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Regional

- 116 people killed in a stampede at prayer meet in Uttar Pradesh

- PM says mandate is for continuity, Cong. a ‘parasite’ on allies

- DVAC to probe coal import scam involving Adani group

- Restore my speech in full, Rahul tells Om Birla

- Three men held in connection with double murder near Perungalathur

- Fourth phase of ‘Healing Tiny Hearts’ project to treat children with cardiac anomalies launched

- Police arrest kingpin of gang involved in loan fraud in Royapettah

- Man arrested for stealing two-wheelers in Puzhal

- Free coaching for civil services mains exam

- Chembarambakkam lake restoration to begin soon

- T.N. Police to seek report on gold smuggling at airport

- MTC bus catches fire in Adyar; passengers and crew escape

- Medical camp held for students in Ambattur

- Doctors demand govt. to stop collecting fee of from patients from other States

- Officials raid 58 pani puri shops, find unhygienic practices

- DVAC launches probe into coal import scam

- GCC to launch free pet clinics, animal birth control centres

- Defence Ministry signs MoU to set up three testing facilities in T.N.

- Documenting, analysing 75 years of DMK

- Governor, CM condole Hathras stampede deaths

- Vikravandi byelection: DMK, PMK lock horns in high-stakes battle

- Former Transport Minister M.R. Vijayabhaskar, brother booked in land grab case in Karur

- No tangible effort to retrieve Katchatheevu islet by three successive BJP regimes: CM

- CB-CID gets 2-day custody of 11 accused in Kallakurichi illicit liquor tragedy case

- The Hindu Group wins 8 awards at Maddys 2024

- Stalin releases translations of 100 Central, State legislations

- Not meeting Home Minister over hooch deaths, says EPS

- Annamalai urges Jaishankar to ensure fishermen’s release

- Rail commuters suffer inadequate amenities in the western section

- An anatomical mystery in Chennai’s own ‘Red Fort’

- When a 2024 win summoned up visions of a 1983 triumph in black and white

- How the 1977 Assembly election defined the political landscape of Tamil Nadu

- The killing of two Jesuits and the spread of Christianity in Ramanathapuram

116 people killed in a stampede at prayer meet in Uttar Pradesh

Ishita Mishra

New Delhi

Seven of the dead are children and 108 women ; more than 200 persons were injured at the meeting organised by self-styled godman Narayan Sakar Hari in Hathras; over one lakh people participated; Adityanath forms probe panel

Tragic loss: A child mourns in hospital the death of relatives who attended the prayer at Fulrai village in Hathras on Tuesday. PTI-

At least 116 people were killed and over 200 injured in a stampede at a religious event in Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday. Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh said seven of the dead were children, one was a man, and the rest were women.

Over 1.2 lakh people had converged for a satsang (prayer meeting), titled “Manav Mangal Milan Sadbhavana Samagam”, organised by self-styled godman Narayan Sakar Hari at Fulrai village in the Sikandrarau police station limits. Eyewitnesses said the police failed to control the crowd that went into a frenzy in an attempt to greet the godman at the end of the satsang. According to Sikandrarau Sub-divisional Magistrate Ravendra Kumar, the devotees also wanted to collect some soil from around his feet.

Heart-wrenching visuals shared by fellow participants showed bodies lying outside the post-mortem house, while kin of the deceased cried out for help. People were forced to carry those who had fainted to get help. No ambulance was available on the spot. The godman and his aides reportedly left the spot immediately after the stampede.

“How can they allow such a big event to happen when there was no preparedness for any untoward incident,” asked Sumit Kumar, an eyewitness. He blamed the administration for the poor arrangements.

At a community health care centre in Hathras, people started protesting when no doctor was available to attend to the injured. Videos showed people taking injured people and bodies in mini-lorries.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath formed a committee to investigate the cause.

Ashish Kumar, District Magistrate, Hathras, said permission for the event was granted by the Sub-divisisonal Magistrate and rest of the arrangements were supposed to be done by the organisers. Initial investigation revealed that over double the permitted number of attendees reached the event.

Inspector-General of Police, Aligarh Range, Shalabh Mathur said 116 bodies were recovered so far among which 27 were sent to the Etah mortuary and the rest were in Hathras. “Bodies were sent to nearby places for post-mortem as we intend to hand over the bodies to their families as soon as possible,” he said, adding that a First Information Report was being registered against the organisers.

PM says mandate is for continuity, Cong. a ‘parasite’ on allies

Sobhana K. Nair

NEW DELHI

Narendra Modi-

In his first parliamentary address since taking oath as Prime Minister for the third time, Narendra Modi said on Tuesday that the Lok Sabha election results were a mandate for “stability and continuity”.

In an almost two-and-a-half hour speech delivered amid Opposition sloganeering on Manipur, Mr. Modi launched a blistering attack on the Congress, terming it a “parasite party” that only achieved its 99-seat tally by leaning on its allies.

He was speaking in the Lok Sabha during the Motion of Thanks to the President for her address to the joint sitting of Parliament. Without directly naming Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, the Prime Minister singled him out, saying that on Monday, the House had witnessed “the wailing of a person with balak buddhi (imbecile)”, a pejorative term he used repeatedly through his speech.

Underlining the Congress’s defeat in the third consecutive Lok Sabha election, Mr. Modi pointed directly at Mr. Gandhi while declaring, “You can’t do it.”

DVAC to probe coal import scam involving Adani group

S. Vijay Kumar

CHENNAI

The Tamil Nadu government has given approval for an investigation into the alleged multi-crore coal import scam involving the Adani group, among others. The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) has registered a preliminary inquiry into allegations of serious irregularities in tender conditions and import of coal, resulting in a huge loss to the State government.

“We have received the nod to investigate the allegations into the import of coal by the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco). The sanction was accorded under provisions of Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, based on a complaint lodged by Arappor Iyakkam,” official sources told The Hindu on Tuesday. Arappor Iyakkam, which works towards transparency and accountability in governance, had alleged corruption in coal imports involving Tangedco and Adani Global Pte Ltd. officials, among others, to the tune of ₹6,066 crore between 2012 and 2016.

Restore my speech in full, Rahul tells Om Birla

The Hindu Bureau

New Delhi

Hours after portions of his maiden speech as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha were expunged, Rahul Gandhi wrote to Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday, saying the action went “against the very tenets of parliamentary democracy”. Demanding that his remarks be restored to the records, he said BJP MP Anurag Thakur’s speech was full of allegations, but only one word of it was expunged. “With due respect to your good self, this selective expunction defies logic. I request that the remarks expunged from the proceedings be restored,” he said.

Three men held in connection with double murder near Perungalathur

The Hindu Bureau

CHENNAI

The bodies of the victims were found at a burial ground in Gundumedu. The police sent the bodies for a post-mortem . An investigation revealed that the killings resulted from a feud between two groups over the sale of ganja and painkiller tablets

Increased vigil: Security was intensified near the burial ground in Gundumedu, where the incident occurred. Special Arrangement Special Arrangement

The police on Tuesday arrested three men in connection with the murder of two youth, whose bodies were found at a burial ground near Perungalathur in the city earlier in the day.

In the early hours of Tuesday, the police received information that two bodies were found with their heads severed at the burial ground in Gundumedu, near Perungalathur. Upon receipt of the information, police personnel from the Peerkankaranai police station rushed to the spot and recovered the bodies. Then, they began an investigation.

The police identified the victims as Annamalai, 23, and his associate Zilla alias Tamilarasan, 24, of Perungalathur. Both men, from New Perungalathur, were painters and were selling ganja to make a quick buck, the police said. They were in a feud with another group led by Sonu alias Gopalakrishnan and Arif, allegedly over selling ganja and painkiller tablets, the police said.

On Monday, Annamalai called Sonu’s wife over phone, made derogatory remarks about her, and threatened to kill her husband. She informed Sonu about this when he returned home.

Sonu contacted Annamalai and asked him to come to a spot in Gundumedu at midnight so they could talk and sort out their dispute. Then, he went with his friends Vijay and Arif in an autorickshaw to the place where Annamalai and at least 15 other persons were waiting. The groups held talks and reached an agreement.

Sonu and his associates returned home, after which they armed themselves with knives and iron rods from Sonu’s house and returned to the spot. They attacked Annamaalai and Tamilarasan with the weapons. They severed their heads and dumped the bodies at the burial ground.

An autorickshaw driver, who was present at the scene, lodged a complaint at the Peerkankaranai police station. After recovering the bodies, the police sent them to the Government Chengalpattu Hospital for a post-mortem. On Tuesday evening, the police arrested Sonu, Arif, and Vijay.

Fourth phase of ‘Healing Tiny Hearts’ project to treat children with cardiac anomalies launched

The Hindu Bureau

CHENNAI

The fourth edition of “Healing Tiny Hearts” project, a collaborative initiative of LTIMindtree, Rotary Club of Madras East (RCME), and Apollo Children’s Hospital (ACH) to treat children with cardiac anomalies, was launched on Tuesday.

Over the past three years, the project has identified and treated 1,500 babies born with heart anomalies through rural camps organised by RCME and ACH, a press release said. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed to mark the launch of the fourth phase.

C.S. Muthukumaran, consultant, paediatric cardiologist, ACH, said nearly 50% of the children were aged less than one. Nearly 70% are complex cases, while the success rate was 98%, he said. A pre-term baby weighing 650 gram underwent a surgery within the incubator, he added.

He said there was uneven distribution of paediatric cardiac healthcare in the country, with 80% of complex heart surgeries performed in the south and remaining 20% in the north. He said that with a focus on northeast and central India, Apollo Hospitals had identified 17 States, including Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, and Tripura, with plans to enter into memoranda of understanding, of which four had been signed. Preetha Reddy, Executive Vice-Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals Group, said: “Our vision is that if any child needs healthcare and intervention, we should be in a position to be able to take care of them. No child should be turned away for lack of financial support.”

Paneesh Rao, chief sustainability officer of LTIMindtree Foundation, which is the corporate social responsibility partner for the initiative, hoped to reach 1,000 children through the project.

N.S. Saravanan, district governor, Rotary International District 3234, Neville A.G. Solomon, consultant, paediatric cardiothoracic surgeon, ACH, and P. Muthu, president of RCME were also present.

Police arrest kingpin of gang involved in loan fraud in Royapettah

The Hindu Bureau

CHENNAI

Mohammed Dawood Khan Special arrangement

The Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the Greater Chennai Police has arrested the kingpin of the gang who allegedly cheated several people in a loan fraud.

The CCB has been receiving multiple complaints from businessmen from Tamil Nadu and other States alleging that they had been cheated by a gang led by Mohammed Dawood Khan, who promised to arrange loans for a low interest rate and made them pay an advance as processing fee.

On November 20, 2023, Sanivarapu Venkata Siva Reddy of Andhra Pradesh lodged a complaint with the City Police Commissioner alleging that the gang had cheated him to the tune of ₹2 crore under the pretext of arranging a loan of ₹100 crore. Based on the complaint, the CCB launched an investigation and found that the gang had cheated many businessmen all over the country.

A special team, led by Rajesh Kanna, inspector of police, CCB, EDF-II, was formed to nab the accused. It apprehended Uday Krishna alias Mohamed Dawood Khan, 32, in Royapettah and seized a sedan and four expensive mobile phones from him. He was remanded in judicial custody.

Mohamed and his associates have already been involved in 13 cases of similar offences in city limits, five in Maharashtra, and one in Jharkhand. His gang has cheated ₹15 crore off different people. His associates — Karthik, Narasiman Ramadass, Panneer Selvam, and Imtiaz alias Sathish — have already been arrested and detained the under the Goondas Act.

Man arrested for stealing two-wheelers in Puzhal

The Hindu Bureau

CHENNAI

The Puzhal police on Tuesday arrested a 37-year-old man for allegedly stealing two-wheelers in Puzhal and recovered engines and 14 chassis of two-wheelers from him.

The police identified the suspect as M. Murugan of Andal Nagar in Red Hills. He was arrested based on a complaint from P. Murugavel, 62, of Kolathur, whose two-wheeler was stolen from the fish market in Kavangarai in Puzhal on June 1.

After examining the closed-circuit television camera footage near the spot, the police identified Murugan as the suspect and arrested him. Investigation revealed that he worked as a mechanic and stole two-wheelers in Puzhal and nearby areas to sell their parts.

Free coaching for civil services mains exam

The Hindu Bureau

CHENNAI

A total of 42 candidates who received free coaching at the Manidhaneyam IAS Academy have cleared the civil services preliminary examination 2024.

According to a press release, candidates who cleared the preliminaries are requested to call 044-24358373/24330095/ 9840439393/8428431107 to receive free coaching for the mains examination.

Chembarambakkam lake restoration to begin soon

K. Lakshmi

CHENNAI

The waterbody bore the brunt of Cyclone Michaung in December last year. The Water Resources Department is preparing to carry out works to strengthen the flood-damaged infrastructure

Major source: Spread across an area of 25.51 sq.km, the reservoir has a storage of 1,522 million cubic feet against its capacity of 3,645 mcft.File photoVELANKANNI RAJ_B

The Water Resources Department (WRD) will soon start the restoration of the infrastructure at Chembarambakkam reservoir that was affected during Cyclone Michaung last year. The work will start in about a month.

The waterbody, one of the major sources of drinking water for Chennai, bore the brunt of the December floods. The Department is preparations to carry out improvement works to strengthen the flood-damaged infrastructure.

Spread across an area of 25.51 sq.km, the reservoir has a storage of 1,522 million cubic feet (mcft) against its capacity of 3,645 mcft.

Officials of the WRD said the portions of stone pitching, which is used for slope protection in the bund (close to the shutters), were damaged during the northeast monsoon last year.

If left unattended, it would further affect the bund and the storage capacity of the reservoir.

In an effort for a permanent solution, the Department will replace the stone pitching in the bund slope with concrete for a total stretch of 500 metre on both sides of the shutters.

Besides improvements to the parapet wall along the top layer of the bund, repair works of the floodgates would also be completed before the onset of the northeast monsoon, said officials.

Inlet improvements

Two inlet channels bringing flood water from other waterways and waterbodies into the reservoir would be improved as part of the ₹22.95 crore project.

The 7.1 km-long New Bangaru channel, which branches out from Cooum river, and the channel that brings flood water from Sriperumbudur tank and other upstream areas would also be desilted and improved, officials said.

Besides repairing the reservoir’s two weirs that suffered damages during last monsoon, the WRD also plans to construct flood protection wall for a total stretch of 400 metres in the surplus course.

This would help alleviate the impact of flooding in the neighbouring villages when the reservoir’s floodgates are opened.

T.N. Police to seek report on gold smuggling at airport

The Hindu Bureau

CHENNAI

Concerned about the modus operandi of suspects who successfully smuggled out 267 kg of gold, worth ₹167 crore, from the airport here, the Tamil Nadu Police will seek a report from the Customs on the crime syndicate and its network, sources said on Tuesday.

Since the suspects managed to evade frisking and smuggled such a huge quantity of gold within a span of 60 days, a senior police officer said it was possible for international racketeers to use the established conduit to move other contraband substances such as drugs into the State. “We will call for a report from the authorities concerned on how the accused persons managed to smuggle the gold without being frisked,” the police officer, who did not want to be quoted, told The Hindu.

The case pertains to the seizure of gold hidden in the body of a sales executive of a shop that sells toys, gift items etc., in the transit/departure area of the international airport last week. Acting on specific inputs, officials of the Air Intelligence Unit intercepted the accused who had three bundles of the gold in paste form, received from a Sri Lankan national, concealed in his body.

Customs officials have arrested at least nine persons in connection with the smuggling of 267 kg gold from the transit area of the international airport. Among the accused was Sabir Ali, a YouTuber, who owned a shop in the security hold area of the departure terminal, and six of his staff members, police sources said on Tuesday.

The sources said the Airhub shop was set up by Ali at the behest of a gang operating in Sri Lanka for the purpose of smuggling gold received from passengers in the transit area. Ali rented the Airhub unit by entering into a contract with Vidvedaa PRG, a concessionaire for retail outlets approved by the Airports Authority of India (AAI). The modus operandi of Ali and his team was to receive the gold from passengers arriving from various international flights in the washroom area. They would keep the illegal consignment in the shop and then smuggle it out of the airport in small quantities.

Chennai Customs officials have searched three premises, including that of the Joint General Manager of the AAI, and a top official of Vidvedaa PRG, in connection with this case. Sources said the AAI official was under the lens of customs for quite sometime now. In the first round of searches, nothing conclusive had been found but the investigations continue, sources added. The Airhub shop was granted permission only in late February and was set up after the Lok Sabha election ended.

MTC bus catches fire in Adyar; passengers and crew escape

A bus of the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC), running on compressed natural gas, caught fire in Adyar on Tuesday. The bus was heading towards Siruseri with 10 passengers and two crew members. Around 2 p.m., when the vehicle was on LB Road near the Adyar bus depot, the driver noticed smoke coming out of the engine and stopped the bus. The occupants exited the vehicle before it caught fire. The police and firefighters put out the fire. The bus was later towed to the nearby MTC yard.

Medical camp held for students in Ambattur

The Hindu Bureau

Chennai

The Rotaract Club of the Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research (SRIHER) conducted a multidisciplinary health camp for children recently. On the occasion of National Doctors’ Day, over 550 children in the age group of 8 to 15 at Sethu Baskara Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Ambattur, were screened by 150 doctors and paramedics. They examined the children and gave an assessment report.

Children requiring further assessments and specific treatment were advised for follow-up. The camp was organised by Arun Subramanian, president of the Rotaract Club of SRIHER.

Stop collecting fee from patients belonging to other States, doctors urge govt.

The Hindu Bureau

CHENNAI

T.N. Health Development Association says the practice goes against the principle of universal free healthcare. Doctors add that such patients, mainly migrant labourers, are unable to pay the amount

Top choice: Government hospitals in the city such as the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital get patients from places including Bihar and some northeastern States. File photo B. JOTHI RAMALINGAM

The Tamil Nadu Health Development Association (TNHDA) has demanded that the State government stop collecting a payment of ₹1,000 from persons belonging to other States and seeking healthcare at government hospitals in Tamil Nadu.

C.S. Rex Sargunam, president, and N. Gnanaguru, secretary, of the association, in a statement, said the Tamil Nadu government should stop the practice immediately, as this goes against the principle of universal free healthcare.

Dr. Sargunam said this practice of collecting ₹1,000 existed for a long time, and whether such a practice was based on a Government Order (G.O.) was unclear.

A number of government hospitals, including the Institute of Child Health and Hospital for Children, the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, and the Government Stanley Medical College Hospital, receive several patients from other States. Many migrant labourers also seek medical care at government hospitals in the city.

A number of government doctors pointed out that ₹1,000 was charged for admission and treatment of patients from other States including migrant labourers. “We have seen many of them facing difficulty in paying that amount for hospital admission and treatment. There are patients from Andhra Pradesh, northeast States, and migrant workers currently in Chennai. Some of them have insurance cards from their respective States, and maybe the Tamil Nadu government could chalk out a way to coordinate with the respective States/insurance companies,” a doctor said.

Another government doctor said they had been receiving patients from States such as Telangana and Bihar, in addition to migrant labourers. “They are unable to pay the amount. There are nominal charges for tests as well. The State government should waive the charges or at least bring in an annual income ceiling,” he said.

Food Safety officials raid pani puri shops, flag lack of hygiene

The Hindu Bureau

CHENNAI

Under the scanner: FoodSafetyDepartmentofficialsinspecting a pani puri cart on Marina beach on Tuesday. R. RAVINDRAN R. RAVINDRAN

Shops selling pani puri have come under the scanner of the Food Safety Department. On Tuesday, as officials raided the shops and carts across the city, one glaring problem that was noticed in most of them was the lack of hygiene.

A team led by P. Satheesh Kumar, Designated Officer, Food Safety Department, Chennai, conducted the raids at 58 shops and push carts, including 10 on Marina beach. The raids came after Karnataka’s Food Safety Department found carcinogenic chemicals in many pani puri samples that were lifted.

“We decided to inspect shops selling pani puri across the city. Our aim is to cover at least 700 in the next two to three days. There are more than 1,500 carts that sell the dish in the city,” Dr. Satheesh Kumar said. These carts obtain registration under the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India by paying ₹100. During the checks, the team lifted samples of masala, sauce and other items from several outlets and sent thesefor testing, he said, adding that unhygienic practices, including poor food handling, were one of the main issues found during the raids. “People should look out for hygienic practices. The vendor should wear gloves and should not break the puri with his/her bare hands. Separate ladles should be used for pouring the sauce. We saw vendors dipping their hands into the sauce containers. Separate spoon should be used for the masala. Disposable plates should be used for serving the pani puri,” he said.

The department has started enumeration of shops selling pani puri in the city. “After biriyani, pani puri is the most popular food. Therefore, we are going to concentrate on this. We will also hold training sessions for vendors. We will call them in batches,” he said.

DVAC launches probe into coal import scam

Despite complaints lodged with evidence between 2018 and 2019, no case was registered, Arappor Iyakkam said.

Letter to Stalin

On January 31, 2023, Arappor Iyakkam convener Jayaram Venkatesan wrote to Chief Minister M.K. Stalin pointing out that no step was taken to investigate the scam. “Even after one-and-a-half years of assuming office, your government has not taken any step to investigate the scam of the previous government to the tune of ₹6,066 crore, of which around ₹3,000-crore worth corruption was done by Adani Global Pte Limited alone,” he had said in the letter.

Mr. Venkatesan said he had furnished evidence in his earlier complaints denoting how the tender conditions were changed after 2011, favouring the Adani Global Pte Ltd. and a small coterie of firms importing coal.

CAG findings

Even the CAG found that the turnover requirement for a tender value of ₹100 crore was increased to almost ₹1,000 crore to favour a few firms, Mr. Venkatesan had said.

He alleged that Adani Global Pte Ltd. and a few others were given tenders worth at least $15 to $20 more than the market rate per metric tonne. The proof of market price published by the Indonesian government served as evidence to prove the allegation.

Moreover, the poor quality of coal imported resulted in inefficient thermal power generation, and more losses.

More recently on June 26, 2024, when the Tamil Nadu Assembly session was under way, Mr. Venkatesan wrote to Speaker M. Appavu alleging that the government was delaying sanction to the DVAC for investigating the coal import scam, and sought permission to enter the Assembly and stage a silent protest.

Sources said that a preliminary inquiry was registered in the AIADMK government to investigate the allegations of coal import by the Tangedco. But it was closed due to the lack of prima facie evidence.

After the present government cleared the decks to reopen the case, a special team led by an officer in the rank of a Superintendent of Police was formed to investigate the matter, they added.

GCC to launch three free pet clinics in August

The Hindu Bureau

CHENNAI

The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) will launch free pet clinics and animal birth control centres with increased capacity in three neighbourhoods of the city in August. GCC Commissioner J. Radhakrishnan inspected the construction site of a pet clinic in Lloyds Colony on Tuesday and ordered the work to be completed by August.

The construction of the pet clinics and animal birth control centres in Kannamapet and Pulianthope will also be completed in August.

The pet clinic and animal birth control centre at Lloyds Colony is being constructed at a cost of ₹7 crore. City Veterinary Officer Kamaludheen said the pet clinics would offer services free of cost. The civic body is yet to take a decision on extending the timings of the pet clinics. Currently, pet clinics of the GCC remain open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Defence Ministry signs MoU to set up three testing facilities in T.N.

The Hindu Bureau

Chennai

The MoU was signed to establish three testing facilities under the Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor — one each in Unmanned Aerial System, Electronic Warfare and Electro Optics domains

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish three state-of-the-art testing facilities in Chennai under the Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor — one each in Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), Electronic Warfare (EW) and Electro Optics (EO) domains. The MoU, under the Defence Testing Infrastructure Scheme (DTIS), was signed by the MoD and Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TNIDC) Limited on Tuesday.

With an outlay of ₹400 crore, the DTIS was launched by Union Minister for Defence Rajnath Singh in May 2020 to set up state-of-the-art testing facilities in collaboration with private industry and Central/State government, promoting indigenous defence production, reducing military equipment imports and enhancing self-reliance.

To provide impetus to the defence and aerospace sectors within the Defence Industrial Corridors, seven testing facilities were approved - four in Tamil Nadu and three in Uttar Pradesh.

The DTIS provides up to 75% government funding as grant-in-aid, with the remaining 25% funded by the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPVs), comprising Indian private entities and State/Central governments.

For the UAS testing facility, Keltron, a Kerala government undertaking, is the lead SPV member, with some private sector companies being the consortium members. Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and India Optel Limited (IOL) are the lead SPV members in the EW and EO testing facilities respectively. When the project is completed, they will provide advanced testing equipment and services to both government and private industry.

Documenting, analysing 75 years of DMK

Dennis S. Jesudasan

CHENNAI

It took about five years for the author to complete the book.

On September 17, 1949, a group of young Tamil men, led by their leader C.N. Annadurai, gathered at Robinson Park in Royapuram in Madras to launch the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). Within two decades, it evolved into a major regional party that was elected to power in 1967, replacing the Congress in the then Madras State.

As the party is set to complete 75 years in the political scape, biographer R. Kannan in his latest work ‘The DMK Years: Ascent, Descent, Survival’ (expected to be launched in the next few weeks) attempts to provide an objective account to look into the political mobilisation of the DMK, the major splits, including those led by late leader M.G. Ramachandran, and Vaiko, and the various watershed moments.

Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Kannan, who has published biographies of late Chief Ministers C.N. Annadurai and M.G. Ramachandran, clarifies that his latest work was not only a biography of the party but also a work on the State’s post-Independence socio-political history.

Electoral data

The book has electoral data — both the Assembly and Parliamentary — from 1952 up to the present (except the recent Parliamentary election). It also summarises the manifestos of the three major players of Tamil Nadu from 1952 till now.

It took about four to five years for Mr. Kannan to complete this work.

Mr. Kannan is currently an adjunct faculty at the University of Georgia School of Law, where he teaches a course on international organisations.

Governor, CM condole Hathras stampede deaths

CHENNAI:

CHENNAI: Governor R.N. Ravi and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Tuesday condoled the deaths in a stampede during a religious event at Hathras in Uttar Pradesh. “Deeply anguished by the tragic loss of lives in the unfortunate stampede at Hathras. My deepest condolences to the bereaved families. Prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured,” the Raj Bhavan posted on social media, quoting the Governor. Mr. Stalin posted on social media: “My heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims. Wishing a swift recovery to those injured. We stand with the affected people in this difficult time.”

Vikravandi byelection: DMK, PMK lock horns in high-stakes battle

S. Prasad

Villupuram

The PMK, as part of the National Democratic Alliance, will draw on the caste arithmetic to give the ruling party a tough fight . The NTK is also in the fray, but it is yet to get a positive response on support from the AIADMK and DMDK, which have chosen to boycott the July 10 byelection

The Vikravandi Assembly constituency is set to witness a high-stakes byelection, with the ruling DMK keen on retaining the seat amid an all-out effort by the PMK to draw on the caste arithmetic and mount a tough challenge. The NTK is also in the fray, but it is yet to get a positive response on support from the AIADMK and the DMDK, which have chosen to boycott the July 10 byelection.

