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Regional

- Six held for U.P. stampede; no police action against godman

- Sea of fans

- Labour Party projected to oust Sunak govt. in U.K. polls

- Jaishankar meets Wang Yi, says LAC must be respected

- Naidu meets Modi, seeks Central aid

- Soren sworn in as Jharkhand CM

- CB-CID seizes 2,000 litres of methanol from petrol bunk

- Many flood-affected residents in city yet to receive Cyclone Michaung relief

- 9 persons, including pharmacists and advocate, held for abduction

- Cardio-obstetrics unit established at Rajiv Gandhi Govt. General Hospital

- Three men get 5 years in prison for robbing, sexually assaulting minor

- Man tries to end life during eviction drive

- State animal welfare board suggests stricter norms for proper upkeep of horses used for commercial purposes

- Over 22,000 passengers used DigiYatra facility in airport since its launch in June

- S.Ve. Shekher honoured with K. Balachander Award

- Residents of R.K. Pet in Tiruvallur allege officials demolished houses without notice

- Inspiro Awards given to two NGOs and govt.-aided school

- Functionary of BJP arrested for cheating woman

- Man held for setting fire to bus in Koyambedu

- AIADMK functionary murdered in Salem; cadre and relatives suspect the hand of lottery, ganja sellers

- CM invites MPs, MLAs to launch expansion of two govt. schemes

- Who will gain from AIADMK sitting out the Vikravandi byelection?

- State housing board plans to complete construction of over 3,000 units by 2025

- CM interacts with people to review implementation of various welfare schemes

- 2,000 litres of methanol seized from unused petrol bunk in Cuddalore

- Ex-Minister denied interim anticipatory bail in land grab case

- CM urged to press Centre to rescind 3 criminal laws

- Retired IAS officer sworn-in as local bodies ombudsman

- It is high time liquor policy was revisited: High Court

- Non-bailable warrant against official over not paying pension arrears to a freedom fighter

- Officials inspect proposed metro rail site in Coimbatore

- IIT-M inks MoUs with industry partners to offer skill courses

- New criminal laws: AIADMK’s lawyers’ wing to stage protest

Six held for U.P. stampede; no police action against godman

Ishita Mishra

New Delhi

Preacher not named in FIR ; police announce a reward of ₹1 lakh for information on Devprakash Madhukar, the main accused; probe teams formed to search for persons who were part of the organising committee of the prayer meeting

Devastating tragedy: A forensic expert collecting evidence from the stampede site in Hathras on Wednesday. R.V. MOORTHY

The Uttar Pradesh Police arrested six persons, including two women, on Thursday in connection with the stampede at a religious gathering in Hathras that left 121 people dead.

The arrested persons were part of the committee that organised the satsang of preacher Narayan Sakar Hari alias Bhole Baba, who was not named in the first information report (FIR).

The police also announced a reward of ₹1 lakh for information on Devprakash Madhukar, the main accused of the incident. He was a follower of Bhole Baba and collected funds for his events, the police said.

Speaking about the arrests, Shalabh Mathur, Inspector-General of Police, Aligarh Range said police teams have been formed to search for persons who were part of the organising committee of the satsang, across U.P. and outside.

“Our teams arrested six persons identified as Rahbari Singh Yadav, Bhupendar Singh Yadav, Megh Singh, Manju Yadav, Mukesh Kumar, and Manju Devi, who all were volunteers and fled from the spot after the stampede,” Mr. Mathur said.

The official also said the persons who were arrested had handled all responsibilities for the religious event, including crowd management and collection of funds.

“Their job was to manage everything related to satsang, including power supply, tents, parking arrangements, etc. All was being done by these volunteers. The arrested persons told us that the followers of Bhole Baba feel blessed to collect his charan raj [soil under his feet]. On the day of the stampede, volunteers could not manage the people who pushed their way to collect the soil, leading to the stampede,” Mr. Mathur said.

Sea of fans

Victory lap: The Marine Drive in Mumbai is filled with fans waiting to greet the Indian cricket team ahead of its victory parade after winning the T20 World Cup in Barbados. The team arrived in India on Thursday morning. Emmanual Yogini (Report on page 21)EMMANUAL YOGINI

Sriram Lakshman

London

Voters leave a polling station in Belfast on Thursday. AFPPAUL FAITH

Millions went to the polls in the U.K. on Thursday, to vote for 650 MPs in the House of Commons, with the Labour Party projected to win a sizeable, if not historically large majority of more than 400 seats, according to several poll projections.

When final results are announced Friday morning, the accuracy of the polls and the fate of Rishi Sunak’s government will be known.

The 44-year-old British Prime Minister, the first person of Indian descent to hold the position, heads the fifth in a series of Conservative governments that have spanned 14 years. During this period, Britons voted by a small margin to exit the European Union and went through the COVID-19 pandemic with attendant political scandals, including then Prime Minister Boris Johnson breaking lockdown rules.

The Conservative years also saw the U.K. economy taking a battering in the years after Brexit, partly because of it, but also due to global inflationary pressures following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and former Prime Minister Liz Truss’s economic policies, enacted during her record short term of 50 days.

Britons faced soaring energy bills, inflation and a cost of living crisis, accompanied by a decline in public services including long wait times for doctors’ appointments.

Consequently, Labour had fashioned its campaign around the theme of ‘change’. “Vote change,” Labour leader Keir Starmer said on Thursday. “Today, Britain’s future is on the ballot,” he wrote on X.

Jaishankar meets Wang Yi, says LAC must be respected

Suhasini Haidar

NEW DELHI

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. ANIANI

In their first such meeting since the Lok Sabha election, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar held talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council meeting on Thursday.

Both sides stressed the importance of “mutual respect” in resolving the boundary issues that have frozen ties between them for the past four years.

Mr. Jaishankar told Mr. Wang that it was important that the “Line of Actual Control must be respected and peace and tranquillity in the border areas always ensured”, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) after the meeting, which lasted about an hour, and was held just before the start of the SCO Summit.

“The two Ministers agreed that the prolongation of the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side. EAM highlighted the need to redouble efforts to achieve complete disengagement from the remaining areas in Eastern Ladakh and restore border peace and tranquillity in order to remove obstacles towards the return of normalcy in bilateral relations,” the MEA said.

The two Ministers were meeting for the third time in the past 12 months, and have made a push for complete disengagement and the resolution of the military border standoff since April 2020.

Naidu meets Modi, seeks Central aid

V. Raghavendra

VIJAYAWADA

N. Chandrababu Naidu and Narendra Modi.ANIANI

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Thursday and discussed various issues concerning the State.

Mr. Naidu sought the Union government’s hand-holding of the State finances in the short term, support in commissioning the Polavaram irrigation project, and comprehensive financial assistance for the construction of the government complex and trunk infrastructure in Amaravati.

He also sought incentives for industrial development, consideration of an additional allocation under the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment and support to the backward regions of the State on the lines of the Bundelkhand package, and the development of Dugarajapatnam port.

The Chief Minister highlighted that the State continues to grapple with the repercussions of the “unscientific and unjust bifurcation of 2014” and the miserable governance of the previous administration. He pointed out that the State was severely constrained by a lack of financial resources.

In a post on X, Mr. Naidu said he had a constructive meeting with Mr. Modi and deliberated on important matters concerning the welfare and development of the State.

Amit Bhelari

RANCHI

Hemant Soren -

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Hemant Soren was sworn in as Jharkhand Chief Minister for the third time on Thursday.

Mr. Soren, who is currently out on bail in a money laundering case, was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan at the Raj Bhavan in Ranchi.

“Despite the political ups and downs, Champai Soren ji was running the government because I was in jail. I don’t want to discuss why I was in jail because the court’s order is already in the public domain. It is only because of the court’s order that I am out of jail and have resumed my work. Now I will work for the development of the State,” the new CM said after taking the oath, as JMM workers burst crackers in celebration outside the Raj Bhavan. The State is expected to head to the polls to elect a new legislative Assembly in October this year.

CB-CID seizes 2,000 litres of methanol from petrol bunk

The Hindu Bureau

KALLAKURICHI

The Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID) on Thursday seized 2,000 litres of methanol, an industrial chemical, from a sump in an unused petrol bunk in Veeraperumanallur near Panruti in Cuddalore district.

The seizure followed the interrogation of Madesh, who was arrested for his alleged involvement in the hooch tragedy at Karunapuram in Kallakurichi, which claimed 65 lives.

Many flood-affected residents in city yet to receive Cyclone Michaung relief

The Hindu Bureau

CHENNAI

Many people in areas such as Thiru. Vi. Ka. Nagar, Korattur, Anna Nagar, Velachery, and Kolathur have not received flood relief as there is no clarity on who will take the decision to disburse money, say civic officials. Many of the residents have been visiting the Corporation offices to demand relief

Manpower shortage: Ward 104 councillor T.V. Shemmozhi said many were left out because there were not enough Corporation employees to verify the details of the residents affected by the flood.File photoJOTHI RAMALINGAM B

Many flood-affected residents in Chennai who have not received the Cyclone Michaung relief given by the State government, have started visiting the Chennai Corporation, Chennai Collectorate and the Secretariat, demanding cash relief.

On Thursday, the flood-affected residents, including persons with disabilities, were found visiting the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) offices to demand the relief.

The Chennai district administration has been sending details of the flood-affected residents to Chennai Corporation and the civic officials have asked the residents to submit petitions to the State government, as they have completed the verification process.

Many residents in the flood-affected areas, such as Thiru. Vi. Ka. Nagar, Korattur, Anna Nagar, Velachery and Kolathur have not received flood relief, civic officials said adding that there was no clarity on who would take the decision to disburse the money.

Councillor J. John of ward 84 said many of the flood-affected residents in Korattur were not given the relief amount.

Ward 104 councillor T.V. Shemmozhi said many residents were left out because there were not enough Corporation employees to verify the details of those affected by the flood. “Data entry has not been proper. The number of workers in the GCC is not adequate to verify the details. As a result, people are left out,” he said.

After Chief Minister M.K. Stalin launched the initiative to distribute flood relief of ₹6,000 in districts of Chennai, Chengalpattu, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram, the State government informed the Madras High Court that 23.18 lakh out of 24.25 lakh family card holders have received flood relief without submitting applications.

After receiving more than 7 lakh applications in another phase, many of the applications were verified by local bodies, such as the GCC, and money was disbursed. However, many residents in areas such as Thiru. Vi. Ka. Nagar still have not received flood relief. An official, however, claimed that over 85% of the residents affected by the cyclone have received flood relief in Thiru. Vi. Ka. Nagar.

9 persons, including pharmacists and advocate, held for abduction

R. Sivaraman

CHENNAI

The nine persons who were arrested by the Sankar Nagar police. Special arrangement Special arrangement

The Sankar Nagar police on Thursday arrested nine persons, including two pharmacists, an advocate, and a murder suspect, for allegedly kidnapping another pharmacist due to professional rivalry.

Azharuddin, 38, of Thirumudivakkam, near Pallavaram, is a pharmacist who has a shop near a popular hospital in Chromepet.

At 10.45 p.m. on June 22, when he was riding a motorcycle, a gang, claiming to be police officers, waylaid him near a bridge in Adyar. They told Mr. Azharuddin that he would be taken in for an inquiry as he was selling liquor illegally and asked him to get into a car. After he refused, they handcuffed and abducted him at gunpoint.

Tortured physically

Mr. Azharuddin was confined illegally in a house at a secluded location, and was tortured physically. The gang robbed him of ₹9,000 in cash and ₹10 lakh using his debit and credit cards. The gang took Mr. Azharuddin to several places in the car and finally released him near Kundrathur.

Fearing for his life because the gang threatened him over the phone repeatedly, he did not immediately lodge a police complaint.

On July 3, Mr. Azharuddin lodged a complaint with the Sankar Nagar police station.

Inspector Sathish conducted an investigation after analysing call records and the trail of money transfers from the cards. The police traced and arrested nine suspects.

Those arrested include Imran, 27, of Pallavaram and S. Satheesh, 29, of Pammal, who are pharmacists at a hospital and former colleagues of Mr. Azharuddin, Yaswanth Babu, an advocate and friend of Imran and Satheesh, and Karmegam, 38, a murder suspect from Perambakkam.

Professional rivalry

The police said Mr. Azharuddin had quit his job at the hospital and started his own business, which became successful. Imran and Satheesh, with the help of Yaswanth Babu, planned to kidnap Mr. Azharuddin due to professional rivalry and hired Karmegam and his men for the purpose, the police said.

Cardio-obstetrics unit established at Rajiv Gandhi Govt. General Hospital

The Hindu Bureau

CHENNAI

Following the establishment of the cardio-obstetrics unit, pregnant women, who usually go into the general pool for cardiac care, will not have to wait in queues E. Theranirajan RGGGH dean

A cardio-obstetrics unit was launched at the Madras Medical College and Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) on Thursday.

RGGGH dean E. Theranirajan said the unit consisted of an ECHOcardiogram machine that was bought through the corporate social responsibility (CSR) contribution of Infosys. “We have patients regularly coming in to RGGGH as well as referrals from the Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (IOG), Government Hospital for Women and Children, and Government Kasturba Gandhi Hospital (KGH) for Women and Children,” he said.

According to him, following the establishment of a separate cardio-obstetrics unit, pregnant women, who usually go into the general pool for cardiac care, will not have to wait in queues. “When they are referred from the IOG and KGH to us early, treatment and follow-up will be easy,” he added.

Three men get 5 years in prison for robbing, sexually assaulting minor

The Hindu Bureau

CHENNAI

Three men were sentenced to five years of imprisonment for robbing a girl at knifepoint and sexually assaulting her.

According to the police, in 2018, when a 17-year-old girl was walking near Saidapet, three unidentified persons waylaid and threatened her at knifepoint. They took away a mobile phone and cash from her and sexually assaulted her. The girl managed to escape.

Later, the teenager told her parents about the incident, and based on a complaint lodged by the girl’s parents, a case was registered at the Saidapet All-Women Police Station under Sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (formerly Indian Penal Code) and the Protection of Children Against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Three men, M. Ramesh, 23, M. Manoj, and Govindaraj, 25, were arrested and tried. The Special Court for POCSO cases concluded the trial and pronounced the judgment, convicting the trio and awarding them five years of imprisonment.

It also imposed a fine of ₹10,000 on each of them. In case they defaulted paying the fine, the convicts will have to undergo another month in prison.

Man tries to end life during eviction drive

The Hindu Bureau

CHENNAI

A 33-year-old man tried to end his life when revenue authorities came to raze encroachments, including his house, at Gummidipoondi on Thursday. The police rescued and rushed him to hospital.

The revenue authorities, accompanied by police personnel, went to remove encroachments including houses in Thervazhi, Gummidipoondi. The residents opposed the drive.

One of the residents, Rajkumar, 33, attempted to end his life at his house.

Police personnel broke open the door in a bid to rescue him, but he ran out of the house.

Rescued by police

Later, the police rescued him.

He was rushed to the Government Hospital, Gummidipoondi, where he was given first aid.

From there, he was referred to the Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital, said the police.

Mr. Rajkumar had suffered injuries.

BJP State president K. Annamalai, in a social media post on X (formerly Twitter), said, “While the real-estate moguls enjoy benefits and unprecedented privileges in this DMK regime, the houses of common men are razed down as illegal construction.”

(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the State’s health helpline 104, Tele-MANAS 14416, and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050)

State animal welfare board suggests stricter norms for proper upkeep of horses used for commercial purposes

The Hindu Bureau

CHENNAI

A report compiled by an honorary member of the board says despite multiple inspections and warnings , the condition of the animals continues to worsen. In a horse health check-up camp held in August 2023, 129 horses were microchipped

1 of 2 Tightening rules: The new protocol to approve purchase of horses will require documents including an income proof to ensure that the animal will be provided with adequate food and care. File photo R. RAGU

2 of 2 Horses are expensive to maintain. In general, they are very prone to colic. Tanuvas gets many such cases Shruti Vinod Raj Honorary member of TNAWB

A detailed report by the Tamil Nadu Animal Welfare Board (TNAWB) on horses used for commercial purposes in the city has suggested providing a government-allocated land to be used as stable and strengthening of approvals for buying new horses.

The report on the current condition of joy ride horses said despite multiple inspections and warnings, their condition remained bad and continued to worsen.

Expert committee

In response to a public interest litigation petition filed by animal rights activist S. Muralidharan, the Directorate of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services informed the Madras High Court on Wednesday that an expert panel would be formed to frame guidelines to regulate joy rides on horses at the beach.

The committee will likely have veterinarians from the Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (Tanuvas), TNAWB members, two non-governmental organisations, and equine experts.

As per the report compiled by Shruti Vinod Raj, honorary member of TNAWB, there are about 160 horses involved in various city activities, such as beach rides, wedding processions, and chariot rides.

In a horse health check-up camp, organised by the TNAWB on August 7, 2023, 129 horses were microchipped. Between October 2023 and May 2024, 10 registered horses died. In many cases, the horses are not brought in for treatment in the early stage, Ms. Shruti said.

According to data from Tanuvas, a total of 54 horses were treated in the surgery ward for conditions such as lameness, wounds, or hygroma from January 2024 to May 2024.

As many as 40 horses underwent treatment for strangles, anorexia, dermatitis, and colic.

“Horses are expensive to maintain. In general, they are very prone to colic and Tanuvas gets many such cases. So, obviously the food and nutrition they get are not sufficient. They also have to be able to roll on the ground, move and run around, and not be tied at the neck and feet,” Ms. Shruti said.

Awaiting approval

The report, which will be submitted before the Madras High Court following approval from the Directorate of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services, suggests that the new panel can find repeat offenders and ban them from owning horses.

The new protocol to approve purchase of new horses will require documents such as an income proof to ensure that the anime will be provided with adequate food and care, a vaccination record, a licence for owning horses, government-approved land to keep them, and a monthly log of the animal’s condition.

“If TNAWB continues to receive complaints about poor maintenance of horses or if the abuse continues for about six more months, the State must give a blanket ban on joy ride horses,” Ms. Shruti said.

Over 22,000 passengers used DigiYatra facility in airport since its launch in June

The Hindu Bureau

CHENNAI

Smooth process: Passengers using the DigiYatra gate at the airport before boarding a flight on Thursday. B. Velankanni Raj VELANKANNI RAJ_B

Over 22,000 air passengers made use of the DigiYatra facility at the international airport since its launch last month.

In a bid to bring down crowding and help air passengers quickly pass through the checking formalities at the airport from the entry point till the boarding of the flight, the Ministry of Civil Aviation brought in this initiative.

According to officials of Airports Authority of India (AAI), a total of 22,801 air passengers have registered through the DigiYatra app since its launch. On an average, nearly 3% to 5% of the passengers are utilising the facility daily. “Air passengers will need to download the DigiYatra app and register. They have to give their Aadhar card number, click a selfie, and finish the registration process. Before the travel, they have to generate the boarding card through the airline website and upload it in the app. After validation, a QR code will subsequently be created. Initially, when the passenger enters the terminal, they have to show their QR code, and a photo will be taken at the e-gate. Following this, only facial scan will be done as part of the checking process from thereon,” an official said.

Earlier, complaints pertaining to registration without consent or put under pressure to sign up for the facility were registered by passengers in other airports. Sources said additional signage was being planned at the terminal to enhance guidance for the passengers.

Tushar Garg, an air passenger, said he had been using DigiYatra for a long time in airports such as New Delhi. “I was able to save a lot of time by skipping queues. In Chennai, I tried it for the first time, and there was no hassle,” he said.

S.Ve. Shekher honoured with K. Balachander Award

The Hindu Bureau

CHENNAI

DramatistS.Ve. Shekher receiving the award at a function held in Chennai on Thursday. S.R. RAGHUNATHAN S.R. RAGHUNATHAN

Actor and dramatist S.Ve. Shekher was presented the ‘Iyakkunar Sigaram K. Balachander Award’ at the inauguration of the five-day Pancha Mugham drama festival, hosted in commemoration of veteran director K. Balachander’s 95th birth anniversary at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in Mylapore.

Former Judge of the Madras High Court S. Jagadeesan, who presented the award, said awards, including lifetime achievement awards, were given to motivate people to better their performance. They were incentives for the artiste to grow, he said.

Mr. Jagadeesan added that Balachander had spread himself across a range of fields in the entertainment sector.

Dramatists T.V. Varadharajan, Y.Gee. Mahendra, and industrialist Nalli Kuppuswami Chetti recalled Balachander’s achievements and praised Mr. Shekher’s technical skills.

Mr. Shekher said he dedicated the award to his parents and to all the members of his troupe. He said people would seek out quality even if they had to buy tickets to a show.

Kavithalaya R. Krishnan, who instituted the award in the name of the director-turned playwright, was also present at the ceremony.

Residents of R.K. Pet in Tiruvallur allege officials demolished houses without notice

The Hindu Bureau

CHENNAI

Residents of Santhana Venugopalapuram village in R.K. Pet in Tiruvallur district on Thursday alleged that officials from the Revenue Department razed over 50 houses constructed on a patta land given to them by the State government without any prior notice.

According to S. Gopal, district secretary, Communist Party of India (Marxist), the DMK government had given pattas to 113 underprivileged families at Santhana Venugopalapuram in 2000.

It is said that the beneficiaries who received the pattas were not able to construct houses for a long time due to financial constraints, while some of them started constructing houses a few months ago. On Thursday, the officials razed nearly 55 houses constructed in the village. Residents alleged that despite having pattas, their houses were razed without being served any prior notice.

When contacted, an official from the Revenue Department said, “The beneficiaries should construct houses within six months of getting the patta, the allotment would cease otherwise. Since the land was left vacant for more than two decades, it has been allotted to accommodate another section of people. We already placed a board in April this year, asking the residents to vacate the place. Since they did not vacate, the encroachments were cleared.”

Inspiro Awards given to two NGOs and govt.-aided school

B. VELANKANNI RAJ B. VELANKANNI RAJ

Two non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and a school were presented with the Inspiro Awards 2024 at a function held at the World Trade Centre in Perungudi on Thursday. The awards were instituted by Agilisium. Tamil orator and Educationist Parveen Sultana distributed the awards to Uravugal Trust of Choolaimedu and Koodugal trust of Old Washermenpet and a government-aided primary school in Ranipet. While Uravugal Trust helps give decent burial to unclaimed bodies, the Koodugal Trust helps in sparrow conservation by distributing free nests. The primary school has been providing quality education to underprivileged children with special needs. Raj Babu, founder and CEO of Agilisium, said the company, through the awards, had recognised more than 10 individuals and many non-governmental organisations that were lending a helping hand to society.

Functionary of BJP arrested for cheating woman

The Hindu Bureau

CHENNAI

The Tondiarpet police have arrested a BJP functionary who allegedly cheated a woman of ₹2.5 lakh.

The police said Navamani, 45, of Nethaji Street, Tondiarpet, ran a shop on the platform of the Korukkupet railway station, and wanted another shop allotted. She had earlier been introduced to Senthilkumar, BJP district functionary in north Chennai, and she paid him ₹2.5 lakh since he promised to get her the shop allotment. However, railway officials closed her shop within two months citing that the permit given to it had expired. Ms. Navamani approached Senthilkumar and demanded he repay her money. As he failed to return the money and intimidated her, she attempted to end her life, the police said. She was rushed to the Government Stanley Hospital and the staff there alerted the police.

The Tondiarpet police arrested Senthilkumar after registering a complaint from Navamani.

(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the State’s health helpline 104, Tele-MANAS 14416, and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050)

Man held for setting fire to omni bus in Koyambedu

The Hindu Bureau

CHENNAI

The Koyambedu police on Thursday arrested a 45-year-old man for allegedly setting fire to a private bus.

On Wednesday, an omni bus and two autorickshaws were damaged when a fire suddenly broke out at a parking lot behind the Koyambedu market. Based on the complaint from the vehicles’ owners, the police investigated and arrested Palanimuthu of Ariyalur, a daily wager at the market. He was smoking a beedi inside the bus and discarded it without stubbing it, causing the fire, the police said.

AIADMK functionary murdered in Salem; cadre and relatives suspect the hand of lottery, ganja sellers

The Hindu Bureau

Salem

Tense moments: AIADMK cadre gathered outside the Salem Government Hospital on Thursday. Special arrangement SPL

A 62-year-old AIADMK functionary was murdered by a four-member gang on Wednesday night. The police on Thursday nabbed 10 persons, including Sathish, the husband of Salem Corporation’s 55th ward councillor, Dhanalakshmi, of the DMK, in connection with the crime.

AIADMK workers and relatives of the deceased alleged that those selling banned lottery tickets and ganja were behind the murder. The police said that the victim, M. Shanmugam, 62, a resident of Kamarajar Nagar in Dadagapatti, was a realtor and had served as the AIADMK’s Kondalampatti zonal secretary for the past 22 years, besides two stints as the Kondalampatti zonal chairman in the Salem Corporation. Around 10 p.m. on Wednesday, while he was walking home from Dadagapatti, the bike-borne gang waylaid him on Mariamman Kovil Street and attacked him with sickles.

He sustained grievous injuries and died on the spot. On information, his family members and AIADMK workers gathered on the spot and refused to allow the police to shift the body to a hospital. After four hours of talks, the police sent the body to the Salem Government Hospital around 2 a.m. for a post-mortem.

On Thursday, former Ministers S. Semmalai and P. Vijayalakshmi Palanisamy, accompanied by AIADMK workers, gathered at the hospital. They refused to accept the body and demanded the arrest of all the accused.

Shanmugam’s wife, Parameswari, said that he had tried to prevent the sale of banned lottery tickets and ganja, angering those who were behind such activities. The gang also damaged the street lights and CCTV cameras in the locality, she added.

AIADMK workers said that it was a well-planned murder. The gang cut off the power supply and damaged the CCTV cameras. Shanmugam used to lodge complaints with the police about the sale of banned lottery tickets in the locality. This created enmity between him and a DMK functionary, whom the police should arrest, they said.

Demanding that Sathish be named the first accused, the AIADMK workers and Shanmugam’s relatives refused to receive the body till late in the evening. Later, the police agreed to their demands and named Sathish as the first accused. They also named councillor Dhanalakshmi in the case. Around 7.30 p.m., the AIADMK workers and Shanmugam’s family accepted the body.

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami paid his respects to Shanmugam. He broke down while speaking to journalists about Shanmugam’s dedication to the party, “Law and order has collapsed in the State, and a murder takes place every day. This is a planned murder, and those who are behind it should be arrested,” he said.

The Annathanapatti police registered a case against 14 people and arrested 10 accused, including K. Arunkumar, 28; R. Murugan, 23; M. Babu, 45; M. Sreenivasa Perumal, 22; D. Bhupathi, 22; S. Manimaran, 33; S. Karuppannan, alias Santhosh, 31; V. Naveen, 25; and P. Gowtham, 23. Police sources said that they were trying to trace Dhanalakshmi.

CM invites MPs, MLAs to launch expansion of two govt. schemes

The Hindu Bureau

CHENNAI

Stalin is expected to launch expansion of ‘Makkaludan Mudhalvar’ and Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme at events in Dharmapuri, Tiruvallur

About 14.40 lakh students have benefited from the Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme so far. file photo File photo

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin is scheduled to take part in a function in Dharmapuri on July 11 to launch the expansion of the ‘Makkaludan Mudhalvar’ initiative. He is also scheduled to take part in another function in Tiruvallur on July 15 to expand the Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme.

On the same dates, Ministers would launch the programmes in the respective districts. The Chief Minister has written to all MPs and MLAs in Tamil Nadu, inviting them to take part in the two events, an official press release said.

Mr. Stalin launched the ‘Makkaludan Mudhalvar’ initiative in urban areas in December 2023 as part of the first phase. Under the initiative, over 8.74 lakh petitions were resolved. Except for Villupuram district (where the Model Code of Conduct is in place in a specific area in view of the Vikravandi byelection), the initiative is set to be expanded to all rural areas on July 11.

The Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme was launched in September 2022 to benefit students of Classes I to V in State-run schools. About 14.40 lakh students have benefited from the scheme, which has helped improve nutrition. It is set to be expanded to State-aided schools in rural areas from July 15.

Who will gain from AIADMK sitting out the Vikravandi byelection?

T. Ramakrishnan

CHENNAI

Members of SC communities, who would have otherwise backed the AIADMK, may predominantly favour the DMK this time. File photo

With the principal Opposition party, the AIADMK, sitting out the Vikravandi byelection, the talk doing the rounds in the party and elsewhere is which way its votes will go.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the party polled 65,365 votes in the Vikravandi Assembly segment of the Villupuram constituency. This was about 18,800 votes fewer than what the party had polled in the 2021 Assembly election. The drop could be attributed to the fact that the party had only one ally — the DMDK — in 2024. Three years ago, the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), which has a considerable base in the area, and the Bharatiya Janata Party were the AIADMK’s allies. In the recent election, the PMK, as part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), polled around 32,200 votes in Vikravandi.

In addition to the DMK, the PMK and the Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) have fielded their nominees in the byelection.

Political observers in northern districts agree on one thing: the hardcore members and supporters of the AIADMK will not vote for the DMK, and most of them may not vote at all. At the same time, the caste factor will play a role, they point out. Members of the Scheduled Castes (SCs), who would have otherwise plumped for the AIADMK, may predominantly favour the DMK this time, and nearly one-fifth of them may vote for the PMK.

The observers feel that the NTK, which made a conciliatory gesture towards the AIADMK by sending its nominee to a fast observed by Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami in Chennai last week, may not gain much. The party, which secured 3,167 votes in the 2019 Lok Sabha election, polled 8,352 votes five years later.

Unless it attracts a substantial number of AIADMK votes, the party’s performance is not likely to be hugely different, the observers add.

State housing board plans to complete construction of over 3,000 units by 2025

The Hindu Bureau

CHENNAI

The TNHB is involved in construction as well as area development projects at various places. representative image Representative image

The Tamil Nadu Housing Board (TNHB) will complete the construction and development of more than 3,000 residential and commercial units and layouts under various schemes by the end of 2025.

