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Front Page

- 43k degrees of pvt Raj univ under lens after fake certificates surface

- Classification of Aravali not to be changed: PMO

- At 2.1 TFR, popn stable in 31 of 36 states/UTs

- ‘HAND OF VAR’ BREAKS DUTCH HEARTS, SPURS ENGLAND TO FINAL

- CAPFs reaffirm 10% quota for ex-Agniveers

- Sanju Ahriwar, whose dad is a mason and mom a domestic

- CISF man, airline staff in face-off

- Trio force Dalit teen to drink urine, held

- In a first, judge from Manipur named for SC

- Breach in Munak Canal, water supply affected

- After 13 yrs, city PUC charges raised 33-40%

- CM gave nod to fell trees, says DDA affidavit in SC

- J&K HC bar ad hoc chairman held under PSA

- New ministers vie for prime houses in Lutyens’ Delhi

- Courts shouldn’t stay bail order in casual manner: SC

- Centre to probe ‘misuse’ of quota by IAS officer

- Maha Bill to curb ‘urban Naxalism’ tabled in House

43k degrees of pvt Raj univ under lens after fake certificates surface

Backdated Certs For Unaccredited Courses, Say Cops

Dishank.Purohit@timesofindia.com

Jaipur: Om Parkash Jogender Singh (OPJS) University in Churu is under scrutiny of Rajasthan police’s special operations group (SOG) for allegedly issuing fake and backdated degrees for courses that the private institution did not have accreditation for. SOG is examining all 43,409 degrees issued since the university’s inception in 2013.

The university issued backdated degrees for BEd and BPEd (physical education) programmes before receiving accreditation and awarded MSc agriculture degrees without proper authorisation, according to SOG sources.

A probe began six days after the arrest of the university’s founder-owner, Joginder Singh Dalal, for his alleged role in the scam. SOG’s inquiry into paper leaks and malpractices in college entrance and govt exams led to Dalal.

 Backdated certs? P 12

NEET case kingpin Rocky held in Patna, P 12

Pradhan assures med aspirants of all help, P 10

Counselling for NEET-UG to begin in 3rd week of July

NEET-UG counselling for undergraduate medical seats will be conducted in four rounds, starting in third week of July.

In its affidavit submitted to Supreme Court, Centre said the candidature of any student found to be a beneficiary of malpractice will be cancelled at any stage during counselling or afterward. Govt said for the first and second round of counselling, candidates are allowed to change seats according to their choices.

SC has deferred hearing on petitions seeking NEETUG re-test to July 18.

P 10

Classification of Aravali not to be changed: PMO

PMO and a GoM headed by home minister Amit Shah have directed the urban affairs ministry not to change the classification of Aravalis as a natural conservation zone, which provides it protection from nonforest activities, reports Dipak Dash. Haryana has demanded that the term NCZ be replaced with natural zone and the mention of Aravali be done away with from Regional Plan 2041.

It is mandatory for states to protect areas falling under NCZ, which include environmentally sensitive areas, extension of Aravali ridge, forest areas, rivers and tributaries, major lakes and water bodies in the NCR.

P 5

At 2.1 TFR, popn stable in 31 of 36 states/UTs

Thirty-one out of 36 states and Union Territories in the country have achieved the replacement level of fertility of 2.1, the average number of children per woman needed to maintain a stable population size. Only five states — Bihar, UP, Jharkhand, Meghalaya and Manipur — continued to have a higher than desired replacement level of fertility, govt data showed, reports Durgesh Nandan Jha.

On World Population Day on Thursday, health minister J P Nadda and MoS for health Anupriya Patel said targeted steps would be taken in states with high total fertility rate (TFR, children per woman).

P12

‘HAND OF VAR’ BREAKS DUTCH HEARTS, SPURS ENGLAND TO FINAL

Kane and Watkins

Substitute Ollie Watkins found the net with a superb 90th-minute strike, sending England to its 2nd successive Euro final, in which it will take on an in-form Spain. However, the 2-1 win over a resilient Netherlands was marred by a controversially awarded penalty that was converted by Harry Kane to bring England level in the game

➤ The Dutch took the lead from a Xavi Simons thunderbolt. In the 18th minute, VAR prodded the referee to take another look at Denzel Dumfries catching Kane on the foot. A penalty was awarded, despite Dutch protestations. Even England ex-player Gary Neville called VAR’s call ‘an absolute disgrace’

➤ Some experts questioned the decision also due to an alleged hand ball by England’s Bukayo Saka in the build-up, which VAR failed to detect

➤ A livid Dutch coach Koeman said, ‘This is not a penalty. Football is getting broken... by VAR! But England, which, for the 1st time in its 152-yr int’l football history, has reached final of a major tourney held overseas, wasn’t complaining

➤ In COPA AMERICA, Liverpool star Darwin Nunez and some other Uruguay players were involved in a brawl with Colombian fans that erupted after an ill-tempered 0-1 semifinal defeat. Colombia plays Argentina in final

FULL COVERAGE: P 25

EDIT PAGE Whistle Of Felix, Foot Of Kane & Hand Of God

CAPFs reaffirm 10% quota for ex-Agniveers

Amid the debate over the Agnipath scheme, the chiefs of various central armed police forces (CAPFs) on Thursday reiterated their commitment to implement 10% quota for ex-Agniveers in all constable-level posts.

Days after the Cabinet approved the Agnipath scheme in June 2022, home ministry had announced the 10% quota in CAPFs.

P 12

Sanju Ahriwar, whose dad is a mason and mom a domestic

Sanju Ahriwar, whose dad is a mason and mom a domestic help, has won the Delhi state junior billiards title. Ahriwar (20) trained on his own

P 5

CISF man, airline staff in face-off

A female crew member of a private airline was arrested at Jaipur airport Thursday after a CISF ASI lodged a complaint alleging she slapped him. The woman has filed a counter-complaint, accusing the ASI of sexual harassment.

FLAP OPP

Trio force Dalit teen to drink urine, held

Two days after they made a 15-year-old Dalit boy drink urine, 3 youths were arrested in UP’s Shravasti Thursday. They were allegedly angry over the boy’s family charging them extra for a sound system. They also thrashed him.

P12

In a first, judge from Manipur named for SC

The Supreme Court collegium Thursday recommended to the Union govt to appoint J&K Chief Justice N Kotishwar Singh as a judge of the apex court, reports Dhananjay Mahapatra. Justice Singh will be the first from Manipur to become an SC judge. The collegium also recommended the appointment of Justice Tashi Rabstan of J&K HC as chief justice of Meghalaya HC. He would be the first from Ladakh to become CJ.

P9

Breach in Munak Canal, water supply affected

Hectic Efforts On To Repair Leak, Colony Flooded

Residents had to leave their waterlogged houses in Bawana Thursday even as electricity was cut off and they ran out of drinking water

Siddhanta.Mishra@timesofindia.com

New Delhi: A significant breach in Munak Canal, which transports untreated water from Haryana to several water treatment plants in the capital, caused extensive flooding in the Bawana area on Thursday. The breach at midnight, spanning nearly 40 feet, was caused by erosion of the inner lining of the embankment, officials suspect as of now.

“Work on repairing the broken embankment at the Bawana entry point of the canal in Delhi is going on at a fast pace,” said water minister Atishi, who visited the site.

Quite a few blocks of a JJ colony in the area, which has both pucca constructions and shanties, have been affected badly with water entering the roads and houses.

The repairs are being carried out by Haryana irrigation department and Delhi Jal Board (DJB) with officials hopeful that the breach in CLC — carrier line channel, one of the two lines which carry water to Delhi — will be fully repaired by Friday evening. The incident is expected to impact production at major water treatment plants, including Haiderpur, Bawana, Nangloi and Dwarka.

Delhi, Hry to probe, P 2

FULL COVERAGE: P 2

After 13 yrs, city PUC charges raised 33-40%

Charges for pollution under control certificates (PUCC) for petrol, CNG and diesel vehicles have been raised in Delhi after nearly 13 years, reports Abhinav Rajput. The new rate for two and three-wheelers running on petrol, CNG or LPG (including bio-fuel) is up from Rs 60 to Rs 80 (33%). For four-wheelers and above in the same fuel category, the increase is from Rs 80 to Rs 110. Diesel vehicles will have the most significant rise: from Rs 100 to Rs 140 (40%). A vehicle plying without a PUCC can be fined Rs 10,000.

P 3

CM gave nod to fell trees, says DDA affidavit in SC

AmitAnand.Choudhary@timesofindia.com

New Delhi: DDA’s affidavit in Supreme Court on the felling of trees in the Ridge in south Delhi says that the proposal was moved by the forest department of Delhi govt and was approved by various authorities, including the forest minister and the chief minister, before being okayed by the lieutenant governor. The disclosure came after DDA vice-chairman Subhasish Panda, who is facing contempt, placed before the court the whole set of documents detailing the sequence of events. On LG V K Saxena’s visit to the site, Panda said he went there thrice to take stock of the progress of construction.

Sr officers were present, P 6

Bharadwaj: Trees cut to protect farmhouses

Delhi urban development minister Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that 1,100 trees were felled on the LG’s instruction to protect wealthy people’s farmhouses. He claimed that DDA submitted an email in SC which says that LG directed felling of trees on Feb 3.

P 6

J&K HC bar ad hoc chairman held under PSA

Senior advocate and ad hoc chairman of J&K High Court Bar Association Nazir Ahmad Ronga was arrested Thursday from his Srinagar home, according to his family. He was charged under Public Safety Act, which allows authorities to detain a person without trial for up to a year. Ronga, 75, an ex-prez of the bar association, is the second ex-prez to be held after Mian Abdul Qayoom.

PG OPP

New ministers vie for prime houses in Lutyens’ Delhi

At least four senior ministers, including an exCM and a key alliance partner of NDA, have pitched for allotment of a prime bungalow on Akbar Road, which was allotted to a minister who is not part of Modi cabinet 3.0. Another such bungalow on Safdarjung Road allotted to an ex-minister is also highly sought-after.

P7

Courts shouldn’t stay bail order in casual manner: SC

Delhi HC Stayed Bail Order, Case Pending For A Yr

AmitAnand.Choudhary@timesofindia.com

New Delhi: Supreme Court Thursday said courts should not stay bail order in a “casual” manner as it affects liberty of a person and took exception to the Delhi HC keeping a bail order stayed for over a year during which the accused remained in jail.

A bench of Justices Abhay SOka and Augustine George Masih expressed shock that the HC stayed the trial court order granting bail to an accused in a money laundering case and kept the case pending for a year which forced the accused to approach the SC. “What is happening? This is shocking. Please answer our question. Can bail be stayed as a matter of course? Unless he is a terrorist, where is the reason to stay? Can you defend? We will set it aside... how HC casually stayed the bail. Could HC have stayed without a reasoned order? Answer us, what signals are we sending? We are blaming us also,” it told ED counsel Zoheb Hossain. The bench said such a practice could not be allowed as it was about liberty. “The HC passed the order in a very casual manner. It stayed the bail order and the case was thereafter heard after one year. The court did not bother to look into the case during the period and he kept languishing in jail,” it said. The bench reserved its order but Hossain urged the court to grant him at least 10 minutes on Friday to argue the case on behalf of ED as any order passed by the apex court would have ramifications in other cases too. He said the prosecution was not at fault for the delay.

Liberty aspect, P 16

IN THE COURTS

➤ Putting at rest a 30-yr litigation that meandered through a three-tier judicial system & resulted in different compensation rates for landowners near Noida’s commercial hub in Sec 18, SC resorts to its omnibus powers under Article 142 to award uniform compensation of 403 per sq yard

P 3

➤ A Delhi court summons two prosecution witnesses to record their statements in the alleged sexual harassment case filed by women wrestlers against former Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh

P 5

➤ Agra district & sessions court sentences a man to life term for shooting dead SI on duty Prashant Yadav (35), who was responding to a dispute between two bros in Agra in 2021

P12

Centre to probe ‘misuse’ of quota by IAS officer

New Delhi: The Centre on Thursday formed a singlemember committee to “verify the candidature claims and other details” of probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar, who has been accused of misusing disability and OBC quota to secure a position in the service.

An additional secretarylevel officer of the department of personnel and training will inquire into the matter and submit a report in two weeks, the personnel ministry said in a statement.

Khedkar, 34, was transferred Monday to Washim from Pune over allegations of bul- lying and entitled behaviour. She took charge Thursday as an assistant collector at the Washim district collectorate in Vidarbha region. TNN

➤40cr assets in father’s poll affidavit, Maha probes how Puja Khedkar got non-creamy layer OBC quota

➤ Initiate legal action against Puja’s father Dilip Khedkar, Maha govt tells Pune collectorate

➤ 21 challans pending against Audi used by Puja

➤ Not authorised to speak, Khedkar tells media at Washim collectorate

P 10

Maha Bill to curb ‘urban Naxalism’ tabled in House

The Maharashtra govt tabled on Thursday the “Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill, 2024” in the assembly session, saying that unlawful activities of Naxal frontal organisations need to be controlled by effective legal means and that existing laws are ineffective and inadequate to tackle Naxalism, its frontal organisations and individual sympathisers, reports Mohammed Akhef. The bill states that the menace of Naxalism is increasing in urban areas through Naxal frontal organisations.

P10

Times Nation

- Second ex-president of J&K bar body held within 3 weeks

- HC judge opts out of hearing plea for Yasin Malik death

- ASI slapped, CISF & airline now in face-off

- Neighbours name & shame desis in US trafficking case

- Gandhi statue uprooted to make way for clock tower

- When a book thief made Rowling happy and earned redemption for himself

- After PM’s Russia trip, US says don’t take our ties for granted

- Teacher spends ‘hrs on phone’, suspended

- Manipur could get its first SC judge, Ladakh its 1st HC CJ

- 17-yr-old abducted for Bihar shotgun wedding

- Father’s poll affidavit shows Puja is from OBC creamy layer

- Trainee IAS officer’s Audi has 21 pending challans

- Puja reports for duty at Washim, skirts queries from mediapersons

- Stampede-like scene at Guj job site triggers Cong-BJP fight

- Cops: Mihir had 4cans of strong beer in BMW hrs before hit-&-run

- Puja’s dad to face action for ‘objectionable conduct’

- NEET-UG counselling to begin in 3rd week of July

- SC hearing on pleas for NEET re-test put off till July 18

- MBBS aspirants reach Pradhan’s residence, he assures them of all help

- Maha to bring stringent law to tackle ‘urban Naxal’

- UP court gives life term to man for gunning down SI in 2021

- ‘No voting rights for violators’: Giriraj bats for population law

- 3 drown as Assam boat sinks:

- CAPF chiefs vow to implement 10% quota for former Agniveers

- 31 of 36 states/UTs have met goal to stabilise population

- Sidda: Targeted by BJP in land row as I am from backward class

- BJP to Rahul: Why no step against CM over K’taka funds scam?

- Haryana man in ED net over paper leak in J&K cops’ test

- ED arrests kingpin of paper leak in Raj teachers’ recruitment test

- Raj univ issued backdated certs: Initial probe

- Dalit boy forced to drink urine in UP, 3 arrested

- Apple sounds spyware alert in 98 nations, including India

- HC refuses bail to Chhabria in Yes Bank-DHFL laundering case

- Lanka navy arrests 13 TN fishermen

- BIMSTEC nations talk connectivity, trade

- Rowdy shot dead in encounter in Pudukottai:

- 5 yrs after firing row, Punjab IGP reinstated

- Hubby goes to kill wife, ends up murdering her parents

- 12.5 cr jobs created in last 10 yrs, says BJP

- Siachen hero’s parents want change in ‘next of kin’ criteria

- Worried about liberty aspect: SC on bail case

- Will raise Manipur issue in Parliament with ‘full force’: Rahul

- SC summons chief secys over non-payment of dues to judicial officers

- Can’t pick anybody randomly, ask for citizenship proof: SC

- Rainfall deficit down to 2.3%, heavy showers soon, says IMD

- BSP, INLD tie up in Haryana, AbhayChautala to be CM face

- Lung cancer hits non-smoking Indians earlier than Westerners

- Manipur hands out `300 cr to 4L under welfare schemes

- Cruel to squash snouts of breeds like pugs: PETA

- Explosion near LoC sparks infiltration fears, search op on

- Protect unattended Hindu temples: HC to J&K admin

- Vendor ends life after cops make girl slap him over ‘lewd remarks’

Second ex-president of J&K bar body held within 3 weeks

Booked Under PSA, Ronga Is A Member Of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq’s Outfit

The arrest came a day after the association issued notice to elect office bearers. J&K administration had not allowed it to conduct elections in the past five years due to the pandemic and fear of a law and order situation

NIGHT RAID: Nazir Ahmad Ronga

Saleem.Pandit@timesofindia.com

Srinagar: Senior advocate and ad hoc chairman of J&K High Court Bar Association Nazir Ahmad Ronga was arrested Thursday from his home in Srinagar’s Nishat area, according to his family. He was charged under Public Safety Act, which allows authorities to detain a person without trial for up to a year.

“At 1.10am, a contingent of J&K Police arrived at our home without any arrest warrant, merely stating, ‘It’s an order from above’ (uper se order hai). We are left in a state of shock and profound distress…,” his lawyer son Umair Ronga posted on X. He also posted two videos showing uniformed personnel taking away his father.

Ronga, 75 is a member of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq’s Awami Action Committee, a constituent of separatist Hurriyat Conference. Ronga, a former president of the bar asso- ciation, is the second ex-chief to be arrested after Mian Abdul Qayoom Bhat was taken into custody on June 25 for an alleged conspiracy leading to the fatal terrorist attack on lawyer Babar Qadri in 2020.

Bhat, who is now in his late 70s, had authored the constitution of Hurriyat Conference’s Syed Ali Shah Geelani faction in 1993. His son-in-law Javed Iqbal Wani is a serving HC judge. Bhat has been in and out of jail several times.

Ronga’s family said he has been shifted to Kot Bhalwal jail in Jammu, about 250km from Srinagar. The administration has not issued any statement on his arrest. In Oct 2021, police searched Ronga’s home in cases allegedly involving his son, following accusations of irregularities in three private companies registered in his name.

Ronga’s arrest came a day after the bar association issued a notice for elections of office bearers. J&K administration had not allowed HCBA to conduct elections in the past five years due to the pandemic and fear of a law and order situation. In 2020, the then district magistrate of Srinagar had sought an explanation from the bar regarding its constitution.

Earlier this month, HCBA dropped the paragraph from its constitution that called for “working towards a peaceful settlement of Kashmir dispute.” The bar was now preparing for polls before July 31.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq denounced Ronga’s arrest: “To arrest him in such a manner in the middle of the night even without a warrant is highly regrettable. Besides, Ronga sahab is an elderly person and not keeping well.”

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti slammed the arrest. “GoI hasn’t only failed to end militancy but is venting its frustration by launching a vicious crackdown on helpless Kashmiris. Nazir Ronga is the latest victim of its oppressive actions,” she posted on X.

HC judge opts out of hearing plea for Yasin Malik death

New Delhi: Delhi high court judge Amit Sharma on Thursday recused himself from hearing a plea by NIA seeking death penalty for separatist Yasin Malik in a terror funding case.

The matter was listed before a division bench headed by Justice Prathiba Singh after a change in roster of judges dealing with such cases.

The J&K Liberation Front chief, who is currently serving a life term in the case, was virtually present from Tihar.

On May 24, 2022, a trial court sentenced Malik to life imprisonment after holding him guilty for offences under UAPA. Malik had pleaded guilty to the charges and was convicted and sentenced to life term. Appealing against the sentence, NIA emphasised that a terrorist cannot be sentenced life term only because he has pleaded guilty and chosen not to go through trial.

TNN

ASI slapped, CISF & airline now in face-off

Jaipur: A female crew member of a private airline was arrested at Jaipur airport Thursday morning after a CISF ASI lodged a complaint alleging she slapped him when he asked her for security screening.

The woman, too, filed a counter complaint of sexual harassment against the ASI, and the airline backed its employee.

The scuffle took place when the woman was entering the airport and was stopped by the ASI, who said she did not have valid permission to use that gate. The ASI reportedly asked her to undergo screening, but no female CISF personnel were available at the gate at that time. While the ASI called for a female personnel for the security check, the argument had already escalated.

The airline added it was taking legal action in the “case of sexual harassment” against its woman employee.

TNN

TROUBLE IN TEXAS

Neighbours name & shame desis in US trafficking case

Sushil.Rao@timesofindia.com

Hyderabad:Neighbours of a house in a Princeton, Texas, street that is at the centre of an alleged human trafficking racket run by people of Indian origin have put up a poster bearing photographs of four PIOs — including three Telugus — that asks residents to be wary of human traffickers and “forced labour” racketeers in their neighbourhoods.

The poster, which bears the message “Be careful neighbours! Human labour trafficking happened in OUR neighbourhood at the 1000 block of Ginsburg Lane (sic)” and photographs of the four accused — Santosh Katkoori, his wife Dwaraka Gunda, Chandan Dasireddy and Anil Male — was pasted on a wall in a public place in Ginsburg Lane, Princeton. Katkoori and Dwaraka re- side in Mattie Grey Lane in Melissa, while Male is a resident of Prosper, a suburb.

The neighbours also reproduced on the poster a Princeton police press note regarding the arrests of the accused. On July 8, the four were charged with human trafficking and second-degree felony and 15 women were rescued from the Ginsburg Lane house. Police are continuing their probe, which began in March.

Local media outlets, quoting the probable cause affidavit filed in court, said Katkoori, Gunda and Dasireddy were mentioned as Indian nationals, while there was no update on Male’s nationality.

As per the arrest warrant, on March 13, a pest control company contacted the Princeton police department after its technician, who went to the Ginsburg Lane home to check on bedbugs, saw suspicious conditions in the house. The technician reported to police that he saw 15 women in the home and that there were only folding tables, suitcases, and an air-mattress. He told cops that there was no other furniture and that all the women were sleeping on the floors.

Following this tip-off, cops, after getting a warrant, arrived to search the home. Police said the search led them to Katkoori’s home in Mattie Grey Lane in Melissa, 17 km from Ginsburg Lane. On March 14, at 3.01 pm, a judge gave the go-ahead to police to search the Katkoori home in Melissa. Local media outlets said Katkoori himself answered when police knocked the door and later referred his attorney Jeremy Rosenthal to the police.

Gandhi statue uprooted to make way for clock tower

Following a public outcry in Assam’s Doomdooma town, BJP MLA Rupesh Gowala assured that a statue taller than the original would be erected at the site within six months, in addition to the clock tower

Rajib Dutta TNN

Dibrugarh: The removal of a Mahatma Gandhi statue to make way for the construction of a clock tower has led to major protests in Doomdooma, a town in Assam’s Tinsukia district. The 5.5-feet tall statue, which stood at Gandhi Chowk in the town for several years, was removed on Wednesday using an excavator crane.

Former Congress MLA from Doomdooma, Durga Bhumij, spearheaded the protest. He said, “We won’t allow the clock tower to be built in place of the statue of the Father of the Nation. They can construct the clock tower anywhere else, but Gandhi’s statue should remain in its original place. It is an insult to him. Sentiments of the people have been hurt.”

Following a public backlash, BJP MLA from Doomdooma Rupesh Gowala on new and taller statue (6.5-feet) of the Mahatma would be constructed at the original site within six months, in addition to the clock tower.

However, despite the assurance of a new statue, residents expressed displeasure over the clock tower coexisting with the statue. Concerns have been raised re- garding the symbolic significance of placing the Gandhi statue beneath the clock tower, considered emblematic of British colonial heritage.

“Gandhi led the freedom movement against British rule. His statue should not be overshadowed by the clock tower. It should be built somewhere else,” a local claimed.

When a book thief made Rowling happy and earned redemption for himself

J K Rowling and Reese Thomas

Marilyn Rajesh & Juliya Grace TNN

Kochi:It was June 2007. Reese Thomas, then just 14, had devoured all six books of the Harry Potter series and now the seventh and final one was out where the budding wizard would finally bury his adolescent squeamishness and go for Voldemort’s jugular.

Coming from a modest family and unable to afford “Deathly Hallows” in its glossy dust wrapper, Reese decided on the next best thing — he stole it. Though he himself was a Muggle, a mundane human without the benefit of magical arts, Reese intuited that “coming of age” entailed crossing the line, a transgression however tiny, and that Harry, not much older than him, would approve. As it turns out, 17 years later, J K Rowling is delighted.

Last Monday, the author of the Harry Potter series spoke of Reese.“I know I’ll be accused of encouraging book stealing by sharing this, so PLEASE DON’T STEAL BOOKS, BOOK STEALING IS BAD. Anyway, this is the loveliest thing and made me really happy,” she wrote on X. She was referring to Reese’s recently published debut book, “90s Kid”, in which he had confessed stealing the last part of Deathly Hallows because as a student in class IX in a Mu- vattupuzha school, he couldn’t afford to buy it. Following Rowling’s message, Reese wrote: “Years before, I did something and it has reached all over the world. But most importantly, it has reached the one and only JK Rowling, the exact person who I wanted to read it”.

While Rowling’s message helped erase whatever residual guilt he might have felt, Thomas had found sufficient closure last month itself when, after 17 years, he summoned the courage to go to the New College Bookstall in Muvattupuzha to pay for the book he had filched. Redemption couldn’t have been sweeter when the owner, after hearing him out, said all he wanted was Reese Thomas to sign a few copies of his own book and give it to him.

Reese recalls that as a 14-year-old raised in a devout Catholic family he had qualms about shoplifting. But goaded by his classmates — who challenged him to see to what extent a Potter fan would go — Reese went ahead and did it anyway. Looking back, he says heist movies like “Dhoom 2” also played a part. At home stealing was a sin, but in the big bad world outside it didn’t seem such a big deal. Reese, who was a big movie fan, now works as an assistant director in the Malayalam film industry and has featured in several notable movies.

After PM’s Russia trip, US says don’t take our ties for granted

No Such Thing As Strategic Autonomy In Times Of Conflict: Envoy

THE HUG THAT SPARKED AN OUTRAGE

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

While India’s strategic autonomy was said to have been exemplified by PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Russia, US ambassador to India Eric Garcetti has warned against taking the India-US relationship for granted, saying there is no such thing as strategic autonomy in times of conflict.

Garcetti’s remarks followed repeated comments by the State Department, even while Modi was in Moscow, expressing concerns about In- dia’s ties with Russia.

Speaking at a conference a day after Modi’s visit to Russia and Austria concluded, Garcetti said he knew India and he respected that India likes its strategic autonomy, but in times of conflict, there is no such thing as strategic autonomy.

“We will in crisis moments need to know each other. I don’t care what title we put to it, but we will need to know that we are trusted friends, brothers and sisters, and colleagues in times of need,” said the ambassador.

“It’s important for us as Americans and as Indians to remember the more we put into this relationship, the more we will get out. The more we insist on a kind of cynical calculation in the place of a trusted relationship, the less we will get... As I also remind my Indian friends, while it is wider and it is deeper than it’s ever been, it is not yet deep enough… that if we take it for granted from the Indian side towards America… I’ll fight a lot of defence battles trying to help this relation- ship ahead,” added Garcetti.

Modi’s hug of president Vladimir Putin on Monday, around the time Russia was alleged to have bombed a children’s hospital in Kyiv, had sparked outrage in the West. While the US expressed concern saying it would closely follow what Modi was going to tell Putin in his public remarks, Ukraine president Zelensky launched an attack on PM saying his embrace of “a bloody criminal” was a devastating blow to peace efforts.

Modi did seek to address the anger in the West the next day by publicly telling Putin he found killing of children heartbreaking and that the Ukraine conflict was not going to be resolved on the battlefield. However, what made Modi’s 2-day engagement worse for some of the Western countries was that it came close on the heels of India’s refusal to endorse a joint declaration at the Switzerland peace summit which said Ukraine’s territorial integrity must form the basis for any peace process. India has held that any peace effort must involve both sides.

Related report, P 20

Russia not a good bet, warns Sullivan

US NSA Jake Sullivan on Thursday said, “We’ve made clear to every country, including India, that a bet on Russia as a long-term, reliable partner is not a good bet.” Moscow would side with Beijing over New Delhi in case of a conflict between the two Asian giants, he added. But he acknowledged that countries like India have a historic relationship with Russia and it’s not going to change dramatically overnight.

PTI

Teacher spends ‘hrs on phone’, suspended

An assistant teacher at a govt school in Sambhal was suspended after a surprise check by the district magistrate Rajendra Pansiya on Wednesday revealed he had been spending “hours on his mobile phone during school time and not checking students’ notebooks correctly”, reports Sandeep Rai.

According to the officials, Pansiya found the teacher, Priyam Goel, holding a phone and playing games. Speaking to TOI,the DM said, “I asked if he was regularly using the ‘Diksha’ and ‘Read Along’ apps prescribed by govt for ease of learning. When I did not get a satisfactory answer, I asked for the hourly details and found that the teacher was using the phone during school time.” He added: “I then began checking the copies of students and found glaring mistakes. The tutor had ticked all the answers right without even correcting the mistakes. This was a gross dereliction of duty.”Despite several attempts,Goel could not be reached for comments.

Manipur could get its first SC judge, Ladakh its 1st HC CJ

Deciding to give Manipur its first representation in SC after more than 50 years of its statehood, the collegium picked NK Singh, at present CJ of J&K and Ladakh HC. Delhi HC acting CJ Manmohan was recommended for appointment as regular CJ of the same high court

Dhananjay.Mahapatra@timesofindia.com

New Delhi: Supreme Court collegium on Thursday decided to recommend to the Union govt to appoint J&K and Ladakh HC Chief Justice N Kotishwar Singh and Madras HC acting Chief Justice R Mahadevan as SC judges. Justice Singh will be the first from Manipur to become anSC judge.

After a four-hour marathon meeting, the collegium led by CJI D Y Chandrachud and comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna, B R Gavai, Surya Kant and Hrishikesh Roy unanimously decided to give Manipur its first representation in the apex court after more than 50 years of its statehood.

Justice Mahadevan belongs to the backward class and the CJI-led collegium has kept its promise to give representation among judges in constitutional courts to competent persons belonging to deprived sections of society.

Justice Tashi Rabstan, the senior-most judge in J&K HC, has been recommended for appointment as CJ of Meghalaya. Justice Rabstan, a Buddhist, would be the first judge from Ladakh to become Chief Justice of a HC. He will fill the post after the retirement of incumbent CJ S Vaidyanathan.

In the appointment of CJs to various high courts, Delhi got the lion’s share as three of its judges were recommended for the highest judicial posts in the states.

Acting CJ of Delhi high court, Manmohan, is recommended for appointment as regular CJ of the same high court. Justice Rajiv Shakdher has been recommended for appointment as CJ of Himachal Pradesh and Justice Suresh Kait, who belongs to the Dalit community, is recommended to head the J&K high court, which post would fall vacant after Justice N K Singh’s appointment as a Supreme Court judge.

The collegium recommended transfer of Justice M S Ramachandra Rao, CJ of Himachal Pradesh high court, as CJ of Jharkhand, the post which will fall vacant after retirement of Justice B R Sarangi on July 19. The vacant post of Himachal CJ would be filled by Justice Shakdher from Delhihigh court.

The senior-most judge in Punjab and Haryana high court, Justice G S Sandhawalia, has been recommended to head Madhya Pradesh high court. His father Justice S S Sandhawalia had retired as CJ of Patna on July 27, 1987.

The collegium also recommended appointment of Justices Nitin Jamdar and K R Shriram, both from Bombay high court, as chief justices of Kerala high court and Madras high court respectively.

17-yr-old abducted for Bihar shotgun wedding

Faryal.Rumi@timesofindia.com

Patna: A 17-year-old who had passed his class XII exams this year and recently started college was allegedly abducted near his home in Patna’s Barh and forced to marry a minor girl at gunpoint late Wednesday.

It was only after sacred mantras of the marriage were over that police could locate the teen from Athmalgola’s Phulelpur village around midnight. All accused involved in the unlawful marriage are absconding, including one who had been jailed earlier for murder. According to police, preliminary investigations suggest the girl’s parents passed away in her childhood and those looking after her got her married to rid themselves of their responsibility.

Barh SHO Manish Kumar cited a complaint from the victim’s mother, Usha Devi, say- ing three-four suspects dragged her son into an SUV and took him away while he was out for a stroll around 6.30pm on Wednesday.

“Eyewitnesses informed the family members. Instead of alerting the police immediately, his family started searches on their own. When they failed to trace him, they informed the police around 10pm. The teen was rescued by us within hours. He told us that he was taken away by unknown people and driven to a house where he was wedded by force,” Kumar said.

The teen’s statement was recorded Thursday before a magistrate. An FIR was registered against three named accused and some unidentified people. SHO Kumar said one of the accused, Arun Yadav, was earlier convicted in murder cases. “He had also gone to jail. We are conducting raids but no arrests have been made yet,” Kumar added.

Father’s poll affidavit shows Puja is from OBC creamy layer

He Has Assets Of `40Cr, Her’s Worth `17Cr, Says RTI Activist

Nisha.Nambiar@timesofindia.com

Pune: Maharashtra OBC welfare minister Atul Save on Thursday said a probe will be initiated to scrutinise whether probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar belonged to the non-creamy layer OBC category as claimed by her while appearing in the UPSC exams held on Oct 6, 2021.

The decision comes in the wake of circulation of details from her father Dilip Khedkar’s recent LS poll affidavit, which mentions assets worth Rs 40 crore. The annual income threshold for seeking quota under non-creamy layer OBC category is Rs 8 lakh. “The social justice department will take cognizance of the issue and conduct a thorough inquiry to ascertain how she obtained the non-creamy layer certificate,” Save said.

Earlier, RTI activist Vijay Kumbhar said on X that Khedkar’s parents possess properties that include 110 acres of agricultural land, six shops totalling 1.6 lakh sq ft, seven flats, 900 grams of gold, diamonds, a gold watch worth Rs 17 lakh and four cars besides partnerships in two private companies and one automobile firm. “Puja herself possesses property worth Rs 17 crore,” he added.

Kumbhar said that he collated these details from Dilip’s election affidavit which was posted on EC’s website.

The DoPT website has details of the immovable properties for the year 2023 held by Puja which are located in Mhalunge, Dhadavali, Nandur, Pachinda and Savedi in Ahmednagar and Kondhwa in Pune. The present value as stated by her is about Rs 17.2 cr while the annual income from the property is about 42 lakh, the details show.

Questions have also been raised over Puja giving the UPSC exam under the people with disabilities (PwD) category. In 2021, she had approached Bombay HC pleading that she be allowed to appear in the exam in this category and the court had passed an interim order granting permission for the Oct 6 exam.

The following year, Puja moved CAT’s Mumbai bench seeking directions to Union ministry of social justice and empowerment, ministry of personnel and UPSC, among others, to make provisions for PwDs as covered under section 34(d) of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act. According to her, she was suffering from mental illness and partial blindness.

As she had appeared for the exam, clearing both mains and interview, her name was sent to DoPT, which referred her for medical test at AIIMS Delhi. She was later also asked to undergo an MRI scan of the brain by a neuro ophthalmologist to ascertain loss of her vision in both eyes. However, the percentage of visual disability could not be assessed as her medical examination had to be rescheduled due to varied reasons given by her, including a Covid infection in April 2022 and claustrophobia.

The CAT bench, while dismissing her application, said: “If any candidate refuses to participate and cooperate with the procedure of medical examination as advised by the medical board, such a candidate cannot be considered for recruitment and his/ her candidature is liable for cancellation.”

Further details of her appeal were not available at the time of going to press.

When contacted, Dilip said, “The OBC certificate has been granted as per rules. The UPSC examination is the toughest and so the selection procedure should not be questioned. Media is requested to not carry wrong trial runs otherwise it will destroy the life of anybody.” He also justified her candidature in the PwD category, saying that as per Persons with Benchmark Disabilities Act, 2016, “90% of disabilities are not visible”.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra chief secretary Sujata Saunik said that a report had been prepared regarding Puja and it would be submitted to the Mussoorie-based Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration. “We will await their guidance. The decision now rests with the academy to assess the details and determine the appropriate course of action.”

Trainee IAS officer’s Audi has 21 pending challans

Pune: Probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar’s private Audi A4, which had a a beacon and “Maharashtra Govt” insignia, was issued 21 challans — worth Rs 26,000 — for traffic violations previously, Pune ACP Manoj Patil said, report Asseem Shelke and Gitesh Shelke.