The byelection was necessitated by the death of DMK MLA N. Pugazhenthi. The constituency is facing its second byelection in the last five years. Its caste composition is predominantly Vanniyars, followed by Dalits, and other intermediate castes.

All the three candidates in Vikravandi belong to the dominant Vanniyar community. The DMK has fielded Anniyur Siva, the secretary of the party’s agricultural labourers’ wing, while the PMK, as part of the NDA, has given ticket to C. Anbumani. The NTK has fielded Abinaya.

The DMK has deployed a battery of Ministers for campaigning in the constituency. Against the backdrop of the hooch tragedy in the neighbouring Kallakurichi district that has claimed 65 lives, the DMK is banking on the implementation of many welfare schemes by the M.K. Stalin-led government in the last three years.

The PMK, which has been in a precarious position following a drubbing in the recent Lok Sabha election, has been trying to win popular support by blaming the DMK government for not conducting a caste census, thereby denying Vanniyars internal reservation in government jobs and higher education. The PMK, headed by Anbumani Ramadoss, has launched an intensive door-to-door campaign, banking on the support of the Vanniyar community, and highlighting the delay by the DMK in implementing the 10.5% internal reservation sought by the PMK long ago.

The ruling party, for its part, has put the ball in the Centre’s court by getting the Assembly to adopt a resolution urging the Centre to conduct the caste census alongside the decadal population census.

Mr. C. Anbumani had contested from Vikravandi in the 2016 Assembly election and secured 41,119 votes, as against the AIADMK’s 56,622 votes and the DMK’s 63,203 votes. The PMK had garnered 23.19% of the votes.

The NTK is hoping to split the votes and possibly draw voters from the support base of the AIADMK. While a majority of Dalits are likely to vote for the DMK, a three-way split of Vanniyar votes may prove costly for the PMK.

Before the delimitation of the constituencies, Vikravandi was part of the Kandamangalam (Reserved) segment. In the 2011 election — the first after delimitation —Ramamurthy of the CPI(M) won the seat, beating K. Rathamani of the DMK by a margin of 14,897 votes.

In the 2016 election, K. Rathamani defeated his nearest rival, R. Velu of the AIADMK, by a margin of 6,912 votes. In the 2019 byelection, the AIADMK’s Muthamizhselvan won the seat by a margin of 44,934 votes.

The DMK wrested control of the seat from the AIADMK in the 2021 election, winning by a margin of 9,573 votes. The NTK polled 8,216 votes and came a distant third. “The DMK has deployed over 9 Ministers and a Member of Parliament in Vikravandi, and it only shows their fear of their party candidate losing here,” a PMK functionary said.

DMK upbeat

However, Minister for Higher Education and party strongman K. Ponmudy, who has been leading the campaign, is confident of a win by a big margin. At most public meetings, he emphasises that the DMK has executed several welfare schemes, and development is a key issue here.

Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Siva said that Pugazhenthi had contributed immensely to the constituency’s development. “I will implement the works that have been left out. The campaign has received an overwhelming response from the people, especially women, who have been expressing satisfaction with the welfare schemes implemented by the government led by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin,” he said.

Mr. Siva said that estimates had been prepared for the long-pending Nandan canal project, and that he would prevail upon the government to ensure its speedy implementation.

Mr. C. Anbumani said that he would focus on fulfilling the basic needs of the constituency. There had been no infrastructure development, and unemployment had also been rising over the years, he said. “I will strive to ensure the speedy implementation of the long-pending Nandan canal project to address the water woes of farmers,” he said.

According to him, he had played a major role in the victory of the AIADMK candidate in the 2019 byelection to Vikravandi. “Though the AIADMK is not contesting this time, the people will vote for me,” he said.

Former Transport Minister M.R. Vijayabhaskar, brother booked in land grab case in Karur

The Hindu Bureau

KARUR

M.R. Vijayabhaskar Sai Venkatesh R _11563@Chennai

The Vangal police in Karur recently registered a case against the former Transport Minister and district secretary of the AIADMK, M.R. Vijayabhaskar, and his brother, Sekar, for allegedly grabbing plots of land.

Acting on a complaint from M. Prakash of Kuppuchipalayam, the police booked Mr. Vijayabhaskar under Sections 247 (fraud), 294 (b) (uttering obscene words), 324 (causing hurt), 365 (kidnapping), and 504 (provocation to break public peace) of the Indian Penal Code. The case was registered on June 22.

Last week, a special team of Tamil Nadu Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID) was sent to north India in search of Mr. Vijayabhaskar, who is absconding after the District Sessions Court in Karur rejected his anticipatory bail petition.

In his complaint, Mr. Prakash alleged that Mr. Vijayabhaskar, along with a group of persons, threatened his daughter, Shobana, and forced her to register two properties in Kunnampatti and Thoranakkalpatti, worth about ₹100 crore, under the names of D. Ragu of Kancheepuram, M. Sidhardhan of Erode, and N. Marappan and S. Selvaraj of Karur.

Since the original documents of the properties were with the complainant, the accused had produced a ‘non-traceable certificate’, obtained by concealing facts to the Sub-Registrar of Mela Karur, and registered the documents, Mr. Prakash alleged.

Mr. Prakash also claimed to have given a loan of ₹10 crore to Mr. Vijayabhaskar, and alleged that when he urged him to repay the loan with interest, the former Minister slapped him and threatened him with dire consequences.

Mr. Prakash also alleged that he was assaulted by Mr. Vijayabhaskar and his accomplices in connection with the registration of the properties at Kunnampatti and Thoranakkalpatti.

Bail plea adjourned

Meanwhile, the District Sessions Court in Karur on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of Mr. Vijayabhaskar’s anticipatory bail petition.

In his petition, Mr. Vijayabhaskar said he apprehended arrest in a “false case” filed against him, and appealed for anticipatory bail claiming that he had to take care of his ailing father.

No tangible effort to retrieve Katchatheevu islet by three successive BJP regimes: CM

The Hindu Bureau

CHENNAI

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Tuesday rejected the claim that there had been an agreement between the Union and State governments over the ceding of Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka.

He criticised the BJP government for not having taken steps to retrieve the islet.

Mr. Stalin made the remarks in a letter to Union Minister for External Affairs S. Jaishankar who had, in a communication, said that the genesis of the Katchatheevu issue dated back to 1974, following an understanding between the then Union and Tamil Nadu governments.

“Despite the fact that the BJP-led government is in power for the third consecutive term, no tangible and meaningful effort has been made to retrieve the islet. The need of the hour is to ease the problems faced by the fishermen of Tamil Nadu and to find a lasting solution to this festering problem,” Mr. Stalin said.

Referring to the contentions made by Mr. Jaishankar in his communication dated June 29, the Chief Minister said, “The DMK-led State government opposed the Katchatheevu Agreement tooth and nail, and its opposition to the same was made clear both in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and in Parliament.”

It was well known that the State government “was not properly consulted in this regard”, Mr. Stalin said, adding, “It is the Union government that ceded the island to Sri Lanka completely, jeopardising the rights and interests of Indian fishermen.”

Mr. Stalin recalled that the late DMK president and former Chief Minister, M. Karunanidhi, had filed a sworn affidavit before the Supreme Court and categorically stated that “when the entire exercise undertaken by Government are devoid of constitutionality, it cannot be said the sovereignty of Katchatheevu island is a settled matter”.

Referring to the apprehension of 25 fishermen from Tamil Nadu by the Sri Lankan Navy on July 1, Mr. Stalin requested the Union Minister to take concrete steps to find a lasting solution to uphold the traditional rights of the fishermen of Tamil Nadu.

CB-CID gets 2-day custody of 11 accused in Kallakurichi illicit liquor tragedy case

The Hindu Bureau

KALLAKURICHI

The house in Karunapuram from where bootlegger Kannukutty ran the business. S.S. KUMAR KUMAR SS

The Crime Branch-CID has been granted two days’ custody of 11 persons arrested in connection with the hooch tragedy at Karunapuram in Kallakurichi district.

A total of 65 persons — 59 men and six women — from Karunapuram and a few other areas in Kallakurichi died after consuming methanol-infused liquor on June 18.

The victims, mostly daily-wage labourers, had purchased the poisonous brew from bootlegger Govindaraj, alias Kannukutty, on June 18. They began arriving in hospitals in Kallakurichi, Salem, Villupuram and the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (Jipmer) in Puducherry from June 19.

Kallakurichi Chief Judicial Magistrate N. Sriram passed the order on Monday with a direction to the CB-CID to produce Govindaraj, his wife, Vijaya, as well as other accused — Chinnadurai, Joseph, alias Raj, Madesh, Gowtham Chand, Sivakumar, Bhansil Lal, Kathiravan, Kannan, and Sakthivel — before the court at 3 p.m. on Wednesday.

The Hindu Group wins 8 awards at Maddys 2024

The Hindu Bureau

Chennai

The Hindu Grouphaswon eight awards for its campaigns and special initiatives at the Maddys Awards, organised by the Advertising Club Madras.

A print communication created for Wildlife Conservation Day as part of The Hindu ‘Care. Community. Conversation.’ initiative won gold in the print-copywriting category. The Hindu ‘Made of Chennai’, a city-centric brand campaign celebrating Chennai and its people, garnered six awards across various categories.

Cadbury Iniya Kondattam, a campaign by Mondelez India, in collaboration with The Hindu Group, received the silver award for digital campaigns - influencer marketing. Celluloids Films, which made the video for The Hindu ‘Made of Chennai’ song, also won silver in the media and entertainment - digital category.

A press release quoted the Chief Revenue Officer of The Hindu Group, Suresh Balakrishna, as saying, “These accolades recognise our commitment to creating impactful and meaningful campaigns that engage audiences and spark meaningful conversations.”

In addition to the achievements of The Hindu, Vermillion Communications Pvt. Ltd. was adjudged the ‘Creative Agency of the Year’; Digitally Inspired Media Pvt. Ltd. the ‘Digital Agency of the Year’; Amazon Seller Services Private Limited the ‘Media Agency/Client of the Year’; and Swiggy the ‘Advertiser of the Year’.

A total of 1,015 entries from over 10 States were received, with participation from 116 agencies and clients. The awards featured 27 international, national, and regional jurors.

Stalin releases translations of 100 Central, State legislations

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Tuesday released 100 law books that have been translated into Tamil by the State Official Language Legislative Commission. While 37 of them are translations of Central Acts, 63 are translations of State Acts. An official press release said that the translations of the 100 Acts could be downloaded from the Tamil Nadu government’s portal, www.tn.gov.in. In another event, Mr. Stalin handed over appointment orders to jailers and assistant jailers who have been recruited to the Prison and Correctional Services by the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission. A total of five jailers and 44 assistant jailers were recruited recently. Law Minister S. Regupathy, Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena and senior officials were present.

Not meeting Home Minister over hooch deaths, says EPS

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Tuesday denied media reports that he was planning to meet Home Minister Amit Shah to seek a CBI probe into the deaths caused by the consumption of illicit liquor in Kallakurichi. Speaking to reporters ahead of a meeting with AIADMK functionaries at Edappadi in Salem district, Mr. Palaniswami pointed out that his party had staged a fast seeking a CBI probe into the hooch tragedy. However, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had told the Assembly that a CB-CID probe was enough, he said. “Mr. Stalin said that during the AIADMK regime, we did not order a CBI probe into the death of a father and son at the Sattankulam police station. However, that case was actually transferred to the CBI by the AIADMK government,” he said.

Annamalai urges Jaishankar to ensure fishermen’s release

BJP Tamil Nadu president K. Annamalai urged the Union Ministry of External Affairs to take steps to ensure the release of Tamil Nadu fishermen arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on charges of poaching in the island nation’s waters. Mr. Annamalai, in his letter to Minister for External Affairs S. Jaishankar, said that the Sri Lankan Navy had apprehended 25 fishermen and four boats from Pamban in Ramanathapuram district on July 1. It also arrested 22 fishermen from Rameswaram on June 24. Due to such recurring incidents, the fishermen had announced that they will stage a rail-roko on July 5, he said.

Rail commuters suffer inadequate amenities in the western section

R. Srikanth

Thousands of people use the stations at Annanur, Pattabiram, and Thiruninravur, where residential development has happened rapidly. For example, platforms 1 and 2 at Pattabiram, used for operation of the suburban trains, have not been paved for years

1 of 2 Risky passage: At Annanur, the commuters have access to the station only through the subway linked through the railway shed. Some of them crawl under the parked trains to reach the platforms. M. VEDHAN The Hindu

2 of 2 Spotlight on poor access: A commuter wades through water in the Annanur subway. Commuters have been seeking a footbridge to access the platforms. M. VEDHAN The Hindu

The suburban train commuters in the western section, from Avadi, Tiruvallur, and beyond, have been affected by delayed train operation every day. To add to their problem is the lack of amenities at several important stations. Southern Railway has initiated renovation of the Ambattur, Avadi, and Tiruvallur stations under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme. But commuters complain about poor amenities at the other stations.

Social activists allege that unlike the Tambaram-Chennai Beach section, where urban development has stagnated because of clustered residential accommodations, the western section has seen phenomenal residential development along Annanur, Pattabiram, Thiruninravur, Tiruvallur, Veppampattu, and Nemilichery.

Land availability

The residential development has happened because of the availability of vacant land on both sides of the track at Annanur, Pattabiram, and Thiruninravur, and the suburban train services to Chennai Central. And the residents depend primarily on the train services to go to the city as bus transport is limited.

The Pattabiram station, after Avadi, is used by thousands of commuters. But social activists say there are only a few trains and amenities.

K.S. Gopalakrishnan, a former member of the Zonal Railway Users’ Consultative Committee, says platforms 1 and 2 at the station, which are used for operation of the suburban trains, are in a poor condition. They have not been paved for years. The problem of rugged surface also plagues the footbridge, where if a commuter could fall down the stairs if he is not cautious.

He says that though a shelter was installed on platform 3, it has been designed in such a manner that commuters will get drenched when it rains. It is useful only in shading the commuters on a hot day. The station also suffers from inadequate illumination and absence of fans. Cleanliness on the platforms has gone for a toss as fish vendors are allowed to sell in the evenings.

Long wait for ticket

Mr. Gopalakrishnan says the station is used by commuters who are daily wage labourers and who are forced to waste their time waiting at the crowded ticket counters. Previously, three counters operated at morning and evening peak hours, but only two counters operate now, and only one works in the morning and evening hours. An automated ticket vending machine (ATVM) has been installed, but most of the commuters, of the low income group, cannot afford to buy a smart card.

At the last meeting, Abdul Hameed, a member of the Divisional Railway Users’ Consultative Committee (DRUCC), requested the opening of additional counters at Pattabiram.

At Annanur, the commuters live on both sides of the track, but they have access to the station only through the subway linked through the railway shed. It is flooded whenever it rains. The commuters have been seeking a footbridge to access the platforms of the station. At present, the commuters have to walk through the subway or crawl under the parked trains to reach the platforms.

‘No amenities for decades’

Consumer activist T. Sadagopan says the Pattabiram Military Siding station, located before the E-depot station, has no amenities even five decades after the station came up.

He points out that several residential colonies have come up, with retired defence personnel settling in the localities. Railway officials have not taken any action on petitions for a footbridge.

More than 60,000 commuters use the Thiruninravur station, located before Tiruvallur, every day. Under the aegis of the Thiruninravur Rail Passengers’ Welfare Association, they have been requesting for basic amenities at the station.

S. Murugaian, secretary of the association, lists the demands: construction of a subway linking the platforms, speeding up of the construction of the overbridge, establishment of a Government Railway Police post, installation of an electronic display board and closed circuit television cameras, the construction of an additional cycle and two-wheeler stand, and laying of a proper access road on the northern and southern sides of the station.

Feasibility study

A senior official of the Chennai Division of Southern Railway says platform shelters have been installed at the Pattabiram station in compliance with the norms, and a feasibility study will be conducted for building new shelters.

As for the demand for opening an additional ticket counter, the official says two counters are in operation; one of them functions round the clock and the other works during the day time. For opening an additional counter, the Railway Board has set the norm of 1,000 tickets a day, but at Pattabiram, the tickets sold daily stand at 935.

Steps will be taken to install drinking water facilities at the Pattabiram, Annanur, and Thiruninravur stations, as demanded at the DRUCC meeting, the official says.

More questions than answers about Chennai’s own ‘Red Fort’

V. Sriram

Landmark: Madras Medical College’s old Anatomy Block is called the Red Fort.B. JOTHI RAMALINGAM The Hindu

Last Sunday saw the Madras Red Fort Doctors Foundation meet online. This is a group of alumni of the Madras Medical College and the Red Fort, the name they chose for themselves, indicates their love for the old Anatomy Block of their alma mater. This red-brick structure, which is best viewed from the Sir T. Muthuswami Iyer Bridge, has been known among MMC students for long as the Red Fort.

While the purpose of the meeting was to pay homage to M.M. Cooper, for many years the professor of Anatomy at the MMC, I was asked to say a few words by way of introduction, about the history of the anatomy block itself. And having accepted the invite and then begun my search for information, I found I came away with more questions than answers.

By far the most cogent account of the way the MMC buildings developed is in an article dated November 26, 1904, written by Nicholas Senn, MD, Chicago, for the Journal of the American Medical Association. The college began in 1835 and the first lectures were held in rooms adjoining the quarters of the Surgeon General of the General Hospital. The college got its own building a year later and this comprised a library, a museum, a lecture hall that doubled as an operating theatre, and a laboratory. There was a major expansion in 1867. Then in 1883, a separate anatomy block was created with a theatre and a dissecting room. To this, an enlarged museum was added in 1887/88. Senn concludes that “separate buildings for biologic and hygienic laboratories were added”, though he does not say when this was done.

From the above, it is safe to conclude that the anatomy block was in existence by 1883. However, in their book, Madras: The Architectural Heritage, K. Kalpana and Frank Schiffer record the date of construction as 1897. And certainly, some of the architectural features, most notably the crenelations on the roofline and the tiny domes at the corners, show a lot of commonalities with Moore Market, which came up a couple of years later. And so, was it 1885 or 1897? And then, who was the architect? It certainly does not seem to be the work of either R.F. Chisholm or Henry Irwin. Going by its similarities to Moore Market, I would hazard that it was R.E. Ellis, who was in the 1890s Superintending Engineer, Government of Madras. A bust of the man still stands in the garden of the Government Museum, Egmore.

I then came across yet another conundrum. In their book, Kalpana and Schiffer add that the high ceilings of the first floor rest on iron columns which bear the year stamp 1907, which they say “was the probable date of the building”. I find this incompatible both in terms of what is written earlier by the same authors and also in terms of architectural style. No doubt, there must be files in the Tamil Nadu Archives with all the answers, and till some indefatigable researcher pulls them out, we must rest with conjectures.

The alumni are most concerned about their Red Fort. Some grand announcements were made in 2016 on how it was to become a museum, but there has been little action. The functioning departments were transferred to the new multi-storey building on the erstwhile premises of the Central Prison. The Red Fort has been left empty. No heritage building likes being abandoned. It is usually the beginning of the end. One more museum is not the answer. The building needs to be put to use functionally to ensure its survival.

(V. Sriram is a

writer and historian.)

When a 2024 win summoned up visions of a 1983 triumph

K.C. Vijaya Kumar

Etched in memory: Kapil Dev lifts the World Cup after his team beat the West Indies at Lord’s in the final in 1983.Getty ImagesGetty Images

Just as Rohit Sharma’s men went through a gamut of emotions after winning the ICC T20 World Cup at Bridgetown in Barbados on Saturday, nostalgia ushered in memories of India’s 1983 World Cup triumph. Back then, even as Kapil Dev held aloft the Prudential World Cup, as it was called, black and white televisions beamed the action into a few drawing rooms across the nation. Television sets were a luxury and not everyone could afford one. Community viewing was prevalent and Madras of the 1980s was no different. When the tournament began in England, India was deemed an outsider and defending champion West Indies remained the favourite. However, Kapil’s Devils had defeated the men from the Caribbean Islands in their own backyard in an ODI a few months before and that confidence lingered.

Omission of Vishy

In cricket-crazy Madras, there were a few discussions around the omission of G.R. Viswanath from the squad. Vishy, just like his brother-in-law Sunil Gavaskar, was a favourite with the fans at Chepauk. The initial matches in that World Cup were a blur but India was coasting well. The worst cut was the non-telecast of Kapil’s unbeaten 175 when India was in deep trouble against Zimbabwe at Tunbridge Wells. It was a knock for the ages that revived India and it is destined to remain as an exclusive visual memory for only those who turned up for the game. In the by-lanes of Egmore and Purasawalkam, Anna Nagar and Chetpet, the obsession was to get an invite to any home that had a television. If your landlord had one, it was a massive blessing. The idiot box had just a few brands like EC TV, made by a public sector unit like the Electronics Corporation of India, Solidaire, and Dyanora.

England edged out

That India might win the World Cup was not even in the realm of fantasy until England was ambushed in the semifinal. R. Mohan’s despatches in The Hindu remained an essential connect. Finally, it was June 25, 1983, the day of the final at Lord’s. In those few drawing rooms that had a television, the faithful congregated. Nervous smiles were exchanged, superstition reigned as seats were fixed and even a restroom break was frowned upon. India scored 183, with Madras star K. Srikkanth top-scoring at 38. The total seemed meagre until Kapil plucked that outstanding catch to dismiss Viv Richards. As India grabbed a 43-run win, happiness rippled through the metropolis and the odd crackers were burst. That distant joy found a welcome echo when Rohit’s men prevailed over the South Africans.

How the 1977 Assembly election defined the political landscape of Tamil Nadu

T. Ramakrishnan

In January that year, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi announced that the country, which had been under Emergency for over 18 months, would go to the polls. In Tamil Nadu, the DMK was waiting to bounce back after its Ministry was dismissed in January 1976. The election established the AIADMK as one of the two principal parties in the State

1 of 2

2 of 2 Had the allies of the DMK for the Lok Sabha election stayed on for the Assembly election too, the DMK-led front would have bagged over 150 seats, going by the vote share. M. Karunanidhi, in Nenjukku Needhi (Volume 3)

Tamil Nadu faced 16 Assembly elections since the first election in 1951-52, but only some elections can be called defining moments. The 1977 Assembly election was one such moment when the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), founded by actor-turned-politician M. G. Ramachandran (MGR), became one of the two principal parties in the State.

Though the 2024 Lok Sabha election results point to the AIADMK’s continuing decline, it has retained the status of number two party in terms of vote share, though it did not win a single seat.

End of Emergency

In fact, 1977 was of great historical significance to people of the country, especially Tamil Nadu. In mid-January, the then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, announced that the country, which had been under Emergency for over 18 months with a host of Opposition leaders and her critics being jailed, would go to the polls in a few months. She also announced the release of most of the jailed leaders.

In Tamil Nadu, the DMK was waiting to bounce back after its Ministry, headed by M. Karunanidhi, was dismissed in January 1976. The action followed a report sent by Governor K.K. Shah that the government had, “by a series of acts of maladministration, corruption, and misuse of power for achieving partisan ends, set at nought all canons of justice and equity”.

Heat from Sarkaria report

Facing the heat from the row over the interim report of the Sarkaria Commission, which was constituted in February 1976, the DMK wasted no time in aligning itself with the faction of the Congress (Organisation), led by P. Ramachandran (as another faction belonging to G.K. Moopanar merged itself with the Congress of Indira Gandhi in February 1976), and the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

The AIADMK, which had been warming to the Congress, struck a deal with the national party and the Communist Party of India (CPI). In the Lok Sabha election held in March, the AIADMK-Congress-CPI combine bagged 34 seats, with the remaining five going to the DMK-Congress (O)-CPI(M) front. (Three seats went to the Congress (O) and the two to the DMK).

At the national level, the Janata Party, an amalgam of the Congress (O), the Bharatiya Lok Dal, Socialists, and the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, captured power, with Morarji Desai as the Prime Minister. Indira Gandhi herself lost in Rae Bareli and the Congress was voted out after being in power at the Centre for 30 years on end.

As the State was under President’s Rule for more than a year, everyone knew that the Assembly election was round the corner. It was widely thought that the political formations, worked out for the Lok Sabha election, would continue. But Tamil Nadu politics would provide not only surprises but also “shocks”.

Within days of Morarji Desai becoming the Prime Minister, MGR visited New Delhi in late March ostensibly to call on Indira Gandhi, with whom he had campaigned hard in Tamil Nadu some weeks earlier. But he also met the Prime Minister, triggering talk on the fate of the AIADMK-Congress alliance. On his return, the AIADMK chief told reporters that it would all be known in “due course”, reported The Hindu on April 3, 1977. There was a view in the AIADMK that the Congress and the CPI favoured a coalition government in the State.

Janata Party’s decision

As the churning began in the coalition stitched by the AIADMK for the Lok Sabha election, a similar development started in the rival formation. Janata Party leaders decided not to continue the ties with the DMK, while the CPI(M), which had viewed the Dravidian major as a force that started “fading away”, tried to have a tie-up with the Janata Party.

Eventually, the AIADMK roped in the CPI(M) and allotted it 20 seats. Its other allies included the Indian Union Muslim League (10 seats) and the Toilers Progressive Party (3 seats), according to a report of The Hindu on May 17, 1977.

Former no. 2 in the DMK Cabinet, V.R. Nedunchezhiyan, who came out of the party after the debacle in the Lok Sabha election, formed the Makkal DMK (MDMK) and extended support to MGR. While the DMK and the Janata Party contested in almost all the 234 constituencies, the Congress formed an alliance with the CPI and the Republican Party of India (Gavai), allotting them 32 and three seats respectively.

A multi-cornered contest

For the first time since Independence, the State faced a genuine multi-cornered contest and the election was held under the President’s Rule. Electors had no confusion who was the face of the AIADMK and the DMK for the post of Chief Minister: MGR and Karunanidhi. But, in the Congress and the Janata Party, the residual faction of the Congress (O), there was no one who could match the stature of K. Kamaraj, though G.K. Moopanar and P. Ramachandran called themselves the “custodians of the Congress-Kamaraj legacy”. This apart, the two national parties did not have the advantage of the Dravidian parties in organisational infrastructure.

Corruption and threat to culture

MGR harped on the theme of corruption and targetted Karunanidhi. The Sarkaria Commission came in handy for him. As for the DMK chief, his party would oppose tooth and nail any threat to Tamil culture and heritage.

The Janata Party did its best by getting Morarji Desai to campaign in different parts of the State, while the Congress leadership adopted a hands-off approach, as Indira Gandhi was no longer in power and Moopanar emerged as the key leader, without contesting in the election.

The results were broadly on expected lines. The AIADMK romped home, bagging 130 seats with a vote share of 30.37%. Its ally, CPI(M), secured 12 seats with 2.79%, and the All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) bagged one seat. The DMK netted 48 (including 13 in Chennai), with 24.89%. The Congress and its partner, CPI, got 27 seats and five seats respectively, with a combined vote share of 20.42%. The Janata Party captured 10 seats, with a vote share of 16.66%. There was one Independent.

