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RNI No.2016/1957, REGD NO. SSP/LW/NP-34/2016-18
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OPINION 8
WORLD 12
SPORT 15
CULT OF XI: THE
SECOND COMING OF MAO?
DEMOCRATS STAGE SIT-IN
DEMANDING GUN CONTROL
VIKAS, MANOJ BOOK
OLYMPIC TICKETS
Established 1864
Published From
DELHI LUCKNOW BHOPAL
BHUBANESWAR RANCHI RAIPUR
CHANDIGARH DEHRADUN
Late City Vol. 152 Issue 172
*Air Surcharge Extra if Applicable
LUCKNOW, FRIDAY JUNE 24, 2016; PAGES 16 `3
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‘INTERNET
MOVIES ARE
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16 VIVACITY
}
supplying
No consensus on India’s NSG tag Pak
N-material to
Despite Modi’s
request to Xi for
support, China
leads opposition
to India’s bid
N Korea: RAW
China buries plaint
against Pakistan’s
illegal trade to
push its NSG case
PNS/PTI n SEOUL/
NEW DELHI/TASHKENT
RAKESH K SINGH n NEW DELHI
ven as Prime Minister
Narendra Modi on
E
Thursday urged Chinese
President Xi Jinping in
Tashkent to support India’s bid
for membership of Nuclear
Suppliers Group (NSG), there
was no breakthrough on the
issue at the meeting of the 48nation grouping in Seoul.
Preceding the 2-day plenary
that started on Thursday night,
China had repeatedly said that
India’s membership was not on
the agenda and is said to have
made every effort to prevent any
discussion on India’s bid.
However, Japan is believed to
have raised India’s case in the
morning session after which it
was agreed that the matter
would be taken up at the special
post-dinner meeting.
Indian official sources said
that China was joined by
Austria, Ireland and Brazil
among other countries which
questioned as to how a country like India which had not
signed the Nuclear nonProliferation Treaty (NPT) can
be admitted to the grouping.
Essentially their opposition
was couched in principles and
processes.
Brazil’s objections are said
to have surprised the Indian
diplomats who pointed out
that it is a member of the
5-nation BRICS grouping.
Besides India and Russia, the
grouping includes Russia,
China and South Africa.
MARKETS
SENSEX 27,002.22 7 236.57
NIFTY
8,270.45 7 66.75
mid Pakistan’s clamour for
A
membership to the
Nuclear Suppliers Group
Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a meeting in Tashkent on Thursday on the sidelines of SCO Summit
Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar,
who is camping here, had earlier met the Brazilian delegation. Officials said that discussions were inconclusive and
that it would only be clear
before the end of the plenary
on Friday.
Hours before the NSG
began discussion on India’s
application for membership in
Seoul, Modi urged Xi Jinping
to make a fair and objective
assessment of India’s application for the NSG membership.
Clearly, Modi’s urgings had
not changed the Chinese position, but what transpires on
Friday, the final day of the twoday plenary, remains to be
seen.
Indian diplomats, led by
Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar,
are in Seoul to press India’s
case, although they are not the
participants at the plenary in
the absence of India’s membership. He has met a number
of delegation leaders in this
regard. About 300 participants
from 48 member countries are
attending the plenary which
0
MAX 36.3 C (-1)
MIN 24.8 0C (-2)
Partly cloudy sky.
CAPSULE
DUBAI EASES LIQUOR SALE
RULES DURING RAMZAN
ARMY KILLS 3 MILITANTS
IN KASHMIR GUNBATTLE
Srinagar: At least three militants
were killed on Thursday in an
encounter with security forces in
in Kupwara district. A Defence
source said security forces began
a search operation after they
received specific information
about the presence of militants in
forests of Lolab.
BOXER MANOJ KUMAR
BOOKS RIO OLYMPIC BERTH
New Delhi: Former
Commonwealth Games goldmedallist Manoj Kumar (64kg)
made the cut for 2016 Rio
Olympics after advancing to the
semi-finals of the International
Boxing Association’s World
Qualifying Tourney being held in
Baku, Azerbaijan on Thursday.
AAP MLA BOOKED FOR
MISBEHAVING WITH WOMEN
New Delhi: AAP MLA and vice
chairman of Delhi Jal Board,
Dinesh Mohaniya, was on
Thursday booked for allegedly
misbehaving with a group of
women who approached him with
a complaint regarding water
crisis in their locality.
between the two leaders on the
sidelines of the Shanghai
Cooperation Organisation
(SCO) summit. It comes
against the backdrop of stiff
Chinese opposition to India’s
entry into the NSG, which
looks after critical issues relating to the nuclear sector,
including trade and export of
nuclear technology.
However, when asked
about China’s response, Swarup
refused to comment, saying,
“You know, it is a complex and
delicate process. We are wait-
ing (to see) what kind of news
comes from Seoul. I will not
make any more comments
on this.”
Asked if India talked about
the need to delink India and
Pakistan’s NSG membership
bids, Swarup said, “You have
heard that Prime Minister told
Xi Jinping that China must
make a fair and objective
assessment of India’s application on its own merits and
China should join the emerging consensus in Seoul.”
Continued on Page 7
Newly-appointed Indian cricket team head coach Anil
Kumble at his residence in Bengaluru on Thursday PTI
PTI n DHARAMSALA
ormer captain Anil Kumble was on
F
Thursday appointed the Indian
cricket team’s head coach for a one-year
tenure, bringing an end to the prolonged suspense over who will take over
the reins of the side.
The 45-year-old Kumble pipped
former Indian Team director Ravi
Shastri, Australians Tom Moody and
Stuart Law and a host of others to clinch
the high-profile position following an
elaborate selection process headed by
a three-member Cricket Advisory
Committee (CAC).
The CAC, comprising greats Sachin
Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and Sourav
Ganguly, had interviewed 10 candidates
for the job in Kolkata on Tuesday in a
marathon session which lasted close to
10 hours. “The BCCI has been very
transparent. We fixed a criterion. There
was the CAC as well. They have gone
through the process, interviewed and
recommended few names. After discussions with various stakeholders, we
have decided that Anil Kumble will be
the head coach of the Indian cricket
team for the next one year,” BCCI president Anurag Thakur said in a Press
conference.
Continued on Page 7
Detailed reports on P15
DIRTY
GAME
Nuclear materials like “Monel”
and “Inconel” supplied to
Pakistan Atomic Energy
Commission (PAEC) by
Chinese entity Beijing Suntech
Technology Company Ltd are
being diverted to North Korea
in violation of United Nations’
sanctions
America’s Central Intelligence
Agency (CIA) had recently
tipped off friendly countries,
including India, about this illicit
nuclear trade between Pakistan
and North Korea and asked
them to heighten surveillance
of cargo ships carrying white
goods emanating from
Pakistan. On its part, the CIA
too is tracking such
movements in the region
All is well in party,
family: Akhilesh
Kumble selected to
coach Team India
WEATHER
Dubai: Dubai has just gotten even
wetter. The city-state is breaking
new ground with its decision to
loosen rules prohibiting day-time
alcohol sales during Ramzan, a
move that reflects how much
Dubai’s rulers value the revenue
both tourists and alcohol tax
bring into this emirate.
was preceded by official-level
session that began on June 20.
According to External
Affairs Ministry spokesperson
Vikas Swarup, Modi said India’s
case should be judged on its
own merits and China should
contribute to an emerging consensus in the Seoul meeting.
The official added that most of
the time of the Modi-Xi meeting on Thursday, which lasted
for
about
50
minutes, was devoted to the
NSG issue.
The meeting took place
PTI
(NSG) and China’s attempt to
block India’s efforts to sit at the
nuclear high table, inputs with
the Research and Analysis
Wing (RAW) as well as foreign
Intelligence agencies suggest
that Pakistan continues to supply nuclear fissile materials
and missile technology to
North Korea.
Nuclear materials like
“Monel” and “Inconel” supplied
to Pakistan Atomic Energy
Commission (PAEC) by
Chinese entity Beijing Suntech
Technology Company Ltd are
being diverted to North Korea
in violation of United Nations’
sanctions.
China Atomic Energy
Authority recently received a
written complaint from a foreign Government that supplies from the Chinese firm to
Pakistan were being diverted to
North Korea by authorities in
Islamabad.
However, the Chinese
Government hushed up the
matter as it could have an
adverse impact on Beijing’s
pitch to get NSG membership
to Pakistan if the Indian request
was considered. However, the
issue leaked out of North Korea
and was picked up by intelligence agencies of Western
Governments that are key
members of the NSG.
America’s
Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) had
recently tipped off friendly
countries, including India,
about this illicit nuclear trade
between Pakistan and North
Korea and asked them to
heighten surveillance of cargo
ships carrying white goods
emanating from Pakistan. On
its part, the CIA too is tracking
such movements in the region.
Continued on Page 7
PNS n LUCKNOW
laiming all is well in the first famC
ily of Samajwadi Party over merger of Quami Ekta Dal (QED), Chief
A woman on a bicycle leaves a polling station near to the Royal Chelsea Hospital,
London on Thursday. Voters in Britain are deciding on Thursday whether the
country should remain in the European Union or not. ■ Report on Pg 12
AP
Minister Akhilesh Yadav said the decision of the party was acceptable to all.
“There is no dispute within the
party or in the family over the
merger as projected by the
media. If there is anything, it
will be discussed in the party
forum. Whatever Netaji
(Mulayam Singh Yadav) says
will be acceptable to us,” the
Chief Minister told reporters
after a Cabinet meeting in
Lucknow on Thursday.
SP chief Mulayam Singh
Yadav has called for a meeting of the
Central Parliamentary Board of the
party in Lucknow on June 25 to discuss
important issues, including intra-party
dispute over the merger and the subsequent dismissal of minister Balram
Yadav.
Akhilesh Yadav, who is also the SP
state chief, said with a smile, “There is
no bad blood among leaders or within
the family over the merger. You people
have made a mountain out of a mole
hill.” When asked about the sacking of
Balram Yadav, the CM said that there
was nothing to comment on. “If the
Parliamentary Board feels the issue is
important, it can also be discussed in the
scheduled meet,” he said.
“You people are missing out
on the most significant political
event of Swamy Prasad Maurya
quitting the Bahujan Samaj Party.
Maurya is a good person but he
was in the wrong party. He did
the right thing by leaving the
BSP,” the CM said, refusing to
reveal whether he would join the
SP.
Hitting out at opposition
parties, Yadav said that as they did not
have any agenda, they were raising nonissues. “It seems the opposition has
already accepted defeat as the SP has fulfilled all promises made in the manifesto,” he added. “In 2012 polls, people
had supported the SP and the party did
no fail them. This time too, the SP will
get the blessings of the masses,” the CM
asserted.
For green cause, Govt puts its shoulder to the wheel
In pilot project,
CNG 2-wheelers
launched in Delhi
PNS n NEW DELHI
n another step towards comICentre
bating air pollution, the
on Thursday launched
a pilot project to run twowheelers on Compressed
Natural Gas (CNG).
The project that is backed
by the Gas Authority of India
Limited
(GAIL)
and
Indraprastha Gas Limited is
expected to “revolutionise” the
fight against air pollution in the
country as two-wheelers comprise a major portion of vehicles on Indian roads.
The project involves the
initial release of 50 CNG retrofitted two-wheelers. Out of
these, the first batch of ten vehicles was flagged off on
Thursday in the presence of
Environment Minister Prakash
Javadekar and Minister of State
for Petroleum and Natural Gas,
Dharmendra Pradhan.
As per idle emission tests,
hydrocarbon emissions from
such two-wheelers are 75 per
cent less and Carbon Monoxide
(CO) emissions are 20 per
cent less as compared to similar petrol-driven models.
According to Pradhan,
the share of gas in the country’s
fuel basket is just 7 per cent as
compared to the world average
of 24 per cent.
Describing the pilot project
as historic, Pradhan said he had
written to the Delhi
Government to make Bawana
Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Prakash Javadekar launch the Pilot
Phase of CNG two-wheelers at a function in New Delhi on Thursday
PIB photo
Power Plant fully operational
on Liquefied Natural Gas so
that cheaper and clean power
was made available to the residents of Delhi.
He pointed out that the 350
MW Badarpur Thermal Power
Plant in the Capital was causing several times more pollution than all the vehicles of
Delhi put together.
Javadekar listed
various measures
being taken by the
Ministry to promote clean fuel
that include transition from EuroIV type fuel to
Euro-VI by 2020,
imposition of cess
of `400 per tonne on
coal, introduction of
e-rickshaws and providing subsidy to elec-
tric/hybrid cars etc.
According to him, use of
CNG in two-wheelers would
have far reaching implications
in reducing pollution.
The CNG kit for twowheelers comprises two CNG
cylinders of 4.8 litres of
water capacity each,
which can be filled with
up to 1 kg of CNG
each.
As per the kit manufacturer, these CNG retrofitted twowheelers can drive up to 120
km in a single fill and are
expected to be substantially
economical as compared to
a similar petrol-run vehicle
at current prices.
The retrofitted scooters
with CNG kit are manufactured by M/s Ituk
Manufacturing India Pvt.
Ltd.
The programme is
part of a public movement called “Hawa
Badlo” to fight air pollution. It encompasses a number of awareness
drives besides
supporting
research initiatives in this
regard.
city 02
LUCKNOW | FRIDAY | JUNE 24, 2016
shot
Timely launch of Dial-100 to be a milestone: CM Sub-Inspector
dead in Budaun
...views PERS presentation
PNS ■ LUCKNOW
hief Minister Akhilesh
Yadav said the timely
C
launch of ‘Dial-100’ project to
improve response time of
police force and other essential
services would emerge as a
milestone and prove his government’s commitment to providing better law and order to
the common man.
“I would like to thank all
the officials involved in timely launch of ‘Dial-100’ project.
It not only shows our commitment towards ensuring better
law and order but also indicates
our transparent approach
towards providing a fear-free
society,” the CM said on
Thursday morning.
He was addressing senior
police officers soon after going
through a presentation on
preparation of timely launch of
the ambitious project.
“It is particularly the government’s duty to provide a
fear-free atmosphere to people.
It has to ensure that the next
generation lives in a peaceful
environ. I can say with confidence that the world’s biggest
integrated modern Police
Emergency Response System
(PERS) in UP will turn out to
be a milestone of SP’s commitment to provide a healthy
atmosphere to everyone,” he
said.
Yadav also took a jibe at
police working and also their
misconduct. “During a morning stroll, I noticed that my gardener picked up some mangoes
while cleaning leaves. Each
time, the security personnel
stopped him from taking it
despite my instructions to allow
him to take the fruits home,”
the CM revealed while claiming that the cops had the habit
of doing such things and now
follow instructions.
Yadav pointed out, “The
media highlight mostly the
bad works of cops and even of
politicians and ignore their
good work. You wear khaki so
your shortcomings are exposed
at later stages. But we (netas)
wear white dress so our bad
conduct immediately comes
PNS ■ LUCKNOW
Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav speaking after the presentation of dial-100 service on Thursday
to the fore,” he quipped.
Hailing the efforts of police
officers, Chief Secretary Alok
Ranjan said the project would
turn out to be a ‘game changer’.
“I can say with confidence
that ‘Dial-100’ project would
Pioneer
turn out to be game changer in
UP and the people would
realise the presence of police,
irrespective of urban or rural
CM hails construction of road by villagers
Lucknow (PNS): Chief Minister
Akhilesh Yadav has hailed the construction of a six- kilometre-long road by villagers in Sonebhadra, saying that collective work can do wonders in any field
of life.
He announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh
for the villagers who helped in levelling
and construction of the road.
Villagers of Chorpania under gram
Panari panchayat in Chopan block of
Sonebhadra constructed and levelled a
six-km road. The block is 35 km from
the district headquarters.
“This collective work of the villagers
has proved that anything under the sun
is possible if we have the resolve. I salute
the indomitable spirit of these villagers,”
the CM said and asked district officials
to provide Samajwadi Pension to all the
eligible women of this village.
he loyalties of Bahujan
Samaj Party members are
T
set to be tested with both party
Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav with villagers, who constructed a 6-km-long road on their own
closed.
The team also demanded action
against the guilty involved in the conspiracy.
The committee comprising Acharya
Pramod Krishnan, Swami Kalyan Dev,
Swami Chinmayanand and Swami
Chakrapani of Hindu Mahasabha vis-
ited Kairana last Sunday to review the
situation and verify the allegations of
large-scale exodus of Hindu families.
The team was set up by PWD
Minister Shivpal Singh Yadav.
Meanwhile, the much-awaited judicial probe into the Mathura violence of
June 2 by Justice (Retd) Imtiaz Murtaza
would commence from Saturday.
The one-member team will visit
Jawahar Bagh in Mathura and meet eyewitness on June 25 and 26 before
recording statements of officials posted there and engaged in the operation.
The team has been asked to submit
its findings in two months.
KGMU Anatomy department
to have Imaging Gallery
Lucknow (PNS): In a first in
India, the Anatomy department at
King George’s Medical University
will soon launch an ‘Imaging Gallery’
where CT scan and MRI imaging
samples of patients will be showcased
to provide better understanding of
the subject to students.
Imaging techniques provide a
detailed view of internal organs of a
body for clinical analysis and medical intervention, as well as visual
representation of the function of
some organs or tissues.
“An Imaging Gallery will be
soon launched in the KGMU to hone
practical skills of the students. When
a cadaver with rare disorder is being
dissected, it becomes important to
teach students about it. However, it
Maya, Maurya
call separate
meetings
PNS ■ LUCKNOW
SAINTS’ COMMITTEE SUBMITS
FINDINGS ON KAIRANA ISSUE
A five-member committee of
Hindu saints that was sent to Kairana
by the ruling Samajwadi Party on a fact
finding mission, submitted its findings
to the Chief Minister on Thursday.
While the saints remained tightlipped before the media, they hinted at
a big conspiracy to disturb communal
harmony in UP.
“There is a dangerous conspiracy to
create communal divide and disturb
peace in the state through the Kairana
exodus issue,” a committee member dis-
location,” he said.
Security advisor to the government, Venkat Chengawalli,
who along with ADG (Traffic)
Anil Agarwal, said to be the
brain behind the launch of
Dial-100 project, said, “This
24x7 service has all women
employees who will receive
call as W stands for warmth, O
for observation, M for modesty,
E for empathy and finally N for
nurturing. So only woman
have all elements of giving
warmth, observation, modesty,
empathy and nurturing,” he
said. Giving details of the Dial100 project, Anil Agarwal said
the service would be a major
step towards improving police
response time and would
improve law and order in the
state. He said the PERS would
enable the police to reach a spot
within 20 minutes in rural
area and 10 minutes in urban
area. “This is the biggest project in the country for modernisation of police system and
will have sub-centres at Agra,
Ghaziabad, Jhansi and
Varanasi,” Agarwal said.
is not always possible to teach all students about different aspects of disorder being detected in the cadaver,”
said head of Anatomy department,
Prof PK Sharma, during the 105th
Foundation Day celebrations of the
department. The Anatomy department has collaborated with Radiodiagnosis department of KGMU to
provide imaging samples.
“The university already has a
full-fledged advanced Radio-diagnosis unit conducting 64-slice CT
scans of patients. Such advanced setup is handy when it comes to preparing a database of patients and cadavers. We have retrieved as many as 40
plates from the Radio-diagnosis unit
and they would soon be kept in the
gallery,” Prof Sharma said.
Governor Ram Naik paying floral tributes to Shyama Prasad Mukherjee in Lucknow on Thursday
chief Mayawati and former
general secretary Swami Prasad
Maurya convening separate
meetings to show their
strength.
Maurya, who resigned as
general secretary of BSP on
Wednesday, refused to step
down as leader of opposition in
Assembly, and called a meeting
of his supporters in Lucknow
on July 1.
On the other hand,
Mayawati has also asked
her legislators to meet in
Lucknow on June 25. However,
there was no official confirmation in the legislature party
meeting.
Sources in the BSP said
that the meeting had
been called for electing a new
leader of opposition in the
Assembly to replace Maurya
and Indrajeet Saroj could be
the ultimate choice of
Mayawati.
Meanwhile, Maur ya’s
decision to hold a meeting
of his supporters on July 1
has contradicted reports that
he is joining the Samajwadi
Party.
Maurya, while talking to
reporters on Thursday, said
that more than 1,000 supporters would attend the meeting
and at least 50 BSP legislators
were expected in it.
“Several senior BSP leaders
are annoyed with Mayawati
and they will attend my meeting to express their resentment,” he claimed.
The meeting has been
called at the CMS hall at Gomti
Nagar Extension that has a
capacity to accommodate
around 3,000 people.
Meanwhile, Mayawati is
taking all precautions to avoid
any further exodus from the
party as it could give a negative
message before the 2017
Assembly polls.
he horrors of killing of a SP
(City) and a station house
T
officer at Mathura on June 2
had barely died down when
armed goons gunned down a
sub-inspector in Budaun and
attacked police parties in
Faizabad and Mathura on
Wednesday night.
In Budaun, sub-inspector
Sarvesh Yadav was killed and
constable Pramod Kumar was
seriously injured when three
miscreants riding a motorcycle
fired on them in Binawar area
on Wednesday night.
The cops were on a routine
patrol near Ghatbeti village
when they were ambushed.
The miscreants later looted the service revolver of the
sub-inspector and escaped.
The injured policemen
were rushed to hospital in
Bareilly, where Yadav died during treatment. The condition of
the constable was stated to be
serious.
Later, a combing operation
was launched which paid dividends as one of the criminals,
Kallu Yadav of Dataganj, was
arrested and a country-made
revolver and live cartridges
were recovered from his possession. He revealed the names
of his two associates as Rishipal
and Horilal of Faridpur in
Bareilly. A case was registered
and efforts were on to nab the
other killers.
In Faizabad, a police team
from Inayatnagar police station
went to Malethubujurg area to
verify an information about
cattle being loaded on a truck
for slaughter on Wednesday
night.
As soon as the cops
reached the site, the miscreants
opened fire in which constable
Satya Prakash was critically
injured. He was rushed to hospital. The miscreants left the
truck and escaped.
A manhunt has been
launched to arrest the accused.
In Mathura, some villagers
found a truck (HR74 2443)
lying abandoned on the AgraDelhi highway in Chaumuha
area of Vrindavan late
Wednesday night. Upon
enquiry, it surfaced that about
50 cows had already died on
the truck while two were alive.
The agitated villagers
removed the cattle and torched
the vehicle and blockade the
Agra- Mathura highway
demanding action against the
police for being in cahoots
with cattle smugglers.
The situation took an ugly
turn when cops reached the
spot and tried to chase away the
villagers but were instead
attacked with missiles which
left several cops injured.
Later senior officers rushed
to the spot and somehow
defused the situation.
3 IPS officers shifted
Lucknow (PNS): The state government shifted three IPS officers, including a DG-rank officer, on Thursday.
As per a Home department release, DG (Security) Gopal
Gupta will now head the Prison department and will replace ADG
Devendra Singh Chauhan who will join as ADG (Crime Branch
Crime Investigation Department) in place of Sanjay M Tarde,
who goes to Police Training School in Gorakhpur. Tarde will
assume a new charge after the present DG (PTS) in Gorakhpur
Vijay Singh retires on June 30.
Uneasy calm on eve of ‘Shorgul’ screening
PNS ■ LUCKNOW
day before the release of
controversial Bollywood
A
film ‘Shorgul’ which touches
the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots,
an uneasy calm prevails in
Uttar Pradesh with the
saffron outfits demanding a
ban even as a ‘fatwa’ has
been issued against lead actor
Jimmy Shergil for hurting the
sentiments of Muslim community.
Meanwhile, the state government has issued orders for
strict vigil around theatres
where the film is set to be
screened.
District Magistrate of
Muzaffarnagar, Dinesh Kumar,
Singh said there was no ban on
the film.
“This seems like a publicity stunt. We did receive
requests from social organisations to ban the movie.
Since we have not seen it,
hence no decision has been
taken. It is up to theatre owners to decide whether to screen
the movie or not,” he said over
telephone.
Bharatiya Janata Party
MLA Sangeet Som, who has
been opposing the film, told
‘The Pioneer’ from Meerut
that several outfits would stage
demonstration if the film is
released in UP.
“The film will certainly
create another rift between the
two communities and hence
the government should ban it,”
he said.
In the film, lead actor
Jimmy Shergil has played the
role of Sangeet Som.
Earlier this month, a PIL
was filed by Vishwa Hindu
Parishad leader Milan Som
against the screening of this
film but it was dismissed by the
High Court.
Later, a similar petition
was rejected by the Supreme
Court.
Meanwhile, a fatwa has
been issued by Khamman Peer
Baba Committee of Lucknow
against actor Jimmy Shergil and
the movie makers saying that
the film hurts the sentiments of
the Muslim community.
But the makers of the
movie, 24 FPS Films
Production, maintain that the
film is based on intolerance
and aspires to make the audience contemplate where
humanity stands amidst the
noise of religious, social,
political and economic prejudices.
The film also features
Sanjay Suri, Narendra Jha,
Hiten Tejwani, Ejaz Khan, Suha
Gezen, Anirudh Dave and
Deepraj Rana.
Film’s co-producer Aman
Singh said, “Every citizen has
the right to watch this film as
it is a reflection of the voice of
the common man.”
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Editor: Chandan Mitra. Resident Editor: Vijay Prakash Singh. RNI No. 2016/57. Lucknow Telephones: EPABX: 4036600 Fax: 2345582. Allahabad Office: (95532) 2420818, 2421018, 3290460. Kanpur Office: (95512) 2304006, 2304416. Varanasi Office: (95542) 2414294, 2414295. Delhi
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city 03
LUCKNOW | FRIDAY | JUNE 24 , 2016
Helmet to be mandatory for pillion rider
Damaged flyover concrete
to be sent to IIT-K for test
40,000 vacancies announced in nagar nigams, 700 in Jal Nigam
GOVERNMENT ALSO DECIDED TO
Cabinet okays Intra-state THE
COVERT SHYAMA PRASAD MUKHERJEE T
A
HOSPITAL IN LUCKNOW AS A SUPERair service policy
SPECIALITY HOSPITAL. THE CABINET
PNS ■ LUCKNOW
PNS ■ LUCKNOW
larmed by the increase in
deaths in road mishaps, the
UP government has made helmets mandatory for pillion
riders of two-wheelers. Besides,
it opened employment avenues
announcing over 40,000 vacancies in nagar nigams and 700
vacancies in Jal Nigam.
These decisions, among
others, were taken in a Cabinet
meeting held in Lucknow on
Thursday.
A government spokesman
said the Cabinet approved
amendment to the UP Motor
Vehicles Act, 1998, making it
mandatory for the rider of a
two-wheeler and the person on
pillion to wear helmets.
The Supreme Court has
also asked the state governments to implement similar
law, the spokesman added.
So far, only the rider of
two-wheeler, including mopeds, was supposed to wear helmets.
A rider or person on pillion
wearing turban is exempted
from this order.
With Assembly polls
approaching, the Akhilesh
Yadav government announced
40,000 vacancies of safai karmacharis in nagar nigams. The
selection will be made on the
basis of marks and the Cabinet
has approved changes in the
selection panel.
Reservation policy would
be followed in this selection,
the spokesman said.
Besides, the state government has decided to appoint
726 junior engineers in Jal
Nigam. The appointments will
be made by a selection panel of
Jal Nigam. Earlier, the Service
Selection Board used to
APPROVED THAT IF REQUIRED,
ADDITIONAL LAND COULD BE TAKEN
FROM THE INFORMATION DIRECTORATE
PREMISES WHICH STANDS CHEEK BY
JOWL TO THE SPM HOSPITAL
Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav spekaing too mediapersons
Lucknow (PNS): The UP
Cabinet approved the Intrastate Air Service Policy, paving
way for introduction of small
aircraft in the commercial
aviation sector.
Under the new policy, different cities of UP will be connected by air services. Small
aircraft having capacity of 1820 persons would be put into
service. The fare would be
decided by the Director
General, Tourism.
A government spokesman
said the service providers
would be selected through
tenders and only those companies would be asked to
operate which agree to pay
Viability Gap Fund of Rs 5
crore for 300-hour flight.
“Initially, the contract
would be for one year and can
be increased to two years,” the
spokesman said.
appoint JEs in the corporation.
It was also decided to
increase financial help to poor
girls of minority community,
including Muslims, Sikhs,
Parsis, Buddhists, Christians
and Jains, for their marriage
from the existing Rs 10,000 to
Rs 20,000.
The help will be given to
only those families below
poverty line (BPL) which have
an annual income of Rs 56,460
in urban areas and Rs 46,800 in
rural areas. This help will be
extended to only two daughters
of a family.
In another decision, the
government decided to open a
homeopathy college in
Gorakhpur and announced
increase of 60 beds in the
Heart Hospital at Kanpur.
The government also
decided to covert Shyama
Prasad Mukherjee Hospital in
Lucknow as a super-speciality
hospital.
The Cabinet approved that
if required, additional land
could be taken from the
Information Directorate
premises which stands cheek
by jowl to the SPM Hospital.
Incidentally, the Cabinet
decided to attach super-speciality status to SPM Hospital
on the death anniversary of the
BJP ideologue.
The Cabinet approved a
budgetary grant of Rs 463.28
crore for setting up of 500-bed
hospital in RIMS, Saifai.
The government also
approved Rs 2,593.93 crore for
Arjun Sahayak Scheme under
which Lehchura Dam over
Dhasaan river would be renovated. The dam area of
Chandrwal and Karwai dams
would also be increased, the
spokesman said.
The Cabinet has given its
nod for the construction of a
state guest house in Dwaraka,
New Delhi and construction of
a bridge over river Ganga at Sri
Rampur Ghat in Ballia.
The Cabinet also formulated a policy for government
advertisements for web portals
and websites.
These websites should have
a minimum of three years of
existence and be registered
under DAVP. Only those portals would be entitled for government advertisements which
have a minimum 2.5 lakh hits
per month.
A sewage treatment plant
would be constructed at the
vacant area between Zoo, DGP
office and Dalibagh around
Haider canal.
Besides, Lucknow will have
a 400 kV sub-station on Hardoi
Road. The government also
announced a new Molasses
Policy under which reserve
has been increased from 20 per
cent to 25 per cent against
wishes of sugar lobby.
The Cabinet also approved
Rs 20,165.85 lakh for chanalisation and improvement of
banks of river Varuna in
Varanasi. It approved Rs 177.81
crore for the beautification of
ghats in Mathura and Vridavan.
Admn foils Gram Rozgar Sevaks’ gherao plan
PNS ■ LUCKNOW
oiling the plan of Gram Rozgar
Sevaks to gherao Vidhan Bhawan on
F
Thursday, the district administration
detained 20,000 of them and shifted
them to Ramabai Rally Sthal.
As the district and police administration had information about the plan
of Gram Rozgar Sevaks to gherao
Vidhan Bhawan, the officials started
nabbing them before they entered the
city. Many of them were detained on
Hardoi road, Charbagh, Alambagh and
other places and taken to Ramabai Rally
Sthal, which has the capacity to hold
such a large number of people.
The Gram Rozgar Sevaks, who are
demanding upgradation of their posts
and pay scale at par with state government employees, had started arriving in
the state capital since morning.
“A large number of our volunteers
were arrested by the police and taken
to Ramabai Rally Sthal throughout the
day. Those who managed to reach
Laxman Mela Ground were also arrested. Some directly reached Ramabai
Rally Sthal,” said Gram Rozgar Sevak
Sangh’s general secretary Rajveer Singh.
While the police were detaining the
protesters, there were minor scuffles at
some places though heated arguments
were reported from many spots.
District Magistrate Raj Shekhar
and SSP Lucknow Manzil Saini inspected important parts of the city to ensure
that there were no traffic jams.
Around 3 pm, a delegation of
Gram Rozgar Sevaks was taken to
Agriculture Production Commissioner
Pravir Kumar for talks.
The Gram Rozgar Sevaks were
assured that their demands would be
considered sympathetically.
“We are not satisfied with the
assurances given to us by the APC as in
the past too several assurances were
given on our demands. We will not stop
protesting until our demands are met,”
Rajveer Singh said.
Later, the district administration
asked the protesters to vacate the
Ramabai Ground and go home but they
Concern over declining child sex ratio
Lucknow
(PNS):
Expressing concern over the
declining child sex ratio, District
Magistrate Raj Shekhar stressed
the need for changing society’s
mindset to deal with this problem.
Addressing a meeting at his
camp office on ‘Beti Bachao, Beti
Padhao’ on Thursday, the DM
said the state government had
started this campaign under
State Women Empowerment
Mission to check the declining
child sex ratio.
It was decided in the meeting that posters and messages of
important public persons would
be put up in villages on the walls
of Anganwadis, Panchayat
Ghars, PHCs and other public
places by July end.
“A booklet containing all
important information and pictorial exhibits on the save girl
campaign will be provided by
July end to all ASHA and
Anganwadi staff. A soft copy of
the booklet will be provided to
schools and colleges through
‘WhatsApp group’ and
‘Facebook,’ the DM said.
