Actions Giving Results; No New Cases in 25 Districts, Says Govt

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Need to reset our mind Sonia writes to PM to Retail in!ation drops to North Korean leader to adjust to situation, extend free rations to 5.91% as coronavirus Kim Jong-un reshu"es says Venkaiah Naidu vulnerable families hits domestic demand top governing body page 7 page 8 page 13 page 12 Printed at . Chennai . Coimbatore . Bengaluru . Hyderabad . Madurai . Noida . Visakhapatnam . Thiruvananthapuram . Kochi . Vijayawada . Mangaluru . Tiruchirapalli . Kolkata . Hubballi . Mohali . Malappuram . Mumbai . Tirupati . lucknow . cuttack . patna Funds of Government of India NEARBY TheActions Indian government’s giving results; funds are keptno innew three parts,Lockdown which are listed extended below: till month-end in T.N., Puducherry Consolidatedcases in 25Fund districts, of India says govt. Contingency Fund of India CM announces free rations for cardholders in May Spike of 905 new cases in past 24 hours pushes nationwide tally to 9, 352 Amid lockdown, huge Public Accounts of India Dennis S. Jesudasan rush in Koyambedu special correspondent CHENNAI/PUDUCHERRY CHENNAI AllNEW DELHI three are described below brieﬂy. PM to address Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Shops in the Koyambedu India registered the largest Edappadi K. Palaniswami wholesale market witnessed spike in deaths due to CO- nation today announced the extension of heavy crowd on Monday as the lockdown in the State till people made last-minute VID-19 on Monday, with 51 April 30 on a day the total purchases, ignoring the Consolidatedbeing reported in the past 24 Fund of India Prime Minister Narendra lockdown and the physical hours, the highest since the Modi will address the number of COVID-19 cases distancing norm ahead of the !rst case was reported in nation at 10 a.m. on increased to 1,173, with 98 Tamil New Year. January. Tuesday, the last day of persons testing positive for CHENNAI Ī PAGE 3 India’s tally with 905 addi- the 21-day lockdown, amid the novel coronavirus. DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD Thistional cases is has thegone up mostto important of all accountsindications of that the the government.In Chennai, the total num- ‘Persistent hypoxia 9,352 and 324 deaths so far. shutdown could be ber of COVID-19 patients triggered deaths’ ThisOver 857 patients fund have reco-is ﬁlled by: extended. At least seven crossed the 200-mark, and Lockdown no bar: Daily wagers proceeding for work near Sundakkamuthur, Coimbatore, on Monday. * S. SIVA SARAVANAN CHENNAI vered. The 51 deaths report- States — Maharashtra, stood at 205 on Monday. Persistent hypoxia (reduced Directed since Sunday and evening in-indirect taxes Odisha, Punjab, West Puducherry Chief Minis- oxygen in the cells) was the clude 22 from Maharashtra, Bengal, Karnataka, Tamil ter V. Narayansamy also an- rencing, the advisory from kg of cooking oil, besides the main trigger for the death of Loansseven each fromtaken Madhya by the Indian government Nadu and Telangana — nounced an extension of the the World Health Organiza- usual allotment of rice, persons who tested positive Pradesh and Telangana, !ve have already announced lockdown till the tion, recommendations would be issued for free in for COVID-19 in the State, from Delhi and four from extension of the lockdown month-end. made by a team of experts, May. The cash assistance of according to doctors. In some ReturningGujarat. of loans/interests of loans tot illthe April 30. governmentThe lockdown by anyone/agency was origi- and the decision taken at that the ₹1,000 has would be extended patients, it happened all of a nally scheduled to end on Cabinet meeting. Besides, for the second time to all The Union Health Minis- DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD sudden. In some, their takentry, however, it on Monday April 14. “All the restrictions COVID-19 could spread if the workers in the unorganised condition did not improve said that implementation of presently being implement- lockdown was relaxed, he sector who were members even though they were The government meets all its expenditureMinisters from this fund.ed under provisions of the added. of various labour welfare provided oxygen supply. Disaster Management Act, A top o#cial told The Hin- boards. Migrant workers TAMIL NADU Ī PAGE 2 gaon, Durg and Bilaspur in cases respectively. back to work 2005 and Section 144 of the du the Chief Minister had would get a relief kit with 15 DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD The government needs parliamentary approval to withdraw money from this fund. Chhattisgarh, and Davan- The Ministry added that Criminal Procedure Code only decided on Monday af- kg of rice, 1 kg of tur dal and 1 Theits action provision plan had started gere, for Kodagu, this Tumakuru fundH ealthis Ministergiven Harsh in Vard- ArticleAs work from 266(1) home ended of(CrPC) the will continue,Constitution in the ternoon to extend of theIndia. lock- kg of cooking oil for May. yielding results in 25 dis- and Udupi in Karnataka. CO- han had reviewed the re- for Ministers in the Union e"ort to contain COVID-19,” down as the Centre’s an- Bakeries could o"er ta- tricts across 15 States, which VID-19 cases have been research e"orts for COVID-19 Council and senior Mr. Palaniswami said in a nouncement was delayed. keaway service between 6 Eachhad reported state cases earlier. canported have from 364 its of the own 736 by theConsolidated Council of Scienti!c & bureaucrats Fund on Monday, of thes tatement.state with similar“The PM, in hisprovisions. scheduled a.m. and 1 p.m. Besides, pe- “These districts have no districts across the country. Industrial Research (CSIR) some activity slowly On Saturday, Chief Secre- address on Tuesday morn- ople could get their doubts Thecase reported Comptroller since the last Figures and from the Auditor State along with General the DG, CSIR and ofreturned India to the hitherto auditstary these K. Shanmugam funds said that iandng, might reports perhaps cover toon thethe pandemic clari!ed 14 days and constant vigil is Health Departments put the 38 CSIR Lab Directors who deserted corridors of the Cabinet had decided to [extension of lockdown in] through a helpline manned relevantbeing maintained to legislatures ensure total number of on cases their at are working management. in close partner- power in New Delhi. go by what the Centre decid- only certain States across by doctors registered with that no new cases may occur 10,439, with 9,015 active ship with the private sector, Several Ministers were ed on the extension of the the country. So, we have opt- the Telemedicine Society of Readin future,” Joint about Secretary ïn theones. otherThe death toll twostood at fromPSUs, MSMEs, Laxmikant departments seen at Indian work at their Politylockdown. ed to take our decision,” he India. Later, the State go- the Health Ministry Lav 358. With 1,957 active cases and Ministries. o#ces, donning masks The Chief Minister, ho- said. vernment noti!ed the exten- Agarwal said at the daily and 160 deaths, Maharashtra and after going through wever, said the latest deci- Mr. Palaniswami an- sion of the lockdown till press brie!ng. continues to top the list. CONTINUED ON Ī PAGE 8 the temperature checks at sion followed his earlier con- nounced that ration entitle- midnight of April 30. The districts include Gon- Delhi and Tamil Nadu re- MORE REPORTS ON Ī PAGES 2,3,4, the entrance of the sultation with the Prime ments of rice cardholders - 1 (With inputs from Rajesh dia in Maharashtra, Rajnand- ported 1,455 and 1,104 active 5, 8, 9, 10, 11 & 12 buildings. Ī page 8 Minister via video-confe- kg of sugar, 1 kg of tur dal, 1 B. Nair) CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC Centre may raise loan to Work as usual Mother drowns #ve pay GST dues to States children in the Ganga Rise in spending to tackle COVID-19 Hunger forced the woman, say activists Nistula Hebbar ter for Agriculture in the special correspondent the water].” NEW DELHI Karnataka government and LUCKNOW Social media users, in- The Union government is part of the GST Council A woman in Bhadohi dis- cluding CPI(ML) leader Kavi- exploring raising a loan to when the Act was drafted trict of Uttar Pradesh ta Krishnan and lawyer pay the shortfall of the under the aegis of then Fi- drowned her !ve children in Prashant Bhushan, howev- Goods and Services Tax nance Minister Arun Jaitley, the Ganga in the early hours er, alleged that the woman (GST) compensation this route can be explored of Sunday. Four out of the drowned her children as she amount to the States as the quite legitimately by the go- !ve bodies were recovered was unable to feed them latter have had to ramp up vernment of India. by Monday afternoon, said due to the lockdown. spending to combat the out- “A discussion was held locals. Ms. Krishnan, who post- break of COVID-19. earlier on how to address if Talking to media on the ed a video message alleging According to senior o#- there was a revenue short- banks of the Ganga, Manju that Ms. Yadav drowned her cials in the Finance Minis- fall. There were concerns Yadav, a resident of Jahangi- children due to food shor- try, the idea has been circu- over what if cess accruals rabad village in Gopiganj, tage, said the woman was lated and since the GST Act were not adequate to pay confessed that she pushed forced to issue a contradic- prohibits withdrawal of the shortfall. The govern- her !ve children, including tory statement in police cus- funds from the Consolidat- ment of India was adamant three girls, into the water tody. “People can under- ed Fund, raising loans is bein resisting suggestions to due to mental stress after a stand what the truth is and ing seen as a way out. pay the shortfall from the quarrel with her husband. what hunger is,” she Consolidated Fund of India She alleged that her hus- tweeted. States to be consulted and at that point the option band would often beat her The police, the adminis- “We will either need to call a of raising a loan on the cess and that they were having a tration and the village prad- videoconference of the GST account was discussed and dispute. han refuted this claim, stat- Council or ask the States in agreed as an option, and the “Dimaag ulta hogaya [I ing that the woman pushed writing whether they are on loan accrued would be paid lost my mind],” she said. her children, the youngest board on this,” said a senior from cess accruals in the fu- “Tension mein dimaag ra- aged three, into the river government source. ture,” he said. Balance of power: Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation workers carrying out maintenance work in Thoothukudi ha, [pani mein] daal diya due to a domestic dispute.

According to Krishna amid the ongoing lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19. The summer months witness a surge in power use. * N. RAJESH [My mind was under Byre Gowda, former Minis- CONTINUED ON Ī PAGE 8 CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC stress... I threw them into CONTINUED ON Ī PAGE 8 PA Locals bar cremation ofE doctor’s body Free tests only MGNREGA jobs crash to 1% of normal for the poor, Fear of virus spreading sparks protest at Ambattur clari#es SC With worksites closed, activists urge SC to ensure wages for all those registered S. Vijay Kumar Priscilla Jebaraj these States, and also raise CHENNAI Krishnadas Rajagopal NEW DELHI concerns about COVID-19 in- The body of a doctor, who NEW DELHI Employment under the Ma- fection being spread at succumbed to COVID-19 in a The Supreme Court on hatma Gandhi National Ru- worksites. private hospital at Vanaga- Monday modi!ed its April ral Employment Guarantee ram in Chennai, was taken 8 order to clarify that free Act (MGNREGA) has col- Key source back to the mortuary on testing for COVID-19 shall lapsed to just over 1% of the The scheme, which guaran- Monday evening after some continue to be made availa- usual rate this month due to tees 100 days of work per residents protested against ble to the poor eligible un- the COVID-19 lockdown. year at an average daily wage the cremation, fearing the der the Ayushman Bharat Activists petitioned the of ₹209, is key to providing spread of the virus. Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Supreme Court demanding livelihoods to poor villagers The 55-year-old orthopae- Yojana. that the government pay full and is a backbone of the ru- dist, a native of Nellore in Free testing would also wages to all active job card ral economy in di#cult Andhra Pradesh, was admit- Fears allayed: Corporation workers spraying disinfectant near be made available to any holders during this time, fol- times. ted to the hospital about a the Ambattur crematorium. * K. PICHUMANI other category of economi- lowing its own instructions Overall, 7.6 crore families week ago after he tested pos- cally weaker sections of so- issued to other employers. hold active job cards under itive for COVID-19. He was Even after a police team mation. “They (the local pe- ciety as noti!ed by the go- the scheme, and almost 5.5 declared dead at 3 a.m. on reached the spot and ex- ople) could not be con- vernment from time to 1.9 lakh families crore families found work Monday. plained to the protesters vinced that there was no time, the court said. Data from the MGNREGA under the scheme last year. When health workers clad that the cremation would scienti!c evidence to prove Private labs would conti- website show that less than The crash in employment in personal protection not trigger a spread of the that coronavirus would nue to charge the Indian 1.9 lakh families have been households employed under more than 70,000 families, rates under the scheme is equipment brought his body novel coronavirus, they re- spread during or after the Council of Medical Re- provided work under the the scheme in February be- followed by Andhra Pradesh despite the fact that migrant to the Chennai Corporation fused to budge. For hours, cremation of the body,” a se- search rates of up to scheme so far in April 2020, fore the lockdown began. with more than 53,000 hou- workers returning to villages crematorium at Ambattur, the body remained in the nior police o#cer told The ₹4,500 for tests from peo- in comparison to almost 1.6 Chhattisgarh was the seholds given work. Howev- should have increased de- some locals objected to the vehicle as health and police Hindu. ple who can a"ord to pay. crore households which highest employment genera- er, these !gures are a frac- mand in rural areas. cremation, police sources o#cials tried to persuade were provided work in tor under the scheme in tion of the usual said. the locals to allow the cre- CONTINUED ON Ī PAGE 2 CONTINUED ON Ī PAGE 8 March, and the 1.8 crore April, providing work to employment provided in CONTINUED ON Ī PAGE 8 CM A CH-CHE YK

Tangedco extends bill payment deadline ‘Lockdown 98 more persons test positive, extension a Low-tension consumers get time till May 6 bitter pill’ staff reporter Minister Edappadi K. Pala- of January or February for chennai niswami’s decision to ex- the current period. “Once taking Tamil Nadu’s tally to 1,173 Dennis S. Jesudasan The Tamil Nadu Generation tend the COVID-19 lock- the lockdown is lifted, the CHENNAI and Distribution Corpora- down till April 30. assessed electricity bill Of the fresh cases, 91 came from a single source; Tiruppur tops with 18 cases Minister for Fisheries and tion (Tangedco) has extend- In a press release, Tan- would be adjusted based on senior AIADMK leader D. ed the deadline for the pay- gedco said that since assess- the next reading cycle,” it Jayakumar on Monday said ment of electricity bills till ments could not be carried added. The State power that the extension of the May 6 for low-tension out in view of the lock- utility has advised low-ten- lockdown till the end of the consumers. down, consumers could sion consumers to pay their month was “like a bitter The move follows Chief pay the last-billed amount electricity bills online. pill”. “We don’t like it but it is essential. The State govern- FROM PAGE ONE ment did not take the deci- Fishermen, farmers can sion suo motu. It was a collective responsibility. We Locals bar had considered the recom- go about their business, mendations of medical ex- cremation of perts,” he told The Hindu. says Narayanasamy When asked why the doctor’s body State government did not wait for the Centre’s deci- Senior police, Corporation Puducherry CM stresses need to sion on the lockdown, des- and Health department of- adhere to social distancing norms pite having stated earlier !cials are working out a that it will, he said, “Ulti- strategy to cremate the bo- Special Correspondent were below the age of 10, she said. “As far as Tamil Nadu is We are not waiting for it. We mately, people’s welfare dy as early as possible. "In CHENNAI added. concerned, we have been already have the con!rmato- comes !rst, and a decision deaths caused due to coro- Tamil Nadu reported 98 Among the 98 fresh cases, successful in identifying the ry tests (RT-PCR). We are tak- has been taken navirus, the bodies will not more cases of the coronavi- most of the patients were source of infection of pa- ing up massive and aggres- accordingly.” be handed over to the fami- rus disease (COVID-19) on contacts of earlier patients. tients. Based on this, we are sive testing of all persons A senior o"cial said, ly though they can be pre- Monday. With this, the total Tiruppur reported the high- taking up aggressive contain- with in$uenza-like illness “We had decided to wait sent at the crematorium. number of patients who est number of cases — 18. ment measures. Our aim is and severe acute respiratory for the PM’s decision, hop- Some guidelines have been have tested positive for CO- This apart, two persons from to keep the number of infection, and high-risk and ing that he would address issued by the Chief Secre- VID-19 in the State has Chengalpattu, 9 from Chen- deaths down,” she said. low-risk contacts in contain- the nation sooner. But as it tary in this regard and a de- reached 1,173. nai, seven (including two When asked about the ment areas,” she said. turned out, they (the cision on disposing of the Of the fresh cases, 91 were primary) from Coimbatore, death of an employee of a She said the State had re- Centre) were waiting till body will be taken soon," from a single source, four 15 from Karur, 14 (seven private airline, she said all ceived 10,000 PCR testing the penultimate day of the the o"cial said. V. Narayanasamy were contacts of a person primary) from Madurai, !ve the contacts of the patient kits from the Centre. “In ad- lockdown. So, we decided Health Secretary Beela who had tested positive for from Nagapattinam, three had been traced. While test- dition, we have procured to go ahead.” Rajesh attributed the con- Special Correspondent <> Any relaxation of COVID-19 earlier, and three ing was being done for high- 14,000 kits. We have placed fusion to a "communica- PUDUCHERRY rules for other were doctors, according to risk contacts, low-risk con- orders for 1.3 lakh more PCR CPI(M)’s warning tion gap" and said that de- Chief Minister V. Narayana- sectors would be done Health Secretary Beela Ra- tacts were being put under testing kits. The shipment However, CPI(M) State se- tailed guidelines on the samy on Monday an- based on the jesh. home quarantine, she said. has already reached Mumbai cretary K. Balakrishnan disposal of bodies had nounced an extension of the She said that till Sunday, a from Ramanathapuram, The State has a total of 25 and is likely to reach us in a was of the view that the go- announcement to be been circulated to all hos- lockdown till April 30 to total of eight doctors had four from Sivaganga, one testing facilities in the go- day or two,” she said. “The vernment could not have pitals. Steps would be ta- prevent the spread of the made by the Prime tested positive, while three from Tirupattur, four from vernment sector and 9 in the State is well-prepared and decided against the Centre. ken to ensure that such in- novel coronavirus disease Minister more — two government Tiruvallur, one from Tiru- private sector. Two new lab- has adequate stock [of pro- He felt the announcement cidents did not recur, she (COVID-19) in the Union tancing norms while selling doctors and one private doc- vannamalai, three from Tiru- oratories had been approved tective equipment]. Now, we was perhaps made after said, adding that since the Territory. their catch, the Chief Minis- tor — had tested positive varur, two from Thoothuku- — at the Government Vellore have 65 lakh triple-layer “very much [receiving] doctor had tested positive In an audio message, the ter said. since then. With this, a total di, four from Vellore and six Medical College Hospital and masks, three lakh N95 masks concurrence” from the for COVID-19 in Andhra Chief Minister said the terri- Vegetable and grocery of 11 doctors and !ve sta# from Virudhunagar had re- the State Public Health Labo- and two lakh [pieces of] PPE Centre. Mr. Balakrishnan, Pradesh, the death would torial administration had shops would continue to nurses/hospital sta# have ported positive. ratory in Chennai, she said. (personal protective equip- however, cautioned that be added to the number of decided to extend the pro- function as they had been tested positive in the State. The total number of pa- Monday recorded the ment). We have a total of the next 14 days would not fatalities in that State. hibitory orders till the end during the past 20 days, he Eleven persons have died tients in Chennai rose to 205, highest number of samples 3,371 ventilators,” she added. be easy, since the general Health workers disin- of the month, as had been added. Any relaxation of of COVID-19 in T.N. so far. followed by Coimbatore, lifted for testing — 2,091. A total of 1,984 persons public was running out of fected the Ambattur cre- done in Tamil Nadu. rules for other sectors As many as 58 patients with 126. Samples were lifted were in isolation facilities at money. matorium premises after Fishermen and farmers would be made based on the had been discharged after from 62 persons who had Rapid test kits hospitals across T.N. A total Senior DMK leader Du- the body was removed. No could engage in their voca- announcement to be made treatment from various hos- been hospitalised for severe Dr. Rajesh said rapid test kits of 43,278 persons were un- raimurugan said the CM case was registered in con- tion and sell their produce by the Prime Minister re- pitals in the State, Dr. Rajesh acute respiratory infection, were expected to arrive in a der home quarantine and should have explained the nection with the incident, in the market. Fish vendors garding the lockdown, the said. Among the 1,173 CO- and none of them had tested day or two. “Rapid test kits 162 in government quaran- reason behind his police sources added. should adhere to social dis- Chief Minister said. VID-19-positive patients, 31 positive for COVID-19, she are only a surveillance tool. tine facilities, she said. decision.

IN BRIEF Three petitions !led against Restricted functioning of Govt. clari!es on distribution of relief aid courts till month-end CHENNAI Press release had only urged ‘coordination with district administration’ curbs on relief e"orts Even before the government announced the extension of Special correspondent and acting as if the govern- the lockdown till April 30, CHENNAI ment had stopped volun- ‘Govt.’s move arbitrary, unreasonable and discriminatory’ the Madras High Court had A day after it warned of legal teers from extending assis- decided that all judicial action against individuals, tance to the poor. “The Legal Correspondent functions across the State CHENNAI will remain restricted till the NGOs and political parties government is not playing end of the month, and only distributing food packets politics,” the release said. Three public interest litiga- extremely urgent cases will and other relief material di- Around 2,500 organisation (PIL) petitions have be heard through video- rectly to the people in need tions and over 58,000 volun- been !led in the Madras conference or otherwise. The during the COVID-19 lock- teers had registered them- High Court, challenging the administrative committee down, the AIADMK govern- selves with the State restrictions imposed by the took the decision after ment on Monday clari!ed government and had been State government on the dis- observing that the prevailing that it had only called for extending assistance “along tribution of relief material status of COVID-19 in the “coordination with the dis- with the district administra- by volunteers, and its insis- State was likely to continue trict administration” to en- tion” by following social dis- tence that they coordinate food, grains, vegetables, es on the fundamental right “for some time in future”. sure that the relief material Proper channel: The government has urged the people to tancing and public health with government o"cials groceries, medical kits and to life and existence and the reached the bene!ciaries in contribute relief material to the authorities concerned. norms, it said. before distributing the so on to the poor, who did right to food, guaranteed un- Don’t grant exemptions to speci!c sectors: PMK a safe manner. However, the “The government’s inten- goods. not have the wherewithal to der Articles 21 of the Consti- government did not say stopped anyone [from help- cooked food and dry rations tion is not to stop aid. The The Dravida Munnetra order food through home tution of India. It is also CHENNAI PMK youth wing leader whether political parties ing those in need]. Volun- o#ered by NGOs in the areas government’s position is that Kazhagam (DMK), repre- delivery services during the highly irrational, arbitrary, Anbumani Ramadoss on could extend such material teers and organisations or to the people speci!ed by relief should be extended ap- sented by its organising se- lockdown. unreasonable and discrimi- Monday said the Central assistance to the needy. could coordinate with the them.” propriately and through safe cretary R.S. Bharathi, Maru- The party claimed that its natory,” the DMK’s a"davit government should not In an o"cial press release district administration on means, considering the pre- malarchi Dravida Munnetra cadre had been following all read. exempt 16 types of industries on Monday, the government the distribution of relief ma- Flays Oppn. leaders vailing situation,” the release Kazhagam (MDMK) leader necessary protocols, by In his petition, Mr. Surya- from the COVID-19 claimed that the contents of terial when required,” Mon- The government alleged that said. Vaiko and advocate A.P. Su- wearing masks and gloves. prakasam insisted that the lockdown, as had been Sunday’s press release had day’s press release said. DMK president and Leader While it hailed the “com- ryaprakasam !led individual Nevertheless, the govern- government should also be recommended by the been misunderstood. “The Calling upon the people to of the Opposition M.K. Sta- mendable work” done by vo- cases questioning the go- ment had intentionally or- directed to ensure home de- Department for Promotion of government had only in- contribute relief material to lin, MDMK founder Vaiko lunteers and NGOs during vernment’s interference in dered that volunteers should livery of the ₹500 grocery kit Industry and Internal Trade. structed them (the benefac- the authorities concerned, and Tamil Nadu Congress natural disasters in the past, relief work by volunteers. not distribute relief material that it had planned to sell Mr. Ramadoss said the tors) to follow norms in ac- the release said, “Arrange- Committee president K.S. it pointed out that there In its a"davit, !led unilaterally without roping through ration shops. He lockdown should be cordance with the prevailing ments would be made to dis- Alagiri “have been cam- were no prohibitory orders through senior counsel P. in government o"cials, it al- feared non-adherence to so- extended by two weeks, and situation, and had not tribute relief material, paigning against the truth”, in place back then. Wilson, the DMK stated that leged. “Such action of the cial distancing norms at ra- then by another week in May. it had been distributing government directly infring- tion shops. Over 300 textile merchants stranded in Sri Lanka ‘Persistent hypoxia’ triggered deaths of patients

They have urged the Indian govt. to arrange a special #ight to bring them back Taking steps to toring protocols were being damaged, adequate oxygen COVID-19 patients said. pick up warning tweaked for better manage- does not reach the cells. He explained that in pa- L. Srikrishna <> We have already our families.” A few other ing businessmen from Virud- ment of patients, and to This leads to resistance to tients with COVID-19, the DINDIGUL spent all the merchants, stranded in Co- hunagar, who had sought signs early: experts prevent further deaths. treatment. $uid in the lungs interferes Over 300 textile merchants money we had earned lombo, said a curfew had help, were provided sup- “All these patients had Doctors said that they with the oxygen transfer to from various parts of Tamil through the sale of goods forced them to stay indoors. port. “The Indian mission Serena Josephine M. persistent hypoxia. This were monitoring the oxy- the blood. As a result, there Nadu, who had gone to Sri “Through our local contacts, has set up helplines to assist CHENNAI was the trigger. In some pa- gen saturation levels in pa- is a decrease of oxygen le- Lanka on a business trip, are and then return home,” said we have been managing to visiting Indians. Those seek- Persistent hypoxia (re- tients, it happened all of a tients using pulse oxime- vels. stranded in the island nation Rajendran, who is among get cooked food. Many NGOs ing help are being provided duced oxygen in the cells) sudden. In some, their con- ters. “Some patients, who He added that patients due to the COVID-19 the merchants stranded in gave us hope and tried to assistance,” a spokesperson was the main trigger for the dition did not improve even have tested positive for CO- undergo chest X-ray on ad- pandemic. the neighbouring country. connect us with the o"cials told The Hindu. deaths of persons who had with us providing oxygen VID-19, have no symptoms. mission. “We see if there Every year, small and mar- Speaking to The Hindu, he of the High Commission. We It is unclear how many In- tested positive for COVID-19 supply. So, we are taking They were identi!ed during are !ndings suggestive of ginal merchants from Chin- said, “The sudden cancella- have been hearing that the dian tourists or businesspeo- in the State, according to measures to detect hypoxia contact tracing and isolat- involvement of the lungs. nalapatti, Nilakottai, Kunda- tion of $ights had forced us Indian government has been ple are currently in Sri Lanka senior doctors. early. It is important to pick ed. We see that they are do- Even if it is mild, we bring lapatti, Anaipatti and other to stay here. We have already taking steps [to help people and are unable to return to Tamil Nadu, which re- up the signs early. We have ing !ne during rounds. On these patients under our ra- small towns visit Sri Lanka spent all the money we had like us], but we have not India. India is among Sri ported the !rst death of a modi!ed the protocols, the second or third day, dar and they are monitored during the Katchatheevu fes- earned through the sale of seen any tangible e#orts so Lanka's top tourism source COVID-19 patient on March making it practical for bet- they develop breathless- frequently. Supplementary tival in March to sell sarees. our goods. We are in dire far,” they said. The relatives markets. In February 2020, 25, has recorded a total of 11 ter management of pa- ness when they walk. So, oxygen is also provided, The silk and kandangi sarees need of help. Many have fal- of some of the a#ected mer- the country accounted for deaths of persons aged bet- tients,” a senior doctor for patients who are ambu- and there are instances from Chinnalapatti are much len sick. There are no health chants from Dindigul sub- the highest number of inter- ween 45 and 75 years so far. said. lant, we are using !nger where patients have reco- sought-after in the neigh- facilities, and assistance has mitted a memorandum to national tourists to Sri Lan- At least !ve of them are wo- pulse oximeters once in vered well,” he said. bouring country. not been forthcoming from the District Collector on ka. As many as 35,309 Indian men. Some of them had co- Constant monitoring two to three hours. This If the patients have a sat- The merchants travel to the government here. We are Monday, urging him to take tourists arrived in the island morbidities, including dia- Pulmonologists explained way, we are able to !nd the uration level of above 96% di#erent parts of Sri Lanka, looking for help from the In- up the issue with the State nation during the month, ac- betes and hypertension. that hypoxia basically oxygen saturation in the or 97% in the room air envi- including Colombo, Ja#na, dian government. Please government. cording to Sri Lanka Tourism O"cials of the Health De- means reduced oxygen in blood. We can pick up early ronment, they are taken o# Trincomalee, Kandy and a save us by arranging a spe- According to o"cials at Development Authority. partment said each of these the cells, and in COVID-19 signs before their condition the radar, while others with few other cities. “We stay cial $ight immediately so the Indian High Commission (With inputs from Meera deaths was being audited, cases, typical for critical deteriorates,” a doctor in- 93% or 94% are monitored, there for around two months that we could reunite with in Sri Lanka, a group of visit- Srinivasan in Colombo). and treatment and moni- cases. When the lungs are volved in the treatment of he said.