Karunanidhi wrote in Nenjukku Needhi (Volume 3) that had the allies of his party for the Lok Sabha election stayed with him for the Assembly election too, the DMK-led front would have bagged over 150 seats, going by the vote share.

Even though the State faced another multi-cornered contest in the 1989 Assembly election, the performance of the top four parties was more “balanced” in 1977 than 12 years later.

The killing of two Jesuits and the spread of Christianity in Ramanathapuram

B. Kolappan

Maravar Seemai was less tolerant of the foreign religion. Kizhavan Sethupathi executed Jesuit priest John de Britto in 1693 for converting Tirya Devan, a prince, to Christianity. Over a century earlier, Antony Criminali SJ (1520-1549) was killed when he tried to protect the converts from an alliance of Muslims and the Nayak Army

1 of 2 Perpetuating memory: The Arulanandar Church at Oriyur in Ramanathapuram district. The church is named after John de Britto, who called himself Arulanandar. Britto was canonized on June 22, 1947. L. BalachandarThe Hindu

2 of 2 Britto’s killing evoked sympathy and love among many communities, including Udayars, Kadayars, and Adi Dravidars, and a substantial section of them converted to Christianity. Churches and educational institutions were established at many places. S.M. Kamal, author of Ramanathapuram Mavattam: Varalattru Kuripukal

Though people of the Tamil country were receptive to Christian missionaries, Ramanathapuram, known as Maravar Seemai, was less tolerant of the foreign religion. Kizhavan Sethupathi (1671 AD-1710 AD), considered the greatest ruler of Ramanathapuram, executed Jesuit priest John de Britto in 1693 for converting Tirya Devan, a prince, to Christianity.

Tirya Devan, according to J.H. Nelson, author of The Madura Country Manual, was stated to have been the rightful heir to the throne of Ramnad. Britto was canonized on June 22, 1947.

But Britto, who was born in Lisbon and called himself Arulanandar, was not the first martyr of Christianity in Ramanathapuram. More than a century earlier, Antony Criminali SJ (1520-1549) was killed when he sought to protect the converts from the attack of an alliance of Muslims and the Nayak Army. “The converts and the Portuguese were attacked by an army of Muslims of Nayaks. They vanquished the Christians. Those who survived the attack escaped to Hare Island. Antony Criminali, who tried to protect them, was killed at Vedalai. He was the first martyr of Christianity in Ramanathapuram,” writes S.M. Kamal, author of Ramanathapuram Mavattam: Varalattru Kuripukal (Ramanathapuram District: Historical Jottings).

Widespread attention

It was Britto’s killing that received widespread attention because he had succeeded in converting a member of the royal family. Britto, who had already been warned by Kizhavan not to preach in Ramanathapuram, went there taking advantage of the permission given by Thirumalai Nayakar to the Christians to build nine churches between Tondi and Pamban.

“The permission was granted to return a favour to the Portuguese who supported him in a battle with the Sethupathis in 1659. But it could not alter the environment for the missionaries. Jesuits Andrew Ropez and Gonsalves Beys, who tried to reach Kochi from Nagapattinam through Ramanathapuram, were captured and their release was secured only after a ransom was paid,” says Kamal. The animosity towards the missionaries resulted in an open confrontation after the conversion of Tirya Devan.

Compelled to renounce polygamy

Nelson says that on his conversion, Tirya Devan was compelled to renounce polygamy and tell his wives that all, except one, must thenceforth be no more than sisters to him. It angered his wives and “resolved to revenge themselves on the author of their humiliation”.

“One of them named Kadalei, who was the niece of the Sethupathy, went off to Ramnad, and laid her case before her uncle with all the effect that could be produced by vehement entreaties, by tears and sobs and groans. What! Cried she, was it to be endured that she, a princess of a noble house, should be driven like a dog from her palace by a vile magician, a low imposter? And were the ancient Gods of her country to be openly disgraced by a stranger? Was the whole country to bow to the Parangis,” Nelson has recalled her as lamenting.

A furious Sethupathi, while ordering the arrest of Tirya Devan and Britto, also burnt down all the churches constructed by Britto. A company of soldiers was sent to the village of Muni, where Britto was residing. He was arrested with a Brahmin and two catechists on January 8. They were subjected to torture and humiliation. Britto, says Nelson, was ordered to call upon the name of Shiva, but refused. “He was buffeted; men spat on his face; his garments were torn into shreds; he was pricked with sword-points; he was beaten with sticks,” writes Nelson.

On January 11, they were taken to Ramanathapuram and thrown into prison, until the arrival of the Sethupathi. Tirya Devan was also in Ramnad and exerted himself in every way to save his friends. Tirya Devan’s efforts and the existence of many Christian dominions capable of creating unpleasant disturbances swayed the mind of the Sethupathi. He banished Britto and sent him away under the escort of his brother, the Governor of Oriyur, where a church stands in his name.

A secret dispatch

“But with him there was a secret dispatch bearing the Sethupathy’s signature and containing an order to behead the foreign Sannyasi (Britto),” says Nelson. The execution was delayed because of the intervention of the wife of the Governor, who was a Christian. Nothing could save Britto, who was beheaded on February 4.

According to Kamal, the Sethupathi refused to change his mind because his relatives who had already embraced Christianity were working against his interests.

“Britto’s head and limbs were cut off and hung up as a warning to all Christians; and even after he was dead, the hatred of the enemies did not slumber. Burial was denied to his mutilated remains, which were given to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field,” writes Nelson. His followers succeeded in gathering his skull and a few of his bones.

“His killing evoked sympathy and love among many communities, including Udayars, Kadayars, and Adi Dravidars, and a substantial section of them converted to Christianity. Churches and educational institutions were established at many places,” says Kamal.

National

- Naidu, Revanth to mend fences

- UDF walks out over worrying state of public health

- If you want to hike ticket fares, make videos on drug menace and cybercrimes: Revanth tells filmmakers

- Shivakumar completes 4 years as KPCC chief, amid power tussle

- Police confirm murder of woman who went missing 15 years ago

- Press for return of seven mandals: BRS

- Jaishankar to represent India in place of Modi at SCO summit in Kazakhstan

- Text of laws changed but criminal justice administration awaits reforms: Bajpai

- Constable-turned-spiritual preacher Suraj Pal has considerable following

- Modi says in LS mandate is for continuity

- Bihar govt. moves SC against HC order quashing 65% quota

- Restore my speech in full, Rahul tells Speaker

- End my suspension: Srinagar shrine priest

- 116 killed in a stampede at U.P. prayer meet

- No topic off-limits: Russia

- Opposition hits back after uproar over Rahul’s remarks in Lok Sabha

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Naidu, Revanth to mend fences

M. Rajeev

HYDERABAD

Newly appointed Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister’s letter to his Telangana counterpart rekindles hopes of resolving bifurcation issues between the States amicably; leaders likely to meet on July 6 to discuss the pending differences

1 of 2 Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Chief Ministers A. Revanth Reddy and N. Chandrababu Naidu are keen on ending bifurcation issues.

2 of 2

There seems to be light at the end of the tunnel for resolution of bifurcation issues between the two Telugu States — Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has asked the officials to submit a comprehensive report on the pending issues between the two States following his A.P. counterpart N. Chandrababu Naidu’s letter evincing keenness in resolving the pending issues at least now.

Bone of contention

Mr. Naidu is likely to meet Mr. Revanth Reddy here on July 6 to discuss the pending issues and resolve them amicably.

This brings to the fore the issues between the two States that remained unresolved for over a decade. Division of assets and liabilities of the Schedule IX and X institutions has been the bone of contention between the two States. There are 91 institutions under Schedule IX and 142 under Schedule X listed in the A.P. Reorganisation Act, in addition to 12 institutions that were not mentioned in the Act.

The total fixed asset value of these institutions has been estimated at ₹1.42 lakh crore by the A.P. government, but the Telangana government terms it notional, claiming the actual value would be much lower. The high-power committee headed by retired bureaucrat Sheila Bhide made recommendations on division of assets and liabilities pertaining to 89 of the 91 institutions but the two States are at loggerheads on these recommendations.

UDF walks out over worrying state of public health

The Hindu Bureau

Thiruvananthapuram

Veena George

The Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) staged a walkout from the Kerala Assembly on Tuesday accusing the government of “total failure” in making public health a priority and taking no coordinated action on the ground to ensure that preventive and control measures against infectious diseases were on course to prevent a surge in diseases.

Reeling off the figures of dengue, leptospirosis and Hepatitis A cases and deaths that had been reported in 2024, Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan, who led the walkout, said pre-monsoon cleaning activities had totally failed this year. Of the ₹12-crore funds set aside for control of communicable diseases, the government had managed to spend just 0.08%.

Earlier, Speaker A.N. Shamseer denied leave for an adjournment motion proposed by Kondotty MLA T.V. Ibrahim to discuss the alarming situation because of the steady rise in infectious diseases and the multiple clusters of Hepatitis A cases in Malappuram district.

Mr. Ibrahim accused Health Minister Veena George of taking the situation “very lightly” and contending herself that “everything can be set right by issuing directives from the top”.

Ms. George said that climate change, increased environmental temperatures and urbanisation had made Kerala more epidemiologically vulnerable to infectious diseases. She denied the allegations that pre-monsoon cleaning and sanitation drives had not been initiated sufficiently. Going by the data of infectious diseases over the years, there was no marked spike in cases this year, Ms. George said.

As for the Hepatitis A outbreaks in Malappuram, all control measures had been launched. The situation was well within control and there were no inpatients in hospitals with Hepatitis A in Malappuram at present.

She said Kerala had succeeded in bringing down the dengue mortality rate from 0.34% in 2015 to 0.25% in 2024 and that there was no alarming situation in the State.

Mr. Satheesan dismissed Ms. George’s arguments and said the Speaker should have allowed a discussion on the state of public health in the State, which would have brought out the seriousness of the situation.

If you want to hike ticket fares, make videos on drug menace and cybercrimes: Revanth tells filmmakers

The Hindu Bureau

HYDERABAD

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy flagging off the new vehicles in Hyderabad on Tuesday.NAGARA GOPAL

Filmmakers approaching the Telangana government seeking permission to increase their ticket prices will now have to direct a short video about the drug menace and cybercrimes. The two-three-minute short videos should be shown before and/or after their big-budget movies.

This was one of the conditions set by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy who attended a function on Tuesday to bolster the fight against cybercrimes and drug menace in the State.

“Filmmakers approaching the government to increase their tickets rates must make a short video with the stars in their movies about drug awareness and cybercrimes, only then will we respond to their requests. Cinema has that power and responsibility towards society,” the Chief Minister said as he flagged off the latest fleet for the Telangana Anti-Narcotics Bureau and Telangana Cyber Security Bureau at the Integrated Command Control Centre in Hyderabad on Tuesday.

“Not just that, filmmakers seeking location permissions for their shoots will also have to show a short video,” said Mr. Revanth Reddy. “They must make a one-two-minute video on the two subjects and share that with the police,” he said. The government will assist those who comply with these regulations in the matter of permits, he added.

Shivakumar completes 4 years as KPCC chief, amid power tussle

The Hindu Bureau

BENGALURU

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Tuesday completed four years as president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC).

In the midst of him completing four years, a section of the Congress leaders and loyalists of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah have been demanding the replacement of Mr. Shivakumar as the State Congress chief. Home Minister G. Parameshwara said there was nothing wrong with party leaders seeking the replacement of Mr. Shivakumar as he heads multiple posts. There is also a demand for creation of multiple Deputy Chief Minister posts, in an alleged attempt to curtail Mr. Shivakumar, who is the only one holding the post now.

Loyalists of Mr. Shivakumar have been demanding the replacement of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. In a closed-door meeting of the KPCC office-bearers on Monday, Mr. Shivakumar said he will not budge to attempts being made to replace him as the party’s president.

Loyalists of Mr. Siddaramaiah have staked a claim for the change in the KPCC chief after the party’s debacle in the Vokkaliga belt. They claim that leaders of other backward communities, SCs, and STs too should get an opportunity to head the party.

Police confirm murder of woman who went missing 15 years ago

The Hindu Bureau

ALAPPUZHA

The Kerala police seem to have cracked a 15-year-old missing woman case with the recovery of suspected human body parts and other materials from a septic tank at Mannar in Alappuzha district on Tuesday.

Kala, 27, then wife of Anil Kumar of Mannar, went missing in 2009.

District Police Chief Chaitra Teresa John confirmed that the woman had been murdered.

Mr. Kumar, who later remarried and is working in Israel, is the prime suspect. He allegedly killed her after suspecting her of having a relationship with another person, say police sources. Five persons were taken into custody. Authorities said steps had been taken to bring Mr. Kumar back from Israel.

Press for return of seven mandals: BRS

The Hindu Bureau

HYDERABAD

The Bharat Rashtra Samithi has asked Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to use his good offices with his former party colleague and his Andhra Pradesh counterpart N. Chandrababu Naidu and get back seven mandals and the 460-MW Lower Sileru hydel project forcibly transferred from Telangana to A.P. in 2014 through an ordinance.

Jaishankar to represent India in place of Modi at SCO summit in Kazakhstan

Suhasini Haidar

New Delhi

Xi, Putin, and Sharif are expected to attend; Modi’s decision to skip Eurasian grouping meet could disappoint Central Asian countries as interactions with them have been cancelled twice in the past; meeting is expected to see discussions on multilateral cooperation in trade and fight against terror

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar with Kazakhstan Deputy Prime Minister Murat Nurtleu in Astana on Tuesday. X/@DrSJaishankar

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar reached Astana in Kazakhstan on Tuesday to lead the Indian delegation at the SCO Council of Heads of State in place of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 3 and 4, the Ministry of External Affairs has said.

Leaders of other countries in the Eurasian group, newly expanded to include Belarus this year, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif and the Presidents of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan will be hosted by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at the summit. Chinese President Xi Jinping landed in Astana for a state visit and bilateral meetings ahead of the SCO, while Iran’s President may not be able to attend as the country is in the middle of elections.

Shortly after landing, Mr. Jaishankar met Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu. In a social media post, he said that he had “discussed our expanding strategic partnership and India’s increasing engagement with Central Asia in various formats”.

Mr. Jaishankar is expected to address the grouping during the plenary session on Thursday morning.

“At the summit, the leaders are expected to review the organisation’s activities over the past two decades and discuss the state and prospects of multilateral cooperation. Topical issues of regional and international importance are also expected to be discussed at the meeting,” the MEA said in a press release on Tuesday, which did not give any reason for Mr. Modi’s decision not to attend the summit on July 4.

While Mr. Modi may still address the Eurasian grouping virtually, his decision to drop out of the summit in Kazakhstan will avoid awkward moments from sharing the stage with the Chinese President and Pakistan PM, given the tense ties with both countries. Mr. Modi is due to meet the Russian President next week in Moscow for a bilateral visit.

However, the absence of Mr. Modi in Astana could disappoint the Central Asian leadership, given that his planned engagements with them have been cancelled twice in recent years, once when they were invited to India for Republic Day in 2022 (the visit was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic), and when India turned the SCO Summit in July 2023 into a virtual format.

Given that the next SCO Heads of Government meet is due to be held in Pakistan later this year, and the next SCO Summit will be hosted by China in 2025, it remains to be seen whether Mr. Modi will attend future SCO events as well.

Astana Declaration

On Thursday, the SCO Council will adopt the Astana Declaration, which is expected to focus on strengthening ties between SCO countries on economic issues, connectivity, fighting terrorism and regional developments.

During the SCO Foreign Ministers meeting in May, MEA Secretary (Economic Relations) Dammu Ravi had promoted “maximising the utilisation of the Chabahar Port” as well as using the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) connecting India to Central Asia and Russia via Iran, and the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) that has been stalled due to the Israel-Gaza conflict.

Pakistan PM Mr. Sharif is expected to also offer Qasim port and Gwadar port for land-locked Central Asia’s trade routes. India and Pakistan both became members of the SCO in 2017, and their leaders have often sparred at the high-level meetings over issues like terrorism and transit trade, including in Uzbekistan in 2022, and last year’s SCO Foreign Minister’s meeting in Goa.

The leaders are also expected to discuss developments in Afghanistan, given that nearly all SCO members are engaged closely with the Taliban regime in Kabul.

Text of laws changed but criminal justice administration awaits reforms: Bajpai

Vijaita Singh

NEW DELHI

G.S. Bajpai

The text of the three criminal laws may have been changed but the real test lies with reforms of the criminal justice administration, and expecting the news laws to function from the first day is not feasible, says G.S. Bajpai, who headed the first committee set up by the Union Home Ministry in 2020 to examine the laws.

Mr. Bajpai told The Hindu that the lower judiciary was stressed and there was huge pendency of cases, and it was unrealistic to expect that the new laws would function immediately.

“The Indian Penal Code evolved in more than 100 years till it was scrapped in 2023. Expecting these laws to kick off from first day is not feasible, and the effects of their implementation will be known in six to 12 months,” Mr. Bajpai said, adding that 70% text of the old laws had been retained in the new laws.

According to the National Judicial Data Grid, as on Tuesday, there were 3.4 crore cases pending in district courts across India, out of which nearly 1 crore cases were pending for more than a year.

From July 1, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) replaced the Indian Penal Code, 1860; the Bharatiya Sakshya (BS) replaced the Indian Evidence Act, 1872; and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) replaced the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898.

Implementation panel

Mr. Bajpai said he had written to the Law Ministry to constitute a National Implementation Committee to enable sharing of information and challenges pertaining to the new laws as they were implemented.

“A dashboard can be created where all stakeholders can upload the challenges and issues being faced during implementation of the laws,” he said.

The BNSS mandates audio-video recording of search and seizure in each criminal case and forensic examination in all crimes punishable by more than seven years. All such records will have to be submitted before the court in electronicformat “without delay”. Under the BNSS, the courts will have to frame charges within 60 days of the first hearing and deliver the judgment within 30-45 days from the date of completion of arguments.

“Theoretically, the police will have to record everything. What will be the total range of issues while recording will be known in a few days,” he said.

Mr. Bajpai was the convener of the Committee for Reforms in Criminal Laws set up by the Ministry.

“The reforms have been made to the criminal laws but not to the criminal justice administration. The operational aspects rest with the criminal justice system,” Mr. Bajpai said.

“The human resources available with judiciary compared to the number of cases that are pending are too low. Now the cases will be tried under the new laws and the judiciary does not have the futuristic planning to cope with the pressure,” he added.

Constable-turned-spiritual preacher Suraj Pal has considerable following

Anuj Kumar

Ghaziabad

A poster featuring Suraj Pal.

More than 100 people were killed in a stampede on Tuesday at a religious congregation conducted by spiritual preacher Suraj Pal in Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh.

Mr. Pal, popularly addressed as Narayan Sakar Hari or Bhole Baba, hails from Bahadur Nagar village in the Patiyali tehsil of Kasganj district in Uttar Pradesh.

His followers come from many places in the western and central parts of Uttar Pradesh and neighbouring States, and prominent political leaders have also been seen at his programmes. Sources said Mr. Pal was a constable in the local intelligence unit of the Uttar Pradesh Police until the 1990s when he turned to spirituality, adopted a new name, and started giving public sermons about leading a pious life. He described himself as a disciple of Narayan Sakar Hari and asked his followers to find the Almighty within.

Large ashram

Mr. Pal’s Narayan Sakar Hari ashram in the village is spread over 30 acres. He moves with a cavalcade of cars and has his personal security. He maintains a distance from the media but has a considerable following in villages. People in the area said there are no idols in the ashram.

In his early 60s, he usually dresses in a white coat and trousers and wears colourful sunglasses. His followers, most of whom are women, are usually dressed in pink and worship him as “Bhole Baba”. His wife, who is often present during congregations, is addressed as “Matashri”.

In 2014, he shifted base from Bahadur Nagar to Bichhwa in Mainpuri, leaving the ashram to be managed by a local administrator. However, he continued to hold congregations in the region which were scheduled on Tuesdays. Sources said despite Mr. Pal shifting base, the ashram had a footfall of up to 12,000 every day.

Local media sources said mismanagement was common at the congregations. “It was written about but the administration showed a soft corner towards the ashram. Even during the COVID lockdown, his followers were allowed to worship at the ashram,” said a local journalist.

In Patiyali, which has voted for the Samajwadi Party candidate in the Lok Sabha polls, meanings are already being drawn about the political affiliation of Mr. Pal. While Bharatiya Janata Party supporters used social media to point out that SP president Akhilesh Yadav had shared the stage with Mr. Pal in 2023, SP sources accused the BJP affiliates of using Mr. Pal to mislead Dalits by keeping them away from the Ambedkarite movement.

Modi says in LS mandate is for continuity

The Prime Minister used the opportunity to counter the Opposition’s allegations during the election campaign that the BJP was trying to end reservations and being “anti-constitutional”, citing the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s remarks on the subject of reservation and the Congress’s treatment of B.R. Ambedkar, the chief architect of the Constitution.

He spent a significant amount of time holding forth on post-2014 India, praising the BJP government for instilling “self-confidence”, which in turn has become a driver for development. He applauded his government for moving from an “appeasement model of governance” to a “saturation model of governance”, where schemes are extended to all. “In our third term, we will work at triple the speed. Our third term means we will put in thrice the strength. In our third term, we will ensure three times the results,” Mr. Modi said.

As the Prime Minister rose to speak, the Opposition trooped into the Well of the House, raising slogans on the situation in Manipur. They demanded that Mr. Modi visit the strife-ridden State, noting that he has not toured there since ethnic violence broke out on May 3, 2023. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla’s entreaties and reprimands did not have any impact on the Opposition, who kept sloganeering throughout the speech.

After spending about an hour on his government’s past performance, Mr. Modi shifted gears to talk about election results. He commended the BJP’s performance in the four Assembly elections that were held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls. Then he directed his attack on the Congress, which he said has once again been given the mandate to sit in Opposition. “This is the first time that the Congress has not crossed 100 seats for three consecutive times. Instead of conceding defeat, they are being arrogant. They are trying to build a narrative that they have beaten us,” he said. In the 10 general elections, he said, the Congress has never crossed the 250 mark. Referring to the Congress as a “parasitic party”, Mr. Modi said the Congress’s strike rate in a direct face-off with the BJP was 26%, but where it was a junior party to a regional force, it won 50% of the seats. In 16 States where the Congress fought alone, he said, its vote share dropped.

Using stories and parables, Mr. Modi slammed Mr. Gandhi, calling out his maiden address as Leader of the Opposition as a “new drama” aimed at garnering sympathy. “They know the truth that they are out on bail for embezzlement of thousands of crores of rupees, have been convicted for calling OBC people thieves and they had to apologise for irresponsible comments on the country’s top court,” Mr. Modi said.

He accused the Congress of spreading “lies” about the Agnipath scheme, accusing the lead Opposition party of seeking to mislead the youth of the country into not joining the Army. “Lies were spoken regarding the [Agnipath] scheme and MSP. When seasoned leaders like him [Mr. Gandhi] choose this path of anarchy, it shows that the nation is headed for trouble,” he said.

Bihar govt. moves SC against HC order quashing 65% quota

Amarnath Tewary

PATNA

The Bihar government moved the Supreme Court on Tuesday, challenging the Patna High Court’s directive to ‘set aside’ the increase in the State’s reservation for disadvantaged communities, from the existing 50% to 65%. This is the quota for SCs, STs, Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs), and OBCs in government jobs and educational institutions.

The Bihar government’s appeal before the top court was filed through advocate Manish Kumar. Senior advocate Dinu Kumar, representing the petitioners who had gone to the High Court against the quota hike, said, “Yes, the State government has filed an appeal before the Supreme Court today and our advocate Ayush Anand too has filed a caveat.”

Following the release of a caste-based survey report in 2022, the government had decided to increase the quota from 50% to 65%. Immediately afterwards, PIL petitions were filed in the Patna HC, challenging the quota hike as a “violation of the right to equal opportunity for citizens in matters of employment and education”.

Mr. Dinu argued that the Supreme Court had imposed a 50% cap of reservations in the Indira Sawhney case. He told the Patna HC that the State’s decision was taken “on the basis of the proportion of castes”.

Appearing for the government, Advocate-General P.K. Shahi insisted that the quota hike was due to the lack of adequate representation of these classes.

Restore my speech in full, Rahul tells Speaker

In his speech on Monday, the Congress leader made a scathing attack against the BJP, questioning the Hindu credentials of its leaders and accusing the party of dividing people. The Speaker removed 13 parts of his speech from the records.

Mr. Gandhi argued that while the Chair derived its power to expunge certain remarks from the proceedings of the House, the stipulation pertains only to such words as the nature of which have been specified in Rule 380 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Lok Sabha.

“I am, however, shocked to note the manner in which considerable portions of my speech have been simply taken off from the proceedings under the garb of expunction,” the Opposition leader said. “I am constrained to state that the portions expunged do not come under the ambit of Rule 380. What I sought to convey in the House is the ground reality and the factual position. Every member of the House who personifies the collective voice of people whom he or she represents has the freedom of speech as enshrined in Article 105(1) of the Constitution,” Mr. Gandhi said.

End my suspension: Srinagar shrine priest

The Hindu Bureau

SRINAGAR

Kamal-ud-Din Farooqui, head priest of the Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar, on Tuesday sought the intervention of the Lieutenant-Governor’s (L-G) administration to end his debarment from the shrine.

He was suspended by the Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board in April after a non-local Hindu converted to Islam at the shrine. The ceremony was presided over by Mr. Farooqui.

The Board, headed by BJP leader Darakshan Andrabi, had accused him of “forcible conversion”. “We seek the government’s intervention. This is a matter of religious delicacy and sentiment. The board has no mandate to interfere with religious practices. The Constitution gives religious freedom to practice, profess, and propagate any religion,” he said.

116 killed in a stampede at U.P. prayer meet

Recalling the horror, Shakuntala, an eyewitness said, “Everyone was trying to rush out of the venue after the satsang ended. The fields near the event were swampy. People started falling in the mud swamp, one above the other. Many got crushed amid the struggle.”

Video of a woman sitting in between six bodies in a truck, urging people to help her get her daughter’s body out of the vehicle, went viral on social media.

The godman is also scheduled to hold a similar satsang in Agra from July 4 whose permission was denied by the authorities after Tuesday’s incident.

“The loss of life in the unfortunate accident in Hathras district is extremely sad and heart-wrenching. My condolences are with the bereaved family,” Mr. Adityanath said. He said instructions were given to the officials to take up relief and rescue operations on a war-footing and to provide proper treatment to the injured.

No topic off-limits: Russia

Press Trust of India

Moscow

Given the “very trusting nature” of the relationship between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, no topic is off-limits for the two leaders when they meet here soon, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday. The dates of Mr. Modi’s visit to Moscow will be announced a bit later but preparations for it are already at their final stages, he said.

Describing Mr. Modi’s visit as “very important”, Mr. Peskov said the leaders will discuss regional and global security, trade and all other topics.

Opposition hits back after uproar over Rahul’s remarks in Lok Sabha

Sandeep Phukan

NEW DELHI

INDIA bloc leaders build a counter-narrative of being the ‘real Hindus ’; House adjourned sine die ; Akhilesh Yadav asserts that the election has put an end to communal politics, attacks govt. on paper leaks, EVMs, unemployment and reservation

Scathing attack: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav speaking in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. ANI

A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his BJP colleagues accused the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, of insulting the Hindu community, Opposition leaders built a counter-narrative of being the “real Hindus” while speaking on the Motion of Thanks to the President for her address to the joint sitting of Parliament.