There are around 500 ultrasound centres in the district.
Around 34 have been identified
as ‘doubtful violators’ of the
Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal
Diagnostic Techniques Act.
These diagnostic centres would
be raided soon. Each SDM and
ACM will take ‘confidential
information’ and raid and check
at least three ultrasound centres
in a month and will take appropriate action.
The administration also
plans to hold an open competition in each school on the material and content of the booklet,
and three highest achievers will
be given certificates of appreciation by the district administration. The competitions will be
held in July.
Snake menace
hits JMP again
LUCKNOW (PNS):
The
prestigious
Janeshwar Mishra Park
is once again in the news
but for the wrong reasons — abundance of
reptiles. Over 30 snakes
of different species have
been found to be crawling in the park since
Monday morning.
The portion where
the reptiles were spotted
in abundant numbers
has been declared a danger zone. Illuminated
sign boards have been
placed to warn visitors of
the menace.
Over a dozen search
lights are also being
installed in the danger
zone to trace the locations of the snakes in the
night.
L u c k n o w
Development Authority
is making efforts to
catch the snakes alive so
that they may be
relocated in natural
habitat.
The LDA has contacted civic authorities
to arrange a veterinary
surgeon for treating the
reptiles, if hurt.
LDA
ViceChairman Satyendra
Singh said that instructions had been issued to
those engaged in the job
to take precautions.
did not budge. After some time, the
administration told the Gram Rozgar
Sevaks the only 50-60 of them could
stay back and stage protest.
Rajveer Singh said that from Friday,
they would try to stage protest at
Laxman Mela Ground but would not
call off their agitation.
“We will not leave the state capital
until our demands are met,” he added.
he joint probe committee set up by the district administration recommended on
Thursday that the material of the damaged portion of the overbridge between Polytechnic and
Munshi Pulia be tested by the IIT, Kanpur.
After a pothole was spotted on the flyover,
District Magistrate Raj Shekhar had set up a
three-member team headed by additional district magistrate (Trans-Gomti) Ashok Kumar on
Wednesday night to inquire into the damage.
Around 9 am on Thursday, the committee
along with NHAI junior engineer Arvind
Kumar Pandey inspected the spot.
“It was found that a 2x2 feet portion of a
girder box was damaged due to which there was
a hole on the flyover,” ADM Ashok Kumar said
in his report submitted to the DM.
The team found that concrete was used in
the structure and it appeared that cement was
used after the final setting time of the flyover.
“Apart from the damaged spot, a concrete
core should be taken from there and sent to any
IIT for testing the strength of the material used
in the construction,” the report recommended.
After getting the report, Raj Shekhar wrote
to PWD (National Highways) Chief Engineer
Mujeeb Sami Kidwai asking him to get the damaged portion of the flyover repaired so that traffic movement could be restored at the earliest.
Later, the DM said, “The concrete core of
the flyover would be collected and sent to IIT
Kanpur for material testing. If anomalies are
found, action would be taken against the
errants.”
Real estate dealer shoots self
PNS ■ LUCKNOW
a high profile suicide, a real
dealer shot himself
Ideadnestate
at his brother’s house in
Hazratganj on Thursday morning.
As per reports, 42-year-old
Himanshu Dhar Kala, was a
resident of Gautam Nagar in
New Delhi where he dealt in
property related business. He
had recently suffered huge loss
in the business and was under
stress. Three days back, he
had come to his brother
Akhilesh Kala’s house (10
Nanpara House) on Jopling
Road for some business related work and was staying with
him. Around 10:30 am on
Thursday, Akhilesh and other
family members heard a gun
shot in the room in which
Himanshu was staying and
they rushed there and found
Himanshu lying in a pool of
blood. His licensed revolver
was lying beside him on the
floor. Akhilesh and his family rushed Himanshu to a private hospital where the doctors
pronounced him dead.
As the news spread, a
police team reached the place
for investigation. The cops
recovered a suicide note from
the room.
Giving details of the content of the suicide note written
in English, SHO of Hazratganj,
Vijaymal Yadav, said Himanshu
stated, “I am committing suicide due to my personal family problem and unable to handle the outside world pressure.
I take my responsibility for my
act, shooting myself with my
licensed revolver. Kindly do not
harass my family members.”
The SHO further said the
there were four cartridges in
the chamber of the revolver out
of which Himanshu used one
to kill himself.
“A used shell was also
recovered from the scene of
crime,” the SHO said.
It surfaced that an elder
brother of Himanshu is in a
Central government department in New Delhi.
“The family is well off and
well linked. Himanshu’s wife,
Khushboo, is presently staying
at her parents’ house in
Rajajipuram. The victim was in
depression due to loss in business and due to some family
related problem and he ended
his life due to this only,” the
SHO said. Investigations are on.
city 04
LUCKNOW | FRIDAY | JUNE 24, 2016
I-T declaration scheme
PNS n LUCKNOW
he Income Tax department
on Thursday introduces the
T
Income Declaration Scheme2016. It is in force from June 1 to
September 30, 2016.
The Principal Chief Income
Tax Commissioner said this was
an opportunity for persons to
declare undisclosed income and
property in their income tax
returns to bring them on Income
Tax department’s records and
avoid being penalised.
The Income tax authority
will charge 45 per cent surcharge on undeclared income
and wealth, an official press
release said.
This decision was taken in a
meeting held in the Income Tax
Bhawan here in which the issue
was discussed by financial
experts.
Principal Chief Income Tax
Commissioner, UP (east) SK
Mishra, senior officers of the
department and the representative Income Tax Bar Association
and Character Accountants
Association attended the meeting.
Unconnected drains a big I’m making a film on
problem before LMC
Johnny Walker: Nasir
PNS n LUCKNOW
he first monsoon showers in Lucknow
have thoroughly exposed the non-connectivity of drains which led to massive waterloggings across the city. The Lucknow
Municipal Corporation (LMC) has been
claiming to be working on overcoming this
problem.
In the past two decades, several colonies
and areas have developed, like Gomti Nagar,
Gomti Nagar extension etc. But the planners
probably ignored the need for an effective
drainage system in most place. In Gomti
Nagar, there are many areas where the drains
are not inter-connected. Besides, running
drains are either choked or encroached upon
and this naturally leads to waterlogging when
it rains.
A few years back, a colony on Campbell
Road witnessed massive waterlogging which
later spread water-borne diseases in the area.
During an official probe, it surfaced that the
drainage system was not connected.
Recently, a similar problem came to the
fore after rainfall in Shivalaypuram — the nonconnectivity of drains and poor desilting led
to waterlogging.
There are examples galore vis-à-vis nonconnectivity of drain leading to waterlogging,
especially in the Old City areas. The areas
include Rustam Nagar, Buniyaadbagh, Misri
ki Bagiya etc.
Another problem in the drainage system
observed in several areas of the city is that
drains and sewer lines are running in the same
duct. The areas like Lalkuan, Hussainaganj,
Even in the meeting of
Smart City project, the issue
of drainage system and
separate ducts for sewer
and drainage was tabled by
the Jal Sansthan. It was
contended that to develop a
Smart City, it was necessary
to upgrade the drainage
system for a long-term
solution to waterlogging.
T
Kaiserbagh, Naka etc. are facing this problem.
Even in the meeting of Smart City project,
the issue of drainage system and separate ducts
for sewer and drainage was tabled by the Jal
Sansthan. It was contended that to develop a
Smart City, it was necessary to upgrade the
drainage system for a long-term solution to
waterlogging.
When contacted, additional municipal
commissioner PK Srivastava said, “If the
capacity of a nullah is of 100 litres and it rains
heavily, pouring down 150 litres of rain water,
the surplus 50 litre water takes time to drain
out, leading to overflowing.
“If water remains stagnant for one or two
days, then only it can be termed as waterlogging. We are working on canalisation of
nullahs and drains across the city and the
results will be before every one to see,”
Srivastava said.
CITYBRIEFS
DEATH ANNIVERSARY
The Governor, Ram Naik, on Thursday garlanded the
statue of the founder member of the Bhartiya Jan Sangh,
Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherji, at a function organised here
to observe his death anniversary. While speaking on the
occasion, the Governor paid rich tributes to him and said
that he dedicated his entire life for the betterment of the
nation and to foster a feeling of brotherhood among the
people. The work done by the departed leader would be
remembered for generations to come, he added.
MUSICAL PROGRAMME
A two-day `Swar Tarang` programme, which is a part
of a monthly musical series known as `Sanjhi Virasat` of
the State Cultural Department will start from June 25 in
the auditorium of Muktakashi Rangmanch, Dr Ram
Manohar Lohia Park, from 6.30 pm. This was disclosed
in an official press release issued by the Cultural
Department here on Thursday.
WORKSHOP
The Principal Secretary, Medical Education, Anup
Chandra Pandey, will inaugurate a state-level workshop
organised by the State AYUSH Mission on Friday at 11 am
in the auditorium of Udyan Bhawan. The doctors practising in the Unani and Ayurvedic systems drawn across
the state will take part in the workshop. This informed was
conveyed by its Director, Yatish Mohan, in a press
release. A meeting will be held after the conclusion of the
workshop to review the progress made by the schemes initiated under the AYUSH Mission.
BSNL
Lucknw Telecpom is organising a special camp on
Saturday to sell SIM and ther products of Bharat Sanchar
Nigam Limited at 16 places of Lucknow. According to public relation officer Sudhanshu Mishra, the camps will be
organised under the supervision of senior officials. Free
SIM cards will also be distributed in the camps. The camps
will be organised at Patrakarpuram, Indira Nagar,
Kaiserbagh, La Place, GPO, Hazratganj, Jawah Nhawan,
Vibhuti Khand, Mohanlalganj, SGPGI, Sector K, Aliganj,
Badhewan, Janeshwar Mishra Park, Chowk, Jankipuram,
Malihabad and Bakshi ka Talab.
DHARNA STAGED
A dharna was staged by the diploma engineers under
the aegis of the UP Diploma Engineers’ Mahasangh at the
Mahatma Gandhi statue in the compound of the GPO in
support of their charter of demands. The engineers in large
numbers drawn from all over the state, took part in the
dharna. The spokesman of the Mahasangh, Shree Prakash
Gupta, urged the Chief Minister to set up a committee to
review their pay scales and promotion avenues and submit the findings within three weeks so that it could be
fulfilled.
AHINSA DAL
A daylong dharna was staged by the volunteers of
Ahinsa Dal in the GPO Park compound in protest against
the deteriorating law and order in the state. Its spokesman,
Sunil Soni, said that the trading community had suffered
a great loss due to the deteriorating the law and order and
demanded compensation for the traders whose goods or
cash had been looted in the recent past.
CAMPAIGN
The Tobacco Control Cell of the Health Department
on Thursday carried out raids and penalised persons found
selling and consuming tobacco products at various places
in the Old City. The campaign started simultaneously at
Golaganj Crossing and Gwynne Road in Aminabad area.
The Chief Medical Officer, Dr SNS Yadav, said that eight
persons were penalised and a sum of Rs 8,500 was realised
from them as fine under the CoTP Act.
CEREMONIAL PARADE
A ceremonial parade was held at Officers Training
College (OTC) at Army Medical Corps Centre and College,
Lucknow on conclusion of medical officers basic course
209 (MOBC-209) on Thursday. The 9-week foundation
course imparts intensive training in combat medical support to young armed forces medical and dental officers
to empower them to effectively perform their duties in
peace and operational areas.
CHARACTER BUILDING MARCH
More than 3000 teachers and staff members of City
Montessori School will take out a grand ‘Character Building
March’ on June 29 to spread the message of importance of
character building and moral values. The march will commence at 7:30 am from Maqdoompur police outpost in
Gomti Nagar Extension and culminate at CMS Gomti Nagar
(Campus II) auditorium in a large assembly to be addressed
by CMS founder and educationist Jagdish Gandhi, according to CMS chief public relations officer Hari Om Sharma.
He said the march aimed at sensitising people to the need
to give good moral and spiritual values to children.
PNS n LUCKNOW
ell-known actor, Nasir
Khan Walker, who is
W
returning to the television after
six years, is all set to make a
movie on his famous father,
Johnny Walker. The actor was
in the city along with the
actress, Urvashi Sharma, for the
promotion of his new show, ‘Ek
Maa Jo Laakhon Ke Liye Bani
Amma.’ Talking to The Pioneer,
he said that the movie would
not be a biopic.
“Yes I will be making a
movie on my famous father,
Johnny Walker. This movie
will not be a biopic but catch
essentially what my father
believed as a person. I am currently caught up with several
things and will soon begin
working on the film,” he said.
Nasir said that he had taken a
break from the television shows
in which he was working
because he was involved in
some business work.
Talking about his new
show, he said that it was a 52episode finite series and captured the journey of Zeenat, a
mother of two, deserted by her
husband during one of the
darkest phases of Indian histo-
ry, the partition.
“At a time when women
were preyed upon mercilessly
on the grounds of faith they
belonged to, Zeenat emerged as
a power to reckon with by
standing up to the adversities
strewn in her path and attaining a formidable stature by
becoming a godmother in a
world dominated by intimidating men. In this track I play a
domineering husband who is a
positive character with a negative attitude,” he said.
He admitted that he was
excited about playing the character. “I am really excited about
playing the character as it is a
very different one and I haven’t
done something like this before.
I have shot a couple of episodes
and it has been a fabulous
experience so far with my fellow co-stars. I’m certain that my
fans will love my new avatar.”
The actor admitted that he
had visited Lucknow before
but for a very short period. “I
am observing roza and I have
been told about the wonderful
cuisine of Lucknow which I
unfortunately will not be able to
relish,” he said.
Urvashi Sharma, who is
essaying the author-backed title
role , said that it was a dream
role playing the role of a woman
who becomes a godmother,
“It’s an absolute privilege to be
cast as Amma. I feel blessed to
have landed such a strong role
for my debut on television .
Zeenat is a powerful character
and her journey from being a
wife and mother to becoming
a beacon of hope for others is
a great human interest story.
The narrative spans across five
decades and will see me in distinct life stages of the character,
allowing me to present different aspects of her personality.
Playing the part convincingly
called for an in-depth study of
her background, the circumstances she dealt with and her
own intrinsic personality traits
that propelled her to power. The
creative team and I have done
a lot of research to bring
authenticity and relevance to
every scene.”
Talking about Lucknow,
she said that she had shot two
films in the city and loved its
food. The multi-layered sets
that depict five distinct decades
have been designed by the art
director, Tariq Khan, noted for
his work in ‘Gangs of
Wasseypur’.
Chain-snatchers’ CISH to showcase Angoordana
gang busted
at Mango Fest : Director
Lucknow (PNS): After
snatching gold chains from
women, this gang of chain
snatchers used to organise
bhandara at Shani temple and
offer Chadar at Khamman Peer
to atone their sin.
These startling facts surfaced with the arrest of four
chain-snatchers and a jeweller.
With their arrest the Gomti
Nagar police claimed to have
busted a gang active in TransGomti area on Thursday.
Those arrested were identified as Umesh Kumar
Kashyap aka Cintu of Saketpalli
Hindu Akahra in Hazratganj,
Aush Saxena of Narhi in
Hazratganj, Manoj Kumar of
Kaiserbagh and Shahnawaz of
Jankipuram. The cops recovered 18 gold chains and looted Mungher-made pistol from
the miscreants.
The police also arrested a
jeweller, Bal Swaroop (76) of
Lakadmandi in Chowk locality, who used to purchase the
looted gold chains. His son,
Pankaj Rastogiu, is also accused
of being involved in purchase
of looted gold chains and is
absconding.
The miscreants owned up
their crime during interrogation but the elderly jeweller disputed the claims made by the
police in the presence of SSP
Lucknow Manjil Saini. He
claimed that he was being
framed up in the case and even
alleged that the police pressurised the chain-snatchers to
give statement against him.
The SSP Lucknow said the
miscreants were hardened
criminals and they also had
looted a country-made pistol
from a man in Kaiserbagh. She
said the miscreants used to target women and girls on road
having thin traffic.
Lucknow (PNS): The
Central Institute of Subtropical
Horticulture will be displaying
the smallest variety of mango,
Angoordana, at the Mango Fest
being organised by the state government which will kick off at the
Janeshwar Mishra Park on June
25. The Director, CISH,
Shailendra Rajan, while talking to
‘The Pioneer’ on Thursday said
that they would be showcasing
the mango, Angoordana, which
had a diameter of approximately 2 cms (See Pix).
“We will be exhibiting the
smallest and the largest varieties
of mango at the Mango Fest.
Among the small varieties that
we will be showcasing will be
Angoordana, Illaichi, Bhoodiya
and Chilkha Khas. These varieties have a diameter of 2 cm and
they have a very small stone.
Among the larger varieties is the
Rajawala mango variety which is
almost one kilogram in weight,”
he said. The Director said that
they would be putting these
non-commercial varieties up for
sale. “We will be putting these
non-commercial varieties up for
sale because the general public is
not aware about them. These
varieties are not commercial
because some of them like
Rajawala are less sweet and hence
not popular,” he added.
Among the other varieties
which the Institute will also
exhibit will be Ambika, Kitchner,
Suredar, Sonpasand, Tamancha,
Serohi, Kishonbhog, Arunika,
Bhogal Shah, Papatio, Saurab
Dalima, VN Chatterjee Pahutan,
Kairas Patti, Bombay Pidda, KV
Karel, Latif Us-Samar, Bihariwala,
Dalmiya, Dussehri, R Vard,
Israella, Lalmani, Kesar, Kalipairi,
Cowasji Patel, Amin Khurd, Alif
Laila, Gilas, Begum Pasand, Kala
Pahar, Hardilaziz, Mankhurad
and many others. The Director
further said that they would also
be showcasing some mango varieties from Malda (West Bengal)
where they had recently inaugurated their Institute.
“ We will be showcasing
some mango varieties from
Malda. We had recently organised a ‘National Workshop on
Sustainable Mango Production’ at
Malda in collaboration with the
Directorate of Horticulture,
Government of West Bengal,
and Protection of Plant Varieties
& Farmers’ Rights Authority.
This workshop-cum -mango
diversity show discussed a
roadmap for sustainable production of mangoes, marketing
and entrepreneurship development. Mango researchers invited from different parts of the
country not only gave their suggestions for improving the
mango industry in the region but
also addressed the issues of
national importance,” he said.
nation 05
LUCKNOW | FRIDAY | JUNE 24, 2016
Undaunted Swamy’s tirade
against Subramanian is on
Conduct more joint exercises
with friendly nations: Parrikar
PNS n NEW DELHI
efence Minister Manohar
Parrikar on Thursday
D
urged the armed forces to
ndaunted
by
the
Government and his party
U
not approving his sharp criticism, senior BJP leader and
Rajya Sabha member Subramanian Swamy on Thursday stepped
up his attack against Chief
Economic Adviser (CEA)
Arvind Subrmananian even
while brushing aside Finance
Minister Arun Jaitley’s defence
of the top official in his Ministry.
"Let him say what he
wants....I have nothing to do
with what Jaitley says. I can
talk to the party President or
the prime minister," he reportedly told media persons here
who asked him about Jaitley's
disapproval of his tirade against
a technocrat in the government
who cannot respond and
defend himself.
Swamy, who is also a
National Executive member of
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, however,
strongly defended the top official saying,
‘Government has full confidence in CEA. His
advice to Government from time to time has
been of great value’
the BJP, further tweeted on
Arvind Subramanian (AS), "If
BJP Union Govt says that we
know all about AS but still he
is an asset, then I will suspend
my demand and wait for events
to prove truth.
"Within a year after getting
plum job in the Indian
Government especially since
out of 1.25 billion we could not
find any equal or better."
Citing an example of Arvind
Subramanian's public criticism
of Modi, he tweeted, "Who said:
'What about Gujarat? Mr Modi
stands indicted as a mediocre
performer (judged by tax collection & social outcomes)'...AS
in BS 23/1/13."
Swamy said Subrmanian
had given statements earlier,
asking US Congress to pressurise India and then only US
trade will benefit.
"He was working with
Pfizer's research institute and
was batting for the US drug
companies earlier," he said.
Swamy kept up his
onslaught against Subrmanian
saying he will "suspend" the
demand for his sacking if the
government considers him
patriotic despite his attempts in
the past of trying to twist
India's arm.
"If an Indian?, held patriotic, can advise a foreign nation
where he works, to twist India's
arm, is to be forgiven, then I
suspend my demand.
"AS (Arvind Subramanian)
to US Cong: "US initiatives by
discriminating against India
companies and exporters will
exert pressure on India to open
up" AS 13/3/13!," Swamy
tweeted.
Swamy
had on
Wednesday created ripples
when he sought Subramanian's
sacking for allegedly taking
anti-India stance when he was
an IMF economist in
Washington prior to joining the
Finance Ministry.
Finance Minister Arun
Jaitley, however, strongly
defended the top official saying, "Government has full
confidence in CEA. His
advice to Government from
time to time has been of
great value". The finance minister said BJP also does not
share Swamy's views .
PIONEER NEWS SERVICE n
NEW DELHI
develop joint capabilities and
synergy to play a major role in
the volatile region around the
country. He also asked the
armed forces to conduct more
joint exercises with friendly foreign countries as part of country's 'Act East' policy.
Making these observations
here while inaugurating the
two-day Unified Commanders'
conference of Tri-Services
Commanders here, he said "by
virtue of our dominant, geographical location, India is
poised for a predominant role in
the volatile region around us."
Hence, there is a requirement to
exploit this advantage by developing joint capabilities, the
Minister said. He also asked the
armed forces to conduct joint
exercise involving more than
one Service with friendly for-
eign countries in South East
Asia as part of 'Act East' policy.
With rapidly changing warfare doctrines all over the world,
Parrikar stressed the need for
jointness of the three Services to
optimise resources and enhance
cost effectiveness, so that maximum funds can be made available for modernisation of the
Armed Forces. Moreover, in
order to achieve self-reliance, he
emphasised on 'Make in India'
initiative and indigenisation of
defence production.
Earlier, opening remarks
were given by Chairman Chiefs
of Staff Committee & Chief of
Prez rejects mercy plea of two Can't allow school to be run from
Jharkhand massacre convicts old, unsafe building: Apex court
New Delhi: The mercy plea of
two convicts, who killed eight
members of a family including
a physically disabled youth in
Jharkhand nearly nine years
ago, has been rejected by
President Pranab Mukherjee.
The President has rejected the plea of the convicts —
Mofil Khan and Mobarak
Khan, officials said on
Thursday. The duo had in
June 2007 killed Haneef Khan
with sharp-edged weapons
when he was offering prayers
at a mosque in Makandu village under Lohardaga district in the state. After killing
him, they murdered his wife
and his six sons which included the disabled youth. A case
was registered by the local
police against Mofil and
Mobarak and two other
assailants. Following the
probe, a local court there
had given death sentence to
all the accused. However, the
Jharkhand High Court had
upheld death penalty to Mofil
and Mubarak and modified
the sentence to life term for
the two others.
The Supreme Court in its
final judgement in October
2014 also upheld the death
penalty given to the convicts.
A mercy petition was then
filed before the President
through the Home Ministry.
The plea, which was received
in December last year at the
President's secretariat, seeking
mercy has been rejected by
Mukherjee, they said.
After taking over as the
President in July 2012,
Mukherjee has rejected 26
mercy pleas so far including
those of 26/11 terror case
convict Ajmal Kasab and 1993
blast case convict Yakub
Memon.
The death sentence in two
cases has been commuted to
life by the President.
Two mercy petitions of
Jeetendra Gehlaut alias Jeetu,
convicted for killing five
women and two children during a robbery in Maharashtra,
and Shabnam, who was convicted for killing seven members of her family at Amroha
in Uttar Pradesh, are pending
with the President.
PTI
Making drugs ‘veg or non-veg’
not desirable: Health Min body
ARCHANA JYOTI n NEW DELHI
nderlining that unlike
food, drug is taken not out
of choice but prescribed by
doctors to save life and making
them vegetarian or non-vegetarian is not desirable, Health
Ministry’s highest decision
making body on technical matters has rejected a proposal to
replace commonly used animal-based gelatin capsules with
‘veg’ cellulose.
The Drug Technical
Advisory Committee (DTAB)
had received a proposal seeking
introduction of a provision
under the Drugs and Cosmetic
Rules, 1945 for introduction for
labeling of cellulose based capsules with a green dot to indicate their vegetarian origin to
distinguish them from normally available gelatin based
capsules.
However, the DTAB members in a meeting recently
opined that “unlike food, drugs
are not taken by choice but are
prescribed by the doctors to
save lives and marking them as
vegetarian or non vegetarian
origin is not desirable. Some
U
members also pointed out that
HPMC capsules are basically
synthetic origin and as such
cannot be considered as purely of vegetarian orign as in case
of food preparations.”
Soon after receiving the
proposal to ‘mark’ the vegbased capsules, the DCGI had
sought public opinion in the
matter before taking the final
decision.
The Confederation of Indian
Pharmaceutical Industry (CIPI)
and Indian Drug Manufacturing
Drug Association (IDMA) has
opposed the proposed move.
“Gelatin based capsules are
cost effective, time tested, safe
and recognised by regulatory
bodies across the world. It has
been used by pharma industries
over a century, said CIPI executive secretary Sudesh Kumar.
He had also said in countries like USA and EU, 95 per
cent of the capsules used for
drug formulations are gelatin
based. In India the ratio is
around 98 per cent.
Raising concern over the
safety of cellulose based capsules,
Kumar said the Hydroxypropyl
Methycellulose (HPMC), a form
of cellulose is used in manufacturing cellulose based capsules.
HPMC is derived from plant
fiber such as wood from tree
trunks and then treated with a
number of harsh chemicals to get
synthetic gelatin.
The IDMA, in its representation to the Drug Controller
General of India (DCGI) said
cellulose based capsules of plant
origin do not have time tested
data whereas gelatin based capsules continue to be the mainstay of drug delivery systems for
its safety, convenience, patient
acceptance, economy and pharmacokinetic parameters.
It also said that the cellulose
based capsules should not be
considered without considering
in-depth the scientific, technical, techno-commercial, availability, affordability issues , the
IDMA added.
However, those in the
favour of cellulose based capsules allege that gelatine derived
from animals with bovine
spongiform encephalopathy
(BSE) could cause the human
equivalent — Creutzfeldt-Jakob
Disease (CJD) — in people who
ingest the substance.
PTI n NEW DELHI
he Supreme Court on
Thursday refused to allow
T
a Mumbai school to continue
its academic session from an
old building, declared unsafe
and unauthorised by civic
authorities, saying the structure will be unable to sustain
the onslaught of monsoon.
“The building will not be
able sustain the onslaught of
monsoon in Mumbai. The
safety and security of students is of importance. We
cannot allow the school to go
on from the old structure,” a
vacation bench of Justices
Adarsh Kumar Goel and AM
Khanwilkar said.
The Mumbai-based St
Thomas High School had
approached the apex court
against Bombay High Court's
order which had directed
demolition of the building
after considering the report of
the Municipal Corporation
on its structural safety.
The High Court had
The Mumbai-based
St Thomas High
School had
approached the
apex court against
Bombay High
Court's order
which had
directed
demolition of the
building after
considering the
report of the
Municipal
Corporation on its
structural safety
restrained the school from
starting the new session from
its old building.
The apex court also
refused to agree with the submission of senior advocate
Huzeba Ahmadi that alternate
arrangements will be made in
a year's time and said that "in
Mumbai during monsoon,
drains overflow and the building will not be able to bear the
onslaught of this season."
Ahmadi, who appeared
for the school, said over 3000
students were studying and if
time was not granted to them
to make an alternate arrangement, then their future would
be in jeopardy.
The bench, however,
refused to interfere with the
Bombay High Court order.
The school, in its petition
filed through advocate
Maheen Pradhan, said "the
High Court has failed to
appreciate the fact that a
report of a structural engineer
from their own panel has also
submitted that the building is
safe for occupancy and the
prayer of the petitioner to permit them to continue using
the same for a period of one
year to arrange for makeshift arrangement could have
been accepted."
Air Staff Arup Raha covering
tri-Services issues. Army Chief
General Dalbir Singh Suhag
and Chief of the Naval Staff
Admiral Sunil Lanba addressed
the conclave highlighting the
major issues pertaining to their
respective Services. A report
covering major achievements
on key Tri-Services issue was
presented by Officiating Chief
of Integrated Defence Staff to
Chairman Chiefs of Staff
Committee Air Marshal AS
Bhonsle.
Key security issues facing
the nation and important
strategic, operational, logistical,
administrative aspects pertaining to Tri-Services were
deliberated upon on the first
day. The inaugural function
was attended by Minister of
State for Defence Rao Inderjit
Singh, Deputy National
Security Advisor Dr. Arvind
Gupta, Secretaries of the
Government of India and
senior officials of Services and
Ministry of Defence.
Centre to send
reminder to UP
Govt on Kairana
‘exodus’ issue
New Delhi: The Centre will
soon send a reminder to Uttar
Pradesh Government on its
communication to it seeking a
detailed report on the alleged
migration of Hindus from
Kairana village in the State.
A senior Home Ministry
official said the State
Government is yet to responded to its letter, sent about 10
days ago, seeking a report on
the allegations of migration of
Hindus from the western part
of the town.
It had also asked the State
Government to verify the allegations and send a detailed
report to it as early as possible.
"Since, there is no response
from the State Government, we
will soon send a reminder to
them," the official said.
There have been allegations that Hindus from
Kairana village in Shamli district were "forced" to leave
their homes by people from
another community.
PTI
INSHORT
MALDIVE OPP SEEKS
INDIA’S ‘ACTIVE ROLE’
New Delhi: Maldivian
Opposition on Thursday called
on India to take on a more
active role in “restoring
democracy” in the island nation
and put pressure on President
Abdulla Yameen's Government
by taking steps like imposing
sanctions. "The Maldives United
Opposition supports Prime
Minister Narendra Modi's
‘Region First' policy, without
reservation. We believe that the
Indian Ocean is India's Ocean,
and it should remain that way,"
Ahmed Naseem, former
Maldivian Foreign Minister and
senior leader of Mohamed
Nasheed's Maldivian
Democratic Party (MDP), said
here.
SMART CITY WORKS
FROM JUNE 25
New Delhi: Execution of works
in 20 smart cities will kick-start
from June 25 with Prime
Minister Narendra Modi
launching 14 projects in Pune,
while 69 others will commence
in other parts of the country
entailing a total cost of Rs
1,770 crore. Marking the first
anniversary of the
announcement of the
government's flagship
programme, Modi will launch
the ‘Smart City Mission'
projects from Pune's 5,000capacity Shiv Chatrapati Sports
Complex.
‘PREPARE TO TACKLE
BIO-TERRORISM’
New Delhi: Experts on
Thursday emphasised on a
strong and well integrated
programme in sync with the
different Governmental arms
to deal with bio-terrorism, as
diseases like Ebola and Zika
could emerge as possible
threats. Lt Gen (retired) J R
Bharadwaj, former Director
General Armed Forces Medical
Service and also a former
member of National Disaster
Management Authority
(NDMA) said although
different arms of the
government are working to
deal with the threat, a lot more
needs to be done. These views
were aired at a daylong
conference here on bioterrorism, bio threat and biodefence and preparedness to
meet the challenge.
CENTRE IDENTIFIES 10
PLACES TO BE CLEANED
New Delhi: The Centre has
identified 10 iconic places with
higher footfalls, including Taj
Mahal and Vaishno Devi, to be
cleaned on par with
international standards for
which the World Bank will
provide technical assistance,
officials said on Thursday. The
Centre is also in the process of
drafting standard operating
procedures (SOP) to ensure
cleanliness at as many known
sanctuaries and tiger reserves,
they said.
IIT JEE MAIN RANKINGS
OUT, BOYS ON TOP
Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti calls on Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on Thursday
PTI
New Delhi: Delhi boy
Deepanshu Jindal has topped
the IIT JEE Main rank list 2016
released by the Central Board of
Secondary Education (CBSE)
today, with boys dominating the
list of toppers. Pratyush Maini
secured the second position
and Rajesh Bansal the third. Of
the top 1,000 positions, 853
have been secured by boys and
147 by girls. Ryali Gayathri
from Telangana has emerged
on the top among girls,
securing the 11th rank.
Appreciate Govt’s good work instead of opposing it blindly
BY M VENKAIAH NAIDU
s June
2
6
A
marks the
culmination of the
monthlong Vikas
Parv campaign to
celebrate
the completion of two years of
the NDA Government, led by
Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
the people were witness to an
unprecedented phenomenon in
political accountability — for the
first time all the top leaders of
ruling alliance, including Cabinet
Ministers fanned out across the
length and breadth of the country to present a report card on the
performance.
The Left and the Congress
parties instead of appreciating
the good initiatives taken by the
Government and play a constructive role continued with
their disinformation campaign
by addressing Press conferences
and mixing facts with fiction.
However, it was an alto-
gether different experience for
people as Ministers went to
them to provide details of various milestones achieved during the last two years, present
a progress report and outline
plans for the future.
