DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA ● REG.NO.

● REG.NO. MCS/067/2018 - 20 RNI REGN. NO. 1543/57

JOURNALISM OF COURAGE
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2021, MUMBAI, LATE CITY, 14 PAGES SINCE 1932 `5.00, WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM

ISC EXAMS ARE SCRAPPED TOO BENGAL-CENTRE ROW INTENSIFIES

Centre cancels CBSE Class 12 exams, For 15-min ‘delay’ at

PM’s meet, Centre
will have ‘objective criteria’ for results throws rulebook at
Bengal Chief Secy
Those who want to appear will get chance when situation Maharashtra govt, students
is conducive; decision likely to influence state boards too
welcome decision: ‘health, MHA invokes Disaster Act to serve

E
show-cause; TMC says act of revenge
safety above everything’
appear for the examination, the

E X P L A I NE D
MUMBAI RITIKA CHOPRA CBSE will provide an option

1,032 lactating
NEW DELHI, JUNE 1 once the situation becomes
Challenge
conducive. important examinations. DEEPTIMAN TIWARY
CITING “UNCERTAIN conditions Following the CBSE decision, ● forunivs EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE Covid infection is still on the & ATRI MITRA
women get due to Covid and feedback ob-
tained from various stakehold-
the Council for Indian School
CertificateExaminations(CISCE) CLASS 12 is a milestone
MUMBAI, PUNE, JUNE 1 rise and there was a demand by
parents to cancel Class 10 and 12
NEW DELHI, KOLKATA, JUNE 1

jab, turnout ers”, the Central Government

Tuesday announced the cancel-
followed suit and scrapped the
ISC Class 12 examination.
exam in the life of a stu-
dent, and the gateway to
CHIEFMINISTERUddhavThacke-
ray on Tuesday thanked Prime
exams,saidastatement fromthe
CM's office. The CM has already
DEEPENING THE row between
the Centre and West Bengal, the
of pregnant lation of this year’s CBSE Board
examination for Class 12 stu-
The CBSE, sources said, will
set up a committee to decide the
higher education. Given
that different state
Minister Narendra Modi for the
decision to cancel CBSE Class 12
takenadecisiontopromoteClass
10studentswithoutexamsonthe
Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)
has issued a show-cause notice

women zero dents following a meeting

chaired by Prime Minister
alternative scheme for tabulat-
ing results. A student’s perform-
boards compete with the
CBSE and ISC, the chal-
examsinviewoftheCovid-19sit-
uation.
basis of the evaluation criteria, it
added.
to Alapan Bandyopadhyay, who
retired as the state Chief
Bandyopadhyay (left) with
successor H K Dwivedi. CMO
Narendra Modi. ance in internal school assess- lenge for universities will In his address to the state State Education Minister Secretary Monday, for reporting
The results will be compiled ments, in all likelihood, will be a be to evolve a level play- through social media on Sunday, Varsha Gaikwad also welcomed 15minuteslatetoPrimeMinister
TABASSUM as per “a well-defined objective crucial part of the scheme. To ing field to screen candi- ThackerayhadurgedModitotake theCentre'sdecisiontocancelthe Narendra Modi’s cyclone review ‘UNPRECEDENTED
BARNAGARWALA
MUMBAI, JUNE 1
criteria”, the Government said.
However, if a student wants to
keep inflation of marks in check,
CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
dates for admission. anappropriatedecisionatthena-
tional level on Class XII and other
exam. “Considering the rise of
CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
meeting on May 28.
Bandyopadhyay was with
AND DISTURBING’
Chief MinisterMamataBanerjee FORMER CABINET
MUMBAI HAS immunised more when she decided to skip the Secretary B K Chaturvedi,
than 1,000 lactating women, but Cyclone Yaas meeting in former DoPT Secretary
sofartherehasbeenzeroturnout Kalaikunda. Satyanand Misra, and
of pregnant women at Covid-19 WEEKLY POSITIVITY IS NOW UNDER 5 PER CENT IN 344 DISTRICTS Old have lived Sources said the notice was former Home Secretary

Terms of unlock: positivity below 5%,

vaccination centres for a jab. issued late Monday under the G K Pillai said the
MumbaiisthefirstcityinIndia
toallowvaccinationfor pregnant
their lives, says Disaster Management Act and, if
converted to a statutory case,
Centre’s actions against
Alapan Bandyopadhyay
HC, pushes for
70% of vulnerable groups vaccinated
women, with a caveat that preg- couldresultinimprisonmentex- set a bad precedent and
nant women give a consent form tending up to two years. A reply would frighten and
andgetagynaecologistcertificate
that they are fit for vaccination. A
priority in jabs, has been sought from Bandyo-
padhyay within three days.
demotivate civil
servants. PAGE 7
combination of hesitancy by gy-
naecologists to issue certificates, No change in drugs to young CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

lack of awareness among preg-

nant women, and in some cases
refusal to immunise by vaccina-
two-dose
schedule, no SOFI AHSAN 137 saved on barge, its
chief: ‘Asked to stay put
tion centres has led to zero NEW DELHI, JUNE 1
turnout so far.
Mumbai has immunised
mixing of EMPHASISING THAT the coun-
1,032 lactating women after the
Centre issued a notification on
May 19 to start their vaccination.
vaccines: Paul try needs to invest in the fu-
ture, the Delhi High Court
Tuesday said that the Centre’s
during cyclone, refused’
Suresh Kakani, Additional KAUNAIN SHERIFF M policy did not prioritise youth As the cyclone neared
Municipal Commissioner, said NEW DELHI, JUNE 1 in the Covid vaccination drive. JAYPRAKASH S NAIDU Mumbai, both vessels lost their
lactatingwomenhavetoproduce It said that younger patients MUMBAI, JUNE 1 anchorsintheearlyhoursof May
the birth certificate of their new- POSITIVITY RATE of less than 5 may also have to be prioritised 17 and went adrift. At 6 pm that
born to get a jab. per cent for a week, vaccination in distribution of the drug to THE MASTER of Gal Constructor, day,thetugvessel,MVVaraprada,
BMC decided to go a step fur- of 70 per cent of the vulnerable treat mucormycosis or black an accommodation barge in- sank with 11 of its 13 crew, after
ther and also allow pregnant population, and community Thane’s Jambhali Naka market Tuesday, after shops were allowed to open for longer. Deepak Joshi fungus. volved in ONGC's operations off battling severe winds and waves,
women if they get a gynaecolo- ownershipof Covid-appropriate The division bench of Mumbai, has said that the com- andwaterintheengineroomthe
gist'scertificateandconsentform. behaviour and care — the Centre Justices Vipin Sanghi and pany which hired the vessel, whole day. In the early hours of
"We have instructed all our cen-
tres to allow pregnant women,
on Tuesday laid down key un-
lockdown criteria for districts to
Pfizer, Cipla demands pending, DCGI Jasmeet Singh directed the
Government to come out with
AfconsInfrastructureLtd,wanted
him to keep his vessel in the op-
May 18, Gal Constructor ran
aground.
but so far it seems no pregnant
women has come," he said.
Eachvaccinationcentrehasto
ward off a possible third wave.
On Tuesday, Dr Balram Bhar-
gava, ICMR Director General and
relaxes norms for clearing vaccines a policy on the distribution of
the drug, Liposomal
Amphotericin-B, for treatment
erational area at sea during
Cyclone Tauktae -- and told him
that the Master of P305, another
SpeakingtoTheIndianExpress
over phone from Margao, his
hometown in Goa, Rebello said
create a separate queue for preg- amemberofIndia’sCovid-19task test the quality and stability of ers,PfizerandCipladuringnego- of black fungus. accommodation barge, had al- that he submitted an oral state-
nant and lactating women. force, underlined that while PRABHA RAGHAVAN their Covid-19 vaccines here if tiations to supply imported vac- “The administration of ready agreed to such a plan. ment detailing these charges on
NESCO vaccination centre, how- “gradual lifting [of restrictions] NEW DELHI, JUNE 1 theyhaveapprovalsfromspecific cines to the country. the drug to patients Barge Master Agnelo Socorro videoconference from his home
ever, said they opened up vacci- willnotwitnessamassivesurge”, countries or health bodies. The Therequirementof conduct- who have better chances of sur- Rebellosaidthathehad,however, at3.30pmonMay29tothehigh-
nation for only lactating women. districtshaveto“ensurethatvac- INDIA’S APEX drug regulator move, whichwould make it eas- ingpost-approvalbridgingclini- vival may have to be prioritised. insisted on getting a tug boat to level committee set up by the
Some gynaecologists have cination has to be prioritised...” Tuesdaywaivedtherequirement ier for companies to bring their cal trials “can be exempted” for Similarly, patients who steer the vessel towards shore, UnionMinistryof Petroleumand
refrained from issuing certifi- “In terms of preventing the forforeigncompaniestoconduct vaccines to India, follows similar Covid-19vaccineswithrestricted are younger and who and reached outer anchorage on NaturalGastoprobetheincidents
cates over fear of accountability. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 post-launch bridging trials and demands raised by, among oth- CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 May16.OnMay18,thevesselran triggered by the cyclone at the
Gynaecologist Dr Nikhil Datar agroundinPalghar,andall137on- ONGC facility. “Whatever I have

Tejpal’s acquittal: Goa BJP’s face in NE, its new CM in

said a few pregnant women boardweresaved.P305remained toldyou,Ihavetoldthem,”Rebello
approached him but he did not in the operational area and sank said.
issueacertificate."Whydoesthe in the storm, killing 75 of the 261 ONGCconfirmedthatit“facil-

says order ‘coloured by Assam, at Express Adda today

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 people onboard. itatedtheEnquiryCommittee”by
Rebelloalsosaidthatalthough providing “technical support in
INSIDE Afcons sent a tug vessel after he settingupthevideoconferencing

SEPARATE CAPS FOR

prejudice, patriarchy’ EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE helping the party establish itself
in a region where it had no pres-
Sarbananda Sonowal, after a
large majority of the BJP MLAs
insistedongettingthebargeback
to port ahead of the cyclone, the
companyallegedly“didnotsecure
facility”.
SpeakingtoTheIndianExpress
from Kalimpong in West Bengal,
COVID TREATMENT GUWAHATI, JUNE 1 ence till not so long ago. sided with him. permission to take us inside the Gal Constructor's Deck Officer
RATES IN CITIES, MAYURA JANWALKAR Former Holding important portfo- On Wednesday evening, inner anchorage of the (Princess) AllwinNishanthbackedRebello's
RURAL AREAS P 4 PANAJI, JUNE 1 editor of NEWLY SWORN in as Chief lios in the last state govern- Sarma will be guest at The Indian dock despite my asking them to chargethatanAfconsrepresenta-
Tehelka Minister of Assam, Himanta ment, including Finance, Express e-Adda. The session will do so”. “Instead, they asked us to tive asked them to stay in the op-
CHALLENGING THE acquittal of Tarun Tejpal Biswa Sarma is the BJP’s most Health and Education, Sarma’s be moderated by National stayinouteranchorage,sayingit's erational area citing the example
formerEditor-in-Chief of Tehelka Express influential leader in India’s claim to the top post in the Opinion Editor, The Indian a safe location,” he said. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
BUSINESS AS USUAL TarunTejpal inacaseof rapeand Northeast. state was accepted by the BJP Express, Vandita Mishra.
sexual assault, the Goa govern- He is the man credited with ahead of incumbent CM CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
BY UNNY ment has, in its amended appeal finding of the court, the state
filed in the High Court of government said, was “unsus-
Bombay at Goa on Tuesday, said tainable in law …”
the finding of the trial court was The state government has
“coloured by prejudice and pa- urgedtheHighCourttosetaside
triarchy”. thetrialcourt'sverdictacquitting
The Goa government stated Tejpal. The point of retrial men-
that in its judgment on May 21, tioned in the amended grounds
the trial court had disbelieved for appeal will, however, be kept
the woman who had accused open, according to the state gov-
Tejpal of the offence “on the ba- ernment's legal team. Himanta
sis of a conception of how a vic- On May 27, the High Court Biswa Sarma Gal Constructor was stationed near an oil rig in the south
tim is expected to behave while hadallowedtheGoagovernment Express field of Bombay High. File
being sexually assaulted”. This CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

15 days after cyclone, people of Amreli’s lion country stumble on without power
PAGE 1 Gir, the home of the Asiatic lion, ity poles, and 45,039 transform- The family’s home and cattle longings bundled up in bed- have water distribution issues horizon, Dahiben stands wiping
ANCHOR spans.Thedarknesshasembold- ers damaged. shed were damaged in the cy- sheets. but as on today (Monday), 99 hertearsontheJafrabadharbour
enedthelionsandleopards,says Says Mota Agariya village clone. Kanchan’s brother-in-law “I run to the road with the tankers are making 374 trips to bridge. As her son-in-law Manji
Khuman. “Lions roar outside the sarpanch Hathi Khuman, “Lions Ramesh says one of the first ad- pots when we hear a water supply water to affected vil- Vansh tugs at the remains of his
GOPAL KATESHIYA damaged wall of my house. My avoid illuminated areas. But our justments they had to make was tanker has come. I also fetch wa- lages." fishing trawler with the help of
RAJULA (AMRELI), JUNE 1 family, my five cows, my bul- streetlights have been out since figuring out how to ensure milk ter from a nearby stone quarry Bachu Sankhat, 65, who runs a tractor, Dahiben cries, "Kain
locks, we live in terror.” Tauktae.” With piped water sup- didn’t spoil without a refrigera- that is currently filled with rain- ageneralstoreinMitiyalavillage, nikalyu nahi, bhai, kain nikalyu
PAVAN KHUMAN, a farmer of A fortnight after the cyclone ply also hit due to lack of power, tor. “Eventually, my mother water,”saysSarola.Afewhouses 5kmfromJafrabadtown(where nahi! (Nothing is there to sal-
Mota Agariya village in Rajula struck on May 17, 191 of 619 vil- he and his brother have been us- turned to the old way, of keep- in the village have piped water the cyclone made landfall), says vage, nothing)!"
taluka,hassenthissonsRajvir,17 lages of Amreli district are still ingadiesel-firedgeneratortopro- ing the milk container in water." connections, apart from a com- he has never seen this long Eventually, the tugging rope
and Vijay, 14, to his niece’s home without power, as per a release videdrinkingwatertothevillage. In neighbouring Vavdi vil- mon hand pump. power outage in three decades. snaps,andVanshgivesuphisbid
in Dhari. Since Cyclone Tauktae byPaschimGujaratVijCompany Thelackof electricityhasalso lage, Mukta Sarola, 45, uses a In Hindorna village of Rajula Even urban areas are hit. to salvage the trawler. It is the
reduced their home to rubble Limited (PGVCL), the state- forced other changes. Kanchan charpoyasshadeagainstthesun taluka, women use bowls to Sanjya Dafda, who lives in fifth day this has happened.
andsnappedthepowerlines,the ownedcompanythatdistributes Savaliya, 60, says it is after many as she cleans some dented scoop water out of holes dug in Jafrabad town and runs an Vansh hadthoughthis woeshad
family has been spendingnights electricity in Saurashtra region. years that she is using a ravaiya kitchen pots. These are among the bed of Dhatarvadi river and Ayurveda clinicin Mitiyala,wor- ended when he had found the
outdoors,inthedark,infearof li- The cyclone left 10,447 vil- (a wooden churner) regularly to the only things the family of fill their pots -- a practice that ries for his children. “Our daugh- trawler after five days of search
ons on the prowl nearby. lages in the state without skim milk. “We have an electric Tauktae damaged electricity dailyagriculturallabourersman- dates back generations. ters, 9 and 2, are forced to sleep following the cyclone.
Amreli is one of the four power, with 23,800 km of trans- skimmer... I had to search the lines and poles. Gopal Kateshiya aged to salvage from the rubble Amreli District Collector on the terrace." “We had paid Rs 10 lakh to
Gujarat districts across which mission lines, 1.16 lakh electric- house to locate this one.” of their home, the rest of the be- Ayush Oak said, "Some villages As the sun slips under the CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
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FROM PAGE ONE

Bengal vs Centre
Centre cancels CBSE Class 12 exams
whichmayextendtotwoyears.” tioninMarchandlaterrecovered, Afcons, which had a charter
said, “I will say the decision is a agreement with the owners of
Late Monday night, the HC on vaccine practical one. Since most of us Gal Constructor (M/s TVPL) and
Department of Personnel and holdpromiseforournationinthe were anxious about CBSE’s fluc- Varaprada (M/s Glory Shipping),
Training too served notice on future,mayhavetobeprioritised the Board may direct schools to by the CBSE for conducting the ers are naturally worried about "There is a substantial risk of in- tuations,weweren’texactlysure did not respond to an email from
Bandyopadhyay for failing to re- incomparisonwiththeoldergen- ensure that marks awarded to school-leavingexamination. thehealthofthestudentsinsuch flation of marks by schools. if they would actually cancel the TheIndianExpressseekingcom-
porttoDelhi—theCentrehadreq- erationwhichhasliveditslifeand their students are as per the UnderOptionA,examsfor19 asituation.ThePMsaidthatstu- Normalising the differences in board exams... it came as a sur- ment on Rebello’s charges. In
uisitionedhisservicesonMay28, onwhomotherswillnotbeasde- school’spastperformanceinthe majorsubjectsweretobeheldin dentsshouldnotbeforcedtoap- results prepared by schools will prise,tobehonest.However,since emailed responses sent to The
afterthereviewmeetingepisode, pendent,”itsaid. Class12Boardexams. the “existing format” at desig- pear for exams in such a stress- be a big challenge for CBSE. And the marking criteria is yet to de- IndianExpressearlier,Afconshad
and just days after approving his “While observing so, we are Tuesday’s decision is also natedexaminationcentres. fulsituation,”itsaid. it remainsto be seen if universi- clared, after talking to teachers saidthattheBargeMasterhadthe
tenureextensionbythreemonths. notforamomentdiscountingthe likely to influence the states, es- Under Option B, exams for Tuesday'smovecomesafter ties will consider these results," and friends, we all think the best responsibility for the safety and
TheDoPTisthecadre-controlling emotional,psychologicalsupport peciallythoseruledbytheBJP. major subjects were to be con- 32 states and Union Territories saidaministryofficial. way of evaluating is marks of securityofallpeopleonthevessel,
authorityfortheIAS. thattheoldergenerationprovides Shortly after the announce- ducted in the students’ own supported the conduct of the Thehighereducationdepart- Class 12 internal practicals plus and that the "charterer can only
Bandyopadhyay opted for re- tothefamiliesparticularly Indian ment, Haryana Education schools, instead of designated Boardexamination.Of these,29 ment of the Education Ministry assignments, and a viva and pre- give suggestions".
tirement on May 31, and was families who are so closely Minister Kanwar Pal Gujjar said centres, with each exam having states and UTs either supported will look into the admission boardmarkstakentogether.Also, Cyclone Tauktae hit the area
namedChief AdvisortotheCM. bonded. However, in times like his state would follow the ashorterdurationof90minutes. thecurtailedformatoragreedto process only after CBSE an- they should consider our last on May 17, when wind speeds
The notice drew sharp reac- these, difficult choices have to be Government’sdecisiononCBSE. OnTuesday,sourcessaid,the support any decision taken by nounces the "objective criteria" board exams, i.e. Class 10 marks, rosetonearly150-180km/hr,and
tions from the ruling TMC. Party madeandshouldbemadebythe UttarakhandEducationMinister PMwasbriefedaboutathirdop- the Centre. Only four -- Delhi, forevaluatingClass12students. while calculating results.” left a trail of destruction in its
MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy said: State,”itsaid. Arvind Pandey said a decision tion that wasn't discussed with Maharashtra, Goa, and According to sources, the com- During an earlier review wake -- a total of 86 people, on-
“Show cause notice served upon ThebenchsaidtheCentrewas wouldbetakensoonbutsources the states — the possibility of Andaman&Nicobar--categori- mon entrance test proposed for meeting, the Centre had asked board P305 and Varaprada, were
former Chief Secretary of Bengal “sidetracking”theyoungergener- saidthestateboardexamination scrapping the examination, callyopposedtheexams. allcentraluniversitiesinthenew states to respond in writing by killed and 188 others rescued.
isvoidabinitioinasmuchasnodi- ationandinsteadvaccinatingthose willmostlikelybecancelledbe- giventhefluidityofthesituation In the national consultation National Education Policy may May25withtheirsuggestionsfor Rebellosaidhehadworkedon
rection was issued to him under intheagegroupof60-90whenthe cause “BJP-ruled states will fol- andthehealthimplicationof 20 held on May 23, School getafillipnow. methodology, process, duration bargesfor37years,andhadexpe-
Sec.51 (a) or (b) of the Disaster second wave has shown that lowthePrimeMinister'sview”. lakhstudentssteppingouttoap- Education Secretary Anita Tuesday’s meeting was at- andtimingofClass12exams,fol- rienced seven cyclones during
Management Act. As such the younger people have suffered Maharashtra said it would pearfortheexamination. Karwal had described the Class tended by Home Minister Amit lowingwhichitwouldannounce this period. “I knew that Tauktae
questionofviolationthereofdoes badly.Thecourtsaiditisnotanarea take a call on its Class 12 exami- “(The)PMsaidthattheCovid 12 exam as “cutting-edge” and Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala its final decision on June 1. The wasgoingtobeabigone.OnMay
notarise.Stopsuchblatantactsof where even “God will be able to nations in the next few days. situation is a dynamic situation told the states that the Centre Sitharaman, Defence Minister suggestionsfromstatesincluded 13, I informed Afcons that the
vengeance.Thisnoticeisnotonly helpusifwedon’thelpourselves”. RajasthanCabinetwilldecideon across the country. While the was keen on going ahead even Rajnath Singh, I&B Minister a no-exam policy, considering bargehadtobetuggedawayand
illegalbutalsoanactof revenge.” “...eventhispolicyofvaccinat- Wednesday. numbers are coming down in withatruncatedformat. Prakash Javadekar, and Women Class11results,andcurrentClass stationed in the inner anchorage
ButBJP’sSuvenduAdhikari,in ing only above 45 first and now Sources said that during thecountryandsomestatesare TheGovernmentisexpected andChildDevelopmentMinister 12 assignments/practical marks of Princess Dock in Mumbai. I
a Twitter post, said: “I demand saying 18-45 when there is actu- Tuesday's meeting, the Prime managingthesituationthrough to inform the Supreme Court of Smriti Irani. Education Minister for evaluation. asked for two tugboats. On the
strictest action be taken against allynovaccineavailable.Whydid Minister was briefed about the effective micro-containment, itsdecisionThursday. Ramesh Pohkriyal couldn’t at- AnanyaSharma,aClass12stu- night of May 14, I received just
theoutgoingCSforindiscipline,vi- you have to then disclose or an- national consultation held on somestateshavestilloptedfora The decision will have a cas- tend as he was admitted to AI- dent of Kothari National School, one, MV Varaprada, after which
olating service rules at a time of a nounce when you did not have. May 23 and states’ feedback lockdown,”thestatementsaid. cading effect on admissions to IMS-Delhi Tuesday morning for saidshehopedthatClass11marks the tugging process began,” he
naturaldisasterandaglobalpan- Didyounotknowyoudon’thave? aboutthetwooptionsproposed “Students,parentsandteach- higher education institutions. post-Covidcomplications. wasn'tthecriterionforevaluation. said.
demic,irregularities,andnothelp- Why did you have to make this “EvenClass11wasaffecteddueto GalConstructorwasstationed
ing others just because of sinister kind of a wrong declaration,” ob- thepandemicandwethinkthose nearanoilriginthesouthfieldof
politicalgames.TMChasfailedthe servedJusticeSanghi. that Covishield and Covaxin ment focuses on indicting the He has also kept the crucial aged during the cyclone. “The marks aren’t really a fair assess- BombayHigh,around90nautical
peopleof WestBengal.” The court said that so many schedule in India is a two-dose complainant witness rather than Homeportfoliowithhim,andhad government has called us to ment.Butinanycase,wearevery miles (166.5 km) from the
“Looting tax payer money is young lives are being lost and the schedule, there is absolutely no trying to ascertain the culpable an early success when the ULFA Gandhinagar for a meeting. We gladthattheycancelledtheexams Mumbai shore.
TMC’s favourite hobby. Outgoing 80-year-oldsarenotgoingtocarry change.Thereshouldbenodoubts role of the Respondent Accused released an abducted ONGC em- are hopeful of a relief package,” andsparedustheriskofcontract- “Afcons'offshorecoordinator
CS and now “advisor” to (non- the country forward. “They have aboutit.Wehavetocompulsorily (Tejpal).” ployeesoonafterSarmamadean says Kanaiyalal Solanki, presi- ing the infection. We hope they told me to stay back in the south
MLA) CM @MamataOfficial will lived their lives. We are not sug- taketwodoses,”hesaid. “The cross examination of appeal to its chief Parua Baruah. dent of the Kharva Samaj comeupwithagoodassessment field, citing the example of P305.
enjoy a comfortable salary of Rs. gestingthatwedon’tcareforhim Onmixingofvaccines,hesaid, PW1 (the woman) extending to TheCMhasinvitedtheBaruafac- Machhimar Boat Association of formula,”shesaid. Itoldhimtherearefiveplatforms
2.5 lakhs per month and cushy but if we are in this kind of crisis “There is research going on in almost 700 pages, spread over tionof ULFAforpeacetalks. Jafrabad. surrounding me over here, that
perks.Surely,therearebetterways wherewehavetochoosebetween othercountries.Itisanunresolved eighteen dates of hearing, was Courtesy his previous stint, Shahmeena Husain, manag- Lactating women it’s going to be a vast cyclone and
tospendthehard-earnedmoney the two, then we have to choose scientific question... there is no nothingshortofabrutalattackon Sarma’s name is also identified ingdirectorof GujaratUrjaVikas government want to fix respon- I would not stay back. I asked the
of thetaxpayers,”Adhikarisaid. theyoungerpeople,”itsaid. changeinthevaccinationstrategy hercharacterandallegedpastsex- withsomeofthebiggestdevelop- Nigam Limited, that has six sub- sibility on doctors for giving cer- representativetocallhisseniorin
WarningtheBJPleader,TMC’s and there is no mixing of vac- ualhistorydesignedtoshameand mentschemesundertheBJPgov- sidiary companies, including tificates?Indiashouldissueana- Afcons. The senior then made
Tapas Roy said: “He should know Unlock criteria cines,”Paulsaid. humiliate her. Not only should ernment. PGVCL, says while power has tional guideline allowing contact over satellite phone and,
first,thenshouldgiveastatement. third wave, it is very simple that these questions have been disal- Known to speak his mind, been restored in almost all ur- vaccinationforpregnantwomen as I stuck to my demand, sent
Otherwise, we will drag him to districts with less than 5 per cent Pfizer, Cipla lowed while recording evidence, the CM has said the BJP govern- ban areas, a large number of vil- insteadofaskingustoissueacer- Varaprada,” Rebello said.
court.” In its notice, the MHA said positivity should open up a little use permissions from regulators buttheTrialCourthasgonesofar ment remains firm on its de- lagesremainwithoutelectricity. tificate. Vaccination is safe dur- OnMay16,ataround7.30pm,
that on May 28, when the Prime bit...theyshouldopenverygradu- liketheUS'sFDA,EMA(European astousetheseveryquestionsand mand that the National Register “These are the difficult villages, ing pregnancy," Datar said. the tug and the barge reached
MinisterarrivedatKalaikundaAir ally. They should ensure that the Medicines Agency), the UK's materials to discredit PW1, al- of Citizens (NRC) published list with rocky terrains, where the Dr Sangeeta Pikale, based in Bombay Floating Lights (BFL),
Force Station for a scheduled re- vulnerable population should MHRA(MedicinesandHealthcare thoughtheywereneitherrelevant be re-verified. The BJP’s success entire network has been dam- Mahim, said she has counselled two-and-a-half hours from the
viewmeetingwithChiefMinister achieve at least 70 per cent vacci- Products Regulatory Agency), to the case, nor could they have in balancing its NRC stand and aged. One team is able to rectify pregnantwomentotakethevac- pilotstationofthedock'sinneran-
Banerjee and Bandyopadhyay, nation... if that has not been Japan's PMDA (Pharmaceutical been put to PW1 under law,” the its other contentious plan, of six-seven electricity poles a day cinebutthereishesitancyamong chorage. “But Afcons did not get
theywerenotthere. achieved, they should vaccinate and Medical Devices Agency) or stategovernmentcontended. Citizenship (Amendment) Act, here, compared to 10-12 else- them."Andthereisalsohesitancy ustheport’spermissiontotakeus
“Prime Minister and other them and then open up,” those with a WHO Emergency “Because the Trial Court al- is also credited to Sarma. where," she says. among doctors. There could be insidetheinneranchorage.Itwas
membersofhisentouragewaited Bhargavasaid. UseListing,aJune1noticebyDrug lowed scandalous, irrelevant and Afterhewalkedoverfromthe Out of 230 sub-stations rare thrombotic embolism after their duty to book a berth in the
for nearly 15 minutes for the offi- Bhargava’s statement comes ControllerGeneralofIndia(DCGI) humiliatingquestionsputtoPW1 CongresstotheBJP,thepartyhad damaged, now five that supply vaccination in pregnant women, inneranchorageandalsoprovide
cersoftheStateGovernmenttoar- in the backdrop of 344 districts -- DrVGSomanisays. (Prosecution witness no.1, the made him the convenor of the power to 154 villages are left to doctors don't want to be blamed pilotswhowouldhavetuggedour
rive. In view of the absence, Chief nearlyhalfofIndia’s718districts- However, it adds, a previous woman),tooverwhelmtherecord BJP-led North East Democratic be restored. "We hope to finish for any such adverse event," she bargeinsidetheinneranchorage.
Secretarywascalledbyanofficial - now reporting seven-day posi- requirement that a safety out- of the case without any check or Alliance, comprising regional the work in Amreli within a day said. During the rainy season, all our
astowhethertheywantedtopar- tivityoflessthan5percent.That’s comes assessment be con- scrutiny,betrayingacompletelack parties.In2019,Sarmaprovedhis or two. For Una (in Gir Somnath Dr Ashok Anand, head of gy- vessels are kept there,” he said.
ticipate in the review meeting or an improvement from the week ducted on the first 100 benefici- of understandingof thestatutory worth by swinging 17 out of 24 district), it will take three days naecology department in JJ hos- AccordingtoRebello,hetried
not. Thereafter, Chief Secretary, ending May 7, when only 92 dis- aries for seven days before the provisions and the law laid down Lok Sabha seats in the Northeast more," Husain says. pital, said pregnant women are contacting the Mumbai port au-
Government of West Bengal, ar- tricts reported a positivity rate of vaccine is rolled out for larger in this regard by the Hon’ble fortheBJP.Hishandisseeninthe WITH INPUTS FROM also not fully aware about vacci- thorities separately but received
rived, along with the Chief under5percent,theMinistrysaid. immunisation still holds. SupremeCourt.Thisfactitself,ac- BJP forming governments in AVINASHNAIRINAHMEDABAD nation and that it is safe for the no response. “The Mumbai port
MinisterofWestBengal,insidethe According to the Ministry’s Companies are also being ex- companiedbyotherattendantcir- ArunachalPradesh,Manipurand baby. "Pregnant women are not authorities had issued a circular
meeting room and left thereafter vaccinationdata,asof May13,32 empted from the requirement cumstances, clearly makes out a Tripura,andmakingalliancegov- confident about taking the jab, on May 14 that they would shut
immediately,”thenoticestated. per cent of those in the 45+ age that“everybatch”oftheirvaccine caseforretrialinaccordancewith ernments in Nagaland and Maharashtra on theyworryaboutitsimpact.Since down all their operations due to
Through“thisactofabstaining
himselffromthereviewmeeting”,
grouphavegottheirfirstdose.
“Weareinthemidstof afero-
be tested by the Central Drugs
Laboratory (CDL) in Kasauli, pro-
law,”theappealstates.
The trial court had also ob-
Meghalaya. He has also been in-
directly involved in the Centre’s exam decision thereisnoawarenessonthissub-
ject,notmanyareinquiringabout
thecycloneandnovesselswillbe
allowedtoenterorexittheport,”
Bandyopadhyay, it stated, had cioussecondwave,althoughithas vided “the vaccine batch/lot has served that the victim had made ongoing peace talks with Naga Covid-19 cases... and the uncer- it,"hesaid.Anandsaidheisready he said.
“actedinamannertantamountto beenabatingnow.Ifwelookatthe beencertifiedandreleasedbythe “improvements”toherversionof insurgent groups. tainty,wehadurgedtheCentreto to issue certificates but has not “Afcons decided that the an-
refusingtocomplywithlawfuldi- data, in the first weekof April, we NationalControlLaboratoryofthe the incident and there were con- Sarma is the author of four consider an alternative to the been approached by anyone. chorpointnearAlibaugwasasafe
rections of the Central hadlessthan200districtsthathad country of origin”. However, the tradictionsandinconsistenciesin books, the last one released in Class12boardexam.Wehadalso The Federation of Obstetric locationandsoIaskedVaraprada
Governmentandisthusviolative more than 10 per cent positivity. noticesays,scrutinyandreviewof her account of the incident that February. He and his wife insisted on an uniform policy to and Gynaecological Societies of to divert me to that point. It took
of Section 51 (b) of the Disaster And in the last week of April, we thesummarylotprotocolandcer- took place in a hotel elevator in Riniki, a media entrepreneur, put an end to uncertainty about India (FOGSI) has recommended us three hours to reach,” he said.
ManagementAct,2005.” hadnearly600districtswithmore tificate of analysis of batches of Goa on November 7, 2013, and have two children. exams, which has caused a lot of vaccinationforpregnantwomen, “Ihaveamessagesentbytheir
He has been asked to reply than10percentpositivity...Today, these vaccines will still be under- November 8, 2013. “The Trial ExpressAddainvolvesinterac- stress for students,” she said. stating it gives double protection (Afcons) representative, which
within three days on why action thereare239districtsinthecoun- taken by CDL to release them for Courtoughttohavetakenintoac- tions with people at the centre of "The state government be- to the mother and the newborn. statesthattheirmanagementhas
should not be taken against him try which have more than 10 per useinthecountry. count that the case related to change, and has featured politi- lievesthatthehealthandsafetyof FOGSI member Dr Bipin Pandit decided that all vessels that have
undertheAct. centpositivity;145districtsarebe- “Other”proceduresforfilingof November 2013 and the witness cians,sportsandfilmstars,includ- children is above everything else. said he has issued certificates to toreturntoworkafterthecyclone
According to the notice, the tween5percent-10percentpos- applicationsandtimelinesforpro- wascalledtothestandforthefirst ingrecentlyPunjabChiefMinister WewelcometheCentre'sdecision some women but they are yet to will remain in outer anchorage. I
section of the Act is applicable as itivity; and 350 districts, which is cessing them will still have to be time on 15.03.2018. Her cross ex- Amarinder Singh, CNN host tocancelCBSEexams,"shesaid. receive a jab. said'firsttakemeinsidetheinner
thePrimeMinisterischairperson nearlyhalfofIndia,havelessthan followed,thenoticesays. amination commenced on Fareed Zakaria, actor Pankaj The decision regarding Priyanka Chaturvedi, Shiv anchorage'buttheyrefused,pos-
of the National Disaster 5percentpositivity.Therefore,we 21.10.2019 and concluded on Tripathi, economist N K Singh, MaharashtrastateHSCexamwas Sena leader, said that National siblytosavemoneyandtime,”the
ManagementAuthority(NDMA). aremovingintherightdirection,” Tejpal case 04.01.2021 Given the passage of CMD of Kotak Mahindra Bank likely to be announced on the Expert Group on Vaccine Barge Master said.
Thenoticehasbeenissuedbythe Bhargavasaid. toamenditsappealafterthe527- time,itisonlynaturalandhuman Uday Kotak, and writer and lines of CBSE Class 12 exam, Administration for COVID-19 DeckOfficerNishanthsaid:“I
MHA since the Union Home Saying opening up “revolves page judgment of the Sessions thatsomeperipheraldetailswere Morgan Stanley strategist Ruchir hinted the minister. "After con- (NEGVAC) is yet to approve and hadwarnedAfconsregardingthe
Secretary is chairman of the around three pillars”, Bhargava Court was made available. not recollected by the witness,” Sharma.Duringthepandemic,the sultingtheMaharashtrastateed- roll out a national guideline for outcomes of the cyclone by mail
NationalExecutiveCommitteeon said, “One, the test positivity rate Requesting the court to hear the theappealsaid. Addaisbeingheldvirtually. ucation department officials, we immunisation of pregnant on the night of May 13...I will not
DisasterManagement. inthatparticulardistricthastobe appeal at the earliest, Solicitor In her judgment, Additional will soon announce the deci- women."Ibelieveuntilthenitwill say they did not respond but the
Section 51 (B) of the Disaster less than 5 per cent over one GeneralTusharMehta,represent- Sessions Judge Joshi had made No power in sion...,” said Gaikwad. take time to streamline the actions were not taken on time.”
ManagementActsays,“Whoever,
withoutreasonablecauserefuses
week... Second, vulnerable indi-
viduals, that is elderly more than
ing the Goa government, told the
vacationbenchof theHighCourt,
severalobservationsofthevictim
appearing “happy and cheerful” Amreli “I reassure the students that
the decision on HSC will factor in
process. The BMC commissioner
even wrote to health secretary
In its emailed response sent
earlier, Afcons had said that it re-
tocomplywithanydirectiongiven 60 years and more than 45 years “We owe it to our girls that the aftertheincidentwhichthecourt lease the boat this year, hoping their concerns about health and Rajesh Bhushan about it. There sponded to a distress call raised
by or on behalf of the Central withcomorbidities,shouldbevac- court hears it at the earliest.” The feltwasunnatural. to pay back from our earnings. also ensure they don't sufferaca- may be communication issues by the Barge Master, and alerted
Government or the State cinated...upto70percent...Third, HighCourtisexpectedtohearthe The state government stated But now our fishing gear and demically. We will announce the with vaccination centres," the Navy and other authorities.
Government or the National communityownershipforCovid- caseonWednesday. that “if the law laid down by the equipment worth lakhs has decisiononHSCexamssoon,”she Chaturvedi said. “The charterer can only give
ExecutiveCommitteeortheState appropriate behaviour and care Initsamendedgroundsforap- trialcourtiscorrect,looking‘trau- been washed away,” says Rahul, added. suggestions. It was always the
Executive Committee or the shouldbetakenup...inabigway... peal, the Goa government stated matised’aftersuchincidentissine Vansh’s 19-year-old son, who Meanwhile, elated students Barge Master’s prerogative to
District Authority under this Act, We have to remember our vacci- that the judgment delivered by quanon andaneducatedgirlwho dropped out of school and andparentshavewholeheartedly ‘Asked to stay agree or disagree with the char-
shallonconvictionbepunishable
with imprisonment for a term
nation is being ramped up. By
December, we hope to have the
AdditionalSessionsJudgeKshama
Joshi “has been influenced by ex-
choosesnottocreateasceneisnot
areliablewitness”.
works with his father.
Vansh worries that there is
welcomed the decision by the
central government to cancel put, refused’ terer’ssuggestionandtakeaction
ashedeemedfitininterestof the
which may extend to one year or whole country vaccinated...,” traneous inadmissible materials no word from the government CBSE Class 12 board exams this of P-305. “We had to convince safety of the vessel and the peo-
withfine,orwithboth,andifsuch Bhargavasaid. andtestimonies,graphicdetailsof BJP’s face in NE yet on compensation. “A team year. They said the decision was him with the facts to change his ple on board. Both Gal
obstruction or refusal to comply OnTuesday,theheadofIndia’s the past sexual history of the vic- AsHealthMinister,Sarma,52, from the Fisheries Department essential and life-saving in the decision,”Nishanthsaid.Onwhy Constructor and Varaprada had
with directions results in loss of Covid-19 task force, Dr V K Paul, tim, prohibited by law and has handled the first Covid surge and surveyed our boat. But we current situation. the barge did not enter port, he reachedasafelocationbyMay16
livesorimminentdangerthereof, said India will stick to the two- usedthesameforpurposesofcen- has announced that battling the haven’t heard anything." Maria Anna Anil, a Class 12 said:“Wedidnotgetportpermis- late evening,” it said.
shallonconvictionbepunishable dose schedule for Covishield and suringhercharacter,anddiscred- coronavirus will be his govern- Local fishermen leaders say student of City International siontoenterintoshelteredwaters FULLREPORTSON
with imprisonment for a term Covaxin. “I want to make it clear itingherevidence.Theentirejudg- ment’stoppriority. morethan200boatsweredam- Schoolwhocontractedtheinfec- or inside the port.” www.indianexpress.com
 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM

3 THE CITY
THE INDIAN EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2021

Non-essential shops open, NCB custody of Sushant’s Sonia Sethi to hold

roommate Pithani additional charge of

confusion over new rule extended till June 4

EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE
MUMBAI, JUNE 1
MMRDA commissioner
made by him.
The bureau claimed that the
evidence has to be traced to cer-
tain sources for which Pithani’s
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE
MUMBAI, JUNE 1
tualbasisforthreemonths.Hehas
been heading the MMRDA since
May 2018. Projects such as the
Mumbai Metro corridors and
ASPECIALcourthereonTuesday custodialinterrogationisrequired. SONIASETHI,a1994-batchIASof- Mumbai Trans Harbour Link
sent late actor Sushant Singh It was also claimed that there are ficer who is one of the additional Project are currently being exe-
Rajput's flatmate, Siddharth certain names which have sur- metropolitan commissioners at cuted by the MMRDA.
Pithani, to further custody of the facedandaprobewilldetermineif theMumbaiMetropolitanRegion On Monday, besides starting
Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) theycanbenamedasco-accused Development Authority (MM- the trial runs of Metro lines 7
till June 4. orwitnessesinthecase. RDA), will be holding additional (Dahisar East to Andheri East)
PithaniwasarrestedonFriday Earlier, the NCB had claimed chargeofMMRDAcommissioner. and 2A (Dahisar to DN Nagar), a
from Hyderabad in connection thatPithanihadnotjoinedthein- IAS officer R A Rajeev retired bhumi pujan of anelevated road
with the drugs case filed by NCB vestigation despite being sum- as commissioner of MMRDA on and vehicular underpass to con-
lastyearafterRajput’sdeath.Heis monedlastyearandhadremained May 31 after starting the trial run nect Terminal 1 (T1) and
the 35th person to be arrested in absconding since. Among the ev- of Metro 7 and Metro 2A. Terminal 2 (T2) of the interna-
thecaseinwhichotheraccusedin- idenceclaimedbytheNCBagainst In March, Rajeev was re-em- tionalairportande-inauguration
cludeactorRheaChakraborty. Pithani is a video shot at Rajput's ployed by the state government of one arm of Rajnoli flyover and
On Tuesday, NCB, through home where the duo is seen as the metropolitan commis- Durgadi flyover on Bhiwandi-
special public prosecutor Advait smoking. The video, which does sioner of MMRDA on a contrac- Kalyan road were done.
Sethna, sought further custody notmakeitclearwhatexactlythey
of Pithani by stating that the in- were smoking, has been made ·ffSX°fe¹f Àfc¨f³ff ´fiüôfZd¦fIYe ÀfaÀ±ff³f ·ff¦f»f´fbSX
vestigationagainsthimisunder- part of the chargesheet filed by INDIAN INSTITUTE OF INFORMATION
At a shop in Vashi, Navi Mumbai, on Tuesday. Non-essential shops were allowed to open on alternate days. Narendra Vaskar way and the agency is in search NCBinthecaseinMarch. TECHNOLOGY BHAGALPUR
of important evidence, which is FULL REPORT ON (An Institute of National importance under act of Parliament)
part of the disclosures allegedly www.indianexpress.com Advt. No.: IIITBH/Advt/2021/03/MTech Date: 02/06/2021
the circular, shops on the right “Therewerecomplaintsfromal- stead of on alternate days, con- Advt. No.: IIITBH/Advt/2021/04/PhD Date: 02/06/2021
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE side of the road were allowed to most all areas that the notifica- sidering that once the shops are
MUMBAI, JUNE 1 open on Mondays, Wednesdays tions were confusing and local opened,salarytoemployeesand M.Tech and Ph.D Admission 2021-22
and Fridays. Shops on the left police were not updated. rent to landlords also resume. Online applications are invited for M.Tech and Ph.D
NON-ESSENTIAL shops opened were allowed to open on Shopkeepers said that business As per the new guidelines is-
amid uncertainty in Mumbai on Tuesdays and Thursdays. was negligible and customer sued on Monday, non-essential
admission as Full-Time and Part-Time for autumn
Tuesday as shopkeepers were Thisruleisapplicableonaro- footfall was yet to pick up,” said shopswillbefunctionalfivedays semester 2021-22. Please visit Institute website
confused about the system of al- tational basis, and local ward of- Viren Shah from the Federation aweekandthealternatedayrule www.iiitbh.ac.in for detailed information brochures and
lowing shops on both sides of ficeswereexpectedtoissuealist of Retail Traders Welfare will be adopted. All non-essen-
the road to function on alternate of roads specifying the left and Association (FRTWA). tial shops will be shut on application forms. The last date for submission of
days. As part of the state govern- right side. FRTWA has appealed to the Saturdays and Sundays. online application is July 05, 2021.
ment’s “Break the Chain” initia- There was a mixed response state government to revise the The BMC has allowed essen- Registrar (I/c)
tive, the Brihanmumbai to the reopening of non-essen- timings from 7 am to 2 pm to 10 tial shops to function till 2 pm.
MunicipalCorporation(BMC)al- tial shops on Tuesday as the cir- amto5pm.Theorganisationhas Delivery of non-essential items
lowed the reopening of non-es- culars from local ward offices also requested BMC to allow re- by e-portals has also been al-
sential shops from June 1. As per were issued till late afternoon. opening of shops on all days in- lowed to resume.

169 prison
inmates without
documents get Registered Office: Bombay House, 24, Homi Mody Street, Fort,
Mumbai - 400 001, India
vaccine jab Tel.: +91 22 6665 8282 Email: cosec@tatasteel.com
Website: www.tatasteel.com
CIN: L27100MH1907PLC000260
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE
MUMBAI, JUNE 1 NOTICE
Transfer of Equity Shares of Tata Steel Limited to Investor Education and Protection Fund
THEBMConTuesdayvaccinated
(“IEPF”)
169 inmates who did not have
the necessary identity docu- This Notice is published pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Companies Act, 2013,
ments at Arthur Road jail. (“Act”) read with the Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (Accounting, Audit,
A vaccination camp in coor- Transfer and Refund) Rules, 2016 ("Rules"), each as amended. The Act and Rules, inter alia,
dination with the not-for-profit contain provisions for transfer of unclaimed dividend to IEPF and transfer of share(s), both held in
Mumbai Project was set up at physical form as well as in electronic form, in respect of which dividend(s) has not been paid or
the jail. The Maharashtra prison claimed by the shareholder(s) for seven consecutive years or more, to IEPF Authority.
department started Covid-19
vaccination drive for inmates at In compliance with the Rules, the Company has sent individual communication in physical mode
Arthur Road Jail in March this to the concerned Shareholders at their registered postal address, for them to claim such
year. The inmates were taken to dividend(s). This communication is addressed to those shareholders, whose dividend(s) remain
Kasturba Gandhi Hospital for unclaimed and whose share(s) are liable to be transferred to IEPF on September 16, 2021 as per
the same. the aforesaid Rules. The Shareholders are advised to claim such dividend(s) by September 15,
Till last week, 242 inmates 2021.
were given the jab, but vaccina-
The Company has made available, the complete details of the concerned shareholders whose
tionforthosewithoutdocumen-
shares are liable for transfer to IEPF on its website at www.tatasteel.com. Shareholders are
tation had not begun.
requested to refer to https://www.tatasteel.com/investors/investor-information/unclaimed-dividend/
On April 30, expressing con-
to verify the details of their unclaimed dividend(s) and their share(s) liable to be transferred to the
cern over the deaths of two pris-
IEPF.
oners and jail staff in
Maharashtra due to Covid-19, Shareholders are requested to note that in case the dividend(s) are not claimed by
the Bombay High Court had September 15, 2021, those equity share(s) in respect of which the dividends remain
asked the Centre and state gov- unclaimed for 7 consecutive years, shall be transferred to IEPF, without any further notice
ernment if it was mandatory for to the shareholders in the following manner:
prison inmates to have Aadhaar
cardsbeforetheygotvaccinated. In case Equity shares are held:
· In physical form – New share certificate(s) will be issued and transferred in favor of
IEPF on completion of necessary formalities. The original share certificate(s) which
Dharavi woman stand registered in the name of the shareholder will be deemed cancelled and non-

and minor son ·

negotiable.
In demat form – The Company shall transfer the shares by way of corporate action
held for house through the Depositories to the demat account of IEPF Authority established by
Central Government.
break-in, theft The concerned shareholders are further requested to note that all future benefits arising on such
shares would also be transferred to IEPF Authority.
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE The shareholders may note that both, the unclaimed dividend(s) and the equity share(s) already
MUMBAI, JUNE 1 transferred to IEPF can be claimed by submitting an online application electronically (web form
IEPF-5) available on the website of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs at www.iepf.gov.in and
THE DHARAVI police have ar-
sending physical copy of the same, duly signed, to the attention of the Nodal Officer, Tata Steel
rested a 35-year-old woman and
Limited at the Registered Office address (Bombay House, 24 Homi Mody Street, Fort, Mumbai
detainedherminorsonfollowing
400001), along with the e-form submission acknowledgement/ challan and requisite documents
a theft in the area on Saturday.
enumerated in web form IEPF - 5. Please note that the link to the web form is also available on the
Police said the teenager had en-
website of the Company at www.tatasteel.com.
teredthehousebybreakingopen
its asbestos roof and handed over The shareholders may further note that the details of unclaimed dividends and shares of the
thestolenvaluablestohismother. concerned shareholder(s) uploaded by the Company on its website www.tatasteel.com shall be
They are now investigating treated as adequate notice in respect of issue of the new share certificate(s) by the Company for
whether the duo was involved in the purpose of transfer of shares to IEPF pursuant to the Rules. Please note that no claim shall
similartheftsinthepast. lie against the Company in respect of unclaimed dividend(s) and equity shares
On Saturday, a resident of
transferred to the IEPF.
PMGP colony in Dharavi had ap-
proachedthepoliceandregistered For any queries on the above matter, Shareholders are requested to contact either of the
acaseofhousebreak-inandtheft. following:
In his complaint, he said that
he had gone to Matheran along Registered Office of the Company Registrars and Transfer Agents (RTA)
with his wife and when he re-
turned on Saturday, he noticed Tata Steel Limited TSR Darashaw Consultants
thathisroof wasbrokenandcash Nodal Officer and Company Secretary & Private Limited
and valuables worth Rs 4.3 lakh Chief Legal Officer (Corporate & Compliance) st
C-101, 1 Floor, 247 Park,
missing. The police then started Bombay House, 24 Homi Modi Street,
investigatingthematterwhenan Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg,
Fort, Mumbai 400 001. Vikhroli (West), Mumbai 400 083.
informer told them that a minor Tel No: +91 22 6665 7279
boy staying in Dharavi was in- Tel No.: +91 22 6656 8484
Email: cosec@tatasteel.com Fax No.: +91 22 6656 8494/8496
volved in committing thefts at
nights. On Sunday, the boy was Email: csg-unit@tcplindia.co.in
picked up for questioning, dur-
ing which he confessed to the Tata Steel Limited
crime. Sd/-
“He said that he would steal
thevaluablesandhandthemover Parvatheesam Kanchinadham
to his mother,” said an officer. June 2, 2021 Nodal Officer and Company Secretary &
His mother was also brought Mumbai Chief Legal Officer (Corporate & Compliance)
inforquestioningonthesameday
and was placed under arrest.
 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM

4 MAHARASHTRA
THE INDIAN EXPRESS,WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2021

Now, separate rates Rs 5 lakh to kin

of transport staff

for Covid treatment

who succumbed
to Covid: Parab

in cities, rural areas

VALLABH OZARKAR
MUMBAI, JUNE 1

MAHARASHTRA TRANSPORT
minister Anil Parab on Tuesday
announced that an assistance of
Rs 5 lakh will be provided to the
According to the notification, dependants of State Transport
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE While the charge for an in the A category cities, such as Department employees, who
MUMBAI, JUNE 1 Mumbaiandmetropolitanareas died due to Covid-19 but did not
isolation ward in (excluding Bhiwandi and Vasai- meetthenormsrequiredtoavail
IN A MOVE that is expected to Mumbai has been fixed Virar), Pune and Pune metropol- of the state government’s Rs 50
spell huge relief to Covid-19 pa- at a maximum of itan areas, and Nagpur, the lakh relief scheme.
tients in Maharashtra’s villages, charges for a Covid-19 patient in While speaking at a virtual
Chief Minister Uddhav Rs 4,000 a day, in a isolation ward cannot be more event held to mark the 73rd an-
Thackeray on Tuesday approved district it cannot be than Rs 4,000 a day. The maxi- niversary of Maharashtra State
a notification classifying the more than Rs 2,400. mum charge for an ICU (inten- Road Transport Corporation
cities and rural areas in states sive care unit) has been capped (MSRTC),Parabalsosaidthatthe
into three different categories at Rs 7,500 a day, and charges for government scheme to pay Rs
and capping the treatment costs fective implementation of the ventilator at Rs 9,000 a day. 50 lakh to the kin of employees
accordingly. notification,” said Thackeray. In the B category cities such who died due to Covid has been
With this, while the charge Aspartof thenotification,the as Nashik, Aurangabad, extendedtillJune 30. Besides, he
for an isolation ward in Mumbai cities and rural areas have been Amravati, Bhiwandi, Solapur, said a contractual job would be
has been fixed at a maximum of categorised into A, B, and C Kolhapur,Vasai-Virar,Malegaon, Migrant workers register for Covid-19 testing outside Thane station on Tuesday. With Covid cases dipping and curbs being provided within six months to
Rs4,000aday,inadistrict itcan- groups to differentiate between Nanded, Sangli and all district eased, migrants have started to return to Mumbai for work. Deepak Joshi dependants of employees who
not be more than Rs 2,400. them on the lines of the classifi- headquarters, the charges for a died during the pandemic.
Thackeray also granted an cation by insurance companies. Covid-19 patient in isolation
extension to a previous notifica- The treatment cost for Covid pa- ward cannot be more than Rs
tion reserving 80 per cent of
beds in private hospitals for
Covid treatment, and capping
tients, especially in rural areas,
will be relatively low due the
classificationof theareas,saidan
3,000 a day, ICU Rs 5,500 a day,
and ventilator Rs 6,700 a day.
In the C category, which cov-
State govt may PIL in HC seeks
relief for kids
Do you think Covid
thetreatmentcostonthesebeds
to ensure that the hospitals do
official.
Rural areas, which had re-
ers all other towns except those
under Class A and B, the daily stop global vaccine orphaned situation is conducive
procurement process
not overcharge patients. “All the ported fewer cases as compared charges for an isolation ward
by Covid
districtcollectorsandthemunic-
ipal commissioners will be in-
structed to ensure strict and ef-
to the urban areas in 2020, have
been hit hard during the second
surge this year.
havebeencappedatRs2,400,for
ICU at Rs 4,500, and ventilator at
Rs 5,400.
for Class 10 exams,
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE
sion on the global purchase or- EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE
HC asks petitioner
BMC gets nine responses
der will be taken soon and is MUMBAI, JUNE 1
MUMBAI, JUNE 1 likely to be called off.
The companies have re- A SOCIAL worker from Pune re- hearing.
THE MAHARASHTRA govern- quested the Maharashtra gov- cently moved a PIL in the EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE On May 28, Maharashtra

for vaccine procurement

ment may take a call to stop fur- ernment toprovidea letter of in- BombayHighCourtseekingpro- MUMBAI, JUNE 1 government announced that
ther engagement in global vac- tent to purchase vaccine stock. tection and various reliefs for Class 10 students will be evalu-
cineprocurement,withtheeight Officials said they cannot pro- more than 1,450 children across THE BOMBAY High Court on ated through an internal assess-
companies that responded to an vide an LoI until they receive as- the state who have been or- Tuesday asked a petitioner, who ment formula for the academic
expression of interest (EOI) un- surance from manufacturers phaned due to Covid-19. had sought that SSC (Class 10) year 2020-21.
including Johnson & Johnson's ufacturers. able to provide a manufacturer’s about official tie-ups with dis- The PIL, filed by Gayatri exams be held this year in state, The state government said
LAXMAN SINGH one-shot jab, an official from US pharma company authorisation. tributors or commission agents. Patwardhan through advocates if the present Covid situation in that admissions to Class 11 will
MUMBAI, JUNE 1 BMC said. Johnson & Johnson has made WiththeCentreaskingstates The companies that re- AsimSarodeandAjinkyaUdane, the country was conducive for beconductedphysicallythrough
"On Tuesday, we got fresh re- single shot vaccines. However, to buy their own stock to immu- sponded to EOI work on com- said "government authorities the purpose, especially in the optional Common Entrance Test
THEMUMBAIcivicbody'sglobal sponses from two Indian firms. according to the recent reports, nise the 18-44 age group, mission basis, in import/export give mere assurances of relief light of the threat of the “third (CET) based on Class 10 syllabus
expression of interest (EOI) for One has claimed he can supply the company is not planning to MaharashtrafloatedaglobalEOI trade and as consultants. but do not fulfil the same later". wave”, which some experts fear andthoseunwillingtoappearfor
procurementof 10milliondoses Johnson&Johnson'svaccineand export to other countries. on May 17 for 5 crore Covid-19 Pfizer and J&J have clarified The plea demanded that a might affect those between 10 it will be admitted on the basis
of vaccines has received nine re- the other Sputnik V. But their Hyderabad-based Biological E vaccine doses. It has received re- they do not have a tie up with grant of Rs 5,000 per month and 18 years of age. of an aggregate of their Class 10
sponses, including two received proposalsareincompleteasthey will manufacture Johnson & sponses from eight companies any distributor, while Russian should be made under the Child “You want exams to be held. marks.
on Tuesday, which was the last did not provide authorisation Johnson vaccines but they will based in India, USA, UAE, Development Investment Fund Care Scheme and Foster Care Do you think the Covid situation Inanadditionalaffidavitfiled
day for submission. lettersanddetailsof linkagewith be handed over to the company Switzerland, Australia and responded that it did not have Policy to these children till they this year is better than last year? in reply to the PIL, the
All responses are from those manufacturers. Scrutiny of all as per the contract. Mexico to provide Sputnik V, tie-up with any distributor to are 18 years of age, instead of the The state has said that the cur- Maharashtra government on
claiming to be "facilitators" for nine proposals will be com- Earlier,inaresponsetoBMC's AstraZeneca, Pfizer,Jonhson and supply in India except for Dr current provision of Rs 1,100 per rent environment is not con- Mondaytoldthe HighCourtthat
companies, including one re- pleted in 2-3 days," P Velrasu, EOI, a Romania based firm had Johnson and Moderna vaccine. Reddy’s. month. ducive for conducting examina- Secondary School Certificate
ceived on Tuesday from one for Additional Municipal claimed to supply Pfizer and “We asked all companies to “Manufacturers are notdeal- Another PIL has been filed by tions. Can we substitute the (SSC) exams, taken by 16 lakh
Johnson&Johnson.Theotherre- Commissioner who is heading AstraZeneca. However, after provide a vaccine manufac- ing with the state government Swagat Mahadev Thorat, an ed- decisionsayingthatthesituation students, cannot be compared
sponse received today was for the vaccine procurement of Pfizer issued a statement that turer’s authorisation letter con- directly. These companies are itor of Braille Magazine called isfineandsaythatitisconducive with Higher Secondary
Sputnik V. BMC, told The Indian Express. they did not authorize any firm firmingthereisatie-upbetween not providing required docu- ‘Sparshadnyan’ along with Ajit toholdexams?”thebenchasked Certificate(HSC-Class12)exams,
Officials said that scrutiny of "After the scrutiny we will to supply its vaccine, the com- them and the manufacturer. ments. That forces us to opt out Kulkarni, founder of NGO the petitioner. takenbynearly14lakhstudents,
documents submitted by these decide whether these should be pany withdrew its proposal. Apart fromthis werequested for of import option,” a senior offi- Anamprem, raising concerns The division bench of Chief as the latter were “relatively
bidders will continue for a few outrightly rejected or if they are The BMC global tender did GMP certification based on cial said. over lack of easy access to Justice Dipankar Datta and more important milestones” for
daystofindoutif theirlinktothe broadly okay and more docu- not get a response from any vac- WHO certification scheme, Anofficialsaidtheywillwrite healthcare to visually impaired Justice Girish S Kulkarni, while students.
manufacturers was "authentic". ments are required." cine manufacturers. On May 12, schedule for delivery, and a few to Union health ministry to pro- people infected by Covid. hearing a PIL by Pune resident The Court granted liberty to
Of the nine firms, eight have The other seven firms are the BMC floated a global EOI for other technical details. None of cure at central level and distrib- A division bench led by Chief and retired professorDhananjay petitionertoamendthepleaand
claimedtheycansupply Russian also yet to respond to BMC's procurement of 1 crore doses of the companies could provide an utevaccinestoallstates.“Weex- Justice Dipankar Datta will hear Kulkarni, asked the petitioner to challengetheevaluationformula
vaccines Sputnik V and Sputnik queries and submit documents vaccines. It extended the dead- authorisation letter till now,” a pect central government to take the PILs on June 2. give substantial grounds to set for Class 10.
V Light. One India-based firm like authorization letters and line for submission of bids two senior state health official said. a call on this soon,” the official FULL REPORT ON aside the state’s decision to can- HCpostedfurtherhearingon
claims it will supply any vaccine linkagebetweenthemandman- times, which ended on June 1. The official said a final deci- said. www.indianexpress.com cel the exams during the next the PILs to Thursday, June 3.