According to the policy note of the Housing and Urban Development Department for the financial year 2024-25, the TNHB is involved in construction as well as area development projects in various places.

Under the Self-Finance Scheme, in which allottees have to pay the cost of the flats in advance, the TNHB is executing eight projects in Chennai, Chengalpattu, and Tiruchi for various income groups. A total of 2,385 units are under construction for low-, middle-, and high-income groups at a cost of ₹886 crore. The TNHB is likely to complete six of the eight projects by 2025.

Similarly, 592 units are under construction for residential and commercial purposes at Arumbakkam, Ashok Nagar, K.K. Nagar, and Besant Nagar in Chennai, and in Erode district, at a cost of ₹624.18 crore. Further, under its Area Development Scheme, the housing board has been creating layouts on its land with roads, street lights, water supply and sewers. These residential and commercial plots are sold to members of the public by a draw of lots or through an auction.

The completed projects are handed over to the local bodies for maintenance. The TNHB will complete 779 units in Chennai, Vellore and Thiruvallur districts by next year.

CM interacts with people to review implementation of various welfare schemes

The Hindu Bureau

CHENNAI

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin during an interaction with beneficiaries of government schemes in Chennai on Thursday.

Under the ‘Neengal Nalama’ programme, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Thursday interacted with people over the phone to review the implementation of government welfare programmes and address their grievances.

Chithralekha of Coimbatore, a beneficiary of the Annal Ambedkar Business Champions Scheme, informed the Chief Minister that she had received ₹68.37 lakh in assistance to start her business.

The mother of Sanjay (a differently-abled student) from Mayiladuthurai said that she was receiving ₹1,500 in maintenance assistance, and also ₹1,000 per month under the ‘Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam’.

Manikandan from Ranipet, a beneficiary of the ‘Innuyir Kappom, Nammai Kakkum 48’ scheme, thanked the Chief Minister for the prompt assistance and treatment at a private hospital that he received after he met with an accident, a press release said.

Suganya of Chengalpattu thanked Mr. Stalin for the disability assistance given to her, her sister, and her nephew.

Sangeetha of Ramanathapuram thanked the Chief Minister for launching the Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme, which has been benefiting thousands of children, including her daughter, Keerthikasri.

2,000 litres of methanol seized from unused petrol bunk in Cuddalore

The Hindu Bureau

KALLAKURICHI

A total of 229 patients were hospitalised after consuming illicit liquor in Kallakurichi on June 18. File photo

The Crime Branch-CID seized 2,000 litres of methanol from an unused petrol bunk in Veeraperumanallur in Cuddalore district on Thursday.

CB-CID sources said that the seizure was made following the interrogation of Madesh, who had been arrested for his alleged involvement in the hooch tragedy at Karunapuram in Kallakurichi, which has claimed 65 lives so far. Madesh is suspected to have supplied the poisonous brew to bootleggers in Kallakurichi. “After supplying the methanol to the bootlegger in Karunapuram, Madesh had stored the remaining stock in an unused petrol bunk that he had taken on lease in Veeraperumanallur near Panruti. The methanol, totalling 2,000 litres, was seized, and it is now a part of the property related to the case,” an official said.

A total of 229 patients were admitted to five hospitals after consuming illicit liquor on June 18. The case is being investigated by the CB-CID, and it has been confirmed that the deaths were due to the consumption of methanol-infused hooch. A total of 21 persons have been arrested so far.

Ex-Minister denied interim anticipatory bail in land grab case

The Hindu Bureau

KARUR

M.R. Vijayabhaskar Sai Venkatesh R _11563@Chennai

The District and Sessions Court on Thursday declined to grant interim anticipatory bail to former AIADMK Minister M.R. Vijayabhaskar in a land grab case filed against him in Karur.

The court, however, said that it will hear the main anticipatory bail petition, and adjourned the hearing to Friday (July 5).

Mr. Vijayabhaskar had sought interim anticipatory bail citing his father’s ill health.

The case was registered initially by the Karur Town Police on a complaint lodged by Sub-Registrar (in charge) Mohamed Abdul Kadhar last month. It was later transferred to the CB-CID.

CM urged to press Centre to rescind 3 criminal laws

Representatives of advocates’ associations called on Chief Minister M.K. Stalin at the Secretariat on Thursday and requested him to insist that the Union government rescind the three new criminal laws. Rajya Sabha Member P. Wilson led the representatives. They also thanked the Chief Minister for his letter to the Union Home Minister, urging that the three criminal laws be kept in abeyance until all the States and other stakeholders were consulted.

Retired IAS officer sworn in as local bodies ombudsman

Retired IAS officer Mahesan Kasirajan was on Thursday sworn in as the ombudsman of the local bodies. Governor R.N. Ravi administered the oath of office to him at the Raj Bhavan. Mr. Kasirajan, who has been appointed under the Tamil Nadu Local Bodies Ombudsman Act, 2014, will have a tenure of three years.

It is high time liquor policy was revisited: High Court

The Hindu Bureau

Madurai

It appears that liquor rules were made to protect Tasmac shops, says HC Madurai Bench ; it says it has come across many cases wherein the public have opposed moves to set up liquor shops

The court was hearing a petition seeking a direction to restrain the authorities from setting up a recreation club at Woraiyur in Tiruchi. ASHOK R

Having come across a number of public interest litigation petitions filed by the people against setting up of Tasmac shops or recreation clubs in their locality, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has observed that it was high time the Tamil Nadu government revisited its liquor policy.

A Division Bench of Justices R. Suresh Kumar and G. Arul Murugan observed that Rule 8(1) of the Tamil Nadu Liquor Retail Vending (In Shops and Bars) Rules, 2003, stated that no liquor shop should be established in municipal corporation and municipalities within a distance of 50 metres (in other places, a distance of 100 metres) from places of worship or educational institutions.

Exclusive domain

The court observed that formulation of rules was in the government’s exclusive domain. However, at the same time, one must understand that 50 metres is not a vast distance. If a place of worship or an educational institution is located 51 metres or 52 metres from a Tasmac shop, the rules indicate that there is no harm to the public. However, the people feel otherwise.

The court observed that of late, it had come across many cases wherein the public opposed moves to set up Tasmac shops in their localities. Whenever there were criticisms, the answer given by the authorities was that there was no violation of the rules.

Rules should be made to protect the welfare of the people. However, it appears that these rules have been made to protect Tasmac shops, bars and clubs. It is high time that the government rethought its liquor policy for the welfare of the people, especially the youth, the court said.

Taking such a decision may not be an easy task for a variety of reasons. However, that would not justify the action on the part of the government to support a liquor policy that puts the youth at peril, the court further said.

The court was hearing a petition filed by D. Prabhu of Tiruchi who sought a direction to restrain the authorities from establishing a recreation club atWoraiyur in Tiruchi.

Except for making these observations and requests, we are not in a position to give any relief to the petitioner, the court observed and dismissed the petition.

Non-bailable warrant against official for not paying pension arrears to a freedom fighter

Mohamed Imranullah S.

CHENNAI

Court directs the Greater Chennai Commissioner of Police to execute the warrant.PICHUMANI K

The Madras High Court has issued a non-bailable warrant against the Additional Secretary, Public (political pension) Department for not having paid arrears of pension from 2008 to 2021 to a 97-year-old freedom fighter despite specific orders passed by the court on April 18, 2022.

Justice Anita Sumanth directed the Greater Chennai Commissioner of Police to execute the warrant and produce the Additional Secretary, Anthonysamy, before the court on July 8.

The direction was issued on a contempt plea moved by the freedom fighter, M. Velu of Tiruvallur district. The litigant had been granted the State government’s freedom fighter pension only from 2021 for having been a part of the Netaji Subash Chandra Bose-led Indian National Army (INA). Thereafter, he filed a writ petition in the High Court that year, seeking arrears of pension from 1987.

While disposing of his case in April 2022, Justice Sumanth did not find proof of an application for pension having been submitted by him in 1987. However, she found that a 2009 government letter had a reference to an application made by him on December 13, 2008. Therefore, she disposed of the writ petition, directing the State government, represented by the Additional Secretary, to pay arrears of pension from 2008 to 2021 within a period of six weeks or end up paying interest too at the rate of 6% for every delayed month.

The government filed a writ appeal, against her order, in 2023, but the first Division Bench of Chief Justice Sanjay V. Gangapurwala (since retired) and Justice P.D. Audikesavalu dismissed it on June 28, 2023. Even after that, the arrears were not paid, resulting in the present contempt plea.

Opposing the contempt petition, Additional Advocate General P. Kumaresan told the court that the government had decided to file a review petition against the dismissal of its writ appeal. However, not impressed with the submission, Justice Sumanth initially granted 10 more days time to disburse the arrears.

When the arrears were not paid even after the grant of additional time in the contempt proceedings, she ordered the issuance of the non-bailable warrant against the Additional Secretary.

Officials inspect proposed metro rail site in Coimbatore

The Hindu Bureau

COIMBATORE

Taking stock: Officials at the proposed site for the metro project in Coimbatore on Thursday.M. PERIASAMY

A team of officials on Thursday inspected a site proposed for the metro rail project in Coimbatore.

According to a release, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) held a periodic review for the phase II project in Chennai, which it is funding, and has expressed interest in financing the Madurai and Coimbatore metro rail projects. Hence, a team made a preliminary visit to Ukkadam in Coimbatore, where the project has been proposed.

T. Archunan, Director-Projects of CMRL; Wenyu Gu, Senior Transportation Specialist from AIIB; and Rekha Prakash, Chief General Manager-Planning; among others, had inspected the site. Other multi-lateral banks have also evinced interest in funding the project. The Union Finance Ministry would decide on the financial institutions that will fund the project, the release said.

The Tamil Nadu government forwarded the metro rail plan to the Union government in March, seeking international finance for the project.

The CMRL will submit a detailed project report to the State government at the end of July for an elevated metro rail project along the Sathyamangalam and Avinashi Roads in Coimbatore. The plan is to have 32 stations along 39 km on the two routes.

IIT-M inks MoUs with industry partners to offer skill courses

The Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M) has signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with industry partners to offer employability-focused programmes on Swayam Plus – an initiative by the Union Education Ministry and the institute. Twenty-four MoUs were signed with industry partners across multiple sectors to offer online skill courses. Earlier, nine MoUs had been signed. The courses, conducted in cutting-edge areas, will be available in multiple Indian languages at affordable rates. Swayam Plus was launched in February.

New criminal laws: AIADMK’s lawyers’ wing to stage protest

The AIADMK’s advocates’ wing will stage a demonstration in front of the Madras High Court on Friday against the ‘sanskritised’ Hindi names for the new three criminal laws – the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita; the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam; and Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, replacing the Indian Penal Code, the Indian Evidence Act and the Code of Criminal Procedure respectively. Former legislator I.S. Inbadurai will lead the demonstration, a release said.

National

- ‘CPI(M) failed to counter Hindutva politics’

- Draped in sari

- Drowsy drivers causing collisions at apron area of airports, warns DGCA

- Karnataka HC dismisses plea seeking directions on use of Kannada for govt. affairs

- Devise policy for online drug sales quickly, HC tells Centre

- Students experience breathing difficulties due to gen

- Kerala probes ‘sale’ of FMGE question paper on Telegram

- ‘Brain-eating amoeba’ claims Kerala boy’s life

- Expert panel set up to study pollution level in Cauvery

- Ex-BRS leader resigns from Rajya Sabha

- ‘India, U.S. share goals to prevent Ukraine conflict from spreading’

- Imphal residents slam PM’s speech, demand ‘tangible things’ for peace

- Army chief reviews ‘prevailing security dynamics’ in Jammu

- Congress demands a White Paper on Agnipath scheme

- Labour Party projected to oust Sunak govt.

- Six arrested for U.P. stampede

- New criminal laws will help ease of living, says Meghwal

- Hemant Soren sworn in as Jharkhand CM

- LAC must be respected, Jaishankar tells Wang

- Cong. will not ally with AAP in Haryana, Delhi polls: Ramesh

- ‘BJD continues to be equidistant from NDA, INDIA bloc’

- NC starts work on Assembly poll manifesto

- PM’s speech had misleading, wrong statements: MP

- Rajnath, Australian Minister discuss closer collaboration

- West Bengal Assembly Speaker summons special session

- Kirodi Lal Meena steps down as Rajasthan Minister

- NHRC team meets woman beaten up in public in Chopra

- Assam floods: 6 more dead as toll since May mounts to 52

- Brahmaputra’s lone female gharial’s long wait for a mate could end soon

- 14219

- 50 NEET candidates move Supreme Court against re-test

- NCERT textbooks delay issue: Minister holds review meeting

- Satsang, a great blessing

- Plea in SC seeks structural audit of all bridges in Bihar

- Dead snake found in mid-day meal in Maharashtra’s Sangli

- Gangster Subodh Singh remanded in CID custody

- Gangster Abu Salem moved to Nashik Central Prison

‘CPI(M) failed to counter Hindutva politics’

Sobhana K. Nair

New Delhi

Taking stock of the LS election results, party’s Central Committee highlights the organisational weakness of CPI(M) in various States ; it says there has been an erosion in party’s traditional base to BJP in Kerala; it cites arrogance among party cadres and calls for containing corruption at various levels

Taking a close look: Out of the 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala, the ruling CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front could win only one.H. Vibhu

Introspecting the 2024 Lok Sabha election results, the Communist Party of India (Marxist)’s highest decision making body, the Central Committee, in a review noted that in Kerala, where the party could only win a single seat, there has been an “erosion” in their “traditional base in several constituencies to the BJP.”

The panel meeting was held for three days from June 28 at Delhi. The review underlined that the party did not pay sufficient attention to counter “Hindutva politics”. It also pointed out that there was a gap in the party’s own pre-poll estimate and actual results illustrating “weakening of the party’s live links with people”. The panel also criticised the “growing instances of corruption in the panchayats, cooperative institutions and at various other levels,” saying that must be checked and strictly curbed.

“Instances of arrogant behaviour of cadres from top to bottom are alienating people from the party. The importance of rectification to eliminate wrong trends and behaviour must be undertaken in a planned manner,” the panel’s review said.

Out of the 20 seats in Kerala, CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front could win only one seat. While the party’s tally did not change from 2019, the LDF’s vote share has come down by 1.75 percentage points. The panel document specifically underscores that the decline has been far sharper over a decade. In 2014, the LDF had 40.2% and in 2024 it has come down by 7 percentage points.

“A disturbing feature of the election results is the erosion of our traditional base in several constituencies to the BJP. While the main reason for the success of the BJP in Thrissur is the vote it got from the Congress base and a section of the Christians, it is a fact that some of our voting base has gone to the BJP in several places,” the document notes.

Other States

In West Bengal, the panel noted that while selection of candidates was good it did not have the desired effect because of weak organisational structure. “The State committee review notes that there were no polling agents in 12-14% of booths. This points to the weak state of party organisation. There are many areas where there has been no party in existence for a long time,” the panel said.

The party has found similar shortcomings in Tamil Nadu too, where even on the two seats that the party won — Madurai and Dindigul — only “40-50% of party members belonging to the two constituencies have worked in the election campaign.”

At the same time, the panel noted that the Left has played an important role in rallying the secular forces against the RSS/BJP and to strengthen the INDIA bloc. The CPI(M) contested 52 seats this time compared to 71 (including 2 CPI(M)-supported Independents) in 2019. Its national vote share has been reduced by 58,230 votes.

Draped in sari

Safe shield: Farmers using saris to cover the chilli crop to maintain its moisture level, near Vatsavai in NTR district of Andhra Pradesh on Thursday. Chilli is the leading commercial crop along the Krishna river belt. G.N. Rao

Drowsy drivers causing collisions at apron area of airports, warns DGCA

S. Vijay Kumar

CHENNAI

An investigation into accidents at airports involving vehicles or equipment operators has revealed that drivers fell asleep while operating in apron area resulting in accidents.

Directing ‘Ground Handling Service Providers’ to ensure that drivers or equipment operators took adequate rest before joining duty, especially night shifts, the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has said that the drivers should be encouraged to report fatigue, if they felt so.

“Investigations have revealed that drivers/equipment operators have fallen asleep while operating in apron area resulting in hitting a person/airport structure/aircraft/other vehicles,” the DGCA said in a safety advisory.

Going by past incidents, the DGCA said all vehicles, except fire and rescue vehicles, ambulances, quick reaction teams of the Central Industrial Security Force and ‘Follow Me’ jeeps operating in the operational area, should have speed governor with a maximum speed restriction of 30 kmph.

Airport managers were advised to explore the use of technology for speed monitoring or tracking of vehicles.

‘Prohibit use of phones’

The DGCA said the use of mobile phones while operating vehicle/equipment in the airside should be prohibited. All stakeholders working at airports were told to sensitise and train their staff to the revised guidelines to prevent ground incidents.

Saying that collisions at an airport could have serious consequences, the DGCA said the apron/ramp safety had been identified as one of the National High Risk Categories (N-HRCs) in the National Aviation Safety Plan (NASP).

Safety measures introduced in a advisory issued in 2007 on vehicular speed control and movement on the apron had proved to be effective in reducing these incidents.

The revised circular took into consideration common causative factors such as non-adherence to SOPs by ground staff, drivers, equipment operators, maintenance personnel, refuelling personnel or aircraft-operating crew, identified based on the analysis of ground incident data.

Fatigue related to increased duty hours or inadequate training were also identified among other issues.

Karnataka HC dismisses plea seeking directions on use of Kannada for govt. affairs

The Hindu Bureau

Bengaluru

It said there should be a blend of local and global languages in running government affairs. File photo

The Karnataka High Court said that the choice of language to be used in governmental affairs is essentially a matter of policy, convenience, and practicality.

It has observed that Kannada, being a local language in the State, has to be promoted and given importance, but that itself cannot be a reason for the court to positively direct the State government and its authorities to use Kannada language.

At the same time, it said: “Wherever it is necessary, the use of English in addition to Kannada cannot be disbanded. The judicial pronouncements, the law reports, statute books, and important notifications and out-of-State or overseas correspondence with the State authorities are all in English.”

“There should be a requisite blend of local and global language in running government affairs,” observed a Division Bench, while dismissing a PIL petition. The petitioner had sought a direction to the State government and the Karnataka Lokayukta to use Kannada in day-today office work, orders, issuance of notices, endorsements, etc.

“Kannada language may be endeared, at the same time utility of English language should not be overlooked or discarded,” the High Court said.

Devise policy for online drug sales quickly, HC tells Centre

Mohamed Imranullah S.

CHENNAI

The Madras High Court has directed the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare as well as the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation to expedite the process of finalising a policy for online sale of medicines and notify it at the earliest.

A Division Bench of Justices S.M. Subramaniam and C. Kumarappan made it clear that till then, only licensed druggists and chemists could indulge in online sales. The orders were passed while disposing of a batch of writ appeals filed by some of the e-pharma firms in 2018. They had challenged a single judge’s order which banned online sale of medicines till the Centre notifies the statutory rules to regulate the trade.

However, in January 2019, a Division Bench of Justices M. Sathyanarayanan and P. Rajamanickam (both retired) had stayed the operation of the single judge’s order while admitting the present appeals.

Senior standing counsel for the Centre, N. Ramesh brought it to the notice of the court that a similar case was pending before the Delhi High Court where a Joint Secretary from the Health Ministry had appeared in person on March 4 this year and assured the court that the policy would be notified within four months.

After taking note of the official’s submission, the Madras High Court disposed of the appeals with a direction to the Centre to expedite the process.

50 students fall ill after inhaling smoke from faulty generator

The Hindu Bureau

Kasaragod

Around 50 students from Little Flower Girls Higher Secondary School in Kanhangad in Kerala experienced breathing difficulties on Thursday after a faulty generator at a neighbouring government hospital emitted black smoke into their classrooms.

The incident occurred when the generator at the Women and Children’s Government Hospital, which shares a wall with the school, malfunctioned. A total of 50 out of the 100 students felt unwell and were taken to the hospital.

The hospital authorities said 38 students were kept under observation, while 12 others were sent back home after they were found to be fine. Seven students were transferred to the district hospital for further observation on their parents’ request. None of the students required oxygen support or had severe issues.

Hospital Superintendent Dr. Santhosh said steps were being taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.

District Collector K. Inbasekar has ordered an inquiry into the incident.

A preliminary investigation revealed that the hospital’s generator had been installed without proper safety measures.

Kerala probes ‘sale’ of FMGE question paper on Telegram

The Hindu Bureau

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

The Thiruvananthapuram City Cybercrime Police have initiated a comprehensive probe against unidentified groups involved in the illicit sale of question papers for the Foreign Medical Graduates Examination on Telegram.

The Cyber Crime Police acted on tip-offs regarding offers for question papers for the FMGE, conducted by the National Board of Examinations, that is set to be held on Saturday. The “advertisements” were detected on Telegram groups that have come under the scrutiny of law enforcement officers.

The police registered a case under the newly-enacted Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, on Thursday. This marks the first instance of such a case being filed under this legislation in the State.

Official sources have not ruled out the possibility of an inter-State racket involved in such illegal activities.

In response to the growing challenge of cyber frauds, the Cyber Division of the Kerala Police has announced the implementation of round-the-clock cyber patrolling across various social media platforms, including Telegram channels.

‘Brain-eating amoeba’ claims Kerala boy’s life

The Hindu Bureau

Kozhikode

A 12-year-old boy from Feroke who had been undergoing treatment for primary amoebic meningoencephalitis at a hospital in Kozhikode city died on Wednesday. This is the third death due to the rare infection in the past two months in Kerala.

According to sources, E.P. Mridul, a Class 7 student, was first taken to a hospital after he complained of headache and vomiting last month. Mridul had taken bath in a local pond earlier.

The infection is caused by Naegleria fowleri, also called ‘brain-eating amoeba’, which lives in fresh warm water. It infects people when it enters their body through the nose. The symptoms include headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, altered mental status, and seizures.

The Health Department is planning to issue special guidelines for the treatment of the infection against the backdrop of these deaths.

Expert panel set up to study pollution level in Cauvery

The Hindu Bureau

Bengaluru

The Karnataka government has formed an expert committee, headed by Niranjan, Chief Environment Officer of Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, to study the pollution level in the Cauvery.

The panel will review and submit a report within 10 days to ascertain whether the Cauvery water is polluted due to the inflow of sewage water, solid waste, industrial waste, and other types of pollutants.

The committee was formed after MLC Dinesh Gooli Gowda had raised concerns about pollutants.

Ex-BRS leader resigns from Rajya Sabha

The Hindu Bureau

HYDERABAD

A day after joining the Congress, K. Keshava Rao tendered his resignation from membership of the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

He handed the resignation to Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar.

After being with BRS for 10 years, he rejoined Congress in the presence of AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday.

Sources said that he is likely to be elected to the Rajya Sabha by Congress.

Dinakar Peri, Suhasini Haidar

NEW DELHI

The two nations have held talks on what they can do together to hold Russia to account, says U.S. Ambassador warning Indian companies against violating global sanctions on Moscow; he says India is an important strategic partner of the U.S.

U.S. Ambassador Eric Garcetti says the two nations have an ‘ambitious’ agenda to expand cooperation.file photoNAGARA GOPAL

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the United States has had continuous communications with India about what the two can do “together” to hold Russia “to account”, U.S. Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti said on Thursday. India and the U.S. share the goals of “preventing this conflict from spreading, promoting stability in the Middle East, and efforts to establish a future Palestinian state”, he said in an email interview to The Hindu.

Welcoming India’s support in providing humanitarian assistance for the people of Ukraine, Mr. Garcetti said that the U.S. appreciated the strength of the strategic partnership with India to “coordinate and exchange perspectives” on such challenges.

“Since the first days of Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine, we have had continuous communication with our Indian counterparts about what we can do together to hold Russia to account and impose consequences for its war of conquest,” Mr. Garcetti said, ahead of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) summit scheduled to be held from July 9 to 11.

Incidentally, on the eve of the NATO summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Russia on July 8 and 9 for the 22nd annual summit between the two countries.

“Going forward, we want to make sure that Ukraine is a success, that it stands strongly on its own feet militarily, economically, democratically, and that’s exactly what we’re enabling Ukraine to do,” the U.S. envoy added.

Last week, in an interview to The Hindu Business Line, Mr. Garcetti had said that the U.S., together with dozens of allies, is standing up against the idea that one country should be able to take the land of another by brute force. “Let me hope that India will continue to recognise that principle and work with us to identify those companies that are fuelling the Russian war machine that has taken tens of thousands of lives,” he had said.

Stating that India cares deeply about the people of Ukraine and has long-standing ties with the country, while also noting that India has a close relationship with the people and government of Russia, Mr. Garcetti hoped that India could continue to play a “constructive role” towards peace. At the same time, he also cautioned that any Indian companies that violate global sanctions “will have to be aware of the consequences they face in the international market.”

Ambitious agenda

The U.S. Ambassador termed India as an important strategic partner of the U.S., noting that the two nations are pursuing an “ambitious” agenda to expand their cooperation in several areas. “We’re working together on world-shaping initiatives that extend from the depths of the seabed to the furthest reaches of the stars,” Mr. Garcetti said.

Quoting U.S. President Joe Biden, who had said that the U.S. and India share one of the “most consequential” relationships in the world, Mr. Garcetti said, “When we work together, our might is multiplicative — it’s not just the U.S. plus India, it’s the U.S. times India.” This, he said, is playing out in many ways, including a “game-changing” initiative to co-produce jet engines; a trade relationship of more than $190 billion; and more Indian students coming to study in the U.S. than ever before.

Asked whether NATO had formally asked to set up a presence in India, Mr. Garcetti said, “There is no NATO presence in India, and I’m not aware of a request for one.” However, he said, NATO members have an interest — like the rest of the world — in ensuring a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific region, and noted that many NATO members are strong defence partners to India.

In May last year, the U.S. House Select Committee on the strategic competition between the U.S. and the Chinese Communist Party recommended strengthening the ‘NATO-Plus’ framework by including India into the alliance. This was rejected by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar who said that the “NATO template does not apply to India”.

Imphal residents slam PM’s speech, demand ‘tangible things’ for peace

Abhinay Lakshman

Imphal

Burnt to ashes: Construction materials set on fire during the ethnic violence in Imphal East district. FILE PHOTO-

Residents across Imphal on Thursday reacted sharply to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks on the ethnic violence in Manipur with many terming the speech “inconsequential” and several others insisting that Mr. Modi’s claims of normalcy returning, albeit slowly, in the State were “lies”.

At the Khwairamband Market here, Ima R.K. Radheshana, 77, a vendor, asked, “Without doing anything at all, how will peace come?” She said “tangible things” need to be done to bring peace to the conflict-ridden State, but no such steps seem to have been taken so far.

Manipur has been strife-torn ever since the ethnic conflict between the valley-based Meitei people and the hills-based Scheduled Tribe Kuki-Zo broke out in May last year. The violence has killed more than 220 people, injured thousands of others and internally displaced over 50,000.

In his most-detailed remarks on the issue yet, the Prime Minister on Wednesday told the Rajya Sabha that efforts were on to bring peace in the State and that “social tensions” in the State were deep-rooted.

Mr. Modi’s remarks came weeks after Jiribam erupted in violence on June 6, taking the ethnic conflict to a district that had so far remained largely unaffected owing to efforts of the local police and security forces.

Reacting to Mr. Modi’s remarks, residents across Imphal expressed deep anguish and anger. Onil Kshetrimayum, a human rights activist, said, “There is no difference between what he said last year and today. It is the same lip service and the same lack of seriousness to handle the situation.”

Most other residents said the Prime Minister was forced to address the issue because of the speech given in Parliament a day ago by the Congress’s Lok Sabha member from Inner Manipur, A. Bimol Akoijam. They said Mr. Modi spoke on the Manipur violence last year too when videos of a Meitei mob assaulting and parading naked Kuki-Zo women created outrage.

Jeevanlata Panjoubam, 52, a shop owner in Thangal Bazaar, said, “Last year too, he waited for too long and only spoke when the video of the Kuki women went viral. That clearly showed that he was seeing the issue from a biased point of view.”

She said the Prime Minister should visit the State if he thinks it is slowly coming back to “normalcy” and see for himself.

Army chief reviews ‘prevailing security dynamics’ in Jammu

The Hindu Bureau

JAMMU

Safety watch: The Chief of the Army Staff, General Upendra Dwivedi, during his visit to the forward locations in Poonch. PTI PTI

General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), discussed the “prevailing security dynamics in the region” in a high-level joint security review meeting on the second day of his tour of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday.

The meeting, held at Nagrota and chaired by General Dwivedi, was attended by the top Army officers of the Northern Command, the White Knight Corps, the Chinar Corps and the Rising Star Corps, an Army spokesperson said.

The Army chief was also briefed by the J&K Director-General of Police, the AdditionalDirector-General of the Central Reserve Police Force, the heads of intelligence agencies, and representatives of security forces from the Union Territory.

“The deliberations focused on the prevailing security dynamics in the region,” the spokesperson said, adding that the security review underscored the imperative of “synergy and seamless coordination” between all armed forces and security agencies to maintain peace and stability in the region.

This series of review meetings by the Chief of the Army Staff comes in the wake of increased militancy in Jammu, which has seen five terror attacks this year. Nine pilgrims, four militants, and a CRPF jawan were left dead in these attacks.

Increased militancy

The focus areas of the visit remained the Pir Panjal valley, where the militant footprint has increased this year, according to official sources.

On Wednesday, General Dwivedi visited the District Police Headquarters in Poonch. “During the visit, General Dwivedi familiarised himself with the workings of the district police and the general area of Poonch,” the spokesperson said.

Congress demands a White Paper on Agnipath scheme

The Hindu Bureau

New Delhi

Amid the controversy over compensation to Agniveers who died in the line of duty, the Congress on Thursday demanded a “White Paper” on the Agnipath recruitment scheme for the armed forces.

Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters here, the Congress’s ex-servicemen department chief, Colonel Rohit Chaudhry (retired), said the White Paper was essential for the country to know the ground situation.

