WEEKEND EDITION • sunday, january 1, 2017

www.thehindu.in ● Weekly Edition ● Regd. DL(ND)-11/6110/2006-07-08 ● RNI No. TNENG/2012/49939 ● ISSN 0971 - 751X ● Vol. 7 ● No. 1 ● CITY EDITION ● 26 Pages ● Rs. 8.00 Printed at Chennai, Coimbatore, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Madurai, Noida, Visakhapatnam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Vijayawada, Mangaluru, Tiruchirapalli, Kolkata, Hubballi, Mohali, Allahabad, Malappuram and Mumbai • •

BRIEFLY Modi thanks people for Pak. to hand over Mulayam revokes Akhilesh, dossier to new UN chief ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will hand over a dossier on the alleged enduring note ban pain Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav and the attempted violation of Ramgopal expulsions Unveils relief package the maritime boundary by an for farmers, women, Indian submarine to the incoming UN Secretary-General Consolidated list senior citizens Antonio Guterres on Monday. ½ NEWS | PAGE 13 of candidates will SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT be released soon, : Prime Minister U.S. slaps trade curbs says Shivpal Narendra Modi on Saturday on seven Pak. entities unveiled a relief package for OMAR RASHID WASHINGTON: The U.S. has farmers, senior citizens, imposed export restrictions on small enterprises, women seven Pakistani entities for LUCKNOW: In yet another twist and the rural poor as a return violating the codes guiding the on the ongoing tussle within gift of sorts for enduring the recipients of U.S. technologies. the Samajwadi Party, su- pain caused by the Centre’s Requests from them for trade premo Mulayam Singh on decision to scrap the legal will henceforth be considered Saturday revoked the expul- tender nature of old ₨500 with a “presumption of denial.” sions of his son and Chief and ₨1,000 notes. He also ac- Minister Akhilesh Yadav, knowledged that crores of ½ WORLD | PAGE 14 and his cousin and party gen- citizens had to stand in eral secretary Ramgopal Ya- queues for hours to with- ernment’s move to replace for farm inputs without visit- dav, hours after the former draw their own money. old currency despite facing ing the bank, he said. clearly outmanoeuvred his Linking the surge of black genuine hardships, the Prime Mr. Modi also announced a father in a show of strength money to the unavailability Minister said, “The lack of guaranteed 8 per cent return here. TOGETHER AGAIN: SP MLAs emerge from a meeting with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister of afordable housing for the cash in the economy is very on bank deposits up to ₨7.5 The two Yadavs had been Akhilesh Yadav at his residence in Lucknow on Saturday. — PHOTO: PTI poor and the middle class, painful, but an abundance of lakh made by senior citizens expelled from the party on Mr. Modi announced a spe- cash is also problematic. Our for a period of 10 years. Friday for “gross indiscip- Mishra Park. Mr. Mulayam forces together and again an attempt to chalk out a cial scheme under the Pra- attempt is to seek a balance line” and rebelling against Singh deputed his brother form a full majority govern- truce. Senior minister Azam dhan Mantri Awaas Yojana on this front. ” Farm sector credit the supremo’s pick of can- and Akhilesh’s bête noire ment in Uttar Pradesh,” Mr. Khan, who was present at the to provide an interest sub- He also announced a vir- didates for the upcoming As- Shivpal Yadav to announce Shivpal said, putting up a meeting, is said to have vention of 4 per cent on Guaranteed interest rate tual doubling in the credit Another bank under sembly polls. the decision revoking the ex- show of unity in the party brokered peace between the loans up to ₨9 lakh and 3 per Promising to convert three flow to the farm sector via Also, in a boost to the pulsions. that seemed on the verge of a father and son. cent on loans up to ₨12 lakh crore Kisan credit cards to district central co-operative lens in currency case Akhilesh camp, the “emer- “On Netaji’s orders, CM split on Friday. He earlier held separate for urban housing. Rupay cards in the next three banks and primary societies, NEW DELHI: The Income Tax gency national convention” Akhilesh Yadav and Ramgo- meetings with Mr. Mulayam A similar scheme would months, the Prime Minister with the Centre bearing the Department may get a case of the party, called by Mr. pal Yadav have been rein- Azam Khan brokers truce Singh and Mr. Akhilesh and be rolled out for the rural flagged the inconvenience interest cost for 60 days on registered with the Central Ramgopal Yadav, will be held stated and their expulsion re- Mr. Shivpal also said the urged the former to revoke poor to get a house-building posed by Kisan credit cards existing loans availed by Bureau of Investigation to as scheduled on Sunday. voked with immediate SP could soon release a con- the expulsions. loan of up to ₨2 lakh at a 3 per which require farmers to go farmers. investigate allegations that Only the location has been efect,” said Mr. Shivpal, who solidated list of candidates. cent lower interest rate. to the bank to withdraw cash demonetised currency notes of changed from the Ram Man- is the Samajwadi Party State The decision was an- ½ AMAR SINGH HAILS While appreciating the against their credit limit. ½ THE DISHONEST WILL NOT ₨120 crore were illegally ohar Lohia University to the president. nounced after Mr. Akhilesh RETURN OF AKHILESH; LALU endurance of the people at With a Rupay card, they will GO FREE: MODI; ‘IT READS exchanged using certain sprawling Jnaneshwar “We will fight communal met his father in Lucknow in PRASAD HAPPY | PAGE 12 large in supporting the gov- be able to make transactions LIKE BUDGET’ | PAGE 13 accounts with the Jain Cooperative Bank here. ½ NEWS | PAGE 13 As 33 MLAs defect, BJP Sasikala takes over as AIADMK chief Delhi Police to get SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT wish.” M.G.R. As she was garland- 15,000 personnel forms Arunachal govt. Ms. Sasikala — clad in a ing the statue, a number of CHENNAI: V.K. Sasikala, close dark green sari with a purple women cadre raised slogans NEW DELHI: The Union Home ITANAGAR: In a dramatic devel- However, the political aide of late Chief Minister border, her hair made up in a Puratchi Thalaivi Ministry has cleared a proposal opment, the BJP formed a equation changed when a Jayalalithaa, took over as bun reminiscent of Jayala- Vaazhga… in a reference to to add 15,000 personnel to the government in Arunachal majority of the PPA MLAs, general secretary of the AI- lithaa’s style and sporting a Jayalalithaa. A few seconds Delhi Police and the Finance Pradesh on Saturday after 33 who initially supported Mr. ADMK on Saturday after- tilak like her late friend — ar- later, they started chanting Ministry has been requested to MLAs of People’s Party of Pario, shifted their allegiance noon at the party headquar- rived at the AIADMK Chinnamma Vaazhga, hail- sanction it, Union Home Arunachal, led by Chief Min- to Mr. Khandu. Mr. Khandu ters, amid heavy police headquarters on Avvai Shan- ing Ms. Sasikala. Minister Rajnath Singh said on ister Pema Khandu, joined it. broke away from the Con- security outside the venue. mugam Salai at 12.12 p.m., She later went inside the Saturday. The Minister was Mr. Khandu joined the BJP gress, along with 42 law- Delivering her first-ever five minutes after leaving building, flanked by Chief speaking at a Delhi Police two days after he was sus- makers, in September. public speech, Ms. Sasikala Veda Nilayam, the late Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, function here. pended by the PPA, which said: “I never even dreamt Minister’s residence at Poes senior party leaders and ½ CITY | PAGE 3 triggered another round of 4 MLAs suspended that I would be pushed to Garden. ministers. political manoeuvring. On Saturday, the PPA sus- such a position where I have Upon arrival, she walked She then signed a few doc- SUNDAY MAGAZINE Mr. Khandu, formerly with pended four other party to accept the post of general up the specially erected uments in the chamber of the 6 Pages the Congress, paraded 33 of MLAs — Honchun Ngan- secretary, nor was it ever my stage around the statue of general secretary. CLASSIFIEDS the 43 MLAs of the PPA be- dam, Bamang Felix, Punji Pages 5 & 6 fore Speaker Tenzing Norbu Mara and Pani Taram. Thongdok, who recognised “The lotus has finally them as BJP members. The bloomed in Arunachal. The BJP earlier had 11 MLAs in people of the State will see a the 60-member Assembly. new dawn of development in The high-voltage political the new year under the new drama began late on government,” Mr. Khandu Thursday after PPA presid- told reporters in the ent Kahfa Bengia suspended Assembly. Mr. Khandu, his deputy BJP general secretary Ram Chowna Mein and five legis- Madhav hailed the installa- lators from the primary tion of the BJP government. membership of the party for “Arunachal Pradesh be- alleged anti-party activities. comes 10th BJP-ruled State The PPA, an ally of the and 14th with BJP alliances...” North East Democratic Alli- he tweeted. — PTI ance government, on Friday selected Takam Pario as CM. ½ CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 Anil Baijal takes charge as Delhi’s new Lieutenant-Governor

JATIN ANAND of the Delhi Development ulative. I don’t know how the Authority, and Mr. Kejriwal, relationship will improve. NEW DELHI: Anil Baijal was who usually found himself at We will sit and talk and then sworn in as the new Lieuten- loggerheads with his prede- you will get to know.” ant-Governor of Delhi at a cessor, expressed their intent For his part, in addition to brisk ceremony at Raj Niwas to work in tandem for the de- wishing him luck on Twitter, here on Saturday in the pres- velopment and welfare of the Mr. Kejriwal welcomed Mr. ence of several dignitaries in- Capital. Baijal’s appointment and cluding National Security “Delhi is a megapolis with said he hoped that stalled de- Adviser Ajit Doval. problems like women’s velopment projects which Less than a fortnight after safety, law and order, popula- his government sought to his predecessor Najeeb tion, infrastructure, civic implement in Delhi would Jung’s surprise resignation, agencies and congestion. We now take of. Mr. Baijal, 70, a 1969-batch all know about these...We “I am very hopeful that in IAS oicer who has served in will work with the elected future, all of us including the several significant positions government to solve them,” MLAs, the Delhi government both at the Centre and the Mr. Baijal told reporters and the people will work State governments, was ad- Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal greets Lieutenant-Governor later. with the L-G for the overall ministered the oath of oice Anil Baijal in New Delhi on Saturday. — PHOTO: V. SUDERSHAN development of the city. In and secrecy by Chief Justice ‘We will sit and talk’ the last few months, some of the G. Water Minister Kapil After the ceremony, both Asked how he intended to works of the State govern- Rohini. Mishra, New Delhi MP Mr. Baijal, who is said to be solve the well-documented ment have come to a stand- Several judges, Delhi Chief Meenakshi Lekhi, Opposi- well-versed with the admin- tussle between his prede- still. I hope that these works Minister Arvind Kejriwal, tion leader Vijender Gupta istration of the Capital given cessor, Mr. Jung, and the Aam will be expedited,” Mr. Kejri- Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, and senior bureaucrats were his long stint in several of- Aadmi Party government, wal said at an event at the Chief Secretary M.M. Kutty, among those present. fices, especially at the helm Mr. Baijal said: “This is spec- Delhi Assembly later. CM YK NOIDA/DELHI 2 | CITY THE HINDU SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2017

CM ND-ND YK NOIDA/DELHI | THE HINDU SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2017 CITY 3

DELHI Jan 01, Sun Jan 02, Mon Jan 03, Tue RISE 07 14 SET 17 36 RISE 07 15 SET 17 37 RISE 07 15 SET 17 37 RISE 09 15 SET 20 32 RISE 09 57 SET 21 29 RISE 10 36 SET 22 26

POWER BOOST 24-year-old man Cops act tough on stabbed to death Delhi Police to get 15,000 personnel drunken driving STAFF REPORTER NEW DELHI: A 24-year-old man Move to tackle staff shortage in the force; proposal awaiting Finance Ministry’s approval STAFF REPORTER drivers on stand-by so was allegedly stabbed to that cars could be made death in north-west Delhi’s STAFF REPORTER NEW DELHI: In a bid to check available to customers in Mukundpur on Friday. Union Minister Rajnath drunken driving on New case of heavy booking. The victim has been iden- NEW DELHI: The Home Min- Singh called upon the Year’s Eve, the Delhi tified as Chanchal Mishra. istry has cleared a proposal police to ensure Police deployed Traic management According to the police, he to add 15,000 personnel to thousands of its The traic police also had had an argument with the Delhi Police and the Fin- that no innocent personnel across the city. imposed several some of the assailants on Fri- ance Ministry has been re- feels harassed At the happening restrictions on vehicular day morning, after which he quested to sanction it, Union Connaught place and its movement in the heart of was warned of dire Home Minister Rajnath families on this issue, Mr. connecting roads alone, the city. Prominent consequences. Singh said on Saturday. Verma added. 1,240 traic police among them was the ban “Around 9 p.m. on Friday, The Minister was speak- “A total of 25,827 personnel personnel were on vehicles proceeding seven men barged into his ing at the Delhi Police’s func- have been promoted. This deployed, said Ajay towards Connaught house and began beating up tion ‘Alankaran Samaroh’, will boost their morale and Kashyap, Special CP Place and beyond Mandi his family members, all the meant to celebrate the pro- result in a happier and satis- (Traic). House, Bengali Market, while asking about Chan- motions awarded to over fied force. It will also in- Further, policemen DDU Marg Crossing, chal’s whereabouts,” said a 25,000 police personnel over crease the number of invest- armed with alcometers GPO and Patel Chowk. senior police oicer. the last one year. igating oicers,” said Mr. were deployed at almost For the convenience of As soon as they found Mr. Singh also expressed Verma. every picket in the city. motorists, a few areas Chanchal, they stabbed him hope that in the new year, the But the police said they near Connaught Place repeatedly, causing him to Delhi Police would have Making history were not depending only were made available for collapse on the floor. When around 1 lakh personnel. “The Delhi Police chief on strict punishments to parking. his mother tried to inter- With just about 84,500 per- further announced that pro- deter drunken driving. Traic police vene, they beat her up. The sonnel currently, the force is visions were made for out- “We had issued an personnel were deployed killers then fled the spot. grappling with shortage of of-turn promotions of wo- advisory to malls, pubs in areas such as Saket, Neighbours, meanwhile, manpower. men police personnel for the and restaurants to Greater Kailash, Defence had rushed to the victim’s first time,” said Delhi Police discourage their Colony, Nehru Place, house on hearing the cries Aiming at eiciency spokesperson Dependra customers from driving Dwarka and Mayur for help. He also spoke about his re- BADGE OF HONOUR: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Delhi Police Commissioner Alok Pathak. home in a drunken state,” Vihar, which are He was rushed to a nearby cent visit to Shanghai in Kumar Verma felicitating a police officer at a function in New Delhi on Saturday. Apart from Mr. Singh and said a police oicer. susceptible to jams. hospital, but was declared where he learnt that PHOTO: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR the police chief, the event These restrictions brought dead. the city is guarded by 80,000 saw the participation of Licences suspended were imposed from 8 CCTV cameras and that the the Delhi Police to ensure Alok Kumar Verma said he received promotions even Union Minister of State for The police also freely p.m. on Saturday till the Four accused nabbed police reach a crime spot that no innocent feels har- had taken it upon himself to after 28 years of service,” Home Afairs Kiren Rejijiu, exercised their new conclusion of new year A murder case was sub- within minutes of a call. assed and that criminals are ensure long-due promotions said Mr. Verma. Additional Secretary (Po- power to seize and celebrations. On Sunday, sequently registered at the “We need Delhi to func- punished at any cost. for his personnel. “When I During his visits to several lice) M. Gopal Reddy, and suspend for three months a large number of traic Bhalaswa Dairy police sta- tion in a similar way,” he said. Speaking on the occasion, took charge, I was pained to police colonies, he wit- other top oicers of the Delhi the driving licences of police personnel as well tion. A number of raids over The Minister called upon Delhi Police Commissioner see that constables had not nessed the “despair” of the Police. people involved in as the local police will be the next few hours led to the drunken driving, deployed near places of arrest of four men, three of overloading, talking over worship to ensure who are brothers. Hunt is on phone while driving, smooth movement of for the remaining assailants, speeding and red light traic as a large number who have been identified, One killed, six injured as wall collapses in Okhla jumping. The police had of devotees are expected said the police. also asked app-based cab to turn up on the The police are also verify- STAFF REPORTER place around 10.30 a.m., the debris. lice after which rescue Industrial Area police aggregators to keep their occasion of new year. ing whether Chanchal was when the victims were work- Anil Kumar, a labourer operations were under- station. involved in drug trade. NEW DELHI: One person was ing on the site. working near the accident taken,” he said. “We have begun a probe killed and six others injured site, said he had gone to have into the incident. The owner when the wall of an under- Workers trapped tea there when he heard a Case registered of the factory and the builder construction factory col- According to the police, loud sound and cries for The police said a case of have been told to join the lapsed in south-east Delhi’s the wall of the basement, help. causing death by negligence probe,” said a senior police Okhla on Saturday. which was being measured “We rushed to the spot to and for negligent conduct oicer. The deceased has been for further construction, col- find a portion of the base- with respect to pulling down The injured are undergo- identified as 25-year-old lapsed, and all the seven ment collapsed on the la- or repairing buildings had ing treatment at a private Sonu. The incident took workers were trapped under bourers. We alerted the po- been registered at the Okhla hospital. DELHI TODAY

Music: Anand-Utsav 2017, celebra- tion of the new year celebration with popular folk songs, followed by ‘Haasya Kavi Sammelan’, at The Stein Auditorium, IHC, 7 p.m. Paintings: Raghuvansham School of Modern Art presents a group show of paintings, at All India Fine Arts & Craft Society, 1, Rafi Marg, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Art: “Colours, Forms and Eternity”, an art show, at Art Laureate, first floor, Lado Sarai Village , 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Art: “The Order of Things”, an art show, at Art Explore, 23 Lakeside, Village, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Exhibition: A painting and sculp- ture exhibition, at Open Palm Court Gallery, IHC, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Culture: Tirumala Tirupati Dev- asthanam: Thirupavai Upanyasam, at Lakshmi Nrisimha Mandir, Karol Bagh, 6:30 p.m. (Mail your listings for this column at [email protected]) NOIDA/DELHI 4 | CITY THE HINDU SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2017

CM ND-ND YK NOIDA/DELHI | THE HINDU SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2017 CITY/STATE 5

CHEAPER RIDE? CM wants revival of water bodies

STAFF REPORTER annual calendar 2017 re- Govt awaiting feedback on bus fares volving around Delhi's an- NEW DELHI: Chief Minister cient step wells. Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday Move to cut fares by 75% is pending nod from Transport Minister and comments from departments directed his cabinet col- Meeting water needs league Kapil Mishra to pre- The Chief Minister ex- STAFF REPORTER present, a ride in an AC bus pare a roadmap aimed at the pressed his support for the can cost anywhere between resuscitation of the Capital's step, adding that the Capital NEW DELHI: Citizens who Rs. 10 to 25 while the same in heritage step wells and other could no longer rely on other prefer public transporta- non-AC buses are from Rs. 5 dead water bodies. States for meeting its water tion, Delhi Transport Cor- to Rs. 15. needs and could become poration (DTC) buses in Ancient step walls Arvind Kejriwal self-reliant in this respect by particular, will have to wait Proposal for free travel Mr. Kejriwal issued the in- 2025 if it followed the path of for the implementation of The government has also structions after a brief Hashmi, who is credited conservation. He then direc- the government move to proposed to make DTC bus presentation on the merits of with playing a significant ted Mr. Mishra to work on make the option more at- travel free for students up to these by noted historian and role in helping compile the and submit an action plan for tractive by slashing fares. the age of 21 years. Daily bus conservationist Sohail Delhi Legislative Assembly's the same within 10 days. passes for non-AC buses are Due today currently available for Rs. The government has 40 and Rs. 50 for AC buses, “sought comments” from its but the government will departments on slashing bring down the rate of both charges by 75 per cent, a services to Rs. 20 for a move it had recently an- TRIAL BASIS: The government had announced that bus fares would be reduced for a month from month. nouncement pending January 1. FILE PHOTO: SHANKER CHAKRAVARTY “We are also planning to Transport Minister Saty- provide free travel to stu- endar Jain’s nod. Reduced “The government has a government oicial said. for AC buses. There will be a dents of age up to 21 years so fares, which were aimed at sought comments on the file The government has flat fare of Rs. 5 in non-AC that they could be encour- encouraging people to use pertaining to reduction in planned to reduce monthly DTC and cluster buses, aged to use public trans- public transport, were to fares from departments. bus pass rates from Rs. 800 while it will be Rs. 10 in air- port,” the oicial said. The come into efect from Janu- New fares are expected to to Rs. 250 for non-AC buses, conditioned buses for a DTC has 4,355 buses while ary 1 for a month. come into efect next week,” and from Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 250 month on a trial basis. At there are 1,600 cluster buses.

In the moment

CHEER ALL AROUND: People ring in the New Year at Connaught Place on Saturday. PHOTO: SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA

Make Shunglu panel report public: Congress

STAFF REPORTER spokesperson Sharmistha Mukherjee asked that Mr. Baijal NEW DELHI: The Delhi Congress make the report public as Del- on Saturday asked the newly- hiites had “every right to know appointed Lieutenant-Gov- the findings of the Shunglu ernor Anil Baijal to make the re- Committee”. port of the Shunglu Committee public. Discrepancies Mr. Baijal, who was sworn in “The Committee has re- as Lieutenant-Governor on Sat- portedly found discrepancies urday, takes over from Najeeb in 200 files of the government,” Jung, who had set up the three- she said. Wishing Mr. Baijal the member committee to look into best, she said the Lieutenant- certain decisions of the AAP Governor and the Delhi gov- government. ernment should work together for the betterment of Delhi. ‘Right to know’ “After the kind of chaos that After Mr. Jung resigned on was witnessed in the last one December 23, Delhi Congress year, it is hoped that the people president Ajay Maken said that of Delhi would not be held to it was because the Lieutenant- ransom again,” she said, refer- Governor was planning on ring to the near constant tussle making the report public but between Mr. Jung and Chief was prevented from doing so. Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s gov- On Saturday, Delhi Congress ernment. 10-year-old boy crushed by tempo in Alipur

NEW DELHI: A 10-year-old boy was and while reversing the vehicle, mowed down by a tempo travel- the boy was accidentally ler in outer Delhi's Alipur area, crushed under the wheels, he police said on Saturday. added. The deceased, identified as The boy's father, Mahender Sonu, was playing in the fields Singh, works in Bhorgarh indus- when he was crushed under the trial area and the family hails wheels of the vehicle while it from Rewari. — PTI was reversing, said a senior po- lice oicer.

