ˆ˜ˇ $%&’( &+,-,&-. %&’()* 2˝ = ˙ +)’,- ’0!%&* ,&2’ ,0)$*5...

�� !"#�� $��

�� %&'%�(�

Aday after West BengalChief Minister Mamata

Banerjee urged Prime MinisterNarendra Modi to scrap theCitizenship Amendment Act,the PM on Sunday slammedthe critics of the CAA and tooka swipe at the TMC-led StateGovernment for not imple-menting Central schemes say-ing the State is doing so as theseschemes do not help “syndi-cates” or involve “cut money”.

Delivering a speech atBelur Math, the headquartersof Ramakrishna Mission order,on the occasion of SwamiVivekananda’s birth anniver-sary, Modi said, “There aresome people who are vehe-mently opposing theCitizenship Amendment Act…(but) it is not that the BJPGovernment has brought theAct overnight.”

Reminding how the perse-cuted sections of the minoritycommunities in Pakistan werecoming to India for shelter, hewondered if “the Governmentshould push these persecutedand tortured people back toPakistan to die there or givethem shelter and provide themcitizenship!”

Responding to the loudapplause, the PM said, “Youseem to have understood thisvery clearly, but the peoplewho are playing politics do notrealise this. It is not that they donot understand this but they arepurposely refusing to do so …They are misleading the peopleabout the real import of theCitizenship Amendment Act.”

Reminding that the CAAwas not meant for taking away

the citizenship of the people butto provide them with one, hesaid, “I repeat again,Citizenship Act is not to snatch,but to give citizenship,” remind-ing how “after theIndependence, MahatmaGandhi ji and other big lead-ers of the time all believed thatIndia should give citizenship topersecuted religious minoritiesof Pakistan.”

At a subsequent functionat Neta ji Indoor Stadiumorganised by the Kolkata PortTrust to celebrate its 150 years,the PM renamed the KolkataPort as Dr Shyma PrasadMukherjee Port. Attackingthe Mamata Banerjee

Government for refusing toimplement Central schemeslike Ayushman Bharat, thePM said, “They (TrinamoolCongress Government) havebeen depriving the people ofBengal from implementingthe central schemes becausesuch schemes do not involvesyndicates, middle men andcut money.”

Claiming that hisGovernment had transferredRs 43,000 crore to the accountsof the farmers directly underschemes like PM KisanSamman Nidhi, Modi said hedid not know whether suchschemes would get the nod of Bengal Chief

Minister Mamata Banerjee or not.

Incidentally, the ChiefMinister who met the PrimeMinister at the Governor’sHouse on Saturday andinspected a public functiontogether with him at the iconic Millennium Park by theHooghly River on Sundayskipped the Port Trust programme.

“I announce the renamingof the Kolkata Port Trust as DrShyama Prasad MukherjeePort. He is a living legend whowas a leader for developmentand fought on the forefront forthe idea of One Nation, OneConstitution,” said the PM,adding how “development ofwaterways has improvedKolkata Port Trust’s connec-tivity with industrial centres ineast India, making trade easier with our neighbouringcountries.”

��

�� )*�+)',-

The India MeteorologicalDepartment (IMD) on

Sunday predicted another spellof rain from Monday onwardsin north-west India, includingthe National Capital Region,due to formation of two suc-cessive western disturbances ina short span. Weather expertssaid the changes are going tobring chill in the air.

According to IMD,Himachal Pradesh will seeanother spell of snow in thecoming week and a yellowwarning has been issued for lowhills on January 13 and anorange alert for middle and highhills. Meanwhile, fresh snowfallin Kashmir threw life out of gearin the Valley on Sunday and dis-rupted flight operations. Mostparts of the Valley receivedmoderate to heavy snowfall onSunday which continued duringthe day.

According to Dr KuldeepSrivastava, a senior scientist ofthe IMD, the first western dis-turbance will bring scatteredrain or light rain in North Westplain including NCR onMonday. The wind speed isexpected to be around 20 km

per hours. The second westerndisturbance is expected toimpact the region in quicksuccession during January 15 to17 and bring rainfall over thenorth-western plains, includingparts of Uttar Pradesh, withpeak intensity on January 16.Due to change in wind direc-tion from North westerly toSouth-westerly and cloudinessrise minimum temperature by4 degrees by January 17 morethan 2-3 degrees above normal.

Western disturbances arebasically extra-tropical stormsor low pressure systems whichoriginate in the MediterraneanSea and move towards Western Himalayan region tobring rain over India duringwinter months.

In Himachal Pradesh, 629roads in the State, includingfive national highways and oneState highway, are still blockedand power supply has not beencompletely restored in snow-bound areas. More snowfall hasbeen predicted on January 13and 14 then again on January15 and 16 due to western dis-turbances.

On Monday, heavy rainfalland snowfall is likely to occurat few places in mid and highhills. Shimla would also receivesnowfall on January 13,14, 16and 17 along with other placesin snowbound areas of theState.

�� !��

��

�� )*�+)',-

In a major re-working of thesecurity apparatus, Union

Home Ministry has decided torelieve National Security Guard(NSG), the specialised force ofblack commandos, of the bur-den of VIP security duties. Theelite task force was raised inlate 1984 and was used in thesecurity ring of many VIP forthe past two decades. At pre-sent around 450 commandosare used for the protection of13 VIPs having Z+ categorysecurity.

According to highly placedofficials, CRPF’s special divi-sion handling VIP securitywill take over the securitycover of the VIPs protected byNSG Commandos.

For the past six months,after Amit Shah became theHome Minister, there have

been several major decisionsregarding security cover toVIPs and other persons. Firstwas the removal of securitycover of persons who wereenjoying protection for decadesand then the controversialdecision of withdrawal of SPGcover of Sonia Gandhi andfamily members.

At present, NSGCommandos are handling thesecurity cover to DefenceMinister Rajnath Singh, UttarPradesh Chief Minister YogiAdityanath, Assam ChiefMinister Sarbananda Sonowal,former Chief Ministers

Mayawati, Mulayam Singh,Chandrababu Naidu, ParkashSingh Badal and FarooqAbdullah, BJP leader and for-mer Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani. CRPF’s VIP Securitydivision will now protect thesepersons.

Official said the UnionHome Ministry wanted theNSG should concentrate on itsoriginal charter of handlingspecific tasks of counter-ter-rorist and anti-hijack opera-tions. For decades, the NSGSecurity Cover was seen as aprestige for many leaders andcontroversies were raised whenthe leaders did not allow theguards to go back to mandato-ry training to the force’s headquarters.

The CRPF is currentlyhandling the security of five ex-SPG protectees — former PMManmohan Singh and his wife,Congress President SoniaGandhi and her childrenPriyanka and Rahul. TheCentral Industrial SecurityForce protects VIPs like NSAAjit Doval and RSS chiefMohan Bhagwat among others.

�� )*�+)',-�

Piqued over the continuedsit-in on a key road between

Noida and South Delhi by thepeople protesting CitizenshipAmendment Act (CAA) andthe National Register ofCitizens (NRC), people onSunday protested in SaritaVihar, demanding removal ofbarricades.

The protesters were miffedsince those protesting inShaheen Bagh have occupiedroad no 13A between MathuraRoad and Kalindi Kunj.

Delhi Police had closedthis road since then which hasresulted in massive traffic snarlsand motorists and commuters

being forced to longer routes.For the daily officer goers,commuting to their respectiveoffices has become a nightmareas they are shelling out moremoney and spending up to fourtimes the usual time in com-mutating between home andwork. The Delhi Policeappealed to the people to main-tain patience and assured thata solution to their problemswould be sought.

“Traffic jams and disrup-tion to public services getcaused due to protest. Werequested the public not to doprotests on the main roadwhich they have agreed to.Our responsibility is to ensurepeace is maintained and law

and order prevail,” DCP SouthEast Chinmoy Biswal said.

The Delhi High Court onFriday refused to entertain apetition seeking removal ofpolice barricades in Delhi’sShaheen Bagh area contendingthat it is causing traffic issues,while also demanding protest-ers to be shifted to some otherlocation.

Scores of protesters havebeen agitating in the areaagainst the Citizenship(Amendment) Act andNational Register of Citizens(NRC) for over a month now.

Barricades have been putin place to keep the stir in con-trol. The road the petitioner hasalluded to is widely used by

office-goers and other com-muters. The Delhi Police hastime and again issued an advisory regarding closureor obstruction due to traffic inthe area.

It may be noted that routenumber 13A, through KalindiKunj road, between Noida andSouth East Delhi and further toFaridabad has been shut sinceDecember 15, the day when theprotest began at Shaheen Bagh,leading to massive traffic con-gestions during peak hours.

Noida traffic police haveadvised commuters to opt forDelhi-Noida Direct (DND)flyway or the Chilla Regulatorroute for travel between Delhiand Noida.

�� .�//0

Ajoint team of security forceson Sunday neutralised

three terrorists of pro-PakistanHizbul Mujahideen terror out-fit in Tral area of Awantipora.

The operation waslaunched by the security forcesafter receiving a tip off aboutthe presence of terrorists in thearea.

Police spokesman said, “Asthe security forces launchedsearch operation in Gujar BastiGulshanpora area of Tral, thehiding terrorists fired on thesearch party. The fire was retal-iated leading to an encounter.”

He said in the ensuingencounter 3 terrorists werekilled and the bodies wereretrieved from the site ofencounter. Police spokesman

said, “The killed terrorists havebeen identified as Umer FayazLone alias Hamad Khan resi-dent of Seer Tral, Faizan Hamid resident of MandooraTral and Adil Bashir Mir aliasAbu Dujana resident ofMonghama Tral”.

According to policerecords, Umer had a long his-tory of terror crime recordssince 2016 and was involved inplanning and executing sever-al terror attacks in the area.

He was part of groupsresponsible for carrying outseries of terror attacks andmany other civilian atrocitiesbesides killing of policemanHaleem Kohli of GutrooBangdar Tral and killing ofcivilian Mehraj Din Zarger ofTral. Several terror crime caseswere registered against him.

�"#��!�� $��!��!

�� !��"�!��

��

�� !�"#��$� ��" �%

� �� %&�!��'��!�$��!�

��

�� !��

" # �!��$��

%�� &�� ' �� %�

%�� '(��'� ��) �)� �� (� �*�� + ��(��

� �� !�� " # �!��$��

�� %&'%�(�

West Bengal Chief MinisterMamata Banerjee on

Sunday skipped Kolkata PortTrust (KoPT) 150 years cele-brations, ostensibly to avoidsharing dais with PrimeMinister Narendra Modi hoursafter he launched a scathingattack on the critics of the CAAfrom Ramakrishna Mission,Belur Math.

Minister of State forShipping Mansukh Mandaviyahad personally invited Mamatato attend the event of the150th anniversary of KoPT.

The Chief Minister onSaturday had shared the dais with Modi at aGovernment function. TheBengal Opposition parties,

including Trinamool Congress,Left and the Congress,slammed Modi for dragging a“pious and pure religiousorder” like RamakrishnaMission into politics by usingits holy, apolitical precincts tomake political statements.

CPI (M) politburoMember Md Salim wonderedhow instead of paying tributesto Swami Vivekananda thePM could use Belur Math forpolitical purposes.

“Rama Krishna Missionspeaks about religious toler-ance and they prefer seclusionfrom politics.

But here is a PrimeMinister who has not only bro-ken that tradition but alsoused its platform to mislead thepeople of the country.

� � � ��+�� ,�-./��

1(�+��2� �� 3��4� ��#��$

��

�%&'()�*�

(50/2�*�5�$�-5��6�-�$(�7/�$$�!5)8

�� 3��4� ��3

'��!�� 9� �� :;��$��)<��44��

2��=� ��+)',-��'0!%�&* ",&2�'��",0"��)$*�5

5��!,-�5�-205 !,��+-6�5,�+),5�+0� ,>+)5�"�+�?-.�>*�+�

�!"#��$�%&'(��

��)�*��+�,��+�%-)�././0��%'��.

�&+,-,&-�.+)!�+)�&=�(,)�$0?

/+&'��*0'-?)52&&'�")�(

$205$�-��2'�!'�$,

��

��!�!&'!�"�()�� ! !

�� !��"�� #�� $��%��&�� '�� "��(��

��

One nation, one flag and oneConstitution has been the

adage for the longest timepost-independence. Withoutany doubt, the Modi govern-ment has taken the belief ofOne Nation-One Constitutionto a new high. There were sev-eral clauses added to theConstitution after indepen-dence that were intended tocreate a stronger, better and ele-vated India.

Article370 was disputedfrom the beginning amidst allthese clauses. Today, after theabrogation of Article 370,implementation of CAA andplanned NRC is a celebrationand also a political moot point.When you see books replacedwith stones and sweat withblood, you know something isreally not well with Indianyouth.

It should matter to the restof us because India is theyoungest nation in the worldwith about 72 per cent of ourpopulation under the age of 32.‘Free Kashmir’ posters made adebut in Mumbai last week andmy hard earned money - yourhard earned money is alreadybeing burnt down and van-dalised in Delhi and WestBengal in the name of Kashmir,CAA and NRC by the sameyouth that runs the biggestback office of the world.

Article 370 has been apeculiar irony for Jammu andKashmir. On the one hand, ithad given the najority com-munity there power andaggression while on the other,it blocked the development ofareas like Jammu, Poonch,Rajouri, Kishtwar and Ladakhfor decades. These regions willnow benefit from progressiveall-inclusive schemes of theCentre after a long hiatus of 70years.

Yes this has been a difficulttime for people of the region inabsence of telephone and inter-net. Yes, life in the past waschallenging and may continueto be so for some more time butdo we understand why theserestrictions are much needed?

Peace and prosperity is not acandy you can buy at a depart-mental store. Likewise wasindependence that came athumbling invaluable sacrificesof our forefathers. Let me saythis to the youth– go back tothe schools and colleges, readthe right books, educate your-selves beyond propaganda andsave yourselves from becomingpolitical fodder.

Dissent is the very base ofdemocracy – but that is dissentand not destruction. Kashmiris where the art of State spon-sored Islamic terror was mas-tered and unleashed rightunder the nose of the greatIndian democracy. Kashmirhas had a history of Islamic ter-ror right from the turn of 11thcentury that transformed theHindu dominance into aminuscule minority.

Dal Lake is the largestgraveyard of Hindus in theworld where men, women andchildren were massacred dailyby the then Afghan governor inthe brutal ‘game’ of Votalbujand dumped in the lake. TheAfghan diktats to aid conver-sion of Hindus in Kashmir areunparalleled in the world. Thediktats ranging included for-bidding Hindus from even cry-ing on death in family whilecelebrating religious festivals,worshiping, owning modes oftransportation, jewellery, dec-orative cloths and even wear-

ing shoes was forbidden.Eventually, 1931 onward andupto 1956 was the time thatmodern Kashmir witnessedwidespread persecution ofminorities and exodus. Then,1956 onwards saw the emer-gence of the goriest chapter inrecent history that allowed thetransformation of Islamic ter-ror into state sponsored ethniccleansing specifically directedat minorities. After theKashmir Conspiracy case thatsaw Shaikh MohammedAbdullah and his colleaguesbehind bars, four tools of eth-nic cleansing were formalised.

These were spearheaded byLand Reforms Act and J&KState Competent Authority.Land Reforms Act was thestate sponsored land grab ofminorities without any com-pensation and the land trans-ferred to the majority commu-nity. J&K State CompetentAuthority was introduced todeny admission to minorities(in J&K) in professional insti-tutions; the entire procedurewas non-merit and interviewbased.

The cleansing strategy wasclear – take their properties,deny them education andemployment thus fuelingmigration. It was only duringlate 80s that the perpetratorsrealised that minorities werestill not leaving that theyunleased the fourth and final

assault through armed terror-ism ironically by Afghan ter-rorists. Hindu opinion leadersand Sikhs were brutally mur-dered in cold blood and theirbodies lay in the open for daysin compliance of the orders ofterrorist organisations to fur-ther fear psychosis.

This eventually led to thedays of January 1990 whenthousands of majority com-munity members resorted toanti-India and anti-Hinduprotests, arson, stone peltingand eventually the birth ofworld’s first generation of“Kashmiri Hindus – therefugees in their own country”.Ever since, homes and templeshave been desecrated and theformer Chief MinisterMehbooba Mufti was brazen-ly reported as saying “Kashmirno longer has oxygen for abo-riginals”.

Technology has been a sin-gle largest factor in mobilisa-

tion of anti-India vandalisationin Kashmir and it is nothingbut a remarkable feat to achievecurrent peace. No wonder it isworrying anti-nationals. It isthe same when it comes to theCitizenship Amendment Act(CAA) and the NationalRegister of Citizens (NRC). Itis all right for baby boomers toprotest – most of them wereobjectively conditioned illit-erates left over by the Britonsbut for the young, vibrant andeducated youth of India toprotest against CAA and NRCis utterly embarrasing espe-cially when you take the Indiansituation from a global per-spective. Every country thatprospers needs the support offundamental nationalists.

Secularism in isolation is awidely misrepresented and anabused term and must be readwith nationalism. Our earliermasters left India bereft ofdignity and self-esteem to pros-

per and hence a part of Indianpopulace still finds everythingwrong in what India stood for.They promote and practicedenial of our own glory and thevery reason we were continu-ously invaded and vandalisedfor 800 years. The anti – CAAand NRC protest is a reflectionof the same ignorance. CAAwill simply allow persecutedminorities from three of ourtheocratic neighbouringnations to return to their rootsand strengthen a nationalist fol-lowing.

The exclusion of Muslimshas many reasons. Above all,Muslims don’t want to come toIndia, they want to go to SaudiArabia, UAE, USA and Europe.Pakistanis don’t want to cometo India – do they? They sayIndia is their enemy numberone – so who are you fightingfor? Privacy and segmentationis an illusion. Look at USA.Despite being constitutionally

secular the US Congress hostsNational Prayer Breakfast, aChristian fellowship initiativewhere all the members of theUS Congress eat and praytogether in the name of Christ.Christ did not stop them frombecoming the greatest countryso why will Rama or Krishnastop the big Indian march?Did we not apply for Aadhaarcards, PAN cards, don’t wecomplete arduous paperwork

even for a harmless SIMcard and passports? Does itcome without identification?WWW interface, bankaccounts, vehicles, Amazon,Flipkart and Netflix – whichpart of our daily life includingRoti, Kapda and Makaancomes without documenta-tion? Yes, no doubt a part ofpopulation, especially, in deepvillages may not have paper-work but then have you readthe NRC? Even a village Panchanywhere in India can vouch

for antecedents. Yes, it shouldput Hindus to test also, if theydon’t have paperwork but thereis no reason they shouldn’t.Even a simple rent agreementis sufficient. In view of dilutionof nationalism due to variousother ‘isms’ – CAA makes anexceptionally strong case forIndia to have a larger role playin maintain peace, harmonyand prosperity in the Asiaregion – but some seem to betoo busy chanting freedom forterrorists to understand this. It’smy money, it’s our money thatpays for the very institutionsand properties you vandalise–to you I say, find another placeif you don’t want to get back tothe classrooms and contributeto making India great.

(The author is a businessleader, media veteran and writerof two national bestsellersRefugee Camp and Didda – TheWarrior Queen of Kashmir.Views expressed are personal)

�� +��1��

Ashish Kaul��$�� (�� $�� (�� !��!�� )��!�� $� ��$��(��

�� *�+��!�� *� �� ,��-��!�� -� �.--/��!� ��

+� �� (�� ,��.+�/

�� +),5�+0�

Raising the issues affectingfarmers in the state, the

Uttarakhand Kisan Sabha(UKS) put forward its funda-mental demands largely con-cerning the damage done tothe properties, fields anddomestic animals of farmersby monkeys, wild boars andother wild animals.

At a gathering held hereon Sunday, the UKS leadersaid that the CentralGovernment had declaredmonkeys as vermin inHimachal Pradesh, allowingthe culling of monkeys there.The same should be appliedin Uttarakhand for monkeysand wild boars which damageor destroy the crops and prop-erty of farmers.

Further, the UKS leadersdemanded that farmers

should be compensated asper the market value for thedamage to crops and domes-tic animals killed by the wildanimals. The farmers shouldbe provided with free insur-ance for their crops too.

Moreover, the UKS also

demanded that the govern-ment should lift the restric-tions over the cattle trade asit has drastically affectedthose who earn their living bydairy farming, meat sellingand leather industry.

The issue of animalsdestroying the harvest offarmers and monkeys makingthe life of people harder in theregion was also raised in thelast board meeting ofMunicipal Corporation ofDehradun (MCD).

The Dehradun mayorSunil Uniyal ‘Gama’ hadresponded by stating that acattle shelter is nearly readyand the stray cattle will beshifted there soon, recalledthe UKS leaders.

The general secretary ofHimachal Pradesh KisanSabha and its members werealso present on the occasion.

�� ,�5-+*�5

The gas supply pipelineinstalled in Uttarakhand

with the assistance of theGovernment of India was inau-gurated by the State’s Housingand Urban Development min-ister Madan Kaushik inHaridwar on the weekend. Helit a cooking stove at a home inAmbedkarnagar locality ofJwalapur to inaugurate the gassupply pipeline.

Speaking on the occasion,Kaushik said that this was aneffective step towards achievingthe vision of all-round devel-opment in the state. Statingthat this ill bring about a pos-itive change in the lives of thepeople, he said that due to theefforts of the state government

and assistance from the CentralGovernment, the nation’s sec-ond gas supply pipeline projectwas undertaken in the state toprovide gas supply to the locals.

Kaushik further averredthat within a year, cooking gaswill be supplied directly tohomes through pipe lines inabout 70 per cent of the homesin the Haridwar area. Work onthis project was being under-taken for the past two years andhas now been completed.

The minister inauguratedthe scheme by opening the firstconnection to Pramod, a resi-dent of Ambedkarnagar inJwalapur. Kaushik also saidthat before the elections, he hadpromised to facilitate supply ofgas in the homes which hasnow been facilitated.

/��44��4�4��,��@��

0+�� ' �� '�'� '��

�� +),5�+0�

Anumber of members ofthe Congress, Bharatiya

Janata Party and UttarakhandKranti Dal joined the ShivSena at the party’sSwambhiman SankalpSammelan here on Sunday.The Shiv Sena state headGaurav Kumar presided overthe event which was alsoattended by senior party lead-ers and office bearers fromacross the state.

Party leaders said that peo-ple were disappointed withboth the BJP and Congress andwere looking towards the ShivSena with hope. Speakers

addressing the gathering, ques-tioned the performance of thesuccessive state governments ofthe Congress and BJP inUttarakhand. They opined thatthe influence of Shiv Sena hasbeen rising in the state, addingthat the party will field itscandidate in the next VidhanSabha elections. Addressingthe gathering, the party’s statehead exhorted the Shiv Sainiksto selflessly work for redressalof public grievances. The peo-ple of the state are disappoint-ed with both the Congress andthe BJP. He appreciated thelarge gathering on the occasion,adding that this was a goodsign for the party.

The party’s state generalsecretary Darshan Dobhal saidthat during the past 20 yearsthe successive state govern-ments of the two national par-ties had taken the state down-hill. The Shiv Sena will worktowards taking the statetowards real development andpressurise the state govern-

ment to facilitate more jobs forthe local youth in the govern-

ment and private enterprises inthe state. Various office bearers

of the party were also amongthose present on the occasion.

�� 1��2�3�'��4�� (�� !� ��

��'��

- �� !��!��0)��!��!� ��

�� !�!��!��1��"��!��(

�� *��!�$��!��

0 ��!�(��!��!�$��

!��!�� !�� (�(��

�� !��"��#��$��#��%�&'((��)(�*+%��,*�� -.(&+(+,,', �� !�"#$�"%&'��!(��")��*�+��,�� -��.��/��+0� 0�1�02.��0��3�44.��/��0��5�� 6��!��/��/7��/�� $�� /5�(��$��/��,��)��/!��8�5��2�� 5�6�� 5��9��(�!�6,��"33444#� ��/433":4334:''��)��/;"<3��8�!)+,��2��5��!(�"#43<43� ��/43#4":=%>=44$:=%>>44��-��6)��/:��;��(��;�? �0��-��6"##8438�@��/4'##"#<:8::<":'

�� ! ! ��!�!&'!�"�(*

�� +),5�+0�

The State Cabinet hasgiven its approval to

increase in circle rates ofagricultural and non-agri-cultural land in the state. Inthe e-cabinet meeting heldon Sunday, the cabinet tookdecision on four issues.

After the cabinet meet-ing on Sunday evening, thes t ate gove r n me ntspokesman and cabinetminister Madan Kaushikinformed the media aboutthe decisions taken in thecabinet.

He informed that thecabinet had granted itsapproval to increasing over-all circle rates by up to 15per cent. Compared to otherdistricts, the circle rateshave been raised more inUtt ar k a s h i , Pau r i andNainital districts.Steps havealso been taken to addressthe anomalies in circle rates.

The state cabinet has

accorded its approval toincreasing the circle ratesfor land after 2018. Thoughthe issue was circle rates wasbrought up in the cabinettwice in the past, a decisioncould not be taken on it dueto various reason till now.Kaushik said that the cabi-net had decided to make thecircle rates more logical andpractical.

For this, focus was laidon redressing anomalies likedifferent circle rates for dif-ferent portions of land inthe same area where similaractivities were being under-taken but the circle ratesvaried. GIS mapping wasalso used for this purpose.The cabinet approved zeroto 15 per cent increase inthe overall circle rate.

While there will be up to10 per cent rise in the circlerate of about 60 per centagricultural and non-agri-cultural land in the state,there will be up to 15 per

cent rise in the circle rate inthe remaining area. Kaushikfurther informed that thechief minister TrivendraSingh Rawat is proposed tovisit Japan from February 3to 5. Along with a delega-tion, the CM will visit the

Yamanashi prefecture inJapan where some memo-randa of understanding areslated to be signed.The cab-inet also approved amend-ment in mining policy andr ive r t r a i n i ng p ol i c y.Following the approval, the

duration of river trainingwill be increased from twoto four months and mechan-ical excavators will also beallowed for the work. Inaddition to the rivers, siltwill also be cleared from allreservoirs and canals.

�� +),5�+0�

Chief Minister TrivendraSingh Rawat said that the

state cabinet could be expand-ed soon.

Talking to media personson the sidelines of an event onSunday, Rawat said that thoughcabinet expansion was needed,the vacant positions in the

cabinet were not affecting thefunctioning of the state’s cabi-net. It is pertinent to mentionthat following the demise of thethen Finance minister PrakashPant last year, there are threevacant posts in the state cabi-net.

Currently, there are eightministers in the cabinet. Whenasked about the vacant posi-

tions in the cabinet, the CMsaid, “The need for cabinetexpansion is being felt.However, the vacant positionsare not affecting functioningnegatively.

The government is takingdecisions with the approval ofall. The media will be informedfirst when the cabinet isexpanded,” he said.

��

�� +),5�+0�

Honest efforts are neededfor success in life, said

the chief minister TrivendraSingh Rawat. He said thiswhile interacting with par-ticipants on the concludingday of the UttarakhandYoung Leaders Conclave onthe occas ion of SwamiVivekanand’s 157th birthanniversary here on Sunday.

Addressing the youth theCM said, “Stress does nothelp achieve anything. Ourright is to work hard whilethe rest should be left to god.Only when the youth arehappy will the nation behappy and move forward,” hesaid.

While addressing thegathering at the venue, healso interacted with studentsin other districts throughvideo conferencing. On thesubject of migration, Rawatsaid that being a border state,Uttarakhand is especiallysensitive.

The state government hasformed the RuralDevelopment and MigrationCommission. The CM borderarea development schemehas also been initiated for 22border area blocks in thestate.

On being asked aboutthe government’s vision forthe youth, Rawat said that theyouth are most importantfor any government. “Thefocus of the government is onquality education. Big insti-tutions are being establishedin the state including CIPETand the national law univer-sity. The government’s effortis aimed at ensuring good

education for the youth, theirskill development and hap-piness. The youth shouldalso come forward for self-employment. It is also impor-tant to accord respect tolabour,” he said.

On being asked aboutthe difference between Indiaand Bharat, Rawat said, “Itshould be Bharat that is Indiaand not India that is Bharat.We must take pride in ourculture, traditions and ourancestors. Only that nationcan move ahead whichrespects its ancestors. Thenation is above all.”

On connecting with theyouth, the CM said that suchevents are held every fewmonths to facilitate interac-tion with the youth. In addi-tion to this, the youth canalso send their suggestionsthrough various availableplatforms.

On being asked aboutwhat the government isdoing to bridge the gapbetween the mountains andthe plains, he said that theper capita income in everydistrict of the state is higherthan the national averagethough there is some differ-ence between the per capitaincome in the plains and themountains.

Efforts have been initiat-ed to address this. The devel-opment policy has beenmade district-centric. Farmergroups are being provided upto �five land interest-freeloans. The rural economy isbeing strengthened throughestablishment of growth cen-tres at the Nyay Panchayatlevel. Stating that there isimmense potential for devel-

opment in the mountainousregion, Rawat stressed onthe need for value addition.

Reply ing to anotherquestion, the CM said thatUttarakhand is becoming afavourable film shooting des-tination. In about one a halfyears after he met film mak-ers from Mumbai during theinvestors summit, a largenumber of films, televisionserials and documentarieshave been shot inUttarakhand.

Recalling that the statehad also received the bestfilm friendly state award, hesaid that the state fully looksafter those who arrive herefor f i lming. Regardingtourism, Rawat said that asthe old hill stations havebecome saturated, newtourist destinations are beingdeveloped.

A sum of �1,400 crorehas been approved for Tehrilake. In future, Tehri willemerge as a major touristdestination, he said. Th Stateminister for HigherEducat ion, Dhan SinghR awat , Swami AseemAtmanand and others werealso present on the occa-

(�� 5�@��

�� +),5�+0�

Governor Baby RaniMaurya said that young

doctors must provide theirservices in the remote moun-tainous regions ofUttarakhand for five years atleast.

Doctors should contributeto humanity through healthservices. On the occasion ofNational Youth Day, the gov-ernor also felicitated the doc-tors for commendable contri-bution in medical services atAll India Institute of MedicalSciences (AIIMS) Rishikeshon Sunday.

On the occasion AIIMSRishikesh declared that all itsfaculties and resident doctorswill provide their services inremote mountainous regionsfor one week every year.

The governor also inau-gurated blood donation cam-paign during the programme.Addressing the gathering,

Maurya said that SwamiVivekanand had described ser-vice to humanity as service ofgod.

Youngsters engaged inmedical sector can do best ser-vice towards humanity.Doctors have huge responsi-bility towards society andcountry.

The poor and margin-alised people should especial-ly get benefits of services of thebest doctors, she said. Youngpeople should be inspiredfrom the teachings of SwamiVivekanand and contribute inthe progress and developmentof country.

Youth should work withpositivity and enthusiasm inlife. The governor further saidthat the youth should be awareof their duties along with con-stitutional rights.

Being responsible citi-zens all should work for theconservation of environmentand water. A mass movement

is also needed against singleuse plastic and pollution, sheadded. On the occasion, the

governor felicitated Dr AnujSinghal, Professor Ravikant,Professor Manoj Gupta,

Professor Sanjeev Mittal, DrVinod and Dr RK Jain for ser-vices in the medical sector.