With the Ministers and
other important leaders visiting
200 nerve centres all over the
country, the Vikas Parv campaign indeed rejuvenated the
leaders and cadre of the BJP
alike and inspired the party and
its allies to work with renewed
vigour in addressing the problems faced by the common
man. The interactions with
intellectuals, opinion leaders
and others provided important
feedback and fresh insights to
the leaders as the Government
marches ahead with its vision
and goal of achieving all-round
progress and transforming the
lives of the people.
The people while appreciating the schemes launched by
the Government want them to
be implemented effectively.
The feedback from the party
rank and file was that there was
inadequate publicity on the
schemes since there was no
Central Government set-up at
the district level to take the
information to the masses.
From initiating a series of
people-centric schemes like Jan
Dhan Yojana to restoring India’s
economy and image internationally, the NDA Government
during the last two years had to
countenance a systematic and
sustained besmirching campaign from the Congress and
the Left parties, which many a
time uncharitably targeted
Narendra Modi in a highly
personalised manner. Here, I
would urge everyone to pause
and ponder over the need for all
political parties to appreciate the
good work of the Government,
instead of blindly opposing for
the sake of Opposition.
Although the Congress and
the Left continue to take a blinkered view, the people fortunately are appreciative of the performance of the NDA Government
as was evidenced by the massive
turnouts and response during the
Vikas Parv campaign. From
their responses it is evident that
they were particularly happy
that the Government as
promised by Modi has provided
a clean and scam-free administration, while addressing the
basic needs of the people.
Among the significant
gains on the foreign policy
front is the support extended to
India by most of the major
powers and other countries
for its application to become a
member of the Nuclear
Suppliers Group (NSG). It will
be a matter of time before India
formally becomes NSG member ending years of isolation
and opening the doors for
nuclear commerce. It is being
hoped that the differences with
China will be sorted out and it
will be brought on board in
supporting India’s entry.
Other important milestones
on the foreign policy front
include the key role being
played by India in rebuilding
Afghanistan and the agreement
inked with Iran for development
of Chabahar port in Iran. The
port will provide direct access to
markets in Afghanistan, Central
Asia and Europe.
The recent address by Modi
to the US Congress has given a
new dimension to the bilateral
ties between the two great
countries. Many tweets from
American Congressmen following his inspirational speech
to the US Congress apart from
the spontaneous applause he
received on a number of occasions, showed the huge popularity enjoyed by the Prime
Minister among both
Democrats and Republicans.
During that address, Modi
also outlined his ambitious todo list to be implemented in a
finite timeframe. It includes a
vibrant rural economy with
robust farm sector; a roof over
each head and electricity to all
households; to skill millions of
youth; build 100 smart cities;
have a broadband for 100 billion; connect our villages to the
digital world and create a 21st
century rail, road and port
infrastructure.
As rightly pointed out by the
Prime Minister during his
address to the BJP’s National
Executive, the time for sloganeering is over and focus continues to be on ensuring that the
benefit of every scheme reaches
the people and vastly improves
their livelihoods in tune with the
promise of achchhe din. To avoid
repetition, I would not like to list
out all the schemes again, but
suffice it to say that infrastructure, power, education, health,
agriculture, urban development
and other core areas that touch
the lives of the people are witnessing a sea change.
With focus on improving
passenger amenities, safety and
adding capacity, the capital
investment in railways this year
is expected to be over `93,000
crore. Similarly, the newly
announced Aviation policy is all
set improve regional air connectivity and meet the air travel demand as India emerges to be
a top travel destination in the
coming years. In a landmark
move, the Government decided
to allow 100 per cent FDI in aviation and defence. This would
provide a huge thrust to the
economy and create jobs.
Swachchh Bharat is another revolutionary initiative that
is changing the mindset of the
people in both urban and rural
areas of the country.
With many pro-active measures taken up by the
Government on the power front,
it is now expected that for the
first time in the country’s history, India will not have power
deficit in 2016-17. The country
will have a surplus of 3.1 per cent
during peak hours and 1.1 per
cent during non-peak hours in
2016-17. This was cited to show
how the Government through its
focused approach is staying on
course. Not only that, the Prime
Minister is also asking people to
rate his Government, reflecting
the importance attached to the
feedback given by the people.
The insolvency and bankruptcy code, the consumerfriendly real estate Bill that
aims to give a push to the
Government’s scheme of providing Housing for All by 2022,
the amendments to insurance
and labour laws are all progressive measures hailed by all.
In spite of the obstructionist tactics adopted by the
Congress in Rajya Sabha, the
Government through an
approach of consensus ensured
that the productivity of
Parliament went up in challenging circumstances.
As the Government moves
into its third year, all eyes particularly from the trade and
industry are on the proposed
Goods and Services tax regime.
The Congress would do well to
keep the country’s interests in
mind and support the GST Bill
as the Government prepares to
take it up in the coming monsoon session of Parliament.
Attacking the Government
and stalling Parliament might
serve the transient immediate,
purpose of getting headlines,
but would hamper development and cause hardship to the
people. I hope that the Congress
and Left parties will understand
the message of the people for
faster development and cooperate with the Government in
realising India’s enormous
potential to become a major
economic power.
(The writer is a Union
Mini ster
of
Urban
Development, Housing and
Urban Poverty Alleviation
and Parliamentary Affairs)
nation 06
LUCKNOW | FRIDAY | JUNE 24, 2016
Girl who bobbitised
Call for Siddaramaiah’s resignation rapist, gangraped
REBELLION IN KARNATAKA CONG INTENSIFIES
KESTUR VASUKI n BENGALURU
s the ripples of rebellion
formed after Cabinet
A
reshuffle has shown no sign of
dying down and there is a
demand by the rebels for a
leadership change. After failure
of talks between emissaries of
Siddaramaiah and senior
Congress leaders to quell the
rebellion Karnataka Congress
now walks on a tightrope led by
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
The rebels have grouped
together and demanding a
change of leadership openly.
The rebels led by former
Minister and a Dalit face from
Mysuru V Srinivasa Prasad and
cine actor turned politician
from Mandya MH Ambareesh
along with some other Congress
MLAs have demanded change
of leadership in the State.
The disgruntled leaders
have held several rounds of
talks and now openly declared
a war against Chief Minister
Siddaramaiah who has reshuffled his Ministry by dropping
14 Ministers and inducting 13
new faces. The discontent now
snowballed into a major rebellion in the State Congress which
is desperately trying to defend
its last citadel Karnataka.
Meanwhile, In a damagecontrol exercise, the party high
command has sent Oscar
Fernandes to Bengaluru to
quell the discontent in the
party. Siddaramaiah also asked
his loyalists and Ministers HC
Mahadevappa and KJ George
to mollify the Legislators
dropped from the Ministry.
Fernandes said “Prasad has
expressed his commitment to
the party”. But Prasad said, “We
expect more Congress MLAs to
join our camp. “We don’t want
to oust the Government, but our
move is to replace Siddaramaiah
as he has been taking decisions
to ensure a Congress free
Karnataka,” said Prasad
“...we will meet on Sunday
or Monday. We will all sit
together, whatever decision is
taken there, is final. Now we
have gone one step ahead. To
save the party, if leadership
change is needed, we are ready
for it,” senior Congress MLA
from Yadagiri Malka Reddy
told reporters after a meeting
of the disgruntled MLAs.
“We will fight being within the party. First option is to
see if there is any chance to
strengthening the party with-
Solar scam: Non-bailable
warrant against Saritha
VR JAYARAJ n KOCHI
he Justice G Sivarajan
Judicial Commission looking into Kerala’s infamous solar
scam allegedly involving former Chief Minister Oommen
Chandy and several other top
Congress leaders on Thursday
issued a non-bailable arrest
warrant against Saritha S Nair,
prime accused in the scamlinked cases, for her continuous
absence at its sittings despite
repeated warnings.
The commission ordered
that instructions be given to the
State Director General of Police
to produce Saritha Nair before it
by June 27 by executing the warrant. The panel took the decision
to issue non-bailable warrant
against her after she repeatedly
failed to turn up before it to pro-
T
duce the documents which she
claimed were with her and for
cross-examination.
According to the commission, Saritha Nair, who had
earlier alleged that Chandy had
abused her sexually and had
taken bribe from her by offering assistance in her solar energy business when he was in
power, had failed to appear
before the commission four
times. She had also leveled similar charges to some other members of the then Chandy Cabinet
and some Congress leaders.
The solar scam pertains to
the duping of many persons in
Kerala of several crores of rupees
by Saritha Nair and her former
live-in partner Biju Radhakrishnan by promising to install
highly profitable solar power
projects and windmills. Both
Saritha and Biju were arrested in
the name of these fraudulent
financial deals in 2013.
Saritha’s ‘disclosures’
against the then Chief Minister
and several other Congress
leaders and the surfacing of
audio-recordings of phone
conversations between her and
two top Congress functionaries were subjects of hot discussion in the campaign for
the Assembly elections held in
May in which the party-led
UDF suffered a huge defeat.
Chandy had filed a criminal
defamation case against
Saritha over her charge against
him.
The commission had on
Wednesday made it clear that
Thursday would be the last day
for Saritha to appear before it
to produce evidences but she
skipped that also. It was in this
context that the commission
ordered issuance of non-bailable warrant against her, who
had given different reasons
each time she was absent at the
sitting.
out leadership change. First, we
will give medicine, if things are
not solved, we will be open for
surgery,” he added.
Another MLA from
Afzalpur Mallikayya Guttedar,
sulking over not being given a
Ministerial berth, said “we will
decide whether leadership
change is needed.”
The State Congress leadership continued its efforts to
douse dissidence, with newlyappointed Working president
Dinesh Gundu Rao seeking to
pacify key sacked Ministers like
Ambareesh and Srinivasa Prasad,
who have openly questioned
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s
action of dropping them.
After meeting Ambareesh
and Prasad, Rao said, “...he
(Ambareesh) has no resentment
against the party. I feel he will
come out of these things soon, his
support is needed for the party.”
Senior leaders like Prasad,
Qamarul Islam, Ambareesh,
Baburao Chinchansoor who
were dropped from the
Ministry have openly criticised
Siddaramaiah.
Ambareesh has even resigned
as MLA, which has not been
accepted. Ministerial aspirants
like Guttedar, Malka Reddy, S
T Somashekar and Rajshekar
Patil among others have made
open remarks against
Siddaramaiah
and
Mallikarjuna Kharge, whose
son Priyank Kharge has managed to find a Ministerial slot.
Somashekar has claimed
that eight Legislators were contemplating resigning their
Assembly membership in
protest.
Will continue to serve
Congress, says Kamat
PNS n NEW DELHI
ormer Union Minister Gurudas Kamat who resigned recently from Congress and stated his desire to quit politics, on
F
Thursday said he has had a rethink and will continue to serve
Congress.
“I had about two weeks ago sent my resignation as AICC
General Secretary and from the Congress party purely for personal reasons, to concentrate on social service minus any party
tag. However, during the last fortnight a large number of senior
party leaders tried to convince me to rethink on the decision. My
meeting with my party president Sonia Gandhi helped me to make
up my mind that the Congress party is the best platform to serve
the people of this country,” Kamat said in a statement.
Kamat said he will be soon meeting the people of his in-charge
States. “I will continue to serve under the leadership of
Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul
Gandhi with the same charge of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Dadra Nagar
Haveli, Daman and Diu as informed to me late last night. I will
be meeting the people of my in-charge States starting tomorrow,”
Kamat said.
Dikshit to head Indira Gandhi birth
centenary celebrations committee
PIONEER NEWS SERVICE n NEW DELHI
ormer Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has been made the
convenor of the Indira Gandhi Birth Centenary Celebrations
F
Implementation Committee, constituted by Congress president
Sonia Gandhi on Thursday.
Former Union Ministers Mani Shankar Aiyar and Anand
Sharma are co-convenors of the committee which has AICC
General Secretary Mukul Wasnik as Secretary. Party leaders Ajay
Maken, Priya Dutt, Milind Deora, Imran Kidwai and DK Shiva
Kumar are on the 12-member panel.
Another committee constituted for the celebrations is headed by Sonia Gandhi and has a number of senior leaders including Rahul Gandhi and Manmohan Singh as members.
The Indira Gandhi Birth Centenary Celebrations Committee
also includes Tarun Gogoi, Karan Singh, Madha-vsinh Solanki,
AK Antony, Mohsina Kidwai, Shivraj Patil, P Chidambaram,
Sushilkumar Shinde and Mallikarjun Kharge. Former Prime
Minister Indira Gandhi was born on November 19, 1917.
nwjHkk"k la-@Tel. No.: 0581-2421127
QSDl ua-@Fax No.: 0581-2510987
bZesy@Email : [email protected]
Nkouh ifj"kn dk;kZy;
Cantonment Board Bareilly
caxyk la- 54] ljiuVkbu jksM
B.No. 54, Serpentine Road
cjsyh Nkouh & 243001
Bareilly Cantt-243001
bZ-fufonk vkea=.k lwpuk
NOTICE INVITING E-TENDER
Cantonment Board Bareilly invites e-tenders/bids through Central public Procurement Portal
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An illegal 5-storey building being demolished by CIDCO authority at Nerul in Navi
Mumbai on Thursday
PTI
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Chief Executive Officer
cjsyh Nkouh ifj"kn
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Mehbooba offers chadar
at Baba Chamliyal shrine
MOHIT KANDHARI n JAMMU
irst Woman Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir Mehbooba
Mufti on Thursday joined thousands of devotees assembled
F
in the holy shrine of Baba Dalip Singh Manhas, popularly known
as Baba Chamliyal, located close to the zero line of the
International Border in Ramgarh sector of Samba district and
prayed for strengthening bonds of friendship between the two
neighboring countries.
Accompanied by BJP MP Jugal Kishore, Industries Minister
Chandra Prakash Ganga, MoS Tourism Priya Sethi and senior
police and civil officers she offered ‘holy cloth’ (chaddar) at the
shrine before seeking blessings inside the sanctum sanctorum.
Senior Pakistani Rangers accompanied by a team of local civilian officers from Sialkote led by Sector Cdr Brigadier Wasim Jaffar
Bhatti crossed the zero line before offering traditional ‘chaddar’
to be placed inside the sanctum sanctorum on behalf of devotees from Sialkote.
PNS n PATNA
gang rape survivor in East
Champaran district is
A
struggling for life on a Sadar
Hospital bed but committed to
ensure that her tormentors are
punished. She was allegedly
gang raped by the relatives of
one Samiullah at Ramgarhwa
village in Motihari in a bid to
teach her a lesson. A few days
back the girl, who also belongs
to minority community, had
Bobbitised her rapist.
The girl was first raped by
Samiullah over a week ago
when she was going to fields.
He also made a video of the
incident on his mobile phone.
A few days later he again asked
her to come to a lonely place
else he would show her video
to her family and others. The
girl took a blade and getting a
chance she cut his genitals.
Enraged over this incident
the family members of
Samiullah, who is still undergoing treatment, attacked her
home and assaulted her fami-
ly members. They took her
away and gangraped while her
relatives who had been locked
in the house watched the barbarism from the windows. The
tormentors also inserted a
bamboo in her private parts as
punishment for her act of
Bobbitisation. Sensing that she
was dead they left.
Although this incident
occurred on June 13, it came to
light when some NGOs, social
sites and media covered it. East
Champaran SP Jeetendra Rana
visited the hospital in Motihari
and assured that rapists would
be arrested at all cost. The
police conducted raids at several places but not even a single arrest has so far been made.
Strangely, even the medical
board of the Sadar Hospital
which examined the victim
has not confirmed sexual
assault. The girl, who is in critical condition, told the SP
about the incident from the
beginning and also revealed all
the names of the culprits who
are close relatives of her rapist.
KOLKATA POLICE
SUMMONS NARADA CEO
SAUGAR SENGUPTA n KOLKATA
cting swiftly on Chief Minister
AMamata Banerjee’s directives to
start proceedings against those
who were instrumental behind the
Narada sting expose the Detective
Department of the Lal Bazar Police
on Thursday issued summons to
Narada CEO Mathew Samuels
asking him to appear before it.
The summons was sent by the
financial offence wing of the
detective department, sources said
adding the correspondence had
been e-mailed to the Narada CEO.
The incident takes place a day
before Calcutta High Court is
scheduled to hear the Narada sting
case. Early this week the Division
Bench of Chief Justice Manjula
Chellur had said the Court’s verdict
in this regard was final and all other
decisions taken by any other
authority was immaterial. The Court
said so when senior advocate
Bikash Bhattacharya drew its
attention towards the State
Government’s order for a probe into
the Narada case despite its being
subjudice in the HC. The sting case
hit national headlines when a host
of senior TMC leaders including
MPs, Ministers were seen
accepting cash — for alleged future
promises — from a journalist
faking as a prospective investor.
Ragging of Dalit nursing student
from Kerala: K’taka police to probe
KESTUR VASUKI n BENGALURU
he Gulbarga police on Thursday said they
would investigate the ragging of a Dalit
nursing student from Kerala by her seniors at
a nursing college in Gulbarga in Karnataka and
dubbed it to be a case of wrongful restraint,
attempt to murder and atrocity.
The Gulbarga Superintendent of Police
Shashi Kumar said that they have received an
FIR from the Kerala Police against five individuals.
He said “We have received a copy of complaint and the FIR from Kerala Police and I have
directed the officers to look into the case and
we will look into the matter in a comprehensive
manner.”
“As per the information I have got from the
Kerala Police, FIR is registered against five individuals. It is a case of wrongful restraint,
attempt to murder and atrocity. We haven’t
arrested anybody, we have just taken the case for
investigation and will do whatever is required,”
he added.
The victim, a student of Al Qamar College
of Nursing School in Gulbarga, is presently in
a critical state in a Kerala hospital.
Since the unfortunate incident, the first year
student from Kerala has been in hospital with
several internal burns. She was shifted to the
T
THERE WAS NO RAGGING.
THE GIRL DRANK THE
PHENOL BECAUSE OF
SOME FAMILY PROBLEMS.
THE VICTIM’S MOTHER,
WHO IS A DAILY WAGE
LABOURER, TOOK A LOAN
OF `3 LAKH FOR HER
DAUGHTER’S EDUCATION
— PRINCIPAL
Kozhikode Medical College after having spent
over a week in the ICU at a hospital in
Karnataka.
The doctors have reportedly said that the toilet cleaning fluid has burnt the student’s internal organs.
However the principal of the nursing
school, Esther, has said that there was no ragging, adding the girl drank the phenol because
of some family problems. The victim’s mother,
who is a daily wage labourer, took a loan of `3
lakh for her daughter’s education.
NOTICE INVITING TENDERS
MILITARY ENGINEER SERVICES
1. On behalf of the President of India, Garrison Engineer (MES) Jhansi invites applications and quoted bids from eligible contractors of MES and contractors working with other Govt. Department meeting eligibility criteria through CPP Portal www.eprocuremes.gov.in for under mentioned works :Sl Name of work
Estimated
Earnest
Period
Eligibility criteria
cost of work
money
of
Class Category
No.
in Lakhs
completion
(in days)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
1.
Spl Repair to bldg no. T-29 Rs. 50.00
Rs. 1,00,000/- 180 days
Class ‘D’
a(i)
to sewage line, main hole
etc and existing drain in
MH under AGE B/R-I at
GE Jhansi
2.
Spl Repair to bldg no. T-24 Rs. 50.00
Rs. 1,00,000/- 180 days
Class ‘D’
a(i)
T,25, Bldg No 48 and 49 in
MH under AGE B/R-I at GE
Jhansi
3.
Provn of hard standing
Rs. 50.00
Rs. 1,00,000/- 180 days
Class ‘D’ a(i) &
near bldg No. P-74 in
b(i)
Plassey line, Toilet block
in MI Room, sewage pipe
line in JCOs/OR Md Accn
and Spl Rep to bldg No.
P-25, P-50 and P-106
underAGE B/R-I at GE
Jhansi.
4.
Provision of security wall/
Rs. 50.00
Rs. 1,00,000/- 180 days
Class ‘D’ a(i) &
chain link, flase ceiling,
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Septic tank, filling, toilet
bath sheet and repair wks
in bldg. No T-85 and certain
B/R repairs under AGE
B/R-II at GE Jhansi.
5.
Spl Repair to bldg. No T-33, Rs. 43.00
Rs. 86,000/- 180 days
Class ‘D’ a(i) &
T-79, P-41 and P-36 under
b(i)
AGE B/R-II at GE Jhansi
6.
Provn of false ceiling bldg.
Rs. 48.00
Rs. 96,000/- 180 days
Class ‘D’ a(i) &
No. 1 and Spl repair to bldg.
b(i)
No. 106, 107 and 108 under
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Cost of Tender
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online and original to be submitted offline before due date of opening of cover 1)
Date of uploading online bid
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& date of sale start of tender
Eligibility Criteria :Class 'See Col 6 above Category See Col 7 above.'
(a) For MES enlisted contractor Note : (i) Contractor to uploaded the scanned copy of MES enlistment letter.
(b) For Contractors not enlisted (i) Meeting enlistment criteria of MES for above class & cate
in MES
gory with regard to satisfactory completion of requisite value of
similar works. Annual turnover, Solvency working capital, fixed
assets, Engineering establishment etc.
(ii) No recovery outstanding in any Govt. Deptt. (For which affidavit to be submitted).
(iii) Attested copy of police Verification report/valid passport in
respect of proprietor/all partners. His price bid will opened in case
the eligibility criteria is fulfilled & permission received from next
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due date.
Notes :
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2. Contractor's may please be noted that the subletting of works is not permissible.
davp 10102/11/1124/1617
nation 07
LUCKNOW | FRIDAY | JUNE 24, 2016
Police identify 2 ATM robbers: First in UP jail, second at large
STAFF REPORTER n NEW DELHI
n a major breakthrough,
Delhi Police have identified
the two robbers who gunned
down a security guard and
robbed ` 1.5 crore from an
ATM kiosk in North Delhi's
Kamla Nagar market area in
November 2014.
According to senior police
officers of the North district,
one of the accused has been
identified as Ashutosh Mishra
who is currently lodged in
Aligarh jail in Uttar Pradesh.
Senior cops said that they have
asked their UP counterparts to
I
send Mishra to Delhi on
Transit remand. On the other
hand, the second accused AtaUllah too has been identified
but the Delhi Police have not
been able locate him.
On November 2014, two
unidentified bike borne men
had gunned down a security
guard and robbed ` 1.5 crore
from an ATM kiosk in Kamla
Nagar in broad daylight. The
Custodians of a van belonging
to a private firm were refilling
money into the ATM, when the
unidentified two men on a bike
arrived and shot dead the security guard and fled with a bag
containing money.
According to the police,
the robbers had allegedly kept
the briefcase containing the
cash on their bike after firing
two more shots in the air and
fled with ease. The guard,
Satender Singh (28), died of
his injuries at the hospital. He
belongs to Mainpuri area in
UP and his family has been
informed.
An FIR under sections of
murder, robbery and Arms
Act was registered against the
then unidentified bike borne
robbers who wore helmet during the 2 minutes of the inci-
dent.
According to a senior
police officer, the cash was
being replenished by a private
firm. Two custodians, identified as Ghanshyam Pandey
and Deepak Sapra, had set out
with ` 1.5 crore in a green
briefcase. They were accompanied by the gunman, Singh
— who was carrying a single
barrel rifle with him — and the
driver, Govind.
The van reached the area
around 10.20am and the driver
parked it on the main road, 50
metres away from the ATM.
They had to load ` 18 lakh in
this ATM but the two custodians walked to the kiosk with
the briefcase containing ` 1.5
crore meant for various ATMs
in the city.
According to the CCTV
footage recovered by police
then, the guard stood outside
the ATM while the custodians
went in and began to take out
the cash from the briefcase.
Suddenly, two men wearing
denims and sports shoes
arrived on a black Pulsar bike.
Both were wearing helmets.
The man at the front was wearing a grey sweatshirt and the
pillion-rider a black jacket.
Six militants killed in encounter in N Kashmir
KHURSHEED WANI n SRINAGAR
militants have been killed
an encounter with secuSrityixinforces
in north Kashmir’s
Lolab area on Thursday. A
string of encounters during
past three weeks has resulted in
heavy casualty on militants
and security forces in the north
Kashmir region.
Spokesman of the Ministry
of Defence in Srinagar Col
NN Joshi said that a joint
party of Police and Army
launched cordon and search
operation in Dobwan forest
area in Khurhama pocket of
Lolab in the north Kashmir’s
Kupwara district on Thursday
morning. The security forces
had input that militant movement has been traced in the
forest area. While the searches
were being intensified, a group
of militants opened fire in a bid
to escape the cordoned area.
This resulted into a heavy
exchange of fire that continued
several hours. Bodies of three
militants were found at the site
of encounter later. Three AK47 rifles and a large quantity of
arms and ammunition was
also recovered. The cordon,
however, continued throughout
the day. Later, in the evening,
sources said, another contact
was established with the militants resulting into death of
three more militants. This is the
biggest encounter so far in the
area where militants suffered
massive casualties.
Sources said the slain mil-
itants were likely to be part of
an armed group that may have
infiltrated in the area recently.
One of the group members was
killed on June 15 when the
group was first spotted in the
area. One soldier of 56
Rashtriya Rifles signalman Ajay
Choudhary was injured in the
gunfight who later succumbed
to his injuries.
The security forces had
intercepted a group of infiltrators on June 14 at Katwara
forest area near Jet Gali, close
CBI quizzes Pak supplying N-material to N Korea: RAW
Noida police
in Ankit
murder case
Noida: Taking over the probe of
the blind murder case of software engineer Ankit Chauhan,
the CBI on Thursday quizzed
Noida police. Chauhan was
working with TCS and was shot
dead by unidentified assailants
in his SUV at Noida Sector-76,
intersection on April 13 last year.
The Allahabad High Court
had ordered a CBI probe into
the matter about one-and-ahalf month back after Noida
police officials failed to solve
the murder mystery.
A six-member CBI team
from Ghaziabad on Thursday
reached Noida Sector-49 police
station. The official quizzed
Station House officer (SHO)
Dinesh Yadav and DSP Sanjay
Singh for over three hours at the
police station. The officials have
taken the files of the case in their
possession and took the details
of the investigation in written as
per the HC direction.
“Four days ago, CBI officials
had come to take files of Ankit
Chauhan murder case. On
Thursday, the officials came to
communicate with us in this
case and took a brief status
report investigated by Noida
police,” said the DSP.
SR
From Page 1
Indian Intelligence agencies swung into action after
they received credible inputs
from multiple sources that
nuclear fissile materials and
restricted missile technology were being transferred
by Pakistan to North Korea
in cargo ships via the sea
route, top G over nment
sources said.
Besides Research and
Analysis Wing (RAW) other
Indian agencies like the
Intelligence Bureau and
Military Intelligence have also
been asked to keep an eye on
nuclear trade b etween
Pakistan
and
China.
Merchant cargo and empty
ships originating f rom
Pakistan and sailing to other
South East Asian countries
are also being kept under
surveillance to track nuclear
No consensus...
From Page 1
While making some right noises of
playing a “constructive” role on the issue
of memberships of India and Pakistan,
China has been unrelenting in its opposition, harping on the need to have an criteria for non-NPT countries like India and
clubbing India’s case with that of Pakistan
for which it is batting.
Earlier, Pakistan President Mamnoon
Hussain met Xi on the sidelines of the
summit and thanked China for supporting Pakistan’s case for NSG membership.
Hussain told Xi that any “exception” in
granting membership to the NSG will “disturb” strategic stability in South Asia.
Prior to his departure from New
Delhi to Tashkent, Modi said India looks
trade, the sources said.
“With an already tainted
track record of proliferation
and irresponsible international behaviour with regard
to nuclear commerce,
Pakistan continues to play
around with North Korea by
illegally transferring fissile
materials and missile technology to that country,” an
of f icial
said,
adding
Islamabad’s bid seeking par-
forward to a fruitful outcome from its
engagement at the SCO summit. India’s
entry into SCO as a full member will provide it with an opportunity to have
extended cooperation with member countries in areas of Defence, security and
counter-terrorism.
“President Xi welcomed India’s accession to the SCO and said it would strengthen it. PM Modi thanked President Xi for
China’s support to India’s membership of the
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation,”
Swarup said.
The SCO had set the ball rolling to make
India a member of the bloc during its summit in Ufa in July last year when administrative hurdles were cleared to grant membership to India, Pakistan and Iran. The SCO
was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001
by the Presidents of Russia, China, Kyrgyz
Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and
Uzbekistan. India, Iran and Pakistan were
to the Line of Control in
Machhil sector in Kupwara
district. Four militants and a
soldier were killed in the gunfight. Earlier this week, security forces arrested Lashkar-eToiba militant Abu Ukasha
alias Hanzullah at Sogam market in Kupwara when he was
purchasing eatables for breaking his fast. Hanzullah is the
third militant, believed to be
a Pakistani resident, who was
arrested by security forces
this year.
ity with India to gain entry to
the NSG could defeat the
anti-proliferation efforts of
the international community.
The CIA has also been
stressing the point that
Pakistan continues to sell
nuclear materials to North
Korea at a time when
Islamabad has been urging
the international community
to grant it membership to the
NSG.
admitted as observers at the 2005 Astana
Summit.
Meanwhile, on landing in Tashkent,
Modi was received by Uzbek Prime
Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the airport.
Mirziyoyev mentioned India’s leadership
role in the global economy which is still in
the midst of uncertainty and spoke of the
love for India among Uzbeks at large. Modi
said that the moment he touched the soil
of Uzbekistan he thought of Lal Bahadur
Shastri.
Modi later met Uzbek President Islam
Karimov and thanked him for support to
India’s membership of the SCO. Modi conveyed India’s decision to extend e-tourist
visa to Uzbekistan and to organize a
Festival of India and an Indian Trade
Exhibition in Uzbekistan to mark 25 years
of Uzbekistan’s independence and 25th
anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations with India.
Kumble selected to coach...
From Page 1
“It is not about Indian or
foreign, it is about who is the
best for the job. I think we have
used the services of best players who have served Indian
cricket. There was no such
limitation that we have to have
only an Indian coach. We wanted the best for the Indian
team,” he added.
Kumble, the highest wicket-taker for India till date and
third in the international list
behind Muttiah Muralitharan
and Shane Warne, emerged as
a front-runner in the last few
days even though he has no
experience in coaching in the
international arena.
Kumble’s stint as a mentor
with IPL teams such as Royal
Challengers Bangalore and
Mumbai Indians as well as his
vast experience as an international cricketer might have
tilted the scale in his favour.
The former leg-spinner played
132 Test matches and 271 ODIs
in a career spanning close to
two decades. Kumble finished
his Test career with 619 scalps
and accumulated 337 ODI
wickets which put his combined tally at 956 in two formats. The leg-spinner was the
only bowler after England’s
Jim Laker to have taken all 10
wickets in a Test innings.
Thakur said the names of the
other support staff will be
announced later.
Explaining the decision to
appoint Kumble despite his
lack of experience as an international coach, Thakur said the
former spinner’s record itself is
a testimony to his worthiness
for the job. The BCCI chief said
nonetheless, Kumble’s performance would be up for a
review after one year.
“He has been a matchwinner for India. He has a great
record and that speaks for Anil
Kumble as far as winning
matches for India is concerned.
His performance will be
reviewed after one year,” he
said.
Thakur said the decision to
appoint Kumble was taken
after discussion with all the
stakeholders. “Mr Kumble is a
great cricketer. The CAC
looked into all applications,
they shortlisted a few names.
When the names came to us,
we discussed with other stakeholders. We take feedback from
all stakeholders. We wanted to
be more transparent,” he said.
BCCI Secretar y Ajay
Shirke said the decision to
keep Kumble’s tenure at one
year for the time being has been
taken to ensure professionalism. “This is the first time that
we have gone through a process
starting with advertisements. It
has been a large amount of
cricketing process. It has been
very elaborate. There were
marathon meetings. This is a
professional appointment and
that is the reason we want to be
in a position to review our decision. But I hope that we won’t
need to do that,” he explained.
Shirke also dismissed the
charge that since Kumble was
running a player management
firm, his appointment was
open to conflict of interest.
“Conflict of interest has
become a fashionable word to
use. That has been addressed
prior to taking this decision,” he
said.
Kumble will take charge
from the upcoming of tour of
West Indies which starts July 9.
“We took feedback from
various sectors since cricket is
followed by millions in India.
He will take over from the West
Indies tour,” Thakur said.
On why Shastri was not
picked given that he has been
with the team for a long time,
Thakur merely said, “Our
Indian coaches are good. The
team’s performance improved
after the appointment of Ravi
Shastri as team director.”
Shirke said there were 11
names in the final list including four foreigners.
The BCCI received 57
applications for the post and
trimmed it down to 21 before
handing over the list to CAC
that interviewed the candidates shortlisted by them.
Among them were Ravi Shastri,
Lalchand Rajput, Pravin Amre,
Kumble, Tom Moody, Stuart
Law and Andy Moles.
