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Government has also tried to Narendra Modi said the Family members may bring scheme will result in the dation roadmap of bringing it prepare a narrative that could Interim Budget was merely a down the landholding to avail Government breaching its 3.3 down to 3.1 per cent in 2019- ith an eye on the forth- be used to silence the “trailer” of what will guide of the benefits, affecting the per cent fiscal deficit target 20 and 3 per cent in 2020-21. Wcoming Lok Sabha Opposition and help the BJP in India towards prosperity after farm earning. from the current year. “We would have main- elections, Finance Minister convincing the voters that the the Lok Sabha polls, Congress The stock market gave the The populist measure will tained fiscal deficit at 3.3 per Piyush Goyal on Friday promise of “achchhe din” may president Rahul Gandhi said Budget the thumbs up with have far reaching impact on the cent for the year 2018-19 and offered a bouquet of relief to become a reality if Prime that the Government was giv- consumption, agriculture, and Government fiscal consolida- taken further steps to consoli- farmers, taxpayers, unor- Minister Narendra Modi gets a ing 17 a day to farmers after auto stocks stealing the show, tion target. For the next fiscal date fiscal deficit in the year ganised sector work- second term in office. “destroying” their lives in last but banking stocks remained also, Goyal pegged the fiscal 2019-20. However, considering ers, and real estate As expected the five years. depressed with the announce- deficit at 3.4 per cent of the the need for income support to developers. In the Government has kept its focus The sops offered by the ment that farm income support GDP, up from fiscal consoli- farmers, we have provided process, he slipped on large chunk of voting com- Government will undoubtedly 20,000 crore in 2018-19 RE on the fiscal munity — farmers, taxpayers, help it in the elections, but their (Revised Estimate) and 75,000 deficit target, and housing sectors that pro- implementation will be an crore in 2019-20. If we exclude raising concerns vides employment to millions arduous exercise. In a country this, the fiscal deficit would from various of laborers. The promise of with no reliable job data in the have been less than 3.3 per cent rating and bro- pension to workers of unor- unorganised sector, how the for 2018-19 and less than 3.1 kerage agen- ganised sectors is also seen as beneficiates will be identified is per cent for the year 2019-20,” cies. major decision that could be a million dollar question. #.# way for revenue spending,” he said. The thrust turned into a “catch line” to For example, whether a Crisil said in a note on Friday. With farming community of the Budget is woo the poor. rickshaw-puller earns 15,000 ating agencies led by Crisil Meanwhile, it’s peer Icra up in arms against the on wooing The Budget exempted peo- or 20,000 a month is not eas- Rhave raised concerns over termed the “sharp rise” in rev- Government, Goyal both urban and ple with an earning of up to 5 ily verifiable. In most cases, the the curtailed capital spending enue deficit a “concern”. announced an direct income rural voters who lakh from payment of income Government may not have any to cap fiscal deficit at 3.5 per Terming the inability to support scheme for 12 crore rejected the BJP in tax and offered an annual cash option but to either go by self cent for FY18, and have warned meet fiscal deficit target for small and marginal farmers by the recent Assembly dole-out of 6,000 to small claim or determine an earnings the higher target for next fiscal four consecutive years as a big providing 6,000 in their bank elections of Madhya farmers while unveiling a estimate in various sectors. will delay the fiscal consolida- “credit negative” for the sover- accounts in three equal install- Pradesh, Chhattisgarh scheme to provide a monthly Similarly, the identifica- tion process by three years. eign, global rating agency ments in a year. This is esti- and Rajasthan. By pension of 3,000 to workers in tion of farmers with up to two “It is the productive spend- Moody’s doubted if the coun- mated to cost 75,000 crore making a big pop- the unorganised sector. hectare holding is also not ing in the economy that has try will meet even the 3.4 per- annually to the Government. ulist push, the While Prime Minister going to be an easy exercise. seen a compromise, making cent fiscal gap target for FY20. Continued on Page 4 % %& 7 ,% %%, , " "@(2 %,%% " " & " %, % 1O "& , ( " % " 1" % #& E: ' &%% "% # , % 2 %"" 1&," "E&# ' A %' % ,% %"" 1' "% # " crore extra has been provided "&D8 $ "& B'888"' for the scheme in the revised B"%$ 3- '%%, %% , ,488 n a move to provide an estimate for the current fiscal. % %%& A % " & "'1 Iassured income to the small The Finance Minister said, " ", %" & @8 and marginal farmers, the “This initiative will benefit 12 " 7, & % 43- %% Modi Government on Friday crore small and marginal farm- &## &, -%%,48 announced a slew of measures, ers, at an estimated cost of including direct income sup- 75,000 crore.” % 2C'4@@ 1& "98'88828'888 3# "& 74 ( # " port of 6,000 per year. The Finance Minister said, " E&# " ," Presenting the Interim “This programme will be fund- Budget for 2019-20, acting ed by the Government of India. 3 %" " , , %F,&& 48% 1B8% 1 3-&" %% "& Finance Minister Piyush Goyal The programme would be -% % / 31%# said under the Pradhan Mantri made effective from December %" ' 528 ( Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM- 1, 2018 and the first installment ! " "4(C% 1 %" %% " 7(9% 1 % ,&& KISAN), 6,000 annual sup- for the period up to March 31, -%% - B(9 port will be provided to farm- 2019 would be paid during this ers with land holding of two year itself.” "# hectare or five acre. Union Agriculture The new scheme will be Minister Radha Mohan Singh implemented from December hailed the Budget and termed 1, 2018 and the amount will be its historic one for farmers. paid in three installments of The assured income sup- 2000 (every four months) port is seen as an attempt to through direct benefit transfer. assuage the farming commu- As many as 12 crore small and nity’s discontent ahead of the marginal farmers are expected general elections. The direct to benefit from the scheme. cash transfer was one of the Farmers who are sowing rabi highly anticipated and talked / 0 Company Limited, Jabalpur, 748.02 crore crops during the ongoing rabi about schemes in the interim for the strengthening of transmission sys- season will be benefitted from Budget 2019. he State Cabinet here on Friday took 3 0- - . tem of Madhya Pradesh Power the scheme. About 20,000 Continued on Page 4 Ta decision for continuation of Free Transmission Company Limited, Boarding Education Scheme under the - #- Jabalpur and 1294.88 crore for strength- Eklavya Polytechnic Yojana in three poly- ening of sub-transmission and distribution ! technic colleges of Mandla, Jhabua and 784D$78 system of Madhya Pradesh Eastern/ Harsud to give benefit of the scheme to the Central / Western Region Power students of scheduled tribe. Under the The Cabinet has approved 2552.90 Distribution Company Ltd Jabalpur / scheme, free drawing, stationery, books, crore funding for three under construc- Bhopal / Indore. scholarship and meals will be provided to tion/ prevailing projects of Madhya The Cabinet decided to give the State he Chief Minister Kamal the students of scheduled tribe. Pradesh Power Generating/ Transmission Government’s guarantee for a medium TNath has described the Approval has been given to continue Company Limited and Madhya Pradesh term loan of 1200 crore by Madhya Interim Union Budget pre- this scheme till 2019-20. The Cabinet has Eastern / Central / Western Region Power Pradesh Western Region Power Distribution sented at Parliament on Friday given approval for continuation of Vistaar Distribution Companies for the financial Company Limited, Indore from RIC New as full of Jumlas or exaggerat- Vaniki Yojana of the financial limit of year 2018-19 and financial year 2019-20. Delhi. The Madhya Pradesh Western Zone ed promises saying that it pre- 58.54 crore till 2019-20 being imple- These include approval of 510 crore for Power Distribution Company Limited, sented keeping an eye on forth- mented by the Forest Department under Singaji Thermal Power House Project of Indore will pay guarantee fee at the rate of coming Lok Sabha election. the 12th Five Year Plan. Madhya Pradesh Power Generating 0.5 per cent per annum for the guarantee. Giving his reaction, Kamal bering two crore would be gen- Nath said that the promise of erated. Both the promises giving direct income support at turned out to be false promis- the rate of 6000 annually to es. The Chief Minister said that the farmers owning upto two in the last four and a half years hectare is extremely meager. India is having maximum This means they will get five number of unemployed per- street vendors, rickshaw provide the informal sector pension of 3,000 from the age tribution of a small affordable hundred rupees every month sons in its history. pullers, construction workers... workers an assured monthly of 60 years on a monthly con- amount during their working that will come about 16.50 Referring to the Prime n what could provide social And in numerous other simi- age, he said. "# every day. This is nothing. He Minister Shram Yogi Isecurity cover to 10 crore lar occupations. Domestic According to the scheme, #$ % said that waiving the loans of Maandhan scheme, Nath said labourers, the Union Budget on workers are also engaged in big an unorganised sector worker ""% farmers would have been the that by joining the contributory Friday announced a new numbers. We must provide joining the pension scheme at & biggest relief to the farmers. pension scheme at the age of 29 scheme to provide unorganised them comprehensive social the age of 29 years will have to "&' % ( The Madhya Pradesh govern- years and start of the pension workers with up to 15,000 security coverage for their old contribute only 100 per % '" ment is giving the biggest relief of 3000 per month on com- monthly income an assured age”. month till the age of 60 years. L M to the farmers by waiving off pletion of 60 years contribut- pension of 3,000 per month Through the Budget, the The scheme provides that &" " their debts. He said that the ing 100 rupees per month is after 60 years of age. Government proposed to an informal sector worker join- % urban poor youth are being a farce. He said that inflation Presenting the Interim launch a mega pension yojana ing the scheme at 18 years will L"" %M &% given jobs under the Yuva would be so high that the Budget in the Lok Sabha, namely ‘Pradhan Mantri have to contribute 55 per , &( Swabhiman Yojana in MP. value of pension amount Finance Minister Piyush Goyal Shram-Yogi Maandhan’ month. Nath further said that ear- would be thousand times said, “Half of India’s GDP (PMSYM) for the unorganised The Government will lier the people were promised lower. He expressed regret that comes from the sweat and toil sector workers with monthly deposit equal matching share in P of getting 15 lakh in their no provision has been made for of 42 crore workers in the income up to 15,000, he said. the pension account of the ! -% respective accounts. Jobs num- non-farm labour in the Budget. unorganised sector working as The pension scheme will worker every month. &. % % ,% % &", $ #'2 " - "" % % ="%, "" "%% & & :"% %%' % ( & " (#3 # "( & & % "7849 3<O "((( "&48:,'488 " ' " " % # " ',%& & % /,0 & % "( 3" "";42% 1 && %& & " % %% 1 3&"45 , 1 (- "%% &, = ' ,%"%1 1& , % 1 , %& 3"O"%% O' "%%, %% % & '"%" "% & %& %% 1 " ,O N:"%, O,%% % ," # "#$ " $ & "(

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() ) *+ *,-. "# $% / &' $" 5! 3 / # & % ' % Smarak first then - /- & & %1 %& #"" marched towards the # 3 -- , B2J - ; % K 8@8C Mantralaya with the ./E # / H / # , '784DJ 3 K /1$ police band while play- & %%' 3/#(- 48(88 (#( - /- %&" ."$ ing tunes of patriotic 0 # -/ # / 3/ ## songs. & %1( Minister for General - -- /- - Administration, /# O $ 7 P Cooperatives and 5!/ :H ' " ' # %; Parliamentary Affairs Rahi Hoon’and ‘Qadan Qadam ' ' " Govind Singh, Minister Badhaye Ja’ in the entire route. &784D$78 $%1& for Law and Legislative People full of national spirit %A "(- & %% Affairs and Public walked towards the Sardar Patel & ",$,&' & Relations PC Sharma Park with enthusiasm. The park was ,%" % &" and Minister for Sports decorated specially for the pro- "%$"& "(-&"" & %1 and Youth Welfare and gramme. Besides, food court arrange- &,& %% % & B(9 Higher Education Jeetu ment was also made by the Madhya &&( " #" Patwari also participated Pradesh Tourism for the conve- " "/ % 1 in the march. nience of the people. "$ %'&"/@(2% 1%% People started The group recital of the National ""' ( assembling at the Song ‘Vande Matram’ and National Shaurya Smarak from Anthem ‘Jana_gana-Mana’ held at )+23+8 $7 10.00 a.m. itself for the Mantralaya in presence of the Chief 5!.= H "'C9(29 Vande Matram Minister Kamal Nath. Those who " ," % %%= B4&( Programme that started present on the occasion include the " 95(84% 1 " ," % in the new form. Chief Secretary SR Mohanty, %22(@4% 1% %& "( & The Ministers and Additional Chief Secretary, General " ' % ,,",7D(@4% 1 " (!( ( + , ( prominent citizens after Administration Vinod Semval, %7D(@4% 1&% ("% %' ! paying the floral tribute Additional Chief Secretary Forest KK % ,,",45(C@% 1 " at Shaurya Smarak start- Singh, Additional Chief Secretary %7@(@7% 1% (-%%' %9(82 in new form at Sardar Vallabh Bhai Group recital of the National ed walking with people towards the Energy ICP Kesri and % 11 % ,,"( Patel Park near Mantralaya in pres- Anthem, ‘Jana-Gana-Mana’ also took Sardar Patel park near Mantralaya. officers/employees of Mantrayalaya, % "'B4(22% 1 % % , roup recital of the national song ence of the Chief Minister Kamal place on this occasion. People in large The police band played tunes of Vindhyachal and Satpura Bhavan in " ( ‘Vande Matram’ held on Friday Nath. number paid floral tribute at Shaurya patriotic songs like ‘Nanha Munna large number. G $ 5! %%# %"" %%, 1&"%%' %% ) +,+-+ # &",&,# % P , 48(- % '., %" & " & %%% % %%, %! % " &" ( Competition organised by Rad Bhopal: The city theatre lovers lifestyle people followed before Art Talent Scout-First Edition O P experienced a splendid evening the Britishers came to India fol- different Class Groups all chil- #!'!549-,& %% %% as a Hindi play ‘Hawalaat’ was lowed by the Britishers era dren of age group 6 to 19 years , , staged at Shaheed Bhawan here and then it totally focused old were participated. ,%%% 0 = , % ", on Friday. upon the present situation of It has been started to moti- """ H % "&,&( Written by a noted Hindi the society. vate artistic and their creative %%%,%%1 " poet Sarveshwar Dayal Saxena, All the characters left a minds. ,"&1 , %(-# the play is directed by Ganesh memorable impression over The students painted their 7 %" Kumar Guarav. Play ‘Hawalaat’ the audiences. The props, back- perceptions or conveyed their ", "%," %% ( % & % focuses upon the lifestyle the drop of the play and the poet- thoughts and ideas on paper & %"/2% 1%,"%% , people have adopted after India ic dialogues added more zeal in through beautiful inscriptions " & , 1 , got independence. The play is the presentation. The audi- brought out on canvas and dis- &"( " H " %3 % a satire on society and differ- ences were awestruck with the played their artistic skills based %& % , ence in the living standard of presentation of the artists. on different themes open in % &&%&%& %& " the people. Later, Nat Bundele and this competition for drawing &( The play was performed by Sagun Theatre performed Rang and painting respectively. the artists of Sagun Sagar Sangeet. Rang Sangeet is all More than 11000 students Guncha Natrang and Welfare about the music and theatres. of class 1 to 12 from different 5! %3 - &/% / ,% # Society Theatre Troupe. Here the music of theatre is CBSE and Private Schools A% 3"3 /% %' The story of the play sur- presented in Rang Sangeet. It is from All over India were par- H (1& &( A%& rounds four characters which also to be noted that the lyrics ticipated in this competition. " " % ,% &, includes three teenage boys of of Rabindranath Tagore, poet- Campion School Principal Fr " % %( A%% low caste and a police consta- ries of Dharamvir Bharti, the Competition organised by Rad to their Art and Craft Senior Athnas Lakra SJ, and vice 1& %" &( ble. The boys are unemployed dialogues and the works of BV Art Talent Scout-Fourth Teacher Aarti Sharma, under Principal Fr Amritlal Toppo % "%1& %& , and to have food and shelter Karanth are the ones per- tudent of the Campion Edition. her guidance they performed SJ, Congratulated Aarti &( % # % % " % they ask the police constable to formed with great fervor. Also SSchool Arera Colony Afaque of class VIII was this level of painting creativi- Sharma and the winner stu- 3 # % .& & ' ,%= ,, H arrest them. The constable the music performed in various Bhopal, Afaque Ahmad bagged first rank and received ty and holds first position. dent Master Afaque Ahmad ( A%% 3 / 0 however cannot arrest them as old plays of Karanth, Habib Siddiqui Participated in Gold Medal and Certificate of This competition was held Siddiqui for making School % %& % % they have not committed any Tanvir, Alakhnanadan and oth- International Level Drawing Excellence which was held few in Kala Academy Panaji Goa. proud on India level and give "" %( A%%& % "% % crime. The play begin with a ers were also performed during and Painting competition- days back and result declared In the Fourth Edition of best wishes for their bright % % ( strong narration depicting the Rang Sangeet presentation. SR International Student Art recently. Afaque gives thanks “International Student Art future. " % % " 1 &" ( "#$$ " %, &#'$$ # / ++ ! name of marriage and when liminary investigation the -+ the family members came to police found registered a case shoka Graden police have know they asked the accused under section 376 of the IPC ! "! # ) +! Bhopal: Off Pump Beating Anabbed a 31-year-old mis- to marry victim but he refused and started investigation. ! , Surgery of 55 years old creant involved in sexually and after refusal victim lodged Meanwhile, Gautam Premnarayan has been per- assaulting and exploiting his a complaint with the police. Nagar police have booked a " ,) #. " formed in Hamidia Hospital of 29-year-old cousin for the The family members of 24-year-old miscreant who # /! 0 ! Bhopal. This is the first surgery past two years. the victim and accused tried to molested a 17-year-old girl in ## ! # ) which has been performed Police said that acting on persuade the accused to marry the evening in Gautam Nagar. " ! # ! ) after opening of Cath Lab in a tip off rape accused identi- the victim but accused denied. Police said that the #"2 3 ! "". ! the hospital. This is a big fied as Manish Adhlak was The accused works with a accused Anas Khan molested achievement for the Hamidia nabbed after a complaint was private firm and lives in a rent- the victim when she was on ". ! " " 4 hospital as it has become first lodged by the victim who was ed room in Bhopal. The her way to work. The victim ! # O P government hospital of the sexually assaulted for the past accused used to sexually works as a domestic help. A ! state to perform such surgery. two years. exploit the victim at his rent- case under section 354 of the It may be mentioned that The victim in her comed house in Ashoka Garden IPC has been registered Director Sports and Youth Premnarayan, a resident of plaint stated that she was sex- area due to which case has against the accused and start- Welfare SL Thoussen also Bairagarh was admitted in the ually assaulted and exploited been registered by Ashoka ed search for the accused who ll India Civil Services existed He applauded the play- hospital with severe chest pain. from the year 2016 in the Garden police. After the pre- went absconding. AKabaddi competition was ers by welcoming the players He was diagnosed with heart inaugurated on Friday at the with a brilliant performance. attack (Anterior Lateral Wall) martial arts hall located in TT On this occasion, the joint in ECG and ECO Nagar Stadium. As many as director, other officers includ- Cardiography test. men’s players 15 states and ing Vinod Pradhan were also Premnarayan was immediate- $ ! %& women players of 9 states are present. Besides, famous inter- ly administered with blood participating in the competi- national and star players of the thinner medicine. tion. country are also participating His three arteries were In the thrilling contest in All India Civil Services found choked in an angiogra- between Madhya Pradesh and Kabaddi Competition. These phy conducted by Cardiologist ' Kerala, women players from include Rahul Chaudhary, Dr RS Meena and therefore Madhya Pradesh defeated Pradeep Narwal, Mohit Chillar, angioplasty was not possible. Kerala by 52-08 points to win Amit Hooda and Sandeep The Professor of ! #" ! gest that the miscreants were the unilateral win. Himachal Narwal of Delhi. Cardiothoracic, Dr Praveen # ! aware of the whereabouts of the Pradesh beat Kerala by 41-10 Meanwhile, on the sec- Sharma after consulting the old and silver ornaments . 4 victim. Domestic help and in other matches played in ond day of the 29th National Head of the Anesthesia Gand other valuables worth " ! " security guards would be ques- women's section. Besides, Junior and Sub Junior Department sent the patient for total 65000 were burgled from ) tioned in the further investi- Maharashtra State defeated Kayaking-Canoeing surgery on January 31. B-Sector Piplani under Piplani gation. Karnataka State by 44-38 Competition held in city, After the successful police station area on Thursday. Meanwhile, a bag carrying points and RSB Rajasthan Madhya Pradesh players surgery, there is a big improve- Police said that the victim The police said that as part valuables worth 50000 was defeated Haryana by 49-13 earned 13 gold, 2 silver and 5 ment in health of Premnarayan. Ashok Sudarani had gone to of the investigation, CCTV stolen near Berasia while in a points. bronze medals, out of which 11 Minister for Medical Education meet his relatives three days cameras of the locality will be city bus on January 24; a com- Similarly, in the men's cat- were gold and 5 Bronze medals Vijaylaxmi Sadho has congrat- ago and when he returned in monitored. The neighbours plaint was lodged with the egory, Pondicherry State has were given by the state water ulated the Dean Dr Aruna the afternoon on Thursday the have expressed ignorance over police on Thursday. given Karnataka State by 48-29 sports academy to Madhya Kumar including the team of valuables were found burgled. the burglary. In the incident, The victim Makhan Singh points, Delhi NCT has got Pradesh. Under the competi- cardiothoracic surgery com- A complaint was lodged more than 20 gms of gold jew- along with his wife boarded bus Kerala State from 38-23 points, tion, it will be played 200 and prising of Dr Praveen Sharma, with the police by the victim in elleries and other valuables for Berasia from State of Rajasthan defeated 5000 meters on Saturday. It is Dr Shivsagar Mandiya, Dr RP which the victim stated that he were burgled. The total loss in Teelajamalpura and when his Andhra Pradesh by 39-19 notable that the water sports Kaushal, Dr Shweta Shrivastava left the house on January 29 the burglary is around Rs wife checked the bag valuables points and 39-18 points. academy is trained under the and Vinay Kelkar for such a and when he returned on 65000. were found stolen. The police During the match played guidance of Kayaking- significant surgery and bring- Thursday the door of the house Within two hours miscre- have registered a case under between Madhya Pradesh and Canoeing instructor Captain ing laurels to the Hamidia hos- was open and on entering, the ants broke the lock and escaped section 379 of the IPC and have Kerala under All India Civil Pijush Bharoi and Assistant pital. SR valuables were found burgled. with the valuables which sug- started further investigation. Services Kabaddi Competition, Trainer Ankush Bhardwaj.

