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National

- At NITI meet, PM calls for States’ participation

- Environmentalists alarmed as Himachal witnesses gradual snowfall-pattern shift

- Modi likely to visit Ukraine on August 23, modalities being worked out, say officials

- Shoring up

- Soldier, Pak. infiltrator killed near LoC in J&K’s Kupwara

- Meghalaya groups turn away vehicles from outside State

- India-Australia trade pact yielding great results, says envoy

- Four, including two govt. officials, held for graft in purchase of scientific equipment

- Shah should shed his ego, set up cross-LoC advisory committee to aid J&K: Mufti

- Gaganyaan astronaut to travel to ISS in mission with NASA

- Pawar responds to Shah’s ‘godfather of corruption’ remark

- SC to hear ED plea against bail to Hemant Soren tomorrow

- Myanmar PM, Doval discuss stability of border region

- 14% of Indians signed up on DigiLocker; highest proportion in Delhi, Haryana

- India needs more domestic investments now: Congress

- JD(U) stakes claim to 11 seats in Jharkhand Assembly polls, gives candidates’ list to Nitish Kumar

- Congress divided over Mamata’s walkout: Jairam supports her, Adhir says she is lying

- CRPF will have an expanded role in Manipur: Centre

- Will scrap Agnipath scheme when ‘we get power’, says Akhilesh

- Ministers resorting to threatening remarks in Parliament: Gogoi

- To the rescue

- Over 2,000 posts vacant in three govt. hospitals in Delhi: Minister

- Rajasthan announces quota for Agniveers in State police force

- Modi holds meeting with Chief Ministers

- Muslim residents of Mewat live in fear of ‘gaurakshaks’

- GNLF issues ‘ultimatum’ to form separate Gorkhaland

- On the brink

- Panel highlights delay in installation of telemetry systems

- 8 persons killed after car falls into gorge in J&K’s Anantnag

- Explain cut in overall taxes on gold, Cong. tells Centre

- Maldives uses Indian aircraft for medical evacuations

- 2 killed as basement of Delhi coaching centre gets flooded

- Court to decide on closure of wrestler’s plaint on Sept. 27

- SC sets aside order quashing summons to The Wire editors

- Butterfly effect

- Profile 1

- UPSC

- Profile 2

At NITI meet, PM calls for States’ participation

Sreeparna Chakrabarty

New Delhi

Narendra Modi, chairing the Governing Council meeting of the NITI Aayog, says ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’, or developed India, is the ambition of all Indians and that States can play an active role in achieving this; West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the only Opposition leader to attend the meeting, walks out saying she was ‘not allowed’ to speak

Way forward: Prime Minister Narendra Modi chairs the 9th NITI Aayog Governing Council meeting in New Delhi on Saturday. ANIANI

Political fault lines that emerged after the Lok Sabha election deepened in the first NITI Aayog Governing Council meeting on Saturday with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the lone leader of the Opposition bloc to attend the meeting, storming out saying she was “not allowed” to speak.

Ms. Banerjee left the meeting even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his speech that the dream of a ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’ (developed India) can be achieved only through the combined efforts of all States.

“Viksit Bharat 2047 is the ambition of every Indian. States can play an active role in achieving this aim as they are directly connected with the people,” the Prime Minister, who chaired the ninth Governing Council meeting of the body, said.

Ms. Banerjee said she came out “boycotting the meeting”.

“Chandrababu Naidu (Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister) was given 20 minutes to speak. The Chief Ministers of Assam, Goa, Chhattisgarh spoke for 10 to 12 minutes. I was stopped from speaking after just five minutes. This is unfair. From the Opposition side, I was the only one here. I attended the meeting because cooperative federalism should be strengthened,” the Trinamool chief told the media.

“They have stopped all welfare projects for Bengal and deprived the State of its rightful Awas Yojana and rural roads scheme. They also stopped the food subsidy. We are deprived of funds worth ₹1.71 lakh crore. This Budget has nothing but zero. Immediately after I said this, the mic was switched off,” she said.

The government hit back quickly. The official PIB Fact check unit posted on X that the claim was “misleading”. “The clock only showed that her speaking time was over. Even the bell was not rung to mark it,” it said.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said every Chief Minister was given the allotted time and that was displayed on the screen which was kept before every table.

‘Unfortunate claim’

“She said in the media that her mic was turned off. That is completely false. It’s unfortunate that the Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee has claimed that her mic was switched off, which is not true. She should speak the truth behind this rather than again build a narrative based on falsehood,” Ms. Sitharaman said.

The meeting was attended by representatives of 26 States and Union Territories and those from 10 were absent, B.V.R. Subrahmanyam, CEO of NITI Aayog, told the media. All Opposition-ruled States except West Bengal were absent.

He said the agenda for the meeting was ‘Viksit Bharat’ and Prime Minister Modi observed that the vision of developed India can be realised through developed States and that the aspiration should reach the grassroots level.

Environmentalists alarmed as Himachal witnesses gradual snowfall pattern shift

Vikas Vasudeva

CHANDIGARH

Alarming signs: The decrease in the snow cover during December and January could affect the water availability during summer.PTI PTI

Himachal Pradesh has not only witnessed a reducing snow cover over the years, but also a gradual shift in snowfall occurrence pattern from winter months towards early summer months, raising concern surrounding climate variability in the ecologically fragile Himalayas.

The decrease in the snow cover during the peak winter months of December and January is especially worrisome and alarming as it could affect the water availability during summer as the snow that occurs during these peak winters sustains for a long time and enhances the discharge dependability of the major river basins during summer.

A study conducted by the Centre on Climate Change of Himachal Pradesh Council for Science Technology-Environment (HIMCOSTE) has revealed that all the major river basins including the Satluj, the Ravi, the Chenab and the Beas in Himachal Pradesh have witnessed an overall decrease of 12.72% in area under snow in 2023-24 winters in comparison to 2022-23.

The study conducted using Advanced Wide Field Sensor (AWiFS) satellite data, also points out that during 2023-24, the early winter months of October-November were characterised by a decrease in snow cover area except the Ravi basin, whichshowed a marginal increase in the area under snow in October.

Negative trend

Similarly, the peak winter months of December-January saw a negative trend in the area under snow. Notably, during the late winter months of February and March,the trend was positive with an increase in the area under snow in all basins against last year.

In fact, during April the snow cover area increased due to fresh snowfall in the early summer on higher mountain reaches in all the basins.

Modi likely to visit Ukraine on August 23, modalities being worked out, say officials

Suhasini Haidar, Dinakar Peri

NEW DELHI

Warm relations: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. File PhotoHANDOUT

Planning is under way for a visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Ukraine, likely on August 23, for what would be his first trip to the war-torn country, official and diplomatic sources confirmed. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had reacted sharply to Mr. Modi’s visit to Moscow earlier this month, even as India asserted its “freedom of choice” and “strategic autonomy” on foreign relations.

“It is quite possible that [the visit] could be on August 23,” one official in the know said, while another said that the modalities are being worked out.

Officials from the Ministry of External Affairs declined to comment on the proposed visit.

Diplomatic sources said that “nothing is confirmed at present”.

Noting the great interest about the “potential visit” of the Prime Minister to Ukraine, the spokesperson of the Ukraine Embassy in India Volodymyr Prytula said that at this stage, there will be “no additional information” on the issue. “When we have the official information to share, I will communicate immediately,” he said in response to queries on the matter.

Reports about the impending visit come after weeks of bitter criticism of Mr. Modi’s visit to Russia on July 8 and 9 that coincided with a major Russian missile attack against Ukrainian targets, including a children’s hospital in Kyiv.

Damage control

Senior U.S. officials, including National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, called Mr. Modi’s visit a “disappointment” in terms of “symbolism and timing”.

Since then, it is understood that South Block has taken several steps to limit the damage from the visit, engaging several Western diplomats on the issue, and even indicating that a visit by Mr. Modi to Kyiv could be on the cards.

Shoring up

An upgrade: Work on the installation of a vertical central span is in progress on the new Pamban bridge in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu. The new bridge with single railway line will replace the old Pamban rail bridge built in 1914.L. BalachandarBALACHANDAR L

The Hindu Bureau

Srinagar

Exchange of fire: Security personnel during an operation in Kupwara in north Kashmir on Saturday. Special Arrangement ANI

An Army soldier and a Pakistani infiltrator were killed in a gunfight that followed an attack on an Army post close to the Line of Control (LoC) in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Saturday morning.

An Army spokesperson said a group of two to three infiltrators took advantage of bad weather and poor visibility along the LoC in Machil Sector and “fired on a forward Army post from close proximity”.

“The alert troops responded vigorously and in the ensuing exchange of fire, one Pakistani intruder was killed. Weapons, ammunition and war-like stores were recovered. The identity and affiliation of the Pakistani national is being ascertained,” the Army said.

The deceased soldier was identified as Rifleman Mohit Rathour. “Chinar Warriors salute his immense valour and sacrifice, and stand in solidarity with the bereaved family,” the Army said. Another soldier who was injured is stable.

Meghalaya groups turn away vehicles from outside State

Rahul Karmakar

GUWAHATI

Tourism industry hit; hoteliers claim 30% cancellation of bookings as the pressure groups target Assam-registered private, commercial vehicles; the police put an end to the activities and arrest 10

Members of the Khasi Students’ Union had earlier this month set up their own ‘inner line permit’ check gate to deny entry to ‘outsiders’. Facebook/KSU

Tourism in Meghalaya took a hit after a pressure group turned away Assam-registered private and commercial vehicles from strategic locations leading to popular tourist spots on Friday.

Members of Meghalaya’s Hynniewtrep National Youth Federation (HYNF), a pressure group, began stopping vehicles and checking the credentials of the passengers after a call was issued not to let transporters from outside the State operate.

The checking of passengers followed a drive by two other such organisations — the Khasi Students’ Union and the Federation of Khasi Jaintia Garo People — against migrant labourers or “illegal immigrants” employed in the State without “work permit”. Over the past few days, the drive saw more than 2,500 labourers exit Meghalaya.

“The incident led to a 30% drop in hotel accommodation bookings on Friday and about 35% today [Saturday], although we feared it would go down by 50%. Thankfully, the checking of vehicles was withdrawn,” Paramvir Sehdave, the Federation of Shillong Hotels president said. He also said members of the federation and all other stakeholders in the tourism industry apologised to the tourists for the ordeal they had to undergo, and assured them that such incidents would not happen again.

Organisations such as the Tour Operators’ Association of Meghalaya, however, foresaw “tough days” ahead as a series of incidents in the State — perceived to be anti-outsiders — coincided with an advisory by the United States for its citizens to avoid travelling to Meghalaya, besides Manipur in the northeast.

“It took us many years to build up the tourism footfall that Meghalaya enjoys today. Friday’s incident has undone much of our hard work,” the association’s president, Banlum Blah said.

Sylvester Nongtnger, the Superintendent of Police of the East Khasi Hills district, said 10 members of the HNYF were arrested after a suo motu case was registered against them for unlawful activities. “Police personnel will be posted in strategic areas. We want tourists and visitors to feel safe while travelling in the State,” he said.

Prestone Tynsong, Meghalaya’s Deputy Chief Minister also in charge of the Home Ministry, condemned the HYNF and asked it not to cross the line. “We will not allow such things to happen again,” he said, admitting that members of the organisation caught the government by surprise by going berserk.

The actions of the pressure groups are related to the demand to implement the Meghalaya Residents’ Safety and Security Act and the British-era inner line permit, which are deemed protective shields for indigenous communities against outsiders.

India-Australia trade pact yielding great results, says envoy

Appaji Reddem

Vijayawada

Philip Green arrived in Vijayawada ahead of his meeting with Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday. K.V.S. GIRIKVS GIRI

Trade between India and Australia is on a great trajectory owing to the recently floated free trade agreement — Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) — and exports from India to Australia have gone up substantially, Australian High Commissioner Philip Green said on Saturday.

He also said that Australia was actively exploring possibilities in building Amaravati as Andhra Pradesh’s capital city.

Speaking to The Hindu before a meeting with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu in Amaravati, Mr. Green said, “In the last five years, India’s exports to the world have gone up by about 37% but in the same period, India’s exports of goods to Australia were up by 66%, nearly twice as much.”

The signing of the ECTA has resulted in a 77% utilisation rate by traders and key sectors in the last four months of this year; Indian exports of apparel reportedly went up more than 20%, iron and steel by 25% and agriculture exports by 30%.

Opportunities in India

Mr. Green was visiting Amaravati to congratulate Mr. Naidu on his landmark victory. The visit was also aimed at exploring development opportunities in Amaravati.

“We can talk about a number of sectors where Australia has interest in engaging — education, agriculture, water management, green energy supply chain etc. You may know, Canberra, the capital of Australia, was developed from three sheep farms. And it’s now one of the most beautiful capitals in the world. I’ll be listening very carefully to what Chief Minister Mr. Naidu has to say on the plans for Amaravati,” he said.

Australia was also focused on export of clean coal, critical minerals for green hydrogen, green battery manufacture, green steel, iron ore and solar panels needed for rooftops, he said. “Mr. Modi wants over ten million roofs with solar panels across the country, which is a huge opportunity for Australia,” Mr. Green said.

He lauded the contribution of the Indian diaspora in Australia in the fields of IT, business and other service sectors. The Indian community constituted over one million of the 26 million population of Australia. “It’s the fastest-growing community in our country. Last year, over 1,00,000 visas were issued to people from India,” he said. He also wished for the diaspora to play a positive role in bilateral ties.

Russian-Ukraine war

Commenting on the geo-political scenario, Mr. Green said that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was a clear breach of international law by a country in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

“Russia has signed multiple treaties with Ukraine to protect its territorial integrity. Rules based world is worried about larger countries invading smaller countries. So, what Russia has done in Ukraine is for us unconscionable and we will continue our strong support to Ukraine,” he stressed.

When asked about India accessing cheaper oil from Russia, he said it was a bilateral arrangement between the two countries and part of traditional relations between them.

Mr. Green said Australia backed India’s ambition to be a permanent member of the UNSC.

CBI arrests scientist, three others for corruption in purchase of equipment

The Hindu Bureau

NEW DELHI

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested a principal scientist and a controller of stores and purchase of CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology (NEIST) in Assam’s Jorhat and two others for their involvement in corruption in the procurement of spectrophotometer and its software.

The agency has arrested principal scientist Prasenjit Manna, controller of stores & purchase Praveer Mohan Verma, Kangkan Kashyap, director of Delhi-based KXK Technologies Private Limited, and his brother Angkan Borpujari, a resident of Jorhat. The allegations pertain to the award of a contract and passing of a bill for supply of the equipment.

The role of other public servants is also being examined. Abhay Sakhare, CSIR-NEIST finance and accounts officer, Rama Shankar Sharma, posted as controller of finance and accounts at the institute, and Jatin Kalita, senior principal scientist, Centre for Infectious Disease in CSIR-NEIST, are under the lens.

‘Undue favours’

According to the CBI, the accused public servants were involved in corrupt and illegal activities of obtaining undue advantage from different private parties in lieu of extending undue favours in the matter of purchase and award of contracts. The former controller of finance and accounts had contacted CSIR headquarters and pursued a matter related to the allocation of about ₹7 crore for the expenditure incurred by NEIST towards purchase of the equipment to be supplied by the company in question.

“Thereafter, the accused controller of stores & purchase (bribe receiver) and accused finance and accounts officer allegedly discussed among themselves their share of bribe as ₹7 lakh and ₹2 lakh,” said the agency, adding that the accused senior principal scientist had allegedly expressed willingness to facilitate the company in all future work orders of CSIR-NEIST in exchange for a bribe.

Following a tip-off, the CBI laid a trap and arrested the two public servants while they were receiving ₹7 lakh on Friday. The director was arrested in Guwahati on Saturday.

Shah should shed his ego, set up cross-LoC advisory committee to aid J&K: Mufti

The Hindu Bureau

Srinagar

Mehbooba MuftiANI

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president and former J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday asked the Centre to work towards constituting a cross-Line of Control (LoC) advisory committee between J&K and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (P-K).

“Home Minister Amit Shah keeps talking about bringing back that part of Kashmir (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir). Till the time you bring that part back, form a committee of the representatives of this Kashmir and that Kashmir, and bring us together. We will sit together twice a year and discuss the issues we face,” Ms. Mufti said.

She was addressing party workers in Srinagar on the 25th foundation day of the party.

Pitching for opening the roads of J&K to Central Asia, Ms. Mufti said the iron-hand policy had failed to achieve anything in Kashmir and there was a need for dialogue and regional connectivity. “Mr. Shah should put his ego aside and facilitate a meeting of representatives of the people from both sides. Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee did the same in his tenure,” she recalled.

She asked the Union Home Minister to spell out the achievements made by adopting an iron-hand policy in J&K. “What has been achieved by imprisoning and suppressing people in Kashmir? Even (PDP leader) Waheed Para, who was jailed on terrorism charges, received 2,00,000 votes. The government thinks it has eliminated the PDP but look at the turnout for this PDP foundation day. PDP is not finished,” she said.

She also criticised the Centre over the spurt in militancy in J&K. “Foreign militants infiltrate into Jammu, kill, and then leave. What are you doing? BJP is busy dominating our schools, institutions, and universities,” she said.

Ms. Mufti said no one was happy in J&K and Ladakh since August 5, 2019. “People of Ladakh are crying for their rights. People of Jammu are beating their chests. Jammu, which was the hub of the economy, is weeping. There’s no need to even mention Kashmir,” Ms. Mufti said.

Gaganyaan astronaut to travel to ISS in mission with NASA

Press Trust of India

New Delhi

One of the four astronauts undergoing training for the Gaganyaan mission will travel to the International Space Station as part of a collaborative effort with NASA, Union Minister Jitendra Singh has informed the Lok Sabha.

In a written reply, Mr. Singh said NASA has identified Axiom Space, a private entity, while the ISRO had signed a space flight agreement with the U.S. firm for the joint mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the U.S. last year, President Joe Biden announced that India and the U.S. were collaborating to send an Indian astronaut to the ISS in 2024.

India’s Astronaut Selection Board had picked four astronauts from the group of test pilots from the Indian Air Force for the Gaganyaan mission, India’s first manned space mission planned to take place next year. “All four astronauts have undergone training on a spaceflight basic module in Russia. Currently, astronauts are undergoing training at the ISRO’s Astronauts Training Facility (ATF) in Bengaluru for the Gaganyaan Mission,” Mr. Singh said.

The Minister said two out of three semesters of the Gaganyatri training programme have been completed while independent training simulators and static mock-up simulators have been realised.

Mission update

Sharing an update on the Gaganyaan mission, Mr. Singh said ground testing of propulsion systems stages, including solid, liquid and cryogenic, towards human rating of the launch vehicle has been completed. Design and realisation of five types of crew escape system solid motors has been completed, he said.

The Union Minister said static testing of all five types of solid motors too has been completed. Also, the first Test Vehicle mission (TV-D1) for performance validation of crew escape system and parachute deployment has been successfully accomplished, he added.

He said characteridsation of the Thermal Protection System was also complete.

Pawar responds to Shah’s ‘godfather of corruption’ remark

The Hindu Bureau

Mumbai

Sharad Pawar PTI

Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Friday responded to BJP leader Amit Shah’s “godfather of corruption” remark by recalling the Union Home Minister’s days of externment from Gujarat. “It’s strange that a person who misused the law and was externed from Gujarat by the Supreme Court is India’s Home Minister now,” said the Rajya Sabha member, while addressing a gathering at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

Mr. Shah, during a campaign speech on July 21, had accused Mr. Pawar of institutionalising graft and branded the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) the ‘Aurangazeb Fan Club’.

Mr. Pawar was referring to when Mr. Shah was investigated for his role in the 2005 Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case.

Talking to mediapersons on Saturday, Mr. Pawar also questioned the timing of the Mahayuti government’s Ladki Bahin (Adorable Sister) and Ladka Bhau (Adorable Brother) schemes launched ahead of the Assembly polls.

C“There is no money in the State treasury. One or two instalments will be given prior to the election but who will pay the next instalment,” he asked.

He touched upon the Maratha quota issue, and sought an immediate solution from the government.

SC to hear tomorrow ED’s plea challenging bail to Hemant Soren

Press Trust of India

New Delhi

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday an Enforcement Directorate (ED) plea challenging the Jharkhand High Court’s order granting bail to Chief Minister Hemant Soren in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam.

A Bench of Justices B.R. Gavai and K.V. Viswanathan is scheduled to hear the plea against the June 28 order.

Mr. Soren, the executive president of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), had resigned as Chief Minister shortly before the ED arrested him on January 31. After coming out of jail on bail, he took oath as the Chief Minister on July 4.

The Central agency, opposing Mr. Soren’s bail plea, had alleged that he misused his position as the Chief Minister to “unlawfully” acquire 8.86 acres of land in the Bargain area in Ranchi.

Earlier, during the hearing in the High Court, the ED’s counsel had argued that if Mr. Soren was released on bail, he might commit a similar offence and referred to cases against ED officers in the SC/ST police station.

Myanmar PM, Doval discuss stability of border region

Press Trust of India

Naypyidaw

Myanmar Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlain has met National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and discussed measures for forging peace and stability in the border region.

Mr. Doval was in Myanmar to lead the Indian delegation at the 4th annual meeting of the security chiefs of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).

Aung Hlaing, the Chairman of the State Administration Council, received Mr. Doval at his office on Friday. At the meeting, they cordially exchanged views on friendly ties and cooperation between the two nations, the political progress of Myanmar, preparations to hold a free and fair multiparty democratic general election, and measures for forging peace and stability in the border region, The Global New Light of Myanmar, a government-owned newspaper reported.

Myanmar strives to forge peace and stability in the border region of India, the paper said.

The two nations share a 1,643-km-long border which passes through Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh.

14% of Indians signed up on DigiLocker; most in Delhi

The Hindu Bureau

NEW DELHI

Delhi has the highest proportion of Aadhaar-linked DigiLocker sign-ups in India, with an estimated 29.38% of the population signed up on the service, according to an analysis of data released by the government, read with an estimate based on 2026 population projections by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, which peg India’s current population at 142.59 crore.

Overall, 14.06% of Indians — 20.05 crore individuals — have registered on DigiLocker and linked their Aadhaar with the service. DigiLocker allows Indians to display ID proofs digitally and store and retrieve other personal documents, such as school examination certificates, college degrees, vehicle registrations etc.

The State and Union Territory-wise breakup was provided by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology on Friday in response to a Rajya Sabha query.

Ladakh has the poorest penetration among all States and Union Territories, with only 5,403 of an estimated 3.05 lakh population registered on DigiLocker — amounting to 1.77% of the population.

India needs more domestic investments now: Congress

The Hindu Bureau

New Delhi

Party criticises Modi’s statement at NITI Aayog meeting calling for more focus on attracting international investments; since 2014, domestic investments have been sluggish, it adds

The Chief Ministers of West Bengal, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, (from left) Mamata Banerjee, Pushkar Singh Dhami and Yogi Adityanath, during a NITI Aayog meeting in Delhi on Saturday. PTI-

Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his NITI Aayog speech that focused on getting more international investments, the Congress on Saturday said the country first needed domestic investments.

Congress general secretary (communication) Jairam Ramesh, in a post on X, stated, “The non-biological PM in his address to NITI Aayog has woken up to the realisation that India needs to make policies conducive to international investments, that is FDI. For ten long years He has indeed encouraged FDI — Fear, Deceit and Intimidation. And now He pontificates.”

Asserting that India needs to catalyse and trigger a fresh spurt of domestic investment, the Congress leader said such investments marked the 10 years of Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister. “You boost DI, and FDI will follow,” he added.

Mr. Ramesh said that since 2014, domestic investments had been sluggish because of a combination of factors.

“1. Erratic policymaking, evinced by the senseless demonetisation, the botched GST rollout, and the unplanned COVID-19 lockdown. 2. Rampant cronyism that has led to increasing oligopolisation and restricted the space for competition. 3. The ED/IT/CBI Raid Raj that makes businessmen fearful of expanding investments in India,” the Congress leader said.

In a separate post, Mr. Ramesh alleged that the NITI Aayog has been functioning as “an attached office of the Prime Minister’s office” and in a “blatantly partisan” manner.

JD(U) stakes claim to 11 seats in Jharkhand Assembly polls, gives candidates’ list to Nitish Kumar

Amit Bhelari

Patna

Nitish Kumar

Ahead of the Jharkhand Assembly election due later this year, the Janata Dal (United) has staked claim to 11 seats, to be contested in an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The decision was taken on Saturday during a meeting chaired by JD(U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who skipped the NITI Aayog meeting in Delhi and discussed election preparations in the neighbouring State with party leaders at his official residence in Patna. The meeting was attended by Rajya Sabha member Khiru Mahto, who heads Jharkhand JD(U), national working president Sanjay Jha, the JD(U) Jharkhand in-charge, Ashok Choudhary, and other leaders.

‘Decision to be taken’

Mr. Mahto said that the final decision on seats would be taken after a meeting with top BJP leaders. However, he stressed that the party’s preparations will cover all 81 seats.

“A list of 11 candidates has been submitted to Nitish Kumar ji. For sure we will contest the election in alliance with the BJP,” Mr. Mahto said while talking to presspersons outside the Chief Minister’s residence.

Mr. Mahto did not reveal the names of the candidates and the Assembly seats from which party they would contest.

The JD(U) contested 40 seats in the 2019 Assembly election but did not win even one. It similarly drew a blank in 2014, when it contested 45 seats.

After Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar as a separate State in 2000, the JD(U) tasted some initial success. In the first Assembly election held in 2005, the party, as a member of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), fielded 18 candidates and won six seats, with a vote share of 4%. In the 2009 election, both its vote share and number of seats declined. In an alliance with the BJP, the JD(U) contested 14 seats and won just two, its vote share falling to 2.78%.

In the tribal State of Jharkhand, Kurmis or Mahtos who are classified under the Other Backward Class (OBC)category, account for 22% of the population. The Scheduled Castes account for 16%, Scheduled Tribes 26% and the Bihari community 7-10%. The JD(U) is training its lens on the last section of voters.

Long-pending demands

Asked about the other issues discussed in the meeting, Mr. Mahto said, “As many as 13 Kurmi and Kushwaha organisations met Nitish ji with the demand of inclusion of Kurmis in the ST list. This is our long-pending demand and we will raise it in Parliament as well. We will also meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to press for our demand.”

Earlier, Saryu Roy who heads the Bhartiya Jantantra Morcha in Jharkhand, met Mr. Kumar in Patna and expressed his desire to contest the election in alliance with the JD(U).

Mr. Mahto, however, said that he will urge Mr. Roy to join the JD(U) and contest the election on party ticket.

Congress divided over Mamata’s walkout: Jairam supports her, Adhir says she is lying

The Hindu Bureau

Kolkata

1 of 2

2 of 2 It is very surprising if a State’s CM wouldn’t be allowed to speak. Mamata Banerjee knew what would be happening there Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury Congress State president

On a day when the Congress leadership in Delhi came out in support of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, saying the treatment she received at the NITI Aayog meeting was “unacceptable”, Congress State president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury alleged Ms. Banerjee may be lying.

Ms. Banerjee on Saturday stormed out of the NITI Aayog meeting, alleging that she had not been allowed to complete her remarks and her microphone had been switched off.

“It muzzles all divergent and dissenting viewpoints, which are the very essence of an open democracy. Its meetings are a farce to be reckoned with. Its treatment of the West Bengal CM today, although typical of the NITI Aayog, is unacceptable,” Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh posted on the social media platform X.

Ms. Banerjee also suggested that she was the only Chief Minister present from States ruled by non-NDA parties, and was speaking on behalf of the entire Opposition. The Trinamool Congress is part of the Opposition Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance bloc.

West Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, on the other hand, said he felt that Ms. Banerjee was lying. “The things that Mamata Banerjee is saying regarding NITI Aayog meeting, I feel like she is lying... it is very surprising if a State’s CM wouldn’t be allowed to speak. Mamata Banerjee knew what would be happening there...she had the script...” the Congress leader told ANI.

Mr. Chowdhury lost the 2024 Lok Sabha election from Baharampur to the Trinamool’s Yusuf Pathan. The State’s ruling party had put the blame on the State Congress leader for not being able to stitch an alliance between the two parties in West Bengal.

Mr. Chowdhury wrote to President Droupadi Murmu, seeking her intervention to “restore law and order” in the State.

CRPF will have an expanded role in Manipur: Centre

Vijaita Singh

NEW DELHI

Ajay Kumar BhallaSANDEEP SAXENA

Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla said on Saturday that the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is seeing a “further increase” in its role in maintaining law and order in Manipur, which has been affected by ethnic conflict for over a year.

“We are seeing a further increase in CRPF’s role in Manipur. CRPF has done a good job in stopping violence in the State. They also have a contribution in [securing] the shelter homes that have been set up for the [displaced] people,” Mr. Bhalla said while addressing the 86th Raising Day celebrations of the CRPF.

Manipur has been affected by ethnic violence between the tribal Kuki-Zo and the Meitei people since May 3, 2023. At least 221 people have been killed, and more than 60,000 people have been internally displaced so far. Around 36,000 personnel from the Indian Army and the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have been deployed in the State since then.

Mr. Bhalla stated that new challenges are emerging and that, in the future, “experienced and disciplined” Agniveers would be inducted in the CAPFs. Each CAPF has reserved 10% of its vacancies for Agniveers. “Very few districts remain where Naxalism remains and we believe that with your support, Naxalism will be wiped out completely from India,” Mr. Bhalla said.

CRPF Director General Anish Dayal Singh said that a special medical review board has been constituted and due to the efforts, about 14,000 of the 24,000 CRPF personnel who were found to be in the “low medical category,” have been declared “fit to handle weapons again.”

Mental health support

“For the treatment of alcohol dependence syndrome and rehabilitation of those affected by mental health conditions, as many as 14Snehalaya have been opened and efforts are on to make the personnel fit,” Mr. Singh said.

Will scrap Agnipath scheme when ‘we get power’, says Akhilesh

Mayank Kumar

Lucknow

1 of 2

2 of 2 The scheme compromises the security of the country and plays with the future of soldiers

Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav said on Saturday that the Agnipath recruitment scheme would be cancelled “as soon as we come to power”.

The declaration comes a day after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced reservation for retired Agniveers in the Uttar Pradesh Police.