Delhi boy tops JEE Main
STAFF REPORTER n NEW DELHI
ith boys dominating the
list of toppers this time,
W
Delhi boy Deepanshu Jindal
scored the top position in the
JEE Main rank list 2016
released by the Central Board
of Secondar y Education
(CBSE) on Thursday.
Pratyush Maini secured
the second position and Rajesh
Bansal the third.
Of the top 1,000 positions,
853 have been secured by boys
and 147 by girls. Ryali Gayathri
from Telangana has emerged
on the top among girls, securing the 11th rank.
The All India Rankings
are based on their JEE Main
score (60 per cent weightage)
and Class 12 scores (40 per
cent weightage). Admissions
to BE and B Tech courses in
engineering institutions like
NITs, IIITs are made on the
basis of these rankings.
Meanwhile, in another
significant move for admission
to the IITs - for which scores
in IIT (Advanced) exam is the
basis, the first list of allocation
of seats for IITs will be released
on July 1.
Among boards, CBSE students have done well, getting
12 of the top 20 ranks. States
boards like Telangana (6 of the
top 20 positions), Andhra
Pradesh and Maharashtra too
find students among toppers.
Around 11.28 lakh students had appeared for the JEE
Main exam, officials said,
adding results were announced
a week in advance as compared
to last year.
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opinion 08
LUCKNOW | FRIDAY | JUNE 24, 2016
www.dailypioneer.com
paper with passion
New face of the Taliban
Place Akhundzada under UN sanctions regime
oicing serious concern on the deteriorating security scenario in Afghanistan,
India's demand for United Nations sanctions against the new Taliban chief
Mawlawi Haibatullah Akhundzada is considered timely action which represents the country's stand on global proliferation of terrorism. India must pursue it and take up the issue with major terror-affected nations like the US, China
and the European Union. Highlighting the terror that a proscribed entity like Taliban
has wrought on Afghanistan for more than two decades showcases India's strategic empathy towards its neighbour. Besides, being a long partner in promoting
peace and bringing tranquility to Afghanistan since the havoc created by the rule
of the Taliban under Mullah Omar in 1991, India's strategic and diplomatic moves
in the sub-continent and at global forums has supported the return of a democratically elected establishment in that country. Hence the recent stand at the
UN has once again buttressed India's commitment to civilian administration and
friendship with Afghanistan, against Pakistan's policy of engaging and sponsoring terror elements like the Taliban, the Haqqani Network etc by providing safe
haven in the latter's territory.
India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin
stated on Tuesday at a Security
Council debate on the UN Assistance
Mission in Afghanistan that it's a sheer
folly that the leader of a banned organisation is not yet named as a terrorist. It is surprising that the UN has not
listed Akhundzada in the list of terrorists who heads an organisation that
has brought endless terror and violence not only against the people of
Afghanistan but also spread the message of jihad beyond the borders of
the country. These groups and individuals who are ceaselessly fighting
against the Afghan state and its people from within the territory of the
country, should not be allowed to do
so. Further, Taliban-like organisations
should not be permitted to wield influence and exercise control over any part
of Afghanistan. With India's emphasis on the effective implementation of the
Security Council sanctions regime including the 1267 ISIL/Al-Qaeda sanctions
and 1988 Taliban regime will act as a deterrent to the listed entities and individuals. Keeping the country's sustained campaign against global terror, particularly the terror incubated in its neighbourhood, India had slammed the UN sanctions committee for taking selective approach while dealing with terror groups
like Jaish-e-Mohammad in Pakistan. At a time when Taliban is mounting attacks
across Afghanistan including the top secured places in and around Kabul, action
from the UN Security Council is warranted. As the UN Secretary General's report
goes, the number of violent incidents by Taliban and other groups this year has
exceeded the record of 2015 and, hence, it calls for a more effective armed action
against these groups. Else the efforts made by the current Afghan Government
and a continued yearn for living in peace by the people of that country will fail.
The Taliban under Akhundzada may again strengthen its fighters as only a few
thousand American forces remain in Afghanistan; therefore, a renewed focus on
enhanced engagement and action by the international community is needed.
V
More feathers in ISRO cap
PSLV launches 20 satellites in one mission
he Indian Space Research Organisation has been flying high in recent months,
and the latest feather in its now well-decorated cap is the successful launch
of 20 satellites into orbit, aboard the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLVC34), on Wednesday, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The
PSLV is India’s trusted work-horse and has launched several satellites into space
— but Wednesday’s launch was a record-breaking, for never before had an Indian
rocket launched as many as 20 satellites in a single mission. And that’s not all.
While the primary payload was India’s own 727kg Cartosat-2 series satellite, which
will be used for earth observation, the PSLV also carried an assortment of payloads for foreign Governments and companies including from Indonesia, Canada,
Germany and the United States. Notably, there was also a pathfinder satellite for
Google’s Terra Bella Earth observation division. Wednesday’s flight was the 36th
mission of the PSLV since it made its debut in 1993, and its fourth mission this
year alone. Overall, the PSLV has launched 113 satellites, of which only 39 are
Indian and the remaining 74 from foreign countries. This is an especially interesting development for ISRO and,
indeed, India, because over the years,
the space organisation has persevered
against all odds — from Western
sanctions after nuclear tests in the
1970s that hobbled its progress, to
budget crunches today — to emerge
at the top of its game. And now, slowly but steadily, as commercial launches are becoming a significant revenue
stream for ISRO, it is hoped that this
burgeoning industry will be given the
support it deserves from the
Government and other stakeholders.
On its part, ISRO should focus on the
Geo-Synchronous Launch Vehicle
which will allow it to launch larger payloads, while the Government can do
its bit by shaping up a space legislation and welcoming private players,
who can together with ISRO create a robust space industry like in the US.
The Modi Government is well-placed for this, as in its two years in power
India's profile as a space-faring nation has expanded. In fact, space cooperation has now been added to Delhi’s diplomatic mix. For example, the Indian
Regional Navigation Satellite System, India's own GPS satellite which was launched
earlier this year, is expected to cover some parts of our neighbouring countries
as well. Then there is the satellite for the South Asian Association for Regional
Cooperation, which is to be launched in December this year. Notably, the Saarc
satellite being pushed today was proposed in 1995. This necessitates a word of
caution: In South Asia, cooperation in space, as in almost every other aspect,
from trade to transport, has suffered because of socio-economic and political
concerns. And those problems will have to be tackled head on. However, with
countries such as Sri Lanka and Bangladesh seeking to leverage space technologies, India has the opportunity to lead the way.
T
Cult of Xi: The second
coming of Mao?
MAKHAN SAIKIA
Chinese President Xi Jinping's grand ‘China dream' is gradually scripting the rise of the Middle Kingdom, but
his new-found style of functioning may pose a threat either to his survival or to the Chinese Communist Party
hinese President Xi
Jinping is supposed to
be the most powerful
leader since Deng
Xiaoping, who has
taken substantial steps so far to trim
the ‘collective leadership’ and largely, the political clout of the People’s
Liberation Army (PLA). Today, Xi
has been popularly described as the
‘chairman of everything’ as
Australian academic Geremie
Barme calls it. Like his two predecessors, Hu Jintao and Jiang Zemin,
he heads the Chinese Communist
Party (CCP), he is also the commander-in-chief of the Armed
Forces and the President of China.
Besides, Xi has also occupied
a number of other posts like he has
been the head of a committee that
he formed to steer ‘comprehensive
reform’ and a very crucial one to
oversee the China’s security agencies. He has rightly shifted from
the path of ‘Peaceful Rise’, what his
immediate predecessor Hu conceived as China’s future vision and
mission to engage with the
global community.
His grand ‘China dream’ is
gradually scripting the rise of
China under the larger-than-life
shadow and regressive ideals of
Chairman Mao Zedong. Even
leaders like Deng, who commanded so much control over the
party, was treading very carefully that his senior party colleagues
were rarely annoyed with him
while riding the country to the
most difficult phase of market
economy without shaking the
tone and tenor of the CCP.
Today, Xi, with the same
iconic style of Mao, is unfettered
by such concerns of the core
members of the CCP. Most
importantly, he has widely
encouraged the revival of unique
term called ‘core’ or ‘hexin’,
invented by Deng to refer to powerful leaders like Mao and himself. Unfortunately, the official
media of the party has popularised the term and many
Provincial chieftains have started
addressing him as ‘hexin’.
The way Xi tries to concentrate
on power and authority, which
broadly symbolises the ‘personality cult’, truly violates the CCP
Charter. A rule introduced in the
party charter in 1982, prohibits any
form of ‘personality cult’ which he
has been promoting since he has
taken over power three years back.
Arguably, the concentration
of power is a double-edged sword,
which might leave Xi exposed
and potentially vulnerable to the
ripples coming from the CCP.
However, China under Xi, is
C
moving, despite the fact that
many in the liberal camp have
argued that its production fuelled
growth model is no longer tenable. In 2013, American economist Pual Krugman predicted
that China is about to hit the
‘Great Wall’, but Xi survived his
‘new normal’ which to him ‘a
crucial rebalancing, one in which
the country diversifies its economy, embraces a more sustainable
level of growth, and distributes
the benefits more evenly’.
Nevertheless, many say the
key to success of the Communist
regime is the ‘authoritarian adaptation’ which means the use of
policy reform to substitute for
basic institutional transformation. Though China has gone a
long way since its post-Mao
reforms of the late 1970s, yet the
country demands more reform
now under Xi.
For Xi, bringing reforms may
not be easy as China currently
needs harder reforms like removing state monopolies in crucial sectors of the economy, an impartial
judiciary etc. These all can potentially threaten the very dominance of the party itself and Xi can
The fact that (former
BSP leader) Swami
Prasad Maurya was
the right person in
the wrong party has
been amply proved.
Samajpwadi Party
leader
—Akhilesh Yadav
XI IS NO MAO IN THE
TRUE SENSE OF THE
TERM. SOME OLD
GENERATION PEOPLE
MAY SQUIRM AT THE
WAY HE FUNCTIONS,
SO REMINISCENT OF
MAO'S TIME, BUT
FASHIONING XI AS
MAO WILL DO NO
GOOD EITHER TO
CHINA OR TO THE
REST OF THE WORLD
hardly afford to move forward.
Xi is no Mao in the true sense
of the term. Some old generation
Chinese people may squirm the
way he functions so reminiscent of
Mao’s time, but fashioning Xi as
Mao will do no good either to
China or to the rest of the world.
There is enough of evidence to
support the view that China’s next
decade, when a much younger
generation of leaders will be taking over the leadership of the country, may be a turbulent one for sure.
Simultaneously, Xi has plenty of resources as well as liabilities, wide support from the public and large sections of the elite,
vast foreign exchange reserves, a
protected currency, a controlled
banking system, party sponsored
smart technocrats, a large real
economy and most importantly,
no perceived threat or rather an
absence of any marked political
opposition till date.
Hence, turning the tide in
China may not be easy as the
political system in that country is
proved so far good at maintaining ‘order’. With Xi fast coming to
the global stage, China’s future
veered around hopes and fears as
SOUNDBITE
All power to Sonakshi
for pushing boundaries
& making hero orientated directors see you for
all your worth.
predicted by the liberal commentators mostly from America.
But many like Gideon Rose
thinks otherwise, seeing a vast
array of opportunity under the
current leadership of China: ‘And
it’s possible that the likeliest scenario will be neither crisis nor
resilience but rather an eventual
gradual political evolution….’.
In this, China may continue
the cult of Xi, but when the baton
passes on to the next generation,
it may be so that as the Chinese
authoritarian model is continually embracing market liberalism,
it has to come along with a cost
for sure. Surprisingly, Xi has
completely ignored the hallowed
guiding principles of the yesteryears, when Deng was putting
'economic construction at the
centre' and now for him, politics
always comes first.
Admittedly, many optimists
still feel that Xi believes the time
for bold economic reforms has not
come yet in China. To him, first
the party must clean up from
deep-rooted corruption, else people may lose complete faith on it.
Once his anti-graft campaign
brings back the true image of the
‘people’s party’, he is likely to initiate economic reforms without
disturbing the party system.
It has been predicted that he
will unleash the much-awaited
economic reforms only after the
party Congress due late next
year when many of his loyalists
will be brought in crucial posts in
the party. Besides, Xi’s decisive
leadership style, backed by
unmatched political power within the party and his relentless
effort for refashioning a vigorous
Chinese foreign policy have all
together launched the country
into a new realm of global
dynamism which was not even
visible during the peak of Deng.
As we move on, Xi’s new
found style of functioning may
pose either a threat to his own survival or to the CCP. As The
Economist notes: “Either way, the
success of Xi’s rule will rest not just
on whether he wins the battles he
has chosen to fight, but on whether
he has picked the right ones. Seen
from the point of view of China as
a whole, it does not look as if he
has. Xi seems bent on strengthening his party and keeping himself
in power, not on making China the
wealthier and more open society
that its people crave”.
Let’s wait and watch how Xi
takes his new ‘cult forward’ and
how the CCP bigwigs react to it,
before it wreak havoc on the global political system.
We also demand
that the Delhi police
should stop reporting to the LG and
report to Ministry of
Home Affairs.
AAP leader
—Dilip Pandey
Actor
—Akshay Kumar
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Strong intent
Sir — This refers to the article,
“What America must do after
Orlando” (June 22) by Deepak
Sinha. Concerns expressed by the
author are known and understood by the citizens in the US.
US President President Obama
too has advocated strict gun laws
on several occasions, but has
been helpless in implementing
any control measure.
US Senators have once again
nipped another attempt to control
gun laws in the aftermath of carnage in Orlando. On the other
hand, the National Rifle
Association has lobbied heavily
against all forms of gun control.
If Senators are keen to defeat such
measure, what can others do
about it?
Arun
Via web
Ironical situation
Sir — This refers to the article,
“What America must do after
Orlando” (June 22) by Deepak
Sinha. It is ironical that the Bill of
Rights, and democratic institutions
that ensure their effectiveness,
which earlier allowed settlers to
use force against the natives and
Modi’s FDI reforms
are path-breaking
T
his refers to the editorial, “Indian liberalisation 2.0” (June 22). The NDA
Government's decision to open up foreign direct investment (FDI) in nine
important economic sectors is a path-breaking as well as a trendsetting
move. Domestic business has been stagnant over the years due to less than
satisfactory environment, inadequate competition, bureaucratic hurdles and corruption. People were waiting for much-needed growth, and employment generation, two ambitious promises of the NDA Government.
The Government has done well to deliver a firm message on its intent to
relax norms, simplify rules and remove roadblocks so that ‘ease of doing business' will bring more foreign investors to the domestic market. In an astute
move, the Government has aimed at areas where FDI was unattractive and hard
to come by. Defence, civil aviation, food, e-commerce, retail trade were sectors which badly needed that extra-push to go miles. The Government's plans
to provide all domestic business sectors a level-playing field is praiseworthy.
Ganapathi Bhat
Akola
occupy their lands, is now being
used by newer immigrants to
thrust their beliefs, settle scores or
give vent to their prejudices.
Pradeep Rufus
Via web
Abolish tax
Sir — BJP leader and Member of
Parliament Subramanian Swamy’s
suggestion that Income Tax be
abolished to increase growth rate,
should be studied in detail. It is a
known fact that very little out of the
total achievable is collected as
Income Tax where even exemption
of agricultural income is also largely misused by super-rich people.
Abolition of Income Tax will tackle all problems relating to black
money, and people will automatically prefer parking their money in
accountable bank accounts rather
than keeping it in the form of currency or gold.
SC Agrawal
Delhi
Timely decision
Sir — This refers to the article,
“Indian liberalisation 2.0” (June
22). The latest reforms in the foreign direct investment (FDI) policy by the Modi Government was
timely. After last week’s decision to
partially roll back the 5/20 rule and
other great initiatives in the civil
aviation sector, a 100 per cent FDI
in aviation will surely take the aviation sector to a different sky altogether in the near future.
Since this initiative will have
multiplier effect, hopefully, it
will also generate employment. A
100 per cent FDI in defence sector too will boost our defence
manufacturing sector.
Bal Govind
Noida
Spreading happiness
Sir — This refers to the editorial,
“Celebrating Yoga Day” (June 21).
In the times that we live in, putting
together mind, body and spirit has
become a challenge. The external
environment is putting a lot of strain
on the mind and as a result, finding happiness has become difficult
and elusive. Once we realise that
happiness is within us, we can move
forward without fear or apprehension. It is here that yoga is beneficial. It is a recipe for our well-being
and good health.
Devendra Khurana
Bhopal
Send your feedback to:
[email protected]
3rdeye 09
LUCKNOW | FRIDAY | JUNE 24, 2016
More doctors,
better care
DISEQUILIBRIUM
Removing barriers to open skies
Increasing doctors’ retirement age is
only one of many steps to improve
healthcare, writes PRITHVI PAL SINGH The aviation industry will benefit greatly from the abolition of the 5/20 rule, which will allow new airlines to fly profitable
ecently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi
announced that the retirement age for doctors in India will be increased to 65 years. This
news has been met with widespread applause.
While this decision is somewhat of a solution to
the inadequate patient-doctor ratio in the country, one must also appreciate the other related
issues to address the overall problem plaguing the
delivery of healthcare services in India.
Provisioning for universal health is a State
responsibility which much ensure that every citizen will be provided with quality care and stateof-art health services. In 1978, the World Health
Organisation (WHO) at its Alma Ata Declaration
exhorted nations to ensure health for all by 2000
through primary health care system. Fifteen years
since the deadline, India still lags behind in achieving this basic development goal and universal
health remains an unfulfilled dream.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),
which the world agreed to in September 2015,
revisits the gaps in achieving global health targets and emphasises on an urgent need to take
action to ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages. For State Governments,
SDGs bring a new opportunity to meet the goal
of universal health coverage through
targeted intervention.
India lacks both in health infrastructure and
human resources, falling abysmally short of delivering quality health care services. There is acute
shortage of doctors and paramedics, both in urban
areas and rural areas. This shortage of healthcare
staff is prevalent at every level — be it teachers,
specialists, general duty medical officers (GDMOs)
or resident medical officers.
The primary reason behind the skewed
demand and supply gap in the country on health
indicators is the failure of successive Governments
to anticipate the future need in time so as to fill
the requirement. Targeted interventions over the
last few years have only ensured that medical services for curative health get concentrated in the
big cities only with private sector taking the
maximum share.
Government and private health services at present are in a 30:70 ratio, where tertiary five star
hospitals under the private sector are absorbing
more medical personnel every year. At the same
time, excellent medical practitioners are leaving
the country and settling abroad to find better
lifestyle and opportunities, thereby exacerbating
the situation.
Further, public health and primary healthcare
is being neglected because there is no up-gradation or provision of adequate infrastructure in
the Government health sector. In this scenario,
enhancing the age of retirement of doctors may
only benefit a handful of senior doctors, especially
those working in big Government hospitals in
capital cities.
When most good doctors join the private sector after retirement, raising the age of doctors
doesn't make much difference in bridging the vast
gap of patient-doctor ratio. In addition, the trend
shows that many doctors take voluntary retirement after 20 years of Government service and
join private sector to receive better remunerations,
the present problem will remain unaddressed.
The health sector today is faced with a multitude of problems which needs holistic intervention with innovative approach. India's ratio of
0.7 doctors and 1.5 nurses per 1,000 people is
dramatically lower than the WHO average of 2.5
doctors and nurses per 1,000 people. Regular conflicts, ego clashes are commonly found amongst
various categories of doctors-specialists and
GDMOs who are working under pressure in a
Government facility.
This is prevalent in almost all major hospitals impacting the delivery of health services which
requires better coordination within several departments. Solutions proposed by Tikku committee
report in 1998 needs to be revisited to adapt to
the pressing demand. One of the solutions proposed requires the ratio of GDMOs to specialist
which needs to be changed from 3:1 to 1:1.
It also suggests that by revising the qualification criteria for a specialist position, will help
ensure quality care available round the clock in
the hospital run directly by States. As a one-time
measure, GDMOs, who have a post-graduate
degree can be made specialists, simultaneously
increasing the number of resident doctors posts
in the hospitals to bridge the gap between what
is needed and what is available.
In addition, the following suggestions can be
applied to improve the health care service in India.
n Upgrading the infrastructure of existing
Public Health Clinics by increasing poly clinics
provisioning for emergency obstetrics care facility for every 25,000 population.
n Enhancing public health infrastructure and
expenditure in all States. Atleast one public health
officer and one public health worker (sanitary
inspector) for every one lakh and every ten thousand population respectively.
n Greater efforts should be in place for sanitary barrier to five ‘F’ (food, fluid, feces, flies
and fomite).
n Adopting a holistic approach to implement
the objectives of Swachch Bharat Abhiyan with
increased and persistent information education
and communications activities.
n
Reproductive and child health programme be implemented throughout the country uniformly.
n Health training to staff employed in indigenous health care (such as Ayush).
n Tracking all health issue such asimmunisation, ante-natal care, birth and death, child care,
adolescent health, etc, at family level with the help
of information technologies.
Increasing the doctor's retirement age from
60 to 65 is, therefore, just one of the many steps
which is taken in the direction towards realising
the dream of a healthier India. Whatever may be
the present situation, this news does give hope
to many and reassures that universal health coverage target is achievable if focused attention is
paid by State Governments.
(The writer is former medical superintendent of Hindu Rao Hospital, Delhi)
R
routes abroad, and the further opening of the Indian market to foreign direct investment, which will benefit old airlines
wo big-ticket decisions in
rapid succession for the aviation sector means that the
foreign capital deficit has been
hypothetically addressed. First, a
long-pending reform in Indian
aviation finally came through,
after years of obfuscation and
deliberate obstruction. This was
followed by tweaking the foreign
direct investment (FDI) regulations which has opened up the
possibility of a 100 per cent foreign
ownership of Indian carriers.
More importantly, the insular
and protectionist objection against
foreign capital in Indian airlines
has been altered unequivocally.
First, the Union Cabinet green
lighted a long-standing demand
alongwith a slew of other decisions
as part of the new overarching aviation policy. In the joust between
the incumbent cartel and newbies,
the latter has finally landed the
kayo punch.
The contentious 5/20 rule
which acted as a boom barrier
against new airlines flying abroad
has been consigned to the rubbish
heap. The new rule will allow a
level-playing field for new airlines,
provided they deploy 20 aircraft or
20 per cent of total capacity (in
terms of number of seats)
whichever is higher, at all times for
domestic operations.
This is a major victory for the
two Tata-controlled joint ventures, Vistara and AirAsia India,
though they will have to scale up
quickly to meet the new aircraft
norms. It is also a huge vanquishing for the incumbent cartel
of Jet Airways, IndiGo and
SpiceJet. Existing low cost carrier
GoAir, very much part of this syndicate, has already planned operations to Europe from next year.
It is believed that Singapore
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
wrote to Prime Minister Narendra
Modi on this antediluvian protectionist policy. For a long time
now, this rule was used by incumbent players to delay the inevitable
for new airlines.
Equally, new airlines can’t be
fly by night operators and have to
have aircraft, network and maintenance capabilities to be able to
fly abroad. After all, lives of passengers are at stake. Kingfisher
T
SANDEEP BAMZAI
India is the
fastest moving
domestic aviation
market in the
world —domestic
traffic soared
21.8 per cent in
April, marking the
20th month of
double-digit
growth and the
13th consecutive
month in which
India led traffic in
domestic
markets
worldwide
Airlines, for instance, wailed and
railed at the 5/20 rule and finally
got to fly abroad by acquiring
Captain GR Gopinath-promoted
Air Deccan to circumvent the
dreaded rule. Key advocator Ratan
Tata, chairman Emeritus of Tata
Sons, too has been most voluble
on this issue for sometime now.
In October 2004, it was stipulated by the Union Cabinet that
for Indian carriers to fly abroad,
they must fly on domestic routes
for five years and have a fleet of 20
aircraft, ergo — 5/20. This controversial decision led to major
lobbying by established players to
prevent new players from flying to
some of the more profitable international routes.
Recognising the ossified
nature of this clause, the new policy asserts, “Keeping in view
developments since its implementation, various options were
considered. It was felt that this
caveat unique to India needs to be
replaced by a scheme which provides a completely level-playing
field and allows airlines — both
old and new — to commence
international operations provided
they continue to meet some obligation for domestic operations.”
Significantly, the new FDI
rules raise the current 49 per cent
FDI limit under the automatic
route to 100 per cent, with FDI up
to 49 per cent permitted under the
automatic route and FDI beyond
49 per cent through Government
approval. While investment by foreign airlines in domestic airlines
will be capped at 49 per cent of
paid-up capital, what this translates into is that overseas entities
excluding foreign airlines can pick
up equity in these carriers upto an
additional 49 per cent.
India is the fastest moving
domestic aviation market in the
world — domestic traffic soared
21.8 per cent in April, marking the
20th month of double-digit
growth and the 13th consecutive
month in which it led traffic in
domestic markets worldwide.
India already has three carri-
ers with foreign airline investment
— Jet Airways (India) Ltd had sold
a 24 per cent stake to Etihad
Airways PJSC in 2013. Vistara is
a joint venture between Tata Sons
Ltd (51 per cent) and Singapore
Airlines Ltd (49 per cent), while
AirAsia India is a joint venture in
which AirAsia Berhad holds 49
per cent and Tata Sons 51 per cent.
SpiceJet, IndiGo, GoAir and
even Air India may well be the
biggest beneficiaries of the easing
of FDI norms since they can now
attract foreign capital excluding
foreign airlines from investors.
Together these decisions allow
Indian carriers to take advantage
of the crude down cycle.
In late February, AirAsia chief
Tony Fernandes tweeted, “Reading
all the stuff on Tata and AirAsia.
Quite crazy 5/20 hasn’t been
solved. Are owners of Indian airlines living in India? Naresh,
NRI,” (a reference to Jet Airways
chair Naresh Goyal, an NRI living
in the UK). Days prior to
Fernandes’s attack, Ratan Tata
had angrily argued that it was
unfortunate that Jet Airways,
IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir had
been lobbying for “protection and
preferential treatment”. Tata had
said such moves (for continuation
of 5/20 norm) are reminiscent of
the monopolistic pressures by
entities with vested interests who
fear competition.
Incumbent players under the
banner of Federation of Indian
Airlines hit back at Tata with a
statement that the demand to call
for removal of 5/20 was not in
“national interest” but “self-interest” on the part of the Tata Sons
and its partner airlines.
Both Vistara and AirAsia
India will have to scale up quickly to meet the new cut off. As of
June, Vistara has 11 A 320-232s
with an average age of 1.1 years.
AirAsia India has a more ageing
fleet comprising six A320-216s
with an average age of 4.7 years.
AirAsia has seen strife with its
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Mittu Chandilya quitting due to
micro management by the parent
AirAsia Bhd. He was replaced by
Amar Abrol who was was most
recently the CEO of Tune Money.
Shareholding has also seen a
major rejig. Of Arun Bhatia’s
Telstra Tradeplace Plc, which
owned 9.94 per cent in the airline,
Tata Sons, the Tata group holding
company, bought out 7.94 per cent
stake; while two top Tata Sons
executives — AirAsia India chairman S Ramadorai and director R
Venkataramanan — bought out 0.5
per cent and 1.5 per cent, respectively in their personal capacities.
Bhatia was unhappy with the
management of the airline, alleging that it was being dominated
from Kuala Lumpur.
The new holding of Tata Sons
in AirAsia India went up from
41.06 per cent to 49 per cent and
that of Malaysia’s AirAsia remained
at 49 per cent. The balance two per
cent is held by persons acting in
concert with Tata Sons.
The aviation reforms are definitely good news. If India wants
to actively pursue an open skies
policy aggressively, then artificial
barriers actually take a protectionist hue and don’t augur well for
business on the whole.
A Congress versus
Congress fight
Exploring the ocean of
linkages in our country
The Cabinet reshuffle in Karnataka has put the Congress in a situation
where it can neither get rid of Siddaramaiah nor keep him in saddle
To develop trade linkages and forge economic ties, we
must know about the modulating influences of culture
fter tasting rebellion in
Chhattisgarh, Manipur,
Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh,
Assam, Uttarakhand and
Puducherry in recent times, the
Congress’s latest headache comes
from Karnataka, the biggest
Congress-ruled State. Karnataka is
heading towards a political crisis
after Chief Minister K Siddaramaiah
dropped 14 of his Ministers last
week and inducted 13 new
Ministers. The major reshuffle came
soon after the Rajya Sabha election
where the party won three of the
four Rajya Sabha seats and four of
the seven seats in the State
Legislative Council’s biennial
election. These elections saw
allegations of blatant corruption and cross voting.
This is the first time that
Siddaramaiah has reshuffled
his Cabinet in three years. In
the 224-member Assembly,
the Congress has 123 MLAs.
Siddaramaiah as well as the
Congress leadership in Delhi
should have expected this
reaction from the Ministers
who have been dropped. As a
former Congress Chief
Minister said, it is easy to add
members to the Cabinet but
difficult to drop them.
Obviously, Siddaramaiah
has ruffled feathers and annoyed
senior and well-established leaders
like Kannada film actor Ambareesh,
Srinivasa Prasad and others. In
fact, he had dropped leaders from
various castes on health and other
grounds. Ambareesh, who lost his
Cabinet berth, has resigned as an
MLA and more might follow. Angry
followers of Ambareesh, and other
senior Ministers, who lost their jobs
like V Srinivasa Prasad, Qamar ul
Islam and Baburao Chinchansur,
have hit the streets in Gulbarga,
Mandya and Mysore.
Siddaramaiah is now struggling to deal with a volatile situation,
A
as there is an open war between
senior Congress leaders and the
Chief Minister. The Congress leadership in Delhi has failed to assess
the situation even after former
External Affairs Minister SM
Krishna gave his assessment in
March, during a meeting with
Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.
Krishna is reported to have conveyed that things are dangerously on
the slide in the southern State.
At the root of all this tension is
the ‘outsider’ tag of Siddaramaiah,
who came from the Janata Dal
(Secular). He had done little to
assimilate his supporters with the
Congress
workers.
Until
Siddaramaiah joined the Congress
in 2005, he had been a staunch antiCongress politician.
Even after 12 years, local
Congress leaders still regard him as
an outsider who does not know the
Congress’s culture. They complain
that at least half the Cabinet comprises of old friends of the Chief
Minister who switched sides when
he joined the Congress, and his close
aides and advisors are also from the
JD(S) background.
His caste politics of tilting
towards the backward class has also
KALYANI SHANKAR
distanced traditional Lingayats,
Vokkaligas and Scheduled Caste
voters from the Congress, his
detractors say.
The simmering discontent in
Karnataka Congress against
Siddaramaiah had intensified since
March when nearly 50 per cent of
the party legislators skipped the crucial Congress Legislature Party
meeting. The Congress high command has the difficult task of not
only fire fighting but also taking
steps to quell the dissidence besides
keeping the flock together.
Second, Karnataka is known for
its factionalism. There are
various groups, which do
not see eye-to-eye. The
party high command has to
find ways to balance these
factions and find a leader
acceptable to all.
Third, with the
Congress versus Congress
fight going on in the ruling
party, the BJP is watching
the fun. It had improved its
vote share from 18 per cent
to 43 per cent in the 2014
polls in Karnataka. With
former Chief Minister BS
Yeddyurappa returning as
the State BJP president, the
possibility of the Lingayat
strongman wooing the
rebels is the reality.
Fourth, Siddaramaiah has
realised that there’s no need to pay
heed to the Congress high command, particularly after the party
lost successive polls in important
States like Haryana, Maharashtra
and Assam.
The immediate task for the
Congress, therefore, is to pacify the
rebels. The second is to rein in the
Chief Minister. The third is to pacify the various groups and factions
in the State Congress. The fourth is
to chalk out a strategy about how to
woo the various castes and hold on
to the present vote-bank.
ne of the amazing
elements of learning
is that some common place items of information are not in the conscious domain of knowledge of people. The case of
the ocean surrounding India
and bordering the countries on the east African
coast and of south-east Asia
comes easily to mind.
To put this observation in
perspective, it is important to
note that the concept of a
nation state is itself of a comparatively recent origin —
not even two centuries old.
It is important to recognise this to understand the
underpinning of the prevailing
trade and commerce, not to
forget business, in this part of
the world. An illustration will
help communicate this point.
Civilisational change is as
old as rivers. There is adequate evidence to show that
cinnamon was taken to
Australia by sea-farers from
south-east Asia about 45,000
years ago. Given that scale of
sea-faring traditions, more
recently (roughly over a 1,000
years ago) south-east Asia
was known to have deep
exchanges with South Asia.
Hence, that many sea
routes were chartered and
there are palpable similarities of customs, belief and
language between different
parts of south-east Asia and
South Asia.
The veneration of Rama
IX of the Chakri dynasty in
the Kingdom of Ayutthaya in
Thailand comes easily to
mind. The reigning deity of
the temple of Prasat Preah
Vihear of Cambodia is of
Lord Shiva and Angkor Wat
of Cambodia is dedicated to
O
Lord Vishnu. The influence
of Tamil culture of the
Sangam period on Maldivian
oral linguistic and cultural
tradition and customs has
been significant.