Taken in same tempo Hearing the boy scream, the family members rushed out and took him to Satyawadi Raja Har- ish Chander Hospital in the same tempo that crushed him but he was declared “brought dead” at the hospital, he added. The driver, Brijlal (30), was arrested from the spot and booked under sections 304(A) (causing death by negligence) and 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way) of the IPC, said the oicer. The accused told the police that he did not see Sonu playing NOIDA/DELHI 8 | SOUTH THE HINDU SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2017 ‘Clear the air on De La Rue connection’ Blast in illegal fireworks Chandy asks why the blacklisted British company re-emerged around the time of demonetisation unit claims 2 lives in Nellore

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT cent after April 11, 2016,” Mr. G. RAVIKIRAN Chandy said. KOCHI: Former Kerala Chief He called into question the NELLORE: At least two persons Minister Oommen Chandy company’s involvement as were killed and 14 injured, 13 on Saturday raised questions one of the Platinum Partners of them seriously, in an ex- on the re-emergence of a in the India-U.K. Tech Sum- plosion that took place in a blacklisted British company, mit held in Delhi in Novem- small fireworks unit in the a currency printing major, in ber. Porlukatta area in Nellore India around the time Prime In the wake of news re- rural police station limits on Minister Narendra Modi ports suggesting that the RBI Saturday. launched the demonetisa- had selected a few foreign The unit, which was being tion drive. firms, including De La Rue, illegally run in a poorly con- Thomas de la Rue, one of to print plastic currency structed hut, spread over the three foreign firms con- notes of ₨ 10 denomination to hardly an extent of 150 sq tracted by the Reserve Bank bring liquidity to the market, yards, was reduced to ashes of India in 1997-98 to print Union Minister of State for under the impact of the high 360 crore currency notes of ₨ Finance Arjun Ram Megh- intensity blast. 500 and ₨ 100 denominations wal informed Parliament on Oicials could not imme- with an aggregate value of ₨ 1 December 9 that plastic cur- diately establish the cause of lakh crore, was reportedly rency printing had begun at a the blast. They suspect that blacklisted by the Union foreign firm. the use of a huge quantity of REDUCED TO ASHES: The cause of the blast at the fireworks unit Home Ministry in 2011, he “I would urge the Govern- explosive material like mag- was not immediately known. — PHOTO: K. RAVIKUMAR told the media. He cited a set ment of India to explain the nesium and phosphorous of documents, including nature of its close partner- caused the explosion. to the DSR Government from Andhra Pradesh Chief news reports. ship with a company earlier The likely source of igni- General Hospital. The de- Minister N. Chandrababu In a report in 2012-13, the blacklisted by the Union tion, they said, could be low ceased have been identified Naidu and Municipal Ad- Public Undertakings Com- Home Ministry. Has the gov- heat generated while using a as Yatagiri Nagaraju and Lak- ministration Minister P. mittee of Parliament — RAISING QUESTIONS: Former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy at a press conference in Kochi ernment taken any step to drilling machine to fill ex- shmaiah, both 30, residents Narayana, the authorities headed by Congress’ on Saturday. — PHOTO: PTI get plastic money printed by plosive material in cracker of a slum near the spot. shifted the injured to the Jagadambika Pal, who has a foreign company, sidestep- caps, careless smoking or Narayana Super Speciality since joined the Bharatiya scrupulous elements like ter- operations of De La Rue ment is working closely with ping the PUC’s strong re- making tea inside the hut. Most victims were tribals Hospital, where a 30-mem- Janata Party — had ex- rorists, extremists and other Cash Processing Solutions the Union Department for commendation against the District Collector R. Of the injured, except 16- ber team of speciality doc- pressed serious reservations economic ofenders …” India Pvt. Ltd. and De La Rue Industrial Policy and Promo- practice? If the government Mutyala Raju, who visited year-old Srikanth, who tors was formed to provide about the RBI’s unpreceden- “There is no mention of India Pvt Ltd. In a recent in- tion (DIPP). He further denies having any ties with the spot, told The Hindu that sufered 10 to 15 per cent quality treatment. ted move in 1997-98 to out- De La Rue’s activities in In- terview to a journal, Martin speaks about its potential the blacklisted firm, would it immediate steps were taken burns, all others sufered Additional SP B. Sarath source currency printing to dia in its annual reports of Sutherland, chief executive role in the ‘Make In India’ ini- launch an investigation into to provide first aid and pre- burns over 80 per cent. They Babu, Nellore Rural DSP foreign firms. It had main- years 2013, 2014 and 2015. But of De La Rue, says the com- tiative. There is evidence to the firm’s full-scale resur- liminary medical help to the were ‘Challa Yanadi’ tribals Thirumaleswara Reddy and tained that it risked currency its annual report of 2016 pany has set up an oice in show that the company’s gence in India,” Mr. Chandy victims. earning ₨ 250 to ₨ 300 a day. other oicials visited the ac- falling in the hands of “un- clearly mentions the India Delhi and its senior manage- share value rose by 33.33 per asked. The victims were rushed Following instructions cident spot. Demand for passports Centre alerts A.P. on Maoist threat to Naidu Explosives found in slows in Karnataka RAJULAPUDI SRINIVAS basiva Rao said here on and the Odisha Police in an Saturday. exchange of fire in the cut-of bus near Raichur K.C. DEEPIKA However, from January 1 to VIJAYAWADA: CPI (Maoists), Intelligence sources said area at Ramaguda tribal ham- RAVIKUMAR NARABOLI claimed bags which con- December 30, 2016, the who sufered a major blow in suspected Maoists conduc- let between October 24 and tained explosives, not cur- BENGALURU: After witnessing a Bengaluru RPO issued only a recent encounter with po- ted a ‘recce’ many times at 27, 2016. RAICHUR: Police on Friday rency notes, said Raichur massive demand for pass- 6.23 lakh passports com- lice at the Andhra Odisha the A.P. Bhavan, and the tar- The encounter was a ma- seized low-intensity explos- Superintendent of Police ports in the past few years, pared with 6.18 lakh in 2015; a Border (AOB), have al- get might be the Chief Minis- jor loss to the Maoists. About ives from two unclaimed Chetan Singh Rathod. the Bengaluru Regional bare 0.81 per cent increase. legedly targeted Andhra Pra- ter or other Ministers visit- 15 top Naxalite leaders were bags in a Karnataka Road Passport Oice (RPO), for desh Chief Minister N. ing the place. “We are on a shot dead. Maoist Central Transport Corporation bus Timer not functioning the first time in 2016, saw ‘Majority have passports’ Chandrababu Naidu and high alert and are in contact Committee Member coming from Hyderabad The explosives were con- only a marginal increase — P.S. Karthigeyan, Regional conducted a recce at the A.P. with the Delhi Police. We Akkiraju Haragopal alias Ra- near the Karnataka-Telan- nected to a timer through a less than one per cent — in Passport Oicer, Bengaluru, Bhavan in New Delhi. will increase the security for makrishna reportedly es- gana border, about 18 km wire. The timer was not the number of passports attributes the decline to the “Oicials of the Ministry Mr. Naidu, if necessary,” the caped from the spot with in- from Raichur. functioning. Mr. Rathod said issued. fact that a majority of people of Home have alerted us over DGP said. juries. Anticipating Acting on an anonymous the bomb squad from The calendar year 2014 re- across the State already have the threat to Mr. Naidu and Police were trying to col- retaliation, the police soun- call that two boxes of new Kalaburagi defused the ex- corded a 20.18 per cent in- passports. we are coordinating with the lect the photographs of those ded an alert in the State and currency notes of ₨ 2,000 plosives. A case had been re- crease in passports issued The Bengaluru RPO re- Delhi Police on increasing who conducted the ‘recce’ stepped up security for the were being transported in gistered with the Shakthin- across Karnataka since 2013. ceived as many as 6,30,390 security cover for him at the through CCTV footage. Chief Minister, Ministers, the bus, police conducted a agar police and three teams The following year saw an applications this year, of Andhra Pradesh Chief A.P. Bhavan,” Director-Gen- About 30 Maoists were naxal targets and search. of senior oicials formed to increase of nearly 18 per cent. which 6,20,719 were cleared. Minister Chandrababu Naidu eral of Police (DGP) N. Sam- killed by A.P. Grey Hounds bureaucrats. They found the two un- investigate the incident.

Desperate Maaravalli sinks with its borewells

Many arecanut plantations have gone dry because of water scarcity in Maravalli. — PHOTO: VAIDYA

VEERENDRA P. M. 300 were drilled in the last 10 SHIVAMOGGA: It is a dubious claim to fame but months alone, but Maaravalli in western most of them Karnataka has more borewells than have run dry households. This arecanut growing Eshappa’s three-hectare village in Shikaripur taluk plantation ran dry in of Shivamogga district, April. By selling two cows with 792 households, has and borrowing from more than 900 money lenders, he agricultural borewells, mobilised ₨3 lakh to dig many of which are over another borewell. 800 feet deep. However, the yield from the third well has been Failed monsoons much lower than A second consecutive expected, and Mr. year of failed monsoons Eshappa says he has no and the resultant drought choice but to buy water to sweeping the State has save his crop. spread panic among the With no bank willing to farmers. Haunted by last extend loans to buy year’s bitter experience of water, Mr. Eshappa will losing the arecanut crop have to turn to money on nearly 200 hectares lenders again. due to acute shortage of Murthy Gowda, water, the desperate another arecanut farmer, farmers have resorted to says more than 80 per indiscriminate digging of cent of the borewells have borewells. dried up in the village and On an average, at least most farmers are paying one borewell has been exorbitant amounts for sunk every day in the last water tankers to irrigate 10 months, with nearly and save their 300 being dug in as many plantations. days. The indiscriminate Vidya C.M., president drilling of borewells led of the gram panchayat, to rapid depletion of says the village has land groundwater and a holding of around 2,500 shortage of drinking hectares, and arecanut is water. Panchayat cultivated on most of this Development Oicer land. But the desperate Pushpa says that of the 10 measures have only borewells sunk for added to the burdens of supplying drinking water, the distressed farmers. only two are yielding The two borewells on water.

CM YK NOIDA/DELHI | THE HINDU SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2017 NATION 9 Five convicts flee Buxar jail A brother’s untiring search SHIV SAHAY SINGH mine Three officials suspended, probe ordered into late night jailbreak GODDA (JHARKHAND): Maqbool Khan has been operating an toll rises to 16 BUXAR (BIHAR): Five convicts, excavator at the Rajhmahal including four serving life Open Cast Mine here from 6 GODDA (JHARKHAND): Five more term, escaped from the a.m. on Saturday. Even when bodies were retrieved from the Buxar Central Jail late on Fri- dusk descended, he contin- debris at the Rajmahal Open Cast day night by scaling the ued untiringly, removing Mine in Jharkhand’s Godda prison wall, raising ques- heaps of earth and extricat- district, taking the toll in the tions over security and ing vehicles and bodies from mine collapse to 16. Six prompting the administra- the debris. companies of the NDRF, along tion to suspend three Maqbool does not work at with experts from the mining oicials. the facility, but his brother company, are engaged in the District Magistrate Raman Lalu Khan used to. Lalu rescue operation. Kumar said on Saturday that Khan is among the workers HARROWING TIMES: Saddam Khan (left) and Maqbool Khan at Officials said many workers the jailbreak took place buried in the open cast mine the accident site in Godda, Jharkhand. — PHOTO: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT were still trapped inside the between 12 a.m. and 3 a.m. of Eastern Coal Fields Lim- debris. The chances of anyone An iron rod, pipe and dhoti ited in Godda district, after a the machine again. “It was Lalu bhai who being alive were remote, experts were found at the spot where part of it collapsed on Lalu Khan, hailing from brought us here, gave us said. During the day, the body of the prisoners scaled the wall, Thursday night. Madhya Pradesh, was the some education and ensured Sunil Vengre was recovered he said. “There are machines eldest of five brothers. He our employment,” Hamid around 10.20 a.m. After three Superintendent of Police which can tell you where was the shift supervisor said. Saddam Khan, the hours, the body of Kuleshwar Upendra Sharma said those coal lies in the bottom of when the accident occurred. youngest, is quiet. Saddam Kumar was recovered with the who escaped were Prajit earth. But there is no ma- “I was away. All I heard and Hamid too operated the help of sniffer dogs. Singh hailing from Motihari, SECURITY LAPSE: The Buxar Jail in Bihar, from where five prisoners escaped on Friday. — PHOTO: PTI chine that can tell where my was someone saying on the mining machines for a while. Sub Divisional Officer Sanjay Girdhari Rai of Chapra, Sonu brother lies in this rubble. So walkie talkie ... Lalu Bhai As many workers are still Kumar said an FIR had been filed Pandey and Upendra Sah of Paswan and wardens Upen- A two-member team Director, Jail Administra- I have to keep on digging,” slide ho raha hai ( It is missing, their family mem- against the authorities of Eastern Ara — all serving life impris- dra Das and Raj Kumar Ram would conduct an inquiry tion, Rajeev Verma. Based on Maqbool said. After hours of coming down),” Hamid bers are staying put at the Coalfields Limited and onment — and Sonu Singh of were placed under suspen- into the jailbreak. The team the probe report, action search on Saturday, a body Raza, another brother, said. accident site. Among them Mahalakshmi Infrastructure, Brahampur, Buxar, sen- sion, Inspector General of comprises Deputy Inspector would be initiated against was found and Maqbool “After we came down, there was Yogeswar Gope who which has been given the lease tenced to 10 years. Prisons Anand Kishore said General of Prisons those found guilty, Mr. Kis- stopped for a while. It was was complete darkness and was quietly looking for the for mining operation. — Special Chief Warden Kameshwar in Patna. Shivendra Priyadarshi, and hore said. — PTI not his brother. He started no cries of help,” he said. body of his son Ladu Prasad. Correspondent Decide on safety Congress ups ante Agni-IV to sealing in six Carrying on a tradition be test-fired months, High over pension curbs tomorrow Court tells Centre MOHAMMED IQBAL Rajasthan govt.’s SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT JAIPUR: Taking exception to decision will put the CHENNAI: India’s strategic, bal- the Rajasthan government's lives of about 60 listic missile, Agni-IV, will be MUMBAI: The Bombay High latest decision to stop pay- flight-tested from a road-mo- Court recently gave the ment of social security pen- lakh people at stake, bile launcher on the Abdul Union government six sions to the holders of Jan the party said Kalam Island (earlier called months’ time to take a de- Dhan accounts who have de- Wheeler Island), of Damra cision on making safety seal- posited ₨50,000 or more after resolution in a Cabinet meet- village on the Odisha coast, ing mandatory for health- demonetisation, the Opposi- ing and taking the State As- on Monday. care and hygiene products. tion Congress has an- sembly into confidence. The The tri-Services’ Strategic A Division Bench of nounced the launch of a pen- decision would put the lives Forces Command (SFC), Justices Shantanu S. Kemkar sion protection campaign of about 60 lakh people in the which is entrusted with In- and P. D. Naik passed the dir- from the New Year's Day. State at stake, he added. dia’s nuclear weapons, will ective while hearing a public Even as the Congress has The beneficiaries of pen- fire the missile. interest litigation petition described it as a breach of sion and Jan Dhan account Agni-IV is a two-stage, filed by advocate Geetanjali promise, the Bharatiya Janata holders include elderly surface-to-surface missile Tapan Dutta. The petition is Party-led government has people, widows, deserted that is 20 metres long and about pilferage of cosmetics, defended its December 26 women and disabled per- weighs 17 tonnes. child-care, healthcare and decision contending that a sons. “How has the govern- It can carry a one-tonne hygiene products. The plea balance of ₨50,000 or more in ment reached the conclusion nuclear warhead over a dis- states that while in transit a Jan Dhan account would that the ₨50,000 deposited by tance of 4,000 km. The De- from manufacturer to con- give rise to “legitimate them can only be black fence Research and Develop- sumer, there is a possibility doubts” about the account money and not their life-long ment Organisation (DRDO) of contamination and adul- holder's eligibility for social savings or income of their designed and developed the teration of the products due GRAND SHOW: The President’s Bodyguard conducting the ‘Change of Guard’ ceremony near the Jaipur column at security pension. entire family,” he asked. missile. to the absence of a seal. It in New Delhi on Saturday. - PHOTO: V. SUDERSHAN Jaipur District Congress Mr. Khachariawas said the also highlights that at president Pratap Singh Congress would identify the Successful launches present, there are no man- Khachariawas said here on afected people in Jaipur. The Five earlier launches of datory provisions to put the Tapas Paul sent to 3 days CBI Saturday that the State gov- party would then hold a Agni-IV in 2011, 2012, 2014 seal. One killed, another ernment had already demonstration outside Chief (two test-flights) and 2015 Additional Solicitor-Gen- stopped pensions of a large Minister Vasundhara Raje’s were successful in a row. The eral Anil Singh informed the custody in chit fund case number of beneficiaries residence if the decision was Army has already deployed court that this would be injured in Bengal blast which were started by the not revoked. The matter will the missile. It was earlier treated as a representation. STAFF REPORTER legedly received huge finan- previous Congress regime. be raised in a meeting of called Agni Prime. Appropriate decision would STAFF REPORTER was critically injured. The cial benefits. Besides, Mr. Khachariwas said the Congress district unit pres- The DRDO successfully be taken soon. The court dir- incident took place in the BHUBANESWAR: A Bhubaneswar wielding his influence, he re- Social Justice and Empower- idents here on January 5. test-fired Agni-V, with a ected him to do so within six KOLKATA: One person died and Margram police station area court on Saturday sent Trin- portedly made sure that ment Department's order to Meanwhile, former Minis- range of more than 5,000 km months. another was critically in- of Rampurhat II block,” Su- amool MP Tapas Paul to some of his relatives were stop pensions after fixing a ter and BJP MLA from Chh- from a canister mounted on a Previously, the State had jured while allegedly making perintendent of Police Birb- three day CBI custody in appointed in the tainted cap on the balance in ac- abra, Pratap Singh Singhvi, road-mobile launcher on the said there were no mandat- crude bombs in the Ram- hum N. Sudheer Kumar told connection with his alleged group. counts was illegal, as it could has also requested Ms. Raje Abdul Kalam Island on The Hindu ory provisions under the purhat area of Birbhum dis- . role in the Rose Valley chit The actor-turned politi- be done only after passing a to reconsider the decision. December 26, 2016. Legal Metrology Act, 2009, trict. The incident took place He also said that the explo- fund scam. cian was also involved in sev- and hence the sealing of the late on Friday night. sion took place when they Mr. Paul was produced be- eral promotional events for products could not be done. Locals said that it was the were making crude bombs in fore Special Judge (CBI) here the group. Arun Acharya, Mr. However, in October 2014, outcome of factional feud an under construction following his arrest in Kolk- Paul’s counsel, said the MP the Centre said it was await- within the Trinamool Con- house. Police has arrested ata on Friday. CBI had moved was being hounded purely ing recommendations from a gress over the control of a one person in the case so far. application for securing five on political grounds and he committee constituted to gram panchayat. District According to locals, the days remand. The court, had committed no illegality. TMC leadership, however, bombs were being made as a however, granted only three look into the matter. “Political vendetta” The additional govern- claimed that the incident has result of the ongoing fac- days of remand. ment pleader also said all nothing to do with the party tional feud in the ruling party Rose Valley group is ac- Following the arrest of Mr. creams and lotions were and “anti-social” elements over the control of the cused of defrauding deposit- Paul in Kolkata, West Bengal mandatorily sealed under were behind the explosion. Kaluha gram panchayat. ors to the tune of Rs 17,000 Chief Minister Mamata the amended Drugs and Cos- “While one person Safi However, the local TMC crore. Mr. Paul, as a board Banerjee had termed the CBI metics Act, 2013. Seikh died in the explosion leadership distanced them- member of Rose Valley Mar- taking the party MP into cus- another person Joydeb Let selves from the incident. keting India Limited, had al- tody as a political vendetta. Alert in north Goa after terror threat

PRAKASH KAMAT Year’s Eve. Contacted by The areas of north Goa, espe- Hindu, Director-General of cially in the Anjuna, Calan- PANAJI: The Goa Police on Sat- Police Muktesh Chander gute, Baga beach areas that urday deployed its anti-ter- confirmed the receipt of host a majority of parties on ror squad and reserve units “specific intelligence in- New Year’s Eve, attended by in the tourist areas following puts,” but did not disclose thousands of tourists, in- intelligence inputs on pos- details. cluding foreigners. sible attacks by the Jaish-e- Police sources said the Earlier in the day, Chief Mohammad and the anti-terrorism squad and re- Minister Laxmikant Lashkar-e-Taiba in the beach serve units had been de- Parsekar said there was no areas of north Goa on New ployed along the coastal specific terror alert for Goa. NOIDA/DELHI WEEKEND 10 | THE HINDU SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2017 BEING

DR HUMERUS GENE TESTING Keshav The year of personal genomics The conversation around personal genomics amplified in 2016, as did the range of diagnostic options

JACOB KOSHY Unlike several countries his may have been the that have announced plans year personal genom- to map genomes, the ics came of age in India. Indian government doesn’t While tests to check AROUND THE WORLD for mutations that yet have any big initiative Tmake one more vulnerable to breast Omega-3s could cancer have been available in India rare diseases that may have a strong stop the wheeze since 2010, companies this year genetic component. The idea is that have expanded the repertoire. over time new genes or variations Taking certain of known genes are discovered that omega-3 fatty acid A growing market will be useful to design better drugs supplements during It is possible to request online a or sometimes use known drugs in pregnancy can test that can tell you your new ways. A doctor from Pune, for reduce the risk of PHOTO: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT propensity to diabetes, autism, instance, got in touch with the childhood asthma spondylitis and coronary heart dis- GUaRDIAN team to report a child by almost a third, according to a new study from the ease. GenomePatri, a product mar- with skin akin to fish-like scales. Dr. Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in keted by Hyderabad-based Mapmy- Sivasubbu relates another case, of a Childhood (COPSAC) and the University of Waterloo, genome, ofers a peep into a healthy couple discovering that . The study, published in the New England 100-odd underlying conditions. both their children sufered from a Journal of Medicine, found that women who were MedGenome in Bengaluru, another genetic condition so rare that it af- prescribed 2.4 grams of long-chain omega-3 company that ofers diagnostic ser- flicts 1 in 2,00,000 people. Two supplements during the third trimester of CAN I GET IT? “It is possible to request online a test that can tell you your propensity to diabetes, autism, vices, this year purchased a high- spondylitis and coronary heart disease.” — PHOTO: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT things happened. One, the couple pregnancy reduced their children’s risk of asthma by end gene sequencer — a device that could determine if a baby they plan 31 per cent. Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, which can read the unique sequence of physicians and patients. 10,000 tests each annually.” were similar to Ashkenazi Jews in for in future will carry the gene for include eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and DNA of individuals and the only The bulk of genome testing ser- Unlike several countries such as their response to breast cancer,” the disease. Two, they were sugges- docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are found in cold one of its kind in Southeast Asia — vices however still require that pa- the U.S., Qatar, the U.K. that have says Dr. Chandru, “we need more ted a treatment — usually used in water fish, and key to regulating human immune for $12 million. Strand Life Sciences, tients scan their genes only after be- announced plans to undertake large analysis of this sort.” cancer — to treat their two response. also a Bengaluru-based company, ing recommended by a doctor. projects to map genomes, the In- children. developed a 152-gene test that will Moreover, in spite of the number of dian government doesn’t yet have Database the key The conversation around per- Allele may affect be made available to physicians people taking these tests increasing any major initiative. There are also Vinod Scaria and his colleague sonal genomics has certainly ampli- across India for profiling tumours. almost a hundred-fold over last very few studies on the kind of ge- Sridhar Sivasubbu at the Delhi- fied but without several more data- cognitive decline Based on one’s genetic make-up, year, it still hasn’t reached the so- netic variants, unique to Indians, based CSIR-Institute of Genomics bases to capture India’s unique Researchers have the tests can also provide informa- called tipping point. “We are very that may make them respond difer- and Integrative Biology have over genomic peculiarities, an online found a genetic tion on global clinical drug trials far from it,” says Vijay Chandru, ently to certain drugs or make them the years organised a network of test may be little more than a soph- mutation (or allele) and advise on the eicacy or tox- chairman, Strand Life Sciences, more vulnerable to certain dis- doctors across the country — called isticated gimmick for now. that can be harmful icity of chemotherapy and/or radio- “there may be about seven-eight eases. “We recently found that wo- GUaRDIAN — to help map indi- or helpful therapy as an additional service to companies doing about 5,000- men from the Marwari community viduals and families alicted with [email protected] PHOTO: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT depending on whether they are found in hunter-gatherers or in the PERSPECTIVE urban-industrialised. They found this by studying the effect of the apolipoprotein E (ApoE) gene, normally known to help mediate cholesterol Latching on again metabolism and assist in the crucial activity of Playing god transporting fatty acids to the brain. Previous studies — all among the urban-industrialised — ack in 1944, physicist have shown that the gene is associated with a four- BErwin Schrödinger’s fold higher risk for Alzheimer’s disease, other age- masterpiece, What Is related cognitive declines, and a higher risk for Life?, provided the world cardiovascular disease. However those in a with a cue about the basic community of Amazonian forager-horticulturalists tenets of life. In called the Tsimane, who carried ApoE4 and had a subsequent decades, high parasitic burden, displayed steadier or even discoveries advanced our improved cognitive function versus non-carriers knowledge on the with a similar level of parasitic exposure. The higher complexities of life, on parasitic burden in the latter was due to their how cells function and PHOTO: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT diminished access to modern medicine and propagate. From single sanitation. This, say the researchers, indicated that cell bacteria to complex other markers were multi-cellular organisms the allele potentially played a role in maintaining designed from scratch. In like humans, cells remain addition to the 473 cognitive function even when exposed to at the heart of all environmental-based health threats. minimal genes, the functions. A landmark JCVI-2yn3.0 genome also discovery in 2016 now contained some artificial takes our understanding a DNA sequence as In 2017, lace up step forward in markers. These markers Here’s why identifying a minimal set are the codes for the OLD MEDICINE IS NEW: The European medicinal leech, Hirudo medicinalis, an invertebrate 3 cm long in adulthood, of instructions required names of all the scientists If your New Year’s for a cell to exist and resolution is to was considered indispensable in the 19th century. It was used in ‘blood letting’ and helping alleviate certain who worked in the self-propagate. With this, project, a website address become more conditions. The leech is now making a comeback, with plastic surgeons and clinicians ‘also using it only in a last- synthetic biology has ditch effort to stave off tissue death or necrosis following reconstructive procedures, including those for cancer’. for the organism and an active, you might become a serious email ID. The build stage want to consider French hospitals, for instance, have long been using leeches to prevent blood clots after surgery. Picture shows contender to other forces PHOTO: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT leeches being placed on a wound of a burn patient at the CHU hospital Pellegrin, in Bordeaux, southwestern included synthesising running as your for an understanding of individual genes and the go-to activity. A study by the University of Arizona, . — PHOTO: REUTERS the origin of life on earth. marker elements and U.S. reveals that MRI scans of endurance runners’ It is a story of biologist cloning them in yeast that brains show greater functional connectivity when WELLNESS STUDY J. Craig Venter and his can produce viable large compared with the brains of less active individuals. years long journey in the DNA segments (bacteria Endurance runners display greater connections can’t replicate long pieces between different brain regions than more of DNA). The final test sedentary people. Previous research has shown that Work, walk, work Binay phase included training for a long time in activities that require Panda transplanting the accurate fine motor control — such as learning to Frequent, brief walking breaks are more effective than a single, longer walk before work synthetic genome into a play a musical instrument — alter the structure of recipient cell of a brain areas that are connected with motor function. tuck at your work desk? Standing ditional scheduled breaks. diferent species, Mycoplasma capricolum. These fine motor activities also appear to cause Sup and walking around for five Finally, during a third visit, the vo- quest towards creating changes in cortical areas that are involved in minutes every hour during the work- lunteers sat for most of the six hours, an artificial cell. A Futuristic projections sensory, spatial, and attentional processes. day could lift your mood, combat leth- but began each hour with five minutes milestone was achieved Although the scientific — Medical News Today argy without reducing focus and atten- of moderate walking, using treadmills this year when his team research underlying tion, and even dull hunger pangs, at the clinic. reported the creation of JCVI-syn3.0 has been according to an instructive new study. At the start and end of each session, a bacterial cell, hailed as one of the Fighting therapy- The study, which also found that fre- the researchers drew blood to check Mycoplasma, with a landmark discoveries of resistant quent, brief walking breaks were more levels of stress hormones. And period- minimal genome built the year 2016, it has not efective at improving well-being than ically throughout each day, they asked with the help of man- augured well among prostate cancer a single, longer walk before work, their volunteers to numerically rate made machines. They some, especially those A new study led by could provide the basis for a simple, their moods, energy, fatigue and called it JCVI-syn3.0., who believe that life can scientists from the realistic New Year’s exercise resolu- appetites. containing 5,31,560 base only be created and Florida campus of tion for those of us bound to our desks The volunteers also repeated the pairs and just 473 destroyed by god. Can genes.Compare this with The Scripps PHOTO: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT all day. computerised testing of their thinking creating a minimal the common gut genome and inserting Research Institute PHOTO: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT skills at the close of each session. (TSRI) sheds light on a signalling circuit in cells that Ups health risks bacteria, E. coli, that has that into a recipient cell The numbers showed that on almost nearly 5,000 genes). This drives therapy resistance in prostate cancer. The There is growing evidence, of Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and all measures, the subject’s ratings of claim to make a new life was the smallest and are scientists trying researchers found that targeting the components of course, that long bouts of uninterrup- Physical Activity, researchers from the how they were feeling rose when they artificial genome ever this circuit could stop prostate cancer worsening. to play god by attempting ted sitting can have undesirable phys- University of Colorado Anschutz did not sit for six uninterrupted hours. created. Transplanting it to create cells from The study, published in the journal Molecular Cell, ical and emotional consequences. Medical Center, the Johnson & John- They said that they felt much more en- into a living cell, which scratch? shows that a “constitutively active” signalling Studies have shown that sitting mo- son Human Performance Institute and ergetic throughout the day if they had has its own genome lost The answers to both circuit can trigger cells to grow into tumours and tionlessly reduces blood flow to the other institutions decided to test sev- been active, whether that activity was during the process, made are a resounding “no”. drive therapy resistance in advanced prostate legs, increasing the risk for athero- eral methods of increasing movement bunched into a single, longish walk at it the first viable, self- First of all, JCVI-syn3.0 is cancer. Prostate cancer — which, according to the sclerosis, the build-up of dangerous among oice workers. (The study was the start of the day or distributed into propagating cell, one not a synthetic form of American Cancer Society, affects one in six plaques in the arteries. funded largely by Johnson & Johnson, multiple, brief breaks. that did not exist in life but a synthetic American men — is the second-leading cause of with additional support from the Col- On other measures, though, the five- nature before. genome inserted into a death after lung cancer in American men. orado Nutrition Obesity Research minute walks were more potent than naturally occurring cell. Center.) the concentrated 30-minute version. Ideal platform The work paves the way Gretchen Reynolds When the workers rose most often, Mycoplasma is an to create cells from Battery of tests they reported greater happiness, less ideal organism to work scratch in the future but To start, the researchers invited 30 fatigue and considerably less craving with in synthetic biology at best, JCVI-syn3.0 is DEMYSTIFYING SCIENCE sedentary adult oice workers to a uni- for food than on either of the other as it contains some of the part synthetic. Second, smallest and People who sit for more than eight versity clinic to complete a battery of days. Their feelings of vigour also ten- despite the social and What is a Megamaser? parsimonious genomes ethical concerns behind or nine hours daily, which for many of health tests and questionnaires. The ded to increase throughout the day, in the bacterial kingdom At core, they are cousins of lasers. Just as lasers us describes a typical workday, also are researchers measured their heart rates while they often had plateaued by early such work — and many of and is devoid of a cell those are genuine that are devices used to emit a beam of light by at heightened risk for diabetes, depres- and stress hormone levels and asked afternoon after walking only once in wall. A smaller genome controlling the emission of photons from excited can be addressed by sion and obesity compared with them to rank, on a numerical scale, the morning. is easier to synthesise putting stringent atoms, masers — a play on the word ‘laser’ — do people who move more often. their sense of how energetic or tired There were no diferences on the and the lack of a cell wall regulatory and legal the same in the microwave region. They can be In response, researchers and some they felt, as well as how happy they scores of the cognitive tests, whether makes the bugs easier to framework — a discovery made in labs or can also be found naturally in bosses have proposed a variety of were, and whether they were feeling they sat all day or got up and moved. manipulate and receive of a true synthetic cell galaxies such as the Milky Way. Earlier this methods for helping people reduce peckish and longing for food or had Stress hormones also remained steady foreign DNA. First, Dr. has positive implications week, the Hubble telescope found a their sitting time at work, including little appetite just then. during each visit. Venter’s team discovered especially for India. In ‘Megamaser’ that was around 100 million times standing workstations and treadmill The volunteers also completed com- These results suggest that “even a the minimum number of addition to improving our brighter than the masers found in galaxies like desks. puterised games designed primarily to little bit of activity, spread throughout genes required for fundamental the Milky Way. This megamaser galaxy, called But such options are cumbersome test their ability to concentrate and the day, is a practical, easy way to im- Mycoplasma mycoides to understanding on how IRAS 16399-0937, is located over 370 million and pricey, making them impractical make decisions. prove well-being,” says Dr. Jack survive and propagate by cells grow and divide, light years from Earth. It hosts a double nucleus, for many work situations. Then, on three subsequent visits to Groppel, a study author and co- using a method called creation of self- formed of two separate cores in the process of Some experts have worried, too, that the clinic, each volunteer simulated a founder of the Johnson & Johnson Hu- global transposon replicating artificial merging. The two components, named IRAS if people are physically active at the of- six-hour workday. man Performance Institute. mutagenesis. synthetic cells, when 16399N and IRAS 16399S for the northern and fice, they might subsequently become During one visit, the volunteers sat So set your 2017 appointment calen- Subsequently, they achieved, will have far- southern parts respectively, sit over 11,000 light created JCVI-syn3.0 in reaching applications in more tired, grumpy, distracted or for the whole time with no interrup- dar, he suggests, to devote five minutes three steps: design, build years apart. However, they are both buried deep hungry, any of which could have an un- tions, except for bathroom breaks. every hour to physical activity, environment, health and and test. In the first step, agriculture. within the same swirl of cosmic gas and dust desirable efect on work performance During another, they walked moder- whether you walk up and down a stair- with the help of and are interacting, giving the galaxy its peculiar and long-term health. ately for 30 minutes at the start of their case or along a corridor, or just pace computers, the Binay Panda is at Ganit Labs, structure. So for the new study, which was pub- experimental day, and then sat for the around your oice. — New York Times sequences of genes and Bengaluru. lished last month in the International next five-and-a-half hours with no ad- News Service

