomsof coronavirus increased andthe out patients visiting the pri-mary and community healthcentres in all the district ruralTelangana districts have start-ed knowing about the prob-lems confronted by the patientscomplaining fevers, cold andcough. Doctors in certainPrimary health centres areconducting awareness cam-paigns to the patients visitingthe local remedy units. Asmany as 70 odd patients visit-ed the Primary Health centrein the Zaffargadh area ofJangaon district on Tuesday, ofthem 30 patients insisted onknowing the reasons that acoronavirus positive patientcomplains.

Patients from tribal areas areclarifying with the doctors

whether the virus has a cureand said tension prevailed intheir families when the bodytemperature increases.

Detailing that the interiorsof the districts are aware ofcoronavirus spurt Raju Naik ofJerpula Thanda said that acounseling point in each andevery PHC and CHC wouldfurther help the rural folk toknow more about the virusthat has been declared a pan-demic by the WHO. Even inthe hospitals like MGMregional health centre of

Warangalthe regularout patients have startedinquiring about the symp-toms. The regular OP wingwhich received more than 700patients on Tuesday complain-ing acute respiratory disordersadvised the patients to takenecessary precautions by stay-ing isolated in their respectiveplaces. The attendants accom-panying the patients in the OPwere given proper instruc-tions so that the personal

hygiene and communityhygiene is maintained.

Meanwhile, sanitation drivewas taken up on a swift basisin the Railway stations and

junctions in Warangaland Kazipet. The

officials of thes a n i t a t i o n

wing intensifiedthe work on a war

footing to ensure the stationis hygienic.

On the other hand, the ruralfamilies in certain pocketslike Inavole in theWardhannapet segment aremaking use of the shutdown toto go for pilgrimages. The pil-grim centres such as Inavole,Kothakonda, AnnaramShareef and Vemulawada inSiricilla district as well as thecentres like Kaleshwaramattracted huge number ofdevotees and visitors onMonday and Tuesday.

Doctors in certain community andPrimary health care centres areconducting awarenesscampaigns to the patientsvisiting the local remedyunits in rural areas

BS-IV norms: Pleato extend deadlinefor tractors till Sept

Chinavaccines'clinicaltrials soon...Continued from Page 1

So far, most teams areexpected to complete preclin-ical research in April andsome are moving forwardfaster, said Wang.

Some research team hasbeen enrolling volunteers andapplied for clinical trials withthe National MedicalProducts Administration, headded.

Wang noted that theresearch and development ofCOVID-19 vaccines inChina, not slower than for-eign counterparts, has beencarried out in a scientific,standardized and orderly way.

Lei Chaozi, an official withthe Ministry of Education,said that the flu viral vector-based vaccine is currentlyunder animal tests for safetyand efficacy tests and sched-uled to apply for the clinicaltrial by the end of April.

CAT dismisses ABV’s plea against suspensionPNS n HYDERABAD

In a setback to senior IndianPolice Service (IPS) officer andformer intelligence chief ofAndhra Pradesh ABVenkateshwara Rao,the CentralAdminis trat iveTribunal onTuesday dismissedhis petition chal-lenging his suspen-sion by the AP govern-ment last month. TheYSRCP government had sus-pended him for alleged irregu-larities in procurement of secu-rity equipment during the pre-vious Telugu Desam Party rule.

Apparently, the CAT feltthat there are prima facie evi-dences with the investigatingofficials in suspending himand ordered that the investiga-

tion would haveto be conductedto probe the

charges.Rao, in his petition

in the CAT, alleged thatthe suspension was politicallymotivated and was illegal andarbitrary. He claimed that therewas not a single charge againsthim in his three decades of ser-vice and he had received sev-eral awards.

Rao said he had not beengiven any posting after he wasshifted out of his post on May

30, when the new governmenttook charge in the state.

He had been attached to theheadquarters without evenbeing paid his salary for the lasteight months. Earlier, theUnion ministry of home affairsalso approved the suspension ofVenkateshwara Rao.

An MHA official said thestate government could pro-ceed with the investigationand file a charge sheet againstthe 1989-batch IPS officer ofDirector General of Policerank, latest by April 7.

People with bloodtype A vulnerable...Continued from Page 1

"Blood group O had a signif-icantly lower risk for the infec-tious disease compared withnon-O blood groups", said thestudy that is yet to be peerreviewed.

According to a study in theUS National Center forBiotechnology Information(NCBI), 'O' is the most com-mon blood group (37.12 percent) in India, closely followedby B at 32.26 per cent, followedby A at 22.88 per cent while ABwas the least prevalent group at7.74 per cent. In the US, about44 per cent of the population istype O, while about 41 per centis type A.

Wang wrote: "It might behelpful to introduce ABO blood

typing in both patients andmedical personnel as a routinepart of the management ofSars-CoV-2 and other coron-avirus infections, to help definethe management options andassess risk exposure levels ofpeople".

While more cases of the res-piratory illness have beenrecorded globally, it is on thedecline in China, demonstrat-ing that the course of the out-break there has been altered,according to WHO Represent-ative in the country Dr GaudenGalea. "It is an epidemic that hasbeen nipped as it was growingand stopped in its tracks. Thisis very clear from the data thatwe have, as well as the observa-tions that we can see in societyin general", he told UN News.

Continued from Page 1

Sources said that the orderwas issued to help conserveresources and facilities, includ-ing hospital beds and protec-tive gear for doctors and nurs-es, as part of steps beingtaken to strengthen the state'spreparedness to tackle theoutbreak.

A surgeon, who wished toremain anonymous, however,said: "The surgeon typicallydecides whether to stop elec-tive surgery or not and can bedecided on case-by-case basis.An orthopedic surgery in apatient who has minimalsymptoms probably can bedelayed. A surgery for a low-risk cancer also could bedelayed. But certain cancershave a time window and surg-eries probably should not bepostponed. An electivesurgery can be postponed bymaximum of 1 or 2 months,depending on the patient pro-file. The US Centers forDisease Control andPrevention (CDC) has recom-mended hospitals to resched-ule elective surgeries as nec-essary and shift elective urgentin-patient diagnostic

5TH PERSONTESTSPOSITIVE...

Continued from Page 1

The P2, P3 and P4patients are hale and healthyand don't look like covid-19-infected patients. Theyhave requested us to set upa TV. We are looking atpossible options. We set upwi-fi for them and are giv-ing good food."

Tests are now beingdone at six labs in Gandhi,Osmania, WarangalGandhi hospital, Feverhospital, IPM and NIMS.Final reports would beconfirmed in Hyderabad atGandhi. He said that therewas surveillance on allroutes leading to the state.

Continued from Page 1

Apollo gym in Charminar,Club16 in Khairtabad andModel fitness gym inSerilingampally are amongthe gyms sealed. FrankfinnInstitute of Air Hostess, EliteInstitute of Foreign Languages,Sri Chaitanya Academy &College LB Nagar, SriChaitanya IAS Academy -Secunderabad and RavindraBharathi School are among theeducational institutions sealed.

It may be mentioned herethat the Government ofTelangana has issued orders,vide G.O. Rt. No. 4 dated 14March 2020, to close educa-tional instructions till 31March 2020 and parks, the-atres, museums, gymnasiums,bars & pubs, cultural events,sports events, conferences,workshops etc., till 21 March2020.

GHMC seals 66establishmentsfor failing...

Continued from Page 1

Almost all the MLAs andlocal bodies' representativesfrom the district are prevail-ing upon Chief Minister KChandrasekhar Rao withregard to her candidature.

Kavitha's name was previ-ously proposed for the RajyaSabha by party leaders andcadre of Nizamabad.However, former speaker KRSuresh Reddy got the TRSticket. Hence, Kavitha's namehas now become the unani-mous choice for the MLC seat.

Kavitha to getlocal bodies'MLC ticket

Continued from Page 1

The body was found withgold ornaments — a gold chain,two gold bangles and a goldring - intact, suggesting that themotive was not robbery.

"The woman, aged between25 and 39 years, was strangledand killed elsewhere. Her bodywas later transported anddumped at the spot, after whichher face was crushed with aboulder by the assailants," saidDCP Shamshabad, N. PrakashReddy, adding CCTV footagecould give clues regarding thoseinvolved in the gory crime.

Some residents ofTangadipally first noticed thebody in the early hours ofTuesday along the culvert on aroad leading to Vikarabad.Soon a large number of resi-dents gathered at the spot.Later, the police collected evi-

dence from the crime scene,after sealing off the area.

Chevella police inspectorBalakrishna said that thewoman had not been identified."We have booked a case undersection 302 (murder) of the IPCand are investigating the case.There are no signs of forced sex-ual assault; yet, it's too early tosay. The forensics report willconfirm further details."

ACP of Chevella Division PRavinder Reddy said: "Fourteams have been formed andfurther investigation is under-way. We have distributed herphotos to the neighboringCommissionerates likeVikarabad, Hyderabad,Rachakonda and police sta-tions within Cyberabad PoliceCommissionerate to informthem of missing cases, in anattempt to identify thewoman."

Unidentified woman’sbody found under...

TS hospitalsto holdelectivesurgeries...

17 powerstaffersrelieved...Continued from Page 1

The protesters dividedthemselves into two groups— Telangana Employees JACand Telangana ElectricityEmployees JAC — and pro-tested in front of the VidyutSoudha against the report.Protests were also staged infront of the SPDCL andNPDCL at Mint Compoundand in front of power utilitiescompanies across the state.

"In undivided AP, injusticewas done to Telangana.Again injustice is being doneto the state even after bifur-cation," they alleged.

A departmental inquiry had revealed that Rao had colluded with an Israeli defenceequipment manufacturing firm to illegally award

critical Intelligence and surveillance contractto his son Chetan Sai Krishna

300 Telugu students...Continued from Page 1

He enquired about theirsafety in various countries.

The CMO is coordinatingwith the Special representa-tive of the state in Delhi, MPVijaya Sai Reddy, AP Bhavanofficials and the Ministry ofExternal Affairs. The ChiefMinister has directed officialsto keep him briefed about thesituation at all times.

Meanwhile, Minister forExternal Affairs S. Jaishankartweeted that he was seized ofthe matter and was concernedabout the difficult faced by theIndian students and otherpassenters waiting in transit atthe Kuala Lumpur airport.“Wehave now approved AirAsiaflights for you to Delhi andVizag,” Jaishankar tweeted,

adding that “These are toughttimes and you should under-stand the precautions. Pleasecontact the airlines”. Earlier,pending permission fromIndian embassy officials, theMalaysian authorities say theywill not allow the stranded stu-dents to take a plane for India.

This is causing concernamong the parents back homewho are worried about thesafety of their wards, strand-ed as they are in a foreign ter-ritory.

The stranded students aregetting increasingly impa-tient as no one seems to bebothered about their safereturn to India. The Indianofficials are advising the stu-dents to go back toPhilippines, unconfirmedreports say.

HYDERABAD | WEDNESDAY | MARCH 18, 2020 hyderabad 03

Deputy Mayor MD Baba Fasiuddin along with GM of HMWSSB Prabhu, DGM Chitti Babu, Manager Suresh inspectsdrinking water supply at in Borabanda Division on Tuesday

TAKING SSTOCK

RIMEORNERC

Chain snatcher apprehended

The West Zone team of theCommissioner's Task Force

apprehended a chain snatcherinvolved in three cases in Marchlast year. The arrested personhas been identified as 27-year-old Chakali Ravi, a resident ofChintal and a native ofSangareddy District.The accused, in the month ofFebruary-2019, committed chainsnatchings in the limits ofHyderabad City and Cyberabad.He was arrested and remandedto judicial custody by SR NagarPS of Hyderabad City in themonth of March-2019. Based on credible informationthe West Zone Task Force team,Hyderabad apprehended theaccused Chakali Ravi and handedover him to SHO, SR Nagar PSfor further necessary action.

Inquiry on Dishacase suspended

The 3-member inquirycommission constituted by

the Supreme Court in thesensational encounter of theDisha murder case accused, hassuspended its proposed sittingscheduled to be held on March23 and 24, 2020 in view of theoutbreak of deadly coronavirusin the state. The commission hasalso taken into consideration thecirculars issued by the TelanganaHigh Court restricting entry oflitigants and advocates into courtpremises and also to the courthearings. The commission willannounce the next date of sittingonce the restrictions areimposed.

Minor driver runs over 12-yr-old boy

A12-year-old boy was killed onthe spot in a road mishap

after a tractor being driven by aminor ran over him at Meerpeton Tuesday. The victim wasidentified as Jagadish, a 6thstandard student in Sri GayathriSchool of Balapur. He wasstaying in Meerpet along with hisparents, Nagesh and Mangam-ma, natives of Suryapet. Theirsecond son, Jagadish was ridinga bicycle with a friend, when themishap occurred. According tothe police, the incident tookplace at Vivekananda Chaurastain Jillelaguda on Tuesday after-noon. Jagadish along with a frie-nd were going on a bicycle,when a tractor ran them over.Jagadish fell under the wheels ofthe tractor and died on the spot.The police booked a murder caseagainst the minor driver of thetractor and detained him.

Habitual house burglar nabbed, booty recovered

The LB Nagar Police onTuesday, arrested a house

burglar involved in five cases andrecovered valuables worth Rs5,20,000 from his possession. The arrested person has beenidentified as S Jagan, 23. Anative of Nereducherla inSuryapet, he is an auto driver byprofession and a resident ofMasjid Galli in LB Nagar. "The habitual house offender isaddicted to vices and used tospend the theft amount for hisvices. He moves in the localitiesand finds isolated houses andcommits thefts during nights bybreaking open the door latches,"said the police. Jagan confessedto being involved in five casesincluding two in Miryalaguda.On Tuesday, the accused wasmoving in a suspicious way nearjewellery shops when officials ofthe LB Nagar Police nabbed him. The police recovered 12 tolas ofgold ornaments, 11 tolas ofsilver ornaments and a bike.

GMR-LED INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT DECLARES ITSELF SINGLE-USE PLASTIC-FREE

Airport flying towards greener futurePNS n HYDERABAD

In line with the Central gov-ernment's campaign to phaseout single-use plastics by 2022,GMR led HyderabadInternational Airport hasdeclared itself as single-useplastic free airport from March1, 2020 and zero tolerance onusage of single-use plastic hasbeen imposed across the air-port, which includes all conces-sionaires and service providersoperating at the airport.

The airport had been steadi-ly phasing out use of non-recy-clable plastic over the past fewyears and in the final phase,"single-use plastic free airport"

campaign was initiated in Feb,2020 during which the airportstakeholders, like the food &beverage outlets, fully switchedover to sustainable eco-friend-ly alternatives like corn starchplates, wooden spoons andforks; retailers started usingonly biodegradable boxes andcovers to reduce the airport's

plastic footprint. Besides this,Hyderabad InternationalAirport has also been encour-aging Eco-friendly productslike Jute Bags through itsCorporate Social Responsi-bility arm GMRVF.

CEO of GHIAL, SGKKishore said, "In line with thePrime Minister's vision to abol-ish all single-use plastic fromIndia by 2022, GHIAL hasdeclared HyderabadInternational Airport to be asingle-use plastic free airport.It is the culmination of a col-laborative effort spanningmany years, and we are thank-ful to our service providers andconcessionaires who have sup-

ported the initiative in a proac-tive manner and have been se-nsitive to the call to makeRGIA single-use plastic freeairport."

The airport has taken strin-gent measures to stop usage ofsingle-use plastic and has elim-inated the entire plastic cutleryfrom the food & beverage out-lets and any carry bag usedbelow the stipulated norm ofless than 50 microns thickness.Some of the plastic items thatare exempted from the list ofthe phased out items, includesecurity tamper evident bags,sealed pet bottles, pre-packag-ed materials from manufactur-ers meant for sale and others.

COVID-19 IMPACT

Power demand drops as virus scare hits cityPNS n HYDERABAD

Average power consump-tion in the limits of GreaterHyderabad MunicipalCorporation has come downto 46.53 million units perday on March 15 as againstthe highest average powerconsumption of 52.65 mil-lion units, recorded onMarch 13.

This is attributed to stategovernment ordering clo-sure of schools, colleges,educational institutions,coaching institutions, uni-versities, hostels, pubs, bars,cinema theatresand can-celling allp u b l i ce v e n t sl i k es e m i -n a r s ,w o r k -s h o p s ,meetings and soon in view of the coronavirusthreat. It also asked the peo-ple to put off marriages andother functions.

Meanwhile, the people aremostly confining themselvesto indoors out of fear of con-tracting the virus.

Many hotels and commer-cial establishments haveremained shut. Several ITfirms and other organisa-tions have given the optionto employees to work fromhome.

As there is scope for thevirus to thrive in cool con-ditions, use of air-condi-tioners has come down. As aresult, the daily consumptionof power has come down.

Not only domestic use ofpower but also the industri-al consumption has comedown because exports toseveral countries andimports from China andother nations have beenstalled, leading to the indus-trial units shutting downtheir units.

Discom engineers opinethat as several machineshave come to a grindinghalt leading to a drop inpower consumption.

It’s business as usual atCharminarDespite state government

ordering closure of allmajor tourist spots includingSalarjung Museum, Nizammuseum and zoological parkand other places in city tillMarch 21, Charminar whichrecord the highest footfallamong all heritage sites andother tourist spots in the cityremained open visit of tourists,including those from overseason Tuesday. One of the rea-sons is that Charminar aremanaged by the Central gov-ernment and there has beenno direction for closing downthe same as of now. Residents of the old city findfault with the Centre allowingvisitors to Charminar, which isvisited by thousands daily,including those from overseas. As many as 2,800 domesticand 13 overseas tourists visit-ed the structure on March 16.In case, the virus spreads whoshould be held responsible,the locals question. While the Nehru ZoologicalPark, Salarjung Museum,Chowmalla Palace, NizamMuseum wore a deserted lookon Tuesday as they remainedshut. On Monday, the shopsin around Charminar, includingthe famous Laad Bazar, wore adeserted look. Assistant con-servator of Charminar DrBhanu Prakash said that hewould allow tourists to visitthe structure till ordersreceived from higher ups tothe contrary.

10 Indonesians screened atGandhi Hospital for Covid-19Ten Indonesians who

were on a visit to Ka-rimnagar district were shiftedto a hospital in Hyderabad forscreening them for Covid-19.The group was brought to agovernment-run Gandhi Hos-pital after one of them showedsuspected symptoms of coro-navirus. Officials said threeothers accompanying the gr-oup of Indonesians were alsokept under observation.

The Health Department off-icials became alert after learn-ing about the presence of theIndonesians, who had arrivedalong with three Indians bytrain from Delhi.

They were in the town toattend a religious programmeand were staying at a mosque.

The group was taken tohospital in the town and afterone of them showed suspect-ed symptoms like cough, coldand fever, they were allbrought to Hyderabad andkept at Gandhi Hospital.

Telangana reported fifthCovid-19 positive case onTuesday. While the first patientwas discharged last week, fourothers were under treatment atGandhi Hospital. Officials saidthey were waiting for testresults of 22 persons with sus-pected symptoms.

