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AN OFFICER AND A

GENTLEMAN

‘Why is Modi govtnot buildingplanned strategicoil reserves’

6

Priyanka slams UP govt over Covidhandling in letter to CM

‘ALL ANDSUNDRY’

2

5

Jagan Govt shouldbe busy fightingCovid-19, not thepoll Chief

Researchers identify 21 existingdrugs that could treat Covid-19PNS n NEW YORK

A global team of scientists hasidentified 21 existing drugs thatstop the replication of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causesCOVID-19.

Notably, four of these com-pounds were found to worksynergistically with remdesivir,a current standard-of-caretreatment for Covid-19, saidthe study published in thejournal Nature.

"Remdesivir has proven suc-cessful at shortening the recov-ery time for patients in the hos-pital, but the drug doesn'twork for everyone who receivesit. That's not good enough,"said senior author of the studySumit Chanda, Professor atSanford Burnham PrebysMedical Discovery Institute inCalifornia, US.

"As infection rates continueto rise in America and aroundthe world, the urgency remainsto find affordable, effective, andreadily available drugs thatcan complement the use ofremdesivir, as well as drugs thatcould be given prophylactical-ly or at the first sign of infec-tion on an outpatient basis."

In the study, the researchteam performed extensive test-ing and validation studies,including evaluating the drugson human lung biopsies that

were infected with the virus.They also evaluated the

drugs for synergies withremdesivir, and establisheddose-response relationshipsbetween the drugs and antivi-ral activity.

Of the 21 drugs that wereeffective at blocking viral repli-cation, the scientists found 13have previously entered clini-cal trials for other indicationsand are effective at concentra-tions, or doses, that could

potentially be safely achieved inCovid-19 patients.

Two are already approved bythe US Food and DrugAdministration: astemizole(allergies), clofazamine (lep-rosy) and remdesivir has

received emergency use autho-rization from the agency(Covid-19).

Four worked synergisticallywith remdesivir, including thechloroquine derivative han-fangchin A (tetrandrine), anantimalarial drug that hasreached Phase 3 clinical trials.

"This study significantlyexpands the possible thera-peutic options for Covid-19patients, especially since manyof the molecules already haveclinical safety data in humans,"said Chanda.

"This report provides the sci-entific community with a larg-er arsenal of potential weaponsthat may help bring the ongo-ing global pandemic to heel."

The researchers are cur-rently testing all 21 compoundsin small animal models and"mini lungs," or lung organoids,that mimic human tissue.

If these studies arefavourable, the team willapproach the US FDA to dis-cuss clinical trials evaluatingthe drugs as treatments forCovid-19.

"Based on our current analy-sis, clofazimine, hanfangchinA, apilimod and ONO 5334represent the best near-termoptions for an effective Covid-19 treatment," said Chanda.

86-year-old woman beats Covid with help of copSUMIT n VISAKHAPATNAM

M Goda Devi, 86, fromVizianagaram has not onlymade a full recovery fromCovid-19, but is now a sourceof inspiration for many tofight the disease. The woman,a resident of KothaAgraharam area in the FortTown tested positive forCOVID-19 and was admittedto Maharaja Institute ofMedical Sciences (MIMS) inVizianagaram, over two weeksago. The octogenarian turnedso weak that she could not

even chew the food given toher in the hospital.

Meanwhile, a woman policeconstable, DharmavarapuRadhika, attached to the Two-Town police station inVizianagaram Town, also test-ed positive for Covid-19 andwas admitted to MIMS.

Radhika sensing the diffi-culty of the elderly womanhelped her for over 10 days inthe MIMS such as making thefood easy to eat etc.

With proper treatment andcare of the Radhika at the hos-pital, the Goda Devi was dis-charged from the hospital on

Friday evening.On Saturday, Vizianagaram

Superintendent of Police BRaja Kumari along with herstaff visited Kotha Agraharamand greeted Goda Devi, whois now at her home. Thepolice congratulated thewoman for defeating Covid-19 with confidence.

Happy to see Vizianagarampolice chief at her door, theelderly woman said that thewoman police constablehelped her a lot in terms ofgiving confidence and makingthe food easy to eat.

PNS n NEW DELHI

Serum Institute of India (SII),which has partnered withAstraZeneca for manufactur-ing the Oxford vaccine candi-date for COVID-19, hassought permission from theDrugs Controller General ofIndia (DCGI) for conductingphase 2/3 human clinical tri-als of the potential vaccine,highly-placed sources said onSaturday. The sources saidthat the Pune-based drug firmsubmitted its application to theDCGI on Friday seeking per-mission for conducting the tri-als of 'Covidshield'.

"According to the applica-tion, it would conduct anobserver-blind, randomisedcontrolled study to determine

the safety and immunogenic-ity of 'Covishield' (COVID-19)in healthy Indian adults. Thefirm said that an around 1,600participants of more than 18years would be enrolled in thestudy," a source said.

Initial results of the first

two-phase trials of the vaccineconducted in five trial sites inthe UK showed it has anacceptable safety profile andhomologous boostingincreased antibody responses,the source said.

DCGI nod sought for phase 2/3clinical trials of Oxford ‘vaccine'

Scared locals blocklast rites of victim

PNS n HYDERABAD

There cannot be a uniformpeak in Covid-19 cases in alarge country like India andeach state has its own trajec-tory based on when peoplethere were exposed to theinfection, a public healthexpert said.

The peak could be wit-nessed in states like Delhi bythis month end or early Augustwhile it may be aroundSeptember in others such asTamil Nadu, Maharashtra andKarnataka, Director of theIndian Institute of PublicHealth (IIPH) here Prof. G VS Murthy said.

IIPH was set up under theaegis of the Public HealthFoundation of India (PHFI).

In states such as Jharkhandit may take longer time as thespread has started only afterthe return of the migrantlabourers, he said.

“So, each state has its own

trajectory based on when peo-ple were exposed to the infec-tion in that particular state.There is not going to be a uni-form peak for the country.There is going to be a numberof peaks in the country," hesaid.

For example, Bihar seemedto be reporting a large numberof cases suddenly after allthose who migrated to othercities, specifically Mumbai and

Delhi, started returning.It takes about 10-14 days for

a Covid-19 person to infectothers in their families andthen the next wave of cases willhappen, Murthy, who estab-lished and headed the firstCommunity OphthalmologyDepartment in the public sec-tor in the country at the All-India Institute of MedicalSciences till 2010,said.

State reports 7,813infections, 52 deaths PNS n VIJAYAWADA

The upward spiral of coron-avirus cases continued inAndhra Pradesh on Saturdaywith the addition of another7,813 infections in a day totake the overall tally to88,671. Another 52Covid-19 patientssuccumbed while3,208 were dis-charged from hos-pitals in the last 24hours, the latest bul-letin said.

The total number ofCovid-19 patients dischargedso far touched 43,255 and thegross toll 985. The state nowhas 44,431 active cases,according to the bulletin.While East Godavari contin-ued the alarming trend by reg-istering 1,324 fresh cases inthe last 24 hours, its neigh-bour West Godavari reported1,012 cases.

East Godavari district nowhas an overall coronavirustally of 12,391, with a stag-gering 8,595 of them active.

Kurnool district, which tilllast week was the top in

Covid-19 cases in the statetil l East Godavari

replaced it, alsocrossed the 10,000mark to reach10,357 onSaturday.

The active casesin Kurnool, however,

were 4,527.Visakhapatnam reported

936 new cases in the last 24hours and Anantapur 723.The bulletin said 53,681 testswere conducted in the last 24hours that yielded 7,813 pos-itives, including 3,741 rapidantigens. Overall, 15,95,674samples were tested till datethat showed an infection pos-itivity rate of 5.56 per cent inthe state.

Two prisonersescape fromCovid CareCentrePNS n VIJAYAWADA

Two prisoners infectedwith Covid-19 haveescaped from the EluruCRR Covid Care Centre inthe early hours of Saturday.

It is said that 13 prison-ers from West Godavarijail, who were infectedwith the dreaded Covid-19virus were admitted to theEluru Covid Care Centre.Taking advantage of this,the two prisoners managedto escape from the centre.

Both the escaped pris-oners are accused in sev-eral theft cases.

Police have launchedefforts to nab the prison-ers after they wereinformed by the staff at thecentre.

District Superintendentof Police Narayana Naikinspected the Covid CareCentre.

No uniform country-widepeak of Covid cases: Expert

PNS n SRIKAKULAM

An ambulance carrying thebody of a Covid-19 victim wasforced to roam around forhours as the family kept search-ing for a cemeteries after vil-lagers in Srikakulam opposedburial. Performing the last ritesof the Covid patient has beenchallenging in the rural pock-ets as villagers have been pre-venting it out of fear.

The ambulance with thebody of the 39-year-old mandid rounds of four cemeteries,but in vain. The villagers ofBattili in Srikakulam arguedthat burial of the Covid patientbody would lead to transmis-sion of the virus in their area.

As the villagers did not allowthe last rites to be performed atfour burial grounds, the sani-tary workers and medicaldepartment personnel wereforced to travel along with theCovid-19 victim’s body forhours in the ambulance. Finally,the sanitary workers, medical

and health officials shifted thebody to the victim’s home-town Battili.

The village has four ceme-teries, but the villagers refusedto allow the Covid victim beburied in all these four places.

Though the police and med-ical officials intervened, thelocals remained adamant anddid not allow the last rites to beperformed. Finally, the bodywas buried in the farmland ofthe victim in the village late onFriday.

Srikakulam district collec-tor J. Nivas said he had giveninstructions to the revenue andpolice departments to lodgecriminal cases against the groupof villagers who prevented thelast rites of the Covid-19 victim.

Nurses atTenali hospitalleft to fend forthemselvesPNS n VIJAYAWADA

Nursing staff working at thegovernment hospital in Tenalion Saturday staged a protestdemanding basic amenitiesand protection from coron-avirus. They claimed that theywere forced to carry out theirduties without protectiveequipment like masks, glovesand PPE kits.

AP NGOs Nursing Association secretary S Kotammaalleged that the officials assuredthat additional staff would beallocated to the hospital formedical services in March butso far, not a single additionalstaff nurse has been allocated toTenali hospital. “This is proof ofthe apathy of the officials. Thereis additional burden on thenurses due to extra work,”Kotamma said, added that thesituation was so pathetic thatthere was not even a separateroom for the nurses to changetheir clothes.

C PRADEEP n VIJAYAWADA

A 101-year-old woman wasdischarged from the SriVenkateswara Institute ofMedical Sciences (SIMS),Tirupati after making a com-plete recovery from the dead-ly Covid-19 on Saturday.

P Mangamma fromTirupati had tested positive afew days ago and was admit-ted to the SIMS PadmavathiState Covid Hospital.

101-year-old womandefeats Coronavirus

The village has fourcemeteries, but thevillagers refused toallow the Covid victimbe buried in all thesefour places.

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33Current Weather ConditionsUpdated July 25, 2020 5:00 PM

ALMANAC TODAY

Month & Paksham:Shravana & Shukla PakshaPanchangamTithi : Panchami: 12:01 pmNakshatram: Uttara Phalguni:

02:18 pmTime to Avoid: (Bad time to start

any important work)Rahukalam: 09:09 am – 10:46 amYamagandam: 01:58 pm – 03:35 pmVarjyam: 10:07 pm – 11:36 pmGulika: 05:57 am - 07:33 amGood Time: (to start any important work)

Amritakalam: 07:37 am – 09:06 amAbhijit Muhurtham: 11:56 am – 12:48 pm

VIJAYAWADAWEATHERFFoorreeccaasstt:: Mostly cloudyTemp: 32/26Humidity: 77%Sunrise: 05.53 amSunset: 06.51 pm

Madhya Pradesh CM testspositive, admitted to hospital PNS n BHOPAL

Madhya PradeshChief MinisterShivraj SinghChouhan onSaturday saidthat he has testedcoronavirus positive.

Chouhan, 61, sharedthe news on Twitter in

the early hours.He was admitted

to a Covid-19 desig-nated private hospi-

tal in Bhopal, a BJPleader said.

US STERILISATION PROGRAMME TRIEDTO ‘BREED OUT’ BLACK PEOPLE: STUDY

REJOIN SCHOOLS EVEN IF THERE'SVIRUS TRANSMISSION: WHITE HOUSE

Children still should go back to school even if it turns out that they aretransmitting the deadly novel coronavirus that has claimed more than

140,000 US lives, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany saidon Friday. President Donald Trump ispushing to re-open US schools, whichabruptly shuttered this past spring whenthe coronavirus first began spreadingacross the country - despite teachers'and families' concerns that childrencould contract or transmit the diseaseshould they return to classrooms.

GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION TAG FORSAFFRON GROWN IN KASHMIR VALLEY

INDIA TESTS RECORD 4.2 L SAMPLESFOR CORONAVIRUS IN PAST 24 HRS

Saffron grown in Kashmir has received the geographical indication (GI)tag, with Lieutenant Governor G C Murmu saying that it is a major

historic step in bringing the valley's brand on the global map. The Uniongovernment issued a certificate of GI registration for the saffron grown inthe Kashmir Valley, an official spokesperson said. Soon aftertaking over as lieutenant governor, Girish ChanderMurmu took a personal interest in ensuring thatKashmir saffron gets GI certification, he said. Pampore,the hub of saffron in Kashmir, is expected to have abumper crop of the spice this season due to initiativestaken by the National Mission on Saffron (NMS).

Asterilization program that ran in the US state of North Carolina from1929 to 1974 was explicitly designed to "breed out" black citizens and

met the UN definition of genocide, a study said this week. Almost 7,600men, women and children as young as 10 were surgically sterilizedunder the program that was created toserve the "public good" by preventing peopledeemed "feebleminded" and others frombecoming parents. Most were coerced butsome women who had no other means ofbirth control sought out sterilization byhaving themselves declared unfit mothers.

Arecord number of more than 4,20,000 COVID-19 tests wereconducted in a single day across India on Friday (July 24, 2020).

With 4,20,898 samples tested in the last 24 hours, the Tests Per Million(TPM) further increased to 11,485 and cumulative testing to1,58,49,068. Both continue to maintain an upward trend.Notably, there has been an increase in the number oflabs from merely one in January 2020 to 1301 inJuly, inclusive of 902 government labs and 399 inthe private sector. The widespread testing has alsobeen achieved through revised facilitative guidelinesof testing by ICMR and governments' efforts.

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VIJAYAWADA | SUNDAY | JULY 26, 2020 vijayawada 02

While the entire worldis focused on com-bating the Covid-19

pandemic, the Andhra Pradeshgovernment is busy wrestlingon another front too and los-ing at every stage. The arena isshifting from the High Courtto the Supreme Court to theRaj Bhavan in the govern-ment’s futile pursuit of vanityand vendetta.

The obstinacy of the govern-ment and persistence of Jaganto see the back of the formerState Election CommissionerNimmagadda Ramesh Kumarhas few precedents in terms ofhounding a retired officialwho faces no charges. Jaganhinted that he may not conduct

elections to the local bodiesfairly as he belongs to thesame (Kamma) caste as TeluguDesam Party president N.Chandrababu Naidu. Hesacked him forthwith by pro-mulgating an ordinance.

Andhra has gained notorietyfor caste-based politics andJagan’s actions fall are in accordwith this pattern. Yet, rarelyhave leaders at the ChiefMinister’s level pinpointed aperson, least of all a personholding a constitutional office,and indicated that his actionsmay be coloured by caste con-siderations.

The SEC imbroglio hashighlighted several legal andpolitical issues ever since itunfolded in April. The SEC’sremoval from office has to fol-low the same procedure as thatof a High Court judge, that isthrough impeachment byParliament. As this was next toimpossible, the governmentinvoked clause 2 of Art 243K

of the Constitution to reducehis term from 5 years to 3years. It prevailed uponGovernor BiswabhusanHarichandan to promulgatean ordinance and issue ordersfor appointing Justice V.Kanagaraj, former MadrasHigh Court judge, as the newSEC.

Keeping aside Jagan’s anath-ema for the official over hisperceived partiality and forpostponing the polls to thelocal bodies, the government’swhole attitude smacks of pet-tiness. It justified its action onthe ground that Covid-19 wasin its initial stages and elec-

tions were indeed possible.But, ultimately, going by therising cases, it would be dif-ficult to hold elections thisyear. The official has one yearof service left and it is diffi-cult to see him helming theelection process.

His replacement, Kanagaraj,who is pushing 75, is no epit-ome of youthful energy tooversee elections a year later.Questions are being asked ofthe Governor, a five-time MLAand lawyer, whether due dili-gence was followed beforesigning the ordinance. Oncethe matter reached courts, thegovernment has been making

every attempt to exploit loop-holes in the written drafts todilute the spirit of the HighCourt’s and the Governor’sorders.

The A. P. High Court con-curred with the ex-SEC’s viewthat the ordinance violated Art243K. After it quashed theordinance effectively reinstat-ing him, it asked him to sub-

mit a memorandum to theGovernor requesting him toimplement the court’s orders.Here lies the crux of the wholeissue giving the government a handle to nix his reinstatement.

Shouldn’t the Governor havestraightaway directed the gov-ernment to reinstate the ex-SEC, instead of recommendingimplementation of the HighCourt’s orders? Questions arealso being asked whether it isa drafting failure or theGovernor’s attempt to play itsafe. It is this lacuna that hasgiven the government a chanceto stall the official’s reinstate-ment by approaching theSupreme Court on two differ-ent counts.

Parallelly, the Jagan govern-ment is pre-occupied with amore serious legal battleagainst petitions challengingthe legality of the two Bills forscrapping Amaravati as the solecapital and for building three

capitals. The petitioners holdthat these Bills cannot overridethe essence of the A. P.Reorganisation Act 2014. TheCentral Act passed byParliament referred only tothe development of “a capital”and not three as proposed atVizag and Kurnool apart fromAmaravati.

It is a misfortune for Andhrathat it lacks a capital even sixyears after bifurcation andeven though Prime MinisterNarendra Modi participated inthe ground-breaking ceremo-ny at Amaravati. It is a biggertragedy for the farmers. Theynursed dreams of reapingbounties in return for thou-sands of acres they had surren-dered in the name of land-pooling for the capital.

The BJP, which rules at theCentre, is a bundle of contra-dictions and a case study indouble-dealing. Its leaderKamineni Srinivas was amongthe petitioners who success-

fully challenged the SEC’stermination, but the partyremains silent about theGovernor’s letter. It remainsduplicitous in its stand on thethree-capital issue too. Thenational unit says it is theState government’s preroga-tive to choose its capital whileState-level leaders come outwith guns blazing againstJagan.

In the midst of these politi-cal games, Andhra is witness-ing a massive spike in thenumber of corona cases andrise in deaths, while grisly sto-ries appear in the media aboutneglect of the living as well asthe dead. When Y. S.Rajasekhara Reddy was thechief minister, schemes likeArogyasri, a health carescheme for the poor, and 108ambulance service becameAP’s showpieces. The presentdispensation is struggling tomanage the Covid-19 pan-demic.

S NAGESH KUMARFormer Resident Editor,

The Hindu

Andhra has gained notoriety for caste-based politicsand Jagan’s actions fall are in accord with this pattern.Yet, rarely have leaders at the Chief Minister’s levelpinpointed a person, least of all a person holding aconstitutional office, and indicated that his actions maybe coloured by caste considerations.

‘ALL ANDSUNDRY’

Jagan Govt should be busy fighting Covid-19, not the poll chief

PNS n VIJAYAWADA

TDP Chief N ChandrababuNaidu on Saturday expressedshock over the untimely deathof Visakhapatnam-basedsocial media activist and partysympathiser Nalanda Kishore.He blamed the YSRCP gov-ernment for 'causing' the deathby putting the 65-year-oldactivist to harassment andmental torture. He allegedthat it was only because of thefalse cases filed by the policethat Kishore took it to his heartand succumbed.

He expressed concern overthe increasing death toll due toCorona in the State anddeplored failure of the govern-ment as the cause of the swiftspread of pandemic. The TDPchief, in a statement here,condemned what he describedas the inhuman activities of theruling party. He conveyed hiscondolences and deepest sym-pathies to the bereaved fami-ly members.