After the passage of the Motion, the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die on Tuesday.

Earlier, during the debate, Congress leader K.C. Venugopal said the BJP was using Hindu religion to polarise people and win the election.

“Mahatma Gandhi and [Nathuram] Godse both believed in Bhagavad Gita. But Gandhi learnt tolerance, non-violence and the message of Bhagavad Gita and Lord Krishna. Godse learnt violence and intolerance from the same text. We are followers of Gandhi’s Hinduism, not Godse’s Hinduism,” he said.

His party colleague Gaurav Gogoi said the Prime Minister may believe in his divine origins but the mandate proved that he was human.

Awadhesh Prasad, Samajwadi Party (SP) MP for Faizabad in Ayodhya, said the BJP’s loss in Lord Ram’s birthplace not only made domestic headlines but international ones as well. “In this 29-page President’s Address, there is no mention of Ayodhya, the land of Lord Ram,” he said.

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said the BJP’s defeat in Faizabad conveyed the wisdom of voters and had brought an end to communal politics. “The victory in Ayodhya is the victory of mature voters’ democratic understanding,” he said.

He lashed out at the government over a spectrum of issues — from paper leaks including the recent NEET exam, unemployment, Agnipath scheme, caste census and the conduct of the Lok Sabha election.

Questioning the functioning of the electronic voting machines, Mr. Yadav said: “I did not trust EVMs yesterday, I don’t trust them today. And even if I win all 80 seats [in Uttar Pradesh], I will not trust EVMs.”

On the NEET row, he said: “The achievement of last 10 years is the birth of an education mafia. The most prestigious paper in the country was also leaked... The government is enabling leaks because they don’t want to give jobs to youth.”

Reflecting on the 2024 electoral mandate, he said the election was a moral victory for the INDIA bloc.

“June 4, 2024 was the day of independence from communal politics for India. In this election, communal politics has lost forever,” he added.

Kharge asks V-P not to spread RSS ideology

The Hindu Bureau

New Delhi

Mallikarjun Kharge

Amid continuing attacks from Opposition benches in the Rajya Sabha during the debate on the Motion to Thank the President for her address to the joint sitting of Parliament, the BJP fielded the leader of the Upper House J.P. Nadda to counter the attack.

Mr. Nadda targeted the Congress and said the party that had imposed Emergency and tried to dilute reservations was speaking about democracy and protecting reservations.

In his speech, Mr. Nadda said the Narendra Modi government had worked to ensure global economic crises did not impact India. He said Mr. Modi had provided support to industries so that the economy remained insulated from external problems.

Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar’s statement in the House, in which he said he had been an Ekalavya (disciple) of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) since he had left the Congress, and that he considered leaders of the RSS as saintly people, was questioned by Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, who urged Mr. Dhankhar not to spread an ideology from the Chair.

In their speeches, the Opposition members took up several issues, including unemployment, paper leaks and problems in the education sector. Samajwadi Party (SP) leader and senior MP Ram Gopal Yadav said the President’s speech had been silent on rampant corruption.

Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) MP A.A. Rahim said there had been no mention of unemployment in the President’s speech. The Aam Aadmi Party’s Raghav Chadha said two IPLs were played in the country — one was the Indian Premier League for cricket, and the second was the “Indian Paper Leak”, and that the National Testing Agency now stood for “No Trust Anymore”.

Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, too, demanded strict action against those who are responsible for the widespread irregularities in the exam process.

Trinamool Congress member Sagarika Ghose mentioned the lynching of three men in Chhattisgarh by a mob a few days ago. Pointing to the delegitimisation of the Opposition, she said there was a “democracy deficit” in the nation, adding that the civil war in Manipur was continuing without redress.

P. Wilson of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam also raised the NEET issue.

“The Tamil Nadu Assembly has recently moved a resolution seeking exemption for Tamil Nadu from NEET, or to scrap NEET for admission to medical courses. Therefore, we seek the Prime Minister’s immediate attention, either to approve the Bill passed by the State government, or to bring about amendments to the National Medical Council Act so NEET and other exams are given up on the national-level,” he said.

Woman in Chopra flogging incident refuses to meet Bengal Governor

Shiv Sahay Singh

Siliguri

C.V. Ananda Bose

West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose was on Tuesday forced to cut short his visit to north Bengal after the woman who was seen being beaten up by a man publicly in a viral video, refused to meet him.

“The victim wants to be left alone, and I will respect her right,” Mr. Bose told presspersons before leaving for Delhi.

The Governor took a morning flight from Bagdogra to Siliguri on Tuesday, and elaborate arrangements were made, including deployment of the police, at Chopra in Uttar Dinajpur, where the flogging was shot.

The Islampur police suo motu arrested the accused, Tajimul Islam, and he has been remanded in police custody for five days. Instead of demanding action against the perpetrators of violence, the survivor sought action against those who had made the one-minute video clip go viral.

“I do not know who the person beating me up was,” she told presspersons.

Asked if the woman had been pressured into declining a meeting with him, the Governor said, “If any malpractice has taken place, we will look into it.”

The woman, however, said that she had not stopped the Governor from visiting her house.

Mr. Bose, meanwhile, met the survivor of a mob assault at Mathabhanga in Cooch Behar district. “I have no faith in Mamata Banerjee’s police. I was stripped and beaten up by supporters of the Trinamool Congress. The Governor assured me that he will stand by me,” the woman, who highlighted her allegiance to the BJP, said.

In another incident at Fulbari in Jalpiaguri district, a woman was found dead after she was tried for alleged adultery at a kangaroo court.

She was assaulted by the local people publicly. While it was Trinamool MLA Hamidur Rahaman who had raised questions about the character of the woman at Chopra, the husband of local panchayat leader Shambu Roy cast aspersions on the Fulbari victim.

Four persons have been arrested.

Manipur facing civil war-like crisis, but PM is silent: MP

The Hindu Bureau

NEW DELHI

Congress MP A. Bimol Akoijam made a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for remaining silent on Manipur, which has been affected by ethnic violence for the past one year.

In a late-night speech in the Lok Sabha on Monday, he said there is a civil war-like situation in Manipur, “yet our Prime Minister has remained mute, not even a word”.

Mr. Akoijam, who was the last to speak on Monday, around 11.45 p.m., on the Motion of Thanks to the President for her address to Parliament, expressed his anguish over the absence of any reference to ethnic violence-hit Manipur in President Droupadi Murmu’s address to the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament.

A professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), the first-time Congress MP from Inner Manipur drew the attention of the House to the 60,000 people living in wretched conditions in relief camps in Manipur for more than a year.

“I will keep quiet the moment the Prime Minister opens his mouth, and the nationalist party [BJP] says that Manipur is a part of India and we care for the people of that State,” said Mr. Akoijam.

Rahul urges PM to facilitate debate in LS on NEET issue

Press Trust of India

New Delhi

Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting him to facilitate a debate on the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) issue in the House on Wednesday.

He said the Opposition’s request to discuss the issue related to the medical entrance test was denied in both Houses of Parliament on June 28 and on Monday.

“I am writing to request for a debate in Parliament on NEET,” he said in his letter to the Prime Minister on Tuesday.

“Our aim is to engage constructively to find a way forward. At this moment, our only concern is the welfare of nearly 24 lakh NEET aspirants across India,” he said.

‘Rebuilding faith’

Referring to the government’s move to postpone other examinations and replace the Director-General of the National Testing Agency, the Congress leader said these moves were to “cover up the systemic breakdown of our centralised testing system”.

“Our students deserve answers. A parliamentary debate is the first step towards rebuilding and restoring their faith,” he said.

“Given the urgency of the matter, I request the government to facilitate a debate in the House tomorrow. I believe that it would be fitting if you were to lead this debate in the interest of the students,” Mr. Gandhi said.

At meeting, Modi advises NDA MPs to always keep nation first

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday asked the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) MPs to execute their responsibilities by always keeping the nation first and learn about parliamentary practices from senior members. Speaking with presspersons, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said the first meeting of the NDA parliamentary party was held on Tuesday. During the meeting, Mr. Rijiju said the Prime Minister shared a key “mantra” with all the MPs. He said the MPs, irrespective of the parties they belonged to, had come to Parliament to serve the country and that they should always keep the nation first.

Kharge targets Modi over his jibe at Rahul in LS speech

The Hindu Bureau

NEW DELHI

Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reply to the Motion of Thanks to the President for her address, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said 140 crore Indians conveyed the same message to him, as the phrase he used for the Congress, in the Lok Sabha election.

Hitting back at tumse na ho payega [you are not up to it] jibe of Mr. Modi at Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, in a X post, he said: “The way you mentioned ‘Tumse Na Ho Payega’ in your speech of two hours and 24 minutes, 140 crore Indians have said the same thing to your government in this election”.

“Modiji, you have insulted the mandate. Understand the sentiments of the people. Give up dictatorship,” he said.

Engineer Rashid gets custody parole to take oath as MP

A Delhi court on Tuesday granted custody parole to Sheikh Abdul Rashid, aka Engineer Rashid, to take oath as a Member of Parliament on Friday. The Additional Sessions Judge of the Patiala House court allowed Mr. Rashid two hours, or till the time oath proceedings take place, whichever is later. The order was passed after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) gave its consent for Mr. Rashid to take oath. He had won the Lok Sabha election as an Independent candidate from Baramulla in Jammu and Kashmir. In jail since 2019, Mr. Rashid has been charged by the NIA under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in an alleged terror-funding case.

Complaint filed against Rahul Gandhi for ‘remark on Hindus’

A complaint has been filed in Bihar against Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, on Tuesday over his recent remark on Hindus in Parliament. Divyanshu Kishore, a Hindu outfit leader, filed the case in the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court of Muzaffarpur. The court has accepted the complaint and the next hearing will take place on July 15. In the complaint, Mr. Kishore has accused Mr. Gandhi of hurting the sentiments of Hindus. In his maiden speech in the 18th Lok Sabha on Monday, criticising the top BJP leadership, the Congress leader said: “Those who call themselves Hindus indulge in hate and violence round the clock.”

Fact-check unit needed to protect people from fake news: Centre in Bombay HC

The Hindu Bureau

Mumbai

The petitioners have contended that the purpose of the FCU is to bring total censorship on anything that the government does not want people to know, discuss, debate, or question

1 of 2

2 of 2 Many State governments have FCU, such as Kerala and Uttarakhand ... If we [the Union government] do not fact-check, it will be a dereliction of duty Tushar Mehta Solicitor-General

Tiebreaker judge Justice A.S. Chandurkar of the Bombay High Court on Tuesday continued hearing the arguments by the Union government in the petitions filed by comedian Kunal Kamra and others challenging Rule 3(1)(b)(v) of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.

The Rule empowers the government to establish a fact-check unit (FCU) to identify fake, false, and misleading information about its business on social media.

Defending the FCU, the Union government, through Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta, said it will prevent people from false information. Mr. Mehta contended that the right to know and the right to not be misled are equally important as the right to freedom of speech and expression under Article 19(1)(a).

Citing multiple examples of fake news and misinformation floating on social media, Mr. Mehta said, “Many State governments have FCU, such as Kerala and Uttarakhand. In fact, even private firms have FCU, including news organisations who partner with intermediaries to flag false information. If we [the Union government] do not fact-check, it will be a dereliction of duty.”

Mr. Mehta said that afake news aboutthe Election Commission had floated on social media saying that the poll body would deduct ₹350 from the accounts of people who chose not to vote.

“It is a serious matter and can lead to serious consequences. What objection do the petitioners have here? The petitioners have contended that this will have a chilling effect as intermediaries will take things down out of fear. But there are several things that ought to have been taken down, but they have not been. We have written to YouTube but they have not taken it down citing their community guidelines. There is no chilling effect. And all these accounts are monetised accounts that work on the model of number of subscribers,” he said.

The Solicitor-General also mentioned how the U.S. suffered during the pandemic with misinformation and fake news being spread on social media.

“We (government) are not the final arbiter here. Just like individuals, the government can also intimate. The FCU is a methodical way of doing that. And being a statutory regime, it has consequences. We are not the arbiter. The first arbiter is the intermediary, the final arbiter is a court of competent jurisdiction. Right to be informed correctly is necessarily inherent in my right under Article 21. Because, if somebody’s freedom of speech incites violence or threatens public order, it directly infringes my right under Article 21,” he added.

The Centre will continue its arguments on July 24 and 25, while the the petitioners’ rejoinder is scheduled on July 29, 30, and 31.

In April, the petitioners concluded their arguments contending that the purpose of the FCU was to bring total state censorship on anything that the government does not want people to know, discuss, debate, or question.

(set by Spinner)

1 of 4

2 of 4

3 of 4

4 of 4 Scan to play

Across

1 Following Pythagoras' lead, peculiar nerd turned at ninety degrees (13)

10 Percentage of quota not fulfilled (5)

11 West Indies coming with extremely laurelled aces - they don't need to get through qualification! (4,5)

12 Work from test site owned by us (6)

13 Guess English's complicated, at times! (8)

15 Line-up comes before kick-off, as time runs out in front of essentially tempestuous audience! (9)

16 Dealing with love, silly! (2,2)

20 Female choir's reverberation (4)

21 Get shot by mistake while not being the intended target? (9)

24 Dodgy check is caught in large heist upfront (8)

26 Deceitful U-turn awkwardly exposed leader (6)

28 Support side finally with new captain, as old as you and me! (9)

29 Intense performance about upper-class eccentricities, primarily (5)

30 Caution : Spinner's returning with power and will! (13)

Down

2 Doctor hails best form (9)

3 Publicity over channel beginning to sell goods! (8)

4 Scientist not working for slippery customer? (4)

5 Clarify incorrect American cess trapping top taxpayers (10)

6 Mischief-maker swaying without taking either side (6)

7 Patriarchy shackles parts of the heart (5)

8 Faithfully obedient after troubling at first (5)

9 Basically adds forced stress? (7)

14 Fanaticism perhaps unseats him? (10)

17 Main menu cooked with complete, unending love (6,3)

18 Accepts sender's first letters randomly with no address, essentially! (7)

19 Every association worker is rich (8)

22 Set clues having a catch! (6)

23 Enjoy part of movie featuring chief villain (5)

25 Hoard auditor's money (5)

27 Spotted rival players getting exercise on the sides (4)

Courts subservient only to the might of Constitution and no other authority: CJI

The Hindu Bureau

NEW DELHI

Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud at the foundation stone laying ceremony of court buildings in New Delhi. Sushil Kumar VermaSUSHIL KUMAR VERMA

Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud on Tuesday said courts should bow to the might of no authority other than the Constitution, and serve no one but litigants.

“The foundation of a court must be sound — both in its structural and philosophical capacity. It must subserve no might but the Constitution and be in service of no one but the litigants. Our courts are not merely sights of sovereign power but are also essential public service providers,” the Chief Justice noted.

The Chief Justice warned judges against delivering “rough, ready and handy justice”, but to cherish the rule of law and procedural guarantees.

Chief Justice Chandrachud said climate change could no longer be ignored, while referring to the intense heatwaves followed by deluge suffered by the national capital.

“This year, Delhi experienced the hottest recorded weather. We have experienced two heatwaves followed by record breaking rain in a single day. Our infrastructure must reflect the reality we live… One crucial step is to incorporate a green lifestyle into our daily lives, which includes reducing carbon emissions,” the Chief Justice Chandrachud said at the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the new court buildings at Karkardooma, Shastri Park and Rohini.

Advanced medium combat aircraft prototype expected to be ready by 2028-29

Dinakar Peri

NEW DELHI

As the project for the design and development of the indigenous fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA), Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), makes progress, the Defence Ministry is working out a model for bringing in the private sector in a big way, which is important for timely execution of the project, according to official sources. The first prototype is expected to be ready by 2028-29.

“The design of the AMCA is ready. The prototype is expected to roll out by 2028-29 and the production is expected to begin from 2032-33. The target is to have it ready for induction in 2034, a decade from project sanction,” an official source said. In preparation to have the manufacturing and deliveries on track, there is significant private industry involvement that is being envisaged. “We have to decide a model for private sector involvement. A model is expected to be worked out in the next six months,” an official source said.

The Defence Ministry has already issued an Expression of Interest (EoI) to the industry and three responses were received. The target is to have the AMCA ready for induction by 2034

The AMCA project is particularly critical as it is India’s only FGFA that is planned for induction at a time when a series of such FGFA development projects are making progress worldwide. China, which has made great progress in the development and deployment of FGFAs, has recently deployed its twin-engine J-20 FGFA in Tibet bordering India.

CCS clearance

The AMCA project got sanction from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) in March. It is envisaged as a 25-tonne twin-engine stealth aircraft with internal weapons bay and diverterless supersonic intake which has been developed in India for the first time.

It is intended to have an internal carriage of 1,500 kg of payload and 5,500 kg of external payload with 6,500 kg of internal fuel. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), which is the production agency for the project, has already initiated manufacturing activities.

Aim is to establish dharma

The avataras of Lord Vishnu such as Matsya, Koorma and Varaha were for specific reasons and hence called Amsavathara. The manifestations of the Lord as Sri Rama and Sri Krishna were to establish dharma, protect righteous men and destroy unrighteous and impious (Parithranaya Sadhunam) and hence called Purnavathara (complete and total.)

Dr. Sudha Seshaian said in a discourse the state of enjoying the divine bliss is called Paramanandham. The sloka Vasudeva Sutham devam says Sri Krishna’s mother Devaki derives Paramanandham. Usually, a mother would be happy when giving birth to a child. But Devaki, while in prison, was afraid towards her brother Kamsa, who was eager to kill her yet-to-be-born eighth baby. How could she derive Paramanandham under such a precarious situation? Lord Krishna did not cry when He was born and showed His divine form to Devaki, holding a disc, conch, mace, and lotus in four hands. That moment was Devaki’s enjoyment of divine bliss. By His conduct and behaviour, Lord Krishna portrayed Himself as the best Karmayogi. At the end of each day during the Mahabharatha war, Sri Krishna, as a charioteer, had done his duty of feeding, nursing and bathing the horses before leaving them in the stable and had not delegated to anyone.

HC seeks CBI’s response on Kejriwal’s plea against arrest

The Hindu Bureau

NEW DELHI

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday sought response from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on a plea by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal challenging his arrest in a corruption case related to the excise policy ‘scam’.

Justice Neena Bansal Krishna issued notice to the CBI and asked it to file its reply within seven days. The High Court posted the case for arguments on July 17.

The Aam Aadmi Party national convener has also challenged a June 26 order of the trial court, which remanded him in the CBI’s custody for three days. The court had on June 29 extended Mr. Kejriwal’s judicial custody till July 12, saying his name had surfaced as one of the main conspirators.

It had also remarked that his further custodial interrogation might be required as the investigation is under way.

The CBI arrested Mr. Kejriwal on June 26 from the Tihar Jail, where he was remanded till July 3 in a related money-laundering case being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate.

Five Naxals killed in Chhattisgarh, say police

Press Trust of India

Narayanpur

Five Naxalites were killed in an encounter in Narayanpur district of Chhattisgarh on Tuesday, the police said.

The gunfight took place in a forest in Abujhmad, a hilly forest area, when a joint team of personnel from different security forces was out on an anti-Naxal operation, a senior police official said. “The search operation is still under way,” he said, adding that security personnel were reported to be safe.

The operation, involving personnel of the District Reserve Guard, Special Task Force, Border Security Force and Indo-Tibetan Border Police from different districts, was launched on Sunday, the police said.

138 dead so far

With the latest incident, the number of Naxalites killed so far this year in separate encounters with security forces in the State has risen to 138.

While 136 Maoists were gunned down in the Bastar division that comprises seven districts, including Narayanpur, two others were killed in Dhamtari district under the Raipur division.

Assam flood situation turns grim, death toll rises to 38

The flood situation in Assam turned grim on Tuesday affecting more than 11.34 lakh people across 28 districts in the State with Lakhimpur being the most affected due to the fast-flowing rivers in the area. Officials of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said two waves of floods — the second began on June 16 — have killed 38 people since May. “The number of flood-affected districts increased from 19 to 28 in the span of 24 hours. Three people, two in Tinsukia and one in the Dhemaji district, drowned during this period,” an ASDMA spokesperson said. Lakhimpur continued to be the worst-affected district.

Woman cuts off man’s genitals for refusing to marry her

A woman in Saran district of Bihar on Monday allegedly cut off the genitals of a man and flushed them down the toilet after he refused to marry her, the police said on Tuesday. The 26-year-old woman was said to be in a relationship with the 30-year-old victim for the past five years. The woman claims to be a medical practitioner and runs a nursing home in the the Marhaura police station limits in Saran. The man is a ward councillor in the the Marhaura Nagar Panchayat. The woman has been arrested. “A case has been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) on July 1,” Saran Superintendent of Police Kumar Ashish said.

Five die, 30 fall ill at children’s home; investigation ordered

At least five children have died and 30 more have fallen ill at a children’s home in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore in the past three days, district officials said on Tuesday. All the deceased children are aged under 14 and they were residing at the Bal Ashram of Shri Yugpurush Dham in the Malharganj police station area of the city. While the cause of deaths is yet to be officially ascertained, an official said that it was suspected to be food poisoning in four cases. Indore District Magistrate Asheesh Singh said that the food was prepared at the kitchen of the children’s home and samples have been collected and sent for examination.

IAF chief inaugurates weapon systems school in Hyderabad

Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal V.R. Chaudhari on Tuesday inaugurated the newly established Weapon Systems School at Air Force Station, Begumpet, Hyderabad. This follows the approval for the creation of a new Weapon System branch in 2022. “The new branch will have four streams; flying stream to operate the weapons and systems in airborne platforms like the Sukhoi-30 MKI and C-130J; remote stream to operate remotely piloted aircraft; mission commanders and operators for Surface to Air and Surface-to-Surface weapon systems, and intelligence stream for handling space-based intelligence and imagery,” the IAF said.

Edit

- Great expectations, liberalism in dark times

- Digital jurisprudence in India, in an AI era

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Great expectations, liberalism in dark times

Shelley Walia taught cultural theory at the Panjab University

The object of politics, as of philosophy, is to perceive unity in diversity, where contradictions meet and merge in a multi-racial society. To rise to that highest knowledge of widespread concord is to reach to the intellectual equivalent of an intimate structure of a subjective and idealist state that works on the ideology of coexistence and welfare of all. But the compelling global history of the fate of democracy leaves a glaring blemish on the very idea of liberalism which faces threats from across the spectrum.

The battering of liberalism, a political order that keeps power in check and safeguards our fundamental rights, is nothing new. The pressing issue before the state in times of rampant sectarianism has always been: Who has the ‘rights to have rights’ — a question that defines civil discrimination, racist politics and xenophobic bigotry. The growth of right-wing nationalism, the global problem of refugees and migrants throws light on the fissures that vividly exist in societies and in ideologies.

Electoral outcomes

In the context of liberalism facing an existential crisis, the recent swing towards the right in the European Parliament, points towards public opinion veering in favour of climate scepticism, anti-migration sentiment and the rising tide of divisiveness as a result of fervent nationalism. A similar victory of the right-wing conservative forces seemed to be the logical outcome in the recent general election in India. But the awakened and alert electorate took on the challenge and sent an unambiguous message to the world that the voter in India stands tall in stridently conveying her indignation at the rise of creeping insidious authoritarianism and sullied politics.

The outcome has redeemed the very forte of democracy by rightfully checking the overwhelming avalanche of smothering oppression combined with unbridled communalism that had brought the Muslim community under a cloud of fear and insecurity. Though one wavers between moods of hope and despair, one could optimistically look towards a robust Opposition with the government in power ready to listen and debate. One only hopes that existing democratic institutions will continue to facilitate the procedures of the defence of our fundamental rights and the promotion of a diverse civil society.

A new way of connecting to each other by understanding the distinctions between private religious faith and public, politicised way of life, will not diminish any one.

It is in such a political milieu that a conversation has to begin between the overzealous conservatives and the beleaguered left. Readiness to legislate and execute with rationality and justice, and having the responsiveness to intervene in the dilemma of the marginalised, hungry, unemployed masses is all that the polity of a country longs for. Human rights that are bestowed by the nation-state on some, while excluding others through forced assimilation, ethnic cleansing or even genocide, principally explains the origins of many of today’s crises. The Indian voter has indeed woken up and given a resounding blow to the indomitable regime that set out to create a toxic imbalance between various political parties in an environment despondently sunk in hatred and ethnic violence. It is indeed heart warming to see the emergence of a collective effort to forge an opposition that, hopefully, will keep the now downsized government on its toes.

Verdict and the advent of hope

This is a splendid verdict when the primacy of democracy is gradually fading away as nations weave their way in the labyrinths of lies, deception and deceit couched in the most debased language one can think of, particularly, when used as a histrionic craft of rhetorical hypnosis that leaves many in a state of discombobulation. Crapulously drunk on power, bragging about its performance and its omnipresence, the ruling right-wing dispensations across the world throw rationality to the wind, ready to issue opprobrium on all who speak truth to power, all who dare to divulge the non-constitutionality of the subtext of a political statement. As is expected within civil societies, political speeches must show some form of dignity and eloquent reasoning, not expediently perpetuate an environment of authority and oppression through the intimidating use of media and the state apparatus. I only hope that the ruling dispensation begins now to discreetly embrace a tempered liberalism, leaving behind its illiberal tactics. And, I hope that the Opposition alliance comes up to the expectations of millions and charts a road map that celebrates humility, pluralism and modesty.

Take for example the clash between the natural order and the civil. As the philosopher Baruch Spinoza wrote in the Tractatus Theologico-Politicus, the maturest of his writings on liberal and democratic hopes, the natural order allows you to “consult only your own advantage, and determines who is good or bad according to your own fancy”. On the other hand, in a civil setup, “each one holds himself responsible to the state” and is therefore held guilty of acts that spread “hatred, anger, treachery, or, in general, anything that appetite suggests”. The lawlessness of nature is clearly pitched against the predetermined order of the state, where only law and morality prevail merely because we live in a state governed by accepted beliefs and rationality, a common recognised system designed collectively.

Spinoza, therefore, has in mind the workings of the natural order where all are free to act unlike societies that evolve into organised arrangements where it is imperative to go by the book and abide by a moral order. Living in a social system, therefore, demands that no human reverts to the disorder of nature, thereby permitting the rights of the state to capriciously metamorphose into the ‘might” of the state. Such has been the tragedy of history that allowed the rise of anti-liberal tendencies. Reflection on such an eventuality becomes necessary at a juncture when democratic institutions across the globe stand bruised by a leadership that cares little for political wisdom necessary for shaping its attitude towards the world.

Like many of us, India too tantalisingly swings between hope and scepticism in the face of the unfathomable results of its general election. It is a moment or a mood that will dictate the trajectory of its democracy in the coming years as well as trigger and sustain philosophical reflections on the lack of political astuteness and dignified statesmanship that seems to be the most conceivable malaise infesting our world today. Cohabitation and reaching out to opposing political players is an abiding expectation.