The challans, issued for acts of violation like overspeeding, jumping signal and refusal to stop when asked by the police, are pending clearance since 2022. “Traffic police have generated one more challan with a fine of Rs 500 for the use of a beacon light and ‘Maharashtra Govt’ insignia on the car,” Patil said.

“The car used by Khedkar is registered in the name of a company — Thermoverita Engineering Private Limited,” he added. Pune RTO officials said that the car was registered on Jan 27, 2012.

Inspector Shafil Pathan, said, “Notice has been issued in the name of Puja Khedkar as she was using the car. It was confirmed by video evidence we collected from the DC office. Also, there are videos available on various online news portals. We have asked her to bring the car with its registration papers to the traffic division office for verification and legal action.”

Puja reports for duty at Washim, skirts queries from mediapersons

‘As per service rules, I am not authorised to speak to the media on this,’ Puja said

TIMESNEWSNETWORK

Yavatmal: After being shunted out of Pune district collectorate, probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar reported for duty at Washim collector’s office on Thursday to continue her training as an assistant collector.

Washim district collector Bhuvaneswari S said, “Khedkar joined this morning. There’s a specific schedule on attaching probationers to departments, as per general administration department (GAD) rules. Her training will be according to norms.”

Khedkar, skirting queries on controversies surrounding her, told mediapersons: “As per service rules, I am not authorised to speak to the media on this.”

Khedkar will now reside in a guest house and a govt quarter will be allotted within two to three weeks, a district official told TOI. Also, she is not entitled to a sepa- rate cabin, as per rules.

This week, she will be learning the ropes at the PWD and irrigation departments. She will move to the tribal development department next week and on Oct 14, Khedkar is scheduled to leave for Mumbai for an assignment at Mantralaya.

“It’s a common schedule for all probationers. Khedkar will be back in Washim in Nov and that’s when she is scheduled to get independent charge. She will then continue to be in Washim till March, when her training period ends,” Bhuvaneshwari said.

An independent charge is usually given to a tehsildar or of a similar rank.

Stampede-like scene at Guj job site triggers Cong-BJP fight

Surat:A two-day-old viral video showing a stampede-like situation at a walk-in job interview in Ankleshwar town of Gujarat’s Bharuch district has sparked a verbal duel between Congress and BJP. Congress said the massive turnout of jobless youths at the interview venue had exposed the “Gujarat model”, while BJP accused the opposition party of trying to defame the state.

In a hard-hitting social media post on Thursday, leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, said the “disease of unemployment” had taken the form of an “epidemic” in India, and BJP-governed states had become the “epicentre of this disease”.

“The ‘future of India’ standing in queues for a common job is the reality of Narendra Modi’s ‘Amrit Kaal’,” the Congress MP said.

His remarks came after the viral video showed a stampedelike situation when over 1,000 people turned up for walk-in interviews for 40 vacancies, being conducted at a hotel on July 9 by afirm, Thermax Chemicals.

The video showed a long queue, with job seekers pushing and shoving one another while trying to reach the hotel entrance. The rush caused the railing of the ramp leading to the entrance to eventually collapse, and several aspirants fell off, though no one was injured.

State unit of Congress also attacked govt over the unemployment situation.

Govt defended itself, with minister of state for home Harsh Sanghavi saying the claims that the individuals appearing for the interview were unemployed were baseless, and this was an attempt to defame Gujarat.

TNN

Cops: Mihir had 4cans of strong beer in BMW hrs before hit-&-run

Mateen.Hafeez@timesofindia.com

Mumbai: Worli police, probing the BMW hit-and-run case, said the prime accused, Mihir Shah (24), had bought four 500ml cans of strong beer from a bar in Malad while heading from Borivli to Marine Drive early on Sunday. Police claimed that Mihir consumed beer in the car, hours before his BMW rammed into a scooter at Worli, killing Kaveri Nakhwa (45), and injuring her husband, Pradip (50).

Police had on Sunday arrested Mihir’s father Rajesh Shah, a former Shiv Sena functionary, and the family driver, Rishiraj Bidawat (30), who was in the car at the time of the accident. Mihir was arrested on Tuesday from a hotel in Virar.

On Wednesday night, police took Mihir and Bidawat to the crime scene to find out the exact details of the incident and videographed the procedure. Police said as Mihir had also changed his appearance by shaving his beard and cutting his hair at a salon before he went into hiding, they will take him there too for investigation.

Blood samples of Mihir and Bidawat have been sent to the forensic science laboratory for analysis. Both have admitted to their crimes, claimed police. Mihir told police that he fled after the mishap as he was scared.

On Thursday, Bidawat was sent to judicial custody by a metropolitan magistrate’s court in Sewri. He told police that he has been employed with the Shahs for the last 10-12 years, and he would often drive Mihir around.

Puja’s dad to face action for ‘objectionable conduct’

Police at the bungalow where Khedkar parked the car she used in Pune

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Pune:The Maharashtra general administration department (GAD) had asked Pune district collector Suhas Diwase on July 8 to initiate “appropriate legal action” against controversial probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar’s father, Dilip, a retired state govt officer, over his “objectionable conduct” at his daughter’s workplace.

A letter sent to Diwase, signed by GAD joint secretary SM Mahadik, referred to the collector’s report of June 24 to the additional chief secretary (services) that mentioned Puja Khedkar’s conduct in seeking special privileges, which were not allowed to an IAS probationary officer, and her use of a beacon light with ‘Maharashtra govt’ plate on a private car.

Diwase’s report also mentioned that her father Dilip Khedkar accompanied her to her workplace on June 12 and 13 after she was appointed as assistant collector at the Pune collector’s office on June 3.

The report mentioned that Dilip Khedkar asked officials at the collectorate to provide an office equipped with an attached restroom to his daughter. He even repri- manded the officials for not having his daughter’s office adequately prepared prior to her arrival.

Puja’s father insisted on installation of superior electrical fittings and instructed some officials to “not go home” until the work was completed. He even alleged that the officials had unnecessarily troubled his daughter at her workplace by not acceding to her demands, it stated.

The GAD letter noted that the collector’s report mentioned Dilip Khedkar’s conduct as “objectionable” and “liable for action.” “As such, at your level, appropriate legal action be taken and a compliance report be submitted regarding the same,” the GAD joint secretary’s letter instructed the collector.

Maharashtra chief secre- tary Sujata Saunik told TOI, “The govt’s letter to Pune collector is aimed at securing action on the latter’s report visa-vis the father’s conduct.”

A senior officer at Pune district collectorate, who did not wish to be named, said, “We are examining how to proceed with appropriate legal action as sought by GAD.”

When asked about legal action being contemplated by the Pune collector against him, Dilip Khedkar told TOI, “The facts are totally different from what is coming out in public. Pune collector has submitted false reports to suppress the truth and is trying to misguide authorities. I wonder how the collector’s report reached the media. He is responsible for this and strict action should be initiated against him.”

NEET-UG counselling to begin in 3rd week of July

The SC is hearing a bunch of petitions over an alleged NEET paper leak

Durgesh Nandan Jha & Manash P Gohain | TNN

New Delhi:NEET-UG counselling for undergraduate medical seats will be conducted in four rounds, starting in third week of July, the govt has said.

In its affidavit submitted to Supreme Court, which is hearing a bunch of petitions, including those seeking cancellation of the NEET-UG exam over an alleged paper leak, govt has stated that the candidature of any student found to be beneficiary of any malpractice will be cancelled at any stage during the counseling process or even afterward.

NEET-UG counselling is the process for allotment of seats to successful candidates based on their exam’s score. For all-India quota seats, counselling is conducted by the Medical Counselling Committee constituted under the health ministry. For state quota seats, counselling is conducted by the state counselling committee.

A candidate has to fill out his or her preferred choices of medical colleges; seats are allocated based on their score. Govt has stated in its affidavit that for the first and second round of the counselling, candidates are allowed to change seats as per options exercised by them. “So, if cancellation is done before the beginning of the third round, it will not have any impact on the overall counselling process and allocation of seats,” the affidavit says.

The affidavit adds that the third round is expected to start in Sept second week. “If one’s candidature is can- celled after the third round, vacant seats can still be offered in subsequent rounds. However, candidates who have already been allocated seats in earlier rounds will not be able to participate in subsequent rounds,” the govt has said.

There are approximately 1.20 lakh undergraduate medical seats in govt and private medical colleges across the country. This year, more than 23 lakh students appeared for the NEET-UG exam that was held on May 5. The results of the exam were declared on June 4.

SC hearing on pleas for NEET re-test put off till July 18

New Delhi: The much-awaited Supreme Court hearing on pleas seeking re-test of NEETUG, which ran into controversy over alleged paper leak, a charge denied by National Testing Agency and the Centre, was deferred by a week to July 18.As directed by the SC, the Centre and NTA filed their responses on Wednesday, saying IIT-Madras’s analysis of results of top 1.4 lakh rank holdersshowed no abnormality and that the alleged video of question paper on Telegram channel was posted after timestamp was manipulated to create the impression of a leak.

CBIalso filed a probe status report with the court without providing a copy to the petitioners. A three-judge bench led by CJI D Y Chandrachud was ready to post all 45 petitionsfor hearing on Friday.

Solicitor general Tushar Mehta requested the court to adjourn the hearing to Thursday. The bench accepted the requests and posted the matter for hearing on July 18.

TNN

MBBS aspirants reach Pradhan’s residence, he assures them of all help

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Amid the ongoing NEET-UG row, education minister Dharmendra Pradhan came face to face with a bunch of students who had gathered in front of his residence on Thursday. All of them were NEET-UG aspirants worried over the fate of the exam and the counselling. During the interaction, Pradhan assured them that their interests would be taken care of.

On reaching his residence in the afternoon, Pradhan saw a group of students waiting for an appointment with him. According to a source, he asked his office to allow the students in and spent around 45 minutes hearing their concerns.

“These students are not part of any students’ organisation and were not there to protest but were seeking an audience to share their experience. The minister heard them and apprised them of the govt’s efforts and the status of the case in the Supreme Court,” the source said.

The minister, it is learnt, advised the students not to get demotivated and assured them that their career was of paramount importance and the govt would do everything to safeguard their interests.

The source said the students raised concerns over the uncertainty, delay in counselling and possible delay in the academic calendar.

Another student said the majority of them did not want a retest and demanded that counselling be held immediately. He said the minister informed them that the apex court decision was awaited, while assuring that steps would be taken to ensure that the academic session did not get delayed.

Maha to bring stringent law to tackle ‘urban Naxal’

Mohammed.Akhef@timesofindia.com

FIGHTING RED

Sambhajinagar/Mumbai:The Maharashtra govt tabled on Thursday the “Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill, 2024” in the ongoing assembly session, saying that unlawful activities of Naxal frontal organisations need to be controlled by effective legal means and that existing laws are ineffective and inadequate to tackle naxalism, its frontal organisations and individual sympathisers.

The bill states that the menace of Naxalism is not limited to remote areas of Naxal-affected states and its presence is increasing in urban areas through Naxal frontal organisations.

The bill states that the spread of these active frontal organisations gives constant and effective support in terms of Maoist network logistics — “safe houses” and “urban dens” — in Maharashtra’s cities. The activities of Naxal organisations or similar organisations through united fronts are creating unrest among the people by propagating their ideology of armed rebellion against the constitutional mandate and disruption of public order in the state.

The MSPSA bill, which has 18 sections, was tabled by minister Uday Samant. It has been drafted on the lines of public security acts currently in force in Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, which have claimed that the new law is proving useful.

For Maharashtra, this is a second special law being envisaged. In 1999 it had enacted the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) which helped it deal with organised crime.

When contacted, IGP (anti-Naxal operations) Sandeep Patil told TOI, “The laws to counter Naxalism have been in existence in different states of the country for the past three decades. Maharashtra, despite having the highest number of Maoist frontal organisations, did not have any law to tackle this menace. We are hopeful that this will be a good tool for tackling frontal organisations which under the garb of some work not only spread and propagate Maoist ideology in urban areas but also recruit youths and garner support for leftwing extremism.”

The officer said the checks and balances envisaged by the bill will ensure it is not misused once it becomes law as powers to initiate action lie with officers of the rank of DIG and higher.

UP court gives life term to man for gunning down SI in 2021

Agra: The Agra district and sessions court sentenced a man to life imprisonment for shooting dead sub-inspector on duty Prashant Yadav (35), who was responding to a dispute between two brothers in 2021 in Agra, reports Deepak Lavania.

“District judge Vivek Sangal found the accused, Vishwanath Singh, guilty of murder and violations under the Arms Act. He also imposed a fine of Rs 17,000 on him,” said district government counsel (DGC) Basant Kumar Gupta. The brother who initially reported the incident retracted his statement, but the court still convicted Vishwanath, DGC added.

According to officials, the incident took place on March 24, 2021 in Naharra village under the jurisdiction of Khandauli police station. Vijay Singh’s sons, Shivnath and Vishwanath, were arguing over potato distribution. During the harvest, Vishwanath arrived with a pistol and threatened labourers. Later, SI Prashant Yadav and constable Chandra Sen arrived at the scene based on Shivnath’s complaint.

Yadav attempted to apprehend Vishwanath, who was armed with a pistol. However, he opened fire at the cop, and the bullet struck Yadav’s neck, resulting in his death. Based on constable Sen’s complaint, a case under IPC section 302 (murder) was registered. Vishwanath was arrested on March 27, 2021 following an encounter. “He has been in jail for three years and requested a lenient sentence, citing his family’s dependence on him,” said the DGC.

The investigation, initially conducted by SHO Arvind Nirwal, was later handed over to inspector Rajeshwar Tyagi.

Prashant Yadav was a resident of Bulandshahr district, having joined the police force in 2005 and promoted to inspector in 2015.

‘No voting rights for violators’: Giriraj bats for population law

Patna: Union textiles minister Giriraj Singh on Thursday advocated for a tough law to tackle India’s population boom. “The law must have the provision that violators will have their voting rights seized and will also be deprived of the benefits of all govt schemes,” he told reporters in Lakhisarai, Bihar, adding there were 147 districts across the country that were witnessing a rapid population growth, reports Manoj Chaurasia.

“The fertility rate among Muslim women is 1.25% more than that of Hindu women,” the minister said. He stressed the moral imperative of population control, calling for responsible family planning, and improved education and healthcare services to reduce pressure on resources.

BJP’s ally JD(U) echoed the call, with party’s chief spokesperson K C Tyagi saying this was “the demand of the time”. “Bihar govt has taken a revolutionary step in containing fertility rate, which must be followed elsewhere,” he added.

Opposition RJD in Bihar, however, criticised Singh for politicising the issue.

3 drown as Assam boat sinks:

Three people drowned and two went missing after a boat capsized in a flooded low-lying farmland in Assam’s Goalpara on Thursday.

TNN

CAPF chiefs vow to implement 10% quota for former Agniveers

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Amid the debate over the Agnipath scheme, heads of various central armed police forces (CAPFs) on Thursday came forward to reiterate their commitment on implementing 10% quota for ex-Agniveers in all constable-level posts, stating that the forces will benefit by getting trained and disciplined manpower.

Days after the Union cabinet approved the Agnipath scheme in June 2022, the home ministry had announced 10% job quota in CAPFs for ex-Agniveers who have completed four years of their stint the armed forces.

A series of videos showing the director-generals of CRPF, BSF, CISF, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) underline that arrangements have been made to provide 10% quota in CAPFs to ex-Agniveers, were posted on X on Thursday. The DGs in these videos mention the relaxations already incorporated for ex-Agniveers by amending the recruitment rules for each of the CAPFs. These include their exemption from the mandatory physical efficiency test as well as age relaxation of five years for the first batch of ex-Agniveers and three years for the subsequent batches.

“All arrangements to recruit ex-Agniveers in CRPF have been made. Agniveers will prove to be an asset as they have gained discipline while being in the Army. From day one we will have trained and disciplined personnel,” said CRPF DG Anish Dayal Singh.

BSF DG Nitin Agrawal said, “We are getting ready soldiers, nothing can be better than that. All forces will benefit from it.”

31 of 36 states/UTs have met goal to stabilise population

Have Achieved Replacement Level Of Fertility Of 2.1, Says Govt

DurgeshNandan.Jha@timesofindia.com

New Delhi: Thirty-one out of 36 states and Union Territories in the country have achieved the replacement level of fertility of 2.1, the average number of children per woman needed to maintain a stable population size. Only five states — Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Meghalaya and Manipur — continued to have a higher than desired replacement level of fertility, govt data showed.

On World Population Day on Thursday, health minister J P Nadda and minister of state for health Anupriya Patel said targeted steps would be taken in states with high Total Fertility Rate (TFR), or children per woman. “The goal of Viksit Bharat (developed India) can only be achieved when the health of India’s families is maintained which can be achieved by smaller families,” Nadda said.

Patel said more than 65% of India’s population was in the reproductive age group which made it pertinent to ensure that they were provided with choices and not burdened with unplanned family growth. Highlighting the ex- pansion of the family planning programme, she said, “While earlier it used to be a two-phased programme, it has now been expanded to three phases: preparatory phase, community participation and service delivery.”

Patel said seven decades of family programme activities had shown results where 31 of 36 states/UTs had reached replacement level of TFR. She encouraged Uttar Pradesh , Bihar, Jharkhand, Meghalaya and Manipur to take up concerted activities to bring down TFR.

“It is also encouraging to note that acceptance of modern contraceptives in the country has increased to over 56%,” she said.

In 1950, India had a TFR of 6.18 which reduced to 4.6 in 1980. In 2021, TFR reduced further to 1.91 which is below the replacement level needed to maintain a stable population size. Recently, a study claimed that by 2050, India’s TFR will reduce to 1.29.

Poonam Mutreja, executive director of Population Foundation of India, said as countries develop economically, the cost of raising children increases, leading families to have fewer children.

Sidda: Targeted by BJP in land row as I am from backward class

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mysuru: Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah rebuffed Thursday BJP’s allegations that Mysuru Urban Development Authority (Muda) had illegally allotted land to his wife Parvathi, accusing the opposition of targeting him due to his successful leadership as a backward-class CM for the second time.

“They are upset and are hatching a conspiracy against me because I became chief minister again,” he said, accusing BJP of making unsubstantiated claims without proof: “Muda has not suffered losses from the scam; instead, landowners may have due to the involvement of middlemen.”

According to BJP, Muda allotted Parvathi 14 sites totalling 38,284 sqft in an upscale Mysuru locality as compensation for land in Kesare village on the city’s outskirts. The party has demanded a CBI probe into what it called a Rs 4,000-crore land-allotment scam, but Siddaramaiah denied the charges, saying Muda had encroached upon the 3 acres and 16 guntas gifted to his wife by her brother.

BJP circulated documents Wednesday to support its allegations. Siddaramaiah countered the next day by releasing a set of papers and challenging critics to show where illegal activities had occurred. “It was an agricultural land, and the deputy commissioner effected conversion in 2005. I’ve no connection (with the entire exercise). Mallikarjunaswamy, my brother-in-law, has legally gifted it. Where is the question of illegality?” he asked.

The CM questioned BJP’s motive: “Is it an offence to mention it as agricultural land, though it was developed into a layout?”

He asserted that his wife received sites from Muda in 2021-22 when BJP was in office in the state.

BJP to Rahul: Why no step against CM over K’taka funds scam?

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: BJP on Thursday questioned Congress MPRahul Gandhi over the Karnataka Valmiki Corporation case and asked why he had not taken action against Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah for diversion of huge amounts of funds meant for Scheduled Tribes.

“Investigation into the Valmiki Corporation scam is revealing the true nature of Congress and its commitment to the ST community. The accused not only diverted close to Rs 100 crore to various bank accounts and shell companies but it has also come to light that one of the accused even purchased a luxury car from a dealer in Hyderabad,” BJP MP and BJYM president Tejaswi Surya said.

“I want to ask Rahul Gandhi who claims to be the champion of OBCs, SCs, STs in the country as to why he hasn’t taken any action against the CM. Is this your model of tribal development? ED is trying to investigate this issue, the state govt and its agencies instead of cooperating, the CM and deputy CM are trying to divert the attention from the investigation,” he added.

BJP’s chief spokesperson and Lok Sabha MP Anil Baluni said Congress is well known for its series of corruption. “This time, it was caught redhanded while looting development funds belonging to the SC/ST community. On the one hand, Rahul takes oath carrying the Constitution and the other hand, his party in Karnataka is snatching the constitutional rights of SC/ST community,” Baluni said.

The illegal money transfer issue involving Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Ltd came to light following the suicide of its accounts superintendent Chandrashekhar P on May 26.In a note left behind, Chandrashekhar revealed the unauthorised transfer of Rs 187 crore from the corporation’s bankaccount.

Haryana man in ED net over paper leak in J&K cops’ test

Jammu: A Haryana native, Anil Kumar, was on Thursday remanded in ED custody for five days by a Jammu court a day after the probe agency arrested him in connection with the paper leak in the 2022 J&K Service Selection Board (JKSSB) sub-inspector recruitment examination, officials said, reports Sanjay Khajuria.

The exam was held on March 27, 2022, but was cancelled in July by J&K administration. The probe was handed over to CBI, which filed a chargesheet against 33 accused, including Yadav, on Nov 12, 2022. The ED case originates from the CBI FIR and chargesheet.

According to ED spokesperson, Yadav executed a well devised plan involving touts based in Haryana and J&K, who arranged candidates willing to pay between Rs 15 lakh and Rs 30 lakh to access the leaked paper.

ED arrests kingpin of paper leak in Raj teachers’ recruitment test

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: In the Rajasthan teachers’ recruitment paper leak case, ED has arrested Pradeep Parashar, a retired assistant professor who was appointed district coordinator by the Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education to conduct REET (Rajasthan Eligibility Examination for Teachers).

The agency has accused Parashar of being the kingpin behind the paper leak and having acquired huge proceeds of crime. He was arrested on Wednesday and produced before a special court in Jaipur which remanded him to ED custody for three days.

Parashar was appointed district coordinator to conduct REET 2021 which was scheduled at various places in the state on Sep 26, 2021. “Parashar appointed an assistant, Ram Kripal Meena, without any valid order, who was given unauthorised ac- cess to the strong room of Siksha Sankul, Jaipur, where the question paper of REET 2021 was stored,” the agency said.

The probe found that Meena, in connivance with Parashar, stole the question paper on the night of Sep 24, two days before the exam, from Siksha Sankul and circulated it to other accused in return for huge amounts of money.

The agency had earlier conducted searches at 32 premises of various accused between June and Oct 2023 resulting in recovery of incriminating documents/ digital records and seizure of huge cash. Subsequently, Meena was arrested and a chargesheet has been filed against him.

Key accused in NEET ‘leak’ held in Bihar

CBI arrested Rakesh Ranjan, alias Rocky, an alleged kingpin in the NEET paper leak case, from Kanti Factory Road in Patna late Wednesday night. On Thursday he was produced before a special CBI court which remanded him in the probe agency’s custody for 10 days, reports Kshitiz.

Rocky, a resident of Nalanda district, is accused of obtaining the leaked NEET question paper, solving it, and circulating the answers to MBBS aspirants. He allegedly arranged for solvers, including MBBS students from Patna and Ranchi, to assist in the cheating racket. He was found to be physically managing the operations of the paper-solver gang. The crucial lead came when investigators traced Rocky through the IP address associated with emails sent from his wife’s email account. Suspicions arose about Rocky’s involvement in the paper leak due to his alleged relation to Sanjeev Mukhia, believed to be the kingpin in several paper leak cases. Mukhia is still at large.

Raj univ issued backdated certs: Initial probe

DIG (SOG) Paris Deshmukh said since 2013, the university has awarded 708 PhDs, 8,861 engineering degrees, and 1,640 degrees in physical education, among others

Continued from P 1

Multiple complaints from students also prompted the probe. On July 5, SOG arrested Dalal, along with former chairperson Sarita Karwasra and former registrar Jitendra Yadav. Preliminary investigations suggest Dalal issued backdated degrees to those requiring graduation certificates for visa applications.

“A detailed probe into the fake-degree scam was launched after allegations surfaced that the university was issuing backdated degrees and certificates, some even before the varsity received relevant accreditation for running the courses,” ADGP (SOG) VK Singh said.

DIG (SOG) Paris Desh- mukh said since 2013, the university has awarded 708 PhDs, 8,861 engineering degrees, and 1,640 degrees in physical education, among others.

Deshmukh said police found “conclusive evidence” of irregularities in the physical training instructor (PTI) recruitment exam of 2022, where more than 1,300 applicants claimed to have com- pleted the course from OPJS, despite the varsity being accredited for only 100 seats since 2016. Only students enrolled before 2020 were eligible for the PTI 2022 exam.

Although police clarified that not all 43,409 degrees under scrutiny, including PhDs, have been deemed “fake”, they have not ruled out irregularities in each course. Police suspected candidates obtained backdated degrees to apply for govt jobs, including the PTI exam aimed to fill about 4,500 vacancies.

“The university has a salaried staff of fewer than 30, including eight to nine class-4 employees. With such limited numbers, it is not possible to run a university,” Deshmukh said. According to sources, a divisional commissioner-led in- quiry questioned the university’s exam process. When police requested old records, Dalal claimed the documents were destroyed in a Dec 2019 fire.

“We have informed the education department and asked them to re-examine degrees of all candidates who cleared the PTI exam. Degrees issued for other courses are also under the scanner. The education department is mandated to act against the university,” an official said.

On June 24, Rajasthan higher education department issued an order to halt new admissions to all courses at OPJS following an investigation that found irregularities in the degrees issued. Prior to that, UGC barred OPJS from enrolling scholars in all PhD programmes in Dec last year.

Dalit boy forced to drink urine in UP, 3 arrested

Lucknow: Three youths were arrested on Thursday for forcing a Dalit minor to drink urine two days ago in UP’s Shravasti.

The victim, who is barely 15 years old, works as a technician, setting sound mixers and audio systems at social and cultural events. He was on his way home after work on Tuesday night when he was accosted by the trio — Kishan Tiwari, Dilip Mishra and Satyam Tiwari — who were in an inebriated state.

TNN

Apple sounds spyware alert in 98 nations, including India

Warns Of Pegasus-Like Mercenary Hit

The tech giant had sent similar warnings to users in India last Oct

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Tech giant Apple has issued a fresh warning to iPhone users in at least 98 countries, including in India, about a potential new mercenary spyware attack like ‘Pegasus’.

According to the Apple warning, it has detected that “you are being targeted by a mercenary spyware attack that is trying to remotely compromise the iPhone associated with your Apple ID”.

In the warning, the iPhone maker further said that this attack is “likely targeting you specifically because of who you are or what you do”.

“Although it’s never possible to achieve absolute certainty when detecting such attacks, Apple has high confidence in this warning — please take it seriously,” the company added.

In Oct last year, the US-based technology company sent similar warnings to users in India. In April this year, the tech giant sent threat notifications to select users in 92 countries, including some in India, who may have been targeted using ‘mercenary spyware’ like Pegasus from the NSO Group.

HC refuses bail to Chhabria in Yes Bank-DHFL laundering case

Mumbai: Bombay high court refused bail to developer Sanjay Chhabria of Radius Group who was arrested by ED in the Yes Bank and DHFL money laundering case, reports Rosy Sequeira.

“This court is unable to record its satisfaction that there are reasonable grounds for believing that the applicant is not guilty of the offence alleged against him,” said Justice Manish Pitale on Wednesday, dismissing Chhabria’s plea. Chhabria was arrested on April 28, 2022.

According to the prosecution, in March 2020, CBI had registered an FIR under the IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act against Yes Bank founder Rana Kapoor, DHFL promoters Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawan and others. They had allegedly hatched a conspiracy and Kapoor made Yes Bank invest Rs 3,700 crore in DHFL in lieu of Rs 600 crore kickback to him, his companies and his family members, the prosecution added.

Lanka navy arrests 13 TN fishermen

Trichy: Thirteen fishermen, who ventured in three fishing trawlers from Tamil Nadu’s Pudukottai district were apprehended by Sri Lankan navy on charges of poaching in Sri Lanka waters on Thursday morning. While fishing near Delft island, Jaffna in the early hours of Thursday, a fast attack craft of the Sri Lankan navy apprehended the fishermen and confiscated their boats with fishing gears. They were taken to Kankesanthurai harbour and handed over to the Sri Lankan fisheries department officials for legal action. CM M K Stalin has written to Union external affairs minister S Jaishankar seeking the intervention of the external affairs ministry to activate appropriate diplomatic channels to ensure the immediate release of all fishermen and their fishing boats.

TNN

BIMSTEC nations talk connectivity, trade

EAM Calls For Infusing New Energies

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: India hosted BIMSTEC foreign ministers’ retreat on Thursday with external affairs minister S Jaishankar urging his counterparts to harbour higher aspirations and send out a message that they are determined to infuse new energies, new resources and a new commitment into cooperation among the Bay of Bengal nations.

The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) brings together seven countries of South and South-East Asia for multi-faceted cooperation. The BIMSTEC Charter had come into effect from May 20 this year.

Addressing the retreat, Jaishankar said global and regional developments also made it imperative that the member-states find more solutions amongst ourselves.

“There are long-standing goals such as capacity-building and economic cooperation that have acquired a new urgency. And not least, a grouping that is so complementary and so congenial in its membership should surely harbour higher aspira- tions. Our hope is that these would be expressed as shared and ambitious BIMSTEC vision,” he said.

Since it blocked the SAARC summit process in 2016 because of Pakistan’s support to cross-border terrorism, India has increasingly focused on BIMSTEC to intensify cooperation with its neighbourhood.

“Each of these endeavours is being purposed with a specific focus on the Bay of Bengal, where collaborative potential has long remained under-realized. Our challenge is to change that for the better, and to do so rapidly. The retreat is meant to exchange ideas openly, candidly and fruitfully. Our message should be clear — that we are all determined to infuse new energies, new resources and a new commitment into cooperation among the Bay of Bengal nations,” said Jaishankar.

The discussions were focused on connectivity, institutional building, cooperation in trade and business, collaboration in health and space, digital public infrastructure, capacity building and societal exchanges, as well as weighing on the merits of new mechanisms, according to the minister.

Rowdy shot dead in encounter in Pudukottai:

Pudukottai district police shot dead N Duraisamy alias Durai, a notorious rowdy, in an encounter on Thursday. TNN

5 yrs after firing row, Punjab IGP reinstated

Chandigarh: Punjab government on Thursday reinstated after five years IGP Paramraj Singh Umranangal, an accused in Oct 2015 Kotkapura police firing on people protesting against sacrilegious incidents, after Punjab and Haryana high court quashed his “illegal” suspension. Govt asked Paramraj to report to the DGP for assignment of duties until an order for his regular posting is issued. Observing that “state cannot pick and choose the rules of their suitability” to suspend officials, the high court had in Feb quashed Punjab govt’s suspension order issued on Feb 18, 2019. In May this year, Supreme Court refused to stay the high court order, paving the way for his reinstatement.

TNN

Hubby goes to kill wife, ends up murdering her parents

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Hyderabad: A spurned husband who sneaked into his wife’s home to kill her for deserting him ended up murdering her parents who tried to stop him in a village in Telengana’s Warangal late on Wednesday night. Hiswife, Deepika (19), received stab wounds in the hands,and her brother suffered a minor slash on his neck Police nabbed the accused, Mekkala Nagaraju, an auto driver, on Thursday.

Nagaraju and Deepika had eloped and married in Nov last year after her parents objected to their inter-community union. Nagaraju is a SC and Deepika a tribal. The couple’s romance had bloomed after Deepika first met him as a passenger in his auto.

After the marriage they shifted to Hyderabad, but within two months Deepika had a change of heart and left Nagaraju for her parents’ home. Nagaraju had been upset since then, police said.

On Wednesday night, Deepika’s father Banothu Srinu (48), and mother Suguna (42), sleeping outside their house in Chinnaraopet village, woke up with a start finding Nagaraju looking for Deepika with a long knife in his hand. A scuffle ensued and Nagaraju hacked the couple multiple times, police said. Suguna died on the spot, while Srinu succumbed to injuries in a hospital.

12.5 cr jobs created in last 10 yrs, says BJP

Slams Rahul For Misleading Claims On Jobs

BJP’s counter comes a day after Rahul Gandhi said youth of the country were demoralised by unemployment and BJP’s ‘anti-education mindset’

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Asserting that India was on the path of progress under PM Narendra Modi’s leadership, BJP Thursday cited govt data to accuse Congress’s Rahul Gandhi of misleading people on the issue of employment and govt policies.

At a presser, party’s national spokesperson Syed Zafar Islam said about 12.5 crore jobs were created in the last 10 years and the latest RBI report, released recently, showed creation of “5 crore jobs in 2023-24 alone”.

“This is a record in itself in the entire world. India is the most successful country in the world in job creation due to the strong leadership of PM Modi,” Islam said.

This comes a day after Rahul said the youth of the country were completely de- moralised by unemployment and claimed that their future was in “limbo” due to BJP’s “anti-education mindset”.

“Rahul Gandhi, who insulted Hindus, has started following the religion of falsehood. He and others from opposition are misleading people by spreading lies,” he said.

The BJP functionary said Rahul and other opposition leaders may be claiming that there was unemployment in the country and jobs were not being created but the world didn’t say so. Multilateral institutions like World Bank and Internation- al Monetary Fund were saying inflation was under control and the country topped in job creation, he added.

Islam said Congress-led UPA govt, under “an economist” PM Manmohan Singh, had created just 2.9 crore jobs in its 10-year term. “Unemployment rate, which was at 6% in 2017, has now come down to 3.2%,” he added.

Data released by RBI earlier this week indicated that India added = 4.7 crore jobs in 2023-24, taking the total number of employed people to 64.3 crore spread over 27 sectors covering the entire economy.

Siachen hero’s parents want change in ‘next of kin’ criteria

New Delhi: Parents of Captain Anshuman Singh, a medical officer in Indian Army who died saving lives during a fire at a camp in Siachen last year, has demanded changes in Army’s ‘next of kin (NOK)’ criteria for financial assistance to family members in case of a soldier’s death, reports Surendra Singh. The Captain’s wife Smriti Singh and mother had recently received the Kirti Chakra from President Murmu for his “act of conspicuous gallantry and sacrifice”.

Next of kin means a person’s spouse, family member or closest living blood relative. When a person joins Army, his parents or guardians’ names are recorded as NOK. When that cadet or officer gets married, under Army rules, the name of the person’s spouse is recorded as the person’s NOK instead of the parents.

Captain’s father Ravi Pratap Singh and mother Manju Singh, in an interview to a TV channel, said they want change in NOK rules as their daughter-in-law Smriti Singh doesn’t live with them any more and she has changed her address (in office records) and that she now receives most entitlements after their son’s death. “The criteria set to NOK is not correct. I have spoken to the defence minister about this. Anshuman’s wife doesn’t live with us now, the marriage was just five months old and there is no child. Though we are the co-recipient of Kirti Chakra. We now just have a photo of our son hanging on the wall with a garland on it. We can’t place the Kriti Chakra on his photo as his wife took it away,” Singh said.

Worried about liberty aspect: SC on bail case

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We are worried about the liberty aspect. A person has to languish for one year in jail after bail was granted, the bench said, allowing Hossain to place case laws before the bench on the issue.

The court was hearing a plea filed by one Parvinder Khurana who was granted bail by the trial court in a PMLA case on June 17 last year but the HC stayed the order. The SC on June 7 stayed the HC order and restored Khurana’s bail.

Will raise Manipur issue in Parliament with ‘full force’: Rahul

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said Congress and INDIA bloc will raise the demand for restoring normalcy in Manipur “with full force” in Parliament, in what sets the tone for a possible stormy budget session starting July 22.

Posting a video of his interactions with locals in relief camps during his recent visit to the northeastern state, Rahul wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “I have visited Manipur three times since violence broke out, but unfortunately there is no improvement in the situation — even today the state is divided into two parts. Houses are burning, innocent lives are in danger and thousands of families are forced to live in relief camps.”

He said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi should personally visit Manipur and appeal for peace while listening to the problems of the people. “Congress and INDIA bloc will raise the need for peace in Mani- pur with full force in the Parliament to put pressure on govt to end this tragedy,” the LoP added.

In the video, Rahul is heard telling the locals, “I can help you... I can raise the issue and put pressure... but I can’t reassure you when you will be able to go back to your homes because govt has the answer to this. You will see in the next session, I will raise your voice.”

Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said, “Every visit to Manipur leaves us completely devastated at the scale of suffering they are going through. No safety, no medical care, not even a glimmer of hope of any return to normalcy. This cannot go on for even a minute more. We will not stop pressuring the government to act until peace is restored in the valley and the hills of Manipur.”