Rachakonda police sensitises its staff about coronavirusThe Rachakonda police

sensitises its staff aboutcoronavirus and deliverinstructions on precautions tobe taken while carrying outtheir duties.

An awareness session wasorganised for the staff whereexperts talked about the virusand the precautions to betaken while working on thefield.

Since Telangana startedtaking measures to controlthe virus, the police depart-ment has actively participat-ed in the undertaking whichwas mainly confined to theenforcement of governmentorders. Though there were

numerous advisories fromthe police department to thepublic on coronavirus, safe-

ty measures and even fakenews, there was not a wordabout the safety of their men.

The Rachakonda policecommissioner, Mahesh Bha-gwat, said the main object ofthe programme is to bringawareness among the menand officers. He said that th-ose involved in traffic regu-lation are more prone and areexposed to more infectionsand sound and air pollution.

As a result, there are highchances of them being affect-ed with the virus and otherdisorders in their day to daylife. Washable masks manu-factured at CherlapallyCentral Prison are beinggiven out to the officers andstaff of Rachakonda commis-sionerate.

The commissioner alsoadvised the traffic staff toeducate the commuters andthat they get themselveschecked immediately in casethey show any symptoms.

Dr Mushtafa Afzal, consul-tant clinical microbiologistand infectious diseases, elab-orately explained the virusand the precautions to be ta-ken. To keep the staff updat-ed about noise pollution, DrDPK Babu and AshrayAkruthi foundation conduct-ed a hearing and throat testsfor all the staff. They alsoexplained the precautions tobe taken to prevent these dis-orders.

65,238 screened so far at RGI airport As many as 65,238 people

were screened atShamshabad airport so far bythe government and the author-ities. On Tuesday, the numberof passengers screened at air-port witnessed a decline withonly 2057 people beingscreened, compared to otherdays.

Nearly 68 approached thehealth authorities by them-selves. On Tuesday, 702 weresuspected of corona of which662 were directed for homequarantine. About 40 personsare in hospital isolation ofwhich 21 tested negative. Whileone tested positive, the testresults of 18 are awaited.

Health Minister EatalaRajender said, "We are puttingall passengers from the coun-try where the intensity of coro-navirus in quarantine, whetherthey have symptoms or not. Weare sending people from China,Iran, Italy, Germany, Korea,France and Spain to Quarantinecenters.”

ISB to offer classes online Mulaqaats cancelledin Telangana prisons

The Telangana prisons andcorrectional services have

temporarily cancelled mulaqaatsin all jails across the state in viewof the coronavirus outbreak. Asper their press release, this moveis to ensure social distancing ofthe inmates and to maintainproper hygiene conditions in theprisons. "Family and friends cantalk to inmates on the phone andvia eMulaqata until the restrictionis lifted. From March 18 visitorswill not be allowed to meet inm-ates. This is to reduce their riskof getting infected,” officials said.

Indian School of Business (ISB) in a statement said that theremaining session for the year will be offered online for

the students to complete the learning process. ISB said that it isgeared up to address and combat the pandemic Covid- 19 acrossits Hyderabad and Mohali campuses. ISB is taking full cognisance

of the need and importance of incorporating various preventive andprecautionary measures to bring down the spread of the virus andhas adopted a multi-pronged approach across its campuses. Thepress release issued by the ISB said, "As precautionary measures

and keeping in view, the safety of everyone classes have beensuspended, and all the students have been advised to vacate the

campuses by Wednesday (March 18, 2020). The remaining sessionwill be offered online for the student to complete the learning

process. For the first time in the history of ISB, the annualgraduation ceremony, that was supposed to take in the first week of

April, has been postponed until further notice due to Covid-19.

3 fraudsters held for card skimmingPNS n HYDERABAD

The Cyber Crime Police ofCyberabad arrested a three-member gang from Orissa forskimming card data and steal-ing money from their victimsusing cloned cards. The gangstruck at renowned pubs andrestaurants in the city, said thepolice, adding that more than150 customers who werecheated by the gang wereidentified so far.

Ther arrested persons havebeen identified as PrafulKumar Nayak, 25, HemanthKumar Nayak, 28, and SujitKumar Nayak, 31. All thethree are natives of Ganjamdistrict in Orissa and werestaying in Madhapur.

The police received a com-plaint from a bank manager inGachibowli about fraudulentwithdrawal of amounts to thetune of Rs 76,000 from two ofits customers. The customersconfirmed that they were athome when the transactionshappened at ATMs located inYousufguda and Jubilee Hills.The Cyber Crime Police reg-istered a complaint and beganan investigation.

Praful Kumar Nayak learntabout skimming customercard data using a skimmer and

cloning machine. Initially, heused to collect customer carddata by using a skimmer whileworking at pubs, restaurants inHyderabad since December2017 when the customers usedto give the card to the waitersfor bill payment. After skim-ming data from the cards, heused to clone the cards andwithdraw amounts from mag-netic strip-based ATMs locat-ed in Hyderabad during earlyhours. Suspecting that thepolice may be on to him, hetook Hemanth Kumar Nayak'shelp for skimming customercard data.

Sujith Kumar Nayak assist-ed him for withdrawal of am-ounts from ATMs by usingcloned cards. The cops recov-ered Rs 10,10,000 cash, a ski-mmer, two laptops, 44 clonedcards and six mobiles from thegang's possession.

Man gets life in jail for killing spousePNS n HYDERABAD

A local court at LB Nagar co-nvicted a man and sentencedhim to undergo imprisonmentfor life for murdering his wifein 2016.

The man has been identifiedas Syed Basha, 33, a native ofKrishna District in AP, he wasresiding at Rajeev GandhiNagar in Jeedimetla. Bashawas working as a carpenter

while staying at Mylavaram vil-lage of Krishna District in AP.He moved closely with thedeceased and both of them fellin love and decided to marry.As the parents of the Basha, didnot agree to their marriage,about 7-8 years ago, they cameto Hyderabad and got marriedand thereafter they stayed in arented house at Rajeev GandhiNagar, Suraram Jeedimetla.

Basha was addicted to liquor

and used to quarrel and beatthe deceased frequently. Theelder sister of the victim is alsoresiding in the same area. OnOctober 22, 2016, Basha,picked up a quarrel and beather and throttled her to death.

Based on a complaint of sus-picious death, a case was reg-istered and investigated into.

During the course of inves-tigation, the Police examinedthe deceased's woman's son

and he revealed that Bashapicked up a quarrel with hismother and beat her, kickedher and then throttled her.Based on this, the Police alteredthe section to a murder caseand arrested Basha. After com-pletion of investigation, acharge sheet was filed in thecourt. The judge convicted theaccused, Syed Basha with lifeImprisonment and fined himan amount of Rs 1,000.

Man arrested for mailingcolleagues’ morphed picsPNS n HYDERABAD

The Cyber Crime Police ofHyderabad arrested a manwho morphed the pictures ofhis colleagues with nude con-tent and sent the same to hisother colleagues.

The arrested person hasbeen identified as 26-year-oldMohammed Amir Sohel, aresident of Hyderabad.

The police received a com-plaint from the victim statingthat someone was sendingemails to him and his compa-ny's official email addresswith morphed pictures andvulgar words continuouslyfrom different email address-

es. A case was registered andinvestigated into. The inves-tigation revealed that theaccused was unhappy due tobehavior of some people inthe company. Later, Sohelhatched a plan to take revengeagainst the complainant andhis colleagues. He then creat-ed a number of fake accountsand sent vulgar messagescontinuously to the companyemployees official mail ID'sby morphing complainantand his daughter pictureswith objectionable contentin objectionable manner.

Sohel was arrested and remanded to judicial custody.

Plea to extend red line Metro stretch PNS n HYDERABAD

While appreciating the effortsof the state government andHMRL in successful comple-tion and operationalising ofMetro Phase-I and for morethan four lakh passengers util-ising the green public com-mute, Forum to ImproveThings (FIT), a citizens groupwanted the proposed extensionof metro rail from fromMiyapur to BHEL to be furthermoved ahead till Patancheru.

The number of requests toextend Metro rail services toPatancheru in its phase- II isincreasing. Residents ofPatancheru are remindingMinister KT Rama Rao of hispromise that if elected topower, TRS Government

would extend the Metro ser-vices to Patancheru and thissame promise was affirmed tohonorable Patancheru MLA GMahipal Reddy, by ChiefMinister, KChandrashekarRao during the2018 electioncampaign aswell. FIT, a cit-izens group lo-bbying for ext-ending the Met-ro Rail upto Pata-ncheru in the pro-posed second phase, hasmet the HMR MD NVS Reddyand handed over a memoran-dum making a case for the ele-vated mass transit line to beextended up to their area. Theorganisation representatives

regretted that the detailed pro-ject report on the second phasesubmitted to the TS govern-ment has not consideredPatancheru even though lakhs

of citizens live in andaround Madinaguda,

Chandanagar, BHEL,RC Puram, Amee-npur, Beerumgudaand so on.

The representa-tives of forum were

told that they don'thave funds for it and

asked them to reach outto CM or KTR. Srinivas

Velaga said, "We will get intouch with the local MLA toensure our voices are heard aswe were told that HMRL willnot be able to do anything asthere are no funds".

Couple dies asvan rams bike,10-month-oldtwins survivePNS n HYDERABAD

A couple was killed in a roadmishap, leaving their 10month old twins behind withinjuries on Tuesday morningin Sadashiva Nagar inKamareddy.

The victims were identifiedas Gangireddula Sailoo andSavitri, hailing from PeddaPothangal village of Gandharimandal, sources said.

The couple and the twinswere on their way home aftervisiting the KamareddyDistrict Hospital when aDCM van rammed theirmotorcycle near Lingampallyvillage, police said.

"While Sailo and Savitrisuffered serious injuries anddied on the spot, the twinsescaped with minor injuries,"said the police.

The cause of the accident,according to the locals, wasrash driving by the van dri-ver. They urged the police totake stern action against thedriver.

Later, the SS Nagar policesent the bodies to Kamareddyhospital for postmortem.They registered a case andinvestigation is on.

PNS n HYDERABAD

While India MeteorologicalDepartment has issued thunder-storm warning, temperaturescontinue to soar in the state.

The IMD issued weatherwarning, from Wednesday toFriday stating, "Thunderstormaccompanied with lightningvery likely to occur at isolatedplaces over Telangana". This isbecause of a cyclonic circulationwhich lies over north coastalOdisha and neighborhood andextends upto 0.9 km abovemean sea level. IMD said, "Atrough runs from northTamilnadu to East Vidarbhaacross Rayalaseema & Telangana

and extends upto 0.9 km abovemean sea level. The cyclonic cir-culation over south Chhattisgarhand neighborhood at 0.9 kmabove mean sea level has mergedwith the trough".

According to Telangana StateDevelopment Planning Society(TSDPS), "Highest rainfallrecorded 29.6 mm at Inderavelly(Adilabad), highest maximum

temperature of 38.0 degrees atAswapuram (Bhadradri) andlowest min temperature of 16.9degrees recorded at Tallapally(Rangareddy) on Monday."

As per TSDPS, BhadradriKothagudem, Mahabubabad,Kamareddy, Khammam,Mahabubnagar, Nagar Kurnoolrecorded above 38 degrees.

The temperatures in city wereminimum 36 degree while max-imum were 38 degrees. Theentire state is marked under yel-low category for weather rang-ing between 35-40 degrees. Yell-ow indicates severely bad weath-er panning and suggests that theweather could change for theworse, causing disruption.

HM lauds CMfor resolutionon CAA, NRC

PNS n HYDERABAD

Congress MP from BhongirKomatireddy Venkat Reddymet Prime Minister NarendraModi in New Delhi onTuesday. The Congress MP-Modi's meeting gained all-outinterest in state politics.

During the meeting,Komatireddy submitted amemorandum letter to thePM on four issues. Speakingto the media, the MP said heurged the PM to suspendenvironmental approvals forthe pharmaceutical city ofHyderabad, which will beestablished by the govern-ment of Telangana.

He said that initially 3,000acres of land had been allocat-ed to the pharmaceutical city,but eventually it was raised to19,333 acres, which will causea serious pollution problem inHyderabad.

The MP also asked for anew national road from theouter ring road fromHyderabad to Kothagudemwith the road number. He alsoasked the PM to allocate Rs3,000 crore for the cleaning of

the Musi river with a watertreatment plant.

On this occasion, thedeputy recalled that theCentral government launchedan integrated Ganga conserva-tion mission called "NamamiGange" to stop the pollutionof the Ganga river and in thesame spirit, the project toclean up the Musi river must

be launched. In addition tothis, the MP urged the PM toestablish block-level handloom clusters with 1,045 crorerupees in his constituency ofBhuvanagiri as part of thenational hand loom develop-ment programme. Hearinghis requests, PM Modiresponded positively, said theMember.

HYDERABAD | WEDNESDAY | MARCH 18, 2020 hyderabad 04

2k industrial unitsset up in 9 months

Congress MP from Bhongir Komatireddy Venkat Reddy met Prime MinisterNarendra Modi in New Delhi on Tuesday.

PNS n WARANGAL

Police got due recognition inthe separate Telangana State;government had accorded pri-ority for modernisation ofpolice machinery to provideefficient services to the people,he said.

The top cop, who is on atour of districts in the wake ofattempts by Maoists to infil-trate the state, visitedRamagundam PoliceCommissionerate on Mondayand stayed at the NTPC guesthouse.

Reiterating that there was noNaxalite movement in theTelangana State, DirectorGeneral of Police (DGP) MMahender Reddy said theywere keeping close tabs on sus-pected naxalite movement ifany, and foiling their bid to

retain a hold in the region.Interacting with the media

persons at the RamagundamPolice Commissionerate onTuesday he said, "We arewatching the Maoists' move-ment and not allowing them tointrude and regain their holdin the State. If they arrive, weare ready to weed them outwith an iron hand."

The DGP said police offi-cials had shared information

pertaining to intelligence shar-ing and the inter-State bordersto check the intrusion ofMaoists. Mahender Reddy saidthey were providing betterservices to the people throughfriendly policing. "We are plan-ning for more citizen partner-ship in policing and invitesuggestions from the people,"he added.

Uttam urges Centre toset up Turmeric BoardPNS n HYDERABAD

Telangana Pradesh CongressCommittee (TPCC) presidentand MP Uttam Kumar Reddydemanded that the Centralgovernment intervene to helpthe turmeric farmers who arein distress.

Raising the issue duringZero Hour in Lok Sabha onTuesday, Uttam Kumar Reddysaid that the condition ofturmeric farmers in Telanganatoday was highly distressing.He reminded that UnionMinister Rajnath Singh hadgiven a specific assurance inthe last elections in Telanganathat a Turmeric Board wouldbe set up. But no such stepshave been taken, he said.

"Lakhs of tonnes of turmer-ic is lying in markets with nopurchasers. We demand thatthe Central government inter-vene now, set an MSP of Rs10,000 for the turmeric perquintal and immediately

purchase them,"Uttam Kumar Reddydemanded.

Uttam Kumar Reddysaid that the Central gov-ernment, in its AgricultureExport Policy announced

in 2018, had declared turmer-ic as focused export. But today,for the farmers of turmeric,nobody is buying their prod-uct and they're in distressedcondition and in near suicidestage. Therefore, he demand-ed that the Centre interveneimmediately to help theturmeric farmers.

Later, Uttam Kumar Reddyinformed that India ranks 1st

by contributing 80 per cent ofthe World TurmericProduction and Telanganastands first in area and pro-duction of turmeric in India.Turmeric is produced in anarea of 1.33 Lakh Acres withan production of 2.81 LakhMTs covering 107,506 farm-ers. Therefore, Telangana isthe largest producer ofturmeric in the world.

The estimated value ofturmeric production in 2018-19 amounted to Rs. 1687.25crore.

The cost of cultivation peracre is Rs. 1,19,000 per acrewhile the average yield peracre is 2.1 MTs. The turmer-

ic farmers are facing sev-eral hurdles due to lack

of Minimum SupportPrice (MSP), fluctua-tion of prices andother quality factors.

Uttam said that the condition ofturmeric farmers in Telangana todaywas highly distressing. He remindedthat Rajnath Singh had given a specificassurance in the last elections in TSthat a Turmeric Board would be set up

K VENKATESHWARLUn HYDERABAD

Criticism and counter criti-cisms are still continuing overCitizenship Amendment Act(CAA) even after the adjourn-ment of the Assembly. The BJPtargeted the ruling TRS and itsalliance MIM, however, TRStargeted BJP.

On the other hand, theCongress party criticised bothBJP and TRS alleging that theBJP brought the Act to troublepeople and TRS passed the res-olution in the Assembly only toplease the MIM.

The TRS warned BJP sayingthat KCR will lead the move-ment across the nation againstCAA in case BJP fails to changeits stubborn attitude on CAA.However, BJP said that notonly KCR but AsaduddinOwaisi has to enroll their detailsin National Population Register(NPR) ridiculing that TelanganaAssembly's resolution wouldbe confined to dust bin.

TRS MLC Karne Prabhakar

said that TRS once again provedthat it is a secular party by pass-ing resolution against CAA. Healleged that BJP was scared withthe resolution passed by theAssembly against CAA.

The TRS resolution shockedthe BJP in the Assembly, he saidcondemning Bandi Sanjay, newincumbent president of theBJP state unit, calling KCRsaboteur of the nation. With hisremarks, Sanjay's image amongthe people took a beating, hesaid. The BJP with practice ofcommunal politics since sever-al years has turned the countryinto a caste cauldron, he saidcalling Prime Minister NarendaModi the real saboteur of thecountry for his fissiparious pol-itics. Moreover, Karne

Prabhakar called KCR as thebrand ambassador for secular-ism.

Since the elders in the Uniongovernment have been resort-ing to sabotaging the country,the TRS adopted a resolution onthe floor of the state Assemblyagainst the CAA.

He sought to know whetherall states that adopted similarresolutions are saboteurs of thecountry.

In Bihar, the BJP is part of thegovernment. BJP leader SusilModi is the deputy CM ofBihar. The state resolved againstthe NPR. Does it mean the BJPleaders of Bihar are also sabo-teurs of the country? he ques-tioned

Karne Prabhakar wanted the

BJP leaders to realise the factthat the state Assemblies dohave some special powers sim-ilar to Parliament, which haspowers to enact laws.

If Narendra Modi did notgive up his obstinate stand onthe CAA, KCR would lead anation-wide agitation, he saidthreatening the BJP that thepeople of Telangana would nottolerate branding KCR as sabo-teur of the nation.

Karne Prabhakar said thatthe BJP has been confusing over120 crore people of the coun-try with CAA and NPR. TheBJP always fishes in troubledwaters, he said countering thatdid the TRS government notsupport the Centre on abroga-tion of Article 370.

On the other hand, the BJPTelangana chief Bandi SanjayKumar on the second day con-tinued his tirade against KCR.

Bandi Sanjay and his fellowMPs D Arvind, Soyam Bapuraoand others staged a silentprotest at Ambedkar statue inTelangana Bhavan in Delhi.