Naidu accused the govern-ment and the police of impli-cating Kishore in false cases forhis posts on social media.Though an elderly person,Kishore, was arbitrarily arrest-ed and taken by road throughdistricts for hundreds of kilo-metres. He was facing a greaterthreat from virus infectionsbecause of his age but thepolice did not care about this.

The TDP chief demandedthat the government takeresponsibility for the death ofthe activist. He was moved todifferent police stations andwas subjected to a lot of men-tal and physical harassment. Itwas because of this Kishorewas deeply pained and hurt, hesaid.

PNS n VIJAYAWADA

TDP MLA D Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy on Saturdayexpressed concern overdeteriorating situation inthe State for the past fewdays due to the Covid-19pandemic.

Addressing a press confer-ence here on Saturday, theTDP MLA demanded thatthe YSRCP governmentincrease the bed strengthand set up exclusive Covidhospital with 3,000 to 5,000beds in each of the 13 districtheadquarters in the State.The number of doctorsneeds to be increased.Currently, there is one doc-tor per 200 beds whereas themanageable proportion isone doctor per 20 beds.

It unfortunate that peopleare being ruled byJaganmohan Reddy, who wasleast bothered about theirsafety and lives.

The TDP MLA advisedthe government to respectthe frontline warriors likedoctors, medical staf f ,police, sanitation workers,journalists and others.Though they were riskingtheir lives in the communi-ty's fight against the virus,the government and IASofficers had insulted thedoctors. Prakasam DistrictJoint Collector made theDM&HO stand at a meetingin a disrespectful manner.

Renovated barrack forRPF commissionedPNS n VISAKHAPATNAM

Renovated Barrack of RailwayProtection Force at Marripalem(Visakhapatnam) was madeoperational as per the requiredtemplate of Railway Board.Divisional Railway Manager ofWaltair Division Chetan KumarShrivastava commissioned therenovated facility through videoconnectivity in the presence ofSenior Divisional SecurityCommissioner (RPF) JitendraShrivastava at the Barrack.

The improved modern facil-ities provided at renovatedBarrack are now available forRPF staff at Marripalem com-prises 1) Semi modular kitchenwith all the mess gadgets likeindustrial RO, microwave ovens,grinders, flour mixer, chimney,weight machine, coffee maker etc2) Mini-sports complex for tabletennis, carrom and chess 3)Badminton court 4) Gym facil-ities with treadmills, foot mas-sager and cycling.

Apart from this all toiletblocks were also renovated anda living hall was provided withthe wardrobes. Sanitisation andrequired items as per the guide-

lines are also provided in thisBarrack.

The renovation of this Barrackwas completed in six monthswith an investment of Rs 35lakhs. It is for the first time in EastCoast Railway Zone to providesuch modern facilities at RPFBarracks. Renovation of otherBarracks in Visakhapatnam andin Viziangaram is also underprogress. These renovations arethe part of staff welfare measuresin order to improve the produc-tivity and efficiency of RPF per-sonnel.

Covid-19 gives smokers theperfect opportunity to quit SUMIT ONKA n VISAKHAPATNAM

Quitting smoking for smokersis not easy. But when scientistsopined it may reduce risk ofsevere Coronavirus infectionsymptoms, a good number ofyoungsters in Vizag seem tohave deserted their habits. Thepandemic has compelled themto quit smoking as the SevereAcute Respiratory SyndromeCoronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2),which causes respiratory illness.

Doctors in the city opine thatsmokers with positive Covid-19test were more than twice aslikely as non-smokers withCoronavirus to be hospitalisedand 1.8 times more likely to die.Those facing withdrawal symp-toms post lockdown announce-ment have now completely quitsmoking. Though many wereplanning to quit, they wereunable due to easy access.However, staying at home hascompelled them to control theurge and quit smoking alto-gether. In many families, peo-ple would not smoke at homeout of a sense of respect for

their elders, or because of theabsence of social cues of partiesand post-lunch tea breaks withcolleagues.

"I have been trying to quitsmoking for quite some timenow. It was always one of thosestop and start affairs. What thelockdown did to me is to bringthings into perspective, amoment of quiet reflection inthe middle of a pandemic, onhow much I prioritise myhealth. I had never spent somuch time at home. It gave me

enough time to think: "If notnow, then when?", says Rajesh,a techie. Moreover, doctorssaid that smokers were 14 percent more likely than non-smokers to develop the three'classic' symptoms ofCoronavirus infection - fever,persistent cough and short-ness of breath.

An official release fromWHO said, "The available evi-dence suggests that smoking isassociated with increased sever-ity of disease and death in hos-

pitalised Covid-19 patients." "It is not the normal 9-to-5

job in the creative industry; youalways have to be ideating.After crazy meetings and brain-storming, you could leave all ofit aside for a little while, to havea smoke," said John Wilson,who works at ShineAdvertisement Agency.

Psychiatrist Dr K ChandraSekhar has been speaking withpeople online, who have beenlooking to quit during thelockdown. For the first week,the questions were mostlyaround dealing with with-drawal symptoms and sourc-ing nicotine patches. Eightweeks down the line, a coupleof them tell him they have notrelapsed.

"The reason you quit is veryimportant. If it is just becausecigarettes are not available atthis point of time, or there isa compulsion to be at home, itis never going to last. But ifthey were meaning to quitbefore this, and see the lock-down as an opportunity, thengiving up will be easier," hesays.

TENDER NOTICE ISSUED FOR PUMPING OF KRISHNA WATER

AP violating water sharingnorms, alleges Cong ex-MLA PNS n HYDERABAD

Former MLA and AICC mem-ber Challa Vamshichand Reddyin his letter addressed to UnionMinister for Jal Shakthi GajendraSingh Shekawat urged to cancelthe Tender Notice No. 1SE/2020-2021 dated 15.07.2020 for pump-ing and utilisation of three tmcfeet of Krishna River water perday through Raayalaseema LiftIrrigation Scheme by AndhraPradesh.

In his letter on Saturday,Vamshichand said that he wouldlike to draw the attention of JalShakthi Ministry in regard toAndhra Pradesh's lawbreakingact of violating all the water shar-ing norms and the Re-organisa-tion Act by calling for TenderNotice No. 1SE/2020-2021 dated15.07.2020 for pumping andutilisation of water fromSrisailam Right Main Canal,

which is four km belowPothireddypadu head regulatorfrom Sangameshwaram at threetmc feet of water per day throughRaayalaseema Lift IrrigationScheme by the Andhra Pradeshgovernment.

He said that the Jal ShakthiMinistry in May directed theKrishna River ManagementBoard (KRMB) to collect DPRsof all the new projects that AP

intends to execute and to con-duct a thorough scrutinywhether these projects complywith the AP Re-organisation Actnorms, or not. As per your fiat,the KRMB has held a meetingon June 4, 2020 and directed APto withhold the execution of anynew projects until they submis-sion of DPRs of these projectsand get a technical approval fromthe KRMB, CWC and ApexCouncil. But the AP govt has notonly violated the Re-organisationAct but also issued tender noticedisregarding the KRMB's direc-tive, he alleged.

He sought the intervention ofthe Jal Shakthi Ministry to lookinto this issue and take immedi-ate action against the AndhraPradesh government for notonly violating the laws but alsoproceeding without any techni-cal approval from the KRMB,CWC and Apex Council.

l An official release fromWHO said, "The availableevidence suggests thatsmoking is associated withincreased severity of diseaseand death in hospitalisedCovid-19 patients"

l Doctors said thatsmokers were 14 per centmore likely than non-smokers to develop thethree ‘classic' symptoms ofCoronavirus infection - fever,persistent cough andshortness of breath

Stewards serve food donningPPE kits at wedding functionPNS n VIJAYAWADA

With the Coronavirus set to stayfor some more time, the wed-ding planners are taking all themeasures to ensure the safety ofeach and every one. Now, avideo surfaced online, whichshows stewards serving foodwearing PPE kits. In a weddingthat took place on July 22 atMudinepalli village, the waitersserved food to the guests don-ning PPE kits.

After three months, KotiCaterers from Gudivada inKrishna district got a contractand they were asked to arrangefood for around 150-200 platesfor the wedding.

The wedding organisers,keeping in mind the Covid-19guidelines, instructed the cater-ers to ensure that all the stewardsand teams wear PPE kits whilemaintaining good hygiene.Their temperatures were alsochecked and sanitisers wereused. The guests had dinnerserved by stewards donning thePPE kits The number of

Coronavirus cases has beenincreased in the State and it waslisted in the top five worst-hitstates in the country. The State

allowed the tahsildar to grant aclearance to the marriage andwithout permission, no functionis permitted in the State.

l A video surfaced online, whichshows waiters serving food wearing

PPE kits. In a wedding that took placeon July 22 at Mudinepalli village, the

waiters served food to the guestsdonning PPE kits

l Koti Caterers from Gudivada inKrishna district got a contract and theywere asked to arrange food for around

150-200 plates for the wedding

l The wedding organisers,keeping in mind the Covid-19 guidelines, instructedthe caterers to ensure thatall the waiters and teamswear PPE kits whilemaintaining good hygiene.Their temperatures werealso checked and sanitiserswere used

PNS n HYDERABAD

The COVID-19 pandemic andthe subsequent lockdown sawmany people turning chefsovernight, but those who couldnot, turned to online delivery offood. And not just any food, asper a new report, Indians"craved the most for Biryani"during the lockdown.

The "StatEATistics report:The Quarantine Edition" fromfood delivery platform Swiggyfound that Indians orderedbiryani over "5.5 lakh times"from their favourite restaurants.

The new normal might haveopened a pandora's box ofbehavioural changes, but some

old habits die hard like the lovefor Biryani, which took the top

spot for overall orders. It was fol-lowed by butter naan and masaladosa at 3,35,185 and 3,31,423,respectively.

Biryani has topped the list ofmost ordered dishes for thefourth year in a row, the fooddelivery platform noted.

Indians didn't forget toindulge their sweet tooth in theuncertain months of lockdown.Their favourite comfort foodduring the lockdown periodwas the moist and decadentChoco Lava cake, orderedaround 1,29,000 times.

"The humble Gulab Jamun(84,558) and chic Butterscotch

Mousse cake (27,317) followedsuit," said the report derivedfrom Swiggy's order analysis inthe past few months acrosscities that it is present in.

Also, as birthday partiesmoved to video calls, and virtu-al cake cutting sessions, accord-ing to the food delivery plat-form, it delivered nearly"1,20,000 cakes" to completethese celebrations.

According to the report, on anaverage, "65,000 meal orders"were placed by 8 pm each dayto make sure food arrived intime for dinner. "It was thebusiest hour for Swiggy delivery

partners and restaurants. On anaverage, they (customers) choseto tip Rs 23.65, with one partic-ularly generous customer tip-ping Rs 2,500," it added.

For those who only relied onhome-made food during thequarantine, Swiggy delivered awhooping 323 million kgs ofonions and 56 million kgs ofbananas through its grocerysection, hence, ensured that itsconsumers were all stocked up.That said, it also took care of the'quick-fix meal' tribe — con-sumers who resort to the ever-green college hacks of living oninstant noodles.

Biryani most ordered food during lockdown: Report

Naidu blamesgovernment for social media activist's death

Increase bedsto tacklerapid spreadof Covid: TDP

l The renovation of thisBarrack was completed in sixmonths with an investment ofRs 35 lakhs. It is for the firsttime in East Coast RailwayZone to provide such modernfacilities at RPF Barracks.Renovation of other Barracksin Visakhapatnam and inViziangaram is also underprogress. These renovationsare the part of staff welfaremeasures in order to improvethe productivity and efficiencyof RPF personnel

Garuda SevaconductedPNS n TIRUMALA

The annual Garuda Seva fetewas celebrated to markGaruda Panchami atTirumala temple on Saturdayevening. Sri MalayappaSwamy seated on GarudaVahana and the seva wasconducted in Ekantam inRanganayakula Mandapamin view of COVID-19 restric-tions. Chinna Jiyar Swamy,CVSO Gopinath Jatti, templedeputy executive officerHarindranath, templepeishkar Jaganmohana Chariwere also present.

EGG RATES

` 53,230 (10 gm)

10

GOLD

` 61,050 (1kg)

` 550

HYDERABAD 330VIJAYAWADA 356VISAKHAPATNAM 360RREETTAAIILL PPRRIICCEE `33..8800

SILVER

VIJAYAWADABULLION RATES

`//110000

CHICKEN RATES

Dressed/With Skin `162

Without Skin `185

Broiler at Farm `112

`//KKGG

(IN VIJAYAWADA)

VIJAYAWADA | SUNDAY | JULY 26, 2020 vijayawada 03

No income proof for ricecards, declares DharmanaPNS n VIJAYAWADA

Dharmana Krishna Das onSaturday took charge asDeputy Chief Minister. Healso assumed charge ofRevenue, Stamps andRegistrations portfolios thatwere allocated to him follow-ing his elevation as DeputyChief Minister.

On assuming charge, hesigned on the file validating theincome proof certificates forfour years from now onwards.Speaking on this occasion, theDeputy Chief Minister saidthat he would work to live upto the trust of Chief Minister YSJaganmohan Reddy. He alsoannounced that there is noneed for the ration card hold-ers receiving subsidised rice toproduce an income proof cer-tificate. He also said that elab-orate arrangements have beenput in place to distribute housesite pattas for 30 lakh beneficia-ries in the State on August 15.

He said a friendly revenuesystem would be put in place

for speedy resolution of landissues and disputes. Statingthat the revenue department isthe third-largest department inthe State in terms of employ-ees’ strength, he promised toensure transparency in thefunctioning of the revenuedepartment without scope forcorruption.

Dharmana Krishna Dastermed his elevation as aDeputy CM as an “honour for

the people of the north Andhrabackward class communitiesand the people of Srikakulamdistrict”.

"We will take immediatesteps to ensure that the servicesprovided by the revenue officesare made available to all thepeople through the Villageand Ward Secretariats and alsoconduct land re-survey in theState besides updating the landrecords," he added.

n Dharmana Krishna Das,who took charge asDeputy Chief Minister onSaturday, also said afriendly revenue systemwould be put in place forspeedy resolution of landissues and disputes.Stating that the revenuedepartment is the third-largest department in theState in terms ofemployees’ strength, hepromised to ensuretransparency in thefunctioning of therevenue departmentwithout scope forcorruption

n Krishna Das termed hiselevation as a Deputy CMas an “honour for thepeople of the northAndhra backward classcommunities and thepeople of Srikakulamdistrict”

Skill devt colleges aim tobrighten future of AP youthPNS n VIJAYAWADA

Minister for IT & IndustriesMekapati Goutham Reddyinformed that in October fiveSkill Development Collegeswould be formally commencedin the State. This was informedat a review meeting held withthe skill development depart-ment officials through a videoconference on Saturday. Skilldevelopment special secretaryG Anantharam, employmentand training directorLavanyaveni, skill develop-ment chairman ChMadhusudhan Reddy, APSS-DC MD & CEO Arja Srikanthand others were present.

The minister said that on theoccasion of Gandhi Jayantion October 2, Chief MinisterYS Jaganmohan Reddy wouldformally inaugurate five SkillDevelopment Colleges at YSRKadapa, Eluru, Ongole,Anantapur and SPS Nellore.He informed officials con-cerned to take measures andprepare an action plan to set up25 Skill Development Collegesacross the State by next yearJanuary. A project monitoringunit shall be set up to monitor30 Skill Development Collegesin the State.

He said that five colleges,which will start in October,have been completed and arebeing given final touches to thedesigns and layouts of the col-leges. The minister recalledthat a team of experts visitedCenturion Skill University inBhubaneswar last year. He saidthat the upcoming SkillDevelopment Colleges in the

State should also have'Centurion' level standards. Itwas revealed that a specialteam of architects will also betouring to look into the affairsof the Skill DevelopmentCollege structures and sites.

He also said that a HighNetwork Industries VirtualMeeting on skill related cours-es and curricula would be setup soon. The new courses willbe approved after discussions

with top companies' expertsand academics on priorityareas. "We have already stud-ied 20 courses that will providefuture employment opportuni-ties to the youth in key sectors.We will conduct training class-es under the auspices of theWorld-Level SkillsDevelopment, Training,Employment High-LevelCommittee, ISB," said the min-ister.

n “We have alreadystudied 20 courses thatwill provide futureemploymentopportunities to theyouth in key sectors. Wewill conduct trainingclasses under theauspices of the World-Level SkillsDevelopment, Training,Employment High-LevelCommittee, ISB," saidMinister for IT &Industries MekapatiGoutham Reddy

n The minister recalled thata team of experts visitedCenturion Skill Universityin Bhubaneswar last year.He said that the upcomingSkill DevelopmentColleges in the Stateshould also have'Centurion' levelstandards. It was revealedthat a special team ofarchitects will also betouring to look into theaffairs of the SkillDevelopment Collegestructures and sites

Lokeshobjects toliquor salestill 9 pmPNS n VIJAYAWADA

TDP leader Nara Lokesh onSaturday launched a scathingattack on the YSRCP govern-ment for extending sales at theliquor shops till 9 pm.

Lokesh termed it as an atro-cious decision coming at atime when thousands of peo-ple were testing Corona-posi-tive every day while tens ofpatients were dying of the fatalinfection. The extension ofsale hours was only aimed atlooting more public money.

Very unfortunate that at thiscritical time, the ruling partywas looking for more J-tax col-lections, he alleged. On theother hand, people were suffer-ing due to lack of proper facil-ities and food at QuarantineCentres.

The former minister, in astatement here, deplored thatthe government liquor shopshave already turned into Jagan’sofficial super-spreaders ofCoronavirus infections.Minimum preventive mea-sures were not being taken atthe shops. Heavy crowds, longqueues and no social distanc-ing were triggering a spirallingrise in positive cases.

Lokesh said the govern-ment was misleading the pub-lic by saying that the saleextension was for settlingeveryday accounts. From now,every Corona death would betreated as a death caused dueto the government's negli-gence. The liquor shopsshould be immediately shutdown, he demanded.

Instil confidence among patientsto overcome Corona fear: NaiduPNS n VIJAYAWADA

Fearing non-availability of vac-cine in near future, TDPNational President and formerChief Minister NChandrababu Naidu onSaturday underscored the needfor greater preventive mea-sures, social digitalisation andyoga to avoid grave dangerfrom increased Coronavirusthreat in the country.

Naidu interacted with doc-tors, nurses and paramedicalstaff, who are risking theirlives, while battling the lethalCovid-19 pandemic. Hestressed the need for carryingout 'weekly Covid audits' at thelevel of families, organisationsand countries. This wouldhelp in understanding thenature of virus spread in orderto plan better and to minimisethe damage. Systematic effortsmust be made to follow bestpractices and dos and don'ts.

He termed it as an individ-ual responsibility of everyoneto sanitise their houses, com-mon areas and offices proper-ly. Standard operating proce-dures (SOPs) should bestreamlined in dealing withtesting, ambulance services

and proper quarantining andisolation of patients. Naidusaid yoga and respiratoryhealth were crucial for bothinfected and normal people tostay safe. Immunity building inevery way possible should beencouraged among all sec-tions of population. For vari-ous reasons, fatalities werelesser in the country. DifferentStates were reacting different-ly to the virus in the country.Immunity boosting foods wereneeded and awareness shouldbe created on this aspect.

Stating that a new fear pan-demic was posing a greaterthreat now, Naidu said thepatients must be educated onthe important role of courage

and confidence in successful-ly recovering from the infec-tion.

“There were many instanceswhere even the unhealthy andweak patients came out ofdanger boldly. Even a healthyperson may succumb if therewas panic or fear psychosis.The families and the sur-rounding society should giveall necessary support to thepatients to defeat the invisibleenemy. Doctors should con-stantly provide online medicalguidance to the people,” hesuggested.

Former Chief MinisterN ChandrababuNaidu stressed theneed for carrying out'weekly Covid audits'at the level offamilies, organisatio-ns and countries.This would help inunderstanding thenature of virusspread in order toplan better and tominimise the damage

Nurses atTenali hospitalleft to fend forthemselves

Continued from Page 1

“What is worse is thatthere is no bathroom forstaff in the hospital premis-es to take bath after attend-ing emergency duties. Thereare no face masks or glovesavailable in the hospital andthe nurses are forced to pur-chase these essential items byspending from their ownpocket,” Kotamma alleged.