5��'�� 4�*��

�� +),5�+0�

As part of the efforts beingundertaken by the

Bharatiya Janata Party to raiseawareness on the Citizenship(Amendment) Act (CAA), arally was held in the Premnagararea of Cantt Vidhan Sabhaconstituency on Sunday. Therally was flagged off by the chiefminister Trivendra SinghRawat.

Addressing the gatheringon the occasion, the chief min-ister said that opposition par-ties including the Congressand the Left are attempted tospread chaos across the nationdue to the CAA.

Be it distant past of thenation or the more recent his-tory of democratic India, pro-viding refuge to those in needis part of Indian tradition, he

said. He also recalled that whenthe Jews were being persecut-ed, India also provided refugeand protection to them. Whenthe Parsis were attacked, werebeing forced to convert or beousted from their homeland,India is where they did not faceinjustice.

He also pointed out thatwhen China annexed Tibet, alarge number of Tibetans wereprovided refuge in India wheretoday they are living in peace.

He said that the CAA is forgranting citizenship, not takingit away. This decision taken bythe Prime Minister NarendraModi is in the interests ofnation, he stressed.

The local MLA HarbanshKapoor, 20 point programmevice chairman Naresh Bansaland office bearers of BJP werethe also among present in rally.

!/�4��4��44 �� !��

�'��!��'!#$��+�"��'�� !��,+��!�"

-��!��++�##��.��'��-

/��"��!��!"��,+��#0'�+�

'!#�!�#��/��!��"�$��))�/��"��!��!�/��0&#��'�

��!��

�� +),5�+0�

After protesting for morethan a month, the

Anganwadi workers recentlyescalated their protest withtwo of them undertaking a fastunto death in support of theirdemands. On Sunday, thethird day of the fast untodeath, the police took awayone of the hunger strikers tothe hospital.

Meanwhile, the State min-ister for Women and ChildDevelopment, Rekha Aryasaid that the government hadbeen open to communicationwith the Anganwadi workers.She also said that theallowance given to them inUttarakhand is higher than theamount paid in other states.

One of the protestersSavita Sharma said, “TheGovernment has not respond-ed to us since the commence-ment of our protest. Of course,we don’t expect them to acceptall our demands at once but atleast they can initiate somesort of communication. Butno, they are behaving like wedon’t exist whatsoever.”

“All we can do is to makestronger efforts and be opti-mistic that the governmentwill care to listen to us throughour ongoing fast unto death

strike before it’s too late”,added another protester ShashiThapa. At noon, doctorsarrived to examine ShashiThapa and Savita Sharma.One of the doctors, Dr Sushilsaid, “Though we still have afew more tests to do, for now,both the women seemed to bealright. Their blood pressure isnormal, and there is no prob-lem with urination.

Once we’ll figure out theketone bodies in their urine,we would be able to commenton their health conditionsclearly. As of now, the weightof both women has dropped,but there is no visible drastichealth issue.” He added thatonly after complete test resultsare received would the finalstatement on their health beissued.

Later, in the evening,police carried Savita Sharma toGovernment Doon MedicalCollege Hospital due to somehealth complications.Minakshi Rawat, an activemember of Anganwadi work-ers protest, alleged, “We aremistreated by the governmentbecause we are women.

As per the statement ofChild Development MinisterRekha Arya, we are just someordinary women and we’ll getback to our work in a few days.

If this is the thinking processof a female minister towardsother women, we don’t knowwhat to say.

She is not even aware ofwhat we do or contribute tothe welfare of children andsociety.” However, all the alle-gations were denied by theminister Rekha Arya. Theminister stressed,“Uttarakhand pays the highestallowance to Anganwadiworkers among all the states.

They are not neglected justbecause they are women.Actually, their allowance wasraised in the year 2018 onlydue to the fact that they arewomen and contribute signif-icantly to the development ofthe State. It is unfortunatethat they are lying about theefforts of the government tocommunicate with them.

Chief Minister TrivendraSingh Rawat had met themafter calling them personally

and their association has alsobeen in constant touch withme. I think they are lostbecause of some political agen-da.” She further added that theninety per cent funding forAnganwadi workers is pro-vided by the central govern-ment while the remaining tenper cent is funded by theState.

Also, the rules and regu-lations are similar in everystate too as per the Centre.

�� +��

��'�%' � �� *!�3��

��!�!&'!�"�(1�� ! !

�� ,�5-+*�5

The ongoing constructionof a flyover and service

road on the Roorkee-Panchkula national highwaynumber 73 near Bhagwanpurhas been causing major traf-fic congestion in recent days.

During the past threedays, traffic jams on this

stretch of the highway lastedfor hours, causing majorinconvenience to the public.With both heavy and lightvehicles having to use theservice road, the resultingtraffic congestion is causingmajor inconvenience to thepublic. The recent spells ofrain have also resulted in pot-holes on the road, which has

exacerbated the situation forthe road users. A few days ago,cabinet minister MadanKaushik was also stuck in thetraffic here. On the weekend,the Bhagwanpur MLA MamtaRakesh reached the localpolice station where she talkedto the officials concerned inthe presence of the policestation off icer Sanjeev

Thapliyal. National HighwaysAuthority of India (NHAI)technical manager SanjeevVerma said that due to lack ofpeople's support, the workcould not be completed tilldate. The service road pro-posed to be seven metreswide is only 5.5 metres andthen too encroachment is nar-rowing it.

��

�� ,�5-+*�5

The body of a labourer miss-ing from his house for two

days was found near the west-ern gate of BHEL on Sunday. Itis suspected that a leopard wasresponsible for killing a con-suming part of the man’s body.However, forest departmentofficials state that anythingconcrete about the known afterthe post mortem report isreceived.

According to officialsouces, a resident of Aneki vil-lage, Sukhram Singh had beenmissing from his home forabout two days. His body wasfound near the western gate ofBHEL on the weekend.

The deceased had fourchildren in his family while hiswife had passed away abouttwo years ago.

After he went missing, thevillagers started searching forhim and also informed the

police. When his bicycle wasfound near the western gate ofBHEL, a search in the nearbyarea led to the discovery of hisbody in the bushes. TheHaridwar divisional forest offi-

cer Akash Verma said thoughpart of the body had been con-sumed by some wild animal,the details of the case will beascertained after the postmortem report is received.

After this incident, some pawprints were also found near aschool in Ranipur area. Thisdiscovery led to fear among thelocals concerned about thesafety of their children going to

the school.

�� 2��!�� !� ��$��$��!��!��

��)*�+)',-

Alleging BJP-ruled Haryanafor supplying contaminat-

ed water in Delhi just beforethe upcoming election, DelhiJal Board (DJB) Vice ChairmanDinesh Mohaniya on Sundaysaid that water production hasreduced substantially in thecity as water coming fromHaryana contains high amountof ammonia in it.

Terming the move a polit-ical conspiracy, Mohaniya,"Production has decreased by100 MGD, resulted in waterscarcity in most of the areas.Water supplied in Delhi comesfrom many states in whichHaryana is the largest source.Ever since elections commis-sion announced of elections inthe city, the amount of ammo-nia in the water coming fromHaryana has increased a lot.This has affected water supplyin many parts of Delhi," headded.

Mohaniya said the BJP isconspiring to defame AAPGovernment in Delhi justbefore the elections. "For thelast three days, the water prob-lem has started again in Delhi,he said, adding that the level ofammonia steadily increasedfrom 1.2 parts per million(ppm) on 8th January to 1.8ppm on 9th and it furtherincreased to 2.7 ppm on theJanuary 10," he said.

"BJP often accuses the DJBof supplying dirty water in thecity. I want to tell everyone that

the water being supplied inDelhi comes from the BJPruled states. One of the majorreasons behind the frequentcomplaints of dirty water inDelhi is the supply of contam-inated water with waste,sewage, and filth from thePanipat Industrial Area inHaryana", he added.

The Vice Chairman saidthat due to high level of ammo-nia, two water plants situatedat Chandrawal and Wazirabadare producing water half oftheir capacity. "Such develop-ments just before the elec-tions create doubt in anyone'smind.

The reason for this suspi-cion is that on one hand, theUnion Minister Ram VilasPaswan of the BJP led central

government accused the DJBof supplying dirty water inDelhi and on the other handcontaminated dirty water isbeing supplied from the BJPruled Haryana", he added.

Meanwhile, a senior DJBofficial said that water supplywill not be available or avail-able at low pressure due to highammonia level in water.

The areas where supplywill be affected on Monday areis Hari Nagar, Shiv Chowk,New Ranjeet Nagar, New MotiNagar area, Janakpuri, DG-3rdBlock Vikaspuri, Karam Pura,F-Block-Vikaspuri, Sec-24Rohini, Shalimar Bagh, Meeraapartments, Paschim Vihar,Brijwasan Village, Binda Pur,Sarai kale khan Village,Kilokari, Sidhharth Extension

and adjoining areas. Accordingto a statement by the DJB, theresidents are advised to storesufficient quantity of water inadvance as per their require-ment to avoid any inconve-nience.

Water tankers will be avail-able at telephone numbers 1916,1800117118, 23527679,23634469, (Central ControlRoom), 22816023, 22814651(Loni Road), 28521123 (DBlock Janakpuri), 22727812(Mandawali), 22374834,22374237 (Jagriti), 27700789,27700474 (Holambi Kalan),27304656 (Ashok Vihar),22727812 (Mandawali Wateremergency), 22374237,22374834 (Jagriti WaterEmergency), 22812683(Yamuna Vihar, 26473720 (GiriNagar), 29819035 (Jal Sadan),26137216 (Vasant Kunj),29234746 (Greater Kailash).

�� !�"�� #��2��3�� -��

!1��3� �� !�� " # �!��$��

*��,��*��!,��+-6�5,

To know the presence of var-ious species of avi-fauna in

Haryana, State Forests andWildlife Department has decid-ed to organise Haryana BigBird Count 2020 on January 12and January 19, VS Tanwar,Principal Chief Conservatorof Forests and Chief WildlifeWarden, Haryana said.

"The objective of the birdcount is to know the exactnumber of various species ofavi-fauna in the State as well asto find out the well-being of thebirds and the habitat in whichthey were living, he said,adding the counting wouldfocus on bird species.

The highest numbers ofmigratory birds are used to beat the wetland areas during thisseason," he said.

Tanwar said, “The lots ofmigratory birds reach at vari-ous wetlands areas in the Stateduring winter season.

Study reveals that migrato-ry birds from China, Mongolia,Pakistan, Tibet, Siberia and

Iraq start thronging the wetlandin October-mid.

The winged visitors returnto their native countries inMarch with the onset of thespring season. This month isthe best time for its countingand recording. This is the firsttime that the department isorganising two days HaryanaBig Bird Count 2020 onJanuary 12 and 19 in the State.”

The Chief Wildlife Wardensaid that team comprising threeto six members, headed by anexpert having knowledge ofidentifying bird species and themethodology of their countinghas been formed at each districtof the State.

To complete this exercise, allthe necessary arrangements havebeen made at Forest Rest Housesparticularly at Pinjore, Kaleshar,Ambala, Jind, Kurukshetra,Panipat, Mahendergarh, Rewariand Palwal.

Tanwar said that Haryanais a natural habitat of many birdspecies and some data revealsthat the number of individualsacross species of birds has

declined as well in many casesdue to human activity, espe-cially since the industrial rev-olution, severely affectinggenetic variation, biodiversity,among other issues.

The Chief Wildlife Wardensaid that all the districts will becovered under this exercise.Many other volunteer birdwatchers show their interest toparticipate in this exercise.This exercise will be done intwo days.

For this, the districtwildlife officers have beendirected to assist the participantin this exercise with field func-tionaries along with the vol-unteer bird watchers.

Moreover, the officers havebeen asked to form separateteams of each district accom-panied by an inspector, sub-inspector with all the availableequipments like binoculars andtelescope among others.

They need to ensure thatall the field functionaries mustbe in their departmental uni-form, he said, adding the birdwatcher teams should be pro-vided all the possible help in

this exercise.Tanwar said thatall the divisional wildlife offi-cers have been directed toremain in contact with theteam members during thisexercise.

If any kind of help requiredfrom the territorial wings thanthe concerned DWLO will dis-cuss with the concerned DFO,territorial, he said, adding, thisexercise will be started at 7 amon January 12 and completedby 5 pm. If any district will notbe able to complete this exer-cise on January 12 due to anyreason than it will be done onJanuary 19.

Another wildlife officersaid that the distribution, num-bers and behaviour of birds arechanging over the period oftime because of various rea-sons. The population of theblack partridge (kala teetar),Haryan state bird, sparrowamong others has beendecreasing over the past fewyears.

As of now, there are noexact figures of the populationof many bird species in thestate. He said, "After comple-

tion of the counting, moreeffective measures would betaken to conserve wildlife inState.” He further said that thebird count will be conductedwith the assistance of a teamrepresenting wildlife institute,forest department and avianexperts belonging to variousorganisations in and aroundthe State.

The teams for bird counthave already been divided andone team member is expectedto travel at least 20 kilometersto count the birds during theexercise. In the last year 2019,50, 000 wetland birds of 520different species were countedby the team members.

The Wildlife officer furthersaid that the district officershave been advised to providedrinking water and eatablesduring this exercise to all theparticipants in each district.

All the teams of each dis-trict will share their list of birdsnoticed during this exercise atthe end of this event. Follow theinstructions accordingly andmake this event a successfulevent, he added.

3��3��"�� 2!��4)��45

�� !,��+-6�5,

Over a month after theUnion Home Minister

Amit Shah had declared in theLok Sabha that “no pardon hasbeen given” to Balwant SinghRajoana, facing death sentencefor assassinating Punjab’s thenChief Minister Beant Singh in1995, Shiromani Akali Dal’s(SAD) high-level delegationon Sunday appealed to Shah tointervene to commute his deathpenalty.

The SAD delegation led byits president Sukhbir Badal,

requested Shah to interveneand expedite the matter ofRajoana’s clemency with thecompetent authority to com-mute the death penalty award-ed to him and ensure hisrelease from prison at the ear-liest.

Taking up the issue ofRajoana with the UnionMinister, the SAD delegation,comprising the senior SADleadership, presidents of SGPC,DSGMC and heads of TakhatSri Hazoor Sahib and Takht SriPatna Sahib, on Sundayinformed that he had already

undergone 24 years of impris-onment without any parole.

It said that a clemencypetition, under Article 72 of theConstitution, was filed by theSGPC on March 25, 2012,before the President which wasstill pending.

The delegation added thatthe commutation of Rajoana’sdeath penalty was announcedas a goodwill gesture on thepious occasion of 550th yearsof celebrations of parkash purbof Guru Nanak Dev.

Shah’s statement, onDecember 3, 201z8, had led to

a controversy of sorts as thereports of commutation ofRajoana’s death sentence hadbeen doing the rounds eversince the Centre hadannounced to grant specialremission to eight Sikh pris-oners besides commuting deathsentence of “one Sikh prison-er” on September 30 on theoccasion of Guru Nanak Dev’s550th birth anniversary.

Soon after, the SAD haddecided to meet Shah and alsothe Prime Minister NarendraModi to commute Rajoana’sdeath sentence and urge that he

be released from prison imme-diately. Rajoana is currentlyundergoing death sentence atPatiala Central Jail, and theShiromani GurudwaraParbandhak Committee(SGPC) has moved a plea seek-ing commutation.

Taking up several otherreligious issues, the delegationurged Shah to constitute anational level celebrations’committee to commemoratethe 400th birth anniversary ofninth Sikh master Guru TegBahadur in a most befittingmanner across the country.

The delegation apprisedthe Union Minister about theapproaching 399th parkashpurb of Guru Teg Bahadur onApril 12, 2020, saying that theoccasion symbolized the spir-it of selfless sacrifice in defenseof the defenseless againstrepression and tyranny.

“Guru Teg Bahadur laiddown his life in the fight againstreligious bigotry, sectarianhatred and violence,” it saidadding that Guru Sahib cameto the defense of helplessKashmiri Pandits who werefacing forcible religious con-

versions. The delegation alsourged the Home Minister forsetting up a NationalIntegration Memorial in NewDelhi in the memory of thegreat Guru besides requestinghim to announce a nationalholiday on this pious occasion.

SAD chief Sukhbir Badalalso took up the issue of denialof permission to the SGPC del-egation to visit Nankana Sahibto assess the ground situationafter the recent attack onGurdwara Janam Asthan aswell as targeting of members ofthe Sikh community.

��$��"��

�� !,��+-6�5,

Amid growing disenchant-ment with Sukhbir Badal’s

leadership within theShiromani Akali Dal (SAD),several Punjab CabinetMinisters on Sunday launcheda scathing attack on the party,which had been clearly reducedto the Badals’ personal fiefdom.

The Cabinet Ministers —the state Rural Developmentand Panchayats Minister TriptRajinder Singh Bajwa, Housingand Urban DevelopmentMinister Sukhbinder SinghSarkaria, and Power andRevenue Minister GurpreetSingh Kangar reacted sharplyto Sukhbir’s wife and UnionMinister Harsimrat KaurBadal’s “increasing interfer-ence” in the affairs of theparty’s state affairs, as evidentfrom her presence at the meet-ings of SAD’s core committee,despite not being its member.

“It is ironical that the veryAkalis, who had historicallyfought to free the Gurdwarasfrom the hereditary control ofthe mahants (the traditionalclergy that had becomeextremely powerful and ritual-ized, in the early 20th century)are now being led by a similarhereditary command structureunder the Badals,” said theMinisters in a hard-hittingstatement.

They asked, “What is thedifference between the hered-ity promoted by those mahantsor udasis in British India andthe Badals, who are openly andbrazenly nurturing a similarculture to ensure that the con-trol of the SAD remains withthe family?”

Harsimrat’s increasinginvolvement in SAD’s andPunjab’s affairs, even at the costof her important work as aUnion Minister, was a clearindication that the rank and fileof the party were not happywith Sukhbir’s leadership, saidthe Ministers.

“SAD is in a complete dis-array, particularly in the postPrakash Singh Badal era,” theyobserved, pointing to the rebel-lion by Dhindsa father-sonduo, who had already been sus-pended from the party.

Only a day before, theRajya Sabha MP SukhdevSingh Dhindsa and his MLAson Parminder Singh Dhindsawere suspended from the AkaliDal after the core committeemeeting that was attended byHarsimrat also.

The Dhindsas had openlyrevolted against the stiflingcontrol of SAD by the Badals,declaring their intent to liber-ate the party from the familyand revive its lost glory, theMinisters pointed out.

��$��"��%�"��&��

�!��(6�� ! !

�� )*�+)',-

Prime Minister NarendraModi on Sunday congratu-

lated Sayyid Haitham bin Tariqal Said on taking over as thenew sultan of Oman, saying New Delhi looks forward toworking with him to further strengthen the strategicpartnership between the twocountries.

“I heartily congratulateHM Sayyid Haitham bin Tariqal Said on taking over as Sultanof Oman. I am confident thatunder his leadership, Omanwill continue to progress andprosper and contribute to glob-al peace,” Modi tweeted.

Sultan Haitham bin Tariq

Al Said (65), was sworn in asthe next sultan.

He succeeds the late SultanQaboos as ruler of Oman.Qaboos had died last week.

The Prime Minister notedthat India has millennia oldrelations with Oman. “We lookforward to working hand inhand with HM Sayyid Haithamto further strengthen ourstrategic partnership,” he said.

�� )*�+)',-

The Government hasdeclared one-day state

mourning on Monday in viewof the demise of the Sultan ofOman, the home ministryannounced on Sunday.

Oman Sultan Qaboos binSaid Al Said passed away onJanuary 10 at the age of 79.

“As a mark of respect to thedeparted dignitary, the gov-ernment of India has decidedthat there will be one day’s statemourning on January 13throughout India.

“The national flag will beflown at half mast throughoutIndia on the day of mourning

and there will be no officialentertainment on that day,” ahome ministry spokespersonsaid. The ministry has also senta communication to all statesand Union Territories in thisregard.

Prime Minister NarendraModi on Saturday condoled thedemise of Sultan Qaboos binSaid al Said of Oman, describ-ing him as a beacon of peacefor the region.

�� )*�+)',-

No progress has been madein the diplomatic enclave

project in Dwarka here in thelast three years due to a pend-ing court case related to landacquisition, the Ministry ofExternal Affairs has told a par-liamentary committee in awritten statement.

The ministry said it hasreceived requests for land allot-ment in the new diplomaticenclave from differentembassies, according to areport by the parliamentarycommittee.

The Union council of min-isters had on January 4, 2017approved the transfer of 34.87hectares of land from DelhiDevelopment Authority toLand and Development Office

under the Urban DevelopmentMinistry for the proposed newdiplomatic enclave in Dwarka’sSector 24.

There is an existing diplo-matic enclave in Chanakyapuriarea, however, a new enclavewas proposed after theMinistry of External Affairs(MEA) expressed the need forallotment of land for buildingoffices of different diplomaticmissions, international organ-isations, and embassies.

The parliamentary com-mittee’s report said India’s glob-al influence has increased in thelast decade and there is a needfor further enhancing its strate-gic reach. The MEA told thecommittee that India is settingup new missions in countrieswhere it does not have a resi-dent mission.

�� )*�+)',-�

With the stir againstCitizenship Amendment

Act (CAA) spreading across thecountry, Congress presidentSonia Gandhi has called ameeting of like-mindedOpposition parties on Mondayto frame a ‘joint action plan’against the CAA and proposedNational Register of Citizens(NRC). West Bengal ChiefMinister Mamata Banerjee andBSP chief Mayawati has decid-ed to skip the meeting.

The Congress WorkingCommittee (CWC) onSaturday had discussed theparty’s organisational and polit-ical response to the ModiGovernment’s attempt to pushCAA in the States, would delib-erate with “friendly”Opposition parties the cur-rent political situation.

Congress spokespersonJairam Ramesh said Monday’smeeting “will further discussthe emerging situation”. Leadersof around a dozen Oppositionparties, including DMK, RJD,NCP, Samajwadi Party andLeft parties are expected toattend meeting.

Though several ChiefMinisters in the country havepronounced that they could notallow implementation of theCAA, the Opposition has notbeen able to consolidate itsunity despite the momentumprovided to it by the campusunrest against it and backing itreceived by assorted sections ofthe society, including the film-world.

Unsettled by the clashes

between the workers of the Leftand her Trinamool Congressduring last week’s trade unionstrike, Banerjee announcedthat she would absent herselffrom the Opposition meeting.While almost denouncing themeet, the TMC chief said themeeting was her brain-child.

“What happened yester-day in the State — it is no morepossible for me to attend themeeting anymore,” she hadsaid, announcing her boycott ofthe Delhi deliberations.

“I was the first to launch anandolan (movement) againstCAA, NRC,” she added. “Whatthe Left and the Congress aredoing in the name of the CAA-NRC is not a movement butvandalism,” she said.

Mamata who had earliercalled for a wider Oppositionunity against the Modi-Government’s contentious CAAhas chosen to exclude herself.

Mayawati, too, hadattacked Sonia and Congress

General Secretary PriyankaGandhi Vadra recently daysover the deaths of infants at ahospital in the Congress-ruledRajasthan’s Kota.

The BSP leader who hassplit with SP post-Lok Sabhapolls said if the “woman gener-al secretary of the Congress”would not visit Kota to meet themothers who lost their children,then her meetings with familiesof victims in Uttar Pradesh willbe considered for “politicalinterest and drama”.

On Saturday, Congresschief Sonia Gandhi describedthe citizenship law a “discrim-inatory and divisive” law whose“sinister” purpose was to dividepeople on religious lines. “TheCAA is a discriminatory anddivisive law. The sinister pur-pose of the law is clear to everypatriotic, tolerant and secularIndian: it is to divide the Indianpeople on religious lines,” shesaid at a meeting of the CWCand sought its withdrawal.

�� )*�+)',-

The Congress on Sundayquestioned Prime Minister

Narendra Modi’s silence onbeheading of an India porter byPakistan’s BAT and asked hisgovernment when will it getten heads for one as promisedby the Prime Minister earlier.

Congress chief spokesper-son Randeep Singh Surjewalatweeted, “Why is the ModiGovernment silent onPakistan’s barbarism? Pakistaniforces have decapitated anIndian porter, and martyredtwo soldiers. And the Prime

Minister and the HomeMinister are silent. The mediais also silent.”

“Are stories of martyrdomof Indians at the hands ofPakistan printed keeping the

nature of the Government inpower? When will there will aretort to Pakistan’s cowardlyacts? When will we see tenheads for one,” he asked.

Pakistan’s Border Action

Team is suspected to have decap-itated a porter, who was amongtwo civilians killed along the Lineof Control (LoC) in Poonch dis-trict on Friday, and taken awaythe head, officials had said.

This is the first time thatany civilian has been behead-ed by the BAT, which com-prises Pakistani army regularsand terrorists, though similarincidents involving securitypersonnel have taken place inthe past, they said.

The body of MohammadAslam (28) was badly mutilat-ed and his head was missing, asenior police officer had said.

�� )*�+)',-

Ahead of the ambitious pro-ject to redevelopment of

Parliament and the Central Vistain Lutyens’ Delhi, CabinetSecretary Rajiv Gauba hassought details of employeesfrom all Ministries by January 15to formulate an accommodationaction plan. The mammothproject that involves setting of acentral secretariat complex,housing all Central Governmentdepartments and Ministries,and redeveloping the oldParliament building or settingup a new structure is aimed tobe complete by March, 2024.

In his letter to Secretaries,Gauba has asked them toappoint a nodal officer notbelow the rank of joint secre-tary in their respective min-istries to facilitate collection ofall required information inthis regard. Gauba also statedthat such details will help theUnion Housing and UrbanAffairs Ministry, which is a

nodal ministry for the megaproject, formulate accommo-dation plan.

The Modi Government hasreadied a blue print for its ambi-tious plan to redevelop CentralVista — the nation’s power cor-ridor in Delhi — for which sev-eral buildings such as KrishiBhawan, Shastri Bhawan, VigyanBhawan, Vice-President’s resi-dence and Nirman Bhawan arelikely to be razed.

While the deadline forredevelopment of Central Vista— the three kilometre stretchbetween India Gate andRashtrapati Bhawan on RaisinaHill — has been set atNovember 2021. TheParliament is expected to beready by March 2022. The thirdphase of the grand project —setting up a Central Secretariat

complex — is expected to befinished two years after that. Thedeadlines set for each phase arenot without a rationale. For theParliament complex for exam-ple, the deadline is set at March2022. As the Government plansto hold the monsoon session in2022 — marking India’s 75thindependence — in a newParliament complex.

The redevelopment plan ofCentral Vista is likely to includea triangular Parliament build-ing next to the existing one,common Central Secretariatfor ministries and the revamp-ing of the 3-km-long Rajpathfrom Rashtrapati Bhavan tillIndia Gate.

Shifting the residences ofthe Vice-President and thePrime Minister close to theRashtrapati Bhavan is also

under consideration. As part of the Central Vista

redevelopment project, theGovernment will construct aCentral Secretariat to accom-modate offices of all ministries,the Cabinet Secretary said inthe letter.

According to an estimate,the Government is currentlypaying Rs 1,000 crore as rentannually for its offices spreadacross the national Capital.

“The Cabinet Secretary hassought a list of requirement ofministries, their attached andsubordinate offices about thesanctioned and filled posts. Hehas asked secretaries of min-istries to submit such details byJanuary 15,” sources said.

The Union Housing andUrban Affairs Ministry hasplanned to float tenders for

each project by next month.According to the Central PublicWorks Department, the entire Central Vista redevel-opment project will be execut-ed at an estimated cost of Rs12,879 crore.

The new Parliament build-ing with seating capacity for1,000 to 1,200 people is target-ed to be constructed by August2022 when India will be cele-brating its 75th IndependenceDay. The common CentralSecretariat is likely to be builtby 2024.

In October last year,Gujarat-based architecture firmHCP Designs won the consul-tancy bid for architectural andengineering planning of theCentre’’s ambitious project.

The firm, which will bepaid Rs 229.75 crore for con-sultancy services, will preparethe master plan of the project,including designs, cost esti-mation, landscape and trafficintegration plans, and parkingfacilities among others.

��,+�� )*�+)',-

Agreen panel of the UnionEnvironment Ministry has

deferred its decision on theAirport Authority of India’s(AAI) proposal to construct agreenfield domestic airport inDhalbhumgarh, 60 km awaysteel city Jamshedpur inJharkhand, questioning its fea-sibility besides taking exceptionthat the site was a habitat of thelarge number of elephants.

Situated at Dhalbhumgarhin Ghatshila subdivision, about60km from the Steel CityJamshedpur, the airport isbeing built on an abandonedWorld War II airfield. Theairstrip was extensively used bythe armed forces during the1962 and 1971 wars, too.

About 96.761 hectares(239.1 Acres) of reserve forestland will be required for thedevelopment of Dhalbhumgarhairport project to be set up at

the cost of Rs 100 crore.Refusing to give go-ahead,

the Expert AppraisalCommittee (EAC) of theMinistry in a recent meetinghas sought details of forest/eco-logical sensitive areas aroundthe proposed site which falls inthe forests which are habitat oflarge number of elephants.Dalma Wildlife sanctuary isvery near to the site. Elephantstravel from Dalma to WestBengal through this forest.Every year there are number ofman elephant conflict cases inthese areas.

The panel also noted thatdisturbance to the elephanthabitat by way of building anairport on their habitat and alsoby the sound of aeroplanes inthe area and traffic movementswill result in disturbance in thebehavior of elephants resultingin increased human elephantconflict.

“The proposed site is sup-

posed to cater the Jamshedpurtown which is 60 km far awayfrom the city. Further, there is

an airport at nearby location atSonari is already existing. Onthe other side of Jamshedpur is

Ranchi which is 120 km awayand has a major airport.Jamshedpur is also well con-

nected to Calcutta, which hasmajor airport facility.

“It takes only 4 hours to

travel from Jamshedpur toKolkata by train. In the pastKingfisher, MDLR, and AirDeccan started their flights fromJamshedpur airport at Sonari butcould not sustain their opera-tions,” noted the EAC.

It further suggested thatcreation of an airport at sitewhich is nearer to Jamshedpurtown will be better for the peo-ple of Jamshedpur. For that asite near the Jamshedpur townmay be considered with its prosand cons for building airport.

Now, the EAC has askedthe AAI to submit revised pre-feasibility study including prop-er justification for proposed siteas a fair weather airport situat-ed at 60 Km from Jamshedpurcity, details of Forest/EcologicalSensitive Areas/WildlifeSanctuary/Elephant Corridoraround the proposed site andground water study and geo-technical study in the pro-posed site.

New Delhi: BJP’s “largest polit-ical leadership training pro-gramme” since 2015 has beendetailed in a coffee-table bookwhich would be soon releasedby Prime Minister NarendraModi. The Book maintains thatmore than 12.90 lakh partyworkers have been trained fol-lowing years the ModiGovernment ascended to powerin 2014 and BJP emerged as the“largest party” in the worldwith about 11 crore members.

Training programmeassumed particular significancewith the coming of Amit Shahas Party President wholaunched a nation-wide train-ing programme on the birthcentenary of its ideologueDeendayal Upadhyaya in 2015.