Meanwhile, Congress functionary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra asked, “When will the PM open his mouth on Manipur? Why did the govt not make efforts for peace in Manipur?

SC summons chief secys over non-payment of dues to judicial officers

Dhananjay.Mahapatra@timesofindia.com

New Delhi: Riled by noncompliance of orders to disburse arrears of pay and allowances to judicial officers despite seven opportunities, SC Thursday ordered chief secretaries and finance secretaries of 20 states to remain present in court on Aug 23 and warned, “if dues were not paid by Aug 20, marching orders will be issued”.

The SC order came after amicus curiae K Parameshwar gave state-wise details of non-compliance of SC’s order on Jan 18 last year directing states/UTs to pay all arrears to judicial officers by June 30, 2023.

Parameshwar said SC had subsequently on six occasions acceded to state’s request for more time to pay up arrears as determined by the Second National Judicial Pay Commission, whose recommendations were comparable to pay scales fixed under 7th Pay Commission in 2016 for govt employees.

Noticing the differential treatment given by states to judicial officers as compared to their own employees, the CJI Chandrachud-led bench said, “We are usually circumspect in seeking personal presence of administrative officers , who have received higher pay and allowances since 2016. But we are constrained to seek the personal presence of chief secretaries and finance secretaries as repeated opportunities to pay up the arrears have fallen on deaf ears.”

Can’t pick anybody randomly, ask for citizenship proof: SC

‘Sec 9 Of Foreigners Act Can’t Be Invoked On Basis Of Hearsay

A file photo of people lining up for NRC verification in Assam. SC recently set aside the order of Foreigners Tribunal and Gauhati HC declaring a person from Assam an illegal Bangladeshi migrant

AmitAnand.Choudhary@timesofindia.com

New Delhi: Noting that while Section 9 of the Foreigners Act outs the burden on an individual to prove he/she is not a foreigner, Supreme Court, in an important ruling, has held that this does not mean govt can pick a person at random, knock on their door, and demand they prove their citizenship. There must be some material against the person before proceedings under the law can be initiated, it stressed.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Ahsanuddin Amanullah held that “in the absence of the basic/primary material, it cannot be left to the untrammelled or arbitrary discretion of the authorities to initiate proceedings”, which have life-altering and very serious consequences for the person. It said, Section 9 could not be invoked on the basis of hearsay or bald and vague allegation(s).

“...the question is that does Section 9 of the Act empower the executive to pick a person at random, knock at his/her/ their door, tell him/her/they/ them ‘We suspect you of being a foreigner’?... Obviously, the State cannot proceed in such a manner. Neither can we as a court countenance such an approach,” the bench observed, while setting aside the order of the Foreigners Tribunal and Gauhati high court declaring a person from Assam an illegal Bangladeshi migrant.

The bench accepted the submission of advocate Kaushik Choudhury who, appearing for the petitioner, sub- mitted that Section 9 could not be used arbitrarily and settled principles of natural justice could not be given a go-by.

“It needs no reiteration that a person charged or accused would generally not be able to prove to the negative, if he/she is not aware of the evidence/material against him/her which leads to the person being labelled suspect. Ipso facto just an allegation/accusation cannot lead to shifting of the burden to the accused, unless he/she is confronted with the allegation as also the material backing such allegation,” the court said.

The court said that there was no material in possession of authority which could raise suspicion on his nationality. After fighting a legal battle for two decades, SC came to his rescue and declared him Indian as all his relatives were also declared Indian citizens. The court also said that minor spelling mistakes in names on official documents could not be the sole reason to deny authenticity as happened in the case.

“However, mere allegation, that too, being as vague as to mechanically reproduce simply the words which mirror the text of provisions in the Act cannot be permitted under law. Even for the person to discharge the burden statutorily imposed on him by virtue of Section 9 of the Act, the person has to be intimated of the information and material available against him, such that he/she can contest and defend the proceedings against him,”the court said.

Rainfall deficit down to 2.3%, heavy showers soon, says IMD

New Delhi: Overall monsoon rainfall in June ended with a 11% deficit, turned to surplus during July 5-10, but once again fell into negative zone by reporting 2.3% less than normal cumulative (June 1-July 11) rainfall as on Thursday.

This deficit will, however, soon be recovered as IMD predicted “widespread rainfall with heavy to very heavy falls” along the West Coast and heavy spell over central, east & northeast India till July 17. “Heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely over Konkan & Goa, Madhya Maharashtra and Coastal Karnataka during July 12-15,” it said in its forecast on Thursday.

The current overall deficit of 2.3% is mainly due to 7.5% of less than normal rainfall in central India and 4.5% of deficit rainfall in east & northeast India. Surplus rainfall of 8.6% in peninsular India and 1.4% in northwest India has, however, not only reduced the countrywide deficit to 2.3% but also improved the water storage situation in reservoirs in these regions.

As a result, live water storage available in 150 key reservoirs increased to 22% of total live storage capacity of these reservoirs on July 4 from 20% on June 27. “Water storage situation will gradually improve as the remaining period of the monsoon season is expected to receive fairly good rainfall,” said an official of Central Water Commission.

Good rains in the last fortnight in several parts of the country also helped speed up the ongoing sowing operations of Kharif crops. It brought the overall acreage as on July 5 to the level which was 14% more than the last year.

TNN

BSP, INLD tie up in Haryana, AbhayChautala to be CM face

Chandigarh: Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) will form an alliance for the Haryana assembly elections, scheduled to be held in Oct this year, reports Ajay Sura. INLD general secretary Abhay Chautala would be the CM face.

While INLD will contest 53 seats in the 90-seat state assembly, BSP will fight on 37. Akash Anand, nephew of BSP chief Mayawati, announced Chautala’s name as CM face of the alliance.

Chautala said though they had an understanding on seatsharing, INLD would not hesitate to share more seats with its alliance partner considering the winnability of candidates.

The decision on seat distribution among parties would be taken by both parties following discussions, Chautala added.

Chautala said the INLDBSP alliance has laid the foundation of a third front, as his party would appeal to other like-minded outfits to join hands. “We would not hesitate to form an alliance with AAP, if needed,” he added.

Lung cancer hits non-smoking Indians earlier than Westerners

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: Alung cancer patient in India is likely to be 10 years younger than a patient in the West and possibly someone who avoids smoking, a lifestyle factor associated with it.

This typical, though unique, profile of an Indian patient has emerged in a special review of lung cancer cases in Asia in The Lancet, one of the most widely read medical journals in the world. Studies have shown that lung cancer presents approximately a decade earlier in India as compared to Western countries, with a mean age at diagnosis of 54-70 years.

Written by a team of doctors, mainly from Tata Memorial Centre in Mumbai, the article, titled ‘Uniqueness of lung cancer in Southeast Asia’, said lung cancer was the third most commonly diagnosed cancer (18.5 lakh new cases or 7.8%) in this region in 2020, but it is the commonest cause of cancer mortality, causing 16.6 lakh or 10.9% deaths. The corresponding global figures are 22 lakh new cases (11.6%), causing 17 lakh deaths (18%). In India, lung cancer accounts for an annual incidence of 72,510 cases (5.8%) and 66,279 deaths (7.8%).

Highlighting the “uniqueness” of Indian patients, one of the authors, Dr Kumar Prabash from Tata Medical Centre’s medical oncology department, on Tuesday told TOIthat “over 50% of our lung cancer patients are non-smokers”.

The study said the important risk factors for lung cancer in non-smokers included air pollution (especially particulate matter PM2.5), occupational exposure to asbestos, chromium, cadmium, arsenic and coal as well as se- cond-hand smoke at home. Factors like genetic susceptibility, hormonal status, and pre-existing lung disease could also play a role in the rising lung cancer incidence in never-smokers.

Dr Prabash further said the proportion of cases here is lower than in the West. “The incidence rate of lung cancer in the US is 30 per 1,000, but it’s 6 per 1,000 in India. Given our huge population, however, even the 6% works out to a huge number of patients.”

Another uniqueness about India’s lung cancer pro- blem, he said, is the high incidence of TB. “Diagnosis often gets delayed because of TB as both conditions mimic each other.” In this regard, the authors said it’s not easy to get access to newer treatment modalities and molecules. “Most treatments are developed abroad, and importing them adds to the cost.” The biggest challenge is early identification and start of treatment. “Barely 5% of lung cancer patients seek help in time for surgical help. We need to increase this number to at least 20% like in the West,” Dr Prabash said.

Manipur hands out `300 cr to 4L under welfare schemes

New Delhi: Manipur govt on Thursday disbursed Rs 300 crore through direct benefit transfers (DBT) to four lakh beneficiaries under 46 state and central schemes, reports Manash Gohain. The primary focus of the drive was on internally-displaced people affected the ethnic conflicts that erupted in May 2023.

This assistance included Rs 32 crore for those in relief camps and displaced families from the Kuki and Meitei tribes. On Thursday, Rs 25,000 per family, totalling Rs 15 crore, was released as the first instalment of the recently announced ‘special assistance of Rs 1 lakh per family’ for displaced families in relief camps, benefiting approximately 6,000 displaced families.

Govt also launched the chief minister’s Yarn Scheme to support handloom weavers and artisans by providing yarn at reasonable prices with govt subsidy. Additionally, the govt launched Sportspersons Livelihood Guarantee Scheme, aimed at benefiting retired sportspersons.

Cruel to squash snouts of breeds like pugs: PETA

Pugs and other breathingimpaired breeds suffer from an agonising and sometimes fatal condition, PETA said

Vijay Singh TNN

Mumbai: Ahead of World Plastic Surgery Day (15 July), PETAIndia said it was launching an appeal to remind everyone that while humans may have a choice when it comes to the shape of their nose, pet dog breeds like Pugs and other flatfaced dogs don’t. PETA said they are intentionally and cruelly bred to have a snout so squashed it’s difficult for them to even breathe, so compassionate people should never buy them.

The awareness drive, PETA said, will be simultaneously held in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Kolkata, among other cities. In Mumbai, a giant billboard will be displayed at Marine Lines.

Pugs and other breathing-impaired breeds (BIB), including French and English bulldogs, Pekingese, Boston terriers, boxers, Cavalier King Charles spaniels, and shih tzus, suffer from an agonising and sometimes fa- tal condition called brachycephalic syndrome, which causes them to pant, snort, wheeze, and struggle just to breathe. It can make chasing aball, running, playing, and even going for a walk difficult. The situation is so serious that a number of countries, including Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, and Norway, have banned or are currently working on amendments which either ban or restrict the breeding of some or all BIBs, PETA has said.

Explosion near LoC sparks infiltration fears, search op on

An inter-state meeting of security agencies was held in Kathua on Thursday, days after a terror attack on a military patrol that killed 5 soldiers

Sanjay Khajuria TNN

Jammu: The Jammu region of J&K continued to grapple with terrorism-related activities as an explosion was reported near LoC in Rajouri district late Wednesday night, while search operations in the dense forests and upper reaches of Kathua-Udhampur-Doda stretch persisted into their fourth day Thursday, targeting the terrorists responsible for Monday’s fatal ambush on a two-truck military patrol in Machedi of Kathua district.

Regarding the Rajouri blast, an official source said: “The blast occurred close to the zero line, and a suspicious movement was spotted. A search operation has been launched to rule out any infiltration attempt from across the border.”

Additional troops were deployed to assist the search operations across Kathua, Udhampur, and Doda districts following the ambush that claimed the lives of five soldiers from 22 Garhwal Rifles. Since June 9, Doda has seen three terrorist-linked gunfights, while Kathua and Udhampur have each experienced two until July 10.

“Special Forces and sniffer dog units of Army are also part of the search teams,” the source said. However, no terrorists involved in the ambush have been captured or killed yet.

“Since the ambush on an Army patrol, around 60 people have been detained for questioning, including three suspected of providing food and shelter to the terrorists,” an official said. Authorities have warned people against providing shelter, food, or aiding the terrorists in hiding and navigating the area undetected.

Senior BSF and police officers convened at a highlevel interstate security review meeting in Kathua Thursday. GOC of White Knight Corps Navin Sachdeva reviewed security measures in the remote areas of Udhampur and Doda districts, an official said.

Protect unattended Hindu temples: HC to J&K admin

Saleem.Pandit@timesofindia.com

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir HC on Thursday ordered the UT administration to protect Hindu temples left unattended after the community’s exodus from Kashmir valley in the 1990s, in order to help preserve their cultural heritage.

Hearing a petition by a group of Kashmiri Pandits, who expressed concern about the neglected state of Hindu shrines, the HC emphasized the state’s responsibility to safeguard these historical sites.

The court mandated Ganderbal district magistrate to take immediate action to secure and maintain two particular sites, Asthapan Devraj Bharav and Vidhushe temples, citing the J&K Migrant Immovable Property Act that empowers the DM in this regard.

The petitioners, besides mentioning the condition of three shrines in other districts, also brought up the issue of encroachment on Ganderbal district’s sole Hindu cremation ground.

The HC acknowledged the urgency of addressing the matter, and directed the removal of encroachments within eight weeks.

Vendor ends life after cops make girl slap him over ‘lewd remarks’

Varanasi: A vegetable vendor killed himself by jumping into the Ganga soon after some cops made a schoolgirl slap him thrice in public for allegedly passing lewd remarks at her in Varanasi’s Lanka area on Wednesday.

The father of Vishal Sonkar (22) is a home guard currently deployed at Lanka police station. Vishal’s death sparked long protests till early Thursday by his family and functionaries of UP’s governing BJP and opposition SP in front of Lanka police station, leading to the suspension of the sub-inspector and constable allegedly embroiled in the episode and an inquiry against the SHO.

The series of events started when the girl was heading to her school. Cops cited CCTV footage that purportedly showed Vishal making a pass at her, leading to a heated argument between the two. The two cops then arrive at the spot. One of them slaps Vishal, then asks her to slap him. The girl slaps him thrice and leaves.

TNN

Times City

- When Water Becomes Enemy Number One

- Atishi: Delhi will collaborate with Haryana to probe cause of breach

- Timely efforts not made to drain out water, claims BJP

- Another front opens as LG and AAP trade barbs over ‘lack of maintenance’

- Remove all encroachment on floodplain: HC to DDA

- You Need To Pay Up To `40 More For Pollution Check

- MCD’s 1st cactus garden to spike curiosity in Sept

- Uniform payout for landowners near Noida Sec 18

- No. of fraud agents held in first 6 months doubles

- Rain likely after sweltering day

- Flood Focus On 20 Locations That Went Under Last Year

- LG tells agencies to complete desilting of drains at earliest

- Supertech submits `900-crore plan, seeks nod for 2k registries

- DDA issues notice for demolition at Majnu Ka Tila

- Take your cue from this mason’s son who turned the tables on life’s challenges to become state champion

- HC: No wait period, act immediately in missing child cases

- Sikkim woman, found unconscious in SE Delhi, dies

- Cop’s role in land grab under lens

- Aravalis To Retain Protection From Non-Forest Activities

- ‘New session for undergrads will be delayed by fortnight if CUET results late by 3 weeks’

- 28-year-old gym owner murdered in northeast Delhi

- Cheating case accused held after 10 years

- Tillu gang member shot dead in northwest Delhi

- Court to begin trial against Brij Bhushan from July 26

- CINEMA OF THE WEEK

- 21-year -old UPSC aspir ant thrashed to death in hotel

- ED arrests Amtek group promoter in `25,000-crore banking ‘fraud’ case

- ‘Trees felled on Ridge against SC rules to protect farmhouses’

- DJB driver held, JE book ed in bribe case

- SC judge recuses from Sisodia’s plea hearing

- ‘Senior officers of key depts present during LG visits’

- CM gets Sept date from high court on summons challenge

- BJP: All evidence against Kejriwal, he should resign

- Metro services hit after man jumps to death

- New ministers vie with each other for prime bungalows in Lutyens’

When Water Becomes Enemy Number One

RENDERED POWERLESS:People Forced Out Of Homes As Many Blocks Of Bawana Colony Flooded After Munak Canal Breach

MILES TO GO BEFORE THEY SLEEP: The most severe waterlogging is concentrated in four blocks of Bawana where Disaster Relief Force, Delhi Jal Board and Delhi Development Authority have focused their efforts on providing resource

Siddhanta.Mishra@timesofindia.com

New Delhi: Laxmi, holding her daughter's hand tightly, trudged through knee-deep water in K Block of JJ Colony, Bawana. She said she was on her way back after delivering lunch to her husband, Kamal, who has been keeping watch on their medical shop from Wednesday midnight after being alerted about possible flooding in the area. This is the first time they have experienced such a situation.

Kamal and Laxmi were lucky. Numerous families in the unauthorised west Delhi colony found themselves on the streets overnight when water rushed through a large breach in the Munak Canal, flooding at least four blocks — J, K, L and M.

Pushpinder Singh, general secretary, K Block Residents’ Welfare Association, was managing crowds at a water tanker and at a food stall set up by a political party. “Earlier, I had warned the officials and local leaders that a breach in this canal was probable because people were attempting to make illegal cuts to draw water for irrigation in the farms nearby. But no one listened,” shrugged Singh.

In the deluged blocks, the Delhi Disaster Relief Force, Delhi Jal Board and Delhi Development Authority are focusing on providing assistance. The 24-Foot Road across these blocks was littered with slippers and shoes when TOI visited the spot. Arif, a resident of L-block, recounted how the water entered the colony at 4am on Thursday and covered the entire street, leaving people nowhere to go except to higher ground.

Arif said the footwear were left behind when the water receded. “These shoes and slippers were actually in houses and were left on the road after the water dried up,” he claimed. “We have never seen such a situation earlier. The water flowed into the colony around midnight. Delhi govt is making efforts to manage the flooding. That’s fine, but what about the damage to our houses?”

The power supply has been cut off, leaving the community in darkness. Among other difficulties in countering the flood and its aftermath, the residents ironically had to fight for drinking water. TOI saw men, women and children on Thursday carrying empty buckets and running after the water tankers provided by the civic administration. There they lined up before the tankers for their needs.

Pumps have been deployed to remove the floodwater and dump it on the other side of the road. There the excess water flowed into a stormwater drain. The Munak Canal, which carries water from the Yamuna at the Munak regulator in Haryana’s Karnal, ends at the Haiderpur water treatment plant in Delhi. This plant produces around 241 million gallons of water per day. Officials said that the exact amount of water loss due to the breach in the canal can be assessed only by night on Thursday.

Water minister Atishi expressed sorrow at the breaking of the embankment wall of the Munak Canal and the water entering many residential areas of Bawana, causing waterlogging in Bawana JJ colony. “Water is being pumped out into the drains and the ac- cumulated water is gradually decreasing,” she said. “We hope to normalise the situation in Bawana JJ Colony by the evening. Electricity supply has been cut off due to excessive waterlogging which poses the risk of electrocution. It will be restored once the waterlogging is taken care of.”

Atishi: Delhi will collaborate with Haryana to probe cause of breach

Continued from P1

DJB receives water from the canal, which is owned by the Haryana irrigation department. Delhi govt pays around Rs 60 lakh to Rs 65 lakh per month for the water with the exception of July, August and September, when the water is free.

Earth excavators were on Thursday busy dumping soil near the breach to stop the flow of water after which an embankment of sandbags will be created followed by a concrete layer to seal the breach. Teams of PWD and DDA have also joined the hectic efforts.

A DDA official added that “the field staff of DDA had rushed to the site for taking immediate remedial measures and water is being drained by temporarily puncturing the existing stormwater drain. A JCB, dewatering pump, drinking water tanker and mobile toilet have been deployed,” said the official.

“The breach has affected the Haiderpur plant. Instead of two water channels, only one is supplying to the plant for now,” said a DJB official. “So, it will have an impact on water supply. Currently, the embankment is being strengthened with soil and this work will be completed by night. After that, concretization will be carried out. Water will not be released in this line till the morning at least."

Minister Atishi held out hope, saying that “water production will be restored at Haiderpur, Bawana and Nangloi” by evening. “However, the Dwarka water treatment plant gets all the water from CLC and hence it will be af- fected till the flow is resumed,” she said. The other of the two lines, Delhi subbranch, has not been affected.

A DJB officer said there is currently no standard operating procedure in place to deal with situations like this. Atishi said that once the crisis is over, an inquiry will be conducted by Delhi govt, in collaboration with Haryana, to determine the cause of the breach. “A similar incident had happened last year. A wall had got breached at a place near Sonipat,” she recalled.

Timely efforts not made to drain out water, claims BJP

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: BJP took a dig at AAP over flooding in Bawana and claimed that adequate and timely efforts were not being made by Delhi govt to flush out the water.

The party said that soon after receiving information on flooding, state president Virendra Sachdeva and North West Delhi MP Yogendra Chandoliya contacted officials from Delhi and Haryana govts and instructed them to start relief work immediately.

Chandoliya said that he went to the area near Munak Canal with some officials and local people and found a breach in the canal. “After discussing the issue with the chief engineer overseeing the canal, I went to Garhi Bindroli village in Haryana and temporarily got the water supply stopped,” he claimed.

An area of 7 km was affected by this entire waterlogging, the BJP MP said.

Chandoliya further claimed that only seven pumps were installed even after 11 am, which was insufficient.

Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav said that Delhi govt must respond quickly to plug the canal breach and grant compensation to the affected residents of Bawana.

Water minister Atishi also reached the spot and said, “In the next few hours, the repair will be completed. From tomorrow morning, water will start coming in the canal...In Dwarka, normal water supply will resume by tomorrow evening. Inquiry is required to know whether there was any foul play.”

Another front opens as LG and AAP trade barbs over ‘lack of maintenance’

LG V K Saxena

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: The breach in Munak Canal early on Thursday led to yet another war of words between lieutenant governor VK Saxena and AAP, with Saxena blaming it on the “lack of maintenance” and the party putting the responsibility on Haryana govt.

In a letter to chief secretary, LG’s principal secretary said Saxena had taken a “serious note” of the issue and wanted him to urge Delhi ministers to take up the matter with Haryana for early restoration and repair of the canal. The letter added that the unlined segment of the canal should also be taken up for lining on priority to avoid breaches and water losses.

A Raj Niwas official said Saxena had flagged the matter of repair and maintenan- ce of Munak Canal in June.

In response, AAP said that even before LG wrote to CS, Delhi Jal Board’s chairperson Atishi had issued necessary directions to officers, while an engineer of the irrigation and flood control department had been dispatched to Haryana. It added that the ownership of the canal was with Haryana and Delhi could not “tamper with it or do anything of any significance.”

In a sharp reaction, AAP said LG was not “Satyawadi Harishchandra” and if he wrote something, it should not be believed as a court’s verdict. “He is not our school principal. The LG of-

ten writes misleading things in his letters. We have seen this many times, and we have also written back to him that he has written misrepresented facts. For example, I held a meeting on the heatwave, and LG wrote a letter saying that we did not hold any meeting on the heatwave. LG has been misleading many times in his letters,” AAP said in a statement.

Meanwhile, LG directed that DJB’s CEO should reach the spot along with his team of engineers and coordinate with Haryana govt to ensure the restoration of Munak Canal. He has also directed that National Disaster Response Force should evacuate the af- fected people while the irrigation and flood control department should deploy pumps to drain out water. Directions were issued to Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board to rehabilitate the affected people and provide them with basic amenities, including shelter, while the area district magistrate should deploy a team of executive magistrates to coordinate relief and rescue operations.

LG also directed the health department to ensure that medical teams were in place to address any medical emergencies. “The breach in Munak Canal underlines the absence of adequate maintenance of the canal, which should have been undertaken by DJB through Haryana irrigation department from time to time,” the letter to chief secretary mentioned.

Remove all encroachment on floodplain: HC to DDA

THREAT TO ECOLOGY

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Delhi High Court has directed Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to remove all encroachments and illegal constructions on the Yamuna, including those on the riverbed and on drains.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela appointed the DDA vice-chairperson as the nodal officer for coordinating with officials from Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Delhi Police, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), irrigation and flood control department, Public Works Department (PWD), Delhi Pollution Control Board, and forest department to ensure the river is free from encroachments.

The court asked the vicechairperson to convene a meeting of all officials concerned within a week while dealing with a petition seeking directions to demolish certain unauthorised constructions on the Yamuna riverbank near Shaheen Bagh. The plea also sought a direction for the authorities to take steps to prevent illegal constructions on the Yamuna riverbank and its floodplain in the near future.

“Keeping in view the aforesaid, this court directs the vice-chairman, DDA, to remove all encroachments and illegal construction on the Yamuna riverbank, riverbed, and drains flowing into the ri- ver Yamuna," HC noted, giving six weeks to the DDA vice-chairperson to file an action-taken report.

The petitioner's lawyer contended that apart from endangering the ecologically fragile Yamuna floodplain and causing pollution, unregulated construction near the river endangered the lives of people during the monsoon.

Counsel for one of the authorities admitted that being an important component of the river ecosystem, the floodplain was a “prohibited activity zone”, and any encroachment there leads to the diversion of water, causing floods in adjacent areas. The lawyer cited experts’ view that floods in Delhi were manmade, primarily due to the encroachment of drains, riverbanks, and riverbeds, which restricted the flow of water into the Yamuna.

The counsel for Delhi Police and govt said a number of complaints of illegal and unauthorised constructions on the Yamuna riverbank had been forwarded to the DDA and the MCD for action.

On April 8, while dealing with a case it had initiated on its own over waterlogging in Delhi during the monsoon, HC had ordered the removal of encroachments from the Yamuna floodplain and sought a report from DDA on the development of biodiversity parks and wetlands there.

HC had stressed that green development of the banks is necessary and directed the “rejuvenation” of the river by the removal of construction debris, asking DDA to take up the issue of “controlled and scientific dredging” on a war footing.

You Need To Pay Up To `40 More For Pollution Check

Rates Hiked For 1st Time After 2011, Pump Association Unhappy

Abhinav.Rajput@timesofindia.com

New Delhi: Delhi govt has raised the charges for pollution under control certificates (PUCC) for petrol, CNG and diesel vehicles after nearly 13 years.

The new rates for two and three-wheelers running on petrol, CNG or LPG (including bio-fuel) have been increased from Rs 60 to Rs 80. For four-wheelers and above in the same fuel category, the rates have been raised by Rs 30, from Rs 80 to Rs 110.

Diesel-powered vehicles will see the most significant increase, with rates rising from Rs 100 to Rs 140.

The last time rates were revised were in 2011 when it was Rs 35, Rs 45 and Rs 60, the transport department said in a statement. The revised rates will come into effect once govt officially notifies them.

The certificate is a document that testifies that a vehicle has complied with emission standards. A vehicle plying without one can be fined Rs 10,000.

Transport minister Kailash Gahlot explained the decision, stating, "In response to the long-pending demands of the Delhi Petrol Dealers Association and to keep up with the rising costs of pollution checking services, we have decided to revise the rates."

"This revision is necessary to ensure that pollution checking stations can conti- nue to operate efficiently and provide quality service. We remain committed to maintaining Delhi's air quality and ensuring that all vehicles meet the required pollution standards," he said.

However, the petrol pump association expressed dissatisfaction with the increase, deeming it insufficient. They plan to hold a strike starting July 15. Nischal Singhania, president of the Delhi Petrol Dealers’ Association, pointed out that the last revision was 13 years ago, and since then, staff salaries have increased by 300%, while operation costs have multiplied. He argued that the proposed increase was not enough to sustain operations.

A senior official said that the increase in rates aims to balance the operational costs of pollution checking stations with the need to maintain accessible services for vehicle owners, thereby contributing to Delhi's ongoing efforts to combat pollution and promote environmental sustainability.

According to Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, every motor vehicle, including those conforming to BS-I/II/III/ IV and those running on CNG/LPG, is required to carry a valid certificate after the expiry of a one-year period from the date of registration.

The validity is one year for BS-IV-compliant and above vehicles and three months for others.

MCD’s 1st cactus garden to spike curiosity in Sept

The garden will feature a cutting-edge polyhouse that will accommodate 15-20 varieties

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is hoping to complete the construction of its first cactus garden by the end of Sept. The project, funded by central govt’s AMRUT scheme, is being developed in a 1.4-acre park situated near Deshbandhu Apartments in east Delhi’s IP Extension.

The garden will feature a cuttingedge 10x10 metre polyhouse that will accommodate 15-20 varieties of cactus. According to an MCD official, this will be the second cactus garden in Delhi.

The garden will exhibit “550 grafted ordinary helio cactus, 200 coloured grafted ordinary helio cactus, 20 ferlo cactus, 50 melo cactus with cap, and 500 cactus on root”. The official said MCD had utilised Rs 50.5 lakh sanctioned under the central scheme and the polyhouse would soon be completed, equipped with tempera- ture and water control systems.

The park will also showcase various landscaping themes using rocks and pebbles and plant galleries of various succulents and other plants that thrive in a dry environment.

The civic body will enhance the rest of the park with facilities for visitors’ convenience, including the installation of benches, a grass lawn, topiary plantation of trees and bushes, and a walkway.

The official said MCD was also in the process of developing many other theme-based gardens and recreational spaces for the public. The work is on at a senior citizens’ park near Law Apartment and a disability park at Rathi Mill in east Delhi. “The disability park is one of its kind facility with many features specialised for people with disabilities and is likely to become operational by July-end,” he added.

Uniform payout for landowners near Noida Sec 18

Dhananjay.Mahapatra@timesofindia.com

New Delhi: Giving quietus to a 30-year-old litigation that meandered through a three-tier judicial system and resulted in different compensation rates for landowners near Noida’s commercial hub in Sector 18, the Supreme Court has resorted to its omnibus powers under Article 142 of the Constitution to award uniform compensation of Rs 403 per square yard.

The case got complicated with different batches of landowners getting different rates of compensation: Rs 340 per sq yd fixed by the Allahabad High Court, which was upheld by the SC in 2014, the SC fixing Rs 449 per sq yd in 2017 in another batch of cases filed by separate landowners and based on which the HC granting similar compensation to yet another batch of landowners.

To make it worse, the Noida authority challenged the HC granting Rs 449 per sq yd and a stream of landowners moving the SC for enhancing their compensation to Rs 449 per sq yd as granted by the apex court in 2017.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and K V Viswanathan shifted through voluminous records and examined whether the landowners or the Noida authority were right in their contention and found that the SC in its 2017 judgment fixing Rs 449 per sq yd was palpably wrong.

But it being the judgment of a coordinate bench, which has attained finality, the bench stepped around that group of landowners and examined afresh the just and fair compensation to be awarded to the landowners in the batch of petitions posted before it.

Writing the judgment and without disturbing the 2017 SC decision, Justice Kant said, “with a view to put a quietus on this long-standing dispute, the landowners’ appeals are allowed in part; the appeals by Noida authorities against the grant of compensation are also allowed in part, such that the rate of compensation is enhanced from Rs 340 per sq yd to Rs 403 per sq yd and where HC had granted Rs 449 per sq yd based on the 2017 SC judgment, it is reduced Rs 403 per sq yd.”

Justices Kant and Viswanathan said in guesstimating the fair and just compensation to landowners, the courts must keep in mind three factors — character of the land, its future potentiality and factors denoting market sentiment.

The bench said the proximity of the land at village Chhalera Bangar to Sector 18, its connectivity to Delhi’s important locations and its development potential certainly increased the potential of the land to fetch a higher price in market. The lands in the village were acquired in 1991 and a compensation of Rs 110 per sq yd was fixed by the land acquisition officer in 1992.

Though the bench found the court mistakenly enhanced the compensation to Rs 449 per sq yd in 2017, it decided not to disturb that finding. However, though the SC had dismissed appeals against HC determined Rs 340 per sq yd compensation in 2014, it decided to resort to its powers under Article 142 to “do complete justice” to enhance the compensation for them to Rs 403 per sq yd.

No. of fraud agents held in first 6 months doubles

Despite the agents’ attempts to replicate original visas, passengers are frequently caught at Immigration Check Posts

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: In the past six months, Delhi Police has arrested 108 fraudulent agents who were sending people to other countries using forged passports and visas. This marks a substantial increase compared to 51 arrests made in the same period in 2023.

The data shows that 51 agents from old cases and 57 from new cases have been arrested across the country, including Punjab, Gujarat, Haryana, Maharashtra, and West Bengal.

DCP (IGI), Usha Rangnani, said they have shifted their focus towards holding agents accountable rather than solely targeting passengers, who may unknowingly fall victim to illegal immigration rackets, often seeking better opportunities abroad. This strategic approach addresses the root causes of these scams and has led to significant success in detection and apprehension efforts.

“A thorough review of pending cases, where only passengers were previously arrested, was conducted, and investigating officers were briefed and tasked to track down and prosecute these offenders,” the DCP said.

Police said that 76 lookout circulars (LOCs) have been issued for agents who have fled abroad or remain untraceable. "This ensures their apprehension upon arrival or departure from India, marking a twofold increase from the same period in 2023," she added.

The investigations have revealed various rackets and scams involving methods such as affixing fake departure and arrival stamps, using 'donkey routes' for illegal entry, producing fake visas, forging passports, work permits, seaman documents, creating fake identities for foreign nationals – especially for Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingyas – and orchestrating impersonation.

In fake visa cases, agents provide counterfeit visas to passengers. Despite the agents’ attempts to replicate original visas, passengers are frequently caught at Immigration Check Posts or airline counters. Even if they manage to bypass Indian authorities, passengers are often intercepted at the destination country's immigration check. In 2024, 19 agents involved in such cases have been arrested.

“They use donkey routes in which agents exploit passengers by sending them to countries offering visa-on-arrival to Indian nationals, organising routes that facilitate illegal border crossings into destination countries. A common tactic involves sending passengers with fake Schengen visas to accessible European countries. From there, they are routed through Central American or Caribbean countries such as Guatemala and Costa Rica to the USA,” a police officer said.

In other cases, agents procure passports of individuals with similar facial features to the low-profile passengers. These passports usually have a long travel history and robust profile, enabling passengers to navigate the immigration process more effectively. In 2024, 24 agents have been arrested in such cases.

Rain likely after sweltering day

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Delhiites experienced a hot and humid day on Thursday, but some respite is expected on Friday as India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a ‘yellow’ alert for light to moderate rain. Rain activity is likely to reduce from Saturday.

The maximum temperature rose to 38.8 degrees Celsius on Thursday, three degrees above normal and 2.4 degrees higher than Wednesday’s maximum temperature. The relative humidity oscillated between 55% and 100%, making the outdoors uncomfortable.

“Due to clear skies and no rainfall recorded between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm, the mercury remained above normal,” said a Met official.

IMD data shows that the highest maximum temperature in July last year was 39.4 degrees Celsius on July 22.

Flood Focus On 20 Locations That Went Under Last Year

Delhi Won’t Face A Repeat Situation, Assures Bharadwaj

Siddhantha Mishra & Abhinav Rajput TNN

New Delhi: Delhi govt’s irrigation & flood control department (IFC) has come up with a strategy to tackle potential floods in the city. It is focused on specific measures for each of the 20 locations that were impacted by last year's deluge. Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj reassured on Thursday that Delhi wouldn’t suffer water woes like last year because of the safety measures taken this year.

In the areas severely affected in the July 2023 floods, such as Monastery Market and Nigambodh Ghat, IFC has either already placed flood-mitigating materials like sandbags or is preparing to do so. Arrangements for pumping out water have also been put in place. Bharadwaj notified where the vulnerable points were and what the actions taken at those spots were. For locations like Qudsia Ghat, Tonga Stand, Vijay Ghat and Gopalpur, regulators have been installed and flood-fighting materials stockpiled.

Regarding the Chilla regulator, IFC is closely coordinating with the Uttar Pradesh govt irrigation department for the operation of barrage gates. It has also taken measures such as increasing the height of the ramp at Boat Club. In Yamuna Bazar, encroachments have been removed and the gaps in the bank steps have been bricked up.

Yamuna Bazar, Kashmiri Gate and Civil Lines, among other places, were inundated in last year's flood, with people in some areas even having to be rescued from the water. Bharadwaj said that the primary cause of flooding in Delhi was the discharge into the Yamuna at Hathnikund Barrage in Haryana. “To protect the city, direct drainage discharge is halted through regulators when the river's level increases, warnings are issued at 204.5 metres and evacuations begin at 205.33 metres,” he sa- id. The minister said the state govt would provide comprehensive rehabilitation for affected individuals, providing them with shelters, sanitation and medicines.