Mr. Chaudhry said the family of “Agniveer” Ajay Singh from Ludhiana has got only ₹48 lakh from the Centre, while the Punjab government gave ₹1 crore. Another ₹50 lakh was insurance money from a private bank.

His remarks followed a clarification from the Army that the kin of Singh, who lost his life in the line of duty, had already been given ₹98.39 lakh of the due amount. The total amount would be ₹1.65 crore approximately.

The clarification came after Rahul Gandhi shared a video on X late on Wednesday, and alleged that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had “lied” in Parliament about the issue of compensation and demanded an apology for it. Mr. Gandhi also played a clip of the slain Agniveer’s father, saying no assistance had been received.

“In Parliament, the Defence Minister gave incomplete information to the country, which created an atmosphere of doubt. As the main Opposition, it is our responsibility to raise the issue of discrimination being carried out with the Army and Agniveers. Rahul Gandhiji says there should be no discrimination with the soldiers and martyrs of the country. This is not just a matter of martyred Agniveer Ajay Singh, but of the 13 Agniveers who have been martyred so far,” Mr. Chaudhry said.

He said the government should bring a “White Paper” on the Agnipath scheme, the discrimination between Agniveers and regular soldiers and the assistance amount to be given to the families of “martyrs”.

Some 400 kilometres north of Mr. Starmer’s London constituency of Holborn and St. Pancras, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and wife Akshata Murty cast their votes.

“Vote Conservative to stop the Labour supermajority which would mean higher taxes for a generation,” Mr. Sunak said on X, posting a photograph of himself and Ms. Murty on their way to a polling station.

In the last stretch of the campaign, Mr. Sunak has repeatedly accused Mr. Starmer and the Labour government of wanting to increase taxes. “You name it, they will tax it,” he had said in a tense final debate with Mr. Starmer on June 26. Conservative politicians have also presented the election as a foregone conclusion, often using the term supermajority. Mr. Starmer had responded accusing the Tories of attempting to “dissuade” people from voting.

The Liberal Democrats, who performed strongly in May’s local elections, are hoping to make third place in the new Parliament, with some polls projecting over 60 seats for them. The other parties in the fray include the Scottish National Party, the Green Party and the nativist and Eurosceptic party, Reform U.K.

The country’s monarch, King Charles III, who was in Scotland on Thursday is expected to return to London to appoint the next Prime Minister during the course of Friday.

Six arrested for U.P. stampede

He further said that police and administrative officials reached at the stampede site soon after getting information and all assistance was provided to those in need. He also said that apart from the ₹1 lakh reward, a non-bailable warrant will be issued against Mr. Madhukar.

Mr. Mathur said that all 121 bodies have been identified and handed over to the families after completion of required formalities and post-mortem.

When asked if the preacher, said to be a former policeman whose real name is Suraj Pal, would be interrogated in the case, the official said that interrogation will be done if required during the course of investigation. “We got to know about a criminal case lodged against the preacher in Agra. There was acquittal in that case. We are trying to find out if there are previous criminal cases against him and his followers in different States and cities. We will keep interrogating and arresting people as and when new names and information crop up,” Mr. Mathur said.

The official ended the press conference amid questions about the police neither arresting nor interrogating Bhole Baba even though he was the main speaker of the event.

New criminal laws will help ease of living, says Meghwal

The Hindu Bureau

NEW DELHI

Union Minister of State for Law and Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal on Thursday said the new criminal laws would expedite delivery of justice and save crucial time of all stakeholders spent on litigation.

At an investiture ceremony organised by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) at its academy in Ghaziabad near here, Mr. Meghwal presented the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service and the Indian Police Medal for Meritorious Service to 39 CBI officials.

The Union Minister said the new criminal laws — being implemented from July 1, 2024 — would bring in “ease of living” for the citizens in a major way.

They would expedite delivery of justice and save crucial time of all the stakeholders spent on litigation, which would in turn prove highly productive for the nation.

The Union Minister said the reforms and improvements in the judicial process would also contribute to the goal of making India the third largest economy in the world in the coming years.

Mr. Hemant Soren claimed that a conspiracy had been hatched to oust him from the State’s top post. “I was forced to step down from the post of Chief Minister after a conspiracy was hatched against me. They could not digest the fact that a tribal was leading the state. I have always struggled in my life and tried my level best to work for the people of Jharkhand,” he posted on X before the oath-taking ceremony. “Once again, I am coming to serve you.”

Champai Soren, who resigned as Chief Minister on Wednesday, paving the way for his predecessor to return to the post, was present at the event and congratulated the new Chief Minister. Mr. Hemant Soren’s father and party supremo Shibu Soren, mother Rupi Soren, wife Kalpana Murmu Soren, and other leaders of the ruling alliance were also present.

Mr. Hemant Soren had resigned from the post in January, shortly before his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate, after which Mr. Champai Soren was made the Chief Minister. The Jharkhand High Court granted him bail on June 28.

LAC must be respected, Jaishankar tells Wang

However, talks between border commanders and defence officials in the meetings of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) have thus far yielded no further breakthrough, which hinges on the Chinese position at the Demchok and Depsang sectors.

In a separate readout of the meeting, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it was important to find the “correct way”.

“We must adhere to positive thinking, on the one hand properly handle and control the situation in the border area, on the other hand actively resume normal exchanges, promote each other and meet each other half way,” a translated version of the MFA statement read.

Speaking at the SCO Council of the Heads of State, Mr. Jaishankar read out Mr. Modi’s address in his absence, reiterating the SCO’s “respect for sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity” as a basis for its foreign policies.

Cong. will not ally with AAP in Haryana, Delhi polls: Ramesh

Press Trust of India

New Delhi

Party general secretary says it will contest as part of INDIA in the Maharashtra and Jharkhand Assembly elections; he adds there is no one formula the bloc will follow for the State elections

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2 of 2 We are going to be aggressive... we want a debate, we want a discussion but we will not be allowed to be bulldozed like the way we have been over the last 10 years Jairam Ramesh Congress general secretary

There does not appear to be much scope for an alliance between the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for the Assembly elections in Haryana and Delhi, but the Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) will fight elections together in Maharashtra and Jharkhand, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said on Thursday.

In an interview with PTI, Mr. Ramesh said there was no one formula INDIA would follow for the State elections. The bloc will fight together in States where Congress leaders and other alliance partners agree to such an understanding, he said.

“There is no INDIA janbandhan in Punjab. In Haryana, we had given one seat to the AAP in the Lok Sabha election but I don’t think that INDIA janbandhan will be there for Assembly election. In Delhi, the AAP itself has said that the INDIA janbandhan will not be there for the Assembly election,” Mr. Ramesh said.

The Congress and the AAP had fought the Lok Sabha election together in Delhi, while they contested separately in Punjab.

Mr. Ramesh said, “In the context of West Bengal also, I had said that the INDIA bloc is for Lok Sabha election but in States where the circumstances are such that our leaders of the State and leaders of our alliance partners want, the alliance will remain. In Maharashtra, the alliance will be there with the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the NCP (SCP). In Jharkhand, we have an alliance with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha.”

Last month, the AAP’s Delhi State convener, Gopal Rai, had said his party’s alliance with the Congress was only for the Lok Sabha election, and hinted that the ruling party would go solo in next year’s Assembly election.

‘United in Parliament’

Mr. Ramesh said the INDIA bloc partners were united in Parliament and augmented by the Biju Janata Dal in the Rajya Sabha.

“The YSRCP has its compulsions. Their soul is with INDIA but their body is with Mr. Narendra Modi. We are going to be aggressive, we are going to be proactive, we want a debate, we want a discussion but we will not be allowed to be bulldozed like the way we have been over the past 10 years,” Mr. Ramesh said.

Jharkhand, Haryana, and Maharashtra are slated to go to the polls later this year, while the Assembly election in Delhi will be held early next year.

‘BJD continues to be equidistant from NDA, INDIA bloc’

Sobhana K. Nair

New Delhi

Sasmit Patra

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) continues to be “equidistant from the NDA and the INDIA bloc,” its parliamentary party leader Sasmit Patra said in an interview with The Hindu. He insisted that there be no confusion about the party’s stand, and the INDIA bloc could not appropriate the Opposition space. Each political party was free to adopt its independent position, he said.

Coming at the back of a bitter election campaign between the BJP and the BJD in Odisha, where the latter could not win a single Lok Sabha seat and the 24-year rule of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik ended, the BJD walked out of the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday during the Prime Minister’s address.

The party had also joined the INDIA protest in the House on June 28 on the NEET and NET controversy.

Mr. Patra said that most observers were missing out on the nuance, that the BJD walked out before the INDIA bloc staged a walkout protesting against the Centre’s indifference to various demands made by Odisha.

“We continue to be equidistant from both the NDA and the INDIA bloc. Let there be no confusion in anyone’s mind. As far as our parliamentary strategy is concerned, earlier too we extended issue-based support keeping in mind the larger interest of the nation, irrespective of whichever government is in power,” he said.

Mr. Patra also pointed out that while the BJD protested against three farm laws because it felt that these were detrimental to farmers’ interests, it supported the government in the case of the Citizenship Amendment Act Bill based on its merit.

Artificial binary

The BJD leader protested against the artificial binary being drawn in Parliament. “There is a misconception that Opposition means INDIA bloc alone. Let’s not appropriate Opposition as the INDIA bloc. There are different Opposition parties. Why is there pressure that Parliament should run on binary. Can’t there be different stances of different political parties,” Mr. Patra asked, giving examples of the TDP and the JD(U) — both the parties have been demanding special category status for Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, respectively, a stance not shared by the BJP.

Mr. Patra hoped that the government would not harden its heart and allow for debates instead of opting for adjournments in the upcoming Budget session. He called the government’s decision not to heed to the Opposition’s demand for a debate on NEET as a lost opportunity.

“Why is the government not willing to come and debate the issue? It would have been a good opportunity for the government to actually come before people to say that we have nothing to hide instead of browbeating. It has only scored a self-goal,” Mr. Patra said.

NC starts work on Assembly poll manifesto

Peerzada Ashiq

SRINAGAR

The two-day marathon meeting of the National Conference in Srinagar, the first since the Lok Sabha election, that concluded on Thursday discussed the party’s manifesto for the coming Assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir; improving its public outreach; and freedom for jailed youth.

Nearly 60 leaders exchanged ideas with the party’s working committee, including party president Farooq Abdullah and vice-president Omar Abdullah. The meeting came against the backdrop of the party’s performance in the Lok Sabha election, in which it won two of the three seats in the Kashmir Valley. The party had led in 34 of the 54 Assembly segments in the three Lok Sabha constituencies, it says.

The manifesto committee is headed by Abdul Rahim Rather. Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, MP, is collating suggestions on public issues and aspirations online to be added in the manifesto.

“While we will be taking suggestions through a number of physical interactions, I would welcome any productive and progressive suggestions through the online platforms,” Mr. Mehdi said. The manifesto will be finalised within 45 days, sources said. They toldThe Hinduthat the structural changes would include the creation of party posts.

The leaders discussed steps to get jailed youth, especially those arrested after August 5, 2019, shifted to Kashmir from jails elsewhere “followed by campaigns for their release”, sources said.

PM’s speech had misleading, wrong statements: MP

The Hindu Bureau

New Delhi

Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Thursday wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to point out “factually incorrect, inaccurate and misleading statements” made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP MP Anurag Thakur in the House.

Mr. Tagore, sources said, called on Mr. Birla and urged him to invoke provisions of Direction 115(1) over their statements.

He flagged the statements made by Mr. Modi in his reply to the Motion of Thanks to the President for her address. He cited Mr. Modi’s statement that the Congress made a “false” promise of giving ₹8,500 per month to women.

He challenged the Prime Minister’s claim that the Congress vote share had gone down in 16 States in which it contested alone.

Terming Mr. Modi’s remarks that “no bulletproof jackets [were provided] for the Army during the Congress’s time” as “grossly misleading, the MP wrote, “There was a shortage of jackets, not that jackets were not there.”

Challenging the claim that the Congress did not give fighter jets to the Army, he said, “We had Jaguar, MiG 29, SU-30, Mirage 2000.”

He alleged inaccuracies in Mr. Thakur’s July 1 speech. Noting that that the BJP MP had claimed that the Army was not given arms and fighter jets when the Congress ruled the country, he wrote, “We had Jaguar, MiG 29, SU-30, Mirage 2000... We had nuclear bombs, missiles like Agni, Prithvi, Aakash, Nag, Trishul and later Brahmos.” Challenging remarks that Prime Minister Modi has not taken a single holiday, he asked, “Which category of leave is taken for election campaigns?”

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a telephone conversation with Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles on Thursday. The discussions focused on closer collaboration between the two countries in the Indo-Pacific. “We reviewed a range of issues pertaining to defence cooperation and discussed closer collaboration between India and Australia in the Indo-Pacific,” Mr. Singh said on X. Both Ministers noted the transformative progress in defence cooperation under the comprehensive strategic partnership and appreciated the momentum achieved in the ties.

West Bengal Assembly Speaker summons special session

The Hindu Bureau

Kolkata

West Bengal Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee said on Thursday that “everything is not in the hands of the Governor”, and called a special session of the House on Friday.

The Speaker’s move comes amid the impasse over the swearing-in of two Trinamool Congress MLAs-elect. Governor C.V. Ananda Bose had invited the two MLAs to the Raj Bhavan for the oath-taking ceremony, but they refused it citing procedural norms. They began a protest demanding that the Governor administer the oath in the Assembly.

“You can’t just force everything down our throats; there are rules, regulations, and constitutional norms,” the Speaker said.

Kirodi Lal Meena steps down as Rajasthan Minister

Keeping his vow to step down if the Bharatiya Janata Paty (BJP) lost any of the seven Lok Sabha seats under his responsibility, Rajasthan Minister Kirodi Lal Meena has resigned from the State Cabinet. While the resignation was yet to be accepted, the BJP high command summoned Mr. Meena to New Delhi on Friday in an apparent bid to sort out the issue. Mr. Meena, 72, holds the Agriculture, Rural Development, Disaster Management and Relief, and Public Grievances portfolios as the Cabinet Minister. Mr. Meena said he would explain the reasons for putting in his papers to the party leadership.

NHRC team meets woman beaten up in public in Chopra

A National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) team visited Chopra in Uttar Dinajpur of West Bengal on Thursday and met the woman survivor of the recent flogging incident. The four-member team led by a senior officer visited the area for a spot enquiry, an NHRC official said. The prime accused in the case, Tajimul Islam, alias JCB, was arrested by the police on June 30, hours after the video of the public flogging went viral. Tajimul is considered close to the Trinamool. The NHRC on July 1 issued a press statement, saying the agency had taken suo motu cognisance of the reported beating of a couple in full public view.

Assam floods: 6 more dead as toll since May mounts to 52

The Hindu Bureau

Guwahati

At least seven districts of Arunachal Pradesh cut off due to landslips ; eight persons, including two children, killed in rain-induced landslips and floods in Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura

Villagers with their cattle and belongings move to safety in Kamrup district of Assam on Thursday. ANIANI

At least six persons, including two children, drowned on Thursday, taking the death toll in two waves of floods in Assam since May to 52.

Officials of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said the water levels of the Brahmaputra and other rivers dipped marginally on Thursday, but the flood situation continued to be grim with 21.13 lakh forced to abandon their homes.

More than 39,300 people from the flood-hit areas have taken shelter across 247 relief camps. “Western Assam’s Dhubri and northern Assam’s Darrang are the worst affected districts where 6.49 lakh and 1.9 lakh people have been displaced,” an ASDMA spokesperson said.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the breaching of at least eight strategic embankments worsened the flood situation, which was caused largely by heavy rainfall in Arunachal Pradesh and Bhutan.

The impact has been felt in the 1,307.49 sq. km Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve where the floodwaters killed 31 animals — 30 hog deer and one otter pup.

Forest guards, however, rescued 82 animals, a two-month-old rhino among them. “The situation, however, improved in the last 24 hours with 95 of the 233 anti-poaching camps now under water up to 5 feet. The number of camps inundated on Wednesday was 179,” a park official said.

Heavy rainfall also caused havoc in other northeastern States. Officials in Arunachal Pradesh said at least seven districts in the central and eastern parts of the State had been cut off due to landslides caused by flash floods. The affected districts include Lohit, Changlang, Anjaw, and East Siang.

During the last 48 hours, eight persons, including two children, were killed in rain-induced landslides and floods in Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.

Relief measures

The Chief Minister on Thursday said the State’s flood situation was ‘‘under control” but everything depended on the weather conditions during the next few days.

The affected people are being provided relief and plans are being drawn up for their rehabilitation along with the repair of damaged infrastructure, he said.

“The situation is under control but everything depends on the weather. If there is no further rain in Arunachal Pradesh and South Tibet, the situation will improve, but it might worsen if there is more rainfall,” Mr. Sarma stated.

(With PTI inputs)

Brahmaputra’s lone female gharial’s long wait for a mate could end soon

Rahul Karmakar

GUWAHATI

A comeback: Gharials were believed to have been wiped out from the Brahmaputra river system during 1950s. Special Arrangement Special Arrangement

A lone female gharial has temporarily overshadowed the one-horned rhino in the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve in eastern Assam.

Wildlife officials and specialists are not sure how this gharial came to inhabit a stretch of the Brahmaputra within the national park. But they are certain that the reptile, presumed to be an adult by its size, is the key to repopulating the river with gharials.

Distinguished from other crocodilians by its elongated snout, the gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) was believed to have been wiped out from the Brahmaputra river system during the 1950s, though there were claims of sightings in the 1990s. The female gharial was first spotted in 2021 within the Biswanath Wildlife Division of the 1,307.49-sq. km Kaziranga.

The gharial, now 2.55 metres in length, was recorded twice, 500 metres apart, in one of the three priority habits chosen during a 10-day survey of aquatic reptiles along the Brahmaputra in January.

Teams of the Turtle Survival Alliance Foundation India (TSAFI), an NGO specialising in reptiles, and the Assam Forest Department surveyed the Brahmaputra on a 160-km stretch from the Kaliabhomora bridge in the west to the Kamalabari Ghat in Majuli beyond the eastern edge of the Biswanath division.

The female gharial was found to be the only one of its kind moving between a “sandy shoreline” and a “sandbar with a shoreline water depth of 4.5 metres”.

“We do not know much about gharials in the Brahmaputra but we do know that this female has been lonely for more than three years and is close to the size of an adult ready to breed,” Sushmita Kar, TSAFI’s project director in the northeast, told The Hindu.

One of the 10 recommendations in the report was the “high-priority” reintroduction of gharials in the Brahmaputra.

Kaziranga’s Director Sonali Ghoshsaid the tiger reserve had the right conditions for a gharial breeding programme.

If the reintroduction proposal is approved, the reptiles are likely to be brought from the Kukrail gharial breeding centre near Lucknow.

(set by Incognito)

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Across

8 After losing sense initially, flashback is 50% (4)

9 Cart returning on king's path (5)

10 Drink with first flier from 28, right? (4)

11 Claim aluminium limb excels in the beginning (6)

12 Rolls joint to cover "Peacemaker" Colt in meeting place (8)

13 Astronaut paces about before meeting administrative NASA heads (8)

15 A doctor with one foot's aimlessly floating (6)

17 Kelvin leaves wickerwork containers containing small dogs (7)

19 Bird disturbed pile near container (7)

22 Commanding officer gets approval to initiate expense for starters and biscuits (6)

24 No! Canada can discard one container disturbing snake (8)

26 Game requiring path having permit (8)

28 Flier wrongly let another flier (6)

30 Eye problem? Pen letter! (4)

31 Short NCO changes gears (5)

32 Royal Air Force model for rudimentary boat (4)

Down

1 Cry "Whiskey" and become sick (4)

2 Infringements of boundary markers (8)

3 Perhaps burn saint having a lot of paper (6)

4 Small magazine covers John playing Chinese game (3-4)

5 Wrongly nicks ear to get treatment for dermis (8)

6 One stopping nuisance at bar ordered to protect 7 (6)

7 Nothing for Japanese fighter (4)

14 A plot devised for a philosopher (5)

16 German lady starting to discover hoax (5)

18 Essay: "Cure is expensive at first" (8)

20 Moving mortise? Yes, that's rigid geometric transformation (8)

21 Forced Irish Republican Army to produce wine (7)

23 King and queen give shelter to sick assassin (6)

25 Drunk MBA went ahead and walked slowly (6)

27 Selects optional practical training scheme for beginners (4)

29 Went away from port (4)

50 NEET candidates move Supreme Court against re-test

The Hindu Bureau

NEW DELHI

Over 50 candidates have moved the Supreme Court to stop the Centre and the National Testing Agency from taking any steps to cancel the undergraduate National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-UG), 2024 which was riddled with allegations of paper leaks and other irregularities.

The NEET-UG, held on May 5, is facing a whirlwind of controversy with the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) arresting several persons.

The petitioners said legal action should be taken against the perpetrators of foul play, but that should not affect students who have worked hard for several years for the test.

‘Infringement of RTE’

“It would not only be unreasonable and harsh for the honest and hardworking students but also would lead to the infringement of the Right to Education and therefore violative of Article 14 (right to equality) of the Constitution,” the petition said.

Medical aspirants have to pass NEET to get admissions in colleges across the country. NEET-UG 2024 was held across 4,750 centres on May 5 and around 24 lakh candidates appeared in the exam.

Many petitions

The fresh plea by 56 students has been filed days before a top court Bench headed by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud is scheduled to hear the NEET case on July 8. Over 25 separate petitions seeking relief, which includes re-test, would be heard by the three-judge Bench.

These petitioners have alleged irregularities such as students receiving different marks on their scorecards compared with their OMR sheets; unprecedented inflation of cut-off and average marks resulting in an unprecedented 67 candidates achieving a perfect score of 720/720; six of these toppers coming from the same exam centre in Haryana; students having scored 718 and 719 marks, which is “statistically questionable”; and no disclosure of criteria adopted for grant of compensatory marks for loss of time.

NCERT textbooks delay issue: Minister holds review meeting

The Hindu Bureau

New Delhi

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan held a detailed review meeting on the progress of textbook development with senior Ministry officials on Thursday.

The meeting was attended by the Secretary, School Education and Literacy, National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) Director and Chairperson of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).

The meeting comes a day after The Hindu reported that students of Class 6 have been left without textbooks as there has been a substantial delay in receiving the new science, maths and social sciences books from the National Syllabus and Textbook Committee (NSTC) by the NCERT. Even as schools reopened for the new academic year in July, students of Class 6 do not have access to textbooks for the three subjects.

An official statement from the Education Ministry said that for the academic year 2024-25, new and engaging textbooks would be introduced for Classes 3 and 6. “Textbook development work is in the final phase and nine textbooks for grades three and six are already available. The remaining eight will be available very soon,” the statement said.

Mr. Pradhan also reviewed the capacity building undertaken for the teachers of Classes 3 and 6 who will use these new textbooks.

Whenever a satsang happens, it is a great blessing for the attendees. Adi Sankara says, “satsangatve nissangatvam, nissangatve nirmohatvam, nirmohatve nischalatattvam, nischalatatve jivanmukti (through the company of the wise there comes non-attachment, freedom from delusion, resulting in self knowledge).” Andal also emphasises this when she says, ‘Koodi irundhu kulirdhelor’ (experiencing God). Listening to discourses on God is in itself a huge blessing, said Damal S. Ramakrishnan in a discourse.

Sage Suka informs King Parikshit, who is cursed with death within seven days’ time, that listening to the learned expositions on Bhagawan is a rare blessing, adding that only those whose ancestors in the last seven generations had performed dharmic deeds are likely to be blessed with being part of a satsang. Yudhishthira, the epitome of dharma, spent time with Krishna, but was not blessed enough to be in a satsang with Him. Similarly, Arjuna. However, Parikshit was blessed, says Suka, who proceeds to discourse on Bhagavatham, instructing the king on God, His approachability, His sporting test of bhaktas and His attainability. Do not the Gopikas sing, “Sravana Mangalam sreemtaha hitam? (Krishna, you will give us darshan, you will come running to us when we listen to your history).”

Plea in SC seeks structural audit of all bridges in Bihar

A lawyer has moved the Supreme Court, highlighting over 10 separate incidents of bridge collapses across Bihar since 2022, while seeking a structural audit of recently completed, under-construction and old bridges in the State. The petition, filed by advocate Brajesh Singh, urged the top court to set up an expert committee to identify unsafe bridges in the State. “The total flood-affected area in the State is 68,800 sq. km which is 73.06% of its total geographical area… Hence, such routine accrual of incidents of falling bridges in Bihar is more disastrous as the lives of people at large are at stake,” the petition said.

Dead snake found in mid-day meal in Maharashtra’s Sangli

After reports of a tiny dead snake found in a packet distributed under the mid-day meal scheme in western Maharashtra’s Sangli district, Congress leader and former State Minister Vishwajeet Kadam raised the issue in the Assembly on Thursday during the monsoon session and demanded a detailed probe. The parent of a child in an anganwadi in Sangli had taken the food packet home on Monday and found the snake upon opening it. Mr. Kadam, who represents the Palus-Kadegaon constituency, said, “We are playing with the lives of children and mothers, the government must take cognisance of such a dire situation and punish whoever is guilty.”

Gangster Subodh Singh remanded in CID custody

Bihar-based gangster Subodh Singh, accused of being involved in multiple crimes across West Bengal, was remanded in the custody of the West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for 14 days on Wednesday, till July 17. He has been suspected of running a criminal network from inside Patna’s Beur jail, and is accused in a slew of criminal cases in West Bengal, including heists, extortion, as well as the alleged murder of BJP youth leader Manish Shukla in 2020. Singh’s alleged accomplice Roshan was also brought to West Bengal from Patna’s Beur jail and produced in a Barrackpore court on Thursday. The court remanded him in 14 days of police custody.

Gangster Abu Salem moved to Nashik Central Prison

Gangster Abu Salem, the main accused in the 1993 Mumbai blast case, was transferred from the Taloja Central Prison to Nashik Central Prison on Thursday before his plea in the Bombay High Court could be heard. Salem had approached the High Court challenging an order of a Special Court that had rejected his petition against his transfer from Taloja Central Prison in Navi Mumbai to the Nashik Central Prison. His plea had cited threat to life if he is transferred to another prison. Prison authorities have said that Taloja Prison is in disrepair and needed urgent repairs and hence the transfer was required.

Edit

- Computer literacy in India needs a reboot

- The shape of a five-year climate agenda for India

- Grave concern

- Dangerous precedent

- letters to the editor

- Should India review its Myanmar policy in view of the humanitarian crisis?

- Falling like a house of cards

- Chronicling parliamentary proceedings over time

- Imported farm pest destroyed in Delhi

- Heavy rains at Jamshedpur

- The lack of leadership at TISS

- What went wrong with the Hajj pilgrimage this year?

- On Gods and godmen in popular Hindi cinema

- A quiz on events and personalities connected with July 5

- Know your English

Computer literacy in India needs a reboot

1 of 2 Vachaspati Shukla Assistant Professor at the Sardar Patel Institute of Economic and Social Research (SPEISR)

2 of 2 Santosh Kumar Dash Assistant Professor at the Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA)

Computer literacy is essential in today’s world as critical services such as banking, health care and various government services have become digital. Computer literacy implies the knowledge and the ability to use computers and technology efficiently. It ensures that individuals can access and use these services effectively, enhancing their quality of life. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of computer and Internet access, from ordering groceries and online education to managing banking and health-care services. Recognising this, the Indian government launched the Digital India campaign in 2015 to transform the country into a digitally empowered society. Moreover, computer education is increasingly being integrated into the formal education system — in schools from an early age. Additionally, numerous skill development and vocational training programmes are focusing on enhancing computer literacy among youth and adults, mainly targeting underprivileged and marginalised communities to bridge the digital divide.

The recently released NSS 78th round of the Multiple Indicator Survey (conducted in 2020-21) is a household survey that provides individual-level information on computer literacy. Computer literacy, defined as the ability to use a computer, stands at 24.7% among individuals aged 15 years and above.

This marks an increase from 18.4% in 2017-18 to 24.7% in 2020-21 overall. In rural areas, it is an increase from 11.1% to 18.1%, while in urban areas, it was from 34.7% to 39.6%. These figures are cause for concern and cast a shadow over the nation’s digital aspirations. Unless there are serious measures to universalise digital literacy, rural India’s population, which is nearly 70%, will face significant disadvantages. More importantly, given the government’s aim to provide various public services through digital technology, a significant portion of the population will remain excluded.

Unequal literacy across age groups

Expectedly, the proportion of computer-literate individuals varies across various age groups in India. The survey reveals that computer literacy diminishes with age, with higher rates observed among younger demographics. This trend, common in societal contexts, reflects the disparity in computer education accessibility between recent and older age cohorts, often referred to as a “cohort effect” or “generation effect” in social sciences. Hence, the overall computer literacy rate of 24.7% exhibits significant inequality across age cohorts. It peaks among individuals aged 20-24 years, reaching 45.9%, and declines to its lowest point among the oldest age group of 65-69 years, at 4.4%. Even among the youngest age cohorts, computer literacy has not reached 50%. Looking at the increasing spread of computer technology in every aspect of life, a larger chunk of the population will be excluded in the modern development journey.

Given that individuals aged 20-39 years are typically in the midst of their careers or job searching, representing a middle-aged population, it is noteworthy that their computer literacy rate stands at just 34.8%. Further, there is significant variation in computer literacy for this particular age group across the various States of India. Our analysis of computer literacy rates among individuals aged 20-39 years across States shows a striking 55.1 percentage point gap between Kerala (72.7%), and Assam, where only 17.6% possess computer skills in this age group. Economically disadvantaged States such as Assam (17.6%), Bihar (20.4%), Madhya Pradesh (21%), Jharkhand (21.2%), Uttar Pradesh (22.9%), Odisha (25.1%), Chhattisgarh (26%), and Rajasthan (27.6%) lag behind, with less than 30% proficiency in computer operation. Given that computer literacy is pivotal to the social and economic development of States, the lower rates in economically backward States exacerbate their disadvantage in benefiting from modern development. A failure to address this divide will widen the development gap across Indian States. Bridging the digital divide and fostering inclusive growth necessitates sustained efforts by government, private sector, and civil society stakeholders.

