% .          RNI Regn. No. CHHENG/2012/42718, Postal Reg. No. - RYP DN/34/2013-2015 ./.0*123 /"010/1 2/*) 3 1&'0/14 ,!5  .4'/ (4&4.<"&8=+."4&94( 4& ;+ &C2++ ".$'" ;8,+ 9+:;":8(.4' 0;4,:0;80.+'& 01,2:,&,+(8: "4. &.(;"&",8& (;.9"$&; $&++.58.9 9"+".(;"./ 4::&+(;+7/> 9+;&98. ;?9+&09<"1?'9 ( 456 ..& @ A  % + % !  7  !,  !*678989: *8 ;599    ! "#  $ " "#! %%# &'           - "! 2820" dence of their heinous deed...    Specific Intelligence inputs had ormer Mumbai Police been received from Central FCommissioner Rakesh Intelligence agencies that R   Maria has dropped a bombshell Pakistan was intent on killing by claiming in his 624-page Kasab and the Dawood gang    memoir “Let Me Say It Now” had been entrusted with the released recently that how there task,” Maria wrote. Q" R was a bid to dub 26/11 as “He seriously believed that “Hindu terror”, a phrase coined Muslims were not allowed to by the then Home Minister. offer namaaz in India and  .+'9+:;" But it didn’t happen so as mosques were locked up by the Pakistani terrorist Mohammed authorities. He felt that the day after British MP Ajmal Kasab was caught alive. azaan he heard five times a day ADebbie Abrahams was Had Kasab not been caught in the Crime Branch lock-up deported from the Indira alive, his body would have was just a figment of his imag- Gandhi International Airport been found with an I-card ination. When we came to here, Government sources said bearing a fictitious Hindu know of this, I instructed on Tuesday her e-Business visa name, writes Maria about the Mahale to take him to the was revoked as she was investigation helmed by him in mosque near the Metro involved in anti-India activities. was intimated to her on The Labour Party MP had the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack. Cinema in a vehicle. When he They also said revoking or February 14,” they said. Sources said despite having a valid visa “If all had gone well, he saw the namaaz in progress grant of visa is the sovereign also asserted the grant, rejec- she was denied entry into India (Kasab) would have been dead would have been on their way not worked that way and here was now my most esteemed with his own eyes, he was right of a country and the tion or revocation of a visa or after she landed at the airport with a red string tied around to Hyderabad to find more he was, Ajmal Amir Kasab of guest. Keeping this enemy bewildered. This was not how cancellation of visa was con- electronic travel authorisation here about 8.50 am from his wrist like a Hindu. We about him. There would have Faridkot in Pakistan, and I was alive was my number one pri- it was supposed to be!” Maria veyed to her on February 14. is the sovereign right of a Dubai. She was among a group would have found an identity been screaming headlines in asking him, Ki karan aya hai? ority. Anger and hostility writes in the book. Congress leader Abhishek country. of British MPs who issued for- card on his person with a fic- newspapers claiming how (What are you here for?),” the towards Kasab were percepti- In one of the most horrif- Manu Singhvi welcomed the Abrahams was not in the mal letters expressing con- titious name: Samir Dinesh Hindu terrorists had attacked former IPS officer wrote. ble. The way the men and offi- ic terrorist attacks in the coun- step even though his party possession of a valid visa at the cerns over the revocation of Chaudhari, student of Mumbai. Over-the-top TV Maria’s book also men- cers were reacting to him, I try’s history, 166 people were colleague Tharoor on Monday time of her arrival at the IGI Jammu & Kashmir’s special Arunodaya Degree and PG journalists would have made a tions that Pakistan’s ISI and the had to personally choose his killed and over 300 injured as had criticised the Government Airport here on Monday and status under Article 370 in College, Vedre Complex, beeline for Bengaluru to inter- Lashkar-e-Tayyeba (LeT) were guards for the entire period he 10 heavily-armed terrorists on her deportation. Singhvi she was asked to return, the August last year. Dilkhushnagar, Hyderabad, view his family and neigh- bent upon killing Kasab by would be with us,” Maria from Pakistan created mayhem said the British MP was a sources said. “We are gravely concerned 500060, resident of 254, bours,” he wrote. “hook or by crook” after he writes in the book. in Mumbai on November 26, “Pakistan proxy.” There is no provision of at the announcement by Indian Teachers Colony, Nagarabhavi, Mahale, Marde and Kadam was caught alive by ASI “The ISI and the Lashkar 2008. Justifying the decision to “visa on arrival” for the UK Home Minister, Amit Shah, Bengaluru,” Maria writes. were senior police officers Tukaram Ombale. were bent upon eliminating Kasab, the lone terrorist cancel the visa and deporting nationals at the airport, sources that Article 370 of the Indian “Ramesh Mahale, Prashant involved in the 26/11 attack “As the Joint CP incharge him by hook or by crook to captured alive, was hanged to the MP, sources said Abrahams said, dismissing Abrahams’ Constitution, which grants spe- Marde and Dinesh Kadam investigation. “But alas, it had of the Crime Branch, Kasab obliterate the only living evi- death on November 21, 2012. was issued an e-Business visa contention she should have cial status to Jammu & on October 7 last year for been granted a “visa on arrival”. Kashmir, has been removed by  attending business meetings. They said as per the rules Presidential Order,” the The visa was valid till October previously issued e-Business Opposition MP had noted in 5, 2020. visa meant for business meet- her letter to UK Foreign    “Her e-Business visa was ings cannot be used for visiting Secretary    revoked on February 14, 2020 “family and friends”, as stated Dominic Raab.      on account of her indulging in by the British MP. “This is not Abrahams reacted on         activities which went against permitted as per the rules and Twitter, “Very disappointing       India’s national interest. The a separate visa request has to be that a friend can’t respectfully    !   rejection of the e-Business visa made,” a source said. criticise another friend.” " O $ % &    :8(.4'   '   ,,    .+'9+:;" (  )  * o develop Ayodhya as a %&'% Ttourist attraction, the Uttar Delhi court on Tuesday      P Pradesh Government in its Asent Sharjeel Imam, named    Budget for 2020-21 has made as an “instigator” by the Delhi     +%   a special provision of 500 Police in its chargesheet for vio-   % ,   crore. The UP Government lent protests against the      "  )     -  will spend 85 crore on the Citizenship Amendment Act . $   O development of a high-class (CAA) at New Friends’ Colony  .+'9+:;"    /  infrastructure in Ayodhya, and here last year, to judicial cus-  .+'9+:;"   %   10 crore has been kept for the tody till March 3. subgroup of the global ter-   % %   renovation of Tulsi Smarak It stated that it had attached he Central Government Aror financing watchdog      % Bhawan in the pilgrim city. CCTV footage, call detail Thas renamed Institute for Financial Action Task Force 01,* The UP Budget also ear- records and statements of over Defence Studies and Analyses (FATF) on Tuesday recom- marked 200 crore for the 100 witnesses as evidence in the (IDSA), a Government think mended continuation of !   " !  beautification of Varanasi’s chargesheet. Imam was arrest- tank, as Manohar Parrikar Pakistan in the “Grey List” for #$   " Kashi Vishwanath temple. ed on sedition charges last Institute for Defence Studies its failure to check terror fund- #%%& !  The Budget also provides month in a separate case. and Analyses in order to “hon- ing and a final decision will be  %  %  2,000 crore for the new airport Earlier on Monday, the our the commitment and lega- taken on February 21, sources 2 %1 3   project at Jewar near Delhi with court had sent Imam to one- cy” of the late Defence Minister. said on Tuesday.  !   special focus on road and day custody of the Delhi Police The IDSA is a non-partisan, The decision was taken at %    /13( metro rail projects. in the case as it wanted to quiz autonomous body dedicated to “enhanced its security capaci- the meeting of the FATF’s +% 4%   Finance Minister Suresh him because an accused — objective research and policy- ties, boosted indigenous International Co-operation      * Kumar Khanna presented the Furkan — in the December 15, relevant studies on all aspects defence production and bet- Review Group (ICRG), held at Budget in the State Assembly. 2019 violence case has alleged of defence and security. tered the lives of ex-service- the ongoing Paris plenary. " "   The Kanpur Metro Rail in his disclosure that he was Parrikar was Defence men”, it said. The FATF meeting is being  !  "  Project has been granted 358 provoked by Imam’s Minister from November 9, His biggest contribution held a week after an anti-ter- '&( (&,5%    crore and 286 crore has been speeches. 2014 to March 14, 2017. He was towards the implementa- rorism court in Pakistan sen-     6  allocated for the metro rail in The police had earlier told died last year due to pancreat- tion of long-standing One tenced Hafiz Saeed, the mas-  2  Agra. The 2020-21 Budget sets the court that Furkan was ic cancer. He steered the Rank One Pension (OROP) termind of the 2008 Mumbai   % (   a target for the construction of arrested on the basis of a Defence Ministry “through the demand for the Armed forces, attack and founder of LeT, to 11   / %  * four lakh houses for the weak- CCTV footage which showed tough challenges of attacks like the statement said. years in two terror financing er sections within a year and him carrying a container Pathankot and Uri and The renaming of the IDSA cases inside ")*+  "  lists schemes to help the youth allegedly containing petrol. responded to these with exem- will align the vision and aspi- Pakistan.   ,   to make a Four people were arrested in plary boldness,” said a ration of the premier defence The Pakistani court’s judg-   "  ( living. the case on December 16 and Government statement on institute with the contribution ment came ostensibly to please 7     %  '   Addressing reporters later, sent to judicial custody. Furkan Tuesday while announcing the of the former Raksha Mantri, the FATF and Western coun- 5!  )  %   Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath           was arrested later. decision to rename the IDSA. said the statement. tries so that the country can "  %    called the Budget — the fourth        ! "#"#$"% &'  ' Imam, who came into the “An epitome of integrity Goa Chief Minister exit the “Grey List”. (%     presented by his Government &  *  * limelight during the ongoing and dedication in public life, Pramod Sawant said, “I wel- India has been maintaining %  ( / — “historic”, “growth-oriented” protests at Shaheen Bagh throughout his career, late come the decision of Defence that Pakistan extends regular    %   and “people-friendly”. crore. It has provisions for new is expected to begin in the next against the CAA and the NRC, Parrikar showed a tremendous Ministry to rename IDSA as support to terror groups like  * (7 $ !  / Opposition parties, how- schemes worth 10,967 crore, few months. was arrested from Bihar’s fighting spirit, taking on the ‘Manohar Parrikar Institute for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e- !    %  ever, termed it “directionless” Khanna said. In addition, the State Jehanabad on January 28 in a odds with fearlessness,” the Defence Studies and Analyses’, Mohammad (JeM) and Hizbul  5 %/%    and a “farce”. Among the major alloca- Government will spend Rs 85 separate case for allegedly mak- statement noted. honoring Manohar bhai’s Mujahideen, whose prime tar- %    %  The 5.12 lakh crore tions is 500 crore for an air- crore for the development of ing inflammatory speeches at When Parrikar was the tremendous contribution as get is India, and has urged  (  ! ! %   Budget is bigger than the one port at Ayodhya, where the the pilgrim city as a tourist Jamia Millia Islamia here and Defence Minister, India wit- Defence Minister of India.” FATF to take action against "  ' * presented last year by 33,159 construction of a Ram temple spot. in Aligarh. nessed a series of decisions that Continued on Page 4 Islamabad. * 

"  does not make me less pro- spokesperson Praveen Shankar +"    gressive. Being progressive Kapoor hit out at the AAP, say-   + does not mean you are an ing its attachment towards #  .+'9+:;" According to the second (2013-14 to 2017-18) average atheist,” he said. Lord Hanuman was not a mat- advance estimates of food- production of foodgrain. '  ,)& The AAP leader said he ter of religious faith, but a espite flood in 15 States grains production released by As per estimates, the     - was “just following his faith” “political melodrama”. Dand loss of crops due to the Agriculture Ministry on cumulative rainfall in the coun- and have been doing it for long. “We expect that the Aam locust attack in Rajasthan, Tuesday, the output projected try during the monsoon season  ,,    .+'9+:;" “Today there is no election Aadmi Party which used to Punjab and Gujarat, record for 2019-20 is 6.7 MT higher (June to September, 2019) has so it should not be seen as a play politics in favour of a par- output in rice and wheat is like- than the 2018-19 final esti- been 10 per cent higher than am Aadmi Party (AAP) political thing. The controver- ticular religious community ly, pushing up the foodgrains mates of 285.21 MT. The rice Long Period Average (LPA). AMLA from Greater Kailash sy was started after the BJP will now work for all the reli- production in the country to an output during the same period “Accordingly, the production of Saurabh Bhardwaj has said questioned the Chief Minister’s gious communities of the soci- all-time high of around 291.95 is expected to be 117.47 MT most of the crops for the agri- recitation of “Sunder Kaand” (a visit to Hanuman mandir, ety during the next five years,” million tonnes (MT) in the cur- (against 116.48 MT in 2018), cultural year 2019-20 has been chapter in Tulsidas’ although the temple priest said another BJP spokesperson rent year. while wheat is slated to hit a estimated higher than their Ramcharitmanas, which talks came on record to say he Ashok Goel Devraha. best-ever 106.21 MT (103.60 normal production. These esti- about Lord Hanuman’s visit to (Kejriwal) has been visiting Former Delhi Government MT). mates are subject to revision on Lanka) will be held on the first the temple for years,” he media adviser Nagendar Wheat is the main rabi account of more precise infor- Tuesday of every month in dif- said. Sharma also termed Bhardwaj’s (winter) crop, harvesting of mation flowing over the time,” ferent areas of his constituen- Also, Bhardwaj targeted announcement as “disappoint- which will begin from next officials of the Agriculture cy to seek the blessings of the BJP and Congress leaders, ing”. “Disappointed to see a month. However, the pro- Ministry said. Lord Hanuman and Lord Ram. saying they may be fuming but competent legislator with pro- duction during 2019-20 Total production of rice Bhardwaj said advance Speaking to PTI on the Kejriwal is a Hindu. Nobody should be happy to be a part of gressive outlook fall into the is higher by 26.20 mil- during 2019-20 is estimated at bookings have been made and issue, Bhardwaj said he has the can deny this fact. I have reli- “Sunder Kaand Paath” irre- fallacious trap of trying to lion tonnes than the record 117.47 million tonnes. sponsors are ready for the freedom to practise his religion. gious freedom. If I am getting spective of their religion. outdo BJP in its game,” he previous five years’ Continued on Page 4 scheduled programmes. “I am a Hindu. Arvind Sunder Kaand recital done, it Meanwhile, Delhi BJP tweeted.   !"#"#  1 " ,,&      " added PGDM course under the total of about 350 of them are AICTE officials said the move ..&.< < =4(  0(74 =%&'(=.(4 .+'9+:;" banner of ‘Management "( +/ ;&92 / , $  9  offering PGDM course with is also aimed at eliminating the 2   %  % ! !    /%  04.4 4( 0 .&( == 0( &((=.?4(O.(A Programme’ in contravention most of them having a com- confusion caused by institutes 4(P7'0 . 0?.??0.A4(4?? A-A4((&' he All India Council for of norms. According to the         /    bined offer for both the cours- running Master’s as well as " " 2    '(AA:'( %0 0.4A%0 (%0(.4/A4(0 TTechnical Education AICTE Regulations, 2020, con- es simultaneously. diploma programmes. & 0(A4 *824?  A*6B*(0.A&..0 % (AICTE) — the technical and ducting PGDM and MBA $        % “Conducting PGDM and According to AICTE chair- management education regu- courses in the same institution  %   MBA courses in the same insti- man Anil Sahasrabuddhe, the  .+'9+:;" 4&(A..0 < =4(  lator — on Tuesday said the is not permissible,” a senior       F/  20 tution is not permissible… cen- institutes offering a good MBA 0(404&0&'A4 . Government or private univer- AICTE official said.     /   tral/state/private universities would at times also introduce a n a fresh bid to push the elec-  0%.('(. 4 .?(4% sities will no longer be able to “Central, State and private             and institutions deemed to be diploma course in management Itoral reforms pending with A4((4.5 0( <= offer both PGDM and MBA universities and institutions ! F     ,$92%   universities which are running and that the diploma course was the Centre, the Election  04(& A4 (.4 courses simultaneously and will deemed to be universities,     % !   !  PGDM programme concur- often inferior in quality. Commission (EC) on Tuesday A4 .0(0A(A4 have to choose either of the two. which are running PGDM and %      rently with MBA under the “In that case students met the Legislative Department A4%%..4 P.' .44(< The AICTE, under the HRD MBA courses under the banner banner of management pro- would sign up under the of Ministry of Law and Justice 4(0.A(4 A7 ( ) Ministry, said Post Graduate of management programme, gramme are requested to con- impression that an institute officials. /.04 = 0?4(= = Diploma in Management are requested to convert all vert PGDM courses as MBA offering a good MBA course In a meeting with O(%4P4 =(=.404%.A (PGDM) courses can be run by courses into MBA completely completely and comply with the would excel at PGDM as well. Legislative Secretary G Narayan %=( 4(<(. standalone institutions, which and comply with the AICTE AICTE norms forthwith,” says A lot of confusion was caused Raju, Chief Election are neither universities nor affil- norms,” he added. MBA courses with respective from misleading claims. the AICTE circular following a by institutes running both pro- Commissioner Sunil Arora and iated to any university, similar to According to the regula- university affiliation or vice- There are a total of 3,000 Council meet last week. grammes simultaneously and Election Commissioners Ashok the Indian Institutes of tions, institutions affiliated to versa and run those under a institutes offering MBA pro- “An institute cannot run thus we are now doing a course Lavasa and Sushil Chandra Management (IIMs). universities have the option of separate standalone institute. grammes through universities, both PGDM & MBA pro- correction which benefits the discussed the pending issues, “Over a period of time, either converting all PGDM The new Government rule is or deemed to universities or grammes simultaneously,” the Business programmes,” including were linking voter ID long and Commission is at pre- deemed to be universities have courses into corresponding aimed at protecting students autonomous institutions and a circular added. As senior Sahasrabuddhe added. with Aadhaar, allowing multi- sent discussing some of these ple registration windows to a proposals. “Commission would new voter and ensuring gender like to have such meetings with  neutral rights for ‘service voter’, Legislative Department at regu-  ' -     paid news and false affidavit as lar intervals to pursue all such electoral offence/corrupt prac- pending proposals” he said. tice; print media and social According to EC, the Legislative (  % 01,$  % %      $9, ! / media intermediaries to be Secretary assured that the min-   /    L   %   M covered under Section 126 of istry is already examining these $  N %  O   %   %/% / the RP Act 1951. As many as proposals. over 40 recommendations for According to EC, another   /%  (   electoral reforms are pending pending issue is to amend  .+'9+:;" with the Centre. Representation of the People  .+'9+:;" Sources said linking voter Act (RPA), 1951.In discussions nother batch of about 100 ID with Aadhaar to weed out held until December 2019, the ccusing the BJP Government in Gujarat Apeople, who were among the duplications and misrepresen- EC had assured that privacy Aof trying to “hide poverty” by con- over 400 quarantined at an Indo tations from the electoral rolls. and data safety-related con- structing a wall in Ahmedabad ahead of US Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Aadhaar linkage and voter cerns will be addressed. It is President Donald Trump’s visit there later facility in Delhi after being evac- authentication are also con- now waiting for the govern- this month, the Congress on Tuesday model are now building walls to hide the uated earlier this month from sidered critical to the com- ment to move the amendment charged the Government with hiding data, poverty there. If a disease is to be treated, coronavirus-hit Wuhan, were dis- mission’s plans to work towards to the Cabinet for approval. including that of “lowest” consumption lev- you have to accept that it is there in the first charged on Tuesday.  '   1'''  electronic, internet-based vot- One of these is a proposed els in 40 years, and asked it to make it pub- place. But BJP does not accept its failures,” This comes a day after a batch     '    *! ing and for giving ‘remote’ vot- amendment to Section 14(b) of lic in order to find solutions to problems he said while taking a dig at the BJP of about 200 people were dis- 1    '0  ' 0 2'0 ing rights to domestic migrant the RPA, 1951, which looks at plaguing the economy. Government over reports of construction charged from the ITBP facility,  *  * workers. registration for first-time vot- Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh of a wall in Ahmedabad to allegedly hide which housed a total of 406 peo- Government has sufficient Earlier, in a letter to the Law ers as they turn 18 years of age. said playing ‘hide and seek’ has become the a slum in Ahmedabad. ple, including seven Maldivians. due procedures and protocols. resources and policy tools to cope Ministry, the Commission had Currently, only those who turn favourite game of the BJP Government as The Congress leader said the country So far, 302 people out of total A total of 650 people were with economic fluctuations fol- recently proposed that provi- 18 by January 1of that year are it is concealing data pertaining to GDP has had the lowest growth in last nine years 406, have left the ITBP centre after brought back from Wuhan in lowing the epidemic. At the same sions of the Representation of registered as voters. numbers, inflation, unemployment and and this will definitely reduce savings as being declared free of novel coro- China on February 1 and 2 in two time, he said that virus is a “bor- the People Act be amended to EC had recommended, way “now lowest ever consumption”. well, because inflation is 7.95 per cent. na virus by the doctors. 