He inspected the renovated regulator of Drain No. 12 near the World Health Organization building which had been drowned by rainwater last year. Bharadwaj said, “Over the past year, IFC has worked hard to repair the ITO barrage that caused so much havoc last year. The broken regulator has been replaced with a new one and the entire barrage has been rebuilt.”

Three pumps, each of 32 horsepower, have been installed on one side of the barrage to channel the water from the city to the Yamuna. “In addition, we have a backup generator and another 32 HP pump in reserve to ensure continuous operation in case a pump fails,” Bharadwaj said, adding that a 5-metre-wide stone embankment had been built to replace the one that broke up last year. The embankment is reinforced with silt removed from the barrage during excavation, added the minister. The three pumps will draw water coming from the city into the drain and channel it towards the Yamuna, facilitating the smooth flow of excess rainwater from the city into the river, thus preventing waterlogging on city roads and localities.

LG tells agencies to complete desilting of drains at earliest

Saxena directed the installation of permanent and temporary pumps at vulnerable spots and their round-the-clock monitoring from the control room

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Chairing a meeting of Delhi Disaster Management Authority on Thursday, lieutenant governor VK Saxena directed agencies to carry out the work of desilting drains and removing encroachments along them at the earliest.

Saxena also asked Delhi Development Authority to ensure there was no obstruction in the flow of the Yamuna due to the construction of bridges and other activities in the floodplain. DDA is coordinating with various construction agencies for the removal of debris and construction material from the Yamuna floodplain.

The meeting was called to review the flood control preparedness of all agencies in the capital and was attended by Delhi’s water minister Atishi, apart from senior officials of the departments of urban development, public works, irrigation and flood control, Municipal Corporation Delhi, New Delhi Municipal Council, among others.

While the desilting of drains should have been completed by June 15, LG told officials of the agencies concerned to clear all choked drains on an urgent basis. Saxena also directed the installation of permanent and temporary pumps at vulnerable spots and their round-the-clock monitoring from the control room. Agencies were directed to constantly monitor the waterlogging hotspots in case of heavy rains. Delhi Jal Board and district magistrates were asked to ensure round-the-clock drinking water supply and food for the evacuees.

“Critically vulnerable areas like Monastery Market, Nigam Bodh Ghat, Vijay Ghat, Chilla regulator, Yamuna Bazar, and Boat Club will be monitored 24x7 from the central control room,” said an official.

Among other directions issued by LG were the cleaning of silt deposits in all 22 major drains, removal of equipment and waste from the Yamuna by PWD, railways, and NCRTC, clearing of construction and demolition waste near Signature Bridge, and disposal of garbage and debris in the drains. LG directed MCD to step up the monitoring of drains and impose a penalty for disposing of garbage in the drains.

“If the agencies concerned failed to clear the same, DDA will carry out the removal exercise at their cost,” said an official. “The recent flooding in South Delhi, West Delhi, Mundka, etc., was on account of this as was evident at the Taimur Nagar drain,” he added.

While LG was informed that the management and operation of all 22 major drains falling into the Yamuna had been assigned to the flood department, he directed for handing over the responsibility of operating regulators on these drains to the same agency. “He has directed the department to hire additional manpower from other departments or agencies on diverted capacity to meet any contingency during the eventuality of a flood in the capital. All regulators and barrage gates should be manned by operators, engineers, and technicians on a 24x7 basis,” said another official.

Saxena was informed that 29 teams of National Disaster Relief Force, equipped with over 100 boats, had been deployed in and around the Delhi region to carry out relief and rescue works in case of a flood. He directed the flood department officials to remain in touch with their counterparts in Haryana and the upper reaches of Himachal Pradesh to monitor the rainfall levels and water discharge from Hathnikund Barrage on a regular basis.

Atishi said govt was fully alert and prepared to deal with any flood situation. She said as per the meteorological department’s forecast, there was no possibility of heavy rain in the next 7 days.

Supertech submits `900-crore plan, seeks nod for 2k registries

Aditya.Dev@timesofindia.com

Noida: Supertech has submitted a resolution plan to the Greater Noida Authority to settle dues worth Rs 900 crore and requested it to execute the registry of around 2,000 flats across three projects — Ecovillage 1 and 3 and Czar Suites — for which occupancy certificates have already been issued.

These three projects are in the ambit of insolvency proceedings that were initiated by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) against the group company, Supertech Ltd, on March 25, 2022.

The order, however, was challenged by the now suspended Supertech board before the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), which ordered the developer to complete all projects — except Ecovillage 2 — but under the supervision of an IRP.

This May, NCLAT allowed a project-wise resolution to address the issues of homebuyers.

For this, the IRP has prepared a resolution plan, which includes proposals to clear the Authority’s dues.

When NCLT allowed insolvency proceedings against Supertech, the Authority claimed that the realtor owed it Rs 1,103 crore for four projects — Ecovillage 1 and 3, Czar Suites and Sports City. The last project, however, is yet to take off.

According to Supertech’s resolution, the total amount due to the Authority is Rs 930 crore. Sources in the company said it had reached the recalculated amount after taking into account a zero-period waiver on interest incurred on penalties during two years of the Covid pandemic and other factors. The waiver is part of UP govt’s rehabilitation package for stalled projects, for which Supertech hasn’t yet opted.

On Tuesday, Supertech chairperson RK Arora, IRP Hitesh Goel and a representative of homebuyers met officer on special duty Saumya Srivastava at the Authority office with their resolution plan.

DDA issues notice for demolition at Majnu Ka Tila

New Delhi: Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has once again planned to demolish temporary shelters near Majnu Ka Tila gurdwara in north Delhi on July 13.

Sources said that the authority has requested Delhi police to provide adequate forces to ensure a smooth demolition process.

Delhi police have confirmed that “requisition from DDA has been received for carrying demolition action at the jhuggi cluster”. Many Hindu refugees who fled from Pakistan have been residing in this area for several decades.

On Thursday, DDA issued a public notice in the area, stating that residents “adjacent to the south of Gurdwara Majnu Ka Tila on DDA land only are hereby informed that as per NGT's order on April 3 and Delhi High Court order on March 12, all the encroachments of Yamuna flood plain zone have to be removed, except the petitioner who moved to the high court".

The notice further mentioned that the demolition drive will be done in compliance with the orders, and affected families can seek shelter in three DUSIB night shelters. Residents were asked to vacate the premises by July 12, or they would be held responsible for any loss incurred on July 13 and beyond.

TNN

Take your cue from this mason’s son who turned the tables on life’s challenges to become state champion

SANJU SAYS I see other players able to read English and speak fluently. In some tournaments, I felt embarrassed at being unable to read the English on the board. But as they say, it's never too late, so I want to be able to learn to read and write English one day

FROM CARETAKER TO WINNER: Sanju Ahriwar dropped out in the middle of primary school because of financial compulsions

TIMES Special

Ridhima.Gupta@timesofindia.com

New Delhi: Just three years ago, Sanju Ahriwar did not even know what snooker or billiards was. He hadn’t even watched the game on TV. Now, winning the Delhi state junior title for the cue sports feels like a “dream that he hadn’t ever seen”.

Ahriwar’s parents moved from Madhya Pradesh to the city decades ago and took up odd jobs to make ends meet. The father, a mason, and the mother, a domestic worker, had a difficult time raising the 20-year-old and his two siblings, because of which Ahriwar dropped out from school in the middle of primary school.

The lad discovered the sport for the first time when he got a job as a caretaker at a billiards academy a few years ago. “I had already done some odd jobs till then and was okay with any work. It was then that I learnt that Baba Billiard Academy was looking for a caretaker for their night shift and I took up the job.” Sitting on a chair, with folded hands and a low voice, a shy Ahriwar said, “On my job, I saw for the first time people using a long stick to hit a ball and moving around a big table to do so. I was enchanted by it all. I began paying attention to how they held the cue, how they positioned their body and learned the rules of the game.”

During his shift from 8:30pm to 8:30am at Nirman Vihar academy in east Delhi, the youngster sometimes got a chance to play at the “expensive” tables. “Some people told me I was good at the sport and began giving me advice. I heeded what they said and started applying them whenever I got a chance to play.” The sport took over and it was all he could think about. “I made Pankaj Advani my virtual mentor and watched all his matches on my mobile phone,” said Ahriwar.

Last year, for the first time, Sanju decided that he also wanted to play for the state’s junior championship, appeared for it, and after the initial rounds, was left out of the championship. “I saw others at the championship and realized that there are better players than me and I had to work more on myself and apply for the next championship,” he said.

In the last few months, the youth started training himself informally for this year's state junior cham- pionship. He requested the academy if he could practice there after his shift and the officials agreed. “After finishing my shift, I would play at the academy for a couple of hours, then go to another club in Vasundhara and practise there for a few hours. I went home only to sleep for a couple of hours before returning for his shift at Baba Billiards Academy.

His dedication and perseverance paid off when last week at the 47th Delhi State Billiards and Snooker Championship. He won the junior titles in both the disciplines.

It was only after his dual triumph that Ahriwar told his parents about what he was doing. “I reached home with a box of gulab jamun, explained to my parents what the game was about, and told them that I had won two titles. I told them I wanted to focus now on the sport,” he said. He recalled his parents, who live in a rented house in Vasundhara, listened to his extraordinary tale and called their relatives to tell them about of their son’s accomplishments.

Ahriwar now has his eyes on the national billiards and snooker championship. “I have bigger dreams now. I hope to play the national and the world championships. Maybe one day I will have my own academy where I can teach youngsters from unprivileged backgrounds like me for free.”

The youth also hopes to resume his education. “I see other players and people around me able to read English and speak fluently. In some tournaments, I felt embarrassed at being unable to read the English on the board. But as they say, it's never too late, so I want to be able to learn to read and write English one day.”

Ravi Tandon, secretary of the Delhi Billiards and Snooker Association, one of Ahriwar’s encouragers, said, “It is nice to see young talent like Sanju getting a platform to show this talent. We will also encourage others like him in the future.”

HC: No wait period, act immediately in missing child cases

The court asked the police commissioner to look into the matter and ask all police stations to act immediately

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Delhi High Court has ordered the city police to ensure that the probe starts immediately after a case of a missing child is reported, without any waiting period of 24 hours as is the practice.

The reason behind the waiting period, the court said, appears to be a presumption or speculation that children usually go with friends or relatives and return home. However, the 24-hour delay may result in the child being taken outside the jurisdiction of the court or some untoward incident taking place, it underlined.

“In the case of complaints relating to children going missing, irrespective of whether the child is a minor or a major, waiting for the 24-hour period could result in crucial time being wasted. Therefore, it is extremely important that immediate investigation and inquiries be conducted by police/investigating agencies without waiting for 24 hours under the presumption that the person/ child may return home,” a bench of Justices Prathiba M Singh and Amit Sharma said in a recent order on a plea by the father of a girl who had gone missing on Feb 19.

The court highlighted that Union women and child development ministry had also formulated a ‘Standard Operating Procedure for Cases of Missing Children’, which stated that upon receiving such a complaint, an FIR shall be registered as trafficking or abduction.

“The SOP makes it adequately clear that action has to be taken immediately, promptly, forthwith and at once. There is no scope for any speculation or conjecture that the child may return home in 24 hours and, hence, police can wait… In fact, the first 24-hour period is the crucial period or critical period, when steps for tracing of the missing person or child could lead to a positive outcome,” the bench noted.

It asked the police commissioner to look into the matter and ask all police stations to act immediately. “In light of the SOPs as also the observations made herein, all the police stations shall ensure that there shall be no waiting period for 24 hours in the case of missing children to start inquiry/investigation.”

Sikkim woman, found unconscious in SE Delhi, dies

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Police have found the body of a woman from Sikkim near Astha Kunj Park in southeast Delhi on July 9.

“We got a PCR call from a security guard who said that a woman was lying unconscious,” a police source said.

A police team rushed to the spot and found a 30-year-old woman lying there.

A senior officer said a woman constable and other staff reached the park and found the woman in an unconscious state. She was taken to AIIMS, where doctors declared her dead on arrival. No visible injuries were found on her body, the officer said.

Police have launched a probe to identify the woman, who had been staying in Delhi for the past few months. “An inquest proceeding under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita is being done,” a source said.

Cop’s role in land grab under lens

New Delhi: Delhi Police has launched a probe into the alleged involvement of an inspector in land grabbing in northeast Delhi’s Karawal Nagar.

The complainant alleged that he had gone to a police station when a woman began claiming ownership of a plot he owned in Karawal Nagar. However, according to the complainant, the inspector there sided with the woman, and he was threatened with a false case. “A case has been filed based on the complaint. An inquiry has begun,” police said.

TNN

Aravalis To Retain Protection From Non-Forest Activities

Don’t Change NCZ In Regional Plan: PMO, Shah-Headed GoM

Dipak.Dash@timesofindia.com

New Delhi: In good news for protection of Aravalis in the National Capital Region, the Prime Minister’s Office and a group of ministers headed by home minister Amit Shah have directed the urban affairs ministry not to change the classification of Aravalis as a Natural Conservation Zone (NCZ) which provides it protection from non-forest activities.

TOI has learnt that ministry officials presented these details at a recent review meeting on the proposed Regional Plan 2041 chaired by urban affairs minister and former Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar.

Haryana has demanded that the term NCZ be replaced with Natural Zone (NZ) and the mention of Aravali be done away with from the Regional Plan 2041, which has not yet been finalised. Sources said amid divergent views on the NCZ issue, the PMO and the GoM have categorically told the ministry not to make any changes in the existing provision. “The GoM held a meeting on the issue before the Lok Sabha election. There was a clear instruction not to go for any change in the NCZ provision of the existing Regional Plan 2021,” said a source.

It is mandatory for states to protect areas falling under NCZ, which include environmentally sensitive areas, extension of Aravali ridge, forest areas, rivers and tributaries, major lakes and water bodies in the NCR. Similarly, ground water recharge areas such as water bodies, ox-bow lakes and paleo-channels also come under this category.

The current norm puts severe restrictions on any non-forest activities in these areas and that too only up to 0.5% of the area.

This is not the first time when top govt functionaries have stood by no dilution in the NCZ and Aravalis. In March 2014, during the last leg of the UPA govt, the PMO had taken note of reports of how the NCR Planning Board was considering changes to the NCZ to allow more construction in the name of eco-tourism.

The PMO had directed the urban affairs ministry to “first obtain views” of the environment and forest ministry on the proposed changes and “apprise” it before taking any final view.

Since then, till Jan 2022, the environment and forest ministry had maintained that the NCZ provision should be retained as it is in the Regional Plan 2041.

TOIon July 11, 2022, had reported how 95% of the suggestions and objections on the draft Regional Plan 2041 received by the NCRPB were concerning NCZ and NZ.

‘New session for undergrads will be delayed by fortnight if CUET results late by 3 weeks’

YOGESH SINGH SAYS CUET is more representative, giving an equal playing field to everyone. Now, a good number of students are coming from state boards as well. We used to get students from Uttar Pradesh, but mostly from CBSE schools, not from the state board. Admitting students based on different measurements may be good for a few students but not for the larger group

TOI INTERVIEW

Amid allegations of irregularities in several examinations, Delhi University vice-chancellor Yogesh Singh tells Manash Gohain NTA should take all steps to prevent such incidents and that it is in the interest of students to conduct tests multiple times. Excerpts:

■ Given the delay in CUET-UG results, what is DU’s plan?

We are starting our academic session on time for second year and third year students and postgraduate programmes. However, for first year undergraduate students, there will be a delay of about two weeks. Right now, it is difficult to decide the exact date. If the delay (of results) is three weeks, the session will be delayed by two weeks. We expect to start the academic session for first year students between August 16 and 21.

■ What are your views on allegations of irregularities in various entrance exams, including NEET-UG?

India is a big country, and for NEETUG, 24 lakh students appeared. It is probably the largest single-day exam in history. There are gangs that operate in our country, and now, CBI has arrested many people responsible for criminal activities. This chaos is not good, we do understand. NTA should take all steps to prevent such incidents in the future. The govt is very strict now, and I'm hopeful that some solution will emerge. Organising any exam of this scale has many challenges, and many negative aspects have come up.

■ UGC-NET was delivered in pen-paper mode. Many CUET-UG papers as well. Which one do you think is a better option — computer-based test or pen-paper mode?

Both have different challenges. Computer-based tests require the right kind of infrastructure, such as ICT infrastructure and computers, which can be difficult to secure. In pa- per-pencil mode, we can use reputed schools like Kendriya Vidyalayas and Navodaya Vidyalayas and other central facilities for conducting such exams. However, we face challenges in transporting lakhs of papers across multiple locations. In computer-based exams, this type of challenge is not present. Regardless of the mode, we need to take strict action to minimise criminal intervention in the exam system. Threats and challenges are different but present in both modes.

■ Do you think multiple sessions, instead of an annual format, will help?

Definitely, multiple exams will help. But challenges remain. Suppose I appear twice, and the best score is considered. If the exam is compromised, it can be compromised in this system as well. It is beneficial because it gi- ves students options. If a day is not good for a student, they have another chance to get a good score. So, it is in the interest of students to conduct tests multiple times. However, regardless of the number of times we conduct an exam, we must find solutions to curb criminal intervention.

■ What has DU’s experience been on admissions based on CUET scores vis-a-vis Class 12 board scores?

CUET is more representative, giving an equal playing field to everyone. Now, a good number of students are coming from state boards as well. We used to get students from Uttar Pradesh, but mostly from CBSE schools, not from the state board. Admitting students based on different measurements may be good for a few students but not for the larger group. So, we were not able to provide a similar type of opportunity to all students. But this test at least provides uniformity to everyone. We are getting students from small towns and far-off places like the north-east and southern regions.

■ As noticed in the last two-three years, some colleges are not able to fill seats in some courses. Is it time to change the programmes with new emerging courses?

Absolutely, colleges should think about it because some courses are no longer popular. For example, we are planning to start two new colleges — one is coming up in Najafgarh, which will be functional from the 2025-26 session, and the other in (Fatehpur) Beri. In these colleges, we will start BSc (H) in computer science, with a specialisation in AI and machine learning.

28-year-old gym owner murdered in northeast Delhi

New Delhi: A gym owner has been murdered in northeast Delhi's Bhajanpura following a heated altercation with four unidentified men. The 28-yearold deceased suffered 17 stab wounds, police said.

"The incident unfolded around 11:30 pm on Wednesday, in Gamri Extension, Bhajanpura. Eyewitness accounts suggest that the victim was sitting outside when he became embroiled in a verbal dispute with three to four young men. The confrontation rapidly escalated, culminating in the assailants repeatedly stabbing him," a senior police officer said, adding that he was rushed to JPC Hospital, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.

Investigations revealed that the deceased had a prior criminal record, with an attempted murder case registered against him. Despite being convicted in the case, he was recently granted bail. Besides managing a gym, he also operated a tour and travel business.

TNN

Cheating case accused held after 10 years

New Delhi: A seemingly ordinary ice cream seller near the Indo-Nepal border turned out to be a fugitive who had been evading arrest for a decade. Delhi Police finally arrested him from his village in Bihar on July 10 in connection with a cheating case dating back to 2009.

Hailing from Mathiya Bariyarpur village, Bihar, the accused, Jai Nath Mehto, was declared a proclaimed offender in 2014. This declaration followed his evasion of court appearances related to a cheating case registered in Saket. He had allegedly deceived a bank customer in Saket, luring him into exchanging genuine money for a fake bundle of notes.

Following his release on bail, he absconded. He rarely returned to his native village, making it difficult for authorities to track him down.

We received a tip about his presence in Bihar. A special team from South District conducted local inquiries and laid a trap in his village, cops said.

TNN

Tillu gang member shot dead in northwest Delhi

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: A suspected member of the Tillu gang has been shot dead in northwest Delhi's Adarsh Nagar. Police are investigating whether the shooting was the result of a gang war. No arrest has been made so far in the case, police said.

The 27-year-old victim, identified as Misam, was a resident of Adarsh Nagar. He was walking near his house when three men arrived on a scooter. Seeing them, he tried to flee but was chased and shot, a police officer said.

According to police records, Misam was a "history-sheeter" at the Adarsh Nagar police station.

Police inquiry has revealed that the incident took place around 9.30 pm on Wednesday when Misam was walking near his home. Three unidentified men arrived on a scooter and one of them dismounted from the vehicle and started following Misam. Sensing imminent danger, Misam bolted in a desperate attempt to escape.

A frantic chase ensued, with the perpetrator relentlessly pursuing him and the chase culminated in a corner where Misam was apprehended by his pursuer. The assailant drew a weapon and fired a single, fatal shot into Misam's chest and fled, the officer said.

Misam's brother, alerted by the commotion, rushed him to Babu Jagjivan Ram Memorial Hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment. Police are currently scouring the area for any CCTV footage that might shed light on the identities of the perpetrators. "We have formed multiple teams to crack the case," the officer said.

Cops are also probing role of local criminals in the incident. Police suspect that Misam was posting numerous videos on social media to increase his dominance and create terror in the area. This leads police to believe that local gangsters may have been involved in his murder.

Court to begin trial against Brij Bhushan from July 26

Vineet.Upadhyay@timesofindia.com

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Thursday summoned two prosecution witnesses to record their statements before the court in alleged sexual harassment case filed by women wrestlers against former Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. The court of additional chief judicial magistrate Priyanka Rajpoot directed the two police witnesses to appear and record their statements on July 26.

Seven women wrestlers had accused Singh, a former BJP MP, of sexual harassment. The court will begin the trial in the case from July 26.

Meanwhile, Singh withdrew his application seeking call detail records and travel records of the complainant wrestlers to file a fresh and detailed application.

Last month, Delhi Police had opposed the plea of Singh seeking summoning of travel documents and call detail records. It claimed that Singh wanted reinvestigation in the garb of summoning documents.

On May 10, the same court had ordered framing of charges of sexual harassment, intimidation and outraging modesty of women against Singh for harassing five women wrestlers. The court also charged the co-accused, suspended assistant secretary of WFI Vinod Tomar, with the offence of criminal intimidation against one of the survivors. Singh, however, was not charged with the offence of stalking.

On May 21, Singh and the co-accused denied the charges and claimed trial in the matter.

Earlier, on June 15, 2023, citing lack of corroborative evidence, Delhi Police filed a 552-page report seeking cancellation of the Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences Act case against Singh. Police had filed the cancellation report after the survivor retracted her earlier statement.

The minor wrestler had initially levelled sexual harassment allegations against Singh. However, when she appeared to give her statement for the second time, she changed her stance. On Aug 1 last year, the minor and her father had expressed their satisfaction with the police’s report in the case.

CINEMA OF THE WEEK

Akshay soars in this inspirational tale

Sarfira (Biography, Drama)★★★½

Cast: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal, Seema Biswas

Direction: Sudha Kongara

Duration: 2 hours 35 minutes

Language: Hindi (U)

■ A remake of the Tamil film Soorarai Pottru (2020) and an adaptation of G R Gopinath’s memoir Simply Fly: A Deccan Odyssey, Sarfira follows a man’s audacious dream of creating a low-cost airline for the masses. But his vision faces headwinds as powerful enemies threaten to ground him before takeoff.

Sarfira’s opening scene at an airstrip takes viewers on a high-octane ride, setting the stage for Vir Mhatre’s (Akshay Kumar) brave dream of creating a low-cost airline that empowers ordinary people to fly. The narrative weaves in his journey and the challenges he faces in the aviation sector dominated by Paresh Goswami (Paresh Rawal). Glimpses into Vir’s personal life reveal unwavering support from his equally spirited wife, Rani (Radhikka Madan).

For those seeking a story of resilience and unwavering determination, director Sudha Kongara’s movie comes up aces. The film celebrates Vir’s ability to overcome every obstacle and relentlessly pursue his dream. But it’s also a commentary on patriarchy, class divide, and casteism. While Vir has high-flying dreams, Rani has no less individuality and ambition of her own—to start a bakery. Time and again, she questions patriarchy in her spunky style without loud dialogues and comments on feminism. Vir believes his mission to start a low-cost airline is also a way to break the caste barrier. While on the other hand, this is what Paresh is against — the rich rubbing shoulders with the not-so-affluent.

The screenplay by Sudha Kongara, Pooja Tolani, and Shalini Ushadevi occasionally stretches the narrative, with the lead character’s challenges becoming somewhat repetitive. The dialogues (by Pooja Tolani) try to convey one clear message throughout the film in different situations, which makes it a tad wearisome. The story unfolds across multiple timelines—Vir and Rani’s courtship, his past activism, and the present-day struggle. Frequent flashbacks and shifts can be confusing at times, and the music by GV Prakash Kumar borders on being melodramatic rather than inspirational. The message is genuine, and the lead character’s intent is noble. However, it could have been narrated within a much tighter runtime. While the film is enjoyable, it’s not always a steady flight.

The movie is an Akshay Kumar showcase from start to finish. The actor delivers a nuanced performance, effortlessly portraying a range of emotions—disappointment, frustration, gratitude, helplessness, and love. He shines in scenes like his heartfelt plea for a loan at the airport and his endearing awkwardness when borrowing money from Rani for his venture. Radhikka Madan is equally impressive as a woman who is neither a quiet supporter nor apologetic about her own ambition. Paresh Rawal’s character is onedimensional and creates no real impact. Seema Biswas and Anil Charanjeett lendable support.

While the film’s narrative could certainly be crisper and the length tighter, ultimately, it lands safely. It is an inspiring tale elevated by top-notch performances from the lead cast. Buckle up for this flight!

— Dhaval Roy

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

Longlegs (Horror, Thriller)★★★½

Cast: Maika Monroe, Nicolas Cage, Blair Underwood, Kiernan Shipka, Alicia Witt

Direction: Oz Perkins .

Duration: 1 hour 41 minutes

Language: English (A)

■ FBI Agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) is compelled to look within and study her traumatic past to crack a series of mysterious deaths caused by a serial killer called ‘Longlegs’ (Nicolas Cage).

From the get-go, Longlegs establishes itself as an indie horror that dials down the gore and unravels like a police procedural, high on style and atmosphere. If you expect the film to have the pace and pulse of a true-crime thriller, you will be disappointed.

Director Oz Perkins, son of actor Anthony Perkins, who portrayed Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, manages to make this horror outing disturbing. As the socially misfit Lee Harker delves into the dark corners of her mind and memories, you feel equally trapped and tormented by her nightm ares, recurring hallucinations and intuition. As her search gets more personal, you feel suffocated by her lonely, isolated existence and trauma. The tension grips you throughout through the anticipation of fear and discovery.

Andres Arochi’s cinematography, sound and performances play a huge role in making this an emotionally unnervin g experience. There are no usual jumpscares or tricks that tend to be more gimmicky than scary. The fear goes deeper and darker than one’s fear of death and this is predominantly why the film works.

Despite its psychologically disturbing plot, LongLegs never quite reaches the brilliance of Ari Aster’s indie breakouts Hereditary (2018) or Midsommar (2019). The unhurried pace dilutes the intensity in portions. Nonetheless, it manages to transport you to an unsettling, suffocating space of distress as it merges horror with investigation.

Maika Monroe is excellent in a role that’s emotionally draining and demanding. The scenes where she’s breathing heavily trying to find composure are well shot and well acted. Nicolas Cage does freaky well and this is by far his strangest roles.

Longlegs is immensely atmospheric and disturbing. It isn’t a commercial film though. If you are open to slow burn arty horror, it’s wor th a watch.

— Renuka Vyavahare

Fly Me to the Moon (Comedy, Romance)★★★½

Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum, Woody Harrelson

Direction: Greg Berlanti

Duration: 2 hours 14 minutes

Language: English (UA)

■ When the White House decides the Apollo 11 mission is too critical to risk failure, a marketing expert is tasked with staging a fake moon landing as a backup plan.

Set against the backdrop of the historic 1969 moon landing, the heart of Fly Me to the Moon lies in the dynamic between Kelly (Scarlett Johansson) and Cole (Channing Tatum). Kelly’s marketing tactics clash with Cole’s rigid adherence to truth and transparency, creating a push-and-pull that drives much of the film’s drama and comedy. Johansson’s Kelly is a master of manipulation, skilfully conning politicians and public figures into supporting the Apollo 11 mission. Her adeptness at adopting various accents and personas to suit her needs showcases Johansson’s range and adds a layer of humour to her character.

On the other hand, Tatum’s portrayal of Cole Davis is more sombre and reserved. His character is deeply affected by the deaths of the Apollo 1 astronauts, which adds a serious undertone to his dedication to the Apollo 11 mission. Cole’s internal struggle and his commitment to honouring the memory of his fallen comrades create poignant moments in the film. Despite his serious demeanour, Tatum injects subtle comedic elements into his performance, particularly in his interactions with Johansson. Woody Harrelson shines as Moe Berkus, the enigmatic operative whose blend of humour and menace makes him a standout character. Harrelson’s performance is both entertaining and unsettling, making Moe a believable threat who would stop at nothing to ensure the mission’s success. His scenes often serve as a reminder of the darker forces at play behind the seemingly glamorous space race. Greg Berlanti’s direction is deft, balancing the film’s romantic and comedic elements with its more serious and dramatic moments. The screenplay by Rose Gilroy cleverly weaves historical facts with fiction, creating a fresh and nostalgic narrative.

However, Fly Me to the Moon suffers a few pacing issues. The third act feels slightly drawn out as the various subplots vie for resolution. The film’s ambition to juggle multiple storylines sometimes leads to a loss of focus, but strong performances from the cast help to keep the audience engaged. Fly Me to the Moon is a witty and entertaining romantic comedy that offers a unique take on the Apollo 11 mission. Johansson and Tatum’s chemistry, combined with standout performances from Harrelson, make the film a delightful watch. While it may not be entirely historically accurate, its blend of humour, romance, and drama ensures that it is both engaging and thought-provoking. Berlanti and Gilroy have created a film that pays homage to the past while providing a fresh perspective on a well-known historical event.

— Neil Soans

RATING SCALE

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

21-year -old UPSC aspir ant thrashed to death in hotel

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: A 21-year-old UPSC aspirant was thrashed to death at a hotel in Mohan Garden on Thursday. A dispute over a girl led to the murder, police said, adding that the main suspect has been arrested. Police, which received information about the incident at 4pm from the hotel staff, rushed a team to the spot. DCP (Dwarka) Ankit Kumar Singh said the victim, Pawan, was taken to a hospital, where he was declared dead.

Another officer said that two months ago, the accused, Gaurav (21), and Pawan had a serious argument over a girl. “Gaurav told us Pawan’s brother had threatened him in the matter, which did not go well for him. Thereafter, he started hatching the plan,” the officer said. Gaurav also told cops that to win the trust of Pawan and his brother, he pretended to settle the fight.

Police said on Thursday, Gaurav called up Pawan and told him to meet at a hotel in Mohan G arden, saying he needed to discuss something related to studies and wanted to know details of the coaching institute from where he could pursue UPSC.

“Pawan arrived, and both went into the room. After some time, an argument started, and Gaurav started thrashing Pawan with a kada (metal bangle) that he was wearing, leaving him critically injured. He kept on hitting him on the head,” the officer said.

The victim’s cries alerted staffers at the hotel and they rushed to find him. Gaurav allegedly tried to flee but was caught by the staff, who alerted the cops.

A case of murder under Bharatiya Nya ya Sanhita has been registered. The accused, a resident of Gurgaon, is currently unemployed, said police officers.

ED arrests Amtek group promoter in `25,000-crore banking ‘fraud’ case

New Delhi: In an alleged banking fraud case of more than Rs 25,000 crore, the Enforcement Directorate has arr ested Arvind Dham, promoter of Gurgaon-based Amtek group of companies. Dham, who was taken into custody on Tuesday, has been remanded in ED custody for seven days by a special court.

The ED probe, which began on the direction of the Supreme Court, revealed that Amtek group had defaulted on loans exceeding Rs 25,000 crore taken from more than 15 banks. The group companies ARG Ltd, ACIL Ltd, Amtek Auto Ltd, Metalic Forging Ltd and Castex Technologies Ltd, along with other group concerns, were taken to insolvency, whose resolution has led to huge haircut of more than 80% for the banks, causing substantial loss to the financial system, the agency said.

“Investigations revealed that Arvind Dham was the beneficial owner of several benami properties in com- panies with employees of the Amtek group like peons, drivers, field boys and persons with no linkage to the group companies, acting as directors. Arvind Dham has continued to possess such properties beneficially held by him and never disclosed it to any of the banks/creditors,” ED said.

TNN

‘Trees felled on Ridge against SC rules to protect farmhouses’

Saurabh Bharadwaj

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: On a day Supreme Court was informed that a proposal to cut trees on the Ridge in south Delhi was approved by chief minister and forest minister before being okayed by lieutenant governor, urban development minister Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that 1,100 trees were felled on LG VK Saxena’s instruction to protect wealthy people’s farmhouses, bypassing the apex court’s regulations.

Bharadwaj claimed on Thursday that Delhi Development Authority (DDA) had started widening Gaushala Road on the side with trees instead of the designated side, deliberately avoiding the farmhouses. “Even if a single tree is supposed to be felled in Ridge area, the permission of Supreme Court is mandatory. In such an area, about 1,100 trees were felled by DDA secretly and illegally,” he alleged.

“The court is asking the DDA vice-chairman to answer whether the direction to cut these trees was given by Delhi LG Vinai Saxena. The vicechairman is just beating around the bush on thisissue,” he said.

“Two emails of DDA were also placed before Supreme Court, by DDA itself, in which its executive engineer is telling the chief engineer that on Feb 3, 2024, LG came to the site and directed that the work of felling the trees and widening the road should be done immediately. This email has been placed before Supreme Court by DDA itself,” Bharadwaj said.

Stating that Supreme Court has asked the vice-chairman to tell whether LG had gone to that area on Feb 3, the minister claimed, “I, Saurabh Bharadwaj, am telling you that LG had gone there on the day. Apart from that, he has also gone there many other times. LG is hiding this matter.”

Raj Niwas did not respond to the allegations.

Bharadwaj said the map of Gaushala Road was approved in a meeting of the governing body of the apex planning body UTTIPEC on April 26, 2022, and a plan to widen it initially on the left side was approved. “But now it has been widened completely on the right hand side,” the minister said, adding, “It is clear from this that contrary to the map, the road has been widened by cutting the trees in the Ridge area.” On the left, farmhouses are built from the start to the end, Bharadwaj pointed out.

DJB driver held, JE book ed in bribe case

New Delhi: The Anti-Corruption Branch has arr ested a dri ver of Delhi Jal Board and registered a case against a junior engineer for allegedly demanding bribe from a water tanker supplier to clear pending bills.

Joint commissioner of police (ACB), Madhur Verma, said the complainant, engaged with DJB to supply his tankers on a hiringbasis, said that there are pending bills amounting to Rs 30 lakh with DJB for tankers hired from 2022 to the present date.

The complainant said that during a meeting with the concerned junior engineer, Sandeep Shekhar, to clear the pendency of the bills, he was asked to meet dri ver Niranjan who demanded an illegal gratification of 10% of the total pending bills, Verma said, adding that a raiding team appr ehended Niranjan while accepting Rs 1.4 lakh for getting b ills of around Rs 14 lakh cleared.

TNN

SC judge recuses from Sisodia’s plea hearing

New Delhi: Supreme Court judge Justice Sanjay Kumar on Thursday recused himself from hearing AAP leader Manish Sisodia’s pleas seeking bail in corruption and money-laundering cases related to Delhi excise policy. As soon as the case came up for hearing, Justice Sanjiv Khanna, who was heading the bench and sitting with Justices Sanjay Karol and Sanjay Kumar, said that the case would be heard by another bench in which Justice Kumar is not a part. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Sisodia, requested the bench to list the matter urgently. The bench said another bench will take it up on July 15.

TNN

‘Senior officers of key depts present during LG visits’

Continued from P1

He said the LG visited last year on Nov 8 and 25, and on Feb 3 this year.

“The proposal was recommended by technical officers working in the forest department, GNCTD. Thereafter, APCCF (additional principal chief conservator of forests) recommended the proposal to the principal secretary (environment and forest) who, in turn, recommended the proposal to the chief secretary. The chief secretary recommended the proposal to the minister (environment and forest), who agreed with the proposal and recommended the proposal to the chief minister, who ag reed upon and recommended the proposal to the LG on J an 25 which was endorsed by LG on Jan 30. Thereafter, the notification was issued on Feb 14,” the affidavit filed by DDA vice-chairman Subhasish Panda said.

TOI had reported on July 5, quoting a Delhi govt forest department official, that the proposal was moved by the department and forwarded to the LG for his approval by the CM, who endorsed it after it was approved by forest minister Gopal Rai.