“As soon as we come to power, the short-term ‘Agniveer’ military recruitment that compromises the security of the country and plays with the future of the soldiers will be cancelled within 24 hours. This is our demand on ‘Agniveer’. Old recruitment should be reinstated,” wrote Mr. Yadav on X.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister announced on Friday that the State government would grant weight to retired Agniveers in the State police and the Provincial Armed Constabulary.

While campaigning for the Lok Sabha election, Mr. Yadav had repeatedly vowed to scrap the Agnipath scheme, under which youth are recruited in the Army, Navy, and Air Force largely on a four-year contractual basis. The recruits under the scheme are known as Agniveers.

The Union government unveiled the Agnipath scheme in 2022. The scheme excludes pensions and several other benefits offered in the old mode of recruitment.

Ministers resorting to threatening remarks in Parliament: Gogoi

The Hindu Bureau

New Delhi

Congress leader and the deputy leader of the party in the Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, on Saturday, wrote to Speaker Om Birla on the “deteriorating standards of parliamentary conduct” of Ministers and members of the ruling coalition in the Lower House.

“I am writing to you to express my deep concern about the deteriorating standards of parliamentary conduct in the Lok Sabha as evidenced by several instances from the ongoing Monsoon Session. Often, it is the Ministers of the government themselves who make unparliamentary, objectionable and threatening remarks against the members of the Opposition parties,” he said. He sought action against such Ministers and MPs.

“July 26: Union Minister Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh used threatening language against the former CM of Haryana, Shri Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who is not a Member of the House. July 25: Minister of State Shri Ravneet Singh Bittu used unparliamentary language while referring to Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson and Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament Smt. Sonia Gandhi,” he said. His third example was the speech of BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on July 25 for using… “outright communal language during his interventions in the House”.

“It is disappointing to note that the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs has not been able to restrain his colleagues when these incidents took place, despite being present in the House. Ensuring the smooth functioning of the House is a collective responsibility, but it is important that the government takes a proactive and collaborative approach,” Mr. Gogoi said.

To the rescue

In full swing: Troops during a rescue and relief operation in a a flood-affected area after heavy rainfall in Sangli district of Maharashtra on Saturday. PTI -

Over 2,000 posts vacant in three govt. hospitals in Delhi: Minister

Bindu Shajan Perappadan

NEW DELHI

There are over 2,000 vacant posts of doctors, nurses and paramedical staff in three large Central government hospitals in the national capital, according to information provided by the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry in the Lok Sabha earlier this week.

The three hospitals — Safdarjung Hospital, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, and Lady Hardinge Medical College and Associated Hospitals — have a combined bed strength of 5,929, and a sanctioned staff strength of 10,458. They have 52, 20 and 13 operation theatres respectively.

Responding to a question from MP Varun Chaudhary, the Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel told the House that 903 posts of doctors were vacant in the three hospitals. A total of 476 posts of nursing staff and 695 paramedical staff positions too were vacant this year. She added that the Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital will be getting an additional 666 beds.

The Minister was responding to queries about the number of beds available in government hospitals for in-patients in the country during the last five years; the present sanctioned strength and vacancies of doctors, nurses and paramedics; and whether there is any proposal to increase the healthcare infrastructure in accordance with World Health Organization guidelines.

Rajasthan announces quota for Agniveers in State police force

The Hindu Bureau

JAIPUR

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Rajasthan on Saturday announced reservation for Agniveers in the recruitment to the State police and the forces such as prison and forest guards. The move followed a similar decision taken by several States for the recruitment of retired Agniveers in their respective police forces.

Chief Minister Bhajan Lala Sharma said in a statement in Jaipur that he had taken the decision to mark the 25th anniversary of India’s victory in the Kargil war. “A provision of reservation in jobs has been made for the Agniveers who protect the country’s borders with a sense of dedication and patriotism,” the statement said.

Mr. Sharma said the State government’s decision would provide an opportunity for Agniveers to work in the State after serving the country. The percentage of reservations is yet to be decided.

Modi holds meeting with Chief Ministers

The Hindu Bureau

NEW DELHI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday held a meeting with the Chief Ministers and Deputy Chief Ministers of the BJP-ruled States for a periodic evaluation of governance-related issues. Union Ministers Amit Shah and J.P. Nadda attended the ‘Chief Ministers’ Conclave’.

At the meeting, leaders exchanged information on best practices and evaluated the effectiveness of various schemes.

Muslim residents of Mewat live in fear of ‘

Alisha Dutta

NEW DELHI

The family of Nasir, who was allegedly abducted and killed by cow vigilantes, at their home in Fatehpur.SHASHI SHEKHAR KASHYAP

In the Mewat region, traversing the Mumbai-Delhi highway, Muslim residents have feared reaching the villages dotting the boundary of Haryana and Rajasthan. Their fears, however, rose manifold after they learnt that local gaurakshaks, or “cow protectors”, had given a call to their associates to apply for gun licences.

The call appeared on multiple WhatsApp groups of “cow protectors” across the region after Daya Ram, a resident of Bisaru village, was allegedly attacked by cattle smugglers at night.

The Muslim community has allegedly lost several young and middle-aged men to attacks by “cow protectors” in the region.

In Ghatmeeka village of Rajasthan along the Haryana boundary, Mohammed Ali, 27, along with this two brothers, has quit dairy farming. “Since Junaid and Nasir’s death last year, we have quit our family business of dairy farming and we started working as drivers,” he said.

While many appear to have followed in Mr. Ali’s footsteps in several villages by moving to other professions, some have continued to navigate risky paths in dairy farming.

Abdul (name changed to maintain anonymity), a resident of of Nuh, said that in his village and several others, the part of the compound that houses cattle now has only buffaloes.

“Earlier, we used to keep both buffaloes and cow for dairy farming, but now who will risk bringing a cow from anywhere?” Mr. Abdul said.

The 57-year-old man and his two sons had briefly stopped cattle rearing after the lynching in 2017 of Pehlu Khan, who was transporting cows to Nuh from Alwar district.

Resident of the same village, Mr. Abdul was more afraid for his sons, since they would go to the animal fairs in Rajasthan to legally buy cows and buffaloes for their dairy farming.

“For months, I did not allow my two sons to go to the fair to make purchases and made ends meet with great difficulty by practising the trade in and around our village. However, as our means dried up, we started to buy buffaloes from neighbouring villages and continued our trade,” Mr. Abdul said.

However, purchasing cattle from neighbouring villages was an expensive affair, he added.

“If a buffalo costs close to ₹90,000 in Rajasthan’s pashu mela (cattle fair), it costs close to ₹1.5 lakh when bought from Haryana,” Mr. Abdul said.

While “cow protectors” frequent the Delhi-Mumbai highway and various routes from Rajasthan to Haryana to allegedly harass Muslim men, even when they are not carrying cattle, some residents of Mewat have found a different route to protect themselves and their trade.

Hamid Khan, a resident of Nuh, says that while the gaurakshaks are after Muslim men, they have no qualms letting Hindu men pass with vehicles full of cattle, which has allowed many like him to buy cattle.

“The Hindu men selling animals in pashu melas in Rajasthan were incurring great losses with the increased attacks of gaurakshaks on Muslim men, so they proposed that we pay an additional cost for them to deliver the cows and buffaloes to our villages, straight from the fairs,” Mr. Khan says.

The 32-year-old and many like him now pay an additional cost up to ₹5,000 for these Hindu men to transport cattle legally purchased from cattle fairs in Nangar, Rajasthan, to continue their trade while trying to save their own lives.

Standing next to Mr. Khan, his brother Parvez Khan, asks why “cow protectors” in the region, who are armed with firearms and sticks do not run after their Hindu “brethren” when they transport cattle, and lynch innocent Muslims even when they are not carrying any cattle.

GNLF issues ‘ultimatum’ to form separate Gorkhaland

Shiv Sahay Singh

Kolkata

Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar’s proposal to include north Bengal in northeastern region has stirred hill parties to renew their demand; those backing BJP and Trinamool support the move

Gurkhas staging a protest demanding a Gorkhaland State in New Delhi in 2017, when the hills saw the last bout of violence.File photo

A suggestion by Union Minister of State for Development of Northeastern Region Sukanta Majumdar that north Bengal be included in the region has stirred the demand for creation of a separate State of Gorkhaland.

Mr. Majumdar, the president of the West Bengal unit of the BJP, said on Wednesday that he had given such a proposal to the Prime Minister. Just days after this, Mann Ghisingh, leader of the Gorkha National Liberation Front, on Saturday gave an ultimatum to the BJP leadership to settle the long-pending issues of Gurkhas by April 5, 2025.

The GNLF is an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party, and Mann Ghising is the son of its founder, Subhas Ghisingh, who started the campaign for the creation of a separate State in the 1980s.

Speaking to presspersons, Mr. Mann called for unity of all political parties in the hills, and said “let bygones be bygones”. He said the BJP MP for Darjeeling, Raju Bista, should impress upon the Centre the need to meet the long-pending demand.

The BJP’s manifesto for the Lok Sabha election had no mention of Gorkhaland, whereas those in 2019 and 2014 had promised a “permanent political settlement” to the issues raised by Gurkhas.

Not only Mr. Mann but other leaders of hill parties have also put the issue of Gorkhaland at the forefront after the Minister’s remarks. Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president Bimal Gurung said that his party leaders were discussing the issue.

The development came on the day when political parties in the Darjeeling hills observed Martyrs’ Day in remembrance of the people who laid down their lives in support of Gorkhaland. The last time when the hills witnessed a violent protest over the demand for a separate State was in 2017, when a 100-day economic blockade was imposed.

Not only parties in support of the BJP but also those backing the ruling Trinamool Congress also have thrown their weight behind the demand. “The best tribute to the martyrs will be the realisation of Gorkhaland,” Amar Thapa, a leader of the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha, said. The BGPM is considered close to the Trinamool, and administers the autonomous Gorkhaland Territorial Administration and several municipalities in the hills.

Mr. Majumdar’s comments evoked demands for a Greater Cooch Behar State by BJP ally and Rajya Sabha member Jayanta Ray, alias Ananta Maharaj. BJP MP Nishikanta Dubey called for parts of Jharkhan, Bihar, and West Bengal to be combined into a Union Territory to tackle challenges posed by undocumented immigrants.

Murshidabad BJP MLA Gouri Shankar Ghosh supported Mr. Dubey’s proposal.

On the brink

Precariously perched: A house hangs on the banks of the Mandakini river following heavy rain at Sonprayag on Saturday. As the road between Sonprayag and Kedarnath was damaged, authorities have appealed to pilgrims to Kedarnath to stay in safe places.ANIANI

Panel highlights delay in installation of telemetry systems

Press Trust of India

New Delhi

Thousands were affected in Sikkim after heavy rain and landslips in June this year. PTI

A parliamentary panel has highlighted significant delays in the installation of telemetry systems in some critical flood-prone areas.

The committee’s report on the performance audit of schemes for flood control and forecasting, submitted to the 17th Lok Sabha and tabled in the 18th Lok Sabha on Friday, underscores the need for urgent action to ensure timely and effective flood management.

The report said the installation of telemetry systems — vital for real-time data collection and flood forecasting — had been completed at all stations except at Khanabal in the Chenab division, and Sara Thang and Dambong in the Gangtok division. The delay at Khanabal is attributed to a court case pending since 2018, while non-clearance from the Forest Department has stalled installations at Sara Thang and Dambong since 2017.

The Union Ministry of Jal Shakti informed the committee that an alternative location for the Khanabal station had been identified and installation of the system was expected to commence shortly. However, the committee expressed its dissatisfaction with the prolonged delay. It called for earnest efforts to expedite the installation of the telemetry systems in Sikkim and other pending locations.

The committee also recommended regular inspections and maintenance for all installed telemetry systems around the country. It called for an action plan and an infallible system to handle worst-case scenarios and improve quick-response measures during floods.

8 persons killed after car falls into gorge in J&K’s Anantnag

Eight members of a family, five of them children, were killed when their vehicle skidded off the road and fell into a gorge in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, officials said. A policeman, two women and five children aged between six and 16 are among the dead, they said. The victims were travelling from Kishtwar towards Marwah, via the Sinthan Top, when their vehicle skidded off the road and fell into a gorge at Daksum and the family of eight were killed on the spot, officials said. PTI

Explain cut in overall taxes on gold, Cong. tells Centre

Press Trust of India

New Delhi

The Congress on Saturday questioned the economic logic of effectively halving the overall taxes on gold in the Union Budget.

The remarks came after Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company CEO Nilesh Shah reportedly urged Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to keep an eye on any surge in the gold import bill after the customs duty cut.

In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said: “In FY 2023-24 India’s gold imports totalled USD 45.4 billion, rising by almost 30% from the previous year. It is hardly debatable that gold imports add very little to economic growth. Yet, the 2024-25 budget reduced import duty on gold from 10% to 6%.” The overall taxes on gold, including GST, have come down from 18.5% to 9%, he said.

Maldives uses Indian aircraft for medical evacuations

Press Trust of India

Male

The Maldives has resumed using a Dornier aircraft and two helicopters gifted by India for medical evacuations after the two countries reached an understanding over the repatriation of Indian military personnel operating the three aviation platforms in the atoll nation, media reports said on Saturday.

President Mohamed Muizzu has thanked India for enabling the resumption of medical evacuation services with civilian aviation personnel from India. The two medical emergencies were carried out on Friday night, according to a post on X by the Maldives National Defence Force.

The Dornier aircraft and the helicopters were operated by Indian military personnel but that stopped soon after Mr. Muizzu took oath last November.

2 killed as basement of Delhi coaching centre gets flooded

After the capital city received heavy rain on Saturday, two IAS aspirants lost their lives when their coaching centre in old Rajender Nagar got flooded. Many were trapped in the basement before they were rescued by the NDRF and the Delhi Fire Service, the Delhi Police said. According to the Delhi Fire Department, a call about waterlogging was received from the Rao IAS Study Centre at about 7 p.m. “A total of five fire tenders were rushed to the site. When they reached the spot, the basement had already been full of water and the body of a female student was retrieved from the site,” an official said. The Delhi government has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident. The rescue operation is under way, officials said.

Court to decide on closure of wrestler’s plaint on Sept. 27

A Delhi court is likely to pronounce on September 27 its order on whether to accept a report filed by the police seeking cancellation of a minor wrestler’s complaint accusing ex-WFI chief and former BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexual harassment. Additional Sessions Judge Chhavi Kapoor, who was scheduled to pass the order on Monday, adjourned the matter. The Delhi Police on June 15 last year filed a report before the court seeking cancellation. In an in-chamber proceeding, the minor wrestler had told the court that she was satisfied with the police probe, and was not opposed to the closure report it has submitted, public prosecutor Atul Srivastava had said. PTI

SC sets aside order quashing summons to

The Supreme Court has set aside a Delhi High Court order that quashed a summons issued to the editor and deputy editor of online news portal The Wire in a criminal defamation case over a publication on a dossier allegedly depicting the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) as a “den of organised sex racket”. The complaint was filed by Amita Singh, former professor and chairperson of the Centre for Study of Law and Governance at the JNU, for allegedly imputing in the April 2016 publication that she had prepared the dossier in question. A Bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and Aravind Kumar said the High Court, in its order, exceeded its jurisdiction. PTI

Butterfly effect

K. Murali Kumar

A park for the frail, enchanting species has made Bannerughatta Biological Park of big-cat fame more attractive, with a garden and centre for conservation and research

Data trove: Visitors at the museum that provides comprehensive information on the butterflies inside the Bannerughatta Biological Park in Bengaluru.

The Butterfly Park inside the Bannerughatta Biological Park in Bengaluru is the first such in India.

The park, established in 2006, provides a perfect environment to serve as home to exotic butterflies.

It consists of a butterfly garden spanning 7.5 acres, a butterfly conservatory, a museum, a research laboratory, and a curio-shop. A total of 48 species have been spotted in the wilderness of the garden till date.

The park was conceptualised as an integrated centre to support education, conservation and research activities with exclusive focus on butterflies as flagship ambassadors of conservation.

Thirty species of butterflies belonging to five families, Papilionidae, Pieridae, Nymphalidae, Lycaenidae,and Hespiriidae, were bred in different seasons under captive conditions and released into the conservatory dome, enclosed under a polycarbonate roof. Lab assistants under the guidance of a forest official and a lepidopterist collect larvae and eggs from the garden, and collect feed.

They supervise the breeding at all stages of the process.

Exhaust fans and periodic watering is used to maintain the moisture in the dome. Heating bulbs and fans are used to maintain the right temperature in the breeding chambers, depending on the season.

A regular check for predators such as ants, spiders, rats, birds, and lizards are done to keep them away from the breeding unit and dome.

Other than predators, climate change poses a huge threat to the survival of butterfly species. Breeding the butterflies has become a tough job in the last couple of years due to erratic weather and growing urbanisation, a park official said.

Chavism’s designated successor

Srinivasan Ramani

Nicolas Maduro After presiding over an authoritarian regime during a period of severe economic crises, exacerbated by debilitating U.S. sanctions, the Venezuelan leader stares at mounting challenges while seeking a third presidential term

On Sunday, a battered Venezuela, still reeling from an economic crisis that has resulted in the largest forced displacement crisis in Latin America, will vote to choose a President for a new six-year term, beginning January 10, 2025. The incumbent, who has presided over this economic decline, Nicolas Maduro, is running for his third consecutive term, after first coming to power in March 2013 as the designated successor of the late Hugo Chavez, who heralded the Bolivarian turn in Venezuela’s polity in 1999.

Mr. Maduro’s presidency has led to a significant decline in Venezuela’s economic standing, with millions being pushed into poverty, persistently high inflation and severe food shortages. According to the UNHCR, more than 7.7 million Venezuelan citizens have fled the country to become refugees and 6.5 million among them (84%) are in Latin America and the Caribbean. This number is larger than that of the migrants fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Syrian civil war. While the bulk of the migrants — 2.9 million — have fled to neighbouring Colombia and 1.5 million to Peru, more than 2,40,000 have undertaken perilous journeys such as crossing the Darien Gap between Colombia and Panama to seek entry into the U.S. via the Mexican border. The U.S. is now host to more than half a million Venezuelan migrants.

How did this go so wrong for a country that was touted as the lynchpin of “21st century socialism”? Indeed, when Chavez had passed away due to cancer in 2013, Venezuela had a household poverty rate of 33.1% and extreme poverty at 11.4%, down from 61.5% and 30%, respectively, in 2003. The figures for 2021, meanwhile, have increased to 82% and 53%, respectively.

Critics of Mr. Maduro blame the catastrophic economic situation on the stark authoritarian turn since he came to power. Some suggest that the economic decline was inevitable as Venezuela was overly dependent upon the petroleum sector — crude constituted 95% of the country’s exports in 2014 and the oil price crash in the same year sent it into a spiral.

Chavez’s supporters — the Chavistas — argue that the regime enhanced grassroots participation in the polity, exemplified by the high turnouts in popular elections, and built cooperatives while using the proceeds of the extractive economy to fund pro-poor programmes. And while the regime was cognisant about diversification, the lack of it during the oil price crash resulted in the economic crisis, which was exacerbated by a series of economic sanctions imposed by the U.S. and the EU after Mr. Maduro came to power.

The Donald Trump administration in August 2017 first imposed sanctions prohibiting the Venezuelan government from accessing U.S. financial markets, a move that affected Venezuela’s state-run oil company, PDVSA.

Sanctions reprieve

The country got a respite when the U.S. eased some sanctions following an agreement signed between Mr. Maduro and representatives of opposition parties in October 2023 in Barbados with political prisoners being released. However, in April 2024, the U.S. announced that sanctions would be reinstated on the oil sector as leading opposition figure Maria Corina Machado was not allowed to run in the presidential elections.

Critics argue that the seeds of the economic decline were laid during Chavez’s regime, as he tried to undo the remnants of the country’s liberal democratic order to create a personalised state with concentrated powers for the executive presidency. Following a coup attempt in 2002 against Chavez, the Chavistas sought to rewrite the rules of power in the country by moving it away from what observers termed an inflexible and ideologically one-sided, two-party system (a byproduct of the Puntofijo Pact between political parties in 1958). The Chavistas instituted a series of measures, including constitutional referendums and structural changes, most of which received popular support as Chavez won several elections. But following the economic crisis, these structures of power were utilised by his successor to entrench himself.

Mr. Maduro is a former bus driver and as a trade union activist represented bus drivers of the Caracas (Venezuelan capital) Metro System. In the early 1990s, he joined Chavez’s social movement MBR-200 (“Revolutionary Bolivarian Movement-200”) and campaigned for the release of Chavez after his arrest following a coup attempt in 1992. Mr. Maduro was also one of the founding members of the “Movement of the Fifth Republic”, which supported Chavez’s candidacy for President in 1998 and later became a parliamentarian representing the Chavistas, including as Speaker in 2005-06. After serving as Foreign Minister from 2006 to 2012, he was named Vice-President in October 2012.

Since his ascent to power, Mr. Maduro’s regime has moved away from a popular regime that was dependent upon grassroots mobilisation and participatory democracy to an authoritarian system. Here, privileges were granted to figures in the military, so much so that researcher Thomas Posado claims that “more than a third of the governorates, a quarter of the ministries and at least 60 public companies, are entrusted to [the military]”. Elections were no longer seen free and fair during Mr. Maduro’s tenure, resulting in significant discontent even among the ranks of his supporters and growing abstentions. The regime was accused of using repressive measures against protestors even as the economy fell into a spiral of crisis.

Constitutional crisis

Following a constitutional crisis in 2017, when the government-backed Supreme Tribunal of Justice dissolved an opposition-led National Assembly, there was a significant drop in voter turnout in the 2018 elections, which returned Mr. Maduro to power. A leading opposition figure, Juan Guaido, was unilaterally declared as the acting President by the opposition-dominated National Assembly and was promptly recognised by the U.S., Canada and other Latin American countries. This recognition, especially by the U.S., effectively ceased in 2023 when opposition forces voted to dissolve Mr Guaido’s “interim government”.

Following the Barbados agreement, an opposition primary was held in late 2023, which was won by Ms. Machado. But she was later disqualified by the Supreme Court for her role in supporting Mr. Guaido. Ms. Machado has now backed former diplomat Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia as the primary challenger to Mr. Maduro in the July 28 elections.

Opinion polls are notoriously unreliable in Venezuela, but many suggest that Mr. Maduro is trailing. The incumbent has also warned that a loss will result in a “bloodbath”. Mr. Maduro has sought to use state agencies to browbeat opposition supporters and leaders during the campaign, but these seem as desperate measures of an unpopular President losing support from the core sections of the poor who once endorsed and even deified the ideology of Chavism.

Credibility crisis

Vijaita Singh

UPSC The 100-year old commission, which lakhs of aspirants look at as a means for growth and social change, is facing questions over its credibility after recent controversies

In 2026, it will be 100 years since the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), which was known as the Federal Public Service Commission pre-Independence, came into existence.

To ensure “unbiased recruitment to Civil Services as also for protection of service interests”, the Constituent Assembly saw the need to accord “autonomous status” to the Commission under Article 315 of the Constitution. The primary role of the UPSC is to conduct examinations for appointment to the services of the Union, including the coveted All India Services (AIS).

After trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar’s case came to the fore, questions are being raised about the UPSC’s method of selection of candidates. Ms. Khedkar allegedly forged identity documents and a people with benchmark disability (PwBD) certificate to secure the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), though service allocation is decided by the Department of Personnel and Training. The UPSC has registered a criminal case against Ms. Khedkar for “misrepresenting and falsifying facts to obtain extra attempts in CSE-2022, beyond the prescribed limit.” While Ms. Khedkar could bypass the UPSC’s gatekeeping by appearing in CSE 12 times, against nine attempts, there have been incidents when the UPSC detected malpractices by candidates. In 2021-22, eight cases of malpractices, which included suppression of information, submission of false information, fabricated documents, cheating and possession of mobile phones came to the notice of the Commission. Social media is abuzz with several cases where the candidates appear to have misused caste, disability and even Economically Weaker Section (EWS) certificates to avail quota benefits and get into the services.

Cases of fraud

Amitabh Kant, former NITI Aayog chief and India’s G-20 sherpa, wrote on July 20 on X, “Several cases of fraud through UPSC for entry to top Civil Services are being alleged. All such cases must be fully investigated and the sternest action taken. Selection on basis of competence and integrity should never get compromised.”

The UPSC, meanwhile has decided to revamp its examination system through technological solutions such as Aadhaar-based fingerprint authentication and facial recognition systems, and closed circuit television surveillance using artificial intelligence (AI).

According to a parliamentary committee report, around 32.39 lakh candidates applied for examinations conducted by the UPSC in 2022-23. However, only 16.82 lakh candidates, (51.95 %) appeared. For the CSE 2022, out of the 11.35 lakh candidates who applied, only 5.73 lakh candidates (50.51%) appeared for the examination.

The report said that during the years 2017-18 and 2022-23, the UPSC collected ₹142.92 crore as examination fee from candidates, whereas it spent ₹922.82 crore to conduct examinations and interviews. Women, PwBD candidates and those belonging to Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe categories are exempted from payment of examination fee.

In 2015, an Expert Committee, chaired by B. S. Baswan, former Secretary, Ministry of Education, was constituted to comprehensively examine the various issues regarding CSE, which included high rate of absenteeism.

At least nine committees, including the Baswan Committee, have been formed in the past to suggest reforms. In 1976, the Kothari Committee observed that the practice of “allocating candidates to different services before they join the Foundation Course, has not only no advantage, but leads to unhealthy rivalry and complexes.”

While the UPSC is reeling from allegations of malpractices, its chairperson Manoj Soni quit the post due to “personal reasons”, five years before his term ends in 2029. Questioning the Government’s silence on the issue, the Congress party alleged that Mr. Soni has apparently been “nudged out” given the current controversy in which the Commission is involved. It is the first time in recent memory that the UPSC, considered an instrument of growth and social change by lakhs of aspirants, is facing questions around its credibility.

A steady presence

K.C. Vijaya Kumar

Gautam Gambhir The former opener, who has left an indelible mark on Indian cricket, is now donning a new mantle as the coach of the national team

Coaches in Indian cricket have evolved from being the pure amateur to the professional individual signing water-tight lucrative contracts. However, much before the current incumbent Gautam Gambhir occupied the hot seat, the scenario was starkly different. When Kapil Dev’s men won the 1983 World Cup at Lord’s, the manager, P.R. Man Singh, was the handyman doing everything. Thankfully, the winds of change and commercial heft meant that mentorship was seen as an essential tool for the national squad.

From hiring former stars like Kapil to picking overseas experts including John Wright, the dressing room changed. At times the experience soured too as reflected in the spat between coach Greg Chappell and captain Sourav Ganguly. Finally, ideal teachers were sourced from within the Indian set-up and the last decade has featured Anil Kumble, Ravi Shastri and Rahul Dravid. Gambhir is the latest in this mix.

Dealing with many individuals is never easy and coaching demands a lot from the practitioners of this empathetic role. At 42, Gambhir strides in as a gritty former India opener with crucial Test runs (4,154) and some riveting performances in limited overs cricket. When India won the inaugural ICC Twenty20 in South Africa in 2007, and the ICC 2011 World Cup in Mumbai, it was Gambhir who top-scored with 75 and 97, respectively.

There is no mistaking Gambhir’s inherent quality. Equally, he was known for his extreme intensity, an attribute in which he was perhaps closest to Dravid and Kumble. Gambhir looked grim, hustled the runs, wasn’t averse to either attack or eternally defend like once he did in New Zealand to save a Test.

He was a left-hander more in the tough Allan Border mode, not for him the languid aesthetics of a David Gower. Never averse to having a verbal duel with a rival, Gambhir was at his best when pushed to a corner. Often asked about the lack of an effervescent smile, Gambhir would say he is out there to win matches and may be a smile can go missing.

It has never been easy for Gambhir. In the Delhi unit, he had to jostle with Virender Sehwag, Aakash Chopra and later Shikhar Dhawan for the opener’s slot. When he turned up for India, the star batters were Sachin Tendulkar, Dravid, Sehwag, Ganguly, V.V.S. Laxman, Yuvraj Singh and later M.S. Dhoni before Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma made their mark.

Team first

Yet, till his 2016 fadeout from national colours, Gambhir was a steady presence from 2004. After 2011, his appearances were erratic. It wasn’t that Gambhir suddenly lost his skills, but the runs dried and perhaps it hurt him that in the captaincy zone, Dhoni was always the preferred choice.

A fiercely proud man, Gambhir revealed the odd petulant streak when he said one shot did not win the World Cup. It was presumed that the reference was to Dhoni’s winning six in the 2011 final against Sri Lanka. In Gambhir’s defence, he always had this team-first philosophy and was averse to personality cults. His simmering anger also found an outlet against a floundering Delhi District Cricket Association.

Gambhir’s legacy went beyond national duty as he remains an icon in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Leading Kolkata Knight Riders to title triumphs both as a skipper and now as a mentor, the diminutive opener carved a massive footprint. There is also a perception-issue that shadows Gambhir, since in his earlier tenure as BJP MP, he got into needless slanging matches with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Some of the tweets were in poor taste. Equally, Gambhir’s clashes with Kohli in the IPL offered fodder for fresh controversies. The two have to forge a fresh bond as they link arms once again. Critically for Gambhir, he also has to prepare India for a time when Rohit, Kohli, R. Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, to name a few, would be in their post-retirement phase.

The stormy petrel has to mellow and offer a gentle hand on a drooping shoulder. Most of his peers believe that he can deliver on that count while the Indian team gets a taste of his guidance during their current tour of Sri Lanka.

Regional

- Counselling, skilling aim to wean Mewat youth away from cybercrimes

- ATS teams deployed on Kanwar Yatra route in U.P.’s Muzaffarnagar

- Not a single seat should go to BJP in Haryana, says Sunita

- 2 GRP personnel suspended for beating up passengers in Bihar

- ‘Puducherry CM skipping NITI Aayog meet not political’

- Modi, BJP anti-Dalit, against quota for OBCs, says AAP MP

- 3 killed as residential building collapses in Navi Mumbai

- Malwa canal to irrigate 2 lakh acres in southern Punjab: CM

- The changing face of workplaces

- Hindu faith, Muslim spirit

Counselling, skilling aim to wean Mewat youth away from cybercrimes

Mohammed Iqbal

JAIPUR

A meeting of Meo community elders with the representatives of Samriddh Bharat Abhiyan at a madrasa in Kaman. Special arrangement.