She said that the staff wasconducting swab tests, col-lecting samples from thepatients without any protec-tive equipment which is cre-ating fear among them andthis has been informed manytimes to the higher authori-ties but there has been noaction.

She said that they wereworking in fear due to thepandemic and there was noway if someone is an asymp-tomatic patient.

Kotamma said that thestaff was working hard andready to provide medical ser-vice but their demandsshould be fulfilled withoutdelay.

Madhya PradeshCM tests positive,admitted to hospital

Continued from Page 1

"I had symptoms ofCovid-19. In the testreport I was found posi-tive. I appeal to all my col-leagues that whoever hascome in my contact to gettested for coronavirus. Myclose contacts shouldmove to quarant ine,"Chouhan said in a tweet.

In another tweet ,Chouhan said that i fdetected and treated ontime, Covid-19 infectioncan be cured.

"I have been reviewing

the status of coronavirusinfection in the state everyevening since March 25.Now I will try to review thesituation through videoconferencing as much aspossible," he said.

Chouhan also said that inhis absence, the meeting toreview the coronavirus sit-uation will be held by HomeMinister Narottam Mishra,Urban Development andAdministration MinisterBhupendra Singh, MedicalEducation Minister VishwasSarang and Health MinisterPrabhuram Choudhary.

101-year-oldwoman defeatsCoronavirus

Continued from Page 1

She was administered treat-ment in the isolation ward underthe supervision of the doctors,nurses, paramedical and sanitarystaff.

SIMS medical superintendentDr Ram said that Mangamma isa good example for people whofeel that it's all over if they testpositive for Covid.

“One should be bold enoughto come forward and get testedand only then would they beable to defeat the virus, likeMangamma could,” Dr Ramsaid. The family members ofMangamma thanked the doc-tors, nurses, staff and sanitaryworkers for their service.

Continued from Page 1

Governments need to continuewith measures to deal with thevirus and the community alsoshould strictly adhere to preven-tive guidelines such as washinghands and maintaining physicaldistancing, he said and stressed ontaking intense steps in denselypopulated areas.

States like Jharkhand (presenttotal cases 7,564), Chattisgarh(6,819) and parts in eastern UttarPradesh too had reported muchlower cases earlier but the spreadwould start occurring as themigrants have returned now totheir homes.

"There, the peak will take muchlonger. It would be somewheretowards the end of September orOctober that those states whichhad low reporting earlier, willhave a peak," he said.

But, states like Haryana,Telangana, Karnataka, AndhraPradesh and Tamil Nadu shouldbe able to achieve the maximumnumber of cases by mid-

September, he said.All these states which were

reporting very high numbers now,should not be getting the samenumbers beyond mid- September.Some states should achieve thepeak by mid-August also.

For example, Delhi seems to beon a path where, by the end of thismonth or early August, it can besaid that the peak has been crossed,he said.

The same could be the case withRajasthan and Punjab, and otherstates, including Maharashtra,Karnataka, Telangana and AndhraPradesh may reach the peak in

September, he said.The peak should occur in Tamil

Nadu by the middle or the thirdweek of August, said Murthy,who had worked at the WorldHealth Organisation (WHO) onChildhood Blindness programme.

He said the governments needto continue with measures to dealwith the virus as the health systemwould be overwhelmed if therewas a sudden rise in cases and ifthe states are unprepared.

Such a scenario had been seenin Mumbai and others, the expert,who was a UNAIDS Consultantwith the National Aids ControlOrganisation (NACO), added.

"Kerala, you have seen now.They thought they had seen theend of Covid. Suddenly, in the lastover 10 days, Kerala has had amuch larger number of cases thanbefore," he said.

Complete monitoring wasrequired in densely populatedareas and intense steps should betaken when there is a sudden spikein cases.

The three Ts — Test, Track and

Treatment — were important toreduce the infections and slippinginto serious complications, henoted.

The community should followprecautions, including wearing amask, hand-washing and main-taining physical distance, thehealth expert said.

If somebody has any doubt ofinfection, they should immediate-ly seek medical attention.Gatherings should be avoided.

"As a community, we cannotput the entire onus on the gov-ernment. As a community, it isour responsibility (to take theprecautions)," he added.

At the government level,Murthy suggested arrangingmobile labs to collect samples (toavoid overcrowding) in a city likeHyderabad rather than peoplecoming to certain locations togive samples.

The community health cen-tres can be strengthened with afew beds having oxygen supplyfacilities dedicated to Covid careto treat needy patients.

No uniform country-wide peak of Covid cases: Expert

Continued from Page 1

"While some of thesedrugs are currently inclinical trials for Covid-19, we believe it's impor-tant to pursue addition-al drug candidates so wehave multiple therapeu-tic options if SARS-CoV-2 becomes drug resis-tant." The drugs werefirst identified by high-throughput screening ofmore than 12,000 drugsfrom the ReFRAMEdrug repurposing collec-tion -- the most compre-hensive drug repurpos-ing collection of com-pounds that have beenapproved by the FDA forother diseases or thathave been tested exten-sively for human safety.

Researchers identify 21 existingdrugs that could treat Covid-19

Serum Institute of Indiaseeks DCGI permission for...

Continued from Page 1

To introduce the vaccine, SII,the world's largest vaccine makerby number of doses produced andsold, has signed an agreement tomanufacture the potential vaccinedeveloped by the Jenner Institute(Oxford University) in collabora-tion with British-Swedish pharmacompany AstraZeneca.

On the partnership withAstraZeneca, Serum Institute ofIndia CEO Adar Poonawalla hadsaid, "Serum Institute of India hasentered a manufacturing partner-ship with AstraZeneca to produceand supply 1 billion doses of theCOVID-19 vaccine being devel-

oped by Oxford University."These vaccines will be for India

and middle and low incomecountries across the world (GAVIcountries), he had said.

The firm plans to start thephase 2 and 3 human trials inIndia in August. OxfordUniversity on Monday announcedsatisfactory progress with thevaccine, making it one of the lead-ing ones among the dozens of vac-cine candidates being developedaround the world.

According to a report in theLancet, the initial trial resultsshowed that the vaccine is safe andprompts protective immuneresponse.

86-yr-oldwoman beatsCovid withhelp of a cop

Continued from Page 1

She also said thatshe didn’t know theyoung woman(Radhika) helped herall these days as a cop,till Friday morning. “Iam really lucky to havesuch a person asRadhika at the hospitalas my family memberswere unable to visit thehospital due to Covid-19 prevalence,” sheadded. Raja Kumaritold the family mem-bers of the woman totake care of the seniorcitizen and to seek anysupport from the policein the event of anyemergency.

PNS n VISAKHAPATNAM

Former minister Ganta SrinivasaRao is mum over the death of hisclose aide Nalanda Kishore whilehis party, TDP, with all guns blaz-ing holding the YSRCP govern-ment responsible for it.His silence over the incident ismaking the rumours that he willbe switching over his loyalties tothe YSRCP louder than earlier.Some in the Vizag political cir-cles reasoned that his commenton TDP activist’s death couldruin his plans to join the rulingparty.On June 24, the cybercrimewing of the Andhra PradeshCrime Investigation Department(APCID) arrested Nalanda

Kishore in Vizag on charges ofsharing a derogatory post againstYSRCP MP Vijayasai Reddy andTourism Minister M SrinivasaRao.Kishore was taken to Vijayawadafor further investigation. Then,

xriticising Kishore’s arrest, theTDP leader Ganta Srinivasa Raohad dared the police to targethim, not his friends.However, he did not make anycomment on Kishore’s death. Ifthe rumour mills are right, the

former minister is all set to jointhe YSRCP.

Corona spread outside Hyderabad sendsalarm bells ringing in TelanganaPNS n HYDERABAD

The rising Covid-19 cases indistricts across Telangana overthe last few days has left theauthorities of the healthdepartment worried.

Amid warnings of a possiblecommunity spread and thealarming situation in theneighboring Andhra Pradesh,the surge in the virus spreadoutside the state capital andsurroundings is posing a newchallenge to the authorities.

While Greater Hyderabadwas recorded 80-90 per cent of

the daily cases 15 days ago, thefigures are now throwing a dif-ferent picture.

Districts are now accountingfor nearly 50 per cent of thedaily jump in cases.

It is in this context that thealert sounded by the healthauthorities has assumed signif-icance. Hinting at the possibil-ity of community spread, theysaid next 4-5 weeks would becrucial.

Local spread of the virus incertain pockets has sent thealarm bells ringing in thehealth department prompting

the officials to warn that if nosteps were taken, then thevirus could affect everyone.

The officials say that theprecautions by people couldhelp check the spread. Peoplehave been advised to stay athome and if it is inevitable togo out they should wearmasks, maintain physical dis-tance and frequently washtheir hands.

GHMC limits, which coverthe core city and suburbs, wit-nessed a massive surge inCoronavirus cases after theeasing of lockdown norms in

May. Last month, there was abig spike.

The daily jump in casestouched almost 2,000 earlythis month. For instance, onJuly 8, the state reported 1,924positive cases. Of these nearly83 per cent were reported inGHMC. In the second week ofthe month, the number ofoverall cases came down by afew hundred but a new trendwas visible as the number ofnew cases in GHMC camedown while more number ofnew infections were reportedfrom districts.

Fake babaclaiming tocure Covid heldPNS n HYDERABAD

A fake baba claiming to cureCoronavirus through deviousmeans was arrested by theMiyapur police on Saturday.The arrested person was iden-tified as Mohammed Ismail.According to police, the 47-year-old Baba was caught red-handed while attempting totreat a persons suffering fromsymptoms of the deadlyCoronavirus on Friday.

The accused charging Rs40,000 to Rs 50,000 per Coronasuspect for unscientific treat-ment, including chantingmantr.

Raids were carried out atHanif Colony in Hafeezpetand the Baba was arrested.

Ganta keeps mum over death of his aideOn June 24, thecybercrime wingof the APCIDarrested NalandaKishore in Vizagon charges ofsharing aderogatory postagainst YSRCPMP VijayasaiReddy andTourism MinisterM Srinivasa Rao

VIJAYAWADA | SUNDAY | JULY 26, 2020 nation 04

SHORT READS

Covid situationdifferent from Killari quake: PawarAURANGABAD: PraisingMaharashra Chief MinisterUddhav Thackekray over theCOVID-19 management in thestate, NCP president SharadPawar on Saturday said thatthe situation caused by thedevastating earthquake inKillari in 1993 was differentfrom the present pandemic.Talking to reporters here, healso said that the benefits ofthe Centre's package aimed atbringing the economy back ontrack were not yet seen.Replying to a query that he(Pawar) had shifted the CMOffice to Latur after the Killariearthquake, while Thackeraywas managing things fromhome, the former Unionminister said, "The situation inKillari was different. Thatcalamity was restricted to onedistrict. But the present crisishas covered the entire state."Pawar was the chief ministerof the state when theearthquake hit Killari in Laturdistrict, in which at least10,000 people had died. "If thechief minister goes outeverywhere in the state thencoordination will be a toughtask," Pawar said.

Chhattisgarh: Lockedin a room, 43 cowsdie of suffocation

13-member BJPdelegation to meetRajasthan governorJAIPUR: A delegation of theopposition BJP will meetRajasthan Governor KalrajMishra around 5 pm onSaturday. A party spokespersonsaid the delegation would holddiscussions on the situationarising due to the spread ofcoronavirus. BJP statepresident Satish Poonia andLeader of Opposition GulabChand Kataria will lead the 13-member delegation.

BILASPUR: At least 43 cowsdied of suffocation in a smallroom of a panchayat buildingwhere they were allegedlylocked in Chhattisgarh'sBilaspur district, a seniorofficial said on Saturday. Thedeaths came to light thismorning when villagersexperienced a foul odouremanating from the room, andfound that some of the cattlehad died, said Bilaspurcollector Saransh Mittar. Hesaid a total of 60 cows werelocked in a room in the oldpanchayat building of Medparvillage under Takhatpurdevelopment block. An inquiryis underway to find out sincewhen and why cows werelocked in the room, he said.Autopsies revealed that 43cows had died of suffocation,the official said, adding thatremaining 17 cows are in astable condition. The policehave registered a case underprovisions of the Prevention ofCruelty to Animals Act andsection 429 (mischief bykilling or maiming cattle) ofthe IPC, he said.

Online convention to pay homage toformer president A P J Abdul KalamPNS n NEW DELHI

‘Mission Kalam', an online con-vention celebrating the life andtime of the 11th President ofIndia A P J Abdul Kalam wasinaugurated on Saturday.

The convention will be host-ed by Los Angeles-based PinkJaguars Entertainment, the ban-ner behind the former presi-dent's upcoming biopic “APJAbdul Kalam: The Missile Man”.

The event will take place foreleven weekends with elevenonline sessions starting fromJuly 25, the day when Kalamtook charge as the 11th presi-dent in 2002, to October 15,which marks his 89th birthanniversary.

“This convention will haveleaders from various areas ofexpertise to share their experi-ences on Dr Kalam, who wasknown as the ‘Missile Man ofIndia',” Suvarna Pappu, manag-ing director, Pink JaguarsEntertainment, said in the

Zoom session.The virtual inauguration was

attended by Vellaichamy Ponraj,ADA scientist and former tech-nical advisor to Kalam; ShekharRao Perala, ex vice-chairperson-Nehru Yuva KendraSanghatan(NYKS) and nation-al executive member, BJP; VasaSeshagiri Rao, IRS, ChiefCommissioner CGST,Hyderabad Zone; Shaina NC,spokesperson BJP; director-

writer of biopic, JagadeeshDaneti; and actor MohammedAli, who essays the role ofKalam in the film.

Reminiscing his journey withthe former president,Vellaichamy said it was a life-changing experience to workwith Kalam and co-author thebook “Manifesto of Change”with him.

“I was in 10th standard whenSLV-3 was launched and I had

a dream to become a scientistlike Dr Kalam. I never knew Iwill be travelling with him for 20years after joining DRDO. Hismission was to make India self-reliant in aeronautics, defenceand atomic energy.

“I hope the biopic will inspireyouth across the globe as thegrowth of science and technol-ogy is parallel to the growth ofKalam,” Vellaichamy said.

PNS n MUMBAI

Maharashtra Chief MinisterUddhav Thackeray on Saturdaysaid that he was not in favour ofcomplete lifting of the coron-avirus-induced lockdown inthe state only to address the eco-nomic concerns.

He said there was a need tostrike a balance between theissues related to health andeconomy considering the chal-lenge posed by the pandemic.

"I will never say that the lock-down will be lifted completely.But I have started reopening afew things gradually. Oncereopened, it shouldn't be shutagain. Hence, I prefer takingsteps in phases. You can't justthink about economy or health.There needs to be a balancebetween the two," he said.

Thackeray made this state-ment in an interview publishedin Shiv Sena mouthpiece

'Saamana' on Saturday. The ongoing lockdown in the

state will continue till July 31.From June onwards, the govern-ment had started lifting therestrictions in phase-wise man-ner under its 'Mission BeginAgain' initiative.

"This pandemic is a globalwar. It has affected the entireworld. Those countries whichhad lifted the lockdown in

haste thinking that it was over,were again forced to impose itto curb the spread. In Australia,they had to rope in Army," hesaid.

"Many people are opposinglockdown. They say that lock-down is affecting the economy.To such people, I would say thatI am ready to lift the lockdown,but if people die due to it, wouldyou take theresponsibility?...Even we areconcerned about the economy,"he said.

On the restarting of the sub-urban railway network inMumbai, he said, "What if fam-ilies fall ill and their houses aresealed? Therefore, everythingwould be done step-by-step."

Speaking about his govern-ment which has completed sixmonths in office, Thackeray saidthat he was leading a three-partyalliance government supportedby some independents.

PNS n JAMMU

Western Army Commander LtGen R P Singh on Saturday vis-ited field areas in Punjab-Himachal Pradesh-Jammu andKashmir belt and reviewed theoperational preparedness oftroops.

Lt Gen Singh along withGeneral Officer Commanding(GoC) of 9 Corps, Lt GenUpendra, visited Basoli, Baklohand Mamun military stations toreview the current security sit-uation and operational readi-ness in forward areas, a defencespokesperson said.

Called as Rising Star Corps,9 Corps is based in Yole inHimachal Pradesh and looksafter operational areas fallingalong International Border (IB)and hinterlands in Jammu-Samba-Kathua (J&K),Pathankot-Gurdaspur (Punjab)and Himachal Pradesh.

The Army commander alsointeracted with the field forma-tion commanders, thespokesperson said.

Lt. Gen Singh boosted themorale of the troops on groundand expressed confidence onthe preparedness of the RisingStar Corps to thwart any type ofthreat posed by adversaries andanti-national elements.

He exhorted all ranks to

continue working with samezeal and enthusiasm.

Alka Singh, regional presi-dent of Army Wives WelfareAssociation, HQ WesternCommand, also accompaniedthe Army commander. Sheinteracted with families of sol-diers and praised for theirstrong support and also forcontribution in fight againstCOVID–19 pandemic.

TN govt deposits Rs 67 cr in courtfor acquisition of Jaya's residencePNS n CHENNAI

The Tamil Nadu governmenton Saturday deposited Rs67.9 crore in the city CivilCourt for acquiring lateChief Minister J Jayalalitha'sPoes Garden residence, VedaNilayam, here on Saturday, aspart of its efforts to convertit into a memorial.

Of the sum, Rs 36.9 crorewould be paid towards IT andwealth tax arrears whichJayalalithaa had reportedlyowed the Income Tax depart-ment, thus freeing it of anyencumbrances, official sourcessaid.

The ruling AIADMK saidthe party had a "responsibili-ty and right" to convert thesprawling 0.55 acre propertyinto a memorial, in line withChief Minister KPalaniswami's 2017 announce-ment made after he assumedoffice.

"We have deposited Rs 68

crore in the City Civil Court...itis our responsibility and rightto make her house a memori-al," senior AIADMK leaderand Fisheries Minister DJayakumar told reporters here.

Converting the house into amemorial was the 'wholeheart-ed desire' of the people ofTamil Nadu and AIADMKparty workers, he added.

Depositing Rs 67.9 croretowards compensation in acity court will pave the way forthe state government to take

possession of the formerAIADMK supremo's residenceand convert it into a memori-al, though Jayalalithaa's nieceand nephew J Deepa and JDeepak who have staked claimto the property, are likely tooppose the move.

The government's decisionfollows the Madras High Courtin May declaring siblingsDeepak and Deepa as Class IIlegal heirs entitled to inherit allproperties left behind by thelate leader.

BJP govt tocelebrate oneyear of office inK'taka on July 27PNS n BENGALURU

A series of events have beenplanned to commemoratethe BJP government's oneyear of office in Karnataka onJuly 27. The events includethe release of a booklet onachievements by the stateChief Minister B SYediyurappa at VidhanaSoudha, his deputy Dr C NAshwath Narayan toldreporters here on Saturday.

"Chief Minister B SYediyurappa will release abooklet on the achievementsof the government at 11 am atVidhana Soudha on July 27.He will address the people ofthe state," Narayan said.Speaking about the achieve-ments of the government, hesaid many policy decisionswere taken and challenges,including the ones posed bycoronavirus and floods, wereefficiently handled.

India to handover 10 broad-gauge locos to BangladeshPNS n NEW DELHI

India will handover 10 broad-gauge diesel locomotives toBangladesh on Monday, provid-ing the neighbouring countrymobility solutions for both intra-country and inter-country move-ment, the Railways said.

Senior dignitaries from boththe countries are expected to flagoff the handover, which will beconducted via video conferenc-ing, according to the statement.

The dignitaries include foreignministers, railways ministers andhigh commissioners of both thecountries, Railway Board chair-man and others officials at thelocal stations on both sides of theborder, it said.

The physical location of thehandover will be the Gede sta-tion of the Eastern Railway inWest Bengal's Nadia district andthe receiving station of Darshanaon the Bangladesh side.