747 Boeing Air India aircraft after derless and a common threat to allow EC seek Aadhaar num- back in 2013, that to ensure that “Favourite game of the BJP “BJP’s favourite rating agency Moody’s has The rest of the inmates will be the outbreak of the novel coron- everyone in the world” and joint bers of those applying to be vot- no 18-year-old is denied voting Government is hide and seek. Hide farmer projected India’s growth estimate for 2020 released by Wednesday morning, avirus in China. While 406 of these efforts are required to combat it. ers and those who are already rights, registration should be suicide statistics. Hide unemployment fig- to be 5.4 per cent, against the Government’s ITBP spokesperson Vivek Kumar were sent to the ITBP facility, the The envoy also appreciated part of the electoral rolls, permitted any day of the year. ures. Hide the truth of demonetisation. claim of showing 6 to 6.5 per cent growth Pandey said. All those who were rest were quarantined at an Army India for extending solidarity and sources in the poll panel The law ministry had then sug- Hide real GDP figures. Hide poverty in the year,” he said. discharged have been provided centre in Haryana’s Manesar. expressing readiness to assist explained. Accepting the pro- gested only two dates: January behind the ‘wall’. And now hide the low- Vallabh said poverty increases when with conveyance till airport, rail- Meanwhile, Chinese China to deal with the epidemic, posal to give it legal backing to 1and July 1. The poll panel is est consumption in 40 years,” he said, consumption is low and claimed that way stations, or bus stands. Ambassador Sun Weidong on but stressed that there should not collect Aadhaar data, the Law expected to seek multiple reg- adding the Government has “launched a UNDP data for 2005-2015 shows that dur- Among those who will leave Tuesday asserted that China has be any restrictions on trade and Ministry is learnt to have asked istration dates now. war” against all sections of society, includ- ing this period the highest eradication of the facility on Wednesday include put in place multi-level control and movement of people between the the poll panel to ensure that the Another recommendation ing women, students and farmers. poverty (271 million people) has taken a few families. All released persons prevention mechanisms and will two neighbours. data is protected at multiple lev- involves amendments to Vallabh alleged that 16 out of 23 sec- place in the country and the credit for this were advised to remain self iso- win the battle against coronavirus. He said the number of con- els. The EC recently listed out Section 20(6) of the Act to tors in manufacturing are in poor condi- goes to MNREGA. lated for the next 14 days at their He added that the outbreak firmed coronavirus cases outside steps to protect the data from allow the husband of a female tion, but the Government continues to be AICC chief spokesman Randeep respective places, Pandey said. has not been able to impact the Hubei province, the epicentre of possible leaks. officer to be registered as a ser- in a denial mode. “We ask the Government Surjewala said country live in times where They were also advised the dos strong fundamentals of China’s the epidemic, is coming down. After the meeting, CEC vice voter where she holds that data should not be hidden, but made GDP is measured in tons, Citizen rights in and don’ts during the period. A strong economy. “China has full confidence Sunil Arora Arora mentioned office. The EC has also asked public so it can be discussed as India is volts, Nationalism in decibels, Poverty in team of doctors and other staff are The envoy said China has that it will win the battle against that there are more than 40 dif- the Government to make capable of battling all odds,” he said. height and length of the wall. “This is BJP’s taking care of the smooth depar- allocated RMB 80 billion to con- coronavirus epidemic,” he told ferent proposals of electoral bribery during poll period a “Those talking about the Gujarat ‘New India’!,” Surjewala said on Twitter. ture of the remaining people with tain the disease and the reporters. reforms which are pending since cognisable offence. !. ' 5  /'  '0 .   ' "  #!  .+'9+:;" has been acting as an effective Nagarhole, it is extremely +0    source sink landscape, increas- diverse. Biologically, it is an New Delhi: The BJP has nce the hideout of notori- ing the density of big cats and important repository for the appointed its national general Oous wildlife smuggler their prey in MM Hills, which future, what with the herbivo- + secretary Saroj Pandey and P Veerappan and seen as an itself has a resident tigers, the rous population increasing. Muralidhar Rao as observers important tiger corridor, the NTCA approval plugs the There is scope for the expan- for selecting the leaders of its Male Mahadeshwara (MM) patch and forms a contiguous sion of tiger population, added *  + ,  -  '   legislative party in the Delhi and Hills Wildlife Sanctuary in landscape of 3,000 sq km of forest officials. Besides being Jharkhand Assemblies. The Karnataka’s Chamarajanagara wildlife habitat. home to tigers, leopards, sloth    '     appointments were made with district is all set to become the In addition to connecting bears and elephants, the sanc- the approval of the party pres- official home of the royal big BRT, through the Edyaralli- tuary also has dholes,  .+'9+:;" instructions within two weeks ident JP Nadda, an official cats. The National Tiger Doddasampige elephant corri- antelopes, grizzled giant squir- and apprise the court about the statement said. Conservation Authority dor, MM Hills also spread over rels and honey badgers. oming to the rescue of manner in which the power The AAP bagged 62 of the (NTCA) has given in-principle 906 sq km area connects the MM Hills will be the sixth Nadu on the southern side. As As per the recent tiger Cendangered birds — the lines could be laid down under- 70 Assembly seats in the just nod for upgrading the sanctu- Bannerghatta National Park. tiger reserve in the state and per the All India Tiger census, Karnataka has 524 big great Indian bustard and the ground. concluded polls in Delhi. In ary to the tiger reserve. This is one of the largest the 51st in the country. Estimation, 2018, this area is cats. Declaring the MM Hills lesser florican, which are dying At the outset, the top court Jharkhand’s 81 seats, JMM who The State Government has landscapes in the country for “Based on spread over 907 sqkm and has as tiger reserve will ensure in large numbers due to colli- said the State Government can is leading the coalition-govern- already given approval for its the conservation of tigers, ele- the confluence 15 tigers,” said a senior NTCA young big cats to have their sions with high-voltage power look into modifying the con- ment in the State won 30 seats, upgradation and now it will phants and other large and of the Eastern official. new territory. lines, the Supreme Court on tract of private companies for Congress-led-UPA 25 and BJP have to notify the area to make wide-ranging mammalian and Western He said that in-principle However, the Government Tuesday asked the Rajasthan laying down the cables under- collected 25 in December 2019 the region inviolate for the species. The move ghats, the approval has been given, Now has tough task ahead given that Government to consider laying ground. poll. Raghubar Das, the ousted endangered big cats. will go a long sanctuary is con- the State Government will have there are about 49 forest villages underground cables. “This is a larger bird which BJP CM who was the first non- As the adjoining tiger habi- way in ensur- tiguous with both to notify the area that will make and 94 revenue villages on the The top court said they are fly in a particular direction. To tribal to head the State, also lost tats — Biligiri Rangaswamy ing protec- BRT Tiger Reserve it official home of the big cats. peripheries of the sanctuary large birds and it is difficult for avoid power lines coming in his Assembly seats. Elections are Temple (BRT) in Karnataka tion to the on the western side Although the number of which will have to be relocat- them to maneuver due to the the direction of flight path of due in Bihar and West Bengal in and Sathyamangalam Tiger endangered and Satyamangalam species present may be less ed by the officials to make the high-tension power lines which the bird, it would be appropri- about year’s time. PNS Reserve (STR) in Tamil Nadu species. Reserve in Tamil compared to Bandipur or area inviolate for the big cats. obstruct their flight paths. ate if they are laid down under- The Ministry of ground. Necessary changes can Environment and Forests be made in the contract with  (MoEF) shared the concern of the private companies for lay- the court and said there is no ing down underground cables,” ,   " other option but to lay power the bench said. "      cables underground to protect With regard to LF, the top  5  #  .+'9+:;" 2 !  % FG  the great Indian bustard (GIB) court said it is not disputed that Celsius or less for Hilly regions. may be clouding in Delhi for by the IMD, heat wave occurs 2   ( and lesser florican (LF). the bird is also endangered and According to IMD, maxi- (   /  the next three days. Due to this, mostly over an interior plain 5!  %7G>> 2 9 A Bench of Chief Justice disturbed largely by the power et ready for a severe sum- mum temperature in Mumbai is temperature in Hilly areas and area when dry and warmer air 5    SA Bobde and Justices BR generation plants. Gmer this year, indication of expected around 38 or 39 degree plain are expected to lower for is transported in a region with   - Gavai and Surya Kant asked The top court said if the which is already being seen in Celsius in the next two days. two-three days. This will also clear skies and hence maxi-   (   senior advocate Manish Rajasthan Government faces Mumbai which on Tuesday Besides, Palakkad topped lead to rainfalls in isolated mum isolation during the sum-   %   %   Singhvi, appearing for the any problem, then the court recorded 39 degree Celsius the temperature charts in places in Jammu & Kashmir, mer season.    %     Rajasthan Government, to take can pass necessary directions. temperature, the third highest Kerala with a maximum of 37.1 Uttrakhand, Eastern UP, “Heatwave impacts rural       instructions from the compe- Additional Solicitor in February since 1966. degrees Celsius in February. Eastern Chhattisgarh, Bihar, and urban areas, natural habi- %   %    tent authority for laying of General ANS Nadkarni, In February 1966, Mumbai Kerala, once known for its      Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal tats like forests, water resources,  )7@    cables underground. appearing for MoEF said a recorded 39.6 degree C and in moderate and comfortable cli- %  %     Pradesh and Punjab is expect- poultry and a range of sectors   L   % “It appears that one of the team of the ministry and other 2012 it was 39.1 degree Celsius. mate where people never had % %  / ed to get rainfalls from like agriculture, health, power % -%M %  * dangers is the presence of wildlife experts have visited In 2017 and 2015, the highest to bother about the extreme "29     February 20-22. The wind is etc, Though there is no uni- (   %* power lines, which obstruct the Jaisalmer in Rajasthan and it is temperature was 38.8 degree weather conditions occurring     / also going to change during this versally acceptable or uniform flight path of the of GIB. It is evident from their findings Celsius in the commercial cap- in other parts of the country, is    O period from cool northwester- definition for a heatwave, they   well known that the GIB is a that underground cable is the ital of India. now bearing the brunt of cli- %%  "29/   ly to warm southwesterly.”At are understood to be periods of  "    larger bird and it is difficult for only solution. As the temperature started mate change.    2 !  times one does feel the heat as abnormally high temperatures,  8 ;  it to maneuver easily in its Advocates Sugandha increasing in coastal areas This temperature rise is in % F FG the day temperature during this more than the normal maxi- 2    flight. One of the solutions Yadav, Shatadru Chakraborty across the country, the India line with a trend emerging over  ( period tends to rise by 2-4 mum temperature that occurs   % ,      suggested to avoid and Sonia Dube, appearing Meteorological Department the last few years when the    degrees Celsius due to warm during the pre-monsoon (April   F@   any collision in for Petitioner MK Ranjitsinh (IMD) on Tuesday issued an south-western-most State, and southwesterly winds taking to June) summer season. In 9 %   % its flight path — a retired IAS officer, said advisory on heatwave, sug- the gateway of the monsoon, at many places in coastal areas. over cool Northwesterly winds. India heatwaves typically occur  !   6%   is that the that they have prepared terms gesting dos and don’ts. heats up well before others and According to Dr Kuldeep It usually happens when a between March to June, and in    *;  over-head of reference for the top court Heatwave is considered when even setting up heatwaves. Srivastava, scientist of IMD, a Cyclonic Circulation forms in some rare cases even extend till        wires be laid appointed panel, which could maximum temperature of a sta- February has already seen max- fresh Western Disturbance the hot and dry Rajasthan July. Heatwaves are more fre-  -    down underground”. be looked into for conservation tion is 40 degree Celsius or imum temperatures going well expected in the hills around region,” Srivastava added. quent over the Indo-Gangetic   % ,  %* It asked Singhvi to take for GIB and LF. more for plains and 30 degree past the 30 degrees Celsius mark February 19 due to which there As per the advisory issued plains of India,” the IMD said. chhattisgarh 03 RAIPUR | WEDNESDAY | FEBRUARY 19, 2020

Branch Manager suspended over CRPF jawan killed Minister warns against any substandard PDS rice RAIPUR: Food and Civil in Naxal attack Supplies department has sus- pended a branch manager of STAFF REPORTER n The exchange of Balrampur district for distrib- SUKMA uting substandard rice, unfit fire took place laxity in paddy procurement for human consumption, ne CRPF commando under Public Distribution Owas killed while around 4 pm in System. Official sources another was injured on the forest near informed that after finding Tuesday in an encounter Tomorrow is the last day for procurement of paddy on support price the complaint in this regard with Naxals in insurgency- Palodi village to be true, Branch Manager of hit Sukma district, police said. under Kistaram STAFF REPORTER n RAIPUR of paddy procurement on Chhattisgarh State On Tuesday farmers support price, farmers who Warehousing Corporation, The exchange of fire police station mid mismanagement of villages Hathwa, are yet to sale their produce Wadrafnagar was suspended took place around 4 pm in prevailed due to unavail- the forest near Palodi area when A Dhalo, Nawagarh, are anxious over their turn to with immediate effect. At the ability of gunny bags at some come and are staging protest same time, the District village under Kistaram security forces of the paddy procurement Andirakhor in at certain places in the state. Manager of Nagrik Aapurti police station area when centers in the state, Food The last day of paddy pro- Nigam (NAN), Balrampur security forces were out on were out on a Minister Amarjeet Bhagat on Bemetara and curement is Thursday and was transferred to another a counter-insurgency Tuesday gave strict instruc- Village Bundeli in farmers are still in queue to district while a quality operation, Inspector counter- tions to the Food Secretary sale their products. inspector has been served General of Police (Bastar insurgency that any laxity in procure- Mungeli districts Meanwhile, on Tuesday show-cause notice, they range) Sundarraj P said. ment process would cost dear reportedly staged once again farmers of villages added. The complaint about Two personnel belong- operation to the officials. Hathwa, Dhalo, Nawagarh, supply of insect-infested ing to 208th battalion of He instructed the official protest against the Andirakhor in Bemetara and 16,000 bags of inedible rice CRPF’s elite unit injured and succumbed to to find immediate solution to mismanagement in Village Bundeli in Mungeli was actually found to be true Commando Battalion for injuries later. the problems of farmers and districts reportedly staged and hence the action was Resolute Action (CoBRA) Indrajeet Singh the asked to review the situation the procurement protest against the taken, sources said. It was due sustained injuries in the injured jawan was across the state. centers and resorted mismanagement in the to dampness and moisture in gunfight, he said adding evacuated from the jungles Notable, with only two procurement centers and the storehouse that the rice Kanai Manjhi hailing from and was shifted to a days remain for the last date to ‘chakka jam resorted to ‘chakka jam’. got damaged, sources said. Odisha was seriously hospital, he said. Female wild buffalo dies Food Secy instructs to control inflow at Udanti sanctuary of illegal paddy on closing days Atul Shukla, the buffalo was found dead on Monday late evening. STAFF REPORTER n She was about 17-year old and died of natural cause. The post- RAIPUR mortem of Aasha’s body was per- eeping in view the pos- formed in presence of four veteri- Ksibility of inflow of ille- nary doctors and nothing abnor- gal paddy from the miscre- mal was found, officials claimed. ants, the Food Secretary of Notably, in the month of May the state Dr Kamalpreet last year the last free ranging (born Singh on Tuesday instruct- in jungle) wild buffalo ‘Jugadu’ had died at Udanti. He was injured ed all the district collectors by another wild buffalo. across the state to control Wild buffalo is one of the any mismanagement at the endangered spices that are currently paddy procurement centers found in Chhattisgarh. Udanti sanc- during the last two days. STAFF REPORTER n Aasha the female wild tuary is home to last few remaining Singh later also con- GARIABAND buffalo was kept in the buffalos in Central India. ducted a review meeting of gunny bags where short- Whereas in Kondagaon and managing director of 2019-20 till Wednesday. enclosure constructed by state It may also be mentioned here at Mahanadi Bhawan age was reported. districts gunny bags are Apex Bank to maintain the He also instructed wild buffalo, the Chhattisgarh’s forest department for breeding that Chhattigarh government and collected information The officials informed being arranged from near- normalcy in the procure- nodal officials of districts Astate animal that was kept in purpose, forest officials said. has planned to bring female wild about situation across the that 97,000 new bags were by places, they informed. ment centers in last two to inspect the procurement an enclosure at Udanti wildlife As per information received buffaloes from Assam so that the state. He instructed the sent to Kawardha district, He also wrote a letter to days of procurement. He centers on Thursday and sanctuary was found dead, officials from the office of Principal Chief population of wild buffaloes in concerned officials to 25,000 to Bilaspur and all the divisional commis- instructed to issue tokens do physical verification of informed here on Tuesday. Conservator of Forest (PCCF) Chhattisgarh could be increased. arrange adequate numbers 81,000 in Bemetara. sioners, district collectors for Kharif crop season total procurement done. Paddy procurement process a sham, claims BJP state Chief STAFF REPORTER n Congress leaders should mandate to the Congress to RAIPUR cite a single incident during bring it to power, the BJP the 15 years of the BJP rule leader claimed, adding at hhattisgarh State BJP when farmers came to roads least the Congress should Cpresident Vikram to agitate while trying to sell respect the mandate instead Usendi has termed the their produce, the BJP leader of “insulting” farmers. claims being made by the said. The state government state government and “So, they should refrain has shown total insensitivity Congress leaders on paddy from telling lies before towards farmers and failed procurement at minimum raising any point against BJP on issue of paddy procure- support price as ‘white lies’. on paddy procurement,” he ment, he alleged. Across the state farmers said. With just two days left are getting agitated for BJP leader said party will for procurement, lakhs of failing to sell their paddy and continue to support the fight farmers across the state still against this backdrop against injustice towards have not sold their produce Congress leaders are farmers by backing their agi- as they have been denied mocking them by issuing tations against the govern- token. statements which are against ment. It is most unfortunate ground realities, he said. that it was during the BJP- Farmers’ did not ever that farmers are contemplat- Usendi claimed that led state government, the think that they would get ing to go on hunger-strike or Players of Hockey Haryana in action against SAI, Bhopal at the Mahant Sarveshwar Das Memorial All India Hockey Congress leaders should maximum work for welfare this kind of government commit suicide on the pro- Tournament played at the international hockey stadium, Rajnandgaon on Tuesday. Pioneer Photo understand the basic fact of farmers were undertaken. when they gave massive curement issue, he added. Colleges in C’garh to get C’garh’s favourable environment lauded at UN headquarters STAFF REPORTER n RAIPUR states of India, where iron, e-library facilities: Patel coal and bauxite are found. hief Minister Bhupesh Chhattisgarh has a diamond STAFF REPORTER n CBaghel along with mine as well, however mining RAIPUR Chhattisgarh Vidhan Sabha has not been started. Speaker Dr Charan Das Mahant Baghel said that igher education, sports and other members of his Chhattisgarh is abundant in Hand youth welfare min- entourage on Tuesday visited mineral resources and has a ister Umesh Patel said from United Nations headquarters. number of industries in the next academic session e- Chief Minister attended core sector. Electricity produc- library facilities would be the programme organised by tion has increased from 4 thou- provided to all the colleges in Permanent Mission of India sand MW to 22 thousand MW. the state and for which budg- to the UNHQ, New York. On Chhattisgarh supplies electrici- et provision has been made. the occasion, Indian ty to Goa, Telangana, Delhi, He was addressing the Ambassador and India's per- Gujarat, Maharashtra and other annual function of Durga manent representative in UN implemented in Chhattisgarh interest to invest in various Nearly 40% of the population states of India. Chhattisgarh has College in the capital city. books for studies through enhanced. Raipur Rural Saiyyad Akbaruddin wel- by the state government. sectors in the state. lives below poverty line. He cement plant as well. But so Patel added with e- their mobile phones. This MLA Satyanarayan Sharma comed them and discussed in Chief Minister invited Chief Minister said that further said that former many industries in the core library facilities, the will reduce their time for also addressed the event. detail about the economic- investments in Information when Chhattisgarh was primeminister Jawaharlal sector, there is a major differ- students can access higher withdrawal and submission Different meritorious industrial activities being Technology, Digital formed in 2000 its budget was Nehru had established Bhilai ence in living standards of level, reference and other of books from library. faculties of colleges, conducted in the state. Technology and non-core Rs 6000 crore. Today, the size Steel Plant in year 1955. Later, people living here. Coal block books which will help in Higher education meritorious students, Baghel in his address to sections of Chhattisgarh. of Chhattisgarh's budget is steel plants of private sector situated in Korba district of further studies. Additional minister said based on the cadets of NCC and the programme provided Investors present in the pro- more than Rs 1 lakh crore. But were set up at several places Chhattisgarh has the produc- to the library facilities in feedback and suggestions volunteers of NSS service information about the various gramme appreciated the when per capita income is including Raipur, Raigarh and tion capacity of 10 thousand college, students at their from the students, the were also felicitated for per- public welfare schemes and favourable environment in taken into consideration, a others. Chhattisgarh, Odisha MW. Chhattisgarh also has an residence can also access the e-library facilities would be formance at national level. innovations that are being Chhattisgarh and expressed huge gap can be noticed. and Jharkhand are three such aluminum plant.   !"#"# 

