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Front Page

- Ex-farmer & ex-cop, godman has penchant for good things

- UP trekker falls to death in Rudranath

- Tenth bridge falls in Bihar in 15 days

- Desi chess star, 9, youngest ever to play for England

- Teacher shifted, 133 students also move schools

- City logs cleanest air day in 10 mths

- NEET leak: J’khand principal, deputy fired

- No recent desilting of Yamuna: Delhi govt

- IN THE COURTS

- Naidu calls on PM with long list of demands

- CM sent file on tree felling to LG: Officials

- SEA OF LOVE FOR CHAMPS

- Sonia’s nudge puts Hemant back in Jharkhand saddle

- Isolate, expose states that back terror: Modi to SCO

Ex-farmer & ex-cop, godman has penchant for good things

Preaches Dalit Uplift, Speaks Of Empowerment

Deepak.Lavania@timesofindia.com

Hathras: It's difficult to explain Surajpal Singh. Neither the man nor his ideology. Movie star meets activist would be close. That penchant for spotless white shirts and pants, that urgent call for Dalit upliftment and acceptance. The ’70s sartorial mixing oddly with a don-like fancy to be surrounded by three tiers of bodyguards — clad in pink, brown and black.

But by the time the boy born to Jatav parents in Bahadur Nagari village of Kasganj district sometime in the mid-1960s metamorphosed into Sakar Vishwa Hari Bhole Baba, the legions of followers had no problem understanding what he stood for or preached, latching on to every word he uttered, every senten- ce he spoke to articulate his own unique interpretation of religion and holy scriptures.

The man now at the centre of the stampede in Hathras that has so far taken 121 lives spent his boyhood working in the fields, learning rustic rhythms of the countryside from his father, a small farmer. His mother, a woman of deep faith, introduced him to the world of spirituality, planting in him the seeds of his future transformation.

Bhole Baba understood instinctively the struggles and aspirations of his mostly SC/ ST admirers, using that advantage to position himself as their spiritual guide and saviour. His speeches revolved around social justice and empowerment. It resonated deeply with his congregation.

Created pvt army, P 27

EDIT PAGE: Why Bhole Babas Flourish, P 24

Tragedy doesn’t shake devotees’ faith, P 17

6 arrested, bounty for main suspect, P 17

UP trekker falls to death in Rudranath

Omender Singh, 48, a trekker from Meerut in UP, fell to his death while descending the Rudranath trek in Rudraprayag district on Wednesday. Singh, who was accompanied by his brother-in-law, slipped and fell into a 200m-deep gorge.

P 18

Tenth bridge falls in Bihar in 15 days

A 15-year-old bridge across the Gandaki river in Baniapur block of Saran district collapsed Sunday morning, making it the 10th bridge to fall in north Bihar in the last fortnight. Shoddy construction is believed to have caused this collapse.

P 18

Desi chess star, 9, youngest ever to play for England

London: Bodhana Sivanandan, a nine-year-old British Indian chess prodigy, has become the youngest sports star ever to represent England in an international sport, reports Naomi Canton.

Bodhana, who lives in Harrow, will become the newest and youngest member of England’s women’s team at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest in September. The next youngest team member is Lan Yao, 23. The other players are in their 30s and 40s.

Fide’s July classical rating list ranks Bodhana as the top under-10 girl in the world. On Fide’s blitz list of top 100 girls born after 2003, she is ranked 58th with a 2185 Elo rating, despite being the youngest on the list.

...during lockdown, P 27

Teacher shifted, 133 students also move schools

The transfer order was for Telangana govt schoolteacher J Srinivas, 53, but with him came 133 students who couldn’t bear to be separated from him. Srinivas, who was popular among students at Ponakal in Mancherial district, was moved to Akkapelliguda, 3km away.

He was credited with increasing the strength of the Ponakal primary school from 32 to 250, now half of this strength has moved to the new school, reports Sushil Rao. “It shows the trust the parents have in me... I merely did my duty...” Srinivas said.

FLAP INSIDE

City logs cleanest air day in 10 mths

Delhiites breathed the cleanest air since Sept 11 last year as the city’s average AQI dipped to 61 on Thursday, well within the ‘satisfactory’ range, due to the cleansing action of rain and strong winds.

P 10

NEET leak: J’khand principal, deputy fired

Hazaribag’s Oasis School sacked principal Ehsanul Haque and vice-principal MI Alam Thursday, a week after they were arrested by CBI for their alleged role in NEET paper leak.

P 18

No recent desilting of Yamuna: Delhi govt

Yamuna has not been desilted in “past few years”, though “maintenance work” has been carried out in specific sections that fall in Delhi, the state govt has replied to an RTI query.

P 2

IN THE COURTS

➤ Reasons for SC collegium rejecting recommendations for HC judgeship can’t be made public, Delhi HC rules, says such disclosure will ‘stifle’ selection process

P 14

➤ Indore bench of MP HC grants an extension of 10 days to ASI to submit complete report on survey of Bhojshala in Dhar

P 18

➤ Orissa HC directs state govt to grant 180 days maternity leave to a finance officer, who became a mother through surrogacy

P 18

Naidu calls on PM with long list of demands

Andhra CM N Chandrababu Naidu, who heads TDP, the second-largest member of NDA coalition, met PM Modi and senior members of his cabinet on Thursday. Naidu had a long list of demands for the state: from short-term funds to additional capex support for infra, money for capital city Amaravati and a new oil refinery, reports Sidhartha.

Seeking “financial handholding” from the Centre, Naidu suggested some of the announcements be made in the Union Budget.

P 14

EDIT PAGE: Extra Cash Can’t Help Andhra, Bihar

CM sent file on tree felling to LG: Officials

The confusion over permission granted to DDA to fell trees in the southern ridge, paving the way for construction of an approach road in Maidangarhi continues with sources claiming the proposal was moved by Delhi govt’s forest dept and forwarded to LG for his nod by CM Kejriwal, reports Atul Mathur.

“Environment and forest minister Gopal Rai approved the proposal on Jan 23 and forwarded it to the CM. CM endorsed the proposal the very next day and sent the file to LG with a note that latter was bound by ‘aid and advice’...” said a forest dept official. “LG approved the file.”

P 5

A BILLION DREAMS COME HOME

SEA OF LOVE FOR CHAMPS

It’s Crowded At The Top: From Barbados, Storm Arrives In A Cup

The sea looked bluer in Mumbai on Thursday evening. After their delayed departure from Barbados due to a hurricane, Rohit Sharma’s T20 World Cupwinning Team India returned home to a different kind of storm with cricket-crazy Mumbaikars filling the entire stretch from Nariman Point to Wankhede Stadium.

The Men in Blue held the coveted trophy in an open bus convoy as thousands danced, waved the tricolour and flashed smartphone lights. The bus covered the five minute distance in more than one-and-a-half hours as the players savoured the evening of their lives.

The crowd chanted ‘We Love You, Team India’, ‘Team India Zindabad’ 'Mumbaicha Raja, Rohit Sharma’, and more, voicing the ecstasy of seeing the T20 World Cup return to India after 17 years.

Earlier, the team landed in New Delhi on a charter flight and met PM Modi for breakfast. “An excellent meeting with our Champions! Hosted the World Cup winning team... had a memorable conversation on their experiences…,” Modi tweeted.

At Wankhede, BCCI office bearers felicitated the team and presented it with a cheque of Rs 125 crore.

TNN & AGENCIES

FULL COVERAGE: P 25

Sonia’s nudge puts Hemant back in Jharkhand saddle

Hemant Soren takes oath as CM

Dhritiman.Ray@timesofindia.com

Ranchi: Hemant Soren was back in the saddle Thursday for a third stint as Jharkhand CM after an unannounced 5pm swearing-in bereft of ceremony and purportedly hastened by a prod from Congress’s parliamentary chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

The Congress ex-president, whom Hemant called on June 30 after getting bail in the Ranchi land scam case two days earlier, is said to have convinced him to take charge quickly “in the interest of clarity within the JMMled coalition”.

Hemant will seek a floor test during a one-day assembly session scheduled for July 8 and expand his cabinet thereafter, JMM said.

Both Raj Bhavan and the JMM rank and file had been given to understand after stand-in CM Champai Soren’s resignation Wednesday that Hemant would prefer to take the oath of office on July 7.

Soren’s swift moves, P 27

EDIT: Soren Song

Isolate, expose states that back terror: Modi to SCO

New Delhi: PM Modi’s address to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), the security-oriented Eurasian bloc which held its annual summit in Astana on Thurs- day, was replete with messages to Pakistan and China as he sought a decisive response against cross-border terror — calling upon all to shun double standards — and backed connectivity linkages that respect territorial integrity,reports Sachin Parashar.

Without naming Pakistan, the PM called for action to isolate and expose countries that harbour terrorists. Modi did not participate in the summit, but in remarks delivered through EAM S Jaishankar who filled in for him, sought to allay apprehensions about India’s commitment to the group.

Members cooperate, P 27

LAC peace essential: EAM to Chinese FM, P 14

Times Nation

- Why only 2% of colleges in India are autonomous

- Teacher transferred, 133 kids follow him to join new school

- IIIT-Lucknow turns to kathak to keep students stress-free

- Man bites back snake, reptile dies

- Man gyps co, has a lavish wedding

- It’s payback time, TDP chief tells Centre with his wish list

- Redouble pullback efforts, EAM tells China counterpart

- Govt announces Modi’s trips to Russia, Austria

- HC: Reasons for SC collegium rejecting picks can’t be disclosed

- After Hyderabad, C’garh cops bust another Mahadev app racket in Pune

- 2 minor students in police custody for raping 5-yr-old

- Driver assaulted after bus kills stray cattle

- Verdict on Afzal plea against conviction reserved

- Why stampede horror can’t shake their faith in ‘Baba’

- 6 arrested for stampede, cops put `1L bounty on main suspect

- Indore ashram gets notice over kids’ death

- Health centre with just 1 doc & 3 nurses got swamped with injured

- A tragedy & 4 calls later, phone went dead, Baba went missing

- Mason numb with grief after losing mother, wife and teenaged daughter

- Surrogate moms also entitled to maternity leave, says HC

- HC: Repeated tragedies, graft case smearing Gujarat’s image

- MP HC grants ASI 10 more days to submit Bhojshala report

- STAYING AFLOAT

- Rajnath talks to Aus minister for boosting ties in Indo-Pacific

- SC pulls up MP HC for ‘casual approach’, says man be released

- Oasis school sacks principal, deputy held over NEET ‘leak’

- Maha set to clear Rel Infra arm’s `1,700cr Metro debt

- Trekker dies in Rudranath, body retrieved after 12-hr op

- JEE aspirant ends life, 13th student suicide in Kota this year

- Another bridge in Bihar collapses, 10th in a fortnight

- ‘Distributed exams’ can curb paper leaks: Univ body chief

TOI Explains

Why only 2% of colleges in India are autonomous

UGC Keeps Pushing For It, But Complicated Formalities And Reluctance By Univs To Award The Tag Are Big Hurdles Towards Achieving Independence

Preetu Nair & Hemali Chhapia | TNN

Academic autonomy is under threat. At least in some states of India where the public university and colleges under it seem to be on the warpath over freedom. Of the 45,000-plus colleges across India, only about 995 are autonomous.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has been promoting autonomy for decades. But it has been an arduous long walk to self-rule. For one, autonomy is not uniformly spread across the country: states like Jharkhand, Manipur, Rajasthan and Goa have the lowest count of autonomous colleges with the largest pool in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.

Secondly, academic autonomy in its truest sense is still uncommon, even though it is a proven fact that academic autonomy has an impact on performance in higher education. It is supposed to allow colleges to function without undue interference, allowing them to do what they do best: offer courses, alter curricula, innovate in teaching-learning and evaluate smartly. Yet, there are not many takers for it.

Multiple Issues

From political interference and universities unwilling to let go of their powers to a sheer lack of ambition and confidence in going independent, colleges across the country are reluctant or slow to turn autonomous for a variety of reasons. This despite the fact of UGC’s repeated prodding of the states to encourage colleges to embrace independence.

A recent note speaks volumes about what is taking place on the ground. “...Some universities do not allow complete autonomy to the autonomous colleges in the matter of designing syllabus, introduction of new courses, and evolving methods of assessment of students’ performance etc. as per provisions of the regulations. Certain universities ask the colleges to sign a MoU/agreement having terms and conditions against the provisions of the UGC regulations,” it said.

Several principals in Kerala said universities discourage affiliated colleges from becoming autonomous as they “don’t want a high per- forming college to move out from their ambit”. Given limited flexibility, colleges are not permitted to start new programmes or change the existing syllabus by more than 20%. Autonomous institutes are also penalised disproportionately for oversights such as misspelt names in result sheets.

Worse still, despite all instructions having been fulfilled, universities often do not give approval to start new programmes or put colleges through a long-winding process that can take years. Several autonomous colleges have now approached Kerala High Court in order to obtain approval for new programmes. But even after HC’s nod, a college will have to pay high fees for getting the syllabus approved. For example, Mahatma Gandhi University charges Rs 57,890 for UG programmes and Rs 1.2 lakh for approving PG programmes from autonomous colleges.

Students At Receiving End

But it is the students that are the real sufferers in a clash of academic institutions. For instance, an autonomous college in north Kerala started five new undergraduate pro- grammes in 2022, strictly adhering to UGC regulations of 2018 and submitting all necessary documents to the University of Calicut. Students admitted in those programmes have entered their fourth semester. But the university has yet to take any steps to give affiliation to or recognise these programmes. Since these programmes are not included in the university’s database, the college fears that the students admitted to these courses may be denied degree certificates after completing their course.

Worse still, as the college doesn’t have the university’s certificate of affiliation for the five new programmes, NAAC has now sought a clarification from the college in this matter.

Such examples point to the difficulties inherent in negotiating an autonomous path for colleges. Given the disconnect between university education and the jobs market, innovative courses through industry and sectoral linkages are clearly the need of the day. However, with state-run universities unwilling to ease up on their jurisdictional powers, the process of reform is likely to remain slow.

WHAT HAMPERS AUTONOMY HOPES

DISCRIMINATION

Though autonomous colleges conduct exams, the degree certificate is awarded by the university. While results of examinations are published and intimated to the universities, there is a delay in issuing provisional and original degree certificates to autonomous colleges, which are penalised for minor mistakes, too. For instance, the university can impose a fine of upto Rs 6,000 if a student’s name is misspelt by a college while the mistake is corrected only after much back and forth. Non-autonomous colleges are fined Rs 50 and the mistake is immediately corrected.

EXTRA WORK

The faculty of an autonomous college is expected to attend the university’s evaluation camps. In case they don’t, an explanation is sought. “Our teachers are also asked to do double duty,” a college in Thrissur district wrote to UGC. It said they have to evaluate papers for the college, and also of university students studying in affiliated colleges that are not autonomous.

CIRCUITOUS PROCESSES

Proposal by an autonomous college for a new course that is not offered by the university has to be first presented to the college’s board of studies, which has a university nominee. Then, it is presented before its academic council, which has three university nominees. For final approval, it is presented before the college’s governing body, which has a university nominee and a state govt nominee. Yet, when the revised syllabus is forwarded to the university, there is a reluctance to clear it. One reason being that there is often no university board of studies that can study the proposal, thus leaving the college in limbo.

ADDITIONAL COSTS

A university charges a one time affiliation fee/annual affiliation for existing programmes. But Calicut University charges higher fees for self-financing courses. While the fees for self financing courses introduced by autonomous colleges is Rs 1.2 lakh, for govt-aided programmes it is Rs 33,090.

Teacher transferred, 133 kids follow him to join new school

J Srinivas boosted the strength of the school from 32 to 250 in last 12 years

Sushil.Rao@timesofindia.com

Hyderabad: The most telling of Teachers’ Day tributes poured in two months early for a Telangana teacher when over half of the 250-odd students at his govt school shifted in droves to another school to which he had been transferred recently.

Such outpourings around JSrinivas (53) of the govt primary school at Ponakal village in Mancherial district’s Jannaram are a break from past agitations in which students locked up school gates when one of their favourite teachers was transferred.

“It is a rare thing. Students get attached to their teachers and feel emotional when they leave. However, students leaving to join the school where their teacher has been posted is unheard of,” district education officer S Yadaiah said.

In Ponakal, there was initially a surge of emotions with many of Srinivas’s students in tears when they heard of his transfer. He pleaded helplessness and, as a stickler for rules, insisted he had no option as an “order was an order”.

But few in the school expected what happened next. The students told their parents about Srinivas’ transfer and decided to go along with their teacher to his new govt school at Akkapelliguda.

Srinivas was transferred on July 1 and in the next two days, the parents of 133 of its 250-odd students (from Class 1to 5) got their wards transferred to his new school posting — 3km away.

Srinivas himself appeared to play down the icon-like adoration for him. “It shows the trust the parents have in me. I merely did my duty of teaching their children to the best of my abilities. They loved my teaching. Since govt schools now have better facilities, I would urge parents to make use of them,” Srinivas said.

Locals recalled Srinivas’s contributions over the past 12 years, especially his role in boosting the strength of the school from 32 to 250 through his efforts and motivation.

IIIT-Lucknow turns to kathak to keep students stress-free

D ANCE TO HEAL: Anshima Chaudhari

Mohita.Tewari@timesofindia.com

Lucknow:For the first time in the country, one of the leading engineering institutes, the Indian Institute of Information and Technology, Lucknow (IIIT-L), deputed a highly qualified kathak teacher to help students stay stress-free.

According to the institute’s director, the dance classes, which were initially thought of as an experiment, have received quite a response from students, many of whom have become regulars at these sessions.

IIITs, which are counted among the nation’s premier institutions after IITs, are known for their interdisciplinary tech-based engineering programmes targeted at information technology.

“There are several studies that prove music and dance are mental healers. We want our students to be mentally and physically fit. Kathak is often termed a form of meditation that helps release stress and promotes relaxation,” Arun Mohan Sherry, director of IIIT-L, said.

Sherry says he wanted a dance teacher who understood the minds of budding engineers. “We recruited Anshima Chaudhari, who did BTech in biotechnology, before learning kathak from Bhatkhande Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya (Lucknow). She is currently pursuing PhD in kathak,” he said.

A junior research fellow, Chaudhari did research on “the role of kathak dance in healing mental health”. She holds kathak classes for two hours in the evening at IIIT-L, once students are done with their classes.

“Initially, engineering boys were reluctant but, now, in every class, around 15 boys and 40 girls turn up. Engineering students, including boys, perform thumri on Albela Sajan, Yog Natyam, Stuti, and whatnot,” Anshima says.

“Rhythmic footsteps, meaningful hand gestures (mudra), and emotional facial expressions (bhav) create a profound harmony between mind and body. Kathak, with its subtle movements, helps students learn patience, increases focus, and brings mental clarity,” she says.

Top IITs hold mental wellness and stress management workshops for students from time to time. Also, sports and unique stress-buster activities are planned to promote the m ental health of students. For example, IIT-Bombay recently launched “Recharge Zone”, a unique stress relief initiative where students can take up foot spa, art, yoga, and other activities to manage stress during placements.

Man bites back snake, reptile dies

A railway employee in Bihar’s Nawada who found himself in a life-and-death struggle with a snake bit back the reptile in a fightback that left it dead, driven apparently by a belief steeped in local folklore that doing so would reverse the venom’s effect, reports SB Sinha. The unusual turn of events unfolded Tuesday when Santosh Lohar and his colleagues were settling down for sleep after laying tracks in the forested patch.

Man gyps co, has a lavish wedding

A 32-year-old who allegedly cheated his Mumbai-based company of Rs 10.6 crore used the funds for a lavish wedding and honeymoon, and much more, including paying back betting debts, a chargesheet filed by the police states, reports Ahmed Ali. Raj Mukesh Ganatra had taken 42 loans between 2014 and 2022, of which he repaid 31 using the looted funds. He also invested Rs 15 lakh in shares and MFs.

It’s payback time, TDP chief tells Centre with his wish list

Asks For Short-Term Funds, Addl Capex Support, Refinery...

The Naidu-Modi meeting was ‘very positive’, AP govt sources said

Sidhartha@timesofindia.com

New Delhi: Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu, who heads TDP, the second largest member of NDA, came calling to the Capital Thursday with a long wish list — from short-term funds to additional capex support for infrastructure, money for the capital city of Amaravati and a new oil refinery — suggesting that some of the announcements be made in the Union Budget.

Sources in AP govt described the meeting between PM Modi and Naidu as “very positive” but refrained from stating whether there was any demand for a package. “The CM highlighted how Andhra is grappling with the repercussions of the unfair and unjust bifurcation of 2014. Additionally, the miserable governance of the previous administration marked by malice, corruption and misgovernance has dealt a more deleterious blow to the state than the bifurca- tion,” the sources said.

During his meet with the PM, Naidu sought Centre’s “financial handholding” to tide over the crisis and focus on investments in specific projects and backward regions. He argued that there was “no other way to face such a challenge”.

The list of items for which Naidu has sought the Centre’s “cooperation” runs into several pages — covering short-term assistance as well as an additional allocation under the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital In- vestment, meant to build core infrastructure.

Besides, project-specific support to build the govt complex and trunk infrastructure in Amaravati, chosen by Naidu to be the capital, the Polavaram irrigation project and development of Duggirajupatnam port also figure in the list.

Naidu also met home minister Amit Shah, road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari, commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal, oil minister Hardeep Puri, power minister Mano- har Lal, agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and 16th Finance Commission chairman Arvind Panagariya and had specific demands from each of them.

For instance, when he met Puri, he demanded that state run BPCL set up an oil refinery in the state, and suggested that an announcement by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman would “augur well” for increasing the refinery capacity in the country. During his meeting with Shah, Naidu flagged division of assets with Telangana as an issue, along with bifurcation of several institutions and are solution of financial issues between APGENCO, the power generation company, and Telangana power discoms.

Similarly, Naidu suggested to Manohar Lal that Vizag Kakinada should be promoted as a green hydrogen hub and sought Gadkari’s help for road projects. In his meeting with Goyal, he sought grants for building infrastructure in four industrial nodes.

Redouble pullback efforts, EAM tells China counterpart

LAC Must Be Respected, Beijing Told

Jaishankar met Wang on the margins of the SCO summit in Astana on Thursday

Sachin.Parashar@timesofindia.com

New Delhi: Foreign minister S Jaishankar in a meeting with his counterpart Wang Yi called for redoubling military and diplomatic efforts to achieve complete disengagement in the remaining areas of eastern Ladakh, as India and China agreed that prolongation of the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side.

Jaishankar told Wang that respecting LAC and restoring border peace and tranquillity is essential for removing obstacles to normalising the Sino-Indian bilateral relationship, which PM Narendra Modi recently described as important for the entire region and the world.

Jaishankar met Wang on the margins of the SCO summit in Astana on Thursday.

In line with China’s position that progress in bilateral ties is not stymied by the border issue, Wang sought “positive thinking” in the form of efforts on the one hand to manage the situation in the border areas and, on the other, to “actively resume” normal exchanges on the other. This never sat well with India’s position that there can’t be normalcy till the time disengagement is fully completed in eastern Ladakh.

India and China have achieved disengagement at four points in the western sector, since the ongoing standoff erupted in May 2020, but the same has remained elusive in Depsang and Demchok areas even after 21 rounds of military and 15 rounds of diplomatic talks.

During the “in-depth” exchange of views for early resolution and rebuilding of ties, Jaishankar reaffirmed the importance of fully abiding by relevant bilateral agreements, protocols and understandings reached between the two govts in the past. India and China agreed to step up meetings to address the remaining issues. Another round of diplomatic talks is expected soon, the Indian side said in its readout.

Jaishankar reiterated India’s position that mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest — the three mutuals — will guide bilateral ties.

Before Modi opted out, the SCO summit was seen as the first opportunity for both sides to consider a meeting between him and President Xi Jinping, who have not had a formal bilateral meeting since 2019. The leadersare expected to come face to face only in Oct at the Brics summit in Russia. Jaishankar also told Wang that India will support China’s upcoming presidencyof SCO.

After an 18-month hiatus, longest since restoration of ambassadorial relations in 1976, China appointed a new ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, in May this year. . According to a Chinese readout, Jaishankar told Wang that India follows an independent foreign policy, the concept of multilateralism, and will safeguard the common interests of developingcountries.

Govt announces Modi’s trips to Russia, Austria

New Delhi: Govt officially announced PM Modi’s visit to Russia and also Austria Thursday, saying he will be in Moscow on July 8 & 9 for the 22nd India-Russia annual summit in what will be his first visit to the country in five years. Modi and President Vladimir Putin will review the entire range of multifaceted relations between the two countries, a release said.

Modi will, thereafter, travel to Austria for what will be the first visit by an Indian PM to Austria in 41 years. Modi will call on Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen and hold talks with Chancellor Karl Nehammer. TNN

HC: Reasons for SC collegium rejecting picks can’t be disclosed

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: The reasons for the SC collegium rejecting recommendations for HC judgeship cannot be made public, Delhi HC has ruled, underlining that such disclosure will be detrimental to candidates and “stifle” the appointment process.

A bench of acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, while dismissing a plea seeking a direction to the SC collegium to publish the reasons for rejecting certain names recommended by HC collegiums, said the law regarding appointment of judges to SC and high courts is well settled, and the top court has repeatedly drawn a distinction between eligibility and suitability of a candidate.

“…the appointment of a judge to HC or SC is an integrated, consultative and non-adversarial process which cannot be challenged in a court of law except on the ground of want of consultation with the named constitutional functionaries or lack of any condition of eligibility in the case of an appointment, or of a transfer being made without the recommendation of the CJI ,” the bench said in a recent ruling.

“Further, publication of reasons for rejection will be detrimental to the interests and standing of people whose names have been recommended by high courts, as (SC) collegium deliberates and decides on the basis of information which is private to the individual being considered. Such information, if made public, will have the effect of stifling the appointment process,” it further said.

The petitioner had sought directions to the SC collegium to provide the “qualification” considered for appointment as an HC judge.

After Hyderabad, C’garh cops bust another Mahadev app racket in Pune

Just three days after busting a Mahadev App module in Hyderabad, Chhattisgarh Police have shut down another in Pune with the arrest of five persons, reports Rashmi Drolia. Phones seized during the raid have details of transactions of crores of rupees, said police.

2 minor students in police custody for raping 5-yr-old

Police on Thursday took into custody 2 students, aged 12 and 13, of a private school in Nawada district for allegedly raping a 5-year-old UKG student of the same school. Accused, who study in classes V and VI, were sent to a remand home, reports Kshitiz.

Driver assaulted after bus kills stray cattle

A bus driver was assaulted by locals in Ghati area of Jammu’s Kathua district, after the vehicle hit and killed a stray calf and a bull, reports Sanjay Khajuria. The incident occurred when the bus driver, employed with a factory in the Ghati industrial area and on night duty, was returning to Kathua after dropping the workers. The severely injured driver is admitted to Govt Medical College & Hospital in Kathua. A case was registered.

Verdict on Afzal plea against conviction reserved

Allahabad high court on Thursday reserved its judgment on an appeal filed by Ghazipur MP, Afzal Ansari, challenging his conviction under Gangsters Act and a four-year sentence awarded to him in a case by an MP-MLA court of Ghazipur on April 29, 2023, reports Rajesh Kumar Pandey. Along with this, the court is hearing two other appeals.

Why stampede horror can’t shake their faith in ‘Baba’

Carefully Built Image Endows Him With ‘Supernatural Powers’

The premises of the ‘ashram’ of Surajpal alias ‘Bhole Baba’ in UP’s Kasganj

Anjali Singh | TNN

Noida: Himanshu (18) believes he would not be studying in a university were it not for ‘Bhole Baba’s’ blessings. For Seema, a 33-year-old lawyer from Hathras, Surajpal Singh is ‘not human’, but a ‘messenger of God’. When medicines and doctors failed, ‘holy water’ from one of Narayan Hari Saakar’s satsangs healed Neha — so the homemaker from Surajpur believes.

The July 2 stampede in one of Surajpal Singh aka ‘Bhole Baba’s’ religious gatherings in Hathras killed 121 people, but that hasn’t shaken the faith of his followers — many of whom travelled from faraway cities to attend the event.

The cult of ‘Bhole Baba’ has been built carefully — through a projection of supernatural powers in him, like healing people’s illnesses and reviving the dead, and a simultaneous appeal to inherent humanitarian values, preaching against caste divides and discrimination.

His ominous words — “aaj pralay aaegi” (there will be an apocalypse today) — minutes before the stampede broke out are being seen as a testament to his soothsaying abilities rather than an indictment of lapses in crowd management.

Undergoing treatment for injuries suffered during the melee, Kamlesh Singh of Bulandshahr is wonderstruck at his “intuitiveness”.

“Just before leaving the stage, he held the mic again and said ‘ab mai jaa raha hoon, aaj pralay aaegi’ (I am leaving now, apocalypse will follow). Imagine his intuitiveness — he knew exactly what would happen. And, there was no chaos until he left the venue,” said Kamlesh, a follower for 15 years.

A dust storm had started after the satsang. It could well have been a reference to that.

Himanshu was all of six when his parents took him to listen to one of Singh’s sermons. And since then, he has believed in “just one god”.

“We don’t have photos of any other gods and goddesses at home. We have replaced them with posters of Bhole Baba. For us, there’s just one god,” he told TOI.

Diwali or Holi, no festival at Himanshu’s home is complete without ‘Bhole Baba’. “He is our parmatma. We celebrate Holi, Diwali and all other festivals with him. Today, I am pursuing a BSc in agriculture from a prestigious university — all because of him. If Baba ji is with us, we will overcome all challenges. I don’t know why everybody is blaming him for the accident. Holy places like Kedarnath and Vaishno Devi have seen accidents as well,” he said.

Lawyer Seema, who escap- ed unhurt at the Hathras satsang, has been following ‘baba’ for the past nine years. “My elder sister introduced me to him before she passed away. I started attending his satsangs because my elder sister would do so. For us, baba ji is not a normal human being. He is a messenger of God,” she said.

Neha, a homemaker, believes the entire episode is an attempt to malign ‘baba’. “He is apublic figure. My family and I will always believe in him, come what may. Like people bring Ganga water and sprinkle it around their homes, we bring holy water from his religious events. It has helped my family whenever we have been ill. I don’t believe in anything else, I don’t pray to any other god,” she said.

Avdhesh Maheshwari, who calls himself a sevak, said followers transcend states, communities and sections in the society. “They are everywhere — from UP to southern India, from rich to poor,” he told TOI. “Most of Bhole Baba’s followers are from the lower middle class. Why? That’s because you don’t need to spend any money on his events. He doesn’t accept donations. Like his followers, baba leads a simple life too,” he said.

6 arrested for stampede, cops put `1L bounty on main suspect

Deepak.Lavania@timesofindia.com

Hathras: Six people were arrested on Thursday in connection with the stampede during a sermon by self-proclaimed godman Surajpal Singh, also known as Bhole Baba which resulted in 121 deaths on Tuesday. The arrests occurred after the police announced a Rs 1 lakh bounty on the main suspect, the ‘mukhya sevadar (chief volunteer)’, who was the main organiser of the event. Bhole Baba has not been named in the FIR.

The arrested individuals are Ram Ladete, 50, from Mainpuri; Upendra Singh Yadav, 62, from Firozabad; and Megh Singh, 61, Manju Yadav, 30, Mukesh Kumar, 38, and Manju Devi, 40, all from Hathras. IG of Police (Aligarh Range), Shalabh Mathur, said the investigation is in its preliminary stages and more arrests will follow based on emerging facts. He confirmed that Bhole Baba has not been questioned yet.

Mathur added, “All six worked as ‘sevadars’ at the congregation. We have announced a 1 lakh bounty and issued a non-bailable warrant against Devprakash Madhukar, the main organiser in whose name the event permission was taken. The organisers did not allow the police to intervene, as they handled arrangements themselves. These volunteers managed crowd control, donations, and other logistics.”

Mathur added that no one would be given a clean chit and all aspects, including police negligence and administrative lapses, would be probed by a judicial panel formed by the UP govt. He also said that a conspiracy angle was being explored.

Regarding Bhole Baba, Mathur stated that the probe is ongoing, and anyone found involved will be interrogated, and appropriate action will be taken. For now, Bhole Baba has not been named in the FIR because permission for the satsang was not sought in his name, he added.

Indore ashram gets notice over kids’ death

Three days since Indore administration and police came to know of the deaths of six children at Shri Yugpurush Dham ashram, there is no FIR, and no action has been taken against anybody. Amid clamour for legal action against the ashram, the administration sent ashowcause notice to the ashram on Thursday, asking for a reply in three days on why an FIR should not be filed against them.