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C M Y K () ) *+ *,-. ! $5 0 1 %-% +,$ + + ! the ministers followed by obit- accounts of various depart- "" ! uary reference and introduc- ments were submitted to the 3 / 6 ! Officer also told the Ward agar Public School, Rohit tion of new ministers. In the Speaker. Foreign Delegates Health Officer to terminate SNagar conducted Youth ! ! QUESTION HOUR, sitting were welcomed and Speaker ith an aim to have zero ! ! the services of such workers Parliament under the able guid- ) ) session of Lok Sabha, Member proceeded up the attention Wtolerance where cleanli- who are habitual absentees. ance of Pandit Kunjilal Dubey, " of Parliament raised their ques- motion and bills to be amend- ness is concerned the Gwalior # ! "P 6 It has also been come to the Rashtriya Sansadiya " tions about any aspect of ed were considered. The House Municipal Corporation has notice that most of the work- Vidyapeeth (National administrative activity and the was adjourned after the decided to crack the whip on ! " . ! ers are on contract basis and Parliamentary Studies Institute) concerned ministers obligated National Anthem. erring sanitary workers. they remain absent even while Bhopal. the session. Thus an enlightening ses- It has been brought to the +"# drawing wages. It is learnt that The session was witnessed Vidyapeeth. After ZERO HOUR, MP’s sion for students was conclud- notice of the civic authorities this is done in connivance by Pratima Yadav, Director, Sagarites from class IX to raised questions of national ed where they learnt the func- many times that most of the # " "" with the WHO and the con- Rashtriya Sansadiya XI participated and depicted a importance without any prior tioning of Indian Parliament sanitary workers donot report tractor. Vidyapeeth, Ramesh Mahajan, session of Parliament. The ses- notice. Later, in the session and its significance in shaping to duty on time resulting in ! A departmental enquiry Deputy Secretary, Madhya sion commenced with oath of papers regarding annual new India. garbage and filth getting accu- has also been initiated against Pradesh Vidhan Sabha mulated in many areas of the two WHOs, Dalveer More and Secretariat, BR Sharma, Under city. Manoj Chauhan for negligence Secretary, Government of Taking a serious view of the in duty. The Corporation has Madhya Pradesh Parliamentary matter and with the aim to ascertained that the piling of instructed the concerned offi- also decided to stop the salary Affairs Department, MK upgrade the city’s ranking in garbage and the clogging of cials to stop the payment of the increment of these ward offi- Rajoriya, Deputy Director, the cleanliness survey, the drains in many wards are the absent workers. The Health cers for one year. Rashtriya Sansadiya Municipal Commissioner direct result of sanitation work- deployed officials concerned to ers not turning up for duty for verify the situation in various several days. wards. During the inspection tour A head count was taken of the Corporation Medical and it was found that the Officer, Satpal Singh Chauhan names of the sanitary workers it was found that 21 workers were only on paper as many were absent in ward no 29 and were hardly seen in several 60. wards. It has been once again Chauhan immediately -" 1" "

Bhopal: Fuelled over old enmi- of the IPC and have started ty a 17-year-old building search for the absconding painter was attacked by a mis- accused. The crime record of the creant with a sharp-edged absconding accused would be weapon at Ayodhya Nagar over investigated. SR old dispute in the evening on Thursday. According to the police, the victim Amit Giri was at home when the accused Kuldeep reached and attacked the victim with sharp edged weapon. The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital where his condition is reportedly stable. In his statements the victim claimed that when he was at home the accused came and asked him to have talk and when he went outside the accused started to abuse and later attacked the victim with a sharp edged weapon in his stomach and escaped the spot. The victim also sustained injuries in other parts when he tried to save himself. The victim is a resident of Bijli Nagar Colony Anand Nagar and works as a painter. The victim told the police that he and Kuldeep work as bulding painters and were having a dispute for long over a contract of painting building and few days ago he slapped the accused and to settle score he attacked with sharp edged weapon. The police have registered a case under section 307 1$,% & % ,%

ne of the two bike-bornes Omiscreants, who used to target elderly women and their valuables, has been nabbed by Baghsewania police from Indore. The miscreants used to commit robbery in the state capital and would return to Indore and have confessed five robberies were committed by on January 24 said SP South Bhopal Sampat Updhyay while speaking with media persons at press conference on Friday. On January 24 the miscreants targeted women in Saket Nagar, Alkapuri and Shahpura and escaped with four gold chains. During the investigation two teams were send to Indore on January 31 and managed to nab Shashank Saxena (26) while Kabeer Saxena went absconding. A motorbike bearing registration number MP09VD6416 was recovered from his possession and in the later investigation four gold chains were also recovered. The accused confessed five robberies. Four in areas under Baghsewania police station area and one in area which is under Shahpura police station area. Providing the modus operandi SP Sampat said that the two accused used to visit the state capital on their brother’s bike and would target elderly women. They would ask for address from the victims and when victim would provide details they would snatch gold chain and escape the spot. Search for the absconding accused has been intensified. () ) *+ *,-. $8 2 3& Bhopal: A grand seminar on find the innovative technolo- Cultural Center, Nagpur will participate in a populist poet- technology for tech savvy peo- gies that will help to power the conclude on February 6. ry programme to be organized ple will be organised in city. digital transformation. ulture Minister The performances on on the same morning. On the The Annual Technology There will be experts who CVijayalakshmi Sadho will February 5 include Nimadi closing day, Manisha Shastri Conclave will be held in city on will talk about the topic. inaugurate the three-day Nimar songs by Babulal Parihar team will present Nimadi songs with Saturday at Minto Hall. Among the experts Deepak festival at Devi Ahilya Ghat, from Badwaha and Bija tribal her group, Sushri Namami InnovTalks, The Annual Tomar Professor, MANIT, Maheshwar in Khargone dis- dance, Gangaur and Matki folk Sonkia will present devotion- Technology Conclave, is a joint Prateek Chandra Vice trict on February 4. The festi- dance of Madhya Pradesh, al songs and Sushri Mira Das initiative of Center for Research President, HSBC, Abizer Head val based on traditional per- Dandiya Ras and Garba of and group will give an Odissi and Industrial Staff of Data Analytics, Verlytics forming arts and literature will Gujarat, Holi and Peacock of dance performance. Performance (CRISP) and Systems, Shivam Tripathi be inaugurated with a presen- Uttar Pradesh, Lingo of The same day, Rahat Verlytics Systems. Senior Consultant, Oscar tation by famous playback Maharashtra, Gaur Madiya of Indori, Vishnu Saxena of Explore the strategic trends Helman Founder and CEO, singer Udit Narayan after Maa Chhattisgarh, Kampu Koya of Aligarh, Sampat Saral of and technologies that are shap- Rose Shipp Founder and CEO, Narmada Maharati and Shankh Andhra Pradesh and Dappu Bikaner Sita Sagar of Gaziabad, ing the future of IT and busi- Isaac Nicholas Founder and dhwani. On the same day, a dance of Telangana. Sandeep Sharma of Dhar and ness at InnovTalks 2019, where CEO and John Arnold Founder boat decoration competition Vishal Kochle of Sabiya Asar and Vijay Tiwari of India’s leading CIOs and senior and CEO. will also be held at the ghat Maheshwar will perform at Bhopal will take part in a Kavi IT executives will come togeth- The topics includes from 3 pm. Qila Parisar from 11 am. Sammelan. A wrestling com- er to discuss key topics includ- Business Outcomes, Strategy The festival which is being Kunwar Uday Singh and petition will also be held in ing data and analytics, artificial and Leadership: the right cul- organized by the Tribal Folk Harish Dubey, Shishir School of Excellence ground intelligence, machine learn- ture, people and skills to make Art and Dialect Development Upadhyay, Atul Dave, Vinod from 10 am. This is the silver ing, culture, customer experi- value pervasive drive data and Academy, Madhya Pradesh Chavre, Narendra Joshi, jubilee year of the Nimar fes- ence and more. analytics into the core of your Sanskriti Parishad, in collabo- Deepak Pagare, Vishnu tival which began in the year InnovTalks 2019 is the business and scale them out- ration with the Department of Phagna, Jayashree Upadhyay 1994. Entry is free to the place to hone the leadership ward to every employee, cus- Culture and the South Central and Virendra Chourey will festival. skills, refine your strategies, and tomer, supplier and partner. SR .! 1 !

@1L((( their emergent needs especial- .!/ 0 ( ly before the harvest season. PM-KISAN would pave From Page 1 the way for the farmers to earn "" 3 / Committee and the current cated that announcing Padma Singh Brahmpura, who has also The move is aimed at and live a respectable living. political equations in the state award to Dhindsa, on the day he floated his own outfit SAD ) addressing rural distress, which Apart from direct income sup- olitical equations is appar- during the core committee sought Sukhbir’s resignation as (Taksali), maintained that the was primarily blamed for the port to farmers, Goyal, in the Pently changing between the meeting on February 3,” a senior SAD president, speaks volume relations between SAD-BJP will Bhopal: Under the Abhinayan lagers from the lions who came BJP’s defeat in recent Assembly Interim Budget for the 2019-20, decade-old allies — Bharatiya SAD leader told The Pioneer. about what BJP is up to in end soon as BJP is well aware series of drama, a new play in the village. elections in key States. also announced extended Janata Party (BJP) and Akali Dal, one of the oldest Punjab. “They know that SAD’s about the Badal family’s declin- Lamajhna was staged at Zamola's father's heart is Having borne the brunt of interest subsidy on loans Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) — partners in the BJP-led NDA, image is badly affected by sac- ing graph came in Punjab. Madhya Pradesh State Tribal ecstatic by seeing the sadness of a number of farmer agitations availed for animal husbandry ahead the crucial 2019 Lok disapproved the Rashtriya rilege issue, which Congress Lashing out at the Badal Museum. The play was per- Zamola and the bravery of and agrarian distress in the past and fishery as well as those Sabha elections, with Punjab’s Sewak Sangh’s alleged interfer- would continue to rake up dur- family for ruining SAD, formed here on Friday. Budhur, and they get married years in its tenure, appeasing farmers affected by severe nat- regional party sounding notes ence in the gurudwara affairs. ing elections too,” said the Khadoor Sahib MP said that The play was performed by to each other. this vast community is crucial ural calamities. of discord. Political observers believed observer. because of Badals’ wrong deeds, Raunak Social and Cultural This play will present the for the BJP. The loss in three The Union Budget also Accusing the saffron party that the current development The observer maintained the BJP-led Government has Society theatre troupe. tradition of Gond tribe and States in Hindi heartland States announced 2.5 per cent inter- of interfering in Sikh affairs, the may lead to completely changed that BJP want a leader of Badal’s been facing massive calamity all The play was directed by dance which will be performed of Madhya Pradesh, est subventions for farmers SAD had “threatened to break political equations in Punjab, stature and Dhindsa can fill that over world. “In such circum- Jyoti Dubey and is written by by the artists. Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan struck by natural calamities. alliance” with the BJP. In fact, to maintaining that Padma award space and that was why BJP is stances, which party will con- Shri Laxmi Narayan. Artists presented their act- for the BJP may also be large- Adding to it, he announced 2 register its protest, the SAD to the rebel SAD leader Sukhdev wooing him. Moreover, it has tinue their alliance with the The story of the drama ing skills to the audience. At the ly attributed to the farmers’ per cent interest subvention for leaders stayed away from the Singh Dhindsa was also a part options to choose between var- Badal family and it’s not out revolves around the hero of the beginning of the drama, the anger against the BJP. The animal husbandry and fisheries National Democratic Alliance’s of a larger strategy by the saffron ious political parties that have place to mention that the time play Budhuru. artists presented the origin of move was widely expected due sector. The Finance Minister (NDA) pre-budget meeting on brigade. come up. would come when the Badal In the drama, the girl's the earth, the creation of the to rising agrarian distress in said, “Presently, the crop loans Thursday, while its leader and It is also believed that the “What I believe could be the family will alone remain in father brings a lamb to her girl universe. the country, with the are rescheduled for such affect- Sri Anandpur Sahib MP Prof SAD’s “threat” to break ties possibility...the BJP would break SAD,” he said adding that Badal Jamola, making her lust, and all After this, tribal life and Opposition repeatedly attacked farmers and they get bene- Prem Singh Chandumajra with BJP is also a under a alliance with the SAD and join bahu Harsimrat would play a the work done by a young their struggles were presented ing the Government for failing fit of interest subvention of 2 attended the all-party meeting scheme of things as the Akali hands with Khaira (Sukhpal key role in breaking SAD-BJP woman is done and she serves through Zamola and Badru. In to improve the situation of per cent only for the first year on the same day. Dal wanted to build pressure on Khaira’s Punjabi Ekta Party), alliance by resigning as Union the father-in-law. this play where there is a love farmers who are doubly bur- of the rescheduled loan. Our SAD, who has all along the saffron party ahead polls, Bains Brothers (Lok Insaaf Cabinet Minister to uphold Meanwhile, Budhura and story of Zamola and Badru, the dened by debt as well as low Government has now decided been demanding a relief pack- especially at a time when most Party) who have been in touch sentiments of Sikh community Zamola seem to fall for each struggle of tribal life, and after prices for their produce. that all farmers affected by age for the farmers, had also of the opposition parties are with the BJP since long, and by doing politics over religious other. But the girl's father does that, the mind set of the tribal The Congress’s promise of severe natural calamities, where expressed extreme displeasure coming together against the SAD faction formed by tradi- issues which Badals always do. not like the boy's work and he society was shown. farm loan waivers won them assistance is provided from for ignoring its demand. NDA forming a “maha-gath- tional Akali leaders — SAD But as far as talks regarding refuses to marry the boy. At the end of the drama, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and National Disaster Relief Fund To discuss the issue further, bandhan” to dislodge Modi Taksali and Dhindsa in Punjab, breaking ties are concerned, Zamola becomes sad to the artists presented the beliefs Madhya Pradesh. PM-KISAN (NDRF), will be provided the the SAD has convened a meet- government, and BJP did not leaving out the SAD,” said the the SAD president Sukhbir hear the news of Mercury's on the stage of Gond tribe. Yojna would not only provide benefit of interest subvention of ing of its core group on Sunday. want to lose any ally. observer. Badal and his Union Minister return. During the theatrical presen- assured supplemental income 2 per cent and prompt repay- “The party would discuss the A political observer, in a Giving credence to this the- wife Harsimrat Kaur Badal sent Here, Mercury shows his tation, the cast also performed to the most vulnerable farmer ment incentive of 3 per cent for issue of Hazoor Sahib Gurdwara know of things in Punjab, indi- ory, the SAD’s “rebel” MP Ranjit confusing signals on Thursday. bravery and protects the vil- Saila and Karma dance. SR families, but would also meet the entire period of resched-

pensioners, self- ((( employed and small businesses with total income From Page 1 of 4 lakh. For those making Farmers with less than two investments of 1.5 lakh in tax hectares of cultivable land will saving instruments, the tax-free be eligible to get benefit under income would be 6.5 lakh. the e scheme, called Pradhan The rebate will cost the Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi. Government 18,500 crore in The Budget proposed to revenue. implement the scheme from For those with taxable the current fiscal year and set income in the range of 7.5 aside 20,000 crore for this pur- lakh to 30 lakh annual, the pose. Budget proposed to raise stan- In a relief to lower middle dard deduction by 10,000 to class, the Budget proposed 50,000. This would lead to exempt from tax or those saving of 2,000 to 3,000 in whose taxable income is less taxes to those falling in this than 5 lakh. But anyone earn- income category. The Budget ing more than 5 lakh annu- also exempted from deduc- ally will continue to pay taxes tion of tax at source for inter- at the prevailing rates: no tax on est income earned from first 2.5 lakh, 5 per cent on deposits in banks and post income between 2.5 and 5 offices up to 40,000 from cur- lakh, 20 per cent on income rent 10,000. This would help between 5 lakh and 10 lakh all salaried taxpayers who lost and 30 per cent on earnings of out last year due to the removal over 10 lakh. The measure will of medical reimbursement and 1 2 3 6 7 ( 267(3 6 7 1P benefit nearly 3 crore taxpay- transport allowance exemp- 67( ! 14 , ! ers, including salaried classes, tions. 202 "

3 / being set up by the Haryana announcement during the announced to develop a special Madhogarh Fort have also Government in Kala Amb, dis- inaugural ceremony of the 33rd memorial to show the history been linked to the Krishna aharashtra Chief Minister trict Panipat, in the memory of Surajkund International Crafts of bravery of Marathas through Circuit. MDevendra Fadnavis on Maratha warriors of the third Mela-2019 in Faridabad. the medium of light and sound “Even today, the youth of Friday announced a grant of 3 battle of Panipat. On the occasion, Haryana on four acres area on GT Road, Haryana have great feeling of crore for the war memorial Fadnavis made the Chief Minister Manohar Lal Panipat, so as to bring both patriotism and whenever these State Maharashtra and recruitment is conducted for host State Haryana more clos- Army, the youth come forward er in historical and cultural in a large numbers. Despite the terms. two per cent representation in Manohar Lal also the country's population and announced to expand the 1.6 per cent in geographical Maratha war memorial site of representation, there is 10 per eight acres located on Kala cent representation of Haryana Amb to 20 acres. in the Indian Army,” he added. During his address, gratitude to his Haryana coun- added. Mela, over 31 countries are Speaking on the occasion, Fadnavis said that Haryana terpart and Tourism Minister Earlier, Chief Minister, participating and other coun- Haryana Tourism Minister and Maharashtra have a soil Ram Bilas Sharma for choos- Manohar Lal, welcomed the tries are also being invited. Ram Bilas Sharma said that the and blood relationship. ing Maharashtra as the ‘theme visitors of all the countries in Manohar Lal said that the Surajkund Mela is being made More than one lakh brave State’ in the 33rd Surajkund the 33rd Surajkund Haryana Government has the centre of attraction across Marathas of Maharashtra have International Crafts Mela- International Crafts Mela-2019 signed an agreement with the the world. sacrificed their lives for the lib- 2019. As a memorial, the repli- and said that since the present Indian Council for Cultural “Last year, 25 countries eration of the country in the ca of the fort of Raigarh, the Government took over the Relations, New Delhi, under had participated, 600 stalls third battle of Panipat. At pre- Capital of Chhatrapati Shivaji reins, this is the fifth Surajkund which, the artists of Haryana were installed and 16 lakh vis- sent, lakhs of Marathas are liv- Maharaj has been set up by the Mela and we are moving for- would take forward the cul- itors had visited. This year, 31 ing in Haryana, he said. theme State. ward in realising the dream of tural heritage of the State in countries are participating and He said that the Fadnavis also invited the Ek Bharat, Shresth Bharat, of other countries. the number of stalls has also Maharashtra Government tourists of the country and also Prime Minister Narendra He said that in the Krishna been increased to over 1,400. would give its all possible con- of abroad, for tourism in Modi. Circuit, we have joined 48 He has made available 10 acres tribution for stronger cultural Maharashtra. “We are also He said that such fests Kos areas near Kurukshetra. land adjoining Surajkund for ties between both the States. going to start Ramayana strengthen the unity and Apart from this, parking, by freeing it from Fadnavis also expressed Festival in Maharashtra”, he integrity of the country. In this Mahendergarh Fort and encroachment,” Sharma said. () ) *+ *,-. $9

