Bracing for a Rapid Surge in Cases: Govt

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Three civilians killed Our godowns have Boris Johnson leaves Banish 'self-centredness', in Pakistan shelling enough foodgrains for hospital, thanks NHS Pope tells the world as it in north Kashmir nine months: Paswan for saving his life !ghts pandemic page 8 page 10 page 12 page 12 Printed at . Chennai . Coimbatore . Bengaluru . Hyderabad . Madurai . Noida . Visakhapatnam . Thiruvananthapuram . Kochi . Vijayawada . Mangaluru . Tiruchirapalli . Kolkata . Hubballi . Mohali . Malappuram . Mumbai . Tirupati . lucknow . cuttack . patna NEARBY Bracing for a rapid surge in cases: govt. Death toll touches 273 nationwide, with 127 in Maharashtra; Kerala bucks trend with only two new cases Bindu Shajan Perappadan past "ve days, on an average, NEW DELHI 15,747 samples were tested With the nationwide death per day,” the o!cial added. 'Govt. to absorb testing toll from COVID-19 touching He said that while 40-plus cost in private labs' 273 and the number of posi- COVID-19 vaccines were un- CHENNAI tive cases reaching 8,447 on der consideration across the The government would Sunday, the Union Health Mi- world, none had moved to Duty !rst: ASI Harjit Singh being shifted to a government coordinate with private nistry said India is preparing the testing phase. hospital in Patiala on Sunday. * PTI laboratories to provide for a possible exponential On the resurgence of cas- testing for COVID-19 infection and would also surge in cases. es in countries such as Chi- absorb the cost of testing in “We would rather be over- na, Mr. Agarwal said, “This is 11 held for chopping private facilities, said Health cautious and over-pre- a new virus and there is Secretary Beela Rajesh. pared,” a Ministry o!cial much that we are still learn- TAMIL NADUĪ PAGE 2 said while admitting that the ing about it. We have taken o# policeman’s hand DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD recent resurgence in CO- this new development into VID-19 cases in some coun- account and are taking se- Attackers !ushed out of gurdwara tries was a matter of rious note of it.” concern. SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT “The accused included According to data re- Boost to primary care CHANDIGARH the "ve persons involved in leased by the Ministry, the “We are now focussing on in- Eleven persons were arrest- the attack on the police country registered as many creasing the capacity of ed on Sunday for an attack team posted at the vegetable as 909 new cases and 34 primary medical infrastruc- on a police party by a group market in Sanaur early on deaths since Saturday even- ture which includes dedicat- of Nihangs, a Sikh warrior Sunday morning. They had Case against patient for ing. The fatalities included 17 ed hospitals, isolation beds, sect, at a vegetable market crashed through a series of throwing mask at doctor from Maharashtra, "ve from ICU beds, and quarantine fa- in Punjab’s Patiala. barricades and attacked the TIRUCHI cilities, he said. The hand of assistant sub- police personnel who in- The police have registered a “Currently the require- inspector Harjit Singh was quired about their curfew case under various Sections ment of beds for 8,356 cases severed with a sword in the passes,” Director General of of the IPC, including attempt is estimated to be 1,671 (20% attack that followed when Police Dinkar Gupta said. to murder, against a Delhi and three each from that plans were under way to Kerala, however, saw 36 as well as private medical of con"rmed cases with the Nihangs were asked for Baba Balwinder Singh, COVID-19 patient here after Gujarat and Madhya Pra- ease some curbs during the more patients cured of the institutions. moderate and severe/critical curfew passes, the police the Nihang head, who had he allegedly threw a mask at desh. As many as 716 per- likely extension of the disease, adding only two “The government is extra clinical symptoms), the pre- said. come to the market in a veh- a doctor in a !t of rage. sons have been cured/dis- lockdown. positive cases. A total of 179 prepared if the number of sent availability of beds is icle with four other persons, TAMIL NADU Ī PAGE 2 charged after treatment. According to reports from persons have been dis- cases rises exponentially,” 1,05,980 in 601 dedicated De!ed lockdown was the main perpetrator of DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD Amid demands for ramp- the State Health Depart- charged in the State, with on- the o!cial said. COVID-19 hospitals across The accused, including a the attack, Mr. Gupta said. Chennai Corpn. to collect ing up health surveillance, ments, the total number of ly two deaths reported so far. “Fourteen mentor insti- the country. The number of woman, were later arrested “The operation followed 1,000 samples a day the Centre said it is expand- cases stood at 9,205, with tutes, including the AIIMS isolation beds in dedicated in an operation led by In- a stand-o# for several hours CHENNAI ing the COVID-19 testing ca- 7,880 active ones. The death More testing facilities and NIMHANS, have been hospitals across the country spector General of Police and many rounds of appeals From Wednesday, the pacity in State-run as well as toll was was 332. Addressing the daily press identi"ed to mentor the is being further augmented,” (Patiala Range) Jatinder Au- and negotiations led by the Chennai Corporation will private medical colleges. Maharahstra recorded 149 brie"ng, Joint Secretary in medical colleges and expand he added. lakh and Patiala’s Senior Su- Patiala SSP with Balwinder collect at least 1,000 samples a day for COVID-19 The Centre’s proposals deaths, with 1,625 active cas- the Health Ministry Lav testing capacity,” he added. perintendent of Police Man- Singh to surrender with testing. So far, it has only came even as a Punjab police es, while Tamil Nadu record- Agarwal said that with the An Indian Council of Med- CONTINUED ON Ī PAGE 8 deep Sidhu after they their weapons and swords. been monitoring residents on o!cer’s hand was chopped ed 1,014 active cases, with 11 average rate of over 4% ical Research (ICMR) o!cial MORE REPORTS ON Ī PAGES 2,3, 4, escaped into the Nihang De- But the Nihangs refused to a daily basis. o# in a brutal attack on a deaths. Delhi had 1,104 ac- growth in cases recently, the said more than 1,86,906 5, 8, 9, 10 & 11 ra complex in Balbera, surrender,” he added. EUROPE TOLL CROSSES 75,000 ON CHENNAI Ī PAGE 3 team enforcing lockdown tive cases as the toll in the na- government is expanding samples had been tested which also houses Khichdi DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD restrictions amid reports tional capital climbed to 24. testing capacity in State-run across the country. “In the GRIM EASTER DAY Ī PAGE 12 Sahib Gurdwara. CONTINUED ON Ī PAGE 8 CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC Pandemic impact: !rst batch Troubled waters India talking to U.S. over of Rafales likely to "y in late visa sanctions Suhasini Haidar France severely hit by rising infections and death toll NEW DELHI The government is “en- Dinakar Peri of now due to the lockdown delay,” the two sources sepa- gaged” in talks with the NEW DELHI and restrictions on $ights rately stated. U.S. administration to re- The arrival of the "rst batch imposed by India,” a de- “Taking in the delay due consider President Donald of Rafale "ghter jets for the fence source told The Hindu to the lockdown in France, Trump’s orders to impose Indian Air Force is likely to on condition of anonymity. followed by any restrictions visa sanctions on countries be delayed by around three on $ights and personnel that don’t take back illegal months due to the COVID-19 ‘No clear timeframe’ coming from Europe im- “aliens” in the U.S. within a pandemic, as France battles In addition, the lockdown posed by India, we could be week. In particular, the or- rising infections and deaths, restrictions are ex- looking at July[for the arrival der clashed with New Del- and continuing lockdown pected to continue of the aircraft],” the "rst hi’s decision to restrict all restrictions, which have also in France at least source stated, adding that passengers, including In- impacted the training sche- till the end of April the timeframe was not clear dian citizens from any oth- dule, defence sources said. due to severity of yet. er country, owing to the co- “In mid-March there were the outbreak. In October 2019, on a visit ronavirus pandemic. 8-9 weeks of training left be- “So, it is only to France for the second In- If Washington refuses to fore the "rst major group obvious dia-France ministerial-level relent on its seven-day dea- could move to India for that we ex- annual defence dialogue, dline, or New Delhi refuses starting operations here. pect corres- Defence Minister Rajnath to lift the ban on incoming Some logistic support ponding Singh took formal delivery travel within the week, In- equipment and test of the "rst Rafale jet built for dians could face a major equipment the IAF at the Dassault Avia- cut in U.S. visas granted were also to tion’s facility in Merignac. this year. be $own to The jets were scheduled to “We have been engaged Ambala be- arrive in India by May 2020. Supply chain: Vendors unloading vegetables and other items, transported via a boat from Saran district amid the nationwide with the U.S. government ginning lockdown, in Patna, Bihar, on Sunday. The State has reported 64 cases of COVID-19 till date. * PTI on resuming these depor- April, which is postponed as CONTINUED ON Ī PAGE 8 CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC tation-related travels at the earliest opportunity,” government sources told The Hindu, when asked about the logjam over the U.S. One more death, 106 fresh President’s memorandum. In lockdown, the big top collapses “Like all incoming international travel, the depor- Members of an Pradesh. As the manager of positive cases in Tamil Nadu tation of illegal immigrants a "ve-member women’s to India has also been af- old Bengal circus squad who came from fected by the lockdown are stranded Kushinagar, she must care 16 persons had travel history, 90 contracted the infection and COVID-19-related tra- for the entire group. vel restrictions,” the sourc- Suvojit Bagchi “The girls are desperate Special Correspondent tive for COVID-19 infection. es explained, adding that Kolkata to go back as it is painfully CHENNAI Both had been infected after India had been cooperat- Madhusudan Ghosh had di!cult to stay in this open One more person lost her they came into contact with ing with the U.S. to repa- built a career around his area, with no income,” she life to COVID-19 infection on people who tested positive triate illegal Indian nation- ability to make audiences said. Sunday, taking the total for COVID-19, she said. als from the U.S. as it is the laugh in Empire Circus, but The performers, from number of deaths in Tamil government’s policy “not when asked if he is coping Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar Nadu to 11. The number of Two large clusters to encourage illegal immi- well in these di!cult times, Show stopped: The performers have been managing with and West Bengal earn bet- positive cases recorded on The new infections were gration to any country”. he broke down. “No I am food donations from a local panchayat. * SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT ween ₹10,000 and ₹20,000, Sunday was 106. found in two large clusters — According to the Depart- not, none of us are,” the 65- based on their roles. The 45-year-old woman, one in Chennai and the oth- ment of Homeland Securi- year-old ‘joker’ at one of the lockdown. “Our tent was next block, but it all The performers and their who was admitted to the Go- er in Coimbatore. ty’s 2018 survey, Indians oldest circuses in Bengal dismantled. We are under stopped midway. The own- manager praised local pan- vernment Omandurar Multi- A worker spraying A cluster of 22 persons, all constitute one of the lar- said. the sky and the day before, er left after paying “some chayat chief Farid Jamad Super Speciality Hospital disinfectant inside a 108 from Coimbatore, had tested gest groups of illegal aliens Mr. Ghosh and 41 others when the storm hit us, we money.” and Block Development Of- around 11 a.m. on April 5, de- ambulance on Sunday. positive. Of these, two were in the U.S., numbering an have sought refuge in a were scared,” he explained. “I cannot send any mo- "cer of Haroa Dipankar Das veloped breathlessness and * B. JOTHI RAMALINGAM the primary source of infec- estimated 4,70,000 who large rectangular "eld in It has rained frequently in ney home now and the fa- for arranging food twice died at 7 p.m. on Saturday, tion and 20 others came in had entered by 2015. Haroa block of North 24 Pa- parts of the State, making mily is in deep trouble,” daily. according to a bulletin. history, as many as 90 of contact with them. However, the Trump ad- raganas, about 50 km from life more di!cult for 42 per- said Mr. Ghosh, who has Mr. Ghosh has a son Health Secretary Beela them had contracted the in- In Chennai of the 18 new ministration has pushed Kolkata. Empire Circus has formers of Empire Circus. three sons doing odd jobs. working with the troupe. A Rajesh told mediapersons fection by coming in contact positive infections, four for India to tighten its con- been running for 40 years The circus was supposed decision to lift the lockdown that as many as 106 new pos- with them. were identi"ed as primary trols on emigration, and but never witnessed a ca- to perform twice a day bet- Helpless women for three days could help all itive cases were reported in Of the 49 persons who infection and 14 others had accept more deportations lamity like this, said Mr. ween February 25 and Things are even more di!- return safely. “I appeal to the State, taking the total had shown symptoms of sev- been in contact with them. in the past few years. Ghosh, on the COVID-19 March 25 and move to the cult for Raj Kumari of Uttar the government,” he said. number of cases to 1,075. ere acute respiratory infec- While 16 of them had travel tion (SARI), two tested posi- CONTINUED ON Ī PAGE 2 CONTINUED ON Ī PAGE 8 CM A CH-CHE YK

FROM PAGE ONE ‘Avoid social Stop direct distribution Directorate of Public Health One more gatherings like death, 106 says ‘no’ to disinfection tunnels leaders’ birth of relief material: govt. anniversaries’ fresh cases ‘Spraying of disinfectants on humans ine"ective, harmful’ ‘Any assistance should be routed through authorities’ While two persons tested Special Correspondent positive (one primary) in special correspondent stress on hand hygiene and CHENNAI Special Correspondent Chengalpattu; four per- chennai regular disinfection of sur- As long as the COVID-19 CHENNAI sons who contracted the Calling into question the ef- faces as precautionary mea- lockdown is in place, the The Tamil Nadu government infection had been identi- !cacy of sanitisation tun- sures, not only for COVID-19 general public must on Sunday warned against !ed in Cuddalore. nels, the Directorate of Pu- but also for H1N1 in"uenza avoid taking part in social the distribution of food One person who came blic Health (DPH) has said for many years now. gatherings like the birth packets and other essentials into contact with an infect- no such tunnels should be In fact, it has shared the anniversaries of B.R. Am- by individuals, organisations ed person tested positive in installed in Tamil Nadu. World Health Organisation’s bedkar and Dheeran and political parties to the Dindigul and four others With disinfection tunnels myth-buster with its o$- Chinnamalai on April 14 needy, contending that such tested positive in Erode. being set up in public places cials: Can spraying alcohol and 17, respectively, the acts of de!ance of the pro- Three persons who had in some parts of the State, or chlorine all over your bo- Tamil Nadu government hibitory orders amounted to been in contact with infect- K. Kolandaswamy, Director dy kill the new coronavirus? said on Sunday. The a violation of the lockdown, ed persons tested positive of Public Health, in a circu- No. Spraying alcohol or Chennai Collector alone and could lead to further in Karur, whereas four per- lar issued to all deputy di- Disinfection tunnels may chlorine all over your body will observe the occa- spread of COVID-19. sons, including three who rectors of health services on create a false sense of will not kill viruses that sions on behalf of the “If anyone is found engag- The government's statement followed media reports about had come into contact with April 11, said disinfection security, o!cials say. have already entered your State government. ing in such acts, they could individuals, organisations and political parties distributing an infected person, tested tunnels would create a false body. Spraying such sub- be considered to have violat- relief material to people in need. positive in Namakkal. sense of security and divert stances can be harmful to Minister’s advisory ed the orders, and District Six persons, including people’s attention from the clothes or mucous mem- According to an o$cial Collectors and police o$c- lockdown. These unregulat- tending to help in the e#orts two from Ranipet and four importance of handwash. places walk into the tunnels branes in the eyes and press release, the deci- ers are instructed to initiate ed activities could lead to against the spread of CO- from Salem, who came in- Going a step further, the after washing their hands. mouth. Be aware that both sion followed an advisory appropriate legal action further spread of the infec- VID-19 could do so by contri- to contact with an infected DPH said the spraying of The tunnels contain nozzles alcohol and chlorine can be from the Union Home Mi- against them,” an o$cial tion,” an o$cial release said. buting to the Chief Minister's person, had tested posi- disinfectants on human be- which spray 1% sodium hy- useful to disinfect surfaces, nister during a video- press release said, and furth- Hence, they were asked to Public Relief Fund (CMPRF). tive. One each from Tenka- ings was ine#ective and pochlorite solution on but they need to be used un- conference on Saturday, er sought cooperation from avoid direct distribution of In case they intended to si and Tiruvallur reported even harmful. them. der appropriate recommen- that all social gatherings everyone concerned. aid to those in need. contribute in kind, they positive. People visiting public The DPH has been laying dations. and public functions that “If individuals or organi- The prohibitory orders could do so to the Commis- are attended by the gen- sations or political parties imposed under Section 144 sioner of Greater Chennai eral public had to be intend to help people in of the Code of Criminal Pro- Corporation or to the Dis- cancelled. need, they could do so cedure (CrPC) as well as the trict Collectors concerned, it On the occasions of through the authorities con- Disaster Management Act said. Orders had been issued the birth anniversaries of cerned,” it said. The State were only meant to ensure to use the contributions the two leaders, the government's statement fol- that the spread of COVID-19 made in kind to feed the el- Chennai Collector alone lowed media reports about is contained by preventing derly and destitutes through will pay tribute to their individuals, organisations people from stepping out, community kitchens and statues on behalf of the and political parties distri- and to avoid crowding and provide dry rations to the State government. buting relief material to peo- ensure social distancing. Ho- poor, it noted. In case of “In view of the prohib- ple in need. wever, speci!c timings have Municipalities, contribu- itory orders, the general “The actions of some indi- been announced so that pe- tions could be made to the public are advised not to viduals, organisations and ople could get their essential Municipal Commissioners take part in these events. political parties distributing supplies, the press release concerned, and in case of Moreover, they are ad- food packets or other essen- pointed out. smaller towns and villages, vised to avoid visiting tial supplies directly, defying It also referred to orders contributions could be memorials,” the press re- the prohibitory orders, issued earlier, stating that made to the respective local lease said, urging the pu- amount to a violation of the persons or organisations in- administration authorities. blic to cooperate. IN BRIEF Stalin assails govt.’s Govt. will absorb the cost of Attempt to murder ‘dictatorial’ order testing in private laboratories case !led against on relief material 14 government labs are already o"ering it COVID-19 patient would also test samples for DMK to hold all-party R. Sujatha CHENNAI meeting on April 15 Vaiko, Alagiri also condemn move the State, Dr. Rajesh added. He threw his mask at woman doctor CHENNAI The government would coor- DMK president M.K. Stalin on Special Correspondent mocratic nation and dinate with private laborato- 8 doctors infected Special Correspondent The patient was CHENNAI TIRUCHI <> Sunday said he will convene anyone can help anyone,” ries to provide testing facili- Noting that eight doctors, in- irked over his an all-party meeting on April DMK president M.K. Stalin he said. ties for COVID-19. It would cluding four in private sector The Government Hospi- family members 15 to discuss and evaluate the on Sunday described as MDMK general secre- also absorb the cost of test- and two each in government tal police have registered being called in for dictatorial the State go- tary Vaiko also con- ing in private facilities, hospitals and government a case under various sec- approach of the State tests government and the Centre vernment’s order that indi- demned the State govern- Health Secretary Beela Ra- railway hospitals, had been tions of the Indian Penal to combating COVID-19. Mr. viduals, political parties ment’s move. “Instead of jesh has said. infected so far, she appealed Code, including attempt Stalin, who has been urging and private organisations appreciating the e#orts The Supreme Court had to the people to understand to murder, against a CO- ment with a couple of the State government to should not distribute food made by political parties, declared that private testing Beela Rajesh that healthcare workers VID-19 patient undergo- doctors. He allegedly convene an all-party meeting or relief material to people voluntary organisations centres must not charge peo- were putting their lives on ing treatment at the Ma- threw his mask at a wo- to discuss the pandemic, said a#ected by the COVID-19 and individuals, the go- ple for carrying out COVID-19 chi; IRT Perundurai and the line to treat the sick. Ac- hatma Gandhi Memorial man doctor. Taken the event would be held at pandemic. vernment has sought to tests, in order to make the Dharmapuri; the Stanley cording to her, at least !ve Government Hospital, af- aback, the doctor moved Anna Arivalayam — the DMK’s “This is vengeful — the deter them because it is tests accessible to all. But the Medical College; and the ES- nurses had also been infect- ter he allegedly threw a away, police sources headquarters. government will not do envious of the good name private sector was deeply un- IC Medical College in Coim- ed by the virus. “I appeal to mask at a woman doctor, said. anything [to help] and will earned by political parties comfortable with the idea. batore are o#ering tests. family members to maintain in a !t of rage. The doctors then re- ‘No COVID-19 cases at also prevent others from and others,” Mr. Vaiko al- The Tamil Nadu government Private institutions that social distance. Doctors de- ported the incident to Isha Foundation’ pitching in,” he said in a leged. Pointing out that the has now decided to absorb have testing facilities include cide on segregating high-risk Conference attendee hospital dean K. Vanitha, COIMBATORE statement. distribution of food and re- the costs of testing in private CMC Vellore; Apollo; Neu- patients. Even when patients Hospital and police on whose complaint a The district administration Mr. Stalin said that while lief material by individuals laboratories, thereby making burg Erlich Laboratory; have to share a room, a dis- sources said the patient, case was registered. and health authorities have it would be wrong to and political parties had testing for COVID-19 com- SRMC, Chennai; Microbiolo- tance of 10 feet between who had attended the Ta- The Government Hos- screened all those staying at crowd into a place, this not caused any problem or pletely free in the State. gy Laboratory, Coimbatore; beds is maintained. We have blighi Jamaat conference pital police have regis- the Isha Foundation, and not could be regulated by the nuisance, the MDMK lead- As of now, 14 government YRG Care, Taramani; Hi Tech made a strict rule that family in Delhi last month, re- tered a case against the a single person has tested police. “How can the go- er said on the contrary, pe- laboratories, including the Diagnostic Centre, Chennai; members should not mingle sorted to the act on Fri- patient under various positive for COVID-19, vernment mandate that ople had bene!ted from King Institute of Preventive MIOT Hospital, Chennai; and with those who have tested day, as he was irked over sections of the Indian Pe- Coimbatore Collector K. Rajamani has said. “Currently, others should not extend the gesture. Medicine and Research; the Madras Medical Mission Clin- positive,” she said. his family members be- nal Code, including 307 there are around 300 help?” he asked. Echoing his view, Tamil laboratories at the Madras ical Laboratory Services, The government would re- ing called for tests. (attempt to murder), foreigners at Isha He said no one could Nadu Congress Committee Medical College, Chennai; Chennai. ceive approval from the In- Sources said the inci- since the act of throwing Foundation, and 50% of prevent kind-hearted peo- leader K.S. Alagiri said, government medical colleg- In addition to these facili- dian Council of Medical Re- dent occurred in the the mask was construed them have been staying there ple from coming forward “This is an inhumane and es in Theni, Tirunelveli, Tiru- ties, Jipmer’s laboratory had search to start plasma morning, when the pa- as endangering the life of since before January,” he to wipe the tears of those autocratic decision. We se- varur, Salem, Coimbatore, been declared as a ‘mentor therapy in a couple of days, tient picked up an argu- the doctor. said. in distress. “This is a de- verely condemn this.” Villupuram, Madurai, Tiru- facility’ for Tamil Nadu. It she said. DPCs will Making movies in a post-pandemic world Film unions extend a procure paddy helping hand to members from farmers Stakeholders worried about interest payment, cut in !lm productions and lower footfall at cinemas Workers being needs of its members,” said Special Correspondent Udhav Naig produced national award- Prime [Video]. We will need R.K. Selvamani, FEFSI presi- CHENNAI CHENNAI winning !lms like Thanga big movies with big hype to provided !nancial dent. The State government was As the gates of cinemas re- Meenkal and Kuttram Ka- bring them back to the cine- aid, essentials To enforce physical dis- prepared to procure pad- main locked and !lming has dithal, and is leading a team mas. We are also going to see tancing norms, each union dy from farmers without stopped inde!nitely in the to contest the Tamil Film a drastic reduction in the Staff Reporter has been asked to carry out any restrictions and sell wake of the COVID-19 pan- Producers’ Council elec- number of Tamil !lm pro- CHENNAI the distribution in a phased their produce to Direct demic, the stakeholders of tions, expressed con!dence ductions,” he said. Ever since the Film Em- manner. Only around !fty Procurement Centres Kollywood — producers, ac- that the !nanciers would re- Producer G. Dhananjayan ployees’ Federation of members have been asked (DPCs), Food Minister R. tors, daily-wage labourers lent and waive the interest felt the number of !lms pro- South India (FEFSI) an- to come to the union o$ces, Kamaraj said on Sunday. and technicians — are won- on loans taken by the duced in Tamil will fall by at nounced a break in !lm every day in the morning, He also warned of strong dering what the future holds producers. least 20%. “The number of shoots from March 19 as for collecting the aid. action against for their industry and wheth- !lms produced in a year will part of its measures to pre- Supreme Sundar of the middlemen. er there would be a return to Pay cut reduce by 20% for sure. Peo- vent the spread of COVID-19, South Indian Cine Stunt Di- In a statement, Mr. normal in a post-COVID-19 Mr. Kumar said highly-paid ple may think that going to it has been mobilising funds rectors’ and Stunt Artistes’ Kamaraj said a total of world. actors, directors and techni- the cinema is a risk, notwith- from the industry to help Union said that they had 1,508 DPCs had been While various stakehol- cians should take a 30% pay standing any precautionary members of various unions, identi!ed members in need opened to procure paddy ders are hoping for a quick Show stops: People may think that going to the cinema is a cut for the !lms that are cur- measures they may take. Ci- who are dependent on daily and they were given !nan- to the tune of 15.7 lakh me- end to the pandemic so that risk, notwithstanding precautionary measures, producers say. rently stuck in the produc- nemas may need to imple- wages from the shoots. cial assistance as well as es- tric tonnes from farmers they could get on with the tion stage. ment very strict safety mea- The federation encom- sentials. “Besides, our un- till April 10 this year. !lm business, many feel the When asked if a waiver of Let the cinemas open !rst,” “We also want the govern- sures,” said Mr. passes 23 di#erent unions ion too has been providing A total of 725 DPCs, in- industry ought to contem- interest for the months of Mr. Subramaniam said. ment to do away with the lo- Dhananjayan, who recently and has around 25,000 essentials to our members. cluding 346 in the delta plate several issues — waiver March and April was possi- Producers say the lack of cal body tax, reduce GST released a video listing the members. Initially, it ap- We are not sure when !lm districts, have been oper- of interest on debt, reduc- ble, Tiruppur Subramaniam, clarity on interest payments rates and roll back the TDS,” possible steps that cinemas pealed to the big stars of the shoots will resume and we ating, the Minister said. tion of !lm stars’ salaries and a prominent !nancier and could prove to be a problem he said, adding that “it will could take, including tem- industry to come forward need to ensure that our “As per the instructions of the number of productions, exhibitor in the State, said a once !lms start hitting the take at least a year” for the perature screening, ensuring and donate to help its mem- members have support,” he the Chief Minister, the and hygiene improvement in decision would be taken only screens by the dozen every !lm industry to return to bu- social distancing inside the bers. “Based on the dona- said. State government is pre- cinemas. after the cinemas reopen. weekend. Many say that siness as usual. halls and making the wear- tions received, we have Actors Rajinikanth, Ajith, pared to procure paddy The producers have ap- “This is not the time to when normalcy is restored, “People may not visit the ing of masks mandatory for been giving each union a Suriya, Karthi, Dhanush, Si- from farmers in all dis- pealed to the !nanciers to talk about this. We have to several !lms may !nd them- cinemas as they may be patrons. He said people will share of the !nancial aid vakarthikeyan, Vijay Sethu- tricts without any restric- waive the interest payable on overcome the coronavirus selves stuck in a !nancial scared. They are also getting come to cinemas only if they and rice bags. Unions have pathi and Nayanthara are tions,” Mr. Kamaraj ad- their loans during the lock- pandemic, and then sit down mess. used to watching new !lms are o#ered a “theatrical ex- been instructed to handle among those who have con- ded. down period. and talk [about this issue]. J. Satish Kumar, who has on Net"ix and Amazon perience”. the distribution based on tributed to FEFSI.