Understanding India’s modest progress

One reason could be that many schools and colleges across India lack the necessary infrastructure and qualified teachers to impart adequate computer training. This shortfall contributes to significant deficiencies in computer literacy among young students and new graduates, which could constrain their employment opportunities. Although computer education is a part of the school curriculum, there are significant gaps in access and instructional standards, highlighting the need to prioritise computer literacy within the education system. Among older age groups, computer illiteracy could be attributed to a lack of motivation to learn or due to limited access to learning resources. It is a common observation that older demographics tend to exhibit less enthusiasm in embracing new technologies.

Computer illiteracy in today’s digital society can severely restrict an individual’s opportunities and experiences. It leads to limited job prospects, social isolation, financial exclusion from online transactions and services, and restricted access to vast information resources. As Artificial Intelligence advances, employers seek individuals not only familiar with computers but also equipped with the capability to execute complex tasks. Thus, learning how to use a computer and the Internet can help employees develop skills that employers are looking for. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)’s The Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) survey (2014-15) found that adults without computer experience are more often unemployed, with a 52.5% employment rate, compared to 72.7% for those with basic computer skills. In a 2017 study, “Do Computer Skills Affect Worker Employment? An Empirical Study from CPS Surveys”, economist Gang Peng finds that computer skills enhance employability and worker productivity. In a separate investigation, Preston-Lee Govindasamy in South Africa validated a positive correlation between computer literacy, employment probability, and earnings.

Further, computer literacy exacerbates socio-economic inequalities by creating a digital divide and a skill gap, leading to unequal job market opportunities. Those with better computer skills can leverage technology for personal and professional development, while those lacking these skills face barriers in accessing essential services, participating in the digital economy, and advancing their careers, thus perpetuating economic disparities.

Schools, older population as focus areas

While India has made some progress in computer literacy, the outreach and outcomes of this mission remain limited. Further, the data show that there is significant disparity in both the level and distribution of computer literacy across States. The existence of a wide digital divide between economically prosperous and disadvantaged States will hinder inclusive growth and development opportunities for large segments of the population.

Thus, schools should equip students with computer skills that will allow them to fully participate in our rapidly changing economies. School education should ensure that all graduating students possess computer literacy skills, as this is crucial to bridge the digital divide. The government should allocate resources towards the training of computer personnel and ensure sufficient staffing levels. Additionally, for the older population outside the formal education system, targeted programmes are essential. These should involve various institutions, including local governing bodies such as panchayats and non-governmental organisations, to effectively reach and empower older individuals with computer literacy skills. Finally, the government should also conduct a thorough review of such computer literacy and develop strategies to achieve higher literacy and reduce disparities in the coming years.

The shape of a five-year climate agenda for India

Vaibhav Chaturvedi a Senior Fellow at the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) and leads its low carbon economy and carbon markets research

As the new government settles in, what it does to scale up climate action will affect every Ministry, new and old, and every sector, big and small. Some of its choices would be pivotal to how India structures its economic path in a sustainable way, positions itself as the voice of the Global South at the right tables, and fights for climate finance and justice over the next five years.

India’s transformation

Over the last decade, India has shown significant climate intent and progress on many fronts. It has moved on from being a hesitant participant reacting to developments in the global climate discourse to being a bold leader shaping narratives and institutions. First, it has laid the foundation for global institutions such as the International Solar Alliance, the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, and the Global Biofuels Alliance, as well as shaped the Green Development Pact under its G-20 presidency last year. Second, for the first time, India has started talking about bolder and more ambitious emission mitigation targets. The 2070 net-zero target and ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) are milestones. With the net-zero announcement, India has acknowledged the criticality of absolute emission reductions over the near-term relative emissions-intensity-based targets. The net-zero goal has changed the debate domestically with various actors, policymakers and the private sector. Third, sustainability-linked domestic economic policies are no longer on the margins. The creation of an Indian emissions carbon trading scheme, an institution that should operate for at least 30-40 years, is a case in point.

In the next five years, the government must accelerate and show the world that economic development can be sustainable, too. India should follow the mantra of ‘go higher, go wider, go deeper’ to align its climate leadership with economic prowess.

A plan sheet for India

‘Go higher’ relates to India’s global leadership. The country could, sooner or later, host important international climate summits. If it were to host the United Nations Conference of Parties in 2028, it would need to be as successful as the G-20 Presidency. In global negotiations, four years is not that far. Does India want ‘the world agrees to no new investment in oil and gas after 2030’ as part of the decision text? Does it want a big commitment on adaptation finance so that developing countries can shield themselves against increasing heatwaves, storms, floods and droughts? It takes at least four to five years to achieve consensus on contentious issues. Deciding on what could potentially be the big wins in 2028 and socialising these across countries to stitch alliances and allay concerns must start right away. Alongside, India should continue doubling down on the narrative of equity in international forums, and create leadership space for itself in global institutions that can deliver climate finance.

‘Go wider’ means India has to adopt and strongly communicate sectoral emission reduction targets that go beyond the power sector. India has achieved significant progress in the power sector and will continue to do so to keep pace with its international non-fossil share-related and domestic renewable energy capacity targets.

The next step is to broaden the target to other sectors. For instance, it could be related to the private mobility space, giving a clear target for zero-carbon two- and four-wheelers. This is not just an urban India project. It will help rural India become mobile, drive jobs in clean energy and sustainability, and promote economic growth. As the last decade has shown, credible policy goals have been powerful signals and forced relevant industries and stakeholders to act. The NDC for 2035, due to be submitted next year, can be an opportunity for going wider with India’s energy transition targets.

State-level plans are important

Finally, going deeper implies that sub-national climate action and resilience must come to the fore in this term of the government. Some shoots of this are already visible. The Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) is working across many States in India to support their net-zero plans through long-term climate and energy modelling. For instance, we collaborated with Tamil Nadu and Bihar for their recently-released plans for a transition towards a net-zero future. The government should think about creating a Centre-State coordination group, incentivising State-level climate actions through the Sixteenth Finance Commission, promoting a deeper integration of scientific modelling capabilities in policymaking, and facilitating a unified data measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) architecture at the State level. Given India’s federal structure, this recommendation does not mean centralising climate actions, but ensuring that State-level actions are better coordinated without compromising their autonomy. This is possible only if the process goes beyond States individually trying to understand and respond to the climate crisis, and the Centre comes in as an active facilitator.

The new government should aim to take India’s global climate leadership to the next level in its new term. It should look ahead for at least the next four to five years, and not just a year at a time. On most international tables now, India has a seat. It must now demonstrate prowess.

The views expressed are personal

Grave concern

The risk of international spread of wild type-1 polio cases from Pakistan is great

The ambitious goal of eradicating wild-type poliovirus type-1 (WPV1) by 2026 appears to have become tougher. WPV1, which is endemic only in Pakistan and Afghanistan, is showing signs of a resurgence since 2023. With Afghanistan and Pakistan reporting six WPV1 cases each in 2023 — there were two cases in Afghanistan and 20 cases in Pakistan in 2022 — the total incidence of type-1 cases in both countries in 2023 might appear to have nearly halved. But with six cases in Afghanistan and five cases in Pakistan already this year, there appears to be an uptick. If this continues, the total cases being reported from the two countries might be close to or even surpass the 2022 numbers. The concern about WPV1 is not limited to the number of cases in children. The circulation of the virus in the environment is seen to be rising, and, most importantly, after a gap of two years, positive environmental samples have been increasingly collected in Pakistan, in 2023 and till early June this year, from cities which have been historical reservoirs for the virus. Last year, 125 positive environmental samples were collected from 28 districts in Pakistan. Of these, 119 belonged to a genetic cluster (YB3A), which suggests that these were imported from Afghanistan. By June 1 this year, there have been 153 positive environmental samples from 39 districts. As of April 8, 2024, 34 positive environmental samples were collected from Afghanistan.

According to the World Health Organization, the presence of positive environmental samples in “epidemiologically critical areas and historical reservoirs” such as Karachi, Quetta and the Peshawar-Khyber blocks in Pakistan, and Kandahar in Afghanistan, represents a significant risk to the gains made in the past. Rising positive environmental samples are a reflection of polio campaigns not really achieving their desired coverage; fake finger marking sans vaccination is a persisting problem. Though children in Pakistan’s cities are largely immunised, there is a heightened risk of the virus striking any unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated children — in 2023, two of the six cases were from Karachi city. The situation in Pakistan appears worse than it is in Afghanistan with the actual spread of WPV1 seen “predominantly in Afghanistan in 2022 now being detected in Pakistan in 2023 and 2024”. There is also the grave risk of international spread from Pakistan, particularly to Afghanistan. With over 0.5 million Afghan refugees forced to leave Pakistan, and an estimated 0.8 million to be evicted soon, there is an increased risk of cross-border spread of the virus. There is a large pool of unvaccinated and under-immunised children in southern Afghanistan, increasing the risk that returning refugees can pose.

Dangerous precedent

Shielding Presidents from answering for crimes subverts rule of law

The majority ruling by the United States Supreme Court that the President has either absolute or presumptive immunity from criminal prosecution raises disconcerting questions about the supremacy of the rule of law in the country. In a ruling based mainly on the doctrine of separation of powers and the need to insulate the Presidency from the fear of future prosecutions, and not the text of the U.S. Constitution, the court, dominated by conservative justices, by 6:3 majority has ruled in favour of presidential immunity. The verdict does not decide whether former President Donald J. Trump will enjoy immunity from prosecution for allegedly trying to interfere with or alter the outcome of the November 2020 presidential elections that he lost to Joe Biden. Instead, it lays down a threshold test for any intended prosecution of a President to see whether the act complained of involved the exercise of a core constitutional duty, or was an official or unofficial act. In respect of a President’s core constitutional duties, the immunity is absolute; for other official acts, he enjoys presumptive immunity, that is, he is presumed to be immune unless rebutted by facts; and for unofficial or private acts, there is no immunity at all. For official acts, any prosecution is permissible only if it does not intrude into the power and authority of the executive.

The majority has remanded issues that arise in the prosecution of Mr. Trump for his attempts to influence the electoral outcome, culminating in the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, to the trial court for analysis based on this ruling. The dissenting views speak with moral clarity when they question the claim that only immunity from criminal prosecution can enable a President to function in an unhesitating and bold manner. While it is valid to argue that the President should be free from intrusive probes and fear of trivial prosecution, it is inconceivable that such a powerful office should come with little accountability and the freedom to violate criminal law. Critics of the verdict see great peril for democracy in its implications. As the dissent asks, can a President take a bribe in lieu of a pardon, or authorise a rival’s assassination? The majority wants to protect the Presidency from any intrusion in the name of criminal prosecution, but what it fails to see is that Mr. Trump’s actions may have been destructive of his successor’s Presidency. While there is a passing mention of the possibility that he may have been acting in his capacity as a candidate or a party leader in some instances, it is astonishing that the verdict allows the use of the presidency as a shield even in matters that solely concern the election process.

Jarring

We cannot bring back the dead, but the least we could have done was to grieve for those who lost their precious lives (“Hathras stampede toll hits 121; organiser pins blame on ‘anti-social elements’” (July 4). The large-scale T20 World Cup celebrations at this moment are cause for introspection. Have we lost sensitivity and compassion towards our own countrymen? Could not the victory celebrations have been low key?

Balasubramaniam Pavani,

Secunderabad

Railways and safety

There have been many train accidents in India in the near past. The recent one in which a goods train collided with an express train near West Bengal’s New Jalpaiguri is gruesome. When Lalu Prasad Yadav was the Union Minister for Railways, accidents were very rare. Further, he was able to ensure that the Railways became a good and profit-making entity. He never hiked passenger fares except for a small hike in goods train utility. Moving to the issue of safety, the protective system of automatic brakes, known as the Kavach system, seems to be the most effective solution. It is unfortunate that such a safety system was not available in the recent accident. It is sad that the Railways which manages one of the largest rail systems in the world no longer has a separate Budget. The allocation for the Railways is measly now.

M.L. Raghavan,

Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu

Parliament functioning

In Parliament recently, some in the Opposition complained that their microphones were switched off. The Speaker and the Chairman were quick to say that they had no hand in it. Given that this is a brand new building, should there not be an inquiry into how the microphones failed?

S. Venkataraman,

Bengaluru

Should India review its Myanmar policy in view of the humanitarian crisis?

1 of 5 An Indian police officer and an Indian man walk on a bridge across the Tiau river along the India-Myanmar border in Champhai village in Mizoram. AP AP

2 of 5 Rajiv Bhatia is a Distinguished Fellow, Gateway House and a former Ambassador

3 of 5 Nandita Haksar is a human rights lawyer

4 of 5

5 of 5

The conflict between ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) and the military junta in Myanmar has created a serious humanitarian crisis, which the United Nations Security Council took up for discussion on July 3. Some experts on Myanmar have called for India to review its policy and establish channels with the EAOs to help the affected civilians. Should India review its Myanmar policy in view of the humanitarian crisis? Rajiv Bhatia and Nandita Haksar discuss the question in a conversation moderated by Kallol Bhattacherjee. Edited excerpts:

Why does India’s policy towards Myanmar require course correction?

Nandita Haksar: Since October 2023, the ethnic armed groups and the PDF (People’s Defence Force) in Myanmar have been coordinated in their effort to resist the military junta. These groups have been fighting the junta for many years, but this is the first time that they have been coordinated and have been able to hold at least 45% of the territory in Myanmar.

In this context, many people have called for a rethink (of India’s policy) and said that we must have some dialogue with these EAOs because of two reasons. First, the conflict is directly affecting India — there is an influx of refugees here. Second, the EAOs are being supported by China. At the same time, China has good relations with the military junta. Apart from this, many of these resistance groups have actually taken control of all the trading routes that fall on the India-Myanmar, Myanmar-China, and Thailand-Myanmar border.

Are the EAOs so powerful that they deserve to be recognised by state actors such as India?

Rajiv Bhatia: Essentially, India’s traditional policy towards Myanmar has had two main facets: one, to develop good cordial relations with the military junta and second, to keep supporting democratic forces and ensure the strengthening of democracy.

But in the last three years, Myanmar has changed beyond recognition. The military has not been able to impose its will. The people have rebelled against the military, but they have also not been able to prevail. In short, there is a strong military, political, diplomatic stalemate in Myanmar. That, I think, is the most forceful argument for some kind of a policy review and course correction. The second is that India’s fundamental objective in Myanmar is to develop bilateral relations in all domains and make sure that Myanmar plays a useful role in its own ‘Act East’ policy. And the third is to have some kind of a balance between Indian and Chinese influences in Myanmar because that is essential for our national interest.

The situation in Myanmar has become difficult. About half of country it is still under military rule and control, but the other half is considerably fragmented. I think the (Indian) government should consult national-level experts and scholars — people who have a clear view on the history and complexity of Myanmar; and neighbours such as Thailand, Bangladesh, Laos, and eventually even China, to ensure some kind of stability. To have stability in Myanmar is in the collective interest of the neighbourhood.

How compelling is the humanitarian situation in Myanmar to merit a review of the traditional policy?

NH: What Ambassador Bhatia said is that the situation is in a flux, so we cannot change course overnight. One way to test the waters is to start providing humanitarian assistance, at least in the border areas between India and Myanmar. India is directly affected, so we have a right to express our concern. The people in Myanmar don’t have access to water, sanitary napkins, and anesthesia. Many young people are injured and require surgery to get their legs or arms amputated, but they have no access to medical facilities. Some of them have been able to cross over to Mizoram and go to Delhi from there but they are few in number. So, it would be well worth our while to explore ways in which we could offer real humanitarian assistance to the people and obtain Myanmar’s goodwill that way.

In the past, we have not done that. It is true that India has been supporting the democracy movement. It is true that in the past, the National League for Democracy was allowed to open an office in Delhi. It is also true that the National Unity Government was allowed to open an office in Delhi, but it was not allowed to operate openly. Providing humanitarian assistance is the most non-controversial way of intervening in this situation. And then we can negotiate with the military rulers about rebuilding villages which have been bombed and which people cannot return to.

RB: It is, of course, a complicated situation. In my view, there is still a legitimate government there, even though it does not control all the territory. So, if you are going to interfere in Myanmar’s internal affairs, in areas which are not under the government’s control, they are not going to like it. Therefore, to address that problem, it is very important for our authorities to talk to the government in Naypyidaw and explain that it is in our traditional mutual interest for the people of Myanmar to be assisted if their own government cannot help them. It makes sense for India’s humanitarian image.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had recently said that there is an international plan by some countries to create a Christian state in a part of Myanmar. Do such comments also highlight a requirement for India to closely engage with all sections of the Myanmar chess board?

RB: When a major neighbour begins to [become] fragmented, dangers of this kind could assume a clearer shape. She may have her own reasons to say what she said, although here in India we do not particularly see the creation of a Christian state within Myanmar. But what we do see is a kind of a Balkanisation. This is not in the interest of the people of Myanmar or in the interest of neighbours. That is why India has been closely associated with the Track 1.5 dialogue, which was initiated by Thailand, and in the Track 2 dialogue among scholars of the region, which is called the Bangkok process.

NH: I have been reading various blog posts and Facebook posts from the Northeast of the idea of a Kuki state which would include parts of Myanmar. That is why Ms. Hasina talked about it, because it was directly linked to her country and parts of India. This idea of a larger Kuki state has a direct impact on the Northeast. There are already some Kuki underground groups that are trying to control all the routes that border Manipur with this intention.

Ambassador Bhatia was referring to dialogue between India and Myanmar. But there is also the requirement of starting dialogue between the NUG and the military rulers.

NH: As of now, from the little I know about the NUG, they are thinking not so much about reconciliation with the army or the military junta — I don’t think that is possible — but about the kind of federal union they want. Conversations are going on within the NUG about a charter on the kind of alliances they could have, so that they can have a federal structure which keeps the whole of Myanmar as it is today. I think we have an interest in that because if there is Balkanisation, it will have a direct impact on India. That is one area of dialogue. As far as dialogue with the military junta [is concerned], I don’t think they are thinking about that. But there are some moves which I have been told have been made by certain Western powers of trying to achieve some reconciliation. That is something which I think the armed groups and the PDF and civil society would resist. But yes, there should at least be dialogue on the kind of federal structure they could have. In that dialogue, India can play a role because that dialogue is also taking place within India’s borders.

What would be that the one piece of advice that you would like to give the newly elected Indian government? What should it do to avoid greater calamity in the bordering areas with Myanmar?

RB: The advice is fairly self-evident. On the one hand, our people are trying to be in close touch with the military government. We have invested in this relationship over two decades, so that has to be. At the same time, we have sufficient leverage with the military to convey to them that their own people are suffering and the instability in Myanmar is having a negative impact across the board and on a major neighbour such as India and therefore the two countries should keep exchanging views on how we can address the humanitarian situation. At the level of people, at the level of communities, and at the level of the governments, we have to convey our deep interest in the good health, stability, and prosperity of Myanmar.

Falling like a house of cards

A bridge in Siwan district, Bihar, collapses. Ten incidents of bridge collapse have been reported in Bihar's Siwan, Saran, Madhubani, Araria, East Champaran and Kishanganj districts in over a fortnight. A PIL has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking directions to the Bihar government to undertake a structural audit and set up an expert committee to identify bridges that can be either strengthened or demolished based on the findings. PTI

Chronicling parliamentary proceedings over time

Sandeep Phukan

There have been many obvious and some imperceptible changes in Parliament

The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha was also the first session when the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) took over security of the Parliament complex. The agency, which is more used to guarding airports and key installations such as refineries, has replaced the Parliamentary Security Staff after a security breach last December. Dressed in dark trousers and contrasting light shirts, the CISF personnel were courteous and thorough with their airport-style frisking.

The security ring is not the only visible difference. The benches in the new Lok Sabha chamber are now more evenly occupied by members of the ruling National Democratic Alliance and the INDIA bloc. More than half the members (52%) are first-timers. There is an officially designated Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha after a decade. A combative Rahul Gandhi, occupying that chair, has marshalled the Opposition members in directing protests against the government, be it over the Manipur situation or the NEET exam paper leaks. Predictably, the decibel levels have been higher than in the previous two Lok Sabhas.

Many MPs of the ruling alliance have said that the scenes of Opposition MPs sloganeering while Prime Minister Narendra Modi was giving his reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address to Parliament were unprecedented.

Not quite. Even with less fire power, this Opposition has done this earlier. So has the Bharatiya Janata Party when it was in the Opposition. I remember Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was barely audible in the Lok Sabha while introducing his Council of Ministers in 2004. There were constant protests from the BJP-led Opposition over the issue of inducting “tainted ministers.” They focused especially on Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav for his role in the Bihar fodder scam.

The biggest change, of course, has been the building itself as parliamentary proceedings have shifted from the old circular edifice with round pillars to the newly designed triangle-shaped building last September. The old building is now called the Samvidhan Sadan — the place where the Constituent Assembly drafted, debated, and gave us our Constitution. For many journalists covering parliamentary proceedings, the old building meant easy access to MPs and ministers alike; in the new building, we are still trying to figure out the layout, including the path that leads to the press gallery.

The statue of Mahatma Gandhi that used to be opposite the main entrance to the old Parliament building has now been moved to the newly landscaped Prerna Sthal along with the statues of other icons such as B.R. Ambedkar. The original location of the Gandhi statue used to be the place where the Opposition would assemble for any kind of protest.

Another long-standing tradition that is fading is the practice of Parliamentary Affairs Ministers holding informal briefings with reporters to discuss government business and back-channel negotiations with the Opposition. These off-record briefings were often used to convey the government’s position on issues that may have led to a stalemate.

Finally, reporting has not been the same post-COVID-19. Many of the curbs seen during the pandemic, such as restricting the number of journalists who could enter Parliament during sessions, continues even now. The annual passes of accredited journalists, allowing them a free entry to Parliament round the year, have become inoperative during sessions. Now, even those who hold annual passes are required to have special passes for the session. Every political party should realise that reporters who report landmark legislation are the nation’s first chroniclers of history.

sandeep.phukan@thehindu.co.in

Imported farm pest destroyed in Delhi

New Delhi, July 4: Millions of threadlike worms from Australia that have never been recorded in India arrived last month at New Delhi airport in 13 huge crates. If these worms had escaped they would have infested the Indian soil, multiplied into billions in each acre of land, stunted crops and in the long run, played havoc with Indian agriculture. The worms, together with the exotic plants that harboured them, were burned and destroyed at the Delhi electric crematorium. Nevertheless, this manner in which the worm-loaded shipment came, and was handled in violation of international and domestic quarantine rules has highlighted how easily Indian agriculture could be affected, or even sabotaged.

Heavy rains at Jamshedpur

Jamshedpur, July 1: Heavy rains are being witnessed throughout the week. The weather is threatening and it seems the downpour will continue for a few days. Waters are coming down the hills and the rivers are getting full. Three cases of lightning have since been reported in Tinplate, G Town and L Town.

The lack of leadership at TISS

Maitri Porecha

Why did over 100 staff members at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences receive termination letters, which after two days were withdrawn? Is there a leadership void at the premier social sciences institute? How has this affected students as well as the staff?

In limbo: The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in Mumbai.File PhotoSHASHI ASHIWAL

The story so far:

Over a 100 staff members of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) were in for a shock, after they received termination letters on June 28, and were asked to not report to work come July. Within two days of this development, they were told that the termination letters had been withdrawn and that they could continue working as the Tata Education Trust (TET), which funds their salaries, had now assured to make funds available to support their salaries.

What happened?

A month before the termination letters, up to 55 teachers and 60 non-teaching staff had an inkling that their jobs could be in trouble, because even as the academic year of 2023-24 was winding up in April, there was no clarity from TET on the renewal of funding of their contractual positions. “Some of these staff has been working with TISS for up to fifteen years. Since the last two to three months we have been writing emails to pro-VC Mr. Shankar Das, who is a deputy to the current VC [Vice Chancellor] Manoj Tiwari. We received no reply or clarity from Mr. Das on the situation,” a senior faculty member said citing anonymity. TISS is largely funded by the University Grants Commission, but staff salaries, certain courses and funds for maintenance are funded by the TET.

What has been happening at TISS?

From 2004 onwards, TISS had widened its scope of work, and from close to 15 programmes including Masters’ and Diplomas, it expanded its offering to over 55 programmes including dual degrees and foreign university collaborations. “Under the directorship of late Prof. S. Parsuraman, TISS was flourishing, with students undertaking enormous field work under the research guidance of teachers,” said a TISS senior professor, requesting anonymity.

Mr. Parsuraman was the longest serving director of TISS from 2004 to 2018. However, trouble started brewing in TISS from 2016 onwards, when it decided to stop student aid to those belonging to marginalised communities in all of its four campuses in Mumbai, Tuljapur, Hyderabad and Guwahati.

“It has been a downward spiral from then on,” the professor added.

After Mr. Parsuraman’s tenure, Prof. Shalini Bharath, a public health researcher who has extensively worked on HIV access issues served as a director for five years.

In 2023, the UGC regulations were changed, which brought appointments in TISS under the central government’s purview, as over 50% of its funding is from the Centre.

“After Prof. Bharath retired, the director of Indian Institute of Management (Mumbai) Manoj Tiwari, took up the additional charge of an acting director as well as Vice Chancellor, until a full time director is appointed. He was supposed to have interim charge for six months, but his term was extended by another six months after delays were faced in appointing a Director,” another professor said. “A social science research institute like TISS should be led by a director who has a relevant backgrounding in social sciences. Mr. Tiwari is trained in engineering and management, and it is an incongruity that he is heading the institute.”

How has a lack of leadership affected the institute?

After the tweak of the UGC regulations, administrative bodies of TISS were also supposed to undergo an overhaul. Sources at TISS say that in a classic case of ‘mismanagement,’ these bodies have not yet been made fully operational.

After the central government took over the TISS administration, the erstwhile ‘Governing Board,’ the highest decision making body of the institute, earlier headed by a nominee of the Tata Group, S. Ramadorai who was also CEO of Tata Consultancy Services, and included two to three faculty members as well as an equal number of external members, stood dissolved. The government decided that this would be replaced by an ‘Executive Council,’ headed by the VC. “It has been over nine months, but the new council is yet to come into full operation. We are hearing that the Executive Council may have been formulated but it is not yet officially notified. With the top decision making body of the institute being in a limbo, it is not an over reach to say that decisions are being taken in a centralised and in an arbitrary way,” a professor quoted above said.

How has this affected students?

After the executive council, the academic council is the second-most important body in TISS. “The academic council is vital to all semester activities in the institute. What is disheartening is that the academic council is yet to convene to approve results for major programmes including Masters, PhD, Diplomas and Certificate courses, thus leaving the students in a lurch,” the professor said.

While the students were supposed to receive their results in May, this has now been delayed by three months, and their convocation has been pushed to August. “The delay has affected the future of over thousand students who graduate out of TISS every year, and it affects their future plans of studying abroad or pursuing careers as they have not been awarded their degrees,” said the professor.

What went wrong with the Hajj pilgrimage this year?

Ziya Us Salam

How do unauthorised pilgrims enter Saudi Arabia at the time of Hajj? Have such tragedies happened before?

The story so far:

Hajj, a gathering of nearly two million Muslim pilgrims, which falls in the last month of the Islamic calendar, has been in news again. More than 1,300 casualties were reported due to extreme heat in Saudi Arabia at this time of the year. Most casualties were reported from Arafat, where the pilgrims pause on their way to Muzdalfa. Arafat is the place where the Prophet Muhammad delivered his farewell sermon to 1,44,000 pilgrims in 632 A.D. This vigil at Arafat is an essential part of the pilgrimage without which the Hajj is considered invalid. Many casualties took place as the pilgrims moved from Arafat to Mina in the scorching heat.

What is Hajj?

Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam. This pilgrimage to Mecca is an essential part of the faith and any person who is economically and physically sound has to undertake the trip once in their lifetime. Prophet Muhammad is said to have undertaken this pilgrimage shortly before breathing his last in 632 AD. The Hajj journey follows the lunar calendar. Accordingly, it falls about 11 days earlier every year. This year’s pilgrimage started at the conclusion of the second week of June. For the upcoming couple of years, the pilgrimage will be undertaken in harsh weather with temperature exceeding 50 degrees Celsius.

What happened this year?

The Saudi authorities reserve a fixed quota for all major countries, depending on the Muslim population, for issue of Hajj visas. It helps to plan the stay and movement of pilgrims in the desert state. The authorities issued Hajj visas to a little more than 18 lakh people but the Hajj was undertaken by over two million pilgrims. This means that around 2 lakh people were unauthorised entrants.

The Saudi authorities insisted that most pilgrims with valid Hajj visas were able to complete the Hajj rituals with the best possible facilities, and there were few deaths beyond natural causes of old age or illness. According to Saudi Health Minister Fahad bin Abdurrahman Al-Jalajel, some 83% of the 1,301 fatalities were unauthorised pilgrims who undertook the journey without requisite precautions at this time of extreme summer temperatures.

Who are ‘unauthorised’ pilgrims?

The unauthorised, non-documented pilgrims often come over from neighbouring countries of Jordan, Egypt and Iraq on a visit visa a little before the Hajj season begins. Some are also blue collar workers from India and Pakistan who while having a valid work visa, are not entitled to undertake the pilgrimage without proper permission and documentation. The non-documented visitors are usually economically too weak to bear the cost of the pilgrimage through the official route which takes at least 3,000 dollars. Hence, they often take recourse to agents who offer them the journey for half the cost. The agents take the money in advance and often disappear after these men and women land in Saudi Arabia, leaving them in the lurch. The visit visa holders are not allowed entry into Mecca at the time of Hajj. So, these visitors/pilgrims often undertake arduous routes through the desert to circumvent officials.