47 police
personnel across
Fadnavis visits Khadse’s Jalgaon home HC extends Hany Babu’s stay
state died of
Covid-19 in May EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE
in hospital until tomorrow
Both BJP and NCP on
Khadse, once a senior state
BJP leader, had quit the party to
last month after its corporators
defected to the Shiv Sena.
MUMBAI, JUNE 1 Tuesday said Fadnavis's join NCP. Khadse had then Earlier, NCP minister Nawab
blamed Fadnavis for sidelining Malik said, "The Pawar-Fadnavis On May 27, extending Babu's
meeting with Khadse Babu, who was arrested
OPPOSITION LEADER Devendra him. meeting was just a courtesy call. EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE stay in a private hospital till June
JAYPRAKASH S NAIDU FadnavisonTuesday visited NCP kin was apolitical During his day-long visit in Pawar was hospitalised and had MUMBAI, JUNE 1 by the NIA last July, 1, the court had asked the hospi-
MUMBAI, JUNE 1 leader Eknath Khadse’s resi- Jalgaon, Fadnavis toured Raver surgery. Several leaders across
has tested positive tal to submit an interim medical
dence during his Jalgaon district andMuktainagartalukas.Hevis- party lines have come and THE BOMBAY High Court report on his condition and
A TOTAL of 47 police personnel tour. Khadse told The Indian ited the district hospital to re- greeted him. Fadnavis enquired Tuesday extended the private for Covid-19. treatment pertaining to Covid-
from Maharashtra Police suc- Khadse and his daughter Express, "We always welcome view the Covid-19 situation, and about Pawar’s well-being and hospital stay of Delhi University 19 and the eye infection.
cumbed to Covid-19 in May this Rohini were in Mumbai at the guests at home. I was in interacted with farmers in ba- health." associate professor Hany Babu, Agency (NIA) last July, has tested On Tuesday, after Babus’s
year. The number of cases in the time. Khadse's daughter-in-law Mumbai. My daughter-in law nana plantation fields. However, Shiv Sena MP anaccusedintheElgaarParishad positiveforCovid-19.Hewasad- counsel advocate Yug Chaudhry
policeforceisseeingasteadyde- Raksha Khadse, a BJP MP, hosted asked them to have lunch but Fadnavis said, "The unsea- SanjayRautsaid,"Icanstatewith case, till June 3. mitted to the government-run J informed the court that his eye
cline after it peaked in the sec- Fadnavis and party colleague they declined.Sotea wasserved. sonal rain and hailstorm has certainty that Pawar must have A vacation bench led by J hospital in the city and later condition had improved but still
ond wave. Girish Mahajan for tea. We may belong to different par- damaged the banana plantation advised Fadnavis on how to be- Justice S S Shinde was hearing a moved to GT hospital. needed medical care, the bench
As compared to May, a total Fadnavis's visit comes a day ties and work as rivals. But if across the district. Farmers have come a good opposition leader. writ plea by Babu’s wife Jenny He was then transferred to extended his stay at Breach
of 68 police personnel in the after he met NCP president somebody comes home, we incurred huge financial losses. Pawar was a good opposition Rowenna, seeking that he be re- BreachCandyHospitalasperthe Candy Hospital and allowed
state police lost their lives to Sharad Pawar on Monday. serve them.” The CM and Deputy CM should leader himself and would have leased on bail on healthgrounds High Court’s May 19 order, Babu's lawyer to inform the hos-
Covid-19inApril.The numberof BothBJPandNCPonTuesday He dismissed speculation provide Rs 50,000 per hectare shared his experience." He orshiftedtoaprivatehospitalfor which had said that charges for pital not to discharge him till the
active cases has come down maintained that Fadnavis's about the BJP making efforts to compensation to the farmers.” added, “The opposition is creat- treatment of an eye infection. treatment at a private hospital next hearing. The court ad-
from 3,811 on May 1 to 1,326 meetingwithPawarand Khadse build bridges with him or his The BJP suffered a jolt in the ing a ruckus daily. If they do this, Babu (55), who was arrested would be borne by Babu's fam- journed the hearing till June 3
cases on June 1 in the state po- were apolitical. family. Jalgaon Municipal Corporation they will never return to power” by the National Investigation ily. due to paucity of time.
lice.

Pre-monsoon showers across state over next 2 days

So far 20 personnel died af-
ter taking the second dose of
Covid-19 vaccine. As many as 18
of them had co-morbidities
while two had no co-morbidi-
ties.
Sanjeev Singhal, Additional Vikhroli station, 15 mm at Kurla ceived 48.3 mmof rain, of which over the country during the up-
Director General of Police SANJANA BHALERAO fire station and 13 mm at 48 mm had fallen by 5.30 pm on coming southwest monsoon
(Administration),toldTheIndian MUMBAI, JUNE 1 Goregaon fire station. There was Monday. season," IMD director-general
Express, “We are almost done no rain recorded in the island In the pre-monsoon period Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said on
with the vaccination process PRE-MONSOON showers are city on Tuesday night. between March and May, Tuesday. IMD also released the
which has increased the immu- likely to continue in almost all Very light to moderate rain is Mumbai recorded 1,105 per cent second stage Long Range
nity in the force. But we keep re- the 36 districts of the state in the forecast over the weekend in excess rain, largely associated Forecast (LRF) for the Southwest
minding our men that Covid ap- next two days. The India Thane, Mumbai, Raigad, with Cyclone Tauktae. Between monsoon this year.
propriate behaviour is a must Metrological Department (IMD) Ratnagiri and Palghar districts. March 1 and May 31 (5.30 pm), Below normal rainfall is ex-
and has to be followed all the on Tuesday issued a yellow alert The entire state is likely to have Mumbai recorded 304 mm rain. pected over some interior re-
time for their own safety and indicating thunderstorm with dynamic weather during the While monsoon onset over gions of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and
safety of the people around lightning, rain and gusty winds week.According to the 48 hours Kerala is most likely to occur on southern Maharashtra. Above
them.” (30-40 kmph) at isolated places forecastforMumbai,theskywill Thursday, the normal monsoon normalrainfallisexpectedinthe
Since the pandemic broke forWednesdayandThursdayfor be partly cloudy with possibility onsetdateforMumbaiisJune11. Konkan region, including
out, May was the fourth worst 33 districts, including Mumbai of rain and thundershowers After its onset over Kerala, the Mumbai, Raigad and Ratnagiri,
month in terms of deaths in the and Thane. From 8 pm on around nighttime. monsoon covers the entire according to the IMD.
policeforce.Thehighestnumber Tuesday, intense rain spell was However, the city witnessed country by July 15.
of deaths were recorded in recorded in Mumbai and Thane. a drier, sunny morning on “India will receive normal to Dark clouds over the BKC
Septemberlastyearwhen87po- In one hour between 8 and 9 Tuesday. In the 24 hours ending abovenormalrainfall,whichwill area on Tuesday. Pradip Das
lice personnel had died. pm, 23 mm rain was recorded at 8.30 am on Tuesday, the city re- be spatially well-distributed
WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM
THE INDIAN EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2021 MAHARASHTRA 5
Cong writes to SEC RESERVATION IN PROMOTIONS Centre trying to weaken
for ‘rectification’ of Panel holdsmeetingonquota, co-op banking sector: NCP

Raut says ‘discussion positive’

Centre was taking away its

ward boundaries EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

MUMBAI, JUNE 1
rights and making private
banks powerful. "The NCP will
stop this game," he said.
2020, written to Chief Minister THE CENTRE is trying to He also said the NCP chief
LAXMAN SINGH Uddhav Thackeray raising the is- weaken the cooperative bank- would be personally speaking
MUMBAI, JUNE 1 sueofrectificationinwardbound- had stated that there will be no ing sector by making changes to Pune-based Serum Institute
aries.Thereare227electoralwards EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE Panel to collect data on OBCs compromiseontheissueandthat to the Banking Act of 1949, NCP of India to increase vaccination.
A DAY after the State Election in Mumbai. In 2017, the ward MUMBAI, JUNE 1 the government would be forced spokesman Nawab Malik said Malik said the MVA govern-
Commission (SEC) directed the boundarieswerechanged,butthe DaysaftertheOppositionblamedtheMVAgovernmentforcancel- tocanceltheMay7decision. after party chief Sharad Pawar ment wanted reservation for
Brihanmumbai Municipal numbers of wards remained the THE CABINET sub-committee on lationofOBCquotainlocalbodies,thegovernmentdecidedtosetup “There was a positive discus- held a meeting with all minis- OBCs in local elections.
Corporation(BMC)tostartprelim- same. reservation in promotions led by aBackwardClassesCommissiontocollectempiricaldataontheOBC sion on finding a way to restore ters representing the party in About reservation in promo-
inary preparations for polls, the Shiv Sena and BJP fought the Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar population. The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by CM reservation in promotion in to- the state cabinet. tion, Malik said that NCP would
CongressonTuesdaywrotetothe elections separately. While the onTuesdayheldameetingtodis- UddhavThackerayonTuesdayandattendedbyseniorministersand day’smeetingandIamsuretheis- This was Pawar's first for- ensure that no injustice is done
stateelectionbodyforrectification Sena won 84 seats, BJP saw huge cuss the 33 per cent quota in pro- officials.“ThegovernmenthasdecidedtosetupaBackwardClasses sue will be resolved,” said Raut, mal meeting with his party af- to any segment of society.
of at least 45 electoral ward jumpfrom29seatsin2012to82. motion issue. No conclusion was Commission to collect empirical data. A meeting will be held on adding that a PIL has been filed in ter he underwent a surgical The NCP also said that their
boundaries that had been al- reachedatthemeeting. Wednesday to discuss the issue further,” said Vijay Wadettiwar, BombayHighCourtandahearing procedure last month. He has foundation day on June 10
legedly changed by the BJP to
BJP alleges poll delay, However, Congress minister OBCminister. ENS isscheduledonJune21. been convalescing at home would be celebrated keeping
favourthemin2017civicpolls. Mayor denies Nitin Raut, and other Congress “Itisathree-partygovernment since then. in mind Covid-19 norms
OppositionleaderinBMCRavi BJPMLAAshishShelaralleged leaders who had taken a strong suggestion of CM Uddhav Tha- whichwasattendedbyNCPmin- andtheyneedtobeconvincedbe- Malik said that a task force and senior leaders like
Raja alleged that in 2016, the BJP- that Shiv Sena was trying to post- stand on the issue, appeared to ckeraylastweekafterRautwasnot istersChhaganBhujbalandJayant fore taking a decision. We have under Cooperation Minister Sharad Pawar, Jayant Patil and
ledstategovernmentdirectedre- ponetheBMConthepretextofthe havesoftenedtheirposition.They allowedtospeakinthecabineton Patil, Congress ministers Balasa- studiedallaspectsoftheissue.An Balasaheb Patil would be set up Ajit Pawar would do a
drawing of ward boundaries that Covid-19pandemic. explained that "it is a three-party the issue with the assurance that heb Thorat, Varsha Gaikwad and appropriatedecisionwillbetaken soon to stop the Centre's plan. Facebook Live.
benefited the party. "In 2017, the "Shiv Sena is saying there government"andassuredthatthe it would be taken up separately. KCPadvi. afterstudyingalllegalaspects,”he He added that Pawar had
then state government changed shouldberectificationinelectoral issuewouldberesolvedamicably. Pawar said that a positive discus- Last week, Raut and state added. Raut was confident way given a boost to the cooper-
electoral wards which favoured wards as they were changed in The meeting was held on the sion was held in the meeting, Congress president Nana Patole out would be found. ative banking sector but the
BJPonatleast40to50seats.Itwas 2017 to favour BJP. They are mis-
against natural justice of law. At guiding.Delimitationwasdoneas
that time many people had op- pertheprocedure.FirstSenatried
posedthismovebutnoactionwas to conduct elections before the
taken. This is injustice to the peo- corporation's term got over. But
ple. Last year, I highlighted this is- theyfailedduetothesecondwave
sue with the chief minister, de- ofCovid.Now,takingadvantageof
manding rectification of these the third wave, they are trying to
wards,"statedtheletter. pushelectionsahead,"Shelarsaid.
"Ahead of BMC polls in 2022 Denying the allegations, Mayor
the commission should give ap- Kishori Pednekar said, "The
propriate directions to rectify ge- Election Commission will take an A traffic jam
ographicalboundariesof45wards appropriate decision by taking on Tuesday
across Mumbai," it added. On stockofthesituation.IfCovidcases morning at
Monday, the SEC asked BMC to continue to decline, election can Mulund toll
work on delimitation and rectifi- beconducted,butincaseof riseit naka on the
cation of wards, updating voter canbepostponed.TheBJPshould Eastern
lists and arrangements of polling letECdotheirwork.” Expressway.
boothsasperCovid-19protocol. She added, "People's life is Deepak Joshi
Raja had on December 29, moreimportantthanelections."

Metro-3 Corridor: Final 9 bidders shortlisted for CSMT revamp

upline drive from Hutatma VALLABH OZARKAR
which will be qualified for the
next stage.
vestment opportunity for rede-
velopment is on DBFOT (Design,

Chowk to CSMT complete

MUMBAI, JUNE 1 TheshortlistedbiddersareM/s Build, Finance, Operate and
Godrej Properties Limited, M/s Transfer) basis.
A TOTAL of nine bidders have Anchorage Infrastructure Up to 2.54 lakh sqm of built-
tunnellingscopeofpackage-1has been shortlisted by the Indian Investments Holdings Limited, up area is permitted for com-
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE beenaccomplished. Railway Stations Development M/sOberoiRealtyLimited,M/sISQ mercial development.
MUMBAI, JUNE 1 “We are pleased to announce Corporation Ltd (IRSDC), a nodal Asia Infrastructure Investments The project will be handed
100percentcompletionoftunnel- agency for station redevelop- Pvt Ltd, M/s Adani Railways overto aprivatebidder,whowill
THE MUMBAI Metro Rail ing work in six out of seven con- ment in India, for the redevelop- Transport Limited, M/s Kalpataru fund and undertake the devel-
Corporation(MMRC)hasachieved tractpackages,coveringtheentire ment of the iconic Chhatrapati PowerTransmissionLtd,M/sGMR opment and the developer will
its 38th breakthrough as the 33.5 km stretch. Package-1 com- Shivaji Maharaj Terminus Enterprises Private Limited, M/s be allowed to recover his invest-
Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) pletedthisdemandingtask,ensur- Railway Station (CSMT). MoribusHoldingsPte,LtdandM/s ment through commercial de-
Surya-1completeditsfinalupline ing safety of the historical build- The nine bidders were short- BIFIVInfrastructureHoldingDIFC velopment of the surrounding
drive from Hutatma Chowk to ings in the heritage precinct. Our listed after the IRSDC evaluated PvtLtd. railway land for 60 years.
CSMT Metro Station in South teamofcontractors,experts,engi- the Request for Quotation (RFQ) “Nine firms have qualified Commercial space of 2.5 lakh (2005-2012)

MumbaionMonday. neersandworkerscompletedthis applications submitted by the the RFQ stage for the redevelop- sqmwillbepermittedforthede-
With this, package-1 has challengingworkefficiently,”said bidders.Anofficialsaidtherede- ment of CSMT station. As the velopment.
achieved 100 per cent tunnelling RanjitSinghDeol,managingdirec- veloped station will provide next step, IRSDC will float a The revamped station will
as the 5.8-km long tunnel from tor, MMRC. Package 1 has now state-of-the-art amenities to Request for Proposal (RFP) soon have new commercial spaces
Cuffe Parade to CSMT Metro witnessed a total of eight break- passengers and enhance their to the qualified bidders. CSMT developed — including malls,
Station is now completed. throughs: Cuffe Parade to Vidhan travel experience. railway station redevelopment shops and eateries — which will
Package-1 includes Cuffe Parade, Bhavan (Upline 1,228m and Accordingtorailwayofficials, is one of our most ambitious be monetised by the operator.
Vidhan Bhavan, Churchgate and Downline 1,254 m), Vidhan IRSDC had invited quotations in projects and we at IRSDC are Officials said the plan is to make
HutatmaChowkMetrostations. BhavantoChurchgate(Upline498 August last year after ‘in-princi- committed to transform the CSMT a world-class station
According to the MMRC, the m and Downline 481 m), ple’ approval of Public-Private CSMT railway station into a while restoring its heritage
Robbins' TBM Surya-1 has com- Churchgate to Hutatma Chowk Partnership Appraisal state-of-the-art transport hub,” charm.
pleted its final upline drive of 557 (Upline 654 m) and Hutatma Committee(PPPAC)toredevelop saidSKLohia,ManagingDirector "The IRSDC will be a single
metres from Hutatma Chowk to Chowk to CSMT (Upline 557 m CSMT railway station and trans- and CEO, IRSDC windowforapprovalof themas-
CSMT Metro Station in 149 days andDownline569m). form it into an iconic city centre. The official said the redevel- ter plan and building plans in
using405concreterings.Withthis, The overall tunnelling com- On 15 January, the IRSDC re- opment cost of the station consultation with local authori-
the5.8-km-longtunnelfromCuffe pleted on the project is 52 km, ceivedaresponsefrom10devel- (mandatory cost) including the ties in terms of power conferred
ParadetoCSMTMetroStationhas which is approximately 96 per opers and after evaluation, it cost of financing and contin- under Section 11 of Railway Act,
been completed and the entire centof thetotalproject. shortlisted nine applications, gency is Rs 1,642 crore. The in- 1989," said another official.

Held for ‘manhandling’ wife,

Regd. Office : Off No -11th Floor/1101,
Hiranandani Knowledge Park, Technology Street,
Hill Side Avenue, Powai Mumbai – 400 076.

actor Karan Mehra granted bail

Tel: (022) 6640 4220. Fax: (022) 6675 1024
E-mail: grievances@irb.co.in · Website: www.irb.co.in
CIN: L65910MH1998PLC115967
gently as to endanger human life or the
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE personal safety of others) and 337 NOTICE
MUMBAI, JUNE 1 (causing hurt) of the Indian Penal Code Notice is hereby given that IRB Infrastructure Developers Limited
(IPC). (‘the Company’) would be transferring shares in respect of which
ARRESTED FOR allegedly manhandling According to the complaint, the
dividend has remained unclaimed for a period of last seven years, to
and hurting his wife late on Monday couple had got into a fight at their
Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF) pursuant to Section
night, actor Karan Mehra was granted Goregaon (west) residence and Mehra,
124(6) of the Companies Act, 2013 read with Investor Education and
Government of Jharkhand
bail after being produced before a mag- in a fit of rage, pushed his wife.
istrate court in Borivali (west) on Mehra, 38, was detained for ques- Protection Fund Authority (Accounting Audit Transfer and Refund) Welfare
Department of Health, Medical Education & Family Welfare
Tuesday. tioning and later placed under arrest. Rules 2016, as amended. The said shares correspond to the File No- 16/ Khadya(Vividh)-12-06/2017- 93 (16) Ranchi, Date: 28-05-2021
Deputy commissioner of police, The couple has been married for the unclaimed dividends for the financial year 2014-15 for which the
zone XI, Vishal Thakur confirmed the last eight years and has a four-year-old Notification
concerned shareholders have not claimed dividends for a period of
development to The Indian Express. son. Mehra is best known for his role in WHEREAS, 41 samples of Pan Masalas of different brands, namely Pan Parag Pan Masala, Shikhar
According to Goregaon Police, popular TV show Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata last seven years. Pan Masala, Rajnigandha Pan Masala, Dilruba Pan Masala, Raj Niwas Pan Masala,
Mehra's wife Nisha Rawal, who is also Hai, while Rawal was last seen in TV Musafir Pan Masala, Madhu Pan Masala, Bimal Pan Masala, Bahar Pan Masala, Sehrat
Notice is further given that the Company has already sent specific Brand Pan Masala, Pan Parag Premium Pan Masala etc. were collected from different
an actor, approached them on Monday show Shaadi Mubarak. The duo has ap-
communication to the concerned shareholders at their registered districts of Jharkhand for test and analysis during the year 2019-2020. And, all the
night and lodged an FIR against him un- peared together on a couple of reality
address with the Company, inter alia, providing the details of the samples were found to contain magnesium carbonate as an ingredient in it;
der sections 336 (act so rashly or negli- shows as well. AND WHEREAS, 41 samples of Pan Masala collected under the provisions of the Food Safety
shares being transferred to IEPF. The shareholders are advised to
Standards Act, 2006 (34 of 2006), were found to contain Magnesium Carbonate as an
Nagpur-based MOIL gets patent claim their dividend(s) by September 03, 2021. The Company has
also made available complete details of the concerned shareholders
ingredient;
AND WHEREAS, it is found as per scientific research that consumption of Pan Masala for years
together leads toAcute Hyper Magnesia and sometime leads to cardiac arrest;
for developing filling material
whose share(s) are liable for transfer to IEPF on its website at
AND WHEREAS, Pan Masala is an article of food which contains Magnesium Carbonate as an
www.irb.co.in. ingredient contravenes the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and
FoodAdditives), Regulations, 2011;
from waste for manganese mines The Shareholders are requested to note that in case the dividend(s)
are not claimed by September 03, 2021, those equity share(s) in
AND WHEREAS, it is expedient in the interest of public health to prohibit the manufacture, storage,
distribution or sale of Pan Masala containing Magnesium Carbonate in the State of
respect of which the dividend(s) remain unclaimed for a period of last Jharkhand;
atMOIL--succeeded. AND WHEREAS, the Commissioner of Food Safety for Jharkhand State is empowered under
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE Alongwithhisteam,hetookuptrialex- seven years, shall be transferred to IEPF without any further notice to
Section 30(2) (a) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 to prohibit for one year, in
PUNE, JUNE 1 perimentsinwhichpalletsfrom wasterock the shareholders and no liability shall lie against the Company in the interest of public health, the manufacture, storage, distribution or sale of any article
dumpedneartheminesitewereconsidered respect of equity share(s) so transferred. of food in the whole of State;
MOIL,THENagpur-headquarteredcompany asaprimaryalternativereplacementtosand. AND WHEREAS, it is one of the primary duties of the State, inter-alia, to improve public health, as a
mining manganese in Maharashtra and This would act as a filling material typically The concerned shareholders may note that, upon such transfer, they matter one of the directive principles as enshrined in the article 47 of the Constitution of
Madhya Pradesh, has been awarded an requiredinundergroundhydraulicstowing. can claim their said share(s) along with Dividend(s) from IEPF, India and, Whereas, it implicitly includes the concept of provision of measures to be
taken for prevention of deterioration of citizens' health;
Indianpatentfordevelopinganalternatefill- An in-house kiln for carrying out heat for which details are available at www.iepf.com THEREFORE, I, Arun Kumar Singh, Commissioner of Food Safety, Government of Jharkhand, in
ing material used for hydraulic stowing in treatment of this waste material was pre- exercise of the powers conferred by clause (a) of sub-section (2) of section 30 of Food
undergroundmanganesemines. pared. A composition which was treated For further information, concerned shareholder may contact the
Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (34 of 2006), extend the prohibition imposed by
The company operates 11 mines in withwater,gypsum,bentoniteanddolomite Registrar of the Company i.e. M/s. KFin Technologies Pvt. Ltd notification number 84(16) dated 08.05.2020 for further one year in the interest of
Nagpur, Bhandara and Balaghat districts in wasfoundsuitableforhydraulictransporta- (Unit: IRB Infrastructure Developers Limited) at Karvy Selenium public health from the date of this notification. The notification prohibits the
thesestates,mostofwhichfunctionthrough tioninundergroundmanganesemines. Tower B, Plot 31-32, Gachibowli, Financial District, Nanakramguda, manufacture, storage, distribution or sale of following Pan Masala brands, namely (1)
undergroundminingmethods.Duetodiffi- Furtherfine-tuningofthedevelopedmix Pan Parag Pan Masala, (2) Shikhar Pan Masala, (3) Rajnigandha Pan Masala,(4)
Hyderabad – 500 032 or call on 040 67162222 / Toll free no. Dilruba Pan Masala, (5) Raj Niwas Pan Masala, (6) Musafir Pan Masala, (7) Madhu
cult geo-mining conditions as the man- and trials confirmed that the bed of pallets
1800-4258998 or Mr. Mehul Patel, Company Secretary at Pan Masala, (8) Bimal Pan Masala, (9) Bahar Pan Masala, (10) Sehrat Brand Pan
ganeseoresarefoundatvaryingdepths,and developedfromsuchwastematerialoffered
email- grievances@irb.co.in or call 022-66404220. Masala, (11) Pan Parag Premium Pan Masala containing Magnesum Carbonate as
poorwallrockconditions,theneedforsuch sufficientcompactnessasdesired. ingredients, by whatsoever name these are available in the market and any other
a material to allow smooth operations was Among the many advantages of this products whether packaged or unpackaged in whole of the State of Jharkhand.
needed. compositionisthatnotonlyisthewastema- For IRB Infrastructure Developers Limited Any violation of this order shall entail strict action under the appropriate sections of
Though the company studied and tried teriallyingonminesitesreused,butitsetsa the Food Safety and StandardsAct, 2006 and the Indian Penal Code, 1860.
toplugthepracticalproblemsincarryingout smoothflooring,permittingthemovement Sd/- By the order of the Governor of Jharkhand
hydraulictransportationatthesite,aneffort ofmanandmachineryonthesite.Overall,it Mehul Patel Dated : June 01,2021 (Arun Kumar Singh)
Additional Chief Secretary-cum-
initiatedsometimein2018byGGManekar, willalsoreducethedependenceonsandbe- Company Secretary Place : Mumbai PR.NO.247228 Health Med Edu and Family Welfare(21-22):D State Food Safety Commissioner
general manager (Mines) – Mine Planning ingextractedfromriverbanks.
 6 EXPRESS NETWORK WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM
THE INDIAN EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2021

Surviving low O2, 18 days on ventilator, Positivity rate to

Former BJP
minister, who

with brothers who never left her side fatality, most of

got clean chit in
Vyapam, dies

Karnataka fails
With Covid surging at the nearly exhausted and Rinku was
SANTOSHSINGH time,Rinkufoundherselfallalone gasping for breath. Rinku's son IRAM SIDDIQUE
PATNA,JUNE1 in an overcrowded ward with Prashanthadalsojoinedthem. BHOPAL, JUNE 1
hardly any attendants around, as Rakesh, who was already in

un-lock norms
IT IS a story of abandonment. It is ascaredSatishkeptaway.Anem- Patna, said even getting past the SENIOR BJP leader and former
alsoastoryof unconditionallove, ployee with a firm at Kahalgaon AIIMS gates proved a nightmare. minister, Laxmikant Sharma
gritandresilience--helpingRinku near Bhagalpur, he moved into a "Therewasadelayincompleting (60), who was arrested in con-
Singh, 47, survive a battle of 53 room on rent near the hospital. admissionformalities.Eventually, nection with the Vyapam scam
days against Covid, coming back They have one son, a law student I called up AIIMS Director Dr P K in 2014, succumbed to Covid-19
fromanoxygensaturationlevelof
18 and ventilator support.
inKolkata,andadaughter,whois
married.
Singh."
Rinku spent the next 18 days
State panel submits report, 24 of 30 late on Monday night.
Sharma was admitted to
ItwasinthebeginningofApril With Rinku in need of some- on ventilator support, with doc- dists have positivity rate of over 10% Bhopal’s Chirayu hospital with
that Rinku, a resident of one to take care of her, her torsattimesleavingherfateupto mild Covid symptoms but after
Madhopur village in Munger, youngerbrotherRajnish,afarmer god. Dr Mukesh Kumar at AIIMS, undergoing treatment for over
started feeling ill. As that gradu- based in Ramchua village of Rakesh (left) and Rajnish with Rinku at their home. Patna,saidRinku'sconditionalso JOHNSON T A 20 days, he succumbed to the
ated to breathlessness, her hus- Banka, rushed to Bhagalpur. deteriorated "because of hyper- BENGALURU, JUNE 1 virus on Monday. He was cre-
band Satish Prasad Singh got her Rajnish recalls, "The day I visited thyroidismbesideslunginfection mated with state honours in
admitted to JLN Medical College Rinku,evenheroxygenmaskwas stayedwithafriend,hedecidedto the Covid ward in-charge at the and high eosinophilia (a large AN EARLY easing of the lock- Sironj early on Tuesday.
and Hospital in Bhagalpur. notonproperly."Whileheinitially move into the Covid ward with hospital,deniesthis,butheadmits numberofwhitebloodcells,indi- down in Karnataka seems un- CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Rinku despite the risk. to staff constraints. catinginfection)".Aftershecame likely with Covid-19 numbers in tweeted, “Heard the sad news of
For the next four days that When Rinku's SPO2 fell to an offtheventilator,Rinkudeveloped muchof thestatenotinlinewith the demise of former minister