According to the 208-pagebook put together by the party’straining cell and titled ‘Trainingfor a new India’ - it captures avariety of programmes organ-ised from mandal to district,State and national level by theBJP to train and reorient partyworkers on its ideology from2015 onwards.

More than 12.90 lakh partyworkers have been trainedsince then, the book says. “Thisprogramme is also the largestpolitical leadership trainingprogramme undertaken any-where in the world,” it said. BJPgeneral secretary P MuralidharRao, who is in charge of thetraining programme, chroni-cles that Shah had suggested itspublication in 2018 so as todocument the massive workthat had taken place. PNS

�� )*�+)',-

Foreign Ministers from 13countries, including Russia,

Iran and Australia, will attendthe fifth edition of the geo-political conference, ‘RaisinaDialogue’, beginning here onTuesday. The three-day event,co-hosted by the Ministry ofExternal Affairs and theObserver Research Foundation(ORF), will also witness theparticipation of many DeputyForeign Ministers, formerPrime Ministers, formerPresidents, National SecurityAdvisers, military chiefs andother high level policy-makers,scholars and officials, a state-ment by the ORF said.

Over 180 delegates from105 countries are taking part inthis edition, themed ‘21@20:Navigating the Alpha Century’,the statement said.

In all, the conference willsee 116 speakers, it said.Besides, Externally AffairsMinister S Jaishankar, the otherForeign Ministers participatingin this year’s conference arefrom Russia, Iran, Australia,Maldives, South Africa, Latvia,Uzbekistan, Estonia, Denmark,Hungary, Rwanda andTanzania.

Former Afghan PresidentHamid Karzai and PrimeMinisters of Sweden, Republicof Korea, Canada, Denmark,

New Zealand and Bhutan arealso participating in the con-ference.

Iran’s Foreign MinisterJaved Zarif visit to India nextweek assumes significance as itcomes following the killing ofIranian Quds Force comman-der Qassem Soleimani.

Union Ministers SmiritiIrani, Hardeep Singh Puri andV Muraleedharan, as well asmembers of Parliament JayantSinha, Shashi Tharoor, ManishTewari and Swapan Dasguptawill also speak in different ses-sions. More than 2,000 partic-ipants, including over 600 del-egates and speakers, are takingpart in the conference.

Foreign Secretary VijayGokhale, Chief of DefenceStaff General Bipin Rawat andChief of Naval Staff AdmiralKaranbir Singh, besides USDeputy NSA MatthewPottinger, Afghanistan NSAHamdullah Mohib andCommander of US Indo-Pacific Command, AdmiralPhil Davidson will speak at the event.

Chief of Staff, Joint Staff ofthe Japan Self-Defence Forces,General Koji Yamazaki, ViceChief of Australian DefenceForce, Vice Admiral DavidJohnston and Chief of NavalStaff of UK, Admiral TonyRadakin will also speak at theconference.

�� 2�(��

JD(U)’s Prashant Kishor onSunday thanked Congress

leaders Rahul Gandhi andPriyanka Gandhi Vadra for“formal and unequivocal” rejec-tion of the NRC and reassuredthe people of Bihar, ruled by hisparty, that CAA and NRC willnot be implemented in theState.

The BJP, an ally of theJD(U) headed by ChiefMinister Nitish Kumar, gotrankled by the commendationof the opposition party by the

former election strategist.The saffron party came out

with a statement criticising“over intelligent and superknowledgeable people” for theirpropaganda on NRC andasserted that the CAA waspassed in Parliament withJD(U)’s support and “it will beimplemented in all concernedstates, including Bihar”.

“I join my voice with all tothank #Congress leadership fortheir formal and unequivocalrejection of #CAA-NRC. Both@rahulgandhi & @priyanka-gandhi deserve special thanks

for their efforts on this count,”Kishor tweeted reacting to theCongress Working Committee(CWC) resolution.

The CWC has demandedthat the CAA be withdrawn andthe process of NPR stoppedforthwith, accusing the BJP-ledgovernment at the Centre ofusing its brute majority toimpose a “divisive and dis-criminatory” agenda.

Forty two-year-old Kishor,whose first claim to fame wasthe management of NarendraModi’s election campaign in2014, said, “Also would like to

reassure to all — Bihar meinCAA-NRC laagu nahin hoga(CAA-NRC will not be imple-mented in Bihar)”.

Kishor had joined theJD(U) in September 2018 as afull-time member and has beenelevated to the post of nation-al vice president of the party.His relationship with the BJPhas remained uneasy since the2014 Lok Sabha polls afterwhich he has offered his pro-fessional services to parties likethe Congress (in UP andPunjab), Trinamool Congress(West Bengal) and the AAP

(Delhi) — all bitterly opposedto the saffron party. Kishor’srecent tirades against his partyfor supporting the Citizenship(Amendment) Bill and hisvociferous opposition to NPRand NRC had raised the hack-les of the BJP.

The saffron party’s Biharunit spokesperson NikhilAnand came out with a state-ment in response, drippingwith sarcasm but without men-tioning Kishor by name.

“Some over intelligent andsuper knowledgeable peopleare creating propaganda on

NRC. But the fact is that thereis no initiative by the centralgovernment on the issue. Wethank the PM, the HM forbringing such much-neededlegislation of CAA. “We appre-ciate the support of our NDAallies including CM NitishKumar Ji in passing the Bill inLok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.The CAA will be implementedin all the concerned statesincluding Bihar and there is noquestion on this matter. Bihargovernment has already noti-fied start of the NPR in May2020,” Anand said.

�� -��-��

3 �� 1 �-.� (��/ ��6 ��4��

�� 4�� 4�!��?��A�� B��4 @�� +��A�� @��%��"�@��$��"�@��?��"�@��?��C2��B��"�@��

� (�� 4��4�� !��?�� 2��<�� <�� !��$�� 4�� DC��C� ��5�E4�� 5��4��"��-��6��

1��2��3� �4�!�%/��"$��5�6��2�)��24�"�7��*)��*

�� !�"��#�!�$%#%&��'&�$&�#'�($'�)*� +*(,-��*��%��&�'

�1�� '�� ,6�� '��'� ��,

'��)��!��1�1$�*��#��!��

3��!�� 4�� !�� !��!��5�� 6��7-

��'� �� &� �� '�7� ,��

)��"�&�/��$ 2�� !��3

� ! ��4 ��4�� .��5��/ ��B��@��

� '�� &44 �� 4��+/%��5.+��!2�$��E@��2��'��4��<4��

� /��@ �� @��&44 �� / ��C6 ��B�� !�� <��

*��/ ��6 �� 2��B��F2�� 4��-��4 ��@ �� 2��/��, ��/��(�� ,1��

*��)�� '�� !� ��' ��%�� 8��

� �! "!�$�"!��"�#� 84"6��2��"!��"�� #$�9��2)�"#� !�'/7856�8�!��!��!3�,"8��$: 6)�!��"�6:�6!��#��24�# ��!��2�"2�"#"2$�2�$1�6�$�1"6� �"�65��$��"�6�!6�:��"��;!�2��9��3� ��$�#3�!��"68�$�5�6<��$ 6�24�!��%�'.�"2$�%�=%��"6�)�!��

� �#� !��'�='%��<!"6��>.-��%��<6��?��5�6��69�5�6��!��"2$��#��6�@ �6�$5�6�!��$�9��:8�2!��5��"�#� 84"6��"�6:�6!:6�A�<!�!��#��!� :�"!�!��<��!��5��%//�<6�6�

� ��5 ��24�!��4�9��4�B"��"$)�!��;:�6!�::6"��"��88�!!��>��?��5�!��*�2��!63��2�"�6�<�2!�8��!�24��"�� 4�!�$�!"��5�5�6��!C�<��4�<"��2��!�9��"6�"��"6� 2$�!��:6�:��$��!��<��5"��2�!��5�6��!��<��"6��"#�!"!��5��"64��2 8#�6��5��:�"2!�

D ��"6!��3�<�246"! �"!��*"33�$��"�!�"8�#�2��"6�@�"��"�$�2�!"7�24��9�6�"�� !"2��5�8"2�� "8�<�25�$�2!�!�"!� 2$�6��"$�6��:)��8"2��<�2!�2 ��!��:6�46��"2$�:6��:�6"2$�<�2!6�# !��!��4��#"��:�"<�)E*�$��!��!�$

�6�8��*�2��!�6��"6�2$6"�*�$��2�"! 6$"3�<�2$��$�!��$�8��5� �!"2�F"#��#�2"�$�"��"�$��5��8"2)$��<6�#�24��8�"��"�#�"<�2��5:�"<��5�6�!��6�4��2

+�� 4��5��!�"��!��6�-'�7��8�+�"��

/�� &��"��9��

�� ! ! �!��(7

�� %&'%�(�

Protests in the city against theamended Citizenship Act has

broadened the outlook of many peo-ple who had stopped interactingwith their friends from other com-munities over recent socio-politicaldevelopments in the country.

One among them is MuzaffarAli, a garments trader fromBeniapukur area, who had felt hes-itant to discuss with his friends fromother communities about certain“sensitive issues” and “felt ostracised”.

Ali, in his 40s, now participatesin anti-CAA rallies and an indefi-nite demonstration by women inPark Circus area, being touted asKolkata’s ‘Shaheen Bagh’, against thenew citizenship law.

The businessman, who partic-ipated in one such rally at ZakariaStreet recently, said he discovereda new side of the city, as strangers

from other communities, many ofthem in their youth, turned up indroves at protests against the con-tentious law.

“From bright young boys andgirls to social activists, writers andartistes, many people have assem-bled at a protest site in Park Circusand are giving speeches from amakeshift podium. This is a spon-taneous, apolitical movementagainst CAA and NRC,” Ali toldPTI on Sunday.

Ali said he had never partici-pated in similar rallies with peopleof other communities in the past.

“The outpour has made merealise the love and bonding amongpeople and I have started to openup. My two school- going sons havetold their friends from other com-munities that they will never partways,” he said.

Around 30 women have beenstaging a sit-in protest against

CAA, the National Register ofCitizens (NRC) and the NationalPopulation Register (NPR) in ParkCircus since January 7 on the linesof the Shaheen Bagh protest, main-ly led by Muslim women, inDelhi.

Nirufa Khatoon, one of the pro-testers, said, “I was born here. Mygrandfather was born here. Duringpartition, my predecessors had

opted to stay back in India as itis our motherland.”

“But now, I am afraid that theBJP wants to take my right to livein my city. Are we not citizens ofthis country?” she said, vowing notto withdraw the stir till the Centretakes concrete steps to revoke CAA,NRC and NPR.

Another woman participant,Sabina said, “After several discus-sions, we had decided to begin thesit-in as the Muslim women, of allgenerations, expressed eagerness to

take part in a dharna when our malefamily members were already outon the streets. Ours will be a peace-ful protest.”

Also present in the sit-in wasMoutusi Banerjee, a formerCalcutta University alumna who isworking with a production house.

“I had first participated in arally from Sealdah to Esplanadewhere thousands of people hadraised slogans against CAA, NRCand NPR. Since then, I had beenplanning to join the Park Circusprotest and finally, I am here,” shesaid.

The women agitators have beenjoined by Ali and other men of thelocality including Firoz Islam, afruit-seller by profession.

“It has become my duty to beon the side of those who have leftbehind their work for a greatercause. I cannot stop my business asmy earning depends on it. But, I canexpress my solidarity,” Islam said.

Jaipur: The BJP on Sunday held a kite festivalhere in support of Citizenship Amendment Actwhere party leaders and workers flew kites withslogans in support of CAA written onthem.

Such kites were also distributed to people onthe occasion. The festival was organised atAgrawal college and was participated by theparty’s state president Satish Poonia, Jaipur MPRamcharan Bohra, former BJP’s state unit pres-ident Ashok Parnami and others.

In Sanganer area, a rally led by former MayorAshok Lahoti was also organised in support ofthe CAA.

According to the amended law, members ofHindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christiancommunities who have come from Pakistan,Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31,2014 and facing religious persecution there willnot be treated as illegal immigrants but givenexpedited citizenship in 5 years instead of 11. Thelaw excludes Muslims.

Those opposing the law contend that it dis-criminates on the basis of religion and violatesthe Constitution. They also allege that the CAAalong withe the NRC is intended to target theMuslim community in India.

However, the central government has dis-missed the allegations, maintaining that the lawis intended to give citizenship to the persecutedpeople from the three neighbouring countries andnot to take away citizenship from anyone. PTI

Mumbai: Thousands of citizens on Sunday congregated in Mumbai’s suburban Jogeshwari to opposethe new citizenship law, theproposed NRC and NPR.

They also condemned lastSunday’s violence on the JNUcampus in Delhi, wheremasked men ran riot andattacked students. Leftistorganisations had claimed RSS-affiliated ABVP’s role inthe attack, a charge denied bythe students’ body.

Former Tata Institute ofSocial Science (TISS) generalsecretary Fahad Ahmed toldPTI that they assembled underthe aegis of ‘Hum Bharat KeLog’ in Millat Nagar area.

“Prime Minister NarendraModi should call 56 studentsfrom across the country todebate on the CAA, NRC andNPR,” Ahmed said in an appar-

ent jibe at Modi’s “56 inchchest” remark, which the latterhad made ahead of the 2014Lok Sabha polls.

“Why the PM is not talk-ing to us? Why is he not com-municating? Even theBritishers used to talk toIndians whom they ruled, butour PM is not talking to poorpeople,” he alleged.

Bollywood actor SushashtSingh also spoke on the occasion. “We are people of thiscountry and such acts (CAA)are tarnishing the image of ourcountry,” he said.

At the gathering, peoplewaved banners with sloganslike “I Am From Gujarat, MyDocuments Burned in 2002”,“No CAA, Boycott NRC, StopDividing India, Don’t Divideus”, “Save Constitution”, writtenon them.

A large number of police

personnel were present at thevenue.

The CitizenshipAmendment Act (CAA), whichwas notified on January 10,grants Indian citizenship tonon-Muslim minorities migrat-ed to India from Afghanistan,Pakistan and Bangladesh tillDecember 31, 2014, followingpersecution over their faith.

Massive protests wereagainst the CAA, mainly by thestudent community, since itspassage by Parliament inDecember last year. Oppositionparties have been dubbing theCAA an “anti-Muslim” legisla-tion, a charge being debunkedby the Government. TheCongress and other partieslike the TMC have alsoopposed the proposed NationalRegister of Citizens (NRC)and the National PopulationRegister (NPR). PTI

�� '-6�5,� 02#

AMU Vice Chancellor TariqMansoor has sought from

the State authorities extra secu-rity for himself and his familybefore the university reopenson January 13, citing threatsfrom “lumpen elements andoutsiders”, varsity sources saidon Sunday.

The Aligarh MuslimUniversity (AMU) was closedearly for winter vacations fromDecember 16, a day after stu-dents clashed with police dur-ing a protest against the con-tentious CitizenshipAmendment Act (CAA) oncampus.

The university was toreopen on January 6 but thevacation was extended owing topersisting tension over thechanges in the citizenship law.

It will reopen in phasesstarting Monday.

The vice chancellor (VC)has written a letter to the stateauthorities, including the direc-tor general of police and thehome secretary, asking forextra security for himself andhis family in view of threatsposed by “lumpen elementsand outsiders, including somerusticated students,” the sourcessaid.

The letter, which wasmarked as ‘secret’, has somehow been leaked in themedia, they said.

Later, Mansoor said in astatement that he has no prob-lem if “students exercise theirdemocratic rights by holdingpeaceful protests” against anylegislation which is ranklingthem.

His concerns, the VC said,were regarding those peoplewho might mingle with the students and give a violentturn to the peaceful agitation.

“The threat perception pertains to elements from out-side the campus and does notrefer to the students. The VCfaces no danger from his stu-dents, whom he considers hissons and daughters,” AMUspokesperson Shafey Kidwaitold PTI. PTI

�� $05�(

Former Union MinisterYashwant Sinha on Sunday

said enactment of the “unconsti-tutional and unnecessary” new citizenship Act was a ploy by theCentre to “divert attention” ofpeople from its “failure” to preventthe economic slowdown.

Addressing a gathering dur-ing the course of his “GandhiShanti Yatra” here, the former BJPleader quoted former chief eco-nomic advisor ArvindSubramanian saying that Indiawas facing a “great slowdown withits economy headed for intensivecare unit (ICU)”.

“All sections of the society aredisenchanted with the function-ing of the Government. Those inthe government are great expertsat diverting attention.

“So, this unconstitutional,unnecessary Act is meant todivert the attention of the youth,farmers, women, so they getinvolved in opposing this and donot think about their daily diffi-culties,” Sinha said.

The Citizenship AmendmentAct (CAA), which was notified onJanuary 10, grants Indian citizenship to non- Muslimminorities migrated to IndiaAfghanistan, Pakistan andBangladesh till December 31,2014, following their persecution over their faith.

Massive protests were witnessed against the CAA, main-ly by the student community,since its passage by Parliament inDecember last year.

Opposition parties has beendubbing the CAA an “anti-Muslim” legislation, a chargebeing debunked by theGovernment.

Sinha said, “The Act wasbrought in because the economic condition of the coun-try is at present in a great danger”.

The former Finance Ministerwas in Surat as part of his 3,000-km yatra, which began fromMumbai on January 9, for variousdemands including repealing theCAA; constituting judicial inquiryinto instances of “state-sponsoredviolence” such as the attack on

JNU students, and seeking thegovernment’s assurance inParliament that nationwideNational Register of Citizens(NRC) exercise will not be carriedout.

“The biggest catch of the Act,which is why this can’t be imple-mented, despite being notified bythe Central Government, is thatit talks about giving citizenship topersons who have suffered reli-gious persecution or fear of reli-gious persecution,” Sinha toldreporters.

“..Where is the evidence ofreligious persecution? It is inPakistan, Bangladesh andAfghanistan, but not in India. WillIndia get proof of this fromneighbouring countries?” heasked.

“How will a child prove iftheir parents or grandparentswho migrated here from neigh-bouring countries are dead? ThisAct cannot be truly implementedbecause it is unconstitutional,with an artificial cut-off date, isbased on religion, and is imprac-tical,” he added.

��

�� .�//0

Jammu & Kashmir People’s Forum onSunday organised a public rally here in

support of the Citizenship (Amendment)Act with speakers accusing the Oppositionparties of misleading the public in thecountry for their “political gains”.

Many senior leaders of the BJPincluding two former Deputy ChiefMinisters — Nirmal Singh and KavinderGupta — and former director general ofpolice SP Vaid also attended the pro-CAArally at Parade area in the city.

“We are all participating in this rallyas common citizens...Everyone here is sup-portive of the Centre’s action to grant cit-izenship to the oppressed minorities flee-ing Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan,”senior BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh toldreporters.

He alleged that “anti-nationals” arebehind the violence in the country over theAct. “Indian Muslims are pro-nationalistlike any other citizen of the country butPakistan, Congress and communistslaunched a falsehood campaign to misleadthe Muslims.”

“The CAA is not against taking awaythe citizenship of any Indian citizen but ismeant to give citizenship to the minoritieswho are oppressed and are facing Jihadi ter-rorism in the three neighbouring Islamiccountries,” he said.

Another senior BJP leader and formerDeputy Chief Minister Kavinder Gupta alsoaccused opposition parties of misleadingthe students of the universities on the CAApointing out that there is a need for aggressive campaigning in the country toeducate the people about the reality of theAct.

Among others who joined thousandsof participants include senior BJP leaderand mayor of Jammu MunicipalCorporation (JMC) Chander MohanGupta, his deputy Purnima Sharma, for-mer ministers and legislators.

A sizable number of women alsoattended the public meeting, carryingplacards and chanting slogans in supportof the Act.

“Some people and political parties areprovoking and misleading public againstthe CAA for their political gains...Thecountry was divided due to the wrong poli-cies of the Congress and it happened on thebasis of religion,” president of the Jammu& Kashmir People’s Forum RameshSabharwal said in his address.

Senior BJP leader and president ofJammu High Court Bar AssociationAbhinav Sharma, addressing the publicrally, said the CAA has been amended sixtimes in the past and every time minori-ties have been given citizenship but nobodyever protested. “Those who are opposingthe CAA are doing it under a political con-spiracy,” he claimed.

Bengaluru: Two persons have been arrested inconnection with the assault on an RSS workerVarun for participating in a demonstration heresupporting the Citizenship Amendment Act,police said on Sunday

We have arrested two persons in this case.We will shortly brief you about the arrest, apolice officer told PTI on condition of anonymi-ty.

He refused to divulge more informationabout the accused.

A police team arrested the two from TamilNadu.

The BJP had organised a demonstration atthe Town Hall on December 22, which theBengaluru south BJP MP Tejasvi Surya hadaddressed.

Varun too attended the event and was onthe way home when he was attacked by fourpeople with a sharp-edged weapon and fled thespot. Following the assault, Varun was admit-ted to a hospital in a serious condition. PTI

�� '0!%�&*

An awareness drive to clear confusion regardingthe Citizenship (Amendment) Act has been

launched in the State on the instructions of ChiefMinister Yogi Adityanath, a spokespersonsaid.

The Chief Minister’s media advisor ShalabhmaniTripathi said the State Government has launched adrive in the State to remove all doubts among thepeople regarding CAA.

As part of the drive, pamphlets carrying detailedinformation regarding CAA was being distributedamong the people, the spokesperson said.

“It explains that the CAA will have no effect onthe minorities of the country, specially Muslims andwill not impact any Indian Hindu or Muslim,” headded.

According to the amended law, members ofHindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christiancommunities who have come from Pakistan,Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014and facing religious persecution there will not betreated as illegal immigrants but given Indiancitizenship. The law excludes Muslims.

Those opposing the law contend that it discriminates on the basis of religion and violatesthe Constitution.

They also allege that the CAA along withe theNRC is intended to target the Muslim communityin India.

� � G�� *��*��

'8"��!�� (�� (�-� ��8��

6%��9�(,� ��+�� ,�6�� '�,� ��

Nagpur: Maharashtra Home MinisterAnil Deshmukh on Sunday said thatlaws might be made by the CentralGovernment but their implementationis solely in the hands of the StateGovernment, two days after the Centrenotified the new citizenship law.

Speaking at a protest rally organisedby ‘We the Citizens of India’ in Nagpur,Deshmukh said, “In Maharashtra, wehave our Government and though thelaws are made by the Central govern-ment, whether it will be implemented ornot is in the hands of State Government”.

The Centre had issued a gazettenotification announcing that theCitizenship Amendment Act (CAA),under which non-Muslim refugees fromPakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistanwill be given Indian citizenship, willcome into force from January 10.

The CAA was passed by Parliamenton December 11.

Maharashtra Energy Minister Nitin

Raut of Congress, who also took part inthe rally, said the State would notimplement the CAA.

“However, much they (Centre) maytry, the Maharashtra Government willnot allow this law (CAA) to be imple-mented in the state,” Raut said.

The new Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi(MVA) government comprises the ShivSena, the NCP and the Congress.

Home Minister Deshmukh furthersaid that leaders like NCP supremoSharad Pawar and Congress chief SoniaGandhi had opposed divisive moves likeCAA, National Register of Citizens andNational Population Register inParliament.

In a swipe at the BJP, Deshmukhsaid, “Some powers having majority inParliament are doing this work, the peo-ple who were never seen during the free-dom struggle. Hindus and Muslims havelived in brotherhood in India and havesupported each other”. PTI

�� #�� 6��1��

%��!�(�� ( ��--�!��

3��'�� 6��,(�%�0�3��

= ��.G%�+62��+�4��!/��4� C!��.��

3%%� � �� 0��3�,��

�� '� �� ' �� ,��+��

:�� ' ��3%%� ��"3��* � ��

�1�� 3%%(�� :��' ��

�!��(8�� ! !

Mumbai: Former Maharashtra Chief MinisterDevendra Fadnavis on Sunday said the previousBJP-led Government under him had functioned ina transparent manner, but the Uddhav Thackeray-led dispensation was free to order anyprobe against it.

His statement comes days after senior Congressleader Prithviraj Chavan called the Fadnavis-ledGovernment as the “most corrupt” and said aninvestigation will be carried out in all cases.

Talking to reporters at Akluj in Solapur district, Fadnavis said, “Don’t give threats, we arenot scared. My government has been transparent.The present dispensation is free to order any probe.The Government is free to do any inquiry it wants.” PTI

Bengaluru: Karnataka ChiefMinister BS Yediyurappa onSunday urged youth to give uptheir ‘obsession’ to settle downabroad, forgetting their cultureand religion and said theyshould stay back in India toserve the nation.

“It is unfortunate that theyouth today want to settle inforeign countries by gettingcaught in the false idea ofmodernism and forgetting ourculture and religion.

They should give up thisobsession, stay here and servethe country, he said.

The Chief Minister was

addressing school and collegestudents at Kanteerava Stadiumduring the celebration of Hindureligious scholar and philosopher SwamiVivekanandas birth anniver-sary here. The Chief Ministersaid Indians settled abroadshould treat their visit backhome as a pilgrimage and havefaith in the religious beliefs.

He also appealed to theyouth to follow SwamiVivekanandas path of sacrifice,service and nationalism.

Recalling the hard times hewent through during his schooldays, Yediyurappa said he used

to sell vegetables and lemons toearn some money for his family.

.. .But today with the blessings of 6.5 crore people Iam standing before you as afour-time Chief Minister. Igrew to such a stature becauseI followed the footsteps ofnoble people, the ChiefMinister said.

Stating that there was noth-ing impossible in a democracy,Yediyurappa asked students tofulfill the dreams of their par-ents, get educated and runtheir families in a responsiblemanner. PTI

�� .�//0

Union Minister of State forDefence Shripad Yesso Naik

met Jammu & Kashmir LieutenantGovernor Girish Chandra Murmuhere on Sunday and discussed awide range of issues related to theprevailing security situation in theUnion Territory, a Raj Bhavanspokesperson said.

Naik, who also holds the port-folio of Ayurveda, Yoga andNaturopathy, Unani, Siddha andHomoeopathy (AYUSH), discussedwith Murmu about various reformsand initiatives of the government forpromotion of medicinal plants and

development of education andresearch in AYUSH to providemore benefit to people, thespokesperson said.

He added that Naik and Murmualso talked about the developmen-tal aspirations of the people ofJammu & Kashmir and variousother issues relating to public wel-fare.

Earlier, soon after his arrival inJammu on Saturday, the Ministerattended the one-day national sem-inar organised by the RegionalAyurveda Research Institute forUrinary Disorders (RARIUD) onAyurveda and integrative medicines and its contemporary rel-

evance as well as a brain-stormingsession on AYUSH and the scopeand challenges of integrative med-icines.

He said the Centre is taking allsteps to boost the Ayurveda systemof medicines in the Union territo-ry, which has a lot of potential for growing medicinalplants.

“An integrated research will bedone on Ayurveda in a scientificway to provide more benefits topeople,” Naik said, adding that aresearch institute was sanctioned bythe AYUSH ministry for theBhaderwah area of Dodadistrict.

Panaji: Congress workers fromGoa on Sunday protested inDegaon, the site from where theMahadayi river originates, inneighbouring Karnataka’s Belgaumdistrict.

Goa and Karnataka areembroiled in a dispute over thesharing of Mahadayi river waterand the two states have alsosparred over the latter going aheadwith the Kalsa Banduri drinking water project on theriver.

Sunday’s protest was led byCongress’ Bicholim taluka chiefMeghashyam Raut.

Raut had also protested on theissue while Union Environment,

Forest and Climate ChangeMinister Prakash Javadekar wasdelivering a speech at theInternational Film Festival ofIndia’s inauguration ceremony on November 20 lastyear.

Raut said the Congress grouphad protested at Degaon to makepeople aware of the issue, andclaimed BJP Governments at theCentre and Karnataka were actingagainst the interests of Goa in thewater dispute.

Raut claimed the group wasstopped by Karnataka police whilereturning from the protest andallowed to go ahead later afterquestioning. PTI

�� %&!,-

Sending a strong message toviolators of environmental

norms, the Supreme Courtordered demolition drive againstfour illegal waterfront apartmentcomplexes here was completedon Sunday with the last two highrises pulled down using con-trolled implosion method.

In perhaps the first of itskind drive in the countryagainst illegal residential highrisses, the four concrete colossuses housing nearly 350flats were reduced to piles ofrubble in seconds one afteranother over the last two days.

Ernakulam DistrictCollector S Suhas and KochiPolice Commissioner VijaySakhare said the demolitiondrive was successful and said

everything went as planned.

Explosives, weighing totally nearly 750 kgs, wereused in a controlled manner tobring down the lakeside struc-tures in Maradu, eight monthsafter the apex court ordered theirdemolition for violation of theCoastal Regulation Zone norms.

The Kerala Governmentstuck to its time line of 138 daysgiven to the Supreme Court inSeptember last year as themeticulously planned operation was successfully car-ried out in a precise manneramid tight security and afterpeople in the neighbourhoodwere evacuated as a precau-tionary measure.

Section 144 of the CriminalProcedure Code (CrPC) wasimposed in the evacuation

zone of 200 metre radius from8 am to 4 pm on both days toensure there was no movementin the area.

The Government, whichmade it clear that it will imple-ment the court orders, hadmanaged to evict the owners ofthe flat, who staged protests, say-ing they had invested their hardearned money in buying theflats. The Supreme Court hadordered payment of � 25 lakh asinterim compensation.

On the eve of the demolitions, one of the ownershad said: “It is injustice done bya State against its citizens. TheGovernment is responsible forthis situation.”

The drive was complet-ed at around 2.30 pm onSunday with the demolition ofthe 55-meter high “Golden

Kayaloram” building, thesmallest among the four complexes, after an about half-an-hour delay due to sometechnical reasons, officialsources said.

Earlier in the day, “JainCoral Cove”, which is also 55meters high, was brought downat around 11.03 am.

On Saturday, two com-plexes — H2O Holy Faith andthe twin towers of Alfa Serene— abutting the backwaterswere destroyed in the similarimplosion method in whichexplosives filled in the struc-tures blasted in a controlledmanner.

Areas in the 200 metreradius of the buildings werekept out of bounds for peopleand all kinds of traffic duringtheir demolition.

In a precise sequence,explosives filled in the struc-tures were blasted in a controlled manner at the end ofthe third warning siren.

The towering buildingsthat took several months tobuild and had housed 100s offamilies collapsed inwards intoa pile of rubble like a house ofcards in seconds, triggeringmammoth ‘clouds’ of dust.

Just in a few seconds, thetowering buildings, whose inte-rior walls had been removed inpre-demolition work over thepast weeks leaving them con-crete shells, became mounds ofdebris.

Following the blasts, cloudsof dust billowed out around thewreckage, enveloping nearbyspectators.

Chennai: Vice President MVenkaiah Naidu on Sundaysaid respect for all religions wasinherent “in the Indian blood”and asserted secularism doesnot mean ‘insult’ or appease-ment of one particular faith.

For a long time, India hassheltered persecuted personsand given refuge to many,Naidu said at an event here tomark the centenary of SriRamakrishna Vijayam, a Tamilmonthly of Sri RamakrishnaMath.

Speaking on the occasioncoinciding with the birthanniversary of SwamiVivekananda, Naidu said peo-ple should forever rememberhim and propogate his teach-ings and preachings “which areeternal for the betterment ofmankind.”