Bangladesh had sent a propos-al to India in April last year forprocurement of these locos, with72 per cent of its present onesalready crossing their econom-

ic life. The 3300 HP WDM3Dlocos being given to Bangladeshhave a residual life of 28 years ormore and are designed for aspeed of 120 kmph. They aresuitable for hauling freight as wellas passenger trains and have amicroprocessor-based controlsystem. "It will help in movementwithin Bangladesh as well asinter country movement," thestatement said.

"The Railways has modifiedthe locos to suit the maximumheight restrictions in BR(Bangladesh Railway)," it said."We are keen to partner with BR

for supply and maintenance of alltypes of rolling stock"

These locos would provideimproved train operations with-in the BR and also for inter-change with the Indian Railways,and strengthen the partnershipbetween both the transporters,according to the statement.

According to reports fromBangladesh, the BR had till Maylast year 178 metre-gauge (MG)locomotives, out of which 139have crossed their 20-year eco-nomic life. Of its 90 BG locomo-tives, 55 have completed theireconomic life.

Violence down in Kashmir, ceasefireviolations by Pak gone up: J-K DGPPNS n JAMMU

Jammu and Kashmir DGPDilbag Singh on Friday said theoverall law and order situationin the valley had improved andviolence had come down, butceasefire violations by Pakistanitroops along the Indo-Pak bor-der had gone up by 50-60 percent this year.

The Director General ofPolice inaugurated two open airgymnasiums, one each atUdhampur, Reasi, and dedicat-ed these health facilities to thepublic, besides an upgradedconference hall at Range PoliceHeadquarter Udhampur andLower Subordinates Quarters atArnas.

Singh was on a visit to twindistricts of Udhampur ReasiRange to review the crime andsecurity scenario of these dis-tricts.

"(Overall) law and order sit-uation has improved significant-ly while violence has also comedown. All security agencies areworking in close synergy, whichis yielding good results," he toldreporters at Udhampur.

The DGP said in Jammuprovince militancy is almostwiped out except for two tothree militants who are stillactive in Kishtwar district.

"The number of militantshas gone down and we are com-mitted to reducing the numberof militants further. The bordergrid has strengthened fromearlier times and working bet-ter than before due to whichinfiltration has reduced," hesaid.

He said that unfortunatelyour neighbouring countryPakistan is always prompted todisrupt the peaceful atmos-phere in Jammu and Kashmir.

Singh said that our officersand jawans on the border andin the hinterland are ever readyto tackle such types of attemptsby Pakistan-sponsored terroriststo disrupt peace and order.

On ceasefire violations by thePakistan troops along the Indo-Pak border, the DGP said therewas an increase of 50-60 percent in such incidents this yearas compared to last year.

Mylab to scale up Covidtesting kits productionPNS n NEW DELHI

Pune-based Mylab DiscoverySolutions has scaled up its devel-opment and production ofCOVID-19 testing kit with thehelp of strategic funding by theDepartment of Biotechnology,an official statement said onSaturday. Currently, Mylab hasa manufacturing capacity of2,00,000 RT-PCR and 50,000RNA tests. The company hasrecently launched a molecularlaboratory machine, CompactXL, that can manufacture vari-ous reagents as well as performmany molecular tests in a singlemachine unit.

The machine will help Indiain setting up molecular diagnos-tic labs in rural India as it elim-inates huge infrastructure costs,capital and operating expendi-ture costs, since a minimalnumber of employees can do a

large number of tests. The fund-ing has been provided underNational Biopharma Mission ofDepartment of Biotechnology(DBT)-Biotechnology IndustryResearch Assistance Council(BIRAC). Hasmukh Rawal,MD, Mylab Discovery Solutionssaid, "We are very thankful tothe Biotechnology IndustryResearch Assistance Councilfor hand holding us when noone believed us. With the fundswe would really be able toaccelerate our process of theproduction."

India's Covid tally soars to13.74L; death toll 31,358PNS n NEW DELHI

India's COVID-19 tallyzoomed past 13 lakh onSaturday, just two days after itcrossed the 12 lakh mark,while the recoveries mountedto 8,49,431, according to theUnion Health Ministry.

With 48,916 fresh cases, thecountry's coronavirus infectiontally surged to 13,74,861, whilethe death toll rose to 31,358with 757 more people suc-cumbing to the disease in thelast 24 hours, data updated bythe ministry at 8 am showed.

Thus, around 63.54 per centpeople have recovered so far.The COVID-19 case fatalityrate has further dropped to2.35 per cent on Saturday, theministry said. The total num-ber of confirmed cases includesforeigners.

This is the third consecutiveday when COVID-19 casesincreased by more than 45,000.

Of the 757 deaths reported,278 were from Maharashtra,

108 from Karnataka, 88 fromTamil Nadu, 59 from UttarPradesh, 49 from AndhraPradesh, 35 from West Bengal,32 from Delhi, 26 fromGujarat, 14 from Jammu andKashmir, 11 from MadhyaPradesh and eight each fromRajasthan and Telangana.

Assam, Chhattisgarh andOdisha have reported six fatal-ities each, followed by Punjabfive deaths, Kerala andHaryana four each, Bihar andJharkhand three each, and

Puducherry, Tripura,Meghalaya and Nagaland onefatality each.

According to the IndianCouncil of Medical Research(ICMR), a cumulative total of1,58,49,068 samples have beentested up to July 24 with4,20,898 samples being testedon Friday, the highest conduct-ed in a day so far.

The Tests Per Million (TPM)has further increased to 11,485and continue to maintain anupward trend, it underlined.

Of the total 31,358 deathsreported so far, Maharashtratops the tally with 13,132 fatal-ities, followed by Delhi 3,777,Tamil Nadu 3,320, Gujarat2,278, Karnataka 1,724, UttarPradesh 1,348, West Bengal1,290, Andhra Pradesh 933and Madhya Pradesh 791.

So far, 602 people have diedof COVID-19 in Rajasthan,455 in Telangana, 382 inHaryana, 296 in Jammu andKashmir, 282 in Punjab, 220 inBihar, 120 in Odisha, 76 inAssam, 70 in Jharkhand, 60 inUttarakhand and 54 in Kerala.

NORTHEAST DELHI RIOTS:

Court grants more time topolice to probe againstJamia alumni associationPNS n NEW DELHI

A court here has granted onemore month to Delhi police tocomplete its probe in a caseagainst the president of AlumniAssociation of Jamia MilliaIslamia who was arrested underthe stringent Unlawful Activities(Prevention) Act (UAPA) inconnection with the riots innortheast Delhi in February. Thepolice told the court that Shifa-Ur-Rehman, being the presidentof AAJMI, collected huge fundsfrom suspicious and unaccount-ed sources. “Even funds werereceived from persons livingoutside India,” it alleged.

Rehman, also a member ofJamia Coordination Committee,was booked for alleged involve-

ment in the riots and was arrest-ed by the Special Cell of theDelhi Police in April. AdditionalSessions Judge DharmenderRana on Friday allowed the spe-cial cell to complete its probe byAugust 24, after the agencysought more time claiming thatthe case was related to a “deeprooted and large scale conspir-acy behind the riot incidents”and that its searches in otherstates were being hindered dueto the coronavirus lockdown.

Western Army commander reviewsoperational preparedness along IB

Won't lift lockdown just to addresseconomic concerns: Maha CM

Around 63.54 per centpeople have recoveredso far. The COVID-19case fatality rate hasfurther dropped to 2.35per cent on Saturday,the ministry said. Thetotal number ofconfirmed casesincludes foreigners

Over 18 lakhpleas filed inlockdown: SC PNS n MUMBAI

Over 18 lakh pleas were filedacross courts in India duringthe coronavirus-induced lock-down between March andJuly, Supreme Court judgeJustice D Y Chandrachud saidon Saturday. He also said thatvirtual courts, which havebeen set up under "very veryexceptional circumstances",are not here stay and thephysical courts would gradu-ally start functioning onceagain.

He was speaking during avirtual inauguration ceremo-ny of the country's first E-Goverennace Centre inNashik. "During the period oflockdown between March 24and July 24, as many as18,03,327 cases were registeredacross the country, of which7,90,112 have been disposedof," Justice Chandrachud said.

“This convention willhave leaders fromvarious areas ofexpertise to sharetheir experiences onDr Kalam, who wasknown as the ‘MissileMan of India',”Suvarna Pappu,managing director,Pink JaguarsEntertainment, saidin the Zoom session

VIJAYAWADA | SUNDAY | JULY 26, 2020 nation 05

SHORT READS

Goa govt to constructnew Raj Bhavan PANAJI: The Goa governmenthas decided to construct a newRaj Bhavan building in the stateand tenders for the works likeidentification of land and itsdesign could be tendered beforeApril next year, Chief MinisterPramod Sawant has announced.The decision to construct thenew Raj Bhavan complex wasannounced by Sawant after theexisting 16th century colonialstructure was declared a'heritage building' by theArchaeological Survey of India(ASI), a government spokes-person said in a statement. Thechief minister made thisannouncement during a meetingwith officials at his residence inPanaji on Friday to review theongoing maintenance work ofthe Raj Bhavan and its restora-tion. The Raj Bhavan is currentlylocated at Dona Paula nearPanaji. "The CM announced thedecision to construct newpremises for Raj Bhavan andsuggested to carry on theprocedures like identifying ofland, its design, work of whichcould be tendered before April2021," the spokesperson said.

CRPF sub-inspectorkills senior, self in Delhi

Two militants killed in encounter nearSrinagarSRINAGAR: Two militants werekilled in an encounter withsecurity forces on the outskirtsof Srinagar on Saturday, policesaid. Security forces launched acordon-and-search operation inthe Ranbirgarh area on theoutskirts of the city this morningfollowing specific informationabout the presence of militantsthere, a police official said. Hesaid as the forces wereconducting the search, militantsfired upon them. The forcesretaliated, ensuing a gunfight,the official said. He said theidentity and group affiliation ofthe militants were beingascertained. The searchoperation is going on andfurther details were awaited.

NEW DELHI: A Central ReservePolice Force sub-inspectorallegedly shot dead his seniorwith his service weapon beforekilling himself at a bungalowallotted to the Home Ministry inLodhi Estate area of Delhi,officials said Saturday. Theysaid an argument had brokenout between Sub-InspectorKarnail Singh (55) andInspector Dashrath Singh (56),both from the 122nd CRPFbattalion. The SI first shot deadhis senior in their room andlater killed himself near themain gate around 10:30 pm onFriday. The SI hailed fromUdhampur in Jammu andKashmir and the inspector wasfrom Rohtak in Haryana. Seniorofficials of the paramilitaryforce and local police reachedthe spot soon after the incident,the officials said. "We receivedinformation regarding theincident around 10.40 pm.Karnail was found near themain gate of the bungalowwhile Dashrath was found deadinside their room," DeputyCommissioner of Police (NewDelhi) Eish Singhal said.

PNS n NEW DELHI

India's drug regulator has can-celled the rapid diagnostic kitimport licenses of three firmsand suspended that of 16 oth-ers saying the USFDA hasremoved the manufacturersfrom their list of coronavirusserology test kits with direc-tions that they should not bedistributed.

The three firms are CadilaHealthcare, MDAACInternational and N WOverseas while the 16 compa-nies include Transasia Bio-Medicals, Cosmic Scientific,Inbios India, S D Biosensor,Accurex Biomedicals, BiohouseSolutions and TrivitronHealthcare among others.

The companies were issueda show cause notices on July 17asking why their import licens-es shall not be cancelled sincethe diagnostic kits of the man-ufacturers have been removed

by USFDA with direction thatit should not be distributedfrom the list of product ofserology test kits for COVID-19 disease, according to an offi-cial order by the DrugController General of India(DCGI).

They were directed to sub-mit their reply by July 20, fail-ing which it would be pre-sumed they have nothing to sayin the matter and actiondeemed fit will be initiatedunder provisions of the Drugs

and Cosmetics Act."Your response to the show

cause notice has not beenfound satisfactory with respectto removal of said kit, byUSFDA from their list men-tioning not to distribute," theDCGI order issued to the 16companies on July 21 stated.

"However, it has been men-tioned by you to not to cancelyour said import license for theabove product. Therefore, inpublic interest, your importlicense for above product

becomes inoperative andstands suspended, till furtherorders," it said.

As for the three companieswhose licenses were cancelled,the orders said, "Your responseto the show cause notice has notbeen found satisfactory withrespect to the removal of said kit,by USFDA from their list men-tioning not to distribute."

Import licenses for rapid diagnostic kits of3 firms cancelled, 16 suspended by DCGI

Those who ‘looted' country callingsubsidy as profit: Piyush Goyal PNS n NEW DELHI

Railway Minister Piyush Goyalhit back at the Congress onSaturday after Rahul Gandhiaccused the railways of makingprofit through Shramik trains,alleging that only those who"looted" the country can call sub-sidy a profit.

"Only those who looted thecountry can describe subsidy asprofit. The railways spent moremoney in running Shramiktrains than it received from stategovernments. People are nowasking what happened to Soniaji's promise of paying for people'stickets," Goyal tweeted.

Congress president SoniaGandhi had said during themigrant crisis that her party willpay for tickets of Shramik trainpassengers after reportsemerged that they, mostly poormigrants, were made to pay fortheir journey.

On Saturday, Congress leader

Rahul Gandhi accused the gov-ernment of benefitting by mak-ing profits during the coron-avirus-induced lockdown whenpeople were in trouble.

"There are clouds of diseaseand people are in trouble, but oneseeks to benefit -- this anti-peo-ple government is converting adisaster into profits and is earn-ing," he said in a tweet in Hindi,tagging a new report.

The railways spent Rs 2,142crore on running Shramik Special

trains but earned a revenue of justRs 429 crore, official data showed.The data, received through anRTI application filed by activistAjay Bose, shows that the railwaysearned Rs 428 crore till June 29,by when most of the 4,615 trainshad been run. Additionally, itearned around Rs 1 crore by run-ning 13 trains in July.

Judges panel rules outpossibility of physicalhearing in SCAPNS n NEW DELHI

A committee of seven SupremeCourt judges has apprised thebar leaders of its decision to notopen the apex court for physi-cal hearings "for the time being"and would meet them againafter two weeks to reconsider theissue. The apex court, sinceMarch 25, has been holdingcourts through video conferenc-ing due to a nationwide lock-down and even after the restric-tions were relaxed, it has decid-ed to continue with the hearingthrough virtual courts.

The panel headed by thesenior-most judge after the CJI,justice N V Ramana, met BarCouncil Chairperson MananKumar Mishra, Supreme CourtBar Association PresidentDushyant Dave and ShivajiJadhav, the president of SupremeCourt Advocates on RecordsAssociation, Friday to apprisethem of its decision to notresume physical hearings.

"At the outset, SecretaryGeneral (of the Supreme Court)read out the minutes of the

meeting of the committee (ofjudges) which had taken placeearlier in which it was decided,inter-alia, not to open theSupreme Court for physicalhearings for the time being asper advice of medical experts.

"It was also decided by theirlordships to meet the represen-tatives of the Bar after twoweeks and then to restart theworking of the court in a phasedmanner," Dave wrote to lawyersabout the meeting. Dave andJadhav told the judges' panel thatthey were clear about the start-ing of the physical hearings assoon as possible, while contin-uing with virtual court hearingswith improved system for lim-ited types of matters.

PNS n NEW DELHI

President Ram Nath Kovindcompleted three years in officeon Saturday with theRashtrapati Bhavan noting thathe guided the country in thefight against the coronaviruspandemic and met nearly 7,000people, including soldiers andscientists, during the year. "ThePresident of India, Shri RamNath Kovind, completes threeyears in office today," it said ina tweet. President Kovind,along with the First Lady andother members of the family,joined the fellow citizens andexpressed their gratitudetowards all those who are safe-guarding the health of thenation in spite of grave risk tothem and their families, theRashtrapati Bhavan said.

Futile for people to expectsafety if CM himself makesguv 'feel unsafe': ShekhawatPNS n NEW DELHI

Attacking Rajasthan ChiefMinister Ashok Gehlot forstaging a 'dharna' at the RajBhawan, Union MinisterGajendra Singh Shekhawat onSaturday said in a state wherethe chief minister himselfmakes the governor "feelunsafe", it is futile for people toplead to him for their safety.

Accusing Governor KalrajMishra of acting under pres-sure to not call an assemblysession, Gehlot along withseveral Congress MLAs hadstaged a sit-in at the RajBhawan in Jaipur on Friday.

They ended their five-hoursit-in after an assurance fromthe governor that he will go bythe constitutional provisionson summoning an assemblysession.

"Where the chief ministerhimself makes the governorfeel unsafe by threatening him,it is futile for the people ofRajasthan, who are reelingunder incidents of robbery,violence, rape and murder, toplead to the chief minister for

safety their safety," Shekhawatsaid in a tweet in Hindi.

The Congress has accusedShekhwat of trying to topple theGehlot government inRajasthan, a charge the UnionJal Shakti minister has denied.The Congress and Shekhawathave been involved in an intensewar of words since then.

A Rajasthan court has alsoasked the state police to probea complaint alleging theinvolvement of Shekhawat ina credit society scam. TheUnion minister has dismissedthe charge as a "political con-spiracy".

Priyanka slams UP govt overCovid handling in letter to CMPNS n NEW DELHI

Congress leader PriyankaGandhi Vadra on Saturdayattacked the Yogi Adityanathgovernment over its handlingof the COVID-19 crisis, sayingthat at a time when there is an"explosive" rise in cases, its "notest is equal to no corona" pol-icy can lead to a "frighteningsituation".

In a letter to the UttarPradesh chief minister, theCongress general secretary saidthat the battle against the pan-demic cannot be fought by just"managing publicity and news".

Noting that 2,500 cases ofcoronavirus were reported inUP on Friday, she said almostall the metros were floodedwith COVID-19 cases, butnow even the villages were not

far behind in the spread."Quarantine centres in UP

are in a pathetic state. In someplaces, the situation is so bad,that people are fearing mis-management more than thecoronavirus. Because of such ascenario, they are not steppingout of their homes for gettingtested," Priyanka Gandhi said.

"This is a great failure of thegovernment," she asserted.

The state government bybelieving in the "no test = nocoronavirus" mantra has adopt-ed a low testing policy, shealleged in the letter written inHindi.

"There is an explosive rise inCOVID-19 cases. Till testing willnot be increased in a transpar-ent manner, the fight against thepandemic will be incompleteand the situation can becomemore frightening," she said.

"The prime minister is aMember of Parliament fromVaranasi, the defence ministerfrom Lucknow, many otherUnion ministers are from UP.Why can't temporary hospitalsbe opened in Varanasi,Lucknow, Agra etc." PriyankaGandhi asked.

Yogi visits Ayodhya, reviewspreparation of ‘bhoomi puja'PNS n AYODHYA

Uttar Pradesh Chief MinisterYogi Adityanath on Saturdayvisited Ayodhya and placedthe idols of Laxman, Bharatand Shatrughan on the new'asans' at the RamJanmabhoomi temple site.

The chief minister reachedAyodhya in the afternoonand took part in a 'puja'. Healso offered prayers at theHanumangarhi Temple andinspected the stones carvedfor Ram Temple at MandirNirmaan Karyashala.

He then held a meetingwith seers and members ofthe Ram Mandir Trust at theVishwa Hindu Parishad head-quarters at Karsewak Puram.

Adityanath is on a shortvisit to Ayodhya to review thepreparations for the founda-tion stone laying ceremonyfor the construction of theRam Temple.

The visit comes ahead ofthe Prime Minister NarendraModi's expected visit to laythe foundation stone of theRam Temple in Ayodhya onAugust 5 . The constructionof the temple will start withthe ceremony to lay the foun-dation stone.

A trust member had saidthat in view of the coron-avirus pandemic, only 200people would attend the cer-emony and all social dis-tancing norms will be fol-lowed at the event.

J&K administration begins online registrationfor Kashmiri migrants, displaced personsPNS n JAMMU

The Jammu and Kashmiradministration has begunonline registration of Kashmirimigrants and displaced personsof Pakistan-occupied Jammuand Kashmir (PoJK) livingoutside the Union Territory,more than two months afterreopening fresh registrationfor inclusion of bonafide peo-ple who migrated from the UT,officials said on Saturday.

Over 120 applications for theregistration of Kashmirimigrants living outside theUT have been received on thefirst day of the registration.