Q& R06+ 1&+ -,,2 6 P ,+ court posted the matter for hearing on February 6. $ 3## Aadmi Party’s Sanjay Singh he Supreme Court Friday The bench was hearing a # ! and Rashtriya Lok Dal leader New Delhi: The second meet- Both Verma and Asthana inconclusive yet again despite Tasked the Centre why it has petition of NGO Common Jayant Chaudhary among oth- ing of the Prime Minister had accused each other of cor- the Supreme Court on Friday not appointed a regular CBI Cause challenging the appoint- pposition parties on Friday ) " ers, attended the meeting. Narendra Modi-led Selection ruption and the CVC had vet- stating that it was “averse” to director and said it was “averse” ment of Rao as interim CBI Odecided to approach the ! > “We have had a good meet- Committee for selection of ted some of the allegations the arrangement of an interim to the appointment of an inter- Director. Election Commission on ing. All parties have agreed to CBI Director remained incon- against the then Chief. CBI Director and directed the im chief for the agency for a During the hearing the Monday for redressal of their ! " discuss in detail three issues - clusive, officials said on Friday. Verma, after being removed Centre to “immediately” long period. bench said the process of concerns over the use of EVMs 4+ - two central and one structural The high powered panel from the post of CBI director by appoint a regular chief of the A bench comprising justices appointing a CBI director in the upcoming Lok Sabha -- jobs, agriculture and attack had earlier met on January 24 the PM-led panel, was named probe agency. Arun Mishra and Naveen Sinha should have been over by now polls. Congress president Rahul ! ! on institutions. We are going to but could not decide on the as the Director General of Fire The post of CBI Director is said the post of CBI director was as it was known that the earli- Gandhi, addressing the media ! meet and find solutions to CBI chief. The next meeting is Services, Civil Defence and “sensitive” and “important”, sensitive and the government er CBI chief was going to retire after the meeting, said the issue these problems,” he said. likely to be held over the week- Home Guards. But Verma did and it is not good to keep an should have appointed a regu- in January. of EVMs was discussed at length ) ## “The election will be about end, sourced said. not accept the offer and wrote interim director of the agency lar director by now. The court also told the by the opposition leaders. jobs, agriculture, attack on Friday’s meeting was to the government, saying he for longer period, the apex Attorney General KK attorney general that the new He said opposition parties institutions, and corruption by attended by Chief Justice should be considered as court observed. Venugopal told the court that CBI director who would be will meet Election Commission counting of paper trail in 50 per the prime minister in the Rafale Ranjan Gogoi and Leader of deemed superannuated as he Attorney General (AG) K a high-powered committee, appointed must “trace the officials on Monday over con- cent booths across the country deal,” the Congress chief said. Opposition in the Lok Sabha has completed 60 years age of K Venugopal, appearing for the headed by the prime minister, movements of files” during the cerns about EVM tampering. to ensure there is no doubt in Asked about the budget and senior Congress leader superannuation on July 31, Centre told a bench of Justices will hold a meeting on Friday period when former CBI chief Several opposition parties have the minds of the voters. being hailed as a “surgical Mallikarjun Kharge. 2017 and was serving the CBI Arun Mishra and Navin Sinha to select a new CBI director. Alok Kumar Verma was rein- been claiming that only two- Apart from Rahul, NCP strike”, Gandhi said “surgical The post of the CBI chief only in a fixed tenure role. that a high-powered Selection He also told the court that stated to the post for two days. three countries are using EVMs chief Sharad Pawar, National strike” will happen on the prime has been lying vacant since He had taken over as the Committee would meet Friday the Centre had taken the The attorney general and the rest have reverted to Conference leader Omar minister and his government on January 10 after the uncere- CBI chief on February 1, 2017 to select a new CBI director. approval of the high-powered placed before the bench in a the ballot paper system fol- Abdullah, Samajwadi Party’s issues such as Rafale, jobs and monious exit of Alok Verma, for a fixed two-year tenure that “We are only saying that committee before appointing sealed cover the minutes of the lowing complaints of mal- Ram Gopal Yadav, Bahujan demonetisation. who was engaged in a bitter ended on Thursday. you should appoint CBI direc- IPS officer M Nageswara Rao meeting of the high-powered functioning of these machines. Samaj Party’s Satish Chandra Senior Congress leaders fight with his deputy and The PM-led panel had tor immediately. No more of as the interim CBI director. committee held earlier. The Congress, while sup- Mishra, DMK’s Kanimozhi, Ahmed Patel, Ghulam Nabi Special Director Rakesh appointed Additional Director this in-charge business,” the Taking account of the The last meeting of the porting the demand, has main- Derek O’Brien of Trinamool Azad, Mallikarjun Kharge and Asthana leading to the regis- M Nageswara Rao as the inter- bench told the Venugopal, who attorney general’s submissions committee took place on tained that since the Lok Sabha Congress, CPI’s D Raja, CPI- A K Antony, Danish Ali of JDS tration of an FIR against the lat- im CBI. said the committee is doing it that the committee will hold a January 24 but it remained election is just around the cor- M’s TK Rangarajan, Manoj Jha and Sharad Yadav were also ter in a graft case. The meeting remained as soon as possible. PNS meeting on Friday, the apex “inconclusive”. ner, the EC should ensure of Rashtriya Janata Dal, Aam present in the meeting. P & '& P &8 ! *+ , +- R " P H&3&0 moved the apex court chal- CBI director Verma. CBI, AC-III, New Delhi, Bassi lenging his transfer, saying it Verma, however, was had said. ' # + Ahmednagar district of west- he Supreme Court Friday was vitiated by mala fide and divested from his duties as “Once the said representa- " ern Maharashtra to demand Tsought responses from the would prejudice the probe CBI director by the high pow- tion was accepted and the # #6#P among other things the imme- eorge Fernandes lived a CBI and its interim director M against former CBI special ered selection committee and Petitioner herein was trans- diate appointment of Lok Pal at Gmulti-faceted life fighting Nageswara Rao on a plea of director Rakesh Asthana. transferred as Director General ferred back to Delhi, it was not ! M& N the Centre and Loksyutkas in for the poor and less fortunate, Deputy Superintendent of Verma and Asthana had Fire Service. open for the impugned order to "! various states. His other speaking several languages to Police AK Bassi challenging his been at loggerheads and lev- Bassi had said there are summarily, without applica- demands are the implementa- connect strongly with people transfer to Port Blair in elled allegations of corruption apprehensions that the transfer tion of mind and without any tion of of the Swaminathan and even briefly running a Andaman and Nicobar Islands. against each other. order is the first step to impli- stated reason, simpliciter #.# Commission’s report on farm- Konkani news magazine A bench of Chief Justice Bassi has challenged the cate him either in a false crim- revoke the said transfer order ers”, one-and-half times of before entering politics. Ranjan Gogoi and Justice transfer order issued on inal cases or in a departmental dated January 9, 2019 by a enowned social worker Minimum Support Price Family and friends of Sanjiv Khanna issued a notice January 11, saying it is violative proceedings for discharging generic order terming the ear- RAnna Hazare’s fast over the (MSP) for agriculture produce, ‘George Sahab’, as he was to the probe agency and Rao of the directions issued by the his duties in a fair and impar- lier order as “non-est”,” the immediate appointment of Lok total loan waiver for farmers fondly addressed by many, and sought their response in six top court in its judgment on the tial manner in the investigation plea had said. Pal at the Centre and other cognisance of Malik’s allegation and monthly pension of at recalled his legacy as his ashes weeks. plea of Verma. of the FIR pertaining to On January 8, the apex demands entered third day on linking him to the Sangh least Rs 5000 to every farmer in were Friday buried at a colo- Senior advocate Rajeev Bassi, who was the investi- Asthana. court had asked the CBI officers Friday, even senior NCP leader Parivar and that he was con- the country. nial-era cemetery in the heart Dhavan, appearing for Bassi, gating officer in the corruption He said this is not a routine including Bassi, who were and former deputy chief min- sulting his lawyers if he could The three-day-old fast has of Delhi, a day after his mor- said this is the case which case against Asthana, said he is case of a transfer of an officer. In transferred overnight to various ister Ajit Pawar apologised to file defamation case against the already begun to affect Hazare’s tal remains were cremated. raises questions on the gover- being “victimised by the pre- his application in the Verma case places after the Centre’s decision the Gandhian for an allegation NCP spokesperson. Hazare health. The doctors who exam- Bengaluru-based younger nance of the Central Bureau of sent interim CBI Director - M he had submitted that his trans- to divest Verma of his powers, made against the latter by his had also refused to meet the ined Hazare on Friday said that brother Michael Fernandes, Investigation (CBI). Nageswara Rao, who represents fer is pursuant to a deep rooted to approach appropriate forum party’s spokesperson Nawab NCP leaders on Thursday his blood pressure and blood 84, said he was named George Dhavan said that Bassi was certain elements within the conspiracy, aimed at influencing assailing their transfers. Malik. evening. sugar levels had “significantly” by their mother after a famous brought back to Delhi on CBI, who did not want the the course of the investigation Bassi had said he was never A day after the NCP Alluding to Hazare’s dis- increased. “There was a signif- British monarch, with whom January 9 after he made a rep- Petitioner herein to conduct a against Asthana and further to a part of any “group or faction” spokesperson alleged that pleasure over Malik’s allegation, icant increase in Anna’s blood he shared the birthday. resentation to CBI director free and fair investigation in the penalise him for discharging his within the CBI and has no con- Hazare was an “agent” of the Pawar – speaking to media per- pressure and blood sugar level “My mother had named Alok Verma following an apex Asthana FIR”. duties in a free and impartial cern whatsoever with the Sangh Parivar, Pawar distanced sons at Ahmednagar – when I examined him this him after King George V as he court verdict, but on January 11 He had said it was Rao who manner in the case. alleged disputes that have the party from Malik’s demand. expressed his deep regret over morning,” Dr Dhananjay Pote liked him and the monarch he was again transferred to Port had passed the order dated Subsequent to the January erupted within the CBI. “The NCP has nothing to do Malik’s allegation against the said. too was born on June 3,” he Blair. October 24, 2018 transferring 8 verdict in the Verma case, he He had said he does not with Malik’s remark. If the Gandhian and said that the In a related development, said. “This matter will also affect him to Port Blair and it is the had made a representation to claim or contend or seek any allegation has hurt Hazareji, I NCP had nothing to do with Hazare’s supporters staged a George Fernandes was the purity of investigation the same person at whose behest he the then CBI director (Alok vested right to be a part of any apologise to Anna for Malik in the spokesperson’s remark. protest in front of the born in 1930 in Mangalore to officer was doing,” he said. is being sent to Andaman and Verma) on January 9, which investigation team that is inves- this regard,” the senior NCP Eight one-year-old Hazare Ahmednagar district guardian John Jos and Alice Martha, The bench then said, “Issue Nicobar Islands again in utter was allowed and then he was tigating into the FIR related to leader said. began his indefinite fast on minister’s office to press for the and faced several struggles in notice returnable in six weeks.” disregard to the judgment of transferred back to Delhi and Asthana or any other case Hazare had said on Wednesday in his home village demands made by the noted life before climbing high on On January 21, Bassi this court in the case of former assigned to his duties of DSP, investigated by CBI. Thursday that he had taken of Ralegan-Siddhi in activist. the ladder of politics. +-)R 2 7 3 % "&% 4 & 1&H" " , + P 6 " " 3 ./. opened my mouth but I can’t keep quiet now.” “Is this any Protection and Rehabilitation) " " 3 ./. According to sources both Leader Negi and Squadron he coalition government of way to run a coalition govern- Bill, Arbitration and pilots had ejected, but one of Leader Abrol were taking the TJDs and the Congress in ment, where every day you ith the intervention of Conciliation (Amendment) n tragic accident involving a them died as he had landed on plane for an acceptance test Karnataka is shaky and differ- have to request your coalition WRajya Sabha Chairman Bill, New Delhi International IMirage -2000 upgraded the wreckage of the aircraft. flight after it had been upgrad- ences between partners are partner to not make un-par- M Venkaiah Naidu, the Arbitration Centre Bill 2019, fighter jet of the Indian Air The reason of the crash is yet ed by the HAL. One of the two growing day by day. After chief liamentary remarks,” Gowda Government and the Personal Laws (Amendment) force(IAF) crashed killing two to be ascertained. The incident pilots died after managing to minister HD Kumraswamy’s added. Opposition reached an under- Bill 2019, Aadhar and other pilots on Friday morning at the happened near Yamalur off old eject from the plane but he fell angry statement that he was This incident is an indica- standing on six bills to be Laws (Amendment) Bill 2019, outside of HAL airport in Airport Road in Bengaluru. on the debris itself. The other ready to step down as the chief tion of widening cracks in taken up for consideration and are the ones which a consensus Bengaluru. Two senior pilots An inquiry has been ordered. pilot was rushed to hospital but minister, his father and JDs Karnataka’s coalition govern- passage in the upper house, has been reached by both sides. of the Indian Air Force (IAF) The state-run Hindustan succumbed to his injuries. supremo HD Devgowda has ment and Deve Gowda con- sources said Friday. Rajya Sabha is likely to dis- who were identified as Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) makes The reason for the crash is said enough is enough for condemned the increasing fre- However, no consensus cuss a motion of thanks to the Squadron Leader Sameer Abrol and upgrades aircraft for train- yet to be ascertained, but gress leaders constantly taking quency with which Congress was reached on the contentious president during February 4 to and Squadron Leader Siddarth ing and combat operations of sources said prima facie it potshots at Kumaraswamy. He legislators were taking pot- triple talaq and citizenship his deputy Vijay Goel held a 30- 6, the budget on February 7 Negi who were killed in the the IAF as the country’s sole appeared that the plane had slammed the congress leaders shots at his son -- Chief amendment bills, sources said, minute-long meeting with and 11. In the last two days, it crash. defence behemoth. It also some technical defects. A for attacking chief minister Minister HD Kumaraswamy. suggesting that their fate hangs Leader of Opposition in the will take up the agreed upon “Two IAF pilots died of maintains and operates the detailed court of inquiry Kumaraswamy and said he The warnings issued by in balance. Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi legislations for consideration fatal injuries after a Mirage- military airport in the city. would find out the exact cause can’t be silent on the matter Gowda and his son are seen as Earlier in the day, Naidu Azad and leaders of other par- and passage. 2000 trainer aircraft crashed at According to officials at the behind the crash. The HAL is anymore. a reaction to Congress legisla- urged both the government ties, official sources said. February 8 is earmarked the HAL airport in Bengaluru,” HAL the crash took place carrying out an upgrade of the Gowda said he has suffered tor ST Somasekhar’s recent and the opposition, saying a As a result of the meetings, for the private members bill. said a defence ministry official around 10.30 a.m. Mirage-2000 fighter aircraft much pain in the last six remark that Karnataka would sincere effort shall be made to it was decided six legislative Law Minister Ravishankar in a statement here. HAL also operates the mil- fleet of the Indian Air Force months when the government have witnessed “real develop- ensure proper functioning of proposals, including one to Prasad, BJP MP Bhupendra “The aircraft was on an itary airport with the IAF and under a deal signed with was formed in a post-poll ment” if former Chief Minister the House to send out the replace an ordinance, will be Yadav, Congress leader Anand acceptance sortie after upgrade other state-run defence and France. The French firm alliance. “I am in pain. Six Siddaramaiah had received right message, as this budget taken up during the session, Sharma, SP leader Ram Gopal by the HAL. Investigation on aerospace agencies like DRDO Dassault Aviation carried out months have completed since another term. His party col- session is the last one before sources further said. Yadav, BSP leader Satish the cause of the accident is and ADA. upgrades on the first two of Kumaraswamy became Chief league, C Puttarangashetty, general elections. The Companies Chandra Mishra and TMC being ordered. Further details The aircraft was being the 49 planes while the Minister. All kinds of things went a step further by saying Following his intervention, (Amendment) Bill to replace leader Derek O’Brien were are awaited,” added the state- flown by two test pilots of the remaining is being done by have happened in these six that Siddaramaiah is the only Parliamentary Affairs Minister ordinance, Trafficking of among the leaders who attend- ment. Indian Air Force. Squadron HAL. months, till now I have not Chief Minister in his book. Narendra Singh Tomar and Persons (Prevention, ed the meeting. 0P $. # / 3 / towards their destinations. proceeding for day long travel. remained around Zero degree = % ! The highway remained Similarly, the travellers have Celsius in the valley. Srinagar he strategic 270-kilometer closed for nearly two weeks in been advised to follow the cut was at minus 0.5, Pahalgam .H TSrinagar-Jammu national January due to landslides and off timing from various minus 3.6 and Gulmarg minus " $ Anayat Ahmad Zigar, both Commander Zeenat-ul-Islam highway continued to remain snowfall along the highway. embarking points on both sides 7.6 degrees Celsius. Leh in haratiya Janata Party pres- / 3 / local cadre of Jaish outfit. who was recently killed in an closed for vehicular traffic for The national highway was of highway to ensure smooth Ladakh recorded minus 6, Bident Amit Shah will be in A self-loading rifle and a encounter at Katapora Yaripora second consecutive day on partially reopened last Saturday flow of traffic. Kargil and Drass both record- Amroha on Saturday to par- wo militants were killed in pistol have been recovered area of Kulgam district. Friday after fresh snowfall and after remaining closed for six The closure of highway leads ed minus 16.8 degrees Celsius. ticipate in a meeting of booth Tan encounter in south from the encounter site. A video showing unknown landslides occurred at different consecutive days due to to shortage of essential supplies Meanwhile, Western presidents and other office- Kashmir’s Drubgam village Local sources said that militant shooting the said girl stretches along the highway. unfavourable road condition including fuel, as all supplies to Disturbance is likely to affect bearers of western Uttar while militants shot dead a thousands of people took part with automatic rifle, is said to be The MeT department has pre- besides continuous shooting the landlocked Kashmir Valley Valley especially Pir Panchal Pradesh, according to a party young lady in cold blood in in the funeral prayers of the shot from some unknown place dicted improvement in weath- stones and landslides at sever- are routed through the Jammu- from February 5 which may official said. Kulgam district, officials said. slain militants. in South Kashmir claiming the er in the region. al places along highway. Srinagar highway. continue till February 7. On February 6, Shah will Security sources said that Meanwhile, a bullet riddled said details, that went viral on Traffic officials said the road The highway is the only Meanwhile, MeT Director MeT department officials address BJP workers in Etah gunfight erupted between mili- body of a young woman alleged social media networking sites was closed due to slippery con- road linking Kashmir with rest Sonam Lotus said that weath- said moderate snowfall is like- and on February 8, in tants and security forces late on to be security forces’ informer released by the militants. ditions triggered by fresh snow- of the country. er is expected to improve from ly to occur across the Valley Gorakhpur and Jaunpur, BJP Thursday night and continued was recovered at Draggad area A police spokesperson said fall at Banihal while landslides Traffic officials said that Friday afternoon in Kashmir especially in Pir Panchal areas state media in-charge Manish throughout the night despite of Shopian district even as that woman’s body was blocked the road at some places Mughal Road and Srinagar and by evening in Jammu from next Tuesday to Thursday. Dixit said here on Friday. intermittent snowfall in the area. unknown militants released a retrieved by police from in Banihal-Ramban sector. Sonamarg Gumri Road are region. He said rain is likely to The Valley’s higher reach- “Party president Amit Shah On Friday morning, bod- video about the killing that Dragad area of Zainapora in They said subject to fair continuously closed due to continue till late afternoon in es including famous ski-resort will address a meeting of booth ies of two militants belonging went viral on internet. Shopian district. weather and road condition, the snow accumulation. most parts of Jammu region and others including Gulmarg, presidents and other office- to Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) The slain woman has been “Militants while perpetrat- stranded vehicles on the highway They said travellers should adding that weather is cloudy Pahalgam, Sonamarg as well as bearers of the party units at outfit were retrieved from the identified as Ishrat Muneer of ing this gruesome act, made a will be cleared on priority. They confirm the status of the road with likely snowfall on the the plains received a fresh Ramabai Ambedkar Degree encounter site. The slain mili- Dangerpora area of Pulwama video recording of the incident clarified that no fresh traffic will from traffic control units in hills of Ladakh region. snowfall since Wednesday College at Gajraula in Amroha tants have been identified as district. The girl is said to be and circulated it on social be allowed on either side until Srinagar, Ramban and Jammu Due to a cloud cover the brining the temperature further on Saturday,” he said. Shahid Ahmad Baba and relative of senior Al Badr media,” he said. stranded vehicles are cleared or police control units before minimum temperatures down in the Valley. () ) *+ *,-. # $? ,1("L % N- % & "("L %L "-"%$+9#"- +!& 8 1 ' R ! /' ! ! + ( 3 " %" $%% % : %, % & O : 8 $ % ; ( : )"#&$ ,&,& remembered the first stanza of + Rabindranath Tagore’s seminal poem Prasna (Question), written towards the end of his life, as I began writing ( this column. It reads in literal English # Itranslation: “God, you have sent messen- 8 + 2 gers from age to age/To this compassion- less world/ — They have said ‘forgive all’, $ -+2$. said love/ — Destroy the poison of hatred 9 B from your hearts/They have been people # " , to be respectfully welcomed and remembered, yet in these unfortunate days/We 8 8 have turned them away from our outer door with futile salutation.” B # Was Gandhi a messenger of God? Does Tagore’s lament apply to his case? He was certainly not a messenger if the word is taken , ( to mean reincarnation; he himself had ( strongly denounced attempts at deifying him. He was, however, certainly so if the word is ( interpreted in the wider sense of being someone of towering stature spreading God’s mes- # % sage and applying it in practice. Deeply religious, Gandhi tirelessly strove to apply to both personal and public life the values of 1 truth, compassion and non-violence , , ( enshrined in all religions. he tried to achieve. He could not method of non-violent satyagra- Beyond (2019), published by His belief in truth had clearly prompt- stop Partition. Non-violence as ha that he applied in India’s free- Niyogi Books. It covers the ed him to lay bare his weaknesses and inad- a method, which played a major dom struggle, had deeply influ- entire span of Gandhi’s activities equacies in My Experiments with Truth. His role in mobilising the masses for enced Martin Luther King. His from his life and movements in ; abiding faith in non-violence had led him participation in the freedom influence on Nelson Mandela is South Africa to his defining role to withdraw the non-cooperation movement, struggle, has been swamped by clear from the latter’s statement, in India’s freedom struggle and then at a high tide, after a mob had burnt an increasing resort to violent made on being awarded the efforts to end communal vio- alive 22 policemen in the local police station methods that began even before $0 Nobel prize for peace in 1994, lence and prevent the Partition at Chauri Chaura in Uttar Pradesh’s the communal riots had start- #- ' that he owed his success to of India. It puts his arrival and Gorakhpur district on February 4, 1922, ed with the Great Calcutta Gandhi. One saw methods of work in India in perspective by thereby courting intense unpopularity in Killing (August 16-20, 1946). It E # = / protest, approximating his, in placing both in the background ) ( some quarters. The savage communal vio- now receives only lip service. / action in Tiananmen Square in of the social, political, cultural lence in Noakhali, in which thousands of The same goes for the values of Beijing in 1989, in several cities, and economic developments, ( men were killed, women mass raped and truth, which few now seem to # 3- including Cairo, during the and the reform movements that property was systematically damaged on a consider an end in itself, and # / Arab Spring which began in transformed India in the 19th # ( large scale, shook him to his core. While there compassion which, though not 2010, arousing great hopes that century. It also dwells on the might have been other considerations such absent, moves a decreasing /- - ended in disillusionment, and political movements that, gath- ( as continuing to wage his losing war against number of people. - / # several other places. ering momentum from late 19th a partition of India, “it was”, in the words of From a historical perspec- Yet, a very great deal of century and, involving direct $ Harijan, “the cry of outraged womanhood tive, however, it would be unre- -/.33' ground remains to be covered. action and the participation of " ( that had peremptorily called him to alistic to expect a massive trans- # What is needed is an increasing- a large section of the middle Noakhali.” The horrible atrocities perpetrat- formation of Indian polity and ly powerful global mass move- class during the movement ed on women en masse had devastated the society, and the lives of Indians, E ment propagating his ideals and against the Partition of Bengal 8 + ( Mahatma emotionally and deeply violated along the radically different implementing them through in 1905, had laid the foundations 1 his sense of morality. lines prescribed by Gandhi, in / 3 praxis. The first pre-requisite for of a national struggle that Arriving in Noakhali in November the little over a century since his / /-- its emergence would be keeping Gandhi transformed into a mass 1946, Gandhi stayed on till March 1947, in return to India. More than 2,000 his ideals alive through political movement across the country. # the teeth of increasingly shrill attacks, ver- years after the crucifixion, one 0 - action, meetings, discussions, The distinguishing feature bally and in print, by communal groups asso- finds that the ethical principles #- - - talks and writings. All of these of the publication, which com- ciated with the Muslim League. The uneasy and conduct that Christ stood continue, albeit primarily with- bines scholarly knowledge with peace that had descended with his arrival for are observed more in the 3 0 in academic precincts. There is accessible prose, is the large 9 1 continued even after his departure but breach in Christian countries. /- also a growing corpus of number of photographs it car- many parts of the rest of India and Bengal Gandhi has provided a Gandhiana containing volumes ries, covering the entire range of 0 continued to be wracked by periodic violence moral compass and a non-vio- ##. / - that are scholarly, readable and Gandhi’s activities. This gives it , and India was partitioned. Towards the end lent political trajectory to the - /- informative. the character of a pictorial biog- of his life, he was increasingly haunted by a world. The indication of the Particularly needed in the raphy which vividly recalls a *+, sense of failure. Nirmal Kumar Bose, pio- measure of his success would lie --3/ - context of a mass movement, time of great stirrings and neering anthropologist and a close associ- in the extent to — and the pace .-- H 3 however, are books that bring upheavals and the man with the ) ate of the Mahatma, has quoted him as say- at which — people and nations Gandhi to life through pho- stick and steel-frame glasses ) ing, “My own doctrine was failing. I don’t adopt both. There have been sig- tographs and readable prose. who played a defining role in it. $ -)$. / ( want to die a failure….” nificant developments. The val- One that does this admirably is (The writer is Consultant Some would consider him to have been ues of truth and non-violence the historian Aparna Basu’s Editor, The Pioneer, and an a failure by looking at the outcome of what that Gandhi stood for, and the Gandhi’s Vision: Freedom and author) P -1 +2$ *+,.Q # 3 +2$ -"& " -,&,&$ %% % * " 4 &K:, %1(-,%$ $ )$(+)$ 5 $ ( (-%& ( $ % % % "$ 3"1 , "" % % "(-%% , S :, ( " &&"( , %%" %( "#( S 9:9;!;<;%&9 ! 9 ; ;:;%&9 ; ;;%&9 K ", " K/ : K/ "0% K#1 ,, A 6 ) 7 +)$ 8 * ) ( & 3 3& )$(+)$ ( people dead and 470 others injured. Such decisions by +2$ 8 ) Indian courts increase our faith 7 -7. 4( Sir — This refers to the article, in the judiciary. 4 “Remembering the last socialist” %' L % , MF Qasmi (February 1) by Abhishek Pratap 3 & OMJ , 4K,HH %( ,' Hyderabad ) " Singh. With the passing of George - 1 "/ "( ' 9 Fernandes, India has lost a very O ",&% %( 7 " sincere politician who dedicated - %%$1&",%&:& his life to the cause of the nation. ,% %"% & % : He was frank, forthright and, at K% %K , Sir — In yet another move that ; * # 5 $ the same time, very simple. There "':%1 3 & ( shows that it will go to any 6 )" + are many political anecdotes to -" %,&% extent to appease the electorate, %3 & %' " ) < =>? P (Q ( prove that he stood by his prin- the NDA Government has sud- ciples. He will be missed. -%&H " & - H 45 , & denly woken up from its slum- 6 8 S KV Seetharaamaiah % & ( % ber and requested the Supreme @AA? @A=@ ; 6 8 Hassan & % % ' %%% 'F" $%$ Court to return the “superfluous " & %%%& % "&3 & %, ,"" $ land” to the Ram Janmabhoomi , , 1 (-3 & " %%&% (% %%%& % "$ Nyas trust. Perhaps learning 8 )" %" % ( & , %444$ ( from opinion polls that its " +)$ * 8 -3 & %%%%% %% 4=& prospects seem quite bleak this < ( Sir — This refers to the editorial, , & %O ( &" %&$ election, the Government is “Remembering the last socialist” doing everything it can to regain ! ; 8 + ( (February 1) by Abhishek Pratap trust, from providing 10 per cent S 7 Singh. India has lost a bold, daring strong principles and values will sentenced to life imprisonment reservation for the economical- +)$ and much loved leader. Honest and be remembered for long. by a special Central Bureau of ly poor among the forward forthright, he fought for the rights Mala Rampuria Investigation court. Finally, after communities to making this 9 +2$S of the poor and the downtrodden Sir — This refers to the editori- Hyderabad a long waiting of 10 years, jus- request to the court. The (( and won many over with his bril- al, “Remembering the last social- tice has prevailed for the victims hope is that the top court will act + liant oratory skills. He shone as a ist” (February 1) by Abhishek of the heart-wrenching blasts fairly and quickly in both these Minister. The west coast will Pratap Singh. It can rightly be said that took place on October 30, matters. ( ! remember him as a far-sighted that George Fernandes was the 2008. In this incident at least 11 Tharcius S Fernando 5 $ * ( leader instrumental in the Konkan last true socialist leader our coun- Sir — It was comforting to hear bombs went off almost simulta- Chennai * Rail project becoming a reality. try has produced. He was also a that National Democratic Front neously in Guwahati and in M Pradyu self-made man, with a number of of Bodoland chief Ranjan Bongaigaon, Barpeta and 9 5 ( Kannur anecdotes to prove this. His Daimary and nine others were Kokrajhar. The incident left 81 &&9%& 5 ;9>?:!2< : () ) *+ *,-. $@ '& 3+ -,++,3 "#3 & "#