CM A CH-CHE YK

Timings 8 Indonesian CHENNAI Corpn. to begin collecting samples Tra!c policemen MONDAY, APR. 13 nationals RISE 05:58 SET 18:22 RISE 23:48 SET 10:30 given face shields arrested TUESDAY, APR. 14 from residents on Wednesday RISE 05:57 SET 18:22 Special Correspondent RISE 00:00 SET 11:26 They’re good but for moisture build CHENNAI WEDNESDAY, APR. 15 up while breathing, say personnel The Madurantakam police RISE 05:57 SET 18:22 So far, the civic body has only collected data on symptoms of COVID-19 have arrested and remand- RISE 00:41 SET 12:20 Special Correspondent sons are being followed up. ed eight Indonesian na- CHENNAI But still, all the 3,036 per- tionals, including four wo- Starting Wednesday, the sons are in our radar," said men, under the Foreigners Chennai Corporation will be Mr. Prakash. Act on charges of violating collecting at least 1,000 sam- The Corporation on Sun- visa rules. All of them have ples a day for COVID-19 test- day collected 36 samples tested negative for ing from residents. from ward 116, of Teynampet COVID-19. So far, the Corporation zone, on Besant Road. As According to police, the has only collected data on many as !ve samples were eight persons — Nuramin, symptoms of COVID-19 and collected at a centre on Noor 38, Sukaliat, 47, Ahmad has been monitoring the re- Veeraswamy Street, Nun- Haidlorillah Abdul Hahan, sidents on a daily basis. gambakkam. 52, Abdul Sahlan, 58, Tu- As many as 3,036 resi- mini, 56, Tis Atul Mukarro- dents have reported symp- Dry ration mah, 45, Tika, 44, and Ani- toms in the 15 zones of the ci- The Corporation has been ta Kurniasih, 36, — arrived ty. As many as 18.63 lakh distributing dry ration for la- A tra!c police constable wearing a face shield at Ambattur in Delhi on March 3. households have been co- bourers from other States, on Sunday. * B. JOTHI RAMALINGAM Police claim that they at- vered in its door-to-door sur- working in construction sites tended a conference and vey every day. here. Vivek Narayanan shied. This will protect the left for Chennai. They ar- Currently, sample collec- “The builders have the CHENNAI entire face,” he said. rived in Chennai on March tion is being done only for responsibility of providing The tra"c policemen in The law and order and 21 and on the same day residents of containment A painting drawn on the road at Nandanam by the police to food and shelter to the la- Chennai were provided with other policemen who are on they reached Maduranta- zones and hotspot clusters in create awareness about COVID-19 . * R. RAGU bourers. But many builders face shields on Sunday so duty will also be provided kam. “They stayed in a the city. “We have now set have not provided them that they do not contract with similar protection gear mosque in the town and 0 up sample collection centres ed,” said Mr. Prakash. ry doable," said Mr. Prakash. food. There are more than COVID-19 infection while in the coming days. were involved in religious DISCLAIMER: Readers are requested to at 11 locations. We will set up “The persons will be ta- Updating the door-to- one lakh labourers in con- performing duty. activities,” said a police of- verify and make appropriate enquiries to satisfy themselves about the veracity of 15 more in two days. Once ken to our collection centres door survey for COVID-19 struction sites in the city. Thousands of police per- !cer. an advertisement before responding to any published in this newspaper. THG we are armed with that, we for sampling. It is not possi- symptoms, he said the pene- The data on such sites will be sonnel in Chennai and On April 5, the district PUBLISHING PVT LTD., the Publisher & Owner of this newspaper, does not vouch will be going for sampling. ble for collection of samples tration was almost 93% in re- sent to Labour Department across the State have been Police personnel wel- o"cials came to know for the authenticity of any advertisement or advertiser or for any of the advertiser’s The samples will not be col- en masse. The work will start sidential localities in the 15 o"cials,” said an o"cial. toiling day and night to en- comed the move. “It pro- about the Indonesians stay- products and/or services. In no event can the Owner, Publisher, Printer, Editor, Dir- lected from all residents. in three days. It will not be zones. “Till now, 3,036 per- Civic o"cials and #ying sure that everyone follows vides a feeling of safety. We ing there. With the help of ector/s, Employees of this newspaper/ company be held responsible/liable in They will be taken as per done all at once. Samples of sons, with all types of symp- squads will monitor the dis- the prohibitory orders. Ma- have to go close to motorists a transalator, they ques- any manner whatsoever for any claims and/or damages for advertisements in medical observations, as our 50 persons will be collected toms, have been picked up, tribution of relief materials ny have also been given the while taking their details. If tioned them. They were this newspaper. resources cannot be wast- per centre in a day. That’s ve- and 2,261 ruled out. 775 per- in the city. task of ensuring social dis- he/she is a carrier, we will subjected to COVID-19 tests tancing at ration shops and be prone to infection,” said by health o"cials and other places where people a police o"cer from Ambat- placed under home qua- gather in large numbers. tur. However, some com- rantine. According to A. Arun, Ad- plained of moisture build up After they tested nega- NCLT allows Corporation to take over city hospital ditional Commissioner, on the shield when they tive for COVID-19, the Mad- Tra"c, the shields have breath through the mask. urantakam police arrested The facility is its infrastructure for CO- <> The hospital has Chennai Corporation said further liability/expenditure been provided to around “It would be better if we them and remanded them VID-19 treatment. su!cient beds and the Tamil Nadu government on the part of the liquidator, 2,000 tra"c policemen. just wear the shield alone. in judicial custody. “Des- closed and under In an unprecedented sit- infrastructure to had directed it to search for including charges such as “They have to wear the nor- But I am not sure if it would pite knowing that Section liquidation ting on Sunday, the Bench conduct tests and suitable hospitals to conduct electricity, water usage, mal mask and cover their be safe enough. The visibili- 144 was in place, they were passed on an order on an ap- tests and treat people diag- cleaning, sanitation and re- nose and mouth. On top of ty is a$ected due to the involved in religious activi- o"er treatment Sanjay Vijayakumar plication !led by the Greater nosed with COVID-19. It iden- pair and maintenance, it, they have to wear the moisture,” added an o"cial. ties,” said an o"cer. CHENNAI Chennai Corporation. Chennai Corporation ti!ed Santosh Hospitals for among others,” the NCLT The National Company Law “Though it is Sunday, this the purpose. said. Tribunal (NCLT) Principal Bench has taken up the hear- !led for voluntary insolven- The hospital has su"cient The Corporation cannot Bench, New Delhi (camp at ing on an urgent basis, since cy and is under liquidation beds and infrastructure to claim the expenditure from Chennai), has allowed the the COVID-19 pandemic has now. The possession of the conduct tests and o$er treat- the liquidator or the lenders Tamil Nadu government to been rattling lives and the hospital is with Muthoot Fin- ment, it said. and should not allow the temporarily take over San- economy of the nation,” said corp Limited, one of the len- “The Greater Chennai promoters or their represen- tosh Hospitals in Besant Na- B.S.V. Prakash Kumar, acting ders to the hospital. The oth- Corporation can take over tatives to enter the premises gar, which is closed and un- president of NCLT. er major lender is DCB Bank. the hospital on an ‘as is without the permission of der liquidation, and utilise Santhosh Hospitals had In its application, the where basis’, without any the lenders, it added. Fishers getting CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC Tragedy averted ready to enter the sea Special Correspondent CHENNAI With District Collectors holding meetings to permit !shers with traditional craft to !sh, there is palpa- ble excitement in hamlets along the coast. Many are repairing nets, sprucing up boats and looking for funds to buy diesel. “They are giving a set of guidelines to be followed by !shers, including !shing on alternate days or twice a week. That they will be able to bring back A lorry that was carrying 24,000 litres of cooking oil toppled when it was coming down the !sh is a big relief for many,” Anna Flyover near Kamarajar Arangam on Sunday. Teynampet police alerted the Tamil Nadu said K. Bharathi of South Fire and Rescue Services personnel who ensured the vehicle did not catch "re. * M. VEDHAN Indian Fishermen Welfare CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC Association. A senior o"cial of the Fisheries Department said Helpline for the disabled "ooded with calls that a draft set of guidelines have been given to the Staff Reporter helpline and a streamlined tion received through the CHENNAI District Collectors, includ- process with e"cient coor- calls are converted to a spec- ing insistence on physical With 15,328 calls till Satur- dination at district and taluk i!c format and classi!ed distancing. The restric- day night, the helpline for levels, all requests for essen- based on priority with the tions would be in force for di$erently-abled persons tial needs were being ca- help of software tools. This at least two weeks after and the elderly, managed by tered to. information is then shared which they would be eased the Commissionerate for the “So far, we have reached on a WhatsApp group where slowly. “Sale of !sh would Welfare of the Di$erently- out to 66,463 persons, in- all district-level and top o"- be allowed. But the bigger abled to cater to their needs cluding di$erently-abled pe- cials, including the Secre- boats have been deemed to during the ongoing CO- ople, senior citizens and tary of the Department, are have joined the annual !sh- VID-19 lockdown, has been their family members,” said present. A majority of the re- ing ban,” the o"cial said. #ooded with calls. Johnny Tom Varghese, di- quests are about need for However, Durai Mahen- Department o"cials said rector for the welfare of the food supplies, medicines dran of Pulicat said the dis- that with the involvement of di$erently-abled. According and medical attention, he trict administration needs 42 personnel to manage the to Mr. Varghese, all informa- said. to ensure availability of transportation for small !sh vendors. “Other supporting infrastructure, including ice factories, need to function if we are to go !shing. A section of !shers is also ap- prehensive that sale of !sh would attract crowds and thereby spread the coronavirus. The government should ensure the safety of all stakeholders,” he said. Meanwhile, G. Arasu of the Chennai Chengai Singa- ravelar Visai Padagu Mee- navar Sangam, said the government should ensure some kind of dole for boat owners and labourers who depend on boats for their livelihood.

Published by N. Ravi at Kasturi Buildings, 859 & 860, Anna Salai, Chennai-600002 on behalf of THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD., and Printed by D. Rajkumar at Plot B-6 & B-7, CMDA Industrial Complex, Maraimalai Nagar, Chengleput Taluk, Kancheepuram Dist., Pin: 603209. Editor: Suresh Nambath (Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act). Regd. TN/ARD/17/2012-2014 G RNI No. 1001/1957 G ISSN 0971 - 751X G Vol. 143 G No. 88

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IN BRIEF mid Trying times for the bereaved too Some tips to avoid diabetic Youth volunteers to man borders PUDUCHERRY Close relatives of the deceased are not even able to pay their last respects amputations during lockdown After roping in private security guards for helping in R.Sivaraman said P.B.Martin, parish priest e are seeing an in- G People who have a foot ul- maintaining social distancing CHENNAI of Infant Jesus church, Chin- creased number of cer must examine and dress in public places, the police is The prolonged pandemic maya Nagar. Wlower limb ampu- the wound regularly with now engaging local youth to lockdown has not turned Bereaved families are not tations during the lockdown the help of a local nurse monitor the porous border of things upside down, not as able to perform obsequies period among people with GUse moist wound dressings the State and check entry of much as physical distancing, on the 10th day since they diabetes. The reasons given which are available that will people without valid reason which is leaving many alone, are not able to bring priests by the people who under- help the patient to avoid dai- during the lockdown. Under in their moments of joy and or move out from home. went these amputations ly dressing. It may be possi- ‘operation grama sevagan’, sorrow. Gnanavapi and Mukthi Kar- were that they were not able ble for a patient with a foot the police have enlisted It's not just weddings that masalas — places for per- to get proper wound care ulcer to do dressing on their several villagers as force multipliers to man the take place without the usual forming rituals after the cre- and access to their regular own with these modern borders. These volunteers pomp and fervour; even be- mation — are closed. doctors who were attending moist wound dressings will keep a vigil to prevent reavements remain low key Balasubramanian, a fun- to their ‘diabetic foot’ which are available cross border movement and with limited or no atten- A funeral procession at Avadi is marked by absence of crowd eral undertaker in Gopalap- infection. GAvoid putting pressure on enforce prohibitory orders. dance. Children and wards due to lockdown restrictions. * K. PICHUMANI uram said, “Now people are In the last one week, we the foot ulcer which will who work abroad and el- not hiring a freezer box to had 5 patients who required create more damage to the Farmer arrested for sewhere in the country have male relative from Tamba- reaved families as there is keep the body for hours. If a major below or above knee ulcer. Proper o#oading with death of two had to miss the funeral of ram by sending him a pic- restriction on movement. somebody dies, he or she amputation due to diabetic What should people do to a cast may be recommended VILLUPURAM their parents, close relatives. ture of the dead body so that Recently, the 70-year-old will be cremated the next foot infection. Before the prevent a major lower limb for some people The Arakandanallur police on They are unable to pay their police could allow him reach mother of my friend died hour.” lockdown we used to get amputation: GStart antibiotics after con- Sunday cracked the mystery last respects to their near here.” due to ill health. There were R.Ganapathy Subrama- some 5 patients in 2 months GIn people who have loss of sulting the doctor if there behind the disappearance of and dear, even if they have only 10 or 15 attendees and nian, an employee of private who required a major lower sensation in their feet (neu- are signs of infection be- two persons last month and not died of a coronavirus in- Ordeals unlimited the family had to move bank said, “My father died at limb amputation. ropathy), it is very necessary cause this will help to con- arrested Krishnamoorthy, 44, fection. Many others within Revathi Anandapadmana- quickly to the burial ground the age of 84 after illness at a The warning signs that to take utmost care of their tain the infection and help to a farmer for allegedly burying the country and even State, ban, of Bengaluru, explained for the last rites with few pe- hospital. We were only four should alert someone with feet avoid spread of the infection their bodies aftery the duo could not attend the last her ordeal to reach Chennai ople iny attendance.” to attend the funeral and diabetes to seek immediate GDaily foot examination is upto the knee level died by stepping on the journey of their loved ones, to attend her relative’s funer- M.Venkatesh, whose 85- perform the last rites. All my help and avoid a major am- necessary to detect any mi- GVisit the surgeon regularly illegal electric fence in his thanks to the lockdown. al in Velappanchavadi. Ms. year-old father died of ill relatives are in Coimbatore putation are as follows: nor injury which may go if there is an active foot in- farm. According to the police, Amidst tears, they manage Revathi said, “After obtain- health in Nanganallur re- or Madurai. No one could vi- GHigh fever unnoticed fection and take intravenous Annamalai and Subash to catch some of the rituals ing permission from local cently, narrated his ordeal. sit us.” GRedness and warmth in GAvoid dry feet by applying antibiotics, if necessary had gone hunting with on video calls, beamed to authorities in Bengaluru, we “Only ten people were there People under home qua- one foot compared to the a moisturiser cream on the GControl diabetes well with Gokulraj. Interrogation of them overseas, with the help travelled in a car and had to — my family, my brother’s fa- rantine after returning from other foot. feet but avoid in the space oral medications and use in- Gokulraj revealed that the of technology. approach the Krishnagiri mily and my in-laws. None of foreign countries are facing GA foot ulcer that changes between the toes sulin, if necessary, especially duo were electrocuted. The An 87-year-old person, Collector’s o%ce after cross- our relatives were able to at- piquant situations. Ashok colour and becomes disco- GLook for fungal infection in if there is evidence of foot farmer had put up the fence to prevent wild boars. who was a professor in a Ti- ing the border. We had to tend. Even the priests found Raj, general manager of a loured or appears yellow between the toes infection ruchi college, died recently show a picture of the dead it di%cult to come home and private "rm, said, “My moth- due to pus formation GDo not cut nails with scis- GCheck the blood sugar VCK leader takes stock in his residence in Mogap- body and the message from perform the "nal rituals.” er passed away while she GPain in the foot sors and cause injury, but both before and after meals of COVID-19 work pair. His son and daughter the family to get a pass. Then “A 60-year-old woman was with my sister in Ekkat- GPast history of reduced use a nail "ler to "le the nails on a regular basis and keep were abroad and could not we reached the house of the died of ill health in Virugam- tuthangal. I was not able to blood !ow in the foot (pe- GIn case someone gets a the fasting blood sugar bet- CHENNAI Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi come. His sisters and a cou- bereaved where only 10 peo- bakkam recently. She was see her for the last time as I ripheral arterial disease) small cut or injury on the ween 110 and 120 mg% and G founder Thol. Thirumavalavan ple of others, "ve to six people were present. Some of from an a#uent Christian fa- !ew down from Oman on Swelling in one foot (indi- feet, treat it with an antisep- the after meal blood sugar spoke to his party office- ple together, attended the the relatives had to watch mily. Her family was left March 17 and was under cating damage to the joints tic and contact a doctor if between 160 and 180 mg%. bearers via video funeral. A close relative la- the funeral through a video alone, as many relatives did home quarantine.” or bones of the foot) the warning signs men- This will help to prevent a conferencing on Sunday to mented, “The heir of the de- call.” not turn up. We could not “In some cases, we "nd GIncreased white cell count tioned above are present serious foot infection take stock of COVID-19 relief ceased could not come, and Syed Mansuruddin, he- bring the body to the church there aren’t even enough pe- (WBC) in blood tests GIf the warning signs are Therefore, proper foot work done in Chidambaram it is not customary for wo- reditary trustee of Mount for special service and in- ople to place the body on the GPeople with a foot ulcer present, an immediate con- care during this period will Lok Sabha constituency he men to perform the last Road Dharga said, “Relatives stead, the family had to go pyre,” said V.S. Ragavan, a whose blood sugar is not get- sultation with the doctor is help to avoid many lower represents. rites. We had to "nally ask a are hesitant to visit the be- straight to the cemetery,” priest, in Mambalam. ting under control required limb amputations. CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC Narayanasamy seeks urgent aid Back in business MLA’s remark goes viral Special Correspondent However, the former Mi- ‘Total collapse of revenue from mainstay sources in Puducherry’ Virudhunagar nister sought to play it down A comment by DMK MLA, saying that it was not aimed Special Correspondent free loan of ₹5000 to self help K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran, at any community. He said PUDUCHERRY group women,” the Chief Minis- at his party cadre about not some people were playing Chief Minister V. Narayanasa- ter said. wearing masks has gone vi- up his casual remark to par- my, has called upon the Centre Puducherry had primarily ral on social media. ty workers. to urgently provide "nancial as- two revenue streams — excise sistance to the Union Territory, and GST— which had totally which had seen a total collapse dried up after the lockdown. of revenue from its mainstay “Income generation — for the sources of excise, GST and tou- purpose of paying salary to the rism due to the extended lock- employees and to take care of down to check spread of V. Narayanasamy the public welfare schemes — is COVID-19. very di%cult for us,” he said. Mr. Narayanasamy, who had tion of the Union Territory of Mr. Narayanasamy also participated in the video call Puducherry and Union Territo- echoed the calls of other chief Bakeries were abuzz with activity as people started thronging the outlets on Sunday, convened by Prime Minister Na- ry of Delhi. ministers for a six-month mora- after the Corporation permitted their functioning from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. * M. VEDHAN rendra Modi with Chief Minis- “Till date, we have not re- torium on remittances to the CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC ters on Saturday, told media- ceived even a single paisa from Centre and called for hassle- persons that the government the Government of India for Pu- free movement of essential DEATH ANNIVERSARIES had not received GST compen- ducherry, but we have given commodities from producing OBITUARYOBITUARY OBITUARY& REMEMBRANCE & REMEMBRANCE & REMEMBRANCE sation for the last four months. ₹2,000 to each family, irrespec- states to client states. Pointing out that he had at- tive of them being an APL fami- He also joined some chief mi- tended the three previous ly or a BPL family, to help them nisters in urging the Prime Mi- DEATH DEATH DEATH DEATH ANNIVERSARIES meetings, he said he had also come out of the crisis. Besides, nister to rein in Governors and written to the Prime Minister, an aid of ₹5,000 had been given Lt. Governors who were ‘play- MR R. Seshadri (83) , Retired Se- nior Personnel Officer, South Cen- highlighting the unique posi- to the farmers, and an interesting politics’ during the crisis. tral Railway, passed away peaceful- ly on 11th April 2020 in Chennai. Ph 42152102, 9920061110 Donations pour Employers seek relief in for relief fund Staff Reporter to tide over crisis CHENNAI Eicher Group, which compris- Representation sent to State government es Royal En"eld and VE Com- mercial Vehicles (a joint ven- Special Correspondent “Under the Apprentices Act, ture between the Volvo Group CHENNAI stipend for apprentices from and Eicher Motors Limited), The Employers Federation of the board of apprentices is not has announced a contribution Southern India (EFSI) has made reimbursed to employers in a of ₹1 crore to the Tamil Nadu a representation to the Tamil timely manner. The pending Chief Minister’s COVID Relief Nadu government seeking mea- claim for reimbursement is Fund. In addition, the compa- sures for industries to tide over done immediately to tide over DEATH ny has pledged ₹25 lakh to the the crisis on account of lock- the "nancial crisis,” the letter Kanchipuram Collector’s Re- down due to COVID19. said. lief fund for COVID-19. The federation has requested Other requests include post- Eicher said it is working the State government to extend ponement of licence fees, "ne with more than 10 hospitals in the time limit for renewal of li- and penal interest, any payable, the State to provide personal cences and submission of re- be waived as special case and protection equipment to med- turns under various labour all punitive action initiated ical caregivers. enactments up to June 30. against employers, such as is- The group is also working Permission to operate 12- suance of show cause notices with four hospitals to esta- hour shift for six months to re- for deviation, non-complianc- HOMAGE blish exclusive COVID-19 spe- set the productionI lines to a es, etc., be deferred for six cialty wards and isolation higher capacity and exemp- months after obtaining the rep- centres and over ₹7 crore will tions to all factories and esta- ly from the employers con- BIRTHDAY be provided for this, it said. blishment with regard to hours cerned, except for safety-relat- REMEMBRANCE Eicher has also committed of overtime for 6 months are its ed issues. more than ₹2 crore for provid- other requests. “In order to cover maximum ing groceries and sanitation Exemption to work compen- bene"ciaries under the build- consumables to more than satory days for the lockdown ing and other construction 9,000 families of migrant la- days and to work beyond ten workers act, the condition with bourers and underprivileged working days continuously and regard to engagement of con- local communities across the weekly o& have also found a struction workers for not less State. place in the demands. than 90 days during the preced- Repco Home Finance Li- The letter, addressed to the ing period of 12 months be re- mited has made a contribu- Chief Secretary, mentioned laxed. Suitable relaxation is re- tion of ₹25 lakh towards the payment of 50% of wages in res- commended to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s pect of workers earning more Government of India for Public Relief Fund. than ₹24,000 [ceiling as pre- amendment in the act,” the fed- In memory of your loved ones The Association of Minimal scribed under the payment of eration said. To dedicate a space in this section, Please contact: Access Surgeons of India wages Act, 1936], a month for The 100-year-old federation 044-28575711 / 28575714 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. & (AMASI) has donated a sum of the lockdown period and want- represents 750 employers of 72990 95757 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. ₹20 lakh towards PM Cares ed revision of dearness allo- southern India and 20 other af- from 5 to 7 p.m. for Monday Edition Fund. The Institute of Compa- wance (w.e.f 01.04.2020) paya- "liated associations belonging For Placing Advertisements Online log on to ny Secretaries of India has ble under the Minimum Wages to textile, sugar, cement, plan- www. thehinduads.com committed ₹5.25 crore to PM Act also be deferred by six tation, leather and MSME sec- Cares Fund. months. tors.