The forest department initia ted the notification under Section 29 of the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act for felling 422 trees in the non-Ridge area for construction of a pproach roads spanning appr oximately 10.5km from the main Chhatarpur road to Saar c Uni versity, CAPFIMS (Central Armed Police Forces Institute of Medical Sciences) and other establishments at Maidangarhi, Shahurpur and Sa tbari in New Delhi, the affidavit states.

“During these (LG’s) visits, senior officers of key departments of GNCTD, along with officers of the ministry of home affairs, DG CISF, DG CPWD, project director CAPFIMS, officers of DDA and officers of traffic police were present,” the affidavit said.

“During the course of the visits… the LG, for better coordination, directed all officers of the agencies/departments concerned to expedite the work so that CAPFIMS could be operationalised at the earliest,” he said.

CM gets Sept date from high court on summons challenge

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Delhi High Court on Thursday posted for Sept 9 a petition by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal challenging several summonses by Enforcement Directorate in connection with its probe into an excise policy-linked money laundering case.

A bench of Justices Pratibha M Singh and Amit Sharma granted four more weeks to the AAP leader to file a rejoinder to the reply submitted by ED.

Kejriwal’s counsel sought time to file the rejoinder, saying that there were certain changes in circumstances, and they have not been given a proper legal interview, a plea for which is pending in the high court.

The counsel for ED had earlier said the petition against the summons was infructuous after Kejriwal’s arrest by the agency on March 21 in the money laundering case following the high court’s refusal to grant him interim protection from coercive action.

On April 22, the court had given two weeks to Kejriwal to file his rejoinder. On the next date of hearing in May, the court allowed him four weeks more to place his stand on record.

The AAP national convenor had approached the high court in the wake of the ninth summons issued by ED, asking him to appear before it on March 21. The high court had asked ED to file its reply but refused to grant any interim relief.

It asked ED to also respond to Kejriwal’s plea seeking protection from arrest, saying “at this stage” it was not inclined to grant him any interim relief. The chief minister was arrested by ED later.

BJP: All evidence against Kejriwal, he should resign

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: BJP slammed Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and said his role in the alleged liquor scam had raised a question mark on his entire political career.

At a press conference, I&B minister Ashwini Vaishnav said every citizen of Delhi was fed up with the manner in which AAP and Kejriwal had spread “anarchy” in the national capital with their “dishonesty”. “They made tall promises about removing mountains of trash, cleaning up Delhi, but haven't fulfilled a single promise. They could not ensure water supply to Delhi, but had their complete focus on liquor,” he said.

Vaishnaw said Kejriwal used to claim that there was no evidence to prove the allegations of kickbacks in the excise policy scam but ED had placed the entire evidence before courts.

At another press conference, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari the entire AAP was accused in the ‘scam’. “ED has labelled AAP as the beneficiary of the ‘scam’ and accused the party outright. All evidence points against Arvind Kejriwal, who advocated resignation even on minor accusations but has remained in his CM post throughout the case and even after his arrest. After being named as accused No.37 in the ED chargesheet, people in Delhi are waiting for him to resign on moral grounds,” he said.

Tiwari also accused Kejriwal of not acting despite serious charges and highlighted issues like pension delays, new ration cards not being issued, and halt in health and housing schemes.

Metro services hit after man jumps to death

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: A 68-year-old man died after allegedly jumping in front of an approaching train at Kashmere Gate metro station on Thursday, impacting metro services on a section of the Red Line for almost an hour. In a suicide note found in his pocket, the man claimed that he was ending his life due to the tension of spending Rs 5-6 lakh on his tuberculosis treatment.

"A male passenger allegedly jumped in front of an approaching train at Kashmere Gate Metro station (going towards Shaheed Sthal, New Bus Adda) at 11:16 am. The passenger was retrieved from the tracks and was sent to the nearest hospital around 12:04 pm after police clearance," Delhi Metro Rail Corporation said in a statement.

DMRC stated that train services were regulated during this period, as they were run in a short loop from Rithala to Tis Hazari, and another loop was run on the section from Shastri Park to Shaheed Sthal. "No services were available between Tis Hazari and Shastri Park sections due to the affected person on the tracks. Normal train movement was restored at 12:04 pm on the entire line after the removal of the person in police presence," DMRC said.

The body was retrieved by officials of CISF, Delhi Metro, and Delhi Metro Rail Police.

New ministers vie with each other for prime bungalows in Lutyens’

Sources said the requests of ministers for allocation of bungalows will be taken soon after assessing the likely vacation of accommodation by the former ministers. The requests were referred to Union home minister Amit Shah on Thursday, who heads the Cabinet Committee of Accommodation

Dipak.Dash@timesofindia.com

New Delhi: With a fresh cohort of ministers in the new govt at the Centre, a few addresses in Lutyens’ Delhi have become highly sought-after. At least four senior ministers, including a former chief minister and a key alliance partner of NDA, have pitched for allotment of a particular bungalow on Akbar Road, which was allotted to a minister, who is not part of the Modi cabinet this time.

Another such bungalow is on Safdarjung Road which was allotted to a former minister who lost the election. The address is quite high profile.

Some of the members in the new council of ministers, including an alliance partner in Bihar, have requested for allotment of bungalows on Sunehri Bagh, which have been vacated by two former ministers.

Some ministers have also visited the bungalows before putting their request to the housing and urban affairs ministry.

Sprawling bungalows and the ones with better interiors are in high demand. All cabinet ministers are eligible for the top category of bungalows known as Type-VIII. The housing and urban affairs ministry, which manages accommodations under ‘General Pool’ category, allocates accommodation to all ministers in the Lutyens’ Bungalow Zone (LBZ).

Sources said the requests of mini- sters for allocation of bungalows will be taken soon after assessing the likely vacation of accommodation by the former ministers. The requests were referred to Union home minister Amit Shah on Thursday, who heads the Cabinet Committee of Accommodation.

So far, only a few former ministers have vacated their official accommodation and others are likely to follow suit in the next few days, a source said.

Last month, the housing ministry had written to around 50 former Union ministers and MPs to vacate their official accommodation. As per rules, former ministers and MPs are required to move out of govt accommodations within a month after they lose ministerial berth or membership of either House of Parliament.

Govt resorts to issuing eviction notices, if the allottees don’t move out within the deadline. Sources said so far none has officially sought any extension to keep their official accommodation.

Times Global

- For first time, Nato calls China a ‘decisive enabler’ of Russia’s war against Ukraine

- Washington hopes Delhi will persuade Moscow to end war

- US finalising Gaza truce deal, troop pullout: Report

- US’s long-range missiles in Germany a threat: Russia

- Thermonuclear blasts & new species: Inside Musk’s plan to colonise Mars

- AROUND THE WORLD

- 56% of Dems want Biden to end candidacy: Poll

- Shelley Duvall, star of ‘The Shining’, dies at 75

- Covering on spire of a cathedral that Monet painted catches fire

For first time, Nato calls China a ‘decisive enabler’ of Russia’s war against Ukraine

Demands Beijing Halt Shipments Of ‘Weapons Components’, & Threatens That Support For Moscow Will Come At A Cost

Biden told Ukraine Prez Zelensky on Thursday that he would be announcing anew security package for Kyiv. ‘We will stay with you, period,’ he told Zelensky ahead of a bilateral meeting amid the Nato summit in Washington

Washington: After decades of viewing China as a distant threat, Nato on Wednesday accused Beijing of becoming “a decisive enabler of Russia’s war against Ukraine,” and demanded that it halt shipments of “weapons components” and other technology critical to the rebuilding of the Russian military. The statement is contained in a declaration approved by the 32 leaders of the alliance.

It is a major departure for Nato, which until 2019 never officially mentioned China as a concern. Now, for the first time, the alliance has joined in Washington’s denunciations of China’s military support for Russia. But the declaration contains an implicit threat that China’s growing support for Russia will come at a cost.

China “cannot enable the largest war in Europe in recent history without this negatively impacting its interests and reputation,” the declaration said, particularly calling out “its large-scale support for Russia’s defence industrial base.”

Even a year ago, European leaders were hesitant to challenge Beijing, especially nations like Germany that view China as a critical market for high-end cars and luxury goods. Many European leaders initially dismissed the agreement reached in early 2022, just before the Beijing Olympics, for a “partnership without limits” signed by Russia Prez Putin and Chinese Prez Xi. But 29 months after the invasion of Ukraine, that view has changed. While China has heeded warnings not to supply Russia with full weapons systems, it has done everything short of that, providing computer chips, advanced software and the components needed for Russia to rebuild a defence industrial base that churned out faulty and outdated equipment.

The intelligence evidence was provided to Nato countries by the Biden administration, in an effort to win over skeptics who argued that China was not acentral player in the war. That succeeded, but only after the US published the names, in a treasury department economic sanctions order, of Chinese front companies and manufacturers that were funneling the technology to Russia.

NYT

China tells Nato not to create chaos in Asia, rejects label of ‘enabler’ of Ukraine war

China accused Nato on Thursday of seeking security at the expense of others and told the alliance not to bring the same “chaos” to Asia. “Nato hyping up China’s responsibility on the Ukraine issue is unreasonable and has sinister motives,” foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a daily briefing. He maintained that China has a fair and objective stance on the Ukraine issue. Lin said that China’s trade with Russia is legitimate and reasonable and based on World Trade Organization rules. China has also expressed concern about Nato’s budding relationships with countries in the region. Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea sent their leaders or deputies to the Nato summit this week. “China urges Nato to ... stop interfering in China’s internal politics and smearing China’s image and not create chaos in the Asia-Pacific after creating turmoil in Europe,” Lin said.

AP

Washington hopes Delhi will persuade Moscow to end war

Chidanand Rajghatta TNN

Washington: Amid publicly expressed concerns from the state department over PM Narendra Modi’s meetings with Russia’s Prez Putin, Pentagon on Wednesday said the US “will continue to view India as a strategic partner... will continue to have a robust dialogue with them”, while hoping New Delhi will play a role in persuading Moscow to end its war on Ukraine. Pentagon’s remarks come even as Nato appears to see the emergence of a Russia-China axis.

“India and Russia have had a relationship for a very long time. From a US perspective, India is a strategic partner with whom we continue to engage in full and frank dialogue to include their relationship with Russia,” Pentagon press secretary Major General Pat Ryder told reporters, in the backdrop of the Nato summit in Washington, where the alliance called China a “decisive enabler” of Russia in its war on Ukraine.

Amid critical commentary in the US media that Modi’s trip to Moscow showed Putin was not as isolated as claimed by the Biden administration, Ryder suggested the Russian prez may be trying to represent the visit in such a manner but “the fact of the matter is Prez Putin’s war of choice has isolated Russia from the rest of the world, and it has come at great cost”. He pointed out that Modi met recently with Ukraine’s Prez Zelensky and offered his assurances that India will continue to do everything within its means to support a peaceful solution to the war. “I think we trust India will support efforts to realise an enduring and just peace for Ukraine and will convey to Mr Putin the importance of adhering to the UN charter and the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he added.

The Biden administration’s (and Nato’s) view of Russia and its invasion of Ukraine is undercut by the fact that ex-prez Trumptakes a more benign view of Moscow, believing that the US “deep state” is unnecessarily stoking wars, in part by extending Nato to Russia’s borders. The possibility of Trump’s return to the White Househas many European leaders expressing apprehension about the future of Nato. Trump has been dismissive about Nato, and on Wednesdayhe was denigrating it. “I didn’t know what the hell Nato was too much before,” he said at arally. “But it didn’t take me long to figure it out.The first thing I figured out was they were not paying. We were paying almost fully for Nato. And I said that’s unfair.” He then went in to relate how he told a shocked Nato ally the US would not protect it from Russia if it did not pay its share of the alliance funding.

US finalising Gaza truce deal, troop pullout: Report

Residents walk through rubble in Gaza City after Israel army’s withdrawal

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

The US is working on a ceasefire deal in Gaza that involves withdrawal of Israeli and Hamas forces, an “interim governance” arrangement during which security would be provided by a US-trained force of Arabs who support the Palestinian Authority, release of Israeli hostages and asurge in humanitarian aid to civilians, as per a columnist in Washington Post.

The column, by foreign affairs specialist David Ignatius, quotes an unnamed senior US official as saying that “the framework is agreed” and that the parties were now “negotiating details of how it will be implemented.” To forge the deal, US Middle East adviser Brett McGurk and CIA director William J Burns have been shuttling among regional capitals since Nov, it said.

The plan is to be implemented in three stages, Ignatius wrote, quoting officials. “First would be a six-week ceasefire, during which Hamas would release 33 Israeli hostages, including all female prisoners, all men over 50 and all who are wounded. Israel would release hundreds of Palestinians from its prisons and withdraw its troops from densely populated areas toward the eastern border of Gaza. Humanitarian aid would flow in, hospitals would be repaired, and crews would begin clearing rubble.”

The second phase would begin with an interim governance plan in which neither Hamas nor Israel would rule Gaza, Ignatius wrote. Security would be provided by a “force trained by the US and backed by moderate Arab allies, drawn from a core group of about 2,500 supporters of the Palestinian Authority in Gaza who have already been vetted by Israel”. As per a US official, Ignatius wrote, Hamas had told mediators it was “prepared to relinquish authority to the interim governance arrangement”.The third phase would involve a “multi-year reconstruction plan” along the lines of a UN resolution.

Ignatius said the deal, if it goes through, would be a ringing validation of US President Biden’s “patient diplomacy”, balancing America’s role as peacemaker in the region with strong military support for Israel. “It would also create a potential valedictory moment for the president, affording him a chance to step back honourably from his quest for asecond term or, conversely, to double down,” he wrote.

The columnist, however, added that US officials were treading with caution because, “although the framework is in place, a final pact probably isn’t imminent, and the details are complex and will take time to work through”.

Army failed to protect Israelis on Oct 7, finds 1st military report; probe PM role, says def min

Israeli military published Thursday findings of a first probe into its own security failings during the Oct7 Hamas attack, acknowledging it hadn’t protected citizens of one of the worst hit communities, Kibbutz Be’eri. The probe examined the chain of events, fighting and security forces’ conduct. It, however, did not find fault in tank fire toward a house where militants were holding 15 hostages, an incident that has drawn criticism. “The team found that the civilians inside were not hurt by the tank shells,” it said.

Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant, meanwhile, called for a state inquiry into the failings. He said the probe should investigate Gallant himself and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Netanyahu has dismissed past calls to form a state inquiry. REUTERS

US’s long-range missiles in Germany a threat: Russia

Dmitry Peskov

Moscow: Russia will act to counter the planned US deployment of long-range missiles in Germany, Kremlin said Thursday, as it regarded the Nato military alliance’s actions as a serious threat to Russia’s national security. The US and Germany announced at a Nato summit Wednesday that they would begin deploying long-range fire capabilities in Germany in 2026 to demonstrate their commitment to Nato and European defence at a time when Russia is waging war in Ukraine.

They said the “episodic deployments” were in preparation for longer-term stationing that would include SM-6, Tomahawk cruise missiles and hypersonic weapons with a longer range than current capabilities in Europe. Nato also said that a new US air defence base in northern Poland, designed to detect and intercept ballistic missile attacks as part of a broader Nato missile shield, was mission-ready.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “ Nato has once again clearly confirmed its essence. It is an alliance created in an era of confrontation with the aim of maintaining confrontation.”

“Tensions on the European continent are escalating as a result,” Peskov added.

“We see the decisions taken in Nato to create separate logistics hubs in Black Sea cities, the opening of additional facilities in Europe, and we see that in fact Nato’s military infrastructure is constantly and incrementally moving towards our borders,” he also said.

REUTERS

Thermonuclear blasts & new species: Inside Musk’s plan to colonise Mars

SpaceX Working On Plans For Dome Habitats, Spacesuits, &Researching Whether Humans Can Procreate Off Earth

A SpaceX rendering of the proposed Mars colony includes a giant dome for communal living, with smaller domes scattered around it

Kirsten Grind

For over two decades, Elon Musk has focused SpaceX, his rocket company, on his lifelong goal of reaching Mars. Over the last year, he has also ramped up work on what will happen if he gets there.

Musk, 53, has directed SpaceX employees to drill into the design and details of a Martian city, according to people with knowledge of the efforts and documents viewed by NYT. One team is drawing up plans for small dome habitats, including the materials to build them. Another is working on spacesuits to combat Mars’ hostile environment, while a medical team is researching whether humans can have children there. Musk has volunteered his sperm to help seed a colony.

The initiatives, which are in their infancy, are a shift toward more concrete planning for life on Mars as Musk’s timeline has hastened. While he said in 2016 it would take 40-100 years to have a self-sustaining civilisation on the planet, Musk told SpaceX employees in April he now expects one million people to be living there in about 20 years.

“There’s high urgency to making life multi-planetary,” he’s said. “We’ve got to do it while civilisation is so strong.”

Musk has long tried to defy the impossible and has often managed to beat tough odds. But his vision for life on Mars takes his seemingly limitless ambitions to their most extreme — and some might say absurdist — point. No one has ever set foot on the planet. Nasa doesn’t expect to land humans on Mars until the 2040s. And if people get there, they will be greeted by a barren terrain, icy temperatures, dust storms, and air that’s impossible to breathe.

Yet Musk is so wedded to the idea of creating a civilisation on Mars — he once said he plans to die there — that it has propelled nearly every business endeavour he has undertaken on Earth. His vision for Mars underlies most of the six companies he leads or owns, each of which could potentially contribute to an extraterrestrial colony, according to the documents and the people.

Musk, worth about $270 billion, has publicly declared that he only accumulates assets to fund his plans for Mars. While Musk has spoken about Mars for years and SpaceX released two basic drawings of a colony around 2018, many specifics and the company’s shift toward civilisation planning haven’t previously been reported.

Musk has been fascinated by Mars since reading Isaac Asimov’s 1951 novel, “Foundation,” when he was 10. In the book, the protagonist builds a colony across a galaxy to save humanity from the fall of an interstellar empire. But people close to Musk said he was just trying to best Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s founder who envisions humans living in giant space stations across the solar system.

To reach Mars, SpaceX has built Starship, a nearly 400-foot reusable rocket. A future version of Starship may have a living space in its nose. Musk has said he hoped to create his own species on Mars, an idea he has repeated over the years to those close to the company. “I think it’s quite likely that we’d want to bioengineer new organisms that are better suited to living on Mars,” he said. “Humanity’s kind of done that over time, by sort of selective breeding.”

He also has a strategy for warmth. He’s said he would tackle icy temperatures with a series of thermonuclear explosions that would warm the planet by creating artificial suns. Hundreds of solar panels will help create energy. The industrial design team has been creating renderings for a city, which will centre on a giant dome for communal living, with smaller domes scattered around it. Musk is particularly concerned with making sure the city looks cool, two people said. In April, Musk told SpaceX employees the Mars colony would be self-sustaining in case something happened to Earth. To achieve that, Musk plans to use Starship as sort of a Noah’s Ark, three people said.

NYT

AROUND THE WORLD

A ‘Zaldiko’ (people wearing horse figures) hits revellers with a sponge during San Fermin festival’s parade in Pamplona, Spain, on Thursday

Woman swept to sea while swimming at a Japanese beach is rescued 37 hrs later

A Chinese woman in her 20s who was swept out to sea while swimming at a Japanese beach was rescued 37 hours later after drifting in a swimming ring more than 80km in Pacific Ocean, officials said Thursday. The woman was spotted by a cargo ship early Wednesday off the southern tip of Boso Peninsula. Two of its crew jumped into the sea and rescued the woman. She was slightly dehydrated but in good health and walked away after being examined at a hospital.

1-year-old in Mississippi survives 48 hours of storm, found crawling on highway

A Louisiana sheriff says a 1-year-old “miracle baby” survived two days of stormy weather before a truck driver spotted him crawling along a roadside the day after his 4-year-old brother was found dead and his mother was arrested in Mississippi. The baby had bug bites but appeared to be in good condition. Autopsy reports were pending on the 4-year-old who was found Monday in a lake near the Texas state line. Authorities learned he had last been seen on Saturday with his mother, Aaliyah Jack, 25, and the infant. Jack was arrested on Tuesday in Meridian, Mississippi, over 563km from where her children were found. She was to be extradited to Louisiana, where she faced a charge of failure to report a missing child.

‘Rust’ trial: Alec Baldwin cast as a flouter of rules

Prosecutors sought to cast Alec Baldwin as someone who flouts rules and has little regard for safety at the first day of his trial in the shooting of a cinematographer. The special prosecutor repeatedly referred to Baldwin playing “make-believe” with a revolver on the set of ‘Rust’, and said it led to very real danger and the death of Halyna Hutchins. The prosecutor said behind-the-scenes video will show Baldwin casually disregarding basic safety.

56% of Dems want Biden to end candidacy: Poll

Vermont Senator Peter Welch has called on Biden to withdraw, the first Senate Democrat to do so

Chidanand Rajghatta TNN

Washington: Hours before US Prez Joe Biden’s live press conference, scheduled for 4am Friday India time, a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll revealed 56% of Democrats want Biden to end his candidacy while 42%want him to continue to seek re-election. Overall, 2 in 3 adults say the prez should step aside, including over 7 in 10 independents.

Those numbers reflect the diminishing support for Biden after the debate debacle nearly two weeks ago when he repeatedly stumbled and mumbled, triggering panic and anxiety in the Democratic party. Although he has been more cogent and forceful since then, party activists are now concerned how he will last four years should he carve a path to victory over the next four months.

Although the primary subject matter of the press conference at White House will be the just-concluded Nato summit, Americans of all hues and interested parties across the world will be watching every word and gesture to determine if the 81-year-old president retains the cognitive ability to run for a second term. Although the US president has defiantly said he plans to continue his re-election cam- paign and all talk of quitting should cease, it hasn’t.

The scuttlebutt in the capital is many of his supporters and well-wishers are being considerate in waiting for the Nato summit to conclude before easing him out of the party nomination, with the kind of love and affection reserved for an enfeebled grandfather being led out of a raucous party. George Clooney, a big-time Democratic donor, was among those who channelled the “we love you grandpa, but it’s time for bed” theme in a NYT oped, writing, “I love Joe Biden... But the one battle he cannot win is the fight against time.”

Indeed, barring a few lawmakers and party veterans, there have been very few full-throated endorsements for Biden. Many Democratic senators and representatives fear Biden’s diminishing poll numbers will become a down-ballot deadweight that could drag them to defeat, losing the party both the House and Senate along with the White House.

19% decline in PIO support for prez: Report

There is a 19% decline in Indian Americans supporting incumbent Prez Biden between the 2020 election and the 2024 election cycle, according to a bi-annual Asian American Voter Survey, the longest-running survey of Asian-American voters released Wednesday. The survey reveals 46% of Indian Americans intend to vote for Biden this year against 65% in 2020. The 19% drop is the largest among all Asian-American ethnic communities. The survey was held before the June 27 debate between Biden and Trump.

PTI

Shelley Duvall, star of ‘The Shining’, dies at 75

Shelley Duvall, the intrepid, Texas-born movie star whose wide-eyed, winsome presence was a mainstay in the films of Robert Altman and who co-starred in Stanley Kubrick’s ‘The Shining,’ has died at 75. She died Thursday in her sleep at her home in Blanco, her longtime partner, Dan Gilroy said. The cause was complications of diabetes, said her publicist Gary Springer. “My dear, sweet, wonderful life, partner, and friend left us last night,” Dan Gilroy said. “Too much suffering lately, now she’s free. Fly away beautiful Shelley.”

Duvall was in college when Altman’s crew, preparing to film ‘Brewster McCloud,’ encountered her as at a party in 1970. They introduced her to the director, who cast her ‘Brewster McCloud’ and made her his protege. Duvall appeared in several Altman films like ‘Thieves Like Us,’ ‘Nashville,’ ‘Popeye,’ ‘Three Women,’ and ‘McCabe & Ms Miller.’ Duvall, gaunt and gawky, was no conventional starlet. But she had a beguiling frank manner and exuded a singular naturalism.

At her peak, Duvall was a regular star in some of the defining movies of the 1970s and 1980s. In ‘The Shining,’ she played Wendy Torrance. It was Duvall’s screaming face that made up half of the film’s most iconic image. But Duvall disappeared from movies almost as quickly as she arrived in them. By 1990s, she began retiring from acting. She was last seen in 2002’s ‘Manna From Heaven.’

AP

Covering on spire of a cathedral that Monet painted catches fire

Blaze In Rouen Cathedral A Haunting Reminder Of 2019 Fire At Notre-Dame

The Rouen cathedral, whose construction began in the 12th century, is considered one of the finest Gothic churches in France. Among its most notable visitors was Monet, who painted the cathedral more than 30 times

A tarp covering the spire of a cathedral in Rouen, France, that inspired the artist Claude Monet caught fire on Thursday, city officials said.

The cathedral, Notre-Dame de Rouen, about 112km northwest of Paris, was evacuated, and emergency services were at the site, local officials said on X. “All of the public resources have been mobilised,” the city’s mayor, Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol, wrote on X, adding that the fire’s cause was unknown.

Caroline Dutarte, a Rouen official, said that only a tarp covering the cathedral’s spire had caught fire and that the blaze was under control. She said the tarp had been in place around the spire because the cathedral was undergoing renovation work. “There doesn’t seem to be too much damage and, above all, no one was injured,” Dutarte said.

The blaze in Rouen was a haunting reminder of the 2019 fire at Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris, which almost brought the building to the ground and toppled its 300-foot spire. The Paris cathedral, which is over 850 years old, is scheduled to reopen in December.

The Rouen cathedral, whose construction began in the 12th century, is considered one of the finest Gothic churches in France. Among its most notable visitors was Monet, who painted the cathedral more than 30 times in the early 1890s, according to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. He often captured its facade from different angles and at different times of the day.

The cathedral has suffered significant harm in the past: An earlier building was destroyed by Viking invasions in 841, and the cathedral was severely damaged by Allied bombardments in World War II.

So has the spire, which, at almost 500 feet tall, is the highest in France. It was destroyed by lightning in 1822 and was later rebuilt using cast iron, then a very modern material.

Earlier this year a massive fire hit another historic European building, Copenhagen's Old Stock Exchange, toppling its spire. Large parts of the outer walls later collapsed.

NYT

Times Business

- UAE bank, Japan groups eye $5bn stake in Yes Bank

- HDFC Bank, Axis plan outage this weekend

- RIL’s unit plans over $500mn offshore loan

- NPCI arm, QNB to roll out UPI in Qatar

- Auto parts cos to invest `25k cr: ICRA

- Factory jobs to boost India’s growth: IMF

- RBI guv hints interest rates may stay higher for longer

- Deposits grow faster than loans in June qtr

- Sensex ends lower on profit-taking

- PM meets economists, takes up ideas to boost growth

- Govt to meet telcos’ chiefs next week on sector growth

- TCS reports 4.4% revenue growth in June qtr

- IT hiring slump means training takes backseat

- ‘GeM set to be world’s biggest public procurement platform’

UAE bank, Japan groups eye $5bn stake in Yes Bank

First Abu Dhabi Bank is among potential suitors for a roughly $5-billion stake in Yes Bank, people with knowledge of the matter said. The UAE lender is weighing a bid for as much as a 51% stake in Yes Bank, the people said, asking not to be identified as the deliberations are private. The stake sale has also drawn preliminary interest from Japan, including Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group.

BLOOMBERG

HDFC Bank, Axis plan outage this weekend

Mumbai: HDFC Bank and Axis Bank have announced scheduled downtime of their systems for some services over the weekend. HDFC Bank’s downtime will be in the early hours of July 13, while Axis’s outage will stretch through July 13 and July 14.

TNN

RIL’s unit plans over $500mn offshore loan

A unit of Reliance Industries is planning to borrow at least $500 million to refinance debt. It’s in talks with a group of foreign banks for a loan of 12-15 years, people familiar with the matter said.

BLOOMBERG

NPCI arm, QNB to roll out UPI in Qatar

Mumbai: NPCI International Payments has entered into an agreement with Qatar National Bank to enable UPI payment acceptance through the QNB merchant network in Qatar.

TNN

Auto parts cos to invest `25k cr: ICRA

Chennai: The auto component industry will invest around Rs 20,000-25,000 crore as capex in FY25, rating agency ICRA said. The industry’s capex will be 8-10% of its operating income over the medium term.

TNN

Factory jobs to boost India’s growth: IMF

India can boost its economic growth rate by as much as 0.5 percentage points by driving more workers from agriculture to manufacturing, according to researchers from the IMF.

BLOOMBERG

RBI guv hints interest rates may stay higher for longer

With Inflation At 5%, It’s Premature To Talk About Rate Cuts: Das

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: RBI governor Shaktikanta Das on Thursday indicated that interest rates may remain higher for longer. With a 4.75% rise in retail inflation in May, Das said that inflation numbers for June — which will be announced on Friday — are expected to be close to 5%, according to surveys. “When we are at 5% and our target is 4%, I think it is premature to talk about interest rate cuts,” Das said in an interview with CNBC.

The governor also said that rate cuts would adversely affect ‘silent depositors’. Typically, there is a clamour for rate cuts from borrowers.

Das emphasised on the cautious approach, saying that while some central banks provide guidance on when a rate cut is likely, the issue globally and in India is the prevailing uncertainty. He expressed his reluctance to give any forward guidance that might mislead market players, and said, “I would rather not give any forward guidance which would lead market players to board the wrong train.” The approach intends to provide stabi- lity and reassurance to the market.The adverse impact of a rate cut on depositors is a new issue confronting RBI. The central bank had expressed concerns over bank advances outpacing deposit growth, which remained sluggish. Business figures reported by banks in the first quarter indicate that deposit growth has not picked up much.

Besides inflation and the adverse impact on deposits, the third factor that might prevent RBI from cutting rates is the high growth rate. Das said that the high growth momentum of Q4 FY24 had continued and was maintained in the first quarter.

On the steady exchange rate, Das attributed the rupee’s resilience to its macroeconomic fundamentals, which have been much stronger than they were a few years ago. “It has more to do with our stable fundamentals than anything else. RBI only manages volatility,” said Das. He also added that it is the strong fundamentals that justify a ratings upgrade by international rating agencies. “It should have happened earlier... While rating does play a role, many large investors do their own analysis and markets are ahead of rating agencies,” said Das.

Economists attribute a significant portion of the rise in CPI to unstable commodities, especially food items. Although food price inflation is not caused by demand-related factors, RBI can only address this by increasing interest rates to prevent widespread inflationary expectations. In this quarter, besides food prices, a rise in telecom tariffs could also add to price pressures.

After hiking interest rates in Feb 2023, RBI has left rates unchanged for 16 months now. Many expect it to cut rates by Dec this year to maintain the spread between US and Indian rates. However, if RBI does not cut rates this year, it would be its longest pause since MPC started setting rates in 2016.

Deposits grow faster than loans in June qtr

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: The banking sector’s outstanding loans rose 4.8% in the first quarter — from Rs 168.7 lakh crore as of end-March 2024 to Rs 176.8 lakh crore on June 28. During the same period, deposits grew 5.3% to Rs 220.6 lakh crore from Rs 209.3 lakh crore.

In the past year, the growth of loans continued to exceed that of deposits, with the loan portfolio expanding by 19.6% by the end of June 2023. However, this was largely due to the impact of the HDFC-HDFC Bank merger. If we exclude the effects of the merger, the year-on-year growth would have been around 16.2%, still higher than the 12% growth in deposits. The accretion to the deposit book has been around Rs 11.3 lakh crore during the first quarter, while the addition to the loan book has been Rs 8 lakh crore.

According to a Macquarie report, of the banks that have reported their business figures so far, the average quarter-on-quarter increase has been 1.5% for public sector banks and 0.2% for private banks. In deposits, the average quarter-on-quarter growth is 0.3% for PSBs and 0.6% for private banks.

Sensex ends lower on profit-taking

Mumbai: The sensex and Nifty closed marginally down in a rangebound session on Thursday as investors booked profits in heavyweights ahead of the announcement of key financial results for the June quarter.

Retreating from early highs, the sensex closed 27 points lower at 79,897. Half of the sensex shares closed with gains while the rest declined.

AGENCIES

PM meets economists, takes up ideas to boost growth

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Ahead of the Union Budget, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday interacted with economists to discuss the state of the economy and ideas to push growth.

“Earlier today, interacted with eminent economists and heard their insightful views on issues pertaining to furthering growth,” PM Modi said on microblogging site X.

The Budget will be unveiled by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on July 23 and it will be her seventh consecutive Budget, a record eclipsing Morarji Desai’s six in a row.

This will be the first Budget of the new coalition govt, which assumed office in June. PM Modi was sworn-in for his third term.

Last month, President Droupadi Murmu in her address to Parliament said the Budget will have several historic steps and the pace of reforms would be accelerated.

The Budget is being presented against the backdrop of global challenges and geopolitical tensions. It is expected to spell out the steps for govt’s Viksit Bharat strategy and ensure that India emerges as a developed country by 2047.

The economy is in a swe- et spot and is expected to continue to grow around the 7% range for the next few years, led by robust domestic demand.

Sitharaman, Niti Aayog vice chairman Suman Bery and his team of advisors and B V R Subrahmanyam attended the meeting. Noted economists such as Ashok Gulati, Surjit Bhalla also expressed their views. Eminent banker and financial market expert K V Kamath and chief economic advisor V Anantha Nageswaran also participated in the meeting. FM has held several rounds of discussions with various stakeholders in the lead up to the Budget and the views will serve as crucial inputs.

Govt to meet telcos’ chiefs next week on sector growth

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Amid concerns over quality of mobile services in the country at a time when 5G networks continue to expand pan-India, the country’s top telecom honchos, including Reliance Jio chairman Akash Ambani, Bharti Airtel chairman Sunil Mittal, Aditya Birla group’s Kumar Mangalam Birla, and Tata group chairman N Chandrasekaran are likely to visit the national capital next week to hold a meeting with officials from the department of telecom.

Sources said that chiefs — who are part of the stakeholder advisory committee on telecom services — are set to meet telecom secretary Neeraj Mittal and new communications minister Jyotiraditya Scindia to dis- cuss the growth of the sector, including on matters related to spectrum, quality of services, and financial health of the industry.

“The honchos have been invited as part of the first Stakeholder Advisory Committee for Telecom Service Providers,” a source said, adding that the discussions at the meeting are likely to be followed up with more face-to-face interactions. “The chairman of public sector BSNL has also been invited.”

Apart from the top bosses, DoT has also invited executive management personnel of the companies to the meeting. These include Airtel MD & CEO Gopal Vittal, Jio MD Pankaj Pawar, and Vodafone Idea CEO Akshya Moondhra.

Sources said the ministry wants to take stock of the mood of the industry, as well as any concerns that companies may have. “There has been a new minister who has taken charge, and this would also help him understand the issues first-hand.”

However, govt is also likely to raise certain matters with the telecom bosses, especially around the quality of consumer services. “There have been serious concerns around the matter of pesky calls, and this may figure in the discussions. Also, call drops and patchy network quality will also be discussed.”

“Possibilities around 6G, and how to indigenise networks, is something that may be part of the discussions. Govt strongly believes that telecom is the backbone of the Indian economy and wants to ensure that networks remain robust and viable.”

TCS reports 4.4% revenue growth in June qtr

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bengaluru: TCS’s year-on-year revenue grew by 4.4% in constant currency in the June quarter compared to the year-ago period. Quarter-on-quarter, it grew 2.2% in constant currency.

But even as India’s largest IT firm achieved all-round growth, it is treading cautiously in determining whether it’s too early to declare sustained growth momentum as market conditions haven’t significantly changed since the previous quarter. “We are quite happy with the overall growth across all verticals and markets. It’s too early to call whether the growth momentum is sustainable because market conditions continue to remain the same as they were in the last quarter.

So, there is nothing new to add in terms of market sentiments. But we believe FY25 will be better than FY24,” TCS CEO K Krithivasan said in the earnings call on Thursday.

The UK recorded robust growth of 6%, while continental Europe saw a modest increase of 0.9%. In contrast, North America faced a decline of 1.1%. Emerging markets, including India, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East & Africa, and Latin America, maintained their growth trajectory, reinforcing the company’s diversification strategy. Among these, India has emerged as the bright spot, with revenue surging by an impressive 61.8% compared to the previous year, led by the mammoth Rs 15,000-crore BSNL deal it won last year for deploying 4G networks across India.

Among the verticals, manufacturing, energy, and utilities continued to have strong growth. But its mainstay businesses — banking, financial services, consumer tech, and communication — continued to have negative growth on a year-on-year basis.