A unique intervention launched in the Mewat region, falling in north-eastern Rajasthan, has sought to wean the youth away from the cybercrimes for which the Bharatpur and Alwar districts have gained notoriety. During the last two years, the rural areas in the two districts have emerged as the hubs of cyber frauds through which innocent people are duped and extorted for money.

The cyber ‘fraudsters’ from Mewat have scammed the people not just in Rajasthan, but also in far-off States such as Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Assam. Investigations have traced the cyber ‘criminals’ to Mewat, prompting the police to take up an anti-cybercrime campaign and launch a crackdown on the network of ‘fraudsters’.

“Operation Anti-Virus” of the police has found that a large number of youth belonging to the Meo community were reportedly deceiving people through investment lures, fake digital arrests, threats of disconnecting utilities and sextortion. Several ‘fraudsters’ have made fake Facebook pages under the guise of women and lured men into friendship, only to blackmail them for money.

Fake gold bricks, coins

These youth, in the age group of 17 to 30 years, were earlier ‘deceiving’ people by selling fake gold bricks and coins at cheap prices. In their changed modus operandi, the ‘fraudsters’ have been scamming and blackmailing the victims with their smartphones despite the lack of a sophisticated network, leadership and crime structure.

The police have arrested about 500 cyber ‘fraudsters’ this year in Bharatpur district alone, while unearthing call centres dedicated to cybercrimes in the villages. A large number of mobile phones, SIM cards, swipe machines used for fund transfers and cash counting machines were also seized, while the illegal properties of the accused, built with the extorted money, were bulldozed.

Bharatpur-based Samriddh Bharat Abhiyan has launched efforts to establish regular communication with the young men who are attracted to cybercrimes and get involved in the frauds with their peer groups. The intervention was made initially by approaching the Meo community elders, who were invited to the madrasas in the region for interacting with the activists who were willing to help out the youth through counselling.

Held in madrasas

Abhiyan’s director Sita Ram Gupta told The Hindu that madrasa teachers and community elders were encouraged to convince the youth to not indulge in cybercrimes and apprise them of the legal consequences of their activities. These meetings have so far been organised in the seminaries at Kaman, Pahari and Gopalgarh in Bharatpur district.

Prominent members of the Meo community agreed that the entire Mewat region, which also spreads to neighbouring Haryana, was getting a bad name because of the criminal activities of some young people.

They pointed out that the principal reason for the youth getting attracted to cybercrimes was the rampant unemployment and lack of opportunities to earn livelihood in the region.

Mr. Gupta said the Abhiyan would shortly start measures to connect the Meo youth with the works such as poultry farming, pisciculture, beekeeping and skills development. A computer training centre has already been started in Kaman, where a large number of youth have enrolled and are attending regular classes.

Jobs for locals

The Jurehra industrial area in Bharatpur district holds the potential for employing the local youth in the sectors such as oil and flour production, durri making, pickle production and corrugated box making. Mr. Gupta said the area’s development would help bring the Meo youth to the mainstream and wean them away from the field of crime.

“The proximity of Mewat region to Delhi, only 80 km away, will provide market to the products,” Mr. Gupta said. If the Abhiyan’s efforts succeed, there will be no need for opening a special cybercrime police station at Deeg, which was sanctioned recently.

A delegation of the Braj-Mewat Jan Jagriti Abhiyan met Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma during his visit to Bharatpur, his home district, earlier this week with the plea to connect the youth with the income generating activities and organise awareness camps in all village panchayats to give information about the government schemes helpful for them.

Jan Jagriti Abhiyan’s president M. Zubair Khan said the steps such as subsidy for opening poultry farms, establishment of a fisheries institution and the safe transport of products to the markets in Delhi would go a long way to connecting the Meo youth with profitable ventures and reduce the scope for their entry into cybercrimes. The delegation also requested the CM to ensure that no innocent person was arrested during the police operations.

The Hindu Bureau

Lucknow

RAF, PAC units also in place to prevent any untoward incident; drones being used to keep vigil as Uttar Pradesh government directs pilgrims not to carry spears, tridents or any other weapon

The move to step up security has come days after the Supreme Court stayed the district administration’s directive asking eateries to display names of their owners. File photo

The Uttar Pradesh government has deployed multiple teams of Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) commandos, Rapid Action Force (RAF) and the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) on the Kanwar Yatra route in the State’s Muzaffarnagar.

The government has also asked pilgrims not to carry spears, tridents or any kind of weapon, according to an official statement.

“The Kanwar Yatra is being monitored by CCTV cameras and drones. Special attention will be given to devotees carrying the national flag during the yatra,” the statement said.

Muzaffarnagar was the first district in the country that had on July 17 made it mandatory for hotels and eateries on the Kanwar Yatra route to display names of their proprietors. On July 19, the move was replicated along the entire route of the yatra in Uttar Pradesh following government orders.

Later, the Supreme Court stayed the decision after it stoked a major controversy, with Opposition parties terming it a “divisive” order and an attack on the country’s democracy and shared heritage.

According to the new directive issued by the State government, the security was beefed up to prevent any untoward incident near Muzaffarnagar’s Shiv Chowk, a key point where pilgrims from Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi and Punjab converge on their way to Uttarakhand’s Haridwar to fetch the Ganga water, which they offer to Lord Shiva at temples back home.

The government said it has also created WhatsApp groups for its all 12 districts on the yatra route. The information on these groups is being monitored by senior police officials in the district and at the police-station level.

The annual pilgrimage had started on July 22, the first day of the Hindu month of Shravan, and will conclude on August 2.

Not a single seat should go to BJP in Haryana, says Sunita

Press Trust of India

Yamunanagar (Haryana)

Narendra Modi is jealous of Kejriwalji, says Sunita Kejriwal at a rally in Sadhaura in Haryana on Saturday. AAP Haryana

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s wife Sunita on Saturday urged the people to not let the Bharatiya Janata Party win a single seat in the Haryana Assembly polls due later this year, even as she called her husband the “blessed one, who was born to achieve big things”.

“He was born on August 16, 1968... it was Krishna Janmashtami. It cannot be a coincidence. I feel God wants to get something done through him,” Ms. Kejriwal said at a public rally in Sadhaura in Yamunanagar.

“There will be Assembly elections in three months (in Haryana). Not even a single seat should go to BJP,” she said.

“I want to ask you, is there any party which improved the condition of government schools and hospitals, set up mohalla clinics and made electricity free. Such work could only be done by ‘Haryana Ka Laal, Kejriwal’. Because of this, (PM) Modi is jealous of Kejriwalji,” Ms. Kejriwal said.

She also alleged that her husband was jailed by the BJP in a fake case.

She said the farmers were not getting tubewell connections and illegal mining is continuing in the State.

“The BJP has nothing to do with development. You all pay tax. When you buy anything, you pay GST,” she said, adding that despite such levies, the BJP government has failed to provide good education, medical treatment, and electricity.

Ms. Kejriwal also promised jobs, free electricity, and mohalla clinics if her party is voted to power. “Women will get ₹1,000 per month,” she added.

2 GRP personnel suspended for beating up passengers in Bihar

Amarnath Tewary

PATNA

Mohd. Furqan recovering in hospital. Special Arrangement

The Bihar police have suspended two Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel accused of beating up passengers at a railway station on July 25.

An inquiry has been ordered into the incident that occurred when two groups of passengers engaged in a scuffle over seats inside a compartment of the Mumbai-bound Karmabhoomi Express. When the train reached the Janakpur Road railway station, the GRP personnel on duty intervened.

Mohd. Furqan, 24, who had recently undergone an abdominal surgery, told the police that he was at the station to see off his aunt. “I also got hit as the GRP personnel used batons. The sutures got untangled and my intestine bulged out,” his complaint stated. He has been admitted to a government hospital in Muzaffarpur, and his condition is stable.

Case registered

A case has been registered at the Sitamarhi GRP police station based on Mr. Furqan’s complaint.

“We’re probing the CCTV footage of the incident and examining those present when it took place,” said Muzaffarpur Superintendent of Police (Railway) Gaurav Mangla.

The suspended personnel are Dayanand Paswan and Gorelal Choudhary.

Mr. Mangla dismissed allegations that the GRP personnel had been seeking bribes, which led to the violence. He said two other personnel were also injured in the incident.

‘Dragged by his hair’

Mohd. Nasir, an eyewitness and distant relative of the victim, told local journalists that “following the scuffle and commotion inside the train, the GRP personnel had grabbed Furqan by his collar and he was dragged by his hair on the platform and beaten up mercilessly.”

Mr. Nasir added that by the time he could figure out what had happened, Mr. Furqan was taken away by the personnel. “He was beaten up so badly that his intestines bulged out.”

‘Puducherry CM skipping NITI Aayog meet not political’

Rajesh B. Nair

PUDUCHERRY

Chief Minister N. Rangasamy is also the Finance Minister, and busy preparing the Budget, says party leader.File photo

Chief Minister N. Rangasamy, who heads the National Democratic Alliance government in Puducherry, skipped the meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog held in New Delhi on Saturday. Mr. Rangasamy’s All India N.R. Congress is running a coalition government with BJP in Puducherry after the 2021 Assembly election.

“He is not attending the meeting because of his commitments towards preparations for the Budget session of the Assembly. It is set to start on July 31 and the annual budget will have to be presented on August 2. He is also the Finance Minister. There is no political issue involved for his absence,” said a ruling party member.

LS loss

The Chief Minister had also skipped the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi after he came to power for the third time. His decision not to attend the meeting is being attributed by Opposition parties to the loss the BJP suffered in the Puducherry Lok Sabha seat. BJP leader and Puducherry Home Minister A. Namassivayam lost the seat to Congress’s V. Vaithilingam by a margin of around 1.37 lakh votes.

A BJP leader, who did not want to be named, said there is no rift between the alliance partners as was evident in the clearance given for the outlay fixed by the Chief Minister.

“Maybe the Chief Minister feels little bit embarrassed to meet the BJP top brass as our candidate for Lok Sabha seat was more or less his choice. But we could not win the seat. That could be the only reason. Otherwise administration is going on smoothly. Our UT in-charge Nirmal Kumar Surana has clarified that the alliance will continue even after the next Assembly polls,” the BJP leader said.

Modi, BJP anti-Dalit, against quota for OBCs, says AAP MP

The Hindu Bureau

New Delhi

BJP’s opposition to the Bill reveals its true colours, says Sanjay Singh. SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being anti-Dalit, backward classes, tribals, and minorities.

“PM Narendra Modi and the BJP are betraying the interests of the backward classes by opposing a Private Member’s Bill seeking OBC reservations based on population...we will support it not once, but a 1,000 times,” AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said at a press conference.

Mr. Singh said Samajwadi Party MP Javed Ali Khan had brought the Bill in Parliament. “As soon as it was presented, the BJP members created unruly scenes... The BJP feels how can there be a discussion on reservation to the OBCs on the basis of their numbers,” he said.

Mr. Singh added that the BJP’s opposition to the Bill reveals its “true colours”.

“I want to ask the PM and BJP national president J.P. Nadda, why do you hate backward classes so much? Why should there not be a caste census?” Mr. Singh asked.

3 killed as residential building collapses in Navi Mumbai

Three people were killed, two sustained injuries and at least two are feared trapped under the debris after a decade-old four-storey residential building that collapsed on early Saturday morning in Navi Mumbai’s Belapur area. Some residents managed to escape on hearing a creaking sound minutes before it came down at 4.45 a.m. During the day, 52 people were rescued from the debris. Rescue operations by the local fire department, National Disaster Response Force and police were on despite the rain. “Action will be taken against the building owner,” said Navi Mumbai Commissioner Kailas Shinde.

Malwa canal to irrigate 2 lakh acres in southern Punjab: CM

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Saturday said the 150-km long Malwa canal, which is under construction, will cater to the irrigation needs of nearly 2 lakh acres in the southern part of the State. He said this is the first ever canal which was being built in the State in the post-Independence era. The State government will spend around ₹2,300 crore on the project, he said. Attacking the Shiromani Akali Dal governments in the State, Mr. Mann said the Akali leaders were more interested in supplying water to their farms rather than building such projects.PTI

The changing face of workplaces

The world changed in many ways during the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the most significant aspects was the introduction of work-from-home, thanks to lockdowns. That, in essence, started a revolution in the way people looked at their workspace. A spillover was the growth of flexible co-working spaces, Sangeetha Kandavel writes

1 of 4 Luxury and flexibility combined: WeWork India, a co-working company that has entered Chennai recently, picked up space at Guindy. Spanning 1,30,000 square feet, this facility houses over 2,000 desks. WeWork will launch its next office at the DLF Cybercity at Porur by December.

2 of 4 When you hire a car, you go from point A to point B and get out. You don’t have to buy a car. Much like hiring a car for a trip rather than purchasing one, co-working provides a cost- effective, adaptable solution without long-term commit- ments Sanjay Chugh, city head-Chennai, ANAROCK Group

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4 of 4 Wide reach: The co-working space providers are targeting tier 2 and tier 3 towns. A co-working space operated by IWG in Coimbatore.

The number of seats at co-working spaces in Chennai has been increasing every month, reflecting the growing trend of companies, businesses, and individuals preferring a flexible workplace environment. Smaller towns in Tamil Nadu are also becoming attractive locations for co-working spaces. The demand for flexible office solutions is increasing in cities like Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchi, and Salem, too, thanks to the growing entrepreneurial ecosystems and significant investment. The companies in this space are investing in these cities now. Start-ups, micro, small and medium enterprises, information technology and manufacturing companies, Global Capability Centres (GCCs), traditional industries, and even students are choosing co-working spaces. The trend that peaked during COVID-19 thrives even after the pandemic subsided.

The reason is that the entry-level cost is minimal for co-working spaces, requiring no substantial deposits. These workspaces can be picked up for a day or a week. For a day, the charge varies from ₹500 to ₹1,200, depending on the space, location, and the required infrastructure like conference rooms and projectors. The monthly charges work out to ₹6,500-₹15,000 for a seat in a furnished centre with Wi-Fi, air-conditioning, and light refreshments. “The co-working space model allows businesses to adjust their space requirement easily, saving on capital expenses. It facilitates operation across multiple locations rather than at one place,” says Sanjay Chugh, city head-Chennai, ANAROCK Group. “When you hire a car, you go from point A to point B and get out. You don’t have to buy a car. Much like hiring a car for a trip rather than purchasing one, co-working provides a cost-effective, adaptable solution without long-term commitments,” he explains. He also notes that the big tech parks will continue to co-exist with the co-working spaces.

Today, local and pan-Indian co-working players open offices on Old Mahabalipuram Road, in the Tidel Park Area, at Anna Nagar, Adyar and Nungambakkam, and on Anna Salai in Chennai. According to Jerry Kingsley, Head, Strategic Consulting & Value & Risk Advisory, Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), the co-working culture in Chennai started gaining popularity in the early 2010s. Some of the early players were Workafella, Hive, Regus, and iKeva. Data gathered by JLL show that the total supply in Chennai is over 1.4 lakh seats, spread across 4.7 million square feet, with 28% vacancy. The next major market is Coimbatore, where more than 16,000 seats were absorbed last year. Tiruchi and Tirunelveli are gaining momentum, though they have lower than 1,000 seats. The key players are Smartworks, WorkEZ, WeWork, Coworks, Cactus, Awfis, Symbyont, Table Space, and IndiQube.

Government steps in

Seeing the popularity of co-working spaces, the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) is preparing to enter this market by establishing facilities at Anna Nagar, CIT Nagar, and Kolathur. These centres will be operational by December 2025. CMDA Member-Secretary Anshul Mishra says, “We are not competing with the private players. We are trying to bridge the gap for the low income groups, those who can’t spend much on office space. This will be on a par with any professional co-working space.”

There is an unorganised co-working market, too, with smaller operators renting out portions of their office or residential spaces. Builders are including co-working space/office space in their residential projects. “Many developers in other parts of India are doing this. And I also saw this design concept in one upcoming project in Chennai,” Mr. Chugh says.

Utkarsh Kawatra, co-founder, myHQ by ANAROCK, a co-working platform that helps people find and book workspace, notes that many coffee shops are renting out portions of their unused space for co-working. He says he receives at least 200 bookings a day from individuals seeking space on a daily basis. “Anyone who needs a 10-seater or a 500-seater now sees flex spaces as a good option. For teams of more than 200, it may not lead to direct cost-saving, but the ease of not getting capital locked in infrastructure and not making efforts at managing the spaces far outweigh the 10%-20% premium you may have to pay,” he adds.

A risky proposition

Start-ups and clients The Hindu spoke to said investing huge capex in buildings while starting a business is always risky. So they pick up a few seats based on demand at flex spaces. Once the business grows, they opt for bigger spaces.

Prithip Kumar Ramakrishnan, director of AdamsBridge, an information-technology-enabled services company which operates out of WorkEZ, says, “Co-working is much easier when it comes to running operations. From maintenance and electricity to security and housekeeping, everything is taken care of. And this helps businesses like us to focus on operations. In terms of pricing, there is not much of a difference when you look at a conventional space and a co-working space.” He adds, “Currently, we operate out of Anna Salai and we have taken around 240 seats. But, next week, we will be moving to Velachery (WorkEZ), where we have picked up 500 seats.”

Interestingly, most of the co-working spaces are helping companies migrate to bigger spaces like a managed workspace. Managed office space is a flexible workspace solution: a company leases an entire office or a portion of an office that is fully serviced and managed by a third-party provider. Most players in the co-working spaces in Tamil Nadu are also into managed office space. Managed offices cater to businesses that have outgrown co-working space or serviced office spaces but still desire flexibility and convenience, seeking a dedicated space of their own.

An expanding market

In the past three months, major co-working players have entered Chennai, while the existing ones have expanded. One of the recent entrants is WeWork India, which has picked up space at Guindy. Spanning 1,30,000 square feet, this facility houses over 2,000 desks. It is a luxurious workspace. Firms such as Wheelocity Fresh Private Limited, Molex India Pvt Ltd, Dr. Wamser + Batra India Private Limited, and H2O LLC operate from this space. WeWork will launch its next office at the DLF Cybercity at Porur by December this year.

Workafella, which started operations in Chennai from a centre on TTK Road, Alwarpet, in 2016, now has five centres, with 4,600 workstations spanning over 3 lakh square feet. Gurbinder Rattha, founder and managing director, Workafella, says, “We are looking to double our footprint in Chennai in the next year and a half.”

“We are currently in an advanced stage of discussions in Coimbatore, and we are targeting over 2,000 workstations this fiscal. Subsequently, we will be looking at Madurai, Tiruchi, and Hosur. We see a potential for adding another 3,000 workstations across Tamil Nadu in coming days,” he adds.

The Bengaluru-headquartered Table Space, which entered the Chennai market in 2022, has introduced newer formats and expanded its footprint across Chennai. From around 1,20,000 square feet at KRC Commerzone, it now has approximately 8,00,000 square feet. “We recently added 6,60,000 square feet across two new properties: Mapletree Global Infocity Park and DLF Downtown, Taramani. This expansion represents an approximately ₹500 crore rental commitment over the next five years,” says Vaibhav Joshi, Executive Director, Table Space. “Table Space plans for the Chennai market involve addition of 8,00,000-1 million square feet over the next two years,” he adds.

Tier 2/3 towns

The co-working space providers are targeting tier 2 and tier 3 towns in Tamil Nadu. After Chennai, Coimbatore is the next major centre. In the past year, the demand for co-working space has surged in Madurai and in smaller towns like Tirunelveli. Experts say that as investment flows into the southern districts, the demand for co-working space is set to rise. A real estate player in Madurai notes that some of the major companies which have signed deals with the State government at Global Investors Meet 2024 have settled their teams in co-working spaces. “They will transition from these spaces once their offices are fully established.”

Shyam Sundar, founder and CEO, GoFloaters, an aggregator of flexible workspaces, cites an example of how companies first settle for a co-working space and then expand. “A Dubai-based oil and gas company chose Madurai to establish a low-cost back office centre and leverage the local talent pool. It started out with 10 seats, and plans to increase the number to 50 in the next six months,” he said.

IndiQube, which has substantial presence in Chennai, is also present in Coimbatore and Madurai. It has three properties in Coimbatore, on Avinashi Road and at Saravanampatti. Together, they amount to over 2.3 lakh square feet. In Madurai, it has one property of 35,000 square feet. The company is planning to increase its presence in these cities.

Harsh Lambah, Country Manager-India, IWG, says, “We are aggressively expanding in Coimbatore. We are also looking at Madurai and other places. Because tier 2 is a big opportunity for us and a great success story, especially after the pandemic.”

WorkEZ, one of the biggest players in the co-working space in Chennai, is eyeing the Coimbatore market. Sunil Reddy, its co-founder and chairperson, says, “WorkEZ has leased a 1,00,000-square foot office building at Saravanampatti, Coimbatore’s information technology hub. The project is under development. It is expected to open by the fourth quarter of 2024.”

Another real estate player says some regional players are betting on the concept in the Hosur and Salem regions. “These smaller players have repurposed office spaces or large buildings into co-working spaces, believing that they can monetise these assets by turning them into workspaces rather than leaving them vacant,” he says.

“Hosur is home to numerous manufacturing and ancillary units. With Ola setting up a large plant in the area, suppliers and vendors needing proximity to the factory are opting for these workspaces,” Mr. Chugh adds. Mr. Sundar, of GoFloaters, says the trend has gathered pace in Salem and Tiruchi, with local players offering co-working spaces. “We also have players like Mikro Grafeio that work with the Global Capability Centres to set up their workspaces in tier 2 and 3 cities. They already have centres in Tiruchi, Madurai, Salem, and Tirunelveli,” he says, adding that the pandemic has brought many experienced professionals back to their home towns, and they are turning entrepreneurs.

This year’s Amarnath Yatra is seeing 31,830 local labourers, mostly Muslims, registered as pony wallahs , pithu wallahs , and palanquin-bearers. Peerzada Ashiq talks to the men, who support the pilgrims along the way to climb up to 12,756 feet, to see their beloved god in the cave shrine

1 of 5 Four to six lakh pilgrims pay obeisance at the Amarnath shrine every year, with the pilgrimage starting in the Hindu month of Shravan and ending on Shravan Purnima, which coincides with Raksha Bandhan. IMRAN NISSARIMRAN NISSAR

2 of 5 It does not bother me if he [pony owner] is a Muslim or Hindu. This earth belongs to all. The daunting task they complete is not possible for many of us. They are doing the real sewa [service]. Chirag Jain A Meerut resident

3 of 5 Ï won’t shy away from sending my son into the service of the pilgrimage. Kashmir has so much joblessness. The yatra provides an option for us to earn a living. Mohd. Haleem Khatana a palanquin-bearer

4 of 5 The yatra is carried out under the watchful eye of security forces every year; (right) Mohd. Haleem Khatana, a palanquin-bearer, has been carrying pilgrims on his back for years now. IMRAN NISSARIMRAN NISSAR

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The gushes of the Lidder river have turned into roars as the water rolls down the north-western Himalayan range. It runs 73 kilometres, flowing through the centre of the Pahalgam valley in south Kashmir’s Anantnag. The main tributary of the Jhelum river, it acquires its speed and noise from the melting snow up in the narrow troughs of the Kolahoi glacier located at an altitude of 17,799 feet. In the valley, it breathes between two mountains.

On its flat banks, Abdul Rehman Paddar, 64, is tending to his young white and brown horses between seven and 11 years old. Four of his horses are already up in the mountains in the service of pilgrims. These horses carry men and women on their backs, led by owners, to cover the arduous trek to the Amarnath cave shrine, located at an altitude of 12,756 feet. A pilgrim treks 30 km from the Chandanwari camp as the motorable road ends there. Some take horses.

The cave at Amarnath sees between four and six lakh pilgrims each year, according to official estimates. So far this year, 4.36 lakh people have arrived. Last year, there were 4.5 lakh pilgrims across the season. They come in with the belief that a particular stalagmite formed is a Shivling, a phallic symbol considered holy by those who practise Hinduism. Two smaller ones represent Parvati, his wife, and Ganesha, their child. The belief is that Shiva, the god of destruction, was telling his wife the secret to immortality, when two pigeons overheard them, and these are still seen flying around.

The Amarnath Yatra begins in the Hindu month of Shravan and usually ends by Shravan Purnima, which coincides with Raksha Bandhan. This year, the yatra began on June 29 and will extend to 52 days, one of the longest periods.

Trust and support

“The day the yatra started this year, my son Fayaz Ahmad Paddar left for the upper reaches. We have posted two horses at Sheshnag and two at Panchtarni to take pilgrims to the cave shrine. My son is going to stay back in the mountains till the pilgrim rush continues. I may not see him for more than 40 days,” says Rehman Paddar, who charges anywhere from ₹800-8,000 depending on a variety of factors, including the stopovers, distance, and whether it’s a one-way or two-way trip. Fayaz will walk along with the horse, and they will do a trip daily.

Legend has it that Bota Malik, a local shepherd from Pahalgam, discovered the cave shrine in 1850, and reported the naturally formed ice stalagmite to the authorities. Malik is supposed to have met a Sufi saint who gave him a bag of coal that turned out to be gold when he got home. In gratitude, he rushed back to the spot to thank him, only to discover the cave instead.

“The Maliks started the practice of Muslims accompanying pilgrims to the cave shrine,” says Rehman, as he donned the signature white netted skull cap in preparation to offer namaz.

The original pilgrims to Amarnath were mainly sadhus, Dogra kings and their guests. Until 2005, the Maliks would even join the puja, could recite hymns and get a portion of the offerings too. That stopped five years after the formation of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board in 2000.

Rehman is a resident of Pahalgam’s Laripora village. For generations, his family too has served pilgrims during the yatra period, just as many Muslim families do during Hindu pilgrims’ journeys to the Vaishno Devi shrine.

Hindu pilgrims put faith in the people who walk alongside them, up one of two routes: via Pahalgam in south Kashmir, which was the traditional one, and Baltal in central Kashmir, opened in 1999. The traditional route of Pahalgam requires a pilgrim to stay at the Nunwan base camp and cover a distance of 46 km up to the shrine.

However, the non-traditional route of Baltal is just a 14-km trek, easier than the former. Even before the pilgrims, who converge from across the country, make it to Kashmir, families like that of the Paddars ferry goods, including raw food to langars that dot the twin routes.

Rehman had to stop trekking with pilgrims after a bullet hit him in the 1990s. There was a landmine blast in the main Pahalgam market. “It was aimed at pilgrims. In the firing, I received a bullet wound in one leg,” says Rehman as he lifts his trouser-leg to point at the deep scar.

However, the militant attack did not deter him from sending his son with the pilgrims. “I feel good when I see a pilgrim reaching the cave shrine safely. In the past, we would get stuck for days due to inclement weather. We have offered our own blankets to the stranded pilgrims to ensure that the snow or rain does not harm them,” he recalls.

Work is worship

Rehman is one of the thousands of owners who have registered their equines — horses and ponies — with the board to ferry pilgrims. Out of 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir, the yatra attracts horse or pony owners from 19 districts. According to official figures of the Animal Husbandry department, Anantnag district registered the highest 8,167 equines, followed by Ganderbal at 3,315, and Rajouri in Jammu division at 1,347.

The districts of Rajouri, Doda, Kathua, Kishtwar, Poonch, and Reasi are more than 200 km away from the shrine. According to official figures, 14,826 owners have registered 16,978 equines with the board this year.

“I have six children. I have to work hard to earn money, and I don’t own large tracts of land. I manage to earn between ₹15,000 to ₹30,000 during the yatra period. That helps me feed my family and stock up for the winter too. Allah has made this yatra a means for me to earn. It’s Allah’s wish,” says Kabir Khatana, a resident of Srigufwara in Anantnag.

Chirag Jain, a 33-year-old pilgrim from Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut, is banking on horses to accomplish his life’s dream pilgrimage. “Aastha (faith) brought me here. I have been planning for years for the pilgrimage. Finally, Bolay Nath (Shiva) granted my wish,” says Jain, who is accompanied by a group of 10 others from his home State. He has been preparing for the pilgrimage for the past two years. “I would run every day to stay fit and improve my stamina. I wish I could trek up to the cave,” he adds.

With long-bearded Muslim pony owners circling Jain to negotiate the fare ahead of the pilgrimage, religion plays no role in the deal. “It does not bother me if he is a Muslim or Hindu. I am a sweets shop owner in Meerut. I supply sweets to all, including Muslims. We are all brothers. This earth belongs to all. The daunting task they complete is not possible for many of us. They are actually doing the real sewa(service),” says Jain.

The mountain peaks are jagged; the track is steep. Many patches are landslide prone, slippery, the surface rocky. The trek from Chandanwari is steep, especially the climb up to the stopovers of Sheshnag, Pissu Top, and Panchtarni. The cave shrine is just a 6-km trek from Panchtarni. The treacherousness of the trek can be gauged from the fact that on an average around 200 to 250 horses die on the trekking routes annually, according to data of the Animal Husbandry Department.

Official data suggests that these horses die due to urine retention, stomach ruptures, intestinal obstructions, and over exertion at high altitudes.

Beasts of burden

“A sudden change in dietary habits too takes a toll on horses,” an official says. In the first three weeks this year, 15 equine deaths have been reported. A horse costs between ₹40,000 and ₹1.20 lakh.

A horse can bear weight up to 80 kg on the tracks and can trek only up to nine hours at a stretch. The steep and craggy stone trail, with deep gorges on one side from Sheshnag to Panjtarni, has reported the highest animal deaths in the past. At least 66 insurance claims have come forward this year in the first three weeks.

According to shrine board officials, the Animal Husbandry Department pays an insurance premium of ₹2,610 for each equine. “Ponies are insured. The owner is given ₹50,000 if a horse dies. Up to 70 veterinary camps have been set up along the Pahalgam axis and on all established camps from the Baltal side, which provide free medical check-ups and medicines. All camps are manned by trained vets,” says Shahid Choudhary, one of the nodal officers for the yatra.

However, poor infrastructure at the veterinary hospital in Pahalgam tells a different story. “No surgeries can be performed in Pahalgam in case of intestinal obstruction, caused by exertion and dehydration. Such cases cause 90% of the deaths during the yatra period,” a senior official at the department in Srinagar said.