CM A CH-CHE YK

KERALA ANDHRA PRADESH KARNATAKA TELANGANA

Washing away: Fire personnel disinfecting a school that has been converted into a camp for migrant labourers in Kozhikode on Sunday; APIIC chairperson R.K. Roja disinfecting a road in Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh; personnel from the Mysuru City Corporation disinfecting a road in the city: and !re services personnel spraying disinfectant in Sangareddy, Telangana. * K. RAGESH, SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT, M.A. SRIRAM & MOHD ARIF

Central govt. Six microsites to IN BRIEF 2 die of COVID-19 in Telangana delayed funds, 17 new cases in districts had tested negative for the virus. The two new says Kerala promote Kerala KKalaripayattuarnataka, 2 in is a Martial art which originatedpositive cases as were a in style Kan- in Kerala Kerala, 15 in A.P. nur and Pathanamthitta. Special Correspondent State plans to push tourism during 3nd century BC to the 2nd century AD.Of 375 persons who tested Thiruvananthapuram positive for COVID-19 in the Kerala Finance Minister S. Anil Radhakrishnan Special Correspondent U.K. citizens to be The word kalari first appears in Sangam literatureState, only 194 were to under describeT.M. Thomas both Isaac has hit THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Vijayawada/ evacuated on April 15 Thiruvananthapuram/ treatment. A total of 179 re- out at the Centre for its fai- The Kerala Tourism has Bengaluru THIRUVANANTHAPURAM a battlefield and combat arena. covered, while two suc- lure to provide timely !- geared up for the post-CO- The citizens of the United Two deaths and 28 new cas- cumbed to the disease. nancial assistance for VID-19 era by coming up Kingdom who got stranded esIt in Telangana,is also a dropconsidered in to be one of the oldest Tfightinghe number of peoplesystemStates in to take up the !ght with six theme-based micro- here following a ban on new cases in Kerala, a single- quarantined for surveillance against COVID-19. sites in the o"cial website to international flights will be dayexistence. high of 17 positives in had dropped to 1,16,941, of Talking to the media af- promote destination and evacuated on April 15. The Karnataka, and 15 new cases whom, 1,16,125 were quaran- ter a visit to a newly tourism products and get an government has been inIt Andhra is Pradeshnow since practiced Sa- in Kerala, in contiguoustined parts in their ownof homes Tamilopened Nadu. Janakeeya fair upper hand in the virtual informed that the flight will turday night marked the and others with mild respira- price hotel launched to marketing among brands. pick the tourists from courseKalaripayattu of the pandemic in techniques include a combinationtory symptoms of were steps in p(Chuvatu)rovide a#ordable meals With focus of Kerala turn- Thiruvananthapuram and the southern States. hospitals. on Sunday, he said the ing to wellness tourism and Yoga and Kalaripayattu will Cochin international airports. and postures (Vadivu). Chuvatu literally meansThe State ‘steps’, had sent sam- theState basicgovernment was fac- in view of the corona pan- feature in new microsites. ples from 14,989 persons for ing a revenue loss of demic, Ayurveda has been Probe against policemen steps of the martial arts. Vadivu literally meanstesting, of which ‘postures’ 13,802 sam- ₹15,000 or crore this month given prominence among and the microsites will over arrest of activist ples were negative. due to the lockdown. the microsites added to the come in handy for market- HASSAN stancesTelangana’s total areof active the basic characteristics of Kalaripayattu training.The State governments, o"cial website www. kera- ing the destinations. Be- Superintendent of Police R. Srinivasa Gowda has initiated cases stood at 412, while 103 17 cases in Karnataka he said, were forced to bor- latourism.org. sides, the aim is to retain an an inquiry against two police hadNamed recovered. Andhra after Pra- animals, they are usually eightThe new in case number. tally for Karna- row at high rates of interest edge for the o"cial website officers of Belur in Karnataka desh reported 15 fresh cases taka was 17 on Sunday, the to !nance the drive against Long-term strategy that ranks !rst in the search over the arrest of a Hindutva of coronavirus infection on highest reported in the State the pandemic. “Though Yoga, Kalaripayattu, an an- results since 2004. activist who had posted Sunday, taking the total to in a single day. the repo rate has been cient martial art indigenous “In the days of the lock- objectionable content on 420. These were from !ve dis- brought down to 4.4%, we to the State, Temples of Ker- down and holidaying com- Facebook. The probe comes Seven cases were report- tricts, for the 24-hour period have to pay interest at the ala, Judaism in Kerala and ing to a standstill globally, after Minister for Tourism C.T. ed from Guntur. Nellore re- March 27. He tested negative six of them in the city, but till 5 p.m. on April 12. The to- rate of 9%. The Central go- Discovering Malabar are the we have noticed that other Ravi urged Home Minister ported four cases and Kur- for the virus thrice and was the number of positive cases tal number of cases in the vernment should borrow other new microsites that tourism brands are doing Basavaraj Bommai to act nool, which has the highest discharged. was pegged at 20 for the last State rose to 243. Earlier, the from the RBI to re!nance have been featured. virtual marketing. In micro- against the police. number, reported two more. There were 401 active cas- three days. A total of 7,889 State had reported 16 posi- States,” he said. The move to infuse con- sites, we have taken care to Chittoor and Kadapa dis- es in hospitals. Seven per- samples have been tested in tive cases each on April 4 Mr. Isaac hinted that the tent into the website and provide new content and Evacuation of Indians tricts reported one new case sons died and 12 recovered. the State till date. and April 9. Among 17 per- government was preparing give a refreshing look is part more emphasis on videos of from Gulf not feasible each, the Health Depart- Cumulatively, Kurnool re- sons who tested positive for for a conditional relaxation of the long-term strategy to high quality. New models KOZHIKODE ment bulletin said. ported 84 cases, Guntur 36 recover in Kerala COVID-19 on Sunday, most of the lockdown norms in overcome the impact of CO- have been roped in,” Kerala An immediate air mission to evacuate thousands of On the bright side, a 65- (82), Nellore (52), Prakasam Kerala reported just two pos- were from Vijayapura (6). the State. “Though we have VID-19 that has taken a hea- Tourism Director P. Bala Ki- Indians stranded in the worst- year-old patient was dis- (41), Krishna (35), Kadapa itive cases of COVID- 19 on Four were from Belagavi dis- brought the situation un- vy toll on the travel and tou- ran said. hit COVID-19 countries of the charged from the Govern- (31), West Godavari (22), Sunday, and both indivi- trict and three each from der control, there is no rism industry facing job cuts The cuisine of Malabar, Gulf Cooperation Council ment General Hospital in Vi- Chittoor (21), Visakhapat- duals had returned from Bengaluru and Kalaburagi. room for complacency at and low margins. Jewish diet, popular asanas, (GCC) is unlikely to happen jayawada. The man with a nam (20), East Godavari (17) abroad. One case was from Mysuru. this juncture. The restric- Tourism planners and the cultural and art forms of Ma- soon with the Centre sticking history of travel to Mecca on and Anantapur (15). The State also reported Of the total 243 patients, tions will have to continue industry are expecting an labar to featuring of the 100 to its stringent policy on March 10, tested positive and There are seven red zones that 36 COVID-19 patients 54 had been discharged and till we are sure the disease in$ux of domestic tourists temples district-wise make travel restrictions and got admitted to hospital on in Visakhapatnam district, under treatment in various six died. is eliminated,” he said. when the pandemic ends it a unique experience. diplomatic relationships.

Weather Watch Ex-poll chief Rainfall, temperature & air quality in select metros yesterday Telangana postpones approaches No spitting in public places High Court all entrance exams A.P. to take strict State plans to distribute Staff Reporter Last date for applications extended action against VIJAYAWADA violators N. Ramesh Kumar, whose Special Correspondent TSCHE scheduled all the ex- 16 crore masks !ve-year tenure as A.P. Hyderabad ams in the month of May, Staff Reporter Election Commissioner All Common Entrance Tests ensuring that the dates VIJAYAWADA Staff Reporter “As the population of the (SEC) was cut short by an (CETs) of Telangana have won’t clash with other na- In order to prevent the VIJAYAWADA State stands at 5.3 crore, ordinance on Friday night, been postponed owing to tional entrance exams. spread of COVID-19, the And- The Andhra Pradesh the government would have has challenged it in the the prevailing COVID-19 sit- Since most of them are hra Pradesh government has government has decided to to supply 16 crore masks at High Court. uation and fresh dates will now online tests only, o"- issued orders prohibiting distribute 16 crore masks in the rate of three per He appealed for the de- be intimated on a later date. cials feel they won’t face spitting in public places. the State to prevent the person.” claration of ordinance and The Telangana State much problem with the lo- Following a letter issued spread of the coronavirus. The State is also gearing the GOs through which Ma- Council of Higher Education gistics. However, they have by the Ministry of Health Asking the o"cials to up to conduct tests on dras High Court retired (TSCHE) took the decision to be conscious of clash of and Family Welfare, Special distribute the masks in a 45,000 people in zones judge V. Kanagaraj was ap- after the government decid- dates with national en- Chief Secretary (Health) K.S. big way, Chief Minister Mr. with higher numbers of pointed as his successor, ed to extend the lockdown trance exams, which too Jawahar Reddy issued the or- Jagan Mohan Reddy said, COVID-19 cases. unconstitutional. till April 30, but the decision have been postponed, and ders in this regard. CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC Temperature Data: IMD, Pollution Data: CPCB, Map: INSAT/IMD (Taken at 18.00 Hrs) He said the government had been on the cards for also entrance exams of oth- Forecast for Monday: Thunderstorm accompanied with lightning abused its power only to some time as the TSCHE was er States. Telugu students Instructions issued 2005, the Indian Council of cleanliness at public places. and gusty winds very likely at isolated places over Assam, shunt him out of the top worried over the conduct of appear for national en- The authorities were in- Medical Research (ICMR) Spitting in open places may Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura and with post. He insisted that there exams when the nation was trance exams and also en- structed to implement the has appealed to the public to cause infections, particular- lightning at isolated places over Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, Uttar was no justi!able ground facing a huge crisis. trance tests of neighbouring orders strictly. The violators refrain from consuming to- ly the spread of coronavirus, Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Punjab, West Bengal, Andaman & Nico- to issue the ordinance. Chairman of TSCHE T. Pa- States like Tamil Nadu and are punishable under the bacco or chewing gutka pro- the orders said. bar Islands, Maharashtra and Telangana Moreover, the local bo- pi Reddy said the last date Karnataka. provisions of the IPC and the ducts and spitting in public O"cials would be strictly city rain max min city rain max min dy election process initiat- for online submission of ap- As per the original sche- CrPC, the orders said. Under places. The virus has implementing the orders. A Agartala...... 20.6....31.0....19.2 Kozhikode...... 14.4....36.2....26.6 Ahmedabad...... —....42.0....24.2 Kurnool ...... —....35.7....26.2 ed by him had not been plications for the CETs with- dule, the Engineering Com- Section 2 of The Epidemic brought to the fore the im- few States have already Aizawl...... —....30.3...... — Lucknow...... —....37.7....21.8 completed due to the crisis out late fee had been ex- mon Entrance Test was Diseases Act, 1897 and The portance of personal hy- banned spitting in public Allahabad...... —....41.8....22.0 Madurai...... —....37.8....25.4 precipitated by COVID-19. tended to May 5. Earlier, the scheduled for May 2. Disaster Management Act, giene and maintaining places and booked violators. Bengaluru ...... —....32.2....20.5 Mangaluru ...... —....37.0....26.4 Bhopal ...... —....21.8...... — Mumbai ...... —....32.4....25.2 Bhubaneswar...... —....39.6....25.0 Mysuru ...... —....33.4....22.4 Chandigarh ...... —....34.8....20.0 New Delhi ...... —....37.2....20.1 CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC Chennai ...... —....33.4....26.6 Patna ...... —....36.2....22.6 Coimbatore ...... —....36.1....24.2 Port Blair...... —....32.6....26.6 Dehradun...... —...... —....16.6 Puducherry ...... —....34.0....25.4 Gangtok...... 9.0....20.5....11.6 Pune...... 0.2....38.4....22.4 Goa...... —....33.6....26.4 Raipur ...... —....38.5....20.6 A grand farewell for recovered patients in Karnataka Guwahati ...... —....33.6....18.0 Ranchi...... —....36.2....19.5 Hubballi...... —....37.0....21.0 Shillong...... 10.8....20.9....16.4 Hyderabad ...... —....36.2....22.2 Shimla...... —....24.0....14.6 Imphal ...... —....32.8....16.6 Srinagar...... —....22.4...... 8.0 In videos posted on social media, hospital sta! are seen presenting patients with fruits, "owers at the time of discharge Jaipur ...... —....38.4....25.1 Thiruvananthapuram...... —....33.8....26.0 Kochi ...... 18.4....32.2....25.6 Tiruchi...... —....38.1....25.0 Staff Reporter health,” said a doctor of the patient said he initially Kohima ...... —....24.2....12.8 Vijayawada ...... —...... —...... — Bengaluru Kolkata ...... —....37.6....24.4 Visakhapatnam ...... —....34.0....26.8 K.C. General Hospital. thought the doctor’s Those who have recovered The patient, who looked questions were just a matter (Rainfall data in mm; temperature in Celsius) Pollutants in the air you are breathing Yesterday from COVID-19 are getting a visibly relieved, touched the of courtesy, but soon

CITIES SO2 NO2 CO PM2.5 PM10 CODE grand farewell from hospital feet of some of the sta#. The realised how sincere the Ahmedabad..... 29 .42 19 ....52 ...74 ....* sta# at the time of their video was taken by the doctor was in making Bengaluru ...... 07 .23 69 ....16 .....— ....* In observation made at 6.00 discharge. patient’s father. everyone 100% comfortable * p.m., Singrauli, Madhya Chennai ...... 04 .19 52 ....46 .....— .... Pradesh recorded an overall Delhi ...... 34 .21 22 ..129 .127 ....* air quality index (AQI) score In a video doing the In another video, four and meeting their Hyderabad ...... 02 .34 08 ....74 .....— ....* of 231 indicating a moderate rounds on social media, people in Chickballapur requirements. “However Kolkata...... 04 .04 15 ....36 ...68 ....* level of pollution. In doctors and the nurses at who battled COVID-19 were busy she has been with us, * contrast, Panchkula, Haryana Lucknow...... 05 .42 54 ..224 .....— .... recorded a healthy AQI score Mumbai ...... 06 .20 09 ....67 ...96 ....* of 36. K.C. General Hospital in also discharged amid much she is always back with a Pune...... 34 .12 52 ....43 ...41 ....* Bengaluru were seen applause, with the sta# message if not a call,” the Visakhapatnam 07 .35 06 ....24 ...40 ....* applauding a patient who presenting them with a letter stated. Air Quality Code: * Poor * Moderate * Good (Readings indicate average AQI) had recovered and sapling and a fruit basket. He also added that he was SO2: Sulphur Dioxide. Short-term exposure can harm the respiratory system, making breathing difficult. It can affect visibility by reacting with other air presenting him with a At the Bangalore Medical sceptical while entering the particles to form haze and stain culturally important objects such as statues bouquet of $owers. College and Research government-run hospital and monuments. Institute (BMCRI) Trauma but had since changed his NO2: Nitrogen Dioxide. Aggravates respiratory illness, causes haze to form by reacting with other air particles, causes acid rain, pollutes coastal waters. ‘A tough time’ and Emergency Care Centre, Acts of kindness: The medical sta" applauding patients during their discharge from the perception. * CO: Carbon monoxide. High concentration in air reduces oxygen supply to “We wanted to salute his !ve patients have been hospital. SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT C.R. Jayanthi, Dean and critical organs like the heart and brain. At very high levels, it can cause !ghting spirit. It can be a discharged so far and 34 are Director, BMCRI, stated that dizziness, confusion, unconsciousness and even death. PM2.5 & PM10: Particulate matter pollution can cause irritation of the eyes, very tough and depressing still under treatment. One of great service by taking care the doctors, nurses and for feedback on the food the patients were also nose and throat, coughing, chest tightness and shortness of breath, reduced time in the isolation ward. the patients who was of patients and putting their Group D employees and served. counselled by a psychiatrist lung function, irregular heartbeat, asthma attacks, heart attacks and premature One has to be strong and admitted here with his wife own lives at risk. He praised one of the doctors In a letter to the Medical to help them address their death in people with heart or lung disease take care of their mental said the team was doing a appreciated the e#orts of for repeatedly asking him Education Department, the fears and anxiety.

CM A CH-CHE YK

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEThe WTO is an inter-governmentalEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE organization for governments to negotiate THE HINDU global trade agreements and progressively liberalizing trade. Currently, WTOCHENNAI has 6 EDITORIALRed MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2020 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE164 members. The WTO operatesEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE a system of trade rules that apply to all its members. The WTO is also a place for Member governments to settle their trade disputes. Its located in Geneva, Switzerland. It was established on 1 January 1995 plot andWanted, its official languages a collective are English, national French and Spanish.endeavour COVID-19 calls for a largeness of political vision that will bring all of India together to get the better of the virus enemies. is now happening. Yet, it went ease? Should we not begin to dis- IMF was formed in T1944wo, the Centre at mustthe have Bretton the Woods Conference.even further and IMF asked thecame Su- cuss into alternatives? Trade in tatters State Governments as equal partn- preme Court to place restrictions operation on 27th eDecemberrs while taking decisions. 1945 The and is today an internationalon how the media disseminates organisation in- Unite for the reconstruction that The WTO expects global goods trade volume past week has seen a bit of a formation on COVID-19. The economy cannot be operated consists of 189 memberchange, but it countries.has taken weeks for Headquartered inC ompareWashington, this attitude with that D.C.,with an o IMF#-on switch. It is going to to slump by as much as 32% in 2020 C. Rammanohar Reddy the Centre to begin consulting the of the Chief Minister of Kerala. De- be a long and hard process to re- he only certainty right now in a pandemic- focuses on fosteringStates. global monetary cooperation, securingtailed daily press financial brie!ngs have b uildstability, the economy and rescue the gripped world is the all-enveloping uncertainty. The most productive e#ort will built con!dence in the State Go- livelihoods of millions of people in facilitatinghe world’s biggest and ever lock- promotingbe an equal partnership international between trade, employmentvernment’s e#orts, and so much economic so rural and urban growth India that have TAnd the WTO acknowledged as much when it re- down has now been extend- the Centre and the States. Some that the residents of Kerala have been weakened, if not destroyed leased its outlook for global trade last week. Projecting aroundTed. We dothe not know world. though S tates began preparation well be- now shed their fear. In the pro- altogether. That is why we need a merchandise trade to plummet by anywhere between if it has been helping us contain fore the Centre woke up to the se- cess, a Chief Minister who was ear- collective national e#ort at recon- 13% and 32% in 2020, it added a categoric caveat: at the the spread of COVID-19. The Cen- riousness of COVID-19. There is lit- REUTERS lier seen as a polarising !gure has struction. Or were millions de- moment, it is only able to posit a wide range of possible tral government claims that if we tle so far that the States have been cruel not to !rst assure the mi- united the State in this crisis, and prived of their daily earnings only trajectories for the predicted decline in trade given the Thehad not breakdown locked down, we would ofa blethe to learn international from the Centre, but grants monetary that they would be support-co-operationhe has come to beduring universally theso that Great COVID-19 would not spread unprecedented nature of the health crisis caused by the have 800,000 infections by April there is much that the Centre can ed during the lockdown, it has admired. to the clangers of pots and pans COVID-19 outbreak and the uncertainty around its pre- Depression15, not the 8,000-plus atled present. to thelearn fromdevelopment the States, and the bofeen worse IMF not to whichhave later quick- aimed in improvingand the lighters of candles, the more cise economic impact. Economists at the WTO, howev- We are not told how these projec- States from each other. ly made amends. Quell social tensions privileged among us? tions have been made; they seem The Prime Minister unilaterally Seven, India must be unique in the There are doctors, paramedics er, appear more certain that the disruption and resul- economic growth and reducing poverty around the world. The International to have been conjured out of thin decided to impose the three-week Open the fund tap world for increasing social ten- and accredited social health acti- tant blow to trade will in all likelihood be far worse than Monetaryair to justify the lockdown. Fund (IMF)lockdown was and it is nowinitially said that it Fformedive, we can surely at be more the gener- Brettonsions in such Woods times. After manyConferencevists, or ASHAs, acrossin the coun- the slump brought on by the global !nancial crisis of We will in the end get the better is the States that wanted an exten- ous with how we can support the members of the Tablighi Jamaat try who are working tirelessly. 2008. As IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva 1944.of the virus. 45 But government how and at what sion. Arerepresentatives the States then to take millions were who have present been brutally atcongregation the conference in Delhi were found Ttohere discuss are young medical a grad- observed on April 9, the global economy is set to con- cost? There is no toolbox on how the blame if the strategy does not a#ected by the stop to most eco- infected, an intense wave of Isla- uates who have asked to work in tract sharply in 2020, with “the lockdown needed to frameworkto deal with COVID-19. for Mistakes postwarsucceed? internationalnomic economic activity. Yet, it is amazing co-operation.mophobia has swept the TV chan- COVID-19 wards. There are o%- !ght” the pandemic a#ecting billions worldwide. The will be made but we should be able how stingy — yes, that is the word – nels and social media. The Muslim cials in the States who are working to admit failure, and change Shun the centralisation the Centre has been so far with its community is blamed for waging a day in and day out on prevention tight restrictions on movement and social distancing course when we have to. Three, centralisation of decision- relief measures. It should also be “corona jihad”. The result is social and detection. We already have norms across geographies have led to severe curbs on IMF became operationalmaking in the Prime from Minister’s 27th Of- g ivingDecember the States more resources 1945 owithstracism in29 parts member of the country, hcountrieseroines like the nurse in Kerala labour supply, transport and travel and the shuttering Who must give the cue? !ce is the worst thing in a country- for their health services and ex- economic boycotts and an open who cared for an elderly COVID-19 of whole sectors from hotels and non-essential retail to whoOne, if thereagreed is a time for toa national boundwide crisis. to Sothis far everything treaty. has pItanded began welfare programmes. its financial But expression operations of hate. If the BJP lea- oncouple, 1st fell illMarch herself, recovered tourism and signi!cant parts of manufacturing. The government, it is now. We are all in been centred around the Prime it is unbelievable that even today dership had used its enormous and now wants to rejoin duty. But WTO expects all regions, save Africa, West Asia and the 1947.it together Currently, and representatives of IMFMinister. consists The Union Cabinet of is on- 189the Centremember is refusing tocountries. release political capital to speak forcefully there has been a larger failure of Commonwealth of Independent States, to su#er dou- all political parties should work to- ly busy tweeting in support of the the States’ share in Goods and Ser- against this trend, the rabble-rous- humanity in how the rest of us gether to deal with what we are Prime Minister. The Health Minis- vices Tax (GST) revenues. ers would have fallen in line. Its si- have responded. We can yet recov- ble-digit declines in exports and imports this year even told is the severest crisis since In- ter is nowhere to be seen. A small There have been many sugges- lence should make us afraid of er that humanity if the political under its “optimistic scenario”, which postulates a re- IMFdependence. is regarded This is not the time asgroup a ofkey hand-picked organisation bureaucrats tions on of how tothe ameliorate international the im- what is to come. economic leadershipsystem shows thewhich way. covery starting in the second half. to seek political gain, but a time is taking all the major decisions mediate despair, repair the supply Eight, the path we have chosen The propaganda machine tells The WTO and the IMF chief have pointed to the fact focuseswhen everyone on will berebuilding more than and directing the the international response. This lines and capital fund what needs along to be of lockdownswith theand containment maximizing to us that we have the been doing well. that unlike the recession that accompanied the global !- willing to put aside their di#erenc- should not be so. done now and in the future. If only slow the transmission of COVID-19 Let us not be fooled. We are in the nancial crisis just over a decade ago, the current down- nationales to tackle the crisis. economic The initiative sovereigntyFour, some forethought is advis-and thehuman Centre had an welfare.open mind. may call for more (even if shorter) middle of a humanitarian disaster turn is unique. Global supply chains have increased in has to come from the ruling party. able even in “big bang” decisions. Six, uncertainty and fear lockdowns in the future. An ex- that would have been worse but If a national government is not We should have thought about among the people calls for assu- tended lockdown may make sense for the e#orts of the State govern- complexity, especially in industries such as electronics acceptable to the Bharatiya Janata Jaan bhi, Jahaan bhi (“Life and eco- rance from the highest levels on a in an advanced economy where ments. If we want to, we can still and automotive products, making them particularly WORLDParty, then we should Bank make ais col- alsonomy are known both important”) as before Theregular International basis, indeed every day ,Bankorganised for activity Reconstruction is the norm, but rise to meet the and crisis. For that, we vulnerable to the current disruptions, with countries lective national e#ort. We must imposing the lockdown, not now about what is being done. This in India where there is so much of need a largeness of political vision that are a part of these value linkages set to !nd trade Developmentopen our doors as wide as possible (IBRD).three weeks The later. SecondWe should not Worldwould also signal War that the damages Centre is day-to-day the survival economies and so little so- that of would the enable a true collective more severely impacted. Also, services trade — in which to advice from the best minds and have messaged the lockdown as an sensitive to the di%culties that citi- cial security? Can our society cope e#ort at all levels of government India has a higher global share as an exporter ($214 bil- world.most skilled So persons, in 1945 whoever itact wasdone in fearrealized or as a “curfew” to zconcentrateens are experiencing. The Centreon thewith suchreconstruction an assault on the fabric and of by all that sections ofwar society. lion, or 3.5%, in 2019) than in merchandise exports — they may be and wherever they but as a di%cult decision in which can do this only if it sheds its dis- of livelihoods? Is it not time to ask might be, in the government and the government would be with the like of the press, and not o#er ob- if the cure we are administering is C. Rammanohar Reddy is the Editor of the may be signi!cantly a#ected by the transport and travel damaged economies. The IBRD was established in Dec. 1945 with the IMF on the outside, political friends and citizen right through. If it was fuscations by mid-level o%cials as going to be worse than the dis- digital publication, The India Forum curbs. A small sliver of silver in this bleak outlook for services trade is the role that the WTO sees for informa- basis of recommendations of the Bretton woods conference that is reason why tion technology services as companies try to enable em- IMF and World Bank are called Bretton woods twin. IBRD started working in June ployees to work from home and people order essentials Disingenuous and no antidote and drugs online and socialise remotely. India’s IT ex- 1946. As on April 2019; the World Bank of 189 members. porters have been busy supporting their overseas No government should be permitted to hide behind the assertion of ‘fake news’ to abdicate responsibility for its actions clients’ business continuity plans in the face of the pan- opposition or critique. rently to blame for upsetting the sures. Chanting the mantra of demic and may !nd this hand-holding at a time of dire Such usage is disingenuous. government’s careful calculation “fake news” cannot wish away need earning them loyalty-linked business when eco- News reports facts. “Fake news” is that millions of migrant workers these questions. nomic activity revives. Still, as the WTO chief, Roberto a report of facts that are knowingly would have serenely stayed put Azevêdo, crucially observes, a rebound in global eco- false, presented as “news”. By de- and there would have been no Court’s line nomic activity will require trade to $ow freely across !nition, news is not opinion, hardship whatsoever. The Supreme Court passed an or- Amit Sibal borders as vitally as any !scal or monetary stimulus. which can be wrong, but it cannot This begs a raft of questions: der on March 31 directing the me- be “fake”. Therefore, an opinion “Fake news” is a statement that is dia to carry the o%cial version of The world will be best served if nations do not turn in- that you disagree with, cannot be knowingly false — what was the events of the pandemic, which the