TNN

Health centre with just 1 doc & 3 nurses got swamped with injured

Forensic officials collect the personal belongings of Hathras victims

Deepak.Lavania@timesofindia.com

Agra: It was like a normal day at Sikandararau community health centre (CHC) in Hathras district until Tuesday afternoon, but suddenly everything changed, with bodies and injured people arriving in tempos, e-rickshaws, loaders, buses and a few ambulances. First the ward, then the veranda and then the entire field outside the hospital was filled with injured people and corpses.

There were three nurses, a ward boy, a pharmacist and a doctor on duty to treat so many people. To add to the misery, there were just 3 oxygen cylinders. In such a situation, let alone treatment, the doctor could not even check who was alive and who was dead. It was a scary scene, and a nurse fainted on seeing so many corpses.

Dr Manoj Katara said, “I have never seen so many corpses or such a scene. On Tuesday afternoon, 3 nurses, a ward boy, a pharmacist, a sweeper and I were on duty.”

At 2:40 pm, a man arrived with 3 children covered in mud. No family member was with them. “When the police station was informed, the station in-charge said ‘a big incident has happened. Be alert. I am also at the spot’,” said a hospital staff member.

Outside Sikandararau CHC, corpses were scattered all around, with grieving relatives near them. No sheets were there to cover the corpses. “There were no oxygen cylinders and no one was there who could administer drips. We dragged people and brought them here, they were still breathing. We kept waiting for the doctor. Most of the injured died for want of timely treatment,” said Veerpal Yadav, who lost his aunt.

“All the stretchers in the hospital and benches were used to lay down the injured. When there was no space left, the injured and the dead were laid on the ground. Videos that have surfaced show people giving CPR to their loved ones. Some were seen running around in a state of shock, as there was no one to help,” said Sahil Bharti, a local resident.

A tragedy & 4 calls later, phone went dead, Baba went missing

Deepak.Lavania@timesofindia.com

Hathras: A recreation of the sequence of events after the stampede by cops based on call record details has revealed that Surajpal Singh, alias Bhole Baba, left the satsang venue in his convoy around 1.40pm as the stampede broke out on Tuesday. It is now widely believed that the stampede happened when several people rushed to collect soil, referred to as ‘Charan Raj’, which had been walked upon by Bhole Baba in the belief that it will bring them good luck.

According to call records accessed by police, Bhole Baba received a call from his main organiser, Dev Prakash Madhukar, at 2.48pm, likely informing him of the tragedy. Madhukar has been named in the FIR, and is currently absconding.

After the call, Bhole Baba’s phone location was traced to his Mainpuri ashram between 3pm and 4.35pm the same day. During this time, he made several calls to his associates. The first call, lasting 3 minutes, was with Mahesh Chandra, believed to be close to the organising committee. The second call, lasting only 40 seconds, was with a man named Sanju Yadav. The third call, lasting nearly 11 minutes and 30 seconds, was with Dev Prakash’s wife Ranjana. Police sources said that the godman’s mobile phone was switched off after 4.35pm, and its location remains untraceable.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, cops visited the baba’s Mainpuri ashram. When questioned about the purpose of the visit, additional superintendent of police, Mainpuri, Rahul Mithas, said, “We are not here for a probe. We are here to check security.” He added that the godman was not present in the ashram.

Mason numb with grief after losing mother, wife and teenaged daughter

Rahul.Singh1@timesofindia.com

Hathras:It was a tragedy of immense proportions for Vinod Kumar, a mason from Sokhna village in Hathras, who lost his daughter, wife, and mother — all in one stroke — in the stampede that occurred during Surajpal Singh alias Bhole Baba’s satsang in Hathras on Tuesday.

Kumar, who is numb with grief, told TOI: “I was out for work when I got a call from my family members saying that my mother, wife and daughter had gone to attend a satsang, about which I was unaware, where a stampede had broken out. I hired a taxi and rushed to the venue with my three sons, all teenagers. There, we were told that the victims had been taken to hospital, but no one told us which one.”

“We went from hospital to hospital, looking at the faces of dead people, searching for our loved ones but couldn’t find them. Some bodies were sent to Hathras hospital. We went there, and at midnight, we finally found the bodies of my wife, Raj Kumari (42), and daughter, Bhumi (16). They were kept on ice slabs among several other dead women and children lying unattended,” recalled Kumar.

However, Kumar was yet to find his mother, Jaimanti Devi (65). He sat near his wife and daughter’s bodies, staring at them and crying his eyes out before his elder son reminded him to continue the search for their grandmother.

Jaimanti was the main devotee of Bhole Baba and had persuaded the family to worship him. “Had they not gone to the satsang, they would be alive,” Kumar said.

Eventually, Jaimanti’s remains were found at the mortuary in Agra. Three bodies, zipped in black body bags, were brought to the village in a sombre atmosphere.

‘I had her hand in mine. Then the crowd pushed us... found her lifeless body later’

Shreepal Singh, 52, from Arniya village in Bulandshahr, attended the satsang with his two daughters on Tuesday to seek Surajpal Singh, alias Bhole Baba’s, blessings, but a nightmare unfolded in his already dark life, reports Rahul Singh. Shreepal said, “I was holding my daughter’s hand and trying to cross the highway when the crowd pushed us and a bike hit me. I lost my grip and later found her dead under a pile of 12 lifeless bodies. Her last word was an agonised ‘papa’.” Shreepal has been partially blind ever since he met with an accident while working at a chemical factory in Delhi in 2007. He is jobless, doesn’t have a house, and every day is a struggle for the family.

Surrogate moms also entitled to maternity leave, says HC

‘Adoptive Moms Get Leave, Will Be Improper If Surrogate Moms Don’t’

Maternity leave should be granted to employees irrespective of how they become parents, Orissa HC judge SK Panigrahi said

Lalmohan Patnaik TNN

Cuttack: Orissa high court recently directed the state govt to grant 180 days maternity leave to an Orissa Finance Service (OFS) officer who became a mother through surrogacy. Maternity leave should not be dependent on how a person becomes a mother, court said.

The single judge bench of Justice S K Panigrahi ruled, “Maternity leave should be granted to employees who become mothers through surrogacy to ensure treatment and support for all new mothers, irrespective of how they become parents.”

The ruling came on June 25 while the court was considering the petition of OFS officer Supriya Jena, who had filed a petition in 2020. Odisha govt had denied her the leave as she became a mother through surrogacy.

Justice Panigrahi said if the govt could provide mater- nity leave to an adoptive mother, it would be improper to refuse it to a surrogate mother. “Additionally, the initial period after the birth of a child is crucial for the mother’s involvement in caregiving and nurturing, which is pivotal for the child’s development. Accordingly, the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution includes the right to motherhood and also, the right of every child to full development,” he said.

Justice Panigrahi further said: “It is directed to the concerned department of the state to incorporate this aspect in the relevant provisions of the rules to treat a child born out of surrogacy in the similar manner as a child born out of the natural process and provide the commissioning mother with all the benefits provided thereto.”

The court pointed out that providing maternity leave to surrogate mothers ensures they have the necessary time to create a stable and loving environment for their children.

“Additionally, international conventions to which India is a signatory, such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, mandate equal treatment and non-discrimination in matters related to employment and maternity,” Justice Panigrahi added.

TIMES VIEW: The court is right. Surrogacy or adoption doesn’t reduce the time or involvement of a mother in bringing up a child. The state rules need to be synced at the earliest towards that end.

HC: Repeated tragedies, graft case smearing Gujarat’s image

Ahmedabad: While hearing a suo motu PIL on the Rajkot fire tragedy, the Gujarat high court on Thursday expressed concern over image of the state in the aftermath of repeated accidents at public places and reports of massive unaccounted wealth amassed by an accused officer.

A massive fire at TRP Game Zone in Rajkot in May had killed 27 people. When state govt informed the court about action initiated against officials including Rajkot town planning officer MD Sagathiya, the bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice Pranav Trivedi remarked on news of unaccounted wealth that Sagathiya has allegedly amassed.

“This person has been benefited, reports say. Everybody knows how it is done. This state (Gujarat) has a lot of potential. They cannot put this state in this situation for the sake of, and benefit of, a few officers. It is serious if these incidents happen one after the other,” the court said.

On the issue of fire at TRP Game Zone, the HC questioned govt why demolition order for the gaming zone was not executed for nearly a year after Rajkot MC issued the notice in June 2023, and another fire incident that took place in Sept last year.

The HC inquired about the report of SIT and directed the govt to place the report before it along with action taken report by July 25.

The HC has posted further hearing on July 25.

TNN

MP HC grants ASI 10 more days to submit Bhojshala report

Indore: The Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh high court on Thursday granted an extension of 10 days to Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to submit the complete report on the survey of Bhojshala / Kamal Maula mosque complex in Dhar district.

A division bench comprising Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice Duppala Venkata Ramana directed ASI to submit the report by July 15.

ASI had told the court that the survey had been completed in keeping with HC’s March 11 directions. However, it will take time to analyse and interpret the Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) & Geographical Information Systems (GIS) data, it said, and asked for three weeks’ time.

The court felt that considering the quantum of work involved, 10 days may be granted to ASI to submit the complete report. “Let the same be submitted positively on or before July 15, 2024, after supplying a copy to the counsel for petitioners as well as all respondents,” HC directed, and listed the matter for July 22.

On March 11, the court had ordered a ‘multi-disciplinary scientific survey’ of Bhojshala temple-cum-Kamal Maula Mosque to ascertain its “true character, nature and form of the disputed site”.

TNN

STAYING AFLOAT

Villagers carry cattle to safety in Assam’s flood-hit Kamrup district on Thursday. Over 21 lakh people across 29 districts have been affected by the floods and six deaths reported since Wednesday evening. Rising floodwaters from the upper Assam region have now inundated lower Assam districts and towns like Goalpara and Dhubri. On Thursday, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma began a two-day tour to inspect the worst-affected parts of upper Assam as Brahmaputra flowed over the danger mark at several places

Rajnath talks to Aus minister for boosting ties in Indo-Pacific

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: India and Australia on Thursday discussed closer collaboration in the Indo-Pacific region, as part of their expanding strategic ties, during a telephonic talk between defence minister Rajnath Singh and his counterpart Richard Marles.

A range of issues pertaining to bilateral defence cooperation were reviewed, including the need for greater cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, in the backdrop of China’s expansionist muscle-flexing in the region. “We place great value on the India-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership,” Singh said.

The two ministers noted the“transformative progress” in defence cooperation and the momentum achieved in the ties since the last bilateral twoplus-two ministerial dialogue in Nov 2023. Australia has described India as a top-tier security partner in its National Defence Strategy document released earlier this year.

During the dialogue, India and Australia decided to strengthen their overall defence-strategic ties, including cooperation in information exchange, maritime domain awareness and niche areas like AI, cyber, anti-submarine and anti-drone warfare. Marles had then stressed that China was “the biggest security anxiety” for both India and his country, while also being their largest trading partner.

SC pulls up MP HC for ‘casual approach’, says man be released

Bhopal: The Supreme Court has taken exception to the “casual approach” of MP high court in turning down a 70-year-old ailing man’s petition for suspension of sentence, and has ordered his release, subject to conditions the trial court may impose, reports Ashutosh Shukla.

Stating that “stereotype orders are passed by the high courts without any application of mind”, a vacation bench of SC, comprising justices J B Pardiwala and Ujjal Bhuyan, observed: “This litigation could have been easily avoided had HC applied the correct principles of law governing suspension of sentence of fixed terms of imprisonment.”

The petitioner, Bherulal of Mandsaur district, was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment by a trial court for fraud and criminal conspiracy.

The SC bench noted that the petitioner was an ailing 70-year-old with 90% visual impairment. “The law is well settled that if the sentence imposed by the trial court is for a fixed term, then the appellate court should consider the plea for suspension of sentence liberally, unless there are any exceptional circumstances emerging from the record of the case to decline such relief. There is nothing observed by HC in its order as to why the plea for suspension of sentence deserved to be declined,” the bench said.

The judges further said the high court should have realised that the petitioner had already undergone two years of the four-year jail sentence. “He is virtually blind. There is nothing on record to indicate that his release on bail pending appeal would thwart the course of justice,” the SC observed, setting aside the high court order.

Oasis school sacks principal, deputy held over NEET ‘leak’

Vishvendu Jaipuriar & Abhijit Sen TNN

Hazaribag: Oasis School’s managing committee, led by its chairman Shabbir Ahmad, removed principal Ehsanul Haque and vice-principal Mohmamad Imtiyaz Alam from their positions on Thursday, a week after they were arrested by CBI for their alleged role in the NEET-UG paper leak case.

Arvind Kumar has been appointed the new principal of the school. The school issued the notification on Wednesday.

Haque and Alam were arrested by CBI last week after digital evidence suggested they had tampered with the question paper of the NEETUG exam. They are currently in Beur jail, Patna, being interrogated by CBI.

Ahmad confirmed the decision, saying both individuals were removed from their posts in light of the ongoing CBI inquiry.

CBI had detained Haque and Alam on June 25 and officially arrested them on June 29. However, lack of immediate school management action against them drew criticism from many. Critics argued that the school should have promptly dismissed them.

Local residents mentioned that Haque had been associated with the school since its inception and was instrumental in securing affiliation for both Classes X and XII in 2020. They acknowledged that Haque was the face of the school, with many still unaware of Ahmad’s role. Haque was credited with enhancing the school’s facilities and establishing it as among the best in the region. “Haque is himself responsible for this sacking. He played with the future of lakhs of students,” said a school source.

The genesis of the school and its mercurial rise in a short span of time is also being scrutinised by the CBI. The sprawling school building is constructed on plot number 134, which is khasmahal (land under govt ownership) land. The building was erected on a 1.75-acre plot previously owned by Arindam Sen, son of Umapada Sen, who allegedly gave them the land. CBI is also probing whether proper permissions were obtained from the khasmahal authority for the construction of such a large building. CBI is also looking into the matter.

Over 50 NEET-UG candidates move SC for direction against any bid to cancel test

Over 50 successful Gujarat-based NEET-UG candidates, including several who have been ranked first, have moved the Supreme Court seeking a direction to restrain the Centre and the National Testing Agency (NTA) from cancelling the controversy-ridden exam. They have sought a direction from the top court to the Union education ministry to probe, identify and take strict action against students and others who indulged in unfair practices like paper leak and impersonation in the NEET-UG exam conducted on May 5 this year.

Fresh plea by 56 students was filed days before a SC bench headed by CJI DY Chandrachud is scheduled to hear 26 petitions seeking reliefs like re-test & probe into the conduct of the exam plagued by allegations of malpractices. Allegations of irregularities, including paper leaks, have led to protests in several cities and sparring between rival political parties.

The pleas seeking cancellation of the exam, re-test and high-level probe are listed for hearing on July 8 in the SC.

PTI

Maha set to clear Rel Infra arm’s `1,700cr Metro debt

Metro 1 is run by a special purpose vehicle, the Reliance Infrastructure-promoted MMOPL. MMRDA has a 26% stake in the SPV, while Anil Ambani’s R-Infra holds 74%

ManthanK.Mehta@timesofindia.com

Mumbai: The Eknath Shinde govt may have shelved its plans to acquire Metro 1, but the state cabinet has directed MMRDA’s executive committee to consider clearing, by way of a one-time settlement, the Rs 1,700 crore debt owed by Mumbai Metro One Pvt Ltd (MMOPL) to its lenders.

Metro 1, the oldest in Mumbai which currently serves 4.6 lakh passengers daily, is the only corridor executed through a public-private partnership. It is run by a special purpose vehicle, the Reliance Infrastructure-promoted MMOPL. MMRDA has a 26% stake in the SPV, while Anil Ambani’s R-Infra holds 74%.

There are six lenders in all: State Bank of India, IDBI Bank, Canara Bank, Indian Bank, Bank of Maharashtra, and IIFCL (UK).

In March 2024, MMOPL signed a debt settlement agreement with the lenders, committing to pay Rs 1,700 crore as one-time settlement of its entire debt. As part of the agreement, MMRDA and MMOPL made upfront payment of Rs 171 crore to the lenders.

On March 11, the state cabinet had cleared purchase of R-Infra’s 74% stake in Metro-1 for Rs 4,000 crore by MMRDA. The buyout would have allowed MMOPL to exit the project. However, MMRDA said it could not finance the acquisition and requested state funding, which was denied, leading the state cabinet to reverse its purchase decision recently.

Now, at a June 26 cabinet meeting, sources said, it was decided to ask MMRDA’s executive committee “to discuss the issue of the one-time settlement.” MMRDA was directed to take immediate action for implementation of the cabinet move, sources added.

The MMRDA commissioner will soon convene a meeting with all six lenders of MMOPL to deliberate on the matter. Between April 2023 and June 2024, MMOPL has regularly paid interest to the lenders amounting to over Rs 225 crore.

MMOPL was facing insolvency proceedings in the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT). IDBI Bank initiated insolvency proceedings in Oct 2023 over dues of Rs 133.37 crore, while SBI followed in Aug 2023 due to defaults amounting to Rs 416 crore. NCLT disposed of the insolvency cases after MMRDA paid Rs 170 crore, which is 10% of the one-time settlement amount.

When contacted, an MMOPL spokesperson declined to comment. MMRDA officials were also unavailable for comment.

Officials clarified that Metro Line 1, constructed at a cost of Rs 2,356 crore, was not making operational losses, but the financially troubled Anil Ambani group wanted to exit the project.

The concession agreement between MMRDA and MMOPL was signed in 2007, and the corridor became operational in 2014.

MMOPL was also engaged in arbitration against MMRDA over cost escalation during construction of Metro Line 1. While MMOPL claims it cost Rs 4,026 crore to build Metro Line 1, MMRDA maintains the cost is Rs 2,356 crore as per the original contract.

Trekker dies in Rudranath, body retrieved after 12-hr op

Dehradun: Omender Singh, 48, a trekker from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, fell to his death while descending the Rudranath trek in Rudraprayag district on Wednesday. Singh, accompanied by his brother-in-law, slipped and fell into a 200m-deep gorge, reports Gaurav Talwar.

The Rudranath trek is considered one of the toughest treks among the Panch Kedar due to its steep and challenging paths. It typically takes about 3-4 days to complete the 20-km trek. Upon receiving the information about Singh’s death, a state disaster response force (SDRF) team from Gauchar launched a search operation despite adverse weather conditions.

“The body was recovered from a gorge in the jungle after a gruelling 12-hour search. The team had to trek 9km through rain-soaked and slippery terrain at night,” said sub-inspector Manmohan Singh, who led the 11-member rescue team, adding, “The body was stuck at a precarious point with an 800m-1 km-deep gorge below and it was pitch dark. The rain made the task even more difficult as the narrow path was highly susceptible to mudslides.”

He added that a temporary stretcher using wooden logs and ropes was built to carry the body to the nearest road.

JEE aspirant ends life, 13th student suicide in Kota this year

Kota: A 16-year-old engineering aspirant from Nalanda in Bihar died by suicide in Kota on Thursday, becoming the 13th coaching student to take the extreme step in the city this year.

Sandeep Kumar Kurmi, who had been preparing for JEE at a coaching institute in the city for the last two years, was found dead in his room at a PG accommodation in Mahaveer Nagar area by a classmate at around 7am.

The PG caretaker informed police, who reached the spot and sent the body for autopsy. No suicide note was found in Sandeep’s room.

Police said Sandeep’s brother Sanjeet was also preparing for NEET in a coaching institute in Kota and lived in a separate PG accommodation in Dadabari area. The brothers reportedly lost their parents four years ago, leaving their uncle as their guardian.

Following the postmortem examination, the body was handed over to Sanjeet, said Mahaveer Nagar police station SHO, Mahendra Maru.

Cops found that the PG facility where Sandeep lived did not have an anti-suicide device attached to the ceiling fan, which has been made mandatory by the district administration in all hostels and PGs in Kota.

TNN

Another bridge in Bihar collapses, 10th in a fortnight

A collapsed bridge in Siwan district of Bihar. Experts said the series of incidents bares deep-rooted corruption in construction of bridges

Abay Singh TNN

Patna: A 15-year-old bridge across Gandaki river in Baniapur block of Saran district collapsed on Thursday, making it the 10th bridge to collapse in north Bihar in the last fortnight. The first to crumble was in Sikti block of Araria district, bordering Nepal, on June 18.

RWD minister Ashok Chaudhary suspended three engineers in the earlier Araria bridge collapse, and an order has also been issued for filing of an FIR against the contractor concerned as bridge collapse prima facie was found to be result of compromises at various levels of construction.

Saran saw a second bridge give way in the last 24 hours. “A bridge built in the colonial period had collapsed on Wednesday, and the second one, built 15-years-ago by the district administration, suffered the same fate on Thursday,” Saran DM Aman Samir said.

While Samir said no one died or was injured in both bridge collapses or the previous eight bridge collapses, structural engineers and experts said the series of incidents exposes deep-rooted corruption in construction of bridges in Bihar.

Former road construction department chief engineer J K Dutt said, “Basic causes are tinkering with bridge design, use of substandard material, like lowvalue cement, unspecified sand, concrete, & steel rods thinner than the approved diameter and thickness.”

A survey of all old bridges was ordered so that they can be reconstructed, and those two to three years old can be repaired.

‘Distributed exams’ can curb paper leaks: Univ body chief

Limiting students to a single exam can lead to undue stress and even mental health issues, new AIU chief Vinay Pathak said

Manash.Gohain@timesofindia.com

New Delhi: Advocating for “distributed exams”, the new president of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), Vinay Pathak, has emphasised that “over-centralisation” of any test can lead to significant adverse issues and a single exam should not determine the future of a student.

In light of the NEET-UG controversies and paper leaks, and the decision to revert to the pen-and-paper mode for UGC-NET and CUET-UG, Pathak, also the vice-chancellor of Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University (formerly Kanpur University), in an exclusive interaction with TOI, dis- cussed the future of exams.

He advocated for technology-driven adaptive testing, similar to the GRE and TOEFL, as a “progressive solution”. He also stressed that in addition to entrance tests, university admissions should incorporate multiple evaluation methods, including Board exam scores, group discussions, and personal interviews.

While the govt considers adopting a JEE-style online test format for entrance exams conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), Pathak highlighted the drawbacks of centralisation. “Over-centralising exams, where a single test determines a student’s future, is fraught with risks. In engineering, for instance, mov- ing from single-threaded to distributed systems improved reliability because if one part fails, others can still function. Similarly, decentralised exams could local- ise the impact of any single point of failure, like a paper leak,” he said.

Pathak highlighted adaptive testing as a promising solution, explaining that it adjusts to the test-taker’s ability level in real time. “Technologies like AI can create personalised tests that are both secure and fair. Tests like the GRE and TOEFL have successfully implemented adaptive testing, minimising the chances of leaks and ensuring a more accurate assessment of student abilities,” he said.

Limiting students to a single exam can be detrimental, leading to undue stress and even mental health issues, Pathak pointed out. “That’s why you’re seeing lots of depression during medical en- trance tests and many suicides. While multiple exams have their own pressures, they also release pressure differently,” he added.

Multiple chances allows students to perform to their potential across, mitigating the impact of a bad day. “Exams like JEE-Mains, which now allow multiple attempts, provide a useful model,” he said.

Pathak stressed that admissions based on a single entrance test score are not ideal. Instead, he suggested that “a comprehensive evaluation system should combine various metrics, including standardised test scores, academic performance, recommendations, and personal interviews. This approach, used by top universities globally, offers a more rounded assessment of a student’s capabilities.” He pointed out that entrance exams currently test whether students know what the examiner knows, not what the students know.

Regarding the recent issues of paper leaks and irregularities in major exams, Pathak emphasised the importance of maintaining the integrity of the exam process. “Public trust in the system can be bolstered by transparency and consistent performance from testing agencies. As seen with exams like JEE Advanced and UPSC, when the process is perceived as fair, it garners respect and confidence from students and society alike,” he said.

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- Don’t lose sight of a mile for an inch

- How City Cops Are Training To ‘Shoot’ At Site

- Forensics to deepfakes: At expo, insight into how world can fight off challenges

- Short-circuit sparks blaze in S Delhi building, firefighters rescue woman stuck on balcony

- DJB work causes road cave-ins at Sangam Vihar

- 28-yr-old found murdered at hotel in Mahipalpur

- Waterlogging check: NDMC picks 14 points

- CM Sent Tree Felling File To LG: Officials

- Atishi orders halt on transfer order for govt school teachers

- Brawl between 2 students of W Delhi school turns ugly

- Caught on cam: Woman thrashes auto driver

- Delhi zoo implements ayurvedic methods to safeguard animals during rainy season

- Dil mango more! In season of few joys, capital laps up king of fruits

- Three held in connection with `10-lakh heist in north Delhi

- Berry good, indeed: Sweet & tangy jamun evokes nostalgia in Lutyens’

- L&DO drags feet on converting leasehold properties to freehold

- Lenders turn down JAL’s offer of `500cr settlement

- Gahlot: Study schemes for women in MP, Maharashtra

- Musical Fountain, Dazzling Lights... A Plan To Make Naini Lake Sparkle

- 2 projects in corridors of uncertainty

- Cops: ‘Killer’ teen assaulted girl

- HC refers to new law in forged papers case

- Five Haryana cities among India’s most polluted in June, Gurgaon not one of them

- Light Showers Today May Keep Relief Going

- Delhi breathes easier as air gets better due to strong winds, rain

- Excise policy case: Court reserves order on chargesheet

- In limbo for 3 mths, doorstep delivery may get fresh push

- Mosquito breeding found on DDA, DJB premises: MCD

- CINEMA OF THE WEEK

- Victim Shaming Should Not Be Permitted: HC

- WCD dept takes over 181 helpline, handles over 1,000 calls in a day

- ‘Courts being used as pawns in illegal construction matters’

- ACB to check pvt hosps, nursing homes

- 13 hurt in bus-tractor crash

- Rental bikes, cabs, feeder buses at all RRTS stations

- Man kills self

- Pay Fully For Premium Flats By Aug 28: DDA

- Rare tumour taken out of facial nerve

- Music teacher sexually harasses 10-yr-old, held

No Yamuna Desilting Done In Recent Years

In Reply To RTI Query, Govt Says Maintenance Work Carried Out In Specific Sections Of River

IN BAD SHAPE: The accumulation of silt can reduce the flow of water, affecting the river’s ecosystem

Kushagra.Dixit@timesofindia.com

New Delhi: In response to an RTI query, Delhi govt responded that the Yamuna has not been dredged in recent years. However, the state govt’s reply claimed that 'maintenance work' was carried out on specific sections of the river.

The query of RTI activist Amit Gupta under the Right to Information Act sought details about the year when desilting of the river was carried out within Delhi by the state govt’s irrigation & flood control department (IFC) and the expenditure incurred on this. The reply blandly stated, "No desilting has been done in the river Yamuna over the past few years."

The response added, “The portion of River Yamuna from Old Railway Bridge to Kalindi Kunj Bridge comes under the jurisdiction of civil division 3. No desilting has been done, only maintenance work had been carried out in the previous years.”

The RTI query had also sought information about the total volume of silt removed from the river in areas in Delhi, to which no reply was given.

The absence of removal of silt from the riverbed in Delhi has raised concerns about the Yamuna’s health and its ability to handle exigencies like floods. The accumulation of silt can reduce the flow of water, affecting the river's ecosystem and its capacity to support aquatic life. The floods last year could also have resulted from an obstructed flow of river water.

Gupta said, “The Yamuna is in a bad shape and yet the silt has not been cleared. Garbage, mud and waste can be removed from the river to clean it, but it seems Delhi govt isn’t serious about the river’s health.”

IFC defended itself by saying that it does not carry out any desilting, but undertakes other measures to ensure proper flow of the river. A departmental official said, “Dred- ging and desilting is a scientific process and takes place after studying and analysing the course of the river. Aggregation and degradation keep on happening in a river. What we did instead was pilot cutting at five locations — downstream of Wazirabad, at Vasudev Ghat, upstream of the Old Railway Bridge and at Geeta Colony bridge and ITO. In pilot cutting, mounds and islands in the river hindering the stream or channel are removed. This increases the carrying capacity of the river.”

Some officials pointed out that material left behind by construction agencies last year had acted as hindrance to the river’s flow last year, resulting in the flooding. “The bridge construction agencies have been asked to remove all detritus like wood, piles, construction material, C&D waste, etc, from the river’s course. After the April direction of Delhi High Court, DDA is monitoring this,” said one official.

This too shall not underpass! Best-laid plans to avoid flooding fail to save Delhi

PWD OFFICIAL SAYS In some areas, many of our staff and officials could not reach the waterlogged spots to oversee restoration work due to the high intensity of rain

Siddhanta.Mishra@timesofindia.com

TIMES Special

New Delhi: There were claims by city authorities of being prepared for the rains with a special action plan. Yet, at least four people have drowned in flooded underpasses. The sub-surface passages at Minto Road, Pul Prahladpur, Samaypur Badli, Okhla, Pragati Maidan transit corridor, Sarita Vihar, Azadpur, Dwarka and DelhiMeerut expressway under the jurisdiction of different agencies were all inundated despite the road-owning agency, Public Works Department, having formulated an action plan to deal with waterlogging at such facilities.

After the heavy early morning rain on June 28 that brought the city to a standstill, PWD officials attributed the failure of the action plan to the 'high intensity' rainfall. Of the three underpasses where the deaths occurred — Samaypur Badli, Okhla and Shalimar Bagh — two were located at identified waterlogging hotspots and were each under the jurisdiction of PWD and Delhi Development Authority.

The monsoon action plan and flood control order were published well before the first showers and the system to handle downpours was in place, at least on paper. The city’s 16 underpasses owned by various govt agencies was each equipped with water pumps to remove excess water from the depressed sections.

PWD, which published its flood control order on June 15, has its own standard operating procedure for managing flooded underpasses. Since 2022, PWD has been increasing technological intervention in managing flooding and 11 pump houses have been made fully automatic. The pumps start operating automatically when the rising water level trips the sensors.

According to its SOP, a PWD technical team monitors critical locations 24x7. If the depth of water accumulation in an underpass is observed to be 6-8 inches, the control room is supposed to immediately inform the field unit and check with pump operators if the pumps are wor- king. This year, more than 300 waterlogging hotspots are being monitored, with 40 important sites having live monitoring via CCTV cameras.

The action plan says that during the monsoon period, additional maintenance vans with an adequate number of workers will be deployed 24x7, especially at critical locations. During emergencies, PWD is also required to de- ploy divers with boats, ropes and put up cautionary signage where water stagnation is deemed to be life-threatening.

While the Municipal Corporation of Delhi did not respond to queries about the flooded underpasses in its jurisdiction, a PWD official claimed, “In some areas, many of our staff and officials could not reach the waterlogged spots to oversee restoration work due to the high intensity of rain. The systems in some cases were overwhelmed.”

Two boys, aged around 12, drowned in a waterlogged underpass in Samaypur Badli, in northwest Delhi on Saturday. This location had been identified by traffic police as critical last year, but either the preventive measures were inadequate or not taken at all. While the underpass is listed in PWD’s flood control order, senior officials insisted that MCD was responsible for managing the underpass. “The unfortunate death of two people occurred at the Siraspur underpass in Samaypur Badli, which is under the jurisdiction of MCD,” said a PWD official.

The Okhla underpass, which falls under the control of DDA and was also highlighted as a hotspot by traffic police, proved fatal for a 60-year-old man who allegedly died by drowning. DDA has denied that any person died because of drowning in an underpass under its jurisdiction. A body, the fourth fatality, was found at the Shalimar Bagh underpass, a location not on the list of hotspots.

According to the norms established in recent years, an inter-departmental committee consisting of officials from all stakeholder agencies meets once just before the monsoon season to approve the flood control orders of PWD and the irrigation & flood control department. Officials claimed to TOI that the torrential rains of June 28 occurred before this meeting.

CBI books 2 more policemen for bribery

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Continuing its crackdown on the rising corruption within Delhi Police, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has booked two more cops on charges of demanding a bribe from a person to facilitate the release of his brother from Tihar Jail. This is the second instance of CBI’s crackdown in 10 days.

The accused policemen are posted with the narcotics cell at North district. The FIR lodged by CBI stated that the complainant was sent to the policemen with a recording device and the cops frisked him to make sure that he was not wired up, but couldn’t detect the device.

The FIR also claimed that the accu- sed policemen didn’t talk to the complainant and instead typed out the bribe amount on a phone and showed it to him, indicating at the impact of massive CBI raids in the past one year.

The complainant’s brother was arrested from this cell in connection with a fake medicine racket. The policemen allegedly demanded Rs 50 lakh, but the man approached CBI, which laid a trap at Signature Bridge.