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Timings CHENNAI Heavy rush at Koyambedu TUESDAY, APR. 14 Mask a must when stepping out of home RISE 05:57 SET 18:22 !ower market ahead of RISE 00:00 SET 11:26 Violators will see passes scrapped and vehicles impounded, says Corpn. Commissioner G. Prakash WEDNESDAY, APR. 15 RISE 05:57 SET 18:22 Special Correspondent Tamil New Year Day noy Nagar; JJ Indoor Stadi- 3,955 tricycles and 937 vehi- RISE 00:41 SET 12:20 CHENNAI um, Kilpuak; and TNHB Mar- cles. Over 1,416 mobile units THURSDAY, APR. 16 Residents will have to com- riage Hall, Besant Nagar. “We in other cities and 1,189 units Prices of !owers double on Monday RISE 05:56 SET 18:22 pulsorily wear masks when will issue a receipt and make in smaller urban areas were RISE 01:32 SET 13:13 they step out of their homes. sure that the items are distri- selling groceries. "All resi- Chennai Corporation buted to the needy,” he said. dents will get groceries at an Commissioner G. Prakash on Those who distribute food a!ordable price at their Monday announced that un- and relief materials should doorstep," he assured. der the relevant provisions get permission from the Cor- At a review meeting, civic of the Epidemics Control Act poration. They will will per- o"cials were directed to and the Public Health Act, all mit only the driver of the help residents get groceries persons were required to permitted vehicle and one at their doorstep. Stressing wear masks when they person to distribute the re- on the need for supply of stepped out of their houses. lief materials in the presence food to all residents, the Mi- "As long as people are Health !rst: A doctor checking a migrant worker at a shelter in of one o"cer from the Cor- nister said 407 Amma Can- moving outside, they have to Pudupet on Monday. * B. VELANKANNI RAJ poration. "Political parties teens in Chennai and 247 wear them. If found without will not be allowed to carry canteens in other parts of masks, their movement pass- and hartals, there wasn't a tions. People are struggling party $ags, banners or other the State were providing es will be cancelled and veh- single instance of people but cooperating well…” he material during the distribu- food for 6.25 lakh residents icles impounded for three coming on the roads to prot- said. tion of relief materials, " said every day. Flouting norms: Customers at the Koyambedu market did not months," he warned. est. Mr. Prakash said people Mr.Prakash, in a statement. “Chennai Corporation has observe physical distancing norms on Monday. * K. PICHUMANI The order came into e!ect “We understand the di"- were welcome to contribute covered 95% of residents in on Monday night. culties of daily wage labour- food, dry rations and surviv- Groceries distribution the door-to-door survey of Special Correspondent ers, artisans, carpenters, au- al kits to poor people. The Civic agencies would streng- COVID-19 symptoms. Over 19 There was CHENNAI <> Extraordinary resilience torickshaw drivers and Chief Minister had urged the then door-to-door delivery lakh households in the city demand for Earlier in the day, the Com- others in the lower strata of public not to engage them- of groceries in Chennai and have been covered. We have Shops in Koyambedu whole- marigold and Number of missioner said that people of society who eke out a living selves in distributing these other areas of the State, Lo- also received complaints sale market witnessed hea- jasmine and most the city had shown remarka- on a daily basis. There is no items directly. People wish- cal Administration Minister from residents about private vy rush on Monday, ahead of the produce was travel passes ble resilience and cooperat- doubt that they are hit hard ing to render such assistance S.P. Velumani said. hospitals refusing treatment of the Tamil New Year day. sold out to be reduced ed with the ongoing CO- by the lockdown. The Chief could drop the food packets, Speaking to reporters, he for patients with symptoms. People made last-minute Shiva Peter VID-19 lockdown. Minister has already rolled dry ration bags, survival kits said that groceries were be- Teams of civic o"cials have purchases but did not ob- Flower merchant Though the State was out #nancial assistance to etc. at the three designated ing sold door-to-door on ma- been formed to help such serve the physical distanc- Special Correspondent known for demonstrations these people and dry ra- spots – Amma Arangam, She- ny streets of the city using persons,” said Mr. Velumani. ing norm. tal of 17 truckloads, mainly Chennai The prices of $owers, rose and marigold, arrived With lockdown extended which were very low till in the market on Monday. till month-end, Tamil Nadu Sunday due to the lock- This was double the quanti- police plans to reduce the Eight Ethiopian nationals LPG consumers !ock to gas down, doubled on Monday. ty received till Sunday, they number of travel passes to Wholesale traders said said. bring down instances of there was more crowd than N.Shiva Peter, a $ower violation as the number of arrested for violations agencies seeking free re"lls usual in both vegetable and merchant, said there was violations reached 1,63,477 $ower shops since the lock- demand for marigold and across the State. R. Sivaraman tion), 271 (Knowingly dis- down period started last jasmine and most of the pro- Special Correspondent Additional Director Gen- CHENNAI obeying any quarantine Text messages can month. duce was sold out. As the CHENNAI <> eral Police, Law and Order, The city police have arrest- rule) of IPC and provisions be sent to non- Many visitors wore hand market was operated for li- K. Jayanth Murali said, “We ed eight Ethiopian nationals of the Epidemic Diseases LPG consumers have been Ujjwala customers kerchiefs as masks and peo- mited hours, people rushed are going to reduce the for violating the provisions Act, T.N. Public Health Act, $ocking to gas agencies ask- saying they need ple jostled for space to make in to buy vegetables and passes. Excessive passes of the Foreigners Act, 1946, National Disaster Manage- ing if they were eligible for not reach out to the purchase. $owers. were issued in some plac- and for being involved in re- ment Act and Foreigners the free cylinders as an- their agency as The $ower market re- While roses and marigold es. We are taking steps to ligious activities. Act. nounced by the Central go- ceived 4,000 visitors on were priced up to ₹100 a kg, they will not be reduce it.” Police said the foreign na- vernment. Monday, which was more jasmine was sold for ₹40- eligible Over 1,75,636 were ar- tionals were staying at a 129 held in past week Oil companies had an- than double the number ₹80 a kg in the wholesale rested for violation of pro- mosque in Mannady, within In the past week, 129 foreign nounced that consumers un- compared to last week. A to- market. hibitory orders and the Muthialpet police sta- nationals, staying in various der the Ujjwala Scheme cancelled. “The government 1,39,008 vehicles were tion limits. They were mosques in the State, have (Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yo- announcement seems to seized. As many as 1.63 rounded up by the police been held for violation of vi- jana) will get three free re#lls have only created confusion Cancer Institute timings lakh First Information Re- and subjected to COVID-19 sa norms and involvement for the months of April, May Around 30 lakh consumers in among the people. Text mes- CHENNAI ports were opened and test. As they tested negative, in religious activities. These and June. the State get supplies under sages could be sent to non- Patients may contact the ₹68.57 lakh as #ne has they were produced before preachers hailed from Ma- “For the past few days we the Ujjwala Scheme. Ujjwala customers saying Cancer Institute, Adyar, been collected. a judicial magistrate and laysia, Indonesia, Thailand have been getting at least 5-6 * B. VELANKANNI RAJ they need not reach out to between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. for City Police Commission- lodged in Central Prison, and Congo. customers daily asking if their agency as they will not any information between er A.K. Viswanathan said Puzhal. “They came on The police said they had they were eligible for the prefer to come straight to be eligible for the free cylin- Monday and Saturday. People people have widely coop- medical visas and indulged arrived in India on tourist vi- scheme. And they come in our o"ces rather than call- ders. Or better, they could may contact the institute at (044) 22209150/61315600; erated to e!ectively imple- in religious activities con- sas and violated the guide- with the gas book, which ing us. One person came and provide free cylinders or re- BUSINESS OFFER Extensions – Surgical ment prohibitory orders in trary to the provisions of the lines by travelling to di!e- clearly shows they are not said if we are giving free cy- #lls on loan since many MOHAN BREWERIES Oncology 133 and 225; And Distilleries the city. But there were vio- Foreigners Act,” a senior rent parts of the country under the Ujjwala Scheme,” linders he was ready to join don’t have cash on hand to Ltd., We can supply immediately Medical Oncology 132 and bulk quantity of Hand Sanitizer lations in some places. The police o"cer said. and preaching. They also at- said a distributor. the Ujjwala Scheme,” said a pay for cylinders,” said a dis- 209 and Radiation Oncology with 70% v/v Ethyl Alcohol concen- city police registered over The foreigners were tended the Tablighi Jamaat Already, distributors said distributor in West Chennai. tributor of South Chennai, tration. We are licenced to manu- 187 and 132. facture 20 KL of sanitizer per 48,000 cases so far for vio- booked under Sections 188 conference in Delhi last they have been #nding it dif- There have also been in- hoping that oil companies day. For requirement please con- lation of prohibitory orders (Disobedience to an order month. The foreign nation- #cult to function due to pol- stances of cooking gas con- would step in to bring in tact : 78128 32741 or 9442131523, email id: [email protected] and tra"c rules and seized lawfully promulgated by pu- als were picked up in Kan- ice restrictions on the roads. sumers not accepting re#lls clarity to customers. or [email protected] 23,000 vehicles including blic servant), 269 (Negli- cheepuram, Salem, Erode, “Since agencies are kept during delivery since they Around 30 lakh consum- HOME SERVICES two-wheelers and four gently doing any act known Madurai and Dindigul dis- open as we come under es- don’t have cash to pay for it ers in the State get supplies SANITISERS, MASKS available for wheelers. to be likely to spread infec- tricts, police said. sential services, customers and the bookings had to be under the Ujjwala Scheme. door delivery, Arogya Medicals, Vi- jaya Forum Mall 79940 41901 Departing passengers too The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) is a government may be screened once scheme launched in 2016 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The airport operations begin scheme envisages the distribution of 50 million LPG connections Staff Reporter CHENNAI to women below the poverty line. It was launched with a budget When the operations resume, passengers $ying out allocation of Rs. 80 billion. A total of 22 million LPG connections of Chennai airport too may be screened at the depar- were distributed during the ﬁrst year of its launch. ture hall of the domestic terminal. So far, only passengers arriving in the city were screened before the lockdown was imposed. The Finance Minister of India, Nirmala Sitharaman made an Airports Authority of In- dia (AAI) o"cials said that Arrangements will be made announcement on 26th March, 2020 to provide free cylinders to screening of departing pas- to ensure that passengers sengers also as a precaution- stand at a distance from the BPL (Below Poverty Line) families for the next three months ary measure was under con- each other at all points. sideration. under the Ujjwala scheme. This announcement was made as an “We had discussions on tions will take more time,” how it can be implemented. he added. initiative towards the loss caused by the Covid-19 outbreak in We are framing a standard Though there has not operating procedure for ev- been any o"cial announce- ery airport to carry out op- ment on whether domestic India. erations in a safe way,” said $ight operations will begin, an o"cial. some of the airlines have al- “The reason for screen- ready sent their $ight sche- ing passengers leaving the dules for Wednesday to the city is now being considered AAI on Monday, sources because they should not said. Initially, only a re- come in contact with other duced number of $ights will passengers in the aircraft be operational from the city. and spread the infection. If a For instance, one of the passenger has fever or any leading airlines has given a other symptoms, then he/ schedule to operate about she may be sent to a quaran- 19 $ights a day as against 110 tine facility. We are still #na- a day they used to operate, lising the plan and working sources said. out how to implement it,” an o"cial said. The airport will make ar- 0 rangements to ensure pas- DISCLAIMER: Readers are requested to verify and make appropriate enquiries to sengers stand at one metre satisfy themselves about the veracity of an advertisement before responding to distance from each other at any published in this newspaper. THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD., the Publisher & all points inside the termi- Owner of this newspaper, does not vouch for the authenticity of any advertisement nal. or advertiser or for any of the advertiser’s products and/or services. In no event can “Right now, we are only the Owner, Publisher, Printer, Editor, Dir- ector/s, Employees of this newspaper/ making arrangements for company be held responsible/liable in any manner whatsoever for any claims domestic operations. We and/or damages for advertisements in think international opera- this newspaper.

Published by N. Ravi at Kasturi Buildings, 859 & 860, Anna Salai, Chennai-600002 on behalf of THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD., and Printed by D. Rajkumar at Plot B-6 & B-7, CMDA Industrial Complex, Maraimalai Nagar, Chengleput Taluk, Kancheepuram Dist., Pin: 603209. Editor: Suresh Nambath (Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act). Regd. TN/ARD/17/2012-2014 G RNI No. 1001/1957 G ISSN 0971 - 751X G Vol. 143 G No. 89

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IN BRIEF CBSE schools seek nod to collect fees 193 tonnes of veggies Ka. Balachandran is TNPSC chairperson The management The CBSE schools #nish their A CHENNAI #nal term exams in March and distributed in 5 days The Tamil Nadu government body has also asked generally conduct classes for the has appointed senior IAS for reimbursements next academic year for a few officer Ka. Balachandran as days in April before they close They are sold through mobile units to city residents the chairperson of Tamil for RTE admissions down for summer holidays. Most Nadu Public Service private State board schools too T. RAMAKRISHNAN 31 tonnes were provid- Housing and Urban De- Commission (TNPSC). Staff Reporter #nish the fee collection for the CHENNAI ed through online plat- velopment, reviewed Mr. Balachandran has been CHENNAI new academic year in advance. A total of 193.5 tonnes forms. The authority, the status of di!erent serving as the Principal The CBSE Schools Management But the lockdown, they say, has of vegetables were dis- on its own, provided arrangements being Secretary to the State in the Association (CSMA) has ap- disrupted this. tributed to residents of 108.29 tonnes to those made by di!erent arms Registration and Commercial pealed to the State and Central “While we understand that it Chennai in the last #ve who placed bulk of the department in Taxes Department until governments to let them collect is a tough time for everyone, we days ever since the booking. connection with CO- recently. fees from parents to pay sta! sal- Schools have begun online classes for students during the lockdown. want institutions to be allowed Chennai Metropolitan On Monday, it ran 90 VID-19 relief measures. aries and ensure the smooth A student attending an online session from her home. * R. RAGU to collect fees from parents. We Development Authori- trips of vehicles to de- An app to track functioning of schools. do not wish to compromise on ty (CMDA) inaugurated liver 18 tonnes of veget- Slum tenements offenders In a memorandum, the asso- through banks to help schools online classes and ensured that the salaries of our teaching and the service of mobile ables, o"cials said. Be- On Sunday, 1,472 tene- TIRUVANNAMALAI ciation president C.S. Manoha- cover expenses during the lock- students were e!ectively en- non-teaching sta!,” a school vegetable shops. sides, in collaboration ments of the Slum Clea- A mobile application to track ran has stated that all schools down period,” the memoran- gaged. “We are following the di- principal said. On April 8, the with the Cooperation rance Board in Chen- offenders has been launched had to shut down by March 21 dum stated. rectives of the CBSE and Minis- Chennai Chief Educational Of- CMDA announced that Department, the auth- nai, including 864 by the Tiruvannamalai district owing to the sudden lockdown The CSMA has also asked for try of Human Resource #cer and other district-level o"- vegetables would be ority distributed 53.5 tenements in Vyasarpa- police. Named ‘smart cop’, the due to the spread of COVID-19. reimbursements for RTE (Right Development to ensure that cials have warned schools in sold through mobile tonnes to city resi- di’s K.P.Park area, were app installed by all ranks of “We request the parents and to Education) admissions, which learning continues and are tak- their jurisdictions against pres- units. For delivering dents, according to an handed over to the Cor- policemen, is implemented government to understand that have been kept on hold, to be re- ing e!orts in facilitating live suring parents to pay the fees im- them to those who o"cial of the Housing poration for conversion from Monday, said M.R. Sibi make individual orders and Urban Develop- into temporary isola- Chakkaravarthi, SP, who lakhs of teachers and other sta! leased soon and to grant schools classrooms and other such activ- mediately. When a question was the CMDA entered into ment department. tion wards for CO- launched the app. The Ranipet members will be drastically af- awaiting new or an extension of ities,” he said. The Tamil Nadu recently raised about schools district administration has fected without their salaries. If their a"liation, an extension of Nursery Primary and Matricula- collecting fees, Chief Minister an arrangement with The rationale behind VID-19 patients. The re- introduced door delivery of the government extends the one year. tion Higher Secondary and CBSE Edappadi K. Palaniswami said Swiggy, Zomato and the service is to make maining tenements are essentials through an app. time for paying fees for the pa- P. Ashok Shankar, secretary of Schools Association too had ap- action would be taken if speci#c Dunzo, online food or- vegetables available to in Tiruvottiyur. Delivery Me was launched by rents, we request the govern- the association, said that most pealed for #nancial exemptions complaints were received about dering and delivery residents at “a!ordable Also, 1,176 tene- Collector S. Divyadharshini. ment to give interest-free loans schools had immediately started from the government. schools pressurising parents. platforms. For bulk rates” because of the ments, spread across booking, the CMDA us- lockdown to contain Ariyalur, Perambalur es its own vehicles. Al- the spread of COVID-19. and Thanjavur dis- so, it tied up with the A few days ago, De- tricts, have been given Post COVID-19, life will never be the same again Cooperation Depart- puty Chief Minister O. to the respective dis- ment. Panneerselvam, who trict authorities for the n my career as a clinician for vernment of India started pre- ment of India for its proactive and we will be victorious over Of the overall #gure, holds the portfolio of purpose. over six decades, I have wit- paring early (in January when approach. COVID-19. We are at an in$ec- Inessed doctors battling dis- there were no cases in India) A countrywide lockdown tion point in our war and with a ease, every single day, alongside and prepared well. The evacua- when there were less than 600 well thought-out strategy with their patients. There have been tion of our citizens from China cases for a country of 1.35 bil- meticulous execution, we will ‘Not blocking free rice distribution’ crises, situations that caused and other countries, establish- lion is unprecedented in history be victorious. As advised by the great panic, emergencies and ment of quarantine facilities, and without parallel. This deci- WHO, in the days ahead, we Special Correspondent In a Whatsapp mes- that appeared in a sec- alongside, enormous joy, every contact tracing, airport screen- sion has met with huge support need to test, test and test, as PUDUCHERRY sage to reporters, the tion of media that she time a medical miracle was ing and travel advisories helped across the country and till date, ramping up testing is pivotal to Distribution of free rice Lt. Governor said that was blocking the distri- achieved and precious lives in preventing the spread of CO- 310 districts of India’s 735 re- break the chain. for ‘above poverty line’ the distribution of free bution of free rice, the saved. VID-19 to a signi#cant measure. main free of the COVID-19 infec- On Tuesday, the 21-day lock- cardholders, as de- rice and grains to ‘be- Lt. Governor said, “The I was 12 years of age then, so I Extensive advertisements, mes- tion. People, even though in- down period will be completed, manded by political low poverty line’ card- truth of the matter is remember World War II quite sages on cell phones and va- convenienced, have realised a few States have already an- parties, was under the holders was being car- that free rice and grains well. It was a war, we knew who rious social media platforms that this action needed to be ta- nounced an extension till the consideration of the go- ried out based on a are already being or- the enemy was and there was were employed like never be- ken in the larger interest of the end of the month. With the vernment, Lt. Gover- standard operating sys- ganised for distribution preparedness for combat. But fore to reach all our citizens. nation. There will be huge eco- Prime Minister to address the nor Kiran Bedi said on tem. to BPL families through the COVID-19 pandemic is prov- Be it augmenting capacity in nomic consequences but the nation, we will know the Monday. Disputing reports a fair method.” ing to be a furtive adversary, testing, procurement and deve- decision was imperative in the Centre’s decision on the road threatening people in more lopment of diagnostic kits, en- larger interest of citizens. If ahead. It is an arduous decision than 200 countries and chal- hancing infrastructure, standar- there is health, only then can as they would have to weigh in- lenging even the most advanced have to #nd solutions in record dising protocols for quarantine, there be wealth. The lockdown numerable aspects regarding healthcare systems in the time. It has made us appreciate containment and treatment, is estimated to have prevented safeguarding the health of every world. If this is World War III, the beauty of stillness. It has augmenting access to personal several thousand individuals Indian and secure the health of then it would go down in the an- made us rekindle the power of protective equipment (PPE) and from getting infected and saved our economy. As responsible ci- nals of history and medicine as #nding solace in the arms of fa- availability of ventilators, there numerous precious lives. The tizens, each of us have to abide one, which in just 100 days, mily members. was a strong intent with deci- lockdown will help $atten the by, respect the decisions of our overwhelmed humanity and in- As I write, I am reminded of sive action. curve and not allow the health administrative leaders, and do fected more than 1.5 million pe- the period before India became Doctors and researchers infrastructure to be our part in staying well and safe. ople and snatched 88,000 lives. independent from colonial rule came together across the globe overwhelmed. Hopefully, the lessons we I have never seen what we are in 1947. I was a teenager and was and unravelled the genome of The 1.4 million physicians of would have learnt about living seeing today and believe that living with my parents in Ara- SARS-CoV-2 in days. Diagnostic Indian origin working across within the parameters de#ned the world that I’ve known will gonda, a small village in Andhra kits were developed rapidly, the globe have been at the fore- by the lockdown without de- never be what it was! Pradesh. Then, the father of our clinical and vaccine trials were front of the #ght against CO- pendence on what was once un- SARS-CoV-2, a 120 nm virus nation Mahatma Gandhi was initiated in record time. Our un- VID-19, as they have done on imaginable, will stay with us. has brought the world to vir- leading our freedom struggle derstanding has improved con- many occasions in the past. The Who would have thought that tually a standstill. It has made us through a movement of non- siderably in managing patients world is looking up to them for virtual meetings can be as mea- pause, stop and think. It has violence, and like every Indian, with COVID-19, we now have ef- solutions and they will never let ningful as they have turned out made us realise that the world in spirit, I too joined the #cacious medication and we are people down. to be? Who would have thought we live in today has no borders. revolution. at the cusp of using newer the- On 22nd March, we saw an that social distancing as a term It has made us think that what Today, once again, I am see- rapy. The public and private outpouring of emotions from would not only #nd its place in we thought indispensable can ing the same spirit of patriotism sector came together to take on 135 crore Indians that would our vocabulary but also our day actually be done away with. It across our glorious nation, and I SARS-CoV-2. have uplifted the spirit of every to day lives? Who would have has made us aware that we as a commend the Government of The Prime Minister of India healthcare professional. For thought we can demonstrate human race can break the bar- India and all the State govern- has personally led the #ght doctors, patients come before such discipline collectively? We riers that we have erected and ments for their relentless e!orts against COVID-19 addressing the all else because, at the age of 22, will now have a new de#nition as a united force, can take on in containing the pandemic. nation three times in a fort- on graduating, they took an of what is normal, a new normal any challenge. It has made us re- India is bracing well to the night. Global leaders and WHO oath to care for humanity. has taken shape in 2020. Life cognise the amazing ability we challenge of COVID-19. The Go- have applauded the Govern- Together, we can, we must will never be the same again.

OBITUARYOBITUARY OBITUARY& REMEMBRANCE & REMEMBRANCE & REMEMBRANCE Inspector transferred after clip goes viral DEATH DEATH DEATH DEATH ANNIVERSARIES SMT.USHA, MANAGER, Kalavai Vrid- hashram. Attained Acharyan Thiruva- Special criticising inspector di, 12−04−2020 Midnight. Correspondent Sudhakar of Chinna Sa- KALLAKURICHI lem police station. An inspector of police In the video, the in- attached to the Chinna spector is seen assault- Salem police station in ing Sakthivel for the Kallakurichi district has post on social media been transferred to the even as the latter’s pa- Armed Reserve after a rents are pleading with video showing him al- Mr. Sudhakar to leave legedly assaulting a their son alone. PMK cadre went viral After initial investiga- on Saturday. tion, Superintendent of The police said Sak- Police T. Jayachandran thivel, a PMK cadre of ordered an inquiry and Moongilpadi village, transferred Mr. Sudha- posted a message on a kar to the Armed Re- social networking site serve.

Selective medicines to DEATH ANNIVERSARIES be delivered at homes pa BIRTH CENTENARY Special their orders for medi- Correspondent cines. CHENNAI DEATH The association has In view of the extension facilitated door delivery of lockdown, the Health of the medicines department is facilitat- through the nearest ing door delivery of se- medical shop. lective medicines based on doctors’ prescrip- Service launched tions. The service has been The service is sup- launched in Chennai In memory of your loved ones ported by the Tamil Na- and 37 districts in the To dedicate a space in this section, Please contact: du Chemists and Drug- State. 044-28575711 / 28575714 gists Association and O"cials said that this from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. & nearly 4,000 pharma- would cover drugs that 72990 95757 cies have been net- are permitted for door from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. from 5 to 7 p.m. for Monday Edition worked. delivery. For Placing Advertisements People can call the Health Minister C. Vi- Online log on to toll free number — jayabaskar launched www. thehinduads.com 18001212172 — and place the service on Monday.