sular and erect new barriers to the movement of goods, he Central government branded as “fake news”, because IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO GETTY false statement that constituted government is to publish on a dai- services and people in the aftermath of the pandemic. made a claim, on the eve of it is just that, opinion. You cannot, man loss was incalculable, with “fake news” in this case? Was it the ly basis. With little to go on other TApril 1, April Fool’s Day, that by mischaracterising criticism as hundreds of thousands undertak- announcement of relief measures than the government’s fervid as- “fake news” alone is responsible “fake news”, escape from having ing Partition-esque journeys for three months by the Finance sertions that it had taken more Cease !re for the untold misery and loss of to respond to it. across hundreds of kilometres in a Minister triggering speculation than adequate measures in res- life of migrant workers after the desperate bid to return home, that the 21-day lockdown could be ponse to COVID-19, the Court per- Cease!re violations on the border speak lockdown. It is important to exa- Response needed leading to the tragic loss of lives extended to June 30? Isn’t the go- haps did not want to enter the poorly of the preventive mechanisms in place mine this in the light of what “fake Contemporary political discourse and enormous su#ering that are vernment extending the lockdown thicket of whether better govern- he latest exchange of long-range artillery !re bet- news” actually means, that is, a re- has taken this dangerous ap- yet to be fully documented. The and isn’t its eventual duration still ment planning and communica- port, presented as authoritative, proach a step further. Where go- newspapers continue to report uncertain? Was extending the lock- tion could have avoided or re- ween the Indian and Pakistani armies in Poonch of an event which never actually vernments are criticised for caus- that food and shelter are still not down a decision that the govern- duced the su#ering of migrant Tand Kupwara’s Rawthpora, Panzgam, Malikpora, occurred. ing su#ering among their people, reaching many of the migrant ment could even have taken on workers, or whether the source of Hafrada and Ferkiyan areas is yet another unhappy re- Fake news is a menace not only the su#ering is instead attributed workers. These criticisms certain- March 24, or would it depend on the so-called “fake news” was the minder that both countries have not been able to because it is usually motivated by to the menace of “fake news”. For ly deserve a response. an assessment of the situation government itself. The Court, for- uphold a cease!re along the border areas and the Line an intent to deceive and misin- example, after the precipitous an- Instead of responding, the go- closer to April 14? Could any of us, tunately, made clear that it did not of Control. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh claimed just form but also because it may in- nouncement of lockdown, the government, on a%davit to the Su- including the government, cate- intend to sti$e discussion of the two months ago that “all violations of cease!re are ta- duce people to act on the informa- vernment has been criticised for preme Court of India in response gorically have said on March 24 pandemic, else even this piece tion. This can have grave failing to anticipate the exodus of to petitions that migrant workers that the lockdown would not be could not have been published. If ken up with Pakistan authorities at the appropriate le- consequences, especially where migrant workers; failing to make need to be provided for during extended, depending on the situa- false information circulated on so- vel through the established mechanism of hotlines, $ag the penetration of mobile telepho- advance provision for food, shel- lockdown, says that the only cul- tion prevailing on April 14? Was cial media is dangerous because it meetings as well as weekly talks between the Directo- ny and social media exceeds that ter or salaries; failing to communi- prit for the loss of life and hard- the government itself the source of can trigger action, misleading rate Generals of Military Operations of the two coun- of education and awareness. cate with State governments to for- ship of migrant workers is, simply, what it is now calling “fake news”? statements or lack of clarity in go- tries”. But here are the !gures revealed by him this Fe- For many who engage in politi- mulate a coordinated approach “fake news”. Apparently, the sole The government cannot be per- vernment messaging is even more bruary: 3,479 violations for 2019, which works out to cal discourse, however, “fake before the lockdown; and failing to reason that migrant workers un- mitted, by the arti!ce of “fake dangerous, given the credibility of almost 10 every day. Shripad Naik, Minister of State for news” is used as an epithet to de- communicate with the public re- dertook the punishing journey news”, to bypass the criticism that the source. What “fake news” is scribe any critical comment or op- garding what migrant workers back home across hundreds of ki- it should have planned better, not, is a dissenting opinion or a Defence, provided the !gures from January 1 to Febru- posing viewpoint. By branding should do in view of the lockdown. lometres back home was “fake coordinated between Centre and viewpoint the establishment does ary 23; for 54 days, it was 646, which means an average criticism as “fake news”, govern- The government’s response to news” that the lockdown would State governments, and been clear not like. No government should be of almost 12. If anything, there has been an upward tick ments draw on the consensus that the mass exodus was, by any yard- extend to three months rather in strategy and communication. permitted to hide behind a vague since Article 370 was hollowed out on August 5 last fake news is pernicious, obviating stick, uncoordinated, where in- than three weeks. The prospect of These are not hindsight criticisms assertion of “fake news” to abdi- year, and statehood taken away from Jammu and Kash- the need to respond to the content itially there was abject confusion, three weeks without food, shelter either. Lessons could and should cate responsibility for its actions. mir. Pakistan also has similar and competing !gures for of the criticism. If it is fake news, then the States reportedly provid- or basic amenities was, according have been learned from de!cien- Not even on April Fool’s Day. Indian cease!re violations while prefacing explanations after all, it merits no response. ed vehicles to ferry the workers, to the government, not devastat- cies in similar announcements Used in this way, the phrase “fake and, !nally, the States were directing enough to motivate workers to made earlier by foreign govern- Amit Sibal is a Senior Advocate practising for its own !ring with the stock phrases: “retaliatory, ef- news” is used as an antidote to any ed to seal their borders. The hu- return home. Fake news is appa- ments regarding COVID-19 mea- in the Supreme Court of India fective, be!tting”. What utility do these mechanisms have if the violations continue unchecked? LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Those who bear the brunt — the loss of lives, liveli- Letters emailed to [email protected] must carry the full postal address and the full name or the name with initials. hood, infrastructure, and the displacement — unfortu- To read more letters nately live along the LoC on bothI sides, some 740 km, Way out on MPLADS several rules and of the MPLADs fund The governments can also and social distancing are online, scan the QR code and the 221 km of the IB in J&K. In the latest instance, I acknowledge that our !ght procedures that govern the compulsorily for COVID-19 think of by demarcating enforced, public trust is scores scrambled out of the range of the heavy artillery against COVID-19 requires dispersal of the annual related infrastructure zones as colour codes such essential for success. Political disease and battling the mobilisation of resources. amount of ₹5 crore. It is within the constituency on as red, green and orange. leaders need to focus on infection. What is the state of guns to seek refuge, not in government quarantine shel- However, there are several only within these rules that a need-based basis. Amulya Spencer G., public trust. Trust must be mind of those infected or ters, but with relatives in the district headquarters and mechanisms at the disposal a Member of Parliament Karti Chidambaram, Eluru, Andhra Pradesh developed at the suspect, spending unsettling elsewhere. Thrown to the wind in the process were pro- of the government to do so has the discretion to direct Chennai international level too. times alone in quarantine tocols to protect against COVID-19. In this instance, the and suspension of the expenditure towards the I The government has no Sharing of accurate and isolation wards? Army blames Pakistan for initiating the shelling in Kup- Members of Parliament creation of durable An extension? other option than to listen to information is also Listening to chirping birds wara’s Keran sector to facilitate in!ltration which seems Local Area Development community assets based on Rising fatalities leave India States and save precious important. Good and and sitting in a balcony to have picked up pace as have operations against terro- Scheme (MPLADS) fund is a locally felt needs. For with no option but to lives. Arrangements to positive lessons must be drinking a cup of hot co#ee problematic and unmerited instance, individual extend the lockdown (Page provide medical facilities to learned from the outbreak. might not be a luxury rists. Indeed, last week saw a chase through heavy snow decision. The Congress bene!ts, moveable and 1, “14-day extension of those a#ected by COVID-19 Nagarajamani M.V., everyone has. Not every one drifts, leading to a macabre hand-to-hand combat with president has put forward non-durable assets are not lockdown likely”, April 12). and supply of essential Hyderabad is lucky to be at home with terrorists who had in!ltrated through the remote, near- !ve measures to augment allowed under the scheme Now the question is: what commodities to other family or bombard social ly unpopulated, snowed-in mountainous region. That resources and I urge the and 15% of the total funds is are the stringent actions citizens are a must. Stopping Spare a thought networking sites with recipes as many as !ve highly trained para commmandos government to consider her to be utilised for work in that are to be taken by a the spread of fake messages The national lockdown and and workout tips. should have lost their lives in exchange for the lives of recommendations. areas inhabited by the State government to make a and frequent communication the constant $ow of news on Somewhere a mother misses !ve in!ltrators is unfortunate and unacceptable. In!l- There seems to be a Scheduled Caste di#erence? And how are is needed using print and the COVID-19 pandemic have her son who is alone and trations at this time and in such remote areas are regu- misconception that the population. the State and Central social media and other brought about many changes away, or a wife worries about MPLADS fund is just To do away with the governments to handle reliable forms of in our daily lives. While her husband working lar enough to be predictable. Wherever possible, exer- another allowance given to MPLADS fund is below middle class and the information. scanning the newspapers overseas. They miss their cising the option of precise, surgical, preventive action a Member of Parliament unacceptable. poor whose livelihoods and Varun Dambal, and also focusing on !nding families and are living against such in!ltration, to minimise collateral damage, and, therefore, must be A more reasonable formula lives have been stalled? The Bengaluru peace and quiet during the through a nightmare. Let us through better use of technology, such as drones, might done away with. To clarify would have been to governments need to focus lockdown, very few talk spare a thought for them too. be preferable. — the fund is not meant for mandate that we must on this section and provide I When measures such as a about boosting the spirit of Priyanka Vikram, personal use and there are spend a certain percentage them with all essentials. lockdown, self-quarantine those who have caught the Chennai

CM A CH-CHE YK put

rus without a cure is taking humanity AFP ests of their corporations, often at distancing, it is rather cruel to repeat the re- VID-19 cases and asymptomatic household into uncharted waters. When we the cost of the general public. Con- bodyfrain of news with ombudsmen the that authorityours is a lone- contacts to of issue con"rmed cases, the publisher of emerge from the lockdown, we must out stronger from this crisis is China. tionist tendencies fueled by hyperna- sider, for instance, that the "rst res- ly job. I do have a companion weekly column an international journal that published a stu- be ready to confront new political Reports indicate that China has now tionalism. A more inclusive global ponse of many Western states was to bindingin this newspaper, resolutions ‘Notebook’, where jour- tod ymember on the drug’s purported states. e$cacy ex- and social realities. managed the outbreak of COVID-19, political and economic order is un- protect their capital markets than be nalists share the responsibility of fostering pressed “concerns” about the paper. The and its industrial production is reco- likely any time soon, if ever. Instead, concerned about public health. media literacy. Unlike academic disciplines, paper was published on March 17 in the In- Crumbling world order vering even as that of every other as former National Security Adviser media literacy does not have a rigid curricu- ternational Journal of Antimicrobial Agents. The rampant spread of COVID-19 is country is taking a hit. The oil price Shivshankar Menon warns, “we are New-age racism Members:lum. It is an evolving discipline The and Security draws its On April Council 3, the journal’s publisher, the Inter- also a failure of the contemporary slump will make its recovery even headed for a poorer, meaner, and Yet another undesirable outcome of substantial inputs from journalists who are national Society of Antimicrobial Chemothe- world order and its institutions. The faster. When the greatest military smaller world.” the pandemic would be a spike in va- consistssuccessful in reconciling of ﬁfteen freedom with members.res- rapy, said: “The ISACRussia, Board believes the arti- contemporary global order, whatev- power found itself in denial mode The ability of big corporations to rious forms of discrimination. Glo- ponsibility. The ‘Notebook’, “Curating news cle does not meet the Society’s expected er remains of the institutions created and the members of the EU were dictate the production, stocks, sup- bally, societies could become more thefor children United during pandemic”, Kingdom, (April 10) by France,standard, especially China, relating to the lack of by the victors of World War II, was a looking after their own interests, Chi- ply chains and backup plans will be self-seeking and inward-looking lead- Krithika Reddy T., re!ects on the present la- better explanations of the inclusion criteria hegemonic exercise meant to deal na appeared to use its manufacturing limited by increased state interven- ing to further pushback against liber- andcunae in the addressing United the needs ofStates—serve students and the triage of aspatients the to ensure patient with isolated political and military power to its geopolitical advantage. tion to avoid unpredictable supply al policies regarding migration and and what can be done during this lockdown. safety.” The unusual haste with which the crises and not serve humanity at Beijing has o#ered medical aid and sources, avoid geopolitically sensi- refugees. New questions are likely to body’s ﬁve permanentpaper members. was published is disturbing. As The large. COVID-19 has exposed this as expertise to those in need; it has in- tive zones, and national demands for be asked about the source of goods. The ban on hydroxychloroquine Hindu report pointed out, “the paper was well as the worst nativist tendencies creased cooperation with its arch-riv- emergency reserves. The pro"ts of More stringent imposition of phyto- TheseOne of the de permanent"ning elements of good jour-memberspublished a day can after it wasveto submitted to the of the global leadership in the face of al Japan; and President Xi Jinping big corporations will reduce, and the sanitary measures by advanced nalism is to provide space for rigorous exam- journal, and one of the authors was Editor- a major crisis. That the United Na- spoke to the UN Secretary General demand for stability will increase. states on products emanating from anyination substantive of issues, based on evidence, Security rein-Chief Council of the journal.” tions Security Council took so long to on how the international community Some would gladly argue all this the less developed countries might search and academic review, in an accessible meet (that too inconclusively) to dis- can "ght the virus. Its richest man, could potentially mean a retreat become the new normal. Lockdowns resolution,language. A reader from including Pollachi, A. Bala- thoseLooking at onjournals the cautiously cuss the pandemic is a ringing testi- Jack Ma, has spearheaded the private from hyperglobalisation and its at- and travel restrictions could poten- gangadharan, was unhappy with The Hin- The hydroxychloroquine controversy has mony to the UN’s insigni"cance. sector’s "ght against COVID-19. The tendant !aws. However, the assump- tially legitimise the rhetoric around admissiondu’s report, “India lifts ofban on new export of member hy- forced journalists states to even or look at journals Regional institutions haven’t fared Chinese propaganda machinery will tion that COVID-19 will bring about a border walls in more conservative droxychloroquine” (April 8). He felt that cautiously. On April 7, the day The Hindu ex- any better. Prime Minister Narendra magnify this. Chinese actions are a more balanced and inclusive form of countries. Tragically, therefore, candidateswhile the front-page report for emphasised Secretary-General. that pressed doubts on the e$cacy of hydroxy- Modi’s SAARC initiative, curiously re- smart economic investment for geo- economic and political globalisation while one answer to global pandem- the ban was lifted after U.S. President Donald chloroquine, The Guardian carried a report, surrecting a practically dead institu- political gains. This will aid Beijing’s is perhaps misplaced. State interven- ics is political globalisation, CO- Trump’s warning of a “retaliation”, the Mi- “Hydroxychloroquine: how an unproven tion, was short-lived. The EU, the claims to global leadership, push tion in economic matters and protec- VID-19 might further limit it. nistry of External A#airs’ statement was de- drug became Trump’s coronavirus ‘miracle most progressive post-national re- Huawei 5G trials as a side bargain, tionism are the easy way out, and Within India too, there could be a Theliberately Security pushed to the inside Council pages. Three alsocure’”. It explainedhas 10 how thenon- hydroxychloro- gional arrangement, stood clueless and showcase how the Belt and Road that’s precisely what states will do trend towards discrimination, with more letters suggested that the newspaper quine story “is a distinctly modern tale of when the virus spread like wild"re in Initiative is the future of global con- once the crisis is over. It would be re- ‘social distancing’ producing unde- permanentshould have glossed over members, the “retaliation” m electedisinformation within on a globala information Europe. Its member states turned in- nectivity. COVID-19 will further push turn of the ‘Licence Raj’ through the sirable social practices. That a Mani- warning and focused instead only on the hu- ecosystem beset by widespread uncertainty, ward for solutions: self-help, not re- the international system into a world backdoor, not a push for inclusive puri woman was spat on in Delhi by a regionalmanitarian gesture basis of the Indian to state. serve fear, two-year media fragmentation terms. and gional coordination, was their "rst with Chinese characteristics. and responsible globalisation with its man who called her “coronavirus”, It is my fervent hope that readers realise hyper-partisanship.” instinct. Brussels is the loser. Neoliberal economic globalisation associated political bene"ts. and gated communities have dis- Thethe importance body’s of credible presidency information that Irotatesn its situation report monthly 13, the World Health All this is indicative of a deeper will have taken a major beating in the The state has failed in its inability criminated against those in COVID-19 is not subjected to censorship. Journalism is Organization said that the “2019-nCoV out- malaise: the global institutional fra- wake of the pandemic. Economists to save us from the pandemic not- quarantine, indicate a new age of dis- amonga presentation itsof our members.complex interlocking break and response has been accompanied mework is unrepresentative, a pawn are warning of a global recession. withstanding its tall claims about na- crimination. Puritan claims based on public. Let us examine how hydroxychloro- by a ‘infodemic’” — some accurate and some in the hands of the great powers, Even as the virus is pushing back the tional security preparedness. And birth and class and the associated de- quine itself represents an interlocking pu- not. And this does not include the under- cash-strapped, and its agenda is fo- ‘successes’ of neoliberal globalisa- yet, the state has returned, with clarations about hygiene could be- blic. First, the newspaper’s position was ar- playing of threats by various governments cused on high-table security issues. tion, globalisation’s political counter- more power, legitimacy and surveil- come sharper. The more the virus ticulated in its editorial, “In time of need” from China to the U.S. Along with these glo- The global institutional architecture part is found wanting in dealing with lance technologies. In fact, the ner- persists, the deeper such practices (April 10), where it said that “irrespective of bal issues, Indian journalists have to con- of the 1940s cannot help humanity the situation. The "rst instinct of ev- vous citizenry will want the state to would get. We already know what whether India bowed to U.S. pressure, it is front an additional burden: communalisa- face the challenges of the 2020s. ery major economy was to close bor- be omnipresent and omnipotent, no these practices feel like; it can only unlikely to run out of the drug.” The editorial tion. Responsible journalism is to report the Nothing less than a new social con- ders, look inwards and localise. The matter the consequences. The state, get worse from here. also !agged questions about the e$cacy of facts and not deepen social "ssures. It was — tract between states and the interna- pre-existing structural weakness of which was losing its in!uence to glo- the drug in treating COVID-19 based on the and is — a demanding task. tional system can save our future. the global order and the COVID-19 bal economic forces, will return as Happymon Jacob teaches national security at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s One country that is likely to come shock will further feed states’ protec- the last refuge of the people in the the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi position of April 7 that “there is no drug [email protected]

CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC Women’s safety during lockdown Steps to protect victims of domestic violence FROM THE ARCHIVES must be made a part of the anti-COVID-19 agenda FIFTY YEARS AGO APRIL 13, 1970