 From Page 1 lion tonnes. Total Pulses pro- 6 It is higher by 9.67 million duction during 2019-20 is esti- tonnes than the five years’ mated at 23.02 million tonnes average production of 107.80 which is higher by 2.76 million million tonnes. Production of tonnes than the five years’ 7 wheat during 2019-20 is esti- average production of 20.26 mated at record 106.21 million million tonnes. Production of New Delhi: India will send a C-17 mili- Last week, India had announced that tonnes. It is higher by 2.61 mil- nutri/coarse cereals estimated tary aircraft to Wuhan on February 20 to it will send medicines as well as other med- lion tonnes as compared to at 45.24 million tonnes, which evacuate more Indians from the coron- ical supplies to China. wheat production during 2018- is higher by 2.18 million tonnes avirus-hit Chinese city and also provide Meanwhile, Chinese Ambassador Sun 19 and is higher by 11.60 mil- than the production of 43.06 medical supplies to China, military sources Weidong has appreciated India for extend- lion tonnes than the average million tonnes achieved during New Delhi: The BJP on Tuesday slammed the "This raises serious questions, if the saffron ter- said on Tuesday. ing solidarity and expressing readiness to wheat production of 94.61 mil- 2018-19. Congress over ex-Mumbai police commissioner ror plot was the combined project of the Congress The C-17 Globemaster, the biggest assist China to deal with the epidemic. He Rakesh Maria's claim that Lashkar-e-Taiba planned and Pakistan's spy agency ISI. Around the same time, military aircraft in the Air Force, will carry also said there is no case of infection as to project the 26/11 terror attack as a case of Hindu the UPA coined the saffron terror tag and Rahul a large consignment of medical supplies of today among the remaining Indians in terror, saying it raised questions whether the "saffron Gandhi told US diplomats that India's homegrown to China and bring back more Indians Hubei province, the epicentre of the epi- terror plot was the combined project of the Congress groups are a greater threat to the country then Islamic from Wuhan, the epicentre of the coron- demic, and authorities are taking "good and Pakistan's ISI". terror groups," he said. avirus epidemic, the sources told PTI. care" of them. China's National Health In his memoir 'Let Me Say It Now' released on Rao alleged that Rahul Gandhi's comments According to the Ministry of External Commission on Tuesday said the death Monday, Maria who helmed the investigation in 26/11 seemed to have joint sponsorship of terror groups Affairs, the government till now has toll due to the outbreak climbed to 1,868 Mumbai terror attack, claimed that the LeT had across the Line of Control and added that Kasab's fake evacuated 640 Indians from China by on Monday while the total number of con- planned to project the attack as a case of "Hindu ter- ID proof and fake claims of the Congress not just have sending to Air India planes. firmed cases jumped to 72,436. PTI ror" and Pakistani terrorist Mohammed Ajmal Kasab a coincidental resonance but also seem was to die as Bengaluru's Samir Chaudhari. to be part of a larger conspiracy. Taking on the Congress over the claim, BJP He demanded answers from the spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao said that for the Congress, saying the party should come first time in the history of Islamic terrorism the per- clean on this and should clarify whether petrators have attempted to mislead people about their ISI was also extended part of the identity. Congress-led UPA. PTI 345     666 From Page 1 Parrikar’s son Utpal termed the renaming of the IDSA ' 0   ' after his late father as a “proud moment.” He said naming of such a prestigious and impor- tant institute (IDSA) of the   0   country after a Goan is a “proud moment for every one of us.” He also said only avid fol- Gandhinagar: There has Hyderabad, Kolkata and lowers of Indian defence will been a decline in Population Mumbai) does indicate a get a hint about the magnitude of 79 per cent of Indian "gradual decline" in their of the Central Government’s species of birds as per the abundance in urban centres, accomplishment in the field of assessment of current trends, itdefence adding, “I am happy but there is also some good added. that my father played a signif- news as the number of Indian Using data uploaded by icant role in this in his short peafowls (national bird pea- birdwatchers on the online stint as the raksha mantri cock) has shown a dramatic platform eBird, "the analysis (Union Defence Minister).” rise, says a indicates that 48 per cent of An autonomous body report. species have remained stable under Ministry of Defence, Besides, the number of or are increasing in the long- IDSA was established as a reg- house sparrows has remained term (over 25 plus years), istered society in New Delhi in "roughly stable" across the while 79 per cent show a 1965, dedicated to objective country. Its population has decline in the last five years," research and policy relevant gone up in rural areas, the report said. studies on all aspects of defence although declining in metro- Of the 146 species for and security. politan cities, according to the which current annual trends Its aim is to promote State of India's Birds Report could be estimated, nearly national and international 2020. 80 per cent are declining, security through the generation The report was released with almost 50 per cent and dissemination of knowl- here on sidelines of the 13th declining strongly, it said. edge on defence and security- Conference of Parties to the The groups that show the related issues. Convention on Conservation greatest decline are raptors, To achieve its goals, the of Migratory Species of Wild migratory shorebirds and institute undertakes scholarly Animals (CMS COP 13) on habitat specialists, among oth- research, policy-oriented Monday. ers. research, dissemination of It said that while assessing The report relies on over research findings, training and the status of 867 Indian birds, 10 million observations con- capacity building and public 79 per cent, for which current tributed by over 15,500 bird- education. trends could be assessed, and watchers. 50 per cent, for which long- The assessment is based term trend could be assessed, on three indices - two of have shown a decline. change in abundance: long- In all, 101 species have term trend (over 25+ years) been classified as of "high and current annual trend conservation (over the past five years), and concern". the third is a measure of dis- As for the Indian peafowl, tribution range the abundance trend is that of size. a general increase, both in "Of the 261 species for long-term and currently, the which long-term trends could reportbe determined, 52 per cent said. have declined since the year "Some parts of the coun- 2000, with 22 per cent declin- try report greater levels of ing strongly. In all, 43 per cent crop damage by peafowl, a of species showed a long- trend that calls for careful term trend that was stable and conflict assessment and man- five per cent showed an agement," it increasing trend," the report mentioned. said. As for the house spar- The current annual trends rows, despite the widespread could be estimated for 146 notion that it is declining in species. Of these, nearly 80 India, the analysis suggests per cent are declining, with that the species has been almost 50 per cent declining "fairly stable overall during strongly, it said. "Just over six the past 25 plus years," per cent are stable and 14 per it said. cent increasing. The range However, data from the size of all but six species were six largest metro cities estimated," it (Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, added. PTI     !"#"#

"    !"! Beijing: The head of a hospi- Tuesday. tal in China’s coronavirus-hit Monday also saw the new 8 ,-..  ) "   "P Wuhan city died of the epi- confirmed infections of demic amid criticism that a COVID-19 outside Hubei / " C C   number of medical staff were reduced to a number lower infected due to official attempts than 100 for the first time, Mi Beijing: Police in China have Party has severely curtailed civil 1 Beijing: Children of China’s places a major emphasis on to conceal the key findings of told the media.. arrested a prominent activist liberties since Xi took power in frontline medical workers bat- exams, and even younger chil- human-to-human transmis- Comparing the statistics who had been a fugitive for 2012, rounding up rights , 4?4 tling the deadly coronavirus dren face extreme competition sion of the virus, as the death in the peak period, Mi said weeks and criticised President Xi lawyers, labour activists and will be awarded extra exam to get into top schools that par- toll from the disease on the first appearance of Jinping’s handling of the coron- even Marxist students. round 500 passengers will points when applying for ents believe will raise their Tuesday soared to 1,868. these noteworthy decreasing avirus epidemic while in hiding, The death this month of a Aleave a cruise ship quar- schools and higher education, chances of getting into a good Hubei province and its numbers demonstrate that a rights group said on Tuesday. whistleblowing doctor who antined off Japan on local officials said on Tuesday. university. capital Wuhan, from where the the epidemic situation is Anti-corruption activist Xu was reprimanded by police for Wednesday after testing neg- Doctors and nurses in The measures will “further virus originated, continued to improving. Zhiyong was arrested on raising the alarm about the ative for the new coronavirus Hubei province — where the care for the province’s frontline bear the brunt as 93 more peo- While officials claimed Saturday after being on the run deadly new virus before dying that has infected hundreds on outbreak originated and which medical staff” and encourage ple died on Monday while that the virus is stabilising, one since December, according to of it himself triggered rare board, a health ministry offi- has reported the majority of them to be more “resolute” in five deaths were reported from of Wuhan’s most senior doctors Amnesty International. calls for political reform and cial said on Tuesday. deaths — have been lionised their fight to contain the virus, Henan, Hebei and Hunan has died after contracting the China’s ruling Communist freedom of speech. AFP “The number (who will online and by state media. the province said in a state- provinces. coronavirus.used. PTI leave Wednesday) is changing, China’s schooling system ment. AFP China’s National Health largely because it is up to pas- Commission on Tuesday said sengers (if they get off),” the the death toll due to the out- official told reporters. “But it break climbed to 1,868 on #Q(R*+# will be around 500 people.” ), "   !  Monday while the total num- Lahore: The UN secretary countries. The World Health ed 1,886 new cases and 98 more Only those who have test- 27999!  #   ber of confirmed cases jumped general said on Tuesday that Organization is looking into deaths. That raised the number ed negative and have not been to 72,436. the virus outbreak that began how to help handle such a of deaths in mainland China to in close contact with a person Tokyo: Thieves in Japan have continue our daily operations A top Chinese health offi- in China poses “a very dan- development, he added. 1,868 and the total number of infected with the virus will be made off with some 6,000 sur- at the hospital, but this is so cial said the daily death toll has gerous situation” for the world, Egypt recently reported confirmed cases to 72,436. allowed off on Wednesday gical masks from a hospital, deplorable,” the official told come down below 100 for the but “is not out of control.” its first case of the virus, rais- Travel to and from the and many disembarking will with the country facing a mass AFP. Police have launched an first time since the virus out- Speaking in an interview ing fears of its spread to the worst-hit central China region be Japanese passengers, the shortage and a huge price hike investigation as they suspect break came to light in January. with The Associated Press, African continent. was associated with the initial official said. online due to the coronavirus. the thieves intend to resell the The daily number of newly Antonio Guterres said that The outbreak has infected cases of COVID-19 confirmed “They will go home on Four boxes containing the masks. Masks have sold out at confirmed cases of the novel “the risks are enormous and we more than 73,000 people glob- abroad. But Japan, Singapore public transport but they will face masks disappeared from a many drug and discount stores coronavirus (COVID-19) need to be prepared worldwide ally. The World Health and South Korea have identi- be taken by bus to places locked storage facility at the across the nation as the num- reported across China Monday for that.” Guterres said his Organization has named the fied new cases without clear such as stations,” he added. Japanese Red Cross hospital in ber of infections have increased dropped to under 2,000 for the greatest worry was a spread of illness COVID-19, referring to ties to China or previously Those who leave the ship the western port city of Kobe, in Japan — one of the most first time, Mi Feng, an official the virus to areas with “less its origin late last year and the known patients, raising con- will not face any restrictions, a hospital official said on affected countries after China with the National Health capacity in their health ser- coronavirus that causes it. cern of the virus spreading the official said. “They won’t Tuesday. “We still have a large where the death toll from the Commission (NHC) said vice,” particularly some African China on Tuesday report- locally. AP be forbidden to go out.” number of masks — enough to virus has hit 1,800. AFP ,2 (, Kabul: Ashraf Ghani has vote-rigging from Ghani’s main secured a second term as pres- rival, Afghanistan’s Chief Tehran: Iran sentenced eight vices. ly “collaborating with the hos- ident of Afghanistan, according Executive Abdullah Abdullah, environmental activists, includ- Tahbaz is an Iranian who tile government of America.” to final results of the September forced a recount. ing an Iranian who reportedly also holds U.S. And British cit- Another three of the activists, 28, 2019 poll released on The delay left Afghanistan Washington: Billionaire Mike joining the other Democratic also has British and American izenship. Iran does not recog- Sam Rajabi, Sepideh Kashan Tuesday by the country’s elec- facing a political crisis just as Bloomberg has qualified for the candidates on stage and mak- citizenship, to prison sentences nize dual or multiple national- Doust and Amirhossein tion commission. the US seeks a deal with the upcoming Democratic presi- ing the case for why he’s the ranging from four to 10 years ities, meaning Iranians it detains Khaleghi Hamidi, were sen- “The election commis- Taliban which would allow it to dential debate, marking the best candidate to defeat Donald on charges of spying for the cannot receive consular assis- tenced to six years in prison sion... Declares Mr Ashraf withdraw troops in return for first time he’ll stand alongside Trump and unite the country,” United States and acting against tance from their other countries. each. The eighth activist, Ghani, who has won 50.64 per various security guarantees the rivals he has so far avoid- Bloomberg campaign manag- Iran’s national security, the In most cases, dual nation- Abdolreza Kouhpayeh, got four cent of the votes, as the presi- and a promise that the militants ed by bypassing the early vot- er Kevin Sheekey said in a state- judiciary said on Tuesday. als have faced secret charges in years. All the activists were dent of Afghanistan,” election would hold peace talks with the ing states and using his per- ment. According to the judiciary closed-door hearings before arrested in early 2018. commission chief Hawa Alam Afghan government. sonal fortune to define himself The Democratic National spokesman, Gholamhossein Iran’s Revolutionary Court, A ninth activist who was Nuristani told a press confer- If all goes well, then Ghani through television ads. Committee recently changed its Esmaili, an appeals court issued which handles cases involving arrested at the time, Kavous ence in Kabul. is likely to be the man sitting A new NPR/PBS rules for how a candidate qual- the final verdicts. alleged attempts to overthrow Seyed Emami, an Iranian- “May God help him in across from the Taliban at the NewsHour/Marist poll pub- ifies for the debate, opening the Two of the activists, Morad the government. Canadian naional, died while in serving the people of negotiating table in a bid to lished on Tuesday shows door for Bloomberg to be on Tahbaz and Niloufar Bayani, Esmaili, the judiciary custody under disputed cir- Afghanistan... I also pray that chart Afghanistan’s future. Bloomberg with 19 per cent stage and drawing the ire of got 10 years each and were spokesman, said two other cumstances in February 2018. peace comes to our country,” Earlier this week, support nationally in the some candidates who dropped ordered to return the money activists, Houman Jokar and His widow then was blocked she added. The results had Abdullah’s team said they Democratic nominating con- out of the race for failing to they allegedly received from the Taher Ghadirian, each got from flying out of Iran, but later been delayed for nearly five would not accept fraudulent test. make prior stages. U.S. Government for their ser- eight-year sentences for alleged- made it out. AP months after allegations of results. AFP The former New York City The candidates were pre- mayor, who launched his pres- viously required to receive a idential campaign in November, certain number of campaign will appear in Wednesday’s contributions to qualify, but # debate in Las Vegas alongside Bloomberg, who is worth an former Vice President Joe estimated USD 60 billion, is not 4 Biden, Sens. Bernie Sanders, taking donations. Elizabeth Warren and Amy The prime-time event will 5 < Klobuchar and former South be a stark departure from Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Bloomberg’s highly choreo- Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Karachi: A mysterious toxic Ziauddin Hospital Buttigieg. Fellow billionaire graphed campaign. He’s Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s 9; gas has killed at least 14 peo- spokesperson Amir Shehzad and philanthropist Tom Steyer poured more than USD 300 corruption trial will begin on ple and sickened several oth- told the newspaper that nine is still hoping to qualify. million into television adver- March 17, an Israeli court said Caracas: President Nicolas ers in Pakistan’s southern port deaths took place at the hos- Bloomberg’s campaign said tising, a way to define himself Tuesday, just two weeks after Maduro on Monday said he is city of Karachi, police said on pital’s Keamari Campus over that it was seeing “a for voters without facing crit- national elections are held. “not afraid of military combat,” Tuesday. the course of the past two days. groundswell of support across icism. While he’s campaigned Netanyahu is charged with accusing his US counterpart Authorities were alerted to According to the police, the country” and that qualify- in more than two dozen states, bribery, fraud and breach of Donald Trump of plotting to the incident when the resi- two other deaths were report- ing for Wednesday’s debate “is he does not take questions trust under a number of cases invade Venezuela with the sup- dents of Karachi’s Keamari ed at the Kutiyana Hospital. the latest sign that Mike’s plan from voters and delivers a in which he is alleged to have port of regional allies. area began rushing to nearby Dozens of others have and ability to defeat Donald standard stump speech that accepted lavish gifts from bil- “We don’t want war; we hospitals with severe breathing been hospitalised in various Trump is resonating with more lasts less than 15 minutes, lionaire friends and exchanged don’t want violence; we don’t problems on Sunday night. medical facilities across the Americans.” often reading from a regulatory favors for more pos- want terrorism, but we are not The source of a toxic gas city. “We are still clueless “Mike is looking forward to teleprompter. AP itive media coverage. afraid of military combat and we leak remained unclear on about the possible cause of In a brief statement, the are going to guarantee peace,” Tuesday. Officials said 14 peo- the incident,” Karachi police court said Netanyahu is expect- said Maduro in a televised ple have been killed so far, chief Ghulam Nabi Memon ed to attend the initial hearing. speech, surrounded by the The US is one of more than Dawn newspaper reported. said. PTI Israel will hold parliamen- armed forces high command. 