"We have launched an appfor the registration of Kashmirmigrants and displaced per-sons on Friday. The registrationapplication process has begun",

Relief and RehabilitationCommissioner J&K, T K Bhattold reporters here. Bhat saidthat over 120 applications havebeen received so far. "Of these,over 40 applications have beenreceived online today", he said.

Any Kashmiri Pandit and

displaced person, who mayhave left Kashmir in 1944before Independence and hasany proof of owning or pos-sessing immovable property inany part of Jammu andKashmir on or after 1944, isentitled to domicile of the

Union Territory.On May 16, the L-G's

administration took a historicdecision by reopening "freshregistration" for Kashmirimigrants and displaced per-sons, that paved the way forinclusion of bonafide peoplewho migrated from the UT.

"Bonafide migrants andbonafide displaced persons whoare not yet registered with therelief and rehabilitation com-missioner (migrant), Jammuand Kashmir, can apply beforethe competent authority forregistration for purpose ofissuance of a domicile certificateonly," an order issued byAdditional Secretary, Depart-ment of Disaster Management,Relief, Rehabilitation andReconstruction, S P Rukwal,said on May 16.

PNS n NEW DELHI

Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju onSaturday said India will be com-peting for a top-10 finish by thetime the 2028 Los AngelesOlympics comes calling, ridingthe government's ambitious'Target Olympic Podium JuniorScheme'. "We will leave no stoneunturned," Rijiju said.

He said the 'Target OlympicPodium Junior Scheme' is scout-ing talent as young as 10-year-oldand 12-year-old with an aim toprepare them for the Los AngelesGames.

He was speaking about theobjectives and goals India wantsto achieve in the coming yearsduring the India TodayMindrocks event.

"We look forward and realisethe dreams of every Indian tomake India a great sportingpowerhouse," he said.

Rijiju said the talented young-

sters will be guided by a world-class coaching facility duringtheir journey to become worldchampions.

"Objectives are very clear, wehave created the 'Target OlympicPodium Junior Scheme' thatmeans those who are 10-13years of age will be ready tobecome world champions by2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

"By starting the scheme we are

identifying the young talents, it'sa process of talent scouting at ayoung age and taking fullresponsibility of their training bybringing in world-class coaches."

Rijiju added that steps likeenhancing the skill sets ofIndian coaches, removal of Rs2-lakh salary cap for coachesand extension of coachingtenures will bring positivechanges in the system.

India will be in top-10 in Los Angeles Olympics: Rijiju

Rahul accuses govt of makingprofits during lockdownPNS n NEW DELHI

Congress leader Rahul Gandhion Saturday accused the gov-ernment of benefitting by mak-ing profits during the coron-avirus-induced lockdownwhen people were in trouble.

He tagged a news report thatclaimed the Indian Railwayswas making profit by running'Shramik trains' for transport-ing migrants during the pan-demic.

"There are clouds of diseaseand people are in trouble, butone seeks to benefit -- this anti-people government is convert-ing a disaster into profits andis earning," he said in a tweetin Hindi.

The news report claimedthat the railways made a prof-it of Rs 428 crore by runningShramik special trains during

the lockdown that transportedmigrants to their native places.

In another tweet, he laud-ed the ef for ts of theHimachal government inconducting a survey to select'one district, one product',saying he had suggested this

sometime back."This is a good idea. I had

suggested it some time back.Its implementation will needa complete change of mind-set," he said on Twitter.

He also tagged a reportthat stated the state

Industries Department isconducting a baseline surveyin all districts to select onedistrict, one product for cen-trally-sponsored Micro andSmall Enterprises ClusterDevelopment Programme(MSE-CDP).

President Kovindcompletes 3-yrs

Maha govtcuts syllabusfor Classes 1to 12 by 25%PNS n MUMBAI

The Maharashtra Governmentannounced that syllabus forClasses 1 to 12 will be reducedby 25% so as to reduce the bur-den on students amid the coro-navirus pandemic. SchoolEducation Minister VarshaGaikwad said details of whichlessons from textbooks havebeen omitted will be uploadedon the website of the Maha-rashtra State Council of Edu-cational Research and Training(MSCERT). The governmentwants to ease the burden onstudents, so the syllabus will bereduced by 25% for the acad-emic year 2020-21, she said ina statement. While schoolsremain closed, the academicyear has started from June 15and various alternative meth-ods of learning are being adopt-ed, the minister said.

"There are clouds ofdisease and peopleare in trouble, butone seeks tobenefit — this anti-people governmentis converting adisaster into profitsand is earning," hesaid in a tweet inHindi

They were directedto submit theirreply by July 20,failing which itwould be presumedthey have nothingto say in the matterand action deemedfit will be initiatedunder provisions ofthe Drugs andCosmetics Act

"There areclouds of diseaseand people are introuble, but oneseeks to benefit— this anti-people govern-ment is convert-ing a disasterinto profits and isearning," he said

CAPSULE

Indian Bank trimsinterest rate on goldloans for farmersMUMBAI: Indian Bank hasslashed its interest rate ongold loans offered to farmersto 7 per cent. The state-ownedlender has reduced interestrate on its short-term goldloan scheme — Bumper AgriJewel. Earlier, interest rate onthe product was 7.5 per cent.The reduction has been doneconsidering the presentpandemic situation and also toprovide easy credit to theneedy farmers at a cheapercost, a release said. “Witheffect from July 22, 2020,Agricultural Jewel Loans aresanctioned at 7 per cent fixedwhich means it is only Rs 583per lakh per month,” the banksaid. Under this Bumper AgriJewel loan scheme, the bankis giving 85 per cent of theornament value as loan. Theloan is repayable in sixmonths.

SD Shibulal'sfamily sells 85 lakhshares of InfosysNEW DELHI: Family membersof Infosys co-founder SDShibulal have sold 85 lakhshares of the company on July22-24, according to regulatoryfilings. Shibulal's son Shreyassold 40 lakh shares,"representing 0.09 per cent ofInfosys Ltd by way of sale onthe platform of the stockexchange on July 22, 23 and24, 2020", an exchange filingby the company showed. Hepreviously held 0.66 per centshares in Infosys and post thetransaction, his holding hascome down to 0.56 per cent, itadded. Gaurav Manchanda,son-in-law of the Infosys co-founder, sold 18 lakh shares(0.04 per cent), while 15 lakhshares (0.03 per cent) held bygrandson Milan ShibulalManchanda were offloaded onthe same dates, additionalfilings by the IT companyshowed.

ICICI Bank Q1 netprofit rises 36% toRs 2,599 croreNEW DELHI: ICICI Bank onSaturday reported a 36 percent increase in its standalonenet profit at Rs 2,599 crore forthe first quarter ended June2020. Total income during thequarter rose to Rs 26,066crore from Rs 21,405.50 crorea year earlier, the bank said ina regulatory filing. On aconsolidated basis, its netprofit for the April-June periodimproved by 24 per cent at Rs3,117.68 crore as against Rs2,513.69 crore in the corresp-onding quarter of the previousfiscal. The bank's income on aconsolidated basis rose to Rs37,939.32 crore in the saidquarter from Rs 33,868.89crore in April-June 2019.During the quarter, the banksold equity shares repres-enting 3.96 per cent in ICICILombard General InsuranceCompany Limited and 1.50per cent in ICICI PrudentialLife Insurance CompanyLimited for a total conside-ration of Rs 3,092.93 crore.

RBI signs documents to extend$400 mn swap facility to LankaPNS n COLOMBO

The Reserve Bank of India hassigned necessary documentsfor extending a USD 400 mil-lion currency swap facility toSri Lanka to boost the islandnation's draining foreignexchange reserves due to thecoronavirus pandemic, theIndian High Commission heresaid on Saturday.

The currency swap arrange-ment will remain available tillNovember 2022, the Indianmission said in a press release.

Sri Lanka in Aprilsaid it was set toenter into anagreementwith theRBI for acurrencys w a pw o r t hUSD 400m i l l i o nunder theS o u t hA s i a nAssociation forR e g i o n a lC o o p e r a t i o n(SAARC) framework to boostthe foreign reserves and ensurefinancial stability of the coun-try which is badly hit by theCOVID-19 pandemic.

In May, President GotabayaRajapaksa made an additionalrequest to India for a specialUSD 1.1 billion currency swapfacility."Breaking Good News!Reserve Bank of India signsdocument for

USD 400 million currencyswap facility to #SriLanka tillNov 2022," the Indian missiontweeted on Friday.

"After debt repaymentrescheduling discussions yes-

terday, this development isanother example of India'sstrong commitment to workwith #lka in post #COVID19SLeconomic recovery," it said.

The High Commission hasconveyed this information tosenior officials in theGovernment of Sri Lanka andthe Central Bank of Sri Lanka,the statement said.

Earlier, on July 14, Deputy

High Commissioner Vinod K.Jacob had met and discussedthe currency swap arrange-ment with the Governor of theCentral Bank of Sri Lanka,Prof. W.D. Lakshman, it said.

The two countries also heldtechnical discussion onrescheduling of bilateral debtrepayment by Sri Lanka on July22. An Indian delegation com-prising senior officials from the

Ministry of External Affairs,Ministry of Finance, and theEXIM Bank interacted withrepresentatives from theDepartment of ExternalResources of Sri Lanka througha video conference.

"The High Commission hasremained closely engaged infruitful bilateral cooperationwith Sri Lanka on all mattersof mutual interest.

‘Why is Modi govt not buildingplanned strategic oil reserves’PNS n NEW DELHI

Gross criminal neglect of notbuilding planned strategic oilreserves led to India losing itsgreatest opportunity to buildstrategic stockpile using multi-year low global oil prices, for-mer petroleum minister MVeerappa Moily alleged onSaturday while questioningthe move to hire a US facilityfor the purpose.

In a statement, Moily said5.33 million tonnes of strate-gic oil storages were built bythe Congress-led UPA-I and IIat Visakhapatnam in AndhraPradesh, Mangalore and Padur(both in Karnataka) to supportalmost 10 days of India's oilneeds during an emergency.

Plans for another 12.5 mil-lion tonnes of strategic storagein four states was initiated bythe UPA-II in 2013 but thesewere put on back burner by theBJP-led NDA government, healleged.

Had these reserves beingbuilt in the past six years,India could have stored oil inthem by buying it when inter-national rates plunged to two-decade low in April. Insteadthe government is now look-ing to hire US strategic storagesto augment India's emergencystockpile.

"The said partnership tostore crude oil in the StrategicPetroleum Reserve of the US isnot diplomatically and strate-gically advisable as reported

from the agreement drawnbetween India and the USunder the Strategic EnergyPartnership (SEP) ministerialmeet, co-chaired by PetroleumMinister DharmendraPradhan and US EnergySecretary Dan Brouillette.

"It is in the best interest ofoil security of the country thatwe pursue building addition-al capacity as was proposed byUPA-2," he said.

Instead of paying the US, itwas better to build storage intheir own country. Besides,accessing oil stored in USfacilities would be difficult ifsea routes were blocked.

Strategic storages are built asinsurance against supply dis-ruptions.

"Even after six years therehas been a gross criminalneglect on the part of the pre-sent government either to putup new refineries or set up

more strategic storage facilitiesin the public sector or even inthe private sector.

"The NDA government haslost the greatest opportunity ofstoring strategic reserves whichis now available at the lowestinternational prices. The laxi-ty on the part of the NDA topreserve the integrity of oilreserves is a national tragedy,"he said.

"Taking into account the oilsecurity concerns of India, theUPA-II in 2013 had decided toaugment the strategic crude oilstorage in the country andplanned for an additionalcrude oil storage facility andentrusted Indian StrategicPetroleum Reserves Ltd(ISPRL) with the responsibil-ity of preparation of DetailedFeasibility Reports (DFRs) for12.5 million tonnes of strate-gic storage of crude oil inPhase-II in four States," he said.

Gross non-performing assets likelyto rise to 12.5 pc this fiscal, says RBI PNS n NEW DELHI

Gross non-performing assetsare likely spike to 12.5 percent in the current financialyear from 8.5 per cent at theend of March 2020, theReserve Bank said on Fridayeven as it warned against

excessive risk aversionby lenders in a

"sound" finan-cial system.

In thehalf-yearlyFinancialSt abi l i t yR e p o r t ,R e s e r v eBank of

I n d i aG o v e r n o r

ShaktikantaDas said the top

priority for lendersshould be to raise cap-

ital proactively and maintainresilience in the COVID-19scenario. In the report, whichcomes amid the pandemic is

yet to play out, the RBI saidits stress tests indicate that theGNPA ratio of all scheduledcommercial banks mayshoot-up to 12.5 per cent inMarch 2021 from 8.5 per centin March 2020 under thebaseline scenario.

However, if the macro-economic environment wors-ens further, the ratio of dudassets may escalate to 14.7 percent under the very severelystressed scenario, it added.

Under baseline scenarios,state-owned banks' GNPAratio may increase to 15.2 percent by March 2021 from11.3 per cent in March 2020.The GNPA ratio of privatebanks and foreign banks may

increase from 4.2 per centand 2.3 per cent to 7.3 percent and 3.9 per cent, respec-tively, over the same period.

The system level capitaladequacy is projected to dropfrom 14.6 per cent in March2020 to 13.3 per cent inMarch 2021 under the base-line scenario and to 11.8 percent under the very severestress scenario, it said.

Das said the pandemic hitIndia amid a moderation ingrowth and added that thepolicy responses since theonset of the crisis have sta-bilised the financial systemand markets, although theoutlook remains "highlyuncertain".

Mindspace Parks REIT raisesRs 2k cr from anchor, investorsPNS n NEW DELHI

Mindspace Business ParksREIT, owned by K Rahejagroup and Blackstone, hasraised Rs 2,644 crore fromanchor and strategic investorsahead of its public issue thatwill hit the capital market onMonday.

Mindspace has proposed toraise up to Rs 4,500 crorefrom the public issue, whichwill close on July 29.

The company, which islaunching India's second RealEstate Investment Trust(REIT), has raised Rs 1,518.74crore from anchor investorsand Rs 1,125 crore from strate-gic investors, taking the totalproceeds to Rs 2,644 crore.

In a regulatory filing lateFriday, Mindspace said theREIT Offer Committee ofthe governing board of KRaheja Corp InvestmentManagers LLP finalised allo-cation of 5,52,27,200 units atRs 275 per unit to anchorinvestors.

The total proceed fromanchor investors is Rs 1,518.74crore. The Singapore govern-ment, Fidelity and Nomura

Trust, HSBC Global, CapitalIncome Builder and Cohen &Steers are among majorinvestors.

The panel also finalisedallocation of 4,09,09,000units to strategic investorsat Rs 275 per unit.

Mindspace has fixed theprice band for its public issueat Rs 274-275 per unit.

Mindspace filed the finaloffer document with marketregulator SEBI last week.

As per the offer document,Mindspace Business ParksREIT aims to raise up to Rs1,000 crore through issuanceof fresh units and up to Rs3,500 crore through offer forsale.

Last year, Embassy OfficePark REIT, the country's firstREIT issue, raised nearly Rs5,000 crore.

REIT, a popular instrumentglobally, was introduced inIndia a few years ago aimed atattracting investment in thereal estate sector by monetis-ing rent-yielding assets.

It helps unlock the massivevalue of real estate assets andenable retail participation.

Mindspace Business ParksREIT has brought 295 lakh sqft of office properties locatedin Mumbai, Pune, Chennaiand Hyderabad under theREIT portfolio and out of thataround 245 lakh sq ft areas arecompleted.

The system level capital adequacy isprojected to drop from 14.6 per cent in March2020 to 13.3 per cent in March 2021 underthe baseline scenario and to 11.8 per centunder the very severe stress scenario

PNS n NEW DELHI

Sebi on Friday barred two indi-viduals from the securities mar-ket for two years for non-com-pliance with the regulator's ear-lier order related to illegally rais-ing funds from investors.

The ban has been imposed onPradeep Kumar Behera andRavendra Kumar.

In April 2016, the watchdogpassed the final order againstMass Infra Realty Ltd (MIRL)and its directors for violation of

public issue norms. The com-pany had raised nearly Rs38 crore by issuingNCDs to in 2011-12,2012-13 and 2013-14, without com-plying with norms.

The companyhad violated Sebi'sILDS Regulations.

Among its direc-tions in the final order,Sebi had asked MIRL and itsdirectors to jointly and several-ly refund the money collected by

way of issue of the deben-tures.

However, Sebifound that MIRLhas neither com-pleted therefund toinvestors norfiled any report

from the char-tered accountant,

as directed earlier.In its order on Friday,

Sebi said it is understood that inview of the non-compliance

with the direction to makerefund given in the final order,recovery proceedings againstMIRL and its then directors areunderway. Against this back-drop, the watchdog has bannedBehra and Kumar from thesecurities market for two years.

According to Sebi, both theindividuals were directors ofMIRL as on passing of the finalorder on April 25, 2016."Subsequently, noticee no. 2(Kumar) resigned on December14, 2016".

PNS n NEW DELHI

The Income Tax AppellateTribunal (ITAT) has ruled infavour of Tata Education andDevelopment Trust (TEDT)in a case pertaining to allowingI-T exemption on donations ofover Rs 220 crore to two US-based universities.

The trust had spent moniesfor creation of endowmentfund at the Cornell University,US for scholarship for Indianstudents, as well as for collab-oration between Indian andCornell scientists.

It also provided financialassistance to Harvard BusinessSchool for construction of anew executive building namedTata Hall.

The amount spent on thisaccount for the assessmentyear (AY) 2011-12 stood at Rs197,79,27,500, and for AY2012-13, it was Rs 25,37,00,000.

The trust had appealedbefore the ITAT as to whetherthe amounts spent by it will beeligible for tax exemptionunder Section 11 of the IncomeTax Act.

Section 11 provides certainconditions/ situations whereincome derived from a proper-

ty held under a religious/ char-itable trust is not liable to tax

in hands of the trust. Although the Central Board

of Direct Taxes (CBDT) hadapproved exemption to thesedonations by the trust,Commissioner of Income Tax-Appeals (CIT-A) denieddeduction for the incomeapplied outside India undersection 11(1)(c) of the I-T Act.

"We have decided this issuein favour of the assessee andthus allowed this ground ofappeal. We, therefore, upholdthe plea of the assessee, anddelete the resultant disal-lowance of claim of exemption

of Rs 197,79,27,500. Theassessee gets the relief accord-ingly. In the result, appeal forthe assessment year 2011-12 isallowed," the ITAT said in itsorder. With regard to theappeal filed for AY 2012-13, theITAT said whatever has beendecided for AY 2011-12 willequally apply here.

"We, therefore, uphold theplea of the assessee, and deletethe resultant disallowance ofclaim of exemption of Rs25,37,00,000. The assessee getsthe relief accordingly," theITAT said.

ENDOWMENT FUND

ITAT rules in favour of Tata Education and Development Trust

PNS n MUMBAI

Welcoming theg ov e r n m e nt ' sdecision toimpose restric-tion on biddersfrom countriessharing land bor-der with India,industry bodyIEEMA said thecountry should however beprepared for the consequencesand cost of such a move at leastin the short run.

IEEMA is the apex body ofelectricals and electronicsmanufacturers.

Amid border row withChina, the government onThursday imposed restric-tions on public procurementfrom China and other coun-tries with common border.

The government hasamended the GeneralFinancial Rules 2017 to enableimposition of restrictions onbidders from countries whichshare land border with Indiaon grounds of defence ofIndia, or matters directly orindirectly related to thatincluding national security,according to an official state-ment.

The Department ofExpenditure has, under the

said rules, issued a detailedorder.

“Indian electrical equip-ment industry has the capac-ity, ability and cost competi-tiveness to effectively serviceand meet the need of notonly Indian industry but alsoenhance its exports. And if weas a nation are to be seriousabout taking on China in ourown home market, then all ofus including manufacturers,importers, retailers, consumersand the government, need tocommit to this," IEEMAPresident RK Chugh said in astatement on Friday.

He further noted that thecountry needs to be preparedfor both the consequencesand cost of such a move at leastin short run. " F r o mmedium term onwards, wewill start seeing enormousbenefits out of full Make inIndia efforts," Chugh said.