Jayanthi Natarajan vents them from seeking help out- Why an Asian Bank? side. In Spain and France, women It is well-documented that during a can go to a pharmacy and request a In a restricted sense the Asian Development war, a natural disaster or a pandem- “Mask 19” — a code word that will al- Bank, which held its third annual meeting at ic, women’s bodies bear the worse ert the pharmacist to contact the Seoul on Friday (April 10), is a counterpart in brunt of the crisis. Domestic violence authorities. the East of the International Bank for Recon- against women is already widespread Tragically, traditional forms of struction and Development (the World and under-reported in India. Now, at support are now not available to Bank). Like the World Bank, the A.D.B. rais- the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, domestic violence victims. They es resources for lending to developing coun- the United Nations recognises dom- don’t go to their parental homes for tries from the capital markets of rich coun- estic violence against women as a fear of infecting elderly parents. Shel- tries. In 1968, for instance, it raised 60 “shadow pandemic”. The COVID-19 ter homes are crowded and so they million deutsche marks through bonds !oat- pandemic has triggered a huge spike are vulnerable to greater infection ed in West Germany. The A.D.B.’s Special in domestic violence against women there. The police force is already Fund is its soft loan window comparable to in China, Australia, France, the U.K., overburdened with ensuring that pe- the International Development Association Spain, and Bangladesh, among oth- ople comply with the lockdown. Hos- of the World Bank. The A.D.B.’s assistance to ers. In India, too, the National Com- pitals do not have the space or time the growing regions is, like the World mission for Women has reported a to look at domestic violence cases. Bank’s, to be doubled at short intervals of large increase in distress calls from time. The question that naturally arises is victims of domestic violence since Protecting victims why there should be a duplication of such the pandemic broke out. Nevertheless, it is vital for policymak- CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC lending institutions. A clear answer to this is ers to address the needs of these wo- DATA POINT provided in the A.D.B’s latest annual report. Home, not safe for many men who are playing an indispensa- It says: “The needs, the problems, the objec- The national strategy against COVID ble role on the front line in the war tives — and above all the hopes — of the Asian -19 emphasises that home is the saf- against COVID-19 — as health work- region may not di#er materially in the long est place to be. Ironically, for domes- ers, sanitation sta#, caregivers, scien- run from those elsewhere; but the tech- tic violence victims, home is the most tists, and as long-su#ering house- niques and processes needed may be quite unsafe place to be quarantined as wives. Priority measures to help di#erent from those fashioned for use in oth- they are forced to live with their domestic violence victims, without er areas. While a knowledge of the skills and abusers. Although asking people to detracting from the overall anti-CO- techniques developed elsewhere is impor- stay at home is an e#ective and wel- VID-19 strategy of lockdown, should tant and essential, the ‘knowhow’ of region- come anti-COVID-19 strategy, home is be initiated by the government, and al development must have an indigenous ba- not the safe haven it should be for steps to protect victims of domestic sis”. many women because abusers have violence be made a part of overall an- increased access to their victims and ti-COVID-19 action plans. A HUNDRED YEARS AGO APRIL 13, 1920. survivors have decreased or no ac- UN Women has said that “hel- cess to resources. plines, psychosocial support and on- The Irish Situation. Domestic violence can be verbal, line counselling should be boosted, "nancial, psychological and sexual. It using technology-based solutions Interviewed by a representative of the Chica- includes the abuser withholding "- such as SMS, online tools and net- go “Tribune”, Lord French declared that the nancial or medical assistance. Wo- works to expand social support, and Irish question would never breed Anglo- men are most often the caregivers for to reach women with no access to American enmity. He denied that the recent those quarantined at home and alrea- phones or Internet.” Other priorities murders were the work of American assas- dy infected with the virus, which include a more responsive police sins. It was unquestionable that only Irish- makes them more vulnerable to con- force, and other government agen- men were engaged in them. He emphasised tracting the disease. cies who are not dismissive of domes- that there was no chance of the situation go- Domestic violence is rooted in the tic violence complaints. Social media ing out of the hands of Government. A suc- inequities of power and control. The posts mocking and patronising angry cessful rebellion was impossible. It might be abusers feel an enormous loss of or “su#ering” men in isolation who tried but defeat was certain. He said that Ir- power and control over their own are helping in housework should be ish volunteers numbered between one and lives due to the pandemic. They vent reported and acted upon. The elec- two hundred thousand organised territorial- their frustration on the women in the tronic media can raise awareness in ly, with undoubted great organising power house. Mental health issues arise out regional language infomercials, since and with a large number of ri!es and consid- of isolation as well as reactive depres- domestic violence is a crime under erable quantities of explosives but no artil- sion, but instead of recognising these the Indian Penal Code. SOS messag- lery. Lord French declared that he did not issues and seeking help, people being to police already exists in several believe in the possibility of a Dominion set- come violent. cities, but this should be enhanced tlement because that logically meant control The victims are not only unable to with geolocation facilities. of army and navy. The correspondent de- speak out because they are quaran- clares that Lord French is likely to resign at tined at home with the perpetrators, Jayanthi Natarajan is a political activist and the end of the year and his successor may be but also because the lockdown pre- a former Union Minister the Marquis of Londonderry. CM A CH-CHE YK EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEearthquake is the shaking of the earth. An earth quake can beEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE defined as a sudden violent THE HINDU shaking of the ground as a result of movements in the earth’s crust or volcanic action. CHENNAI 8 NEWS MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2020 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEThese movements result in the release of energy along a faultEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE and cause the earth to shake. An earthquake, like volcanoes is a type of endogenic processes. FROM PAGE ONE Moderate ‘Lockdown delayed to topple M.P. govt.’ earthquake BracingThe network for rapid of seismographic surge (seismograph is the instrument used to measure earthquakes) stations all overParliament the world was allowed record to function dozens to ensureof earthquakes that Assembly could every be convened, day. Most says Kamalof Nath felt in Delhi inthem cases, are says not feltgovt. by human beingsSidharth Yadav as they are minor quakes only. The occurrencethe world at present which of aformer Chief Minister said. Special correspondent Bhopal didn’t have a Health or a Mr. Nath, who had also NEW DELHI Hesevere added that earthquake dedicated goods in the is hotspots limited in F ormerto a Madhyafew Pradeshregions in the world. The point withinHome Minister. the earth’sbeen a Union Commerce Mi- An earthquake of moder- hospitals for management coordination with the civil Chief Minister Kamal Nath nister, said the country had ate intensity rocked many ofcrust COVID-19 patientswhere have ansociety. earthquake originateson Sunday said Parliament is called as the focus or hypocenter‘Crumbling or seismic health infra’ been hit by an economic cri- parts of Delhi on Sunday increasingly been set up “There is no bar on inter- was allowed to function dur- Alleging that the health in- sis and with the Centre’s re- evening. “Earthquake of acrossfocus. the country It with generally va- state or intra-state lies transpor- withining a the depth COVID-19 outbreak of to6 kms in the earth crust. The pointfrastructure vertically is crumbling, he venues and collections from magnitude 3.5 occurred at rious private hospitals, Pu- tation of goods. Godowns al- ensure that the State As- said 90% of the positive pa- the GST falling, India may a depth of 8 km in the Na- blicabove Sector Units, the Military focusso can on store the the goods, earth’s as sembly surface could function is too. called as the epicenter. The intensitytients were being of treated in well have to approach the In- tional Capital Territory, hospitals, Indian Railways they are also exempted. The BJP’s ultimate aim private hospitals. Doctors at ternational Monetary Fund Delhi,” the National Centre alsoearthquake contributing. “The Ord- willSta! of be manufacturing highest units inwas the to topple epicenter my govern- and decreases as one movest heaway. government hospitals in- (IMF). for Seismology said. A se- nance Factory Board has of essential goods have been ment and the nationwide cluding the AIIMS in Bhopal “I see a situation where In- nior o"cial of the Ministry mAllanufactured natural specialized earthquakesgiven passes for smooth takelockdown place was in announced the lithosphereters via a video conference (i.e,w asthe mocked region at,” he said. whichwere mainlyconstitutes functioning d iathe may have to go back to of Earth Sciences (MoES) tents to augment medical in- work. Because of the in- only a day after Shivraj Singh Parliament functioned even The former Congress go- with paramedics as the form- the IMF as we did it in 1980. said the location of the frastructureearth’s in crust remote andcreased rigid web tra" c,upper the Chouhan part took of oath theas Chief mantle).when all countries were ex- vernment had initiated a er were refusing to attend to When we took an IMF loan at quake, in a populous part, areas,” he added. Home Ministry’s twitter Minister, he alleged. “Shivraj pressing concern over the lockdown by shutting malls patients in the absence of that time there were such was the reason for it being Government spokesper- handle – CyberDost – is now Singh Chouhan took oath on outbreak and the Odisha and and colleges from March 12 personal protection equip- con$icting views.” widely registered. “The son K.S. Dhatwalia said the providing information on March 23 and the lockdown the Chhattisgarh Assemblies itself. “The Centre didn’t ment (PPEs). Talking about an econom- depth and magnitude are GroupThe of Ministersearthquake on CO- potential which cyber crimes originates to was imposed in the nextthe day.” lithospherewere adjourned. propagatestake any action differentas they were “ Mostseismic of the %gures waves are ic package, Mr .Nath said the an initial assessment, and VID-19 has approved the re- people,” he said. Asked if Parliament was “Our Assembly Speaker in waiting to topple the emerging from urban areas. government should have a it was of moderate intensi- leaseor ofearthquake hydroxychloro- Twaves.he MHA was alsoEarthquake an- allowed to run waves to ensure the arehis wisdombasically had adjourned of gtwoovernment.” types – bodyThe more waves you test, the and more calibrated plan to restart tar- ty, but many felt it,” Mad- quine to 13 countries after nounced that the Finance State government could be the session to March 26 in Madhya Pradesh, he said, number of positives there geted sectors of the economy havan Rajeevan, Secretary, assessingsurface the stocks. waves.Ministry has extended the toppled, Mr. Nath told repor- view of the lockdown but he was perhaps the only State in will be and vice versa,” the with a focused package. MoES, told The Hindu. MHA joint secretary P.S. deadline by three months, Srivastava said that the go- till June, on minimum man- vernment is trying to pro- datory deposits in PPF and videBody door-to-door waves essential Sukanya accounts. 30 ‘foreigners’ dead They are generated due to the3 releasekilled of inenergy Pak. at the shelling focus and moves in Kashmir in all directions 11traveling held for through chopping the body ofSeveral the housesearth. caught Hence, "re, civilians the name shifted –to bodysafety; two waves. injured They in Poonch travel onlyin detention centres through the interior of the earth.Peerzada Ashiq Body waves are faster than surface waves and hence o! policeman’s hand Srinagar 26 of them were Bengali speakers they are the first to be detectedThree civilians,on a including seismograph. an There are two types of body waves asRAHUL KARMAKAR Mr. Gupta said despite re- Five bags of poppy husk eight-year-old child, were GUWAHATI peatedprimary announcements waves(used and for opium secondary extraction) killed waves. as Pakistan’s Army All but four of the 30 “de- from the public address sys- mixed with ‘sulpha’, large launched an artillery attack clared foreigners” who had tem,Primary the accused refused waves to quantities (p-waves): of other drugs to hit deep inside the Line of died in Assam’s detention surrender. The police party and ₹39 lakhs in cash were Control (LoC) in north Kash- centres till date were Benga- heardPrimary loud shouts and waves nois- also foundare insidethe the fastest pre- mir onbody Sunday. waves The attack (twice the speed of s-waves) and are the firstli speakers.to Of the rest, two es from inside the gurdwara mises, police said. came days after the Indian each belonged to the Adivasi premises,reach suggesting during that an earthquake.A rmyThey forti%ed are its line ofsimilar de- to sound waves, i.e, they are longitudinaland Koch-Rajbongshi com- some innocent people and Hand re-attached fence, mobilising medium munities, according to State Hiren Gohain hostageswaves, within mightin havewhichA statement particle issued by themovementand heavy mortars is in thein Ke- the same direction of wave propagation. Theygovernment records. The of- got caught in the trouble. Post-graduate Institute in ran sector in Kupwara %cial list shows 16 of the There is no district by that Thetravel police team throughthen moved Chandigarh solid, late inliquid the even- anddistrict. gaseous materials. They create density differences in thedead were Hindus and 14 name in the country. into the premises. “A few ing said surgery to re-attach “An unprovoked cease%re Muslims. Two other fatalities — Na- shotsearth were %red material by the ac- Assistant leading Sub-Inspector to stretchingviolation was initiated and by Pa- squeezing.Line of !re: Fire breaks out near the LoC in Kupwara as the Pakistani Army lobbed shells. * ANI Six detention centres gen Das and Basudev Biswas cused at the police person- Harjit Singh's severed hand kistan in the Keran sector were established in as many — were shown to be from nel before they were was successfully completed. around 5 p.m. Pakistan is said in Srinagar. The de- in the compounds in Chow- dent of Police Shriram Am- central jails in 2009, four Bangladesh’s Paushal in My- nabbed,” said the DGP, ad- The statement said the now targeting the civilian ceased were identi%ed as kibal and Timuna Vilgam vil- barkar said. years after the contentious mensingh district and Farid- dingSecondary that entire operation wavestechnically (s-waves): challenging population in Kupwara near Zeeshan Bashir, 8, Javaid Ah- lages. Several houses caught An Army spokesman said Illegal Migrants (Determina- pur in Dhaka district respec- was handled delicately so reimplantation surgery took the LoC, resulting in the kill- mad Khan, 17, and Shamee- %re. “Damage assessment that Pakistan had intensi%ed tion by Tribunal) Act, 1983 tively. The address column thatThey the maryada arrive(honour) ataround the 7.5 surfacehours, “Both ra- withing of some three innocent time-lag civi- ma Begum, after 36. primaryand evacuation waves.They were initiat- cease are%re violations slower in the Ba- thanwas scrapped for suspected against the name of Abu and sanctity of the gurdwa- dial and ulnar artery, the ve- lians, including a woman Local people said several ed immediately. People were lakote and Mendhar sectors foreigners to be tried under Shahid, who died at the raprimary was not disturbed. wavesna commitantes and can and an pass ex- a ndonly a child,” through Army spokes- solidshells landed materials. near their shifted This to safer property locations,” in Poonch, of s-waves where two civi- ledthe Foreigners’ Act, 1946. Goalpara centre on October A huge cache of weapons tra dorsal vein were man Lt. Col. Rajesh Kalia homes and some exploded Kupwara Senior Superinten- lians were injured. “There is no surprise in 22, 2017, was left blank. includingseismologists barchhe (lances) a nastomosed.to conclude All the $exors that the earth’s outer core is in a liquid state. (the entire zonethe fact that they are Benga- All the 30 were either un- and kirpans, and some used and extensor tendons were lis. Most inmates are sup- lettered or barely literate cartridgesbeyond were seized 105o from fromrepaired. Allthe the nerves epicenter at does not receive S-waves) They are transverse waves inposed to be from neighbour- and economically weak; the accused, in addition to the wrist repaired Bony %xa- ing Bangladesh [who most too poor to prove their twowhich petrol bombs directions and LPG tion done of using particle three K- Australiamovement and beginswave propagation airlift are of perpendicular citizens to eachmigrated after the creation citizenship at the Foreign- cylinders. wires.” of the country in 1971] and ers’ Tribunals that declared other. some from Nepal, who %nd them non-citizens after cas- Apart from 430 Australians, the aircraft carried 14 New Zealand citizens some protection under the es were made against them. India-Nepal Treaty (1950),” Rabeda Begum, a 60- First batch of Rafales Kallol Bhattacharjee ganised by a group of Austra- ment of Australia is expected sured Mr. Morrison of “ne- Hiren Gohain, scholar and year-old woman from Krish- Surface Waves NEW DELHI lians led by Simon Quinn,” a to operate in the coming cessary facilitation and sup- social scientist, told The nanagar in central Assam’s Australia, over the weekend, social media message from days to evacuate a large port to any Australian Hindu. Hojai district, was the per- likelyWhen to the ! ybody in late waves interactbegan with to airlift surface its citizens the rocks, High Commission a new of Aus- setnumber of of nationals waves from In- is citizensgenerated stranded in IndiacalledH owever, the records ta- son to last to die on April 5 who were stranded in India tralia informed. dia. It is known that at least due to travel restrictions”. bled in the Assam Assembly this year. Two other women Inas addition, surface the Defence Mi-waves.by the COVID-19 These pandemic wavesbecause move of the ongoing along lock- theA diplomatic earth source surface.Surface said 6,000 Australians have re-wavesApart fromare the alsooperation in November 2019 say only — Kabutor Basfore of Bor- nistry had stated that during with over 90,000 con%rmed down to %ght the pandemic. that apart from 430 Austra- gistered with the consular from India, Australia also three of the 30 dead had ad- bongia in Sonitpur district thetransverse dialogue the “French wavescases and in overwhich 13,800 particleThe %rst $ ightmovement took o! lians, the is aircraft perpendicular carried 14 teams of the country to the seeking waveevacuated 63 citizens from dresses in Bangladesh. and Prabha Roy of Kalash side has agreed to consider deaths as on Saturday. It has from here in the early hours citizens of New Zealand. food, medicines and tran- Nepal who were stranded Bhulu Sadakar of Taikan- Bhanga in Barpeta district — thepropagation.Hence, Indian request for 8-10 been under lockdown they since createof Sunday crests as part of Canber- and Ntroughsew Delhi resident in Mr.thes portationmaterial during through the there as which the Himalayan they gi village in southern As- are among the dead. Meteor missiles to be given March 17. ra’s e!orts to bring back na- Quinn had carried out a so- lockdown. country went into a lock- sam’s Hailakandi district Basfore was an Adivasi, as topass.Surface India by 2020 with the wavesThe French armedare forces consideredtionals stuck into various be af- thecial mediamost campaign damaging to help Australia waves.Two began the phase down common simultaneously surface with was the %rst declared fo- was Puna Munda, a 65-year- %rst four aircraft”. have also been a!ected with fected parts of the world. the Australian nationals after of airlift %ve days after Prime India to counter the threat of reigner to die in a detention old man of Simlitola Tea waves are Lovethe Frenchwaves Defence and Minis- Rayleigh“Supported thewaves. repatria- t he lockdown began on Minister Narendra Modi had COVID-19. Foreign Minister Centre on March 17, 2016. Garden in Goalpara who May 2020 deadline try con%rming on Friday tion of 444 people who just March 24. a telephonic conversation Marise Payne thanked the The second, Dulal Miya, was died in June 2019. Naresh InLove November, waves: Minister of that 50 crew members on- took o! on charter $ ight Sunday’s move marks the with Scott Morrison, his governments of Nepal and recorded as a resident of Koch, the %rst to die in State for Defence Shripad board their sole aircraft car- JT2846 from Delhi for Mel- beginning of a series of char- counterpart from Canberra Canada for assisting with the Marak village in “Samar- 2020, was a Koch-Rajbong- NaikThis said in akind written reply of surfacerier, the nuclear-powered waves causesbourne. The $horizontalight was or- ter $ights shifting that the govern- of thewhen theearth Indian leader during as- evacuation an attempt. ganj” district of Bangladesh. shi from Goalpara district. to Parliament that three Ra- Charles de Gaulle, have test- faleearthquake.They aircraft have been handed positive. have much slower than body waves but are faster than Rayleigh.They ed over to the IAF. By May Diplomatic sources said a 2020,exist 24 IAF only pilots along in thecivilian presence sta! of Italian origin of ‘Distributesemi-infinite rations, medium masks overlain by an upper finite Editors Guild with engineers and techni- and two family members ‘Government slow to absorb ciansthickness.Confined were scheduled to be with recent travelto the history surface of the crust, Love waves produce entirely horizontal criticises U.P. trained on the Indian jets in had tested positive for CO- on Ambedkar Jayanti’ France.motion. Three IAF pilots and VID-19 at an FAF base out- lockdown impact on the poor’ govt. over FIR two technical o"cers were side Paris and the FAF has BJP chief calls party members for aid trainedRayleigh earlier on French waves:imposed a series of mea- Omar Rashid Air Force (FAF) Rafales as sures to prevent further Press Trust of India Activists point to inadequacy in the relief work for migrants LUCKNOW perThese the terms waves of the followspread, including an severalellipticalNew Delhi motion.A Rayleigh wave rolls along the ground just like a The Editors Guild of India contract. precautions, curtailed $ying BJP president J.P. Nadda on Legal Correspondent “Other than food, migrant has criticised the Uttar Pra- waveFrance has beenrolls badly hitacrossand working a inlake shifts. or anSunday ocean.Because urged all party it rolls, it movesNEW DELHI the ground up and downw orkers need to be provided desh government for regis- members to distribute ra- A response %led by activist money for addressing their tering an FIR against The and side-to-side in the same tiondirection kits and masks tothat the the wave is moving.MostHarsh Mander to a Ministry of the shaking feltother basic needs like Wire’s Founding Editor poor to mark the birth anni- of Home A!airs (MHA) sta- healthcare, education of Siddharth Varadarajan. Indiafrom talkingan earthquake to U.S. over is due toversary the of Rayleigh Dalit icon B.R. wave, which cantus reportbe much in the Supreme larger than the othertheir children, rent and sus- Meanwhile, the police Ambedkar on April 14. He al- Court accused the Centre of tenance of their families. Mi- have served a notice to Mr. waves. so asked all Chief Ministers <> Party members being slow to absorb the im- nimum wages are %xed by Varadarajan asking him to visa sanctions threat and party State heads to re- should take a pact of the COVID-19 lock- governments taking into ac- appear in Ayodhya on April Shadow regions of waves lease video messages to the pledge to uphold down on the poor. Harsh Mander count the cost of living in 14 in connection with the In October and November from the countries they are public. the ideals and While the MHA report each State... The govern- FIR, said Nandini Sundar, 2019, India brought back in, the government has re- Mr. Nadda urged party says the Central and State exodus, have only 12% of re- ment should provide them noted sociologist and wife We already discussed that p-waves pass throughtenets ofall the medium while S-waves passes only 150 citizens who had en- fused to reconsider the tra- workers to garland Ambed- governments were “doing lief camps and shelters. minimum wages,” the acti- of Mr. Varadarajan. teredthrough the U.S. illegally, solid and v elmedium.With ban. kthear’s photograph help of at their theseConstitution properties oftheir primary best strategising hu-waves,Mr. Manderseismologists and Ms. vists contended. Ms. Sundar, who said accepted 311 others deport- However, the U.S. Presi- homes and share it on social J.P. Nadda man resources and other re- Bhardwaj argued in their pe- They said the govern- policemen from Ayodhya BJP president edhave by Mexico a who fair were try- ideadent hasabout also used the CO- interiormedia. of the earth.Even thoughsources p-waves to come out of thispasstition through that the declaration all of ment’s ₹1.7 lakh crore pack- drove to Delhi to hand over ing to enter the U.S. illegally. VID-19 situation to justify He said the party mem- run awareness campaigns in unprecedented global cri- the 21-day lockdown without age was announced 36 hours the notice, pointed out that mediums,O"cials said the pandem- it causescracking down reflectionon countries bers when should take ait pledge enters to every from poor settlement one on mediumsis”, Mr. Mander to and another.The fellow prior information variations “precipi- after the lockdown started. he was summoned despite ic had created a unique sit- that “deny or delay” the ac- uphold the ideals and tenets the good health practices to activist Anjali Bhardwaj tated an unprecedented hu- By then, the panic had set it, the lockdown. uation,in the making direction it di"cult ceptance of of wavesaliens who are areo finferred the Constitution, with and b ethe followed help to keep itof free oftheircountered record that the statistics on seismographs.Themanitarian crisis” for mi- resulting in their exodus “When it comes to the for India to accept any pas- citizens, “if such denial or obey the advisories and in- COVID-19 and to build a from the same report gave a grant workers, resulting in from the cities. They said go- gross abuse of police pow- sengersarea currently where abroad, thedelay seismograph is impeding opera- s tructionsrecords of the no govern- waveshealthy society. is called asdi !‘shadowerent picture. At zone’ the their of mass that exodus wave. to their vernment announcements er by the Adityanath admi- for fear that they might car- tions of the Department of ment to %ght COVID-19. He said they should write most, the report showed home towns. that migrant workers need nistration in UP and its in- ryAccordingly, the virus into the country. itHomeland is observed Security neces- that“Distribute the rationarea kits tobeyondessays on Ambedkar 1050 and does his w idenot regional receive variations and S-wavesMr. Mander, and represented then ot pay rent and employers tolerance of press At present, the Ministry of sary to respond to the ongo- every home in at least two ideas on the Constitution, overall inadequacy in the re- by advocate Prashant Bhush- should pay them wages ig- freedom, it is clear that CO- Externalarea A! inairs estimatesbetweening pandemic 1050 caused to 1400 by p oor does settlements not under receive the social equality P-waves. and harmo- lief work. an, said the MHA’s assurance nored the harsh realities of VID-19, the lockdown and that there are about 25,000 SARS-CoV-2.” ‘Feed the Needy’ pro- ny. For example, Kerala and that it would arrange coun- their lives. social distancing make no Indians stranded in di!e- The Presidential Memo- gramme and face covers un- They should share and Maharashtra have 72% of the selling for migrant workers For one, they lived in di!erence whatsoever,” rent parts of the world who randum, issued on April 10, der the ‘Wear Face Cover spread on social media the total number of relief camps to help them tide over the poor settlements where she tweeted. roughly fall into three cate- does include a clause per- Stay Safe’ programme in measures and decisions tain the country. Kerala alone psychological impact of the there was no formal rent The police had lodged gories: business travellers, mitting the Secretary of each mandal of a State. En- ken by the Union govern- has nearly 60% of the pandemic was, indeed, a agreements. Secondly, most two FIRs against Mr. Varad- tourists and students whose State to make exceptions sure public hygiene and so- ment, party and its leader- camps, though the tiny State “welcome measure”. But a of the migrant population arajan earlier this month colleges and schools have consistent “with the foreign cial distancing norms,” the ship for the emancipation of accounts for 2.6% of India’s more immediate need were self-employed like rick- on charges of allegedly been shut down owing to policy interests of the Unit- BJP president said in the downtrodden communities population. States such as would be for the govern- shaw-pullers. Thirdly, the wrongly attributing a quote the pandemic. Despite sev- ed States”, a clause New Del- message. and for their all-round deve- Uttar Pradesh and Jhark- ment to pay them minimum government had no record to Chief Minister Yogi Adi- eral pleas from the stranded hi hopes will be used to tide Mr. Nadda also asked par- lopment, the BJP leader hand, which have seen the wages to ensure their of people working in the in- tyanath on the Ram Nava- Indians as well as requests over the situation. ty leaders and workers to said. lion’s share of the migrant survival. formal sector. mi festival controversy.

CM A CH-CHE YK EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEMeasuring earthquakes EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE THE HINDU SeismometersCHENNAI are the instruments which are used to measure the motion of the ground, which including MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2020 COVID-19 9 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEthose of seismic waves generated by earthquakes, volcanic EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeruptions, and other seismic sources. A Seismograph is also another term used to mean seismometer though it is more applicable to the older Nurseinstruments. in Pune The recorded graphical outputMaharashtra from a seismometer/seismograph COVID-19 is tally called as shoots a seismogram. up (Note: to 1,982 Do hospitalnot confuse tests seismograph positive withState seismogram. accounts for Seismograph is an instrument while seismogram15 new cases is the in Dharavi recorded output) nearly 50% of Over 25 colleagues under quarantine national death toll Staff reporter Of these, it found nine Mumbai people showing symptoms ShoumojitThere Banerjee are twoand main undergoing scales treatment used in the seismometers: (1) Mercalli Scale and Richter Scale.Dharavi in Mumbai and upon testing, they were Pune for COVID-19. As a precau- Special Correspondent reported 15 new cases on found to be positive. They Pune TheMercalli scourge of COVID-19 Scale: hit tionary measure, around 25- Sunday, bringing the total are residents of Madina Pune’s medical fraternity af- 30 nurses, too, have been Maharashtra continued to to 43. However, nine of Nagar, Muslim Nagar and ter aThe 45-year-old scale nurse asso- representsplaced in quarantine the facili- intensityreel under the ofonslaught earthquake of by analyzing the after effects like howthese many were already people under Social felt Nagar. it, Besides, six ciated with the city’s Ruby ties, he said. the novel coronavirus as quarantine for being the new cases were reported on Hallhow Clinic tested much positive for destruction occurredmore than 22etc. persons The died of range of intensity is from 1-12. high risk contacts of an Sunday. These include four novel coronavirus, prompt- Panic at Pimpri the contagion while as many earlier case. from Shastri Nagar slum ing authorities to quaran- A week ago, more than 40 as 221 persons — a record The Brihanmumbai and two from Janata tine more than 25 of her col- doctors and nurses of a high — tested positive on Municipal Corporation Society. So far, Dharavi’s leaguesRichter on Sunday. Scale:medical college and hospital Sunday as the State’s cumu- (BMC) has screened over Mukund Nagar has reported “The nurse who works in in Pimpri had been quaran- lative tally of Covid-19 posi- 7,000 Dharavi residents so the highest cases at nine. the The general scale ward was onrepresentstined after an autorickshaw the magnitudetive cases soared to 1,982of and the earthquake. The magnitude is expressed infar .absolute numbersThis brings the total leave till a few days ago. Af- driver, who had been under its death toll went up to 149. After the !rst cases were cases in Dharavi so far to ter resumingfrom work, 1-10. she dis- Eachtreatment whole at that hospital numberOf these, increase 16 deaths were in Richter scale represents a ten times increasereported in in Dharavi,power as per of43, an including four deaths. played virus-like symptoms for accident injuries, tested from Mumbai, while Pune re- protocol, the BMC had put The BMC has now started followingearthquake. which we sent her positive for COVID-19. Fortu- ported three, taking its death their high-risk contacts fever screening of Dharavi throat swab samples for nately,all 42 medical per- toll to 30. Solapur district, under quarantine in the residents involving 24 testing.Distribution The tests returned s onnelof hadEarthquakes tested negative. which had hitherto re- Rajiv Gandhi sports private doctors, 35 positive and we have shifted Meanwhile, Pune’s death mained unscathed, reported complex and were screened municipal sta"ers and 10 her There to the hospital’s are isola- twotoll aswell-defined well as the number of beltsits !rst death, where causing parts earthquakesFanning out: A doctor checking frequently residents in the COVID-19 occur containment – The zones ofCircum-Pacific Dharavi for symptoms Belt regularly. andp oliceThe sta" ers. tion ward,” said Dr. Sanjay fresh cases continued to of the district to be sealed in Mumbai on Sunday. * PRASHANT NAKWE DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD Pathare,Mid-World Director of Medical Mountainmount on Sunday, with Belt. two o". “Twenty out of these 22 Services, Ruby Hall Clinic. more deaths and at least !ve dead (91%) had high-risk co- metropolis’s tally escalating the country’s death toll. Pune, the number of positive north Maharashtra after of citizens who had attended SAbouttating that the 68%nurse had ofpositive earthquakes cases being report- inmorbidities the such world as diabetes, occurto 1,298. in Of the the total ofCircum-Pacific 149 The Mumbai Metropolitan Belt.cases continued to mount some persons believed to the religious gathering at contracted a mild form of ed in the district. hypertension, asthma and deaths from Maharashtra, 92 Region (excluding Mumbai steadily with 15 new cases have been part of the Ta- Delhi’s Nizamuddin in early infectionMid-World and that her condi- MountainTwo women, aged belt58 and extendsheart disease,” from said State thehave Alps been reported with from theircity) witnessedextension an alarming intobeing reportedMediterranean, from the dis- blighi Jamaat the conclave Caucasus, tested March was underway in all tion was stable, Dr. Pathare 56 respectively, with a histo- Surveillance O#cer Dr. Pra- Mumbai alone, with the city surge as well, with Thane re- trict, taking the total tally to positive. The Malegaon Mun- districts and municipal cor- stressedand that thethe nurse Himalayan had ry of medical ailments region and anddeep Awate. continues toaccounting Indonesia. for nearly a third porting 15 new cases, Navi 282, and Pune city reporting icipal Corporation has till porations.Till date, 217 pa- had no contact with other comorbidities like obesity More than 150 of the 221 of the total coronavirus Mumbai reporting nine, Ka- 240 of these cases. now reported 15 cases and tients in the State have been patients21% currently of earthquakes in the and diabetes, died are at Sas- occurringfresh cases were in reported this dbelt.eaths in India, and the State lyan Dombivli reporting 11, Malegaon in Nashik is two deaths. Health o#cials discharged; 5,064 are in in- hospital’sThe isolation remaining ward soon Hospital 11%. occur infrom the Mumbai other alone, with partsthe accounting of forthe nearly world. 50% of and Mira-Bhayander six. In emerging as a hotspot in said that a thorough search stitutional quarantine. IN BRIEF CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC Eagle eyes Goa govt. sta! to With 12 new cases, Punjab tally touches 170 CHANDIGARH Punjab on Sunday reported 12 work from April 15 fresh cases of COVID-19 taking the tally to 170, a State saw only two positive cases government statement said. Seven of the 12 cases were Aditya Anand ment would resume certain from Jalandhar district, three Mumbai activities and establish- from Sahibzada Ajit Singh Though the COVID-19 lock- ments, including govern- Nagar and one each from down has been extended till ment o#ces, from Monday. Kapurthala and Faridkot the month end, Goa govern- “Fishing has restarted districts. Till now, Punjab has ment employees will res- from Saturday. Government seen 12 deaths; 23 patients ume work on April 15. o#ces in Goa will reopen on have been discharged. On the State government-run Ka- Monday and they will be ful- occasion of Baisakhi, Chief damba Transport Corpora- ly functional from Wednes- Minister Amarinder Singh tion (KTC) buses will be day after sanitisation,” he urged people to stay home and observe it with prayers. used to ferry those sta" re- said. quiring public transport. Dr. Sawant, who took Manipur’s first The government has also part in videoconference of patient discharged decided to open out-patient Chief Ministers with Prime IMPHAL departments (OPDs) of go- Minister Narendra Modi on A 23-year-old woman from vernment and private hospi- Saturday, said the Goa go- Imphal West district, the first tals along with allowing in- vernment had requested the coronavirus-affected patient tra-State businesses to Centre not to resume rail in Manipur, has been operate while maintaining and air tra#c. discharged from the J.N. social distancing. The government on Sa- Institute of Medical Sciences. With just two positive turday constituted the Eco- The woman, who was cases, down from seven and nomic Revival Committee studying in London, returned just four suspect cases on and the Expenditure Com- home on March 21 and Sunday, the government is mittee to plan the way for- tested positive on March 24. upbeat in its !ght against ward in the wake of the pan- Institute director T. Bhimo COVID-19. demic. Dr. Sawant urged said she would have to be in No escape: (Clockwise from top left) Security personnel keeping vigil at one of the hotspots in north west Delhi on Sunday; a police The Goa government had people to cooperate with quarantine for some more recommended to the Centre the government and in the days. A local resident who o!cer caning a rider for "outing lockdown norms in Patna; a that the lockdown due to three-day door-to-door sur- took part in the religious constable dispersing women who gathered to collect free rations the coronavirus outbreak vey to be undertaken from event in Nizamuddin, Delhi at Dharavi in Mumbai; and people assembling for food at one of too has tested positive. the hotspots at Jahangirpuri in New Delhi. * SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA, should continue till April 30. April 13. “There is no com- RANJEET KUMAR & PRASHANT NAKWE Chief Minister Pramod Sa- munity transmission in Goa Wine shops to open in CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC want said the State govern- till now,” he said. Meghalaya for 5 days GUWAHATI Almost a fortnight after withdrawing its order Bihar launches app for allowing home delivery of ‘Tablighi link to rising M.P. tally inconclusive’ alcoholic beverages on health grounds, the Meghalaya govt. school students Bhopal and “In Indore and Bhopal, espe- said, “We are working on government has allowed wine cially those who have re- that. We are working with shops and warehouses in the Indore are turned from Markaz the intelligence wing to see if State to sell liquor for seven However, research !ags digital divide hotspots in State (centre), because of them there is a link. As of now, hours a day from April 13 to our problems have in- there is no substantial veri!- 17, with a few conditions. Amarnath Tewary Sidharth Yadav creased like the rest of the cation with our data.” Apart from urging sellers to PATNA Bhopal entire country,” he said. Responding to the same ensure social distancing rules Following COVID-19 lock- Madhya Pradesh govern- However, the largest query, Sapna M. Lovanshi, and hygiene standards, the down, the Bihar Education ment o#cials and experts chunk of cases in Bhopal, 74 Additional Director, Directo- government said only one member of a family would be Project Council (BEPC) has have said it is yet to be con- from the State Health De- rate of Health Services, said allowed to buy liquor. launched a mobile applica- clusively established that re- partment, did not !nd a Bhopal was an exception to tion and plans to book a slot turnees from the Tablighi Ja- mention. The Bhopal admi- such a conclusion: “We can’t with the All India Radio for maat event at the nistration has earmarked say it conclusively yet as the 48 new cases, 3 deaths the audio broadcast of study Nizamuddin centre were ma- four verticals from where Stopping the spread: A modi#ed tanker being used to analysis is still going on. In recorded in Gujarat materials for government jor contributors to the novel cases have emerged — the sanitise a locality in Bhopal on Sunday. * PTI some other districts, the link AHMEDABAD school students. coronavirus spread in Bho- Health Department, the pol- may hold true.” The govern- With 48 new cases and three deaths, Gujarat’s COVID-19 However, an indepen- pal and Indore, the two hot- ice, the Tablighi Jamaat, and On April 7, three members tients have no travel or ment was yet to get results of cases mounted to 516, with dent research by an alumna spots in the State. miscellaneous. E"orts at lo- tested positive in Indore, contact history. samples taken from the 25 deaths in all. Meanwhile, of the London School of to operate … a basic phone This runs contrary to cating the source of out- which has recorded 311 cas- Asked if members of the primary contacts of the Ja- 44 persons have recovered Economics has $agged or smartphone will serve Chief Minister Shivraj Singh break within the department es. As cases spiral in the Jamaat had been prominent maat members who had test- fully and been discharged some fundamental challeng- the purpose,” said BEPC di- Chouhan’s statement at the have come to nought. So far, State’s most populous city, carriers of the disease in In- ed positive in Bhopal, said from hospitals. On Sunday, es in the process as the State rector Sanjay Singh. Chief Ministers’ videoconfe- 20 members of the Jamaat experts are scrambling to lo- dore, Rahul Rokade of the Upendra Jain, Additional Di- two persons died in has a huge digital divide and “During this long lock- rence with Prime Minister had tested positive in Bho- cate the source of the out- Mahatma Gandhi Memorial rector General of Police, Ahmedabad and one in socio-economic inequali- down period, why should Narendra Modi on Saturday. pal. break here too, as most pa- Medical College, Indore, Bhopal. Vadodara. Ahmedabad and ties. government school students Vadodara have emerged as In Bihar, like other States, su"er?” a BEPC o#cial said. the main clusters with 282 schools and colleges are and 101 cases respectively. shut due to COVID-19 lock- ‘Irrational move’ 2 more die As on Sunday evening, four down. Recently, the BEPC, a But, an independent re- ‘78% positive cases in J&K asymptomatic’ patients are on ventilator wing of the State Education search by an alumna of the in West Bengal support while 444 are stable. department, launched a London School of Econom- All areas under eight police stations in Srinagar’s old city declared ‘red zones’ mobile application “Un- ics (LSE), Anushna Jha, has Special Correspondent More people to get nayan: Mera Mobile, Mera $agged some “fundamental Peerzada Ashiq so been tracked,” said the ed Deputy Commissioners to surveillance. Among all the Kolkata rations in Odisha Vidyalaya” for Class VI to XII challenges to viewing tech- Srinagar spokesperson. strictly implement restric- districts, Srinagar has the The number of patients BHUBANESWAR of over 70,000 government- nology-enabled education” Of the 245 coronavirus posi- Worried by the growing tions in all 77 ‘red zones’ de- highest number of 58 posi- who contracted COVID-19 The Odisha government has run schools. The app, said in a State like Bihar. tive cases in J&K, 78% are numbers in the asymptomat- clared in J&K. “Proper regu- tive cases, followed by Ban- and died rose from !ve to added 51,766 new beneficiaries under the State department o#cials, was “There is huge digital di- asymptomatic, with 21 more ic coronavirus positive population of ‘red zones’ and dipora with 42 positive cases seven in the last 24 hours Food Security Scheme amid jointly developed by the Un- vide that exists in Bihar and positive cases reported on lation, Lieutenant Governor complete lockdown in the and Baramulla with 37 posi- in West Bengal. The num- the lockdown to prevent ited Nations Children’s expecting that the migrant Sunday. G. C. Murmu’s adviser Ba- identi!ed areas should be tive cases. ber of active cases re- spread of coronavirus. Fund (UNICEF), the Bihar population, whose major A J&K government spokes- seer Ahmed Khan declared ensured,” he said. A. G. Ahanger, who heads mained at 95, the Health “Ration card management, government and Eckova- cause of concern today is person said it has been able all the areas falling under the Kashmir’s main tertiary care department’s bulletin said. an automated system, is tion, a social learning plat- their daily sustenance, to trace 98% of locals with a jurisdiction of eight Police 21 new cases Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of The number of suspect- verifying the authenticity of form. would !nd ways to make history of foreign travel, or Stations in Srinagar’s old city Spokesperson for the J&K go- Medical Sciences (SKIMS) ed cases under hospital over five lakh beneficiaries “In collaboration with their children digitally con- having attended religious as ‘red zones’. “The step has vernment Rohit Kansal said Hospital, said, “The situa- isolation went up from who were left out. Soon after UNICEF, class-wise and sub- nect with schools and teach- gatherings, and their con- been taken to ensure there is 21 new positive cases of coro- tion is grim and the next two 1,964 on Saturday to 2,085 their inclusion in the scheme, ject-wise study materials are ers or participate in online tacts. no further spread of CO- navirus were reported in J&K weeks could provide a clear on Sunday. A total lock- we have started providing being prepared which will classes would simply be ar- “The aggressive testing VID-19 in Srinagar’s old city,” on Sunday. picture on whether CO- down is being observed af- them advance rations,” be broadcast by AIR as radio rogant and irrational,” Ms. strategy has been very e"ec- said Mr. Khan. Around 51,320 travellers VID-19 has entered the com- ter mid-day, but in the ear- Minister for Food Supplies has a deep penetration into Jha told The Hindu over tive in J&K. Besides, 78% Chief Secretary B.V.R. and persons who came into munity transmission phase ly hours people thronged Ranendra Pratap Swain said. villages and is much simpler phone. asymptomatic cases have al- Subrahmanyam also direct- contact with them are under in J&K.” the local markets.

