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Front Page

- World Bank, Pak teams to inspect J&K hydro plants

- K’taka hikes petrol, diesel prices by `3

- Key corridor linking 3 states gets nod

- Rape accused out on bail assaults 8-yr -old

- Release water on humanitarian grounds: Atishi

- 8 Maoists killed in Bastar op, 1 jawan dead

- HC: Voice of dissent against a public rep can’t be silenced

- IN THE COURTS

- G7 commits to promote India-Europe corridor

- Illegal rooms for securitymen outside Jagan’s home razed

- NEET: Bihar cops summon students, say proof of leak

- 14 die as tourist vehicle falls into U’khand river

- Indresh U-turn: ‘Country flourishing under Modi’

World Bank, Pak teams to inspect J&K hydro plants

Along with a Pakistan delegation expected early next week, India will also host for the first time a team of World Bank experts for talks on the hydroelectric power projects in J&K that Islamabad has objected to.

P 17

K’taka hikes petrol, diesel prices by `3

Karnataka’s Congress govt Saturday hiked petrol and diesel prices by Rs 3 with immediate effect, a move termed by BJP “an act of revenge” after LS polls.

P13

Key corridor linking 3 states gets nod

A proposal for the Rithala-Narela-Kundli Delhi Metro corridor that will ensure seamless connectivity between UP, Delhi and Haryana has been cleared.

P 6

Rape accused out on bail assaults 8-yr -old

A man out on bail after being charged with rape and robbery on Friday sexually assaulted an 8-year-old girl who lived in his neighbourhood in Budaun.

P 13

Release water on humanitarian grounds: Atishi

New Delhi: Claiming that no raw water was left at the Wazirabad barrage due to insufficient flow from Haryana, resulting in a further dip in the production of water, Delhi minister Atishi on Saturday urged Haryana govt to discharge additional water into the Yamuna on humanitarian grounds.

The minister held a meeting with officials of DJB and the urban development department.

TNN

 Delhi-Hry meet today, P 10

8 Maoists killed in Bastar op, 1 jawan dead

Eight Maoists, including three women, were gunned down in an operation in Abujhmarh region of Bastar’s Narayanpur district in Chhattisgarh on Saturday.A securityman was also killed and two were injured. This is the second encounter in the same region in eight days. Bastar IG P Sundarraj said 136 insurgents have been eliminated this year.

P 14

‘Why me?’: Girl who lost leg in IED blast, P 14

HC: Voice of dissent against a public rep can’t be silenced

The Punjab and Haryana HC has observed that voice of dissent against or criticism of acts of a public representative can’t be silenced by the institution of criminal proceedings merely because it is “not palatable to the person holding the position of dominance,” reports Ajay Sura.

Justice Vinod S Bhardwaj said this while quashing an FIR filed against govt teacher Ajay Walia for criticising the then MP and current CM Nayab Saini for misquoting Sant Kabir Dass in an ad.

P 19

IN THE COURTS

➤ Allahabad HC acquits a 71-year-old man in a murder case dating back to ’81

P 15

➤ Delhi HC orders social media platforms to remove a recording of court proceedings on CM Kejriwal in excise policy case

P 8

➤ Finding ‘serious lapses’ in judgment of 2 JJB members in Porsche case, Maha WCD commissioner issues a notice against them

P 15

➤ In a detailed order rejecting discharge pleas of 3 doctors accused of abetting suicide of junior doc Payal Tadvi by harassing her over caste, a court says they had filed pleas only to prolong trial

P 15

G7 commits to promote India-Europe corridor

Italy PM Giorgia Meloni tweeted a selfie video with PM Modi saying ‘Hello from the Melodi team’

New Delhi: G7 has committed to promoting the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEEC), in what is seen as a boost to the strategic initiative amid tension in West Asia, which may have delayed work on the project.

While the Indian govt has started its end of the work on the initiative that was announced on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders Summit in Delhi last year, there are rail links in Saudi Arabia and some other countries that need to be establis- hed. PM Modi attended the meet as India was a special invitee along with Brazil, Argentina, UAE, Turkiye and others.

TNN

G7 slams Houthis, P 17

India, Japan to expedite bullet train project, FLAP O PP

Will work with India on vital issues: Trudeau

Modi and Canada’s Trudeau committed to working together on “important issues”. Trudeau didn’t confirm if he raised Nijjar issue.