Hailing the guru as a “greatsaint, teacher and socialreformer,” he said SwamiVivekananda played a majorrole in introducing Hinduismto the West. “He was a socialreformer and was against reli-gious dogmas and believed inthe uplift of humanity irre-spective of caste or creed andemphasised that spiritualism isimportant for the survival ofmankind,” Naidu said.

“Swami Vivekanandastressed on the importance ofspirituality. India, in a way isthe spiritual guru for the entireworld. People look to India forsolace, guidance and spiritual-ism,” he added.

Quoting fromVivekananda, he said theSwamiji was proud that hebelonged to a religion “that hastaught the world both toleranceand universal acceptance.”

“...The only religion whichsays all religions are true. That

is the greatness, that is thebeauty of this religion(Hinduism),” he said. SwamiVivekananda also said hebelonged to a nation which hassheltered the persecuted andthe refugees of all nations of theearth, Naidu said.

“Now also we are ready toaccept those who are perse-cuted though some people aretrying to make it controversialand all,” he said in an apparentreference to the Opposition tothe NDA Government’s con-troversial CitizenshipAmendment Act.

“That is our culture, ourheritage. This is what our fore-fathers have told us,” the VicePresident added.

The CAA envisages pro-viding Indian citizenship topersecuted minorities fromPakistan, Bangladesh andAfghanistan.

Today there was more thanever a need to bring down thewalls that create differencesamong the people and “wefollow sarvadharma samabha-vana,” or respect for all reli-gions, he said.

“It is there in our Indianblood. People now talk aboutsecularism, constitution.Constitution came later, but the

Indian blood — sarvadharmasamabhavana — respect for allreligions (existed already),”Naidu said.

From time immemorial,people have come from outsideand have been given shelter, hesaid, adding different religionsalso came to India and wererespected “because we believeevery religion is important andsarvadharma samabhavana isthe essence of our civilisation.”

Without naming anyone,he said some people had somekind of an “allergy” towards theword Hindu.

“There are some people inthis country who have someallergy towards this word calledHindu. We can’t help them andthey have got every right tohave that view. But they are notright,” he said.

On the International YogaDay, he said Prime MinisterNarendra Modi had madeefforts to take it to the UN fol-lowing which it was now beingpracticed in many countries.

In a possible reference tocritics of the Prime Minister, hesaid “yoga is for your body, notbecause of Modi,” and urgedone and all to do it for one’sown good. PTI

�� 2��.-

Goa Chief Minister PramodSawant on Sunday asked

BJP workers to prepare forAssembly polls scheduled in 25months time and set a target ofwinning 30 seats in the 40-member House.

He was addressing a partyconvention after the announce-ment of Sadanand Tanavade’sname as Goa BJP chief.

“Everyone has seen theups and downs the party hasfaced in last several years. We

formed a government in 2017with just 13 seats.

Our strength rose from 13to 27 due to the blessing of lateManohar Parrikar,” hesaid.

“The future responsibilityis of the workers. In the 2022Assembly polls, around 25months away, we must aim towin 30 seats. For this, each per-son must work very hard,” hesaid.

He also asked them to startpreparing for Zilla Panchayatelections to be held in March.

)��!��"�� !��"��

�� /0/"�-

Former Chief Minister andBJP leader Narayan Rane on

Sunday made a sensationalclaim that as many as 35 out of65 ruling Shiv Sena MLAswere “unhappy” with Senapresident Uddhav Thackeray’sleadership and indicated thatthese disgruntled MLAs mightswitch over to his party leadingto change in Government inthe State.

Talking to media personson the sidelines of a function atThane, Rane — a long-timebête noire of Uddhav — hint-ed at the possibility of the BJPcoming back to power in thestate with the support of thesupport of the “disgruntled”Shiv Sena MLAs.

“Thirty five of 65 ShivSena MLAs are unhappy with

Uddhav Thackeray...The BJP has 105 MLAs,while 35 Sena MLAsare unhappy,” Rane said,thus indicating these“disgruntled” MLAswould switch sides andhelp the BJP musternumbers to form aGovernment in theState.

Rane’s claim shouldbe seen in the light of theoret-ical possibility that with theaddition of 35 MLAs, the BJP’sstrength will go up to 140, fiveMLAs short of a simple major-ity of 145 in the 288-memberMaharashtra Assembly whichis not difficult to muster.

Though there is someresentment within the ShivSena over the denial of minis-terial berths, there are notmany takers for Rane’s claim for

three reasons. First, the figureof disgruntled Sena MLAs sug-gested by Rane is unbelievablyhigh. Secondly, Rane is knownfor making tall claims whichhave in the past fallen flat onhis face. Thirdly, the Sena lead-ership is in the process ofkeeping its disgruntled MLAsin good humour through chairmanships of state-run cor-porations.

Looking from a different

perspective, is Rane’sclaim that 35 SenaMLAs might switchsides an indication thatthe BJP intends toundertake Operation“Kamala” in the State?

Rane, meanwhile,charged that Uddhavhad absolutely no ideaon how to run aGovernment. “Since he

does not know how to run aGovernment, people are notexpecting anything from theMVA Government. It took him(Uddhav) five weeks to form agovernment. From this, youcan gauge his ability or other-wise to run a Government”.

Rane, who is currently aRajya Sabha MP, said thatUddhav had failed to imple-ment his promise of farm loanwaiver. “We do not know as to

when farm loan waiver deci-sion will be implemented.When the Chief Minister wentto Marathwada recently, peoplethere expected him to come outwith a development package forthe region. He returned with-out announcing any package orfinancial relief to the region.That speaks for itself howthings are moving in the newGovernment”.

When his attention wasdrawn to the recent meetingbetween former chief ministerand senior BJP leaderDevendra Fadnavis and MNSchief Raj Thackeray and ifthere was a possibility of a tie-up between the two parties,Rane evaded a direct replyand said: “On this ( the issue ofa possible alliance between thetwo parties), senior BJP lead-ers will speak”.

%�� *��+ � �� (�� 3� � ��"�'�� ;�� (��'��'��(��+��

<.�� =%�� (�� 1�4�" � �� (�� !��$��!��+��!�

��$��(�� !��$��!6�'�9� ��

�� (��:;��(�<;�� %;%%��

8��6��3�(�� 2��!��

=��H�� 4� ��4�� ".2�6 ��

��!��!�� 6�� )� ��

Shirdi: State Assembly Speaker Nana Patole on Sunday said theMaharashtra Vikas Aghadi Government, formed by Shiv Sena,Congress and NCP, was like “Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh” and will com-plete its five year term with the support of 170 MLAs in the 288-mem-ber House. Speaking to reporters in Shirdi after visiting the Sai Babatemple here, Patole made light of reports of unhappiness among MLAsover non-inclusion in the State Government.

“In a family, if there are four sons, some may be happy, someunhappy,” he said.

Queried on the longevity of the Uddhav Thackeray Governmentdue to the presence of parties with opposing ideologies, Patole said,“This Government is like Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh and will com-plete its full five year term. We have the support of 170 MLAs.”

After Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray expand-ed his council by inducting 26 Cabinet and 10 ministers of state onDecember 30, supporters of several leaders who missed out hadprotested. Asked by the media on a reported statement of an RSS leaderthat Maharashtra be divided into four separate States, Patole said therehas been a demand of this sort among a segment of people but thedecision has to be taken by the Centre. PTI

"� ��:�� '��=��

�� ' �� ' �� >�� ' �)1 �� '��

�� 6* ��,�� " �' �� " � '��

Recently, a fellow motoring journal-ist took to the social media andasked me and his peers about ourthoughts on the Indian “car of thedecade.” Making choices on the

“Indian car of the year” is in itself a toughtask. So, asking anyone, let alone someonewho must have driven at least a few hundreddifferent types of vehicles in the previous 10years, his opinion as to which car he thinksstood out is even tougher. In any contest —from fashion pageants and movie awards tocar choices — a bias towards more recentcontenders cannot be ruled out. This is whya rash of Hollywood movies, starring topactors and directed by top directors, arereleased towards the end of the year so thatthey can be eligible for the “awards season.”

But unlike movies or even fashionpageants, choosing a car that defines the yearis not easy because factors like affordabili-ty and market acceptance, too, come intoplay. The best of cars driven by this writerin 2019 were stupendous vehicles but costthe same as that of a small house. Ergo, thevehicle that won the “Indian Car of The Year”award was the Hyundai Venue, a compactSports Utility Vehicle that the judges, includ-ing myself, chose. It has made technologiessuch as dual-clutch gearboxes and tur-bocharged small petrol engines affordable forlarge parts of the car market.

Of course, contenders are many if onewere to look at the “car of the 2010s” ratherthan the the “car that defined” the 2010s inIndia. But what is surprising, rather whatis not surprising, is that almost all vehiclesthat one can consider in the list are SUVswith possibly one or two exceptions. Thinkabout it. The car that defined the decade,according to this writer, was Hyundai Creta.This, because in my opinion, the whiteCreta is now ubiquitous across every majorIndian city. But others on the social mediarightly pointed that Renault Duster, FordEcoSport and Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza,too, are equal contenders.

All of them are SUVs and in the past10 years, each one of them has made sig-nificant impact on the Indian automotivemarket. Surely, I would also like to consid-er Maruti Suzuki’s second generation SwiftDzire on the list of top cars of the decade.By powering the fleet of app-based taxiaggregators, it has become a symbol ofchanging mobility dynamics in the coun-try. But as far as personal mobility goes, thepast decade was all about SUVs.

What is not surprising, however, is thatthis is a global trend. Across the world, con-sumers have taken a shine to SUVs. So muchso that even car-makers like Rolls-Royce,Bentley, Lamborghini and wait for it, evenItalian super car-maker Ferrari, are nowmanufacturing SUVs. This because the mar-ket has spoken — a trend that began withlarge American pick-up trucks such as theFord F150, which gradually became moreluxurious moving away from its purely util-

itarian role in the 1980s and1990s. The flatbed part of thosecars became more and moreirrelevant. Covering that spacemade more sense in order to fitin more seats and covered lug-gage space. Technically, SUVshave been on the road for overa quarter of a century now.Some might remember the TataSierra of yore, India’s first SUV,which came onto the road in themid-1990s. It wasn’t a salessuccess but it spawned the TataSafari, which enjoyed a degreeof success for about twodecades. Then there wasMahindra Scorpio, which madeits foray in 2001. People stilldoubt if Mahindra redefined theIndian utility vehicle market,particularly with Scorpio, bothfrom the design and engineer-ing aspect.

But in the 2000s, SUVswere an exception, not the rule.They were still expensive andheavy cars with lumberingengines. No matter how goodan example of engineeringScorpio and Safari were, onecould never describe them as“good cars” performance wise.The early-build models sufferedfrom handling issues, consider-ing the way the engine per-formed and even workmanshipto a certain degree. The 2000swas the time for small cars inIndia. The silver WagonR stoodout even in cities like Delhi, the

Alto became a sales success likeno other and Hyundai’s Santroand i10 both stole the show.

What changed in the 2010swere engineering and increasedcomputerisation, not just duringthe design process but also onboard. Changes started tobecome visible in luxury SUVsfirst. The first generation ofPorsche Cayenne and BMWX3/X5 were not lumberingbeasts and not anywhere close tohandling like other cars fromthose companies. Today, whenyou take a modern PorscheMacan or a BMW X4 around arace track to evaluate them,you will be flabbergasted at theway they perform. Sure, thePorsche Panamera sedan or theBMW 5-series are both betteraround a track but that yawninggap between the performance ofa sedan and an SUV is barely awhisper now.

And it is a direct result of afundamental change. SUVsbecame lighter because of theway changes were incorporated.Earlier, utility vehicles of any sortwere built with the car body onthe frame of the car. The framebeing the suspension, engineand transmission is what tookthe structural load. While thismade the SUVs very rugged, italso made them difficult tomanoeuver and killed handling.

Modern SUVs from the2010s are monocoques, which

is a way of manufacturing thevehicle where the body is itsown structural component, anexoskeleton as such. This madeSUVs much, much lighter and,thus, cheaper. It also opened thedoors to cheap and cheerfulsmall utility vehicles, whichgiven that they shared platformswith sedans, ensured that theywere better at handling.

To an extent, more com-puters and Traction Controlsystems onboard cars nowa-days eliminated the perfor-mance degradation that usual-ly comes with an SUV. One willbe able to understand thisthrough simple physics asSUVs sit higher and, thus,have a higher centre of gravityand are still slightly heavier.

Crucially, sharing the sameconstruction technique and,thus, platforms as that of hatch-backs and sedans, made SUVsa lot cheaper and allowed theshape to be fitted onto smallerplatforms. The EcoSport, Brezzaand Venue are all SUVs that slotinside the four-metre lengthcriterion for a lower duty rate inIndia. Because they have becomelighter, they can use the sameengines as other small cars. Inaddition, this change madeSUVs cheaper to maintain, albeitless capable in the eyes of some.Similarly, this construction tech-nique also makes vehicles saferin accidents, at least to other

road users, both vehicular andpedestrian.

Of course, until recently, thebody-on-frame constructionmodel was the preferred way togo if one wanted an SUV to gooff the road, really off the roadsimply because of the structur-al rigidity of the constructiontechnique. But even that is beingchallenged by the monocoquetoday. The Jeep CompassTrailhawk may not have set thesales charts alight but as amonocoque, what it can do off-road is nothing short of extra-ordinary. This is something onemay not have considered possi-bly a decade ago because the tor-sional (that is twisting) forcesthat a vehicle has to endurewhen it goes off the road wouldhave in effect broken any suchcar just a few years ago.

If not literally broken, tak-ing a monocoque in severe off-road trail conditions wouldhave flexed the metal so muchthat it would have sufferedfrom fatigue issues, similar tothose that aircraft have to dealwith after tens of thousands offlights. But guess what, theupcoming new Land RoverDefender, the last word in off-roading according to some,including the British ArmedForces, is a monocoque.

So the SUV, no matter whichparticular vehicle you consider,was the “car of the decade” inIndia. But is that a good thing?Sure, we can argue about the roadconditions in our country, whichdespite a penchant for speed-breakers is far better than ever. Atthe same time, the revolution inSUVs has led to many morediesel cars being sold. As we nowknow, diesel isn’t as clean as it washyped to be 10 years ago. Whileit emits lesser amount of carbonper kilometre, emissions ofnitrous and sulphur oxide as wellas particulate matter is far high-er than of petrol. Also, consider-ing cars on the same platformwith the same engine and trans-mission — look at the HondaCR-V and Honda Civic— asedan is always more economi-cal to operate and cheaper to buythan an SUV.

It is particularly ironic,therefore, that the first electriccars with a reasonable amountof range to be launched in Indiaare the Hyundai Kona and MGeZS, both, surprise surprise,SUVs. So while new construc-tion methods made the SUVcheaper and better and, thus, thevehicle of choice in the 2010s,the impact of these cars on ourpsyche — maybe we like sittingat a height off the road, lordingover the others — has meant thatthe SUV will most likely domi-nate the 2020s as well.

(The writer is ManagingEditor, The Pioneer)

#�� )�� )��&��

��*��+��,-,��*.�� )�� /��%�� 0�� .�� (��)��122�� *.��(�� 3�� -�4566�� *.()��

7��)��*.��)��(��/�� 4,� !��*��3�� 4,�894:��)�� *.��)��"�� .��&��;�� )�� <��=��(�� (�� #�� )��/�� )��>��+��>�� 8945��#��(�� (��$�� (��+��&��)��

)�� (��)��?��@��A)?�@B�� ?��C��#�*��)��(�� D��)��*.��(��+��4,1��

)��$�� (��&� ��

�� 3�� *�� A3 *B �� (�� (��"�� ?��#�� (��

��)��(�� D�� ;��!��)��(��(��;��(��(��"�� !��"��#�� (�� .��;��(��&��(�� (��)�� !��(��+�� E�� $��A�+E$B��&��;�� &�� #E�� (�� (�� "��>��)�� (��

#��$�� &��"��(�� (��@�� &�� (��#�� (� ��;��(�� (�� (�� F#�� (�� (��+�� (�� G��3 *�� .��(�� (��.�� C��"��(��.��.�� (�� D��<)�� =��&�� 7��(�� +��

��

Sir — After remaining absent forlong, when a set of his studentswere attacked by masked hooli-gans with allegiance to Right-wing elements, it is uncharitablethat Jawaharlal Nehru University(JNU) Vice Chancellor MJagadesh Kumar advised theaffected students to bury thepast. Looking at the manner inwhich the events took place —goons were allowed free entryinto the campus; the securityguards and the police acted asmute spectators to the gruesomeattacks; and electricity was cut offfor some time — we can deducethat the administration musthave had some knowledge ofwhat was in store. Kumar shouldsubmit his resignation immedi-ately, in deference to the wishesof the students and teachers.

Tharcius S FernandoChennai

��

Sir — Infant deaths in Kota havestruck a note of alarm about thepresent state of healthcare inpublic hospitals. This also under-

lines a deeper crisis in the health-care sector. India needs to upgradeits primary and secondary health-care sectors at the earliest. Theseare the first points of treatment forpatients. Equipping them betterwould thus ensure that the first-level diagnosis of critical cases isdone properly.

The Kota incident also

reminds us that we must not takesuch tragedies lightly. TheGovernment should get to thebottom of the problem by assess-ing infrastructural gaps and tak-ing measures to prevent a repeatof such tragedies. If Governmenthospitals are managed and utilisedproperly, they can support thepoor and the needy who rely on

public healthcare services as theycannot afford private hospitalsowing to exorbitant charges.

I hope that the Governmentwill rise to the occasion and theOpposition will act responsibly bypressurising the Government intoimproving the healthcare system.

Ramesh G JethwaniBengaluru

��

Sir — Like always, there is aweird and a wacky technologytoy at the 2020 ConsumerElectronics Show that is goingon in Las Vegas — an invisiblekeyboard. Actually, it is reallynon-existent. Samsung has final-ly found a positive use for theselfie camera. It detects whatyour fingers are doing while typ-ing on a table and converts thatto keystrokes.

Presumably, you train it torecognise where your fingers areand what key they would be typ-ing. It would be fine for atrained typist and it should beable to keep up with the averagetwo finger typists. But how arethey going to know where all thekeys are when they often takeages to find them on a physicalkeyboard?

Perhaps Samsung could alsoadd a projector to display a key-board on the table. It looks likeit is solving a problem thatdoesn’t exist at all.

Dennis FitzgeraldMelbourne

! " ! # $ % � & ' ! " � ( )

��'"�� '�� 3��4� ��I 1(�+��2� ��I �� 3��4� ��3

�,�� ! !

(9

3��!��(� ��0=

()��-��

� ��@��$4 ��0��?�� 4�� @�� , @�� F

2��,��@��/��8�� J�� "�� -��4��K��-�� 8�� 44��

��6��$�2!A+ ��(��4

� � � � � 3 � �

� � � � � � � � � ��

��

(�� !�� .��#��" 4��$��(��@�� -��6��K��$ ��C

��-�� @��0$��-�� 2��6�� 0$�2��+ ��(��4�� $ �� @�� 4� �� 4��@�� C�� (�� @��@C�� 4��@�@��-��+��0$�� C��,�� -��J��= �� @��-��J��44 �� 4��0$��"��(�� $ �� (��4B��@��C�� -��

�� $ ��@�� 4 �� C��*��-�� ,��$��@��-��B��4� ��-��J��-��@�� 4��$ �� @�� 4��-��(��4��@��

�� +��@��(��=�� @�� @�� @��0$��-��4��@�� @��6�� C��-��@��

��"2$"2"2��

�� 4��!!�6�!�:��2��6H48"��<�8�

�� *��-�� -��4� 4��@ ��6 �� 4�� 4� ��

��246��"$�6A2�!��

�� $�� 8+0��5�� *�� $�� (�(��

��(�� 0�� $�� !�� !� ��$� �� !� ��

+��

+�� C� ��44� C4��5��@��@ ��' �� 8��4��

��88"7�6�A%��%��

(��&44 �� 4�� C�� !��(��C��

�2��2��8��*�2��!�6A��$�

8�!�� !�(��

� � I�� *� ��*��

F�� *� ��1 ��*�� J�� >*?�� **��

*��**�� *�

�*�� *�>�*?��*+�� .&)///��*�� *��1�1�� *��+�J1�� * � ��*�*��,�

*+,�-��*+,�-�

Thou art weighed in the balance and foundwanting.” These words from the Holy Biblewere used by Sir Winston Churchill in 1938

to criticise Neville Chamberlain, the then BritishPrime Minister, for signing the Munich Pact withHitler. They can be used for the judiciary, too,for failing to protect the fundamental rights ofIndians, its sacred and solemn duty under theConstitution.

The Indian Constitution, promulgated in1950, had a part containing certain fundamen-tal rights of the people. These fundamental rightsincorporated the theory of the English politicalphilosopher John Locke in his Second Treatiseon Civil Government that every citizen had cer-tain “natural” rights, which even the king couldnot violate. This theory was the basis of the Billof Rights in the US Constitution, as well as theDeclaration of the Rights of Man in 1789 by theFrench National Assembly during the FrenchRevolution. Under the Indian Constitution,these fundamental rights were rights which eventhe legislature or the executive could not legal-ly violate.

But who was to ensure that they were not vio-lated? This was the job of the judiciary, whichwas meant to be independent of the legislatureor the executive. The Supreme Court (SC) andHigh Courts (HCs) were set up inter alia to actas guardians of the Constitution and protectorsof the fundamental rights of the people. Theirjudges take an oath to uphold the Constitution.

Thus, in the State of Maharashtra vs BhauraoPunjabrao Gawande, the SC observed thatwhile the first objective of the founding fatherswas to give to the people a Constitution where-by a government was established, their secondobject, equally important, was to protect the peo-ple against the government.

The court observed: “The imperative neces-sity to protect the people’s rights is a lesson taughtby all history and all human experience. OurConstitution-makers had lived through bitteryears of the freedom struggle and had seen analien government trample upon human rightswhich the country had fought hard to preserve.They believed, like Jefferson, that ‘an electivedespotism was not the government we fought for’.And therefore while arming the government withlarge powers to prevent anarchy from within andconquest from without, they took care to ensurethat these powers were not abused to mutilatethe liberties of the people.”

In one of its early decisions, State ofMadras vs VG Row, the SC held, “As regards thefundamental rights the court has been assignedthe role of a sentinel in the qui vive.” This expres-sion (‘sentinel on the qui vive’) has been reiter-ated in several decisions of the court. Forinstance in the IR Coelho vs State of Tamil Nadu;Navtej Singh Johar vs Union of India; ShaktiVahini vs Union of India; C Ravichandran Iyervs Justice AM Bhattacharjee; Padma vs HiralalMotilal Desarda; Bachan Singh vs State ofPunjab; Indra Sawhney vs Union of India and soon.

As held in the Navtej Singh Johar case, onceviolation of the fundamental rights of a citizenor a group of citizens is brought to the notice ofthe court, it cannot remain a mute spectator. Asheld in the Shakti Vahini case, when there is vio-

lation of fundamental rights, the courtcannot choose the path of silence.

As observed by the SC in CRavichandran Iyer vs Justice AMBhattacharjee, “Under the Constitution,it is the judiciary which is entrustedwith the task of keeping every organ ofthe state within the limits of the law.The judiciary must protect the citizenagainst violation of his constitutional orlegal rights and it must stand betweenthe citizen and the state as a bulwarkagainst executive excesses and misuseor abuse of power by the executive.”

In the Shakti Vahini case, the courtobserved, “Once a fundamental right isinherent in a person, intolerant groupscannot scuttle the right by leaning onany kind of philosophy, or self-pro-claimed elevation.”

This being the settledConstitutional position, we may nowask whether the SC of late has beendoing its solemn duty of protecting therights of the people? The impressionwhich has been created by its recentverdicts, orders and actions/inactionsis that it has, with some exceptions,largely surrendered before the politicalexecutive, instead of behaving like anindependent organ of the state whichit was expected to be.

Consider the following instances:The SC Collegium recommendedJustice Kureshi of the Bombay HC tobe appointed as Chief Justice (CJ) of theMadhya Pradesh HC. Instead of mak-ing the appointment, the Governmentsent the recommendation back to theCollegium. Thereafter, the Collegiumshould have reiterated its recommen-dation and then in view of the verdictin the judges case, the Governmentwould have had to make the appoint-ment. But instead, the Collegium rec-ommended his transfer as the CJ of themuch-smaller Tripura HC.

The SC Collegium had recom-mended the appointment of Gopal

Subramaniam — an outstanding SeniorAdvocate of the SC who had also beena lawyer in the famous Sohrabuddincase, and a former Solicitor-General ofIndia — as a judge of the SC. But theGovernment objected and instead ofreiterating his name, the Collegiumwent with the decision.

In the case of the Bhima Koregaonaccused and professor Saibaba, the SCshould have quashed the prosecutionusing the Brandenburg test (reliedupon in Arup Bhuyan vs State ofAssam, and Sri Indra Das vs State ofAssam cases) but it did not even con-sider the same.

Abhijit Iyer Mitra should haveclearly been granted bail in view of thedecision of the celebrated JusticeKrishna Iyer in the State of Rajasthanvs Balchand. Bail not jail, is the normalrule, unless the accused is likely toabscond or tamper with the evidence,or was accused of a heinous crime.Abhijit had only made a satirical tweet,for which, too, he had promptly apol-ogised. Yet his bail application wasrejected, with a flippant and cruelremark by former CJI Gogoi that thebest place for him was in jail.

Recently, masked hooligans beat upstudents and teachers in JawaharlalNehru University, with the policeapparently complicit, and about 30 peo-ple were admitted to AIIMS, Delhi withserious injuries. The SC should have suomotu issued notice to the authoritiesconcerned and taken the guilty to task,but it did not.

The UP Police beat up the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA)protesters and even entered somehouses and beat up the inhabitants,including old people. They allegedlydestroyed and looted property. Again,the SC took no notice, though this waswidely reported in the media andvideos went viral.

Within 72 hours of his reinstate-

ment by the SC, the CBI Director AlokVerma was removed by a panel head-ed by the Prime Minister. The courtshould have reinstated him but did notdo so.

Since 2014, there have been contin-uous attacks on Muslims, lynchings andhate speeches. A former Union Ministereven garlanded some alleged lynchers.Instead of taking strong action againstthe killers, often the family members ofthe victim are harassed, for instanceIkhlaque’s family. Surely it is the dutyof the judiciary to grant protection butit rarely does anything except utterhomilies.

There is frequent and arbitrary useof sedition and preventive detentionlaws against those who criticise theGovernment. For instance, cartoonistAseem Trivedi in Maharashtra,Ambikesh Mahapatra of JadavpurUniversity in West Bengal, folk singerKovan in Tamil Nadu, and Kashmiripoliticians like Farooq Abdullah andothers under detention, which make theright to liberty in Article 21, illusory.Unfortunately, the apex court nowadaysrarely interferes in this gross violationof this most precious of all rights,although in one of its very first deci-sions — in the Romesh Thapar vs Stateof Madras case that the court deliveredin 1950 — only a few months after theConstitution came into force, it hadheld that in a democracy people had theright to criticise the Government.

The most important case in Indiatoday is not the Ayodhya appeal but thetrial of the SC itself. We are afraid thepeople’s faith is likely to go against thecourt unless it quickly recovers andresumes its role of guardian of the lib-erties and rights of the people.

(The writer is a former judge of theSupreme Court of India. The article hasbeen co-authored by Advocate JanhviPrakash. The views expressed are person-al)

�� !�1�� !��( �� !�� (� ��(��!�� (� ��

!�!�%#�# (5� � � � � � � - �

.�/��

0( 3��

��4 ��4�� 6 ��B�� @��

��

��(��$12 :��2�

(,)�/&$(-/2&5(��(

!�$)�-��-�+-��(&+�>�

-$��&(�(,)��>&+,>�

�22)�'�"0(�(,)(5-�'�&=

(,)�$!�-($)'=�*)��5)�

�=5�-+�(,)2)&2')B$�=�-(,�-$�'-%)'>�

(&�6&��6�-�$((,)�!&05(0�')$$�-(

K0-!%'>5)!&?)5$��+

5)$0/)$�-($5&')�&=

60�5+-��&=�(,)

'-")5(-)$��+�5-6,($�

&=�(,)�2)&2')

7��G��#�� )��

�� (G�� 7�� .�� #�D�� (�� "��>��(�� (��"��)��:�999 �� A��B �� 3�� .��"��&��#��)��4�65,�"��#�7��D��@��A7D@B��82�� )�� (�� 7��48��82-��:,��#�%��(+��(/�� )��:-��

��?��7��?��)��(��-�999�� :�999��D��)�� &��,2��6:��#�)��?��!�� 4�296��894:��2�4,,��4524�)��4�:12� 8982��4�8-2�� 8929�7��4�999(4�499�� %��?��+��D ��

#��(��65��)��29��"��62�� )�� 7��(��)��

#�� %�� /�� 7��!��!��%��!��/�� 7��.��3��.��/�� %��H��E��D��*��3��3��/��$��/��82�8945��3��I��6�-99��,6��/��D�� !�� %�� /�� $�� *�� $�� H��#��.��(��#� ��!�� ?��.�� .��(��.��

#��*��?��3��3��/��>��D��#��?�� 898:�)��%�� 4,�6,��4:�1��A��64�1,��B�� #��22�� )��(�� (��#��-�19��#�%��(�� %��(�� I��(�� (�� #��#��(��)��G��

A�� B

Often one comes across a state-ment made by a Pakistani oran Indian politician, praising

the former German Nazi leader,Adolf Hitler, whose regime wasresponsible for the systematic state-sanctioned murder of millions ofpeople considered to be of the “infe-rior race.” So it is odd to hear praisefor him coming from folk who, too,would have been sent to the gaschambers in Auschwitz along withmen, women and children of the so-called “non-Aryan races.” The phe-nomenon of some South Asiansromanticising Hitler could be theresult of the region’s recent shift to thepopulist Right, along with variousother regions of the world. But thereare many other possibilities. The ide-alisation of Hitler among some sec-

tions in India and Pakistan could alsobe due to the residual impact of aclever propaganda campaign that theNazis unleashed upon certain seg-ments of India’s Hindu and Muslimpolities in the 1930s. This fact hasbeen largely forgotten by main-stream history. However, even abrief recap of this can aid in betterunderstanding the ironic spectacle ofa “brown” Muslim or a Hindu fawn-ing over a mass murderer, whowould have thrown them in one ofhis many death camps at the drop ofa hat.

In his essay for the May/June2000 issue of the academic journal,Social Scientist, Eugene D’Souzawrites that Nazi German propagan-da made its way into India whenmainstream Hindu and Muslimleadership in the region had becomedisoriented after the gradual collapseof two major anti-British move-ments in the 1920s: The KhilafatMovement and the Non-cooperationMovement.

D’Souza writes this is whenGerman business interests in theregion were first activated by NaziGermany to contact the more radi-cal elements within the Hindu and

Muslim political, social and mediaoutlets. The campaign in this regardbegan from Bengal, where “commu-nal” and “revolutionary” anti-Britishsentiment was the strongest. ToNazi Germany, the British were ene-mies, even before the start of WorldWar II.