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CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC Not feasible Safety !rst 2 more die of virus in Karnataka to evacuate all, With seven new cases, Andhra Pradesh tally rises to 439, Kerala has 378 says govt. Special Correspondent also trying to procure kits di- Legal Correspondent Chennai/ rectly from the market but it NEW DELHI Thiruvananthapuram/ Vijayawada/Bengaluru was not easy. The government told the Karnataka reported two Supreme Court on Monday more COVID-19 deaths on A.P., Karnataka tally that it is not feasible to Monday, taking the total toll With seven new cases And- evacuate Indian citizens in Karnataka to eight. hra Pradesh had 439 cases in from abroad considering The deceased were a 55- all, an o#cial bulletin said. the present situation of the year-old man, who had self- Of the new ones, four were coronavirus outbreak in reported at ESIC Hospital in from Nellore and three from India. Kalaburagi on April 7, and a Guntur district. “Given the present situa- 75-year-old woman, who was Karnataka reported 15 tion of the coronavirus out- admitted to the Rajiv Gandhi new positives including four break in India and the Institute of Chest Disease in children, taking the total to available limited resourc- Bengaluru. 247. These include seven es, it is not feasible to selec- In the other southern deaths and 60 persons dis- tively evacuate Indian citi- States, Andhra Pradesh had charged. Six were dis- zens from abroad when a seven new cases, Karnataka large number of them from 15, and Kerala three. a number of countries Kerala Chief Minister Pin- want to return back due to arayi Vijayan said the steady various reasons,” the Mi- decline in new positive cases charged on Monday morn- nistry of External A$airs should not be taken as a li- ing. The new cases are: said in a statement before cence to violate the current Mandya and Belagavi (3 the Supreme Court. restrictions. each), Hubballi- Dharwad (4, A Bench led by Chief Jus- Even though there was no including three children), Bi- tice of India Sharad A. evidence of community dar (2), Bengaluru Urban, Bobde is hearing separate transmission, the disease Bengaluru Rural and Bagal- petitions seeking the evac- might !are up once the safe- kote (one each). uation of stranded Indian guards are relaxed, he said, Except for a 62-year-old citizens — students, mi- brie"ng the media on Mon- man from Bengaluru Urban, grant labourers, "sher- day. 13 persons had contact histo- men, tourists, etc — from The State also recorded 19 ry with those who travelled countries like the U.K., Un- patients who tested negative to Delhi and one travelled to ites States, Iran and the following treatment. Two of Delhi. The Bengaluru Urban Gulf. the new cases, from Kannur, patient had Severe Acute The court, however, ad- were contacts of imported Respitatory Illness (SARI). mitted the petitions, even cases. The other was a per- Primary and Secondary asking the government to son who had returned home Education Minister Suresh respond by April 20 to a to Palakkad from abroad. Of Kumar told the media that petition "led by a Nagapat- the 378 COVID-19 cases re- Chief Minister B.S. Yediyu- tinam resident for the imported so far in the State, 178 isolation wards in hospitals 1,000 samples were being rappa on Monday launched a mediate evacuation of 860 were under treatment. and the rest in home sent for testing daily now. Corona Helpdesk along with "shermen from Tamil Na- Boxes have been drawn on a !yover-turned-weekly vegetable market in Hyderabad on The number of people un- quarantine. However, there was shortage WhatsApp. People could use du, Kerala and Gujarat who

Monday to suggest the space required to keep a safe physical distance. * G. RAMAKRISHNA der surveillance dropped to Mr. Vijayan said testing in supply of test kits from the the facility by texting Hi to are stranded in Iran due to CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC 1,12,183, of which 715 were in had improved and up to Centre. The government was 8750971717. the COVID-19 pandemic. Read High Court,

Karnataka to turn toOrdinance, real estate State for Election funds SEC ordinance: HC asks A.P. to !le counter Commission from Special Correspondent the government include auc- good response for it,” Chief said. Staff Reporter tions pertaining to the case Mr. Kumar said the “im- dering that he needed to rep- Bengaluru tioning of more than 12,000Lakshmikant.Minister B.S. Yediyurappa While the State govern- VIJAYAWADA to April 20. pugned ordinance” sought ly to the petitioner’s The Karnataka government, corner sites in Bengaluru to told reporters here. ment decided to continue The A.P. High Court has di- Chief Justice J.K. Mahes- to circumvent the constitu- argument that there were no which is staring at a severe "- improve the "nancial posi- The decision was arrived supply of milk for free to rected the State government wari and Justice M. Satyana- tional prescription that the circumstances which war- nancial crunch due to the tion of the State. Similarly, at a high-level meeting slums and poor for one more to "le a counter by April 16 in rayana Murthy directed Ad- SEC could be removed only ranted its issuance in a hasty lockdown in the wake of CO- the State has given its nod to chaired by the Chief Minister week, ₹1,000 crore available response to the petition "led vocate General S. Sriram to through certain established manner. VID-19, on Monday decided auction corner and stray where various proposals to with the Rajiv Gandhi Health by former State Election "le a counter stating the go- procedures, by merely re- Mr. Kumar argued that the to turn to real estate sector sites in the jurisdiction of va- augment "nancial resources University will be used to up- Commissioner N. Ramesh vernment’s position in res- ducing the tenure and a con- promulgation of the ordi- and monetise government rious urban development were discussed with Minis- grade medical college Kumar pertaining to the re- ponse to Mr. Kumar’s con- donation of that approach nance during a medical properties, besides allowing authorities. “We are expect- ters and o#cials. “The CO- hospitals. duction of his tenure to three tention that neither was would a$ect the indepen- emergency, which formed real estate growth that ing generation of about VID-19 situation has thrown The Chief Minister direct- years through an ordinance, there an urgency nor a justi- dence of the constitutional the very basis of his decision would bring in additional "- ₹15,000 crore from auction- our State into deep "nancial ed sugar factory manage- which resulted in the termi- "able ground to promulgate body. As the Advocate Gen- to postpone the local body nancial resources to the ing sites. We will sell sites on- trouble and there is a need to ments to clear the pending nation of his services. the ordinance through eral defended the merits of elections, seemed to be ac- treasury. ly if we get the market value "nd ways to overcome the payment of ₹2,834 crore to The court also adjourned which his term was cut short the ordinance, Justice Ma- tuated with an “oblique mo- Major decisions taken by and we are hoping to get a crisis,” the Chief Minister farmers in 11 districts. the hearing of a batch of peti- from "ve to three years. heswari interdicted him, or- tive on extraneous grounds”.

IN BRIEF Weather Watch Migrant labourers attack Swimming pool photo lands Rainfall, temperature & air quality in select metros yesterday A.P. police personnel Karnataka Minister in trouble Circle inspector, 2 constables injured Opposition demands Sudhakar’s resignation Special Correspondent way, they allegedly hit them ANANTAPUR with slippers, stones and Special Correspondent coalition government last Ninety migrant labourers "sts injuring all three of Bengaluru year. After the COVID-19 cri- Veteran Congress leader hailing from Madhya Pra- them. The police personnel Karnataka Minister for Medi- sis erupted, he was often ac- M.V. Rajasekaran dead desh, who were lodged in a have been sent to the hospi- cal Education K. Sudhakar cused of not having coordi- BENGALURU quarantine facility at the tal for treatment. on Monday drew !ak from nation with Health Minister Veteran Congress leader and SKD College in Gooty in Deputy Superintendent the Opposition that sought B. Sriramulu as both di$ered former Union Minister M.V. Anantapur district of And- of Police Khasim Saheb ar- his resignation after he post- on the !oor of the House as Rajasekaran died in hra Pradesh, allegedly at- rived at the scene and paci- ed a photo of himself in a well as outside. Bengaluru on Monday. He tacked police personnel on "ed the migrant labourers, swimming pool with his chil- The tweet was criticised was 91. The veteran leader, Monday asking them to al- who initially refused to have dren on Twitter. by KPCC president D.K. Shi- who was ailing for sometime. low them to go to their na- lunch and only wanted to be “After a long time joined vakumar, who tweeted: Rajasekharan, who had tive places. released immediately. my children for swimming “When the whole world is participated in freedom The police personnel ac- The police o#cer told hope maintaining social dis- going through a health cri- struggle, was the son in law companied the contractor, them that they had to serve tance here also...haha,” he K. Sudhakar sis, the Corona in charge Mi- of former Karnataka Chief who was serving food ar- the quarantine period till tweeted with a photograph. nister Dr. Sudhakar is behav- Temperature Data: IMD, Pollution Data: CPCB, Map: INSAT/IMD (Taken at 18.00 Hrs) Minister Nijalingappa. He had ranged by the district admi- District Collector asked He, however, did not men- Cabinet recently after he ing irresponsibly by Forecast for Tuesday: Thunderstorm accompanied with lightning served as Union Minister of nistration, but the migrant them to and they would be tion where and when the won the bypolls on the BJP spending time in a swim- and squall very likely at isolated places over Assam and State for Planning in the labourers tried to forcibly released after the lockdown photograph was taken. He ticket following his resigna- ming pool. It’s a matter of Meghalaya. Ministry of Dr. Manmohan escape from the college pre- was lifted. They were also deleted the tweet after faction from the Congress. moral and ethical standards. city rain max min city rain max min Singh. Agartala...... —....31.0....19.6 Kozhikode...... —....36.2....27.6 mises. When Circle Inspec- told that they would be ing !ak. He, along with 16 others, He must resign out of his Ahmedabad...... —...... —....23.5 Kurnool ...... —....35.7....25.8 tor Rajasekhar and two con- forced to stay put in the Dr. Sudhakar represents who had resigned from the own accord and chief minis- Aizawl...... —....30.3...... — Lucknow...... —....37.7....20.8 Tigress carcass found in stables from Gooty police same place till further or- Chikkaballapur constituen- Congress and the JD(S), was ter should sack him from the Allahabad...... —....41.8....21.0 Madurai...... —....37.8....26.0 Wayanad sanctuary Bengaluru ...... —....33.7....20.5 Mangaluru ...... —....36.5....24.9 station tried to block their ders. cy, and was taken into the responsible for the fall of the cabinet.” Bhopal ...... —....39.2....22.5 Mumbai ...... —....35.7....25.2 KALPETTA Bhubaneswar...... —....40.2....26.2 Mysuru ...... —....33.9....22.6 A tigress, aged around five Chandigarh ...... —....33.9....19.1 New Delhi ...... —....37.2....00.0 years, was found dead in the CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC Chennai ...... —....33.4....26.0 Patna ...... —....36.2....23.6 CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary Coimbatore ...... —....36.1....23.0 Port Blair...... —....33.1....25.7 Dehradun...... —....35.0....18.0 Puducherry ...... —....34.0....25.0 on Monday. The animal, Gangtok...... —....20.2....13.1 Pune...... 3.2....39.3....24.3 suspected to have died two Goa...... —....33.6....26.5 Raipur ...... —....38.5....22.0 to three days ago, had deep Books at the doorstep to beat lockdown blues Guwahati ...... —....33.6....17.7 Ranchi...... —....36.9....20.0 Hubballi...... —....36.0....22.0 Shillong...... —....20.9...... — wounds on its neck, said B.N. Hyderabad ...... —....37.8....24.2 Shimla...... —....24.0....16.4 Anjan Kumar, Chief Imphal ...... —....32.8....15.0 Srinagar...... —....25.6...... 9.2 Conservator of Forest, A bibliophile in Kerala has opened up his personal collection to children and women Jaipur ...... —....38.4....24.6 Thiruvananthapuram...... —....33.8....27.5 Wildlife, Palakkad said. He Kochi ...... —....32.2....27.2 Tiruchi...... —....38.1....25.6 Sam Paul A. Kohima ...... —....24.2....13.2 Vijayawada ...... —...... —...... — said the animal could have Ever since the restrictions are turning out to be a big Kolkata ...... 0.6....34.0....26.6 Visakhapatnam ...... —....34.0....27.0 Alappuzha came into force, he has been solace, helping beat sustained injury while trying (Rainfall data in mm; temperature in Celsius) to escape from a snare. When the Kerala and Union busy home-delivering boredom too,” she says. Pollutants in the air you are breathing Yesterday

governments imposed the books, including children’s Apart from Pulinkunnu, CITIES SO2 NO2 CO PM2.5 PM10 CODE Two women, child found lockdown three weeks ago "ction, short stories, novels the ‘librarian at the Ahmedabad..... 31 .25 19 ....26 ...61 ....* dead in Telangana to tackle the spread of and so on, to more than 100 doorstep’ gets calls from Bengaluru ...... 04 .08 42 ....58 .....— ....* In observation made at 6.00 Chennai ...... 03 .25 45 ....46 .....— ....* p.m., Singrauli, Madhya HYDERABAD Pradesh recorded an overall COVID-19, one of the things readers, mostly children and other parts of Kuttanad for Delhi ...... 42 .22 20 ..187 .157 ....* air quality index (AQI) score Two women, aged between that struck 64-year-old S. women, from his own books now. “I get calls from Hyderabad ...... 02 .32 06 ....75 .....— ....* of 204 indicating a moderate 25 and 27, and a child from Kolkata...... 02 .32 06 ....75 .....— ....* level of pollution. In Jatheendran from collection. His e$orts Ramankary, Kavalam, * contrast, Amaravati, Andhra Karimnagar, who came to Lucknow...... 04 .31 55 ..168 .....— .... Pradesh recorded a healthy Mankombu in Kuttanad was introduced several children Nedumudy and other parts. Mumbai ...... 07 .17 12 ....55 ...82 ....* Hyderabad four days ago, AQI score of 37. the challenge of keeping to the world of reading and As I cannot travel to these Pune...... — ..— .— ..... — .....— ...... were found dead under * normally active children revived the habit for older places due to the lockdown, Visakhapatnam 34 .12 51 ....43 ...42 .... mysterious circumstances in a engaged. people. I have contacted local Air Quality Code: * Poor * Moderate * Good (Readings indicate average AQI) secluded area in As a bibliophile, he Books on the move: Some of the young readers with libraries there and initiated SO2: Sulphur Dioxide. Short-term exposure can harm the respiratory system, Jawaharnagar on Monday. making breathing difficult. It can affect visibility by reacting with other air Jatheendran. * SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT The bodies of the victims thought of the age-old Good response steps to provide books,” Mr. particles to form haze and stain culturally important objects such as statues and monuments. were found hanging from two system of delivering books Mr. Jatheendran says the Jatheendran says. NO2: Nitrogen Dioxide. Aggravates respiratory illness, causes haze to form by different trees. The child’s at the doorstep as an option. response is immense. “I children, women, including Princy Joseph, an A retired o#cial of the reacting with other air particles, causes acid rain, pollutes coastal waters. body was found a few feet Mr. Jatheendran, a member have a personal library with retired o#cials and undergraduate student, says Department of Post, Mr. CO: Carbon monoxide. High concentration in air reduces oxygen supply to away on the ground. A case of the Kerala State Library a good collection, including mothers, are asking for home-delivery of books Jatheendran is a critical organs like the heart and brain. At very high levels, it can cause dizziness, confusion, unconsciousness and even death. has been registered. Council, wasted no time in children’s books. When I got books. I deliver books every helps her use the lockdown Kudumbashree Balasabha PM2.5 & PM10: Particulate matter pollution can cause irritation of the eyes, Suicide prevention helpline implementing the idea at the idea, I approached the other day and have asked productively. “There is State faculty. He takes nose and throat, coughing, chest tightness and shortness of breath, reduced Roshni can be reached at Pulinkunnu and nearby police and they granted children to review the books nothing much to do during classes for students across lung function, irregular heartbeat, asthma attacks, heart attacks and premature death in people with heart or lung disease 4066202000. areas. permission. Apart from they read,” he says. the lockdown. The books the State.

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CHENNAI THE HINDU 6 EDITORIAL TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2020 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Staying at home on planet earth The pandemic tells us that the right to shelter and habitat is an urgent and essential one,E for humans and other creatures VIE the outskirts of the village: isolated trol ponds that they’ve recently mon fate, a truly planetary predi- and disparaged in almost every occupied. For the American toad, cament, is a rare and crucial thing. Sacking by subterfuge matter, but included within this Bufo americanus, it’s mating sea- It is manifest in the many mutual new collective boundary of son. Just as social restrictions have aid networks and progressive pol- Removal of A.P.’s top election o"cial through cleanliness. ramped up for us, they’ve begun itical measures that have taken ordinance route is a case of abuse of power to congregate by the water. shape to meet the needs of vulner- Anand Pandian Migrants caught in impasse It’s hard not to feel wistful, see- able populations. Such resources he legality of the removal of the Andhra Pradesh Governments around the world ing these knots of toads clamber will matter for other serious pro- State Election Commissioner (SEC) is seriously in assert home as a place of safety over each other with such aban- blems like the climate crisis, which Tdoubt. That it was the culmination of an open ight now, more of humanity and shelter. This idea assumes that don. Our own instincts pull us now will provoke new waves of home- con#ict between the Election Commissioner, N. Ra- is likely at home than at any one has a viable home in which to in contrary directions, together lessness and displacement. So mesh Kumar, and Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Red- Rother time in history. From stay put, that food and fresh water for solace at this harrowing time, much will turn on our ability to dy makes it a glaring instance of misuse of power. The India and China to the United are accessible, that survival GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO apart with concern for our most dwell on the deep ties between State government got the Governor to issue an ordi- States, from Norway and Denmark doesn’t require one to leave or vulnerable kin. This may prove our lives and others elsewhere, to South Africa and Argentina, go- #ee. In recent weeks, many coun- blamed the pandemic on a “fo- one of the most serious social chal- the forms of kinship that we may nance to cut the SEC’s tenure from "ve to three years, vernments have told their people tries have seen a surge in domestic reign virus.” There is racism in lenges of our lifetimes. But it is al- nurture. and amend the criterion for holding that o%ce from be- to stay at home, to slow the spread violence. And lockdowns at na- such language, akin to the way so a chance for us to re#ect on kin- In April 1970, the "rst Earth Day ing an o%cer of the rank of Principal Secretary and of the coronavirus. Billions held in tional and regional borders have that Muslims have been blamed on ship and connection, beyond the was inspired by a photograph above to one who had served as a High Court judge. place for an inde"nite time: the caught millions of migrants in an social media for the spread of the span of the family circle. For it from Apollo 8, an image of the This automatically rendered Mr. Kumar’s continuance implications of these radical mea- existential impasse. The coronavi- virus in India. There is also a cer- isn’t enough, we are learning, just Earth as a fragile blue ball in the invalid. Last month, just days before the local body sures will take time to unravel. rus may ravage densely packed retain way of thinking here about the to take care of our own, as if we vastness of space. Many hoped polls were to be held, the SEC postponed the elections, What does home actually look like fugee camps around the world, world beyond: as a space of uncer- were islands in the world. this vision of a vulnerable world for di!erent people? And what will but people have nowhere else to tainty and threat, home as refuge Epidemic diseases like CO- would catalyse environmental citing the COVID-19 outbreak. The State government ap- come of our relationships with the go. The United States is turning re- from a dangerous world. VID-19, avian in#uenza, and Ebola consciousness and bring a plane- proached the Supreme Court, but the court declined to wider world outside our doors? fugees away now at its own bor- Recent lockdowns come on the are zoonotic, crossing to humans tary healing, dissipating the ran- interfere. Having exhausted its legal remedy, the go- Home means many di!erent ders, without giving them the heels of an intense drive for secur- from other animals. They are often cour of social and political antago- vernment should have waited for the ongoing "ght things, as does the command to re- chance to appeal for asylum. ity in everyday life. On a daily le- sparked by ecological instability, nism. As the 50th anniversary of against the disease to be over. Mr. Reddy’s allegation main there. Lately I’ve been talk- Within America, where I live vel, wealthy Americans and others by the destruction of natural habi- this moment nears, in 2020, we that the SEC, an appointee of his predecessor N. Chan- ing often with a family of textile with my family, many rely on on- elsewhere have already been ar- tat and the cramming of animals seem to be edging even closer to drababu Naidu, postponed the polls to prevent a sweep workers in the industrial town of line portals to the world beyond, mouring up: retreating to fortress- into wildlife markets and scarcely ecological catastrophe. And yet Tiruppur. The lockdown came so juggling virtual meetings with les- like homes, moving about in tank- inhabitable factory farms. They the alternative remains, the by the YSR Congress may or may not be true. However, suddenly that they lost the chance sons for kids, peering by video in- like SUVs, walling themselves o! are symptoms, in other words, of a chance to take the earth itself as a the Chief Minister has no legal right to terminate the to go back to their native place. to the homes of others. Such disin many ways. “Americans are in crisis of homelessness in the ani- place of collective shelter. SEC’s tenure, as the Constitution makes the holder of Each family in their worker colony tance is a privilege. Others, fear,” the security manager at an mal world, magni"ed by global In a world of stark inequality, that post removable only in the same manner as a High has one tiny room of their own. especially minorities and the poor, exclusive gated community in Flo- networks of trade and resource ex- this will have to be more than the Court judge. If courts uphold this means of dislodging The children have been playing in must still expose themselves: car- rida told me a couple of years ago. ploitation. As economic activity idea of a common planetary the head of an independent election body, it would the common courtyard. With pol- ing for the ill, harvesting food and The streets there were already slows to a crawl, pollution has home. We need to think carefully mark the end of free and fair elections. ice wielding batons on the streets, delivering necessities, maintaining strangely isolated and still. When been clearing in the industrial about what home has been for par- everyone is afraid to set foot out- the infrastructure that lets the rest the current pandemic passes, how centres of Asia, Europe, and North ticular people, and how to build The State government seems to have gone by legal side. The factories are shuttered, of us hunker down. The pandemic many will remain afraid to go out- America. Gutting environmental and maintain more generous opinion that cited Aparmita Prasad Singh vs. State of wages suspended, and people are has also brought homelessness side? regulations to kick-start the econo- structures of belonging. The pan- U.P. (2007) in which the Allahabad High Court ruled getting by as best as they can. and eviction into focus, the sim- my – as the United States and Chi- demic tells us that the right to that cessation of tenure does not amount to removal, Staying at home brings into fo- mering crisis of a!ordable housing Kinship beyond family circle na have done now – will only make housing, to shelter and habitat, is and upheld the State Election Commissioner’s term be- cus the question of whom we con- in so many American cities. In my urban neighbourhood in the world more dangerous to eve- an urgent and essential one, for ing cut short. The Supreme Court, while dismissing an sider our own, whom we take shel- “Shelter in place” orders now Baltimore, social life sputters on. ryone’s health. human beings and the countless appeal against the order, kept open the legal questions ter with. A community checkpost govern many American localities. Here, staying at home hasn’t other creatures we share this pla- has gone up on the edge of a vil- The language recalls the nuclear meant just staying indoors. People Sense of a common fate net with. Securing this right will arising from the case. The judgment seems erroneous, lage I know well in the Cumbum terrors of the Cold War era; people seek out parks and open space The COVID-19 pandemic is a boot help to avert the ecological crises as it gives a carte blanche to the State government to re- Valley. Panchayat workers are tak- are advised to ‘shelter in place’ with kids and dogs, calling out to camp in ecological awareness, a to come, and we may "nd our- move an inconvenient election authority by merely ing turns at the wooden gate, ask- when the environment itself is ha- each other from a distance. It’s reminder that the well-being of selves at home in the world once changing the tenure or retirement age. This was surely ing everyone to wash with soap zardous, when simply being out- springtime; with the cars and ma- any one person is tied up with ever again. not what was envisioned by Parliament, which wrote and water, turmeric and neem, be- side risks exposure. This idea chinery idle, you can hear the so many others, both family and into the Constitution provisions to safeguard the inde- fore they enter the village. The helps explain why some in Ameri- songbirds more clearly, even the neighbours and those we’ll never Anand Pandian teaches anthropology at pendence of the State Election Commission. It is a well- post is near the Dalit quarter on ca, including the President, have toads chirping from the #ood con- meet or know. This sense of a com- Johns Hopkins University settled principle in law that what cannot be done directly cannot be done indirectly. Therefore, the removal of an incumbent SEC through the subterfuge of changing the eligibility norms for appointment may not survive Re-imagining our economic choices judicial scrutiny. Further, the Constitution, under Arti- cle 243K, prohibits the variation of any condition of ser- For decades, human beings have chosen pro!ts over lives. The time has come to jettison this approach vice to the detriment of any incumbent. Even if the tion (WHO) estimates that 4.2 mil- test our imagination. Binaries bet- comes per capita. The Multi-Di- State government argues that a change of tenure does lion lives are lost annually due to ween left and right are collapsing. mensional Poverty Index builds not amount to varying the conditions of service, the air pollution. These deaths occur A Republican Treasury Secretary on capabilities, captured through new norm can only apply to the successor SEC, and not in dispersed locations, through va- in the United States is suggesting health, education and living stan- the one holding the o%ce now. rying illnesses and outside our cash transfers for all workers. The dards. The di!erence between frenzied social media feeds. The- Confederation of Indian Industry standard economic targets and Kaushik Barua refore, the choice is not as clear to is advising pay cuts for senior these welfare-based indices is us. It is a choice between 4.2 mil- management while ensuring work- their clear focus on lives over Google, pay lion lives and the marginal returns ers do not lose jobs. Liberal de- pro"ts. he COVID-19 pandemic will from industries choosing polluting mocracies are competing to cur- In Net#ix’s new dystopian o!er- The French template for the search engine reshape all our economic vs. non-polluting technologies. GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO tail individual rights and ing, The Platform, inmates are ran- paying for reuse of news holds promise Tchoices. Nations have made This is not a Luddite call to replace movement. Citizens are support- domly assigned a level in a giant a crucial choice in recent weeks, our cars with carriages. Cleaner ing food security and cash transf- ing (even demanding) these res- vertical tower. Food passes ast week’s ruling by France’s competition regula- choosing human life over econom- technologies are available, and not ers for the vulnerable. trictions. We have embraced a sus- through a central chute from top tor that Google must pay news publishers and ic growth. Governments including only for Prius owners. For in- Wash your hands? What about pension of laws, a near-global to bottom. If the prisoners at every agencies for re-use of their content marks a signif- ours have mandated lockdowns to stance, through our IFAD pro- the 35% who lack access to sanita- ‘state of exception’. level took their reasonable share, L slow the pandemic, relieve the grams, low-cost technologies are tion? According to UNICEF, even there would be enough for eve- icant turn in what has been a see-saw battle between pressure on their hospitals and being developed even for small- prior to COVID-19, diseases direct- Changing the metrics ryone. That never happens, and European regulators and publishers on the one hand save lives. On the one hand, there holder farmers. ly linked to lack of safe water killed These states of exception might be those at the lower levels are forced and the tech giant on the other. How this ends and what will be massive economic costs. 1,400 children under "ve every the new normal as black swans, to adopt brutal strategies to stay this leads to could set the template for not just the news Fitch Ratings have halved their Saving lives day, globally over half a million a highly improbable events with ex- alive. This is a harsh representa- industry in France and Europe but also the rest of the 2020 growth forecast. The volatili- Surely, we are "nally saving all year. There has been a renewed fo- treme impact, now spread rapidly. tion of our economies. Maybe too world. For the time being, the ruling gives the belea- ty is unprecedented. A Forbes as- lives now? The recommendations cus on sanitation in recent years. The pace and volumes with which harsh. But the undeniable fact is guered news industry in France a rare edge in its deal- sessment started with the pithy are clear. Practice social distanc- More is needed, but long-term we can move across territories and that we do not live in separate disclaimer “Last week’s economic ing? This is hardly viable for the measures might expand the "scal transport the virus have deepened worlds. We inhabit a building with ings with the tech giant. Over the last two decades, even forecast is out of date.” On the oth- 2% of the global population who de"cit. our fragility. Perhaps it is time to overlapping loops, where our as publishers across the world struggled to make a com- er hand, updates land in our are homeless or the 20% who lack Economics is about choices, a shift from indices of economic rooms vary in size and comfort but mercially meaningful transition to the digital world, phones on a minute-by-minute ba- adequate housing. Social distanc- study of ‘human behaviour as a re- growth and speed (such as rates of are all linked. We face a common Google became the primary gateway for readers. While sis, invoking both our empathy ing will also take a disproportion- lationship between ends and GDP growth) to those that build on enemy, and there may be more in this worked well for the readers and for Google, which and our fear. Our choice is obvious ate economic toll on the informal scarce means’. Trade-o!s are cen- lives and living conditions. Many the future. One life undermined is as a result could build a mammoth advertising busi- — human life over economic sector, employing up to 60% of the tral to these choices. On the one organisations, including the one I a threat to everyone. What is the ness, it never worked well enough for news publishers, growth. To choose otherwise working population globally and hand: 4.2 million, 0.5 million, work for, have already shifted their price we are now willing to pay for notwithstanding the increase in tra%c they expe- would be inhuman. Surely, we 90% in India. The cure could trig- 1,15,000 (and counting) lives. On focus from mere incomes to resi- others’ lives? have always made the same ger deep poverty and a food secur- the other: lower GDP rates, more lience. Relevant indices already rienced. Many publishers are, hence, now in a position choice? Hardly. ity crisis, actually endangering expensive technologies, higher "s- exist. The Human Development Kaushik Barua is the Cambodia Country where they can neither let go of their dependence on For decades, we have chosen more lives. In this context, the "rst cal de"cits. Such comparisons Index measures life expectancies Director at the UN International Fund for the tech giant nor make monetary sense from this ar- pro"ts and growth over human ₹1.7 lakh crore relief package was might not pass our usual aesthetic as a proxy for long and healthy Agricultural Development. Views rangement. Also, individually, they are too small to lives. The World Health Organiza- encouraging in its focus on ensur- standards. But this pandemic will lives, education and national in- expressed are personal challenge Google’s might. It is by recognising the skewed nature of this copyright marketplace that the LETTERS TO THE EDITOR European legislators amended rules in April last year — Letters emailed to [email protected] must carry the full postal address and the full name or the name with initials. something which France then gave force to in July. At the 1945 United Nations Conference on International Organization, Szeming Sze, The genesis of the order by the French competition To read more letters a delegatePoliceman attacked from theSurat, demandingRepublic wages, ofhomes China must be provided (modern-dayhauntingly empty Taiwan),St. constantly proposed catch our eyes theonline, scancreation the QR code regulator was a complaint "led against Google by un- It is atrocious that the hand food and permission to with the basic needs for a Peter’s Basilica, was totally and ring in our ears. ions representing publishers. They charged Google of oanf an assistant international sub return tohealth their homes areorganizationdigni"ed living without underin tune the with auspicesthe times. The “ Quarantine”,of the “self- new Unitedgetting postponed instead with abusing its dominant position in response to the inspector of police was only a genuine being treated as social world ought to listen to his isolation”, “staying at of cancelled (“IPL set to be law, which seeks to create fairer grounds of negotiation. Nations.severed by people Alger in Patiala Hiss,manifestation the of theirSecretary-General anger parasites. The enormity of ofexhortation the conference,for banishing home” andrecommended “staying inde"nitely using postponed,” a This it does by allowing for the possibility of publishers (Front page, “11 held for and frustration at being this humongous words like “indi!erence”, indoors” have become part April 13). What is the dire chopping o! policeman’s pushed to the edge of humanitarian crisis would “self-centredness”, of the common parlance. need to conduct IPL 2020 to be paid for article extracts picked up by aggregators. declarationhand,” April 13), when to they establishstarvation. This issuch a wake- andeserve organization. the Prime “division” and One abbreviation that at any cost? Not conducting The complaint was that Google, on the grounds of com- were asked for curfew up call for governments to Minister’s personal “forgetfulness”. As the appears to be regal, but the event, it is alleged, plying with the new law, decided it would not display passes. This unfortunate immediately address their intervention before such whole is a!ected by a really simple and humble is would result in huge the extracts and other elements unless publishers auth- incident shows how genuine grievances. While violent protests spread like deadly and invisible enemy PPE. Perhaps there is revenue loss. Of the two orise free usage. The regulator said it found that Goo- Szeignorant and some other of us have delegatesthe protesters must lobbied not another and form aof pandemic.declaration called COVID-19, passed it is time callingnobody who is fornot an losses, lakhs of lives and gle’s practices “were likely to constitute an abuse of a internationalbeen when it comes to conferenceresort to violence, suchon health.S.K. Choudhury, The use offor the the leaders word of nations to “world”,informed of “social rather revenue,than which is more dominant position, and caused serious and immediate observing the norms to protests should also not be Bengaluru come together and take distancing”. The lexicon precious? Taking a prevent the transmission of viewed through a narrow decisive and concerted has organically updated threatening pandemic head harm to the press sector.” It could be argued that the “international”, emphasized the truly global nature of what the organization was the virus. It also speaks law and order prism. That Call for solidarity action to help each other’s itself by including terms on and quelling its French case will do little to shake up the existing frame- volumes about the risks one gets to hear of such a Pope Francis’s call for population live through the like “corona warriors” to resurgence are the work. Previous legislative attempts by other European seekingbeing taken byto the achieve.police pathetic state of shelter global solidarity in "ghting testing times and eventually refer to health paramount issues Union constituents, such as Germany and Spain, to al- and medical sta!. Those homes in a State showcased the COVID-19 pandemic resume normal life, as professionals. It is worldwide. Under these low for such extracts to be monetised by publishers who carry out such acts of as a model of governance is fallout, urging the urged by the ponti!. encouraging that people are trying circumstances, no have proved counterproductive. For instance, Google Thebrutality constitution should be tried in i ndeedof shameful.the World It does Healthrelaxation of international OrganizationC.G. Kuriakose, was signedgetting more by sensitised all 51to countriesone is worried about of a ended up shutting down its news service in Spain. But fast-track courts and not speak well of the local sanctions, debt relief for Kothamangalam facts on the disease. sporting event. Wimbledon the French attempt promises to end di!erently. That is punished immediately. NGOs either. In this regard, poor nations and cease"re G. David Milton, has been cancelled. The theJ. EdenUnited Alexander, Nations,shedding its the ideological afﬁliatesin all and con#icts byhas not 10 come otherThe corona countries, lexicon M aruthancodeon 22 July 1946.Tokyo ItOlympics thus have been because, built in in the regulator’s order is a require- becameThanjavur the ﬁrst pspecializedrejudices, Gujarat would agencya day too soon of (World the page, UnitedThe scourge Nations of coronavirus- to which everyp ostponedmember by one year. Is ment that negotiations “e!ectively result in a proposal do well to emulate the “Banish self-centredness, centric words has added to Playing with pandemic IPL 2020 more important for remuneration from Google.” Where will this go from Protests in Surat Kerala government’s Pope tells the world,” April or replenished our verbal It is both funny and than these events? here? Publishers across the world will be watching. subscribed.The two successive protests handling of such migrant 13). The Pope’s Easter repertoire. “Outbreak” and irritating to read about the V. Lakshmanan, by migrant workers in workers. Those in shelter message, delivered from a “pandemic” are terms that likelihood of IPL 2020 Tirupur