According to the complaint, the accused had asked for the bribe to provide details of the medicines to the man for preparing fake bills, which could be submitted to the court to ensure his brother’s release. The victim was asked to deliver the first instalment by July 4 and the rest after the bills were prepared and submit- ted to the court. The complainant also sought to “manage” the case and the accused allegedly said it could be settled for Rs 2.5 crore, the FIR stated.

Over a dozen cops have been arrested this year on corruption charges. On June 21, CBI arrested a policeman from Dwarka district. It also apprehended a head constable from Shahdara in June while accepting a bribe. Before that, a policeman was arrested in March for extorting money from bus operators for allowing unhindered operations from Jafrabad metro station and picking up passengers from a non-designated spot. A policeman posted at southeast Delhi’s Jamia Nagar police station was also arrested in Feb for demanding bribe to not make arrests in a case.

Don’t lose sight of a mile for an inch

Anuja.Jaiswal@timesofindia.com

New Delhi: Semaglutide, a medication used for weight management, could elevate the risk of developing a rare but severe eye disorder that may result in vision loss. This was revealed in a recent study conducted by researchers at Harvard University and published in Jama Ophthalmology.

The eye disorder — nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) — although uncommon, can have severe consequences, including the possibility of permanent blindness, if left untreated.

The potential side effect has been observed in people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, as well as those who are overweight or obese and use the medication for its intended purpose of promoting weight reduction.

US researchers conducted an analysis of 16,827 patients over a period of six years from 2017 to 2023 and found that those taking the medication for type 2 diabetes had a four-fold higher risk of being diagnosed with the condition compared to patients not using the drug. The risk of the eye condition was found to be even higher among those taking Semaglutide for obesity, with a sevenfold increase in likelihood compared to those not using the medication.

According to reports, the drug is also being examined in a trial called Focus, which concludes in 2027, to assess longterm effects on diabetic retinopathy — an eye condition in type 2 diabetes patients.

Specialists across the city stress the importance of vigilant observation and prompt identification of any adverse effects, particularly for people undergoing treatment. This approach aims to prevent further harm and explore suitable therapeutic alternatives.

According to Dr Saptarshi Bhattacharya, senior consultant of endocrinology at Apollo Hospitals, “while the study raises significant concerns, it's essential to interpret the findings cautiously. The co-occurrence of two events doesn't necessarily imply a causal relationship. Additional studies are requi- red to establish a definitive link. Nevertheless, this research highlights the critical need for close monitoring and follow-up of individuals using weight loss drugs. It's crucial for both doctors and patients to be aware of potential risks and report any visual changes promptly.”

Explaining NAION, Dr Sanjiv Gupta, director and senior eye surgeon at i Care Centre, said this is a condition characterised by sudden vision loss due to damage in the optic nerve from insufficient blood flow. It typically affects one eye and is often associated with factors like hypertension, diabetes and other vascular conditions.

Dr Anita Sethi, principal director and head of ophthalmology at Max Hospital, Panchsheel Park, said that the incidence rate is estimated to be between 3 to 10 cases per 100,000 individuals, with a higher prevalence among those over 50 to 60 years old. NAION is often described as an "eye stroke." Unfortunately, the vision loss associated with NAION is usually permanent, with only a small percentage of affected individuals experiencing some degree of recovery. Therefore, it is crucial for people to undergo regular eye examinations to prevent the occurrence of NAION and protect their vision.

Discussing the potential side effects of Semaglutide, Dr Ashok Kumar Jhingan, a senior director at the Centre for Diabetes, Thyroid, Obesity & Endocrinology, BLKMax Super Speciality Hospital, mentioned that some people may find these side effects intolerable.

“Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea are the most common Semaglutide side effects. But they usually subside after a few weeks of using the medication,” the doctor said. While serious side effects are uncommon, they can occur. He emphasised that certain side effects may necessitate immediate medical attention, including pancreatitis and allergic reactions. It is crucial for patients to be aware of these potential risks and to consult with their doctor if they experience any concerning symptoms while taking Semaglutide.

How City Cops Are Training To ‘Shoot’ At Site

With Crime Scene Videography Made Mandatory Under New Laws, Focus On Meticulous Documentation

The videos would also allow an opportunity to provide additional context of the scene that is not available with still images

TIMES Special

Rajshekhar.Jha@timesofindia.com

New Delhi: “Don’t laugh or engage in banter with your colleagues.” “Don’t talk in a stern voice or be condescending.”

These are some of the instructions being informally conveyed to the investigating officers (IOs) who are being trained for crime scene videography, a mandatory requirement under the new laws. With a large number of cops coming from rural backgrounds and having a strong local accent, the cops are also being asked to focus on voice modulation and controlling their dialect to ensure clarity, according to sources.

As reported earlier, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) makes audio video recording of the crime scene, besides search and seizures, mandatory. The cops not only have to record a video under BNSS, which has replaced CrPC, but also describe the surrounding and events at the crime scene. Earlier, this was done through spot maps and written reports.

A crime scene video can be a goldmine of evidence for investigators, according to senior cops. “Analysing the footage allows them to pinpoint suspects, map out a timeline of events and piece together exactly what happened before the crime,” said a senior investigator.

The videos would also allow an opportunity to provide additional context of the scene that is not available with still images. The footage can help the judiciary and the prosecutors in making a strong case.

Initially, the training division had trained a set of 80-100 cops in videography and geotagging of crime scenes. More followed suit in subsequent batches and many were asked to train colleagues at subsidiary training units established in districts.

The formal training involves tips like beginning the recording of a crime scene with a general overview of the spot and surrounding area. The cops are then expected to continue throughout the scene using a wide angle and close-up views to show the layout of the scene, location of evidence and its relevance within the crime scene. The IOs are being trained to meticulously document crime scenes in their initial state. According to a trainer who requested anonymity, “We emphasise capturing the scene exactly as the officers find it.”

“It has been advised that the video documentation should start with a slow, 360-degree pan of the entire exterior and surrounding area from a fixed point. This captures landmarks, lighting conditions, traffic patterns and other relevant environmental factors. The camera movements, pans, tilts and zooms should all be slow, smooth and deliberate. The recording can be paused and restarted as needed, but it is crucial to maintain an unaltered record of the scene,” the trainer added.

The new procedure included in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has led many IOs to seek tips from their journalist acquaintances to perfect their “pieces-to-camera”. In the coming days, the IOs are going to receive training in soft skills and communication techniques to help them do the job efficiently.

“Now, it’s exactly like what you and your TV channel colleagues do at a crime spot. We even end our videos like how you end with your name and channel name and say out our name and police station,” said an IO on a lighter note.

Forensics to deepfakes: At expo, insight into how world can fight off challenges

Devanshi.Mehta@timesofindia.com

New Delhi: From abuse of technology and detecting deepfakes to convertible drones for kamikaze operations and advanced cybersecurity apparatus, the International Police Expo and Drone International Expo 2024 at Pragati Maidan has on display contemporary topics related to law and order. Not only are equipment from the UK, US, Israel and Germany on show, but also a plethora of those bearing the ‘Make-in-India’ stamp. Over 200 national and international drone manufacturers were present.

The event saw over 4,000 police and defence personnel thronging the venue on Thursday to explore the new tech on the block. Several companies have put up stalls displaying cyber security and anti-virus systems too. The police representatives seemed particularly interested in the cyber security stalls, which had the latest crisis management and incident breach response on display. The section on non-lethal weapons showcased the latest rubber projectiles, smoke ammunitions, muzzle blast tear gas shells and sound-and-flash impact fuses besides illuminating projectiles with parachutes. “There are the latest distraction grenades and signalling rockets with parachutes on display as well,” said a police officer.

The expo has a show on deepfake detection technology that runs on an advanced AI engine that analyses various digital formats to expose AI-generated forgeries. PiLabs, which has developed a multimodal defence against deepfakes that is being actively used by the police forces across India to outsmart AI manipulation, is on display at the event. With increasing cases of cyber fraud, revenge porn and other offences, this tech can help unmask decep- tion and protect citizens. The technology can detect synthetic voice clones besides audio and video manipulation or tampered images.

Surveillance drones, such as the Marak PL 7.0 from Optiemus Unmanned Systems, exhibit how they have been designed and built to carry out seamless tactical mapping. The Marak comes with a lightweight multispectral camera that captures high quality videos and relays live feed up to 20km. Drones at this expo are designed to be tailored for critical applications in agriculture, defence, public safety, emergency response, and mapping, providing comprehensive solutions for complex missions.

Armoured ambulances were also a significant feature of the exhibition. “These may be used in war/conflictprone areas to ensure personnel do not get hurt during firing while rescue operation is ongoing,” a representative explained. Condor, a non-lethal technologies brand, presented multiple grenades, pepper sprays and other gear. Its primary focus is to showcase ammunition meant to be used in situations necessitating restricted use of force and firearms.

After the introduction of the new criminal laws — Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita to replace Indian Penal Code, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (CrPC) and Bharatiya Saks- hya Adhiniyam (Evidence Act) — the emphasis is on forensic investigation. So, police officers took special interest in eSec Forte’s special tech with long battery backup for forensic experts, special smart tablets and multiple connectors for various devices in a singular kit. eSec also showcased a ‘Faraday bag’ that can be used to protect electronic devices during the collection and analysis of digital evidence.

Short-circuit sparks blaze in S Delhi building, firefighters rescue woman stuck on balcony

Devanshi.Mehta@timesofindia.com

New Delhi: A major tragedy was averted after a fire broke out in a building in south Delhi’s East of Kailash on Thursday morning. Although no casualties were reported as the occupants quickly evacuated the building, a woman who was stuck on a balcony was rescued by firefighters. Officials said a short-circuit in an AC may have led to the blaze.

The building has a doctor’s clinic and a salon on the upper ground floor while families stay on the first, second and third floors.

The fire started on the first floor and quickly spread to the others. Police and fire services received a call about the incident around 5.50am and rushed eight fire tenders to the spot. About 50 firefighters began dousing the blaze and launched a search operation to check if any person was trapped.

The entire building was surrounded with intense flames and smoke billowed from it. The blaze triggered panic in the locality, and several people, including mor- ning walkers, assembled near the building to witness the firefighting operations.

During the search operation, a woman was found stuck on the third floor. “All the families evacuated immediately using the stairs, but one woman panicked due to the excessive amount of smoke and went to the balcony to be able to breathe and save herself,” said a senior fire officer. The firefighters used a ladder to rescue the woman, who left the spot immediately afterwards.

According to fire officials, the blaze, which was put out in about three hours, started due to a short-circuit in one of the ACs. “With one AC catching fire, there were multiple short-circuits in the wiring. The fire spread from one electrical board to another, igniting all the ACs and even- tually engulfing the entire building,” said a firefighter.

Officers on the spot noted that there were no fire safety measures in place in any of the residential floors.

“The lack of ventilation in the homes was also a major issue. Every window in these homes was occupied by an AC, which exacerbated the fire,” said a firefighter. Police are also investigating the incident and have questioned the occupants and the caretaker, said sources.

Firefighters and experts said regular servicing of ACs and checking of wiring is a must during the summer and rainy season. Electrical systems face increased strain during periods of high heat and power demand, elevating the risk of overheating and electrical fires.

“Inadequate maintenance of ACs, power theft and other electrical equipment also contribute to a heightened risk of fires,” said a discom official. Among internal factors that lead to fires are faulty wiring, loose connections, overloaded circuits, damaged electrical cords, plugs, sockets and outlets.

DJB work causes road cave-ins at Sangam Vihar

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: The internal Devli Band Road in an unauthorised colony in Sangam Vihar caved in at multiple locations on Wednesday while Delhi Jal Board (DJB) was carrying out deep digging work for installing a sewer line.

The restoration work started by Thursday evening.

“DJB is doing a 20-foot-deep sewer line installation in an unauthorised colony in Sangam Vihar. As the work is still on, the restoration will be done soon by DJB,” said a govt source.

Officials of the irrigation and flood control (I&FC) department, the road owning agency in this south Delhi area, alleged that DJB had started the work without any authorisation and several reminders were sent to it before the monsoon, the latest in May, to complete the work soon to prevent the deteriora- tion of the road.

DJB did not respond on the matter. The viral videos of the area show large craters on the road, with water in them.

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva posted pictures and videos of the deteriorating roads in Sangam Vihar, the largest unauthorised colony area in Delhi, on social media and demanded an explanation from Delhi govt on the construction quality.

He claimed, “In a rush to gain votes, Kejriwal govt hastily constructed the roads, but did not build proper drainage or pay attention to connecting the sewers as promised. Not only have the roads caved in at dozens of spots but the asphalt at the top has also been washed away.”

Since the onset of monsoon, the plight of the roads in unauthorised colonies has turned the lives of residents into a nightmare, he alleged.

28-yr-old found murdered at hotel in Mahipalpur

New Delhi: A 28-year-old man was found murdered inside a hotel in southwest Delhi’s Mahipalpur on Thursday. Police suspect the involvement of a person with whom he came to the hotel.

The deceased was identified as Rohit, a resident of Punjab. Police said they received information from the hotel staff about the incident at 3 pm. A team from the local police station found the man lying unconscious on the bed. “He was taken to a hospital where he was declared dead. Strangulation is suspected. We are awaiting the postmortem report,” an officer said.

A team from the forensics laboratory collected the exhibits and handed them to cops. “Efforts are being made to get clues about the suspect,” the officer added. TNN

Waterlogging check: NDMC picks 14 points

Vibha.Sharma@timesofindia.com

New Delhi: New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has identified 14 more vulnerable waterlogging points and installed CCTV cameras at the locations for monitoring the situation during the monsoon.

NDMC already has an extensive network of CCTV cameras in Lutyens’ Delhi, which are regularly monitored through a control and command centre. A survey to identify new spots was conducted by the departments concerned.

According to NDMC vicechairman Satish Upadhyay, the points include “the back lane on Purana Quila Road, Zakir Hussain Marg, Bharti Nagar gate no. 4, Golf Link, Dayal Singh College, AIIMS and Shanti Path underbridges, BHS Marg, Sarojini Nagar, CP tunnel, CP subway, Nyay Marg, Malcha Marg T-point, Mandir Marg and Raisina Road”. Previously, NDMC had six vulnerable points at “Satya Sadan, Lodhi Estate, Africa Avenue underpass, Panchkuian Road, Purana Qila and DLF parking”.

The total length of storm water drains in the NDMC areas, which connect to 14 major drains, is 471km. Approximately 70% of the storm water drainage output flows into Kushak Nullah and Sunheripul Nullah before reaching Barapullah Nullah and eventually the Yamuna. The drains situated in the area north of India Gate to Connaught Place directly open into the Yamuna through Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s drainage systems.

NDMC has established six control rooms, each with 175 personnel, at Sangli Mess, Khan Market, Netaji Nagar, Malcha Marg, Mandir Marg and CP.

It has also increased the number of fixed pumps from 99 in 2023 to 120 in 2024 and portable pumps from 62 in 2023 to 75 in 2024. “The number of operators has been increased from 27 in 2023 to 48 in 2024. Super sucker machines will be deployed frequently to remove obstructions in drainage at flooding points,” Upadhyay said. The arrangements for pumps have been made at all vulnerable points, he added.

CM Sent Tree Felling File To LG: Officials

As SC Frowns Over Illegal Action At Satbari, Officials Pull Out Files And Begin Passing The Buck

DELHI GOVT SAYS It is difficult to ascertain what actions these officials have taken regarding the illegal felling of trees since they are neither informing their minister, nor the fact-finding committee. If DDA had the permission to cut the trees, it would have informed Supreme Court on the very first date and there wouldn't be any contempt of court charges against it

Atul.Mathur@timesofindia.com

New Delhi: The confusion over permission granted to DDA to fell trees in the southern ridge, paving the way for construction of an approach road in Maidangarhi area continues with sources now claiming that the proposal was moved by Delhi govt’s forest department and forwarded to the lieutenant governor for his approval by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Forest department sources claimed that a request was received from DDA on Delhi govt’s e-forest portal seeking permission under Delhi Tree Preservation Act to fell 422 trees and transplant some of them. Following a ground inspection by an official of the forest department and cross inspection by deputy conservator of forest (south), a proposal was moved by the environment and forest department, which was approved by the principal secretary and later by the minister concerned.

“Environment and forest minister Gopal Rai approved the proposal on Jan 23 and forwarded it to the CM. The CM endorsed the proposal the very next day and sent the file to the LG with a note that the latter was bound by ‘aid and advice’ on the subject,” said a forest department official.

“The LG approved the file and sent it back to the CM. On Feb 14, a gazette notification was made in this regard and on Feb 15 the tree officer informed DDA of the permission. The Authority started the exercise of cutting trees from Feb 16,” the official added.

Of the 422 trees that were to be felled, 142 were to be transplanted. Officials said a patch of forest land at Jaunapur was also identified for compensatory plantation of 4,220 trees while another piece of land near Andheria Morh was identified for transplantation of 142 trees.

The cutting of trees was necessitated for the construction of a 10.5km long approach road from the main Chhatarpur Road to the campus of SAARC University, AIIMSCAPFIMS (Central Armed Police Forces Institute of Medical Sciences) campus and other establishments at Maidangarhi, Sayurpur and Satbari in south Delhi.

While the purported permission was received under Delhi Preservation of Trees Act, the agencies glossed over the fact that the cutting of such a large number of trees required permission of Supreme Court, which, allegedly, had not been taken. The issue was brought to the notice of Supreme Court by two NGOs, which alleged that at least 1,100 trees were hacked in violation of SC’s 1995 order. Notices were then issued to DDA and other stakeholders.

“Prima facie, we find that the action of DDA of felling the trees for constructing the road is in contempt of order passed by this court dated Feb 8 and March 4, 2024. Issue notice to the vice-chairman of Delhi Development Authority calling upon to show cause why an action for committing contempt of order of this court be not taken against him,” the SC bench said.

The order came after advocate K Parameshwar, appearing as amicus curiae, informed the court that despite an order of the apex court prohibiting tree felling, DDA had gone ahead with the exercise. The apex court on March 4 had refused permission to DDA to fell 1,051 trees saying that their application was very vague. During the hearing of the case later, the SC said as per DDA’s own admission, at least 633 were felled.

Subsequently, the apex court issued a notice of criminal contempt against DDA vice chairman Subhasish Panda for allowing the largescale felling of trees and also expressed displeasure over a “misleading” affidavit filed by him and presenting “wrong facts” before the court. Amid allegations that LG VK Saxena had visited the area on Feb 3 and given “verbal” orders to fell the trees, the court also sought to know if the LG, who was also the chairman of the Authority, had anything to do with it.

Alleging that the trees were cut “illegally” on the directions of the LG, AAP govt recently formed a three-member fact-finding panel comprising ministers Saurabh Bharadwaj, Atishi and Imran Hussain, to probe the case and fix responsibility. The panel served notices on DDA, forest department officials and Delhi Police to appear before it. While police officials did appear before the panel, DDA and forest department officials did not turn up.

When asked if the proposal to fell 422 trees was indeed moved by the environment and forest department and forwarded to LG by the chief minister, the govt in a statement said that minister Gopal Rai had repeatedly sought factual reports on the matter from his department but these were yet to be provided.

“It is difficult to ascertain what actions these officials have taken regarding the illegal felling of trees since they are neither informing their minister, nor the fact-finding committee,” Delhi govt said in a statement.

“If DDA had the permission to cut the trees, it would have informed Supreme Court on the very first date and there wouldn't be any contempt of court charges against it,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, addressing a press conference, AAP functionary Jasmine Shah on Thursday questioned BJP's silence on the issue. He said that ever since the issue surfaced, BJP and LG have maintained "silence" over it. There was no immediate reaction from BJP or the LG’s office.

Shah said AAP govt planted crores of trees in the past nine years to reduce pollution, closed coal-powered thermal power plants, provided 24-hour electricity to Delhiites and brought the best electric vehicle policy in the country. On the other hand, BJP was cutting trees in cities and on mountains in the name of development.

He pointed out that a factfinding committee of Delhi govt was sending notices but the officials were not responding. "Because all these officers come under the LG. Therefore, there is definitely pressure from above on them. BJP should tell who is pressuring the officials of the forest department of Delhi govt?" Shah asked.

Atishi orders halt on transfer order for govt school teachers

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Following allegations of corruption in the transfer process, Delhi’s education minister Atishi has instructed chief secretary Naresh Kumar to immediately stop the mandatory transfer of 5,000 teachers who have been teaching in Delhi govt schools for over 10 years.

At a press briefing on Thursday, Atishi said, “This order is absolutely wrong and anti-education. It undermines the hard work of teachers who have transformed Delhi’s govt schools over the last 10 years”.

Atishi had ordered on July 1 that no teacher should be transferred solely because he has spent more than 10 years in a particular school. The minister emphasised the crucial role these teachers play in the lives of their students, particularly those from impoverished backgrounds.

The AAP functionary also raised concerns about “corruption” in the transfer process. “There are worrying reports that bribes have been taken to stop the transfers. This is extremely concerning as corruption within the education department threatens the future of our children,” she said.

The minister called for an immediate probe into these allegations and strict action against any officials found guilty of accepting bribes.

She said that Arvind Kejriwal govt was committed to supporting teachers and improving the education system in Delhi. “We respect our teachers and will not allow any compromise with their rights or the education of our children”.

Brawl between 2 students of W Delhi school turns ugly

Devanshi.Mehta@timesofindia.com

New Delhi: A brawl between two students of a school in west Delhi’s Vikaspuri took an ugly turn on Wednesday when the father of one of them allegedly got involved in it. He allegedly arrived at the school with bouncers and thrashed the other boy to teach him a lesson, police said.

A video of the assault went viral on social media, following which police registered an FIR. According to investigators, the students had a fight in the school three-four days before it.

The video showed that the brawl had become so intense that other parents present outside the school had to intervene and protect the child who was attacked. A woman seen in the video trying to protect the assaulted boy is the mother of the other student, said a source.

According to police, both parties have given contradictory versions of the incident. While the complainant boy alleged that he was attacked by the other student’s father in front of a large number of students and parents, the other party claimed that he had come to school to ensure that his son could go home safely. The accused man claimed that he had no option but to protect his son, and that was why he had brought people with him and the situation had escalated.

The complainant has sustained injuries and police are investigating the matter. They are looking into the allegation that a stick or another weapon were used to beat up the child. “We are verifying their testimonies,” said an officer. The CCTV footage collected from the area is also being analysed, police said.

Caught on cam: Woman thrashes auto driver

New Delhi: A 42-year-old auto driver was allegedly thrashed by a woman in Paschim Vihar on July 2. Police said the woman, who had arrived on a motorcycle, pulled the driver out of the auto and began thrashing him with a stick. The driver lost consciousness during the assault. A case has been registered in this regard.

TNN

Delhi zoo implements ayurvedic methods to safeguard animals during rainy season

New Delhi: Delhi zoo authorities are using ayurvedic methods, including neem oil, turmeric and quicklime, to keep the animals healthy and free from bacterial and viral infections during the rainy season, officials said.

“We will use some Indian home remedies like neem oil, which will help protect the animals from common biting insects, including mosquitoes, biting midges and fleas,” Delhi zoo Director Sanjeet Kumar told PTI. He emphasised the importance of preparing for rain-related health issues by stocking necessary medicines.

Heavy rains often lead to waterlogging in certain parts of the zoo which create breeding grounds for mosquitoes. To counter this, quicklime (chuna) will be sprinkled in these areas to prevent mosquito proliferation. Additional measures include providing elevated platforms in areas prone to water accumulation, ensuring animals have dry spots to rest.

PTI

Dil mango more! In season of few joys, capital laps up king of fruits

In A City Ravaged By Extreme Heat And Water Shortage — And Frequent Waterlogging And Traffic Jams — There’s A Lot To Savour

SO SWEET! The daily consumption of mangoes in Delhi-NCR is no less than 25 lakh kilos

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Few enjoy the dreaded Delhi summer but there is one seasonal bounty that people wait for -the arrival of the mango, often called the king of fruits.

According to an estimate, the daily consumption of mangoes in Delhi-NCR is no less than 2,500 tonnes or 25 lakh kilos. The fruit starts arriving in Delhi from April and by June it takes over the city. From pavements in residential areas to the local fruit markets to lanes running along arterial roads and highways in the city and the fancy grocery stores in shopping malls, the fruit is everywhere.

Its supply, however, starts decreasing from the end of July and mangoes almost disappear from the market by mid-August. For nearly five months, the mango remains on the plate and the minds of people of not just Delhi or north India, but probably the entire country.

Mango recipes, ranging from pickles to desserts, become a staple in every household. The fruit, both raw and ripe, is used in various types of dishes based on sweetness, tanginess, fibre content and juice.

According to fruit wholesalers, the mango season starts in Delhi in late March or early April with supply from southern states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and parts of Karnataka. Banganapalli, Sindhoora, Badami and Totapuri arrived. Mango wholesaler Vijay Dua said Safeda, which comes from Andhra Pradesh, enjoys the largest market share. “On average, nearly 2,500-3,000 tonnes of mangoes arrive at Azadpur mandi every day. While 75-80% is consumed in Delhi and NCR, Azadpur mandi also caters to Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir and even Gujarat,” Dua said.

The supply from the southern states caters to the consumption in Delhi in April and May. It is replaced by several popular varieties from Uttar Pradesh from June onwards. Dussehri, Langda, Chausa, Gulab Jamun and Dinga from Lucknow and surrounding areas as well as from the Saharanpur belt enter Delhi-NCR in the second phase. “Though people have different tastes, Dussehri continues to be most popular with more than 80% of the buyers,” said SKR Bittu, another mango dealer at Azadpur mandi.

“The supply of mangoes is so huge that we have a problem in stocking the fruit. Due to climate change, we are still getting huge quantities of apples and watermelons. We are short of space while trying to accommodate all the fruits in a limited area,” Bittu said.

Due to intense heat and less rainfall, the size of mangoes this year has been smaller, the mango traders said. “But their quality is better. The fruit does not have stains,” Dua said. Do they ripen the fruit using calcium carbide, which is injurious to health? “Artificial ripening using calcium carbide has almost stopped in the last few years. People now use small pouches of ethylene, which is an odourless gas, and has zero side effects,” Dua said.

Three held in connection with `10-lakh heist in north Delhi

New Delhi: Three members of a gang have been arrested for their alleged involvement in a heist in north Delhi. The suspects, Tarun Sehgal (28), Himanshu (25) and Monu (26), have a criminal record, police said.

Police started investigating the heist after receiving a complaint from the victim, Praveen, on June 20. “He told us that he works as a cash agent and had collected Rs 10 lakh from Lahori Gate on the day of incident. He was on his way to deliver the cash near Patel Nagar when two armed men on a bike held him at gunpoint and snatched his bag containing the money,” said Manoj Meena, DCP (north).

Technical surveillance and informers’ network was used to nab the suspects, captured on a CCTV camera. “We managed to recover Rs 7.7 lakh from them. We found the pistol they used to scare the victim. The bike used by them was a stolen one,” the DCP added.

During interrogation, police found that Sehgal, the kingpin, and his associates knew about the places where large cash transactions originated.

TNN

Berry good, indeed: Sweet & tangy jamun evokes nostalgia in Lutyens’

A CONSTANT AMID CHANGING LANDSCAPE: For many selling jamun in Central Delhi for years, it remains their bread and butter

Kushagra.Dixit@timesofindia.com

New Delhi: In the heart of the national capital, Gaurav Singh, all of 12 years, wakes up at dawn to fulfil a crucial task for his family. He rushes to the jamun trees near Ashoka Road and India Gate, plucking the fruits that his family will later sell by the roadside under the shade of the same trees. As the city’s demographics and the nameplates of the grand Lutyens’s bungalows change over time, these oval and ovoid berries and their hawkers remain a constant on Ashoka Road.

The humble indigenous subtropical fruit of jamun, which ripens during the hottest part of summer just before the monsoon, holds cultural significance and is now at its peak in the city. This tangy and sweet seasonal fruit evokes nostalgia for some, while others view it as a rustic fruit ripe for experimentation. For many families who have been selling jamun in Central Delhi for years, it remains their bread and butter.

Gaurav says: “The trees at Ashoka Road, barring a few, do not fruit that well and the berries are generally smaller. They are also very difficult to climb. However, those at India Gate still bear good fruit-size. Since the guards posted there won’t let us pass, we go at dawn when the security is not so tight. Later, these are mixed with the ones we get from the wholesale market.” He runs across the busy road to deliver the packs to buyers “who come in big cars”.

Commuters often stop by these Central Delhi roads to purchase the purple eye candies. The sellers select the berries of their choice and smear them with black salt before handing them over to customers. Gaurav's mother, Phoolo Devi, does not support her son climbing trees to pluck the fruits and would prefer him to attend school instead.

“We have been trying to send him and his younger brother to school, but they keep refusing. They insist that they would stay and help with earnings. We live by the road on the footpath, but don't want these kids to continue living like this,” she says, describing how the darkest purple berries are the sweetest, while those with light edges are tangy and have a longer aftertaste.

Devi notes that people have their own preferences when it comes to jamun. Some customers are indifferent, while others meticulously handpick each berry. The selling conti- nues from morning until evening. Another hawker, Rajkumar, says that they procure jamun from the mandi, but children also gather some from the trees near India Gate. The berries are mixed and sold by weight, with 250gm priced at Rs 50. High-quality, sorted jamuns that are the most purple cost Rs 300 per box.

Until 2006, New Delhi Municipal Council auctioned the roughly 500 trees around India Gate and the current site of Central Vista for fruit plucking. Later, the responsibility was handed over to Central Public Works Department. Some trees were compromised during the ambitious Central Vista project and, last year, the auction reportedly had no takers.

Planted around 1920, the remaining trees still attract birds like parakeets and Indian grey hornbills. As summer progresses, the jamun turns purple, enticing humans as well. This fruit, known by va- rious names such as java plum, black plum and Indian blackberry, is believed to be underrated and underexploited despite its numerous qualities. One of its names, "jambul," also serves as an ancient geographical marker, referring to the region as Jambudweep, where jamun trees are found and recited before most auspicious Hindu rituals.

According to Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture, the fruit's pharmacological properties, including hypoglycemic, diuretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antiplaque, antimicrobial, antidiarrheal, antioxidant, gastro-protective and astringent effects, have been proven in animal systems. Ayurveda praises jamun for its role in diabetes management.

Faiyaz Khudsar, a senior biodiversity scientist, says: “To those who understand Delhi, jamun trees have a site-specific identity that resonates with India Gate and the surrounding areas. It's indigenous, linked with monsoon, and packs great nutritious value, offering to make up for the necessary nutrition at a time when there are few fruits in the market. Yet, it largely remains under-utilised.”

The jamun, an evergreen canopy tree, will continue to work for Delhi, providing the city with much-needed green cover, shelter for birds and working on its fruiting process that takes 12 months to mature. For people like Phoolo, Rajkumar and Gaurav, a humble life will continue to return with this humble fruit next summer.

L&DO drags feet on converting leasehold properties to freehold

Dipak.Dash@timesofindia.com

New Delhi: Even as leaseholders of prime properties on land owned by the Land and Development Office (L&DO) in Delhi eagerly await the housing ministry to allow converting them into freehold, the agency is dragging its feet on lifting the “informal” pause on this exercise for two years as it is yet to finalise the standard operating procedure (SOP) for this.

Even Delhi High Court has taken cognisance of the delay and has sought appearance of the land and development officer to explain the factual position in one case where the petitioner has dragged the agency to court for failing to convert a property into freehold despite complying with all requirements.

Queries sent to the housing and urban affairs ministry went unanswered, though sources said there was a probability that the ministry would take a call on the issue soon.

TOI has learnt that L&DO has been receiving numerous requests for converting leasehold properties to freehold. It has put the exercise on hold for more than two years, though there has been no formal order. In some cases, people have even moved court, including Delhi HC.

In fact, L&DO has informed the HC in one case that properties “could not be converted from leasehold to freehold as the SOP is under process and, as such, since 2022 no property was allowed to be converted”. In an order, the HC said on May 9, “It is a serious matter where the L&DO under the name of SOP is depriving petitioners from their legitimate claim for conversion. Accordlngly, the L&DO is directed to appear in person on next date of hearing (July 19) to explain the factual position.”

In another case, the HC has directed L&DO to convert leasehold property of a petitioner to freehold within six weeks.

L&DO had allotted most of these land and properties to individuals and entities in the 1950s at a very nominal rate and the conversion charge for these properties from leasehold to freehold is in the range of 6-10% of the land value depending on the size. “The prevailing market rate of these properties is very high and hence there is more demand from leaseholders to get them freehold so that they can sell them off. There is a high probability that middlemen involved in these sale-purchase transactions get the most out of this. Govt may consider how to go for better discovery of price to protect its interest and also carry out conversion of land deeds,” a former L&DO official said.

While some real estate experts in- volved in sale-purchase transactions of such properties suggested that govt can refer to the prevailing circle rate to calculate the conversion charge, govt sources said that would also be very less considering that Delhi’s circle rate has not been revised since 2014.