India should be readyfor aftermath: IEEMA

PNS n NEW DELHI

Zee Entertainment EnterpriseLtd (ZEEL) on Saturdayreported a consoli-dated net loss ofRs 765.82 crorefor the January-March quarterof FY 2019-20.

The companyhad logged a netprofit of Rs 292.53crore in the January-March quarter a year ago,it said in a BSE filing.

Total income was down4.06 per cent to Rs 1,991.74crore during the said quarter

as against Rs 2,076.06crore a year ago.

It made a provi-sion of Rs 113.70crore as ani m p a i r m e n tcharge of ther e c o v e r a b l e

amount of good-will allocated to the

online media businesswhich represents a separate

cash-generating unit (CGU),

the filing said."The excess of carrying

value of CGU over the recov-erable amount had beenaccounted as an impairmentcharge of Rs 113.70 crore inthe quarter and year endedMarch 31, 2020 and disclosedas exceptional item," ZEELsaid.

During the March 2020quarter, its operational costwent up by 47.69 per cent toRs 1,304.62 crore as against Rs883.32 crore.

Zee Entertainment posts Q4net loss at Rs 766 crore

NBFCs, HFCsseek Rs 14k-crsupport underliquidity schemePNS n NEW DELHI

Financing requests of close toRs 14,000 crore have beenreceived under the Rs 30,000-crore special liquidity schemefor stressed NBFCs andHFCs whose financial healthdeteriorated further due tothe Covid crisis, the financeministry said on Friday. Thescheme was launched on July1. The Reserve Bank ofIndia (RBI) has providedfunds for the scheme by sub-scribing to government-guar-anteed special securitiesissued by a trust set up by SBICapital Markets Limited.

The scheme is being imple-mented by SLS Trust, the SPVset up by SBICAP.

"As on July 23, five propos-als involving an amount of Rs3,090 crore have already beensanctioned. Further, 35 moreapplications have beenreceived seeking financingup to Rs 13,776 crore, whichare under process," thefinance ministry said in astatement.Non-bankingfinancial companies andhousing finance companiescame under stress followinga series of defaults by IL&FSfirms in September 2018.

PNS n NEW DELHI

India and the UK haveaffirmed their commitment tonegotiate a free trade agree-ment (FTA) with a view to fur-ther strengthen economic ties,the commerce ministry saidon Saturday.

The issue was discussed inthe 14th JETCO meetingbetween the two countries onFriday. It was co-chaired byCommerce and IndustryMinister Piyush Goyal and UKSecretary of State for

International Trade ElizabethTruss. They were assisted byMinister of State forCommerce and IndustryHardeep Singh Puri and hisUK counterpart RanilJayawardena.

Goyal and Truss "affirmedtheir shared commitment toan FTA and towards that,Early Harvest deals in a stagedmanner," the ministry said ina statement. It added that Puriand Jayawardena will havemonthly meetings to intensi-fy the dialogue.

India, UK affirm commitmenttowards free trade agreement

Jewellery industryexpects consumergold demand tofalter further PNS n MUMBAI

The jewellery industry isexpecting the consumerdemand for gold to falter fur-ther amid surging prices ofthe precious metal and eco-nomic slowdown.

Gold prices have been rul-ing at unprecedented highs inIndia and global bullion mar-kets as investors are prefer-ring safe haven assets amideconomic uncertainty trig-gered by the Covid.

On Friday, gold prices wererecorded at Rs 50,919 per tengram in Mumbai and Rs51,946 per ten gram in thenational capital, trackinginternational rates and rupeedepreciation.

"The demand is alreadyvery sluggish at the momentwith only 20-25 per centbusiness taking place follow-ing the economic slowdown,insecurity over jobs, socialdistancing and lockdownsdue to Covid," All India Gemand Jewellery DomesticCouncil Chairman said.

VIJAYAWADA | SUNDAY | JULY 26, 2020 money 06

Sebi imposes 2-yr ban on two individuals

special 07VIJAYAWADA | SUNDAY | JULY 26, 2020

It’s been a 36-year journey from IITand IIM to his ashram in ruralOdisha where SwamiMukundananda plans to set up auniversity as a part of his 100-acre

spiritual zone.But his claim to fame is not about

spending seven months a year in the USimparting spiritual knowledge to theWestern world on his guru JagadguruKripaluji Maharaj’s instruction, but thefact that he believes in and propagateswhat he calls the true journey to self-real-isation, of supreme knowledge and whatVedic scriptures term as Brahman.

Yoga in its wholesome tripartite struc-ture enriching the body, mind and souland not just as a weight loss and fitnessfad, faith not as a miracle healer but aninstrument of life, and health as a tool tobe fit enough to render your duties as akarma yogi, not to mention keeping theencaser of the soul in fine fettle, that’s whatthis swami propagates.

Ask him what he is doing in this glutof gurus and he strikes a balance in per-spective. “I am in the race only againstmyself. I want to be true to what I am hereto do and be good at it. And, that’s to showthe path to self-realisation,” he tells you.

After countless lectures at Harvard,Princeton and Yale, to name a few of hisusual pitstops, books on yogic health, spir-ituality and yoga, not to mention connec-tions with youth and spreading the wordacross the world the Vedic way, he has astrange aura of peace and contentmentaround him, even though his engagementsgive you a sense of a whirlwind, whistlestop journey.

“For many students, the talks are aneye-opener, bringing them in touch witha science they were unaware of. Forsome, the talks provide a way to blend thevalues they imbibed in traditional house-holds with the reality of the competitiveworld they live in. The most energisedQ&A session took place in my alma mater,IIT Delhi, a few years ago, where the fer-tile intellects of the students were stimu-lated by the spiritual perspective they hadjust heard, and they began fervently

competing with each other to get theirquestions answered,” he says.

People call him a happiness guru, butthat kind of limits his karma bhoomi. LikeSir Francis Bacon, and even Pope JohnPaul II who found Bible to be a book ofancient science, he unhesitatingly marriesScience with Religion for what he callscomplete development. “Science finds,innovates and invents to give your bodyways to live a healthy, comfortable life.Spirituality, on the other hand, controls themind for you to give this comfortable bod-ily existence a purpose and a journey,” hesays, conflating the two diametricallyopposite concepts with seamless clarity,and practicality if one may say so.

Born to an Air Force engineer withnationwide postings, and hailing from UP,sanyaas, he tells you, forbids him fromrevealing his real name but the need to bea sanyasi came to him when he was grad-uating from Indian Ivy League institutionsand was introduced to the Bhagwad Gitaby a fellow student. His mind kept askinghim profound questions of existence andeven though he picked up his first med-itation workbook for a lark at the callowage of eight, he saw a way in renunciationto get all the answers he sought, duringhis 20s.

Only he knows best if he got all hisanswers right, but his educational back-ground has, indeed, helpedMukundananda to become a multi-facetedmodern preacher who can be as effectiveas a motivational speaker for corporatesas his mind management skills are for hismore run-of-the-mill disciples from ruralOdisha and other parts of India, to Dallaswhere he spends time “at a beautiful tem-ple,” giving sermons, organising spiritu-al retreats and enriching his soul alongwith that of his growing followers.

He pitches for a course on Religionand Spirituality in school, college and uni-versity curricula as an essential tool toequip students to fight the modern epi-demic of depression and other existentialissues. “Faith gives the mind clarity, pur-pose, peace and positivity and our young

need these values more than ever before,”he asserts.

“Youngsters want knowledge to helpthem in their social, professional and fam-ily life. What is, therefore, necessary is forus to take the wisdom of our ancient scrip-tures and make it relevant in currenttimes.” he adds.

Talking on the pandemic and theopportunity it has given mankind to cleanup their rusted window to the inner selfthrough running inside instead of outside,he terms the Universe a university of hardknocks. “It teaches us to become our bestversion of ourselves. It is the hardships thatbring out the best in us. Ramayana wouldnot have been relevant, written or read butfor those 14 years of rigour that Lord Ramundertook on his banishment. “It is thoseyears that give us lessons in Bharat’s loy-alty, Laxman’s brotherly passion, Sita’schastity and Lord Ram’s godly existence,”he says.

In other words, faith and spiritualityhave become even more relevant intoday’s time when the pandemic hasnibbled into global lives like silverfish, giv-ing rise to a never-before fear factor ofimminent death and suffering.

“Spirituality keeps your mind in holdand gives you the mores to step out of yourfears. If you know how not to fear death,your life is sorted. If you can stare downsuffering with positivity, you will not viewdeath as a life altering dead-end,”Mukundananda says.

This is not the first time that the pan-demic has swept the globe. He attributessurvival of humanity to the strong humanspirit to face hardships unitedly, as a glob-al citizen.

“So there is this story of the cornfarmer. He had wonderful corn growingin his fields that would win him the nation-al corn growing competition year afteryear. However, would share his prized cornseed with neighbouring farmers. Whenjournalists asked him why on earth wouldhe share something so precious andunique, he explained: ‘It is the pollen fromthe neighbouring fields that flies into my

field to fertilise by corn. If they are grow-ing unhealthy crop, it will affect mine too,’he added. Similarly, as citizens of the worldwe have a global duty to unitedly fight thispandemic. Our national duty is to followthe regulations laid down by our respec-tive Governments. Then there is our dutyto ourselves, that is to be strong in thesetough times,” he says.

Indeed, Mukundananda is quite a sto-ryteller, perhaps learning the trade of con-structive engagement from his IIMinstructors at Kolkata. “Once Narad Muniwas passing by a village that had been hitby cholera. He met a personalised choleraand asked him how many people did youkill Mr Cholera? He said 35. Narad said,but news has put the toll at 119. Cholerasaid, I caused only 35 deaths, rest died dueto panic. So, we need to have strength andshed our fears if we have to survive inthese difficult times,” Mukundanandaexplains.

Besides being a celebrated mind man-ager sanyasi, this 59-year-old gentlemanclad in saffron robes with glowing hair andan omnipresent smile on his face, is alsoa health food and yoga expert, both ofwhich come in handy in times like these.“Up your immunity. It will not cure thevirus but it will definitely give you a work-able shield against infection. Regularlytake citrus fruit. Amla has Vitamin A of10 oranges. Daily dose of antioxidants isimportant too and amla is a rich one forthat too, as also dark coloured fruits, likeblueberries. Ginger and turmeric arebeneficial in building and maintainingimmunity. Pranayama is a natural way ofreceiving antioxidants from the atmos-phere. Be stress free to build immunity.Continue with your devotion and medi-tation and soon sunny times will be backagain,” he insists.

He explains the fury of this coronapandemic by calling it more repercussivethan the two World Wars. “Let us look atthe positive side of the situation and howwe can grow from facing this. We have pri-oritised ‘doing’ all our life. Spent the bestpart of our life in ‘doing’. But how much

did we prioritise ‘being’? How much didwe focus in being better people? Howgood we were able to become as humanbeings. This adversity has forced us to stoprunning outside and given us a windowto look within ourselves and focus on themost important need to grow from with-in.” he says.

Yes, we have put behind us many pan-demics and survived. And that’s becausethe basis of external success is our innercharacter, integrity, wellbeing and divin-ity.

“Look at the Tower of Calgary. Itweighs 11,000 tonnes. Sixty per cent of theweight of that tower is under the ground.The foundation is so huge. Our founda-tion is our inner quality, let us utilise thepresent time to make it our priority toequip ourselves with our inner strength.Like a bow and the arrow, bow the arrowas far back as possible for it to shoot as for-ward as possible. You need to do this withyour inner strength and look for the divin-ity in yourself,” Mukundananda pre-scribes.

He believes what Vivekanand aboutlife is eternally true. The great philosopherof spirituality said life is a continualunfoldment in a wheel under circum-stances tending to press it downwards.However, we rise to face it and we find thetrue purpose of life which is our innergrowth.

“So be patient, go within. Take advan-tage of the situation. Detox yourself men-tally. Cut down the toxins of unnecessaryexposure to video games, social media etcin this digital age. Shut off, don’t Netflix,withdraw yourself from the world andabsorb it in God. Do self-study, go with-in. That is what I am doing. You can con-nect with your family. Call the pandem-ic the golden hours of isolation and usethem for self-strengthening.”

Even sceptics may deign to agree withhim grudgingly as difficult times doteach us the most powerful lessons, oneof them being the need to know our lim-itations. “The tiniest of viruses is evadinga cure despite science calling itself God.The takeaway is to be humble. RememberTitanic? It was a huge dream ship, like amini city. Engineers said nothing in theworld can destroy it. It hit an iceberg oninaugural voyage and sank forever, killing1000 people. So, the thinking should be,so what if there is bankruptcy of materi-al things. Inner wealth, which is the loveof God, is permanent,” he says.

Mukundananda is an unabashedvotary of vegetarianism and gives ratherscientific reasons for his view. “We needto respect the laws of Nature. Swine flucame from pigs. SARS and most otherviruses came from the animal kingdom.The Mad Cow disease is the horrific out-come of feeding a herbivorous being withanimal products for better production andthe result of meddling with Nature has hadits repercussions. Global warming isbecause of acute animal consumption. Forjust one kg of meat, as many as 3,000 gal-lons of water is used up. Forests have beencleared for make grazing grounds for ani-mals that humans eat. The human bodyis not meant for eating meat. Carnivoreshave very tiny intestines where the meatdisintegrates fast. Human intestines aretoo big where meat sits for long. Theresult? Diseases, like cancer, come becauseof this. We have molars, carnivores havecanines to chew the meat. Our bodilystructure is meant for vegetarianism,”Mukundananda insists.

The young yogi is a cool package thatsells and gels well with this post-modernage where the fast and furious, the youngand the restless millennials are looking forquick fixes to life issues, which are manyand complex to their utter chagrin.Hence, his diligently put together lessonplans which appeal to all ages, like theworldwide Happiness Challenge helaunched on finding meaningful secretsof happiness with fun activities which hida deeper yogic way of life in them. Morerecently, he has been involved in evolvingspiritual retreats for recharging the innerself.

Just about to turn 60, his journey isso far has been young, and perhaps relat-able in that sense. But he and humanityhave a long way to go. For, the soul,according to the Vedic scriptures hedotes on, has been transmigrating in 8.4million species since endless lifetimes.

Food is for the mind, mind is for thesoul and vaasana (lust) should be for onlyGod. One-liners like these suit his coun-tenance. As do his slender artistic finger-tips on which global philosophical greatssit as pretty as Indian seers — fromRavidas to bhakti propellers in Kabir, toTukaram to Eknath, to Gods like Krishnaand Ram, whom he quotes effortlessly atthe drop of, well, a sermon.

So, here is one guru who has done hishomework well. His idea of spirituality iswell programmed and easy on the mind.He has his knowledge in a pertinentmould and sports the relevant communi-cation skills to draw in the crowds, andsomewhere down the line, manages toinsert in them a sense of self – humble,well-meaning, pious, selfless self.

UP YOUR IMMUNITY. ITWILL NOT CURE THE

VIRUS BUT IT WILLDEFINITELY GIVE YOU A

WORKABLE SHIELDAGAINST INFECTION.

REGULARLY TAKECITRUS FRUIT. AMLA

HAS VITAMIN A OF 10ORANGES. DAILY DOSE

OF ANTIOXIDANTS ISIMPORTANT TOO ANDAMLA IS A RICH ONE

FOR THAT TOO— SWAMI MUKUNDANANDA

Anxiety, depression and panicattacks are a part and par-cel of this turbulent time.

However, empathy and compas-sion can be an answer and can pro-vide healing and solace to ourbeautiful mind.

If the data of suicides, due todepression, is taken into consider-ation during the lockdown andUnlock 1.0, the mental isolation isproving more dangerous thanCoronavirus these days.

Then increasing cases of sui-cides was sidelined because of the

ongoing discussions about the banon TikTok and other 59 chineseapps. While it was a welcomingstep for many, others especiallyteenagers were very upset andeven committed suicide.

For those, who still don’t knowwhat depression actually is, depres-sion is a mood disorder that caus-es a persistent feeling of sadnessand loss of interest. Also calledmajor depressive disorder or clin-ical depression, it affects how youfeel, think and behave and can leadto several emotional and physical

problems. One may face troubledoing normal day-to-day activities,and sometimes even feel as if lifeisn’t worth living.

When the Government bannedthe Chinese apps, many ques-tioned what would happen tothose who used TikTok as a plat-form to share their content andmade some money from it? But fretnot. There is an Indian version ofthe app, Rgyan. Unlike the exist-ing social media platforms whichproduces minimal thoughtful con-tent, it is a social spiritual network-

ing platform which helps in creat-ing a community of intellectualsand motivated individuals seekingtruths about life.

The socio-spiritual technologystartup is founded on the belief ofempowerment of participation bycreating a spiritual social net-work. It can also be compared tospiritual instagram with a touch ofQuora. The app promotes thought-ful content on several non-trivialtopics necessary to find importanttruths about life. It expects to doso by facilitating sharing of

thoughts on various subjectivematters. Amidst social media sitesthat promote banality and silliness,Rgyan stands out as a platformwhere meaningful content isshared and discussions are heard.It is available on both web as wellas a mobile application on androidplay store in English and Hindi.

To use the application, userscan log in by creating an accountusing a registered phone numberor explore its services as an anony-mous user. The app allows users toexpress and share their thoughts

through pictures, videos, text,GIFs, or as real-time discussions.

The app also offers the flexibil-ity of a User Generated ContentModel (UGC) with that of curat-ed content available on Divinity,Daily Horoscope, and aggregatednews on spiritual and social mat-ters.

Celebrating the success of theMade In India app, Debjit Patra,Founder and Chairman, Rgyan,says that such a platform wasmuch needed, more so because ofthe current situation.

“There was a need for such ameaningful social platform wherepeople can get knowledge as wellas share their thoughts on variousmeaningful matters. The app wasstarted back in 2016 with a visionand now hacve successfullyreached the milestone of one mil-lion monthly views. We have comea long way, but this is not the limitas we know that in the time tocome, more and more people willstart to use the app and will loveit. It will definitely help them tobeat all the blues,” Patra says.

TECHNOLOGY COMES IN HANDY

Call the pandemicrigours golden hours

of isolation that canstrengthen your

inner self, detox themind, give

perspective to thereal purpose of life.SUNDAY PIONEER

brings you a spiritualtake on dealing with

this devastating virusthrough an IIT, IIM

alumnus-turned-spiritual guru

PLUSMINUS

PLUSMINUS

FINDING

IN

sundaymagazine

books 8OUTSIDE OF A DOG, A BOOK

IS MAN’S BEST FRIEND.INSIDE OF A DOG IT’S TOO

DARK TO READ— GROUCHO MARX Vijayawada, July 26, 2020

NEWARRIVALS

A Forgotten Hero. AnUnforgettable Battle.India, 1025 AD.

Repeated attacks by Mahmud of Ghazniand his barbaric Turkic hordes haveweakened India’s northern regions. Theinvaders lay waste to vast swathes of thesubcontinent—plundering, killing, raping,pillaging. Many of the old Indian kingdoms,tired and divided, fall to them. Those whodo fight, battle with old codes of chivalry,and are unable to stop the savage Turkicarmy which repeatedly breaks all rules towin. Then the Turks raid and destroy one ofthe holiest temples in the land: themagnificent Lord Shiva temple at Somnath.At this most desperate of times, a warriorrises to defend the nation.

SUHELDEV: THE KINGWHO SAVED INDIA AmishWestland, `399

Suralakshmi Villa is ArunaChakravarti’s fourth novel,though the last two, Jorasankoand Daughters of Jorasanko, werestrictly in the genre of bio-fic-

tion. Interestingly, this novel, has evolvedfrom one of the short stories of the col-lection Secret Spaces, published by her in2010. For the reviewer, reading thisnovel, as an e-book was quite an interest-ing experience. Not used to reading e-books, I thought my patience would runout and I would probably finish the novelin a month. But the book sustained myinterest throughout, enabling me to com-plete the reading in three days with somenecessary pauses.

The story takes you across back andforth in time to Bengal and Delhi of theBritish and post independent eras. Thereferral point is the cultural history ofBengalis (Hindus and Muslims) of thatperiod. Aruna Chakravarti has an abid-ing interest in historical research whichhelps her authenticate every detail of theperiod and times she writes about. Herpainstakingly written prose could be readeffortlessly by readers because she is agood storyteller and that is what mattersin fiction.