I write with a sense of anguish at the return of McCarthyism, giving many a taste of the ordeal of the depression of a disenchanted and overbearing world. But there is some hope in the idea that democratic forces always remain alive, though often latent, and, at the right moment, strike at the roots of any antagonistic political aberration that may hinder the regeneration of institutions and full-bodied political thinking for the empowerment of each individual and his rights, underpinned by a sustainable consensus. The very complexion of Indian politics must change to show to the emerging hard right wing that democratic forces are up and kicking when human dignity is in question. Our impetus into the future is not only about personal liberty or democratic self-rule based on our Constitution; it is also steeped in moral significance.

Digital jurisprudence in India, in an AI era

Amar Patnaik a former Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) from Odisha and now an advocate by profession. He was a former CAG bureaucrat

Even though Generative AI (GAI) stands as a transformative force, wielding power to revolutionise society in ground-breaking ways, existing legal frameworks and judicial precedents that have been designed for a pre-AI world may struggle to effectively govern this rapidly-evolving technology.

Safe harbour and liability fixation

One of the most persistent and contentious issues in Internet governance has been the fixing of liability on “intermediaries” for content hosted by them. The landmark Shreya Singhal judgment addressed this by upholding Section 79 of the IT Act which grants intermediaries ‘safe harbour’ protection against hosting content, contingent upon meeting the due diligence requirements outlined in Section 3(1)(b) of the Information Technology (Intermediaries Guidelines) Rules. However, its application to Generative AI tools remains challenging.

There are contrasting views on the role of GAI tools. Some argue that they should be considered intermediaries since they are used almost like a search engine even though they do not host links to third-party websites. Others argue that they are mere “conduits” for user prompts, where altering the prompt leads to changes in output — essentially making the generated content akin to third-party speech, and, therefore, attracting lesser liability for the content generated.

In Christian Louboutin Sas vs Nakul Bajaj and Ors (2018), the Delhi High Court held that safe harbour protection applies solely to “passive” intermediaries, referring to entities functioning as mere conduits or passive transmitters of information. However, in the context of Large Language Models (LLMs), making a distinction between user-generated and platform-generated content is increasingly challenging. Additionally, liability in the case of AI chatbots arises once the information is reposted on other platforms by the user; mere response to a user prompt is not considered dissemination.

Generative AI outputs have already led to legal conflicts in various jurisdictions. In June 2023, a radio host in the United States filed a lawsuit against Open AI, alleging that Chat GPT had defamed him. The ambiguity in classifying GAI tools, whether as intermediaries, conduits, or active creators, will complicate the ability of courts to assign liability, particularly in user reposts.

The copyright conundrum

Section 16 of Indian Copyright Act 1957 specifically provides that “no person” shall be entitled to protection of copyright except by the provisions of the Act. As in India, reluctance persists regarding the provisions of copyright protection to works generated by AI globally.

The critical questions are: should existing copyright provisions be revised to accommodate AI? If AI-generated works gain protection, would co-authorship with a human be mandatory? Should recognition extend to the user, the programme itself, and by extension, the programmer, or both? The 161st Parliamentary Standing Committee Report found that the Copyright Act of 1957 is “not well equipped to facilitate authorship and ownership by Artificial Intelligence”.

Under current Indian law, a copyright owner can take legal action against anyone who infringes on his/her work with remedies such as injunctions and damages. However, the question of who is responsible for copyright infringement by AI tools remains unclear. As previously argued, classifying GAI tools, whether as intermediaries, conduits, or active creators, will complicate the courts’ ability to assign liability. ChatGPT’s ‘Terms of Use’ attempt to shift liability to the user for any illegal output. But the enforceability of such terms in India is uncertain.

The landmark K.S. Puttaswamy judgment (2017) by the Supreme Court of India established a strong foundation for privacy jurisprudence in the country, leading to the enactment of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP). While traditional data aggregators or consent managers raise privacy concerns during the collection and distribution of personal information, Generative AI introduces a new layer of complexity.

The DPDP Act introduces the “right to erasure“ as well as “right to be forgotten”. However, once a GAI model is trained on a dataset, it cannot truly “unlearn” the information it has already absorbed. This raises a critical question. How can individuals exercise control over their personal information when it is woven into the very fabric of a powerful AI model?

Steps to pursue

First, learning by doing. Consider granting GAI platforms temporary immunity from liability following a sandbox approach. This approach allows responsible development while gathering data to identify legal issues that could inform future laws and regulations.

Second, data rights and responsibilities. The process of data acquisition for GAI training requires an overhaul. Developers must prioritise legal compliance by ensuring proper licensing and compensation for the intellectual property used in training models. Solutions could include revenue-sharing or licensing agreements with data owners.

Third, licensing challenges. Licensing data for GAI is complex as web-data lacks a centralised licensing body similar to copyright societies in the music industry. A potential solution is the creation of centralised platforms, akin to stock photo websites such as Getty Images, which simplify licensing, streamline access to necessary data for developers and ensure data integrity against historical bias and discrimination.

The jurisprudence around Generative AI (GAI) is hazy and yet to be evolved. It demands a comprehensive re-evaluation of existing digital jurisprudence. A holistic, government-wide approach and judicious interpretations by the constitutional courts are essential to maximise the benefits of this powerful technology, but safeguarding individual rights and protecting them against unwelcome harm all the while.

The views expressed are personal

Mixed signals

India needs to strengthen momentum in the key industrial sectors

Output data for May from the eight core infrastructure sectors show broad industrial activity slowed under the onslaught of a heatwave that left homes, offices and factories countrywide using more power to run their fans and cooling systems. Only coal, to fuel the power plants, and electricity generation posted double-digit output growth, expanding by 10.2% and 12.8%, respectively, as per provisional data on the Index of Eight Core Industries released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on June 28. And production in crude oil, fertilizers and cement shrank from their year-earlier levels, while output expansions decelerated in the remaining three sectors of natural gas, refinery products and steel. The heatwave’s impact on economic activity in May was particularly prominent in India’s northern parts, as it forced afternoon breaks at construction sites and daily peak power demand at the Northern Regional Load Despatch Centre consistently hovered around or exceeded 75 gigawatts. Demand for cement and steel weakened as construction activity was understandably curbed by the temperatures, with both the key building materials also posting sequential declines in output. The year-on-year contraction in fertilizers for a fifth straight month in May is a cause for concern as it signals persisting weakness in the rural hinterland’s mainstay agriculture sector. A smart uptick in May’s index number for the farm input, from the revised reading for April, however, offers a glimmer of hope.

Official data for the core sector as well as the Index of Industrial Production, to which it contributes more than 40% weight, however, suffer from the infirmity of coming with a lag of more than a month. Meanwhile, the private sector, survey-based HSBC India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for June suggests that activity at factories rebounded last month from May’s heatwave-hit three-month low. June’s PMI reading of 58.3 was 0.8 percentage points higher than May’s 57.5, and, according to HSBC India, “comfortably above its long-run average”. The survey also indicates that manufacturers stepped up output and buying to meet buoyant demand, and stepped up hiring to the fastest pace “seen in more than 19 years of data collection”. However, both the job creation and demand were also accompanied by an intensification of increases in staff expenses and material and transportation costs that led to manufacturing companies raising their selling charges by the greatest extent in more than two years. The inflationary trend, coupled with survey respondents’ overall confidence in future output sliding to a three-month low, signals the economy still faces speed bumps. Policymakers have a chance to use the upcoming Union Budget to make policy tweaks to help strengthen momentum in the key industrial sectors.

The return of debate

It was a pleasant revelation for those who believe in democracy to see such poise and forbearance in our legislators across both sides of the aisle in Parliament. A stronger Opposition seems to have found its lost voice. The government is perhaps discovering the value of debate, which it had mislaid in a hubris of its brute numbers. The Speakers in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha too, in a significant departure, showcased their real role, that of a moderator, to further the essence of parliamentary democracy. There was debate and a willingness to listen. The onus is on the government and the Opposition to perpetuate this democratic ethos.

R. Narayanan,

Navi Mumbai

The heated debates on the floor of the Houses were riveting and have ignited the proper working of Parliament. Judging by the Opposition’s attitude, things seem to be moving the right way after a decade. Debate and healthy discussions will benefit the people.

Kirti Wadhawan,

Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh

Medha Patkar’s conviction

It is sad that Medha Patkar, an icon for tribal rights, has been sentenced to five months simple imprisonment for making certain remarks against the The Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, V.K. Saxena. It was only recently that the same L-G had granted sanction to prosecute renowned author Arundhati Roy, under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, for having called for an independent Kashmir. Since 2014, instances of civil and social rights activists who have been critical of the BJP government being targeted have multiplied. In fact, the Supreme Court of India pulled up former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa for misusing the defamation law. Taking a cue from this, the ruling party at the Centre should develop a thick skin. Politicians should vindicate their points of view in public and should not use courts to settle political scores and stifle criticism. In any democratic society, there should be space for dissent. Otherwise, we would be heading towards an authoritarian state.

N.G.R. Prasad,

Chennai

Open court

For the first time in two decades, the Big Four are not among favourites

Wimbledon 2024 has begun with world tennis in the middle of a generational transition. There is no Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, with the former having retired and the latter on a long valedictory lap which does not have SW19 as a pit stop. The 37-year-olds in Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray are closer to the end of their careers, and have arrived in London with broken bodies. Djokovic is recovering from a knee surgery while Murray went under a surgeon’s scalpel to mend his back barely days ago. At what is set to be his Wimbledon swansong, Murray will only compete in doubles with his brother Jamie. Thus, the stranglehold the ‘Big Four’ had established by winning 19 of the 20 editions from 2003 to 2023 is likely to be loosened. Among women, this will be the first time since 1996 that neither of the famed Williams sisters will be in action. Starting from 2000, Venus and Serena won 12 singles titles and finished runner-up on eight occasions. Venus has not played since March 2024 and Serena since September 2022. In the year or two preceding their last matches, they were far from tournament-winning form. Yet, such has been their overarching excellence that they are the benchmark indices against which every grass-court career is measured.

As the stage appears set to identify the next era’s tennis greats, Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz has staked claim most authoritatively. As a 20-year-old, he won Wimbledon in 2023 for his second Major (US Open 2022, the first), beating Djokovic over five pulsating sets, and last month he graduated further by claiming the French Open. In close proximity is Jannik Sinner, the lanky Italian who won the Australian Open in January and has since meticulously risen to the top of the singles rankings. A quarterfinalist and a semifinalist in his last two visits to Wimbledon, the 22-year-old recently proved that he was a serious challenger on the slick lawns by winning in Halle (Germany), his first title on grass. Sinner’s credentials will however be put to test as early as the second round against 2021 finalist and the quintessential grass-courter Matteo Berrettini. While the passing of the baton appears seamless among men, the battle of succession among women has multiple contenders. Five-time Slam winner Iga Swiatek is the undisputed No.1 but her grass-court nous is yet to fully develop. Second seed Coco Gauff’s best at Wimbledon is fourth round, which she first reached in 2019 as a 15-year-old qualifier. And with the withdrawal of Aryna Sabalenka — third seed and a two-time semifinalist — the field is open.

Is the bad loan problem shifting to individuals from industries?

Vignesh Radhakrishnan

Though Indian banks are in the pink of health, the RBI is worried about slippages and delinquencies

Until the mid-2010s, banks used to lend massive loans to big industries. When these businesses failed, their loans turned sour. Such bad loans stayed hidden for sometime. In 2015, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) carried out a review, following which skeletons tumbled out of the closet. The share of bad loans reached as high as 10% in 2017, which meant that nearly one in every 10 loans had turned bad. A variety of debt recovery channels including the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016, were used to recover the money. Given the relatively high amount of loans lent to well-known companies, the failures to repay the loans were widely publicised.

Following this debacle, banks started offering fewer loans to industries. They also managed to recover more and more bad loans. As a result, banks reached the pink of health in 2024. The latest Financial Stability Report (FSR) of the RBI shows that Gross Non-Performing Assets (GNPA) was at a decadal-low in March this year (Chart 1). NPA is the share of total loans that are overdue for more than 90 days.

However, reducing loans to industries meant that banks had to look elsewhere to lend and earn. The mid-2010s also saw an increase in loans given to the retail sector. These included personal loans, credit card receivables, housing loans, and similar products. The period also saw a proliferation of instant loan apps, which enticed unsuspecting consumers, especially those younger and more digitally savvy, to take more loans, leading to a debt trap.

The share of retail loans grew so much that the sector surpassed both industries and services to have the most outstanding loans. The alarming growth was noticed by the RBI, which had to bring in regulatory measures to curb the rise. Still, the overall picture remains rosy. In fact, the GNPA ratio of personal loans has been reducing consistently reaching 1.2% in March 2024 — the lowest across sectors and within the segment (Chart 2).

While the situation does not seem to be alarming, the RBI is clearly worried. In the recent FSR report, it has cited two signs of incipient stress, which it believes should be closely watched. The first sign has to do with slippages, which are fresh additions of bad loans in a year. The share of slippages from retail loans in the overall new additions of NPAs is increasing at a rapid pace. In FY24, slippages from retail loans (excluding home loans) formed 40% of fresh additions of NPAs. Chart 3 shows the bank-type wise split.

The second sign has to do with delinquency level. Even if dues are overdue for a day, an account can be termed delinquent. Persistent delinquency will eventually turn an account into a NPA. Delinquency levels among small borrowers with personal loans below ₹50,000 remain high. The RBI report says most of these loans were sanctioned by NBFC-Fintech lenders, which are the major drivers behind the digital lending apps which process loans within hours. Between April 2021 and July 2022, Google reviewed 3,500 to 4,000 loan apps and removed/suspended over 2,500 from its Play Store.

Delinquency levels for personal loans below ₹50,000 are persistently high in small finance banks and NBFC-Fintechs (Chart 4).

If NPAs can be termed as a disease, slippages and delinquencies are symptoms of that. While the banking system appears mostly disease-free, the RBI is worried about the symptoms and is sending one warning signal after another. This time, it is worried about individuals and not industries.

France: India’s steady partner in green growth

Thierry Mathou Ambassador of France to India

On July 14, 2023, in Paris, President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Narendra Modi elevated the ‘Partnership for the Planet’ as one of the three pillars of the Indo-French Horizon 2047 Roadmap. This decision reflects the intensification of Indo-French cooperation over the past few years on issues such as climate change, biodiversity, health, and environment. It also shows a deep convergence of views between France and India: our two countries champion the idea that socioeconomic development and environment protection can go hand and hand, are committed to bridging North-South divides, and believe that we can together find sustainable solutions for the world and for our own green transitions. This has led to high-profile joint initiatives on the world stage, such as the International Solar Alliance. But the ‘Partnership for the Planet’ is more than that: it is made up of tangible projects in India, which advance a greener, more inclusive future.

A priority partner

What do one-horned rhino protection in Assam, Pune’s metro system, and Chandigarh’s future water supply system have in common? Behind each of these projects stands the French Development Agency (AFD), India’s steadfast partner to achieve its sustainability goals. The AFD Group is the operational arm of France’s international partnership strategy. It comprises AFD, its private sector arm Proparco, and the technical cooperation agency Expertise France. It pursues a holistic approach to development, seeking to harmonise growth with the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is engaged in over 4,200 projects across more than 150 countries. Last year alone, the AFD Group approved more than 1,000 new projects worth €13.5 billion.

India has long been a priority partner for AFD, which is active in four strategic sectors: energy transition, sustainable urban development, biodiversity conservation and resilience of territories, and reduction of inequalities. Since 2008, the AFD Group has committed more than €4 billion for nearly 100 projects in India, which are implemented by Indian public and private partners. That makes India the number one partner of the AFD in terms of financial exposure. A whopping 83% of its portfolio contributes to climate change mitigation and adaptation, and 63% addresses gender equality.

During my official visits across India, I have seen some of the AFD Group-financed achievements and heard the feedback from their Indian partners. They have all spoken of the true spirit of partnership in their relations with AFD or Proparco, which has led to building bridges between our two countries through the exchange of knowledge and expertise.

In 2023 alone, AFD approved four new loans in India totalling nearly €400 million for climate change projects: two credit lines to Indian public banks; a policy loan for Himachal Pradesh to boost its disaster risk management capacities; and a national programme for increased resilience in urban water management and sanitation in 20 cities to be selected through a challenge. Further, four environment protection projects were signed in 2023 and their implementation started. One is a project with Rajasthan for increasing forest cover, creating better conditions for wildlife to live and reproduce, while sustaining livelihoods of local communities. Another aims at improving sanitation in the small towns of Himachal Pradesh. The third seeks to improve solid waste management in 18 cities as part of CITIIS, India’s flagship circular economy programme. Last, a green credit line with the State Bank of India was disbursed for electric buses and energy-efficient housing. Two projects, which were chalked out a few years ago, were commissioned in 2023: the Nagpur and Pune metro rails. I am proud of these joint achievements that will translate into real benefits for the people and the planet.

Private sector-led projects

Supporting private sector-led projects is also key in delivering real impact for local communities. One such example is Proparco’s investment, along with other co-investors, of €11.2 million as growth capital in Sahyadri. It is the first international equity investment in a farmer-led organisation in India. The project will help 15,000 farmers reduce farm losses and the use of pesticides and fertilizers, as well as enable them to increase yields and the quality of their produce. In the health sector, Proparco approved in 2023 a €33 million equity investment in Quadria, an Indian private equity firm focused on investments in healthcare mid-caps across South and Southeast Asia. The project seeks to reduce the imbalance between affordable quality healthcare and the growing demand in underserved regions. These two projects showcase the private sector’s role in achieving SDGs.

I see this partnership growing into two new areas. First, our bilateral initiatives are increasingly acquiring an Indo-Pacific dimension. This is already the case in our Indo-Pacific Parks Partnership, which pools expertise in biodiversity protection from France, India, and other partners in the region. Our next endeavour is the creation of a joint fund for scaling up green technologies being developed in the region. Second, innovation is increasingly at the heart of AFD’s approach to India. AFD is always looking for innovative ideas that blend social inclusion with sustainability. The Indo-French Year of Innovation in 2026 will be a special moment to spotlight some of these solutions. Thanks to AFD and Proparco’s commitments to India, France is proud to be India’s steadfast partner in its journey towards a more resilient and equitable future.

Many obstacles before take off

Sanjay Vijayakumar

The government has several hurdles to overcome in its Hosur airport project

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s ambitious proposal for an international airport in Hosur in Krishnagiri district, which shares a boundary with Bengaluru, has brought cheer to the industrial community in the town.

However, some people have raised doubts about the proposal as a concession agreement signed between the Centre and the Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL), the operator of Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, contains a clause against setting up a new airport within a 150-kilometre radius of the greenfield airport till 2033.

In the recently concluded Legislative Assembly session, Mr. Stalin said the proposed airport would be established on 2,000 acres of land in Hosur with a capacity to handle 3 crore passengers annually.

In recent years, Hosur has emerged as a nucleus for auto and electric vehicle manufacturing and electronics. It is a favoured investment destination by virtue of its proximity to the Electronic City. The State government has been implementing schemes to turn Hosur into a major economic hub. Mr. Stalin has said that the airport is essential to improve the socio-economic status of Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri districts.

Soon after the announcement of the new airport, Bharatiya Janata Party State (BJP) president K. Annamalai and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Rajya Sabha MP P. Wilson had a heated debate. Mr. Annamalai dubbed it a “publicity stunt”. He cited the response of then Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, General (retired) V.K. Singh, to a question raised in the Rajya Sabha by Mr. Wilson on the airport in Hosur. Mr. Singh had said that no airport could be constructed within a 150-km radius of the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru for 25 years starting 2008, in accordance with the agreement signed between the Centre and BIAL. Besides, the guidelines released by the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation for setting up a new greenfield airport also state that new airports are not allowed to come up within an aerial distance of 150 km of an existing civilian airport.

Mr. Wilson, however, pointed out that he had requested the then Minister to ignore the concession agreement and termed it void ab-initio and against public interest. The Union government cannot unilaterally agree with a private body on commercial interests, without the State’s consent, while sacrificing the interests of the people of Tamil Nadu and their rights of free movement, he said.

Mr. Wilson said that the Chief Minister has rightly asserted the rights of the people of Tamil Nadu by announcing the airport project. The announcement demonstrates the constitutional rights of free movement, development, and federalism, he added.

Mr. Wilson also said that Mr. Annamalai only referred to clause 8.1(a) of the Ministry of the Civil Aviation Guidelines (policy for setting up greenfield airports) to point out that a new airport cannot be established within 150 km of an existing airport. However, clause 8.1(b) of the policy clearly states that airports can be set up within a 150 km distance on a case-by-case basis, he pointed out.

As per the guidelines, if the application seeks to set up a greenfield airport within 150 km of an existing civilian airport, it would be considered by the Steering Committee. The Committee would consider all the relevant facts and circumstances including contractual liabilities, if any, and make suitable recommendations to the Central government. In 2017, the Centre had given approval for a greenfield airport at Jewar in Greater Noida, located 72 km from the Indira Gandhi International Airport, based on the recommendations of the Steering Committee.

Reportedly, Tamil Nadu has initiated talks with BIAL for the airport in Hosur. The move also comes at a time when Karnataka is looking for construction of a second airport in Bengaluru.

While there might be compelling reasons for setting up Hosur airport, the government has many hurdles to overcome. The DMK, which is part of the Opposition INDIA bloc, needs to bargain hard to get the nod from the Centre. Already, the relationship between the Centre and Tamil Nadu government has not been cordial on issues such as devolution of taxes.

For the proposal to come through, the government will need to overcome regulatory hurdles, develop the necessary infrastructure, and make it viable for all stakeholders.

Alarming rise in malaria incidence in south

Bangalore, July 2: The Health Minister of Karnataka, Mr. H. Siddaveerappa, has drawn the attention of the Central Government to what he characterised here to-day as the ‘alarming’ recrudescence of malaria not only in Karnataka but also in the entire South including Goa, and has asked for immediate remedial measures under the National Malaria Control and Eradication Programme.

Highlighting the growing incidence of malaria in Karnataka in particular, Mr. Siddaveerappa told pressmen here to-day that while there were only 768 attacks of malaria in the State in 1962, the number rose to 72,000 in 1973 and upto the end of May 1974, the attacks totalled 30,500. In Tamil Nadu the incidence had risen from 1,596 cases in 1964 to 4,400 in 1973, while the Kerala figures were 27 in 1964 and 689 in 1973 and 117 upto the end of May 1974.

It looked as if the malaria cycle had taken a reverse turn, Mr. Siddaveerappa said and feared that it might take at least ten years to reverse the trend and eradicate malaria all over again.

Dr. R.G. Roy, Deputy Director of the Regional Co-ordinating Organisation, National Malaria Eradication Programme also said here to-day that the scourge of malaria was causing serious concern in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and warned that if it were not contained it might harm hundreds of lives.

Mr. Siddaveerappa attributed the recrudescence of malaria largely to the shift in accent from the preventive to the curative aspect of public health and also to the paucity of funds to organise trained and elaborate staff to fight malaria. The malaria mosquitoes were breeding in a prolific manner because of the neglect of sewerage systems particularly in the urban areas and the general lack of appreciation of the importance of sanitation.

Indian Emigration

Allahabad, July 2: The “Pioneer” understands that Kunwar Maharaj Singh has been provisionally selected to be the officer to be deputed by the Government of India to study the conditions in Mauritius with reference to the proposed reopening of the Indian immigration, subject to the acquiescence of the Mauritius Government.

On improving rural mobile connectivity

Pranav Jha

Even though cellular networks seem omnipresent, their deployment and use vary significantly between urban and rural areas. According to the latest Telecom Subscription Data, urban tele-density in the country is 127% while rural tele-density is 58%

Mobile devices have become an integral part of our lives. We use them to communicate with our friends and family, conduct financial transactions through UPI, connect to the Internet, etc. The connectivity for these devices is enabled via a cellular (mobile) wireless network. A cellular network, such as a 5G network, includes a set of network equipment connected by communication links. They work together to move data between different devices and to other networks such as the Internet. A cellular network can be divided into two sub-networks: the Access Network (AN) and the Core Network (CN).

What are access and core networks?

The AN consists of base stations that provide wireless connectivity to mobile devices in a limited geographical area, called the coverage area. A network operator usually installs base stations across the length and breadth of the region to be covered. These stations can be seen in the form of towers with boxes with antennae on top.

The CN of a cellular network has equipment that provides connectivity to other networks, such as the Internet. Unlike AN base stations, the CN operates in a central location, and possibly far from any of the base stations. The CN is linked to a base station by an optical fibre link called the backhaul. Data from a user’s device must pass through both a base station and the CN to reach its desired destination, such as the Internet or another user’s device. Even if two users are nearby and are connected to the same or adjacent base stations, the data must pass through the central CN. The CN is essential to support user mobility, a key feature offered by cellular networks.

What impedes rural connectivity?

Even though cellular networks seem omnipresent, their deployment and use vary significantly between urban and rural areas. This is especially true in developing countries like India. According to the latest Telecom Subscription Data from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, urban tele-density in the country is 127% while rural tele-density is 58%. Put another way, on average, an urban user has one or more mobile connections (1.27) whereas only one out of two rural users (0.58) is connected. This data suggests an urban-rural digital divide. The situation in most other developing countries is similar or worse.

An important factor impeding the deployment and/or use of cellular networks in rural areas is the relatively lower income of the people here. A big chunk of the rural population finds mobile services unaffordable. Other relevant characteristics of rural areas are lower population density, populations distributed in clusters (villages) often separated by vast empty spaces, and remoteness. Taking fibre infrastructure to a far-off village, say, in the Himalayas, to connect the base station there may neither be cost-effective nor easy.

These features of the rural landscape require a communication system that can efficiently cover a large geographical area — yet there has been limited research focus on these factors.

Most existing cellular networks cater to urban populations in economically developed countries, for example, the 5G network focuses on providing 10 Gbps data rate and 1 ms latency. Rural connectivity lags far behind.

What is the IEEE 2061-2024 standard?

Our research group at IIT Bombay, led by Professor Abhay Karandikar, has been working on affordable rural connectivity for many years and some of the solutions developed in our lab form the basis of the 2061-2024 standard. The standard defines a wireless network architecture for affordable broadband access in rural areas. It was approved on June 6 by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

The IEEE-2061 network also includes a CN and AN similar to cellular networks. However, the IEEE-2061 AN is heterogenous wherein different types of base stations coexist: it includes base stations covering large coverage areas — called macro-BS — supplemented by small coverage area Wi-Fi. It is different from the 5G network, where the AN is homogeneous comprising base stations of the same type and typically smaller coverage area.

The macro-BS in IEEE-2061 can be built with any cellular technology that can support a large coverage area. While the macro-BS provides large-area coverage but possibly lower data rate, Wi-Fi is deployed within villages to provide high-speed connectivity. A key capability of the system is that it allows a device to move from a Wi-Fi based connectivity to a macro-BS connectivity without any service disruption. This is enabled by an integrated AN control functionality in the IEEE-2061 network. As wireless systems evolve, both legacy and new technologies — including 4G, 5G, 6G, Wi-Fi and networks — will coexist and complement each other. In such a heterogenous network, an integrated AN control functionality like the one included in the IEEE-2061 standard will help avoid issues like call drops.