Krithivasan said TCS is currently executing about 270 GenAI projects and its AI & GenAI pipeline has doubled to $1.5 billion in the June quarter. TCS’s operating margin dropped 130 basis points quarter-on-quarter to 24.7% on account of a wage hike but compared to the year-ago period, it expanded 1.5%.

IT hiring slump means training takes backseat

Infy’s Avg Training Hrs Per Employee Fall To 75 From 130 A Yr Ago Due To Fewer Freshers

Veena.Mani@timesofindia.com

Bengaluru: At a time when companies are focusing on upskilling their workforce, Indian IT firms like Infosys, Wipro and Tech Mahindra have experienced a drop in the average training hours per employee for FY24 compared to the year-ago period.

While Infosys’ average training hours per employee fell from 130 in FY23 to 74.6 in FY24, Tech Mahindra saw average hours decline from 56 to 49 over the same time. Wipro’s total training hours also fell to 12.9 million in FY24 from 16 million in the year-ago period.

Industry analysts attribute this reduction in learning hours to a reduced intake of freshers and a shift towards just-in-time hiring. Due to sluggish demand and clients pulling back on discretionary spending, Indian IT firms are gradually onboarding freshers who were offered letters in the last fiscal and have made only modest additions to their headcount.

Freshers typically undergo extensive training when they join any IT firm, and when calculating training hours, companies consider both online and offline modules completed by employees. For instance, TCS — which hired 40,000 fresh graduates — more than doubled its training hours to 87 hours per employee in FY24, up from 40 in the year ago period. An email sent to TCS, Infosys, Wipro and HCL didn’t elicit a response till the time of going to press as they are in a quiet period.

Even during 2021, which was marred by a pandemic-related sharp decline in growth, the Indian tech sector added 1.3 lakh employees, taking the total base to 4.4 million. The net addition of 60,000 comes nowhere close to the hiring frenzy in FY22, when 4.5 lakh freshers were onboarded by employers — the highest addition in a single year. However, only two years later in FY24, the combined headcount of Infosys, Wipro, and TCS dropped by nearly 64,000.

Richard Lobo, chief people officer at Tech Mahindra, said that this decline is temporary and that the company expects an increase in em- ployee upskilling as it focuses on cost optimisation.

“Overall training hours are down as project loads are light and staff levels remain tight. This has led to a focus on billable hours and revenue in the short run, versus training in the long run,” said Ray Wang, founder of IT advisory Constellation Research. Wang said that TCS is the only company focusing on a longterm strategy rather than pursuing short-term benefits.

‘GeM set to be world’s biggest public procurement platform’

Saurabh.Sinha@timesofindia.com

New Delhi: India’s Government e-Marketplace (GeM) is all set to become the world’s biggest public procurement platform this fiscal. Korea ON-line E-Procurement System (KONEPS) was the biggest platform with a turnover of $85 billion last fiscal, of which almost 75% came from works contract. “GeM’s turnover of goods and services alone (the Indian platform does not currently provide for works contracts) was $50 billion. In current FY2024-25, we will overtake KONEPS to become the world’s biggest public procurement platform,” said P K Singh, GeM CEO.

The platform currently has over 3.7 lakh buyers and over 21 lakh sellers for nearly 12,000 products and over 320 service categories. While computers and phones are the biggest items to be transacted through it, but in value terms, service contracts top the charts. It closed last financial year with Rs 4 lakh crore in gross merchandise value (GMV), double of FY23, with procurement of services surging by 205%. The Union commerce ministry’s GeM has enabled small domestic entrepreneurs to participate in govt tenders from anywhere at any time, breaking the “cartel” of established service providers.

“We are using artificial intelligence in a big way and have become the first govt agency to have a generative AI-based chatbox to resolve any query. In a bid to improve the ease of doing business, we have slashed transaction charges. Now orders between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 10 crore will see a transaction charge of 0.3% of order value. And orders above Rs 10 crore will see a flat fee of Rs 3 lakh,” Singh said. While vendor assessment process has been rationalised with reduction in chargeable fees from sellers by up to 69% for manufacturers & 92% for traders, caution money deposit has been reduced from Rs 5,000 to Rs 2,000 (60% drop) for new sellers with turnover up to Rs 1 crore.

GeM on Thursday launched its Aadhaar collection platform which is “vocal for local.” It is planning to start a training platform for sahayaks(helpers) who will help resolve small sellers’ queries and guide them through the marketplace.

Editorial

- CONTRAPUNTO

- Cross Vote On Mind

- In Poor Test

- Fed up with London

- The Yogi Identifies And Accepts His Distractions

- Sacred space

- Whistle Of Felix, Foot Of Kane & Hand Of God

- Alimony & Ghost Of Shah Bano

CONTRAPUNTO

Love is grand. Divorce is a hundred grand.

–SHINICHI SUZUKI

Cross Vote On Mind

Today’s MLC election in Maharashtra is a trailer to the potboiler that the state’s assembly polls will be

It’s match time again in Maharashtra. If the Lok Sabha election was considered a semifinal to Oct’s high-stakes assembly poll, the vote today to elect 11 legislative council members is no less significant. Maharashtra, one of six states with a legislative council, has 78 members, 30 of whom are elected by MLAs. All eyes are on the 274 MLAs expected to cast their vote today to elect these 11 members from 12 candidates.

Cross currents | If all goes to plan – and safe to say no one expects it to – Mahayuti is set to win 9. BJP has 5 nominees, Shinde Sena 2 and Ajit Pawar 2. MVA has fielded 3, though it can win two, given its numbers in the lower house. Then there’s Uddhav Thackeray’s swag, “We wouldn’t have fielded a third nominee had we not been confident.” It’s crunch time.

Simply cross | Flashback to June 2022’s MLC election has parties jittery. Matters started unravelling for then CM Uddhav’s MVA govt, with cross-voting in that MLC election. MVA legislators cross-voted, resulting in Congress losing one of its two allotted seats, which came as a shock right after a Rajya Sabha loss. At the time, Fadnavis had explained the cross-vote as fallout of a “lot of anger in MVA”. It was soon followed by Eknath Shinde’s claim on the party and walkout with MLAs.

Fingers crossed | With 29 of 48 LS seats now in its kitty, MVA is banking on cross-votes mostly from Shinde Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP. That’s why Mahayuti and UBT Sena corralled their MLAs into luxury safe-houses, Mumbai’s five-star hotels.

An MLC winner needs 23 first-preference votes. BJP has 103 MLAs, Shinde Sena 38, Ajit Pawar NCP 42, Congress 37, UBT Sena 15 and Sharad Pawar NCP 10. Prakash Ambedkar’s BVA has 3 and he has fallen out with MVA. SP has 2, AIMIM 2, PJP 2 and 7 parties have 1 each. There are 13 independent MLAs. There’s plenty on to ensure MLAs stay in place, and to snag the ‘non-aligned’ MLA votes.

Lines crossed | In a right-earnest fight are the two Senas and two NCPs. It is here that loyalty lines blur. Ajit Pawar, especially, finds himself putting out videos in self-praise even as uncle Sharad Pawar says his arms, and doors, are open to MLAs who followed the nephew to Mahayuti. Mahayuti is also hawk-eyed on UBT’s surprise nominee, Milind Narvekar – with cross-party influence and camaraderie. It’s jitters all around.

In Poor Test

That UGC-NET may have been cancelled over a false alarm shows how broken the system is

If more proof were needed of the way the exam system is run in this country, we have it through news reports about UGC-NET being cancelled on the basis of non-credible evidence. CBI, investigating the UGC-NET ‘paper leak’, has apparently found that a screenshot of question paper on Telegram on the day of exam was posted AFTER it was conducted.

From one extreme to other | Talk of a knee-jerk reaction. It beats credibility that authorities made a momentous decision impacting more than 9L students without a thorough investigation. This must be contrasted with the extreme reluctance shown by NTA to acknowledge irregularities in NEET-UG held earlier, for which there was good evidence. The latest revelation is also bound to raise questions if there was sufficient reason to postpone the safer CBT-based CSIR-NET. There is more to this year’s UGC-NET that is baffling. It was held in pen-and-paper mode after years of offline computer exams. UGC was behind the switch and it went ahead without a full-strength commission being in place and minus any committee’s recommendations. Clearly, no questions were asked.

Acting in haste | What these events highlight is that ad hocism, rather than due deliberation, is behind such decisions. And saving face when things go wrong overrides the objective of fixing the exam system. This is more than evident in the official stance before SC in NEET-UG case. To SC’s queries over a retest, education ministry & NTA continue to insist, despite evidence to the contrary, that the leak was localised and the overall exam was not compromised. Such an approach might bail them out this time, but there is no guarantee we won’t face the same situation in the future – unless the high-powered committee looking into exam reforms goes for a thorough overhaul of the system.

jugular vein

Fed up with London

The capital city of Britain serves up the whole wide world on a plate

Jug Suraiya

Over the past few weeks, Bunny and I have eaten in Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, China, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, Türkiye, Jamaica, Argentina and Brazil.

And we’ve been to all these places, food-wise, without moving out of Central London. When we first came to London in 1972, Britain was the butt of much snarky humour because of its wet, gloomy weather and its stodgy food.

In the years since then, there’s been a sea-change in Britain, and in London in particular, which has become a multicultural and multi-culinary society, thanks to successive waves of immigration from far-flung corners of the globe.

While the weather by and large remains as determinedly damp and downcast as ever, contemporary London serves up a smorgasbord of international cuisine to rival that of NYC, famed for its gastronomic cosmopolitanism.

During our first week in London’s Camden Town we had steaks a la Argentina, which transported us to distant Buenos Aires, City of Beautiful Breezes, magically relocated to a diner a 15-minute stroll from our apartment.

The next day we strolled another 15 minutes to Vietnam to savour pho, a delicately flavoured noodle soup that the country is justly famed for.

A short bus and Tube ride gets us to Brazil, transplanted to Brixton Market via our friend Lee whose café specialises in savoury crepes with a South American flair imparted by the biquinhos, small red peppers, that give a tang of tropical sun to London’s leaden skies.

Pedro and his Mum, Elisabetta, welcome us to Lisbon in their Camden restaurant, which does several tempting takes on bacalhau, the mainstay of Portuguese menus.

Chef Roger’s kitchen, two minutes from us, carries us to the Caribbean with its curry goat and plantain fritters, Andy’s always-crowded taverna opens a gateway to Greece, with its kleftiko, and in an eatery named after a Mamak (Uncle) named Don, we visit Malaysia through an irresistible Nasi Goreng.

London, which serves up the planet on a plate, has us, as the saying goes, totally fed up and fulfilled.

The Speaking Tree

The Yogi Identifies And Accepts His Distractions

Soham Bhaduri

In seeking the sought, the seeker denies that the sought is already there and acknowledges that what is already there isn’t what is sought. The Raj Yogi follows an elaborate regimen to steer clear of bodily and mental distractions before he can expect to attain his goal of union with the absolute, the Brahmn. The stage is set through the practice of the five yamas and niyamas. Specific asanas help achieve a posture that is neither cosy nor unbearable. Breathing techniques help slow and harmonise breathing so the rushing air doesn’t constitute a distraction. The senses are closed, and concentration is locked on an object to restrain the ever-tossing and turning mind. Only when these are met can the yogi experience the pure, undifferentiated Brahmn. But what about the multitudes who falter along the difficult road? What about those who fail to distil the undifferentiated Brahmn from the differential maya?

We naturally tend to resist and oppose thoughts, feelings, and occurrences that we detest. This resistance often leads to frustration, making things worse. Opposing and resisting intrusive thoughts and feelings only makes them stronger. What is the way out? It goes by a simple mantra: “Control what you do, accept what you feel.”

Anxious thoughts have just one goal: perpetuating anxiety and making you even more anxious. Negative thoughts aim to instil disquietude and pessimism. Acceptance defangs them, leaving them no choice but to starve and succumb. The accepting mind lets thoughts and feelings come as they do and lets them be.

Acceptance is the most powerful arrow in the faltering yogi’s quiver. How do we practice acceptance? By recognising and clinging to the thread of consciousness that binds everything, to the omnipresent beingness that straddles all that is and isn’t.

The yogi must never be tricked into believing, in true sense, that their distractions are alien to Brahmn. That maya, being limited, is antithetical to Brahmn. Or that Brahmn is reached by distilling off the differential maya. For what becomes of Brahmn if there’s anything apart from Brahmn? What is Brahmn but consciousness, the ultimate reality, and what becomes of the ultimate reality if there’s anything other than itself ? What limits the limited is nothing but Brahmn, as is what lies beyond the limited, and the limited itself. Brahmn is as much what is distilled off as the distillate itself, as much what the yogi rejects as what he seeks.

Brahmn isn’t ‘not this, not that’ but ‘this, as well as that’. Brahmn is both the differential and the undifferentiated. What the yogi seeks is no different from what is already there, including that which he avoids. By clinging to the thread of all-pervading consciousness, the yogi identifies and accepts his distractions as nothing but forms of the same Brahmn that he seeks. In them, the yogi sees nothing but Brahmn, out and out, and stops resisting them. And thus, the yogi, unperturbed by his distractions, disempowers them and carves a smooth and single-minded path to his goal.

The writer is a physician

Sacred space

Do something because you really want to do it. If you’re doing it just for the goal and don’t enjoy the path, then I think you’re cheating yourself.

Kalpana Chawla

Whistle Of Felix, Foot Of Kane & Hand Of God

Bad refereeing has crucial impact on sport. Penalty awarded to England in Euro semis is latest example. It also shows using tech in sport isn’t foolproof. But English can stop cribbing about Maradona & 1986

Siddharth.Saxena@timesofindia.com

Each year on June 22, devotees of the Church of Maradona pay homage to that one act of the man which they believe was his greatest miracle. This year, the 38th anniversary of the Hand of God goal fell during the Euros and Copa America football tournaments, giving it a newer meaning. Nothing like current-day top-drawer football to whip up trauma of an old robbery.

In his retirement days, notoriously wild ones, Maradona wined and dined with the Tunisian referee Ali Bennaceur, who famously turned a blind eye to what is arguably the most polarising moment in world football – if you belonged to the North and Europe, this was the greatest act of cheating, if you came from the Global South, he was revered as God. Maradona would later obliquely admit that he did cheat, saying some years ago that the goal would never have happened had video technology been available then. “I would have been arrested,” the Argentinian cheekily declared.

Lucky break | In Munich at the Euros the other evening, England, who had been at the receiving end of Maradona’s sleight of hand in 1986, this time found technology coming to their aid. It was in the semifinals against the Netherlands, and it came in such a way, perhaps, that it was a gift that kept on giving.

The last German left in their home competition – referee Felix Zwayer, who was once banned for six months in 2006 for match-fixing in the Bundesliga – awarded England a penalty midway through the first half, which Harry Kane duly converted in near-perfect fashion, ‘the impossible save’ as penalty spotters would exclaim. The equaliser would completely change the balance of the highstakes semifinals in the world’s second-most watched football tournament, shifting the momentum favourably towards England and pushing on to the backfoot, the Dutch who had taken an early lead thanks to a terrific strike by their prodigious Xavi Simons.

Unlucky tech | What happened really? This modern-day Foot of Kane has immediately caused so much turmoil among fans the world over, debating the invasion of technology to arbitrate in sport, the rigid interpretations of the rules and crucially, whether the human element is slowly being made to leave the scene.

Ominous review | Zwayer initially seemed to think nothing of the Kane attempt that ballooned over the Dutch goal and the immediate writhing on the floor clutching his right foot that followed, after Dutch defender Denzel Dumfries’ extended foot caught the England captain’s in mid-flight. Ball back in play, the referee blew for a Dutch goal-kick to resume hostilities till he got a call on his earpiece summoning him to the side-line TV – a visit to the in-stadium ATM, as the harmless old joke goes, but in this case, given that the German referee had once been on the take, it assumed ominous overtones.

Cold VAR bosses | TV replays showed that Dumfries’ was a reaction attempt to block the shot, as any defender’s job description is, and was in no way a tackle on Kane. But the call from the VAR room probably meant to invoke cold letter of the law, rather than personal interpretation. VAR bosses deemed Dumfries intent as carrying enough injury threat, even if contact was made after Kane had got his shot. Perhaps, the enormity of the situation got to the German referee, somewhere seeking to correct his previously tarnished image, and this was perhaps a perfect opportunity to make amends.

Football’s not cricket | In cricket, the advent of technology to decide legbefore appeals, caught behinds and run-outs –even WT20 final deciding catches, as happened on the Bridgetown ropes the other day – has kind of saved the on-field umpire from crucial decision making, and thus, you could argue, relieving him of any moral dilemma and responsibility in case of an error. But the one thing that they have retained so far is the umpire’s call, which gives the man at the stumps the onus to change or stick to his original decision.

In football, with the stakes riding so high, a visit to the TV usually means a reversal of the referee’s original decision, almost as a moral obligation. Yet, in the Spain-Germany quarterfinal, England referee Anthony Taylor – who gave out 15 yellow and one red cards – was firm in his interpretation of Spanish defender Marc Cucurella’s handball as being not deliberate.

Foggy French | Another counter to last night’s penalty goal, could be the recent French Open tennis final between Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz. On a crucial point in the deciding fifth set, a disputed line call went in favour of the Spaniard. Replays later clearly showed it was out, but at the traditionalist Open, where calls are decided by the ball marking on the clay, the chair umpire insisted that it was in. The German Zverev lost the final, and later rued the absence of electronic line calling at the clay court Major. The French Open will introduce the technology from next year onwards, but for the record, Zverev would have been deprived of a great chance. “It is what it is,” he would philosophically say later.

Burying the ghost | “It is what it is,” is probably what the Dutch would be telling themselves as they head home, and also, what Kane and Co would be beginning to understand. That finally, after years of injustice, and years of feeling robbed by Maradona in 1986, the shoe is on the other foot – the Foot of Kane.

Alimony & Ghost Of Shah Bano

Muslim women cannot be left destitute by misinterpreting the 1986 law, SC has said. What this also implies is that every Indian is free to live their life under secular law if they choose

Mihira Sood

This week saw 80s revivalism from an unlikely quarter – the Supreme Court once again ruled that a Muslim woman is entitled to seek maintenance under secular law, and her rights are not restricted to the provisions of Muslim personal law alone. The impact of its similar ruling nearly 40 years ago can hardly be overstated.

Shah Bano case | In 1978, a woman named Shah Bano sought maintenance from her husband under Section 125 of the Criminal Procedure Code for herself and their five children. They had been married for 43 years when he remarried and threw her out of the house.

The MP high court ordered a monthly payment of `179, against which Shah Bano’s husband, a lawyer, filed an appeal in SC arguing that as per Muslim law, he was only required to pay her during the iddat period – the three months after divorce during which she is not permitted to remarry.

It was the then Chief Justice of India YV Chandrachud who headed the bench in 1985 that accepted her plea. The court recognised her circumstances, and held that limiting the rights of a woman in this manner would be unjust, and that secular law applies to all, irrespective of religion.

1986 Act | The political fallout of this decision drove the Rajiv Gandhi govt to pass the Muslim Women Protection of Rights on Divorce Act, 1986, effectively nullifying the Shah Bano ruling by establishing itself as a comprehensive code on alimony for Muslim women. It provided for a “reasonable and fair” maintenance within the iddat period for a wife, and for children up to the age of 2 years.

If she was unable to maintain herself or her children after this period, responsibility would fall not on her ex-husband, but any relatives who stood to inherit from her, failing which the Waqf Board would have to provide for her. Under secular law, maintenance may be payable for life or until the woman remarries, and for children till the age of majority.

Subsequent cases | A slew of petitions was filed challenging the constitutionality of the 1986 law, notably by Danial Latifi, who had been Shah Bano’s lawyer. He argued that the provision for maintenance by relatives was illusory and demeaning, and not extending secular law to Muslims was discriminatory. The court held that if a Muslim woman was placed in an inferior situation under personal law than under Section 125, the law would be unconstitutional. However, if the law were interpreted to avoid such an outcome, it would be saved.

Thus, the Act was upheld, but only by interpreting it such that “reasonable and fair maintenance” requires the husband to contemplate her future needs and make preparatory arrangements in advance to meet those needs within the iddat period. However, the actual payment need not be limited to that period alone and could extend to her lifetime, unless she remarries. With this interpretation, the Act did not nullify, but rather codified the ruling in Shah Bano. In subsequent cases too, personal law has been applied but within the overarching parameters of Section 125.

The present case | This was the reasoning adopted in the present case of Mohd Abdul Samad vs State of Telangana as well. If a husband opposes a claim being made under Section 125, it can only be if he has already made adequate payments and the wife is capable of maintaining herself. Personal law was not in derogation of secular law, but in addition to it.

The ruling also relied on the principle that laws should not be interpreted to achieve an absurd outcome, and deliberately leaving a woman destitute would be the kind of absurdity that could not have been Parliament’s intent.

Importantly, the judgment recognised the social reality that women, regardless of their economic class or education level, tend to shoulder the responsibility of managing the home, looking after children and family elders, leaving them financially unequal to, and dependent on, men. Homemakers who have sacrificed career opportunities for the sake of the family are equally entitled to the standard of living that they enjoyed previously. Maintenance is therefore not a question of charity or unfairly favouring women, but a necessary part of furthering gender equality and ensuring that women can live with dignity.

What the court did not say, but is a welcome outcome of the ruling, is the recognition that a person can belong to a particular community and still choose to live their life under secular law. Communities are not monoliths, and their leaders do not always speak for the smallest minorities within them – individuals, and especially women.

That is why the idea of a Uniform Civil Code that was raised in Shah Bano case as well, was supported by many liberals and feminists till the political journey of the 80s and early 90s (impacted in no small measure by the fallout of the Shah Bano ruling) lent it a communal colour. Today, that project has started, and one can only hope it is guided by ideals of secularism and gender equality as envisaged by the courts, and not religious majoritarianism.

The writer is a lawyer and scholar in the field of women’s rights

Times Techies.AI

- AI is changing your HR department

- THE RISE OF MIXTURE OF EXPERTS

- GLOSSARY OF IN-GROUP TERMS USED ON THIS PAGE

- Robots and humans will share autonomy: Expert

- Kunal, Vignesh use AI to clean data easily

- AROUND THE WORLD THIS WEEK

- IS AI RESHAPING THE WORLD?

AI is changing your HR department

AI’s productivity gains mean HR professionals need to upskill to stay relevant

Akhil.George@timesofindia.com

In the pre-AI era, business services provider Quess Corp’s HR department was bogged down with time-consuming tasks like running surveys and conducting hundreds of focus group sessions just to gather basic employee feedback.

A single employee feedback conversation would take about 30 minutes, says Ruchi Ahluwali, group chief human resources officer for Quess Corp. Now, with Nikki -Quess’ AI chatbot that performs sentiment analysis, categorising feedback as positive, negative, or neutral -that same process takes only five minutes. “The AI handles the initial data collection and analysis, presenting it on a dashboard for quick review.”

To put this into perspective, Ruchi says they have about 8,356 conversations with their employees yearly, which without Nikki, would have taken a staggering 1,990 days. “With Nikki, we’ve cut that down to just 332 days. This efficiency boost has transformed our Human Resource Business Partners (HRBPs) from data collectors into strategic decision-makers. They now focus on actionable insights, innovative initiatives, and creating a more peoplecentric company culture.”

Boosting productivity by significant amounts is the chief reason why AI is taking our world by storm.

Madhav Krishna, CEO and founder of Vahan.co, says a recruiter client, who utilised Vahan’s AI tech to hire blue-collar workers, achieved a notable productivity leap. “Previously, their team maxed out at 100 calls per day. However, with the help of Vahan.ai, they were able to make a staggering 500 calls in a single day – a fivefold increase in output! The benefits extended beyond call volume, hiring outcomes soared as well. Where they once averaged one successful hire per day, AI support empowered them to consistently bring on ten to fifteen recruits daily.”

Jayaprakash Nair, senior engineering leader of data science at Altimetrik, says that whetting and filtering resumes with AI has had unexpected advantages too. “There have been anecdotes of AI flagging fictitious content in the resumes. This helps surface spurious resumes. Another area where AI has helped, is in surfacing and quantifying employee sentiments. We’ve heard stories of capable but disgruntled employees being flagged by AI, so that corrective and preventive measures can be adopted prior to the employees actually deciding to leave the company.”

How to stay relevant

With such impressive productivity gains with the AI models of today, and with models improving continuously, it stands to reason that companies might not need as many HR professionals in the future as they have historically needed.

“As more and more HR tasks become automated, it is possible that some jobs may become obsolete or that employees will be displaced from their current roles. Those role holders may require reskilling or upskilling programs to help transition to new roles,” says Swadesh Behera, chief people officer for Titan Company.

To stay relevant, Vinu AV, talent digital transformation and operations leader at EY Global Delivery Services (GDS), says having the ability to understand and interpret data is crucial now. “HR professionals should be able to use data analytics to make informed decisions and to understand the output of AI tools. It doesn’t mean that HR professionals need to become AI experts, but they should understand the capabilities and limitations of AI tools.”

HR professionals need to become more business savvy as well, says Vikram Ahuja, co-Founder of ANSR & CEO of Talent500. “Think beyond paperwork. Understand how HR impacts the company’s bottom line. Use data from AI tools to identify talent needs and design recruitment strategies that hit the bullseye.”

Challenges to deploying AI

Jaspreet Bindra, founder of Tech Whisperer, says that one of the biggest challenges in deploying AI in HR operations relates to inculcating an AI culture within the organisation which is data-driven, has ethical guardrails, but within which employees are allowed to be curious and experimentative with fast-emerging new Gen AI tools. “Only when every employee eagerly experiments and works with this powerful and democratic technology, will it move the needle for an organisation in terms of productivity and efficiency and that will be HR’s responsibility.”

There are plenty of other challenges as well, which are more commonly associated with deploying Gen AI platforms at scale – like data privacy, security, bias, cost, and the fact that employees will have to be extensively trained to use these AI tools. None of these are deal breakers though, says Srinivas Konidena, CTO and VP of APAC products for ADP, a US-based provider of human resources management software and services.

“We have developed a compliance-by-design process that establishes key guardrails around transparency, bias, and accuracy of our generative AI tools.”

Srinivas says they have also banned the use of public AI tools such as ChatGPT within the company. “Instead, we are working with Microsoft to create a separate ChatGPT instance for the company, allowing us to use the technology more actively while maintaining data security.”

For campus hiring, we use AI-integrated gamified assessments to evaluate candidates more effectively. One of the notable advantages of deploying these tools is their ability to remove the influence of unconscious biases, which can sometimes inadvertently affect human decision-making. Overall, It helps in saving time, enhances the quality of candidates, and fosters an inclusive work culture. Priyanka Anand | VP & HEAD HR, SOUTHEAST ASIA OCEANIA AND INDIA, ERICSSON

To stay relevant in the age of AI, HR professionals should focus on developing a combination of technical and soft skills. This includes learning about data analysis, machine learning, and how to interpret AI-generated insights. Secondly, develop skills in managing and implementing AI tools. Although the form of administration is changing as technology and HR automation are harnessed, administrative tasks remain a major part of the HR role. This involves understanding how to integrate AI with existing processes. Balasubramanian Kumarappan | VP AND HEAD, ANALYTICS, MINDSPRINT

I believe that much like IT was a CIOs responsibility, and the Internet, with Google and Facebook, became the CMOs game, Generative AI will fall squarely in the CHRO camp. This is because GenAI is primarily a powerful tool to ramp up employee productivity and efficiency. For example, in HR, you can recruit faster, on-board more efficiently with personalised plans, have a better performance management system, reduce bias and increase inclusion for DEI and automate routine HR functions. Jaspreet Bindra | FOUNDER, TECH WHISPERER

Our recent Future of Pay in India Report 2024 revealed that the majority of organisations in India (59%) are considering GenAI for HR processes. In this workplace shift, it is important for HR professionals to embrace AI as a tool, alongside honed data literacy and critical thinking. Those who possess these skills can proficiently interpret reports, comprehend data models and algorithms, and transform findings into actionable strategies. Srinivas Konidena | CTO & VP, APAC PRODUCTS, ADP

Gen AI has been a major game changer for HR with its potential to transform workforce productivity, increase new growth opportunities and achieve better employee satisfaction. Its adoption has been rapid, where generative AI not only assists in completing daily mundane tasks in less time, but also supports in better decision making and enhancing employee experiences. With embedded Gen AI, HR teams today can streamline processes, such as hiring, talent management, career development, and service delivery. Shailesh Singla | SENIOR DIRECTOR, APPLICATIONS, ORACLE INDIA

THE RISE OF MIXTURE OF EXPERTS

Mixture of Experts (MoE) architecture has emerged as a powerful approach to improving the performance and efficiency of large AI models, particularly in natural language processing and other complex tasks. This architecture has helped push the boundaries of what’s possible with AI, enabling more sophisticated and capable models while managing computational resources more effectively.

At its core, the MoE architecture is based on the principle of divideand-conquer. Instead of having a single, massive neural network tackle all aspects of a task, MoE divides the problem into subtasks and employs multiple “expert” networks, each specialising in different aspects of the overall task. A gating network then decides which experts to activate for any given input, effectively routing the data to the most appropriate specialists.

This approach offers several key advantages:

1. Increased Model Capacity | MoE allows for dramatically larger models without a proportional increase in computational cost. By activating only a subset of experts for each input, the model can have a vast number of parameters while keeping the active computation relatively small.

2. Specialisation and Efficiency | Different experts can specialize in handling different types of inputs or subtasks. This specialization leads to more efficient processing and often better performance on specific types of data.

3. Improved Scalability | MoE architectures can capacity and potential performance without necessarily increasing the computation required for each forward pass.

4. Better Handling of Diverse Tasks | In multitask learning scenarios, different experts can specialize in different tasks, allowing the model to perform well across a wide range of applications.

5. Reduced Overfitting | By activating only relevant experts for each input, MoE models can reduce overfitting on specific patterns in the training data.

The implementation of MoE has led to significant improvements in various AI models. For instance, Google’s Switch Transformer and subsequent models have demonstrated how MoE can be used to create language models with over a trillion parameters, far exceeding the size of traditional transformer models while maintaining or improving performance and reducing computational costs. be scaled more easily than traditional models. Adding more experts increases the model’s overall

GLOSSARY OF IN-GROUP TERMS USED ON THIS PAGE

ETL PROCESS

ETL, which stands for Extract, Transform, and Load, is a crucial process in data integration and management. It involves three main steps that work together to move and process data from various sources into a target system.

The process begins with the Extract phase, where data is gathered from diverse source systems. These sources can include databases, flat files, APIs, or even web scraping. The goal is to collect all relevant data for further processing.

Next comes the Transform stage, where the extracted data is cleaned, formatted, and restructured to meet the requirements of the target system. This may involve data cleansing to remove duplicates and correct errors, standardisation to ensure consistent formats, enrichment by adding derived or calculated values, aggregation or summarisation, and the application of business rules or complex calculations.

Finally, the Load phase involves importing the transformed data into the target system. This is often a data warehouse, data mart, or database.

The loading process ensures that the data is stored in a format that supports reporting, analysis, and other business processes.

ETL is essential for creating a unified view of data from disparate sources, enabling better decisionmaking and analytics. It’s commonly used in business intelligence, data warehousing, and data migration projects.

TECH TRENDS

Robots and humans will share autonomy: Expert

We’re trying to get robots to start making informed decisions that are potentially beyond the realms of human intelligence. In the next five to 10 years, what we’re going to see is not solutions that are fully autonomous, we’re going to see observations that are somewhere in between, where we have humans still in control of many of the high-level goals, but the robot will take a lot of decisions on their own. And this is what we call shared autonomy. Sethu Vijaykumar | DIRECTOR, ROBOTICS AND AI, ALAN TURING INSTITUTE

Akhil.George@timesofindia.com

In a world racing towards artificial intelligence dominance, Sethu Vijayakumar is advocating for a more nuanced approach: shared autonomy between humans and machines.

Vijayakumar, director of robotics and AI at the Alan Turing Institute and a chair professor of robotics at the University of Edinburgh, believes the next frontier in robotics isn’t about replacing humans, but enhancing their capabilities.

“We’re trying to get robots that can make decisions on their own, start making informed decisions that are potentially beyond the realms of human intelligence,” Vijayakumar said during a presentation at the first day of the International Gen AI conclave held in Kochi, Kerala on Thursday. “But in the next five to 10 years, what we’re going to see is not solutions that are fully autonomous, but solutions that are somewhere in between.”

This vision of shared autonomy could revolutionise industries ranging from manufacturing to healthcare. In one example, Vijayakumar showcased how a “tele-barista” robot in Tokyo is able to prepare coffee while being partially controlled by remote operators — includ- ing individuals with disabilities who might otherwise be unable to join the workforce.

The applications extend far beyond coffee shops. Vijayakumar’s lab is working with NASA on robots that could maintain assets on Mars, and with Honda on collaborative robots for assembly lines. In healthcare, they’re developing smart prosthetics and rehabilitation robots for patients with neurodegenerative diseases.

However, Vijayakumar cautions against unrealistic expectations. “We tend to overestimate technology in the short term,” he said. “People go with the hype. And they think that generally VR, or robotics, or AI, or machine learning in general, is the next best thing to sliced bread, and it can solve all your problems.”

Instead, he advocates for a measured approach that acknowledges both the potential and limitations of current technology while preparing for future advancements. This is particularly relevant for countries like India, which Vijayakumar believes should leapfrog to high-value AI applications rather than simply catching up in areas already dominated by other nations.

As robotics and AI continue to evolve, Vijayakumar emphasises the need to address underlying challenges, including safety, security, and ethical considerations. “Our responsibility is not just to say this is a wonderful piece of technology,” he said. “It’s trying to get the public to understand where it works, where it does not, what are the vulnerabilities.”

AI TOOLS

Kunal, Vignesh use AI to clean data easily

(from left) Hexo.AI cofounders Vignesh Baskaran and Kunal Bhatia

Shilpa.Phadnis@timesgroup.com

Kunal Bhatia and Vignesh Baskaran founded Hexo in 2022 with the idea of assisting enterprises harness the power of unstructured data through the use of autonomous AI agents. The company leverages AI to unlock valuable insights from previously untapped data sources.

Kunal, an alumnus of BITS Pilani, is a three-time AI entrepreneur, having built startups across edtech and IoT that leveraged AI. Vignesh, Hexo’s CTO, brings over 12 years of AI and deep learning experience. Vignesh previously led the machine learning research team at case study platform Darts-IP, where his algorithm contributed to the firm’s $61 million acquisition. He holds a Master’s in AI from KU Leuven University in Belgium.

The inspiration for Hexo stemmed from the founders’ first-hand experience with the time-consuming and labourintensive process of data cleaning and processing across various AI projects. Recognising the untapped potential of generative AI models, Kunal and Vignesh set out to develop a solution that could automate the extraction of deep data from unstructured sources, making it readily accessible and actionable for enterprises worldwide.

Kunal says approximately 80% of data accessible to organisations is unstructured, a vast ocean of information locked in unstructured formats like PDFs, audio files, videos, and web pages. “Traditionally, extracting insights from this unstructured data is a manual, labour-intensive ETL (extract-transform-load) process. This process is usually built and managed by expensive data engineers who write custom web scraping and parsing scripts. As a result, over 90% of a data team’s time is consumed in building these data pipelines, taking the focus away from the real value creation tasks such as analytics,” he says.

Hexo’s AI systems employ autonomous web browser agents, large language models, vision models, and audio transcription models to extract valuable structured data from unstructured and undefined sources. Given a task, Hexo’s AI agent develops a plan, navigating websites and applications autonomously, just like a human would. It then extracts and transforms data from various sources, including websites, PDFs, Excel files, audio, and video, into structured formats. This approach significantly reduces the time and effort required for data preparation, allowing teams to concentrate on deriving insights and making data-driven decisions.

Hexo’s platform is already being utilised by a diverse set of enterprises, including data vendors, financial asset managers, and BPOs, who rely on it to fetch and extract data from unconventional sources and convert it into actionable insights via API connectors. For investment analysts, Hexo’s AI agent scours the internet to gather pertinent data from non-traditional sources. In the BPO sector, Hexo’s AI agent autonomously navigates multiple applications and files, significantly reducing the reliance on manual data entry and decision-making tasks performed by BPO workers, ultimately enhancing efficiency and profitability.

“As GenAI capabilities continue to evolve, we also offer consulting services to help enterprises explore and identify opportunities where GenAI can significantly enhance their operations,” says Kunal.