Another former L&DO official said the prevailing market rate is much more than the circle rate. “But since there is a policy to enable people to freehold their properties, govt must come out with a revised norm, if it finds the current norm is skewed,” he added.

There are around 57,400 residential, 1,600 commercial, 1,400 institutional and 110 industrial units under the jurisdiction of the L&DO in the capital.

Lenders turn down JAL’s offer of `500cr settlement

Aditya.Dev@timesofindia.com

Noida: Lenders have rejected the one-time settlement offered by Jaiprakash Associates Ltd in the insolvency case filed against it.

After the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) ordered the initiation of bankruptcy proceedings against the company last month on a petition filed by lenders led by ICICI Bank in 2018, its suspended board of directors challenged the order in NCLAT, the appellate tribunal.

During a hearing on June 10, NCLAT asked JAL to increase the amount it was to pay upfront in its original settlement offer. Subsequently, JAL revised its OTS by increasing the amount from Rs 200 crore to Rs 500 crore.

The company offered to pay an additional Rs 150 crore within 12 weeks as a part of the revised OTS and assured lenders that proceeds from the sale of its cement business would go towards settling the debt.

On Wednesday, the counsel for ICICI Bank confirmed it has not accepted JAL’s revised OTS and sought a week to file its reply. The appellate tribunal will hear the case on July 26.

In the first settlement offer proposed to creditors before the NCLT on May 29, JAL assured an upfront payment of Rs 200 crore with another Rs 16,000 crore to be paid within 18 weeks after the OTS was accepted. NCLT’s Allahabad bench dismissed the settlement offer and ordered the initiation of the corporate insolvency resolution process against JAL on June 3. Bhuvan Madan was appointed as the Interim Resolution Professional following the suspension of JAL’s board of directors.

Sunil Kumar Sharma, representing JAL’s suspended board of directors, submitted an appeal against the order at NCLAT. At the June 10 hearing, JAL reiterated its willingness to make the full payment within 18 weeks, if the OTS was accepted by the creditors.

Gahlot: Study schemes for women in MP, Maharashtra

Abhinav.Rajput@timesofindia.com

New Delhi: Women and child development minister Kailash Gahlot has asked officials to study schemes implemented in Madhya Pradesh and proposed in Maharashtra for providing a monthly honorarium to women as it has started finalising the criteria for Delhi govt’s Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana.

Sources said the minister held a meeting with department officials on Wednesday to discuss the scheme, under which Delhi govt proposes to give Rs 1,000 monthly to all women aged above 18 from FY 2024-25.

Under Ladli Behna Yojana, a scheme launched by MP govt on Jan 28, 2023, a woman is entitled to Rs 1,250 per month, with riders, including that they should not be taxpayers and their families’ annual income is below Rs 2.5 lakh.

In Maharashtra, registrations for the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana are on. Under the scheme, married, divorced and destitute women aged between 21 and 65 are entitled to get Rs 1,500 per month.

Officials said at the meeting, the minister advised officials to visit the two states to study how the scheme is being implemented. The officials intend to head to MP and Maharashtra in the coming days, a source said.

The officials were also told to examine the criteria that has to be fixed for the beneficiaries of the scheme. “There were various suggestions given during the meeting. For instance, it was suggested that the income criteria should be fixed at Rs 2.5 lakh per annum. It was also proposed that women who have vehicles registered in their name or are employed be kept out of the scheme’s ambit,” the official said.

AAP govt plans to introduce the scheme before the 2025 assembly elections, hoping the move will earn the party support among women voters. Delhi govt had announced the scheme in its budget for 2024-25. Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had then called it the “world’s biggest programme” for women’s empowerment. An allocation of Rs 2,000 crore for the scheme was made for FY 2024-25.

Musical Fountain, Dazzling Lights... A Plan To Make Naini Lake Sparkle

MCD Launches Project To Give A Makeover To Waterbody, Its Surroundings

Vibha.Sharma@timesofindia.com

New Delhi: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has launched a project to revitalise the surroundings of Naini Lake in Model Town. It will select an agency to carry out civil work, channel treated water to the lake from a nearby Delhi Jal Board sewage treatment plant, install decorative lighting, build toilet blocks and seating areas, and activate a musical fountain at the scenic waterbody. The project, estimated to cost Rs 10.7 crore and funded under the AMRUT scheme, is likely to be finished in 12 months.

An MCD official said on Thursday, “The agency selected will also be tasked with desilting the lakebed. After that, arrangements will be made to bring treated water from DJB’s Coronation Pillar sewage treatment plant in Mukherjee Nagar to the lake. At present, the lake is being filled with water drawn up by a borewell. Provisions will also be made to supply the treated water from the lake for irrigating the 17-18 parks in neighbouring areas.”

The official disclosed that the project involved upgrading the musical fountain, installing two floating fountains at Naini Lake and making provisions for impro- ved aeration of the lake water. “During rainy seasons, water from the roads accumulate in the park around Naini Lake because it is a low lying area. To address this problem, we have decided to construct a cemented drain along the boundary wall of the park. We will also renovate the toilet block and provide benches for people to sit.”

Officials had claimed earlier that there were plans to enhance the greenery and beautify the lake by planting 7,000 new plant species.

Currently, Delhi Tourism provides boating facilities for visitors to Naini Lake and many people come here for recreation. The restoration of the lake is part of the initiative to rejuvenate and restore waterbodies under the jurisdiction of MCD and DJB as part of the centrally-funded AMRUT 2 scheme.

This is, however, not MCD’s maiden attempt at restoring the lake. In 2023, the civic body had invited tenders after receiving anticipatory approval of the mayor. An official said, "The first tender was withdrawn in mid-Oct. The second attempt was made in Feb this year, but only a single bid was received. It took us three months to reinitiate the tendering process due to the model code of conduct in force for the Lok Sabha elections. If the response is not found satisfying in this, the third attempt, we will immediately go for the next attempt so the revamp work can positively start this year."

2 projects in corridors of uncertainty

PWD will only proceed with the projects once the availability of funds is assured, otherwise they will be abandoned, officials said

Siddhanta.Mishra@timesofindia.com

New Delhi: The Public Works Department (PWD) has decided to postpone two ambitious projects, North-South and East-West corridors, till the finance department provides an in-principle approval for necessary funds.

Officials said the projects, which aimed to solve the traffic congestion problem in the city, would require a substantial investment of Rs 10,600 crore from the public exchequer. PWD will only proceed with the projects once the availability of funds is assured, otherwise they will be abandoned, officials added.

The North-South corridor, which would start from Zakhira and end on Urban Extension Road-2 on the west si- de of IGI Airport, was first proposed in 2016. According to initial plans, the corridor has two tunnels and an elevated corridor. Over the past few years, PWD has been securing approvals and no-objection certificates (NOC) from various departments involved with the project. However, the NOCs from the forest department and a few others are still pending. This project is likely to cost Rs 6,500 crore.

The other mega project, East-West corridor, has also been pending for several years. This corridor is proposed between Anand Vihar and Tikri border, and the layout plan between Anand Vihar and Zakhira, spanning approximately 19km, has been submitted to the apex planning body UTTIPEC for consideration and approval.

The corridor, passing through New Patparganj Road, Noida Link Road, Ring Road, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg and others, also involves both tunnel and elevated portions. The cost of this project is estimated at Rs 4,100 crore.

In both projects, NOCs from some agencies like Delhi Metro and the forest department are still pending. “To make further studies and plans for these projects involving such high costs would require an in-principle approval from the finance department. We do not want a situation where the projects start and then get stuck due to financial problems, which we are experiencing in some projects,” said a PWD official.

The department is also exploring another option of executing these projects in phases so that the goal to reduce traffic congestion is achieved and they also don’t get stalled in between due to lack of funds, said officials. “All stakeholders shall be called on a common platform and asked to issue NOCs within certain timelines,” added an official.

In the past, some projects like a new Delhi Secretariat building at ITO and the installation of 500 LED screens across the city were dropped due to the funds issue.

Cops: ‘Killer’ teen assaulted girl

Gurgaon: A boy held for the murder of his nine-year-old neighbour over a theft bid at a housing society in Sector 107 on July 1 had sexually assaulted the girl before strangling her with a scarf and setting the body on fire in her house.

Charges under the POCSO Act were added to the case — the first to be registered under the newly implemented BNS in the city on charges of murder and theft — after the boy made new submissions before Juvenile Justice Board counsellors on the last day of his police remand on Thursday.

“While there was no confirmation of a penetrative assault by the teen, he claimed to have touched the minor inappropriately,” investigating officer said. TNN

HC refers to new law in forged papers case

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: In a recent order, Delhi High Court has referred to the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS), the newly introduced criminal law that kicked in from July 1.

The case relates to trademark infringement with allegations of forgery and fabrication of documents. The court cited the new law while examining of the alleged offence of fabrication by the owner of a private company which will continued to be heard under Section 340 of the CrPC.

“In these proceedings, since the application was pending when the new statutes Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and BNSS, 2023 were enacted, the matter would continue under the erstwhile Code itself,” noted Justice Prathiba M Singh.

The court was hearing a suit filed by a manufacturer of electrical appliances against two persons seeking an injunction against the use of a parti cular mark.

Five Haryana cities among India’s most polluted in June, Gurgaon not one of them

Gurgaon: Haryana accounted for over half of India’s top 10 most polluted cities in June for at least ten days of the month, and Gurgaon wasn’t one of them — underscoring just how air pol- lution has festered in areas surrounding the capital though they don’t get as much attention as Delhi-NCR. According to a report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, Rohtak, which shares a border with Delhi, was the most polluted among 251 Indian cities included in the study. Rohtak’s average concentration of particulate matter 2.5 for June was 116µg/m3, more than twice the level considered safe in India (60µg/m3). The city’s daily PM2.5 levels exceeded this safety standard every day of the month as well.

TNN

Light Showers Today May Keep Relief Going

Drizzle Also Likely From July 6-10, Says Met

IMD has issued a ‘yellow’ alert for light to moderate rain on Friday

Priyangi.Agarwal@timesofindia.com

New Delhi: Parts of the city received very light rain on Thursday. Light to moderate showers are likely to drench the capital on Friday too. However, light rain has been predicted from July 6 to 10.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Safdarjung, the city’s base station, and Lodhi Road logged 0.6 mm of rainfall, respectively, from 8.30am to 5.30pm. Ayanagar and Palam received 2.1 and 0.2 mm of rainfall during the same duration.

The maximum temperature dipped to 31.7 degrees Celsius, six degrees below normal. It was 2.4 degrees lower than Wednesday’s maximum. The minimum temperature dropped from 29 degrees Celsius on Wednesday to 24.8 degrees Celsius, three degrees below normal, on Thursday. Though the mercury decreased, the humidity increased in the past 24 hours. The relative humidity oscillated between 77% and 100%.

An IMD official said, “The monsoon trough is currently north of Delhi and the same conditions are expected on Friday. However, the m onsoon tro- ugh may move further north, and rain intensity may reduce from Saturday onwards.”

IMD has issued a ‘yellow’ alert for light to moderate rain or thunderstorm or lightning on Friday. However, there are no colour-coded alerts from Saturday to July 10, but the city may witness light rain or thunderstorm or lightning during the period.

The IMD’s data shows that Safdarjung has received 9.2 mm of rainfall so far in July. It is a rain deficit of 47% till now.

The Met department has predicted that the maximum temperature may rise to 33 degrees Celsius on Friday. It may touch 35 degrees Celsius by Monday. The minimum temperature, meanwhile, may reach 26 degrees Celsius on Friday and it may increase to 28 degrees Celsius by July 10.

As light to moderate showers are likely on Friday, IMD said the rain may cause minor traffic disruption on roads and disruption of electricity. Partial damage to vulnerable structures may happen due to strong winds, it added.

Delhi breathes easier as air gets better due to strong winds, rain

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Delhiites breathed the cleanest air since Sept 11 last y ear, as the air quality index (AQI) dipped to 61 in the ‘satisfactory’ category on Thursday. A lower AQI than this was seen on Sept 11 when it was 53. Rain, along with strong winds, cleaned the air.

Dipankar Saha, former head of CPCB’s air laboratory, said, “Rain is the cause for the low AQI. However, it doesn't mean that the air pollutants have disappeared. It is a common phenomenon that rain washes everything away; that's the beauty of the sub-tropical region. However, when there will be no rain, the pollution will bounce back.” He added, “To reduce the emissions, everyone has to work throughout the year.”

Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director of research and advocacy at the Centre for Science and Environment, said, “This is very typical of the monsoon season. Consistent and prolonged rain has a washout effect that cleans up the air. In seasonal comparison, monsoon months are usually the cleanest.”

The Central Pollution Control Board’s data shows that Sept 2023 had witnessed nine ‘satisfactory’ days and one ‘good’ day when the AQI touched 45 on Sept 10.

Oct last y ear saw one ‘satisfactory’ day with an AQI of 89 on Oct 17. However, no ‘satisfactory’ day was seen from Oct 18, 2023, to June 26 this year. The first ‘ satisfactory’ day of the year was recorded on June 27 with an AQI of 79. No ‘good’ air day has been seen in 2024 till now.

According to the Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi, the air quality is likely to remain ‘satisfactory’ until July 7 and then for subsequent six days, it may stay in the ‘satisfactory’ to ‘moderate’ category.

Excise policy case: Court reserves order on chargesheet

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Thursday reserved its order on taking cognizance of the supplementary chargesheet filed against Vinod Chauhan and Ashish Mathur in the money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam.

The court of special judge Kaveri Baweja is likely to pronounce the order on cognizance on July 9. The court is also likely to decide on the cognisance of the seventh supplementary chargesheet filed against Arvind Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party in the case on the same date.

The court reserved the order after hearing submissions by special public prosecutor NK Matta, who was appearing for ED.

According to ED, Chauhan, an accused, was the man allegedly handling the proceeds of crime connected with hawala operators. The ED has claimed he was "very much a close associate" of Kejriwal. Chauhan was responsible for the transfer of Rs 25.5 crore (of Rs 45 crore which were used in the Goa assembly elections) from Delhi to Goa, the agency has said. The ED has also said that Rs 1.06 crore was recovered from him.

The agency submitted before the court that Chauhan was involved in sending money to Chanpreet Singh through hawala dealers. Chanpreet was AAPs fund manager for the Goa elections, ED has claimed. The agency submitted that it had traced the money trail, which was used to fund AAP’s Goa campaign.

Earlier, ED in its reply had submitted to court th at Chauhan’s proximity to Kejriwal was also apparent from the fact that he was managing postings for officials in Delhi Jal Board through the chief minister.

Ashish Mathur, named with Chauhan in the eighth supplementary chargesheet, allegedly took the money on behalf of Chauhan and gave it to hawala couriers who then took it to co-accused Chanpreet.

The ED said that South Group's Abhishek Boinpally allegedly gave another accused, Ashok Kaushik, two bags of cash, which went to Chauhan.

In limbo for 3 mths, doorstep delivery may get fresh push

Abhinav.Rajput@timesofindia.com

New Delhi: Delhi govt is planning to revive doorstep delivery services, its flagship initiative that allowed residents to apply for various documents from their homes but has remained inactive for nearly three months.

“There is no issue with the scheme. It already has cabinet extension. The reason it is facing hiccups is that further extension could not have been given to agencies that served helplines,” minister Kailash Gahlot said on Thursday. The helplines acted as first respondent when people had to register their requests, he added.

“I have directed (officials) to put up a proposal to start the helpline from other agencies as it was very beneficial for people, especially the elderly and working population,” Gahlot said.

Delhi govt received over 1.4 lakh calls last y ear under the doorstep delivery scheme to book mobile sahayaks, with a convertibility of 57% — over 80,000 cases were transferred to the department and the remaining discarded due to no response from the applicants.

The scheme, launched in Sept 2018 to access 30 services without having to visit govt offices, was aimed at eliminating the need for citizens to stand in long queues and undergo bu- reaucratic hassles by bringing essential services directly to their doorstep. Forty services were added to the project in March 2019 and another 30 in Sept that year.

Officials said while giving an extension in Nov 2023, the department made it clear that the project in its current form will either remain operational until it is replaced with a new and revised scheme, or last until March 31.

Under the scheme, people would call a centralised number — 1076 — to book a service, and a mobile sahayak, the lastmile agent, would visit them to collect the necessary documents, saving them the hassle of travelling to govt offices.

Among the facilities available were issuance of income, caste and domicile certificates; sewer, water, and electricity connections; ration card; driver’s licence; drug licence; and bus passes from 14 govt departments, including revenue, transport, Delhi Jal Board, social welfare, and food and supplies, among others.

Officials said there were plans to add 58 more services in Aug last year, and software had been tested and the required hardware deployed. However, the project ran into rough weather before the new facilities could be officially launched by AAP govt.

Mosquito breeding found on DDA, DJB premises: MCD

New Delhi: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has identified several mosquito breeding spots, including the premises of the DDA office, Delhi Jal Board pumping station, police stations and metro parking sites, civic body officials said on Thursday.

Around 37,000 cases of breeding were recorded in the last six months, they said.

The MCD has issued around 40,000 challans and legal notices to concerned officials and owners of the properties where the breeding was found for viola- ting the Malaria and other Vector Borne Diseases Bye-Laws 1975 Act.

The MCD found the mosquito-genic conditions in places like fridge trays, containers, rooftop tanks, and construction sites during its annual inspection exercise. According to a senior civic body official, the mosquito breeding was found at two DDA offices in Dwarka Sector 8 and Manglapuri, DJB pumping station in Yamuna Vihar, the Delhi police station in Bhajanpura, and a metro station parking in Ranjeet Nagar.

PTI

CINEMA OF THE WEEK

Kill (Action/Thriller) ★★★

Cast: Lakshya, Raghav Juyal, Abhishek Chauhan, Tanya Maniktala, Ashish Vidyarthi, Harsh Chhaya

Direction: Nikhil Nagesh Bhat

Duration: 1 hour 55 minutes

Language: Hindi (A)

■ NSG commando Amrit Rathod (Lakshya) and his girlfriend Tulika’s (Tanya Maniktala) train journey to Delhi takes a dangerous turn when a bunch of dacoits led by Fani (Raghav Juyal), hijack the train. At least 40 bandits attack the passengers to loot them. A brutal death compels Amrit to go on a killing spree.

With no assistance whatsoever, can the love-struck fauji, single-handedly save the day? In terms of relentless graphic violence, Kill seems like a John Wick admirer and spiritual successor of Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal, (thankfully) minus the blatant misogyny. What it perhaps required to borrow from Animal was its outstanding background music by Harshavardhan Rameshwar. Though similar in terms of vengeance driving the plot, Kill displays some form of moral compass.

After witnessing Amrit’s unhinged rage, a psychotic Fani tells the army man, ‘Tum rakshak nahi raakshas ho’. Beyond this one sentence, you wish the writing and characterisation displayed some depth, compelling you to question morality, principles or humanity. The storytelling focuses on brutal combat scenes alone for almost two hours, which are intense, even engaging but a tad tiring and repetitive beyond a point.

The film breaks new ground in terms of its treatment. Be it Train to Busan or Bullet Train, a train journey turning into a nightmare theme has been explored by South Korean and American films before. It’s refreshing to see Hindi cinema attempting this genre and putting in a sincere effort. Set entirely in a confined space (coaches of a moving train), the narrative maintains if not heightens the intensity of gruesome fights. You can barely take a breather, which works. Action unfolds at lightning pace, but gets monotonous beyond a point as the story and characters lack emotional heft. Action films like Ghajini were able to project its trauma on you. In Kill, you are shocked and horrified but not moved by the extreme gore, bloodshed and heartache you witness. The action is well-choreographed and not for the faint-hearted.From a mild-mannered soldier to a murderous maniac. From an NSG commando to an unhinged assassin, who doesn’t know where to stop, Lakshya requires to be ruthless yet humane and he nails it. The actor makes an effective screen debut in an out an out-action thriller. However, it is Raghav Juyal, who shines the most in his eccentric character. This is by far his toughest role as an actor, and he manages to make an impression.

Director Nikhil Nagesh Bhat goes all out in a bid to do justice to the genre. There’s not a single dull moment even when things get repetitive. The director uses violence as a language and glorification of violence is evident, but action thrillers thrive on that so that’s not the issue. A gore fest for action lovers, you might even find beauty in the bloodshed if that’s your thing. Despite witnessing blood spattering, swinging hammers breaking open people’s heads and more, the scene that shocks you the most is a romantic one. Amrit proposes to Tulika in a train toilet!

Kill had the perfect setting to cash in on claustrophobic horror. It makes you squirm with all the violence (as intended), but never reaches a crescendo where fear grips you. That would have been its true victory.

— Renuka Vyavahare

To review any movie and check show timings, visit etimes.in

Despicable Me 4 (Animation, Comedy) ★★★

Cast: Steve Carell, Will Ferrell, Pierre Coffin, Kristen Wiig, Sofía Vergara, Joey King, Madison Skyy Polan

Direction: Chris Renaud, Patrick Delage

Duration: 1 hour 34 minutes

Language: English (U)

■ Former supervillain turned secret agent Gru(Steve Carell), still sees himself as a misfit but is no longer cranky and cynical. He is a softie, who loves his newborn baby boy. All’s well until Gru gets his archnemesis aka ‘insect man’ Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell) arrested. This reignites their longstanding rivalry, forcing Gru and his family to go into hiding.

Gru and his family, including the adorable but misfiring loyal minions, move to a safe house in a new neighbourhood, feigning new identities and battling new sets of challenges. The bunch must fight the hostility of their snooty neighbours and befriend the person who can blow their cover. If this isn’t enough, they must also fight Maxime and revisit Gru’s old school to steal a honey badger.

Little Agnes and her big eyes ensure the cuteness factor is intact in the franchise and giving her company is Gru’s tiny toddler, new addition to the family. An unconventional looking man with a tough exterior and soft heart has always been the USP of the Despicable franchise. It has always had a rather silly but heartwarming premise. The minions and their (self-coined banana) language lends its own share of fun and comedy.The fourth instalment retains all those elements, but the script feels overstuffed and half-baked with multiple tracks not quite reaching their full potential. As a result, the film feels incomplete and conveniently rushed. It doesn’t come together. Be it the Gru-Maxime rivalry bit or family relocation crisis, it doesn’t come to fruition to achieve the desired impact. It all feels a bit scattered and a half-hearted attempt to keep the franchise going.

Does it have its enjoyable moments? Yes. But these moments never come together to turn into one story that embodies that heartwarming quality. Then there’s also the ‘Avengers gone wrong’ track where minions are turned into mega minions, but they do more damage than good. Not many scenes stay with you unlike the previous films barring one. Lucy being chased down by a disgruntled woman has Terminator’s title music playing in the background, making it the funniest chase sequence of the movie.

Despicable 4 is serviceably sweet and enjoyable but not the best in the series.

— Renuka Vyavahare

RATING SCALE

TRASH ★ | BELOW AVERAGE ★★ | AVERAGE ★★½ | ABOVE AVERAGE ★★★ | GOOD ★★★½ | VERY GOOD ★★★★ | OUTSTANDING ★★★★½ | MASTERPIECE ★★★★★

Victim Shaming Should Not Be Permitted: HC

Rejects Plea Against Conviction In Sexual Harassment Of A Minor

TIMESNEWSNETWORK

New Delhi: Dismissing a plea by a man challenging his conviction in a sexual harassment case involving a minor, Delhi High Court has observed that “victim shaming” must not be allowed as it will deter reporting of such crimes.

The single-judge bench of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, upholding the trial court verdict sentencing the man to three years’ simple imprisonment, said for the survivors, “judicial pronouncements that recognise and articulate the profound impact of voyeurism on them and their families put a healing balm on the wounds of suffering from such harassment and assault. This is equally crucial for their psychological healing”.

The acknowledgement not only assures the survivors that their experiences have been accepted to be true and the trauma undergone by them has been recognised by the criminal justice system, but also recognises the gravity of the violation they have endured, he added in his order dated July 1.

The case dates back to 2018 when a 17-year-old minor girl alleged that Pintu Das, a 22year-old domestic helper employed in her house, had shot videos of her secretly on his mobile phone through a window while she was changing clothes in her room. The girl was getting ready to visit her school to get her admit card for class 12 board exams. After catching Das watching the videos on his phone, she informed her parents.

The court said the case unfolds the story of a minor child who suffered voyeurism, sexual harassment and outraging of her modesty within the four walls of her home at the hands of helping staff employed by her father, which was dangerous.

“Strict legal actions against perpetrators act as a deterrent, discouraging potential offenders by demonstrating that the legal system is proactive and uncompromising in dealing with such crimes,” it said.

Rejecting the contention of the defence counsel that the girl’s father “planted” the videos in the man’s phone to avoid paying his salary, the court said such an argument was “meritless” and “insensitive”. Further, accepting this argument would amount to encouraging not only victim shaming, but also her family, which cannot be allowed by any court of law, the judge said.

“This court shudders to think of the eventuality in case the videos were shared by the appellant or were misused by him in any other manner, as to how it would have impacted the child and her family,” the court said.

WCD dept takes over 181 helpline, handles over 1,000 calls in a day

New Delhi: The women and child development department of Delhi govt has taken over the management of the women helpline number 181, previously handled by Delhi Commission for Women. The helpline staff began receiving calls from 4:58 pm on July 3. By 2 pm on Thursday, they had received 1,024 calls.

Minister Kailash Gahlot said, “The helpline has resumed its operation, now under the ambit of WCD, as a robust support system for women. We aim to ensure that every call is handled with utmost care and that women in distress receive timely and effective help. Delhi govt is committed to addressing issues of violence, abuse, and other concerns faced by women, reinforcing our dedication to their safety and well-being.”

TNN

‘Courts being used as pawns in illegal construction matters’

New Delhi: Delhi High Court on Thursday castigated the MCD commissioner over illegal and unauthorised constructions in the national capital and said that courts were being used as "pawns" in the process.

It said one of the reasons for flooding in Delhi was that water outlets are blocked due to unauthorised constructions, and asked the civic body chief to take stern action against erring officers.

The bench said it had noticed that some lawyers were also blackmailing and extracting money in unauthorised construction matters and the court process was being misused.

“We are being used as a pawn in the entire thing. We want to break this nexus, it is a big nexus. The system is collapsing. You do something and take drastic action against your officers,” the bench told the MCD chief.

A bench of Acting Chief Jus- tice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela apprised the MCD Commissioner Ashwani Kumar, who joined the proceedings virtually in pursuance of the court's direction, about filing of motivated petitions which cannot be ignored as the fact of illegal and unauthorised constructions is not in dispute.

“Courts are being used as a strategic tool by both the petitioner and the officials of MCD for their ulterior purposes and for extracting money. Professional persons are filing a number of petitions on unauthorised constructions. We are stuck in a strange situation. If we take action, they tend to extort money from the property owner. If we don't take action, then the unauthorised construction remains,” the bench said.

During the hearing, the MCD counsel contended that the petition was motivated.

PTI

ACB to check pvt hosps, nursing homes

New Delhi: The Delhi Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) will inspect 120 private hospitals and nursing homes, beginning Friday, for discrepancies as part of a drive following a fire at a neonatal hospital in Vivek Vihar that killed seven infants in May.

In the first phase of the drive in June, ACB had inspected 62 private medical facilities and found that four were allegedly running illegally and 40 others with several discrepancies. For the second phase, officials said, ACB has identified 120 big and small private medical facilities in south, west and north Delhi.

PTI

13 hurt in bus-tractor crash

Thirteen people were injured after a double-decker bus heading from Morena to Delhi ploughed into a tractor-trolley on the Yamuna Expressway on Thursday morning.

TNN

Rental bikes, cabs, feeder buses at all RRTS stations

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Passengers will have the facility to rent two wheelers or bicycles and use feeder buses, cabs and autorickshaws for last-mile connectivity at all RRTS stations from Delhi to Meerut.

The National Capital Region Transport Corporation, which is executing the RRTS project, has sought expressions of interest on a large scale for feeder services for all 25 stations of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor.

At present, Namo Bharat trains are running on the 34-km section from Sahibabad to Modi Nagar North, covering eight stations. Electric buses of Ghaziabad City Transport Services Limited have been made available at all these operational stations for last mile connectivity. Additionally, the Rapido taxi service is available. “Passengers using the Rapido bike taxi are being given a 10% discount for travelling on Namo Bharat trains. At present, this discount facility is available only at Ghaziabad and Sahibabad RRTS stations, and soon, this facility will be extended to passengers at other stations,” said the official.

Service providers for CNG/ electric-based shuttle-bus service, pre-paid powered taxi services, app cab service, prepaid/metered autorickshaw service, sharing service, e-rickshaw service, two-wheeler bike taxi service for point-to-point mobility from stations, rental cycle service from stations, rental car service from stations, etc. are being sought, the official stated further.

“Passengers will be able to avail the facility of rental two wheelers and rental bicycles by paying on an hourly basis, and after the work gets over, they can park their vehicle or bicycle back at the vehicle or cycle point built in the stations and travel further by Namo Bharat trains. These efforts of NCRTC will create a better and friendlier transport system, which will not only reduce pollution but will also reduce road accidents,” said another official.

Man kills self

Man kills self: A30-year-old man allegedly shot himself dead in Rohini on Thursday. A suicide note was recovered. The deceased, Sunil Thakur, was a resident of Bareilly in UP.

PTI

Pay Fully For Premium Flats By Aug 28: DDA

With Limited Access To Site, Allottees In Doubt

The allottees have expressed concerns regarding the limited access to the site, with some alleging that various works, such as installing tiles in balconies and fitting fixtures, remain unfinished

Vibha.Sharma@timesofindia.com

New Delhi: Delhi Development Authority (DDA) recently issued a circular for the allottees of its premium housing scheme in Dwarka’s Sector 19B, asking them to settle the final payment, which is 25% of the total cost, for the penthouses, super-HIG and HIG flats.

DDA claims these dwelling units are now available for physical possession and the allottees are required to finalise the payment by Aug 28 without interest or by Sept 28 with interest at the rate of 10% per annum. The authority also says it has secured the fire no-objection certificate (NOC) for the project.

The allottees have, however, expressed concerns regarding the limited access to the site, with some alleging that various works, such as installing tiles in balconies and fitting fixtures, remain unfinished. They said that despite the ongoing problems at the site, the authority might start the handover process due to the previous declaration of completing the project by June 30.

“After the successful completion of e-auction of flats under Diwali Special Housing Scheme 2023 (eauction), the demand-cumallotment letters were issued to all the successful allottees and highest bidders last year. In Feb 2024, it was clarified that instead of 100% of the cost amount, the allottees were required to pay at least 75% within the time schedule and the remaining 25% will be raised at the time of offer of physical possession,” stated a DDA circular.

“While calculating the payment towards this 25% of the demanded amount, the applicant has to adjust the TDS deposited, which has to be paid directly to the income-tax department,” the circular added. DDA clarified that the amount would have to be submitted online on its website.

The allottees have expressed concerns about the authority’s decision to initiate the payment process before completing all works. “Why would a person pay the remaining amount when he or she can’t move into the house or flat immediately? Some of us managed to get inside the complex where the works on installing tiles, bathrooms fixtures, balcony work and common area repair were still in progress,” said an allottee on the condition of anonymity.

However, some allottees have said a few senior DDA officials visited the site on Tuesday and assured that all flats would be ready by the time people would start moving in, and the site would be open to visitors within the next seven-10 days.

A DDA official said, “The physical possession of each and every flat will be given only after it will be readied totally for living purpose. The process has just opened and people have two months to make payment. We have already received NoCs and are working diligently to complete pending works.”

DDA has also issued a similar circular for the physical transfer of EWS flats in the same sector.

Rare tumour taken out of facial nerve

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Doctors at Fortis Hospital have treated a 39-year-old Kenyan woman suffering from facial nerve schwannoma, an extremely rare tumour that grows on the facial nerve, eventually causing facial weakness, headaches and hearing and visual loss.

Facial nerve schwannomas are rare, slow-growing tumours, accounting for less than 1% of all temporal bone tumours. They grow on the seventh cranial nerve, which is the facial nerve. These tumours are benign and grow slowly. According to the website cancer.gov, they have afflicted fewer than 200,000 people worldwide and affect 1 in 50,000 people in India.

The woman was admitted to Fortis Vasant Kunj in a conscious but irritable state, with a complete loss of vision in both eyes and total facial paralysis on the right side accompanied by hearing loss. During the admission process, she disclosed that she had been experiencing facial weakness, headaches, hearing loss and visual impairment for the past three years.

To determine the cause, the team conducted an MRI of the brain and a CT angiography. The results of the tests revealed the presence of a facial nerve schwannoma. It was a large tumour measuring "64.2 x 49.5 x 41.5 mm (about the size of a tennis ball)" in a complex location in the brain. This tumour was identified as the underlying cause of her facial palsy and other neurological symptoms.