50 countries that have recog- tary elections on March 2, its “Donald Trump was con- nized opposition leader Juan third vote in less than a year. vinced that it is easy to get into Guaido as Venezuela’s interim 6** The first two elections were Venezuela,” said the socialist president after Maduro’s 2018 re- 2 largely a referendum on leader, accusing the US of hav- election was widely denounced "7- Netanyahu, and the third is ing assembled a “mercenary as rigged. ((4* expected to be no different. AP force” to invade. Maduro, however, still * enjoys the support of Turkey, Russia, China and Cuba. R +84 He also said there were groups of military “deserters” Ankara: Turkish prosecutors training in neighboring , have issued detention warrants Colombia to “enter silently and against 695 people suspected of attack military units.” Military Tehran: A member of Iran’s links to the US-based Muslim exercises were carried out over Revolutionary Guards was cleric blamed by Turkey for a the weekend, Maduro added, in killed in bombardment in failed coup attempt in 2016, response to alleged attack plans Syria’s Aleppo on Tuesday, Fars state media reported on orchestrated by the US, news agency reported. Tuesday. Colombia and Brazil. “Hamidreza Babelkhani... Anadolu Agency said pros- According to official fig- Was martyred this morning in ecutors were seeking the arrests ures, some 2.4 million soldiers a rocket strike,” said the Iranian of 467 people suspected of and members of the civilian news agency, which is close to cheating in a police promotion militia were deployed through- ultra-conservatives in the examination in 2009. out the country. The practices Islamic republic. Warrants were also issued were carried out “based on real Babelkhani was also against 157 military officers — threats, not imagined ones,” known by his nom de guerre 101 of them still on active duty said defense minister General Haj Ebrahim, Fars added, with- — and 71 Justice Ministry per- Vladimir Padrino, who was out giving his rank. sonnel. On July 15, 2016, a seated next to Maduro during The brief report also group of officers attempted a the president’s speech. Trump showed a picture of Babelkhani coup to overthrow Turkish vowed to “smash” Maduro’s in a forest area wearing tan President Recep Tayyip rule in his annual State of the fatigues with the Guards’ Erdogan. Some 250 people Union address to Congress, insignia and a dark green were killed and more than which was also attended by beanie. 2,000 were injured during the Guaido, earlier this month. Iran, alongside Russia, has failed attempt. Trump branded Maduro as strongly backed the govern- Some 77,000 people have a “tyrant” during his speech and ment of President Bashar al- been arrested and around called Guaido the “legitimate Assad in Syria’s civil war. 130,000 others, including mil- president of Venezuela.” After More than 380,000 people itary personnel, have been dis- returning from a three-week have been killed in Syria since missed from state jobs in a international tour, Guaido said the conflict broke out nearly crackdown on Gulen’s network a change of Government in his nine years ago. since the coup. Gulen, who has country was “inevitable.” On Iran says its forces are in lived in self-imposed exile in the Sunday, he said the military had Syria at the invitation of Assad’s United States since 1999, denies the opportunity to make the government and only in an involvement in the coup change less “traumatic.” AFP advisory role. AFP attempt. AP   !"#"#  !     %! *% I    K 9 ,     *% I   I ,96:,1# 5 >?@ =    "    "  .       $       5 %(   !  % %      %     %  /% 0             %*   %   !%   ( '          (      S  %  '     1     0        %           %"  /       "     "  "#        %  % "    "         "      ne of the keys to improving   2     %%     " Centre-State relations and   %   (% %    ensuring development is even- handed and judicious distrib-   " %   3  ution of tax revenue and other ,  "%+  %       Oforms of earning between the federal and     ( 3 State Governments. The Finance Commission of India is a unique consti-           tutional body that is periodically set up      %%   under Article 280 of the Constitution to    " " 4 % ( define financial relations between the Central and State Governments. It lays       %+  1 % down a set of principles that determines the       %"      method and formula for the distribution  5*"         .     5 of tax proceeds between both Governments.   % %6,+  .     A majority of the taxes such as  "%     ""  % ,    Customs duty, income tax, service tax and %%  (%       S Central excise are collected by the Centre. States were given the mandate to provide    "  % -   ,   "  economic and social services to the peo- %  (  %    ple. They are empowered to levy income , "   /%  S" tax on agricultural earnings, professional tax, value added tax (VAT), State excise "      "S   "  duty, land revenue and stamp duty. Hence, 3 0     %6,  the Finance Commission was created to      %    ( %" address issues of vertical and horizontal " %      % imbalances of federal finances in India. The 15th Finance Commission, which       .   O " 7 was established to decide on the devolu- O %  %, "       tion of taxes and other receipts to the a dip in population compared to the economic well-being of forests due to poor regenera- evaluation of the works under-     '  6,    "      Centre and States for the next five years to the 1971 census. The 15th the people and the country and tion and protection, the taken through the Finance beginning April 2020, submitted its recom- Finance Commission was crit- help consolidate forest report, if examined critically, Commission Awards, States             mendations before the Central ical of the Union and State resources as well. indicates the urgent need to should opt for certification of  " 2% "   " S  %    Government last December. The Governments’ tendency to The importance of the spend money on natural forests. This can help promote  "%6,%      Commission used the population data of finance spending through off- maintenance of forest-like forests. Yet another important sustainable forest management 2011 while making its recommendations budget borrowings, too. On buildings and roads was first issue that needs to be dealt and at the same time provide     .      and for the first time, in addition to income this front, it called upon both to recognised by the 13th Finance with is to address the concern space for international markets  " %  70"    8 %  distance, population and area and forest phase out off-budget liabilities. Commission, which earmarked of States, which have less for- for procurement of forest     %    "    cover, it used two additional factors — Irrespective of the sur- 1,000 crore and called upon est cover. We need to step up products. demographic performance and tax effort rounding controversies, the the States to manage ecology, efforts to cover more areas Further, the Commission  %    " "//  7   — to determine the tax pool of States. Commission made it clear environment and climate through agroforestry, farm should put a complete ban on  P Q+    P"Q  36," The Commisson’s usage of the 2011 that it wants to play a key role change, consistent with sustain- forestry, block plantations, the freebie culture of politicians,         '    S population figures gave rise to considerable in fostering sustainable devel- able development. This fund urban and peri-urban forestry who are more interested in controversies. While the 14th Finance opment. It must be noted that was kept at the disposal of the among other efforts. votebank politics. If need be, it %  ' ".   %     Commission had taken the 1971 census as the 14th Commission had Government of India and was Efficient fiscal manage- must ask the Government to  %% %          the base with a weightage of 17.5 per cent accepted it as a criterion to released to States on a project ment goals of the Commission amend the Constitution. The   "     %  and assigned a weightage of 10 per cent to determine the share of taxes to basis. This helped a great deal cannot be achieved unless we Prime Minister must think the 2011 population figures, the present one various States. This is why in maintaining forests across have an effective monitoring about curbing the freebie cul-      '00 '  +  S has kept the weightage of 2011 population “forest cover” was assigned the country. system in place. The 15th ture sooner than later. At the (" %   " at 15 per cent and has given additional 12.5 7.5 per cent weightage. The However, the actual Finance Commission should same time, the Election ,      '00P   $Q per cent to demographic performance. The 15th Finance Commission spending on forests by States, follow the pattern of the 13th Commission must ensure polit- use of 2011 data has benefitted some States sought to raise the area cover after the 14th Finance Finance Commission, which ical consensus on this. A group  %  4 !  '/;4!'<  3  like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar while others to 10 per cent in order to Commission grants, has not recommend inter alia that a of retired forest officers had 0(   % 4!'   ,   have been disadvantaged. reward States that have “pro- been very encouraging when portion of the divisible pool of sought time from the Chairman   % " %         Most States in southern India, except vided ecological services” to compared to the intention of tax within the forest criterion of the Finance Commission to  6,7   $S   4  Tamil Nadu, feel that they are suffering the country. the criterion to strengthen should be retained with the submit a memorandum on because of their policy of population con- However, it is distressing forest cover base. The State of Government of India to be these issues so that the ,  ! ;4,!< "   "  trol. They believe they will get a smaller that none of the States has been Forest Report 2019 released by sanctioned by the Ministry of Commission’s own recommen-       %1    share of the pie if the population dispen- liberal in granting funds to the the Forest Survey of India Finance and Environment, dations lead to desired effects +       % S"  % sation is applied. However, according to the forest department commen- recorded a marginal increase Forest and Climate Change, for on the country’s economy and Economic Survey, 2016, inter-State labour surate to the contribution the of 5,188 sq km in total forest the maintenance of forests. on conservation of forests,   $(  "  mobility averaged 5-6.5 million people forests have made in getting and tree cover in the country. It would be appropriate to water and bio-diversity. A for-      " =         0 between 2001 and 2011, yielding an inter- funds. The enhancement of However, it gave a dismal ensure third-party monitoring est governance policy must pay %  1   +        State migrant population of about 60 mil- funds to States — from 7.5 per picture in tribal areas (where of the use of the grant to attention to the multiple ways lion and an inter-district migration as high cent to 10 per cent — if imple- the forest cover has gone States so that misuse or arbi- in which our green cover is  "       $  "    / as 80 million. Apart from the southern mented, can go a long way in down by 741 sq km). With trary or unauthorised use of valuable.    - " "     %%$% States, Assam, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, protecting the country’s ecolog- regard to the disappearance of the funds can be checked. (The writer is a retired Odisha, Punjab and West Bengal, too, saw ical frontiers. This can also lead higher girth class trees in Further, for monitoring and civil servant) 6     $ " > .      "    %     8  %  ".&(  / %         /"C          -  / %  ; $ /1, :  ***    *"       %  2 !   *          / %   *+     /  !  .,& %/ " C      !    *"    % %%  %%!     ! %      $ L       *  !   !  *   7 *          !  "  4A.(=. A4(  0  4 (.(" K<%    K8   %         # K,   K !  $ "   ""       %  " %"   $  " "              $  S      "     permanent commission besides  $            making them eligible for com-       ' mand posting at par with male %  %      Sir — The forthcoming visit of %  %           officers, is historic. Donald Trump to India is unique   % %    <  !!  ,  It’s shocking that despite the % S        $% not only because this will be his "           "  0   Army facing shortage of officers       %     first since he became the US   !    8, 9    O in support services, it let go of  "         " (    President but also because it comes         *  trained women officers. Time soon after his acquittal in the   01,$    (   and again women have proved      %      %"  impeachment trial by the US $6    %%   *  % their mettle in all spheres. They " "      %  "   Senate. Besides, he is also one of the %    %   L    M  are not in any way inferior to male          # %   %     frontrunners for the US elections L%  M     %   counterparts. It’s about time that later this year and enjoys record- %  * $   %   ! %  we realise and acknowledge their % "    O    O    high popularity back home. 6            contribution wholeheartedly and %  *  "        Relations between the US L    *M"   !%  give them their due respect.      $  and India have seen an upswing  %    O%    Bal Govind in recent years. The US consid-  /%  %     ! Noida +                 ers India a key player in the Indo- %  L *M0    !              %  O  % '   "     Pacific region. Bilateral trade,    %   6 - ! " /        !         $          "  % both goods and services, touched  %   *         L. /,   M  ! *4 $142 billion in 2018. But there’s   /     L    & !    O /L$    $ "         " a lot that is left to be desired and !M     *       !  Sir — It is shameful that more than          *   worked on. " !    !      !   *M      60 girl students were forced to strip                   Importantly, Trump consid-    L! %    M        ! * in an administrative check about ers India to be among those   %     *  04 whether they were menstruating   %      %    %     nations taking trade advantage of     %           or not at a college in Gujarat’s Bhuj.   %       $  the US. Since long, America has The Government needs to keep a  " "             ,    been averse to India’s intellectu- check on the norms laid down   "     " %   %   al policy legal framework and mon agenda too: To challenge a way forward strategically. A “mini       and take action against them. some investment restrictions. rising and aggressive China and trade” deal may not help iron out There should be uniformity in pol-    ""     - "    India, on the other hand, believes create a new rules-based order in differences but is of utmost icy and rules. "         " $S  that under Trump’s presidency, East Asia. Challenges faced by importance for India, given its Sir — This refers to the editorial, Shashi "    % %   %  the US has taken a more rigid both are entirely different in economy is in the midst of a “Lead from the front” (February Via email stance; new tariffs have been nature and it’s difficult to find slowdown at the moment. 18). The Supreme Court’s ruling, %       *        introduced for new products. common ground. Yet, both Ganapathi Bhat asking the Government to ensure    7 %   % %  But both nations have a com- nations must unite and plan the Akola that all women officers are given (.4'4 (E=%5A4%   !"#"# & & '    (         "   !  !"     "  7 P !       "  "  !   !     "    " !, "5 7  " "!   5 " !     L #    L"         !)F/   %        %         % $ $ $ * >   %  %>> >     *   0P0   $Q P8    7  Q  P'  (  Q              % 0  4%8   ,              ?                +   @ %  "  "    0$     $ !   #$  "%  %    %       "" ""   (         n 2019, the Global Preparedness Monitoring     4 $ Board said that the world was not prepared for ! ? %  %            Ithe next big pandemic, which could potentially                spread between continents in 36 hours and kill up " 4 ?  A        to 80 million people. It pointed out that the climate      "    *  crisis, global migration and humanitarian conflicts     %"      were all breeding grounds for newer outbreaks. The      $ >@     @ Coronavirus took us by surprise, simultaneously   %      " B C pointing out that systems of the past decade might not be effective in tackling challenges that are tak-       1 ing novel shapes and forms. With one of the largest ". ;+5"$;            populations and widening socio-economic divides, $".           India is vulnerable to contagions. Experts claim that 48 0&+K % %        % this susceptibility hasn’t changed much in the last 4.+ ;  ;+   "     ?   100 years, when India was one of the countries worst $:40: %       "  C hit by the Spanish Influenza in 1918. We have been (4228." ?"          struggling to contain influenza and encephalitis out- .4 '"..".$K    +7,  -        8   '   breaks for the last four decades. There is a pressing need to overhaul how we respond to outbreaks, both (;..+:"".$  %? 7  $     ;+,4'+&45    0      globally and in India, keeping technology at the cen- tre. Coronavirus’ example itself shows that it was two 9  ;&48$;  "    1  Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled enterprises, "(.0+    %    %   BlueDot and Metabiota, that provided the key and ;+,+&5+(      life-saving insights into the containment of this viral '+,4.* -  DE  eruption. By using Natural Language Processing (4&4.<"&8 3 %    %   " >C4 3 (NLP), BlueDot sifts through and analyses over .9 ;+ deaths caused by the pathogen, aiding at present these discussions are nascent. emergence altogether. ,  S;43,S<   "  > @ 10,000 articles in 65 languages, including foreign '"5 .+ quicker emergency response. Risk mod- Focussing on holistic pandemic Building blocks for AI in pandem-  +7," >>>@   -  (  news reports, plants and animal disease networks ; "+.0:+9 elling uses statistical tools to characterise management: While most technology ic response: Building a comprehensive       D     and official proclamations, to issue warnings. It was and identify factors in populations or indi- applications in pandemic response are lim- and accurate surveillance system requires able to catch and warn about the impending out- 4:8 "4. viduals that enhance their vulnerabilities ited to surveillance, there is a dire need to massive amounts of quality data from dif-  +     ;4'+9 0   %    break days before the official announcement was to contracting a particular disease. identify intervention areas in overall pan- ferent sources. Meteorological data, for made. Similarly, Metabiota applied AI to the used ;+&+'+&+ Overlaying this data with open source demic management. AI can not only help instance, needs to be overlaid with vector- > B ," ,  ,  ;,,,<  "  travel itineraries and flight patterns to determine the .+(+&? internet data and climate data accounting us predict where the disease might be trav- movements and population mobility data      ,  60   likely spread of the disease. It was accurate insofar ,&44545 ;+ for presence, distribution and movement elling to, but it can also offer insights into to accurately identify hotspots for out- 2 .  "     as it predicted that South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and (4.(+,  4 of pathogens can help identify correlations how people take up health services dur- breaks. This requires Government depart- "     (" >F   Thailand had the highest risk of the viral outbreak. ".(+. "<"+ that were invisible to us before. For ing emergencies. Accounting for health- ments coming together in mission-mode     F  >  AI for comprehensive disease surveillance: As $&+ +& example, in China, the cases of hand, foot seeking behaviours in designing response and pooling their data into one consoli- 0 "    3*'  epidemics spread in phases from introduction to &+48&(+ and mouth disease in children were best strategies can substantially boost effective- dated programme. It also requires AI- ;3*'<       0       " amplification and finally contained transmission, the .9 predicted by AI models that utilised data ness and success of responses. enabled technologies to be integrated into    '      response and sequence of interventions flow accord- on weekly temperature and precipitation Learning from behavioural data, ML existing workflows for pandemic manage- ingly. Even before diseases erupt, a public health sys- (4::04& "4. as well as data on disease-related queries models can identify less obvious patterns ment and creation of new protocols with         " "."" +9             tem attempts to anticipate new and re-emerging dis- from the Chinese Baidu search engine. in human behaviour and disease transmis- adequate capacity-building, so its benefits ease through early detection. Thereafter, the response 48 0&+ Compared to these, India’s Integrated sion, which could enable a targetted can flow to all levels. ?        .  strategy changes to containment, control and mit- 2.$+2+. * Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) response. This is called infodemiology, As pandemics are not constrained by   "  "        S igation, followed by re-focus on eradication. Creating .4'" "8,4. uses manual surveillance, where data on where you can integrate internet data into national boundaries, a global surveillance . "    !      