The novel has a central narrative, thelife and times of Suralakshmi, a lady doc-tor who is a woman of intellect and sub-stance, a woman empowered. Yet as itoften happens, she loses all discretionwhen she falls in love and drifts towardsan unworthy lover, agreeing to be the“second” wife in his large household.How she gets cheated by her husbandand ultimately leaves home with Eidun,her protégée, to set up medical practicein a remote corner of North Bengal andwhat happens thereafter, has been writ-ten with insight and empathy. With thecentral story, there are other characters,whose lives get entangled with the chiefprotagonist and these sub-plots also finda place through “personal revelations” inthe novel.

What is interesting is the space givenin the book to rituals, folklore and culi-nary practices of both Hindus andMuslims woven together in a tapestrythat reveals the essentially syncreticnature of Bengal and her people. Aruna’scharacters are as real as the people we seearound us, with their strengths, their fail-ings and their vulnerabilities. There areimmensely inspiring stories of those whocould cross the threshold from traditionto modernity. Despite its regional ethos,the novel is a microcosm of the India wehave lived and known in the last five

decades. Even overseas readers will beable to relate to this “Indian” story soeasily.

Women will like the story, perhapsthey will find a feminist message. Somemay feel the novel is a bit harsh on itsmen, like Moinak Sen and Moinnuddin.Yet, if you read the novel carefully, theHindu elite of the period appear to be asflawed as the Muslim men of a lowerclass, both would take their sense of“social entitlement” with perfect impuni-ty. The younger Hindu men in the novelmay be more relatable to younger readerstoday since generational change is seam-lessly woven into the narrative.

Nowhere is the writer judgmentalabout societal or community values, thatwas perhaps never the intention. The

characters are not black and white, thecomplexity of each character is reflectedupon and handled deftly, no character issketched out as entirely predictable.There is a strength and flow in the storythat one wants to meander with and likeall good novels, the message quietlycomes through at the end.

Aruna is a master in recreating andevoking historical periods, her prose isalways rich in detail about the atmos-phere periodised. The characters arerarely atypical, they live their lives, oftentrying to escape their destinies. The com-plex emotional relationships are threshedout with clarity at times and sometimesleaving tangled webs to the reader’simagination. The writer reaches out toyour mind in a lucid, easy, non-preachy

style.Suralakshmi Villa is the story of a

house and its characters. The book has ahuge cast. It tells the story of Rai BahadurIndranath Choudhury, Suralakshmi’sfather, Lakshmi Devi her mother, and herfour sisters. It also narrates the story of agrowing city (Delhi) and the lifestyle ofits elite immediately after independence.She engages with Lutyens’ Delhi throughvivid imagery, her descriptive lens mean-dering through the calm of this lan-guorous city with its beautiful monu-ments and gardens. The descriptions ofthis elegant city and the lifestyles of its“genteel” folk, will remind everyone ofhow “British” Delhi has always been. Thepassing of the seasons is described unob-trusively as she moves on with the central

characters and their lives. The complexi-ties of the “Bhadralok” class, trying to fitin with the demands of tradition andmodernity, amply reflects “India in tran-sition” in the last fifty years even whenthe story crosses over from the 20thCentury to the next.

This is a novel spanning fourdecades. Many of us can completelyidentify with its central values, the dilem-mas of its characters and the culturalethos of its age. Those who have notbeen a part of the Bengali cultural her-itage, its folklore, music and legends mayfeel a trifle alienated. Though ArunaChakravarti has always written aboutBengal and Bengalis, it didn’t restrict herreadership to a region. Her earlier novelsabout the Tagores may have generated a

pan Indian appeal because of the magicof the family name. This story of anupper middle class Bengali household inDelhi (over a span of time) should be noless relatable.

Her portrayal of rural Muslims ofBengal may seem stereotypical at times,but has to be read in context.Moinnuddin, Eidun’s father maybe a car-icature of his class, but Moinak Sen isalso representative of the feudal patriar-chal Hindu male, a caricature no less.“Tradition” among Hindus and Muslimsare sometimes represented by such char-acters, which highlights their “negativeshades. Whether the novel seems to bemaking statements through them or not,only the author knows best.

Read this latest novel by ArunaChakravarti as it should be, for a goodstory and a climactic ending Start read-ing, and flow with the momentum. It isan engrossing story with a huge cast thatwill keep you going. For discerning read-ers, there are messages perhaps.Understand them and their significancefor contemporary India.

The reviewer is a Professor atDepartment of Political Science,

Jamia Millia Islamia

Aruna Chakravarti’s latest novel contains messages for discerning readers. It would make greatsense to understand these and their significance for contemporary India, writes RUMKI BASU

SURALAKSHMI VILLAAruna Chakravarti

Picador India, `650

The life and times of Suralakshmi

It is about that year when itrained so heavy that streamsflowed turned rivers and

rivers into lakes. The water roseup to the edges of houses andtrees trunks were totally sub-merged in water. In the pound-ing rain storm leaves of thetwigs had fallen and the strongshower of rain water had com-pletely rid washed the blackcolour of the crows that theylooked like lovely white pigeons.

All the inhabitants of thevalley were focused to leavetheir homes and take refuge inthe nearby hills. Fortunately inthose days an old friend of dadhad invited us to his daughter’swedding and so we reachedSimla. Rain was also wreakinghavoc here and leaping downthe mountain slops like waterspring.

In wedding buzz we hadforgotten everything that what astorm raged in the outsideworld. I was somewhat wonderstruck to see golden brightspangled dresses, and glitteringornaments. Among the count-less gifts given in the dowry, Ihad a great liking for a timepiece which was of a lemon sizean extremely shining watch,which our host had purchasedand brought from Switzerlandfor her darling daughter.

Among the viewers of thedowry, it attracted first attentionof one and all. And AuntyTabassum, time and againrepeatedly and by twisting thekey Alarm of this ‘Jaltrang’sound like sounding time piece,described the defining charac-teristic of the unique watch. I

was exceedingly captivated bythis watch. I turned aroundmany a times and came to seethis lovely piece, again andagain.

How would this watch looklike placed near my head pillow.And how will it help to awakenme every morning with its heartcaptivating melodious voice. It

created a beautiful painting pic-ture on canvas of my colourfulimagination. No sooner AuntyTabassum was led away hitheror Thither, that I at once gavemy thought out plot a practicalshape and by seizing it kept itprotected in the stitched upperflop of my Salwar. And, aftersometime, when Aunty

Tabassum came back in theroom, and finding the watchmissing started looking aroundin great discomfort. She calledlittle Hazra

“Where is the watch?”“Watch?” Hazara was taken

aback with surpriseAunty ‘Tabassum’ called

‘Chunnu’,’Munnu’, ‘Shammi’ and

‘Aslam’ turn by turn but allexpressed their ignorance.

Slowly and slowly, all theguests gathered in the room.Aunty Tabassum wanted toavert, but on the guest’s empha-sis, she had to tell about the dis-appearance of the watch.

All began to look at doubt-ing each other. And were withtroubled hearts that how AuntyTabassum and other membersof the host family would thinkabout them. Every guest wasworried at heart and on theother hand hosts too wereashamed.

I looked around, whetherthe people were not looking atme. On being completelyassured, I began to walk slowlyand to satisfy myself personally,once coughed also for self satis-faction. At once it occurred tome as if the stitched bottomflaps of my Salwar were a bitraised up from my feet. I satdown nervously.

“Bi Razia, do you knowsomething/” Emerged an unfa-miliar voice.

“Not so.” I answered backsomewhat worried “Aji, why doyou ask Razia ‘poor’ AuntyTabassum expressed her full con-fidence in my person in keepingwith the delicate relationshipbetween guest and host.

“Razia Beta! Who was theother child in the room besidesyou and Hazra?”

Then the same voice fol-lowed me once again. I got ner-vous and looked around. I couldfound no answer to make.

“Our Razia is a good daugh-ter.” My mother announced my

innocence in the assembled lot.I felt somewhat revived up. Butthe very next moment the samealarm screamed up from theflaps of my Salwar in choked upvoice. I trembled.

All eyes rose up towards me.My Mummy’s eyes were aflameissuing sparks. Outside, therewas heavy down pour. But I wascraving for a drop of water todrown and sink myself deepdown and was peeping right andleft. Crows sitting on the terracein front of the window appeared‘White’ before my eyes. Morethan their black coloured feath-ers was my darker deed.

Deep Ashaon Ka written by MadanLall Manchanda is published

by Blue Rose

White Crows: a poignant short storyMADAN LALL MANCHANDA’s short stories were written mostly for the readers of an earliergeneration, have the idiom of the period of the magazines that published them

DEEP ASHAON KAMadan Lall Manchanda

Blue Rose, `210 Late at night, Kumarasurar'sphone rings shrilly. Histeenage son is calling. Whatcould he want?A seemingly simple demand tormentsKumarasurar, who fears it might put hisfinances — and perhaps his son’s life—injeopardy. As a father’s anxieties unravel, hismemories undermine his self-worth andimaginary scenes of damnation taunt him.Estuary brings alive the different ways —absurd and endearing by turns — in whicha man and his young son navigate thecontemporary world. In the process, itpeels back the layers of Kumarasurar’sloneliness: the hurt of a married man whosewife cares only for the happiness of theirchild, the endless monotony of an officejob, and the struggle of the salaried middle-class to give their children the best chanceof success. Perumal Murugan’s latest novel,his first in an urban setting, is also a razor-sharp parody of everything from e-commerce to the fitness industry, artappreciation to political manipulation, cramschools to social networks.

ESTUARY Perumal Murugan

Eka, `499

Bengal village showing villagers outside thatch houses, bullock cart near roadside by Samuel Bourne (1863). Picture used for representational purposes only

sundaymagazine

Existence is God

F R O M T H E I N S I D E

I’ve never playedsomeone where I felt itwas beneficial to build

from the outside in— Emma Stone

Wonders of wheat!

Vijayawada, July 26, 2020

SIMPLE SOLUTIONS TOSTAYING HEALTHYSet realistic expectations of yourself and your schedule. Do what is possible over trying to do it all, writesSIMRUN CHOPRA, as she suggests ways to reclaim good health and joy in these stressful times

Ever realised it’s nearly dinner timeand you haven’t had your shower?With lockdowns ahead of many ofus in the country, pressure of work-ing from home and schools starting

with the online classes, everyone is doublingup as parent, teacher, entertainer, cleaner,chef and not to forget employee. Juggling somany roles can be daunting and leave youfeeling frustrated and out of control.

The mind is a powerful thing and when itfeels out of control, disoriented, everythingaround you seems to fall apart. You feel likeyou are drowning in responsibilities somehowgrabbing at straws to stay afloat. What youneed instead is a life jacket. Let me throw youone.

What if you are unable to check yourfrustration and that feeling of having lost allcontrol? What if, at the end of the day, youtruly feel productive, like you achieved some-thing? How do you tackle such extremeswings?

TIME MANAGEMENTLet’s begin with something that we largely

remain unaware of or take for granted — ourtime. In particular, let’s look at our prioritiesand how we should manage our time.

Start with a SIMple exercise to improveawareness — Time Diary. Grab a paper,spreadsheet or whatever you like and a clock.The stopwatch on your phone will work fine.Now, write down how you spend your dayfrom waking to sleeping. Note down everyaction including time spent on the phone,throne or social media. Time that you spenddrinking tea, chopping, cooking or cleaningup.

We are looking for time “suckers”or ener-gy wasters — Where is my time going?Where do I waste time? Woah, do I reallyscroll through my phone for 40 minutes onthe pot? Find your time suckers and removethem.

Ask yourself — what can I do less of, sothat I can do more of the things that matterto my physical and mental well being?

With an active social media presencemyself, I ensure I have a time slot for eachactivity because without it, I will get suckeddown the rabbit hole.

We are not in a contest; we are not tryingto come out of this with a doctorate in UIdesign. If you are safe and healthy you aredoing a great job.

Ideally aim for three big to-do items aday. Three must dos and if you finish them,then do some more. Setting realistic expecta-tions of yourself and others is imperative toyour mental well-being at the moment.

HANDLING PARENTHOODIn these times, parents, especially moth-

ers, have found themselves overwhelmed andinundated with work. The pressures of raisinga child coupled with managing home andwork from home office can be a dauntingtask. Here are a few things that have trulyhelped me as a full time working mother. l Batch Cooking. Cooking for multiple

meals simultaneously saves times andenergy.

l One pot meals make cooking simple andquick. You don’t need a buffet spread ateach meal.

l Listing out your three top to-do itemsright at the beginning of the day. Setting agoal helps one stay focussed.

l 10 minutes of quiet me-time. Use thistime to relax and do nothing. Works as agreat recharge.

l Delegate. Get your spouse, children, fami-ly, partner, roommate or any human youcan find, to share the workload. If youcook, someone else can clean. If you iron,someone else can fold.

l Don’t compare. If someone says they areacing this time, that’s great. But that is notyour life and not your circumstances. So,don’t compare what’s happening in yourlife with that of the others or for that mat-ter, anything. You do you.

l Be kind to yourself. Speak to yourself asyou would to your best friend. We oftenjudge ourself harshly. Know this is thebest way that you can handle.

l See if you can add 15 minutes of some-thing important while removing 15 min-utes of something unimportant. You’d besurprised to know how wasteful ourmind/certain habits can be.

SLEEP MANAGEMENTMy top tip to staying fresh, sorted and in

control of the game is a good night’s sleep!One of the biggest reason for people

struggling with weight issues, feeling low andslow in general, is lack of adequate sleep.

Here are some of the signs that indicateyou are not getting enough rest:l Your mind feels unclear maybe even a bit

foggy. Think reduced alertness, confusion,forgetfulness.

l You feel low or not happy. Maybe you arefeeling more stressed, low in terms ofmood. When we sleep we repair andregenerate and not getting enough of sleepstarts to show up quickly.

l You are more susceptible to illnesses,viruses, bacteria. Something you do notwant right now.

l Low energy, lower reaction time, lethar-gy... Some of these can also be indicators of

vitamin deficiencies, but before you run outto get tested, try getting in more sleep. Aimto get in atleast seven hours of sleep. I knowyou’re possibly thinking: “You have no cluehow much work I have”. But, let’s be honest isworking out an assessment. Time dairy isyour friend here. All research shows adelayed bedtime is from a voluntary delay —that extended TV time or watching videosonline. Unless you are a new parent!

Ideally, aim for the same sleep and wak-ing time. Seven to eight hours is ideal. If youdon’t think this is priority, think again.

Sleep loss increases your risk of weightgain, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.Time you paid attention to proper sleep.

HOLD ON, THERE’S MORE A study was conducted on 11 healthy

men in their 20s. They were allowed to sleeponly four hours per night for six nights con-tinuously. At the end of it, it was found thatthey had the insulin sensitivity of a 70 yearold pre-diabetic! This when only one parame-ter was changed. While it’s a small sample, itis suggestive. The solution is cheap and easyto do.

If you have some trouble falling asleep trysome of the measures listed in the chart. Seeif those help.

Life throws many curve balls at us and2020 is just one of the many. You just need tolearn to hit that ball. It does not have to be aperfect shot and you don’t need to hit a sixeach time. You just need to learn to hit theball. It’s as simple as that.

Set realistic expectations of yourself andyour schedule. Do what is possible over try-ing to do it all. SIMplify where you can, that’sall you need right now.

The writer is a Lifestyle andTransformation Coach

C O N S I S T E N C YKeep a relatively consistent bedtime and wake time.Staying up late and sleeping in on weekends candisrupt your routine during the week.

L I G H TKeep the bedroom extremely dark, to tell the body’slightsensitive clock that it’s time to sleep.

N O I S EKeep the bedroom extremely quiet or use a whitenoise generator (such as a fan).

R E L A X AT I O N / R O U T I N EDecelop a pre-bed routine that is relaxing andfamiliar. Television, work, computer use, moviesand deep/stressful discussions late at night candisrupt sleep.

T E M P E R A T U R EKeep a slightly cool temperature in the room,between 18-22oC.

S T I M U L A N T SEliminate stimulants like caffeine/nicotine, especiallylater in the day.

E X E R C I S EIt’s not only good for a healthier life and big guns, itcan help improve sleep.

F U L N E S SEating a dinner that makes you overly full candisturb sleep.

NOURISHWITH SIM

S L E E P & S C H E D U L E

DON’T COMPARE. IFSOMEONE SAYS THEY

ARE ACEING THISTIME, THAT’S GREAT.

BUT THAT IS NOTYOUR LIFE AND NOT

YOURCIRCUMSTANCES. SO,

DON’T COMPAREWHAT’S HAPPENINGIN YOUR LIFE WITH

THAT OF THE OTHERSOR FOR THAT

MATTER, ANYTHING.YOU DO YOU

10 11

This week anxiety and stress could upset you andcause slight problems in your health. You mayexperience sleeplessness and over analysing thesituation. It is advised to adopt a healthy lifestyle, whichwould give you enough time for yourself to look afterthe needs of your body, mind, and soul. Professionallyyou are doing well. You will generally enjoy positiveenergy throughout the week. In business, certainfinancial gains are indicated. This is the time when youleast expect and achieve more. You are likely to get intouch with someone you love or admire. Relationshipswill be redefined with your efforts. You could likely becaught up in the excitement, committing more than youcan deliver.

Lucky number 6Lucky colour PurpleLucky day Friday

ARIES March 21-April 19

You spread vibrant energy this week amidst a little chaos.Your health and feelings of well-being should be at a highpoint. This is a great time to take some time off if youcan and just enjoy life. If you look back you are likely tofind that your attitude has been more positive of late too.This would directly affect how well your body works foryou. You may face a set-back or financial loss inbusiness. Things may not be as productive as youthought. You may experience problems at work that maycause concerns regarding your financial security. Youmay want switch job due to stagnation in growth.Personal relations may not be enriching. You need tocheck your attitude and know you’ve reached the pointwhere things will begin to look up.

Lucky number 15Lucky colour Sky BlueLucky day Thursday

TAURUS April 20-May 20

Since you are fun-loving and filled with child-likeenergy, just don’t let your desire for fun make youoverlook the real thing should it come your way. Youmay be accident-prone. Be mindful at the moment andnot take silly chances. Though your overall health islikely to be on the upswing but prevention is advised.At work, you are kind, considerate and willing to takeresponsibility for your actions but in a sensitive,generous manner. This is time to enjoy the quiet powerassociated with providing loving energy to others.There may be rift at home, or family members havetheir assumptions and accusations which probably youare not able to solve. Those who are jealous of youwon’t be able to malign you despite their best efforts.

Lucky number 19Lucky colour WhiteLucky day Tuesday

GEMINI May 21-June 20

Health remains good and you feel energetic. Yourmental energies are amplified too, and you involvewith ethical behaviour, encouragement or matter of themind. Your entire situation is one covered with thespirit of learning, discovery and mental activities of allkinds. At such times, use your mind and enjoy thedelights of the intellect. At work, you may have moreoptions than you typically think possible. If you’relooking for work, know that you have the resourcesand the skill set to find it. You may be struggling withan issue in a relationship and finding the way to doingthe right thing, as you are unsure about what is rightfor you to do. Know that the answers are within you.This is not the time to be unconventional any more.

Lucky number 8Lucky colour MagentaLucky day Friday

CANCER June 21-July 22

This week follow the rule of ‘Live in the moment andseize the day’. You will be radiating very good energy andgood attitude. You must share your good attitude withthe people around you who are down or who need thispositive energy. A genetic illness that runs in your familyis under control any way and stressing about it won’tchange a thing. Your finances are likely to be on theupswing, largely due to your efforts and wiseinvestments. This is not a time to speculate wildly. Youcan take calculated risks, but don’t get carried away. Onlove and relationship front, you need to spice up yourpersonal life. Check your appearance, your attitude andlifestyle. Bring some excitement or changes in yourlifestyle.

Lucky number 11Lucky colour BeigeLucky day Sunday

VIRGO Aug 23-Sep 22

You may need to create time and space to focus onyourself first, for your health to truly improve. If you areconstantly putting everyone before you and before yourneeds, then your health may suffer as a result. Balance inall things is important. You are just as important as anyoneelse. This week is good for imagination and creative ideasand it will further be fuelled by friends who you are likelyto meet soon. Some old associate or college mate bringsconcurrent opportunity, to invest time, talent or treasure insomething you always wanted to do. You are feelingblessed. Your soft romantic emotions and desires arefulfilled. If you have been in a long-term committedrelationship, you are likely to find it rising to deepen andintensify.