The initial step in her treatment was a ventriculoperitoneal shunt surgery, which aimed to manage the excessive cerebrospinal fluid accumulation in the brain's ventricles and alleviate the increased intracranial pressure. The surgery yielded positive results, as she exhibited reduced irritability and showed signs of improved light perception in both eyes. The next stage of her treatment involved removal of the tumour.

The team of doctors, led by Dr Anurag Gupta, senior consultant of neurosurgery, along with Dr Yogesh Jain, ENT and skull base surgeon, did the surgery that lasted for 15 hours. Dr Gupta said: "She could have developed weakness in her limbs, difficulty in swallowing and eventually death.” The patient was discharged after 12 days in a stable condition.

Music teacher sexually harasses 10-yr-old, held

POLICE OFFICER SAYS The girl informed her parents that her music teacher showed obscene videos and also touched her inappropriately

Advitya.Bahl@timesofindia.com

Noida: A 48-year-old music teacher was arrested on Thursday morning allegedly for sexually harassing a 10-year-old girl.

The accused was the girl’s music teacher and would go to her house to provide music lessons, police said.

According to additional DCP (Central Noida) Hirdesh Katheriya, the accused was identified as Anurag Samuel, a resident of Turkman Gate in Delhi. The girl’s parents had hired Samuel to tutor their daughter around three months ago.

The parents alleged in the police complaint that her mother found her watching an obscene video on Tuesday evening. “When asked, the girl informed her parents that her music teacher showed her such videos and also touched her inappropriately. Following this, the parents submitted a written complaint,” the ADCP said.

An FIR has been registered against Samuel under section 75(2) (sexual harassment) of Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) at Phase-3 police station.

“On Thursday morning, the accused was arrested from Sector 59 metro station,” the officer added.

Times Global

- A warning to US? Russian lawmaker says missile could be deployed in Cuba

- Sunak vs Starmer: Who will get keys to No. 10?

- Indian economist gets honorary fellowship by LSE

- AROUND THE WORLD

- Pakistan to invite India to SCO council meet in Oct

- Liberal pundits, pollsters make case for Kamala Harris to replace Biden

- France braces for violence, boosts security for run-off

- US SC cut federal agencies’ wings. Ruling a ‘mixed bag’ for diaspora

- All work, no play? Greece opts for 6-day workweek

- Canine nuptials on rise in China while it struggles to make humans marry

A warning to US? Russian lawmaker says missile could be deployed in Cuba

Moscow: A Russian lawmaker said Thursday that the Russian deployment of missiles on Cuba was one option being looked at in response to what he cast as a US escalation over Ukraine and an accelerating arms race among major nuclear powers. Prez Putin said last week that Russia should resume production of intermediate and shorter range nuclear-capable missiles and then consider where to deploy them after the US brought similar missiles to Europe and Asia.

Sergei Mironov, the leader of the “Just Russia Patriots -For Truth” party in the lower house of the Russian parliament, said that Washington had embarked on an arms race that could lead to “devastating consequences” for the US. “The possible use of a base in Cuba, which was recently visited by Russian ships carrying hypersonic weapons abroad, is just one of many options,” Mironov said in a statement. “Nowadays, the Cuban Missile Crisis could happen anywhere, taking into account the modern capabilities of the Russian army, air force and navy.” Mironov’s party is staunchly pro-Putin.

The 1962 stand-off between the Soviet Union and the US over Moscow’s stationing of nuclear weapons in Cuba is widely considered the moment when the Cold War superpowers came closest to intentional nuclear war. “It is worth recalling that the cause of the crisis in the 1960s was the deployment of US missiles in Turkiye,” Mironov said. “Now the US is again hatching plans to deploy weapons near the borders of Russia, supply longrange weapons to Kyiv regime, and plan and direct attacks on Russian territory.”

REUTERS

Sunak vs Starmer: Who will get keys to No. 10?

On Voting Day, Labour Chief Says ‘Today, Britain Can Begin A New Chapter’; PM Urges Stopping ‘Tax-Raiser’s Supermajority’

PM Rishi Sunak and wife Akshata walked hand-in-hand to their polling booth in his constituency of Richmond & Northallerton in Yorkshire and a little later, Keir Starmer and wife Victoria voted at Camden, sporting Labour red

London: The future of Rishi Sunak — the first British PM of Indian origin who is facing anti-incumbency sentiments after 14 years of Conservative govt — hangs in the balance as millions of voters cast their ballots in a historic general election on Thursday.

Sunak (44) and the man who wants his job, Labour’s leader Keir Starmer (61), were among the early voters from an estimated 46 million registered voters as around 40,000 polling booths opened across the country at 7am (local time).

Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty walked hand-inhand to their polling booth in his constituency of Richmond and Northallerton in Yorkshire, northern England. A little later, Starmer and wife Victoria were at their polling station in Camden, north London, sporting Labour red “Today, Britain can begin a new chapter,” Starmer told voters. “We cannot afford five more years under Conservatives.”

Sunak, meanwhile, took to social media to drive home his message: “Polls are open. It’s time to stop the Labour supermajority that would mean higher taxes for the rest of your life.” The first national bal- lot since Boris Johnson won the Tories a decisive victory in 2019 follows Sunak’s surprise call to hold an election six months earlier than required. His gamble looks set to backfire spectacularly, with polls throughout the six-week campaign — and for the last two years — pointing to a heavy defeat for his Conservative g party.

Voting closes at 10pm local time or 2.30am IST. Broadcasters then announce exit polls, which typically provide an accurate picture of how the main parties have performed. Results from the UK’s 650 constituencies trickle in overnight, with the winning party expected to hit 326 seats — the threshold for a parliamentary majority — as dawn breaks Friday.

Polls suggest voters will punish the Tories after 14 years of often chaotic rule and could oust a string of govt ministers, with talk that even Sunak’s seat might not be safe. That would make him the first sitting prime minister not to retain his seat in a general election.

If opinion polls are to be believed, the incumbent Tories are in line to win anywhere between 53 and 150 seats, with Labour projected to win a landslide. YouGov, Focaldata and More in Common all projected Labour would secure at least 430 seats, topping the 418 under Tony Blair in 1997. And if the predictions come true, Starmer will take over as PM, the first Labour politician after Gordon Brown to enter 10 Downing Street since 2010. However, he played down the prospect of a landslide win for fear of a low voter turnout impacting the final outcome.

Other contenders like the Lib Dems were tipped to scoop dozens of seats — up from their current tally of 15 — while Nigel Farage’s anti-immigrant Reform UK party was set to win a handful. YouGov and More in Common both forecast the Brexit figurehead would finally become an MP at the eighth time of asking.

Pollsters have forecast a low turnout, which was 67% in the 2019 polls. It’s the first general election at which you must bring photo ID to vote in person — and the first July election since 1945. The Elections Act introduced by Johnson in 2022 was enforced, ironically, earlier this year when the ex-PM tried to vote without ID in a local election in South Oxfordshire. He was turned away, but returned later with his ID.

PTI & AFP

Indian economist gets honorary fellowship by LSE

N K Singh

Naomi Canton

London: Indian policymaker and economist N K Singh was awarded an honorary fellowship by the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) at a ceremony in London on Wednesday night.

Singh (83) joins Sir Karl Popper, Amartya Sen and queen Elizabeth and others who have been recognised with this award.

Singh said: “It is a humbling moment for me considering the stature of many of my predecessors. The LSE has been a centre of academic and intellectual excellence since the year of its inception in 1895. The India-LSE relationship has been intensive and inquisitive. Both have benefitted from the exchange of ideas. In many ways, it has been integral to our contemporary history. After all, Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar, popularly regarded as the father of the Indian Constitution, was also an alumnus of LSE.”

AROUND THE WORLD

One of Germany’s poorest cities has taken Taylor Swift’s name, temporarily

The Swifties are about to take over the German city formerly known as Gelsenkirchen, where Taylor Swift is set to give three Eras Tour concerts. In honour of the singer, the city has renamed itself “Swiftkirchen” — at least temporarily — to welcome the tens of thousands of fans who are expected to come for her shows on July 17, 18 and 19. A yellow city sign with the new name — which translates roughly to “Swift’s Church” — was unveiled Tuesday by fan Aleshanee Westhoff, who suggested the name to the city’s mayor and started a petition a few weeks ago. One of the poorest cities in Germany, Gelsenkirchen is a former coal mining town that’s never recovered from the decline of its main industry. Expected to generate huge revenue for the city, Swift’s concertsare sold out and will take place at a stadium, which has space for up to 70,000 Swifties.

Bird flu cuts short McD’s breakfast hours in Aus

McDonald’s fast-food outlets in Australia have cut breakfast service hours as bird flu outbreaks around the country hit egg supplies. “We are carefully managing (the) supply of eggs due to the current industry challenges,” McDonald's Australia said this week. As a result, breakfast orders will stop at 10.30 am instead of midday, it said. H7 avian influenza has emerged at nearly a dozen poultry farms across Victoria, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.

WORLD’S OLDEST ARTWORK FOUND IN INDONESIAN CAVE It may not look like much — just a flaking image of three people around a big red pig. But the humble cave painting discovered in Indonesia is the oldest known narrative artwork ever made by human hands, dating back more than 51,000 years, new research said on Wednesday. ‘This is the oldest evidence of storytelling,’ Maxime Aubert, an archaeologist at Australia's Griffith University, told AFP. Aubert was part of the team that identified the previous record holder in 2019, a hunting scene found in a nearby Indonesian cave then estimated to be nearly 44,000 years old

Pakistan to invite India to SCO council meet in Oct

Omer Farooq Khan TNN

Islamabad: Pakistan foreign ministry’s spokesperson said on Thursday that her country will host the meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s council of heads of govt in Oct and invite all members, including India, to attend the gathering in person in Islamabad. “The year 2024 is an important milestone for Pakistan-SCO relations, as Pakistan holds the rotating chairmanship of the SCO council of heads of govt, which is the second highest decision-making forum of SCO,” foreign office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said. Pakistan became an SCO member in June 2017, after holding observer status from 2005 to 2017.

Baloch said the Oct conference would be preceded by a ministerial meeting and several rounds of high-level official talks among SCO member states, focusing on financial, economic, social, cultural and humanitarian cooperation. “The conference would be held as per the SCO procedures and in-person attendance of heads of govt. So, in our capacity as the chair, we will be extending invitations to all heads of govt of SCO member states,” she said.

Terrorist killed, several injured in Gilgit-Baltistan

Pakistan’s security forces have killed a high-profile militant commander involved in multiple terrorist attacks in the disputed northern region of Gilgit Baltistan (GB) in a shootout on Thursday, according to top govt functionaries, reports Omer Farooq Khan. Speaking to reporters, GB home minister Shams Lone said it was part of an intelligence-based operation. “Terrorist commander Shah Faisal was killed during an intelligence-based security operation in the Darel valley of GB’s Diamer district, while his accomplice, Zahidullah, was injured,” Lone said. He did not disclose the name of the outfit with which the slain commander was associated but stated he was the mastermind of the terrorist attack in Chilas region last Dec when militants shot up a bus on the Karakoram Highway, killing nine people and injuring 21.

Liberal pundits, pollsters make case for Kamala Harris to replace Biden

COMPETITORS NOW? US Prez Joe Biden with veep Kamala Harris

Chidanand Rajghatta TNN

Washington: Pragmatic pundits, pollsters, and people of Democratic persuasion are starting to line up behind vice prez Kamala Harris as the putative party nominee for the White House even as Prez Biden is tenaciously hanging on to his bid for a second term.

A decision on whether Biden will renounce his candidacy or continue his campaign is just hours or days away. He is expected to make a call on whether he will continue or withdraw from the race after a weekend interview and public events that could show if he is still fit for the job — or not.

Reasons being advanced to promote Harris to replace Biden as the Democratic nominee range from the practical and pragmatic to the logical and logistical. She has already been vetted and is on the Biden-Harris ticket which has all but sewn up the nomination. This means that she could easily inherit the campaign infrastructure and finances.

Political strategists say picking anyone other than Harris “represents a legal, political and financial minefield” because it would “raise questions about the status of the delegates whom Biden and Harris have won — and the nearly quarter-billion dollars in their campaign coffers, money that cannot easily or perhaps even legally be handed to someone else”. Anyone aiming to replace Biden would have to have a campaign up and running — and line up new finances — within weeks if not days, both considered almost impossible.

Although Harris’ performance as vice-president has not impressed many, she does have national name recognition. Other prominent Democrats spoken as potential nominees, including California governor Gavin Newsom, Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer, and Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker, are popular in their home state but lack national appeal. Party flacks do not seriously consider outliers such as Michelle Obama in the mix.

Democrat insiders also cite optics, arguing that as the first black and Asian-American woman to be elected to vice-presidency, denying Harris the top nomination in favour of a whi- te male candidate could alienate minorities whose support is crucial to win the White House. Polls show that Harris performs much better against Trump than any other potential Democratic nominee, although a poll cited by Daily Mail — which had a lead story headlined “President Kamala? Why Democrat insiders fear it’s now INEVITABLE that Harris will replace Biden” — showed her losing to Trump by 11 points. Some of the governors being urged to run have already indicated they are not jumping into the fray at this late stage.

On the downside, pundits point out that Harris fared disastrously in the 2020 race, dropping out of the presidential contest after a campaign meltdown. Kamala sceptics also warn that inasmuch as she might win minority votes, her candidacy could alienate white suburban voters in swing states. Harris herself has been circumspect so far about keeping the Oval Office in her sights as she continues. In an interview, she said: “Look, Joe Biden is our nominee. We beat Trump once, and we’re going to beat him again. Period.”

Trump, his allies shift focus on vilifying V-P

Donald Trump, his campaign and some of his allies have launched a pre-emptive political strike on V-P Kamala Harris, moving swiftly to try to discredit her amid talk among some of her fellow Democrats that she might replace Prez Biden atop the party’s 2024 presidential ticket. Trump disparaged Harris in a video recorded at one of his golf courses, saying Harris was “so bad, she’s so pathetic” before using an expletive to describe her. The National Republican Congressional Committee, which oversees House Republican races, called her Biden’s “enabler in chief”. MAGA Inc, a fundraising super PAC supporting Trump, called her the “invasion czar”. In March 2021 Biden said Harris would lead efforts with Mexico and Central American nations to address illegal immigration. Republicans have seized on that to accuse her of failing to stem the flow of millions of migrants crossing illegally into the US. “Kamala Harris is incompetent. She’s proven to be the weakest, worst vice president in history,” said Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign.

REUTERS

Trump claims drove Biden out of race; prez says ‘screwed up’ but still running

Washington: Republican Donald Trump falsely claimed to have driven Democratic Prez Joe Biden out of the White House race in a video published by the Daily Beast. Trump was filmed at one of his golf courses seeking plaudits for his debate against Biden, whose stumbling performance sparked calls from his fellow Democrats for him to step aside. “He’s quitting the race ... I got him out,” Trump says in the footage, published Wednesday.

Biden, 81, told his campaign Wednesday that he was still running. In a radio interview, Biden said he “screwed up” during the debate, his most direct public acknowledgment of his poor performance. “I made a mistake. But I learned from my father when you get knocked down, just get back up. We’re going to win this election.”

REUTERS & NYT

France braces for violence, boosts security for run-off

3 Candidates Claim Being Attacked

Paris: Some 30,000 police will be deployed across France late on Sunday following the high stakes runoff of a parliamentary election to ensure there is no trouble, a minister said, as three candidates said they had been victims of attacks on the campaign trail.

Sunday’s second round will determine whether Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) secures a parliamentary majority for the first time and forms the next govt in France.

The campaign has been marred by political tensions but also growing violence.

Interior minister Gerald Darmanin said he would be “very careful” about security on Sunday, when the election’s results will be announced.

Some 5,000 of the 30,000 police deployed that evening will be located in Paris and its surroundings, and they will “ensure that the radical right and radical left do not take advantage of the situation to cause mayhem”, he told France 2 TV.

Darmanin said four people had been arrested over an attack that occurred on Wednesday evening on govt spokeswoman Prisca Thevenot and her team, when they were out putting up campaign posters. While Thevenot herself was not harmed, her deputy and a party activist were injured by an unidentified group of about 10 youths who were defacing campaign posters, Thevenot told Le Pari- sien newspaper.

An RN candidate in Savoie, Marie Dauchy, also said she had been attacked by a shopkeeper at a market on Wednesday.

Separately, the 77-year old deputy mayor of a small town near Grenoble, in southeastern France, was punched in the face on Thursday morning when putting up a poster for Olivier Veran, a former spokesman for Prez Emmanuel Macron. Veran denounced a “completely unprecedented context of violence in this campaign”.

REUTERS

Mbappe says ‘urgent’ need to vote after ‘catastrophic’ results

France football captain Kylian Mbappe said Thursday it was “really urgent” to vote in the second round of legislative elections after the far-right National Rally emerged as the biggest party in the first round. “I think more than ever we need to go out and vote. We can’t leave our country in the hands of these people,” Mbappe said at a press conference in Hamburg. “It is really urgent.

We have seen the results, they are catastrophic. I hope it changes and that everyone goes out and votes, and votes for the right people.” Mbappe did not cite the RN during his presser, but he did take a humorous approach to the subject. When the reporter tried to make himself visible to Mbappe by pointing out that he was on the far left of the room, the player replied: “Fortunately you are not on the other side”.

AFP

US SC cut federal agencies’ wings. Ruling a ‘mixed bag’ for diaspora

Lubna.Kably@timesofindia.com

The US Supreme Court in its recent decision has overturned a 40-year-old tenant that courts should give substantial deference to federal agency decisions. Overturning of the earlier judgement, which came to be known as the ‘Chevron Deference’ doctrine’, has wide reaching implications in the realm of immigration laws, and is a mixed bag for the Indian diaspora.

According to immigration attorneys, it could boost the chances of success for US employers who hire immigrant employees (such as those on H-1B visa) while challenging unfavourable decisions taken by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) – such as on visa extensions on grounds that the occupation is not ‘specialised’. However, it could also mean that work authorisation available to H-4 visa holders (spouses of H-1B who are on track for a green card), could be subject to a fresh bout of litigation.

In late June, while deciding the case of Loper Bright Enterprises, Chief Justice John Roberts held that courts must exercise their independent judgement in deciding whether an agency has acted within its statutory authority. Rajiv S. Khanna, managing attorney at Immigration.com told TOI: “The Loper Bright decision cuts both ways, helpful and harmful. Because of this order, courts can now review both the beneficial and pernicious decisions made by USCIS and department of homeland security (DHS) based on their interpretation of various factors. Agency interpretations are not presumptively entitled to judicial deference.”

It is a mixed bag. It could, in some cases, give US employers who hire H-1B workers or L-I workers (on an intra-company transfer) to have a better chance in fighting their case. Cyrus D. Mehta, New York based immigration attorney, told TOI, “Without Chevron, federal courts will no longer pay deference to a govt agency’s interpretation of a provision in the Im- migration and Nationality Act (INA). Hence, employers may be able to find a court willing to give a more favourable interpretation of a statute granting H-1B or L visa classification to a noncitizen worker.”

Save Jobs USA, an advocacy group of tech workers, which has been challenging the H-4 employment authorisation documentation (EAD) rule, has an appeal pending in the DC Circuit Court of Appeals. They are contesting that because of the Loper Bright decision the court should quash the H-4 EAD programme because the US Congress has not delegated the power to create it. So far, courts have held that the DHS does have the authority to issue work authorisation to lawfully admitted individuals. Khanna points out that the earlier court decision, which upheld the EAD rule, did not rely on the overturned legal doctrine. But renewed litigation means anxious times ahead for nearly a lakh Indian families where the H-4 spouse holds a work authorisation.

All work, no play? Greece opts for 6-day workweek

Greece already has the longest average workweek in the EU. People spent an average of 39.8 hrs at their jobs, compared with the bloc’s average of 36.1 hrs

Athens: As the rest of the world zigs toward a four-day workweek, Greece is opting to zag. On Monday, a law came into effect that allows some companies to enforce a six-day workweek, a shift that is intended to prop up the country’s aging workforce, compensate strapped workers and hold firm to the Greek way of life.

The law applies to private sector workers in certain industrial and manufacturing sectors, or to those who work in a business that operates continuous shifts 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with some exceptions. And it would be allowed only “in exceptional circumstances,” like an unexpectedly increased workload.

Greece stands in sharp contrast to much of the world. Four-day workweek trials have been carried out in Britain, Iceland and New Zealand.

Greece is dealing with a shortage of skilled labour. The extra day, said Niki Kerameus, the Conservative labour minister, will allow employers to address “urgent operational demands” that cannot be met with the current supply of workers, and will also put more money in the pockets of employees. According to the law, workers get an extra 40% on their sixth day. The govt stressed that the law “does not affect in any way the established five-day working week”

But labour unions are furious. Nearly 1 in 5 Greek adults are at risk of poverty, according to private sector workers’ union, and its general-secretarty Nikos Fotopoulos said, “Considering this, which worker would say no to employers who you’ve allowed to treat workers like their slaves?”

NYT

Canine nuptials on rise in China while it struggles to make humans marry

PUPPY LOVE: Golden retrievers Bree & Bond and their owners with mock marriage certificates

Shanghai: It was a dream wedding, complete with picturesque outdoor setting, white lace gown and a delectable cake. The perfect day for golden retrievers — Bree and Bond — to tie the knot in front of their closest human and canine friends.

Pet weddings are on the rise in China, where govt policies have had little success in encouraging more humans to wed in this fast-aging society where the population is declining and marriage and birth rates remain low. The popularity of pets and an increasing willingness to splurge on them are driving the trend. Spending on furry companions in 2023 rose 3.2% to 279.3 billion yuan ($38.41 billion) from a year earlier. “People have weddings. Why can’t dogs have weddings?” Bree’s owner Rye Ling said after escorting his female pet down the aisle.

As of 2023, there were more than 116 million cats and dogs in urban China, as per figures by a research firm. This means, roughly one in eight Chinese people own a cat or a dog, with a majority of owners under 40.

Ling and his girlfriend Gigi Chen, who said they’re in no rush to get married themselves, planned the canine ceremony for months, arranging professional photos, designing booklets and ordering a 800-yuan cake with toppers that resemble Bree and Bond.

REUTERS

Times Business

- Govt to streamline visa process for Chinese experts

- Sensex, Nifty close at fresh lifetime highs

- Zomato halts delivery service ‘Xtreme’

- VC fund DeVC to get new general partner

- FMCG to grow at 7-9% in FY25: Crisil

- RBI cancels licence of Varanasi co-op bank

- ‘Good guys need to win, tell us about mischief makers in mkt’

- HDFC Bank’s loan book, Casa deposits shrink in Q1

- Surging mkts: CJI advises Sebi, SAT to be cautious

- Prove lack of funds or face audit: NCLT to Byju’s

- Red Sea crisis: Air freight from India doubles

- Car cos steer clear of new EV policy

- Raymond board OKs demerger of realty biz

- Xiaomi to show its SU7 EV, no launch date yet

- Brands go hyperlocal to engage with consumer

Govt to streamline visa process for Chinese experts

New Delhi: Govt is working to streamline the visa process for experts from China and other countries for non-PLI beneficiaries in key sectors, a senior govt official said on Thursday. Govt has already streamlined the visa process for professionals and experts for industries getting the benefits under the PLI scheme.

Replying to queries about what kind of easing of visa process is being considered, DPIIT Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh said govt is working on the matter. AGENCIES

Sensex, Nifty close at fresh lifetime highs

Mumbai: The sensex and Nifty ticked higher to close at fresh all-time high levels on Thursday, following buying in market heavyweights ICICI Bank, Infosys and TCS amid a largely positive trend in global equities. AGENCIES

Zomato halts delivery service ‘Xtreme’

Bengaluru: Zomato has shuttered its hyperlocal delivery service, Xtreme. The standalone app has been removed from the Play Store. Zomato had launched the service last year alongside Ola’s launch of Parcel, another hyperlocal delivery service. TNN

VC fund DeVC to get new general partner

Bengaluru: VC fund DeVC, anchored by Z47 (formerly known as Matrix Partners India), is in talks to onboard Mohit Sadaani as a new general partner, sources told TOI. TNN

FMCG to grow at 7-9% in FY25: Crisil

New Delhi: The FMCG sector is expected to see a revenue growth of 7% to 9% this fiscal, helped by higher sales volume and a revival of rural markets, Crisil Ratings said in a report. AGENCIES

RBI cancels licence of Varanasi co-op bank

Mumbai: RBI has cancelled the licence of Banaras Merchantile Co-operative Bank, Varanasi in the wake of its worsening financial position. AGENCIES

‘Good guys need to win, tell us about mischief makers in mkt’

Sebi Chief Puri Buch Asks D-St Players To Report Frauds

TNN & Agencies

Mumbai: Sebi chief Madhabi Puri Buch on Thursday nudged market players to report mischief makers to enable the regulator to act against them, as the watchdog put in place an institutional mechanism for stock brokers in a bid to check frauds and market abuse.

Addressing portfolio managers, Buch said the markets regulator wants to stamp out any irregularity at the earliest to prevent any systemic concerns.

“I urge the association to bring forth to the regulator any instances of mischief in the market that are going on, so that the regulator can take early action and not wait until it explodes in the system and then we have to come back with a heavy hand,” she said.

Recalling her own experience as an industry participant, Buch said it is “frustra- ting” for the law-abiding participant when he or she discovers an industry peer gaining using bad practices.

“Good guys need to win. You guys need to tell us about what mischief is going on so that we can stop it early on. It’s in your own self-interest to come and tell the regulator what some of the bad practices are in the market.”

The Sebi chief said that mischief results in erosion of trust and a strong regulatory response.

The circular on “measures to instil confidence in the market” issued Thursday evening has provided for implementation of the new rules for brokers in three phases starting Jan. Given that there are existing governance and client behaviour surveillance governance structures, qualified stock brokers have to comply with the requirements from next month itself.

In addition to obligations for stock brokers and their employees, the circular mandates the implementation of systems for the surveillance of trading activities and internal controls, introduction of a whistleblower policy and escalation and reporting mechanisms.

The standards will be formulated by the broker’s Industry Standards Forum, in consultation with Sebi.

The regulator also directed stock exchanges to amend their bye-laws, and ensure that brokers notify the obligation/ requirement on the stock brokers to follow the standards adopted by the ISF, and issue a joint notice which indicates the date of applicability of the circular to various stock brokers based on the criteria.

HDFC Bank’s loan book, Casa deposits shrink in Q1

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: HDFC Bank’s loan book shrunk nearly 1% in April-June 2024 as compared to the previous quarter. While overall deposits remained flat, current & savings accounts (Casa) deposits declined 5% in the June quarter from Jan-March 2024.

The country’s largest private bank attributed the decline in Casa deposits to seasonal factors. Casa deposits entail relatively lower interest rates, and higher amount of low-cost deposits mean better margins for banks.

Industry numbers for the comparable period aren’t available, but RBI’s credit & deposit data up to June 14 indicates that industry deposits increased by 2.1% and advances grew 1.7% over March 2024. The figures suggest that HDFC Bank is in a post-merger consolidation phase.

As of June 30, HDFC Bank’s total loans stood at about Rs 24.9 lakh crore, reflecting a growth of about 52.6% over a year. If the merger with parent company HDFC (July 2023) is kept aside, the loan growth is 14.9% over the same period. Total loans as of March 31, 2024 stood at Rs 25.1 lakh crore.

During the June quarter, retail loans increased by about Rs 18,600 crore, commercial and rural banking loans by around Rs 7,200 crore, while corporate and other wholesale loans decreased by Rs 26,600 crore compared to March 31, 2024.

Surging mkts: CJI advises Sebi, SAT to be cautious

Mumbai: Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud on Thursday advised markets regulator Sebi and the Securities Appellate Tribunal to exercise caution amid a significant surge in equity markets and pitched for more tribunal benches to ensure that the “backbone is stable”.

Inaugurating the new SAT premises here, CJI Chandrachud pitched for authorities to consider opening up new benches of the SAT given the higher workload because of the higher quantum of transactions and newer regulations.

Referring to newspaper articles calling the crossing of 80,000-point-milestone by the BSE as an ecstatic moment, where India is entering a “stratospheric domain”, the CJI pointed out that such events emphasise the need for regulatory authorities to ensure that everyone holds their “balance and nerves” amid the wins.

“The more you see the surge in the stock market, the greater the role, I believe, for Sebi and SAT, as institutions which will exercise caution, celebrate the successes but at the same time, ensure that the backbone is stable,” the CJI said.

He added that Sebi and appellate fora like SAT assume “immense national importance” in fostering a stable and predictable investment environment, and explained how this can benefit in economic growth for the country. The role of SAT in the “dog eat dog” world of finance is that of a referee by ensuring that everybody plays by the rules, he said. AGENCIES

Prove lack of funds or face audit: NCLT to Byju’s

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: The National Company Law Tribunal on Thursday told Byju’s that it can get its finances audited, if required, to assess whether the company lacks funds to pay salaries to its employees.

While hearing a plea filed by a group of the firm’s employees who are seeking their unpaid dues, the court said that Byju’s is still an operational company and must be generating some revenues to be able to pay salaries. The court said that the startup must either prove its inability to pay or be prepared to face an audit. The remarks were part of the arguments and no final order has been passed on the matter yet. Byju’s declined to comment.

Several of Byju’s employees have still not been paid their full salaries for the months of Feb and March. In an earlier letter to employees, founder and CEO Byju Rave- endran had said that the move by a few investors to disable the company from using the funds raised through the rights issue had delayed disbursement of salaries.

In April, Byju’s also initiated fresh layoffs, cutting at least 500 jobs and gave up most of its office spaces. The NCLT, in an interim order in late Feb, ordered the company to keep all the funds raised as part of its $200 million rights issue in a separate escrow account and also restrained it from withdrawing the funds until the disposal of the mismanagement and oppression suit filed by a section of investors against the company’s management. Byju’s investors Prosus, Peak XV Partners, Sofina and General Atlantic have been opposing the rights issue since the outset and are also understood to have challenged the Karnataka high court’s recent move to set aside the NCLT stay on its second rights issue.

Unpaid dues: `2.3cr notice from ex-staff

Bengaluru: About 62 employees of Byju’s on Thursday issued a demand notice of over Rs 2.3 crore to the edtech startup.

The notice was issued on account of unpaid salaries and dues the company owes these employees since Jan, an employee told TOI on condition of anonymity. TOI has reviewed the notice that has been issued by Bengaluru-based Canvas Legal. The latest development follows a series of controversies that Byju’s has run into amid a drastic drop in valuation, leadership exodus, multiple legal battles against investors & vendors and layoffs over the last two years.

TOI’s queries on the matter did not elicit a response till the time of going to press. — Supriya Roy

Red Sea crisis: Air freight from India doubles

Saurabh Sinha & Yashi Kesarwani TNN

New Delhi: The Red Sea crisis has seen air freight from India has more than doubled in the last few months, putting the country on track to meeting its target of 10 million tonnes (MT) by 2030-31. The country saw its peak air freight at over 3.5 MT in 2017-18 and post-Covid saw number climb back to 3.5 MT. Air Cargo Forum of India (ACFI) president Yashpal Sharma said sorting out two issues — cutting down time for trans-shipment carriage and allowing double dipping (going to more than one city in India) by foreign freighter aircraft — will be key to meeting the target in the next five years.

“Less than 2% of freight globally moves by air. Following the Red Sea crisis, even a half per cent shift will mean a huge jump for carriage by air. We have a huge opportunity in India and need to overcome the twin challenges as trans-shipment currently takes 2-2.5 days which needs to be sped up,” Sharma said at the ACFI Annual Conclave 2024 here on Thursday.

India is a unique market with international imports, international exports and domestic cargo having an almost equal share in the country’s air freight movement. Less than 15% air cargo is carried by freighter aircraft and the balance in belly of passenger aircraft.

“Before Covid, India had six freighter aircraft. This number rose to 28 during Covid (that saw airlines use passenger planes also purely for cargo). Post Covid, the number fell to eight and is now at 18,” Piyush Srivastava, senior economic advisor in the aviation ministry, said. “During Covid, people got used to sending cargo by air. Govt allowed conversion of passenger to freighter (P2F). Many steps have been taken to boost air freight. E-commerce and express delivery are bound to grow. But given the challenges from (carriage by) rail and road, the processes and turnaround time for air freight must be eased,” Srivastava said.

Clearly there is a lot of room for improvement. Surendra Kumar, joint secretary (logistics and trade) DPIIT, said 70 airports have cargo facilities. “They are not being optimally utilised due to reasons like inadequacy of aggregation among various modes of transport. Integrated development of the sector and reduction of logistics costs is being done. India is soon going to be the third largest economy and a major hub for global supply chain. Projects worth Rs 13.5 lakh crore under PM Gati Shakti will soon be a reality and the sector will get a major impetus,” Kumar said.