What is a middle-mile network?

Further, the IEEE-2061 standard proposes the use of a multi-hop wireless middle-mile network to extend connectivity to areas where optical-fibre links are not available. A multi-hop wireless middle-mile provides cost-effective connectivity over long distances, eliminating the need for costly and difficult-to-deploy optical fibres. An IEEE-2061 network can flexibly use one or more technologies like satellites, or long-range Wi-Fi for the middle-mile.

The IEEE-2061 AN also has a direct and alternate path to the Internet, unlike the (4G/5G) network, where Internet connectivity is possible only via the CN. As mentioned earlier, the CN in cellular networks is required to support user mobility. But many mobile network users today are stationary, this is all the more characteristic of rural areas. Therefore, a direct connection to the Internet from an AN, avoiding the centralised CN, would be a more optimal solution for such users. Unlike the 4G/5G networks, an IEEE-2061 network can also avoid the CN for communication between nearby users, which can be directly routed within AN instead. This is like going directly from Belagavi to Hubballi (AN to AN) instead of going to Bengaluru first and then to Hubballi (AN-CN-AN).

In sum, the IEEE 2061-2024 is the second IEEE standard to come out of the research efforts of Prof. Karandikar’s lab at IIT Bombay. It follows on the heels of IEEE 1930.1-2022, a standard on “beyond 5G networks”, which also incorporated some of our research ideas as its key elements.

If adopted, IEEE 2061 can help provide affordable connectivity to rural populations. Its novel concepts, including the CN bypass, and integrated AN control may also pave the way towards a scalable mobile network in the future.

Pranav Jha is a scientist with IIT Bombay and the chair of the IEEE working group ‘Frugal 5G Networks’, which developed the IEEE-2061-2024 standard.

Iran: limited democracy, unlimited theocracy

Stanly Johny

Iran’s political system — which has been designed in such a way that the Shia clergy has ultimate authority in all critical matters related to the state, even as elections are held in regular intervals — is a child of revolution

Complete control: A woman walks past posters of Iranian presidential candidate Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran on July 2. AFPATTA KENARE

There’s only a walking distance from the Imam Khomeini Square, the Qajar-era 19th century neighbourhood of the Iranian capital which used to be called Maidan-e-Toopkhaneh, to Ebrat Museum on Yarjani Street. A three-storey structure with torture wings, countless cells, echo corridors and iron doors, the building, designed by German engineers in the 1930s, was the headquarters of a section of the Shah’s infamous secret police, SAVAK, before the 1979 revolution. All the dark corridors lead to a circular, roofless inner courtyard that’s awash in sunlight. Sculptures of prisoners are hung from the iron grills of the courtyard. SAVAK used to hang prisoners on the grills and torture them — their screams would echo across the corridors and their suffering would be displayed for those in the courtyard. The museum has the images and names of the hundreds of inmates it once held — one of them was Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the current Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic.

History repeats

The Iranian authorities turned the prison into a museum in 2002, to showcase the brutalities of the Shah’s royal dictatorship. For the regime, the museum is a microcosm of all the evils of the monarchy from which Iranians were “liberated” by the Islamic Revolution. But four decades after the revolution, repeated protests accuse the Islamic regime of the same repressive reign from which it claims to have liberated the Iranians. When discontent grew at home, the system’s legitimacy was questioned. Voters’ turnout in Iran’s presidential and parliamentary elections started shrinking to new lows. In the 2021 presidential elections, in which hardliner Ebrahim Raisi won, voters’ turnout was 48%, a record low. The country was forced to hold a snap presidential elections in June after President Raisi was killed in a helicopter crash. While Mr. Khamenei asked Iranians to overwhelmingly participate in the elections, the turnout fell to 39.9%, down from over 80% in 2009.

A unique system

Iran’s unique political system — which has been designed in such a way that the Shia clergy has ultimate authority in all critical matters related to the state, even as elections are held in regular intervals — is a child of the revolution. While it’s popularly called the “Islamic revolution”, the anti-Shah popular movement was not only Islamic. True, Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini, who, while in exile in Iraq’s Najaf, had called for the Shah’s ouster, and became the embodiment of the mass agitations in the 1970s. But Iranians from different political sections, including nationalists, liberals, leftists and trade unionists, had actively joined the movement, seeking freedom from the Shah’s dictatorship.

The Shah, Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, who had to briefly flee the country in the early 1950s and was restored after the CIA helped the monarchists orchestrate a coup against the democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh, was more or less detached from the political reality on ground. He orchestrated grand ceremonies celebrating the monarchy (such as the extravagant 1971 celebration of “the 2,500th year of the Iranian monarchy” spending some $100 million), banned all political parties except the monarchist Resurgence Party (Hezb-e-Rastakhiz) and assumed himself the title of Aryan Sun (Aryamehr) — apolitical and spiritual guide of Iran. When an increasingly isolated Shah tried to consolidate more and more powers in his hands, SAVAK ran amok in the country, rounding up political dissidents.

Iranians are no strangers to political rebellion and defiance. In 1896, Naser al-Din Shah, the fourth Shah of Qajar Iran, was assassinated inside a mosque in Tehran. The assassination and its aftermath would eventually lead to the Constitutional Revolution of 1905-1911, which led to the establishment of a Parliament in Persia. Reza Shah Pahlavi ignored this history of rebellion when he unleashed his forces on increasingly disgruntled protesters, which eventually led to his own downfall. When the Shah fled the country in January 1979, Khomeini was in Paris. He landed in Tehran’s Mehrabad airport, which was controlled by the revolutionaries, on February 1, 1979. They turned a disused girls’ school in central Tehran into a make-shift headquarters of the Revolutionary Council. And one of the first things Khomeini did was to form a paramilitary force — the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. But the Islamists could not ignore other sections of the revolution completely. So, Khomeini ushered in a new system that would have an elected President and Parliament, while the clerics would remain firmly in control. He promised an Islamic revolutionary government based on Sharia, a model which he called Vilayat-e Faqih (Guardianship of the Faqih, or the Islamic Jurist).

Clerical control

Iran’s state has both elected and unelected branches and the unelected branch is more powerful than the former. The President, Parliament (Majles) and the Assembly of Experts are directly elected, while the Supreme Leader, the Guardian Council and the Expediency Council are appointed by the clergy. The President is the head of the government, which is in charge of running the day-to-day affairs of the country, but is not the head of the state. The Supreme Leader is the most powerful person in the country and is both the political leader and spiritual guide of the Islamic Republic.

The presidential term is four years and Presidents cannot have more than two consecutive terms. The election process itself is largely considered fair (though there were disputes, such as the 2009 elections), but all the candidates are vetted by the Guardian Council, which usually disqualifies an overwhelming majority of the candidates. The 290-member Islamic Consultative Assembly (Majles) has the authority to legislate. But all the Bills the Majles passes should go to the unelected Guardian Council, which would vet whether the Bill is in compliance with the Islamic Constitution and values. The powerful Guardian Council has 12 members, a combination of six religious experts, who will directly be appointed by the Supreme Leader, and six Islamic legal jurists, nominated by the Chief Justice (who in turn is appointed by the Supreme Leader). So the Supreme Leader’s office has direct or indirect control over the Guardian Council, which oversees the elections, vets the candidates and has a veto over Parliament.

Absolute authority

Unlike the President, the Supreme Leader doesn’t have any fixed term. Since the 1979 revolution, Iran has had only two Supreme Leaders — Khomeini (who died in 1989) and Khamenei. The Constitution mandates the 88-member Assembly of Experts to elect the Supreme Leader. The Assembly, which also has the authority to oversee and dismiss the Supreme Leader, is directly elected, but the candidates are strictly vetted by the Guardian Council, whose members are directly or indirectly picked by the Supreme Leader. If there are legal disputes between the elected Majles and the unelected Guardian Council, the 45-member Expediency Council, which advises the Supreme Leader, will have ultimate adjudicating powers. And all 45 members of the Council are appointed by the Supreme Leader, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. In essence, the Islamic Constitution ensures that the Supreme Leader and the clerical establishment stay firmly in charge of all branches of the state.

Principalists and reformists

Iran’s political class is broadly divided into two categories — principalists (also hardliners) and reformists. The principalists make up the conservative bloc that enjoys the support of the clergy, whereas reformists advocate political and social reforms from within. The election of Mohammad Khatami as President in 1997 was a critical moment for reformist politics. But Mr. Khatami, an influential and popular reformist, failed to usher in any major changes in the system. Hassan Rouhani, the former President, was also a reformist, while his incumbent, Ebrahim Raisi, was a principalist. As no candidate won 50% vote in the first round of the presidential election on June 28, Iran will have a run off between the top two vote-getters--reformist Masoud Pezeshkian and conservative Saeed Jalili—on July 5.

When Khomeini established his clerical rule after the revolution, many expected the new regime to collapse. On the contrary, Khomeini purged internal dissent and consolidated the clergy’s grip when the country was fighting an eight-year long war with Iraq. Four decades later, the system the Ayatollah built has started showing signs of age, with repeated mass protests, state violence, and declining public interests in the electoral process, overshadowed by an unending economic crisis. But Iran’s rulers seem undeterred, and try to project stability and continuity.

The article, published on September 28, 2022, has been updated.

Here is a quiz on some of the important events that happened on July 3

Sindhu Nagaraj

Visual question: This celebrated writer was born on this day in 1883. Identify him. There is a term that entered English to describe absurd situations like those depicted in his writing. What is it called?

Question 1

This movie, directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly, was released in American theatres on this day. It went on to become a huge hit. Which was the film?

Question 2

This American singer and songwriter died on July 3, 1971. He was also the lead vocalist of the rock band ‘The Doors’. Name the singer.

Question 3

On very similar lines, another musician was found dead on this day in 1969. He was the founder of the band ‘The Rolling Stones’. Name the musician.

Question 4

This American actor, considered a Hollywood icon was born on this day in 1962. He is known for action and sci-fi films, often performing his own risky stunts. Name the actor.

Question 5

On this day in 1973, this singer retired his stage persona Ziggy Stardust with the surprise announcement that it is “the last show that we’ll ever do” on the last day of the Ziggy Stardust Tour. Who was the singer?

Questions and Answers to the previous day’s daily quiz: 1. This Speaker of the Lok Sabha served twice but neither term was completed fully. Ans: G. M. C. Balayogi

2. The first Speaker of the Lok Sabha to serve two terms. Ans: Balram Jhakar

3. This former Speaker became the President of India. Ans: Neelam Sanjeev Reddy

4. This person presides over the Speaker’s office if the Speaker isn’t present. Ans: Deputy Speaker

5. Can the Speaker vote for any legislative business? Ans: The Speaker does not vote in the first instance but exercises a casting vote in case of a tie

6. This politician from Tamil Nadu has served as the deputy Speaker twice. Ans: Thambidurai

Visual: The first woman Speaker of Lok Sabha. Ans: Meira Kumar

Early Bird: Seema Das

How can state capacity be measured?

Prashanth Perumal

1 of 2

2 of 2

State capacity refers to the ability of any state to successfully deliver what are generally considered to be public goods and services to its citizens. State capacity is considered by many public policy experts to be the major factor that explains why some countries are rich or developed while other countries remain underdeveloped.

The most common way in which the capacity of a state to deliver on its commitments is measured is by the way of its ability to collect a sufficient amount of tax revenues. This is because any state requires tax revenues to deliver public goods and services. By this measure, countries with a higher tax to GDP ratio, which typically turn out to be rich countries, may be considered to possess greater state capacity than other countries with lower ability to generate tax revenues. Many also urge developing countries like India to boost their tax to GDP ratio so as to build state capacity.

Power in numbers

Public policy experts may also look into other indicators such as the number of people employed by a certain state to measure its capacity. So, for example, the number of police officials per capita could be seen as an indicator of the capacity of the state to maintain law and order. States with a very low number of police officials per capita, it is believed, may be unable to establish monopoly of violence in their territory, leading to instability that adversely affects their economy. Similarly, the number of courts and judges per capita can be seen as an indicator of how well a state can deliver justice to citizens.

Some critics, however, caution against the definition of state capacity in terms of the ability of a certain state to collect tax revenues or the number of staff it can hire to deliver essential public goods and services to its citizens. This is because more efficient states may be able to deliver essential public goods with lower taxes and fewer staff than less efficient ones. Critics, therefore, argue that the number of people employed by a certain state and the amount of taxes collected by it only reflect its size and not the state’s effectiveness in delivering essential public goods and services.

Critics such as U.S. economist Bryan Caplan also point out that state capacity, as defined by the size of the state, is claimed by public policy experts to be the reason behind the success of certain countries without establishing the necessary causal link between the two. In other words, they argue that the success of rich countries is tautologically attributed to strong state capacity the same way that the failure of poor countries is attributed to weak state capacity. They point out that it could well be that strong economic growth allowed developed countries to fund states that are large in size; in that case, the economic success of the developed world cannot really be attributed to a larger state. A better way to measure state capacity, critics believe, is to gauge the ability of a certain state, regardless of its size as measured by its tax collections or headcount, to uphold the rule of law by delivering efficient justice to citizens.

Business

- Hindenburg refutes SEBI’s allegations on its Adani short bet

- Firms fret over Form 16 delays

- Stock broking firms tumble on SEBI order

- ‘Ashok Leyland ready to offer full suite of clean energy vehicles’

- ‘Cut lectronic manufacturing inputs tariffs for

- TAFE inks pact with Deutz AG to grow ICE business in India

- Murugappa firm signs water-devices pact with Jiva

- RBI proposes rationalising norms on EXIM deals

- Rane Holdings to buy balance 51% from JV partner NSK

- Coal production rose 14% to 84.63 MT in June: Ministry

Hindenburg refutes SEBI’s allegations on its Adani short bet

Reuters

Hindenburg says a Kotak Mahindra Bank unit oversaw an offshore fund used by its ‘investor partner’ to short Adani shares; says it made $4.1 mn

Hindenburg Research refuted allegations on Monday from India’s SEBI accusing the company of colluding with a U.S. asset manager to use non-public information to set up its short bet against Adani Group last year.

In a statement posted on its website, U.S.-based short-seller Hindenburg shared a copy of a 46-page show cause notice from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) outlining the allegations that six entities including Hindenburg, asset manager Kingdon Capital Management and a Mauritus-based fund set up by Kotak Mahindra Bank violated certain rules under the Prevention of Fraud and Unfair Trade Practices regulation.

The allegations, if proven, could result in monetary penalties and the payback of any illegal gains.

Hindenburg termed the notice as “nonsense” and an attempt to silence and intimidate by alleging that Hindenburg’s report contained misrepresentations and inaccurate statements meant to mislead readers.

“In our view, SEBI has neglected its responsibility, seemingly doing more to protect those perpetrating fraud than to protect the investors being victimized by it,” Hindenburg said.

The disclosure of the SEBI notice adds a new twist in the saga that began last year when Hindenburg, founded by Nathan Anderson, alleged improper business dealings by Adani.

Adani, which refuted the allegations, suffered a loss of as much as $150 billion in combined market value after the report, but has since rebounded.

In its notice, SEBI alleges Hindenburg colluded with its client Kingdon Capital Management by providing a draft of its report on Adani before it was released publicly.

SEBI alleges that Mark Kingdon, the owner of Kingdon Capital, then set up a fund able to trade Indian equities known as K Indian Opportunities Fund (KIOF). That fund created short positions in Adani stocks between January 10, 2023, and January 20, 2023, five days ahead of the Hindenburg report being published, according to the SEBI documents.

In its statement, Hindenburg said a Mauritius registered unit of Kotak Mahindra Bank created and oversaw an offshore fund that was used by its “investor partner” to bet against Adani’s shares.

The positions were squared off in February, leading to gains of $22.25 million, SEBI alleged.

Hindenburg said it made $4.1 million in gross revenue through “gains related to Adani shorts from that investor relationship” and just $31,000 through its short position of Adani’s U.S. bonds. It did not name the investor.

“Kotak Mahindra International Ltd. (KMIL) and KIOF unequivocally state that Hindenburg has never been a client of the firm,” a KMIL spokesperson said.

Firms fret over Form 16 delays

Vikas Dhoot

NEW DELHI

Ahead of the looming July 31 deadline for filing I-T returns, some employers are struggling to issue Form 16 certificates to staff on processing delay and technical glitches in the I-T portal as well as challenges arising from new norms related to PAN-Aadhaar link, as per tax practitioners.

Companies file fourth-quarter returns for taxes withheld on behalf of staff by May 31, and individual staff’s Form 16 reflecting income and tax deductions for a year, are subsequently generated on the IT department’s TRACES portal.

“There have been some technical glitches on the TRACES portal over the last one month and as a result, it is seen the quarterly TDS returns filed are not timely processed, which is generally processed within two days,” said chartered accountant Suresh Surana.

‘Filing of returns hit’

Due to the processing delays, some deductors were not able to timely generate Form 16 and share them with the staff. While this could hamper I-T returns filing for affected taxpayers, a recent tax department mandate for employers to deduct tax at a higher rate if an employee’s PAN is not linked with Aadhaar by May 31, with retrospective effect, is adding to the challenge.

Akhil Chandna, partner, Grant Thornton Bharat, pointed to numerous issues with the portal. He attributed delays in the processing of returns to high request volumes, a backlog, or technical issues on the TRACES portal.

“Recently, we have noticed the TRACES portal is taking more than 30-35 days to process returns. Further, in cases where the PANs are inoperative as they have not been linked with Aadhaar, the system is raising tax demand on the employer even in cases where salaries are below the threshold limit,” Anita Basrur, partner, direct tax at Sudit K Parekh & Co. LLP, told The Hindu.

“This is putting tremendous pressure on deductors and employers as they are unable issue the certificates in a timely manner.”

“In one of the cases, it took around two weeks for the e-TDS return to get processed due to technical issues on the portal, even after continuously following it up with the tax department,” Mr. Chandna said. He also termed the inoperative PAN issue as a significant challenge for employers as it triggered a default in e-TDS returns.

Ms. Basrur pointed out the situation was trickier if a tax deductor needed to revise the withholding tax returns filed.

Stock broking firms tumble on SEBI order

Press Trust of India

New Delhi

Shares of stock-broking firms slid on Tuesday, a day after markets regulator SEBI directed stock exchanges and market infrastructure institutions (MIIs) to implement a uniform and equal charge structure for all members rather than varying charges based on their volume or activity.

At the close of trade, the stock of Angel One tanked 8.72%, Geojit Financial Services 6.83%, Motilal Oswal Financial Services 4.19%, SMC Global Securities 2.81%, Dolat Algotech 2.28% and 5paisa Capital 0.05% on the BSE.

The regulator instructed stock exchanges, clearing corporations, and depositories constituted as MIIs to ensure that any charges recovered from the end client are ‘True to Label’.

It means if a certain charge is levied on the end client by members — stock brokers, depository participants, clearing members — it should be ensured by MIIs the same amount is received by them. SEBI has asked MIIs to comply with the directive while designing processes for charges levied on their members.

‘Ashok Leyland ready to offer full suite of clean energy vehicles’

N. Anand

CHENNAI

Dheeraj Hinduja

Commercial vehicle manufacturer Ashok Leyland Ltd. is fully geared up to offer clean energy options beyond electric propulsion, said Executive Chairman Dheeraj Hinduja.

“The CNG and LNG trucks and buses are already operational, initiatives in methanol as a new energy fuel is well underway, and the prototype green hydrogen trucks have been deployed in actual operating conditions,” he said in the chairman’s message to shareholders.

ALL is future-ready to offer a full suite of clean energy vehicles, he said.

Talking about green mobility, he said the EV sector was expected to be buoyant with supportive governmental measures and ALL was poised to take advantage of the consequent growth momentum.

‘Cut input tariffs on electronic production’

The Hindu Bureau

NEW DELHI

The Indian Cellular & Electronics Association (ICEA), which represents domestic electronics manufacturers, called for a reduction of import duties as a key Union budget demand.

“With sustained increase in production, India has entered a phase when the growth of the mobile- phone sector depends not on domestic demand but on demand in the global market,” the ICEA said in a report prepared for the Finance Ministry.

Pankaj Mohindroo, the ICEA’s President, argued against the relatively high tariffs India imposed on manufacturing inputs — China and Vietnam’s tariffs apply on fewer components and are of lower rates — saying domestic component makers were raising prices to just below net prices of inputs to take advantage of the situation.

Since much of the fresh production of phones in India is being exported, duties should be slashed to promote competitiveness.

TAFE inks pact with Deutz AG to grow ICE business in India

TAFE Motors and Tractors Ltd. said it had signed a pact with Germany-based internal combustion engine (ICE) maker Deutz AG to jointly manufacture Deutz range of engines in India. Deutz has signed a long-term cooperation with TAFE Motors, the subsidiary of the leading tractor maker TAFE Ltd., that allows the former to expand its business in India. The engines will be produced in TAFE Motors’ facility at Alwar, TAFE Motors said.

Murugappa firm signs water-devices pact with Jiva

The Hindu Bureau

CHENNAI

Murugappa Water Technology and Solutions (MWTS) has signed a MoU with Jiva Water to integrate Jiva Water Devices into its solutions portfolio to offer benefits of quality water.

“By incorporating Jiva Water Devices into our solutions, we will significantly enhance water quality at our customer/end-use applications,” MWTS Chief Executive Jayateerth Nadgir,” said in a statement.

“Jiva Water devices cater to consumer, industrial and agricultural segments. The product capacities are based on application and usage,” said Co-founder Srinivasan Vitoba.

RBI proposes rationalising norms on EXIM deals

Press Trust of India

Mumbai

The RBI on Tuesday proposed rationalising regulations that cover export and import transactions to promote ease of doing business and empower banks to provide more efficient service to their foreign exchange customers.

The central bank has issued ‘Regulation of Foreign Trade under Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999 – Draft Regulations and Directions’ .

As per the draft, every exporter should furnish to the specified authority a declaration specifying the amount representing the full export value of the goods or services.

Rane Holdings to buy balance 51% from JV partner NSK

Rane Holdings Ltd. (RHL) said it had decided to buy out the remaining 51% stake from its joint venture partner NSK Ltd. in Rane NSK Steering Systems Pvt. Ltd. for a total cash consideration of ₹45 crore. Post-acquisition, the company will become a wholly owned subsidiary of RHL and will be named as Rane Steering Systems Pvt. Ltd. (RSSL), subject to necessary approvals, the Rane group firm said in a statement. The transaction is expected to be completed by September.

Coal production rose 14% to 84.63 MT in June: Ministry

The country’s coal production rose by 14.49% to 84.63 million tonne (MT) in June. The country’s coal output was 73.92 MT in June last fiscal, according to provisional figures of the government. In June, Coal India Ltd’s (CIL) production was at 63.10 MT, registering a rise of 8.87% compared with the same period last year, the coal ministry said in a statement. India’s coal dispatch in June was at 85.76 MT, up by 10.15% compared with the same period last year. pti

Foreign

- USA crashes out in group phase after losing to Uruguay

- Nepali Congress, CPN-UML arrive at agreement to oust Prachanda as PM

- Israel pounds Gaza following evacuation order which will affect 2.5 lakh residents

- Prosecutors in Trump hush money case not opposed to delaying his sentencing

- Beijing, Manila hold talks after maritime stand-off

- Jyothi set to be first Indian 100m hurdler in the Olympics

- New Dutch PM sworn in 7 months after far-right party won elections

- China builds new presidential palace in Pacific’s Vanuatu

- Russia violated international law by imprisoning WSJ reporter: UN

- Former New York Mayor Giuliani disbarred for 2020 election lies

USA crashes out in group phase after losing to Uruguay

Agence France-Presse

Kansas City

Happy faces: Olivera, centre, celebrates with teammates after scoring Uruguay’s winner against USA.AP

The United States crashed out of the Copa America on Monday after a 0-1 defeat to Uruguay, as Panama sealed its place in the quarterfinals with a 3-1 win over Bolivia.

The tournament host suffered an upset 1-2 defeat to Panama last week and went into Monday’s final Group C game at the Arrowhead Stadium here needing to match or better Panama’s result against Bolivia to advance.

But US coach Gregg Berhalter’s side never looked like doing enough to seriously threaten a well-drilled Uruguay which advances to the last eight as group winner.

Hopes of a great escape for Berhalter’s men faded inside the first 30 minutes as news filtered through that Panama had taken a 1-0 lead against Bolivia in Orlando.

US hopes were revived early in the second half after Bolivia equalised, leaving the host on course for qualification, provided it continued to hold Uruguay.

Optimism punctured

Yet the US optimism was punctured just moments later when Uruguay took the lead in controversial circumstances through Mathias Olivera on 66 minutes.

Ronald Araujo’s powerful header from Nicolas de la Cruz’s free-kick was parried away by US goalkeeper Matt Turner, but only into the path of Olivera, who tucked away the rebound.

Replays appeared to show that Olivera was offside when Araujo first made contact with the ball, but despite a lengthy VAR review, Peruvian referee Kevin Ortega ruled that the goal should stand.

The mathematics of qualification looked even more bleak for the US after news that Panama had scored again through Eduardo Guerrero to regain the lead at 2-1, and the final nail in the coffin came when Cesar Yanis added a third for Panama in stoppage time.

The results:

Bolivia 1 (Miranda 69) lost to Panama 3 (Fajardo 22, Guerrero 79, Yanis 90+1); USA 0 lost to Uruguay 1 (Olivera 66).

Nepali Congress, CPN-UML arrive at agreement to oust Prachanda as PM

Press Trust of India

Kathmandu

Deuba’s NC has 89 seats, while Oli’s CPN-UML has 78, totalling 167 which exceeds the majority mark of 138 in the Lower House; Prachanda vows not to quit, will face vote of confidence instead, marking his fourth one since coming to power

Musical chair: NC leader Sher Bahadur Deuba, centre, talks to CPN-UML’s K.P. Sharma Oli in Kathmandu on Tuesday. AFPPRAKASH MATHEMA

Embattled Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has decided not to resign from the post despite an agreement reached between the country’s largest parties — Nepali Congress and CPN-UML — to form a new coalition government.

In a meeting of the office-bearers of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist-Centre), held in Baluwatar, Prachanda said he would rather face a vote of confidence in parliament than resign from the post, party secretary Ganesh Shah said.

Prachanda, 69, a former guerilla leader, has won four votes of confidence in parliament during his year-and-a-half term.

The Nepali Congress, the largest party in the 275-member House of Representatives, has 89 seats at present, while the CPN-UML has 78 seats. Their combined strength of 167 is sufficient for a majority of 138 seats in the Lower House. Mr. Prachanda’s Maoist party has 32 seats.

Rotating PM

According to the agreement, finalised between Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) chairman K.P. Sharma Oli, the leaders will share the Prime Ministerial position on a rotation basis for the rest of the term of Parliament.

Nepal has had 13 governments in the last 16 years, indicating the fragile nature of the Himalayan nation’s political system.

Mr. Oli and Mr. Deuba agreed to form a new government, amend the Constitution, and work out a power-sharing formula, which they reportedly shared with a few confidants, media reports said.