The yatra has also impacted the population of mares. Official data suggested the female equine population in Pahalgam has dipped to 0.5%- to 1%. “We prefer horses or ponies over mares. Mares are not load bearing,” says Nazim Khatana, a resident of Baisaran.

Officials accused the locals of employing crude methods of castration on horses and ponies, which also caused deaths. The Animal Husbandry Department is receiving a number of cases where unhealthy mode of castration caused infection in animals.

Away from the damp, dingy veterinary hospital in Pahalgam, Mukhtar Ahmad Magray is recuperating at the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Srinagar. The pilgrimage has been equally taxing for the health of locals who register as palanquin-bearers or pithu wallahs, whose job is to carry a person or baggage on their shoulders. The Jammu and Kashmir Labour Department has registered 10,464 locals as palanquin-bearers and 4,878 locals as pithu wallahs.

Magray, 35, a pony owner from Anantnag’s Aishmuqam area, suffered a minor heart attack around 6.40 p.m. on June 30 at Sheshnag as he accompanied a group of pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh. He was airlifted to Pahalgam by the board. “Magray has three children. He was admitted here for specialised treatment,” says Altaf Ahmad Magray, a cousin of the pony owner. He is struggling to meet the medical expenses as the board does not pay for that. Ironically, they only pay ₹2 lakh when a worker dies.

The toughest service of all is the pithu wallahs. Anjali Syani, from Haridwar, would not have completed the pilgrimage but for the help of Tariq Ahmad Khan, a pithu wallah from the Hapatnaar area. He has four daughters and one son to feed back home.

“For 15 years, I have been offering this service. I can carry up to 50 kg. I find Chandanwari to Sheshnag very difficult,” he says, adding that the stretch that takes three to four hours makes him feel like throwing up. “We don’t eat solid food all day while taking pilgrims up in the mountains, and prefer milk-less tea.”

Khan’s neck aches as he walks with his head down, looking at the ground, as he carries the weight. For himself, all he carries is a jacket to protect his sinewy, muscular body against rain.

Mohammad Haleem Khatana, a palanquin-bearer, has felt breathless on the journey many times. “I take short rest in between. I entertain pilgrims with stories from the past. They like it,” says Khatana, who has two sons. “Ï won’t shy away from sending my son into the service of the pilgrimage. Kashmir has so much joblessness. The yatra provides an option for us to earn a living,” Khatana adds.

Edit

- Are enough formal jobs being created?

- Should India focus on natural farming?

- What’s the Budget push for infrastructure?

Are enough formal jobs being created?

Priscilla Jebaraj

What are the schemes announced in the Budget to generate employment? How have economists and experts responded to the proposals? Why has the proportion of salaried workers dropped? Why are wages stagnating? Should there have been more focus on the MSME sector?

Downward spiral: Job seekers line up to apply for jobs at a private firm in Hyderabad in 2022. NAGARA GOPALNAGARA GOPAL

The story so far:

The Union Budget for 2024-25 made it clear that employment was a major priority of the government, with the word getting 23 mentions in the Finance Minister’s speech. With many voters expressing their disenchantment with rising unemployment in the recent election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has lent his title to a package of schemes on employment.

What is the current state of employment?

According to the Economic Survey, India’s workforce was estimated to be nearly 56.5 crore in 2022-23, of which more than 45% is employed in agriculture, 11.4% in manufacturing, 28.9% in services, and 13% in construction. Officially, the unemployment rate was just 3.2% in that period, but economists note that these statistics do not reflect ground reality, given the large number of underemployed people in the country and the fact that many job seekers continue to work on farms or the unorganised retail sector or as casual labourers. A person is categorised as employed if he pursued any economic activity for at least 30 days in the preceding year.

Almost one in five people in the workforce (18.3%), mostly women, do not receive any wages for their labour, as they are unpaid workers in household enterprises. The urban unemployment rate for the quarter ending March 2024 stood at 6.7%, while youth unemployment stood at 10% in 2022-23. The percentage of people in regular salaried work has dropped from 22.8% in 2017-18 to 20.9% five years later, despite policy efforts to formalise the workforce; many salaried workers do not have access to contracts or social security benefits that usually define a formal worker. The government cites enrolment in the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) as evidence of formalisation. The EPFO has 7.3 crore contributing subscribers, though total accounts are 30 crore, including inoperative accounts and multiple accounts held by individuals.

What were specific schemes in the package?

Three of the schemes provide employment-linked incentives. The first scheme is meant to support the hiring of first-time employees, with a wage subsidy of up to ₹15,000 paid to the employee, and is expected to cover one crore people. The second is aimed at the hiring of first-time employees, specifically in the manufacturing sector, with wage subsidies to be paid to both employees and employers for four years, with a maximum incentive of 24% of a ₹25,000 monthly wage. The third supports employers who hire new workers, not necessarily first-timers, by reimbursing up to ₹3,000 of their monthly EPFO contribution. In fact, all three schemes are dependent on employees being registered with the EPFO. The fourth scheme aims to upgrade Industrial Training Institutes and boost skilling efforts, with 20 lakh students expected to benefit. The final scheme, which garnered headlines partly because of its similarities to a proposal in the Congress’s manifesto, is aimed at on-the-job skilling, with an ambitious target of one crore youth to be given internships in India’s top companies with a monthly allowance of ₹5,000 for one year, with the companies bearing training costs and 10% of the allowance.

What is in the fine print?

Economists and small industrialists say the conditions and procedures built into these schemes may create obstacles for effective implementation. For instance, the incentive scheme for first-time employees, which offers a ₹15,000 subsidy is paid out in three instalments; the second instalment is only payable if the employee undergoes a compulsory online financial literacy course. “This is impractical. Why should employees in every unrelated sector be expected to do this? And why should this be a condition for this incentive?” asks Himanshu, who teaches at Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

More worrying is the clause stating that the subsidy is “to be refunded by the employer if the employment to the first timer ends within 12 months of recruitment.” If the employee switches jobs in 10 months, he has already received the benefit of the scheme, but the employer is required to bear the costs; labour experts say few small employers will be willing to take that risk. The scheme for creating jobs in manufacturing has a minimum requirement of hiring 50 people or 25% of their existing strength, which is a significant number of people to be hired at one go for any firm in return for marginal benefits.

How effective are these schemes likely to be?

These schemes essentially attempt to encourage hiring by reducing the cost of new hires. However, economists note that this is not the main constraint preventing employers from hiring new workers. Anamitra Roychowdhury, a labour economist at JNU, notes that India is already a low wage economy, with real monthly incomes falling over the last five years for the majority of the workforce. “Wage costs are a redundant constraint,” he says, adding that while skilling is certainly needed, it is not the central issue preventing hiring either.

“There is a bigger structural reason why the economy is not able to create jobs, and that is due to insufficient demand, caused by low consumption… and the lack of private investment. And if that comes up, then these costs won’t matter,” notes Amit Basole, professor at Azim Premji University. He adds that these schemes need to be pitched to the niche group of employers for whom such costs do matter, usually small firms with small margins. In fact, Finance Secretary T.V. Somanathan indicated in an interview with The Hindu that this may have been the government’s intention behind the scheme, noting that “fiscal incentives have a role at the margin”.

With regard to formalisation of the workforce, Mr. Basole points out that apart from new people entering the workforce, there are also large numbers seeking to leave agriculture, petty trade, unorganised retail and domestic service. The need is to create formal jobs to keep up with the pace of the supply, which is not happening, as evidenced by the fact that the proportion of salaried workers has actually dropped slightly over the last five years.

What else is needed to create jobs?

“When we think of where we need to create jobs, it should not be in the top 500 companies which are largely capital intensive, but in the MSME (micro, small and medium enterprises) sector, in labour intensive sectors, in small towns. The need is to raise wages there, infuse money into MSMEs, which will have a multiplier effect,” says Mr. Himanshu, recommending a bottoms-up approach. If the urgent requirement is to stimulate demand by increasing consumption, another step could be to raise wages in MGNREGA, the rural jobs scheme, and create a similar employment guarantee scheme for urban workers, says Mr. Roychowdhury. “This would be the more direct approach to kickstart consumption,” he says, noting that the Centre has instead curbed MGNREGA funding.

Should India focus on natural farming?

Vikas Vasudeva

What are the concerns on yields? What have been the findings on the ground? How did two studies on the yield potential of natural farming differ? What happened when Sri Lanka decided to ban chemical fertilizers, substituting it with natural ones?

Hard at work: Workers transplanting paddy seedlings at a field in Palakkad, Kerala on July 13. K. K. MustafahK K Mustafah

The story so far:

In her Budget proposals for 2024-25, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that in the next two years, one crore farmers across the country will be initiated into natural farming supported by certification and branding. Implementation will be through scientific institutions and gram panchayats, adding that 10,000 need-based bio-input resource centres will be established.

What is the mission?

As part of the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF), the government intends to motivate farmers to adopt chemical-free farming and draw them towards adopting natural farming willingly on the system’s merit. The government believes that the success of the NMNF will require a behavioural change in farmers to shift from chemical-based inputs to cow-based, locally-produced inputs. The natural farming scheme under the ‘Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati’ has a total outlay of ₹4,645.69 crore for six years (2019-20 to 2024-25).

What is natural farming?

In natural farming, no chemical fertilizers and pesticides are used. It promotes traditional indigenous practices which are largely based on on-farm biomass recycling with a stress on biomass mulching, use of on-farm cow dung-urine formulation; managing pests through diversity, on-farm botanical concoctions and exclusion of all synthetic chemical inputs directly or indirectly. The emphasis is on improving natural nutrient cycling and increasing organic matter in the soil. Grounded in agro-ecology, it is a diversified farming system that integrates crops, trees and livestock, allowing the optimum use of functional biodiversity. Those advocating natural farming believe that it holds the potential to enhance farmers’ income while delivering many other benefits, such as restoration of soil fertility and environmental health, and mitigating and/or reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

What are the challenges and concerns?

Agriculture and food experts have their reservations surrounding a large-scale transition from chemical farming to natural farming in a country like India, which has a huge population. Catering to its food-growing needs isn’t an easy task, they point out. Recently, an academic paper titled, ‘Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF): Implications for Sustainability, Profitability, and Food Security’, published by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development and the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations, pointed out the “sheer disparity” in the outcomes of the two different experiments surrounding ZBNF (now renamed as Bhartiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati), one conducted by the Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS) and Institute for Development Studies Andhra Pradesh, and the other by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the Indian Institute of Farming Systems Research (IIFSR).

Sandip Das, Mahima Khurana and Ashok Gulati write in the paper the importance of long-term experimentation before declaring natural farming as a nationwide agriculture practice. The paper, which delves into the promising yet contentious realm of natural farming, navigates through contrasting findings from the two studies, revealing divergent perspectives on ZBNF. While Andhra Pradesh emerges as a forerunner in adopting ZBNF with encouraging results, the IIFSR study raises concerns about the sustainability and yield (productivity) potential of this farming method.

For instance, the paper notes the CESS study has found that in the case of a variety of crops, lower cost of biological inputs suggested under ZBNF has led to improved yields of crops and farmers’ incomes, thus increasing the food and nutritional security of farmers practising ZBNF. However, findings of agro-scientists of the ICAR-IIFSR, a government institute, show a 59% decline in wheat yields and a 32% decline in basmati rice yield compared to integrated crop management, adversely impacting food supply.

What are the lessons from Sri Lanka?

It’s vital that before launching a large-scale transition from chemical to natural cultivation, extensive studies and assessments are conducted. A couple of years ago, neighbouring Sri Lanka went through economic and political turmoil after it decided to turn completely organic, and banned the import of chemical fertilizers. The government’s policy shift had severe consequences with farmers struggling to get natural fertilizers; they faced a reduction in yields of key crops including rice, the staple, putting the country’s food security at risk. A sharp price escalation was witnessed in the country, resulting in huge protests and unrest.

What is the way forward?

Noted economist and former professor at the Ludhiana-based Punjab Agricultural University, M.S. Sidhu, asserts that natural farming could be beneficial at a localised level, but in a populous country like India, adopting natural farming at a large scale may not be a successful model. “Food security is a major concern. If we adopt natural farming for cereals, which are mostly staples, we shall be able to feed only around one-third of our population. Wheat and rice are our staple foods, growing these crops through natural farming could result in lower yields, and hence it’s not advisable unless scientific studies are conducted on yields”. Supplementary foodstuffs may be grown through natural farming, he points out. “Rigorous scientific tests of natural farming, especially surrounding the crop yields should be held before its nationwide implementation to fend off the fear of potential risk to national food security,” says Prof. Sidhu.

What’s the Budget push for infrastructure?

Jagriti Chandra

Which are the sectors in focus? What are the bottlenecks? Why is the private sector reluctant to invest?

The story so far:

In her Budget proposals for 2024-25, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has set aside ₹11 lakh crore for capital expenditure, comprising 3.4% of the GDP. With the aim to push States to spend on infrastructure, she said ₹1.5 lakh crore was being made available to them in the form of long-term interest free loans.

Which are the sectors on the radar?

According to an analysis by The Hindu’s data team, the government has sustained its expenditure as a share of the total Budget on infrastructure which was at 13.9% (as compared to 14.3% in FY2024 RE). The transport sector formed the bulk of the expenditure in FY25BE (Budget estimates) at 11.29%. However, transport’s share in the total Budget has come down by 0.4% points from last year. Allocations to the power sector has improved marginally from last year. The Ministry of Roads, Transport and Highways received an allocation of ₹2.78 lakh crore for 2024-25. In FY25BE, the outlay for the Railways continues to be over the 5% mark. It received a record allocation of over ₹2.55 lakh crore. Allocations for signalling and telecom work, under which the KAVACH (automatic train protection system) is included, has increased compared with FY24RE (revised estimates). The allocation for the Ministry of Civil Aviation at ₹2,357 crore saw a decline of 20% from last year. With an allocation of ₹2,377 crore, the outlay for shipping has stagnated. The regional connectivity scheme will receive ₹502 crore.

What is the progress on roads?

According to the Economic Survey 2024, national highways have grown by 1.6 times from 2014 to 2024. The Bharatmala Pariyojana has significantly expanded the national highway network, increasing the length of high-speed corridors by 12 times and 4-lane roads by 2.6 times between 2014 and 2024. The government is developing 11 industrial corridor projects in a phased manner. In order to attract private investment, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has made a slew of changes to the model concession agreement for Build-Operate-Transfer, including construction support, to ensure timely completion of the projects. But industry says the profitability of the new agreements need to be tested. With many projects nearing completion, the focus also needs to shift from asset creation to asset management as well as maintenance and safety, say experts. The industry seeks standard operating procedures for construction of bridges and tunnels to avoid safety incidents such as the Silkyara tunnel collapse in Uttarakhand in 2023.

What are the challenges in Railways?

The capital expenditure for Indian Railways with a network of over 68,584 route km has increased by 77% over the past five years (₹2.62 lakh crore in FY24) with investments in the construction of new lines, gauge conversion, and doubling. Yet, many challenges remain. According to Afaq Hussain, Director, Bureau of Research on Industry and Economic Fundamentals (BRIEF), the skewed freight movement share in favour of roads has to be amended. Long-haul freight transportation through roads is approximately 25-30% costlier than railways for distances less than 500 km, he pointed out. Other issues such as uncertainty in rake supply, delay in providing adequate infrastructure and sharing of lines by passenger and freight trains also need to be dealt with. Smooth entry and exit of freight vehicles is necessary for efficient loading and unloading operations.

What about shipping and airports?

Under the Sagarmala national programme launched in 2015, a total of 839 projects worth ₹5.8 lakh crore have been undertaken across five key areas including fresh development. Till date, 262 projects worth ₹1.4 lakh crore have been completed. Mr. Hussain explains that though there are more than 230 maritime ports, two ports at JNPT and Mundra handle nearly 40% of export, import cargo. Therefore, there is a need to develop a plan for the remaining ports. As for airports, under the second phase of privatisation in 2019, six AAI airports were privatised. There is a plan to privatise 25 more airports.

What about attracting private investments?

According to CRISIL’s Infrastructure Yearbook 2023, between FY2019 and 2023, the Centre contributed 49% of the total investments on infrastructure and State governments 29%, leaving the balance to be covered by the private sector. Jaganarayan Padmanabhan, Senior Director at CRISIL, explains that the private sector has been shying away because of the market risks experienced due to delays in completion of projects which impacts returns.

Science

- Kerala breaks free from centralised testing, sequencing

- Long-term study finds COVID-19 increases diabetes risk

- Butterflies accumulate enough static electricity to attract pollen

- Flawed research

- Basic reproduction number of Mpox underestimated

- Link between kneecap shape and debilitating joint disease

- Transition from gliding to powered flight in bats: study

Kerala breaks free from centralised testing, sequencing

R. Prasad

On July 20, the Thiruvananthapuram-based Institute of Advanced Virology tested the Nipah virus sample in four hours and conveyed the result to the State government at 9 am, while confirmation from NIV reached in the evening

When highly pathogenic virus outbreaks such as Nipah take place, contact tracing and isolation of close contacts become critical to contain the virus spread. Public health responses can begin only when samples are tested quickly.

In a marked departure from earlier four Nipah virus outbreaks in Kerala, on July 20, samples for Nipah testing were sent to NIV Pune and also to the State government’s Institute of Advanced Virology (IAV) in Thiruvananthapuram. The Institute of Advanced Virology, which became fully functional in 2022,tested the sample in four hours and conveyed the Nipah positive test result to the health department by 9 am. Kerala waited till evening for Nipah virus confirmation by the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune before making an official announcement of the outbreak.

Even before Nipah was confirmed by NIV, Kerala swung into action to prevent virus spread based on the result from the IAV lab — it set up a control room in Malappuram, the epicentre of the latest outbreak, put in place a 30-bed isolation ward at the government medical college hospital in Manjeri, and imposed travel restrictions in two panchayats. Also, the Nipah patient’s route map was published on July 20 night.

Last year, Kerala was permitted to undertake Nipah testing on its own only on September 20, 11 days after the outbreak began and after 323 samples were tested for the virus by NIV. In the latest outbreak, besides the index case, the Institute of Advanced Virology has been testing all the samples of close contacts. In each case, the testing was completed in four hours and the State government was notified immediately. In contrast, it takes about 24 hours to know the result when samples are sent to NIV.

The Institute of Advanced Virology is a BSL-2 facility and follows BSL-3 practices. For Nipah, the lab has a class-3 biosafety cabinet, which has an enclosed 100% negative pressure facility, that is used for virus inactivation, says Dr. E.Sreekumar, Director of IAV. The IAV lab is equipped to test 83 viruses, including Nipah, Zika, Chandrapura virus and influenza. “In a single sample, we carry out 30-35 tests, so we can identify the pathogen,” says Dr. Sreekumar.

“Contrary to many outbreaks where diagnosis and confirmation have been delayed due to the requirement to ship samples to NIV, as in the case of many of the ongoing outbreaks in multiple States, the decentralised model as seen in Kerala can enable quick response to emerging pathogens,” says Dr. Vinod Scaria, a senior consultant at the Vishwanath Cancer Care Foundation.

The importance of decentralised testing was brought to the fore recently in Gujarat which had sent samples to NIV Pune following the outbreak of acute encephalitis in children and yet remained clueless about the cause of deaths in many cases. Three weeks into the outbreak, the Gujarat government on July 18 decided to instead send the samples to the Gandhinagar-based Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre, which is equipped with a BSL-2 lab facility to carry out whole genome sequencing to identify the virus that is causing the deaths,Ahmedabad Mirrorreported. Similarly, as NIV was overwhelmed with Zika samples, the Pune Municipal Corporationin early July was considering sending samples toBJ Medical College in Pune for quicker test results.

Genome sequencing

Not only has Kerala’s Institute of Advanced Virology taken the lead in Nipah testing, it has for the first time carried out partial sequencing of the Nipah virus genome. “We carried out partial sequencing of the F and G protein-coding regions [of the Nipah virus]. The coding regions showed complete conservation (both nucleotide and amino acid level) with previously reported strains from the region,” says Dr.Sreekumar. Establishing the relatedness of the virus with previous outbreaks has enabled molecular epidemiology, says Dr. Scaria. IAV will soon be undertaking whole genome sequencing of the virus. Currently, annotation of the partial genome sequence is being undertaken, and IAV intends to make the genome data publicly accessible as soon as the annotation is completed.

In the last few months, there have been many outbreaks — H5N1 and Zika in multiple States, the Chandipura virus outbreak in Gujarat, and the Nipah outbreak in Kerala. Although many samples of these viruses have been tested positive for NIV, no genome sequence of any of the viruses are available in the public domain yet. In the case of Nipah, since the first outbreak in 2018, genome sequences were made publicly available by NIV. Similar delays in positing the genome data were seen in the case of Zika samples collected from Kerala in 2021. “We have a very clear distinction between public health importance and academic imperative,” says Dr.Sreekumar about posting the genome data in a public database at the earliest.

“Delay in releasing genome sequence data significantly impacts the ability to build diagnostics, use it for understanding the introduction and genetic epidemiology apart from the evolution of the pathogen, all of which are important in the public health response to an outbreak,” says Dr. Scaria.

Long-term study finds COVID-19 increases diabetes risk

Rajeev Jayadevan

Steroid use for COVID raises blood sugar levels.SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA

Diabetes is a chronic disease affecting hundreds of millions worldwide and has multiple risk factors. The more the risk factors present, the higher the likelihood of developing diabetes. Understanding these factors is essential for prevention. A new study published inThe Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinologydescribes a link between COVID-19 and diabetes.

From databases of tens of millions of people in England registered with their general practitioners, researchers examined the risk of developing diabetes following COVID-19. They found a four-fold increase in risk during the first-month post-infection. The risk remained elevated in two-thirds of these individuals in the second year.

Early indications came in 2020 when doctors across the world noted a surprisingly high occurrence of diabetes in previously healthy individuals following a diagnosis of COVID-19. Some required high doses of insulin. A paper published in theJournal of Family Medicine and Primary Carein October 2022 from Telangana reported similar findings.

However, observations based on small numbers of patients are not always definitive. For instance, steroid use for COVID-19 raises blood sugar levels on its own. Besides, in any population, diabetes exists undetected in a significant proportion of individuals. This might have been unearthed only because of the medical attention they received after contracting COVID. A reverse causality has also been implicated, with people with diabetes being at greater risk for severe COVID. It was also unclear whether the rise in blood sugars would settle down after the immediate stress of COVID passed. Thus, the link remained a matter of debate, necessitating larger studies over an extended period.

The new study also examined health records from before and after the vaccine rollout, enabling researchers to investigate the impact of vaccination on diabetes risk. With a follow-up period exceeding a year, they could assess the persistence of newly diagnosed diabetes. Since the study relied on well-maintained databases from before the pandemic, the findings are unlikely to be due to increased testing alone. The persistence of diabetes into the second year indicates that steroid use alone was not responsible.

Two key observations linked the severity of COVID-19 to an increased risk of diabetes. Firstly, the risk was significantly higher among hospitalised patients. Secondly, vaccinated individuals, who experienced less severe COVID-19, had a lower risk of developing diabetes.

When comparing vaccinated and unvaccinated populations, it is important to address demographic differences. For instance, unvaccinated people in England tended to be younger, healthier, and more likely to be of South Asian or Black ethnicity. Although South Asians have a higher baseline risk of diabetes, younger age lowers the overall risk in a population. To ensure accurate conclusions, the researchers adjusted for these factors, eliminating any inaccuracies from comparing unequal populations.

The increased diabetes risk following COVID-19 is believed to involve at least two mechanisms. The receptors used by the virus to attach and enter human cells are also found in the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. Therefore the virus might have damaged these cells. Additionally, the widespread inflammation caused by COVID-19 leads to insulin resistance. Besides adding to the body of evidence connecting chronic diseases and viral infections, the study enhances our understanding of the various mechanisms involved in the development of diabetes. In summary, COVID-19 has increased the burden of chronic diseases among survivors in several ways, with diabetes being one of them.

(RajeevJayadevanisco-chairmanof the National IMA COVID task Force)

Butterflies accumulate enough static electricity to attract pollen

The Hindu Bureau

Butterflies and moths collect so much static electricity whilst in flight, that pollen grains from flowers can be pulled by static electricity across air gaps of several millimetres or centimetres. The finding, published in theJournal of the Royal Society Interface,suggests that this likely increases their efficiency and effectiveness as pollinators.

TheUniversity of Bristolteam also observed that the amount of static electricity carried by butterflies and moths varies between different species and that these variations correlate with differences in their ecology, such as whether they visit flowers, are from a tropical environment, or fly during the day or night. This is the first evidence to suggest that the amount of static electricity an animal accumulates is a trait that can be adaptive, and thus evolution can act upon it by natural selection.

That many animal species accumulate static electricity as they fly most likely through friction with the air is already known. What was not known is whether butterflies, moths, and other pollinators too accumulate sufficient static electricity, and if the accumulated static electricity can indeed attract pollen.

Testing process

To test this, the researchers studied 269 butterflies and moths across 11 different species, native to five different continents and inhabiting multiple different ecological niches.

“Butterflies and moths accumulate a net electrostatic charge. All individuals measured, from various phylogenetic, ecological and biogeographical groupings, carried a net electrostatic charge, suggesting that electrostatic charging is a universal trait among the Lepidoptera,” they write.

“This shows that despite their wingbeat frequency being about two orders of magnitude lower than most other insects, butterflies and moths are still capable of accumulating appreciable electrostatic charge.” Importantly, the magnitude of the net electrostatic charge on the Lepidopterans measured is sufficient to facilitate contactless pollination, they note.

Flawed research

How reliable are studies that show moderate drinking has health benefits?

Many published studies have linked moderate drinking to health benefits by comparing them with abstainers, leading to the widespread belief that alcohol, in moderation, can be a health tonic, and suffer from fundamental design flaws. The major issue is that these studies focused on older adults and failed to account for people’s lifetime drinking habits. So moderate drinkers were compared with “abstainer” and “occasional drinker” groups that included some older adults who had quit or cut down on drinking because they had developed any health conditions. This faulty comparison led to the conclusion that people who continue to drink look much healthier. Of the over hundred studies that looked at the relationship between drinking habits, a handful of higher-quality studies that included people who were relatively young at the outset and did not consider former and occasional drinkers as ‘abstainers’ revealed that moderate drinking was not linked to a longer life.

Basic reproduction number of Mpox underestimated

A study found that the basic reproduction number of Mpox ranged between 1.37 (Canada) and 3.68 (Germany). The underestimation rates for the high- and low-risk populations varied between 25-93% and 65-85%, respectively. The estimated total number of Mpox cases, relative to the cases, is highest in Colombia (3.60) and lowest in Canada (1.08). Given the Mpox underestimation, surveillance should be enhanced, and campaigns against the stigmatisation of MSM should be addressed.

Link between kneecap shape and debilitating joint disease

The shape of a person’s kneecap could be an indicator of whether they’re more at risk of developing osteoarthritis, a study found. Women who develop knee osteoarthritis often experience more severe symptoms than men. While the study did not find unique features among the kneecaps of females, variations in the surfaces of the kneecap were more pronounced in people with osteoarthritis. Different joint surfaces of the kneecap change shape with osteoarthritis, and as disease severity increases.

Transition from gliding to powered flight in bats: study

A study that looked at the evolutionary origins of flight in bats has found evidence which supports the hypothesis that bats evolved from gliding ancestors. The researchers analysed a dataset of limb bone measurements that included four extinct bats and 231 extant mammals. Evolutionary modeling offers support for the hypothesis that selection may be strong on forelimb traits, pulling them from a glider towards a flyer adaptive zone in bats.

Business

- ‘No further changes to capital gains tax in medium term’

- Banks on infra bond issue spree as inflows into FDs stagnate

- ICICI Bank’s June quarter net grows 14.6% to ₹11,059 cr.

- State transport corporations should open up to digital ticket buying: redBus CEO

- German lens maker Carl Zeiss invests ₹2,500 crore to set up factory in India

- PepsiCo India clocks ‘resilient’ topline growth

- Govt. aims for GST Council type model in agri marketing

- PNB records highest-ever quarterly profit of ₹3,252 cr.

- Dr. Reddy’s Q1 revenue rises 14%, net profit declines a tad

- SEBI bars Mallya from securities trading

- Ola Electric to unveil IPO next week; valuation seen at $4.4 bn

- RBI fines Visa ₹24.1 million for unauthorised payment method

‘No further changes to capital gains tax in medium term’

Vikas Dhoot

NEW DELHI

Revenue Secretary Malhotra says govt. committed to delivering tax certainty ; proposed review of the Income Tax Act of 1961 will reduce the tax compliance burden by simplifying the law

Sea change: About 70% of personal I-T payers have switched to the new tax regime without exemptions, Mr. Malhotra noted. file photo

No further changes are expected to the capital gains tax regime in the short to medium term as the government is committed to delivering tax certainty, and the proposed review of the Income Tax Act of 1961 will reduce the tax compliance burden for people by simplifying the law, rather than reduce their tax outgoes, Revenue Secretary told Sanjay Malhotra said in an interview.

About 70% of personal income tax payers have switched to the new tax regime without exemptions, as per available data for last year, following the reduction of rates for those earning up to ₹15 lakh, Mr. Malhotra noted.

“Last year itself, we gave a number of benefits which made the new tax regime attractive with the 30% rate kicking in at incomes beyond ₹15 lakh. In the old tax regime, it kicks in at ₹10 lakh,” Mr. Malhotra said. “Before that, hardly anyone was in the new tax regime and now most have shifted, as the ₹10 lakh threshold under the old tax regime effectively became ₹15 lakh,” he noted.

On the Income Tax Act review, he said the idea is to make it easy for tax practitioners, authorities, the courts and tribunals to read and implement the law. “Some sections have multiple provisos, some have multiple exemptions, some provisions are spread over various sections across pages. The TDS [tax deduction at source] provisions themselves run into 90 pages, and some provisions are redundant. We will have a relook at all of these and see how we can reduce the volume and simplify the language,” he explained.

Rent from house

The Budget has also sought to plug some loopholes and expand the tax net. For instance, it has been stipulated that income from a rented house cannot be treated as business income.

“Some are classifying this as income from property which meant they could claim expenses on account of depreciation. Now, they can't claim it, because that is not really a business to our understanding, but a pure and simple income from property,” Mr. Malhotra said. The I-T department will also use its power to levy tax collection at source for luxury goods of over ₹10 lakh.