After Covid, the push for air cargo has come with the Red Sea crisis.

Car cos steer clear of new EV policy

Ministry Lining Up Another Round Of Discussions With Auto Makers As Response Remains Muted

Pankaj Doval & Sidhartha TNN

New Delhi: Govt’s electric vehicle policy, allowing duty concessions for companies that invest in domestic manufacturing, has so far seen a muted response, with just one European car maker showing interest, and that too with a rider.

Interestingly, Tesla — which was the key target for creation of the policy — has stayed away, at least for now as it revisits its India plans in view of global challenges.

Vietnamese carmaker Vinfast may be looking at abandoning its investment linking it to the new EV policy, while looking at a straight local manufacturing route to launch its cars. The company, which along with Tesla, was seen as the most optimistic on the new EV policy that promises subsidised import duty on cars, now feels that it will be better off by just making them here.

“The company is of the view that it will be better and easier to make cars at its upcoming factory in Tamil Nadu, rather than get into complicated scenario of applying and then qualifying for benefits under EV policy for just a few thousand cars,” a source said.

The ministry of heavy industries (MHI), which deals with the automobile industry on the matter, has held one round of consultations with carmakers, but has so far failed to get many takers.

The ministry is lining up another round of discussions before finalising the norms to open the application window. “In any case, we are also planning to issue detailed guidelines regarding the policy, the investment clause, and other modalities that will clearly define the details of how one becomes eligible for benefits under the scheme,” a source told TOI.

There has been heavy reluctance on the part of the auto industry to commit investments under the new electric vehicles scheme, which was anno- unced in March and seeks investments of at least $500 million from the companies, while promising a highly subsidised import duty of 15% for around 8,000 cars annually.

Some of the German companies have been looking at the policy, and this includes the Volkswagen group that has luxury brands such as Audi, Porsche, and Lamborghini under its fold, apart from flagship Volkswagen.

Tesla, which had been in talks with the ministry of commerce and industry, has so far not indicated any movement, although its representatives have also met with officials. Tesla founder Elon Musk, who was to be in India earlier this year, backed out at the last minute, amid indications that he wants all the issues around his companies to be resolved. At the same time, Tesla itself has been facing challenges related to demand and sales at home and in China.

While officials are still hopeful of achieving “some headway” in talks with the most the high-profile EV maker, the current situation does not suggest that India will be rolling out the proposed lower-cost Tesla car from a plant any time soon, the sources said.

Raymond board OKs demerger of realty biz

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: To exploit the growth potential of the real estate business and to attract afresh set of investors, Raymond plans to consolidate the realty business under a single entity.

Towards this, its board has approved the separation of the real estate business from Raymond. The business will be housed under a new entity, Raymond Realty, which will seek automatic listing on the stock exchanges, and a Raymond shareholder will receive one share of the new entity for every one share held in the former.

Once the reorganisation is complete, promoters will own 49% in the listed Raymond Realty, while the public will own the remaining 51%. The realty business contributed 24% or Rs 1,593 crore to the total turnover of Raymond in FY24.

The segregation will enable the management to explore potential growth opportunities as well as unlock value in the realty business, said Raymond, which started as a fabric maker in 1925. It will also allow investors to allocate their portfolio into separate entities focused on the distinct businesses, the textile major said. The realty business has 100 acres of land in Thane, located in the outskirts of Mumbai, of which about 40 acres is currently under development.

Xiaomi to show its SU7 EV, no launch date yet

PRICED AT `25L IN CHINA

Pankaj.Doval@timesofindia.com

New Delhi: Is Chinese electronics giant Xiaomi eyeing India for electric cars, following the tracks of compatriots BYD and MG Motor (unit of SAIC)? The company — which is betting $10 billion for a foray into autos globally — has quietly got its newlyunveiled electric car (SU7) to India and will be displaying it in Bengaluru to its partners, employees and general public.

While some say this could be a precursor to Xiaomi trying to test waters in the Indian car market, others say it may be “too early” for the company to look at India as one of the early markets for the vehicle, whose deliveries began in China in March.

When contacted, the company said it has “no plans” to launch the car immediately, even though it continues to “evaluate market opportunities”. “While we continuously monitor market opportunities, our focus remains on our core product lines for India,” a company spokesperson said.

However, the company is excited about the car, which witnessed a flying start in China. The model SU7 (Speed Ultra) is a pet project of Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun and carries a price under $30,000 (around Rs 25 lakh) for the base model, which is nearly $4,000 (Rs 3.3 lakh) cheaper than the base model of Tesla’s Model 3 in China.

The SU7 will come in two versions — one with a driving range of up to 668 km with a single charge and another with a range of up to 800 km.

The display car was imported to India a few weeks back, and company executives are excited to showcase it at Bangalore as Xiaomi celebrates a decade of its business in the country. “The idea is to showcase the strength of Xiaomi as a brand and show its diversified product portfolio, beyond smartphones which currently is its biggest consumer product,” a source told TOI. “The car will be on display and the company plans to showcase a number of household appliances and even announce its entry into newer categories,” the source added.

Brands go hyperlocal to engage with consumer

Rupali.Mukherjee@timesofindia.com

New Delhi: Localism, a global trend in consumer preferences, is now being adopted by advertising, with Indian companies increasingly tailoring messages to resonate with hyperlocal tastes and community identities. While pan-India narratives still have their place, there’s a growing demand among consumers for stories that are deeply rooted in their own cultural milieu.

Brands are now refreshingly taking on the challenge and opportunity of engaging with the ‘local’ consumer, according to latest insights from Kantar’s Creative Effective Study 2024, which studied over 1,400 advertisements here across categories, markets, and media formats.

Soumya Mohanty, MD & chief client officer — South Asia, insights division, Kantar, told TOI: Hyper localisation of consumer preferences reflects in content, with brands being forced to adapt to establish a deeper connect. Investing in original creatives, by going native on multiple dimensions-insights, creative idea and treatment, and execution ensures maximising of reward for the brand.”

For instance, Maggi Noodles’ positioning in South India was typically anchored around mother’s love, apart from the core proposition of convenience. In recent times, it was observed that the family dynamics were changing in the South, and parents were no longer the benevolent disciplinarian but increasingly becoming friends with their children. The new communication of Maggi in South reflects the evolved dynamics by bringing in the father in a family fun situation, she pointed out.

Rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all approach, companies are focusing on understanding the unique preferences, traditions, and values of specific regions or communities within India. By doing so, they can establish more meaningful connections and build trust with their target audiences.

Times Techies.AI

- INTELLIGENT BOT FOR VIRTUAL SALES AGENTS

INTELLIGENT BOT FOR VIRTUAL SALES AGENTS

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Kumar and Anshul have since 2016 been creating chatbots and voice bots. They developed Vodex in 2020 to make AI-powered, human-like outbound calls. With GenAI today, there’s 98% speech recognition accuracy. Vodex also integrates with the client’s CRM and offers WhatsApp messaging.

“Vodex’s technology is not just about mimicking human speech but also understanding and responding contextually to ensure every interaction feels authentic,” say Kumar and Anshul. Sales teams can use it for lead qualification, lead generation, appointment scheduling, appointment confirmation, and much more.

Anshul and Kumar have been friends from college. Anshul, a former Mindtree employee, brings expertise in AI and digital assistants from his previous ventures, including AxleWeb Technologies. Kumar, with over 13 years of experience in IT, IoT, and robotics, previously co-founded and served as CEO of Prescient Automation, a company that provides services in NLP, semantic search, and computer vision.

Vodex secured $320,000 in pre-seed funding from 100X.VC, which helped them achieve $1 million in annual recurring revenue. In April, the company raised an additional $2 million in a seed round led by Unicorn India & Pentathlon Ventures.

The two are now exploring new use cases across various industries.

Shilpa.Phadnis@timesofindia.com

Editorial

- Soren Song

- It’s The Mind

- The spoon test

- Why Bhole Babas Flourish

- Extra Cash Can’t Help Andhra Or Bihar

- Sacred space

- Celebrate The Divine In The Solitude Of The Self

- CONTRAPUNTO

Soren Song

Jharkhand’s swift CM change shows how crucial polls there & in Maha & Haryana are

Hemant Soren is back as Jharkhand CM. His swift taking back of the post from Champai Soren, who held the fort for 5 months, is as good an announcement as any of the Sep-Oct assembly elections in Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Haryana. Opposition BJP has been quick to accuse Hemant of shortchanging Champai – a well-regarded JMM veteran and Soren family loyalist. Campaign narratives are forming, with twists and much rattle in the tale.

Plenty fight | Each of the three states in the first round of assembly elections after LS polls is a unique battlefield. On test will be INDIA’s unity and perseverance against BJP, which has everything to prove, its third term a coalition govt. One sampled the acrimony in Parliament. On test will be the saffron party in Haryana especially, its LS tally halved to 5 MPs. On test will be the mettle of two Senas and two NCPs in Maharashtra.

Maha muddle | Shiv Sena’s haul of 56 MLAs in 2019 assembly polls is now a fractured war chest between UBT and Shinde. If, in 2019, NCP had 54 MLAs, in 2024 Sharad Pawar is toying with estranged nephew Ajit Pawar, who must find his feet after an LS knockout – his wife losing to Supriya Sule was almost a referendum on who voters believe “owns” NCP. Add to that the jarring Jarange beat which makes frenemies of deputy CM and CM – Ajit Pawar’s politics compels him to fight Shinde’s ‘make Marathas OBC’ plank.

The Sena-BJP split after 2019 assembly elections triggered a constitutional storm that cracked open political skies. In LS elections, MVA won 30 seats (Congress 13, UBT 9, Sharad Pawar 8) of the state’s 48. Congress, as state’s single largest party, helms MVA and is seemingly on a strong wicket. But Shinde has proved to be no walkover, and BJP is 105-MLAs strong.

Haryana hustle | The only straight battle between BJP and Congress is anything but. In 2019’s assembly elections, BJP won 40, Congress 31, and state party JJP 10 – in alliance with BJP. JJP’s no longer a BJP ally. BJP’s switching CMs hasn’t worked to its advantage here – Saini heads a govt just short of majority.

Local or hyperlocal? | LS polls were fought on local issues – as much strategy as compulsion for the state constituents in INDIA. It’s to be seen how party campaigns will differentiate from their LS campaign. BJP’s defending in two states, and in Jharkhand, it is battle-ready to take on JMM-Congress. It’s elections again.

It’s The Mind

Biden’s age isn’t the issue, his mental acuity is. Even older heads of govt have done fine

Biden’s recent presidential debate debacle has sharpened the focus on his age. At 81, Biden is not only the oldest American president, he is also the 9th oldest national head in the world. Many in his own party are calling for him to drop out of the race. But is age really the barometer of a politician’s abilities? Or is administrative acumen driven by other qualities?

Let’s not get physical | Putin has been photographed hunting and biking. Macron, earlier this year, was photographed boxing. While Chinese leaders are known to give extraordinarily long speeches. All to supposedly project their physical prowess and vitality. But despite the youngest current heads of state or govt being in their 30s, their median age is actually around 62. In fact, in most countries PMs or presidents are significantly older than their population’s median age. Only countries to beat that trend are Montenegro, Ireland and Italy.

Old but sharp | It’s hardly surprising, therefore, that septuagenarian and octogenarian netas hang around. And with strides in healthcare and nutrition increasing both global life expectancy and healthy life expectancy – the latter is slated to grow from 64.8 years in 2022 to 67.4 years in 2050 – older politicians shouldn’t be raising eyebrows as long as they are on the ball. What ultimately matters is mental acuity to successfully navigate the complexities of state affairs. Malaysia’s Mahathir Mohamad is still active and the last time he was PM, between 2018 and 2020, he was 94 and sharp as a tack.

Ageism much | Besides, democracies naturally punish netas for not performing. It’s voters who elect older politicians. And if they fail, age becomes a convenient target. That’s barely concealed ageism. Look at governance outcomes, not how many push-ups a country’s head can do.

jugularvein

The spoon test

Leaked question papers and other forms of cheating prove our education system is a total failure

Jug Suraiya

We addressed him as Sir or Mr Peterson, but among us schoolboys he was always Gup, as in gup-shup, because he could talk not only the hind legs off a donkey, but the front ones as well.

And we, the Class 10 schoolboys of La Martiniere, Calcutta, were the two-legged donkeys Gup was trying to teach the intricacies of not just English, but the very process of thinking itself.

Write a description of a spoon, and what it’s used for, for a person who’s never seen or used one. And I don’t want you to use the word ‘thing’ even once. ‘Thing’ is the sound of a tin plate hitting the floor, and I don’t want to hear it, he’d say in his voice of soft authority.

So, trying not to sound like tin plates, we put our thoughts to spoons. What did you call a spoon? An instrument? An implement?

I recalled Gup and his spoon, and his aversion to the word ‘thing’, which compelled us to think more clearly and precisely, when I read about a recent case of NEET question papers being leaked in Bihar for between `30L and `32L each.

Even as the matter is being investigated, what needs to be examined is the entire edifice of today’s educational system that prioritises the getting of higher and higher marks through a regurgitation of crammed or copied notes without regard to the application of mind and thought to the subject in question.

Our classrooms and examination halls, from primary to university level, promote copycattism, the replication of mugged-up rote matter, at the expense of that long and difficult, but immensely rewarding, journey of exploration and discovery that is called learning.

This might, at least partly, explain the high unemployment rate among so many multiple graduates and postgraduates. Perhaps they were never made to face their equivalent of the spoon test.

And had they failed it, it would have been a failure not on their part but on the part of today’s method of teaching. Or the lack of it.

Why Bhole Babas Flourish

Hathras puts godmen back in focus. You can dismiss them as charlatans. But recognise that they connect with those who feel most vulnerable in society. You can’t regulate this

Devdutt Pattanaik

Bhole Baba is absconding, after over a hundred people died in a stampede at his Hathras congregation. One response to this tragedy is to ask if this baba is ‘real’ or ‘fake’. But this is a false binary. All gurus or babas work on our emotions, not logic. Only, some abuse their power and collapse, some get institutionalised over generations as gods and prophets.

And they do not flourish in India alone. In America, they are called the Charismatics who tell you how the Holy Spirit works miracles in human lives. Blind will see. Lame will walk. Poor will be prosperous. They are so powerful that they now fund politicians, who ensure their voice shapes legislation, and they receive tax benefits and protection from law. They have convinced Americans that Jesus wants them to carry guns, hate homosexuals, and deny women reproductive rights.

In the Islamic world, holy preachers have convinced young Muslims that the whole world is against them, and they have to ‘self-ghetto’ themselves, with costumes that make them look like desert bedouins in the middle of London, Paris, New York. They must not think for themselves. They must simply surrender to the faith. Then, they will not have to catch up with the world. The world will stop, turn around, and follow them.

All religions begin as cults. All saints and prophets were considered charlatans by their contemporaries. Institutions come later, with whitewashed hagiographies, legitimised by state power. It all begins with the insistence that there is more to life than what is explained by science and rationality. There is a world that eludes the smartest of minds – a world of vibrations, energies, auras, dimensions. A mystical dimension of spirits and ghosts. An occult space of angels and demons.

When the world around you is collapsing, when all efforts fail, when nothing is working out, when nothing makes rational sense, you desperately seek that special someone who can navigate the mysterious field of irrationality. That is the space occupied by holy men and women. For followers, they are the real saints (sants, as politicians call them). For outsiders, they are all charlatans.

Intellectuals who write on holy men expect them to be intellectuals and rationally sound. But that appeals only to a tiny English-speaking demographic. What people seek from gurus is emotional comfort. Holy men make you feel you are special, that you are part of a sacred community, a divine tribe. They tell you life has a secret that only they can reveal. So what if you are not rich, so what if you are not smart, so what if you belong to the wrong side of tracks, so what if fortune eludes you – you have a chance to have it all, provided you attach yourself to the correct transmitter. The guru.

In a world that makes you constantly feel like a loser, the holy man makes you feel like a winner. He makes you feel confident, in control and safe. He gives you a spiritual high that is highly addictive. You go back again and again – to sing and dance in that spiritual playground. That space demands nothing of you – you just have to be there, observe, listen, engage, and somehow life seems better.

You feel so happy that you are willing to do whatever the guru tells you to do – clean his toilet, make his bed, wash his clothes. You feel privileged when he looks at you, beckons you to sit next to him. It is so different from school, from home, from office where no one sees you, understands you, or cares for you. The holy man makes you feel you matter. He carries the burden of your misery – and you are eternally grateful to him. Willing to do anything he asks you to. Anything. That is when stories of exploitation and abuse emerge, but you are too invested so you resist all attempts to shake up your comfort zone.

Holy men are the ‘living’ gods of their times – not ideas, not icons, not memories, but people who you can engage with, talk to, your life coach with a mystical connection, far superior to parents, teachers, mentors.

Your most rational of friends will insist that life became better after the guru came into a dream –problems were solved, children got married, court cases resolved, jobs materialised. All by the grace of the living holy man.

The holy man does not speak to your rational mind. He speaks to your insecurity. He connects with your most vulnerable self. He does it intuitively. He is able to instil confidence effortlessly. We can explain this phenomenon using psychology, but it is impossible to regulate it.

Holy men need festivals, events and ceremonies to amplify their reach. They organise gatherings and concerts, filled with music, dance, chanting, breath control exercises, sound and light shows, which may have religious packaging like a Shiva-ratri festival of an English speaking mystic, or the Bhagavat-saptah of a Hindi speaking Vaishnava.

Those who attend these events are swept away into a trance by the excited congregation. If you are vulnerable, you succumb. You cannot live without it. Unlike a drug high that brings you crashing down, this high sustains a feeling of security and warmth. You feel connected, part of a wider secret society.

In most cases, the holy man is himself bewildered by the power he wields over people’s minds and hearts. Willy-nilly, he is a shepherd with a flock. The flock contributes wealth. The flock brings fame and attention and power, which brings more followers, a virtue cycle. This attracts politicians who come hoping he will contribute to their vote bank. And bless them with his mysterious brand of magic. In a moment of vulnerability, even the most cynical succumb. For it is not about the head. It is about the heart.

Extra Cash Can’t Help Andhra Or Bihar

Naidu’s in Delhi asking for more funds. Nitish wants special status for Bihar, meaning more funds. But both states lack the institutional capacity to utilise even money that’s available

Govind Bhattacharjee

TDP supremo Chandrababu Naidu met Modi in Delhi yesterday, seeking enhanced assistance for Andhra Pradesh. Last week, Nitish Kumar’s JDU passed a resolution demanding special category status for Bihar.

With the two NDA allies vital to Modi govt’s continuance, special status/assistance is being spoken of as the only way forward for Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. But is it? Fact is the states lack the institutional capacity to even spend the money they have. In Bihar’s case, there is the additional problem of misgovernance. With 10 bridges collapsing in the last two weeks, lack of funds certainly can’t be blamed for the state’s bottom ranking in India’s development charts.

The ‘special category’ debate has had a past. In 2015, with demanding states drawing a blank, then FM Arun Jaitley said, “After the 14th finance commission recommendations, the era of special category status to states has ended.” In keeping with that, govt has been loath to even use the term ‘special category’. It simply refers to the “eight Northeast and three Himalayan states” (J&K, now a UT, besides Himachal and Uttarakhand) that receive such funds.

These states, located along India’s international borders, had inherited a legacy of neglect and economic backwardness, lack of infra and shortage of capital and resources. Special status gave them access to liberal financing by Centre through Plan assistance. Of total Plan funds, 30% was earmarked for these states under the Gadgil formula.

No questions asked | Some of these states could use the resources to their advantage and prospered. Others lacked the capacity to use up funds productively. They additionally suffered from protracted insurgency that impeded development.

But funding continued, unconditionally. There were no expectations of accountability or performance from these states. What did change gradually was the scale of funding, owing to proliferation of centrally sponsored schemes (CSS) and direct off-budget transfers.

Post-2014 changes | Post-2014, CSS were restructured and off-budget transfers abolished. Planning Commission itself was disbanded in 2014. The Planning era ended in 2017 and Gadgil formula became history.

Restricted to CSS only, these states now got 90% as grants and 10% as loans from Centre. Income tax holidays and excise duty concessions were granted to companies that set up new industrial units there, besides certain subsidies. However, in absence of market and infra, these incentives proved inadequate to attract industry or generate employment.

Funds not the answer | If the status is now given to Bihar and Andhra, they will receive some additional central grants and loans. But these won’t solve their problems.

The two states have different problems. Andhra was made to sacrifice two of its most prosperous districts and major revenue earners, Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy, to Telangana in 2014. With revenue of only about `12k cr and expenditure over `60k cr, it inherited a huge liability of `90k cr. To placate it, Congress govt promised the state special category status. But it was ejected from office. Many other promises were made to it, and most remain unfulfilled. Andhra today faces serious resource crunch and a huge debt burden. As for Bihar, its problems arise from governance issues and lack of industry and infra.

Missing capacity | Both states also suffer from serious lack of institutional capacity to spend funds. As CAG’s appropriation accounts show, Bihar is unable to spend a significant part of its budgetary allocations. In FY2023, as much as `51,722 cr of revenue expenditure (22% of revenue budget) and `14,786 cr of capex (24% of capital budget) remained unspent and had to be surrendered. Unspent funds during fiscals 2020, 2021 and 2022 were `78,122cr, `75,926cr and `70,083cr, respectively.

Total unspent fund of `66,508cr (FY2023) is much more than total benefits Bihar would get from special category status. When departments are unable to utilise resources at their disposal, it also means a heavier tax or debt burden on people than actually required.

Bihar’s problems stem from lack of institutional capacity, infra, market, entrepreneurial skills, and proper industrial climate. These issues are not addressable in the short term.

Unused moneys | Andhra’s story is not much different – in FY2023, it failed to spend as much as `92,567cr, or 21% of its budget allocations, covering sectors like medical and health (`6,576cr unspent in revenue and capex), urban development (`4,655cr), social welfare(`5,254cr), welfare of backward classes (`16,360cr), and irrigation (`9,034cr).

If these states focused on strengthening capacity for utilisation of funds already available, they wouldn’t need special category status. And till that happens, even additional funds would simply remain unutilised.

The writer is former DG, CAG & author of ‘Special Category States of India’

Money talks, but only if you know how to spend it

Sacred space

We can make our minds so like still water that beings gather about us that they may see…their own images, and so live for a moment with a clearer, perhaps even with a fiercer life because of our quiet.

WB Yeats

THE SPEAKING TREE

Celebrate The Divine In The Solitude Of The Self

Satish K Kapoor

Maun, silence is the dialect of true worship. It is the language of infinity, of Ashabda Brahmn, the soundless word that is audible to those who can transcend ordinary consciousness. Krishn says in the Bhagwad Gita: “maunam chaiva’smi guhyanam” – Of secrets, I am also silence.

Maun sadhana or spiritual practice of silence is to celebrate the Divine in the solitude of the self. Silence deepens self-understanding by shutting the sensory gates steering it from outside. The silent Buddha or Mahavir contributed more to ushering peace in the world than the speaking Socrates or Sophocles.

The first step in mauna sadhana is vak mauna, silence of speech. Human energy is often wasted in useless talk. The tongue sometimes does more harm than the bullet. Conscious self-restraint saves one from speaking unpleasant truths. Sensible people speak when absolutely necessary, measuring every word in the process. However, the silence of ‘sewn-up lips’, whether forced or voluntary, cannot be called silence.

The next step is chitta mauna or silence of the mind. It has threefold ramifications – buddhi mauna, silence of intellect, ahamkara mauna, silence of the ego, and iccha mauna, silence of desire. This is followed by indriya mauna, silence of the senses, made possible by withdrawing each sense from its distracting object.

Silence is stabilised by observing the flow of thoughts, as they arise, swell, dilute or subside, and then taking a quantum jump into the pure void of higher consciousness. Whispers from the divine are heard when the mind is genuinely quiet and composed.

To achieve inner peace, mauna sadhana should be made a daily habit. It can be practised any time, for at least half an hour or more. During vacations or at weekends, the time of mauna can be increased so that the ‘energy of speech’ is transmuted into spiritual energy. The purpose of observing Mauni Amavasya, occurring every month on the last day of the dark fortnight, is to do self-introspection by remaining silent.

Those who undertake mauna vrat or vow of silence, for months or years – as do mauni babas – adhere strictly to their spiritual tradition. Although it is not possible for an ordinary human being to observe kashtha mauna, to remain silent like a log of wood, one can at least train one’s mind in samyaka vak – right speech, as advocated by the Buddha. It implies ‘avoidance of lying words, idle words, abusive words and double tongues’.

During maun sadhana, one should not eat or drink, brood over the past or the future, communicate by gestures or writing, watch television, use electronic gadgets, or do some such thing which distracts attention. Those who have no time for practising maun should restrain speech while taking a morning or evening walk with friends, waiting for bus or train, during travel, or when at home or in office. Instead of always looking for company, one should occasionally stay alone, and feel the ecstasy of inner silence.

Silence, an aspect of mental austerity, sustains one in difficult situations by connecting one with one’s core self. By putting the mind in silent mode, one can augment relationship with God, the source of ultimate silence. Laghu Yog Vashisht, a 10th century work of Kashmiri origin, equates it with living liberation.

CONTRAPUNTO

Youth is wasted on the young

–GEORGE BERNARD SHAW

Times Sport

- INDVINCIBLES ARE HOME

- Marine Drive: Sea it to believe it!

- PM Modi hosts champs, enjoys memorable conversation

- Wankhede erupts in joy as team lands

- GALACTICOS IN BOTH CORNERS

- A FINAL BEFORE TIME

- FAMILY MATTERS

- Euro battles of the past

- Contrasting emotions for Dutch-born Turk players

- Last 8: Plenty of intrigue, even if Messi, Vinicius can’t participate

- Babar seeks help from Australian power-hitting coach

- GALLERY

- Oath stand-off: WB guv ‘allows’ dy speaker to swear in 2 MLAs

- Rlys to add 10k non-AC coaches in 2 yrs, doubling production

- FILS ADVANCES AS HURKACZ SLIPS

- YUKI-OLIVETTI PAIR ADVANCES

- Bopanna in line for another ‘oldest’ record

- Bodhana picked up chess during lockdown

- India: SCO’s value will depend on how members cooperate

- ED’s plans likely behind Soren’s swift moves

- Baba created pvt army that secured him, enhanced clout

- AFI names 28-member team for Paris

INDVINCIBLES ARE HOME

Never seen Rohit so emotional in 15 years like he was after the final: Kohli

PEOPLE’S CHAMPS: The Mumbai crowd came out in big numbers to salute the Indian team on Thursday

Gaurav.Gupta@timesofindia.com

Mumbai: This was a victory party India’s 2024 T20 World Cup winning team won’t forget in their lifetime. For a Wankhede Stadium which has staged India’s World Cup-winning celebrations in 2007 and 2011, the 2024 edition was truly special.

There was a sea of people on Thursday on the one kilometre stretch on the Marine Drive between the Nariman Point and the Wankhede Stadium to witness the historic moment when India’s T20 World Champions enjoyed an open top bus parade.

Once Team India trooped into the Wankhede, with the players breaking into a jig to continue the celebrations, there was a sea of emotions, as the first skipper Rohit Sharma, outgoing head coach Rahul Dravid, star bat Virat Kohli, and then Jasprit Bumrah left the approximately 30,000-strong fans, waiting patiently since 4pm and having endured a sharp shower, teary-eyed with their words.

‘Home boy,’ skipper Rohit Sharma, addressing the fans, said: “On behalf of my team and the BCCI, I would like to thank the fans. Ever since we have reached India, we have seen how much it means to them. For the last 11 years, they have wanted the trophy back in India. As much desperation we had to win the trophy, the fans had it a bit more. This team is special, and I am lucky to have the chance to captain this unit.”

India batting great Dravid said, “This is a fantastic note to sign off on. I am going to miss all this love. What we have been seeing today and what I have heard since the win shows how India makes cricket brilliant.”

Opening-up about the sight of him hugging Rohit moments after India crossed the line Kohli said that he had never seen Rohit so emotional. “This is the first time in 15 years that I have seen Rohit show so much emotion. When we were climbing those steps (at Kensington Oval) he was crying and I was crying, When I was walking up the steps, we both were crying. For me, that’s a very special memory from that day,” he said.

Just after the tournament was over, Rohit, Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja announced their T20I retirements. “I hope we (Rohit and I) have carried the burden and no better to bring it (trophy) back here (Wankhede). Halfway through the game (final), I knew it was time and let the next generation take over,” Kohli said. Kohli revealed that as a young member of the 2011 World Cup-winning team, he “couldn’t connect with the emotions of the senior players at that time.”

“When we won the World Cup back in 2011, I could not connect with the emotions of the senior players. I could not understand why they were crying. For me, it felt like, ‘yeah, we have won the World Cup and that was a fact’. I was 22, but now, it’s a different feeling,” he said.

Years of slog to win a T20 World Cup, though, taught him the value of a title. “Now being at this position, (I understand what it means). Not just me, Rohit has played for so long, and we both have been trying hard for this for so long. When I was the captain, he was a senior player; now he is the captain, I am a senior player, and our only aim was to win India a World Cup,” Kohli said.

Heralded by Kohli as the one man who played a massive role in India’s World Cup victory, pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who took 15 wickets in eight matches, revealed that he broke down with emotions after he saw his son Angad crying after India’s victory. “This ground is really special in my life. As an under-19 kid, I came here to play cricket and what I saw today, I will never forget that. The confidence that we have to take the game by the neck and pull us out of trouble is special. Our aim is to take Indian cricket forward.”

One of the most emotional moments of India’s victory celebration was triggered by India’s star allrounder Hardik Pandya, who, just before boarding the team’s victory parade bus, posted on ‘X’: “See you soon, Wankhede,” with a smile emoji.

A few months back in the IPL, when he was captaining Mumbai Indians, the Wankhede crowd had constantly booed Pandya, after he replaced Rohit Sharma as the captain for this season. However, on Thursday, the packed Wankhede cheered him on.

DANCE LIKE NO ONE’S WATCHING: Indian players do the bhangra at the Wankhede

ALWAYS HAS GOOD HANDS: Suryakumar Yadav, the man who pouched David Miller, is greeted by policemen after the Indian team touched down in New Delhi in the wee hours of Thursday

GIVE ME SOME SUNSHINE: The Mumbai crowd that had given Hardik Pandya so much grief during the IPL showered its love on the allrounder for his stellar role in India’s campaign

IN LETTER AND SPIRIT: Rohit Sharma’s ‘garden’ comment which broke the internet has still not been forgotten by the crowd

Marine Drive: Sea it to believe it!

After Guts, The Glory: When The Mumbai Faithful Thronged The Promenade

Mohua.Das@timesofindia.com

Mumbai: The sea looked more blue that usual on the reclaimed-land side on Thursday evening. After their delayed departure from Barbados due to an imminent hurricane, Rohit Sharma’s T20 World Cup-winning Team India returned home to a different kind of storm with cricket-crazy Mumbaikars filling the entire stretch from Nariman Point to Wankhede stadium and making the open-top bus carrying India’s cricket heroes happily, gently and proudly cut through the ever-surging crowd of admirers, each eager for a glimpse of the champions.

Hours before the team even landed in Mumbai from Delhi at around 5 pm, after having met PM Modi in the morning after landing in the national capital, tens of thousands of cricket fans had flooded the route from the NCPA gates, winding their way towards the gates and stands of Wankhede which had been thrown open by the cricket authorities for a late-evening felicitation.

Some climbed trees, some tore through barricades, and everyone clicked away furiously on their cell phones as the team finally made its grand appearance atop a blue bus. Captain Rohit Sharma, flanked by Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, Surya Kumar Yadav, and other teammates, held the trophy high, waving to the delirious masses. The air was electric with chants of “Mumbaicha Raja, Rohit Sharma” and “Boom Boom Bumrah.” As the parade inched forward, the frenzy left behind a scattering of shoes in its wake, evidence of the near-stampede excitement of the moment.

After the bus reached Wankhede, the team did a lap of the ground amid resounding applause from fans in the stands, with Rohit dedicating the T20 WC title “to the entire nation.”

So jubilant were the crowds from late afternoon that nothing mattered to them except the excitement and anticipa- tion of the team’s parade though they found themselves, for quite some time, at the mercy of nature’s whims. First, the sun baked them to a crisp. Then the skies opened up. Yet everyone stood patiently for over three hours and soaked it all in as part of the celebration, with intermittent roars of “India! India!” at full pelt.