SALUTE THE SOLDIER

they were in the ward, Rajnish alarming 18, a doctor advised diarrhoea. parametersprescribedbyastate andseniorBJPleader,Laxmikant
says, he had to struggle for even Rajnish to shift her to a hospital The brothers rented a room technicaladvisorycommitteeon Sharma. I pray to God to give
food,andendedupsharingmeals thatcouldprovideherbettercare. nearAIIMSandboretheexpenses Monday for such a measure. The peace to the departed soul and
141 FIELD REGIMENT(KARGIL)
withRinku."Nooneincludingher Rajnishcalledupelderbrother for Rinku's treatment, even as lockdown in the state, imposed strength to the family...”
Capt PV Vikram, SM (24 Oct 73 - 02 Jun 99)
husband bothered to provide Rakesh, a former IAF non-com- Satish still kept away. on May 10, is as of now sched- Sharma was given a clean
On the occasion of SHAHEEDI DIWAS of Capt PV
food," he says. missionedofficerandanadvocate Finally, after 40 days at AIIMS, uled to continue till June 7. Karnataka Health Minister chit by the CBI in the Vyapam
Vikram, SM of 141 Field Regiment (KARGIL) on 02
Jun 2021, the Commanding Officer, all ranks, their Meanwhile,Rinku'scondition attheSupremeCourt,andthelat- Rinku started breathing on her "Our priority is health, life Dr K Sudhakar case in January 2019.
families and the Buzurgs of the Regiment pay hom- worsened. As her oxygen level ter drove down from Delhi. With own, and on May 28 she was dis- and livelihood. Keeping this in
age to the martyr who made the supreme sacrifice dropped to 40, she was shifted to thehelpofacousin,whoknowsa charged.Thebrotherstookherto mind our recourse is to continue
for the Nation during op VIJAY. His valour & hero- ICU,butherSPO2didnotstabilise. Bihar minister, they managed to theirhomeinRamchuaof Banka. the lockdown till the following cide on the modalities of easing J&K mufti who
ism continues to inspire all of us. On this day, we Rajnish claims JLN Hospital get Rinku a bed at AIIMS, Patna. Stillunabletowalk,andneed- is achieved — the test positivity restrictionsgradually...Positivity
pledge to take the name of the Regiment to even hadnoattendantsevenintheICU, Thetravailsofthefamily,how- ing long physiotherapy, the 47- rate (TPR) is below 5% in the rate is still high in many districts translated Quran
greater heights and glory in the times to come.
CO & All Ranks 141 Field Regiment (KARGIL)
with relatives forced to look after
patients.DrHemshankarSharma,
ever, continued, with the ambu-
lance that was carrying Rinku to
year-oldtoldTheIndianExpress,"I
owe my life to my two brothers."
state, daily new cases are less
than 5,000 and case fatality rate
so we need to exercise
caution." into Gojri dies
Patnabreakingdown.Theywaited Satishwisheshehadn'tletfear (CFR) is less than 1%," said head Karnataka registered 13,760
by the side of the road for three of Covidovercometheneedtobe of the technical advisory com- deaths in May, a four-fold in-
hours for the next ambulance, by Rinku's side. "I know I am at mittee and public health expert crease from 3,209 deaths in ARUNSHARMA
Rajnishsays."WereachedPatnaat fault. But I was scared for my Dr M K Sudarshan. April.Bengalurualone saw7,085 JAMMU,JUNE1
5am,"headds,bywhichtimethe safety.IknowRinkuhassurvived While daily new cases num- deathslastmonth,upfrom1,907
oxygen in the ambulance was because of her brothers," he says. bers in Karnataka have fallen inApril.AprilandMay,infact,ac- MUFTI FAIZ-UL-WAHEED, a
from the peak of 50,000 in early count for 57% of Karnataka's to- renowned Islamic scholar who
Maytoaround15,000now, 24of tal Covid toll of 29,554, and as wasthefirsttotranslatetheQuran
30districtshaveaTPRabove10%, much as 66% of Bengaluru's to- intotheGojrilanguageandhelped
with10districtsatmorethan20% tal deaths (13,622). hundreds of tribal students pur-
TPR.Theseven-daystateaverage This is also a reason why the sue medical and engineering ed-
ofTPRis14%,withthefive-dayav- state is extra cautious about ucation across Jammu and
erage daily cases at over 15.000. opening up fast or soon. Dr Kashmir,diedofpost-Covidcom-
The CFR for Karnataka on Sudarshan recommended "a plications at a private hospital
May 31 was 3.24%, with as many more strict form" of the lock- here on Tuesday evening.
as 18 districts above the bench- down in districts like Mysore, Mufti Waheed was 56 and is
mark of 1%. Hassan, Tumkur, with high TPR. survived by his wife and four
Health Minister Dr K Dr Sudarshan said Karnataka daughters.
Sudhakar said, "The technical would also go by the Centre's A resident of Rajouri district’s
advisorycommitteehassubmit- guidelinetocontinuerestrictions Dudasanbala village, he was an
teditsreportandtheCMwillde- indistrictswheremorethan60% alumnus of the Darul Uloom
of oxygen beds are occupied or Deobandandservedasthepatron
where TPR is above 10%. of Islamic seminary Madrassa
In the state, ICU and oxy- Markaz Maarif-ul-Quran at
genated bed facilities remain Bhatindi in Jammu.
filled to capacity despite the dip Themuftihadsuchalargefol-
in cases, cited by doctors as one lowing that his namaz-e-janaza
of the reasons for the continuing (funeral prayers) was offered 40
high mortality rate. times in small groups in obser-
THANE (W), 2BHK. 5min vanceofCovidprotocols,asalarge
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acting on an
advertisement in any Phone : 24440631
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 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM

7 EXPRESS NETWORK
THE INDIAN EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2021

2020-21 GDP CONTRACTS 7.3%

Print money if needed, Bizarre, disturbing, bending of rules:

TUSSLE OVER BENGAL OFFICIAL
Cong CMs say
increase spending:
Chidambaram to govt Ex-top bureaucrats slam Centre their FMs left
out of GoM
in,” Pillai said. dissatisfied with his conduct. such a senior officer to come and
DEEPTIMAN TIWARY Bandyopadhyay finds him- Still, it is not such a thing for report without any posting... to
EXPRESSNEWSSERVICE NEW DELHI, JUNE 1 self caught in a tussle between which such orders are passed. It do what? And he had just been
NEWDELHI,JUNE1 the Narendra Modi and Mamata takes away the faith of the civil given a three-month extension.

deliberately
CALLING IT “unprecedented”, Banerjee governments since the service in the rule of law. The PM Under the rules, he would re-
A DAY after government esti- “disturbing” and a “disregard for Chief Minister chose to skip a re- has not been advised properly main in service only if he re-
mates showed that India’s GDP rules”, former top bureaucrats view meeting over Cyclone Yaas in this matter,” Chaturvedi said. mained chief secretary of West
contracted by 7.3 per cent in on Tuesday criticised the held by the Prime Minister. In He said provisions for cen- Bengal, not at the Centre,” Misra
2020-21, senior Congress leader Centre’s actions in the case of the latest order, the Ministry of tral deputation require the of- said.
and former finance minister P ‘Borrow and spend’ former West Bengal chief secre- Home Affairs Monday slapped a ficer and the state to give their On the Centre's DM Act no-
Chidambaram on Tuesday said tary Alapan Bandyopadhyay. showcause notice on consent. “A consultation is tice to Bandyopadhyay, Misra
the government must wake up Speaking to The Indian Bandyopadhyay under the done, and if the Centre is not said it was " stupid". "It would Strikes at the root of cooperative
and not lose yet another year, ad- “Goodadvicebydistinguished Express, former Cabinet Disaster Management (DM) Act satisfied with a state’s reasons be a violation of the DM Act if an
mit its errors of commission and economists and renowned insti- Secretary B K Chaturvedi, for- for arriving 15 minutes late for to not relieve the officer, it can order to attend that meeting had federalism, says Ashok Gehlot
omission,reverseitspolicies,and tutions has been rebuffed...” he mer Secretary of the DoPT (the the PM's meeting. insist. But that does not mean been issued under the DM Act.”
heed the advice of economists. said at an AICC press conference. cadre controlling ministry for Pillai expressed surprise over the consultation process itself A former home secretary
He asked the government to On printing money, IAS officers) Satyanand Misra the latest notice. “In my long ca- should be done away with,” said the intent of the DM Act EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE
print money if needed and in- Chidambaramsaid,“Wehavethe and former Home Secretary G K reer, I did not come across any Chaturvedi said. was to punish genuine derelic- NEW DELHI, JUNE 1
crease spending. space and the sovereign right to Pillai said the episode sets a bad such precedence. That too for Misra, former secretary of tion of duty with regard to a
Arguing that 2020-21 has print money... At the moment, I precedent and would demoti- missing a meeting! Both the or- the Department of Personnel disaster. “As home secretary we THE CHIEF Ministers of the
been the “darkest year of the think printing money is clearly vate civil servants. ders are bizarre. No other word and Training (DoPT), feared the worked with CMs who had dif- Congress-ruled Rajasthan and
economy”infourdecades,hesaid advised.” He said all indicators “This is perhaps the first time can express it,” the former episode would demotivate of- ferences of opinion. There was Chhattisgarh on Tuesday hit out
thecurrentstateoftheeconomyis point to the fact that the econ- in the history of independent Home Secretary said. fcers. “This is a very disturbing give and take. Sometimes you at the Union government for not Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot;
largely due to the impact of the omyisindirestraits. “Borrowand India that a Secretary-level offi- Chaturvedi said the PM ap- development. Younger officers listen to the CM, sometimes including Finance Ministers (right) Chhattisgarh CM
pandemic, but it has been com- spend—ifnecessary,printmoney cer is being posted at the Centre pears to have been advised will get demotivated. We must you have your way. You have to from their party-ruled states in Bhupesh Baghel
pounded by the “ineptitude and and spend...” he said. one day before retirement. The poorly. “It is evident the understand that the civil service have that mutual respect. the Group of Ministers (GoM)
incompetent”economicmanage- FULLREPORT ON order is totally irregular. And to Government of India was of the was conceived primarily to Ultimately you will also need formed to examine the issue of
ment of the BJP-led government. www.indianexpress.com say that a Secretary-level officer view that Bandyopadhyay’s serve in states. Only those who the state,” he said. exemptingGSTorcuttingrateon and Uttar Pradesh (Suresh Kr
must report to Delhi by 10 am continuance in the state was im- are willing come to the Centre. Calling the episode an exam- Covid essentials like vaccines, Khanna).
(on a particular day) is just un- portant or else he would not If you set a precedent that who- ple of politics overriding de- drugs, hand sanitisers, masks, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister
SC lawyers body writes to heard of. The joining time is nor-
mally six days plus travelling
have been given an extension of
service (when Banerjee applied
ever you are angry with will be
called to the Centre, how will
cency, a former bureaucrat said,
“An officer who has given 30
PPE kits and oxygen-related
equipment.
Bhupesh Baghel too said the ex-
clusion of Congress ministers is

CJI over HC judges’ posts time for all bureaucrats. That the
DoPT Secretary agreed to issue
such an order says a lot about
for the same, before his retire-
ment). But then another order
to report to the Centre was is-
bureaucrats work?” Misra said.
He also questioned the man-
ner in which Bandyopadhyay
years of service doesn’t expect
to be treated like this. It will be-
come very difficult for any bu-
In a statement, Rajasthan
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot
said the “exclusion” was delib-
against the spirit of cooperative
federalism. He said the Congress
ministers were deliberately kept
sue related to appointment of the state Indian bureaucracy is sued. Clearly it shows they were was called to the Centre. “To ask reaucrat to work freely.” erate. out so that there is no discussion
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE HC judges, on January 10, 2020 In its meeting on May 28, the on their demand that the GST on
NEW DELHI, JUNE 1 that despite discussions not GST Council had decided to set Covid essentials should be 0.1
much progress seems to have 1,742 KIDS ORPHANED up the Group of Ministers, per cent instead of 5 per cent.

Over 9,000 children affected by pandemic:

SUPREME COURT Bar been made on the demands for which has been tasked to sub- An e-mail sent to the Finance
Association (SCBA) President considering SC lawyers for HC mit its report by June 8. Ministry spokesperson seeking
Senior Advocate Vikas Singh judge vacancies and the SC had “The Union Government has comments on the issue did not

NCPCR submits data from states to SC

has written to the Chief Justice in its order then said “this is an set up a GoM following the GST elicit a response.
of India N V Ramana reiterat- aspect for the Collegium and Council Meeting of May 28th, Senior Congress leader and
ing the request for considering the Government to consider”. 2021. A deliberate attempt has former finance Minister P
lawyers practicing in the Singh said the SCBA can been made to keep the principal Chidambaram said Gehlot's re-
Supreme Court for elevation as submit a list of lawyers to the dren are in the 8-13 age group. with 292, UP with 270 and cordingly recieved on the portal Opposition party, the Congress, marks on behalf of the three
High Court judges. CJI who may then forward it to EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE Leading the tally is Uttar Telangana with 123. A total of to the court, the commission that has three members in the Congress FMs "reveals a dis-
Singh said that lawyers the HC collegiums. He added NEW DELHI, JUNE 1 Pradesh with 2,110 children in 1,830 children in Uttar Pradesh however urged it to extend the GST Council, out of the GoM. tressing state of affairs in the
practising in the SC have vast that a large number of compe- need of protection — 270 or- lost either parent, followed by time for submission considering Only the BJP has more members GST Council." "How can the
experience and best exposure tent and deserving women A TOTAL of 1,742 children were phaned,10abandonedand1,830 1,035 in Bihar and 895 in Kerala. thesituationastheuploading“is in the GST Council,” Gehlot said States that expressed a contrary
in dealing with all kinds of is- candidates are practising in the orphaned, 140 abandoned and wholostaparent.Biharissecond Hearingasuomotucasecon- expected to be an ongoing in a statement. view to the views of FM Nirmala
sues relating to civil, criminal, apex court and may be consid- 7,464children have lost one par- with 1,327 children in need of cerning the welfare of children processandthesameshouldnot He said keeping out the Sitharaman be altogether kept
constitutional, commercial law ered for elevation so as to have entbecauseof theCovid-19pan- protection — 292 orphaned and in protection homes in the wake be misunderstood by anyone to Congress members is most un- out of the GoM to report on re-
etc but are rarely considered by a fair proportion of represen- demic since March 2020, 1,035 children who had lost one of theCovid-19pandemic,theSC be restricted till 29.05.2021.” fortunate and strikes at the very duction of GST rates?
the HC Collegium as they do tation of women in the judici- National Commission for Child parent, followed by Kerala with had on May 28 asked states and The affidavit pointed to the roots of cooperative federalism. This is BJP’s brand of non-co-
not regularly practise before ary. Rights (NCPCR) has told the 952childreninneedofprotection Union Territories to upload data various financial packages an- “It is pertinent to mention that operative non-federalism. The 8
the HC’s. This would also enable HCs Supreme Court. —49orphaned,8abandonedand on the number of affected chil- nounced for orphaned children from the States of West Bengal, FMs who are in the GoM should
The SCBA President pointed to overcome the difficulty of In an affidavit filed in the top 895 losing either parent. drensinceMarch2020inthe‘Bal under the PM Cares fund and Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Rajasthan protest against the deliberate
out that he had told a bench finding suitable women court,thecommissionsaidthese Madhya Pradesh has the Swaraj’ portal set up by NCPCR added that it is also receiving and Tamil Nadu who had taken exclusion of FMs of certain
headed by Justice S K Kaul, lawyers for elevation, he children — 9,346 in total — are in highest number of orphaned by May 29 evening. proposals from private donors a stand contrary to that of the States," he said.
which was considering the is- added. need of care and that 3,711 chil- children, 318, followed by Bihar Presenting the statistics ac- for supporting the children. proposed agenda, none has Addressing a press confer-
been included in the GoM,” he ence, Chidambaram hit out at
added. Gehlot asked the eight Sitharaman accusing her of
STATE BOARDS Praise for Yogi, clarification on talks on Rajnath, Aus members of the GoM, headed
by Meghalaya Chief Minister
treating GST Council members
with disdain.
Defence Minister
Some states take a Day 2 of meetings by BJP leaders in UP discuss strategic
Conrad Sangma, to reflect on the
exclusion of the Congress
Finance Ministers before they
“I think the Finance Minister
had treated the members of the
GST council with disdain. I think

cue from PM, others

proceed with their delibera- she just heard them and finally
MAULSHREE SETH partnership tions. took no decisions. They have ap-
LUCKNOW, JUNE 1 Congress and other pointed a GoM to recommend

to take a call today

Opposition-ruled states have on whether GST rates should be
PART OF one-on-one meetings EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE been demanding a reduction in reduced on Covid related med-
heldbyBJPnationalgeneralsecre- NEW DELHI, JUNE 1 taxes and zero rating for these icine and equipment...that is a
tary (organisation) B L Santhosh items but the central govern- decision that should have been
with ministers in the Yogi DEFENCE MINISTER Rajnath ment felt the move may not re- taken on the day they met...that
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE Adityanath government for two Singh spoke to his Australian sult in the benefits being passed is a decision that should not
LUCKNOW, CHANDIGARH, days,partyleaderin-chargeRadha counterpart Peter Dutton on on to the end users of patients have taken more than 10 or 15
KOLKATA, CHENNAI, JAIPUR, Mohan Singh on Tuesday called Tuesday and expressed his and citizens. minutes to take...the GoM will
DEHRADUN, JUNE 1 the Covid management in the commitment to implement the Headed by Sangma, the give its report on June 8....This is
stateas“unparalleled”. comprehensive strategic part- members of the GoM are called procrastination. This is
IN THE wake of Prime Minister He also told reporters that the nership with the country. Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister called not taking a decision...if
NarendraModi’sannouncement purpose of their meetings was to During the dialogue, Singh Nitinbhai Patel, Maharashtra the report of the GoM is coming
cancellingClassXIIexams, some "review social work done by our and Dutton “expressed their in- Deputy Chief Minister Ajit on June 8, then you should call a
states Tuesday said they would party leaders" and to plan for the tent to convene the 2+2 Pawar, Goa Transport Minister meeting on June 9....I think the
reconsider conducting their re- possibility of a third wave. Asked Ministerial Dialogue at the ear- Mauvin Godinho, Finance GST Council is being treated
spective state Board exams. about the meetings, several party liest”, the defence ministry said. Ministers of Kerala (K N with complete disdain and con-
Others said they would take a fi- leaders insisted there was no talk Singh said he also spoke to Balagopal), Odisha (Niranjan tempt by the Finance
nal call soon. Education Department said the regardinganyspecificperson,but Dutton about measures to fight Pujari), Telangana (T Harish Rao) Minister,”Chidambaram said.
headsof bothBoardsaretomake ratheraboutstrengtheningtheor- the pandemic.
UTTAR PRADESH their final announcement at 2 ganisation. “India remains fully com-
Uttar Pradesh Tuesday said
thatitwillreconsideritsdecision
pm on Wednesday.
The joint press conference
Since Adityanath became CM
in 2017, it was the first time such
mitted to the implementation
of comprehensive strategic
Gujarat official appointed secy
toholdtheClassXIIBoardexam-
inations. Deputy Chief Minister
had not been cancelled till the
time of filing this report.
meetingswereheldbyaseniorBJP
leaderwithministersandleaders State BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh comes out of the party
partnership with Australia.
Both sides look forward to con-
of TN Auroville Foundation
Dinesh Sharma said a decision inLucknow.Therehavebeenmur- headquarters after meeting BJP national general secretary vening the Ministerial 2+2
will be taken after a meeting un- TAMIL NADU mursintheBJPaboutthehandling (organisation) BL Santhosh, in Lucknow Tuesday. Vishal Srivastav Dialogue at the earliest oppor- Advisory Council of the
der Chief Minister Yogi The Tamil Nadu school edu- oftheCovidsurgeinthestate,with tunity,” he said. EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE Congress led UPA-I govern-
Adityanath. cation department has called a severalpartyministersandMLAs The Defence Ministry said AHMEDABAD, JUNE 1 ment in 2004.
meeting tomorrow to take a de- goingpublicabouttheleadership fore the Assembly elections in UP theorganisationalsecretaryofthe that during their telephonic in- Jayanti was both health
HARYANA cision on holding the exams. being irresponsive to people's nextyear. party and discussions were held teraction, both ministers re- JAYANTI RAVI, Principal commissioner and principal
The Haryana government woes.Theseclaimshavecoincided On the second day of his visit, regarding the organisation and viewed defence cooperation Secretary in the Health and health secretary in Gujarat
has decided to cancel the Class RAJASTHAN with the BJP's poorer than ex- Santhoshmetseveralministers,as howtoperformevenbetterinthe amid the regional situation. Family Welfare department of from July 2017 to September
XIIexamsconductedbythestate Rajasthan Education pectedperformanceintherecent wellasDeputyCMsKeshavPrasad 2022elections,andgobeyondthe Australia and India are two Gujarat government, has been 2019, when Jai Prakash
board, Education Minister Minister Govind Singh Dotasra panchayat polls, which the party MauryaandDineshSharma. 300markintheAssembly(ofato- of the four members of the appointed as Secretary, Auro- Shivahare was designated as
Kanwar Pal said Tuesday. "We has said that the final decision had talked up as a semi-final be- Mauryasaid,“He(Santhosh)is talof 403seats)." Quad. ville Foundation, Tamil Nadu, the health commissioner.
aregoingwiththedecisiontaken about holding the Board exams on deputation for three years. However, the toughest
by the Centre and have decided will be taken during a cabinet The appointment was challenge she had to deal with
to cancel the board exams," he
said. The state Board will take
meeting on Wednesday after
consultationwithChief Minister
Swapan Dasgupta renominated to Rajya Sabha on BJP ticket cleared by the Appointments
Committee of the Cabinet in its
was the Covid-19 outbreak and
she has been a proponent of
steps to compile the results of Ashok Gehlot. swept by the TMC to return to order dated May 24 that was AYUSH, especially during this
ClassXIIstudentsandmodalities EXPRESS NEWS Prominent lawyer power in the state. made public Tuesday. period. In the first week of
for this will be worked out soon, UTTARAKHAND SERVICE Though some Opposition A 1991-batch IAS officer of March 2020, Ravi had hailed
he added. Uttarakhand Education NEW DELHI, JUNE 1 Mahesh Jethmalani leaders raised questions over Gujarat cadre, Jayanti (53), the AYUSH ministry and rec-
MinisterArvindPandeysaidthat was also nominated to his re-nomination, from Chennai in Tamil Nadu, ommended homeopathic
WEST BENGAL hewilldiscussthematterof state AFTER AN unsuccessful contest the Rajya Sabha by Constitutional expert Subhash has a Ph.D in e-governance and medicines as a preventive step
Sources in the West Bengal boardexamswithChief Minister for a seat in the West Bengal Kashyap said there was no le- Masters in Nuclear Physics. and immunity booster, in
government Tuesday said it was TirathSinghRawatandtakeade- Assembly, Swapan Dasgupta, the President gal bar in doing so. “There’s no She has widely been per- preparation of a possible out-
not clearif the state government cision in the interest of students who had resigned from his legal bar. The opposition is pre- ceived as the administrative break. Gujarat had reported its
would go ahead with the state and teachers soon. The minister nominated membership of the Fielded by BJP in recent Dasgupta had resigned in sumably raising the issue of face of Gujarat government’s first case on March 19, 2020.
board exams. saidthattheprevailingCovidsit- Rajya Sabha to fight the elec- West Bengal Assembly polls, March, a day after the impropriety here,” Kashyap fight against Covid-19. With the transfer, specula-
The West Bengal Board of uationof thestatewillbeconsid- tions on a BJP ticket, was Dasgupta lost from Trinamool Congress cited con- told The Indian Express. Before holding the posts of tions are rife about Jayanti’s
Secondary Education (WBBSE) ered while taking the decision. Tuesday re-nominated to the Tarakeshswar. File stitutional rules to say a nomi- Congress leader Jairam Health Commissioner and possible replacement. One of
and West Bengal Council of However, sources in the Upper House. nated member of the Rajya Ramesh was one of the first to Principal Secretary in Health the names doing the rounds is
Higher Secondary Education Education Department said that Prominent lawyer Mahesh Sabha could not join a political react to the re-nomination of and Family Welfare depart- of JP Gupta, a 1991-batch IAS
(WBCHSE) were to hold a joint theexamswilllikelybecanceled Jethmalani was also nomi- vice of the government. The party or participate in its activ- Dasgupta. “I think this is the ment, Jayanti has held posts in officer who is now Chief
news conference Wednesday to on the pattern of CBSE because nated to the Rajya Sabha by the nominated members are ities. Dasgupta was fielded by FIRST time since the Rajya the education, rural develop- Commissioner of State Tax.
announce the dates of Class X Uttarakhand, being a BJP-ruled President. The President nom- drawn from fields such as lit- the BJP from Tarakeshswar but Sabha came into being in 1952 ment and health departments Gupta had earlier served as the
and XII Board examinations. state, will follow the opinion inates renowned personalities erature, science, sports, art and the former journalist could not that such a thing has hap- in the Gujarat government. She Health Commissioner of
Sources in the state Prime Minister Narendra Modi. to the Upper House on the ad- social service. win in the election, which was pened,” Ramesh tweeted. was also part of the National Gujarat.
 8 EXPRESS NETWORK WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM
THE INDIAN EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2021