CHENNAI THE HINDU 10 COVID-19 MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2020 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Enough grains for 9 months: Paswan Pharma units in limbo amid Food Minister says supply of foodgrains during the lockdown has gone on well without a hitch confusion over HCQ exports Press Trust of India lockdown may have sparked playing a key role. New Delhi a variety of concerns, includ- Recently, over 20.19 lakh The Central government has ing about economy, but any tonnes of grains was moved Despite Ministry’s nod, DGFT ban on drug sales continues enough stock of grains to shortage of essential grains through trains in one day, a feed over 81 crore bene!ciar- like wheat and rice is not record, he noted. Suhasini Haidar ies of the public distribution among them. NEW DELHI system (PDS) for nine Mr. Paswan said in a light- Subsidised grains A week after the Ministry of months, Union Minister Ram er vein that the condition is The government has also External A"airs (MEA) an- Vilas Paswan said on Sunday, akin to “the lawyer (Centre) made it easier for agencies, nounced that it would “li- expressing con!dence that being more keen about the public or private, to pur- cense” the malaria drug hy- its granaries, expecting a dented” scale has emerged The per month supply case than the client (States)”, chase grains from it at a sub- droxychloroquine (HCQ) boost from a “bumper” as a “lifeline” during the cri- through the PDS amounts to with the Union government sidised rate if they are in- and supply it to various wheat crop, will have adeq- sis, with the poor being as- 60 lakh tonne, he said. constantly asking States to volved in helping the poor. countries on a “government uate stock for a much longer sured of their ration supply Coarse grains and pulses are lift their quota of rations in “If in this lockdown there to government basis”, the period. in time. also supplied through the time after it was announced had been any issue regard- Directorate General of Fo- With the government like- As of April 10, the govern- PDS in a limited quantity. that all PDS bene!ciaries will ing the supply of food grains, reign Trade (DGFT) main- ly to extend the nation-wide ment-run godowns have “There is no shortage of get three months of supply then it could have created a tains that the drug is still lockdown till the month end, 299.45 lakh tonne rice and grains. We now have a bum- free. havoc. So the biggest satis- prohibited for export, caus- the Consumer A"airs, Food 235.33 lakh tonne wheat, to- per rabi harvest and our esti- What has been seen is faction and relief is that it ing some confusion in indus- and Public Distribution Mi- talling 534.78 lakh tonne of mate is that we will have “unprecedented and histor- has all gone well,” Mr. Pas- try circles. Drug tra!c: The !rst shipment of HCQ landed at the Newark nister said that the transpor- the two major grains sup- adequate stock for up to two ic”, he said about the me- wan, a member of the Group “There is huge capacity in airport in the U.S. on Sunday. * AP tation and distribution of plied to the poor, Mr. Pas- years,” he said. chanism put in for the distri- of Ministers overseeing the our industry for both HCQ foodgrains at an “unprece- wan said. Though the extended bution of grains, with trains lockdown exercise, said. and paracetamol produc- of Ministers had approved ports, at a time when global tion. But our manufacturers, the release,” the Press Infor- demand is at its highest. especially the MSMEs and mation Bureau spokesper- Others said that none of SMEs are confused about the son said at the daily press the major markets in Africa, Chinese bank process, given the DGFTs brie!ng on COVID-19 in Latin America, and CIS Protect !rms from ‘Resume industrial noti!cation banning ex- Delhi. countries had yet been picks up 1% ports.” Dinesh Dua, Chair- The !rst shipment of HCQ cleared for the export of man of the Pharmaceutical landed in the U.S.’s Newark HCQ, at a time when de- takeover: Rahul stake in HDFC activity in 15 sectors’ Export Promotion Council airport on Sunday, a week af- mand from them is at its of India told The Hindu. ter Mr. Trump had called PM peak. ‘Slowdown weakened corporates’ Special Correspondent Key to improve economy, says DPIIT Modi to ask for the release of More confusion arose af- Mumbai Stuck in warehouses the drug orders placed by ter Israeli Prime Minister Special Correspondent The People’s Bank of Chi- Special Correspondent and Internal Trade (DPIIT). “Some small exporters have the US. Benjamin Netanyahu New Delhi na, the Chinese central NEW DELHI He said all recommenda- tonnes of !nished goods ly- However, a number of in- thanked Mr. Modi for HCQ Former Congress president bank, has picked up over The Commerce and Indus- tions were based on Com- ing in their FG warehouses dustry sources pointed out supplies, although Israel is Rahul Gandhi on Sunday 1% stake in HDFC Ltd., In- tries Ministry has called for merce Minister Piyush and some at ports which is that the decision to allow the not on the list of companies asked the government to en- dia’s largest mortgage len- far-reaching measures to be Goyal’s interactions with in- not being exported because exports has not yet been cleared. sure that Indian companies der. taken to mitigate the e"ects dustry representatives. of lack of clarity on the pro- noti!ed by DGFT, even did not face any hostile take- According to the March- of the lockdown, urging the Dr. Mohapatra recom- cedure,” he added. though it had uploaded its Global market over bid by foreign compa- end shareholding pattern Home Ministry to allow re- mended that industrial ac- “We are receiving many previous two noti!cations of “The Indian pharmaceutical nies during the COVID-19 disclosed by the mortgage laxations of the restrictions tivity be restarted in at least queries from various manu- March 25 (54/2015-2020) industry has been painstak- pandemic. lender to the stock ex- on a number of industry 15 sectors, including heavy facturers due to this discre- and April 4(01/2015-2020) ingly built over 25 years with “The massive economic changes, People’s Bank of sectors. electricals, electronics and pancy; there is no transpa- which banned the export of a market of $22 billion to 206 slowdown has weakened China has 1.75 crore shares, In a letter to Home Secre- telecom equipment, auto- rency in the process at HCQ “without any excep- countries. It would be a tra- many Indian corporates Rahul Gandhi or a 1.01% stake, in HDFC. tary Ajay Kumar Bhalla on mobiles, steel mills, power present as nothing is on pap- tions”, and kept paraceta- gedy if we are not allowed to making them attractive tar- The Chinese bank had Saturday, Industries Secre- looms, defence units, ce- er o#cially,” said an o#cial mol on a restricted list. use our strength at this time gets for takeovers,” he wrote Last week, Italy an- some stake in HDFC prior tary Guruprasad Mohapatra ment, rubber, seeds, agro- from another industry As a result many manu- when the world needs these on Twitter. nounced changes to its fo- to the January-March quar- said “more activities with chemicals and fertilizers. group, who asked not to be facturers, especially smaller products, by placing orders “The Govt must not allow reign investment policy and ter, but the disclosure was reasonable safeguards must To begin with, manufac- identi!ed. companies, say customs o#- and even paying in advance foreign interests to take con- protected its banking, insu- made since the sharehold- be allowed” once a !nal de- turing should be restarted in On Sunday, the govern- cials are not clearing their and still unable to get these trol of any Indian corporate rance and healthcare sec- ing crossed 1% during the cision was taken on the ex- single shifts of 20-25% ca- ment said it had cleared the consignments of HCQ and spareable medicines with at this time of national cri- tors from hostile takeover fourth quarter of 2019-20. tension of the lockdown. pacity, following proper so- release of HCQ for 13 coun- paracetamol. huge capacity in India,” Mr. sis,” he said. by foreign companies. Domestic equities came “These new activities are es- cial distancing and sanita- tries. India is the lead producer Dua said. His comments came days Spain, too, has made it man- under pressure in March, sential to improve the eco- tion norms. Companies “After making an assess- for HCQ, an anti-malarial He added that several in- after reports suggested that datory for its companies to including that of HDFC, af- nomic activity and provide which are allowed to oper- ment of the domestic re- drug, while Indian-made pa- dustry groups plan to peti- Chinese investors were seek government approval if ter the COVID-19 pandemic liquidity in the hands of the ate should be allowed to in- quirement and keeping a racetamol is used as a fever tion the Commerce Ministry scouting for shares in dis- any foreign company wants spread. people,” said Dr. Mohapatra sist on workers returning for bu"er, which is assessed on medication worldwide. and the Ministry of External tressed European to pick up over 10% stake in The shares of HDFC are who heads the Department duty to avail wages, he a weekly basis by the Empo- The sources pointed to a A"airs to clarify the rules for companies. them. now trading at ₹1,701.95. for Promotion of Industry added. wered Committee, a Group number of hurdles in ex- export.

DST moots INTERVIEW | PRAVEEN CHARAVARTY study on yoga against viruses ‘India-speci!c strategy must’ Press Trust of India Poor are worst hit by pandemic, says Congress functionary New Delhi The Department of Science Sandeep Phukan predict a counterfactual- and Technology (DST) has Based on trends from global invited proposals to study Praveen Chakravarty, and Indian data on CO- appropriate intervention political economist and head VID-19, it now seems clear of yoga and meditation in of the Data and Technology that the virus is very conta- !ghting COVID-19 and simi- Cell of the Congress, says In- gious but not as fatal as some lar kinds of viruses. dia should evolve a strategy of the initial wild estimates Teams of scientists, clin- with the idea that the novel of epidemiologists icians and experienced coronavirus infections will predicted. practitioners of yoga and last for a long time. meditation who have a pro- Former Congress chief Rahul ven track record are being It’s certain now that the <> We run the risk of Gandhi too talked of a encouraged to submit con- lockdown will be extended losing many lives ‘nuanced approach’ that cept notes on the proposal. by another two weeks but due to the lockdown takes an India-speci"c The proposals have the Centre may allow some approach. What exactly is it? been invited under the economic activity. Reports tion to emerge out of this ex- I It is clear that Mr. Gandhi Science and Technology of suggest that the government treme lockdown. So, in the has been studying and re- Yoga and Meditation (SA- may partially open up the absence of that, it is only nat- searching on COVID-19 a lot. TYAM) programme of the least a!ected areas. How do ural and wise that State go- He was among the !rst to DST, a department under you see this move? vernments will prefer to ex- warn the nation about it. He the Ministry of Science and I We have to wait and see tend the lockdown and deal wrote a letter to the PM argu- Technology. what the government is go- with the crisis locally which ing for a nuanced approach ing to do exactly. As of now, they seem to be doing very to a lockdown, keeping In- there are reports indicating well now. dia’s unique realities in that the current form of ex- mind. Attacks on treme lockdown will be ex- Are you totally opposed to Given India’s vast infor- tended until April 30. If the the current form of mal, daily wage labour force, minorities up government is also simulta- lockdown? a high density of people liv- neously thinking about a gra- I The current form of ex- ing in one room houses, in Haryana dual “unlock” process, it is treme lockdown was an im- large urban-rural divide and welcome. As the Chief Scien- mediate response to an un- a much younger population SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT tist of the WHO, Dr. Soumya known crisis and hence than the developed coun- CHANDIGARH Swaminathan, has said in an understandable. But it is tries, he is arguing for a Amid surging of COVID-19 interview to The Hindu, the clear now that the cure is more balanced and humane cases in Haryana, the State disease is going to be with us worse than the disease. We approach than the current has so far seen 19 incidents for a long time and we need run the risk of losing as ma- extreme and absolute of attacks on religious mi- to start planning for life with ny, if not more, lives due to lockdown. norities in connection with the virus and cannot be in a the lockdown. It is not a “ru- spreading of coronavirus. lockdown and wait for the vi- pees vs lives” but a “lives vs Both former Finance Across the State, till rus to be eliminated com- lives” issue. Minister P. Chidambaram April 11, the police have re- pletely, which will take a The under-privileged are and you have argued for a gistered 19 cases against 89 long time. bearing the brunt of this — economic package of ₹5-6 people in di"erent inci- ostracism, lack of hospital lakh crore. With the dents of attacks on minori- You’ve have talked about a care, loss of wages, home- economy under a total ties relating to the epidem- ‘targeted lockdown’ instead lessness, hunger etc. This ex- shutdown now, is it even ic. Police data show that so of a complete nationwide treme lockdown seems to be possible for the Centre to far 28 accused have been lockdown. But Congress- a case of the privileged trans- generate this kind of arrested for the attacks. ruled Punjab was the second ferring their epidemic risk to additional resources? In majority of the inci- State to extend the lockdown the under-privileged I Of course it is entirely pos- dents, Section 295-A of the on Friday. Is there a divide sible. In my piece in The Hin- Indian Penal Code (deliber- within the Congress? The Centre says if there was du, I had even detailed ate and malicious acts in- I A lockdown in itself can- no nationwide lockdown, by where to !nd the money — tended to outrage religious not be a strategy. It has to be now India would have seen from a combination of ra- feelings of any class by in- accompanied by measures more than 8 lakh cases. So, a tionalised expenditure, high- sulting its religion or reli- such as what Rajasthan un- complete lockdown acted as er borrowing and printing of gious beliefs) has been dertook in Bhilwara. a circuit breaker. more money. It is absolutely evoked. Panipat district The Bhilwara model is the I This is plain rubbish. imperative that the package has seen the maximum in- model for the nation to emu- Anyone who understands consists of a “rescue” for the cidents of attacks on the late. Even after 21 days, the basic data and statistics will a"ected workforce. But it is minority community. Se- Prime Minister and the Un- tell you that it makes no important to remember this ven incidents have been re- ion government have not sense to do a linear extrapo- is not a demand crisis but a ported in the district. laid out a strategy for the na- lation of an early trend to supply crisis.

THE HINDU CHENNAI MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2020 COVID-19 11 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

INTERVIEW | G.V.S. MURTHY ‘People with disabilities have special issues during virus outbreak’ Govt. and organisations working with di!erently-abled people need to make e!orts to convert prevention and care messages into an accessible format, says expert

Bindu Shajan Perappadan with conditions like cerebral blems. Routine health needs to health and education and support for people with dis- the people with disability, as NEW DELHI palsy or Down’s Syndrome that they have are also not equity. The government and abilities. Technology-savvy happened in countries like People with disabilities need much more support than others need to be assisted in feed- provided as health centres or the organisations working professionals can help to Spain where there was a li- in the face of a pandemic. They may not be eating properly ing. People with mental transportation facilities are with people with disabilities make information available mited number of ventilators and may experience higher stress because they are unable to health issues cannot com- not accessible. have to make e"orts to con- in an accessible format for and beds, which could not understand what is happening all around them, says G.V.S. prehend the messages. At vert prevention and care people with disabilities. cope with the avalanche of Murthy, Vice-President and Director, Indian Indian Institute the same time, people with What is the scale of the messages on COVID-19 into Students with disabilities cases that needed critical of Public Health, Hyderabad. disabilities have a higher risk problem? an accessible format. also need to be provided sup- care. of conditions such as dia- Health facilities should port so that they can keep up A country’s development What are the unique see; they cannot practise so- betes and hypertension, I India is home to nearly 150 prioritise the needs of peo- academically. Therefore, on- is measured by its social sup- challenges that people with cial distancing unless there which are high-risk factors million people with some de- ple with disabilities over the line teaching programmes port and inclusive policies. disability face? are innovative approaches for COVID-19 mortality. The- gree of disability. Nearly 25- rest of the population. De- should be made available to We need to set high stan- like keeping a safe distance refore, people with disabili- 30 million have severe dis- creasing waiting time in hos- them in an accessible format. dards and not succumb to I People with disability have using a white cane. ties need much more sup- ability. Most of them live as pitals for them will reduce Civil society should volun- the ‘might is right’ philoso- Health facilities special issues in a situation For the hearing impaired, port than the rest of the <> part of their families and de- contact with other asympto- teer their time to provide this phy and abandon people like the spread of the novel especially those who are not population in the face of a should prioritise the pend on a carer. This adds to matic carriers of the novel sort of support. Since many with disability in this crisis. coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). literate, they cannot hear the pandemic. needs of people with another 25-30 million carers. coronavirus. Their medicine of them will not be able to ac- People with disability are a message or read it. Since ma- They may not be eating disabilities over the Therefore, we are looking at needs have to be provided cess professional carers dur- What is the current diverse group, experiencing ny depend on lip-reading, properly and may expe- rest of the nearly 50 million people for. Mobile health teams can ing a lockdown, civil society situation? di"erent hardships in access- they are compromised when rience higher stress because population who need special support, provide them services at volunteers should help. Even ing information on preven- the person giving a message they are unable to under- which is not routinely forth- their homes rather than hav- for supporting cooking and I Nobody is addressing the tion and risk of infection. is wearing a mask. stand what is happening all ability and are highly coming. ing them travel to hospitals. other self-care activities, vo- special needs of people with People with visual impair- None of the messages in around them, over which stressed as to how they can A dedicated helpline can be lunteers should step in. disabilities and making ef- ment and blindness depend the media is using sign lan- they have no control. care for them and family How can the public and set up for this so that the Inclusive society is the forts at reaching out to them. upon touch for most of their guage interpreters. The Women with disability members because they are government help? medical team can reach need of the hour. We don’t We would fail as a human daily activities. They need to physically disabled cannot have additional issues. They not supported to care for them. They need to be as- want to face a situation race if we don’t show a hu- hold the hand of an escort to reach a wash basin or may are vulnerable to exploita- them. I India has signed up to sured of supplies of soap, where medical equipment is mane response in an equita- move around; they cannot not be able to wash their tion and even more so during People with communica- achieve sustainable develop- sanitisers and tissues. prioritised based on younger ble manner with a#rmative read the messages that the hands vigorously. a pandemic. Many of them tion disabilities don’t know ment goals, the cornerstone The general public needs populations being cared for action for people with dis- rest of the population can Children and adolescents have children without dis- how to express their pro- of which is universal access to be educated on providing at the cost of the elderly and abilities.

