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              256(57$ place of 126.    “We are satisfied that there !!  he Supreme Court on is no occasion to really doubt *  - 9 "#:    L  TFriday provided a major the process, and even if minor       M      K     relief to the Modi Government deviations have occurred, that       $      by dismissing the demand for would not result in either set- +$> ,K         
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 M *     9 % eliance Group Chairman occasion to “really doubt the was concluded on September %%!9     .@# RAnil Ambani on Friday decision-making process” war- 23, 2016 and no questions welcomed the SC order on the ranting setting aside of the were raised at that time and the Rafale deal, saying it established contract. petitions were later filed after the falsity of politically moti- A Bench headed by Chief reported statement of former vated allegations against him. Justice Ranjan Gogoi went into French President Francois “I welcome the judgment “three broad areas of concern” Hollande with regard to selec- summarily dismissing all PILs raised in the petitions — the tion of Indian offset partners. filed on the Rafale contracts, decision-making process, pric- The Bench said it was “cer- and conclusively establishing ing and the choice of Indian tainly not the job of this court the complete falsity of the wild, offset partners — and said to carry out a comparison of baseless and politically moti- there was no reason for inter- the pricing details in matters vated allegations levelled                    vention by the apex court on like the present” and the mate- against Reliance Group and me  !"#  $% the “sensitive issue” of purchase rial has to be kept in a confi- personally,” Ambani said. of 36 fighter jets. dential domain. Continued on Page 4 The apex court said the Continued on Page 4     Indian Air Force (IAF) needs advanced fighter jets as the country cannot afford to be “unprepared” or “under pre-   
  pared” in a situation where       adversaries have acquired fourth and fifth generation      fighter aircraft, “of which, we      Rahul met Gehlot and Pilot Assembly elections. Pilot said have none”. thrice since Thursday. Hectic the party’s manifesto will be “In view of our findings on 

   parleys were held between top implemented immediately. all the three aspects, and hav-   256(57$  
party leaders, including Sonia However, the name of ing heard the matter in detail, Gandhi. Priyanka Gandhi Chhattisgarh CM has been we find no reason for any uoyed by the Supreme   256(57$ Lok Sabha Mallikarjuna 
Vadra too is understood to be kept under wraps. The official intervention by this court on BCourt verdict on the Rafale Kharge. Kharge, who was also involved in the decision-mak- announcement will be made on the sensitive issue of purchase fighter jet deal issue, the he Central Government present at the briefing, said the
 
  ing process. Senior party lead- Saturday in Raipur. All the of 36 defence aircraft by the Government and the ruling Thas come under cloud for PAC has not received any such ers Venugopal, Avinash Pande four contenders — TS Singh Indian Government,” the BJP on Friday charged the allegedly misleading the report.   256(57$ and Jitendra Singh were present Deo, Bhupesh Baghel, Bench, also comprising Justices Congress with manufacturing Supreme Court by claiming “Where has that report during the meeting on Friday. Tamradhwaj Sahu and Charan SK Kaul and KM Joseph, said lies and compromising with that it had placed the gone? Is it with some other he Congress on Friday “The united colours of Das Mahant — were called to in its 29-page judgment. national security and said truth Comptroller and Auditor PAC that PM Modi has set up,” Tnamed Ashok Gehlot as Rajasthan,” Rahul tweeted on Delhi. Attorney General KK always holds together while General (CAG) report on the Rahul asked in a dig at the Rajasthan Chief Minister and Friday afternoon along with a They took turns to meet Venugopal welcomed the ver- “falsehood always fall apart.” Rafale jet deal before the Public Government. Both the Sachin Pilot as his deputy after photograph in which the three Rahul during the day after the dict terming it as an “excellent” Making this assertion here, Accounts Committee (PAC) Government and Anil party president Rahul Gandhi leaders were seen in a jovial name of Rajasthan CM was and “very good” judgment, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley The BJP president said of Parliament. Ambani’s Reliance Group have successfully brokered a peace mood. Gehlot and Pilot wel- finalised. Rahul authorised which in his opinion has given without directly naming Sonia there is no occasion to doubt Congress president Rahul rejected Rahul Gandhi’s alle- between the veteran leader comed with pomp and splen- AICC Central Observer for “clean chit” to the Government Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi said the decision-making process in Gandhi along with Yashwant gation of wrongdoings. and his younger colleague after dour at the Jaipur airport after Chhattisgarh Mallikarjun by accepting all its arguments. falsehood was manufactured by the procurement of 36 Rafale Sinha, Arun Shourie and Rahul again accused the several rounds of discussion the announcement. Kharge to announce in Raipur “I think a clean chit has “one family”, but they are not jets from France, and the court Prashant Bhusan, the three Modi Government of destroy- lasting more than two days. Pilot, 41, exuded confi- the CM candidate after the CLP been given to the Government above the apex court. has upheld that in its order on PIL petitioners in the Supreme ing “all institutions” and assert- Congress observer to dence that Congress’ good elec- meeting on Saturday. on Rafale deal,” he told Along with the Friday. It is not the job of the court against Rafale deal, on ed that corruption to the tune Rajasthan KC Venugopal made toral performance will contin- Gehlot will be the fourth reporters on the sidelines of a Government, the ruling BJP court to deal with the com- Friday pointed out that no of 30,000 crore has taken the announcement and said ue, saying the party will get a leader to become Chief function to give farewell to also accused the Congress of parative details of the pricing, such CAG report was ever place in the Rafale deal. details of the oath-taking cer- big mandate in 2019 polls and Minister of Rajasthan for a Justice Madan B Lokur, who is making the Rafale deal look a he said. He also hit out at the placed in Parliament or before He reiterated the Congress’ emony would be decided after form a Government at the third time. Mohan Lal set to retire on December 30. suspect by telling lies. BJP Congress president for taking the PAC. demand for a Joint a meeting Governor Kalyan Centre also. “Mera aur Ashok Sukhadia was the Chief The court said perception president Amit Shah said here a jibe at Prime Minister At a Press conference, Parliamentary Committee Singh in Jaipur. Gehlot ji ka jaadu puri tarah Minister of the State for four of individuals cannot be the at a separate Press conference Narendra Modi by saying the Rahul said the Supreme Court (JPC) probe into the fighter jet Addressing a Press confer- chal gaya hai (Gehlot and I times, while Hari Dev Joshi and basis of a “fishing and roving that the SC order was a slap on “chowkidar” is a thief. “All in its verdict cited a report by deal and claimed that if it was ence, Gehlot thanked Rahul worked our magic in the Bhairon Singh Shekhawat were enquiry” by the court in such Congress chief Rahul’s politics thieves had gathered to call the the CAG on the Rafale deal was conducted, names of Prime Gandhi for giving him the State),” Pilot said. three-time Chief Ministers of matters and it cannot “sit in of lies and asked him to apol- ‘chowkidar’ a thief, but the submitted to the PAC but Minister Narendra Modi and opportunity to serve the peo- The Congress went from the State. Both Sukhadia and judgment” over the wisdom of ogise to the country and its sol- country never believed it,” Shah asserted that no such report businessman Anil Ambani will ple of the State for a third time 21 seats against the BJP’s 163 in Joshi were Congress leaders Government’s decision to go in diers for putting national secu- told reporters. was given to the House panel come to the fore. and promised that he and Pilot 2013 to get 99 seats (plus one while Bhairon Singh Shekhawat for purchase of 36 aircraft in rity at risk. Continued on Page 4 headed by Congress’ leader in Continued on Page 4 will give “good governance”. of the Rashtriya Lok Dal) in the was from the BJP. 

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                  256(57$  %&7!2(8 Minister for Information and        Bengaluru: At least 11 people, Communications Gokul          including a girl and a woman, oted English writer Amitav he Nepal Government has Prasad Baskota said.  died while 75 others took ill on NGhosh has been honoured Tbanned the use of Indian “The Government has Friday after consuming with this year’s Jnanpith Award, currency notes of 2,000, 500 decided not to use, carry and    “prasad” at a temple at Sulavadi a literary award given to an and 200 denominations, a keep the Indian bills of 200, 500     village in Chamarajnagar dis- author for “outstanding con- move that could affect Indian and 2000 denominations. The     trict, officials said. tribution towards literature”, tourists visiting the Himalayan government will soon issue a        The condition of eight peo- Bharatiya Jnanpith announced nation where Indian currency formal notice in this matter,”      ple being treated in Mysuru is on Friday. is widely used. the Minister said. !   ! "#   critical. “A child died at the “Amitav Ghosh is a path- Indian currency is exten- The decision will adverse-        Government hospital at breaking novelist. In his novels, torian and a social anthropol- sively used by Nepalese people ly affect Nepalese labourers    Ramapura, two each at GH hos- Ghosh treads through histori- ogist,” a statement from and businesses for their savings working in India as well as pitals at Kamageri and Kolegal, cal settings to the modern era Bharatiya Jnanpith reads. and transactions. Indian tourists visiting Nepal.   three at the KP Hospital and '         O P and weaves a space where the The decision was taken in The Nepal Government Nepal Premier KP Sharma ! "   one at KRH Hospital,” said  *      * #  $% past connects with the present a meeting of Jnanpith Selection has asked the people to refrain Oli said earlier this year that #$%% $   Suresh Shastry, Joint Director, in relevant ways. “His fiction is Board chaired by eminent nov- from keeping or carrying demonetisation hurt the  
  !!% Directorate of Health and foundation laying ceremony and prasad was distributed endowed with extraordinary elist, scholar and Jnanpith lau- Indian bank notes higher than Nepalese people and added   &&'(      Family Welfare Services. of Maramma temple was after the function. depth and substance through reate Pratibha Ray. 100 denomination as it has that he would raise the matter   )    According to police, the organised on Friday morning Continued on Page 4 his academic training as a his- Continued on Page 4 not legalised them, Nepal’s with Indian leaders. #  !% (!%     &'        % QR  (   $$#    *  + *,   
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 Airport (IGI). however after fulfilling all the      “The Delhi Government procedures and modalities, the -    &!     256(57$ cials the DDA has approved the has approved the proposal to people of Delhi as well as +-&! ,      same and notified the new set up the breweries in Delhi tourists will enjoy freshly man-  ./0    ow, the Delhiites need not policy in the meeting held on three years ago but it could not ufactured beer.          Nto travel all the way to Friday morning. be implemented as the brew- “Moreover, the freshly !   Gurugram and Faridabad to sip According to sources, “The eries were listed under the brewed beer will also be cheap-       the freshly brewed beer as the restaurants, hotel or clubs will ‘prohibited/negative’ list of er than the can and packaged    
 Delhi Development Authority be allowed to set up the micro- industries in the Master Plan of beers as it does not contain the      (DDA) has finally approved to breweries up to 500 litres per Delhi (MPD) 2021.However, packaging and transporting set up the much awaited micro- day capacity. But at the same on the request of the charges,” said an official. )*  breweries in the restaurants and time the restaurants, bars and Government, Lieutenant- :In Germany, the pregnant   "  bars situated in the national hotels have to get the no- Governor Anil Baijal in women are advised to have a $$# 2 34   
 Capital. objection certificate (NOC) healthy drinks as per the erin’s that are used in the pack- December 2017 approved the glass of freshly brewed beer   $       The new policy or provi- clearance/licenses from excise experts. Experts said micro- aged and beer cans. Also, it will Government’s plea to remove daily as it is so nutritious.      sion for the implementation of department before setting up freshly brewed beer with dif- breweries are healthy for both be good drink and safer then microbreweries from the ‘pro- But in the bottles chemi-   !     microbreweries could not be the microbreweries.” ferent fruit flavours such as men and woman as it does not the whisky and other hard hibited’ list of the master plan. cals are used which is fatty as       notified earlier due to various Microbreweries also strawberries, apple, grapes contain alcohol, chemical and drinks which will also reduce After which the DDA’s techni- well as harmful,” said a beer reasons but now as per the offi- known as organic beers are which is also considered as a preservatives especially glyc- fatness. cal committee approved the expert.   ()  * +,- ./+0    !"

  
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   which include objection relat-         ed to voting machines, manda-       ( (  *+( ',,-.',&/ tory tallying of electronic vot-   ing machine (EVM) count with  & ! -5>    New Delhi: The Supreme ly the price details and voter-verifiable paper audit       Court on Friday said despite comparison of the trail (VVPAT) slips, issuance of 5'!    having “examined closely” the prices of the basic certificate after every round of        pricing details of the basic aircraft along with escalation counting and denying public    FD-  Rafale fighter jet under the costs as under the original announce system.  
   original Request for Proposal RFP (of 2007) as well as under The increase in the postal       (RFP) of 2007 and the one the IGA. We have also gone Air Staff is stated to have com- ballot votes, slim margins in    
   under the Inter-Government through the explanatory note municated his reservation Madhya Pradesh on many seats  $5+%''%$7%$+#$8$'%'+#+$+$#5#%54$:$5+%8$+$+  6  
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$884%=54%+%<%       ment further, also the reasons    it’s not the job of court. details of 36 Rafale fighter jets could adversely affect nation- for delay in announcement of $%%<745%%4%5$''+$ The top court said despite are stated to be covered by al security. polls results this year. its initial disinclination to even Article 10 of the IGA between The Centre has claimed MP Assembly election Election Officer and Observer announce system has denied go into the issue of pricing, the India and France, which pro- that there is a commercial results were declared 24 hours before these EVMs were taken five-minute time saving that Centre was directed to place vides for protection of classified advantage in the purchase of 36 after counting began while up for counting. Even though have could done in between 12/+! 

R  the cost details of the aircraft in information and material Rafale aircraft and that there Rajasthan results declared 19 no EVM was kept aside or rounds. With an average 22 sealed cover, just to satisfy the exchanged under the IGA and are certain better terms in IGA hours after counting began. found tampered amongst the rounds of counting per conscience of the court. it would be governed by the qua the maintenance and Unlike the quick counting 66,000 EVMs taken up for Assembly constituency, this     '! It said the Government provisions of the Security weapon package, it noted. of votes for the Assembly polls counting, the process of objec- has led to two hours of delay”. has not disclosed the pricing Agreement signed between The pricing details were in Chhattisgarh, Telangana, tions slowed down the rounds,” According to Kantharao, in   256(57$ accused of serious crimes. details except for the basic both the Governments on however shared with the and Mizoram, counting in the CEO said. about 250 cases out of 66000 The BJP, which lost power cost of the aircraft even to January 25, 2008. Comptroller and Auditor Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan The MP CEO further EVMs taken up to counting, early 24 of the 90 MLAs after 15 years, has three MLAs Parliament on the ground of “It is certainly not the job General (CAG) and the report went on at a snail’s pace, keep- explained that that when a the presiding officers had not Nelected to the Chhattisgarh out of 15 (20 per cent) with a sensitivity of pricing details and of this court to carry out a com- of CAG was examined by the ing people in general and the result is noted from an EVM followed the Close-Result- Assembly this week have crim- record, but none of them are national security, apart from parison of the pricing details in Public Accounts Committee political parties in particular on machine at a counting table, it Clear (CRC) after the mock inal cases against them. They accused of serious crimes. the issues of breach of the matters like the present. We say of the Parliament and only a tenterhooks throughout the is written down on part two of poll done in the morning of the account for 27 per cent of the ADR’s analysis revealed that 68 agreement between the two no more as the material has to redacted portion of the CAG day on December 11. Form 17C and the counting poll day. strength of the House, up from (76 per cent) of the incoming countries — India and France. be kept in a confidential report was placed before the Madhya Pradesh Chief agents verify and sign on this This meant that the result 17 per cent in the last assembly. MLAs are crorepatis, which is In relief to the Modi domain,” the Bench said. Parliament which is in public Electoral Officer (CEO) VL sheets which is then photo- of these particular EVMs had As per the Association for almost the same as the outgo- Government, the Supreme It added even Chief of the domain, the court said. PTI Kantharao said “The delay is copied and given to them. to be obtained through the Democratic Reforms (ADR) ing Assembly’s figure of 67. Court Friday dismissed the because every candidate has to “Similarly, when the tabu- counting of the VVPAT Slips. report, 13 of the 90 (just over 14 Forty-eight Congress pleas challenging the deal be provided a certificate after lation of 14 such results from The MP CEO further stat- per cent) have declared serious MLAs (71 per cent), 14 from between India and France for  
  every round of counting.” the 14 tables in the counting ed that in the run of up to the criminal cases against them- the BJP (93 per cent), all five procurement of 36 Rafale jets “Right from the first round of hall is made into a broad sheet, Legislative Assembly elections selves - bribery, attempt to MLAs of Jogi’s party and one of saying there was no occasion to EVM counting at 8.30am, the it is again verified and photo- 2018, Madhya Pradesh added murder and death by negli- the BSP’s two MLAs fall in this “really doubt the decision mak-   '-
candidates were very particu- copies are distributed to the about 13,000 (21 per cent) gence, among others. The com- bracket. ing process” warranting setting lar about checking and exam- candidates. Strict adherence additional polling stations as parative number for the 2013 “The average of assets per aside of the contract. The deal New Delhi: The Supreme court cannot seek “clause-by- ining every seal, tag and serial to this procedure has slowed compared to the previous elec- Assembly was nine per cent. MLA in the Chhattisgarh 2018 is estimated to be Rs 58,000 Court on Friday said it cannot clause compliances” of the number of the EVMs and their down the counting process,” tions. Rajasthan’s Chief The Congress has 68 MLAs Assembly elections is Rs 11.63 crore, or about USD 8 billion. seek clause-by-clause compli- Defence Procurement cases being brought to the the ECO said. Electoral Officer Anand Kumar in the new House, including 19 crore. In 2013, the average A Bench of Chief Justice ances of Defence Procurement Procedures. “Broadly, the counting tables. In several “The insistence of the can- said the reason of delay is with criminal records (28 per assets of 90 MLAs analysed was Ranjan Gogoi, Justices Sanjay Procedures (DPP) in the Rafale processes have been followed”. cases, they raised trivial objec- didates to not bring the next because of votes in the elec- cent). Of these, 12 MLAs have Rs 8.88 crore,” said the ADR Kishan Kaul and KM Joseph fighter jet deal and opined The Bench, also compris- tions on the seals, serial num- round of EVMs on to the tronic voting machine (EVM) declared serious criminal cases report. The average assets are said the Central Government that the processes have been ing Justices SK Kaul and KM ber/tag number, signatures of counting tables before tabulat- have to be matched by ran- against themselves. Ajit Jogi’s Rs 11.83 crore for the Congress, despite its reluctance, placed “broadly” followed. It also Joseph, said, “We have studied polling staff on the tags, which ed, round-wise figures are writ- domly selecting a VVPAT from Janta Congress Chhattisgarh Rs 6.32 crore for the BJP, 28.68 the material regarding costs of expressed satisfaction with the the material carefully. We have required the intervention, ten on the blackboard/white a polling centre in each (J), meanwhile, has strength of crore for the Janta Congress the aircrafts before the court to Government’s decision-mak- also had the benefit of inter- explaining and convincing by board in the counting hall and Assembly constituency. five MLAs, two of whom have Chhattisgarh (J) and Rs 2.04 satisfy its conscience. ing process which led to the acting with senior Air Force the Returning Officer, District announced in the public records. One of these two is crore for the BSP. “We have examined close- deal between India and France Officers who answered court for procurement of 36 Rafale queries in respect of different jets, saying that there was “no aspects, including that of the occasion to really doubt” it. acquisition process and pricing.   
  0    
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R / Top court, while junking “We are satisfied that there the PILs challenging the Rs is no occasion to really doubt 58,000 crore Rafale deal, exam- the process, and even if minor  P   .  agency sources said on Friday. Jhawar is under the Commission had recently ined the three “broad areas of deviations have occurred, that *  /0 1 The said agency sleuths Enforcement Directorate’s cleared Tata Sponge Iron’s concern” — decision-making would not result in either set- questioned Rajeev Jhawar, scanner for alleged irregulari- acquisition of steel business of process, difference in pricing ting aside the contract or %"      256(57$ the MD of the Kolkata-head- ties in mobilising funds to cre- Usha Martin Ltd. (UML) for Rs and the choice of Indian Offset requiring a detailed scrutiny by quartered firm, at their ate assets abroad. 4,300-4,700 crore. UML had Partner by Dassault Aviation. the court.” It added, “We have New Delhi: The Supreme he Enforcement office in the capital of West The agency wants to ascer- earlier said the sale of steel busi- Scrutinising the decision- been informed that joint exer- Court has dismissed a curative TDirectorate (ED) has Bengal on Friday. tain the source of funds and ness to Tata Steel will help the making process, a bench head- cises have taken place, and petition seeking to re-examine launched a probe against the The officials recorded compliance of required company in “significant reduc- ed by Chief Justice Ranjan that there is a financial advan- its verdict upholding the Managing Director of Usha Jhawar’s statement approvals, the sources said. tion” of its debt. Gogoi said though it had no tage to our nation. It cannot be appointment of Gujarat cadre Martin, the country’s largest under FEMA in connection Jhawar’s uncle BK Jhawar and Usha Martin is amongst occasion to really doubt the lost sight of, that these are con- IPS officer Rakesh Asthana as steel wire rope maker, in con- with the purchase and regis- the latter’s son Prashant the largest wire rope manufac- process, even if there were tracts of defence procurement special director of CBI. nection with alleged violations tration of an immovable asset Jhawar are other promoters of turers in the world and a lead- minor deviations then they which should be subject to a The apex court rejected the of the Foreign Exchange in Singapore in 2013 and a few the company. ing producer of speciality steel would not lead to annulment different degree and depth of curative petition filed by NGO, Management Act (FEMA), other overseas transactions. The Competition in India. of the deal. On the DPP, the judicial review.” PTI Common Cause, whose review petition was also earlier held to be devoid of merits.   )    After an in-chamber hear- ( 
 