The Jatakas and the
Puranas show abundant evidence of maritime trade with
this part of the world. There
is evidence of similar traditional boat-building techniques. The examples can be
multiplied through centuries.
It will serve the purpose of
this text to flag the significance of understanding the
dynamics of linkages. These
linkages are eched in the psyche of communities.
To develop appropriate
trade linkages and to forge
meaningful economic ties, it
is essential not only to know
of the modulating influences of culture, but also to
learn from each other.
This reflects itself in
modern times. For example,
in India, a small percentage
of the population carries a
large burden of tax and it is
worth asking if this helps
with the overall prosperity.
If so, to what extent?
Mauritius Seychelles, the
UAE, in this region and
indeed elsewhere in the
world, like B ermuda
Luxemburg, Monaco etc.
are tax-free zones. China has
more than 500 special
economic zones.
India can create its own
equivalent of a Dubai,
Singapore or Hong Kong. If
one were to consider special
economic zones on our
coast line and consolidation
the eco systems, the gross
domestic product (GDP) of
India can grow by leaps and
bounds in about a decade.
VINAYSHIL GAUTAM
The proposition is simple.
A framework is needed for
good governance, calling for
new paradigms. Typically:
Can India be an investment
destination in the Asia-Pacific
Rim area? If so, India which
has 17 per cent of the world
population in 2.2 per cent of
the world land mass, with a
share of 2.6 per cent of the
world GDP and 2.2 per cent
of the world trade, has indeed
0.35 per cent of the world foreign direct investment. It’s difficult to understand all this, let
alone explain it.
The proposition is simple: Where so much is being
said in celebrating India’s
diversity, the diverse indigenous economic structure is
still to be mapped. Trade can
become complementary
only thereafter.
There is a need for a
proper mechanism and institutional framework for harnessing regional savings and
productive deployment of
theses resources. This has to
be carried to its logical conclusion with a more evolved
policy planning framework.
Policy debates need to be
encouraged for identifying
those core issues concerning
infrastructure investments,
evaluations of existing and
prospective mechanism for
channelising savings.
This is doable provided
we can cultivate home grown
or swadeshi, effective human
capital. After all, India arrival
day is celebrated in the
nations of Caribbean,
Mauritius,
Guyana,
Suriname, Jamaica, Fiji and
the list is large. We in India
have to also respect the talent that is in our country and
is rooted here.
money 10
LUCKNOW | FRIDAY | JUNE 24, 2016
Caps and floors are very
interesting... But we should not
land in a situation that pushes
up the price of over 90 per cent
of passengers to benefit around
1.7 per cent of the passengers
CIVIL AVIATION MINISTER
ASHOK GAJAPATHI RAJU
BUZZ
FROM
GOVT & CORP
Sometimes different elements of the
Government work at cross purposes.
As long as the airline makes it clear
to the passengers at the time of
buying tickets as to what the
cancellation charge policy, then it is
the contract between the airline and
the passenger. That should not be
interfered with by any other authority
SPICEJET’S CMD AJAY SINGH
Sensex reclaims 27K-mark despite Capping not required
uncertainty over ‘Brexit’ referendum in airfares: Gajapathi Raju
PNS n NEW DELHI
PNS n NEW DELHI
espite the fear and uncertainty on the day the UK
D
votes on historic ‘Brexit’ referendum or Britain’s exit from
European Union, benchmark
Sensex stayed in positive zone,
logging a surprise rally of
237 points to reclaim the
27,000-mark. B esides, it
gained strongly in Europebased shares as investors saw
fewer chances of Britain leaving the European Union.
Though the market
breadth remained negative as
1,490 stocks ended lower,
1,102 closed higher and 183
remained steady throughout
the trading c ycle. Total
turnover fell to `2,283.98
crore from `2,383.96 crore on
Wednesday.
Millions of Britons began
voting on Thursday in the
most talked-about referendum that will decide whether
the UK will stay in or leave the
28-nation bloc after an acrimonious campaign. The last
poll tracker of ‘The Daily
Telegraph’ and a YouGov poll
for ‘ The Times’ showed
‘Remain’ at 51 per cent and
‘Leave’ at 49 per cent.
Consequently, shares of
Tata Motors, which gets a
major part of its revenue from
the UK, surged 3.28 per cent
to `488. Other companies
with exposure to Britain also
saw revival in buying after
selling in on Wednesday’s
trade. Bharat Forge, Hindalco
and Infosys gained up to 2.03
per cent.
However, experts believe
that Europe’s firm rallied
despite fears of uncertainty
and it also helped the Indian
stocks as well. “Rising hopes
of Britain remaining within
EU nudged Indian stocks to
break free of the sluggishness
of the recent days. Europe’s
firm opening added further
fuel to the rally, pushing Nifty
back towards a month’s highs,”
said Anand James, Chief
Market Strategist, Geojit BNP
Paribas Financial Services.
The rupee surging by
more than 24 paise against the
American currenc y also
helped. After moving in a
tight range initially, the Sensex
tended to look up in step with
a firm global trend and recaptured the 27,000-mark to hit
a high of 27,060.98. The gauge
finally ended 236.57 points or
RCom, Aircel combined entity to have `25K cr biz
NEW DELHI: The Reliance
Communications and Aircel
merger is likely to be
announced within 15 days,
after months of extended negotiations, and the new entity is
expected to have `25,000 crore
business from the first day of its
operation.
“The deal is almost in final
stage. Synergies between the
two companies have been
worked. The merger should be
announced within 10-15 days.
The resultant entity will have
revenue of about `25,000 crore
from day 1,” said a source.
In a BSE filing on
Thursday, RCom said that
Maxis Communications
Berhad and Sindya Securities
and Investments, the shareholders of Aircel, expect to sign
binding definitive documentation and announce the proposed transaction for the combination of the Indian wireless
business very shortly.
Last month, the two firms
had decided to extend by 30
days the discussion period for
their possible merger.
This was for the second
time the companies had
extended the discussion period for the merger. Previously,
on March 22, they had extended the merger talks by 60 days.
Last December, the RCom
and Aircel announced that
they have entered 90-day
‘exclusivity period’ for the deal
that will exclude RCom’s tower
and optical fibre assets for
which a separate sale process is
ongoing, the company said in
a statement.
The RCom-Aircel merged
entity is estimated have EBIDTA (cash flow) `7,000 crore
and finance cost about `3,000
crore, the source said.
“RCom and Aircel have
had nil free cash flow since long
time but the resultant entity is
being structured in a manner
to have `4,000 crore free cash
flow which it can use for investments in network,” the source
said.
RCom’s net debt at the
end of 2015-16 was `41,362.1
crore. Debt of Aircel could not
be ascertain. At the end of last
fiscal, RCom’s consolidated
revenue stood at around
`22,000 crore.
RCom and Aircel talks, if
successful, would lead to a
combined entity holding 19.3
per cent of the total spectrum
allocated to the industry highest in the country by an
entity.
The proposed combined
entity will hold spectrum across
all allocated bands -- 800 Mhz,
900 Mhz, 1800 Mhz, 2100 Mhz
and 2300 MHz -- for 2G, 3G
and 4G services. Shares of
RCom closed at `49.7 a unit,
up by 4.19 per, on BSE. PTI
0.88 per cent higher at
27,002.22 -- its highest closing
since June 8.
The NSE 50-share Nifty
rose 66.75 points or 0.81 per
cent to close at 8,270.45. The
index had dropped by 34.80
points or 0.42 per cent in the
previous
two
days.
Meanwhile, the central bank
as well as the Finance Ministry
is keeping a watch on Brexit
developments and will take
necessary steps including liquidity support to ensure
orderly conditions in the
financial markets.
Market regulator Sebi and
stock exchanges have also
beefed up mechanism to deal
with any excessive volatility. In
the UK, FTSE 100 edged higher by 1.64 per cent ahead of
the outcome of landmark
British referendum dubbed
‘Brexit’. Other indices from the
continent like France’s CAC
and Germany’s DAX rose by
2.00 per cent to 2.20 per cent.
In Asia, Japanese stocks
ended higher as the yen weakened against. Other indices
like in Hong Kong, Singapore
and Japan rose between 0.28 per
cent and 1.07 per cent while
stocks in China, South Korea
and Taiwan moved down by
0.29 per cent to 0.47 per cent.
Call drop problem
improving: Prasad
PATNA: Union Minister Ravi
Shankar Prasad on
Thursday claimed that the
call drop problem was
improving with various telecom companies installing
1.24 lakh towers to mitigate
the issue.
“Things are improving....Private telecom operators have installed one lakh
towers, while the stateowned BSNL has put in
place
24,000
Base
Transceiver Station (BTS)
towers across the country in
the past one year to improve
the call drop problem,” he
told reporters here.
Private telecom operators have decided to invest
`12,000 crore for installation
of 60,000 more towers over
the next three months. PTI
Panasonic eyes `100 cr Vodafone to proceed on IPO
revenue from its PC in India after spectrum auction
range ‘Toughbook’
NEW DELHI: British telecom
PNS n NEW DELHI
apanese
tech
major
Panasonic is betting big on
Jsegments
like Government and
manufacturing to boost revenues from its rugged PC range
Toughbook to `100 crore by
March 2018. The company,
which claims to have a 60 per
cent share of the rugged PC
market in India, said it expects
a major chunk of the business
to come from the Government
sector.
“We have seen a 30 per cent
growth, which is faster than the
20 per cent growth seen in the
market. We see strong demand
in new areas like police, fire service, pharma, oil and gas,”
Panasonic Senior GM and
National Business Head Gunjan
Sachdev told reporters here.
Panasonic is poised to keep
up the strong pace of growth it
has been witnessing in the segment in the past few years and
touch `100 crore by March 2018,
he added. Sachdev said about 40
per cent of the revenues currently
come from the Government sector, while the remaining is from
the private players. This, he said,
would be reversed in the next few
years with the Government
accounting for a larger share given
the strong demand being created
under initiatives like Digital India.
Panasonic’s competitors globally in
the segment include Dell, HP and
Getac, among others.
“In India, the rugged PC
market is still small, about `110
crore. This is expected to grow to
`165-170 crore in the next few
years. We also expect to increase
our share of the market from 60
to 65 per cent by then,” Sachdev
said.
SBI to raise $1.5 bn from
overseas bonds
PNS n NEW DELHI
Bank of India (SBI) on
Thursday said it plans to
Sraisetate
$1.5 billion (about `10,000
crore) from overseas markets
via bonds during the current
fiscal to fund its expansion. The
bank’s board is meeting on
June 29 to take a decision in this
regard, SBI said in a statement. The board would examine the status and decide on
long-term fund raising of up to
$1,500 million through a public offer or private placement of
senior unsecured notes in US
dollar or any other convertible
currency during 2016-17, it
said.
major Vodafone is likely to take
a call on the timeline of initial
public offer of its Indian arm
after conclusion of the impending spectrum auction.
“Timelines (on Vodafone
India IPO) will be most probably decided after spectrum
auction this fiscal in India is
over,” a source privy to the
Vodafone IPO plan told the
news agency.
When contacted, a
Vodafone spokesperson said,
“We have started IPO preparations, which includes con-
versations with banks, but no
final decision has yet been
taken as to whether or not we
will IPO.”
Kotak
Investment
Banking, Bank of America,
HSBC Holdings, Deutsche
Bank AG and ICICI Securities
for working on the IPO of
Vodafone India-- the second
largest telecom operator in
India.
The
Cabinet
on
Wednesday approved megaspectrum auction plan in
which airwaves worth `5.66
lakh crore for mobile services
will be put for auction.
However, the timeline for auction was not finalised as
Cabinet has asked telecom
ministry to seek view of telecom regulator on issue of
annual spectrum charges.
As per industry sources,
the auction has been planned
to start in September but the
same has not been confirmed
officially.
While the Cabinet has not
lowered spectrum base price as
demanded by industry, it has
relaxed equity lock-in period
from 3 years to one year. PTI
ivil Aviation Minister Ashok
Gajapathi Raju on Thursday
C
ruled out capping fares to deal
with steep rise in airfares because
that would also push the floor
prices
“On capping airfares, we
did analysis which showed that
1.7 per cent of the tickets sold
were of high cost. So, the last
minute high price of ticket is a
matter of concern. But we should
not land up in a situation that
pushes price of over 90 per cent
of passengers for the benefit of
1.7 per cent, said Raju while
inaugurating ‘9th International
Conference on Indian Civil
Aviation & Tourism,’ organised
by The Associated Chambers of
Commerce and Industry of India
(ASSOCHAM).
While addressing the summit, Rajiv Nayan Choubey,
Secretary, Ministry of Civil
Aviation said, “the civil aviation
policy is just the beginning. We
wish to stay ahead of the growth
curve and if we fall behind the
growth curve, for example as it
happened in case of urban development in the country, there will
be aviation chaos in skies, airports....All that we must do in
order to ensure that we stay
ahead of the growth curve”.
There are couples of areas
which require immediate attention like how to reduce the cost
of leasing? If the cost leasing
remains high either because of
capital or any other procedural
requirement, the regional connectivity may find difficulty in
taking off so we are committed
to exploring ways to reduce the
cost of leasing, added Choubey.
Choubey further said if the
crude price remains soft for the
next 4-5 years, regional air connectivity would have found very
strong roots in India.
The Civil Aviation Ministry
would look at the possibility of
utilizing certain unused airports
for the purpose of parking aircraft and use aerodromes for
plane-breaking or dismantling of
old aircraft. There are around
400 unused airports and airstrips
across the country, said Choubey.
He said, in the last 4-5
months, we interacted with the
aircraft manufactures from all
over the world where they could
clearly see the scope of hundreds
of small planes coming to the
country in next 3-5 years.
To sell aircraft in India, sell
an eco-system and should have
elements which are excellent
aircraft and fuel efficient.
Secondly, it should also have
maintenance facilities which
should be created in country or
maybe tie up with MRO’s in the
country and make sure that the
maintenance happens in the
country.
Third, they must also come
with the training infrastructure
for the cabin crew and for cooperate groups. They must tie up
again with several institutes
which are already here or set up
their own. Last, they must bring
very attractive leasing packages,
said Choubey .
Ajay Singh, Chairman &
MD, Spicejet Limited said,
Aviation in India will grow only
if we are able to constantly work
to reduce the cost of aviation in
India. We have to bring down the
cost or fares and stimulate this
market with low fares. The 20 per
cent growth we have seen today
in the consequence of the reduction in fares from last year to this
year and that must continue if you
want to see sector growing.
Led by OVL, India oil cos
mull buying stake in Rosneft
NEW DELHI: Indian oil firms led
by ONGC Videsh Ltd are
mulling buying a part of the $11
billion stake that Russia is selling in its biggest oil firm
Rosneft, Petroleum Minister
Dharmendra Pradhan said on
Tursday.
Russia is looking at selling
19.5 per cent of state oil champion Rosneft OJSC, preferably
to India and China.
“Our companies are looking
into the offer. They are mulling
if they can take some of that
equity. They are looking into it,”
he told reporters here.
Rosneft produces more
crude oil than Exxon Mobil
Corp.
Asked who among the
Indian state-owned oil firms is
leading the talks, Pradhan said,
“of course OVL is the company
heading the discussions now.
Others may join later.”
Moscow is looking to cut its
budget deficit through a stake
sale in Rosneft and the preferred
option for it is to a strategic partner rather than a public share
offering that would be more susceptible to political instability.
Rosneft, whose current
market value is put at about $55
billion, is among the companies
sanctioned by the US over
Russian involvement in
Ukraine.
BP plc of UK had bought
near 20 per cent stake in Rosneft
in 2013, much before Russia got
involved in Ukraine.
Pradhan, who earlier this
month visited Moscow, said
Russia is considering disinvestment in Rosneft and Indian
companies will certainly evaluate the opportunity.
Rosneft last month completed sale of 15 per cent stake
in Russia’s second biggest oilfield
of Vankor to OVL, the overseas
arm of state-owned Oil and
Natural Gas Corp (ONGC),
for $1.268 billion.
During Pradhan’s visit, it
signed agreement to sell another 23.9 per cent in Vankor to a
consortium of Oil India Ltd,
Indian Oil Corp (IOC) and
Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd
(BPCL) for another $2 billion.
It has signed preliminary
agreement to sell another 11 per
cent stake in the same field to
OVL.
“When all these transac-
tions close, Indian companies
will have nearly 50 per cent
stake in Vankor,” Pradhan said.
Vankor field, located in
East Siberia, is Russia’s second
largest field by production and
accounts for around 4 per cent
of Russian production. It currently produces about 422,000
barrels of oil per day.
“The production India will
get from the near 50 per cent
stake in Vankor is equal of
roughly half of ONGC’s current
domestic oil production,” he
said.
Rosneft is close to buying at
least 50 per cent stake inEssar
Oil Ltd’s Vadinar refinery in
Gujarat.
The consortium of OILIOC-BPCL have also signed sale
purchase agreement (SPA) for
29.9 per cent stake in Rosneft’s
Tass-Yuriakh oilfield for $1.28
billion.
The oilfield, which holds
recoverable reserves of 137 million tons, currently produces
20,000 barrels of oil per day. The
output is slated to rise to 100,000
bpd in two year.
Rosneft had last year sold
20 per cent stake in Taas-Yuriah
BP of UK for USD 750 million.
The Russian firm will hold 50.1
per cent stake in the project after
the deal.
It will hold the remaining
50.1 per cent in Vankor after
OVL and the IOC-led consortium complete buying the total
of 49.9 per cent.
Pradhan said India is also
looking at possibility of laying
a gas pipeline from Russia to
import the fuel.
PTI
Jaitley meets top Chinese bankers, wealth fund managers
PTI n BEIJING
inance Minister Arun
Ja it l e y on T hu r s d ay
F
began his five-day China
visit by meeting top Chinese
bankers and wealth fund
managers pitching for more
investments in India’s infrastructure sector.
Soon after his arrival in
Beijing, Jaitley met Bank of
China Chairman Tian Guoli
and address ed a clos ed
roundtable meeting of heads
of sovereign wealth funds,
institutional investors and
banks.
The Finance Minister
w i l l on Fr i d ay a d d re s s
Business Forum Invest in
In d i a i n w h i c h s e v e r a l
Chinese businessmen and
heads of state-run firms
were expected to take part.
On June 25, Jaitley will
attend the Board Governors
m e e t i n g of t h e As i a n
Infrastructure Investment
Bank (AIIB) in which India
is the second largest investor
after China. The Beijingbased AIIB was officially
established late last year.
The bank has authorised
capital of $100 billion. China
is the largest shareholder
with 26.06 per cent voting
shares. India is the second
largest shareholder with 7.5
per cent followed by Russia
5.93 per cent and Germany
4.5 per cent.
In all, 57 countries have
joined as founding members
of the bank, which is expected to announce the first set
of loans in various countries.
On Sunday, he would
take part in a seminar discussion Infrastructure and
Global Economic Growth
along with Chinese Finance
Minister Lou Jiwei, Pierre
Egide Gramegna, Minister of
Finance, Luxembourg, Imad
Najib Fakhoury, Minister of
Planning and International
Cooperation, Jordan, Jin
Liqun, AIIB President, Chris
Heathcote, CEO, Global
Infrastructure Hub.
The AIIB is also hosting
a seminar on Financing
Green Infrastructure: The
Role of the Multilateral
D e v e l opm e nt B a n k s i n
which KV
Ka m at h ,
P re s i d e nt ,
Ne w
Development Bank of the
B R IC S c ou nt r i e s a n d
Arundhati Bhattachar ya,
Chairperson of the State
Bank of India are due to participate.
Jaitley will meet his
counterpart Lou Jiwei on
June 27.
Of f icials s aid IndiaChina financial dialogue at
the level of Secretaries which
was due to be held on June
27 has been postponed to
July.
The postponement has
been necessitated because
of i n a bi l it y of In d i a’s
Economic Affairs Secretary
Shaktikanta Das to travel to
Beijing for the meeting.
Das was asked to stay
back in Delhi in view of the
voting on Brexit which is
taking place today to decide
whether Britain should stay
in the European Union or
not which will have implications for India.
Fresh dates for the financial dialogue at the level of
Secretaries in July are being
worked out.
The two countries have
so for had seven rounds of
financial dialogue at the
level of Finance Secretaries,
the last being in New Delhi
in 2014.
money 11
LUCKNOW | FRIDAY | JUNE 24, 2016
Agri Min moves note for
interest cut to farmers
PTI n NEW DELHI
he Agriculture Ministry
has moved a Cabinet note
T
on extending a 3 per cent
interest subvention scheme to
banks for the current fiscal to
ensure that farmers get shortterm crop loans of up to Rs 3
lakh at 7 per cent interest.
It is also seeking various
ministries’ comments on
extending an additional subvention of three per cent for
those who pay loans on time
this year. Under the interest
subvention scheme, farmers
get the short-term loan of up to
Rs 3 lakh for a period of one
year at an interest rate of 7 per
cent. Those repaying on time
get the loan at 4 per cent.
“The proposal has been
circulated for inter-ministerial
comments. The Agriculture
Ministry has proposed extension of the current interest
subvention of 3 per cent for
short term loan for the 201617 fiscal,” a source said.
The interest subvention
scheme was earlier implemented by the Finance
Ministry. It was transferred to
the Agriculture Ministry this
year.
Honda BR-V crosses 10,000
booking mark
PTI n NEW DELHI
In this year’s Budget, the
government has increased the
agri-credit target to Rs 9 lakh
crore and has allocated Rs
15,000 crore for interest subsidy
in the current fiscal.
Initially, the Agriculture
Ministry was looking at tweaking the scheme taking into
account the key recommendations of the Sarangi Committee,
which had suggested various
reforms for better targeting of
this programme.
The ministry is, however,
planning to take into account
the committee’s suggestions in
the next fiscal, sources added.
onda Cars India on Thursday said its sports utility vehicle
BR-V has crossed 10,000 bookings since its launch in the
H
domestic market last month.
Launched on May 5, the SUV has been able to attract customers from diverse profile, Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL) said
in a statement.
“The recently launched Honda BR-V has received a good consumer response with over 10,000 bookings since launch. BR-V
has amassed strong interest from both young and middle aged
customers. We are confident that it will attract more customers
with its strong desirable values,” HCIL President & CEO Yoichiro
Ueno said.
As per current demand, the vehicle has witnessed equal consumer preference in petrol and diesel variants, he added.
“The new policy of three year unlimited km warranty for BRV has been very positively accepted and is one of the driving forces
for good acceptance of BR-V in the market,” Ueno said.
Seven seater BR-V is priced between Rs 8.75 lakh and Rs 12.9
lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).
Publicise black money scheme at posh markets, malls: CBDT to ITD
PTI n NEW DELHI
BDT has directed the
Income Tax department
to step up publicity of the
ongoing one-time blackmoney
compliance window by advertising it at posh markets, clubs
and showrooms and also
ensure full privacy to those
making disclosures for better
collections.
The Board has charted out
some new guidelines to be followed by the taxman in order
to make the window, called the
Income Declaration Scheme
(IDS), a success.
The directives state that IT
C
authorities across the country
should publicise the scheme at
places which are “frequented by
potential declarants like club
houses, posh markets, show
rooms of high-end products,
among others.” Such publicity
messages and posters, the
directives said, should also be
put up at “local fairs, fetes and
social and cultural functions”.
The Central Board of
Direct Taxes has also directed
that full privacy should be
ensured to the people desirous
of availing the IDS so that they
can file their black money declarations in a “hassle-free man-
NIFTY 50
SCRIP
OPEN HIGH LOW
LTP CHANGE
TATAMOTORS
476.1 489.9 476.1 487.75 15.05
YESBANK
1,076.30 1,115.00 1,076.30 1,112.75
33.9
AMBUJACEM
242.8 250.9 242.75
249.9
7.05
BANKBARODA 149.9 153.3 149.3
152.9
3.8
DRREDDY
3,108.35 3,178.95 3,108.35 3,178.00
72.9
SBIN
213
218 212.75
217.8
4.9
HDFCBANK 1,169.80 1,191.85 1,167.50 1,191.50
20
AXISBANK
518
528 514.8
524.9
8.7
INDUSINDBK 1,088.85 1,111.00 1,086.65 1,103.75 17.35
SUNPHARMA 743.95 757.8
743
751.9 11.85
LUPIN
1,469.80 1,494.80 1,467.25 1,485.10
23.2
ITC
355 361.5
355
360.1
5.4
HINDALCO
122.1 124.5 121.65
124
1.8
TATAMTRDVR
313.5 320.45 313.5
319.4
4.6
BPCL
1,011.00 1,030.50 1,003.00 1,021.20 11.85
HINDUNILVR
860
873 854.3 869.25
10
M&M
1,362.85 1,380.05 1,358.50 1,375.00
15.5
KOTAKBANK
741 750.1 738.15 747.05
7.7
INFY
1,197.30 1,214.85 1,193.35 1,210.75 11.25
ICICIBANK
239.05 241.45 236.05
241
2
BAJAJ-AUTO 2,630.00 2,666.00 2,601.00 2,652.00 19.85
ULTRACEMCO 3,318.90 3,349.40 3,300.00 3,335.65 24.45
GRASIM
4,280.00 4,310.00 4,270.30 4,299.00
22.1
AUROPHARMA 724.2 729.45 718.85
724.2
3.65
LT
1,487.10 1,507.95 1,473.40 1,499.00
7.45
POWERGRID
155.5 157.85 152.85
156.3
0.7
BHARTIARTL
364.7 365.75
362 364.55
1.5
HDFC
1,237.90 1,249.45 1,228.20 1,243.05
4.7
GAIL
374 376.8 370.7
376.2
1.4
MARUTI
4,151.90 4,175.00 4,120.45 4,165.80 14.45
ACC
1,571.00 1,579.70 1,566.00 1,575.00
3.95
HEROMOTOCO 3,074.00 3,082.25 3,036.10 3,080.00
5.4
TATASTEEL
331.5 335.95 327.6
333
0.55
BOSCHLTD 21,735.0021,914.2521,610.0521,751.00 15.95
RELIANCE
979.95
982
970
981
0.5
ZEEL
449.7 453.6
446
448.5
0.2
COALINDIA
317.5 318.9 316.1
317.6
0.1
HCLTECH
770
772
762
770.4
-0.05
WIPRO
563 564.85 559.35
563
-0.15
IDEA
102 102.3 101.3
101.4
-0.1
BHEL
122.3 123.3 119.35
122.5
-0.15
ASIANPAINT
986.1
990 980.3
983
-2.45
TECHM
533.1
535 526.65
530.8
-1.95
ONGC
218 219.55 214.2 217.55
-0.8
ADANIPORTS
207.8 208.8 204.6
206.4
-0.95
TCS
2,655.00 2,659.50 2,625.30 2,644.45
-23.2
EICHERMOT 18,711.0018,787.8018,600.1018,623.00 -164.6
TATAPOWER
73.3
75.1 71.95
73.05
-0.65
CIPLA
481.1
483 474.65
476
-6.45
NTPC
148 149.9 146.35 149.75
-2.85
INFRATEL
337.2 337.85 320.6
322
-17
NIFTY NEXT 50
SCRIP
OPEN HIGH LOW
LTP CHANGE
RCOM
48.2 50.45
48.1
49.5
1.8
HINDPETRO
928 957.4
924
953
27.5
SHREECEM 14,200.0014,525.0013,928.6514,510.00 361.7
TITAN
378.8 389.7 377.55 388.85
9.55
PNB
98
99.7
98
99.3
2.3
CONCOR
1,344.25 1,365.00 1,320.25 1,365.00
29.4
BHARATFORG
735.2 756.75 735.2
753 15.15
IOC
417
423 414.05 421.55
6.15
TORNTPHARM 1,340.05 1,353.00 1,331.75 1,345.50 17.15
GSKCONS
5,947.00 6,048.00 5,860.55 6,005.00 74.55
JSWSTEEL
1,393.70 1,405.45 1,381.60 1,404.00
12.7
LICHSGFIN
485 489.8 483.95
488
4.05
BAJFINANCE 7,575.00 7,740.05 7,575.00 7,660.00 60.95
BEL
1,264.10 1,278.90 1,255.55 1,273.50
8.85
CUMMINSIND
815
817 801.25
815
5.3
BRITANNIA 2,618.00 2,642.00 2,609.30 2,630.00
16.3
OIL
357.9 360.75 355.05
359.9
2
PGHH
6,210.00 6,274.00 6,210.00 6,240.00 28.35
MARICO
260.05 261.9 258.45
260.9
0.85
PFC
166.95 167.25 164.85 166.75
0.4
MOTHERSUMI
300.6 304.25 295.85
303.5
0.7
APOLLOHOSP 1,305.00 1,307.90 1,293.05 1,306.00
-0.35
MCDOWELL-N 2,423.50 2,433.00 2,396.00 2,413.40
-4.5
CASTROLIND
376 378.5 373.5 374.05
-0.7
SRTRANSFIN 1,154.90 1,159.20 1,141.20 1,153.00
-2.5
ABB
1,239.00 1,239.00 1,225.00 1,228.50
-2.9
SIEMENS
1,272.00 1,272.00 1,260.00 1,261.00
-4.7
CAIRN
138.8 138.8 135.8
137.8
-0.55
GLENMARK
778
782 772.6
773.8
-3.6
PIDILITIND
689.45 691.2 678.9 684.35
-3.35
COLPAL
891.4 891.4
880
881
-5
SAIL
43.85
44.2
43.4
43.7
-0.25
NMDC
92
92.1 90.65
91.3
-0.55
VEDL
126.3 127.9 124.65 125.95
-0.8
RECLTD
168.2
169 166.1
167.1
-1.15
DIVISLAB
1,109.85 1,112.65 1,100.05 1,100.65
-7.7
ASHOKLEY
99.9
100 98.65
99.15
-0.75
NHPC
24.5
24.6 24.15
24.4
-0.2
HINDZINC
173 175.9
173 173.55
-1.45
DABUR
309 310.8 304.95
307
-2.8
UBL
747
747
734
734.5
-7.1
CADILAHC
318
318 313.2
314.2
-3.8
OFSS
3,475.00 3,485.00 3,440.20 3,441.50 -43.75
EMAMILTD
1,087.00 1,094.50 1,066.80 1,074.00
-13.9
BAJAJFINSV 2,024.95 2,024.95 1,982.20 1,999.00
-26.6
GLAXO
3,457.00 3,484.00 3,401.35 3,409.00 -48.55
IBULHSGFIN
694.45 694.95
680 681.25
-9.8
GODREJCP 1,574.00 1,582.00 1,537.80 1,550.00
-24
DLF
139 139.5 136.15
137.9
-2.35
UPL
556
557 540.5
542.5
-13.5
Bse 500
Script
Traded
3MINDIA
8KMILES
AARTIIND
ABAN
ABB
ABBOTINDIA
ABFRL
ABIRLANUVO
ACC
ADANIENT
ADANIPORTS
ADANIPOWER
ADANITRANS
ADVANTA
AEGISLOG
AIAENG
AIL
AJANTPHARM
AKZOINDIA
ALBK
ALKEM
ALLCARGO
ALOKTEXT
ALSTOMT&D
AMARAJABAT
AMBUJACEM
AMTEKAUTO
ANDHRABANK
APLAPOLLO
APLLTD
APOLLOHOSP
APOLLOTYRE
ARVIND
ASAHIINDIA
ASHOKA
ASHOKLEY
ASIANPAINT
ASTRAL
ASTRAMICRO
ASTRAZEN
Last
Price
12208.9
1712.3
495.05
210.15
1224.25
4519.6
134.65
1031.45
1576.5
78.55
207.7
29.4
34.8
561
120.55
997
608
1447.85
1519.45
63.75
1372.05
173
4.4
351.35
866.35
248.85
34.9
55.25
909
536.55
1303.2
148.5
322.15
150.9
145.55
99.2
983.95
461
121.7
1061.1
ner” and hence the designated
officer nominated for the task,
Principal Commissioner of
Income Tax in this case, should
be the “one and only” point of
contact with such a person.
“The idea is to ensure that
the declarant is not exposed to
multiple persons in the office
so that his confidentiality is not
compromised and he/she is
able to file the declaration in a
hassle-free manner,” the directives state.