Lucky number 20Lucky colour MauveLucky day Monday

LIBRA Sep 23-Oct 22

This week pay attention to your health. Take second, thirdopinion if you are suffering from a serious ailment. Ifyou’re having symptoms that are not specific, educateyourself as much as possible before you walk in thedoor. You can deepen your spiritual awareness andpractice by actively seeking out new sources ofinformation and insight. At work, your expectations arehigh and have more weightage than your worth. Dreamsand high ambitions are good to grow in life but expectingthe Moon is not. Stay grounded and practical. Balance inrelations is a must. You may have romantic choices athand. Be clear and specific about what you want,evaluate your choices thoughtfully. You have to bringsome desirable changes in you for long term relations.

Lucky number 18Lucky colour SilverLucky day Wednesday

SCORPIO Oct 23-Nov 21

This week is fabulous health-wise. If you are waiting ontest results of some kind, they are likely to be verygood. You’ll be calm, relieved and inspired. Take goodcare of yourself. The others need your light of wisdomand your happiness. Give it a chance to shine. You mayfind things going much better at work, almost out ofthe blue. A powerful person is likely to support you.This is a good time to ask for a raise. On the whole,your work/career front is looking up. This is a goodweek for career advancement. You can expect majorcareer progress followed by financial gains now. Thisweek is also good for your personal life as well. Youwill enjoy good health, charm and personality. Joy andcelebrations are on the cards.

Lucky number 3Lucky colour PinkLucky day Sunday

AQUARIUS Jan 20-Feb 18

The theme of balance particularly holds for in terms ofhealth. Energy aimed at balancing your chakras or yourbody/mind/spirit is particularly effective. Paying adequateattention to all three is the key to good health. Your healthis in better shape than you fear. On the work front, theweek is mixed with positive and negative energies. Youhave both mental and physical agility. Your versatile andsharpened skills would motivate you to performoutstandingly. This could be a time of sudden personalgrowth if you use your energies for something meaningfuland not involve yourself in petty discussions. It may be ahard time in a relationship. It can be that your beloved isundergoing a rough time that has nothing to do with yourrelationship but needs your support.

Lucky number 14Lucky colour GreenLucky day Thursday

PISCES Feb 19-March 20

Bring a balance between work and family, body andmind. You are very imaginative and spend a lot of timethinking, dreaming and weaving stories. The desires andpassions could increase this week, making you a weakperson. Your efficiency may go down. On the work front,the things will keep on moving as per your desires givingyou much scope and hopes for the future. Be preparedfor a surprise. An important project may be assigned toyou; a great responsibility makes you popular with yourfriends. You may work for the cause and attain immensesatisfaction. This week does not predict well in terms ofmatters of the heart. You may feel emotionally hurt andbroken. Love relationships could be disheartening to theextent that you decide to stay alone.

Lucky number 12Lucky colour PeachLucky day Tuesday

CAPRICORN Dec 22-Jan 19

This week people around you will appreciate you and yourefforts and notice the quality of what you do. Keep doingwhat you’re doing as you are on the right track. You don’tneed to scrap something and start again. Your health islikely to show a positive change, but this is not a result ofa miracle, it is your dedication, commitment anddisciplined approach to life. On the work front, you setgood examples for others to follow. It is a good time toresolve business problems in which you can show pride.It is an excellent time in love. Your partner feels veryprotective of you. No wonder he/she would go all out totake on those who would try to mistreat you or createdifferences between you. You command respect andhonour in a relationship.

Lucky number 13Lucky colour BrownLucky day Saturday

LEO July 23-Aug 22

You will enjoy good health, food and entertainment.Prosperity, progress and happiness will keeps yourspirits up. You are likely to have several clear flashes ofimportant spiritual insights during this time. It is yourdetermination and a disciplined approach to life thatkeeps you a stronger and healthier person. You establishyourself wherever you are, whether in business or job.This is the time when your teamwork is beingappreciated and acknowledged. Your leadership qualitiesare being watched and so are your potentials. You arelikely to do something commendable in the relationshiparea this week. After the investment of time, energy andmoney, things are going well for the person that youhave your heart set on.

Lucky number 17Lucky colour GreenLucky day Saturday

SAGITTARIUS Nov 22-Dec 21

YYOOUURRWWEEEEKK

AHEADMADHU KOTIYA

sundaymagazine

tarot 10MOST PEOPLE SPEND MORETIME AND ENERGY GOING

AROUND PROBLEMS THAN INTRYING TO SOLVE THEM

— HENRY FORD Vijayawada, July 26, 2020

Agreat majority of people believe inthe existence of God, which differ-ent philosophies perceive in their

own ways. They believe that there existsan eternal reality that creates, sustainsand recycles life cycle. Also, administersthe whole world, having eyes on our con-duct individually and collectively. It is, asif, there exists a reality distant from us,who would judge our conduct and set theterms of our future qualitatively, accord-ing as one would deserve.

There are many philosophies that donot subscribe to the concept of God, evenof Indian origin such as Samkhya,Jainism and Buddhism. The self-acclaimed rationalist just deny the exis-tence, even though they may not be hav-ing any philosophy in hand to justifytheir stand. Many scientists, based ontheir perception, deny the existence ofGod. Stephen Hawking and LeonardMlodinova in their book, “The GreatDesign”, maintain that “God did not cre-ate the Universe and the Big Bang was aninevitable consequence of the laws ofPhysics. The fact that there is a law suchas gravity, the Universe can and will cre-ate itself from nothing. Spontaneous cre-ation is the reason there is something

rather than nothing, why the Universeexists, why we exist.” I think he had theChristian concept of God in mind, todeny its existence as in their concept,God and Existence are two different reali-ties. That made it difficult for them toreconcile the scientific perception withthat of the concept of God. Hawkins haswritten volumes on the concept of cre-ation, but he could not decipher thedynamics of life holistically, not to sayanything on their bearing in human func-tionalities in their day-to-day life.

There is no denying the fact that‘God or No God’, there is system in placeengaged in uninterrupted creativity,which has been driving the world indi-vidually and collectively in almost anautopilot mode. See how functionaries inthe cosmos such as the Sun, Moon, andall functionalities of the nature, vital toour life cycle have been going on, follow-ing involuntarily developed design para-meters mandated for them, and with suchprecision. One may believe or deny theconcept of God, but can anybody existwithout the support of nature drivenperennial resources? And these resourcesare not manmade. And that’s what divinecreations mean in real terms.

Vedanta says that God is formlessand attribute-less, the ‘One’ without a sec-ond, having in store the fundamental ele-ments of creation, carrying the potentialto manifest all by itself. It is pure con-sciousness that is all-pervading, andavailable with all. Consciousness elementanimates all our functionalities includingour ‘power of knowing’. It also lends nec-essary intelligence to all nature drivenfunctionalities to move in an orderlyfashion with precision. Consciousness,thus, weaves through the whole worldinto a unified organism where no indi-vidual has a reality independent of thewhole. This concept is quite in conformi-ty with the scientific perception of cre-ation. So said eminent AustralianPhysicist, Paul Davies: “For a naïve realist,the world is a collection of objects. For aquantum physicist, it is an inseparableweb of vibrating pattern, where no indi-vidual component has a reality indepen-dent of the entirety, included in thatentirety is the observer.”

It, would, therefore, be fair to surmisethat there is a system in place that wouldbe necessarily having a Primal-Source,having in store fundamental elements ofcreation, intrinsic to which is the funda-mental elements of consciousness. That

includes the manifest world with all itsdiversity and enormity. There are lot ofintervening dynamisms operative at visi-ble and imperceptible levels playing inbetween. All moving in togetherness as aunified organism, have been driving theworld individually and collectively. In thisscheme of things, courtesy the conscious-ness element, there always remain con-nect between the primal source and themanifest. “Without Him, I exist not,without me He is unmanifest,” said MirraAlfassa, the spiritual consort of RishiAurobindo, popularly known as ‘Mother.

According to Vedanta, the livingworld may get dissolved one day, when itgets back to the primal source, carryingalong the seeds of creation. Out of thoseseeds, a fresh world comes into being. So,the existence is always there in one formor other. So, “Existence is a reality”. Forthe sake of our understanding, the systemwould need a naming. If we shed ourindividualistic belief, what better than thethree lettered word “God” to name it.

The wwriter iis aan aastrologer, vvastu cconsultant and sspiritual ccounsellor. WWrite tto hhim aat

G-1102, BBharat NNagar, NNew FFriends CColony, New DDelhi-1110 0025

Tel: 991-111-449848475/9818037273 Email: bbharatbhushanpadmadeo@gmail.com

ASTROTURFBHARAT BHUSHAN PADMADEO

Madhu Kotiya is a tarot card reader, spiritual healer, and Founder, MShezaim Institute of Tarot and Divination. Contact details: madhu@indiatarot.com, www.indiatarot.com, M: 9873283331

Existence is God

TEAM AGENDA DESK > NAVNEET MENDIRATTA, CONSULTING EDITOR | H LAYOUT AND DESIGN > SATISH CHANDRA JAKHMOLA, SENIOR EDITOR (CREATIVE)

NNooww yyoouu ccaann wwrriittee ttoo uuss aatt aaggeennddaappiioonneeeerr@@ggmmaaiill..ccoomm

ith easily found ingredients that enable consumers to experiment and getcreative in the kitchen, we bring to you some of the nutritious recipes usingwheat flour to beat your lockdown cravings. Be it a wholesome breakfast,

snacks, or creative desserts, these recipes can be prepared with just a handfulof ingredients. Spice wheat semiya, Pizza paratha... sounds interesting right?The taste too is as delicious as its name sounds. Chef Rakesh Ghai,Executive Chef ITC Kakatiya Hotel shares with The Pioneer the recipes ofthree exotic dishes that can be made with wheat.

Wondersof wheat!W

WHAT YOU NEED:Aashirvaad Atta: 1 cupSalt: 1/2 tspHot water: As requiredFor tempering:Oil: 3 tbspMustard seeds: 1/2 tbsp

Urad dal: 1 tbspChana dal: 1 tbspChopped onion: 1/2 cupChopped tomato: 1/2cupChilli powder: 1 tbspSalt and corriander leaves:

As needed

HOW TO MAKE:oTake Aashirvaad atta and salt in a bowl. Add boiling water and

oil to the attaoMix it using a spatula until a sticky dough formsoSplit the dough into three equal partsoTake one part of the dough and when it is hot enough to hold

comfortably, place it in an idiyappam mouldoGrease an idli stand and press the idiyappam mould gently for

the noodles to formoShape these noodles into idiyappam and place in the idli mouldsoSteam the idiyappam for 10 minutesoTake the idli stand out and let it cool for a few minutes. Take

the steamed idiyappam out in a bowloHeat a pan and add some oil followed by mustard seeds,

chana dal, urad dal and onionoSaute them for a few minutes and add chopped tomatoesoMix chilli powder and salt and let it cook for 5 minutesoAdd the idiyappam and mix it thoroughly. Break the longer

idiyappam noodles into small piecesoOnce everything is mixed properly, take the mixture out on a

serving plateoGarnish it with coriander leaves and serve it warm with

coconut chutney

SPICY WHEATSEMIYA

PIZZA PARATHAWHAT YOU NEED:Atta: 1 cupOil: 1 tbspWater: 1 cupVeggies (corn, capsicum, tomato):1 cup

Peri Peri Masala: 2 tbspOregano: 1 tspGrated Cheese: 1 1/2 cupOil: To toast paratha

HOW TO MAKE:o In a bowl mix the Aashirvaad

atta, Aashirvaad Salt and oil.Add the water as needed tomake soft and pliable dough.Cover the dough and set asidefor about one hour

o Squeeze the chopped bellpeppers to remove the extrawater

o In a bowl mix all theingredients for the filling- bellpepper, mushrooms, tomatopaste, Aashirvaad Salt, chiliflakes, basil, oregano, jalapenoand cheese. Mix well

o Knead the dough and divide intwo equal parts. Roll each partof the dough in a smooth ball

o Roll one part of the dough intoabout six-inch diameter, usedry Aashirvaad Atta as neededto roll

o Place half a cup of filling in thecenter. Pull the edges of thedough to wrap it around thefilling, making sure it iscovered from all around

o Meanwhile, heat the skillet onmedium low heat. Skillet

should not be very hot,otherwise paratha will notcook through. Heavy skilletswork best

o Lightly sprinkle the dryAashirvaad Atta on thesurface. Roll the paratha.Press the filled patty lightlyfrom both sides, with yourfingers. Now using a rollingpin, roll the paratha abouteight-inch in diameter. If thedough sticks to the rolling pinor rolling surface, lightly dustthe parathas with dryAashirvaad Atta

o Oil the skillet generously, andplace the paratha on the skillet.Cook the paratha for 2-3minutes and flip the paratha.Paratha should be of goldenbrown hue. It is important tocook paratha on low heat

o Again, brush the paratha withoil all around and flip it againin about 2 minutes. Parathashould be golden brown onboth sides for crispness.Paratha should take about fiveminutes to cook nicely

o Take out the pizza paratha on awire rack to keep them fromgetting soggy

APPLE HALWAWHAT YOU NEED:Ghee: 1 tbspAtta: 1 tbspGinger powder: 1 tbsp

Milk: 1 cupApple diced: 1 cupCondensed milk: 1/2 cup

Dry fruits for Garnishing

HOW TO MAKE:

o In a pan add inAashirvaad Gheeand AashirvaadAtta and roast ituntil light brown

o Now in anotherpan add in milkand diced applesand cook for 3-4minutes

o Now add incondensed milkand cook for 3-4minutes till itthickens

o Garnish with dryfruits and serve

Chef Rakesh Ghai, Executive Chef ITC Kakatiya Hotel

sundaymagazine

food 11Vijayawada, July 26, 2020

ACCORDING TO FDA, WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR ISHIGH IN VITAMINS B-1, B-3, AND B-5, AND

RIBOFLAVIN AND FOLATE.2? IT ALSO HAS MOREIRON, CALCIUM, PROTEIN, AND OTHER NUTRIENTS

THAN WHITE FLOUR.

VIJAYAWADA | SUNDAY | JULY 26, 2020 12

A man who has donned many hats

since joining the Indian

Administrative Service in 1991,

Rajat Kumar is currently the

Principal Secretary, Irrigation and

Command Area Development,

Telangana. Originally from Bihar,

he has not only made Hyderabad

his home, but has endeared

himself to the people here. In a

heart-to-heart with The Pioneer,

Rajat Kumar talks to Namrata

Srivastava about his family, college

life, hobbies and much more…

A FOODIE I am a big time foodie. I also cook once in a

blue moon. I like Continental food. If you travel

around Europe, there is an immense variety of

food. I have travelled a lot there and had some

really nice food. I also explore local wines when

I travel. However, no one can come to Hyderabad and

not like Hyderabadi food. I like well-done

biryani, the authentic ones you can have during

weddings and other functions hosted by locals.

In fact, the first time I had Hyderabadi

biryani was when I was a probationer, and was

in the city to attend a friend's wedding. I fell in

love with it with the first morsel.

ROWING UP

My family isfrom Bihar, andI was born inPatna. Myfather was amedical profes-sional, and I

grew up largely inJamshedpur, which is now in

Jharkhand. My schooling was

done in Loyola School there. I

also have a younger sister

whom I am very close to.

I was a very studious kid,

you could have described me

as a bookworm. In fact, I

remember that when my par-

ents would take me to a social

gathering, I would find a book

there and start reading. My

parents always chided me

about it back then. I was also

the school topper.

LIFE AT IIT INVARANASI

I did my engineering

from IIT-BHU, Varanasi. It

is, in fact, tougher to get in

the IIT than surviving

there. Once you are in, you

make your friends, there

are assignments and much

to work on. But, I wasn't one of those

serious students who study

every day for hours. I was

the sort of guy who would

work hard towards the end

of semesters. I was a good

student. At the IIT, we

would go biking, partying,

or for movies. I enjoyed

that aspect of college life as

well. I was in the debate

team, and took part in

competitions and quizzes

there. I also represented the

college in squash. Living in Varanasi is phe-

nomenal. Its historical sig-

nificance apart, there is a

vibe about the city which is

very beautiful. The amount

of creativity, culture and art

over there is overwhelming.

In fact, my grandfather was

a classical musician, who

had also studied in BHU.

There is no other Indian

city that can have such a

cultural pallet. I remember

cycling to Sarnath some-

times with friends.

GINHERENT BOLDNESS

I was also very bold. I

would take up any chal-

lenge and dares easily.

When I was a kid, there

was an archery workshop

that took place in the

school. They needed stu-

dent volunteers whowould stand beneath a

garland. The archerswould shoot at the gar-

land hanging above the

volunteer's head and it

would fall on the volun-

teer. I must have been in

the third standard and my

sister was in the first. My

sister dared me to volun-

teer and I took it upbefore anyone else in the

school. BACK TO JAMSHEDPUR

After IIT, I joined TATA at Jamshedpur. I have

very fond memories of Jamshedpur from my child-

hood, so I chose to work there. It was a township,

when I lived there in the late 1970s and early

1980s. It was very well maintained.

In fact, later when I was the Director in the

Ministry for Industries, Government of India, I

worked on drafting the National Manufacturing

Policy in which there is a concept of National

Investment and Manufacturing Zone. This was

based on my understanding of Jamshedpur.

This is when I met my wife, Achala. She had also

joined the company at around the same time.

So, from there I joined the IAS in 1991.

A SPORTSMAN

In school I was a very keen cricket

player. I even represented my school

team. I was an all-rounder. I used to

open when the other team had a very

fast bowler. I wasn't a big hitter but I

could stick around and play with a

straight bat. Otherwise, I would bat at

number four or five. I was a medium-

fast bowler. I continued playing cricket until I

was in school. I was even selected for

the under-18 team, Central Zone. But

while I was in Mayo College, Ajmer, I

also took up boxing and playing

squash. This continued even in IIT-

BHU. However, of late, I have taken to

playing golf. I even hit the gym pretty

regularly. Sports has been an integral

part of my life.

A FAMILY MAN THROUGH

AND THROUGH

Sometimes, our jobs can be

extremely demanding, but you have to

give time to family too. There is always

demand for your time, but it is very

important for a person to be complete-

ly connected with your family. This

is because time doesn't come

back. I relish the time that I

spent with my kids when they

were young.I have a son and a daughter. I

try to take a vacation every year with

all of them. My sister is currently

based in Australia. So, I take one vaca-

tion abroad every year, where I either

go to see her or we make plans and all

of us travel together. My son graduated from Oxford

University and has now moved to the

USA. Back when he was studying in

the UK, I used to travel there to spend

time with him too. All my family is

currently in Delhi, so I keep travelling

often to see them.

LOVE FORBOOKS

I love the works of

the British authorPG Wodehouse. Heis extremely funny.His characters arevery iconic. But evenfrom the start, Iused to read a lot ofnon-fiction. In fact,I would read every-thing I could lay myhands on. For exam-

ple, my grandpar-ents had a lot ofbooks on mythology,

and so when I visit-ed them during holi-

days, I would readthat.

I loved to spendtime reading oldtextbooks, especiallyhistory, back then.In fact, as a child, Iwould read any-thing. I was veryeclectic.

Even today, I tryto read every day.Nowadays, there isalso a thing aboutonline learning,where there is a lotof material availableon wide subjects. So,

I try to spend one orone-and-a-half-hourdaily, towards theend of the day. But,most of my readingnow is non-fiction.

In fact, I amalways very curiousto read about devel-opment in the sci-ences. So I keepreading things relat-ed to astrophysics,quantum physics,etc.

With his wife, Achala Kumar, during a vacation

On a trip to Sarnath with his IIT classmates

With his wife, Achala Kumar, during a vacation

On family vacation in French Riviera. From left to right: Phalguni Nayak

(daughter in law), Rohit Kumar (son), Rajat Kumar,

Anjali Kumar (daughter) and Achala Kumar (wife)