Nazi agents preyed on the fearsof Bengal’s landed and business elite,telling them that their lands and busi-nesses were under threat due to the“socialist” bent of the Indian NationalCongress (INC). Hitler’s notoriousbiography, Mein Kampf, was thentranslated into various languages ofIndia — including Hindi, Urdu andBengali. These translations weredistributed free of cost, especiallyamong the editors and staff of vari-ous Hindi and Urdu newspapers.

D’Souza writes that Nazi agentsthen began to infiltrate variousMuslim and Hindu social and cultur-al organisations. The September 8,1939 issue of the English daily TheTimes of India quoted Jewish andsocialist refugees from Germany inIndia as saying that Indian employ-ees working in German companieswere being used to spy on therefugees.

Nazi Germany also sent agentsto India disguised as technicians,tourists, salesmen, musicians andphotographers. According toD’Souza, German businesses wouldfrequently give advertisements toIndian newspapers that were willingto facilitate Nazi propaganda.

Even though the main intentionof Nazi Germany was to fermentunrest in India against the Britishcolonialists, its plans in this contextnever looked to unite the anti-British Hindu and Muslim seg-ments. Maybe the Germans hadnoted the volatility of such a move.Hindus and Muslims had collaborat-ed with each other against the Britishduring the Khilafat and Non-coop-eration movements; but both themovements had eventually mutatedinto becoming communal, giving theBritish the space to crush them.

Instead, and as noted in the fileskept by the British colonial govern-ment’s Home Department (file No.8301, 1939), Nazi agents in Indiaapplied a two-pronged strategy inwhich they approached radicalHindu and Muslim leaderships withentirely separate sets of rhetoric.

For example, when the agents

managed to get a foothold in news-papers funded and run by the Hindunationalist organisation, the HinduMahasabha, they constantlyinformed the Mahasabha that Hitlerconsidered the Hindus of India as thereal custodians of the Indian nation,while the Muslims and other non-Hindu communities in the regionwere “aliens” just like the Jews werein Germany.

It is thus not surprising to notesimilar sentiments in the works of theperiod’s celebrated Hindu national-ists such as VD Savarkar and MSGolwalker. Both weren’t very secre-tive about their admiration of NaziGermany either. However, duringtheir interactions with radicalMuslim groups, the Nazi agentscompletely flipped their message.The agents glorified the “martial ten-dencies” of the Muslims and claimedto be major supporters of their reli-gious and territorial interests, espe-cially in the Middle East.

According to the HomeDepartment’s files, Nazi Germanyfunded various established and smallnewspapers as long they continuedto publish pro-Germany articles andpropaganda. Hindi newspapers in

this circle would carry anti-Muslim,anti-Jew and anti-British articles;whereas the Muslim-owned Urdupapers, that received advertisementsand funds from German companies,would produce anti-Hindu, anti-Jew and anti-British material.

According to the HomeDepartment’s files dated October 18,1939, the German wife of a Muslimprofessor at the famous AligarhUniversity received funds from herhome country to publish a dailycalled Spirit of the Times throughwhich she tried to prove that “Naziideals approximate to the tenets ofIslam.”

In his detailed study of India’spre-Partition Muslim and Hindumiddle-class milieu, German histo-rian Marcus Daechsel, in his bookThe Politics of Self-Expression, writesthat middle-class political culture ininter-war India was haunted byfascistic resonances. Activists fromvarious political camps believed inSocial-Darwinism, worshipped vio-lence and war and focussed theirpolitical action on public spectaclesand paramilitary organisations.Marcus identifies various Muslimand Hindu personalities and organ-

isations which did this. And, asD’Souza demonstrates, almost eachone of them was shaped, influencedand at times, funded by Nazi propa-ganda in India between 1933-1940.

D’Souza laments that the originof Nazi propaganda still echoes inIndia, especially in the politics andrhetoric of Hindu nationalists. InPakistan, these rudiments largelyemerge during discourses involvingtalk of Israel and the idea of nation-alism held by certain radical Right-wing elements.

The fascinating thing is, inboth cases, the language is almost thesame as it was in the 1930s. The nar-rative, its tone and language are quitesimilar.

According to Marcus, despitetheir enthusiasm for Nazi Germanyand Hitler, most radical Hindu andMuslim ideologues never fully com-prehended the Nazi ideology. That’swhy they largely sound contradicto-ry. And since the narrative, imageryand language in this context has notchanged much since the 1930s, thesame is the case today when aHindu or Muslim politician glorifiesHitler. The results are always ironic.

(Courtesy: Dawn)

>��!�� -��+�,��?��

��$11� ��

�� ! !

��'"�� '��

�� ! ! +��%�4(

�� )*�+)',-

In middle of a prolongedslowdown, the automobile

industry has asked theGovernment to take bold fiscalmeasures to revive the sectorthat has reported its worst-eversales decline in two decadesduring 2019, industry sourcessaid.

In the upcoming UnionBudget, the auto industry hassought measures, such asreduction in GST rates onvehicles and abolition of dutyon import of lithium-ion bat-tery cells, to encourage electricmobility.

The industry, which hasbeen facing a downturn foralmost a year now, has alsosought an incentive-basedscrappage policy and anincrease in re-registrationcharges of vehicles to discour-age use of old vehicles.

Sources said that the intro-duction of BS-VI emission

norms is a positive step toreduce emissions significantlybut the initiative would lead toan 8-10 per cent increase invehicle cost, leading toenhanced GST collections forgovernment.

"However, this extra costwould lead to a fall in demand.As a win-win situation, we arerequesting the government toconsider reducing GST on BS-VI vehicles to 18 per cent fromthe current 28 per cent fromApril onwards," an industrysource said.

The decision-makingpower for GST reduction lieswith the GST Council and notrelated to the Budget directlybut this is an important ele-ment for demand revival, headded.

The auto industry is alsoscrapping duty on import oflithium-ion battery cells sothat battery packs can be man-ufactured locally and progres-sively cell manufacturing can

also be established in the coun-try.

It would also help inreducing cost of electric vehi-cles and aid in acceleratingadoption of green mobility inthe country, another sourcesaid.

He added that a formalincentive-based scrappage pol-icy with monetary supportfrom the government as well asmanufacturers is required to

take old vehicles off the roadsand generate demand for newvehicles.

"Incentive in the form of50 per cent tax rebate in GST,road tax and registrationcharges is proposed," the sourcenoted.

The industry has alsosought adequate Budget allo-cation for the Ministry ofUrban Development to supportstate transport undertakings in

procuring buses."Robust public

transportation will reduce thenumber of vehicles on theroad, thereby will reduce pol-lution and hence positivelyimpact climate change. Thiswould also lead to revivingdemand for commercial vehi-cles which is very much need-ed in the current economic sce-nario," the source said.

Besides, the industryhas asked increase in depreci-ation rate on passenger vehicleand two-wheelers to 25 percent to have depreciationaligned to real useful life of thevehicle.

Similarly, it has asked thegovernment to permanentlywithdraw the proposed hike inthe vehicle registration fee as ahigher fee would furtherimpact the demand negatively.

"Besides, we areseeking income tax benefits onthe interest part of vehicle loanto be provided to individuals

purchasing green vehicles," thesource noted.

The automobile industryrecorded its worst-ever salesdecline in two decades in 2019,with an unprecedented slow-down hampering vehicle off-take across segments.

According to data releasedby the Society of IndianAutomobile Manufacturers(SIAM) last week, all vehiclesegments reported de-growthlast year as low consumer sen-timents, weak rural demandand economic slowdown tooktoll on demand.

Overall wholesale of vehi-cles during the year across cat-egories, including passengervehicles, two-wheelers andcommercial vehicles, saw adecline of 13.77 per cent in2019 at 2,30,73,438 units asagainst 2,67,58,787 units in2018. This is the worst fall insales since the industry bodystarted recording monthly andyearly sales data in 1997.

�� )*�+)',-

Finance Minister NirmalaSitharaman may announce

second-round capital infusionfor public sector general insur-ance companies in the upcom-ing Budget to improve theirfinancial health.

The Government infused�2,500 crore in the threeinsurers - National Insurance,Oriental Insurance and UnitedIndia Insurance - throughfirst supplementary demandsfor grants for 2019-20 lastmonth.

However, these companieswould require additional �10,000-12,000 crore capitaldose to meet the prescribed sol-vency margin, sources said.

The sources further said

that announcement to thiseffect can be made in theBudget 2020-21 that is sched-uled on February 1.

Infusion will not onlyimprove their financial healthbut facilitate mergerannounced in the Budget 2018-19.

In the Budget 2018-19speech, then Finance MinisterArun Jaitley had announcedthat the three companies wouldbe merged into a single insur-ance entity.

However, the process ofmerger could not be complet-ed due to various reasons,including poor financial healthof these companies. Accordingto the sources, after the merg-er, the combined entity will belisted on the bourses.

Initial estimates suggestthat the combined entityformed by merging the threeinsurers will be the largestnon-life insurance companyin India, valued at �1.2-1.5 lakhcrore.

As on March 31, 2017, thethree companies together hadmore than 200 insurance prod-ucts with a total premium of Rs41,461 crore and a marketshare of around 35 per cent.

Their combined net worthwas �9,243 crore, with totalemployee strength of around44,000 spread over 6,000offices.

In 2017, State-owned NewIndia Assurance Company andGeneral Insurance

Corporation of India werelisted on the bourses.

%�� '��'��

�� )*�+)',-

Some relief for consumers asfuel prices fell on Sunday

after rise for three consecutivedays. The price of petrol fell by10-12 paise a litre while that ofdiesel by 6-7 paise per litre in allmajor cities across the country.

In Delhi, petrol costs �75.90 a litre, � 81.49 a litre inMumbai, � 78.48 a litre inKolkata and � 78.86 a litre inChennai after the decrease inprice.

Similarly, diesel costs �69.11 a litre in Delhi, � 72.47 alitre in Mumbai, � 71.48 perlitre in Kolkata and � 73.04 alitre in Chennai, according toIndian Oil Corporation web-site.

The decrease in pricescame after Brent crude prices

fell after de-escalation of ten-sions between the US and Iranin the Middle East.

The retail prices of fuel aredependent on the global crudeprices and the rupee-US dollarexchange rate as India imports80 per cent of its crude require-ments.

Domestic petrol and dieselprices are reviewed by oil mar-keting companies on a dailybasis. Price revisions areimplemented at the fuel sta-tions with effect from 6 AM.

#��(��!��( ��(��:�!��

�� .�//0

The J&K administration hasdirected its departments,

public sector undertakings andaided institutions to procurecertain goods and services pro-duced and provided by micro,small and medium enterprises(MSMEs).

The list of goods ear-marked by the Governmentcontains 358 goods, a moveaimed at boosting the eco-nomic activities of small entre-preneurs, an official spokesmansaid on Sunday. Quoting theinstructions circulated by thefinance department, he said theGovernment has directed allthe administrative secretariesand heads of departments tostrictly adhere to the guidelines.

It has also asked them todirect all the line departmentsto comply with the instruction,

the spokesman said.Industrial, handloom or

handicraft items included inthe list are automobile head-lights, buckets, shoes, coiritems, diesel engines up to 15HP, domestic electric appli-ances, enamel and glass wares,garments, hand pumps, RCCpipes and poles, sanitary fit-tings, steel Almirahs, taps, transistor radios (up to 3band), water tanks (up to15,000 litres), Jute furniture andwoollen and silk carpe items,the spokesman said.He said the step has beentaken in line with the publicprocurement policy notifiedby the Ministry of Micro, Smalland Medium Enterprises.

�� %&'%�(�

India is looking at a $ 250 bil-lion maritime economy by

2024, which the Indian CoastGuard (ICG) has the responsi-bility to safeguard, DefenceSecretary Ajay Kumar saidhere on Sunday.

India's exclusive econom-ic zone in the seas along its7,500-kilometre coastline com-prises over 2 million squarekilometres, he said.

"With a target of becominga $5 trillion economy by 2024,we are looking at over $250 bil-lion coming from the maritimezone.

"It is this $250 billion econ-omy that the ICG has theresponsibility to protect andsafeguard," Kumar said aftercommissioning coast guardships 'ICGS Amrit Kaur' and'ICGS Annie Besant' whichwill be deployed along theeastern coast.

The maritime economyconstitutes nearly five per centof the world economy, he said.

With the depletion of landresources, economic activitiesare increasingly gettingfocussed on the oceans, Kumarsaid.

Describing the coastguard as the sentinels of thecountry's seas, the Defencesecretary said it is reassuringto witness the force's growingstrength.

Commissioning the twoICG fast patrol vessels designedand manufactured by theGarden Reach Shipbuildersand Engineers Ltd (GRSE)here, Kumar said India isincreasingly becoming self-reliant in the science of ship-building."Most of our shipstoday are over 70 per centindigenous and some of the lat-est platforms are over 90 percent indigenous," he said.

Kumar said that being thefourth largest coast guard in theworld, ICG has performedcredibly in protecting the coun-try's maritime zones and alsoin preventing the plunder of itswealth in the oceans.

The challenges and com-plexities of maritime securityare no less than those of landterritories and air space, hesaid.Kumar said that the handsof ICG have been furtherstrengthened by providing legalpowers for visiting, boarding,

�� %&'%�(�

Union MinisterDharmendra Pradhan has

said India is in talks withMongolia and Russia forimporting coking coal toreduce dependence on fewcountries for supplies of thecommodity.

The Minister said theCentre is looking to importcoking coal, a raw material formaking steel, at a reasonableprice as the country has set atarget to produce 300 milliontonne of the metal by 2030-31."India has been importingcoal from Australia, which isgood, but high-quality cokingcoal is also available inMongolia. We are looking tobring that coal at a reasonableprice.

We are in talks with theMongolian Government,"Pradhan said at a programmehere on Saturday evening.

In 2016, a delegation com-

prising senior officials of the Steel Ministry and State-run Steel Authority of India(SAIL) went to Mongolia's cap-ital Ulaanbaatar for securing adeal with the east Asian coun-try for importing of cokingcoal.

The initial plan was tobring the fuel through Chineseports but it could not be mate-rialised, sources said, addingthat the Centre is trying tobring coal through Russia's

Vostochny Port which isknown for handling the com-modity.

Pradhan, who holds theportfolios of Steel Ministryand Petroleum and NaturalGas, said, "We have also initi-ated talks on behalf of theIndian Government with theRussian authorities and signeda memorandum of under-standing for cooperation forundertaking coking coal ven-tures."

8@)� ��:AB� ��C��(��7�

�� '&�+&�

A63-year-old Indian-originlawyer has filed a lawsuit

against the UK's biggest super-market chain Tesco over hisalleged mistreatment which, heclaimed, has dislodged his kid-ney stones.

Lalu Hanuman has claimed70,000 pounds (USD 91,451) indamages after being falselyaccused of "theft for walkingaway with an unpaid bar ofchocolate".

He was on his way to aconcert when he bought the1.05 pounds (USD 1.37) bar ofvegan chocolate and paid for itat the self-service till.

Hanuman threw thereceipt in the bin and made hisway out of the Tesco Expressstore in the Russell Square

area of central London.According to The Sunday

Times, he claims to have been stopped by the store'ssecurity guard who falselyaccused him of not payingand then forcibly moved himback into the shop.Hanumanclaims the incident resulted inhis kidney stones being dis-lodged.

Tesco admitted that thechocolate had been paid forand explained the confusion over an inadvertentdouble-swipe of the barcode by the lawyer, who hadrequired some assistance whileusing the self-service checkouttill.

A UK court hearing in thecase is scheduled to take placeon July 21.

-��C ��@��4��(��

�� /0/"�-

Tata-SIA joint venture airlineVistara has started phasing

out nine Boeing 737 planes,which it had leased after thegrounding of Jet Airways, fromthis month amid induction ofthe latest batch of A320 neos inthe fleet.

The airline is returningtwo of these nine leased B737from January and the restseven will be exited the fleetbetween 2022-23 as they are onlong term lease, a Vistaraspokesperson told PTI.

The government has tem-porarily reallocated as manyas many as 488 Jet Airways'slots to Air India, IndiGo,SpiceJet, Vistara, GoAir andAirAsia India to fill the capac-ity gap in the wake of the air-line ceasing operations mid-April last year.

A slot is a specific date and

time at which an airline canarrive or depart at an airport.

"Two of our Boeing 737-800NG aircraft are exiting fleetthis month as their lease tenureends. The remaining sevenhave longer lease duration andmost of them will exit fleetbetween 2022 and 2023," aVistara spokesperson said inresponse to a PTI query.

The spokesperson also saidthat by the time Vistara phas-es out all these leased Boeingplanes, it would induct morethan 50 narrow-body andwide-body aircraft in its fleetfrom Airbus and Boeing addi-tionally.

After the Government puta rider that temporary alloca-tion of ex-Jet Airways slots was subject to aircraft induc-tion, Vistara leased nine Boeing737-800 planes to reportedlysecure as many as 110 addi-tional slots of the 488 slots.

Vistara, which is 51 percent owned by the Tata Groupand rest by Singapore Airlines,had placed orders for 50 air-craft, comprising both A320Neos and A321 Neos fordomestic as well as short andmedium-haul internationaloperations with deliveriesbetween 2019-2023.

The airline has alreadytaken deliveries of some of theA320 Neos from this order,starting last November.Besides, the carrier has alsobought six Boeing 787-9Dreamliners for long-haulinternational operations.

Vistara will start inductingthese wide-body planes in thefleet from next month.

The Delhi-based airline,which completed five years ofoperations on January 9, cur-rently operates over 200 dailyflights to 34 domestic andinternational destinations.

=�� '��D:D

�� )*�+)',-

Earnings results for the quar-ter ended December along

with inflation data, would drivethe Indian equity markets inthe week ahead.

Retail inflation data forDecember is scheduled to bereleased on Monday andwholesale inflation would beout on Tuesday. The data gainssignificance as off late there hasbeen major price rise impact-ing common man's budget andalso leading to a status quo onrepo rate by the Reserve Bankof India (RBI).

Retail inflation or theConsumer Price Index (CPI) inNovember surged to 5.54 percent from 4.62 per cent inOctober on the back of a mas-sive rise in food prices.

"Investors will closelywatch CPI data, consensus isshowing inflation to spike fur-ther to 6.7 per cent inDecember due to oil prices and

vegetable prices," said VinodNair, Head of Research atGeojit Financial Services.

The coming week wouldwitness quarterly results for theOctober-December period byseveral major corporates, whichwill be a significant factor forthe investors.

"Corporate results forQ3FY20 will be keenly watchedout for. Some prominent com-panies coming out with resultsinclude Wipro, HCLTechnologies, HDFC Bank etc,"said Deepak Jasani of HDFCSecurities.

Among the geopolitical fac-tors, the easing tensions betweenthe US and Iran and the signingof the first phase of the US-China trade pact in the upcom-ing week would be a major sup-port for both global and domes-tic investor sentiments.

Jasani noted that the phase-I of the US-China trade deal tobe signed on January 15 willbring in some details about the

deal from both sides.According to Nair, the

global risk has reduced in 2020with likely trade deal betweenUS and China, Brexit and inanticipation of improvement inthe world economy.

Edelweiss ProfessionalInvestor Research's ChiefMarket Strategist Sahil Kapoorobserved that mid and smallcap segments have begun tooutperform the large caps sug-gesting that market breadth isnow favouring a larger uptrend.

On the technical front,Jasani said that the for Nifty50may reach fresh record levels itif breaches the immediate resis-tance of 12,311 points andcrucial support is seen around12,213-12,118 points.

On Friday, the Nifty50 onthe National Stock Exchange(NSE) touched an all-time highof 12,311.20 points, before set-tling at 12,256.80, higher by40.90 points or 0.33 per centfrom its previous close.

�$�!��"!�!��;*��# ��#��"��< ��#

�� %&'%�(�

The Centre is promotingwater tourism by under-

taking riverfront developmentand setting a target of increas-ing the number of cruise shipsin the country to 1,000, PrimeMinister Narendra Modi saidon Sunday.

"Central Government ispromoting cruise-basedtourism. We have set a target toraise the number of cruiseships to 1,000 from the around150 in the country now," Modisaid, inaugurating the sesqui-centenary celebrations of theKolkata Port Trust at the NetajiIndoor stadium here.

He said the Governmentwas also creating the neededinfrastructure for aquariums,water parks, sea museums andcruises in cities and clustersconnected to ports as part of itsriverfront development pro-

gramme."Tourism in West Bengal

will get a boost from the river-front development scheme.When comfortable facilitiesare created over 32 acres landfor viewing the Ganges, thetoursts will benefit," he said,

The Prime Minister alsosaid the benefits of expandingcruise tourism will also go tothe people of Bengal and theisland dwellers in the Bay ofBengal.

�� /0/"�-

Various states have cumula-tively written off a whop-

ping �4.7 lakh crore of farmloans in the past one decade,which is 82 per cent of theindustry-level bad loans,according to a report.

In FY19, farm loan NPAsjumped to 12.4 per cent or at1.1 lakh crore of the �8,79,000crore of total bad loans in thesystem, up from �48,800 croreor 8.6 per cent of the totalNPAs of �5,6,6,620 crore inFY16, the report by SBIResearch said.

"Even though agricultureNPA was only �1.1 lakh croreor 12.4 per cent of the overallNPAs in FY19, if we account-ed for Rs 3.14 lakh crore worthof farm loan waiversannounced in the last decade,agri NPAs/burden for the

exchequer/banks could be asmuch as staggering �4.2 lakhcrore and if the latest Rs 45,000-51,000 crore of write-offsannounced by Maharashtra(second in three years) this itcould be at �4.7 lakh crorewhich is 82 per cent of theindustry level NPAs," the reportclaimed.

It can be noted that sinceFY15, ten of the largest statesannounced farm loan waiversworth �3,00,240 crore to alle-viate the indebtedness of farm-ers and the spate of suicides. Ifthe numbers announced bythe Centre under ManmohanSingh regime in FY08 is count-ed, this goes up to around � 4lakh crore. Of this, over �2lakh crore have been madesince 2017.

In FY15 Andhraannounced to write off farmloans worth Rs 24,000 crore, in

the same year Telengana toodid so involving �17,000 crore.FY17 saw Tamil Naduannouncing write-offs of Rs5,280 crore.

FY18 witnessedMaharashtra writing off�34,020 crore; Uttar Pradesh(�36,360 crore); Punjab (�10,000); and Karnataka (�18,000 crore), and another�44,000 crore in FY19.In FY19, Rajasthan written off�18,000 crore, Madhya Pradesh(Rs 36,500 crore), andChhattisgarh (�6,100 crore)and Maharashtra's �45,000-51,000 crore announced lastmonth is the latest.

But, it is entirely a differentmatter that most of these write-offs have been only in paper asactual write-offs have not beenmore than 60 per cent, whilethe lowest delivery has 10 percent in Madhya Pradesh.

�1�*��

#�� ((�� <*D�� E;��

��

��4��

�� '� ��?@./�� @/@A(� ��!� ��

!��4� � ��@�� 4��H�2/�/ ��

!� �� %# ��+��

.��

-��:��"��!��

-��@��/ � ��5�� 4 ��! �� H�/��2��

Scheme NAV 1Yr %Kotak World Gold Fund(G) 10.59 35.04Franklin India Feeder - Franklin 35.55 30.74U.S. Opportunities Fund(G)ICICI Pru US Bluechip Equity 32.56 30.55Fund(G)Nippon India US Equity 17.90 30.46Opp Fund(G)DSP World Gold Fund-Reg(G) 14.27 27.09Franklin Asian Equity Fund(G) 25.23 26.68SBI Tax Advantage 28.46 26.30Fund-III-Reg(G)PGIM India Global Equity 21.17 26.09Opp Fund(G)Tata Banking & Financial 21.64 25.25Services Fund-Reg(G)Sundaram Fin Serv Opp Fund(G) 48.53 25.22DSP US Flexible Equity 28.19 23.56Fund-Reg(G)Principal Global Opportunities 32.33 23.52Fund(G)Sundaram Services Fund-Reg(G) 12.69 22.22Baroda Banking & Fin Serv 26.20 21.97Fund(G)SBI Banking & Financial Services 20.12 21.68Fund-Reg(G)Edelweiss Emerging Markets 14.32 21.64Opp Eq. Offshore Fund-Reg(G)Invesco India Financial Services 64.16 21.63Fund(G)Kotak US Equity Fund(G) 18.53 21.34SBI Tax advantage Fund-II(G) 40.76 21.01Aditya Birla SL Intl. Equity 23.79 20.38Fund-A(G)DSP Focus Fund-Reg(G) 26.00 20.17Kotak Global Emerging Mkt 17.47 20.13Fund(G)Axis Bluechip Fund-Reg(G) 32.15 19.92BNP Paribas India Consumption 13.03 19.52Fund-Reg(G)ICICI Pru Global Stable Equity 17.08 19.44Fund(FOF)(G)DSP Equity Fund-Reg(G) 43.32 19.12Axis Focused 25 Fund-Reg(G) 30.99 19.01Axis Long Term Equity 49.60 18.88Fund-Reg(G)JM Multicap Fund(G) 35.05 18.81Motilal Oswal Focused 25 24.43 18.78Fund-Reg(G)Axis Multicap Fund-Reg(G) 12.79 18.65Invesco India Feeder - Invesco 14.14 18.57Global Equity Income Fund(G)Sundaram Multi Cap Fund-Sr 11.30 18.34II-Reg(G)BNP Paribas Large Cap Fund(G) 98.60 18.20SBI Focused Equity Fund-Reg(G) 154.20 18.05Axis Growth Opp Fund-Reg(G) 11.99 18.01SBI LT Advantage Fund-IV-Reg(G)14.37 17.94Sundaram Multi Cap Fund-Sr 11.32 17.84I-Reg(G)Nippon India Japan Equity 14.33 17.81Fund(G)DSP Top 100 Equity Fund-Reg(G) 227.79 17.43Aditya Birla SL Global Emerging 14.29 17.38Opp Fund(G)JM Tax Gain Fund(G) 18.65 17.33Canara Rob Bluechip Equity 27.47 17.29Fund-Reg(G)Axis Capital Builder 11.74 17.28Fund-4-Reg(G)Edelweiss ETF - Nifty Bank 3270.34 17.12IDBI Banking & Financial 11.50 17.11Services Fund-Reg(G)Mirae Asset Emerging 58.51 16.86Bluechip-Reg(G)SBI Magnum Comma Fund-Reg(G)38.98 16.62Aditya Birla SL Sensex ETF 389.19 16.53Edelweiss Eur Dynamic Equity 11.89 16.52Off-shr Fund-Reg(G)SBI Magnum Equity ESG 114.71 16.48Fund-Reg(G)HDFC Sensex ETF 4377.21 16.43Sundaram Select Small Cap 15.64 16.37Series-III-Reg(G)Sundaram Select Small Cap 10.63 16.36Series-VI-Reg(G)Sundaram Select Small Cap 15.65 16.27Series-IV-Reg(G)BNP Paribas Multi Cap Fund(G) 51.52 16.22IDFC Sensex ETF 429.31 16.18Mirae Asset Tax Saver 19.30 16.08Fund-Reg(G)Sundaram Select Small Cap 10.88 16.01Series-V-Reg(G)DSP Tax Saver Fund-Reg(G) 52.04 15.99HDFC Index Fund-Sensex(G) 369.81 15.96Motilal Oswal Long Term 18.98 15.92Equity Fund-Reg(G)Sundaram Global Brand Fund(G) 18.32 15.87Kotak Bluechip Fund(G) 254.64 15.78Tata Index Fund-Sensex Plan(G) 102.61 15.78DSP Global Allocation Fund-Reg(G)13.53 15.70Aditya Birla SL Banking & 31.44 15.63Financial Services Fund-Reg(G)ICICI Pru Sensex Index Fund(G) 12.93 15.45BNP Paribas Long Term Equity 41.88 15.38Fund(G)Aditya Birla SL India GenNext 92.43 15.29Fund(G)Kotak India Growth Fund-Sr 5(G) 10.54 15.29PGIM India Large Cap Fund(G) 180.15 15.23Tata Large & Mid Cap Fund(G) 222.05 15.23Kotak Equity Opp Fund(G) 130.32 15.18Nippon India Index Fund - 20.44 15.10Sensex Plan(G)Sundaram Select Focus(G) 194.81 15.07Parag Parikh Long Term Equity 27.03 15.00Fund-Reg(G)L&T India Large Cap 29.25 14.98Fund-Reg(G)Tata Nifty ETF 124.19 14.86

ICICI Pru LT Wealth 11.69 14.83Enhancement Fund(G)JM Value Fund(G) 34.17 14.81Mirae Asset Nifty 50 ETF 124.22 14.81Kotak Tax Saver Fund(G) 47.65 14.73PGIM India Euro Equity Fund(G) 14.65 14.72HDFC Nifty 50 ETF 1286.49 14.68Axis Nifty ETF 1263.82 14.65Tata Resources & Energy 15.19 14.53Fund-Reg(G)UTI Nifty Index Fund-Reg(G) 80.46 14.50SBI LT Advantage Fund-III-Reg(G)14.24 14.48UTI Focussed Equity Fund-IV(G) 10.62 14.38IDFC Nifty ETF 126.67 14.35ICICI Pru Smallcap Fund(G) 26.56 14.33SBI LT Advantage Fund-II-Reg(G) 14.71 14.32L&T Focused Equity Fund-Reg(G) 11.65 14.29Aditya Birla SL Global Real 20.82 14.28Estate Fund(G)HDFC Index Fund-NIFTY 50 111.94 14.22Plan(G)UTI Equity Fund-Reg(G) 153.87 14.17