A gang of 20 friends, all clad in their own version of a Team India jersey, made the long journey from the western suburbs of Kandivli to the city’s southernmost tip. As the train doors opened, they poured out onto the platform, waving the tricolour, blaring vuvuzelas and taking turns to chant the names of each one of their cricketing heroes.

Among them was Rajendra Damle, 20, who tried to capture the emotion of the moment. “It’s hard to explain the feeling. It’s just pure joy,” he said, his eyes sparkling. “They’ve won, but it feels like we’ve won. We’re a part of this and want to celebrate with them.” Beside him, Kreena Vagh, 18, nodded enthusiastically. “It’s also our chance to show them how much we respect and adore them,” she added. Together, they joined the throngs along Marine Drive, ready to celebrate their heroes’ victory as if it were their own.

High schoolers Aditya, Agastya, Sanchay, and Jainit made the trek from Goregaon to join the crowd. “Surya Kumar Yadav’s catch was one of the best moments in the final,” they chorused, still buzzing with the thrill of the win. “This victory has been healing for us after the Nov 2019 ODI World Cup final loss against Australia. We had to cheer for our men in blue.” Agastya could barely contain his enthusiasm. “Excited to see Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, we’ll be trailing them from NCPA to Wankhede. Rain or sun doesn’t matter. We’re ready to take a bullet for our men in blue.”

PM Modi hosts champs, enjoys memorable conversation

BREAKFAST WITH CHAMPIONS: The Indian team with PM Narendra Modi at his residence in New Delhi

Akhilesh.Singh@timesofindia.com

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday rolled out the red carpet for the T20 World Cup-winning Indian cricketers, who returned home to a grand reception. Despite the monsoon showers and heavy security deployment, fans turned out in huge numbers at the IGI airport to greet the champions.

“An excellent meeting with our Champions! Hosted the World Cup winning team at 7, LKM and had a memorable conversation on their experiences through the tournament,” the Prime Minister said on his social media handles, sharing photos and videos while interacting with the champions.

The Prime Minister was flanked by Rohit and outgoing head coach Rahul Dravid in the group picture. Several players later shared photos with the PM. Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah shared a photograph of his wife and son with the PM. Spinner Kuldeep Yadav also shared images of his interaction and looked emotional as he was hugged by Modi. Pacer Arshdeep Singh and his parents were all smiles posing with Modi.

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

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

For the interaction, players wore customised jerseys with the word ‘CHAMPIONS’ inscribed in bold letters on the front. It also featured two stars, denoting the two T20 World Cup titles, above the Team India crest on the top left corner.

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

The Prime Minister, in a series of posts on social media, had hailed the Indian veterans including captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja, who have announced their retirement from the T20 international cricket.

The Rohit Sharma-led squad arrived in Delhi early morning after being stranded in Bridgetown, Barbados for four days due to a category 4 hurricane. After their meeting with the PM, they flew to Mumbai for an open top bus parade at the Marine Drive promenade, followed by a felicitation ceremony at the Wankhede stadium which was attended by thousands of enthusiasts.

ONE FOR THE PM: BCCI president Roger Binny and secretary Jay Shah presented PM Modi with a jersey with NAMO and No. 1 inscribed on it

Wankhede erupts in joy as team lands

Rajesh.Pansare@timesofindia.com

Mumbai: “Mumbai never disappoints”. Those words of Rohit Sharma aptly summed up the reception Mumbaikars dished out to his T20 World Cup winning squad — at the Marine Drive and then at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday. Seven months ago, the man from Mumbai was distraught as he left the field, teary eyed, after India lost in the final of the ODI World Cup at Ahmedabad. Since lifting the trophy in Bridgetown last Saturday, the smile hasn’t left his face. It continued Thursday as well, as he led the celebrations and soaked in the jubilant atmosphere in his hometown, on his home turf.

One would have thought the team would be tired after a long flight from Barbados to Delhi for a meeting with PM Narendra Modi and then to Mumbai but as Rohit said that “he wants to enjoy every minute, every second of it” and the rest of the pack followed.

He enjoyed to the fullest as he led the team onto the field to a vociferous reception from those present in the stadium, who had waited patiently since 4pm. He was the first one to break into a jig to a dhol tasha group giving their all in the MCA Pavilion. Virat Kohli then dragged him closer to them and then the entire team followed. The Wankhede isn’t the biggest stadium in the country but the electric atmosphere it produces is unmatched. It was no different on Thursday as well.

The cheers were loudest for Rohit’s captaincy, Kohli’s tenacity, Bumrah’s accuracy, Surya’s that catch and Pandya’s allround performance. Yes Pandya? You heard it right. What a turnaround it has been for the Mumbai Indians’ skipper who not long ago, during the 2024 IPL, was booed every time he stepped onto the same field. His performance in the World Cup had finally helped him win the fans over. Speeches done, handing of Rs125cr cheque followed, the team went on a victory lap.

In 2007, the open bus parade from the airport took almost six hours to reach Wankhede and brought Western part of the city to a standstill. Then skipper MS Dhoni had said that “he didn’t realise how big the win was until he came out of the airport”.

GALACTICOS IN BOTH CORNERS

Mbappe And Ronaldo Go Head To Head In Clash Of Generations

KYLIAN MBAPPE

Hamburg: Cristiano Ronaldo vs Kylian Mbappe. A clash of football icons. A clash of generations.

They’ll go head to head when Portugal play France in the Euro 2024 quarterfinals on Friday, and this heavyweight meeting might have got just that little bit bigger.

“It is, without doubt, my last European Championship,” the 39-year-old Ronaldo said after his tearful performance in Portugal’s penalty-shootout victory over Slovenia in the last 16.

Still, there’s now a definitive spectre of finality to Ronaldo’s long, headline-grabbing Euros adventure that could be brought to an end by Mbappe, the heir apparent to Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

Mbappe grew up with pictures of Ronaldo on his bedroom wall.

And only a few months ago, Ronaldo reacted to Mbappe clinching a highly anticipated move to Madrid by writing on Instagram: “Excited to see you light up the Bernabeu.” That Mbappe can now end Ronaldo’s European Championship career adds an intriguing subplot to a match that will be watched around the world.

“Let’s go, let’s go to war,” Ronaldo said of the match against France, whom he considers as the top contenders at Euro 2024 along with Spain. “It’s not about leaving the world of football. What else is there for me to do or win?”

Ronaldo heads into Friday’s game having failed to score in eight straight matches at major tournaments — Portugal’s last four at the 2022 World Cup and their four games at Euro 2024.

Things haven’t been straightforward for Mbappe, either, at Euro 2024. He sustained a broken nose in France’s group opener against Austria and has since been wearing a vision-limiting protective facemask during games. Mbappe has scored one penalty goal against Poland – it’s the only goal scored by a France player at these Euros. “He will have to get used to it,” France coach Didier Deschamps said of Mbappe and his mask.

Few would have predicted the top scorer at the last World Cup (Mbappe) and the record scorer in men’s international football (Ronaldo) to have just one goal between them heading into the quarterfinals. But no one will be surprised if they come alive in Hamburg, with the pressure on and the occasion so big. Mbappe, remember, scored a hat trick in the World Cup final and has been logging Ronaldo-esque scoring numbers in the first part of his career. As their countries’ respective captains, they’ll shake hands and embrace before kickoff. You can bet they’ll do the same after the match. AP

2017-18 Champions League last 16: They met when Real Madrid easily beat Mbappe’s PSG 5-2 on aggregate on Ronaldo’s way to a 4th and final Champions League trophy in Spain.

At 25: Ronaldo’s Portugal were dumped out in the last 16 at the 2010 World Cup by eventual winners Spain — and he would have to wait another 6 years to get his hands on an international trophy. Ronaldo had already won 3 EPL trophies, a Champions League and the first of his five Ballons D’Or.

CRISTIANO RONALDO

A FINAL BEFORE TIME

Spain Pack Faces Tough Challenge Against Germany

JAMAL MUSIALA

Aasen: Spain have looked in imperious form in their four straight wins so far at Euro 2024, giving their eagerly anticipated quarter-final match-up with hosts Germany on Friday the air of a “final before the final”. The squad has opted for a ferociously attacking approach over a year under the guidance of manager Luis de la Fuente.

This transformation may have surprised many fans, but players like midfielder Mikel Merino have seen it coming for almost a decade, as have many of his teammates. “We’ve known each other for a long time. It is probably the tightest group I have been in and I think this is our main strength the brotherhood and team spirit,” Merino said on Wednesday. “Nobody here is selfish. We all want the team to succeed.”

When Merino describes the bond in Spain’s changing room he is not exaggerating: over half of their squad in Germany have previously worked with De la Fuente in their national academy system.

Spain have been playing with relentless high pressure combined with lightning onetouch moves and precise passing, giving the impression of a squad where each player has an almost instinctive feel for the positioning of his teammates.

On Friday, Merino will play for and against familiar faces. He played two consecutive Under-21 Euro finals against Germany under De la Fuente, losing in 2017 but bouncing back two years later to win 2-1 against a team including Jonathan Tah, Benjamin Henrichs and Waldemar Anton, all of whom are in the Germany squad he faces in Stuttgart on Friday.

Germany veteran and 2014 World Cup winner Toni Kroos said Wednesday “the goal is to win the tournament”. The midfielder has excelled in what will be his final tournament before retiring from football completely. The clash between two most impressive teams — and the only sides to have won three Euros titles — would be a marquee matchup for the final in Berlin. AGENCIES

NICO WILLIAMS

AGAINST HUNGARY WE HAD DIFFICULT MOMENTS, AGAINST SWITZERLAND WE WERE BEHIND. WITH DENMARK THINGS DID NOT GO SMOOTHLY. SOMETHING LIKE THAT HELPS YOU GET THROUGH TOUGH PHASES, STAY CALM AND BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. WE ARE NOW WINNING GAMES OR AT LEAST NOT LOSING GAMES THAT WE WERE CLEARLY LOSING IN THE PAST.” —Toni Kroos | Germany

FAMILY MATTERS

The tournament in Germany has seen quite a number of sons emulating their illustrious fathers, who themselves shone for their national teams...

Lillian & Marcus Thuram

Lillian Thuram is a former French defender who won the 1998 World Cup and also the 2000 Euro. He scored 2 goals in the 1998 semifinal against Croatia. Marcus Thuram, who is leading the line with France captain Kylian Mbappe, is still a work in progress. “I’m proud to wear the Thuram name on my back,” said Marcus.

Sergio & Francisco Conceicao

Francisco Conceicao has already shown glimpses of his lineage when he scored a last-minute goal against Czech Republic and helped Portugal win the game. Old-timers watching the youngster were reminded of a similar looking right winger who was part of Portugal’s Golden Generation. Sergio Conceicao, Francisco’s father, even has a Euro hat-trick against his name vs Germany in the 2000 edition.

Danny & Daley Blind

In true Dutch and Ajax tradition, Daley Blind is a true disciple of Total Football just as his father Danny was. A long-serving Ajax faithful, Danny was the defensive anchor in a terrific Dutch and Ajaz generation of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Son Daley is an equally unflappable presence in the heart of the Dutch midfield.

Enrico & Federico Chiesa

Enrico Chiesa was a former striker in the 1990s for a team that was always more famous for its defenders. Enrico made his presence felt at Euro 96 with his runs with Pierluigi Casiraghi before fizzling out. With Federico spearheading Italy’s title charge at the last Euro, you could say the son has already surpassed his dad’s legacy. This time, an unimaginative Italy gave way to Switzerland in the Round of 16.

Peter & Kasper Schmeichel

For Kasper Schmeichel, Denmark captain, it was his thrid Euro. A top keeper, Kasper is yet to reach the heights that his father Peter did with Denmark in 1992 when they won the Euro.

Gheorghe & Ianis Hagi

Ianis Hagi, the Romanian midfielder, is the son of the great Gheorghe Hagi. The Maradona of the Carpathians as Hagi Sr is called is inarguably Romania’s greatest. Ianis has shown similar flashes of intelligence and skill that made his father so famous, though even he knows he has huge, huge boots to fill.

Ishayu Mazumdar

Euro battles of the past

Spain and Germany, the two most successful European Championship nations, and among the most impressive sides at Euro 2024, come face to face in the quarterfinals on Friday. This will only be their fourth meeting at the finals.

FRANCE, 1984

West Germany were defending champs and drawn in a group with Spain, Portugal and Romania. They met in the last game, with the Germans top on 3 points (2 were awarded for a win), Spain and Portugal had 2 each. In the first half, Spain’s Lobo Carrasco’s poor penalty was saved by Harald Schumacher, but Antonio Maceda’s 90th-min header put Spain through.

GERMANY, 1988

West Germany had their revenge four years later on home soil, however, when the sides were drawn in a group with Italy and Denmark and again they met in the final game with the Germans top of the standings. Spain needed victory, but in Mu- nich they were no match for the hosts and Franz Beckenbauer’s side secured a comfortable 2-0 win thanks to a Rudi Voeller brace. The Germans lost to the Netherlands in the semis.

AUSTRIA & SWITZERLAND, 2008

Spain and Germany clashed in the final for the first time. Fernando Torres scored the only goal as Spain clinched their second title, their first major tournament win in over 40 years starting a period of Spanish dominance. They became the first team to retain the Euro four years later and won their first World Cup trophy in 2010, beating Germany in the semis along the way. REUTERS

Contrasting emotions for Dutch-born Turk players

Hamburg: Dutch-born Ferdi Kadioglu is excited at the prospect of going up against the country of his birth when the Netherlands meet Turkiye in the quarter-finals in Berlin on Saturday, but Orkun Kokcu will miss the experience.

Kadioglu was born in Arnhem and his father is from Turkiye, but he played for the Dutch at junior level, even after leaving the Netherlands to play club football in Turkey aged 18. Now 24, he was the stand-out player for the Turks in their 2-1 win over Austria in the last 16. “For me it will now be a very special match against the Netherlands. The Netherlands must certainly be afraid of us,” Kadioglu added.

Three years ago he was still playing for the Dutch at U-21 level but switched his allegiance when the path to the senior team looked blocked. “I thought about it carefully,” he said. “Both countries are dear to me.”

Kadioglu still struggles to speak Turkish and his interviews are given in English.

Missing out on Saturday, due to suspension is Haarlem-born Kokcu, the other Dutch-born player in the Turkish squad, who was a fan favourite at Feyenoord and captained them to the title last year under Arne Slot. The Turk community in the Netherlands is estimated to be 500,000-strong. REUTERS

Last 8: Plenty of intrigue, even if Messi, Vinicius can’t participate

Lionel Messi’s leg injury was the only major obstacle that fell into Argentina’s path while it rolled through group play and into the Copa America quarterfinals. Bigger challenges await the defending champions, and they’re hoping Messi will be there to lead the way in perhaps his final international tournament. The 15-time Copa America champion Albiceleste are still the undeniable favorites in the Americas’ biggest soccer tournament when quarterfinal play gets underway, but the other 15-time Copa champs — Uruguay — top the list of challengers capable of taking them down. With the host Americans and Mexico eliminated in group play, the spotlight shifts firmly to the South American powerhouses determined to raise the trophy.

QUARTERS ITINERARY (IST)

● Argentina vs Ecuador (Friday 6.30 am)

● Venezuela vs Canada (Saturday 6.30 am)

● Brazil vs Uruguay (Sunday 6.30 am)

● Colombia vs Panama (Sunday 3.30 am)

ARGENTINA VS ECUADOR

In Houston, it’s unclear whether Lionel Messi will play in the opening quarterfinal due to a leg injury that sidelined him in the team’s most recent match against Peru. Coach Lionel Scaloni said Messi’s availability will be a game-time decision.

“Depending on how he responds, we will decide,” Scaloni said on Wednesday before training. “There are ramifications when Leo is not able to play. We’ll try to make sure that he can play. If not, we’ll try to find the best solution for the team. I will talk to him today. It’s only fair that he can take his time and be able to train as much as he can.”

Argentina have been sturdy even without a goal from Messi in the tournament, winning all three group stage matches by a combined 5-0. Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez is in spectacular form, scoring four goals despite coming off the bench twice, while Manchester City’s Julian Alvarez got the other goal.

If Scaloni decides to play both centre forwards together, it could be more than enough to make up for Messi — and a nightmare for underdog Ecuador, who earned their unexpected quarterfinal spot by holding Mexico scoreless last weekend.

BRAZIL VS URUGUAY

The Sin City will host easily the most tantalizing matchup of the round, featuring a faltering powerhouse against a team known for perennially punching above its weight. No quarterfinal team looked as shaky as Brazil, who stumbled into the next round with a thoroughly unimpressive display. Colombia and Costa Rica both held the Seleçao to draws, and fan discontent is roiling. Even worse, Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior is suspended for the quarterfinal after accumulating two yellow cards. CONMEBOL said the referee and VAR made a mistake in not awarding Brazil a penalty during Tuesday’s group-stage 1-1 draw against Colombia when defender Daniel Munoz tripped Vinicius inside the box. Only he and the VAR didn’t see a penalty, which for sure was there,” the Brazilian boss Dorival Junior said after the game. Yet Brazil are still laden with individual talent that’s barely touched the field in this tournament, so it’s far too early to write off Brazil. Uruguay look just as good under brilliant coach Marcelo Bielsa, winning all three league games.

La Celeste probably would be the tournament favourites if not for Argentina’s similarly strong form — but Brazil have the pure talent to end those dreams in a hurry.

VENEZUELA VS CANADA

In Arlington, Texas, it is a matchup of pleasant surprises. Venezuela have enjoyed an outstanding tournament so far, winning their three group matches by a combined 6-1 with offensive leadership from Salomon Rondon and Eduard Bello. Canada got out of Copa group stage for the first time despite scoring just one goal in three games before losing Inter Milan’s Tajon Buchanan to a broken leg in training on Tuesday. Reaching the semifinals would be a massive achievement for either of these teams.

COLOMBIA VS PANAMA

In Glendale, Arizona, the quarters move west for a pair of games held in air-conditioned stadiums amid a continent-wide heat wave. Colombia are now unbeaten in 26 consecutive matches after holding Brazil to a draw to win their group. Led by veteran star James Rodriguez, Los Cafeteros will be favoured to eliminate Panama, who knocked off the hosts USA to advance from the group. AP

JAMES RODRIGUEZ

Babar seeks help from Australian power-hitting coach

Lahore:Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has sought the help of Shannon Yo ung, the renowned Australian power-hitting coach, to reinvent his T20 skills after an underwhelming campaign in the just-concluded World Cup. Babar made 120 runs from four matches at a strike-rate of 101. Babar met Yo -ung, who coached Glenn Maxwell and Jake Fraser-McGurk, and discussed the skills required to execute power shots.

PTI

GALLERY

400m runner Deepanshi fails dope test

New Delhi: NADA has suspended India’s top woman 400m runner Deepanshi for flunking her dope test during the recent National Inter-State Championships, where she won a silver medal. The 21-year-old Deepanshi had clocked a personal best time of 52.01 seconds to finish second behind Kiran Pahal (50.92) in the women’s 400m final in Panchkula on Friday.

Gukesh holds Caruana; Pragg draws with Nepomniachtchi: World Championship challenger Grandmaster D Gukesh played out a draw with tournament leader and top seed Fabiano Caruana of United States in the seventh round of the Superbet classic chess tournament here. On another all-draws day, R Praggnanandhaa signed peace with Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia leaving the lead positions intact.

Cavendish betters Merckx mark: Mark Cavendish says he will not stop hunting for more Tour de France stage wins after finally breaking the record he shared with Belgian great Eddy Merckx on Wednesday. The 39-yearold sprint king blew away his rivals in the fifth stage of this year's race.

Duke excels in B’luru: Duke of Tuscany, Big Red, Rasputin and Stellantis excelled during the try-outs at Bangalore on Thursday. Outer-sand: 600m: Duke of Tuscany (P Trevor) and Lifes Journey (Rb) 43secs: former routed the latter by 6L. Big Red (Akshay Kumar) -43secs: excelled.

TNN/ AGENCIES

ACTION TODAY

BADMINTON: Canada Open, QFs, 9.30 pm (Jiocinema);

CRICKET: India Women vs South Africa, 1st T20I, 7 pm (Jiocinema);

TENNIS: Wimbledon, 3.30 pm (Star Sports)

Oath stand-off: WB guv ‘allows’ dy speaker to swear in 2 MLAs

Kolkata: Bengal g overnor C V Ananda Bose put out a sixpage Q&A on his social media handle Thursday, seeking to explain the implications of the stand-off over newly elected Trinamool MLAs Sayantika Banerjee and Reyat Hossain Sarkar refusing to take the oath of office at Raj Bhavan and his decision to “authorise” deputy speaker Ashish Banerjee to swear in the duo, reports Debashis Konar.

Bose’s post showed up on his X handle within hours of speaker Biman Banerjee announcing a special assembly session Friday. He said “the assembly is not helpless in the hands of the governor”.Bose said he took the decision on July 2 in New Delhi after considering the requests made by the two MLAs, both of whom contested the recent bypolls.

The Speaker said he hadn’t received any formal communication from Raj Bhavan.

Rlys to add 10k non-AC coaches in 2 yrs, doubling production

New Delhi: Indian Railways on Thursday approved the programme to double manufacturing of non-AC train coaches to around 10,000 in the next two years amid reports of long waiting list of tickets and criticism of crowding in unreserved and sleeper coaches of long-distance trains, reports Dipak Dash. Over 50% of these will be bogies with general seating facility and more than one-third will be sleeper coaches. In the past two financial years, around 4,900 such nonAC coaches were manufactured. Currently, railways has around 55,000 non-AC coaches and with the new production, there will be an 18% growth by March 2026, enabling the national transporter to cater to the growing demand.

FILS ADVANCES AS HURKACZ SLIPS

One Dive Too Many Costs Pole Dear; Djokovic Struggles Past Fearnley

A KNOTTY AFFAIR: Novak Djokovic returns to Jacob Fearnley on Thursday

Prajwal.Hegde@timesofindia.com

London: As if one reckless dive wasn’t bad enough, given that it forced Hubert Hurkacz to take a medical timeout and return with a knee sleeve on his right leg, the seventh-seeded Pole was airborne and horizontal again on the very next point. Not surprisingly, Hurkacz was forced to retire (at match-point down) against the young Frenchman Arthur Fils in the Wimbledon second round.

It was a bizarre end to what looked like a promising encounter with the 20-year-old Fils taking a two-sets-to-love lead. Fils then advanced 7-6 (7-2), 6-4, 2-6, 6-6 (9-8) and will face Russian Roman Safiullin in the third round on Saturday.

Hurkacz, who was serving to level set scores in the 10th game of the fourth set, saved a breakpoint, but couldn’t serve it out. A forehand error of a bad bounce then pushed the set along to tie-break, slippery ground in challenging conditions where the sun was out, but the westerly was stiff.

Hurkacz, who fell to the ground clutching his right knee when trying to stand up after the dive, received help from Fils, who crossed over and stretched out his hand to the Pole. He helped his opponent get back on his feet before the trainer arrived and commenced treatment.

Fils, from Bondoule, a commune in northern France, made light of his action. “It’s completely normal for me,” he said. “I saw a friend. He was in pain, and he couldn’t move. I didn’t care about the score. I was just hoping that the guy is well, and he can still walk and everything. He told me that he felt something in his knee. I forgot the score at this point.”

Even though Fils took the first two sets and eventually the match, it was Hurkacz who won more points (148 to 140). The Frenchman, ranked 34, struck on the big points to become the youngest player to beat a top-10 men’s player at Wimbledon in 10 years since Nick Kyrgios took down Rafael Nadal in 2014.

The 20-year-old is in the third round of a major for the first time. “When I got on the court, I was trying my best to at least try to win one set, and to get him in one tie-break. I was feeling great. I was playing quite okay. I won the first set. Then I broke early in the second one, won the second set. Then you think, like, “Okay, I can win this match.”

Meanwhile, seven-time champion Novak Djokovic was far from his best on the day, but still found a way of coming through. The second seed overcame a free-hitting display from British wild card Jacob Fearnley to earn a 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 7-5 win.

IMPORTANT RESULTS (DAY 4, ROUND 2)

Men: Denis Shapovalov (CAN) bt Daniel Altmaier (GER) 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, 1-6, 6-7 (3/7), 6-4; Grigor Dimitrov (BUL x10) bt Shang Juncheng (CHN) 5-7, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-2, 6-4; Gael Monfils (FRA) bt Stan Wawrinka (SUI) 7-6 (7/5), 6-4, 7-6 (7/3); Arthur Fils (FRA) bt Hubert Hurkacz (POL x7) 7-6 (7/2), 6-4, 2-6, 6-6 retired; Alex De Minaur (AUS x9) bt Jaume Munar (ESP) 6-2, 6-2, 7-5; Novak Djokovic (SRB x2) bt Jacob Fearnley (GBR) 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 7-5

Women: Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) bt Katerina Siniakova (CZE x27) 6-0, 4-6, 6-2; Jelena Ostapenko (LAT x13) bt Daria Snigur (UKR) 6-3, 6-0; Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRA x20) bt María Camila Osorio (COL) 3-0 retired; Ons Jabeur (TUN x10) bt Robin Montgomery (USA) 6-1, 7-5; Wang Xinyu (CHN) bt Jessica Pegula (USA x5) 6-4, 6-7 (7/9), 6-1; Madison Keys (USA x12) bt Wang Yafan (CHN) 6-2, 6-2.

YUKI-OLIVETTI PAIR ADVANCES

Prajwal.Hegde@timesofindia.com

London: Yuki Bhambri and Frenchman Albano Olivetti impressed in their straight-set men’s doubles win over the Kazakh duo of Alexander Bublik and Alexander Shevchenko in the Wimbledon first round.

The Indo-French combine came through 6-4, 6-4 in 58 minutes.

Bhambri and Olivetti had a strong serving day, winning 88 percent of points on first serves. In the second set, they didn’t face breakpoints.

The Indo-French pair will play eighth-seeded Germans, Tim Puetz and Kevin Krawietz, in the second round.

In another first-round match, Sriram Balaji and Britain’s Luke Johnson bowed out to the fourth-seeded Croatian-Salvadorian pair of Mate Pavic and Marcelo Arevalo 4-6, 5-7 in 75 minutes.

Bopanna in line for another ‘oldest’ record

BOPANNA

Prajwal.Hegde@timesofindia.com

London: There were no surprises for India when the International Tennis Federation announced the final player field for Paris 2024 at Wimbledon on Thursday.

Sumit Nagal (men’s singles) and the combination of Rohan Bopanna and Sriram Balaji (men’s doubles) made the cut for the quadrennial Games to be played on clay at Roland Garros, starting July 27.

It will be 44-year-old Rohan Bopanna’s third Olympic Games, after injury restricted his bid to play in Tokyo.

The Indian will be the oldest tennis player at Paris 2024 and the oldest male tennis player since the sport returned to the Olympics at 1988 Seoul Games. Bopanna is older than Daniel Nestor (43 years 345 days) at Rio 2016. He is also older than Leander Paes (43 years 58 days) at Rio 2016, making him the oldest Indian in the Olympic tennis field. Mar- tina Navratilova, the only player older than Bopanna (since 1988), played the women’s doubles at Athens 2004, aged 47 years 309 days.

Sinner, Djokovic headline men’s field

The men’s and women’s singles entries are headed by Jannik Sinner (Italy), Novak Djokovic (Serbia), Carlos Alcaraz (Spain), Iga Swiatek (Poland), Coco Gauff (USA) and Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan). Returning to defend his Olympic title is Alexander Zverev (Germany).

Bodhana picked up chess during lockdown

Bodhana Sivanandan

Continued from P1

NEW KID ON THE BLOCK

One of her new teammates, Jovanka Houska (44), said: “I can tell you one thing — I’ve had a lot of p layers say to m e they’re terrified of p laying her. A 9-year-old that's close to 2200 — that’s scary.” Last year, Sivanandan became England’s first world youth chess champion in 25 years when she won the triple crown with titles in classical, rapid and blitz competitions in the girls’ under-8 category. She fol- lowed up by winning the woman’s award in the European Women’s Blitz Championship in Croatia.

“I’m so pleased to be picked for England, it’s a gre at honour and I’m looking forward to being part of the team,” she said.

She picked the game up during lockdown, aged five, when a friend of her father’s was clearing out his garage. One of the items he was throwing away was a chess set which Tamil Nadu-born Sivanandan brought home, intending to give it to charity. She peered inside the bag and was curious about the chess pieces such as the king and the knight. She started watchingYouTube videos of chess and play- ing online against strangers.

Velayutham thinks his daughter was drawn to the royal associations of chess. “She likes the royal stories and family. I think that’s why she thought this looks interesting,” he told the Daily Telegraph.

Now she aspires to become a grandmaster, the highest title in international chess, as well as women’s world champion. She currently holds the title of Woman FIDE Master. Malcom Pein, a selector for the England team, said: “At nine years of age, she must sur ely be the youngest to be selected to represent England in any international sporting competition.”

He said the chess craze in the UK has been triggered by Netflix’s ‘The Queen’s Gambit’, which has created millions of new players and a golden generation of emerging talent, that also includes Bengaluruborn English chess player Shreyas Royal (15), the world’s top under-10 player Ethan Pang (9) and Supratit Banerjee (9), the world No. 7 in the under-10 category.

Together with Sivanandan, they will all be at the ChessFest, a free chest festival, in Trafalgar Square on Sunday, taking on chess enthusiasts across the country. It is organised by the charity ‘Chess in Schools and Communities’.

India: SCO’s value will depend on how members cooperate

Connectivity Projects Must Be Respectful Of Sovereignty: Modi

Chinese Prez Xi Jinping. India remains the only SCO memberstate to not endorse China’s BRI

Continued from P1

PM Modi, in his address to the SCO through EAM Jaishankar, said in a world moving inexorably towards r eal m ultipolarity, SCO will only become more important and that it occupies a prominent place in India’s foreign policy. However, he added its true value would depend on how well the m ember-states cooperate amongst themselves.

Without naming Pakistan, the PM called for action to isolate and expose countries that harbour terrorists, provide safe havens and condone terrorism. “Cross-border terrorism requires a decisive response and terrorism financing and recruitment must be resolutely countered. We should also take proactive steps to prevent the spread of radicalisation of our youth,” he said, adding that if left unaddressed, cross-border terrorism can become a major threat to re- gional and global peace.

Significantly, while strongly condemning terrorism, SCO’s joint statement called upon the international community to seek consensus on the adoption within the UN of a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) as an “important contribution to the existing base of universal international counter-terrorism instruments”. CCIT was first proposed by India to UNGA in 1996 but it couldn’t be adopted because of differences over the definition of terrorism.

Addressing the participating leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif, Modi said terrorism ranks foremost for many member-states as it continues to be used by nations as a tool of destabilisation. Reminding the organisation that combating terrorism was one of its original goals, Modi said that the SCO must never waver from its commitment. “We cannot have double standards in this regard,” he said, in remarks aimed at China, which has blocked UN ban on Pakistan based operatives of proscribed terror groups.

In another message to China and Pakistan, he reiterated India’s position that connectivity and infrastructure projects must not undermine sovereignty and territorial integrity. India remains the only SCO member-state to not endorse China’s BRI because its “ flagship” project CPEC passes through GilgitBaltistan in POK. India was also the only member-state to not endorse the SCO Economic Development Strategy 2030 announced last year.

Modi said connectivity linkages must be respectful of sovereignty and territorial integrity of states and be built on the foundation of non-discriminatory trade and transit rights to neighbours. Pakistan continues to deny India land access to Afghanistan and Central Asia. He mentioned the progress made on the Chabahar port recently in the form of a longterm agreement between India and Iran, saying it not only holds great value for landlocked Central Asian states but also de-risks commerce between India and Eurasia. The PM said that SCO is a principle-based organisation, whose consensus drives approach of member states.

ED’s plans likely behind Soren’s swift moves

Hemant meets his father Shibu Soren before taking oath as Jharkhand CM on Thursday

Continued from P1

The apparent change in plan was conveyed to governor C P Radhakrishnan’s secretariat Thursday morning and made public barely two hours before the swearing-in.

JMM said 5pm was an “auspicious mahurat” for Hemant’s return. Since it was too late to send out invitations, the event at Raj Bhavan’s Durbar Hall took place before an audience of barely 100 people, including the three-time CM’s predecessor.

“He (Hemant) had been asked to intimate a date and time for the swearing-in. On Thursday morning, we received a letter saying the new CM would like to take oath at 5 pm, and it was ar- ranged accordingly,” a Raj Bhavan official said.

ED’s plan to move SC against Jharkhand HC’s acceptance of Hemant’s bail plea may have been a factor in Hemant advancing the swearing-in. When they spoke last week, Sonia apparently told Hemant that the only way to prevent “dual power centres” was for him to take back the chief ministership.

Hemant first became CM in July 2013, retaining the post till Dec 2014. His second stint started on Dec 29, 2019, but was cut short hours before his arrest on Jan 31 this year. Champai, whom he picked as his successor, took over on Feb 2.