CM ND-ND YK NOIDA/DELHI WEEKEND THE HINDU SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2017 | 11 READING

BOOK SCAN SHELF HELP Leaves from an annual takeaway G Looking within As the clock rings in 2017, looking back at the memorable books from a year most would otherwise like to forget JACOB KOSHY

SANJAY SIPAHIMALANI tinent in a sequence of nine concile past glory with In a year of America di- world view that weaved hand Time, an immersive Twenty-sixteen was the year that stories about European present decrepitude, and vided, Colson Whitehead’s strands of biology, mortal- chronicle of the memories forced us to look within. In a year that many would males, from young to old, the latter’s The Private Life unsentimental odyssey of ity, life and death. and observations of every- Introspection allows us to ponder like to forget, at least there each one dealing with the of Mrs Sharma featured a redemption, The Under- The year also marked the day citizens on the fall of how invisible forces shape us and was solace to be found in costs of giving in to im- seemingly traditional Delhi ground Railroad, was a 400th death anniversary of the Soviet empire and after. how an obsession with trying to some memorable books pulses past and present. housewife navigating a fantastical, richly peopled Shakespeare as well as Cer- establish the pre-eminence of the that mirrored and often Another expression of dark thorny path between public saga that took a fresh look vantes, and a fine demon- Awaiting permission human brain has blinded us to the provided a context for what disafection, this one from modernity and private at slavery and its con- stration of how much other The last months of the intricate connections that we have we went through. the Netherlands, appeared desire. sequences. And Paul writers owe those two lu- year were, of course, noted with bacteria. With a far longer history than people and the While experts and their in English 70 years after it Beatty’s The Sellout was an minaries — as Salman for long lines before banks Words of the year unsurpassed masters of survivals, it theories were pooh-poo- was first published: Gerard invigorating Swiftean rant Rushdie underlined in his and ATMs as well as other isn’t surprising that there are more hed, two books served as Reve’s The Evenings, trans- Appropriately enough, from a black narrator who foreword — was Lunatics, such “small inconveni- bacteria within our guts than there reminders that hard-won lated by Sam Garrett, a “surreal” was Merriam launches a political pro- Lovers and Poets, an an- ences”. One takes what are stars in the Milky Way. That last know-how shouldn’t be sharp detailing of the Webster’s word of the year, gramme with the aim of thology of new stories, consolation one can from bit is just one of many fascinating cavalierly dismissed. pointless life of an oice- looked up more frequently bringing back segregation. both Shakespearean and Egyptian writer Basma Ab- nuggets that Siddhartha Mukherjee’s worker during the course in 2016 than in previous Economic and other Cervantean, by Kamila del Aziz’s novel, The science writer The Gene, a compelling of ten December evenings. years. Han Kang’s power- philosophies were over- Shamsie, Ben Okri, Valeria Queue, translated from Ar- Ed Yong history of genetics that Individual voices were in ful, unsettling The Veget- turned this year; those on Luiselli, Juan Gabriel abic by Elisabeth Jaquette, a profers in I combined the personal danger of being drowned arian, translated from the right and the left were Vasquez and others. Other dystopian vision of life Contain with the biological, raised out by the roar of the crowd Korean by Deborah Smith, driven to positions more eclectic influences swam after the so-called Arab Multitudes: questions about the future this year, and a necessary captured this “intense irra- extreme. Sarah Bakewell’s into view with Kanishk Spring, when hapless cit- The Microbes role of science in the inter- corrective was Olivia tional reality of a dream”, in At The Existentialist Café Tharoor's striking debut, izens line up before depart- Within Us and play of nature and nurture. Laing’s The Lonely City, a the dictionary’s definition, was a throwback to how Swimmer Among the ments of an authoritarian, A Grander And Amitav Ghosh’s The combination of memoir with a tale of a woman thinkers reacted to earlier Stars, a story collection prying regime for permis- View of Life. Great Derangement as- with portraits of New York circumstances, a revivify- that eschewed straightfor- sions to engage in almost Over the last tutely pointed out that cli- City artists such as Andy The most ing look at the lives, convic- ward realism and reached any activity. As for the per- few years, mate change today is so ur- Warhol and Edward Hop- tions and milieu of those back to Jorge Luis Borges, nicious efects of wealth, or there’s been an avalanche of studies using modern gent and unexpected that, per. It was a book that made telling novel such as Sartre, de Beauvoir, Italo Calvino and even the lack thereof, there was genetics tools to understand how be it in mainstream literat- loneliness “a populated about 2016 was Camus and Husserl. Arabian Nights and Kath- Vivek Shanbhag’s illumin- the microbial life in our guts is tied ure or public discourse, we place: a city in itself”. published in 2010: Violence in the name of asaritsagara for ating Ghachar Ghochar, to the diseases that ravage us or still have to come to grips Another lonely voice Gary Shteyngart’s ideology continued to inspiration. translated from Kannada how faecal transplants from close with its scale and efects. arose in Garth Greenwell’s dominate the planet, and In a year that was a pre- by Srinath Perur, on the relatives can lead to improved beautifully written debut ‘Super Sad True Karan Mahajan’s gripping cursor to a significant cen- physical and mental dis- immunity. Yong, however, draws Dark disafection novel, What Belongs to Love Story’ novel, The Association of tenary, that of the Russian placement of those from a out a rich history beginning from At a time of continuing You, about an expatriate Small Bombs, made this Revolution, there was a middle-class Bengaluru the seventeenth century discovery and alarming instability in teacher in Bulgaria and his personal by examining the trickle of books in anticipa- family. of tiny animalcules in a drop of West Asia, a foretaste of gay relationship with a whose diet, and other rippling aftershocks of a tion of the 2017 flood. Not- Perhaps, though, the pond water, and how bacteria got one legacy that coming grifter. Yet another voice, choices, make her set her car bomb explosion in a able among them was Si- most telling novel about vilified and became the agent of generations will have to utterly solitary and dis- face against the world and New Delhi market, and the mon Sebag Montefiore’s 2016 was one published in disease thanks to Louis Pasteur and contend with came in the tinct, emerged from the enter a realm of violence, changing internal and ex- The Romanovs, an intim- 2010. Gary Shteyngart’s Robert Koch. form of Hisham Matar’s womb, that of the narrator shame and desire. ternal lives of families ate account of three centur- poignant, satirical Super It’s taken two centuries of hard The Return, an unsenti- of Ian McEwan’s Nutshell, Another word of the year caught in its wake. ies of imperial triumphs Sad True Love Story was work by microbial biologists to put mental, haunting memoir dealing with the Hamletian was “post-truth”. A chilling When dashed expecta- and tragedies from Tsar set in a post-literate future bacteria in a rational perspective. in which Matar returned to dilemma of an unborn child outline of a world in which tions and reversals of for- Michael to Tsar Nicholas with a fractious America, a There are good ones and parasitic Libya after three decades to when he realises that his such concepts are em- tune were the norm, Paul II; and Catherine Mer- dominant China, people ones. Like people. Yong profers several tales on search for his father who mother and uncle are plot- braced and pushed to ex- Kalanithi’s When Breath ridale’s Lenin on the Train, consumed by shopping and how human babies are bathed in was incarcerated by Qad- ting against his father. tremes was in Anjan Becomes Air was a tran- a fascinating reconstruc- messaging, and govern- microbe-infested mucus as they dafi’s regime. Other voices, quixotic Sundaram’s Bad News: scendent reminder to ask tion of the circumstances ments keeping close digital make their way out into the world. When Europe seemed to and notable, were heard in Last Journalists in a Dic- questions about the sort of surrounding the Bolshevik tabs on citizens. Did Another accessible work this year be in danger of coming un- novels by Ryan Lobo and tatorship, a report from life worth living. Published leader’s arrival at Petro- someone mention Black about our relationship to gut is stitched, David Szalay’s All Ratika Kapur: the former’s Rwanda on the Orwellian posthumously, it dealt with grad’s Finland Station in Mirror? Welcome to the Microbiome: That Man Is exhibited the Mr Iyer Goes to War ima- lives of some of its brave his time before and after a 1917. Voices from Sanjay Sipahimalani works with an Getting to Know the Trillions of day-to-day existence of in- gined a man of La Mancha journalists and their battles cancer diagnosis, and dis- were also captured in Svet- advertising agency in Mumbai and Bacteria by Rob DeSalle and Susan dividual lives on the con- in Benaras struggling to re- for free speech. played the forging of a lana Alexievich’s Second- is a weekend book critic. L. There’s an exhibition in the American Museum of Natural History themed on this book and the authors delve, quite provocatively, into how unbalanced microbiota may be responsible for the obesity epidemic around the world. This then leads to the larger question of what kind of changes we ought to be making to our diet to be more harmonious with the balance of our gut. This work is well-written and informative but it lacks Yong’s lyricism. Looking within is clearly the way forward. [email protected]

THE BOOK INTERVIEW INMYHAND ‘There was a gap about our part of the world’ Karan Mahajan Kumari Jayawardena, Sri Lanka’s foremost feminist scholar, explains the dots she had to join for her landmark book I am reading Tavleen Singh’s Durbar. The book MEERA SRINIVASAN to put the picture in a certain terms of wages, employment, tract women because of the hurls you through twenty framework not saying this is society, customs, supersti- kind of patriarchal leadership years of Indian history — The first draft, Kumari Jay- eternal — the women’s place tions.” of the great Prabhakaran or from the Emergency to awardena remembers, was all and women’s role — and that it Reflecting on the Sri Lankan great somebody — you know Rajiv Gandhi’s jagged. She wrote it on train is not Western-imposed.” situation, since the time of there is an element there.” assassination — with an journeys between The Hague The second was to chal- anti-colonial personalities like She recalls the Liberation urgency that could only be where she was teaching and lenge the Left from within for Anagarika Dharmapala and Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) transmitted by someone Brussels where she was living its apparent indiference to Piyadasa Sirisena when a cer- woman leader Thamilini from who was defiantly there. then. It was the early 1980s. As the women’s question. Most tain brand of nationalism was one of the meetings she parti- Last I read D.W. Gibson’s a visiting scholar at the Inter- within the Sri Lankan Left, like promoted, she refers to the cipated in on a gender com- The Edge Becomes The national Institute of Social their counterparts in other song ‘Me Sinhala, apege ratai’ mittee during Sri Lanka’s Nor- Center: An Oral History of Studies in the Netherlands, countries, believed that “when (This Sinhala is our country) way-brokered peace process: Gentrification in the 21st Century. Jayawardena was preparing the working class is liberated, that ends with the line ‘Mulu “She was quite a progressive I loved it. A non-fiction book, it course material for the wo- women will be liberated,” she woman. She had done Ad- had the vivid, continuous feel of a stream-of-consciousness novel, men and development pro- laughs. You can have all vanced-level education and as if the author had interviewed gramme she co-taught. The Jayawardena also drew from joined the Tigers all of New York on a single day. short manuscript later be- interactions with other femin- sorts of subsequently.” Next I’d like to read... about a came the classic book, Femin- ists such as the Egyptian situations where it The LTTE women came at- hundred things! But if I had to ism and Nationalism in the writer Nawal El Saadawi, Mo- tired in white shirts and black name one: Fever — Mahakaler Third World. The work is still roccan sociologist Fatema looks like a woman is trousers, their hair tied in Rather Ghoda by Samaresh Basu, considered a primer to under- Mernissi, and Indians Kamla at the top. But that plaits. “Their argument was translated by the indefatigable Arunava Sinha. standing feminist movements Bhasin, Ritu Menon and doesn’t mean that that you people are asking Karan Mahajan is the author of ‘The Association of Small in Asia and West Asia through Urvashi Butalia. only for a 30 per cent (political Bombs’ and a panellist at The Hindu Lit for Life 2017. specific struggles of women She found that while wo- patriarchy has gone. representation) quota for wo- fighting against colonial men had made significant men, we are demanding 50 per powers, for education, suf- gains in franchise, education cent.” They had their own frage and safety, and against and professional development lova e ratata yatayi’ (The kind of slogans saying ‘don’t poverty and inequality. since the early 20th century, whole world is under us). think we are backward or any- Three decades and multiple they were yet to make a break- Terming it “fascist”, she points thing, this is a progressive editions later, London-based through in politics. In Sri out that the song was a para- movement’. “Of course we all Vivek Shanbhag radical publisher Verso Books Lanka, the women’s move- phrasing of the German song know how progressive these has republished the book, ment today focusses more on ‘Deutschland, Deutschland movements can be,” she says, I am reading Eka which American liberal fem- political and economic equal- über alles’. voicing a lesser-heard critique Kurniawan’s novel Man inist magazine Ms. listed ity, she points out. of the LTTE from the Sri Tiger, a beautiful tale set in among the top 20 Feminist “In earlier years, these were Kinds of nationalism Lankan Left. an Indonesian town. Last I Classics of this Wave, 1970- Kumari Jayawardena. PHOTO: MEERA SRINIVASAN all male-dominated areas but When Jayawardena speaks The ultra-right within the read Elena Ferrante’s 1990. soon women moved in, so you of ‘nationalism’ in her book, majority Sinhala-Buddhists Frantumaglia, a book of Now 85, Jayawardena, Sri our part of the world.” Having Jayawardena had two key get a lot of women leaders she is referring to progressive were not all that diferent. reflections, interviews and Lanka’s foremost feminist worked on a book, Feminism preoccupations in writing the coming up.” All the same, hav- struggles for “national libera- “When we look at the role of letters of this celebrated scholar, continues to be busy in Europe: Liberal and Social- book. First, to challenge the ing a few women leaders does tion” against imperial powers, women in any really ultra- Italian writer. The book writing in her spacious ist Strategies, German femin- prevalent idea that feminist not signal a big shift away from “a struggle of that period right-wing, Buddhist-nation- provides a glimpse into the Colombo home. She is still on ist Maria Mies and she felt ideology was a Western im- patriarchy, she argues. Becom- which entailed a lot of women alist, Hindu-nationalist move- craft of Ferrante and the Council of the Social Sci- there was a need for a similar, port, an argument that conser- ing the first woman prime joining liberation move- ment, we find that they don’t answers many of her entists’ Association, which historical account of femin- vative sections in the non- minister of the world — ments”, not a narrow ethno- exclude women. They co-opt readers’ questions. You will enjoy she set up in the late 1970s with isms in the ‘third world’. western world used to sup- Sirimavo Bandaranaike — put religious nationalism that har- women in a second class way: the book more if you have read left-wing academics and re- “To discuss the knowledge press and delegitimise the then Ceylon on the world bours chauvinism. you go and teach in a school, the Neapolitan Quartet. I am searchers as the country and status of women today, it women’s struggles. “I am say- map for as a symbol of wo- On minority nationalism or open a day care, similar to looking forward to reading a Kannada book, Baalu, an opened up its economy and is important to know what ing feminism has a long his- men’s emancipation, but that, and its claim to be progressive, what Hitler called Kinder, autobiography of one of witnessed sharpening ethnic they have gained and how,” tory in all these scattered she says, is far from true. “You Jayawardena says it is a com- Küche, Kirche.” Kannada’s important critics, G. H. tensions. Jayawardena says. Her work countries of Asia and Africa, can have a queen; you can have mon phenomenon in fascist, “Even today, if you look at all Nayak. drew from extensive research well Egypt really, and even all sorts of situations where it semi-fascist, or right-wing our religions there are deep Vivek Shanbhag is the author of Not a Western import in several countries including South Africa,” she says. looks like a woman is at the movements to incorporate prejudices against women. ‘Ghachar Ghochar’ and a panellist Recalling how her best- India, Sri Lanka, Turkey, She was also pushing the top. But that doesn’t mean that women. “They don’t leave wo- The women’s question is al- at The Hindu Lit for Life 2017 known book came to be, she Egypt, Iran and the Philip- idea that there has to be patriarchy has gone, or that men out saying this is a mascu- ways with us.” says: “There was a gap about pines. change. “We as socialists have women are not oppressed in line thing. Many of them at- [email protected]

CM ND-ND YK NOIDA/DELHI 12 | NEWS THE HINDU SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2017