The department has been
asked to ensure that a taxman
possessing good interpersonal
skills should be made the
Abs Change
Change
%
-168.35 -1.36
-41.85 -2.39
-6.45 -1.29
-1.15 -0.54
-6.05 -0.49
15.1
0.34
0.15
0.11
-7.7 -0.74
9.4
0.6
0.85
1.09
0.7
0.34
-0.15 -0.51
1.1
3.26
-21.85 -3.75
-0.9 -0.74
-6.05
-0.6
-12.55 -2.02
-1.7 -0.12
0.7
0.05
3.35
5.55
-6.75 -0.49
-2.1
-1.2
-0.21 -4.56
0.35
0.1
3
0.35
6.85
2.83
-0.5 -1.41
0.65
1.19
8.2
0.91
1.35
0.25
-0.7 -0.05
0.05
0.03
-2 -0.62
-0.55 -0.36
-1.75 -1.19
-0.6
-0.6
-1.1 -0.11
9.55
2.12
0.45
0.37
-19.9 -1.84
BSE: GAINERS
Current (Chng %)
CENTRALBK
CENTURYPLY
CENTURYTEX
CERA
CESC
CHAMBLFERT
CHENNPETRO
CHOLAFIN
CIPLA
CLNINDIA
COALINDIA
COFFEEDAY
COLPAL
CONCOR
COROMANDEL
CORPBANK
COX&KINGS
CRISIL
CROMPGREAV
CUB
CUMMINSIND
CYIENT
DABUR
DALMIABHA
DBCORP
DCBBANK
DCMSHRIRAM
DEEPAKFERT
DELTACORP
DEN
DENABANK
DHANUKA
DHFL
DISHMAN
DISHTV
DIVISLAB
DLF
DRREDDY*
DYNAMATECH
ECLERX
EDELWEISS
EICHERMOT
‘Facilitation Officer’ in this
regard and a special room
should be earmarked for such
dealings in the designated tax
offices of the department across
the country. A senior official
said the directives were issued
to all the field offices of the IT
department in the country
after Revenue Secretar y
Hasmukh Adhia reviewed the
progress of IDS with CBDT
officials on Wednesday.
“The Secretary asked the
CBDT to leave no stone
unturned in ensuring a conducive atmosphere for better
collections under the IDS,” the
104.65
194.1
632.75
2218
569.4
67.4
189.9
927.5
476.1
673.2
317.45
251.3
881.1
1351.2
238.9
41.1
169.2
2083.2
73
109.7
815
489.05
306.65
1086.15
375
96.9
194.45
158.5
88.9
89
36.55
632.25
200
133.25
93.25
1105
138.1
3170.7
2513.9
1423.9
77.15
18660.25
-0.15
-5.75
-4.05
-11.15
-7.05
-1.4
0.05
-1.8
-7.4
-2.1
0.8
-2.6
-2.4
18.05
-0.25
0.8
2
-41.85
0.75
-0.5
6.25
-8.65
-2.95
-1.6
-1.5
-0.15
-3.3
-2.85
-0.4
-0.5
0.05
-9.25
-0.3
-0.8
-0.45
-3.75
-2
67.6
-50.4
-14.5
-0.25
-111.25
-0.14
-2.88
-0.64
-0.5
-1.22
-2.03
0.03
-0.19
-1.53
-0.31
0.25
-1.02
-0.27
1.35
-0.1
1.99
1.2
-1.97
1.04
-0.45
0.77
-1.74
-0.95
-0.15
-0.4
-0.15
-1.67
-1.77
-0.45
-0.56
0.14
-1.44
-0.15
-0.6
-0.48
-0.34
-1.43
2.18
-1.97
-1.01
-0.32
-0.59
NSE: GAINERS
Current (Chng %)
ALBK
63.75 (5.55)
TATAMOTORS
JISLJALEQS
70.50 (5.38)
YESBANK
HEXAWARE
232.95 (5.17)
AMBUJACEM
249.90 (2.90)
SKFINDIA
1306.00 (4.72)
BANKBARODA
152.90 (2.55)
SPARC
296.65 (4.22)
DRREDDY
-24.2
5.45
0.1
10.55
24.35
-2.55
-2.3
-26.9
-0.25
-27.45
96.5
0.65
-6.45
-1.7
3.2
0.9
-13.2
-7.55
-14.25
-8.95
5.5
-2.95
-0.35
-3.35
15
1.25
-0.05
3.15
18.35
-2.4
-52.85
-5.95
-0.6
101.85
15.7
11.25
-2.8
1.7
35.15
4.5
9.9
4.1
-3.8
-0.8
-8.1
-12.85
EIDPARRY
EIHOTEL
ELGIEQUIP
EMAMILTD
ENGINERSIN
ENIL
EROSMEDIA
ESCORTS
ESSELPRO
EVEREADY
EXIDEIND
FAGBEARING
FCEL
FDC
FEDERALBNK
FINCABLES
FINOLEXIND
FORCEMOT
FORTIS
FSL
GAIL
GATI
GAYAPROJ
GDL
GEOMETRIC
GESHIP
GHCL
GICHSGFIN
GILLETTE
GLAXO
GLENMARK
GMDCLTD
GMRINFRA
GNFC
GODFRYPHLP
GODREJCP
GODREJIND
GODREJPROP
GPPL
GRANULES
GRASIM
GREAVESCOT
GREENPLY
GRINDWELL
GRUH
GSFC
ATUL
AUROPHARMA
AVANTI
AXISBANK
BAJAJ-AUTO
BAJAJCORP
BAJAJELEC
BAJAJFINSV
BAJAJHIND
BAJAJHLDNG
BAJFINANCE
BALKRISIND
BALMLAWRIE
BALRAMCHIN
BANKBARODA
BANKINDIA
BASF
BATAINDIA
BAYERCROP
BBTC
BEL
BEML
BERGEPAINT
BFUTILITIE
BHARATFORG
BHARTIARTL
BHEL
BIOCON
BIRLACORPN
BLISSGVS
BLUEDART
BLUESTARCO
BOMDYEING
BOSCHLTD
BPCL
BRITANNIA
CADILAHC
CANBK
CANFINHOME
CAPF
CAPPL
CARBORUNIV
CARERATING
CASTROLIND
CCL
CEATLTD
1860
726.3
456
526.5
2651
391.65
220.3
2001.85
19.85
1561.1
7685
686
594.2
115.55
152.15
96.45
1017.25
523.2
3914.95
396
1269
843.9
285
517.05
752.75
364.2
122.55
718.35
511
88.25
5833
422.15
45.7
21810
1023.75
2624.05
315.1
213.3
1160
556.55
967
219
988.3
374.15
246
809
-1.28
0.76
0.02
2.04
0.93
-0.65
-1.03
-1.33
-1.24
-1.73
1.27
0.09
-1.07
-1.45
2.15
0.94
-1.28
-1.42
-0.36
-2.21
0.44
-0.35
-0.12
-0.64
2.03
0.34
-0.04
0.44
3.72
-2.65
-0.9
-1.39
-1.3
0.47
1.56
0.43
-0.88
0.8
3.12
0.82
1.03
1.91
-0.38
-0.21
-3.19
-1.56
487.75 (3.18)
1,112.75 (3.14)
3,178.00 (2.35)
229.1
111
169.6
1073.4
197.05
738.8
204.35
204.4
192.3
263
163.4
3933.05
22.05
180.05
56
348.45
414.1
2945.8
159.7
46.45
375.4
161.95
626.25
315.5
230.3
308
176.75
285.15
4523.9
3409
774.9
71.85
12.6
135.45
847
1547.15
373.05
337.85
164.55
138.75
4296.75
135.6
238.35
669.85
274.85
73.1
0.4
0.4
-0.65
-13.6
-2.3
7.35
-2.7
-3.05
-1.15
5.75
2.2
6.5
-0.1
4.05
0.4
-2.05
-2.2
13
-1.1
0.3
0.5
0.35
-2.8
2.15
2.75
-4.4
-1.1
-1.85
-6
-42.3
-1.5
0.1
0.14
-0.6
-1.65
-26.8
3.05
-1.75
-0.55
2.5
18.2
0.45
-3.35
6.55
3.35
-0.9
0.17
0.36
-0.38
-1.25
-1.15
1
-1.3
-1.47
-0.59
2.24
1.36
0.17
-0.45
2.3
0.72
-0.58
-0.53
0.44
-0.68
0.65
0.13
0.22
-0.45
0.69
1.21
-1.41
-0.62
-0.64
-0.13
-1.23
-0.19
0.14
1.12
-0.44
-0.19
-1.7
0.82
-0.52
-0.33
1.83
0.43
0.33
-1.39
0.99
1.23
-1.22
official said. The directives
also added that developments
under the IDS are being monitored at the “highest level” in
the government and hence all
steps should be taken to ensure
its good publicity. The CBDT
also asked the taxman to hold
special sessions in this regard
with medical practitioner associations, bar councils, Charted
Accountants and trade and
business organisations which
have “direct links” with the
potential declarants. Town hall
meetings in this regard should
be held, the CBDT has advised
the department.
SENSEX
GSKCONS
GSPL
GUJFLUORO
GUJGAS
GULFOILLUB
GVKPIL
HATHWAY
HATSUN
HAVELLS
HCC
HCL-INSYS
HCLTECH
HDFC
HDFCBANK
HDIL
HEIDELBERG
HEROMOTOCO
HEXAWARE
HFCL
HIMATSEIDE
HINDALCO
HINDCOPPER
HINDPETRO
HINDUNILVR
HINDZINC
HITACHIHOM
HMT
HMVL
HONAUT
HSIL
HTMEDIA
IBREALEST
IBULHSGFIN
ICICIBANK
ICIL
ICRA
IDBI
IDEA
IDFC
IDFCBANK
IFCI
IGL
IIFL
IL&FSTRANS
INDHOTEL
INDIACEM
INDIANB
INDIGO
INDOCO
INDUSINDBK
INFRATEL
INFY
INGERRAND
INOXLEISUR
INOXWIND
INTELLECT
IOB
IOC
IPAPPM
IPCALAB
IRB
ISGEC
ITC
ITDCEM
J&KBANK
JAGRAN
JAICORPLTD
JBCHEPHARM
JBFIND
JETAIRWAYS
JINDALPOLY
JINDALSAW
JINDALSTEL
JISLJALEQS
JKCEMENT
6024
133.95
530
525
538.5
5.73
33.05
446.55
364
19.75
39.8
768.6
1242.55
1189.75
102.8
106.75
3062.7
232.95
18.05
234.3
123.85
51.9
953
869.4
173.3
1266.3
41.75
270.1
9341
272.75
77.1
92.35
683.9
240.85
940.1
4239
69.75
101.6
49.85
45.5
25.35
606.6
220.65
72.8
131.85
102.4
136.75
1000.8
260.05
1107.8
322.5
1211.55
647.75
223.6
229.5
195
27.05
421.1
292.2
473.3
211.05
4528
360.25
125.15
66.75
169.95
71.35
238.5
211.45
557.2
435.4
51.7
65.65
70.5
642.8
113.1
1.8
4.2
3.8
8
-0.06
0.05
-0.25
-1.95
-0.25
0.9
-1.4
4.35
19.35
-2.9
-0.15
-5.9
11.45
-0.2
-0.9
1.85
-1
27.9
9.8
-1.35
-8.9
-0.3
-0.8
-146.35
6.65
-0.1
-1.2
-5.4
2.15
-7.15
-67
-0.1
0.2
0.1
-0.45
0
2.05
2.85
-0.15
1.2
-0.05
1.6
-21
-0.1
18.75
-16.45
13
-8.2
-3.6
-6.2
-6.95
0.25
6.05
-3.65
-11.05
0.75
-61.95
5.7
0.9
0.65
-2.65
-1.15
0.45
0.55
-5.95
-12.2
-0.8
0
3.6
4.85
PTI n NEW DELHI
1.91
1.36
0.8
0.73
1.51
-1.04
0.15
-0.06
-0.53
-1.25
2.31
-0.18
0.35
1.65
-2.74
-0.14
-0.19
5.17
-1.1
-0.38
1.52
-1.89
3.02
1.14
-0.77
-0.7
-0.71
-0.3
-1.54
2.5
-0.13
-1.28
-0.78
0.9
-0.75
-1.56
-0.14
0.2
0.2
-0.98
0
0.34
1.31
-0.21
0.92
-0.05
1.18
-2.06
-0.04
1.72
-4.85
1.08
-1.25
-1.58
-2.63
-3.44
0.93
1.46
-1.23
-2.28
0.36
-1.35
1.61
0.72
0.98
-1.54
-1.59
0.19
0.26
-1.06
-2.73
-1.52
0
5.38
0.76
JKIL
JKLAKSHMI
JKTYRE
JMFINANCIL
JPASSOCIAT
JPINFRATEC
JPPOWER
JSWENERGY
JSWSTEEL
JUBILANT
JUBLFOOD
JUSTDIAL
JYOTHYLAB
KAJARIACER
KALPATPOWR
KANSAINER
KEC
KESORAMIND
KIRLOSENG
KITEX
KOTAKBANK
KPIT
KPRMILL
KRBL
KSBPUMPS
KSCL
KSK
KTKBANK
KWALITY
L&TFH
LAKSHVILAS
LALPATHLAB
LAOPALA
LAXMIMACH
LICHSGFIN
LINDEINDIA
LT
LUPIN
LYCOS
M&M
M&MFIN
MAGMA
MAHABANK
MAHINDCIE
MAHLIFE
MANAPPURAM
MARICO
MARKSANS
MARUTI
MCLEODRUSS
MCX
MFSL
MHRIL
MINDAIND
MINDTREE
MJCO
MMTC
MOIL
MONSANTO
MOTHERSUMI
MOTILALOFS
MPHASIS
MRF
MRPL
MTNL
MUTHOOTFIN
NATCOPHARM
NATIONALUM
NAUKRI
NAVINFLUOR
NAVKARCORP
NAVNETEDUL
NBCC
NCC
NESTLEIND
position in the country’s power
generation sector, solid financial profile for its rating level
and overall strong liquidity
position, Moody’s Investors
Service said on Thursday.
High
27060.98
Low
26736.52
Current value
27002.22
Previous close
26765.65
Change (Pts)
236.57
Change (%)
0.88
217
385.35
86.5
50.5
7.86
8.76
4.81
80.6
1400.45
324.3
1076.5
648.5
298.05
1149.7
250.05
307.9
138.1
126
264.5
491.95
744.3
186.1
984
293
665
446.05
29.45
137.6
107.2
75.15
90.9
841.1
546.75
3630
487.4
294.7
1497.35
1485.2
15.4
1374.35
319.2
103.75
32.8
189.1
455.1
63.4
259.75
43.15
4162.65
193
978.25
507.15
413
1144
658.8
545.15
43.6
233.75
2507
301.85
321.85
544.1
31677.4
65.95
21.8
270.2
549.6
41.45
802.55
2028.6
205.35
92.9
186.65
73.6
6415.05
-6.9
-4
-0.45
-0.85
0.06
-0.03
-0.1
1.15
9.25
-10.8
25.75
-7.85
0.4
-17.9
2.55
-3.6
4.25
-0.35
4.5
9.2
4.85
-2.1
36
-6.55
1.4
1.6
-0.4
2.25
-1.7
-0.3
-0.25
-5.6
3.25
110.55
4.3
1
6.8
20.6
-0.2
15.95
0.45
-3.4
-0.6
-0.85
-0.9
-0.8
-0.1
-0.4
13.25
-4.05
3.75
4.15
2.9
-7.45
5.05
-2.2
0.35
-0.4
-71.4
-0.55
-4.2
-6.9
-70.85
0.4
1
2.6
20.55
0.25
-7.25
0.4
2.15
-0.7
0.4
-0.65
-75.25
-3.08
-1.03
-0.52
-1.66
0.77
-0.34
-2.04
1.45
0.66
-3.22
2.45
-1.2
0.13
-1.53
1.03
-1.16
3.18
-0.28
1.73
1.91
0.66
-1.12
3.8
-2.19
0.21
0.36
-1.34
1.66
-1.56
-0.4
-0.27
-0.66
0.6
3.14
0.89
0.34
0.46
1.41
-1.28
1.17
0.14
-3.17
-1.8
-0.45
-0.2
-1.25
-0.04
-0.92
0.32
-2.06
0.38
0.83
0.71
-0.65
0.77
-0.4
0.81
-0.17
-2.77
-0.18
-1.29
-1.25
-0.22
0.61
4.81
0.97
3.88
0.61
-0.9
0.02
1.06
-0.75
0.21
-0.88
-1.16
VITAL STATS
26753.20
Mumbai
Delhi
Kolkata
“Its strategic importance
and close relationship with the
government enhances its credit profile. NTPC’s ratings are
thus highly correlated with
India’s sovereign ratings,”
Moody’s Investors Service
said.
NTPC’s rating could be
upgraded if India’s sovereign
rating is upgraded and if the
tate-run power giant
NTPC’s standalone credit
Sstrength
reflects its dominant
NIFTY
BSE: SENSEX
Open
‘NTPC’s credit strength reflects dominant position’
GOLD
29480
28900
29190
SILVER
41900
41900
41900
67.37
76.38
99.47
0.64
NETWORK18
NEYVELILIG
NH
NHPC
NIITLTD
NIITTECH
NILKAMAL
NIRLON
NMDC
NOVARTIND
NTPC
OBEROIRLTY
OFSS
OIL
OMAXE
ONGC
ONMOBILE*
ORIENTBANK
ORIENTCEM
PAGEIND
PCJEWELLER
PEL
PERSISTENT
PETRONET
PFC
PFIZER
PFS
PGHH
PHOENIXLTD
PIDILITIND
PIIND
PNB
PNCINFRA
POLARIS
POWERGRID
PRAJIND
PRESTIGE
PRISMCEM
PTC
PUNJLLOYD
PVR
RADICO
42.45
70.65
318
24.4
83.3
521.15
1126.6
231
91.7
704.8
149.05
278.1
3450
357.65
156.6
217.8
99
102
163.45
13430
373.05
1391
703.15
287.2
166.8
1886.7
37.4
6219
342.2
687.2
686
99.25
550.3
191.45
156.75
85.25
185.05
94.8
73.1
20.1
952
92.35
-1
-0.35
-1.1
-0.15
0.25
-1.25
-14.45
-2.95
-0.15
-0.6
-3.2
-1.15
-23.95
0.95
0.3
-0.45
1.65
1.2
0.4
-68.35
0.15
-3.45
2.45
-2.95
0.1
3.05
0.5
-12
-7.15
-0.55
3.05
2.45
-3.2
0.75
1.1
-0.5
1.9
1.1
-1.6
-0.3
3.4
0.2
-2.3
-0.49
-0.34
-0.61
0.3
-0.24
-1.27
-1.26
-0.16
-0.09
-2.1
-0.41
-0.69
0.27
0.19
-0.21
1.69
1.19
0.25
-0.51
0.04
-0.25
0.35
-1.02
0.06
0.16
1.36
-0.19
-2.05
-0.08
0.45
2.53
-0.58
0.39
0.71
-0.58
1.04
1.17
-2.14
-1.47
0.36
0.22
PSU’s underlying credit quality remains in line with its current baseline credit assessment
(BCA) of Baa3.
In the absence of any
upgrade to the sovereign rating,
an upgrade to NTPC’s rating is
very unlikely because the company’s business profile is highly dependent on India’s economy.
SOBHA
SOLARINDS
SONATSOFTW
SOUTHBANK
SPARC
SPICEJET
SREINFRA
SRF
SRTRANSFIN
STAR
SUNDRMFAST
SUNPHARMA
SUNTECK
SUNTV
SUPREMEIND
SUVEN
SUZLON
SWANENERGY
SYMPHONY
SYNDIBANK
SYNGENE
TAKE
TATACHEM
TATACOFFEE
TATACOMM
TATAELXSI
TATAGLOBAL
TATAINVEST
TATAMOTORS
TATAMTRDVR
TATAPOWER
TATASPONGE
TATASTEEL
TCI
TCS
TECHM
TECHNO
TEXRAIL
THERMAX
THOMASCOOK
TIMKEN
TITAN
-1.36
-0.09
-0.61
-0.25
4.22
-2.3
3.17
-0.52
-0.71
0.23
-0.81
1.59
-0.04
-0.9
0.54
-1.69
-0.29
2.04
-2.03
0.84
-1.01
0.68
-0.29
-4.74
-0.04
-0.23
-0.51
0.76
3.28
1.32
-1.63
-2.73
0.53
-0.54
-0.8
0.23
3.28
0.56
2.09
4
-0.21
2.19
Current (Chng %)
Current (Chng %)
322.50 (4.85)
-4.35
-2.75
-1
-0.05
12
-1.5
2
-6.5
-8.25
2.45
-1.45
11.8
-0.1
-3.3
4.75
-3.35
-0.05
1.25
-48.95
0.6
-4.1
1.15
-1.25
-5.1
-0.2
-4.1
-0.65
3.9
15.5
4.15
-1.2
-17.25
1.75
-1.65
-21.2
1.2
17.6
0.55
16.7
8.25
-1.15
8.3
NSE: LOSERS
BSE: LOSERS
INFRATEL
315.1
3120
164.05
20
296.65
63.75
65
1248.5
1145.7
1068.25
176.5
751.7
233.7
363.05
878.05
195
17.1
62.4
2365.7
72.2
400.3
171.3
425
102.55
453
1775.85
126.6
515
488
319.15
72.45
615
333.75
306
2644.3
533.4
555
97.95
815
214.75
539.5
388.1
INFRATEL
322.00 (5.01)
ALOKTEXT
4.40 (4.56)
NTPC
149.75 (1.87)
JUBILANT
324.30 (3.22)
CIPLA
476.00 (1.34)
UNITECH
MONSANTO
RAIN
RAJESHEXPO
RALLIS
RAMCOCEM
RAMCOSYS
RAYMOND
RCF
RCOM
RDEL
RECLTD
REDINGTON
RELAXO
RELCAPITAL
RELIANCE
RELIGARE
RELINFRA
RENUKA
REPCOHOME
RKFORGE
ROLTA
RPOWER
RTNPOWER
SADBHAV
SAIL
SANOFI
SBBJ
SBIN
SBT
SCHNEIDER
SCI
SEQUENT
SFCL
SHARDACROP
SHILPAMED
SHK
SHOPERSTOP
SHREECEM
SHRIRAMCIT
SIEMENS
SIMPLEXINF
SINTEX
SITICABLE
SJVN
SKFINDIA
SKSMICRO
SMLISUZU
34.65
453.45
214.55
547.1
709.4
462.45
45.3
49.7
64.2
167.3
102.35
478.1
393.7
981.9
276.25
536.9
15.87
773.4
408.75
63.95
51.1
10.97
288
43.95
4114
617.6
217.4
490.45
138
65.25
139
108.65
383.3
481.4
218
367
14406.1
1629
1263.75
271.5
76.45
37.45
28.5
1306
695.9
1124
5.81 (3.17)
TATAPOWER
73.05 (0.88)
2507.00 (2.77)
EICHERMOT
18,623.00 (0.88)
-0.75
-5.65
-3.55
0.9
0.95
-4.1
-0.5
2
1.05
-1
-0.8
-6.95
1
1.4
3.5
-4.1
-0.14
13.6
-3.2
-0.8
-0.2
0.12
-5.1
0
-44.85
1.85
4.6
2.9
-1.3
-0.6
-0.2
-1.35
-4.8
0.55
1.95
4.65
278.25
8.1
-1.7
-8.65
-0.6
-0.3
0.05
58.85
8.15
-11.65
-2.12
-1.23
-1.63
0.16
0.13
-0.88
-1.09
4.19
1.66
-0.59
-0.78
-1.43
0.25
0.14
1.28
-0.76
-0.87
1.79
-0.78
-1.24
-0.39
1.11
-1.74
0
-1.08
0.3
2.16
0.59
-0.93
-0.91
-0.14
-1.23
-1.24
0.11
0.9
1.28
1.97
0.5
-0.13
-3.09
-0.78
-0.79
0.18
4.72
1.19
-1.03
TNPL
TORNTPHARM
TORNTPOWER
TRENT
TRIDENT
TRITURBINE
TTKPRESTIG
TUBEINVEST
TV18BRDCST
TVSMOTOR
TVSSRICHAK
TVTODAY
TWL
UBL
UCOBANK
UFLEX
ULTRACEMCO
UNICHEMLAB
UNIONBANK
UNITDSPR
UNITECH
UPL
VAKRANGEE
VEDL
VGUARD
VIDEOIND
VIJAYABANK
VINATIORGA
VIPIND
VOLTAS
VRLLOG
VSTIND
VTL
WABAG
WABCOINDIA
WELCORP
WELSPUNIND
WESTLIFE
WHIRLPOOL
WIPRO
WOCKPHARMA
WONDERLA
YAMNINV
YESBANK
ZEEL
ZENSARTECH
ZYDUSWELL
268.95
1344.4
173.35
1681
50.4
111.2
4540
459
42.5
295.55
2318
289.25
89.85
736.5
39.1
229.75
3325
271
126.25
2415
5.81
542.05
190.95
126.5
1351.05
103.15
36.3
520.5
107.3
320.5
309.55
1690
908.95
566.4
5576.4
84.7
105.7
223.65
802.3
563.55
882.9
393.3
39.75
1111.75
448.3
967.05
785.25
-2.2
19.1
-0.4
0.05
-2.5
0.85
-28.75
9.95
-0.4
0.65
-28.1
-2.5
-0.65
-5.75
0.35
-4.6
6.95
-0.05
1.7
0.8
-0.19
-13.8
2.9
0.05
-11.75
-0.15
-0.65
13.75
-0.95
-1.7
0.85
-14.8
-0.8
-5.9
19.95
0.7
-0.3
3.65
-1.7
0.7
-3.15
-0.4
0.15
33.05
-0.65
0.55
-20.3
-0.81
1.44
-0.23
0
-4.73
0.77
-0.63
2.22
-0.93
0.22
-1.2
-0.86
-0.72
-0.77
0.9
-1.96
0.21
-0.02
1.36
0.03
-3.17
-2.48
1.54
0.04
-0.86
-0.15
-1.76
2.71
-0.88
-0.53
0.28
-0.87
-0.09
-1.03
0.36
0.83
-0.28
1.66
-0.21
0.12
-0.36
-0.1
0.38
3.06
-0.14
0.06
-2.52
world 12
LUCKNOW | FRIDAY | JUNE 24, 2016
UK’s EU referendum on knife-edge
...as millions vote
PTI n LONDON
ith the UK’s fate in the
EU on a knife-edge, milW
lions of Britons began voting
on Thursday in the historic referendum that will decide
whether the country will stay in
or leave the 28-nation bloc after
an acrimonious campaign.
Both sides of the campaign
have appealed to a record number of registered voters —
more than 46 million —
including 1.2 million British
Indians, for a big turnout as
Prime Minister David
Cameron made his final appeal
to “get out there and vote
Remain” and reject the
“untruths” of the camp in
favour of ‘Brexit’ or Britain’s exit
from the European Union
(EU).
The Prime Minister voted
with wife Samantha at a polling
booth in Westminster, just
yards from his Downing Street
office from where he will keep
a keen eye on the results. “It is
a fact that our economy will be
weaker if we leave and stronger
if we stay,” Cameron told supporters in Birmingham yesterday as he travelled up and
down the country to make a
final push for votes.
As part of his closing
speech, he invoked Britain’s
popular war-time Prime
Minister Winston Churchill,
saying,
“The greatest privilege of
my life is to stand in my office
two yards away from where
Winston Churchill made that
decision to fight on against
Hitler in 1940. He didn’t want
to be alone, he wanted to be
with the Poles and the French
and the others fighting for
European freedom and democ-
racy.”
On the opposing side, former London mayor Boris
Johnson, heading the final
drive for the Vote Leave campaign, insisted his side was “on
the verge of victory” and that
today could mark the UK’s
“independence day”.
The last poll tracker of
‘The Daily Telegraph’ and and
a YouGov poll for ‘The Times’
both showed Remain at 51
per cent and Leave at 49 per
cent, reflecting the neck-andneck nature of the campaign
throughout the four-month
period since Cameron
announced the date of the referendum in February.
A victory for Remain
therefore is within the margin
of error, as two further polls
from Opinium and TNS also
forecast Leave on 51 per cent
and Remain on 49. Last night
another poll, by ComRes, gave
Remain an eight-point lead
with 54 per cent compared to
46 per cent for Leave.
The referendum ballot
paper asks the question,
“Should the United Kingdom
remain a member of the
European Union or leave the
European Union?”
Voters have the option to
mark a cross next to either
“Remain a member of the
European Union” or “Leave the
European Union” and whichever side gets more than half of
all votes cast will win.
Edinburgh Council in
Scotland reported that nearly a
fifth of the city’s 345,000 voters have already submitted
postal votes in the EU referendum, with more than 82 per
cent of the city’s postal voters
returning their ballot paper by
last evening. Polling stations
AGENCIES n WASHINGTON
ermont Senator Bernie
Sanders admitted that he
V
will not be Democratic candi-
Britain's PM David Cameron and his wife Samantha leave after casting their votes in the EU referendum at a polling station in
London on Thursday. Voters in Britain are deciding Thursday whether the country should remain in the European Union. AP
across Scotland reported a
steady flow of voters, encouraged by the bright sunshine in
the region.
The flow has been more
sluggish in other parts as the
weather forecast for polling
day remains mixed, with thunderstorms causing flooding in
some parts of the country.
One
voter
from
Chessington tweeted that she
had to be carried into a flooded polling booth to cast her
“remain” vote.
A low turnout is likely to
benefit the Leave side, however, the general expectation is of
a bigger turnout than the 2015
general election which was
around 66 per cent. After the
referendum with polls closing
at 10 pm local time, sealed ballot boxes will be collected and
transported to the count venue
for each of the 382 local counting areas. These represent all
380 local government areas in
England, Scotland and Wales,
plus one each for Northern
Ireland and Gibraltar.
Individual areas’ results
will then be declared throughout the night, along with results
from 11 regional counts.
The UK’s Electoral
Commission estimates a final
result around breakfast time on
Friday. In a departure from the
norm, no major broadcasters
have commissioned any exit
polls over concerns about accuracy following the fiasco of the
last general elections, when a
hung Parliament had been predicted wrongly instead of a big
Conservative party majority.
The result will be declared
by Jenny Watson, the chair of
the UK’s Electoral Commission
and the referendum’s chief
counting officer, at Manchester
Town Hall tomorrow morning.
The European Union is
made up of 28 countries who
have come together for trade
and security. It was originally
set up as the European
Economic Community in 1958
with six members — Belgium,
Germany, France, Italy,
Luxembourg
and
the
Netherlands.
The EEC changed its name
to the European Union (EU) in
1993. The UK had joined the
EEC back in 1973. There has
only been one other UK-wide
referendum on the issue of EU
membership, in 1975 when
the country voted to stay in the
European Community.
Eligible voters in today’s
referendum include anyone
over the age of 18 who is a
British citizen resident in the
UK and UK nationals who
have lived abroad for less than
15 years. Citizens of Ireland,
Malta and Cyprus resident in
the UK can vote as can
Commonwealth citizens resident in the UK and Gibraltar,
including Indians.
Democrats stage sit-in demanding gun control
PTI n WASHINGTON
n an unprecedented move,
Democratic Congressmen staged a
Isit-in
inside the well of the US House
of Representatives demanding a vote on
strict gun control laws in the wake of
America’s deadliest mass shooting last
week that killed 49 people in Orlando.
The leadership of the Republican party,
which holds a majority in the House,
refused to budge and instead shut off
the television cameras used for live coverage.
The Democratic Congressmen used
their own smartphones to live telecast
— through Facebook and other social
media sites — the proceedings inside
the House on Wednesday along with
their sit-in in the House well.
Images from inside the well of the
House reflected a chaotic situation
rarely seen. “Enough is enough,” said
Indian American Congressman
AmiBera, as he joined his fellow
Democratic lawmakers in the protest,
which was led by legendar y
In this frame grab taken from AP video Georgia Rep. John Lewis leads more than 200 Democrats in
demanding a vote on measures to expand background checks and block gun purchases by some
suspected terrorists in the aftermath of last week's massacre in Orlando, Florida, that killed 49 people in a
gay nightclub. Rebellious Democrats shut down the House's legislative work on Wednesday.
AP
Congressman John Lewis known for his
civil disobedience movement.
“Republicans denied us a vote, we
sat on the Floor. We sat on the Floor,
with John Larson presiding. When
they turned off the House cameras, we
livestreamed from our phones,” said
Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi in her
remarks on the House floor late last
night.
“Because of you, they cannot – they
can try to shut down the Floor, but
because of you, they cannot shut out the
voices of the victims and the will of the
American people. And now, as you hold
up the names of people who have been
victims of violence,” she said.
Democratic lawmakers were
demanding that Paul Ryan, Speaker of
the House of Representatives bring up
a vote on commonsense gun violence
prevention legislation before the House
recesses. Refusing to budge under pressure, Ryan described this as a publicity stunt by Democrats.
“This is nothing more than a publicity stunt. That’s point number one.
Point number two is this bill was
already defeated in the United States
Senate. Number three, we’re not going
to take away a citizen’s due process
rights,” Ryan said. “We’re not going to
take away a citizen’s constitutional
rights without due process. That was
already defeated in the Senate.
GLOBE
TROTTING
Salma Hayek opens up
about body insecurities
Los Angeles: Actress Salma Hayek says as
she approaches the age of 50, she at times
feels less confident in her body. The 49year-old actress said there are times
when she goes through the low phase
thinking about the way she looks. “Well
I am entering my fifties so your body confidence isn’t that good. I think it depends
on the day, for everybody. “There’s some
days you say, ‘This is it,’ and you love it.