Hemant’s father and JMM patriarch Shibu Soren, his newly elected MLA wife Kalpana Murmu Soren, Jharkhand Congress president Rajesh Thakur, former ministers of Champai’s cabinet, and MLAs of INDIA bloc attended the swearing-in.

Hemant and his wife visited Sidho-Kanhu Park in Morabadi later to pay tributes

to tribal revolutionaries Sidho and Kanhu Murmu.

“They (NDA) tried to stop our march by hatching a conspiracy and development projects stalled for a few months. Now that I am back, all my decisions will be for Adivasis, Moolvasis and p eople from every strata of the society,” Hemant said.

Champai congratulated Hemant on becoming CM through a post on X.

While JMM is likely to retain most ministers from Champai’s cabinet, Latehar MLA Baidyanath Ram could be among the new faces, sources said. “Congress, too, is likely to induct new faces. The ministers will be picked with the high command’s approval,” a Congress functionary said.

Baba created pvt army that secured him, enhanced clout

Continued from P1

Popularas Bhole Baba in parts of UP, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, the godman’s life took a significant turn when he joined UP Police as constable. For over 18 years, he served in various districts of UP, with a stint in the intelligence unit. That period offered him profound insights into societal workings and human psychology — knowledge that would later prove instrumental in his avatar as Bhole Baba.

Zaffar Ali, the husband of Bahadur Nagar village pradhan Najis Khanam, said, “Bhole Baba has no children, and his wife is known as Matashree. His younger brother Ram Prasad died some years ago. The other sibling, Rakesh, continues to till the fields.” Ali added that Bhole Baba built an ashram on a 30-bigha land in the Kasganj village, attracting people from various districts and states who sought his blessings. Five years ago, though, the preacher suddenly left the village. He suspected a conspiracy was brewing against him.

A Hathras-based businessman, who has for long been donating to Bhole Baba’s satsangs, said, “He isn’t very imposing or anything. He stands at about 5 feet 7 inches. Yes, he maintains high standards of hygiene and doesn’t allow people to touch him. Educated till Class 12, he speaks chaste English, is an avid reader, and has a fondness for cars and perfumes. Baba takes great care of his diet and exercises regularly. Through his connections, Baba helped me in my business of asafoetida.”

In 2000, when Bhole Baba took voluntary retirement as head constable with Uttar Pradesh Police, it immediately saw him encounter the other end of law. That March in Agra, he and a few others were charged with something startling: the claim to possess powers that could r esurrect a dead teenage girl. It caused a commotion at the cremation ground. Police lat- er closed the case due to lack of evidence.

Slowly, there was remodelling of his persona at multiple levels. He kept his hair long and swathed himself in long robes, looking more like the traditional spiritual leader that he aspired to be. He chose a fascinating fusion of the old and the modern, often juxtaposing a white suit and tie with pajama. Bhole Baba kept his wife by his side, a quiet yet potent presence that many said provided to his followers a sense of familial warmth and rootedness.

As his worshippers grew, so did his whims. Bhole Baba cultivated a private army of fiercely loyal followers ready to defend him at great cost to themselves. The Narayani S ena, the Garud Yodha, and the Hari Vahak guarded him round the clock. The Garud Yodha, also referred to as “black commandos” by the lo- cals, wore black, the Hari Vahak brown with unique caps, and those in the Narayani Sena were clad in pink.

This army not only provided Bhole Baba with security but also helped him establish and maintain a mighty influence over his “community”, particularly among the Dalits, a significant portion of his disciples.

Ram Sanai, a 65-year-old who was present at the ill-fated satsang on Tuesday, said that a large part of Bhole Baba’s appeal came from his admonitions against excessive alcohol consumption and advice for women facing domestic violence. His wider message was one of humanity — aposter announcing the satsang, for instance, talked about “unity in diversity”, eradication of discrimination and, of course, the need to believe in the power of Narayan Sarkar, another nomenclature that he bestowed upon himself.

Rakesh Babu from Aligarh, who was also in Hathras for Bhole Baba’s event, said, “He gives confidence to us. He talks of equality and empo- werment. He advocates education. He even got my daughter admitted to a private school. He condemns caste-based discrimination and teaches universal brotherhood. Baba helped us during the Covid-19 pandemic when we didn’t have food to eat.”

Something else had also happened during that time which Babu doesn’t reveal. In May 2021, during the deadly second wave, Bhole Baba organised a meeting in Farrukhabad. Defying the district administration’s permission for only 50 people, more than 50,000 a ttended, r esulting in an FIR against the organisers.

Bhole Baba’s past was not untouched by controversy. He has allegedly been involved in several crimes, from fraud to land grabbing and sexual assault. However, he has managed to evade charges, thanks to what many say is his “political influence”.

In Kanpur, Ghatampur ACP Ranjit Kumar said police are investigating allegations that his organisation, ‘Sakar Vishwa Hari Charitable Trust’, has encroached on seven bighas of land in Karsui village. “We are probing the matter to gather more details,” he said.

Bhole Baba’s political power, many say, was “seeded” in 2007 when Mayawatiled BSP assumed office in UP. He had close connections with several senior politicians across party lines and was often seen sharing the stage with them during public events. His followers formed a significant vote bank, the ashrams in various parts of UP a testament to his power. It was in one of these ashrams on a 60-bigha plot in Bichwa Mainpuri that the man solemnised the wedding of an IAS officer two years ago.

At his Kasganj ashram, there is a handpump he has installed which is believed to sprout ‘amrit’ and cleanse one’s soul. But it is Bhole Baba’s once-immaculate white clothes that now seem a little stained — with blood. His p osters and banners, once a beacon of hope and guidance, are now smeared with black ink.

MAKING OF A CULT

AFI names 28-member team for Paris

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Reigning Olympic and world champion Neeraj Chopra will spearhead the country’s challenge in track and field as the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) on Thursday named a 28-member strong contingent for the upcoming Paris Olympics. The squad has 17 men and 11 women athletes with some of the other prominent names being Kishore Kumar Jena, Avinash Sable, Tajinderpal Singh Toor, Parul Chaudhary and Jyothi Yarraji among others. The track and field competition will be held at Stade de France stadium between Aug 1 and Aug 11.

Squad: Men: Avinash Sable (3,000m steeplechase); Neeraj Chopra, Kishore Kumar Jena (javelin throw); Tajinderpal Singh Toor (shot put); Praveen Chithravel, Abdulla Aboobacker (triple jump); Akshdeep Singh, Vikash Singh, Paramjeet Singh Bisht (20km race walk); Muhammed Anas, Muhammed Ajmal, Amoj Jacob, Santhosh Tamilarasan, Rajesh Ramesh (4x400m relay); Mijo Chacko Kurian (4x400m relay); Suraj Panwar (race walk mixed marathon); Sarvesh Anil Kushare (high jump).

Women: Kiran Pahal (400m); Parul Chaudhary (3,000m steeplechase and 5,000m); Jyothi Yarraji (100m hurdles); Annu Rani (javelin throw); Abha Khatua (shot put); Jyothika Sri Dandi, Subha Venkatesan, Vithya Ramraj, Poovamma MR (4x400m relay); Prachi (4x400m); Priyanka Goswami (20km race walk/race walk mixed marathon).

Delhi Times

- DELHI WELCOMES T20 WORLD CUP CHAMPS WITH DHOL AND DANCE

- BUZZ STOP

- NAYAK AND KHALNAYAK: Anil’s two avatars on Bigg Boss OTT 3’s Weekend Ka Vaar

- #MODERNDATING WHO SHOULD PAY ON THE FIRST DATE?

- Canine weddings: A rising trend in China

- DID YOU KNOW?

- Challenges like hair loss should not hinder one’s path to success: Experts

- Career is not over just ’coz things didn’t go well: Pratiksha

- Name it, as there is no shame in it

- This month, book fair aims to rekindle the love for reading

- Irishman assembles Mr Potato Head in fastest time ever

- Mom-to-be Deepika practises prenatal yoga

- Amid cancer battle, Hina Khan chops off hair

- Men in blue arrive in Delhi, bring the World Cup home

DELHI WELCOMES T20 WORLD CUP CHAMPS WITH DHOL AND DANCE

Team India touched down in Delhi to a highenergy welcome following their victory in the T20 World Cup

CONTINUED ON BACK PAGE

BUZZ STOP

EXERCISE CAUTION: SIDHARTH ON FANPAGE’S ₹50 LAKH SCAM

Sidharth Malhotra released a statement after one of his fanpages allegedly duped a woman of ₹50 lakh over a period of two months. A US-based fan of Sidharth claimed on social media that she paid money to the admins of a fanpage to get inside information about him. She alleged that the admins fabricated stories about Sidharth and claimed that his wife Kiara Advani was a threat to his life. Reacting to the same, Sidharth wrote, “It has been brought to my attention that certain fraudulent activities/ scams have been circulating on various social media platforms, allegedly claiming to be associated with or in relation to me, my family, and people claiming to be my fans and seeking money. I want to assure everyone reading this that neither I nor my family or team support any of this. I urge all of you to exercise caution when dealing with such matters.”

NAYAK AND KHALNAYAK: Anil’s two avatars on Bigg Boss OTT 3’s Weekend Ka Vaar

Anil Kapoor

Bigg Boss OTT 3’s host, the evercharming Anil Kapoor, has taken this season by storm. The audience is witnessing a cool, new avatar of the man, and appreciating him for his balanced approach when dealing with the contestants on the show. When arguments between contestants took a heated turn, he called them out, asked them to keep a check on their behaviour, and appreciated the ones who played the game well. The viewers witnessed the host rapping and sketching on stage with the celebrity guests, elevating the entertainment quotient during the weekend episode.

Talking about his experience of the first Weekend Ka Vaar, Anil said, “I was nervous and excited before we commenced shooting for the first Weekend Ka Vaar episode. While I rehearsed my choice of words before the weekend shoot, five minutes into the shoot, I got into my authentic personality and was unfiltered while reviewing the week that went by for the contestants. The format of the show is such that I will never be able to please all, and it’s essential to call out the contestants as is when they go wrong.”

#MODERNDATING WHO SHOULD PAY ON THE FIRST DATE?

The person who initiates the date might offer to pay, though splitting the bill is common. Whether in personal or professional settings, fairness and respect should always be paramount, open communication and mutual agreement are crucial – Sachin Bangera, 38, who works at an animal rights organisationFirst dates also set the precedent for the next dates. When I started dating my (now) husband, we would take turns to pay. After a few dates, we decided to split whenever we could – Janki, 37, a baker

Talking Point

Riya Sharma

First dates are tricky, confusing and awkward. You dress up, meet someone at a fine dining restaurant, the conversation is interesting and the moment you think everything is probably going well, the check arrives. Do you pay for it? Does your date pay for it? Or do you split the bill? Though there is no right answer, we ask young professionals navigating the dating scene who they think should pay on the first date.

‘Letting the other person pay may not always end well’

“I usually don’t let people pay for my share. One time I went out with a guy and he paid for the wine and pizza. I wasn’t really interested in him so I told him that I will pay my share but he didn’t let me. So I forgot about the money. The next day he started texting me but I didn’t quite like him so I ignored the messages thinking he would get the hint. But when he didn’t, I told him I was not interested. So he told me, ‘Oh, so you had come for free drinks and food’. And that came as a shock to me. I immediately sent him the money and didn’t speak to him ever again,” shares Samiksha*, 35, who works in social media marketing.

‘When a guy takes care of the tab, it leaves a good impression’

According to a survey by an American personal finance company, over 70% of Americans believe that in heterosexual relationships, the man should pay on the first date. “Before I go on a date, I am already spending enough on my makeup, dressing up, and probably ‘risking my safety’ while going on a date with a guy from a dating app. The least he can do is offer to pay,” shares Rishika*, 22, a media professional.

Prakruti Sharma, 21, a model, expects that the man should pay on the first date. “It’s a nice gesture and sets a positive tone from the start. It can also leave a good impression, showing that he’s generous. It avoids any awkwardness about splitting the bill,” she says.

Advika, 27, who works at an electronic company, says, “If you are meeting someone for the first time and don’t have any background about their finances, it is always better to go Dutch. Also, I think that if I let the guy pay, there can be an expectation that I owe him something. I don’t want to give that advantage to anyone.”

What about outings with colleagues?

“If the senior management is present and it is an official lunch or dinner then the money goes from the money that is allocated for the lunch/dinner. If it is an unofficial outing then everyone should split the bill though some people expect the senior-most person to pay,” says Sini Chauhan.

“It is always better to split the bill when it is an unofficial get-together or outing. Just because someone is your boss or earns probably more than you, does not mean they should be covering for you. While someone being generous on a specific day is possible, that shouldn’t become the rule,” adds Samiksha.

‘Whoever initiates the date, pays for it’

“Whoever initiated the meeting, it should be their responsibility to take care of the bill,” says Sini Chauhan, 30, who works at an art gallery. “I have paid the bill on first dates if I have asked someone out. That is something I follow, and if someone insists then I think the best thing is to split the bill,” she adds.

“First dates also set the precedent for the next dates, provided there are more dates. When I started dating my (now) husband, we would take turns to pay. After a few dates, we decided to split whenever we could and I think that really helps,” points out Janki, 37, a baker.

Traditional vs modern perspectives on paying the bill

Traditional norms

Traditionally, men were expected to pay for the first date as a gesture of chivalry, reflecting their role as primary breadwinners.

Modern views

Today, many couples prefer to split the bill or take turns paying, promoting fairness and mutual respect.

Communication

Discussing who will pay beforehand helps avoid awkwardness and misunderstandings.

Financial situations

Consider each person's financial situation. If one earns significantly more, they might offer to pay or split proportionately.

Gestures

Paying can be a kind gesture regardless of gender, but intentions should be clear to avoid misunderstandings.

Equality and respect

Decisions should promote equality and mutual respect, avoiding gender stereotypes and fostering a healthy relationship foundation.

Dr Chandni Tugnait, a psychotherapist, life and business coach

*Names changed on request

Canine weddings: A rising trend in China

People have weddings. Why can’t dogs have weddings? – Bree’s owner Rye Ling

It was a dream wedding, complete with picturesque outdoor setting, white lace gown and a delectable cake. The perfect day for golden retrievers – Bree and Bond – to tie the knot in front of their closest human and canine friends.

Pet weddings are on the rise in China, where government policies have had little success in encouraging more humans to wed in this fast-ageing society where the population is declining and marriage and birth rates remain low. The popularity of pets and an increasing willingness to splurge on them are driving the trend.

“People have weddings. Why can’t dogs have weddings?” Bree’s owner Rye Ling said after escorting his female pet down the aisle, where she exchanged vows promising to always share treats and play with her husband Bond. Agencies

Pet weddings in India

In India, as well, many pet owners marry their dogs. In one such incident, last year, a sevenmonth-old female dog Jelly got hitched to Tommy in Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh with Indian wedding rituals. “On the occasion of Makar Sankranti, we organised the wedding. Desi ghee food was also distributed among the neighbourhood dogs. We spent around ₹40,000-45,000 for it,” said Dinesh Chaudhary, Tommy’s owner.

DID YOU KNOW?

Before it was the video sharing giant it is today, YouTube began as a dating site.

When YouTube first launched, the founders of the website were unsure which direction they wanted to take it in. Since the domain was registered on Valentine’s Day, they gave the website the tagline of “Tune In Hook Up”.The aim was initially to provide a platform where lovelorn singles could upload videos of themselves and hook up withotherusers.

Challenges like hair loss should not hinder one’s path to success: Experts

As the Men in Blue bring home the T20 World Cup, Eugenix Hair Sciences – one of the global leaders in hair restoration procedures – celebrates its long connection with Indian cricketers, say Dr Pardeep Sethi, Chairman and Dr Arika Bansal, founder of the brand. “The team showcased exceptional skills, motivation, and selfconfidence on the ground. To gain personal confidence and enhance personality, several cricketers across different teams have been associated with us,” the doctors add. “From 2023 World Cup sensation Mohammed Shami to legends like Ravi Shastri, former Indian skipper Mohammad Azharuddin, former cricketer Nikhil Chopra, Indian fielding coach R Sridhar, and Rohan Gavaskar, to name a few, have trusted us, the hair transplant experts,” they add. The doctors inform that former Australian cricketer Michael Bevan, former physiotherapist for the Indian team Andrew Leipus, and English batsman Nick Compton have also been associated with Eugenix for hair treatments. They add, “Here, we believe that personal challenges like hair loss should not hinder one’s path to success. Our team is equipped with top-notch techniques and professional staff, with headquarters in Gurgaon and clinics in Mumbai and Hyderabad as well.”

Website: https://eugenixhairsciences.com Contact: +91 8826471111; Email: info@eugenix.in

Disclaimer: The views/suggestions/opinions expressed in the article are the sole responsibility of the experts.

(L-R) Dr Pardeep Sethi, Mohammad Azharuddin and Dr Arika Bansal

Mohammed Shami

Ravi Shastri

Career is not over just ’coz things didn’t go well: Pratiksha

Pratiksha Honmukhe

Back in March, Pratiksha Honmukhe was replaced overnight in her debut show Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai along with lead actor Shehzada Dhami. It wasn’t easy, but the actress has now bounced back and is seen playing the antagonist in Kaise Mujhe Tum Mil Gaye.

She says, “After my exit from Yeh Rishta..., I shut off completely and wanted to take a break. But my family motivated me to get back to work and luckily, I bagged this role in Kaise Mujhe Tum Mil Gaye.”

Talking about her exit from Yeh Rishta... during which there were rumours of Shehzada and her unprofessional behaviour, she says, “It was going well, but suddenly I was asked to quit in March. I still don’t know what went wrong. Honestly, I was a newcomer and everyone takes some time to learn on the job. I was disciplined and nice to everyone on the set, so how can I be called unprofessional?”

Pratiksha adds, “I know I’ve done nothing wrong. I am grateful Rajan Shahi sir (producer of Yeh Rishta) gave me this show and it was a big start. Also, my career is not over just because things didn’t go well in my first show.”

Tanvi Trivedi

There were rumours of Pratiksha dating Shehzada, which caused further problems on the set. But she says, “Shehzada is a good friend and has been my greatest support system. He has always been there for me, but I am not having an affair with him”

Name it, as there is no shame in it

POV

A certain word was used in the Lok Sabha by a woman, probably for the first time on live TV. “Uterus”. In a space dominated by men, whose voices often decide the fate of the country, that one word stood out in all its conspicuousness.

Words such as uterus and menstruation, menopause and female genitalia are still in the realm of private conversations or a clinical environment. For generations, girls have been taught the language of euphemisms when it comes to their body. They are programmed to believe that it is embarrassing, impolite to refer to their reproductive and sexual organs and biological changes by their correct, clinical names. And here’s the problem.

In an interview to the BBC, eminent clinical educator, lecturer Dr Aziza Sesay, underlined how this regressive practice “perpetuates the taboo, stigma and embarrassment” associated with the female anatomy, leading “to women not getting the medical help they need.” Children, who are taught to censor their language when it comes to their bodies, or use gibberish or funny names for their private parts, would not be taken as seriously if they are abused. Use words about women’s sexual health in an article, chances are even the algorithm will flag it off as ‘inappropriate.’

Experts believe that the first step towards de-stigmatising women’s reproductive and sexual health is normalising the use of the correct vocabulary around it whether in public or otherwise.

However, it is one thing to send out a HR newsletter about ‘period leaves’ or raise awareness about ‘breast cancer’, but quite another to stand up in a roomful of men to say that you have had your ovaries removed and need to take some time off.

In a different world, one inhabited by wizards and muggles, a young Harry Potter chooses to call Voldemort by his name. ‘Fearing a name increases a fear of the thing itself,’ Dumbledore tells him. If women cannot even gather the courage to say it as it is, what are the chances that someone else will speak up for them?

Agree? Disagree? Got a POV idea? Write to us at: pov@timesgroup.com

This month, book fair aims to rekindle the love for reading

This event will showcase 108 books, authored by 108 distinguished writers – Sukhraj B Nahar

Sukhraj B Nahar

The Jain International Trade Organisation (JITO) and Raisoni Group of Industries & Foundation are all set to host the Nahar JITO Bookathon from July 7-14. Sukhraj B Nahar (Chairman, JITO APEX) says, “This exciting event will showcase 108 books, authored by 108 distinguished writers. The event seeks to rekindle the culture of book reading, featuring a curated selection of books on life, business and professional skills, combining digital and physical engagement.”

Website: https://nas.io/jito-bookathon or scan QR code

Irishman assembles Mr Potato Head in fastest time ever

Bizarre

Declan McFerran, 20, from Northern Ireland, teaches gymnastics, taekwondo, and piano. He now holds the world record for assembling Mr Potato Head in 5.15 seconds, breaking the previous record by 0.28 seconds. After four hours of attempts, Declan succeeded, saying, “I was enticed by the record and gave it my best try, and to my pleasant surprise, I broke the record!”

Mom-to-be Deepika practises prenatal yoga

Deepika performs Viparita karani asana

Fitness Fundas

Deepika Padukone took to Instagram to celebrate self-care month, sharing a picture of herself practicing the Viparita Karani asana as part of her daily routine during pregnancy. In a post, Deepika wrote, “But why celebrate Self-Care Month when you can practice simple acts of self-care everyday? I love a good workout. I don’t work out to ‘look good’ but to ‘feel fit’. Exercise has been part of my lifestyle for as long as I can remember. However, when I can’t fit in a workout, I practice this simple 5-minute routine. I do this everyday, whether I work out or not. It’s especially useful after a long flight or just to decompress (sic)”.

Her husband, Ranveer Singh, commented, “Works like magic.”

Deepika also cautioned those with glaucoma and uncontrollable high blood pressure to avoid this exercise, advising everyone to consult their yoga instructor before performing these asanas. She also highlighted the benefits of the Viparita Karani Yoga (legs-up-thewall pose).

Self-care advise Deepika Padukone shared on Instagram

BEFORE STARTING THE DAY

● Supports lymphatic and glymphatic systems, boosting your immune system

● Promotes the flow of oxygenated blood to the upper body and stimulates lymphatic fluid flow

● Aids in detoxification and lymphatic drainage

● Gently opens the hips and hamstrings

BEFORE SLEEPING

● Activates the parasympathetic nervous system, enhancing rest and digestion for better sleep quality

● Eases restless legs for improved sleep

WHEN PREGNANT (USE A BOLSTER OR CUSHION FOR SUPPORT)

● Relieves aching muscles, joints, and swollen ankles and feet

● Reduces pressure on the lower back and relieves feelings of heaviness and fatigue in the legs and hips

● Alleviates water retention

● Helps reduce swelling and discomfort in the ankles and feet

VIPARITA KARANI YOGA (LEGS-UP-THE-WALL POSE)

“In Sanskrit, viparita means inverted and kar ani translates to in action. This active inversion position is also called the restful inversion. Lying with your legs up against the wall can benefit your mental and physical health. From calming the nervous system to strengthening immune health, this ancient posture offers so much, especially in our stressful and busy world (sic),” she posted.

Amid cancer battle, Hina Khan chops off hair

Hina also shared that she has decided to use her own hair to make a wig for this phase

As she battles breast cancer, Hina Khan shared her haircut on Instagram. In a post, she wrote, “To all the beautiful people out there, especially women who are fighting the same battle, I know it’s hard. I know for most of us, our hair is the crown we never take off. But what if you’re facing a battle so tough that you have to lose your hair – your pride, your crown? If you want to win you’ve got to take some tough decisions. And I choose to win. I have decided to give myself every chance possible to win this battle. I choose to let go of my hair before it starts falling off. I didn’t want to endure this mental breakdown for weeks. So, I choose to let go of my crown because I’ve realised my real crown is my courage, strength and the love I have for myself.”

Men in blue arrive in Delhi, bring the World Cup home

TEAM INDIA’S BARBADOS-DELHI FLIGHT BECOMES THE MOST-TRACKED

Captain Rohit Sharma and co arrived in Delhi on Thursday, after being stranded in Barbados for three days due to hurricane Beryl

Indian cricket fans couldn’t hold back their excitement to see the T20 World Cup winners and trophy returning home. On June 3, the flight, call sign AIC24WC, became the most-tracked flight in recent times according to tracking portal Flightradar24. The chartered flight was being live-tracked by over 4,464 people at one point on the online platform.

After a three-days-long wait, fans got the chances to give a hero’s welcome to the men in blue. (L-R) Ravindra Jadeja and Rishabh Pant

Rahul Dravid

Virat Kohli

Arshdeep Singh

Table of Contents

TOI Print Edition Jul 05, 2024

Front Page

Ex-farmer & ex-cop, godman has penchant for good things

UP trekker falls to death in Rudranath

Tenth bridge falls in Bihar in 15 days

Desi chess star, 9, youngest ever to play for England

Teacher shifted, 133 students also move schools

City logs cleanest air day in 10 mths

NEET leak: J’khand principal, deputy fired

No recent desilting of Yamuna: Delhi govt

IN THE COURTS

Naidu calls on PM with long list of demands

CM sent file on tree felling to LG: Officials

SEA OF LOVE FOR CHAMPS

Sonia’s nudge puts Hemant back in Jharkhand saddle

Isolate, expose states that back terror: Modi to SCO

Times Nation

Why only 2% of colleges in India are autonomous

Teacher transferred, 133 kids follow him to join new school

IIIT-Lucknow turns to kathak to keep students stress-free

Man bites back snake, reptile dies

Man gyps co, has a lavish wedding

It’s payback time, TDP chief tells Centre with his wish list

Redouble pullback efforts, EAM tells China counterpart

Govt announces Modi’s trips to Russia, Austria

HC: Reasons for SC collegium rejecting picks can’t be disclosed

After Hyderabad, C’garh cops bust another Mahadev app racket in Pune

2 minor students in police custody for raping 5-yr-old

Driver assaulted after bus kills stray cattle

Verdict on Afzal plea against conviction reserved

Why stampede horror can’t shake their faith in ‘Baba’

6 arrested for stampede, cops put `1L bounty on main suspect

Indore ashram gets notice over kids’ death

Health centre with just 1 doc & 3 nurses got swamped with injured

A tragedy & 4 calls later, phone went dead, Baba went missing

Mason numb with grief after losing mother, wife and teenaged daughter

Surrogate moms also entitled to maternity leave, says HC

HC: Repeated tragedies, graft case smearing Gujarat’s image

MP HC grants ASI 10 more days to submit Bhojshala report

STAYING AFLOAT

Rajnath talks to Aus minister for boosting ties in Indo-Pacific

SC pulls up MP HC for ‘casual approach’, says man be released

Oasis school sacks principal, deputy held over NEET ‘leak’

Maha set to clear Rel Infra arm’s `1,700cr Metro debt

Trekker dies in Rudranath, body retrieved after 12-hr op

JEE aspirant ends life, 13th student suicide in Kota this year

Another bridge in Bihar collapses, 10th in a fortnight

‘Distributed exams’ can curb paper leaks: Univ body chief

Times City

No Yamuna Desilting Done In Recent Years

This too shall not underpass! Best-laid plans to avoid flooding fail to save Delhi

CBI books 2 more policemen for bribery

Don’t lose sight of a mile for an inch

How City Cops Are Training To ‘Shoot’ At Site

Forensics to deepfakes: At expo, insight into how world can fight off challenges

Short-circuit sparks blaze in S Delhi building, firefighters rescue woman stuck on balcony

DJB work causes road cave-ins at Sangam Vihar

28-yr-old found murdered at hotel in Mahipalpur

Waterlogging check: NDMC picks 14 points

CM Sent Tree Felling File To LG: Officials

Atishi orders halt on transfer order for govt school teachers

Brawl between 2 students of W Delhi school turns ugly

Caught on cam: Woman thrashes auto driver

Delhi zoo implements ayurvedic methods to safeguard animals during rainy season

Dil mango more! In season of few joys, capital laps up king of fruits

Three held in connection with `10-lakh heist in north Delhi

Berry good, indeed: Sweet & tangy jamun evokes nostalgia in Lutyens’

L&DO drags feet on converting leasehold properties to freehold

Lenders turn down JAL’s offer of `500cr settlement

Gahlot: Study schemes for women in MP, Maharashtra

Musical Fountain, Dazzling Lights... A Plan To Make Naini Lake Sparkle

2 projects in corridors of uncertainty

Cops: ‘Killer’ teen assaulted girl

HC refers to new law in forged papers case

Five Haryana cities among India’s most polluted in June, Gurgaon not one of them

Light Showers Today May Keep Relief Going

Delhi breathes easier as air gets better due to strong winds, rain

Excise policy case: Court reserves order on chargesheet

In limbo for 3 mths, doorstep delivery may get fresh push

Mosquito breeding found on DDA, DJB premises: MCD

CINEMA OF THE WEEK

Victim Shaming Should Not Be Permitted: HC

WCD dept takes over 181 helpline, handles over 1,000 calls in a day

‘Courts being used as pawns in illegal construction matters’

ACB to check pvt hosps, nursing homes

13 hurt in bus-tractor crash

Rental bikes, cabs, feeder buses at all RRTS stations

Man kills self

Pay Fully For Premium Flats By Aug 28: DDA

Rare tumour taken out of facial nerve

Music teacher sexually harasses 10-yr-old, held

Times Global

A warning to US? Russian lawmaker says missile could be deployed in Cuba

Sunak vs Starmer: Who will get keys to No. 10?

Indian economist gets honorary fellowship by LSE

AROUND THE WORLD

Pakistan to invite India to SCO council meet in Oct

Liberal pundits, pollsters make case for Kamala Harris to replace Biden

France braces for violence, boosts security for run-off

US SC cut federal agencies’ wings. Ruling a ‘mixed bag’ for diaspora

All work, no play? Greece opts for 6-day workweek

Canine nuptials on rise in China while it struggles to make humans marry

Times Business

Govt to streamline visa process for Chinese experts

Sensex, Nifty close at fresh lifetime highs

Zomato halts delivery service ‘Xtreme’

VC fund DeVC to get new general partner

FMCG to grow at 7-9% in FY25: Crisil

RBI cancels licence of Varanasi co-op bank

‘Good guys need to win, tell us about mischief makers in mkt’

HDFC Bank’s loan book, Casa deposits shrink in Q1

Surging mkts: CJI advises Sebi, SAT to be cautious

Prove lack of funds or face audit: NCLT to Byju’s

Red Sea crisis: Air freight from India doubles

Car cos steer clear of new EV policy

Raymond board OKs demerger of realty biz

Xiaomi to show its SU7 EV, no launch date yet

Brands go hyperlocal to engage with consumer

Times Techies.AI

INTELLIGENT BOT FOR VIRTUAL SALES AGENTS

Editorial

Soren Song

It’s The Mind

The spoon test

Why Bhole Babas Flourish

Extra Cash Can’t Help Andhra Or Bihar

Sacred space

Celebrate The Divine In The Solitude Of The Self

CONTRAPUNTO

Times Sport

INDVINCIBLES ARE HOME

Marine Drive: Sea it to believe it!

PM Modi hosts champs, enjoys memorable conversation

Wankhede erupts in joy as team lands

GALACTICOS IN BOTH CORNERS

A FINAL BEFORE TIME

FAMILY MATTERS

Euro battles of the past

Contrasting emotions for Dutch-born Turk players

Last 8: Plenty of intrigue, even if Messi, Vinicius can’t participate

Babar seeks help from Australian power-hitting coach

GALLERY

Oath stand-off: WB guv ‘allows’ dy speaker to swear in 2 MLAs

Rlys to add 10k non-AC coaches in 2 yrs, doubling production

FILS ADVANCES AS HURKACZ SLIPS

YUKI-OLIVETTI PAIR ADVANCES

Bopanna in line for another ‘oldest’ record

Bodhana picked up chess during lockdown

India: SCO’s value will depend on how members cooperate

ED’s plans likely behind Soren’s swift moves

Baba created pvt army that secured him, enhanced clout

AFI names 28-member team for Paris

Delhi Times

DELHI WELCOMES T20 WORLD CUP CHAMPS WITH DHOL AND DANCE

BUZZ STOP

NAYAK AND KHALNAYAK: Anil’s two avatars on Bigg Boss OTT 3’s Weekend Ka Vaar

#MODERNDATING WHO SHOULD PAY ON THE FIRST DATE?

Canine weddings: A rising trend in China

DID YOU KNOW?

Challenges like hair loss should not hinder one’s path to success: Experts

Career is not over just ’coz things didn’t go well: Pratiksha

Name it, as there is no shame in it

This month, book fair aims to rekindle the love for reading

Irishman assembles Mr Potato Head in fastest time ever

Mom-to-be Deepika practises prenatal yoga

Amid cancer battle, Hina Khan chops off hair

Men in blue arrive in Delhi, bring the World Cup home