a technology-based intervention into pandemic man- $4<+&.2+.  some 24 epidemic-prone diseases is col- public health informatics to examine system is imperative, something where       agement also needs to consider the response strate- .9 lected on a weekly basis at the primary individual health-seeking patterns during multilaterals like the WHO and interna-     ,,,   gies commensurate with the stage of epidemical evo- 28: ": +&: health centre level and reported upwards. emergencies. Google Trends Data as well tional foundations can play a catalytic role. ?      %       lution. 4:+9 ;+'? Whenever there is a rising trend of illness- as more-specific Google Dengue Trends Nations need to be propelled to make dis- # ;#<0  $ ;0$<%0   However, technologies have a critical and more ".240":"".$ es in any area, it is investigated by the have also been used by researchers to ease information public and if possible 0$   "       successful role to play in some phases of the response Rapid Response Teams (RRT) to diagnose develop a holistic understanding of behav- move towards interoperable surveillance cycle as opposed to others. One such is prediction "$".  ;+ and control the outbreak. This system is ioural aspects of citizen response to pan- networks that can communicate with their        %" .+N <"&8           and early warnings, for which integrated disease sur- slow and doesn’t use any risk modelling demics. Such insights can be used to deter- global counterparts. veillance programmes exist both in the public and for predictions. A study by the Indian mine where health services are imperative Can AI fight the next Coronavirus is      $S   private sectors. These surveillance strategies include Institute of Public Health, Hyderabad in to be delivered in times of shortages that a question up for debate. But it can bol-       %    Event-Based Surveillance (EBS) and Risk Modelling. 2016 pointed out that this procedure suf- mandate trade-offs. In a more mature sys- ster our capacity to respond substantial-        -   EBS systems use unstructured data from multiple fered a time lag from anything between tem, one would also be able to determine ly, especially in disease pre-emption,          sources like internet, official reports, social media three to 64 days. if an individual or a group of people is like- design of accurate interventions and in   " >@      and so on, to detect and trace the evidence of an The Media Scanning and Verification ly to change its location, go out and seek some cases with more research investment,    "     emerging threat and overlay it with traditional sur- Cell of the IDSP was established in 2008 formal assistance, or if they will adhere to even prevention of outbreaks.    %  veillance systems to issue public health warnings and for early warning signals through media treatment routines — all insights that can Therefore, in a fight against outbreaks -  >>>   %     formulate mitigation strategies. The Global Public reports. However, this activity is limited help authorities make better decisions. — one that the global community is not      3 %      Health Intelligence Network (GPHIN), and to manually scanning newspapers/elec- AI-assisted genomics research is winning — channelising the power of data  " $        HealthMap, an automated electronic information tronic media. Some technologically-adept slowly emerging to be a game changer in through AI can be the perfect weapon. system, are EBS tools that use NLP, text processing States use Google alerts to automate the the rapid development of treatments and Coronavirus and the swiftness that AI-  "     % 0$%"    algorithms and Machine Learning (ML). These can process. Needless to say, State media ver- vaccines for contemporary infections. enabled solutions showed here were nec- %   % " >B    increase the speed of identifying signs, filtering infor- ification cells are unable to exhaustively Baidu has developed an algorithm that can essary proof of the concept to incentivise    "  "    mation, enhance capacity for consuming informa- scan all media sources with the swiftness significantly speed up RNA structure pre- greater resources and collaborations in AI-   -  A         tion and increase accuracy manifold. that’s needed to respond to outbreaks. The diction and subsequently unlock the key assisted outbreak management. Now it is          The Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases Health Ministry is piloting an Integrated to the virus. Developing models that can upon governments and multilaterals to    %1   ( (ProMED), Medical Information System (MedISys) Health Information Platform (IHIP) that match patterns embedded in the viral lead the way in mobilising AI against the      "%' ( and Pattern-based Understanding and Learning can enable near real-time data reporting genomes to their animal host and vectors next virus. ;           System (PULS) are similar EBS tools. These systems and hopes to apply modelling and GIS that carry the virus can be a breakthrough (Verma is a lawyer and public policy      are proving absolutely essential in disseminating tools to enhance the IDSP. There exists in narrowing the search for diseases. This consultant and Sharma is a software engi-   < information at breakneck speed, characterising trans- immense scope for integrating emerging can lead to early interventions in control- neer. Both work with the International missibility patterns, contagiousness, illnesses and technologies within the IHIP platform. But ling disease upsurge or preventing their Innovation Corps, University of Chicago.) (#*         @      @            Congress has been written off many tured power in 2004. After 10 years of er but it has only declined further as is no base for the Congress despite the and fight to get back its political space. times by its opponents. However, the UPA’s rule, the party faced its worst- it had failed to gauge the mood of the slide, as it is the only party, apart from They must find the right formula to do every time it rose like a phoenix from ever humiliation when it got just 44 public and turn it into electoral suc- the BJP, with a national presence. Even this, fast. the ashes and came back to power. seats in 2014 and 52 seats in the 2019 cess. Last year’s electoral victories in in its worst defeat the Congress man- It is too soon to write an obituary ".<+ ".,44& The slide began in 1967 when the Lok Sabha polls. Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and aged to get 19.6 per cent of the of the Congress. The grand old party party lost many States. After the 1969 Now, once again, the Congress is Chhattisgarh apart, the Congress has national vote; about 117 million peo- is like an ancient banyan tree. Its roots . "4. split, Indira Gandhi emerged success- being written off. No doubt the party witnessed gradual decay in its State ple voted for it in 2019. It must build are deep and in many States. All that ful in the 1971 mid-term poll. is going through one of its worst exis- units in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, on this base. the Congress needs is a charismatic "  %%  However, after the defeat of Indira in tential and leadership crises right Uttar Pradesh (UP), Bihar, Odisha, The decline of the Congress is of leader and a vote catcher who could   % "  ) 1977, the party was written off. But it now. Thankfully, the Congress has Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Delhi. its own making. Its dependence on one reinvent and revive the party. Did not   %  % rallied again in 1980 and continued to always performed well in States where Today, the Congress is ruthlessly crit- family, its high command and coterie the then UK Prime Minister Tony Blair      any people are writing off the rule till 1989. After VP Singh chal- regional strongmen were given the job icised and mocked because of its culture, loss of connect with grassroot reinvent the Labour party and called 135-year-old Congress Party lenged Rajiv Gandhi in 1989, there of handling the elections. The determination to cling to the Nehru- workers, lack of an organisational it the New Labour?    % / Mafter its dismal performance were apprehensions about the Maharashtra and Haryana polls proved Gandhi family. structure, poor communication skills, It is time the Congress wakes up, %     in the just-concluded Delhi Assembly Congress’ survival but in 1991 the this fact in recent times. That said, is The BJP has vowed to create a disconnect with the aspirations of vot- defines its ideology, strengthens State  -   %* elections. This is because the grand old party came back to power at the head that enough for the party to remain rel- “Congress-mukt Bharat” but an ers and living in its past glory, have all units, faces the challenge of regional- ;  / !    party has suffered one setback after the of a coalition, though it could not evant? From ruling the Centre and a Opposition is not bad, even for the rul- led to its downfall. Moreover, the BJP ism and reclaims its lost space. It was  %%   other since 2014, though there were retain power for long. majority of States in the ‘60s and ‘70s, ing party in a democracy, as the late has emerged as an alternative to the an umbrella party at one time giving some good patches in between. Now, In 1998, Sonia Gandhi took over the Congress has now been pushed Atal Bihari Vajpayee used to say. One Congress at the national level, while in space to all shades of opinions and ide- !     critical questions are being raised the Congress amid panic in the party into a corner with its governments in party rule is not what our founding some States the regional satraps have ologies — the Right, Left and the  ! %  over its survival that need to be that it would perish. When no one a measly five States. When the fathers visualised. Some analysts argue usurped the Congress’ space. Since the Centre — and despite many splits it has 6  ! answered by Congressmen. This is not expected the Sonia-led Congress to Narendra Modi Government stormed that the collapse of the Congress as a party refuses to move out from under survived so far. So there is no reason '* the first time that the party is facing succeed, she formed the United to power in 2014, many thought that national alternative to the BJP creates the shadow of the Gandhis, it is for the why it cannot do so in the future. such a crisis. In its long history, the Progressive Alliance (UPA) and cap- the Congress would eventually recov- a political vacuum. It is not as if there family to fill the leadership vacuum (The writer is a senior journalist) O    P   !"#"# + (*+;(<  :8(.4' or on PPP mode," he said, stressing hief Minister Yogi that from 1947 to 2016, only 12 ' !.  !  )* CAdityanath here on medical colleges were in set up Tuesday termed the Uttar in the state. Pradesh Budget for 2020-21 The chief minister also % $9,)))7 “historic” and said it will play exuded confidence that    a big role in making the State investors from all over the  :8(.4' lakh crores,’’ Finance Minister a trillion dollar economy. world wanted to invest in Uttar Suresh Kumar Khanna said The Chief Minister said Pradesh. he debt burden on the while tabling the budget for though it focused on the over- The state had received  TState Government is 2020-21 in the Assembly on all development of the State, investment proposals worth mounting and the total debt Tuesday. special attention has been paid Rs 50,000 crore in the Defence  :8(.4' gramme in the party office," on it from different sources is The total debt to the growth of the youth and Expo-2020, he said. Akhilesh said. "Why my NSG likely to be over 5.16 lakh burden does not include boost employment. which was its fourth under the get, he said, adding that the About road projects, amajwadi Party supremo was removed? They (BJP) crore by the end of next fis- borrowings from banks and “The Budget will play a leadership of Adityanath. government has proposed Adityanath said the Purvanchal SAkhilesh Yadav on Tuesday have taken back my house and cal 2020-21. financial institutions by major role in achieving the goal "Our first budget was national law and ayush uni- Expressway would be opened said he does not need any vehicle. They are free to take The budget size of 2020- PSUs like UP Power of one trillion dollar economy based on farmers, the second versities. to the public by the year-end. security cover and dared the back my security also. I love to 21 at 5.12 lakh crore is a lit- Corporation, UP Housing for the State and meet the tar- was on industrial development An apprenticeship scheme In addition, the founda- BJP to take it back. cycle alone. Now the time is tle less than the debt burden. and Development Board and get of making India a dollar five and the third for women for every educated unemployed tion stone of the Bundelkhand He said this when asked coming whey cycle is going to The total debt of the state, Urban Development trillion economy,” the CM said, empowerment. Today's fourth youth who wants to become Expressway will be laid this about the security risk to him run fast," he said. however, came down from authorities. The State adding that it was a “historic” budget is for the development self-reliant has also been start- month, he said, adding that as the leader had claimed 'Cycle' is the party sym- 29.6 per cent of State Government is the guaran- Budget. of youth," the Chief Minister ed, the CM said, adding that funds had been allocated for that he had received a threat bol of the Samajwadi Party. Gross Domestic Product tor against “The Budget is focused on said. every youth will be connected the Ganga Expressway and call from a ruling party leader. Leader of the Opposition (SGDP) in 2017-18 and is the borrowings by the PSUs. the development of the youth. The CM also claimed that to an enterprise and till the efforts would be made to lay its He made the allegations Ram Govind Chaudhary of estimated to be 28.8 per cent Chief Minister Yogi Though a number of pro- provisions have been made to completion of the apprentice- foundation by year-end. recently after a youth disrupt- Samajwadi Party had raised in 2020-21. Adityanath, in his post-bud- grammes are already in place improve education in Uttar ship, the government will pro- Speaking on the farming ed a meeting addressed by him, the issue of security threat to With a debt burden of get press, said that the for them, the Government has Pradesh. vide a cash support of Rs 2,500 sector, Adityanath said insur- shouting a religious slogan. Akhilesh in State Assembly on over 5.16 lakh crore, every Government has strictly started a scheme for every This budget focused on per month. ance has been provided for "I don't need security. I Monday. Yadav had recently resident of UP has a debt of adhered to financial disci- educated unemployed individ- higher education as the State By next year, the govern- sharecroppers and an arrange- want to live free. This is not a claimed that he had received 22,442 on their head. pline and norms under ual. A provision has been made government is setting up new ment will be able to carry for- ment has been made for mod- matter of security, I want to a threat call and a message “The debt per person in FRBM (Financial to boost employment in every universities in Saharanpur, ward the work of establishing ernisation. ask how can a local intelli- from a BJP leader after a the state during the 2019-20 Responsibility and Budget district,” he added. Azamgarh and Aligarh, he said. a medical college in all 75 dis- A provision had been gence inspector come to my youth shouted 'Jai Shri Ram' fiscal is estimated to be Management Act ) and kept The BJP Government on Setting up of Atal Medical tricts of the state, the CM said. made to get rid of potable water press conference. How can at one of the gatherings he was 20,702 as the total debt bur- fiscal deficit under 3 per Tuesday presented a  University in Lucknow has "These colleges will be problems in Bundelkhand and someone come in a pro- addressing. den would be little over  4.76 cent of SGDP. 5,12,860.72 crore Budget, also been included in the bud- built either by the government Vindhya regions, he said.

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 (;+.." bench posted the matter to Supreme Court. bly siege was allowed and a =2  2:,,8&2O+&:P //  1  20 Deputy Superintendent of March 12 for further hearing. The first phase of the bud- large number of protesters per-  / &3/ 4 0 Police (DySP) said. he Madras High Court on The court made it clear get session of the state assem- mitted to gather near the  "Q': he death of six children of However, relatives claimed TTuesday restrained a body that it was not expressing any bly is on till February 20. Secretariat, there would be Ta couple in a span of nine 2 / -0 2 that there was nothing suspi- of Muslim outfits from going opinion on the Citizenship Earlier, state Additional complete collapse of the nor- he Mizoram Government is years has raised suspicion 20/2 0 2 0 cious in the death of the chil- ahead with its proposed agita- Amendment Act, or the Advocate General SR mal functioning of the state Tyet toNotify the new pro- among police personnel here dren and that doctors have said tion to lay siege to the Tamil National Register of Citizens or Rajagopoal told the court that government. hibition rules, Excise and who have registered a case fol-  040 it was due to some genetic dis- Nadu Assembly pressing their the National Population any application seeking police Referring to continuing Narcotics Minister Dr K lowing a complaint after a 0 0 & ease. demand for a House resolution Register. permission for protest should agitations, including the latest Beichhua told the State three-month-old child of the "The post-mortem of the against CAA, NRC and NPR. The siege protest has been be made five days prior, but in stir in a north Chennai localilty, Assembly on Tuesday. family died on Tuesday and official said. third child was conducted and A bench of justices M called to bring pressure on the this case, the federation had by various organisations oppos- In reply to a question from was buried. Police exhumed the The couple had three boys the doctors said the death was Sathyanaraya and R Hemalatha AIADMK Govt to adopt a res- moved the police only on ing the CAA and other mea- Congress member KT Rokhaw, body, which was buried in the and three girls of which the due to some genetic problems. granted the interim injunc- olution in the assembly oppos- Monday for the agitation pro- sures, he alleged innocent pub- Beichhua said the Govt has can- morning, and took it to the dis- third girl child lived till the age They said they were helpless," tion till March 11, restraining ing the CAA as had been done posed on Wednesday. lic were being incited to join celled the notification issued in trict hospital at Tirur for post- of four and the rest died before a relative said, adding that the the the Federation of Tamil by several non-BJP ruled states. He also submitted that such protests and create prob- connection with the new liquor mortem.The infant was the turning one. family was ready to face any Nadu Islamic and Political An attempt by opposition prohibitory orders under lems by spreading rumours. law on Dec 19 last year.He said sixth child of the couple, police "The post-mortem will probe. Organisations and its allied DMK to move an anti-CAA Section 41 of the Madras City Besides, some leaders of that there is no prohibition rules said. take place today itself.We are According to the locals, the associations from holding the resolution in the assembly dur- Police Act have been imposed the organisations were also in the state as of now.According "A case has been registered collecting the medical records couple had claimed that the agitation, proposed for ing the session has failed with banning any kind of agitation delivering inciting and intim- to the Min, the Government has (for unnatural death) in the of the children who had passed children have died due to Wednesday. Speaker P Dhanapal disallow- or demonstration in the city for idating speeches, even going to closed all liquor shops, bonded matter to verify the death away earlier. epilepsy. Passing the interim order ing a notice for it, saying the a period of 15 days commenc- the extent of issuing threat to warehouses and brewery after beyond any suspicion raised by We will identify the cause Sources said the baby was on a PIL which sought to fore- matter was sub-judice, appar- ing from February 13. the lives of the PM and the "The Mizoram Liquor locals since five other children of death after analysing the taken to a hospital but was dead bear the police from granting ent reference to petitions chal- Petitioner Varaki, a jour- Union Home Minister, he sub- (Prohibition) Act, 2019" came of the couple had died in the records and discuss the matter prior to reaching the hospital permission to the agitation, the lenging the amended act in the nalist, contended if the assem- mitted. into force in the state. past nine years," a senior police with forensic doctors," Tirur early this morning. -+8 '9 $      - &   78$&0 N'%  / .$/ &0&   $  $ LC   2  ;%"  4:  Project 28, approved in ships almost invisible to the $4<  ".$ prevalence was highest among    . 2003, is a class of anti- subma- enemy, both above and below youth in the age group of 25- '  efence PSU Garden rine warship corvettes cur- the sea surface.  +, 4 (:+ 34 years, accounting for 42.38  , . diction in his avowed com- DReachShipbuilders and rently in service with the Indian The corvettes - designed as per cent of the total number of  ;.+ mitment to the principles of Engineers Ltd (GRSE) on Navy. The corvettes are named an extremely versatile ASW 2+.