CM A CH-CHE YK EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEThe Luddites were a secret oath-based organization[1] of EnglishEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE textile workers in the 19th century, a radical THE HINDU faction CHENNAIwhich destroyed textile machinery as a form of protest. The group was protesting against the use of TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2020 OPED 7 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEmachinery in a "fraudulent and deceitful manner" to get aroundEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE standard labour practices.[2] Luddites feared that the time spent learning the skills of their craft would go to waste, as machines would replace their role in the industry.[3] Over time, the term has come to mean one opposed to industrialisation, automation, Howcomputerisation, to cope or withnew technologies con!nement in general.[4] The Luddite movementAccessing began in Nottingham justice online in England Wande need culminated to reset our mind in in order a region-wide to adjust to this new rebellion situation that lasted from 1811 to 1816.T hereMill are and many factoryways in which owners citizens can took get greater to access to justice while the burden on conventional courts is reduced shooting protesters and eventually the movement wasregularly suppressed in touch with people with from legal and military force. the villages and urban centres of this an example. The government, both at the district closely monitoring the situa- Centre and the States, has innumerable po- tion and rendering necessary advice. verty alleviation and distress eradication The United Nations International Children’s EmergencyI have beenFund interacting is with a sever-United Nations agency thatschemes. is responsible If all these schemes were properlyfor al former veterans and colleagues in implemented, there would be very little po- Mproviding. Venkaiah Naidu humanitarian and developmental aid to childrenpublic life and thoseworldwide. in the forefront It has a wide reach throughverty or distress its in India. So, why does this of the current battle and sharing N.L. Rajah not happen? There is scant awareness sponsorship program and the celebrity endorsementstheir of feedback the with same, the Prime Minis- it is among the most widespreadamongst the bene and!ciaries about these pro- People across the world are under ter and others. I have also spoken to grammes. What is the scheme about? How conrecognizable!nement in varying degrees. social In- welfare organizations in the world,several with Governors a twice presence in the video inWith 192Indian courts countries too under a lockdown and for territories.does one apply? Where does one procure dia has been under a national lock- conferences held by the President on three weeks (and probably more), citizens the application forms? What is the next step? down for three weeks now. This may preparedness in respective States, have severely restricted access to justice for Within what time is the authority expected continue for some more time as we and "agged concerns, particularly this period. However, the deeper malaise is to respond? What is one to do if he or she battleOrigins with the novel of coronavirus UNICEF, an those relating to the farm sector. the complete inability of the conventional does not? The answers to these questions re- invisible organism threatening to I have been relishing the kirtans of court system to deliver timely justice. This main a mystery to the bene!ciaries. They in-

claimUNICEF large numbers ofat precious ﬁrst hu- beganGETTY IMAGES/ ISTOCK as the International Children’sthe Emergency renowned Annamacharya Fund in s(ICEF),hakes the very foundationformed of the polityin 1946on variably by come the up against U.N. a wall which they man lives. While the virus is a chal- praise of Lord Balaji and savouring which we rest our constitutional promises. are unable to surmount. Now, if all this infor- lengeRelief in itself, copingRehabilitation with such a Administration to provide immediateold !lm songs pregnant relief with messag-and healthcareCollectively, the conventional to children court system mandation is mothersprovided comprehensively at the long period of con!nement has rything is in the mind. “For saint- family in person or over the phone. es of life and love. appears to have heaved a frustrated sigh and grassroots levels and made available online emergeddevastated as another challenge. by How Worldhood or War for animal II. instincts; The For United Nations GeneralI have lentAssembly my bit to the ongoing establisheddropped the challenge the instead United of picking upNationsin as many Indian languages as possible, it does one cope with it? good deeds and evil acts; For free- After Corona e$orts of reaching out to people the gauntlet. could be a huge step in creating awareness. InternationalIt is all in the mind. Any new situa- Children’sdom or con!nement; Emergency For compas- My lifeFund AC continues (UNICEF) with most of atobout forthe causes better and consequences facilitationTechnology, of however, its nowpost-war provides us an reliefOnce this happens, effort. it follows In that more and tion with socio-economic conse- sion or cruelty, the !rst seed lies in these elements except visits to di$e- of COVID-19 by publishing articles in opportunity to meet the challenge headlong. more applications will be generated. quences1950, demands UNICEF’s of us suitable ad- mainthe Mind. This objective is the core of universal wasrent extended parts of the country, to whichaddress I Hindi, English the and long-term regional language needsThe Kerala Highof Court children did exactly that and on women, justments or adaptation. In essence, philosophy and the eternal truth of love, and the morning game of bad- dailies. I have urged them not to pan- March 30, 2020. It created history by not on- Role of Legal Services Authorities wparticularlye need to reset our mind. Adapting in newly-freelife,” he wrote. Mind former is the set of cog- colonies,minton at the Constitutionwhose Club, economyic but also to not was throw caution in itsto the infantly conducting stages proceedings of through development. video So, what does all In this have1953 to do withit access- to con!nement is not easy. It re- nitive faculties encompassing con- which has been substituted by yoga. winds. I have urged all those con- conferencing but also live streaming the pro- ing justice? While these schemes look rosy quiresbecame some resoluteness an afﬁliate on our sciousness, of imagination,the United perception, Nations.O#ce work has beenThe re-prioritised, agency’scerned nameto draw the right was lessons eventually from ceedings. The changed judges conducted theto hearing its currenton paper, without form implementation – and ac- part, especially since human beings thought, judgment, language and with most of the o#cials working the crisis both in terms of our pre- from their homes. Nearly 30 urgent matters countability there is no justice to the ag- areUnited social beings. WeNations are used to rac- Children’smemory. Many of theseFund faculties – thoughfrom home as required. it retains thesent lifestyleoriginal and norms acronym. of interna- were taken up for hearing, including bail ap- grieved citizens. It is in addressing this pro- ing against time, so surplus time is a come into play while we cope with The surplus time has resulted in tional cooperation before another plications and writ petitions, and were dis- blem that the Legal Services Authorities Act challenge . But it’s not too di#cult, as the present con!nement. We have to some dividends for me as I have reset such challenge stares at us. posed of. The advocates concerned and law of 1987 and the o#cers functioning under I have seen in the last three weeks. recognise a new reality, imagine the my mind. The foremost of these is Closely following what is circulat- o#cers also participated in the proceedings them all over the country can play a huge India’s rank- 129.conditions Last of year’s life that "ow rank- from it, t hat130. my wife and I are spending the ing on social media about the virus, I from their respective o#ces. This is truly role. If there is di#culty in accessing these Adjusting to a new reality and take decisions based on a ration- longest time together since ourHD mar- have put out severalRANKING messages based epochal. This example must be institutional- schemes, a system must be set in place for PrimeDespite Minister Narendra lifting Modi, soon 271al consideration million of this people new scenario. outriage inof 1970. poverty This privilege was between pre- on the !ndings 2005-15, of the World HealthIndiai sedstill and eternalised. remains home tothe 28% applicant (364 to lodge million) online complaints after announcing the national lock- We also have to count the downsides cluded by the demands of my politi- Organization and the Indian Council with the Legal Services Authorities who can down,of saidthe in aworld’s lighter vein that poor. I and the takeaways from the situa- cal life all these years. This long of Medical Research, and o#cial an- A blueprint for e-courts then ensure accountability and e$ective im- would be among those who would tion. I have undergone this exercise, togetherness has further streng- nouncements, advising people not to To achieve this, the government must esta- plementation. The local panchayat, munici- !ndBetween it hard to not move 1990 out of home. andas have2018, most of India’s my fellow country- HDIthened value our bond increased. Both of us are sa- bbyelieve 50 fake informationper cent and super- (fromblish 0.431 an e$ective to task 0.647), force consisting which of pal or placescorporation o# itce, orabove any well-inten- This is because Mr. Modi has been a men, and this has been evident in the vouring the fragrance of this bonding stitions and not be prejudiced. I have judges, technologists, court administrators, tioned NGO can assist the complainant to wtheitness to average my hectic political for life and countriessuccessful implementation in the of medium the and !nding new human virtues. My inquiries developmentalso been inquiring group about the way (0.634)skill developers and and above system analysts the to draw averagemake these onlinefor complaintsother to the Legal journey over the years, including as lockdown so far. I have reasons to be- have revealed that this is the case millions of our students are coping up a blueprint for institutionalising online Services Authority if the complainant is un- Vice-PresidentSouth ofAsian India. Many countries of my lieve that we (0.642). will collectively stay put with many of my friends and well- with the disturbance in their aca- access to justice. Such a task force must be able to do so directly. The o#cers under the friends too had similar concerns, as in this new equilibrium of mind as wishers. I have also been spending a demic calendar. I hope that order charged with the responsibility of establish- Legal Services Authorities Act may then be wThisas evident inmeans the fact that mythat lan- inlong asthe it is required. last We three are now in adecades,good deal of this life new-found expectancy time in will soon be at restored birth in this regard.in Indiaing hardware, increased software and byIT systems 11.6 for years,authorised towhereas hear the complaints the online dline and mobile phone ceaselessly situation of life Before Corona (BC) reaching out to a large network of I have regular exchanges with all courts; examining application of arti!cial in- and to direct delivery of redress to the ag- rangaverage after the lockdown number came into ofand After schooling Corona (AC). yearsf riendsincreased from school and by my village 3.5 years.those concerned Per in the capita Central and incomestelligence bene !increasedting from the data base 250 gen- gtimes.rieved complainant in accordance with the force. They all enquired about me My daily life BC would start with a days inquiring how they are coping State governments on the spread of erated through e-courts projects; establish- law in a time-bound manner. wIndiaith some palpable is onlyconcern. Thatmarginally is game of badminton. better This would than be w iththe the situationSouth and sharingAsian my averagethe virus and the directionon the of our Gender ad- ing appropriate Development e-!ling systems Index and This (0.829 is just one ofvs the 0.828), myriad ways in why I’m sharing my experiments followed by a cup of tea peppered own experiences with them. mirable collective !ght. procedures; and creating skill training and which access to justice can be enhanced ex- wandith the con ranks!nement. at a lowwith 122 ginger, turmeric(of 162) and cinnamon countriesAs a keen on learner the of our 2018 parlia- GenderI !nd that time Inequalityis inadequate for rIndex.ecognition for paralegals to understand and ponentially while simultaneously reducing I was also initially worried, but while spending over an hour brows- mentary democracy, I have been me in life AC as it was BC. As long as to help advocates and others to access the the burden on conventional courts. The oth- soonIndia’s things fell into neighbours: place. It didn’t ing English, Hindi and Telugu dailies. able to revisit some of the illuminat- one !nds shortage of time, it is a life system to !le their cases and add to their er facilities that would help access to justice require much e$ort and reordering Then I would have breakfast; keep ing debates in the Constituent As- well-lived. When it is the case with pleadings and documents as the case moves are online mediation, arbitration, counsell- of life, but a little retuning of the several appointments; do o#cial sembly and by some luminaries in fellow countrymen resulting in a along. Once the blueprint is ready, the High ing in family court matters, quick settlement mind. The guiding principle is to work, which included looking at our Parliament post-Independence. larger sub-conscious mind guiding Courts across the country may refer the of disputed insurance claims, and many mSriake the Lankamost out of this (71) new reali- and!les; China have meetings (85), with lunch in This has been a delight. our thoughts and actions for larger same to the Rule Committee of the High more. India is a land where skilled human re- ty, seen by many as an adversity. between; go on outstation tours, My native district of Nellore in collective good, we are on course to Court to frame appropriate rules to opera- source is rarely lacking. If we can pick up the A friend and former member of which were not too few in number; Andhra Pradesh is one of the worst emerge victorious against the virus. tionalise the e-court system. will power to do all of the above, justice will the Rajya Sabha, C. Narayana Reddy, attend the Rajya Sabha during the a$ected by the spread of COVID-19, The facility must not only enable access to become an accessible concept to everyone. inBhutan his Jnanpith Award-winning (134), work Bangladeshsessions; walk in the (135), garden in theMyanmaras some attended the(145), Tablighi Jamaat NepalM. Venkaiah (147), Naidu is the Pakistan Vice-President of (152)courts but and must provide Afghanistan access to justice (170). Viswambhara, aptly said that eve- evening; and spend some time with congregation in Delhi. I have been India through other processes as well. Let us take N.L. Rajah is Senior Advocate, Madras High Court CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC AmbedkarGlobal scenario: and the Poona Pact CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

WNorway,ithout the Poona Switzerland, Pact, the Constitution Ireland would occupied the top three positions in that order. FROM THE ARCHIVES never have been FIFTY YEARS AGO APRIL 14, 1970 Globally, there are 1.3 billion poor people. Malpractices in Elections Uday Balakrishnan hardly the person to bend to some- (From an Editorial) Around 661 millionone else’sof will.these As he observed poor in apeople live in Asia and the Paciﬁc. In late September 1932, B.R. Ambed- talk years later, he was clear he Some 150 million Indians going to the polls karSouth negotiated Asiathe Poona constitutesPact with would not “tolerate 41% anyone of on the whose world’s poor. to pick their representatives in the Federal Mahatma Gandhi. The background to will and consent settlement depends, and State legislatures is a majestic and unpa- theChanging Poona Pact was the nature Communal tofo stand inequality: on dignity and play the ralleled exercise of democracy which rightly Award of August 1932, which, among Grand Moghul.” evokes the admiration and respect of the other things, reserved 71 seats in the It is also highly unlikely that an rest of the world. But how far this exercise is central legislature for the depressed erudite and sharp person like Am- carried out according to the prescribed rules classesAs. Gandhi,the numberwho was opposed toofb edkarpeople would not coming have weighed the out of poverty is increasing, the world is veering towards anotheris increasingly type turning out of to be quite a di$e- the Communal Award, saw it as a consequences of not signing the Poo- rent story. The Representation of the People Britishpoverty. attempt to split Hindus, and na Pact. It would also not have been Act has laid down a strict code of electoral began a fast unto death to have it re- lost on him that Muhammad Ali Jin- conduct to ensure that no extraneous in- pealed.The old inequalitiesnah, withwere the Muslims based of India on access to health services and education whereas the next generation"uence is brought to bear of on the voter in the strongly backing him, was watching free exercise of his franchise. Some of these Fairpoverty representation is based onand waiting technology, to take advantage of education the and climate. rules, however, are so much more Utopian In a settlement negotiated with Gand- evolving situation. than realistic they have come to be more ho- hi,What Ambedkar isagreed HDI? for depressed noured in the breach. For instance, the rule class candidates to be elected by a Positive outcomes about how much a candidate can spend on joint electorate. However, on his in- The Poona Pact had several positive electioneering — Rs. 9.000 for a State legisla- sistence, slightly over twice as many outcomes for Ambedkar. It emphati- CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC ture constituency (in Tamil Nadu) and Rs. seatsPublished (147) were re- by the United Nationscally sealed Development Programme (UNDP), it is a statistical tool used25.000 to for measure a Parliamentary constituency a — is served for the de- his leadership DATA POINT so unrealistic considering the size of consti- pressedcountry’s classes in overall achievementof the in de- its social and economic dimensions. The social and economictuencies dimensions and the shortness of theof distance a the legislature than pressed class- that a rupee goes these days, it is an open in- wcountryhat had been allot- are based on the healthes across of In- people, their level of education attainment and their standardvitation to of candidates living. to circumvent it by ted under the Com- dia. He made getting money spent through other chan- m unal Award. In ad- the entire nels. There are many such rules which are si- dition, the Poona country, and milarly broken in practically every election PactIt assuredis part a fair of the Human Developmentnot just the Report. that takes place. representation of Congress Par- the depressed class- ty, morally A HUNDRED YEARS AGO APRIL 14, 1920 es in the public ser- responsible vicesThe while other ear- indices that formfor the the uplift part of the 2019 Report are: The Burma Despatch. marking a portion of the educational of the depressed classes. Most of all (From an editorial) grant for their uplift. he succeeded in making the de- The Poona Pact was an emphatic pressed classes a formidable political The Government of India have practically acceptanceInequality-adjusted by upper-class Hindus force for Human the !rst time in history.Development Index (IHDI), set their seal of approval on the Craddock that the depressed classes constitut- As a practical man Ambedkar was scheme of reforms for Burma so heartily hat- edGender the most discriminated Development sections of not looking Index for the perfect (GDI), solution. ed by the Burma public. Their despatch Hindu society. It was also conceded As he remarked in a 1943 address to makes few modi!cations on the Lieutenant- thatGender something concrete Inequality had to be mark Index the 101st birthday (GII) celebrations and Governor’s scheme and where they do make done to give them a political voice as of Mahadev Govind Ranade, all he a modi!cation, it may perhaps be regarded wMultidimensionalell as a leg-up to lift them from a wanted Poverty was “a settlement Index of some (MPI). as a change for the worse. There is, doubt- backwardness they could not other- sort”; that he was not “prepared to less, some semblance of an elective majori- wHDIise overcome. measures averagewait for an ideal achievement settlement”. It is ve- of a country in three basic dimensions of human development:ty, but what with the method of indirect The concessions agreed to in the ry much in this spirit that he a#xed election persisted in and the great in"uence Poona Pact were precursors to the his signature to the Poona Pact saving of headmen over elections, the elective ma- world’s largest a#rmative pro- Gandhi’s life as well as that of the jority will be nominal. The Government of grammeA long launched and much laterhealthy in in- Congress life. Party’s while giving a big India set much store by the fact that 56 dependent India. A slew of measures voice to the depressed classes. members will be elected of whom 6 will be wAccessere initiated later to to knowledge. uplift Sche- On the 129th year of his birth on recommended by the Chamber of Com- duled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. April 14 this year, we would do well to merce and other like bodies. Of the remain- DespiteA decent what Ambedkar standard had remember of living. Ambedkar as much for ing 50 members, 31 are to represent the Dis- achieved for the depressed classes the Poona Pact as we do for the Con- trict Council. Considering that these throughFind the Poonaout Pact, about there were GDI,stitution GII he helped & conjure. MPI. Without Councils will be swamped by village head- carpers. the former, the latter would never men, and considering the fact that these Perry Anderson and Arundhati have been. headmen can be pulled by the higher bu- Roy argued that Gandhi through his reaucracy any way they like there will be no fast coerced Ambedkar into the Poo- Uday Balakrishnan teaches at the Indian di#culty in realising that these seats may be na Pact. Ambedkar, however, was Institute of Science Bengaluru reckoned as those belonging to the o#cials.