The Ministers belonging to the CPN-UML in the Prachanda-led Cabinet are likely to resign en-masse, sources close to the CPN-UML said.

Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Ravi Lamichhane accused the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML of forming the new alliance after the Prachanda-led coalition government started opening the files of corruption cases involving political leaders.

Israel pounds Gaza following evacuation order which will affect 2.5 lakh residents

Agence France-Presse

Gaza Strip

Dystopian land: Displaced Palestinians from eastern areas of Khan Younis arrive in the main city on Tuesday.AFPEYAD BABA

Israeli forces carried out deadly strikes on Tuesday on southern Gaza and battled militants after issuing an evacuation order which a UN agency said would impact 2,50,000 Palestinians.

Witnesses reported intense bombing and shelling around Khan Younis, southern Gaza’s main city, from which Israeli troops withdrew in early April after a devastating months-long battle.

A hospital source in the city said shelling killed eight persons and wounded more than 30 others.

The bombardment came after a rocket barrage at southern Israel on Monday morning claimed by the militant group Islamic Jihad, which has fought alongside Hamas.

This was followed by an order to evacuate most areas east of Khan Younis and in Rafah along the borders with Israel and Egypt.

The UN agency supporting Palestinian refugees estimated on Tuesday that a quarter of a million people had been impacted since Israel’s Army issued a new evacuation order for parts of southern Gaza a day earlier.

The agency “estimates that around 2,50,000 people have been impacted by these orders”, UNRWA spokeswoman Louise Wateridge said, adding: “We expect these numbers to grow”.

Prosecutors in Trump hush money case not opposed to delaying his sentencing

Associated Press

NEW YORK/Washington

Donald Trump

Manhattan prosecutors said on Tuesday they would not oppose former U.S. President Donald Trump’s request to delay the sentencing in his hush money trial as he seeks to have the conviction overturned following a Supreme Court ruling that granted broad immunity protections to Presidents.

Two-week wait

In a letter filed with the New York court, prosecutors with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office said they would be open to a two-week delay in the July 11 sentencing in order to file a response to Mr. Trump. “Although we believe defendant’s arguments to be without merit, we do not oppose his request” to delay the sentencing pending determination of the motion, the prosecutors wrote.

The letter came one day after Mr. Trump’s attorney requested the judge delay the sentencing as he weighs the high court’s decision and how it could influence the New York case.

Trump’s argument

The lawyers argue that the Supreme Court’s decision confirmed a position the defence raised earlier in the case that prosecutors should have been precluded from introducing some evidence the Trump team said constituted official presidential acts, according to the letter.

If a delay is indeed granted, it would push a sentencing decision past the Republican National Convention, which will kick off in Milwaukee on July 15.

That means that Mr. Trump, now the presumptive GOP nominee, could become the Republican presidential candidate while it remains unknown what sentence he will face.

Mr. Trump’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Beijing, Manila hold talks after maritime stand-off

Associated Press

MANILA

Cooling off: Theresa Lazaro and Chen Xiaodong shake hands during their South China Sea meeting in Manila.AFPHANDOUT

China and the Philippines held a crucial meeting on Tuesday to ease escalating tensions following their worst confrontation in the disputed South China Sea that sparked fears of a wider conflict that could involve Manila’s ally, the U.S.

There was no mention of any major agreement to try to prevent a repeat of the chaotic June 17 clash at Second Thomas Shoal that caused injuries to Filipino navy personnel and damaged two military boats.

Differences remain

The Chinese and Philippine delegations “affirmed their commitment to de-escalate tensions without prejudice to their respective positions,” the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila said in a statement late on Tuesday. “There was substantial progress on developing measures to manage the situation at sea, but significant differences remain.”

Philippine Foreign Undersecretary Theresa Lazaro told her Chinese counterpart, Vice Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong, “that the Philippines will be relentless in protecting its interests and upholding its sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction” in the South China Sea.

An agreement was signed to improve communications during emergencies at sea and both sides agreed to continue talks on enhancing ties between their coast guards but no details were provided.

Jyothi set to be first Indian 100m hurdler in the Olympics

Press Trust of India

New Delhi

Jyothi.Ritu Raj Konwar

Jyothi Yarraji is set to become the first Indian 100m hurdler to compete in the Olympics while shot putter Abha Khatua made a surprise cut through world rankings for Paris Games.

World Athletics (WA) on Tuesday published the list of those who made the cut through direct qualification by breaching entry standard as well as through world ranking quota.

It will, however, be up to the AFI to select among those who made the grade through world rankings.

The NOCs must inform WA of their intention to decline a quota by July 4. From July 4-6, WA will reallocate the declined quota places to the next best ranked athlete in the same event and the final list will be published on July 7.

High jumper Sarvesh Anil Kushare also made the grade.

New Dutch PM sworn in 7 months after far-right party won elections

APPeter Dejong

In Dick Schoof, the Netherlands has a different PM for the first time in 14 years as he swore in on Tuesday, more than seven months after elections dominated by a far-right, anti-Islam party. The anti-immigration party of Geert Wilders won the maximum seats in elections last year but it took 223 days to form a government. ap

China builds new presidential palace in Pacific’s Vanuatu

AFPHANDOUT

The government of cash-strapped Vanuatu will soon settle into a suite of new buildings funded by China, a move likely to reignite concerns about Beijing's reach in the South Pacific nation. At an official handover ceremony, Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai announced the opening of the new presidential palace. afp

Russia violated international law by imprisoning

AFPNATALIA KOLESNIKOVA

UN human rights experts say Russia violated international law by imprisoning Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and should release him “immediately.” The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention said there was a “striking lack of any factual or legal substantiation” for spying charges levelled against Gershkovich. ap

Former New York Mayor Giuliani disbarred for 2020 election lies

REUTERSBONNIE CASH

Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani was disbarred on Tuesday for repeatedly making false statements about the 2020 presidential election lost by Donald Trump. The sanction of the 80-year-old Giuliani, who led Trump's legal efforts to overturn his election defeat, was handed down by a state appeals court in New York. afp

Sports

- Defending champ Vondrousova and Rublev crash out; Djokovic cruises

- Lively Dutch in quarters for first time in 16 years

- South Africa’s resilience underlined why a one-Test series is not the ideal yardstick

- Pogacar wins stage four, takes back yellow jersey

- Top results

- Kroos has made us stronger and can help us beat Spain: Sane

- Oyarzabal says nobody called Spain favourites before Euro 2024

- Murray withdraws from singles, just over a week after back surgery

- Attenborough’s colourful impact on Wimbledon and tennis: yellow balls

- Laxman-coached Indian team leaves for Zimbabwe

- It is, without doubt, my last European Championship, says Ronaldo

- Testers aim to leave no doping cheat undetected at Paris Olympic Games

- AIFF confirms Neroca and TRAU’s relegation from the I-League

- Around THE CITY

- Gray goes to Tottenham as Rodon returns to Leeds

- Empoli becomes 13th Serie A club to change coach

- Sai Sudharsan and Shaw fail to convert starts

- Durand Cup to kick-off in Kolkata on July 27

- Soha Sadiq enters the second round in Hillcrest

- Hockey India to host first-ever Masters Cup

- Frankfurt ropes in 18-year-old forward Can Uzun

- Chelsea signs Leicester midfielder Dewsbury-Hall

- LiVE TELECAST

- Engagements

- Jasprit Bumrah a wizard at work

Defending champ Vondrousova and Rublev crash out; Djokovic cruises

Agence France Presse

London

Big blow: Vondrousova is only the second defending champion to lose in the first round at the All England Club in the Open Era.Getty ImagesSEAN M. HAFFEY

Marketa Vondrousova on Tuesday became the first defending women’s Wimbledon champion to lose in the first round for 30 years.

The Czech sixth seed went down 6-4, 6-2 to Spain’s unheralded Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in 66 minutes.

Vondrousova is only the second defending champion to lose in the first round at the All England Club in the Open Era.

The only other time it has happened was 30 years ago, when Lori McNeil defeated three-time defending champion Steffi Graf in the 1994 opening round.

Novak Djokovic wore a gray sleeve on his surgically repaired right knee while winning his first-round match without too much of a test.

Playing his first match since tearing the meniscus in his knee at the French Open on June 3, Djokovic never faced a break point along the way to a 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 victory over qualifier Vit Kopriva in under two hours on Centre Court.

Andrey Rublev crashed out at the first hurdle, going down in four sets to Argentina's Francisco Comesana.

The Russian sixth seed battled back after losing the first set but lost momentum early in the third and went down to a 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 7-6(5) defeat.

Rublev, who reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals last year, struggled for consistency on his serve and was broken four times in the match by his opponent, ranked 122nd in the World.

The 26-year-old, who smashed his racquet repeatedly against his knee in frustration in the third set, is the highest-seeded men's player to exit the Championships so far.

World No. 83 Bouzas Maneiro, playing in only the third Grand Slam main draw of her career, broke her opponent five times in the match under the roof on Centre Court.

Until Tuesday, she had never defeated a top-40 player, while her only other grass-court match this year was a first-round loss in a low-key event in Italy.

2022 champion

World No. 1 Iga Swiatek stretched her winning streak to 20 matches with a comfortable 6-3, 6-4 victory over Sofia Kenin.

Elena Rybakina cantered past Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-3, 6-1, turning the game on its head with a run of nine straight games.

Women’s fifth seed Jessica Pegula raced through her match against US compatriot Ashlyn Krueger in 49 minutes, losing just two games.

Nagal falls

India’s top singles player Sumit Nagal committed 44 unforced errors as he went down in four sets to Miomir Kecmanovic of Serbia.

Making his maiden appearance in the men’s singles main draw, Nagal toiled hard for two hours 38 minutes and even managed to take a set off World No. 53 Kecmanovic before conceding a 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 defeat.

Lively Dutch in quarters for first time in 16 years

Agencies

Munich

Gakpo and Malen get on the scoresheet; goalkeeper Costa’s heroics in the penalty shootout rescues Portugal against a dogged Slovenia; Ronaldo misses from the spot during extra-time

1 of 2

2 of 2 Saviour: Portugal shot-stopper Costa blocks Balkovec’s effort for Slovenia.REUTERS

Netherlands’ Cody Gakpo scored his third goal of the European Championship and Donyell Malen added two more late on as the Dutch burst back into form with a lively display to defeat Romania 3-0 in their last-16 fixture on Tuesday.

The team had been lambasted by media and fans for a poor defensive display in the final group game, a 2-3 loss to Austria, but was more composed and in control as it reached the Euro quarterfinals for the first time since 2008.

It took the lead after 20 minutes when Gakpo drilled a low angled shot home at goalkeeper Florin Nita’s near post before Malan’s late double.

The Netherlands had two thirds of possession and almost five times more chances in the game to underline its superiority as Virgil van Dijk struck the post with a header and Gakpo had a second effort ruled out for offside.

Ronald Koeman’s side will need to improve its effectiveness in front of goal should it wish to emulate its manager, who was a player for the Dutch when they won the 1988 Euros.

Prior to the game, Netherlands' captain Virgil van Dijk said his side lacked energy and the “will to win” in the loss to Austria.

Dramatic win

Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa saved three Slovenia penalties to earn his side a 3-0 shoot-out victory after Cristiano Ronaldo redeemed himself from the spot in a dramatic last 16 clash on Monday.

Portugal forward Ronaldo broke down in tears after missing a penalty in the first period of extra-time in the goalless tie in Frankfurt. But he recovered to convert in the shoot-out as Portugal scraped through to set up a blockbuster clash with France in the quarter-finals.

Slovenia battled valiantly to keep Portugal at bay, with Jan Oblak making a stunning save to keep out Ronaldo’s penalty after Diogo Jota was fouled.

However, Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva all scored in the shoot-out and Slovenia’s trio missed, sending the Selecao through in heart-stopping fashion.

Portugal coach Roberto Martinez reverted to a more familiar 4-3-3 system after his side was embarrassed by debutant Georgia in their last group game when he deployed three at the back.

The Euro 2016 winner dominated the ball and created its first chance after 12 minutes when Silva’s inviting cross just evaded Ronaldo and Fernandes could not turn home at the far post.

Slovenia, playing in its first ever knock-out match at a major competition, maintained its defensive shape well and limited Portugal’s opportunities.

The results:

Romania 0 lost to Netherlands 3 (Gakpo 20, Malen 83, 90+3).

Portugal 0 drew with Slovenia 0 (aet, Portugal won 3-0 on penalties).

South Africa’s resilience underlined why a one-Test series is not the ideal yardstick

S. Dipak Ragav

Chennai

Heads held high: Wolvaardt & Co. can be proud of their showing against a dominant India.B. JOTHI RAMALINGAM JOTHI B

The one-off Test between India and South Africa that concluded here on Monday provided another reason for the women’s game to have more international Tests.

The match had everything one would want from a hard-fought multi-day game: individual brilliance, gritty performances, and challenging conditions.

On the opening day, India’s Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana starred with the bat, slamming a double century and a century, respectively, to set the tone for the game.

Later, off-spinner Sneh Rana weaved her magic to claim her — eventually match-winning — maiden ten-wicket haul (ten for 188). That included her career-best figures of eight for 77 in the first innings, where she took five of the last six wickets on the third morning.

Though the headline would record India’s comprehensive 10-wicket win, the story is more complex. For starters, the women don’t play many multi-day games at the domestic level. While India was relatively better prepared, having revived the zonal multi-day tournament earlier this year, the Proteas do not play any such games back home.

So once India made a record 603 for six decl. in the first essay, the general feeling was when and not if the home team would win and if the game would last four days.

But the South Africans held their own on the second day before eventually collapsing, conceding a 337-run lead the next day. Asked to follow-on, not many would have expected the visitor to overhaul the deficit.

However, skipper Laura Wolvaardt and Sune Luus did not throw in the towel, scoring valiant centuries. The South Africans had a method to play on the backfoot as the slow nature of the surface allowed them the time to adjust to the turn, and they stuck to it.

Though a few batters got trapped in front when the ball kept low, they did not panic or deviate from the plans. Eventually, South Africa managed to get ahead by 36 runs and forced the game into the final session on the last day.

In elite sports, there are no moral victories; the record books only register wins and losses.

However, this fixture had something for everyone. India underscored its recent dominance in Tests, marking the side’s third win, seven months after triumphing over England and Australia last year. South Africa, meanwhile, came out with heads held high, showing why boards worldwide should invest in the longer format.

Pogacar wins stage four, takes back yellow jersey

Associated Press

VALLOIRE

Pushing ahead: Tadej Pogacar leads a pack of riders in the Galibier ascent during the fourth stage.AFPMARCO BERTORELLO

Tadej Pogacar attacked near the top of the first big mountain pass of the Tour de France and extended his lead during the twisty, high-speed descent to take back the yellow jersey on Tuesday.

Two-time defending champion Jonas Vingegaard did his best to limit the damage but finished 37 seconds behind on stage four. The race crossed back into France after the opening stages in Italy.

The climb to the 2,642m Col du Galibier met expectations as the Tour’s first decisive point. Previous leader Richard Carapaz was dropped on the Galibier.

With his UAE Team Emirates squad setting a fast pace up the climb, only Vingegaard and a handful of other riders were able to keep up toward the top of the Galibier.

Then Pogacar attacked with 800m to go and created about a 10-second advantage over Vingegaard at the summit. There was about 20 kilometres of descending to the finish and Pogacar extended his lead over the more cautious Vingegaard, who suffered a high-speed crash in April and broke his collarbone and ribs and had a collapsed lung.

Pogacar, who also wore yellow after Stage 2, is aiming for the rare Giro d’Italia-Tour double after dominating the Italian Grand Tour in May. He’s also aiming for his third Tour title after wins in 2020 and 2021. He was runner-up to Vingegaard the last two years.

First round:

Men: 15-Rune (Den) bt Soon Woo (Kor) 6-1, 6-4, 6; 11-Tsitsipas (Gre) bt Daniel (Jpn) 7-6(5), 6-4, 7-5.

30-Etcheverry (Arg) bt Nardi (Ita) 6-1, 6-4, 6-2; Nishioka (Jpn) bt Borges (Por) 6-2, 7-6(6), 2-6, 6-3; 7-Hurkacz (Pol) bt Albot (Mol) 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4; 9-de Minaur (Aus) bt Duckworth (Aus) 7-6(1), 7-6(3), 7-6(4); 25-Musetti (Ita) bt Lestienne (Fra) 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-2, 6-2; 4-Zverev (Ger) bt Carballes Baena (Esp) 6-2, 6-4, 6-2; Perricard (Fra) bt 20-Korda (USA) 7-6(5), 6-7(4), 7-6(6), 6-7(4), 6-3; 2-Djokovic (Srb) bt Kopriva (Cze) 6-1, 6-2, 6-2; Comesana (Arg) bt 6-Rublev (Rus) 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 7-6(5).

Sonego (Ita) bt 31-Navone (Arg) 6-4, 7-6(2), 6-4; 27-Griekspoor (Ned) bt Elahi Galan (Col) 7-6(3), 6-3, 6-4; 12-Paul (USA) bt Martinez (Esp) 6-2, 6-1, 4-6, 6-3; 1-Sinner (Ita) bt Hanfmann (Ger) 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3; Kecmanovic (Srb) bt Nagal (Ind) 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Women: 1-Swiatek (Pol) bt Kenin (USA) 6-3, 6-4; 32-Boulter (GBr) bt Maria (Ger) 7-6(6), 7-5; 30-Fernandez (Can) bt Bronzetti (Ita) 6-4, 6-3; Caroline Garcia (23), France, def. Anna Blinkova, Russia, 6-4, 7-5.

5-Pegula (USA) bt Krueger (USA) 6-2, 6-0; 4-Rybakina (Kaz) bt Ruse (Rou) 6-3, 6-1; Bouzas Maneiro (Esp) bt 6-Vondrousova (Cze) 6-4, 6-2; 17-Kalinskaya (Rus) bt Udvardy (Hun) 6-3, 6-2; 15-Samsonova (Rus) bt Masarova (Esp) 6-3, 4-6, 6-2; 13-Ostapenko (Lat) bt Tomljanovic (Aus) 6-1, 6-2.

19-Navarro (USA) bt Wang (Chn) 6-0, 6-2; 2-Gauff (USA) bt Dolehide (USA) 6-1, 6-2; Kartal (GBr) 29-Cirstea (Rou) 3-6, 6-2, 6-0; Badosa (Esp) bt Muchova (Cze) 6-3, 6-2; 26-Noskova (Cze) bt Errani (Ita) 7-6(3), 6-1; Fruhvirtova (Cze) bt 24-Mirra Andreeva (Rus) 1-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Kroos has made us stronger and can help us beat Spain: Sane

AFPMIGUEL MEDINA

Leroy Sane said Germany could “hurt” Spain in the Euro 2024 quarterfinal thanks to the impressive return of midfielder Toni Kroos. “Before we weren’t always stable enough. Kroos took away that weakness with the calmness he brings with him. Now things are going well and we’re happy he’s come back and made us stronger.”

Oyarzabal says nobody called Spain favourites before Euro 2024

AFPKENZO TRIBOUILLARD

Spain forward Mikel Oyarzabal said nobody considered La Roja favourites before Euro 2024 but he is convinced the team can defeat host Germany in the quarterfinals. “They say it now, but three weeks ago nobody said that (we were favourites) about us,” Real Sociedad’s Oyarzabal said.

Murray withdraws from singles, just over a week after back surgery

Getty ImagesADAM PRETTY

Two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray will play only doubles at his last appearance at the All England Club following his withdrawal from singles on Tuesday. He pulled out of the singles competition hours before he was supposed to play Tomas Machac. Murray had surgery on June 22 to remove a cyst from his spinal cord.

Attenborough’s colourful impact on Wimbledon and tennis: yellow balls

AFPGLYN KIRK

Naturalist and broadcaster David Attenborough’s visit to Wimbledon provided a vivid reminder of his impact on the sport: yellow balls. Tennis balls were historically either black or white. Attenborough, who worked for the BBC in the '60s when it was transitioning to colour, was one of the people who inspired the switch for better visibility.

Laxman-coached Indian team leaves for Zimbabwe

Press Trust of India

Mumbai

Sai Sudharsan, Jitesh and Rana named as replacements for players who were part of the T20 WC squad; skipper Gill to link up with the team in Harare directly from the USA

1 of 2 Big opportunity: Abhishek and Jitesh will look to make most of the chance that has come their way. Right: NCA head Laxman on board the flight to Harare.X@BCCI

2 of 2

A young-Indian cricket team under National Cricket Academy head V.V.S. Laxman left for Zimbabwe to play a five-match T20I series starting in Harare on July 6.

The team will be led by Shubman Gill while the likes of youngsters Riyan Parag and Abhishek Sharma have been rewarded for their exploits in the last IPL with maiden India call-ups.

Skipper Gill, who was on a break, will link up with the squad directly in Harare from the USA.

The BCCI took to X to post pictures of those who boarded the flight: Abhishek, Parag, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Avesh Khan, Ravi Bishnoi, Washington Sundar, Tushar Deshpande and NCA head Laxman.

Five members of the squad — Shivam Dube, Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh and Khaleel Ahmed — were either part of the T20 World Cup-winning team or were travelling reserves are stranded in Barbados due to hurricane Beryl. They will join the squad later.

The trio of Sai Sudharsan, Jitesh Sharma and Harshit Rana was on Tuesday named as replacements for Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube and Yashasvi Jaiswal in the Indian squad for the first two matches of the T20 International series against Zimbabwe.

Pacer Khaleel Ahmed and batter Rinku Singh, travelling reserves for the T20 World Cup, are also currently in Barbados.

The BCCI has not named replacements for the duo even though they are in the squad for Zimbabwe series.

Sai Sudharsan is currently playing county cricket for Surrey in London. He is expected to leave for Harare immediately.

The India squad for first and second T20Is:

Shubman Gill (Capt.), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhishek Sharma, Rinku Singh, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, Tushar Deshpande, Sai Sudharsan, Jitesh Sharma (wk), and Harshit Rana.

The schedule:

July 6, 7, 10, 13 and 14.

All matches at 4.30 p.m. IST.

It is, without doubt, my last European Championship, says Ronaldo

Agencies

Hamburg

Part of the journey: Ronaldo said he did not get emotional over his decision to move on.REUTERSKAI PFAFFENBACH

Cristiano Ronaldo has confirmed this year’s European Championship will be the last of his career.

The 39-year-old Portugal superstar is playing at the Euros for a record sixth time and has helped his country reach the quarterfinals.

Speaking to Portuguese public broadcaster RTP after the penalty-shootout victory over Slovenia, Ronaldo said: “It is, without doubt, my last European Championship.

“But I’m not emotional about that. I’m moved by all that football means — by the enthusiasm I have for the game, the enthusiasm for seeing my supporters, my family, the affection people have for me.”

Ronaldo, who is one of the most prolific scorers in football history and has a record 14 goals at European Championships, said his main motivation now was “making people happy.”

He was reduced to tears during the Slovenia game after having a penalty saved in extra time. “It’s not about leaving the world of football,” he said. “What else is there for me to do or win? It’s not going to come down to one point more or one point less.”

Won’t give up

“I will always do my best for this shirt, whether I fail or not, and I’m going to do this my whole life,” Ronaldo added.

“I’ve been doing this for 20 years — as you saw I missed the penalty, but I wanted to be the first to score.

“We have to take responsibility... you can’t be afraid, I’ve never been afraid to face things head on, sometimes I get it right and sometimes I don’t, but giving up is something you’ll never hear attached to my name.”

Testers aim to leave no doping cheat undetected at Paris Olympic Games

Agence France-Presse

PARIS

Big exercise: More than 1,000 people would test 4,000 athletes during the Paris Games.Olympics.com

The fight against doping at the Olympics is not restricted to the days of competition in Paris. It has been in the making for many months.

More than 1,000 people will be testing some 4,000 athletes during the competition in a vast operation carried out by the International Testing Agency (ITA) and overseen by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

Partly funded by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the ITA plans, organises and manages the results of anti-doping tests during the Games.

It was involved in Tokyo in 2021 and the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing in 2022, and will be in charge when the Olympic Village opens on or around July 18.

Since mid-April, the ITA has already had a hand in some of the tests and has been in contact with the international federations and national anti-doping agencies to target those to be tested. “If there are athletes doping, they’re going to do it before the Olympics, so the phase before the Olympics is very important,” an ITA spokesperson told AFP.

Qualifying for the Games ends late, so prior to the Games, the ITA needs to keep an eye on all those who can secure a place — almost 40,000 athletes out of the 10,000 who will make the cut.

At the Tokyo Games, 6,200 samples were taken from around 4,000 competitors and six came back positive.

The athletes being tested will be escorted by 800 volunteer “chaperones”.

AIFF confirms Neroca and TRAU’s relegation from the I-League

Press Trust of India

NEW DELHI

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Tuesday confirmed the relegation of Neroca FC and TRAU FC from the I-League after the two Manipur clubs finished at the bottom of the 2023-24 season.

The AIFF took the decision despite Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh’s request earlier to exempt the two Imphal-based clubs from relegation.

“The All India Football Federation has decided to impose relegation in the I-League 2023-24 as per the rules and regulations,” the AIFF said in a release.

“In the 13-team competition, Neroca FC (14 points) and TRAU FC (13 points) finished as the two bottom teams and have been relegated. Mohammedan Sporting Club (52 points) emerged the champion.”

In May, the I-League Committee had recommended the relegation of Neroca and TRAU FC from the I-League as per their results.

The two clubs had requested to shift their respective away matches against Aizawl FC to a neutral venue. Later, they refused to travel to Aizawl to play their away matches in April, leading to the AIFF cancelling the two games.

Kayal Sirpiga stars

for Blue Avengers

Y.S. Kayal Sirpiga’s unbeaten 86 powered Blue Avengers to a nine-wicket victory over Silver Strikers in the TNCA Freyer trophy one-day tournament held on Tuesday.

The scores: Silver Strikers 164 in 47.4 overs (S. Anusha 44, R. Aaisha Bee 37, A. Madhumitha Anbu 4/25) lost to Blue Avengers 168/1 in 28.4 overs (R. Abarna 55, Y.S. Kayal Sirpiga 86 n.o.).

Purple Blazers 186 in 40.1 overs (C. Shushanthika 37, S.B. Keerthana 47, S.R. Srisuveedha 33, B.M. Shrinidhi 3/41) lost to Red Rangers 187/3 in 40.2 overs (K. Hashini 65, Aafreen Ahamed Sait 34, Sanjana Suman 45 n.o.)

All-round show

by Praveen

T. Praveen’s all-round performance (four for 16 & 36 n.o.) helped SKM defeat Royal Gems by five-wickets in a District Cricket Association of Chengalpattu league match held on Tuesday.

In another match Krishna Navik’s half-century (74) powered Krishnaraj to a six-wicket victory over Selvaganapathy Memorial.

The scores:

Royal Gems 115/6 in 20 overs (A. Abishek 38, Keerthivasan 35, T. Praveen 4/16) lost to SKM 116/5 in 18 overs (L. Udayakumar 46, T. Praveen 36 n.o. ,V. Vinothahan 3/16).