‘Stimulus must precede lifting Easter prayers with photos in pews CMERI develops low-cost of lockdown’ Church in Assam’s Dibrugarh uses images to mark believers’ symbolic presence disinfectant walkways Special correspondent SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT graphs that we downloaded NEW DELHI GUWAHATI and printed and pasted on Mist-type spray ensures maximum coverage, easy installation The Confederation of In- Members of a church in east- the pews ahead of the Sun- dian Industries (CII) has ern Assam’s Dibrugarh dis- day Mass. Only three believ- Shiv Sahay Singh Kolkata said that before the lock- trict could not attend the ers attended in person while down is lifted, adequate Easter prayer service on abiding by the government’s In an attempt at providing notice should be given and Sunday. They sent in their guidelines,” the Bishop said. new technologies to contain an economic package photographs instead. “I am happy that the be- the spread of COVID-19, the announced. Priests of the Sacred Heart lievers have performed their Central Mechanical Engi- Reiterating the industry Cathedral Church at the duties as citizens by staying neering Research Institute body’s recommendation of Bishop’s House in district and praying at home while (CMERI), Durgapur, a labo- “slow and staggered” reo- headquarters Dibrugarh said being in the church virtual- ratory of Council of Scientif- pening, CII Director-Gener- photos sent by believers as- ly,” he added. ic and Industrial Research al Chandrajit Banerjee said sociated with the church Quiet attendance: A view of the Sacred Heart Cathedral Churches in the Christian- (CSIR), has developed low- on Sunday that it would be were placed on the pews to Church in Dibrugarh on Sunday. * SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT majority States of Megha- cost disinfection walkways. desirable to classify the ge- mark their symbolic pre- laya, Mizoram and Nagaland The walkway, which costs ography into the red, am- sence during a special Mass. ty of remaining at home be- over phone from Dibrugarh. conducted Sunday services about ₹1.5 lakh on an aver- ber and green zones, based “Last week, the believers cause of the COVID-19 lock- An e-mail was accordingly through live-streaming via age, can be easily installed on the incidence of in the town were sad that down. One of them came up sent to some 400 Christian social media platforms. The in critical locations such as COVID-19. they would not be able to with the idea of using repre- families in the town on April Nagaland Baptist Church isolation/quarantine facili- “The principle should come to church on Easter, sentational photos,” Bishop 10. Within three-four hours, Council carried out the East- ties, mass transit system en- be that we look at opening but understood the necessi- Joseph Aind told The Hindu they sent us family photo- er Sunrise Service online. try points and medical up in concentric circles centres, CMERI Director- around the red zones. The General Harish Hirani said. radiating heat map should The walkway uses mist type turn from red in the inside spray ensuring maximum to green on the outside. In Auto sector revival by next year: PwC target coverage with mini- other words, ‘Lock inside mum shadow area of an in- out’,” he said. dividual. In a statement, the in- There is a need to re-start ‘controlled operation’, suggests NRI Consulting dustry body said all facili- Two variants ties that reopen must have Special correspondent vehicles sales may fall 12% to “We started working on health, sanitation and NEW DELHI 2.43 million (from 2.75 mil- these walkways from the screening systems in place Experts expect the Indian lion) and commercial vehi- third week of March and to protect workers. They automobile sector to start cles sales are forecast to de- now we are ready with two should also follow thermal seeing recovery in the fourth cline 21% to 1.06 million from variants, Pneumatic Variant Passage to safety: The walkway, which costs about ₹1.5 lakh, checks, physical distancing quarter of 2020-21 in a “real- 1.34 million. Disinfection Walkway and can be easily installed in critical locations. * SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT and factory sanitisation. istic” scenario, while facing Another report by Nomu- Hydraulic Variant Disinfec- Any enterprise that fails to challenges such as delayed ra Research Institute (NRI) tion Walkway. This is cost-ef- walkways can sanitise a per- Emphasising that these adhere to these norms on a launches, higher costs, shor- Consulting & Solutions India fective and can be easily in- son in 20 to 30 seconds. walkways will become a part self-certi!cation basis tage of labour and material, pointed that Maharashtra, stalled,” Mr. Hirani said. Both the walkways have of people’s lives post the co- should be penalised. and productivity losses. Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra According to the CMERI been installed on the CEMRI ronavirus outbreak, Mr. Hira- “However, prior to the According to a report ‘Au- Path to recovery: In a realistic scenario, PWC expects recovery Pradesh and Delhi-NCR, D-G, the walkways use mist campus in Durgapur. ni said the variants made by lifting of the lockdown tomotive sector: Impact of by the fourth quarter of 2020-21. * PTI which are major automotive type spray, whose particle Researchers say that in the CMERI could be easily (which should be decided COVID-19 and navigating the demand and supply clusters, size could be as small as 100 these disinfectant walk- customised. based on the advice of turbulence’ by PwC, in an with pay cuts and temporary to April-June 2021 quarter. are the worst-hit. to 200 microns. “We have ways, the base liquid is sodi- Recently, during a video- medical experts), there has “optimistic” scenario we job losses in the informal The analysis, based on the Ashim Sharma, Partner & already got orders from the um hypochlorite along with conference with Chief Minis- to be adequate notice given could see a recovery by third sector, with recovery by the situation as on April 08, Group Head at NRI Consult- local municipal corporation which soap and ethanol are ter Mamata Banerjee, Nobel to all, and along with that, quarter (October-December) fourth quarter of 2020-21. 2020, suggested that under a ing & Solutions, said that like Asansol and Durgapur added. In certain cases, if Laureate Abhijit Banerjee there should be the an- of the current !scal. In a Under a “pessimistic” scena- realistic scenario, two- there is a need to re-start and some schools in the re- people are allergic to chlo- had suggested sanitising the nouncement of an eco- “realistic” scenario, PwC ex- rio, it expects the economy wheeler sales are likely to “controlled operation” in gion,” Mr. Hirani said. rine, the liquid can be markets. The CMERI-built nomic package,” the state- pects a two quarter slow- to recover by Q4-FY21, push- decline by 18% to 14.2 million factories to mitigate some of Depending on how much changed to iodine-based road sanitisers can be used ment added. down in the economy, along ing the recovery of the sector from 17.2 million, passenger the impact. chemicals are used, the solutions. for this purpose.

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THE HINDU CROSSWORD 12908 (set by Dr. X) SUDOKU FAITH Log on to crossword.thehindu.com for more puzzles 12 Enthralling set! Band is lively 2 She’ll target man angrily? (9) (9) Marriage mantras 3 Anything is possible except 13 Fine revolutionary rushed to travel beyond outer space? Yasoda did not witness any of Krishna’s marriages. To com- get sacred book (5) (3,4,3,5) pensate for this, she was born as Vakulamala, near Thiruma- 14 Problem is fool in depression 4 Not connected with rotten la, and looked after Srinivasa, and had the joy of celebrating lacks love (6) nationalist involved in deceit the Lord’s marriage as Srinivasa. Srinivasa’s bride was Pad- mavati, the foster daughter of Akasa Raja and his queen Dha- 15 Trick to go across incline — it’s (3-4) used by ice climbers (7) rani. There is a signi!cance to their names, said V.S. Karu- 6 They trade illegally in nakarachariar, in a discourse. 18 Concocted by director pursuing alcoholic spirits to tackle Akasa means sky and Dharani means earth. One of the shortage on demand (5,10) hot model, consumed by marriage mantras, which is recited by the groom, says, “I desire (7) 7 British musician, illustrious, am the sky, and you are the earth.” This is not to indicate the 20 Adventurous one bitten by welcomes queen (5) superiority of the husband over the wife. It is to show that nasty shark (6) each is indispensable to the other. An example will help us 8 Pathetic admin, not understand this better. We may choose any number of ways authoritative (8) 22 Dismisses one immature to water plants — we may use a hose pipe, or a watering can, trainee in centre (5) 9 Dreadful jerk abducts kid (6) or use a bucket to water the plants. But no matter which of 24 Seduced by oriental wife with these methods we resort to, nothing can equal the freshness 16 Swiftly shot criminal in pound eagerness in sack (9) of plants which have just received a good shower of rain. So, (9) the sky has a relationship with the earth, which is un- 25 Where chamber pot might be 17 Scrambles to drink punch in equalled by any other. That is why Sita says to Kausalya that put out (9) Solution to puzzle 12907 Solution to yesterday’s Sudoku lively parties (8) while a father and mother may dote on their daughter, the I ACROSS 26 Result is terrible unease after greatest joy for her comes from having a loving husband. abrogation of article (5) 19 One owing money in bar about Another mantra says that relationship between the two is 1 Army cracks fancy code (8) to accept reckless bet (6) 27 First off, decrease in traffic is like that between lyric and tune. Rg Veda is nothing but poe- 5 American, unfairly prejudiced, welcome (6) 20 A woman and daughter sti!ed try, and Sama Veda is the music for this poetry. Thus, all leaves immigrants primarily by truly unfair treatment Vedic mantras show the equality of husband and wife. morti"ed (6) 28 Most costly nuisance to (3,4) Kings, before performing yagas, had to plough the land, 10 Husband abandons woman maintain habitual drinker (8) and it was while doing so that Akasa Raja found Padmavati. 21 Stop to tackle a little after "ght turns more serious In the same manner, Janaka had found Sita. The mantra re- I DOWN defective plug (6) (5) cited by the kings talks of the furrows left on the ground by 11 Siren say in company ensnares 1 Fine westernized houses, most 23 Noisy in pub! Victory for the plough. The Sanskrit word for furrow is Sita, and hence sincere associate (4,5) contemporary (6) Arsenal "nally (5) Janaka named the girl he found Sita.

CHENNAI THE HINDU 12 WORLD MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2020 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Europe toll crosses 75,000 on grim Easter day Banish self-centredness, Pope tells the world Experts feel that the case count in Italy, Spain and France could have peaked; U.S. now tops the list of infections and deaths Ponti! marks ‘Easter of solitude’ Agence France-Presse Rome People !out rules Reuters ference, self-centredness, Billions around the world ce- Vatican City division and forgetfulness lebrated Easter Sunday from in Hong Kong Pope Francis called on Sun- are not words we want to lockdown at home as the day for global solidarity in hear at this time. We want to Pope urged solidarity to !ght Reuters !ghting the COVID-19 pan- ban these words forever!” Hong Kong the COVID-19 pandemic and demic and its economic fal- the European death toll from People in Hong Kong lout, urging the relaxation Collective action needed the virus topped 75,000. thronged beaches, ferries of international sanctions, Pope Francis expressed Unprecedented scenes of and outlying islands on debt relief for poor nations sympathy for those not able empty churches emerged Sunday, many of them and cease!res in all con- to bid farewell to their loved from Italy to Panama and the violating a ban on $icts. He also warned the ones because of restric- Philippines, as religious lead- gatherings of more than European Union (EU) that it tions, for Catholics who ers found creative ways to four people. risked collapse if it did not have not been able to re- address parishioners mark- Clear blue skies lured agree on how to help the receive the sacraments and ing the holiday weekend people to popular areas gion recover. for all those worried about from the con!nes of their across the territory over The Pope’s Easter “Urbi an uncertain future. “In homes. Nore than half the the long Easter weekend et Orbi” (to the city and the these weeks, the lives of mil- world are in lockdown and many of them were world) message, delivered lions of people have sudden- worldwide as governments without surgical masks. from an empty St. Peter’s ly changed,” he said. scramble to halt the pan- Hong Kong has Basilica, was by far his most The Pope said now was demic’s deadly march. The recorded 1,005 cases of pressing and political since the time for politicians and toll from the virus soared COVID-19, which has killed his election in 2013. governments to avoid “self- past 1,09,000 this weekend, four people in the city. Saying the message of centredness” and take deci- with more than 1.7 million re- It banned public this year’s “Easter of soli- sive, concerted action to ported infections globally. gatherings of more than tude” should be a “conta- help each others’ popula- four people for 14 days gion of hope,” he heaped tions live through the crisis To the skies, and the heavens: A Priest leading an Easter Sunday Mass on the roof of the Santa Maria della Salute church, from March 29. praise on doctors, nurses and eventually resume nor- in Naples, Italy, on Sunday. * REUTERS and others risking their lives mal life. He also called for to save others and hailed debt reductions or forgive- hundreds of pictures of par- cial Jerome Salomon, urging those working to keep es- ness for the poorest nations, Europe is by far the har- ishioners were taped to pews people to remain vigilant. Johnson leaves hospital, thanks NHS sential services running. without naming any dest-hit continent and on as a priest held a Sunday ser- “This is not a time for in- countries. Sunday marked a grave mil- vice to a near-empty room. Ray of hope in U.S. Reuters every second of the night di"erence, because the Pope Francis expressed estone with more than As virus-tinged Easter cele- In the United States, New Or- London they were watching and whole world is su"ering and particular concern for the 75,000 dead, according to an brations were held world- leans and hardest-hit New they were thinking and they needs to be united in facing future of Europe, saying it AFP tally. wide, leaders in some hard- York saw a slowdown in the British Prime Minister Boris were caring and making the the pandemic,” he said in was vital that rivalries that The U.S. was quickly hit countries expressed cau- number of new infections, Johnson left hospital on intervention s I needed,” he the message, almost entirely existed before the Second emerging as a hotspot as tious optimism the number deaths and hospitalisations, Sunday and thanked the said. Mr. Johnson will dedicated to the pandemic’s World War “do not regain well, and on Saturday of deaths and infections o"er a shred of hope. National Health Service continue his recovery at e"ects on personal and in- force” as a result of the marked its own grim land- could be starting to peak. U.S. President Donald (NHS) for saving his life, Chequers, the o#cial prime ternational relations. “Indif- pandemic. mark: more than 20,000 Spain saw its daily death Trump said this past week saying “things could have ministerial country dead, out of around half a toll drop for three days that the disease was near its gone either way” for him as Boris Johnson. * REUTERS residence northwest of million infected. The U.S. straight — but on Sunday re- peak in the U.S. and he was he battled COVID-19. Mr. London, his o#ce said. now has the highest death ported a slight spike again considering ways to re-open Johnson, 55, was taken to St o#cial death toll in Britain “There were times last toll and the most cases out of with 619 fresh fatalities. the world’s biggest economy Thomas’ Hospital in central passed 10,000. week that were very dark any country in the world. And though Italy was as soon as possible. “We look London on April 5, su"ering He named and thanked indeed. My heart goes out to nearing the 20,000 dead like we’ll be coming in on the from persistent symptoms the nurses who had cared all those in similar Celebrations indoors mark, its daily death toll and very, very low side, below of the disease. On April 6, for him, with a special situations, worried sick In Panama, an Archbishop rate of new infections has the lowest side of the curve he was moved into intensive mention for two of them, about their loved ones,” his blessed his nation from a hel- started to level o". In France, of death,” said Mr. Trump in care, where he remained Jenny from New Zealand !ancée Carrie Symonds said icopter, while worshippers newly reported coronavirus an interview with Fox News. until April 9. and Luis from Portugal, on Twitter. “Today I’m in Spain blasted music from deaths fell by one-third from China, where the virus “I have today left hospital who he said had stood by feeling incredibly lucky.” their balconies and U.S. Pre- Friday to 635 on Saturday. !rst emerged at the end of after a week in which the his bedside for 48 hours Mr. Johnson thanked the sident Donald Trump said he “A very high plateau for last year in the central city of NHS has saved my life, no “when things could have public for following strict would be among those fol- the epidemic appears to Wuhan, has seen in increase question,” he said in a gone either way”. “The social distancing guidelines lowing Easter services on- have been reached, but the in imported infections as it !ve-minute video message reason in the end my body in place since March 23 and line. In a church north of the epidemic remains very ac- starts to ease strict lockdown posted on Twitter from 10 did start to get enough assured them their e"orts Call and prayers: Pope Francis holding the Holy Book

Philippines capital Manila, tive,” said French health o#- measures this month. Downing Street as the oxygen was because for were paying o". of Prayers during the Easter Vigil on Saturday. * AFP ‘All dying due Taliban set to release 20 prisoners Congo records Mujib assassination convict hanged to virus will second Ebola be cremated’ ‘They will be handed over to Red Cross representatives’ death in days Majed was held last week after hiding in India for 23 years Press Trust of India Agence France-Presse two-and-half decades in In- Dhaka Agence France-Presse Kabul Reuters dia. Home Minister Asaduz- Colombo The Taliban said it would on Beni Bangladesh on Sunday exe- zaman Khan Kamal said the Sri Lanka made cremations Sunday release the !rst pri- Democratic Republic of cuted a former military cap- “self confessed killer” was compulsory for COVID-19 soners in a delayed ex- Congo recorded a second tain for his involvement in not only involved in Banga- victims on Sunday, ignor- change deal with the Afghan Ebola death in days follow- the 1975 coup in which the bandhu’s assassination but ing protests from the coun- government — a potential ing more than seven weeks country’s founder Banga- also took part in the subse- try’s minority Muslims breakthrough after the in- without a new case, the bandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rah- quent killing of four national who say it goes against Is- surgents walked out of talks World Health Organization man was assassinated, near- leaders in high security Dha- lamic tradition. with Kabul last week. Starting the swap: Some newly freed Taliban prisoners (WHO) said on Sunday. ly four-and-a-half decades ka Central Jail on November

Of the seven deaths from The announcement at Bagram prison on Saturday. * REUTERS Congo had been due on after the high pro!le mas- 3, 1975. He said previous re- the infectious disease so comes as fears rose that an Sunday to mark an end to sacre. Abdul Majed was ports indicated Majed was far in the island nation, avenue for fragile peace soners over the past week. to be released, while the in- the second-deadliest out- hanged at 12.01 a.m. (local hiding in India but eventual- three were Muslims. The talks between the two sides The peace deal requires surgents have accused Af- break of the virus on re- time), said Law Minister Ani- Abdul Majed ly he was arrested from Dha- bodies were cremated by was being undercut by the Afghan government — ghan authorities of needless- cord, until a case was con- sul Huq. ka as he secretly returned authorities despite protests mounting disagreements ov- which was not a signatory to ly wasting time. !rmed on Friday in the Inspector General of Pri- other relatives met him for last month. from relatives. er the prisoner swap. “To- the accord — to free up to The Taliban cautioned eastern city of Beni. sons Brigadier General nearly two hours in the pri- Majed is one of the six ab- “The corpse of a person day, 20 prisoners of the Ka- 5,000 Taliban prisoners, that their decision to release The outbreak has killed A.K.M. Mostafa Kamal Pasha son. President Abdul Hamid sconding ex-Army o#cers who has died or is suspect- bul administration will be and for the militants to re- a group of prisoners did not more than 2,200 people at a media brie!ng in front of on Thursday rejected his who were handed down ed to have died, of... CO- released,” Taliban spokes- lease 1,000 pro-government mean that the talks with Ka- since August 2018. The lat- the jail said that the body mercy plea, removing the capital punishment after VID-19 shall be cremated,” man Suhail Shaheen said on captives in return. The ex- bul were being restarted. est victim was an 11-month- would now be handed over last hurdle for his hanging. trial in absentia. Health Minister Pavithra Twitter, adding that the change was supposed to “No the process is not back old girl, who was treated at to the family members for A prosecution lawyer said Wanniarachchi said on group would be handed over have happened by March 10, on, but this is a good will the same health centre as burial. ‘Self-confessed killer’ Majed told the court that he Sunday. to representatives of the Red allowing peace talks to be- step by the [the Taliban] to the previous case, a 26- Majed was arrested in A specialised police unit ar- returned to Bangladesh on The World Health Or- Cross in Kandahar. gin, but has been beset with accelerate the prisoners ex- year-old electrician, said Dhaka on Tuesday after hid- rested Majed, one of the fug- March 15 or 16. The convict, ganisation has said victims The Afghan government problems. Kabul has change process,” said insur- Boubacar Diallo, deputy ing in India for nearly two- itive convicted Bangaband- he said, claimed he man- “can be buried or has pressed ahead with free- claimed the Taliban want 15 gent spokesman Zabihullah incident manager for the and-a-half decades. On Fri- hu assassins, as he returned aged to live secretly in Kolka- cremated”. ing hundreds of Taliban pri- of their “top commanders” Mujahid. WHO’s Ebola response. day, Majed’s wife and four home after hiding for nearly ta for the past 23 years. Sri Lanka Catholic church Assange’s lawyer speaks up on relationship, children ELSEWHERE forgives Easter bombers Forming a family was a deliberate decision to break down walls around him, says Stella Morris

We o!er love to the enemies: Cardinal Agence France-Presse !ve-year relationship with 2016, according to the Mail London Mr. Assange and the arrival on Sunday. Agence France-Presse WikiLeaks founder Julian As- of their two children. “We Colombo sange fathered two children fell in love,” she said in the Boys born in London Sri Lanka’s Roman Catholic with one of his lawyers while nearly 12-minute !lm, outlin- Mr. Assange watched the Kim’s sister rises in Church said on Sunday it holed up in Ecuador’s Em- ing how the romance began birth of both children in Lon- North Korea hierarchy had forgiven the suicide bassy in London for much of in 2015 — three years into his don hospitals via live video- SEOUL bombers behind the attacks the past decade, according seven-year stay at the Ecua- link and met the elder boy, North Korean leader Kim that killed at least 279 peo- to a report on Sunday con- dorian Embassy in central named Gabriel, after he was Jong-un’s sister has been ple last Easter. !rmed by the mother. London. “This is the per- smuggled into the Embassy, reinstated to a key decision- Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith The 48-year-old Austra- son... I know the most in this the newspaper said. making body, state media told an Easter mass that “we lian is the dad of two boys, world — he’s extraordinary,” Both boys are said to be reported on Sunday. Kim o"ered love to the enemies aged two and one, with la- the South African-born la- Call for freedom: Supporters of Julian Assange protesting British citizens and have re- Yo-jong was reappointed an who tried to destroy us”. wyer Stella Morris, to whom wyer said. outside Belmarsh Magistrates’ Court in London; (inset) portedly visited their father alternate member of the Political Bureau of the “We forgave them,” he said, The St. Anthony’s church he is engaged, she con!rmed Ms. Morris said she want- Assange’s lawyer and partner Stella Morris * AP in prison. Central Committee in a adding that instead of retain Colombo was one following a Mail on Sunday ed to speak out now fearing “Forming a family was a reshu!e on Saturday, of the sites attacked. * AP liating, the nation’s Catholic report. Mr. Assange’s life “might be sange bailed to avoid catch- jected the request on March deliberate decision to kind of according to KCNA. AFP minority had contemplated Mr. Assange is currently coming to an end” due to his ing COVID-19. “Despite her 25, saying there were “no break down those walls Jesus’s message of hope, the attacks. The country’s being held in London’s high continued detention and the statement about their family grounds” for his release. around him and imagine a UAE launches online and reduced tensions. then-police chief and Secre- security Belmarsh prison as spread of coronavirus. and the medical evidence Mr. Assange faces charges life beyond,” Ms. Morris said. marriage service The April 21 Easter Sun- tary to the Ministry of De- he !ghts an extradition re- Jennifer Robinson, one of about the severe risk to As- under the U.S. Espionage “While for many people it DUBAI day bombers targeted three fence have been charged quest by the United States to Mr. Assange’s lawyers in Bri- sange’s health, the judge re- Act. A ruling could see him would seem insane to start a The United Arab Emirates churches and three luxury with murder for allegedly stand trial there on espion- tain who introduced the pair fused bail and refused to jailed for 175 years. family in that context, for us (UAE) has launched an online hotels, killing at least 279 not acting on intelligence age charges. to each other in 2011, accord- grant her and the children He ensconced himself in it was the sane thing to do. marriage service. The Justice people and wounding 593. about the attacks. ing to Ms. Morris, also con- anonymity,” said Ms. the Ecuadoran embassy in Mr. Assange’s full extradi- Ministry said on Sunday that Last year, Cardinal Ran- Police have arrested 135 ‘We fell in love’ !rmed that they were a fami- Robinson. 2012 after skipping bail to tion hearing is due to res- citizens can set a date for an jith called for the govern- people in connection with Ms. Morris detailed the reve- ly. She said a statement by The British government avoid separate legal pro- ume for three weeks in mid- online wedding ceremony ment at the time to step the bombings, blamed on lations shortly after the re- Ms. Morris outlining the sit- plans to allow some prison- ceedings in Sweden, but was May, when witnesses will be conducted via video link with down over its alleged failure the National Thowheeth Ja- port emerged, in a video uation had been cited as evi- ers temporary release, amid !nally dragged out last year. called and cross-examined, a cleric after their paperwork to investigate an “interna- ma’ath extremist group. posted on social media by dence in a failed court bid fears COVID-19 could sweep He reportedly conceived the with an eventual ruling ex- is submitted and approved — tional conspiracy” behind They are yet to be charged. Wikileaks chronicling her last month to get Mr. As- through jails, but a judge re- !rst child with Ms. Morris in pected by August. also online. AFP

THE HINDU CHENNAI MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2020 MONEYWISE 13 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

ASK US MIND YOUR MONEY Do you know your INSURANCE POLICY?