   '!/ ing, a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, missed the PIL filed by the *+  ,- said, “We have gone through NGO against the appointment   256(57$ acreage was slightly down at the curative petition and con- of Asthana to the post of CBI   256(57$ posts of the covert agencies, 23.49 lakh hectare as against nected papers. In our special director, saying it can- officials said. Jain, a 1980- he Agriculture Ministry 25.42 lakh hectare in the said opinion no case is made out not question a “unanimous” head of the general elec- batch IPS officer of Jharkhand Tdata shows that planting of period. As per the Ministry’s within the parameters indicat- decision taken by the selection Ations next year and the cadre, was appointed IB wheat has increased marginal- data, total pulses area was ed in the decision of this court committee and the decision is defeat of the ruling BJP in the Director on December 30, ly to 233.71 lakh hectare so far down at 125.40 lakh hectare so (in the case laying down guide- not illegal. Hindi heartland States’ 2016, for a fixed tenure of two in the ongoing rabi season far this rabi season as against lines to deal with the curative Later, the court also dis- Assembly polls , the Centre has years. from the same period a year 138.29 lakh hectare in the year- petition).” missed the plea seeking review granted extension of service of A recipient of the ago, but coverage of other ago period. The Bench, also compris- of the verdict. six months to Intelligence President’s Police Medal, Jain crops especially pulses and rice Oilseeds acreage was also ing Justices MB Lokur, AK Sikri The top court had said Bureau (IB) chief Rajiv Jain and has served in various depart- was still lagging behind. slightly down at 70.22 lakh and AM Sapre, passed the there cannot be any doubt that external Intelligence agency ments of IB, including the sen- Sowing of rabi (winter) crops hectare as against 70.58 lakh order on December 11 and was if the statute provides for con- Research and Analysis Wing sitive Kashmir Desk. begins from October and har- hectare in the said period. made public on the apex court’s sultation with any person (RAW) boss Anil Dhasmana. He was advisor to the pre- vesting from March onwards. Coarse cereals area remained website on Friday. before making a recommen- Both were due to retire later vious NDA Government’s Wheat is the main rabi crop. lagging behind at 37.55 lakh Curative petition is heard dation for appointment to any this month end. interlocutor on Kashmir KC Wheat was sown in 233.59 hectare so far this rabi season in the chamber of judges in the post, the consultation with that While Jain’s tenure was to Pant when talks were held lakh hectare in the same peri- as against 47.16 lakh hectare in absence of lawyers. person has to be made. end on December 30, with separatist leaders like od of rabi season in the 2017- hectare from 23.32 lakh hectare so far this season when com- the year-ago. The decision of the apex The NGO in its petition Dhasmana was slated to retire Shabbir Shah. 18 crop year (July-June). As per in the said period. The sowing pared with 37.91 lakh hectare Rice acreage was also down court came amidst a bitter had challenged Asthana’s from service on December 29. Dhasmana, a 1981-batch the ministry’s latest data, wheat operation in these two States is in a year ago. at 9.24 lakh hectare as feud between Asthana and CBI appointment, saying it was ille- The decision to extend the officer from the Madhya acreage in Punjab has increased almost completed, while it is However in Uttar Pradesh, against 12.86 lakh hectare in Director Alok Verma. Both gal as his name had surfaced in tenure of the two Intelligence Pradesh cadre, has been with marginally to 34.34 lakh underway in States especially wheat sowing was still lagging the said period. have been divested of powers a diary recovered during a chiefs was taken due to the RAW for 23 years, during hectare so far this season from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh behind at 76.70 lakh hectare so Total area sown to all rabi and sent on leave by the cen- raid conducted by the Income forthcoming general election which he served in important 33.92 lakh hectare a year ago. and Uttar Pradesh. far this season as against 81.90 crops remained down at 476.12 tral government on October 23. Tax Department at the offices and the Centre wants the new areas, including the Pakistan Similarly, the area sown to Farmers in Madhya lakh hectare in the same peri- lakh hectare so far this rabi sea- The apex court, on and other premises of compa- Government to take a decision Desk and is considered an wheat in Haryana has Pradesh have planted wheat in od last season. son from 502.48 lakh hectare in November 28, 2017, had dis- ny Sterling Biotech Ltd. PTI on the appoints for the top expert on Balochistan. improved slightly to 24.11 lakh more area at 44.57 lakh hectare In Rajasthan too, the the year ago period. 2   1       3 4

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 '7  6    256(57$ Chhattisgarh and Odisha may severe cyclone would achieve a also see rainfall on December 17. maximum intensity of wind New Delhi: The Government is open to The Union Minister said ranking he India Meteorological “The Bay of Bengal sees approx- speeds reaching up to 105 km/hr the idea of roping in “outside” agencies and rating of education institutions TDepartment (IMD) predicted imately five times as many cyclones and gusting to 115 km/hr along for accreditation of educational institu- increase competitiveness among them that cyclone is brewing over the Bay as the Arabian Sea. In addition, and off Andhra Pradesh, north tions, and IITs and IIMs have for better performance. of Bengal and it is expected to hit cyclones in the Bay are stronger and Tamil Nadu and Puducherry also been approached in this regard, “Today, because of the National Andhra Pradesh’s coast on Monday deadlier. But this year could be an coasts from Saturday evening. Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar Institutional Ranking Framework, every afternoon. The cyclone is named exception in terms of the numbers. “The system would continue to said on Friday. institute has constituted an internal ‘Phethai’ (contributed by Thailand) It has also been seen that nearly 58 move in north northwest direction “To improve the quality of educa- committee to improve their ranking. in line with the naming protocol for per cent of cyclones formed in the and would be heading towards tion, we are making the accreditation Students also take into account the insti- cyclones in the North Indian Ocean. Bay reach the coast, as compared to Andhra Pradesh Coast,” it said. As process more scientific and tough. The tution’s ranking before taking admission,” This would be the seventh only 25 per cent of those in the the system nears, rains would Government wants to increase the he said. cyclone this year, starting with Arabian Sea,” the IMD officials said. also start picking up pace and we strength of the National Board of “Graded autonomy is another major ‘Sagar’, ‘Mekunu’ and ‘Luban’ - all The IMD said as expected, the can expect heavy to very heavy Accreditation and the National step by the Government to boost qual- in the Arabian Sea - and ‘Daye,’ low pressure area in Bay of Bengal rains over South Coastal Andhra Assessment and Accreditation ity education in the country. Universities ‘Titli,’ and ‘Gaja’ in the Bay of has now intensified into a well- Pradesh. North Coastal Tamil Council so that more number of insti- will remain within the ambit of the UGC Bengal and third to hit south India marked low pressure area and is Nadu would see moderate rains tutions can be accredited,” Javadekar said but will have the freedom to start new in less than two months. now seen over Central Bay of with some heavy showers. during the national conference on courses, off campus centres, skill devel- Gaja, Daye, Luban and Titli Bengal. “Conditions continue to be “Sea conditions would be rough “Positioning India on the Global opment courses, research parks and any caused devastation to standing favourable for the system to induce to very rough, along with high Education Map”. other new academic programmes. crops and taking a number of lives a depression in the next 24 hours. velocity winds. We can expect “The Government is open to other “They will also have the freedom to in southern parts of the country. In fact, we expect it to strengthen winds of 80 kmph-90 kmph gust- agencies taking the responsibility of hire foreign faculty, enrol foreign stu- The IMD predicted heavy to very into deep depression and further ing up to 110-120 kmph at the time accreditation, and IITs and IIMs have dents, give incentive-based emoluments heavy rainfall has been forecast for into a cyclonic circulation in the of landfall. Locals and fishermen are been asked about it ... So that more and to the faculty, enter academic collabo- coastal Andhra Pradesh on subsequent 48 to 72 hours,’ it said. advised not to venture out in the sea more institutions can be accredited,” he rations and run open distance learning December 16 and 17. South The IMD predicted that for the next three days,” officials said. added. programmes,” he added. PTI   ()  * +,- ./+0 # $ !%     R /

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ollowing the trend of FMadhya Pradesh, in Chhattisgarh too, an announce- ment over the next Chief Minister of the State would be made in the meeting of Congress Legislative Party (CLP) to be held at State Congress Office here on Saturday. As in Madhya Pradesh, in an attempt to display unity, all the chief ministerial aspirants would be present in the meet- ing when the declaration would be made. Observer of All India Congress Committee, would declare the name of the in the meeting at State Congress The aspirants for the chief out from the meeting with Capital informed media persons matter to him and would obey Congress has come up as win- Mallikarjun Kharge, himself next Chief Minister of the state Office. ministerial post while coming AICC Chief in the national on Friday that they have left the whatever decision he takes. The ner in three States. %  +01 + 0##  +  
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+3 (   he Office of Tthe Chief Electoral Officer has now com- menced prepara- tion for the Lok Sabha elections 2018. The officials would soon be imparted train- ing for publica- tion of voter list.The training would com- mence from] Raipur and later would be held in 30 assembly seg- ments including Durg and Mahasamund. The trained officers would hold training sessions for offi- cers from December 19 to 23. December 15, he said. bly segment of Raigarh will Rajnandgaon would be Chief Electoral Officer The training would be be held. trained.      "$ 8" Deputy Chief Minister should be given Out of 29 seats reserved for ST Subrat Sahoo informed that held in two shifts. In the The training programme On December 17, in the to any one of the elected legislators from community in the state assembly, they as per status of brief revision Bilaspur District Collectorate, on both days will be held in first shift, officers from ormer Member of Parliament and tribal community. have elected 25 Congress legislators, he of electoral rolls on January the training will be for all Raipur in the New Circuit Bastar, Dantewada, Bijapur, FPresident of Gondwana Mahasabha, In a six point charter of demands to added. 1, 2019, the publication of officers from Bilaspur and House. Sukma, Kanker and Janjgir- Sohan Potai has demanded from the AICC Chief, Potai also demanded Notably, the Gondwana Mahasabha electoral rolls is to be done Korba, in Raigarh training On December 14, in the Champa would be trained Congress President Rahul Gandhi to inducting at least five of tribal legislators led by Potai had supported Congress in from December 26, 2018 to would be held for officers of first shift in Raipur, officers and in the second shift, offi- appoint Deputy Chief Minister for in the State Cabinet. recently held assembly elections in the January 25, 2019. four assembly segments and from Baloda-Bazar, Raipur , cers from Kabeerdham, Chhattisgarh from tribal community. Tribals of the State have reposed their state. The three-day training in the second shift, training Mahasamund and Bemetara Gariaband, Dhamtari, In a press conference held here at trust on the Congress and hence their He also demanded enforcement of programme will be held in of officers from Jashpur, would be trained while in Mahasamund, Balod, Press Club on Friday, Potai said that if not representatives must be rewarded accord- PESA Act and reservation in promotion Raipur from December 14 to Surajpur, Balrampur and second shift, officers from Kondagaon and Narayanpur the Chief Minister, at least the post of ingly, he said. of tribal officials and employees. 17 and in Bilaspur on Koriya and from one assem- Durg, Mungeli and would be trained, Sahoo said. -O"
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     at ‘Ekatma Parisar’,      "$ 8" Singh said the deci- "$ 8" sion of Supreme sserting that the dis- Court was a triumph he Election Amissal of Public of truth and the false TModel Code of Interest Litigation (PIL) propaganda by the Conduct had been by apex court on Rafale Congress party was lifted in aircraft deal was a slap on unmasked. Chhattisgarh with the face of Congress “It was now immediate effect on party, outgoing Chief proved that the alle- Friday. Minister Raman Singh gations levelled by the The Election has demanded an apolo- Congress party and its Commission of gy from the All India leaders were baseless India has issued a Congress Committee and for this act they letter to the State (AICC) Chief Rahul should apologize to Chief Electoral Gandhi. the people of the Officer in this In a press conference country and to the regard on Thursday. held here at Bharatiya Prime Minister”, he The Election Janata Party (BJP) office demanded. Model Code of Conduct was brought on force on October 6, 2018 in Chhattisgarh.