FROM PAGE ONE As 33 MLAs join Akhilesh’s team denies orchestrated feud party, BJP forms govt. Political consultant Steve Jarding alleges a slanderous campaign by the political opponents of the Chief Minister OMAR RASHID Screenshot of a not enough research was in Arunachal Pradesh done to verify the facts and LUCKNOW: Amid the ongoing purported e-mail draft a properly worded mail. tussle within the ruling shows bid to advise The English is grammatic- Samajwadi Party, a screen- ally incorrect and the mail is shot of an e-mail commu- leaders to pretend dated July 24, 2016, whereas I niqué between Steve Jarding, differences in party started working with the CM political consultant to Chief not until mid-August,” read Minister Akhilesh Yadav, and many high-profile election Mr. Jarding’s statement. his deputy Adwait Vikram campaigns since the 1980s, “Further, the fact that Mr. got tongues wagging in the and has been the political Steve Bouchard is marked on political circles of Uttar Pra- consultant for the Demo- the mail proves its falsity, desh. crats in the U.S. Hillary Clin- since Mr. Bouchard has The e-mail allegedly sug- ton and Al Gore have been never travelled to India and gested that Mr. Jarding was among his clients. does not work on this pro- advising the SP top leader- “The e-mail is a fake. It is ject,” it stated. ship to escalate the factional poorly written, full of errors feud within the party to pro- and actually is dated weeks Taking action mote the image of Akhilesh before I even began talks He said he was consulting Yadav. Some sections of the with anyone on the CM’s his lawyers and would be media highlighted as a team. It is the work of ama- taking action against journ- “leaked e-mail”. TRUCE, AT LAST: Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and Uttar Pradesh Chief teurs who clearly work for alist Rahul Kanwal, who al- It comes at a time when Minister Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow. SP’s U.P. chief Shivpal Singh Yadav is also seen. — FILE PHOTO the CM’s political opponents legedly circulated the Opposition parties have who apparently greatly fear screenshot on Twitter, “for been alleging that the SP was sultant and strategist of “impersonates” him advising cable image. It is clear that the CM and his positive not adhering to the journal- orchestrating the internal many campaigns, came out his deputy to allegedly ad- the Opposition in Uttar Pra- stature with the people of istic standards and claiming feud to merely augment the with an open dismissal of the vise the SP party leaders to desh lacks agenda and wants U.P.,” Mr. Jarding told The that the snapshot of the fake popularity of Akhilesh Yadav alleged e-mail interaction, pretend that there are difer- to use his political advisers Hindu in an e-mail. mail is authentic without any MOVING CAMP: Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Pema ahead of the upcoming State calling it a “slanderous ences within the party. as bait to target the CM for an verification of facts”. Khandu and 32 other legislators joined the BJP at Itanagar Assembly polls. campaign”. “It is a slanderous cam- unblemished record,” Mr. Political tactics “Mr. Kanwal will have to on Saturday. — PHOTO: PTI Mr. Jarding, who teaches at In a strong denial of the paign by the political oppon- Jarding said in a formal re- “Such political tactics re- prove it in a court of law, the the Harvard Kennedy School “outrageous remarks”, Mr. ents of the CM who clearly buttal. flect the immaturity and des- authenticity of the mail and The PPA accused the BJP of Pema Khandu said and is a veteran political con- Jarding said the screenshot feel threatened of his impec- Mr. Jarding has managed peration of the Opposition as its content,” Mr. Jarding said. hijacking its MLAs to instal its government in Ar- circumstances had unachal Pradesh. compelled the MLAs Addressing reporters, to take the decision PPA president Kahfa Ben- Happy that SP crisis has ended: Lalu Amar Singh hails gia criticised the North for the State East Democratic Alliance VIKAS PATHAK rivals should not gain from today there was a patch up. It (NEDA) convenor and BJP cision to merge with the the infighting.” is a good thing. The family is return of Akhilesh leader Himanta Biswa BJP, Mr. Khandu said cir- NEW DELHI: Rashtriya Janata The BJP, on the other together which is a good OMAR RASHID side the Chief Minister’s res- Sarma for remaining a si- cumstances had compelled Dal chief and former Bihar hand, said the reconciliation thing,” Congress spokesper- idence where his young sup- lent spectator during the the MLAs to take the de- Chief Minister Lalu Prasad would not help bring the son Randeep Surjewala said. LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party porters assembled in large political crisis. The PPA is a cision in the interest of the expressed happiness on Sat- party back to power in the The party said it was ready to leader Amar Singh on Sat- numbers to vent their fury partner of the NEDA. people and the State. urday at the Samajwadi State. “There can be a contest all the Assembly urday hailed SP supremo over his expulsion. The pro- “The NEDA convenor, Party’s decision to revoke the comeback for the Chief Min- seats in the State. “We are Mulayam Singh’s decision to testers tried to break the cor- instead of coming to the Focus on development expulsion of Uttar Pradesh ister to his party which had preparing for the polls.” revoke the expulsion of his don outside his residence state, to resolve the ongoing “After several years of Chief Minister Akhilesh expelled him. But not to The Rashtriya Lok Dal son and Chief Minister and clashed with police. crisis went to Kenya. He Congress misrule, we ob- Yadav. power, as his government’s Lalu Prasad (RLD) that claims to have a Akhilesh Yadav and brother The mood outside the should have deputed some- served that there was no He had spoken to the party report card is full of failures,” substantial following in the Ramgopal Yadav and said the party oice and the resid- body to sort out the difer- visible development in the supremo Mulayam Singh said BJP National Secretary landshahr gang rape, besides western part of the State pre- conspiracy to break the party ences of Mr. Mulayam Singh ences between the MLAs of State. We joined the PPA and Mr. Akhilesh Yadav on Shrikant Sharma. “People the SP governments’ failures ferred to “wait and watch”, and the family has “failed”. and Mr. Akhilesh Yadav also the party,” Mr. Bengia said. with the intention to take Saturday morning, urging have made up their minds to on health, education and in- and not take a formal stand Mr Amar Singh also clari- ran high as supporters of the “The PPA is not comfort- the State to progress and them to patch up and not get rid of him and the SP. His frastructure development on the evolving situation in fied that he did not want to junior Yadav assembled in able with the NEDA in the prosperity but there too, we contest the Assembly elec- government only encour- fronts. He claimed that there Lucknow. RLD chief Ajit break the party. large numbers shouting slo- State, and we are going to found similar conditions tions separately. aged corruption and crime, was a “tsunami” in favour of Singh refused to say any- Congratulating Chief Min- gans. discuss the issue with other where the party president “I am very happy that the and did nothing for the com- the BJP in India’s most popu- thing on record. A senior ister Akhilesh Yadav and SP Mr Akhilesh Yadav had constituent members of the treated the MLAs dispute has been settled after mon man.” lous state. leader of the party told The General Secretary Ramgopal earlier convened a meeting alliance soon,” PPA central undemocratically. a meeting between Mulayam Mr. Sharma said people The Congress, meanwhile, Hindu that the political situ- Yadav, Mr Singh said, “...I am of SP legislators where over working committee chair- “So with focus on devel- Singh Yadav and Akhilesh would remember Mr. Ya- chose not to comment on the ation in the State was “still not here to break the party. 200 of the 229 party MLAs man Kamen Ringu said opment, our MLAs decided Yadav,” Mr. Prasad told re- dav’s term for such incidents SP crisis. “We don’t com- too volatile to say anything instead I want to keep it turned up to express solidar- while supporting PPA pres- to join the BJP for overall porters. as the Jawahar Bagh violence ment on the internal afairs with certainty”. united.” ity with the Chief Minister, a ident Mr. Bengia. progress of the state,” he “It is my duty, being a relat- in Mathura in which close to of other parties. There had (With inputs from Mo- Earlier in the day, high day after he was expelled. Elaborating on the de- said. — PTI ive. As a politician too, I feel 30 people died and the Bu- been a quarrel yesterday, and hammad Ali) drama was witnessed out- (with inputs from PTI) New Army, Air Force Chiefs assume charge Grateful for shift in India’s SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT Lt.Gen. Bakshi NEW DELHI: The Army and the position, says Israel envoy Air Force got new chiefs on not to quit Saturday, amid a raging con- KOLKATA: Denying speculation SUHASINI HAIDAR India changed its vote at the troversy as the government that he will resign, Lieutenant- UNESCO in Paris to an ab- has given the go-by to the General Praveen Bakshi said on NEW DELHI: Israel is grateful for stention, on a resolution cri- convention of appointing the Saturday that “he would continue the “changes and the shifts” ticising Israel for encroach- senior-most Army com- to lead the Eastern Command”. in the Indian position at U.N. ments at the Western Wall manding-in-chief as the He said this in an official bodies in the past two years, and near the Al-Aqsa chief of the force. statement while greeting the says Israel’s Ambassador Mosque. General Bipin Rawat, who officers of the Eastern Command Daniel Carmon. “In that case, I would like was selected ignoring the on New Year’s eve. Referring to India’s de- to appreciate India’s absten- seniority of Lt. Gen. Praveen His comment has “put to rest cision to abstain from resolu- tion when something so Bakshi and Lt. Gen. P.M. all speculation about his tions critical of Israel at the blatant was placed at the Hariz, took over as the new resignation”, the Eastern U.N., the United Nations Hu- UNESCO. If you take the Chief of the Army Staf from Command statement said. man Rights Council and UN- UNESCO resolution and General Dalbir Singh at a ce- Lt. Gen. Bakshi’s comments ESCO, Mr. Carmon said the now the UNSC resolution remony held in South Block came in the wake of speculation shift in India’s position has that seeks to impose a solu- on Saturday. AT THE HELM: New Air Chief Birender Singh Dhanoa arrives for a guard of honour at the Air Force after he was superseded for the been visible more recently. tion on us, you ignore that Gen. Rawat, a Gorkha Headquarters in New Delhi on Saturday. — PHOTO: V. SUDERSHAN post of Army Chief, along with there are two sides to this Rifles oicer, will be the 27th the chief of the Southern Welcomes shift conflict. So we are grateful to Army Chief. Gen. Rawat has at the Air Headquarters ileged to have been entrus- aerospace power with full- Command, Lt. Gen. P.M. Hariz. “We have appreciated very India for not voting against held key appointments in the (Vayu Bhawan) here on Sat- ted with the responsibility to spectrum capability”. The government appointed Bipin much the changes and the us,” Mr. Carmon said, adding Army headquarters and with urday. The fighter pilot was lead one of the finest Air He stressed the need for Rawat as the new Chief shifts in position [by India] Daniel Carmon that the votes amounted to the U.N. peacekeeping force, the Commanding Oicer of a Forces in the world. I will training and equipping the superseding the two officers. on some resolutions in New an “internationalisation” of and has extensive experi- frontline ground-attack certainly be inspired by the IAF to deter the sub-conven- “Lt. Gen. Bakshi requested York, Geneva and Paris (UN- veto it. The Ambassador’s issues that need to be re- ence in Kashmir and in the fighter squadron of MiG-21s exceptional achievements tional threats. He reiterated that speculation and trolling in ESCO). It is a measured words are significant as they solved bilaterally with the Eastern region. that was involved in air oper- and the leadership of so the need for a focussed ap- the media should stop and change, compared to the come in contrast to the Min- Palestinian authority. Air Chief Marshal Bi- ations during the “limited many of my illustrious pre- proach to enhancing everyone should focus on past, and we hope that this istry of External Afair’s pos- When asked about the render Singh Dhanoa took war” in Kargil against decessors,” he said. aerospace safety and a better contributing their best to the change will continue,” the ition that there has been no comments, a government of- over as the 25th Chief of the Pakistan in 1999. He said the IAF was trans- standard of living for its betterment of the Army ,” it Ambassador told The Hindu shift in support to Palestine. ficial said India’s votes on Is- Air Staf at a ceremony held “I feel honoured and priv- forming into a “strategic air-warriors. stated. — Special Correspondent in an exclusive interview. Traditionally, India has rael and Palestine had been However, he said the votes so stood unequivocally with the “very balanced”. far are not a “trend” and the Palestinian cause, voting in “We vote for Palestine but shift, which India denies, favour of all resolutions crit- also for Israel on some of should not be ical of Israel. their initiatives at the U.N.,” For Rahul, a coronation without the fanfare “over-exaggerated”. the oicial added pointing to “In the last couple of years Since 2015, New about 20-plus votes in the SMITA GUPTA action that shattered the on a relatively positive note in the party but, to date, no we have seen a shift in vari- past two year, where India carefully crafted opposition for the party, with the victory disciplinary action has been ous votes (by India) which Delhi has abstained has not voted “against NEW DELHI: For the Congress, solidarity). of the grand coalition in Bi- taken. reflects the present improve- from votes critical of Palestinians”. the quiet takeover by Rahul Mr. Gandhi may not have har, of which the Congress There may yet be no chal- ment in relations. I would Tel Aviv at the Gandhi of the Grand Old oicially been anointed as was the junior-most partner. lenge to the Gandhi family, not overexaggerate this as a Better ties Party, without the fanfare ex- President of the Congress, But since then, the news has but the fact remains that the trend, each side has their de- United Nations Since it came to power in pected of a generational but the gradual fading away not been good. There was the rank and file has grown in- clared positions and it is not However in July 2015, India 2014, the Modi government transition is, possibly, the — and on key occasions, the BJP-engineered toppling of creasingly disenchanted. a zero sum game. India says abstained on a vote against has consistently promised most significant event in the absence — of party president Congress governments in Acts of sabotage are remind- they are committed to the Israel at the U.N. Human better ties with Israel, which year gone by. Over the last Sonia Gandhi has under- veteran A.K. Antony an- Uttarakhand and Arunachal ers to the leadership that no Palestinian cause, to the Rights Council, marking it considers an ally on few months, it is the young scored the point that the nounced that Mr. Gandhi had Pradesh — in the former, the one in the party can be taken Arab cause, and they have what seemed a major shift in counter-terrorism and de- scion who has been presid- transition is finally taking agreed in principle to take party regained its govern- for granted. good relations with Israel policy, especially as it fol- fence cooperation. ing over meetings of the place. over the presidency and the ment through a court order, The States where the Con- that they intend to pursue. lowed a phone call from Is- While he didn’t confirm a Congress’s Parliamentary The young vice-president formalities would follow but the factionalism contin- gress is in power has shrunk. We appreciate this stand, raeli Prime Minister Ben- date for the visit, the Israeli Party, the Congress’s Work- appears to be reluctant to shortly. ues. It lost State govern- It is now confined to and at the U.N., we can see it jamin Netanyahu to Prime Ambassador told The Hindu ing Committee and most re- take on the oicial designa- That didn’t happen. Con- ments in Kerala and Assam, Karnataka and Puducherry, too,” the Israeli Ambassador Minister Narendra Modi. it is expected in the coming cently, the party’s Founda- tion of the president. Mean- versations with a cross-sec- the latter largely because it the hill states of Himachal added. India repeated the absten- year. tion Day. while, it is equally clear that tion of seniors yielded a vari- failed to retain its number Pradesh and Uttarakhand in Mr. Carmon was speaking tion in 2016, but explained “In the last two years we Not just that, during the his mother has abdicated ety of reasons. Most said it two in the state. the north, Manipur, in the context of the current that it was due to a reference have seen some very ‘visible session, it was Mr. Gandhi that responsibility even was for the “mother and son Meghalaya and Mizoram in controversy over the United to the International Criminal visits’, more than a dozen who was gradually begin- though her term was exten- to work out the details”, oth- Open secret the North-east and part of Nations Security Council Court, which India doesn’t ministerial exchanges, ning to be accepted as the in- ded by a year in September ers attributed the delay to Mr Indeed, so weak is the the Nitish Kumar-led grand resolution 2334 that has pit- recognise. which have seen many im- formal leader of the Opposi- 2016 , and she continues to at- Gandhi’s “reluctance” to as- Congress high command coalition in Bihar. The ted the Obama administra- portant agreements being tion, when 16 parties banded tend Parliament. sume responsibility. A third that in Haryana earlier this party’s footprint has shrunk tion against the Israeli gov- Indian support signed and implemented. themselves against the Modi Indications of an impend- lot said, watch the signs. year, top state leaders con- in the vast swathe of central ernment over the issue of In August 2016, India sup- It was hinted that 2017 will government on the ills of de- ing change were made ob- Well, for Congress-watchers, spired to get the oicial Ra- and western India. settlements in the West Bank ported Israeli Ambassador be a year of “high-level” vis- monetisation. liquely in early November it is now quite clear that the jya Sabha candidate de- The elections in Uttar Pra- and East Jerusalem. Danny Dannon for the first its, and we do look forward (Of course, he stumbled when after a Congress Work- spotlight is on the son rather feated, allowing the desh, Punjab and Ut- Israel has responded time to become Chair of the to the visit (of Prime Minis- badly on the last day of the ing Committee (CWC) than the mother, who has re- BJP-backed nominee to win. tarakhand are the immediate sharply to the 14 countries U.N. Legal Committee, a vote ter Modi) to Israel,” he said. session, by meeting Prime meeting, at which Ms. treated into the shadows. The details of how it challenges the party will face that voted for the resolution opposed by all Arab coun- For full interview, log on to Minister Narendra Modi, an Gandhi was absent, party The year may have started happened are an open secret in the coming days. and the U.S. that refused to tries. And in October 2016, bit.ly/2iQ4lUq)

CM ND-ND YK NOIDA/DELHI | THE HINDU SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2017 NEWS 13 Another bank under lens in currency case The dishonest will not go free, says Modi Says the full force of the law will be unleashed on those who hide incomes SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT Demonetised notes It reads like budget, NEW DELHI: The Income Tax for ₨120 crore were SPECIAL CORESPONDENT Department may get a case allegedly laundered registered with the Central NEW DELHI: Prime Minister says Opposition Bureau of Investigation using a few Narendra Modi on Saturday (CBI) to investigate allega- accounts in the bank promised stern action SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT continues in the name of black tions that demonetised cur- against bank and govern- money clean-up.” rency notes of ₨120 crore lice Control Room for assist- ment oicials caught with a NEW DELHI: The Opposition parties Sitaram Yechury, general were illegally exchanged us- ance. An area police oicer hand in the till over the past were not impressed with Prime secretary of the Communist Party ing certain accounts with the enquired the matter with the 50-odd days in the process of Minister Narendra Modi’s address of India (Marxist), told The Hindu, Jain Cooperative Bank here. bank oicials, following exchanging old high-value to the nation on Saturday, saying “There was no word on relief for Income Tax oicials which they told me that nine currency notes. it lacked crucial information. sufferers like daily wagers. The searched the premises of such accounts had been In his address to the na- “This is perhaps the first time a slew of schemes announced were bank executives earlier this opened,” Mr. Jain told The tion, Mr. Modi said: “In some budget speech is being delivered repackaged. Even the amount for week, following a tip-of that Hindu. banks, some serious crimes outside Parliament,” Congress pregnant women is already there Reserve Bank of India (RBI) He lodged a complaint by people have come to light leader Manish Tewari tweeted. in the Food Security Act.” guidelines on exchange of with the police seeking ac- and in some places, govern- Congress communication head “We have been saying ban old notes had been violated tion against those involved. ment oicers have also been Randeep Surjewala said Mr. Modi corporate funding of political and certain people had re- seen shamelessly attempting did not say anything about people parties and include party cycled cash using fraudulent Scary prospect to carry on with habitual cor- who had died in bank queues.. expenditure into ceiling on poll accounts. “At the time they shared ruption and ofences. They He said Rs. 6,000 announced spending. As of now, the BJP can Transaction records of the the details, these accounts will not be spared.” for pregnant women was already hire 1,000 helicopters with bank, post-demonetisation, had a cumulative balance of Flagging the fact that just part of the National Food Security unaccounted-for money,” he said. are also being scrutinised. about ₨20 lakh. They were 24 lakh Indians have a de- Act. “As for simultaneous polls to the The agencies also suspect opened soon after the de- clared income of Rs. 10 lakh, “Where are the figures of Lok Sabha and Assemblies, we that some bank oicials got monetisation move was an- the Prime Minister said, #DeMonetisation? How much of started with that but the system their own cash of about ₨3.5 nounced on November 8. I “Either you will laugh or you black money recovered? What did broke from dismissal of crore exchanged with the received calls from several will get very angry on hear- the nation gain after 50 days of governments. Is he willing to notes available with the persons who tried to dis- ing this … Can any citizen di- excruciating pain?” Bengal Chief dispense with Article 356?” bank. suade me from pursuing the gest this fact? How long can Minister Mamata Banerjee D. Raja of the CPI said Mr. Modi matter. Had I not lodged the we keep turning away from tweeted: “Modi Babu wanted 50 was quiet on black money in Fraudulent action complaint, one day the agen- such truths?” days to deliver promises. He badly foreign banks and default on loans The case was detected cies would have knocked at Assuring people that the ALL EYES AND EARS: People watching the live telecast of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech failed ... Financial Emergency by corporates. after Vinay Jain, a resident of my door thinking I am the law will come down with its in Hyderabad on Saturday. — PHOTO: G. RAMAKRISHNA Gandhi Nagar in east Delhi, culprit,” he said. full force on the dishonest, lodged a complaint with the Thousands of bank ac- the Prime Minister said the traditional approach as they “It is responsibility of tricts of the country. Cur- “The time has now come expenditure, and minimise Daryaganj police on Decem- counts in diferent parts of government’s priority is to had never received such rently, the scheme is working that all political leaders and pressure on the administrative ber 2 alleging that some un- the country have come un- help and protect the honest. large deposits in such a short officers at all levels as a pilot project in 53 parties respect the feelings machinery.” known persons found at least der the scanner of the en- period of time. However, he of government to districts. of the nation’s honest cit- Announcing a new scheme nine savings account at the forcement agencies like the Bitter truth did not announce any “The dawn of the New izens, and understand the for pregnant women, Mr Modi Jain Cooperative Bank show- Income-Tax Department, “It is a bitter truth that timeline for lifting the re- protect the rights of Year is bringing the resolve anger of the people. I urge all said a nation-wide scheme ing him as a witness, without Enforcement Directorate people’s experience with strictions on withdrawals the ordinary citizen” for new successes. Let us all parties and leaders to move would ofer financial assist- his knowledge. and the CBI for suspicious some government oicers from banks. work together overcoming away from a ‘holier than thou ance of ₨ 6000. This amount According to the FIR, the transactions after November and red-tapism is unpleas- Mr. Modi raised the credit from 20 per cent to 25 per all obstacles to create a approach’ and come together would be transferred directly account numbers 21456 to 8. Shell company accounts ant. We can no longer ignore guarantee for small busi- cent for such businesses and bright future,” the Prime in prioritising transparency, to the bank accounts of wo- 21464 were opened showing with Noida and Kashmere this,” he said, adding that it’s nesses from Rs. 1 crore to Rs. raise the working capital Minister said at the conclu- and take firm steps to free men who undergo institu- Mr. Jain as a witness. The Gate branches of Axis Bank the responsibility of oicers 2 crore, saying this would loans from 20 per cent to 30 sion of his 40-minute politics of black money and tional deliveries and vaccinate complainant alleged a crim- are being investigated for al- at all levels of government to help boost job creation. per cent to the extent that address. corruption,” he said. He their children. inal conspiracy. leged illegal exchange of de- protect the rights of ordinary Small retailers and traders such traders transact in a spoke about his proposal to This scheme will help re- “I had gone to the bank for monetised notes. A signific- citizens, help the honest and would benefit from this cashless mode. Poll funding reforms hold simultaneous Assembly duce the maternal mortality some personal work when I ant part of the funds were isolate the dishonest. move, which would also The Prime Minister en- While he stopped short of and Lok Sabha elections, and rate, in a big way and help en- came to know that some ac- used to purchase gold. A few While requesting banks to guarantee credit extended hanced the maternity bene- taking up the issue of elect- said the common man and sure nutrition before and after counts had been opened pro- days ago, the ED arrested a pay closer attention to the by non-banking financial fits given to pregnant wo- oral funding reforms, the even the President had often delivery, the Prime Minister jecting me as a witness. manager of Kotak Mahindra needs of the poor and smal- companies. men for pre-natal care to Rs Prime Minister said all de- advocated the idea. said, and improve the health of When I asked the bank oi- Bank’s Kasturba Gandhi ler enterprises in their day- 6,000 from the existing Rs. bates on corruption and Calling for a serious de- mother and child. Pregnant cials to share the details, they Marg branch here for al- to-day operations, he said More leeway 4,000, and declared that this black money included polit- bate, Mr. Modi said, “This is women in 53 districts were be- refused to divulge any in- legedly helping a lawyer Ro- this was a golden opportun- Banks have been directed benefit would now be avail- ical parties, political leaders to break the endless cycle of ing given assistance of ₨ 4000 formation. I called up the Po- hit Tandon recycle ₨38 crore. ity for them to change their to raise the cash-credit limit able for women in all 650 dis- and election funding. elections, reduce election under a pilot project, he said.