Then there are days when you go, ‘This
cannot be it! Is this really it?’ So I think
it’s up and down all the time!”.However,
the actress does know how to feel like a
royal in everyday life.
Sanders admits he's unlikely to
become Democratic nominee
I’ve become lazy, says
Kendall Jenner
London: Model Kendall Jenner has said
her career has caused her to become
“lazy”. The model has revealed that her
chaotic lifestyle and busy schedule has led
her to feel “lazy” and admitted she feels
“tired” of all of the travelling involved in
her job, reported Female First. In a post
on her website, Jenner said, “I used to be
really good at unpacking the second I got
home, but lately I’ve gotten so lazy. I don’t
even want to look at it or deal with it, so
I’ll usually just slowly unpack over the next
couple days.” She said that after spending
time away from her home, she doesn’t feel
to unpack her things.
Enrique Iglesias saves fan
from securitymen at gig
Los Angeles: A Female fan jumped on
singing sensation Enrique Iglesias during
a concert at the European Formula 1
Grand Prix event in Baku. The devotee
rushed to the stage to hand her idol a gift
and as security guards moved in on her,
the Latin singer, 41, waved them away and
escorted the fan to the front of the stage,
so she could return to her place in the
crowd, reported E!Online. In video
footage of the fan encounter, posted
online, Iglesias appears far from concerned
as the girl jumps into his arms for a passionate hug. As security men jump up
onstage, the singer assures them he’s safe.
announced his endorsement of
the former US Secretary of
State.
The Senator has not explicitly suspended his campaign,
arguing that he wishes to continue until the party's convention in Philadelphia slated for
July 2 to voice his political
agenda.
Sanders has also offered to
help defeat the unofficial
Republican nominee, realestate magnate Donald Trump,
in the November elections.
Democratic leaders such as
US president Barack Obama
and Vice President Joe Biden
have officially endorsed
Clinton as the presumptive
Democratic presidential nominee for the White House following her victory in the
California and New Jersey primaries on June 7.
Sanders praised the intelligence of the former First Lady
but stressed that "there are
areas where we have strong disagreements"
date for the White House as he
indirectly recognised Hillary
Clinton's victory in the race for
the party's presidential nomination for the first time in public. "It doesn't appear that I'm
going to be the nominee, so I'm
not going to determine the
scope of the convention in
July in which the party nominee will be officially named,"
Sanders said on Wednesday
during an interview with CSPAN TV channel.
The Vermont senator, 74,
advises Clinton to choose "the
most progressive candidate that
she can find" for vice president,
while several media published
a short list of candidates for the
position which excluded
Sanders, EFE news reported.
"It would be a terrible mistake for her to go to a candidate
who has roots from Wall Street
or has been backed by Wall
Street," underlined Sanders, a
self-proclaimed democratic
socialist, who campaigns
against the excesses of large
corporations.
On June 14, the
Democratic presidential hopeful met with Clinton at a hotel
in Washington near the White
House, but he still has not
Pak court
indicts six LeJ
men in 2009
Sri Lanka team
attack case
North Korea rules
out nuclear talks
resumption: Official
PTI n ISLAMABAD
ahoreOutlawed Lashkar-eJhanghvi’s six militants have
been charged by a Pakistani
anti-terrorism court here in the
2009 Sri Lankan cricket team
attack case.
The LeJ members charged
by the court on Wednesday are
Obaidullah, Javed Anwar,
Ibrahim Khalil, Abdul Wahab,
Zubair and Adnan Arshad.
The first three suspects
were on bail while the remaining are held in Kot Lakhpat Jail.
The suspects pleaded not
guilty. The court summoned
prosecution witnesses on June
30. The court had already
declared two suspects - Mohsin
Rasheed and Abdul Rehman proclaimed offenders.
LeJ chief, the alleged mastermind of the attack, was
killed last year during an
‘encounter’ with the counterterrorism
department.
In March 2009, the bus carrying the Sri Lankan cricket
team was attacked by the
Taliban and LeJ militants with
sophisticated weapons and
grenades at Liberty Chowk,
near Qaddafi Stadium Lahore.
Seven players including
captain Mahela Jayawaredene,
his deputy Kumar Sangakkara,
Ajantha Mendis, Thilan
Samaraweera, Tharanga
Paranavitana and Chaminda
Vaas had sustained injuries.
While six Pakistani policemen escorting policemen were
killed in the attack.
L
AFP n BEIJING
orth Korea has “no
thoughts” of resuming sixN
party talks on its nuclear programme, a top Pyongyang official said on Thursday in
Beijing, despite the repeated
urgings of its closest ally China.
The North quit the nowstalled negotiations aimed at
curbing its nuclear weapons
programme in 2009, and soon
afterwards carried out its second atomic test. The talks are
hosted by China, and include
South Korea, the United States,
Russia, and Japan.
Beijing, the North’s main
diplomatic protector and economic benefactor, wants to
revive negotiations, although
Washington, Seoul and Tokyo
all insist Pyongyang - which
carried out two missile launches earlier this week - must first
take some tangible steps
towards denuclearisation.
Choe Son-Hui, deputy
director-general of the North
American affairs bureau in
Pyongyang’s foreign ministry,
said in Beijing: “For now, we
have no thoughts about taking
part in talks to discuss the
DPRK’s denuclearisation.”
She was in the Chinese
capital for an annual security
forum, which includes representatives from each of the six
parties.
“Under these circumstances where the US hostile
policy is still there, DPRK is not
in a position to talk about
denuclearisation of the Korean
peninsula,” she told reporters in
English outside the country’s
embassy, using its official name.
Ties between China and
the North have become
strained in recent years as
Pyongyang has pressed ahead
with internationally-condemned nuclear tests, and with
Kim Jong-Un yet to visit
Beijing three years after inheriting power.
After a string of failures in
recent months, North Korea
successfully tested two powerful Musudan medium-range
missiles on Wednesday, one of
which flew 400 kilometres (250
miles) into the Sea of Japan
(East Sea).
Existing United Nations
measures prohibit North Korea
from using ballistic missile
technology.
After Pyongyang conducted a fourth nuclear test on
January 6, followed by a longrange rocket launch on
February 7, the UN Security
Council adopted its most punishing sanctions yet against
North Korea.
Any further measures
would require the support of
veto-wielding permanent
council member China, which
has shied away from additional action in favour of calls for
resuming the six-party talks.
“We are not at all disappointed by the Chinese,” Choe
said, denying that Pyongyang
felt a lack of support from its
neighbour. “China is doing
what she has to do, and we are
doing what we have to do.”
Tearful mourners throng Karachi
streets for Amjad Sabri’s funeral
PTI n KARACHI
housands of tearful mourners, including women and
T
children,on Thursday thronged
the streets of Pakistan’s largest
city and sang the soul-stirring
renditions of Amjad Sabri as
they paid tributes to one of the
country’s finest Sufi Qawwals
who was killed by Taliban militants here.
His funeral prayers were
held in a mosque of
Liaquatabad area where the 45year-old was attacked yesterday
by two unidentified bike-borne
gunmen.
The grieving mourners
included members of Sabri’s
family, friends and fans. They
threw rose petals over an
ambulance carrying his coffin
and later followed the vehicle
to the graveyard, where he
was buried near the grave of his
father Ghulam Farid Sabri, a
leading Qawwal of his time.
“There were thousands of
people in the funeral,” police
official Muhammad Ali said.
He said some people were
singing his famous qawwalis.
The
Tehreek-e-Taliban
Hakimullah Masood group,
which has said it was against
any form of Sufism, has
claimed responsibility for the
fatal attack on Sabri yesterday.
Since Sabri’s killing, grief
and anger have gripped
Pakistan with TV channels
People comfort to the brother, center, of famous Sufi singer Amjad Sabri, who was killed by unknown attackers, outside his
residence in Karachi, Pakistan, on Wednesday.
AP
and the print media highlighting the spate of lawlessness in
the country’s largest city.
Police have so far been
unable to find any clue about
the gunmen behind the attack
on Sabri, who was shot in the
chest and head.
He was shifted to a hospital, where he succumbed to his
injuries.
Sarwat Sabri, a brother of
the slain Qawaal, demanded
the government to arrest the
killers of his brother.“It is
responsibility of the government to provide security to
everyone,” he said.
According to police, Sabri
was the only target of the
killers who spared another
person travelling with the
singer.
Sabri’s death brings to an
end a legacy in Qawwali a mystic art as the deceased belonged
to a family of distinguished
exponents of Qawwali. He was
the nephew of Qawwali icon
Maqbool Sabri who passed
away in 2011. Some of his most
memorable qawwalis were
‘Bhar Do Jholi Meri’, ‘Tajdar-iHaram’ and ‘Mera Koi Nahin
Hai Teray Siwa’. Maqbool Sabri
along with his brother, the late
Ghulam Farid Sabri, formed a
formidable Qawwali group in
the mid-50s and became
known for their soul-stirring
renditions of arifana kalam
(mystic poetry).
world 13
LUCKNOW | FRIDAY | JUNE 24, 2016
G4 nations call for reflecting Nepal’s agitating parties submit
convergences on UN reforms 5-point agenda to government
PTI n WASHINGTON
PTI n UNITED NATIONS
ndia along with other G-4
countries has called for
Ireflecting
the convergences
that have emerged so far on
issues, including veto, in the
intergovernmental parleys on
Security Council reform.
In a statement on behalf of
the G4 countries, India’s
Permanent Representative to
the UN Ambassador Syed
Akbaruddin said that a large
number of member-states
including the G4 called for
incorporation of elements of
convergence achieved so far on
all five key issues including the
question of veto, categories of
membership and regional representation in a consolidated
and streamlined text.
Other G-4 nations are
Brazil, Germany and Japan.
“The G-4 would like to reiterate its call for reflecting the
convergences that have
emerged so far and also to
include in the elements paper
the divergent positions in the
other three key areas,”
Akbaruddin said at the
Informal Meeting of the
General Assembly on the
Intergovernmental
Negotiations (IGN) on Security
Council reform here yesterday.
He said the elements paper
could complement the framework document and its annex
in forming a concrete basis for
text based negotiations in the
next session of the IGN.
The G-4 has also called for
submission of proposals and
positions to the framework
document and its annex circulated by the letter of President
of the 69th session of the
General
Assembly dated July 2015
by those Groups/MemberStates who have not yet submitted their proposals. “We
would like to encourage them
again to do so and make positive contributions to the
process. Our Group remains
open to discuss all options,” he
said.
During the last informal
IGN meeting in May,
Akbaruddin on behalf of the
G4 had decrying the “out of
date” structure of the UN
Security Council, saying the
problem of “imbalance of influence” in the Council cannot be
corrected if only non-permanent members are added to the
powerful UN body as part of its
Kurdish-Arab forces enter
IS Syria bastion of Manbij
AP n BEIRUT
US-backed alliance of
Kurdish and Arab forces
A
pushed today into the Islamic
State group’s bastion city of
Manbij in northern Syria, a
monitoring group said.
Fighters of the Syrian
Democratic Forces managed to
enter the city with support
from air strikes by a US-led
coalition,
the
Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights
said.
“The SDF entered Manbij
from the south under cover of
coalition air raids,” said
Observatory chief Rami Abdel
Rahman, whose Britain-based
group relies on a broad network of sources inside Syria to
monitor the country’s conflict.
He said there was “fierce
street fighting between buildings” and that at least two SDF
fighters had died when a bomb
went off in a residential building.
Abdel Rahman said the
SDF was able to break through
I defences a few hours after taking control of a village on the
city’s southwestern outskirts.
He said progress was likely to be slow as SDF forces were
facing booby-traps “planted
by the jihadists to try to prevent
There was “fierce street fighting
between buildings” and that at least two
SDF fighters had died when a bomb
went off in a residential building
the loss of the city.”
The SDF has faced fierce
resistance from IS since launching the assault to take Manbij
on May 31. It managed to
encircle the city earlier this
month but its advance slowed
as IS fought back, including
with almost daily suicide
bombings.
The jihadists have held the
city since 2014, the year IS
seized control of large parts of
Syria and neighbouring Iraq
and declared its “caliphate”.
Manbij, which had population of about 120,000 before
the start of Syria’s civil war in
2011, is a key stop on IS’ssupply
route from the Turkish border
to its de facto Syriancapital of
Raqa.
reform and expansion in both
categories is essential to achieve
equilibrium that reflects current global realities.
The G-4 had called for a
consolidated and shortened
negotiating text reflecting the
convergences and delineated
divergent positions that had
emerged so far.
On the key issue of regional representation, the G-4 had
said it is “untenable” that
entire continents such as Africa
are not represented or underrepresented in the permanent
categor y of the Security
Council. Outlining the G-4’s
position on the issue of categories of membership,
Akbaruddin had said in the
May meeting that it is evident
from the positions submitted in
the text circulated by former
UNGA President in July 2015
that an overwhelming majority of member states support
expansion in both categories.
In all, 129 member states out of
a total 152 or about around 85
per cent support expansion in
both categories.
He had urged the IGN
chair to consolidate the names
of those in favour of the expansion as well as those proposingadditions of 5-6 countries in
the permanent category.
epal’s 33 agitating political parties on
Thursday submitted a five-point agenN
da to the government and asked it to create an environment in which all parties
could take ownership of the new
Constitution. The meeting between the
two sides failed to take any concrete decision regarding the ongoing political crisis.
However, a negotiator from the
protesting bloc, Nepal Samata Party
Secretary Bikram Kunwar, said the talks
werepositive and the protesters were
hopeful that the government would soon
fulfill their demands.
Madhesi parties and various ethnic
groups have launched agitation for the past
several months demanding re-demarcation
of the provincial boundary and more rights
and representatives for the Madhesis and
other ethnic minority groups.
Kunwar said the agitators urged the
government to create an environment in
which all parties could take ownership of
the new Constitution. The alliance submitted a five-point memorandum to the
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli-led team.
It demanded that the government
form a powerful commission to address
various problems facing underprivileged,
peasants, labourers, unemployed and
landless people among others.
Deputy Prime Minister Bijaya Kumar
Gachhadar said the government would try
to address the protesters’ concerns through
talks. Besides Gachhadar another Deputy
Prime Minister Bhim Rawal, Home Affairs
Minister Shakti Bahadur Basnet and
Minister for Law and Justice Agni Prasad
address the concerns of the earthquake victims.
Addressing the meeting, NC leader
Prakash Sharan Mahat said that the government had failed to distribute relief to
the earthquake victims and expedite
reconstruction works.
He said that his party would not let the
House proceed with its business unless the
government addressed the concerns of the
quake victims. The Parliament session was
adjourned until Friday.
FRANCE LABOUR STANDOFF
Man charged
with Brit MP’s
murder to go
on trial in Nov
London (PTI): A 52-year-old
man charged with the murder
of British MP Jo Cox will stand
trial in November, a UK court
ruled on Thursday. Thomas
Mair was told by an Old Bailey
court judge in London that a
provisional trial date has been
fixed for November 14. Mair
was arrested at the scene of
Cox’s street killing last week,
just days ahead of the crucial
referendum to decide whether
UK will stay part of the
European Union or leave.
The 41-year-old Labour
MP was shot and stabbed to
death in Birstall, West
Yorkshire, near her constituency office as she was
holding a regular meeting with
her constituents. Besides her
murder, Mair is also charged
with grievous bodily harm,
possession of a firearm with
intent to commit an indictable
offence and possession of an
offensive weapon.He has since
been described as a far-right
loner with mental health issues.
He appeared today via videolink from Belmarsh Prison in
south London and only spoke
to confirm his name. A plea
and case management hearing
is due to take place in October.
Kharel were also present during the meeting.
Former Prime Minister and senior
leader of CPN-UML Madhav Kumar
Nepal and general secretary of the party
Ishwor Pokharelalso attended the meeting.
Meanwhile, the main opposition party
Nepali Congress (NC) obstructed the
Parliament meeting on Wednesday.
The party had decided to obstruct the
House proceedings protesting the government’s inefficiency and failure to
Demonstrators shout slogans as they pass by police officers during a march to protest against the proposed changes to France's working week and layoff practices in Paris,
France, on Thursday. Unions are holding a short march Thursday around the Bastille plaza to protest government plans to make workweeks longer and layoffs easier. Similar
protests against the legislation in recent months have degenerated into clashes between riot police and radicals.
AP
Zika warnings raise abortion Third of hospitals Myanmar’s Suu Kyi to visit
demand in Latin America in developing world troubled diaspora in Thai
London (PTI) Health
warnings about complications
related to Zika virus significantly increased demand for
abortions in Latin American
countries, according to a new
study. However, in many of
these countries, abortion is
either illegal or highly restricted, leaving pregnant women
with few options and potentially driving women to use
unsafe methods, access abortion drugs without medical
supervision or visit underground providers, said
researchers at University of
Texas at Austin in the US and
University of Cambridge in the
UK. On November 17 last
year, the Pan American Health
Organisation (PAHO) issued
an alert about the Zika virus in
Latin America.
Although the virus, spread
by mosquitoes, causes only
mild symptoms, it can have
serious complications for
unborn children, ranging from
eye and hearing defects
through to microcephaly
(abnormally small heads) and
other severe foetal brain
defects.
Following the PAHO alert,
several countries issued health
advisory warnings, including
urging women to avoid preg-
nancy. For several years, one
option for women seeking an
abortion in Latin America has
been Women on Web, a nonprofit organisation that provides medical abortion outside
the formal health-care setting
through online telemedicine, in
countries where safe abortion
is not universally available.
Researchers analysed data
on requests for abortion
through the website between
January 1, 2010 and March 2
this year, in 19 Latin-American
countries, assessing whether
requests for abortion increased
beyond expected trends following the PAHO alert.
Disused gurudwara vandalised in UK
London: A disused gurdwara in southeast
England has been vandalised by a group of
teenagers, a video circulating on the social media
today showed, prompting police to probe the
incident.
A large number of teenagers, mostly boys,
can be heard laughing and cheering as they
smash displays, throw crockery and caused damage in the empty place of worship in a video
posted on SnapChat.
“We have been informed of the video that
is circulating social media and have been
working with Kent Police to ensure this matter
is dealt with seriously. We will be working to resecure the building as soon as possible,” said a
spokesperson for the former gurdwara in
Gravesend, Kent.
The video was shared via SnapChat
and captioned: “Temple got mash up” and was
later posted in a local Facebook group in
Gravesend. Tarsem Singh Mahil, general secretary of the new Gravesend gurdwara, told
‘KentOnline’: “This is very bad news, and it’s
quite upsetting. There is a risk this will cause
animosity within different communities, we
don’t want that.
“It’s in the police’s hands now, we need to
let them deal with this.” The building has been
empty for a few years as it awaits planning permission to be sold to a developer to convert into
flats.
A new grand gurdwara, named Guru
Nanak Darbar, had opened in Gravesend in
2010.
A Kent Police spokesperson said: “Kent
Police was called at 12.07am on Thursday, 23
June to a report of criminal damage at a derelict
property in Clarence Place, Gravesend. “Officers
have attended and an investigation is currently ongoing.”
PTI
PTI n WASHINGTON
lack running water
PTI n WASHINGTON
ore than one-third hospitals in the developing
M
world lack running water, a
deficiency that can lead to
unsanitary and dangerous conditions for patients who need
surgery, scientists, including
those of Indian origin, have
found.
The research points to larger deficiencies in the health
care systems in many of the
world’s low- and middleincome countries and the need
to focus on basic infrastructure
in order to prevent the spread
of disease and improve health
outcomes.
“Running water is something we so take for granted
and it doesn’t exist in a third of
hospitals in these countries,”
said Adam L Kushner, from the
the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg
School of Public Health in the
US. “Instead of water just being
there, some hospitals truck in
water or collect it in rain barrels, with no guarantee of its
cleanliness,” said Kushner.
“Without clean water, there
is no way to clean surgeons’
hands or instruments, wash
gowns and sheets or clean
wounds to prevent or reduce
infections,” he said.
The researchers, includ-
ing Sagar S Chawla from Mayo
Medical School and Shailvi
Gupta from University of
California, San Diego, analysed
previous research related to
surgical capacity in low- and
middle-income countries.
They identified 19 surgical
capacity studies undertaken
between 2009 and 2015 that
included information on water
availability covering 430 hospitals in 19 nations.
They found that 147 of the
430 hospitals lacked continuous running water (34 per
cent). These ranged from less
than 20 per cent with running
water in Liberia to more than
90 per cent in Bangladesh and
Ghana.
Hospitals without running
water often truck in water - at
great expense - or use rainwater.
While helpful in the rainy
season, rain barrels often run
dry during the dry season.
This water is not only needed
for surgery, it is needed to keep
patients and rooms clean during other parts of their hospital stays. The study did not
address access to drinking
water. Without water, hospitals
cannot conduct surgery, despite
the large unmet surgical needs
in these poor nations, Kushner
said.
yanmar’s Aung San Suu
Kyi arrives today in
M
Thailand where she is expected to be garlanded by her
adoring compatriots, hundreds
of thousands of whom have
sought work and sanctuary
from war across the border.
It is Suu Kyi’s highest profile overseas visit since her
pro-democracy party took
power in April, ending nearly
half a century of military domination.
Her government has seeded hopes for a new era of prosperity that could eventually
convince the army of low-paid
Myanmar labourers in
Thailand to return home. The
two Southeast Asian neighbours have travelled in starkly
different directions in recent
years.
While Myanmar’s junta
has rolled back its chokehold
on politics, last year allowing
the freest elections in decades,
Thailand remains in the grip of
a military that seized power in
2014.
As Myanmar’s democracy
champion, Suu Kyi is expected
to receive a rock star welcome
during a visit to a fishing village in Samut Sakhon later
Thursday.
The port, just outside
Bangkok, is the seat of
Thailand’s huge seafood industry and home to more than
100,000 low-paid Myanmar
labourers. The visit “fills me
with hope,” Myanmar migrant
Thon Barami, 50, told AFP at
the scruffy port. “We have
problems here in Thailand.
She might help us with labour
rights... people all around the
world will listen to her,” she
added.
The fishing sector has been
battered by revelations of the
use of slave labour and the
widespread exploitation of
workers.
The scandals have prompted threats of sanctions by the
European Union — a key market for the multi-billion-dollar
Thai seafood industry. Seeking
to escape poverty at home,
some one million registered
Myanmar migrant workers
form the backbone of
Thailand’s manual workforce.
Tens of thousands of others work illegally, with some
estimates putting the total
number of Myanmar nationals
in Thailand at three million.
Rights groups say migrants
— legal and otherwise — are
vulnerable to unscrupulous
officials, trafficking gangs and
employment agencies who
charge huge sums to get them
poorly paid work.
Their low status also sees
them treated with scorn andmistrust by many Thais.
sport 14
LUCKNOW | FRIDAY | JUNE 24, 2016
AP n NICE
Ibrahimovic
played his last
international
match as
Belgium send
Sweden
packing home
latan Ibrahimovic chested
the ball down, let it bounce
and hit it. Wide.
His 86th-minute attempt for an
equalizer in Wednesday's 1-0 loss
to Belgium at the European
Championship showed the technique and flair that had made
Ibrahimovic a star.
But his farewell game for
Sweden wasn't to have a
fairytale ending.
The Swedes were eliminated from the competition
while Belgium advanced to
the round of 16, where it will
play Hungary on Sunday
in Toulouse.
"It feels heavy, it feels disappointing but at the same time I
enjoyed it," Ibrahimovic said.
"I got the possibility to represent Sweden in the European, so at
the same time I'm proud. This was
my last game in the national team
and I will have many fantastic
memories from the national team."
Coach Erik Hamren, who is
also leaving the national team, said:
Z
SINGLES
AZARENKA WITHDRAWS FROM WIMBLEDON
LONDON: Two-time Australian Open champion
Victoria Azarenka has withdrawn from Wimbledon
because of a right knee injury. It was the same knee
she hurt at the French Open, forcing her to retire during
her first-round match. She hasn't played since.
Azarenka, ranked No. 6, was seeded the same for the
grass-court Grand Slam starting on Monday. The
Belarusian has earned three titles this year, including
two of the biggest outside of the majors, Indian Wells
and Miami, in March. She beat Serena Williams in the
Indian Wells final. At Wimbledon, she has reached the
semifinals twice, and quarterfinals twice. Williams
stopped her in three of those runs.
VARDY AGREES 4 YEAR DEAL WITH LEICESTER
LEICESTER: Jamie Vardy agreed to stay with Leicester
on Thursday to spearhead their English Premier
League title defense and their first Champions League
campaign. The central England club announced its top
scorer agreed to extend his contract by four years,
appearing to end Arsenal's hopes of signing the striker.
Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid says it has extended its
contract with France forward Antoine Griezmann until
2021.The one-year extension to Griezmann's current
contract was announced by Spanish club on Thursday.
BINDRA, NARANG MISS OUT IN FINAL
BAKU: Ace Indian shooters Abhinav Bindra, Gagan
Narang and Kynan Chenai narrowly missed out on
medals after qualifying for the finals of their respective
events at the ISSF World Cup here. Bindra, India's only
individual Olympic gold medallist and Narang, London
2012 bronze winner, reached the eight-man final of the
men's 10m air rifle event, while youngster Chenai, who
will be embarking upon his first Olympics also reached
the six-men trap final. Chenai shot a superb 123 out of
125 to qualify for the finals in second place. In the final
rounds, he was the first to be eliminated, having shot
12 birds out of 15 to end in sixth place. This was
Kynan's second WC final round appearance in trap.
SCHOLES SIGNS UP FOR PREMIER FUTSAL
MUMBAI: Former Manchester United star Paul
Scholes has signed a deal to play for the next three
seasons of Premier Futsal, the world's first-ever
multi-national futsal league. Scholes, part of
Manchester United's class of 92 — famous golden
generation which included stars like David Beckham,
Ryan Giggs and the Neville Brothers — is widely
regarded as one of greatest midfielders of the game.
DCW TO COPS: WHY NO FIR AGAINST SARDAR?
NEW DELHI: The Delhi Commission for Women
(DCW) has issued a notice to the Deputy
Commissioner of Police, New Delhi, asking why an
FIR has not been lodged against India Hockey captain
Sardar Singh in an alleged sexual assault case even
eight days after a complaint was registered. DCW has
also asked why the complainant was interrogated by
a male ACP about physical relations with the accused
and not by a lady officer and made to stay in the
police station till close to midnight. The Commission
had on June 15 recommended registration of an FIR
in the matter. "The Commission has been informed
that despite a complaint being lodged at
Chanakyapuri police station, no FIR has been
registered till date. "The Commission views this
seriously as it is a contravention of a judgment by the
Supreme Court...Wherein it was held that the
registration of FIR is mandatory under Section 154
CRPC.
Agencies
"I hoped we could have a better finish" for Ibrahimovic, who retires
from international football with
116 caps and a Swedish-record 62
goals.
While he didn't score in his
final game, Ibrahimovic looked
sharper than in previous matches
against Ireland and Italy. For the
first time in the tournament, he hit
the target and even put the ball in
the net, though it was ruled out for
an earlier foul.
Radja Nainggolan scored
the winning goal in the 84th
minute with a fierce shot
from outside the area as
Belgium finished second in
Group E. Italy won the
group despite losing 1-0 to
Ireland, who also advanced
as one of the best third-place
teams.
With Ireland winning,
Belgium would have been eliminated by losing to Sweden.
"It was a very difficult game for
people who have heart problems,"
Belgium coach Marc Wilmots
said. "Tactically, we were better on
the counter. They have two very
big, but slow center backs so I
IBRA DOESN'T GO OUT LIKE A LEGEND
NICE: The self-proclaimed legend of
Swedish football stopped delivering.
For good.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic's last game in
Swedish bright yellow wasn't worthy
of a movie and had no Hollywood
ending. But that made it fitting for a
career that, for all his towering
achievements in club football in five
countries, has glaring holes in it.
Sweden's record scorer leaves
international football with memories to
cherish, none more powerful than the
acrobatic overhead kick against
England that won him FIFA's goal of
the year award in 2013, but also with
a gnawing feeling that a player with his
talents and footwork that was
astounding for a 6-foot, 4-inches
(1.94-meter) tall colossus could and
should have achieved more.
He never advanced deep into a
major tournament with Sweden,
stalling in the last 16 of two World
Cups and a European Championship
quarterfinal in 2004 where he was one
of two Swedes who failed to score in a
penalty shoot-out loss to the
Netherlands. How much of the blame
for those frustrations should be laid at
his feet or at the feet of Swedish
teammates who weren't of his level
will be an enduring debate.
Ibrahimovic had the opportunity
at Euro 2016 to join Cristiano Ronaldo
as the only player to score at four
championships. The 34-year-old
talked big at the outset, saying "the
legend can still deliver." But he shot
blanks, with his tally of career goals
for Sweden stuck, forever now, at 62
in 116 appearances.
Ibrahimovic's spotty international
and European record is doubtless
among reasons why he has never
been among the top three names for
world player of the year. He scored 19
goals for Sweden in WC qualifying but
no goals in his two trips to the
tournament itself. He came off
second-best to Ronaldo when they
met in qualification playoffs for the
2014 World Cup. Ronaldo scored four
goals, Ibrahimovictwo, and it was
Portugal not Sweden that went
through. After the final whistle in Nice,
Ibrahimovic peeled off his captain's
armband and slowly made the round
of his Swedish teammates, shaking
their hands.
ROUND OF 16 DRAW
Switzerland VS Poland
Wales VS N Ireland
Croatia VS Portugal
France VS Ireland
Germany VS Slovakia
Hungary VS Belgium
Italy VS Spain
England VS Iceland
think our counterattack was very
good."
Ibrahimovic, one of the biggest
stars at Euro 2016, played his last
game for his country a day after
saying that he was retiring from
international soccer after the tournament.
"He's special. He's unique. But
I hope we can find some other
player who's not Zlatan but a
really, really good player for
Sweden," Hamren said. "I don't
think that in a small country like
Sweden you find another player
like him because he's really, really unique."
Needing a win to advance,
Sweden also came close with an
early shot from Marcus Berg, but
failed to create enough quality
opportunities. Shortly before the
winning goal, a header from
Andreas Granqvist was cleared off
the line by Kevin de Bruyne.
"We've kept a clean sheet two
times in a row and it makes a difference. You know the problems
we had," Wilmots said. "Some
people thought we were dead after
the first game, but we're here.
We're back on track."
Ireland's resilience rewarded
AP n LILLE
never-say-die mentality has finally paid off.
Ireland's
Even when another early
exit from a European
Championship
seemed
unavoidable,Ireland refused
to concede.
A late goal from Robbie
Brady was enough for Ireland
to beat a reshuffled Italy side 10 on Wednesday and advance
to the knockout stages for the
first time as one of the best
third-place teams.
"It was very special. I am
thrilled, it was a great win,"
Ireland coach Martin O'Neill
said. "We deserved to win. We
played some phenomenal stuff.
There wasn't a player in the Irish
shirt that didn't play heroically."
Ireland's reward is a match
against France in Lyon on
Sunday that will surely resonate
for Ireland's passionate fans as
it will revive memories of the
last time the two sides met in
November 2009, in a twolegged playoff for the following
year's World Cup.
The aggregate score was 11 when the return match went
into extra time at Stade de
France. In a notorious incident,
France striker Thierry Henry
used his left arm and hand to
control the ball and then pass
to William Gallas who scored
the decisive goal.
Italy, which was already
assured of top spot in Group E
after two straight wins, will meet
defending champion Spain next
at the Stade de France on
Monday in what is potentially
the most mouth-watering
match of the round of 16.
Brady's 85th minute goal
was just reward for an inspired
performance by the Irelandteam,
which needed to win to get
through to the next round. His
goal capped a period of intense
Irish pressure that also saw Wes
Hoolahan miss a golden chance
to put Ireland ahead.
"It's a proud night for myself
and fantastic for the team,"
Brady said. "The lads worked
their socks off today. It was the
perfect timing for a goal."
Spurred on by its passionate green-clad fans, Ireland
tried to drag the Italians into a
physical battle from the opening whistle. In the first few
minutes, there were some
crunching tackles, most
notably when Jeff Hendrick hit
Alessandro Florenzi with a
flying tackle.
Weakened by the absence of
injured striker Jon Walters,
Ireland missed two clear chances
to take the lead in the first half.
Hendrick sent a 20-meter shot
just wide and Daryl Murphy saw
his header off a corner saved by
goalkeeper
Salvatore
Sirigu.Italy's only first-half
attempt came two minutes
before halftime. While Ireland
strived for a winner, Italy found
some fluency in the second
half. Simone Zaza went close
with a powerful volley that
went just over the cross bar.
Ronaldo's rage rewarded with goals
AP n LYON
aving his arms in frustration and
shouting frenziedly to all around
W
him, Cristiano Ronaldo seethed as
Hungarian rivals celebrated.
Ronaldo couldn't believe his teammates in the rearguard had conceded
less than five minutes after he had finally scored his first goal at this European
Championship.
In the heat and humidity of Lyon,
the pent-up frustration simmering
inside Ronaldo after two goalless games
was visible to one and all.