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  said the judgment is based on completely false infor- Ghosh, one of the most prominent con- makers of Rafale, had entered mation. “Shocked that the judgment is based on temporary Indian writers, is known for a series into an agreement with completely false information about the CAG report. of novels such as “Shadow Lines”, “The Glass Ambani’s Reliance Defence 

 

     No CAG report on Rafale has been submitted or Palace”, “The Hungry Tide”, and Ibis Trilogy Ltd (RDL) for fulfilling offset examined,” the trio said adding that this scandal — “Sea of Poppies”, “River of Smoke”, and obligations. The Congress      "$ 8" 2>&*B* would continue to agitate public mind. They also “Flood of Fire” — chronicling the Opium trade has been alleging that the      "$ 8" pointed out that the judgment also made errors like between India and China run by the East India government had put pressure pset over performance of 8--55(5($2&6> Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance is shown as parent com- Company. on Dassault Aviation to select anata Congress Chhattisgarh UBahujan Samaj Party 5!*B5& pany of Anil Ambani. “The court mentions in para The writer, in a tweet, said he was “hon- RDL as its offset partner. The J(JCC) Jogi (J) Supremo Ajit (BSP) in the State assembly 25 that “The pricing details have, however, been ored and humbled”. In another tweet respond- government, RDL and Jogi has dissolved all the party’s elections, party Supremo >8&>@4$2&75 shared with the CAG, and the report of the CAG ing to a fan, he said, “this is an amazing day Dassault Aviation rejected organisational committees and Mayawati has removed the has been examined by the PAC. Only a redacted por- for me. I never thought I would find myself on the charges. “We remain cells with immediate effect. State BSP President O P &&52( tion of the report was placed before Parliament, and this list, with some of the writers I most committed to India’s national Party General Secretary Bachpayi from the post. "5:$&5"5( is in public domain”. “All the facts mentioned above admire.” security and to making our Abdul Hamid Hayat informed In place of him, party’s are neither on record nor factually correct. The PAC Born in Kolkata in 1956 to a Bengali Hindu humble contribution towards here that as per decision taken State Vice President Hemant '$-&>"B$2 judgment has not been submitted to the Public family, the 62-year-old author currently lives the Make in India and Skill by party Supremo, all the State, Poyam has been made the Accounts Committee and no portion of the CAG in New York with his wife Deborah Baker. India policies of the district and block level com- State President of the party. 9$9$ 8"2( report has been placed before Parliament or placed Ghosh, who spent his formative years in India, Government in the critical mittees and cells have been dis- "&B:525"5-"5&"B Notably, BSP succeeded in !:"7 in the public domain. Obviously this factually incor- Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, studied in Delhi, area of defence including solved with immediate effect. *(87!$(7B& two assembly seats out of 90 in rect statement must be based on some communi- Oxford and Alexandria. our offset partnership agree- Notably, though Jogi and $2>"!5(75"5&7& 5" the state and registered victo- seats, the party secured second cation (not on record and unknown to us) made by His most recent book, “The Great ment with our valued part- his outfit failed to play a role of (5-$$>2&%52*B "&B ry in Jaijaipur and Pamgarh. position while in rest of them the Government to the court. That the court has Derangement; Climate Change and the ner, Dassault Aviation of king maker in the recently 8 "5!>&75&&5 In Jaijaipur, the sitting the performance of the party relied on such communication which is factually Unthinkable, a work of non-fiction”, was France,” said Ambani. The held elections, the party and its ($&"$-&2(*>-%5'5 MLA Keshav Chandra suc- was not as expected by the BSP incorrect on 3 counts shows how dangerous it is for released in 2016. French firm also clarified alliance by securing victory in ->!!$&&552(-57'5 ceeded in retaining the seat Supremo. The party even failed the court to rely on statements made in a sealed cover Ghosh is also recipient of the Padma Shri that RDL was among many seven of the assembly seg- while Indu Banjare of the party to get seven per cent of votes all (not subject to scrutiny or verification) and give its and Sahitya Akademi Award. Some of the several other companies it ments out of total 90 have *552($>'5(6$&7 was elected from Pamgarh over the State which was judgement on that basis,” the petitioners said in a biggest Indian writers have been awarded with has chosen for implementing although registered its pres- $!!5($&555-& assembly constituency. mandatory for recognition in detailed statement. this prestigious literary recognition. offset obligations of the deal. ence. In four of the assembly the State.

them fiction writing. Asserting could not have waited. He then that all the necessary procedures quipped, “We would have wait- !!  444 ,,, were followed before the inking ed for the cows to come home the deal in 2016, Jaitley said 74 and the enemy reached our bor- From page1 meetings were held and even the ders.” From page1 Addressing a joint news Supreme Court said all process- On charges of price of the Expressing grief over the conference with Defence es were adhered to. Rafale jets, Jaitley said his incident, Chief Minister HD Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, “The entire imaginary Government negotiated a deal Kumaraswamy announced a Jaitley also rejected the Congress thought process, fiction writing at lower prices for the basic air- relief of 5 lakh to the next to demand for Joint Parliament that one man made the decision, craft and the weaponised air- the kin of the deceased. Committee (JPC) probe into the there was no price negotiation craft. He then hit back at Kumaraswamy flew to Rafale deal after the verdict. He committee, there was no con- Congress and said people inca- Chamarajnagar by special said JPC probes into defence tract negotiation committee, pable of understanding serious plane from Belagavi. deals do not serve the purpose no Defence Acquisition issues rely on slogans. He also He said he has directed the due to partisan role of political Committee (DAC), no CCS, said there are precedents of buy- authorities to make all arrange- parties and gave the example of was fiction writing going on? ing 36 jets or two squadrons of ments for those affected and Bofors case. With reference to This was fiction writing which jets. The IAF had gone in for that Government would bear the Congress demand, he said was compromising with nation- such purchases in 1980s for the medical expenses. “deaf will never hear an answer”. al security,” Jaitley said. Mirage jets and Mig series of "In view of the shortage of When pointed out by the He then went on to say in aircraft. ambulances in Chamarajanagar media that BJP members democratic traditions if a polit- Sitharaman said the apex district, 32 ambulances have Yashwant Sinha and Arun ical leader is found making court gave a decision on three been rushed from Mysuru," the Shourie had approached the false charges, he has to resign broad issues. The three broad CM said. court alleging wrongdoing in and in case holding public issues are decision making Two people from the tem- the Rs 59,000-crore deal for 36 office even presidents are process, pricing and the choice ple management have been aircraft to be bought from impeached for telling a lie. He of the Indian Offset partner detained for questioning, said France in flyaway condition, demanded the Congress to (IOP). On each one of these the police sources. Jaitley remarked they have got come out clean in Parliament Supreme Court has clearly spo- District Health Officer an answer.” He also said all alle- and said the Government on ken and gave reasons why the Prasad said it was suspected gations were rejected by the Friday too said it was ready for writ petition does not hold that poison might have got apex court on all counts. a debate on the Rafale deal. anymore. “On the process, I mixed with the prasad, result- Attacking Rahul without Jaitley said his party will keep would just like to say that clear- ing in the tragic incident."We naming him, Jaitley said the demanding a discussion on the ly stating that the process has have collected the food samples falsehood lasted only a “few issue in the coming days during been complied with, the and sent it to a laboratory for months” and has “lowered the the ongoing Winter Session of Supreme Court has clearly said investigation," he told reporters. credibility of its creator” adding Parliament. Charging the that the nation cannot afford to Most of those who attend- “disruptors have lost and on all Congress with harming nation- be unprepared in a situation ed the event followed the 'Om counts”. He said somebody has al interest, he said the accusa- where our adversaries have Shakti' tradition. After con- to answer the delay in finalising tions about the deal brought it acquired higher capabilities suming the prasad, people the Rafale jet deal earlier even under the cloud. Civil servants emphasisning on the need for started vomitting and began as the IAF needed a modern air- and defence officials in future the sense of urgency in the pur- writhing with stomach pain, craft. will think 10 times before tak- chase,” the Minister said. police said. Commotion pre- Elaborating upon it, he said ing decisions and these charges Notwithstanding the secu- vailed as people hurried to after short-listing Rafale jet have also hurt larger interests, rity between India and France nearby hospitals for treatment. why was the negotiations vir- Jaitley said. which provides for protection of Police, as also district author- tually stopped if not abandoned Defending the decision to classified information such as ities, rushed to the spot to pro- in 2012 thereby compromising buy 36 jets through a pricing details, these details too vide medical aid. national security. He termed the Government to Government were made available to the The affected people said Congress allegations about the deal with France, the Finance Supreme Court in a sealed they got the smell of kerosene deal as imaginary and termed Minister said the Government envelope, she said. oil in the prasad, but ignored it.

due to “unresolved issues” for have not produced any result, 
888 over three years between the and merely conjecturing that OEM and HAL. the initial RFP could have From page 1 “The need for the aircrafts resulted in a contract is of no On the offset partner, the is not in doubt. The quality of use. Bench noted that this issue had the aircraft is not in question. “The hard fact is that not “triggered” the litigation as It is also a fact that the long only was the contract not com- petitioners had alleged that negotiations for procurement ing forth but the negotiations the Government gave a bene- of 126 MMRCAs have not had come practically to an fit to Reliance Aerostructure produced any result, and mere- end, resulting in a recall of the Ltd by compelling Dassault ly conjecturing that the initial RFP. We cannot sit in judgment Aviation to enter into a contract RFP could have resulted in a over the wisdom of deciding to with them at the cost of public contract is of no use,” it said. go in for purchase of 36 air- enterprise, Hindustan It also added, “We cannot crafts in place of 126.” Aeronautics Ltd (HAL). possibly compel the The top court said it can- “We do not find any sub- Government to go in for pur- not “possibly” compel the stantial material on record to chase of 126 aircraft” and it Government to go in for pur- show that this is a case of com- would not be correct for the chase of 126 aircrafts. “Our mercial favouritism to any court to sit as an “apellate country cannot afford to be party by the Indian authority” to scrutinise each unprepared/under-prepared in Government, as the option to aspect of the process of acqui- a situation where our adver- choose the IOP (Indian offset sition. saries are stated to have partners) does not rest with the Former Union Ministers acquired not only 4th genera- Indian Government,” it said, Yashwant Sinha and Arun tion, but even 5th generation adding that it is neither appro- Shourie, along with activist aircrafts, of which, we have priate nor within the experi- advocate Prashant Bhushan, none. It will not be correct for ence of the court to step into had moved the apex court the court to sit as an appellate this arena of what is technical- with a plea for a direction to the authority to scrutinise each ly feasible or not. CBI to register an FIR for aspect of the process of acqui- It said “mere press inter- alleged irregularities in the sition,” it said. views or suggestions” cannot deal. Before them advocates M The Bench also took note form the basis for judicial L Sharma and Vineet Dhanda of the reasons, including unre- review by the court, especially and AAP leader Sanjay Singh solved issues between Dassault when there was categorical had also filed pleas. Aviation and Hindustan denial of the statements made The court also said it can- Aeronautics Limited, which in the press by both the sides. not seek clause-by-clause com- had led to annulment of earli- It said in June 2001, an in- pliances of Defence er deal for procurement of 126 -principle approval was grant- Procurement Procedures Rafale jets. ed to procure 126 fighter- jets (DPP) in the Rafale fighter jet “Man-hours that would be and on June 29, 2007, the deal and opined that the required to produce the aircraft Defence Acquisition Council processes have been “broadly” in India: HAL required 2.7 granted “acceptance of neces- followed. It also expressed sat- times higher man-hours com- sity” for procurement of 126 isfaction with the pared to the French side for the Medium Multi Role Combat Government’s decision-mak- manufacture of Rafale aircraft Aircrafts (MMRCA). ing process which led to the in India,” it noted, adding The Bench noted that com- deal between India and France “issues related to mercial bids for 126 jets were for procurement of 36 Rafale contractual obligation and opened in November 2011 and jets, saying there was “no occa- responsibility for 108 aircraft later, negotiations commenced sion to really doubt” it. manufactured in India could with Dassault Aviation. On The top court dismissed not be resolved.” April 10, 2015 an Indo--French the key allegation that the Indian Negotiating Team joint statement for acquisition Government changed the deal (INT) held as many as 74 of 36 Rafale jets in fly-away and decided to procure 36 meetings, including 48 internal condition through an IGA was Rafale fighter jets instead of and 26 external INT meetings issued and later, in June 2015, 126. It said, “The need for the with the French side, it said. the request for proposal (RFP) aircraft is not in doubt. The “It is the case of the official for 126 MMRCA was finally quality of the aircraft is not in respondents that the INT com- withdrawn. question. pleted its negotiations and It said the court was It is also a fact that the long arrived at better terms relating informed that contract negoti- negotiations for procurement to price, delivery and mainte- ations for procuring 126 fight- of 126 Medium Multi-Role nance, as compared to the er jets could not be concluded Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) MMRCA offer of Dassault.   ()  * +,- ./+0   !)

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    *"85 uropean Union leaders  *"85 Eexpressed deep doubts on  ->>!*> Friday that British Prime ritish Prime Minister Minister Theresa May can live ignalling an end to the near- BTheresa May insisted on up to her side of their Brexit Sly two-month power tussle Friday that her Brexit deal was agreement and they vowed to in Sri Lanka, disputed Prime still alive and kicking, despite step up preparations for a Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa a stinging rebuff from the potentially-catastrophic “no- will resign on Saturday, his son European Union after she deal” scenario. said on Friday, soon after the asked for changes to make the May cancelled a Brexit vote Supreme Court refused to stay agreement more palatable to in the UK Parliament this week a court order that restrained the UK lawmakers. of their Brexit agreement and after it became clear the assem- embattled former strongman May came to an EU sum- vowed to step up preparations bly would reject the deal she from acting as the premier mit in Brussels seeking legally for a potentially-catastrophic concluded with the EU last until it fully heard the case next binding changes to the agree- “no-deal” scenario for Britain’s month. month. ment, but the bloc told her departure. She travelled to Brussels in able to honour the engagement although a transition period Rajapaksa, 73, was appoint- bluntly that a renegotiation “Very objectively, the sig- hope of wringing some con- that was undertaken,” Belgian will help ease Britain out over ed as the prime minister on was hopeful that Sirisena would Friday and on Thursday. was not possible. They offered nals that we heard yesterday are cessions from her European Prime Minister Charles Michel almost two, and possibly up to October 26 by President now reinstate him over the His Cabinet will also stand only assurances they would not especially reassuring about partners that would help told reporters. four, years. The prospect of a Maithripala Sirisena in a con- weekend after Rajapaksa dissolved, Abeywardena was seek to move swiftly on forging the capacity in Britain to be assuage doubts about the draft Expressing a “gigantic no-deal has shaken markets troversial move after sacking resigns, effectively ending the quoted as saying by the a new trade deal after Britain able to honor the engagement divorce agreement back in doubt” that May can get the and the British pound, and cre- Ranil Wickremesinghe, which political stalemate that plagued Colombo Gazette. leaves the bloc on March 29. that was undertaken,” Belgian London. deal through Parliament, ated uncertainty for investors plunged the island nation into the nation for the past seven The apex court’s latest rul- Nonetheless, May told Prime Minister Charles Michel But EU leaders rejected any Michel said: “we are going to be and businesses. Brexit involves a constitutional crisis. weeks. ing came a day after it unani- reporters in Brussels that she told reporters. attempt to re-negotiate their sure to prepare for all hypothe- Britain leaving around 750 “To ensure stability of the There was no immediate mously declared that the dis- welcomed the EU’s words — Expressing a “gigantic agreement, a 585-page legal ses, including the hypothesis of international treaties drawn nation, Former President reaction from President solution of Parliament by and that, as formal conclusions doubt” that May can get her text settling things like the a no-deal.” up over 40 years of member- @PresRajapaksa has decided to Sirisena, the architect of the President Maithripala Sirisena of an EU summit, they “have Brexit deal through the British divorce bill and the rights next No country has ever left ship. One of them is the EU’s resign from the Premiership current crisis.Parliamentarian was “illegal”, in a body blow to legal status.” Parliament, Michel said: “we year of Europeans living in the 28-nation EU — the world’s aviation market. tomorrow after an address to Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena the embattled leader, whose “There is work still to do, are going to be sure to prepare Britain or Britons living in the biggest trading bloc — and the Without a deal, British the nation,” Rajapaksa’s son said Rajapaksa, who ruled Sri controversial and we will be holding talks in for all hypotheses, including the EU, plus a document laying out rules laying out that process are planes won’t be able to land in Namal tweeted. Lanka for nearly a decade, decisions plunged the coming days about how to hypothesis of a ‘no deal.’” their hopes for future rela- sketchy. Essentially, Brexit is Europe on March 30. Nor will The Sri Lanka Podujana decided to step down in the island nation into an unprece- obtain the further assurances May canceled a Brexit vote tions, which isn’t legally bind- being made up as the process European planes be able to land Peramuna (SLPP) with for- best interest of the country. dented political turmoil. that the U.K. Parliament needs in the U.K. Parliament this ing. advances. Court challenges in the UK. mer president, Sri Lanka He claimed Rajapaksa can The Supreme Court decid- in order to be able to approve week after it became clear it They did publish a short have clarified some of the rules. May didn’t talk to reporters Freedom Party (SLFP) and hold office without resigning ed that a Court of Appeal the deal,” May said. would strongly vote down the text with “assurances” about This week, Europe’s top as she entered EU headquarters others will “now work to form but that will only further drag order issued against the May’s optimism contrasted Brexit deal she concluded with how the deal would work. court ruled that Britain can early Friday for talks with a broader political coalition the political turmoil in the appointment of Rajapaksa as with a pessimistic tone from the EU last month. She hopes “Very objectively, the sig- change its mind about leaving French President Emmanuel with President Sirisena”, Namal country. So the former presi- Prime Minister and against many on the EU side. EU lead- to secure changes from the bloc nals that we heard yesterday are should it want to. Macron, after shuttling around Rajapaksa, a lawmaker, added. dent decided to step down his Cabinet from holding office ers expressed deep doubts that in order to get Parliament’s not especially reassuring about One thing is clear: Brexit Europe earlier this week seek- Wickremesinghe’s camp after the court ruling given on will stand. May could live up to her side approval in a vote next month. the capacity in Britain to be will happen on March 29, ing support. +  * 03