Customs review

A similar review of the Customs duties, proposed in this Budget, will seek to ensure there is adequate difference between the import duties on intermediate inputs, raw materials and final products. “We'll see how many rates we end up with… I don't want to give you any number, but we will try to reduce it as far as possible without actually causing any major disruption or change,” he said.

Asked if more free trade agreements would lead to lower customs revenues over the years owing to concessional duties offered to trade partners, Mr. Malhotra agreed.

“Yes. [But] Customs is not primarily a revenue mechanism in any case. They comprise less than 5% of our total tax revenue, at roughly ₹2 lakh crore out of ₹38 lakh crore; so it is not an area of concern,” he pointed out.

Vivaad Se Vishwas 2024

The fresh dispute resolution scheme for Income Tax cases is very similar to the last few iterations, but a major difference this time is that search cases have not been included, Mr. Malhotra said. There are more than six lakh cases pending in appeal with about ₹20 lakh crore at stake, he said.

“Other than that, all disputes are eligible and the rest of the contours are the same: you pay the tax for whatever appeals are pending on July 22, you get immunity from prosecution, various penalties and interest is waived, and the case is settled. You are required to withdraw that case if you make the payment of tax by December 31. Beyond that, till a date to be notified, the scheme will be kept open for some time for late filers who will have to pay 110% tax.

“Those who were eligible in the earlier scheme, but did not take the benefit, did not settle it earlier, and want to now settle, can also do so. Instead of 100%, they will have to pay 110%, and instead of 110% [for late filers], they will have to pay 120%,” the Revenue Secretary explained.

Banks on infra bond issue spree as inflows into FDs stagnate

Suresh P. Iyengar

Mumbai

SBI last month raised ₹10,000 crore through first infra bond with 15-year maturity.

Banks are all set to ramp up infrastructure bond issuance as inflows through fixed deposits stagnate, with investors diversifying into mutual funds and equity markets in pursuit of higher returns.

In total, banks have raised about ₹4,000 crore in the last month and aim to raise ₹40,000 crore by the end of this quarter.

The issuance of long-term bonds by banks comes in tandem with JP Morgan’s inclusion of India in its Emerging Market Global Diversified Index.

A weightage of 10% of India in the index could attract about $21 billion in investment by the end of the first quarter of 2025.

State Bank of India (SBI)last month raised ₹10,000 crore through the first infrastructure bond with a 15-year maturity and coupon of 7.36%, followed by ICICI Bank raising ₹3,000 crore with a 10-year bond with coupon of 7.53%.

Bank of India (BOI) issued 10-year infrastructure bonds of ₹5,000 crore priced at 7.54%.

Earlier this month, Canara Bank and Bank of Baroda raised ₹10,000 crore and ₹5,000 crore, respectively, through issue of infrastructure bonds.

The bond issuance will aid in the Budget’s plans to invest ₹11.11 lakh crore in FY25 for infrastructure.

Managing asset liability

Unlike funds mopped up through deposits, for which banks must maintain 4.5% of the amount as cash reserve ratio with the RBI and invest about 18% in securities to meet statutory liquidity ratio obligations, infrastructure bond proceeds can be fully deployed in lending activities.

Sachin Sachdeva, Vice President, Sector Head - Financial Sector Ratings, ICRA, said these bonds help banks manage the asset liability mismatches, given the long tenure of both liabilities and assets.

‘Not materially higher’

Adjusted for operating cost of mobilising deposits, SLR and CRR requirements on deposits, the cost of infra bonds is not materially higher than incremental cost of deposits.

Further, infra bonds — even if mobilised at slightly higher rates — form miniscule part of the bank’s overall funds, he said.

Palka Arora Chopra, Director, Master Capital Services, said, as loan demand increases and bank deposit growth lags, banks are seeking alternative ways to raise funds. Infrastructure bonds offer attractive spreads and have strong appeal among long-term investors.

(The writer is with The Hindu businessline)

ICICI Bank’s June quarter net grows 14.6% to ₹11,059 cr.

The Hindu Bureau

MUMBAI

Sandeep Batra

ICICI Bank Ltd. reported Q1 FY25 net profit grew 14.6% year-on-year (YoY) to ₹11,059 crorebeating estimates led by treasury gains and other income.

Net interest income (NII) of the private sector bank for June quarter rose 7.3% YoY to ₹19,553 crore, the bank said in a filing.

Net interest margin was 4.36% when compared with4.78% in Q1 FY24.

The retail loan portfolio grew 17.1% YoY, comprising 54.4% of the total loan portfolio. Including non-fund outstanding, the retail portfolio was 46.3% of the total portfolio, Sandeep Batra, Executive Director, ICICI Bank, said on a conference call.

“We are comfortable with the asset quality andour strategy is to grow in a risk calibrated manner,” he said, adding risks from unsecured loans were “within our threshold.”

The business banking portfolio grew 35.6% YoY;SME business, comprisingborrowers with a turnover of less than ₹250 crore, grew 23.5% YoY; while the rural portfolio grew 16.9%. The domesticcorporate portfolio grew 10.3% on year.

Deposits rise 15%

Total advances rose 15.7% YoY to ₹12,23,154 crore, while deposits rose 15.1% to₹14,26,150 crore. The bank said gross non-performing assets (NPA) was ₹28,719 crore compared with ₹31,822 a year earlier.

Net NPA rose to ₹5,685 crore, from ₹5,382 crore in the same period last year.

During the quarter, the bank had written off gross NPAs amounting to ₹1,753 crore compared with ₹1,169 crore a year earlier. The provisioning coverage ratio on NPAs was 79.7% as at the end of Q1 FY25.

Provisions

The bank holds provisions of ₹863 crore against borrowers under resolution.It also continues to hold contingency provisions of ₹13,100 crore.

Loan and non-fund-basedoutstanding to performing corporate and SME borrowers rated BB and below was ₹5,286 crore at the end of June quarter, compared with ₹5,528 crore sequentially. Loan and non-fund based outstanding at ₹5,286 crore included ₹572 croreto borrowers under resolution.

Including profits for Q1, the bank’s total capital adequacy ratiowas 16.63% and CET-1 ratio was 15.92% against the minimumregulatory requirements of 11.7% and 8.2%, respectively, the lender said.

State transport corporations should open up to digital ticket buying: redBus CEO

Aroon Deep

NEW DELHI

Prakash Sangam

Travel aggregator redBus has called upon State-owned bus operators to open up their services for booking apps, saying this would unlock greater revenue for state road transport corporations (RTCs).

States like Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, which have some of the largest inter- and intra-state bus operations in India, had pulled back from easy online bookings.

“Online penetration for RTCs is hovering between 5–30%,” CEO Prakash Sangam told The Hindu in an interview. “There is clearly an opportunity” to improve the portion of their businesses that is available for online purchase, Mr. Sangam said.

Digitisation potential

He added that 23 firms had tied up with redBus, but there remained a lot of digitisation potential. For RTC bookings, the firm makes money through commissions that are comparable with other travel and ticketing agents with whom RTCs work. Mr. Sangam outlined two reasons why RTCs were not completely distributing online.

“One is, their technology systems may not be able to handle an external integration.” The second reason is that some RTCs may not provide commercial terms to online booking sites that make the exercise worthwhile.

There was also a large portion of services where RTCs could improvise — for instance, on some routes, two separate bus services scheduled to leave in short succession may combine the services into one ride due to lower-than-usual demand.

German lens maker Carl Zeiss invests ₹2,500 crore to set up factory in India

Mini Tejaswi

Bengaluru

Rohan Paul Special arrangement

Carl Zeiss India, the Indian arm of German optics, optoelectronics, lenses and medical technology brand Carl Zeiss, said it would start production of lenses in India from June 2025.

‘Land acquired’

The firm has acquired 35 acres of land from the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board and is readying a lens manufacturing facility at an investment of ₹2,500 crore.

The factory is expected to be one of the biggest such facilities of Carl Zeiss globally and will manufacture lenses of all kinds including vision care, cinema and photo lenses.

‘’This will be a hub which will produce for the Indian and export markets,” said Rohan Paul, Business Head, India and Neighboring Markets - Vision Care, Carl Zeiss India.

‘Important market’

“India is a strategically important and a high priority market for Carl Zeiss.,” Mr. Paul said, adding the firm’s India market was already ₹1,800 crore.

Carl Zeiss also sells industrial quality solutions (IQS) and research microscopy products.

PepsiCo India clocks ‘resilient’ topline growth

Meenakshi Verma Ambwani

New Delhi

PepsiCo India clocked ₹5,794 crore in terms of revenue from operations for the nine-month period ended December 2023. The net profit stood at ₹199.75 crore, as per the RoC filing.

The snacks and beverages major has transitioned from April-March financial year period to January-December period in line with its global earnings. Hence, its RoC filing reports financials for the nine-month period.

“In this 9-month period compared to the earlier 12-month period, PepsiCo India delivered resilient topline performance amidst a challenging external environment. Demand for our brands remained robust backed by strong marketing campaigns, marketplace execution and consistent focus on end-to-end productivity. We remain committed to our growth in India and continue to invest behind our brands and marketplace infrastructure to build scale while maintaining margins,” a spokesperson for PepsiCo India stated.

The snacks and beverage major recently reported its Q2CY24 global earnings. PepsiCo said India posted high-single-digit organic revenue growth in the said period. The company also recorded double-digit volume growth in both snacks and beverage segments in India.

PepsiCo had clocked a total revenue of ₹8,129 crore in the 12-month period of FY23.

(The writer is with The Hindu businessline)

Govt. aims for GST Council type model in agri marketing

Prabhudatta Mishra

New Delhi

Undeterred by the delay of the committee asked to submit a report on the effective implementation of the minimum support price (MSP), the Centre is considering setting up a committee of all State ministers of agriculture marketing with the objective of making uniform taxes and levies on agriculture commodities as well as free inter-State movement.

Though the issue is at a discussion stage currently, such a committee may help evolve a GST Council type structure in future if it becomes successful, sources said. While agriculture is a State subject, agricultural trade comes under Concurrent list. As the government is also considering having a uniform levy (the fee and other local cess) across the country through legislation, the formation of a committee of State ministers will help in creating a consensus, the sources said. There is also a possibility of making an important State agriculture minister as the chairman of the panel and making it rotational with a fixed tenure, the sources said.

The Sanjay Agarwal-led committee, constituted by the Centre on MSP, has held six meetings in two years from July 2022, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan told Parliament on July 26. Though he said the government was committed to ensuring the full benefits of MSP reach the farmers, he evaded a direct answer on whether a Bill will be introduced to make MSP legal.

(The writer is with The Hindu businessline)

PNB records highest-ever quarterly profit of ₹3,252 cr.

Punjab National Bank (PNB) on Saturday reported its highest-ever quarterly standalone profit at ₹3,252 crore in April-June FY25, helped by decline in bad loans and improvement in interest income. The bank had posted a net profit of ₹1,255 crore in the June quarter FY24. This is the highest ever quarterly profit recorded by the bank on account of improvement in various parameters, including net interest income, recovery and CASA, MD Atul Kumar Goel said. pti

Dr. Reddy’s Q1 revenue rises 14%, net profit declines a tad

The Hindu Bureau

HYDERABAD

Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories reported first-quarter consolidated net profit fell by less than 1% to ₹1,392.4 crore, from ₹1,405 crore a year earlier, while revenue from operations rose almost 14% to ₹7,696.1 crore.

Higher ‘other expenses’, purchase of stock-in trade, stiffening competition, continuing price erosion and unfavourable foreign exchange movements in important markets had a bearing on the drugmaker’s Q1 performance as per the Ind-AS standard.

Revenue from its mainstay global generics unit rose to ₹6,892.9 crore (₹6,013 crore). The board approved a 1:5 stock split.

SEBI bars Mallya from securities trading

Reuters

BENGALURU

India’s markets regulator SEBI has barred business tycoon Vijay Mallya from trading in the country’s securities market and from associating with any listed company for three years.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India said on Friday that the tycoon’s “existing holding of securities including the holding of units of mutual funds... shall remain frozen”.

Mr. Mallya owns an 8.1% stake in United Breweries, per exchange data, and is the company’s chairman.

Ola Electric to unveil IPO next week; valuation seen at $4.4 bn

Ola Electric said its IPO will open for retail subscription on Aug. 2, in a stock offering that, according to two sources, will value the company between $4.2 billion and $4.4 billion. The issue, which will open for institutional investors a day earlier on Thursday, will close for retail subscriptions on Aug. 6, the final IPO prospectus filing showed. Ola founder Bhavish Aggarwal will offload 37.9 million shares, about 20% lower than estimated in the draft IPO prospectus. Reuters

RBI fines Visa ₹24.1 million for unauthorised payment method

The RBI has imposed a penalty of ₹24.1 million on Visa for an unauthorised payment transfer method. “It was observed that the entity (Visa) had implemented a payment authentication solution without regulatory clearance,” the RBI said in a statement. “We duly acknowledge the RBI order and remain committed to following RBI guidelines and regulations to continue providing safe and secure payment solutions in India,” a Visa spokesperson said. Reuters

Foreign

- At least 30 killed in Israeli airstrike on school used by displaced people

- Blinken meets Wang, flags China’s actions surrounding Taiwan

- Beijing warns Manila of ‘resolute’ response in South China Sea

- Pakistan right-wing party steps up protests against power tariff hike

- ‘Face off’ in Kabul

- Hezbollah attack kills 10 in annexed Golan, says Israel

- French train networks partially restored ahead of Olympics

- Kim calls for ‘people’s paradise’ on 71st anniversary of Korean War

- Thousands evacuate season’s biggest wildfire in north California

- Italy PM Meloni in China with aim to boost ties and end Ukraine war

At least 30 killed in Israeli airstrike on school used by displaced people

Associated Press

DEIR AL-BALAH

Seven children and as many women among casualties in the strike on the central Gaza school; 12 killed in other strikes on the Strip; Israel’s military orders a new evacuation of part of a humanitarian zone ahead of a planned strike on Khan Younis

Mute spectators: Palestinians look on as casualties of Israeli strikes are brought into a hospital in Deir el-Balah on Saturday.AFPEYAD BABA

Israeli airstrikes hit a school being used by displaced Palestinians in central Gaza on Saturday, killing at least 30 people including several children, as the country’s negotiators prepared to meet international mediators to discuss a proposed cease-fire.

At least seven children and seven women were among the dead taken from the girls’ school in Deir al-Balah to al-Aqsa Hospital. Israel’s military said it targeted a Hamas command center used to direct attacks against Israeli troops and develop and store “large quantities of weapons.” Hamas in a statement called the military’s claim false.

Civil defence workers in Gaza said thousands had been sheltering in the school, which also contained a medical site. Gaza officials said at least 12 people were killed in other strikes on Saturday.

Officials from the U.S., Egypt, Qatar and Israel are scheduled to meet in Italy on Sunday to discuss ongoing ceasefire negotiations. CIA Director Bill Burns is expected to meet Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Abdul Rahman al-Thani, Mossad director David Barnea and Egyptian spy chief Abbas Kamel.

Common page

U.S. officials on Friday said Israel and Hamas agree on the basic framework of the three-phase deal under consideration.

Israel’s military ordered a new evacuation of part of a designated humanitarian zone in Gaza ahead of a planned strike on Khan Younis on Saturday. The order was in response to rocket fire that Israel said came from the area.

Muwasi operation

The military said it planned an operation against Hamas militants in the city, including parts of Muwasi, the crowded tent camp in an area where Israel has told thousands of Palestinians to seek refuge.

It is the second evacuation order issued in a week that has included striking part of the humanitarian zone, a 60-sq. km. area blanketed with tent camps that lack sanitation and medical facilities and have limited access to aid.

Blinken meets Wang, flags China’s actions surrounding Taiwan

Agence France-Presse

Vientiane

Antony Blinken with at the 57th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Vientiane on Saturday.AFPAchmad Ibrahim

The United States hailed “open and productive” discussions between China’s Foreign Minister and Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Laos on Saturday in which Mr. Blinken raised U.S. concerns over Beijing’s “provocative actions” around Taiwan.

Mr. Blinken’s stop in Laos is part of a multi-nation Asia visit aimed at reinforcing regional ties in the face of Beijing’s growing assertiveness, including in the South China Sea, and its deepening ties with Moscow.

The talks took place on the sidelines of a Foreign Ministers’ meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) lasted for one hour and twenty minutes, according to a senior State Department official.

Mr. Blinken raised “U.S. concerns about provocative actions” by China, including a simulated blockade of Taiwan following the May inauguration of its new president Lai Ching-te, the official said.

China claims the democratic island as its territory and slammed Mr. Lai’s inauguration speech as “confession of independence.”

China’s Foreign Ministry was yet to release a statement on the meeting.

Philippines policy

Shortly before the meeting Mr. Blinken hit out at Beijing’s “escalatory and unlawful actions” in the South China Sea, where China and the Philippines are locked in a territorial dispute.

Beijing claims the waterway — through which trillions of dollars of trade passes annually — almost in its entirety despite an international court ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.

A Filipino sailor lost a thumb in the latest June 17 confrontation when Chinese coast guard members wielding knives, sticks and an axe foiled a Philippine Navy attempt to resupply its troops.

The clashes have fuelled fears of a conflict that could drag in the United States due to its mutual defence treaty with Manila.

A joint communique released by ASEAN on Saturday expressed the bloc’s “deep concern over the escalation of conflicts” in member-state Myanmar.

Beijing warns Manila of ‘resolute’ response in South China Sea

Agence France-Presse

Vientiane

China will “respond resolutely” to any violation by the Philippines of a recent deal to calm tensions between the two countries in the South China Sea, its top diplomat told his Filipino counterpart, Beijing said on Saturday.

Manila is locked in a longstanding territorial row with Beijing over parts of the strategic waterway.

Last week, the two sides agreed to a “provisional arrangement” for resupply missions to Filipino troops stationed at Second Thomas Shoal, which has been the focus of violent clashes in recent months.

Wang Yi called on the Philippines to “honour its commitments” under the deal rather than “backtracking or creating complications”, according to a readout of his meeting with Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo at an ASEAN gathering in Laos. “Otherwise, China will definitely respond resolutely,” he said.

Mr. Wang also warned the Philippines against deploying a U.S. missile defence system.

“If the Philippines introduces the U.S. intermediate-range missile defense system, it will create tension and confrontation in the region and trigger an arms race,” he said.

Speaking to reporters late on Friday, Mr. Manalo said he hoped Beijing would keep its side of the bargain.

“If the parties implement, and we hope China implements the agreement, then we will be able to resupply our military personnel on the ship without any obstruction,” he said.

“I think that would be an important step forward in diffusing tensions and hopefully lead to other areas of cooperation on the South China Sea.”

The two diplomats met in Laos capital Vientiane, host of an Association of Southeast Asian Nations foreign ministers meeting that comes amid high tensions over the South China Sea.

Meanwhile, the Philippines said it carried out a resupply and rotation mission to troops on a South China Sea reef on Saturday without “untoward incidents”, more than a month after a violent clash with Chinese forces in the area.

Provisional deal

It said the mission to Second Thomas Shoal was the first since Manila and Beijing reached a “provisional arrangement” last week for the delivery of daily necessities and rotation missions for Filipino troops based on a rusty warship grounded atop the reef.

Beijing claims the waterway — through which trillions of dollars of trade passes annually — almost in its entirety despite an international court ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.

The clashes have fuelled fears of a conflict that could drag in the United States due to its mutual defence treaty with Manila.

Pakistan right-wing party steps up protests against power tariff hike

Press Trust of India

Islamabad

Marking dissent: Supporters of the JI party stage a sit-in protest in the city of Rawalpindi in Pakistan on Saturday. APW.K. Yousafzai

Pakistan’s right-wing Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) on Saturday vowed to continue its protest in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi as the party’s sit-in entered the second day to press the government to reduce electricity price and taxes on the salaried class. The party for the second day on Saturday held the protest to hold a rally at the D-Chowk in Islamabad.

The JI drive was stopped by police. The party later changed its plan and announced holding a sit-in at three places, including Murree Road and Chungi No 22 in Rawalpindi and H-8 Bridge Islamabad.

JI chief Hafiz Naeem addressed the participants camping on the Murree Road, the main artery of the garrison city connecting it with Islamabad, and vowed to continue the sit-in till the demands were accepted.

“Our demands are simple and we want the government to give relief to the masses,” he said, adding that the party was aware of difficulties but was sure that the issue of power tariffs could be addressed.

The JI is one of the oldest parties in the country and is also known for holding big protests. The protestors have been so far peaceful but Mr. Naeem alleged that dozens of party workers had been arrested and demanded their immediate release.

PTI’s protest

Separately, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters also held demonstrations across the country where hundreds of workers were arrested on Friday, protesting the inflated electricity bills and demanding the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan from jail.

‘Face off’ in Kabul

Veiled mannequins, that are dressed in women’s attire, are put on display at a shop in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul. AFPWAKIL KOHSAR

Hezbollah attack kills 10 in annexed Golan, says Israel

Associated Press

BEIRUT

Hezbollah launched a rocket attack on the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights on Saturday in response to Israeli airstrikes.REUTERSGIL ELIYAHU

Israel’s emergency medical service said at least 10 persons were killed in the annexed Golan Heights on Saturday by a barrage of rockets fired from Lebanon.

The 10 were killed when a rocket hit a football pitch in the Arab town of Majdal Shams, where many residents retain Syrian nationality decades after the territory’s occupation in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, Magen David Adom said.

The rocket fire came after an Israeli strike killed four Hezbollah fighters in south Lebanon prompting the Iran-backed militant group to announce a flurry of retaliatory rocket attacks against the Golan and northern Israel.

Magen David Adom reported 10 dead and 19 wounded after the rocket hit on the town of Majdal Shams.

The Israeli Army said Hezbollah fired the deadly rocket.

Hezbollah denies role

“The Hezbollah terrorist organisation is behind the rocket launch at a soccer field in Majdal Shams,” the Army said in a statement.

But the Iran-backed militant group denied it was responsible.

“The Islamic Resistance has no connection to this incident,” it said, referring to its military wing.

The police and the army said rockets had struck multiple locations in the Golan, including Majdal Shams.

French train networks partially restored ahead of Olympics

AFPJEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER

French officials said on Saturday they made progress in partially restoring high-speed train services after acts of sabotage disrupted three major lines ahead of Friday night's Olympic Games opening ceremony. Despite the disruptions, all transportation for Olympic teams and accredited personnel will be maintained as planned. afp

Kim calls for ‘people’s paradise’ on 71st anniversary of Korean War

AFPSTR

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for the building of a “people’s paradise”, as Pyongyang marked the 71st anniversary of the end of the Korean War on Saturday. He also hailed China’s support during the war and said the “friendship established as the ties of kindred would be firmly carried forward”. afp

Thousands evacuate as season’s biggest wildfire rages in California

APNoah Berger

A fast-moving, rapidly growing wildfire in north California has forced more than 4,000 people to evacuate as firefighters battle gusty winds and perilously dry conditions. Fuelled by a crushing heatwave, the Park Fire — the most intense wildfire to hit the State this summer — has devoured nearly 240,000 acres as of Friday. afp

Italy PM Meloni in China with aim to boost ties and end Ukraine war

AFPFILIPPO MONTEFORTE

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni arrived in Beijing on Saturday, in her first visit to the country since she took office nearly two years ago. During the five-day trip she is due to meet President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, with boosting bilateral trade and ending the war in Ukraine topping the agenda. afp

Sports

- Determined Manu marches into medal round of 10m air pistol

- India digs deep to edge out a feisty New Zealand

- Satwik-Chirag pair sails through; Lakshya overcomes Cordon

- France claims its first Paris Games gold in rugby sevens

- Australia’s Titmus wins women’s 400m freestyle gold

- Fernandez, first men’s hoopster to compete in six Olympics

- IOC apologises for introducing South Korean team as North Korean

- THE results

- AROUND PARIS

- THE INDIA SHOW

- INDIANS IN ACTION

- GOLDIES

- Going For Gold

- POSTCARD FROM PARIS

- Suryakumar’s India starts off with a thumping victory

- Historic Yves du Manoir — living for over a century

- SCOREBOARD

- Nadal-Alcaraz duo begins in style; Djokovic beats Ebden

- Indians soak in the festivities, gear up for Games in style

- Tamberi apologises to wife after losing wedding ring

- Root digs deep, Smith goes on the rampage

Determined Manu marches into medal round of 10m air pistol

Jonathan Selvaraj

PARIS

She finishes third out of 45 competitors to enter Sunday’s final ; Sarabjot fails to make the grade in the men’s category after Germany’s Robin pips the Indian to the last qualification spot; the mixed teams fall at the first hurdle in 10m air rifle

1 of 2 Focused: Manu held her nerve after an early blip in the penultimate series.Ritu Raj Konwar

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At the conclusion of their competitions at the Olympics, athletes are required by official policy to walk through a gauntlet of railings and barricades — known as a mixed zone.

That’s where the media usually waits, hoping for an athlete to give a smart insight into their recently concluded performance. Athletes almost never do. Their emotions are too raw both in victory or defeat.

Neither Manu Bhaker nor Sarabjot Singh walked through the mixed zone following their qualification round of the women’s and men’s 10m air pistol qualification event at the shooting range at Chateauroux. Neither had to come by, they said more in their absence — for different reasons.

Manu had qualified for the final of her event with a score of 580 points, finishing third out of 45 competitors with the top-eight going through to Sunday’s final. The 22-year-old became the first Indian to do so at the 2024 Olympics.

At the end of her match, her coach Jaspal Rana was tearing up. People were patting him on the back. But, Manu wasn’t planning to soak in any praise just yet. She slipped out quietly, her sights focused on Sunday’s final.

Competing in her second Games, she had qualified for her first final in an individual event (she had also qualified in the 10m pistol mixed team event at the Tokyo Games). She was too invested in this opportunity to declare victory just yet.

Quiet exit

If Manu’s silence was testament to her focusing on what lay ahead, Sarabjot’s quiet exit through the mixed zone was because he just couldn’t put behind what had just happened to him in the men’s 10m pistol event.

He finished with a total of 577, the same as Walter Robin of Germany. It was the latter though who pipped him to eighth place and the last qualification spot by virtue of hitting more inner 10s — the innermost ring which is just half a centimetre across.

Where Sarabjot had shot 16, the German had shot 17. If the two had shot the same number, it would have been the Indian who would have gone through according to the rules, by virtue of having had the better final series (97 to 96).

After a brilliant fourth series, he was ranked third and all but assured of a place in the final. But a disastrous series of 8, 9, 9 in the penultimate series caused him to tumble down and a stirring fightback with 97 in the final series was not enough.

It’s unlikely that blaming things on luck would relieve Sarabjot. “It’s going to be something he’s going to play in his mind again and again over the next few years. He’s going to remember just how close he got to the final of the Olympic Games,” coach Abhishek Rana said.

Manu herself would leave little to chance. She had a blip — hitting an ‘8’ score early in her penultimate series.

She steadied herself, though. In her very next shot, she fired at the centre of the target and then held her pose before lowering her pistol.

Sarabjot, Arjun Cheema (who was ranked third at one time in the men’s 10m pistol event before finishing 18th with a score of 574) and Rhythm Sangwan (who finished 15th in the women’s event with a total of 573) will have to look ahead to the mixed team event.

The same will hold true for India’s 10m air rifle shooters Arjun Babuta, Sandeep Singh, Ramita Jindal and Elavenil Valarivan, all of whom failed to qualify for the medal rounds of the mixed team events.

India digs deep to edge out a feisty New Zealand

Y.B. Sarangi

Paris

Ice-cool finish: With the clock ticking down, Harmanpreet slots in India’s winner via a penalty stroke.PTI

In front of 4000 noisy spectators, India rallied to beat a spirited New Zealand 3-2 in its opening Pool-B hockey match at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium here on Saturday.

Backed by its supporters, India made an impressive start by putting pressure on New Zealand. It used both flanks — on the carpet and through the air — to surprise its opponent with high balls from the deep. Abhishek’s shot at an open goal was deflected from custodian Dominic Dixon’s pads in the fourth minute.

However, New Zealand drew first blood against the run of play in the eighth. Vivek Sagar Prasad’s mistake inside the circle resulted in a penalty corner and Sam Lane sounded the board.

As the Black Sticks controlled the ball and made some well-coordinated forays, Amit Rohidas stood out with his fine tackles and clearances either side of the first break.

The Indians switched positions continuously to explore openings, but New Zealand’s alert and compact defence remained firm and initiated quick counter-attacks.

Drawing level

The Craig Fulton-coached team got two consecutive short corners and managed to draw parity off the second with Mandeep Singh slotting in a rebound.

Then Mandeep’s reverse hit found the athletic Dixon, but the Harmanpreet Singh-led side grabbed the much-needed lead as Vivek pushed home following a scramble in the 34th minute.

India, known for conceding penalty corners easily, blocked four, including three successive ones.

A never-say-die New Zealand earned three more back-to-back short corners and converted the last one through its legend Simon Child.

However, India had the last laught as Harmanpreet converted a 59th minute penalty stroke much to the fans’ delight.

The result: India 3 (Mandeep 24, Vivek 34, Harmanpreet 59-ps) bt New Zealand 2 (Lane 8, Child 53).

Satwik-Chirag pair sails through; Lakshya overcomes Cordon

Y.B. Sarangi

PARIS

Easy day at the office: Satwiksairaj and Chirag were hardly troubled by Corvee and Labar.PTI

The Indian shuttlers made a bright start with Lakshya Sen winning his men’s singles encounter and the doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty posting victory in the La Chapelle Arena in the Paris Olympics here on Saturday.

World championships bronze medallist and Commonwealth Games gold winner Lakshya beat Guatemala’s 37-year-old Kevin Cordon 21-8, 22-20 in his opening Group L match.

The contest, 42 minutes long, consisted of two contrasting games with Lakshya dominating the first, as he won as many as 14 points from his service and took a 13-point lead at one stage to finish it off in just 14 minutes.

Cordon challenged the Indian in the second game, in which the duo engaged in two long rallies, comprising 31 and 28 shots.

Some errors by Lakshya helped Cordon reach game point at 20-16.

But the Indian — guided by Prakash Padukone and Vimal Kumar — maintained his composure to save four match points and added two more, before closing the match with a smash and thwarting the Pan-American champion’s comeback bid.

The World No. 3 Satwik-Chirag pair defeated the French duo of Lucas Corvee and Ronan Labar 21-17, 21-14 in a Group C match, lasting 46 minutes.