Catching the chaf RBI sets up counters for NRI deposits SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT Residents and NRIs MUMBAI: The Reserve Bank of who were abroad India (RBI) has opened a from Nov. 8 to Dec. new window for non-resid- ent Indian and citizens who 30 can deposit were staying abroad since demonetised notes November 8 to deposit the demonetised ₨1,000 and ₨ ments, such as, Aadhaar 500 currency notes. number, Permanent Account Resident Indian citizens Number (PAN) etc, and on who were abroad during submission of documentary November 9, 2016 to Decem- evidence showing they were ber 30, 2016 can avail this fa- abroad during the period cility upto March 31, 2017 and and, that they have not Non Resident Indian citizens availed the exchange facility who were abroad during earlier, Customs certificate November 9, 2016 to Decem- about import of SBNs by ber 30, 2016 can avail this fa- NRIs etc. No third party cility upto June 30, 2017. tender will be accepted un- "While there is no monet- der the facility," RBI said. ary limit for exchange for the The facility will be avail- eligible Resident Indians, the able through RBI oices at limit for NRIs will be as per Mumbai, New Delhi, Chen- the relevant FEMA Regula- nai, Kolkata, and Nagpur. tions,” the RBI said. "Indian citizens resident “They can avail this facil- in Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan ity in their individual capa- and Bangladesh cannot avail MONEY LINE: A man sorts notes at an informal currency exchange stall in Agartala on Saturday. — PHOTO: PTI city once during the period this facility," the circular on submission of ID docu- said. — PTI Uniform code must Pakistan readies dossier on India ISLAMABAD: Pakistan would the paper said, citing the oi- to ensure unity: VHP hand over a dossier on al- cials. STAFF REPORTER Nagpur meeting leged Indian spy Kulbhushan The oicials did not share Jadhav and evidence of at- the specifics, but said it NAGPUR: The Vishva Hindu passes resolution tempted violation of mari- would contain proofs that In- Parishad (VHP) on Saturday urging the Centre to time boundary by an Indian dia was allegedly patronising passed a resolution at its submarine to incoming UN terrorism in Pakistan. meeting of the Board of introduce such a Secretary-General Antonio The new UN chief would Trustees and Management code at the earliest Guterres on Monday, his first also be informed about the Committee in Nagpur, ur- working day after assuming attempt by an Indian sub- ging the Union government the members of the Muslim oice. marine to “intrude into to implement the Uniform Personal Law Board used ob- Pakistan’s Permanent UN Pakistani waters before it Civil Code at the earliest. jectionable language to op- representative Maleeha was spotted and forced to “The Uniform Civil code pose it. The attacks on the Lodhi will oicially pass on abandon the mission,” the will ensure unity, integrity in Hindus has also seen a rise the dossier to Guterres at the paper said. the country and secure hu- this year. We [Hindus] can- UN headquarters in New The submarine incident, man rights of all its citizens. not become refugees in our York, Dawn reported, citing which happened last month, It will also put an end to the own country,” Mr. Jain said. oicials. coincided with the fourth oppression of women and Highlighting the addi- “Soon after assuming of- Pakistan’s Permanent Representative in the United Nations Pak-China joint naval make citizens accountable to tional responsibilities to be fice incoming UN Secretary Maleeha Lodhi will present the dossier. exercise. the Constitution,” said entrusted to the Bajrang Dal, General Antonio Guterres Ms. Lodhi had in October Surendra Jain, International the youth wing of VHP, Mr will get a feel of Pak-India The document will be the Senate, Adviser on For- 2015 presented three Joint General Secretary, Jain said, “The Bajrang Dal rivalry as Islamabad is set to eign Afairs Sartaj Aziz had dossiers to the then Secret- VHP, quoting from the resol- will be expanded to every raise the issue of Indian in- given to U.N. chief on December 7 said that “in- ary-General Ban Ki-moon, ution text, at a press confer- village and town. It has been terference with him,” the pa- Antonio Guterres on suicient material” had been which were said to be con- ence. It was the only resolu- given two responsibilities — per said. Monday, his first delaying the finalisation of taining proof of alleged In- tion passed during this one is to provide ‘Trishuls’ to the dossier. dian interference in Ba- three-day meet,” he said. every Hindu and second is to Espionage charge working day in office “It is not that material has lochistan, Federally “The diferent personal organise ‘Mahaarati’ (grand Pakistan claims that been provided and it’s lack- Administered Tribal Areas laws for diferent communit- prayer) in every area. The Jadhav, an Indian Navy of- The government, which ing in English and we are and Karachi. But, the move ies were brought by the Brit- Bajrang Dal will also impart ficer and an alleged operat- had pledged to expose al- overcoming it. The did not get much traction. ish to create a Hindu-Muslim martial arts training to ive of India’s intelligence leged Indian hand in terror- (provided) material, in our When the attention of the divide in this country. There Hindu youth. But we will agency RAW, was caught by ism in Pakistan, domestically view, was insuicient,” Mr. oicials was invited to the is a Directive Principle of work within the constitu- its security forces earlier this faced a lot of criticism for the Aziz had told a meeting of “credibility deficit” that State Policy in the Constitu- tional limits and will not use year. His capture was an- delay in presenting to the in- the Senate Committee of the Pakistan internationally tion of India which calls for any kind of violence,” Mr. nounced in March and was ternational community evid- Whole House. faces, they expressed the the Uniform Civil Code. Dr. Jain said. He also denied re- flaunted by military as ence of Jadhav’s alleged in- “The required additional hope that the UN would look Ambedkar had also advoc- ports of a “lack of coordina- “proof of Indian interference volvement in subversive information” has now been into the fresh evidence that ated it. When there was a talk tion” between the RSS and and state-sponsored activities. made available and the would be placed before the of the Uniform Civil Code, the VHP. terrorism“. Responding to criticism in dossier has been completed, body. — PTI CM YK NOIDA/DELHI 14 | WORLD THE HINDU SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2017 Trump praises Putin for measured response Sri Lanka parties slug it out over draft President-elect may face opposition in Congress, including from fellow Republicans, if he seeks to heal rift with Kremlin PALM BEACH (FLORIDA)/ MOSCOW: U.S. intelligence agencies Development Bill U.S. President-elect Donald say Russia was behind hacks Russian diplomats Trump on Friday praised into Democratic Party or- vacate Long T. RAMAKRISHNAN As the year went by, Russian President Vladimir ganisations and operatives differences began to Putin for refraining from re- before the presidential elec- hen 2016 began, the taliation in a dispute over- tion. Moscow denies this. Island estate WUnited National Party crop up between the spying and cyber attacks, in U.S. intelligence oicials say (UNP) and the Sri Lanka UNP and the SLFP on another sign that the Repub- the Russian cyber attacks JOSEPH GOLDSTEIN Freedom Party (SLFP), con- lican plans to patch up badly aimed to help Mr. Trump de- stituents of the ‘national a number of issues frayed relations with feat Democratic Party can- UPPER BROOKVILLE (NEW YORK): unity’ government, were still Moscow. didate Hillary Clinton. Seven miles from here, an old- in the midst of their honey- other Deputy Minister and a Mr. Putin earlier on Friday Russian oicials have por- world mansion known as the moon period. key leader in the UNP, ex- said he would not hit back for trayed the sanctions as a last Killenworth estate became, But, as the year went by, pressing the hope that all the the U.S. expulsion of 35 sus- act of a lame-duck president briefly, a centre of international the diferences between the issues would get resolved. pected Russian spies by and suggested Trump could intrigue on Thursday as reporters two began to crop up. As for the Bill, Mr. Wick- President Barack Obama, at reverse them when he takes began descending on the The latest issue that has ramaratne says “we are open least until Mr. Trump takes over from Mr. Obama, a property, long a weekend retreat caused heat within the ruling to suggestions and amend- oice on January 20. “Great Democrat. for Russian diplomats. coalition is the draft Devel- ments to the Bill.” move on delay [by V. Putin] U.S. President Barack Obama opment (Special Provisions) — I always knew he was very Republican position had just announced that he Bill. The legislation has been Popularity at lowest ebb smart!” Mr. Trump tweeted. Should Mr. Trump seek to would be closing a “Russian bitterly criticised by Chief The apparent lack of cohe- Mr. Obama on Thursday heal the rift with Russia, he compound” in New York that had Ministers, mostly belonging sion is not the only aspect ordered the expulsion of the might encounter opposition been used for intelligence to the SLFP. Provincial coun- that is afecting the govern- Russians and imposed sanc- in Congress, including from gathering — and several cils, one after ment. Chandra tions on two Russian intelli- fellow Republicans. administration officials pointed to the other, adop- Jayaratne, a gence agencies over their in- Republican John McCain, Killenworth as the target in New ted resolutions leading civil so- volvement in hacking chairman of the Senate LIVING BY THE SWORD: Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a sword during a meeting with a York. But by late Friday morning, against the le- ciety activist, is political groups in the Armed Services Committee, film crew, as film producer Konstantin Ernst looks on, in Moscow on Friday . — PHOTO: REUTERS it had become clear that the gislation, un- upset with the November 8 U.S. presiden- said on Friday that Russia Obama administration had set its mindful of the regime for not tial election. must face a penalty for the retaliatory sights not on argument having de- “We will not expel any- cyber attacks. Killenworth but on property here placed by pro- livered sub- one,” Mr. Putin said in a “When you attack a coun- in Upper Brookville, home of the ponents of the stantially on its statement, adding that Rus- try, it's an act of war,” Mc- Russian hackers penetrated less conspicuous of the mansions legislation that promises of sia reserved the right to re- Cain said in an interview that the Russian government is the initiative is meant to good governance and recon- taliate against the U.S. move. with the Ukrainian televi- known to own on Long Island’s hasten the development pro- ciliation, even though there “Further steps towards the sion channel “1+1” while on a U.S. electricity grid: Report exclusive North Shore. cess. is “less fear” among people restoration of Russian- visit to Kiev. By 11 a.m. on Friday, the A harried Prime Minister to exercise democratic rights American relations will be “And so we have to make WASHINGTON:A code released this week confusion appeared to have been Ranil Wickremesinghe and “much advance” in the built on the basis of the sure that there is a price to connected to Russian Code connected showed that Russian settled, with just an hour to go swung into action and held areas of freedom of expres- policy which the administra- pay, so that we can perhaps hacking eforts has been to Russian hacking intelligence agencies over before the deadline the federal meeting with a delegation of sion and free movement of tion of President D. Trump persuade the Russians to discovered within a utility efforts allegedly the last two years government had set for the the Chief Ministers last people across the country. will carry out,” he said. stop these kind of attacks on system in Vermont, which blanketed Democratic property to be closed. week. He had assured the Udaya Gammanpila, a our very fundamentals of could point to detected in a utility Party targets with A few vans and cars, all with agitated Chief Ministers that prominent of the Joint Op- Policy unclear democracy,” added Mr. Mc- vulnerabilities in the U.S. system in Vermont malicious emails and have diplomatic license plates, began the Bill would not encroach position (which supports Mr. Trump has repeatedly Cain,who has scheduled a electrical grid, The likely continued such rolling down the driveway of the upon subjects coming under former President Mahinda praised Mr. Putin and nom- hearing for Thursday on for- Washington Post the utility’s operations or eforts after November's property in this village, where a the purview of the provincial Rajapaksa), contends that inated people seen as eign cyber threats. reported on Friday. as a test by the Russians to elections. mansion, not easily seen from the councils. the popularity of the govern- friendly toward Moscow to Other senior Republicans, The code detected in see whether they could The report’s release main road, sits on a 14-acre Though Deputy Minister ment is at its lowest ebb. senior administration posts, as well as Democrats, have the northeastern State’s penetrate a portion of the followed an array of spread of wooded hills. Dilan Perera does not view While expressing his dis- but it is unclear whether he urged a tough response to system did not disrupt its grid.” measures unveiled by The vehicles’ occupants, who the issue as one concerning satisfaction over the pro- would seek to roll back Mr. Moscow. operations, the paper Washington as appeared to be mostly middle- only the two parties, he com- gress in the issues of return Obama’s actions, which A total of 96 Russians are cited U.S. oicials as blackout retribution for what aged men and women, would not plained about the UNP’s atti- of land, resettlement and mark a post-Cold War low in expected to leave the United saying. In December 2015, a American oicials have lower their windows to speak to tude towards his party in housing requirements of U.S.-Russian ties. States, including expelled The code was power failure that described as Moscow's the reporters who had gathered governance, especially is- Tamils and the establish- Mr. Trump has brushed diplomats and their families. associated with the plunged parts of western malicious eforts to tip the along the road. But a few of them sues concerning economic ment of truth and reconcili- aside allegations from the Mr. Trump will find it very Russian hacking eforts Ukraine into the dark was vote in favour of waved as they departed. afairs. “Unless the UNP ation commission, Tamil Na- CIA and other intelligence diicult to reverse the expul- that U.S. oicials have found to be caused by a President-elect Donald And it was not entirely clear starts treating us respect- tional Alliance chief R. agencies that Russia was be- sions and lift the sanctions dubbed “Grizzly Steppe.” cyberattack. Trump by stealing what, if any, effect — symbolic fully, it will be very, very dii- Sampanthan says the atti- hind the cyber attacks. given that they were based U.S. authorities have The Russians were embarrassing information or practical — closing the Long cult for the SLFP to get tude and approach of the “It’s time for our country on a unanimous conclusion not yet pinpointed why accused of causing the from Democratic Party Island estate would have. This around its party cadres.” present government are to move on to bigger and bet- by U.S. intelligence agencies, the Russians targeted the blackout, an allegation operations and senior was, after all, not even the “Yes, there are contradic- completely diferent from ter things,” Mr. Trump said said Eugene Rumer, who was grid, according to the they have denied. party members before primary weekend home of tions [within the govern- that of its predecessor. on Thursday, though he said the top U.S. intelligence ana- Post, but that it “may have A U.S. federal law releasing it to the news Russian diplomats in New York, ment]. That is the nature of a “They [the government] he would meet with intelli- lyst for Russia from 2010 un- been designed to disrupt enforcement report media. — AFP but the secondary one. — The coalition,” acknowledges have not been totally negat- gence oicials next week. til 2014. — Reuters New York Times News Service Eran Wickramaratne, an- ive,” he observes.

U.S. imposes Exploding with colour trade restrictions 25 dead in Baghdad blasts BAGHDAD/ERBIL: Two bombs on 7 Pak. entities claimed by Islamic State killed 25 people in central SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT Baghdad on Saturday, as fighting intensified in the WASHINGTON: The U.S has im- northern city of Mosul, posed export restrictions on where government forces seven Pakistani entities, are trying to rout the ji- state-owned and private, for hadists from their last major violating the strict codes that stronghold in the country. guide the recipients of U.S The blasts, including one technologies. suicide attack, tore through a They have been included a busy market in the Sinak category of entities suspec- neighbourhood, police said. ted to be acting against U.S Apro-Islamic State news security and foreign policy agency said the assailants DIVERSIONARY TACTIC: The Islamic State claimed responsibility interests. The specific reas- had targeted Shia Muslims, for the double bomb attack in a busy market area in Baghdad’s ons for the decision were not whom they regard as central al-Sinek neighbourhood on Saturday. — PHOTO: AFP announced. apostates. Requests from these or- Islamic State has contin- the West. The second phase An elite Interior Ministry ganisations for trade will ued to launch attacks in the of a U.S.-backed ofensive unit continued to push on henceforth be considered heavily fortified capital, even launched on Thursday fol- Saturday through the Intisar with a “presumption of after losing most of the lowing weeks of deadlock district, where a U.S.-trained denial,” according to a recent northern and western territ- has encountered fierce res- army unit had struggled to decision by a trade control ory it seized in 2014. istance. Conventional U.S. advance for after entering body under the U.S Depart- The recapture of Mosul forces deploying more ex- the southeast district last ment of Commerce. would probably spell the end tensively in this phase are month. All the entities are linked for Islamic State’s self-styled now visible very close to the Heavy gunfire was audible to Pakistan’s missile pro- caliphate, but the militants front lines. and attack helicopters fired gramme and include the Is- would still be capable of The third day of the re- overhead as hundreds of ci- lamabad-based National En- fighting a guerrilla-style in- newed push saw heavy vilians fled their homes, a gineering and Scientific WELCOME 2017: Fireworks erupt over the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge, ushering in the New Year. — PHOTO: REUTERS surgency in Iraq, and plot- clashes on the southeastern Reuters cameraman said. — Commission, and its subsidi- ting or inspiring attacks on and northern fronts. Reuters aries, Air Weapons Complex, Maritime Technology Com- plex and New Auto Engineering. UNSC endorses Syria ceasefire An end-user review pro- China bans ivory trade, nature groups thrilled cess, which periodically de- termines whether techno- EDWARD WONG poachers out of business businesses will be forced to announced the ceasefire this logy sold by the U.S. is being JEFFREY GETTLEMAN would be shutting down the close by March 31. week, the third truce this used only as specified by the ivory industry in China. The Ministry of Culture year seeking to end the license, found there was : China announced on The advocates have pro- will assist in the transition of nearly six years of war in “reasonable cause to believe, Friday that it was banning all moted public campaigns to legal ivory into use in mu- Syria. The truce aims to pave based on specific and artic- commerce in ivory by the shame China and raise ques- seums and other cultural the way for peace ulable facts,” that these entit- end of 2017, a move that tions about its global re- sites, as well as help workers WASHINGTON: The United negotiations late next month ies “have been involved in would shut down the world’s sponsibilities, at a time when in the industry, including Nations Security Council in under the actions contrary to the na- largest ivory market and China has been assuming a master carvers, find related (UNSC) on Saturday adopted aegis of Russia and Iran, key tional security or foreign could deal a critical blow to higher profile on the world jobs. Under the new rules, a resolution endorsing a supporters of the Syrian policy interests of the United the practice of elephant stage. But the success of the people who own ivory ceasefire in the Syrian civil government of President States.” poaching in Africa. new policy depends on how products can keep them or war brokered by Russia and Bashar al-Assad, and of The decision by China fol- strictly it is enforced. give them as gifts, and own- Turkey. Turkey, which backs rebel Strict approval process lows years of growing inter- ers can sell them at super- Russia and Turkey groups. — Reuters Pakistan is a designated national and domestic pres- Major destination vised auctions after getting Major Non-NATO ally of the sure and gives wildlife Wildlife researchers es- oicial approval. United States, and hence protection advocates hope GAME-CHANGER: Seized ivory cut in pieces for incineration on timate that 50-70 per cent of But conservationists be- ‘Wife plotted Greek envoy’s murder’ technically qualifies for a that the threatened extinc- display in Hong Kong. China’s decision could deal a critical all smuggled elephant ivory lieve that the Chinese gov- high level of technology tion of certain elephant pop- blow to the practice of elephant poaching in Africa. — FILE PHOTO — maybe even more — ends ernment is sincere in not al- transfer. But each license and ulations in Africa can be up in China, where there are lowing any significant RIO DE JANEIRO: Greece’s told a news conference. sale is subject to a strict ap- averted. tion that will reverberate gemstone.” Elly Pepper, a countless ivory workshops domestic ivory market. ambassador to was Amiridis’s charred body proval process, and “pre- “China’s announcement is around the world.” wildlife advocate with the and showrooms. “Ivory traickers have just murdered in a plot hatched was found Thursday in Rio in sumption of denial” will a game changer for elephant According to some estim- Natural Resources Defense In the announcement, the lost one of their biggest mar- by his Brazilian wife and her his burned-out rental car, a deny these organisations ac- conservation,” Carter ates, more than 100,000 ele- Council, which is based in State Council, China’s Cab- kets,” said Aili Kang, Asia ex- police officer lover, who day after his wife, Francoise cess to sensitive U.S Roberts, president and chief phants have been wiped out New York, wrote that Chi- inet, said the shutdown of the ecutive director of the Wild- confessed to the crime, de Souza Oliveira, declared technologies. executive of the World Wild- in Africa over the past 10 na’s announcement “may be market, which includes all life Conservation Society. officials said Friday. him missing. Oliveira, 40, and . The potential prolifera- life Fund, said in a written years in a ruthless scramble the biggest sign of hope for processing and sales, would China’s move is at least The envoy, Kyriakos Moreira, 29, both admitted to tion of highly sensitive tech- statement. “With the United for ivory driven by Chinese elephants since the current occur in phases throughout partly a result of negotiations Amiridis, 59, was killed on having an affair, police said. nologies from Pakistan has States also ending its do- demand. Some Chinese in- poaching crisis began.” this year. at senior levels between Monday by the officer, Sergio The pair are in custody, along been a lingering concern for mestic ivory trade earlier vestors call ivory “white Wildlife advocates have In the first step, a desig- Washington and Beijing. — Gomez Moreira, Rio homicide with Moreira’s 24-year-old the U.S, aggravated by the this year, two of the largest gold,” while carvers and col- said for years that the most nated group of legal ivory The New York Times News division chief Evaristo Pontes cousin. — AFP rise in global terrorism. ivory markets have taken ac- lectors call it the “organic important step in putting processing factories and Service CM ND-ND YK NOIDA/DELHI | THE HINDU SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2017 BUSINESS 15 ‘Patanjali most disruptive FMCG force’ Toyota Kirloskar sales rise 30% in Dec. Foxconn to build LCD plant in China Patanjali Ayurveda has turned out to be the most Toyota Kirloskar reported a 30 per cent increase A joint venture between Foxconn and Sharp Corp disruptive force in the FMCG market, says an in sales for December at 14,093 units as against plans to build a 61 billion yuan ($8.8 billion) ASSOCHAM-TechSci Research paper. — PTI 10,863 units in the same month last year. — PTI factory in China to produce LCDs. — Reuters Chinese firms Oil ends year M&As to be favoured route ordered to pay ₨3 lakh cr. plan afoot to with biggest gain $1,94,000 for since 2009 for foreign investment in 2017 copying “Cars” il prices settled slightly ARUN S be good if the Government double airport capacity Olower on Friday, the can take a pragmatic view SHANGHAI: A Shanghai court year’s last trading day, but at- NEW DELHI: Mergers & acquisi- and go back to the intent of ordered two Chinese firms Centre’s plan aims to tained their biggest annual tions (M&A) are likely to be the legislation and provide to pay Walt Disney Co and increase capacity over gain since 2009, after OPEC the favoured route for for- relief against possible double Pixar more than 1.35 million and partners agreed to cut eign direct investment flows taxation where investors exit yuan ($1,94,440) compensa- the next 10-15 years output to reduce a supply into India in the year 2017 as or are redeemed," Mr. tion for copying parts of their overhang that has depressed market consolidation is ex- Goenka said. hit movies “Cars” and “Cars SOMESH JHA prices for two years. pected in sectors facing a Partner at the law firm 2,” the oicial Xinhua news U.S. benchmark West cash crunch, such as e-com- ‘Verus’ and an M&A expert, Make In India agency reported. NEW DELHI: The Centre will re- Texas Intermediate (WTI) merce and said: “An increase in FDI in- The government data The ruling is the latest in a quire up to ₨3 lakh crore for crude futures were down 5 telecommunications. flows through M&As is likely showed that India received a slew of intellectual property doubling the airport capacity cents, or 0.1 percent, at $53.72 Tax-related worries con- in stressed sectors such as e- record $55.4 billion worth wins for large foreign firms, over the next 10 to 15 years, a barrel,while Brent fell 3 tinue to trouble foreign in- commerce and telecom. Re- FDI in 2015-16. who have complained about Minister of State for Civil cents, or 0.1 percent, to vestors as they look forward newable energy sector is Commerce & Industry widespread copyright in- Aviation Jayant Sinha said. $56.82. Brent rose 52 per cent to incentives in the forth- likely to see M&A deals, but Minister Nirmala Sithara- fringement in China. “We will need ₨2.5-3 lakh in 2016 and WTI climbed coming Union Budget in or- it could also attract green- man had informed Parlia- Disney and Pixar took the crore for financing airports about 45 per cent, the largest der to take a call on invest- field investments.” He added ment in July that the `Make Chinese firms to court say- in addition to the money annual gains since 2009, ments in the country or to that “the new insolvency and In India’ (MII) initiative was ing the characters, titles and spent on land acquisition. As SPREADING WINGS: The existing airport terminals can handle 25 when the benchmarks rose forge new ventures. bankruptcy regime will also launched in September, 2014 posters from local animation a result of that, we need to crore passengers per annum, according to AAI.— FILE PHOTO 78 per cent and 71 per cent The ‘FDI Report 2016,’ pre- facilitate the sale of dis- to promote India as a global “The Autobots” were sub- ensure that we attract in- respectively. pared by the Financial tressed assets, thereby a manufacturing hub and at- stantially similar to those vestors, both equity and airport development and the model to determine aero- Oil prices have slumped Times, noted that the biggest jump in M&A activity.” tract investments. from “Cars” and “Cars 2.” debt, into the airport asset Centre is planning regulat- nautical charges at 20 major since the summer of 2014 change in green-field FDI Among the concerns over She added that thereafter, The court agreed that the class,” Mr. Sinha told The ory changes to attract global airports across the country, from above $100 a barrel. (for starting new ventures) taxation is a recent clarifica- during October, 2014 to May, Autobots characters K1 and Hindu. private players. including Kolkata and Chen- The price rout, due to an in 2015 globally was the near tion made by the Central 2016, the FDI equity inflow K2 were similar to Disney He said the Centre had “We need a robust airport nai. The airports at Delhi, oversupply thanks in part to tripling of green-field FDI Board of Direct Taxes increased by 46 per cent — and Pixar's animated cars done an extensive city-by- operator industry. There are Mumbai, Bangalore and Hy- the U.S. shale oil revolution, into India, with an estimated (CBDT) on indirect transfer from $42.31 billion to $61.58 Lightning McQueen and city analysis of airport traic many strong and capable derabad follow a shared-till was accentuated later that $63 billion pouring in. provisions under the Income billion in comparison to the Francesco Bernoulli. projects and worked out a players around the world but model. year when Saudi Arabia re- For the first time, India Tax Act. previous 20 months (Febru- The court ordered in- plan to double the airport ca- we need to create an attract- Under the single-till jected any deal by the Organ- was the global leader for FDI The indirect share transfer ary, 2013 to September, 2014). fringement activity to stop pacity over the next 10-15 ive policy framework for model, both aeronautical ization of the Petroleum Ex- in 2015, overtaking the U.S. norms were brought in fol- However, a ‘policy brief’ immediately,and said Disney years. them to operate in India. Our and non-aeronautical reven- porting Countries (OPEC) to (which had $59.6 billion of lowing transactions where prepared by K.S. Chalapati and Pixar should receive 1 At present, out of 125 air- regulations have made it dif- ues are taken into account to cut output and instead green-field FDI) and China control over Indian assets Rao, Professor (Retd.), Insti- million yuan to cover eco- ports managed by Airports ficult for developers to get calculate passenger fee. fought for market share. ($56.6 billion), the report and businesses was trans- tute for Studies in Industrial nomic losses, as well as Authority of India (AAI), 69 adequate returns from oper- Apart from its core opera- But a historic OPEC agree- pointed out. ferred indirectly through of- Development, and Biswajit 350,000 yuan for legal airports receive commercial ating airports,” the junior tions, airports earn income ment struck over three The UNCTAD-World In- shore transfers. Pointing out Dhar, Professor, Jawaharlal expenses. flights. Civil Aviation minister said. from the non-aeronautical months from September that vestment Report 2016 ‘FDI that in 2015 the Government Nehru University, said: “Our Disney is making a major The existing airport ter- With the new Civil Avi- side which includes food and will reduce production from overview’ showed that (in- had provided a safe harbour analysis of the (FDI) inflows push into China with the re- minals can handle 25 crore ation policy pushing for a beverages, duty-free shops, Jan. 1, marked a return to the bound FDI though) cross- to small investors holding strongly suggests that, con- cent opening of a $5.5 billion passengers per annum, ac- fresh approach for calculat- advertising, car parking and 13-country group’s old ob- border M&A — in terms of less than five per cent and trary to the optimism ex- theme park in Shanghai, its cording to AAI. ing airport tarifs to attract hotels. jective of defending prices. ‘sales (net)’ — in India fell to without any management pressed by many, the MII first on the mainland. Its an- Mr. Sinha said while new investors, the Airport Eco- “Based on projected Oman told some custom- $1.4 billion in 2015 from $7.54 control, Abhishek Goenka, programme may not have yet imated movies including terminals were being nomic Regulatory Authority growth rates, most of the 40 ers it will reduce term alloca- billion in 2014. However, ex- Tax Partner, PwC, said while made an impact in terms of “Zootopia” and “BigHero 6” planned at some of the exist- (AERA) has initiated the largest airports in the coun- tions by 5 per cent in March, perts said there will be a pick this was welcome, most attracting FDI into the focus have been big box oice hits ing airports such as Delhi process to abandon the try will exceed their design but did not say whether the up in cross-border M&A funds and Foreign Portfolio sectors.” there. — Reuters and Bengaluru, greenfield single-till approach it has fol- capacities within the next supply reduction would con- activity in 2017. Investors want an extended “Further, the reported in- airports may soon come up lowed till date. decade. However, it is a seri- tinue after that. The year 2016 saw Russia’s safe harbour on the premise vestments should be ex- Bullion Rates at places such as Patna and ous concern that there is no The rise in prices can be state-owned oil giant Ros- that as long as investors do amined from the points of (i) Guwahati. Hybrid-till model long-term vision for India’s seen as “proof of interna- neft and a consortium led by not have any control of the adding fresh domestic pro- December 31 rates in rupees with “If air traic grows at his- The National Civil Avi- airport capacity require- tional credibility,” for OPEC physical commodities trad- fund, the indirect transfer duction capacities (includ- previous rates in brackets toric rate of 10-20 per cent, ation Policy (NCAP) 2016 ments. There will be un- and partners, said Igor ing group Trafigura entering provisions should not apply. ing meaningful indigenisa- Chennai we will have to at least has called for adopting a hy- thinkable economic ramific- Yusufov, founder of the Fund into a $13 billion-deal to ac- Additionally, if indirect tion), (ii) net addition to Bar Silver (1 kg) 39,035 (39,670) double the airport capacity brid-till model for all air- ations if air connectivity to Energy investment firm and quire Essar Oil’s refining and transfer provisions were to capital instead of round-trip- Retail (1 g) 41.80 (42.40) in 15 years,” the Minister said. ports under which 30 per India’s centres of commerce, a former Russian energy retail assets, as well as Vad- apply, in many cases it would ping of funds remitted 24 ct gold (10 g) 28,210 (28,300) cent of airport operator’s industry and tourism is minister. inar port and related infra- result in double taxation, he abroad on one pretext or the 22 ct gold (1 g) 2,698 (2,706) Financing options Delhi non-aeronautical revenues choked of due to airports He said the rise, a “ponder- structure. The deal was said, adding that the recent other, (iii) the monetary Without divulging much would be used to subsidise being saturated,” global avi- able New Yew present” for Silver 39,400 (39,900) billed as India’s largest in- CBDT clarification, how- value of all the incentives Standard Gold 28,300 (28,500) detail, Mr. Sinha said there airport costs. ation consultant CAPA said producers, is propelled by bound foreign direct ever, stated that no further and exemptions availed and Sovereign 24,000 (24,000) were “many alternatives” be- Since its inception, AERA in its India Aviation Outlook expectations of oil demand investment. relaxation or exemptions (iv) ...delayed reporting and ing evaluated for financing has adopted a single-till 2017-18 report. growth. — Reuters Dipankar Bandyopadhyay, will be provided. “It would gross inaccuracies.” NOIDA/DELHI 16 | BUSINESS THE HINDU SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2017 SNIPPETS ‘Stocks may fare better in 2017’ BoB unveils agriculture credit scheme in Rajasthan IT challenges to remain ASHISH RUKHAIYAR MUMBAI: State-run Bank of Baroda said it has introduced an agricultural investment credit for the farmers of Rajasthan. The first loan has been PRADEESH CHANDRAN MUMBAI: The year 2016 was a disbursed in Sri Ganganagar, the bank said in a statement. Under the roller coaster ride for in- scheme, farmers can avail of loan from the bank’s branches for BENGALURU: As 2016 drew to a vestors in Indian equities, construction of farm ponds, installation of solar pumps, installation of close, the $143 billion Indian with significant gains in the micro irrigation, and for any other viable agriculture and allied activities. IT services industry was first half followed by losses “We intend to work with the farmers to address all their needs. We are staring at various challenges in the later months. focusing on an outcome based approach and this in tandem with other that are likely to continue Foreign investors also re- initiatives being undertaken by the Bank will help farmers in doubling this year too. versed their stance, pressing their income by the year 2022,” bank’s ED Mayank Mehta said. — PTI Some of them were the the ‘sell’ button as the year British vote to leave the came to an end. European Union, protection- The benchmark Sensex BSNL introduces unlimited local, STD calls at ₨144 ism in the major markets in- clocked monthly gains every cluding the U.S. which con- month from March through CHENNAI: Cashing in on the rollout by several telecom operators offering tributes to more than 60 per August. Thereafter, it was unlimited free call facility, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd joined the cent of the business, shift mostly a downward slide, CAUTIOUS APPROACH: Some analysts opine that a stock-specific bandwagon with the introduction of a new ₨144 plan for its customers from traditional business barring October when it approach will be better than betting on sectors. — FILE PHOTO offering similar features. The plan, which is valid for six months, would model, visa regulations and WESTWARD WATCH: Visas, Brexit and Trump’s victory are major managed to post a negligible offer unlimited local and STD calls to any network for a period of one also the emergence of new challenges facing the Indian IT industry. — FILE PHOTO gain of 64 points. than betting on sectors. month and it would come with 300MB data, BSNL CMD Anupam technologies like the Cloud, Foreign investors, mean- “One thing is for sure that Srivastava told reporters here. After handing over two new packs to and Internet of Things the market opportunity. while, bought Indian shares in 2017, Indians would buy customers, Mr. Srivastava said with the new pack, calls were absolutely among others. “With over $200 billion worth almost $10 billion more equities as both gold free and would be available for both pre-paid and post-paid customers. Experts said that some of worth contracts set to expire between March and Septem- and real estate are not look- The telecom service provider was also taking up many initiatives these worries would be more in the next 24 months ber and since then have been ing too great,” said Raamdeo including introduction of 4,400 WiFi hotspots across the country. — PTI evident in 2017. The victory coupled with growth-chal- net sellers at almost $4.5 bil- Agrawal, co-founder and of Donald Trump in the U.S. lenged players, the competit- lion. India – just like most joint managing director, is an important factor that ive pressures to retain for in- emerging markets – saw a side levels for the Nifty are Motilal Oswal Financial ‘MSMEs returning to normal after demonetisation’ has forced the Indian firms cumbents and win away for massive pull out by overseas 10,600 and 7,300, respect- Services. NEW DELHI: Trying to dispel fears that the MSME sector had taken a big to adopt a cautious wait-and- client side regarding the po- others will only intensify,” funds on the back of global ively. There is an unattract- The brokerage’s top picks hit from demonetisation, Union Minister Kalraj Mishra said things are watch mode. During the tential changes that Mr. said Dinesh Goel, Partner, factors like the U.S. presiden- ive risk-reward in the near include Tata Motors, ICICI falling in place slowly despite “initial difficulties.” Addressing reporters campaign Mr. Trump spoke Trump might introduce, ISG India, an outsourcing ad- tial election, Brexit and the term but a more balanced Bank, APL Apollo Tubes and here on the Ministry’s achievements in 2016, Mr. Mishra admitted that of stricter H-1B visa regula- everyone is still waiting to visory firm. Fed’s rate increase. skew for Nifty from a one- Canfin Homes. “there were difficulties initially”, but things were moving towards tion and creation of more do- actually see what these Though there will be con- year perspective, according “It is diicult to predict the Demonetisation move normalisation. “There were difficulties initially, but wage payment to mestic jobs. changes are going to be be- tinuation of challenges that to UBS. market right now as one labourers has started normalising and migrant labourers who had left fore taking action,” said existed there is a drastic shift The negative sentiment Morgan Stanley, in a re- needs to wait and watch how H-1B visa are returning,” Mr. Mishra said when asked about reports of job losses in Hansa Iyengar,Senior Ana- happening in the technology was compounded in the In- cent note, highlighted the the government works in the the informal sector. On banks’ reluctance to disburse loans under the Traditionally H-1B visa is lyst – Large Enterprise Ser- arena. The emergence of dian context after the gov- fact that the domestic event post-demonetisation era,” MUDRA Yojana after demonetisation, he acknowledged some issues, used by Indian IT firms to vice at Ovum. technologies such as cloud, ernment’s November de- of demonetisation combined Mr. Agrawal said. “Valu- saying these are “only for the time being.” — PTI send their employees on Another major hurdle for Internet of Things and auto- cision to withdraw with the overall fall in emer- ations are reasonable but short-term work permit to Indian IT companies was the mation among others has high-value banknotes, which ging market equities had earnings have stagnated. In- the U.S. Brexit vote. Infosys was the created uncertainty as well led to investors turning bear- caused Indian shares to re- vestors should look at stock- IL&FS Engineering Services bags ₨243 crore project “There are political first company to bear the as opportunity for the ish on banks and other con- trace about 10 per cent from specific approach. I would changes in some of the major brunt as Royal Bank of Scot- industry. sumer-oriented sectors. recent highs. peg the Nifty range between NEW DELHI: IL&FS Engineering and Construction Company announced markets of Indian IT ser- land shelved its plan to cre- C P Gurnani, CEO & MD In 2016, the 30-share Sen- “Even as long bond yields 7,000 and 9,000 for the year.” that it has bagged a ₨243-crore road project in Karnataka. “IL&FS vices companies. However, ate a separate bank in the of Tech Mahindra, said: “We sex gained 509 points, or 1.95 are of April 2009 lows of 6.2 Earnings have been a Engineering and Construction Company Ltd has received a Letter of such moves will not come in U.K., forcing Infosys to shift are going to witness immers- per cent, to 26,626.46. It per cent, we think the relat- cause for concern. Prakash Acceptance (LoA) for a road contract from the Ministry of Road the way businesses are done about 3,000 employees from ive experience which will touched a 52-week high of ive valuations of equities to Kacholia, Managing Dir- Transport and Highways through CE (NH) PWD, Government of or companies are operated,” that project. transcend both the physical 29,077.28 on September 8. bonds are the best since ector, Emkay Global Finan- Karnataka, for a total value of ₨242.56 crore,” the company said in a said P.N. Sudarshan, Partner, Following impact of Brexit and digital world. As a com- The broader 50-share mid-2013,” Morgan Stanley cial Services said the third filing to BSE. The project involves widening of two or four lanes with Deloitte. and other client-based prob- pany, we are transforming Nifty gained 239 points, or said. “We think this merits an and fourth quarter results paved shoulders on Bidar to Humnabad section of NH-50 in EPC mode in Parthasarathy N.S., Presid- lems, leading software ex- ourselves from an IT ser- 3.01 per cent, in 2016 to end at asset allocation shift in fa- could stay “timid.” Karnataka with a completion period of 24 months, the statement said. ent & COO, Mindtree Lim- porters like Wipro, Cogniz- vices provider to digital 8,185.80. vour of equities,” according “Return from equities is The company is executing a metro rail contract for Bangalore Metro Rail ited, said: “International ant and TCS had to revise transformation partner.” Most market participants to the note. expected to surprise on the Corporation for a value of ₨326.99 crore, it said. — PTI political developments their full fiscal year guid- In spite of all the uncer- expect that 2017 would cer- The global financial major positive side over a 1-year should be viewed only as a ance. IT industry body Nas- tainties, India’s market share tainly be better than 2016 but expects Sensex earnings period on the back of coun- changed operating environ- scom revised the guidance continues to be at 7 per cent add a word of caution to growth of 2.5 per cent and 18 try’s strong economic funda- Muthoot Fin raises stake in Belstar to 64.6 per cent ment rather than a for the fiscal FY17 down- of the global software and IT hedge their predictions. per cent year-on-year in mentals,” Mr. Kacholia said. NEW DELHI: Muthoot Finance has raised its stake further in subsidiary challenge.” wards to 8-10 per cent. services spend, and 57 per A lot depends on the 2016-17 and 2017-18, respect- “Sectors like auto, pharma firm Belstar Investment and Finance Pvt Ltd (BIFPL) to 64.6 per cent. Localisation of workforce cent of global IT services is policy stance of the govern- ively. It has a base-case target and power utilities are the Earlier, the company’s stake was at 57.16 per cent in Belstar Investment is another major step Indian Pricing pressure outsourced to India. ment, they said. of 30,000 for the Sensex with ones to watch out for in 2017.” and Finance. “The company has further acquired 1,728,571 equity shares IT companies may take to However, some experts Driven by strong, stable Swiss financial major UBS a bull-case target of 39,000 Markets will focus on U.S. of nominal value of ₨10 each at a total price of ₨7.26 crore from existing overcome the likely visa said that with more projects fundamentals, Nasscom has is of the view that if there is and a bear-case target of economic policies as Donald shareholders,” Muthoot Finance said in a regulatory filing. Belstar woes during Mr. Trump’s expected to be renewed in reiterated that the long-term no significant change on the 24,000. Trump takes oice this Investment and Finance Pvt Ltd is a non-banking finance company presidency. the coming year, there will be opportunity for the industry policy front, then Nifty could Some of market analysts month. And the February 1 (NBFC-MFI). Shares of the company closed 0.62 per cent higher at “Though there is a little an intense fight between the will remain unchanged to test a base-case level of opine that a stock-specific Union Budget’s tax propos- ₨282.25 on the BSE. — PTI wariness on both vendor and providers to garner the pie of achieve $350 billion by 2025. 9,400. Its upside and down- approach would be better als will be keenly awaited.