IDBI India Top 100 Equity Fund(G)26.03 14.17Axis Midcap Fund-Reg(G) 39.81 14.13BNP Paribas Focused 25 Equity 10.41 14.12Fund-Reg(G)IDFC Nifty Fund-Reg(G) 25.42 14.10Kotak Standard Multicap Fund(G) 37.90 14.09ICICI Pru Nifty Index Fund(G) 118.82 14.09UTI Focussed Equity Fund-I(G) 14.74 14.09JM Core 11 Fund(G) 9.50 14.05Tata Index Fund-Nifty Plan(G) 74.29 14.05Axis Capital Builder Fund-1-Reg(G)11.04 14.05Tata India Tax Savings Fund-Reg(G)19.41 14.00Edelweiss Large Cap Fund(G) 37.99 13.88SBI Nifty Index Fund-Reg(G) 105.40 13.76Mirae Asset Large Cap Fund-Reg(G)54.62 13.62DSP A.C.E. Fund-Sr 2-Reg(G) 10.72 13.61Aditya Birla SL Index Fund-Reg(G)120.32 13.57Nippon India Index Fund - Nifty 20.52 13.55Plan(G)IDBI Nifty Index Fund(G) 22.62 13.54IDFC Equity Opportunity-6-Reg(G)10.93 13.50Principal Focused Multicap 69.61 13.46Fund(G)SBI LT Advantage Fund-VI-Reg(G)11.31 13.46DSP A.C.E. Fund-Sr 1-Reg(G) 10.78 13.44SBI LT Advantage Fund-V-Reg(G) 10.85 13.40DSP 3Y Close Ended Equity 16.17 13.38Fund-Reg(G)SBI LT Advantage Fund-I-Reg(G) 14.18 13.35SBI Infrastructure Fund-Reg(G) 16.14 13.35Aditya Birla SL Focused Equity 63.59 13.31Fund(G)DSP Equity Opportunities 236.80 13.30Fund-Reg(G)Franklin India Index Fund-NSE 96.92 13.27Nifty(G)Canara Rob Equity Diver 143.13 13.25Fund-Reg(G)Invesco India PSU Equity Fund(G) 18.67 13.22SBI Technology Opp Fund-Reg(G) 68.44 13.21ICICI Pru Value Fund-18(G) 12.26 13.20DSP World Mining Fund-Reg(G) 8.97 13.19ICICI Pru Growth Fund-1(DP) 12.06 13.13Axis Emerging Opp Fund-1-Reg(G)13.37 13.02Invesco India Growth Opp Fund(G)36.62 12.95SBI BlueChip Fund-Reg(G) 41.90 12.86ICICI Pru Banking & Fin 70.11 12.79Serv Fund(G)Canara Rob Consumer Trends 42.46 12.72Fund-Reg(G)Baroda Large Cap Fund(G) 15.46 12.68Kotak India EQ Contra Fund(G) 55.82 12.58SBI Magnum Multicap 51.64 12.56Fund-Reg(G)Franklin India Technology Fund(G)168.5812.55Kotak Emerging Equity Fund(G) 41.47 12.42PGIM India Diversified Equity 14.13 12.41Fund-Reg(G)Tata Large Cap Fund(G) 231.87 12.28DSP Midcap Fund-Reg(G) 58.48 12.15Axis Emerging Opp Fund-2-Reg(G)12.83 12.05Motilal Oswal Midcap 30 27.04 11.96Fund-Reg(G)UTI Focussed Equity Fund-V(G) 10.31 11.95Sundaram Large and Mid 37.14 11.95Cap Fund(G)ICICI Pru Growth Fund-2(DP) 12.87 11.91Aditya Birla SL Digital India 55.62 11.89Fund(G)UTI Mastershare-Reg(G) 130.24 11.87Aditya Birla SL Equity Advantage 430.70 11.75Fund(G)UTI Value Opp Fund-Reg(G) 65.28 11.75UTI Focussed Equity Fund-VI(G) 10.77 11.68ICICI Pru Value Fund-11(G) 13.14 11.54Kotak India Growth Fund-Sr 7(G) 11.03 11.54Invesco India Largecap Fund(G) 30.18 11.49Edelweiss Large & Mid Cap 33.35 11.45

Fund-Reg(G)SBI Equity Opp Fund-Sr I-Reg(G) 16.91 11.32Tata Value Fund-Sr-1-Reg(G) 10.54 11.31Tata Value Fund-Sr-2-Reg(G) 10.22 11.18IDFC Large Cap Fund-Reg(G) 34.29 11.11ICICI Pru Bharat Consumption 11.41 11.10Fund-5-(G)Invesco India Tax Plan(G) 53.99 10.98SBI Equity Opp Fund-Sr IV-Reg(G)16.15 10.96UTI MEPUS 113.34 10.95ICICI Pru Bluechip Fund(G) 44.75 10.88DSP World Agriculture 17.31 10.88Fund-Reg(G)UTI LT Equity Fund (Tax 93.17 10.87Saving)-Reg(G)PGIM India Large Cap 13.21 10.86Fund-2-Reg(G)Franklin India Focused Equity 42.76 10.85Fund(G)Canara Rob Equity Tax Saver 68.71 10.79Fund-Reg(G)Aditya Birla SL Equity Fund(G) 770.51 10.73

ICICI Pru NV20 ETF 57.49 10.69DSP World Energy Fund-Reg(G) 13.78 10.60ICICI Pru S&P BSE 500 ETF 161.41 10.57Invesco India Feeder - Invesco 11.21 10.55Pan European Equity Fund-Reg(G)Aditya Birla SL Resurgent India 12.64 10.49Fund-2-Reg(G)UTI Banking and Financial 103.53 10.48Services Fund-Reg(G)Kotak Small Cap Fund(G) 75.66 10.45Tata Mid Cap Growth Fund(G) 144.25 10.20Canara Rob Emerg Equities 98.18 10.17Fund-Reg(G)IDBI Equity Advantage 28.41 10.12Fund-Reg(G)UTI Infrastructure Fund-Reg(G) 55.02 9.92Invesco India Infrastructure 17.83 9.86Fund(G)Mirae Asset Great Consumer 37.58 9.85Fund-Reg(G)Tata Digital India Fund-Reg(G) 15.36 9.80Edelweiss Long Term Equity 48.82 9.78Fund (Tax Savings)-Reg(G)Edelweiss Tax Advantage 42.32 9.65Fund-Reg(G)Sundaram TOP 100-Sr VI-Reg(G) 12.99 9.40Sundaram TOP 100-Sr VII-Reg(G)12.77 9.39Baroda Multi Cap Fund(G) 101.33 9.32PGIM India LT Equity 14.79 9.31Fund-Reg(G)ICICI Pru Value Fund-14(G) 11.16 9.30SBI Small Cap Fund-Reg(G) 54.47 9.30IDBI Dividend Yield Fund-Reg(G) 10.96 9.27Nippon India Banking Fund(G) 293.95 9.26IDFC Multi Cap Fund-Reg(G) 97.42 9.25Principal Emerging Bluechip 109.36 9.22Fund(G)Motilal Oswal Multicap 35 27.06 9.21Fund-Reg(G)Aditya Birla SL Intl. Equity 19.37 9.19Fund-B(G)Edelweiss Multi-Cap Fund-Reg(G) 15.22 9.06ICICI Pru LT Equity Fund 395.38 9.00(Tax Saving)(G)DSP Healthcare Fund-Reg(G) 11.12 8.96BNP Paribas Mid Cap Fund(G) 33.72 8.82L&T Business Cycle Fund-Reg(G) 15.99 8.77Aditya Birla SL CEF-Global 24.87 8.77Agri-Reg(G)Invesco India Smallcap 11.13 8.69Fund-Reg(G)Sundaram LT Tax Adv 15.44 8.66Fund-Sr II-Reg(G)IDBI Diversified Equity Fund(G) 22.37 8.64DSP India T.I.G.E.R Fund-Reg(G) 93.46 8.62Aditya Birla SL Frontline Equity 233.88 8.61Fund(G)Nippon India Consumption 68.91 8.59Fund(G)ICICI Pru Value Fund-17(G) 10.89 8.57Invesco India Contra Fund(G) 49.82 8.47ICICI Pru Value Fund-8(D) 11.15 8.46Kotak Infra & Eco Reform 20.55 8.45Fund(G)IDBI Focused 30 Equity 10.28 8.44Fund-Reg(G)IDFC Focused Equity Fund-Reg(G)38.57 8.34Nippon India Quant Fund(G) 26.18 8.31Sundaram Value Fund-III-Reg(G) 17.46 8.26L&T Large and Midcap 49.02 8.25Fund-Reg(G)Tata Equity P/E Fund(G) 139.71 8.19ICICI Pru Bharat Consumption 10.54 8.10Fund-4-(G)ICICI Pru Value Fund-15(G) 11.21 8.10Nippon India Growth Fund(G) 1160.01 8.07HDFC Top 100 Fund(G) 502.74 7.92SBI Large & Midcap Fund-Reg(G) 231.52 7.85

ICICI Pru Technology Fund(G) 58.95 3.44Principal Tax Savings Fund 209.32 3.38ICICI Pru Nifty Next 50 ETF 28.80 3.30UTI Nifty Next 50 Index 10.18 3.22Fund-Reg(G)L&T Emerging Opp 9.64 3.22Fund-I-Reg(D)Principal Personal Tax saver Fund 195.83 3.01ICICI Pru Nifty Next 50 Index 25.29 2.83Fund(G)IDBI Nifty Junior Index Fund(G) 21.52 2.72UTI LT Adv Fund-III(G) 13.66 2.58L&T Midcap Fund-Reg(G) 135.31 2.41SBI Magnum Midcap Fund-Reg(G)72.68 2.41Sundaram Mid Cap Fund(G) 469.64 2.41Nippon India Multi Cap Fund(G) 98.69 2.35HDFC Mid-Cap Opportunities 54.24 2.31Fund(G)UTI Healthcare Fund-Reg(G) 86.22 1.91ICICI Pru Value Discovery 143.31 1.86Fund(G)Sundaram Value 10.88 1.77Fund-VIII-Reg(G)Sundaram Emerging Small 9.61 1.75Cap-Sr-IV-Reg(G)ICICI Pru Focused Equity 29.37 1.70Fund(G)Templeton India Value Fund(G) 245.97 1.54UTI Mid Cap Fund-Reg(G) 101.50 1.54Sundaram Emerging Small 9.29 1.52Cap-Sr-III-Reg(G)ICICI Pru Midcap Fund(G) 95.60 1.44Nippon India Small Cap Fund(G) 40.01 1.37Aditya Birla SL Resurgent India 9.87 1.23Fund-4-Reg(G)HDFC Capital Builder Value 287.63 1.22Fund(G)Baroda Mid-cap Fund(G) 8.91 1.14Nippon India Pharma Fund(G) 153.03 1.00Tata India Consumer Fund-Reg(G)17.52 0.96L&T Infrastructure Fund-Reg(G) 15.70 0.83ICICI Pru Bharat Consumption 9.86 0.82Fund-2-(G)Nippon India Power & Infra 96.73 0.77Fund(G)UTI LT Adv Fund-IV(G) 10.45 0.61Sundaram Emerging Small 9.76 0.53Cap-Sr-V-Reg(G)SBI Consumption Opp Fund-Reg(G)116.280.48Sundaram Emerging Small 8.50 0.24Cap-Sr-II-Reg(G)Aditya Birla SL Infrastructure 30.58 0.20Fund(G)IDBI Midcap Fund(G) 10.55 0.09SBI Contra Fund-Reg(G) 105.12 0.08Aditya Birla SL Mfg. Equity 13.10 -0.08Fund-Reg(G)UTI LT Adv Fund-V(G) 9.59 -0.13Aditya Birla SL Midcap Fund(G) 281.15 -0.21UTI MNC Fund-Reg(G) 197.09 -0.26ICICI Pru Dividend Yield Equity 16.11 -0.3Fund(G)IDFC Infrastructure Fund-Reg(G) 14.44 -0.62Sundaram Value Fund-VII-Reg(G) 8.76 -0.62SBI Healthcare Opp Fund-Reg(G) 120.36 -0.67IDBI Small Cap Fund(G) 9.25 -1.49SBI-ETF Sensex Next 50 322.73 -1.58Sundaram Small Cap Fund(G) 78.56 -1.63Sundaram Emerging Small 8.15 -1.65Cap-Sr-I-Reg(G)IDFC Equity Opportunity-4-Reg(G)7.60 -1.81HDFC Infrastructure Fund(G) 15.59 -2.16IDFC Sterling Value Fund-Reg(G) 48.60 -2.19Franklin India Smaller Cos Fund(G)51.11 -2.63Nippon India Capital Builder 7.67 -3.38Fund-IV-D(G)Sundaram Value Fund-IX-Reg(G) 8.86 -4.16Sundaram Select Micro 12.73 -4.23Cap-Series IX-Reg(G)Sundaram Value Fund-X-Reg(G) 8.81 -4.24Sundaram Select Micro Cap-Series 12.80 -4.25VIII-Reg(G)UTI LT Adv Fund-VII(G) 8.62 -4.34Sundaram LT Tax Adv 9.32 -4.43Fund-Sr IV-Reg(G)L&T Emerging Businesses 23.31 -4.79Fund-Reg(G)Sundaram LT Tax Adv Fund-Sr 8.02 -4.88III-Reg(G)Nippon India Capital Builder 7.37 -5.19Fund-IV-C(G)UTI Transportation & Logistics 94.46 -5.62Fund-Reg(G)Sundaram Select Micro Cap-Series 12.42 -6.02X-Reg(G)UTI LT Adv Fund-VI(G) 8.24 -6.14Aditya Birla SL Resurgent India 7.97 -6.24Fund-7-Reg(G)Sundaram Select Micro Cap-Series 9.04 -6.25XII-Reg(G)Sundaram Select Micro 9.38 -6.39Cap-Series XI-Reg(G)Sundaram Select Micro 8.32 -6.39Cap-Series XIV-Reg(G)Aditya Birla SL Small Cap Fund(G)31.78 -6.69HDFC Small Cap Fund-Reg(G) 39.44 -7.42Aditya Birla SL Pure Value Fund(G)47.41 -7.64Sundaram Select Micro 7.62 -7.72Cap-Series XVI-Reg(G)Sundaram Select Micro Cap-Series 8.10 -7.91XV-Reg(G)Sundaram LT Micro Cap 7.96 -8.42Tax Adv Fund-Sr V-Reg(G)Sundaram LT Micro Cap Tax 8.10 -8.50Adv Fund-Sr IV-Reg(G)Sundaram LT Micro Cap Tax 9.47 -8.89Adv Fund-Sr III-Reg(G)Sundaram Select Micro 7.19 -8.94Cap-Series XVII-Reg(G)Sundaram LT Micro Cap Tax 7.45 -9.35Adv Fund-Sr VI-Reg(G)

Nippon India Vision Fund(G) 548.87 7.80DSP Natural Res & New Energy 32.45 7.70Fund-Reg(G)ICICI Pru Value Fund-16(G) 11.32 7.60ICICI Pru Growth Fund-3(DP) 10.89 7.50L&T Tax Advt Fund-Reg(G) 56.29 7.44Sundaram Diversified Equity(G) 103.62 7.39ICICI Pru Multicap Fund(G) 302.62 7.38L&T Emerging Opp 10.43 7.33Fund-II-Reg(D)Mirae Asset Healthcare 11.16 7.31Fund-Reg(G)Nippon India Large Cap Fund(G) 35.91 7.29ICICI Pru Nifty Low Vol 30 ETF 92.49 7.25Franklin Build India Fund(G) 42.47 7.24Sundaram LT Tax Adv Fund-Sr 14.16 7.20I-Reg(G)L&T Equity Fund-Reg(G) 84.63 7.14Sundaram Emerging Small 11.01 7.11Cap-Sr-VI-Reg(G)Nippon India Capital Builder 10.28 7.10Fund-IV-A(G)ICICI Pru Exports & Services 58.88 7.09Fund(G)SBI Magnum Global Fund-Reg(G)179.12 7.09Invesco India Multicap Fund(G) 49.04 7.03Franklin India Taxshield(G) 579.71 7.02HDFC Growth Opp Fund-Reg(G) 116.62 6.97L&T India Value Fund-Reg(G) 36.74 6.97ICICI Pru Large & Mid Cap 335.32 6.95Fund(G)Franklin India Bluechip Fund(G) 476.79 6.92Nippon India Value Fund(G) 75.80 6.90Principal Dividend Yield Fund(G) 54.96 6.88Baroda ELSS 96(G) 45.15 6.71HDFC Equity Fund(G) 676.85 6.57Sundaram Value Fund-II-Reg(G) 16.51 6.50Nippon India Focused Equity 47.93 6.48Fund(G)SBI PSU Fund-Reg(G) 10.36 6.46UTI India Consumer Fund-Reg(G)27.23 6.45IDFC Core Equity Fund-Reg(G) 46.40 6.37Invesco India Midcap Fund(G) 50.77 6.32Aditya Birla SL Tax Relief 32.47 6.32'96(ELSS U/S 80C of IT ACT)(G)Aditya Birla SL Tax Relief '96(G) 32.47 6.32Franklin India Opportunities 74.03 6.26Fund(G)Edelweiss ETF - Nifty 287.05 6.23100 Quality 30Kotak India Growth Fund-Sr 4(G) 9.65 6.22Sundaram Emerging Small 10.84 6.20Cap-Sr-VII-Reg(G)Templeton India Equity 46.82 6.12Income Fund(G)ICICI Pru Value Fund-10(G) 11.88 6.07Edelweiss Mid Cap Fund-Reg(G) 27.32 6.04Franklin India Prima Fund(G) 976.01 6.03Nippon India India Opp 11.09 6.02Fund-Sr-A(G)JM Large Cap Fund(G) 68.47 5.97Tata Infrastructure Fund-Reg(G) 56.23 5.91Tata Ethical Fund-Reg(G) 163.00 5.63DSP Small Cap Fund-Reg(G) 55.75 5.63Tata India Pharma & 9.31 5.63Healthcare Fund-Reg(G)Aditya Birla SL MNC 784.64 5.55Fund-Reg(G)ICICI Pru Value Fund-13(D) 10.85 5.54ICICI Pru Infrastructure Fund(G) 51.28 5.49ICICI Pru Bharat Consumption 10.66 5.44Fund-1-(G)HDFC Focused 30 Fund(G) 78.10 5.34SBI Magnum TaxGain'93-Reg(G) 145.91 5.26IDFC Tax Advt(ELSS) 56.01 5.24Fund-Reg(G)DSP Equal Nifty 50 Fund-Reg(G) 9.97 5.09UTI Dividend Yield Fund-Reg(G) 66.09 5.08Tata Small Cap Fund-Reg(G) 10.83 5.04Sundaram Infra Advantage 32.33 5.00Fund(G)Aditya Birla SL Dividend 163.86 4.97Yield Fund(G)PGIM India Midcap Opp 18.46 4.95Fund-Reg(G)IDBI Long Term Value 10.58 4.86Fund-Reg(G)Principal Nifty 100 Equal 72.79 4.82Weight Fund(G)Sundaram Rural and 42.83 4.80Consumption Fund(G)Principal Multi Cap 145.01 4.79Growth Fund(G)Franklin India Equity Fund(G) 598.94 4.78Canara Rob Infrastructure 45.57 4.76Fund-Reg(G)IDFC Equity 10.25 4.70Opportunity-5-Reg(G)ICICI Pru Bharat Consumption 10.71 4.69Fund-3-(G)ICICI Pru Manufacture in India 10.54 4.67Fund(G)HDFC TaxSaver(G) 521.94 4.56Franklin India Equity Advantage 80.63 4.51Fund(G)HDFC Equity Opp Fund-Sr 10.54 4.202-1126D-May 2017(1)-Reg(G)UTI-Nifty Next 50 ETF 293.61 4.13ICICI Pru FMCG Fund(G) 248.55 4.08Nippon India Tax Saver (ELSS) 56.64 4.02Fund(G)Sundaram Smart NIFTY 100 11.97 4.00Eq Weight Fund-Reg(G)Aditya Birla SL Nifty Next 50 ETF 287.76 3.77Nippon India Capital Builder 8.14 3.66Fund-IV-B(G)UTI Core Equity Fund-Reg(G) 62.81 3.61Aditya Birla SL Resurgent 9.76 3.50India Fund-5-Reg(G)Aditya Birla SL Resurgent 11.97 3.46India Fund-3-Reg(G)

��

$ �"#�44�� ! !

�� ! ! =��"�4)

Washington: US PresidentDonald Trump has said that theUnited States was monitoringIranian demonstrations closely,warning against any new “mas-sacre” as protests broke outafter Tehran admitted to shoot-ing down a passenger plane.

Iran said earlier it uninten-tionally downed a Ukrainian jet-liner outside Tehran, killing all176 people aboard, in an abruptabout-turn after initially deny-ing Western claims it was struckby a missile.

The firing came shortlyafter Iran launched missiles atbases in Iraq housing Americanforces.

President Hassan Rouhanisaid a military probe into thetragedy had found “missilesfired due to human error”brought down the Boeing 737,calling it an “unforgivable mis-take.”

At a student protest to paytribute to the crash victims onSaturday, Iranian authoritiesbriefly detained Britain’s ambas-sador, in what the BritishGovernment called a violation ofinternational law. He was laterreleased.

Trump told Iranians — intweets in both English and Farsi— that he stands by them andis monitoring the demonstra-tions.

“To the brave, long-suffer-ing people of Iran: I’ve stoodwith you since the beginning ofmy Presidency, and myAdministration will continueto stand with you,” he tweeted.

“There can not be anothermassacre of peaceful protesters,

nor an internet shutdown. Theworld is watching,” he added,apparently referring to anIranian crackdown on streetprotests that broke out inNovember.

“We are following yourprotests closely, and are inspiredby your courage,” he said.

The new demonstrationsfollow an Iranian crackdown onstreet protests that broke out inNovember. AmnestyInternational has said it leftmore than 300 people dead.

Internet access was report-edly cut off in multiple Iranianprovinces ahead of memorialsplanned a month after theprotests.

Canadian Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau has demanded

that Iran provide “full clarity” onthe downing of the plane.Ottawa says the dead included57 Canadians.

Iran’s Supreme LeaderAyatollah Ali Khamenei alsooffered his condolences andordered the armed forces toaddress “shortcomings” so thatsuch a disaster does not happenagain.

Tehran’s acknowledgementcame after officials in Irandenied for days Western claimsthat the Ukraine InternationalAirlines plane had been struckby a missile in a catastrophicerror.

The Kiev-bound jetslammed into a field shortly aftertaking off from Tehran’s ImamKhomeini International Airport

on Wednesday.The crash came hours after

Tehran launched missiles atbases hosting American forcesin Iraq in response to the killingof top Iranian general QasemSoleimani in a US drone strike.

Fears grew of an all-out warbetween Iran and its arch-enemythe United States, but thoseconcerns have subsided afterTrump said Tehran appeared tobe standing down after targetingthe US bases.

On Saturday evening, policedispersed students who hadconverged on Amir KabirUniversity in Tehran to paytribute to the victims, after someamong the hundreds gatheredshouted “destructive” slogans,Fars news agency said.

British Foreign SecretaryDominic Raab said UK envoyRob Macaire had been detained.

“The arrest of our ambas-sador in Tehran withoutgrounds or explanation is a fla-grant violation of internationallaw,” Raab said in a statement.The US called on Iran to apol-ogize.

Iran’s Tasnim News Agency,which is close to the country’sconservatives, said the envoy hadbeen “provoking radical acts”among students. He was releaseda few hours later and would besummoned again by Iranianofficials on Sunday, it said.

State television reportedthat students shouted “anti-regime” chants, while Farsreported that posters ofSoleimani had been torn down.

The aerospace commanderof Iran’s Revolutionary Guardsaccepted full responsibility forWednesday’s accident.

But Brigadier GeneralAmirali Hajizadeh said the mis-sile operator acted indepen-dently, targeting the 737 aftermistaking it for a “cruise missile”.

The operator failed to obtainapproval from his superiorsbecause of disruptions to a com-munications system, he said.

“He had 10 seconds todecide. He could have decidedto strike or not to strike andunder such circumstances, hetook the wrong decision.”

Iran had been undermounting international pres-sure to allow a “credible” inves-tigation after video emergedappearing to show the momentthe airliner was hit. AFP

��,��!��4�� 5��,�� 1� ��

�� '�� (�� %�

Tehran: Iran’s top Guards com-mander briefed parliament onSunday, a day after the armedforces said a Ukrainian airlinerwas shot down in error in anadmission that sparked an angrydemonstration.

His closed-session testimo-ny comes after the temporaryarrest Saturday of Britain’sambassador to Tehran, RobMacaire, shortly after he left avigil for the air disaster victimsthat turned into a protest.

On the day after the rally atTehran’s Amir Kabir University,tensions appeared to be mount-ing again on the streets of thecapital, with a heavy policepresence notably around theiconic Azadi Square south of thecentre.

Riot police armed withwater cannon and batons wereseen at Amir Kabir, Sharif andTehran universities as well asEnqelab Square. Around 50Basij militiamen brandishingpaintball guns, potentially tomark protesters to authorities,were also seen near Amir Kabir.

The military acknowledgedSaturday that the UkraineInternational Airlines plane wasmistakenly shot downWednesday, killing all 176 peo-ple aboard, after denying fordays Western claims it wasdowned by a missile.

The majority of those onthe Boeing 737, which slammedinto a field shortly after take-offfrom Tehran, were Iranians andCanadians, and many were stu-dents.

World leaders welcomedIran’s admission, but Canada’sPrime Minister Justin Trudeauand others have also called fora full and transparent investi-gation.

The Kiev-bound plane wasshot down at a time when Iran’sarmed forces were on a height-ened state of alert after launch-ing a volley of missiles at UStroops stationed in Iraqi militarybases.

Iran had vowed to exact“severe revenge” for the January3 US drone strike that killed

Qasem Soleimani, the head ofthe Revolutionary Guards’ for-eign operations arm.

The Guards’ top comman-der, Major General HosseinSalami, briefed parliamentabout the general’s killing, Iran’sretaliation and the downing ofthe airliner, semi-official newsagency ISNA said.

At the end of the session,speaker Ali Larijani asked theMajles’ security and foreignpolicy commission to examinethe air disaster and how to pre-vent such incidents from occur-ring again, ISNA said.

On Saturday, PresidentHassan Rouhani said a militaryprobe into the tragedy hadfound “missiles fired due tohuman error” brought down theBoeing 737.

The Guards’ aerospacecommander General AmiraliHajizadeh accepted full respon-sibility.

In the evening, a memori-al at Tehran’s Amir KabirUniversity in honour of thosekilled turned into a demon-stration that, AFP correspon-dents said, was attended byhundreds of students.

They shouted “death toliars” and demanded the resig-nation and prosecution of thoseresponsible for downing theplane and allegedly covering upthe accidental action.

Fars news agency saidpolice “dispersed” them as theyleft the university and blockedstreets, causing a traffic jam.

US President DonaldTrump warned Iran againstcracking down.

“There can not be anothermassacre of peaceful protesters,nor an internet shutdown. Theworld is watching,” he tweeted.

“We are following yourprotests closely, and are inspiredby your courage,” Trump said ina comment directed at protest-ers.

The latest demonstrationsfollow a crackdown on streetviolence that erupted acrossIran over fuel price hikes inNovember. Amnesty

International has said morethan 300 were killed.

Newspapers called for res-ignations and sackings over thehandling of the air disaster.

Sazandegi, a moderate con-servative publication, also apol-ogised to its readers for havingtrusted official sources on thematter.

“Apologise, resign,” said themain headline of the reformistEtemad daily.

“Unforgivable,” said gov-ernment newspaper Iran, whichpublished all the names of thosewho died in the air disaster onthe image of black plane tail.

Kayhan, a hardline daily, ledon the supreme leader’s “strictorders” to follow up on the“painful incident of the planecrash”.

As public anger grew, statetelevision aired interviews withpeople who it said “have not for-gotten everything the Guardshave done for the country”.

Britain’s ambassador toTehran meanwhile took toTwitter to deny he had attend-ed the demonstration beforebeing arrested.

“Can confirm I wasn’t tak-ing part in any demonstra-tions! Went to an event adver-tised as a vigil for victims of#PS752 tragedy,” Macaire said,adding he had been detainedhalf an hour after leaving thearea.

“Normal to want to payrespects — some of victims wereBritish. I left after 5 mins, whensome started chanting,” hetweeted.

The arrest triggered diplo-matic protests, with Londoncalling it a violation of interna-tional law and EU foreign pol-icy chief Josep Borrell added hisvoice to the chorus of condem-nation.

“Very concerned about thetemporary detention of the UKAmbassador @HMATehran inIran. Full respect of the Viennaconvention is a must.

The EU calls for de-escala-tion and space for diplomacy,”Borrell tweeted. AFP

Washington: Defense SecretaryMark Esper said Sunday theTrump administration foreseesno more Iranian military attacksin retaliation for the US strikethat killed the Islamic Republic’smost powerful general.

The Pentagon chief sug-gested that Iran’s government isunder internal threat followingits downing of a Ukrainiancivilian airliner.

“You can see the Iranianpeople are standing up and

asserting their rights, their aspi-rations for a better government— a different regime,” Esper toldCBS’ “Face the Nation.”

Iranians have expressedanger over the downing of theUkrainian flight on Wednesdayand the misleading explana-tions from senior officials in theimmediate aftermath.

Later the government tookthe blame for the shootdown,saying it was a tragic accident.

The plane crash killed all

176 people on board, mostlyIranians and Iranian-Canadians.

Esper said Iran’s paramili-tary Quds Force still presentsa threat across the Mideast, butthe specific attacks he saidwere being planned by the lateQuds Force leader, Gen.Qassem Soleimani, have been“disrupted.” Esper also said theTrump administration’s offer tonegotiate a new nuclear dealwith Iran without preconditionstill stands. AP

7��6�0��!�� C��

Tehran: Qatar and Iran agreethat de-escalation is the “onlysolution” to regional tensions,Emir Sheikh Tamim binHamad Al-Thani said onSunday after meeting Iran’sPresident Hassan Rouhani inTehran.

“This visit comes at a crit-ical time in the region, and weagreed with the brothers andwith His Excellency the presi-dent that the only solution tothese crises is de-escalationfrom everyone and dialogue,”

he told a news conference.“Dialogue is the only solu-

tion” to resolve the crises, hesaid at a time of heightened US-Iranian tensions. AFP

F� �� !�� 6�7��

�� !�$��(��"��!��!�4� ��( ��

��/ �� 4� 4��, ��% �� $�� 4� 4��6 �� 44 ��B��4� C�� 44 ��!��B��! ��2��

��5�4�� 4�� !��)�� 4��(��@�� =�� L�$��@��, �% �L�

��$4�� $��B��4�� (��@��@��+�� 2� ��2��B��(��-�C@��

��/ �� C6 ��4� ��, ��% ��C�� !�� (��@�� @�� !��

�� "�� , ��% ��@�� !��MMN��0��@ �� @ ��E �� 4� �� !��2��O��.��4��

>� ��

�� '�� 6��'�+�'��,��'� �� '�+�'�� %�

Beijing: China on Sundayslammed officials from the USand other countries for con-gratulating Taiwan PresidentTsai Ing-wen after she was re-elected with a landslide victoryin a stunning rebuke of Beijing’scampaign to isolate the self-ruled island.

Tsai, who had pitched her-self as a defender of liberaldemocratic values against anincreasingly authoritarianChina, secured a record-break-ing win in Saturday’s presiden-tial election.

US Secretary of State MikePompeo, as well as top diplo-mats from Britain and Japan,issued statements congratulat-ing Tsai and the island’s demo-cratic elections. But Beijing,which views Taiwan as part ofits territory, denounced theiractions as violating the one-China principle.

“The Chinese side express-es strong dissatisfaction andresolute opposition to this,” saidforeign ministry spokesmanGeng Shuang.

“We oppose any form ofofficial exchange betweenTaiwan and countries that haveestablished diplomatic relationswith China,” he said in a state-ment. Chinese state media alsosought to downplay Tsai’s vic-tory and cast doubt on thelegitimacy of her campaign byaccusing the Taiwanese leader of“dirty tactics” and cheating.

Tsai and her DemocraticProgressive Party (DPP) used“dirty tactics such as cheating,repression and intimidation toget votes, fully exposing theirselfish, greedy and evil nature”,said official news agencyXinhua in an op-ed Sunday.

Xinhua also accused Tsai ofbuying votes, and said “external

dark forces” were partly respon-sible for the election results.

Beijing, which has vowed toone day take Taiwan -- by forceif necessary -- loathes Tsaibecause she refuses to acknowl-edge the idea that Taiwan is partof “one China”.

China doubled down on its“one-China principle” after Tsai’svictory, with Geng emphasisingSunday that “regardless of whathappens in Taiwan, the basicfacts won’t change: there is onlyone China in the world andTaiwan is part of China”.