FLAP O PP

Palestinian PM seeks help for Gaza truce

Palestinian PM Mohammad Mustafa wrote to Modi, requesting him to facilitate international efforts for immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

FLAP O PP

Illegal rooms for securitymen outside Jagan’s home razed

Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation officials on Saturday razed two illegal rooms for securitymen, built on the footpath outside the Lotus Pond residence of ex-Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy in Jubilee Hills. Bulldozers brought down the two illegal structures less than a fortnight after Jagan lost the AP polls.

P13

NEET: Bihar cops summon students, say proof of leak

Bihar police sent notices on Saturday to students in UP, Maharashtra and Bihar to join a wide probe into alleged malpractice in NEET-UG and said they had evidence that the exam papers were leaked, reports Faryal Rumi.

The police notices come amid nationwide protests and govt efforts to allay fears on the sanctity of NEET. A large number of students gathered on the roads and burned effigies and tyres in Patna.

Economic Offences Unit officers have arrested 13 people, including four students, and have sent notices to nine more candidates suspected of involvement in the alleged scam and of receiving question papers along with answers ahead of the May 5 exam.

P 13

14 die as tourist vehicle falls into U’khand river

The mangled remains of the tempo traveller in Rudraprayag

Kautilya.Singh@timesgroup.com

Dehradun: In one of the worst accidents this summer in Uttarakhand, 14 people died and 12 others were injured – few of them critically -when a tempo traveller in which they were travelling from DelhiNCR fell into a 200-metre gorge near the Alaknanda river in Raitoli area of Rudraprayag district on Saturday.

The condition of five, all from NCR, was critical at the time of filing of this report and they had been shifted to AIIMS-Rishikesh. Two other unidentified persons who were airlifted to AIIMS died on the way to the hospital.

Officials said 10 persons died on the spot while two others, out of the nine who were admitted to Rudraprayag district hospital, succumbed to injuries. The 20-seater tempo traveller — registered in Haryana — had left Delhi around 11pm on Friday.

Driver falling asleep? P 17

Indresh U-turn: ‘Country flourishing under Modi’

New Delhi: Within hours of alleging that “arrogance” caused the dip in BJP’s tally in LS polls, senior RSS functionary Indresh Kumar backtracked, saying those responsible for Ram Mandir’s construction are in office and India under Modi’s leadership will continue to progress.

TNN

‘Ram Bhakts...’, P 17

HDK backpedals on subsidy swipe

A day after questioning the subsidy to Micron Technology, Union minister HD Kumaraswamy went into damage-control mode, saying his comments weren’t meant to criticise the incentives but to highlight the need for a more balanced approach.

P19

Times Nation

- People liked boys more, so I’d beat them up, says UP girl who made MMA history

- Modi, Japanese PM pledge to speed up bullet train project

- Committed to working together on key issues: Trudeau after PM meet

- Palestine PM writes to Modi, seeks India help for Gaza truce

- Rape accused out on bail assaults girl, 8, in UP’s Budaun

- Porsche re-run: Minor ploughs car into crowd in Nagpur, 5 hurt

- Bihar cops claim proof of NEET ‘leak’, call 9 students for probe

- Pocso case: BSY back in B’luru, says will face CID tomorrow

- K’taka’s Cong govt raises fuel prices by `3/litre, BJP fumes

- 2 illegal rooms for securitymen outside Jagan’s Hyd home razed

- Prof attacked with sticks, chilli powder over scholarship row

- Houses of 11 on govt land demolished as MP cops find beef in fridges

- Fire breaks out near Manipur CM home

- STF jawan, 8 Maoists killed in Bastar encounter; 2nd op in region in 8 days

- Girl, 13, loses leg in IED blast, asks: Will I get blown up again?