While those who take the approved route are provided with all possible facilities by the host country, including transportation on air-conditioned vehicles with constant supply of water and medical facilities, illegal entrants are left under the blazing sun with temperatures often crossing 50 degrees Celsius. Many walk on their own from Arafat to Mina, a distance of around 15 kilometres. Unlike others, they have no healthcare facilities to fall back on. Also, most pilgrims in this category are old, having saved every penny for years for this journey.

Hajj has always been a high-risk journey. Besides the spread of communicable diseases due to the intermingling of millions, there were major tragedies in 1990, 1994, 1998 and 2003. Many of these were avoidable incidents as they resulted from stampede caused by pilgrims taking a non-specified route or going in the opposite direction, in ignorance of Hajj rituals. Since then, Saudi authorities have widened the pathways, adding new floors to the Haram in Mecca to enable the pilgrims to complete the journey peacefully.

On Gods and godmen in popular Hindi cinema

Dev Nath Pathak

Popular cinema provides abounding social and cultural logic for engagement with religious ideas. The question is whether popular cinema has the space available for critical relations with gods and godmen

Cult classic: Indian artist Ranjit Dahiya works on a mural of Amitabh Bachchan from his film Deewar in Mumbai in 2012. AFPINDRANIL MUKHERJEE

The month of June 2024 was rife with news about the recently released Yash Raj film production, Maharaj, directed by Siddharth Malhotra. According to many critics it was another badly made film in spite of a power-packed performance by actor Jaideep Ahlawat. The film, however, grabbed our eyeballs for two reasons. One is that the film, based on a historical 1862 Maharaj libel case, was a criticism of blind faith. The protagonist Karshandas Mulji, played by the debutant Jaunaid Khan, is a social reformer and journalist who challenged the religious conservatism of the godman, Maharaj, played by Ahlawat. Secondly, the film courted legal and social controversy as a case of offence to religious sentiment was filed in the Gujarat High Court which eventually ruled in favour of the film.

India has been witness to many such cases against popular films dealing with issues related to the dominant religion, that is, Hinduism. One can quickly recall some of the films that met with such upheavals, for example PK (Raju Hirani, 2014) and OMG (Amit Rai, 2023). The cardinal question is whether popular cinema has the space available for humanistic and critical relations with gods and godmen.

Hindu mythology in cinema

Many scholars of cinema such as Ashish Rajadhyaksha, Ravi Vasudevan, Aruna Vasudev, and Madhava Prasad have critically discussed the locus standi of early cinema in India. In the light of such discussion, there dawns an understanding that humanised relationships with gods and godmen is not new to cinema. Mythological tales were central to silent cinema. In the era of the the film maker Dhundiraj Govind Phalke (1817-1944), popularly known as Dadasaheb Phalke, there were films such as Satyavan Savitri (1914), Satyavadi Raja Harishchandra (1917), and Kaliya Mardan (1919). These films were not merely about devotional surrender but also about humans’ personalisation of religion and spirituality. The trend continued even after cinema got sound after the first talkie film Alam Ara (1931). Vijay Bhatt’s famous film Ram Rajya (1943) also had Mahatma Gandhi in the audience in spite of his reservations about the medium of cinema. Moreover, there were many films that offered criticism of dominant Hindu values. Franz Osten’s Achhut Kanya (1936) is always remembered as a historical milestone. The film ridiculed the godmen who were custodians of discriminatory Brahmanical values.

Chidananda Dasgupta, the film critic and historian, who was a co-founder of the Calcutta Film Society with the legendary film maker and Oscar awardee Satyajit Ray, had written about cinema’s tryst with mythological gods. Though more known for his translations of the works of Rabindranath Tagore, Manik Bandopadhyaya, and Jibananda Das, Dasgupta’s critical reading of early cinema is significant. In his book Seeing is Believing published by Penguin he made the romance between early popular Hindi cinema and Hindu mythology dramatically vivid. The stories of gods, goddesses, and monsters that Hindu believers had only heard in the oral tradition became available for visual-sensorial experiences in the first decade of modern cinema in India. Seeing gods alive on screen meant that they were available for a relationship with mortals. The earthy mortals were bound to apply their social and cultural logic in the newly forged relationship with the divine. Perceived through the prism of human emotions, gods and goddesses became available for friendly associations. In addition to evoking devotion and surrender, the gods also inspired humans to raise questions and put the divine through uncanny trials in these mythological films.

Thus Hindi cinema has consistently tried to free gods and spirituality from the clutches of godmen and dominant values even while restoring faith.

Critical engagement

A film scholar such as Rachel Dwyer has put many such films under the label of Hindi socials. Such films were not to be anti-religious, but they do tend to trigger a critical engagement with religious notions. Two examples from the past is worth recalling. One was a film directed by Kidar Nath Sharma based on a famous novel by the Hindi littérateur Bhagwati Charan Varma titled Chitralekha. The film by the same title was made twice by Sharma in 1941 and in 1964. The film is about a courtesan Chitralekha and the spiritual guru Kumargiri. The latter seeks to free a prince named Beejgupt from the enchantment of the courtesan. The 1941 version had Miss Mehtab playing the role of Chitralekha while Meena Kumari essayed the same role in the latter version. Another significant trivia about the 1941 version is that it met with objection from the Censor Board for a bathing scene of the actress Mehtab. There was however no controversy regarding the most crucial depiction, that is, the sexual downfall of the saintly spiritual guru, Kumargiri. The cinematic narrative unfolds a philosophical debate between the beautiful courtesan and a morally upright saint. Conceding defeat, the courtesan follows the footprints of the guru and joins the path of spiritual upliftment through penance. However, the guru falls for Chitralekha and realises the weakness of a dehumanising morality and other worldly spirituality.

The songs in both versions of Chitralekha presented a disarming criticism of dominant religious notions. In the 1941 version, the playback singer Ramdulari sang some of the most potent lyrics penned by Kidar Sharma, and composed by musician Jhande Khan who was trained in Indian classical music. The title of the song is self-explanatory, tum jao bade bhagwan bane (pretentious godliness, go away). Likewise, the 1964 version had innumerable songs penned by the legendary poet Sahir Ludhiyanvi sung by Lata Mangeshkar against the musical composition of Roshan. One of the songs derides the guru saying, sansar se bhage firte ho bhagwan ko tum kya paoge (what god will you find, for, you are on a run away from the world).

Another film seeking to liberate god and godliness from the clutches of godmen and societal dominance is I. S. Johar directed Nastik (1954). A commercially successful film, Nastik had a song sung by Kavi Pradeep to the tune of musician C. Ramachandran that summed up the temperament of the whole film. The song in the nasal voice of the singer can still be heard in the nooks and corners of India, which says dekh tere sansar ki halat kya ho bhagwan (see what your world has come to, God). The film was set against the backdrop of the violence of Partition in India revealing the depth of social fissures. The protagonist Anil turns to atheism and is a sworn enemy of the priest, the custodian of religious virtues. The film had an acrimonious relationship between the protagonist who is an anti-hero and god.

At last, seldom could one forget a gem of popular Hindi cinema directed by Yashraj Chopra in 1975, Deewar (The Wall). The quintessential angry young man named Vijay was essayed by Amitabh Bachchan. The film depicted the India of the 1970s which was rife with social and political frustration that enabled the character of Vijay to maintain an unusual relationship with god. He was an agnostic who had never entered a temple before except in the climax of the film. This is an iconic scene that is hitherto etched in collective memory. Upon his mother’s accident, Vijay enters the temple to deliver a critical monologue in front of the idol of lord Shiva. It is not blind faith which made a mortal character Vijay talk to Shiva. Both seemed to be in eternal dialogue with each other. In the relationship between Vijay and lord Shiva one got to see varied emotions such as anger, fear, contempt, and most importantly, love and devotion.

Suffice to say that popular cinema provides abounding social and cultural logic for engagement with religious ideas. With or without protests, such relation-

ships and engagements shall thrive.

Dev Nath Pathak is Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, South Asian University.

A quiz on events and personalities connected with July 5

V. V. Ramanan

Visual question: This is the currency of which South American country that celebrates its Independence Day on July 5.Wikimedia Commons

Question 1

On this date in 1686, which path-breaking book written in Latin by a science genius was authorised by the noted diarist Samuel Pepys who was the then president of the Royal Society?

Question 2

Which country in the Maghreb region of North Africa got its Independence from Spain on July 5 in 1962.

Question 3

Which legendary crooner’s debut single ‘That’s All Right’ was recorded on July 5, 1954?

Question 4

Who created history and how by winning the Gentleman’s Singles title at Wimbledon on this date 49 years ago?

Question 5

What type of animal was Dolly that achieved the distinction of being the first mammal to be cloned from an adult somatic cell?

Question 6

Name the online giant, initially supposed to be ‘Cadabara’ and ‘Relentless’, which was founded on July 5?

Questions and Answers to the previous day’s daily quiz: 1. The reason why the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia rings 13 times every July 4. Ans: As an honour to the 13 original States

2. The distinction Edward Rutledge has among the 56 signatories. Ans: At 26, he was the youngest person to sign the Declaration of Independence

3. The English monarch who ruled the colonies when independence was established and the European capital where the treaty was signed. Ans: George III and Paris

4. The department store that has sponsored the July 4 fireworks ever since 1976. Ans: Macy’s

5. This engraving ‘July IV MDCCLXXVI’ can be seen here. Ans: Statue of Liberty

6. This person is said to have remarked after doing this: “The British ministry can read that name without spectacles; let them double their reward.” Ans: John Hancock when asked why he put a huge signature (the biggest on the document)

7. The year in which July 4 was declared a national holiday in the U.S. Ans: 1870

Visual. Name this U.S. President. Ans: Calvin Coolidge

Early Birds: Ashraf Basha Yakub| Tamal Biswas| Md Sarfaraj Nawab| Jyot Prakash| M. Suresh Kumar

Know your English

K. Subrahmanian

1 of 2

2 of 2

“Keel over (S. N. Azad, New Delhi).”

“ ‘Keel over’ means ‘to turn over or fall down.’

He was walking along with me. Suddenly, he keeled over.”

“ ‘Mysophobia’ (A. S. Das, Cuttack).”

“ ‘Mysophobia’ means ‘morbid fear of contamination.’

She suffers from mysophobia.

The ‘y’ in the word is pronounced like the ‘y’ in ‘my’.”

“Never-never (Mohd. J. Khan, Hyderabad).”

“The idiom is ‘on the never-never’. It means ‘on the hire purchase system’. This is a colloquial expression used mainly in British English.

I bought the washing machine on the never-never.”

“Meaning of the word ‘chutzpah’ (J. Balasubramaniam, Madras).”

“This is American slang. A person with ‘chutzpah’ is a brash, self-confident person. This supreme self-confidence often makes him/her appear extremely offensive or rude, and results in his/her hurting the sensibilities of others.

Venkat has stolen Rs. 50,000 from the company. Now he is applying to the company for a loan to pay the money back. That takes chutzpah.

Rama was less talented than Lalitha. She made up the difference in chutzpah.

In the book The Joys of Yiddish, Leo Rosten writes: “Chutzpah is that quality enshrined in a man who, having killed his mother and father, throws himself on the mercy of the court because he is an orphan.” The word is Yiddish in origin and is spelt in different ways — chutzpa, chutzpah and chuzpa. The ch is pronounced ‘h’ as in ‘hot,’ ‘have’ and ‘hand.’ The ‘u’ is pronounced like the ‘u’ in ‘pull’ and full;’ ‘tz’ is pronounced like the “ts” in words like ‘bits,’ ‘sits’ and ‘bats.’ The ‘a’ in ‘pah’ is pronounced like the ‘a’ in ‘China’ and the final ‘h’ is silent So the word is pronounced ‘hutspa.’ Some pronounce the ‘u’ in the word like the ‘oo’ in ‘fool.’”

“Hunger after (S. Sumati, Kozhikode).”

“You hunger after something when you have an uncontrollable desire to have it; you do everything possible to achieve it. “I can’t understand his hunger after fame.” ‘Hunger for’ means the same as ‘hunger after.’”

“Lord Venkateswara blesses the pilgrims to each back home early — from 11th June 92, Narayanadri Express reaches Secunderabad at 08-05 a.m.” — SCR Advertisement in a newspaper (Submitted by R. Ramachandra Rao, Hyderabad).”

Published in The Hindu on August 4, 1992.

Business

- Industry Ministry pushes for lower duties on input imports

- Port congestion, container dearth, freight cost hit exports

- As sugar stocks rise, ISMA calls for the lifting of export curbs

- GST is still far from simple: former CEA Subramanian

- ‘Partnering with top Indian institutes on decarbonisation R&D’

- ‘Divesting 49% CPSE stakes can yield ₹11.5 lakh cr.’

- LIC raises shareholding in IDFC First Bank to 2.68%

- ‘Housing sales rose 11% in Jan.-June’

- Muthoot Finance selected for FATF report

- ‘FMCG likely to see revenue growth of 7-9% in FY25’

- LIC ropes in A.T. Kearney for agency revamp

- Dr. Reddy’s, Sun Pharma recalling a drug each in U.S.

- Shriram Life Insurance unveils deferred annuity plan

Industry Ministry pushes for lower duties on input imports

Vikas Dhoot

NEW DELHI

Current high tariffs on inputs for items used in electronics, other sectors seen as nullifying gains from the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme vis-a-vis competitors like China and Vietnam

Added push: The Confederation of Indian Industry too mooted lower duties on electronic components. file photo

The Commerce and Industry Ministry has made a pitch for reducing high tariffs on the import of inputs for electronics and other sectors, responding to industry concerns that tariff-induced costs will nullify gains from the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme vis-a-vis rivals like China and Vietnam.

However, there is no proposal to reconsider the restrictions placed on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flows from countries sharing land borders with India through Press Note 3, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh said to a query from The Hindu.

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), in a recent report on electronics production, said the FDI curbs had outlived their utility, and urged their reconsideration with “adequate guardrails”. The CII had also mooted lower duties on components.

“The DPIIT view is that duty inversion and the high import tariffs on inputs will need to be phased out, not only for electronics but perhaps on other sectors as well,” Mr. Singh stressed.

Port congestion, container dearth, freight cost hit exports

M. Soundariya Preetha

COIMBATORE

Rough seas: Some buyers have started demanding airlifting goods and the costs have seen a 20-25% surge, says Subramanian.AFPROSLAN RAHMAN

The recent delays facing exporters on account of port congestion, container shortage and rising freight cost are impacting exports.

“I have 4-5 containers (of tea) ready,” said Dipak Shah, President, The South India Tea Exporters Association. “But, containers are available only after 10 days or so. Many of us have year-long contracts at agreed freight rates. But, the rates have shot up. Shipping time has doubled because of congestion at transhipment ports.”

President of Tiruppur Exporters Association K.M. Subramanian said a 40-feet-high cube container from Thoothukudi to New York used to cost $4,260 in May. On July 1, it was $7,360, he added.

Airlifting goods

With congestion at major transhipment ports, several vessels are skipping some of these ports. At least one mother vessel used to operate from Colombo to the U.S. every week. Now, it is twice a month. So, some buyers are asking for airlifting goods and the costs have seen a 20-25% surge.

S. Mahesh Kumar, a coir exporter, said the Indian government should talk to the shipping lines and ensure adequate space for Indian goods in the vessels as China is said to be using most of the space.

As sugar stocks rise, ISMA calls for the lifting of export curbs

The Hindu Bureau

COIMBATORE

The Indian Sugar and Bio-Energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA) estimates the current sugar season to end in September with a stock of 91 lakh tonnes.

Idle inventory

ISMA in a statement said the sugar marketing season (October to September) every year ends with about 55 lakh tonnes. But this year, it is likely to be higher by 36 lakh tonnes. This “can potentially lead to additional costs for millers on account of idle inventory,” it said.

The opening stock in October last year was about 56 lakh tonnes and expected domestic consumption for the current season is about 285 lakh tonnes.

“ISMA has urged the government to reconsider permitting export of surplus sugar after due consideration of domestic demand and supply.

The government has raised Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of sugarcane for 2024-2025 sugar season by ₹25 per quintal to ₹340 per quintal. This will hike the cane cost and the cost of sugar production and the mills will have to pay for cane supplies within 14 days.

Ethanol blending

Deepak Ballani, Director General, ISMA, said, “Allowing exports would not only ensure a comfortable stock for domestic consumption and sustain the Ethanol Blending Programme (EBP) but also contribute to maintaining the financial liquidity of sugar mills, enabling timely payments to farmers.”

GST is still far from simple: former CEA Subramanian

The Hindu Bureau

NEW DELHI

Revenues from the seven-year old Goods and Services Tax (GST) had not lived up to expectations, having attained pre-GST levels only now, and the goal of a ‘Good and Simple Tax’ remained elusive, former Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian averred, terming the lack of critical data such as refunds a challenge.

Blaming the poor revenue performance to a “rate-cutting spree” by the GST Council between late 2017 and 2019, the economist said both the Centre and States were complicit. “The focus was on collections, because refunds were not published and we were looking at the wrong number.. had the refunds data been published, we would have been much more careful about rate cuts,” he reckoned.

“In February, the government started releasing net GST collection numbers and has now stopped publishing it again. Because we are not getting refunds data, we are under the impression that revenues are doing very well,” Mr. Subramanian said on Thursday at a seminar on seven years of GST hosted by the Centre for Social and Economic Progress.

‘Monstrous structure’

Terming the multiple cess rates and the GST rate structure ‘monstrous’, he mooted the need to try and simplify the GST rates as much as possible.

“You should just have one cess rate, one standard rate and one low rate,” the former CEA stressed.

‘Partnering with top Indian institutes on decarbonisation R&D’

Mini Tejaswi

Bengaluru

Under its academic partnership, Open Innovation, Shell, the London-based oil and gas major says it has partnered with top Indian educational institutions to push deep research in various areas including decarbonisation to support its global energy transition.

‘Fostering innovation’

Ajay Mehta, VP and Chief Engineer R&D, Shell India told The Hindu, “These partnerships aim to foster innovation and accelerate decarbonisation efforts in the energy sector to support the global energy transition.”

Shell has so far collaborated with more than 15 Indian institutes on initiatives like decarbonisation, technology development, knowledge exchange, and start-up incubation. Indian Institute of Science (IISc), IIT Madras, National Chemicals Lab, Pune, and TERI, New Delhi, are some of these institutions.

‘Divesting 49% CPSE stakes can yield ₹11.5 lakh cr.’

The Hindu Bureau

New Delhi

At current market capitalisation, the Centre can raise ₹11.5 lakh crore from disinvestment of Central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) while retaining a majority stake in them, Care Edge Ratings said in a report.

However, the rating agency doesn’t expect a hard push on disinvestment as there is no urgency to do so as the fiscal situation is comfortable with strong non-tax receipts such as dividends from the RBI and CPSEs.

“We believe the government will stick to the 2024-25 [Interim Budget] target of miscellaneous capital receipts, which includes divestment, of ₹500 billion,” it said, adding Shipping Corporation of India’s divestment ‘looks likely’ in FY25.

CARE Edge economists calculated the divestment potential by analysing the data of 59 major listed CPSEs and 15 public sector banks and insurance firms where the government holds more than 51% stake.

The estimate is a little more than twice the total divestment of ₹5.2 lakh crore made since 2014.

“Of this, CPSEs could contribute about ₹5 lakh crore, while PSBs and insurance firms adding ₹6.5 lakh crore,” Care Edge said, identifying Indian Railway Finance Corporation, Hindustan Aeronautics, Coal India and ONGC as the top companies in terms of “divestment potential mathematically.”

LIC raises shareholding in IDFC First Bank to 2.68%

Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) said its shareholding in IDFC First Bank increased after the insurer acquired 18,60,34,900 shares at ₹80.63 apiece in a private placement offer by the lender. From 0.20% of the pre-issue paid-up capital, the shareholding has increased to 2.68% of the post issue paid-up capital of the bank, LIC said in a filing on Thursday. In terms of number of shares, the holding has increased from a little more than 1.42 crore to more than 20.02 crore.

‘Housing sales rose 11% in Jan.-June’

Press Trust of India

New Delhi

Indian real estate market remained buoyant in January-June this year, with housing sales hitting a 11-year high at 1.73 lakh units and office demand at a record 34.7 million sq.ft. across eight major cities, according to Knight Frank.

On an annual basis, housing sales rose 11% to 1,73,241 units while leasing of office space grew 33% to 34.7 million sq.ft. during January-June this year across eight major cities.

Knight Frank India CMD Shishir Baijal noted that premium housing formed 34% of all sales in the first half of 2024.

Muthoot Finance selected for FATF report

The Hindu Bureau

CHENNAI

Muthoot Finance said it was the only Indian NBFC to be selected for The Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) Mutual Evaluation report 2023-24.

“This selection from FATF is a significant achievement for us and is testimony to Muthoot Finance’s legacy as a trusted brand not just in India, but globally,” Muthoot Finance MD George Alexander said.

FATF is a global agency formed in 1989 to develop policies to combat money laundering, terrorism financing and several other significant threats to soundness of the global financial system.

‘FMCG likely to see revenue growth of 7-9% in FY25’

The Hindu Bureau

MUMBAI

The fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector is expected to see revenue grow 7-9% in FY25, riding on higher volume growth, and supported by an expected revival in rural demand and steady urban demand, Crisil Ratings said in a report. This follows 5-7% growth in FY24.

“Product realisations are expected to grow in low single digits with marginal rise in prices of key raw materials for the food and beverages segment. That said, key raw material prices for personal care and home care segments are seen to be stable,” the rating agency said.

LIC ropes in A.T. Kearney for agency revamp

The Hindu Bureau

HYDERABAD

The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) said it had roped in strategy consulting firm A.T. Kearney for agency transformation project.

Besides a review of the existing agency framework of LIC, the project will involve revamping the agency operations at the branch, division and zonal levels with an aim to establish global best practices, the insurer, which has about 14 lakh agents, said on Thursday.

Dr. Reddy’s, Sun Pharma recalling a drug each in U.S.

Dr. Reddy’s is recalling 13,752 bottles of insomnia drug Eszopiclone Tablets, USP 1mg CIV, manufactured at Bachupally in Hyderabad from the U.S. market. Failed impurities/degradation specifications is the reason, the U.S. FDA said. Sun Pharma is recalling 2,088 vials of cancer drug Decitabine for Injection 50mg per vial. The FDA cited deviation in manufacturing standards: ‘out of specification for total aerobic microbial count test for unfiltered bulk decitabine’.

Shriram Life Insurance unveils deferred annuity plan

Shriram Life Insurance has introduced an ‘affordable’ annuity plan that balances long-term savings growth with insurance protection. Individuals aged 40-75 can purchase Shriram Life Deferred Annuity Plan, which offers tax benefits and steady retirement income. The minimum premium starts at ₹60,000 a year. If the death of the annuitant occurs when the policy is in force, the death benefit, i.e. 125% of the purchase price, will be paid to the nominees, the insurer said.

Foreign

- Starmer promises change, Sunak warns of unchecked power

- Saudi Netflix show creator convicted by anti-terrorism court

- Taking control

- ‘Genocidal violence looming in Myanmar’

- Hezbollah fires over 200 rockets into Israel after killing of senior commander

- White House says zero chance Biden will withdraw

- Philippines hopes to sign key defence pact with Japan

- Pro-Palestinian protesters breach security at Australia’s Parliament

- French far right’s Le Pen says absolute majority possible

- Taliban ‘our allies’ in fighting terror as they control Afghanistan: Putin

Limit Labour’s power, Sunak tells voters

Agence France-Presse, Associated Press

London

Labour leader Starmer, tipped to be the next Prime Minister, says Britain’s future is on the ballot , adding that ‘change will only happen if you vote for it’; in a message to his voters, PM Rishi Sunak says the country could wake up to a Labour supermajority, ready to wield their unchecked power

Deciding factor: Labour Party leader Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria outside a polling station in London on Thursday.REUTERSCLAUDIA GRECO

Britain’s Opposition Labour party is poised to win a landslide ending nearly a decade-and-a-half of Conservative rule, according to opinion polls. The first national ballot since Boris Johnson won the Tories a decisive victory in 2019 follows PM Rishi Sunak’s surprise call to hold an election six months earlier than required.

His gamble looks set to backfire spectacularly, with polls throughout the six-week campaign pointing to a heavy defeat for his right-wing party. That would almost certainly put Labour leader Keir Starmer, 61, in Downing Street, as leader of the largest party in parliament.

But Starmer was taking nothing for granted as he urged voters not to stay at home. “Britain’s future is on the ballot,” he said. “But change will only happen if you vote for it.”

Voting began at 7:00 am in more than 40,000 polling stations across the country, from church halls, community centres and schools to more unusual venues such as pubs and even a ship.

Mr. Sunak was among the early birds, casting his ballot at his Richmond and Northallerton constituency in Yorkshire, northern England. Mr. Starmer voted around two hours later in his north London seat, shortly before Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey.

Results from the U.K.’s 650 constituencies trickle in overnight, with the winning party expected to hit 326 seats — the threshold for a parliamentary majority — as dawn breaks Friday.

In a message to voters on Wednesday, Mr. Sunak said, “if the polls are to be believed, the country could wake up tomorrow to a Labour supermajority ready to wield their unchecked power.” He urged voters to back the Conservatives to limit Labour’s power. “I appreciate people have frustrations with our party,” Mr. Sunak conceded on Wednesday. “But tomorrow’s vote... is a vote about the future.”

If the predictions are accurate, Mr. Sunak will on Friday visit head of state King Charles III to tender his resignation. Mr. Starmer will meet the monarch shortly after to take up his invitation to head the next government.

The Labour leader will then travel to Downing Street -- the office and residence of British leaders -- where he would be expected to deliver a speech before making ministerial appointments.

Netflix show creator convicted by Saudi Arabia anti-terrorism court

Agence France-Presse

Riyadh

Abdulaziz Almuzaini

Saudi TV creator Abdulaziz Almuzaini, whose animated Netflix show has made waves for breaking social taboos, said he had been convicted by an anti-terrorism court, prompting condemnation from rights advocates.

The kingdom’s Specialised Criminal Court, established in 2008 to try suspects accused of terrorism, “issued against me [a sentence of] 13 years, followed by a 13-year travel ban”, Mr. Almuzaini said in a video posted online last week that was subsequently deleted.

In a second video posted this week, which is still available on X, Mr. Almuzaini filmed himself inside a car, saying: “I am banned from travelling” out of Saudi Arabia.

Saudi officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday, and there was no word of Mr. Almuzaini — who was not available for comment — having been incarcerated.

His satirical show “Masameer County”, billed as “a humorous view on a changing Saudi”, debuted in 2021.

Episodes tackled topics such as disputes among tribes and Islamic militancy, and even featured oblique references to homosexuality, a potential capital crime in Saudi Arabia.

The Wall Street Journal on Thursday reported that court documents in the case referred to online posts by Mr. Almuzaini which “ridiculed Arab regimes... or voiced support for women’s rights”.

Mr. Almuzaini said in the since-deleted video that the court accused him of promoting homosexuality and militancy.

He also said that he was forced to close his company, Myrkott Animation Studio.

The video included a direct appeal to Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who became first in line to the throne in 2017 and has overseen sweeping social and economic reforms.

“I believe that we are in a country ruled by a rational family, and if one of its citizens is subjected to injustice, I have faith that my voice reaching His Highness the crown prince will correct some of what happened to me,” Mr. Almuzaini said.

Taking control

An air tanker drops retardant behind a home while battling the Toll Fire near Calistoga, California. An extended heat wave blanketing Northern California has resulted in red flag fire warnings and power shutoffs. APNoah Berger

‘Genocidal violence looming in Myanmar’

Agence France-Presse

Geneva

Thomas Andrews

Myanmar’s Rakhine State is facing a terrifying situation similar to the run up to “genocidal violence” eight years ago against the persecuted Rohingya minority, a UN expert warned on Thursday.

Speaking at the United Nations Human Rights Council, Thomas Andrews, the special rapporteur on the situation in Myanmar, voiced deep alarm at recent events in the western region.

“The situation in Rakhine State, where the junta is rapidly losing territory to the Arakan Army, is terrifying,” Mr. Andrews said.

“For Rohingya people — oppressed, scapegoated, exploited, and stuck between warring parties — the situation carries echoes of the lead-up to genocidal violence in 2016 and 2017.”

Clashes have rocked Rakhine State since the Arakan Army (AA) attacked security forces in November.

That ended a ceasefire that had largely held since a military coup in 2021 after a short-lived experiment with democracy.

Mr. Andrews, an independent expert appointed by the rights council who does not speak on behalf of the UN, said the military had been conscripting “thousands of Rohingya youth and mobilising them against the Arakan Army”.

Hezbollah fires over 200 rockets into Israel

Associated Press

BEIRUT

The Lebanese Hezbollah group said it launched over 200 rockets on Thursday at several military bases in Israel in retaliation for a strike that killed one of its senior commanders.

The attack by the Iran-backed militant group was one of the largest in the months-long conflict along the Lebanon-Israel border, with tensions escalating in recent weeks.

The Israeli military said “numerous projectiles and suspicious aerial targets” had entered its territory from Lebanon, many of which it said were intercepted. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

It said about 200 “projectiles” were launched toward the occupied Syrian Golan Heights and over 20 drones into Israeli territory, but that it had intercepted some of them.

Israel after Hezbollah’s attack struck various towns in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military said it struck Hezbollah’s “military structures” in the southern border towns of Ramyeh and Houla.

Israel on Wednesday acknowledged that it had killed Mohammad Naameh Nasser, who headed one of Hezbollah’s three regional divisions in southern Lebanon, a day earlier.

Biden is not quitting race: White House

Agence France-Presse

Washington

Joe Biden LEAH MILLIS

Joe Biden is “absolutely not” pulling out of the U.S. presidential race, his spokesperson said on Wednesday, as pressure mounted following his disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump.