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What @CEF ( needs to be done to restore credibility and public @A=E : @F= => acceptance of the present education system? C@G India has reached a stage when every parent ) wants to educate children — both boys and girls =E(=F *!+ G= — in a good school, which in the current context means a private school. If around 60 per cent of the students still go to Government schools, it is only because parents are not in a position to ) ( afford the ‘luxury’ of a private school, or its non- availability in the vicinity. In higher education, could lead to tangible reforms without the need department have professional, moral and ethical head of the department was authorised to make + competition is too tough to get entry into reput- for illusive fiscal inputs. obligations to discharge. He wasn’t preaching but ad hoc arrangements. He would trace out the top- >C? ed public-funded professional institutions. Private In 1962, obtaining a MSc degree in physics narrating a tradition and there were oceans of per of the last batch, or the next one and just ask ones charge huge fees. Those who can manage with electronics as a special paper was one of the learning that afternoon. He also recalled how he him to begin work. In due course, his appoint- EC # " ( and afford look for ‘good quality education’ most sought after courses offered by the University was advised by his favourite teacher: Never enter ment letter would follow from the Registrar’s I 1 ( beyond the shores. of Allahabad. Just before the start of the prepa- a classroom if you have are not dutifully prepared office, with all the pay and allowances as admis- B 9 As demand increased, the Indian State qui- ration leave for the final examination, Professor for it; never use old notes; prepare afresh each time sible to others. S ( etly withdrew from its commitment, paving the Krishnaji took stock of how far the prescribed even if you have to teach the same topic in two There was no system of guest lecturers or lec- way for private entrepreneurs, both in schools and course was covered. He was a highly respected aca- different sections. ture-basis payments. Every senior academic of the higher education sectors. There are assured demic, known internationally for having estab- Then Krishnaji gently pulled out two sheets the department was available to provide neces- , increasing returns and takers are many. India had lished the microwave laboratory, which at that of paper from his pocket and said, “these are my sary inspiration, motivation and guidance to the ( just around 50 universities in 1950. Today, it is set stage was a pioneering effort. One of the chap- notes for the first year undergraduate class that I new entrant to their family. He could take his ; to touch the four-figure mark. Further, there are ters on ‘Detectors’ was not taken up in the regu- took in the morning.” It was so revealing. He had chance along with others whenever the regular , around 40,000 colleges across the country. All of lar class teaching and students were sure that it been teaching for around 30 years and could teach selection committee would meet next. Today, in ( this could be seen as a great achievement — expan- would not feature in the exam paper. When the the post-graduate students continuously for three the University of Allahabad, several reputed 7 sion was necessary and one should be happy about learned professor came to know of it, he asked the to four hours without any notes or books. He was departments may not be having even one-third S it. However, the dilution of quality is not the only group to assemble the next day. Detectors were also scrupulously following the advice of his teacher of the sanctioned posts filled. Such situation is concern; the problem surrounding Indian educa- taught for four hours that day, followed by anoth- even at this stage. This was teacher education for not new — it has developed over the decades — , tion is much more complex. The emphasis on prac- er three hours the very next day. Every student the prospective teachers, this was value education and there are no signs of application of brain , , tised values in our institutions stands hopelessly was convinced that at least one question would for the educated — young and old — and this was power to overcome it. diluted. To recall a somewhat similar situation and certainly appear in the exam paper on Detectors. the measure of university teaching quality in high- It is common knowledge that at most uni- ( its analysis, one could refer to John W Gardner’s On the crucial electronics exam paper day, once er education. It was also a lesson in how to sus- versities, Vice Chancellors have to take “permis- # ( Essay titled, Excellence: Can We be Equal and the question paper appeared before each one of tain and enhance credibility of the university. sion of the Government” to make appointments 6 Excellent Too? Referring to over emphasis on them, examinees received a big jolt as there were Reflecting over it after about six decades, it even against regularly sanctioned academic attending colleges and universities, Gardner sum- no questions on Detectors. One could say not a is not tough to visualise why India is worried about posts. And that in effect implies Vice Chancellors " marised: “The crowding in our colleges is less big deal as it does happen in exams when expect- its educational quality, practically in every aspect running to under secretaries and deputy secre- ( # regrettable than the confusion in our values. ed questions escape the attention of paper setters. and at every stage. The department of physics of taries in the State sachivalalya. How does it impact Human dignity and worth should be assessed only But this was a special instance. the University of Allahabad was reputed to be one the morale of the institutional leadership will not ( in terms of those qualities of mind and spirit that After over three years, in a regular 3.30 pm working 24X7; visit it at any time in the night and be too tough to visualise. But that is a reality which ( are within the reach of every human being. If we tea gathering, someone hesitatingly recalled how you will find a couple of youngsters working in must be acknowledged to envision how to bring make the assumption that college is the sole cra- Detectors could not be detected in the exam paper. the laboratory. Unbelievable, even for the present- about some positive changes. The role of acad- dle of human dignity, need we be surprised that Some five of that group of 15 became research day students of the same university. There were emic leadership just cannot be ignored. And # everyone wants to be rocked in that cradle?” scholars, and like all others, were eagerly waiting no instructions to do so and no biometric atten- entrusting effective control of academic institu- ( Gardner went on to elaborate that the inten- how the professor would react to this recollection. dance for anyone. Values were learnt because these tions to bureaucracy is certainly a folly that must # ( tion is not to undervalue attainments and impor- He did and said: “I was the paper setter. I knew were being practised in the department by all be corrected at the earliest. Any serious effort to ( tance of higher education but to remember that there were no questions on Detectors that year. seniors. It may sound utopian but quality of edu- restore the right ambience of learning and also $ they alone need not become the sole criterion for But tell me, how could anyone get a degree of MSc cation will improve only when the situation is of teaching in the university system will require % ( assessing human worth. We could get a much bet- in physics with specialisation in electronics from analysed and inferences drawn independent of a serious study of how changes in recruitment pol- * ( ter comprehension of the missing elements in the the University of Allahabad, and not learn suffi- ideological constraints. icy parameters have impacted the quality decline Indian education if we were to reflect on how the cient enough about Detectors?” He went on to It must also be mentioned that the univer- and how it has resulted in the gradual erosion of 5 decline/change 1960 onwards has altered our elaborate how the university gained its reputation sity system did not face the challenge of vacant the much-needed empathetic bond between the ! " emphasis on the total worth of an individual. and credibility; how the department of physics academic posts in universities at that stage. teacher and the taught. There are occasions when personal experiences should maintain its name and fame; and how the Whenever a vacancy arose because of someone (The writer is the Indian Representative on the # $% & "'( reflect the prevalent institutional ethos; and that professors and even the laboratories of the going abroad; or on deputation; or retirement, the Executive Board of UNESCO) ' , 4 '3& / during the exams! I did help him in quoted unidentified officials of the explain Pakistan’s culture in a convinc- Pakistan’s Islamic culture “through a bans on certain events, simply stated whatever manner I could. I am relat- Ministry as saying, “Manto was a lib- ing manner or in a manner in which Trojan horse” and were altering the that “it (the banned event) was not ing this story due to the rhetoric one eral and vulgar writer.” In December the more conservative segments of soci- country’s “Islamic character.” according to Pakistani culture and increasingly hears these days about 2018, a Bollywood film on Manto had ety haven’t already. This question Progressive Urdu poet Faiz Ahmad Islam.” Such statements have become what is not Pakistan’s culture. Once already been banned by Pakistan’s about Pakistani culture first emerged Faiz was quick to respond. In a series a favourite of the conservative segments mostly the domain of clerics and reli- Central Board of Film Certification. during the declining years of the Ayub of lectures that he delivered to the of the state and society ever since the gious parties, these days, the issue has And here is where I return to Khan regime in the late 1960s. Before Commission of Arts and Culture in late 1970s, despite the fact that if an #& & become a favourite of High Court Usman. On the day of the Pakistan that, it wasn’t much of an issue as such 1967 (and which were later published event is against Pakistani culture, then judges, Ministers of Culture and the Studies paper, he whispered to ask me because Pakistan was still a very young as a report), Faiz explained Pakistani exactly what is this culture? n March 1987, I sat for my final year media regulatory organisation Pemra. how he should answer the following country. However, nationalist histori- culture as a historical combination of Saying Pakistani culture is “Islamic” BCom exams. Pakistan Studies was They are all quick to judge that an question: “Define Pakistan’s culture in an IH Qureshi authored a book in 1956 varied and diverse religious and polit- doesn’t say much because there are var- Ithe last paper. I was a student at a event, film or a piece of art is not part a paragraph.” Itching to finish the paper, titled, “The Pakistani Way of Life.” Even ical, traditional and modern influences, ious manifestations of Islam in practice, # & state-owned college in Karachi where of Pakistan’s culture but they never I told him to write whatever he want- though the book celebrates the fact that of which Islam was an important in addition to the fact that there are I had spent more time doing student explain what Pakistani culture really is. ed to. After completing the paper, I Pakistan was a Muslim-majority coun- aspect but not its entire body. In her non-Muslim Pakistanis in our midst as %% % , $ $ politics. Some of my friends — most- For example, when in 2016, former asked him, “Usman, kya likha (What try whose ancestors in the region and 2011 paper for the University of well and laws that are entirely secular. "& " ly from the progressive student outfit IHC judge, Shaukat Aziz, banned the did you write)?” He told me exactly founders resisted being assimilated by Alberta, S Hemani wrote that in 1973, This is also why it has been easier for '"""' that we were all part of — believed I celebration of Valentine’s Day, he stat- what he wrote: “Maine likha (I wrote), Hinduism, it does not see the presence the ZA Bhutto regime organised a con- the state to define Pakistan as a %%%( did not need to study because my ed that “it was not part of our culture.” my mother say give exam in English; of both historical and contemporary ference of intellectuals, historians and Muslim-majority nation but almost %, ' “English was good.” To them, that’s all Recently, a Lahore High Court judge father say give in Urdu; maulvi of non-Muslim elements in Pakistani scholars. Two views emerged at the impossible to construct a monolithic it took to get through. Their English, said the same when he ordered that a mosque say give in Arabic; my province society as something opposed to conference. One was that Pakistan’s definition of the expression “Islamic , they lamented, was not good enough statue of Satan at the Lahore Museum say give in Sindhi and forefather say Pakistani culture. nationalism should promote multicul- Republic.” That’s why explaining some- " because unlike me, they had all grad- be removed. He said, “this statue has give in Punjabi. This is Pakistan culture. In the late 1960s, when Ayub turalism. But the other view insisted thing as being opposed to Pakistani cul- ,&% " uated from “Urdu-medium schools.” nothing to do with our culture.” On This is what I say.” Khan’s ‘modernist’ Muslim nationalist that (in light of East Pakistan’s separa- ture has increasingly started to sound 1%( Since there was also the option of January 9 this year, Pemra told chan- I thought that was brilliant, even narrative began to crumble, Abul Ala tion in 1971), a more rigorous nation- hollow. This is also because Pakistan is %& taking the exams in Urdu, they decid- nels to avoid “intimate moments” on though he flunked. “English weak hai Maududi, the founder of the Jamaat- alism should be constructed and the now comfortable (to a certain extent) ed to do just that. All but one. Usman. TV because “they violated our cultur- na yaar (It’s because my English is i-Islami (JI), took this opportunity to country’s culture be defined as a sin- in seeing itself as a diverse society. & O 1' He was a wiry young man who came al standards of decency.” In January weak),” he later complained. Recently, plug his idea of Pakistani culture. He gle politico-religious entity. This was an Denying this reality would put the 1 $ from a lower-middle-class family in 2019, a festival on the work of Urdu High Court judges, Ministers of Culture stated that the country’s culture was idea born from a sense of territorial denier on the wrong side of history. Karachi’s Nazimabad area. He insisted short story writer, Saadat Hasan Manto, and Pemra have been on a banning “Islamic.” Professor of Sociology, Saadia insecurities and was, thus, bound to And this is exactly where some mem- ""$ on taking the exams in English after was not given the go-ahead by the spree, always maintaining that whatev- Toor, in State of Pakistan, wrote that remain narrow and myopic. bers of the Government and judiciary " "( convincing himself that I would “help” Punjab Ministry of Culture. The er they ban isn’t according to Pakistani Maududi lamented that Leftist, secu- Today, most High Court judges, are still stuck. him out. No, not before the exams but January 15 issue of Express Tribune culture. And yet, none of them can lar and Western ideas had entered Ministers and Pemra, who imposed (Courtesy: Dawn) .)

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boost the efforts of 130 crore He also congratulated the and the budget for new India ensure the benefits of devel- said. citizens in realising the goal of middle class for the relief in has done so. Ayushman Bharat opment reach all sections of In his statement, he auding the people-friendly a new India, Modi said. taxes and said he salutes it for Yojana and social security society. “The budget will thanked Arun Jaitley, under- Lprovisions in the Budget, Prime Minister said the its contribution towards the schemes are also going to touch empower the poor, give a boost going treatment in USA, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi development initiatives of the development of the nation. their lives, he added. to the farmer and an impetus Finance Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday said the interim NDA Government have About the pro-farmer initia- Modi said it is essential to to the economic growth,” he for the Budget. budget is merely a “trailer” of touched several lives which tives in the budget, he lament- what will guide India towards have been reflected in the bud- ed that for years, many initia- prosperity after the Lok Sabha get proposals from farmer wel- tives were taken for polls and described it as some- fare to middle class, from the farming community, but a 780 thing which will benefit all sec- income tax relief to infra- lot of farmers never came tions of the society. In his structure, from manufacturing under the ambit of these remarks after the interim bud- to MSME, from housing to schemes. get was presented in healthcare and from the Modi said that PM Kisan Parliament, Modi said it increased pace of development Nidhi is a historic step for empowers people and referred to the New India. He expressed farmer welfare which will help to a host of budgetary happiness over more people the farmers who have under 5 announcements and schemes being removed from the shack- acres of land. He added that the to drive home his point. les of poverty. animal husbandry sector, fish- 9&!;(-<9 9 More than 12 crore farm- “Our neo-middle class is eries have been taken care of in & 7 +, B!9:9%,C<9 9 ers, 3 crore middle class fami- rising and so are their dreams the budget for “new India”. ,,,+ : <!%%B!:% lies and 30-40 crore workers ... Interim budget a trailer for Underlining the impor- ++ + !; C.+.<9 9 employed in unorganised sec- what will take India towards tance of safeguarding the inter- ,, 9D9%:5 ; tor will benefit from the bud- prosperity after Lok Sabha ests of the unorganised sector, get, he said, adding that pover- polls,” he said in the speech in he said PM Shram Yogi Man - 4; 9?!;% ,, , + %<& 9';B& ty has been falling at a record Doordarshan, after the pre- Dhan Yojana will be of great rate due to the efforts of his sentation of the Budget by help. This sector needed more B9 :&4 ?& Government. This budget will Finance Minister Piyush Goyal. safeguarding of their interests &" %))

Government for “maintain- farmer and pro-development )3 6 + *0 ing” fiscal discipline. budget. “It gives unprecedent- he ruling BJP Government “This budget gives relief to ed attention to the aspirations Tand its allies on Friday wel- every section of society in of New India”, he claimed. Budget, Goyal sought to comed the Interim Union some way,” he said, referring to Maharashtra Chief address some of the distress 6 ! Budget presented by Piyush its announcements and Minister Devednra Fadnavis he Congress on Friday that the farm sector has been Goyal as catering to all sections schemes for farmers, unor- said “Today’s this budget is a Talleged that the facing. He said the scheme of the society with party pres- ganised sector workers and gift to farmers , labourers, Government presented a full- will be “fully funded by the poverty, unemployment and which was a cruel joke played ident Amit Shah affirming that income tax payers. women& middle class of fledged Budget instead of an Central Government”. inflation,” she said. on the suffering people of the it underscored the Modi With its sops for farmers India.The defence budget was interim one, and said it was not Senior Congress leader P erming the Union Budget Referring to the coming country,” the CPI(M) said. Government’s dedication to the and the middle class— two cru- enhanced beyond 3 lakh a vote on account, but an Chidambaram, addressing a Tan “exercise in rhetoric” Lok Sabha elections, the BSP Communist Party of India aspirations of the country’s cial voting blocs— among oth- crore, a first in history of “account for votes”. Former press conference after the done with the general elections president urged people to eval- (CPI), in a separate statement, youth, farmers and the poor, ers, the BJP believes that the India. Statesmen don’t talk Prime Minister Manmohan Government presented the in mind, the Opposition parties uate the “wrong policies and described the Budget an “eye- Union Minister Rajnath Singh budget will woo them ahead of about only 1 yr. The budget has Singh said the Government’s interim budget, said “My one alleged that the Government the arrogance” of the BJP wash” as many schemes calling it “historic” and LJP the Lok Sabha election, he said. created a blueprint of India of Interim Budget, will have line comment on the budget is has made promises which were Government. She asked them declared to help farmers and chief Ram Vilas Paswan Shah termed the raising of 2030. #Budget2019”, he said. implications on the national that it was not a Vote on not for it to make. While not fall prey to its efforts to workers in the unorganised terming it a “second surgical income tax exemption to 5 UP Chief Minister Yogi elections due by May. “It’s an Account but an Account for CPI(M) said it was a testimo- “divert attention from its fail- sector do not have sufficient strike”. lakh as “historic”, saying the Adityanath said the budget is all election Budget,” said Votes,” the former Finance ny to the BJP’s “fear and des- ures by inciting religious sen- budgetary provision. Union Minister of State for Modi Government has sur- inclusive. “ All sections of the Manmohan Singh. Minister said. “It was not an peration” about what that ver- timents”. In a series of tweets, Personnel Jitendra Singh said passed the expectation of the society including farmers, mid- On being asked about the Interim Budget. It was a full- dict of the people might be, Akhilesh Yadav, whose CPI(M) General Secretary this is a budget which could middle class by announcing a dle class, poor & women have big income tax gift for the mid- fledged Budget accompanied by BSP president Mayawati Samajwadi Party is in alliance Sitaram Yechury alleged that a have only been conceived and number of concessions for it. been mentioned in this budget. dle class and farmers, an election campaign speech. termed the Budget a ‘jumle- with the BSP in Uttar Pradesh farmer’s family of five being visualised by a Prime Minister The decision to provide This budget will help achieve the Manmohan Singh, who was the By doing so, the Government bazi’, that did not address the for the Lok Sabha polls, also given 3 per day as some like Narendra Modi, who has 6,000 annually to farmers dream of a ‘New India’”, he said. Finance Minister in the has trampled on time-hon- ground realties. accused the Government of try- largesse makes it evident how lived through the hardship will be a “milestone” towards In a riposte to Congress Narasimha Rao Government, oured conventions,” he said. Mayawati, who has tied up ing to mislead people. “The “disconnected” the govern- and constraints of the lower meeting the Government’s goal leader and former Finance said, “In these circumstances of Chidambaram said a with her once arch rival BJP Government is only worried ment is from the “rural crisis of middle class. of doubling their income by Minister P Chidambaram the case, concessions to farm- Government confident of Samajwadi Party to take on BJP about votes and not the people. its making”. Singh said the relief pro- 2022, he said, adding that a remark ‘It’s not vote on account ers and concessions to middle returning to power would have in Uttar Pradesh in the Lok In its regime, it broke the back- On the other hand vided to the salaried class by loan waiver helps peasants but an account for votes’, BJP class will obviously have impli- respected the conventions. “It Sabha polls, claimed that eco- bone of the people with demon- Telangana Rashtra Samiti way of increasing the tax- only once and merely those leader Sudhanshu Trivedi said, cations in the election”. Singh is crystal clear that the nomic disparities had grown etisation and the Goods and claimed the cash dole for farm- exemption limit as well as the who take loans while this “We don’t do politics to is widely recognised for the Government has no hope of during the last five years with Services Tax. Now in the year, ers announced in the union standard deduction limit will scheme will benefit all of them form Government but to economic reforms which he returning to power and has, only a handful of capitalists ben- when people are going to say budget was an “imitation” of be universally welcomed by all and every year. make the nation. PM had not announced in 1991 when he therefore, acted desperately efiting, instead of farmers and goodbye to the BJP, it has once the ‘Rythu Bandhu’ scheme in sections of society across the The increase in budgetary taken such strong decisions in was the Finance Minister. He and recklessly, and in violation the poor. “This is wrong and again resorted to ‘jumlebazi’ to the state with slight modifica- country. allocation for the Northeastern last 4 yrs if we had only cared said the Government has not of the Constitution,” he said. against the interest of the coun- befool people,” Yadav said. tions. At the same time, the Rajnath said, “It’s a historic states by over 21 per cent shows about vote”. worked out the expenditure in The big takeaway is that the try,” she said in a statement. Left parties too said Modi party said politics had taken budget, and all the sections of the Government’s commitment BJP ally and Union min- the Interim Budget. present Government has further “The last Budget of the BJP government has now become precedence over economics in the society will benefit from it.” to the remote region which, he ister Ram Vilas Paswan While Congress president weakened fiscal stability and for Government before the elec- famous for suppressing and the budget in general and BJP president hailed it for said, has seen a big boost to its dubbed the budget as the Rahul Gandhi alleged that the the second year in succession tions is far from the ground manipulating data and offering claimed that it might not swing “benefiting” all sections of rail and air connectivity under Government’s “second surgical Government destroyed the the Government has missed reality and the bitter truth, and jumlas to the people. “The votes in favour of the BJP - society and said it has proved its tenure, said Shah. strike”, saying the first used lives of farmers over the past the fiscal deficit target, he said. is mostly jumlebazi,’ t h e acting Finance Minister made NDA in Lok Sabha elections. that the Modi Government is Petroleum Minister bullets against the country’s five years and the announce- All of the announcements are Bahujan Samaj Party chief said. tall claims during his speech Delhi Chief Minister Arvind dedicated to the aspirations of Dharmendra Pradhan said it external enemies ment of “17 a day” for them “last-gasp announcements” by a “Jumlebazi cannot change the about the record of the Modi Kejriwal too termed the Budget the country’s youths, farmers is a budget for the New India Hailing the Prime was an insult, former Finance Government whose term will destiny of the country and end Government and promises of a the “final jumla” of the and poor. He said the budget and further strengthens Modi’s Minister, he said the budget Minister P Chidambaram also effectively end in about 90 days, longstanding problems like rosy future for all Indians — Narendra Modi Government. touches everybody, will spur resolve to bridge the rural- has provided relief to farmers, alleged that the Finance Chidambaram said. growth and generate employ- urban divide. He said it is Pro- income taxpayers and signifi- Minister Piyush Goyal tested ment and also praised the poor, pro-middle class, po- cantly enhanced expenditure patience by giving the “longest” for scheduled castes, tribes Interim Budget speech in " and the poor. recent memory. ' “Dear NoMo, 5 years of your incompetence and arro- " , gance has destroyed the lives of our farmers. Giving them 17 "%% %% a day is an insult to everything ,% * they stand and work for,” Rahul "% Gandhi tweeted using hashtag % 2 ‘AakhriJumlaBudget’. Presenting the Interim 0 !< + 6