(+=2". cases. oll strategist-turned-politi- Gandhi and his tie-up with the Tuesday delivered its fourth after islands in the platform capable of neutralis- Expressing concern over case was registered against Pcian Prashant Kishor on BJP, the party the poll strategist anti-submarine warfare stealth Lakshadweep archipelago. ing enemy submarines with  "Q': the matter, the Minister insist- A76 Persons, including a Tuesday mocked Bihar Chief sought to identify with the corvette to the Indian Navy, an INS Kiltan recently partic- indigenous weapons like tor- ed that the Government had former MLA, for alleged irreg- Minister Nitish Kumar for Mahatma's assassin Nathuram official said. ipated in the prestigious pedoes and rocket launchers - izoram has earned the been taking all measures to ularities to the tune of 512.54 aligning with the BJP in his Godse. Kavaratti was the last in the Exercise Malabar 2019, an - are equally effective in the lit- Mdubious distinction of combat the disease. crore in the Karnala Nagari quest for power, and said the "Nitish ji has always said series of four anti- Submarine endeavour to strengthen India- torals and deep oceans, the offi- being the state with highest Lalthangliana also said Sahakari Bank headquartered JD(U) leader cannot be wedded that he cannot leave the ideals Warfare Corvettes (ASWC) Japan-US naval cooperation cial said. HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in that he recently met leaders of in Panvel in neighbouring to Gandhian ideals and stand of Gandhi, JP and Lohia... At built by Kolkata-based GRSE and enhance interoperability, Capable of attaining a max- the country, but the NGOs, students' bodies and Raigad district, Navi Mumbai with those who support Godse the same time, how can he be under Project 28, he said. the official said. imum speed of 25 knots, the Government was making all churches and sought their police said on Tuesday. at the same time. with the people who support The first three ships of the With 90 per cent indige- ship has a length of 109 metres efforts to tackle the menace, help to control the spread of Former PWP MLA from Addressing a crowded the ideology of Godse? Both series - INS Kamorta, INS nous content, the P-28 class and width of 12.8 metres, he health minister R Lalthangliana the disease, while efforts were Panvel Vivekanand Shankar press conference here, the first cannot go together. If you want Kadmatt and INS Kiltan -were ships are equipped to fight in said, adding that it has an told the Assembly on Tuesday. also being made to seek tech- Patil is the chairman of the since his expulsion from the to stay with the BJP, I don't have delivered earlier, and form an nuclear, biological and chemi- endurance of over 3400 nauti- A total of 21,538 cases nical assistance from cooperative bank and he has JD(U), which Kumar heads, any problem with it but you integral part of Eastern Fleet of cal warfare conditions and fea- cal miles (NM) at 18-knot have been registered in the UNAIDS. been named as an accused Kishor asserted that the Chief cannot be on both sides," the Indian Navy, the GRSE offi- tured the integration of a host speed, and can accommodate State since October 1990, when According to Dr along with the vice-chairman, Minister has been a "father fig- Kishore said. cial said. of weapons and sensors. 17 officers and 106 sailors. the first patient was identified, Lalthlengliani, the project chief executive officer and sev- ure" to him even before he for- There have been differ- They have been engaged in These ASW corvettes have Kavaratti and INS Kiltan he stated. director of Mizoram State eral others who had obtained mally joined the party and so ences between him and me that several overseas operations and catapulted the Indian Navy are the first two major warships Lalthangliana, while reply- Aids Control Society loans from the institution, an he wished to speak no ill of the ideologies of Godse and international maritime exhibi- into the elite club of countries in the country to have the ing to starred questions by (MSACS), at least 2,416 peo- official said. A press release him. Gandhi cannot stand together. tions in Malaysia, Singapore that have built stealth ships, the unique feature of superstruc- MNF leader Vanlaltanpuia and ple have died of the disease from Navi Mumbai police said Kishor, however, acknowl- As the leader of the party you and other countries, the official GRSE official said, adding that ture made of carbon fibre com- Independent MLA between January 2006 and a case was registered for crim- edged that he had differences have to say which side you are said. the stealth features make the posite material. Lalduhoma, also said that HIV September 2019. inal breach of trust. with Kumar over the contra- on," he added.    " 1 & 30: '    & 0   "   Chamber of Commerce and  "   brought to light the massive low traveller , Mani was in the (;+.." Industry (FICCI) during 1991-      4:  During his in carceration (;+.." deforestation happening in the forefront against the appease- 92 and was a widely respected he had to be hospitalised in Western Ghats under political ment politics pursued by both r VL Dutt, leading indus- industrialist. engali superstar and former Bhubaneshwarwhere after he S Mani, former editor-in- patronage. the Cong and the Communists Dtrialist and executive chair- "We condole the untimely BTrinamool Congress MP was released on bail. Mchief of Kerala Kaumudi, Mani’s reports angered the in Kerala. The editorials that man of KCP Ltd , the Chennai passing away of Dr VL Dutt. Tapas Pal passed away in the Subsequently he was afflicted a popular Malayalam daily then home minister of Kerala, appeared in Kaumudi during headquartered conglomerate FICCI will always remember small hours of Tuesday, fami- bynerve disease. published from Kerala and K Karunakaran who initiated a his tenure as editor-in-chief are with major interests in heavy his contribution to the indus- ly sources said adding he was In an emotionally laden founder editor of Kala series of legal actions against still rated as the bench marks engineering, cement , sugar and try and the country, especially 61 and suffering from nerve message Chief Minister Kaumudi, the first Malayalam him and Kerala Kaumudi. True of quality journalism. heavy machinery, passed away as the President of the cham- and heart ailments for which he Mamata Banerjee wrotein twit- newspaper to be published to the prophe- on Tuesday. ber at a time when the econo- had admitted to a Mumbai hos- ter that she was in a state of outside Kerala, breathed his last cy made by Dr Dutt was the president my was passing through a crit- pital. shock and that Pal would early Tuesday morning at his Mani and of the Federation of Indian ical phase. Survived by his wife and bebadly missed. residence in Kerala daughter Pal was Trinamool “Saddened and shocked to Thiruvananthapuram. He was Kaumudi, the MP from Krishangarfor two hear about the demise of Tapas 79 and is survived by wife Dr deforestation successive terms from 2009 to political career and was arrest- Pal. He was asuperstar of Kasturi, daughter Valsa Mani and chopping 2019. Before this he was ed by the CBI for his alleged Bengali cinema who was a and son Mani Sukumaran. of tress from Member of Bengal Legislative involvement in the multi-crore member of the Trinamool fam- Born as the eldest son of M reserve forests Assembly for two terms. Rose Valley chit fund case. ily.Tapas served the people as Sukumaran, the founder editor in the State Notwithstanding his cine- Both Pal and Bollywood a two-term MP and MLA. We of Kerala Kaumudi, Mani start- brought down matic exploits that has given actress Madhuri Dixit acted in will miss himdearly. My con- ed his journalistic career at the the forest the Bengalimovie world some one of their initial films Abodh. dolences to his wife Nandini, young age of 20 as a parliament cover of the memorable films like Saheb, In fact Dixit along with senior daughter Sohini and hismany reporter and rose to new State from 35 Gurudakshina, Tollywood actors like Soumitra fans,” the Chief Minister wrote heights in journalism through per cent to 13 Anurag,Anurager Choan, Pal Chatterjee and Madhabi even as a mild war of word- sheer hard work. Mani is cred- per cent. got embroiled in controversies Mukherjee deeply condoled sensued between the BJP and ited as the first investigative in the closing years of his hisuntimely death. the TMC around his death. journalist in Kerala who A Left fel-   !"#"# ; =(5>,*  0+.$:8&8 5   residence. They reportedly discussed s his meeting with senior    about "most loyal senior party    '0 - 01,/(    N / Alegislators, reportedly upset legislators not getting minister over not being inducted into   post", and the Chief Minister B the Cabinet, sparked specula- S Yediyurappa's son   O/N0 2  O tion, Minister Jagadish Shettar % % Vijayendra's alleged "high-          '  on Tuesday termed reports    handedness" in the govern-  0+.$:8&8 in the state and Centre for an about “revolt” as “far from ment.  0+.$:8&8 ing opponents. Siddaramaiah pointed out "undeclared emergency" in the truth”.  Shettar is also said to have After hearing his prelim- that the Governor's address to he Karnataka Assembly country. He also accused the The meeting late last met Chief Minister ccusing the ruling BJP of inary submission, Speaker the joint sitting of the state leg- Tproceedings on Tuesday BJP of undermining the evening at Shettar’s residence he said, any "such meeting as Yediyurappa this morning and Aturning Karnataka into a Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri islature on Monday did not saw the ruling BJP and the Constitution and democra- by legislators mostly from being reported" is "far from explained to him about the ‘police State’ by filing false cases ruled that a discussion will be mention the state-wide anti- Opposition Congress sparring cy,to which Minister KS north Karnataka in the midst truth." meeting. against political opponents and held on the topic at 3 PM on Citizenship Amendment Act over ‘tukde tukde gang’ and Eshwarappa referred to the of the ongoing Assembly ses- "There was no such meet- Ahead of the Assembly those opposing its “divisive Wednesday, but under a dif- protests and the one in which ‘Bharat Mata’. Emergency declared by the sion had raised eyebrows with- ing, legislators had come for session, Yediyurappa was seen politics”, the Opposition ferent rule. two people died in Mangaluru While hitting out at ruling then Prime Minister Indira in the ruling BJP circles. their work, there is no need to speaking to Shettar, Katti and Congress on Tuesday walked However, Congress legis- in December. By discussing party legislators, Leader of the Gandhi and reminded the for- Shettar said a few legisla- have any misunderstanding others in the House on out of the Assembly as the lators insisted that the dis- the issue, "it is our duty to Opposition in the Assembly mer Chief Minister that he had tors had met him regarding about it," he said, adding that Tuesday. Speaker did not accept their cussion be allowed immedi- instill confidence among the Siddaramaiah said that “Bharat opposed it while in the Janata their constituency-related he was not answerable to media Meanwhile, an unsigned demand for an immediate dis- ately as otherwise it would affected people as we have Mata is not the property of Dal. "We (BJP/RSS workers work. reports and owes no explana- and anonymous letter, calling cussion on the issue. dilute the issue. As the Chair come here with their mandate, BJP”. Home Minister Basavaraj then) were put behind bars for "I'm a Minister, daily sev- tion. for a change in leadership cit- Making a preliminary did not concede their demand, representing them", he said Bommai, slamming the hailing Bharat Mata and calling eral legislators come and go, it According to some media ing Yediyurappa's age and submission to the Chair to they staged a walk out, threat- Stating that anti CAA and Congress, called them the ourselves as her sons", is a routine process, so yester- reports, eight-time BJP MLA health as the reason, is widely allow his adjournment motion ening to boycott proceedings. NRC protests have been tak- “owners” of the “tukde tukde Eshwarappa said. day four to five legislators had Umesh Katti (Hukkeri), who in circulation in the social on the "collapse" oflaw and During his preliminary ing place across the country, gang”. Siddaramaiah, while Reacting to this come for their work, I spoke to had openly expressed his dis- media.It calls for Yediyurappa's order in the state, Leader of submission, Siddaramaiah Siddaramaiah said opposing making a preliminary sub- Siddaramaiah said, “Bharat them, after which they left," pleasure over not being induct- retirement from electoral pol- the Opposition (LoP) alleged that the law and order and expressing opinion mission seeking to move an Mata is not your property. You Shettar, a former Chief Minister ed into the ministry, and itics and suggests that he turn Siddaramaiah charged the in the state had completely against government polices adjournment motion on the have not taken on lease. All and now holding Industries Shankar Patil Munenakoppa "margdarshak" for the Government with having a collapsed as the government and laws is the "essence of law and order situation in the 135 crore Indians are her chil- protfolio, said. (Navalagund) were among party.Yediyurappa will turn 77 "demon instinct" in suppress- has failed to manage it. democracy". state, attacked ruling BJP both dren.” Speaking to reporters here, those who had met at Shettar's on February 27. 2'$  8'  0      ,   2   6 & 4/ 40 &  $02+02+  $    / & 6  00 -0 <#4     2820" #NPR is very clear and we are reservations about NPR. After and its allies in the MVA gov- opposed to it. The Congress a meeting of NCP ministers ernment.  :  ith no let-up in the ongo- party is opposed to anything convened by party chief Sharad Uddhav, who has come in  $8'; " 8 0  Wing tug of war between that causes discrimination in Pawar, the party spokesperson for a flak from both the NCP  %  the ruling Shiv Sena and its the society. We will convince and minister Nawab Malik had and Congress for his ad hoc     2820" Former Chief Minister ssam Governor Jagdish allies over Chief Minister our alliance partners on the said on Monday: “Before devis- decision to let the NIA to and senior BJP leader AMukhi on Tuesday assert-   %   Uddhav Thackeray’s decision to same,” he tweeted. ing the strategy on NPR, we - investigate Bhima Koregaon- s the BJP predicted the col- Devendra Fadnavis had on ed that infrastructure is a cat- let NIA investigate the Bhima For the first time, Uddhav - MVA partners -- will jointly Elgaar Parishad Elgaar Parishad Alapse the collapse of MVA Sunday dared the Shiv Sena to alyst for development.He said  !    Koregaon-Elgaar Parishad spelt out the Shiv Sena‘s stand study the questions in the NPR case e, sought to clarify his Government and consequent hold mid-term polls in the the government is committed . +  Elgaar Parishad case, the on CAA, NRC and NPR. “CAA and views of the non-BJP gov- position. “Elghar Parsihad con- mid-term polls in the State, state.S He had predicted that to the development of the state Congress on Tuesday opened a and NRC are two different ernments. Because some irrel- spiracy and Bhima-Koregaon NCP chief Sharad Pawar on if the mid-term polls were by strengthening infrastruc-  = $ new front by coming out open- subjects. NPR is a third subject. evant and un-called for infor- violence are two different cases. Tuesday turned the table on the held in the state, the BJP ture. ly against the Citizenship There is nothing to worry mation is being sought by the As far as the Bhima-Koregaon principal Opposition party in would defeat the Shiv Sena, The Centre is very liberal undertaken in northeast for Amendment Act (CAA), about in CAA. NRC has not Centre as part of the data col- case is concerned, it concerns the State by saying that it was NCP and Congress squarely in investing in infrastructure to bringing the region closer to National Register of Citizens come and it will not be imple- lection. The NCP is opposed Dalits. I have not given this for the latter, which rules the and return to power in the eliminate service backlogs of the rest of the country with 12 (NRC) and National mented. If it (NRC) is imple- to the date of birth and place of case to the NIA. I would like to country, to hold mid-term state. northeast with special empha- airports in the region being Population Register (NPR). mented, it will not affect just birth of parents and grandpar- clarify that I will not let injus- polls in the country. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, sis on rural areas, Mukhi said operative and the Guwahati On a day when Uddhav Muslims, but it will also affect ents,” Malik said. tice to happen to the Dalits”. Reacting to a BJP leader’s former chief minister Narayan at the inaugural session of Airport being revamped with Thackeray of the Shiv Sena Hindus, Adivasasis and other Both the NCP and However, there was some comment that the MVA Rane predicted that since chief North East Infrastructure a new state of the art terminus. came out in support of the deprived sections of the soci- Congress have urged the chief ambiguity in the NCP’s stand on Government would soon col- minister Uddhav Thackeray Development Conclave, organ- Moreover, a seamless dig- CAA, extended conditional ety,” Uddhav tweeted. minister to convene a meeting Bhima Koregaon-Elgaar lapse and there would be mid- was not capable of running ised by the CII-North East, ital connectivity has been in use support to the NPR and voiced In another tweet on NPR, of the l4eaders of the parties to Parishad Elgaar Parishad case. term polls in the state, NCP the government,. here. in the region by liberalising its his opposition to the NRC, Uddhav said: “NPR is more of devise a common strategy on On one hand, like Uddhav, chief said: “The mid-term polls There would be mid-term A well-planned infrastruc- cyber space with India and Maharashtra Pradesh Congress a census. But, still I will have a NPR, CAA and NRC. Pawar also said that Elgaar are normally held in the coun- polls in the state. “I need not ture enables established busi- Bangladesh signing an agree- Committee (MPCC) president look at the questions in the data In a related development, Parishad and Bhima-Koregaon try. It is in the hands of the BJP tell you that there is already nesses to expand their pro- ment for using unspent band- and party minister in the MVA collection form. But, I do not the chief minister’s decision to were two different cases. “The to hold mid-terms polls in the considerable resentment with- duction levels and encourage width available at Bangladesh's Cabinet Bal Saheb Thorat for- there is impediment in NPR. let the NIA to investigate the CM has powers to hand over the country. in the Shiv Sena. small businesses to enter the Cox Bazar in Chittagong to mally opposed CAA, NRC and Because, the census takes place Elgaar Parishad case continued case to the NIA. There was no Let the Union Cabinet and Uddhav Thackeray will market and as such, both bring in a revolution not only NPR. “The Congress party's once in ten years”. be a bone of the contention alternative but to hand over the decide on holding the mid- not continue in his post for Central and state governments in the northeast but also in stand regarding #CAA #NRC The NCP has also serious between the ruling Shiv Sena case tothe NIA, “ Pawar said. term polls in the country”. long,” Rane said. are making concerted efforts to some mainland states, he said. put in place a robust infra- Assam is nurtured by two structure for physical connec- great rivers--the Brahmaputra 9  tivity in the areas of air, water, and Barak and both along with   !2   internet and land transport, he their many tributaries have 5*,(4 said. huge potential for river trans-  % 6  He said the Union budget port, tourism and industry. has allocated funds for laying He also said that inland  7   $ O  !  /   new tracks and doubling of waterways in Assam received a railway lines in the northeast boost during the last five years.  %/ region, the governor said. There was an urgent need   ;2+909 Preservation and Memorial charkha, we will give him a Electrification of railway for strengthening the physical Trust. note describing its importance lines under the Northeast infrastructure of Assam as it     2820"  2820" a good thing," Pawar said, S President Donald Trump Ashram trustees Kartikeya in the country's freedom strug- Frontier Railways was also was the largest among the eight when asked why is Uwill Be gifted a spinning Sarabhai and Amrut Modi said gle," said Amrut Modi.He said going on and by 2022 the three northeastern states, with a pop- leading diamond merchant s India prepares to wel- Maharashtra missing from wheel, two books on the life the American president, US the dignitaries will be wel- states of Mizoram, Manipur ulation of 33 million and area Aon Tuesday allegedly com- Acome US President Donald Trump's itinerary. and times of Mahatma Gandhi First Lady Melania Trump and comed with garlands made of and Sikkim will be connected of 78 thousand square kilome- mitted suicide by jumping Trump, NCP chief Sharad "We are happy that the and a portrait of the Father of Prime Minister Modi would 'khadi' (hand-woven fabric). by railways, he added. tre, the governor said. down from the terrace of 15th Pawar on Tuesday said Prime country's prime minister thinks the Nation during his visit to spend around 30 minutes at the Trump and the Prime The Union Ministry of In the face of growing floor of a commercial building Minister Narendra Modi's Ahmedabad is the best place to the Sabarmati Ashram here ashram. Minister will also take part in Road Transport and Highways urban population and rising at Zaveri Bazar in south home state Gujarat has become show in India to any visiting on February 24. Sources said Trump and a roadshow that will start from has also conceived of extensive urban infrastructural needs, Mumbai. the preferred destination for foreign dignitary," Pawar said. Trump will be accompa- Melania may try their hands on the Ahmedabad airport and national highway projects to solutions like planning newer Dhiren Chandrakant Shah, key foreign dignitaries visiting Important global leaders nied by Prime Minister the spinning wheel (charkha) end at the stadium in give a boost to the region's modes of transportation sys- who owned a diamond polish- India. who visited Gujarat after Modi Narendra Modi during his visit kept near 'Hriday Kunj', a cot- Motera after passing along the physical connectivity. tems especially for congested ing and export company, on the Before Modi became the became the to the ashram located on the tage inside the ashram where ashram. On the backside of the The governor also high- areas has become the need of top floor of the “Prasad PM, top foreign dignitaries PM in 2014 include banks of the river Sabarmati. Gandhiji and his wife Kasturba ashram, a platform is being lighted the measures being the hour, he added. Chambers”, died instantly after visiting India also used to go to Chinese President Xi Jinping Trump will be the first US once lived. built so that PM Modi can his fall from the 15-storey places like Hyderabad and and Japanese Prime Minister president to visit the ashram, a "We will gift Trump a spin- show the entire Sabarmati building, which houses the Bengaluru, Pawar told Shinzo Abe. place closely associated with ning wheel, Gandhiji's autobi- riverfront to the visiting offices of prominent diamond reporters here. NCP MLA and Pawar's India's freedom struggle. ography and a book named 'My dignitaries from one place, merchants. "Earlier, they (foreign dig- grand nephew Rohit Pawar The ashram, also known as Life My Message'. This book is offcials had said. The Gujarat Shah, who lived with his nitaries) used to go to places had last week asked the Centre Gandhi Ashram, was home to based on an exhibition depict- government has announced family at upmarket Napean like Agra, Delhi, Hyderabad that apart from Delhi and the independence movement ing Gandhiji's entire life. that Trump and the First Lady Sea Road, was 61 and survived and Bengaluru. It is good that Ahmedabad, Trump should leader and peace icon from "The ashram would also would arrive at the Ahmedabad by his wife and two children. in the last five years, all these also visit the country's financial 1917 to 1930. It is now manged gift Gandhiji's portrait to international airport directly While a son lives in the United people chose Ahmedabad. It is capital, Mumbai. by the Sabarmati Ashram Trump. Along with the from Washington. states, his daughter stays in Dubai. Quoting his staffer, the police said that Shah reached the office at around 9.45 am on Tuesday. He told some of his employees that he was going to the terrace of the building for a walk. Within next few min- utes he jumped from the ter- race and allegedly committed suicide. Shah was rushed to the nearby hospital where he was declared dead on admission. His body has been sent for a post mortem. “We have found a two-line suicide note on the desk of the deceased. In the note, he has stated that it was his decision to take the extreme step and no one should be blamed for it. We have registered an acci- dental death case and are investigating the matter,” a senior police inspector attached to the D B Nagar police station said. Shah’s death came as a big shock to the city's diamond and jewellery industry. The police are trying to ascertain the reasons for Shah’s alleged suicide.   !"#"# - 08