Krish 108/7 in 20 overs (Mohamed Yusuf 3/20) lost to Gopalakrishnan Memorial 109/3 in 18.5 overs (Senthilkumar 46).

Selvaganapathy Memorial 119/8 in 20 overs (G. Raghavendran 3/32) lost to Krishnaraj 122/4 in 16.4 overs (Krishna Navik 74).

Asiatic CA 132/9 in 20 overs (S. Siddarth 32, U. Ganesh Karthikeyan 35, Mukund 3/24, Jaya Balaji 4/34) bt Leo 113/7 in 20 overs (Prem Pandian 33, S. Sachin Sharma 3/32).

Gray goes to Tottenham as Rodon returns to Leeds

Tottenham has completed the signing of Leeds midfielder Archie Gray (in pic.), in a player-plus-cash deal which sees Joe Rodon return to Elland Road, it was announced on Tuesday. The 18-year-old Gray won plaudits in an impressive breakout season at Leeds and Brentford had a reported £35 million bid rejected last weekend. That allowed Spurs to come in for the England under-21 international, who has signed a six-year deal. No fee has been disclosed, but British media reported Gray had signed in a deal worth £25-30 million, with the added inducement of former loanee Rodon returning to Leeds on a permanent basis.

Empoli becomes 13th Serie A club to change coach

Empoli became the 13th Serie A club to change coaches for the new season after it announced the arrival of Roberto D’Aversa as the boss on Tuesday. Italian D’Aversa returns to manage Empoli, which finished 17th out of 20 last season, after being sacked by Lecce in March for headbutting an opposition player. The 48-year-old has also had spells in charge of Sampdoria and Parma having come through AC Milan’s youth academy as a player.

Sai Sudharsan and Shaw fail to convert starts

Press Trust of India

London

Sai Sudharsan and Prithvi Shaw failed to get big scores in their English county games for Surrey and Northamptonshire respectively.

In a home game at the Oval against Essex, Surrey scored 262 in its first essay with Sai Sudharsan coming in at No. 6 and making 14 off 47 balls with two boundaries.

In the game between Northamptonshire and Sussex, Shaw struck 13 boundaries across two innings —seven in a 22-ball-31 and another six in 37 off 41 balls, but failed to get a big score.

In the first innings, Sussex’s second change medium pacer Fynn Hudson-Prentice got his wicket, caught by Jack Carson.

Shaw’s score was the second highest in his team’s 97 in a little over 20 overs.

Durand Cup to kick-off in Kolkata on July 27

Press Trust of India

KOLKATA

Durand Cup, the domestic football season-opener, will be held from July 27 to August 31 across four venues with ISL, I-League and other invitational teams competing.

The 133rd edition of Asia’s oldest tournament will see 43 matches being played in a round-robin league-cum-knockout format, with the opener and the final scheduled at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) here.

The 24 teams will be divided into six groups. Eight teams — group toppers and two best second-placed sides — will qualify for the knockouts. International outfits are expected to participate this year too, organisers said on Tuesday.

Two new cities — Jamshedpur and Shillong — have been added as host venues.

Soha enters second round in Hillcrest

Sports Bureau

Soha Sadiq beat Erin McKenzie 6-3, 7-5 in the first round of the $25,000 ITF women’s tennis tournament in Hillcrest, South Africa, on Tuesday.

Other important results: First round: $15,000 ITF men, Hillcrest, South Africa: Aryan Shah bt Luca Bluett (GBR) 6-4, 6-3; Connor Van Schalkwyk (Nam) bt Parth Aggarwal 7-6(2), 6-3.

$25,000 ITF women, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand: Vaidehi Chaudhari & Peangtarn Plipuech (Tha) bt Natsuho Arakawa & Hikaru Sato (Jpn) 6-2, 6-2;

Pawinee Ruamrak & Bunyawi Thamchaiwat (Tha) bt Laalitya Kalluri & Sofiia Nagornaia (Isr) 6-3, 6-1.

Hockey India to host first-ever Masters Cup

Press Trust of India

NEW DELHI

Hockey India (HI) on Tuesday announced the inaugural Masters Cup, a pioneering tournament which will feature veteran players in both the men’s and women’s categories.

All HI affiliated state member units are eligible to participate and all veterans, aged around and above 40, who want to participate in the tournament will have to contact their respective member units and register through the HI Member Unit Portal.

The dates and venues will be announced soon.

Frankfurt ropes in 18-year-old forward Can Uzun

Eintracht Frankfurt has signed 18-year-old Turkiye forward Can Uzun on a five-year contract. Uzun, who was born and raised in Germany, scored 19 goals in 32 games for second-division Nuremberg last season. “Can Uzun is one of the biggest talents in Germany,” Frankfurt board member for sport Markus Krosche said in a statement.

Chelsea signs Leicester midfielder Dewsbury-Hall

Chelsea has signed Leicester midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, the Premier League club announced on Tuesday, for a reported fee of £30 million. The 25-year-old has agreed a six-year contract at Stamford Bridge and his move means he will be reunited with new Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca, after they worked together last season.

Wimbledon: SS Select 1, 2 (SD & HD) & Hotstar, 3.30 p.m. onwards

Cricket: TNCA inter-districts u-14 tournament (quarterfinal), Tiruvallur vs Namakkal, 9.30 a.m., OCF.

R. Kaushik

Even with a team replete with some of the most aesthetically bruising stroke-makers in the business, Rohit was aware that India’s campaign at the T20 World Cup would hinge around how his principal hitman shaped up

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2 of 2 Getty ImagesAlex Davidson-ICC

Like a stalled racehorse waiting for the gates to open, he waits for the batter to settle into his stance. The unconscious twitching of the shoulders already out of the way, he gathers himself for a microsecond, then sets off on a brisk walk with the ball held above his head in both hands. After a few quick steps, he gathers momentum, exploding at the bowling crease with a hyperextended right elbow, a braced left knee. The orb that leaves his hand is now a weapon of destruction. It could shape in in the air, break away on pitching and hit top of off, like Reeza Hendricks found out. It could defy physics and tail in late, as Marco Jansen discovered to his utter shock.

It can also begin way outside off and keep coming in, homing in on toes and stumps as if radar-directed. Skeptical? Ask Ollie Pope. And it can grip and turn, delivered with a slight tweak of the fingers, pace taken off, and sneak through the defences to rattle timber. Phil Salt will nod his head, in grudging acceptance.

Is there anything Jasprit Bumrah can’t do with the cricket ball? Maybe bowl left-arm wrist-spin, yes, for now. But with right arm and fingers and wrist, there’s nothing he can’t do. Not to the right-hander, not to the left-hander. Not with a new cherry, not with an old ball. Not in Test cricket, not in the limited-overs variants. Bumrah is the most perfect bowler of his generation, distinctly unique, incredibly skilled, and unbelievably hard-working.

Ace Marksman

Even with a team replete with some of the most aesthetically bruising stroke-makers in the business, Rohit Sharma was aware that India’s campaign at the T20 World Cup would hinge around how his principal hitman shaped up. He had a maximum of 24 deliveries at his disposal in each outing, but those four overs could often be the difference between victory and defeat. And while he was allowed only 24 legal deliveries, their impact was such that around his overs, other bowlers would benefit. Not least Arshdeep Singh, Bumrah’s new-ball partner and understudy, the joint leading wicket-taker of the tournament alongside Afghan Fazalhaq Farooqi, with 17 sticks.

Bumrah slotted in third in that chart, but he was the bowler of the tournament and, officially – as if confirmation was required – the Player of the Tournament. His 15 wickets came at an average of 8.26, a strike-rate of 11.86 and the fairly ridiculous economy of 4.17. He bowled 29.4 of a potential 32 overs in eight matches and conceded just 12 boundaries – 10 fours and two sixes – out of a total 124 runs scored off his bowling; 26% of those runs, stats reveal, were when the batters were not in control.

These are cold, bland, mundane numbers, but even they tell a tale in themselves. What they don’t elucidate is just how much having Bumrah in their ranks lifted India, how much it cowed oppositions down.

Need of the hour

Imagine being Rohit, able to summon Bumrah to the bowling crease when he needed control, or wickets. In T20 cricket, one is not any more significant than the other at most times. Sometimes, a ‘control over’ can be more damaging than a double-wicket maiden. Like in the final. Axar Patel’s last over of what was otherwise a fantastic World Cup for him had gone for 24, Heinrich Klaasen embarking on a boundary-bashing spree. That humongous over brought the equation down to 30 needed off 30, six wickets in hand.

For most of the World Cup, Rohit has tended to use Bumrah maybe occasionally in the 16th, mainly in the 17th, and then reserved him for the 19th, which is generally delivered by the best bowler in the line-up. This time, after the Klaasen pyrotechnics, he needed breathing space. He needed someone who would bring about a modicum of sanity to the proceedings, a bankable option who would drag out the game, take the chase deeper. The option was a no-brainer.

Ask and he will deliver

Bumrah bowled a gun 16th. He knew his captain relied on him to pull things back. He knew the fate of the final hinged on how the 16th unfolded. He couldn’t have won the final in those six balls, but for all the magic he had produced in the preceding seven games, and in his first two overs in the title clash, he could have lost it. If he didn’t feel any nerves, he wouldn’t have been human. But wait, maybe he isn’t human, after all? Maybe he is super-human, above human, beyond human.

Bumrah was on top of his game, that over an event in itself. Just four singles. Four lopped off the target, but the ball was doing a little. Bumrah is dangerous even when the ball is doing nothing. When it’s doing a little, well…

Bumrah couldn’t have pulled it off all on his own. He could bowl just 25% of the 24 balls remaining, of which South Africa required 26. He needed help. He needed support. He needed more than one bowler to back him up. He found support in Hardik Pandya, and in Arshdeep, a protégé if there was one. But it was Bumrah who was the difference. By the proverbial country mile.

A lengthy gap between Bumrah’s 16th and Hardik’s 17th, to tend to Rishabh Pant’s knee injury, must have set the nerves jangling in Klaasen, for there is no other explanation for his optimistic waft at a widish first ball from Hardik which took the edge on its way to Pant. 26 off 23, enter Jansen. The odds still in South Africa’s favour, but the force and momentum with India, the despondency of ten minutes back replaced by the prospect of an astonishing heist. Danger man Klaasen gone, six Bumrah balls to go.

Rohit could have stuck to his template, brought Arshdeep on for the 18th, held Bumrah back for the next, but he went with gut. With instinct. With blind faith in his enforcer. Not for the first time, Bumrah didn’t let him down.

If No. 16 was awesome, No. 18 was out of the world. Out of This World, as the tournament’s catchline screamed from different parts of the ground. Two runs, Jansen packed off with a pearler, balance tilted, job nearly done.

More than a hitman

Bumrah is now eight and a half years young in international cricket, time enough for him to have graduated from just a bowler, no matter how complete, to a leader, to a mentor. He was done with the ball, yes, but he wasn’t done as a competitor. Already, he had showcased his leadership skills by walking up to Axar for a high-five after the 24-run over. After Quinton de Kock had smashed Arshdeep for six over long-leg, he thrice called out to the bowler from short third-man, and clapped furiously, encouraging his younger mate. A field change resulted in de Kock holing out to long-leg the next ball. Coincidence, for sure. Poor cricket from the Protean ’keeper, without a shadow of doubt. But Bumrah wasn’t just thinking about his own bowling. He was looking out for his colleagues. No wonder then, that Arshdeep concedes that several of his 17 wickets came about because of the pressure Bumrah imposed at the other end, because of the liberty batters felt they had to take against him because they would get nothing, absolutely nothing, from Bumrah.

This isn’t just romanticising the premier bowler in the world currently. If anything, words can’t do justice to what Bumrah is unleashing these days, ball after searching ball, over after probing over. You have to be at the ground to experience the electricity when he is at the top of his bowling mark. You have to witness first-hand the slightly haunted look on the batter’s face, never mind if he is Jos Buttler or Keshav Maharaj, David Warner or Naveen-ul-Haq, Babar Azam or Saurabh Netravalkar. They know they are in the crosshairs, and while Bumrah might be no Abhinav Bindra, he seldom misses.

A fortnight back, former Indian pacer Lakshmipathi Balaji had told this writer that Bumrah’s legacy as the second best Asian fast bowler ever after Wasim Akram would be cemented if, like the great Pakistan in the 1992 World Cup final against England, he could single-handedly deliver India this World Cup. Balaji reflected on the similarities between Bumrah and Akram – generating pace and momentum and power from the upper body rather than the lower, like most conventional quicks do. Using the bowling hand and the shoulder and the wrist and the fingers to weave their magic. Taking the pitch out of the equation. Balaji, himself having fought back from a career-threatening back injury to make an India comeback, was in awe of how much Bumrah had gotten better after his back surgery last year.

“He is just the most complete fast bowler right now. Look at him — Test cricket, white-ball cricket, doesn’t matter,” the Tamil Nadu coach had gushed. “New ball, he will get the job done. Old ball, he can reverse it phenomenally. Middle overs in limited-overs games, his variations and his repertoire make him a wicket-taker, not someone who just contains the flow of runs. If there is a more versatile and dangerous fast bowler right now, I don’t know who that is.”

You are not alone, Bala, you certainly are not. There is just Bumrah, daylight, and then the chasing pack.

Science

- Two vaccines that brought us to the brink of eradicating polio

- BIG SHOT

- How we grow taller at night

Arun Panchapakesan

While the poliovirus is today restricted to rural pockets of Afghanistan and Pakistan, it is beginning to reappear in big cities in these two countries thanks to vaccine hesitancy. The WHO’s Global Polio Eradication Initiative is thus set to miss its deadline of eradicating polio by the end of 2024

1 of 2 A health worker (right) administers polio vaccine drops to a child during a vaccination campaign in Karachi. AFP ASIF HASSAN

2 of 2 John F. Enders, Thomas Weller, and Frederick Robbins solved one of the most important scientific problems of their time. They managed to find a way to grow the poliovirus in non-nerve cells

In 1948, microbiologists John F. Enders, Thomas Weller, and Frederick Robbins were trying to find a method to grow different viruses in cell cultures. In a routine experiment involving human muscle and skin cells, they decided to test one more virus along with the ones they were already testing, since a vial containing that virus was in their freezer. To their surprise, the virus proliferated and grew well with their method. Their work eventually solved one of the most important scientific problems of the time.

They had just managed to find a way to grow the poliovirus in non-nerve cells.

A major roadblock

In the mid-20th century, researchers widely believed the poliovirus could only be grown in cultures of nerve cells. This misconception was propagated by their inability to infect rhesus macaques by the oral route, and only by directly injecting the virus into the nervous system. At the time, they didn’t know the problem was with the poliovirus strains they were using.

The poliovirus has only one natural host — humans — and many of the early strains of the virus were isolated from humans and wouldn’t infect non-human primates. Since scientists kept passing the virus through the brain tissues of macaques, it adapted to that mode of infection.

The inability to culture polio in non-nerve cells was a major roadblock to developing a polio vaccine. But thanks to Enders and his team, the poliovirus could now be mass-produced for vaccine research.

Eradication target missed

Polio eradication is one of the top priorities of the World Health Organisation (WHO). Since Africa was declared polio-free in August 2020, the wild poliovirus has been restricted to rural pockets of Afghanistan and Pakistan. But according to a recent report in Science, the virus is beginning to reappear in big cities in these two countries.

This reemergence is a result of vaccine hesitancy due to misinformation, conflict, poverty, and limited access to these isolated regions. The WHO’s Global Polio Eradication Initiative is thus set to miss its deadline of eradicating polio by the end of 2024.

The initiative’s failure in Afghanistan and Pakistan casts a long shadow on an otherwise remarkable achievement: polio having been eradicated everywhere else. This feat was driven by two vaccines, both invented within a year of each other. They are administered differently, provide distinct levels of protection, contain different components, and target different compartments of the immune system. Yet they both played equally invaluable roles in the global fight against polio.

The systemic and the mucosal

In late 1949, Enders received a letter requesting the starting material and the procedure his team had perfected to grow the poliovirus in culture. At the time, Enders & Co. were discussing their own future work. While his younger colleagues, Weller and Robbins, wanted to use the method to foray into vaccine research, Enders said such a job was ill-suited for basic science researchers like themselves. They handed over the sample and the procedure to the letter’s author, the director of the Virus Research Laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh, Jonas Salk.

Salk made the first successful vaccine for polio. He grew the virus using the method Enders and his team had developed, inactivated it by treating it with formaldehyde, and injected it into his test subjects. The fragments of the inactivated virus were able to induce immunity in their bodies. Importantly, since the vaccine was introduced into the muscle, it generated systemic immunity.

The immune system has two main parts: the systemic and the mucosal. The systemic component includes the blood, the brain, and all other organ systems. The mucosal component includes the inner linings of the digestive and respiratory systems, the urogenital tract, and the eyes. These regions are lined with mucous membranes that provide an additional layer of protection, as they frequently come into contact with the external environment.

Striking at ground zero

Soon after Salk made his inactivated polio vaccine (IPV), Albert Sabin developed another vaccine that contained live polio strains weakened by growing them serially in macaque cells, making them unfit for human infection. Since Sabin’s vaccine contained live virus particles, it had to rely on its natural mode of infection and was therefore administered orally. This was the oral polio vaccine (OPV).

Since the OPV went into the stomach, it induced a powerful protective mucosal immune response right where the virus would have to begin its infection.

The OPV had multiple advantages over the IPV. First, the vaccine induced a protective response at the viral entry site — the gut— allowing it to provide a much greater degree of protection relative to the IPV. Second, the OPV was administered orally and didn’t require syringes or trained personnel for its administration.

A one-two punch

But there was a catch. Occasionally, the weakened virus in the OPV would revert, and do the very job it was designed to prevent: cause polio. On the other hand, the IPV, while being a less potent vaccine, contained inactivated virus particles and carried no risk of causing vaccine-induced polio.

The world has used both vaccines in the fight against polio. While some countries, such as Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland, relied exclusively on the IPV, most countries have used a combination of the two. The latter countries prefer the OPV for its superior protection and ease of administration. When the number of natural polio cases drops to zero, they switch to IPV for its enhanced safety.

Despite the many differences between the Salk and Sabin vaccines, they share one crucial feature that armed the WHO in its fight against polio: both Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin chose not to patent their vaccines. When asked who owned the patent on his vaccine, Salk famously replied: “Well, the people, I would say. There is no patent. Could you patent the sun?”

(Arun Panchapakesan is an assistant professor at the Y.R. Gaithonde Centre for AIDS Research and Education, Chennai.)

A pier at high tide after the passage of Hurricane Beryl in Oistins near Bridgetown, Barbados, on Monday. Hurricane Beryl brought devastating winds and heavy rain to several Caribbean islands on the day as the earliest-ever Category 4 storm on record churned westward. AFP CHANDAN KHANNA

How we grow taller at night

The Hindu Bureau

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2 of 2 A pencil illustration of the vertebral column and the spinal cord. H.G. Wetselaar, Universitaire Bibliotheken Leiden

Q: Are we measurably taller in the morning than when we go to bed?

A1: We are all indeed taller in the morning. There are two components to this. In a growing child, the growth hormone is secreted in pulses overnight. This acts through several intermediary steps to cause lengthening of the bones at the end-plates (epiphyses). Accurate measurements of the forearm or lower leg using specialised apparatus or X-rays can record this night-time growth.

The most marked effect, however, which occurs even after growth has ceased, is caused by postural compression of the spine under the effect of gravity. This was recognised in mediaeval French folklore: it was common practice to apply for recruitment to the army first thing in the morning in order to appear taller. In 1724, Reverend Joseph Wasse from Aynho in Northamptonshire, U.K., measured a loss of up to 15 mm through the day. This was more marked in young and active labourers.

A2: Another factor concerns the inherent curvatures of the spinal column. This has a convexity backwards in the thoracic or chest region, called a kyphosis, and a concavity in the lumbar region or base of the back called a lordosis. These curves vary with body weight and position. As a result, the spinal column tends to press downwards when in an upright position, altering these curvatures, and hence shortening the spinal length. When lying down, the reverse happens and the column lengthens again.

The combination of disc and curvature factors causes height change and is about 16 mm during the course of the day in the average adult.

Table of Contents

The Hindu Jul 03, 2024

Regional

116 people killed in a stampede at prayer meet in Uttar Pradesh

PM says mandate is for continuity, Cong. a ‘parasite’ on allies

DVAC to probe coal import scam involving Adani group

Restore my speech in full, Rahul tells Om Birla

Three men held in connection with double murder near Perungalathur

Fourth phase of ‘Healing Tiny Hearts’ project to treat children with cardiac anomalies launched

Police arrest kingpin of gang involved in loan fraud in Royapettah

Man arrested for stealing two-wheelers in Puzhal

Free coaching for civil services mains exam

Chembarambakkam lake restoration to begin soon

T.N. Police to seek report on gold smuggling at airport

MTC bus catches fire in Adyar; passengers and crew escape

Medical camp held for students in Ambattur

Doctors demand govt. to stop collecting fee of from patients from other States

Officials raid 58 pani puri shops, find unhygienic practices

DVAC launches probe into coal import scam

GCC to launch free pet clinics, animal birth control centres

Defence Ministry signs MoU to set up three testing facilities in T.N.

Documenting, analysing 75 years of DMK

Governor, CM condole Hathras stampede deaths

Vikravandi byelection: DMK, PMK lock horns in high-stakes battle

Former Transport Minister M.R. Vijayabhaskar, brother booked in land grab case in Karur

No tangible effort to retrieve Katchatheevu islet by three successive BJP regimes: CM

CB-CID gets 2-day custody of 11 accused in Kallakurichi illicit liquor tragedy case

The Hindu Group wins 8 awards at Maddys 2024

Stalin releases translations of 100 Central, State legislations

Not meeting Home Minister over hooch deaths, says EPS

Annamalai urges Jaishankar to ensure fishermen’s release

Rail commuters suffer inadequate amenities in the western section

An anatomical mystery in Chennai’s own ‘Red Fort’

When a 2024 win summoned up visions of a 1983 triumph in black and white

How the 1977 Assembly election defined the political landscape of Tamil Nadu

The killing of two Jesuits and the spread of Christianity in Ramanathapuram

National

Naidu, Revanth to mend fences

UDF walks out over worrying state of public health

If you want to hike ticket fares, make videos on drug menace and cybercrimes: Revanth tells filmmakers

Shivakumar completes 4 years as KPCC chief, amid power tussle

Police confirm murder of woman who went missing 15 years ago

Press for return of seven mandals: BRS

Jaishankar to represent India in place of Modi at SCO summit in Kazakhstan

Text of laws changed but criminal justice administration awaits reforms: Bajpai

Constable-turned-spiritual preacher Suraj Pal has considerable following

Modi says in LS mandate is for continuity

Bihar govt. moves SC against HC order quashing 65% quota

Restore my speech in full, Rahul tells Speaker

End my suspension: Srinagar shrine priest

116 killed in a stampede at U.P. prayer meet

No topic off-limits: Russia

Opposition hits back after uproar over Rahul’s remarks in Lok Sabha

Nadda defends government in Rajya Sabha

Woman in Chopra flogging incident refuses to meet Bengal Governor

Manipur facing civil war-like crisis, but PM is silent: MP

Rahul urges PM to facilitate debate in LS on NEET issue

At meeting, Modi advises NDA MPs to always keep nation first

Kharge targets Modi over his jibe at Rahul in LS speech

Engineer Rashid gets custody parole to take oath as MP

Complaint filed against Rahul Gandhi for ‘remark on Hindus’

Fact-check unit needed to protect people from fake news: Centre in Bombay HC

14217

Courts subservient only to the might of Constitution and no other authority: CJI

Advanced medium combat aircraft prototype expected to be ready by 2028-29

Aim is to establish dharma

HC seeks CBI’s response on Kejriwal’s plea against arrest

Five Naxals killed in Chhattisgarh, say police

Assam flood situation turns grim, death toll rises to 38

Woman cuts off man’s genitals for refusing to marry her

Five die, 30 fall ill at children’s home; investigation ordered

IAF chief inaugurates weapon systems school in Hyderabad

Edit

Great expectations, liberalism in dark times

Digital jurisprudence in India, in an AI era

Mixed signals

letters to the editor

Open court

Is the bad loan problem shifting to individuals from industries?

France: India’s steady partner in green growth

Many obstacles before take off

Alarming rise in malaria incidence in south

Indian Emigration

On improving rural mobile connectivity

Iran: limited democracy, unlimited theocracy

Here is a quiz on some of the important events that happened on July 3

How can state capacity be measured?

Business

Hindenburg refutes SEBI’s allegations on its Adani short bet

Firms fret over Form 16 delays

Stock broking firms tumble on SEBI order

‘Ashok Leyland ready to offer full suite of clean energy vehicles’

‘Cut lectronic manufacturing inputs tariffs for

TAFE inks pact with Deutz AG to grow ICE business in India

Murugappa firm signs water-devices pact with Jiva

RBI proposes rationalising norms on EXIM deals

Rane Holdings to buy balance 51% from JV partner NSK

Coal production rose 14% to 84.63 MT in June: Ministry

Foreign

USA crashes out in group phase after losing to Uruguay

Nepali Congress, CPN-UML arrive at agreement to oust Prachanda as PM

Israel pounds Gaza following evacuation order which will affect 2.5 lakh residents

Prosecutors in Trump hush money case not opposed to delaying his sentencing

Beijing, Manila hold talks after maritime stand-off

Jyothi set to be first Indian 100m hurdler in the Olympics

New Dutch PM sworn in 7 months after far-right party won elections

China builds new presidential palace in Pacific’s Vanuatu

Russia violated international law by imprisoning WSJ reporter: UN

Former New York Mayor Giuliani disbarred for 2020 election lies

Sports

Defending champ Vondrousova and Rublev crash out; Djokovic cruises

Lively Dutch in quarters for first time in 16 years

South Africa’s resilience underlined why a one-Test series is not the ideal yardstick

Pogacar wins stage four, takes back yellow jersey

Top results

Kroos has made us stronger and can help us beat Spain: Sane

Oyarzabal says nobody called Spain favourites before Euro 2024

Murray withdraws from singles, just over a week after back surgery

Attenborough’s colourful impact on Wimbledon and tennis: yellow balls

Laxman-coached Indian team leaves for Zimbabwe

It is, without doubt, my last European Championship, says Ronaldo

Testers aim to leave no doping cheat undetected at Paris Olympic Games

AIFF confirms Neroca and TRAU’s relegation from the I-League

Around THE CITY

Gray goes to Tottenham as Rodon returns to Leeds

Empoli becomes 13th Serie A club to change coach

Sai Sudharsan and Shaw fail to convert starts

Durand Cup to kick-off in Kolkata on July 27

Soha Sadiq enters the second round in Hillcrest

Hockey India to host first-ever Masters Cup

Frankfurt ropes in 18-year-old forward Can Uzun

Chelsea signs Leicester midfielder Dewsbury-Hall

LiVE TELECAST

Engagements

Jasprit Bumrah a wizard at work

Science

Two vaccines that brought us to the brink of eradicating polio

BIG SHOT

How we grow taller at night