After claiming the first game comfortably, the Worlds bronze medallist Indians, barring some errors, built a six-point lead before posting victory.

Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto lost 18-21, 10-21 to the South Korean pair of Kim So Yeong and Kong Hee Yong in a women’s doubles Group C match.

France claims its first Paris Games gold in rugby sevens

AFP

Inspired by Antoine Dupont, France inflicted a 28-7 defeat on two-time Olympic champion Fiji in a pulsating rugby sevens final on Saturday, giving the hosts its first gold of the Paris Games. Dupont came off the bench to mastermind an extraordinary second-half performance that saw him score twice and create another try.

Australia’s Titmus wins women’s 400m freestyle gold

Getty Images

Ariarne Titmus held off Summer McIntosh and Katie Ledecky to successfully defend her Olympic 400m freestyle title Saturday with a dominant swim. The Australian world record holder dominated the race to touch in 3mins 57.49secs ahead of Canada’s McIntosh (3:58.37) and decorated American Ledecky (4:00.86)

Fernandez, first men’s hoopster to compete in six Olympics

Getty ImagesGREGORY SHAMUS

Spain’s Rudy Fernandez became the first men’s basketballer to compete in six Olympics. The 39-year-old achieved the milestone on Saturday when he checked in at the 5:18 mark of the first quarter during Spain’s match against Australia to open the Paris Olympic tournament.

IOC apologises for introducing South Korean team as North Korean

REUTERSCLAUDIA GRECO

Olympic Games organisers said they “deeply apologise” for introducing South Korea’s athletes as North Korea during the opening ceremony in Paris. “We deeply apologise for the mistake that occurred when introducing the Korean team during the opening ceremony broadcast,” the IOC posted on X in Korean.

ROAD CYCLING: Men’s Individual Time Trial: 1. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) 36:12.16; Fillipo Ganna (Ita) 36:27.08, 3. Wout van Aert (Bel) 36:37.79; Women’s Individual Time Trial: 1. Grace Brown (Aus) 39:38.24, 2. Anna Henderson (GBr) 41:09.83, 3. Chloe Dygert (USA) 41:10.70.

DIVING: Women’s Synchronised 3m Springboard: 1. China (Chang Yani & Chen Yiwen) 337.68 points, 2. USA (Sarah Bacon & Kassidy Cook) 314.64, 3. Great Britain (Yasmin Harper & Scarlett Mew Jensen) 302.28.

SHOOTING: 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team: 1. China (Sheng Lihao & Huang Yuting), 2. South Korea (Keum Ji-hyeon & Park Ha-jun); 3. Kazakhstan (Alexandra Le & Islam Satpayev) bt Germany (Maximilian Ulbrich & Anna Janssen) 17-5.

JUDO: Men: 60kg: 1. Yeldos Smetov (Kaz), 2. Luka Mkheidze 3. Ryuju Naguyama (Jpn) & Francisco Garrigos (Esp); Women: 48kg: 1. Natsumi Tsunoda (Jpn), 2. Bavuudorj Baasan Khuu (Mgl), 3. Shirine Boulki (Fra) & Tara Babulfath (Swe).

RUGBY SEVENS: Men: Final: France bt Fiji 28-7; Bronze medal: South Africa bt Australia 26-19.

Rower Balraj finishes fourth in heats, becomes eligible for repechage

India’s Paris Olympics campaign in rowing was off to a shaky start as Balraj Panwar finished fourth in the first heat race on Saturday. Balraj clocked 7:07:11 minutes to finish fourth out of six competitors. Only three players from each heat race could make it to the quarterfinals directly.

However, all is not lost for Balraj as he is eligible to compete in the repechage round on Sunday.

Harmeet eases past Yaman

India’s Harmeet Desai advanced to the round-of-64 in the men’s singles table tennis event, beating Jordan’s Zaid Abo Yaman 4-0 (11-7, 11-9, 11-5, 11-5) in the preliminary round on Saturday.

A look at some of the Indian performances on Saturday:

Badminton: Group stage: Men: Lakshya bt Cordon (Gua) 21-8, 22-20;

Doubles: Satwiksairaj & Chirag bt Corvee & Labar (Fra) 21-17, 21-14.

Boxing: Women’s 54kg (round-of-32): Preeti bt Vo (Vie) 5-0.

Rowing:Men’s Single Sculls: Balraj (fourth in Heat 1, enters repechage).

Shooting: 10m Air Pistol: Women’s qualification: 3. Manu (qualifies for final); 15. Rhythm, Did Not Qualify (DNQ); Men’s qualification: 9. Sarabjot and 18. Arjun Cheema, DNQ for final; 10m Air Rifle: Mixed team qualification: 6. Ramita & Arjun Babuta and 12. Elavenil & Sandeep, DNQ for medal round.

Table tennis: Preliminary round: Men: Harmeet bt Yaman (Jor) 11-7, 11-9, 11-5, 11-5.

A look at some Indian players/team who will compete on Sunday (all times IST):

Archery: Women’s team quarterfinal (Ankita, Bhajan, Deepika), 5.45 p.m.

Badminton: Group stage: Women: Sindhu vs Nabaaha (Mdv), 12.50 p.m.; Men: Prannoy vs Roth (Ger), 8 p.m.

Boxing: Women’s 50kg (round-of-32): Nikhat vs Kloetzer (Ger), 3.50 p.m.

Rowing: Men’s Single Sculls repechage (Balraj), 1 p.m.

Shooting: 10m Air Rifle: Women’s qualification (Elavenil, Ramita), 12.45 p.m.; Men’s qualification (Sandeep, Arjun Babuta), 2.45 p.m.; 10m Air Pistol: Women’s final (Manu), 3.30 p.m.

Table Tennis (round-of-64): Women: Sreeja vs Kallberg (Swe), 2.15 p.m.; Manika vs Hursey (GBr), 4.30 p.m. Men: Sharath Kamal vs Kozul (Slo), 3 p.m., Harmeet vs Lebrun (Fra), 11.30 p.m.

Sheng Lihao & Huang Yuting (Chn): Shooting: 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team.

Chang Yani & Chen Yiwen (Chn): Diving: Women’s Synchronised 3m Springboard.

Remco Evenepoel (Bel): Cycling Road: Men’s Individual Time Trial.

Grace Brown (Aus): Cycling Road: Women’s Individual Time Trial.

Yeldos Smetov (Kaz): Judo: Men’s 60kg.

Natsumi Tsunoda (Jpn): Judo: Women’s 48kg.

France: Rugby sevens: men.

Archery: Women’s Team

Canoe Slalom: Women’s Kayak Single

Cycling Mountain Bike: Women’s Cross-country

Fencing: Women’s Foil Individual, Men’s Epee Individual

Judo: Men’s 66kg, Women’s 52kg

Shooting: Men’s 10m Air Pistol, Women’s 10m Air Pistol

Skateboarding: Women’s Street

Swimming: Men’s 400 Individual Medley, Women’s 100m Butterfly, Men’s 100m Breaststroke

1 of 3 A different ball game: The Opening Ceremony of the Paris Olympics not only brought stars from various sports, like Nadal and Zidane together, but also pulled off a show that paid tribute to France’s historical richness and global importance. RITU RAJ KONWAR RITU RAJ KONWAR

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3 of 3 Show-stopper: The Eiffel Tower’s laser show is a cherished tourist attraction and was naturally the crowning glory of a remarkable commencement to the Paris Summer Games. Ritu Raj Konwar RITU RAJ KONWAR

The best of the past, present and future

A breathtaking laser show on the iconic Eiffel Tower bearing the five rings during the Opening Ceremony left spectators awestruck. The 1083ft tall tower, sitting on the banks of river Seine, flashed multi-coloured lights which pierced the night sky amid the cloud cover. The grand effort showcased France's artistic mastery and plurality by marrying history with modernity.

A bid to unite

Ripples of escalating political tensions in the world have been reverberating through the French capital. Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and Paris 2024 Organising Committee chief Tony Estanguet used the platform to call for solidarity and hope. “In a world torn apart by wars and conflicts, it is thanks to this solidarity that we can all come together tonight, uniting the athletes from the territories of all 206 National Olympic Committees and the IOC Refugee Olympic Team,” said Bach. Estanguet had a similar thought. “Even though discrimination and conflicts are not about to disappear, tonight you have reminded us how beautiful humanity is when we come together,” he said.

Nadal has the streets

The identity of the torchbearers for the ceremony is traditionally one of its best-kept secrets. As expected, football legend Zinedine Zidane kicked off the Olympic torch relay’s last leg to the cauldron. Zidane handed the torch over to 14-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal. It was hard to tell who among the pair got the loudest cheers. The Spaniard then got on to a boat for a trip around the Seine. He was joined by Olympic legends Carl Lewis, Nadia Comaneci and Serena Williams. French judo star Teddy Riner and sprinter Marie-Jose Perec jointly lit the cauldron at the Tuilleries Gardens, which in turn propelled a glowing hot air balloon to mark the beginning of the sporting extravaganza.

Despite attaining royal status in Paris by virtue of his conquests on clay at Roland Garros, Nadal made a quiet exit after his duties were done, like any other spectator. Fans around the area made best use of the opportunity, requesting him for selfies. While the French police and Gendarmerie attempted to shield Nadal, the legend was happy to oblige, even taking a few of the selfies himself.

He then used an official van to make his way back to the Athletes village, with a men’s double competition alongside Carlos Alcaraz to prepare for the next day.

Urban issues in the Games Village

There’s not a lot going on at the Games Village in Chateauroux where the shooting events are being held. There are two complexes for participating players - the PESI (Pôle d’Enseignement Supérieur International), located in the nearby town of Déols and the Lycée Blaise Pascal boarding school, located in Chateauroux. Athletes have complained about the size of the rooms and quality of the food available. One international coach told The Hindu that a lack of space has prompted organisers to offer athletes the option of rooms in the town at the expense of the authorities. There’s also a general sense of boredom in a town that only has a population of around 70,000.

Although public transportation is free in the town, it’s relatively rare. Jaspal Rana – Manu Bhaker’s coach – who is put up in an apartment in town found himself waiting for nearly an hour for an official bus after organisers changed the bus timings at the last minute while failing to update the coaches and athletes.

— Y.B. Sarangi

Jonathan Selvaraj

Suryakumar’s India starts off with a thumping victory

Pranay Rajiv

PALLEKELE

In full flow: Captain Suryakumar started his stint with a quickfire half-century.AFP ISHARA S. KODIKARA

The Suryakumar Yadav-Gautam Gambhir era of Indian T20I cricket got off on the right foot as India defeated Sri Lanka by 43 runs to clinch the series opener here on Saturday.

Batters dominate

Batters ruled the roost on a fresh Pallekele surface that offered close to nothing for the bowlers, with the Indian top-order’s concerted effort proving to be the difference.

Despite chasing a 214-run target, Sri Lanka looked to be in the mix for most of the second innings, thanks to an inspired knock from Pathum Nissanka.

Driven by a vociferous crowd which spilled past the grass banks, openers Nissanka and Kusal Mendis set off on a blitzkrieg.

The fuse was lit by Nissanka, who carted left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh for a couple of fours in the first over.

The right-handed batter stepped it up against Mohammed Siraj, clubbing the pacer for two sixes in his second over.

Kusal Mendis soon caught up his partner with an array of strokes on either side of the deck as the host raced to 77 in eight overs.

The drooping Indian shoulders received a much-needed lift when Kusal Mendis mistimed a pull, off Arshdeep, to deep mid-wicket.

But Nissanka kept the fight going, taking on the Indian attack with disdain, as he registered his highest T20I score (79, 48b).

Turning point

The Lankan opener’s valiant knock came to an end after he was castled by an Axar Patel arm ball. Nissanka’s dismissal proved the turning point as India removed the remaining batters for just 30 runs.

Earlier, openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill provided the spark for India with a flurry of boundaries after the team was inserted.

The duo targetted the square fence on either side with cuts, sweeps and pulls to ramp up the pressure, as the home fans watched in dismay.

Jaiswal was the harsher of the two initially, with the left-hander smashing a first-ball boundary off all the three Lankan bowlers who had a go in the first six overs.

Gill went on the rampage in the final over of the PowerPlay, thumping two fours and a six off Dilshan Madushanka, before skying one for Asitha Fernando to take a smart catch.

The Lankan joy was immediately doubled as Jaiswal was stumped off leggie Wanindu Hasaranga’s first ball of the day.

But, Suryakumar ensured the intensity didn’t diminish.

The newly anointed skipper used his trademark scoops and flicks to unsettle an already rattled Lankan bowling unit.

Poor fielding

Sri Lanka’s cause was not helped by its poor fielding as the team dropped catches, offering lives to Suryakumar and Rishabh Pant, and conceded avoidable boundaries.

However, India’s hopes of running away with the game were quashed by some fiery death bowling from Matheesha Pathirana, who speared in yorkers aplenty to scalp four wickets.

But Pathirana, and Nissanka later on, were not to deny India from taking a series lead.

Yves du Manoir — living for over a century

Y.B. Sarangi

PARIS

It pre-dated hockey’s Games debut and after 100 years, it will host the same sport

1 of 2 All new: Decked up with a blue synthetic turf, the historic Yves du Manoir, has been renovated with a reduced capacity.Getty ImagesALEX PANTLING

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Yves du Manoir, the centre-stage of Baron Pierre de Coubertin’s farewell Games, is steeped in Olympic history for a century.

It was the stadium that saw the making of the legend of Flying Finn Pavo Nurmi, who ran seven races in six days despite the polluted air and heatwave to claim five gold medals.

It was the platform where the Uruguayan football team, which beat Switzerland 3-0 in the final in front of more than 40,000 fans, rose to international stardom. It was the venue for the 1924 Opening Ceremony and athletics, gymnastics, tennis, some of the cycling, horse riding, football and rugby and two of the modern pentathlon events (running, fencing).

Also known as Stade Olympique, Yves du Manoir, situated in the north-western Paris suburb of Colombes, pre-dated hockey’s Olympic debut. After a hundred years, it is the only surviving competition venue for 2024 and will incidentally host hockey.

In its new avatar, decked up with a blue synthetic turf, the historic venue — once almost abandoned, but now renovated with a much-reduced capacity from 60,000 to 15,000 — is ready to welcome international hockey stars from around the globe.

“It has been 100 years since the last Olympics were held here. So I am very excited (to play here),” said Manpreet Singh.

Indian captain Harmanpreet Singh saw this as motivation and wanted to make it all the more memorable by winning the gold.

All is not lost for the lovers of history, though. An old house still exists in its premises to remind one about the days of yore.

Opened in 1907 and named after 23-year-old French rugby player Yves du Manoir, who died in a plane crash in 1928, the stadium staged the well-known sprint races between Britons Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddle, shown in the 1981 movie Chariots of Fire.

It also hosted the final of the 1938 FIFA World Cup between Italy and Hungary and saw the former record a 4-2 win to secure its second world title.

Apart from Yves-du-Manoir, the Georges-Vallerey pool (earlier known as Tourelles Swimming Stadium where Johnny Weissmuller emerged as star athlete and went on to play Tarzan on silver screen), which will be used as a training venue during Paris 2024 and the Vélodrome Jacques Anquetil La Cipale (which has already hosted two Olympics in 1900 and 1924) also exist as Olympic heritage of the city.

INDIA

Yashasvi Jaiswal st. Kusal Mendis b Hasaranga 40 (21b, 5x4, 2x6), Shubman Gill c Asitha b Madushanka 34 (16b, 6x4, 1x6), Suryakumar Yadav lbw b Pathirana 58 (26b, 8x4, 2x6), Rishabh Pant b Pathirana 49 (33b, 6x4, 1x6), Hardik Pandya b Pathirana 9 (10b, 1x4), Riyan Parag lbw b Pathirana 7 (6b, 1x4), Rinku Singh b Asitha 1 (2b), Axar Patel (not out) 10 (5b, 1x6), Arshdeep Singh (not out) 1 (1b); Extras (w-4): 4; Total (for seven wkts. in 20 overs): 213.

FALL OF WICKETS

1-74 (Gill, 5.6 overs), 2-74 (Jaiswal, 6.1), 3-150 (Suryakumar, 13.2), 4-176 (Hardik, 16.3), 5-192 (Parag, 18.1), 6-201 (Pant, 18.5), 7-206 (Rinku, 19.4).

SRI LANKA BOWLING

Madushanka 3-0-45-1, Asitha 4-0-47-1, Theekshana 4-0-44-0, Hasaranga 4-0-28-1, Kamindu Mendis 1-0-9-0, Pathirana 4-0-40-4.

SRI LANKA

Pathum Nissanka b Axar 79 (48b, 7x4, 4x6), Kusal Mendis c Jaiswal b Arshdeep 45 (27b, 7x4, 1x6), Kusal Perera c Bishnoi b Axar 20 (14b, 3x4), Kamindu Mendis b Parag 12 (8b, 2x4), Charith Asalanka c Jaiswal b Bishnoi 0 (2b), Dasun Shanaka run out 0 (0b), Wanindu Hasaranga c Parag b Arshdeep 2 (3b), Maheesh Theekshana b Parag 2 (5b), Matheesha Pathirana c Axar b Siraj 6 (7b), Asitha Fernando (not out) 0 (1b), Dilshan Madushanka b Parag 0 (1b); Extras (lb-2, w-2): 4; Total (in 19.2 overs): 170.

FALL OF WICKETS

1-84 (Kusal Mendis, 8.4), 2-140 (Nissanka, 14.1), 3-149 (Kusal Perera, 14.6), 4-158 (Asalanka, 15.6), 5-160 (Shanaka, 16.1), 6-161 (Kamindu, 16.4), 7-163 (Hasaranga, 17.1), 8-170 (Pathirana, 18.5), 9-170 (Theekshana, 19.1).

INDIA BOWLING

Arshdeep 3-0-24-2, Siraj 3-0-23-1, Axar 4-0-38-2, Bishnoi 4-0-37-1, Hardik 4-0-41-0, Parag 1.2-0-5-3.

Toss: Sri Lanka.

PoM: Suryakumar.

India won by 43 runs to lead three-match series 1-0.

Second T20I: July 28 (Sunday), Pallekele, 7 p.m. IST.

Nadal-Alcaraz duo begins in style; Djokovic beats Ebden

Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz brought the Roland Garros crowd to its feet as the Spanish dream team opened its doubles campaign with a 7-6(4), 6-4 victory over Argentina’s Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni on Saturday. Earlier, Novak Djokovic lost just one game, winning 6-0, 6-1 in just 53 minutes against Australia’s Matthew Ebden to set up a potential blockbuster clash against Nadal. Nadal will take on Djokovic for the 60th time if he gets past Marton Fucsovics of Hungary on Sunday.

Carlos Alcaraz swept aside Lebanon’s Hady Habib 6-3, 6-1 and Iga Swiatek won 6-2, 7-5 over Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania.

Indians soak in the festivities, gear up for Games in style

A 78-member contingent represented India in the Parade of Nations for the Paris Olympics along the Seine. Several athletes, including the badminton contingent, and the men’s hockey team opted to miss the event due to fixtures coming up the next day. The athletes who couldn’t make it to the gala made sure to pose in their ceremonial attire to be a part of the ceremony in some form.

Tamberi apologises to wife after losing wedding ring

High jumper Gianmarco Tamberi issued an apology to his wife, Chiara Bontempi Tamberi, on Saturday after his wedding ring slipped off his finger while he was serving as Italy’s flag bearer on a boat during the Opening Ceremony. “Too much water, too many kilos lost in the last few months or maybe the irrepressible enthusiasm of what we were doing,” Tamberi posted “I saw it bounce inside the boat... May it be a good omen to return with an even bigger gold!”

Root digs deep, Smith goes on the rampage

Agence France-Presse

BIRMINGHAM

England was dismissed for 376 in reply to the West Indies first innings total of 282, a lead of 94 runs, on the second day of the third Test at Edgbaston on Saturday. Jamie Smith fell agonisingly short of a maiden Test century when the wicketkeeper was out for 95 (109b, 12x4, 1x6).

England collapsed to 54 for five early in the day's play before a stand of 115 between Joe Root (87) and captain Ben Stokes (54) revived the innings.

Root became the seventh batter to score 12,000 Test runs, moving past West Indies great Brian Lara’s career tally of 11,953. Chris Woakes became the fourth Englishman to make a fifty on Saturday.

The scores: West Indies 282 & 33/2 in 14 overs vs England 376 in 75.4 overs (Smith 95, Root 87, Woakes 62, Stokes 54, Joseph 4/122).

SM

- dressed to represent india

- 10 books for an Olympics deep dive

- That’s so Mumbai

- An extraordinary life

- We are designed to forget

- Alina Alam: power of magical thinking

- Easy like Sunday morning

- Nice choice

- Gully rap finds its rhythm

- Routine is not boring

- Snakes and ladders

- The flight of the eagles

- Urban goddess meets golu doll

- Lesson in a quince apple

Sohini Dey

With National Handloom Day approaching, and in light of Team India’s official Olympic outfits attracting flak, designers weigh in on the challenges of creatingceremonial uniforms

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3 of 12 For an international audience (Clockwise from below) Tarun Tahiliani working on Team India’s outfits; India’s official Olympics uniform; and designer Tahiliani. (Special arrangement)

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8 of 12 Global check (Clockwise from far left) Official uniforms of Mongolia; France; Thailand; and Haiti.

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If the Olympics is one of the world’s biggest sporting events, its opening ceremony is its crowning glory. On Friday, the 2024 Paris edition took things up more than a few notches. The first Games to have the curtain raiser outside a stadium, it saw almost 100 boats carrying an estimated 10,500 athletes down the Seine. The quays became spectator stands while the sun reflected off famous Parisian landmarks. And with all eyes on the global fashion capital, everyone was a fashion critic.

Dressing any national contingent for the occasion is a flex. Top designers, luxury houses and sportswear brands vie for the honour. 2024’s lineup of uniform-makers included Ralph Lauren for the United States, Berluti for France, Emporio Armani for Italy, and Lululemon for Canada, among others. For the 117 athletes of Team India, it was Tarun Tahiliani, the New Delhi-based couturier, via Tasva, the premium affordable menswear label launched by him and Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd. (ABFRL).

India has not had the most shining track record when it comes to dressing up for the ceremony — the team relies on traditional dressing with little designer flair or major crafts showcase. With Tasva taking on a sponsorship role, this edition was the first time that a designer created the ceremonial uniforms.

Part of the first generation of Indian fashion, Tahiliani has underpinned his nearly 30-year career with experiments in a distinctive India Modern aesthetic. A master of sculpting and draping, he applies Swarovski crystals and lamé on his luxurious designs with the same flair as brocades, chikankari and zari embroidery. In 2021, as part of a joint venture with ABFRL, he launched Tasva (now with nearly 75 outlets) — offering weavers the kind of supply and price points that wouldn’t be possible had everything been handwoven or hand-embroidered, and giving customers the Tahiliani experience at as less as ₹1,599. It’s not something many designers can boast of.

Missed opportunities

Last month, when Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, unveiled the Olympics official outfits, the designer was in attendance, along with IOA (Indian Olympic Association) president P.T. Usha, hockey players Jarmanpreet Singh and Nilakanta Sharma, and shooter Anjum Moudgil. Expectations were high, but the news did not travel much beyond the event.

Social media was mostly silent, until two weeks later when Team India’s uniforms began to trend on X (formerly Twitter) after a user posted photos from the unveiling. Terms like ‘tacky’ and ‘uninspired’ were used. The images being juxtaposed with Team Mongolia’s uniforms — artfully photographed and styled, as opposed to India’s uniforms that were unimaginatively draped on mannequins — exacerbated the situation.

Since then, similar reactions have mushroomed across platforms. Some posted that the designs gave off an Independence Day school function vibe, while others stated that it was time “the heads realise that investing more time, money, and better resources is a necessity”. Scale is a counter argument to make as to why Mongolia’s uniforms were so intricately crafted. Designers Michel Choigaalaa and Amazonka Choigaalaa only had to dress 32 athletes, and they could afford to spend hours on each uniform — with its ivory silhouettes inspired by the traditional deel (tunic), billowing sleeves, and embroidered vests with the sun, moon, and Gua-Maral (mythical deer from Mongolian folklore).

In the weeks since, Tasva released new video content and images to showcase the garments, but the criticism has been hard to quell. Sports writer Sharda Ugra notes that while the “clunky presentation” did not make a good first impression for the garments, Tahiliani’s uniforms will be worn IRL in a different setting. “This year’s ceremony will be hosted in the daylight, as the sun doesn’t set till very late in Paris in summer,” she shared, a few days before the Games kicked off. “The athletes will be on boats on the Seine, and next to the flag, the uniforms may look different.” The Indian contingent will wear the same uniforms to the closing and felicitation ceremonies.

Going beyond the blazer

India’s uniforms for the Olympics have shown little evolution over the years. Men tend to wear blazers, bandhgalas or sherwanis, sometimes accompanied with a turban. Women wear saris, almost always with a blazer, which often does little apart from obscuring the rest of the ensemble. During the 2012 Olympics, many women athletes, including tennis player Sania Mirza, walked with their blazers folded over their arms, offering everyone a better view of their bright yellow saris. Even when the uniform for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics switched from sari to a salwar suit, the blazer remained.

Tasva’s uniforms depart from these norms in many respects, including skipping the blazer. “When we did our research, we saw that prominent international designs were done to coordinate with the colours of their national flags,” says Tahiliani, speaking of the tri-colour inspiration. “We have athletes from around the country, and ivory usually suits everybody.” The bandi became the hero silhouette layered over a kurta set.

The process began in January, and Tahiliani notes there was no specific brief or guidelines from the IOA for the uniform’s design. It was finalised following multiple iterations and feedback sessions; garments were crafted in stages as athletes qualified for various sports. Some qualifications continued well into June, and the Tasva team created a total of 300 uniforms for athletes and accompanying staff. “I did fittings thrice, and I was there for every meeting,” says Tahiliani, responding to criticism that he did not spend enough time on the design and production.

Ugra says that many of the design elements make for a refreshing change, particularly the custom tussar gold brocade sneakers. The digitally printed tri-coloured ikat patterns have polarised opinion, but she observes that it can have a special appeal for its wearers. “The flag is very important to athletes, and they will feel proud to wear the tricolour on their uniforms.”

Originally, both men and women athletes were meant to wear the same uniform. The sari — a leitmotif in Indian ceremonial uniforms and regarded as a cultural marker — was introduced later, Tahiliani tells me, following a revised mandate from IOA. But as Ugra rightly points out, many athletes don’t know how to drape the sari and first-time wearers may find it daunting on a global stage. “India has so many options for women to wear, be it the mekhela-chador or a salwar suit,” she says. “The aim should be to have well-fitted and comfortable garments.” Tasva offered a solution for any draping issues with pre-pleated saris, a signature design element from Tahiliani’s repertoire.

Not standing on ceremony

Collaborations with designers are not limited to ceremonial uses, but extend to uniforms of all kinds. Hospitality and aviation sectors — where the staff is expected to look sophisticated — often engage designers. In 2010, Rajesh Pratap Singh, known for his clean, contemporary silhouettes, and make-up artist Ambika Pillai, partnered to create a new look for the cabin crew of Indigo. More recently, Singh designed uniforms for the Akasa Air crew in 2022. Air India’s rebranding last year also reflected in new garments, created by Manish Malhotra.

Irrespective of the designer, uniforms are a brand entity. “It is important to begin with understanding the client’s vision and the social landscape they interact with,” says designer Raghavendra Rathore, who put the Jodhpuri bandhgala on the fashion map. “Balancing aesthetics with functionality, ensuring a proper fit for a diverse group of wearers, and maintaining high-quality standards are crucial for uniform design.” His eponymous label has created garments for ITC Hotels, Imperial Hotel (Delhi), The Claridges, Umaid Bhawan Palace, and Jio World Convention Centre, as well as a ceremonial uniform for BSF (Border Security Force).

The Abraham & Thakore label is known for their engagements with ikat and hand block printing. They have also experimented with handloom uniforms in the past. David Abraham notes, however, that it can be a “completely impractical” choice. “The garments go through rigorous use. How can we expect flight attendants who may wake up at 3 a.m., wash and wear their garments regularly, and use it for at least for 6-12 months, to maintain the garments?” he asks. “Handlooms have beauty and value, but it is ill-advised to use in a space for performance-textiles.”

What many don’t realise is that while a designer tag is attached to such collaborations, what you see is not what you get. Industry insiders who have worked on corporate uniforms agree that though designers are posited as the face and minds behind it, a lot goes on behind the scenes. “There are far more people involved in the design and selection, especially in big, public sector enterprises,” says designer Nimish Shah, whose label Shift created the crew uniforms for Spice Jet in 2017. “It is just not about a designer’s acumen.”

Why are handlooms missing?

In a country known for its weaving and handloom culture that go back centuries — producing handwoven silks and cottons, from Banarasi to Madras checks that have found global renown — the use of digitally printed ikat in this year’s Olympics uniforms seems unimaginative. The buzz around National Handloom Day (August 7) is also giving momentum to people’s criticism of the use of viscose textiles. However, Shah’s statement holds true here too.

Budgets don’t always support the engagement of handloom clusters, and crafts interventions require time and collaborations with craftspeople for distinctive designs. “It’s not a vendor type system where an order is placed and there is an assembly organised production line,” says crafts practitioner and author Meera Goradia. Quick turnabouts — such as, when the IOA decided to ditch the kurta and go with the drape for women athletes — are impossible. While working with “easily available colours, designs that can be produced at scale, or building on fabrics in stock” such as Kutch kala cotton weaves and Banaras jacquards can facilitate faster production, Goradia adds that planning is paramount.

Tahiliani says, in the case of the Indian Olympics uniforms, he chose ikat as emblematic of a weaving tradition practised around the country, but opted for digital prints to meet timelines. The choice of viscose was also deliberate. “Cotton would have crushed badly. We used viscose because it is a wood pulp fibre and lets you breathe. It is cooler than silk,” he says. “We had to consider breathability because the athletes would be on a barge, in the heat, for up to five hours.”

Similar criticism has been levelled at airline uniforms in the past. Goradia sees value in using traditional skills, but with logistical consideration. “Using cultural techniques and vocabularies in everyday spaces would not only generate employment, but give visibility and pride to both the maker and the user,” she says. “R&D needs to be done before this can be applied at scale — the quality of the fabrics for durability, dyes, and prints that would be hardy enough to take multiple washes, stains, etc.”