- No court relief for 3 docs in ’17 Mum suicide case

- 2 JJB members get panel’s notice for ‘improper conduct’ in Porsche case

- 43 yrs on, man, 71, acquitted in murder case

- HC stays order to send girl to trafficker-dad

- 2 more held for desecrating temple in MP town

- 2 NSCN-IM militants nabbed in Arunachal

- WB experts, Pak team to visit J&K for talks on hydel projects

- G7 slams Houthis for attacks on vessels in Red Sea

- In retreat mode, Kumar says ‘Ram bhakts’ formed govt

- Possibility of driver falling asleep at wheel not ruled out

- Modi to unveil farmer welfare initiatives in Varanasi on Tues

- Ran 20k extra train trips to ferry 4cr pax in 3 mths: Mantri

- Govt preparing regulations on data protection: Vaishnaw

- Pawar ‘thanks’ PM for creating helpful setting for MVA poll win

- Check rise of monopolies, ensure fair takeovers: Cong

- HC: Can’t gag voice of dissent against public representatives

- When dreams get wings: Farmer’s son gets ‘Sword of Honour’ in IAF pilots’ course

- HDK backpedals on subsidy, says was calling for ‘balanced approach’

- Take down posts on senior scribe in 7 days: HC to 3 Cong netas

- TMC man, BJP worker hurt as post-poll violence continues in Bengal dist

- Unsung Heroes In Our Lives

- ‘Darshan case victim was given electric shocks’

- Centre ramps up awareness drive on new criminal laws

People liked boys more, so I’d beat them up, says UP girl who made MMA history

Puja Tomar took to martial arts for money and respect. As Budhana village greeted the winner with garlands and dhols, it was also a kick for patriarchy

KNOCKOUT STAR: Life was hard for the Tomar sisters after their father died, but Puja fought her way out of poverty

Himanshi.Dhawan@timesgroup.com

Puja Tomar first started fighting out of anger, then for money and finally for respect. The third daughter in a Jat family living in Uttar Pradesh’s Budhana village in Muzaffarnagar, Tomar knew her life was defined by what she was not. She was not a boy and she was not really desired, not by her family, or her relatives and, definitely, not by her community.

On June 9, Tomar did something that made everyone change their minds. She made history, not only as the first-ever Indian female fighter to sign up with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), but also as the first Indian to win a bout. Dedicating her win to her mother and country, Tomar said, “This is not just my win. This win is for all Indian fans and all Indian fighters who people didn’t think could stand here.”

FIGHTING SPIRIT

To be fair, her father, a tractor dealer, quickly reconciled to the hand fate had dealt him and loved all three daughters in his own special way. He wanted them to be tough and athletic and ready to face the harsh world. “Main bachpan main sochti thi, sab duniya so rahi hai aur hum daud rahe hain (I used to wonder why we are running when the whole village is asleep),” she recalls now. Tomar’s father died in an accident when she was six and suddenly everything changed. “From being pampered with new clothes to struggling for two meals a day, it was a big shock for our family. But my mother is a very strong person and made sure all of us got an education.”

Her older sisters showed academic prowess—one is now a doctor and the other a nurse — but Tomar couldn’t quite see herself hitting the books. She would much rather hit boys instead. “I knew that everyone liked boys more than girls. So, I thought if I beat them up, people will like me,” says Tomar, who watched Jack- ie Chan films to pick up some tricks. It helped relieve some of the frustration she felt at the time as relatives bore down on her mother to stop her from going out and hanging around boys. Days would be spent on the small piece of land where the family grew sugarcane, their only source of sustenance.

In school, Tomar tried karate, even winning a couple of competitions and honing a deadly sidekick. “I was a street fighter. Lots of strength from hours spent on the farm but no technique,” she adds. Tomar stumbled on martial arts Wushu when she was about 17 and quickly learned to excel in it despite very little guidance or help, picking up five national championship titles. Her mother’s mantra was always on her mind: ‘Darna nahi hai, maarna hai’ (Don’t be scared, fight hard) “I was winning but not earning, and though everyone at home supported me, I knew that there was a fund crunch,” she says. Medical college fees for her sister had meant an additional burden. In 2017, Tomar was offered Rs 50,000 for a mixed martial arts (MMA) fight. “All I asked was ‘where?’ I was willing to fight anyone to earn a few bucks,” she recalls.

As she grappled, kicked and boxed her way, she was spotted by the Matrix Fight Night (MFN) company promoted by Bollywood star Tiger Shroff, his mother Ayesha and sister Krishna. In 2022, Ayesha Shroff offered to pay for her training at the Soma Fight Club in Bali, Indonesia. Things finally seem to be looking up. “They said I had potential, but I needed to train properly,” Tomar says. So, at 28, Tomar finally found a dedicated coach who corrected her technique, gave her a game plan against her opponents, and monitored her exercise and diet. “Pitte, pitte…peetna seekha.” (After being beaten up several times, I learnt how to outwit others.)