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$85%5$8%$4+    Hamas against its listing by the Cdiplomatic protest with the Tibet Act’, seeking unhindered White House for President resident Donald Trump #+#'4==$5++#$ seven-year-old  &   /0 bloc as a terrorist organisation. US over the Senate passing a access to Tibetan areas for Donald Trump to sign into law. Pknew it was wrong to order $$5+%"''#$% AGuatemalan girl died in 4     The General Court of the bipartisan legislation that seeks Americans, something which is Lu said foreigners entering election-eve hush money paid American custody after being  &      EU rejected a bid by Hamas, the to impose a visa ban on routinely denied by the Tibet can apply through nor- to two women who claimed to Cohen challenged Trump’s detained by US border police in      O% militant group which has ruled Chinese officials who deny Chinese government, was mal channels and every year a have had affairs with him, his assertion in a tweet Thursday New Mexico, The Washington 
     the Gaza Strip since 2007, to American citizens, officials and passed by the US House of lot of foreigners and local former lawyer Michael Cohen after the lawyer’s sentencing Post reported on Thursday. 8   .4 end a freeze on assets held in journalists access to Tibet, even Representatives in September. tourists visit Tibet. said in an interview to be that he never told him to break The girl who illegally      &  the bloc that was imposed in the as Bejing asked Washington The US Senate on Tuesday He said since 2015, about broadcast Friday. the law. crossed the border from   
    wake of the 9/11 attacks in the not to make it a law. passed the crucial bipartisan 40,000 Americans visited Tibet Trump acted because he “I don’t think there is any- Mexico along with her father United States. Reacting to the US move, legislation that also calls for a and this included US Senators, “was very concerned about body that believes that,” Cohen and dozens of others died last Chinese foreign ministry visa ban on Chinese officials Congressmen and business- how this would affect the elec- told George Stephanopoulos on week of “dehydration and spokesman Lu Kang said here who deny American citizens, men. tion,” Cohen told ABC News of the program “Good Morning shock,” the newspaper report- that the American action dis- government officials and jour- “This shows the US accu- the women’s allegations in his America.” ABC released ed, citing US Customs and regarded facts and amounted to nalists access to Tibet, the sations do not hold water at all first comments since being excerpts of the interview ahead Border Protection. interfering in China’s internal remote Himalayan homeland and Chinese government and sentenced to three years in of its full airing. She had “reportedly had affairs and was a violation of of exiled Tibetan spiritual people cannot accept that. We prison on Thursday. “First of all, nothing at the not eaten or consumed water international rules. leader the Dalai Lama. urge the US to immediately Trump has said he never Trump Organisation was ever for several days,” the CBP told “China is firmly opposed to The legislation, passed take effective measures to stop directed Cohen to break the done unless it was run through the Post, who said she began it and lodged stern representa- unanimously, comes amid the signing the act into law and law. But Cohen, asked if Trump Mr. Trump. He directed me to having seizures more than eight tions to the US. I have to point Trump administration impos- thus avoid harming US-China knew the payments to Stormy make the payments, he direct- hours after being detained. out that Tibet affairs come ing massive trade import duties relations and our cooperation Daniels and Karen McDougal ed me to become involved in Emergency responders had under China’s internal affairs on China that has started in key areas,” he said. were wrong, said “of course.” these matters,” Cohen said. measured her body tempera- ture at 105.7 degrees (41 centi- grade), the Post said. $ ((((   She died after being flown   *
9 6 
to hospital. +(
50(+( ( The name of the girl and her father have not been Strasbourg (France): France’s interior minister on Friday dis- released. missed a claim by the Islamic State group that it was responsi- 
   The father is in El Paso, ble for a shooting spree at a Christmas market in Strasbourg after Texas awaiting a meeting with the gunman was shot dead by police, ending a 48-hour manhunt. Guatemalan consular officials, The city reopened the market on Friday, with officials prais-   "!7 on their support. Israeli media Palestinian vehicles, while an the Post said, quoting CBP, ing the massive public help and quick police reaction that led + 5&$2$2&5""$&>"$5, speculated Friday about the Arab bus driver was beaten by which said it is investigating the to the death of suspected shooter Cherif Chekatt late on Thursday. possibility of a new Palestinian ultra-Orthodox Jews in Modiin incident. AFP sraeli forces kept up a man- “intifada,” or uprising, against Illit settlement, according to President Donald Trump Ihunt on Friday for a Israel’s occupation of the West Israeli media reports. has made hard-line immigra- Palestinian who shot dead two Bank. In Thursday’s attack, a In overnight raids, the tion policies a central plank of soldiers in the occupied West gunman got out of his car and army said it arrested 40 his presidency, drawing fire Bank, as Prime Minister opened fire on soldiers and Palestinians, most of them from critics who accuse him of Benjamin Netanyahu faced others outside a settlement in affiliated to the Islamist move- demonising migrants for polit- rightwing pressure for a strong the central West Bank, killing ment Hamas which has ical gain. response. two and seriously injuring claimed responsibility for two Much attention has been Thursday’s shooting was another two Israelis before recent shooting attacks. focused on caravans of thou- the latest incident shattering fleeing. In response the army It has not yet claimed sands of Central Americans months of relative calm in the locked down the city of Thursday’s attack, though who have made their way to West Bank, where 4,00,000 Ramallah, home to secular Israeli officials point the finger Tijuana, Mexico, just south Israelis live in settlements Palestinian president Mahmud of blame in its direction. from San Diego, California in alongside more than 2.5 mil- Abbas, while calling in rein- The Army did not say it a challenge to Trump, who crit- lion Palestinians. forcements. had made arrests linked direct- icised them as posing an “inva- It was the third deadly Clashes between ly to the latest attack. sion”. attack by Palestinian gunmen Palestinians and Israeli forces At a checkpoint near the But migrants fleeing pover- in the West Bank in two erupted in different parts of the Beit El settlement on Friday ty and gang violence also con- months and set off demon- West Bank, including inside morning, a soldier was mod- tinue to cross over in New strations by settler groups Ramallah during army raids. erately wounded after a man hit Mexico, Texas and Arizona against Netanyahu, whose Settlers shouting for him with a rock before fleeing, after enduring dangerous treks rightwing government depends revenge threw stones at the Army said. through Mexico. ,2*    

 >2(>2 stages of the Oireachtas(Irish agony from blood poisoning mother is in danger. Parliament) and will now go to after doctors refused her Since the bill’s introduction reland’s parliament has President Michael D Higgins to repeated requests for an abor- at first stage in October, there Ipassed a landmark legislation be signed into law,” Irish tion while she was having a have been some minor to make abortion legal for the Broadcaster RTE reported on miscarriage at a Galway hos- changes, including a first time in the Catholic- Thursday. pital in 2012. Her death helped decision to review the legisla- majority country, a “historic “Historic moment for Irish “personalise” the debate around tion after three years, rather moment” which came after an women. Thanks to all who abortion, said a legal scholar at than five years as was originally Indian dentist died from blood supported and well done to Trinity College Dublin. planned. Two different doctors poisoning in 2012 when the (Health Minister) Simon Harris “This is a genuinely historic will be allowed to assess a doctors refused her repeated for steering this through both moment. It paves the way for woman in early pregnancy and requests to abort the foetus. Houses,” Ireland’s Indian-origin the implementation of the ser- the offences section has been Ireland voted decisively to President Leo Varadkar said. vice for termination of preg- moved from the front of the change the Constitution to The new development has nancy in January 2019,” said bill, the BBC reported. repeal the Eighth Amendment come following a rising num- Minister Harris. The Regulation “I want to thank the cam- in May, with 66.4 per cent vot- ber of distressing stories about of Termination of Pregnancy paigners who fought for 35 ing in favour of new legislation women unable to get an abor- Bill allows for abortion services years to change a nation, to to allow for the termination of tion in Ireland. to be provided “on demand” up change hearts and minds. I pregnancies. One of the high-profile to the 12th week of a pregnan- want to thank the minority “The bill that allows for the cases was that of 31-year-old cy, in the case of a fatal foetal who fought the battle in here introduction of abortion ser- Indian dentist Savita abnormality or where the phys- when it was convenient for the vices in Ireland has passed all Halappanavar, who died in ical or mental health of the majority to ignore.   () * +,- ./+0    !-        H    J& (      H   H (!(0 *-:(!# -         ) 3   R   (       ( (   *  & %                           )  81  9 ! %  (                                          !      O   81$    (       (           ! %   O            0   (                    #  (    ) (  0  7 .. 9  #  ?09#@        oung Ahalya from Kollam, who /S                  grew up in a pineapple farm,       /          0   loved the fruit’s colours so much                   that she decided to express her- self through them and turned   # 81$               painter.Y As she filled up her canvas with intri-    !                  cate scenes of plantation life, replicating her       # )        (      hard-working parents’ faces on the figures that peopled it, she surrounded them with              )  1   hills and forests, nature in a flaming surge               1  as it were, pushing the pylons of civilisation /            S     )% in a distant greyness. Her fellow artists have picked up a morbid rubble tossed up by the    !      $  S $  )   Kerala floods and strung them to a twisted         spinal cord, which is straightening itself in 8                   / a desperate lunge at survival. There’s Pangrok Sulap from Malaysian Borneo,          9  ;   <  !     ( another artist born of the soil, dancing on     0  )              ( a canvas spread taut on wood-cut blocks    ;     9   2345 9       depicting farm life and issues, his happy feet imprinting his memories of them. All of                  them have stitched together their peasant            9        ;  origins and come together at the Kochi dues, like that of the selfless the usual funds to the recon- walls in hospitals and dressed works to women artists. The   7  9S             Muziris Biennale, which is unshackling art Malayali nurses, the cry for eco- struction process. But Chief up worn out facades with Guerrilla Girls, who have been from the confines of rarefied thought and logical justice, the siege of Minister Pinarayi Vijayan want- colourful murals to mask the talking about sexism in the arts      A3  B3(  (              elitism to listen to the sub-terranean voic- micro-cultures or the much- ed to send out the message that darkness of pain. Over the field through provocative slo-          9      (   es and helping them stake a claim in con- revered cow head turning into Kerala is resilient and means years, organisers have reached gans and street performances,    AC              /    temporary discourse. a fist of agrarian assertion, business. The spinoff effects on out to schools and made entry have plastered the town with  ! "   9         443(     If art biennales are meant to rearticu- every voice has been respected the economy by way of tourism, free on certain days for the com- placards, asking questions about late the times, then the Kochi edition has and interpreted in concrete, services and infrastructure are mon people to access and whether women are only good                   <    clearly pushed key frontiers in global dia- tactile and visually explosive for all to see. The laid-back Fort embrace a different form of as models for artists and if       (       $  S D     logue, snapping the exclusionary stiffness of terms. For public engagement of Kochi area is now a bustle, the expression. This is the process gallery staff get respectable pay. ;                   art fairs and museums, where the plight of art cannot happen unless it waterways have emerged as by which an auto rickshaw dri- Kashmiri artist Veer Munshi the dispossessed is merely the motif and not appeals to our sensorium. And transport corridors ferrying ver like Bapi Das was inspired has recreated a Sufi shrine with         -             the felt anguish of those who go through it. till that is done, till art also people from one island to enough to embroider his lacquer coffins of the young,                    As its curator, artist Anita Dube has becomes a source of pleasure, another, the local youth have thoughts on fabric, now on arguing for the middle path in           #           attempted to explore “possibilities of a non- populism will continue to cede signed up as volunteers and prominent display. Or a run- dialogues and a return to civil- alienated world” and managed to address the space to majoritarian mono- most residents have opened up away like Vicky Roy, who grew isational contiguity that has 9  ;                 elephant in the room, to create a safe pub- logues. Should that be easily homestays and cafes. up in a shelter home near the been torn asunder by extrem-       (    #          lic sphere where we can think freely, handed over? Shouldn’t pop- Warehouse owners, who do New Delhi Railway station and ism. A young performance     -             exchange ideas, ask questions of ourselves, ulism be a happy prospect than booming business in a port who was trained in a photogra- artist frisks entrants to peaceful- have conversations and dialogue rather than be demonised as a takeover tool town, have let out spaces for phy workshop, to reframe the ly demonstrate his angst of                  ideological loud-mouthing and best of all of everybody’s trade? three months to make way for urbanscape through his lens growing up behind the wired !               provide a safe pedagogic haven where peo- In that sense, the Kochi installation artists. And aban- and awaken us to the trickle- quarters. That speaks louder ple do not feel threatened, judged or not biennale has already started doned houses are getting a new down effects of societal statutes than the gun. qualified enough. In this respect, the Kochi the process of culture reclama- lease of life. More so, the peo- and policy-making. Like In the end, art anywhere biennale has fully given credence to sociol- tion as a democratic nurturing ple of Kochi, who have virtual- Ahalya, they were not empow- should be about the relational 4
  