Uniforms: always a point

of debate

In the age of social media, presentation becomes paramount for uniforms as much as any fashion collection. It is not surprising that national committees and brands have invested heavily in visual imagery to showcase their ceremonial uniforms.

The Team India incident has certainly emphasised the need for sport committees to pay greater attention to how designs are presented. But India is not the only team facing criticism for its uniforms. Fans have criticised USA’s opening ceremony blazers — tweeting that they are past their heyday — while Thailand’s outfits were panned for being outdated, to the extent that the country’s prime minister issued a statement defending the uniform. They have since switched to an eye-catching dark blue design with motifs inspired by Ban Chiang pottery.

Tahiliani admits that the presentation, particularly the mannequin drapes, have been weak links but is confident that the uniform will deliver. “We stand by our designs,” he insisted, when we spoke earlier this week. “The team will look great when they take their place in the ceremony, and I will be cheering them on.”

The writer and editor is based

in Delhi.

Suresh Menon

There are fewer books on the Games than you think. Here are some keepers

1 of 11 Game time A French athlete with the Olympic Torch in Paris. (Getty Images)Maja Hitij

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The Olympic Games have not attracted writers in the manner individual Olympic sports have. That’s not surprising. You can be a fan of golf (John Updike) or tennis (David Foster Wallace) or wrestling (John Irving) or boxing (Joyce Carol Oates) or football (Eduardo Galeano) and write about these with passion and insight. The Olympic canvas, however, is too large and too varied for that kind of writing. There has to be a necessary pruning.

Books on the Olympic Games can be divided into: history (including books on specific Games like the 1960, 1896 or 1972 editions); biographies and autobiographies; the dark side of the Games; a single event or a theme (The Dirtiest Race in History, about the Johnson-Lewis 100m final); stories of overcoming the odds; the political and economic impact of the Games; and finally, fiction.

For long, every four years, the standard reference was David Wallechinsky’s The Complete Book of the Olympics, but the last edition was in 2016, and it hasn’t found a successor.

Here are some books on the Olympics you might enjoy:

1.The Games: A Global History of the Olympics (2016) by David Goldblatt

An enjoyable read which by extension tells the story of the 20th and 21st centuries. The Olympics may be about sport; it is equally about politics and history, and is better understood in the larger context. The Games did not become a spectacle till the 1930s. In 1932, Los Angeles introduced the three-tiered podium, and national anthems. Four years later, in Berlin, came the torch relay. As the runners approached the stadium, they became “exclusively blond-haired and blue-eyed Aryans”, says the author.

2.Berlin 1936: Sixteen Days in August (2016) by Oliver Hilmes

An intriguing romp through ‘Hitler’s Games’ with a wide cast of characters, and written in the form of a diary with novelistic flair. The research is extensive, and we learn of such transformations as that of the writer Thomas Wolfe who began as an admirer of the German state before turning sceptic. A final chapter detailing what became of those in the book is fascinating.

3.A Shot At History (2011) by Abhinav Bindra, with Rohit Brijnath

A riveting book combining the inspiring tale of India’s first gold medallist with the cautionary tale of India’s officialdom where apathy is a guiding light. The book is the story of two journeys — one physical, to championships and training around the world, and the other internal, through self-doubt, self-awareness, and a zen-like acceptance of things as they are.

4.The Ancient Olympics (2004)

by Nigel Spivey

An antidote to the over-romanticising of the modern Games with its relationship to the ancient ones. The notion of participation which is placed above winning is dispelled here by the all-encompassing obsession with winning.The word ‘athletics’ is derived from the Greek verb ‘to struggle for a prize’. There was no prize for the runner-up. The Games were, Spivey says, “a notoriously squalid experience for athletes and spectators alike”. Instructive and entertaining.

5.The Other Olympians (2024) by Michael Waters

In 1935, one of Europe’s most famous women athletes declared she was now a man. This history of sex and gender in the Olympics, of crude ‘sex tests’ — and the continuum till the present-day unsatisfactory ones — traces the evolution of what we like to think of as a modern issue. “Today many people understand that sex and gender are two separate categories: gender is a psychological and socialised identity, while sex is assigned, often at birth, based on your physical body,” says the author.

6.The Lords of the Rings: Power, Money, and Drugs in the Modern Olympics (1992) by Vyv Simson and Andrew Jennings

The title says it all.

7.The Secret Olympian (2012) by Anon

Probably written by a member of Britain’s squad at the Athens Olympics, it answers the questions many of us ask: what does it really mean to be an Olympian? A behind-the-scenes look at the Games. The Village isn’t all that great. Yes, the condom machines ran out of stuff at Sydney, but only because they were free and athletes hoped to sell them as souvenirs when they got back home.

8.The Boys in The

Boat (2013) by Daniel James Brown

The inspiring story of working class boys growing up in the American Depression, finding solace in rowing and making it to the Olympics. And winning gold. One reviewer called it “Chariots of Fire with oars…”. The movie appeared last year.

9.Circus Maximus (2015) by Andrew Zimbalist

Should India get serious about the 2036 bid? This study by a sports economist shows how we need to give it a second, third and fourth thoughts. Zimbalist asks: “Why should it be necessary to spend tens of billions of dollars to host an event to get hundreds of millions of dollars of worthwhile investment?”

10.Asterix at the Olympic

Games (1972) by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo

Fiction. The magic potion is illegal, so how does Asterix win?

The writer’s latest book is Why Don’t You Write Something I Might Read?.

That’s so Mumbai

Janhavi Acharekar

In Maya Nagari , editor-translators Shanta Gokhale and Jerry Pinto showcase Mumbai’s glitz and grime in equal measure

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How does one anthologise writings about a city that is equally seductive and repugnant? A city that has been a writer’s muse from the time of its existence? In Maya Nagari — Bombay-Mumbai: A City in Stories, editors Shanta Gokhale and Jerry Pinto clarify that they didn’t set out to capture the financial capital in a book; they simply compiled a list of stories they had read and loved.

Writers in this fine anthology include the likes of Manto, Ismat Chughtai, Eunice de Souza, Cyrus Mistry, Bhupen Khakkar, Ambai, Urmila Pawar, Jayant Kaikini, Maharashtra’s favourite humourist Pu La Deshpande, and the editors themselves, among others. In keeping with Mumbai’s multilingual character, the book includes stories written in the languages of the city: English, with translations from Marathi, Tamil, Hindi, Urdu, Kannada, Gujarati. “To understand our own lives better, we must enter other lives, and we do that best with literature,” says Gokhale in the introduction.

We see Bombay and Mumbai from the lived experience of chawl residents, street dwellers, mill workers, single women, advertising executives, furtive lovers. Aptly called ‘the most expensive slum in the world’, it is a city bustling with energy and coated with grime. The collection largely essays the bleak underbelly of the city, but it is not without a sliver of hope. In Deshpande’s ‘A Cultural Movement Is Born’, we see chawl life with its intrigues and tragedies but also its comedies: “Batatyachi Chaal (chawl) and Bharat shared the same raashi. As a result, caste skirmishes, absence of unity, disease and earthquake-like tremors when matrons of a certain girth went up or down the stairs, presented everyday dangers.”

Contrasting realities

Not only are the stories well-chosen, they are also beautifully translated, most of them by the editors themselves. The Ganesh Chaturthi festival, the city’s chawls and the closure of its mills are a leit motif in the book. This is where the church of St. Don Dosco becomes Don Boss and a building called ‘Queen’s Diamonds’ overlooks a garbage heap.

Here, god visits Dadar Bridge only to get caught in the grittier side of the city, and a British policeman finds respectability in India only to land himself in a metaphorical no man’s land after Independence. A Ram devotee and an atheist forge an unlikely friendship, and a Ganesh idol is held hostage. A sex worker tries desperately to earn some money for a trip home to her village while a young journalist and a trade union leader become lovers. The stories draw you into their grief, joys, anxieties and celebrations, delivering gut punches along the way.

In Manto’s ‘Babu Gopi Nath’, the titular character explains his love for kothas (brothels) and shrines: “Because both establishments are an illusion. What better refuge can there be for someone who wants to deceive himself?” Bombay/ Mumbai, too, is like that — a city of illusions and myriad contrasting realities. Maya Nagari represents the sea of stories that the city creates every day, to rival the vast ocean that lines its shore.

The reviewer is an author of fiction and travel, a curator and creative consultant.

Uma Mahadevan-Dasgupta

Aruna Roy looks back at her years of social activism after she resigned from the IAS in 1975 to work for the rural poor

1 of 4 Evolved to serve (Top to bottom) Aruna Roy during the early days of the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan, in Devdungri, Rajasthan; Roy in the field; and students at Women Barefoot Solar Engineers Training Centre, Barefoot College, Tilonia, Rajasthan. (The Hindu archives, special arrangement and sandeep saxena) The Hindu archives

2 of 4 The Personal is Political: An Activist’s Memoir Aruna Roy HarperCollins ₹599

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Aristotle famously said the purpose of knowledge is action, not knowledge. And in the words of Perumal Murugan, “There are many who speak, but very few who act.” Aruna Roy has spent her entire lifetime engaged in constructive action.

Joining the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in 1968, she soon realised that the civil service, which still retained colonial vestiges, was not the place for her: “The possibility of change was continually shrinking. The primary function was to maintain the status quo.” She resigned in 1975 and joined her husband Bunker Roy at the Barefoot College Social Work and Research Centre (SWRC) in Tilonia, Rajasthan.

The birth of RTI

Motivated by interactions with the rural poor, Roy and likeminded activists Shankar Singh and Nikhil Dey founded the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS). From the mud hut in the Rajasthani village of Devdungri where it was founded with a view to strengthen participatory democratic processes, this non-partisan people’s organisation has been at the forefront of transformative national campaigns for transparency, accountability, and an employment guarantee for the poor. It is in significant measure due to Roy, the MKSS, and likeminded activists that India now has a Right to Information (RTI) Act and a Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

During their training period at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy in Mussoorie, young IAS trainees are invariably told about Gandhi’s talisman: when in doubt over a difficult decision, to think of the face of the poorest person one has encountered, and ask whether this decision will restore them to a control over their own life and destiny.

However, as the years pass, Gandhi’s words sometimes slip away. In the quest for efficiency, equity can get left by the wayside. Which is why the poor are sometimes invisible to policy. Such as Mangi, the migrant Dalit worker who lost six children because of lack of access to medical care.

Call for empathy

In this deeply thoughtful and clear-sighted memoir, The Personal is Political, Roy reminds us that the poor are all around us: “The poor work. They build our homes but live under the flyovers, in railway stations, under plastic sheets, in cement pipes; they clean our toilets but have none they can use. They clean our mess, wasteful plastic and rubbish we strew, and we call them ‘rag pickers’. They grow our food, they craft to make our homes look chic, but we grumble at their subsidies and are angry when they die by suicide.... The complete illogic of the popular discourse which labels them a ‘burden’ remains unchallenged.”

Those who are truly great know that personal ambition comes in the way of good work. Referring to Gandhi’s categories of public action as seva (service), nirman (create), and sangharsh (struggle), Roy acknowledges the contributions of others: such as Naurti’s struggle for minimum wages; Bhanwari Devi’s fight against rape; Dr. Anandalakshmy’s work on ‘Thinking with the heart’; and Lal Singh, who sacrificed his job as a constable by joining a protest against the oppression of the lower constabulary.

Most of all, Roy acknowledges the voices of ordinary people without which there can be no sustainable change. Without participation and deliberation, policy can be disconnected and even meaningless. “Participatory policymaking in a democracy is a sound principle, value, and process. To place people in the centre of the discussion and to consult them as equals is the way to real development. Those preoccupied with efficiency and implementation should understand that planning done without reference to the conditions of people begins with a false premise.”

Standing up for women

The title of Roy’s memoir comes from the 1960s feminist slogan: the personal is political. As a privileged Indian woman, she left the centres of power to participate, on the ground, in the Indian women’s movement. Reflecting on women’s struggles, Roy recalls the words of Maya Angelou: “Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women.”

For me, the most powerful section of the memoir is about the great Mahila Mela that brought together a thousand women at Barefoot College, Tilonia in 1985: “Mele mein kain hoosi? Hivdari bataan.” (“What will happen at the mela? We will discuss matters of the heart.”) The women held ‘prabhat pheris (a morning walk, singing songs)’ to celebrate women’s solidarity; they also had serious conversations which recognised the deep post-traumatic stress associated with the aftermath of rape. A man from Ajmer had brought his 11-year-old daughter, a survivor of rape, to the Mahila Mela for justice. Discussion on the subject ended with a silent public rally in which local Rajasthani women also participated. They covered their faces, but carried placards. The women tied their black armbands on a thorny babul tree outside the court. A powerful message.

The writer is in the IAS.

We are designed to forget

Sanjay Sipahimalani

A neuroscientist examines how the remembrance of things past shapes our present and future

1 of 2 Why We Remember Charan Ranganath Penguin Random House ₹699

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For Marcel Proust, it was the taste of a madeleine dipped in tea that triggered vivid childhood recollections. For Charan Ranganath, it is the aroma of jackfruit that reminds him of walks on the beach with his grandfather in Chennai. Memories are contingent, and in his book Why We Remember, the California-based neuroscientist examines how the remembrance of things past shapes our present and future.

For most of us, forgetting a recent acquaintance’s name while recalling a long-ago lyric are signs of memory’s imperfections. However, Ranganath argues that such processes enable humans to thrive. “The problem isn’t your memory,” he asserts, “it’s that we have the wrong expectations for what memory is for in the first place”. The pertinent question, then, is not “why do we forget?” but “why do we remember?”

Malleable memories

Memory, as he illustrates, transcends a mere recollection of the past; it is a lens through which we perceive ourselves and the world, guiding what we say, think and do.

According to Ranganath, we are designed to forget because we need to prioritise information and efficiently use it when necessary. Our memories can be malleable and sometimes inaccurate because our brains evolved to navigate a changing world, and neurons constantly create and recreate connections to improve perception, movement and thinking. To explore the ramifications, Why We Remember takes us on a whistle-stop and sometimes breezy tour of current findings in neuroscience, simplifying concepts without dumbing them down.

In essence, the brain’s prefrontal cortex and hippocampus play a critical, collaborative role in the formation, consolidation, and retrieval of memories. The former absorbs and processes information while the latter organises and retrieves it. Additionally, the amygdala creates emotional connections that influence the strength of memories. Our context and feelings, then, play a large part in how, why, and what we recall.

Semantic, episodic

Broadly speaking, memories can be classified into two types: semantic, which deals with general information, and episodic, which relates to specific events. In Ranganath’s example, you’re using semantic memory when you recall facts about Paris, such as famous landmarks. When you re-experience a trip to the French capital, including sights, sounds, tastes, and emotions, you’re using episodic memory. Both work together, enabling us to pick up information we can rely upon. An everyday example would be taking the optimal route to work while being flexible enough to adapt to circumstances such as using an alternative road when the usual one is closed.

How do mortals accomplish breath-taking feats of memorisation, be it reciting pi to thousands of digits, narrating epics, or keeping a multitude of chess moves in mind? Ranganath discusses some tactics that make this possible. Among them are chunking, which involves grouping large pieces of information into small, manageable units; and using schemas like the memory palace technique that links information with a familiar environment or narrative.

One of the most interesting chapters deals with the way memory is connected to imagination. “We do not simply replay a past event,” he writes, “but use a small amount of context and retrieved information as a starting point to imagine how the past could have been.” This is akin to the way artists work — as Austin Kleon puts it, they create a collage of influences and memories filtered through imagination.

This malleability can lead to false memories, either through strong emotions or the planting of misinformation. As Proust writes in Swann’s Way: “Remembrance of things past is not necessarily the remembrance of things as they were.”

Vivid textures

Ranganath offers strategies for reality monitoring, suggesting that imagined events tend to be more focused on internal thoughts and feelings and lack the vivid texture of actual memories. The more sensory details you can recall, the more likely it is that the event truly happened.

Throughout Why We Remember, he foregrounds the contributions of others in the field and those with whom he has collaborated. The book includes pacy accounts of tests and fMRI findings and is peppered with anecdotes, including his stint in a neuroscientists’ rock band called (groan) Pavlov’s Dogz.

“We look at the world once, in childhood,” wrote Louise Glück. “The rest is memory.” Ranganath’s book lifts the curtains on this remembering self to give us a window into the pervasive role that memory plays in every aspect of the human experience.

The reviewer is a Mumbai-based writer.

Alina Alam:

The founder of Mitti Café quotes Cinderella and believes you can fight injustice

1 of 3 Led by passion Alina Alam (above); and with President Droupadi Murmu at the opening of Mitti Café in Rashtrapati Bhavan this June. (Special Arrangement)

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At 23, after multiple rejections, Alina Alam found herself in the northeastern Karnataka town of Hubballi, with zero capital, an offer of a rat-infested tin shed and lots of community goodwill to execute her longstanding dream of a café that would employ people with physical, intellectual, and psychiatric disabilities. One panel of experts had rated her idea poorly on a variety of parameters, but what annoyed her was that they had also rated her 1/5 on a quality she had in abundance: passion. You just have to listen to her talk to know instantly that Alam has enough passion to power a hundred ventures.

Now 31, Alam travels to her 46 cafés spread across India in institutions such as airports, large companies, banks, her one-year-old son Orhan in tow. He’s already logged around 150 flights. In the past year, she has opened her Mitti Café at the Supreme Court, Rashtrapati Bhavan and IIM-Bangalore. In the coming months, you’ll see the café at many more airports, metro and railway stations. Alam uses and swears by words such as magic, courage and compassion. She believes that everybody can fight injustice and discrimination. “My confidence comes from faith,” she says. Faith that if you do your best, things are likely to work out.

She prefers to use the phrase ‘social duty’ over social work, and describes it as the debt we must pay for the privileges we enjoy. “My belief in the innate kindness of the community has been proved time and again,” she says. In a cynical world, Alam is a blinding ray of hope. Her favourite quote — also her sister Ayesha’s favourite — is from Cinderella: “Where there is kindness, there is goodness. And where there is goodness, there is magic.”

Mitti Café has 500 employees and has trained nearly 10 times that number, placing them with various companies. “We encourage the larger ecosystem to hire from us,” says Alam. Some, like Saviha, who has multiple sclerosis, have become entrepreneurs. “We discovered she has the gift of the gab,” says Alam. “If you come in to buy a ₹10 chai, she will convince you to buy a ₹50 meal.” Saviha now runs her own grocery store in Hubballi and is one of Mitti Café’s vendors.

Inclusivity through service

Alam’s inclusivity-through-service model is an opportunity to alter perceptions about differently-abled people — even the way they see themselves. Since the pandemic, Mitti Café has distributed six million meals to economically vulnerable communities. In a country that offers few opportunities to the differently-abled, Alam’s team not only looks out for themselves but contributes to the larger good. “It’s changed the whole paradigm,” she says, adding that the team knows the café is an opportunity to change society and the way society thinks about them.

One time in Bengaluru, an angry customer stomped up to her in a café, complaining about the abrasive way the server had been communicating with him. “I told him his name is Bharat, he’s on the autism spectrum, his expressions may not do justice to his role but he takes back money every month, and this is possible because of customers like him and the community.” On her next visit to the café, she spotted the same customer and he had brought along a friend. “He was giving a high five to Bharat and introducing him to his friend,” says Alam. “You can’t take for granted that people know.”

Seeing beyond grades

Growing up, nobody looked at Alam as someone who would be a success story. “Everybody gave up on me,” she says. “I don’t think I was the most disciplined student, my grades were never that great.” After her Class X exams, her school told her mother they were worried about her future and suggested that she enrol her daughter elsewhere. Alam’s success is a reality check for educational institutions and parents who can’t see beyond marks.

Alam isn’t the first entrepreneur among her siblings. To support the family, her elder sister Ayesha started exporting ethnic wear to Bangladesh when Alam was still in school. Another early influence was her grandmother, with whom she stayed for many years. The older woman needed support to walk but was never defined by what she could and couldn’t do. “When I went into the world, it was confusing to see how a person’s disability could define everything from their friends’ circle to their opportunities,” says Alam.

At that first café in Hubballi, a local printer helped her translate an ad for jobs. It said that Alam was looking for people with disabilities. The only requirements for the job were a minimum age of 18 years and the intent to work. “For two days, nobody called,” she says, recalling how she grappled with self-doubt. “Then Sandhya aunty called, very hesitantly, about her daughter Keerthi who has a very severe disability. She came to the café crawling,” Alam says. “Today, she is quite an inspiration. She manages a team of 10-15 as a manager.”

Easy like Sunday morning

Berty Ashley

The sea is an underwater museum still awaiting its visitors: Phillip Diole

Mariana Trench in the Western Pacific Ocean is the deepest part of the earth. (Getty Images/iStock) DOERS

1 Born on July 28, 1922, Jacques Piccard was a Swiss oceanographer, who developed submarines for studying ocean currents. His father, August Piccard, was a balloonist, who was the first human to reach the stratosphere. On January 23, 1960, Piccard and Lieutenant Don Walsh in his submarine — the Trieste — achieved a remarkable feat in the Pacific Ocean. What did he reach, which completes his family legacy?

2 Creatures that are found at the bottom of the ocean usually live near hydrothermal vents. Unlike any other form of life present on the Earth, they don’t rely on the sun for their energy. They use the chemicals that are pumped up from the Earth’s crust. By what name is this process known, an alternate to the term we are familiar with that plants use?

3 Scientists believed that no life could survive below 8,200 metres due to the extreme pressure at those depths. Only in 2022 was a species of snailfish discovered at the bottom of the Izu-Ogasawara Trench, near the main islands of Japan. By what name which refers to the incredulous nature of its existence is this fish known by scientists?

4 In the deep ocean, there is a continuous shower of organic debris that falls from the upper layers of water. Made up mostly of dead phytoplankton, fecal matter and parts of dead fish, it is the main source of energy for many life forms at the bottom. It is known by a term that refers to the fact that it looks like a slow white drizzle underwater. By what name is this vital component known?

5 Grimpoteuthis are a type of octopuses known for their cute and cartoonish appearance. Their standout feature are two prominent fins that extend like ears from above each eye that they flap to fly around in the depths of the ocean. Due to this resemblance, they are nicknamed in reference to a 1941 Disney film about another cute animal that could fly using its ears. What is the common name of this octopus?

6 The scaly-foot gastropod is a species of deep-sea snail, which is the only animal that has been able to armour itself with a heavy metal. It sources this metal from deep sea vents and forms a hard outer layer. What metal does this animal use for its armour that should remind you of a superhero?

7 Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni is the largest known invertebrate animal on the planet. Very rarely seen as they live in the abyssal depths of the ocean, they are known to weigh upto 700 kg and measure 46 ft. in length. Known variously as Humboldt, Giant and Colossal, what animal is this?

8 Mauna Kea is an inactive volcano that is technically the tallest mountain in the world. Although 13,804 ft. above sea level, it measures a staggering 19,700 ft. below sea level. When measured from base to top, it is almost 1.4 km taller than Mount Everest. To climb this mountain, which tropical destination island would one have to visit?

9 Researchers found the oldest living animals on the planet off the coast of Hawaii in 2009. At the depth of 3,000 metres, the species Leiopathes were gathered and radiocarbon dated and one specimen was discovered to be 4,265 years old. What brightly coloured animals are these, which one would see in a fish tank?

10 In 2012, this person became the first human to reach the bottom of Challenger Deep solo, which is the deepest part of the Mariana Trench. He collected scientific data, specimens and pictures. He is better known for introducing us to fantastical fictional worlds such as Pandora, or the lives of Rose and Jack. Who is this explorer/ moviemaker?

A molecular biologist from Madurai, our quizmaster enjoys trivia and music, and is working on a rock ballad called ‘Coffee is a Drink, Kaapi is an Emotion’. @bertyashley

Nice choice

Bob Jones

East-West vulnerable, South deals

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North-South in today’s deal were experts Michael and Debbie Rosenberg. They lived in New York for many years and moved to California some years ago.

East’s aggressive five-heart bid, at unfavorable vulnerability, created a lot of pressure. Debbie, South, passed it around to Michael, North, hoping he would know what to do. Michael chose to force to slam and made a good choice when he bid five no trump. This asked Debbie to pick the best slam. On her way to six spades, Debbie showed her four-card side suit and Michael let it play right there. This was a great choice, as an opening heart lead against six spades, forcing dummy to ruff, would have created a trump trick for East. The best slam had been reached, but it still had to be made.

Debbie ruffed the opening heart lead in dummy and cashed the ace and king of clubs. She left the last trump outstanding and led a diamond to her ace and then another diamond. That did the trick as West had no winning option. Should West play low and let East ruff, East would be endplayed and forced to lead a spade or yield a ruff-sluff. West chose to rise with his king, but he was also endplayed. West led a heart, but Debbie ruffed in dummy and then ruffed a diamond in hand. She drew the last trump, shedding a spade from dummy, and claimed the balance. Dummy was high! Well done!

Ancilin Biju

Online rap battles became a breeding ground for talent, and the DIY spirit permeated the scene

For the longest time, India’s music scene had been dominated by the glitz and glamour of Bollywood. But recently, a new wave of rappers have emerged, spitting rhymes that paint a starkly different picture. Now these are not rhymes about high-life fantasies or polished lifestyles, but about dodging potholes and chasing dreams in a system stacked against you. It is the raw, unfiltered truth of a generation finding its voice in the gullies they call home.

Gully rap is a genre born in the narrow streets of Mumbai and its impact on Indian music and society is undeniable. The term gully rap itself speaks of its origin story. It has acted as a forum for young people from India’s underbelly to express their struggles and aspirations through an art form. As Naezy, one of the genre’s pioneers, puts it: “Gully rap peels back the curtain of corruption and poverty and crime.”

A far cry from the bling-fuelled narratives of mainstream rap, it resonated deeply with a generation craving for authenticity.

Gully rap’s roots can be traced back to the early 2000s when hip-hop culture began to take hold in Mumbai. Drawing inspiration from American rappers such as Tupac and Nas, young artists started expressing themselves through local rap battles and breakdancing events, and gully rap took off with the implementation of the rap style with different cultural contexts. The Bollywood connection also boosted its growth after the growing usage of gully raps in films. Songs such as Apna Time Aayega from Gully Boy became a massive hit and exposed the audience to the idea of gully rap.

The drastic turning point came with the rise of social media platforms and with it, online rap battles became a breeding ground for talent, and the DIY spirit permeated the scene. Rappers such as Divine, another leading figure who began his career as an underground rapper after discovering hip-hop on his friend’s T-shirt, honed their craft independently, recording tracks on shoestring budgets and promoting them through word-of-mouth.

The release of Divine and Naezy’s collaborative track Mere Gully Mein in 2015 was a watershed moment. The song, with its infectious beats and lyrics that spoke about the harsh realities of Mumbai’s slums, captured the imagination of a nation. It lighted up social media, igniting the gully rap revolution. This focus on self-reliance, a reflection of the Jugaad mentality rather common in India, became a hallmark of gully rap. Divine himself emphasised this stating, “We didn’t have the infrastructure or the industry support. We had to create our lane.”

Gully rap is not just a catchy tune. It is a cultural earthquake that shook things up in more ways than one. It provided a platform for marginalised voices to be heard, giving the everyday struggles of many the attention it deserved. One of gully rap’s strengths has been its defiance of the status quo.

Unlike the polished pop of Bollywood, it thrives on the DIY spirit and stories of struggle, reflecting the realities of the marginalised communities. This authenticity is what propelled artists such as Divine and Naezy to stardom, becoming heroes for a generation yearning to be heard. However, mainstream success can be a double-edged sword. Popular record labels offer resources and increased audience, but can also water down the raw energy that defines this genre. The pressure to conform to the commercial expectations might lead to sanitised lyrics and beats, erasing the very element that made gully rap so powerful.

The future of gully rap hinges on finding the correct balance. As the genre navigates mainstream recognition and evolving trends, staying true to its core message of struggle and authenticity will be a necessity. Independent platforms such as Spotify and YouTube offer the solution, allowing artists to retain creative control. However, gully rap’s true potential lies in its ability to become a voice for offering a critical commentary on the Indian socio-economic landscape.

One thing is certain: gully rap has left an indelible mark on the Indian music landscape. It serves as an example of how powerful music can emerge from the most unexpected places, giving voice to a generation and inspiring countless others to chase their dreams.

Routine is not boring

Ashok Warrier

It helps to order and prioritise our lives and inculcate discipline

The other day, I heard a sportsman say, “I have my routine and I try to adhere to it.” In our daily lives too, most of us, I would like to believe, have our routines. Because of factors beyond our control, if ever the routines in our lives get disturbed or disrupted, we often encounter guilt or frustration or both or an added determination at times to correct the glitch.

What is the purpose of a routine? Or does it have a purpose at all? There is a clock and a calendar but as to whether we have to follow them is left to us, right? In my opinion, routines help us to order and prioritise our lives. One would actually get an idea of the value of routine, if and when we do not have a routine or decide to give it a pass.

Routine inculcates a sense of discipline and adherence in our lives. A life without a routine can become meaningless. It can lead to confusion and a cluttered mind. Disruption in routines because of travel, health issues and the like makes one want to get back to routine as quickly as possible. I suspect that the saying that “one’s home is the best” also stems in a large measure from the fervent desire to get back to one’s routine.

This also brings up the seminal question: is routine applicable to, or practised by, only humans or does it apply also to other animals? I remember watching, a few years ago, in the jungles of Congo, an alpha-male gorilla leading his troops to a clearing in the forest where they all lay down and indulged in some serious grooming. Once this activity got over, they trudged off to the large bamboo trees for their regular feed. Was this a part of their daily life routine?

As man evolved and moved from the jungles and caves to the kind of lives that we lead now, so did the emphasis on timings and routine. Increase in activities, which I guess would have happened over time, demand a greater adherence to timings and routines. Timings are an integral part of routines.

Routines have different dimensions. While there are some routines such as brushing our teeth which we have been conditioned over several years and right from our childhood, there are some others which we are required to follow because of our training and functions in life. A footballer or badminton player invariably does some warm up before a match. This is also a routine.

Routines are without a doubt important and can have a huge bearing on our lives. It is important, therefore, to choose them carefully and wisely.