Viral video of 5-yr-old

has an impact: J&K cuts DU says admission will be MAHARASHTRA

Take stock of SII CEO

down online classes based on ‘merit’, entrance Poonawalla’s security,
HC tells state govt
exam is not an option yet
NAVEED IQBAL
SRINAGAR, JUNE 1
sure” from chief ministers of
MAHIRUH IRFAN has an opin- EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE states and certain “big persons”.
ion on most matters: cartoons, MUMBAI, JUNE 1 On May 27, HC had directed
“why pink is the best colour” thestategovernmenttorespond
and — as the country discov- courses through cut-offs which by CBSE formula].” followed this year, college en- NOTING THAT Adar Poonawalla to the plea. On Tuesday, Chief
ered — why online learning can ARANYA SHANKAR are calculated, to a large extent, GuptasaidDUwillstarthold- trance tests should be consid- is playing a “substantial role” of Public Prosecutor Deepak
be traumatic for a five-year- LG Manoj Sinha responded NEW DELHI, JUNE 1 on the basis of Class 12 marks. ing meetings and devise a plan ered in the future. “The school providing “life-saver” Covid-19 ThakareinformedtheCourt that
old. In a video that went viral, to Mahiruh. Shuaib Masoodi The university had earlier afterthe CBSEannounces itsfor- boards will decide a system of vaccines to the country, the Poonawalla has been given Y+
Mahiruh had addressed the WITH THE Centre on Tuesday sent a proposal to the University mula for assessment and de- merit and standardisation Bombay High Court on Tuesday securitythroughcentralgovern-
Prime Minister and said, “Why announcing the cancellation of Grants Commission (UGC), ac- clares the results. which DU will follow. A combi- asked the Maharashtra govern- ment. The Court said that while
do madam and sir give so more time to play, interact the Class 12 CBSE Board exami- cording to which 50 per cent “Our admission process is nation of CUCET and Board menttoconsidertherequestof a it would not pass order on in-
much work to small children with parents, the biggest learn- nations and at least some state weightage could be given to the pan-India. We cannot decide on marks may be feasible only next lawyerwhohaspetitionedforZ- creasing security at this stage, it
who are six years old? From ing experience a child can governmentsexpected tofollow Class 12 marks and the rest to a thebasisof onBoard. Wehave to year. A standardised entrance plus security for the Serum soughtto knowthe detailsof the
the time I wake up till 2 o’clock, have.” suit, the focus now shifts to un- CUCET (Central Universities consider that some state Boards test for all colleges combined Institute of India (SII) CEO in security given to Poonawalla, in-
I have continuous classes — For someone who had ef- dergraduate admissions, with Common Entrance Test). may declare results later in July with continuous assessment in view of threats that he was re- cluding the number of police
English, math, Urdu, EVS and fected such a major policy shift, the big question being: how will Joshi, DU’s Acting VC, who is or August. So we will have to de- the Boards is a good system to ceiving for additional vaccines, personnelunderCentralReserve
then computers. Why do they the Class 1 "red section" stu- universities, which have tradi- partof acommitteesetupbythe lay our admission process ac- aspire for,” she said. according to news reports. Police Force (CRPF) deployed for
give so much work to little chil- dent of Minto Circle School be- tionally based their admissions Central government to consider cordingly. But it is possible that Ramjas College Principal The HC also asked the state his protection as part of Y+ secu-
dren, Modi saab?” By Monday, gan shyly as she spoke about on Class 12 exam results, take in a common entrance test for if CBSE takes this decision, other Manoj Khanna, however, said government to consult with top rity cover.
Mahiruh’s appeal was doing online classes, her teachers and students this year? Central universities, had earlier Boards may also follow suit,” he given the difference in standards functionaries, including the HC told Thakare:
the rounds of Facebook and her subjects. "I like maths... While announcing the can- said that under this formula, said. of internal assessment, entrance homeminister,ontheissue,take “Manufacturing of vaccines is
Twitter and was even being ones and tens," she says, fid- cellation,theUnionGovernment Class 12 marks could be calcu- Hindu College Principal Anju exams should be considered for a stock of the current security taking place in our state.
discussed on audio platform dling with her mask, at their said the Class 12 results would lated as percentiles instead of Srivastava said circumstances DU admissions. “If marks are de- given to Poonawalla and inform Mumbai is the economic capital
Clubhouse. home in Srinagar's Batmaloo be compiled as per “a well-de- percentages. are“so difficult”that “anyoption termined on the basis of inter- the benchof the decision ittakes of the country and Maharashtra
The video did the trick: On area. fined objective criteria”. However, with the current other than merit” is not feasible. nal assessment, that is not a uni- in the regard. is a progressive and modern
Tuesday, the UT administration But Mahiruh soon warms Delhi University (DU), one of situation of the pandemic and “This decisiontonot have exams versal criterion across the Avacationbenchof JusticeSS state; if something is expressed
decided that online classes for up, saying that on Sunday, the largest universities in the the possibility of a third wave, was because it was not possible country. So definitely we have to Shinde and Justice Abhay Ahuja abouthis(Poonawalla’s)security
Classes 1 to 8 would be held for when "everyone was busy", country,saiditwouldfollowthis DU officials said it was unlikely to make students sit under one find some method – it could be was hearing a plea filed by and threats to him, we feel that
not more than 90 minutes and she had taken her mother's “merit” criterion for admission. that CUCET would be imple- roof or in one place. So examina- some sort of an entrance exam lawyer Datta Shrirang Mane on whatever the concern is ex-
over two sessions. For senior phone and recorded the video DU Acting Vice-Chancellor P mented this year, and therefore, tion-based admissions will be a – to evaluate students. May 4, seeking directions to the pressed by the petitioner, it has
grades, Class 9 to 12, online "just for nanihal (maternal C Joshi said, “This decision has the CBSE criterion would be fol- challenge. The most plausible Otherwise, it is next to impossi- state’s director general of police to be taken care of.” The bench
classes would be limited to grandparents)". been taken in view of the un- lowed while declaring cut-offs. option should be merit and we ble to conduct admissions,” he and the Pune Police commis- added, “Poonawalla is doing a
three hours. Mahiruh's mother Rukhsar, precedentedCovidsituation.We When asked if CUCET would will honour that decision,” she said. sioner to register an FIR and great job and playing a substan-
Responding to a tweet that a homemaker, adds that she are with the Government of be considered, DU’s Gupta told said. Ambedkar University, a probe alleged threats issued to tial role by providing crores of
had shared Mahiruh's video, later uploaded the video as a India.Ouradmissioncriteriawill The Indian Express, "We are Lady Shri Ram College Delhi state university which also the SII chief executive officer by vaccines to the nation. It is a life
J&K Lieutenant Governor status message on WhatsApp, strictly be based on merit. We committed to CUCET as and PrincipalSumanSharmatoosaid declares cut-offs for undergrad- “certain politicians” demanding saver. All measures (should) be
Manoj Sinha had on Monday after which it took on a life of will honour the Board’s crite- when it happens. The problem the Board’s decision should be uate courses, welcomed the de- additional supply of Covishield taken to protect him as and
directed the School Education its own. And Mahiruh added rion.” there too is that national-level honoured given the circum- cision, calling it “timely”. “CBSE vaccine. when he is in Maharashtra.
department to frame a policy another word to her vocabu- Rajeev Gupta, Chairperson- examinationshavetotake place. stances. “All the stakeholders will provide the results of Class The plea filed through advo- Please talk to higher functionar-
to help school children deal lary: viral. "Viral means when Admissions,said,“Whateverfor- Nobody is in a situation right willnowneedtosittogetherand 12. The process of admission to catePradeepHavnuralsosought ies, maybe home minister too.
with the stress of online learn- everyone gets the message on mula CBSE adopts, ultimately, nowtoanswerhowthesituation brainstorm on the best way to UG programmes will be decided Z+ security cover for Poonawalla Assurancesof securityshouldbe
ing. WhatsApp,” she says. they will declare results. We will will be in various cities and carry out admissions,” she said. after consultations with the ad- by referring to news reports that given.Pleasedonotconsiderthis
On Tuesday, announcing "Does she know Modiji", declare cut-offs based on it.” whether this exam can be held. Bijayalaxmi Nanda, Principal mission committee of the stated that the SII CEO had left as an adversarial petition.”
the administration's decision Mahiruh's father, Irfan Ahmad Every year, DU conducts un- In the larger of interest students, of Miranda House, said that University,” said the university for the United Kingdom in April Thecourtsaiditwillconsider
to reduce the duration of on- Bhat, who works as a manager dergraduate admissions to most this is best possible option [to go while Board criterion would be PRO. due to “fear and constant pres- the plea next on June 10.
line classes, Sinha said, “Pre- at a construction company in

Mansukh Hiran case: Another cop dismissed New policy: Delhi a

primary on a given day for in- Srinagar, asks her teasingly.
teracting with parents shall be “He is the Prime Minister and
only 30 minutes. Concerned he has a white beard now,” she
authorities to ensure the strict quips.
implementation. Homework
up to class 5th should be
avoided. Authorities and
The video may have an un-
intended consequence,
though. "Her phone time will
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE
MUMBAI, JUNE 1
cer from the Mumbai Police and
the highest ranking among the
three officers to be dismissed
service with immediate effect.
Order has been issued today
under provision of Article
with the Ambani house terror
scare case, were dismissed from
the force by the Commissioner.
step closer to home
delivery of liquor
schools to plan joyful learning be cut now that she made this from the force. Apart from the 311(2) (b) Constitution of India Mane, who was earlier
experiences engaging parents video without checking with SUSPENDED MUMBAI police trio, a suspended cop, Vinayak by Commissioner of Police, posted with the crime branch,
as well. Our children need me," Rukhsar jokes. inspector Sunil Mane, who was Shinde, too was dismissed for Greater Mumbai. was arrested by the NIA in April.
arrested by the NIA in connec- his alleged role in the murder of Prior to Mane, Sachin Waze The NIA had alleged that Mane
tion with the death of business- Hiran. and Riyazuddin Kazi, both of was part of the conspiracy in long-standingdemandsof theal-
man Mansukh Hiran, was dis- A statement from Mumbai whom were attached to the the murder of Hiran. He is cur- SOURAV ROY BARMAN cohol and beverages and restau-
missed from the force on Police said, “Sunil Mane, posted Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU) of rently lodged in Taloja prison NEW DELHI, JUNE 1 rant industries -- were earlier ap-
Tuesday. at Local Arms Mumbai, has the Mumbai Police and later ar- along with the other accused provedbytheCouncilofMinisters
He is the third serving offi- been dismissed from police rested by the NIA in connection arrested in the case. IN A key excise policy shift, the aswellasLtGovernorAnilBaijal.
Delhi government has paved the Under the earlier rules, too,
way for home delivery of liquor holders of the L-13 licence could
Maha FDA seizes spurious through orders placed on cell-
phoneappsoronlinewebportals.
carryouthomedeliveryofalcohol,
but “only if order is received

Favipiravir tablets in raids According to the Delhi Excise

(Amendment)Rules,2021—pub-
lished in a gazette notification on
through e-mail or by Fax (not on
telephone)”.AnofficialintheDelhi
governmentsaidthe“impractical-
three suppliers, they found Monday—holdersofL-13licences ityoftherule”meantthatthereare
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE Favipiraviri 400 mg and 200 mg willbeallowedtodeliverliquorto few, if any, holders of the L-13 li-
MUMBAI, JUNE 1 tablets, and hydroxychoriquin homes, provided the order is re- cence and thus, home delivery of
tablets produced by a Himachal ceivedthroughamobileapporon- liquornevertookoffintheCapital
THE MAHARASHTRA Food and Pradesh based manufacturer linewebportals. unlikeincitiessuchasKolkataand
DrugAdministrationseizedspu- Max Relief Healthcare. “Thelicenseeshallmakedeliv- Mumbai.
riousFavipiravirtabletsworthRs “Himachal Pradesh FDA in- eryofliquorattheresidencesonly AseniorExciseDepartmentof-
1.54croreafterraidingthreedrug formedusnosuchmanufacturer iforderisreceivedthroughmobile ficialsaid,“Thepreviousruleswere
dealers in Mumbai--Shivsustri islicensedwiththem.Onfurther app or online web portal and no too prohibitive. Now, the govern-
Surgimed (Goregaon East), inquiry we found Max Relief deliveryshallbemadetoanyhos- ment is free to explore the option
Meditab Worldwide (Kandivali Healthcare actually operated tel,office,andinstitution,”theno- ofallowinghomedeliverythrough
East) and Nirav Tradelink. from Uttar Pradesh without a li- tificationsaid. mobileappsandportals.Onecan-
Favipiravir, an anti-viral, is used cense and supplied to various Theamendedrulesalsoallow notexpecttraderstospendmoney
inCovid-19treatmentinmildpa- wholesalers,” adrugofficialsaid. restaurants, clubs and bars at- inprocuringalicencethatrequires
tients to reduce their viral load. FDA has registered a case tached to hotels to serve liquor in customers to place demands
FDA officials said hey re- against the owner under the open spaces such as terraces, throughfaxandemail...”
ceived a tip off of sale of fake IndianPenalCodeandDrugsand balconiesorcourtyards. FULL REPORT ON
tablets. When they raided the Cosmetics Act, 1940. The amendments -- part of www.indianexpress.com

cegKÙe keâeÙee&}Ùe efJejej otjOJeveer : 0250-2525105/06/2529588/2529890

efJejej (hetJe&),
He@âkeäme : 0250-2525107
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Woman held for husband’s ‘murder’
lee. JemeF&, efpe. hee}Iej efheve- 401305
efoveebkeâ : 01.06.2021 inside the house to bring out the something amiss when he was
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE body. unabletocontacthisbrotherover
E-Tender Notice (First Extension) MUMBAI, JUNE 1 AnofficerfromDahisarpolice thephone.HearrivedinMumbai
ONLINE bids are invited for following Work. Tender forms may be stationsaid,"Inourprimaryinves- to search for his brother last
THE DAHISAR police on Tuesday tigation, we have learnt that the Friday.
purchased online by the Bidder, having relevant experience. arrested a woman for allegedly wife was having an affair with a A neighbour, a close friend,
Sr. Tender Inviting Name of Work Tender Approximate Earnest killing her husband with the help personinthelocality.” was also looking for him.
No. Authority Form Value of Money of her lover. The two allegedly The police suspect that the The daughter then told her
buriedhiminsidethehouse. murder took place after the hus- unclethatshehadseenthethree
Fee Work Deposit
The police said the incident band found both his wife and fighting, providing the first clue
(Rs.) (EMD) tookplaceonthenightofMay20, the man together in his house, about what had happened. "The
The Municipal SUPPLY OF ONE andthatthefirstclueabouttheal- and a scuffle broke out. The wife brotherthenwenttoDahisarpo-
Commissioner, NO. OF TRACTOR legedmurdercamefromthecou- gave the daughter some money lice station where the wife was
ple'sminordaughter. and sent her out to buy choco- called for questioning," said an
Vasai Virar City DRIVEN BEACH The day after the murder, the late. The husband was overpow- officer.
Municipal CLEANING woman lodged a missing report ered and allegedly strangled to The police then registered a
10,000/- Rs. 95 Lakhs.
Corporation MACHINE FOR for her husband at the police sta- death. They buried the body caseofmurderanddestructionof
1 + 18% (Inclusive of 1%
BEACHES tion. The murdered man stayed there while the daughter waited evidence,afterwhichthewoman
GST GST)
UNDER VASAI withhiswife,adaughterandson, outside to be let in. wasplacedunderarrest.
VIRAR bothminors. Theincidentcametolightaf- At the time of going to press,
Till late Tuesday, workers de- ter the husband’s brother, who thepoliceweretryingtolocatethe
MUNICIPAL ployedbythepoliceweredigging lives in Uttar Pradesh, suspected bodybydigginginsidethehouse.
CORPORATION
Schedule of E-Tender : GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
Minor‘assaulted’
Sr. VVCMC Stage Vendor Stage Start Date & End Date & RESEARCH DESIGNS & STANDARDS ORGANISATION byArmyjawanin
No. Time Time MANAK NAGAR, LUCKNOW-226011
train’stoilet,later
Notice for inviting E-Tender
1 Release of Tender - 02.06.2021 -- For and on behalf of President of Union of India, Director Testing/Labs, RDSO, Manak Nagar, foundontracks
Lucknow invites open E-Tender (online) for the following work
2 -- Tender Download 02.06.2021 10.06.2021 Open Tender No. and Name of work Approx. cost Contract EMD Tender Date & time of Pune:An8-year-oldgirlwas
of work (Rs.) period Money Document closing of
3 -- Online Tender 02.06.2021 10.06.2021, Cost tender allegedlysexuallyassaulted
Submission 03.00 pm RM1_GL-8_FTL_INSTSYS_2021 7,65,34,216.00 8 months Rs. Nil Nil 05.07.2021 by an Army jawan inside
dated 31/05/2021 Bid Security (Monday)
the toilet of a moving train,
4 Technical -- 11.06.2021, -- Rehabilitation of Instron make Fatigue
Testing system including 5 years CAMC
declaration
must be
at 15:00 hrs
and later thrown out of the
Proposal Open 3.05 pm installed in Fatigue Testing Lab. of
RDSO, Lucknow through Open Tender
submitted
trainnearLonandinSatara.
Date onwards. Details of above E-Tender are available on web site (www.ireps.gov.in).
Despiteseriousinjuriesand
Tender closing date: 05.07.2021 up to 15.00 hrs. trauma, the girl was able to
5 Web site https://mahatenders.gov.in Bidding start date: 21.06.2021 provide an accurate de-
The above E-tender will be open on same day at 15:30 hrs. in the office of the Director
scription of the man that
Sd/- Testing/Labs, RDSO, Manak Nagar, Lucknow. Amendments/corrigendum, if any, would be
hosted on the website only. helpedinhisarrestTuesday,
Dy. Commissioner Director Testing/Labs. policesaid. ENS
Testing Directorate, RDSO, Lucknow FULL REPORT ON
Vasai Virar City Municipal Corporation For and on behalf of President of Union of India
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THE INDIAN EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2021
@ieExplained
#ExpressExplained
If there are questions of current or contemporary relevance that you would like
explained, please write to explained@indianexpress.com

SIMPLY PUT
CORONAVIRUS DASHBOARD

TOTAL VACCINATED IN INDIA (at least one dose)

17,12,00,166 ■ Firstdose ■ Seconddose
Where did virus come from?
30,00,000
The theory that SARS-CoV-2 originated from a Wuhan lab is now being taken more seriously, with Biden
14,43,793 ordering a probe and India weighing in. A look at what is understood so far, and what is speculated.
25,86,795
15,00,000
3,05,714 NIRUPAMA SUBRAMANIAN
1,87,572 MUMBAI, JUNE 1
0 ON MAY 26, US President Joe Biden an-
May 22
LAST 10 DAYS (daily) May 31
nouncedthathehadtaskedthecountry’s“in-
telligencecommunitytoredoubletheirefforts
tocollectandanalyseinformationthatwould
bring us closest to a definitive conclusion” on
TOTAL DOSES COVISHIELD COVAXIN whether the virus that causes Covid-19 orig-

21,60,46,638 88.9% 11.1% inated from human contact with an infected

animal, or from a “laboratory accident”. A re-
port will be submitted to him in 90 days.
(Sputnik V’s 10,898 doses The lab leak theory
not represented in pie) Biden’s announcement that US intelli-
genceagenciesweredividedonthequestion
DOSES ON MAY 31 28,92,509 of thevirus’soriginhasgivenwingsandnew
respectability to the “Wuhan lab leak” the-
MAY 30: 10,87,515 (9,95,894 1st doses; 91,621 2nd) ory, earlier dismissed as a right wing, racist
conspiracy theory propagated by President
Donald Trump and his fellow travellers.
INDIA ACTIVE CASES 18,95,520 That the theory had been under serious
consideration since at least September 2020
Security personnel outside the Wuhan Institute of Virology during a visit by a WHO team in February this year. AP

emerged on January 15 this year, a fortnight

30,00,000 before the Trump Administration stepped The report said a lab leak was “extremely un-
18,95,520 down, when the US State Department made likely” although it did not study this possibil-

28,05,399
publica“factsheet”thatincluded“previously
undisclosed information”, combined with
How the theory gained ground ity enough. WHO Director General Tedros
Adhanom Ghenreyesus said “as far as WHO
20,00,000 open source information. is concerned, all hypotheses remain on the
It made three main points: 2019: FIRST IDENTIFICATION have had the world exposed to viruses table”. Although the team concluded that a
■ thatresearchersattheWuhanInstitute as a result of failures in a Chinese lab.” lab leak is the least likely hypothesis, he said
of Virology (WIV) had fallen ill with symp- DECEMBER 31: WHO is informed of “thisrequiresfurtherinvestigation,potentially
10,00,000 tomsconsistentwithbothCovid-19andsea- cases of pneumonia of unknown JULY 4: The Times reports that a virus with additional missions involving specialist
LAST 10 DAYS sonal illnesses, well before the first reported cause in Wuhan City. On January 7, similar to SARS-CoV-2 was found in experts, which I am prepared to deploy”.
May 22 May 31 case on December 8, 2019; Chinese authorities identify a novel an abandoned copper mine in China The report caused concerns among most
Note: The May 31 figures in these graphs are based on the government update on June 1 ■ that 2016 researchers at WIV had been coronavirus as the cause. in 2012, and then studied at WIV. countries. The US and 13 other countries is-
conducting experiments with RaTG13, a bat sued a statement at the World Health
coronavirusthathasa96.2%matchCovid19;
2020: CLAIMS & SCEPTICISM NOVEMBER 17: BioEssays journal Assembly “expressing shared concerns re-
INDIA TOTAL CASES 2,81,75,044 RaTG13wasisolatedasfarbackas2013from FEBRUARY 3: In a paper in Nature, publishes a paper headlined: “The garding the recent WHO-convened study in
Source: Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, updated at 11 pm on June 1 samples taken from bat faeces in a mine in Wuhan Institute of Virology genetic structure of SARS-CoV-2 does China,whileatthesametimereinforcingthe
Yunan, where six miners had died in 2012; researchers say SARS-CoV-2 has a not rule out a laboratory origin.” importance of working together toward the
■ that WIV carried out classified military 96.2% genome match with a bat development and use of a swift, effective,
research including animal experiments on coronavirus, RaTG13. Three days later,
2021: STRONGERCLAIMS transparent,science-based,andindependent
Response to SARS-CoV-2 after behalf of the People’s Liberation Army.
However, according to a report in CNN,
a researcher from South China
University of Technology suggests in a
JANUARY 15: US State Department’s
“fact sheet” on WIV, in the last
process for in evaluations of such outbreaks
ofunknownoriginsinthefuture”.EUmember

exposure to other coronaviruses theBidenAdministrationshutdowntheState

Department investigation as a waste of time
paper, later withdrawn, that the
coronavirus “probably originated
fortnight of Trump Administration,
makes a case for the lab-origin theory.
states said there was a “need to further work
tostudytheoriginsofthevirusanditsrouteof
andresourcesafterofficialsquestioneditsle- from a laboratory in Wuhan”. introduction to the human population”.
BESIDES SARS-COV-2, likelyproducedbyamem- gitimacy.ButpressurewasbuildingonBiden MARCH 30: WHO report, while The18scientistswhowrotetoSciencealso
which causes Covid-19, oryBcellthat’sinitiallyex- to reconsider his position that Covid-19 had FEBRUARY 19: In a statement inconclusive, finds laboratory leak criticised the WHO report for weighing on
there are other coron- posedtoacoronavirusthat originate in nature, especially after a WHO published in The Lancet, a group of 27 hypothesis “extremely unlikely”. But thesideof azoonoticspilloverfromaninter-
aviruses that people are causes the common cold, report failed to come up with conclusive an- scientists condemn conspiracy WHO Secretary General Tedros mediate host withouthaving studied the lab
exposedto.Someof them andisthenrecalledduring swers on the origin of the virus. theories about the coronavirus and Adhanom Ghebreyesus says “all leak possibility adequately.
causelesssevereillnesses, a COVID-19 infection. Then on May 14, a group of 18 scientists conclude it originated in wildlife. In a hypotheses remain on the table”. BidenannouncedhisinquiryastheWorld
suchasthecommoncold. PAPER Memory B cells “remem- wroteinthejournalSciencethataninquiryto paper in Nature Medicine in March, Health Assembly met. No country except
Inanewstudythatap-
pears in Nature CLIP ber” initial disease threats
and can circulate in the
establish “greater clarity about the origins of
this pandemic is necessary and feasible to
scientists say it is impossible to prove
or disprove the theories but add they
MAY 14: A group of 18 scientists,
writing in Science, call for an enquiry
China has as yet opposed it.

China’s dismissal
Communications,scientists bloodstream for decades, achieve”, and demanded that both possibili- do not believe it emerged from a lab. to establish “greater clarity about the
investigated how the im- NEW RESEARCH readytobecalledbackinto ties, “natural and laboratory spillovers”, be origins of this pandemic”, and Beijinghasdismissedthetractionforthis
mune system’s previous action if the threat considered seriously. MARCH 27: The US Defense demand that both possibilities, theory as “hype” created by the US, and in-
exposuretocold-causingcoronaviruses emerges again. These cells are respon- On May 23 and 24, the Wall Street Journal Intelligence Agency’s updated “natural and laboratory spillovers”, be steadsuggestedthattheviruscamefromFort
impact immune response to Covid-19. sibleforproducingtargetedantibodies. published two reports that appear to have assessment includes the possibility of considered seriously Detrick, a US Army base in Maryland.
Theydiscoveredonecross-reactivecoro- Thediscoverymaybeanimportant pushed Biden into action. One report quoted “unsafe laboratory practices” leading Referringto theinvestigation announced
navirusantibodythat’striggeredduring step in the eventual development of a aUSintelligencereportasgoing“beyondthe to the emergence of the coronavirus. MAY 23-24: The Wall Street Journal by the US President, Chinese Foreign
aCovid-19infection.Inlatertests,thean- pan-coronavirusvaccine,whichwould StateDepartmentfactsheet”andsayingthree quotes a US intelligence report as Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said the en-
tibodyalsoneutralisedSARS-CoV-1,the beabletoprotectagainstpotentialcoro- researchers at WIV had fallen sick in APRIL 30: US President Donald saying three WIV researchers had quiryshowed“[theUS]aimistousethepan-
coronavirusthatcausesSARS. navirusesthatemergeinthefuture,the November2019.Thesecondreportwasabout Trump says people are looking at the fallen sick in November 2019; in demictopursuestigmatisation,politicalma-
The researchers determined that researchers suggested. theYunancopperminewheresixminershad laboratory-origin theory “very, very another report it refers to the miners nipulationandblameshifting.Theyarebeing
this type of cross-reactive antibody is Source: Scripps Research fallen ill. strongly”. Three days later, Secretary who fell sick in 2012, and says they disrespectfultoscience,irresponsibletopeo-
of State Mike Pompeo tells ABC News: had the same lung patches seen in ple’slivesandcounter-productivetothecon-
The mine & the virus “These are not the first times that we Covid patients. certed efforts to fight the virus”.
TheWSJreportsaidtheminers,diagnosed
with severe pneumonia, had the same lung India’s position
patchesseeninCovidpatients.Overthenext New Delhi backs further investigation.
year,WIVscientistsstudiedsamplesfrom276 were the same. But they said it was not this that this could have accidentally led to the Without naming China, External Affairs
bats in the mine, among which they identi- virus that had caused the death of the min- leakage of a harmful virus from the lab. Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said
fied a coronavirus strain they called ers back in 2012. All this has led to heightened concerns the WHO-led study was an “important first
RaBTCoV/4991. The research was published At the very least, the late admission by that the WHO report on the origins of the step” and all must co-operate in further in-
in 2016. In February 2020, the same re- WIV that the two viruses were the same, and virus did not present a complete picture. quirytofixtheoriginofCovid-19conclusively.
searchers published a paper in Nature, de- somecontradictionsintheirexplanationsfor “The WHO convened global study on the
scribing RaTG13, which had a 96.2% genome this, have raised questions about the trans- The WHO report originof Covid-19isanimportantfirststep.It
sequence match with SARS-CoV-2. parency of data from WIV. At the other ex- The 120-page report, released on March stressed the need for next phase studies as
After scientists around the world noticed tremearethosewhodonotruleoutthatWIV 30, 2021, was inconclusive about the origins also for further data and studies to reach ro-
similarities in the sample dates and partial wasconductingexperimentstoconstructnew of the virus. But of four scenarios, it said it is bust conclusions. The follow up of the WHO
genetic sequences of RaBTCOV/4991 and viruses by combining elements of different “likelytoverylikely”thevirusspreadfroman reportandfurtherstudiesdeservetheunder-
RaTG13,WIVresearcherssaidthetwoviruses bat viruses, perhaps for finding vaccines, and animal to an intermediate host to humans. standing and co-operation of all.”