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districts,Services Authoritysays govt. Act, 1987 Sforpecial theCorrespondent provision of free legal services to the weaker sectionsA!airs too of had thesethe SOPs society in Special Correspondent NEW DELHI place but instead of provid- NEW DELHI “We(deﬁned have identi"ed "underve ver- had beensection conducted so12 far. of Athes work Act) from home and ended to organize Lok Adalats for speedy and amicableing vehicles resolution to lower level Tofhe Election cases, Commission ticals under which we will “Of these 14,855 tests took for Ministers in the Union sta!, those who had their of India (ECI) on Monday bein working 1995. including NALSA digital place is at 156also government involvedCouncil in and monitoring senior bureau- & evaluating the implementation of legalvehicles aid were programmes encouraged to said that and Chief Election and molecular surveillance, labs and 1,913 tests hap- crats on Monday, some activ- report for work. As for Commissioner Sunil Arora rapidlaying and economical down diag- principlespened at 69 private labs & on policiesity slowly returned for tomaking hither- legal services available under the Act. touching of "les, an aide to and Election Commission- nostic, hospital assistive Sunday. There is no need to to deserted corridors of the Minister said the Minis- ers Ashok Lavasa and Sush- devices and PPEs; and sup- worry…we have enough power in New Delhi. try had long shifted to an “e- il Chandra had volunteered ply chain and logistics sup- stocks to conduct tests for Ministers were seen at o%ce” set up. “Barely 30% of to take a 30% reduction in port systems,” Mr. Agarwal six weeks,” he said. Replying work at their Ministries don- the sta! made it to work to- their basic salaries for one said. to a question of Remdesivir ning masks and after going day,” said the source. year in order to contribute The Indian Council of being used as a treatment, through temperature checks Meetings are being held as to the e!orts against CO- Medical Research’s (ICMR) Dr. Gangakhedkar said as at the entrance of their o%ce far as possible through video VID-19. headTo of give the Epidemiology effect ptoer some the observational directions stu- buildings. of NALSA, State Legal Services Authority in every state,conferencing High andCourt the return LegalThe announcement fol- and Communicable Diseas- dies, the drug seems to have While the Ministry of Cul- to o%ce for the government lows the government’s re- es-I,Services R. Gangakhedkar Authority ad- some e!ect in on theevery repro- Highture saw someCourt, heavy duty Taluk Legal Services Authority in most of the oTaluksf India is being seenand as part Districtcent decision Legal to cut the ded that over 2,06,212 tests duction of SARS-CoV-2. sanitisation and social dis- of Prime Minister Modi’s MPs’ salaries by 30% Services Authority in most oftancing, the standard Districts protocols have been constituted. Supreme Court Legalevolving Services response to CO-Authoritythrough an ordinance. has were applied at the Jal Shakti No exception: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman being checked before she entered the VID-19 , from “jaan hai toh ja- “The country is grap- been constituted to implementMinistry. and administerFinance Ministry the in legalNew Delhi on services Monday. * R.V. MOORTHY programme insofar ashan hai”it (therelates world for heto thepling with the pandemic Centre may raise loan to “We have very little sta! who lives) to “Jaan bhi, ja- and the e!orts require Supreme Court. NALSA laysc omingdown into work guidelines, today, bas- Joint Secretaries principles, came to of- sent policies vehicles as public and tran- isdonning involved of masks have beenin framinghaan bhi” (Life yes,effective but the huge and resources. Reducing ically the Minister, personal "ce,” said a source. Only two sport was not available. made compulsory,” added World too), pointing towards the burden on the state ex- payeconomical GST dues schemes to States for the sStateecretary, the Legal Secretary, two Servicesof the six attendants Authorities were “Sanitisers to at executethe doors and tthehe source. Legal Servicesa staggered Programmes exit from the chequer would help, the Additional Secretaries and asked to report for work and appropriate distancing and The Ministry of Minority lockdown post April 14. ECI said in a statement. “Giventhroughout the extraordinary sit- the2022 country. to "ve more years,” Primarily, all these authorities have been constituted to discharge the following uation we are in, the govern- said a source. Much mulling mfunctionsent can invoke the provi- regularly:over this has led the govern- sion made in law and raise a ment to the third option of Partially open India protests loan. They can either have a raising loans. ‘Extend rations to those unlisted’ videoconference of the For December 2019 and the economy, cease"re CouncilProvision or get the opinion of of freeJanuary 2020,and the competent Central legal services to eligible persons. the States in writing,” he government owes around says Congress Congress president Sonia Gandhi urges Prime Minister to o"er grains till Sept. violations said.Organization₹ 30,000-35,000of Lok Adalats crore as for speedy resolution of cases in an amicable manner. In the last GST Council compensation and around SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT Special Correspondent against food in$ation, at a Special Correspondent mOrganizationeeting, in fact, Deputy ₹ 30,000of legal crore for FebruaryawarenessNEW DELHI camps in Nruralew Delhi areas. juncture where supply chain NEW DELHI Chief Minister of Gujarat Ni- and March. The government On the eve of the comple- Congress president Sonia disruptions are causing price India on Monday lodged a tin Patel had $oated the idea had last week released tion of the nationwide lock- Gandhi on Monday wrote to rise,” Ms. Gandhi noted. strong protest through di- of the Council itself raising ₹14,103 crore to States as the down, the Congress on Prime Minister Narendra plomatic channels after loans but the Council as an second tranche of compen- Monday sought a partial Modi asking the government Groups excluded cease"re violations from entity cannot do that. “The sation for October and No- opening of the economy to o!er increased rations to Separately, in a series of the Pakistani side killed optionLok that Adalats: was raised by vember 2019. It paid ₹19,950 and asked Prime Minister people who are identi"ed as tweets, former Finance Mi- three Indian citizens. States was to extend the crore in February for these Narendra Modi to be bold bene"ciaries under the Na- nister P. Chidamabaram, The diplomatic protest compensation period from two months. in declaring a "nancial tional Food Security Act must be extended for an ad- the current pandemic,”Ms. too, pointed out that direct or demarche came after package of at least "ve to (NFSA) as well as vulnerable ditional period of 3 months Gandhi said, adding that mi- bene"t transfers under the days of cease"re violation Lok Adalats are alternative mechanismssix percent of the GDP. forsections dispute who may not resolution.enlist- i.e. till September, They 2020. Gi- aregrant organized labourers and many inP radhanorder Mantri to Garib settle Ka- othen the civil Line of Control& Addressing the media ed under it. ven the chronic economic others facing distress may lyan Scheme, that was tweet- (LoC) in Kashmir. Pakis- Womancriminal drowns compoundable all 5 of casesthrough in video the conferenc- pre-litigationThe Congress stage president anddistress those faced by these cases be- have which been excluded are from thependinged by the Ministryin the of Fi- courtstan’s Ministry in an of Foreign ing, former Commerce Mi- said that in the "ght against ne"ciaries, the food entitle- NFSA lists. nance, has left out several A!airs (MOFA) also sum- amicable manner. They are organizednister Anand Sharma saidunderthe coronavirussection pandemic, 19 ofm entsthe may Legalbe provided freeServicesThe Congress Authority leader also segments. Act, 1987 and mareoned India’s given Charge d’Af- her children in the Ganga ‘Indian economy cannot “we must ensure that no one of cost,” she added. said that releasing additional Listing these sections, Mr faires Gaurav Ahluwalia ov- statutory status under the Act.sustain The a prolonged Legal lock- Servicesfaces hunger”. AuthorityThe Act Congress has chief alsobeenfood amendedgrains to the States will in Corderhidambarama to said: provide “Exam- er allegedfor "aring by the Bhadohi Superintendent of has a strong $ow, the police down,’ and therefore, Mr. “I welcome your decision suggested providing 10 kg help create storage space ples:Tenant farmers, Land- Indian side. Policemandatory Ram Badan Singh pre-litigationsaid. mechanismModi should announce for a theto provide cases free of relatedcost 5 kg grains/person to Public free of cost Utility for with Food Services, Corporation of In- therebyless agri labour, Non-agriestablishing dai- The MOFA spokesper- said that during questioning Village pradhan Shree- calibrated plan to open up grain/person in addition to a period of 6 months to all dia (FCI) to scale up the rabi ly wagers, MGNREGA son claimed an infant, Mu- MPermanents. Yadav said she commit- Lokchandra Adalats Yadav told The Hin-withs pecijurisdiction"c sectors. overthe entitlements Public under Utility the those Services. who may be facing procurement of wheat and workers without work, Mi- hammad Haseeb, had died, ted the act due to mental du that they were still trying In a tweet, former Con- National Food Security Act food insecurity but don’t rice. grant workers, Self-em- and civilians were injured stress and a quarrel with her to understand what trig- gress chief Rahul Gandhi (NFSA) from April-June, have ration cards. “The current crisis has ployed workers,Taxi, auto in the Indian "ring in husband. “There was noth- gered the woman’s actions asked for a “smart up- 2020,” Ms Gandhi said in her pushed many relatively food drivers,Delivery agents,Male Dhudnial Sector. ing to state that she had as her family had no "nan- grade” of the lockdown, letter. “However, given the Use bu!er stock secure families into food in- Jan Dhan account holders, The "ring at the LoC scarcity of food. We went to cial crisis or scarcity of and said the one-size-"ts- adverse impact of the lock- “Lakhs of vulnerable people security and poverty. Popu- Petty shop keepers, Street continues even as both the her house. There was food grains. “Aisi koi samasya all lockdown brought mis- down and its prolonged im- across the country face lation increases since 2011 vendors etc.” countries are battling the prepared as well and there nahi hai. Jagah zameen bhi ery to the poor pact of people’s livelihoods, chronic food insecurity due have not been considered He added, “The above do pandemic. On the Indian was no scarcity of any item.” hai. Haal theek hai [They Mr. Sharma cited an ILO I write to you to consider a to the lockdown. This is trag- for determining each State’s not fall under @nsithara- side, Kashmir, Ladakh and The police said Ms. Yadav had no such problem. They report to say that 40 crore few suggestions. Firstly, the ic given that India has large entitlement under NFSA. man’s plan and are without the Kargil region were the had been booked for mur- even own land. Their "nan- workers would be pushed provision of 10 kg grains/per- bu!er stock of food grains The above measures are crit- any money for the last 21 "rst to be a!ected by the vi- der, arrested and produced cial situation is sound],” he to below poverty line. son to NFSA bene"ciaries precisely for exigencies like ical to safeguard people days”. rus outbreak. in a court. The police posted said. photographs purportedly of The woman had a ration Ms. Yadav’s house showing card and just a week ago re- food prepared there. The ceived several kg of grains , Two assailants kill, injure portion of the Jahangirabad said Mr. Yadav, who claimed ‘Floor test is Governor’s discretion’ ghat where the alleged inci- to be in regular touch with dent occurred is deep and the family. policemen in Kishtwar This is how the system of parliamentary governance operates, says SC judgment They also took weapons from the SPOs Krishnadas Rajagopal the balance towards the par- timate call whether a govern- Free tests only for NEW DELHI ty possessing a majority at ment should stay in power Peerzada Ashiq 1.30 p.m on Monday. A Governor can call for a the time the trust vote is di- or not, the court said. Jammu “SPO Iqbal succumbed to $oor test any time he objec- rected. All political parties It said that a Governor’s Two assailants, including an his injuries. The other o%c- the poor, clari!es SC tively feels a government in are equally at risk of losing power to call for a $oor test undertrial recently freed on er is seriously injured. Both power has lost the con"- the support of their elected is not restricted only before parole in the wake of the the assailants have been A Bench led by Justice Ash- tended the bene"t of free dence of the House and is on legislators, just as the legisla- the inception of a State go- COVID-19 outbreak, killed a identi"ed and a search is on ok Bhushan recorded in its testing of COVID-19. We are shaky ground, the Supreme tors are at risk of losing the vernment immediately after policeman and injured under the supervision of the 10-page order that the conscious that framing of Court held on Monday. vote of the electorate. This is elections, but continues another in the Chenab Val- Senior Superintendent of court’s intention was never the scheme and its imple- In a judgment, a Bench of how the system of parlia- throughout its term. ley’s Kishtwar district on Police (SSP), Kishtwar. The to make testing free for all. mentation are in the govern- Justices D.Y. Chandrachud mentary governance oper- The court clari"ed that Monday. Weapons were also suspected terrorists also “We make it clear that the ment domain, who are the and Hemant Gupta conclud- Justice D.Y. Chandrachud ates,” Justice Chandrachud the Governor’s requirement stolen, o%cials said. took away two weapons bene"t of free testing by a best experts in such matter,” ed that a Governor can call observed. to have a trust vote does not A spokesperson said the from the SPOs,” the spokesperson can be availed only the court said in its order. for a trust vote if he has ar- political accountability of The intention behind a “short-circuit” any disquali- two assailants attacked the person said. when he or she is covered The court further direct- rived at a prima facie opi- the elected government to trust vote was to enable the "cation proceedings pend- two Special Police O%cers O%cials said the duo was under any scheme like the ed the Health Ministry to nion, based on objective ma- the State legislature... In di- elected representatives to ing before the Speaker. (SPOs), Basit Iqbal and Vish- on patrol duty at the time of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan identify bene"ciaries terial, that the incumbent recting a trust vote, the Go- determine if the Council of It said a Governor need al, near the post set up at the attack. According to pol- Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana. among the weaker sections State government has lost its vernor does not favour a par- Ministers commanded the not wait for the Speaker’s de- Tander Dachin, around 60 ice sources, one of the at- We are also of the view that of society, including work- majority in the Assembly. ticular political party. It is con"dence of the House. It cision on the resignation of km away from Kishtwar tackers has a FIR "led looking into the plight of ers belonging to low income “The idea underlying the inevitable that the speci"c was the MLAs, and not the rebel MLAs before calling for town, with axes and injured against him and was granted persons belonging to eco- groups in the informal sec- trust vote is to uphold the timing of a trust vote may tilt Governor, who made the ul- a trust vote. them seriously at around bail a few weeks ago. nomically weaker sections tors and bene"ciaries of Di- of the society, the govern- rect Bene"t Transfer who ment may consider as to can be made eligible for free whether any other catego- testing. It directed the Mi- Plans to construct new Free extension Re-think pro-U.S. stance, Journalists ries of persons belonging to nistry to issue appropriate H economically weaker sec- guidelines in this regard of foreign visas condemn FIR tions of society can be ex- within a week. Parliament on track CPI(M) urges govt. till April 30 against editor Consultants working digitally: contractor Party #ags diversion of kits from China Special Correspondent Special Correspondent MGNREGA jobs crash Damini Nath struction agency, the Cen- New Delhi Special Correspondent ny, France, Canada, Brazil New Delhi NEW DELHI tral Public Works The visas of foreigners that New Delhi and even Barbados, the CPI A group of over 200 jour- The Centre’s plan to con- Department, in October expired during the lock- Embracing the U.S. as the (M) pointed out. nalists has condemned the to 1% of normal struct a new Parliament 2019 to be its consultant for down period would be ex- top-most priority cannot The party’s Polit Bureau FIR "led against Siddharth building by August 2022 is the revamp of the Central tended till April 30 on gra- provide any help or relief to strongly condemned what it Varadarajan, founding edi- No exceptions from restric- most States have closed on track and the tender for Vista and construction of tis (free) basis after they the Indian people in streng- called the U.S.’s unilateral tor of the news portal The tions were provided for the down MGNREGA worksites the project would be $oated the new Parliament and the apply online, the Ministry thening the struggle against strong arm methods to sub- Wire, by the Uttar Pradesh MGNREGA under the lock- to curb the spread of after the lockdown is lifted, Central Secretariat. of Home A!airs (MHA) said the pandemic, the CPI (M) vert the sovereign rights of police, which accused the down, although States were COVID-19. according to the architects Housing and Urban Af- on Monday . said in a statement here af- independent countries. outlet of “spreading pan- asked to continue imple- “This is a collapse of the of the project. fairs Minister Hardeep Singh The regular visa, e-visa ter it was reported that a “This U.S. intransigence is ic”. The group, consisting menting the scheme while employment guarantee gi- The design, which is pro- Puri had said the building or stay stipulation of fo- consignment of rapid test- clearly against the repeated of journalists from both following social distancing ven to rural Indians at a time posed to be triangular and would be ready before the reigners who had been ing kits from China, bound pleading of the WHO for in- print and electronic me- guidelines. when it is most needed,” located near the Parliament Independence Day, 2022. stranded because of CO- for Tamil Nadu, was divert- ternational cooperation in dia, termed it a brazen at- While announcing the said Nikhil Dey, an activist House, as of now is su%- Asked if the project had VID-19 and consequent tra- ed to the U.S. battling the global pandem- tempt to muzzle the media. PM Garib Kalyan Yojana re- with the Mazdoor Kisan cient for issuing tenders, been delayed due to the vel restrictions and whose International media has ic,” the statement said. The State has an extra lief package last month, Un- Shakti Sangathan, who has while the process for the de- lockdown aimed to curb the visas had expired from Fe- widely reported how several It urged the Modi govern- responsibility to exercise ion Finance Minister Nirma- "led a Public Interest Litiga- tailed design would run con- pandemic, the HCP said the bruary 1-March 30, “would countries have been hauling ment to draw proper les- restraint on use of its pow- la Sitharaman had said tion petition in the Supreme current with the selection of CPWD, the MoHUA and the be extended till April 30” up the U.S. for its attempt to sons from this “obnoxious ers when citizens are res- MGNREGA daily wages Court on the issue along a contractor, HCP Design, consultants were able to on gratis basis after they block PPE and testing kits behaviour of U.S. imperial- tricted in exercising many would be increased by ₹20, with Magasaysay award win- Planning and Management work digitally and that there apply online, the MHA from reaching their desig- ism,” the statement said. of their usual democratic and would support the 13.6 ner and RTI activist Aruna said in a written response to were no major disruptions. said. nated destinations and di- The statement once again rights, a statement said. crore families who hold job Roy. a query by The Hindu. The initial deadline for India had suspended op- verting it for dealing with its $agged the capitulation by “We demand that such cards. In an interim order after a The Ahmedabad-based completing the building eration of all $ights on domestic health emergency. the Indian government in politically motivated ha- As The Hindu had report- hearing on April 8, the apex "rm had been selected by would be met. The tender- March 23 and came under Sharpest among countries lifting the ban on export of rassment of media persons ed then, this relief is mea- court directed that the mat- the Union Housing and Ur- ing process was underway, a 21-day lockdown on who have $agged the U.S.’ hydroxychloroquine on hu- should stop immediately,” ningless at a time when ter be listed after two weeks. ban A!air Ministry’s con- it said. March 25. rogue behaviour are Germa- manitarian grounds. it added.

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INTERVIEW | PALA B. RAJESH Odisha govt. modi!es ‘In U.K., we are o!ering supportive treatment’ lockdown guidelines We don’t know yet what will work against the novel coronavirus, says senior NHS surgeon Ramya Kannan with the lockdown as well. we should remain there for a Relaxation made to kick-start agriculture, horticulture CHENNAI There is infrastructure in couple of weeks. We will British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s fulsome praise for the place — both Central and know the e"ect of the lock- Prafulla Das U.K.’s National Health Service (NHS) for his treatment for CO- State government health sys- down in a week’s time. So Bhubaneswar VID-19 has raised the pro!le of the public-funded healthcare tems. Perhaps, the govern- far, we have been recording Set to enter the second service. A senior member of the NHS and alumnus of the Ma- ment may think of farming only the COVID-19 deaths, phase of the lockdown im- dras Medical College Pala B. Rajesh details the protocols to out non-COVID-19 patients to but there may be others who posed to !ght the COVID-19 combat the pandemic: the private sector, as has do not come into hospital. outbreak from April 15 to 30, been done in Assam, accord- The assumption now is that the Odisha government has How helpful is a lockdown in quarantine with you, your ing to experts there. everyone is COVID-19 posi- made relaxations to kick- in containing the spread of family, this applies to them tive unless he or she tests start activities relating to the infection? as well. Step 2: If you are still What about treatment negative. COVID-19, I’m sure, agriculture, horticulture, ill, go to a hospital. In the <> options for COVID-19? !sheries, forest, drinking I Any decision that has been NHS, you will be tested for will remain in the We have reports from water and e-commerce. made thus far, regarding this COVID-19. community, like I We are collecting a lot of America of the particular One more COVID-19 posi- No transport: Women walking back home with !rewood on unprecedented epidemic perhaps dengue or pre-publication material. At vulnerability of African

tive case was detected in the outskirts of Bhubaneswar. * BISWARANJAN ROUT has been binary. Public safe- What about non-COVID chikungunya. the moment, whatever we American people. Are you Bhubaneswar on Monday, ty and economic backlash treatments/surgeries? are doing is speculative mea- seeing some thing similar in taking the State’s total to 55. Restaurants could carry maintaining social have been the two considera- three months. sures taken by each group in the U.K.? Active cases now stand at 41 out home delivery but could distancing. tions. In the United King- I Hospitals in the U.K. have a Every speciality has been their circumstances. In the as 13 have recovered and one not allow people to eat in- Farmers could also pur- dom, we took a decision in primary triage in place — CO- given guidelines as to what U.K., we have begun to use I What we are noticing, ho- has died. side. chase agricultural imple- late March that the lockdown VID-19 and Non-COVID-19 constitutes an emergency. hydroxychloroquine with wever, is a certain predilec- Announcing modi!ca- The SRC said farmers ments. The cooperative would be total and we would sections. I know there is opi- Every hospital in the U.K. antibiotics on a trial basis, of tion among doctors from tions in the lockdown guide- could resume all agricultural banks and other such insti- have a review it in three nion in India that elective has ensured a few operation course, because frankly, we overseas working here. lines on Monday, State Spe- activities, including harvest- tutions would disburse loans weeks. Public health experts surgeries must be stopped. I theatres remain reserved for don’t know yet what exactly There have been 39 deaths cial Relief Commissioner ing, selling their Rabi crops to farmers during the lock- have recommended the both agree, and disagree. In non-COVID-19 surgeries. The will work. among NHS doctors and (SRC) Pradeep Jena said so- and activities relating to pre- down period, said Mr. Jena. three week lockdown based the U.K., since the outbreak, rest of the theatres have be- Meanwhile, BCG seems to nurses so far in the epidem- cial distancing norms would paring their !elds for the Activities relating to on the experience of China, we have prioritised surgeries come extensions of intensive o"er some kind of protection ic. These include people be strictly followed while fa- coming Kharif season. The MGNREGA, Swachh Bharat Italy, Spain and Singapore. as per the level. care units. mechanism. from India, Pakistan, Sudan cilitating activities that were shops and establishments and rural housing schemes What we follow here is Priority level 1 is divided COVID-19 theatres have in- But in the U.K., we are and Egypt, for instance. related to livelihood of engaged in selling agricultu- would go on and the Pan- quite simple. Step 1: If you into emergency (Surgery tensive care specialists, mainly o"ering supportive COVID-19, I’m sure, will people. ral implements, cattle feed, chayati Raj Department have fever, cough, muscle must be done within 24 anaethetists and general treatments. One thing that is remain in the community, E-commerce activities !sh feed and food proceed- would also facilitate con- pain, stay at home. A high vi- hours), and urgent (surgery medicine practitioners. But appreciable during this pan- like perhaps dengue or chi- would function during the ing and packaging would al- struction and repair of ral load usually lasts !ve in 72 hours); in Level 2, pa- at the moment, we have not demic is that everyone is kungunya. It will raise its extended lockdown period so be allowed to remain drinking water facilities. days, but you may get a se- tients can wait for up to four been overwhelmed in our freely exchanging informa- head during winters in this when companies engaged in open. The procurement of People engaged in !shing, cond peak- which is why we weeks; in Level 3, the sur- hospitals, possibly because tion, so that other nations do country. Once a vaccine is home delivery of goods and Rabi crop would be resumed #oriculture, tendu leaf recommend the two-week gery can be delayed for three 90% of the population has not make the same mistakes ready, recommendations services would be allowed to and all cold storages and go- plucking and collection of isolation period. You may months, and Level 4 com- been following the In U.K., we seem to be on may be made for vulnerable operate without any downs would be allowed to non-timber forest produce feel well in a week but please prises of people whose sur- lockdown. the upward crest of the populations, including se- hindrance. carry out their activities by could carry out their work. do not go out. If any one was gery can be delayed for over India has done very well curve; and experts are saying nior citizens.

IN BRIEF Maharashtra virus cases cross 2,000 Remove fear from mind, says recovered nurse Mumbai records more than 60% of Worli makes up for 20% ‘I want to help others combat it,’ he says the State’s toll Staff reporter Bhopal ‘Adhere to lockdown of Mumbai’s cases Special correspondent After trumping the corona- rules during Ramzan’ Pune Staff reporter NEW DELHI Andheri East also saw a hike. virus, Rajesh Aswara is eag- Mumbai Minority Affairs Minister The COVID-19 outbreak con- Ten wards have more than er to return to the isolation Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on tinued to wreak havoc in Dharavi reported two new 50 cases in the city. ward of the M.Y. Hospital. Monday appealed to Muslims Maharashtra as a staggering cases on Monday evening, Figures up to Sunday He has defeated with grit to strictly follow social 352 persons — the highest bringing the total to 49. One show that Worli (G South) the fear evoked by the dis- distancing and the lockdown single-day surge yet — tested is a 51-year-old resident of continued to leap ahead of ease. And going back to du- guidelines during the holy positive on Monday. The Murugan chawl while all city wards in terms of the ty as a male nurse now, he month of Ramzan, in the State’s cumulative tally ex- another is a 21-year-old man cases. It saw a sharp rise, can tell others how he be- wake of the COVID-19 ceeded well past the 2000 residing in Kalyanwadi. The going from 246 cases to 280 came the !rst in Indore to Rajesh Aswara outbreak. The Minister urged mark, surging to 2334, while latter is a wardboy at the cases, making up for 20% of do it. members of the community its death toll rose to 160 with Breach Candy hospital. The Mumbai’s 1,399 cases. BMC “Now that I have over- the hospital every day, he to offer prayers and perform 11 deaths occurring during G South ward consisting of o$cials have attributed the come corona, I am more feared: Kahi agla number other religious rituals like the the day. Worli saw another surge in rise to aggressive testing in con!dent and want to help mera toh nahi? (Am I going ‘iftar’ (breaking of the fast) The State recorded a jump numbers, going from 246 to Worli Koliwada, BDD chawl others combat it,” said Mr. to be the next?) inside their homes during the of nearly 50% in the number New normal: Hundreds of daily wage earners waiting for their 280. Bandra East and and Jijamata Nagar areas. Aswara, 48. When he began losing month of Ramzan, which will of positive cases since Sun- afternoon meal in Mumbai. * VIVEK BENDRE CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC To all nurses across the hope, doctors motivated begin from April 24 or April day, with Mumbai alone re- world, he says: “First of all, him to not give up, nurses 25. PTI porting 242 new cases as its taking the district death toll ported from Thane (9) and cases. Thus far, Pune divi- in Nashik district, which is remove fear from your prayed for him, he prayed tally alarmingly soared to to 30, while Mira Bhayander, Vasai Virar (5). sion - which comprises of rapidly emerging as a virus mind. Second, treat a pa- for himself, ate heartily and Five Europeans raise 1,540 cases. which saw a rise with seven In Pune, the number of Pune, Satara, Kolhapur, San- hotspot in north Maharash- tient only with a personal on time and “just followed alarm in Guwahati Of the 11 deaths, nine oc- new cases, reported its se- positive cases continued to gli and Solapur districts – has tra, reported 14 more cases, protective equipment (PPE) properly every instruction GUWAHATI curred in Mumbai city, tak- cond death. Till date, 229 pa- surge with as many as 55 reported a total 35 deaths. taking its tally to 29. kit on. Don’t work without of doctors.” Angry neighbours virtually ing the city’s death toll to 101 tients in the State have been new cases being reported Nagpur, where the virus The State has the highest it.” Doctors told him: “Gha- laid siege to a guest house in – more than 60% of the discharged following full from the district, taking the had hitherto remained in death toll as well as the high- Not wearing a kit, while brana nahi [don’t jitter]. Guwahati’s Beltola area on Monday after five Europeans State’s death toll. One death recovery. total tally to 337 with Pune check, saw a sudden surge est number of positive cases treating a COVID-19 patient, Just follow our instruc- checked in. The police were was reported from Pune, Fresh cases were also re- city reporting 295 of these with 11 new cases. Malegaon in the country. proved him dear. “I wore tions.” Being admitted to the forced to intervene for the just a mask and gloves,” he sister hospital of another people to leave the five — said. The patient was among where he had worked for 12 three French, an Italian and a the !rst cases to be reported years, he knew almost every Spanish — alone. “The foreign One death, from Indore on March 22. nurse. “Brother, you have to nationals reached Guwahati Bhopal police check into hotels 22 new cases Until March 25 each day, go out only after getting from Manipur. They when the patient died, he !ne,” they told him. completed their quarantine in helped her put on a face When he got better by Manipur and have the Deployment strategy in place to avert further risk of infections within ranks in Indore mask, checked vitals and March 4, he could lend the approval of the Ministry of fed her. kind of support to patients, External Affairs to travel to Staff reporter and dispelling rumours, as Staff reporter On March 26, his worst who began !lling the ward, Delhi via Siliguri,” Assam’s Bhopal the threat of infection looms Bhopal fear came true. that he is used to giving as a Additional Director-General In an attempt to contain the large on each personnel on A 42-year-old man died of After being told he had nurse: the will to !ght it out, of Police (Law and Order) G.P. coronavirus spread within duty, has sprung a novel COVID-19 in Indore on tested positive for the ill- and survive; better at it now Singh said. its ranks, the Bhopal police challenge for the police. This Monday even as 22 new ness, his limbs trembled for having done it himself. have moved 2,100 personnel has prompted an overhaul in cases were detected in the a good 15 minutes. Passing On April 6 at 5.30 p.m, 3 held for provocative — the entire city police — to the approach, to ensure safe- city, said Pravin Jadia, In- the !rst day at the ward was Mr. Aswara became the !rst social media messages hotels near their place of ty of citizens, while ensuring dore Chief Medical and the toughest, as his cough patient in Indore to over- CHANDIGARH work. The department has they don’t get infected Health O$cer. turned a sombre blackish. come the illness.His mantra The Punjab police arrested also rejigged its deployment themselves. “The overall count in And with two-three patients to do it? “I just didn’t let my three persons for provocative strategy, with a focus on the city has climbed to 328. dying of the coronavirus at con!dence lose.” social media messages dealing with curfew viola- Averting risk And with the man’s death, instigating religious hatred, in tions and quelling apprehen- To avert the risk of contract- 33 persons have suc- the wake of the attack on a sions about quarantine, as Drastic measures: As cases spiral in Bhopal, 12 policemen and ing the illness, personnel cumbed to the disease in police officer in Patiala on the incidence of normally re- their family members have been infected. * SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT can directly reach their beat the city so far,” said Dr. Sunday by a group of ported crimes has come from hotels instead of re- Jadia. Nihangs. Dinkar Gupta, DGP, said those arrested include down. Bhopal Additional Director limits, where most of the 20 porting at stations !rst and In a bid to detect more Bhupinder Singh of “Policemen were getting General of Police. infected members of the Ta- must observe strict social cases, Dr. Jadia said the go- Hoshiarpur, Davinder Singh of infected at the workplace, blighi Jamaat, who had re- distancing at police stations, vernment was conducting Batala and Kuljeet Singh and taking the illness to their Declared hotspots turned from the meeting at which are sanitised regular- surveys in containment Bhullar of Muktsar Sahib families, who were then As cases spiral in Bhopal, 12 the Nizamuddin centre, ly. During patrolling, only areas of the city. districts. These men, said the spreading it in the neigh- policemen and their seven were found. Their contact is one o$cial can ride a two- Madhya Pradesh has so DGP, had been indulging in bourhood. This way, other family members have been yet to be conclusively esta- wheeler and at most two can far reported 584 cases and hate propaganda through places could get infected, infected too. The police be- blished, but the stations drive a vehicle. O$cials 45 deaths owing to the ill- social media posts. too. So, it became important lieve the personnel contract- have been declared hot- above 55 years, who are ness. As of April 13, Indore to break the chain of contact ed the illness while on duty spots. more vulnerable, have been has reported a case fatality First case of COVID-19 between workplace and within the Jahangirabad and Enforcing the lockdown, deployed at back-up jobs, rate of 10%, the highest for surfaces in Nagaland home,” said Upendra Jain, the Aishbagh Police Station supplying food to the poor and not on the frontline. any city in the country. IMPHAL The first case of COVID-19 in Nagaland came to light around midnight on Sunday. An emergency meeting of top Govt. urged to revoke patent on cancer drug officials was held at 12.30 a.m. on April 13. Health and SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT The e$cacy of the drug in complications from the viral tivise other manufacturers have cogent grounds to state Family Welfare Minister S. NEW DELHI curing extremely sick CO- infection. to make the drug and o"er it that the said application Pangu Phom presided over The Cancer Patients Aid As- VID-19 patients, particularly The CPAA provides for the cheaply but also on the ought not to have been the meeting and senior sociation (CPAA) has written those requiring ventilator as- treatment and rehabilitation grounds that the drug wasn’t granted a patent as it lacks officials, who are the to the Health Ministry to resistance, is still being investi- of cancer patients. The In- “novel.” novelty and inventive step, members of the special committee for the pandemic, voke the Indian patent on gated. dian patent on Remdesivir “We urge you to revoke and that the learned Con- were present. Assam Health Remdesivir, a potential anti- The CPAA said the patent was granted as recently as the patent No. 332280 grant- troller erred in not taking Minister Himanta Biswa viral drug under testing for on the drug would make it February 18. The Association ed in A.No.’821 under Sec- cognizance of the prior art Sarma confirmed that one COVID-19 patients. Remdesi- una"ordable and this would said the patent ought to be tion 66 of the Patents Act, available in the public do- person had been found with vir is produced by Gilead include cancer patients who revoked not only on the 1970, in public interest, im- main,” the CPAA letter symptoms of the disease. Life Sciences. are at heightened risk of grounds that it could incen- mediately. In any event, we noted. CM A CH-CHE YK