Snakes and ladders

Sujith Sandur

Fear of reptiles turns into anger against benign trees in a neighbourhood

Having technical know-how about soils, I had no difficulty gauging that the residential plot I owned was suited to raise a home garden. We planted saplings much before the construction of the house began. Over a short time, 12 trees helped transform the concrete structure into a lush green abode. A few flowering plants and wall creepers completed the picture.

The trees attracted birds. In the beginning, flocks of house and yellow-throated sparrows frequented. As the days passed, red-whiskered bulbuls, babblers, and others dotted the foliage.

Enthused by the opportunity to indulge in bird watching from our comfort zone, we began feeding them grains and water and eventually succeeded in making them colonise the garden. The sparrows were the first to build nests. It was a visual treat to observe how the mother sparrows diligently wove intricate nests. Some built them in an ivy in the portico, while a few preferred to have them in the trees.

We thanked God for providing us with the luxury of seeing the birds freely fly around the garden and preen at water pits. We got so used to the chirps and tweets of young birds demanding their mother’s attention that quite often we became engrossed in guarding the chicks and the eggs in the nests while she was away.

Needless to say, we took pride in our garden. But it did not take long for us to realise that it came at a cost. We had to be vigilant against stray dogs, cats, and snakes that preyed on birds, especially sparrows. The people in the neighbourhood who used to admire the greenery started to make their apprehensions loud and clear about the snakes. They held the trees responsible for the problem. Their grouse was that snakes could enter their compounds too.

To address the issue, I may be asked to either fell the trees or chop off their branches to drive away the birds. I fear I might be compelled to yield to this pressure. If I do, it will sadden me deeply. It seems that trees in a home garden no longer fit into the scheme of things in an urban ecosystem.

The flight of the eagles

Pulluru Jagadishwar Rao

In my childhood, the bird that caught my imagination the most was the eagle as it soars high and makes circles in the sky without flapping its wings.

My curiosity was enhanced when a pair of them made a massive tree its home, right across my street in the village. The pair would perch on top of a branch scanning the entire surroundings for its potential prey. I grew up watching every moment of the eagles from cleaning feathers and taking off and landing to building a nest with twigs and leaves. I became a fan of them, known for keen eyesight, sharp claws, strong beak and amazing hunting skills.

However, one incident made me turn into a foe of eagles forever. In those days, it was very common to raise poultry birds in every household. We too had some birds. Every season except summer, my mother would keep a dozen eggs or so with a brooding hen to hatch. One of the hens hatched all the eggs and the chicks began to grow, accompanying the mother all the time.

One day, the mother hen leading the brood went outside the house in search of feed. Coming from nowhere, the eagle swooped down like a dart and snatched a young chick clutching tightly with its claws and flew away. It happened in front of my own eyes and it was over in a flash, leaving me helpless to rescue the chick.

My mother said, “All hatchlings do not survive. The eagle is a bird of prey and is at the top of food chain because of the large size and ability to fly.” My anger subsided to some extent after listening to my mother. After 30 years, no hate for eagles is left in me. But my childhood avian friend is missing in action.

The eagles left my village long ago as their habitat was snatched for “development”. Left with no alternative, they migrated to urban centres, disappearing from the rural landscape.

Thus my village has become poorer in biodiversity.

Ela Das

Women sculptors have been traditionally overlooked, especially in outdoor works. All the more reason to visit Bharti Kher and Suhasini Kejriwal’s new show in England

1 of 4 Large, bold, public (Clockwise from below) Bharti Kher’s Alchemies installation at Yorkshire Sculpture Park; the artist; Suhasini Kejriwal’s Garden of Un-Earthly Delights; and Kher’s The Intermediary Family. (Courtesy Yorkshire Sculpture Park)

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Bharti Kher has always felt different. Born in London in 1969, she grew up as a person of Indian origin in an English suburb, which instilled in her a sense of otherness — an experience that shapes her diverse practice today as a contemporary artist. “Which Bharti would I have been in America?” she ponders. Her desire to know how it feels to be “something, someone or somewhere else” is endless. Central to her work is the idea of having multiple versions of oneself, and that of a universal consciousness.

This is reflected in her survey show — part retrospective, part new commission — at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP). Titled Alchemies, the exhibition of sculpture and 2D work (created between 2000 and 2024) features themes of diversity, mythology, identity and gender. Like Ancestor, the 18-foot-tall painted bronze mother figure, with 23 heads emerging from her body. Commissioned for the southeast entrance of New York’s Central Park, the 2022 creation, “a mythical female force that pays homage to the generations before and after me’’, has crossed the ocean to take pride of place at the West Yorkshire art gallery.

In a light-filled space is a powerful group of hybrid figures — part women, part animals, part goddesses. Many are cast from real bodies of women known to Kher. “Each being is a mythical urban goddess, who is part truth and part fiction, part me and part you,” she says. Elsewhere, there’s also Virus, the monochromatic spiral of large bindis that Kher has been making, one a year, since 2010. Set to complete in 2039, the version she has made for YSP is bright yellow.

Statements in bronze

The show, in collaboration with Bengaluru-based NGO RMZ Foundation, also features Kolkata-based artist Suhasini Kejriwal. According to Anu Menda, managing trustee of RMZ, the exhibition aims to bridge cultural divides and promote female artists. “In a rapidly evolving world, international collaborations are more vital than ever. By sharing unique artistic practices and viewpoints, stereotypes are challenged, commonalities are discovered, and new perspectives gained,” she says.

While Kejriwal’s pieces seem more delicate in comparison to Kher’s, they too challenge the viewer. Garden of Un-Earthly Delights explores the divide between humans and nature. “It is a physical embodiment of an imaginary landscape — my experience in my garden surrounded by plants and birdsong,” she says, of the works that underline the evolution of her practice with totemic sculpture. “It is playful and surreal, and references the work of Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch.” For instance, an anthropomorphised plant-human hybrid with eye pods, brightly coloured body parts and foliage, depicts an unfamiliar combination of familiar things. It is part of a collection of bronze sculptures that reflect upon “the gap between the real and the imaginary, the everyday and the fantastic, and the familiar and the unfamiliar that is constantly being negotiated in our own perception”.

In the gardens also stand four giant bronze works from Kher’s Intermediaries series. What began as small golu dolls grew in size over the years, and explored different materials. “These figurines, traditionally displayed in homes during Navratri, pay homage to generational family connections, encompassing everyday people, animals, food and deities,” says the artist who lives between Delhi and London. She amassed the figurines over several years before shipping them to her Delhi studio in 2016, where many arrived broken. Through meticulous repair and reassembly, Kher created unexpected, hybrid combinations, stripping the objects of their original associations and purposes — liberating them to embody new possibilities and meanings. “These fluid beings embody an intermediate state, capturing the potential for people, animals or objects to transcend the constraints of reality and become something entirely new.”

Amplifying diversity

In sculpture, women have been traditionally overlooked, especially in outdoor, public works. Menda believes the works of Kher and Kejriwal are a good vehicle to amplify exceptional talent and more diverse representation.

“The growth of Indian art is creating an impact on the global art industry. By actively supporting artists, the foundation aims to bridge global contemporary art with India’s cultural context, promoting artistic diversity and gender equality,” she says. “By celebrating artists like Bharti and Suhasini, the foundation hopes to inspire younger, emerging women artists, who can see a more inclusive and equitable space for themselves.”

The writer and creative consultant is based in Mumbai.

Lesson in a quince apple

Wisdom according to Phuphee could be knowing when to add fruit to a meat dish, or how to let your kids pursue their dreams

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One day, a dispute of an odd nature reached Phuphee. She was in the kitchen standing over a bubbling pot of bumtchoont ti maaz (quince apples and meat). It was a balmy August afternoon and she had come in from the orchards with a basket full of golden quinces. They had been washed, cored and sliced into wedges, before she had fried them and set them aside. When the meat was halfway done, she had added the bumtchoont and let the flavours mingle.

The steam from the pot had clouded her glasses, but even without looking out of the window, she instructed one of the helpers to make some kahwa in preparation for guests. I looked out of the window trying to figure out who the three people walking towards the house were, when she nudged me with her chonche (a chunky wooden spoon) and said, ‘The important thing to remember about bumtchoont ti maaz is that you must wait till the meat is halfway done before adding the fried fruit. If you add it any sooner, it will be a lumpy mess.’

She instructed one of the other helpers to take the dish off the daan in 20 minutes, and to serve it to the guests for lunch.

‘How do you know they will stay for lunch?’ I asked.

‘Arguing with your children is hard work,’ she replied with a wink. I had no idea what she was going on about.

‘Come and sit with me and learn.’ She held my hand and led the way.

The family of three — father, mother and their daughter — were waiting in Phuphee’s room and drinking hot cups of kahwa.

After greeting them and asking after their health, Phuphee asked what she could do to help?

The gentleman teared up and narrated his tale of woe. They were from a higher caste family and had planned to send their daughter to university to study science, and become a teacher or a professor. But she had refused and instead asked if she could go to the fashion college in Srinagar. His voice had become exponentially loud at this point.

‘Tell me sister, have you heard of anything more ludicrous? A girl from our family going to some college to study to be a tailor?’ he roared. ‘Someone has cast an evil spell on her and I have come here so you can help us remove this evil from her brain.’

Phuphee nodded sympathetically. Up until this point, the girl’s mother had not uttered a peep. Phuphee turned to her and asked what she thought about her daughter’s request. The gentleman interrupted, ‘She thinks the same…,’ but Phuphee raised her hand to signal that he had had his time.

‘Dapp sa [tell me],’ she told the woman.

‘We have another child, an older boy. His father wanted him to become a doctor, but he wanted to be a lawyer. His choice was respected. He studies abroad because that is what he wishes. When he told us of his decision, no one thought he was possessed or under a spell. I know what my daughter is proposing is a little unusual, but it is neither beneath nor above anything. I have seen her designs and I believe she has talent. I know she will work hard. The only reason people think it is acceptable to throttle her aspirations is because she is a girl,’ the woman said, a little out of breath.

Everyone, including the daughter, was left stunned. The room was silent.

‘I think it is time for lunch,’ Phuphee said, splintering the quiet.

The food was brought in and eaten in silence. Only Phuphee spoke towards the end of the meal. ‘Knowing that bumtchoont ti maaz go together is knowledge, but adding the bumtchoont at the right time during the cooking process is wisdom.’

Once done, she invited the gentleman to have a smoke with her. They went out to the verandah where they smoked and spoke in hushed voices. When they came back, Phuphee wished them all well and told the young girl she wished her good luck at fashion college.

Later in the evening, I asked Phuphee what spell she had cast on the gentleman to make him agree to his daughter studying fashion.

‘I reminded him of the time he had come to see Aapa [Phuphee’s grandmother] when his father had opposed his wish to marry the woman who is now his wife because she was from a different caste. And how he had been prepared to run away and leave his family for the sake of the one he loved. I asked him to remember how that felt. That was it,’ she replied.

I was stunned. What, no magic? No spells? She had changed his mind simply by speaking to him?

‘Yes,’ she said. ‘Sometimes people become buried under the weight of the world telling them what life ought to be like. You just have to dig deep enough to find the beating heart under all that rubble. That’s all.’

Saba Mahjoor, a Kashmiri living in England, spends her scant free time contemplating life’s vagaries.

SM/SM

- Decoding Chandayan’s relevance

- Meet the friendly neighbourhood vax advocates

- Why I didn’t write about it

- green Humour

Decoding

Ritika Kochhar

The romance of Lorik and Chanda also highlights the changing socio-political landscape, says translator Richard Cohen

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4 of 7 Rightfully in the spotlight Paintings from the book; Naman Ahuja; and Richard Cohen with Chandayan. (Special arrangement)

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In the 1,000 years that constituted the Dark Ages in Europe (500-1500 CE), India enjoyed a period that produced some of the most beautiful temples, sculptures, literature, and religious syncretism in the world. Chandayan (The Story of Chanda) is an epic that rose from folklore during this period — a little after Italian poet-philosopher Dante Alighieri penned his Divine Comedy.

One of India’s earliest Sufi premakhyans composed in Hindavi (an old Hindi dialect of Jaunpuri Avadhi, linked to Ayodhya) by poet Maulana Da’ud in 1379, it is little known today, outside of the scholarly community. Once recited at silsilas held at the dargahs of Chistiyan Sufi saints, only five copies of its early illustrated manuscripts (and two unillustrated ones) — a racy yarn that recounts the romance of Lorik and Chanda — survive from the 15th and 16th centuries.

Earlier this year, The Marg Foundation brought out an English translation and linguistic analysis of the epic by U.S.-based philologist and academic Richard Cohen, along with 530 known paintings based on it. Titled Chandayan, after the original, it is supplemented by essays by art historians such as Vivek Gupta, Qamar Adamjee, who did her Ph.D on Chandayan’s illustrated manuscripts, and Naman Ahuja, general editor of art magazine Marg, on the literary traditions and art prevalent at the time.

“I can think of three reasons why the Chandayan is important today,” Cohen says, when I state that the epic should have been as well-known as Divine Comedy. “First, it was written at a time when the politics of caste and religion were not drawn so starkly... [and] the felt boundaries were negotiated more peacefully than they are today. Thus, there are lessons to be learned when considering the social, political, and cultural context of Da’ud’s times in contrast to today. Secondly, it heralds the rising importance of regional dialects for literature. Language use, on many levels, is an indicator of social and political change. Thirdly, it demonstrates how important the interconnection is between literature and other forms of art, in this case, painting.”

Power of the vernacular

Like the Ramayana, which traditionally had three names, Chandayan was known by various names, such as the Loriki, Chanaini, and Lorikayan. Lorik is considered a great ancestor of the pastoral Ahir caste, and a folkloric dance-drama under the name Lorik-Chanda is performed even today. There are versions of the story in Bhojpuri, Mirzapuri, Maithili, Chhattisgarhi, Santhali and Bhagalpuri dialects.

In the Tughlaq period, Da’ud translated the story into 52 episodes in Avadhi. The first to be written in the Perso-Arabic script, Chandayan is a tool to understand the evolution of Hindi and the assimilation of the Persian script into Hindustan. “With the rise of the use of vernaculars, we are witnessing important social changes that indicate the political rise of certain regions, such as Avadh, the deployment of the local dialect, and its acceptance as a vehicle for formally composed literature, as compared to strictly oral literature,” Cohen asserts. “It appears to me and other scholars that as the Tughlaq control over its territories weakened in the second half of the 14th century, regional dialects and their politics, such as that of Avadhi, began to assert their own socio-political influence. Such is the case of Chandayan.”

Since the manuscripts have Persian headers along with the verses, plus illustrations, they were also used to teach people Avadhi. The paintings provided an entry point into the flow of the text and its direction, even if the reader was unfamiliar with the language.

Matching the text and paintings

Gathering all the known paintings of the various versions of Chandayan was difficult. Cohen, Ahuja and Adamjee had each worked separately on the painted folios for decades. Ahuja began to photograph them in the 90s; many of his originals were shot on 35mm slides and had to be replaced. Adamjee collected paintings for her Ph.D. While Cohen tracked down the existing folios over two decades (between 2002 and 2020), all executed in distinct styles of painting.

The first, painted in the Chaurapanchasika miniature style, is shared between the Lahore and Chandigarh museums. Six folios of a Jain style lie in Varanasi’s Bhartiya Kala Bhavan. Another with a similar palette and style is at Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin. Sixty-eight folios in the Mandu style were discovered in Bhopal in 1957, most of which are now at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya. And 318 folios in a similar style are at John Rylands Research Institute and Library in Manchester.

It was the U.K. version that first sparked Cohen’s interest in the late 90s. His work till then had been around Indian manuscripts inscribed in Devanagari; a photocopy of a microfilm from the Manchester manuscript got him fascinated with an Islamic manuscript and nastaliq (calligraphy used to write the Perso-Arabic script).

As Cohen explains, art historians and philologists who focus on language and text, like himself, rarely work together. So, Chandayan is a rare tome in which art and textual history come together. He used digitised images to identify the paintings and read the text, so that he could match them to individual cantos and sequence them in the correct order. This also allowed him to link the many similar-looking illustrations more accurately with the precise location in the text they should be placed in.

“The story, pictures, script, and history of Chandayan’s proliferation tell us a very different version of the place that religion occupied in the lives of people,” adds Ahuja. “It shows us the lives of Hindus who were not Brahmins. Its language and calligraphy tell us about how Persian writers and speakers, who were coming to Hindustan, wanted to learn the culture and language of India. It reveals a version of Sufism that assimilated people who worshipped at temples. Its very presumption is not of a syncretic society [of two distinct communities: Hindus and Muslims], but of a pluralistic one with many diverse castes and communities within each religious group that intersect with each other in ways that lay bare their interdependence in making up the culture of this land. It certainly bears retelling in today’s climate.”

The writer is an expert on South Asian art and culture.

Meet the neighbourhood vax advocates

Swapna Majumdar

How an initiative involving transgender persons has helped improve children’s immunisation in a Navi Mumbai slum while also empowering the community

1 of 3 Badge of honour (Clockwise from far left) Transgender field coordinators Megha, Tulsi and Simran on their daily rounds in Mumbra-Kausa. (Swapna Majumdar)

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At 11 a.m., the sun is beating down in the densely populated urban slum tenements of Mumbra in Thane, Maharashtra. But Amrien Khan is unfazed by the heat. She walks purposefully down the narrow alleys, nodding her head as she is greeted by her neighbours. She rechecks the name displayed on the tablet in her hand and turns towards a partially constructed building.

After walking up two floors, she stops in front of a room and calls out: “Salam Alaikum! The last time I came, it was to bless your newborn. I sang and performed for donations from you. Now, I have come to remind you that your baby is due for her next dose of immunisation.” Immediately, the door opens and Khan is welcomed inside.

It is not just this door that the 30-year-old has helped to open. In a unique initiative, the transgender community has been engaged to improve routine immunisation among the children of Mumbra-Kausa. With a population of 3.68 lakh, the neighbourhood of Mumbra-Kausa, comprising predominantly migrant minority communities, is the biggest contributor to zero-dose (children who have not received a first dose of diphtheria-tetanus pertussis, or DPT1, vaccine) and under-immunised children under the purview of the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC).

Now this is changing, thanks to Sakhee, the two-year pilot project designed and implemented by ZMQ Development, a not-for-profit, with support from GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance. Transgender persons employed and trained by ZMQ have facilitated the immunisation of 733 children identified as zero-dose or missed dose since the project began in April 2023.

Win-win for all

Just as this achievement has been life-saving for children, it has also been transformative for the transgender community. Being a part of Sakhee has boosted their confidence and provided them with a livelihood of dignity. Learning to use a mobile-based application to map and track children who have fallen off the immunisation radar has given them a new purpose in life.

For Simran, it is a chance to begin anew. Losing a leg in an accident had led to depression, an uncertain future, and financial anxiety. Although she managed to source a prosthetic limb, it was Sakhee that helped her regain confidence in her abilities. “I never got this kind of platform before to do something for the community. I’m saving lives by raising awareness through behaviour change stories on the app on each of the nine vaccines critical for children. The badge I wear around my neck has given me a new identity and respect,” she says.

For decades, the transgender community has been an integral part of the lives of the families living in Mumbra-Kausa, celebrating births, marriages and other milestones with them. ZMQ saw them as natural allies in their initiative to save lives and channelised the strength of their informant network. “As they already have access to these families, we knew they could be the bridge between them and the government health system. Since ZMQ uses technology and storytelling to share information and address hesitancy and myths about vaccines, transgender persons, with their talents in communication and performing arts, were the perfect choice for the intervention,” says Hilmi Quraishi, co-founder and chief mentor, ZMQ.

Drumming up support

In the Azad Nagar locality of Kausa, a large crowd gathers on hearing the drums typically played by transgender persons. While some men, women and children are standing on their rooftops to get a better view, others are sitting on the staircases in front of their small two-floor tenement. With a colourful tent displaying banners on immunisation and a TV monitor showing audiovisual digital stories as the backdrop, Khan leads the dancing and singing, with Tulsi, Megha, Nazo and Simran joining the performance.

All five transgender persons are part of the ZMQ field team, and come together on occasions to drum up support for the cause. Having been trained on awareness messages, they script their own stories around vaccination and sing about its benefits. Rafiya, 26, is among the crowd, transfixed by the twirling performers. Hers was one of the many cases handed over to ZMQ by the TMC after frontline health workers failed to convince the families to get their children immunised. Concerted follow-ups by the ZMQ team helped to turn around Rafiya’s case and 115 more such families over the past year.

The TMC acknowledges their contribution. “Migrants keep moving, so a follow-up is difficult. Many don’t listen to us,” says Nagma, second medical officer at Mumbra Primary Health Centre. “ZMQ’s involvement of the transgender community and their innovative communications have filled this gap. It has been a successful partnership for us.”

The independent journalist writes on development and gender.

Readers know I’ve written about every celebrity wedding I’ve attended

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It started in January. That’s when people started asking me: aren’t you going to write about the Ambani wedding? By March it had become: when are you going to write about the Ambani wedding? By June, it was: why are you not writing about the Ambani wedding? And on July 10, I received a petition signed by 700 former judges, 800 ex-IAS officers and 900 retired celebrities beseeching me to write on the Ambani wedding. I still wasn’t going to.

But two days later, I got a call from a senior PR executive offering me ₹3,600 for doing a column on how such weddings has saved the Indian economy. My father and mother urged me to take it, as it’s a lot of money. With inflation being what it is, it would have comfortably covered our monthly bill for milk and kariveppilai-kothamalli.

But I declined the offer. I’ll explain why. First of all, it’s about over-saturation. Regular readers of this column would know I’ve written about every celebrity wedding I’ve attended, except my own. I’ve done a column on how Virushka honoured me at their wedding celebrations in Tuscany, about how I served dhoklas at Isha Ambani’s wedding, and how I danced with PriyanJonas at their sangeet ceremony. I’ve done it all. Why devote yet another column to yet another celeb wedding and dilute the gravitas of my personal brand?

Second, it’s a matter of personal ethics. Someone informed me that another PR firm had offered an Instagram ‘content creator’ ₹3.6 lakh for the same deal. Though she had rejected it, the offer was now public knowledge, and it would have been unethical of me to ruin the market for Ambani shills by agreeing to serve as one at one-hundredth the market rate.

Third, it’s about audience trust. At a time when public faith in the media is at an all-time high, thanks to the Modi government’s robust commitment to free speech, it would be irresponsible on my part to betray that trust by writing something in return for a material consideration. If I have any journalistic integrity, I should do it without taking their money. After all, it is indisputable that the planet’s grandest wedding has been a wonderful, positive, soul-uplifting phenomenon, from whichever perspective you look at it.

Meagre spending

From a macroeconomic perspective, the wedding, along with the six-months of pre-wedding, has been a godsend. According to data released by the NEET Aayog, the wedding celebrations have single-handedly boosted national consumption by 72% which, in turn, increased our GDP growth rate by 4.38%, adjusted for inflation. According to government-approved data, the unending festivities created employment opportunities (in India and abroad) for hundreds of thousands of workers, ranging from carpenters, cooks, decorators and electricians, to fashion designers, former prime ministers, actors, singers, and Kardashians.

But not everything can, or should, be viewed in purely material terms, least of all the celebration of the union of two young souls and hearts. In fact, this is the main reason I have no time for petty-minded critics who’ve been obsessing over the money spent on the wedding, calling it ‘vulgar’, ‘ostentatious’ and ‘shameless’ in a country that is the world capital of inequality.

Actually, the truth is the exact opposite. Pound for pound, as they say in boxing parlance, or rupee for rupee of net worth, Boss ka Boss has been miserly. He has spent a meagre 0.05% of his net worth on his son’s wedding, whereas the wedding expenditure incurred by the average Indian father is between 150%-180% of net worth (World Bank data). Therefore, people who are calling it ‘extravagant’ and ‘obscene’ are doing little more than hypocritical virtue-signalling.

If I was worth billions

I asked myself a simple question: if I was worth $123.3 billion, would I have acted differently? Would I have held a single, quiet, media-barred, private ceremony attended only by relatives and family friends, and maybe the company staff in India, and a few close friends who happen to be celebrities, and perhaps a few prime ministers who are business associates, and perhaps some American tycoons who are on my board and in whose boards I am, and perhaps a few influencers that my son adores, and perhaps my wife’s close friends from Bollywood? Maybe. But I would certainly not have invited Giovanni Infantino because I don’t care for Italian infants named after Jio.

The bottom line is that the past six months of wedding festivities have been fantastic for the nation, economically and mentally. I’d have liked to say this without monetary inducements. But now it’s too late.

Rohan Chakravarty

Table of Contents

The Hindu

National

At NITI meet, PM calls for States’ participation

Environmentalists alarmed as Himachal witnesses gradual snowfall-pattern shift

Modi likely to visit Ukraine on August 23, modalities being worked out, say officials

Shoring up

Soldier, Pak. infiltrator killed near LoC in J&K’s Kupwara

Meghalaya groups turn away vehicles from outside State

India-Australia trade pact yielding great results, says envoy

Four, including two govt. officials, held for graft in purchase of scientific equipment

Shah should shed his ego, set up cross-LoC advisory committee to aid J&K: Mufti

Gaganyaan astronaut to travel to ISS in mission with NASA

Pawar responds to Shah’s ‘godfather of corruption’ remark

SC to hear ED plea against bail to Hemant Soren tomorrow

Myanmar PM, Doval discuss stability of border region

14% of Indians signed up on DigiLocker; highest proportion in Delhi, Haryana

India needs more domestic investments now: Congress

JD(U) stakes claim to 11 seats in Jharkhand Assembly polls, gives candidates’ list to Nitish Kumar

Congress divided over Mamata’s walkout: Jairam supports her, Adhir says she is lying

CRPF will have an expanded role in Manipur: Centre

Will scrap Agnipath scheme when ‘we get power’, says Akhilesh

Ministers resorting to threatening remarks in Parliament: Gogoi

To the rescue

Over 2,000 posts vacant in three govt. hospitals in Delhi: Minister

Rajasthan announces quota for Agniveers in State police force

Modi holds meeting with Chief Ministers

Muslim residents of Mewat live in fear of ‘gaurakshaks’

GNLF issues ‘ultimatum’ to form separate Gorkhaland

On the brink

Panel highlights delay in installation of telemetry systems

8 persons killed after car falls into gorge in J&K’s Anantnag

Explain cut in overall taxes on gold, Cong. tells Centre

Maldives uses Indian aircraft for medical evacuations

2 killed as basement of Delhi coaching centre gets flooded

Court to decide on closure of wrestler’s plaint on Sept. 27

SC sets aside order quashing summons to The Wire editors

Butterfly effect

Profile 1

UPSC

Profile 2

Regional

Counselling, skilling aim to wean Mewat youth away from cybercrimes

ATS teams deployed on Kanwar Yatra route in U.P.’s Muzaffarnagar

Not a single seat should go to BJP in Haryana, says Sunita

2 GRP personnel suspended for beating up passengers in Bihar

‘Puducherry CM skipping NITI Aayog meet not political’

Modi, BJP anti-Dalit, against quota for OBCs, says AAP MP

3 killed as residential building collapses in Navi Mumbai

Malwa canal to irrigate 2 lakh acres in southern Punjab: CM

The changing face of workplaces

Hindu faith, Muslim spirit

Edit

Are enough formal jobs being created?

Should India focus on natural farming?

What’s the Budget push for infrastructure?

Science

Kerala breaks free from centralised testing, sequencing

Long-term study finds COVID-19 increases diabetes risk

Butterflies accumulate enough static electricity to attract pollen

Flawed research

Basic reproduction number of Mpox underestimated

Link between kneecap shape and debilitating joint disease

Transition from gliding to powered flight in bats: study

Business

‘No further changes to capital gains tax in medium term’

Banks on infra bond issue spree as inflows into FDs stagnate

ICICI Bank’s June quarter net grows 14.6% to ₹11,059 cr.

State transport corporations should open up to digital ticket buying: redBus CEO

German lens maker Carl Zeiss invests ₹2,500 crore to set up factory in India

PepsiCo India clocks ‘resilient’ topline growth

Govt. aims for GST Council type model in agri marketing

PNB records highest-ever quarterly profit of ₹3,252 cr.

Dr. Reddy’s Q1 revenue rises 14%, net profit declines a tad

SEBI bars Mallya from securities trading

Ola Electric to unveil IPO next week; valuation seen at $4.4 bn

RBI fines Visa ₹24.1 million for unauthorised payment method

Foreign

At least 30 killed in Israeli airstrike on school used by displaced people

Blinken meets Wang, flags China’s actions surrounding Taiwan

Beijing warns Manila of ‘resolute’ response in South China Sea

Pakistan right-wing party steps up protests against power tariff hike

‘Face off’ in Kabul

Hezbollah attack kills 10 in annexed Golan, says Israel

French train networks partially restored ahead of Olympics

Kim calls for ‘people’s paradise’ on 71st anniversary of Korean War

Thousands evacuate season’s biggest wildfire in north California

Italy PM Meloni in China with aim to boost ties and end Ukraine war

Sports

Determined Manu marches into medal round of 10m air pistol

India digs deep to edge out a feisty New Zealand

Satwik-Chirag pair sails through; Lakshya overcomes Cordon

France claims its first Paris Games gold in rugby sevens

Australia’s Titmus wins women’s 400m freestyle gold

Fernandez, first men’s hoopster to compete in six Olympics

IOC apologises for introducing South Korean team as North Korean

THE results

AROUND PARIS

THE INDIA SHOW

INDIANS IN ACTION

GOLDIES

Going For Gold

POSTCARD FROM PARIS

Suryakumar’s India starts off with a thumping victory

Historic Yves du Manoir — living for over a century

SCOREBOARD

Nadal-Alcaraz duo begins in style; Djokovic beats Ebden

Indians soak in the festivities, gear up for Games in style

Tamberi apologises to wife after losing wedding ring

Root digs deep, Smith goes on the rampage

SM

dressed to represent india

10 books for an Olympics deep dive

That’s so Mumbai

An extraordinary life

We are designed to forget

Alina Alam: power of magical thinking

Easy like Sunday morning

Nice choice

Gully rap finds its rhythm

Routine is not boring

Snakes and ladders

The flight of the eagles

Urban goddess meets golu doll

Lesson in a quince apple

SM/SM

Decoding Chandayan’s relevance

Meet the friendly neighbourhood vax advocates

Why I didn’t write about it

green Humour