Legal issues involved in bringing Mehul Choksi back to India

womanoverthelastsixmonths,calledtoan anothercountryshall,uponsuchacquisition of the Passports Act 1967. “The Indian to India is to convince the Dominican court
DEEPTIMANTIWARY apartment in Antigua on May 23, and ab- or,asthecasemaybe,suchcommencement, CitizenshipAct,1955,doesnotallowdualcit- thatithasastronglegalcaseagainsthimand
NEWDELHI,JUNE1 ductedbyagroupofmenfromthere.Hewas cease to be a citizen of India,” Section 9 says. izenship... The Government of India has pre- thatheisafugitive.SourcessaidIndiawould
then allegedly beaten up and forced into a The only exception when this law does scribed imposition of penalty on a graded alsoarguethathissoleintentionofacquiring
FUGITIVE JEWELLER Mehul Choksi, key ac- yacht before being ferried to Dominica. not apply is when the two concerned coun- scale,dependingonnumberoftripsmadeon Antiguan citizenship was to escape the
cusedintheRs-13,000-crorePNBloanfraud While Antiguan PM Gaston Brown has tries are at war with each other. Indianpassportafteracquiringforeignnation- clutches of the law in India.
case, was recently arrested in Dominica by told media that Choksi can be deported to Neither the Act nor the Citizenship Rules ality,fortheviolationofPassportRulesandre- “That he has an Interpol notice against
authoritiesthereafterhewasfoundtohaveil- India from Dominica itself, Choksi’s lawyers of 2009 specify any procedure required for tentionofIndianPassportformorethanthree himisgoodenoughgroundtohandhimover
legally entered the country from Antigua, have argued that he cannot be sent back to termination of citizenship in case of acquisi- years after acquiring of foreign nationality,” toIndia.Asfarastheissueofhisbeingbeaten
where he had been staying since 2018. India India as he is not an Indian citizen anymore. tion of foreign citizenship. Legal experts say theMinistrysaysonitswebsite. up is concerned, it is not associated with us.
hasnowsentateamofeightofficials,includ- ChoksiacquiredAntiguancitizenshipin2017, the law is clear that Indian citizenship will Sources, however, said the law’s intent is We don’t know who has beaten him up,” an
ingfromtheCBIandtheMinistryof External just over a month before he fled India in cease to exist the moment one acquires for- topreventapersonfromusinganIndianpass- officialsaid.Anotherofficialarguedthateven
Affairs,tosecureChoksi’sdeportationtoIndia. January 2018, and has even surrendered his eign citizenship. portfortravelafteracquiringforeigncitizen- ChristianMichel,accusedintheVVIPhelicop-
AprivatejetissaidtohavereachedDominica Indian passport. Choksi is now an Antiguan citizen. File So, for all practical purposes, Choksi re- ship. “Some countries, which do not allow ter case, was brought to India from the UAE
on May 28 to ferry him back to India. But the mains an Antiguan citizen even though the dual citizenship, insist on surrender of the where he was staying as a British citizen.
matter is now facing a legal hurdle with the WhatisIndia’scasethen? government there has begun a legal process Indian passport before formalising citizen- There, however, India followed extradition
jeweller’s lawyers approaching Dominica’s Sources in Indian agencies pursuing AsfarasChoksi’scitizenshipisconcerned, to revoke his citizenship; this has been chal- shipof theircountry.However,thisisnotthe proceedingsincourtthatdraggedonforover
Supreme Court, which has stayed his move- Choksisayhemayhavesurrenderedhispass- thelawisveryclear:Indiadoesnotallowdual lenged in an Antiguan court by the jeweller. casewithAntigua.Inanycase,itisimmaterial a year. India does not have an extradition
mentoutofthecountryandissettohearthe port,butIndiahasnotacceptedthisandacer- citizenship. According to Section 9 of the whether you have surrendered your Indian treaty with Dominica.
matter on Wednesday. tificateofsurrenderofpassporthasnotbeen Indian Citizenship Act, 1955, any Indian citi- WhatabouthisIndianpassport? passport or not. If a foreign country has TheIndianteamcouldfacehurdlesinthe
issued. More importantly, they say Interpol zenwhoacquiresforeigncitizenshipceasesto According to the Ministry of External grantedyoucitizenship,underIndianlawyou face of Choksi’s legal team alleging human
Whatisthelegalhurdle? has issued a Red Notice against Choksi for fi- be an Indian citizen. Affairs, as per the Passports Act 1967, it is ceasetoremainanIndiancitizen,”saidafor- rights violations and suggesting a planned
Choksi’slegalteamhasassertedthatcon- nancial crimes committed in India, and this “Any citizen of India who by naturalisa- mandatory for all Indian passport holders to merofficialoftheMinistryofExternalAffairs extra-judicial extraction on part of Indian
trarytoclaimsmadebyAntiguanauthorities, would be argued in court. India has already tion, registration, otherwise voluntarily ac- surrendertheirpassportstothenearestIndian who has dealt with passport issues. andAntiguanauthorities.Wide mediacov-
the jeweller did not flee Antigua but was ab- sent all relevant case papers to Dominica. quires, or has at any time between the 26th Mission/Postimmediatelyafteracquisitionof erage of the entire episode and serious in-
ductedbylayingahoneytrap.Thelegalteam January,1950andthecommencementofthis foreignnationality.MisuseofIndianpassports WhatcanIndiahopeforthen? juries sustained by Choksi could also play a
has claimed Choksi was befriended by a Whatdoesthelawsay? Act, voluntarily acquired the citizenship of constitutes an offence under Section 12(1A) India’sbestchanceofgettingChoksiback part in court.
 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM

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THE INDIAN EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2021
WORDLY WISE

THE EDITORIAL PAGE

Section 124A is the prince among the political
sections of the IPC designed to suppress the
liberty of the citizen. — MAHATMA GANDHI

Diminishing prospects
FOUNDED BY
§

§
RAMNATH GOENKA
Ableaktriadof slowergrowth,shrinkingmiddle
BECAUSE THE TRUTH INVOLVES US ALL
classandrisingpovertystaresusintheface

SEDITION WEAPON Pratap Bhanu Mehta

SCpromisetointerpretseditionlawisreassuring—courtmust
THEGDPNUMBERS,liketheCovidnumbers, could get worse. are still not investing enough in long-term
settleitscontourstopreventitswantonmisuse,abuse have become the object of regular anxiety There are signs of this all around. The lat- surveillanceof the diseaseor dealing withits

T
and contention. With both, there are now est CMIE unemployment numbers put out secondaryeffects. The governmenthasdone
HE SUPREME COURT’S call for a fresh examination of theremit of the sedition questions on what exactly we are measur- by Mahesh Vyas are sobering reading. The the right thing by extending the free food-
law is enormously welcome. The apex court’s observations, the cautionary ing. There is relief, or official spin, if they turn unemployment rate is 14.5 per cent as of the grain programme, and creating credit facili-
note it has struck on what is deemed as seditious, came while hearing a case out to be less worrisome than predicted. If end of May; the rural unemployment rate ties of various kinds. But there is still going
inwhichthe AndhraPradesh governmenthas bookedtwoTelugunewschan- the GDP growth is close to negative 7.3 per had crossed 7 per cent. Labour force partici- to be a serious loss in nutrition gains in rural
nels underSection 124Aof theIndianPenalCode (IPC).Thetwochannels havebeenmade cent, there is a huge sigh of relief. It could, af- pation has not increased. As Jean Dreze had India. And it is hard to imagine that output
ter all, have been negative 10 per cent. These prominently pointed out in these pages, it is declines, employment losses, and the ad-
co-accused along with parliamentarian Raghu Rama Krishna Raju, whose speech was
aresmallmercies.Butthereisnodenyingthe unlikely that nutrition levels, employment verse environment for small businesses will
alleged to have promoted disaffection against the government. The observation by the fact that the Indian economy has been wages had even recovered to pre-pandemic not warrant another round of income sup-
highest court gains significance as a constitutional challenge by two journalists, amongst the worst performers, even in the levelsbeforethesecondwavestruck;house- portof somekind.AsUdayKotakhasargued,
Kishorechandra Wangkhem and Kanhaiya Lal Shukla, against the colonial law is already South Asia region. So even as we battle with holdsavingshavebeengenerally onadown- we need a major fiscal stimulus to support
pending before it. Section 124A of the IPC penalises sedition as punishable with impris- So here is the big picture we need to keep Covid, we have to think ward trend. This big picture truth of eco- consumption. It is highly likely that in the
onment ranging from three years to a lifetime, a fine, or both. our eyes on. India is staring at the prospect nomic worries can be easily obfuscated by pandemic India has probably slipped back
of slower growth, rising poverty, and a
about what will truly reverse the narrative wars. on its education goals and targets.
In the landmark 1962 Kedar Nath case, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutional this diminishing of our
shrinking middle class. This is the first time The Sensex is rising, fuelled by global Other measures like regulatory reform
validity of the sedition law, but also attempted to restrict its scope for misuse. The court in a generation that India is experiencing economic fortunes. There are free money. There is a lot of excitement andprivatisationareunderway,though how
has held that unless accompanied by an incitement or call for violence, criticism of the something like this. Instead of moving to- about unicorns; they are certainly a testa- effective they will be is an open question.
the obvious things to do. An
government cannot be labelled sedition. Despite the ruling, however, the sedition law wards being a high middle income country, ment to entrepreneurial dynamism and in- There will have to be a serious reconsidera-
has been weaponised with increasing frequency. The provision is invoked by a trigger- we will be relieved if we don’t slip further investment in health is an genuity. But the idea that they are the back- tion of tax policy. This is not the place for
happy state to cramp free speech and muzzle dissent, and has been brazenly used to down the global ladder. Everyone under- investment in the economy; bone of a thriving economy is exaggerated. technical details. There is no question that
criminalise protestors. Take, for example, the case in Uttar Pradesh where the state filed
stands that Covid was a shock to the econ- but our health investment is There might be limited progress on the dis- the range of investment — in health, educa-
omy, and we will, at some point, emerge still in catastrophe tribution of private public goods like gas and tion, infrastructure,incomesupport,that the
over 22 cases of sedition in the wake of a sexual assault case in Hathras last year — of the fromthisshock.Butweareincompletelyun- water. But these cannot take away from the Indianeconomyrequireswillneedanewso-
22 cases, at least 18 were against unknown individuals. The nation-wide protests against charted territory in terms of our psycholog- management mode. For fact that for the first time in a generation, cial contract. The top one per cent have ben-
theCitizenshipAmendmentActattractedtheseriousseditionchargesformeresloganeer- ical orientation to the economy. example, we are still not young India is looking at a bleaker future efited enormously from the current econ-
ing. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), the conviction rate in sedi- In the first decade of this century, we investing enough in long- than their parents did in terms of employ- omy. Devesh Kapur has made the powerful
tion cases was 3.3 per cent in 2019. However, the process often becomes the punishment were looking at an average of seven to eight ment and income. point that taxing the super rich a bit more,
term surveillance of the
as lower courts refuse to grant bail or examine the charges thoroughly. The Supreme per cent growth, steep drops in head count Itisaremarkablefactthatthisfundamen- those who have made extraordinary gains
poverty numbers, and an expanding middle disease or dealing with its tal triad of slower growth prospects, poten- overthelasttwoyears,evenif temporarily,to
Court’s fresh examination of the law must nudge the state that initiates prosecutions and
class. But all of these trends are now in re- secondary effects. The tially shrinking middle class and rising service the real needs of the economy more,
the courts that do not ask enough questions of the state, to apply the law correctly. verse. Growth has slowed and it would be a poverty has been kept out of public political shouldnotbeseenasanactof redistribution.
government has done the
Supreme Court judge DY Chandrachud, who was part of the Andhra sedition case, brave economist who has any analytical ba- consciousness.ThepoorinIndiawerealways So much of the money that is being made on
sarcastically inquired in another hearing if sedition cases would be slapped against those sis for projecting what India’s trend growth
right thing by extending the invisible. But the degree of economic and the stock market, in real estate or in capital
reporting on the dead bodies of Covid victims found floating in the river Ganga in Uttar rate will be over the next five to 10 years. We free foodgrain programme, ideological obfuscation is such that even the gains is because of the easy liquidity govern-
Pradesh. His remark is reassuring. It affirms that judges have their ears to the ground, are on a wing and a prayer. We do not have and creating credit facilities normally influential middle class’s tale of ments are providing; a little bit of payback
authoritative consumption-based poverty of various kinds. But there is economic uncertainty has become invisible. as a gesture of solidarity or justice is not un-
that they are alert to the growing political misuse of the sedition law. The Supreme Court
figures since 2011. But Azim Premji Whatshouldworryisnotjustthetrends;but warranted. The spectre of our bad old days
must settle the law once and for all, without leaving wiggle room for its continued dis- University’s “State of Working India” report,
still going to be a serious loss the fact that we are not worrying enough of socialismand90percentmarginalratesof
tortion and misuse. 2020, estimated that almost 230 million in nutrition gains in rural abouttheworryingtrends.Thereisgoodrea- taxation will be trotted out to obfuscate the
Indians had fallen back into poverty. For ref- India. And it is hard to son to think that unless there is drastic basic fact: We need to invest in our future,
erence, the period of growth from 2000 to imagine that output declines, change in national priorities, the very foun- and we cannot do so without more taxation.

OIL, ON BALANCE
2016 had seen roughly 270 million lifted out dation of our future is being sapped. A million plus Covid deaths is an extraor-
of poverty. A new Pew Research Centre employment losses, and the So even as we battle with Covid, we have dinary catastrophe.Buttheprospectof long-
Report, published before the second wave adverse environment for to thinkabout what will truly reversethis di- term economic stagnation should also give
lockdown, suggested that the Indian middle small businesses will minishing of our economic fortunes. There us nightmares. We are in completely un-
Rising market prices of edible oils and pulses pinch households. class had shrunk by about 32 million people not warrant another round are the obvious things to do. An investment charted territory.
in 2020. And we don’t have serious numbers in health is an investment in the economy;
They could also encourage a virtuous shift in cropping patterns on shrinking incomes or on the possible ef- of income support of but our health investment is still in catastro- The writer is Contributing Editor,

L
fects of long-term morbidity. This number some kind. phe management mode. For example, we The Indian Express
OCKDOWN-INDUCEDCURBSONeconomicactivity and beingmostly confined
indoorsmayhaveledmanytolookpastthesteephikesinpetrolanddieselprices
—roughlyRs4-4.5perlitreinthecurrentmonthalone.Thesame,however,can-
notbesaidaboutedibleoils,whoseconsumptionwouldhavegoneupwithmore

SHE OF EASTTOWN
food getting cooked in homes. The sharp price increase in these is noticeable and is biting
consumers.Packedmustard,groundnutandsunfloweroilarenowretailingatanaverageof
Rs175-180perkg,asagainstRs110-140ayearago.All-Indiamodalpricesof eventhemass-
consumedvanaspati,palmandsoyabeanoilhaverisenfromRs85-90toRs140-150/kginthe
last one year.
India imports 13-15 million tonnes (mt) of edible oils annually, while domestic pro-
‘MareofEasttown’givesusararesleuth,remindsusoflimitsfemalecharactersruninto
duction is only 7.5-8.5 mt. The prices that consumers, therefore, pay are largely linked to
what it costs to import them. Landed prices of imported crude palm, soyabean and sun- Shubhra Gupta
flower oil in India now, at around $1,200, $1,400 and $1,550 per tonne, respectively, are
wayhigherthantheircorrespondingMay2020averagesof $558,$672and$789.Therea- WHEN WE first come upon Mare, she of been just another version of the hackneyed score, too) where mothers are confined to
sons for petrol, diesel and LPG cylinder prices going up in the recent period, apply equally Easttown, we see a woman who has more conflicted cop with a troubled backstory, being strictly maternal figures, and grand-
tocookingoil.Thereisonefundamentaldifference,though:Unlikewithpetroleum,where than one thing on her mind. Jeans, jacket, usually played by world-weary Hollywood mothers have their spindly legs halfway
onlyahandfulof indigenouscrudeproducers(asopposed torefiners)exist,India hassev- workaday air. Hair pulled back in a scraggly leading men. But what makes her a charac- down the grave. Even the mothers who can
eralthousandoilseedgrowers.Thesefarmersmakemoneywhenedibleoilpricesharden ponytail. Attractive, but distinctly lived-in ter to remember are the layers. She has no be fun (among my favourite filmi mums is
face, fine lines visible. Swiftly, we learn more qualms about falling into, double gasp, a Ratna Pathak Shah in Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na,
in the international and domestic market. And they did this time: Groundnut, soyabean
aboutthelead protagonistof theHBOminis- quickie with a stranger — she doesn’t just let and a few of Kirron Kher’s endless iterations
and mustard traded near or above their official minimum support prices during both the eries, Mare of Easttown, which has gripped herself get picked up, she is an equal partic- of the jolly Punjabi bebe) are mothers first
kharif and rabi marketing seasons. the imaginations of those who have been ipantin thematinggame.Her flaws are glar- and last. They may have a few smart lines to
Edibleoilsapart,pricesofpulses—mainlychana(chickpea)andtur(pigeon-pea)—have breathlessly following the murky goings on ing, as she goes about deflecting personal scatter about, but for them to get into seri-
also shown an uptrend, albeit far less compared to the former. The Narendra Modi govern- in this Pennsylvania hamlet. She’s a forty- grief, and dumping another kind of grief on ous relationships outside matrimonial lines
somethingpolicedetective.Deepinthemid- a much younger woman. She’s not the kind is completely unthinkable. Mothers having
ment,itseems,isconcerned.OnMay15,importsof majorpulsesweremovedfromthe“re-
dle of a murder investigation. Divorced.
When was the last time you of woman who cooks and cleans, or minds sex? Shudder. Neena Gupta’s middle-class,
stricted”to“free”list.Whilethatiswelcome—regulatingimportsshouldalwaysbethrough saw a grandma in the
Mother. And, gasp, a grandmother. her kids and grandkid, when she’s back middle-aged maa has one roll-in-the-hay
tariffs,notquantitativerestrictions—asimultaneousmovedirectingmillers,tradersandim- When was the last time you saw a movies, or in TV fiction, home after work. She’s happy to snack on in Badhaai Ho and spends the rest of the
porters to disclose their stocks on a weekly basis isn’t. The government needs to take a bal- grandma in the movies, or in TV fiction, who chips instead of assembling a real meal. No movie explaining away the bout of momen-
who was all this and more?
ancedview:Indiaproducestoomuchrice,wheatandsugar,whilebeingimport-dependent wasallthisandmore?KateWinslet,magnif- timetowaste.She’soutthere,pullingouther tary passion.
icent as Mary Anne Sheehan aka Mare, gets
Kate Winslet, magnificent as gun, and saving lives, and while she’s at it, Daadis and naanis are supposed to be
onpulsesandedibleoils.Farmersshouldbeencouragedtogrowmoreofthelatter,whichalso
requireslesswater.Whenmarketpricesarefavouringthisvirtuousshiftincroppingpattern, everythingright—commendablypullingoff Mary Anne Sheehan aka making a stab at satisfactory sex. Whoa. cute and cuddly, and retreat discreetly into
any administrative action sending out the opposite signals — ahead of the kharif planting
anauthenticEastCoastaccent,comfortablein Mare, gets everything right The seven-part miniseries came to an the background. Mainstream Bollywood is
thelopingstrideandcautiousstanceof acop — pulling off an authentic endacoupleof daysago.Fortherecord,Idid- very far from showing mothers as busy pro-
season — is unwelcome. tasked with maintaining law and order in a n’t buy the big reveal, which the show had fessionals, finding joy in their work, leaving
town where everyone knows everyone else, East Coast accent, been building up to. It felt contrived, even if domesticity to other people. Grandmothers
jugglingclear-eyedprofessionalismandem- comfortable in the loping it was wholly unexpected. But — and this is in the throes? Perish the thought.
pathy as she sets about solving the brutal stride and cautious stance of the thing — it didn’t ruin the show for me. It Mare Of Easttown is a riveting piece of

NUMBER GAME killing of a young girl, trying to do the right

thing, and not always succeeding.
The superb, slow-burn of a thriller, writ-
a cop in a town where
everyone knows everyone
proved how a murder mystery can turn into
a classic by mining the depths of the charac-
ters, and allowing them an emotional graph
fiction, with its non-stop spate of red her-
rings, well-timed pockets of intrigue, and a
whole array of dodgy suspects. But one of
China’s new three-child policy aims to avert an unwanted ten and created by Brad Inglesby, refreshes else, juggling which shows their journey, internal and ex- its biggest strengths will always be in show-
the suburban-town-dark-doings trope, professionalism and ternal.Onemysteryissolved,unlockinglife’s ing us how a relationship is not a graven-
demographic shift. It won’t be that easy where ugliness simmers under the decep- endless mysteries. in-stone job description. Sexy grandmas?
empathy, trying to do the

O
tively placid facade of quiet streets, row It also made me think of the options, or Totally here for ’em.
N THE FACE of it, the Chinese government’s announcement of a “three-child” houses, neat lawns, overrun by people with right thing, and not the distressing lack of them, in mainstream
rule appears to be a policy reversal. But in permitting an increase in the num- murder on their minds. Mare could have always succeeding. Bollywood (Hollywood is guilty on this shubhra.gupta@expressindia.com
ber of children couples can have, the one-party state continues itstotalitarian
diktats vis a vis reproductive rights and freedoms. The one-child policy has
causedtraumatogenerations.Andsince2016,whenthegovernmentofficiallyreversedthe
one-childpolicytoallowtwochildren,therehasbeenlittleeffectonthedecliningfertilityrates
and consequent diminishing of the Middle Kingdom’s demographic dividend. JUNE 2, 1981, FORTY YEARS AGO
In economies and societies transitioning from poverty to higher levels of economic de-
velopment,apointisreachedwheretheproductivelabourforcedeclinesandtheburdenof REBELLION CRUSHED wards Chittagong to track down the muti- endeavouring to acquire a nuclear weapon.
anageingpopulationincreases.In2020,China’sfertilityratefellbelowthereplacementrate. THE BANGLADESH GOVERNMENT crushed neers. The Bangladesh government had on Saying that “we have our problems with
UnlikeintheWestandotherpartsof theworld,thedeclineinfertilityrateswasnotorganic, the three-day-old army rebellion in Sunday ordered troops from Comilla and China,”thegeneralsaidIndiashouldalsotake
ChittagongandbroughttoDhakathebodyof other centres to march on Chittagong to en- due note of developments in Tibet.
emanating from greater economic development. It was, at least in part, a consequence of
the slain President, Ziaur Rahman, for burial. force Army Chief Lt-Gen H M Ershad’s ulti-
state policy. Today, however, the burden of taking care of the elderly, the growing expenses Official reports in Dhaka said the situation in matum to the rebels to surrender. ROHINI’S MARCH
ofraisingchildrenanddemandingworkinghourshavemeantthatthetwo-andthree-child Chittagongwaspeacefulwithallofficersand THEROHINISATELLITE,placedinorbitbythe
rules have received only a lukewarm response. other ranks in the garrison having laid down NUCLEAR NEIGHBOURS Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-3) on Sunday
WhattheshiftinChina’sdemographicpolicysince2016indicatesisthattheCPCandthe their arms. About 2,000 rebels surrendered GENERAL K V Krishna Rao, the new Chief of morningfromSriharikotaRange(SHAR),has
stateareconsciousofthefactthatthecountrymaynotremaintheglobalrepositoryforlabour. toloyalforcesinChittagongearlyonMonday the Army Staff, said that in assessing any completed 25 orbits by Monday afternoon.
morning.BangladeshRiflesDeputyBrigadier threat,Indiahadtotakecognisanceof theca- According to U R Rao, Director of the ISRO
ThismayalsohaveconsequencesforIndia,where,inthebestversionoftheRisingIndiastory,
Mohiuddin, said to be a close lieutenant of pabilitiesof likelyadversaries.Inaninterview SatelliteCentre,theexactorbitcouldbedeter-
a young, productive population is set to be an economic asset in the coming decades. It re- Maj-Gen Manzur, was arrested in the north with the army in-house journal, Sainik mined only after a few days. Data from the
mainstobeseenifChina,whichhasovertakenIndiaintermsofeducation,healthandincome, of Chittagong. Two battalions of the Samachar,GeneralRaosaidChinawasalready satellite continued to be received. An ISRO
can also maintain its advantage in terms of labour. Delhi must do all it can to ensure that Bangladesh army from Mainamati canton- heading towards a second strike capability spokesman said the satellite passed over
India’s labour force becomes more competitive in every tier of the labour market. ment in Comilla district had proceeded to- andtherewas“reliableevidence’’of Pakistan Sriharikota around 10 pm on Sunday.
 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM

11 THE IDEAS PAGE

THE INDIAN EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2021 WHAT THE OTHERS SAY
“We need to do a lot of work to reduce households’ worries about having more
children ... Economic conditions are not the sole factor that determines people’s
willingness to have children.” —GLOBAL TIMES

Treating the hidden pandemic Not a steady climb

Targetedfiscalsupport,swifter
Controlling non-communicable disease mortality is key to reducing Covid death count. A comparison with inoculationwillbecriticalfor
its neighbourhood shows India’s lower Covid fatality rates are related to its controlled NCD mortalities economytobounceback
exports (exports minus imports), which
typically contribute negatively to GDP,
were less of a drag as import demand,
driven by domestic economic activity, was
much weaker than externally-driven ex-
port demand.
Nowwiththeprovisionalestimatesbe-
hind us, more uncertainty, downside risks
Praveen Pardeshi Dharmakirti Joshi andfrequentchangestotheeconomicout-
lookarein store.What’sworryinganalysts,
THE SECOND WAVE of Covid has left India THE LATEST PROVISIONAL estimate of the who are now gravitating towards a single-
shaken. However, despite the spike in cases, Indian economy has, along expected lines, digit growth estimate for the current year,
the average Covid patient in India faces 50 pegged the contraction in GDP at 7.3 per isthepaceof thevaccination,especiallybe-
per cent less risk of mortality compared to cent in 2020-2021. This provisional esti- cause of the likelihood of a third wave.
the global average. India’s Covid case fatality mate essentially captures more updated Another concern is the serious implication
at 1.16 per cent is nearly half of the global av- information, particularly the fourth-quar- of rising economic inequality in the ab-
erage of 2.17 per cent. terdata,therebyleadingtoacloserapprox- sence of strong fiscal support.
Is this a statistical aberration or are there imationof growthcomparedto thesecond Wehavetwodownsidescenariostoour
deeper underlying causes? Many studies advance estimate released earlier. GDP outlook of 11 per cent growth for
have shown that over 70 per cent of mortal- Theupwardrevisionof thefourth-quar- 2021-22 — a moderate downside scenario
ities associated with Covid are due to under- ter estimates has trimmed the overall de- with the economy growing at 9.8 per cent,
lying noncommunicable diseases (NCD) like cline, but crucially, the impact of the pan- and a severe downside scenario with
diabetes, cardiovascular ailments and can- demic on the informal sector has not been growth clocking 8.2 per cent. Risks remain
cer. India’s remarkable efforts at reducing accountedfor.Thatislikelytoshowuponly elevated on four fronts.
mortalities due to NCD like chronic lung dis- inthe“revisedestimates”releasedin2022, One, output and employment in con-
easesandcardiovasculardiseases(CVD)have bywhichtimeattentionwouldhaveshifted tact-basedservices,batteredbythesecond
yielded positiveoutcomes for reducedCovid to the shape of recovery. This provisional wave, remain vulnerable this year till vac-
case fatality. A comparison with other coun- estimatehasagreatershelf lifethanthetwo cinations ensure community safety. But
triesintheneighbourhoodshowsIndia’sbet- advance estimates that preceded it, and vaccinations will be ramped up signifi-
ter performance in Covid fatality rates is re- thusprovidesarelativelystablebaseforan- cantly only after July or August.
latedtoitscontrolledNCDmortalities.India’s alysts attempting to forecast the GDP tra- Two, the rural economy may be less
NCD mortality rate at 558 per 1,00,000 pop- jectory in a highly uncertain environment. supportive this year than previously. The
ulation is significantly less than its neigh- The gap between GDP and GVA (gross pandemic has penetrated far deeper into
bours and, correspondingly, the Covid case value added) growth has been the widest the hinterlands of Punjab, Maharashtra,
fatality rate in India is significantly better. since 2011-12 because of a sharp increase Karnataka, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar
A study led by the Defeat NCD team and in subsidies, including arrears. That Pradesh.Thisraisestheriskof supply-chain
guided by this writer, along with the should, however, correct from the current disruptions for agricultural products.
Economist Intelligence Unit and Viatris year onwards. Growth in rural wages has also softened,
shows that every 10 per cent decline in the The provisional estimate confirms that and lack of enhanced fiscal support will
underlying NCD mortality rate (an indica- contact-based services — particularly keep rural consumption demand muted.
tor that society is becoming healthier) leads Amongst lowest Covid-19 case Correlation between NCD mortality rate and Covid case India has reduced tourism, hospitality, and airlines — were Three,whilelockdownsandrestrictions
to 20 per cent decline in Covid fatality rates, fatality rates in the world fatality rate in South and Southeast Asia non-communicable deeply scarred. These are a part of the this time around have been less stringent,
after factoring in variables like demograph- “trade hotels, transport, etc” category they are likely to be more prolonged. Till
ics and public health expenditure. The India 1.1% ■ 2019NCDMortality ■ CovidCaseFatality disease mortality rate per which shrank in all quarters of the last fis- vaccinations reach a comfortable thresh-
Covid pandemic is simply an X-ray reveal-
SouthKorea 1.5%
Rateper1,00,000 RateperOWD 1,00,000 population cal year and posted the sharpest annual old, state governments will not rush to un-
ing the underlying noncommunicable dis- 800 3% contraction of 18.2 per cent. Mining activ- lock economic activity, and will cross the
ease pandemic. USA 1.8% ity too was hit hard, but agriculture re- river by feeling the stones. Demand for
580
560
550
545

585
565
555

570
575

What is India’s NCD strategy? India be- France 1.8% 600 2% mained largely untouched by the pan- services will take time to return as fear
gan implementing the multi sector NCD ac- Pakistan 2.2% 400 2014 demic and maintained its trend growth. among people after the second wave will
tion plan to achieve 25 per cent reduction in 1% 2015 This, despite being mildly impacted by ad- not dissipate quickly.
premature mortalities due to NCD by 2025.
Myanmar 2.3% 200 verse weather towards the fag-end of the Four, with private consumption re-
The Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat scheme is a Indonesia 2.7% 2016 monsoon season. maining weak, private investments will
0 0%
major initiative, which will invest over UK 2.9% 2017 Manufacturingshowedsomeresilience take a backseat. Though large corporates
Myanmar
Singapore

India

Philippines

Pakistan

Indonesia

Rs64,000croreinsettingup17,800ruraland Italy 3.0% 2018 due to fewer restrictions and the ability to have deleveraged and are in a position to
11,000 urban health and wellness centres, 2019 “livewith the virus”, given it is less contact- invest, low capacity utilisation and uncer-
602 critical care hospitals in districts and as- Source: Our World in Data (Oxford intensive in nature. Construction, a highly tainty will discourage them from doing so.
0
0.2

1.0
1.2
0.4
0.6
0.8

sociated chain of laboratories and virology University) / John Hopkins University Figure 2: Covid case fatality from Our World in Data (Oxford / John labour-intensivesector,reboundedsharply Advanced economies (particularly the
centres. India’s investments in strengthen- Covid Data Hopkins data); NCD mortality rates (WHO Global Health Observatory) WHO Global Health Observatory in the second half primarily because of in- US and the UK) are recovering faster and
ing primary health care andprovidingfinan- creased spending by the government on growth is getting more broad-based to in-
cial protection to nearly 100 million people Illustration: C R Sasikumar, Graphic: Ritesh Kumar buildinghighwaysandruralinfrastructure. clude services because of their success
undertheAyushmanBharatprogrammeand But overall, the engines of demand — with vaccinations. They also suffered less
the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana are of thatwomenwereexposedto.Theresultsare tion against Covid, the track and trace strat- private consumption and investment — last year due to generous fiscal and mon-
critical importance. slowly visible in the steady decline in NCD egy and Covid testing are opportunities to took a beating. Private consumption con- etary support, which continues well into
Under Ayushman Bharat, India has ex- mortality rates since 2014. detect undiagnosed patients living with di- tractedby9.1per cent,andwasonly 3.1per this calendar year.
panded the scope of primary healthcare to The Defeat-NCD Partnership at the abetes or cardiovascular diseases and pro- cent above the 2017-18 levels. The festive India lags on both these counts. Till we
include screening and diagnosis of NCD like United Nations Institute of Training and viding them with telemedicine-based pro- season and pent-up demand failed to off- havevaccinatedamateriallevelof thepop-
CVD,cancerandchronicrespiratorydiseases. Research had organised a call to action at the tocols of self-care so that the risk of falling set the deep losses logged in the first and ulation,policysupportingeneral,andfiscal
Nearly 1,20,000 primary health care centres margins of the World Health Assembly to Many studies have shown preytoCovidisminimised.Ultimately,India, second quarters. Even policy support and supportinparticular,mustserveasabridge
which were earlier focused only on vaccina- jointlytacklethetwinchallengesof theCovid that over 70 per cent of like the world, will be able to come out of the the unwinding of household savings (RBI’s to recovery, especially for segments that
tions against communicable diseases and pandemic and theunderlying NCD morbidi- Covid pandemic by strengthening health in- data shows they had plateaued at 8.1 per have been hit hard in urban areas. To soften
mother and child care are being converted ties. India’s Health Minister Dr Harsh mortalities associated with frastructure through the Atmanirbhar cent in the third quarter, down from a high the blow to the rural economy, the govern-
into health and wellness centres where pri- Vardhan, the health ministers of Rwanda, Covid are due to underlying Swasth Bharat programme so that the over- of 21 per cent in the first), could not prop ment must priorities increasing the MGN-
marycareforNCDisbecomingavailable.The Gambia and Qatar, the president of Islamic non-communicable diseases. all disease burden in society like diabetes, up consumption materially. REGA outlay and providing additional re-
PM’s health insurance scheme covers 100 Bank and WHO participated in it. A key les- CVDs and cancer are reduced. Achieving the Asimilarstoryplayedoutontheinvest- sourcesforrampinguphealthinfrastructure.
India’s efforts at reducing
million of the most vulnerable population son emerging from this international call to SDG by reducing one-third of premature ment side, with gross fixed capital forma- Thedangeristhatwithoutsuchsupport,
and eliminates out-of-pocket expenditures action was to synergise the strengthening of mortalities due to NCD like mortalities due to NCD will make India re- tion falling 10.2 per cent — a good 6.9 per recoverywouldbeunbalanced,leavingasig-
for the poorest which could be as high as 72 health sector by ensuring universal access to chronic lung diseases and silient to the viral pandemics of the future. cent below 2018-19 levels. Faced with the nificantshareofbothcompaniesandhouse-
per cent if not covered by public insurance. screening for NCD and application of AI cardiovascular diseases uncertainty, many private sector compa- holds in acute distress, even as overall GDP
The replacement of polluting fuel wood pairedwithtelemedicinetocontinuehealth- The writer is global programme coordinator, nies trimmed their investment plans. So numbersshowbettergrowth.Thelong-term
with LPG under the PM Ujjwala Yojana in 90 careforNCDpatientstoovercomethesevere
(CVD) have yielded positive Defeat-NCD Partnership, UN Institute for much so that even the government’s push consequences of that won’t be salutary.
millionfamilieshassignificantlyreducedthe challenges which the lockdown imposes on outcomes for reduced Covid Training and Research, Geneva and former in the fourth quarter could not make good
risk of the chronic lung diseases and cancer continuity of health services. The vaccina- case fatality. Mumbai Commissioner the gap for the full fiscal. Interestingly, net Joshi is chief economist CRISIL Ltd