ogist Pierre Bourdieu’s argument for the of ideas, not a handed down ly owned this art event as their ered by birth, be it in terms of dynamic between the creator need to create a social and cultural capital rewriting of scripts. Muziris badge of pride through the access to language or chance. and the audience. Only then can           juxtaposed to the economic one. He had was an ancient port on the past years, don’t want to let go They evolved on their own, it be a vibrant cultural asset and defined “cultural capital” as that which deter- Malabar coast, our first point of of it. Students and young peo- organically and untutored. offset hierarchies set by eco-      67!8 mined the “tastes” of society, which, if not globalisation over centuries as ple are toggling assignments Kerala clearly isn’t shedding a nomic and political structures. wholesome and representative enough, can merchant ships plied the spice and work to play hosts and tear for itself. Or to borrow words from the     ! %  perpetuate a cycle of privilege instead of routes and broke down barriers coordinators. Thousands of car- Of course, what’s art with- Guerrilla Girls, “Don’t let muse-   P     breaking it down. Museums and galleries for a confluence and assimila- penters are at work, helping out the political subtext? And ums reduce art to a small num- ) may lend us access to all sorts of artwork tion of cultures. Perhaps this erect structures and artworks, there were plenty at the biennale ber of artists who have won a !Q      that have emerged as an interpretation of biennale rescued that ancient the caterers have never been posited against the visual epi- popularity contest among big-           history, context and archives but what of sen- spirit and applied it to the cur- busier, feeding visitors on the demic of clichés on other media. time dealers, curators and col-             sitive story-telling? Will it be a projection rent context. roadside and the auto wallahs At a time when the women lectors. If museums don’t show      ) S  (  of an idea rather than a humane experience? For Kerala, a State that was have replaced the need for artistes’ collective have articu- art as diverse as the cultures they The Kochi biennale hasn’t talked down, it ravaged brutally by the floods Google maps. lated their brand of #MeToo in claim to represent, tell them     , #S  has allowed everyone to come in. Or as barely a hundred days ago —1.5 The Chief Minister himself the Malayali film industry and they’re not showing the histo- "         Dube described it, enfolded them in the “dis- million people displaced and inaugurated the biennale, lend- faith debates on Sabarimala ry of art, they are just preserv- #          cursive frame of culture.” Be it an attempt 200,000 lives lost — the biennale ing a heft to proceedings and continue to hover over a ing the history of wealth and at post-colonial redemption by the West, the has been a huge palliative. insisting in his speech that the woman’s right to enter the power.” The sea winds have    -       resolution of anxieties, the fluidity of iden- Many had questioned if the traumatised State indeed need- shrine, the biennale has had its brought a whiff of life to Kochi.             tities, the retrieval of protest poetry from Government should go through ed to heal itself through art. The first woman curator and devot- (The writer is Associate            conflict zones, the reinstatement of women’s with this edition and not divert biennale has done up drab ed more than 50 per cent of the Editor, The Pioneer)    (  "          .                        /  $       * / +  !        (     (   K 
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 ponder now that its centrally dri- ven one-man party apparatus               7         Sir — Retired Lieutenant General has proved fallible. Nor can the                    DS Hooda, who was the former       L" OM Prime Minister carry the sole                80$  General Officer Commanding- +(  F.,6       onus of campaigning. The party in-Chief of the Army’s Northern &               needs many more shoulders and         9      0   Command in September 2016 >
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      But they lost because of empty             !00        Indeed, a constant political show- promises. The results should be an casing of a military strike can do eye-opener for the party. Rising                )    a two-fold damage. First, a con-     results. The Indira Gandhi regime AIADMK, whose faction fight is problems, like farm and rural dis-    %                ( stant political chest-thumping for of imperious central diktats saw a textbook case for the Samajwadi tress as also urban angst played a      8         81$   an Army operation can have the party gradually losing cohe- Party. crucial role in the erosion of the adverse effects on our relations Sir — This refers to the editori- sion at grass roots. Tall regional Congress chief Rahul Gandhi BJP’s support base. Understanding               /  ( with neighbouring countries. al, “Rahul’s day dawns” satraps could yet hold the party, seems to have learnt the lessons the problems faced by people will                 < Second, if it turns into political (December 12). The Assembly but with the loss of Rajasekhar well. His persuasive style had the remain crucial to fight the next                   2345 % asset for one political party, it will elections must prod the BJP to Reddy of Andhra Pradesh, the frontline leaders, be it Rajasthan General election. send a wrong impression that the acknowledge the relevance of party plunged into decline. or Madhya Pradesh, to put party Jubel D’Cruz                  entire country is divided in terms the much maligned dynasty of the Clearly, the dynasty was effective needs above personal ambitions. Mumbai                  (   of defence policy. Congress and that it is but a form so long as its president produced His task now is to keep that esprit   '       =    (   (  )      , Sujit De of orchestrating individual results. See what the lack of de corps going and showcase the $++$8'+7%$$8A<35 Kolkata strengths to optimise collective dynasty has done to the same for the 2019 LS elections.   ()  * +,- ./+0  !1      2* 8
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In contrast, the                 outcome has also done a lot to rejuvenate the            ?E)@  Congress and Opposition leaders, who are all now             "     rallying behind the leadership of Congress pres- ident Rahul Gandhi. The BJP, however, has not        E)       been totally routed. It retains a fair share of the :>'5"22-5$   4A          E)S      ( vote pie in spite of anti-incumbency in the three 2>&-%56%       ? AF         heartland States — Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan >"2B"85" !   @            and Chhattisgarh. But for sure, the oft-repeated 2>"$55$2:&75                  ( slogan of ‘a Congress-mukt Bharat’ was blown 85>&75     #  E) "   away like a hot balloon. With these results, the Opposition is going for the jugular now and $2($2!$2($2       %       55-&$>225B                    ( smelling power for the 2019 parliamentary elec- tions, notwithstanding the fact that Prime &%'>&5"                  ( 7'5&$!52(                  Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity remains intact. :$2*552       P    )  E  ) The results have further proved that the >>7 >>7$2:   Q     S         Indian electorate does not bother about perfor- 5A 5"&               E)S  ( mance or rhetorical slogans and knows how to B-7>>:$&              halt the juggernaut. They have also thrown a few 6$&7($($22B ;  (        (      lessons for both the ruling and Opposition par- 7&B >$-B 9             E) ties. Let us examine the matter from the point of (5-$$>2>2                  ( view of both the BJP and the Opposition. As an 65$2&52&$>25( increase of 80.5 per cent. The number NOTA may have taken the BJP’s tally squib as those who were contacted were       9         informed citizen, this writer has been observing of e-filings increased to 6.75 crore dur- to well past 120 seats. Similarly, as mainly urbanites. Genuine opinion the functioning of the Government in different :>2( ing the last fiscal. During 2017-18, the against the Congress getting 39.3 per makers’ attempts for course correction        (        9   ">:"!!57'5  "              fields in different States, has been writing on issues gross collections before refunds rose by cent of votes compared to the BJP’s 38.8 were ignored. For example, though germane to the people, hailing good decisions and 6B*-%$"5( 13 per cent to 11.44 lakh crore. The per cent in Rajasthan, the NOTA vote Telugu Desam Party supremo  E)   (   PE"     Q  providing suggestions for improvements on sev- >2&75"8$2: quantum jump in tax base to a large would have crossed to 40 per cent for Chandrababu Naidu’s own political       0          eral others. "5:$!5 extent was the result of demonetisation. the BJP and the party could have situation is not so good in Andhra                Governance is not a cakewalk for any ruler, The Government machinery, however, scraped through. In Chhattisgarh Pradesh, his alienation did fuel a move-                ) nor is feeling the pulse of the Indian mind in elec- could not counter the allegations though, the Congress really trounced ment against the BJP. Similarly, the               E)   ( tions an easy task, as voters have time and again against it. the BJP by a margin of 10 per cent. party alienated several of its opinions-               ( been pooh-poohing expert psychologists with dis- But the biggest voter loss (loss of Yet another cause of the Congress’ makers who during the last 15 years                ( dain. Any hasty policy decision on well-inten- vote base) for the BJP was the business win was the way the party got the sup- were in its favour. This writer knows                 ( tioned goals and programmes has always back- community (the traditional BJP sup- port of farmers, who were facing sev- one senior journalist and many more    8                 fired on the ruling regimes. People have a poor porters for long) due to initial hiccups eral constraints notwithstanding the supporters who relentlessly attempted           memory both for good deeds as well as bad. They in the implementation of the Goods and fact that Shivraj Singh Chouhan, dur- to take the BJP to a high pedestal as an tend to forget the good deeds fast enough and for- Service Tax (GST). The introduction of ing his chief ministerial tenure, acceptable national party with pan- #           E)     give quickly on bad experiences. Because of this, GST was a revolutionary attempt but increased the irrigated land from 7.5 Indian appeal among the intelligentsia 9                  for quite some time, the Indian polity has those who implemented it will never lakh to 36 lakh hectares over the last 10 but they were either ignored or side-             O       become a sort of circus. Short-term perceptions agree that they failed to read the peo- years. It was the disconnect in the pro- lined.            (  ( rule the people’s minds and those who exploit ple’s mind on this. The problem is that gramme with regard to production, Now, the Congress and the     /          them are victorious. promises made before the reform got marketing and incomes of farmers Opposition front must adopt a charter           S    Taking a particular group or section of peo- under way were never implemented. (including lopsided implementation which is nationalistic and filled with a        (  # <  7  -  ple for granted is wishful thinking. The ruling And later, when the Government tried of the Bhavantar scheme) that stoked positive vision for a future India and ?<7-@           NDA had a lot of positives to offer to the coun- to correct the mistakes, it was too late. the farmers’ anger. away from confrontationist polity as the 9              S try after it came to power, both internally (in sev- The mishandling of the agitation of Though the Union Government BJP is still a favourite for 2019. The         <7-(          ( eral fields) as well as on external affairs. India’s the upper castes against reservation for had taken a lot of steps for the farm- Congress has to modernise its function- prestige and position grew to a new height and promotions in Madhya Pradesh and ers’ welfare, it had either not been mar- ing and embrace a collective leadership,           1       ( esteem, globally. The Prime Minister’s demoneti- Rajasthan had really made a difference keted or executed well. Besides, the keep the Delhi crowd of bureaucrats at   #      $  S ;  234G     sation drive had yielded a few positives in due to the BJP as the community voted for farmers’ income was still not commen- a distance and engage with experts to      4233          ( course, like busting black marketers in real NOTA. In Madhya Pradesh, NOTA surate with production costs. In serve the nation. The people are fed up   H 0   %  S % 0    < S estate, ghost business houses et al. This writer votes were exercised by 542,295 Rajasthan, the State had done very good with poor governance and unnecessary ) S    S 7   E)    ( vividly remembers the poor people happily (6,43,144 voters) constituting about 1.4 work in water harvesting but the pro- logjams in Parliament. To make democ-     P  Q       standing in long queues before the banks during per cent of the total votes. In Rajasthan, grammes did not catch the imagination racy work, we must be a nation of par- ! (   "          E)   ( demonetisation as they believed it was going to NOTA votes were to the tune of of the farmers. The outreach by the ticipants, not simply observers and     9      E)S    end black money and cause difficulty to the cor- 467,781, constituting about 1.3 per cent bureaucracy was also not visible on the squabbling political leaders. The man-                  rupt and the rich. of the total votes polled. Most people, ground. date of people is supreme. It should be             (   There has been a sustained increase in the who exercised NOTA, were anti-reser- Another cause of the BJP’s defeat is seen as a lesson for all politicians, par-     =    0        number of Income Tax Returns (ITRs) filed in the vation supporters and former BJP sup- the mobilisation of opposition parties ticularly in view of the coming Lok last four financial years. As compared to 3.79 crore porters. The BJP got 41 per cent votes and the saffron party’s lack of contain- Sabha election in 2019.          S    ITRs filed in 2013-14, the number of ITRs filed in Madhya Pradesh while the Congress ment of negative vibes in politics. The (The writer is a Retired Civil           during 2017-18 was 6.84 crore, which is an got 40.9 per cent. The 1.4 per cent “Sampark for Samadhan” was a damp Servant) .        *3                                  

where Cleisthenes, known as the for the common good, an aspect of stem the rot. Ironically, it is the also went on to direct that the consequence, nothing more than father of Athenian democracy, governance on which philosophers, actions of the apex court itself bribe-givers must be prosecuted, as closing the barn door after the introduced the concept of rule by such as Plato and Aristotle, wrote which gave a fillip to criminals join- also the bribe-takers who did not horse has bolted. the common people. However, rep- volumes. This is, of course, only ing politics with its farcical ruling vote. Certainly, a unique legal jus- While regular and reasonably resentational democracy, as we possible when there are a set of laws in the infamous JMM bribery case, tification for the concept of honour fair elections have ensured that we know it today, is very different from and those elected as leaders follow involving the bribing of MPs to among thieves. continue to enjoy the fruits of a ! P  !  what was practised then and is them both in letter and spirit. defeat a no-confidence motion The apex court has now vibrant democracy, the same can-  %7*. today defined by its one major char- Unfortunately over the past few brought against the then Prime attempted to correct the existing not be said for the state of our &  "  acteristic “rule of the majority”, decades, common good seems to be Minister PV Narasimha Rao’s state of affairs by directing the Republic. The gradual decline of :    he Preamble to the which can easily devolve into mob ignored in the face of parochial and Government way back in 1993. Government to set up 12 fast-track values and the rule of law have Constitution of India clearly rule or tyranny of the majority, or self-serving interests of our leaders, These allegedly corrupt MPs were special courts to try cases against the ensured that the common good is    
   Tstates that India is a sover- even worse, anarchy. as the rule of law is often ignored or unashamed and blatant enough to legislators. of little concern to our political class   $ON O eign, socialist, secular, democratic Benjamin Franklin once said: rendered irrelevant. It is no wonder openly deposit the bribe money in In addition, it has also directed who are quite happy with the sta-  N  O republic. But as the ongoing pub- “Democracy is two wolves and a then that our legislatives at the a public sector bank. They were all political parties, which give tick- tus quo. Neither the judiciary nor 7 
 
    lic discourse of our political mas- lamb voting on what to have for Centre and States have a surfeit of subsequently prosecuted under the ets to persons with criminal cases the bureaucrats can bring about 
   &  ters clearly shows, we are more a lunch.” The only thing that keeps members facing criminal charges — Prevention of Corruption Act but pending against them, to publicise change for the better that is democracy and less a republic. We the lamb off the lunch menu is the 1,765 MPs and MLAs at last count, were absolved by the Supreme the information on the party web- required. It is, therefore, left to the -  O   may not truly be aware of the sub- fact that we are a republic — not a or 36 per cent facing over 3,500 Court’s interpretation of Article 105 sites, apart from issuing a declara- common citizen to act. If we do not
    tle difference between the two or perfect one but still one nonethe- cases as per the Government; of the Constitution. This Article tion in “widely circulated” newspa- stand up and reclaim the space, we   7    even be bothered to give this aspect less. What that basically implies is though some contend the numbers states that (1) MPs shall enjoy pers and on electronic media after have conceded to criminals and "# !  much thought. But make no mis- that the country is not a private are vastly understated. freedom of speech in Parliament the nomination is filed. other low-life who now sit in judg-  -   take, if we are to progress and devel- concern of the rulers but is consid- While the Supreme Court may and (2) shall not be held liable to However, there is little doubt ment over us. It will be our children op as a nation, we cannot do with- ered a “public matter” and belongs well view the entry of criminals into any proceedings in any court in left that the “centre of gravity” who will pay the price in the com-    out either. History tells us that the to each one of us regardless of caste, legislative bodies as akin to “termite respect of anything said or any vote seems to have shifted in favour of ing years.  -   term ‘democracy’ originated from creed, gender or ethnicity. While to the citadel of democracy,” it can- given in Parliament. the criminal legislators and they (The writer is a military veter-      the Greek words ‘demos’, the com- this obviously demands that our not make laws to keep them out. The court held that the alleged seem to have become indispensable an, a Consultant with the Observer &       mon people, and ‘kratos’ or rulers are elected and not inherit- That, the court said, is the domain bribe-takers, who had voted in the to parties for grabbing power. The Research Foundation and Visiting   strength. The first democracy was ed, as quite a few tends to be, more of Parliament, an institution that is House, were “entitled to the immu- sad truth is that actions taken by the Senior Fellow with The Peninsula the city of Athens in 508-507 BC importantly, it requires them to rule yet to show a firmness of resolve to nity conferred by Article 105(2)”. It Supreme Court now are of little Foundation, Chennai)     ()  * +,- ./+0    !4

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 97(    -    8-%2>6 September 5, 2017. She was the rime Minister Narendra ;  editor in Lankesh Patrike, a PModi’s visit to Rae Bareli, Kannada weekly started by her !  ! %>%& the parliamentary constituen- late father P. Lankesh. After cy of United Progressive    Lankesh’s death, Gauri used to engal unit of the Congress Alliance (UPA) chairperson her own weekly called Gauri BParty is planning to contest Sonia Gandhi, on December 16  ! !8!*$ Lankesh Patrike. single handedly in the next could throw some surprises as With the State police hav- year’s Lok Sabha elections, there is a possibility that rebel n a sad commentary on the ing failed to make any headway party insiders say. Aam Admi Party (AAP) leader Ifunctioning of the Central in the investigations into the The Pradesh Congress and poet Kumar Vishwas may Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Dabholkar murder case, the leadership has been given a join the Bharatiya Janata Party a Pune court on Friday grant- Bombay High Court had trans- clear mandate by the Central (BJP) in his presence. ed bail to the three accused in ferred the case to the CBI on leadership to take a decision on Though sources close to the the Narendra Dabholkar mur- May 9, 2014, after overruling its system of alliances, sources poet denied such a move, and der case, after the CBI failed to CBI had in the first week of many occasions in the past the objections raised by the said. The decision is the fallout there is a tradition that no pol- file a supplementary charge- September obtained the custody when the Bombay High Court Maharashtra Government. The of Chief Minister Mamata itics is involved during the sheet in the case within the of Kale, Bangera and Degvekar had pulled up the CBI for the CBI had registered a case on Banerjee’s prior announcement Prime Minister’s function, stipulated 90 days. from the Katnataka’s Special inordinate delay in completing June 2, 2014, on the high to go it alone in the general sources in the BJP confirmed in Pune’s First Class Judicial Investigation Team (SIT) inves- investigations in the Narendra court’s orders. elections. Lucknow on Friday that there Magistrate SMA Sayyed grant- tigate their links with the Dabholkar murder case. It was the Karnataka SIT “Our workers are being is a strong possibility of Kumar ed bail to accused Amol Kale, Dabholkar murder case. The Supreme Court had that arrested Kale, Bangera attacked and killed and their Vishwas joining the party. Rajesh Bangera and Amit The contention of the three said on Tuesday that if there was and Degvekar first in connec- houses and properties looted group led by the likes of that its organisational base has “There is Degvekar, after the CBI failed accused was that neither the a “common thread” among the tion with the Dabholkar mur- every day by the Trinamool Subhankar Chakrabarty, AH been “gobbled up by the a surprise for to file the chargesheet against chargesheet was filed under murders of social activists der case. The CBI, which is Congress people. They are Khan Chowdhury feel the Trinamool Congress which has you. Wait till them within the stipulated 90 IPC nor did the CBI seek addi- Narendra Dabholkar, Govind helped by the Maharashtra being framed in false cases. So Congress has no chances of either by muscle power or by Sunday,” a days after their arrest. tional time from the court to Pansare, journalist Gauri Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in the Congress plans to take on winning without support from lure of money forced a large senior BJP The relief to three accused file the supplementary charge- Lankesh and rationalist M M the investigations, has a strong the TMC alone on its own the Trinamool. The third number of our local workers to leader said. In came a day after they moved sheet under UAPA. Kalburgi, then one agency could reason to believe that the same strength,” PCC president groups led by the likes of MP join their side.” 2014, Kumar the court for bail on the ground At Friday’s hearing, a request investigate all the four cases. pistol was used by the miscre- Somen Mitra said. Pradip Bhattacharya want to go Mitra said “we will have to Vishwas con- that the CBI had not sought was made on behalf the CBI that Sixty nine-year-old anti- ants in killing both Dabholkar Insiders however said its it alone. rebuild our organisation in tested the Lok additional time from the court the probe agency be given time superstition campaigner and Gauri Lankesh. public posturing apart, the PCC Mitra a veteran party many places. The victories in Sabha election to file the supplementary till December 20 to file the Dabholkar was shot dead him While Kale is former Pune still might wait for a “respectable leader of 1960s and 70s has Rajasthan, MP and Chhattisgarh from Amethi constituency on charge-sheet under section 43 chargesheet on the ground that from a point blank range by two unit convenor of Hindu offer” from the Trinamool with- asked the lower rung leaders to shows that we still can do it even AAP ticket and in 2019 he of the Unlawful Activities its officials were pre-occupied motor-bicycle riding gunmen — Janajagruti Samiti, an affiliate out which the party will go it reach out to the people and in Bengal. If we start working could be the BJP candidate in Prevention Act (UAPA). with some other work in Delhi, aged between 25 and 30 years, outfit of Sanathan Sanstha, alone in the elections. strengthen the organisation from now then we can definite- place of Union Textiles Kale, Bangera and the CBI. However, Magistrate while he was taking a morning Digvekar was a promter of The PCC is divided in “where we have a bigger pres- ly challenge the TMC.” Minister Smriti Irani. Degvekar are also accused in the Sayyed rejected the CBI’s request walk on the Omkareshwar Sanatan Sanstha’s publication three groups. The first group ence.” The Congress currently On whether the party will But sources in the BJP journalist Gauri Lankesh mur- on the ground that it should have bridge located in the heart of the Sanatan Prabhat. Bangera led by former PCC president has four MPs in Bengal. While still go with the Trinamool if claimed that Vishwas could be der case. The CBI had arrested filed the chargesheet on Pune, on August 20, 2013. allegedly trained two sharp Adhir Chowdhury and State two seats are from they offer a respectable alliance, shifted to Rae Bareli to contest Bangera and Degvekar on Wednesday when the 90-day Gauri Lankesh (55) was shooters Sachin Andhure and Opposition Leader Abdul Murshidabad the two others he said “they have not against Sonia Gandhi, while September 1, while Kale was deadline expired. shot gunned down outside her Sharad Kalaskar in handling Mannan who want an alliance are from Malda district. approached us, neither we will Irani could contest against Rahul arrested on September 3. The However, there have been Bengaluru residence on the pistol. with the Left Front. The second However the party alleges go to them begging for seats.” Gandhi from Amethi again.  
 * $!               !   State need to be beefed up to 2016-17. But the students faced -7522$ save the students from fly-by- number of problems in the col- night operators. “Most of the lege from day one onwards Madras High Court order private colleges have found to because of shortcomings in Adelivered on Thursday ask- be wanting when it comes to infrastructure. ing the Tamil Nadu infrastructure facilities and Dr GR Raveendranath, Government to shift 150 MBBS qualified teachers,” said Dr general secretary, Doctors students from a private medical Krishnaswamy. Association for Social Equality college in Kancheepuram to Though the PRIMS did (DASE), said the court orders Government run medical col- not meet the mandatory were reflective of the ineffi- leges exposed the rot that has requirements, the college ciency and corruption prevail- set in the medical education authorities managed to get the ing in the sector. “It is all system, at least in the State. essentiality certificate from the because of the essentiality cer- Justice T Raja, while dis- State government in August tificate issued by the State posing a series of petitions 2014 which authorised the Government that the PRIMS filed by the students of institution to admit 150 stu- could commence MBBS course. Ponnaiyah Ramajayam dents every year to the MBBS The fact that an essentiality cer- Institute of Medical Sciences course. But the Medical Council tificate was issued to an insti- (PRIMS) complaining about of India opposed the move by tution which does not meet the the lack of infrastructure in the the Tamil Nadu government to mandatory requirements itself college asked the Tamil Nadu issue essentiality certificate and has to be probed comprehen- Government to shift the 150 Letter of Permission pointing sively,” said Dr Raveendranath. students from the college to the out that PRIMS had many He also pointed out that 22 Government-run medical short comings. This included admitting students from private colleges in the State. shortage of outpatients, low medical colleges to govern- This is not the first time the bed occupancy and non-avail- ment run colleges was counter Madras High Court is issuing ability of blood bank. productive in all respects. “The an order like this. The year But the College authorities government-run colleges have 2017 saw the court ordering the managed to get the permission already filled the classes with shifting of 144 students from based on a Supreme Court students. There is a student- Annai Medical College and verdict based on the report teacher ratio as well as other Hospital to government-run submitted by the Oversight limitations in the government medical colleges. Dr C V Committee. The Central colleges. Admitting students Krishnaswamy, highly respect- Government issued the Letter midway in the course cause lot ed medical doctor in Tamil of Permission in August 2016 of hardship to other students Nadu told The Pioneer that the which allowed the intake of stu- and teachers,” said regulatory mechanism in the dents from the academic year Raveendranath.