AROUND THE WORLD THIS WEEK

Samsung to release upgraded Bixby

Samsung plans to release an upgraded version of its Bixby voice assistant powered by artificial intelligence later this year. The AIenhanced Bixby will be based on Samsung’s own large language models, rather than relying on third-party AI like ChatGPT or Google Gemini. The upgrade aims to make Bixby more conversational and capable of handling complex, multi-step tasks across different apps. While other tech giants have integrated AI into their digital assistants, Samsung’s Bixby has lagged behind in 2024 updates. Apple’s AI-powered Siri is also expected to receive an upgrade in iOS 18 next year.

IS AI RESHAPING THE WORLD?

AI will create new jobs with different skills

Shaji Mathew | GROUP HEAD, HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT, INFOSYS

AI is advancing rapidly, transforming our daily lives and enhancing productivity. While AI will automate certain tasks and reinvent traditional work methods, it will also create new jobs requiring different skills. Organisations should work towards leveraging AI to cultivate a futureready workforce by focusing on integrating AI with human capabilities instead of replacing them. Employers should focus on creating learning opportunities and training employees in relevant AI skills. This can include training programmers to write better AI algorithms, designers to use generative AI, talent acquisition managers to utilise AI-assisted recruitment tools, and upskilling technical workers as prompt engineers, data ethicists, and AI auditors. AI-powered learning systems can personalise the learning experience for each employee. At Infosys, we believe that encouraging employees to use AI to enhance their human capabilities, such as creative thinking and innovation, will help alleviate their concerns and reduce skepticism about AI.

Times Sport

- THE GRASS JASMINE

- ‘Debut was more than I could have dreamt for’

- Can Musetti stop the Djokovic juggernaut?

- I could have done better in tennis: Saina

- GALLERY

- WI look down the barrel at Lord’s

- ‘Shocked’: Avesh Khan on Bishnoi’s spectacular catch

- ASH BARTY PLAYS EXHIBITION DOUBLES BUT HAPPY TO STAY RETIRED

- SACKED PAKISTAN SELECTORS DENY SHOWING FAVOUR

- SHAN MASOOD TO CONTINUE AS PAK TEST CAPTAIN

- HASARANGA STEPS DOWN AS SL T20 SKIPPER

- Heading to Paris as experienced, better players: Satwik-Chirag

- OLIVER’S TWIST!

- ALL WE NEED IS LOVE, SAYS OFT-DERIDED SOUTHGATE AFTER POSITIVE DECISIONS SHOW PROGRESS

- THE PENALTY DEBATE RAGES

- Colombia emerge winners in fractious semifinal contest

- For Dutch, there’s no need to look back in anger

- SUCCESS AT YOUTH LEVEL

- FRENCH REFEREE FRANCOIS LETEXIER TO HANDLE FINAL

THE GRASS JASMINE

Paolini Outlasts Vekic To Reach Second Consecutive Grand Slam Final

Prajwal.Hegde@timesofindia.com

London: Jasmine Paolini sprinted across the lawn and chased down a drop shot midway through the Wimbledon semifinal. Donna Vekic replied with a heavily spun topspin lob. The Italian had no business getting to the ball, she was almost kissing the net cord when she turned and charged back to the baseline. Racket on ball, she got it over the net. Vekic, whose forehand was calling the shots until that point, thumped the ball wide.

Centre Court gasped. There was a hint of a smile on Paolini’s expressive face, a reminder perhaps to never count her out. Vekic, hands on hips, also smiled, but for a whole different reason.

That right there — with the sun casting a glow on SW19 for the second successive afternoon — was where the first of the ladies’ semifinals turned. An extraordinary contest, where every nook and corner of the court was used and covered. Lines met an- gles and power met poise.

Paolini, the No. 7 seed, stopped the inspired run of Vekic, 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (8) in two hours and 51 minutes in the longest women’s singles match in Wimbledon history.

Paolini, the first Italian woman to reach the Wimbledon final in the Open Era, and the first player to reach the final at Roland Garros and the Championships in the same year since Serena Williams in 2016, will play the winner of the Elena Rybakina-Barbora Krecjikova clash in the title match on Saturday.

What turned the three-hour affair into gripping cinema was the back stories of these two women, both 28 years of age.

Some of the shots Vekic hit, you could see a lifetime’s work on it. The RPMs were singing. On the other side, Paolini’s resolve shone brighter than the sun, while her craft sparkled.

They have both loved and lived, had their hearts broken and wills tested. Vekic’s body was so bruised and beaten that two months ago she was seriously considering walking away from the sport. The Croat made her first Grand Slam semifinal in her 43rd major, after losing in the first round 20 times. Paolini, 5’4’’, had lost in the first round of her three previous Wimbledon main draw appearances, earlier she had fallen in the qualifiers thrice. It wasn’t until January, in Australia, that she had made the second week of a Grand Slam.

The semifinal then stood for everything women’s sport stands for — titanic ability, physical and mental; pulsating power, lightning speed, resilience. And an unbendable steel.

Vekic, clearly injured, and struggling to motor on, sobbed. Paolini screamed ‘forza’.

Then, when it was all over, the seventh seed led the Centre Court applause as Vekic walked off the court.

“It was really tough today, she played unbelievable. She was hitting winners everywhere, I was struggling at the beginning, but I told myself to fight for every ball. I’m so happy with this win,” Paolini said. She then added with a smile, “This match I will remember forever.” She is not alone.

KREJCIKOVA RIDES RYBAKINA PUNCHES TO REACH FINAL

London: Barbora Krejcikova produced a superb comeback to reach her first Wimbledon final, showing stubborn resilience in the face of a relentless attack from former champion Elena Rybakina to triumph 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Thursday. Rybakina had threatened to run away with the contest in the first set, racing to a 5-1 lead with her brand of full-throttle high intensity tennis. Yet after losing the opener, Krejcikova dug in and eventually fathomed the puzzle on the other side of the net, breaking in the sixth game of the second set.

REUTERS

‘Debut was more than I could have dreamt for’

London: Gus Atkinson said he was still digesting his own stunning Test debut for England on Wednesday, after he took seven West Indies wickets for 45 runs – one of the best starts by an Englishman in the longest form of the game.

“I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet to be honest, looking up at the board and seeing my figures and just thinking ‘Wow’. It’s a very special day,” he said. “(It was) more than I could have dreamt for.”

Atkinson felt he had benefited by not being in the limelight. “The focus was on Jimmy (Anderson). So it was nice to just focus on performing as best as I could,” he said.

AGENCIES

Can Musetti stop the Djokovic juggernaut?

Holder Alcaraz Up Against Medvedev In The Semis

DJOKOVIC

Prajwal.Hegde@timesofindia.com

London: Lorenzo Musetti’s play has been doing some talking at Wimbledon. The 22-yearold Italian is the owner of a single-handed backhand, that’s all art, and a forehand that’s precise and fiery. Timing is his touch. Musetti, 6 ft 1’, is slightly built, and has wheels that are both fast and sturdy.

If the world No.25’s win over Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, putting him in the last-four of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career, is any indication of the mental miles he may have covered in recent weeks, expect a cracker of a last-four clash against the seven-time champion Novak Djokovic on Friday.

In the first of the last-four clashes —defending champion Carlos Alcaraz goes up against Daniil Medvedev in a replay of their US Open semifinals last September.

Musetti trails Djokovic 1-5 in head-to-head clashes, their rivalry (so far) bookended by their only two meetings in majors, both at Roland Garros, and on both occasions Musetti going down in five-sets without winning a game in the deciding set. The first time was three years ago, a teenager then, he retired from the match (when trailing 0-4 in the fifth set) and again last month in the third round after Musetti had taken the second and third sets.

The Italian was in a similar situation against Fritz, leading by two-sets-to-one. The American fell back 0-40 in the fifth game of the fourth set, where Musetti had four chances to break, but came up short.

The Italian media groaned in unison, they had seen this before. In his box his long-time coach Simone Tartarini could hardly believe all that was playing out before him.

Musetti was doing a Musetti again. Until he undid it in a stirring fifth set where he lost just 13 points. The 22-year-old’s Roland Garros third-round match against Djokovic finished at 3 am. “I had my chances. I didn’t take the chances, especially in the fourth where I was leading,” Musetti said at Wimbledon, some 40 days later. “I have analyzed that match, the key moments and where I could do better. I put myself in that position again. In the past weeks, I started to feel more continuous with that attitude.”

In his two grasscourt events before Wimbledon Musetti made the semifinal in Stuttgart and final at Queen’s Club. “Even against Fritz I have that attitude, especially after losing the first set where I didn’t feel my serve really well. I didn’t feel the ball. I was a little bit nervous,” he said.

“Then immediately with a positive attitude I changed my mindset, and also the feeling with the ball was better.”

The Italian’s victory over Fritz has given him a 4-6 winloss record in five-set matches.

“I’ve had many, many tough losses (at Grand Slams). Especially in the French Open,” he said. “The losses made me think, made me work harder.”

“With Djokovic, I always finished the match with a lesson,” Musetti said. “Against him you are probably more stressed because he’s probably the best player ever or one of the best players ever. If I play in a certain way, I could have my shot in the next round.”

MUSETTI

MEN’S SEMIFINALS FACE-OFF

NOVAK DJOKOVIC VS LORENZO MUSETTI

HEAD-TO-HEAD:

Djokovic leads 5-1

5 Lorenzo Musetti has become the only the fifth player in the Open Era to reach more than three ATP level semifinals in a season before turning 23, after Jimmy Connors (1974), Vitas Gerulaitis (1977), John McEnroe (1980) and Pat Cash (1987).

3 At 37 years and 49 days, Novak Djokovic has become only the third player aged above 37 in the Open Era to reach a men’s singles semifinal at Wimbledon after Ken Rosewall (1974) and Roger Federer (2019)

CARLOS ALCARAZ VS DANIIL MEDVEDEV

HEAD-TO-HEAD:

Alcaraz leads 4-2

2 At 21 years and 65 days, Carlos Alcaraz is only the second youngest player in the Open Era to reach the men’s singles semifinal at Roland Garros and Wimbledon in consecutive years, older only than Rafael Nadal (21 years 33 days).

9 Daniil Medvedev has reached a ninth men’s singles semifinal at a Grand Slam, surpassing Alexander Zverev (8) for the most of any player born since 1990.

I could have done better in tennis: Saina

New Delhi:Trailblazing Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal feels she would have perhaps excelled more as a sportsperson if she had picked a tennis racquet instead of playing badminton. Nehwal has an impressive resume as a badminton player. Not only she became the first Indian woman shuttler to be ranked No. 1 in the world, she was the first woman athlete from the country to win an Olympic medal. “I feel that it would have been good if my parents had put me in tennis,” Saina said during her “Her Story–My Story” talk at the Rashtrapati Bhawan. “There is more money and I had more strength I think. Icould have done better in tennis than badminton.”

PTI

GALLERY

Was unhappy after being dropped for T20 WC game vs Afghans: Starc

Sydney: Australian pacer Mitchell Starc has expressed his displeasure at being dropped for the crucial T20 World Cup Super Eights match against Afghanistan in the Caribbean, saying he was not one bit amused by the team management’s decision. Australia suffered a shocking 21-run loss to Afghanistan, which dealt a massive blow to Australia’s chances of entering the semifinals. “No — two World Cups in a row,” Starc was quoted as saying by Sydney Morning Herald on Willow Talk podcast when quizzed about his omission. “Just the match-up, they (team management) saw previous games on that ground in St Vincent with spin playing a part and obviously Ash (Ashton) and the left-armer enticing them to make a change.”

Sprinter Asinga sues Gatorade over ‘recovery gummies’ after ban: Surinamese sprinter Issamade Asinga sued the Gatorade Company on Wednesday, alleging his recent doping ban was the result of eating contaminated “recovery gummies” that the brand manufactured. Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) handed Asinga a four-year suspension in May.

Opportunity for Indians to get direct entry into junior French Open: Indian players will get an opportunity along with other Asian competitors to earn a direct entry into the junior French Open next year through the inaugural Roland-Garros Junior Series -a qualifying event to be held from October 16-20 in Tokyo. To make it to the Tokyo event, the players in the Asian region will first have to compete in the regional qualifiers in Kazakhstan (August 5-9) and China (August 11-17).

Danish rider Morkov withdraws from Tour de France because of Covid: Veteran rider Michael Morkov withdrew from the Tour de France before the 12th stage because of a Covid-19 infection, his Astana team said on Thursday. The 39-year-old Dane tested positive on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning.

Record 8.6 million tickets sold for Paris Olympics: The Paris Olympics already has one gold medal in the bag before it begins with 8.6 million tickets sold -a record for any Games. “It’s a record held by the 1996 Atlanta Games of 8.3 million tickets, and we’ve already passed that total some time ago,” Games organiser Tony Estanguet said.

AGENCIES

ACTION TODAY

ATHLETICS: Diamond League, Monaco, 11.30 pm (Jiocinema);

CRICKET: England vs WI, 1st Test, Day 3, 3.30 pm (Sony Sports);

CYCLING: Tour De France, Stage 13, 7.30 pm (Eurosport);

TENNIS: Wimbledon, 3.30 pm (Star Sports)

WI look down the barrel at Lord’s

INCISIVE SPELL: James Anderson celebrates Alick Athanaze’s wicket

London: James Anderson led the way in his farewell international match as England closed in on a crushing innings win over the West Indies in the first Test at Lord’s on Thursday. The West Indies had slumped to 79-6 in their second innings at stumps on the second day, still a mammoth 171 runs behind England’s first-innings 371, with Anderson having taken a miserly 2-11 in 10 overs.

England great Anderson came into his 188th and last Test before international retirement having already taken 700 wickets – the most by any fast bowler in the 147-year history of the format.

Yet the 41-year-old had to wait until dismissing last man Jayden Seales in the first innings to extend that tally to 701. But it was a different story on Thursday as Anderson reduced the tourists to 12-1 by bowling West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite with a ball that nipped back off the seam.

Earlier Smith, averaging over fifty in the County Championship this season for title-holders Surrey, made an eye-catching 70 during an assured 119-ball innings that included eight fours and two sixes.

It was the fifth fifty of England’s innings, with Smith follow- ing Zak Crawley (76), Joe Root (68), Pope (57) and Harry Brook (50) to the landmark.

England resumed Thursday on 189-3, already 68 runs ahead and they again scored briskly against the wayward West Indies quicks before left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie briefly staunched the flow of runs by bowling both Stokes and former skipper Root with sharply turning deliveries.

BRIEF SCORES: WI 121 and 79/6 (Anderson 2-11, Stokes 2-25, Atkinson 2-27) vs England 371 (Crawley 76, Smith 70, Root 68, Pope 57; Seales 4-77, Motie 2-41, Holder 2-58).

AGENCIES

‘Shocked’: Avesh Khan on Bishnoi’s spectacular catch

Ravi Bishnoi and teammates celebrate Brian Bennett’s wicket on Wednesday

Harare: Ravi Bishnoi’s fielding has always had a touch of athleticism but he took it to a different plane in the third T20I against Zimbabwe when he leapt to pluck a screamer off Avesh Khan to dismiss Brian Bennett, leaving his India teammate in awe. Avesh later said he was left “shocked” for a moment. “When he took the catch, I don’t think he got the reaction time. I also did not get the reaction time (to see what happened). I was, in fact, shocked how he took that catch,” said Avesh, who took two wickets as India restricted Zimbabwe to 159/6 in the chase of 182.

Avesh added that the wicket should be credited to Bishnoi’s account. “...the scoreboard will show that it (wicket) was taken by me, but it should be credited in his (Bishnoi’s) account.”

PTI

ASH BARTY PLAYS EXHIBITION DOUBLES BUT HAPPY TO STAY RETIRED

London: Ash Barty was searching for a thesaurus after her exhibition doubles match at Wimbledon on Wednesday.

A three-time Grand Slam singles champion, Barty retired just over two years ago at the age of 25. She plans to stay retired. “You guys are killing me,” Barty told journalists. “Anyone have a thesaurus for a word that I can use for no?”

Barty played an invitation doubles match on Centre Court three years to the day after she beat Karolina Pliskova for the Wimbledon title.

The Australian’s return to the All England Club naturally sparked questions about whether she would come back.

Not interested, she said. A year ago, Barty gave birth to a baby boy. She’s also doing commentary for the BBC’s coverage of Wimbledon.

“I’ve got a beautiful commentary box on both Centre and Court 1,” she said. “You get a good view and are able to absorb what’s happening out on the court. Hopefully people at home are enjoying what I’m having to say. I don’t know whether I’m right, wrong or indifferent, but I’m enjoying it as well.”

The 28-year-old Barty said she doesn’t ponder what would have been had she stayed on tour to battle Iga Swiatek for the No. 1 ranking.

“I really enjoy watching others do well,” she said.

AP

SACKED PAKISTAN SELECTORS DENY SHOWING FAVOUR

Lahore: Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq on Thursday rubbished allegations of favouring certain Pakistan players and forcing other selectors to toe the line in the T20 World Cup. Both the former Test cricketers were on Wednesday sacked as selectors.

It was alleged that Wahab had ignored uncooperative and bad behaviour from pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi in the T20 World Cup. Wahab and Razzaq were also alleged to have insisted on selecting some players who were not in form or fully fit.

Wahab said in a statement, “I don’t agree with claims that I put pressure on other members of the selection committee.” Razzaq said the selectors took collective decisions which were determined by the majority votes.

AGENCIES

SHAN MASOOD TO CONTINUE AS PAK TEST CAPTAIN

Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and coach Jason Gillespie have reposed faith in Shan Masood to continue as national team’s Test captain ahead of a packed international season, but a decision on the leadership role of Babar Azam in white ball formats has been put on hold. The PCB held a meeting here on Wednesday to discuss Pakistan’s meek outing in the T20 World Cup.

However, no decision was taken on Babar’s white ball captaincy although his performance as captain and batsman came under a lot of discussion.

HASARANGA STEPS DOWN AS SL T20 SKIPPER

HASARANGA

Colombo: Sri Lanka’s T20 captain Wanindu Hasaranga resigned Thursday ahead of India’s white ball tour of the island later this month, the cricket board said. The 26-yearold all-rounder quit following Sri Lanka’s early exit from the T20 World Cup in June.

Sri Lanka Cricket said Hasaranga decided to give up the captaincy and remain in the side as a player in the “best interest” of the team.

“Sri Lanka will always have my utmost best efforts as a player, and I will support and stand by my team and leadership as always,” he said in his resignation letter to SLC. No replacement was announced and Kusal Mendis remained the country’s ODI skipper with Dhananjaya de Silva staying on as Test captain.

Heading to Paris as experienced, better players: Satwik-Chirag

Satwiksairaj (in front) & Chirag

Sabi.Hussain@timesofindia.com

New Delhi: A lot has been riding on the strong shoulders of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty to keep India’s medal-winning momentum in badminton going at the Olympic Games. The Indian shuttlers have returned with at least one medal from each of the last three editions of the Games – Saina Nehwal in London 2012 and P V Sindhu in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. All these medals came in the singles event. But this time, the badminton aficionados have placed bets on men’s doubles — the country’s most successful pair of Satwik and Chirag.

“We are heading to the Paris Olympics not only as better badminton players, but also as a pair which has more experience as a team. We have trained well for the Games and are confident about our chances to finish on the podium,” Chirag told TOI.

Satwik concurred that over the last three years since their debut Olympics in Tokyo, both of them have evolved as players and have become more mature. “The Tokyo Olympics were conducted under different circumstances due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It was our debut Olympics and a huge learning experience for us. Over the years, we have grown a lot both as players and also as a team. We are good at game awareness and kmow how to pull back things from a difficult situation. We understand that people will have expectations from us. We will look to stay focused on our ultimate aim of winning a medal in Paris and make the country proud,” Satwik said.

The financial assistance provided by the government towards hiring foreign sparring partners and video analysts for pre-Olympic training camps in Mumbai and Hyderabad have helped Satwik and Chirag in their pursuit for success at the Games. Satwik and Chirag, who are currently the third-ranked pair in BWF world rankings in the men’s doubles, have endured a topsy-turvy ride on the tour this season after tasting success in the last two years.

The duo clinched gold medals at the Asian Games and CWG, and had podium finishes at the World and Asian Championships, Thomas Cup and Super Series meets. This year so far, the duo made the finals of three tournaments but couldn’t cross the finish line. They did win titles at French and Thailand Opens but recently lost at the Singapore Open. While many would say consistency might be missing from their game, the duo doesn’t seem overly worried about it.

“Paris is going to be a tough challenge. Every match and every opponent will count. We will be up against some formidable pairs and we are ready for that challenge. We will trust our instincts and play the natural attacking game. It’s not just about power but bringing together your ‘A’ gam

e. We know when to raise the level of our game,” Chirag said.

OLIVER’S TWIST!

Watkins Is The Unlikely Toast Of England After His Last-Gasp Winner Denies The Dutch; Spain Await In Final

LATE ENTRY: Ollie Watkins’ smasher in the 90th minute takes England to their first final of a major tournament overseas

Dortmund: Ollie Watkins is, in his own words, a realist.

He has never pictured himself playing at a major tournament for England — especially when, as a teenager learning his trade as a striker, he was sent on loan to English sixth-tier club Weston-super-Mare in 2015.

So imagine what went through Watkins’ mind when he saw his stoppage time shot fly past Netherlands goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen and into the bottom corner to earn England a place in the European Championship final?

He had only made one previous appearance at Euro 2024 — as a substitute in the group game against Denmark — so it was a surprise when he was introduced by Southgate in the 80th minute in England’s biggest match so far.

The gamble paid off. Fed by another substitute in Cole Palmer, Watkins took a touch with his back to goal just inside the area and, from a tight angle, smashed a fierce shot into the bottom corner. “I don’t think I’ve hit a ball that sweet before,” Watkins said after England’s 2-1 victory over the Dutch in the semifinals on Wednesday.

It was an incredible finish to an evening that began badly for England, as Xavi Simons gave the Netherlands an early lead in the semifinal in Dortmund. However, England were soon level through a Harry Kane penalty following a contentious VAR call by German referee Felix Zwayer, and the match looked set for extra time until Watkins struck.

Suddenly, Watkins is the toast of England, an improbable turnaround in fortunes for a striker who had played 24 minutes at Euro 2024 — as a substitute in the group stage against Denmark — before replacing captain Harry Kane in the 80th minute for the biggest moment of his career.

Being an understudy for Kane, England’s all-time leading scorer with 66 goals, is a tough business. Minutes are scarce — Kane typically plays the full game — so every opportunity has to be grasped. Watkins did just that with a goal that fans of the Premier League have seen time and again in his games playing for Aston Villa.

Darting behind the Dutch defence in a manner that is beyond Kane these days, Watkins controlled a pass from Cole Palmer with his back to goal then, in one movement, swiveled and fired a low shot through the legs of Netherlands defender Stefan De Vrij and past Verbruggen from a narrow angle. “That’s my bread and butter — running in behind, causing trouble,” Watkins said.

If that sounds quite basic, then that’s the kind of striker Watkins is.

Hard-working. Selfless. Pretty much the ultimate team player.

“I’ve put in a lot of hard work to get to this point,” said Watkins, who was tied as the fourth top scorer in the Premier League this season with 19 goals. “It’s not just this season, it’s cumulative. I’ve done a lot of hard work and I’m going to enjoy every moment.”

That was evident as Watkins was engulfed by joyous teammates on the field at Westfalenstadion after his goal, his fourth for England. Two of them came against San Marino, the world’s lowest-ranked team.

“It was slow motion when I was running to the boys and celebrating... I didn’t want to leave the pitch,” he said.

“I’ve had a few messages from my friends saying, ‘Be patient, you’re going to get an opportunity.’ When I’ve been on the bench, I’ve definitely said to (backup goalkeeper) Dean Henderson, ‘I can make a difference today, I need to get on that pitch.’ Obviously I’ve taken my chance when I’ve got it and I’ve scored and now we’re in the final.”

Southgate smiled as he said Watkins had “saved us another half hour” of extra time, which England needed to get past Slovakia and Switzerland previously in the knockout stage. “Very, very special for him,” Southgate said.

AP

ALL WE NEED IS LOVE, SAYS OFT-DERIDED SOUTHGATE AFTER POSITIVE DECISIONS SHOW PROGRESS

SOUTHGATE

Dortmund: England took a long time to get going in Germany but they marched on to Berlin buoyed by more late drama and their best performance of the tournament.

So often derided for his failure to change games from the bench despite the depth of talent at his disposal, England boss Gareth Southgate could drink in the acclaim in Dortmund as his bold substitutions made a decisive impact. “We all want to be loved, right? So, when you’re doing something for your country and you’re a proud Englishman and when you don’t feel that back and when all you read is criticism, it’s hard,” Southgate told reporters.

“So, to be able to celebrate a second final is very, very special.”

With the game slipping out of his side’s grasp after a dominant first half, Southgate replaced captain Harry Kane and Phil Foden with Watkins and Cole Palmer 10 minutes from time. The two subs combined to send England into the final. In typical fashion, Southgate refused to gloat when asked about the changes, quietly saying “sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t”.

However, he did reveal some of the thinking that pundits do not immediately see from the outside when he said one of the reasons for opting for Watkins was his ability to press defenders.

Southgate learned his lesson from defeat by Croatia in the 2018 World Cup semi-finals and the Euro 2020 final against Italy by injecting fresh energy from the bench. “The lads are singing in the dressing room, but they’re straight in the ice,” said Southgate, with his eyes firmly on the prize.

AGENCIES

THE PENALTY DEBATE RAGES

England’s penalty came just after the quarter-hour mark when Kane sent a shot over the bar and was caught on the followthrough by Denzel Dumfries. Contact was minimal and seemingly innocuous, but German referee Felix Zwayer pointed to the spot after coming over to the VAR monitor.

THE VOICES:

VIRGIL VAN DIJK

I think the penalty moment is a big moment. I think England got some confidence from it. So many decisions didn’t go our way but I don’t want to talk about the referee today. Maybe he should come here and speak about it too. But I think it says it all that the referee went in quite quickly after the game, had no time to shake his hand.”

RONALD KOEMAN

This is not a penalty. His only attention was to block a shot. Kane then shoots and their feet collide. Football is getting broken with these type of calls by VAR!

DALE JOHNSON, VAR EXPERT:

It’s a very harsh intervention by the VAR, Bastian Dankert. He has taken the nature of Dumfries’ challenge, leading with the studs as opposed to making an attempt to kick through the ball, as being reckless -which is why the Netherlands’ player was booked. And that’s the one area where a defender catching an attacker after a shot can be seen as a penalty — when it’s reckless or dangerous.

GARY NEVILLE, FORMER ENGLAND DEFENDER, ON ITV:

Look, as a defender, I think it’s an absolute disgrace. It’s an absolutely disgraceful decision, that. To have that given against me as a penalty, at any time, but in a game of such importance. he just goes in to try and block the shot. It’s nowhere near a penalty and I have to say, I don’t think there weren’t many England players claiming for it either. Harry stayed down, he got a little bit of a tap on his foot, but it’s never a penalty for me.

REMEMBER KANE’S PENALTY IN EURO 2020 SEMIS: THAT WAS ALSO DISPUTED FOR RAHEEM STERLING’S ‘DIVE’

There was an increasing outcry over the penalty awarded for a foul on Raheem Sterling in extra time. An array of media and football figures joined Danish fans in condemning the penalty as too cheap for such a big game. Sterling, who had been accused of diving before in EPL that season, went down in the box after minimal contact from Denmark’s Joakim Maehle. Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was among those doubting. “It’s important the referee is absolutely convinced it was a penalty. It was not clear enough to say ‘yes it is’. He should have at least had a look at the screen,” he said.

WHAT THE RULEBOOK SAYS

Rules set by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), which UEFA abide by, perhaps explained why referee Felix Zwayer gave the spot kick. The rule states: “It is committed with an opponent nearby and prevents the opponent from playing the ball for fear of injury. Playing in a dangerous manner involves no physical contact between the players. If there is physical contact, the action becomes an offence punishable with a direct free kick or penalty kick. In the case of physical contact, the referee should carefully consider the high probability that misconduct has also been committed.”

WAS THERE A BUKAYO SAKA HANDBALL IN THE MOVE LEADING UP TO PENALTY?

The awarding of a penalty to England after Denzel Dumfries caught Harry Kane on the foot has sparked controversy, with some questioning the decision further due to an alleged handball by Bukayo Saka in the build-up to the incident. The potential infringement was not identified by VAR. One supporter expressed his opinion on social media, stating: “VAR even missed or didn’t care about Saka’s handball on both hands before the penalty situation. Lucky England should thank the refs.”

Ewan MacKenna, a sports writer, also shared his thoughts on the matter, suggesting that VAR not only failed to advise the referee to review the penalty decision on the monitor, as per guidelines, but also neglected to rewind the footage to show Saka’s alleged handball that led to the situation. MacKenna questioned the competence of the professionals reviewing the footage, stating: “I really don’t think pros looking at TV can be that incompetent. Stinks.”

AP

JONAS ERIKSSON, FORMER FIFA REFEREE

Here, I am surprised that they don’t go and look and overturn the penalty. According to the rulebook, it is a penalty. In reality, when you have to interpret it, I don’t think it should be a punishment. It is a clear hand (from Saka) and it means that no penalty should be awarded to Kane.”

WHAT? Dutch skipper Van Dijk and Simons argue with the referee

TOUCH ME NOT: Saka (R) appeared to handle the ball in the build-up to the penalty incident

Colombia emerge winners in fractious semifinal contest

Face Messi’s Argentina In Final

Charlotte: Ten-man Colombia defeated Uruguay 1-0 to reach the final of the Copa America for the first time in 23 years after an ill-tempered semifinal on Wednesday. A 39th-minute Jefferson Lerma header sealed victory for the Colombians, who will now face holders Argentina in Sunday’s final in Miami.

Colombia coach Nestor Lorenzo said his team had been rewarded for their bravery. Down to 10 men for the entire second half, after Daniel Munoz was sent off just before the interval, Colombia held on for victory without the need for ultra-defensive tactics. “The truth is that it was a very tough match. Uruguay is an excellent team, with excellent players and a coach I admire a lot” Lorenzo said of his fellow Argentine, counterpart Marcelo Bielsa.

“But we took the lead, the risk, and we were even brave. When we were down one we kept two strikers and that is an act of courage that was rewarded,” said Lorenzo.

Munoz was dismissed after a wild elbow on Manuel Ugarte earned him a second yellow but Lorenzo had no harsh words for his player. “Dani is a little more down because he is a lion and he was betrayed by emotion. I gave him a hug and told him: without you we wouldn’t be here,” he said.

Lorenzo said he was relishing the final match-up against his compatriots. “This is going to be very nice, I am going to be (competing) with players I met during my career and who I admire a lot,” said the former Argentina assistant coach.

Winning run extends to 28 games

The win also extends Colombia’s unbeaten run to 28 games, 25 of them under Lorenzo’s guidance, and it breaks the previous record of 27 matches set between 1992 and 1994 when the likes of Carlos Valderrama and Freddy Rincon graced the side. “As we said we would, we went game by game. We did not surpass (the 90’s team) They left a base. So it is not leaving that behind, it is adding to it, so that Colombian football grows”.

AGENCIES

TEARS OF JOY: Rodriguez (on the ground) and teammates celebrate

Players climb into stands during in-stadia fan brawl

Darwin Nunez and about a dozen Uruguay teammates went into the stands as fans brawled at Bank of America Stadium after the end of the match. The crowd of 70,644 was about 90% in favour in Colombia, but a small patch of Uruguay fans fought with Colombia supporters as beverages were thrown. Nunez and teammates then climbed a staircase into the crowd. A video showed Nunez hitting a fan in Colombian colours. Uruguay captain Jose Gimenez said players went in the crowd to protect their families.

For Dutch, there’s no need to look back in anger

Dortmund: When the bitter disappointment of the semifinal defeat fades, the Netherlands will look back on a satisfying campaign at the Euros. The Dutch would surely have jumped at the possibility of a final-four placing if offered before the start of the tournament but after coming so close to the title decider defeat is hard to swallow.

“We felt we were the better team in the last 20 minutes, but then the knockout blow came just before the end. England scored a great goal and then it’s over. That’s hard to accept,” said coach Ronald Koeman.

The Dutch, who have now lost each of their last four semifinal appearances at the Euros, were handed a blow before the start of the tournament with the loss of Frenkie de Jong. Fellow midfielders Marten de Roon and Teun Koopmeiners, both from Europa League winners Atalanta, were also injured weeks before the tournament.

But the Dutch still possessed enough quality to seal qualification to the knockout phase before losing their last group game to Austria, which dropped them to third in the standings but, ironically, handed them a more favourable draw. That 3-2 defeat was followed by a week’s break before they met Romania in the round of 16 – ample time for refocused energies.

The resultant 3-0 win over Romania was a display of the team’s potential. The Netherlands’ quarters match-up against Turkiye was a much grittier assignment and they had to dig deep. They finally met their match in England. “I think everyone can be proud of this team,” added Koeman.

Cody Gakpo’s three goals confirmed he is best on the left side of the attack, while Nathan Ake, Denzel Dumfries and new first-choice goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen emerged with reputations enhanced.

REUTERS

SUCCESS AT YOUTH LEVEL

Many of Southgate’s squad in Germany have already experienced winning tournaments at youth level. Anthony Gordon and Cole Palmer were part of the side that beat Spain in the final to win England’s first Under-21 Euros after 39 years, 12 months. Ezri Konsa won the Under-20 World Cup in 2017, while the same year Phil Foden won player of the tournament alongside Marc Guehi and Conor Gallagher in winning the Under-17 World Cup.

FRENCH REFEREE FRANCOIS LETEXIER TO HANDLE FINAL

Berlin: French referee Francois Letexier was picked by UEFA to handle the European Championship final between Spain and England. The 35-year-old Letexier becomes one of the youngest referees to take charge of a major tournament final. Letexier already refereed three games at Euro 2024 including Spain’s 4-1 win over Georgia in the round of 16.

Delhi Times

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Fries before guys is Adah Sharma’s mantra

My mom used to cut up apple pieces and pass them off as French fries, and I would relish them. It is also one of the reasons I have trust issues with the world (laughs)

ADAH SHARMA

French Fry Day

On French Fry Day today, the actress speaks of her love for the delicious snack

Neha Maheshwri

You can call them by many names – French fries, finger chips, chips or simply fries. However, the feeling of ultimate comfort biting into one of these crispy, golden-brown batons of potato is something else. We caught Adah Sharma enjoying them on a rainy July morning, wearing a T-shirt that said, ‘Fries before guys’. She said, “I also read this quote, ‘Exercise? I thought you said extra fries’, which was funny, so that comes to mind. Even though I prefer to indulge in this tasty snack with my eyes more than my taste buds, on French Fry Day today, I guess it’s okay to cheat! By the way, air-fried is my favourite type and I also like them with potato skin on if I have a choice.”

CONTINUED ON 10

It’s reassuring to have been called back by Shankar sir for Hindustani 2: Siddharth

Shankar sir’s approach to both Kamal sir and me was the same. That’s what I found so fascinating and democratic

Roopa Radhakrishnan

Siddharth made his debut as a lead actor in Shankar’s Boys (2003). Now, 21 years later, he has reunited with the filmmaker for Lyca Productions’ Hindustani 2, which hits screens today.

“It’s rare for the renowned director who launched you to call you back for a film after two decades. I’m grateful that it has happened in my life. It’s reassuring that somebody who makes movies at the scale that Shankar sir does was able to fit you into their imagination not once but twice. Being called back was as surprising as it was the first time, ” states the actor.

The actor says that his character in the film is similar to his actual personality in some ways. “Shankar sir told me that when he was writing the character, there was a certain anger and fearlessness in the character, which he saw in my real personality,” he reveals.

Talking about performing with Kamal Haasan, the actor says, “To be able to perform with Kamal sir and see his process, and for him to see my process was exciting and humbling. It took a lot of preparation and work to separate my actor self and the fan in me. But once it happened, I was able to zone into the specific character and do what was given to me. Occasionally, the fan in me would pop his head up, but I was able to keep things under check.”

Siddharth, who shares that the original Hindustani had left a strong impression on him, says, “I watched it when I was just getting into college. If I had to choose to be a part of a sequel to Shankar sir’s films, my first choice would have been Hindustani. That’s a testament to the impression it made on me as a young man.”