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Justice not done FRIEND IN NEED
Sequence of events in Narada case raises worrying questions about the court THISREFERSTOthearticle,‘Myfriendis
IDEAS
a lizard’ (IE, June 1). As a pet lover, I can
feelthepangsof separationfromChippi
ONLINE
Rekha Sharma feltbyherfriend.Greedandambitionin ONLY IN THE EXPRESS
a materialistic sense have eroded the
A FIVE-JUDGE BENCH of Calcutta High rocity. The BJP fielded its top leaders but and also pleaded that the proceedings be- stituted a bench of five judges to hear the ethosandvaluesof life,buthumancom- ● REWORKTHE
Court, by its order of May 28, granted in- failed to wrest power. This was a huge set- fore the CBI judge be declared non-est as matter. With the greatest of respect to the passion and love still burn bright. VACCINEPOLICY:
terim bail to four Trinamool Congress lead- back for the BJP. Many believe this as the sole they were vitiated on account of dharna and Chief Justice, may one ask what was the big Partha Guharay, via email SHRUTI LAKHTAKIA
ers subject to certain conditions. Two are reason for the CBI going after the accused. slogan shouting. constitutional issue involved in this mat-
ministers in Mamata Banerjee’s govern-
ment, while one is an MLA, and another a
For long, the credibility of the CBI has
been running low. It is seen as an instru-
It is an elementary principle of criminal
jurisprudence that once bail has been
ter? Imagine how the accused were made
to suffer in a simple matter when bail and
KOTAK IS RIGHT ● THE PANDEMIC, A MIRROR
FOR INDIAN SOCIETY:
former Kolkata mayor. All four had been ar- ment of the state, no matter which party is granted by a competent court, the only way not jail is the rule. THIS REFERS TO the editorial, ‘Undoing AJAY SAINI
rested by the CBI on May 17 in the Narada in power. Given the bitterness with which to negate it is by filing an application for The latest twist is a letter from a senior thedamage’(IE,June1).UdayKotak’scall
scam case. The order came to be passed af- the election was fought, and that soon af- cancellation before the same court or a judge of the same High Court addressed to for another round of fiscal relief pack- www.indianexpress.com
ter many twists and turns. Unfortunately, ter the election, the CBI went knocking on higher court. The CBI, ignoring this legal ap- the Chief Justice and his fellow judges. As ages, including printing money, is both
none of the parties involved in the matter the doors of the accused, it will be naive to proach, merely sent a communication to per him, the communication of the CBI timely and justified. Both the assump-
has covered itself with glory. believe that its actions were only a step the High Court, which the acting Chief could not be treated as a writ petition, and tions—theIndianeconomyhasalready
The incident in which the accused are taken towards the trial of the case, and that Justice in a late-night sitting treated as a that the mob presence can be a ground for seen the worst and the GDP would re- PM and CM adopt the Odhisa model of
allegedly involved dates back to 2014 when it was not acting at the behest of its politi- writ petition and stayed the bail order, as adjudication on merits of the CBI judge’s or- cover — proved to be off the mark. By state-Centre relationship. The initiative
a journalist, Mathew Samuel, conducted a cal masters. though the accused had committed such a der, but it does not empower the division providing direct monetary help to the should come from the PM.
sting operation posing as a businessman, If this indeed was not the case, CBI needs heinous crime that the matter could not bench to take up the matter. Questioning poorandextendingexistingschemesfor Y G Chouksey, Pune
and allegedly lured them into accepting to explain how the four accused, roaming wait till the next morning. the convening of a five-judge bench, he has collateral-freeloanstosmallbusinesses,
bribes of Rs 4 lakh to 5 lakh. The whole
episode caught on camera allegedly re-
free for the last several years, suddenly be-
came a threat to a free and fair trial necessi-
The matter was next taken up on May 19
byabenchheadedbytheactingChief Justice.
written that such a bench is constituted
when the view of a division bench is incon-
asKotakhassuggested,thegovernment
can arrest and reverse the slide.
DEMOCRACY FIRST
vealed that not only these four, but many tating their arrest, more so, when some oth- The Chief Justice favoured keeping the ac- sistent with the view of another division S S Paul, Nadia THIS REFERS TO the article, ‘How
others, including Suvendu Adhikari and ers similarly placed, but in opposition now, cused persons under house arrest, but the bench. Finally, he wrote: “Our conduct is Pakistan plays the world’(IE, June 1).
Mukul Roy, who later left TMC and joined
the BJP, were also involved. In 2017, the mat-
are still at large.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on
other judge was in favour of granting bail.
Normally, if there is a difference of opinion
unbecoming of the majesty the High Court
commands. We have been reduced to a
CLASH OF EGOS India’s relationship with any nation
significantly depends, inter-alia,
ter reached Calcutta HC which ordered a CBI coming to know of the arrests got so enraged between two judges, the matter is referred mockery”. These are strong words. THIS REFERS TO the editorial, ‘Onus on upon the democratic credentials of a
enquiry, resulting in registration of FIR. The that she staged a dharna at the CBI office, to a third judge whose opinion prevails. But Courts should act as a shield against the Delhi’(IE,June1).AmongCMsof opposi- state, which Pakistan has failed to
matter seems to have remained in limbo till daring the officials to arrest her too, though the Chief Justice chose not to refer the mat- tyranny of the state. In the words of Lord tion-ruled states, only those of West uphold. The only hope lies in the
the CBI woke up from its slumber on May it would have been far more befitting for her ter to the third judge. The accused remained Mansfield, “Let justice be done though the BengalandDelhiareatloggerheadswith reining of the autocratic tendencies
17, and arrested the above named accused. to take recourse to legal remedies. under house arrest. The CBI went to the heavens fall.” Yes, bail has been granted, but theCentre.Aconflictof egosisattheroot in Pakistan by the democratically
In the interregnum, much water had The CBI judge before whom the accused Supreme Court against the said order, but at what cost? of the ongoing tussle. It will be in the in- elected government.
flown under the bridge. The West Bengal were produced virtually granted interim finding that the SC was not inclined to stay terest of the people of Bengal if both the Vinay Saroha, Delhi
government completed its term and assem- bail to the accused. But the CBI rushed to orreversethesame,itwithdrewthepetition. The writer is a former judge
bly election in the state was fought with fe- the High Court seeking transfer of the case, Meanwhile, the acting Chief Justice con- of the Delhi High Court
 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM

12 THE WORLD
THE INDIAN EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2021 REMEMBERING DESTRUCTION OF ‘BLACK WALL STREET’
BIDEN TO HONOUR TULSA MASSACRE VICTIMS
US President Joe Biden will take part in a remembrance of a largely forgotten moment of
racial violence as he helps commemorate the 100th anniversary of the destruction of a Black
community in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Biden will be the first president to participate in remem-
brances of the destruction of “Black Wall Street”, in which over 300 people were killed.

TOPOFTHE
WORLD
New Vatican law criminalises
abuse of adults by priests, laity
Nepal SC bench
hearing House Netanyahu challenge of
rival’s PM bid rebuffed
dissolution to be
predators to build relationships reconstituted
NICOLE WINFIELD with their victims to then sexu-
VATICAN CITY, JUNE 1 ally exploit them. YUBARAJ GHIMIRE
The law also removes much KATHMANDU, JUNE 1
POPE FRANCIS has changed of thediscretionthathadlongal- DAN WILLIAMS
church law to explicitly crimi- lowed bishops and religious su- ACONSTITUTIONALbenchof the JERUSALEM, JUNE 1
Kim Jong Un nalise the sexual abuse of adults periors to ignore or cover up Nepal Supreme Court hearing a
by priests who abuse their au- abuse, making clear they can be plea against the dissolution of A LAST-GASP legal challenge by
thority and to say that laypeople held responsible for omissions Parliamentislikelytobereconsti- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
NORTH KOREA who hold church office can be andnegligenceinfailingtoprop- tutedfollowingprotestsfromad- Netanyahu to thwart a bid by a
Rulingpartysets sanctioned for similar sex
crimes.
Pope Francis erly investigate and sanction er-
rant priests.
vocates, who said two of the
judges -- Justice Tej Bahadur K C
rival rightist to head a new gov-
ernment was rejected on
upnewpost The new provisions,released According the new law, andJusticeBamBahadurShrestha Tuesday as his opponents raced

underKim Tuesday after 14 years of study,

were contained in the revised
adults, too, can be victimized by
priests who abuse their author-
priestswhoengageinsexualacts
with anyone — not just a minor
-- may have a conflict of interest.
The five-judge bench had al-
to seal a pact that would unseat
him.
Seoul:NorthKorea'sruling criminal law section of the ity, and said that laypeople in or someone who lacks theuse of ready heard three sessions, with Naftali Bennett, Netanyahu's
party has amended its Vatican’s Codeof CanonLaw, the church offices can be punished reason — can be defrocked if the eligibility of the two judges former defence minister, an-
rules to create a de facto in-house legal system that cov- for abusing minors as well as theyused“force,threatsorabuse questioned.Whilebothjudgesde- nounced on Sunday he would
second-in-command un- ersthe1.3billion-strongCatholic adults. of his authority” to engage in clinedtorecusethemselves,Chief join a proposed alliance with A protester wears a mask of Benjamin Netanyahu and a t-shirt
der leader Kim Jong Un as Church. TheVaticanalsocriminalized sexual acts. JusticeCholendraShumsherRana centrist opposition leader Yair which says 'Ceremony is over' at a rally in Tel Aviv. Reuters
he looks to revamp do- The most significant changes the“grooming”of minorsorvul- Thelawdoesn’texplicitlyde- onTuesdayagreedtoreconstitute Lapid, serving as its premier first
mestic politics, South are contained in two articles, nerable adultsbyprieststo com- fine which adults are covered, the bench following a meeting under a rotation deal. read more
Korea's Yonhap news 1395and1398, whichaimtoad- pel them to engage in pornogra- saying only “one to whom the withrepresentativesoftheNepal They have until Wednesday said Lapid was not authorised to ‘Will risk tension with
agency said on Tuesday. dress major shortcomings in the phy. It’s the first time church law lawrecognizesequalprotection.” BarAssociation.TheCJwasunder midnight (2100GMT) topresent cedethepremiershiptoBennett. US to nutralise Iran’
Citing an unidentified church’s handling of sexual hasofficiallyrecognizedascrim- The new law takes effect on pressure after the remaining two afinalpacttoRivlin,whohanded ButPresidentReuvenRivlin's
source familiar with abuse. The law recognizes that inal the method used by sexual December 8. AP judgesinthebenchthreatenedto Lapid the task of forming a new office said in response that there Netanyahu said Tuesday he's
North Korea, the agency opt out if the two judges in ques- government after Netanyahu was no legal merit to Likud's preparedtorisktensionwiththe
said the holder of the new tion did not withdraw. failed to do so in the wake of a claim because Lapid would be US if that is what it takes to neu-
post of "first secretary" PAK JOURNALIST ‘BARRED’ FROM SHOW China reports Earlier,PrimeMinisterKPOli close election on March 23. sworn in as "alternate prime tralizeIran’snuclear capabilities.
would chair meetings on
behalf of Kim Jong Un. Experts to check contents first human case
hadcourtedcontroversyafterhe
saidthat the demandby lawyers
Hoping to beat the deadline,
Lapid, Bennett and other party
minister",secondtoserveaspre-
mier as part of the rotation.
He said Israel's biggest threat
remains the possibility of a nu-
REUTERS that the petitioners should “de- leadersconvenedtoclinchcoali- It accepted Likud's argument clear-armed Iran. He said Israel
of Mir’s speech: TV channel of H10N3 bird flu cide the bench was anarchic”.
This triggered a wider debate as
tionagreements,sourcesbriefed
on the talks said.
that Lapid must provide the
president with full details of the
is prepared to prevent that from
happening even if the United
to why Oli was seemingly com- Inalettertothelegalcounsels new government and not just Statesandothernationssucceed
BANGLADESH SAJJAD HUSSAIN K J M VARMA ing to the rescue of the bench ofthepresidencyandparliament, announce that he has clinched a in reinstating the 2015 Iran nu-
Minister’sphone ISLAMABAD, JUNE 1 BEIJING, JUNE 1 hearing a case against him. Netanyahu's conservative Likud coalition deal. REUTERS clear accord. AP

snatchedin A PRIVATE TV channel in CHINA HAS reported the first

Dhakastreet Pakistan has said that its team of

experts will check the contents
caseof humaninfectionwiththe
H10N3 strain of bird flu from the Sri Lanka, facing ‘worst’ marine WHO approves
2nd China vaccine
disaster, probes cargo ship fire
Dhaka: A thief snatched of a speech by veteran journalist country’s Jiangsu province,
the phone of a senior
Cabinet minister while he
Hamid Mir, who was stopped
from hosting a popular talk
China’s National Health
Commission said on Tuesday.
for emergency use
wastravellinginhisofficial show,againstthecountry'spow- Hamid Mir The patient, a 41-year-old employed to scour the country’s Beijing,Geneva:TheWorldHealth
vehicle. Planning Minister erful “establishment” following man from Zhenjiang city, is cur- THE NEW YORK TIMES beaches for the pellets used in Organisation (WHO) said on
M A Mannan said he was an attack on a fellow scribe. rentlystableandmeetsdischarge COLOMBO, JUNE 1 the production of plastic bags. Tuesday that it has approved a
browsingsomethingonhis Mir delivered a fiery speech the news channel. standards,state-runCGTNTVre- A spokesman for Sri Lanka’s secondChineseCovid-19vaccine,
phone with his car’s win- at a protest staged by the jour- The channel came up with a ported.Healthauthoritiesplayed AUTHORITIES IN Sri Lanka have Navy said the fire, which broke Sinovac,foremergencyuselisting.
dowrolleddownwhenthe nalists against an attack by three statement after it faced severe down the outbreak, saying the opened a criminal investigation out aboard the ship, MV X-Press “WHO today validated the
robbersnatchedthedevice 'unknown' persons on journal- backlashonsocialmediaforstop- case was a sporadic virus trans- into the crew of a cargo ship Pearl, on May 20, had been con- Sinovac-CoronaVac COVID-19
from his hand on Sunday. ist Asad Toor on Friday in ping Mir from hosting the talk missionfrompoultrytohumans, laden with toxic chemicals that tained, but on Tuesday thick, vaccine for emergency use, giv-
The minister told his Islamabad. He demanded ac- show. “The editorial committee and the risk of causing a pan- has been burning off the island black smoke was still seen rising ingcountries,funders,procuring
armed bodyguard in the countability in the attack which and lawyers will check for viola- demic was extremely low. nation’scoastfor12days,spilling from the burned containers on agencies and communities the
frontseattochasethethief, was a series of such assaults on tion of policy and law. Thepatientwasdiagnosedas debris intothe ocean and pollut- Sri Lankan soldiers carry a the ship’s deck. assurance that it meets interna-
who managed to flee. media persons who are critical Meanwhile, ‘Capital Talk’ will be having the H10N3 avian in- ing the country’s beaches. sack of polythene pellets The spokesman said the ship tional standards for safety, effi-
Dhaka police have said of the country's military. hosted by a temporary host,” it fluenza virus on May 28, Several tons of plastic pellets that washed ashore. AP/PTI was carrying 1,486 containers, cacy and manufacturing," the
theyhaveputintheir“best Mir,hostingCapitalTalkshow said,addingthatthespeechmade National Health Commission have washed ashore, and Sri many of which contained so- UN health agency said in a state-
efforts” to recover the on Geo TV, was sent on leave on byMirovertheweekend“hasre- saidinastatementwithoutelab- Lanka’s Marine Protection called dangerous goods, includ- ment. The vaccine is produced
stolen phone. PTI MondaybytheTVnetworkwhich sulted in backlash from different orating on how the man had got Authority described the spill as lution in our history.” ing nitric acid, caustic soda, by the Beijing-based pharma-
claimed that he was still part of segments of society”. PTI infected with the virus. PTI “probably the worst beach pol- Securitypersonnelhavebeen sodiummethoxideandmethane. ceutical company Sinovac. PTI

OVER THE HEDGE by Michael Fry & T Lewis

CROSSWORD 4445 DAY TODAY BY PETER VIDAL
ARIES (Mar 21 - Apr 20) LIBRA (Sept 24 - Oct 23)
Someone still You must soon
appears to imagine make a choice as to
that you will give whether you will
way over a financial continue on your
matter, yet colleagues may yet old course and maintain your
have the ground swept existing lifestyle, or change
from under them. However, direction completely.
you must move forward in The pressure to alter your
concert with your ways is still slight, but will
sympathisers. If you break intensify rapidly before long.
ranks now you'll expose all In the meantime, have
your weaknesses. a breather.
TAURUS (Apr 21 - M ay 21) SCORPIO (Oct 24 - Nov 22)
Mercury is still on There are ample
your side, and news indications that this
received during the can be a time of
CALVIN & HOBBES by Bill Watterson coming week should exploration,
both gladden your heart and discovery and personal
make it clear that your instincts fulfilment for you. Partners
and intuitions have been right will be more inclined to
all along. The point is that you recognise your many gifts and
seem to have all the best ideas, abundant good points than in
but you still have to persuade the past. And that has to be
other people of that fact. good news.
ACROSS DOWN
1 It has a pleasant point of view 1 A professional dancer GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 - Dec 22)
(6) (6) There is so much There are some
4 Gentleman to escort a lady 2 A revival in witchcraft? going on behind the signs that the tide of
(6) (5) scenes at work that it fortune is about to
9 He is trained in horse jumping 3 Second-rate and badly dressed is difficult or even turn in your favour.
(7) but put on a big act (7) impossible to gauge the It is likely that, initially, you
10 Turn out a bad scholar? 5 Yetshemaybeamanonboard outcome of current may experience little more
(5) (5) developments. Put personal than a reduction of pressure,
11 Prone to being deceitful 6 Insinuated that the naughty qualms to one side, press ahead but even this will be sufficient
(5) child was a fibber too with confidence and put the to open a window of
12 Catching and getting in fish (7) priority on completing opportunity into a new
(7) 7 A highly commendatory unfinished emotional business. emotional life.
13 Star usherette? (7,4)
18 He mingles with the crowd to
speech (6)
8 Unlawful gatherings? MARVIN by Tom Armstrong CANCER (June 22 - July 23) CAPRICORN (Dec 23 - Jan 20)
get food (7) (6,5) Mars is preparing to One way or another
20 To avoid it, make a stew hash 14 Self-praise when times go take a more active you will have to
(5) badly (7) role in your life and alter your approach
22 Positional defence (5) 15 A drop in the ocean you will very soon to career and
23 Here in France a cape is needed (3,4) have an undisputed personal interests. Be
for the extreme cold 16 Fights for leftovers (6) opportunity to make your warned that niggling irritations
(7) 17 Drunken crones may strike out position clear. You must be could blow up unexpectedly,
24 A comparison which makes (6) ready to speak and act in no unless you deal with
one break into a grin 19 A bit of exercise (5) uncertain terms. After all, I causes of discontent now.
(6) 21 Little in the way of dessert know you're sensitive, but And, while you're at it, you'll
25 An old fool (6) (5) you're also quite capable of turn a cash crisis to
being as tough as anyone else your advantage.
when necessary.
SolutionsCrossword4444:Across:1Impetus,5Cable,8Goeswithabang,9Tiara, AQUARIUS (Jan 21 - Feb 19)
10Elector,11Creche,12Touchy,15Matador,17Sense,19Shakeyourhead,20Otter, LEO (July 24 - Aug 23) There is every reason
21Sweater.Down:1Ingot,2Preparedtoact,3Towpath,4Setter,5Crate,6Beauty Three planets, to hope that current
contest,7Eagerly,11Comesto,13Observe,14Proofs,16Drear,18Eider. glistening away in developments in
the angles of your your private life will
chart responsible for give you the courage and
your career and professional confidence to implement wide-
JUMBLED WORDS DifficultyLevel5s
hopes, leave you in no doubt ranging and sweeping
SOLUTION SUDOKU 4489

that this is the time to push improvements in your

Instructions yourself forward. Pull every professional affairs. One thing is
Givenbelowarefourjumbledwords.Solvethejumblestomakeproperwordsandmovethemto TosolveaSudokupuzzle, string possible to ensure that certain, that a long process of
therespectivesquaresbelow.Selectthelettersintheshadedsquaresandjumblethemtoget everydigitfrom1to9 you are taken much more personal change is only
SUDOKU 4490

theanswerforthegivenquip. mustappearineachofthe seriously. just beginning.

ThemostIcandoformy___issimplybehis___.-HenryDavidThoreau(6,.,6)(sameword nineverticalcolumns,in
twice) VIRGO (Aug 24 - Sept 23) PISCES (Feb 20 - Mar 20)
eachoftheninehorizontal Aside from current Allow others the
CEHER CDEEOD rowsandineachofthe issues, there are freedom to do as
nineboxes. pastures new they please
waiting to be and leave yourself
discovered and enjoyed if you free to concentrate on
NOUIN EHISSF DifficultyLevel
are willing to make the right those interests and activities
moves. Yet, for the next few which have a deeper meaning
1s=Veryeasy;2s=Easy; days, travel plans must be open and significance. You will
3s=Medium;4s=Hard; to fresh scrutiny, mainly certainly be able to gain
5s=VeryHard;6s= because circumstances are the recognition you so
Answer: The most I can do for my friend is simply be his friend. - Henry David Thoreau Genius about to change. thoroughly deserve.
SOLUTION: CHEER, UNION, DECODE, FISHES
 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM

13 ECONOMY
THE INDIAN EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2021

GOLD RUPEE OIL SILVER

`48,892 `72.90 $68.00 `71,850
Note: Gold, silver rates at Delhi spot market; gold per 10 g, silver per 1 kg; Crude oil (Indian basket) as on May 31, 2021

SENSEX: 51,934.88 ▼ 2.56 (0.00%) NIFTY: 15,574.85 ▼ 7.95 (0.05%) NIKKEI: 28,814.34 ▼ 45.74 HANG SENG: 29,468.00 ▲ 316.20 FTSE: 7,107.84 ▲ 85.23 DAX: 15,677.27 ▲ 256.14
International market data till 1900 IST

SECTOR WATCH DECISION TO DEPEND UPON HOW SCHEME IS EXHAUSTED

Insider trading: Sebi
AUTOMOBILE
‘Existingwindowsufficient’but bars 2 Infy ex-staff;
Production halt,
lockdown bumpers
dent passenger vehicle
govt‘opentoraising’ECLGScap co to initiate probe
Six other entities
SUNNYVERMA WHAT’STHESCHEME
a lot of number crunching and
datatellsusthattheexistingwin-
ther helped if a higher allocation
wouldhavealsobeenmadeunder
also restrained
sales to near 1-yr low NEWDELHI,JUNE1

THEGOVERNMENTisopentoin-
■ Under ECLGS, which
is for helping firms tide
dowissufficienttoaccommodate
possible stressed entities that
could be looking for funding. But
this scheme. We understand that
oftheRs3lakhcroreinitiallysanc-
tioned,Rs2.54lakhcrorehasbeen
from trading
crease the funding limit of over liquidity crunch if more funds are required and disbursedleavingRs45,000crore ENSECONOMICBUREAU
SHARP FALL IN SALES Rs 3 lakh crore under the emer-
gency credit line guarantee
resulting from Covid
curbs, banks provide
more beneficiaries are added, the
governmentcanthenenhancethe
asthebalanceamount,”Ficcipres-
identUdayShankarhassaid.
MUMBAI,JUNE1

■ May-21 scheme (ECLGS), the scope of additional loans to fundinglimit,”theofficialsaid. Ficci had requested that the THE SECURITIES and Exchange
1,35,879

■ Apr-21 whichwaswidenedSundaytoin- existing borrowers The government on Sunday quantum under ECLGS should be BoardofIndia(Sebi)hasrestrained
■ May-20 cludecivilaviationsectorandpro- without asking for expanded the scope of the ECLGS doubled to Rs 6 lakh crore. We two Infosys employees and six
vide further relief to existing bor- extra collateral to provide more relief to small hope the Finance Ministry will other entities from trading in the SebibuildinginMumbai.
49,002

rowers. Leading industry players businesses.Itbroughttheaviation keepaclosewatchonthesituation stockmarketforinsidertradingin Theregulatorsaidillegal

32,903

25,001

25,095

havearguedthatthegovernment sector under its ambit, and pro- and appropriate enhancements the company’s scrip during the gainsof `3.06crhavebeen
18,285
13,865

15,181

shouldenhancethelimittoRs4-6 schemeisexhausted,whatkindof videdaconcessionalcreditfacility will be made in time as required, quarterendedJune30,2020. impoundedfromCapitalOne,

8,004

9,072
6,883

3,867
2,032
3,152

lakh crore to ensure that benefits companies are availing it,” a sen- of up to Rs 2 crore in loans for hehadsaid.CIIalsopointedoutthe Themarketregulatorinanin- Tesoraandtheirowners. File
375

reachalargesetof companies. iorFinanceMinistryofficialsaid. health facilities to set up oxygen need for an additional ECLGS, in- terimordersaiditfoundthattwo
Maruti Hyundai Tata M&M Honda “Currently,thereisaheadroom Under ECLGS, which is for generationplants.Thosewhohave cludingincreasingthesizefromRs Infosys employees — Venkata
Suzuki Motor Motors Cars ofaboutRs45,000croreunderthe helping companies tide over liq- availed loans under the scheme 3lakhcroretoRs4-5lakhcrore. Subramaniam, senior principal, itsemployeesandaninsidertrad-
scheme,which,webelieve,should uiditycrunchresultingfromCovid cangetadditionalassistanceofup Thegovernmentremovedthe corporate accounting and ing policy that governs dealing
be sufficient to cater to new cate- curbs, banks provide additional to10percentofoutstandingdues current ceiling of Rs 500 crore of Pranshu Bhutra, company’s sen- with unpublished price sensitive
sold 8,004 units last month, gory of beneficiaries under the loans to existing borrowers with- asof February29,2020. outstandingloansforeligibilityun- ior corporate counsel along with information.
ENSECONOMICBUREAU lowest since May 2020 when scheme. But, the government is out asking for extra collateral. To “WhiletheECLGShasbeenex- der ECLGS, subject to maximum partnersofCapitalOneandTesora Sebi said in its order Pranshu
NEWDELHI,JUNE1 itsold3,867units. open to increasing it if required, encourage banks, these loans are tended till September 2021 with additional assistance to each bor- Capital—allegedlyindulgedinin- Bhutrahadprocuredunpublished
Whilesaleswereimpacted maybebyanotherRs1lakhcrore. fully guaranteed by the govern- disbursements being allowed till rowerbeinglimitedto40percent sidertrading.Sebisaidillegalgains pricesensitiveinformation(UPSI)
DOMESTIC PASSENGER vehi- on account of lockdown re- Thiswilldependuponthehowthe mentagainstcreditlosses.“Wedid December2021,itwouldhavefur- orRs200crore,whicheverislower. of Rs 3.06 crore have been im- fromVenkataandwasconstantly
cle sales for several manufac- strictionsacrossthecountryto poundedfromCapitalOne,Tesora in communication with Amit
turershita12-monthlowthis curbthespreadofcoronavirus, and their owners. Bhutraof CapitalOne.
May as most states imposed the production also took a hit NORMS ISSUED “Thecompanywillextendfull As per Sebi, Capital One and
COVID-19 IMPACT
lockdown restrictions during
the month and automobile
a many companies advanced
their annual maintenance Pharma PLI: cooperationasrequiredtoSebion
thematter.Additionallyasaresult
TesoratradedinInfosysintheF&O
segment just prior to announce-
manufacturers went for pro-
duction shutdown at their
plantsforatleasttwoweeksin
shutdowntoMay.
“During last month, we
also undertook extended
‘Manufacturing PMI slides to 55.5 Seasonally adjusted
IHS Markit India
Manufacturing Purchasing
Maximum of
of theorder,aninternalinvestiga-
tion is being initiated and appro-
priateactionwillbetakenoncon-
mentoffinancialresultsforquarter
ended June 30, 2020 and, subse-
quently,squaredoffpositionssuch
abidtobreakthechainof sec- maintenance related shut- 50.8 in May from 55.5 in April’ Managers’ Index (PMI) in
55 applicants clusionofsuchinvestigation,”said that their net positions were zero.
ondwaveof Covid. downofourfactoryleadingto April. In PMI parlance, a print Infosysinastatement. SebisaidVenkataandPranshuhad
Manufacturing sector activity saw a significant loss of above 50 means expansion
to be selected
While industry leader limited production but effec- Infosys said it has a well-de- prima facie violated provision of
Maruti Suzuki India Limited tively breaking the chain growth momentum in May due to intensification of the while a score below 50 finedcodeof conductcoveringall SebiActandPITRegulations.
announcedsaleof32,903units amidst high number of cases Covid-19 crisis and its detrimental impact on demand, the denotes contraction
inMay,whichwaslowestsince innorthIndia.Withincreasein monthly IHS Markit survey said New Delhi: The government on
May2020whenthecompany
sold 13,865 units, the second-
paceofvaccinationandthede-
clining cases, we expect mar- 70 Manufacturing PMI
50.8
50.8 Manufacturing PMI
reading for May,
Tuesdayissuedoperationalguide-
linesfortheproductionlinkedin-
largestmanufacturer,Hyundai ketswillopengraduallyallow- 60 30.8 with companies observing the centive scheme for the pharma-
MotorIndia,sold25,001units ing business continuity,” said 50 slowest rises in new work and ceutical industry to enhance
during the month — an 11- Rajesh Goel, director, market- output in 10 months India’smanufacturingcapabilities
monthlow.Thecompanyhad ing&sales,HondaCarsIndia.
40 54 byincreasinginvestmentandpro-
sold21,320unitsinJune2020. “Juneisexpectedtobean-
30 Services PMI April ‘21 Factors that curbed growth duction in the sector.
Even the third-largest PV other month of weak sales as 20 of manufacturing sector: TheDepartmentof Pharmac-
manufacturer, Tata Motors, boththecustomerandadmin- 10 12.6 ■ Escalation of the pandemic
euticals has notified the ‘Prod-
saw a dip in sales since May, istration are very cautious. 0 uction Linked Incentive Scheme
compared to those in the pre- Evenautomobilemanufactur- May2020 May2021 ■ Difficulties in securing forPharmaceuticals,forwhichthe
vious months. The company ers have started only limited raw materials approved outlay is Rs 15,000
posted sales of 15,181 units in production and everyone is crore, the Ministry of Chemicals
May, as against sales of over waitingforvaccinationtopick- andFertilizerssaidinastatement.
25,000 units in April. In May upbeforethingscanfullynor- Not as severe as first lockdown: Detrimental impacts of the pandemic and Source: Theapplicationwindowisfor
2020,itsold3,152units. malise,” said an official with a associated restrictions seen in the manufacturing sector are considerably IHS Markit/PTI 60daysstartingfromJune2toJuly
Mahindra and Mahindra manufacturer. less severe than during the first lockdown 31. A maximum of 55 applicants
willbeselectedunderthescheme,
the statement added.