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Lucknow: Sleuths of the Special Task Force have sought the help of Nepal police to arrest prime accused in Bulandshahr violence and Bajrang Dal’s city chief Yogesh R aj. The violence which erupt- ed in Bulandshahr on December 3 claimed the lives of the Inspector of Syana police station and a local youth. “We have inputs that to avert his arrest, Raj has fled to Nepal. We are in contact with our Nepalese counterparts and are trying to drop the net on the mastermind of Bulandshahr violence,” said a senior STF officer posted in west UP. On Thursday night, the STF team arrested another accused, identified as Saurabh Payal, from Bulandshahr. He was produced in a local court on Friday morn- ing and the court sent him to jail. Earlier, the probe agencies had arrested armyman Jitendra Malik aka Jeetu Fauji in connection with the Bulandshahr violence. Later, a hunt was launched for arresting some aides of the armyman who were at the scene on the fateful day. Interestingly, all accused named in the FIR and with saf- fron links have been freely uploading videos on social sites and giving interviews, pleading their innocence, but the law enforcers have preferred to look the other way. PTI   ()  * +,- ./+0    !5 &/
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  8-%2>6 find any middleman like deal during its tenure from technology,” he said. (Ottavio) Quattrocchi or 2007 to 2014. The Chief Minister also Q 6 R!!/$ itting out at the Congress (Christian) Michel,” the “Was the party in power suggested to the judiciary not Hpresident, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said while searching for brokers like they to entertain frivolous public Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath speaking to news persons in did during the previous defence interest petitions (PILs) which said Rahul Gandhi told lies Lucknow on Friday. deals?” Yogi asked in an oblique could affect the security and about the Rafale fighter aircraft Yogi was reacting to a reference to the Bofors deal. integrity of the country. 444   % $R deal and he should apologise to Supreme Court judgement in Yogi said that Rahul “This is a fact that these the people and defence per- which a three-member bench Gandhi should also disclose the PILs were filed just to reap !   sonnel for spreading canards to gave a clean chit to the Rafale source of his information on political mileage and defame -7522$ get political mileage. deal. The judgement came as a Rafale deal as it seemed that his the government. The court “The oldest political party shot in the arm for the sagging statement against the govern- should take strict action against ith former Minister of the country has failed to per- morale of the Bharatiya Janata ment was an attempt to weak- such PILs,” he said. was wrong in the deal. WSenthil Balaji joining the form its duty. It has threatened Party, which promptly used the en the country’s security. Yogi welcomed the deci- “The SC judgement has DMK on Friday, the process of the nation’s security and verdict as a hammer to beat the “The statements made by sion of the SC in rejecting all exposed the false propaganda disintegration of the AIADMK integrity by questioning the Congress. the Congress chief were more petitions filed against the Rafale of the Congress. The grand old has reached the full steam. Rafale deal which was initiat- The Chief Minister also alarming as neighbouring aircraft deal and claimed that party defamed the Central gov- Hundreds of his followers too ed by their government but was asked the Congress why its gov- countries are equipped with the the judiciary’s verdict was a ernment and the BJP merely for accompanied Balaji in his jour- later shelved as they could not ernment delayed the Rafale latest aircraft and other defence clear indication that nothing political reasons,” Yogi said. ney from Karur to Chennai and then to the DMK headquarters at Mount Road in the metro. 7>$  Balaji and his followers were welcomed into the DMK



  by party chief MK Stalin. It was a home coming for Senthil Balaji who had left the DMK in #  $! *  0 "*1         2000 to join the AIADMK and   *1 -   2   #  $% was elected thrice to the Q 

R Legislative Assembly in the AIADMK launched by VK charismatic leader who could party ticket. Sasikala (aide to late J match the calibre of Jayalalithaa   9!!8 “The AIADMK is a sinking Jayalalithaa) wished Senthil to pull it through the troubled ship and Thalapathi (Tamil for Balaji as the best in his new times. I am not sure about the ammu & Kashmir has commander, as Stalin is innings in the DMK. “I don’t capabilities of Dhinakaran,” Jbecome the first State in the addressed by his followers) is the know why he decided to leave said Satyamurthy. He also said country to have a law only leader who is capable of us. If he had any genuine prob- Senthil Balaji joining the DMK banning sexual exploitation of resuscitating Tamil Nadu from lems and had told us about it, is also media hype. “You wait women by those in the clutches of the BJP,” Balaji we could have sorted it out,” said for a couple of weeks and see positions of authority, having a told reporters after enrolling Dhinakaran in Friday. Balaji was what happens to him and fiduciary relationship or a pub- himself as a DMK volunteer. a camp follower of Dhinakaran Dhinakaran. Tamil Nadu pol- lic servant. Hereafter he will address and the AMMK before he cast itics is getting churned,” he said. The State Administrative Stalin as Thalapathi and his lots with the DMK. Dr V Mythreyan, MP and Council (SAC) under Jayalalithaa as Jayalalithaa. G Satyamurthy, political senior leader of the AIADMK the chairmanship of Before reaching Chennai on commentator and columnist said there is no possibility of his Governor Satya Pal Malik on Friday morning, Balaji and his said the exit of Balaji was not party’s merger with the Friday approved the followers had removed the pic- going to make any impact on Dhinakaran faction. “O ‘Prevention of Corruption tures of Jayalalithaa and the fortunes of the AIADMK or Panneerselvam, our convener, (Amendment) Bill, 2018’ and Sasikala from their shirt pock- the AMMK. “Both are fast dis- has made it clear that there is the ‘Jammu & Kashmir ets, cars and SUVs. By the time integrating and I do not know no question of aligning with the Criminal Laws (Amendment) they left the DMK head quar- whether the AIADMK would Sasikala family dominated Bill, 2018’, an official ters, all vehicles in the motor- survive the 2021 Assembly party and the subject ends spokesman said. cade accompanying Balaji spot- election. The ground report is there,” Mythreyan said. The Jammu & Kashmir ted pictures of Stalin and that the AIADMK would be This puts to rest at least for Criminal Laws (Amendment) Karunanidhi. wiped out in the Lok Sabha the time being, reports about Bill, 2018 seeks to TTV Dhinakaran, general election,” said Satyamurthy the possibilities of merger amend the Ranbir Penal Code, secretary of Amma Makkal who is also sceptical about the between the rival factions whereby specific offence under Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK), strength of Dhinakaran. which were being highlighted section 354 E is being the breakaway faction of the “AIADMK does not have a by the local media. inserted to provide      '               *  "  *  P   
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 ?     *          $   3  2       /    But in his dying declaration, he &7$"8'22&7 8"! made no mention of the  ->$!*&>"5  &2 Minister Nitish Kumar told Sabarimala temple.  ! !8!*$ reporters here. dawn-to-dusk shutdown Before being taken to the he 11th edition of annual ey NDA constituent JD(U) Even before walking out of Acalled by the BJP to protest public crematorium, his body Trejuvenation camp for tem- n a freak mishap, a 22-year- Kon Friday made it clear that the NDA in 2013, the JD(U) against the death of a man said was brought to the Bharatiya ple elephants in Tamil Nadu Iold college student collapsed it was not in favor of promul- had always insisted that abro- to be a Sabarimala devotee Janata Party (BJP) protest began at Thekkampatti on the and died during a tug of war gation of an ordinance to facil- gating Article 370, Ram temple derailed Kerala on Friday, venue where party leaders paid banks of Bhavani River on game at Somaiya College at itate the construction of Ram in Ayodhya and Uniform Civil sparking widespread anger over their last respect. Friday. Vidya Vihar in north-east temple in Ayodhya, demand for Code should be kept out of the the disruption to normal life. But the rationale State Hindu Religious and Mumbai late on Thursday which has been made by the coalition agenda. JD(U), head- The 50-year-old for calling the shutdown came Charitable Endowments evening. sangh parivar and a section of ed by Bihar Chief Minister Venugopalan Nair set himself under fire from the ruling Minister Sevoor S A resident of Thane city, the BJP. Nitish Kumar, is running a on fire at a BJP protest venue CPI-M, Congress, business Ramachandran inaugurated Jibbin Sunny was leading one JD(U) national general sec- coalition government with the on Thursday and succumbed to groups as well as the man on the camp along with forest of the two teams in the tug of retary Ram Chandra Prasad BJP in Bihar. his injuries in a hospital here. the street. minister Dindigul Serinivasan war game when the incident Singh said the party will stick and Municipal Administration took place. to its earlier stand it had taken Minister S P Velumani. The tournament had been on the issue in its earlier avatar Ramachandran said 27 ele- organised as part of the college’s as the Samata Party which was @-92(  R phants from various temples annual sports day — the issue either be solved by and mutts had been brought for The video footage mutual consent between the participation in the 48-day of the mishap, which went affected communities or decid- -   *      camp, a pet project of late viral on Friday, showed that ed by a court of law. Chief Minister Jayalalithaa. Sunny collapsed after he put There should be no confu- Adequate medical care will the rope around his sion in the minds of the peo- Mumbai: On a day the ing process” warranting setting Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has be provided to the elephants at neck and pulled it with ple with regard to our stand on Supreme Court dismissed pleas aside of the contract. been demanding an ordinance the camp, with special veteri- more power. Ram temple issue at Ayodhya. challenging the Rafale deal, “Like the Rafale decision or a law to build a Ram temple narian teams, he said adding Sunny was rushed to the If an ordinance is promulgat- PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti was welcomed, I hope they (the in Ayodhya at the earliest. It nutritious food with special diet nearby Rajawadi Hospital ed to facilitate construction of said the BJP should also wait BJP) will wait for the decision (of had also criticised the Supreme would be given. where he died during treat- the temple, our party will not for the apex court’s verdict on Supreme Court) on Babri Masjid Court’s decision to defer the Meanwhile, about 40 farm- ment. support it, he said. the Babri Masjid issue. as well and won’t start pointing hearing in the land dispute ers of surrounding 23 villages While the cause of death “Since the Samata Party In a relief to the Modi fingers at the SC. We have an case, saying it “hurt” Hindu attempted to stage a picketing was not immediately known, days, we have been in favour of Government, the Supreme institution which is highly sentiments. of the road near the venue, Sunny’s body has been sent for a resolution of the dispute by Court on Friday dismissed the respected,” Mehbooba said. Several Bharatiya Janata opposing the camp at the loca- post-mortem. mutual consent or through a pleas challenging the deal She was replying to ques- Party (BJP) leaders have also tion, claiming threat to the peo- This is perhaps court order. We brook no third between India and France for tions at an event held by supported RSS chief Mohan ple and crops by wild ele- the first death that taken place alternative,” Singh, who is also procurement of 36 Rafale jets the Observer Research Bhagwat’s push for the law to phants which stray into their in the metropolis during a tug the party’s leader in the Rajya saying there was no occasion to Foundation (ORF). enable the construction of Ram area in view of the presence of of war game. Sabha and a confidant of Chief “really doubt the decision mak- The Rashtriya temple. PTI temple jumbos. A      $ (

 !  ! *52:8"8 to consolidate in favour of the victory in MP, Rajasthan and Kumaraswamy and asked him the Congress is miffed with the party which is playing Lingayat Chhattisgarh the party may not not become a rubber stamp. party over not being given a he decision of Chief card successfully in many elec- expand the Cabinet which He said , “I want to tell my Cabinet berth. He said “more TMinister HD tions. The Lingayat drama might lead to more dissent in leader and Chief Minister number of Congress legislators Kumaraswamy and coalition unfolded in the ongoing the party. Kumaraswamy not to end up as (41) had been elected from partner Congress to appoint Winter Session of the Assembly The State Governments a mere rubber stamp of the north Karnataka, but only five Pratap Chandra Shetty, a where Kumaraswamy is facing acceptance on the floor of the Congress. My party asked me to of them had been made min- Congress leader from coastal the heat both inside and the house that only 800 farmers have file the nomination but after we isters. In contrast, 36 legislators Karnataka as Chairman of the outside. Sugarcane farmers are benefited from the 49,000 crore realised that the Congress was have been elected from South Legislative Council (upper protesting and pressuring for farm loan waiver till now has fielding its candidate, we backed Karnataka, but nine of them House) has made both the the MSP and also to get the given ammunition to the BJP out to save the coalition from have been made ministers”. JD(S) and the Congress leaders dues cleared. and also dissidents within the embarrassment,” he added. “All the prime portfolios like fuming against the decision of The Lingayats are a pow- coalition partners. He said, “The Congress Home, Water Resources, Rural the Chief Minister. erful community which con- A senior Congress leader drove a hard bargain for the Development and Panchayat The decision has upset the stitute over 19 per cent of the said “the party which extend- portfolios during the cabinet Raj have gone to legislators former pro tem chairman of state population. The BJP has ed support to JDs to form the formation. They had then from South Karnataka. the council (of the JD(S)) been polarising Lingayat votes government has ignored the demanded the speaker’s post Important positions like Deputy Basavaraja Horatti and the keeping its strongman from the Lingayat leaders in the party while agreeing to give the Chief Minister, Speaker of the Congress leader SR Patil( who same community BS opment Siddaramaiah who is who were involved in the chairman’s post to the JD(S). Assembly, Chairman of the was Siddaramaiah’s candidate) Yeddyurappa and this might the chairman of the coordina- movement for a separate and But now, they have unilateral- Council too have gone to legis- both Lingayat leaders have help them to work out a strat- tion committee of the coalition minority religion tag to the ly decided to stake claim to the lators from the South” he added. openly criticised the Congress egy in the ensuing 2019 general Government has cut short his community. The Centre also council top post. Can you run He said he will be writing and the JD(S). Along with it elections. foreign visit and back in rejected their demand and the a coalition without rules?” a letter to Congress president another powerful Lingayat Even though the Congress Bengaluru to handle the chang- leaders who led the movement Former water resources Rahul Gandhi regarding this. leader from north Karnataka victory in the Hindi heartland ing political developments. are left in a lurch in process”. minister MB Patil of the “This disparity should go and and former water resource has given ammunition to the Many Congress MLAs are Soon after stepping down Congress has questioned the the imbalance should be set Minister MB Patil also direct- coalition partners, the century waiting for the December 22 as the pro-tem chairman of the Government on North-South right. The post of chairman ly hit at Kumaraswamy and old party has failed to douse the for the Cabinet expansion. legislative council, Basavaraja disparity when it comes to should have gone to SR Patil,” many say this might help BJP fire. In another political devel- According to sources after the Horatti, blamed his leader allocation of prime positions by he added.   ()  * +,- ./+0   6!  6 11   8    , 2     
   