Army to help Envoys told out stranded Shah’s intervention made ICMR increase testing to adhere to personnel After the !rst case was detected on January 30, all samples were sent only to NIV, Pune, but now more labs are on the job lockdown Special correspondent Vijaita Singh private laboratories. SARI only after mid-March, nies for these tests. Special Correspondent NEW DELHI Jacob Koshy The ICMR is the apex bo- and found several instances On January 17, $ights from NEW DELHI New Delhi In view of the 21-day na- dy for “formulation, coordi- where patients did not have China and Hong Kong were The limited number of cur- tionwide lockdown to con- The Indian Council of Medi- nation and promotion of bio- a travel history or history of placed on surveillance at few passes issued to fo- tain COVID-19 ending on cal Research (ICMR) expand- medical research” and is one contact. three airports and screening reign diplomats has creat- April 14 midnight and the ed the number of laborato- of the oldest medical re- of passengers arriving from ed di"culties in carrying possibility of it being lifted ries that could conduct search bodies in the world. Low number of tests all international $ights began out the consular work dur- partially, the Army has is- COVID-19 tests on an inter- With India's con!rmed While the organisation now on March 4 when the !rst- ing the lockdown. The issued instructions on the vention by the Union Home cases approaching the !ve- conducts nearly 11,000 to time the number of positive sue came up in the capital’s movement of personnel Minister, The Hindu has digit mark and positives dou- 13,000 tests a day, India still case jumped from six to 24. diplomatic circle repeated- who were on leave or sick learnt. bling every four or six days, has a low number of tests, The !rst case was reported ly in recent weeks as India leave and retirees held After the !rst COVID-19 there was criticism that the about 100 per million on January 30. As on March, reminded foreign missions back at regimental centres positive case was detected ICMR's strategy appeared to population. there was only one district in to adhere to the lockdown due to the lockdown. on January 30, all samples be focused on border control The low testing is also due Maharashtra, where more rules. “Personnel whose sanc- were sent only to the Nation- and applying a restrictive to a reliance on imported than 10 cases were reported “We have issued a very tioned leave expired dur- al Institute of Virology (NIV), testing criteria. kits, which is in$uenced by and by April 4, the number limited number of curfew ing the lockdown period Pune. As cases surged and a Until March 20, it had test- global supply chains, inadeq- of such districts spiked to 70. passes for essential work. will report to the nearest need was felt to ramp up ed only around 1,000 sam- uate lab facilities to analyse a Till Sunday, the number of We will continue to advise station headquarters, ad testing, the ICMR was asked ples of those hospitalised su"cient number of samples a#ected districts stood at the diplomatic community hoc station headquarters to enable more laboratories Quick action: Medics collecting a swab sample of a boy at with severe acute respiratory simultaneously and fewer 354. to adhere to the lockdown or units on April 15. They to conduct the tests. Sadar in Lucknow on Monday. * PTI illness (SARI). This was to trained personnel to con- On March 27, Cabinet Se- guidelines as it is in their will be housed in quaran- Owing to multiple factors, check prevalence of the dis- duct these tests. While it has cretary Rajiv Gauba wrote to interest and well being of tine hubs created under ar- including paucity of kits, the al Balram Bhargava to in- ries to test for COVID-19 and ease in the wider roped in private labs, many all the States to monitor 15 each and everyone,” said rangements of Command ICMR follows strict guide- clude more facilities that revised the testing criteria population. say they are unable to con- lakh passengers who arrived an o"cial source. headquarters. Thereafter, lines before samples are col- could carry out the tests, or for the same. This was in addition to duct tests simply because at the international airports The statement came a they would be despatched lected from a person show- else the responsibility would On March 23, it fast- those who displayed symp- the Supreme Court has or- from January 18-March 23 day after a diplomat from under arrangements to OL ing symptoms. be given to the All India Insti- tracked approval for Indian toms and had a travel history dered tests to be done for and stressed that despite de- Uruguay was found to be directorate to their respec- At a meeting in March, tute of Medical Sciences (AI- COVID-19 testing kits for or had contact with some- free and the government tails of all passengers shared $outing the rules. Valenti- tive formations or units,” Home Minister Amit Shah IMS). On March 17, the ICMR commercial use in the ICMR one who had. It expanded hasn't detailed a plan on how with the States, there was a na Obispo, a senior o"cial the Army said in a letter. asked ICMR Director-Gener- activated 72 more laborato- approved government and testing to non-hospitalised it would compensate compa- gap in e#ective monitoring. of the Embassy of Uruguay, was intercepted by the police when she was found cy- cling in her 19 Indians stuck in Dubai hope for leniency SC agrees to hear pleas neighbourhood. on Tablighi incident They are among the thousands of citizens stranded overseas after India went into lockdown Centre issues ‘Stop media from communalising it’ Suhasini Haidar there is any requirement of On April 9, the UAE go- advisory for NEW DELHI medicine, etc., we will pro- vernment sent a note verbale Legal Correspondent conference held in the Niza- As the government prepares vide that help as well,” In- to all Embassies in Abu Dha- NEW DELHI muddin Markaz area. senior citizens to announce plans for the dia’s Consul General in Du- bi, asking them to repatriate The Supreme Court on Mon- The Jamiat writ, !led next phase of the lockdown bai Vipul said. their citizens who needed to day agreed to hear petitions through advocate Ejaz Maq- Special Correspondent on Tuesday, 19 Indians stuck However, members of the return, o#ering to help with !led by the Jamiat Ulama-i- bool, sought a direction to NEW DELHI inside Dubai airport for group stuck inside the Dubai $ight arrangements, ensur- Hind and other minority or- the Ministry of Information The Union Social Justice three weeks have renewed airport say the only thing ing COVID-19 tests for them ganisations for a direction to and Broadcasting to identify and Empowerment Minis- their pleas to be allowed to that will bring comfort is all, and hospital treatment the Centre to stop the media and take strict action try on Monday issued an return to India as a special knowing when they can re- for those found to be from communalising the Ta- against sections of the me- advisory to senior citizens case. The 19 Indians, some of turn. “For 25 days, I haven’t positive. blighi Jamaat incident. dia which are communalis- about how to remain safe. whom were in transit from been out in the sun or felt “This includes travellers, A Bench led by Chief Jus- ing the Nizamuddin Markaz Ministry secretary R. Europe, and others who had fresh air. The airport is most- naturally, but also any na- tice Sharad A. Bobde direct- issue. The petition said the Subrahmanyam wrote to checked in for $ights from Nowhere people: A group of Indians stranded inside the Dubai ly shut down, and except for tionals who seek to go back ed the Press Council of India “unfortunate incident of the chief secretaries of all Dubai, had been turned airport since March 21. * SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT short trips to one restaurant to their homes and families,” to be impleaded and posted Tablighi Jamaat was used to States, asking them to pu- away at the boarding gates for food, we are con!ned to UAE Ambassador Moham- the case for hearing after demonise and blame the en- blicise the advisory. on March 20 and March 21 by was taken for COVID-19 tests, with local authorities and our rooms,” said Deepak mad Al Banna told The Hin- two weeks. The petitions tire Muslim community.” The advisory said senior airlines o"cials after India and once they were cleared, Emirates airlines, who have Gupta, a professional with a du on Saturday. India’s Am- said certain sections of the Certain sections of the me- citizens should stay at put a series of travel bans in allowed to check into the air- put them in the airport ho- multinational corporation in bassador to the UAE Pavan print and electronic media dia, instead of exercising home, avoid visitors, but place. After spending several port hotel, said o"cials. tel. We had also given some Gurgaon, who worries most Kapoor said that no Indian are spreading bigotry and restraint, reported the inci- maintain one metre dis- days sleeping inside the de- “We have been in constant !nancial assistance when for his wife back home as she could be repatriated until af- communal hatred in rela- dent with communal tance if necessary and re- parture terminal, the group touch with some of them and they initially got stranded. If is pregnant. ter the lockdown had ended. tion to the Tablighi Jamaat $avour. main active. Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccine is a vaccine INTERVIEW | MADHUKAR PAI primarily used against tuberculosis (TB).

‘No proof yet on BCG bene!ts’ In countries where TB or leprosy is common, one dose Focus must now be on testing and contact tracing, says epidemiology expert is recommended in healthy babies as close to the time Varghese K. George ploding in many low/middle I I don’t think any country of birth as possible. income countries. Repeating in the world was adequately Madhukar Pai is Canada the studies in a month might prepared for COVID-19. Even In areas where tuberculosis is not common, only Research Chair in Epide- produce di#erent results. the richest countries in the miology & Global Health and We also know many low/ world are struggling right children at high risk are typically immunized, while Director, McGill Global middle income countries, in- now. A big lesson for India Health Programs and Pro- cluding India, are seriously and many other countries is suspected cases of tuberculosis are individually tested fessor at McGill University. under-testing for COVID-19. that no country can prepare In an e-mail interview, he ex- Lastly, there is also bias due for a crisis within days or for and treated. plains the debate on BCG to confounding — countries weeks. Being prepared vaccine’s purported e!ective- that give BCG are mostly in means having a robust How can TB vaccine help fight COVID-19? ness against COVID-19 and Asia, Africa and Latin Ameri- <> I don’t think any healthcare system, especial- how global approaches to ca, with much younger pop- country in the world ly primary healthcare. In communicable diseases ulations than Europe or was adequately short, universal health cov- might change. North America. prepared for erage is a pre-requisite for The BCG vaccine contains a live but weakened strain So, until trial results are COVID-19 real preparedness. You have advised against out, countries like India We know India has failed of tuberculosis bacteria that provokes the body to over-optimism with regards must focus on interventions nologies. Drugs could be to invest in health for de- to the link between BCG and such as large-scale testing, sent to their homes via cou- cades, barely spending 1.5% develop antibodies to attack TB bacteria. COVID-19 immunity. What isolation, contact-tracing, riers or through local phar- of the GDP on health. Even are your reasons? and physical distancing macies (that are still open). the bare minimum recom- This is called an adaptive immune response, because I As a TB researcher who (where feasible). For any new TB patient, TB mended health spend of was born in India, I would be medicines could be given for 2.5% of GDP has not been the body develops a defense against a specific disease- thrilled if BCG worked TB continues to kill a longer duration (e.g. 2 or 3 realised. This chronic under- against COVID-19. It is a thousands of people in India. months) to ensure they have investment has left the pu- causing microorganism, or pathogen, after cheap, readily available, safe How might coronavirus enough. blic health system weak, and vaccine. But we are not there a!ect TB services in India has allowed the private and encountering it. yet. Currently, what we have and what can be done about Has the TB programme informal health sectors to are a few ecological studies that? lessons for the COVID-19 thrive. This means, access to Most vaccines create an adaptive immune response to (not peer-reviewed) which I This is my biggest worry — response? Or vice versa? healthcare is not equitable – take country-level BCG and even without COVID-19, TB I Yes, TB programmes are the rich and the middle class a single pathogen. COVID-19 data, and report a kills 1,000 Indians every day. known for public health in- will manage, but what hap- correlation that countries No country has more TB pa- terventions such as active pens to the millions below Unlike other vaccines, the BCG vaccine may also that give BCG to children tients than India. And now, case !nding, contact investi- the poverty line? have a lower rates of CO- with the lockdown, things gations, respiratory isola- If any good comes out of boost the innate immune system, first-line defenses VID-19 cases and deaths. are going to get much worse. tion, and community-based this crisis, then it will be In- Based on this early signal Already, there are prelimin- patient support. These skills dia waking up to the reality that keep a variety of pathogens from entering the and based on our prior ary reports of a 80% decline and expertise could be lever- that investing in health is pa- knowledge that BCG does in TB case noti!cations. Peo- aged to tackle COVID-19. Al- ramount for economic body or from establishing an infection. have non-speci!c immune- ple on TB treatment are so, some of the existing TB growth and security. boosting properties, it is per- struggling to get their medi- technologies could come in But, what’s the concern now? fectly !ne to conduct trials cines on time, and people handy. For example, India How do you think COVID-19 to con!rm the hypothesis. with new TB symptoms are has two molecular technolo- will/should change global But the current ecological unable to access medical gies in use (GeneXpert by Ce- policy approach towards evidence is far from su"- care. TB patients and survi- pheid and TrueNat by Mol- communicable diseases? Doctors and scientists in India have expressed caution cient for any immediate pu- vors often have lung damage bio) that are used for TB I COVID-19 will change glo- blic health or clinical use and if they got COVID-19, testing and both can now be bal health in many ways. The on this study, which argues that countries that have during this crisis. Ecological they could be at higher risk used to test for COVID-19. In- optimist in me hopes all studies o#er a very weak le- of complications. I worry dia is already using digital countries will learn from the deployed the BCG-tuberculosis vaccine in their vel of evidence because cor- about an increase in TB mor- adherence technologies pandemic and invest in un- relations that are true at the tality in the coming months, such as 99DOTS and Ever- iversal health coverage and immunisation programmes have seen fewer deaths country level might not hold and that will be so sad. There well Hub and these could be re-a"rm health as a human true at the individual level. is also the risk of running out repurposed to also work for right. Global health must be from COVID-19. For example, we know not of anti-TB medicines, since COVID-19. India has shown more than just !ghting one everyone who lives in a low- India relies heavily on China great commitment to tack- epidemic after another. I income country is poor — for raw materials. ling COVID-19 in a short pe- hope investments in public some individuals are very What can be done to avert riod of time. I wish some of health and developmental They say, it is premature for India, that has had a rich. Same logic applies to this disaster? Right now, all that commitment will also assistance will no longer be ecological comparisons. In known TB patients could be be shown to tackling TB. viewed as a drain on resourc- consistent TB vaccination policy since 1968, to take addition, ecological studies supported via remote or es. I hope countries will un- have been done at a time tele-consultations using call How can a country prepare derstand the need to build a comfort from the study. when the epidemic is ex- centres, or other digital tech- for a pandemic? social safety net for all.

CM A CH-CHE YK

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE THE HINDU CHENNAI TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2020 COVID-19 11 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Et P A F TPA Don’t free prisoners Universalise ‘Online child porn tra!c rises by 95%‘ PDS, say Millions of paedophiles have migrated online, making Internet extremely unsafe for children: ICPF who test positive: SC activists Special correspondent have migrated online, mak- and luring them to perform It allows release of Assam detenus Special Correspondent NEW DELHI ing the Internet extremely sexual activities through NEW DELHI Online child pornography unsafe for children. Without photos and videos. Legal Correspondent With the COVID-19 lock- tra%c after the lockdown in stringent action, this could In a survey conducted in NEW DELHI down leading to lakhs of the country has gone up by result in a drastic rise in sex- December on demand for Prisoners who test positive poor and working people 95% with online data moni- ual crimes against children,” child pornography in 100 ci- for COVID-19 should not be losing jobs and livelihoods, toring websites showing an says Nivedita Ahuja, spokes- ties, the ICPF found that on released on interim bail or the Right to Food cam- increase in demand for person for ICPF. an average there were 5 mil- parole, the Supreme Court paign has written to Food searches like “child porn”, lion downloads per month. ordered on Monday. Minister Ram Vilas Paswan “sexy child” and “teen sex Unseen threat It also pointed out there was A Bench led by Chief Jus- appealing for a universali- videos.” As children spend more time an increase in demand for tice S.A. Bobde said appro- sation of the Public Distri- “Tra%c from India in- online during the lockdown, violent content involving priate tests for COVID-19 bution System for the next creased by 95% between international agencies like children. should be conducted on pri- six months to avoid wides- March 24 and 26, as com- Europol, the United Nations It demands an urgent soners scheduled for re- pread hunger and pared to average tra%c be- and ECPAT (End Child Prosti- crackdown on child pornog- lease. The SC said the order is starvation. fore the lockdown,” the India tution and Tra%cking) have raphy through a pan-India However, the court applicable to correctional The activists said the Child Protection Fund (ICPF) reported that paedophiles tracker through the use of ar- agreed to a plea that prison- and protection homes too. measures announced in said in a statement citing da- and child pornography ad- ti"cial intelligence which can ers or detenus who have the Centre’s relief package ta from Pornhub, the world’s port NGOs with funding re- son, Bhuwan Ribhu. dicts have increased activity monitor hosting, sharing, been under detention for the spectre of released pri- were “hugely inadequate”, largest pornography web- sources for curbing The spike in consumption to target children online to viewing and downloading of two years in the foreigners’ soners transmitting the vi- as free foodgrains are being site. exploitation of children. The indicates “millions of paedo- ‘groom’ them — befriending child sexual abuse material detention centres in Assam rus to the outside provided only to those who The ICPF was set up in Ja- fund is managed by Nobel philes, child rapists and them on social media, build- and provide the information should be released on ac- population. already have ration cards nuary 2020 and aims to sup- Laureate Kailash Satyarthi’s child pornography addicts ing an emotional connection to the government agencies. count of the pandemic. under the National Food Despite objections by Sol- Tests mandatory Security Act (NFSA), thus icitor General Tushar Mehta Taking this into considera- excluding a large number that their release would see tion, the Bench directed of people, including mi- Water from them mix with the local that “no prisoner shall be grant communities, home- 1.27 lakh volunteers o"er services population again, the court released if he/she has suf- less and elderly, nomadic Ganga, Yamuna modi"ed its May 2019 order fered from coronavirus dis- tribes and other vulnerable to allow these detenus to ease in communicable form communities. being tested Modi-led NDMA monitoring operations at the ground level to !ght pandemic furnish a bond of ₹5,000 in- hereafter. For this purpose, The free ration an- stead of ₹1 lakh. They need appropriate tests will be car- nounced on March 26 has Jacob Koshy Special Correspondent sides the medical equipment volunteers have been carry- ers, technicians, auxiliary to also furnish two Indian ci- ried out”. also not reached bene"ci- New Delhi NEW DELHI and other goods being pro- ing out relief works and nursing midwives, State go- tizens as sureties. “If it is found that a pri- aries in most States and Has the lockdown had a More than 1.27 lakh indivi- duced by the public and maintaining order in the af- vernment and civil defence soner who has been re- starvation deaths have measurable impact on the duals and 5,300 organisa- private sectors, are being fected areas. About 11,500 o%cials. The Health Ministry Decongesting prisons leased is su!ering from co- been reported in Bihar, water quality of the Ganga tions have so far registered supplied to the States as per NGOs have been organising has also been issuing speci"c The Bench passed these or- ronavirus after the release, Hyderabad, Jharkhand, and Yamuna, rivers that themselves as volunteers requirement. food camps and 3,900 NGOs guidelines on healthcare fa- ders during a suo motu necessary steps will be ta- Karnataka and Uttar Pra- have a history of battling with the Prime Minister Na- The Authority, through its have set up temporary shel- cilities and treatment. hearing on measures taken ken by the authority con- desh, said the letter. pollution? rendra Modi-led National subordinate and State bo- ter homes for the stranded. The Integrated Govern- to decongest prisons, cor- cerned by placing him/her The National Mission for Disaster Management Auth- dies, is monitoring all the op- ment Online Training (iGOT) rection homes and deten- in appropriate quarantine Equal quota Clean Ganga (NMCG) — the ority (NDMA) for the "ght erations associated with the Online courses courses are available on the tion centres. On March 23, facility.” The activists demanded arm of the Water Ministry against COVID-19. measures being taken at the The Department of Person- Diksha platform, both for the Bench had ordered the The court directed that that the PDS be expanded tasked with directing the The NDMA has also re- ground level. nel and Training, in coordi- the laptop/desktop and mo- States and the Union Terri- transportation of prisoners to cover every individual, ₹20,000 crore clean-up of ceived donation o!ers for The NCC students have nation with the Ministry of bile phone users. The launch tories to set up special com- would be done in full com- irrespective of whether the Ganga — and the Cen- more than 8.35 lakh items in- been helping the local admi- Human Resource Develop- of iGOT platform was fast- mittees to examine the cas- pliance of the rules and they have a ration card, tral Pollution Control cluding digital infrared ther- nistrations in extending help ment, has already come up forwarded as requested by es of prisoners and shortlist norms of social distancing. providing 10 kg grain, 1.5 Board are expected to "nd mometers, digital thermal to the needy and spreading with online courses on the the respective Empowered those who could be granted The court said the order kg pulses and 800 gm out in 10 days, o%cials told scanners (full body), masks, awareness about the preven- pandemic for the frontline Group of O%cers to prevent bail or parole. would also be applicable to cooking oil per month per The Hindu. gloves, sanitisers and perso- tive measures to be taken to workers. These courses are the spread of infection On Monday, however, At- correctional homes, deten- person for at least six Water samples have nal protective gear. arrest the spread. meant for doctors, nurses, among, and through, the torney-General K.K. Venu- tion centres and protection months. been collected from Delhi The donated articles, be- Over 30,000 Civil Defence paramedics, hygiene work- frontline workers. gopal, for the Centre, raised homes. (Yamuna) and all Ganga ba- sin States, and are in the CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC process of being analysed. CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC While this was also part of the routine water quality Law enforcers worried as monitoring in the river, Muslims conduct Hindu man’s funeralE rites there was a “special focus” on the impact of lockdown, Deep Nude makes a return said D.P. Mathuria, senior Communal harmony to the fore in Jaipur locality, which is under COVID-19 curfew NMCG o%cial in charge of water quality manage- Mohammed Iqbal Qureshi and Abdul Waheed. Cyber agencies tracking complaints of morphed photos ment. JAIPUR They also bought food and In a display of communal grocery items for the Gautam S. Mengle Nude on the Internet, in- vant police agencies and we Lockdown impact harmony, Muslim bereaved family. Mumbai cluding an app and a Twitter are tracking this trend furth- Measuring the degree of neighbours of a 37-year-old Pappu Qureshi, a A controversial website that Handle; one page even seeks er,” civilian cyber expert chemical oxygen demand Hindu man, who died of neighbour who helped was in the news for all the donations from users. Shubham Singh said. (COD) and ammonium ni- throat cancer, carried his organise the funeral, told wrong reasons last year be- “This is a serious crime Cat"sh accounts are ac- trate would point to wheth- bier and performed the The Hindu that Muslims in fore being shut down has and we have a team to mon- counts made and managed er the lockdown has had an funeral rites here on the locality had come now gone operational once itor this and take stringent by criminal elements using impact. E&uents from in- Monday when his relatives forward to help the Hindu again. Not only that, this action,” Superintendent of alluring pictures of women dustries as well as sewage could not come to the city family as a humanitarian time it seems to have caught Police, Maharashtra Cyber to ensnare men into commit- discharge would impact because of the nationwide gesture. “It was our duty as the attention of Indian cy- department, Balsing Rajput, ting acts that set them up for COD levels, Mr. Mathuria lockdown enforced to neighbours, as they had no bercriminals, who are using said. blackmail later. added. “There are some control the COVID-19 Shoulders to rely on: Muslim neighbours carrying the bier of relatives here... We have got it to prey on women. Typically, elements who preliminary indications pandemic. The area where Rajendra Bagri in Jaipur on Monday. * SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT immense satisfaction by Cybercrime agencies in Blackmailing victims use such websites thrive on that the water looks clean- the man resided is under an helping them out.” Maharashtra and the coun- Experts said that once a the fact that the victims are er but a proper analysis is inde"nite curfew. Nagar in Bhatta Basti, where house to the main road of Rajasthan Nagrik Manch try are currently tracking nude of any woman was gen- reluctant to register com- awaited,” he added. Rajendra Bagri, who died the family resides, is Bhatta Basti from where a general secretary Basant Deep Nude, a website that erated, the possibilities for plaints for fear of the stigma The stoppage of indus- on Sunday night after dominated by Muslims, pickup truck took them to Hariyana said the gesture of uses a simple Arti"cial Intel- misuse were endless. Alrea- attached to it. O%cers stress trial pollutants has de"- su!ering from cancer for a most of whom are drivers, the Chandpole cremation Muslim neighbours was a ligence algorithm to gener- dy, information about some on the importance of report- nitely had a positive e!ect long time, is survived by his factory workers and daily ground. Only eight persons be"tting reply to those who ate nude pictures of clothed women being targeted had ing such cases. on water quality in the Ya- younger brother and an wage earners. Rajendra were allowed to go for the were targeting the people. The website re- started trickling in. “Recent trends like the Sa- mun, Delhi Jal Board vice- aunt, who ekes out a living Bagri’s Muslim neighbours funeral because of the community after the spread quires a user to upload any “We have received infor- ree Challenge, where wo- chairman Raghav Chadha by collecting scrap. While collected contributions and curfew. Bagri’s brother lit of novel coronavirus among picture and within seconds mation about pictures of women upload their pictures had said last week. the family did not have made arrangements for the pyre and the cremation some Tablighi Jamaat generates a nude version of men being morphed using on their social media ac- An o%cial said tests enough money for funeral, taking the body to the was done as per the Hindu members. “This is a perfect the subject of the picture, Deep Nude and being used counts and tag their friends, were under way and re- there were no other crematorium on Monday. rituals. example of our composite which are typically of for nefarious purposes like creating a chain, present sults were likely later this relatives or family members The Muslim neighbours Those who attended the culture, in which the bonds women. blackmail, pornography and endless opportunities to cri- week. living nearby who could chanted ‘Ram Naam Satya funeral included Hamid uniting us are so strong What is more worrying, creating cat"sh accounts on minal elements to prey on (Inputs from come to help them. Hai’ and carried the bier on Kayamkhani, Fahim despite the attempts to o%cials said, is that there are dating apps. Information is them using websites like Nikhil Babu) The locality, Bajrang their shoulders from Bagri’s Qureshi, Hanif Shah, Irfan create divisions and hatred.” several versions of Deep being shared with the rele- Deep Nude,” an o%cer said.