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engal Chief Minister BMamata Banerjee on Friday condemned the interim Union Budget as a dated medicine administered after the patient had died. Calling the Budget a farci- cal exercise that only highlighted the “BJP’s election manifesto” Banerjee wondered what pre- vented the Narendra Modi Government from presenting a similar Budget in the past four years. “This (Budget) is like a medicine given to a patient who has already expired. What 23 1 they were doing for the past four #:;'$#: ( !< years,” the Chief Minister said wondering “This Government’s expiry date will be over in one month. What will they do in this one month?” The Budget pro- 7 2) Q,+4 ,9 posal was just a “farce”; a “manifesto” of the BJP which “will not be implemented as the new New Delhi: The blockbuster Budget will be prepared and movie on surgical strikes ‘Uri’ implemented by a new and its catchy dialogue “How is Government in the Centre after the Josh” made its way to Finance the elections.” Minister Piyush Goyal’s Speaking about the populist Budget speech on Friday. During schemes proposed in the inter- the presentation, Goyal said he im Budget Banerjee said “no watched the movie and liked it one knows the financial situa- very much. tion of the country. If we inter- The movie “Uri: The Surgical pret it correctly then financial Strike” is based on the 2016 sur- emergency is going on in the gical strikes carried out by the country. Our apprehension is Indian Army on terror launch where the money (for populist pads across the border after the projects) will come from? How attack on an Army camp in Uri the money will be managed?” in J&K. “It was fun watching Uri. Attacking the Centre for There was a lot of josh (energy) peddling farce and cheating in the movie (Uri movie mein jo the people Banerjee said Delhi maza aaya. Jo Josh tha),” he said. ( ! 4 1 was just copying the schemes of PNS 7 8 6 ! Bengal. ./

() ) *+ *,-. ,%)%&0%/%9 '0 90 " , pays special attention to the 22,646.63 crore given in in gathering internal intelli- middle class, farmers, workers 2018-19. gence, has been allocated or the first time, budgetary in unorganised sector and the The Border Security Force, 2,198.35, in comparison to ven as the Defence Budget for the next Fprovisions for the Home other vulnerable sections which guards the Indo-Pak 2,056.05 crore given in the Efiscal has crossed the 3 lakh crore Ministry has crossed the 1- of our society,” said the Home and Indo-Bangladesh borders, last fiscal. mark for the first time. In real terms, the lakh crore mark and is pegged Minister. has been allocated 19,647.59 The Special Protection hike amounts to a modest seven per cent at over 1,03,000 crore for the The Delhi Police, which crore for the next fiscal, in Group, which is responsible for over the current fiscal. The increase in next fiscal, with special maintains law and order in the comparison to 18,585.96 the security of the prime min- money terms is about 20,000 crore as the emphasis on improving border national Capital, has been allo- crore given in 2018-19. The ister, former Prime Ministers allocation for financial year 2018-2019 was infrastructure of police forces. cated 7,496.91 crore while total allocation to Central and their close family 2,85,423 crore as against 3,05,296 crore The ministry has got 1,03,927 2,000 crore has been allocat- Armed Police Forces, includ- members, has been allocated for 2019-2020. These figures exclude mis- crore for 2019-20 which is 4.9 ed for the development of ing CRPF, Border Security 530.75 crore, in comparison cellaneous allocations of defence amount- per cent more than 99,034 border infrastructure, amid Force, Indo-Tibetan Border to 411.68 crore given ing to 17065.12 crore. Finance Minister crore given in 2018-19, accord- tension along the India-Pak Police, Central Industrial in 2018-19. Piyush Goyal assured Parliament addi- ing to the budget papers. and Sino-Indian borders. Security Force, Sashastra In this Budget, 5,117 tional funds, if necessary, will be provid- Home Minister Rajnath The Central Reserve Seema Bal, Assam Rifles and crore has been allocated for ed to secure the country’s borders and 1$ %% %4'8B'BC8(B9 % " & DB'DC7(4B Singh termed the interim Police Force (CRPF), which is National Security Guard is development of police infra- maintain defence preparedness. % """" A % " Budget “historic” and said it engaged in anti-militancy 71,618.70, in comparison to structure, including construc- Presenting the Interim Budget on will accelerate the process of operations in Jammu & 67,779.75 crore in 2018-19. tions of barracks, residential Friday, he said “Our Defence Budget will defence personnel, maintenance of than four lakh, anti-tank guided missiles, creating a ‘New India’ which is Kashmir, the Northeast, and The Intelligence Bureau, quarters, purchase of vehi- be crossing 3,00,000 crore for the first weapons and allied systems, day to day artillery guns and armoured personnel car- confident, self-reliant, devel- often deployed for internal which is respon- cles, arms and ammunition. time in 2019-20. For securing our borders expenditure of petrol and diesel for oper- riers. The Rashtriya Rifles(RR), the anti- oped and prosperous. security duties, has been allo- sible and to maintain preparedness of the high- ating warships, tanks, planes, helicopters insurgency force of the Army engaged in “I congratulate the Prime cated 3,742.04 crore for est order, if necessary, additional funds and transport all over the country. The operations in Jammu and Kashmir, has been Minister and the Finance 2019-20, in com- would be provided,” he said. huge gap between capital and revenue allotted Rs 24.64crores as against Rs 22.40 Minister for this historic inter- parison to The break-up of Defence allocations expenditure is a major issue facing the crores for the current term. Rs 23, 156.43 im Budget which is not only include 1,03, 380.34 crore for capital defence ministry and efforts to narrow crores were allocated for the next fiscal to development-friendly, but also stream as against 93,982.13 crore for the down the gap has so far not progressed as the Navy. The amount stood at Rs 20, current fiscal to sustain the momentum of desired thereby restricting the funds need- 890.87 crores for the current financial year. modernisation and acquisition of weapon ed for acquiring better weapon systems. Meanwhile, Goyal said due care of sol- platforms. Moreover, the funds for capital As regards capital outlay Service wise, diers was taken by the NDA government outlay will cater to meet contractual oblig- the IAF has got the biggest share for the next adding the issue of One Rank One Pension ations like paying installments for the fiscal. Goyal allocated Rs 39,302-64 crores. (OROP) which was pending for the last 40 Rafale fighter jets, warships and four addi- The figure stood at Rs 35,770.11 crore for years has been resolved. “The previous tional P-8 I long range maritime recon- the ongoing financial year. The hike in cap- governments announced it in three bud- naissance, S-400 air defence missile shield ital outlay will give the IAF an elbow room gets but sanctioned a mere Rs 500 crore and Apache and Chinook helicopters to to go in acquisitions besides meeting con- in 2014-15 interim budget. In contrast we name a few. The financial managers will tractual obligation for Rafale jet payment. have already disbursed over Rs 35,000 also have to factor in inflation and depre- So far, the government has paid nearly Rs crore after implementing the scheme in its ciation while handling capital allocations. 40,000 crore to France for 36 jets. The over- true spirit,” he said. However, the major chunk of overall all cost of the deal is Rs 60,000 crore. The Finance Minister also said the defence budget is taken away by revenue The Army has got the second highest government also announced substantial allocation which will be Rs 1,98,485.76 capital allocation of Rs 29,447.28 crores as hike in the Military Service Pay (MSP) of crores next fiscal as against Rs 1,88, compared to Rs 26,688.42 crore for 2018- all service personnel and special allowances 118.10 for the ongoing financial year. The 2019. The increase will enable the Army were given to naval and air force person- revenue budget caters for salaries of to acquire modern rifles numbering more nel deployed in high risk duties. 6 3 3 :)% #+2"%9; 9!%,;0-9+!& Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Sarbandanda Sonowal on Friday hailed the interim Union Budget as pro-poor, pro-women and 5,066.66 crore as opposed to last fis- Committee. Directors of IITs/NITs pro-farmer. Stating that it will expedite the rate of development cal’s figure of 5,207.75 crore. and Chief Secretaries of States/UTs in the country, Sonowal said the budget is pro-people which would he Centre earmarked 93,847.64 Finance Minister Piyush Goyal have been requested to submit pro- propel the rate of development of all sections of people of the Tcrore for the education sector for proposed the launch of a scheme posals,” the minister said. country. 2019-20, an increase of over 10 per named ‘Revitalising Infrastructure Goyal said technology will be the He also said the budget will catapult the pace of development cent from last Budget allocation. 78% % &; and Systems in Education (RISE) by biggest driver in improving the qual- in the North East region as the budget proposed to pump in Rs While 37,461.01 crore has been 4 1/ %& 2022’ with a total investment of 1 ity of education and proposed to 58,166 crore this year which is a rise of over 21 per cent from allocated for higher education, an " J/ K,7877 lakh crore in the next four years to increase the digital intensity in edu- the previous year. PTI amount of 56,386.63 crore has been "" % 1, step up investments in research and cation and move gradually from earmarked for school education. Last &, related infrastructure in premier “black board” to “digital board”. A year, then Finance Minister Arun educational institutions, including dedicated digital infrastructure for Jaitley had allocated 85,010 crore for @8D health institutions. teachers, DIKSHA, has been devel- the education sector. The Government allocated oped with the aim to empower school However there has been a decline 608.87 crore for research and inno- teachers with access to innovative in budget outlays for IITs, IIMs, tutions and universities across the 18 to 6,326 crore in 2018-19. vation, a massive increase from pre- tech-based solutions, he said. IISER, and statutory and regulatory country. The outlay for the University vious allocation of 350.23 crore. “Technology will also be used to bodies such as UGC and AICTE in The Budget outlay for the Indian Grants Commission (UGC) is Goyal also proposed the setting up of upgrade the skills of teachers through the Interim Budget 20 as compared Institutes of Management (IIMs) was 4,600.66 in the budget, a decrease two new full-fledged ‘Schools of the recently launched digital portal to the allocation for 2018-19. This 415.41 crore, a massive decline of from 4,722.75 crore in 2018-19. The Planning and Architecture’ (SPA) to ‘Diksha’. “A committee has been set up comes at a time when HRD Ministry 59.9 per cent from last fiscal’s allo- outlay for the All India Council for be selected on challenge mode. by the Department of Higher has said it will implement 10 per cent cation of 1,036 crore. The Indian Technical Education (AICTE) is 466 Additionally, 18 new SPAs would Education to work out the modalities reservation for economically weaker Institutes of Technology (IITs) have crore as against 485 in 2018-19. In be established in the IITs and NITs as to support ‘Operation Digital Board’ sections of the general category from been allocated 6,223.02 crore as all, the Budget outlay for statutory autonomous schools, also on chal- in all schools and to provide quality the 2019 academic session and has against 6,326 crore in 2018-19. The bodies saw a decline of 2.70 per cent lenge mode, he said. “The proposal education by effective use of tech- directed to increase around 25 per IITs also saw a budget cut in the last from the last fiscal. In 2019-20, the for setting up SPAs have been nology and telecom services,” the cent seats in higher educational insti- fiscal from 8,337.21 crore in 2017- Budget outlay for the bodies is appraised by the Expenditure Finance Minister said. 7 , , '(<"%!%%))

" $ # = & E: J $ #= EK % , "# #",7B %% , , ;++ he Health Budget 2019-20 was up @'988 (-" " & 2% 1 "% Tby 16 per cent to 61,000 crore %% " ,&" 48 "% cal’s allocation of 350 crore for from 52,800 crore the previous year. Project Tiger, an initiative for con- However it is much low to meet the he Government on Friday serving the wildcats, and 30 crore targets under the National Health Tincreased overall budgetary allo- for Project Elephant, which was Policy 2017, where the Government cation for the Union Environment launched to conserve the jumbos had promised to increase health allo- Ministry by 20.27 per cent to Rs across the country, remain cation to 2.5 per cent of GDP till 2025. 3,111.20 crore, but the wildlife flag- unchanged for 2019-20. The Ministry had demanded 80,000 ship schemes such as Project Tiger The interim budget, presented by crore for 2019-20. and Project Elephant saw no change Finance Minister Piyush Goyal, The Centre’s much ambitious in their allocation compared to last raised the allocation for the National Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan -3" %% 7'288 % -% year. Also even though pollution is Tiger Conservation Authority Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) which was & "" 988"% ,&O %% 7'488 increasingly becoming a cause of (NTCA), a statutory body under the launched by Prime Minister Narendra concern across the country, fund for Ministry for tiger conservation, to Modi in September 23 saw an alloca- age-related illness. Programme for prevention and con- pollution abatement was cut down to 10 crore for 2019-20 from 9 crore tion of 6,400 crore for the year. The The allocation for the National trol of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardio-vas- half from 20 crore last year to 10 last fiscal. scheme aims at providing a cover of 5 Health Mission (NHM) for 2019-20 cular Disease and Stroke was reduced crore for 2019-20. The revised allocation for NTCA lakh per family annually and is aimed was raised to 31,745 crore from the to 175 crore from 295 crore. Also, at 100 crore, the 2019-20 for 2018-19 was also 10 crore. The at benefitting more than 10 crore poor last budget’s allocation of 30,129.61 The Government, in the Interim allocation also remained the same as Animal Welfare Noard (AWB) got an families across the country. crore. However, the Rashtriya Budget, has allocated 64 crore for last year for the Central Pollution increase of 2 crore in the budget. 250 crore and 1,350 crore have Swasthya Bima Yojna (RSBY) which upgrading and strengthening nursing Control Board (CPCB), the central The Centre has allocated 12 crore been allocated for setting up features under the NHM saw an allo- services, 5 crore for upgrading phar- pollution watchdog. The revised for AWB for 2019-20. It was 10 Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness cation of 156 crore, a decline of macy schools and colleges, 800 crore allocation for the year 2018-19 was crore in 2018-19. Centres under the National Urban 1,844 crore. for upgrading district hospitals and 114.42 crore. The Budget for National Health Mission and National Rural The Government allocated 2,500 State Government medical colleges In the last fiscal, the Commission for Green India has Health Mission respectively to provide crore to its National AIDS and STD (post-graduate seats). Environment Ministry was allocat- been increased from 210 crore in comprehensive and quality primary Control Programme an increase of It allocated 1,361 crore for ed 2,586.67 crore. The current fis- 2018-19 to 240 crore in 2019-20. care close to the community in urban 400 crore from last budget’s alloca- strengthening Government medical and rural sector. tion of 2,100 crore. colleges (undergraduate seats) and Under the programme, nearly 1.5 The budgetary allocation for the Central Government health institu- lakh sub-centres and primary health AIIMS has been increased to 3599.65 tions, 2,000 crore for establishing new centres will be transformed as health crore from 3,018 crore in the 2018- medical colleges and 20 crore for set- and wellness centres by 2022. These 2019 fiscal. The National Mental ting up State Institutions of centre will be equipped to provide Health Programme saw a decline Paramedical Sciences in the states and treatment for diseases such as blood from 50 crore to 40 crore while the for setting up colleges of para-medical pressure, diabetes, cancer and old budgetary allocation for the National education. (.