Apple to trim Obscure unicorns may boost IPO market iPhone output in SAN FRANCISCO: Social media head of Americas techno- individual transactions. firm Snap Inc. may be the logy equity capital markets The firms provide a range Jan-March: Report highest profile tech IPO at UBS Group AG. of back-of-the-house ser- planned for 2017, with the po- “They tend to be viewed as vices, such as automating tential to raise billions. cream of the crop, and where business processes, account- Apple Inc. will trim produc- But more than a dozen ex- investors make the most ing, training software and ex- tion of iPhones by about 10 pected stock oferings of rel- money,” he said. pense management. per cent in the January- atively obscure software Such enterprise software Although such companies March quarter of 2017, the firms targeting business cus- companies generally sell have moderate valuations, Nikkei financial daily repor- tomers —little-known their services through sub- between about $500 million ted, citing calculations based names such as Apttus, Tintri scriptions that produce reli- and $4 billion, the sector ac- on data from suppliers. and Okta — could be just as able revenue streams. counts for most of the tech The Cupertino, Califor- important in thawing a long- IPO market, said Will Con- nia-based company had frozen IPO market, accord- Predictable returns nolly, Goldman Sachs Group slashed output by 30 per cent ing to investment bankers They aim to sign contracts Inc’s head of U.S. technology in January-March 2016 due to and advisers who work on lasting several years, giving equity capital markets. accumulated inventory, the initial public oferings. investors more predictable “Most of the technology paper said. Such firms are a “leading returns than many Internet IPO activity is actually not An Apple spokeswoman indicator” of broader in- or consumer-oriented com- big, large-cap companies go- declined to comment on the vestor demand for market panies that depend on ad- ing public,” Mr. Connolly report. — Reuters debuts, said Justin Smolkin, vertising or high volumes of said. — Reuters Investors in U.S. equities brace for 2017 shocks after surprise 2016 run

NEW YORK: After a late-year profits will be taxed at a rally fuelled by the U.S. elec- lower rate under a Trump tion pushed stocks to sur- administration. prising new peaks, investors “A lot of people have post- are wary that the market poned selling gains this could be primed for a spill to year,expecting that they are start 2017. going to have lower tax The benchmark S&P 500 brackets next year,” said Paul is set to post a roughly 10 per Nolte, portfolio manager at cent price gain for 2016 and Kingsview Asset Manage- around 12 per cent on a total ment in Chicago. “So we return basis, including rein- might see a weaker open to vested dividends. That tops the year as investors take the single-digit increase ex- some of those gains that they pected by market parti- have waited to do.” cipants polled by Reuters a TRUMP WATCH: A market lifted by hopes for Mr. Trump’s policy Trump takes oice on Jan. year ago, with more than half agenda could be deflated should hopes be belied. — FILE PHOTO 20, so investors will begin to of the advance coming after assess how easily the new ad- Donald Trump’s Nov. 8 pres- particularly bullish senti- winning trades being taken ministration will be able to idential victory. ment; and the Federal Re- of the table and, in general, a fulfill its reflationary policies The Dow Jones Industrial serve primed to raise in- reset.” that were anticipated in the Average was on pace to rise terest rates several times this wake of the election and that more than 13 per cent for year. A taxing start? helped drive the end-of-year 2016, with a total return Meanwhile, a market lifted January has proven to be a rally. above 16 per cent. in part by hopes for Mr. diicult month for equities “There was a tinge more From here, though, in- Trump’s policy agenda could in recent years, with the S&P enthusiasm not only because vestors expect the S&P 500 be deflated should any of 500 falling at least 3 per cent Trump won, and that is per- to rise by mid-single-digits those hopes be dented once in each January of 2014, 2015 ceived as less headwinds for in 2017, according to a Reu- he begins in oice. The S&P and 2016. The beginning of business, but also because ters poll earlier in December. has rallied by more than 5 per 2016 was marked by the the Republicans were able to Reflecting the renewed cent since Election Day, worst 10-day start ever for hold onto the Senate, which bullishness for equities, U.S.- while the Dow has climbed the S&P, plagued by worries was unexpected,” said Scott based stock funds pulled in by more than 8 per cent. about a rout in commodities, Wren, senior global equity $11.8 billion in the week “If anything, we head into a China slowdown and a po- strategist at Wells Fargo In- ended Dec. 28, data from Lip- the new year with the likeli- tentially over-aggressive Fed vestment Institute in St. per showed, marking a sharp hood we will probably see after it hiked interest rates Louis. reversal from most of the some near-term weakness in for the first time since 2008. “But it’s not like all these year. equities primarily because of A year later, a test for the deals are rubber-stamp But investors see several the move we’ve seen higher,” market could come as soon deals. They are going to have warning signs for 2017, in- said Peter Kenny, senior mar- as next week. Investors may to be refined, debated, you cluding stocks at tradition- ket strategist at Global Mar- have been holding of on don’t know what the mag- ally expensive valuations; in- kets Advisory Group in New selling their winners until nitude is, and they have to be vestors registering York. “You will see some 2017 with hopes that any implemented.” — Reuters. CM YK NOIDA/DELHI | THE HINDU SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2017 SPORT 17 Telecast schedule Imtiaz Ahmed dead Glory for Nadal For a cause semfinal: v Former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman and beat David Goffin on A pair of game-worn shoes used by Mumbai, STAR Sports 4 & HD4, 9.30 a.m. EPL: Imtiaz Ahmed, who played in the Saturday to lift the Mubadala World NBA star Stephen Curry fetched a STAR Select HD1, 6.50 p.m. & 9.20 p.m. PBL: Ī nation’s first Test in 1952 and was its oldest Ī Championship title for a fourth time. World Ī record $30,101 at an auction for STAR Sports 1, 3 & HD1 & 3, 7 p.m. & 9.30 p.m. living Test cricketer, passed away on Saturday No.1 defeated to victims of a warehouse fire in Oakland, NBA: Sony Six & Six HD, 5.30 a.m. (Monday). just five days short of his 89th birthday. take third place California, which killed 36 recently. Myneni draws Youzhny, Ramkumar opens against qualifier Bhambri and Prajnesh get past the first hurdle in the qualifiers ‘I just want to be aggressive, work up N. SUDARSHAN will see as many as four Indian pairs, with the most eye- CHENNAI: Marin Cilic sits atop catching of the match-ups be- the crowd to get behind me’ what seems the lighter of the ing Purav Raja and Divij halves after the Aircel Chen- Sharan against S. DIPAK RAGAV with Leander (Paes) and Ro- “I had a good of-season,” nai Open draw ceremony on and Andre Sa. han (Bopanna) sitting there... he said. Saturday. India’s highest-ranked CHENNAI: The 2016 Chennai I liked it, with the crowd sup- This year, the 22-year old Yen-Hsun Lu, who is doubles player Rohan Open was a watershed mo- port behind me. I was has another shot at making an seeded eight, is drawn in the Bopanna, partnering Jeevan ment in Ramkumar nervous at the start, but as the splash in front of his home same quarter as the 2014 US Nedunchezhiyan, will take on Ramanathan’s career. He match went on it was good.” crowd. He opens against a Open champion. Last year’s fi- Marcelo Demoliner and reached the quarterfinals at qualifier which should help nalist Borna Coric and third Nikola Mektic. the ATP 250 event, and took a The biggest takeaway him ease into the seed Albert Meanwhile, in qualifying, set of Aljaz Bedene, then a The biggest takeaway for tournament. Ramos-Vino- Yuki Bhambri and Prajnesh top-50 player, before bowing Ramkumar the last year was “I just want to be aggress- las lurk in the Gunneswaran advanced to the out. the benefits of better itiner- ive and work up the crowd to other quarter. second round following It was expected to be his ary planning which helped get behind me,” said the But with straight set victories over break-out year but he did not him play a lot more matches. World No. 227. three of the Marco Cecchinato and Hiroki make too much progress “I was fit and ready to While emulating his ex- four qualifiers Moriya respectively. ranking-wise. Though he travel, and I wanted to play ploits of the 2016 tournament finding them- Sasi Kumar Mukund though reached a career-high 196 lot of matches. Compared to might be a tough ask, Ramku- selves in the went down fighting to second mid-season, he called it an the previous year, I planned mar has shown in the past top half, it seems the more seed and World No. 110 Nic- “inconsistent year”. my travel better along with that he is more than capable airy of the two. olas Kicker 6-7(5), 6-3, 7-5. “I played a lot of Chal- my coach,” he said. of a giant-killing act or two. The results: First qualifying lengers and Futures tourna- “In 2015, after the US Open First-round bye for Cilic round: Hyeon Chung (Kor) bt Miljan ments. It was a mixed year,” I played in Thailand, which This being a field of 28, Zekic (Srb) 6-1, 6-3; Jurgen Melzer Ramkumar said. “It was not was not the smartest thing to Order of Play Cilic and third seed Ramos- PRE-TOURNAMENT NICETIES: Ramkumar Ramanathan, Saketh Myneni and Casper Ruud at the draw (Aut) bt Steven Diez (Can) 6-1, 6-1; great, but it was not bad. I do. But, in 2016, I stayed in a ț (Final round qualifying, 5 Vinolas received byes into the ceremony. — PHOTO: S.R. RAGHUNATHAN Nicolas Kicker (Arg) bt Sasi Kumar tried my best in every match place for two weeks and p.m. start) second round, as did Roberto Mukund 6-7(5), 6-3, 7-5; Yuki Bham- and I played fighting hard for played tournaments.” Bautista Agut and Martin Youzhny, a champion here in and compete as hard as I can. Bedene, the seasoned bri bt Marco Cecchinato (Ita) 7-5, every point, which I think is But it also meant he has not ț Centre Court: H. Chung Klizan, the second and fourth 2008. Ramkumar But it’s a good challenge, and a Guillermo Garcia Lopez and 6-1; Jozef Kovalik (Svk) bt Franko very important.” been able to focus on his fit- (Kor) vs. J. Melzer (Aut); seeds. Ramanathan, a quarterfinalist good way to start 2017.” Klizan all crammed into it. In Skugor (Cro) 6-3, 6-4; Prajnesh Gun- The year also saw him play ness as much as he would Court 1: N. Kicker (Arg) vs. Y. The two Indian wild cards last year, faces a qualifier in The quarter in which the fact, the meeting between neswaran bt Hiroki Moriya (Jpn) 6-2, — and win — his first live have liked, said Ramkumar, Bhambri, J. Kovalik (Svk) vs. in the main draw are both in the first round. 22-year-old Ramkumar finds Bedene and Garcia Lopez 6-3; Marco Trungelliti (Arg) bt Aless- rubber in the Davis Cup, adding that he had been in P. Gunneswaran; Court 2: M. the bottom half, with Saketh “Youzhny is a very good himself is by far the most might well be the pick of the andro Bega (Ita) 6-0, 6-4; Nikola against Korea. “It is a great Coimbatore over the last few Trungelliti (Arg) vs. N. Mektic Myneni set for a tough exam- player,” said Myneni. “I need loaded, with fifth seed Benoit first round matches. Mektic (Cro) bt Federico Gaio (Ita) feeling to play for India,” he days strength training to get (Cro). ination against Mikhail to get the best out of myself Paire, the mercurial Aljaz The 16-team doubles event 6-3, 6-0. said. “To play a live rubber in shape for the tournament.