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 "'"6 7 es, inter-operable business cor- respondents (BCs) with micro-  2  ATMs etc, he said. Further, he said, mobile    banking services and various digital modes of banking facil-  #   ities are also available in India. Replying to another ques-   tion, Shukla said the Government announced recap-  8 %! italisation of PSBs to the tune of 2.11 lakh crore in October 2017, through infusion of cap-  256(57$ ital by the Government and raising of capital by banks ublic Sector Banks (PSBs) from the markets. Pdo not have any plans to PSBs meet their capital shut down their ATMs, requirement through various Minister of State for Finance sources including, inter alia, Shiv Pratap Shukla informed mobilisation of capital from the Parliament. market through issuance of The statement assumes capital instruments and mon- significance amidst a report by etisation of non-core assets, the Confederation of ATM internal capital generation industry (CATMi) warning including through recovery in  256(57$ reporters. India Post has delivery  !8!*$ 71.80 and fell further to touch at $61.02 per barrel Friday, that nearly half of the 2.38 lakh written-off accounts, and cap- The minister also network up to remotest vil- the day’s low of 72.04. lower by 0.70 per cent. machines run the risk of clos- ital infusion by the govern- ndia Post on Wednesday launched India Post’s e-com- lages through its 1.55 lakh post he rupee declined by 22 However, it pared some On a net basis, foreign ing down by March next year ment. Iannounced full-fledged merce portal. offices which no one can Tpaise to close at 71.90 losses and finally ended at portfolio investors (FPIs) due to regulatory compliance “88,139 crore was infused entry into e-commerce busi- Earlier, any decision relat- match, the minister said. against the US dollar on Friday 71.90 per dollar, down by 22 bought shares worth 675.14 changes making the business by the Government in PSBs ness, where it will leverage its ed to change in parcel delivery “We will also facilitate amid strengthening of the paise against its previous close. crore Thursday, while domes- unviable due to rising costs during financial year 2017-18 parcel business for end-to- rates or matching services of return of products service like greenback and cautious trading On Thursday, the Indian tic institutional investors (DIIs) and dipping or stagnant rev- after the recapitalisation end delivery of products. private players required it is available for customers on in the domestic equity market. rupee had plunged 33 paise to were sellers to the tune of enues. announcement and provision “We have simplified deci- approval from top officials, other e-commerce platforms,” Forex traders said the 71.68 per US dollar. 51.86 crore, provisional data As reported by the sched- of 65,000 crore has been made sion-making process at which was time-consuming. India Post Secretary A N rupee came under pressure Benchmark indices finished available with BSE showed. uled commercial banks, small in the budget for the current Department of Posts (DoP) by The DoP has set up parcel Nanda said. following strengthening of the with modest gains after a see- The Financial Benchmark finance banks, payment banks financial year for infusion,” he setting up a separate parcel directorate which is free to Sinha said the department dollar against major currencies saw session Friday. The BSE India Private Ltd (FBIL) set the and white label ATM operators, said. directorate. It can make quick take decision to match the will strictly monitor delivery of overseas, while caution pre- Sensex ticked higher by 33.29 reference rate for the 2.21 lakh ATMs are deployed in Since the recapitalisation decision on parcel rates and competition. products. vailed amid the RBI’s central points, or 0.09 per cent, to end rupee/dollar at 71.7359 and for the country as on September announcement till November related provisions. India Post “India Post is open for reg- “The credibility that DoP board meeting under new at 35,962.93, while the broader rupee/euro at 81.4628. The 30, Shukla said in a written 2018, PSBs have been recapi- will leverage its vast network istration of all vendors for e- has built over the years is Governor Shaktikanta Das. NSE Nifty rose 13.90 points, or reference rate for rupee/British reply to the Lok Sabha. talised to the tune of 1,28,861 for e-commerce services for commerce business. It will immense. We will suitably At the Interbank Foreign 0.13 per cent, to 10,805.45. pound was fixed at 90.5809 and Apart from ATMs, banking crore through infusion and doorstep delivery of prod- pick up products from vendor resolve complaints whenever Exchange (forex) market, the Brent crude, the interna- for rupee/100 Japanese yen at services across the country are mobilisation of capital from the ucts,” Communications and deliver to doorstep of we receive them,” the minister local unit opened lower at tional benchmark, was trading 63.20. provided through bank branch- market, he said. Minister Manoj Sinha told customers,” Sinha said. said. %  +   9N%:
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  256(57$ per cent during October. 4.64 per cent is the lowest in   2   
  ICRA Principal Economist three months, and a lower   :8"8:"! counsellors to the diverse ndia’s wholesale inflation fell Aditi Nayar said the easing of inflation than this was last range of professional oppor- Ito a three-month low of 4.64 the WPI inflation was led by a seen in August at 4.62 per cent.  256(57$ ndian School of Hospitality, tunities and career paths in the  9!!8 a provision to establish the per cent in November, driven deeper disinflation in prices of CARE Ratings, in its analy- Ia newly inaugurated world of travel, tourism, hos- Real Estate Regulatory down by decline in prices of primary food articles, easing of sis, said it expects WPI inflation xpressing concerns over slow Gurugram based hospitality pitality, culinary arts and other he Jammu and Kashmir Authority, the State Advisory food articles, especially veg- inflation related to crude petro- to remain in the range of 4.5- Epace of sugar export, the and culinary arts college, host- new age industries for their TGovernment for the first Council and the Real Estate etables, and some easing in leum and mineral oils follow- 5 per cent for the rest of the Government on Friday directed ed its first international coun- students. time will set up a Real Estate Appellate Tribunal in the State rates of petro products. ing the correction in retail fuel year, and will be above the CPI mills to undertake shipment of sellor summit — the The event saw counsellors Regulatory Authority (RERA) to effectively and efficiently The Wholesale Price Index prices, and some impact of the rates. their fixed quota and even Counsellors’ Retreat 2018. participate in talks held by in the state to promote regu- regulate this sector, spokesman (WPI)-based inflation was 5.28 appreciation in the rupee on The WPI inflation for threatened to take action against Inaugurated by Chancellor industry and education leaders lated and planned growth of said. per cent in October and 4.02 the landed prices of imports. September, however, has been defaulting sugar mills. of the Gurugram University that highlighted the trends of the real estate sector, official The move is aimed at pro- per cent in November last year. “The recent trend of a revised upwards to 5.22 per To liquidate surplus stock Markanday Ahuja, the summit the hospitality industry, career spokesman said on Friday. moting planned development Food articles witnessed year-on-year correction in food cent, from the provisional esti- and improve the liquidity of the saw a gathering of school coun- options for students and the On Friday, the State of real estate and to ensure sale softening of prices with defla- prices does not augur well for mate of 5.13 per cent. sugar mills to facilitate them for sellors representing schools benefits of hospitality and culi- Administrative Council (SAC) of plots, apartments, buildings tion at 3.31 per cent in the strength of rural demand in Data released earlier this clearance of cane price arrears from across the entire country nary education for today’s tal- under the chairmanship of and other real estate projects, November, against 1.49 per the immediate term. However, week showed that the retail or of farmers, the Government and neighboring regions, ent. Governor Satya Pal Malik in an efficient and transparent cent in October, government factors such as weak post- consumer price index-based has asked domestic sugar mills including people who are During the interactive approved the establishment of manner and to protect the data released Friday showed. monsoon rainfall and a delay in inflation for November also fell to mandatory export 5 million working in hospitality educa- session, industry and academ- Real Estate Regulatory interests of the consumers, he Vegetables, too, became rabi sowing pose some uncer- to a 17-month low at 2.33 per tonnes in the 2018-19 market- tion École hôtelière de ic experts discussed and Authority (RERA) in the State. added. RERA would ensure a cheaper with deflation at 26.98 tainty regarding how long food cent. ing year (October-September). Lausanne. exchanged views about ISH The Jammu and Kashmir fair and just treatment to the per cent in November, com- prices would remain in the dis- The Reserve Bank of India The Government is even The Counsellors’ Retreat and its curriculum for the hos- Real Estate (Regulation and buyers and protect them from pared to 18.65 per cent in the inflation zone,” Nayar said. (RBI) mainly takes into account compensating expenses was called with the mission pitality and culinary education Development) Bill, 2018 any unscrupulous builders, he previous month. Nayar said with the recent retail inflation data while for- towards internal transport, and aim to introduce school space. approved by the SAC provides said. Inflation in the ‘fuel and stability in the crude oil prices mulating monetary policy. freight, handling and other power’ basket in November and the rupee, ICRA expects In its fifth monetary poli- charges to undertake shipment. continued to rule high at 16.28 the WPI inflation to range cy review for the fiscal, released “However, it has been per cent, but was lower than between 3.7-4.4 per cent in the last week, the Reserve Bank observed that the sugar mills 18.44 per cent in October. This remainder of second half for kept interest rates unchanged, are not undertaking export of was on account of lowering of current fiscal. but held out a promise to cut sugar at a desired pace. Only prices of petrol and diesel, fol- Among food articles, pota- them if the upside risks to infla- about 2.46 lakh tonne of sugar lowing a decline in global to prices continued to rule tion do not materialise. has been exported and con- crude oil prices. high with 86.45 per cent infla- The central bank lowered tracts of only about 6 lakh Separately in petrol and tion in November. While onion retail inflation projection to tonne (including 2.46 lakh diesel, inflation was 12.06 per witnessed deflation of 47.60 per 2.7-3.2 per cent for the second tonne of actual export) in the cent and 20.16 per cent, respec- cent, the same for pulses stood half of the current fiscal, citing first quarter of the season,” the tively, and for liquified petro- at 5.42 per cent. normal monsoon and moder- food ministry said in a state- leum gas (LPG), it was 23.22 The October inflation at ate food prices. ment. 90  
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  256(57$ December 20, 2018, inter-alia,    to consider the proposal for 256(57$ tate-owned Oil and Natural buy-back of the fully paid-up SGas Corp (ONGC) Friday equity shares of the company.” ith an said its board will consider The Government holds Waim to buyback of company shares at 67.48 per cent stake in India’s provide cus- a meeting on December 20. largest oil and gas producer tomer services This follows Government ONGC. through online pushing cash-rich PSUs to use Just on Thursday, state- shopping por- their funds to buy back shares owned Indian Oil Corp (IOC) tals, a Delhi or pay a higher dividend. The said it will buy back 29.76 crore based DVCom Government is looking to shares for about 4,435 crore group has launched India’s first vided by non other bridge budgetary deficit and spend another 6,556 crore Tech supported e -store DVComm also provides a through higher receipts of div- on paying an interim divi- DVComm.in. The site offers a chargeable installation as idend as well as selling its dend to shareholders. wide range in IT , required & guarantees delivery shares in PSUs in the buyback The board of the country’s Communication and anywhere in India. Presently its programmes. largest oil firm Thursday Electronics among other relat- product line includes a wide Stock buybacks refer to approved buyback of up to ed products. range in IT, Networking, the repurchasing of shares by 29.76 crore equity shares, or The company is said to Telecom, CCTV Security the company that issued 3.06 per cent, at 149 per have deployed a team to help, Electronics, UPS products from them. A buyback occurs share. guide buyers with their pre- leading Global brands such as when the issuing company The Government, which sales assistance & Free Tech — Cisco, Alcatel, Polycom, pays shareholders the market holds a 54.06 per cent stake in Consultation. CPPlus, Samsung, Nikon, value per share and re- the company, is expected to DVComm’s big advantage Huawai, LG, Dell, HP, absorbs that portion of its participate in the share buy- is that they are providing pre- Emerson, APC and others. ownership that was previ- back. sale guidance, post sales service Surya Murugaian from ously distributed among pub- The Government is tar- with direct liaisoning with Ericson Global Services India, lic and private investors. geting a minimum 5,000 OEM during the warranty peri- Bengaluru said — “The Hub In a regulatory filing, crore through share buyback od of the product, this begets motors from DVComm.in are ONGC said, “The meeting of offers of state-owned firms customer comfort & huge con- good, their components are Board of Directors of the com- like Coal India, BHEL and Oil fidence, a service that is pro- really trust worthy”. pany will be held on Thursday, India Ltd.   ()  * +,- ./+0   66 1     , B  Harris, Finch and Head score half centuries to put host in commanding position in 2nd Test 48+ 08$68 "%%7%!8"6! " 590%+ %

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ll-rounder Hanuma Vihari says key for Indian Abatsmen will be to remain disciplined on a pitch which has got better for the fast bowlers after a good contest between ball and bat on the opening day of the second Test. The pitch was slow in the morning, but it quick- ened up after lunch. The Indian bowlers adjusted well to take six wickets.  5"&7 "For us the important thing is to not think about +4%!%!/56/7"/!8$$78%!"% +/85 those aspects too much. If it is up and down, you ndia recovered from a patchy start       !  )  $  
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  K    the second innings of the last Test," Vihari said. advantage considering the bowler-    
     OB  )       "You have to play ball by ball. That's what mat- friendly conditions, here on Friday. &      K    ters. If you are thinking about the previous ball, you A 112-run opening stand between              K     
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            out of your mind," he added. (50) vindicated their decision to bat on  &           O      Indian bowlers were "disciplined" after an ordi- green top before Indian bowlers made O$K          ? FL@    nary start on the opening day of the second Test and a decent recovery by taking three the target for day two is to restrict Australia to 320- wickets each in the last two sessions. odd in the first innings. With the pitch offering better assis- break. Mohammed Shami (0-63) con- steady progress to reach 66-0 at lunch. "The first hour tomorrow (on Saturday) will be tance from the post lunch sessionand ceded 23 runs in his four-over second- The Perth wicket at the Optus very crucial. If we get them out for below 320, we the Indian bowlers managing to recti- spell after lunch. Stadium was talked up a raging green- are right back in the game. If we bat well, we have fy their line and length, the visitors Finch too reached his second Test top wicket, but the Australian openers a good chance. The first hour is crucial," said Vihari. made inroads into the Australian bat- half-century off 103 balls as Australia defied all that speculation. For their ting line-up. reached a position of strength. But part, Indian pacers chipped in with all Skipper Tim Paine (16 not out) and things turned thereafter as Bumrah possible help and bowled a poor first Pat Cummins (11 not out) were unbeat- slip to dismiss him in the second over Sharma six overs later and was caught struck first up in the 36th over, trapping spell with the new ball. en at stumps after enduring a testing after tea. at wide third man. Finch lbw with a fuller delivery. Shami was India's best bowler of the spell from Jasprit Bumrah. Marsh and Travis Head (58) then Earlier, India struck thrice post KL Rahul dropped Harris (on 60) first session as he bowled with immac- Pacer Ishant Sharma (2/35) and added 84 runs for the fifth wicket, and lunch as Australia were reduced to 145- off Shami in the 45th over, with the ulate control from the very beginning. spinner Hanuma Vihari (2/53) took two in doing so took Australia past 200 in 3 at tea. fielder failing to time his jump at sec- He came on to bowl in the 12th over wickets apiece while Bumrah (1/41) and the 69th over. India could have broken Jasprit Bumrah (1/41) and Umesh ond slip. It didn't cost India too much and immediately troubled the batsmen. Umesh Yadav (1/68) accounted for one through early, but Rishabh Pant put Yadav (1/68) struck during a tight spell though as four overs later, he hit a sur- Finch survived an lbw shout on batsman each. down a regulation catch from Marsh in the second hour of play after lunch, prise bouncer from Vihari straight at account of height as India wasted a DRS Following a good start, Shaun (on 24) off Vihari in the 67th over. as Australia lost three wickets for 22 Rahane at slip. review. They had another loud shout Marsh (45) and Peter Handscomb (7) India were looking in bother again runs. In between, Yadav used the pressure turned down on the very next ball, but looked to extend their fourth-wicket when Marsh fell against the run of play, Post lunch, Marcus Harris had built and etched out Usman Khawaja's this time no review was taken. partnership but could only manage to trying to cut Vihari and edging to first brought up his maiden Test half-cen- (5) wicket, out caught behind in the India bowled better in the second add three runs as Sharma broke slip where Ajinkya Rahane made no tury off 90 balls as he took his open- 46th over as India gained the fruits of hour of play and conceded only 19 runs through early in the final session. mistake. ing stand with Aaron Finch (50) to 112. their hard work in this second hour of in 13 overs. But the damage had Handscomb looked to cut away too Head reached his third Test half- Their 100-stand had come up in the play. already been done as the duo were set close to his body, and Virat Kohli held century off 70 balls but threw it all away 34th over, with India leaking another In the morning session, Australia and the new ball had been wasted on a stunning one-handed catch at second as he square cut a wide delivery off 48 runs in the hour's play after the defied a green-top wicket and made a fresh pitch. (3#++ Q15 210 1A01   #  4 ++ /? ,%,1R  , 31$0R      C   5"&7  5"&7 Vihari, who was included in the  !8!*$  &!  !   team in place of the injured Rohit ustralian opener Aaron &!& C Odisha bowlers produced ormer skipper Allan Border Sharma, took two wickets and AFinch believes the second hreyas Iyer slammed 11 sixes and 17 a spirited show as they bowled out Ffeels the Australian pace bat- Border hinted India might have Test against India is going to be Sfours in a blistering knock of 178 and put Rajasthan for a meagre 135 on the open- tery will have the advantage of missed a trick by not opting for a a "real grind" and off-spinner on a double century stand with skipper ing day of their Elite Group C encounter. learning from the mistakes of specialist tweaker, looking at the Nathan Lyon will play an impor- Siddhesh Lad, who made a responsible 130, For Odisha, the Mohanty duo — Indian seamers, who bowled a "lit- variable bounce. tant role considering the amount to power Mumbai to an imposing Basant and Rajesh — both right-arm pac- tle bit short" on the opening day "Moving forward in this Test of bounce on offer at the Perth score of 439 for 8 against Baroda ers — did the job as they of second Test. we'll see whether or not India has wicket. here on Friday. shared nine wickets among them. "Given the amount of deliv- missed a trick by not picking a "It's going to be one of Iyer was in punishing form, Basant returned with excep- eries that went past the outside specialist spinner," he wrote. those games that'll be a real sparing no one from the visitors' tional figures of 6-20 and was edge India will feel they could "Despite part-time off-spinner grind for both sides. The posi- getting miles into their legs. ranks to compile his 12th first class ably supported by Rajesh (3-63) have had a better day. They Hanuma Vihari's two bonus wick- tion we're in we would have "That was our plan to bat hundred in his first game of the sea- as Rajasthan batters had a hor- bowled well but if I'm being ets, I still think this is a seamer's taken at the start of the day, no first anyway and take that chal- son as he rescued the hosts from 28 rid time at the Vikash cricket supercritical they were a little bit wicket." doubt, especially winning the lenges head on. No doubt it for 2 with a stand of 283 in just ground here. short," he wrote in a column for The former Australia batsman toss and batting," Finch told might play a factor later in this over 45 overs with Lad on For them, only skipper Foxsports. said the hosts' first-innings runs reporters. game, or third or fourth Test, but day one of the elite Group Mahipal Lomror (85) "With so many balls passing might prove to be gold on this "I think Nathan Lyon will it was always our plan to bat A game. played a valiant knock the outside edge you've got to err pitch. enjoy bowling with the amount (after winning the toss)." Hardik Pandya, to ensure that the side on the fuller side. You may occa- "Both teams went hard on of bounce on this track, no Talking about his partner back in competitive crossed the 100-run sionally get hit down the ground were just enough balls bouncing Friday but Australia finished it doubt he will be excited to bowl young Harris, who scored his cricket after recovering mark. but any ball that moves off the awkwardly or moving off the with their noses in front. On a sur- here," added the opener, who maiden Test half-century at his from a back spasm Lomror, who seam is good chance of catching seam to encourage them." face like this runs on the board, scored 50 in Australia's first home ground, Finch said, "I opened the bowling was the last man the edge. With R Ashwin injured, India particularly in the first innings, are innings on Friday. think what everyone's seen from for Baroda and to be dismissed, "The good news for Australia drafted in Umesh Yadav in the like gold. Asked about making the him so far, not a lot fazes him. rocked Mumbai with struck 14 fours is their bowlers will have learned playing XI, making it a four-men "At the same time, we won't Indian bowlers work hard, Finch He's a pretty chilled out charac- a two-wicket haul for and a six, as he waged a from what worked and what did- pace attack — only the third have a true sense of where this said, "Our plan was to bat on this ter who just goes with the flow 21 in his impressive come- lone battle. n't, and when it is their turn to time in their Test history. game stands until India has also wicket regardless of what hap- and that's the way he's always back spell of six overs. In reply, Odisha lost four wick- bowl they will be confident. There Part-time spinner Hanuma had the chance to bat on it." pened in Adelaide, the heat and been. Iyer smacked left arm ets and were 78/4 at close of play, spinner Bhargav Bhatt for still adrift by 57 runs. Debasish three sixes in four balls to Samantray (30 not out) and /   6 + 6 race to his century in 86 Abhishek Raut (22 not out) are P    balls and then singled holding the fort. out veteran Yusuf Pathan Meanwhile, in Agartala   ->>!*> for similar punishment by Pratyush Singh-led Tripura's carting the off-break fightback as the hosts reached to ri Lanka on Friday brought   B75& bowler for three successive 247/7 at stumps on day 1. They Sback Lasith Malinga after a sixes. A more sedate Lad, were 128/6 at one stage. long hiatus as captain of its lim- amim Iqbal and Soumya who faced 173 balls and struck At Lucknow, Ishank Jaggi (76 ited-over squads to lead the TSarkar slammed half-cen- two sixes and 12 fours, denied not out) and all-rounder Shahbaz national team against New turies as Bangladesh cruised to Baroda a wicket for more than Nadeem (70 not out) took Zealand. an eight-wicket win over the four hours spread over the first Jharkhand to a respectable 278/6 Sri Lanka Cricket said the 35- West Indies in the third and two sessions. after the side were teetering at year-old right-arm fast bowler final one-day international to However, Baroda grabbed five 157/6 against Uttar Pradesh. was named skipper of a 17-man take the three-match series 2-1 more wickets before stumps with In Goalpara, Puducherry's squad for three one-day interna- on Friday. Pandya snapping up one more vic- Fabid Ahmed hogged the lime- tionals and one T20 starting Tamim hit an unbeaten 81 tim, in-form all rounder Shivam light with an all-round show on January 3. while Soumya added 80 off 81 Dube, to finish with end of day a day 22 wickets tumbled in their Malinga led Sri Lanka to the balls to guide Bangladesh to impressive figures of 3 for 74 in 15 Plate Group match against T20 World Cup in 2014. But since 202-2 in 38.3 overs after Mehidy opening wicket before Liton match. overs. Arunchal Pradesh. captaining Sri Lanka against the Hasan's career best 4-29 helped offered a catch to Rovman "Our bowlers have been Bhatt picked up four wick- The Kerala recruit top-scored UAE in February 2016, he has not the home side restrict the West Powell at mid-on off Keemo very good. Spinners have been ets while Pathan was the other with an unbeaten 41 before led the national team. Indies to 198-8 in 50 overs. Paul. tight and pacers also stuck to the successful bowler. Puducherry were bundled out for He had lost his captaincy as Shai Hope fought a lone bat- Soumya and Tamim denied plans," he added. Meanwhile, at Surat, despite 136. well as his place in the team after tle for the tourists, scoring his the West Indies any momentum, Earlier, Hope defied the skipper Priyank Panchal's 94, Ahmed then foxed the Arunchal recurring injuries which forced was defeated in a no-confidence second successive hundred of putting 131 runs in their second spirited Bangladesh attack, hit- Gujarat were bowled out for 216 Pradesh batsmen with his off-spin on him to sit out many tourna- motion last month. the series but it was in vain as wicket stand, which all but ting Shakib over the long off to against Karnataka. For the vis- way to career-best figures of 6/29. ments. Sri Lanka squad: Lasith no other batsman provided sup- sealed the contest and the series. bring up his fourth ODI centu- itors, Vinay Kumar, Prateek Former India pacer Pankaj Singh However, he captained an Malinga (captain), Niroshan port. Mushfiqur Rahim was ry after the ninth wicket had Jain, Ronit More, Krishnappa (3/20) also chipped in with crucial ODI match against India in Dickwella (vice captain), Angelo Fresh from an unbeaten unbeaten on 16 at the other end. fallen for 177 runs. Gowtham and Shreyas Gopal breakthroughs as Arunchal Pradesh August last year. Mathews, Danushka Gunathilaka, 146 off 144 balls in the previous Earlier, skipper Mashrafe The opener, who was picked two wickets each. folded for 82 at their adopted home The latest squad for the short- Kusal Janith Perera, Dinesh match, Hope struck another Mortaza and spinner Shakib Al named player of the series, also At New Delhi, Vidarbha venue. er forms of the game was ratified Chandimal, Asela Gunaratne, unconquered knock of 108 off Hasan claimed two wickets each hit 10 fours in his fine innings. reached 243 for 6 against Under fading lights, Arunachal by President Maithripala Sirisena Kusal Mendis,Dhananjaya de 131 to prop up the visitors, tak- after man-of-the-match Mehidy Bangladesh won the first Railways with skipper Faiz Fazal top-scor- Pradesh's Upadhyal Deendyal dismissed in the absence of a sports minis- Silva, Thisara Perera, Dasun ing his tally in the series to 297 rattled the West Indies' top- match by five wickets on Sunday ing with 53. both the openers for a total of 22 wickets ter, the cricket board said. Shanaka, Lakshan Sandakan, runs. order. before the West Indies levelled And at Nashik, Saurashtra batsmen on the day. Sri Lanka is effectively with- Seekkuge Prasanna, Dushmantha Bangladesh made a steady "It was a good match — the series with four-wicket win hammered a listless Maharashtra attack to At stumps on day one, Puducherry out a government since a disput- Chameera, Kasun Rajitha, Nuwan response, with Tamim and Liton Hope played an excellent in the second match two days end the opening day at 269/3. were 28/2, leading by 82 runs. ed cabinet appointed by Sirisena Pradeep and Lahiru Kumara. Das hitting 45 runs for the innings," Mashrafe said after the later. "%;Q$=  4 #( ? @A,, %(  /AB, #9 " %  # 0 !" 7 !6   ()  * +,- ./+0