Cong MP meets PM, submitsmemorandum on four issues

PNS n HYDERABAD

Perhaps for the first time in thehistory of famous pilgrim cen-tre of Bhadrachalam, the SitaRama Kalyanam scheduled beheld on April 2 on the auspiciousmuhurtham of Sri RamaNavami is going to be withoutany pilgrims due to the coron-avirus threat.

Every year, lakhs of devoteesfrom across the country throngBhadrachalam or Bhadradri onthe occasion of Sri Rama Navamito witness the celestial weddingof Lord Rama and Goddess Sitaat the open grounds in front ofthe temple on the banks ofGodavari river.

The tickets for attending theSita Rama Kalyanam are sold

well in advance in a big way.However, this year, the state gov-ernment has announced that nopilgrims would be allowed towitness the Kalyanam this year,as the Centre has banned large

scale congregations of people atone place because of coron-avirus.

State Minister for transportfrom Khammam Puvvada Ajayon Tuesday said that the state

government had banned entry ofdevotees to Bhadradri on SriRam Navami.

"We are not allowing anydevotee to the temple on that dayand so, they should postpone alltheir plans," Ajay said.

He said the temple authoritieshave been instructed to stop allticket sales for Kalyanam thisyear. "Those who have alreadybooked their tickets online willget a refund of their money," theMinister said.

Ajay announced that onlytemple priests would performthe Sita Rama Kalyanam in a tra-ditional manner in a low-keymanner. The task of supervisingthe Kalyanam has been entrust-ed to state government advisorS Ramanachary.

"A decision on who wouldpresent the traditional silkclothes and pearls to the deity onbehalf of the state governmentwould be decided shortly," theminister said.

PNS n HYDERABAD

In a major relief to farmers,the state government onTuesday issued guidelinesfor crop loan waiver-2018scheme which will be applic-able for all crop loans sanc-tioned or renewed on orafter April 1, 2014 and out-standing as on December11, 2018.

The scheme will be applic-able for short-term produc-tion loans and crop loansagainst gold amounting uptoRs 1 lakh disbursed to farm-ers in the State by commer-cial banks, cooperative cred-it institutions includingurban cooperative banks andregional rural banks.

As announced by ChiefMinister K ChandrashekharRao in the State Assembly to

fulfill his electoral promise,the crop loans upto Rs 25,000will be waived off in the firstphase. For all other eligiblefarmers, the outstanding loanamount above Rs 25,000 andupto Rs 1 lakh will be waivedoff in four installments overa period of next four years.

PNS n HYDERABAD

Under the Telangana industri-al policy, TS-iPASS, over 2,253industrial units with a cumu-lative investment of Rs 24,577crore have come to the stateduring the past nine monthswith an employment potentialof 1,70,888.

The statistics show how theindustries flooded to the stateduring the period from April-December last year. In spite ofeconomic slowdown over thepast 18 month, it would haveno adverse impact on industri-alisation of the state. Manyengineering, food processing,agro-based, cement, concreteproducts, fly-ash bricks, gran-ite, stone-crushing, plastic andrubber products units made abeeline to the state.

The cumulative investmentof over 437 engineering unitsis Rs 712.58 crore, while theemployment potential is 9,186.

As per the new industrial

policy, the state governmentgave permission to over 11,857units to set up their units in thestate with a total investment ofover Rs 1,84,655.44 crore. Oncethe industries go on stream,their total job potential wouldbe 13,08,056.

By December 31 last year,9,020 industries have beencompletely established in thestate with a total investment ofover Rs 85,125.83 crore. Theycreated jobs for over 6,23,071unemployed.

New outfit inKarimnagarPV KONDAL RAOn KARIMNAGAR

A new outfit with the nom-enclature of Popular Front ofIndia has launched anti-CAA awareness classes foryouths in Karimnagar city.

City police unearthed thisin a raid of IOM academy inthe town and arrested theIncharge of the instituteJameel on Tuesday.

According to the II Towninspector Deva Reddy andMEO Bhadraiah the PFIorganisers were offeringcoaching to the youths in thecity and those classes werefound to be offered againstthe CAA . The police inves-tigations revealed that theyouths across the countrywere offered similar trainingto counter the CAA by thisorganisation. Sources saidthe youths representing var-ious fields were selected totake the awareness classesand since the coaching wasoffered with a motto ofopposing the enactments ofthe central government thelaw enforcers feel it as abreach of law and took theorganisers into custody.When the raid was con-ducted there were no stu-dent in the institute.

Yet anothercompany shiedaway from AP: NaiduPNS n VIJAYAWADA

Leader of the Opposition NChandrababu Naidu onTuesday alleged that yet anoth-er company was moving out ofthe state because of the poli-cies being pursued by theJaganmohan Reddy govern-ment in Andhra Pradesh.

"After Adani Group,Reliance Electronics andSingapore Consortium, nowit's the turn of the Asian PaperMills, which had expressedintent to invest Rs 24,000crore in Prakasam district andprovide direct employmentto over 4,000 and indirectemployment at least 12,000,"the TDP chief alleged.

He said that earlier, AdaniGroup scrapped its decisionand deprived Visakhapatnamof Rs 70,000 crore invest-ments and potentially 1,00,000jobs. "Similarly, RelianceElectronics, which evincedinterest to set up a plant nearTirupati at a cost of Rs 15,000crore, turned away. Also, theSingapore Consortium left thestate depriving it of Rs 50,000crore investment," Naidualleged.

As many as 764units with a totalinvestment of overRs 28,116.96 croreare in the laststages. Once theyare executed, theywould create jobsfor 2 lakh persons

State government has announced that nopilgrims would be allowed to witness theKalyanam this year, as the Centre has bannedlarge scale congregations of people

Virus threat hits Rama Navami celebrations

TS issues guidelinesfor crop loan waiver

The scheme willbe applicable forshort-termproduction loansand crop loansagainst goldamounting uptoRs 1 lakhdisbursed tofarmers in TS

Agri Minister seeks Rs 50 crorefor groundnut research stationPNS n HYDERABAD

Minister for AgricultureSingireddy Niranjan Reddy in aletter addressed to the UnionMinister for AgricultureNarendra Singh Tomar onTuesday urged the latter tosanction Rs 50 crore to ground-nut research station inTelangana.

The agriculture conditions inTelangana have undergone seachange with the availability ofwater for irrigation.

He said Wanaparty,Nagarkurnool, Jogulamba-Gadwal and Mahabubnagardistricts produce maximum

groundnut output in the coun-try. The average yield of ground-nut per hectare in the region is1611 kg as against thenation's averageyield of 1486kg.The regionproduces qual-ity groundnutseeds andg r o u n d n u twhich is freefrom aflatoxins.

It has been decided toset up a groundnut research sta-tion in Wanaparty to producemore quality seeds and to pro-duce export quality groundnut.

The peanut butter produced

from groundnuts, which are freefrom aflatoxins, enjoys gooddemand overseas.

To set up the research sta-tion and to provide neces-

sary basic amenities to it,to set up a laboratoryand to build a structureto house the proposedresearch station, he

urged Tomar to releaseRs 50 crore. He intimated Tomar that

the government of Telanganaidentified suitable land for thesame. If the Centre releasesfunds for the research station, itwould be of a great help to farm-ers of the state.

Sebastianalleges lifethreat overnote-for-vote PNS n HYDERABAD

Sebastian who figured as A2in the sensational note-for-vote case has alleged that themain culprits are allowed togo scot free in the case, inwhich he said he has beenframed.

The Anti-CorruptionBureau court referred thecase on Tuesday and postedthe next hearing to April 20.

Alleging life threat tohim, Sebastian sought policeprotection to him. He claimsto have been encounteringthreats and attacks.

The real culprits willcome to light if trial onforensic report on audiotapes is carried out, he saidpressing for questioning thesource of funds.

It is everybody's knowl-edge who is the kingpin inthe case. As he is preparedto testify against the king-pin, he claims to have threatto his life from the real cul-prits.

PNS n HYDERABAD

Telangana Home MinisterMohammed Mahmood Aliexpressed his gratitude toChief Minister KChandrashekhar Rao for mov-ing the resolution onCitizenship Amendment Act(CAA), National PopulationRegister (NPR) and NationalRegister of Citizens (NRC) inthe Telangana State LegislativeAssembly and Council onMonday which was passed byboth the houses unanimous-ly after elaborate discussionsmade in the House.

The Home Minister said,KCR while introducing theresolution spoke in the TS leg-islative Assembly in detailduly covering the grave appre-hensions over the implemen-tation of CAA, NPR & NRCamong various sections of thesociety.

He said, Chief Ministerduring the discussion citedvarious issues and concernsbeing raised by several sectionsof the society and the nation-wide protests and such protestsmay not be taken as dissent asanti-national etc.

He said, during the discus-sion on the resolution, hetouched every point andapprehension being raised byvarious sections of societyand became their voice.

No Naxal movement in TS,says DGP Mahender Reddy

The governmenthad accordedpriority formodernisation ofpolice machineryto provide efficientservices to thepeople, the DGPpointed out

IMD stated thatThunderstormvery likely to occurat isolated placesover Telangana

Temperatures continue to soar,despite thunderstorm warning

Karne said that the BJP with practiceof communal politics over several yearshas turned the country into a castecauldron, he said calling Prime MinisterNarenda Modi real saboteur

CRITICISM AND COUNTERSSTILL CONTINUE OVER CAA

PNS n GUWAHATI

Former Chief Justice of IndiaRanjan Gogoi, who was onMonday nominated to theRajya Sabha by President RamNath Kovind, said on Tuesdaythat "his presence in theParliament would be an oppor-tunity to underscore the view-point of the judiciary before thelegislature and vice-versa".

Gogoi, who retired inNovember last year after pre-siding over the Supreme Courtfor around 13 months, told themedia in Guwahati: "ProbablyI would go to Delhi tomorrow(Wednesday). Let me first takeoath (in the Rajya Sabha), afterthat I would speak in detail whyI accepted this offer." A resident

of Guwahati's Zoo NarengiRoad, Gogoi said during hisbrief interaction with the mediaat his residence: "I (have)accepted it (the offer to be amember of the Upper House)since I am confident that thelegislature and the judiciarymust at some point of timework together for nation-build-ing. My presence in theParliament would be an oppor-tunity to underline the views of

the judiciary before the law-makers and vice- versa." Gogoi,who headed the five-judgebench which delivered a land-mark judgement in the 70-year-old Ayodhya title dispute casebefore he retired from theoffice of the Chief Justice ofIndia (CJI), was amongthe four sitting topcourt judges whohad held a first-of-its-kind press con-

ference in January 2018 whenDipak Misra was the CJI.

These judges, then in office,had alleged "selective assign-ment of cases to preferredjudges" and "sensitive caseswere being allotted to juniorjudges" by Justice Dipak Misra.

Leaders of the Congress andthe Communist Party of

India-Marxist (CPI-M) sep-arately reacted to the nomi-nation of Gogoi as a RajyaSabha member. Citing newsreports, Congress spokesper-son Randeep Singh Surjewala

questioned the govern-ment's move, saying,"Justice Lokur right-ly summarises it...'Has the last bastionfallen'?"

HYDERABAD | WEDNESDAY | MARCH 18, 2020 nation 05SHORT READS

79 terror incidents in J-K since abrogationof Article 370NEW DELHI: A total of 79terrorist incidents have takenplace in Jammu and Kashmirever since the centralgovernment abrogated Article370, which gave special statusto the erstwhile state, LokSabha was informed onTuesday. However, UnionMinister of State for Home GKishan Reddy said, no majorterror attack took place in thehinterland of the countrybetween August 5, 2019 andMarch 10, 2020. Altogether 79terrorist incidents have takenplace in Jammu and Kashmirduring the period from August5, 2019 to March 10, 2020, inwhich 49 terrorists have beenneutralised, he said duringQuestion Hour. Replying toanother question, Reddy saidthe investigation into theFebruary 2019 terrorist attackon a CRPF convoy in Pulwamain Jammu and Kashmir wasstill on.

450 people continueto be under preventivedetention in J-K

MP CM trying to savegovt by allurement andpressure: ChouhanBHOPAL: Senior BJP leaderShivraj Singh Chouhan, whohas moved the Supreme Courtseeking immediate floor test inthe Madhya Pradesh Assembly,on Tuesday accused the KamalNath government of employing"pressure and allurement"tactics to save it from falling.Chouhan's statement camehours after the apex courtasked the state government togive by Wednesday itsresponse to his plea seeking adirection for an immediate floortest. Chouhan also reiteratedthat the saffron party has therequisite numbers to prove itsmajority on the floor of theHouse. "Everything will beclear...The Kamal Nathgovernment should face thefloor test at the earliest. Theyare buying time so that theattempts could be made tosave the governmentthrough pressure andallurement," Chouhan toldreporters here when askedabout the apex court order.He said the BJP paraded itsMLAs in front of GovernorLalji Tandon on Monday.

NEW DELHI: A total of 450people, including stone pelters,miscreants, over groundworkers (OGWs) andseparatists of Jammu andKashmir are presently underpreventive detention in variousjails, Lok Sabha was informedon Tuesday. Union Minister ofState for Home G Kishan Reddysaid regular review is beingundertaken on case to casebasis and accordingly,extension in detention orrevocation is made based onreports of field agencies andground situation. Thegovernment of Jammu andKashmir has reported that inorder to prevent commission ofoffences involving breach ofpeace and tranquillity, activitiesprejudicial to the security of thestate and maintenance of publicorder, nearly 450 peopleincluding stone pelters,miscreants, over groundworkers (OGWs), separatists,etc., are presently underpreventive detention and arelodged in various jails andsubsidiary jails, he said in awritten reply to a question.

Probably I would go to Delhi tomorrow(Wednesday). Let me first takeoath (in the Rajya Sabha), after

that I would speak in detail why Iaccepted this offer

— RANJAN GOGOI, EX-Chief Justice of India

PNS n BENGALURU

The first Light CombatAircraft Tejas in FinalOperational Clearance-stan-dard (SP-21) took to the skiesfor its maiden flight here onTuesday, the HindustanAeronautics Limited said.

Piloted by Air Cmde. K AMuthana (Retd), Chief TestFlying (Fixed Wing), the air-craft took-off from HALAirport at around 1230 hours,the Bengaluru-headquartereddefence PSU said in a state-ment. It was airborne for 40minutes. This flight signifiesexemplary team work betweenvarious stakeholders of theLCA Tejas programme such asHAL, Directorate General ofAeronautical QualityAssurance, Centre for MilitaryAirworthiness andCertification, Indian Air Forceand AeronauticalDevelopment Agency, HALCMD, R Madhavan said. "HAL

achieved the momentous featwithin a record time of 12months after release ofDrawing Applicability List(DAL) and SOP (StandardOperating Procedure) byCEMILAC", the statementsaid.

"This would pave the wayfor production of remaining 15fighters from FOC (FinalOperational Clearance) block,which are planned to be deliv-ered during the next financialyear", it

said.T h e

FOC aircraftare equipped

with advanced fea-tures such as Air-to-Air

refueling and Beyond VisualRange (BVR) missile system.

"It imbibes a lot of manufac-turing improvements whichwere based on the operationalfeedback of LCA IOC (InitialOperational Clearance) fleetwith IAF", HAL said.

PNS n NEW DELHI

Rajya Sabha Chairman MVenkaiah Naidu on Tuesdaysuggested the House discuss areport related to child pornog-raphy so that ministries con-cerned could make suitableamendments to existing lawsor a new legislation to checkthe menace.

The Committee set upunder senior Congress MPJairam Ramesh on the initia-tive of Naidu had broadlysought to address two mainissues — access of children topornographic material onsocial media and circulation ofpornographic material onsocial media in which childrenare abused.

The Chairman made thesuggestion after BJP MPKailash Soni raised the issue ofmenance of child pornographyduring the Zero Hour andalso citied certain recent inci-dents in this regard.

He said the panel had givena "a very meaningful report"and it should be discussed dur-ing the ongoing session.

"Let us have some time dur-ing this session to have discus-sions on that (report) andministries concerned take noteof those conclusions and thengo ahead with making suitableamendments to law or any newlaw," the Chairman said.

The panel had made 40 rec-ommendations, includingmaking monitoring appsmandatory on all devices andamending the Protection ofChildren from Sexual OffencesAct and the Information

Technology Act. Meanwhile,Akhilesh Prasad Singh (Cong)said a second AIIMS waspromised for Bihar, but no sig-nificant development on thatfront has take place in the pasttwo years.

The proposed AIIMS is tobe set up in North Bihar.

Another Congress MPChhaya Verma said due to theincreasing price of cooking gas,poor people were sufferingand have not been able to refillLPG cylinders.

Naidu for discussion in Houseon report on child pornography

PNS n NEW DELHI

BJP member Jagdambika Pal'sdemand that the Centre eitherbear the GST of 12 per cent onthe MP Local AreaDevelopment (MPLAD) fundor hike the annual amount ofRs 5 cr to negate the tax bur-den drew cross-party supportin Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

Members belonging to dif-ferent parties raised differentissues during the Zero Hourwith Tapir Gao of the BJPhighlighting incidents of dis-crimination against peoplefrom northeastern states inthe wake of the coronavirus

scare. He urgedthe Centre toissue a advisoryto states againstthe allegedracial discrimi-n a t i o n .Students fromnortheast statesliving in differ-ent parts of the country arebeing asked to vacate theirrented accommodation, hesaid.

Karti Chidambaram of theCongress spoke about com-plaints that people being quar-antined over coronavirus sus-picion, have been kept in "sub-

standard" facilities under unhy-gienic conditions.

He said many of these peo-ple, most of whom were quar-

antined following their returnfrom abroad, have the where-withal for self-isolation andshould be allowed to do so.

With the Congress, includ-ing its former president RahulGandhi, attacking the govern-ment over its handling of thevirus, Chidambaram said pol-itics should not be played overthe issue and the governmentshould be complimented for itsefforts.

Pal raised the issue of annu-

al MPLAD fund of Rs 5 croreprovided to every member ofParliament for developmentin their respective constituen-cy. He said the UP governmenthas been paying the GST on asimilar kind of fund for thestate's MLAs so that the entireamount they get is spent ondevelopment.

The Centre should also paythe GST or hike the MPLADfund by Rs 60 lakh so that Rs5 crore is entirely spent ondevelopment projects, he said,drawing support from manymembers. Two NationalConference MPs, HasnainMasoodi and Akbar Lone, saidthe government should evacu-ate Indians who are still strand-ed in Iran, which has been hithard by coronavirus.

BJP's Jamyang T Namgyal,who represents Ladakh, said836 Shia Muslims, most ofwhom are from his constituen-cy, are still stuck in Iran andshould be evacuated.