Do you remember when...? A big year for Divij and Purav, IOA president’s S. PRASANNA VENKATESAN response CHENNAI: Watching tennis live but mostly under the radar at the court is an absorbing ex- N. SUDARSHAN lose every week.” to suspension perience. The sounds of the “We travel 30 weeks and win ball of the racquet and the CHENNAI: Amritraj & Amritraj to five tournaments, you are all squeaking of shoes, the sights Paes & Bhupathi, India has saying it’s been a great year. CHENNAI: A day after the of a drop-shot, a pass or a lob, thrown up quite a few formid- There are a lot of people who Sports Ministry suspended it thrills — as does all sport — able doubles teams. So much win just one or nothing. So we the Indian Olympic the senses. so that Indian tennis, as bereft decided not to hold things, like Association (IOA) for the With over two decades of of singles success as it is, has of- we did in the past, in terms of inordinate delay in responding the Chennai Open, there have ten been perceived as over-ro- results and pressure. We just to a show cause notice been matches that stand out manticising doubles. wanted to play good tennis. questioning the decision to from the rest, and when the Yet, the exploits of Purav That’s helped us.” confer life presidency on upcoming edition kicks of and Raja and Divij Sharan this year In spite of all this, their Suresh Kalmadi and Abhay rolls on, there is bound to be a have largely gone unnoticed. names rarely figure in the Singh Chautala, its president few more. The duo won an ATP 250 event Davis Cup scheme of things. N. Ramachandran said in a Here is a debatable list of A BATTLE OF ATTRITION: Carlos Moya and Rafael Nadal slugged it in Los Cabos, Mexico, (on clay) The irony seems lost on most press release on Saturday that he would discuss the the event’s most memorable out for almost four hours before the younger Spaniard and three semis at that level. considering that the squabble singles matches so far. They also won four Challenger around team selection is now issue with the OCA (Olympic prevailed. — FILE PHOTO: R. RAGU The early upset titles (two on grass and two on becoming customary. Council of Asia) and the IOC Boris Becker vs. Gerard consecutive final, and he had crossed another’s in the semi- hard courts) and finished run- “If we are called up, we will (International Olympic Solves (1998, second round) endeared himself much to the final in 2009, the match lasted ners-up once (on clay). be definitely happy,” said Di- Committee) and then take it All eyes were undoubtedly Chennai crowd. With his spiky a mere six minutes under four In the process, both got to vij. “But, having said that, up with the government, after on Becker that year. Despite hair and the traditional greet- hours to enter the ATP Tour their career-best rankings — Davis Cup is only for two to he returns from New Zealand. the considerable fan base here, ing which he performed at history as the longest three- Divij is World No. 63 and Purav three weeks. When we are “I am away in New it seemed to be the omnipres- every match to thank them setter at the time. 65. In fact, the ATP 250 win in playing Tour events, Chal- Zealand, on a personal issue ence of the cows that fascin- with, he had the crowds eating Nadal clinched it 6-7, 7-6, Mexico, the three semifinal lengers, Slams, we are still rep- relating to my family. I ated him. out of his hands. 7-6. finishes and two Challenger resenting India and we understand that the “Everything’s happening on But this was a match he lost. Oh, and, Nadal features in wins on grass all came in a two- proudly do that.” government has suspended the roads,” he had said then. To the other perennial crowd four of the top-40 longest ten- month window, from mid-June “We have to win more ATP the Indian Olympic “People eat, sleep, cook, fight... favourite Carlos Moya. A two- nis matches of all time. He has to mid-August. QUIET ACHIEVERS: Divij Sharan and Purav Raja won the ATP 250 tournaments to get there,” said Association due to the conferment of the life time Cows too live on the roads.” hour and forty-five minute now added Moya, his one- “Yeah,” replied Purav when event in Los Cabos, Mexico, apart from four Challengers in Purav. “You have to be the best It is reported that he was humdinger ended 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 time mentor on the Tour, to asked if the lack of recognition team in the country. But the presidency to Mr. Suresh 2016. — PHOTO : S.R. RAGHUNATHAN amused to find that cows also in the Spaniard’s favour. his coaching team. was disappointing. “But it’s up whole year doesn’t revolve Kalmadi and to Mr. Abhay walked the practice courts. By the end of that year, Big serve wins to you guys,” he said with a “Winning five to six tourna- “We are very diferent in around Davis Cup.” Singh Chautala. Perhaps it was bovine inter- Srichaphan would go on to Milos Raonic vs. Janko laugh. “We can only do things ments in a year is what the top what we do, and yet we com- That quest can start in earn- “The IOA is a body that has vention that disrupted his spend a week as a Buddhist Tipsarevic (2012, final) with the racquet. I don’t know guys do,” he said. “We never plement each other well,” ex- est at the Aircel Chennai Open to function under the practice and caused him to monk, in safron drape and Milos Raonic is a Wimble- what more it takes. [The had a barren period. In our last plained Purav. “Doubles has where they have been drawn to guidance and supervision of eventually lose 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in with tonsured head. don finalist now. But he was terms] ‘stellar year’ and ‘no re- tournament of the year, we become a two-three shot game. meet Leander Paes and his OCA and IOC. On my return in the second round to French- Mentor and protege only 21 years old then, and cognition’ don’t go together.” made the final. Three weeks Being a left-right combination Brazilian partner Andre Sa in the New Year I shall discuss man Solves. Rafael Nadal vs. Carlos ‘ATP Newcomer of 2011’. “It’s definitely been the best before that we won in Pune. helps. Whatever we hide we the first round. The target for this issue with the OCA/IOC But then, what is a sporting Moya (2008, semifinal) More than anything, he was year for us,” said Divij. “Having Three weeks before that we hide, and whatever we can the season is to finish in the after their offices open in the event without shocking To snap easy is anathema to best known for his big serve had some success in the past, it won Los Cabos. It’s always magnify we magnify.” top-30. New Year for their guidance upsets? Spanish tennis. Slide, stretch that rings like a gunshot. wasn’t new. But we believe that been back to back-to-back.” “It’s not easy to find a part- “It’s not very distant in terms and advice, and thereafter Clash of the crowd fa- or fall, the doughty Spaniards He hit 35 aces to Tipsarev- we now have the game to chal- Intrinsic to any successful ner whom you can gel with and of points,” Purav felt. “If we take this up with the vourites try push a rally until their legs ic’s eight in his 6-7, 7-6, 7-6 lenge the players at the top.” doubles unit is the chemistry go through the grind with. play the right tournaments in government to see how this Carlos Moya vs. Paradorn fall of. win. What made the season spe- between the two players. That’s the toughest part in the right weeks, with a few issue can be resolved,” the Srichaphan (2005, final) Not surprisingly, when one It was only his second ca- cial, according to Purav, was Purav and Divij seem to be doubles now. It’s a thankless good wins and some better ten- release said. — Sports Bureau It was the Thai star’s fourth Spanish champion’s path reer title. their level of consistency. blessed with it. sport. It’s a losing sport. You nis, it’s very achievable.”

CRICKET Kiwis cruise to an eight- win NELSON: Captain Kane William- out with Williamson, who es- son and Neil Broom both flir- chewed the chance to score his SCOREBOARD ted with centuries as New Zea- ninth one-day century in order land cruised to an eight-wicket to wrap up victory instead. Bangladesh: T. Iqbal c Broom b victory over Bangladesh in New Zealand was rarely Neesham 59, I. Kayes c Broom b their third One-Day Interna- troubled in the run chase, Southee 44, S. Rahman c Ronchi b tional to complete a 3-0 series though faced injury concerns Henry 19, Mahmudullah c Nee- sweep at Saxton Oval on with Martin Guptill having to sham b Southee 3, Shakib Al Hasan Saturday. retire hurt after he pulled up run out 18, M. Hossain lbw b Williamson (95 ) while running an easy single. Jeetan 11, N. Hasan c & b Henry 44, combined with Broom in a 179- T. Haider b Williamson 3, M. run partnership that was Good start wasted Mortaza c Patel b Santner 14, T. broken when the recalled The visitors would rue Ahmed (not out) 4, M. Rahman Broom was caught for 97, as wasting their good start when (not out) 0; Extras (b-1, lb-7, w-9): the host cruised to 239 for two they lost Imrul in the 22nd 17; Total (for nine wkts. in 50 in 41.2 overs. The visitors had over and scored just 39 runs in overs): 236. wasted a century opening the next nine overs, while los- Fall of : 1-102, 2-127, 3- stand between Tamim Iqbal ing three wickets, and left too 133, 4-141, 5-168, 6-170, 7-179, 8- (59) and Imrul Kayes (44) to much for the lower-middle or- 212, 9-229. reach a below-par 236 for nine der and bowlers to do. New Zealand bowling: Southee in their 50 overs. Nurul Hasan scored an en- 10-2-45-1, Jeetan 10-0-40-1, Henry Jimmy Neesham was 28 not tertaining 44. — Reuters 8-0-53-2, Neesham 4-0-28-1, Sant- ner 10-0-38-2, Williamson 8-1-24-1. New Zealand: M. Guptill retd. hurt 6, T. Latham lbw b Mustafizur 4, K. Williamson (not out) 95, N. Broom c Mortaza b Mustafizur 97, J. Neesham (not out) 28; Extras (lb-3, w-6): 9; Total (for two wkts. in 41.2 overs): 239. Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-195. Bangladesh bowling: Mortaza 7-0-36-0, Mustafizur 9.2-2-32-2, Taskin 7-0-41-0, Shakib 8-0-55-0, Haider 2-0-20-0, Sabbir 3-0-20-0, Mosaddek 4-0-26-0, Mahmudullah 1-0-6-0. Toss: Bangladesh. Man-of-the-match: Kane LEADING FROM THE FRONT: New Zealand skipper Williamson. came up with a match-winning innings in the third ODI New Zealand wins by eight wick- against Bangladesh on Saturday. — PHOTO: AFP ets, sweeps series 3-0.

CM YK NOIDA/DELHI 18 | SPORT THE HINDU SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2017

Ashwin signs of ‘Glad I got a shot year’s best A match-up between equally consistent units after eight years’ DUBAI: R. Ashwin and Ravindra G. VISWANATH Jadeja held on to the top two Tamil Nadu’s pace attack has been more potent than Mumbai’s positions in the ICC Test NAGPUR: , who made bowlers rankings, while the AMOL KARHADKAR In fact, had it not been for a comeback to the Indian Test National team ended the year Abhishek Nayar’s vital contri- team after eight years against as the numero uno side in the RAJKOT: No Tamil Nadu bats- butions with the bat and ball, England at Mohali, said he’s latest list issued here. man features in the top-10 run- Mumbai would have enjoying the game, is in a happy Ashwin also continued to getters’ list in the ongoing struggled to first sail through space and that he’s never been lead the all-rounders’ table Ranji Trophy season, with to the knockouts and then worried about competition. Parthiv with no change among the top Kaushik Gandhi placed 11th. make it to the last four. replaced Bengal’s Wriddhiman five in the list. Jadeja remained For Mumbai, the season’s Despite the numbers being Saha after the first two Test at third spot. top run-getter is Shreyas Iyer stacked against them, Aditya matches at Rajkot and In the Test batsmen’s rank- at a distant 44th. The situation Tare’s boys will have history Visakhapatnam. ing, India skipper Virat Kohli doesn’t change much in the riding in their favour. “Honestly coming back to the ended the year at second posi- wicket-takers’ list Can ’s Indian team after eight years is tion, behind Australia captain either. K. Vignesh troop script Tamil Nadu’s first something very special. I waited Steve Smith. — PTI of Tamil Nadu is victory over the domestic gi- for a long time, scored runs and placed ninth, while ant away from home? We will kept wicket season after season. I Vijay Gohil occu- know the answer by January 5. am glad I got the opportunity to Delhi places third pies a lowly joint The teams (from): play in a Test match. Nothing 46th position. Tamil Nadu: Abhinav Mukund changes even now, I will be doing in National Despite the lack (capt.), Vijay Shankar, B. Aparajith, B. the same thing and not worry of individual bril- Indrajith, M. Kaushik Gandhi, Dinesh about selection. championship liance on a consist- Karthik (wk), N. Jagadeesan (wk), “I was never worried about ent basis, the most , K. Vignesh, T. Natarajan, competition also; there are 28 important bit for both teams is R. , , NEW DELHI: The Delhi women’s KEEPER OF FORTUNES: Tamil Nadu’s cause would be well-served if the pace trio of T. Natarajan, K. Vignesh and Aswin Crist rise to Ranji Trophy teams and so there they will face each other in the the occasion again, while Mumbai would look to the young Prithvi Shaw, seen with coach Chandrakant Pandit, to give it a sound Malolan Rangarajan, L. are 27 other keepers trying to get team placed third in the Na- semifinal from Sunday at the Suryaprakash, Ganga Sridhar Raju, tional Futsal championship at start in the semifinal beginning on New Year’s Day. — PHOTOS: R.V. MOORTHY into the Indian team. The Saurashtra Cricket Associ- M. Mohammed and L. Vignesh. competition will always be there. I the Sawai Man Singh Stadium ation stadium on the outskirts champion Mumbai has re- The opening combination will be interesting to see if the 25.70) and T. Natarajan (23 at Mumbai: (capt. & Indoor Complex in Jaipur. am enjoying my game and I feel I of the laid-back Kathiawari mained unbeaten in the tour- has been a big cause of con- TN think-tank persists with 29.95) delivering. wk), Praful Waghela, Shreyas Iyer, am in a happy space. I hope I Delhi lost 3-0 in the semi- city. nament so far, while Tamil cern. As a result, Prithvi Shaw, Gandhi as a makeshift opener On the other hand, with , , finals to Goa, but clinched the would be able to help Gujarat win.” That both have made it to Nadu has not been beaten the teenage prodigy, is set to or gives another go to L. leading pacer Dhawal Abhishek Nayar, Shardul Thakur, Bal- Parthiv further said he’s pleased third place with a 2-1 victory the last four without a stand- since it lost the tournament- make his First Class debut for Suryapprakash, who hasn’t Kulkarni missing a majority of winder Singh Sandhu, Tushar Desh- over Mumbai. with his performances in the three out performance by a batsman opener to Mumbai in Lahli al- Mumbai on Saturday, thus be- yet set the stage on fire. the season due to a knee in- pande, Royston Dias, Sufiyan Shaikh Tests against England. “I am happy Delhi had beaten Rajasthan or bowler throughout the sea- most three months ago. coming the seventh batsman The big diference between jury, Shardul Thakur, Tushar (wk), Vijay Gohil, Akshay Girap, 3-0, Madhya Pradesh 4-1 and with the way I made a comeback. son also indicates the collect- Teamwork is not the lone to be tried out as an opener. the teams has been the con- Deshpande and Balwinder Eknath Kerkar and Prithvi Shaw. They were not the easiest wickets lost to Maharashtra 3-0 in the ive performance, a must for common factor. They have Tamil Nadu has also sistency of Tamil Nadu’s pace Singh Sandhu have failed to Umpires: Virender Sharma and league phase of the Futsal to keep on, Mumbai and Chennai, brilliance in a team sport. been plagued by similar prob- struggled and used five difer- unit with K. Vignesh (37 wick- run through sides Abhijit Deshmukh. Match referee: especially on the last day. championship, a five-a-side No wonder defending lems as well. ent opening combinations. It ets at 19.83), Aswin Crist (34 at consistently. Sunil Chaturvedi. football competition in an in- “But I am experienced enough door arena. — Special not to worry about all things. I am Correspondent still working hard on my ’keeping. Even today I had an extended Jharkhand takes on Gujarat for a place in final Arlene should repeat session. There is not a ’keeper who has a hundred per cent record.” Humera fights MUMBAI: Trainer Pesi Shrof’s ward Ar- 5 KHEEM SINGH GOLD CUP lene, who is in great heart, should score When asked about the reward G. VISWANATH (1,400m), Maiden 4-y-o only, 4.15: tional performances that have The VCA Stadium an encore in the Velvet Rope Trophy, the for playing First Class cricket for past Shreya raised the value quotient of the 1. Brothersofthewind (3) Srinath main event of Sunday’s (Jan. 1) races here. 56, 2. Dhishoom (10) Pereira 56, 3. eight years, Parthiv said: “The NAGPUR: Gujarat and Jharkhand Ranji Trophy. pitch could be Rails will be placed 6 metres away from Pacific Dunes (8) Santosh 56, 4. domestic tournaments are very its original point from 1400m to 1200m CHANDIGARH: Top seed Humera have given India’s First Class Gujarat, though it won only of assistance to Ridgewood Star (4) S.J. Sunil 56, 5. important, no doubt. If you keep and 11 metres away from 800m upto the Signor (1) Trevor 56, 6. Spiridon Shaik had to fight her way past cricket a big image makeover, two matches in the league winning post. performing, people will take notice by reaching the upper echel- stage, saw its fortunes go up seamers from (7) C.S. Jodha 56, 7. Wild Jack (9) J. Shreya Tatavarthy 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 1 Chinoy 56, 8. Allegria (11) Bhawani of it. Whenever I had a good ons of the Ranji Trophy, and with its top order in Priyank GREAT GUNS PLATE in the second qualifying round both sides (1,400m) Cl. V, rated 1 to 26, 2.15 54.5, 9. Firenze (6) Neeraj 54.5, 10. season, I have had my of the girls’ section in the ITF the two will lock horns at the Panchal and Samit Gohil and p.m: 1. Cristo Boss (7) A. Gaikwad Smokey Haze (2) S. Amit 54.5 and opportunities playing for India-A or old VCA Stadium at Civil the middle order in Bhargav cumstances, Tiwary would 59, 2. Royal Mews (5) Trevor 59, 3. 11. Sweet Temptation (5) Sandesh grade-3 junior tennis tourna- 54.5. a Duleep Trophy. If I could inspire a Lines from New Year’s Day for Merai, Parthiv and Manpreet again rely on seamer Rahul Vinny The Few (4) S. Sunil 59, 4. ment at the CLTA Complex Top Wizard (1) Ajinkya 56, 5. Eagle 1. Sweet Temptation, 2. Wild couple of them, I will be very here on Saturday. a place in the final to be played Juneja scoring heavily in the Shukla and trusted left-arm Spirit (3) B. Nikhil 55.5, 6. Resilient Jack, 3. Firenze happy for all the hard work I have at Indore. league and the quarterfinal spinner Shabhaz Nadeem (50 The results (qualifying event): (6) Sandesh 54 and 7. Silver Edge 6 RACE OF HOPE TROPHY done.” For long the western India against Odhisha. wickets) to deliver. (2) Nazil 53. (1,200m), Cl. III, rated 40 to 66, Boys: Second round: Sagar 1. Cristo Boss, 2. Top Wizard Bains bt Rudraksha Rishi Mitra 6-1, State has been on the peri- The pitch has tended to as- 4.45: 1. An Jolie (2) J. Chinoy 60, 2. 6-0; Rithvik Choudary Bollipalli bt phery, powerless as it was to Compensation sist the seamers in recent 2 PRADEEP VIJAYKAR Turf Dancer (10) C.S. Jodha 60, 3. TROPHY (Div. II) (1,400m), Cl. IV, Ancient Glory (6) Trevor 59.5, 4. Azzurro wins Sarvesh Maria 6-0, 6-3. match the skills and other es- Gujarat’s depth has times — Shardul Thakur, Flamboyant Flame (5) Sandesh 58, sentials required for a team to largely compensated its thin and Ashoke rated 20 to 46, 2.45: 1. Jeena (6) Ashutosh Tiwari bt Prabhav Agar- Mosin 59, 2. Diwali Lights (2) Da- 5. Beach Game (4) Nazil 56.5, 6. BENGALURU: Magical Dancer (3) Daman 56.5, 7. Azzurro (Suraj Narredu wal 7-5, 1-6, 6-4; Sumitpal Singh bt make an impact and stake a bowling resources that is Dinda bagged a plenty in the man 58.5, 3. Hunting Pleasure (5) up) won the Chief Minister’s Trophy, claim for the title. driven by seamers Jasprit Mumbai-Bengal league match C.S. Jodha 58.5, 4. Aeolus Maximus Romantic Lass (8) Vishal 54, 8. Kanishk Pal 6-0, 6-0; Krishan Hooda Motherland (1) S. Amit 53, 9. Franz the chief event of the races held here Of and on, Gujarat has Bumrah and Rush Kalaria and — and that would be lot of en- (9) J. Chinoy 57.5, 5. Relentless Pur- on Saturday (Dec. 31). The winner is bt Lakshay Gupta 7-6(2), 6-4; Drona suit (3) Trevor 57, 6. Koal (8) Parbat Ferdinand (9) Neeraj 50 and 10. made its presence felt by ex- left-arm spinner in Hardik Pa- couragement for the likes of Bidstone Hill (7) Zeeshan 49.5. owned by United Racing & Blood- 55.5, 7. Simona (1) S.J. Sunil 55, 8. stock Breeders Ltd. rep. by Mr. & Mrs. Walia bt Neeraj Yashpaul 6-4, 7-6(5); 1. Franz Ferdinand, 2. Ancient Atharva Sharma bt Bikramjeet Singh celling in limited over tourna- tel. Bumrah, R.P. Singh and Asahi (7) Sandesh 55 and 9. Angel Vijay Mallya and trained by S. ments, contributing to the ju- Though R.P. Singh has Kalaria. Of Love (4) Baria 52.5. Glory, 3. Turf Dancer Attaollahi. Chawla 6-7(0), 6-4, 6-3. 1. Aeolus Maximus, 2. Relent- nior Indian teams and with an played only three matches so The teams (from): 7 ALMA MATER PLATE The results: R.P. Singh. — FILE PHOTO less Pursuit, 3. Asahi First round: Naresh Badgujar bt enterprising cricketer like far, skipper Parthiv Patel hin- Gujarat: Parthiv Patel (captain & (1,000m), Cl. V, rated 1 to 26, 5.15: 1. 1. GLASS HOUSE PLATE Ayush Deswal 6-1, 3-6, 7-5; Rudrak- 3 VELVET ROPE TROPHY Multistar (9) Ajinkya 61, 2. Apple (1,100m), maiden 2-y-o only, (Terms): Parthiv Patel making further ted that the former Uttar Pra- with three centuries and wk), Priyank Panchal, Samit Gohil, Betty (1) Bhawani 60, 3. Pad- Turf Star (Suraj Narredu) 1, Chem- sha Rishi Mitra bt Sahishnu Sharma headway by playing for the desh seamer would be a sure seasoned campaigner Ishant , Manprit Juneja, Rujul (2,000m), Cl. I, rated 80 and up- 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-3; Sagar Bains bt ward, 3.15: 1. Jack Frost (1) Daman makosa (12) Santosh 60, 4. Fash- ical Romance (Jagadeesh) 2, Maybe country. shot selection for the Jaggi has 760 with three cen- Bhatt, , Rush Kalaria, ionable Gait (11) C.S. Jodha 59.5, 5. Forever (A. Ramu) 3 and Desert Fal- Ameetesh Saxena 6-1, 6-0. 61.5, 2. Remember Me (4) J. Chinoy Jharkhand’s case has been semifinal. turies and as many half centur- Mehul Patel, Karan Patel, Hardik Pa- 54, 3. Commodore (2) Sandesh 51 Pure Sin (4) Sandesh 59, 6. Knight con (P.S. Chouhan) 4. 3/4, 5 and 3. 1m At Arms (5) B. Nikhil 58.5, 7. Rare 06.99s. Rs. 19 (w), 12, 13 and 32 (p), Sarvesh Maria bt Avik Chaudhery peculiar. Carved out of Bihar Jharkhand, which won five ies. tel, Chintan Gala, Dhriv Raval, Jasprit and 4. Arlene (3) Trevor 50. Arlene Silver (3) Raghuveer 58, 8. Black SHP: Rs. 32, FP: Rs. 34, Q: Rs. 18, 6-1, 6-2; Prabhav Agarwal bt Harshit 16 years ago, it has given India league matches, topped Group Batsmen like captain Bumrah and Rudra Pratap Singh. Jaguar (13) S. Kamble 57.5, 9. Trinella: Rs. 242 and Rs. 244, Exacta: Selvaraj 6-1, 6-3; Ashutosh Tiwari bt the phenomenal Mahendra ‘B’ with 39 points and scored Tiwary, Kaushal Singh and Jharkhand: Saurabh Tiwary (cap- 4 PRADEEP VIJAYKAR Country’s Empress (10) Ayyar Rs. 1,139 and Rs. 374. Favourite: Turf Star. Owner: Mr. A.K. Jaiswal. Sidharth Nijhawan 6-1, 6-1; Sumitpal Singh Dhoni and thereafter an emphatic victory over Virat Singh have the ability to tain), (wk), Ishank TROPHY (Div. I) (1,400m), Cl. IV, 57.5, 10. Ettihaad (6) Shahrukh 57.5, Singh bt Hari Chandan Tata 6-1, 6-1; rated 20 to 46, 3.45: 1. Sawgrass (5) 11. Bohemian (14) Daman 57, 12. Trainer: Mahmood Khan. Saurabh Tiwary and Ishan Haryana in the quarterfinals, make Jharkhand a real com- Jaggi, Virat Singh, Anand Singh, Santosh 60.5, 2. Sensex (6) Trevor Glorious Gift (8) Parbat 56.5, 13. 2. SPLENDID ROLE PLATE Kanishk Pal bt Ritik Rana 4-6, 6-3, Kishan. started its preparations on petitor against Gujarat’s seam Kaushal Singh, Pratyush Singh, Rahul 59.5, 3. Fringe Benefit (4) Joseph 59, Rich N Rare (7) S. Amit 56.5 and 14. (Div. II), (1,200m), rated 15 to 35: Girl 6-3; Krishan Hooda bt Gaurang Thursday and practised for al- attack. Shukla, Jaskaran Singh, Ajay Yadav, 4. Dancing Lord (3) Sandesh 58.5, 5. Olivia Kaspen (2) Merchant 52.5. With Pearl (A. Imran Khan) 1, Var- Mishra 6-4, 6-1. Rise in value quotient Glorious Hymn (10) S.J. Sunil 58, 6. 1. Pure Sin, 2. Multistar, 3. sha (Jagadeesh) 2, Jayadratha most three hours on Saturday. While Jharkhand has the Vikash Singh, Shabhaz Nadeem, Godsent (7) Srinath 57.5, 7. Speed Fashionable Gait (Srinath) 3 and Scorching (Rayan Lakshay Gupta bt Saarang Phad- The meteoric rise in the The East Zone side has batting depth, it does seem to Samar Quadri, Sunny Gupta, Sumit Of Sound (1) A. Gaikwad 57.5, 8. Day’s Best: Arlene. Ahmed) 4. Not run: Kristine. 1, 3 and nis 6-3, 6-3; Drona Walia bt Dheeraj popularity of the game in these plenty of flair to make the en- be short in the seam depart- Kumar Ventura (8) D.A. Naik 57, 9. Cen- Double: Sweet Temptation — 6-1/4. 1m 14.26s. Rs. 48 (w), 15, 19 and Kodancha 6-3, 6-3; Neeraj Yashpaul and other parts of the country tertainment index rise; not ment, especially after Ashish Umpires: K.N. Ananthapadman- taurus (2) Baria 56 and 10. Stormy Franz Ferdinand 12 (p), SHP: Rs. 45, FP: Rs. 370, Q: Rs. abhan and J. Madanagopal. Match Princess (9) B. Nikhil 56. Jackpot: 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7. Treble: 5, 6 & 190, Trinella: Rs. 1,022 and Rs. 349, bt Bhupender Dahiya 6-2, 1-6, 6-1; has resulted in many young even 19, left-hander Ishan Kumar sufered a hip fracture 1. Dancing Lord, 2. Sawgrass, 3. 7. Tanala: All races. Super Jackpot: Exacta: Rs. 34,083 and Rs. 29,214. Fa- Bikramjeet Singh bt Aaryan Pandit cricketers producing sensa- Kishan has amassed 719 runs against Odhisha. In the cir- Refeee: Narayanan Kutty. Sensex 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7 vourite: Find. Owner: M.R. Stud 6-2, 6-2; Atharva Sharma bt Abhi- Farms Pvt. Ltd. rep. by Mr. N. Chandrashekar Rai. Trainer: manyu Rozra 7-5, 6-4. Prasanna Kumar. Girls: Second round: Humera 3. GHATAPRABHA PLATE Shaik bt Shreya Tatavarthy 6-2, 4-6, (1,400m), rated 00 to 20: Only Abhinav prefers to live in the present Prince (Suraj Narredu) 1, High Ad- 6-4; Harleen Kaur bt Geetam Mishra miral (A. Imran Khan) 2, Granada 6-1, 6-0; Yubrani Banerjee bt Radhika (T.S. Jodha) 3 and Fioroloco (Srinath) Yadav 6-2, 6-1; Anjali Mogili (US) bt AMOL KARHADKAR Tamil Nadu captain Abh- not beaten them in knock-outs tion rather than opponents in a We are just 4. 1-1/2, 2-1/4 and 3-3/4. 1m 26.78s. Rs. Ishita Singh 6-4, 6-4; Gauri Bhagia bt inav Mukund preferred to live or something like that). It is a young team. 44 (w), 17, 16 and 31 (p), SHP: Rs. 48, going to go out FP: Rs. 162, Q: Rs. 74, Trinella: Rs. 879 Sanjeevani Patil 6-3, 6-3. RAJKOT: Going by the strength in the present after his team’s fresh start, new ball, new “The good thing about this and Rs. 429, Exacta: Rs. 1,327 and Rs. First round: Shreya bt Kaavya of the opposition, Tamil last training session here. wicket and new team. team is that we are not too there and do 360. Favourite: High Admiral. Owner: Sawhney 7-5, 7-5; Ashpreet Kaur Ba- Nadu’s quarterfinal against “History is what other players “We are just going to go out worried about the opponents Mrs. Isha Saandesh Nayak. Trainer: Karnataka last week could have played. there and do whatever we can because most of them haven’t whatever we can do Sriram Komandur. jwa bt Konika Singh Dhull 6-0, 6-1; 4. SPLENDID ROLE PLATE Simran Pritam bt Lagan Bidhan 5-7, well have been dubbed as the “This is a fresh start,” he do best.” played such opponents before best. (Div. I), (1,200m), rated 15 to 35: Saga 6-1, 6-3. summit clash by the said, when told that the team The leadership group of Ab- and I am quite pleased with the (Srinath) 1, Red Galileo (A. Imran staunchest of its supporters. has not registered an outright hinav, head coach Hrishikesh fact that we were up against Khan) 2, Bellerophon (Cedric Radhika bt Ishika Yadav 6-1, 6-0; Segeon) 3 and Bluebird (Mark) 4. 2, Richa Chougule bt Saisha Khanna After stunning Karnataka in- victory against Mumbai away Kanitkar and bowling coach L. quite a strong Karnataka team form of most Mumbai regu- 2-1/2 and 1-3/4. 1m 13.76s. Rs. 42 (w), 6-3, 6-2; Ishita bt Tanya Palta 6-1, side two days, Tamil Nadu from home. Balaji, with the aid of a senior and I think we did not play the lars, perhaps it will serve 15, 15 and 15 (p), SHP: Rs. 43, FP: Rs. 6-2; Sanjeevani bt Mrunmayee Bhag- now has to best domestic “A lot of people said this pro like , has players but played the game as Tamil Nadu better if it re- 124, Q: Rs. 57, Trinella: Rs. 133 and Rs. powerhouse Mumbai if it is to about Karnataka which I managed to inculcate the it was,” said Abhinav. verses the policy over the next 54, Exacta: Rs. 794 and Rs. 458. Fa- wat 6-3, 7-5. vourite: Red Galileo. Owner: Mr. S. Abhinav Mukund. — FILE PHOTO make the final. wasn’t aware of (that we had policy of playing the opposi- Considering the lacklustre five days. Pathy. Trainer: Arjun Mangalorkar. 5. NARASIMHARAJA TROPHY (1,400m), rated 45 to 65: FOOTBALL Summerhill (P. Trevor) 1, Sporting Taijul Islam in Pleasure (David Allan) 2, Alexandrite We have taken our (Jagadeesh) 3 and Topaz (Irvan Singh) 4. Not run: Anantara. Lnk, 3/4 Bangladesh’s and 3. 1m 26.02s. Rs. 54 (w), 18, 13 and Ranjan Chowdhury is 23 (p), SHP: Rs. 36, FP: Rs. 109, Q: Rs. batting to a diferent 35, Trinella: Rs. 412 and Rs. 229, Ex- T20 squad acta: Rs. 2,767 and Rs. 1,660. Favour- Mohd. Sporting coach ite: Sporting Pleasure. Owners: DHAKA: Bangladesh on Sat- United Racing & Bloodstock Breed- level, says Parthiv ers Ltd. rep. by Mr & Mrs. Vijay Mal- urday included spinner Taijul SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT Hindustan FC (New Delhi), lya. Trainer: S. Attaollahi. SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT not considered good, and so Islam in its 15-man squad for Neroca FC (Manipur) and city 6. CHIEF MINISTER’S we wanted our players to go the first Interna- KOLKATA: Mohammedan Sport- cousin Southern Samity in the TROPHY (2,000m), 3-y-o & over, NAGPUR: Gujarat skipper over 50, 60 and 70 and 100, like tional of a three-match series ing Club named Ranjan Chow- group-B league and will start (Terms): Azzurro (Suraj Narredu) 1, Captain Morgan (P. Trevor) 2, Chef Parthiv Patel attributed his Panchal’s and hence he is get- against New Zealand. dhury as the new coach on Sat- its campaign on January 21. D’ Oeuvre (Neeraj) 3 and Emperador team’s improved performance ting noticed. All-rounder Shuvagata urday replacing the incumbent Interestingly, Chowdhury (Zervan) 4. Shd, 7-1/2 and 3/4. 2m this season to the batsmen’s “This happens with other Hom joined Tajiul in Mridul Banerjee, ahead of its 03.84s. Rs. 16 (w), 12 and 20 (p), SHP: possesses an AFC B coaching Rs. 36, FP: Rs. 34, Q: Rs. 26, Trinella: ability to score big. outstanding teams. We told the Bangladesh’s two changes second division I-League cam- license while his assistant, Su- Rs. 49 and Rs. 22, Exacta: Rs. 99 and “We have always had a good players that they will get their from the squad which lost the paign. man Ghosal, has an A license Rs. 75. Favourite: Azzurro. Owners: United Racing & Bloodstock Breed- run in one-day matches and opportunities...8 to 10 innings,” recent three-match one-day Chowdhury, a former inter- and this queers the situation Twenty20. But in the Ranji added Parthiv. international series 3-0. ers Ltd. rep. by Mr. & Mrs. Vijay Mal- national and former assistant for the club. Former India goal- lya. Trainer: S. Attaollahi. Trophy we missed out nar- Jharkhand skipper Saurabh Leg-spinner Tanveer coach of East Bengal, had been keeper Naseem Akhtar will 7. MADHUGIRI PLATE rowly in the last four years, Tiwary gave credit to the en- Haider and all-rounder Me- in charge of Calcutta Football (1,600m), rated 30 to 50, 4-y-o & over: continue as the team’s goal- Exemplar (T.S. Jodha) 1, James either by being short on a few tire team. “This is a big occa- hedi Hasan made way for League club Tollygunge keeping coach while Dipendu points or on net run-rate. sion. We are in the semifinals Bond (Chetan Gowda) 2, Attractive Taijul and Shuvagata as Agragami earlier in the season. Biswas, who is now an MLA of Bay (K. Raghu) 3 and I’ve Got Clout “I think we always had a for the first time, thanks to the Bangladesh seeks its first vic- the ruling Trinamool Con- (P. Trevor) 4. 5-1/2, 3/4 and 1. 1m Controversy good team, but this year we team performance and the tory over the hosts at Napier gress, has also been retained as 37.77s. Rs. 36 (w), 15, 126 and 142 (p), have taken our batting to a dif- support staf. Shabhaz Nadeem on January 3. The decision has drawn SHP: Rs. 496, FP: Rs. 2,165, Q: Rs. 704, a player in the team. Trinella: Rs. 28,523 and Rs. 18,336, Ex- ferent level. Before the start of has taken plenty of wickets in Left-arm spinner Taijul is a some controversy as Banerjee acta: Rs. 1,24,870 (carried over). Fa- the season we discussed about the last two seasons. And now regular member of claimed that he was kept in the The squad: vourite: Exemplar. Owners: Mr. Prem big aggregates like what [Priy- we are only looking to perform Bangladesh’s Test squad and dark by the club about the new Goalkeepers:Shankar Roy, Sayan Kumar Menon, Mr. Vivek N. Rao, Mr. appointment. Banerjee — who Nikhil Yathiraj & Mr. Deepak Bakra- ank] Panchal has done this sea- in the semifinals.” played four ODIs, but he has Roy, Seikh Sadekuddin; Defenders: bail Rai. Trainer: Prasanna Kumar. son, not someone making 500 Tiwary said that Mahendra yet to make his debut in the is currently managing the Rana Gharami, Sourav Chakraborty, 8. GOMOS PLATE (1,400m), runs or thereabouts or a Singh Dhoni is not playing the game’s shortest format. Bengal team as its head coach Lancine Toure (Ivory Coast), Sonam rated 15 to 35: Lamrei (Srinath) 1, bowler taking 30 wickets. match because he’s retired Bangladesh will also play two in the ongoing Santosh Trophy Chong Sherpa, Nitesh Chikara, Pranjit Little Love (R. Manish) 2, Valentine Babe (Jagadeesh) 3 and Call Me “I think we have ticked all from . “But he Tests against New Zealand. East Zone qualifiers — said he Lama Tamang, Kamran Farooque, Maybe (A. Imran Khan) 4. 5, 3/4 and those boxes. And that’s the mentors the team. Whenever The team: got the consent of the club oi- Namgyal Barfungpa; Midfielders: Nose. 1m 27.06s. Rs. 37 (w), 14, 92 and reason we are here and we practise at Ranchi, and if he Mashrafe Mortaza (capt.), Tamim cials before taking up the job of Mumtaz Akhter, Dipankar Das, Kunal 50 (p), SHP: Rs. 366, FP: Rs. 3,263, Q: moreover this team has been is there, he will have a one-to- Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Soumya Sarkar, coaching the state team. Rs. 1,025, Trinella: Rs. 14,259 and Rs. Ghosh, Rochhingpuia, Seikh Faiaz, Di- 9,166, Exacta: Rs. 2,80,685 (carried together for six or seven years one talk with the players. Sabbir Rahman, Mohammad Mah- Chowdhury will start his pendu Dowari, Atinder Mani, Vanla- over) and Rs. 60,147. Favourite: May- and so they know their game. Maybe he will talk to the coach mudullah, Shakib Al Hasan, Mosad- new assignment on Monday, bia, Parminder Singh, Imran Khan; weather. Owners: Mr. Rajan Aggar- “We had bits and pieces per- [Rajeev Kumar]. dek Hossain, Rubel Hossain, Taskin barely three weeks ahead of Forwards: Leonce Dodoz (Ivory wal & Gautam Agarwal. Trainer: G. formances, we did not have “I do not know if he is com- Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shuvag- Sporting’s second division I- Coast), Alaxandre Tabillon (France), Sandhu. Jackpot: Rs. 7,559 (75 tkts.); Runner- someone playing it really big in ing to Nagpur, only the man- ata Hom, Subashis Roy, Taijul Islam League campaign. Sporting Manvir Singh, Dipendu Biswas, Aamir up: Rs. 815 (298 tkts.); Treble (i): Rs. the season. An average of 35 is ager will know,” said Tiwary. and Nurul Hasan. — AFP finds itself in the company of Hossain, Rajkumar Saradar. 567 (32 tkts.); (ii): Rs. 150 (225 tkts.).