" #*G "4" , "  "   2820" The NSE barometer Nifty to rating downgrade on AGR a key global MNC regarding volatile impacting the market  <&& %  too staged a late recovery from dues and other issues of the the sales impact. Global weak- performance, Nair added. (6(   "     quity benchmark indices the day’s low and settled at company. ness is expected to hurt domes- In contrast, SBI, Infosys, (  % "   ESensex and Nifty settled 11,992.50, showing a fall of Reliance Industries tic market as high valuation PowerGrid, Tech Mahindra H O"(" P   with losses for the fourth 53.30 points or 0.44 per cent. declined nearly 1 per cent after and low economic growth is and TCS featured among major &2" %% straight session on Tuesday as On the Sensex chart, Bharti it announced consolidation of not supportive,” Vinod Nair, gainers.   %  / the ongoing AGR issue Airtel was the biggest loser with all its media and distribution Head of Research at Geojit Sectorally, BSE telecom        7  weighed on telecom and finan- nearly 3 per cent drop in its businesses under flagship Financial Services commented. index suffered the most by -I?,2 )75!  ))*  cial stocks. share price. It was followed by ‘Network18’. Also, the huge government shedding over 4 per cent. Other  .+'9+:;"    ! After trading in the deep IndusInd Bank, Maruti Suzuki, The three group entities dues to be paid by telecom sec- top laggards included metal, 9   (  red for a better part of the ses- HeroMoto Corp and Tata Steel. namely Hathway Cable & tor will keep banking stocks auto and realty indices. mid talks of the %% + * sion, the BSE gauge Sensex The Supreme Court on Datacom, Den Networks and AGovernment mulling %  < % 0  /,  reclaimed most of its lost Monday refused to stop the TV18 Broadcast — which encashing of bank guarantee 9   +% %  (  + /  ground towards the fag-end. At telecom department from tak- would be merged into over default in payment of 5 %%  8 /8 &   0 1  / the closing bell, the index was ing any coercive steps for recov- Network18 — rose by 20 per 9 dues, Vodafone Idea Chairman    " %%  %   %/9    down 161.31 points or 0.39 per ery of dues from Vodafone cent, 9.98 per cent and 14.7 per Kumar Mangalam Birla on (+ /2 % /& * %  % %/ cent at 40,894.38. Idea. cent, respectively. Tuesday met Telecom Secretary     !   ! %/     Intra-day, the Sensex fell Shares of Vodafone Idea on “Market sentiment contin- D? Anshu Prakash as he looked for    *&  &2" /. /   over 444 points and touched Tuesday tanked more than 16 ued to be hit by Covid-19 after options to keep the company %  % %     (  the day’s low of 40,610.95. per cent in intra-day trade due the issue of warning note from  .+'9+:;" Since then, the company afloat. %%9     9  /  % * has lost more than Rs 5,800 After the meeting, Birla ;           %* hares of Vodafone Idea on crore in market capitalisation. said he “cannot say anything at L    %  %  %%   STuesday settledover 11 per The company on Tuesday the moment.”     *"!    / A cent down in the wake of con- said India Ratings and Birla, who met the telecom  %    !/M   /L0 tinuing business uncertainty Research (Ind-Ra) has down- secretary for over an hour, was    " /  % ! %*0  over payment of statutory dues. graded its rating on non-con- accompanied by Ravinder  %% *     %  The scrip has been closing vertible debentures (NCDs) of Takkar, MD & CEO of  %  %  %     in the red for the past seven 3,500 crore. Vodafone Idea. % *M    8/ consecutive sessions. The com- “The downgrade is on He refused to respond to &1 ;. pany’s credit rating has also account of severe stress on the queries on whether or not   ! ;989    ! been downgraded by two rat- company’s near-term liquidity Vodafone Idea Ltd (VIL) would 4< $ & % ater this year, Hero ing agencies. On the BSE, the after the Supreme Court’s ruling default on payment of AGR !   LMotoCorp will unveil the stock plunged 17.25 per cent to on February 14, 2020, which dues or if the company could + :*/O$&+P/ 100 millionth motorcycle to trade at a low of 2.83. It set- directed the telecom companies head towards insolvency.  ' ! leave one of their production tled with a loss of 11.40 per cent to pay the adjusted gross rev- Vodafone Idea on Monday 2  (  7 lines. In the 35 years since the at 3.03. enue (AGR) related liabilities to paid Rs 2,500 crore to DoT and (    Munjal-promoted group has The scrip plummeted 17.64 the government of India by promised to pay another Rs   %    been producing two-wheelers, per cent to 2.80 on the March 17, 2020,” Vodafone Idea 1,000 crore before the end of 2  9% first in collaboration with National Stock Exchange said in a BSE filing. the week.  ? F) Japanese major Honda and (NSE). It closed 10.29 per cent Care Ratings on Monday But the amount paid for O  P/ "  then by themselves since 2011, lower at 3.05. downgraded the company’s now is less than 5 per cent of .  75!)* 7@' !   they will become the fastest In terms of traded volume, rating on its long-term bank the dues that the DoT estimates !$&+%% 7G> :   @ manufacturer to reach this more than 64 crore shares of facilities and non-convertible the company owes to the gov- ! '  ( O'(P , 6%)* milestone. the company were traded on debentures. ernment following a Supreme L  M    !&   <  /".O&*P/ But as questions hover the NSE and over 15 crore units The downgrade is on Court ruling that asked for (  32  9 % /$&+ ( * / around the future viability of exchanged hands on the BSE. account of “significant ero- including non-telecom rev- ( 4% O9P / % ( *9 the company as it finds itself During the day, spurt in sion” in the overall risk profile enues of telcos in computing $  /(+4/(  /9@@+  .  ( /  with a global technology part- volume was more than 3.11 of the company in the wake of statutory payments such as 9  /9 % O5 %P/( * 6.  /".O&P/9 % ner unlike their Indian rivals, times on the BSE. absence of relief on modifica- licence fee and spectrum O!P ( *,&; /".O&P/9 % O,  P Bajaj and TVS, the Chairman /      0   , '0 ' ''$ The stock has been on a tion plea relating to AGR dues charges. The Supreme Court on    4%  " .  $&+*     and promoter of the company, /< %=#+   />' "#"# .   *  * losing spree for the past seven on February 14. It also takes Monday refused to stop DoT   /".  /".  3".   Pawan Munjal wanted to show- trading sessions on the BSE. It cognisance of recent losses suf- from taking any coercive steps           +  5  case the future with a display of has plunged 43.9 per cent since fered by the company in the for recovery of dues from " . * ,)(   " 9% Hero’s technological and prod- 48 :".+ & +$?54&.+N February 7. quarter ended December 2019. Vodafone Idea.    L2 " M  * uct development competence at their Centre for Innovation  ?+&/,:.$:40: and Technology (CIT) estab- (4*   --  lished at Kukas, outside Jaipur. +N,."4..90+:"+<+ ? Hero, which skipped the Auto Expo earlier this month +(4.9;:545))'"::++ 9+8 ./)! also used the opportunity to ? launch their latest products 4* that all adhere to the upcom- +(4.42"(( "<" ?&+<"<+ 01 23+ %  ing BS-6 emission norms. As , 0&8+: the company has seen helping the company grow. about.”  2820" The 10-year government increased competition over the The scooters might not have a Munjal also said that Hero he EU on Tuesday put bond yield was at 6.39 per cent.  .+'9+:;" management of the govern- years and declining sales of ‘Hero’ but that does not mean would invest over 10,000 crore TPanama back on its black- he rupee tumbled by 22 Global crude oil bench- ment, the government has their bestsellers, they also that Hero is not seriously look- in new plants, research and list of tax havens after deciding Tpaise to settle at a nearly mark Brent futures dropped hrowing his weight behind remained within the recom- launched the new Glamour ing at this area. Our major issue development and market devel- the country had not done three-week low of 71.54 against 1.89 per cent to trade at USD TFinance Minister Nirmala mendations FRBM committee,” 125 and Passion Pro as well as with the Government’s initial opment over the next five to enough to meet global trans- the US dollar on Tuesday as 56.58 per barrel. Sitharaman’s budget numbers, Das said. “So, therefore, the showcasing the Xtreme 160R plan to move to all-electric seven years in order to main- parency standards. concerns over the economic “Rupee started the day on Reserve Bank Governor excess fiscal deficit has been road racer in the fast growing vehicles by 2025, which it wise- tain its leadership. “When we Panama, along with the fallout from coronavirus out- a weak note crossing beyond Shaktikanta Das has said that restricted to 0.5 per cent. The 150-200cc category. ly reconsidered was that the started our solo journey in Cayman Islands, Seychelles break continued to roil forex 71.50, majorly on back of sell- there is no reason to doubt that government has adhered to that The company wants to entire infrastructure would be 2011 we had just 100 engineers and Palau were added to eight market sentiment. ing from institution in risky the government will be able to and a large part of the financing regain their leadership position disrupted, from sales channels doing basic product develop- other territories already Besides, sustained foreign assets as FIIs (are) likely to be cut fiscal deficit to 3.5 per cent of fiscal deficit next year will in these segments where Bajaj, to mechanics. ment in Dharuhera, three deemed to be “non-cooperative fund outflows and subdued pulling out money from equi- of the GDP in the fiscal begin- come from small savings.” TVS and their erstwhile part- The industry could have plants and exported products tax jurisdictions,” the Council equities also put pressure on ties as the global market weighs ning April 1. The FRBM committee ner Honda dominates. shifted, but the government has to just four countries. Today, we of the EU said in the rupee. slowdown effects of rising In an interview with PTI, headed by N K Singh had rec- Speaking to The Pioneer, to remember the contribution have one of the most advanced a statement following a meet- Starting off the session on Coronavirus threat in China,” Das said the government has ommended fiscal deficit to be Munjal also mentioned that the automotive industry makes R&D centres in the two-wheel- ing of the bloc’s finance min- a weaker note, the rupee weak- LKP Securities Senior Research remained within the limits set cut to 2.8 per cent in 2020-21 Hero could look at potential to the Indian economy and er world in Kukas with over isters. ened further to hit the day’s low Analyst (Commodity & by the Fiscal Responsibility fiscal and to 2.5 per cent by partnerships with either Indian think accordingly.” He added 1,000 engineers, products have They join American of 71.56 against the American Currency) Jateen Trivedi said. and Budget Management FY2023. or global ‘frenemy’ companies that Hero was looking at elec- just started rolling out of our Samoa, Fiji, Guam, Oman, currency. The domestic unit The Financial Benchmark (FRBM) Committee for the The panel had suggested an going forward, and that he tric and hybrid technologies for eighth plant in Andhra Pradesh Samoa, Trinidad and Tobago, finally settled down by 22 paise India Private Ltd (FBIL) set the budget deficit. “escape clause” in case of over- was not terribly concerned two-wheelers as early as 2012 and we have two global facto- the US Virgin Islands and at 71.54, a level not seen since reference rate for the The government missed riding consideration of nation- about the move to electric even before the modern shift to ries in Bangladesh and Vanuatu on the list. January 30. rupee/dollar at 71.4259 and for deficit target for the third year al security, acts of war, calami- vehicles, “we are a large investor such technologies, “we are a Colombia and we are present in The addition of the The dollar index, which rupee/euro at 77.4162. The in a row, pushing shortfall to ties of national proportion and in Ather Energy, India’s leading leader in this space in India, over 40 countries globally. I’m Cayman Islands represented gauges the greenback’s strength reference rate for rupee/British 3.8 per cent of the GDP in the collapse of agriculture severe- electric two-wheeler company just because we do not have a sure our next 100 million will the first time an overseas against a basket of six curren- pound was fixed at 93.1737 and current fiscal as compared to ly affecting farm output and with a 31 per cent stake in the product right now should not happen a lot faster than our British territory was placed on cies, rose by 0.15 per cent to for rupee/100 Japanese yen at 3.3 per cent previously planned. incomes. Under this, a devia- company, and we have been be something to be worried first 100 million.” the EU’s blacklist. 99.15. 65.02. The fiscal deficit target for the tion from the stipulated fiscal coming fiscal year starting deficit target can be taken but April 1, has been fixed at 3.5 not in excess of 0.5 percentage per cent. points in a year. The fiscal deficit is the Das said there is no reason shortfall in a government’s to doubt that the fiscal deficit income compared with its for the next year would be met. spending. It essentially means “There is no reason for that the government is spend- anyone to doubt that number. ing beyond its means. The Budget has been present- “With regard to the fiscal ed just about a fortnight ago,” 6 +? 5 * , 0+"1".$ hina will waive trade-war  :4.94. Ctariffs on imports of select- ed US medical equipment from he UK Government will March 2, the Government said Tpresent the Budget on Tuesday, as the country battles to March 11 as previously contain the new coronavirus announced, the new Indian- epidemic. The move comes as origin Chancellor of the doctors and nurses treating virus Exchequer Rishi Sunak said on patients in China’s overstretched Tuesday as he vowed to unleash hospitals struggle to deal with the the country’s potential and health crisis amid a shortage of deliver the promises made to basic medical items. the voters. More than 72,000 people There had been much have been infected by the out- speculation that the Budget break of the new COVID-19 could be delayed after the 39- strain in China, which has year-old son-in-law of Infosys claimed the lives of over 1,800 co-founder Narayana Murthy people. replaced Pakistani-origin Sajid Patient monitors, blood Javid following his shock res- transfusion equipment and ignation on February 13. instruments to measure blood Now it will be presented as pressure are among the prod- previously scheduled on March ucts that qualify for the exemp- 11, he said on his maiden tions, according to a list released Budget. Sunak tweeted that he by the Tariff Commission of the was “cracking on” with prepa- State Council. They are among rations” and would deliver the 696 US products that now promises made to voters ahead qualify for waivers, including of December’s General Election key agricultural and energy won by the Conservative Party items such as frozen pork and led by Prime Minister Boris beef, soybeans and liquified Johnson. natural gas.   !"#"# &  88

#2>9 BAVUMA OUT OF FIRST T20 I Johannesburg: 0    !  0     !  '    @-'          )           '      5  !%      *; 6    %  + *;  (  %        !%  "     $ % &    % -   !  %     %       ,   .+'9+:;" Sunil from his 2019 perfor- + !   (   ' * mance in the same tourna- restler Sunil Kumar ment where he won a Silver AMAAN INCLUDED IN IND SQUAD won India’s first Medal. New Delhi:  0  !  5    "   WGold medal in the Speaking after the win 2    %  C-  ! opening day of Asian he said, "I am feeling happy   ))75"0 (R  */ Wrestling Championship 2020 to have earned India's first %,6 !  8)7%   here at KD Jadhav stadium on Gold Medal today ))   "  ?  $ /   !   .0 Tuesday after beating (Tuesday). I have worked $ !  %    ( ! /        Kyrgyzstan opponent Azat really hard on my ground  *      -   7      Salidinov 5-0 in the final techniques and it feels good  * /   .0%   match of 87kg Greco-Roman to have done better than my " /        ,6 ! category. last year's performance." - * ;       "  O  ! P Last edi-   +4  Before Sunil's historic % 0  ! ' 0  $ ! (  tion Silver !11677  Gold medal win, Arjun )) ' (%  * medallist dom- Halakurki (55kg) won his inated the 6,16#961? Bronze Medal bout defeat- MOEEN TO BIRMINGHAM entire game ing Donghyeok Won of London: 2 %  0  ,  and didn't allowed his coun- Korea. Arjun started the + % % C  ;  %  /    terpart to gain any sort of bout slowly and was down  %  * +    /   breathing space and in process by 1-4 in the first period.    +!  /      , C   put a full stop to country’s 27- But, Arjun didn't give up %/   % ' ( year drought for the yellow and came back strongly  ( '    '  / metal. Sunil now becomes snatching six straight points %     . Q    !      C only the third Indian ever to with a combination of good    !      *     achieve this feat after Pappu defence and attack. The !    !  /2    Yadav. final score at the end of the    +!    ' %   !  Sunil with his comprehen- bout was 7-4 in favour of  !    %  % %   2  sive defence was able to keep Arjun.   ' %  *S+      " %   Salidinov at bay for most of Though, India's third +!       ! %           the bout. Salidinov didn't have medal hope Mehar Singh    %          /S   an answer to the strategy of (130 kg) suffered a setback 2    * Sunil and finally went down as he lost his bout against pretty easily. Roman Kim of Kyrgyzstan VIETNAM F1 GRAND PRIX GETS GO-AHEAD Earlier, Sunil on his way to by a narrow scoreline of 2- Hanoi:< C  5  4$ ,  the final made an impressive 3. Mehar was majorly suf-   %;     /     comeback in the semi-final fering the aftereffects of his 5,  /        ( $  bout. He came back from 1-8 wrist injury which he suf- ,  %           down to win the bout 12-8. fered in his semi-final bout %   *  %! S%S   This was an improvement for   @ ' '        '   BCD   ' E3 '     >'    "#"# earlier. /:. %(/(+4 < $ ,  5,*   /%    7/ ( /      C   %  /  %          %           ;     !* 0 <       %  C    EEE 5  4 %     %* SANIA AND GARCIA SAIL INTO QUARTERS Dubai: "   %    2    (  67G7 $ %        & O  .+'9+:;" Guwahati and Kolkata), with the        O      !    knockout stages also taking place in  %  O ! -     n a first, five Indian cities - four cities (Ahmedabad, 9! 4    * " 5 %  !  IGuwahati, Kolkata, Navi Mumbai, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata and Navi  &   >@/@>/7   Bhubaneswar and Ahmedabad on Mumbai). The winners will lift the %*    $ %  % !      Tuesday have been confirmed as the trophy at the DY Patil Stadium in     Q (  0 ! host cities for the FIFA U-17 Navi Mumbai on November 21.  6%   (%&!%  7>* Women's World Cup scheduled to Following the launch of the MANPREET TO LEAD IND IN FIH PRO LEAGUE take place in India from November Official Emblem in November 2019, New Delhi: 2       "    2 to November 21 this year. the unveiling of the five host cities % 5";, :  %    *) To set the stage for the future of and the match schedule marks a   / )@  !   %   % women's football, FIFA and Local major milestone for the tournament ! ; %  "    *;     Organising Committee (LOC) also as fans in the host cities and across    %%   %/ announced the match schedule India prepare to welcome the future %   % 5!  )7 ))  alongside the Official Slogan - Kick stars and heroes of women's football.     0!  *"   = 6 ,  &  /    ,  /   &  / off the dream for the tournament  ' '0 +,,0  !   + -        The key dates for the FIFA U-    /0  : /;  / .  '    '    8 '   here in presence of Minister of '     ''  $%3>  @>'   17 Women's World Cup India 2020 Sports and Youth Affairs Kiren include: Opening match - <   / $   / &  ,  / Rijiju, Sarai Bareman, FIFA Chief Chairman and FIFA Council mem- coveted trophy in Navi Mumbai on November 2. 2    / <     ,  / ;   /  '      '  Women's Football Officer, Roberto ber,. November 21. Quarter-finals - November 12 (  /& 6 , / /  / :  8  / $  !6 / 9  Grassi, FIFA Head of Youth Sixteen teams featuring the ris- The group-stage matches will be and 13.Semi-finals - November 17 /</1  / 6/  P ,7  Tournaments and AIFF president ing stars of women's football will played in four host cities and 3rd/4th-place playoff & final - .   /& * -828 Praful Patel, who is also LOC compete across 32 matches to lift the (Ahmedabad, Bhubaneswar, November 21.