Panic has gripped his Democratic Party in the wake of last week’s TV debate, and internal rumblings about finding a replacement candidate before November’s election have been amplified by polls showing Mr. Trump extending his lead.

The New York Times and CNN reported that Mr. Biden, 81, had acknowledged to a key ally that his re-election bid was on the line if he failed to quickly reassure the public that he was still up to the job. White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre rejected those reports outright, insisting Mr. Biden has no intention of withdrawing.

Philippines hopes to sign key defence agreement with Japan

AFP

The Philippines’ military chief said on Thursday he hoped a key defence pact with Japan allowing for the deployment of troops on each other’s territory will be signed next week. Japanese Defence Minister Minoru Kihara and Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa are set to meet their Philippine counterparts in Manila on Monday. AFP

Pro-Palestinian protesters breach security at Australia’s Parliament

AFP

Pro-Palestinian protesters breached security at Australia’s Parliament House to unfurl banners from the roof on Thursday as a senator quit the government over its direction on the Gaza war. Four protesters were arrested after draping words “war crimes” and “genocide” over the building’s façade known as Great Verandah. AP

French far-right leader Le Pen says absolute majority possible

AP

The French far right National Rally (RN) is still capable of winning an absolute majority in Parliament, three-time presidential candidate Marine Le Pen said on Thursday. If the RN wins an absolute majority of 289 seats in the 577-member National Assembly, it will be able to form a government. AFP

Taliban ‘our allies’ in fighting terror as they control Afghanistan: Putin

REUTERS

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that the Taliban, a banned group in Russia, are Moscow’s “allies” in fighting terrorism because they are in control of Afghanistan. “In this sense the Taliban are our allies in the fight against terrorism, because any authorities are interested in stability in the state they govern,” he said. AFP

Sports

- Passionate fans flock to hail Rohit and his men

- PM Modi has ‘memorable conversation’ with the triumphant Indian squad members

- Rohit & Co. touch down to a rapturous welcome

- Fans were more desperate for the trophy than us: Rohit

- Bumrah says the victory has given the motivation to do it again

- Fantastic note to sign off, says departing coach Dravid

- Umbrellas save the day amidst Mumbai rains

- Virat Kohli fan wears jersey with son Akaay’s name

- Djokovic ‘made to work’ for win over wild-card Fearnley; Bhambri & Olivetti advance

- India takes on a wonky South Africa in T20 leg

- Germany out to snap 36-year winless run against Spain

- We are setting high standards in fielding, says Jemimah

- No surprises in AFI’s 28-member squad for Paris

- Top results

- Snapshots

- Kovai Kings looks to complete a three-peat

- Around THE CITY

- Tight battle expected between Sarthak and Chiranth

- Abhay and Velavan beat Begornia and Pelino

- LiVE TELECAST

- THE MLABA-RI BANGER dances to her own beat

Passionate fans flock to cheer the champion outfit

Amol Karhadkar

MUMBAI

A humongous crowd, braving wet weather and traffic snarls, lines up along Marine Drive to hail with gusto the gaily decorated bus ferrying Rohit and his men to the Wankhede Stadium

Victory drive: The Indian team’s cavalcade winds its way through a sea of fans enthusiastically capturing the moment with their mobile phones.EMMANUAL YOGINI

Being patient, be it for delayed or disrupted local train service or due to traffic snarls, is so ingrained in the life of a Mumbaikar that he or she doesn’t mind when it’s often misrepresented or glorified as the ‘Spirit of Mumbai.’

On Thursday, a majority of those who were stuck in terrible traffic jam would not have minded it.

After all, it was for cricket, another passion of a Mumbaikar as Rohit Sharma’s victorious batch of 2024 “brought the metropolis to a standstill” in a style similar to Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men famously did 17 years ago.

While ‘Dhoni’s Dashers’ 25-km long bus parade in 2007 had attracted lakh of fans, Thursday saw an enormous crowd concentrated in the two-kilometre radius around the Wankhede Stadium.

Delayed

The squad’s arrival from New Delhi, after meeting the Prime Minister, was delayed by almost two hours and by the time the team bus got out of the Mumbai airport, the evening traffic had peaked.

It led to a commotion and a corridor being created for the bus.

Early birds

At the other end of the Maximum City, the fans had thronged in and around the Wankhede Stadium more than six hours before the expected start of the victory parade.

While it was announced that the Wankhede gates would open at 4 p.m., huge queues outside the various gates meant the security forces had to advance the opening to around 3.30 p.m.

With little arrangements in place, it led to a crowding at every staircase entrance.

Though a grievous incident was averted, soon after the gates were locked, abandoned footwear were witnessed at various staircases.

But once they were inside, the spectators were kept entertained by a DJ.

Meanwhile, on the Marine Drive, the police struggled to manage a huge crowd, estimated to be over two lakh.

But once the victory parade — with a 1.7km distance to cover — finally started at 7.38 p.m., the wait through a heated afternoon and a wet evening was worth it as the fans went wild with cheers for India’s second T20 World Cup trophy.

And when the cavalcade entered the Wankhede two hours hence, the 25,000-plus turnout at the ‘Big W’ that had sat patiently, with little to eat or drink, rejoiced along with the Men in Blue.

Worth the wait

On this day, a 17-year-wait for a T20 World Cup seemed nothing for ardent cricket fans in comparison to a six to eight-hour ordeal to celebrate with their cricketing stars!

PM Modi has ‘memorable conversation’ with the triumphant Indian squad members

Press Trust of India

New Delhi

One for the album: Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the Indian team at a breakfast meeting in his official residence on Thursday. AFP

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted the T20 World Cup-winning Indian cricket team for breakfast here on Thursday during which, he said, there were “memorable” conversations on the side’s experiences through the marquee event co-hosted by USA and the West Indies.

The Rohit Sharma-led squad, that won the title after defeating South Africa by seven runs in the final last week, arrived in Delhi early morning after being stranded in Bridgetown, Barbados for five days due to a category 4 hurricane.

“An excellent meeting with our Champions! Hosted the World Cup winning team at 7, LKM and had a memorable conversation on their experiences through the tournament,” Modi posted on ‘X’ along with pictures of him with the team.

The PM was flanked by Rohit and outgoing head coach Rahul Dravid in the group picture.

Several players later shared photos with the PM. Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah posted an image of him and his wife, Sanjana Ganesan, basking in the moment with Modi holding their 10-month old son, Angad.

Kuldeep Yadav also shared images of his interaction and looked emotional while being hugged by Modi.

Pacer Arshdeep Singh and his parents were all smiles posing with Modi.

“What a great honour, meeting our honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji. Thank you sir for inviting us to the Prime Minister’s residence,” star batter Virat Kohli, who was adjudged player of the final for his 59-ball 76, posted on Instagram.

The team had earlier landed in Delhi amid much fanfare before heading to the Prime Minister’s residence for breakfast, where they spent close to two hours.

The Prime Minister’s Office shared a little over a minute-long video in which the players were seen engaging in a chat, sitting in a circle around Modi.

Special jersey

For the interaction, players wore customised jerseys with the world ‘CHAMPIONS’ inscribed in bold letters on the front.

It also featured two stars, denoting the two T20 World Cup titles, above the Team India crest on the top left corner. All of them were seen flashing smiles as they chatted with the PM.

BCCI president Roger Binny and secretary Jay Shah also presented the Prime Minister with a customised Team India jersey with ‘NAMO’ and ‘1’ inscribed on it.

Rohit & Co. touch down to a rapturous welcome

Press Trust of India

NEW DELHI

Cheering away: Fans gathered in huge numbers outside New Delhi airport to receive Team India.SHASHI SHEKHAR KASHYAP

The T20 World Cup-winning Indian cricket team returned to the country here on Thursday morning, aboard a specially-arranged charter flight, with scores of fans lining up outside the airport to welcome the players despite a steady drizzle and heavy security deployment that kept them at a distance from their heroes.

Hundreds of supporters, holding placards congratulating their favourites and waving the National flag, braved the weather to welcome the victorious side, which defeated South Africa last Saturday.

Heavy security was deployed to keep the crowd in check at the Indira Gandhi International airport but that did little to dampen the spirits as fans cheered enthusiastically holding up posters of star batter Virat Kohli, skipper Rohit Sharma and outgoing head coach Rahul Dravid.

The Indian squad, its support staff, the players’ families and some BCCI officials were aboard the flight along with members of the travelling media contingent.

Tired but excited, the players acknowledged the waiting fans by waving at them and flashing warm smiles.

Suryakumar Yadav, who took the match-winning catch of David Miller in the final, was the most enthusiastic in responding to the cheering.

Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant saluted the gathered crowd, while pacer Mohammed Siraj blew flying kisses in their direction.

Rohit and the player-of-the-final Virat Kohli, both of whom retired from T20Is at the end of India’s campaign, were among the last to come out of the VIP exit.

Rohit, who held the coveted trophy in his hands, raised it for the fans to catch a glimpse before boarding the bus. Kohli gave a thumbs up to acknowledge the support before taking his place in the bus.

Buses stationed outside the T3 Terminal then ferried the players to their hotel from where they went to meet the Prime Minister’s at his residence.

Fans were more desperate for the trophy than us: Rohit

Amol Karhadkar

MUMBAI

Good times: Rohit having fun with Suryakumar, Pant, Jaiswal, Samson, Dube, and others at the Wankhede Stadium.PTI

Rohit Sharma, India’s T20 World Cup-winning captain, thanked all the fans for supporting the team during its campaign.

“On behalf of my team and the BCCI, I would like to thank the fans! Ever since we have reached India, we have seen how much it means to them. For the last 11 years, they have wanted the trophy back in India,” said Rohit while addressing a packed Wankhede Stadium.

“As much desperation we had to win the trophy, the fans had it a bit more. This team is special and I am lucky to have had the chance to captain this unit.”

Virat Kohli compared the 2011 ODI World Cup win with the recent triumph. “When we won the World Cup in 2011, there were a lot of tears among the seniors and I couldn’t understand. I was young and we had won the World Cup,” said Kohli.

“But now, with Rohit beside me and after playing for so long, it is special. This is the first time I have seen Rohit show so much emotion on the field. When I was walking up the steps, I was crying, he was crying and we hugged. That is a special moment.”

Bumrah says the victory has given the motivation to do it again

REUTERSFRANCIS MASCARENHAS

Jasprit Bumrah felt it was great to return to Wankhede. “This ground is really special in my life. As an under-19 kid, I came here to play cricket and what I saw today, I will never forget that. Our aim is to take Indian cricket forward. This win gives us the motivation to go ahead and do it again.”

Fantastic note to sign off, says departing coach Dravid

BCCI

Head coach Rahul Dravid stated winning the T20 World Cup was a fitting note to end his stint. “This is a fantastic note to sign off on. I am going to miss all this love. What we have been seeing today and what I have heard since the win shows how India makes cricket brilliant,” said Dravid.

Umbrellas save the day amidst Mumbai rains

REUTERSFRANCIS MASCARENHAS

The sea of blue turned into a sea of black, at least twice, at the Wankhede Stadium. It wasn’t a result of any protest but was due to the string of umbrellas that opened after a sudden cloudburst. Unlike major games, the spectators were allowed to carry props and it helped their cause!

Victorious team presented with cheque for ₹125 crore

REUTERSFRANCIS MASCARENHAS

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) office-bearers presented the T20 World Cup-winning Indian team with a cheque of ₹125 crore during the felicitation function at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday. The team was showered with confetti as it received the award amidst loud cheers from the crowd.

Djokovic ‘made to work’ for win over wild-card Fearnley; Bhambri & Olivetti advance

Associated Press

London

Finding his rhythm: Djokovic said he ‘was not really comfortable in my own skin, particularly in the third and fourth’.APKIRSTY WIGGLESWORTH

Novak Djokovic says he wouldn’t have been surprised if his second-round match against young Jacob Fearnley at Wimbledon went to a fifth set, but he’s “very glad it didn’t.”

The seven-time champion at the All England Club beat his 22-year-old Scottish opponent 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 7-5 on Centre Court on Thursday in another test of his fitness following recent knee surgery.

Fearnley, a wild-card entry who recently finished playing college tennis at TCU, had a strong cheering section that erupted when he took the third set.

“He served very well, it was very difficult to break his serve.

“He made me work, definitely,” Djokovic said.

Iga Swiatek progressed smoothly into the third round at the expense of Croatia's Petra Martic, racking up a 21st straight win.

A single break in the first set put the Polish top seed in charge and she repeated the feat in the second set to seal a 6-4, 6-3 victory.

No. 5 Jessica Pegula become the highest-seeded women’s player to lose. The American was defeated by Wang Xinyu 6-4, 6-7(7), 6-1. For Wang, it was her first victory over a top-10 player.

Britain’s wild-card entry Yuriko Lily Miyazaki won only 19 points en route to a 6-0, 6-0 loss to Daria Kasatkina. She will next face Paula Badosa, who advanced Thursday by beating Brenda Fruhvirtova 6-4, 6-2.

No. 12 Madison Keys marked U.S. Independence Day with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Wang Yafan to reach the third round.

India's Yuki Bhambri and his French partner Albano Olivetti prevailed against Kazkahstan’s Alexander Bublik and Alexander Shevchenko 6-4, 6-4 to move to the men's doubles second round but Olympic-bound N. Sriram Balaji made an exit from the Wimbledon Championships along with Luke Johnson, here on Thursday.

India takes on a wonky South Africa in T20 leg

Lavanya. L

Chennai

Women in Blue have won 11, Proteas four in the 17 games in the shortest format the two have played in the last 12 months ; series crucial for both sides keeping the upcoming T20 WC in mind

Having a good laugh: The Indians enjoying themselves during the practice session on Thursday. R. Ragu

The M.A Chidambaram Stadium here is all set to host its first women’s limited-overs bilateral game in 17 years when India and South Africa spar in the last leg of the multi-format series starting Friday.

South Africa, runner-up in the previous edition held at home, comes into the series with a wonky T20I record. Both teams have played 17 T20Is in the last 12 months. While India has won 11, the Proteas have won just four.

All eyes will be on Marizanne Kapp, who is yet to bowl in this series against India due to a back issue. The ace all-rounder has been stingy with rolling her arm over in the nets as well. Ayabonga Khaka’s return after missing the one-off Test will offer the visitors relief, particularly in the PowerPlay.

Chloe Tryon’s return from a back injury also boosts the Proteas. An explosive middle order bat and a handy left-arm spinner, Tryon will hope to make up for lost time in what is South Africa’s final international assignment before the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in October.

India comes into this series after a 5-0 thrashing of Bangladesh in its backyard, but keep in mind that Harmanpreet and Co. were up against an anaemic batting line-up.

With SA skipper Laura Wolvaardt and Kapp in red hot form, India will have its task cut out over three fixtures here.

Also crucial is how India’s in-form batters led by Smriti Mandhana translate their longer format fluency to the tune of T20Is. With the Asia Cup campaign in Sri Lanka coming right after, this will be perfect conditions for coach Amol Muzumdar to experiment with reason.

While Chennai has traditionally been a spin haven, the edition of the IPL gone by and the recently concluded Test surprisingly had little for the tweakers.

Given that the venue has been strategically chosen keeping India’s World Cup preparation in mind, curators might look to veer away from the flat track the venue saw for the Test.

The teams (from):

India: Harmanpreet Kaur (Capt.) Smriti Mandhana (VC), Uma Chetry (wk), Richa Ghosh (wk), Dayalan Hemalatha, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Amanjot Kaur, Shreyanka Patil, Sajeevan Sajana, Deepti Sharma, Asha Sobhana, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, Shabnam Shakil, Pooja Vastrakar and Radha Yadav.

South Africa: Laura Wolvaardt (C), Tazmin Brits, Mieke de Ridder (wk), Sinalo Jafta (wk), Anneke Bosch, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Marizanne Kapp, Sune Luus, Chloe Tryon, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Eliz-Mari Marx, Nonkululeko Mlaba and Tumi Sekhukhune.'

Match starts at 7 p.m.

Germany out to snap 36-year winless run against Spain

Reuters

Berlin

1 of 3

2 of 3

3 of 3

Germany takes on fellow title contender Spain in their mouth-watering Euro 2024 quarterfinal clash on Friday, hoping to end a winless run at tournaments against them that stretches back to 1988.

The Germans are enjoying their best international tournament in eight years but the match against the Spaniards is also seen as a premature final.

Spain cruised through its group with wingers Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams quickly establishing a superb partnership that has terrorised opposing defences.

With Fabian Ruiz directing their game, often called “possession with a purpose”, there is a constant drive forward instead of merely holding onto the ball. The Germans meanwhile had to dig deep to top their group.

It is how Germany’s defensive organisation copes with Spain’s lethal attacking football that is likely to decide the outcome.

Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann has a tough decision to make for the left back position, with attack-minded David Raum and Maximilian Mittelstaedt having occupied it in recent games.

He could potentially opt for a more defensive option in Benjamin Henrichs.

Meanwhile, in Hamburg, the forward lines of France and Portugal need to fire up again, where every little advantage will likely be crucial in a tight contest.

France has not scored in open play in its last five internationals while Portugal has failed to find the net in its past two outings at Euro 2024.

Ronaldo vs Mbappe

There is no doubting the quality on both sides, with Kylian Mbappe captaining the French and Cristiano Ronaldo bringing record-breaking achievement to Portugal.

But Mbappe is battling with a broken nose in Germany and at the age of 39 Ronaldo’s powers are on the wane.

France coach Didier Deschamps tried to fix the malaise with a three-man strike force against Belgium but the pickings were slim. Defence, ironically given the attacking talent at their disposal, has been France’s strong point in the last weeks.

The margins will likely be fine again and the outcome possibly determined by a moment of genius.

We are setting high standards in fielding, says Jemimah

Lavanya. L

Chennai

Key players: Tryon, returning from injury, and Khaka will take centrestage if Kapp opts not to bowl. R. Ragu

Indian middle-order mainstay Jemimah Rodrigues identified fielding as an area of constant improvement for the Indian team ahead of its three-match T20I series against South Africa starting here on Friday.

“As the Indian women’s cricket team, we are setting our standards high and we will continue to do whatever it takes to maintain that standard. If there is one thing for a very long time that we were missing somewhere towards the end, where we would come close and miss out, we know it’s fielding.”

Jemimah revealed that while specialist batting and bowling camps have been held for the outfit, fielding and fitness, coach Amol Muzumdar’s two non-negotiables for the outfit, were never compromised on.

The series will also see local girl Dayalan Hemalatha potentially set the stage on fire.

“I’m very happy for her because we know what she’s been through. She’s not had the best of times, even back home. Coming into the WPL and then getting that one opportunity because Yastika Bhatia was injured and then making the best of it shows what her mindset is.”

Jemimah is excited to continue playing before a Chennai crowd that kept India’s spirits high during the draining red-ball fixture.

“I think the crowd in Chennai is going to be amazing. I just heard that it’s been 17 years since a women’s (white ball bilateral) match has happened here. We can’t wait for the T20Is.”

Need to score more

As South Africa gets ready for its ‘last T20 dress rehearsal’ ahead of the T20 World Cup later this year with the three T20Is against India, skipper Laura Wolvaardt is wary of getting ahead of herself, as a batter and as a team.

The two teams head into the last leg of the multi-format tour on the back of a hard-fought Test that India eventually won by 10 wickets. “It’s difficult going both ways. It’s difficult to adapt to the Test and then to unadapt from the Test. My net today wasn’t the best ever,” Wolvaardt admitted on the eve of the first T20I.

Wolvaardt says the T20Is offer her side a chance to experiment.

“It’s a good time to see if we could perhaps use a bit more spin in the PowerPlay and in the death.”

With Marizanne Kapp still doubtful with the ball, the pressure doubles on a slightly shaky batting order.

“The batting unit needs to find those extra 10-20 runs. Throughout that Australia series, we were pushing 150,160.

“But with how the game is nowadays and more flat wickets, teams are scoring 180-200, we need to go in that direction, be brave and play positive cricket.”

No surprises in AFI’s 28-member squad for Paris

Sports Bureau

New Delhi

Focused: Neeraj would hope to repeat the Tokyo Olympics feat despite the severe competition he is likely to face.K.R. Deepak

India will field a 28-member athletics squad at the Paris Olympics, headlined by Neeraj Chopra in javelin.

The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) announced the squad on Thursday with no surprises, including all those who have either achieved the qualifying standard or made the cut through world rankings.

The only name missing was long jumper Jeswin Aldrin, who was expected to be included in place of an injured M. Sreeshankar.

Sreeshankar’s withdrawal is expected to see Jeswin climb to 32nd and make the Olympics list, but the AFI clarified that Jeswin, currently ranked 33rd, will have to wait till the final rankings list is updated on Sunday.

Two triple-jump entries

Apart from javelin, India will have two entries in triple jump as well.

Quartermiler Kiran Pahal, who qualified at the recent Inter-State championships and was surprisingly fielded by the AFI in a last-ditch attempt to qualify in the mixed relay as well, has not been named for the women’s relay team.

The squad:

Men: Avinash Sable (3000m steeplechase), Neeraj Chopra, Kishore Jena (javelin), Tajinderpal Singh Toor (shot put), Praveen Chithravel, Abulla Aboobacker (triple jump), Sarvesh Kushare (high jump), Akshdeep Singh, Vikash Singh, Paramjeet Singh Bisht (20km race walk), Muhammed Anas, Muhammed Ajmal, Amoj Jacob, Santhosh Tamilarasan, Rajesh Ramesh, Mijo Chacko Kurian (4x400m relay), Suraj Panwar (race walk mixed marathon).

Women: Kiran Pahal (400m), Parul Chaudhary (3000m steeplechase and 5000m). Jyothi Yarraji (100m hurdles), Annu Rani (javelin throw), Abha Khatua (shot put), Jyothika Sri Dandi, Subha Venkatesan, Vithya Ramraj, M.R. Poovamma, Prachi (4x400m relay), Priyanka Goswami (20km race walk/ race walk mixed marathon).

Men: Second round: 24-Tabilo (Chi) bt Cobolli (Ita) 7-6(4), 7-6(4), 4-6, 4-6, 6-4; 15-Rune (Den) bt Wild (Bra) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2; 13-Fritz (USA) bt Rinderknech (Fra) 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4; Halys (Fra) bt 21-Khachanov (Rus) 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4; Norrie (GBr) bt 28-Draper (GBr) 7-6(3), 6-4, 7-6(6).

9-de Minaur (Aus) bt Munar (Esp) 6-2, 6-2, 7-5; Fils (Fra) bt 7-Hurkacz (Pol) 7-6(2), 6-4, 2-6, 6-6, ret.; 14-Shelton (USA) bt Harris (RSA) 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-7(5), 6-3, 7-6(7); 10-Dimitrov (Bul) bt Juncheng (Chn) 5-7, 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-2, 6-4; Shapovalov (Can) bt Altmaier (Ger) 7-6(3), 6-3, 1-6, 6-7(3), 6-4; 2-Djokovic (Srb) bt Fearnley (GBr) 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 7-5; Popyrin (Aus) bt 30-Etcheverry (Arg) 3-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3; 25-Musetti (Ita) bt Darderi (Ita) 6-4, 4-6, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4. Kecmanovic (Srb) bt 27-Griekspoor (NEd) 4-6, 7-6(7), 1-6, 6-2, 6-3; 12-Paul (USA) bt Virtanen (Fin) 4-6, 6-3, 5-7, 7-5, 6-4; Struff (Ger) bt 32-Zhang (Chn) 5-7, 6-3, 7-6(1), 7-6(8); 1-Sinner (Ita) bt Berrettini (Ita) 7-6(3), 7-6(4), 2-6, 7-6(4).

Doubles: First Round: Bhambri (Ind) & Olivetti (Fra) bt Bublik (Kaz) & Shevchenko (Rus) 6-4, 6-4; 4-Pavic (Cro) & Arevalo-Gonzalez (Esa) bt Sriram Balaji (Ind) & Johnson (GBr) 6-4, 7-5.

Women: Second round: 21-Svitolina (Ukr) bt Niemeier (Ger) 6-3, 6-4; Pera (USA) bt 23-Garcia (Fra) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4; 1-Swiatek (Pol) bt Martic (Cro) 6-4, 6-3; 4-Rybakina (Kaz) bt Siegemund (Ger) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.

14-Kasatkina (Rus) bt Miyazaki (GBr) 6-0, 6-0; 12-Keys (USA) bt Wang Yafan (Chn) 6-2, 6-2; Putintseva (Kaz) bt 27-Siniakova (Cze) 6-0, 4-6, 6-2; Maneiro (Esp) bt Bucsa (Esp) 7-6(1), 6-3; 31-Krejcikova (Cze) bt Volynets (USA) 7-6(6), 7-6(5); 20-Haddad Maia (Bra) bt Osorio (Col) 3-0, ret.; 18-Kostyuk (Ukr) bt Saville (Aus) 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-4; Wang Xinyu (Chn) bt 5-Pegula (USA) 6-4, 6-7(7), 6-1; 17-Kalinskaya (Rus) bt Bouzkova (Cze) 6-4, 6-1; Dart (GBr) bt 32-Boulter(GBr) 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(8); 13-Ostapenko (Lat) bt Snigur (Ukr) 6-3, 6-0; 10-Jabeur (Tun) bt Montgomery (USA) 6-1, 7-5; 11-Collins (USA) bt Galfi (Hun) 6-3, 6-4. 9-Sakkari (Gre) bt Rus (Ned) 7-5, 6-3; Zhu (Chn) bt 25-Pavlyuchenkova (Rus) 6-4, 6-3; 7-Paolini (Ita) bt Minnen (Bel) 7-6(5), 6-2; 28-Yastremska (Ukr) bt Gracheva (Rus) 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(5).

Dijon: Bucharest:

Groenewegen wins sixth stage, Pogacar still in lead

Dijon: Dutch sprinter Dylan Groenewegen won stage six of the Tour de France on Thursday after an eye-catching run though Burgundy ended in a mass dash for the finish line in Dijon.

Tadej Pogacar retained the yellow jersey by 45sec from Belgian Remco Evenepoel while defending champion Jonas Vingegaard is third.

Gukesh holds

leader Caruana

Bucharest: World Championship challenger D. Gukesh played out a draw with tournament leader and top seed Fabiano Caruana of United States in the seventh round of the Superbet classic chess tournament.

On another ‘all-draws’ day, R. Praggnanandhaa signed peace with Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia leaving the lead positions intact like the previous round.

Caruana on 4.5 points remains in front with two victories and five draws and is followed by Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa and Alireza Firouzja of France, who are all half a point behind the American.

The results (round 7): Nepomniachtchi (FIDE) 3.5 drew with Praggnaanandhaa 4; Bogdan-Daniel (Rom) 2.5 drew with Firouzja (Fra) 4; Giri (Ned) 3 drew with Vachier-Lagrave (Fra) 3.5; Gukesh 4 drew with Caruana (USA) 4.5; Wesley So (USA) 3 drew with Abdusattorov (Uzb) 3.

Kovai Kings looks to complete a three-peat

S. Prasanna Venkatesan

SALEM

Excitement is in the air again as the eighth season gets underway with the team taking on Super Gillies in the inaugural match

Key player: Lyca Kovai Kings will look to skipper Shahrukh Khan to deliver the goods.Special Arrangement

T. Natarajan. Varun Chakaravarthy. Sai Sudharsan.

Would the world at large have known the talent and potential of these players if not for the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL)? Doubtful. This is what TNPL has done, can do.

Why, just last season, it showcased Poiyamozhi, the Dwayne Bravo-esque slow-ball bowler; Subodh Bhati, the Natarajan-type yorker bowler; leg-spinner Jhathavedh Subramanyan, who has a Ravi Bishnoi-like angled run-up; off-spinner Rajendran Karthikeyan, the R. Ashwin-like carrom-ball bowler; Harish Kumar, the Mohammed Shami-like straight-seam presenter; K. Easwaran, who has a Makhaya Ntini-like bowling action; R. Silambarasan, Athisayaraj Davidson, and W. Antony Dhas, the Malinga-like slingers who played for the same team; G. Ajitesh, a Rohit Sharma-like fine puller of the ball.

Also, there’s this uniqueness of it. Where else to watch B. Aparajith pick an R. Ashwin carrom-ball and smack it for a six? Ashwin and Varun bowl in tandem? Umpire Kaushik Gandhi play?

Naturally, excitement is in the air again as the eighth season gets underway at the Salem Cricket Foundation ground here on Friday.

As usual, there are marquee players to watch out for. Sai Kishore, who has had a great season with Tamil Nadu and fetched the highest auction price in TNPL history, will be one such name to watch out for.

Though the Zimbabwe-bound Sai Sudharsan is set to miss at least the initial few matches, he’s sure to pull in crowds to the grounds and grab eyeballs on TV when he’s back.

As Lyca Kovai Kings looks to complete a three-peat, it’ll be looking to make a winning start to its campaign as it takes on Chepauk Super Gillies in the inaugural match.

On the eve of the match, Super Gillies captain Aparajith highlighted how the league’s been exponentially fielding players from the districts with every passing season and how players who become break-out stars from the league almost always end up playing in the IPL and for India.

Time for the next batch of break-out stars!

Rejan Abinav (Tirunelveli, 104).

Rejan Abinav helps Tirunelveli advance

Skipper J. Rejan Abinav’s century helped Tirunelveli secure the first innings lead over Coimbatore and enter the semifinals of the TNCA under-14 inter-district cricket tournament in Coimbatore on Thursday.

The scores (quarterfinals, final day):

At Thiruvallur: Namakkal 65 & 67/4 in 24.4 overs drew with Thiruvallur 262 in 86.1 overs (S. Gautam Anand 113, Chetan Kumar Meena 47). Thiruvallur advanced on first innings lead.

At Erode: Kancheepuram 206 & 36/3 in 7 overs (V.S. Pugal Maran 3/8) drew with Erode 237/5 in 90 overs (M. Nihil Jaganaath 32, P.A. Iniyavel 60 n.o., V.S. Pugal Maran 64 n.o.). Erode advanced on first innings lead.