LS members raise issue of GST on MPLAD fundsWith the Congress, including its former presidentRahul Gandhi, attacking the government over itshandling of the virus, Chidambaram said politicsshould not be played over the issue and thegovernment should be complimented for its efforts

PNS n NEW DELHI

All national camps, except forthose where athletes arepreparing for TokyoOlympics, were on Tuesdaypostponed until further orderin view of the COVID-19pandemic with the SportsAuthority of India (SAI) mak-ing arrangements for thereturn of the trainees to theirhomes. Sports Minister KirenRijiju said the academic train-ing at the National Centre ofExcellence and SportsAuhtority of India Centreswill also be suspended. TheOlympics are scheduled forJuly-August this year.

"Due to Covid-19, SAI hasdecided that: All Nationalcamps shall be postponedexcept for those where ath-letes are being trained as partof Olympics #Tokyo2020preparation," Rijiju tweeted.

"Academic training in

National Centre ofExcellence &STCs shall besuspended tillf u r t h e rorder," headded.

Rijiju saidthe move ist e mp o r a r yand precau-tionar y andtraining wil lresume if the situa-tion caused by the pan-demic improves. "This is justa temporary and precaution-ary step for the safety of oursportspersons. I appeal all

our young ath-letes not to be

disheartened.We wil lresume theacademictrainingssoon afterassessingthe situa-

tion."Later SAI

stated that not o u r n a m e n t ,

sports function, sem-inar and workshop will beheld till clearance is obtainedand restrictions are with-drawn by the central or state

authorities. Hostel facilities ofthe trainees, however, mightbe kept open till March 20 toavoid inconvenience to athletes.

"Athletes who have anexam to take in the next fewdays will be allowed to stay atthe center and take the exam.However, it is being ensuredthat all health proceduresare followed and the highestlevel of hygiene is main-tained so that athletes stayingback do not catch an infec-tion," the SAI said. "All othertrainees are being sent backhome after intimation to par-ents and while following trav-el precautions. Those whohave their home townwithin 400 kilometersof the centre will beprovided AC-3 tier train tick-et. Those whose hometownsare beyond 400 kilometerswill be provided with an airticket."

All national camps postponed: Rijiju

SAI stated that no tournament, sportsfunction, seminar and workshop will beheld till clearance is obtained andrestrictions are withdrawn by the centralor state authorities

54,000 people across country undercommunity surveillancePNS n NEW DELHI

Around 54,000 people acrossthe country are being keptunder community surveillancethrough health workers,Health Minister HarshVardhan told Rajya Sabha

on Tuesday while laudingefforts of doctors and para-medics in dealing with cases ofcoronavirus." As one metresocial distancing is required tobe taken while dealing withthose affected with the virus,I laud doctors and paramedicswho are working honestly withdedication while taking risks intreating these patients.

"I laud all doctors and para-medics, be it in villages or citiesor in private or government incontrolling coronavirus at alllevels," he told the House whilereplying to supplementariesduring Question Hour.

The remarks made byVardhan were lauded by allmembers including those fromthe opposition, with AnandSharma (Cong) also appreciat-ing the steps.

The minister also urgedMPs to visit quarantine facili-ties in their areas and suggestways to help improve facilitiesand take care of deficiencies.

Vardhan said a total of54,000 people are under com-munity surveillance across thecountry and health staff arehelping in keeping in touchwith them while under quar-antine.

The minister, noted that theresponse has been positive inappreciating the high qualitytreatment at quarantine facil-ities.

He also said that ICMR sci-entists are in touch with scien-tists all over the world regard-ing use of retroviral drugs intreating coronavirus patientsand in the research underwayacross the world in findingtreatment of the virus.

"We request members tohelp us by visiting such quar-antine facilities in states andgive us real-time feedback, tohelp us improve such facilities,"he said.

PNS n NEW DELHI/THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

Union Minister VMuraleedharan, who visited aKerala-based medical insti-tute, has placed himself underself quarantine, after a doctorthere tested positive for thecoronavirus on returningfrom Spain. The minister ofstate for external affairs hadvisited the Sree Chitra TirunalInstitute for Medical Sciencesand Technology (SCTIMT) inThiruvananthapuram onMarch 14. Sources saidMuraleedharan, a senior BJPleader from Kerala has opted

for self isolation at his Delhiresidence as a precautionarymeasure.

However, SCTIMT directorDr Asha Kishore said reportsthat the minister had come incontact with the doctor, whotested positive for the coron-avirus, was "completelywrong".

The infected doctor, who isfrom the radiology depart-ment, had no symptoms andwas cleared by the coron-

avirus cell. He was placedunder home quarantine fromMarch 10 or March 11onwards, she said. The meet-ing with the minister was onMarch 14. Only four officialsmet him and none of themhad any contact with the doc-tor who tested positive, theSCTIMT director said.

"The minister came to a

different building and at a dif-ferent time, and only fourpeople met him, and it was aholiday, and none of themhad contact with the patient.This is all false news," shesaid.

"We have directly spoken tothe minister and told him,and he knows. He has notgone to the hospital. Theaffected doctor was not diag-nosed at that time and wasunder home quarantine,"Kishore said.

Asked if the minister hadsought any explanation fromthe institute, the directorreplied in the negative.

"We had informed the min-ister immediately when thepatient was diagnosed as pos-itive. The minister had nocontact at all. He does not fallunder any definition of con-tact. That was informed tohim also," Kishore said.

At least 76 employees of theinstitute, including 20 to 25doctors who were in directcontact with the affected doc-tor, have been placed underisolation.

The doctor is presentlyunder observation at the iso-lation ward of the generalhospital inThiruvananthapuram.

PNS n NEW DELHI

Congress leader RahulGandhi on Tuesday said itwas an "insult" to the peopleof Tamil Nadu that MPs werenot allowed to ask questionson the regional languageissue, and alleged that with nodiscussion happening, theLok Sabha had become a "loudspeaker" of the government.

Gandhi's remarks cameafter Opposition members,including from the DMK, theCongress and the NCP,walked out of the Lok Sabhaclaiming they were notallowed to ask a supplemen-tary question related to offi-cial language during theQuestion Hour.

Speaking to reporters out-side Parliament, Gandhi saidhe was not allowed to ask asupplementary on Mondayon a question on the 50biggest wilful defaulters andthe same happened toOpposition MPs on a ques-tion on the Tamil language.

PNS n NAGPUR/MUMBAI

Battling rising number ofnovel coronavirus cases, theMaharashtra government hassuspended the use of breath-analyser for testing drunkdriving cases for the timebeing.

A senior Home Ministryofficial said the move isaimed at minimising thechances of viral transmis-sion by restricting person-to-person contacts.

"We have decided to sus-pend the use of breath-analyser apparatus for thetime being," he said.

It is in fact a very usefulequipment to maintain theneutrality and objectivity ofpolice officials who use thisapparatus during checking,the official added.

Maha govtsuspendsbreath-analysertest

The FOC aircraftare equipped with advancedfeatures such asAir-to-Air refuelingand BeyondVisual Range(BVR) missilesystem

FOC-Standard LCATejas takes to skieson maiden flight

‘Will explain everything after taking oath

SCTIMT director Dr Asha Kishore said reportsthat the minister had come in contact withthe doctor, who tested positive for thecoronavirus, was ‘completely wrong’

PNS n NEW DELHI

The Central InformationCommission has limited hear-ings to urgent matters and onlythrough video and audio con-ferences till March 31 in thewake of the coronavirus pan-demic and has advised staff tomaintain "social distancing", anorder said on Tuesday. Askingconcerned parties to not visitthe transparency panel unlessit is essential, the Commissionsaid all submissions can beuploaded online.

"Hearing will be limited to

urgent matters through videoand audio conference...Personal appearance of partiesor their representatives is dis-pensed with. All visitors as wellas the staff shall be tested at theexisting checkpoint at entrygate of reception. Gatheringsshall be prohibited in theCentral InformationCommission," the order stated.

In addition, theCommission building will besanitised on a daily basis andall surfaces and objects will beregularly wiped with disinfec-tant, it said.

CIC LIMITS HEARINGS TOURGENT MATTERS ONLY

l Except those preparing for Tokyo Olympics

Union Minister Muraleedharan in self quarantine

‘Not allowingquestions onlanguage issueis insult’

Since 1991, a lot has been said,written and debated ad lib aboutliberalisation, globalisation andease of doing business. However,not much has been said about the

need to free the employment market.Discussions on a new/alternative labourlaws do take place. So do talks on the needto revise minimum wages. Do we notrealise that tinkering of this naturewould take the economy nowhere? Timeand again, Governments raise the min-imum wages to seek applause. Somelabour or trade union leaders do clap butthat would be about it. Such moves do notincrease employment. If anything para-doxically, they bring down wages.

The Industrial Disputes Act, 1947,has been the guiding code of all employ-ment, except for the uppermost layer ofofficers and executives. When the Act waspassed, it was intended essentially forworkers by the then Government.Because of the low salaries prevailingthen, clerical staff got included. In theabsence of any other guidelines, the sit-uation has degenerated to the extent thatany employee can file a suit in a labourcourt. As a result, every responsibleemployer thinks not twice but thricebefore making appointments at Class II,III or IV levels. As far as the number ofjobs is concerned, it is these categories thatare critical. Employers, up to a point, takeshelter in outsourcing. However, suchproxy appointments can hardly be a helpin generating jobs on a national scale.

If one wants to see glaring examplesof what damage the Industrial DisputesAct and its corollaries have done in India,one may visit West Bengal. This State,which was once India’s leading industri-al province, has become a graveyard ofindustries. Kerala is another State, whichis also a cemetery of industries, albeit asmaller one, because the IndustrialDisputes Act-inspired trade unionismstopped the State’s economic growthearly in its tracks. In the heyday ofmonopolies and restrictive trade practices,a majority of large business houses wereheadquartered in Kolkata. The IndustrialDisputes Act-bred trade unionism effec-tively chased them out. It is, therefore,time that India reconsiders the IndustrialDisputes Act.

Prima facie, unions are meant to pro-tect and promote the welfare of theirmember workers. As it happens, mostunions are affiliated to one politicalparty or the other. Their leaders havepolitical ambitions. In the bargain, the pri-ority of their loyalty may be the party.Moreover, fundamentally, the strength ofa trade union lies in the number of itsmembers; their welfare is a lower prior-ity. Further, the concept of the worker’sunion is traced to the desire for revolu-tion; aid and abet to bring down bour-

geois institutions.A paradox of the Indian

scenario is its high populationand, hence, the consolation of ademographic dividend on theone hand, and minimum wagesdeclared by State Governmentsplus the laws and labour courtsbeing prejudiced againstemployers. The other paradoxis the national outcry for morejobs. None of the points we havemade so far help achieve greateremployment. If anything, theyactually shrink the prospects foremployment.

Three years ago, a MorganStanley report had stated thatIndia’s labour laws force firmseither to remain small, employ-ing fewer workers or to use cap-ital-intensive technology. Nowonder, the share of India’smanufacturing sector in GDPterms is one of the lowestamong emerging markets.India’s track record in creatingproductive jobs has been poor.

How can there be any pro-ductive job growth if the coun-try’s labour market is shackledwith regulations made 60 or 70years ago? Another factor so faroverlooked is that work itself isa training as well as experience.Even if a youngster has missedsufficient schooling, his earlystart in a job can offset the dis-advantage to a significantextent. On the other hand, ifhe/she has to be without workfor several years, he/she would

lose self confidence, learn littleand lack experience, which is aspringboard for building acareer, however humble. Anidle mind is a devil’s workshopis an old truism. The imposi-tion of a minimum wageignores this old wisdom. Inassuring one person with acomfortable wage, it ruins upto nine potential careers. Thesenine include those who remainjobless merely because theminimum wage stifles thegrowth of the economy.

There was a time when anunemployed person could liveoff his family, which in turndepended on farming its land.But now, with increased popu-lation and a reduction in the sizeof most farms, this alternativefor a man without a job orincome is no longer there; itwould be difficult to survive.Therefore, some income is amust. A low wage is better thanno wage. The flip side of this sit-uation should be an encourage-ment to entrepreneurs. Demandfor handmade goods, especial-ly in the affluent world, isbelieved to be limitless, provid-ed it is not too expensive.

Labour law is a concurrentsubject under the IndianConstitution. Thus, both theCentral and State Governmentshave the right to formulate lawson the subject, which meansmultiplicity of laws, at timeswith overlapping jurisdictions.

For example, there are 44Central laws and about 160 Statelaws on the issue of labour(source: ILO, 2013). Most arearchaic, dating to pre-indepen-dence era. There is an urgentneed to overhaul these laws toattune them to present realities.There are multiple laws govern-ing a single area. For instance,there are 19 laws governing con-ditions of work and industrialrelations, 14 laws on socialsecurity and labour welfare,among others.

It is, therefore, advisable toscrap all these laws, includingthe Industrial Disputes Act. Intheir place, a worker contractBill should be passed, whichwould be between an employ-er and an employee, as per theirmutually agreeable wishes,including the salary/wage. Theonly universal condition shouldbe that 25 per cent of thissalary should be handed over asa draft of a public sector bank,payable exactly five years later.These drafts, month by month,would be the employee’s post-employment benefits. This is toassure him/her that even if theemployer closes down, the ben-efits are safe. Otherwise, thereshould be total freedom, whichwould enable numerous pro-jects, especially labour-intensive,to mushroom and bloom.

(The writer is a well-knowncolumnist and an author. Viewsexpressed are personal)In its continuing effort to foster gender neutral-

ity in the Indian defence forces, the SupremeCourt granted permanent commission to

women officers serving in the Indian Navy, justa month after it ruled in favour of the same rightto women officers in the Army. This means thatan officer is entitled to serve in the Navy till he/sheretires unlike the 10 year short-service commis-sion (SSC), which can at best be extended to 14years. Incidentally, in a reflection of the age-oldbiases in the military, male officers were entitledto both short service and permanent commis-

sions. Ruling that both men and women officers should be treated equally in thedefence forces, the apex court ordered that serving woman officers’ applicationsfor permanent commission should be considered within three months, with incre-ments. However, the court said that the consideration would be based on the avail-ability of vacancies, which might leave the door open for those in power to stymieefforts by serving women officers to bridge the gender gap.

The apex court’s decision will end a discriminatory policy that was unfair to womenofficers on two levels. First, the move will give women the same rights and perksas male officers. So far, not only were they losing out on career opportunities becauseof the discriminatory practice, they had also been deprived of pension because ofthe forced SSC. This is because to be eligible for pension in the armed forces, onerequires a minimum of 20 years of service. Second, it will go a long way in open-ing up career opportunities for women who are already serving in the Navy. Till now,according to a skewed policy decision taken by the Centre in 2008 which defiedall logic, permanent commission was allowed prospectively to women officers, butdenied to serving ones. The Navy has long been a male preserve and in the sea-faring universe women have always been unwelcome. Worldwide for centuries, hav-ing a woman on board a ship was taboo. Even now, though the global shippingindustry has been penetrated by women where the land offices are concerned, thenumber of women employees onboard ships is a minuscule two per cent. And womenCaptains have mostly been accepted in the civil cruise industry. Fact is, womenofficers, with their multi-tasking abilities, may turn out better in running close unitoperations. On Tuesday, too, the Supreme Court tore into the flimsy excuse of unavail-ability of washrooms for women in the Indian Navy’s Russian-made ships and alleged“physiological limitations of woman officers” saying it was a clear “case of genderstereotypes” when “women can sail with same efficiency as male officers.” Wemust not confine women sailors to tokenisms like the 2017 Navika Sagar Parikramawhere a six-member all-woman military team had sailed to circumnavigate the globeand covered more than 21,600 nautical miles. The court should not be remindingus of a mindset change in the evolutionary flow of changing times, we should exe-cute changes ourselves.

Four months into the spread of the deadlyCoronavirus, given the humongous toll it hastaken globally, most nations will agree that

fighting it requires not just preventive but contain-ment measures, too. Ever since the spread ofCOVID-19, Governments have taken difficult yetcomplex decisions but the operational protocol fol-lowed by each one of them has been varied andtailored to local contexts. In China and Italy, massquarantines and lockdowns have been resortedto. On the other hand, South Korea and Taiwan,which were badly hit, too, adopted a focussed con-

tagion action plan, which involved a combination of aggressive testing and high lev-els of information dissemination besides disinfection protocols. The most vital forthe containment of any viral outbreak is to follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)as confusion can worsen the consequences. The South Korean model is now beingtouted as the most consistent. As a result, when the country saw a 200 per centjump in numbers, it had a system at hand that could assess 10,000 people a day.The Korean Government was also quick to scale its testing services, reaching thelast mile. Their safety procedures extended all the way to the air-conditioning sys-tems in cars. They even set up drive-through test stations. So the big question nowis should India go for the aggressive testing method as assessment right now is basedon solely travel-history related cases? And although the Government is consideringrandom tests to find out the extent of community-level percolation and the IndianCouncil of Medical Research (ICMR) is still hopeful that we have not entered StageIII, fact is we have tested the lowest samples globally, about 6,000 to 7,000. Comparethis with South Korea, which has a lesser population than Tamil Nadu but has test-ed 250,000. There is a huge difference, leading to questions about the accuracy ofthe number as a result of inadequate testing. Some more accredited testing centreswill be added by the end of the week to the 72 ICMR has but it is time to involve theprivate sector. And now. The Government has set up rapid testing laboratories thatcan scan 1,400 samples per day. But this is not enough. The ICMR is also reach-ing out to engage private labs.

Admittedly, so far, the sole focus has been on containment than mitigation. Inthe absence of testing, COVID-19 can manifest itself as an aggressive form of anyflu with respiratory distress and avoid detection altogether. At the same time, a paniceconomy has meant that our limited test kits could go futile with unsorted suspectsand stretch our existing medical infrastructure. Wasting test kits could mean equal-ly eliminating the chances of identifying more transmission-based cases. This is whythe ICMR has decided to monitor community transmission by random sampling. TheGovernment currently has 1.5 lakh testing kits, with a capacity of roughly 6,000 testsper day, and has ordered one million more. But given the density of our populationand even a tendency of the affected to hide their condition than adopt strict self-quar-antine measures, the private sector, should be roped in to widen the sampling process.Yes, affordability could still be an issue but perhaps this can be a matter of choicefor those opting to go for these tests. And if CSR means anything, then big chainhospitals should offer concessional rates. Already a Chennai-based firm is awaitingthe Government’s nod to roll out standardised kits. We need to have at least onetesting centre in every district hospital. And we can suitably channelise manpowerat the health centre level to conduct routine processes. The daily capacity and theturnaround time of testing kits need to be scaled drastically. Also, perhaps, the test-ing gambit could be increased to include patients with distinct pneumonic symptoms.We have contained but now need to test more to break the cycle of infection. Butthe truth of the matter is that the success of every aggressive measure is heavilydependent on public cooperation and voluntary submissions. Also, social distanc-ing doesn’t mean being elitist about your circle and cracking down on the serviceclass. Right now, chances are the well-heeled with their travel histories and ecosys-tem pass this on to the lower classes. This is why a cooperative culture is a sinequa non for any contagion plan.

Are we testing enough?