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         unquestionably much tougher under         Max Caldas now than they were four ! .4F@ years ago. Australia's Daniel Beale too agreed       that it would be a tough, exciting bat-  *78*256" % %#%:"##%!" #0 New Delhi: $   "#     prefer to play totally contrasting style tle on Saturday for a place in Sunday's        '    of hockey. $8 $%4$ $'4+ 58$ summit clash.      FFD$   rare history awaits two-time While attacking hockey is the back "We are into the crucial stage of the F@DF *   7    F4             defending champions Australia bone of Australia, the Dutch mostly pre- tournament. We got to watch last     $         F@D0 *   7    /. Aas they chase a record hat-trick fer to play waiting game with a compact night's match between Holland and (     F/   &  of titles, taking on Netherlands in the defence and relying more on counters F@0F0. !   7  /.+, India. So we have learnt a lot from that. '   + ',         semi-finals at the Kalinga Stadium on to surprise their opponents. F@0F0. !   7  L.+   , We are expecting a very tough match    .  -    %    
   Saturday. There is hardly anything to differ- tomorrow," he said. F@@4     7  F4          (  World No 1 Australia is second only entiate between the two sides going by "We have very proud history. There -   8!' * 7  to four-time champions Pakistan, hav- recent head-to-head record. F@@L  7    /F is no special formula. We work hard, we 7  % *  5    ing won the world title thrice before, Since 2013, Australia and F@@0 8   7    ?. train hard. We are fiercely competitive.    
F.        which includes back-to-back Gold Netherlands have played each other 11 Every tournament we go we go to win." .44. %   7  LF   $    $ 8.F medals in the last two editions of the times with the Kookaburras winning Beale said what happened four   tournament in 2010 and 2014. five and losing four while two ended in .4F4 2(   7  .F years ago will hardly have any impact Come on Saturday, the Kookaburras draws. .4FL & 7   7  ?F in Saturday's must-win game. 0!     & F will be chasing their third consecutive The Australians made a slow start ?#%:44 #?1!" #0 "In 2014 Australia had great success New Delhi:   : :      world crown. but grew in confidence as the tourna- in the final but that was a long time ago   -6:    : 
    ! But it would be easier said than ment progressed. $8 $%4$ $'4+ 58$ and this group has changed immense- 9       
 &   : 
done as in world No 4 Netherlands a After a hard-fought 2-1 win over F@D/   5*  3. ly. So we are looking to create a bit of *      34     tough contest awaits Australia. Ireland in their opener, Australia F@D0 *   * 5 F4 history," Beale said.     K  &       The Dutch, who have won the title stepped on the gas and registered con- "Holland are a very tough team.  9 F3  
FL thrice before — the last time being in vincing wins over England (3-0), China .4FL & 7 5*  /. They have quality players. Billy             1998 — too would be desperate to break (11-0) and France (3-0).      (Bakker), (Robert) Kemperman,   2 
       their 20-year-old jinx. The Dutch, on the other hand, (Valentin) Verga. We wil do our home-     L? F.   Netherlands would be high on con- started with a bang and mauled terfinals. And Saturday's encounter will pro- work and try to nullify them."                 fidence especially after their hard- Malaysia 7-0 before losing 1-4 to The Australia-Netherlands match vide the Dutch an opportunity to Meanwhile, Olympic Silver medal-     
      34    fought 2-1 win over home favourites Germany. has all the makings of a classic. In 2014 avenge their loss four years ago. list Belgium too would be looking to   &         India in the quarterfinals on Thursday. They defeated Pakistan 5-1 in their at The Hague, Australia came out on top But in the last four years since they create history by making their maiden    9 F?    Going by form and world ranking, last pool match before beating Canada against Netherlands 6-1 in front of met in the final of 2014, much has World Cup final appearance when they        -     it is expected to be an edge of the seat 5-0 in the cross-overs and eking out a home crowd to lift their second con- changed. take on England in the first semi-final  6 -      thriller between the two teams, who close 2-1 win over India in the quar- secutive World Cup. The likes of Jamie Dwyer, Mark earlier in the day.    > Q    <$%5$'

 :82:P7>8 lympic Silver medallist P V Sindhu %!"+/18878 !7 $8- Ocontinued her unbeaten run while debutant Sameer Verma also qualified for the knockout stage with a straight- game win in his last group B match at  *88$66;/ 7%#%8 the BWF World Tour Finals, here on Friday. Playing her third successive year- Kento Momota, Sameer, who who had stunned world ending finale, Sindhu dished out some qualified for the tournament No 1 Tai Tzu Ying in her deceptive strokes and showed precision after defending his title at previous match, didn't during the 35-minute contest to pre- Syed Modi International last make a good start against vail over world No 12 Beiwen Zhang month, recovered well to Zhang, conceding a 0-4 21-9, 21-15 in a one-sided women's come up trumps against lead early on. singles contest to top Group A. his other two opponents But she clawed back at 6-6 after "I was down 2-6 initially but I in Group B. producing some angled returns, which picked up the lead, so after that I was He will now included a delightful over-the head- fine," Sindhu, the last edition's runner- face All England cross court return. up, said after the match. champion and The Indian then sealed the open- %01  (
+ 
  "I have played a few matches World champi- ing game comfortably in 15 minutes against her after the Indian Open final, onship Silver when Zhang failed to reach a shot at so I took it as a fresh match," said the medallist Shi Yuqi the fore court.   "$ side fell 1-0 at Rapid Vienna earlier on Thursday, but 23-year-old referring to her Indian of China in the semi- After the change of sides, Sindhu Tore Reginiussen's equaliser four minutes from time Open final loss to Zhang at New Delhi finals. continued to dominate the proceedings lympiakos dumped AC Milan out of the Europa for Rosenborg at RB Leipzig allowed Brendan early this year. "I have played him to accumulate the first five points OLeague on Thursday after beating the seven-time Rodgers's side to qualify second from Group B, two "I am happy with the three wins, before at Swiss Open before hitting long. European champions 3-1 in a pulsating clash in points ahead of the Bundesliga outfit. it is a positive thing. I hope to move for- so I knew how to go Zhang seemed to suffer from Greece, while Eintracht Frankfurt fans ran riot dur- Second-half goals from Munas Dabbur and ward with the same positivity and do about it. In the second indecision and ended up committing ing the German side's win at Lazio and Celtic Fredrik Gulbrandsen meant that Salzburg well in the semifinals," added Sindhu, game I was losing so after too many unforced errors. made the knockout stages despite losing to topped the group with a 100 percent record who won all the three matches of her some advice from my coach, The Indian managed a 11-9 advan- Salzburg at Celtic Park. after a 2-1 win, while Olivier Ntcham's stop- group and will now take on world No I kept my patience and now tage at the interval after Zhang went Captain Kostas Fortounis' penalty nine page-time penalty meant nothing for the result 8 and 2013 world champion Ratchanok demolish Thailand's Kantaphon I am ready to play the semifinals," said long again. minutes from time saw the Greeks move into nor the final standings. Inthanon of Thailand in the semifinals. Wangcharoen 21-9, 21-18 in a match Sameer. The Indian committed three second place in Group F ahead of Gennaro Chelsea, who had already won Group L, On the adjacent court, 24-year-old that clocked 44 minutes. "It has been a great experience unforced errors before sealing the Gattuso's Milan, who thought they looked to be on their way to a perfect Sameer showed great athleticism and After losing the opening match to playing my first world tour finals." contest, following her opponent's mis- had squeaked through when Cristian sixth win from six, but could only produced a masterful performance to world No 1 and world champion In the women's singles, Sindhu, cued shot which went long. Zapata had pulled a goal back less scrape a point at eliminated Vidi than two minutes after putting the thanks to substitute Olivier Giroud's hosts 2-0 up with a comical own goal. late free-kick, after an Ethan Ampadu Olympiakos finished level on 10 own goal and Loic Nego's sumptuous points with Milan but qualified volley had put the hosts a goal ahead.  $   ahead of the Italians thanks to their BATE Borisov qualified alongside superior goal difference following Chelsea after winning 3-1 at rock-bot- Milan's 3-1 win over the Greeks in tom PAOK.  7B(5"*( of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, time now. But the couple never October, and they end the group stage Alexandre Lacazette confirmed according to Singh. came out in the open regarding their two points behind group winners Arsenal's dominance of Group E with tar Indian shuttlers Saina Nehwal Saina posted a photograph with relation. Real Betis, who drew 0-0 at the only goal of a low-key 1-0 win over Sand Parupalli Kashyap tied the Kashyap on Friday, announcing her Saina had confirmed the news of Dudelange. bottom side Qarabag, while second- knots in a simple ceremony here on marriage. their wedding in October but the hec- Eintracht had already comfort- placed Sporting Lisbon cruised past Friday. "Best match of my life...#just- tic international badminton schedule ably taken top spot in the group thanks to winning Vorskla Poltava 3-0. "Saina got married as per court married," she wrote in Twitter. kept them busy. all five of their previous games, while Lazio were also Malmo are in the knockout stages after snatch- rules today at about 11.30 (AM)," her Kashyap said, "We are very Last month, they started extend- in the last 32 regardless of the result of the match, won ing a 1-0 win at Besiktas that saw the Swedes leapfrog father Harvir Singh said. happy. Today was a north style wed- ing their wedding invitation to 2-1 by the away side as they came back from a goal their Turkish hosts in the extremely tight Group I. The wedding took place at ding and 16th midnight is the important personalties, including down thanks to second-half strikes from Mijat All four teams in the group were in contention Saina's residence in Orion villas at muhurtam for the South Indian Telangana MLA KT Rama Rao, film Gacinovic and Sebastien Haller. for qualification on Thursday, but Genk managed to Raidurgam in Cyberabad. wedding." star Chiranjeevi, owner of Hyderabad Last year's runners-up Marseille finished bottom hold on to first place after hammering Sarpsborg 4- "It was a small gathering of While Saina wore a powder blue Hunters (PBL franchise) VRK Rao. of that group after losing 3-1 at home to Apollon 0. about 40 guests, including relatives lehenga with minimal makeup and Saina and Kashyap's wedding is Limassol and ending the group stage with just a sin- Sevilla took top spot in Group J from Krasnodar of the Saina and Kashyap's families. jewellery, Kashyap was dressed in a the latest among a string of high-pro- gle point. thanks to a 3-0 win, while Rennes pipped Astana to "It was a very simple ceremony pink kurta and white pyjamas. file weddings involving sportsper- the knockout rounds with a 2-0 victory. and December 16th will be the Saina and Kashyap, who met at sons. Last year, India cricket captain        Bayer Leverkusen ensured first place in Group A reception," Singh said. Pullela Gopichand's academy, were Virat Kohli had married Bollywood Celtic looked to be following Old Firm rivals with a 5-1 hammering of Larnaca, while Zurich drew The guests included Governors in a relationship for quite some actress Anushka Sharma in Italy. Rangers out of the competition after Steven Gerrard's 1-1 at Ludogorets.