At Salem: Salem 199 & 23/0 in 8 overs drew with Chengalpattu 305/9 in 90 overs (R. Krithik Sai 40, B. Akshadh Rao 79, A.I. Ashwin 48, Ansh Adiga 88). Chengalpattu advanced on first innings lead.

At Coimbatore: Coimbatore 182 drew with Tirunelveli 246/8 in 90 overs (J. Rejan Abinav 104, G. Abhinav 51). Tirunelveli advanced on first innings lead.

Sale of tickets at venue for ‘G’ stand

Fans can purchase tickets for the first T20I between India and South Africa (Women) at the venue on Friday. This is in addition to the online tickets (www.insider.in).

Tickets for the ‘G’ upper stand, priced at ₹100, will be sold from 3 p.m. onwards at Gate No. 11 on Wallajah Road. Spectators must proceed to Gate No 9 to enter the ‘G’ upper stand. Only a limited number of seats are available.

Cricket trials

The selection trials for under-16 boys will be held on July 16, 18, 20 and 21 at MAC ‘B’ Grounds. Boys born on or after September 1, 2008, and on or before August 31, 2010, are only eligible to participate.

Players can register on (www.tnca.in).

Registration starts on July 5 (10 a.m) and closes on July 11 (6 p.m.).

Pintu and Hemant

pair wins

The pair of Pintu Sao and Hemant Ahirwar won the IIT Alumni Open Bridge tournament with a score of 66.67%.

The results: 1. Pintu Sao & Hemant Ahirwar 66.67 %; 2. D. Vijay & Uma Rajesh 62.31%; 3. L. Ravichandran & N. Periasamy 59.85%.

Tight battle expected between Sarthak and Chiranth

Sports Bureau

Chennai

TVS Racing teenager Sarthak Chavan set the pace during the free practice session at the second round of the MRF MMSC FMSCI Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2024 on Thursday.

The Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open bikes ran on slick tyres for the first time in the championship, and the lap timings fell by at least a second during Thursday’s practice session.

Sarthak and Chiranth Vishwanath expectedly dominated the time sheets, clocking best laps of 01 minute, 49.551 secs and 01:49.962, respectively.

It was a pointer to yet another tight battle between the two 17-year-olds during the double-header over the weekend.

Championship leader Abdul Basim (Rockers Racing) set a hot pace in the Novice (Stock 165cc) category, clocking a best lap of 02:08.566, well clear of Tasmai Cariappa (Motul Sparks Racing), who managed 02:09.445.

Ann Jennifer (Alpha Racing India) , posted the best lap of 02:08.954 in the girls’ (Stock 165cc) category, well clear of team-mate Nadine Faith Balaji.

Varun Patil (02:00.778) was the fastest in the stock 301-400cc (Novice) category ahead of Kaushik Subbaiah Ganesan (RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate), winner of both races in the first round, who put in a hot lap of 02:00.975.

Abhay and Velavan beat Begornia and Pelino

The top-seeded Indian pair of Abhay Singh and Velavan Senthilkumar defeated the Philippines duo of Reymark Begornia and David William Pelino 11-4, 11-6 in a Pool A men’s doubles match of the Asian doubles squash in Johor, Malaysia, on Thursday.

The results: Men (Pool A): Abhay Singh & Velavan Senthilkumar bt Reymark Begornia & David William Pelino (Phi) 11-4, 11-6.

Women (Pool B): Rathika Suthanthira Seelan & R. Pooja Arthi bt Rafia Putri Yattaqi & Zalzabila (Ina) 11-1, 11-4; Rathika & Pooja lost to Tze Lok Ho & Ching Hei Fung (HKG) 4-11, 6-11.

Mixed doubles (Pool C): Abhay Singh & Joshna Chinappa bt Anders Ong & Naisha Singh (Sin) 11-3, 11-6; Abhay & Joshna bt Yvonne Dalida & Reymark Begornia (Phi) 11-3, 11-4.

Wimbledon: SS Select 1, 2 (SD & HD) & Hotstar, 3.30 p.m. onwards

India Women vs South Africa Women: 1st T20I, Sports 18-1 (SD & HD) & JioCinema, 7 p.m.

TNPL: Star Sports 1 (SD & HD) & FanCode, 7.15 p.m.

Football: Euro 2024, Sony Sports Ten 2, 3, 5 (SD & HD) & LIV, 9.30 p.m. & 12.30 a.m. (Saturday)

Badminton: Canada Open, Sports 18-1 (SD & HD) & JioCinema, 10.30 p.m.

THE MLABA-RI BANGER dances to her own beat

Lavanya Lakshmi Narayanan

Nonkululeko Mlaba has come a long way from being a nervous 19-year-old finding her feet in international cricket, overcoming the shadows of socio-economic constraints to being a bright spin prospect for South Africa

1 of 2 I think she wants to be number one, she works really hard. I love the fire that's burning inside of her Chloe Tryon South African allrounder

2 of 2 Getty ImagesMARCO LONGARI

Nonkululeko Mlaba’s life looked very different five years ago. She was still coming through the ranks of age-group and club cricket, showing sparks of brilliance that could be fanned for the national team someday.

Her rise from the grassroot level to the National Academy and eventually the South African national women’s cricket team happened in the blink of an eye. From the scenic locales of Durban where she sharpened much of her toolkit as a cricketer, she suddenly found herself on the plane to India, all set for her first rodeo in international cricket.

September 24, 2019. Surat. Plenty of debutants in the fray. The Lalbhai Contractor Stadium was hosting its first ever international match. A 15-year-old Shafali Verma had been handed her maiden T20I cap, as was a 19-year-old Mlaba.

“I knew how Indian people love cricket. Making my debut here in India, seeing a lot of people attending the game almost felt like a movie or a dream. I was so nervous. It was so loud that I couldn’t even hear my own teammates talking to me,” the left-arm spinner reminisces, while in the middle of yet another assignment in the subcontinent.

Noises. A phenomenon she would have to contend with her whole life, for better or for worse.

That initiation was a hard one. She’d have to wait for five more months to finally manage her first international wicket, in a T20 World Cup no less, when she dismissed Thailand’s Sornnarin Tippoch in a game the Proteas won by a whopping 113 runs.

Luck by chance

Mlaba hails from KwaMashu, a South African township (areas that were underdeveloped and racially segregated in the lead-up to and during the apartheid era in the country). She then moved to Ntuzuma to stay with her uncle, aunt and cousins at the age of 13.

As a teenager, Mlaba’s first passion was dancing, particularly the traditional dancing style of the region called Pantsula - a style that emerged from the townships as a form of commentary during the ages of social separation. However, in Ntuzuma, she found no one to really pursue this passion with. Dancing’s void allowed cricket to enter the room.

Mlaba took up the sport as a way to kill time. She followed her brother and sisters to the local ground to watch them train. Eventually, she began going every day.

Eventually, she found herself in Lindelani Cricket Club and she has not turned back since.

“I didn't go to a big school where I’d get to see people of other races. I went to school in the township. For me, as a township girl, to play cricket….starting out, cricket was more for white people. For me to get to where I am motivated a lot of people and helped them see that anything is possible,” Mlaba says. Her teammate Nondumiso Shangase has a similar story.

Spinning away to success

Mlaba started out as a pacer, a story countless spinners will relate to world over. In her case, it wasn’t a lack of purchase or a certain paucity of ability that pushed her to the world of spin. It was a coach’s call at club level.

“In my club, we only had one spinner and we also had one left-arm pacer. My coach decided to move me to spin so there would be a right-left spin combination. It wasn't too hard. I had to fine-tune some technique but I naturally got the turn.”

But the pacer in you never dies. Speed still makes its way into her game every now and again.

“I’m happy with spin,” she quips when asked if she misses life as a seam bowler. “When I asked one of my teammates who bowls pace, they're always complaining. You have to run in. I feel like it's a lot of work. Spin is also hard, it's technically difficult. But now and then, I have this arm ball. It's very fast because I used to bowl pace. I like using it from time to time and it's faster than some of the pace bowlers in the squad.”

“Sometimes, I feel that if I am bowling slower, if I don't bowl it in the right spots, I get hit everywhere. So then I tend to stick to what I know. It's not exactly quicker, but it's flatter.”

Mlaba modelled her game on Imran Tahir starting out, a player and person she grew to be quite fond of as a mentor. Eventually, Keshav Maharaj also became one of her idols and is someone she turns to for advice even today.

Taking the bull by its horns

Life has never been easy for Mlaba. She is a player with a natural ability to turn the ball who is now trying to make space in a world of flat T20 tracks. India, known for its spin-friendly tracks, would have been an opportunity leaving Mlaba licking her lips, as South African skipper Laura Wolvaardt put it ahead of their multi-format tour of the nation this year. But through the course of the ODIs in Bengaluru and the one-off Test in Chennai, the surfaces left Mlaba questioning her own abilities.

“(Maharaj) told me Chennai is spin-friendly. I was very excited. But as soon as I started bowling, I was like, ‘No man, what's going on? Am I not bowling the right lengths?’ Everything was off for me. If I bowled a bit into the spot, it was turning a lot and went wide. If I tried to get to the stump line, it wasn't doing what I wanted either. It was very difficult.”

An opponent as strong as India, at home to boot, only made things twice as challenging, but Mlaba is always up for a fight.

“I really like India (conditions and the team) because they really come hard at me. They really want to hit me hard. I just love that coz I just go like 'Do it again.' If they hit me for six, I'm just like, 'Do it again.'I love the challenge that they give me. It's nice for me as a bowler. I love T20 and to play against India, I know they come down hard on the bowlers especially the spinners. If you toss it up a bit, it's gone. I feel like they make me grow a lot in my bowling.”

Ahead of what promises to be a fiercely contested T20I series against India, Mlaba is looking forward to her battles with Smriti Mandhana, whom she has dismissed a number of times in the past, including twice already in the current tour.

“Even though the ball is turning into the left handers, I somehow get wickets. I don't know how. I love bowling to left-handers even though they challenge me a lot. I love challenges. I've gotten Mandhana a lot. Back home, during the tri-series, she was struggling. I know she's going to come hard at me and might have done a lot of research to do that. I am waiting for that challenge.”

Mlaba enjoys encounters against the best in the world. Another instance is facing Suzie Bates in the T20 World Cup at home last year. Mlaba was crucial to South Africa’s 65-run where she took three wickets including getting Bates for a two-ball duck. Her dancing celebration went viral from that game and is understandably a core memory for the spinner in her still flourishing international career.

“I was very angry with how I started in the first game against Sri Lanka. I kept thinking this is not my standard. After that, to play the second game at Paarl on a spin-friendly turf, I kept thinking, I had to get this right now. I am in my country, I am used to these conditions, I need to come up with something good.

“My friend and teammate Masabata Klaas came to me that morning and said, ‘If you don't get this right, I am going to punch you in the face.’ Obviously, she was joking but it really pumped me up.

Noise made an appearance again, this time through the comments of critics on her social media accounts, something she quite guiltily admits she needs to stop.

“Another thing that really made me perform that way was the comments online. I read a lot of comments online, I maybe shouldn't be doing that as a professional. The more I read them, the more I grow as a person, because it just pisses me off.

“Most of the time, I just laugh at some of the comments I get. Even if something nasty is said about me. When I am playing, I always remember some of the negative comments. Maybe the person wasn't trying to be mean, maybe they were trying to help me in some way, but I need to stop reading these comments,” she shrugs.

Acing the last mile

South Africa made it to the final of that edition, pitted against Meg Lanning’s Australia in the final. In a maiden summit clash appearance against one of the most dominant sides in the game’s history, the Proteas folded. A similar story unfolded a little over a year later with the men against an Indian side in the Men’s T20 showpiece in Barbados.

Mlaba believes the wounds have closed over and hopes that learning is the way to heal.

“It was a bit overwhelming for us. We didn't know how to do certain things in some situations. I think we should have been calmer. We were just rushing, we were trying to do so many things. We should have tried to take every ball one at a time.”

That final was not without its personal positives. For Mlaba, it gave her community an opportunity to step up for one of their own.

“Funny part is, in my township, a lot of people know I play cricket. Mostly, it's the older people who watch cricket. But when we made the final, I don’t know what happened. The people in my township put up a screen and were watching. They sent me the videos and it was so lovely. They supported us so much. I felt so good and I feel that's inspired so many youngsters and teenagers.

In a few months’ time, another World Cup will see the Proteas head to Bangladesh for a chance to right the wrongs of 2023. It’s been a harder journey with the side in major transition after key retirements since the last edition. Mlaba is not the cherubic youngster waiting to make a mark. She’s the hardened professional now expected to lead. She knows pressure and the nerves are okay. She’s always gotten past them and she’s not quite done dancing to her own beat just yet.

Science

- Radiationbiodosimetry: the ABCs of responding to a radiological event

- The science of hydration

- Education ‘remains the most effective contraceptive’

Guy Garty, Venkatachalam P

The time required to report the dose iscritical, treatments for radiation are more effective the earlier they are administered. It would therefore be beneficial for the assay to produce a same-day result. The team at Columbiais working to reduce assay time, on an HTS platform, to under 4 hours

1 of 2 Dr. Guy Garty with Medical Students at the INDO-USA-Sparc Workshop at the Sri Ramachandra,Institute of Higher Education and Research in Porur. VELANKANNI RAJ B VELANKANNI RAJ_B

2 of 2 Biodosimetryallows one to determine the amount of radiation to which an individual was exposed based on changes in blood, urine, or hair. It would be useful in a radiological event where the exposed individuals do not carry any radiation monitoring devices

After a large-scale radiological event, such as an Improvised Nuclear Device or reactor accident, it is important to identify those individuals who have received a significant dose of radiation and would benefit from one of the drugs that have been recently approved to treat radiation sickness. These drugs are most effective when administered within a few days of exposure. It is also critical to reassure those individuals who have not received a significant dose but are extremely concerned, preventing them from overwhelming hospitals. Thus, there will be a pressing need to assess, within a few days, the radiation doses received by tens or hundreds of thousands of individuals.

What isbiodosimetry?

Biodosimetryallows one to determine the amount of radiation to which an individual was exposed based on changes in blood, urine, or hair. It would be particularly useful in a radiological event where the exposed individuals do not carry any personal radiation monitoring devices.

The gold standardbiodosimetryassay is measurement of chromosome aberrations, in white blood cells.When irradiated, DNA in the blood cells gets broken and is repaired within a few hours. In some cases, there is an incorrect repair, joining fragments from different chromosomes, forming a ‘DicentricChromosome (DC)’ – a chromosome with two centromeres. Because a DC can only be formed by radiation, measuring these chromosomes is a specific and sensitive indicator of past radiation exposure. In order to measureDC, lymphocyte from the exposed individuals is cultured to begin division and then the chromosomes are spread on a slide and stained. The DC are then counted either while looking down a microscope directly or in images captured at high magnification. Due to the need for culturing the cells followed by the analysis of few hundred metaphases, the overall time taken to produce a result is about 2-3 days. Over the past decades, theDicentricChromosome Assay (DCA) has been successfully employed in many radiation accidents, where the number of exposed people is small. However, as implemented in a clinical cytogenetic lab, the DCA is toolabourintensive to be practically applied in a larger event, with a throughput of a few tens of samples per day.

A second, slightly simpler, assay is the Cytokinesis Block Micronucleus Assay (CBMN), where the white blood cells are made to divide, but arrested before division is complete. This forms a cell with two nuclei. Following radiation exposure some DNA will be ejected during division forming a “micronucleus”. This assay is slightly simpler to perform and score but overall time to answer is longer (~3 days), as it requires longer culturing of the cells.

Measurement on the phosphorylated form of specific histone protein, an inherent component of chromosomes known as the “gamma-H2AX’ assay, has the potential to segregate the exposed from that of unexposed and those exposed to low dose versus highdose without culturing cells, within 6-8 hours of time. This assay needs tobeperformed within 24 hours owingtothe kinetics of histone phosphorylation.

Increasing throughput

The traditional approach to increasing the throughput ofbiodosimetryassays is to implement a lab network, where samples are shared between a dozen or more labs around the world, however this does not provide a sufficient increase in throughput to cope with a large radiological event.

Over the last 20 years the Center for Radiological Research at Columbia University has developed automatable versions of the majorbiodosimetryassays, performed in 96-well plates. The use of 96-well plates allows a significant increase in throughput as 96 samples are processed simultaneously.

The first iteration of the Rapid AutomatedBiodosimetryTool (RABiT) used custom robotics to perform the CBMN assay with a target throughput of 6000 samples per day per machine. More recently we haveimplemented both the CBMN and DCA assays on several commercial High Throughput Screening (HTS) platforms, dubbed “RABiT-II”. HTS systems use robotics, liquid handling devices and automated microscopes to quickly conduct millions of chemicals, genetic, or pharmacological tests. In the pharmaceutical industry, these systems leverage automation to quickly assay the biochemical activity of many drug-like compounds. In academia, the same systems are increasingly used to arrive at fundamental biological insights rather than drug candidates.

The broad deployment of HTS platforms would allow significantly increased throughput for performingbiodosimetry, with each machine capable, in principle, of analyzing thousands of samples per day. A second major advantage is reliability. A commercial system with such diverse deployment capabilities undergoes rigorous quality control during development, manufacture and most importantly maintenance. Indeed, the quality of HTS data is very high and often better controlled than data generated by lower-throughput biological tests. Because these systems are in continuous operation, they also have a broad base of trained users and maintenance personnel ensuring successful operationduring acrisis. This would obviously not be the case with a custom robotic system which would likely be in storage for years or decades before use.

Reducing time to answer

Obviously, the time required to report the dose iscritical,many of the treatments for radiation sickness are more effective the earlier they are administered. It would therefore be very beneficial for the assay to produce a same-day result. As they currently exist the DCA and CBMN assays cannot do this, as cells need to be cultured for 2-3 days. The DCA can be significantly accelerated by treating the cells with specific Kinases that cause the chromosomes to condense without the need for culturing. This Premature Chromosome Condensation (PCC) assay can potentially provide a same day dose estimate. The team at ColumbiaUniversityis currently working to reduce assay time, when implemented on an HTS platform, to under 4h.

Logistics

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests establishing Community Reception Center (CRC) locations as quickly as possible in the aftermath of a large-scale radiological or nuclear incident, after which the public will be provided with information about CRC locations and will be provided with instructions regarding who should report to which CRC. The CRC itself will include several distinct areas in which persons will be screened for external contamination, decontaminated, if necessary, entered into the long-term tracking system, and discharged with appropriate instructions. In order to cope with the high number of individuals that need to be tested, the U.S. government envisages a two-tier triage scheme: a rapid Point-of-Care (POC)biodosimetryassay and a hospital- or lab-basedbiodosimetryassay.

The POC test will be administered at the CRC and is meant to provide a binary (exposed/not exposed) answer within 30 minutes but no dose estimate. One candidate POC assay is based on a protein signature using a lateral flow assay, like aCovid test. Individuals found to be unexposed using this test will be sent home (but may be asked to return for follow-up later).

Individuals found to be exposed, using the POC test, will be required to submit to a lab- or hospital-based test, such as DCA or CBMN, implemented ideally on a HTS platform. This test requires more time to perform but can determine dose with higher precision and can be used to assign individuals to treatment categories. For example, individuals who received lower doses would only need observation while a higher dose category would benefit from administration of one of the drugs that were recently approved by the FDA for mitigating radiation sickness. Individuals who have received even higher doses may benefit from a bone marrow transplant.

At a later stage, once all seriously injured individuals have been treated, this test can then be offered to the rest of the population to provide information on long term risks and to identify individuals requiring, for example, increased cancer screenings.

In conclusion, high throughput automatedbiodosimetryoffers the opportunity to perform dose assessment on a large number of people in the event of a large-scale radiological or nuclear incident.

It fits well with the current operation concept, as a 2nd-tier triage separating exposed individuals into treatment categories and later for long-term epidemiological follow-up.

( Dr. GuyGartyisthe Director, Radiological Research Accelerator Facility&Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology atCUMC, USA(email:gyg2101@cumc.columbia.edu)

&Dr. Venkatachalam P.isthe Professor & Headwith the department ofHuman Genetics & Associate Dean for Research,SriRamachandraInstitute of Higher Education atChennai, India(venkip@sriramachandra.edu.in).)

Anjali Srivastava

1 of 2 Visual:Identify this glandin red, which releases the hormone vasopressin to help regulate the body’s water balance by signalling the kidneys to retain water. Getty Images janulla

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Question 1

This specific electrolyte, essential for nerve function and muscle contraction, is often lost through sweat and must be replenished during intense physical activity. What is it?

Question2

______is arare genetic disorder that causes individuals to feel extremely thirsty and drink excessive amounts of water, leading to frequent urination and potential water intoxication.

Question3

Which common beverage, often consumed for hydration, can lead to dehydration due to its diuretic properties?

Question4

Despite being vital for life, this molecule makes up a significant portion of our brain, with estimates suggesting that the human brain is composed of what percentage of water?

Question5

What is the name of the condition caused by drinking excessive amounts of water in a short period, leading to dangerously low levels of sodium in the blood?

Education ‘remains the most effective contraceptive’

Zubeda Hamid

The country is seeing an increase in teenage pregnancies The Hindu SUDERSHAN V

Last year, India overtook China as the world’s most populous country.

According to United Nations estimates, India’s population which is currently 1.4 billion, will peak at 1.7 billion or so in 2064 before settling at 1.53 billion in 2100. But even though these numbers are staggering, data indicates that population growth is slowing —the total fertility rate has dipped below the replacement level of 2.1 and is projected to dip further.

With World Population Day (July 11) around the corner, experts say India’s thrust should be on ensuring the sexual and reproductive health of its young people.

A study that referenced the National Family Health Surveys (NFHS) concluded that there is a significant association between years of schooling and total unmet needs for family planning and unmet needs for spacing. The results of the study are contained in the paper ‘Changes in discourse on unmet need for family planning among married women in India: evidence from NFHS-5.’ It waspublished in the Scientific Reports journal last year. According to the study: “The demand for unmet needs for spacing and limiting was the highest among the women in the age categories 15–19 (17.8%) and 20–24 (17.3%).”

This, says Poonam Muttreja, executive director, Population Foundation of India, is primarily due to two factors: women who get married very young are usually from backward regions and not very educated, and therefore, their agency to negotiate or even talk about family planning is limited. “This is a social norm: even if the young woman does talk to a healthcare worker, the thinking is that once they are married, they must prove their fertility with children before family planning, and therefore there is no room for access to contraception,” she says.

The other issue, Ms. Mutteja says, is that the country is increasingly seeing teenage pregnancies both among married and unmarried women, and yet, families are unwilling to accept that their unmarried children may be sexually active. “This is compounded by the lack of sex education. Globally, evidence has shown that where sex education is given, the sexual debut of a young person is postponed. It also helps eradicate misconceptions. In India, for a young person to even access condoms or any other form of contraception is culturally and socially against norms,” she adds.

There is an urgent need to focus on young people, both men and women, and on their sexual and reproductive health through culturally sensitive behaviour change communication, and by offering them a basket of contraceptive options to meet their needs. She reiterated that women’s education continues to be the most effective contraception.

Sumana Manohar, senior consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at Apollo Hospitals, Chennai, also highlights the need for education among older students — those in classes 11 and 12.

Even abortion, points out Dipika Jain, director, Centre for Justice Law and Society, Jindal Global Law School, is a qualified right. “Abortion is largely criminal in India except under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, the person must qualify for the service as per the conditions of the act. Any abortion outside of the Act is criminalised. This makes access to safe and legal abortions difficult for a large section of pregnant people in India,” Ms. Jain says.

(zubeda.h@thehindu.co.in)

FR

- The complete Carnatic guide

- Colours in motion

- Music in your living room

- Going solo

- To the cause of nama

- The soul of sufi

- Ghazals from god’s own country

- The balancing act

- Songs for the road

Bala Shankar

Specialist lessons are inscribed in the music of yesteryear stalwarts. Rewind and listen for a nuanced understanding

Masterclass (From top) K.V. Narayanaswamy; D.K. Pattammal; T.N. Rajarathinam Pillai; M.L. Vasanthakumari; G.N. Balasubramaniam; Alathur Brothers; Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer; M.S. Subbulakshmi and Madurai Mani Iyer. photos: THE HINDU archives HINDU PHOTO ARCHIVES

Carnatic music students are often told to listen to yesteryear masters, in order to develop and finetune their art. The more serious ones do. What is the underlying principle in this pedagogical form? After all, many students today are fortunate to learn from current-day exponents directly. The ‘listen’ advice can be daunting, given the vast range of styles and repertoire of so many doyens.

What to seek from whom? We examine what could be the potential considerations. Back in the days when preparing for the IIT JEE exam was still an art and a skill, and not an industry, we were directed to a few high quality books in the different subjects.

Reference tools

I remember wrestling with the theories from Resnick & Halliday’s physics book or Sarin & Sarin’s chemistry book and S.L. Loney’s geometry book. These were considered as both working and reference books, but not the only sources. A few more additional books were strongly recommended if one had the bandwidth to plough through them. One can draw a parallel to the Carnatic music realm here. The yesteryear stalwarts did not create their masterly performances to serve as an educative tool, just as Resnick & Halliday did not know about IIT JEE exam. They all just pushed the envelope of performance or subject understanding further that gave them iconic status.

There is a caveat though. Their all-round greatness notwithstanding, each one stood out for something in particular. For example, it is a maxim that one needs to listen to G.N. Balasubramaniam for his raga alapana construction and innovative phrases. I have myself listened to his Andolika or Amirtavarshini ragas many times, besides almost all the main ragas. Nagaswara exponent T.N. Rajarathinam Pillai seized proprietary rights to many alapanas as well. Similarly, Alathur Brothers trademarked complex pallavi nadais and niravals. As a student, I was also told to listen to their Tyagaraja kritis, as they sang with a certain verve and spirit, that added more sparkle to the kritis. Manodharma was everyone’s forte, but some were better known than others. Ramnad Krishnan and M.D. Ramanathan were among those, if one was looking for a needle of brilliance in a haystack — an aha moment.

Our music lays emphasis on both Kalpita and Kalpana aspects of rendition. Rendering a kriti effectively, laying it on a good kalapramanam, articulating choicest sangathis and delivering unalloyed beauty of a major composition were the hallmarks of Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer and M.S. Subbulakshmi. The DKP and DKJ brand of kriti rendition was another delight, as there was an optimum beauty woven into them. If one needs a more experimentative lesson, it is customary to turn to Flute Mali, M.L. Vasanthakumari or S. Kalyanaraman. Madurai Mani Iyer has the patent for elegant sarvalaghu swaras that did not interfere with hearing civility or test our mathematical brain cells. The parallel in cricket would be batting that looks easy on the eye (easy on our ears here). Madurai Mani Iyer’s music appeared deceptively easy though.

Laya has an integral role in our music. Some like Alathur Brothers, Lalgudi Jayaraman and T.N. Seshagopalan in later years, took the challenge further and offered gold standard templates. Avid students marvel at raga expositions and kriti rendition of the Dhanammal school, whose grammar includes what is not a permitted phrase!

Virutham acquired its special status in the voices of the likes of Semmangudi, Ramnad Krishnan and a few others. Ragas had quasi owners too, by the sheen engineered by some performers — Maharajapuram school came to be renowned for Arabhi and Mukhari, Semmangudi for Varali and Nilambari, Ramnad Krishnan for Sahana or Begada — just a short enumeration of outstanding new vistas in raga ornamentation.

Bhava-laden renditions

I have always been fascinated by the amount of bhavam K.V. Narayanaswamy or D.K. Jayaraman or M.S. Subbulakshmi could bring to even simple kritis and tukkadas. One is not sure if that can really be learnt by mere listening. Yet it often presents the biggest challenge for a large number of aspiring musicians — going beyond the mechanics of presentation.

So, like the ‘go to’ books for different subjects, specialist lessons are inscribed in the music of many yesteryear stalwarts. That such aspects were original innovations make them the geniuses that they truly were. Living musicians have also developed unique styles and offer newer range of lessons. The ability to carve niches in styles and substance remain the eternal trade secret in Carnatic music. The word ‘bani’ is not an adequate articulation of what lies deep inside such music. Learners are called upon to assimilate the many performance guides accessible by listening, and blend into their native styles and voice capabilities.

V.V. Ramani

recreates Raja Ravi Varma’s iconic paintings through dance

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2 of 2 Epic retold Apsaras Arts’ dance film Sita. Photos: Special Arrangement

Drawing inspiration from iconic artworks and reinterpreting them through another medium are always challenging. It could either be a creative engagement born out of in-depth understanding or just a response to visually delightful works. Apsaras Arts, Singapore, recently presented the dance film Sita, which was based on important incidents from Sita’s life as portrayed in Raja Ravi Varma’s paintings.

The film began with the scene showing Sita and her friends playing in a garden, and gradually travelled through the artist’s paintings of abduction of Sita by Ravana, Sita seated in Asoka Vatika, a pregnant Sita being abandoned in the forest and to the final depiction of Bhoomadevi taking Sita into her fold.

Aravinth Kumaraswamy, who has curated and directed the film, has woven together stories relevant to each painting. Mohanpriyan Thavarajah’s choreography revolves around these stories. The dance sequence depicting the Asoka Vatika stood out for the the way song and abhinaya have been used to bring out the beauty of the celebrated painter’s visualisation. So also were the intense emotions of Sita abandoned in the forest. Dance and painting blended seamlessly here.

The efforts taken to create perfect backdrops and narratives around the paintings were commendable. However, some aspects needed more attention in terms of detailing. For instance, costumes and accessories could have been a bit more subtle to match the aura of a bygone era. Use of bright lighting could have been avoided too.

The music composition (by Rajkumar Bharati and songs sung by Bombay Jayashri and G. Srikanth) should have included elements of the traditional music of Kerala from where Raja Ravi Varma hailed. Lyrics such as ‘pichai podungal’ and the incorporation of a thillana, where Bhoomadevi and Sita are dancing around in circles, didn’t fit in well.