Pass the benefits

Sir — This refers to the editorial,“Taxing the driver” (March 17).It’s surprising that despite a fall ininternational prices of crude oildue to the spread of COVID-19,fuel prices in the country remainat an all-time high. Yet again, theGovernment has hiked the exciseduty on diesel and petrol by `3.Oil prices have crashed by about50 per cent since mid-January.Whenever international pricesof fuel increase, the oil companiesimmediately increase the retailprice. There is a need to pass onthe benefit of price reduction inthe international market to thepeople. The major portion of thecountry’s revenue is generatedfrom the sale of fuel and liquor butunfortunately, both are kept outof the purview of the Goods andServices Tax (GST).

Aditi SangarVia email

Tackling Coronavirus

Sir — This refers to the editori-al, “The Corona diplomacy”(March 17). It’s good that Indiahas reported fewer positive cases

of COVID-19 than others suchas China, South Korea, Iran,Italy or even the US. Yet we mustdouble our efforts to stop thespread of the virus because ourcountry has a pathetic record indisaster management. A sud-den rise in the number of casesmay make us vulnerable.

The Government’s move toput a blanket ban on tourist visasfrom all countries is commend-able. But first and foremost, itmust try to stop panic as deathsdue to other reasons could alsobe construed as death due toCoronavirus. Clear communica-tion is key. As far as wearing

masks is concerned, it must beclearly communicated throughall available channels whetherthey serve any purpose or not.More than the masks, peopleshould keep their hands germ-free. This is why we must devel-op the healthy habit of washinghands for at least 20 seconds and

use alcohol-based hand sanitis-ers. The Central as well as theState Governments must ensurethat masks and sanitisers areavailable in quantities, especial-ly in high-risk prone areas and ataffordable rates.

Vinod C DixitAhmedabad

Collective efforts

Sir — This refers to the editori-al, “The Corona diplomacy”(March 17). Due to the lack of amedicine/vaccine in sight, theCoronavirus pandemic hasbesieged the world. Thankfully,several nations are conductingresearch to develop a vaccine. Butit was shocking that instead ofworking together with Germany,which is developing a potentialvaccine for COVID-19, the UShas acted shamefully by demand-ing that the said medicine beavailable exclusively forAmericans. COVID-19 is a glob-al threat and nations have to fightit collectively.

Akhiliesh KumarNoida

P A P E R W I T H P A S S I O N

www.dailypioneer.comfacebook.com/dailypioneer | @TheDailyPioneer | instagram.com/dailypioneer/

op nionHYDERABAD | WEDNESDAY | MARCH 18, 2020

06

Free up the labour market

PRAFULL GORADIA

Most laws governing the country are either archaic or not in sync with present-dayrealities. First and foremost, there’s a need to revisit employment rules

Let me first take oath, then I will speak in detail to the media why I accepted this and why I am going to Rajya Sabha.

Former Chief Justice of India—Ranjan Gogoi

Many actors shy away fromauditions because of ego andinsecurity. I love auditioningbecause I get the confidenceand the producer is aware of what I can do.

Actor—Radhika Madan

Crises like this tend to bringout the best and worst of humanity. You cannotfight a fire while blindfolded.Test, test, test. Test every suspected case.

WHO chief —Tedros A Ghebreyesus

S O U N D B I T E

L E T T E R S T O TT H E E D I T O R

Olympic fate hangs in balance

The Coronavirus pandemic has had a number of con-sequences. Among other things, the fate of thebiggest sporting event in the world, the Olympic

Games, now hangs by a thread with the rapid spreadof COVID-19 in Japan, the country slated to host theevent later this year. At least 1,484 people have beeninfected in Japan, with the death toll standing at 31 lastevening. Out of those infected, as many as 697 peoplewere guests on the cruise ship, Diamond Princess,anchored at Yokohama port. But according to a state-ment by the Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, itseems that the preparations for the Tokyo Olympics arestill underway.

While the Japan Government has been trying to con-tain the spread of the disease by closing schools andrestricting the entry of travellers from affected countries,it has still been widely criticised for taking insufficient mea-sures. Under these circumstances, it is natural that therewill be apprehensions regarding the hosting of the Gamesin Tokyo. Japan has been preparing for the event for along time but even if it is equipped to handle every othersecurity measure, the biggest problem now is the COVID-

19 outbreak. There is still some time before the event isdue to start; one hopes that the disease will have beencontained by then. If that does not happen, then the venueof the Games must be changed. Let us hope that the glob-al crisis is resolved within the next few months so thatthe Tokyo Olympics can take place successfully.

TK NandananKochi

Send yyour ffeedback tto:letterstopioneer@gmail.com

Smooth sail for women

I have been warning theGovernment that a massivetsunami is coming. Indiashould be preparing itself notjust for COVID-19 but for theeconomic devastation, too.

Congress leader—Rahul Gandhi

The Govt has adopted a reasoned approach of random samplingto not waste test kits but we need more centres

Supreme Court grants permanent commission to women officers in the Navy

A PARADOX OF THEINDIAN SCENARIO

IS ITS HIGHPOPULATION AND,

HENCE, THECONSOLATION OF A

DEMOGRAPHICDIVIDEND ON THE

ONE HAND ANDMINIMUM WAGES

DECLARED BY STATEGOVERNMENTS

PLUS THE LAWSAND LABOUR

COURTS BEINGPREJUDICED

AGAINSTEMPLOYERS. THE

OTHER PARADOX ISTHE NATIONAL

OUTCRY FOR MORE JOBS

Capitalise on our strengths

IF YOU DON’T TAKE A FLOOR TEST BY MARCH 17, IT WILL BE ASSUMED THAT YOU HAVE

LOST YOUR MAJORITY.MADHYA PRADESH GOVERNOR—

LALJI TANDON

I AM NOT RUNNING AWAY FROM THE FLOOR TEST.IN THE LAST 15 MONTHS I HAVE PROVED MAJORITYON THE FLOOR OF THE HOUSE MULTIPLE TIMES.—MADHYA PRADESH CHIEF MINISTERKAMAL NATH

POINTCOUNTERPOINT

British educationist Alick Maclean undertookarguably one of the earliest attempts at pro-ducing a university ranking system.

Maclean’s study Where We Get Our Best Men(1900), which betrays the late Victorian England’sobsession with its own laurels, remained unno-ticed outside the university circuits in England.However, more than a hundred years later, thecontext, connotations and the scope of such rank-ings have changed dramatically. With the inclu-sion of higher education as an “internationallytraded” service in the General Agreement onTrade in Services (GATS), universities havebecome commodities that must sell to sustainthemselves in a globally-competitive educationindustry. Rankings are loudly advertised and havebecome the very touchstone of marketability. Evenin a welfare State like India, where the bulk ofhigher education is Government-aided andtherefore beyond the pale of market vagaries, therehas been, of late, a near-feverish fixation withrankings. And while (because) Indian universi-ties weren’t performing too well at Times HigherEducation Supplement (THES), Shanghai JiaoTong University (SJTU) or Webometrics worldrankings, we introduced leagues of our own inthe form of National Assessment andAccreditation Council (NAAC) and NationalInstitutional Ranking Framework (NIRF). Tomany of the stakeholders, “ranking” is an unwar-ranted western import which puts the institutionsof developing countries at a natural disadvantage.

With their emphasis on measuring researchoutput in terms of publications in English lan-guage journals, the global system of accreditationperpetuates the dominance of Anglo-Americanand to a lesser extent, European institutions.Besides the system of peer-review and mutual-referencing aren’t the most transparent of acad-emic practices. Since the Government appearskeen on incrementally linking an institution’sdomestic and international standings with the vol-ume and the manner of funding, some even sus-pect that the entire hoopla is a decoy for privati-sation. And then there are those critics whobelieve that at a time when the majority of uni-versity graduates, as highlighted in theGovernment’s own findings, are unemployable,our pursuit of global stature reeks of waylaid com-petitive nationalism, hollow chest-thumpingand the general lethargy of a stagnated eductionsector. They argue, with some merit, that it wouldprofit the universities more if the staff aremobilised towards research and teaching insteadof tedious report compilation. Till a few years ago,before the launch of NAAC and NIRF, manybelieved that better rankings accrue from user-friendly websites and perception management.

Under the circumstances, quality becomes aprocedural casualty and our estimation of a uni-versity’s true worth, based on a set of universalparameters, remains delusional and misleading.For example, in several assessment paradigms, theshare of international faculty and foreign studentssubstantially propels an institution’s ranking.While this may not be the strength of Indian uni-versities, not many countries of the world canboast of a higher education system which is morecommitted to affirmative action and socialinclusion, than our own.

The massification of education and steep risein enrollment rates may not deliver immediatedividends but these steps will see India rise as aleader in research and development (R&D) intimes to come. Fortunately, the NIRF identifiesan institution’s inclusivity at the levels of region,

class, gender and physical disability asa parameter in quality assessment. Butthere are, as yet, no points for diversi-ty in faculty.

As India aims to overhaul its high-er education infrastructure through aNew Education Policy (NEP), creatingworld-class institutes of eminence (IoEs)and acquiring better global rankingsappear to be two of the priorities. It isexpected that resources generatedthrough public private partnership(PPP) and introduction of industry-cen-tric courses will provide stimulus tothese enterprises. The Ministry ofHuman Resource Development’s(MHRD) pitch for IoEs encouragesinternational outreach. Under thescheme, the 16 designate institutionshave been empowered to collaboratewith foreign universities and recruit upto 25 per cent of their total facultystrength from outside India.

The success of the much-touted‘Study in India’ campaign, too, is large-ly hinged on our ability to create IoEsand secure better ranking. The cam-paign, if successful, will not only bringrevenue but the increase in the numberof offshore students would also improveour global stature. The degree of inter-nationalisation of higher education,which is partly consequent upon glob-al ranking, will certainly augmentIndia’s soft power. The Government’swebsite on the initiative lists instructionin English medium, the size of India’smarket, recent start-up culture and plu-ralist campuses as our strengths. Butwhen we leverage our educationalinfrastructure to entice the global stu-dent community, we need to ask the fol-lowing question: who are we inviting tostudy in India and what do we have tooffer? Given India’s financial constraintsand our social commitment to bring themajority into the fold of higher educa-tion, planners and policymakers willhave to make a series of difficult choic-es. They will have to choose between

scaling a few hand-picked institutionsto global stature and making the major-ity of Central/State universities compet-itive with respect to education infra-structure in Asia and Africa. Let us notforget that as of now, Indian universi-ties cater mostly to students fromSouth Asian Association for RegionalCooperation (SAARC) and Associationof Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)countries.

In some cases, to the wealthy SouthKoreans and Africans, too. In terms oftheir preferred academic destinations inIndia, these foreign students choosemostly institutions located in metropol-itan centres. Therefore, we also need tochoose between buttressing the existingpatterns of student-inflow and creatingregionally diverse centres of learning.Further, we have to decide between pro-moting subjects which feed the localindustry and those that are most soughtafter in the target countries. If we are toinvite students to study in India, whenthe domestic expectation itself is of acosmic proportion, we must think ofways of marrying the two prerogatives.A balance must be struck between thestrategic need to invite foreign studentsand delivering on the moral imperativesof the State.

Policymakers need to think ofdeveloping regional centres of excellencebased on local trends, proclivities,resources and history. Delhi is nearlysaturated, so are Bengaluru, Hyderabadand Pune. India needs to create morehubs, showcasing local strength andareas where Indians excel. To thateffect, here is a modest proposal.Institutes based in the north-easternStates can be developed into hubs fortraining in cottage and small-scaleindustries. Maharashtra and Gujarat canbecome centres of commerce and tradeeducation. South India could be devel-oped into India’s science hub whileBengal and Bihar can shine as regionscatering to humanities and social sci-

ences. Haryana can do exceptionallywell in sports and physical health andMadhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh andOdisha can lead global research on trib-al knowledge systems and sustainablehuman ecology. At the same time, wemust also think of capitalising ondomains of knowledge to which we havehad privileged access and that have tra-ditionally been our strength. In subjectssuch as ayurveda, yoga and mentalhealth, with an untapped global market,we have a lot to offer even to the mostadvanced countries of the world. Thereis an ayurvedic medical college in myown nondescript village in Bihar. Butover the years, instead of attracting stu-dents from other States, let alone fromother countries, the institution hasshrunk both physically and in terms offootfall. Instead of investing in disci-plines where global competition is stiff,the MHRD should think of promotinga few institutes dedicated to indigenousknowledge systems as IoEs. In theseareas, the chances of becoming a worldleader are bright, realistic and hugelyrewarding.

But as we draw these schemes, wemust never forget that a lot will dependon the quality of teachers employed atthese institutes. Paradoxically, as thingsstand today, students studying outsideIndia, with their international experi-ence and exposure, are being project-ed as key to the success of the ‘Study inIndia’ initiative. We have to put in placea robust system of attracting and retain-ing talented students and teachers.Given the current state of affairs,appointment of teachers would be agood beginning point. Unless we engageand strengthen our workforce, theseschemes will be reduced to corporatestyle weekend workshops on capacitybuilding that offer nothing but a distrac-tion from monotony. That too on aweekend.

(The writer teaches English at theUniversity of Delhi)

As India aims to acquire better global rankings, policymakers must develop regional centresof excellence in education based on local trends, proclivities, resources and history

analysis 07F I R S T C O L U M N

Guard your healthand wealth, too

HIMA BINDU KOTA

In times of such global anxiety as unleashed bythe Coronavirus, it is vital for people to secure

themselves financially

GAUTAM CHOUBEY

GIVEN INDIA’SFINANCIAL

CONSTRAINTSAND OUR SOCIAL

COMMITMENTTO BRING THE

MAJORITY INTOTHE FOLD

OF HIGHEREDUCATION,

PLANNERS ANDPOLICYMAKERS

WILL HAVE TOMAKE A SERIES

OF DIFFICULTCHOICES. THEYWILL HAVE TO

CHOOSEBETWEEN

SCALING A FEWHAND-PICKED

INSTITUTIONS TOGLOBAL STATUREAND MAKING THE

MAJORITY OFCENTRAL/STATE

UNIVERSITIESCOMPETITIVE

WITH RESPECTTO EDUCATION

INFRASTRUCTUREIN ASIA AND

AFRICA

The world is facing a pandemic, the kind of which we have notseen in recent history. The Coronavirus, which began in Wuhan,China, has now hit over 145 countries, with over 188,433 con-

firmed cases globally and around 7,500 deaths. Of this, China, Italy,Iran and Spain have reported the highest number of cases and casu-alties. Naturally, productivity levels have come down drastically withChina, the hotbed of the Coronavirus reporting a fall of 13.5 per centin its factory activity. As far as American economic data is concerned,the manufacturing activity in New York State also fell to its lowest levelsince 2009. Similarly, stock markets have also plummeted worldwidedespite major Central banks offering lifelines in the form of rate cuts.The Dow Jones, reacting to US President Donald Trump’s commentsregarding a “possible recession” tanked about 13 per cent on March16, with London’s Financial Times Stock Exchange along with othermajor European markets recording a four per cent slide. Indian stockmarkets have also sunk due to panic selling. The Sensex and the Niftybroke the lower circuit this week when both indices fell 10 per centeach, immediately after the bourses opened. Given the ongoing glob-al chaos and uncertainty, it is not possible to predict the movementof stock markets as this fall worldwide does not have any precedent.No one knows how long the Coronavirus epidemic will continue. Intimes of such global anxiety it is vital for people to secure themselvesfinancially. Here are some ways to do so.

Do not overreact and sell in panic: It is generally seen that investorsare not rational in their outlook, follow a herd mentality and fall preyto panic selling. It is important to be fully aware of the natural cogni-tive and emotional bias that we may be experiencing and overcomeit. Investors must rationalise, based on technicality. Generally, the stocksalways move upwards in the long-term, although there can be short-term downturns. However, there could be times when selling becomesnecessary when the fundamentals change drastically. So, although itis too early to panic and sell our investments in the stock markets,taking a U-turn and selling when the fundamentals of the economyor the business environment are changing, could be prudent. But isit a good time to buy? Nobody knows what is the bottom of this mar-ket. So any risk-taking individual can start investing in a proportionof funds over time. Set up a weekly Systematic Investment Plan (SIP)of the amount you are comfortable with and try not to panic if themarkets fall further during this time. In this way, an investor with highrisk tolerance can take advantage of rupee cost averaging.

Emergency funds and cash in hand: Although investments instock markets and other instruments are an important way of achiev-ing financial goals, it is important to create an emergency fund if youdo not have one already. Investors can also think of enhancing theirexisting emergency funds as it provides the required cushion and peaceof mind to deal with uncertainties. It is advisable to move some invest-ments from the stock markets and fixed saving instruments into sav-ing accounts to meet any untoward expenses. With schools, colleges,malls, organisations and places of worship shutting down, there couldbe a possibility of banks closing down for a brief period in the future.So keeping extra cash in hand and at a reasonably safe place, is advis-able.

Safeguard your job: Although many people have started to workfrom home already and many may follow soon, this is the time forpeople to toil hard for the benefit of the organisation they work for. Itis important to realise that in these times of economic upheaval andthe current global turmoil due to the pandemic, you are lucky to havea job that can pay your bills. It is a very difficult time for freelancers,the aviation and tourism sector and for those who earn their living throughthe MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) indus-try and so on. So, work hard to safeguard your job and plan yourfinances carefully to help you tide over the present crisis.

Cut expenses and look for opportunities to save: It is practicalto look at all opportunities to save, since most of the social outingslike pubbing, clubbing, eating out, watching movies and shopping havebecome out of bounds. This is a good time to relax and reflect onrecent purchases and contemplate on unnecessary expenses that canbe curbed in the future, too. It is also important to halt any expendi-ture that requires high cash outlay for some time and see how thesituation changes.

Kickstart emergency plans: Many of us might have invested inthe stock markets for our childrens’ higher education or marriage expens-es and so on. For such immediate needs, which cannot wait for thestock markets to stop falling, stabilise and then start their upward jour-ney, a “Plan B” should be worked out at the earliest.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared Covid-19 asa global pandemic as it has spread worldwide and affected our lives,social norms and economic parameters. However, as individualinvestors, we should resist the temptation to panic and think rational-ly regarding our investments. With some smart planning and handyemergency funds, it is possible to tide over these troubled times.Remember the old adage, “Health is wealth.” So, first take care ofyour health and then focus on your wealth.

(The writer is Associate Professor, Amity University, Noida)

Aclear picture of the full ramifi-cations of the extraordinaryCoronavirus outbreak is yet to

emerge. Till about two weeks ago thevirus was just a news story but now, ithas touched all our lives. Right fromwork, play, entertainment, the right topray and to “what is for dinner today”,every aspect of the common man’s lifehas been affected. It has changed nor-mal routines and many are now work-ing from home. Students are on a forcedholiday and irritable as they havelargely been confined to home by

schools and institutions of higher edu-cation shutting down. Even those stay-ing in hostels have been told to pack upand go home. Worried parents havethemselves given up socialising, goingto restaurants or the cinema. It has alsoresulted in an unprecedented focus onhealth and hygiene, not just in the pub-lic sphere but also in our private space.Authorities have issued numerous pub-lic health advisories and dos and don’tsto prevent the spread of theCoronavirus. Right now, the situationseems to be spiralling out of control andas of now no end is in sight.