“The ChineseGovernment’s position won’tchange,” he added in a statement. Over the last fouryears, Beijing has ramped up economic, military anddiplomatic pressure on theisland, hoping it would scarevoters into supporting Tsai’sopposition. AFP

��0��(��

Kathmandu: The Lower Houseof Nepal’s Parliament was onSunday postponed for the thirdtime since December over theelection of a new Speaker.

Deputy Parliament SpeakerShiva Maya Tumbahampheannounced the postponementof the House of Representativesmeeting until January 20.

The postponement, thethird since the winter sessioncommenced on December 20,follows the ruling NepalCommunist Party’s (NCP) fail-ure to decide on a speaker can-didate.

A secretariat meeting of theruling party on Saturday hadasked Deputy SpeakerTumbahamphe to resign.

But Tumbahamphe turneddown the party’s directive toquit, saying she won’t stepdown until the party makes herthe candidate for ParliamentSpeaker.

The post of ParliamentSpeaker has remained vacantsince Krishna Bahadur Maharastepped down from the post,following attempt to rape alle-gation against him on October7 last year.

The NCP wants to elect anew candidate for the post ofspeaker and askedTumbahamphe to resign.

According to Nepal’sConstitution, the ParliamentSpeaker and Deputy Speakercannot be from the same party.

Tumbahamphe has alleged“male domination” by the party.

Meanwhile, OppositionNepali Congress has objectedto Deputy SpeakerTumbahamphe’s decision topostpone the Parliament meet-ing till Monday next week,January 20.

Last month, the meetingwas postponed twice as the rul-ing party could not decide itsspeaker candidate.

Nepali Congressspokesperson Bishwa PrakashSharma, in a statement, said theruling party was holding theHouse hostage due to its inter-nal dispute.

Nepali Congress has urgedthe ruling party to begin theprocedure to elect the newspeaker at the earliest.

Former Parliament SpeakerSubhash Nembang and rulingNCP’s Standing Committeemember Agni Sapkota are theprobable candidates for thespeaker post. PTI

Berlin: Thousands of people hadto evacuate Sunday in the west-ern Germany city of Dortmundas experts prepared to defuse asmany as four bombs from WorldWar II.

Authorities already hadevacuated two hospitalsSaturday and opened schools forresidents who had to leave theirhomes.

Some 14,000 people wereasked to leave the areas wherethe bombs are thought to beburied. The city’s train stationwas shut down and, starting atnoon Sunday, all trains would bererouted. By noon Sunday,authorities hoped to begin withthe defusing operations. Almost75 years after the end of the war,unexploded bombs are fre-quently found in Germany.Disposing of them sometimesentails large-scale evacuations asa precaution. AP

�� 3��"��%%,,��"��!

��-��

Manila: Philippine authoritieswarned Sunday a volcano nearthe capital Manila could eruptimminently, hours after it senta massive column of ash sky-ward that grounded flights andcoated towns across the regionin fine dust.

Thousands of people livingnear Taal volcano, a populartourist attraction set in the cen-tre of a picturesque lake, wereevacuated from their homes asit spewed ash, rumbled withearthquakes and lightningexploded above its crest.

A “hazardous explosiveeruption is possible withinhours to days”, the nation’s seis-mological agency warned,adding that the ash could posea risk to aircraft.

Aviation officials ordered asuspension of flights in to andout of the capital’s NinoyAquino International Airport,after the ash cloud was report-ed to have reached 50,000 feet(15,000 metres). Governmentseismologists recorded magmamoving towards the crater of

Taal, one of the country’s mostactive volcanoes located 65 kilo-metres (40 miles) south ofManila. Taal’s last eruption wasin 1977, he added. A kilometre-high column of ash was visibleand several volcanic tremorswere felt within the vicinity ofthe volcano, which is popularamong tourists for its scenic

view.The local disaster office

said it had evacuated over 2,000residents living on the volcanicisland, which lies inside a big-ger lake formed by previous vol-canic activity. Solidum said offi-cials will also order the evacu-ation of people living on anoth-er island nearby if the situation

worsens. “Ash has alreadyreached Manila... It is dangerousto people if they inhale it,” hetold AFP. Earthquakes and vol-canic activity are not uncom-mon in the Philippines due toits position on the Pacific “Ringof Fire”, where tectonic platescollide deep below the Earth’ssurface. AFP

8��'�� (��

�� ' �� (�� %�

�� '��

�� *��, ��4 �� @�� B��

-��5��@�� 4�� @��

$ �� @F��-�� C�� $ ��-�� B�� C��@�� -��4 �� @�� B��5��

5��@��<��J�� :PPQ�� (�� $��%��$��!��$��*��

�� C�� @��4�� 4��

$��/�E �� -��@��-��-�� C�� @��C��-�� -�� -�� E ��R�� 4� C4�� @��- �� @��C��4�� ( ��@ �� " ��@ �� @��

�� @�� 4� �� @�� @�> ��4��C��@ �� 4��

5�� 4��4@�� @��

�� 4��4�� <4��@��@�� @��C

��-��@��

� ��-��@�� C�� -�� @�� @�� -��@��

��@��4��"�� 76�� 8��44��-��

+,��!��+!&��!��$��+#?�!��

�!��+�#�!&��$��'�+��##

�� ! ! ��!0��%�4*

��

The family dramagets downrightmonstrous as parentsFred and Delorishunt thesupernatural, andtwins Viv and Geoffharbor their ownstrange secrets.Starring TamaraTaylor, JC MacKenzieand Aurora Burghart,season 1 releases onJanuary 23 on Netflix.

�� As a late bloomer Otis

must master his newly discov-ered sexual urges in order toprogress with his girlfriendOla while also dealing with hisnow strained relationship withMaeve. Meanwhile, MoordaleSecondary is in the throes of achlamydia outbreak, highlight-ing the need for better sex edu-cation at the school and newkids come to town who willchallenge the status quo. Theseason 2 releases on January 17on Netflix.

> � 3 3 � �

��

When gentle, law-abiding Grace confessesto killing her newhusband, her skepticalyoung lawyer sets out touncover the truth. Afilm by Tyler Perryreleases on January 17on Netflix.

That music galas, especial-ly electronic music dance

(EDM) festivals are oftenassociated with abundantdrug abuse is nothing new. Inrecent times, if raves havegrown more popular amongyouth, so has the drug cultureamong the attendees.

The deaths of threetourists at the recent Sunburnfestival in Goa are widelybeing seen as the latest exam-ple of a direct link betweenEDM festivals and alleged useof illegal substances. Theevent has come under con-stant scrutiny after thesedeaths. Many have speculat-ed that drug overdose was thereason, although the realcause of the deaths is still tobe officially ascertained.Nevertheless, the incidenthas raised questions, throw-ing light on the increasing useof drugs by people at such bigfestivals.

Clive (name changed),who was at Sunburn thisyear, says that even if onewere to assume that thedeaths happened due todrugs consumed during thefest, it does not necessarilymean these were smuggled

inside the venue. “The reasoncan be an overdose, but twoout of the three men diedoutside the venue and notinside. Before entering thevenue, people consume var-ious things to get a kickwhile watching the show.About the third person, Idon’t know if he consumeddrugs. We can’t say for surebecause he was shifted to thehospital after the event wasover and he died the nextday,” Clive said, adding that“security arrangements at thefest were really tight.”

Which is where, howev-er, Clive’s next observationstumps you. He did spot peo-ple having drugs inside thevenue despite stringent secu-rity checks. “When I wasentering the venue, they thor-oughly checked me. However,I discovered many peoplewere smoking weed insidethe venue. They might havesmuggled a few sticks insidecigarette packets. However, Idid not see anyone snortingcoke. The police were aroundwith trained sniffer dogs,” hesaid.

There were others whotoo corroborate Clive’s asser-

tion. Ronaldo, who flew toGoa from Delhi to attend thefestival, said. “I had a verybad experience. Despite secu-rity I saw people consumingillegal substances. Some ofthem carried the drugs intheir undergarments or theirsocks.”

IGP Jaspal Singh of GoaPolice insists that there’salways a massive policearrangement at such venues.“There was a huge policeforce outside as well as insidethe venue. Inside, there wasanti-narcotic cell with welltrained dog squads. Therewas Raman spectrometer,which tests drugs in realtime. The device gives you anindication whether the mate-rial is a drug or not. Therewas zero availability of drugsinside the venue because thepolice controlled everything,”Singh claimed. However, heacknowledged there are somedrugs that can be concealedeasily. “There are drugs thatcan be taken to the venue eas-ily. People can use currencynotes like blotting paper, andthen it becomes a challengefor us to trace them. Thistime, we had a lot of meetings

with the organisers and triedour best to provide 100 percent security. Still, we regretthe loss of three lives. Thecause of the deaths is not con-firmed yet,” Singh explained.

Amid all the fuss, inter-national DJ Luciano, whowas at the fest this year andwho is himself a reformeddrug victim, urged people toget rid of such addiction.“Drugs are impure. I know it’seasy to say this but one mustrealise the value of self-dis-cretion when it comes to theuse of drugs, rather thanblame it on the authorities. Idiscovered something as pureas music can help me comeout of it much faster,” he said.

Indian DJ Mr Bosedetests that EDM has becomesynonymous with drugs.“There’s a myth attached toEDM. Some people thinkEDM is all about drugs but itactually depends on the per-son. I don’t take drugs and Idon’t expect that my audiencehas to in order to listen to mymusic. We should value theart of EDM,” Mr Bose, whoseoriginal name is ShiladityaBose, concluded.

B�%��

Astressed economy doesn’tmean that you have to com-promise your lifestyle

choices. You can still wear design-er clothes, swank up your homeand get a fancy car without buy-ing them. Simply rent them. Themillennial way of life is all aboutputting your money in the rightplaces, with no strings attached. Orso it seems going by a recent reportthat says the global rental marketis expected to reach $335 billionby 2025. Although the rentalindustry in India is highly frag-mented, it comprises about 10 percent of the global figure. That’sbecause it offers the convenienceof living without the responsibil-ity of maintaining or upgradingthem.

1�+� �� KThe urban millennial work-

force switches between majorcities frequently, says Ajith MohanKarimpana, founder and CEO ofFurlenco, a furniture rentingbrand. With every relocation to anew city, they need furniture andappliances. “However, they wouldincur a lot of expenditure if theybuy new assets or even in transfer-ring their furniture from one cityto another. This is besides thedamage done during the shiftingprocess,” he says. The newlyacquired furniture and appliancescan also become a logistical issueeach time one shifts. Rentaloptions not only free you from thefinancial burdens of mountingdebts but also let you indulge inmega experiences without guilt.

Sanchit Baweja, co-founder atStage3, apparel renting brand,believes that India is embracing“sharing economy” across sectorswith the emergence of platformslike Uber, Netflix and AirBnB.New-age consumers are turningtowards shared services as a smart

and convenient way to focus moreon experiences. “Collaborativeconsumption has enabled peopleto differentiate between what theywant and what they can afford.This enables people to experimentwith fashion without having toworry about the commitments toa particular garment,” says he.Moreover, with sustainability beingthe talk of the town, there’s neverbeen a better time or need to rentclothes. This promotes the idea ofa conscious closet.

Greg Moran, CEO andfounder of Zoomcar, car rentalcompany, points out that India’sgrowing preference for rentaloptions is a part of an overarchingparadigm shift towards easy con-sumption and on-demand acces-sibility instead of ownership. Hesays, “Previously, owning assetswas a beacon of one’s social status,however, users today haveshunned such notions. From prop-erty to office spaces, furniture andmore, the users today are moreinclined to access such assets fora little while and then switch tosomething else. The shift in con-sumer behaviour also stems fromthe socio-political and economicforces at large.”

Greg agrees with Sanchit thatthe current state of economy alongwith rising aspirations are influ-encing Indian consumers to rentthe best experiences possible with-

in the given constraints. He adds,“When we consider the hassle oftaking loans and EMI or thelooming job insecurity of salariedprofessionals, renting seems to bea pragmatic alternative.” Anotherfactor that we must consider is thethat we live in a world of rapidadvancements, with new modelshitting the stores every few days.Renting, thus, gives users the lib-erty to sample different optionsinstead of being stuck with one forlong.

Sunil Gupta, MD and CEO,Avis India attributes this risingshift towards the changing con-sumer sentiments. They wish toenjoy the comfort and prestige

attached to driving cars but areaverse to using their savings tomake a down payment for one orsalaries for EMIs.

1��KFor apparels, Sanchit says that

the biggest challenge in the Indianmarket is the psychological barri-er of “renting” an outfit. Peopleusually don’t prefer clothes thathave been worn by others even ifthey are drycleaned. This deep-seated perception against rentingmight take a lot of work to be dis-pelled.

“We have opened stores thatallow customers to touch, feel andrent. This is rapidly changing

mindsets especially among theyoung. They are open to rentalsgiven that occasion wear has highsocial obsolescence,” says he.

Furniture renting has chal-lenges which are specific to it. Forinstance, Ajith says, “Fundraisingis tough in this sector since thisbusiness is asset heavy. Besides,when we compare the industry toChina or the US, it is still in anascent stage. There is a need toinfuse confidence in stakeholders,which is a bit tricky since the mar-ket is still evolving.”

While the vehicle market hasto deal with the concern aroundthe safety of passengers. Sunil says,“To combat this, all our vehicles

are comprehensively insured andcome fitted with GPS devices.This enables us to track our carsat all times. They are fitted witha speed governor which tracks thespeed at which the car is being dri-ven and alerts the driver in casehe is overstepping the speed limit.”

* �� It is quite obvious that these

options are usually preferred bymillennials because of its ease,financial constraints and commit-ment issues. Sanchit says, “Withsocial media playing a pivotal rolein today’s world, our platformappeals primarily to millennials.They are aware of the latesttrends.” Also, the youth alwayswants to be seen in new, trendyoutfits and don’t like to repeatthem, especially if they post a pic-ture on the social media whilewearing them — all thanks tocelebs. Rentals, thus, save money,time, storage and maintenanceheadache.

Same is the case with cars.Greg says that youngsters haveshown a higher proclivity forsuch services. However, Sunilpoints out that car rental bookingsare not restricted to consumers ofa particular age group. “Forinstance, customers between 40and 50 years comprise thestrongest user base for our chauf-feur driven and luxury rental cat-egories. On the other hand, mil-lennial customers between 25and 40 years go for our self driveservice.”

Furlenco’s target audience,too, are millennials. Ajith says,“India has one of the largest pop-ulation of youngsters and they arenow entering their prime spend-ing age. There has been econom-ic growth and we will further seethe earnings and lifestyle aspira-tions of this generation rise andlook forward to new experimentsand global lifestyles. Over 85 percent of our subscribers belong tothe millennial category.”

��+��KThough renting is a good

option but in certain instances,like beds and tables, renting theasset might cost more than theactual price of the product in thelong run. A customer, SonalSingh, who has taken a bed onrent feels that she should havebought it instead. “It has been ayear since I have rented a bed forwhich I pay �1000 per month.Now after paying �12,000, I feelI could have easily bought one.”

We need to understand thatmodern consumers have verydifferent preferences from theirpreceding generations, basicallythey value fulfilling experiencesover material possessions. Thevery fundamentals that our soci-ety works around is now based onthe concept of shared mobility orcollaborative consumption, mark-ing the advent of the age ofaccessibility. Increasingly, theeconomy is being shaped by theidea that we don’t really need toown things to be able to use them.Millennials swear by this as thisconcept fits perfectly into howthey live their life — no frillsattached, being able to movearound freely, and not hoardthings everywhere they go.

@�'!'� &'�'!#��%��!0�� #�%��'��0��$�� .��'�#��#��#�/!#�"

�� #��%��#��'��#!��" 0��$�!�$�=+�� #�/�$��%�,�#�"��!��=��'��!�$��!��='��'��'!#��'�#��0�.�3!0&�'��='��'�#�=!#�!$��+�#0��,��=!��"�'!'� &'��"��'�$��+.�>��'!"�!�$�=+��#�/ ��=�0� �"�A��!&��$��=!�".AB:!/��:'!�

NO STRINGS ATTACHED*�� 4��4�� $�%$,- $,�5/�

+��!% �� (��,��

��'� �C!��

�� ! ! ��!0��%�"��#��$�41

�",)-&$�&�() ,�).#/ %�&' &'# $� . (� 0�." ,(%1�"& /�#& �"� ,(%#$ &# &( &#$()# ")&��(&�� !$(�� # &( &$#"& /#�#)&�"

= �� @�� @��4��

��4�� @C�� @��

�*�� @ �� @�� .��=�� 0�� !�� 0$��, @�� (�� =��

(�� @�� @�� "�� C�� 4�� (�� 4��44� �� @��@��4 ��J��

-�� 4 ��4��

�� 4��<4��(��@��4��@��

�� 44� ��@�� @��4� �� 4��@��

�(��@ ��@�� 4�� 4�� 4��$��E��2�$��"�� $��2��4��+�� .��$� �� "�� $�� .-"$#��C��-�� &2.��6� ��0��

�� $��4��4�� 44 �� 4�� 4�� (��4 �� @��C�� E��

�� !�!�"��#"��!�$�! ��%"�&"'�

5�� ! ��S��$�� !S$#�� 4 ��

�� B�� ! ��S��$�� !S$#�� 4�� @��S�� S-%?#� ��

(�� 4�� 4��#�� 4��#�� C��4��

"��@��S-%?��NQ�4�� !S$�� C�� 4��E ��$��

��#��$#��%'�! ��()!��%"�)�%��#! !

5��

�� 4� ��

=� �� 4 �� 4�� 4��@��9P��Q�� 4 �� @�� 4��@��

(�� 0�� %��0$�� @�� @�� C��4� ��4� ��44��

�(��4�� 4��4� �� "�� 7��B�� C�� /��@�6�� 0�� %��

2 "��%� ��# 00�##�/%�='!��%� �'!"�� ,��"��.B�!�!��!+!�C

The youth, in the current social set-up, aredeprived of opportunities of growth and par-

ticipation in the affairs of the family, the state andsociety. Therefore, it is thought that they are dis-appointed, disillusioned and restless. This is oneof main reasons why they indulge in violence anddestructive activities.

In 2009, the United Nations GeneralAssembly adopted a resolution proclaiming theyear com-m e n c i n gAugust 12,2010 as the“InternationalYear of Youth”to draw theattention ofsociety and thestate towardsthe aspirationsand problemsof youth andthe need toprovide themwith betterfacilities andopportunities.The spiritbehind thisidea wasundoubtedlylaudable butthe questionhere is: Whatare our defini-tions of theterms “growth,” “development” and “participa-tion” used in the theme selected by the UN. Thisquestion is crucial because currently, the mainemphasis is on economic, social, political andeven physical aspects of these three “key words”neglecting it’s moral and spiritual sides. Our pol-icy makers do not usually realise that a personcannot be happy and satisfied if their moralgrowth and spiritual development are neglected.Hence, a man may grow physically and financial-ly but he might not have enough spiritual andmoral knowledge. This, in turn, might force himinto substance abuse or other harmful ways torelieve stress. It is, therefore, of utmost impor-tance that the moral and the spiritual growthform the base of all other kinds of growth anddevelopment.

A great leader, Mahatma Gandhi, believed intransforming youth into a cadre of inspiring andcompetent role models and change agents withthe courage of conviction. This too will triggerthe process of building a healthy nation.Remember, a nation which allows its youth totravel on the path of indiscipline, violence anddisrespect, unwittingly permits itself to be a stateof chaos. The youth are like a double-edged swordthat can be used to destroy an enemy or spreadterror in their own territory by sabre-rattling.Hence, if they are instigated to wreck nationalproperty, question their teachers and indulge inacts of arson and rampage at the slightest provo-cation, then, they would become an army whowill pull down the structure of their nation with-out any remorse.

Let us, therefore, be wiser to consider ouryouth to be our strength and our prospectivenation-builders, for, “they are not only the lead-ers of tomorrow but also the partners of today.”

%��

)<��4 �� 4�

�� J��4��

2��. �� 2��,�� " �� 0��@�� 4 �� 4��4��<4��@��4��

�(�� 4 �� 4��4�� 4��4� � �� 4 �� %��/�� )��=��5 �� " �� 0��0$�

*��N�0$�� 4 �� 4��4�� 4 �� 4�� 4��B��

> �� @�� 4�� @�� 5�.>&6- "5�,/�%0/�5�-%0�. .-

The point where childhoodends and adulthood begins

isn’t as straightforward as it seems.Add the limelight and things canget complicated for young peoplewho either voluntarily or throughcircumstances live very publiclives. Those public lives oftencome with heaping helpings ofadult-size sniping. But are chil-dren and adolescents who findthemselves under global micro-scopes still entitled to age-appro-priate protection from the harsh-ness of public discourse? And,more importantly, can they han-dle it?

Children and teens, in this eraof blurred boundaries, have attheir disposal mobile megaphones— for the first time in human his-tory — to reach the entire world.That allows them to be heard, andpotentially taken seriously, byhundreds of millions of people, allthe way up to heads of state whoinclude the president of theUnited States. But does it givethose who hear them the right toslap back? At what point does theimperative to treat children moregently collide with their decisionto enter the marketplace of ideas— and what happens when itdoes?

In 2012, 16-year-old gymnastGabby Douglas became the firstAfrican American woman andwoman of colour of any nation-ality to win Olympic gold in theindividual all-around. The featwas joyous but some on socialmedia bemoaned that her hairwasn’t perfect. The teen clappedback, “Are you kidding me? I just

made history. And you’refocussing on my hair?”

When climate activist GretaThunberg, who just turned 17,was named Time magazine’s 2019person of the year, PresidentDonald Trump took to Twitter tocall her choice “ridiculous,” goingon to say, “Greta must work onher anger management problem,then go to a good old fashionedfilm with a friend! Chill Greta,Chill!” To that, Thunbergresponded by changing herTwitter profile to mock the pres-ident’s words. She told TheIntercept: “Honestly, I think it’sfunny.”

Since Serena Williams was ateen, when Malala Yousafzai wonthe Nobel Peace Prize after beingshot in the face, with the ascentof 18-year-old pop star BillieEilish and in the aftermath of themass school shooting in Parkland,Florida, that turned young sur-vivors into gun control activists,the treatment of young people inthe public eye has had its ups anddowns.

“For anyone who shares pub-lic opinions about civic and socialissues, like Greta Thunberg andthe Parkland teens have done, itcan cut both ways. It can beempowering for young people touse their voices in such a publicway. Young people can also beespecially effective in changingpublic conversations aboutimportant issues. People listen toyoung minds in a different way,”said Dr Parissa Ballard, a devel-opmental psychologist at WakeForest School of Medicine in

Winston-Salem, North Carolina.“At the same time, public

political engagement can be verystressful and can put young peo-ple in a vulnerable position whenthey receive criticism or peoplepublicly disagree,” said Ballard,whose research focuses on theintersection of civic engagementand adolescent health and well-ness.

Students from MarjoryStoneman Douglas High School,who began speaking out for gunreform soon after the shootingthere were already in a devastat-ing position when they facedaccusations that some were “cri-sis actors” and the group wasunder the manipulation of guncontrol advocates. The teens wereunfazed.

“There are people who aregoing to be putting us down. Itdoesn’t matter. Everything we’redoing, it can’t be stopped,” DiegoPfeiffer, an 18-year-old senior atthe time, told The Miami Heraldin February 2018. “We are chil-

dren and we have a message. Theyare bashing survivors of a schoolshooting. You can go ahead butour message is going to be heardloud and clear.”

Development psychologistsprefer to speak of stages whendescribing life’s slide from child-hood into adolescence and on toyoung adulthood, such as theonset of biological changes andshifts in social roles. Some usemore rigid measures, consideringchildhood to extend through age12, with adolescence roughlybetween 12 and 18 and youngadulthood the period between 18and 25.

Richard West, an EmersonCollege communications profes-sor who focuses on family, bully-ing and identity, said that’s onlypart of the story for young peo-ple who prematurely find them-selves in adult spaces. “These areindividuals who are emotionallydriven and passionately obsessedwith having a dialogue,” he said.“I don’t feel that they should be

held to a standard that we hold,for instance, a president or anambassador.” Finding that lineisn’t easy. “We all need to jump in.It’s not just Greta’s family. It’s notthe Parkland kids’ families. Itshould be all of us jumping inwhen we see something or hearsomething that might be com-pletely out of line with the valuesof this country,” West said. “Wedon’t have the value as a countryof attacking young people whomight be activists.”

Jumping in is exactly whatformer first lady Michelle Obamadid on Twitter after Trump’s“chill” tweet about Greta. “Don’tlet anyone dim your light,” Obamaurged Greta. “Like the girls I’vemet in Vietnam and all over theworld, you have so much to offerus all. Ignore the doubters andknow that millions of people arecheering you on.”

Eilish, who grew popular in2016 with her SoundCloud singleOcean Eyes, has long been sur-rounded by family in herentourage, including her parentsand her older brother and collab-orator, Finneas Baird O’Connell.But fame has had its rough spotsnonetheless. “I forget sometimesthat they’re not literally myfriends,” she told Variety of herfans. “It’s weird, like, that’s prob-ably the biggest con in it all: thatpeople I’ve never met think I’mreally close friends with them.And then they forget that I’m not,and sometimes say stuff at meet-and-greets or post things that arejoking or sarcastic about how badI look in (a certain) photo, and I’mlike, wow, that’s so mean. But thenI remember that it’s just part ofbeing friends — you make fun ofyour friends as a joke, and they

make fun of you back — so it’s alllove, and I really, really don’t wantit to change.”

Ballard, too, sees a key role forsupportive adults when publicyoung people face detractors,especially those like Greta and theParkland survivors who are upagainst grown-ups with immensepower and resources.

“Adults can support youngactivists by helping them under-stand the range of possible reac-tions they might get and to helpmanage their expectations aboutpublic political engagement,” shesaid.

Daryl Van Tongeren, an asso-ciate professor of psychology atHope College in Holland,Michigan, specialises, in part, onquestions of morality. “I thinksadly in our society they dosometimes forfeit their child-hoods, but I don’t think that theyshould have to,” he said. “I thinkas a society we view them as nolonger being children and some-how we now have rights to kindof put them in a different realm,put them in a different category.It’s a moment for us to pause andsay, just because this is happen-ing, does that mean that it’s goodor it’s healthy or it’s right?”

Williams, who is now 38and owns 23 Grand Slam singlestitles, knows some of the issueswell. “People have been talkingabout my body for a really longtime,” she told The Fader in2016. “Good things, great things,negative things. People are enti-tled to have their opinions, butwhat matters most is how I feelabout me, because that’s what’sgoing to permeate the room I’msitting in.”

B%�

��"��"��3��!��"��4

+�� !�

Researchers have found that plantlife is growing and expandingaround Mount Everest and across

the Himalayan region as the area contin-ues to experience the consequences ofglobal warming.

According to the study, published inthe journal Global Change Biology,research team from University of Exeterin UK, used satellite data to measure theextent of subnival vegetation — plantsgrowing between the treeline and snow-line — in this vast area.

Little is known about these remote,hard-to-reach ecosystems, made up ofshort-stature plants (predominantlygrasses and shrubs) and seasonal snow,but the study revealed they cover betweenfive and 15 times the area of permanentglaciers and snow.

Using data from 1993 to 2018 fromNASA’s Landsat satellites, researchersmeasured small but significant increas-es in subnival vegetation cover acrossfour height brackets from 4,150-6,000metres above sea level. “These large-scalestudies using decades of satellite data arecomputationally intensive because the filesizes are huge. We can now do this rel-atively easily on the cloud by usingGoogle Earth Engine, a new and pow-erful tool freely available to anyone, any-where,” said study researcher DominicFawcett, who coded the image process-ing.

The Hindu Kush Himalayan regionextends across all or part of eight coun-tries, from Afghanistan in the West toMyanmar in the East. More than 1.4 bil-lion people depend on water from catch-ments emanating here.

According to the study, results var-ied at different heights and locations, withthe strongest trend in increased vegeta-tion cover in the bracket 5,000-5,500m.

Around Mount Everest, the teamfound a significant increase in vegetation

in all four height brackets. Conditions atthe top of this height range have gener-ally been considered to be close to thelimit of where plants can grow.

Though the study doesn’t examinethe causes of the change, the findings areconsistent with modelling that shows adecline in “temperature-limited areas”(where temperatures are too low forplants to grow) across the Himalayan

region due to global warming.Other research has suggested

Himalayan ecosystems are highly vulner-able to climate-induced vegetation shifts.“A lot of research has been done on icemelting in the Himalayan region, includ-ing a study that showed how the rate ofice loss doubled between 2000 and2016,” said researcher Karen Anderson.

“It’s important to monitor and

understand ice loss in major mountainsystems but subnival ecosystems cover amuch larger area than permanent snowand ice and we know very little aboutthem and how they moderate water sup-ply,” Anderson added.

According to the researchers, snowfalls and melts here seasonally, and theydon’t know what impact changing sub-nival vegetation will have on this aspect

of the water cycle, which is vital becausethis region (known as ‘Asia’s water tow-ers’) feeds the ten largest rivers in Asia.

Researcher Anderson said “somereally detailed fieldwork” and further val-idation of these findings is now requiredto understand how plants in this high-altitude zone interact with soil andsnow.

B�%��

+-�-�� !�� 7�� !�� 1��

GREEN BEYOND THE BLUE

�� ! ! #,��46

�� '&�+&�

Roberto Firmino’s strike ensuredLiverpool made a record-breaking

start for one of Europe’s top fiveleagues after beating Tottenham 1-0 onSaturday, but ending a 30-year wait towin the title is the only history JurgenKlopp is interested in.

Klopp’s men have earned 61 pointsfrom a possible 63 in 21 games tostreak 16 points clear at the top andwith a game in hand to spare over sec-ond-placed Leicester.

There is now a 31-point gapbetween the sides that contested lastseason’s Champions League final asSpurs remain in eighth, nine pointsadrift of even the top four.

However, the European champi-ons were made to sweat by the sidethey beat in Madrid last June as SonHeung-min and Giovani Lo Celsomissed the target with the goal gap-ing in the final 15 minutes.

“The problem is you don’t get any-thing for best starts apart from num-bers,” said Klopp. “If people say in 50

years... it was the best start, cool, butthe only thing we are interested in iswhat we can get in the summer.

“That is not done yet because this

league is so strong, because weface so many strong opponents.

“The moment when we haveenough points that nobody cancatch us anymore, then we starttalking about it. Until then Icouldn’t be less interested.”

Lo Celso’s miss left Jose Mourinhoon his knees in anguish and the hon-eymoon period for the Tottenhammanager is already over after just twowins in their last eight games in allcompetitions.

The Portuguese’s game plan tocede possession to Liverpool beforethe break backfired, but he stillbelieved his side deserved at least apoint for their onslaught in the finalquarter.

“Liverpool have worked with thiscoach for five years. The players aretotally adapted physically to the foot-ball he wants to play,” said Mourinho.

“If we try to play the way we didin the last 20 minutes from the start,I think we would collapse because theplayers are not used to this style.

“We knew that (Erik) Lamela,

Giovani, in the last 25-30 minutesthey could turn the game. I thinkwe deserve more.”

Mourinho sprang a huge sur-prise with his team selection asJaphet Tanganga was handed hisPremier League debut in defence.