Insurance is about spreading risk, sharing of losses. able and so on. Similar to my pletely abreast. Introduce them past experiences with other or- to your insurance agent. Have N. Sreekanth However, those covered must be aware of policy ganisations, only a third of the annual meetings with him. Q. I am a super-senior citizen and also a details, claim procedures participants were fully aware of One important activity I sug- railway pensioner who is bedridden. I have the details. gest to my clients is to request engaged an attendant for ₹20,000 a month. Last year, one of my their health and life insurance Is this amount admissible for exemption gaurav Mashruwala would have gone. There were a My IPO clients working at a very agent to visit their homes and under 88B of the Income Tax Act? few intelligent men in the set- All of us have heard senior level in a tele- explain the procedure for #ling S. VISVANATHAN While training for insurance, I tlement. They decided that the term IPO. The com company, suf- claims. “I had prepared a com- A. Medical expenses incurred for yourself up heard the following story to ex- from the subsequent year on- performance of that fered a massive heart plete #le of the required papers to ₹50,000 a year in case there is no medical plain the concept of insurance. wards, once they came near the IPO, during the attack while he was for claiming health insurance,” insurance policy in force can be claimed Many years ago, there was a river, they would form groups, o"er period and touring on work. He said Ms. Rustogi, adding“my under Section 80D. Further, a deduction human settlement on a hilly re- each with ten members. Each once it is listed, was in the ICU for a claim was processed within a under Section 80DDB can be claimed up to gion of China. During summer, team member, like always, will is unknown. Ho- few days and later, suc- fortnight.” ₹1.50 lakh for a senior citizen towards menfolk would descend the make a wooden barge. Howev- wever, there is cumbed. The family Personally, I recall, a few expenses for medical treatment, if he is hills, cross the dry river bed er, unlike previous years where one IPO over had to pay a large years ago, when my family had su"ering from certain prescribed diseases such as dementia, Parkinson’s etc. provided and set up tents on the plains. every individual kept his pro- which we all have amount. Of course, to make a claim for health insu- he has a certi#cate from a prescribed medical Next, they would start duce on his barge alone, going control. That is he was covered well rance, I had prepared the #le in practitioner. ploughing the land, sow the ahead, each team member ‘My Insurance by the employer and detail, including indexing it. A A deduction under 80U can be claimed up seeds and wait for rains. Later, would distribute his produce and Protection the full amount was few weeks later, when a query to ₹1.25 lakh for severe disability due to they would harvest the crop across barges of other team Options.’ reimbursed. Interest- came from the insurance com- autism, cerebral palsy, multiple disabilities and start their journey back to members. Thus, the total pro- ingly, the company had a pany, I gave only a copy of the etc. and if a certi#cate from the prescribed their settlement. duce of an individual would be My IPO for my family tie-up with that hospital and invoice along with the page medical authority is obtained. Section 88B is The dry river bed would now spread across ten wooden barg- ‘My IPO’ is for my family. if only the details had been gi- numbers, all the originals were no longer in the statute. have water !owing forcefully es in a team. Once I was asked by a re- the employees were aware of it. ven to the hospital, cashless with them. Since they had ack- Q. I am 65 years old , retired and my wife is and hence, each man would If one of the barges was nowned MNC to conduct a Her response was in the treatment would have been nowledged the receipt of the 62. I have a health Insurance policy for ₹5 make a wooden barge, keep his swept away, each would only workshop on #nancial planning a$rmative. possible. #le, they processed my claim lakh covering my wife and me. I pay an agricultural produce on it and lose only 10% of his total crop. for employees. Before the During the workshop, I The family would have been without any further communi- annual premium of ₹55,000. How much tax cross the river. Every year, This ensured that no member workshop, I was casually talk- asked the participants what saved from the trouble of mak- cation. Our insurance is for our- exemption will I get under Section 80D ? about one in ten men would of the settlement would lose ing to their senior HR manager. kind of health cover the em- ing online fund transfer. Unfor- selves and our family. It is ‘My N. BALASUBRAMANIAN face the peril of the barge being the entire produce and live in I was inquiring about the kind ployer provided, how much the tunately, the family had no IPO.’ A. You will be in a position to claim up to swept away by the waters. He poverty for the rest of the year. of medical cover the company cover was, whether the whole clue. (The writer is a !nancial ₹50,000 under Section 80D in a year for the would then swim across the riv- Insurance is all about spread- gave its employees. She ex- family was covered, whether ‘My IPO’ is for the bene#t of planner and author of the Yog- premium paid by you for yourself and your er, but his entire year’s crop ing risk and sharing losses. plained in detail. I enquired if any cashless options were avail- our family. Keep them com- ic Wealth) wife as you are a senior citizen. Q. My neighbour, aged 75, is a retired Central government employee getting a monthly BLACKBOARD: INDEX FUNDS pension of ₹75,000. He needs a clari"cation COVER NOTE: UBERRIMAE FIDEI with regard to deduction u/s 24 and u/s 80 C. His only source of income is pension. He recently extended his house with two more bedrooms. Mirrors of stock weightage The house is owned by him. Because of his A contract of utmost good faith old age, he could not avail a housing loan. He availed a personal loan to the tune of ₹20 Many such funds replicate popular benchmarks lakh against pension from the SBI. The loan In insurance, withholding of information by one party works against the other carries an interest rate of 12% and repayable ASHISH RUKHAIYAR in 48 EMIs. The entire loan proceeds are K. Nitya Kalyani All these indicate insura- What are index funds? used for the construction only. The tough thing about insu- ble interest. If this were not His queries are: rance is that it is intangible. followed, either an insu- I Index funds, as the name sug- 1) Can he claim deduction u/s 24 for payment of interest to SBI for the personal You can’t see it or size up rance policy can be gam- gests, are funds that replicate a cer- loan and EMI principal u/s 80 C ? what it can do for you very bling, or worse still, a basis tain index. So, if there is a Sensex 2) If permitted, does he need to show any easily as a credit card or a for crime! There are also li- fund, it will have the same 30 evidence to prove the funds were utilised home loan. You don’t just mits on the extent to which stocks that are there in the Sensex. for construction purposes? pay up and get a product, insurable interest can apply. Further, the weightage of each H. RAMAKRISHNAN but have certain Lenders can insure their cus- stocks in the fund would also mir- A. Deduction under Section 24 can be responsibilities. tomers up to the extent of ror their respective weightage in claimed only when a certi#cate is obtained Insurance is a contract the loan or people can in- the actual index. Globally, there are from the lender stating the purpose of the that operates under certain sure themselves for a factor many index funds that replicate loan, interest paid and the principal repaid principles. As an insured, or of their reasonably proven popular benchmarks like S&P 500 I Warren Bu"et, who is widely for that year. In the given case, we are not potential insured, under- future potential earnings and Dow Jones. In the Indian arena, considered as one of the most suc- sure whether the SBI would be able to standing these principles and life expectancy. most of the leading mutual fund cessful investors in the world, re- provide a certi#cate to this e"ect. will help you appreciate the Looking closely, you see you don’t insure your health, you The principle of loss mini- houses o"er index funds based on Under housing loan, the lenders, commends index funds. Having product and get the best out insure the cost of regaining lost health. * GETTYIMAGES/ISTOCK misation means after you Sensex or Nifty. Index funds are a especially the institutions, issue the loan said that, it depends on an indivi- of it. take an insurance policy, you form of passive funds since the only after ensuring it is used for construction dual’s investment approach — Here are some main prin- to rejection of claims as the future earnings of the in- should still act as if you are a fund manager does not have to ac- or purchase or renovation of an house and in whether one wants to bet on the ciples as applied to personal contract will be void. Simi- sured person. prudent uninsured. That is, tively do any kind of stock picking. case of a personal loan, the bank is not benchmark's movement or wants obligated to monitor loan usage. insurances. larly, the insurer has to spell regardless of the fact you The fund sees a churn in its portfo- to play on a certain sector, or wants Under section 80C, deduction can be ‘Utmost good faith’ is one out the terms and conditions The tie that binds bought a policy, you should lio only if the actual index sees any to invest in stocks based on market availed only for construction or purchase of of the #rst principles of an of the cover, especially ex- Insurable interest is the basis still park your car in a safe inclusion or exclusion. capitalisation — midcap or small- house property and not for renovation. insurance contract. This clusions, as a matter of full on which any insurance can place and lock it. If there is cap. Index funds, however, allow means that both the parties disclosure to you. be given. You can insure so- an accident, you should be- What are the bene!ts of investing Q. Recently, I had purchased a house for an investor to bet on the overall have to be transparent with An important basis of in- mething only if you would have in such a manner that in index funds? residential purpose in my wife’s name. She is market, which is always measured a homemaker with nil income. I had taken a each other and material surance is the principle of in- face #nancial loss when the the #nancial cost of the acci- in terms of the benchmark's loan from Bank of Baroda. Can I claim facts have to be disclosed demnity, which means com- subject of insurance is dam- dent is minimised – like en- I Typically, the benchmark index movement. bene"ts u/s 24 and 80C? both before the policy is is- pensation, or aged, destroyed or lost. You suring proper medical atten- of any exchange would comprise MANISH KUMAR SINGH sued and after. Withholding reimbursement. An insu- have an insurable interest tion to any injured person the largest and most liquid compa- Do index funds o"er cost bene!ts A. Under sections 24 and 80C, only the information by one party rance claim makes good over all your properties and and getting your vehicle re- nies publicly listed on that bourse. as well? owner of the property can claim bene#ts as works against the interests of your #nancial loss, but is not belongings. paired for a fair rate. In the The benchmarks are quite diversi- provided. In your case, the property is in the the other. meant to let you make a When your health su"ers, context of health insurance, #ed in terms of sector representa- I As mentioned earlier, index name of your wife though the loan is availed When you are buying, say, pro#t. you incur expenses. Nobody you should follow medical tion as well. So, investing in an in- funds are a form of passive invest- by you; hence, you cannot claim bene#t. a health insurance, you When you look closely, else can insure your car or advice. dex fund allows the investor to ment instruments as fund manag- (The author is partner, GSS Associates, should disclose all relevant you don’t insure your health, your health. You can insure These and other princi- have a well-diversi#ed portfolio of ers do not have any active role in Chartered Accountants, Chennai) information about your you insure the #nancial cost the health of your family ples work in interesting ways the largest companies. An investor managing such funds on a day to health, which will impact of regaining lost health. You members, within de#ni- to protect you and to keep can own a basket of stocks at a day basis. So, typically, index funds Readers can send in queries on personal !nance terms and rates. An adverse insure the cost of a property tions, as you will be meeting the relationship of the two much lower cost compared to own- have a lower expense ratio com- and investing to [email protected]. Our health history can mean a or article lost to #re or theft. their expenses should they parties to the contract on an ing each stock individually in a pared to an actively-managed fund experts who write on personal !nance will answer higher premium rate match- What about life insurance? be hospitalised. even keel. benchmark. where the fund manager does ac- these queries. Moneywise will not give speci!c ing your risk pro#le, or even You can’t place a value on When a person dies, their (The writer is a business tive stock picking. Hence, there is a recommendations for investment in a particular a rejection of your proposal. human life. What is insured natural or legal #nancial journalist specialising in in- Are index funds better than other cost bene#t in favour of index mutual fund scheme, share or !xed deposit. But non-disclosure will lead is not life, but the potential obligations are at risk. surance & corporate history) types of equity funds? funds.

LOOSE CHANGE Bank Fixed Deposit Rates Home loan interest rates

. . . . Loan Amount (Rs.) Loan Amount (Rs.) Ravikanth Interest Rates (%) Interest Rates (%) Name of Lender Name of Lender Bank Name Bank Name Upto Above 30 Above Upto Above 30 Above Highest 1-year 3-year 5-year Highest 1-year 3-year 5-year 30 lakh lakh & 75 lakh 30 lakh lakh & 75 lakh Slab tenure tenure tenure Slab tenure tenure tenure . . upto upto 75 lakh 75 lakh

SMALL FINANCE BANKS City Union Bank 6.00 6.00 5.90 5.90 PUBLIC SECTOR BANKS South Indian Bank 8.05-9.30 8.05-9.30 8.05-9.30 Karnataka Bank 6.00 6.00 5.90 5.90 Dhanlaxmi Bank 8.85-9.95 8.85-9.95 8.85-9.95 Suryoday Small Finance Bank 9.00 8.00 8.25 9.00 ICICI Bank 6.00 5.80 6.00 6.00 State Bank of India 7.15-7.80 7.40-7.95 7.50-8.05 Utkarsh Small Finance Bank 9.00 8.20 8.00 8.35 DBS Bank <=8.20 <=8.20 <=8.20 Kotak Mahindra Bank 5.90 5.90 5.90 5.50 Fincare Small Finance Bank 9.00 7.50 8.50 8.00 Punjab National Bank 7.20-7.45 7.35-7.70 7.35-7.80 Lakshmi Vilas Bank 8.95 8.95 8.95 Jammu & Kashmir Bank 5.75 5.75 5.50 5.50 Jana Small Finance Bank 8.25 8.00 7.75 8.00 Bank of India 7.25-8.15 7.25-8.15 7.25-8.15 RBL Bank 9.55-11.75 10.90-11.4010.90-11.40 Ujjivan Small Finance Bank 8.10 8.00 7.50 7.00 Central Bank of India 7.25-7.35 7.25-7.35 7.25-7.35 ESAF Small Finance Bank 8.00 8.00 7.30 7.30 PUBLIC SECTOR BANKS Canara Bank 7.30-9.30 7.30-9.30 7.30-9.30 Equitas Small Finance Bank 8.00 7.75 7.55 6.75 Bank of India 6.20 6.10 6.20 6.20 Bank of Baroda 7.25-8.25 7.25-8.25 7.25-8.50 HOUSING FINANCE COMPANIES (HFCs) North East Small Finance Bank 8.00 7.50 7.25 6.50 Indian Overseas Bank 6.20 6.10 6.10 6.10 Indian Overseas Bank 8.20 8.30 8.45 AU Small Finance Bank 7.77 7.00 7.77 7.50 UCO Bank 6.10 6.10 6.10 6.05 Capital Small Finance Bank 7.30 6.90 6.90 6.80 IDBI Bank 8.25-9.00 8.25-9.00 8.25-9.00 HDFC Ltd. 8.00-9.25 8.25-9.50 8.30-9.60 Indian Bank 5.90 5.90 5.80 5.80 Indian Bank 7.40-7.65 7.40-7.75 7.40-7.90 LIC Housing 8.10-9.00 8.35-9.20 8.45-9.20 IDBI Bank 5.90 5.85 5.75 5.90 Bajaj Finserv 8.30-11.15 9.05-11.15 9.05-11.15 PRIVATE SECTOR BANKS Union Bank of India 5.90 5.75 5.75 5.80 Punjab & Sind Bank 8.05-8.40 8.05-8.40 8.05-8.40 Punjab National Bank 5.80 5.80 5.80 5.80 Union Bank of India 7.10-7.65 7.35-7.75 7.40-8.05 IIFL >=8.70 >=8.70 >=8.70 DCB Bank 7.60 6.75 7.60 7.50 Punjab & Sind Bank 5.85 5.85 5.85 5.85 PNB Housing 8.95-9.70 8.95-9.70 8.95-9.70 IDFC First Bank 7.50 7.25 7.25 7.25 Canara Bank 5.85 5.85 5.80 5.80 Lakshmi Vilas Bank 7.25 6.75 6.50 6.50 Indiabulls Housing >=8.99 >=8.99 >=8.99 Bank of Maharashta 5.75 5.75 5.50 5.50 PRIVATE SECTOR BANKS RBL Bank 7.25 7.20 7.00 7.15 Aditya Birla Capital 9.00-12.50 9.00-12.50 9.00-12.50 State Bank of India 5.70 5.70 5.70 5.70 IndusInd Bank 7.00 7.00 6.75 6.75 Bank of Baroda 5.70 5.70 5.70 5.70 Citi Bank* 8.03-8.98 8.03-8.98 8.03-8.98 GIC Housing Finance 9.10-12.50 9.10-12.50 9.10-12.50 Nainital Bank 7.00 6.00 6.10 6.10 Central Bank of India 5.70 5.70 5.70 5.70 Axis Bank 8.55-11.50 8.55-9.40 8.55-9.40 Fullerton India Home Finance 8.99-12.00 8.99-12.00 8.99-12.00 Bandhan Bank 6.75 6.75 6.60 6.50 ICICI Bank 8.10-9.00 8.10-9.10 8.45-9.20 Tamilnad Mercantile Bank 6.75 6.60 6.60 6.60 FOREIGN BANKS Repco Home Finance >=9.25 >=9.25 >=9.25 South Indian Bank 6.55 6.40 6.40 6.40 Karur Vysya Bank 8.20-10.05 8.20-10.05 8.20-10.05 Tata Capital >=9.25 >=9.25 >=9.25 Deutsche Bank 7.00 5.00 6.00 7.00 Axis Bank 6.50 6.40 6.50 6.50 IDFC First Bank 7.40-11.40 7.40-11.40 7.40-11.40 DBS Bank 6.25 6.00 6.25 6.25 Piramal Capital & Hsng >=9.65 >=9.65 >=9.65 Federal Bank 6.50 6.30 6.40 6.40 HSBC Bank 5.25 4.50 5.25 5.00 Federal Bank 8.55-8.60 8.60-8.65 8.65-8.70 Reliance Home Finance 9.75-13.00 9.75-13.00 9.75-11.00 Karur Vysya Bank 6.50 6.25 6.30 6.30 CitiBank 4.50 4.25 4.25 4.50 Kotak Mahindra Bank 8.20-8.85 8.30-9.00 8.55-9.25 “Can you guess how much bitter gold Dhanlaxmi Bank 6.40 6.25 6.25 6.15 FD rates as on April 9th, 2020 N.A. N.A. N.A. Karnataka Bank 8.55-9.50 8.55-9.50 8.65-9.50 Rates as on April 9 cos...er...bitter gourd costs?!” HDFC Bank 6.25 6.15 6.25 6.15 Source:paisabazaar.com Bandhan Bank 8.75-12.00 8.75-11.509.00-11.50 CSB Bank 6.00 6.00 6.00 6.00 Source:paisabazaar.com

CHENNAI THE HINDU 14 SPORT MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2020 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE IN BRIEF IPL set to be ‘inde!nitely postponed’ Motorsport legend BCCI to hold a conference call on Monday to take the big but anticipated decision Moss passes away Agence France-Presse Amol Karhadkar conference call between the London MUMBAI BCCI o"ce-bearers — presi- Motorsport great Stirling Frodeno’s ‘Tri at home’ The writing has been on the dent Sourav Ganguly, vice- Moss has died aged 90 fol- raises over €200,000 wall ever since the nation- president Mahim Verma, se- lowing a long illness, the GIRONA (SPAIN) wide lockdown was imposed cretary Jay Shah, treasurer British driver’s wife an- Jan Frodeno, Laureus in the wake of COVID-19 out- Arun Dhumal and joint-se- nounced on Sunday. ambassador, former Olympic break and on Monday, the cretary Jayesh George — and “It was one lap too ma- champion and three-time Board of Control for Cricket the IPL governing council ny,” said Susie Moss. “He winner of Ironman triathlon in India (BCCI) is set to “inde- chairman Brijesh Patel. After just closed his eyes.” Alth-

World championship, on !nitely postpone” the Indian the meeting, the BCCI is like- ough Moss never won the F1 Stirling Moss. * FILE PHOTO Saturday, completed a Premier League’s (IPL) 13th ly to communicate the defer- title, he !nished runner-up gruelling charity triathlon — edition. ment to the eight franchises. four times and third thrice. glia, where he set a new ‘Tri at home’. Frodeno, who This season’s tournament course record in the 1,000 finished the course in 8 hrs was scheduled to commence Expected development No corona link mile event. 33min 39sec, raised over on March 29 but sensing the The franchises, along with British media reported In F1, Moss won 16 GPs, €200,000. AFP outbreak was going to dis- the host broadcaster, have Moss’s passing was the re- with his !rst victory coming Dalglish out of hospital turb life in general, the BCCI been expecting this develop- sult of a chest infection he in the 1955 British GP at Li- LONDON on March 13 had suspended ment for a while. Despite the caught in Singapore in De- verpool that saw him be- Former Liverpool player Kenny the event till April 15. With huge !nancial rami!cations cember 2016 that saw him come the !rst British win- Dalglish, who tested positive the pandemic far from being involved in case the IPL can- retire from public life two ner of the race. for coronavirus, has been under control, the lockdown not be held this year, neither years later. There is no sug- His renowned sport- released from hospital, British is set to be extended at least Stark reality: Given the lockdown scenario in the country, a reprise of such scenes cannot even the broadcaster nor the fran- gestion his death was linked smanship cost Moss the 1958 media reported on Sunday. till April-end. be envisaged in the immediate future. * FILE PHOTO: K.V.S. GIRI chises are in a position to dis- to the coronavirus. title when he defended the The 69-year-old Dalglish was cuss it with the BCCI until the In an era where it was conduct of British rival Mike admitted to hospital for an Restricted movement duled for May 24), the BCCI al or cricket in particular. So staged this year. We have to pandemic is under control. common for drivers to race Hawthorn following a spin infection. He required With the restrictions on pu- authorities have been left there is no other option but wait and watch, but at the The possibility of staging in di#erent disciplines, a 14- at the Portuguese GP. Moss’ intravenous antibiotics but blic gathering and air travel with no choice but to defer to postpone the IPL,” a BCCI moment we will have to def- the IPL can be determined year career that started in action helped spare Haw- was asymptomatic. The unlikely to be lifted before the mega-event. insider revealed to The Hin- er it inde!nitely.” only after some normalcy re- 1948 saw Moss win 212 of the thorn a six-point penalty, former Scotland international du is now self-isolating at home. the arrival of monsoon in “Life is virtually at a stand- . “It’s too early to predict The decision is set to be turns and a new cricket ca- 529 races he entered, in- with Hawthorn winning the REUTERS June (IPL’s !nal was sche- still, let alone sport in gener- as to when the IPL can be taken on Monday during a lendar is chalked out. cluding the 1955 Mille Mi- title by a single point.

How Kumble helped Saqlain see things clearly! ‘All stakeholders need to come together’ Shayan Acharya had been a problem earlier. Karun says it is imperative as Formula One faces a major economic crisis MUMBAI “While !elding on the Saqlain Mushtaq and Anil boundary, my anticipation S. Dipak Ragav hands, and all stakeholders Brown, Karun said, “In light Kumble were locked in a used to be zero and I was Chennai need to come together to of the current scenario, it !erce rivalry on the pitch, slow to react. All that With the Formula One sea- !nd a solution. seems like most teams are but were friends o# it. vanished and I became son in limbo with as many as now in favour of a lower bud- In an Instagram live chat more con!dent after the nine races cancelled/sus- Compressed calendar get cap from the currently with Sportstar on Sunday, visit to the doctor. pended so far, the sport is While the F1 group is trying agreed $175 million. the Pakistan legend staring at a major crisis. to hold as many as 15 to 18 revealed how the Indian Elder brother From the huge !nancial races, Karun said 12 to 13 rac- Stalemate spin king helped him “Our culture has taught us hit due to not racing to spon- es might be possible if the “However, the big players immensely in his career. to respect elders and he is sorship revenues amid a season starts in August. at Ferrari and Red Bull Rac- “We were in England like my elder brother. much wider economic crisis “It will be a big commit- ing seem to be opposing and I told Anil bhai that Whenever we meet, we that the world is undergoing, ment from everyone in- that, which has created a bit there were not many good have long chats. an expensive sport like F1 is volved in the sport as it could of a stalemate. ophthalmologists back “Even during my playing facing some tough times. mean triple headers or in- “Where there’s a will home. I asked him if he days, I used to walk up to Recently, McLaren boss tense two day weekends but there’s a way, but unfortu- could suggest someone and him and seek suggestions. Zak Brown indicated that as it’s all do-able. nately, the people associated he referred me to Dr. Anil Kumble. Saqlain Mushtaq. He would help me with the many as four teams were in “I would like to see F1 use with F1 are wired in such a Bharat Rugani. Anil said he * FILE PHOTO: N. SRIDHARAN * FILE PHOTO: V.V. KRISHNAN necessary tips and never danger of folding up if there the time to experiment with way that they often think of and [Sourav] Ganguly misguided me. I have a lot was no sensible budget caps fewer practice sessions and themselves before the sport. consulted him often and London. He told me I had is a gem of a person,” said of respect for him,” said the on what teams could spend. two-day weekends and “But, at this point, F1 shared the doctor’s cataract and gave me new Saqlain. 43-year-old, hoping to play India’s former F1 driver maybe even trying to do two needs strong leaders... it number. lenses. Thanks to Anil The former Pakistan spin with Kumble in the same Karun Chandhok, in a chat races on the same weekend.” needs Chase Carey, Ross “I visited the doctor in bhai’s help, I recovered. He ace said tracking the ball team some day. Karun Chandhok. with The Hindu, felt that the On the issue of a cost cap Brawn and Jean Todt to * FILE PHOTO sport has a big task on its and the warnings from come up with a solution.” ‘Dhoni looked Indian chess stars’ move pays o" in !ne touch’ Top Grandmasters raise ₹4.5 lakh towards PM-CARES Fund Press Trust of India CHENNAI P.K. Ajith Kumar were reasonably strong.” ous display for all the M.S. Dhoni’s intensity KOZHIKODE Still, she won all her games players. stood out and he looked in Koneru Humpy took some except one. “In that game Anand admitted he was spectacular touch during time to get used to it. One too, I was in a better position feeling exhausted. “Towards the IPL camp, vouched his chessboard would pop up before I blundered my the end it was hard to work Chennai Super Kings on her computer screen, queen,” she said. out the positions,” he said. “I teammates. then another, and another. While Humpy had logged am very happy and grateful Three-time winner CSK Nineteen of them, in fact. in from her home in Vijaya- to all the participants. I hope had commenced its train- It was the !rst time she wada (she locked herself up they enjoyed it.” ing on March 2 with Dhoni was playing simultaneous in a room so that her little Gujrathi, the second joining from the !rst day. chess online. By the time she daughter would not disturb strongest in the !eld, said he However, training was sus- !nished her games late on her), Anand played from an had enjoyed playing against pended on March 14 owing Saturday night, she was apartment in Frankfurt. The 20 players at the same time. to the coronavirus tired. But, she didn't mind. !ve-time World champion “Except in a couple of outbreak. She enjoyed the experience has been stranded in Germa- games, I had to work hard Leg-spinner Piyush and was happy to contribute ny since the pandemic out- right through,” said World Chawla said Dhoni was fo- for a noble cause. break. No. 23 who played from his cused and showed match- Humpy and !ve other top He played 21 games and home at Nashik. Harikrishna like intensity. Indians — Viswanathan won 18. Three were drawn. made his moves from “Mahi bhai was abso- Anand, Vidit Gujrathi, P. Ha- It was a new experience for Prague, while Adhiban, the lutely focused, training rikrishna, B. Adhiban and D. him, too. In fact, it was the only one to win all games, purposefully and was look- Harika — took on rivals from !rst ever online simultane- played from Chennai. ing really good.” around the world in a fund- raising event to help India !ght the coronavirus. Ace BC’s They were able to generate more than ₹4.5 lakh to- gesture wards the PM-CARES Fund through their simultaneous CHENNAI: Ace Basketball games on chess.com (the Club has donated ₹1 lakh to participants were required the PM Cares Relief Fund to donate in order to play and ₹25,000 to Tamil Nadu the Grandmasters). CM Relief Fund as its con- “It was not easy, but I am tribution to the COVID-19 glad I could be part of this pandemic, club president great event,” Humpy told

M.S. Venkataraman said. The Hindu. “My opponents K. Humpy. * FILE PHOTO B. Adhiban. * FILE PHOTO Jeevan has a vision for Indian tennis

Kamesh Srinivasan many months. I think the forward”. NEW DELHI players and the All India Ten- Once clarity is achieved Every crisis can be turned in- nis Association (AITA) need about the ideas that need to to an opportunity and Jee- to work together in times be implemented, Jeevan sug- van Nedunchezhiyan be- like these,” observes Jeevan, gests that a ‘player council’ lieves in it. quite clear that rather than can work with the AITA to in- Now staying at his family !nding fault with the system, fuse life into the action-plan. resort in Puducherry, the 31- the players need to be proac- Jeevan is con!dent that year-old, who was ranked a tive and mobilise support. players like Sania Mirza and career-best 64 in doubles Jeevan feels it is necessary Rohan Bopanna have the last year around this time, to get the tennis fraternity inability to collaborate with has been thinking about to con!dence while trying to the national federation and helping Indian tennis realise make a fresh start for the various stake-holders to take its potential. Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan with game. the game forward. Jeevan !rmly believes that golfer wife Neha. “If I am the leader, I would “We have to !gure out a the best way forward, once * SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT speak to top players across National tour. life gets back to normal, categories and also to the ju- “We need to provide clari- would be for leading players the revival of the game. niors (along with their pa- ty for a 15-year-old to pro- to collaborate with the na- “I personally don’t see a rents) to !gure out what is gress and become the next tional federation and make global tour like the ATP giv- missing and what is required Yuki Bhambri or Sumit Na- concrete contributions for ing a green light for the next in Indian tennis, going gal,” says Jeevan.

CM A CH-CHE YK