But this should not result in panic.It is indeed a good thing that theGovernment has declared it as a“national calamity” and the States andthe Centre are working in tandem tocheck the spread of the dreaded virus.The number of confirmed cases inIndia has risen to 137, with three casu-alties, according to the Health Ministry’sdata. As the number grows daily, many

businesses have closed, there is mayhemon the stock market, hospitals are over-flowing with patients and even themovie industry has postponed new filmreleases with movie halls being shuttemporarily. It will certainly take a longtime for the country to recover from theeffect of this pandemic.

Even the gods have not beenspared, say media reports. Apparently“fearing” that the deities, too, could beinfected with the Coronavirus, thepriests of a famous temple in UttarPradesh have covered them with masksand asked the devotees to clean theirhands with sanitizers before touchingthe idols. Some like the Swaminarayantemple have been shut indefinitely. Forthe first time, the centuries oldTirumala Tirupati Devasthanam hascancelled major services.

Interestingly, the Coronavirus hascome as a blessing in disguise for theNarendra Modi Government as it haspushed almost all other burning issues

to the background. Politically impor-tant issues like the flailing economy, theanti-Citizenship Amendment Act(CAA) protests, the Delhi riots and soon, have been put on the back-burner.Even in Parliament the debate on theanti-CAA protests was not as stormy asexpected. The Modi Government gotaway with muted attacks, though theformer Congress president RahulGandhi continues his tirade against theCentre on the sliding economy.

Coronavirus is taking a toll on eco-nomic activities around the world as theentire supply chain continues to beaffected and major global events areeither being cancelled or postponed.The impact on the Indian economy isgoing to be much worse now, thoughthe Government is yet to come up withan assessment.

Indian economists are worriedthat the Coronavirus outbreak coulddrag growth in the current January-March quarter and the next financial.

The Government has projected five percent growth in the current financial yearand the projected growth for the nextfiscal, starting April 2020-21 has beenpegged at six per cent to 6.5 per cent.

The manufacturing industry, thereal estate sector, the aviation and hos-pitality industry, major sports eventsand almost every segment of econom-ic activity has seen a downtrend.Airline tickets and hotel bookings aregoing at almost half price.The $46 bil-lion global cruise industry is alsowatching the Coronavirus outbreaknervously. If the spread of the diseaseisn’t contained soon, it could even affectthe advertising and marketing spendsof brands.

The Reserve Bank of IndiaGovernor, Shaktikanta Das recentlywarned that the pharma and electron-ic manufacturing sectors might getimpacted due to the virus and the GrossDomestic Product (GDP) growth islikely to go down further. He said that

the Coronavirus outbreak appears to beworse than the Severe AcuteRespiratory Syndrome (SARS) andthis time China’s share in the worldGDP and trade is much higher. IndianIT companies depend on Shanghai andBeijing and the big picture points to thefact that many existing projects mightnot be completed. India’s leadingautomakers — Mahindra, Tata Motorsand Hero MotoCorp — admit that theCoronavirus outbreak has hit produc-tion and supply of spare parts. The sec-tor saw sales decline by 15 per cent inthe April-January period.

Fear of the unknown is powerfuland the virus still remains alien. SARStook about six months to stop, largelythrough public health measures. Beingthe second-most populous country inthe world, India has cause to worry butthere should be no panic. Coronavirusis an evolving disease and we have noother option than to wait ad watch.

(The writer is a senior journalist)

We can just wait and watchFear of the unknown is powerful and Coronavirus still remains unfamiliar. SARS took about six months to stop, largely through public

health measures. Being the second-most populous country in the world India has cause to worry but there’s no need to panic

KALYANI SHANKAR

HYDERABAD | WEDNESDAY | MARCH 18, 2020

www.dailypioneer.com

F O R E I G N E Y E

In the months to come it isgoing to be necessary tostrengthen our communalbonds, looking out for thosewho are elderly and sick. Asself-isolation looms formany, anecdotal evidencesuggests that people arestocking up on books andpondering which classicsthey should finally take thetime to read. A volume ofWordsworth would be agood addition to any list.

(The Guardian editorial)

TIME TO READWORDSWORTH

HYDERABAD | WEDNESDAY | MARCH 18, 2020 money 08

CAPSULE

‘Corporate sectorallows staff to workfrom home'Mumbai: Representatives ofthe corporate sector haveagreed to let their employeeswork from home in view ofthe novel coronavirusoutbreak, Maharashtra HealthMinister Rajesh Tope saidhere on Tuesday. Therepresentatives also agreedto hold virtual meetingsinstead of in-personinteraction and will spreadawareness towardscombating the disease, Topesaid. The minister made theremarks after holding ameeting with 20-25representatives of the sectorhere. "The corporate sectorrepresentatives with big heartaccepted to go for work fromhome. They agreed forholding virtual meetings," hetold reporters after themeeting. Tope said thecompanies have agreed toshut down their non-essentialunits where it is possible."The non-essential units,however, cannot be shutdown," he said. The corporateplayers have also agreed tohelp the government ininformation campaign toeducate people on combatingthe coronavirus, Tope said.

We are financiallystrong and well-capitalised: RBL NEW DELHI: Dispellingrumours about its financialhealth after the Yes Bank crisiscame to light, RBL Bank onTuesday said it was financiallystrong, well-capitalised,profitable and a growing entitywith a strong governance set-up. The lender said marketrumours around financialhealth and stability of the bankare totally misplaced,motivated and not based onfacts. Last week also, the banksaid it was "well capitalised"and there is no adversechange in its asset quality. Thestatement came in the wake ofthe Yes Bank crisis, followingwhich stock prices of variousbanks went down sharply. "Inthe wake of the significantlyhigher level of market rumoursand speculation around RBLBank stock, we would like toreiterate what we said onMarch 11, 2020 and wish toreemphasize that RBL Bank isfinancially strong, well-capitalized, profitable, and agrowing entity with a stronggovernance set-up," the banksaid in a statement onTuesday. RBL Bank is wellcapitalized with a capitaladequacy ratio of 16.08 percent with tier-1 at 15.02 percent, which is significantlyhigher than the prescribedregulatory requirement at 11.5per cent and 9.5 per cent,respectively, it said. "There hasbeen no material adversechange in the asset qualitysince we announced our Q3financial results on Jan 22,2020 and our guidanceremains consistent," thestatement said. The bank alsourged all its stakeholders tonot believe in unsubstantiatedinformation and mischievousrumours.

PNS n WOLFSBURG(GERMANY)

The CEO of Volkswagen onTuesday said the German autogiant was bracing for a "verydifficult" year as the coron-avirus epidemic wreaks havocwith the global economy.

The group did not unveil anoutlook for 2020, saying thevolatile situation and theunprecedented shocks to sup-ply and demand made it"almost impossible" to make areliable forecast. "2020 is a verydifficult year. The corona pan-demic presents us withunknown operational andfinancial challenges," chiefexecutive Herbert Diess said ina statement.

"We will succeed in over-coming the corona crisis bypooling our strengths," headded.

The stark assessment cameas the group published its fullresults for 2019, having alreadyreleased partial figures lastmonth.

The firm, whose stable of 12brands includes Porsche, Audi,

Seat and Skoda, saw revenuesclimb 7.1 per cent to 252.6 bil-lion euros (USD 282 billion).

It achieved a net profitattributable to shareholdersof 13.3 billion euros, up 12.8per cent on 2018, driven bystrong sales of more expensivemodels.

‘Govt to amend Competition law for greater regulation’PNS n NEW DELHI

The Centre on Tuesday saidthat it has proposed certainamendments to theCompetition law for greaterregulation of e-commerce plat-forms and ensure that presence

of etailers has no severe impacton local jobs.

Responding to a series ofqueries on this issue during theQuestion Hour, CorporateAffairs Minister NirmalaSitharaman said in Rajya Sabhathat the cabinet has already

looked into the amendments."The Competition Act

Regulation Amendments willnow bring in greater regula-tion.. The cabinet has lookedinto it. This is one of the wayswe are trying to regulate (e-commerce platforms)," she said

in the Upper House.The amendments to the law

have been proposed as per therecommendation of theCompetition Law ReviewingCommittee, under the chair-manship of Corporate AffairsMinistry, she said.

PNS n NEW DELHI

Automobile dealers' bodyFADA on Tuesday said it hasfiled an application with theSupreme Court seeking exten-sion of sale and registration ofBS-IV vehicles till May 31,2020 -- an extension of twomonths from March-end dead-line to clear the stock of suchmodels.

The Federation ofAutomobile DealersAssociations (FADA) on behalfof its members has once againapproached the SupremeCourt, and has filed an inter-locutory application along withan application seeking modifi-cation in writ petition dated

October 24, 2018.In the petition, in the mat-

ter of M C Mehta versus Union

of India and others, the apexcourt had directed that nomotor vehicle conforming to

emission standard BS-IV shallbe sold or registered in theentire country with effect fromApril 1, 2020.

"We have submitted anapplication with the SupremeCourt for extension of registra-tion process of BS-IV vehiclestill May 31, 2020. We are nowseeking an urgent hearing onthe matter," FADA PresidentAshish Harsharaj Kale toldPTI.

The two-wheeler BS-IVinventory at dealerships acrossthe country stood at around8.35 lakh units valued ataround Rs 4,600 crore, headded.

"The situation in the passen-ger vehicle and commercialvehicle segments is much bet-ter as compared to two-wheel-ers," Kale said.

FADA had filed an applica-tion earlier as well which was

rejected by the apex court onFebruary 14 this year.

"Post our initial application,necessitated due to huge unsoldBS-IV inventory and slowingsales, getting rejected by theapex court on February 14,2020, there has been a drasticchange in circumstances inconducting business as usual,"Kale said.

The spread of coronavirushas led to a drastic drop in salesand customer walk-ins havereduced to a trickle, he added.

"As caution sets in due tofear of spreading of the virus,counter sales has fallen by 60-70 per cent across auto dealer-ships in these past few days,"Kale said.

VW warns of ‘verydifficult' year

The starkassessment cameas the grouppublished its fullresults for 2019,having alreadyreleased partialfigures last month

Sun Pharma okays Rs

1,700 cr share buy-backPNS n NEW DELHI

Drug major SunPharmaceutical Industries onTuesday said its board hasapproved Rs 1,700 crore sharebuyback offer at a maximumprice of Rs 425 per share.

In a regulatory filing thecompany said that the boardof directors of the company, atits meeting held on Tuesdayhas approved the buy-back ofits equity shares from theopen market at a maximumprice of Rs 425 per share foran aggregate maximumamount of up to Rs 1,700crore.

"At the maximum buy-backsize and the maximum buy-back price, the indicative max-imum number of equity sharesto be bought back under thebuy-back would be four croreequity shares which repre-sents 1.67 per cent of the totalnumber of equity shares of the

company," the filing said.However, the actual number

of equity shares to be boughtback during the buy-back willdepend upon the actual pricepaid (excluding the transac-tion costs) for the equity sharesbought back and the aggregateactual amount utilised in thebuy-back, the filing said.

The filing further addedthat the public announcementsetting out the process, time-lines and other requisite detailswill be released in due coursein accordance with the buy-back regulations.

This represents 9.83 percent of the total paid-up equi-ty share capital of the compa-ny, it added.

PNS n NEW DELHI

Regulator Sebi has barredParamount Printpackagingand its officials from the cap-ital markets for five years fordiverting the proceeds of ini-tial share-sale and failing tomake true and adequate disclo-sure in the IPO papers.

The officials that have beenrestrained are the company'schairman and managing direc-tor Divyesh Ashwin Sukhadia,whole time director DharmeshAshwin Sukhadia and formerwhole-time director AnujVipin Sukhadia.

Paramount came out with itsRs 46-crore initial public offer(IPO) in April 2011 and itsshares got listed on theexchanges in May, 2011.

Sebi noted that Paramountwas owned by Sukhadia fam-ily and they collectively held79.38 per cent shares of thecompany before IPO and postinitial share-sale, they owned

40.45 per cent stake. These three officials were in

charge of the affairs of thecompany before and after the

shares of the company gotlisted. A probe by the regula-tor found that Paramountmisutilised the proceeds ofthe IPO and also diverted thefunds to entities that did notprovide any service and goodsas contracted.

“It is concluded that thenoticees had a pre-determinedplan where under it first raisedmoney from the publicthrough the IPO route by con-cealing material information,making false/wrong and inad-equate disclosures regardingvendors, then transferred theIPO proceeds to pre-decidedvendors within a few days andthereby misutilised and divert-ed the proceeds of the IPO.

"I therefore find that thenoticees in the present case hadmisutilised Rs 35 crore and haddiverted Rs 34.5 crore,” SebiWhole Time MemberMadhabi Puri Buch said in a64 page order passed onMonday.

Overseasinvestment byIndian firms inFeb at 2.37 bn

PNSn NEW DELHI

The Income Tax Departmenthas seized assets worth Rs1,051.79 crore up to January inthe current financial year as itconducted searches on 893groups, Finance MinisterNirmala Sitharaman said onTuesday. In 2018-19, the taxdepartment conducted 983searches and seized assets valuedat Rs 1,584.11 crore.

Replying to a question in theRajya Sabha, Sitharaman furthersaid investigation regarding taxevasion is an ongoing processand whenever any instance oftax evasion comes to the noticeof the department, appropriateaction, including search and

seizure actions, surveys aretaken as per law, dependingupon the facts and circum-stances of each case.

After search and seizureactions, the department con-ducts search investigations,assessment of income, levy andrecovery of tax, imposition ofpenalty and launching of pros-ecution depending upon thefacts and circumstances of eachcase.

The assessment orders passedby the department are subject toappeals before various appellateauthorities includingCommissioner of Income Tax(Appeals), Income Tax AppellateTribunal, High Courts and theSupreme Court.

A probe by theregulator foundthat Paramountmisutilised theproceeds of theIPO and alsodiverted the fundsto entities that didnot provide anyservice and goodsas contracted

The two-wheeler BS-IV inventory atdealerships across the country stood ataround 8.35 lakh units valued at aroundRs 4,600 crore, he added

PNS n NEW DELHI

Auto maker FCA India onTuesday said it has permittedover 50 per cent of its staff inMumbai and Pune to workfrom home at least until March31, 2020 in the wake of coron-avirus pandemic.

FCA, which operates fromthree locations in India –Mumbai, Pune and Chennai,has prioritised the option ofwork from home (WFH) for itsstaff in Maharashtra on precau-tionary advisories by the centralgovernment and also the stategovernments, the company saidin a statement.

The work from home alter-native for the engineering work-

force in Chennai is under con-sideration and not in play as yet,it added. "Although no employ-ee of FCA India has reported ortested positive, we are fullyaware of the gravity of the situ-ation and are taking quick,proactive steps every day thatare necessary for everybody's

well-being," FCA India'sPresident and ManagingDirector Partha Datta said.

FCA, which sells variousmodels including the JeepCompass SUV in the country,has a total employee base of1,500 across its offices inMumbai, Chennai and Pune.

FCA India permits 50 pc ofstaff to work from home

The work fromhome alternativefor the engineeringworkforce inChennai is underconsideration andnot in play as yet,it added

PNS n MUMBAI

Equity benchmark BSESensex plunged 811 points infag-end selloff on Tuesdayafter a see-saw session as thecoronavirus pandemic-ledrecession fears kept investorsjittery.

After opening on a positivenote, the 30-share indexgyrated 1,653 points duringthe day. It finally settled810.98 points or 2.58 per centlower at 30,579.09.

Likewise, the broader NSENifty slumped 230.35 pointsor 2.50 per cent to close at8,967.05.

Top losers in the Sensexpack included ICICI Bank,IndusInd Bank, Bajaj Finance,Kotak Bank, HDFC, Infosysand SBI.

On the other hand, HUL,

Hero MotoCorp, PowerGrid,Maruti and Asian Paints wereamong the gainers.

According to traders, value-buying lifted benchmarksduring the first half of the ses-sion, but the gains could not

be sus-tained asm a r k e t ssuccumbedto coron-av i r u s - l e dfears of an impending reces-

sion.Elsewhere in

Asia, bourses inShanghai and Seoul

ended in the red,while Hong Kong and

Tokyo turned positive.Markets in Europe

cracked up to 3 per centin early trade. Meanwhile,

the rupee appreciated mar-ginally to 74.20 per US dol-

lar (intra-day). Brent crude oilfutures fell 1.06 per cent toUSD 29.73 per barrel.

The number of deathsaround the world linked tothe virus has topped 7,000,after Italy announced a newsurge in fatalities, with over1,75,000 infections recordedglobally so far.

In India, the number ofinfected cases stood at 126, asper the union health ministry.

Markets inEuropecracked upto 3 percent in earlytrade. Meanwhile, therupee appreciatedmarginally to 74.20 perUS dollar (intra-day).Brent crude oil futuresfell 1.06 per cent toUSD 29.73 per barrel

PNS n NEW DELHI

A bill to amend the CompaniesAct 2013 and decriminalisevarious offences under it wasintroduced in Lok Sabha onTuesday, amid opposition bymembers of various parties.

Introducing the bill,Minister of State for Financeand Corporate Affairs AnuragThakur made it clear that thegovernment was not looking todecriminalise non-compound-able offences.

Members from various par-ties vehemently opposed theintroduction of the Companies(Amendment) Bill, 2020.Raising concerns about the YesBank crisis, some Oppositionleaders alleged that the bill wasaimed to appease corporatesand demanded that it shouldbe referred to theParliamentary StandingCommittee on Finance.

BJD MP BhartruhariMahtab said that through thisbill government was seeking todecriminalise certain offencesand reducing penalty for oth-ers.

Questioning the timing ofintroduction of the bill, heasked, "Is this an opportunetime to introduce the billwhen a large private bank has

collapsed?".On March 5, the Reserve

Bank superseded the board ofYes Bank in the wake of deep-ening crisis, mainly due tohuge bad loans and a morato-rium has been imposed.

Under a revival plan, SBIand some private banks havemade investments in Yes Bank.

Number of companies arefolding up because of the activ-ities of promoters, Mahtabsaid.

Echoing similar sentiments,TMC MP Saugata Roy said itappears that the government isheavily influenced by represen-tatives of industry chambers.

"Today (former) CEO ofYes Bank is in EnforcementDirectorate custody...the gov-ernment is seeking to decrim-inalise certain regulations inthe name of ease of doing busi-ness," Roy said. Yes Bank co-founder and former CEO RanaKapoor is in ED custody.

BJD MP Bhartruhari Mahtab said thatthrough this bill government wasseeking to decriminalise certainoffences and reducing penalty for others

PNS n PARIS

French Finance MinisterBruno Le Maire warnedTuesday the country facedrecession this year as heannounced a 45-billion euro($50-billion) aid package tohelp businesses and employeescope with the coronavirus cri-sis. The government, due topresent a series of further sup-port measures shortly, willbase them "on a growth fore-cast of minus one percent, thatis to say negative growth," LeMaire told RTL radio. Theforecast was "provisional," headded.