CM ND-ND YK NOIDA/DELHI | THE HINDU SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2017 SPORT 19 The world’s best come calling Chasing the All England dream, Marin spearheads Hunters’ challenge against Sindhu’s Smashers says Jan O Jorgensen V.V. S UBRAHMANYAM Winning the ded Jorgensen. V.V. S UBRAHMANYAM these champions on current silver medallist and men’s On the status of the sport form. Despite PBL being a Hyderabad leg doubles specialist Tan Wee HYDERABAD: World No. 2 Jan O 2016 back home in Denmark, he HYDERABAD: For the connois- team event, that these great schedule Kiong, 2016 Hong Kong Open Jorgensen of Denmark is now Super Series is the said, “We are glad that some seurs, there can’t be better of- names in contemporary bad- finalist Sameer Verma and chasing a dream — to win the radio stations and other spon- ferings than the two high-pro- minton grab the headlines is a ț On Sunday: Hyderabad local boy B. Sai Praneeth. All England cham- biggest thing to have sors have been promoting it in file contests scheduled for the reminder of not just the pop- Hunters vs. Chennai “Obviously, it will be a great pionship next year. happened to me. a big way. We hope to see new Hyderabad leg of the 2017 ularity of the game but also the Smashers, 7 p.m.; Followed match between Marin and The 28-year-old Jorgensen, talent emerge in the days to urgency of by Bengaluru Blasters vs. Sindhu. But, I believe the res- the contemporary face of Dan- come.” (PBL) commencing at the the 11-point Delhi Acers. ult at the end of the tie will ish badminton in men’s singles ently on the world badminton On the PBL, Jorgensen felt Gachibowli Indoor Stadium format. matter the most. along with World No. 3 Viktor map,” said Jorgensen. that it was the kind of event the ț here on Sunday. Interest- On Monday: Hyderabad “We, as a team, will look for- Axelsen, acknowledges that it “My biggest target now is to sport badly needs in terms of Olympics gold medallist ingly, Hy- Hunters vs. Awadhe Warriors. ward to performing together is a highly competitive circuit win the All England champi- promotion and also presenting Carolina Marin will spearhead derabad’s rather than rest on private and one has to be at his best to Jan O Jorgensen. onship next year. That is one players with huge Hyderabad Hunters’s chal- Sindhu will be playing “away everyone will need to be at laurels as our main aim is to be at the top. — PHOTO: K.V.S. GIRI title I am really looking for- opportunities. lenge against Rio Games silver from home” for the Chennai their physical best to win the win the title and not just shine “For me the biggest chal- ward to and then only think of “The points format is difer- medallist P.V. Sindhu’s Chen- outfit and Marin will be on league,” said Rivas. individually. lenge this year was to over- gold medallist is other events,” he said. ent but definitely exciting. I nai Smashers in the first match Sindhu’s “home turf”. “The 11-point game format “Of course, individual per- come a serious hip injury. I am something that I will cherish Jorgensen felt that waning am eagerly waiting to play on Sunday in front of what is just adds to the challenges we formance would count, but as glad that I found a way out of for long,” added the Dane. Chinese domination doesn’t here,” Jorgensen said. expected to be a sell-out Spanish touch are going to face in the course a team our main focus would that phase,” said Jorgensen, “There is no doubt about the necessarily mean the end for On Indian badminton, the crowd. There will be a Spanish of the tournament where the be to translate that into a col- who will be playing for Delhi great ’s influence that country. “There are still star Danish player felt that On Monday, World No. 10 touch to the home team’s cam- games are going to be thick lective success and go past the Acers in the Premier Badmin- on the sport back home. I was some great players like Chen Saina Nehwal was an example Saina Nehwal, representing paign too as coach Fernando and fast, but I’m very confid- finish line,” Rivas said. ton League starting here from lucky to be coached by him Long, who I feel is the best for others like P.V. Sindhu to Awadhe Warriors, will face of Rivas, who trains Marin, will ent that the team will rise to The six-team league prom- Sunday. sometime back. We have had now. Lin Dan even at this age is take a cue from. “There is against Marin. be guiding Hunters’ fortunes. the occasion and come out ises exciting fare here before it “Winning the 2016 China some great players whom we very dangerous. There are a Sameer [Verma] who looks These two classic contests “We have been training victorious.” moves to Mumbai, Lucknow, Open Super Series is the always looked up in awe like few young Chinese players good,” added Jorgensen of the should ensure a perfect start to really hard for this tourna- Besides the classy Marin, and Bengaluru. biggest thing to have Frost, and then . I coming up. But it is important Indian whom he had lost to in the league even while provid- ment. The short duration of Hunters also have England No. Delhi will host the semi- happened to me. Beating a am naturally happy we are to note that other countries the 2016 Hong Kong Open ing a hint of the gap between the event also means that 1 Rajiv Ouseph, 2016 Olympics finals and the final. great player like Rio Olympics keeping our country consist- have started catching up,” ad- semifinals. Thomas on a high Willian extends Chelsea run; Pogba sinks Boro GENERAL LOS ANGELES: Isaiah Thomas scored a career-high 52 points, LONDON: Willian scored twice as in a contentious incident late in ‘Arise Sir Andy, Sir Mo’ including 29 in the fourth Chelsea claimed a record- the first half. LONDON: Andy Murray received 11th Paralympic gold in eques- quarter, as Boston Celtics beat equalling 13th consecutive Leaping to meet Anthony a knighthood in Queen Eliza- trian in Rio, was also knighted, Miami Heat 117-114 on Friday. league victory by beating Stoke Martial’s left-wing cross, the beth II’s New Year’s Honours while Damehoods went to Thomas’s performance ec- City 4-2 on Saturday to provi- Swede jabbed the ball past goal- List on Friday, recognition for heptathlete Jessica Ennis-Hill lipsed his previous single sionally move nine points clear keeper Victor Valdes at the near winning his second Wimble- and rower Katherine game high of 44, set 10 days at the summit. post, only for referee Lee Mason don and Olympic titles on his Grainger. earlier. Stoke twice hit back to level to rule it out. way to topping the rankings. Ennis-Hill added silver in He also outscored the entire after falling behind at Stamford United’s players, and Jose Joining Murray was Mo Farah, Rio to her gold at London, as Miami starting lineup 52-51. Bridge, but Willian’s second Mourinho, contested the de- who retained his 5,000 and did Grainger, who came out of In Houston, James Harden goal and a late Diego Costa cision, and there was worse to 10,000m titles at the Summer retirement to compete in the collected his seventh triple strike saw Chelsea match Ar- come when Grant Leadbitter Olympics. double sculls alongside Vicky double of the season to lead senal’s run of drilled Boro in front from Al- Lee Pearson, who won his Thornley. — AP Houston Rockets to a 140-116 13 wins within varo Negredo’s knock-down in win over Los Angeles Clip- the same sea- the 67th minute. pers, which lost both head son from 2001- Champion Leicester City coach Doc Rivers and his son 02. Manchester United came beat West Ham United 1-0 cour- Austin to ejections in the first perilously close to seeing its tesy of Islam Slimani’s 20th- Indian boys clinch title half. own winning streak end, only minute header. DOHA: The Indian boys had beating Hong Kong, Qatar and Houston’s second-year for- for late goals by Anthony Mar- The results: Burnley 4 (Gray 31, little diiculty in outplaying Jordan by 3-0 margins. It over- ward Montrezl Harrell scored tial and Paul Pogba to secure a 51, 53, Barnes 67-pen) bt Sunderland Uzbekistan 2-0 in the final of whelmed Sri Lanka 2-0 in the a career-high 29 points of the 2-1 home win over 1 (Defoe 71); Chelsea 4 (Cahill 34, the Asia junior under-14 Cup semifinals. bench to fuel Houston’s win Middlesbrough. Willian 57, 65, Costa 85) bt Stoke 2 at the Khalifa Tennis Complex The other group featured over the Clippers at Toyota It was sixth-place United’s (Martins Indi 46, Crouch 64). here on Friday. Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, Saudi Center. fifth straight league win and Leicester 1 (Slimani 20) bt West Captain Sajid Lodi said it Arabia and Qatar-B. The results: Golden State 108 bt took it to within a point of Ham 0; Manchester United 2 (Mar- was a convincing performance Aaryan Zaveri and Jaishvin Dallas 99, Philadelphia 124 bt Denver fourth-place Arsenal. THAT WINNING FEELING: Chelsea players swarm over Willian after the Brazilian scored his second tial 85, Pogba 86) bt Middlesbrough by the four-member team and Sidana were the other mem- 122, San Antonio 110 bt Portland 94, Chelsea welcomed back and the team’s third against Stoke City on Saturday. — PHOTO: AFP 1 (Leadbitter 67); Southampton 1 the title helped it win hospital- bers of the team, apart from New Orleans 104 bt NY Knicks 92, N’Golo Kante and Costa from (Long 41) lost to West Brom 2 (Phil- ity to witness the ATP Qatar Dev Javia and V.M. Sandeep Houston 140 bt LA Clippers 116, Min- suspension for the visit of Stoke second half, slotting in after level again in the 64th minute. of the glory years of the watch- lips 43, Robson-Kanu 50). Open next week. who featured in the final. nesota 116 bt Milwaukee 99. and took a 33rd-minute lead Peter Crouch nodded down But Willian put Chelsea back in ing Alex Ferguson to continue Swansea 0 lost to Bournemouth 3 The Indian boys did not The results (final): Atlanta 105 bt Detroit 98, Boston when Gary Cahill headed in a Charlie Adam’s free-kick. After front a minute later and Costa’s its recent upturn. (Afobe 25, Fraser 45+1, King 88); Hull drop a match in the tourna- India bt Uzbekistan 2-0 (Dev Javia 117 bt Miami 114, Washington 118 bt corner from Cesc Fabregas. Willian had restored the hosts’ late strike sealed victory. But it had to do it the hard 2 (Dawson 6, Snodgrass 64) drew ment featuring eight teams in- bt Aziz Dadabaev 6-2, 6-1; V.M. Brooklyn 95, Indiana 111 bt Chicago Bruno Martins Indi equalised lead, lashing in from Eden Haz- At Old Traford, United pro- way, with Ibrahimovic initially with Everton 2 (Marshall 45+1-og, cluding, host Qatar. Sandeep bt David Bagrinovskiy 6-3, 101. — Agencies within seconds of kick-of in the ard’s lay-of, Crouch drew Stoke duced a comeback reminiscent denied an 18th goal of the season Barkley 84). — AFP India had topped its group, 6-2). — Sports Bureau NOIDA/DELHI 20 | LIFE THE HINDU SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2017 Post-mortem examination of George Michael ‘inconclusive’, say police Post-mortem examination of the body of pop icon George Michael, who died on Christmas Dayafter a chart-topping career, has proved “inconclusive”, police said on Friday. They said earlier that they were treating his death as “unexplained but not suspicious”.

STAR TREK British-Indian Would have done ‘shady’ film if not for Gangster ational Award-winning actor Kangana Ranaut, who made her debut in Bollywood with 2006 romantic crime drama film NGangster, says if she had not got this offer, she would have started her career with a shady film. Talking about the turning points knighted in in her career, Kangana said on a TV show: “I think the first ever [film] would be the break I got from Gangster.. Because I remember getting a very shady offer, I think it was not a right movie. But I was like, ‘Okay, fine, I’ll do it.’” She added: “And then I 2017 honours did a photo shoot and then they gave me a robe and there was nothing inside it. And it looked like some adult film or something Cambridge professor recognised and I was like, ‘This doesn’t look right.” So did she walk out or do that film? Kangana for his work on DNA sequencing said: “No, but then I got Gangster and I’m like ‘I’ll do that film.’ Then my producer got LONDON: Shankar Balasub- furious and I was in trouble for some time ramanian, an Indian-origin as I abandoned that project. If I would British professor of chem- have not gotten Gangster, I am sure I istry and DNA expert at would have done that film.” — IANS Cambridge University, has received a Knighthood along with Olympic stars Andy HBO moves up film on Fisher and Reynolds Murray and Mo Farah among BO announced on Friday that it was moving up the debut of others by Queen Elizabeth II Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, a for their contributions. Hdocumentary about the daughter and mother who died this Mr. Balasubramanian (50), week. The film was to air in the Herchel Smith Professor of spring; it will now be shown on Medicinal Chemistry at HBO next Saturday night. The Cambridge University, has Professor Shankar documentary, directed by Alexis been recognised for his work Balasubramanian. Bloom and Fisher Stevens, had its as a co-inventor of Next Gen- — PHOTO: THE BALASUBRAMANIAN GROUP première this year at the Cannes eration DNA sequencing, de- Film Festival. A review in The scribed as the most trans- becomes a Dame. Hollywood Reporter praised it as formational advance in A host of other Indian-ori- “warmly engaging” and added that biology and medicine for gin professionals are also in- “the tremendous affection evident decades. cluded in the honours list, in- from the film-makers for their subjects is quite contagious.” Sheila “Solexa sequencing, as it is cluding Knights Nevins, the president for documentary and family programming at now known, allows an indi- Commander of the Order of HBO, said that after Fisher’s death on Tuesday, it seemed appropriate vidual genome to be se- the British Empire for to show the film on Mother’s Day, “for Debbie.” But after Reynolds’ quenced in a day or two at a Hardip Singh Begol of the death the next day, and the public outpouring that followed, the logic cost of less than 1,000 U.K.’s Department for Edu- for moving it up changed. — New York Times News Service pounds; previously, sequen- cation for services to educa- cing the human genome took tion; Kamaldeep Singh Bhui, years of work and cost bil- Professor of cultural psychi- Aniston’s getaway therapy to save marriage lions,” his citation reads. atry and epidemiology at “More recently, he has Queen Mary University of ctors Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux are reportedly trying made major contributions to London for services to men- to fix their broken marriage. Aniston is planning a getaway understanding the role of tal health research and care. Awith her husband to save their marriage. “The honeymoon has DNA-quadruplexes in can- Neena Gill, Member of the been over for a while. Less than two years after Jennifer Aniston and cer and invented a method European Parliament for the Justin Theroux said ‘I do’, they are for the sequencing of epigen- West Midlands for parlia- already feeling the strain in their etic modifications,” it reads. mentary and political ser- marriage,” a source told OK! Murray, Farah and British vice, Ravindra Pragji Govin- Magazine, reports track and field athlete Jessica dia of Wandsworth Borough aceshowbiz.com. “But despite the Ennis-Hill are among others Council for services to local pain, Jen is committed to making honoured in the 2017 New government and the com- things work, and is planning a Year Honours list, which also munity in Wandsworth, Lon- warm getaway, just for the two of includes big names from the don and Anita Thapar from them. Jen just wants it to be an entertainment world. the Institute of Psychological intimate, romantic vacation for two,” the source said, adding that the Rio 2016 men’s tennis Medicine and Clinical Neur- 47-year-old actor “hopes it will go a long way toward smoothing over champion Murray and osciences at Cardif Univer- their myriad marital problems”. The pair got engaged in August 2012, double gold-winning athlete sity for services to child and after 18 months of dating. They got married in 2015. — IANS Farah receive Knighthoods, adolescent psychiatry are while heptathlete Ennis-Hill also in the list. — PTI