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THE HINDU CROSSWORD 12909 (set by Dr. X) SUDOKU FAITH Log on to crossword.thehindu.com for more puzzles 13 Women patch up wound (5) 3 A mild punishment that might break bangles? (1,4,2,3,5) Light of consciousness 14 Intends to smuggle ecstasy in jets (6) 4 Prepares to catch eels Vedanta texts explain that the self in each jiva is pure con- swimming around (7) 15 Ma!a boss holds gun angrily sciousness and always exists as a witness. It has the power to against head of enemy in cell 6 Argument in !ne bar — drag reveal and illumine whatever is manifest as the entire un- (7) scoundrel outside to admit iverse, said Swami Anubhavananda in a discourse. Consciousness as the witness in each jiva integrates all 18 Contacted doctor about defeat (5,2,3,5) tackling ultimately the experiences both within and outside. But it remains dis- 7 Time for conservative guy to bothersome itch (7) tant from all these while revealing simultaneously the agent, propose (5) the action and the external objects. This truth is illustrated 20 Had terrible trouble around 8 Excellent toss to win! Score with the analogy of the light in the theatre hall during a stage plant (6) many in session (8) performance, say a dance or a stage play. The light illumines 22 Defraud small company (5) all the various objects, persons, etc, on stage and outside it 9 Entertained by creative as well. The light itself is not a!ected by all the things that 24 Tricky to grip the item used by in"uence in advertisement happen during the performance. So too consciousness ma- acrobat (9) (6) nifests all things, the ego, the intellect, the objects, etc, and continues to shine even when none of these are present. 25 Lassitude in Indian state over 16 Ideal perhaps to restrain one new introduction of identities putting up rubbish in The mind is the instrument of action and is known as the an- (9) newspaper article (9) takarana. The actions of the mind have two types of modi"- cations, internal and external. 26 Wife irritates and complains 17 Primitive desire to inhale a The internal modi"cation makes one the agent as for in- (5) joint, wants a bit of weed (8) Solution to puzzle 12908 Solution to yesterday’s Sudoku stance, when a jiva thinks “I am,” he becomes the agent. 27 Hate execution of soldiers in Likewise the external modi"cations are owing to the mind’s I ACROSS 19 Worried about brouhaha over atrocity (6) 1 Perverts rushed back to host arrest (6) interactions with the world through the senses. The ‘I sense’ orgy (8) 28 Violent act of trainee is present in the antakarana or mind. When the mind inte- 5 Protest at USA carries overwhelmed by low wages 20 Eat eagerly in party after racts with the world, it tends to believe in the experiences importance (6) (4,4) consuming one drink at bar thus derived as real. But it is the same antakarana that can 10 Decisive part of proof in a (3,4) reject these if it understands that the self is blissful in nature lawsuit (5) I but owing to bondage to samsara is not able to realise this DOWN 21 Vivacious one in gala 11 Fine naval officer penning truth. If and when the self is able to abide in its true nature, 1 Mistake to turn traitor (6) beginning to yodel (6) book on latest in warfare (9) it is said to be liberated. This process involves long and ardu- 12 A bug concealed in parties 2 Censure couple of amateurs 23 Raise money to equip with ous practice of devotion and repeated re#ection and enqui- reveals "ings (9) consuming grass in cigar (9) new weapons (5) ry when the powerful Maya and its e!ects are overcome.

AgenceMajor France-Presse criticism for this index is that the general public doesweek in whichnot the buy NHS has products at wholesale price. Madrid saved my life, no question”, Early measures could have saved more lives: disease expert SpainThe reopened base parts year of its of All-India WPI has been revised from 2004-05referring to the to country’s 2011-12 Na- in 2017. COVID-19-stricken economy tional Health Service. Peter Baker no threat to the U.S. at large. onConsumer Monday as slowing death Price Index CPI The death toll in Britain Washington Time to #Fire Fauci.” tolls in some of the worst-hit has risen to 11,329, according President Donald Trump pu- In reposting the message, countriesIt measures boosted hopes price changes from the perspective of a retailto Health buyer. Ministry # gures publicly signalled his frustra- Mr. Trump added: “Sorry that the curve may be start- blished on Monday — an in- tion on Sunday with Dr. An- Fake News, it’s all on tape. I ingIt to measures!atten and lockdown changes over time in the level of retail pricescrease of of 717selected on the previous goodsthony S. and Fauci, the services Federal on which consumersbanned China long before restrictions could soon be day’s #gures government’s top infectious people spoke up.” The tweet eased.of a deﬁned group spend their incomes. Mr. Johnson, like Presi- disease expert, after the came amid a !urry of mes- Watched by a world that is dent U.S. Donald Trump, doctor said more lives could sages blasted out by the Pre- keenFour to temper types a brutal pan- of CPI are as follows: had initially resisted strin- have been saved from the sident on Sunday defending demic-induced recession, gent measures such as shut- novel coronavirus if the Anthony Fauci his handling of the outbreak, someCPI Spanish for factory Industrial and Workers (IW). ting down public places. country had been shut down and pointing the #nger in- construction sta" were set to In France, Mr. Macron is earlier. retweeted came from a stead at China, the WHO, returnCPI to workfor under Agricultural strict Labourer (AL). set to address the nation just Mr. Trump reposted a former Republican Congres- President Barack Obama, safety guidelines. after 8:00 p.m. (1800 GMT), Twitter message that said sional candidate. “Fauci is the nation’s Governors, Con- CPIHowever for China, Rural where Labourer (RL). and sources said he would “Time to #FireFauci” as he now saying that had Trump gress, Democrats generally the virus emerged late last announce the lockdown in rejected criticism of his slow listened to the medical ex- and the news media. year,CPI recorded (Rural/Urban/Combined). its highest place since March 17 must be initial response to the pan- perts earlier he could’ve Mr. Trump did not “ban number of infections in Cheers of appreciation: People applauding healthcare workers and the police from their extended beyond its current demic that has now killed saved more lives,” said the China,” but he did block fo-

wOfeeks — these, most of them the im- firstbalconies inthree Ronda, southern are Spain, compiled on Sunday. * REUTERS by the Labour BureauApril 15 expirationin the date Ministry until more than of 22,000 Labour people in t weetand by DeAnnaEmployment. Lorraine, reign nationals Fourth who had ported cases — as warnings well into May. the U.S. The President priv- who got less than 2% of the been in China in the past 14 echoedis compiled that lifting restric- by the Central Statistical Organisation (CSO) Minr. Macron the will Ministry be looking ately of has Statistics been irritated at vandote in anProgramme open primary days starting February 2. tions too early could unleash Police remove 20 doctors test S. Korea to to strike a careful balance times with Mr. Fauci, but the against Speaker Nancy Pelo- Despite the policy, 40,000 a secondImplementation. wave of COVID-19. between warning France -- Twitter post was the most si last month. “Fauci was Americans and other auth- French President Emma- 800 bodies positive in Pak. ship testing where the death toll stands explicit he has been in let- telling people on February orised travellers entered the nuelBase Macron wasYear set to warn for CPI is 2012. at 14,412 — that an early relax- ting that show publicly. 29th that there was nothing country from China since the nation that its lockdown in Ecuador province kits to U.S. ation of the lockdown could The message Mr. Trump to worry about and it posed then. NY TIMES wCPIould stay invs. place WPI for sever- be disastrous, while reassur- Agence France-Presse Press Trust of India Reuters ing people that the govern- Ecuador Lahore SEOUL ment has a plan to get the Ecuador said police have At least 20 more doctors South Korea plans to send country back to normality. Muslim organisations in Sri Lanka WPI, tracks inflationremoved almost 800at the producerwere tested positive forlevel CO- andkits designed CPI to run captures up to changes in prices levels at the consumer level. al more weeks at least, while bodies in recent weeks VID-19 on Monday in Pun- 6,00,000 COVID-19 tests to China infections rise outliningBoth steps baskets for recovery. measurefrom homes in Guayaquil, inflationaryjab, bringing the trends number of (thethe U.S. movement on Tuesday after In China,of price where authorities signals)concerned within the broaderover ‘hate economy, mongering’ the two More than half of the pla- the epicenter of the the medical sta" infected an appeal from U.S. Presi- appeared to have the virus net’sindices population isdiffer staying cinountry’s which COVID-19 weightagesby the deadly arevirus in assignedPa- dent Donald to Trump, food, a Se- fuelunder control and last week,manufactured o$- items. home as part of e"orts to outbreak, after the disease kistan’s most populous oul o$cial said. Mr. Trump cials reported 108 new symp- Letter calls for action against those spreading hatred stemWPI the spread does of the virus,not captureoverwhelmed emergency changesprovince in to the 50. The prices Pakis- m ofade the services, request in a tele- whichtomatic cases CPI on Monday, does. which has now killed at least services. Mortuary tan Medical Association phone call with President the highest number of con- Meera Srinivasan ised group is supporting, from making purchases 1,16,000In April people and 2014,infected wtheorkers wereRBI unable had to adoptedhas said that morethe than CPIM asoon Jae-inits on key March measure25, #rmed infections of in inflation. a single COLOMBO aiding and abetting the from Muslim-run business- over 1.8 million, overwhelm- cope with a backlog, with 100 doctors, nurses and as the United States was day in over a month. A group of Muslim organisa- spread of racial and religious es, while accusing the coming healthcare systems and residents sharing videos para medical sta" have grappling with fast-grow- Imported cases accounted tions in Sri Lanka have hatred to destabilise the munity of trying to spread crippling the world showing abandoned been infected so far across ing outbreaks in many for most of the total, the Na- sought immediate investiga- country at a time when the the coronavirus. The “racist economy. bodies in the streets. the country. States. tional Health Commission tion and urgent action on government’s fullest atten- appeals”, the organisations DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD said, underscoring why the “the continued hate-mon- tion is on controlling and said, were similar to those Cautious optimism government has been so fo- gering against the Muslim eliminating the deadly CO- circulated ahead of earlier Yet there is cautious opti- which reported its lowest fa- our desire is even greater to countries continued to warn cused on preventing new community”, in the wake of VID-19 here in Sri Lanka,” instances of violence target- mism the virus may have talities in three weeks. win the war and prevent a re- citizens to stay indoors on outbreaks stemming from in- the COVID-19 pandemic. said the letter dated April 12, ing the community in 2018 reached its peak. But Spain’s Prime Minister lapse,” he said. public holidays for Easter ternational arrivals. In a letter addressed to and signed by organisations, in the central Digana town, Spain’s death toll fell again Pedro Sanchez warned his Police in Madrid handed Monday as they grapple with China only recently lifted the acting Inspector General including the Muslim Coun- and soon after the Easter ter- on Monday with 517 fatali- country was “far from victo- out face masks to commuters a virus that has even infected the lockdown on the city of of Police, the organisations cil of Sri Lanka and the Co- ror attacks last April. ties, the lowest daily #gure of ry”, with the lockdown res- at a train station, where life national leaders. Wuhan, where the virus #rst cited social media posts and lombo District Mosques’ Muslims have already new con#rmed infections trictions for the rest of the appeared to be creeping In Britain, Prime Minister emerged in December. audio recordings in circula- Federation. raised concern over Sri Lan- since March 20. nation’s 47 million people re- back to normal, as workers Boris Johnson was resting at The World Health Organi- tion that, they said, violated The letter refers to ap- ka making cremation com- France and the U.S. also maining in place. in protective gear wiped his o$cial country residence zation, however, has warned laws on hate speech. peals made by anonymous pulsory for COVID-19 vic- saw a drop in daily COVID-19 “We are all keen to go down turnstiles. Chequers a day after being countries against lifting lock- “It is also important to in- persons in the audio clips, tims, as it goes against their deaths, along with Italy, back out on the streets... but Governments in many discharged following “a down restrictions too early. vestigate whether any organ- urging the public to refrain beliefs. North Korea’s Kim Jong-un Pakistan Army aircraft Storms sweep U.S. south, crashes, two pilots killed killing at least 19 people reshu"es top governing body Routine training mission turns fatal Press Trust of India Pakistan Army and Pakistan Hundreds of homes destroyed, power disrupted across States Over a third of State A!airs Commission’s members replaced Lahore/Islamabad Air Force. Two Pakistan Army Aviation Pakistan has a chequered Associated Press to the pandemic because of Agence France-Presse lawmakers sitting in close pilots were killed on Mon- military and civilian aviation JACKSON the weather threat, people SeoulOpec+ refers to the alliancep roximityof crude to each producers, other day when their who trainer haveair- safety been record, with undertaking frequent Severe weather corrections has swept in supply inw earingthe protectiveoil masks North Korean leader Kim without wearing protective craft crashed during a rou- plane and helicopter crash- across the southern parts of huddled closely together in a Jong-unmarkets has carried since out a 2017. masks. tine training mission in es over the years. the U.S., killing at least 19 pe- storm shelter. major reshu%e of his State A Cabinet report reiterat- Punjab province, the mili- On March 23, an F-16 air- ople and damaging hun- A suspected twister lifted A" airs Commission, o$cial ed the North’s insistence tary said. craft crashed near Shakar- dreds of homes from Loui- a house, mostly intact, and media reported on Monday, that “not a single case” of The Mushshak aircraft parian in Islamabad during siana into the Appalachian deposited it in the middle of replacingOPEC more thanplus a third countries includethe COVID-19Azerbaijan, pandemic that Bahrain,crashed in Gujrat city,Brunei, some rehearsals Kazakhstan, for the Pakistan M Malaysia,ountains. Many people Mexico, Oman, Russia,a road in central Georgia. of its members. has swept the world since 150 km from Lahore, the Day Parade. Wing Comman- spent part of the night on The National Weather Ser- SouthMr. Kim has Sudan established and Sudan. emerging in neighbouring military’s media wing Inter- der Nauman Akram was Monday sheltering in base- A house ripped apart in the vice tallied hundreds of re- an iron grip on the levers of China has been reported in Services Public Relations killed in the crash. ments, closets and bath- city of Monroe, Louisiana, on ports of trees down, includ- authority in his nuclear- Kim Jong-un the country. (ISPR) said. In July 2019, 17 people room tubs as sirens wailed to Sunday. * AFP ing many that punctured armed country since inherit- Pyongyang put thousands Both the pilots, Major lost their lives after a mili- warn of possible tornadoes. roofs and downed power ingWhat power in hisare late 20s their in the goals?state KCNA news agency of its own people and hun- Umer — who was the in- tary aircraft crashed into a Eleven people were killed mountainous areas, and lines. Meteorologists 2011. reported. dreds of foreigners — includ- structor pilot and Lieute- populated area in Rawalpin- in Mississippi, and six more knocking out electricity for warned the mid-Atlantic He is chairman of the SAC “This is a rather large ing diplomats — into isola- nant Fiazan, a student pilot di. Five Army o$cials and 12 died in northwest Georgia. about 7,50,000 customers in States to prepare for poten- — the North’s highest deci- scale of SAC membership tion and mounted — were killed in the acci- civilians were killed in the Two other bodies were a 10-State swath ranging tial tornadoes on Monday. sion-makingThe Opec body — and and#ve shu non-Opec%e,” said former U.S. go-producersdisinfection drives first as it formeddent, the Armythe said alliance in a crash, the at ISPR a had historic said. pulled meeting from damaged homesin Algiersfrom Texas to in Georgia 2016. up to In Arkansas, one person of its 13 other members were vernment North Korea ana- sought to prevent an out- statement. And in 2016 a Pakistan In- in Arkansas and South Caro- West Virginia, according to was killed when a tree fell on replaced at a meeting of the lyst Rachel Lee. break, which experts say Developed from Saab Sa- ternational Airlines plane lina. poweroutages.us. a home in White Hall. In country’s rubber-stamp Su- Pictures carried by the of- could be devastating given fari, the Mushshak is a li- burst into !ames after one The storms blew onward In Alabama, where Gover- South Carolina, a person premeThe People’s aim Assembly was to#cial undertakeRodong Sinmun new- productionits weak health sector restrictions and cense-built #xed-gear to basichelpof resuscitateits engines failed, killing a flailingthrough the night, market. causing nor Kay Ivey suspended so- was found dead in a col- (SPA) Parliament on Sunday, spaper showed hundreds of widespread malnutrition. trainer aircraft used by the more than 40 people. !ooding and mudslides in cial distancing rules related lapsed building near Seneca. What is OPEC? ELSEWHERE U.S. envoy hails release Can Joe Biden defeat Donald Trump in November? ofThe Afghan Organization prisoners of the PetroleumThe former Exporting Vice-President Countries has a nationwide (OPEC) lead over was Trump, founded but battleground in Baghdad, States hold theIraq, key with the Nate Cohn Tsigningaliban freed of20 govt. an oagreement#cials on Sunday in September 1960for theby Electoral five College,countries if namely Islamic Republicters of with Iran, a college degreeIraq,. Kuwait, President Donald Trump he holds one at all. Overall, he leads, 55%-40%, AgenceSaudi France-Presse Arabia eandrate e"orts Venezuela. to meet targets a ndThey Joe Biden beginwere the gen- to becomeEven under ordinary the cir- Founder Members of the Organization.among that group of regis- Kabul It is a permanent,speci#ed in intergovernmentalthe U.S.-Taliban eral election campaign organization.cumstances, with seven tered voters. Defector seeks South The U.S. special envoy who agreement as soon as possi- locked in a highly competi- months to go until the elec- Mr. Trump seems to do a Korean Parliament seat negotiated a deal with the ble,” he added, noting the tive contest that remains tion, there would be plenty tick worse among white vo- SEOUL TalibanCurrently, said on Monday that theexchange Organization was more impor- fhasought along a totalthe lines of of the 14of timeMember for the race Countries. to ters than he did four years Ji Seong-ho, the crutch- an initial prisoner exchange tant than ever with prison 2016 presidential election, change. This cycle, the coun- ago, whether because of a wielding North Korean betweenOPEC’s the insurgents objective and populations is threatened to co-ordinate by according to and national unify and try alsopetroleum faces a pandemic policies among Member Countries,slight decrease in in his order stand- tolauded secure by Donald Trump in a the Afghan government was coronavirus outbreaks. battleground state polls. and a severe economic ing among college-educated State of the Union address, is anfair “important and step” stabletoward M pricesr. Khalilzad and for the Ta- petroleumIf anyone holds producers; the early downturn with an the efficient, potential economic and regular supplywhite voters of or thepetroleum growing seeking to a seat in the South’s peace. liban signed a deal February edge, it is Mr. Biden. He leads to upend the race. share of white voters who Parliament to defend other consumingAccording to the Interna- nations;29 that paves theand way fora fairby an return average of 6 points on incapital to those investing in the industry. possess a four-year degree. defectors, who have fled tional Committee of the Red U.S. and other foreign forces national live-interview polls Downside risks Mr. Trump appears to re- their reclusive homeland but Cross,It is the Talibanheadquarteredin on Sun- to quit Afghanistan inVienna, return of registered Austria. voters. But the Already, an initial uptick in tain his relative advantage in often find themselves day released 20 Afghan se- for various commitments election will be decided by the President’s approval rat- Tough battle: Joe Biden, left, and Donald Trump. the disproportionately white marginalised. The vote takes curity-forceOPEC prisoners. membership The from the insurgents. is open tovoters any in the country battleground ingthat has dissipated, is a substantial perhaps exporter of oil and whichworking-class shares battleground the idealsplace on April of15. AFP move came after the govern- The deal said the Afghan States, not registered voters because a rallying e"ect has miliar lines, despite count- March 15, matching or per- States such as Wisconsin, mtheent last organization. week released government would release nationwide, and there the given way to more focus on less events that seemed to haps even exceeding his Arizona and Florida that de- Ukraine President offers $1 mn for virus vaccine hundreds of insurgent 5,000 Taliban prisoners story is not nearly so clear or the administration’s corona- have the potential to redraw margin over Hillary Clinton- cided the 2016 presidential KIEV captives.Why is OPEC+while more the insurgents influential would rosy for Mr.than Biden. OPEC?virus response. There will be them. late in the 2016 campaign. election. Mr. Biden leads in Ukrainian President “The release of prisoners free 1,000 Afghan security At the moment, a reasona- many opportunities for the The President begins the The results suggest that polls of registered voters in Volodymyr Zelensky has is an important step in the force personnel. The ex- ble estimate is that Mr. Biden polls to shift again, and the campaign with strong sup- Mr. Biden, despite his reput- these States, but by a nar- promised a $1 million reward peace process and the re- change was supposed to is performing four or #ve President faces many down- port from the white working ed appeal to blue-collar rower margin than he leads to the country's scientists if ductionOPEC’s of violence,” 14 U.S. membershave happened by control March 10, p oints35 worsepercent among likely of sglobalide risks without oil a return supplies to class who poweredand his82 upset percentworkers, has of made proven little to nationwide. reserves. It raises the pos-Withthey the manage to develop a Special Representative for allowing peace talks to be- voters in the critical States normal life and to economic win four years ago. He leads no progress in winning back sibility that Democrats could vaccine against COVID-19. The Afghanistanaddition Reconciliation of thegin between 10 Non-OPEC the Taliban and than nations, he is among registered notablegrowth before among the election. themamong Russia, white voters without Mexicothe white and voters withoutKazakhstan, a win the most votes those and lose sharescountry with a population of Zalmay Khalilzad said on the Afghan government — voters nationwide. As a re- But at least for now, the a college degree, 61% to 32%, college degree. the White House for the third around 42 million has Twitter.increase to 55b utpercent the process has beenand be- 90sult, percent he holds only a narrowrespectively.polls suggest that ThisAmerican affordsin an average OPEC+ of live-inter- aM r.level Biden counters of withinfluence a time in six presidential over theelec- worldconfirmed 3,102 cases and 93 economy“Both sides should accel-neverset with seen problems. before. and tenuous edge in the race voters are divided along fa- view polls conducted since wide lead among white vo- tions. NY TIMES people have died. AFP CM A CH-CHE YK

market watch Oil prices edge higher Gold futures 13-04-2020 % CHANGE Sensex dddddddddddddddddddddd 30,690 ddddddddddddd-1.51 Retail in"ation eases to 5.91% surge on local US Dollardddddddddddddddddddd 76.27 ddddddddddddddd0.00 Brent oil ddddddddddddddddddddd ddddddddddddd after output cut pact 31.77 -3.87 Drop in food prices keeps CPI rise under check; data collection hit by COVID-19 demand NIFTY 50 Demand worries still weigh PRICE CHANGE Special Correspondent tion, although the NSO said PRESS TRUST OF INDIA Adani Ports...... 262.85...... 10.95 NEW DELHI the overall impact of missing Reuters NEW DELHI Asian Paints...... 1680.85...... 29.50 Retail in$ation dropped to price data on CPI estimates LONDON Gold prices on Monday Axis Bank ...... 418.95...... -1.20 Oil prices edged higher on Bajaj Auto ...... 2397.55...... -38.40 5.91% in March from the was within acceptable limits. rose ₹771 to ₹46,065 per 10

Bajaj Finserv...... 4491.40. .. -328.85 6.58% in February, mostly “Keeping in view the pre- Monday in a muted res- gm in futures trade as spec- Bajaj Finance ...... 2287.30. .. -264.55 on a drop in food prices, ac- ventive measures taken by ponse to a global deal on re- ulators indulged in creat- Bharti Airtel ...... 512.20...... 23.50 cording to the Consumer NSO and announcement of a cord output cuts amid con- ing fresh positions on "rm BPCL...... 350.10...... 5.20 Price Index data released by nationwide lockdown..., cerns over whether the pact spot demand. On the Multi Britannia Ind ...... 2706.15...... -95.55 will head o! an oil glut as Commodity Exchange, Cipla ...... 592.85...... 13.25 the National Statistical O%ce "eld work for price collec-

Coal India ...... 145.90...... 5.10 on Monday. tion of CPI was suspended... the COVID-19 pandemic gold contracts for June Dr Reddys Lab ...... 3746.60. .... 125.05 Food in$ation fell to 8.76% from 19th March, 2020 and hammers demand. traded higher by ₹771, or Eicher Motors...... 13400.55. .. -341.75 in March, in comparison about 66% of price quota- The OPEC+ group of oil 1.7%, to ₹46,065 per 10 gm GAIL (India)...... 86.05...... -1.70 with the 10.81% in February. tions were received,” said an producers, comprising the on a business turnover of Grasim Ind ...... 544.50...... 13.95 Vegetable price in$ation saw o%cial statement. For as- Organization of the Petro- about 3.7 million bpd and 17,577 lots. HCL Tech...... 458.25...... -10.80

HDFC ...... 1655.20...... -47.90 the sharpest fall, dropping sessing the price behavior of leum Exporting Countries, that strategic reserves pur- The yellow metal for Au- HDFC Bank...... 895.35...... -29.70 from 32% to 19% over the remaining price quotations, Russia and other countries, chases would reach roughly gust delivery edged up by Hero MotoCorp ...... 1919.05...... -71.85 course of a month. Spices NSO follows well established agreed over the weekend to 200 million barrels over the ₹737, or 1.62%, to ₹46,223 Hindalco ...... 113.80...... 6.25 and prepared food, snacks pect the trend to continue Knight Frank India. “Weak and internationally accepted cut output by 9.7 million next couple of months, on a business turnover of Hind Unilever ...... 2346.45...... -25.80 and sweets were the only over the next few months. demand side pressure on in- methodology and practices.” barrels per day (bpd) in May bringing the total reduction 1,986 lots. Fresh positions ICICI Bank ...... 330.65...... -12.05 and June, representing to about 19.5 million bpd. IndusInd Bank ...... 410.40...... 15.00 food categories that saw a “With low crude oil prices $ation would outweigh any Price data is usually col- built up by participants on about 10% of global supply. Brent crude futures were Bharti Infratel ...... 177.50...... 3.60 slight increase in prices. and sharp slowdown in the supply side bottlenecks in lected from selected 1,114 ur- spot demand mainly led to Infosys ...... 637.40...... 1.15 Retail in$ation has been economy, CPI in$ation is ex- the near-term,” she added. ban markets and selected Saudi Energy Minister up 53 cents, or 1.7%, at rise in gold prices, analysts Indian OilCorp...... 83.15...... -0.25 easing o! since hitting an al- pected to fall further,” said The COVID-19 crisis has al- 1,181 villages by the Field Op- Prince Abdulaziz bin Sal- $32.01 a barrel at about 8 said. Globally, gold prices ITC ...... 181.60...... -3.65 most six-year high of 7.59% Rajani Sinha, chief econo- so a!ected "eld data collec- erations Division of NSO in a man said nations in the G20 p.m. IST, having opened at a fell 0.61% to $1,742.10 an JSW Steel...... 167.65...... 1.35 in January, and analysts ex- mist and head, research, at tion used to calculate in$a- uniform weekly roster. group had pledged to cut session high of $33.99. ounce in New York. Kotak Bank ...... 1250.90...... -22.00 L&T...... 865.45...... 52.65 M&M ...... 362.85...... -18.55

Maruti Suzuki ...... 5283.15...... -43.50 Nestle India Ltd...... 16599.95. .. -239.75 Indices in red as virus NTPC ...... 88.65...... 1.55

ONGC ...... 75.05...... -2.25 A March of doom for the auto industry PowerGrid Corp ...... 159.95...... -4.50 Reliance Ind ...... 1189.15...... -30.80 spooks markets State Bank ...... 183.50...... -4.25 Production, sales at near-standstill; SIAM says in talks with Centre to help rev up sector Shree Cement ...... 17301.10. .... 365.80 FPIs net sell ₹1,244 crore worth shares Sun Pharma ...... 462.35...... 7.90 Special Correspondent down 51% from over 2.91 cles was down 41.89% to 5.7 Tata Motors ...... 74.25...... -0.35 SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT tries such as U.S., the U.K., NEW DELHI lakh units, while production lakh units during the month Tata Steel ...... 282.55...... -2.30 MUMBAI TCS ...... 1759.25...... -6.90 Russia and Spain, among Total wholesale dispatches fell 38.14% to 2.07 lakh units under review.