Le Maire described thestruggle against the coron-avirus pandemic as an "eco-nomic and financial war" thatwill last some time. "It will belengthy, it will be violent...this war will require us tomobilise all our forces," he said.

France seesrecession,clears 45 bn aidPNS nMUMBAI

Overseas investment bydomestic firms stood at USD2.37 billion in February 2020,as per RBI data. In the year-ago same period, companiesin India invested USD 2.36billion. In January 2020,domestic companies investedUSD 2.23 billion in theirforeign firms (joint ven-tures/wholly-owned units).Of the total investments inFebruary this year, USD 1.16billion was in the form ofloans, USD 670.17 millionwas by way of issuance ofguarantee while the rest USD538.70 million was investedthrough equity, according tothe data on Outward ForeignDirect Investment (OFDI)for last month.

I-T Department seizesassets worth Rs 1,052 crFADA approaches SC for extension of sale, registration

BS-IV VEHICLES

Cong, TMC and BJD oppose

Govt introduces Bill toamend companies law

SBI FundsManagementadoptsstewardship codePNS n NEW DELHI

SBI Funds Management, ajoint venture between India'slargest bank SBI andEuropean asset managerAmundi, on Tuesday said ithas adopted stewardship codewhich requires the fundhouse to monitor its investorcompanies and establish vot-ing policies.

In doing this, SBI MutualFund has become the firstfund house to implementthe stewardship code in India.

This is aimed at complyingwith markets regulator Sebi'sdirective, which mandated allmutual funds and alternativeinvestment funds in thecountry to adopt astewardshipcode, whichis applicablefor invest-ments inlisted equi-ties. The codewill come intoforce from April 1, 2020.

Under the code, institu-tional investors need to mon-itor investor companies andintervene in these firms incase of any requirementthrough meetings with themanagement. Also, they needto have a policy on voting anddisclose the voting behaviour.

In a statement, SBI MutualFund said the stewardshipcode which they have adopt-ed highlights the stewardshipresponsibilities undertakenby the fund house to activelymonitor, engage with andintervene, if needed, in thecompanies under its coverage.

“We have a fiduciary dutyto create long-term value forall our stakeholders. Thestewardship code gives aninsight into the AMC's strongESG (environment, socialand governance) integrationinitiatives and firm resolve totake decisions in the bestinterest of its unit holders,”said Navneet Munot, ED andChief Investment Officer atSBI MF.

Sebi places curbs on ParamountPrintpackaging, officials

Sensex tanks 811 pts in fag-end selloff; Nifty slumps

GALLOPINGINTO THE

SUNSET OFSUCCESS

iding horses since avery young age inHyderabad, AllanShaun Michael, aCavalry Gold Cupand Bhopal-Pataudi

Cup holder discusses the disci-pline of equestrianism.Belonging to a young riders’category, this cheerful rider is

the only representativefrom Hyderabad(18-21 years) dis-tinction. A weekago, this solicitoushorseback ridermade headlines in

Mumbai for his victoryat the Mumbai Polo

Season 2020! He hadalso recently takenpart in the NASRpolo held in

January and JaipurPolo Season under

the ownershipof Sanjay

Kapur, theCEO of SixtIndiaCompany.

The 21-year oldsays hewas luckyto have

had horsesaround him,thanks to his

father’s

ardent passion towards horse-riding. Allan has fully plungedhimself into this discipline.“Equestrian consists of disci-plines like endurance, jumpingand dressage. The whole gameis about the speed of horses.Endurance tends to test howfarther a horse can cover where-as jumping is parabolic innature as horses grapple energyfrom their hind legs. Dressagetakes up a slightly complex cre-ation, including rhythmic,responsive and flexible move-ments and postures,” Shaunshares.

“According to me, horse isthat one animal that you cannotjust ride on for practice purpos-es and leave. If I am to ride myhorses for an hour, I ensure Ilook after my champs for atleast double the time in feedingand grooming them. The horse-riding sport is indeed luxuriousto look but lot of effort goesinto keeping them healthy andsound, since they can be quitesensitive at times,” he explains.

The proprietor of total 16horses at Medchal, further talksabout the evolution of horseriding and polo as progressivesport in Hyderabad. He statesthat six years ago, polo wasn’tquite popular with the inhabi-tants of the city and only race-courses were more prominentlyactive. “A new associationcalled the Telangana StateEquestrian Association com-prising veterans of the sportwith the aim to revive the sportculturally was formed. A lot ofhorse shows were organised atlocal levels which brought thesport the attention it needed,”he informs.

Romantic Fever, a retiredracehorse has always been hischampion that won him severallaurels. Shaun shares a specialconnect with him. The riderhopes to someday see the sportreceive the same media andpublic attention that mostsports in the country receive.

Horse-riding/polo websitesregularly release updatesregarding various events to beheld in various cities across thecountry. Mostly running forone to three days, the eventsconsist of different perfor-mances of horses competing forawards and cash-prizes.

Follow us on@TheDailyPioneerfacebook.com/dailypioneer

R

WednesdayMarch 18, 2020

‘Telugu talent mustbe encouraged'

hat’s common in thetelevision serials —America Ammayi,Kathalo Rajakumari,Manasu Mamatha andGanga Manga? It’s the

actor D Sidhardha. Sidhardhapopularly known as Siddhu, woncritical acclaim for essaying thenegative role of Abhi, a casanovain his very first project AmericaAmmayi. He went on to win thehearts of fans and critics alike withhis other performances. He talksabout the man behind the severalmasks he wears.

Love for cinema Siddhu never expected to enter

the television industry because hewas always interested in cinemaright from his college days. “Inever looked at acting as a careerduring my childhood. It was onlyduring my college that I began tothink about it. While I was pursu-ing my engineering in Vizag, afriend of mine had moved toHyderabad to pursue cinemadirection. I chanced upon this totell my parents that I wanted topursue acting as a career,” heinforms. His parents advised himto wait till his sister got married.Once she married, there was nostopping for him. “After her mar-riage, I came to Hyderabad andbegan meeting people forwork,” he adds.

Siddhu then went on toact in many crowd-fundedmovies and short films,most of which did not

see the light of day due to variousreasons.

Entry into Television Despite many films not seeing

the light of the day, Siddhu didn’tstop himself. He began looking formore roles. “I attended variousauditions for opportunities inmovies. I played small roles in afew films like Nenu Local amongothers. Most of the times, the roleI was narrated would be differentfrom what the final output was,” adejected Siddhu says. After severalattempts to enterthe film indus-try, he decidedto try his luckin the televi-sion indus-try. “I gavemy firstauditionfor

America Ammayi and was select-ed. I played a negative characterand my stint there was appreciatedwell. And there has been no look-ing back ever since,” he smiles.

Unexpected opportunity Siddhu’s second TV series hap-

pened accidentally. He narrates, “Iwas at Annapurna Studios to fin-ish some work. At the time, audi-tions were on for KathaloRajakumari. The makers saw meand asked me to give my auditionsince they had seen my work inAmerica Ammayi. I got throughthe auditions and that’s how mysecond role took shape.”

A chef's love story Later, Siddhu wenton to do serialslike Manasu

Mamatha and GangaManga. In his latest

serial, Ganga Manga,he plays the role of a

chef. “I’m playing thelead in Ganga Manga. I’m

a renowned chef who fallsfor the lead actress when I

come to India. How I move

into her home as a worker to winher heart forms the rest of thestory,” he informs. “I’ve beenreceiving positive feedback frompeople for my role. Every time afan meets me, he or she inquiresabout what happens next,” headds.

Plan to do movies soonDespite gaining a name for him-

self in Television industry, Siddhuis still bitten by the movie bug andsays will continue to look for workin the Telugu film industry. “Now,I’m happy doing TV serials butplan to do movies soon,” he shares.Asked about his favorite film star,“It’s Pawan Kalyan,” he says. “Ihave no dream roles, I’m fine withanything,” he adds.

TV industry growing fasterthan films

Siddhu says that the craze forTelevision industry is growingfaster these days than for the filmindustry. “Serials are more engag-ing, I feel and hence are a big hit.Sadly, most actors in theTelevision industry are not nativespeakers of the language but peo-ple who’ve come here fromKarnataka and other places. Hencethe need to encourage buddingTelugu actors,” he informs. “I’msure that one big audition forTelugu actors across the Telugustates will do the job finding thebest actors here,” he suggests.

Well-wishers support Like most people, Siddhu had

his share of hiccups in convincehis family. But two people, heinforms, always had his back. “Mybrother Ganesh and friendPrasanna always backed medespite many hurdles,” he says. “Ishall forever be grateful for theirtrust in me and the support theyoffered when things were rough,”he adds crediting his success tothese two people.

People are encouraging allplatforms

When asked about the competi-tion between serials, OTT plat-forms and movies, Siddhu shares,“Every medium is different interms of content and audience.People are encouraging all plat-forms and it is good that manybudding actors are getting oppor-tunities. It all depends on peopleto manage their time to see whatthey want to consume. Serials havegreat audience all over, right frompeople in remote places to peoplein towns and cities.”

Televisionactor DSidhardhashares with V SATEESHREDDY hislove forcinema,playingnegativecharacters,support forbudding actorsand more

W

out of the

BOX

Everymedium is

different in terms ofcontent and audience. People

are encouraging all platformsand it is good that many

budding actors are gettingopportunities. It all depends

on people to manage theirtime to see what they want to

consume. Serials have greataudience all over, right from

people in remote places topeople in towns and cities

SIDHARDHAACTOR

SCULPTURESOF SOUND

f you’re an art-lover and want tocheck out someartwork in town,well, look no fur-ther. You can head

to Kalakriti Contemporary atClub Botanika to witness thework of artist Maitri Chheda.Titled ‘The Sound of Clay’,Chheda’s exhibition showcas-es work made of ceramics.

Mumbai-based artistMaitri Chheda, who dis-played her work at several artexhibitions across the coun-try including Ahmedabad,Jaipur, Lucknow, Mumbai,has now reached Hyderabadto showcase her work madeof ceramics.

Considered a traditionalmedium, Chheda, whorecieved her masters inceramic sculpture from theFaculty of Fine Arts,Maharaja SayajiraoUniversity of Baroda, tells usabout her ceramic work.“This medium can beexplored beyond its tradition.My work revolves around theaspect of hollow space andthe associated elements ofthickness and thinness of thematerial. Hollow spaces areparallels to that of the aspectof sound and the creation ofsound,” she says. “Through a

lyrical engagement with thesematerials, composingthrough rhythm, repetitionand pauses, I hope to trans-form music into physicalmanifestations,” she adds.

Although Chheda’s work isinspired from musical instru-

ments, they do not entirelyfunction as one and canrather be termed as soundsculpture. Explaining herunique art she says, “Takingthe aspect of resonance ofsound I have used repetitivepatterns in my work thusreflecting the pattern ofsound waves. They also havean interactive aspect to them,as I invite the viewer to phys-ically engage with my workin order to experience bothits visual and auditory aes-thetics.”

IHER WORK REVOLVESAROUND THE ASPECTOF HOLLOW SPACEAND THE ASSOCIATEDELEMENTS OFTHICKNESS ANDTHINNESS OF THEMATERIAL

Hyderabad's young horse-rider Allan ShaunMichael, speaking to SHIKHA DUGGAL,explains the sport, the struggles that comewith it, the discipline it demands and theeffort it takes and more

PARTY

10

Hyderabad Wednesday March 18, 2020

l Bhavana

l Siya

l Oorja

l Sailaja Allamsetty

CITY GUIDE

GET YOUR EVENT LISTED: To get your events listed, send your details alongwith a poster and contact number to pioneer.features@gmail.com

EVENTS

l Hyderabad Readers and Writers Group ishosting a book reading session on March 21 atPhoenix Arena from 6 pm.

BOOK READING

lLamakaan, Banjara Hills is conducting a painting workshop on its premises on March 22from 11.30 am. The artistes will provide step by stepinstructions on how to paint.

PAINTING WORKSHOP

l More than 20 women photographers fromacross the country are showcasing their latestphotographs on various topics in an exhibitiontitled Resilience at State Art Gallery, Madhapur.The exhibition is on till March 27 between 10am and 6 pm.

l ‘Aur Karo Shaadi’ is the voice screaminginside every married man (and woman)!.Hyderabad's one of the best comedians AvinashAgarwal, who got married recently, will performthis stand up, at Aaromale on March 21 at 8 pm.

AUR KARO SHAADI

PUPPETRY DAY

COMEDY NIGHTSlStand-up comedian Vivek Muralidharan ishosting his new stand-up show ‘VivekMuralidharan Live’ on March 22 at PhoenixArena from 5 pm. In this weekly show, he willspeak about various societal issues.

PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION

lNori Art and Puppetry Centre is conducting WorldPuppetry Day Celebrations on March 21 at Lamakaanfrom 6.30 pm.

what’s brewing?

FASHIONFIESTA

Actress and MP Nusrat Jahan unveils herfashion brand YOUVE in Hyderabad

recently. Fashion lovers and socialitesattended for the launch event and

witnessed the models walk theramp.

lSh

ilpa

lNa

ziya

Khan

lDe

bbie

lNu

srat

Jah

an

Photos bby SV Chary

FUN

Rules

ARCHIE

GARFIELD

SUDOKU

REALITY CHECK SPEED BUMP CROSSWORD

GINGER MEGGS

NANCY

CALVIN AND HOBBES

l Each row and column cancontain each number (1 to 9)exactly once.

l The sum of all numbers inany row or column mustequal 45.

Yesterday’s solution

angalore girlKrithi Shettyhas caughtthe attentionof filmgoerswith her cute

looks and killer smile fromthe promotional material ofUppena so far. It seemsSukumar, who has producedher maiden venture in Teluguis also impressed by her bigtime, before proposing hername to his protégé Surya

Pratap for his next with Nikhil. Thefilm, titled 18 Pages, was launchedrecently in Hyderabad.

A source chips in, "18 Pagesrevolves primarily around the leadpair and Sukumar felt that Krithi withher girl-next-door looks and actingchops can add a lot to the female role.He had a word with her recently andshe responded positively. Pratap too in

is in her favour as he heard great thingsabout her performance in Uppena. Thenegotiations are in final stages."

18 Pages is a quirky love story, whichwill tell the tale of an 18-page love story

of the lead actor (Nikhil). Sukumar haspenned the film's story, while Gopi Sunderis on board to compose music. GA2Pictures and Sukumar Writings are jointlyproducing it.

PRABHAS CUT SHORTSEUROPEAN SCHEDULE

OF HIS NEXT

Hyderabad Wednesday March 18, 2020

11

tollywood

he makers ofPrabhas' nextwith Jil fameRadha Krishnahave cancelledthe long

European schedule due tothe novel coronavirus out-break. Already runningbehind the schedule bymore than four months,the team has begun shoot-ing the Georgian scheduleearly this March and evenshot for a good 14 days,before they decided topack their bags. AfterGeorgia, other parts ofEurope were to host theshoot till mid April butwith the continent regis-tering high number ofCovid-19 cases over thelast couple of weeks,Prabhas and Co. felt it's

better to defer the shoot tosome other time than riskhis cast and crew to thepandemic.

"When the makersstarted shooting the filmin Georgia, the situationwas not as terrifying as itis right now. The teamassessed the situation inneighbouring countriesand as they are shootingin open places in Georgia,they felt they will be a sit-ting duck to the virus. Sothey immediately com-pleted the Georgianschedule. They had plansto shoot in other parts ofEurope over the nextmonth but had to aborttheir plans. Yes, it will bea huge financial burdenfor the team as they won'tget similar climatic condi-

tions to shoot if theycome later, but inthe larger interest ofthe health of the unit,they had to take a callto terminate shoot. Theunit is on their way backto Hyderabad," said asource.

In the Georgia sched-ule, an action sequenceand a couple of scenes onPrabhas, Pooja Hegdeand PriyadarshiPulikonda have beenshot. It remains to beseen whether the unit willhead back to Europeagain. A musical lovestory, the film, with AmitTrivedi's music, is a jointproduction venturebetween Gopi KrishnaMovies and UVCreations.

Celebrities urge fans totake coronavirusseriously and stay inside

As the coron-avirus pandem-ic gets more andmore serious,many celebritiesare doing all

they can to convince theirfans and general public totake precautions againstgetting themselves and notto fall prey to fake mes-sages. Using their respec-tive social media plat-forms, many like MaheshBabu, Prabhas, Jr NTRand Ram Charan havebegun urging their fansto take this pandemicseriously.

Prabhas posted anote that read: "Yes, Itis tough health & pub-lic safety challenge, butremember each one of ushave a role to play in con-quering the #COVID19pandemic. Few precau-tions & staying away frommisinformation will help

it's escalation."Mahesh hasurged every-one to stayindoors, sac-rifice sociallife and pri-oritise pub-lic safety topreventthespread of

COVID-19.He took to Instagram

and wrote: "Social distanc-ing is the need of the hour!It's a tough call but weneed to make it. This istime to sacrifice our sociallife and prioritize publicsafety. Stay indoors asmuch as you can andmake the most of thisphase with your family

and lovedones.

Thiswill

keepthe virusfrom spread-ing and savemany lives."

He alsoappealedeveryone towash handsfrequently.

"Ensure youwash your handsfrequently andkeep your envi-ronment clean.Use hand sanitisersas much as possi-ble, use masksonly if you think

you are sick... Let's contin-ue to follow all the neces-sary steps until this passes.We are in it together andwe will see this through...Let's beat #COVID19together... #StaySafe," headded.

RRR stars Ram Charanand Jr NTR shared a videoon their respectiveInstagram handles on howto stay safe from contract-ing pandemic and not tobelieve fake WhatsAppmessages. They also listedout six precautionary mea-sures recommended byWorld Health

Organization, which caneasily keep oneself pro-tected from the

COVID-19 crisis.

ctor Adith Arun,who is presentlyoccupied withprojects likeLokakalyanam(working title),

Vidhi Vilasam, and KathaKanchiki Manam Intiki,has green-lit a newmovie. To mark thedirectorial debut ofSomnath, a short film-maker, the film has beentitled Vesavi 1999.Bekkem Venugopal, wholast produced the suc-cessful Husharu, is shep-herding the projectunder his Lucky Media.

Adith told us, "Thefilm is an interesting lovestory where I play anarmy man. We would beshooting it predominant-ly in Hyderabad, whilesome portions require usto visit Sangareddy. I'vestarted prepping for the

part already. We'vedone a test shoot of

three days sometimeback and were extremelycontent with the output.We were supposed to goto floors next week butdue to Covid-19, wemight start the filmsometime next month."

He further added thatwhile a new team isworking on the film,Fidaa composerShakthikanth Karthickhas been roped in to ren-der tunes.

On a different note,Adith said that he recent-ly watched Hindi filmDream Girl, spearheadedby AyushmannKhurrana, and impressedby it big time, he is look-ing to remake it. Whentold that SureshProductions has enteredinto agreement withBalaji Motion Pictures toremake it in Telugu, heinformed, "Wow, that's

good news. I knowboth Mr. Suresh

Babu and Ranavery well. I

would see if Ican approachthem."