Not for the first time Wednesday.
The first target of the Portugal captain's anger, during a walk in the park
hours before the game, was the microphone snatched off a reporter and
seemingly thrown into a lake.
His ire carried through into the
frenzied 3-3 draw with Hungary.
But, whatever defensive deficiencies
within the Portugal team, Ronaldo was
going to drag Portugal into the round of
16. And drag his team through he did
with a towering 62nd minute header to
make it 3-3. The goal fest dried up and
Portugal was through to the round of 16,
its reward a tough game against Croatia.
"The team was in dire straits," said
Ronaldo, who also set up Nani's goal,
Portugal's first equalizer. "Three times
we were about to go home."
There were personal milestones,
too: the audacious flicked shot in the
50th minute ensured Ronaldo became
the first player to score in four differ-
ent European Championship tournaments, coming in a record 17th finals
game. One more goal and he ties
Michel Platini's record of nine goals in
the European Championship.
"I think no one can say anything
against him," Nani said. "He is a fantastic player every time in the difficult
moments. This evening he showed
again. Everyone was talking about
him. So I think a lot of people now, he
has shut them up."
This was Ronaldo at his most devastating in front of goal, rather than the withdrawn figure who failed to score from 22
attempts, including one missed penalty, in
the draws against Iceland and Austria.
There's no time for Portugal, or
Ronaldo, to celebrate. While Portugal
ground out the draw against Hungary,
Iceland and Austria were embroiled in
a tight tussle to also advance from
Group F.
Iceland's stoppage-time winner
against Austria in Paris pushed Portugal
down to third in the group and
Ronaldo's side now only has two clear
days before taking on Croatia in Lens
on Saturday.
Sorting out the defense, which
was repeatedly exposed by Hungary,
will be key.
"Before we weren't playing convincingly up front," Santos said through a
translator. "Today was opposite. We managed to attack; we managed to score ...
but we are weak defensively. So have to
find answer to 1 million-euro question."
Croatia beware.
Chile beats Colombia;
Enter Copa final
AP n CHICAGO
hen Chile saw an opening, it pounced.
When its defense broke down, Claudio
W
Bravo was there. When the rain stopped, it finished the job.
Charles Aranguiz and Jose Pedro
Feunzalida scored in the first half, and
defending champion Chile returned to the
final of South America's championship with
a soggy 2-0 victory over Colombia on
Wednesday night.
Led by Bravo's stellar effort in goal, Chile
earned its fourth straight win since a 2-1 loss
to top-ranked Argentina in their Group D
opener. Next up is a rematch with La
Albiceleste on Sunday night in New Jersey.
James Rodriguez and Colombia got off to
a slow start and their push for a comeback was
hampered by a strong line of thunderstorms that
delayed the start of the second half by more than
two hours, drenching the playing surface and
forcing the players to tread carefully for the last
part of the night at Soldier Field, home of the
NFL's Chicago Bears.
Colombia, which will face
the United States in the thirdplace game on Saturday night
in Arizona, also had to play
with 10 men after Carlos
Sanchez received his second yellow card in the 57th
minute.
Chile played without Arturo Vidal after the
skilled midfielder was suspended for a second
yellow card, and defensive midfielder Marcelo
Diaz was sidelined by injury. The defending
champions lost another midfielder in the first
half when Pedro Pablo Hernandez departed with
a knee injury following a collision near midfield.
Pekerman talked Tuesday about his team's
inability to finish, and the same problem
showed up again in the country's first appearance in the Copa semifinals since 2004.
Roger Martinez's drive was stopped by a diving Bravo midway through the first half, and
Bravo denied Sanchez with another lunging
stop right before halftime. Rodriguez also shot
wide on another prime opportunity.
sport 15
LUCKNOW | FRIDAY | JUNE 24, 2016
JUMBO: EPITOME OF 4D’S
Dedication, Discipline, Determination and Devotion has been Kumble’s traits, mantra for success
PTI n NEW DELHI
stute knowledge of the game, dogged
determination and commitment to excellence were some of the hallmarks of Anil
Kumble's playing days, qualities he will now
expect from Virat Kohli and his boys as he takes
over as the chief coach of the Indian cricket team.
When a 19-year-old Kumble made his his
Test debut back in 1990 at the Old Trafford in
Manchester, his performance largely went unnoticed as there was a 17-year-old teenager, who
scored the first of his 100 international hundreds.
But as Indians started worshipping Sachin
Tendulkar's on-field heroics over the next two
decades, the cricket aficionados had one thing for
the bespectacled 6 feet 3 inch mechanical engineer from Bengaluru: Respect with capital R.
Not everyday, a losing captain gets a clap
from his country's media. But in 2008, Kumble's
iconic statement: "Only one team played in 'Spirit
of Game' at the post-match press-conference in
the aftermath of infamous 'Monkey Gate' Test
at Sydney was one such time when a captain
acted as an elder statesman. He grew in stature
even more from that very day.
Call it strange but Kumble is a bit different
from the three-member Cricket Advisory
Committee (CAC) that recommended his name.
Neither was he a child prodigy like Tendulkar,
nor was he immensely gifted as his contemporaries Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman but
when it came to the 4 D's: Dedication, Discipline,
Determination and Devotion — he had each of
the traits in abundance.
For a leg-spinner coming from the land of
Bhagwat Chandrasekhar and pilloried in initial
years for not being able to turn his leg-breaks or
possessing a googly, he ended his 18-year career
with 619 Test and 337 ODI wickets.
And if the stat is just behind Muttiah
Muralitharan (800 wickets) and Shane Warne
(709 wickets), who were magicians in their own
rights, it was certainly a brilliant achievement.
The greatest moment in Test cricket for
Kumble obviously will remain his 'Perfect 10' —
10/74 — against Pakistan at the Feroz Shah
Kotla. It was a match where his consistency and
perseverance paid off.
Similarly, when it came to grit, everyone
remembers the sight of Kumble bowling in West
Indies with a broken jaw and also ending up with
Brian Lara's wicket. That was commitment of
the highest order.
India's two most successful captains:
Mohammed Azharuddin and Sourav Ganguly
were ever grateful to this humble, soft-spoken
man, who did not need tailor-made, treacherous turners to win games.
A bit of turn from third day, firm even boun-
Fraternity gives
thumbs up
A
Kumble congrats Son!Well deserved honour!Am
glad fr Indn Crkt-Gud job BCCI-wish Kumble was
given 2/3 yrs 'cos his precision demands
that..!
— Bishan Singh Bedi, former Indian cricketer
Jumbo news 4Team India.Congrats
@anilkumble1074 To have a coach
who cud play wid broken jaw wud be an inspiration
fr guys in dressing room
—Virender Sehwag, former Indian cricketer
Great news for indian cricket..Congratulation Anil
Bhai @anilkumble1074 for becoming the head coach
of @BCCI ..Good luck going forward ??????
—Shikhar Dhawan, Indian opener
Thank God BCCI appointed Anil Kumble#IndiaCoach
—Arun lal, former Indian cricketer
Congratulations! Anil Kumble, for your appointment
as India cricket team's head coach
—Siddaramaiah, Chief Minister of Karnataka
Anil Kumble the new Indian coach. Wonderful news
for a great man! Best wishes, buddy!
—Kevin Pieterson
Anil Kumble will be an excellent organiser and a top
team man. And knowing him, he will respect the fact
that the captain runs the team
—Harsha bhogle
KUMBLE’S CAREER IN NUMBERS
BATTING AVERAGE
Mat
Tests
132
ODIs
271
T20
54
Inns
173
136
21
NO
32
47
17
Runs
2506
938
46
HS
110*
26
8
Ave
17.77
10.53
11.50
100's
1
0
0
50's
5
0
0
BOWLING AVERAGE
Mat
Tests
132
ODIs
271
T20
54
Inns
236
265
54
Wkts
619
337
57
Ave
29.65
30.89
24.36
Econ
2.69
4.30
6.69
4w
31
8
2
5w
35
2
1
10w
8
0
0
cy pitches in the sub-continent and Kumble was
a handful with his impeccable length as he could
pitch it on the same spot ball after ball.
Be it Sanath Jayasuriya or Saeed Anwar on
the rampage — bring in Anil Kumble would
always be the answer. Or even when Brian Lara
or Nasser Hussain would get on top of the
bowlers — the man from 'Garden City' was both
Azharuddin and Ganguly's 'Go To Man'.
Only time will tell how good a coach Kumble
will prove to be but one thing is for sure — the
approach will be meticulous. He will be methodical with his planning, homework will be in place.
The execution will depend on the new
bunch under the stewardship of Kohli. Men like
Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit
Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin are expected to
gel well with Kumble, whose achievements as
an international player cannot be questioned.
The one-year tenure will start with the fourTest series against West Indies.
PLAYERS COME
FIRST: KUMBLE
PTI n BENGALURU
e always led the country's
bowling attack from the
H
front but Anil Kumble believes
that as the new head coach of
the Indian cricket team, his role
will be in the "background" as
it is the players who "come first".
"It's a huge responsibility. I
have always put my hands up
for any sort of challenge. The
coach's role is in the background, it's the players who
come first and that would be
my approach. I am ready to
take this role," Kumble said.
"It's a great honour to be
back in Indian dressing room
in a different role," Kumble said
on his appointment.
Asked about his plans for
the team, he said, "Strategy will
be to win. There is still time to
think about all that and sit with
the players. I have a short and
long-term plan for the upcoming series (against West Indies),
but I cannot plan alone; I also
need players to pitch in."
Responding to a query,
Kumble said the team's aim
obviously will be to win the
upcoming series against WI.
"It is a bit early to speak on
all that. Yes there is a certain
plan. Obviously there is an
immediate series coming up
against the West Indies, and
our aim is to win," he said.
Kunble, who ran a player
management company was
also asked on the tricky subject
of conflict of interest and he
said that he has discussed it
with the BCCI.
"We have already discussed
that. Whatever needs to be
done will be done before I take
up this role officially. That has
been discussed and it has been
very clear with BCCI," he said.
Kumble further said there is
ample time left to think about
planning and strategising.
"This is just the first reaction
but there is time to think about
that — probably I will sit with
the players and work out — as
to how to go about it," he said.
The selection of the coach
was made based on the recommendation by the Cricket
Advisory Committee comprising Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav
Ganguly and VVS Laxman.
Asked whether the committee was blown over by his
presentation, Kumble said he
has had wonderful relationship
with panel members ganguly,
Tendulkar, Laxman and others.
"I certainly believe that the
five players that have played
throughout my career... If you
look at Sourav, Sachin, Laxman
- these three have been in advisory role, and also Rahul
(Dravid) who is coaching the
junior team. All five of us had
wonderful relationship on and
off the field. I think all five of
us have to sit down and do what
is needed in the best interest of
Indian cricket team," he said.
BCCI has faith in Youngsters made an impact on this tour: Bangar
Kumble: Thakur I
PTI ■ HARARE
IANS n DHARAMSALA
fter naming former India
skipper Anil Kumble as the
A
new head coach for the next
one year, Board of Control for
Cricket in India (BCCI) president Anurag Thakur on
Thursday said that the board
has complete faith in the legendary leg-spinner.
"After discussions we have
taken a final call that for one
year Anil Kumble will be the
head coach," Thakur told a
packed press conference on
the sidelines of the board's
first ever annual cricket conclave here.
"Indian cricket team
deserves the best coach, BCCI
has complete faith in Kumble.
It is not about an Indian or a
foreign coach, it is about best
coach for India," he added.
Thakur also said that the
support staff will be
announced at a later date after
further deliberations.
"Bowling and batting
coaches will be decided later,"
the BJP MP from Hamirpur
said on Thursday.
Kumble, the world's third
highest wicket-taker with 619
Test scalps, will succeed
Zimbabwean Duncan Fletcher,
whose term ended in March
2015 after the 50-over World
Cup in Australia and New
Zealand. Following Fletcher's
tenure, the BCCI appointed
former India captain Ravi
Shastri as team director until
the ICC World T20 in April
this year after which the board
advertised for the head coach
on its website.
The BCCI received 57
applications for the post and
trimmed it down to 21 before
handing over the list to the
Cricket Advisory Committee
(CAC) comprising Sachin
Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly
and V.V.S. Laxman, who interviewed the shortlisted candidates.
t was far away from a cake
walk for the Indian team
against minnows Zimbabwe
in the short tour, specially in
the Twenty20s, but India coach
Sanjay Bangar says the youngsters have managed to make an
impact.
India survived a last ball
scare last night in the final T20
to nail the series 2-1.
“Each one who got an
opportunity created an impact.
They made an impression and
I think this experience will really stand them well going
ahead,” Bangar said at the postmatch press conference.
“Some of the boys would
go to Australia with India A
team and I think the selectors
who were here for the entire
duration and were watching
each and every player very
closely would have definitely
earmarked players for the
future from what they saw
over here.”
Commenting on team’s
comeback after losing the first
T20, Bangar said, “When you
lose the first match in a three
match series the pressure only
adds up. I think the way we
came back in the second game
and held our nerve in the third
(was commendable).”
Responding to a question
about the performance of
young Indian batsmen, the
India coach said, “I think T20
is such a game wherein it consists of so many decisions that
have to be made under pressure
(and) at times the decision that
you make; go for a shot, if it
comes off, it seems a terrific
decision but if it doesn’t come
off it again puts a question
mark on the decision making
so I feel that T20 is such a fast
and dynamic game that you
need to keep a bit of leverage
and some time give opportunity to the younger guys. But all
and all, I am pretty satisfied
(with) the way they
respond(ed) to various match
situations.”
Impressed by Kedar
Jadhav’s useful contributions in
the few opportunities he got,
Bangar said he showed his
worth.
Vikas, Manoj book Oly berths Rio bus missed
but Mary Kom
A
not quitting
PTI n BAKU (AZERBAIJAN)
sian Games champion Vikas Krishan
(75kg) and Commonwealth Games
gold-medallist Manoj Kumar (64kg) on
Thursday booked Olympic berths after
advancing to the semifinals of the
International Boxing Association's (AIBA)
World Qualifying Tournament here.
While Manoj thrashed Tajikistan's
Rakhimov Shavkatdzhon, second seed
Vikas got past Korea's Lee Dongyun in the
quarterfinals by a similar margin of 3-0.
Manoj will next face European champion Pat McCormack of Britain in the
semifinal on Friday. McCormack defeated Frenchman Amzile Hassan in his
quarterfinal bout.
Vikas, on the other hand, will be up
against Turkmenistan's Achilov Arslanbek,
who got past Italian Cavallaro Salvatore in
his quarterfinal contest.
Vikas and Manoj took the total number of Indian boxers assured of Olympic
berths to three as Shiva Thapa (56kg) had
made the cut for Rio during the Asian
Qualifiers in March earlier this year.
"Given the terrible state in which boxing is right now, I am relieved to have qualified for the Games. There was a lot of pressure on the team which is competing here
and I am glad that I came good," Manoj said
PTI ■ NEW DELHI
er last hope for an Olympic berth
might be over after the denial of a
H
wildcard, but star Indian woman boxer M
in an interview on Thursday.
"I am immensely thankful to the
coaches, the Sports Ministry, the national coaching staff, the Sports Authority of
India and my personal coach Rajesh, who
is also my elder brother. Their efforts have
helped me pull it off," he further added.
Meanwhile Vijender sent message to
Vikas, "I wish Vikas all the best and I hope
he gets a gold medal in Rio. My best wishes are also with Shiva Thapa and Manoj
Kumar who have also qualified for the
Games. I would have loved to have a shot
at Olympic qualification but as things
stand now, I will continue fighting in the pro
arena. I am very happy for the boys who
have qualified as they have done it against
all odds," said Vijender.
C Mary Kom today said she would not
hang up her gloves just yet. The 33-yearold five-time world champion could not
make the cut for Rio via the two qualifiers
and last-ditch attempts by the Indian
Olympic Association and the ad-hoc
committee administering boxing in India
to fetch her a wildcard entry also fell
through after the IOC declined the request.
“I have been duly informed that I won’t be
getting a wildcard for the Olympics. It is
heartbreaking but it is something which
I had no control on. I have to accept this
decision but I am not quitting the sport
right now. I will continue to compete till
I am feeling fit and for the time being I
think I am fit,” Mary Kom told PTI from
Imphal. The London Olympic bronzemedallist missed two chances to book a
Rio berth — first in March at the Asian
Zone Qualifiers and then last month at the
World Championships.
Jadhav scored 58 off 42
balls in the final T20 to shape
the Indian innings.
“This was the only second
time he could bat today and he
played an amazing innings
because he was having some
issues as he wasn’t really feeling good but he hung in and
the kind of innings he produced on a difficult track s
hows the quality of the player.
He is doing all that he can in
the opportunities that he is getting.”
Bangar was also of the
view that age doesn’t really matter nowadays because most of
the guys are keeping themselves
very fit and have fantastic work
discipline.
He also found Axar Patel
fast developing into a useful allrounder.
“Throughout the series, he
kept pressure on and probably
he was the most economical
bowler. I don’t really know the
exact stats but he was very consistent and maintained that
pressure not only through his
bowling but also with the way
he fielded, the number of catches he took and the way he finished the innings.
“He is proving to be good
developing player at number
seven or number eight, who is
capable of playing good shot
and I feel that’s very encouraging for Indian cricket.”
Bangar also talked about
the way seasoned Mahendra
Singh Dhoni handled the
Indian youngsters.
“Dhoni had a lot of interactions with players and made
that effort to go out and mingle with them and probably
invited them for dinners. He
went out of the way to make
them feel comfortable. He
shared his experiences with the
younger guys probably emphasising on how to handle pressure under match situations
and the things that are required
to be done.
“Dhoni, fantastically,
passed on the tradition of
Indian cricket because these
youngsters are the future of
Indian cricket and the way he
shared his experiences was
very similar to how the earlier
generation used to pass on the
knowledge and experiences
just to make younger players
feel comfortable in the dressing
room.”
LOCAL EVENTS
DYA BEAT ANNAPURNA CLUB
DYA Club defeated Annapurna Club
by 35 runs in a league match of Shivanand
Nautiyal Memorial Cricket Tournament at
Rahas Bihari Tiwari Stadium on Thursday.
In other matches, SDS Academy
thrashed Sandeep Cricket Academy by 86
runs while Sherwood College and Excer’s
Club register contrasting wins over IPRK
Club and Young Challenger Club respectively.
BRIEF SCORES:
DYA CLUB: 175 (Arbaz Ahmed 65,
Achal Arora 29, Atul Jaiswal 30; Mohit
Arora 39/3, Civil Rawat 39/2)
Annapurna Club: 140 (Gurpreet Singh 58,
Abhijeet Banerjee 33; Apoorv Gupta 3/22,
Rohit Yadav 2/41, Arbaz Ahmed 2/17
SDS Academy: 189 (Akarsh Gupta 40,
Somen Mananti 44, Swabhimaan Singh 37;
Akshat Aghinotri 32/5, Shivam Misha
18/2)
SCA: 103 (Abhishek Meena 20, Saurabh
Mishra 21, Akshat Aghinotri 19; Sonu
Prajapati 26/3, Akarsh Gupta 8/2, Santosh
Roshan 23/2, Ankur Srivastava 16/2)
IPRK CLUB: 82 (Prabal Sharma 36;
Harshil Sharma 9/3, Atul Garhwal 20/2,
Utkarsh Tiwari 9/2)
Sherwood Club: 83 (Prakash Giri 37,
Akash Srivastava 11; Abhishek Banerjee
Director (Sports) RP Singh with hockey players on the occasion of Olympic Day Celebration on Thursday. A
match was organised between KD Singh Trainees A and KD Singh Trainees B, which the former won.
15/3, Gopal Singh 19/2)
YCC: 66 (Anurag Tiwari 15; Jitendra Singh
7/3, Parth Patel 7/2, Amber Zaidi 7/2)
Excer’s Club: 65 (Jitendra Singh 31, Parth
Patel 27; Virat Singh 23/1).
vivacity 16
LUCKNOW | FRIDAY | JUNE 24, 2016
Akshay can't
wait for Akira
AKSHAY KUMAR has lauded
actress Sonakshi Sinha for her
upcoming film Akira. He says he
cannot wait to watch the film, in
which the actress will be seen
performing martial arts.
“All power to Sonakshi for pushing
boundaries... Directors see
you for all your worth.
Can't wait for this,” he
said. Akshay, has
shared screen space
with Sonakshi in
films like Rowdy
Rathore,
Holiday: A
Soldier Is
Never Off Duty
and Once Upon
ay Time in
Mumbai
Dobaara!.
Directed by AR
Murugadoss,
Akira will be
releasing on
September 2.
Akira will be the
actress' second
film with
Murugadoss after
Holiday: A Soldier
Is Never Off Duty.
The film also
features Shatrughan
Sinha.
Everything is
becoming
smaller and I
feel the future
of cinema is
internet movies.
The two-andhalf-hour film
culture is not the future
and the sooner we
catch that, we won't be
lagging behind
—KANGANA RANAUT
KARAN
HARIHARAN, 23,
son of Hariharan
will be seen in
Abhishek
Jawkar’s
investigative
thriller Missing on a Weekend .
His character Laksh required a
robust look. Said Karan, “I went on
a no-salt diet combined with a high
protein intake. I am following this
since last June and we began
shooting in August 2015.”
heatre is the most powerful
form of art that acts like the
mirror of socio, political and
cultural scenario of the society. In
India, theatre has been presented
in various styles ranging from
mythology, fables to folk tales. As
it is meant to cater the masses, theater has been presented in various
languages — regional, Hindi and
English. Hindi and regional plays
have always remained popular,
simply because of being easily
understandable by the audience.
But if we talk of English theatre in
India it dates back to 18th century and began with a purpose of
entertaining the British rulers in the
country. And with English being
the language of elites and educated class, the theatre also remained
confined to a limited number of
people. The scenario changed in
the 80s and early 90s when some
original English script started coming up and became popular among
people. Though most of them
were either comedies or dealing
with lighter subjects leaving apart
few based on serious issues.
Thus in general Indian
theatre always suffered with
the scarcity of original English content. Today except a few like
Mahesh Dattani and Manjula
Padmanabhan or Neel Chaudhuri,
artistic director of The Tadpole
Repertory, Mumbai, very few directors are coming up with original
ideas. Most of them are staging
plays based on stories of western
writers like Shakespeare or Charles
Dickens et al. “Be it any form of art,
the main perspective is its ability to
reach the audience. And the main
hurdle which playwrights in
English encounter is that of language. For most of people if the
subject is Indian then the dialogues
in English do not sound convincing to them. In 2010 we did a play
called Tale of the Taj in the capital,
with the original script in English.
But most people complained that
it would be more appealing if we
would have seen it in Urdu or
Hindi. Despite of this, we come
across some good plays once in a
T
Theatre in India has undergone
strategic changes but when it
comes to original English drama,
the scenario remains almost the
same and there is not much
appreciable growth in it. ILA
SANKRITYAYAN speaks to the
playwrights about innovative ideas
in the same and its popularity as
compared to Hindi theatre
while like in 2015 Niti Phool’s The
Undoing got a good response. So we
do have a modest number of
remarkable English content but as
compared to Hindi it is very less,
almost negligible,” said M Sayeed
Alam, director of Pierrot’s Troupe.
Agreed director Rakesh
Palisetty and added, “English theatre even today is not as popular as
Hindi plays in the country owing
to the language barrier. But in metropolitan cities like Delhi, Mumbai
and Bangalore it is gaining popularity. There are many production
houses that perform in English. For
example the Akshara Theatre in
Delhi or The Hive, Mumbai have
made theatre more accessible for
actors and directors alike to experiment with. An original play takes
a lot of effort and talent to showcase, especially in cities where the
arts are striving on very little sup-
ENGLISH
THEATRE EVEN
TODAY IS NOT
AS POPULAR AS
HINDI PLAYS IN
THE COUNTRY
OWING TO THE
LANGUAGE
BARRIER. BUT IN
METROPOLITAN
CITIES IT IS
GAINING
POPULARITY
port be it in Hindi or English. And
hence it is always good to have
more affordable theatre spaces, so
directors can put up what they want
to without getting encumbered by
the thought of making money. Also
the audiences are evolving. They
are starting to appreciate original
works, but it is still not very popular. But directors turn to scripts
that are there and then adapting
them to their tastes.”
He goes on, “Some directors do
write their own scripts but it does
take a lot of time and effort.
Sometimes it takes a year to write
a script and not much monetary
gain at the end of the process. And
well Bollywood and the popular
culture prevalent in the country are
dumbing down audiences. Now all
they want is a quick laugh and
entertainment and that is what
directors are giving them. I believe
the younger directors are getting
bold and experimental and are
coming up with original material.
And slowly, hopefully, more original material will be put up in the
country, be it Hindi or English.”
According to director Shomik
Ray, who is coming up with a
Victorian era drawing room plays
used to be performed earlier in the
drawing rooms of the houses to
entertain guests. He is planning to
do it in a small area in front of 1520 people. “It will be based on two
or three short stories of Anton
Chekhov,” he revealed. Thus the
new age directors are focusing
more on adaptations rather than
original stories as it is difficult to
comprehend. Ray emphasised,
“Even if scripts are coming they are
either rom-coms or meant for
commercial purposes. But very rare
serious work is happening.”
Heartbreak on the racetrack
t the Audi Sport Arena they
had already started to pour out
A
the champagne. The Indian press
‘Did okay while
under microscope’
KATE BOSWORTH, who landed her
first role when she was all of 15,
thinks she did “okay” while
growing up in the public eye.
Bosworth, now 33, gained fame
with movie Blue Crush in 2002
when she was 19.
“I think I did okay
growing up. If I were to
give myself a grade, I
think I did pretty well,
because it's a wild
world, this whole
thing of being under
a microscope,”
shared Kate
“We didn't have
Instagram or
Twitter in my early
20s, but you
could Google and
look at things
online and be
scrutinised, and
that's a really
bizarre place to be,
because I grew up in
a small town, I didn't
really have any
armour to shield
myself,” she said.
“So I think that when
you're just a sensitive
young kid in the world
trying to figure it out,
you're just dodging
bullets and hoping
you don't get hit in
an artery.”
A long
way to go
Not much change is found in
the perspective of playwright and
director Sohaila Kapur, “I perfectly agree that not much original
English theatre being staged due to
language barrier. As English still is
the language of urban middle class
living in metropolitans. But what
about other states like Uttar
Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya
Pradesh; here masses enjoy Hindi
theater mainly. They can relate with
it and forms an affinity being
mother tongue. So what will motivate script writers to pen down
original thoughts in English.”
Khilona group’s founder director VK shared further, “Original
English theatre is mainly happening in Bangalore, Mumbai and
Chennai. But there also most of
them are doing adaptations except
few groups like Yatri in Mumbai.
They are either interested in Hindi
or regional languages when it
comes to framing original ideas.
And few of the groups who have
started doing English plays in the
capital are mainly doing it for monetary gains.”
However Chandigarh based
Neelam Mansingh Chowdhry feels
that the problem of original concepts is not only in English but
Hindi as well, though the concern is more for the former.
“There are good English content
that we can come across. For
example Rajat Kapoor is really
doing a great job. And as far
originality is concerned even in
Hindi we can see lot of adaptations.”
On the other hand director
Rama Pandey said, “Only 35 per
cent original English contents
being produced in the country.”
Mahesh Dattani feels that
originality is not the problem
with writers but with directors.
“Writers have original ideas but
directors are reluctant to take
them. They want to rely on classics and tested materials. So it’s
not the paucity of content that
matters but rather the area of
concern is directors’ perspective
towards novel ideas,” he said.
KUSHAN MITRA
corps, guests of Audi were on the
balcony which overlooked the pit
entrance at the infamous Circuit Du
Sarthe awaiting the leading cars to
come past. Your writer waited
inside the huge temporary hall
where he was watching the secondto-last lap on the giant screen
when he noticed something did not
look right. The leading Toyota
TS50 hybrid racecar, #5 being driven by Kazuki Nakajima had suddenly slowed down on the long
Mulsanne straight.
Was there a reason for the slowdown? Was the leading Toyota
waiting for the #6 Toyota which was
running third for a photo-opportunity? After all, after a decade and
a half of trying, Toyota was finally
winning this, the most prestigious
of races, the ultimate certification
of reliability. A race that in 24 hours
covers more kilometers than a
whole season of Formula 1 — the
leading cars cover over 5,000 kilometers. Each car with three drivers
even pushes these men and couple of women to the limit. Drivers,
engineers, mechanics, managers
and even fans and the media have
barely slept over the past day and
a half. Why was the Toyota slowing down after 1437 minutes of a
race that takes 1440 minutes.
It was not for the other Toyota,
which given the 13.6 kilometer
length of the circuit was actually
ahead of the #5 Toyota on the
track. The #2 Porsche which barely fifteen minutes ago was almost
a minute behind the lead Toyota
was catching up fast. The Porsche
driven by Swiss driver Neel Jani
was blitzing the lap, knocking thirty seconds off Nakajima’s Toyota
in the second sector alone.
Something was wrong with
Nakajima’s car.
By now, the rest of the media
and the guests from the balcony
had rushed in, our sleep-deprived
minds scarcely able to comprehend what was going on. The
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is rightly described the greatest race in the
world. But the 84th running of this amazing event threw up some last
minute drama that no scriptwriter could dream of
Consistent Success: The number 8 Audi won an 18th consecutive podium for the German carmaker.
commentators were confused, the
fans were confused but the fact
was that the #2 Porsche swept past
the #5 Toyota with two minutes of
the race to go And then the #5
Toyota lost power altogether, on
the start-finish line. In full public
view of over 150,000 people
crowding the grandstands. There
was insanity on the race radios,
commentators were ballistic in
French, Spanish, English, Japanese
and several other languages.
This has been a crazy, long
and often insane race over the
years with unbearable tragedy
and amazing competitive storylines but never like this. Never has
the leading car come to a stop so
late in the race. Never has the lead
car failed to be classified because
of what can only be described as
a last-minute mechanical failure as
Nakajima spoke that he had “no
power”. Hev managed to get the
car going again, but because he
could not complete a lap in the
stipulated six minutes
Even at Audi, whose #8 car
somehow managed to finish on
the podium, another beneficiary
of Toyota’s amazing collapse; the
#2 Porsche driven by Jani, Marc
Lieb and Romain Dumas took the
Snatched at the end
top-step. The #6 Toyota salvaged
something for the Japanese team,
yet after years of trying and coming second, first to Peugeot for
many years then to Audi’s amazing run of wins through the past
decade and now Porsche since last
year, Toyota just can’t catch a
break. Audi Sport whose much
redeveloped R18 hybrid racecar
has tasted some success at some
other endurance races this year
(albeit other endurance races are
‘only’ six hours long) managed to
continue a run of podium finishes in the top Le mans Prototype 1
class that goes back to 1999.
Jani, whose father is a Sindhi
originally from Mumbai, won the
race for the first time. However,
his former colleague at the Red
Bull racing academy Sebastien
Buemi, Nakajima’s co-driver on
the #5 Toyota was left rueing his
luck as was another ex-F1 driver
Anthony Davidson. Even as the
chequered flag fell down, mark
Webber, driver of the #1 Porsche
as well as Audi Motorsport boss
Wolfgang Ullrich were rushing
over to Toyota to commiserate.
But there was not much to say,
Hughes de Chaunac, the
Frenchman who runs Toyota’s
motorsports team was visibly crying along with several of the
mechanics.
The faces of the Japanese
Toyota executives was stoic, the
same stoicism one seems when a
Japanese business executive apologises for a grave error. But this was
no fault of theirs, this was heartbreaking for everyone who watching. Even at the Audi Arena, the
champagne glasses were put down,
even though an eighteenth consecutive podium had been achieved.
Other automotive writers, including those who had were shaking
their heads in disbelief. Two hours
later, when four-time Formula 1
world champion Sebastian Vettel
asked about the race result after finishing second at the F1 race in Baku
he was stunned enough to blurt out
a cussword when he found out what
happened. Even Formula 1 drivers
realise that the 24 Hours of Le Mans
is the greatest race.
But there are no prizes for second place, or forty-fifth where the
#5 Toyota was finally classified. But
there were prizes for America, as
Ford won first place in the Grand
Touring category with the Ford GT
leading to an exhilarated Bill Ford
who was jumping up and down.
Ford’s famous GT40 had made its
mark against the Porsches and
Ferraris in the 1960’s and now 50
years later, Ford had returned
triumphantly albeit controversially, with several issues for both
Ford and Ferrari.
But this race will always be
known as the race Toyota did not
win. While the trophy will have
the name of a Sindhi boy who
delivered Stuttgart-based Porsche
their 18th overall win at Le Mans,
this race will always be about the
car that did not win.
The the 2016 Le Mans will be
remembered as Toyota’s race. But
as the shuttle driver mentioned as
we headed back, “It is the 24 hours
of Le Mans, not 23 hours 57 minutes, you have to be reliable for 24
hours and sadly the Toyota was
not.” He is right on that, but it is
thanks to this last minute heartbreak that this race will always
remain the greatest race in the
world.