What is RBI’s latest

Based on a series of consulta-
BRIEFLY ‘Despite costlier fuel, tionswiththepharmaceuticalin-
dustry and stakeholders in the
Oxygensupply low demand pulls down circular on cryptos?
government, the operational
guidelines for the scheme have
NewDelhi:Thegovernment beenpreparedandissuedonJune
has allowed oxygen manu-
facturing units to supply
oxygentocertainindustries
truck rental prices’ GEORGEMATHEW
tual currency, is expected to give
somerelieftocustomerswhohave
1. The scheme is now open to ap-
plications from the industry, the
Ministry said.
like MSME, food processing MUMBAI,JUNE1 invested in cryptocurrencies. As Theapplicationsareinvitedin
plantsandinfrastructurepr- KARUNJITSINGH Petrol, diesel many Indians have invested in the three groups based on the
ojects, on temporary basis. NEWDELHI,JUNE1 DAYS AFTER some leading banks cryptocurrencies like bitcoin and GlobalManufacturingRevenueof
at new highs cautioned people against dealing ethereum, the RBI move will be a FY2019-20oftheapplicants. ENS
IndiaonIPwaiver LOW DEMAND has pushed the
priceoftruckrentalsonkeyroutes
New Delhi: With the seven-
teenth hike in May, petrol
in cryptocurrencies, the Reserve
BankofIndia(RBI)onMondaysaid
respite for them and their money
— estimated to be around Rs
New Delhi: The WTO mem- downwardby5-8percentinMay, anddieselpricesscalednew banksandotherregulatedentities 10,000crore—won’tbeblocked.
bers must infuse some cer- even as fuel prices are on the rise. highonTuesday,withpetrol cannotciteitsApril2018orderon
taintybyagreeingtoinitiate Oilmarketingcompanieshave rising by 26 paise per litre virtualcurrencies(VCs) Whatarebanks
text-based talks on the pro- hiked prices of diesel and petrol and diesel by 23 paise. In as it has been set aside expectedtodonow?
posed patent waiver pro- byaboutRs4.7andRs4.1perlitre, Delhi, petrol hit an all-time by the Supreme Court Banks, as well as
posaltodealwiththeCovid- respectively, since the beginning highofRs94.49alitre,while in2020. other entities, may
19pandemic,Indiasaid. PTI of May,following a 65-day freeze diesel is at Rs 85.38. PTI continue to carry out
on price revisions when a num- WhatdidtheRBIsay? customerduediligence
J&Jappeal ber of states went to polls.
A report by the Indian levels.Itsaidthata10-15percent
Whatwasthe
trigger?
processes in line with
regulations governing
Washington: The US Supr- FoundationofTransportResearch growthinarrivaloffruitsandveg- “In view of the order of the standards for Know Your
eme Court on Tuesday de- and Training (IFTRT) noted that etablesintomandisinMayhelped Supreme Court, the circular is no Customer, Anti-Money Laund-
clined to hear Johnson & thecostoftruckrentalshadfallen preventanevenlargerfallintruck longer valid from the date of the ering, Combating of Financing of
Johnson’s bid to overturn a 5-8percentacrosskeyroutesde- rentalsasdemandcrasheddueto Supreme Court judgement, and Terrorism and obligations of reg-
$2.12billiondamagesaward spiterisingfuelpricesasdemand the impact of the pandemic and therefore cannot be cited or ulated entities under Prevention
towomenwhoblamedthe- fell to 40-50 per cent of normal multiple cyclones. quotedfrom,”itsaid.TheRBIclar- ofMoneyLaunderingAct,(PMLA),
irovariancanceronasbestos ificationcameafterSBIandHDFC 2002inadditiontoensuringcom-
inthecompany’sbabypow- Bank cautioned their customers pliance with relevant provisions
der and other talc products. CITY GAS DISTRIBUTION NETWORK against dealing in virtual curren- under Foreign Exchange

OPEC+supply Oil Minister inaugurates first cies such as bitcoin, citing RBI’s
April2018order.
Management Act for overseas re-
mittances, the RBI said. In other ODISHA STATE MEDICAL
words, banks can’t take action CORPORATION LTD.
London: The OPEC+ oil pro-
ducersagreedtosticktothe
injection of Compressed Bio Gas Doesitclarifypolicyposition
forcryptocurrencyholders?
againstinvestorsinVCs,following
courtandRBIdirectives.
CAD-372 (A Govt. of Odisha Undertaking)
existing pace of gradually New Delhi: Petroleum Minister leadingIndianoilandgascompa- The clarification from the RBI, Full report on
Assuring Quality,
Quality, Saving lives
easingsupplycurbsthrough DharmendraPradhanonTuesday nies including IOC, BPCL, HPCL, which is developing its own vir- www.indianexpress.com Letter No. 5276/OSMC/I-51/2021/D&S (Division) Dt. 01.06.2021
July, i.e. 2.1 million bpd of inaugurated the first injection of GAIL,andIGLtopromotethepro- CORRIGENDUM
supply to the market from Compressed Bio Gas (CBG) into a ductionandmarketingof CBG. Bid Ref. No.: OSMCL/2021-22/GLOBAL/COVID-19/16, dated: 14.05.2021
May to July. On Tuesday, citygasdistributionnetwork.The The first injection of CBG was for supply of Covid-19 Vaccine
Brentcruderose1.2percent ministeralsooversawthesigning doneinGujaratGas’CGDnetwork Office of Superintending Engineer Sl. Details as mentioned in Amendments
to$70.18abarrel. REUTERS of agreements between the by Govardhannathji Energies in 3rd Circle P.W.D. Pithoragarh No. the Tender Document
Petroleum Ministry and several Gujarat. ENS 1. Clause 5.2.2 (Pre- 1. Manufacturer or their authorized
National Competitive Bidding ( E-tendering) Qualification of importers of COVID-19 vaccine
E-mail - sepwdpth@rediffmail.com Bidders) approved by : USFDA (The United

SBI cuts FY22 GDP Latter No 3167/208C-03/20201

Short Term E-Tender Notice
Date 29.05-2021
DCGI (Drugs Controller
General of India)
approval is mandatory
States Food and Drug Administration)
or EMA (The European Medicines
Agency) or MHRA (Medicines and

forecast, Moody’s flags The Superintending Engineer 3rd Circle, Public Works Department Pithoragarh
invites tender through E-Tendering (Two Bid System) on behalf of Hon'ble
and the respective bidder
as detailed at Clause No.
5.2.1 must submit the
Healthcare
Agency,
Products
UK) or
Regulatory
PMDA
(Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices

risk to credit profile Governor of Uttarakhand for following works. All other information will be
available form date
http:// www.uktenders.gov.in
05.06.2021 & onward on website
appropriate
supporting documents
valid Agency, Japan) or listed by WHO
(World Health Organisation) for
emergency use - are eligible to bid for
New Delhi: SBI economists on Tuesday sharply slashed their which the supporting documents must
Sl. Name of Work Earnest Cost of Validity Period of Contractor's be submitted.
FY22GDPgrowthestimatesto7.9percent—thelowestamong No. Money Tender of Completion category of
allanalysts—fromtheearlierprojectionof10.4percentgrowth. 2. Purchase Orders will be placed to
(in Lac) (in Rs.) Tender registration
such qualified bidders subject to
Meanwhile, Moody’s Investors Service said the economy 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 approval of DCGI (Drugs Controller
wouldreboundthisfiscalandclockagrowthof9.3percent,but 1 Reconstruction and Category ‘B’ and General of India).
aseveresecondCovidwavehasincreasedriskstoIndia’scredit Improvements of Above for Road
profileandratedentities.EconomistsatSBIseemedtoattribute 5000.00 All other terms & conditions of the tender shall remain same.
Dhura to Taliyabanj 120 works in any State
3.36 + 18% 12 Month Sd/-
the impact of the second wave of Covid-19 infections as a key Motor road under Days Govt./Govt. of India/
GST Managing Director
factorfortherevisioninthegrowthestimate. state sector Km. Govt. Undertaking
2.525 Odisha State Medical Corporation
Moody’saddeditexpectsadeclineineconomicactivityinthe
Junequarterduetoreimpositionof lockdownmeasures. ENS OIPR/10112/11/0018/2122
 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM

14 SPORT
THE INDIAN EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2021 AFGHANISTAN CHANGE CAPTAIN
Afghanistan have removed Asghar Afghan as captain from all three
formats and put top-order batsman Hashmat Shahidi in charge of their
Test and ODI teams, the country's cricket board said. With less than six
months to go before the Twenty20 World Cup, the Afghanistan Cricket
Board (ACB) also said they will soon name a new 20-overs captain, who
will have leading spinner Rashid Khan as his deputy REUTERS

BRIEFLY
ChampionsTrophy
re-introduced,14
teamsforWC
Minor hiccup in quest for Major No. 21
13-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal comes back from 2-5 down in the third to beat Alexei Popyrin 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (3)
Dubai:TheT20WorldCupwillbeheld
everytwoyearsduringthenexteight-
year Futures Tours & Programme
(FTP) cycle while the 50-over event
REUTERS
PARIS, JUNE 1
How things came to a head
will be a 14-team affair from the 2027
edition, the game's governing body
ICC said on Tuesday. Also the World
Rafa Nadal launched his bid for a record-ex-
tending 14th French Open title with a
between Osaka, French Open
TestChampionshipwillhavefouredi- straight-sets win over young Australian match presser after her first-round victory,
tions in the next cycle apart from two Alexei Popyrin on Tuesday but it was not as EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE a $15,000 fine followed along with a threat
ChampionsTrophy."TheICCBoardto- routine as the 6-3, 6-2, 7-6(3) scoreline sug- JUNE 1 thatfailuretoattendfuturepressconferences
day confirmed the schedule of ICC gests.The Spaniard was quickly into the old could result in her expulsion from the tour-
eventsfrom2024-2031 with both the routine against the hard-hitting 21-year-old NAOMI OSAKA’S withdrawal from the nament and other Grand Slam events.
men's Cricket World Cup and men's but Popyrin should have become the first French Open wasnota spur-of-the-moment Then an account on Reddit, in the name
T20 World Cup to be expanded and a person to take a set off on Parisian clay since decision.Matterscametoaheadoverherre- of her sister Mari Osaka, tried to clarify the
men's Champions Trophy to be re-in- Dominic Thiem in the 2019 final. fusaltoattendpressconferencescitingmen- issue.Statingthathersister’s‘confidencewas
troduced," the global body said in a Popyrin stayed in the contest early on talhealthissues,withtheorganisersandten- shattered’ because of constant criticism of
release issued after the board meet- with some fierce hitting but when he nis officials insisting that it was part of a her performances on clay, Mari said that
ing."Themen'sCricketWorldCupwill dropped serve in the seventh game Nadal player’s duties. Naomi wanted to block out all the negative
become a 14 team, 54-match event in assumed control and appeared to be on words directed at her and was paid to play
2027 and 2031, whilst the men's T20 course for a quick win on a sunlit Philippe The background tennis, not attend press conferences.
World Cup will be expanded to a 20 Chatrier court.But world number 63 Osaka was loudly booed by the US Open The fine – followed by the Roland Garros
team, 55-match event in 2024, 2026, Popyrin, who played Nadal for the first time crowd in her first Grand Slam final appear- Twitteraccountshowingotherplayersinpress
2028 and 2030." The 50-over format in Madrid last month, did not go without a ance in 2018 at the age of 20. An conferencesandsaying‘Theyun-
currentlyisa10-teameventwhilethis fight and began to unsettle the champion argumentbetweenheropponent derstood the assignment’ –
edition of T20 World Cup will be a 16- with some huge serving. Serena Williams and umpire endedanyhopeoffindingamid-
team affair. "An eight team He broke Nadal for a 4-2 lead in the third Carlos Ramos erupted into three dleground.ItpromptedOsakato
Champions Trophy will be hosted in and had two set points at 5-3, only to double codeviolationsfortheAmerican, pull out of the tournament.
2025 and 2029. World Test faulton thefirst oneand thenmakea hashof the last of which earned her a
Championship Finals will be hosted an overhead on the second.Nadal, seeded Rafael Nadal has now won 26 sets in a row at the French Open. Reuters game penalty. This meant Osaka What Osaka said
in 2025, 2027, 2029 and 2031. PTI third this year as he chases a record 21st servedforthetitle,asshewonher “I think now the best thing
Grand Slam title, was not firing on all cylin- maiden Grand Slam crown. for the tournament, the other
NewdealforMessi ders but came through the tiebreak easily to
make it 26 sets won in succession at the
Frenchman Richard Gasquet fell two sets down before his powerful game
finally began to make some inroads.
But the trophy presentation
ceremony was marred by the Naomi Osaka
players and my well-being is
that I withdraw so that every-
awaits Nadal in Thursday's
beingworkedout French Open.
FrenchmanRichardGasquetawaitsNadal second round when the
Nadal stood down as Rafa's coachin 2017
with his nephew having pocketed 16 Grand
pro-Serena crowd booing every
announcement, leaving the
one can get back to focusing on
the tennis,” stated Osaka in a
Dubai: Barcelona president Joan in Thursday's second round when the Spaniard will celebrate his 35th Slam titles and was tempted away from his Japanese player in tears. There note on Monday. “I never
LaportasaidonMondaythattalksover Spaniard will celebrate his 35th birthday. main job of running the Nadal Academy in were previous instances also wanted to be a distraction and I
a new deal with forward Lionel Messi birthday. Mallorca to lend his experience to Auger- whenOsakahadtalkedaboutbe- accept that my timing was not
are progressing well, and that the club Barty limps past Pera Aliassime. With his expression hidden be- ing depressed. In 2018, at ideal and my message could
willbeannouncingmorenewsignings World No.1 Ash Barty fought through a hip hind sunglasses and a mask, Nadal would Charleston, she said in a post- have been clearer. More impor-
shortly.Messi'scurrentcontractexpires injury and a tricky opponent in American best I could. But, no, I think we were able to have been impressed at how the Canadian match conference, “This kind of tantly, I would never trivialise
at the end of June and he is free to dis- Bernarda Pera with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 victory on fight through, able to give ourself a chance came back from the brink of defeat in the started yesterday. Yesterday I mental health or use the term
cussamovetoanotherclub,butmedia her return to the French Open on Tuesday. to play again the next round." third set to extend the match -- having been woke up and I was really de- lightly.”
reportsonTuesdaysuggestedanagree- Returning to the Philippe Chatrier court a point away from trailing 5-2. pressed but I don’t know why.” The clip fin-
ment was imminent. "We're talking for the first time since her maiden Grand Toni Nadal’s protégé loses But the 37-year-old Seppi, playing his ishes with Osaka smiling and saying, “I’m so Players’ reaction
andit'sgoingwell.Itdoesn'tdependon Slamwinin 2019,the 25-year-old Australian Toni Nadal moulded his nephew Rafael 16th French Open, was relentless. A back- sad right now”. Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic said
the audit," Laporta told a news confer- seemed to be cruising against the 70th- into the greatest claycourt player the world hand winner earned him a break to lead 3-2 In 2019, Osaka admitted during the that attending press conferences was part of
ence. "Talks are ongoing with Messi's ranked Pera when she was up 5-2 in the has ever seen but the magic is yet to rub off in the fourth set and that proved decisive as Indian Wells tournament that her biggest their responsibilities. Post Osaka quittingthe
peopleand,asIsaid,they'regoingwell. opening set. on his new charge, Canada's Felix Auger- he moved on to claim a well-deserved vic- problem was the media and their constant tournament, Martina Navratilova tweeted,
We hope to keep making progress. It's But an injury seemed to start bothering Aliassime.With the wily Nadal sitting at tory -- his first on the main Tour this focus on her. “As athletes we are taught to take care of our
not done but we know that Leo wants Barty,whoskippedtheclaycourtGrandSlam courtsideonTuesday,the20-year-oldAuger- year.Since adding Nadal to his team, in time body, and perhaps the mental & emotional
to stay. We'll have more economic in- last year amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as Aliassime was fancied to claim a first main fortheclaycourtseason,Auger-Aliassimehas Taking a stand aspect gets short shrift. This is about more
formation when the audit is finished, her movement appeared restricted. draw victory at Roland Garros when he took suffered a disappointing time, losing in the OnMay27,Osakaissuedastatementsay- than doing or not doing a press conference.
but we had this operation in mind be- "It's going to be a little bit tough this on Italian veteran Andreas Seppi on Court first round in Monte Carlo, Madrid, Lyon and ing she would not do press conferences at GoodluckNaomi-weareallpullingforyou!”
fore that. I'm sure, as (new signing week," Barty told reporters. 13.But it was not to be as a rock-solid Seppi, now at Roland Garros. theFrenchOpen.Doing sowouldinvitefines, Serena said, “I feel for Naomi. Not every-
Sergio) Aguero said, that he wants to "I think over the weekend we had a bit of ranked 98th in the world, claimed a 6-3 7- The only consolation for the 60-year-old which she was willing to pay. one is the same. I’m thick. Other people are
play with him." Laporta was talking at a flare-up through my left hip, which obvi- 6(8) 4-6 6-4 win. Nadal is that he can now watch Rafa attempt thin.Everyoneisdifferentandeveryonehan-
the presentation of Eric Garcia, a sec- ously just needed a bit of help today, needed The 20th seeded Auger-Aliassime, who to claim a record-extending 14th French Organisers, the media, family dlesthingsdifferently.Youjusthavetolether
ond new arrival at the Camp Nou this some assistance to try and release it off as added Nadal to his coaching set-up in April, Open title over the next fortnight. When Osaka refused to attend the post- handle it the way she wants to...”
week from Manchester City following

Olympic champ Marin’s pullout bolsters Sindhu’s hopes

Aguero. REUTERS

Movedonfrom
fall-out:Powar hand, movement of the left leg is all-impor- the field unequivocally is Taipese Tai Tzu
Mumbai: India women's team head SHIVANI NAIK tant while lunging and on lateral striding. For the southpaw with the Ying. Japanese hopes — and regular Tour
coachRameshPowaronTuesdaysaid MUMBAI, JUNE 1 The second examination and medical con- winners — 2017 World champ Okuhara and
that he had buried the hatchet with sult on Sunday, after a preliminary MRI on
leading left hand, movement of Akane Yamaguchi are both capable of title
skipper Mithali Raj in their bid to THE PURSUIT of gold, for the pack leader of Friday confirmed the worst fears as Marin the left leg is all-important runs at home.
move on from a very public fall-out in badminton's golden generation in women's took the call to go in for surgery, with the late while lunging and on lateral Chinese Chen Yufei and He Bingjiao are
2018,withcommongoalof takingthe singles, took a terrible turn last Friday with November World Championships at her expected to storm out of their isolated train-
team to greater heights. The former a twisted knee. Tokyo Games favourite, hometown Huelva, as a possible target. striding. ing, while Thais Ratchanok and 2021's most
Indiaoff-spinnerwasbackatthehelm Carolina Marin, suffered a rupture of the an- Marin had spent 8 months on the side- consistentPornpaweeChochuwongareaim-
after being removed in 2018 when terior cruciate ligament of the left knee as lines afterherrightACLsurgerybutreturned that, if they were able to attend the Olympic ing for a first Thai medal.
India lost their T20 World Cup semi- wellasapartialtearof theexternalandinter- to claim five titles. Mid-May, she was quoted Carolina Marin suffered a rupture of event, they would doso (only) to participate, Given the pandemic-hazed ageing all-
final against England in the West nal meniscus in training at the start of the by BWF as saying: "Train one hundred per the anterior cruciate ligament of the in no case in a position to compete and fight roundandslowingof speeds,itwouldbeun-
Indies and the acrimony between the weekend. The injury saw Marin rule herself cent all that physical, mental and strategic left knee as well as a partial tear of the to repeat the gold of Rio 2016," El Pais wrote. wise to leave out the young Korean phenom
coach and captain came to the fore. out of the Tokyo Olympics, as a clutch of parts to show a new Carolina.” external and internal meniscus. File The thrice World Champion and 5-time An Se Young, as a dark horse. Fitness in this
"I would like to stop the speculation favourites — Nozomi Okuhara, Chen Yufei, Longtime coach Fernando Rivas was European champion was looking to emulate barren season might well decide the Tokyo
(on) what is happening. We inter- PV Sindhu and Tai Tzu Ying — immediately shattered, and in a cryptic post had quoted Chinese Zhang Ning as a consecutive podium.Marin's distraught team, El Pais
acted well, otherwise I wouldn't have emerged as new championship contenders. Nelson Mandela on May 29, translated as serve it, it is her, it seems that every time she Olympic gold medalist. quoted, had been moved to think of sum-
come into the women's cricket,' Marinreleasedastatementof hersurgery saying: "You should only commit to a proj- manages to stick her head out, another prob- moning shamans (priestly figures) hoping
Powar said on the eve of ttheir team's scheduled for this week, while confirming, ect when you feel capable, in case the ad- lem arrives." Next jostle begins for a miracle recovery, before they pragmat-
departure for a month-long tour of "This is another blow I have to deal with, but I venture is shipwrecked, of being the last to Marin was given the option of letting the Marin's absence from Tokyo raises sev- ically took the decision to get operated.
United Kingdom. "This is a great op- willcertainlybeback.Thepreparationduring leave the ship." knee heal as the "torn ligament had stayed eral hopes. Leading the way is 2019 World Marin will be just 30 when Paris 2024
portunity for me, Mithali, for the lasttwomonthshadbecomeverydifficultfor Spanish media Elpais.com quoted Rivas in place inside the sheath which was intact" Champion PV Sindhu of India, who has not fetches up, the team. along with psycholo-
whole group, to take women's cricket reasons beyond the team's control, but we as saying: "This is very hard to digest. We are according to El Pais, and there was a 1 per missedtoomanyhighprofilefinalssincetak- gist María Martínez, tried to tell her.
to another level, where the BCCI is wereexcitedandIknewthatIwouldbeonthe very troubled, especially because of what centremotechancethatitcouldregrow.That ing silver at Rio. Her domineering title run at Spain is most likely to send the 6 footer
supporting us." PTI bestshapeforOlympics.Itwon'tbepossible." she has been able to do in these last two would mean deferring surgery till after the Basel puts her right up there as a contender. Carla Azurmendi, Marin's shadow in train-
For the southpaw with the leading left years ... If there is someone who did not de- Games."Theplayerandtheteamconsidered The player tipped to charm and charge ing, who picked the Austrian title on Sunday.

Blood horse Mickey vs anxious-traveller Dajara: Mirza’s selection headache

to officially become the first Indian rider to pandemic. After the Covid-19 situation got
MIHIR VASAVDA make the cut for the Olympics since Imtiaz Dajara’s frame, though, puts her under control and equestrian shows began
NEW DELHI, JUNE 1 Anees, who competed in Sydney as a wild- across Europe earlier this year, a herpes virus
card. at a disadvantage. Her size and among horses cut short the season.
SEIGNEUR MEDICOTT is built like a Unlike other competitions, the 29-year- the muscle mass she carries can Quarantine rules for Mirza as well as his
‘marathoner’,canbattleitoutintoughcross- old will be able to take just one horse to the make her lethargic in a warm horsesmadeittougherforhimtocompetein
country courses and is a frequent flier, un- Olympics. However, much like in any other a lot of events, leaving him with just two op-
fazed by the change in surroundings. Dajara sport, his chances in Tokyo hinge on picking and humid climate, which is portunitiestosecurehisqualification.“There
4 is shaped like a ‘powerlifter’, can help the right teammate. And selecting horse for how Tokyo is expected to be wasoneshowinBritainbutduetoBrexit,the
pocket double the points with her graceful an Olympic course goes beyond the usual logistics of travelling there with horses was
during the Olympics.
jumps but is an anxious traveller. norms. “The experience of travelling around very tricky. So Poland was my last chance. If
LikeotherOlympics-boundIndianteams, helps,” he says. I had missed this, the Olympics would have
Fouaad Mirza is staring at a selection Medicott, nicknamed Mickey, has trav- eventing (which also includes a jumping gone as well,” he says.
headache of his own. With the Tokyo Games elled so extensively that taking a flight – the phase) and jumping. “That is Dajara’s forte, Mirza says the pressure, which often
less than two months away, the Indian rider modeof transporttoTokyo–doesnotbother Tokyo Olympics-bound Fouaad Mirza astride Dajara. File so it’s definitely good for her,” Mirza says. bringsthebestoutof him,hasjoltedhiminto
has to finalise which one of his two horses him anymore. “Mentally, he would be a bit Bothareroughlyatthesamelevelindres- actionsoclosetotheOlympics.Notonlyhim,
will accompany him: Medicott, the experi- more settled but for Dajara, everything is sage while Medicott pips Dajara inthe cross- the horses too. “They both put up a convinc-
enced gelding, or the young mare, Dajara. new. That’s the case usually with mares; if built like a marathon runner. He has a lighter droughtattheAsianGames bywinningasil- country. ingperformanceandshowedweareontrack
“Botharehealthyandfit,”Mirzasays.“Onpa- something had to change, it puts them off a body type. Dajara, on the other hand, is built ver medal at Jakarta 2018. It has been the “Mickey holds a bit more experience as to peak at the Olympics,” he says.
per, it’s very hard to choose between them.” bit. So wherever we are, our routine with more like a powerlifter; heavier and highest point of Mirza and Medicott’s long hehasbeenaroundtheblock,hasdonesome All three of them will be vaccinated –
But choose he must. them has to be as close as possible to home,” stronger,” Mirza says. relationship. But then, Medicott got injured difficult competitions and knows his job,” Mirza got his first Covid-19 jab while the
On Sunday, in the Polish village of Mirza explains. Dajara’s frame, though, puts her at a dis- and in his absence, Mirza teamed up with Mirza says. “Dajara is just starting to do dif- horses got inoculated for the herpes virus --
Baborowko, Mirza confirmed his qualifica- Home for Mirza and the horses is advantage.Hersizeandthemusclemassshe other horses, one of them being Dajara. ficultcourses.ButinPoland,bothof themdid butjustonehorsewilltravelwithMirza.And
tion forthe TokyoOlympics. The 29-year-old Bergedorf, Germany. Over the next few carries canmakeherlethargic inawarm and Dajara is five years younger than really well on a course and in conditions that he says they will be feeling the pressure too.
had won a quota last year but according to weeks, Mirza will conduct a selection trial of humid climate, which is how Tokyo is ex- Medicott. She lacks the experience and tem- were really tough.” “The horses will be able to feel the pressure.
the rules, he had to meet the Minimum sorts, putting them through different tests. pected to be during the Olympics. perament of competing in big events buther Poland was the last chance saloon for They can feel the urgency with your grip and
EligibilityRequirementtobeabletocompete Medicott, he says, is what they call in Medicott has already proven himself in one quality could be critical in Tokyo: jump- Mirza,whohasspentseveralsleeplessnights then rise to the occasion along with you.
at the Games, which begin on July 23. He equestrian terms a blood horse. such conditions. Astride the now 15-year- ing. At the Olympics, the rider-horse team trying to meet his MER. Almost the entire Hence, the partnership between the horse
completed the formality over the weekend, “It means he is like a racehorse. Mickey is old, Mirza broke India’s 36-year-old medal will compete in three rounds – dressage, 2020 season got wiped off because of the and the rider is everything,” he says.

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