And responded to Kane’s absence byutilising Lucas Moura and Dele Alli inattack as he sat back and hoped tocatch the European champions on thebreak.

However, it was largely one-waytraffic before half-time as Liverpoolcontrolled the game and waitedpatiently for Spurs’ fragile defence tobreak.

Tottenham have kept just oneclean sheet in 13 games sinceMourinho took charge and their luckran out eight minutes before half-timeas Tanganga’s inexperience showed ashe tried to intercept Mohamed Salah’spass into Firmino and the Brazilianfired into the far corner.

Mourinho’s men showed moreambition in the second period andshould have reaped some reward.

�� "�5!)'&��

Ernesto Valverde will take Barcelona trainingtoday after Xavi told the club he would not be

accepting the job of coach immediately.Xavi, who is currently in charge of Qatari team

Al-Sadd, held talks with Barca’s sporting director EricAbidal and chief executive Oscar Grau on Friday andSaturday.

But a source said that Grau and Abidal werereturning to Barcelona on Sunday, after Xavi said hewould not be giving his agreement straight away.

Xavi could yet resume negotiations in the com-ing days or, more likely, in the summer once the sea-son has finished.

In the meantime, Valverde remains in charge andthe plan is that he will take training as usual todaymorning.

Yet it remains to be seen how he responds, withthe current Barca coach likely to have been unim-pressed by the club’s indiscreet pursuit of Xavi.

Abidal and Grau met Xavi on Friday in Qatar andthen again on Saturday night following Al-Sadd’s QatarCup semi-final win over Al-Rayyan.

The suggestion on Saturday had been that Xaviwould make a decision as early as Sunday but the club’siconic former midfielder wants more time.

His situation is complicated by the fact he wouldlike to lead Al-Sadd in the Qatar Cup final, which willbe played on January 17.

It would also be a daunting task to join Barcelonamid-season. The team are level on points in the leaguewith Real Madrid and face a tough last-16 tie in theChampions League next month against Napoli.

“It’s a difficult decision,” wrote El Pais on Sunday.“If he accepts, he is put under the wing of a weak lead-ership, with elections due in 2021. But if he says no,he may be criticised for refusing to return home.”

Xavi is also said to want to show respect toValverde, who has overseen Barcelona winning twoLa Liga titles in his two seasons in charge.

But Champions League collapses against Romaand Liverpool have not been forgotten and recent poorperformances have prompted fears of a repeat.

“I respect Barcelona, I respect Valverde and Irespect my club and I’m doing my job here,” Xavi saidon Saturday.

“I’m focussing on Al-Sadd. I cannot hide that it’smy dream to coach Barcelona, I said it many times.”

Asked about talks between Barca and Xavi, Al-Sadd’s sports director Muhammad Ghulam Al-Balushi told the Qatar-based BeIN broadcaster: “I willnot deny that. There are negotiations with Xavi andeveryone is talking about them... but I can say that Xaviso far is at Al-Sadd.

��*��World num-ber one Kento Momota wonthe Malaysia Masters aftereasily defeating Denmark’sViktor Axelsen 24-22, 21-11on Sunday.

The victory in Malaysialends credence to Momota’sdrive to win the Gold in July’sTokyo Olympics.

The reigning worldchampion told reporters thathe eyes more success in2020.

Momota currently thebest player on the planet,won a record 11 titles lastyear.

“My condition was notperfect coming into thistournament, but I was focused on this week and was able toplay calmly,” said the Japanese star, who pocketed $30,000.

“I do not think I am the strongest, but I am sharp and con-fident especially after winning the World Tour Finals last year.I know when to focus on attack and defence.”

Chen Yu Fei took home the women’s singles title when sheousted Taiwanese top seed Tai Tzu-Ying 21-17, 21-10. AFP

�� "5-$"��)

Karolina Pliskova said her tough three-set win overMadison Keys in the final of the Brisbane

International on Sunday was the ideal preparation fornext week’s Australian Open.

The Czech world number two won 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 in two hours,seven minuteson Pat RafterArena.

Pliskova’sthird Brisbanetitle in four yearsand her 16th onthe WTA tourstamps her asone of thefavourites for theyear’s first GrandSlam.

The formerworld numberone is yet to wina Grand Slamsingles title, butshe reached thesemi-finals inMelbourne lastyear, falling inthree sets to eventu-al championNaomi Osaka.

Pliskova beatOsaka in a marathon three-hour semi-final onSaturday night, and the way she backed up to defeatKeys in another gruelling clash on Sunday shows shehas form and fitness heading into the Australian Open.

She said while she still saw the BrisbaneInternational primarily as part of her Melbournepreparations, it was a good tournament to win.

“Especially beating the last two players, Naomiand Madison,” she said.

“I think it always gives you some extra confidenceand at least you know which level are you at, so I thinkit was a great way to start the year.

“But of course, Grand Slam or any other tourna-ment it always starts on zero, so there’s nobody’s real-ly thinking that, ‘Oh, she won a tournament two weeksago’.

“I can still feel well and confident and whatever,but I think we still have to start from zero.”

�� 0!%'��+

Serena Williams ended a three-yeartitle drought and donated her win-

ner’s cheque to victims of the Australianbushfires in an emotional WTAAuckland Classic final on Sunday.

Williams raised expectations forthis month’s Australian Open, whereshe can equal Margaret Court’s recordof 24 Grand Slam titles, with her 6-3,6-4 victory — her first WTA trophysince she won in Melbourne in 2017.

But the 38-year-old tempered cel-ebrations as she donated herUS$43,000 winners cheque to theAustralian bushfire relief fund anddescribed how the tragedy had affect-ed her deeply.

“I’ve been playing in Australia forover 20 years and it’s been really hardfor me to watch all the news and every-thing that has been happening inAustralia with all the fireand... animals and people thathave lost their homes,” shesaid.

“I decided at the begin-ning of the tournament... I’ddonate all my prize money fora great cause.”

It is Williams’ first title since 2017— and her first as a mother — sinceshe won the Australian Open whilepregnant. Her 73 WTA titles nowstretch across four decades, after shewon her first in 1999.

“It’s been a long time, I think youcould see the relief on my face,” shesaid, adding she could feel her game

sharpening up as she prepares tohead to Melbourne.

“It definitely feels good, it feelslike i was definitely improving asthe week went on and obviously Ineeded to.”Williams, whose last tournament

was the US Open in September, waslooking for as much game time as pos-sible in Auckland and an hour afterwinning the singles crown she wasback on court partnering Wozniacki inthe doubles final.

However, the pair were beaten 6-4, 6-4 by Americans Asia Muhammadand Taylor Townsend.

E;<'��4 ��P94 �� DT2'�� *DD�+Q�'P#R

�� DTC��4�� 4�� 8�� P:C4 ��/��!�� :P�T#��!�� :PPQ#

GE'��4 ��@ ��4 ��2'��:P�MC:P�C�� :�

�� )�� 4�8�� D4��3@��#

%;( �� :P ��D��. ��/ ��

� �4�� J�� 44��:P� ��-��)��@��!�� 99�� / �� 8��"��

%E(��'��4 �B��E ��C�� 4C�� 8�

�� @��5�� :��MDDCD9��

%. �U�/ �� @ ��E��@ � ��P��.V��%� 44�� :PW#�A

�� 9��8�� @�� 5 ��% �� NW��@��#�� @ ��@��

FIGURATIVELY

�� $>+�)>

An emotional Novak Djokovic over-powered long-time rival RafaelNadal and led Serbia to victory in

the inaugural ATP Cup Sunday, cappinga perfect build up to his Australian Opentitle defence.

The world number two blastedthe top-ranked Spaniard off court6-2, 7-6 (7/4) after world number10 Roberto Bautista Agut canedSerbia’s Dusan Lajovic 7-5, 6-1 in theother singles.

A fresh Djokovic returned to Sydney’sKen Rosewall Arena for the deciding dou-bles but Nadal opted not to, saying hisenergy levels were too low, with FelicianoLopez partnering Pablo Carreno Busta.

But they proved no match forDjokovic and Viktor Troicki, whobounced back from a break down in thefirst set to romp home 6-3, 6-4 and ensureSerbia was the last country standing fromthe 24 that began the season-openingevent.

“I’ll remember this experience for therest of my life. It’s one of the nicestmoments in my career,” said Djokovic,who close to tears after winning the dou-bles.

“I’ve been very fortunate to have anamazing career these last 15 years, butplaying for the team, playing for my coun-try with some of my best friends for a longtime, you can’t match that. It’s too special.”

The doubles drew the curtain on anevent that proved a big hit with playersand fans, dishing up competitive match-es driven by the passion of athletes rep-resenting their home countries.

Some US$15 million in prize moneywas at stake along with up to 750 singlesand 250 doubles ATP rankings points,with new rules trialled including on-courtcoaching and team zones in the cornersof the court.

Djokovic, warming up for his bid to

win an eighth Australian Open crown thismonth, went into his clash with Nadalleading their head-to-heads 28-26.

But the statistics did not tell the fullstory.

The Serb had won nine of their past12 contests and been dominant over theyears on hard courts — including a com-

fortable win against Nadal in theAustralian Open final last year.

He showed his intent immediatelyand broke Nadal in the opening gamewith no let-up, as his driving ground-strokes and deft touches proved toomuch.

Nadal lifted in an intense second,

with Djokovic saving five break points ina crucial sixth game.

It went to a tiebreaker where acrunching backhand down the line fromthe Serb gave him the break he neededto complete the victory.

“Every time I play Rafa we get to playa lot of exciting points,” Djokovic said.“We had some incredible exchanges.”

Nadal said he was happy with theway he fought back in the second set.

“I had my chances. I was very close.

I’m not happy with the loss, of course, butthe feeling in that second set is positive,”he said.

“Probably today was maybe a little bittoo early in the season,” he added.

Djokovic owned a perfect 6-0 singlesrecord at the tournament. Nadal wonfour and lost two.

Bautista Agut was a class aboveLajovic, ranked 34, also earning the dis-tinction of going through the tournamentunbeaten.

�� *�D �� '�� '�� ! � ��" ��"�� 2�: ��%��! � �� >��A/)�� %�

�� E�'� �� %�

�� :�� '��%��F��7�� 7� � �1�� %�� %�

+�� '��%F�� %��

$��/��!

�� !#�� '� �� ' ��" �� '��%��3�� %�

G �� ' �� '� �� #��

�� '��%��30�� '�� %��3�� %�

+ �� '� �� ' �� +�� %�

�� ,&"�5(�

Sania Mirza and her partner NadiiaKichenok have been drawn to meet

Oksana Kalashnikova of Georgia andMiyu Kato of Japan in their openinground at the Hobart International, thefirst tournament the Indian ace willcompete in her comeback bid.

The unseeded Indo-Ukrainianteam may run into Spanish fourth seedsGeorgina Garcia Perez and SaraSorribes Tormo in the quarterfinals.

The Spanish players had reachedthree WTA tour finals in 2019 season

and won two of them.Sania is returning to the circuit after

two years, having started a family withPakistan cricketer Shoaib Malik.

Meanwhile, Sania has decided topair with compatriot Rohan Bopannaat the Australian Open as Rajeev Ram,with whom she had originally plannedto play at the first Grand Slam of the sea-son, has pulled out. Sania and Rohanhad last played in the 2016 RioOlympics.

Bopanna began the season insplendid fashion winning the ATPQatar Open with Wesley Koolhof.

�!��!�!��#��$��

+��$�� +�!��@�� $�� -�"��

"��)��

�1�1��1�$�-,-�1�$�+)5�-

-�+��!��!#��%�=��#-!�!%#�!�-!#��# �� /-'��

Inter’s position on top of SerieA is at risk after a 1-1 draw

against Atalanta. Lautaro Martinez put Inter

ahead after four minutes in theSan Siro only for Robin Gosensto pull Atalanta level on 76minutes.

Atalanta strikerDuvan Zapata got hisfirst start after a longinjury layoff but Interwere struggling withoutsuspended Nicolo Barellaand injured duo Matias Vecinoand Alexis Sanchez.

Good work by in-formInter strike duo Martinez andRomelu Lukaku paved the wayfor the first goal minutes intothe game.

But Gosens volleyed inwith quarter of an hour to goand Inter goalkeeper SamirHandanovic saved a LuisMuriel penalty two minutesfrom time to hold onto a point.

Atalanta are fifth, equal onpoints with Roma, who occu-py the final Champions Leagueberth.

Lazio extended their win-ning streak to a club record often games as they inflicted asecond consecutive defeat onSerie A runners-up Napoli

thanks to a blunder fromgoalkeeper David Ospinawith eight minutes to go.

Colombian interna-tional Ospina was caughtin possession inside hisown box allowing

Immobile to tap in his 20thgoal in 19 games to the delightof the home crowd as the clubmarked their 120th anniver-sary.

“What is missing for theScudetto? To be honest, we’renot missing much,” said coachSimone Inzaghi.

“We keep conceding crazygoals,” said Napoli coachGennaro Gattuso whose sidedrop to tenth place.

��"��6�#��6��6�"�,��"��

2��$��8��,� �� +��,�� )�� C'��) ��'��

�� ! ! #,��47

�� /0/"�-

Bengal’s rookie batswomanRicha Ghosh was the onlynew face in a 15-member

Harmanpreet Kaur-led India squadfor the ICC Women’s T20 WorldCup in Australia, starting February21.

The team, announced onSunday, has no other surprises.

The 15-year-old Haryanaschoolgirl Shafali Verma will beplaying her first global meet follow-ing some good performances at theinternational level in her first sea-son.

Richa, 16, has been rewardedfor her exploits in the recentwomen’s Challenger Trophy, scor-ing 36 off 26 balls in one of thegames with four boundaries and asix.

“See, in the past one year, wehave taken five to six debutants.Earlier, the same team used to playbut after the 2017 ODI WorldCup, a lot of new prospects haveemerged. We feel we have nurturedfive or six new players, who areplaying now,” chairman of women’sselection committee Hemlatha Kalatold reporters at the press confer-ence

“Richa Ghosh is a new playerand here the role of selectorsincreases.”

Source close to the women’steam said that Richa has beenpicked since she can lend solidityto India’s middle order.

“Richa was the most impressiveplayer during Challenger trophy.People questioned us when wepicked 15 year old Shafali and sherepaid the faith and I am pretty cer-tain Richa will be on the same path,”the source said.

“While shafali is the X factor atthe top, Richa will provide the muchneeded firepower in the middleorder. We had to give her thechance now. Anyway in women’scricket there are not many playersto choose from in comparison tothe vast talent in men’s cricket.”

The selectors also announced

a 16-member squad for a tri-seriesin Australia prior to the T20 WorldCup, with Nuzhat Parveen beingadded as the 16th member. Thattournament starts on January 31and also features England.

Skipper Harmanpreet feels thatplaying the tri-series before the bigevent will be advantageous for the

team.“Before the World Cup, this

series is going to be a big one for usand we will look for our best com-bination and with that we will givechances to newcomer also.

“As (Hemlata) ma’am men-tioned, we have Richa, who did wellin the Challenger Trophy anddomestic cricket, so we will stick toour best XI. Before the World Cup,we will be able to decide our bestXI,” Harmanpreet said.

The skipper has had the expe-rience of playing in the Women’s BigBash League and that will help herplan better.

“I think that experience willdefinitely help and we know howthe wickets are over there and thatdefinitely give us extra boost (over)there,” said the skipper, who hasplayed for Sydney Thunders inWBBL.

She also agreed that spinnershave been India’s strength in bowl-ing and it wouldn’t change much onthe bouncy Australian tracks.

“We are looking for more spin-ners in our side and we have gotthat. Now the only thing is how weare going to use their strengths.They are very good and always giveus breakthroughs.

“Our strength is spin and wehave to stick to that and wheneverwe need them they will perform forus,” Harmanpreet exuded confi-dence.World T20 Squad: HarmanpreetKaur (captain), Smriti Mandhana,Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodriguez,Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, VedaKrishnamurthy, Richa Ghosh, TaniaBhatia, Poonam Yadav, RadhaYadav, Rajeshwari Gaikwad, ShikhaPandey, Pooja Vastrakar, ArundhatiReddy.

�� !,)��-

Skipper Aditya Tare struck 154 tolead a fine lower-order rally and

put Mumbai in command by post-ing 488 in their first innings on thesecond day of their Group B matchagainst Tamil Nadu.

Tare, who resumed the days onhis individual score of 69, wasinvolved in a 123-run stand for theeight wicket with Shashank Attarde(58).

Tare hit 19 fours and 2 sixesduring his 253-ball knock asMumbai added 204 runs from 59overs on Sunday from overnight284 for 6.

In reply, Tamil Nadu were 66for no loss with experienced open-er Abhinav Mukund batting on 52.

The Tamil Nadu bowlers toiledfor five sessions before wrapping upthe Mumbai innings with ace off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin(3/121) and left-arm spinner R SaiKishore (4/125) sending down 47and 46 overs respectively.

The Mumbai lower-order con-tinued to make things difficult forthe home side bowlers with TusharDeshpande (39) smashing Ashwinfor three huge sixes while No 11Royston Dias too joined the fun,hoisting B Aparajith for a big oneover long-on.

DOUBLE TON FOR PUJARA��,��Prolific India Test bats-man Cheteshwar Pujara slammed248, his 13th first-class double

century to help Saurashtra post amassive 581 for 7 declared inGroup B match againstKarnataka.

Pujara, who on Saturdayjoined a select group of cricket-ing greats by smashing his 50thfirst-class century, is already theIndian player with most firstclass double centuries when hescored his 12th double ton in

2017 to go past Vijay Merchant.With his 248 on Sunday,

Pujara also became only the thirdplayer to record seven doublecenturies in Ranji Trophy. He isat joint second with Ajay Sharmatwo behind Paras Dogra, whoplayed most cricket for HimachalPradesh.

Pujara also completed 6000runs in Ranji Trophy during thecourse of his marathon knock.

He and senior batsmanSheldon Jackson (161) rescuedSaurashtra with a massive 394-run stand for the third wicketafter they lost their two openersfor only 33 runs.

Pujara resumed the secondday on 162 and raised his doubleton on Sunday before being even-tually dismissed for 248 off 390deliveries with help of 24 foursand a six.

In reply, Karnataka were 13for 1 in eight overs.

HARYANA BOUNCE BACK��Left-arm spinner TinuKundu grabbed five wickets asHaryana staged a remarkablecomeback to take an upper handin Elite Group C match againstOdisha.

Haryana, who were bundledout for a paltry 90 after electingto bat, bowled out Odisha for 160and then replied strongly in theirsecond essay by posting 218 forfive, taking an overall lead of 148going into the penultimate day.

Overnight 141 for five,Odisha lost their remainingfive wickets with the additionof just 19 runs inside nineovers at the ChaudharyBansi Lal Cricket Stadium inLahli.

Haryana batted sensiblyin their second innings withopeners Shubham Rohilla (48)and Ankit Kumar (46) puttingup a 101-run stand. HimanshuRana also contributed at numberfive before Pramod Chandila andPatel saw through the day.

At the Barsapara Stadium inGuwahati, Assam replied strong-ly with 209 for three afterChhattisgarh posted 318 in theirfirst innings, trailing the visitorsby 109 runs with seven wicketsintact.

NAGALAND ON TOP�� *�� Wicketkeeper-batsmanYogesh Takawale slammed anunbeaten 117 as Nagaland bats-men made merry against theArunachal Pradesh to pile up amammoth 543 for seven declaredin Plate group fixture.

Takawale’s knock from 162balls, laced with 14 fours, cameafter No 3 Shrikant Mundhe top-scored for the team with 166 onthe opening day at the NagalandCricket Stadium.

Mundhe also claimed threefor 32 to leave Arunachal Pradeshreeling at 141 for four in 37 overs,trailing by 393 runs.

�� /0/"�-

India spearhead Jasprit Bumrah on Sundayheadlined the BCCI Annual Awards func-

tion, grabbing the prestigious Polly Umrigaraward apart from annexing the Dilip Sardesaihonour for his exploits in international crick-et in the 2018-19 season.

Polly Umrigar award is presented to thebest male International cricketer and it carriesa citation, trophy and cheque for � 15 lakh.

Dilip Sardesai award is conferred on boththe highest wicket-taker and highest run-get-ter in Test cricket. Bumrah took 34 wickets insix matches with three five-wicket hauls.

Prolific Saurashtra batsman ChetshwarPujara was picked for the honour for scoring677 runs in 8 matches at an average of 52.07with three centuries and two half centuries.

While Bumrah netted the biggest prize inthe men’s category, Poonam Yadav claimed thetop prize in women’s section and was award-ed the best international cricketer.

The award will be another feather in theleg-spinner’s cap who recently won ArjunaAward.

Former India captains KrishnamachariSrikkanth and Anjum Chopra were present-ed the Col CK Nayudu Lifetime AchievementAward and the BCCI Lifetime AchievementAward for women respectively.

A member of the 1983 World Cup-winningteam, Srikkanth took on the fearsome West

Indies fast bowlers and scoredan attacking 38, the top indi-vidual score in the low-scor-ing final at the Lord’s.

Anjum is one of the finestbatswomen and the first

Indian to play 100ODIs. In a career

spanning 17 years,Anjum represent-ed India in four50-over WorldCups and twoT20 World Cup(played in one).

M a y a n kAgarwal, who

emerged as an impactbatsman starting with hisdebut series in Australia in2018-19, received the bestinternational debut inmen’s category while tal-ented 15-year-old Shafali

Verma grabbed the same inthe women’s category.

Mumbai all-rounderShivam Dube, who impressed

in the recently concluded T20series against Sri Lanka, waspresented the Lala AmarnathAward for the best all-rounderin the Ranji Trophy while Delhi’s

Nitish Rana received the same fordoing well in the limited overscompetition.

India’s middle-order batsm-woman Deepti Sharma receivedthe Jagmohan Dalmiya Trophy forbest woman cricketer in seniordomestic circuit while Shafali was

picked for honour in the junior cat-egory.

Virender Sharma was adjudged thebest umpire in domestic cricket while VidarbhaCricket Association were presented the bestperformance award in domestic cricket forwining the Ranji Trophy.

�� /0/"�-

In Rohit Sharma, K L Rahul andShikhar Dhawan, India are spoilt for

choice at the top of the order, and bat-ting coach Vikram Rathour on Sundaycalled it a “good dilemma” to have.

Rohit had a phenomenal 2019, hav-ing struck five centuries in the WorldCup.

Dhawan, who made a comeback inthe T20 side in the just-concluded three-match series against Sri Lanka, was alsoamong the runs, while Rahul, too, ishaving a great time with the bat.

“It’s a good dilemma to have. Rohitis an obvious choice of course. Both ofthem (Shikhar and Rahul) are playingwell. Shikhar has done well in one- day-ers and Rahul is in great form. So we’lldeal with it when we have to,” Rathoursaid.

“There are still a couple of days togo. The management will sit down andmake the choice,” he told reportersahead of the first ODI against Australia.

Asked about the relevance of theseries in a T20 World Cup year, Rathoursaid, “It’s a different format and crick-et is a game of confidence. So as a bat-ter and bowler, especially when you areplaying against a team like Australia,who are one of the better teams in theworld, performances do make a differ-ence. It gives you a lot of confidence.”

“We’ll take it as any other series andplaying against one of the better sidesin the world, we are looking to do wellas a team, looking to perform and winif possible,” added the batting coach.

Rahul can also keep wickets and thecoach was asked whether there was athought process to use Rahul as astumper.

“We haven’t really started thinkingon those lines yet. Rahul can keep, that’sthe skill that he has. So that will dependif the team management feels at anystage we require that.”

Rathour also asserted that he doesnot see any issue with the middle-order.

“It’s (middle-order) not a weakness.Few innings back we scored 383. We’vebeen scoring runs, our batters have donewell. Shreyas (Iyer) is batting really well.(Rishabh) Pant has played a couple ofuseful innings. So I don’t see an issue.

“Top three are scoring heavily, sothat’s a good problem to have, but wehave enough options and don’t see anyissues with that,” he added.

Australia possess some of the bestpacers in the world, and have come witha four-pronged attack, comprisingMitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, JoshHazlewood and Kane Richardon.

So what is the game plan against thepacers?

Rathour replied, “All of our battershave played against them quite a lot.They know these bowlers, theirstrengths, the areas where they bowl —so the game plan will be according tothat.

“It’s a good surface we are playingon and nothing different basically. Justtake it as any other team.”

�� )*�+)',-

The BCCI is all set to appointWorld Cup winning former

India players Madan Lal andGautam Gambhir as membersof the Cricket AdvisoryCommittee (CAC) which willpick selection committees forthe next four-year cycle start-ing 2020.

The third member of thepanel is likely to be Mumbai-based woman internationalSulakshana Naik, who hasplayed two Tests and 46 ODIsfor the country.

“Madan Lal and GautamGambhir are all set to be theCAC members,” a senior BCCIofficial said.

Hero of 1983 World Cupwinning India team, Lal, byvirtue of being the senior-most member will head thecommittee while 2011 WorldCup hero Gambhir will assisthim along with the third mem-ber.

“I don’t know if it’s fair onmy part to make a formalcomment or not as BCCI hasnot announced,” said MadanLal when his comments were

sought on the development.Asked about the Conflict

of Interest clause since he hasa contract with a TV channelas cricket expert, the formerIndia all-rounder said, “Letme first get my appointmentletter and obviously there willbe terms of reference andguidelines.”

A source close to the crick-eter confirmed that he wasapproached by the BCCI forthe role and he has accepted theoffer.

“Yes, they did ask Madanfor his consent and he had toldthem it will be an honour to beon CAC. It doesn’t matter if it’sone meeting or half a meeting,”said the source.

In all likelihood, the com-mittee will meet just once asonly two changes are requiredin the senior selection panel.

The committee has to findreplacements of outgoing chair-man MSK Prasad (South) andGagan Khoda (Central).

Sarandeep Singh (North),Devang Gandhi (East) andJatin Paranjpe (West) still havea year left in their respectivefour-year terms.

�� !&'&/"&

Lasith Malinga said on Sundayhe was ready to stand down

as Sri Lanka’s Twenty20 skipperafter the team’s humiliating 2-0loss to India in their latest for-eign tour.

Returning from the series,the 36-year-old told reportersthat Sri Lanka was just notgood enough to make an impactin the 20 over game.

He said Sri Lankan bowlersweren’t able to restrict oppo-nents while the batsmen wereincapable of putting up the 170runs needed for a fightingchance in a match.

“We don’t have that,”Malinga said, adding that it wasunfair to expect a winning per-formance from the team giventhey were ranked just ninth inthe world when returned to thecaptaincy just over a year ago.

But he added that he was“ready to accept” his responsi-bility for the team’s perfor-mance.

“I am ready any time. I amready to quit,” he said.

Malinga led Sri Lanka to theT20 World Cup title in 2014 andremained in charge until early2016.

His return to the top job inDecember 2018 was a surpriseas he had lost his spot in theteam after recurring injuriesforced him to sit out severaltournaments.

Frictions were evident in theSri Lankan team under Malinga’sleadership, the Sunday Islandnewspaper reported.

“There seems to be deepdivisions in the side. As captain,he has also sidelined his prede-cessors” including ThisaraPerera and Angelo Mathews, thepaper said.

�� /0/"�-�

Australian speedster KaneRichardson says coach

Andrew McDonald “campedout” at the WankhedeStadium on Saturday night tocheck on dew as his playersprepared to practice withwet balls.

“Andrew McDonaldcamped out here last night totry and see what time thedew came in. Who knows,everyone is guessing. I thinkeveryone is prepared,”Richardson said.

“We’re going to traintoday with some wet balls sowe can practice that. We’lljust wait and see on gameday. It’s nothing new, wehave dew back home as well.”

He said the Virat Kohli-led Indians were thefavourites at home, calling histeam the underdogs for thethree-match ODI series,beginning here tomorrow.

“I think the home teamis always favourite. I think onthe back of last year, I thinkFinchy (Aaron Finch) hassaid no team has ever wonhere back to back. It’s going

to be so hard,” he said.“India in India is always

the biggest challenge andafter what happened last yearthey will be ready for it.Confidence is up but thehome team is always

favourite. We are the under-dogs,” he said ahead of apractice session.

Last year, Australia hadmade a spectacular come-back to record a 3-2 win inODI series in India.

The 28-year-old pacer,who has played 22 ODIs, alsosaid playing in India, wherethe grounds are smaller, is thebiggest challenge.

“It’s the biggest challengein white-ball cricket, comingover here and playing againstIndia on the surfaces overhere. It’s a lot different thanAustralia. The ground sizesare a lot smaller thanAustralia, (and) mis-hits canoften go for six.

“It’s something we havespoken a lot about. I thinkeveryone in the team hasplayed here before, so it’snothing new. Starting todaywe will figure out a plan tostop some of those guys. Itwill be a high-scoring contestI’m sure,” added the right-arm medium pacer.

Australia are touringIndia with a four-prongedpace attack comprising JoshHazlewood, Pat Cumminsand Starc, apart fromRichardson. And the fast-bowler says he is comfortableto be the “next guy in”.

“It would be nice to takethe field with all three ofthem or a couple of them. I

don’t know how it’s going topan out in terms of selection.I’m comfortable being thatnext guy in.

“I have always spokenabout if injuries or formhappen being the next guy in.So if I could take the fieldwith those guys it gives youa lot of confidence that hope-fully when I come onto bowlthere are two or three downearly,” he added.

On a personal note,Richardson, who was in andout of the playing XI duringthe last World Cup, says thathe made his way back intothe team by performing well.

“I think it was justthrough performance onfield. You can improve awayfrom the game all you wantbut I think it was just aboutperforming. The Big Bash lastyear after doing well got meback in the fold and theninjuries happened.

"And then try and be thenext guy in. Always try andstay on top of my game andimprove but I’m back in thisteam because I performed atthe level below,” the paceradded.

'�� %�� &23��/�� (��7��"��"

�� + ��(� �� :��@/�:��3��

+= " ��

�� Richa Ghosh is stillsoaking it all in. When mostgirls of her age will be prepar-ing for their board exams inFebruary, the 16-year-oldSiliguri girl will be bracing forher maiden international crick-et tour with the Indian women’sside and that too the marqueeICC World T20.

The teenager picked up thewillow seeing her fatherManabendra Ghosh, now a part-time Bengal umpire, at a tenderage of four and a half years andafter a good show in theChallenger Trophy has made herway into the national team.

“I never thought that thiswill happen so fast. It’s hard tobelieve and the feeling hasn’tsunk in yet,” Richa said.

“My first role model hasalways been my dad from whomI learnt cricket. Then it wasSachin Tendulkar, who willalways remain my idol.”

But when it’s about her six-hitting skill, it’s none other thanMS Dhoni.

“I love the way he hits sixesand try the same. Whoevermaybe the bowler, when youhave the bat, you can do any-thing.”

Known for her six-hittingexploits, the 16-year-old fromSiliguri is a complete package —someone who loves to open thebatting, bowls quick and alsokeeps wickets. PTI

�� @��44�� H 5��

*�� 4�" ��'��

Bumrah headlinesBCCI Annual Awards

� � �= �(�* �� 3%3��We are underdogs in ODI series: Richardson

� ��' �� &��

= �� ' �� '��@/� ' ��

�� %�� '�-./��

��EA<��$�� <BB

+ ��"�� '�� -��7!� %