Talking about the experience of making such a film, Aravinth said it was an attempt to recreate these timeless artworks through dance. “Though all art forms are inter-connected, it is not an easy task to find a meeting point,” he added.

Deepa Venkatraman

‘Namba Aathu Katcheri’ brings uniquely themed concerts to homes

1 of 2 Young brigade Artistes singing Pancharatna kritis; and NAK members Charulatha Chandrasekar,Swarathmika Srikanth, Adithya Raja,Shreelakshmi Bhat andVamsidhara Anand. Photos: Special Arrangement Special Arrangement

2 of 2 Young brigade Artistes singing Pancharatna kritis; and NAK members Charulatha Chandrasekar,Swarathmika Srikanth, Adithya Raja,Shreelakshmi Bhat andVamsidhara Anand. Photos: Special Arrangement Special Arrangement

Social media may have become the go to medium for young artistes to connect with audiences across the globe, but the appeal of live performances will never fade. Artistes are exploring new ways of in-person presentations. One such is ‘Namba Aathu Katcheri’ (NAK), an initiative by a group of young artistes, where chamber concert meets technology. As the name suggests, the concerts are held in an interactive and intimate setting. But unlike most conventional chamber concerts, which are for an invited audience, NAK concerts are open to all. These concerts, which adopt innovative approaches such as gamification, are also live streamed.

Conceptualised by Adithya Raja, a young Carnatic music enthusiast, the group includes vocalist Swarathmika Srikanth, violinist Shreelakshmi Bhat, vainika Charulatha Chandrasekar and mridangist Vamsidhara Anand.

The initiative is designed to host performances by both established and young artistes to engage rasikas of all ages. The first concert featured a group of artistes singing Tyagaraja Pancharatna kritis. It took place at Swarathmika’s house.

New approach

In a well-lit living room of an apartment in Nanganallur, the rasikas are seated on the floor. The microphones and cameras are all in place, and vocalists Dhruv and Dhatre are joined by mridangist Anirudh Raj and violinist Gayathri Vibhavari to perform a concert titled ‘The surprise bowl’. Dhruv picks a chit from a bowl and begins to sing the kriti mentioned in it. “While we follow the traditional kutcheri format, our uniquely themed concerts appeal to both the millennial rasikas and artistes,” says the NAK team.

Over the last six months, the team has conducted 11 thematic concerts every alternate Sundays. The themes included ‘Real-time Pallavis’ (focusing only on pallavis), ‘The Duality’ (two aspects of a composition), ‘Welcoming Varali’ (featuring seven different Varali ragas), and ‘The Unsung Abhangs’.

The NAK team also aims to recognise the significance of instrumentalists and ensures that they get the spotlight they deserve. The solo instrumental performances included ‘Strings and Swarams’ (a mandolin concert based on chittaswaras), ‘Exploring Tadhinginathom’ (mridangists presenting panchanadai) and ‘-4 to +4’ (a flute and mridangam concert).

At ‘The Wheel of Ragas’ concert, violinist Shreelakshmi along with mridangist Sannath Parameswaran played ragas starting with the alphabet selected from a spin-off wheel that was randomly displayed on a screen. “It was a unique experience. I played most of the ragas impromptu,” says Shreelakshmi.

What makes this initiative more enjoyable for artistes is that they get to perform in an informal setting. “Here, artistes can wear casual clothes and have the freedom to choose their theme, co-performers, and repertoire,” says Swarathmika.

Charulatha Chandrasekar, who led ‘Solo Duo’, NAK’s first instrumental kutcheri, says, “We experimented with ragam-tanam-pallavi in Vanaspati raga, with mridangists Vamsidhara and GN Bhuvan playing for the tanam, seldom heard in traditional kutcheris.”

Social media presence

From interesting promos about practice sessions and content discussions to the digital presentation of pillar graphics displayed on screen during live-streamed kutcheris and short videos of unique performances, the team is working to boost its digital presence.

Vamsidhara shares, “The promo shoots are the most fun-filled as they are naturally shot, and nothing is scripted”.

Adithya adds, “Some senior artistes such as mridangists Sumesh Narayanan and Delhi Sairam, and vocalist Bharath Sundar have watched our online content and have evinced interest in participating in NAK kutcheris. This is very encouraging.”

While kutcheris were initially held at artistes’ homes, the team is now taking it to rasikas’ homes. The first such concert was at Valasarawakkam. “Those interested to host a kutcheri can message us on our social media handles,” says Adithya.

Sessions by experts

NAK is looking at music education too. “Experts will share their insights on the various aspects of Carnatic music. Our first interactive workshop (July 6, 5 p.m.) titled ‘Richness in alapanas and swarams’ will be conducted by vainika Ramana Balachandhran,” say the team members.

NAK is working on a variety of exciting projects to bridge the gap between classical music and music lovers.

Going solo

Lavanya Naryananan

‘To groove is divine’ is an outcome of mridangist Sumesh Narayanan’s distinct engagement with rhythm

1 of 2 Beat it right Sumesh Narayanan at the TGID gig. (Below) At a concert. Photos: Special arrangement Courtesy: sumeshnarayanan.com

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“It’s hard not to move to a rhythmic groove,” says percussionist Sumesh Narayanan. After all, he has been exploring the art of drumming for over a decade.

It was exactly 10 years ago that he joined popular playback singer Haricharan Seshadri, along with fellow artistes Ravi G, Aalaap Raju, Raghavasimhan Sankaranarayanan and Vikram Rozario at Kamaraj Arangam to present Haricharan’s ‘GrooviDa’.

Perhaps, that’s what inspired him — many kutcheris and even a movie later — to engage with rhythm in his own distinctive way. Recently, he debuted his solo act, ‘To groove is divine’, at Chennai’s Medai - the Stage.

Beyond the routine

This was not the first time Sumesh has tried to look beyond traditional rhythm. His fans know him as the rugged percussionist from IndoSoul, who would make heads bob and hands sway with beats that had evolved from the complex sollus, reflecting his 24-year-long training in mridangam.

But the premiere of his new show recently was the first time he took the stage alone, a departure from a kutcheri set up, exploring a host of audio-visual elements of performance while entertaining the audience with his own juxtaposition: mridangam against cajon.

“As a mridangist, I have been trained to produce sounds with both my hands. Intrigued by the cajon, I started playing it with my left hand and the mridangam with my right and was overjoyed with how well the two fused. The cajon provided me with a rounded rich bass sound, while the characteristic mridangam sound was kept intact. After discovering this unique combination, I wanted to make it mine,” says Sumesh.

Collaborating with a team of technicians, some for the first time and one, an old friend, Sumesh says TGID is a product of all his previous collaborations and the vocabulary he has amassed along the way, things that have helped him evolve into programming, arranging and composing art.

He’s excited to “find beauty in imperfection,” he says, because that unique quality is what lends itself to a story on stage. Ask him more, and he says even he doesn’t know — thing just unfold during the performance.

“You know how when you go on the stage, there are moments of deep contentment that you experience after a well-executed idea? Well, that moment is completely unplanned. As passionate as I am as an artiste, I have an unending love to create. I can never satisfy my need to experiment. I just want to sit down and play all the sounds that come to mind. Because truly, that is my story,” says Sumesh.

Shankar Bhagavatar and Rajasri Babaji Raje honouring Dushyant Sridhar.

Visankirtali Trust recently organised the 28th Lakshmi Nrusimha Jayanti Utsavam at Kanchi Mahaswamy Mandapam, Adyar. Prominent bhagavatas and pravachana exponents participated. They were also felicitated for their contribution to the propagation of Sanatana Dharma. Any spiritual event is incomplete without sampradaya namasankirtanam. This utsavam too featured soulful devotional music.

For the past 25 years, Visankirtali Trust had been organising Lakshmi Nrusimha Jayanti in Delhi before moving to Chennai three years ago. The Trust was founded by V.P. Shastrigal in 1969. Delhi Shankar Bhagavatar, Shastrigal’s son, is the present managing trustee. He is known for his ability to convey the bhavam in devotional verses.

This year’s utsavam was graced by Ramananda Saraswati Swamigal of Raja Rajeshwari Peetam, Madurai, and Pudukottai Narasimhan Bhagavatar. Other eminent bhagavatas who attended the utsavam included Mumbai Sundararaman, Thanjavur Thiagarajan, Seerkazhi Sattanathan, Govindapuram Gnaneshwar, Mohanur Srikanth Koundinyan, Melarcode Ravi and Erode Rajamani.

The namasankirtanam concluded with Sita kalyanam and Lakshmi Nrusimha kalyanam, which were performed by Shankar Bhagavatar.

During his pravachanam, Dushyant Sridhar, described Nrusimha’s vaibhavam and Prahlada’s bhakti. On the occasion, he was honoured with the Dharma Samrakshana Kainkarya Ratnam title while Bhagavata Brothers Vijaykrishna and Balaji with Namasankirtana Kainkarya Ratnam. The felicitation ceremony was presided by Rajasri Babaji Raje, the titular Head of Thanjavur Samasthanam.

The trust has also published books such as Bhajanmrutam, Seetha Kalyanam,Radha Kalyanam, Rukmini Kalyanam, Siddhi Buddhi Kalyanam, Meenakshi Kalyanam and Valli Devasena Kalyanam. The books in Tamil also have compositions in Samskrutam, Telugu, Hindi, Kannada and Marathi. The trust plans to bring out these publications in Devanagari lipi as well. Care is taken to ensure the originality of lyrics and right pronounciation of words. Visankirtali Trust is working to preserve our ancient literature.

Narendra Kusnur

The Hazrat Amir Khusrau Project recreates the poet-musician’s works with modern musical arrangements

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4 of 4 Verses and voices (From left) Nizamuddin dargah in Delhi; Gandhar and Abhijit Pohankar; Amir Khusrau; and Kalpana Gandharv. Photos: Special Arrangement Special Arrangement

Vibrant bansuri and keyboard solos blended well with smooth vocals on ‘Jai Jai Nizamuddin’, which poet-musician Amir Khusrau had dedicated to his spiritual master Nizamuddin Auliya. Composed in raag Todi, it was an appropriate start to the thematic concert Hazrat Amir Khusrau Project, conceived and curated by keyboardist and fusion composer Abhijit Pohankar at Mumbai’s intimate Veda Kunba auditorium.

Abhijit’s idea was to present a mix of popular and rare pieces, with singers Gandhar Deshpande and Kalpana Gandharv joining him. For around 90 minutes, he was accompanied by percussionist Shikhar Naad Qureshi, flautist Tejas Vinchurkar, tabla artiste Amit Mishra and bassist Sabyasachi Deb to take the audience on a nostalgia ride.

Amir Khusrau (1258-1325) was known for making many innovations in Indian music. He created the qawwali and taraana, and is also credited for inventing the sitar. Abhijit has been studying Khusrau’s works for a few year now. He says, “The audience seem to be familiar only with a few of his songs such as ‘Chaap Tilak’. I wanted to do a structured programme, where I would introduce some less known gems.”

Thus, Gandhar, son of classical vocalist Pt Ram Deshpande, followed ‘Jai Jai Nizamuddin’ with the raag Bahaar composition ‘Phool bane sarson sakal ban’. Though singer Raja Hasan’s version of the song was recently featured in the Netflix series Heeramandi, Abhijit’s composition gave Gandhar the freedom to improvise on the nuances. The vocalist was in great form in the 13-minute taraana in raag Malkauns, which began with a bansuri-keyboard interaction and included a percussion solo by Shikar Naad.

Popular bandish

Kalpana sang ‘Man kunto maula’ and the bidaai (bride farewell) song ‘Kaahe ko byaahi bides’. Her voice has the rustic charm suited for such songs. On audience demand, she sang her Heeramandi song ‘Ek baar dekh lijiye’, composed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and written by A.M. Turaz. Though it pleased most in the audience, and it’s a fantastic composition too, it diverted from the main theme.

The programme ended with a blend of the bandish ‘Mora Jubna’ and the popular ‘Chaap Tilak’, featuring both vocalists, besides a brisk keyboard solo. Abhijit says he plans to use some Persian composition such as ‘Zehaal-e-miskin’ in the next edition.

For some years, festivals like Jahaan-e-Khusrau, initiated by filmmaker Muzaffar Ali in New Delhi, and the multi-city Khusrau-Kabir, presented by Banyan Tree, have showcased the mystic poet’s works. They have featured different artistes, unlike this presentation, which plans to have a single group for the duration of each show. ,Says Abhijit, “In my fusion projects, I retain the traditional elements of the vocals, but use contemporary arrangements to give them a modern flavour.”

The son of classical vocalist Pt Ajay Pohankar, Abhijit began by playing classical music on the keyboard. His albums includes ‘Piya bavari’ with his father, blending classical music with Lounge, and Thumri Funk, which had modern interpretations of light classical compositions. In 2018, he started the Bollywood Gharana concert series, featuring vocalists Bhavya Pandit and Gandhar Deshpande.

“It’s a crossover between Bollywood and classical music. I take a popular song, where Bhavya sings it in the familiar version. Then, I look at a classical equivalent in the same raag or thaat. This is presented by Gandhar,” says Abhijit. While continuing Bollywood Gharana, he plans to do more shows in the Hazrat Amir Khusrau Project. “Amir Khusrau’s repertoire is very vast, and there is so much more that we can do. This is just the beginning,” he concludes.

Ghazals from god’s own country

Parvathy K. Pillai and Afrah Pandikkadan

Singers and poets are opting for ghazals with simple Malayalam lyrics to reach out to a wider audience

1 of 3 (From top) Raaza Razaq and Beegum; Sunitha Nedungadi; and the iconic ghazal singer Umbayee. photos: Special Arrangement Special Arrangement

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3 of 3

When you utter the word ‘ghazal’, what comes to mind are the timeless verses of Mirza Ghalib and the haunting voices of Mehdi Hasan, Farida Khanum, Ghulam Ali, and Jagjit Singh. Ghazal is a celebration of both poetry and music. This musical form, whose popularity is limited to the North of India, has been facing challenges and struggling to draw audiences. But in the recent past, it has managed to cross boundaries to enter an unfamiliar terrain — Kerala. Its growing acceptance in this southern state, dominated by Carnatic music, must be credited to musician-composer Umbayee.

Known for his unique style of singing, Umbayee not only introduced ghazal to music-lovers in Kerala but also began writing ghazals in Malayalam. But Umbayee’s decision to compose ghazals in Malayalam did not find favour in the music industry, leading to many poets refusing to write for him. They felt the genre may lose its original flavour. These arguments did not deter Umbayee, who felt emotions of love and heartbreak are universal and can be expressed in any language. He single-handedly established the form in Kerala. Artistes, who later took to ghazal singing were only following his footsteps.

According to ghazal singer Raaza Razaq, in Kerala the form may not strictly follow the ghazal format such as radif (each couplet ends on the same word or phrase), qafia (repeating pattern of words) and Maqta (last sher in a ghazal), but people have begun to enjoy the emotions expressed in the poetry.” Raaza will soon be releasing an album with ghazals that reflect his personal thoughts.

Musicians such as M.S. Baburaj and P. Bhaskaran have also contributed to this musical trend. The appeal of their ghazals lie in the use of Hindustani raags.

Contemporary sensibility

Sunitha Nedungadi, known for her adaptation of poetry by Sugathakumari, Vayalar and P. Kunhiraman Nair to ghazal, feels the form has moved from love and spirituality to contemporary issues. As for translating ghazals from Urdu and Farsi to Malayalam, Sunitha thinks the essence of the poetry might get lost in translation.

Earlier, ghazal singing was accompanied by harmonium, tabla, sarangi and oud. Later, other instruments such as flute and guitar were included. As singers began to use works of modern poets, the music composition gained a contemporary sensibility. This musical rendition of poetry before a live audience not only communicates the meaning of the lyric but also the energy and mood of the singer. “Ghazal is the language of the heart,” says Ahmed Mueenudheen, a ghazal lyricist.

Malayalam ghazals embody simplicity in language and expression, channelling the poet’s thoughts and emotions. Sometimes colloquial expressions and words are used for a wider reach. Ghazal has transcended linguistic barriers to find resonance in a new cultural setting.

Charumathi Supraja

For Padmavati Rao, the stage and screen are extensions of life

1 of 2 Balancing act Padmavati Rao at Ranga Shankara in Bengaluru and during the shoot of ‘Sweet Karam Coffee’ Photos: K. Bhagya Prakash & Prime Video

2 of 2 Balancing act Padmavati Rao at Ranga Shankara in Bengaluru and during the shoot of ‘Sweet Karam Coffee’ Photos: K. Bhagya Prakash & Prime Video

I’m starting with a disclaimer. It is impossible to map all the things that Padmavati Rao has done and continues to do. She has worked as an actor, writer, playwright, translator, puppeteer, story-teller, assistant director, dubbing director, dialogue writer, poet, artist, eco-activist, school teacher, theatre facilitator, farmer and even made a refrigerator (yes, you read that right) that can run without electricity.

Padmavati’s work has — literally and metaphorically, spanned different locations in time, space and intent. Yet, speaking to her, you feel the gentleness of her strength, see a stubborn love for life (despite the pain that life can bring) and sense her childlike glee about her next creative foray. When Padmavati Rao made her big screen debut in Girish Karnad’s Kannada film Ondanondu Kaladalli, she was a 15-year-old school girl from erstwhile Bombay and given the screen name Akshatha Rao. Before that she was called Padmavati Rao. At 17, she became a popular actor after essaying the role of Geetha in a Kannada film of the same name. Exasperated by the fame the film brought her, she cut her hair to encash the small joys of walking on MG Road in Bangalore, “without being recognised by fans.” To date, she is referred to as “Geetha film heroine.” It makes her happy that “Geetha — the feisty girl in love with life, is remembered for what she was.”

Mumbai days

Even before that unexpected call from cinema and adulation, Padmavati was actively pursuing Marathi, Hindi and Gujarati theatre in Bombay, learning the tropes of acting and theatre-making with the likes of Balraj Sahni, A.K Hangal and Shaukat Azmi (Shabana Azmi’s mother) at the Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA). Her average day as a college student involved traversing across Bombay by bus, train and walk taking French classes before college, going for rehearsals and shows after college and getting home late in the night. She fully credits her parents for the foundation she and her sister Arundhati Nag got, not just in theatre practice, but also in life. “We were encouraged to spread our wings and fly,” says Padmavati.

There were ground rules though. They had to inform their parents about who they would be with, where, roughly when they would get back and a phone contact (only landlines of course) had to be shared for emergencies. Any mistakes or wrong choices only brought them closer to their parents. “And we made plenty of mistakes,” says Padmavati.

The challenges and joys of working in those times taught her a lot. When an indefinite power cut loomed before the performance of Khelaiyya, a hugely popular Gujarati musical directed by Mahendra Joshi, the audience refused to take a refund and insisted that the play be performed, even if in candlelight. And so it was. “Candles were bought out from the area around Prithvi Theatre and the audience watched the whole play in candlelight, singing and clapping along!” Padmavati recalls. Travelling with plays at that time, she learnt about “the world and worldliness,” about the synergy between audience and actors that dynamically makes a play come alive and become a shared experience.

Watching her play a grieving mother in Apne Ghar Jaisa during the Remembering Veenapani Festival at Adishakti Theatre, Auroville, earlier this year, I saw how Padmavati held the audience in the grip of her character’s doubts, sorrows, questions and prejudices though she was the only one on stage for most part. She masterfully took the play to a note that left most in the audience close to tears.

Her process as an actor involves approaching every character with complete humility and surrender, she says. She lets the director, “who has been with the character for much longer,” shape her performance completely. Padmavati believes that playing characters unlike oneself opens tremendous growth avenues for the actor within, while also teaching empathy. She advocates the power of “emptying out” before donning a role and stresses the importance of doing one’s homework as an actor. She is said to have learnt to knit, skilfully and fast, to better play her role in the Hindi film ‘Te3n,’ alongside Amitabh Bachchan.

Speaking about her recent work as Deva in Prime Video’s Tamizh series, Sweet Kaaram Coffee, Padmavati expresses delight about getting to work with veteran actor Lakshmi, “who was a star, when I was in my teens.” Padmavati’s work as an actor on stage, the big screen and small screen take away nothing from her passion to work with and for the earth through Sarsayee Foundation — a not-for-profit entity that she founded to train young people in engaging deeply and compassionately with ecology and the arts. We need to “find the forest within and nurture the forest without,” says Padmavati, who believes that the world can change only when we collectively transform from “human doings to human beings.”

Songs for the road

Neha Kirpal

Vineet Singh Hukmani celebrates the joy of travel in ‘Kahan chal diye’

Wanderlust Vineet Singh Hukmani Photo: Special Arrangement

Global radio chart-topping singer-songwriter Vineet Singh Hukmani celebrates the joy of travel with his latest offering ‘Kahan chal diye’. The pop-rock song, crafted with upbeat drums, happy guitars and electric piano, is an ode to the vast and diverse landscapes of India.

Vineet believes that the beauty of a road trip is discovering beautiful locations suddenly in a most unexpected turn on the road. “From the magic of pristine hillside mornings to chilling near beautiful lakes at sunsets — it’s all so satisfying,” he says. For him, the magic happened about 150 kilometres from Udaipur. Driving around on an unplanned route, he shot at a stunning locale that he chanced upon.

The cinematic feature has breath-taking visuals of picturesque roads, rolling hills, serene lakes and other refreshing landscapes across Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi. The team used a combination of two cameras for close-ups and wide shots, and a drone shot of the place. “Even in the ultimate zoom-out of a drone, you will see me as a lone traveller in the video, which not only adds to the authenticity of expansiveness but also communicates the joy of travelling solo,” he said.

Exploring the country

The idea for the song stemmed from the comparison between travelling within one’s own country and travelling abroad. “The spontaneity of travel within India is unmatched — just start your car and head out! Kahan Chal Diye is not just a question but a statement of that spontaneity,” says Vineet. According to him, travelling abroad though enjoyable, needs too much planning in terms of visas and currency calculations. “It normally ends up being a controlled ‘guided tour’.

Also, some people travel abroad only due to the peer pressure of social media. I want my song to remind people to travel for the right reasons of personal contentment, and our country has that in ample measure,” he added.

For his next song about saving children from the atrocities of war, Vineet plans to experiment with alternative opera. “This will be straight from the heart.”

The Harvard Business School alumnus has set a fabulous precedent for Indian independent artistes. Last year, he created the world’s first music multiverse with his song ‘Run! Run! Run!’. It also had a short animation film and superhero comic book called RunStorm. The concept allowed people to interact with content in a multi-dimensional way, seeding new revenue streams in an otherwise commoditised music market.

Further, Vineet’s multi-genre offerings have gained him huge traction in global radio charts and a world record of 9 number 1s in the European radio top 100. It also led him to write Nine, a thrilling multimedia book with a soundtrack that showcases nine stories combined with nine tracks. Nine was also accepted for Grammy submission in the ‘Crafts’ category under ‘Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package’.

Table of Contents

The Hindu Jul 05, 2024

Regional

Six held for U.P. stampede; no police action against godman

Sea of fans

Labour Party projected to oust Sunak govt. in U.K. polls

Jaishankar meets Wang Yi, says LAC must be respected

Naidu meets Modi, seeks Central aid

Soren sworn in as Jharkhand CM

CB-CID seizes 2,000 litres of methanol from petrol bunk

Many flood-affected residents in city yet to receive Cyclone Michaung relief

9 persons, including pharmacists and advocate, held for abduction

Cardio-obstetrics unit established at Rajiv Gandhi Govt. General Hospital

Three men get 5 years in prison for robbing, sexually assaulting minor

Man tries to end life during eviction drive

State animal welfare board suggests stricter norms for proper upkeep of horses used for commercial purposes

Over 22,000 passengers used DigiYatra facility in airport since its launch in June

S.Ve. Shekher honoured with K. Balachander Award

Residents of R.K. Pet in Tiruvallur allege officials demolished houses without notice

Inspiro Awards given to two NGOs and govt.-aided school

Functionary of BJP arrested for cheating woman

Man held for setting fire to bus in Koyambedu

AIADMK functionary murdered in Salem; cadre and relatives suspect the hand of lottery, ganja sellers

CM invites MPs, MLAs to launch expansion of two govt. schemes

Who will gain from AIADMK sitting out the Vikravandi byelection?

State housing board plans to complete construction of over 3,000 units by 2025

CM interacts with people to review implementation of various welfare schemes

2,000 litres of methanol seized from unused petrol bunk in Cuddalore

Ex-Minister denied interim anticipatory bail in land grab case

CM urged to press Centre to rescind 3 criminal laws

Retired IAS officer sworn-in as local bodies ombudsman

It is high time liquor policy was revisited: High Court

Non-bailable warrant against official over not paying pension arrears to a freedom fighter

Officials inspect proposed metro rail site in Coimbatore

IIT-M inks MoUs with industry partners to offer skill courses

New criminal laws: AIADMK’s lawyers’ wing to stage protest

National

‘CPI(M) failed to counter Hindutva politics’

Draped in sari

Drowsy drivers causing collisions at apron area of airports, warns DGCA

Karnataka HC dismisses plea seeking directions on use of Kannada for govt. affairs

Devise policy for online drug sales quickly, HC tells Centre

Students experience breathing difficulties due to gen

Kerala probes ‘sale’ of FMGE question paper on Telegram

‘Brain-eating amoeba’ claims Kerala boy’s life

Expert panel set up to study pollution level in Cauvery

Ex-BRS leader resigns from Rajya Sabha

‘India, U.S. share goals to prevent Ukraine conflict from spreading’

Imphal residents slam PM’s speech, demand ‘tangible things’ for peace

Army chief reviews ‘prevailing security dynamics’ in Jammu

Congress demands a White Paper on Agnipath scheme

Labour Party projected to oust Sunak govt.

Six arrested for U.P. stampede

New criminal laws will help ease of living, says Meghwal

Hemant Soren sworn in as Jharkhand CM

LAC must be respected, Jaishankar tells Wang

Cong. will not ally with AAP in Haryana, Delhi polls: Ramesh

‘BJD continues to be equidistant from NDA, INDIA bloc’

NC starts work on Assembly poll manifesto

PM’s speech had misleading, wrong statements: MP

Rajnath, Australian Minister discuss closer collaboration

West Bengal Assembly Speaker summons special session

Kirodi Lal Meena steps down as Rajasthan Minister

NHRC team meets woman beaten up in public in Chopra

Assam floods: 6 more dead as toll since May mounts to 52

Brahmaputra’s lone female gharial’s long wait for a mate could end soon

14219

50 NEET candidates move Supreme Court against re-test

NCERT textbooks delay issue: Minister holds review meeting

Satsang, a great blessing

Plea in SC seeks structural audit of all bridges in Bihar

Dead snake found in mid-day meal in Maharashtra’s Sangli

Gangster Subodh Singh remanded in CID custody

Gangster Abu Salem moved to Nashik Central Prison

Edit

Computer literacy in India needs a reboot

The shape of a five-year climate agenda for India

Grave concern

Dangerous precedent

letters to the editor

Should India review its Myanmar policy in view of the humanitarian crisis?

Falling like a house of cards

Chronicling parliamentary proceedings over time

Imported farm pest destroyed in Delhi

Heavy rains at Jamshedpur

The lack of leadership at TISS

What went wrong with the Hajj pilgrimage this year?

On Gods and godmen in popular Hindi cinema

A quiz on events and personalities connected with July 5

Know your English

Business

Industry Ministry pushes for lower duties on input imports

Port congestion, container dearth, freight cost hit exports

As sugar stocks rise, ISMA calls for the lifting of export curbs

GST is still far from simple: former CEA Subramanian

‘Partnering with top Indian institutes on decarbonisation R&D’

‘Divesting 49% CPSE stakes can yield ₹11.5 lakh cr.’

LIC raises shareholding in IDFC First Bank to 2.68%

‘Housing sales rose 11% in Jan.-June’

Muthoot Finance selected for FATF report

‘FMCG likely to see revenue growth of 7-9% in FY25’

LIC ropes in A.T. Kearney for agency revamp

Dr. Reddy’s, Sun Pharma recalling a drug each in U.S.

Shriram Life Insurance unveils deferred annuity plan

Foreign

Starmer promises change, Sunak warns of unchecked power

Saudi Netflix show creator convicted by anti-terrorism court

Taking control

‘Genocidal violence looming in Myanmar’

Hezbollah fires over 200 rockets into Israel after killing of senior commander

White House says zero chance Biden will withdraw

Philippines hopes to sign key defence pact with Japan

Pro-Palestinian protesters breach security at Australia’s Parliament

French far right’s Le Pen says absolute majority possible

Taliban ‘our allies’ in fighting terror as they control Afghanistan: Putin

Sports

Passionate fans flock to hail Rohit and his men

PM Modi has ‘memorable conversation’ with the triumphant Indian squad members

Rohit & Co. touch down to a rapturous welcome

Fans were more desperate for the trophy than us: Rohit

Bumrah says the victory has given the motivation to do it again

Fantastic note to sign off, says departing coach Dravid

Umbrellas save the day amidst Mumbai rains

Virat Kohli fan wears jersey with son Akaay’s name

Djokovic ‘made to work’ for win over wild-card Fearnley; Bhambri & Olivetti advance

India takes on a wonky South Africa in T20 leg

Germany out to snap 36-year winless run against Spain

We are setting high standards in fielding, says Jemimah

No surprises in AFI’s 28-member squad for Paris

Top results

Snapshots

Kovai Kings looks to complete a three-peat

Around THE CITY

Tight battle expected between Sarthak and Chiranth

Abhay and Velavan beat Begornia and Pelino

LiVE TELECAST

THE MLABA-RI BANGER dances to her own beat

Science

Radiationbiodosimetry: the ABCs of responding to a radiological event

The science of hydration

Education ‘remains the most effective contraceptive’

FR

The complete Carnatic guide

Colours in motion

Music in your living room

Going solo

To the cause of nama

The soul of sufi

Ghazals from god’s own country

The balancing act

Songs for the road