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- == > 45 %% & -;9! 9!08 -''? #.# to be transferred directly to als and mining giant on #.# farmers’ bank accounts. Thursday reported a 25.54 enchmark Sensex ended Overall, market mood was per cent decline in consoli- #.# Global credit rating agency he insurance industry Bover 212 points higher in positive even as the dated net profit at 1,574 Moody’s said the inability to Texpects the budget pro- see-saw trade on Friday after Government overshot the fis- crore for the December 2018 he Indian rupee on Friday meet fiscal deficit target for posals to increase disposable the Government presented a cal deficit target for the cur- quarter on the back of higher Tweakened by 17 paise to four consecutive years as a big income through hike in tax farm-friendly, consumption- rent financial year on the expenses and drop in com- close at 71.25 against the US “credit negative” for the sover- rebates, pensions, health cover oriented Budget ahead of the back of populist measures modity prices. dollar as concerns related to fis- eign. for the masses and digital con- general elections. ahead of the general elec- Banking stocks were the cal slippage weighed on the “Announcements towards nectivity, help the sector grow After rallying over 500 tions. Goyal said the fiscal other top losers, with Yes sentiment after the interim farms, farmers and middle faster. points to hit the day’s high of deficit for the current finan- Bank, SBI, ICICI Bank and budget unveiled some big pop- income category are expected “The interim budget aims 36,778.14, the 30-share index cial year is expected to be 3.4 Axis Bank falling up to 4.68 ulist measures ahead of the to create huge pressure on the to uplift the poor, both in cities #:;>$;'& 8 0 ? 20?3 gave up all gains and sank to per cent of GDP. As per the per cent. general elections. fiscal deficit during FY20,” as well as in villages,” ICICI ">0 . #:;'@< 36,221.32 in late-afternoon Budget estimate, the fiscal Meanwhile, on a net basis, On a weekly-basis, the Dun & Bradstreet’s lead econ- Lombard General Insurance’s @? 0? ":: . & trade. It finally ended 212.74 deficit for 2018-19 was pegged foreign portfolio investors domestic currency registered a omist Arun Singh said. Bhargav Dasgupta said. ":" #:;> . #:;'@0? points, or 0.59 per cent, high- at 3.3 per cent. (FPIs) bought shares worth a loss of 8 paise. The rupee had The government made a For the insurance industry, $ er at 36,469.43. “All these are those factors net of 3,006.41 crore registered a marginal gain of 2 big populist push in his final the schemes aimed at boosting @ Similarly, the 50-share (sops) are going to bring in a Thursday, and domestic insti- paise in the previous week. budget before the Lok Sabha farmers’ income and reducing 0? (#:;' NSE Nifty jumped 62.70 lot of liquidity to the market tutional investors (DIIs) were At the Interbank Foreign elections, cutting taxes for mid- tax outgoes for the middle-class points, or 0.58 per cent, to in terms of investment,” said net sellers to the tune of Exchange (forex) market, the dle-class voters and giving cash will encourage consumption, close at 10,893.65. Mustafa Nadeem, CEO, Epic 1,634.32 crore, provisional rupee opened at 71.08, but handouts to farmers. This, while the plan to develop 1 lakh Auto and consumption Research. data available with BSE during the day it came under however, will widen its fiscal digital villages will boost digi- stocks buzzed as investors wel- Some profit-booking and showed. selling pressure. The local unit deficit targets for the current tal infrastructure, he added. comed incentives for the agri- consolidation in the short Elsewhere in Asia, moved in a range of 70.94 to and next financial year. It can be noted that apart culture sector and middle class term was expected as prices Shanghai Composite Index ral- 71.39 and finally finished at Meanwhile, the dollar from providing income tax in the budget, traders said. tend to absorb the Budget, but lied 1.30 per cent and Japan’s 71.25 per dollar, down by 17 index, which gauges the green- rebate of up to 5 lakh and 6000 Finance Minister Piyush we expect the momentum to Nikkei rose 0.07 per cent. paise against its previous close. back’s strength against a basket per annum in basic income Goyal proposed to double the remain strong, he added. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng ended On Thursday, the rupee of six currencies, fell 0.06 per support to small farmers, the threshold tax exemption limit The BSE auto, consumer 0.04 per cent lower and Korea’s had settled 4 paise higher at cent to 95.52, ahead of US budget also rolled out a target to to 5 lakh and increased the durables, FMCG and realty Kospi slipped 0.06 per cent. 71.08 against the US dollar. labour market report. have 1 lakh ‘digital villages’. standard deduction to 50,000 indices climbed up to 2.62 per In the Eurozone, “Indian rupee and bonds Forex traders said rising The life insurance industry from 40,000. cent. Frankfurt’s DAX gained 0.20 fell on the budget announce- crude prices weighed on the will benefit from the increase 1 7$6&+ !0 & P The proposal will benefit Top gainers in the Sensex per cent, Paris CAC 40 was up ment of the higher borrowings,” local unit, while, heavy buying in disposable incomes, high A & & & 3 crore middle-class tax pay- pack included Hero 0.19 per cent and London’s V K Sharma, Head PCG and in domestic equities restricted digital connectivity in the hin- A A & ers, Goyal said while unveil- MotoCorp, Maruti, HCL FTSE jumped 0.37 per cent in Capital Markets Strategy, the slide in the local unit to terlands and focus on infra- . ";&#:;'@< A& 4 ing the budget proposals for Tech, Asian Paints, Bajaj Auto, late morning deals. HDFC Securities said. some extent. structure boosting job cre- ( 2( 3 8 & ( 2019-20. Bajaj Finance, HDFC, RIL, The rupee, meanwhile, The interim budget pegs Meanwhile, equity bench- ation, Pankaj Razdan of Aditya & &A A &( & &A A As widely expected, the HUL, Bharti Airtel and depreciated 24 paise against fiscal deficit slipping by 10 mark Sensex ended 212.74 Birla Sun Life said. Finance Minister also PowerGrid, rising up to 7.48 US dollar to 71.32. bps to 3.4 per cent for the cur- points, or 0.59 per cent, high- The mega pension scheme announced the Pradhan per cent. The benchmark Brent rent year, owing to an income er at 36,469.43, despite the for the unorganised sector is Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Vedanta was the biggest crude futures were trading support scheme for farmers government presenting a pop- also a positive for the sector, he for small and marginal farm- loser on the Sensex, cracking slightly lower at $60.53 per and expects it to stay at the ulist budget carrying fiscal said as it is a well- thought-out ers, providing 6,000 per year 17.82 per cent after the met- barrel. same level in FY20 as well. fragilities. plan. 1 ! 16 &6 4 & ! ( 4 #.# sumption positive,” private #:;' sector lender Yes Bank & & / he interim budget has pri- chief economist Shubhada @ . General of ITEC ME and Toritised populism over Rao said. & !($A Secretary General — Business fiscal prudence, and the “Announcements towards 26<3 usiness leaders in the UAE Leaders Forum said the interim moves to appease voters in farms, farmers and middle Bgave mixed reaction to the budget presented by Finance general, and the farmers and income category are expected interim budget on Friday as Minister Piyush Goyal high- the middle-class in particular to create huge pressure on the #% & some welcomed it, saying it lighted the Government’s focus ahead of the elections will fiscal deficit during FY20,” showcased the achievements of on healthcare and agriculture boost consumption,econo- Dun & Bradstreet’s lead econ- the Government while others which is a welcome move. mists said. omist Arun Singh said. @' 7 criticised it as an “election bud- “The full tax rebate on However, the moves like a Rao said while there is a get” with no word on job cre- annual income of up to 5 basic income to farmers and “marginal slippage” in the viduals on-the-go. With the ation and nothing for the NRIs Lakh is definitely a huge relief for doubling the income tax fiscal deficit target for FY19, power of Surface, Windows to excite them to invest back the middle class tax payer. The exemption threshold to 5 the move towards consolida- icrosoft announced the and Office, connected through home. announcement that businesses lakh come at a cost to fiscal tion has also had to be “dilut- Mavailability for Surface the cloud, users are empowered Sudesh Aggarwal, with less than Rs five crore annu- math, they said. ed” because of the relief to Pro 6 and Surface Laptop 2 in to be more creative with their Chairman India Trade and al turnover, which comprises “The continuous devia- farmers as the Government India via e-commerce plat- choice of Surface devices. Exhibition Centre M.E and over 90 percent of GST payers, tion from the FY19 fiscal wants to appease the voters. forms such as (Amazon and While the refined exterior Chairman Giant Group, said will be allowed to return quar- deficit target and the ‘pause’ It is the reliance on mar- Flipkart) and select retail stores may look familiar, Surface Pro 6 that the farmer income support terly returns is a welcome move on FY20 fiscal consolidation ket borrowing for financing of Croma, Reliance, Vijay Sales, features redesigned architecture scheme and increase in taxable for the existing SME’s,” she said. is a negative surprise and the the deficit for both this fiscal and other retailers. The devices under its hood that delivers income slab is to garner votes According to Kumaria, the credibility of the target to get and the next one which is will be available for commer- astonishing power. The quad- in the election year. policies of this Government or fiscal deficit down to 3 per- concerning the markets, Rao cial/enterprise customers core, 8th Generation Intel Core “The vision to increase GDP any Government will only show cent by FY21 is “now in ques- said, adding the yields on the through authorised resellers. processor device is an instrument to $5 trillion in 5 years and to results with effective adminis- tion”, Japanese brokerage benchmark bond have react- The next generation of of versatility, portability and $10 trillion in 8 years is dream trative policies and good gov- Nomura said in a note. ed adversely. Surface devices will deliver power. It is 1.5 times faster than only as it will require an annu- ernance which ensures that the Ratings agency Moody’s The budget sees an impact incredible experiences, and its predecessor, while offering the al GDP growth of 15 per cent in policies are implemented in also viewed the focus on of 20,000 crore for the cur- enhanced productivity for indi- same all-day battery life. first 5 years and then 25 per cent the right spirit. higher expenditure without rent fiscal and 75,000 crore in next 3 years which is not pos- “The Government’s policy any revenue gathering mea- on the next fiscal due to the sible,” he said. of minimum Government with sures, leading to a slippage on basic income support of 9! 4; ;% <%5& 5; ;%0 He said there were also no maximum governance and to fiscal deficit front for four 6,000 to each of the poor, word on jobs creation. “It is be proactive, responsible with consecutive years, as a “cred- and the Government will have %!:%&, !% double sword budget, may be friendly bureaucracy should it negative” for the sovereign to forego over 18,000 crore they win with dreams shown, not remain as just statement, rating. in taxes through the move to ganised sector will be left out otherwise leave a legacy for the but should be implemented to “Both the measures in exempt income tax till of the pension scheme. incumbent Government to show visible results that can be regard to tax exemption and 5 lakh. rade unions on Friday However, RSS-affiliate fight,” said Aggarwal. felt by the common public basic income for the poor It can be noted that the Tvoiced split opinions on the trade union BMS hailed the Sripriyaa Kumaria, Director people,” she said. farmers are significantly con- fiscal deficit number is interim budget 2019-20; while budget as those earning up to tracked closely as it has wider the AITUC slammed the bud- 5 lakh per year have been macroeconomic implications, get, the Bharatiya Mazdoor exempted from tax. especially because of its Sangh (BMS) hailed it. “It is a great relief to the impact on inflation and also The All India Trade Union salaried employees who con- a potential crowding out of Congress (AITUC) Friday stitute the major part of the the private enterprises from slammed the interim budget middle class and is most wel- loan market due to govern- 2019-20, saying majority of come,” said Saji Narayanan, ment’s additional borrowing. the people falling under unor- National President, BMS. AITUC said, the BJP-led NDA Government is making a cruel joke and has once again attempted to throw “jumlas” on the face of the people of India through the interim budget. “The announcements made are with forthcoming elections in mind, just throwing statistics without any basis,” AITUC said. Those covered under EPF in India should be around 10 crore workers who are not fully registered and hence all of them are not covered, the trade union body said. “There is nothing in the budget for about 35 crore of unorganised sector workers other than the 10 crore workers who are covered under EPF,” it added. BB () ) *+ *,-.

3 $ @ Q R *9 &3 3- Last year, Trump imposed Robert Lighthizer led the US whether a deal was possible, warm feeling.” tariff hikes of up to 25 per cent delegation while Vice Premier Trump said he was not sure. Trump has reiterated that <<9! & " S President Donald Trump on $250 billion of Chinese Liu He headed the Chinese “We have to get this put on the US tariffs will increase 3 Usaid he would soon goods. side. paper at some point if we unless China agreed to reforms %%& meet his Chinese counterpart The move prompted China The White House said in a agree,” the President said. by March 1 deadline. 3 Xi Jinping to try to secure a to increase tariffs statement that the two sides But Trump said he “There are some points &%%& %%.( “great” trade deal between the on $110 billion of American had made progress but that was optimistic the world’s that we don’t agree to yet, but -"'& world’s two largest economies goods. “much work remains to be two largest economies could I think we will agree. I think, , 9'%% % as crucial talks to resolve the During a meeting in done.” reach “the biggest deal ever when President Xi and myself 3""% tariff war that rattled the Argentina on the sidelines of The administration said it made”. meet, every point will be agreed % (. % global economy ended without the G-20 Summit, Trump and would keep a “hard deadline” Responding to a question, to,” said Trump. any deal. Xi agreed to halt any further of March 2, at which point it Trump said the two countries “We’re going to have a & The US and China have tariff increases for 90 days would escalate import taxes on have made “tremendous great trade deal with China if 3 % been locked in an escalating beginning January 1. $200 billion in Chinese good if progress in trade negotiations. it all works out it’s going to be ( trade spat since early 2018, rais- During the two-day talks there was no deal. It doesn’t mean you have a great for both countries -- not ing import tariffs on each which ended here on Thursday, Asked in the Oval Office, deal, but I can say there is a just us, not just them,” he ! 6 < "" -+ other’s goods. US Trade Representative where he was meeting with Liu, tremendous relationship and added. ? ? < !< # $!%;?& ; . 1 " % 1%%79 %$ ) ! , ,"% ' % - ' & 1 & %$ ! R : Q % (-1 % L ""% M 7 & & %" % ' . "" 3- 2017, “it looked like we were "( going to war with North Korea. resident Donald Trump Now, there’s no missile # Psaid on Thursday he will testing. There’s no rocket test- "" announce next week the site ing, there’s no nuclear testing. ; ; $&" and date for the second sum- We got back our prisoners, , mit he plans with North our hostages. We’re getting ": % Korean leader Kim Jong Un back our remains.” %%& %& around the end of February. Trump long has contend- 1&1.H( Trump later said he would ed that his outreach to Kim and likely make the announcement their initial summit last June in , during his State of the Union Singapore have put the US $ address to Congress on and North Korea on the path $!%;?& ; 1 Tuesday. to peace. % % “They very much want the But his list of O%%,L %%"M meeting,” Trump told reporters, concrete achievements has not "", and he asserted that his admin- grown in the months since that % istration has made “tremen- meeting, and his own intelli- %-" dous progress” toward reining gence chiefs believe there is lit- & %% & % in the North’s nuclear ambi- tle likelihood Kim will volun- & " tions. tarily give up his nuclear " The president said that weapons or missiles capable of , %( before he took office in January carrying them. /% %<. " . %H && && " %" , - . n advisor to Turkish 3- APresident Recep Tayyip Erdogan says a United Nations US lawmaker has intro- human rights expert will listen Aduced a resolution in the to the audio recordings of the House of Representatives to killing of Saudi journalist Jamal grant asylum to Pakistani Khashoggi as part of an inves- woman Aasia Bibi, who tigation. was acquitted by the Special Rapporteur Agnes Supreme Court in a blasphemy Callamard and her team of case, claiming she was “perse- experts met Tuesday with advi- cuted” in the Muslim-majori- sor Yasin Aktay, a friend of ty country for being a Khashoggi’s. He told reporters Christian. the team would have access to A three-member Supreme the audio, according to Turkish Court bench threw out a media. Khashoggi, a petition seeking to review Washington Post columnist who the apex court’s decision to wrote critically about the Saudi acquit 47-year-old Bibi on Crown Prince Mohammed bin Tuesday. Salman, was killed inside the Bibi, a mother of four, was Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on arrested in 2009 for allegedly Oct. 2. His remains have not using derogatory words during been found. a quarrel with Muslim women while working on a farm in Punjab province. Bibi was convicted in 2010 by the trial court and her death sentence was maintained by the Lahore High Court in 2014. The apex court over- turned her conviction last year, sparking days of violent demonstrations led by hardline Islamist parties. “Aasia Bibi has been persecuted, jailed and threatened for doing nothing more than being a Christian in Pakistan,” Congressman Ken Calvert said. The recent decision by Pakistan’s top court to overturn Bibi’s death sentence and free her from jail is obviously welcome news, the lawmaker said. C M Y K

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H H - have a job at hand. It will be a superb groundstrokes to make lot harder. No time to give up -8$7 ' the job tougher for the Indian. he gamble of playing on now," non-playing captain F . The crowd did their best grass did not work out Mahesh Bhupathi said after / 3 supporting Prajnesh but the Tfor hosts India, at least the opening day's struggles. nerves soon started playing for on the opening day, as Italy India had bounced back / the Indian who remained in lived up to their reputation to from a similar situation to win the game by holding his serve win both the singles in the in China 3-2 in Asia/Oceania 0 = / till the seventh game. Davis Cup Qualifiers at the Group I rubber last year and - Berrettini effortlessly Calcutta South Club on Bhupathi drew inspiration made it 5-3, racing through his Friday. from that turnaround. #.-$ service games before breaking Q Andreas Seppi experi- "They are so much more -. - Prajnesh again in the ninth enced some early hiccups experienced. If you take your game. before getting past Ramkumar chances you get rewarded. We -./ E After two early errors, Ramanathan 6-4, 6-2 in the understand the pressure of Prajnesh clawed his way back < opening rubber, while 22- playing for the country. with two big forehands before to make it 30-all but the Italian year-old Matteo Berrettini Strange things happen. It has converting his break point. capitalised on another error to made a winning Davis Cup happened in China. I know As the set wore on, secure a match point. H H - debut, cruising past India Italians are stronger than Prajnesh looked more settled Prajnesh hit a forehand number one Prajnesh China but we will take one took as his serves started get- right into the middle of the net taly on Friday did not rule out the possibility of fielding Matteo Gunneswaran 6-4, 6-3. match at a time," a confident ting better. Both players held to concede Berrettini the IBerrettini in Saturday's doubles tie against India after the young- With 0-2 down, India's Bhupathi said. their serves until the Italian match and Italy a huge 2-0 ster made a dream Davis Cup debut. doubles pairing of Rohan Italy opted to go with sealed the issue in the 10th advantage. Berrettini, the youngest member in the team, had pipped Bopanna and Divij Sharan Berrettini ahead of top ranked game without a dropping a Earlier, Andreas Seppi Italy's top-ranked singles player Marco Cecchinato (world num- finds itself in a must-win sit- and world number 19 Marco point. overcame early jitters to beat ber 19) to make the singles draw. uation on Saturday. Cecchinato and the youngster, Berrettini began the sec- Ramkumar Ramanathan in And he lived up to his non-playing captain Corrado For Italy, top-ranked sin- who made the second round ond set exactly the way he straight sets, giving Italy a 1- Barazzutti's confidence by beating India's numero uno singles gles player Marco Cecchinato of Wimbledon last year, did started the first, breaking 0 lead. player Prajnesh Gunneswaran in less than an hour to hand Italy is paired with Simone Bolelli, not disappoint and broke Prajnesh to take a 1-0 lead. The World number 37 a 2-0 lead on the opening day of the Davis Cup Qualifier. the 2015 Australian Open Prajnesh's serve in the first set. He started off with a sub- was slow off the blocks but hit "He (Berrettini) played very well. He played like a veteran winner in the doubles. Berrettini, who had beat- lime volley at the net and top gear in the second set to even though it was his first Davis Cup match. He really had a "Focus is on tomorrow en Prajnesh in the Chengdu 7 7 Prajnesh had no chance as the complete a 6-4 6-2 win in one great match," Barazzutti said. (on Saturday). We know we ATP last year, raced to 15-40 6 B & A Italian dished out a couple of hour and 11 minutes. The 1976 Davis Cup winner said Italy's doubles line-up is not yet finalised and they have one-hour time before the match to change the combination. -+ , , "We still have time to discuss about that (Berrettini's inclu- 9 sion). We can change the doubles combination one hour before the match. We still have time to change the team," he said. However during the official draw, Italy had paired Cecchinato , , H H - career-high singles ranking of 102, with doubles specialist Simone Bolelli. said he became jittery when he Saturday's only rubber will be the doubles and there is a strong # / reach to not only tennis changes," Hewitt said ndian captain Mahesh Bhupathi failed to break after being 4-3 up. chance of the 22-year-old pipping Cecchinato once again as they fans but other sports ahead of his team's qual- Ion Friday rued that his men "That (failing to break) put a would look to seal the issue. panish football top enthusiasts." ifying tie this week failed to seize the opportunities lot of pressure on me because he The 22-year-old Berrettini had won the doubles title in St Sflight La Liga will The 119-year-old against Bosnia. against a much higher-ranked Italy, is a good frontrunner and has a Petersburg Open with Fabio Fognini, who is missing the ongo- sponsor tennis' Davis Davis Cup competition "I think having the which raced to a 2-0 lead on the very good serve. He used that to ing Qualifiers. Cup finals under the has traditionally been finals in one place is opening day of the Davis Cup his advantage. I think he played Berrettini also clinched the first title of his career upsetting tournament's new guise structured around a 16- ridiculous. I personally Qualifier. more aggressive than I did and that second seed Roberto Bautista Agut en route to winning the Swiss led by Barcelona centre- nation World Group, don't think all the top The big-serving Ramkumar worked well for him," he said Open in Gstaad in July last year. back Gerard Pique's contested over four players will play. Ramanathan got a break point in his after losing to Berrettini for the "A lot of things have changed (since the Swiss Open win). investment group, the weekends during the "Now we're being very second game after he was second time since Chengdu ATP Things are starting to fall in place. I think I did a great week there. ITF announced on year, but will now switch run by a Spanish football leading 1-0 but the world number 37 last year. I realised I could play at that level. After that I won doubles with Thursday. to an 18-team finals, with player... that's like me Andreas Seppi used all his experi- Last year, India bounced back Fabio. I like to play tennis. It's a dream coming true," Berrettini In an unusual cross- the inaugural edition in coming out asking to ence to hold his serve. to defeat China 3-2 from a similar said. sport move, La Liga will Madrid in November. change things for the Then again in the eighth game situation and Bhupathi is expect- Berrettini, however, said the Indian duo of Rohan Bopanna promote the Davis Cup On Wednesday, Champions League -- it's with Ramkumar leading 4-3, Seppi ing a repeat show from his men and Divij Sharan would be tough to beat. during broadcasts of its Australian Davis Cup ridiculous." fended off another break before starting with doubles pair of Rohan "They are always a very good team in doubles. We know it live matches. captain Lleyton Hewitt The qualifying ties switching gears to wrap the set 6-4 Bopanna and Divij Sharan. will be tough. For them it's a very important point. They will "The cross-sport criticised Pique, whose start on Friday, with the and the second set turned out to be 7 7 play their best tennis possible. But we are up for the challenge. partnership with La Liga investment group 12 winners to join the six a formality with the Indian proving We are a good team too. We will try hard to win the match," he is innovative for the Kosmos proposed the automatic qualifiers — no match. that top singles player Prajnesh said about doubles rubber. Davis Cup," said ITF planned changes. Croatia, France, United "When you are playing players, Gunneswaran also echoed. The youngster was at his aggressive best against Prajnesh, president David "I haven't been a sup- States, Spain, Argentina who have so much experience and "We understand the pressure who has achieved career high 102 rank recently. Haggerty in a statement. porter since they first and Britain — in are used to playing at a level, you that comes with playing for the "Our captain decided to play aggressive tennis, to play as the "This will widen our flagged the possible November's finals. have to take your chances," he said country. The job of everybody in the net as much as possible. I think I did all these things really well," of Ramkumar, who went on the team is to keep all of us relaxed Berrettini said. defensive despite being in an advan- while at the same time we want to He further gave credit to Andreas Seppi for winning the open- tageous position. win." ing rubber against Ramkumar Ramanathan, something that made 0=-620)-7)21 "I am a firm believer that if you Prajnesh on his part said: his work easier. take your chances, you will get "Nerves and tension got to me. It's "There was a bit of pressure on me. It was my first match in rewarded. That's where the momen- a learning experience for me. I A the Davis Cup. But Andreas played a great match and reduced 67'270)-2* tum swung." gave my best, Seppi was better my pressure," Berrettini said. Bhupathi admitted that his play- today. He deserved to win." ers were under pressure, something Ramkumar, who is enjoying a + C # . / ( azio beat Inter Milan on penalties in Lthe Italian Cup quarterfinals on atsumi Yusa struck a brace as Thursday, a result that will do little to KNeroca FC rallied to beat 7 9 8 dispel reports that Antonio Conte is in Indian Arrows 3-2 in an exciting I- talks to become the next Nerazzurri League match on Friday. coach. Yusa struck in the 68th and # -/ Lautaro Martinez and Radja 87th (penalty) minutes while Felix Nainggolan had spot kicks saved as Chidi (38th) was the other goal le Gunnar Solskjaer has Lazio won 4-3 on penalties after the scorer for Neroca. Ochallenged Anthony match ended 1-1 following Mauro Boris Thangjam (34th) and Martial to fulfill his potential at Icardi's stoppage-time equalizer. Rohit Danu (62th) found the tar- Manchester United by following Lazio will next play AC Milan. get for the home side in the match Cristiano Ronaldo's example. Atalanta faces Fiorentina in the other played at the Kalinga Stadium. United announced on two-legged semifinal. The match began on a slow Thursday that the France strik- It is the third successive year Lazio pace with Neroca playing a much- er had signed a new contract that has reached the semifinals. They lost to organised game and enjoying bet- commits him to the club until at Milan on penalties last season, while ter possession. The Manipur-based least June 2024, with the option they beat Roma in 2017 but lost the final + side had some fine attempts, but a for a further year. to Juventus. goal eluded them due to lack of Martial, who is expected to "If there was a team that should've tially awarded a free kick. good finishing. recover from a minor training won, it was Lazio," Immobile said. "We Lazio defender Stefan Radu was sent The Arrows, who were trying injury to play at Leicester in the deserved it, then there was that penal- off for dissent and Icardi kept his cool & 4'>? hard to come back into the game, Premier League on Sunday, has ty incident which forced us to postpone under immense pressure to convert the kept on penetrating with attacks on scored 10 goals this season, our celebrations. ... Now we hope to get penalty with the last kick of extra time. the counter but could not really although he had gone more than our revenge on Milan." He also netted another penalty in H. Aizawl pressing hard, succeed in doing that. a month without one before Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic the shootout, as did Marcelo Brozovic particularly through Their efforts, however, were striking in the 3-1 FA Cup win pulled off a number of great saves to and debutant Cedric Soares for Inter. ormer champions Isak, whose runs from soon rewarded when Boris made at Arsenal on January 25. keep his side in the match but was sur- Handanovic saved from Riza FAizawl FC beat the right troubled a the most of an opportunity and Solskjaer, United's caretak- Martial scored 17 goals in prised when Immobile's shot was Durmisi but Immobile, Marco Parolo defending champions half when Aizawl looked Minerva defence with- converted a cross from the right er-manager, witnessed Ronaldo's his first season with United, but deflected past him in the 108th minute and Francesco Acerbi were successful Minerva Punjab FC 1-0 enterprising. out the solid Lancine side to fire in a goal for Indian transformation from raw teenag- has not matched that total since. after the Lazio forward had played a from the spot and Lucas Leiva converted in a 15th round match of Minerva's coach Toure. Arrows in the 34th minute. This er to world-class talent while at He endured a difficult cam- smart one-two with Felipe Caicedo. the decisive penalty. the I-League on Friday. Paul Munster even After a few scoring was also the 200th goal of the I- Old Trafford. paign under Jose Mourinho last Matters almost went from bad to It was Inter's third successive defeat The all-important played new recruits Juan chances were missed by League this season. The Juventus forward, who season, missing out on France's worse for Inter as defender Kwadwo and will pile the pressure on coach goal was scored by Quero of Spain and the likes of Kussaga and Neroca soon found the equalis- joined United from Sporting World Cup squad, and it seemed Asamoah was shown a red card for a Luciano Spalletti. Lalrinchhana in the 69th Mahmoud Al Amna of Kareem Nurain, thanks er four minutes later through Lisbon as an 18-year-old in at one stage as if he might leave tackle on Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. Earlier on Thursday, Conte was minute. Syria, but his team's goal mainly to Arshdeep's Chidi. The game thereafter opened 2003, spent six years with the Old Trafford. However, the referee downgraded it to spotted walking past the Inter offices in With this win, the and win drought con- heroics, Isak's first pur- up a bit and both sides were attack- club before joining Real Madrid. He appears to be playing a yellow on video review. the center of Milan. The former Juventus Stanley Rosario-coached tinued. poseful run from the ing in short bursts but neither of Martial moved to Old with more confidence now, and VAR came to Inter's assistance and Italy coach has been out of a job Aizawl leapfrogged their The Mizoram team right channel brought them could convert any of the Trafford from Monaco in 2015, Solskjaer sees the new contract again when it was used to award a penal- since being fired by Chelsea and he Friday hosts and moved has now picked up five Aizawl a much-deserved chances that came their way. The aged 19, and has shown flashes as a sign of the club's faith in the ty for a Milinkovic-Savic foul on Danilo refused to respond to questions if he was to seventh on the points points since new coach lead. first half ended 1-1. of talent, without ever estab- forward. D'Ambrosio, after the referee had ini- in contact with Inter. table, with 14 points Rosario took over. He found the short- In the second half, a defensive lishing himself as a consistent "He's had some ups and from 15 games. The first chance of est player on the field error cost Neroca dear as they con- goalscorer. downs at the club, he's been top They were in 10th the game came and the youngster ceded a goal in the 62nd minute. Solskjaer believes the France scorer, he's been developing," spot before this game, Minerva's way when, off Lalrinchhana pulled off Rohit Danu made the most of forward has plenty of room for said Solskjaer. " 0 7 6 deep into the relegation a Juan Quero cross from a delectable header the situation as he dispossessed the improvement and has urged "Of course as a young lad zone, but this result the left flank, Dilliram across the face of goal to Neroca center-back and showed his him to look at the way Ronaldo moving abroad it's not easy but battle against relegation. takes them out of it for Sanyasi got under a vol- beat Arshdeep. alertness as he comfortably found developed. now he knows he's going to stay Crouch has played 23 times in the now. ley but the effort lacked Akash Sangwan the back of the net to regain the lead "Cristiano was the best, the here for the coming future and eter Crouch is back in the Premier Championship this season, starting only For Minerva, the power and direction. missed a golden oppor- for Indian Arrows. way he's changed to now, that's I believe in him, I certainly PLeague after the former England twice and scoring once. season got from bad to Then, Kussaga took tunity to equalise a cou- However, the Imphal side, who part of any player's develop- believe in him. striker joined Burnley from Stoke on He also scored against Shrewsbury worse, as they suffered a shot in the 19th ple of minutes later, finished runners-up last season, yet ment," said the interim United "He's a fantastic finisher, Thursday. in the FA Cup third round. Only 23 play- their seventh defeat in minute for Aizawl from finding himself in the again found an equaliser through boss. with great ability. He's young, but Crouch linked up with Sean Dyche's ers have scored more than Crouch's 108 15 games. With an AFC a distance but Arshdeep clear inside the Aizawl a brilliant header from Yusa in the "You've got to model your- he's intelligent, knows his foot- side after Burnley agreed to swap Wales goals since the inception of the Premier Champions League in the Minerva goal was box, but with only the 68th minute. self on someone and you've got ball." striker Sam Wolves for the 6ft 7in League in 1992 -- he just needs four more play-off campaign com- equal to it. keeper to beat, his shot The game thereafter saw to have more challenges ahead Solskjaer, a prolific striker (201cm) former Liverpool and to climb into the top 20. ing up, it will not inspire Albert then made a was woefully wide off Neroca creating many chances but of you. You can't just rely on for United between 1996 and Tottenham star. "I still want to achieve things. I want their side, despite a purposeful foray from target. they were unable to find the lead what you do now." 2007, is certain that Martial has The 38-year-old has scored 108 to get more games in the Premier heroic effort from their the right channel for Munster brought on until the 87th minute when a "I speak about my experi- the ability to become a 20-goal- goals in 462 top-flight games through- League and I would love to add to the young keeper Arshdeep Aizawl to deliver a deli- Mahmoud Al Amna late handball inside the Arrows box saw ence at this club with Cristiano a-season striker. out his career. 100 Premier League goals," Crouch Singh. cious cross but in the game in a des- the visitors being awarded a penal- and what Anthony can achieve. "He has the capability but I'd He has joined Burnley on a short- said. It was a scrappy Arshdeep again made a perate attempt but a goal ty kick. I talk about Cristiano's career, like him to make a few more term deal until the end of the season, Vokes, 29, who joined Burnley from affair for most part of timely intervention to still eluded Minerva and Yusa made no mistake in find- what he's made, how he's got runs in behind because he does- with manager Sean Dyche hoping the Wolves in 2012, has signed a three-and- the game, except for a thwart the danger. Aizawl held on for a ing the back of the net to seal the there." n't miss chances," he said. veteran can provide an extra boost in the a-half-year deal with Stoke. period in the second The second half saw win. match for his side.