Directed by a shortfilmmaker Somnath, thefilm has been titled Vesavi1999 and is being producedby Bekkem Venugopal,finds Nagaraj Goud

ADITHsigns aperiodlove story

A

ilmmaker Deva Katta, whowill begin filming his next

with Sai Tej in April, hasbeen signed on by GMB

Entertainment to do a webshow. We hear the show

will be a political thriller and the scriptwork has been wrapped up. "Deva has

been working on multiple stories for thepast three years and this web show is one

of them. He will be the showrunner,while simultaneously directing some

episodes. Majority of the other episodeswill be directed by his assistants. It will

go to floors later this summer," said asource.

Digital medium is not new to Katta, ashe has invested nearly three years on

Baahubali Netflix series. GMB is doingthe show for streaming giant AmazonPrime. This is their second web series

after Charlie, a detective thriller, whichthey've produced to run on Jio. Writer

Hussain Sha Kiran is its director.

F A

M

UPPENA girl intalks for 18 Pages

T

Katta to do apolitical thrillerfor GMB

PTI n KARACHI

The ongoing Pakistan SuperLeague (PSL) was onTuesday suspended after the

country’s Cricket Board revealedthat a foreign player showedsymptoms of the dreadedCOVID-19 with former captain-turned-commentator Ramiz Rajaclaiming that it was England’s AlexHales.

The PSL had entered theknockout stages and semifinalmatches were due to be played onTuesday and final on Wednesdayin Lahore. The PCB had alsoshortened the league by four daysconsidering the worsening coro-navirus situation but was forced tocall it off on Tuesday.

“...This new developmentcame after a player who leftPakistan told us that (he has)symptoms and this (decision tosuspend PSL) isn’t in light ofbeing panicked...We made ourdecision after thorough delibera-tion,” PCB CEO Wasim Khan said.

“But before this there was nosuspected case at all, which is whythe decision wasn’t made before,”he added.

Pakistan’s former Test captainRaja claimed that Hales might bethe player being suspected. As aprecautionary measure, all PSLplayers and broadcasters are nowbeing tested for the virus.

“What I know is that he is yetto have tests but we don’t knowwhether the symptoms he has is ofCorona or not. But we all nowneed to be very cautious and

obviously adopt a common senseapproach to deal with this prob-lem,” Raja said.

The 31-year-old Hales, a right-handed opener, has gone intoself-isolation after reaching

England.In the PSL semifinals, Multan

Sultans were to take on PeshawarZalmi at 2pm at the GaddafiStadium, followed by a clashbetween Karachi Kings andLahore Qalandars at the samevenue in the evening.

Most of the 34 foreign players,who took part in the PSL, beganheading home last week after thePCB said it would not stop anyonefrom withdrawing from the leaguedue to the Coronavirus fears.

Responding to a questionKhan said that the Karachi Kings

team had reservations about play-ing in the tournament and thedecision was then made afterconsulting all the franchises.

“We have done everything toensure health and safety of every-one because of the coronavirusand we consulted the govern-ment and health officials in alldecisions,” he said.

The PCB on Monday calledoff an upcoming ODI and Testagainst Bangladesh next month. Italso suspended its national one-day cup which was to begin fromMarch 25 in Karachi.

sport 12HYDERABAD | WEDNESDAY | MARCH 18, 2020

PTI n KARACHI

Former pace great Waqar Younis said itdoesn’t make sense that the ICC World Test

Championship don’t feature any matchbetween arch-rivals India and Pakistan.

The World Test Championship featuresnine top-ranked Test teams, who will play sixbilateral Test series against mutually chosenopponents with the top two nations with mostpoints at the end of the league clashing in thefinal in England in June 2021.

“I know it is a difficult situation betweenPakistan and India even at government to gov-ernment level but I think the ICC needed toplay a more proactive role in this champi-onship,” Waqar said in an interview to theYouTube channel.

“The ICC should have intervened anddone something because to me having a testchampionship without Pakistan and India Testmatches makes no sense,” he said.

Since the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, Indiahasn’t toured Pakistan. The two neighbourshave also not played a full Test bilateral seriessince 2007 due to strained political anddiplomatic relations.

Waqar lamented that due to the on and offstrained relations with India, he got to playonly four Tests against them in an internation-al career spanning 14-years, featuring 87 Testsand 262 ODIs.

“It’s always been like this that is why mak-ing my test debut against India is somethingI don’t forget,” he said.

Waqar also praised the wealth of pace tal-ent coming through in India.

“If you see India has really worked hardin this area and they are now producingbowlers regularly who bowl in the 140 plusrange.

“In the past it was not like this. But thingshave changed. (Jasprit) Bumrah, (Mohammed)Shami, Ishant (Sharma) they have takenIndia to the top. That is why India is doing sowell in Test and other formats now,” he said.

Waqar also pointed out that India had avery clear rotation policy for its pace bowlers.

“If you look at their Test side they havemore or less a settled combination of pacebowlers for this format but in the white ballformats they keep on changing and experi-menting which is good.”

Waqar said as Pakistan bowling coach healso wanted to experiment with the bowlersin limited over cricket, while having a settledgroup of bowlers for Test cricket who couldserve the country for the next 5 to 8 years.

“My policy is to keep on giving chancesand experimenting in ODIs and T20 cricket.Give those bowlers a chance who are in format a time. It is not that I ignore those who haveperformed consistently well in domesticcricket. Muhammad Abbas, Imran Khan areexamples,” he said.

The 48-year-old said cricket has changeda lot compared to when he played and fastbowlers lack aggression now.

“Nowadays cricket is different and as aresult I feel pace bowlers are more defensiveminded now to counter the changed rules,broader bats and easy pitches.

“In my days we always believed thataggression and attack was a must for fastbowlers and we got success.”

PTI n SYDNEY

Cricket Australia is planning to host the men’sT20 World Cup as per schedule in October

despite the COVID-19 pandemic causing a col-lapse of sports events worldwide.

“We’re really hoping that all forms of sport canbe played again in a few weeks or a few months’time,” CA chief Kevin Roberts was quoted as say-ing by cricket.Com.Au.

“None of us are experts in this situation obvi-ously, so our hope is that we’re back in very muchnormal circumstancescome October andNovember when the men’sT20 World Cup is to beplayed.”

The men’s T20 WorldCup is slated to begin withthe pre-qualifiers fromOctober 18-23 followed bythe main 12-team competi-tion from October 24.

The final will be played onNovember 15 at the MCG andCA is planning for a full house.

“And at this stage we’replanning on November 15, tohave a full house at the MCG toinspire the world through men’scricket as the women’s cricketersdid here just last week,” Robertssaid.

Last week, Australia’s ODIseries against New Zealand wascalled off after the first match, aswas India’s ODI series againstSouth Africa. Both series were tobe held without spectators beforebeing scrapped.

IANS n NEW DELHI

The Indian Premier League franchises areready to quarantine their foreign players for

a period of 14 days if the travel advisories issuedby the government calls for the same amid theongoing coronavirus outbreak. But first, theyare waiting for the authorities to clear theground for issuance of visa to them. As of now,the government has prohibited entry of peoplefrom specific countries and regions till March31.

The government on Monday issued an advi-sory expanding compulsory quarantine for aminimum period of 14 days for passengers com-ing from/transiting through UAE, Qatar, Oman,and Kuwait. It further prohibited travel of pas-sengers from member countries of the EuropeanUnion, the European Free Trade Association,Turkey and United Kingdom to India with effectfrom March 18.

On Tuesday, the government further saidthat travel of passengers from Afghanistan,Philippines, Malaysia to India is prohibited withimmediate effect. These instructions are a tem-porary measure and shall be in force tillMarch 31 and will be reviewed subsequently.

Speaking to IANS, an official of one of thefranchises said that the teams were ready for ascenario wherein foreign players will need tobe quarantined for a 14-day period once per-mitted to fly into the country.

“Yes, the fresh advisory calls for 14-dayquarantine for travel from some countries andif the stance remains the same post March 31,that shouldn’t be an issue. If we get a clearance

from the government and visas are issued, thenquarantining the players shouldn’t be a big deal.In such a scenario, we can fly them into thecountry in the first week of April and follow theprocess of 14-day quarantine.

“But first, the foreign players need to begiven the visa and that is why we need to waittill March 31 to see what the governmentdecides going forward.”

An IPL official who was present in the con-ference call on Monday further said that whilethere was no decision made with regards to thefate of the tournament, it was decided that meet-ings will happen every week and also that for-eign players will need a 5-day break before theycan start playing matches.

“No decision was made and to be honest,the idea wasn’t to take a call. It was aimed moretowards understanding the general scenario andhow the coronavirus outbreak is impacting theworld. It was more about taking stock of the sit-uation. But, one thing that we did discuss wasthat foreign players will need a 5-day windowto acclimatise once they arrive in India.

“But before that, we need to understand ifand when the government will relax the trav-el advisory and foreign players will indeed beallowed to come in. Unless the governmentissues fresh advisory, it will be impossible togauge when the foreign players will come in andwhen we can start the tournament.

“At present, we need to keep our fingerscrossed and hope that the situation improvesand the health and sports departments give thenecessary go-ahead to organise the tournamentwith foreign players,” the official said.

KOLKATA: The South Africancricket team on Tuesday flewback home with a stopover inKolkata after their ODI seriesagainst India was called off.

Not a single ball could bebowled in the series as the open-er was washed out in Dharamsalaand the series was called offahead of the second ODI inLucknow.

The touring players and sup-port staff reached Kolkata onMonday to catch their connect-ing flight for Dubai.

“They have left for Dubaisafely this morning. From there,they will leave for their respective

destinations. They were verypleased with CAB’s arrangementsand precautionary measures,”Cricket Association of Bengalpresident Avishek Dalmiya said.

The BCCI and Cricket SouthAfrica mutually agreed toreschedule the ODI series. PTI

SYDNEY: Australia pacer KaneRichardson has said he andother Australian players arewaiting to hear from IndianPremier League (IPL) aboutthe next step after the cash-richtournament was postponeddue to coronavirus outbreak.

17 Australians hold IndianPremier League contracts,which was scheduled to starton March 29 but has been sus-pended till April 15.

“We’re just waiting to hear,”Kane told cricket.com.au wherehe detailed about the quaran-tine experience he had toundergo after complaining ofa sore throat before the firstODI of the Chappell Hadleeseries, which now stands can-celled.

“A lot of the blokes haveopinions — ‘it’s going to getcancelled’, this and that — butagain it can change in a day ora week, so I’ll just sit by thephone and get ready to play forthe 15th at the moment —that’s what I’m thinking.

“(The Australia squad)

were all sitting around chattingabout it. It’s happened out ofnowhere.

“A lot of us were going tobe away from now till the endof the IPL, so to now be sittingat home with absolutely no ideawhen the next game of crick-et is going to be for any of us,just shows how quickly this hasgrown.

“Even a week ago we wereflying back from South Africaand there was no thought ofcoronavirus at all in the air orwhen we got back to the air-port.

“It's hard to believe we’resitting here at home with every-thing being cancelled but whenyou watch the news and seewhat’s going on in the world, it’sdefinitely the right call.

“I think the main issue thata lot of boys had was travellingaway from home and if youhappen to catch it, you’re stuckin a hotel room for two weeks.That’s the sticking point I reck-on a lot of the guys wereuncomfortable with.” AFP

AFP n LONDON

England pace bowler JofraArcher said racism should

be “addressed properly” afterhe posted on his Instagramaccount racist messages he hadreceived.

The 24-year-old has beensubjected to racist abuse in thepast, notably during the secondTest defeat by New Zealand lastyear.

A spectator was subse-quently banned from interna-tional and domestic matches inNew Zealand for two years.

Archer — who in justseven Test matches since mak-ing his debut last year hastaken 30 wickets including

three five-wicket hauls — saidit beggared belief people couldpost such hateful things.

“I will never understandhow people feel so freely to saythese things to another humanbeing,” he said.

“I have given a lot ofthought about reacting to thisand I hope that no one else hasto deal with stuff like this on aregular basis, it isn’t everacceptable and should beaddressed properly in my opin-ion.”

Archer is presently recov-ering from a stress fracture ofhis right elbow but is seen as thefuture point man for Englandpace bowling with Stuart Broadset to turn 34 in June.

PTI nMELBOURNE

Australian cricketers may have to foregotheir lucrative IPL contracts in the wake

of fast-spreading novel coronavirus, the localmedia reported on Tuesday.

Cricket Australia has not directed theplayers officially with its chief executiveKevin Roberts on Tuesday saying that play-ers were individually contracted to their IPLteams and can make up their own minds tocompete in the 2020 IPL or not.

“We can provide advice. We’re con-scious of the fact that Australian players areindividually contracted to the IPL and thetime will certainly come very soon where play-

ers are going to be really interestedand leaning on our perspective as theirleader... To advise them in that regard,”Roberts said.

“And then there will also bea perspective from the BCCI andtheir IPL division within thatand together with our playersand the BCCI, I am sure play-ers will reach the best possibledecisions in uncertain circum-stances.”

The Australian newspaperreported that Cricket Australiais reviewing whether it shouldpermit its players to participate

in the IPL or The Hundred series in the UK.There are 17 Australian players contractedwith different IPL franchisees.

The Australia report said that pacerPat Cummins, former skipper SteveSmith, opener David Warner and all-rounder Glenn Maxwell could beasked to give up their rich contracts.

Cummins had become the high-est paid overseas player in the history

of the IPL with a contract worth $3.2 mil-lion with Kolkata Knight Riders.

Maxwell received a $2.2 million con-tract with Kings XI Punjab. CA hasdeclared NSW the champions afterscrapping the Sheffield Shield final.

Test c’ship without Ind-Paktie makes no sense: Waqar

PSL POSTPONED

Karachi Kings batsman Alex Hales plays a shot during Pakistan Super League match AP

Have not get myself tested but

have fever & dry cough: HalesPTI n LONDON

England batsman Alex Haleson Tuesday said he has gone

into self-isolation due to feverand persistent dry cough afterreturning midway from the now-postponed Pakistan Super League(PSL) but is yet to get himselftested for the dreaded COVID-19.

“Like many other overseasplayers, I reluctantly left thePakistan Super League earlybecause with COVID-19 reach-ing global pandemic status, I feltit was more important to be withmy family rather than face a peri-od of lockdown thousands ofmiles from home,” Hales said ina statement after the PCB’s com-

ment.“I returned to the UK in the

early hours of Saturday morningfeeling perfectly fit and healthyand with absolutely no symptomsof the virus,” he added.

Hales plays for Karachi Kingsin the PSL.

“However, I awoke early onSunday morning having devel-oped a fever and followed thegovernments advice of self-isola-tion, a process I am obviously stillfollowing having developed adry and persistent cough.

“At this stage, it has not beenpossible to be tested although Iam hopeful that might be the caselater today so I can get absoluteconfirmation of my currenthealth status,” he added.

“I personally want to thank allinvolved, including overseasand local players, for theirexceptional contribution to ourbeloved PSL and as we sendeveryone back home to theirrespective families may wegrant them safety and pray toAllah that the world gets backon its feet soon.”

—WASIM AKRAM

“We are going to stand tall withother nations and with theworld. This is an internationalcalamity. We need to ensurethere is no human loss. Weneed to fight it together.Through PSL, the message wasthat Pakistan is a safe haven.”

—SHOAIB AKHTAR

“Sad to see the PSL end, buthealth and safety of allconcerned is the key, esp thosewho are travelling back to theirhomes. Perhaps the decisioncould have been taken earlier,with regard to the trophy...wellthe table-topper should behanded the trophy?”

—SHAHID AFRIDI

Create second line of finger spinners forTest team, urge former India spinners

Vidarbha’s spinner Akshay Wakhare bowls during Ranji game Harbhajan/Twitter

IPL franchises ready toquarantine foreign stars

CA planning to host T20WC as per schedule

Cricket Australia likely to review IPL contractsWe’re all waitingto hear from IPL:Kane Richardson

Kane Richardson watches his teammates train during Aus practice session AP

Archer hits out at racist abuseProteas return homeafter Kolkata stopover

NEW DELHI: Indian cricket has celebrated the emergence of a potentfast bowling unit but it is high time that the establishment focus-es on producing quality Test spinners, especially off-break bowlers,feel former players.

Ravichandran Ashwin (365 wickets in 71 Tests) has been animpact bowler in home conditions but the current team man-agement hasn’t exactly put complete faith in Tamil Nadu tweak-er’s abilities in overseas conditions.

While former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh feels thatseasoned domestic performers like Akshay Wakhare (34 years)and Jalaj Saxena (33 years) should be given a break, another vet-eran Laxman Sivaramakrishnan is of the opinion that ayounger pool needs to be created as Ashwin still has “good threeyears of Test cricket left in him”.

“Ashwin is a very hard-working bowler and he has not takenhis place for granted. He still has three good years left and it’stime now that we find the next crop of young spinners whichis ready to take over when time comes,” Sivaramakrishnan said.

But Harbhajan has a different idea.“Jalaj Saxena and Akshay Wakhare have performed year after

year at the domestic level, at times on flat tracks. I have seenAkshay closely at the Mumbai Indians nets. Age for me is justa number. I don’t believe these two can’t be tried," the‘Turbanator’ said.

But why have we not produced any second line of off-spin-ners in these years?

“I haven’t seen a good off-spinner at the Ranji level. That’sbecause of bad captaincy at the Ranji Trophy level. If an off-spin-ner gets hit by a right-hander, captains take him off and that hitshis confidence. Harbhajan Singh became a great bowler becausethe captain was Sourav Ganguly, who gave him encouragement,”said Sivaramakrishnan, the hero of 1985 Benson & Hedges Cup.

Siva does have sympathy for Saxena though.“Jalaj’s is a classic case of his career completely coinciding

with Ashwin’s best years. But right now we can’t look at playerswho are 33 or 34 years. Because by the time another three yearsgo by, the fitness levels might be an issue.”

What about Karnataka’s Krishnappa Gowtham?“He is good but I don’t think good enough for Test crick-

et,” was Siva’s honest assessment.“We need a new set of good spinners (all types) at the India

A level, who should be ready in next three years. Rahul Chaharis very young but again, he is more of a white-ball bowler. ShahbazNadeem is 30 plus and Yuzvendra Chahal is in his late 20s,” headded with a note of caution.

Another former Test off-spinner Rajesh Chauhan believesthat Ashwin’s problem is not knowing at times what is his wick-et-taking delivery.

“Ashwin is a class bowler but with so much variations, heat times doesn’t know what is his wicket-taking delivery. AboutJalaj, I don’t think he is a specialist off-spinner. He is more of anall-rounder.”

Former wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta felt that various stateteams, on the junior cricket set-up, do not put emphasis on cre-ating a talent pool.

“We had a phase where we wanted only wrist spinners atthe highest level. So at the junior level (U-16 & U-19), boys start-ed feeling what’s the use of being an off-spinner. But I agree withHarbhajan that Wakhare or Jalaj could be tried in future.” PTI