Siddharth says he was excited to perform alongside Kamal Haasan (left) in Hindustani 2

Divyanka Tripathi and Vivek Dahiya robbed of their passports in Florence

We tried contacting the local police, but they dismissed our case, saying that without CCTV cameras in that specific area, they can’t help us. They even felt there was no point in them visiting the location

Divyanka Tripathi and Vivek Dahiya’s Eurpoean trip took a turn for the worse as the couple was robbed of their passports and belongings worth `10 lakh

Neha Maheshwri

Divyanka Tripathi and Vivek Dahiya have been on a trip to Europe, enjoying their time, until recently. The couple arrived in Florence on Wednesday, looking forward to exploring the city. Unfortunately, they were robbed of their passports, wallets, and other items worth `10 lakh.

Speaking to us yesterday, Vivek said, “Everything about this trip has been incredible, except for this incident. We arrived in Florence on Wednesday and planned to stay for a day. We went to check out a property we liked for our stay and left all our belongings in the car. However, when we returned, we were shocked to find that the car had been broken into, and our passports, wallets, and all our valuable items were gone.”

The actor reached out to the local police but found no help. He said, “We tried contacting the local police, but they dismissed our case, saying that without CCTV cameras in that specific area, they can’t help us. They even felt there was no point in them visiting the location. The police station shuts at 6pm, and after that, they can’t offer any assistance. We also tried reaching out to the embassy, but unfortunately, they had already closed for the day.”

‘Need temporary passports to return’

The duo is scheduled to return to India in a couple of days and are in need of bureaucratic intervention. “We are in a small town near Florence. The hotel staff has been kind and helpful but we are stuck without any cash. We need temporary passports and help from the embassy to get back to India, as we have nothing with us,” he said.

BUZZ STOP

RON AND PADMA PATIL CATCH UP

It was a treat for Harry Potter fans as Padma Patil aka Afshan Azad shared a pic with Ron Weasley aka Rupert Grint. The actress wrote, “Padma & Ron reunited after 20+ years. Oh how parenthood has changed us all. PS: He’s still not asked me to dance.”

Honey Singh finds love again

The rapper-singer is dating actress Heera Sohhal

Heera Sohhal

Vinay MR Mishra

After his breakup with actress-model Tina Thadani, we have heard that Yo Yo Honey Singh is now dating actress Heera Sohhal. A source close to the couple shares, “They have been dating for almost a year now. They went for a romantic getaway last month. Honey is very open about his relation- ship. He proudly introduces Heera as his partner. However, he wishes to keep his relationship away from the public eye.”

Heera is an actress from Punjab who has been part of multiple Punjabi music videos and Hindi web series. Honey and Tina parted ways in the first quarter of 2023. The rapper, who was married to Shalini Talwar, got divorced in 2022.

Yo Yo Honey Singh

MEET PARIS 2024’S OFFICIAL MASCOT, THE OLYMPIC PHRYGE

The official mascot of the upcoming 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris is the Olympic Phryge. Shaped after the traditional Phrygian hats, it is a symbol of liberty and the French Republic

Rather than an animal, our mascot – the Olympic Phryge – represents an ideal. The mascot also symbolises French identity and spirit – Tony Estanguet, Paris Olympics President, in a statement

The mascot of the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Miraitowa, stood for a future of eternal hope. The name was derived from the Japanese words “mirai” (future) and “towa” (eternity)

WHAT DOES THE OLYMPIC PHRYGE STAND FOR?

The 2024 Paris Olympics’ vision is to demonstrate that sport can change lives and the mascots will play a major role in promoting this idea. The motto of the mascot is: Alone we go faster, but together we go further’ – a representation of how the mascots, along with people across the globe can make each other better by working together. – TNN

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PHRYGIAN HATS IN FRENCH HISTORY

● It is also known as the Liberty Cap

● Symbol of freedom and of the French Republic

● International symbol of liberty, worn by freed slaves from Roman times

● Can be seen atop the iconic figure Marianne’s head at every town hall and on coins and stamps

FURRY FRIENDS

MADHAVAN and his family celebrated their doggo Bheemboy’s 10th birthday. Sharing the snap on Instagram, his wife Sarita wrote, “My baby is 10, happy birthday Bheemboy”

HOW TO: Store pet food during monsoons

CONSIDER FREEZEDRIED OR DEHYDRATED ALTERNATIVES

If storing traditional wet or canned food is challenging due to humidity, consider freeze-dried or dehydrated options that are less susceptible to moisture.

INSPECT REGULARLY

Periodically inspect the stored pet food for any signs of spoilage such as mold, strange odors, or discoloration.

ELEVATE CONTAINERS

If possible, place the containers of pet food on shelves or racks rather than directly on the floor. This helps to further protect them from moisture. Ensure that the storage area is free from pests like ants, rodents, and insects.

AVOID OVERSTOCKING

Purchase pet food in quantities that can be used within a reasonable timeframe to minimise the need for long-term storage.

Stars shine down at the US I-Day reception in Delhi

In his address, Piyush Goyal said, “The stars are truly aligned as we all have assembled here to join our American friends for the celebration of the 248th anniversary of their Independence Day. It is truly a big honour for me... Having attended many National Day events, this is the largest programme that I have seen truly reflecting the India-US partnership”

Riya Sharma

Standees of Star Trek and Star Wars characters along with exhibits showcasing the United States and India’s contribution to global space exploration welcomed guests at the 248th anniversary of American Independence celebrations in the city, recently. Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, was invited as the chief guest at the space-themed event, titled Let The Stars Align.

US ambassador Eric Garcetti, who sported a celestialthemed jacket for the celebrations, said, “This year, our theme is space. Sky was the limit for the India-US relationship but if 2023 and 2024 proved anything, sky no longer will not be the limit as we are going to space and beyond... Tonight, we celebrate milestones of our talent, of our technology, of our technique”

Straight from the International Space Station, Jeanette J Epps, Sunita Williams and Tracy Dyson sent a special message for the event

Lindy Cameron, British High Commissioner

Hiroshi Suzuki, Ambassador of Japan

Chang Jae-bok, Ambassador of South Korea

Shombi Sharp, UN Resident Coordinator

Marisa Gerards, Ambassador of Netherlands with Jan Thesleff, Ambassador of Sweden

From From Star TrekStar Trek’s Captain Kirk ’s Captain Kirk to to Star WarsStar Wars’ Darth Vader and ’ Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker, there were Luke Skywalker, there were many space-themed pop many space-themed pop culture standees for culture standees for attendees to pose withattendees to pose with

Naor Gilon, Ambassador of Israel

Patricia A Lacina, the Deputy Chief of Mission, US Embassy, also turned up in a celestialthemed outfit

The decor at the event captured the space theme as depicted in pop culture, in films like Star Trek, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Armageddon, The Martian and more

Sale and an exhibition of different types of rudrakshas in the capital

8-mukhi rudraksh

One of the leading authorities in the field of r udr aksh, Rudrashaktii is all set to host an exhibition and sale in Delhi. According to the brand’s management team, “Rudr aksh trees are believed to have originated wherever the tear drops of Lord Shiva fell when he opened his eyes after a long penance. Promoted by Sumeer Kakodkar, the company has been conducting regular rudraksh exhibition pan India for the past 16 years. Our USP is the accurate r udr aksha recommendation based on one’s date of birth.”

“The date of birth of an individual gives a fairly correct picture of what career they would pursue, what their level of success be, one’s physical health and relationship issues etc. Our 16 years of experience in guiding people to lead a more meaningful life has benefitted many,” they add. According to the team, rudraksh is believed to have paramagnetic, biomagnetic and electromagnetic powers that alleviate anxiety, depression and mood disorders. The team adds, “Rudraksh is also known to pacify the malefic effects of different planets on human life.” To get a free accurate recommendation based on your date of birth and know more about the properties and powers of different rudrakshas, you can visit their exhibition and sale.

Address: Lok Kala Manch, 20, Lodhi Road, Behind Saibaba Mandir, Gokalpuri, Lodhi Colony Contact: 9833479693 Date: 13 to 17 July Timing: 11am to 8pm

Website: www.rudrashaktii.com

Disclaimer: The views/suggestions/opinions expressed in the article are the sole responsibility of the experts.

Stop before you pop that celebendorsed pill

POV

In literature, suspension of disbelief refers to the reader’s willingness to overlook critical thinking and logic to simply enjoy the story or events as they unfold on the stage. In advertising, the consumer does the same, aware of how the drama has been deliberately dialled up: A cola gives you the courage of a lion, a skin cream gets you a dream job. We know better.

But things are a bit different when celebrities appear on our personal devices, telling us about a miracle drink that boosts weight loss or cleanses your lungs. We find it much easier to believe them because the communication seems intimate. Real. And that is a problem. We call out stars who endorse tobacco products and other intoxicants. But we are happy to engage with them when they take on the role of a health advisor, telling us how their skin, hair, sleep problems were cured by a pill, a gummy or an untested therapy. How do we suspend disbelief in such cases? Why do we abandon critical thinking when it comes to medical science and our health?

The debate over Samantha Prabhu versus the Liver Doc – both influencers by some definition, is illustrative of the minefield that is celebrity messaging on social media. In fact, influencer marketing in alternative therapy and health products is not scrutinised as much as it should be. Especially at a time when established brands are being stripped of their ‘health drink’ status and other packaged and processed foods are under the lens for failing WHO standards.

Given the kind of reach our celebs enjoy, one wishes they would tread with caution. Just as consumers, we need to ask ourselves: Next time we fall sick, would we DM a celeb or call up the doctor?

Agree? Disagree? Got a POV idea? Write to us at: pov@timesofindia.com

DID YOU KNOW?

Meryl Streep’s first name is actually Mary, after her mom and grandmother

Meryl Streep was born Mary Louise Streep. She was named after her mother and grandmother. Meryl was the nickname her father gave her. “My father made that name up and liked it so much that I was always called Meryl,” she said. Her middle name is derived from her mother’s best friend, Louise Buckman. Streep’s eldest daughter, Mamie, is another Mary, born Mary Willa Gummer.

CALLS FOR SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL RISE AS OVERTOURISM HITS DESTINATIONS

Engaging local communities in tourism is beneficial. I suggest people I host not geo-tag pics on social media. It can rapidly destroy the charm and character of a place – Mackinlay Barreto, founder of a Goa-based eco-tour company

In Shimla, I remember there was water scarcity. At Khardung La, there was traffic. I have seen sewage water entering the sea at destinations like Varkala. These will leave a lasting impact if not acted upon soon – Vinutha Rao Talekar, head of event experiences and a solo traveller

Easy accessibility, increased commodification of destinations, and travel as a success marker are contributors to overtourism. Policies have to be tailored to suit tourists, environment, local communities – Devi Chakrabarti, social anthropologist and doctoral researcher, Cambridge University

I travel to places that are less frequented or offbeat. I also plan during off-season, or just before the crowd starts coming in senior product manager and an avid traveler

A crowded beach in Goa, which sees over 80 lakh tourists every year

Travel Diaries

Nandini Ganguly

Instances of overtourism at forts in Maharashtra, hills in West Bengal, islands in Spain, and Mount Fuji in Japan have brought focus to concerns over this rising trend. What is this phenomenon that’s taking over tourist destinations across the world and how does it affect the planet? Let’s find out.

Jan 2024: Nearly 4000 trekkers at Karnataka’s ecologically fragile Kumara Parvatha May 2024: Route to Mount Everest jam-packed with climbers June 2024: Uttarakhand cave packed with tourists

What’s at stake?

Damage to vulnerable spots, and the essence of travel itself. “Instead of an exchange of cultures, tourism becomes just a financial transaction. The degradation of natural resources is an invisible burden of tourism. There should be innovative ways to limit tourism, like a lottery or permit system, to limit numbers” says Shivya Nath, a sustainable travel advocate, author and social entrepreneur. Citing the example of Goa, which sees over 80 lakh tourists every year, Mackinlay Barreto, founder of a Goa-based eco-tour company says, “There’s a rise in footfall but it’s hurting the cultural identity of Goa. In parts of north Goa, there’s a high level of gentrification.”

What is overtourism

Overtourism is when a destination becomes overwhelmed by an excessive number of tourists, to a point where it negatively impacts the environment, infrastructure, and the quality of life for locals. Increased pollution and strain on resources like water and energy, point towards overtourism.

What’s causing it?

● Increase in accessibility

● Lack of regulations

● Inadequate infrastructure

● Social media

● Lack of awareness among tourists

● Seasonal holidays, long weekends

Steps to tackle the problem

● Sustainable tourism practices

● Infrastructure development

● Alternative tourist attractions, off-season travel

● Using technology to monitor visitor flow, manage crowds, provide real-time information

● Social media curbs at ecologically sensitive areas

● Carrying and disposing trash at designated places

● Awareness of local cultures and customs

● Local community involvement – Inputs by anthropologist, sustainable travel advocate, and eco-tour operator

Earlier this year, Mount Everest saw a ‘traffic jam’ of climbers

I don’t see crime thrillers because I’ve lived this life, says Kiran Bedi

Niharika Lal

Kiran Bedi was in Delhi recently to discuss her upcoming biopic Bedi: The Name You Know. The Story You Don’t. The most common question Kiran is being asked these days is who she wants to play her role in her biopic. She doesn’t take any names because “If I pick one, then I’m leaving out others.” Instead, she flips the question back, asking, “Who do you think should play me in my biopic?”

‘I DON’T WANT TO RELIVE THAT (CRIME) LIFE’

Kiran also told us she loved the film Laapata Ladies and says she prefers to watch interesting meaningful films instead of those with police characters or crime thrillers. But has she seen Delhi Crime? She said, “I don’t see crime thrillers because I’ve lived this life, so I don’t see it much. I see it quickly, glance through it, but don’t stay with it for too long because I don’t want to relive that life. But I admire the work done in Delhi Crime.”

‘THESE INCIDENTS ARE FRESH IN MY MIND; THEY PLAY LIKE A SCREENPLAY IN MY HEAD’

While the casting process has not yet started, director Kushaal Chawla says that Kiran’s upcoming biopic will reveal the untold incidents, and personal and professional challenges. Kushaal says that he keeps going back to Kiran with questions and her sharp memory amazes him as she can recall every instance in great detail.

Kiran added, “I’m looking back, and my mind is going to what is unwritten. Through this film, people will get to know what hasn’t come out in my books – the dialogues that happened between me and my seniors, my peers, my family. The conversations that occurred in my family during massive agitations and lathi charges, what happened when I came back home injured, or what happened when I had to leave because of a sick child. People only know that I did these things, but the film will reveal what actually happened and why I did that. These incidents are fresh in my mind; they play like a screenplay in

my head. They are something I lived, loved, and treasure. It’s all fresh in my mind, so the director only needs to ask me, and I start telling him – ye story ye thi. Yahan pe ye hua tha.Ye log khade thay, ye pehna hua tha. Wahan pe ye situation thi. It’s all etched in my memory.”

’Kushaal approached for biopic after researching for four years’

Kiran likes watching biopics and has seen the biopic Sam Bahadur recently, and hence the genre is not a concern for her. Sharing why she agreed to do the biopic, Kiran said that it was the research of director Kushaal Chawla that impressed her. She said, “I agreed because of the manner in which he approached me. He approached me after doing four years of research. He already knew so much more from research, all that I had to do was to answer what he was asking me.”

Kiran likes watching biopics and has seen the biopic Sam Bahadur recently

Olivia Munn and John Mulaney marry in an intimate ceremony

Olivia and I have been through a lot of things together in the past couple years. Just side-by-side, supporting each other through anything. And as her guy, I felt both scared and protective – John Mulaney said to V ogue

Olivia Munn and John Mulaney are parents to 2-year-old son Malcolm Hiep

Olivia Munn and John Mulaney tied the knot over the weekend, People confirms. The couple got married in a simple, intimate ceremony at a friend’s home in New York, said a source close to Saturday Night Live alum, Mulaney. Only their son and a witness were in attendance.

The news comes four months after Munn opened up in March about her “terrifying” breast cancer diagnosis. The XMen: Apocalypse star was diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer in 2023 after tests revealed she had luminal B – a fast-moving, aggressive cancer — in both breasts. “You realize cancer doesn’t care who you are; it doesn’t care if you have a baby or if you don’t have time,” she said in April. “It comes at you, and you have no choice but to face it head-on.” Agencies

Alexandra and Andrew Form are expecting their first child

Alexandra Daddario and Andrew Form tied the knot in June 2022

The White Lotus star Alexandra Daddario, 38, and husband, producer Andrew Form, 55, are expecting their first baby after nearly four years together, Vogue reported recently. The magazine shared that Daddario has been keeping her pregnancy under wraps for six months.

Daddario said she’s “overjoyed” to be pregnant, going on to share she previously experienced a pregnancy loss. “Well, I had been pregnant,” she said, adding “I had a loss. It’s long and complicated, so I don’t want to be too specific.” She continued, “Those kinds of losses and trauma are very hard to explain unless you’ve been through them. I really relate to all the women who have been through those kinds of things in a way that I didn’t understand fully before. It’s very, very painful.” Agencies

Jamun, avocado: Funky flavours to amp up homemade golgappa

Golgappa Day

Shivika Manchanda

Who doesn’t like the experience of a tangy golgappa bursting in the mouth? On Golgappa Day today, create your version of India’s favourite street food by giving it a fun twist

‘Add fruits for a refreshing kick’

Golgappe, pani puri, phuchka, pani ke batashe, no matter what you call it, the dish is sure to tantalise taste buds. Culinary expert Reetu Uday Kugaji says, “While nothing beats the traditional taste, it is interesting to experiment. Fruits like pineapple, raw mangoes, sweet lime, kokum, litchi, etc can be used to prepare the water. For crunch, add mint boondi to the pani.”

Fruit-based infusions add a nutritious twist to the street snack. Chef Neha Shah suggests, “Try jamun pani. De-seed the jamun, blend it with some kaala namak, chaat masala, salt, lemon and strain it. Similarly, enjoy a double mango golgappa with water made of kachcha aam, mint, ginger and use diced ripe mango salsa as the filling.

The season of stone fruits is on, so use cherries, plums and peaches to make the pani.”

‘Health meets indulgence when making golgappas at home’

Home chef Seema Jain says health can meet indulgence when recreating street food at home. She says, “Make golgappas in a healthier way by baking the puris in an OTG or an air fryer. Roll out thin roundels of the dough, place them on a baking sheet, and bake at 190° until they puff up and turn golden brown. Infuse the pani with fresh herbs like mint, cilantro and basil for a refreshing and aromatic twist. If you are looking to add a spicy kick, add a bit of jalapeno or green chilli paste.”

Jamun golgappa

To give golgappa a Mexican twist add boiled, seasoned rajma, bell peppers, boiled corn kernels and avocado as filling

Add microgreens and edible flowers for garnishing

Beetroot, mint and turmeric Beetroot, mint and turmeric dahidahi, , flavoured withflavoured with chaat masala chaat masala can can be served in shot glasses be served in shot glasses alongside alongside golgappasgolgappas

A guide to making your golgappas healthy

■ For the chutney, use jaggery and tamarind, which are rich in antioxidants, dates, fennel seeds, cumin powder, black pepper powder, lemon juice and

asafoetida, red chilli powder and rock salt. Coriander and ginger can also be added as they enhance gut health

■ Try a healthier version by making puris at home using ragi flour or other millets. Use whole wheat flour instead of refined flour (maida) to increase the fibre content

■ If preparing the shells at home, add natural food colours like strained beetroot puree, spinach puree, turmeric or butterfly pea flower powder to the dough

— Inputs from culinary expert Reetu Uday Kugaji and home chef Seema Jain

Indian athletes to relish a desi platter in Paris

There will be a dedicated Indian food section for the country’s athletes and Indian fans – Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha

Dishes like aloogobi, dal and rice will be served to Indian athletes

The eagerly awaited Paris Olympics 2024 is set to begin on July 26, and besides the sports and sportspersons, the focus has also been on how the Games are prepped to serve plant-based fare, including meat-free hot dogs and plant-based tuna. As per reports, Indian athletes too can enjoy a taste of home in the French capital as there is a plethora of Indian dishes that will be served at the mega event. From steamed basmati rice, dal-roti, and aloogobi to “gently spiced” Indian-style chicken curry, lamb korma, and some South Asian broths will be available to the athletes. The menu has vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free food options as well.

French fries inspired me to pen a short story, says Adah Sharma

For a gourmet dish featuring French fries, I would garnish them with pav bhaji masala or pani puri masala. And for dessert, I would dip them in gulab jamun ka sugary syrup. If this isn’t already a thing, I’m claiming copyright on it right now

ADAH SHARMA

CONTINUED FROM 1

Indulge more with your eyes than with your taste buds! How does that work? We asked Adah. “Well, I close my eyes and munch on raw carrots, imagining them to be greasy fries dripping with oil,” she laughed and replied.

Speaking of her earliest memories associated with French fries, she recounted, “My mom used to cut up apple pieces and pass them off as French fries, and I would relish them. It is also one of the reasons I have trust issues with the world (laughs).” Now that she is old enough to see through such tricks, she prefers to take matters into her own hands. She said, “At home, we saute them in a pan with minimal oil, and if I’m making them myself, I end up eating half of them while they are still being cooked.”

Her unique relationship with French fries was evident as she shared how she drew inspiration from this culinary delight to pen a short story. “It’s a tale of a world where potatoes are on the verge of extinction, and the human population is on the rise. So, an enterprising girl begins making French fries from human fingers, and it becomes an instant hit, leading to rocketing demand,” she said.

The actress said she would also be game to experiment and prepare a gourmet dish featuring French fries. “I would garnish them with pav bhaji masala or pani puri masala. And for dessert, I would dip them in gulab jamun ka sugary syrup. If this isn’t already a thing, I’m claiming copyright on it right now,” she announced, dipping another air-fried fry into mayo!

TRIPPIN

Love birds TEJASSWI PRAKASH and KARAN KUNDRRA shared some playful and adorable moments from their LONDON trip

There is no truth to it: Abhishek on link-up rumours with Donal Bisht

I am not in a live-in relationship with anyone. I am single and focusing on my career

Abhishek Bajaj is currently seen on the TV show Jubilee Talkies

There have been rumours about actors Abhishek Bajaj and Donal Bisht being in a relationship for a while now, but the two have always denied it. Recently, when we spoke to Abhishek about the buzz that they have been in a live-in relationship, he said, “There is no truth to these rumours. I am not in a live-in relationship with anyone. Currently, I am single and have no plans to date anyone. I am focusing on my career.”

On the professional front, Abhishek shared that he rejected many shows in the past couple of years because he didn’t find the content exciting. “We need to evolve, but we are giving the same ghisapita content to our audiences. If you don’t try and show them something new, they will continue to watch shows about kitchen politics and

love triangles,” said the actor. He adds, “The consumer today is confused about what he should watch. It’s almost a khichdi out there! With content available on mobile phones, too, there’s just too much, and a person ends up not liking anything,” he shared.

Abhishek Bajaj with Donal Bisht

Tanvi Trivedi

‘After Kolaveri, we realised language is never a barrier’

ANIRUDH

M Suganth

Ever since he burst onto the scene with Kolaveri (3), in 2011, Anirudh has become one of the sought-after composers in Indian cinema. In 2023, he made his Bollywood debut with Jawan and this year, his slate is filled with films featuring big stars, with Kamal Haasanstarrer Hindustani 2 being the first of those. In an exclusive interview, the composer opens up to us on the challenge of composing for a Shankar film, how he chose to deal with the pressure of comparisons to AR Rahman’s work in the original film, his learning from Jawan and more...

‘THE MAIN CHALLENGE WITH HINDUSTANI 2 WAS PSYCHOLOGICAL’

Any sequel comes with extra expectations. More so if it is that of a cult film like Hindustani. So, the main challenge was to psychologically let go of such thoughts and enjoy the process. Contrary to popular belief, I find it very difficult to make dance numbers; I take the longest time to make them. Shankar sir’ vision is so huge that we have to match it sonically, which was a wonderful challenge to face.

‘EVERY FILM COMES WITH THE PRESSURE OF DELIVERING BIGGER CHARTBUSTERS THAN OUR PREVIOUS OUTING’

Magic can never be recreated. One must create his or her own. From Day 1, it was a conscious decision to not take that pressure to heart and enjoy the process. Every film comes with the pressure of delivering bigger chartbusters than our previous outing. And we enjoy that pressure. It’s that pressure which makes us push the boundary makes us push the boundary every time. With respect to Hindustani 2, it was a series of enjoyable jam sessions with Shankar sir. Again, the emphasis was on different genres for different audiences. Fans of the original Hindustani’s patriotic soundtrack would appreciate Jaago and Dhaage. Dada Aara Re and Comeback Indian, on the other hand, were aimed at the dance reel makers.

‘WITH JAWAN, I LEARNT LARGER-THANLIFE FILMS NEVER GO OUT OF FASHION’

Whether the film is made in Bombay or here in Chennai, the music comes out of Alwarpet (the Chennai locality where he has his studio). So, the experience with Jawan was similar to that of working on every other film. The takeaway was the happiness of entering a new market with such a big success. I’m ever thankful to SRK sir and Atlee for trusting in me. Working on the film, we learnt that larger-than-life films will never go out of fashion. In fact, they will be the most celebrated always.

‘LANGUAGE BARRIER IS BEING BROKEN MORE AND MORE EVERY DAY’

Many composers and indie artistes work on a Bollywood film. Then, the score is done by someone else. So, that’s a pattern that works there. Here, we still have one composer who lives with the whole film. That said, immediately after Kolaveri, we (he and his team) realised language is never a barrier. And that barrier is being broken more and more every day.

‘COMPARING ERAS IS A WASTEFUL EXERCISE’

I feel we are blessed to be in an age with so many new composers. Not just now, but from the time we started, there has been an influx of wonderful musicians all around the country. And I listen to everyone. Most of them are my buddies; we even share our softwares and instruments. Comparing eras is a wasteful exercise. As I said at the audio launch of Hindustani 2, nobody can be the next someone. We should aim to carve our own niche.

‘Both Jawan and Hindustani 2 straddle the vigilante space’

Jawan was the next big step in my career, which we (he and his team) were patiently waiting for. And I’m ever thankful for the astounding success of the film and its music. Yes, both Jawan and Hindustani 2 straddle the vigilante space, but the vision of both directors were different, both storytelling-wise and music-wise.

Anirudh says he had one of the most memorable experiences working with director Shankar

Anirudh with Dhanush during the making of the viral hit Kolaveri

Anirudh and Shah Rukh Khan shaking a leg at the audio launch of Jawan

Table of Contents

TOI Print Edition Jul 12, 2024

Front Page

43k degrees of pvt Raj univ under lens after fake certificates surface

Classification of Aravali not to be changed: PMO

At 2.1 TFR, popn stable in 31 of 36 states/UTs

‘HAND OF VAR’ BREAKS DUTCH HEARTS, SPURS ENGLAND TO FINAL

CAPFs reaffirm 10% quota for ex-Agniveers

Sanju Ahriwar, whose dad is a mason and mom a domestic

CISF man, airline staff in face-off

Trio force Dalit teen to drink urine, held

In a first, judge from Manipur named for SC

Breach in Munak Canal, water supply affected

After 13 yrs, city PUC charges raised 33-40%

CM gave nod to fell trees, says DDA affidavit in SC

J&K HC bar ad hoc chairman held under PSA

New ministers vie for prime houses in Lutyens’ Delhi

Courts shouldn’t stay bail order in casual manner: SC

Centre to probe ‘misuse’ of quota by IAS officer

Maha Bill to curb ‘urban Naxalism’ tabled in House

Times Nation

Second ex-president of J&K bar body held within 3 weeks

HC judge opts out of hearing plea for Yasin Malik death

ASI slapped, CISF & airline now in face-off

Neighbours name & shame desis in US trafficking case

Gandhi statue uprooted to make way for clock tower

When a book thief made Rowling happy and earned redemption for himself

After PM’s Russia trip, US says don’t take our ties for granted

Teacher spends ‘hrs on phone’, suspended

Manipur could get its first SC judge, Ladakh its 1st HC CJ

17-yr-old abducted for Bihar shotgun wedding

Father’s poll affidavit shows Puja is from OBC creamy layer

Trainee IAS officer’s Audi has 21 pending challans

Puja reports for duty at Washim, skirts queries from mediapersons

Stampede-like scene at Guj job site triggers Cong-BJP fight

Cops: Mihir had 4cans of strong beer in BMW hrs before hit-&-run

Puja’s dad to face action for ‘objectionable conduct’

NEET-UG counselling to begin in 3rd week of July

SC hearing on pleas for NEET re-test put off till July 18

MBBS aspirants reach Pradhan’s residence, he assures them of all help

Maha to bring stringent law to tackle ‘urban Naxal’

UP court gives life term to man for gunning down SI in 2021

‘No voting rights for violators’: Giriraj bats for population law

3 drown as Assam boat sinks:

CAPF chiefs vow to implement 10% quota for former Agniveers

31 of 36 states/UTs have met goal to stabilise population

Sidda: Targeted by BJP in land row as I am from backward class

BJP to Rahul: Why no step against CM over K’taka funds scam?

Haryana man in ED net over paper leak in J&K cops’ test

ED arrests kingpin of paper leak in Raj teachers’ recruitment test

Raj univ issued backdated certs: Initial probe

Dalit boy forced to drink urine in UP, 3 arrested

Apple sounds spyware alert in 98 nations, including India

HC refuses bail to Chhabria in Yes Bank-DHFL laundering case

Lanka navy arrests 13 TN fishermen

BIMSTEC nations talk connectivity, trade

Rowdy shot dead in encounter in Pudukottai:

5 yrs after firing row, Punjab IGP reinstated

Hubby goes to kill wife, ends up murdering her parents

12.5 cr jobs created in last 10 yrs, says BJP

Siachen hero’s parents want change in ‘next of kin’ criteria

Worried about liberty aspect: SC on bail case

Will raise Manipur issue in Parliament with ‘full force’: Rahul

SC summons chief secys over non-payment of dues to judicial officers

Can’t pick anybody randomly, ask for citizenship proof: SC

Rainfall deficit down to 2.3%, heavy showers soon, says IMD

BSP, INLD tie up in Haryana, AbhayChautala to be CM face

Lung cancer hits non-smoking Indians earlier than Westerners

Manipur hands out `300 cr to 4L under welfare schemes

Cruel to squash snouts of breeds like pugs: PETA

Explosion near LoC sparks infiltration fears, search op on

Protect unattended Hindu temples: HC to J&K admin

Vendor ends life after cops make girl slap him over ‘lewd remarks’

Times City

When Water Becomes Enemy Number One

Atishi: Delhi will collaborate with Haryana to probe cause of breach

Timely efforts not made to drain out water, claims BJP

Another front opens as LG and AAP trade barbs over ‘lack of maintenance’

Remove all encroachment on floodplain: HC to DDA

You Need To Pay Up To `40 More For Pollution Check

MCD’s 1st cactus garden to spike curiosity in Sept

Uniform payout for landowners near Noida Sec 18

No. of fraud agents held in first 6 months doubles

Rain likely after sweltering day

Flood Focus On 20 Locations That Went Under Last Year

LG tells agencies to complete desilting of drains at earliest

Supertech submits `900-crore plan, seeks nod for 2k registries

DDA issues notice for demolition at Majnu Ka Tila

Take your cue from this mason’s son who turned the tables on life’s challenges to become state champion

HC: No wait period, act immediately in missing child cases

Sikkim woman, found unconscious in SE Delhi, dies

Cop’s role in land grab under lens

Aravalis To Retain Protection From Non-Forest Activities

‘New session for undergrads will be delayed by fortnight if CUET results late by 3 weeks’

28-year-old gym owner murdered in northeast Delhi

Cheating case accused held after 10 years

Tillu gang member shot dead in northwest Delhi

Court to begin trial against Brij Bhushan from July 26

CINEMA OF THE WEEK

21-year -old UPSC aspir ant thrashed to death in hotel

ED arrests Amtek group promoter in `25,000-crore banking ‘fraud’ case

‘Trees felled on Ridge against SC rules to protect farmhouses’

DJB driver held, JE book ed in bribe case

SC judge recuses from Sisodia’s plea hearing

‘Senior officers of key depts present during LG visits’

CM gets Sept date from high court on summons challenge

BJP: All evidence against Kejriwal, he should resign

Metro services hit after man jumps to death

New ministers vie with each other for prime bungalows in Lutyens’

Times Global

For first time, Nato calls China a ‘decisive enabler’ of Russia’s war against Ukraine

Washington hopes Delhi will persuade Moscow to end war

US finalising Gaza truce deal, troop pullout: Report

US’s long-range missiles in Germany a threat: Russia

Thermonuclear blasts & new species: Inside Musk’s plan to colonise Mars

AROUND THE WORLD

56% of Dems want Biden to end candidacy: Poll

Shelley Duvall, star of ‘The Shining’, dies at 75

Covering on spire of a cathedral that Monet painted catches fire

Times Business

UAE bank, Japan groups eye $5bn stake in Yes Bank

HDFC Bank, Axis plan outage this weekend

RIL’s unit plans over $500mn offshore loan

NPCI arm, QNB to roll out UPI in Qatar

Auto parts cos to invest `25k cr: ICRA

Factory jobs to boost India’s growth: IMF

RBI guv hints interest rates may stay higher for longer

Deposits grow faster than loans in June qtr

Sensex ends lower on profit-taking

PM meets economists, takes up ideas to boost growth

Govt to meet telcos’ chiefs next week on sector growth

TCS reports 4.4% revenue growth in June qtr

IT hiring slump means training takes backseat

‘GeM set to be world’s biggest public procurement platform’

Editorial

CONTRAPUNTO

Cross Vote On Mind

In Poor Test

Fed up with London

The Yogi Identifies And Accepts His Distractions

Sacred space

Whistle Of Felix, Foot Of Kane & Hand Of God

Alimony & Ghost Of Shah Bano

Times Techies.AI

AI is changing your HR department

THE RISE OF MIXTURE OF EXPERTS

GLOSSARY OF IN-GROUP TERMS USED ON THIS PAGE

Robots and humans will share autonomy: Expert

Kunal, Vignesh use AI to clean data easily

AROUND THE WORLD THIS WEEK

IS AI RESHAPING THE WORLD?

Times Sport

THE GRASS JASMINE

‘Debut was more than I could have dreamt for’

Can Musetti stop the Djokovic juggernaut?

I could have done better in tennis: Saina

GALLERY

WI look down the barrel at Lord’s

‘Shocked’: Avesh Khan on Bishnoi’s spectacular catch

ASH BARTY PLAYS EXHIBITION DOUBLES BUT HAPPY TO STAY RETIRED

SACKED PAKISTAN SELECTORS DENY SHOWING FAVOUR

SHAN MASOOD TO CONTINUE AS PAK TEST CAPTAIN

HASARANGA STEPS DOWN AS SL T20 SKIPPER

Heading to Paris as experienced, better players: Satwik-Chirag

OLIVER’S TWIST!

ALL WE NEED IS LOVE, SAYS OFT-DERIDED SOUTHGATE AFTER POSITIVE DECISIONS SHOW PROGRESS

THE PENALTY DEBATE RAGES

Colombia emerge winners in fractious semifinal contest

For Dutch, there’s no need to look back in anger

SUCCESS AT YOUTH LEVEL

FRENCH REFEREE FRANCOIS LETEXIER TO HANDLE FINAL

Delhi Times

Fries before guys is Adah Sharma’s mantra

It’s reassuring to have been called back by Shankar sir for Hindustani 2: Siddharth

Divyanka Tripathi and Vivek Dahiya robbed of their passports in Florence

BUZZ STOP

Honey Singh ﬁnds love again

MEET PARIS 2024’S OFFICIAL MASCOT, THE OLYMPIC PHRYGE

FURRY FRIENDS

HOW TO: Store pet food during monsoons

Stars shine down at the US I-Day reception in Delhi

Sale and an exhibition of different types of rudrakshas in the capital

Stop before you pop that celebendorsed pill

DID YOU KNOW?

CALLS FOR SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL RISE AS OVERTOURISM HITS DESTINATIONS

I don’t see crime thrillers because I’ve lived this life, says Kiran Bedi

Olivia Munn and John Mulaney marry in an intimate ceremony

Alexandra and Andrew Form are expecting their ﬁrst child

Jamun, avocado: Funky flavours to amp up homemade golgappa

Indian athletes to relish a desi platter in Paris

French fries inspired me to pen a short story, says Adah Sharma

TRIPPIN

There is no truth to it: Abhishek on link-up rumours with Donal Bisht

‘After Kolaveri, we realised language is never a barrier’