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vegetarian diet is distinguished from an omnivorous diet by its content of Adry beans and lentils. These take the place of meat and fish as the major source of protein. And there are so many different kinds of beans you can choose from – kidney, lima, pinto, cranberry, navy, soy beans, and black-eyed peas. These can be served with rice, added to soups, stews, and salads or a variety of casseroles, and made into different ethnic dishes. Tofu, or soy bean curd, can be used in dips and spreads, or served with pasta or stir-fried vegetables. Soy protein contains isoflavones, such as genistein and daidzein, that act as phytoestrogens and inhibit tumor growth, lower blood cholesterol levels, decrease the risk of blood clots, and diminish bone loss. These benefits clearly translate into a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer and osteoporosis. Adopting a vegetarian diet can be a fantastic entry into experiencing better health. A vegetarian diet is associated with a higher consumption of fiber, folic acid, vitamins C and E, magnesium, unsaturated fat, and countless phytochemicals. This often results in vegetarians having lower cholesterol, being thinner, having lower blood pressure, and reduced risk of heart disease. Let’s explore some of the other benefits of adopting a vegetarian (or vegan) lifestyle. A vegetarian is a person who does not consume any type of meat product. The reasons that people choose to have this type of diet can be for many different reasons, but they are often related to morals, health, or religion. The vegetarian diet has come underneath quite a bit of fire in the recent years, arguers believe that vegetarians cannot get the necessary supply of vitamins and minerals without meat incorporated in their diet. However, supporters of vegetarianism point out time and time again all of the ways that they receive the same things that meat eaters do. Is choosing a vegetarian diet truly a good health choice, or should it be something to steer clear of? The body requires certain amounts of specific minerals, vitamins, and nutrients in order to function properly. Protein is a big one of these. Most people are under the assumption that the only source of protein we have access to is meat, but this is simply untrue. Things like beans, nuts, and soy can all provide a vegetarian with the protein that they need to function. Water is deeply involved in every single part of the food chain, including the animals that we consume. It takes nearly 700 gallons of water just to produce a single pound of chicken, you could only imagine how much an entire cow would take! Being a vegetarian conserves a great deal of water. This is a benefit to the entire planet. People become vegetarians for many reasons, including health, religious convic- tions, concerns about animal welfare or the use of antibiotics and hormones in livestock, or a desire to eat in a way that avoids exces- sive use of environmental resources. Some people follow a largely vegetarian diet because they can't afford to eat meat. Vegetarianism has become more appealing and accessible, thanks to the year-round availability of fresh produce, more vegetarian dining options, and the growing culi- nary influence of cultures with largely plant- based diets. Traditionally, research into vegetarianism focused mainly on potential nutrition- al deficiencies, but in recent years, the pen- dulum has swung the other way, and stud- fits of vegetarianism without going all the who are raised vegetarian get the right ies are confirming the health benefits of 3 3+ way. Even if you don't want to become a amount of nutrients for their growing bod- meat-free eating. Nowadays, plant-based 4 & '3& complete vegetarian, you can steer your diet ies. Making sure you get the right amount eating is recognized as not only nutrition- + / &3 . in that direction with a few simple substi- of nutrients is important, and keeping your ally sufficient but also as a way to reduce tutions, such as plant-based sources of pro- physician in the loop about your eating the risk for many chronic illnesses. . tein — beans or tofu, for example — or fish habits can make sure you’re meeting all the "Appropriately planned" is the opera- & 3 instead of meat a couple of times a week. requirements for good health. tive term. Unless you follow recommend- Only you can decide whether a vege- There’s no health benefit, at all, to eat- ed guidelines on nutrition, fat consumption, 3 4 3 . tarian diet is right for you. If better health ing animal fat. It should come as no surprise and weight control, becoming a vegetari- 3 & 3 is your goal, here are some things to con- that when you remove it from your diet, you an won't necessarily be good for you. A diet sider. will also remove the detrimental effects it of soda, cheese pizza, and candy, after all, + 0'& 3& Research shows that vegetarians tend has on your health life. After examining the is technically "vegetarian." For health, it's 3' to be leaner than their meat-eating coun- long term effects of following a vegetarian important to make sure that you eat a wide 3 terparts, and that they also tend to have diet, Korean researchers very comfortably variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole lower cholesterol and body mass index concluded that body fat, and cholesterol lev- grains. It's also vital to replace saturated and 3&+3 (BMI). Some data suggests that a vegetar- els were lower in vegetarians than omni- trans fats with good fats, such as those found 4 3,. 3& ian diet can help with weight loss and be vores. in nuts, olive oil, and canola oil. And always better for maintaining a healthy weight over The food chain exists for a pretty good keep in mind that if you eat too many calo- & 3 time. reason. Animals kill in order to feed them- ries, even from nutritious, low-fat, plant- 0/ 43 People who don’t eat vegetarian can still selves, and humans are no different at all. based foods, you'll gain weight. So it's also be very healthy, and a vegetarian diet comes Eating meat is a natural part of life, and it important to practice portion control, read C4 3' with its own health risks. For instance, provides great benefits to the people who food labels, and engage in regular physical 4&3 + research has also shown that vegetarians are consume it as well as the animals. Over pop- activity. &3& at a higher risk for iron deficiencies, and ulation is a large problem, and eating meat You can get many of the health bene- some experts question whether children helps to ease this problem.

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C. t is a small room where anywhere they follow you with conviction. It is more between 70-100 people are packed in. a crisis of leadership and not the rank and Some are sitting on chairs, others on file,” says Mander who is founding member the floor and still others are standing of the National Campaign for the People’s on the edge. Everyone is straining his Right to Information. Iears and trying hard to listen to a frail man, One can’t help but bring up his 22 trans- dressed simply in a blazer. His voice is soft 2-&!) 9%%' fers during the course of his 17 years career but carries the strength of steel. There is in the IAS as he often did not do the bid- nothing really remarkable about him, or ding of the political masters but preferred maybe there is. If he had been an actor, it to abide by the Constitution. “I still feel that would not have taken a minute for the cast- + +,+)%)&# ,+++-+ it is a small price to pay. But then, if there ing director to make him a part of a film was no price to pay for doing the right thing, around the freedom struggle. He is bald, +,+ , +, " !%"&" % everyone will do it. If you do not act, you fragile and has a posture that reminds one are party to the hate crime. It should be on of the Mahatma. It of course helps that your conscience,” he says and once again the among the many descriptions that are stories of people saving each other. But now fight as they are in our most intimate spaces. steel in his soft voice is almost palpable. attached to Harsh Mander’s name, Gandhian our capacity for compassion has frozen,” says They are there in the WhatsApp groups He does agree that resignation from the is one. Mander, who worked in the Indian where we can see incredible levels of bigotry Civil Services was an extreme step but jus- Mander along with some of his like Administrative Service, serving in the pre- among family and friends,” says the 64-year- tified it by his personal belief. “I could not minded colleagues, including journalist dominantly tribal areas of Madhya Pradesh old activist and writer who has just come out work as a public servant under those who and film-maker Natasha Badhwar, his and Chhattisgarh for almost two decades with his new book, Partition of the Heart: did not value the Constitution. There are daughter and human rights lawyer Suroor before resigning after the Gujarat riots of Unmaking of the Idea of India. many battles that one has to fight but this and others are addressing people and talk- 2002. He believes that much of the crisis has one, I believe, is for India’s soul and could ing about the Karwan e Mohabbat, an ini- Mander, who also works on issues like to do with the economy’s state. “There is a only be done without being encumbered by tiative where they travelled to eight states to hunger and homelessness, believes that one deeper crisis and churning under way. any kind of strictures. So it had to be fought meet the families hit by hate violence cannot create this degree of hatred. “We Younger people have nothing to look for- from outside,” says Mander, who answering including lynchings and riots. haven’t dealt with the demons of Partition ward to. And then we are getting leaders who the call by Jai Prakash Narain, dropped Singh Mander describes incident after incident the way Germans did with the Holocaust. blame the problems on minorities,” he analy- from his name so that it did not reflect his where people of the majority community We fail to acknowledge that people of both ses, making a chilling assessment with gri- caste or religion even though it proved to behave as if nothing has happened or insist communities did an equal amount of maces. be a complicated process, including publish- that the ones who had been killed had it killing. We cannot be indifferent to histo- The spread of hatred is often blamed on ing the change in a gazette. He also con- coming. “After these incidents, it took a long ry. We haven’t reflected on what makes us the working of the social media but Mander vinced his three other batchmates to follow time to register FIRs, if at all that happened. kill our neighbours and friends,” says the sees it only as a vehicle which is utilised to suit. “I further confounded the confusion by When it did, there were pages describing author, who traces his ancestors to spread disharmony. “In the long history of naming my daughter Suroor, an Arabic what the cow or calf looked like and a very Rawalpindi in present day Pakistan from communal violence, rumours have been word,” he laughs. small section on the actual killing of a where his parents migrated. essential in spreading hatred. It happened One thing that he has documented in human being,” he says. However, he also sees it as a part of the in Bhagalpur where a rumour was spread the book is how starkly different educated Another stark example that he recalls larger global picture as hatred seems to be that Hindus had been massacred in a hos- Americans and Indians are in behaviour. is that of Shambhu Regar who killed a man erupting in USA or even France, Germany tel and in retaliation Muslims were attacked “White Americans with benefit of education and blamed it on ‘love jihad’. “When we vis- and Scandinavian countries where parties and killed in large numbers. But the rumour are against hate but in India it is exactly the ited the the family they felt that he had that believe in majoritarianism have occu- could never be traced to anyone. It also hap- reverse. I found that the more educated are ruined the life of the boy who had filmed pied a large part of the political discourse. N 0O- - pened recently in Muzaffarnagar but the more communal, casteist and supersti- the incident as he was sent away to a juve- “In 19th century US, people were killed and --# rumour could be traced back to a politician tious. Poor people show far greater accep- nile home. But they insisted that Regar’s bodies mutilated. We find a parallel in the who has, despite or maybe because of it, tance of others. The reason is that educa- anger was justified. When we dug further Indian lynchings where they record it on /- - - E prospered,” he says. An attempt to curb the tion is preparing us for a competitive mar- we found three incidents of inter commu- camera and share it. While the political dis- social media and bring it under government ket but not be caring and compassionate or nity relationships dating back to 13, nine and course has created an enabling environment, 3/# - control, he feels, is just an attempt to jus- develop a rational scientific temperament. seven years! A completely irrational preju- we as a society need to reflect within our - .-( tify snooping. We’ve been taught to think about ourselves dice was normalised and accepted. A Hindi hearts and souls because we elected them. Mander along with Farah Naqvi was only,” he says. proverb, Jaage ko kaise jagaen, sums it” he Pehle hume apne se ladna hog aur phir apno - H 3 instrumental in drafting a Communal However, he also blames the so-called says but there seems to be no trace of bit- se ladna hoga,” says Mander. - - - Violence Bill which is yet to see the light of secular parties who are complicit in not deal- terness or anger in the words. He draws a parallel with the Holocaust day. But he is heartened by a law passed by ing with the communal cauldron. “Many of He explains the attitude with the and the 1930s Germany where people ##. - Manipur which talks about punishment in the riots took place during the Congress “Doctrine of Vicarious Guilt” which makes went on with their lives as if nothing had case of dereliction of duty of a public ser- regime as did the lynchings in non-BJP an entire community responsible for every happened while Jews were being attacked. Q. # .- vant which is punishable by up to three years states. I feel that we have to make a choice. crime, historical or present, real or imagined. “Now, the younger generation of Germans H 3( - of jail. “It also fixes the responsibility not only We have to negotiate between two parties, He argues, “If we extend this, nobody should is acutely conscious about it and ask how did on the person in the field but also under one where communal politics is oppor- be alive as we’ve done unspeakable things. the people allow this to happen or what were /-- whose command the incident happened. tunism and the other where it is the core of Of course, no man in the world should be they doing when this was happening? Even - /E( 0O- Another important thing is that there is no their ideology.” allowed to live because of the way we treat- nursery children are taught to respect dif- need for a state sanction to act against a pub- Mander also works on issues like ed women. But here we don’t use the same ferent religions and colour. In India it is the / - - lic official, which was required earlier. The hunger and homelessness which he sees as logic.” reverse where we hear children in Class I # H.H ./ third important thing is to give a manda- a part of one whole. “I work directly with It is this attitude and the way hatred saying things like ‘go to another country.’ tory compensation to the victims,” he says. people and policy makers, write and tell sto- seems to have permeated the social fabric During my childhood, this otherisation was 3 ./O He does believe that often there is dere- ries, teach — and I don’t see any of it sep- which makes Mander apprehensive. “I’m a not a part of the consciousness.” liction of duty on the part of the police force arately,” says Mander who is also a Special very optimistic person who believes in the “We have to recognise that first they but it is a culmination of past events. “When Commissioner to the Supreme Court of essential goodness of human beings. I have partitioned the land and now they are par- we say police is communal, the caveat is that India in the Right to Food case. Clearly, there worked during riots and there were always titioning hearts which is more difficult to if junior ranks are led to do the right thing, are many a battles that await him. +. 6 O P " # --. ' % , "%%" &( - # 0 0

What attracted you to the project? hilarious. And that’s something that I’m just needed the money. It’s been a long immensely passionate about, the hilarity of time since Shooting Stars and Little education. Also a really great way of teach- IBritain and I was looking out for work. ing something is to undermine it, that’s a I did ask to go on ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ but really great way of getting the message they wouldn’t have me. They said they across. That’s how you do it by disrespect- e are delighted that the already had David Gest, they had their ‘older ing it, which is what I really hope we’ve done. immense contribution of am delighted that cinema is being fatter person’ so they wouldn’t have me. WIndian cinema towards Itaken seriously by the government. It What do you do when the gory bits come employment generation in the coun- will help a lot of people in terms of What was it like to take this respected on and you have to watch? Nature is raw try has been acknowledged and employment and overall motivation. I genre (crown jewels of the BBC) and turn after all. applauded in Parliament during the believe this will help and motivate the it on its head? When we’re doing the gory bits I genuine- presentation of the Union Budget. industry to make more films. Well I think what we’ve done is we’ve ly don’t watch, I just read and I say to the The announcement of a single- I am so happy that Finance Minister brought some much needed gravitas to the people in the booth, “I’m not watching this window clearance mechanism for Piyush Goyal mentioned Uri: The natural history genre. This young bit, tell me when its over”. Which is actual- Indian filmmakers shooting within Surgical Strike during his budget speech. Attenborough chap, sort of a bit of a kind ly what Armstrong himself says, and I’m India is a significant step and has the Its really increased my Josh. I met of wannabe. And we’ve brought some intel- totally with him on that. I don’t need to see potential to play a huge role in Piyush Goyal and I know that he loves ligence to the genre. By vocalising thoughts. (Laughs) I don’t hope that people will forget what the orig- a monkey eating another monkey. boosting tourism in the country. watching films with his family. The know that’s the strangest question I’ve ever inal questions was, then just go “Oh yeah The amendments in the Anti Modi government has ensured that it has Describe the character of Armstrong been asked! You do it by doing really phys- all right yeah”. I think that’s quite a decep- If you could go on any location with the Camcording provisions will support looked minutely at the detailing of this Wedgewood. ical things that they can’t see and then right tive thing to do. A lot of people do that in film crew, where would you pick and why? the industry’s growth by curtailing budget. The Finance Minister spoke Armstrong Wedgewood is a bit of a stretch, at the end you just say ‘I’m really sorry you interviews. Then they go on for too long and That’s a toughie because there are a lot of illegal recordings of films in cinema about piracy and I think the authorities he’s sort of an ageing actor whose glory days couldn’t see it but it was great’. give really long answers and the whole thing beautiful places in the world. Probably halls and will go a long way towards will take it very seriously. Footfalls in cin- are behind him and he’s a bit poofy and over- was just to hide that they didn’t really have Oxford Street because they’ve still got some reducing piracy. ema halls will increase. Overall, outflow weight, just sat in a chair…Yeah he was a Tell us how the two genres of comedy and a response. I’ve always really looked down good shops left where you can always bar- —Siddharth Roy Kapur, presi- will be benefitted and the recovery will challenge. I like Armstrong, he’s got a bit of documentary come together in this show. on people who do that. gain. dent, Producers become much easier for producers. a short temper, but then I’ve never really Well, everybody knows these BBC wildlife Guild of India —Sandip Singh, producer liked people with long temper. I don’t think documentaries and I think that they’re so From a comedy point of view, why is this If you could give a message to David you should have too long of a temper. What famous around the globe that they feel rich territory? Attenborough, what would it be? don’t I like about him? I don’t like the man robust enough to have a bit of fun with. I Well like I say, everybody knows these doc- If I had a message for Sir David btaining permissions sions terminates piracy as a who plays him, not for me. didn’t write this, I improvised some stuff but umentaries and I think they’re ripe for spoof- Attenborough what would it be…Oh, “I Ofrom various authori- whole and the offenders are anything that makes you laugh, let’s assume ing. We’ve all heard Morgan Freeman really like you, could I have your autograph ties have been very time- punished.This can be exe- What influences have you drawn on for the that it’s a bit that I improvised rather than doing… What was the documentary that please? Could you put ‘To Matthew’…Two consuming. Single win- cuted only with the support character of Armstrong? the writers. was like ‘Happy Feet’ and it was kind of like ‘t’s. Thanks.”…Oh and “Could you do one dow clearance will not only of exhibitors.This will also For the character of Armstrong I drew on I think its really important in interviews the boring version of ‘Happy Feet’? for my brother Howard please”. Yeah that save time but also eradicate help the films to collect bet- a mixture of Grace Jones and Joey Essex. to not just talk for the sake of it, and there’s Whatever one that he did, and the David would probably be my message. the hidden costs involved in ter revenues. nothing worse than not really having an Attenborough ones, they’re often done (The show, Round Planet, airs the procedure. I am hoping —Sunir Khetrepal, CEO, How do you convey a character through answer but just sort of saying something quite seriously, which is understandable as Monday to Friday at 9pm on that anti-camcording provi- AZURE Entertainment voice alone? because you sort of feel obliged to in the they’re educational, but education can be Sony BBC Earth.) " 67 B9 () ) *+ *,-.