Tech Mahindra ...... 526.85...... -18.40 A negative trend in Asian others, reported a signi"- of vehicles slumped 45% to from 3.34 lakh. “The auto industry is en- Titan ...... 966.85...... -47.00 markets coupled with con- cant rise in new COVID-19 just over 10.5 lakh units in While domestic sales of gaged in a dialogue with the UltraTech Cement...... 3466.10. .... 100.05 cerns related to lockdown cases. March 2020 as manufactur- cars fell 52.12% to 85,229 un- government. There would be UPL...... 324.95...... 5.95 being extended in India “Indian equity markets ers halted production and its, those of utility vehicles challenges on the supply Vedanta ...... 78.30...... 1.50

Wipro ...... 189.20...... -7.50 pulled the benchmark indic- plunged today, tracking sale in the last week amid the and vans declined 44.67% to side; demand side and also

Zee Entertainment ...... 137.10...... -12.75 es down on Monday. weak global markets, rising lockdown due to the out- 51,569 units, and 69.88% to on the issue of availability of The 30-share Sensex lost number of cases in India break of COVID-19. 6,216 units, respectively. For "nance which would all need EXCHANGE RATES 469.60 points, or 1.51%, to and the fears of lockdown The automobile industry commercial vehicles, dom- to be addressed to bring Indicative direct rates in rupees a unit close at 30,690.02. The Nif- getting extended in the had dispatched over 19.08 estic sales nosedived 88.05% back growth in the sector,” except yen at 4 p.m. on April 13 CURRENCY TT BUY TT SELL ty ended the day at country till the end of the lakh units to dealers in to 13,027 units from over 1.09 Mr Wadhera added. 8,993.85, down 118.05 month,” said Siddhartha March 2019, as per data re- Revenues took a severe hit, and OEMs struggled to balance lakh units, while production For the full year 2019-20, US Dollar...... 76.07...... 76.39 points, or 1.30%. Khemka, head, retail released by the Society of In- !nances, says SIAM’s Rajan Wadhera. * V. V. KRISHNAN was down 82.88% to 18,057 total domestic vehicle sales

Euro ...... 83.05...... 83.41 Incidentally, the India search, Motilal Oswal Finan- dian Automobile Manufac- units from over 1.05 lakh un- stood at over 2.15 crore units, VIX index, after cooling o! cial Services. “The market turers (SIAM). Production of lockdown [brought] the pro- already been reeling under its in March 2019. down 18% from more than British Pound...... 94.96...... 95.37 in the last few sessions, will continue to remain vola- vehicles across segments al- duction and sales of vehicles severe degrowth and pres- The sale of two-wheelers 2.62 crore units dispatched Japanese Yen (100) . .. . 70.44...... 70.74 again surged, this time by tile with swings on either so fell by 33.6% to about to a standstill in the last sure of a disrupted supply fell close to 40% to 8.66 lakh in March 2019. Passenger Chinese Yuan ...... 10.78...... 10.83 more than 3% on Monday. side,” he added. 14.47 lakh units, compared week. As revenues took a chain, he said the auto indus- units versus 14.40 lakh units vehicle sales last year fell

Swiss Franc ...... 78.65...... 79.00 Elsewhere in Asia, Nikkei Foreign portfolio inves- with over 21.8 lakh units in severe hit, OEMs struggled to try was losing an estimated in the year-ago month. Pro- 17.82% to over 27.75 lakh un- lost over 2% while Kospi was tors (FPIs) were net sellers March 2019. meet "xed cost and working ₹2,300 crore in production duction was down by 28.21% its, while those of commer- Singapore Dollar ...... 53.74...... 53.98 down by 1.88%. The bench- at ₹1,244 crore on Monday “The month of March capital requirements,” Rajan turnover for each day of clo- to 11.61 lakh units, down cial vehicles was down Canadian Dollar...... 54.44...... 54.67 marks of China, Indonesia, while their domestic coun- 2020 was one of the most Wadhera, president, SIAM, sure. Wholesales of passen- from 16.18 lakh units. While 28.75% to 7.17 lakh units. Malaysian Ringitt ...... 17.57...... 17.66 Malaysia and Singapore also terparts also sold shares challenging months for the said. Stating that before the ger vehicles stood at over scooter sales fell 32% to 2.63 Two-wheeler sales were low- Source:Indian Bank ended in the red after coun- worth almost ₹1,100 crore. auto sector as the 21-day lockdown the industry had 1.43 lakh units last month, lakh units, sales of motorcy- er by 17.7% to 1.7 crore units. ‘About $250 billion COVID-19 travel curbs hit forex players Provide handholding to

lost so far, post They now rely on transactions for those living abroad, or with kin overseas MSMEs, AIMO tells govt. Lalatendu Mishra rences even if the lockdown gling to stay a$oat due to Calls for hastening GST refunds MUMBAI is over, due to the fear-"lled high expenses on account of economic shutdown’ Special Correspondent The sealing of international environment,” he said. Eco- rentals and employee costs, Chennai borders, the resultant travel nomic conditions will leave the very small stores have Non-essentials to see deep compression restrictions imposed by lesser disposable income in their own share of struggle. In the last one month, CO- most countries and the fear the hands of the people and Chaitanya Dhingra, Direc- VID-19 has literally wiped Mini Tejaswi of catching the COVID-19 in- that will impact foreign tor of Mark Forex Hub India out the present and future Bengaluru fection have severely impact- travel. Pvt. Ltd. who runs two plans of micro, small and Most businesses in non-es- ed the foreign exchange in- Currently, foreign ex- stores in Delhi/NCR said, medium enterprises sential products and servic- dustry, which is deeply change players are relying “We are seeing a near-zero- (MSMEs) and they have to es will have to resort to scal- integrated and works like an mainlyE on the money transf- business situation. People be provided handholding to ing down of operations in ancillary to foreign travel. er business and card re-loads started selling their unspent emerge successful, said the the range of 25-75% in the Sudarshan Motwani, We are seeing a near-zero- for people who are either or surplus forex due to a con- All India Manufacturers’ Or- wake of the COVID-19 pan- founder & CEO, BookMyFo- business situation, says an abroad or have their close re- siderable increase in the ganisation (AIMO). demic and the resultant rex.com said, “The April to industry executive. latives living overseas, for rates of currencies such as MSMEs face two opera- lockdown. July summer holiday season daily expenses. the U.S dollar and Euro tional issues viz. working EMIs, interest etc. by six Automobile, high-end is when a large number of Mr. Motwani said that fo- These businesses have al- when the crisis started.” capital and cash $ow. months, said K.E. Raghu- consumer goods, consumer people travel abroad, espe- rex players might be able to so seen some downturns. “Many money changers nathan, past national presi- durables, fancy FMCG cially to Europe and U.S., to see some travel starting June There are over 2,000 full- purchased currencies from Releasing payments dent, AIMO. “COVID-19 has items, expensive clothing, avoid the hot weather in In- or July this year, but that $edged money changers customers but there’s not To tackle them, the govern- not only killed their gems and jewellery, leisure ‘confusingly $uid.’ dia. This season could wit- would be mostly of those re- (FFMCs) registered with RBI enough market to sell these ment should release all the (MSMEs) plans but also holidays, restaurants and “We had asked all our ness a near-complete turning home, very essential in India. However just about as there is no demand right payments due to them im- made them dependent on star hospitality will be some member companies not to washout.” business trips or to visit rela- 2% of these registered now due to travel restric- mediately. These include government for orders, sub- of the sectors that will wit- lay o! any employee and al- “It is hard to see business tives in emergency situa- players are mid-sized to large tions. All this has led to a Goods and Services Tax re- sidy, incentives and refunds. ness deep down compres- so to pay their salaries. We as usual or imagine people tions. “There are no signs of organisations including a large holding of stocks or funds and tax-deducted-at- Right now, MSMEs are strug- sion, while essential servic- are happy to see 100% com- going out and enjoying people travelling abroad for few "ntech online players. sell-o!, sometimes even source refunds. The units gling to "gure out how to es such as food companies, pliance to our advisory in themselves on a beach or in the next six months for lei- While the large players in booking small losses,” he must be allowed to defer restart business once nor- pharmaceuticals and March and we expect that to restaurants abroad,” he said. sure trips or events or confe- this sector would be strug- said. payments such as GST, malcy returns,” he said. healthcare providers will continue until April 15. But continue to do business as post that we are not sure of usual, industry experts and the future. The SMEs are in trade body representatives dire straits, the industry has FRAI urges PM said. no working capital to oper- All policy tools at disposal to !ght virus impact: RBI The compression will ate further.” to allow petty lead to the loss of millions of Automobile industry is In!ation may ease sooner and faster; agriculture expected to remain resilient: MPC meeting minutes jobs across segments in the the largest employer in the shops to open country by the end of May, country and currently pro- SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT "c, exports and imports in ity, the central bank said the although data as of now is vides 38 million jobs. It ac- Special Correspondent Mumbai January/February had im- in$ation outlook had ‘the most fragile factor’. Bu- counts for 49% of the coun- MUMBAI The Reserve Bank of India proved after several months changed drastically due to sinesses will embark on try’s manufacturing GDP of Federation of Retailers’ As- (RBI) will not hesitate to use of contraction/deceleration. the sharp fall in oil prices stringent austerity mea- which auto component in- sociation of India (FRAI), a any conventional or uncon- “With COVID-19, however, and food prices may also sof- sures as reducing people dustry has a share of 25%. representative body of ventional policy instruments industry and service sector ten further on the back of re- and minimising the use of “India, as a country, has about four crore micro, to mitigate the adverse eco- activities are likely to be se- cord foodgrain and horticul- real estate will be critical in lost straight $250 billion af- small and medium retailers nomic impact caused by the verely impacted and the ex- ture production. this regard. ter a month-long economic selling soft drinks, mineral COVID-19 pandemic, Gover- tent of the adverse impact “In the extreme scenario Pradeep Bhargava, presi- shutdown. We are staring at water, biscuits, cigarettes, nor Shaktikanta Das said, ac- would depend upon the in- in which we are, however, dent, Mahratta Chamber of a $at or negative economy. pan and bidis across India, cording to the the minutes of tensity, spread and duration the easing o! of in$ation Commerce, Industries and Demand compression has has appealed to the Prime the monetary policy com- of COVID-19,” he said, while may occur sooner and fas- Agriculture (MCCIA) said led to serious cash $ow is- Minister to allow their mittee (MPC) meeting re- adding the only silver lining ter,” RBI Deputy Governor the COVID-19-driven uncer- sues. Our SME sector em- members to open their leased by the central bank on is likely to be agriculture, in-charge of Monetary Policy tainty had resulted in ero- ploys 107 million people. shops. Monday. Grim prognosis: The near-term growth outlook for India has which is expected to remain M.D. Patra said, adding the sion of income at all levels. Unless the govt. provides a Ram Asre Mishra, presi- The six-member MPC, at a deteriorated sharply due to the lockdown, says Mr. Das. * PTI resilient, with foodgrain pro- in$ation outlook o!ered the All non-essential, luxury, cash $ow relief, pretty soon, dent, FRAI, said “We ap- non-scheduled meeting held duction for 2019-20 estimat- scope for taking a “calculat- high-end, lifestyle products things are going to be ugly. peal to the Prime Minister in the last week of March, continue to remain vigilant nancial crisis, Mr. Das said ed at a record 292 million ed risk on current levels of and devices will be impact- The U.S. has a $350 billion to empathise with the had decided to reduce the and will not hesitate to use the near-term growth out- tonnes. in$ation — which rule above ed at least for a year. These fund for SMEs, a grant to hardships faced by our policy interest rate by 75 ba- any instrument — conven- look for India had also dete- While the setback to eco- the target — and focus on the include luxury cars, super support salaries and save poor and helpless indivi- sis points (bps) to 4.4%, as tional and unconventional — riorated sharply due to the nomic activity could be cush- 12 months-ahead forecast.” bikes, lifestyle accessories, jobs,” V. Balakrishanan, dual members and allow the nationwide lockdown to mitigate the impact of CO- 21-day nationwide lockdown. ioned to an extent, by the “By this rule, there is leisure holidays, premium former CFO, Infosys, said. them to open their shops brought economic activity VID-19, revive growth and The RBI had refrained from collapse in crude oil prices, space for policy action that is clothing and high-end mo- Mr. Bhargava was of the immediately.” into a grinding halt. preserve "nancial stability,” making any growth forecast there could be certain down- large in size relative to its bile phones. opinion that India has to put “We also appeal to the In no uncertain terms, Mr. Mr. Das said. during the policy review sides in the form of decline past but still keeps the policy Vinnie Mehta, director at least 4% of GDP towards PM to immediately an- Das outlined the central Commenting that there meeting. in remittances from oil-pro- rate positive in real terms ov- general at Automotive Com- COVID-19 relief, and not just nounce an economic pack- bank’s resolve to "ght the was a rising probability of a He said prior to the out- ducing countries. er a one-year-ahead horizon ponent Manufacturers’ As- a mere 1.7%, as that could age to compensate for the economic fallout caused by global recession, which may break, some high frequency Indicating there was so as to see o! any lingering sociation of India (ACMA) bring an additional 3 lakh losses of petty retailers in the pandemic. be deeper than the one expe- indicators such as manufac- further scope for policy ac- or latent in$ationary pres- termed the current situation cash into the system. daily income,” he said. “The Reserve Bank will rienced during the global "- turing, railways freight traf- tion to boost economic activ- sures,” he said. CM A CH-CHE YK EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEThe Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) constituted by the CentralEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Government under Section 45ZB. The MPC THE HINDU determines the policy interest rate required to achieve the inﬂation target. CHENNAI 14 SPORT TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2020 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEComposition of Monetary Policy Committee EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

The 6 member Monetary Policy CommitteeBCCI (MPC) defers constitutedEpic Ranjiby the clashCentral that Government Tendulkar as perwon the on Section his own ‘Beast’45ZB of the ready amended to RBIstrike Act, 1934. again The firstIPL decisionmeeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) was held on in The little master’s double ton helped Mumbai overtake a sti! Tamil Nadu total AMumbaidhiban happy onwith Octoberhis all-win record 3, 2016. at simultaneous display Amol Karhadkar MUMBAI DOWN MEMORY LANE CHESS The Board of Control for Amol Karhadkar P.K. Ajith Kumar Cricket in India (BCCI) has S. Dipak Ragav KozhikodeThe composition of the MPC as on April 2019decided is to wait as for follows;the Cen- tral Government to spell Nostalgia — not just the virus Viswanathan Anand once — is in the air, with sporting called him the ‘beast’. out the extension of lockdown before announcing world literally coming to a B. Adhiban played like one 1. Governor of the Reserve Bank of India –the Chairperson, fate of Indian Premier standstill.ex officio; Even without (Shri a Shaktikanta Das) at the simultaneous chess League (IPL). lockdown, cricketing frater- display on Saturday night to The IPL’s 13th edition nity would have celebrated generate funds for India’s has been suspended till the 20th anniversary of an !ght against the coronavirus. 2. Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank ofApril India, 15. On Monday, in charge the epic inof the Monetary Ranji Trophy Policy – He won all his 18 games in BCCI top brass was sche- history. theBP event Kanungo conceived by (Member, ex officio) duled to discuss an inde!- On Sachin Tendulkar’s re- Anand and organised by nite postponement of the quest, the semi!nal between chess.com. The only player Quiet determination: B. Adhiban, struggling for form of late, T20 league. Mumbai and Tamil Nadu to !nish with a cent per cent is con!dent of regaining his Elo points. However, with the Prime was postponed to let him be record, Adhiban completed available after representing 3. One officer *ofFILE PHOTO: the BISWARANJAN Reserve ROUT Bank of IndiaM inisterto be set to nominated address the by the Central Board – Member, ex officio; (Dr. his games sooner than the nation on Tuesday and ex- Asia XI in Dhaka. And he othersMichael (Anand, Koneru Debabrata Hum- felt nice to do Patra)so well in the have great respect for him pected to formalise the helped Mumbai chase down py, Vidit Gujrathi, P. Harik- online simultaneous event. I and admire his consistency.” lockdown extension, the a mammoth !rst innings to- rishna and D. Harika). thoroughly enjoyed it,” Adhi- BCCI o#ce-bearers decid- tal of 485 in a nail-biting It may have only been an ban told The Hindu. Adhiban said that [consis- game at the Wankhede Sta- tency] was something he ed to wait for the details be- exhibition event, and his riv- “When Anand told me dium. 4. Dr. Ravindra H. Dholakia,wanted Professor, in his game. He ad- Indianfore proceeding. Institute As a re- of Management, Ahmedabad – Member als may not have been Grand- about this, I agreed to be a Hemang Badani, who ded he could not retain his sult, IPL’s fate should be masters, but his perfor- part of it straightaway. I starred for TN, and Ajit Agar- 2700 rating because of some sealed by Wednesday. mance has made him happy. thought it was great that In- kar, who had match-!gures poor tournaments during the PTI reports from New 5. Professor Pamidia’s strongest Dua, players Director, were Delhi SchoolDelhi of Economicsof six for – 120 Member and shared a vi- Incomparable: Sachin Tendulkar’s passion for a domestic game drew lavish praise from Not in good form last one year. “Two of those coming together for a noble tal 37-run partnership with * were in China; you see, the The BCCI treasurer Arun one and all. FILE PHOTO Adhiban hasn’t been having a cause.” Tendulkar in a nervy chase, coronavirus caught hold of Dhumal said it would be great time since becoming The 27-year-old from recall the game. when it mattered. A month that I didn’t watch the run- We had to score 42 me before anybody else!” he “too premature” to com- <> only the !fth Indian to cross Chennai lived up to his repu- Hemang Badani later, I made my debut for chase at all. I remember Ra- runs with only two 6. Shri Chetan Ghate, Professor,joked. Indian Statisticalment on whether Institute the IPL (ISI) – Member the magical 2700-mark in tation as an attacking and en- can be slotted in place of It was my !rst Ranji semi- India and I am sure this mesh (Powar) and I were wickets in hand. I FIDE rating in 2019. tertaining player, as he gam- The ‘beast’ was con!dent the ICC World T20 in Oc- !nal. I was nervous but ex- knock played a huge role in glued to our seats inside the ended up scoring Last April, he had reached bled in his openings, with of regaining his Elo points. “I tober-November. cited since playing Mumbai that. dressing room and stepped those 42. The a Exceptcareer-high world-ranking ex-officioKing’s, members Morra and Danish allknow wheremembers I went wrong. I will“ Righthold now, the picture officein Mumbai for is a always period special. Aofjit Agarkar 4 years or untilout only to further applaud a miles- orders,competition was so tone — majority of them of 38, with 2701 Elo points. A gambits. was concentrating too much is very hazy. We don’t even It was a full-strength Mum- Without trying to sound !erce and intense, I were by Sachin. I think Amol yearwhichever on, his rating is down is to earlier.“It was Vidit who suggest- on the rating,” he said. “I was know when the lockdown bai side and we had a big to- cocky, the Mumbai team felt didn’t realise that 2659. tal on the board after being (Muzumdar) was also sitting ed that I try those openings,” also making avoidable mis- will end. How can we have pretty comfortable in the No. 10 and 11 hadn’t He is still India No. 4 and is revealed Adhiban. “I am hap- takes against lower-rated op- a meaningful discussion,” asked to bat on a lively pitch. with us right through, so era that I played. We did lose scored a single run ranked 82nd in the world. “It py that I listened to him. I ponents.” he said. Then on, it was all about games but seldom were we yes, I hardly watched the Instruments of Monetary Policy; Sachin’s magni!cence. I re- nervous. So nervous were great knock. Tendulkar member we had close to six most of us during that game It was a stellar performance by both sides. Badani or seven men on the boun- scored a good hundred, Ro- Top players to take part BFI to host Asian meet dary line and he still found a bin scored a gritty century. The instruments of monetary policy are of two types: way to !nd the fence regu- But the chase was really an- larly. It was impossible to be- The match at a glance xious. Sachin batted almost Special Correspondent video conference. in Carlsen Invitational Kolkata lieve we lost to one man. right through the innings “Our focus is to bring in Ranji semi!nal: Mumbai vs batting, Vinod Kambli 75, It was remarkable to see TN, April 11 to 15, 2000. Amol Muzumdar 47). but despite Vinod (Kambli) RAKESH RAO will battle it out for the Amid uncertainty over re- more and more tourna- NEW1. DELHI Quantitative Instruments: General or indirect (Cash Reservehis intensity onRatio, the !eld. I StatutoryToss: Mumbai. LiquidityDay 4: Mumbai Ratio, 490 in 152 Openand Amol Market giving him sup- $70,000 winner’s share. sumption of sporting activi- ments to India and being have never seen an interna- Day 1: TN 397/4 in 90 overs overs (Tendulkar 233 n.o., port, we always knew chas- TheOperations, top !ve in the world, BankThe richest Rate, online event Repo in ties, Rate, the Boxing ReverseFederation able Repoto host this prestigiousRate, Marginaltional cricketer showstanding such (Hemang facility Badani 162 andAashish Liquidity Kapoor 3/93, S. Adjustmenting down almost 500 was go- headed by Magnus Carlsen, chess will be played on a of India (BFI) on Monday championship will be a huge passion for his State side. batting, Robin Singh 142 Mahesh 3/105); TN 171 in ing to be a challenge. areFacility part of an elite eight-man(LAF))league-cum-knockout for- said the country would host honour. After the match, it was batting). 54.1 overs (Hemang Badani And Sachin rose to the oc- !eld in the $250,000 Magnus mat. After a double round-ro- the 2020 Asian boxing “Our boxers can look to sweet of him to speak with Day 2: TN 485 in 121.4 63, S. Reuben Paul 46); casion. One could sense dur- Mumbai 104/1 in 27 overs Calrsen Invitational online bin league, the top four championships for men and excel here,” a BFI release me. He spoke about my "ow, overs (Badani 162, Robin ing our partnership how 183 n.o., Ajit Agarkar 4/83, (Sameer Dighe 51 batting, chess, that begins on April 18. players move to the knockout women towards the end of quoted Ajay as saying. bat swing and asked not to badly he wanted it. the year. Santosh Saxena 3/91); Jatin Paranjpe 27 batting). 2.Carlsen, Qualitative Fabiano Caruana, s emiInstruments:!nals. The !nal is slated Selective or directThe !(changenal decision on in cthehange themargin way I played. money, It Mumbai 141/4 direct in 57 overs action,Day 5: Mumbai moral 169/2 in suasion)No wonder he was so Ding Liren, Ian Nepom- for May 3. Each encounter BFI president Ajay Singh dates and venue will be ta- was a very tough loss for us (Sameer Dighe 55, Sachin 44.4 overs (Dighe 73, pumped up after crossing niachtchi, Maxime Vachier- will include four rapid made the announcement ken after discussion with and took some time to come Tendulkar 34 batting). Paranjpe 55 n.o.) the line with a six. Never Lagrave, Anish Giri, Hikaru games, with 15 minutes for all during E-Pathshala, the on- the government and other out of it. Day 3: Mumbai 470/8 in Result: Mumbai won by have I seen him so pumped NakamuraForeign and 16-year-old Portfoliothe moves, Investment plus 10-second in- line review meeting of box- important stakeholders The only silver-lining for 147 overs (Tendulkar 213 eight wickets. up in a domestic game dur- sensation Alireza Firouzja crements after every move. ers and support sta$ over a once the lockdown is over. me was the way I batted ing my career. ‘MakingForeign Tokyoportfolio cut investment would be di(FPI)"cult’ consists AFIof targetssecurities and other financial assets passively held by foreign investors. Sept. action SItugiarto does says not the situationprovide in Jakartathe investor is very worrying with direct ownership of financial assets and is relatively liquid depending on K. Keerthivasan UTHRA GANESAN NEW DELHI Chennaithe volatility of the market. Indonesian badminton The Athletics Federation of playerForeign Tommy Sugiarto portfolio is investment is part of a country’sIndia (AFI) is targeting capital a re- account and is shown on its Balance of Payments worried more about the sit- turn to action by September uation(BOP). in his country than this year, hopeful that the his chances of qualifying for situation would improve theThe 2021 Tokyo BOP Olympics. measures the amount of money flowingenough by then fromto conduct one country to other countries over one monetary year. Ranked World No. 26, Su- domestic competitions. giarto,The the 2014investor World cham- does not actively manage the investments“We will try to resume through FPIs, he does not have control over the pionship bronze medallist, our domestic competitions toldsecurities The Hindu over phone or the business. However, since thefrom investor’s September-October goal is to create a quick return on his money, FPI is on Monday that the situation 2020 and for next year from inmore Jakarta was liquid indeed a andBig boon: lessTommy riskySugiarto says than the Indian juniorsForeign enjoy the DirectMarch-April Investment 2021. With the (FDI). cause for concern. PBL as they get to play with world-class players. * FILE PHOTO postponement of the Olym- “The current situation [in pics, we hope many young In contrast, FDIis health. lets I am keepingan investor my- with the prevalencepurchase of the a direct business interest in a foreign country. The investor’s goal is Jakarta] is very worrying be- athletes stand a chance to self !t by doing a lot of exer- COVID-19 pandemic,” he cause every day people are qualify while seniors need to create a long-termcises at home because income most said. stream while helping the company increase its profits. dying because of coronavi- to focus on !tness. sports venues here are rus. So we are at home, just Sugiarto, who has played “At this stage we cannot The investor controlsclosed,” he said. his monetary investments and actively manages the company into which he puts money. following the instructions in four editions of the Pre- say anything about foreign fromHowever, our government.” becauseThe 31-year-old the wasinvestor’s quite mier Badminton money League, in- is tiedcompetitions-cum-exposure up in a company, he faces less liquidity and more risk when Admitting it would be dif- critical of the All England cluding this year for Chennai camps in 2020. Athletes !culttrying to make the to cut forsell the hisOpen authorities interest. for not fol- Superstarz, said the tourna- would also be allowed to Tokyo Games, given the fact lowing the guidelines when ment was a big boon for the train outside (SAI Centres) that two players — Anthony they hosted tournament Indian juniors. after consultations once the Ginting and Jonatan Christie from March 11 to 15. “The Indian players, es- situation improves,” AFI — are ranked much higher “I noticed social distanc- pecially the juniors are very president Adille Sumariwala than him at 6 and 7, Sugiarto ing rules were not enforced. excited to take part in PBL said after an online interac- said he was nevertheless try- That’s what makes me won- because they can feel the at- tion with athletes, coaches ing his best. der why they organised the mosphere of competing and support sta$ on Mon- “For now, the main thing tournament in the !rst place with world-class players.” day.

IN BRIEF Sehwag reveals his Nadal, Murray con!rmed batting inspiration! for virtual tennis event NEW DELHI NEW YORK Virender Sehwag has stated Rafael Nadal and Andy the real inspiration behind his Murray are among 12 players swashbuckling batting confirmed to play in the technique was Angad, the virtual Madrid Open tennis character from Ramayana. tournament this month. Sehwag, known for his great David Goffin, John Isner, hand-eye coordination with Karen Khachanov, Eugenie minimal footwork, on Sunday Bouchard, Kristina shared a screen-shot of Mladenovic and Kiki Bertens Angad from a TV series on inspiration from. Pair hilana will also participate from Portugal football team’s Twitter and said: “So here is mushkil hi nahi, namumkin their homes in the April boost to amateur clubs where I took my batting hai. #Angad Ji Rocks.” IANS 27-30 online competition that is expected to be LISBON broadcast live on TV and Cristiano Ronaldo and his has asked his fans as to social media channels. AP Portugal teammates have whether he should sport one donated half of their bonus or not. “Moustache or no for qualifying for the Euro moustache? Things you you 2020 finals to help amateur do when you have nothing to football in the country that do I suppose Grinning has been hit by the face#isolationcreation coronavirus shutdown. The .Moooch nahi, tey kuch Portuguese football nahi...” former Pakistan federation said on Monday Sport a moustache or allrounder and captain Akram the money would go towards not? Akram asks fans said in a tweet with two a fund that it hopes will reach LAHORE photos — one with a €4.7 million to help amateur Pakistan great Wasim Akram, moustache and another clubs survive the crisis. AFP rarely seen with a moustache, without facial hair. IANS CM A CH-CHE YK