, :4.94. “The other is to climb. We will be on that balcony fight- ottenham Hotspur’s hopes ing with everything we have.” Tof obtaining something from the season have been OP + equated to someone hanging Son's absence comes as a on for dear life from a balcony cruel blow to the player and , :4.94. week. the start of the second period as in a typically colourful anal- the team as he had been in a The loss of Kante did not disrupt Mount hit the post and a brave block ogy by their manager Jose rich vein of form scoring in anchester United moved to with- the home side’s early rhythm as Reece from Wan-Bissaka deflected Pedro's Mourinho. the last five matches after fill- Min three points of fourth-placed James and Willian fired just wide. goal-bound effort behind. The 57-year-old ing in for Kane up front. Chelsea with a smash and grab 2-0 win Chelsea were then furious Maguire But even when Chelsea did get the Portuguese made the compar- The 27-year-old South at Stamford Bridge thanks to goals somehow escaped without being sent- ball in the net through substitute Kurt ison after he said he believed Korean international forward from Anthony Martial and Harry off for kicking Batshuayi after the two Zouma, the goal was ruled out by VAR Korean star Son Heung-min's suffered the injury in the 3-2 Maguire. collided in front of the dugouts. for a push on Brandon Williams by season could well be over due Premier League victory over Chelsea had two goals disallowed The former Marseille attacker Cesar Azpilicueta. to a fractured right arm. Aston Villa— in which he by VAR reviews and were furious then squandered the first of a host of Fernandes was unable to make Mourinho is already with- scored twice including the Maguire was not sent-off early on for chances by firing wide from Mason much of an impact from open play in out star striker Harry Kane — late winner — on Sunday. an off-the-ball kick out at Michy Mount’s cut-back. his second United appearance since a side-lined since January with Son suffered the injury in Batshuayi. USD 62 million move from Sporting a torn hamstring -- as the club a robust first-minute chal- However, Blues boss Frank ) ! ,," Lisbon. enters a crucial period. lenge from Villa's Ezri Konsa. Lampard cut a frustrated figure as the However, the Portuguese interna- Midfielder Moussa Sissoko is The club did not specify how flaws in both boxes which have seen his Chelsea’s sense of injustice tional is a huge threat from set-pieces another long-term casualty. long Son would be out -- he is side win just four of their last 14 league increased when Willian was harshly and nearly caught Caballero out with Spurs host German side due to undergo surgery this games were exposed once more against booked for diving as he went down a free-kick that crashed back off the RB Leipzig in a Champions week -- but Mourinho was ordinary opposition. under a challenge from Bruno post. League Last 16 first leg match pessimistic. Victory lifts United up to seventh Fernandes looking for a penalty. Moments later, Fernandes provid- on Wednesday and play “I’m not going to count on and within two points of Tottenham in United had not made Caballero ed his first assist for the Red Devils with Chelsea in a match that could him again this season,” fifth, which could be good enough to make a single save before going in front a corner which Maguire powered prove pivotal in the dog-fight Mourinho said. qualify for the Champions League next a minute before the break when home. for the fourth and final The club said only after season pending Manchester City’s    @& 0' 0 ' @    '  ''  Martial planted a brilliant header into Lampard had seen enough from Champions League spot. the medical operation would appeal again a two-season ban from the far corner from Aaron Wan- Batshuayi and handed Olivier Giroud “You know I like analo- they be able to say how long European competition. Caballero. firing Belgium forward. Bissaka’s cross. a rare appearance off the bench for the gies,” said Mourinho, who he would be absent. Lampard made a bold call before Batshuayi also started with Tammy Chelsea suffered another injury There was still time for Batshuayi final quarter. took over after Mauricio “Following surgery, our kick-off by again dropping the most Abraham ruled out by injury and blow early on when N’Golo Kante hob- to miss another chance before half-time The French striker thought he had Pochettino was sacked in late medical staff shall be review- expensive goalkeeper in football histo- Lampard's anger at missing out on a bled off and the France World Cup when he skewed wide from a narrow given Chelsea a lifeline with a near post November last year. ing management options for ry, Kepa Arrizabalaga, to the bench in striker in the January window was winner is now a doubt to face Bayern angle. header, but was ruled offside after a “Sometimes I do good Son's rehabilitation with the favour of the 38-year-old Willy borne out by a poor night for the mis- Munich in the Champions League next The one-way traffic continued at VAR review. ones and sometimes silly ones. player expected to be sidelined This time I do this. for a number of weeks.” “When we arrived we Mourinho said he would were in minus 12 floor, we got have phrased the statement ' 8  *  J4 on the stairs and we started differently. climbing. “The club wrote a nice , 2":. Italia semi-final first leg last , 980" 31st-ranked Russian and Svitolina third. usually steady game “But immediately the statement,” he said. week. said "You go out there That leaves the spotlight was nowhere to be stairs broke and trouble. “If I was the one to write C Milan closed in on the They have lost just once older Belinda and you just don't feel to tournament number found at the Aviation “We were trying to find a the statement I would write AEuropean places in Serie A since the turn of the year — to HBencic ran off the anything. one Simona Halep and Club as first-round play way. different. We miss him,” added after Ante Rebic fired them to title-chasing Inter — and are first 19 points against “I just kept on second-seeded Karolina concluded. “Lots of effort but we the 57-year-old Portuguese. a 1-0 win over Torino. playing well enough to aim for Anastasia fighting, still trying to Pliskova, who begin in “It was not a bad were going and going. With both Kane and Son Rebic on Monday swept European football next season. Pavlyuchenkova before hit every ball, trying to the second round after start, but then every- “Then 11th floor and missing, Lucas Moura looks home Samu Castillejo’s low However the Champions collapsing to a 1-6, 6-1, be there byes. thing just went down- when we arrived on the fourth like having the burden placed pull back in the 25th minute to League will likely be beyond 6-1 loss on Tuesday at “It doesn’t matter Weekend ATP hill,” Svitolina said. floor, where we wanted to on him as Mourinho dis- consign to draw Milan level on them thanks to the 10-point the Dubai what the score is, just Rotterdam winner Gael “I wish I could arrive, someone took the stairs counted untested Irish young- 35 points with Hellas Verona, gap between them and fourth- Championships. play. Slowly I started to Monfils watched in regroup better. In the away so we are now in trou- ster Troy Parrott. who currently occupy the final placed Atalanta. Another former turn it around, I start- pain as girlfriend end, I didn’t feel so ble. “In some periods I was Europa League spot on goal Torino meanwhile are champion, the 2017 ed to find my game.” Svitolina went down to good the ball. Just “We are holding by our worried about not having difference. inching closer to the relegation and 2018 winner Elina “I honestly wasn't Brady. everything was all over arms on the balcony.” attacking options on the Rebic’s winning goal was  + '     zone after their fifth straight Svitolina, also fell, 6-2, focusing on the score. Svitolina had little the place today."At this Mourinho said the club bench, now it’s not having his sixth in seven games in all  @    '  defeat, a slump that shows lit- 6-1, to US qualifier Sometimes you can to offer as the 52nd- level it's tough to pick were at a crossroads in their attacking options on the competitions, a run that comes tle sign of ending. Jennifer Brady. play amazing tennis and ranked Brady gained just one thing: every- season. pitch,” said Mourinho. after failing to score at all in the pointment against Inter Milan They are just five points Pavlyuchenkova still lose 6-1. In the her second victory this body is putting the ball “Now we have two "My thoughts are that first half of the season. to continue a positive run from the drop despite bringing could not have made a third set, it was a good season over a Top 10 over the net, and you options,” he said. Troy Parrott is not ready and The Croatian’s strike under coach Stefano Pioli that in Moreno Longo to replace worse start. level from both of us.” opponent after beating have to play long rallies, “To fall and die because Ryan Sessegnon is not a strik- helped the hosts bounce back also saw them unlucky not to Walter Mazzarri earlier this “It’s tennis, some- Bencic, who is Barty in Brisbane. you have to build the it's the fourth floor. er.” from last week’s derby disap- beat Juventus in the Coppa month. times it happens,” the Swiss was seeded four The Ukrainian’s points.   !"#"# &  8 59:,5>61#,91>J=96  0+&:". missed out on the honour for the winners South Africa won their fifth time. She was nominated second Laureus World Team of the ritish F1 ace Lewis Hamilton 2010, 2013, 2014 and 2016 also but Year Award, beating Jurgen Klopp’s and Lionel Messi, arguably did not win it. Liverpool and the US Women’s Bthe world’s greatest foot- The most decorated gymnast Football Team, among others. baller, were on Monday declared also beat competition from For the 2020 Laureus World the joint winners of the prestigious American footballer Megan Comeback of the Year, Germany’s Laureus World Sportsman of the Rapinoe, Japanese tennis sensation gritty F3 driver Sophia Florsch was  0+&:". year award. Naomi Osaka, American track the winner. They received the same num- and field athlete Allyson Felix and Travelling at 276km per hour, atting great Sachin Tendulkar ber of votes, a first in the 20-year skier Mikaela Shiffrin. she had lost control of her car at Bbeing carried on the shoulders history of the awards with the jury Snowboarding sensation Chloe the Macau circuit, crashing of his teammates after India’s World unable to split Hamilton and Messi. Kim won the World Action through safety barriers and leaving Cup triumph at home in 2011 was Messi, the six-time FIFA World Sportsperson honour, her second her with a spinal fracture which voted the Laureus best sporting Player of the year, is the first straight in the same category. required an 11-hour surgery and moment in the last 20 years. team-player to bag the award. He In the Sportsperson of the months of rehabilitation. With the backing of Indian though was not present to receive year with a disability category, In November 2019, a year on cricket fans, Tendulkar got the the award and sent a video mes- Oksana Masters, born with limb from her accident, the 18-year-old maximum number of votes to sage. impairments caused by radiation Sophia was back in the cockpit, emerge winner on Monday. They pipped golfing great from Chernobyl and adopted by an racing once again in the Macau The charged-up Indian crick- Tiger Woods, Kenyan marathoner American single parent, was recog- Grand Prix. eters rushed to the ground at the Eliud Kipchoge, tennis legend nised for an outstanding year in Egan Bernal, who became the Wankhede Stadium and soon they Rafael Nadal and MotoGP cham- 2019. youngest rider to win the Tour de lifted Tendulkar on their shoulders pion Marc Marquez. She won five Gold medals and France at 22, grabbed the World and made a lap of honour, a American gymnast Simone a Silver at the World Para Nordic Breakthrough of the Year award. moment etched in the minds of the Biles who won five gold medals at Skiing Championships. German basketball great Dirk fans. many times you get an event hap- the 2019 World Championships, South Bronx United (SBU), a Nowitzki was recognised at the Former Australian skipper pening where there are no mixed grabbed the World Sportswoman football programme based in New Ceremony with the Laureus Steve Waugh handed the trophy to opinions. Very rarely the entire of the year award, her third in four York, was honoured with the Sport Lifetime Achievement Award for Tendulkar after tennis legend Bros country celebrates,” Tendulkar said years after winning it in 2017 and for Good Award. The programme his contribution to the sport of bas- Becker announced the winner at a after receiving the trophy. in 2019. uses football to achieve education- ketball. glittering ceremony. “And this is a reminder of how She beat a strong challenge al outcomes for young people Spanish Basketball Federation “It’s incredible. The feeling of powerful a sport is and what magic from Jamaican sprinting great from underserved communities. !  %   &/ '  >'       got the Exceptional Achievement winning the world cup was beyond it does to our lives. Even now when Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who The 2019 Rugby World Cup     "#"#& >'        Award. what words can express. How I watch that it has stayed with me.” ' O     P F 7!'

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 '+::".$ 4. is an option.” here are no half measures M2 P& The big-hitting batsman Tfor fit-again New Zealand 0& 2 eteran New Zealand bats- said despite his desire to con- pace spearhead Trent Boult   201 -03 Vman Ross Taylor doesn't tinue, he won’t out himself who is ready to challenge India rule out playing the 2023 ODI under too much pressure. captain Virat Kohli on his 10 14& ?0 World Cup but says his form, “You always want to do return to international cricket 2 @) 2 A 4 fitness and motivation level at well and first and foremost the during the two-Test series  0& -&06 the end of next year will decide game is more important. At the starting here on Friday. 1 &  20-3& whether he actually manages a same time you can put extra Boult was out of action for    '       $     >  ! place in the squad. pressure on yourself. You've just the past six weeks due to a frac- / P   The 35-year-old will got to go out and enjoy it and ture on his right hand sus- 10 & 4/? B"4 become the first cricketer in the take it as another game. tained during the Boxing Day 20P&  @ world to complete Hopefully I can contribute in Test against Australia and 100 games any way I can,” missed out on the limited- 0/0  across three he said. overs leg of the India series.  0B0 0 international Back for the traditional ? &2 10 '   > formats when he format, the left-arm fast bowler steps out for the made his priorities clear ahead 20 &3N  0&"0.+ Matthews in the fourth ball. first Test against of the first Test. West Indies needed three India at Basin “That’s personally why I pinner Poonam Yadav runs off the last ball but Henry Reserve on February play the game, to get guys like who warmed up by playing a Sclaimed three wickets as India was caught by Veda 21. that (Kohli) out and test myself club game at the picturesque geared up for the ICC women’s Krishnamurthy. “I haven’t ruled it against them, so I can’t wait to Taupo ground. T20 World Cup with a thrilling Earlier, India’s top-three (2023 World Cup) out get stuck in. But he’s an “I was pushing in off the two-run win over the West failed to fire as they were but I still think it’s a exceptional player. Everyone long run. I think a couple of Indies in a low-scoring warm-up reduced to 17 for three in 3.1 long way away. First knows how great he is,” the clubbies from Taupo real- match here on Tuesday. overs. Opener Smriti and foremost I want to Boult said, sending out a ly enjoyed that. It was a good Electing to bat, India post- Mandhana (4) lasted just six get to next year - the warning after landing in afternoon,” added the pacer, ed a lowly 107 for eight in their balls, while Jemimah Rodrigues Twenty20 World Cup the capital city for the who sent down eight overs in stipulated 20 overs before (0) failed to open her account. and then the home opening Test. a friendly game for his club returning to restrict West Indies Young Shafali Verma blasted a summer - and then I’ll The Basin Reserve Cadets. to 105 for seven. couple of fours before being have a good idea on track will have a lot for Professionally, Boult had to Chasing 108 to win, West caught by Britney Cooper off how I’m placed at the the seamers and in lie low due to injury, but it was Indies were comfortably placed Shamilia Connell (2/20). end of next summer,” Taylor conditions conducive also a good break as he and at 57 for one in 13 overs when Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur was quoted as saying by to seam bowling, a wily wife Lana welcomed their sec- Deepti Sharma struck, cleaning (11), too, didn’t stay long, while ‘stuff.Co.Nz’. customer like Boult ond child. up opener Lee-Ann Kirby (42) Krishnamurthy was cleaned up “Whether there is still a might prove to be a hand- “Having some time away to trigger a collapse. by Afy Fletcher (1/26), as India drive, whether I’m good ful. from the game and having my Soon skipper slumped to 52 for five in 11.2 enough, whether I’m fit “I’m preparing for a second son a couple of weeks (16), Chedean Nation (0) and overs. enough, and whether I deserve solid wicket. It generally is ago came at quite a good time,” (1) were back in Deepti Sharma made a 32- my spot in the side. If I can tick very good here and goes the said Boult. the hut as West Indies slipped to ball 21 before becoming a vic- all those, then definitely 2023 full distance (five days). I do 2C '  * !''       Fighting fit, all he wants 67 for five in the 17th over. tim of (2/16), enjoy playing here, the histo- now is to get hold of a red (25) and while Pooja Vastrakar (13) was ry that’s involved, and it’s going It was frustrating for him 0 in the 50-over format. kookaburra and get a few to Chinelle Henry (17) blasted removed by Aaliyah Alleyne to be an exciting week build- to watch his side get walloped “I think it is what it is. I tail into Kohli and company. three fours and a six in the 19th (1/9). Stafanie taylor then got rid ing up. I can’t wait to get out 0-5 in the T20 series but exhil- have just got to put the last six “I am hungry to be here over to leave them with 11 to get of Taniya Bhatia for 10. there,” said the 30-year-old arating to when it got its mojo or so weeks behind me and just and can’t wait to get back in the off the last six balls. Shikha Pandey finally who has taken 256 wickets back in the subsequent one- back myself to get out there white and get the red ball Henry blasted Poonam for smashed a 16-ball 24 to give from 65 Tests. dayers. The Black Caps won 3- and do my thing,” said Boult, moving around,” he said. a four but the Indian dismissed some respectability to the total. &  + Q=I   '  '  + ,   '  .+'9+:;" '.             '+::".$ 4. P$+   he limited use of Decision Review ew Zealand’s conservative approach against TSystem was always planned for the (,* NJasprit Bumrah could become a template for ) ,!Q Ranji Trophy semifinals and not other teams as they look to tackle the Indian pace from the knockout stages, clarified (*(4* ace who recently endured a rare wicket-less out-  '+::".$ 4. BCCI’s general manager of cricket ing in an ODI series, reckons former fast bowler Saba Karim on Tuesday.  '+::".$ 4. negativity around him in Shane Bond. umbai Indians bowling coach Shane Bond The move to introduce limited Canterbury, where he grew up, The premier bowler copped criticism for his Mwants all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who is DRS comes after the umpires commit- owering New Zealand and it affected his behaviour. lean run during the three ODIs against New recovering from a back surgery, to play a few ted some howlers in some knockout Tpacer Kyle Jamieson has “There was a bit of negativ- Zealand and Bond put that down to expectations. matches before the Indian Premier League, begin- games of the previous season. revealed that moving from ity surrounding myself and “That's the nature of expectations when you ning March 29. However, the quarterfinals starting on Canterbury to Auckland helped that environment and that was got a bowler of Jasprit's quality,” Bond, the fastest “I only hope he gets to play some cricket before Thursday will not see the use of DRS. him get rid of a detrimental coming out in my behaviour on New Zealand bowler during his time, told PTI in the IPL and always believe it’s better to spend a lit- “We are introducing from the aggressive streak and become the field,” he said. an exclusive interview. tle bit longer for coming back rather than rush- semifinals. This the first time we have a cricketer worthy of national The 25-year-old said “I thought New Zealand played him well and ing it,” Bond said. initiated this program, we wanted to duty. returning to Auckland made a identified him as a risk. They have played him “There’s no doubt he can come back. I am just bring in semifinals and we have done The 6’8” tall pacer, who massive difference to his game. conservatively and obviously there was some inex- pleased that they are taking an orthodox approach that. It was never meant for the quar- made his ODI debut against “I’m really enjoying my perience around (Navdeep Saini and Shardul with Hardik’s rehabilitation and T20s, especially terfinals,” Karim, also a former India India in the recent series, was cricket, which is probably Thakur),” he said. IPL will be nice for him to comeback as he will not wicketkeeper, told PTI. handed a place in the Test something I couldn’t say a “All teams will now identify him as a risk and be over-bowled.” “The whole idea is that we want- squad for the upcoming two- couple of years ago,” said attack others. So that’s where the bowling group Pandya underwent a productive net session at ed to bring in the DRS wherein we can match rubber beginning at Jamieson, who scored 25 and and what they do (as a group) is massive. It is not the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru have uniformity for both the games Basin Reserves here on took 2 for 42 on debut during an easy place to bowl as wickets are flat.” recently. and that will be in the semifinals. All February 21. the second ODI against India But Bond felt Bumrah's bowling wasn't all that He was seen facing throwdown in the nets and the four teams have been pitted “I’m a pretty fiery charac- at Eden Park. bad during the series, which India lost 0-3. mainly played with a straight bat. It is not yet clear equally and that would not have ter on the field. On the field I’m “I was going through a bit “At the end of the day, all you can do is try if he will make a comeback in the South Africa been possible before (in quarters),” he pretty aggressive. I think it of stuff off the field. Just the and bowl well. He bowled reasonably well but ODIs next month or the IPL. said. came out in ways I necessarily chance to come in with this sometimes you don't get wickets,” Bond said. Earlier this month, Pandya was ruled out of The restricted technology for didn’t like. I would sort of do group and turn up and learn Bond, who has spent considerable amount of the Test series against New Zealand after failing Ranji semis will not have Hawk Eye it and then post-game be everyday - try and better myself time with Bumrah as the Mumbai Indians bowl- to regain full match fitness. and Ultra Edge, two key components like,’What did I do that for?” he as a cricketer - was something ing coach in the IPL, nonetheless expects India's of the DRS used in international was quoted as saying by that was too hard to turn premier strike bowler to have a “massive impact” games. ‘stuff.Co.Nz’. down, so look, it’s been massive on the two-Test series starting Friday. added the bowler, whose promising career was cut “We will be using the technology Jamieson shifted to for my game. “When you come back from a lay-off, it’s short by numerous injuries. which is available to us. We are look- Auckland, where he was born, “...It was just a shift that I always hard to get into the groove. Just that he “It always takes time to get back to top form ing at a very limited use of the DRS. prior to this season after mak- needed to make. Most impor- hadn't had a lot of game before the series and con- because there is no substitute of game time. So We don't have snickometer and ball ing his T20 debut for tantly, I needed to be happy and ditions are a bit foreign,” said Bond. it’s good for Jasprit that he is leading into Test tracking. We have red zone and we Canterbury in 2016 in the I needed to enjoy my cricket. “Although New Zealand played him well in matches with some short form cricket,” said Bond, have spin vision and we will try and Super Smash. Wherever that may take me, limited overs, Jasprit will have a massive impact who played 18 Tests, 82 ODIs and 20 T20 give whatever is available to umpires He said there was a lot of then it will,” he added. on the Test series. I have no doubt about that,” Internationals. for them to decide,” added Karim.