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s we walk to the India Art Fair, the Palette Art Gallery’s melange of mas- Aters throws up a trio of artist Jogen + Chowdhury’s drawings that are a treat for tired eyes and stand apart as a corollary of contem- 0 R porary conversations in the vitality and ver- o recreate her series of photographs, titled, ‘Don’t See, Don’t Hear, satile power of drawings. With humble tools TDon’t Speak,’ artist Shilpa Gupta creates a sculpture in which three and ink and mixed media on paper, he pre- identical figures are intertwined in circle, each and concealing and sents three drawings that are a heady study interrupting each others’ senses — to see, listen and communicate. of anatomical exaggerations and the fascinat- -& &' = 3 ./E,& The sculpture finds its roots in today’s changing political landscape ing felicity of the cross-hatch style that can with unidentified borders of orchestrated oppression and loss of agency. never grow old. This is what defines Jogenda, &" ' .# / The Change the maestro. Room by Bhopal- born artist Baaraan (/*. Ijlal is a sound instal- In 2007, when I went to spend a few days lation about conflicts, at his Shantiniketan home. One chilly win- fear, loss, love and the ter, he spoke of how a generous scholarship possibilities of took him to Paris where he was trained at the change. Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux Arts Audio record- and Atelier 17 of William Hayter, which, at ings of anonymous that time, was the finishing school of many voices, of those who talented young Indian artists aspiring to seek have experienced rudiments of European techniques. “We had violence — ethnic, to draw many portraits and sketches of sev- racial, state-spon- eral European models who sat in the studios,” sored and gender- recalled Jogenda. “But I always felt that trans- based, or war and lating mere realism for the sake of it was not displacement — play what I wanted. I used to get bored, so I start- ? in a dark room, audi- ed doing exaggerations in mood and I creat- ble when visitors ed a set of pen and ink drawings with those can look at many references but of course move closer. signatures.” the one that comes instantly to mind is that Another instal- He added, “In later years they became of the patachitras, alpanas and the floral lation by artist Neha studies of the people I associated with or studies that I have done and observed in the Verma is a personal observed in day to day activities and that is past.” interpretation of tra- how my cross hatched portraits became part ditional consort of of my sensibility. I think I was yearning for architectural patterns 4& something original and that is the beginning What is evident also is how in the draw- and hangs in a booth O P P P P& of my journey with such drawings.” ( ing that is a portrait he gives us the limpid by the organisation language of surrealism. The decorative ele- Access For All. The ment is inherent in Jogenda’s style, but for artist brings out geo- Those drawings from the 1960s have him embellishment has its own flourish, its metric patterns and come to bearing even today as you look at two own lingua franca. It also highlights folk ele- forms in her work. portraits of men and one of a bulbous Jogenda is the master of the modernist ments. The beauty of these three drawings What makes it woman. Intriguing perhaps to see that figure. The manner in which he distorts is the intricate crosshatching that gives an interactive is a Jogenda is happy creating loose-limbed, form with the pensive fluidity of lines is undeniable three-dimensional quality. These miniature, tactile bulging torsos of naked evocative men who reminiscent of all forms and indices of the drawings are far from beautiful, they have version of the are by no means young, and also creating a ritualistic alpana created on the floors of tales to tell and elicit the power of the human deeply-geometric long-haired woman with rotund eyes with Bengali homes by gorgeous women with hand because despite his age, Jogenda dares and layered work, thin and knobbly arms that end in long undu- graceful saris. In all the three drawings, to be simple and sophisticated, leaving his that can be touched lating fingers. These two men and the Jogenda draws our attention to the limbs lithe, loose lines to do all the talking. The by the visually- woman are by no means large but their impact and if we look closely, the extremities have panache and perfection of using pen and ink impaired. is indeed monumental almost as if their flesh a luxuriant as well as languid grace about directly on paper is non pareil. The lines Access for All has turned into skin that is coarsely tinted and them. This reminds us of the abundant meander across the white surface and as the head, Siddhant Shah hewn by his pliant pen and ink. The body foliage on rooftops, crevices and corners of human forms take shape, we are reminded said the idea behind with deeply grooved furrows ensures a strik- villages. that drawing is the basis of all art and it is the tactile artworks ( ! ! ing attractiveness that emanates a strong and “My work has always been deeply root- the human hand that empowers and came when his moth- pulsating sensuality. ed in Indian traditions,” states Jogenda. “You ( embraces the very spirit of creation. er, who is partially sighted, was once asked to leave a gallery for the fear that “she will break something.” Shah, who now champions Universal Design, encouraged the Fair visitors to experience tactile works in a simulated environment, blindfolded. Ravi Agarwal’s The Desert of the Anthropocene is an installation with photographic works, text, videos and objects, and is a part of an ongoing investigation into the current state of the nature, both as a crisis which traverses a political realm, but also a cultural con- testation of how ‘nature' is thought of as an abstract idea to be exploited, in the era of the Anthropocene. An immersive experience from architect Pinakin Patel engages visitors in a narration about a stone placed at the roots of a tree: “..another traveller notices the beautiful rock and is tempted to add a wild flower, a lady applies her vermillion on it, and another day, the cook paints the stone with turmeric...” An exhibitor hands a paintbrush and a palette of colours to the visitors, and asks them to add their signatures on the stone, after what comes to their mind listening to the narration. Many visitors do pick up the brush hesitantly, and probably after years. Manisha Baswani, who documents artists’ lives and studios, and herself has a Partition connection, is also showcasing her project Postcards From Home, which has stories of India and Pakistani artists kept in sacks of wheat grain (kanak) —symbolising feelings of home and something that is common to the lands of the countries. L

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nection. He turns the inside out, putting the technology of the BMW #"%" "1 850 CSi on the outside and making the bodywork seem transparent. On the bonnet he paints parts of the 380 80$-896+&72@ "A "BBC#+* hp 12 – cylinder engine: big grey cylinders and huge round intake ! manifolds. He stretches stylised tyre treads, painted in black on white, far ritish artist David Hockney has beyond the wheel arches, as if you are Bcreated the 14th 1995 BMW 850 looking down through the metal CSi art car for the first time in India. from above. Art cars or the ‘Rolling Sculptures’ are On the driver’s side there is a sil- original masterpieces of art that houette of a human figure in black demonstrate an individual synthesis and white. It’s like the shadow of the of artistic expression and automobile driver on a canvas screen. On the pas- design. Since 1975, 19 international senger side, roof and trunk, Hockney artists have created the art cars. depicts a landscape. We can see a Hockney’s art car tells a story. The short stretch of grey road and lots of imagery, flat and Matisse-like, nar- green, the lush rich green of rates the emotional connection and California’s trees. Behind the silhou- singular bond between the driver and ette of the driver is a white dog in an the vehicle. He offers a glimpse into upright position. The dog is looking the dynamics of the driver’s life: the over the driver’s shoulder and out of car contains this personal story. the window. The Californian sun The X-ray view of the interior of shines a powerful yellow and orange the car presents a view of this con- in the background. C M Y K

() ) *+ *,-. # B? 9 8 " ? // oe Burns and Travis Head plundered JAustralia's first centuries of the home sum- R % , ,C1 % F mer on Friday in a stirring fightback as they ruthlessly exposed Sri Lanka's inexperienced attack in the second Test at Canberra. # - that star batswoman Australian skipper Tim Paine won the toss Harmanpreet Kaur did not get to at the Manuka Oval and put his side in on a aving already sealed the bat. flat track conducive to batting, a gambit that series, the Indian On Friday, she did and paid off after some early wobbles. Hwomen's cricket team made 24 off 40 balls before an At stumps, they were a commanding 384 put up an ordinary effort with unsuccessful charge down the for four with Burns not out 172 and Kurtis the bat to go down by eight wick- wickets off Peterson led to her Patterson, who was dropped first ball, on 25. ets against New Zealand in the downfall. Head fell for 161 after a 308-run stand with third and final ODI on Friday. The in-form Mandhana Burns — Australia's first stand over 200 since Captain Mithali Raj, playing attempted a big one against the Steve Smith and Mitch Marsh achieved the feat a record 200th ODI on Friday, spin of Peterson to only end up in the third Test against England in December had spoken about the impor- being caught by Sophie Devine. 2017. tance of a clean sweep going into Her opening partner Jemimah Vishwa Fernando was the best of the the game but her team could too did not do much, leaving bowlers with 3-99. muster only 149 after being put India at 13 for two in the fifth On a cool, overcast day, Burns and Head in to bat. The White Ferns over. dug Australia out of a hole after they lost chased down the target in 29.2 "I would have been really Marcus Harris, Usman Khawaja and Marnus overs to register a morale-boost- happy to get some more runs. Labuschagne cheaply to be in trouble at 28 for ing win. The first two games were very three. Deepti Sharma, batting at satisfying, I was happy that I After weathering the storm number three, was the only one could score the winning runs. It's and as the new ball lost its shine, 4;% $D& !9&;9% ;4 !% ; to make a significant contribu- a lot of hard work yet to be done. the pair started cashing in on a Sri tion for India, top-scoring with I have to score more, win more Lankan attack missing their top B8C 9 = L- , 784C$4D 52 off 90 balls. India collapsed to matches to be tagged the best in bowlers and fieldsmen who put 7@8I @ =L & , 4DCD$D8 149 all out in 44 overs after being the world," said Mandhana down a host of chances. 72C 9 #L # %%1% 7844$47 at 117 for four in the 35th over. reflecting on her performance. Back in the side after being 722 # L= & 7889 "I am happy with the first ? P 6 +E $ % A solid knock was expected overlooked for series against series win in New Zealand. I am from Mithali on her 200th ODI Pakistan and India, opener Burns 79@ 7 # L" %", 784@ happy that youngsters like testing one for both of India's However, off-spinner Anna Really glad that we did. But but she ended up with nine off survived a dropped catch on 34, but Deepti (Sharma) and Jemimah men and women's teams. Peterson did the maximum probably took us a little bit too 28 balls. was otherwise invincible and (Rodrigues) got runs. We defi- Having sealed the series 3-0, the damage in the women's fixture long," said White Ferns captain New Zealand chased down brought up his fourth Test ton off nitely wanted to try a few things. Rohit Sharma-led side too suf- on Friday, taking four wickets for Amy Satterthwaite. the target with ease with veter- 147 balls with a single. tant Chamika Karunaratne stepping in. The bowlers have done well fered a heavy loss on Thursday 28 runs in 10 overs. Pacer Lea Considering opener Smriti an Susie Bates (57) and His 172 surpassed his previous high score The three newcomers have only five Tests through the tournament. But after being bundled out for 92. Tahuhu chipped in with three Mandhana's match-winning Satterthwaite (66 not out) scor- of 170 against New Zealand in 2016. Burns' of experience between them, but they initial- today we didn't get enough The ball swung and seamed con- wickets and conceded just 26 performances in the previous ing fine half centuries. knock was the first century for Australia since ly rose to the challenge. runs," Mithali said in the post- sistently for the first time in the runs in nine overs. two outings, the Indian middle- Mandhana was awarded Khawaja's 141 against Pakistan in Dubai in "First hour the ball moved a bit and our match presentation. series, troubling the highly-rated "We talked a lot about pride order did not need to do much. player of the series for 105 and October and only the second an Australian has bowlers were hitting the right areas," said The venue proved to be a Indian batting. and just wanted to bounce back. Such was the visitors' dominance 90 in the first two games. scored since the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney Karunaratne. "But after the first session... almost 13 months ago. Almost every over we gave a boundary. We have Vice-captain Head soon followed suit, to stop that." reaching his maiden hundred off 155 balls in Harris fell for 11 with a poorly executed A??,4,+ 2 &+ his eighth Test, capitalising on Dilruwan square drive off Fernando caught at point by Perera dropping him on 87. Karunarante. It puts the pair in prime position to be The out-of-form Khawaja soon followed, # - "200 is just a number for me but it of the core members of the team but selected for the Ashes series later this year, with lasting just three balls before being caught at feels nice to come so far," the unas- never did I think that I will continue the Canberra Test — the first-ever in the slip by Kusal Mendis for nought, leaving ack in 1999, 16-year-old schoolgirl suming India's ODI captain said after to play for so long," said Mithali as one nation's capital — Australia's last before their Australia on 15 for two. BMithali Raj was simply happy wear- completing a maiden 2-1 series win on could gauge the sense of satisfaction in tour of England. The gloom continued when Karunaratne ing the India colours for the first time New Zealand soil. her voice. struck with his fourth ball in Test cricket, and not much changed even after two "I have seen different stages of According to Mithali, her only removing Labuschagne with an excellent decades as the coveted milestone of 200 (transformation) in women's cricket endeavour has been to suit her game Their partnership followed a dire start angled delivery for six, caught behind by ODIs "is just a number" for the 36-year- across the globe since I made by debut as per team's needs. against a team they had beaten by an innings Niroshan Dickwella. old legend. way back in 1999 under IWCC "When you have a long career, you and 40 runs in the first Test at Brisbane. Burns watched the carnage at the other end Mithali made her ODI debut (International Women's Cricket have different elements and reasoning Pace duo Lahiru Kumara and Dushmantha and dug in, playing only the loose balls as he against England in Milton Keynes in Council). Coming under ICC, we that comes into factor. But one thing Chameera picked up injuries in that rout, with bided his time and waited for the bowlers to January 1999 and on Friday became the could see the difference. I am just happy has been to constantly thrive and the inexperienced Kasun Rajitha and Fernando wilt. first woman to complete in 200 match- to represent the country for so long," the top level. change my game to suit different con- taking their place in Canberra. Head did the same with both men accel- es in the 50-over format. Not to forget, Mithali said. "When I started, I didn't think that ditions, different areas of my game and And in a big blow, Suranga Lakmal, their erating the run rate once the pressure of scor- she is the top run-getter in the world For Mithali, it is a surreal feeling I will come so far. Initially, my aim was trying to keep up with the international best bowler in Brisbane, was ruled out on the ing centuries was past. Head was finally with 6622 runs. that she could continue for so long at to only wear the India colours, be one standards. morning of the Test with a stiff back, with debu- undone by Fernando, who snared him lbw. $62@020?2)6 3 / / % & &-+&6>>>16)680@ arim Benzema fired Real Madrid into Kthe semi-finals of the Copa del Rey on % H Also, new concepts like Thursday by scoring twice in a 3-1 win over Super Serve and Super Point Girona. # / he stage is set for the have been introduced to Benzema was on target in the first leg Tinaugural edition of the make the league exciting. too, a 4-2 victory at the Santiago Bernabeu eal Madrid will face defending cham- RuPay Pro Volleyball League Each ace served will give the last week, and he continued his brilliant Rpions Barcelona in the semi-finals of aimed at giving a boost to the serving team two points, burst of form with another pair at Montilivi. the Copa del Rey. sport in the country, begin- which will be called the Super Pedro Porro pulled one back for Girona The draw made on Friday means ning with the first leg here on Serve. but any hopes of a comeback were extin- there will be back-to-back Clasicos, Saturday. Chennai Spartans skipper guished when Marcos Llorente drove in for ferent but it clipped the crossbar and stayed with the second leg due to take place in Six teams will battle it out Shelton Moses is upbeat a 7-3 win on aggregate. out, much to the relief of Keylor Navas. the last week of February, before Madrid for top honours in the tour- about his team's prospects Santiago Solari's team is gaining The opening half an hour was lacking host Barca in La Liga on March 2. nament, to be played in Kochi and said the first target is to momentum, having won six out of in spark but came to life when The first leg will be played at the and Chennai. reach the playoffs first. their last seven games, with the Benzema darted in from the right, Camp Nou next week before a return at The first 12 matches will "We have a strong team resumption of the Champions used Dani Carvajal as a wall and the Santiago Bernabeu. Real Betis will be held in Kochi while six put together with the right League just around the corner. drove a left-footed shot past Gorka play Valencia in the other semi-final. matches including the semi- balance of experience and Benzema has been key to that Iraizoz. Real Madrid's club director Emilio finals and final will be held in youth. Our target is to make run, the Frenchman scoring five Vinicius was involved in Butragueno said after the draw: "Madrid Chennai. it to the playoffs so that we goals now in three matches and even cast- Benzema's second, weaving in from the left against Barcelona is one of the best The final is on February can take advantage of home ing doubt on Gareth Bale's place in the side. and rolling inside. Benzema took one matches that can be seen all over the 22. support during the second leg Bale has only just returned from a calf touch and curled it low, inside the far post. world today. It will be a great knock-out According to Kochi Blue in Chennai," Moses said. injury but was left out of the starting line- Lucas Vazquez should have made it match." Spikers captain, Mohan America's Carson Clark, up, instead having to wait until the 67th three after half-time but somehow managed Barca is chasing a record fifth Copa Ukkrapandian the league the only foreign captain of a minute to replace the in-form Vinicius to slice onto the post with the goal gaping. del Rey success in a row while Madrid would provide a platform for franchise in the league, said Junior. Bale came on and tested Iraizoz from is into the last four for the first time since Indian players to compete his team Black Hawks Perhaps Solari was keen not to rush range but Girona pulled one back when they won the competition in 2014. with the best from across the Hyderabad had a good mix of Bale back but Vinicius and Benzema com- Porro nipped in behind and slid a finish Two Clasico games in a week will world. players and expected the bined well again for the second goal and under Navas with 19 minutes left. crank up the pressure on both teams at "The league is a much- about the league and said it league's appeal. tournament to do wonders to there might be a reluctance to break up a Porro rushed to collect the ball out of the end of the month but Real also have needed boost as it gives us a provides an opportunity for To make the game faster the sport here. burgeoning partnership. the net but the revival was short-lived. a testing schedule around the first leg, platform to compete with the young players in the country and spectator-friendly, the Ahmedabad Defenders If Alex Granell's free-kick had dropped Llorente drilled a shot into the corner from sandwiched between a city derby against best in the world. I really to rub shoulders with the best round-robin matches will captain Ranjit Singh is the into the far corner in the second minute, 25 yards to keep Madrid's resurgence Atletico in La Liga and their Champions hope the fans take to the from various countries. have five sets and the first to costliest player of the league, perhaps the contest would have been dif- rolling on. League last-16 first leg away to Ajax. league in a fitting manner," he The presence of foreign reach 15 points shall win the who was picked through a said. stars including David Lee, a set. The winning team will be draft. The tournament will kick former Olympic Gold medal- awarded 2 points. The six franchises that off with a match between list, Novica Bjelica If a team wins 5-0, it will will be part of the league are: HD"# %"# 5 Kochi Blue Spikers and U (Ahmedabad Defenders), be called a whitewash and the Ahmedabad Defenders, Mumba Volley at the Rajiv Paul Lotman (Calicut Heroes) winning team will be award- Calicut Heroes, Chennai Gandhi Indoor Stadium. and Rudy Verhoeff (Chennai ed 3 points for the same. Spartans, U Mumba Volley, . helpless as it flew in off the U Mumba Volley skipper Spartans), among others, is The playoffs will see each Black Hawks Hyderabad and post. Dipesh Sinha was upbeat expected to add to the set of 25 points. Kochi Blue Spikers. atar stunned Japan 3-1 to Ali almost scored again Qwin their first Asian Cup within a minute, only to be on Friday sparked by a denied by a desperate block moment of magic from from Yoshida. )0/1 210=3 record-breaker Almoez Ali However, Qatar doubled and after nail-biting late their lead in the 27th minute drama. after yet another Afif assist — #.# parried it away. Goa's goalkeeper Mohammad Nawaz, Sudan-born striker Ali his 10th of the tournament — Goa had more chances but Mumbai who ensured that his side stayed ahead scored with an acrobatic bicy- as Hatim bent in a sumptuous C Goa ended Mumbai City FC's defenders thwarted the attack either as he made couple of superb saves. cle kick after just 12 minutes left-foot shot from distance. Funbeaten run of nine games after reg- from near the box or inside the box. Two back to back chances came for before Abdelaziz Hatim curled Japan, whose only previ- istering a comfortable 2-0 win in an Also, the match officials were kept Mumbai, but they failed to equalize. In in a superb second and Akram ous Asian Cup defeat by Qatar Indian Super League game here on on their toes with Goa player Seriton the 63rd minute, Paulo Machado's free- Afif converted a VAR-assisted came 31 years ago, mustered Friday. Fernandes and Mumbai's Milan Singh, kick was nodded by Lucian Goian, but penalty to give the 2022 World little of note, much to the cha- Spanish midfielder Edu Bedia (28th Lucian Goian earning yellow cards it hit the crossbar. Cup hosts a famous victory in grin of their colourful fans minute) and star striker Ferran inside the first 25 minutes. Mumbai defender Bose brought Abu Dhabi. among a crowd of 36,000 — Corominas (79th minute) struck on After wasting a couple of free-kicks, down Corominas inside the box as the Qatar survived a scare at protest over his eligibil- But the Blue several sporting fancy dress, either side of the break at the Mumbai Goa's aggression finally paid off in the referee pointed to the dreaded spot. A 2-0 when Takumi Minamino ity. Samurai were soon including one hardy soul in an Football Arena as a sizable number of 28th minute with Bedia netting in the calm and composed Corominas suc- pulled one back on 69 min- Qatar had never chopped down to size inflatable sumo suit. fans cheered the visiting team. opener. cessfully converted the penalty as he utes, only for Uzbek referee before gone beyond the by Ali's outrageous That all changed when Right from the beginning, the two Brandon Fernandes ran from the slotted the ball into the right corner to Ravshan Irmatov to award the Asian Cup quarter-finals opener, taking him past Minamino breached Qatar's teams played aggressive. The visitors had midfield and then put Corominas on the double the lead. Maroons a penalty on review but they scored 16 unan- Iran legend Ali Daei's defence for the first time this an early chance in the second minute. goal. Corominas' shot was saved by With the win, Goa logged three for a handball by Japan captain swered goals coming into the record tally of eight goals at the tournament with a delicate A throw-in from Seriton Fernandes Amrider but the deflection fell in path points to move to the third spot in the Maya Yoshida. final and kept a record six 1996 tournament. chip after Hatim had blazed from the right reached Corominas, who of Bedia, who shot on target and the ball standings with 24 points. This was Ali became the first play- clean sheets. Cleverly found by Afif, over from close range. gave a low pass to Brandon Fernandes. took deflection of Mumbai defender Goa's seventh win in 13 games, while it er to score nine goals at a sin- Japan, meanwhile, had Ali flicked the ball up to him- But moments later Afif But the midfielder sold a dummy to Subhasish Bose, before rolling in. At the was Mumbai's only third defeat in 14 gle Asian Cup after only being never lost an Asian Cup final, self before launching into an ended Japan's resistance from skipper Mandar Rao Dessai behind half-way mark, Goa were 1-0 ahead. games. In their previous encounter in cleared to play just hours winning the last of their record overhead volley that left Japan the spot to complete a fairytale him. Dessai shot from a distance but an After the change of ends, Mumbai Goa, the home team had hammered before kickoff following a UAE four titles in 2011. goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda triumph for Qatar. alert Mumbai custodian Amrinder Singh were initially more aggressive. But, it was Mumbai 5-0.

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