WINNING BOUT

In June 2023, Tomar stepped into the ring and won the MFN world championship. “I came back home and gave my mother the championship belt. Again, some boy from the village created trouble. He told her this was a small belt, and that I should bring back the big belt which is the UFC one. He didn’t even let me enjoy my win for a day,” she laughs.

Exactly a year later, when she stepped into the Octagon for the UFC bout on June 9, she was fighting for respect. After the second round of the tough 15-minute fight, Tomar felt fatigue creeping and she remembers her coach shaking her, “Ankhen khol aur maar” (Open your eyes and hit). “I just summoned whatever willpower I had.” Her Brazilian opponent Rayanne dos Santos tried to intimidate her by screaming, and Tomar screamed right back. And then landed her signature sidekick sending dos Santos flying across the ring. Her kicks and punches didn’t stop as her coach’s words rang in her ears, “Don’t buckle, keep standing no matter what.” The last five minutes felt like an eternity, Tomar says, as she eked out a 30-27, 27-30, 29-28 split-decision win. “I just collapsed after that,” she says.

Her sparring partner of 12 years Himanshu Kaushik says he has never met anyone as strong-willed as her. “It is what has defined her in all these years of struggle,” he says. Post-match, Tomar was treated to pizza “chicken wala with buffalo sauce” which was a sorry substitute for her most favourite thing in the world: sarson ka saag and makki ki roti, but it still felt like the best meal in the world. The 30-year-old has since been busy giving media interviews and dispensing advice to village girls on how to take off on their MMA journey. “They all want to fight now,” she says with obvious pride.

And on June 13, Budhana welcomed its daughter, hoping to drown the past judgment it had meted out with garlands and dhols.

SIGNATURE MOVE: Delivering a lethal sidekick during the bout against Brazilian Rayanne dos Santos

Modi, Japanese PM pledge to speed up bullet train project

Discuss Ways To Bolster Ties With Focus On Emerging Areas

PM Modi shares a lighter moment with his Japanese counterpart Kishida (L) and German Chancellor Scholz at the G7 summit in Italy

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: PM Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida in Italy, affirming that bilateral ties with Japan will continue to receive priority during his third term. They also discussed the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed rail project.

Sources said Modi and Kishida committed to expediting work on the project. While the bullet train project is reported to be facing a fiveyear delay, Japanese authorities said earlier this year that work on all sections has started now and they are satisfied with the progress. According to Japan, all uncertainties about the project have been removed.

They noted that the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership is in its 10th year and expressed satisfaction at the progress made in the relationship. They also discussed ways to deepen cooperation further, with a focus on new and emerging areas.

Modi and Kishida also spoke about the targeted 5 trillion yen worth of Japa- nese investment in India in 2022-2027 period, and IndiaJapan Industrial Competitiveness Partnership aimed at transformation of our manufacturing cooperation.

“The meeting provided an opportunity to review some of these ongoing works of cooperation,” said the govt.

‘Melodi’ video goes viral with 20m+ views

A five-second selfie video of PM Narendra Modi and his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni smiling and waving at the camera has garnered more than 20 million views and over 64,000 re-posts on X in less than nine hours. The video shows Modi and Meloni smiling after their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G7 summit on Friday evening. Meloni is heard saying, “Hello from the ‘Melodi’ team”. The same video has got over 19 million views on Meloni’s Instagram handle. Replying to her posts, Modi wrote: “Long live India-Italy friendship!”

AGENCIES

Committed to working together on key issues: Trudeau after PM meet

Canada’s PM Trudeau refused to confirm if he raised the Nijjar issue but said it was important to work with partners even while upholding the rule of law

Sachin.Parashar@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: PM Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau committed to working together on “very important issues”, said the Canadian politician after his first meeting with the Indian PM since he publicly alleged Indian govt involvement in the killing of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar and sent ties into a tailspin.

Trudeau seemed cautious in his response to questions about the meeting as he not just refused to confirm if he raised the Nijjar issue but also said it’s important to work with partners even while upholding the rule of law.

Modi and Trudeau had met briefly on the margins of the G7 summit in Italy on Fri- day. This was confirmed by Modi himself when he posted aphoto on X of them chatting, while holding hands.

“I'm not going to get into the details of this important, sensitive issue that we need to follow up, but this was a commitment to work together, in the coming times, to deal with some very important i ssues,” he said in a press conference in Italy on Saturday morning. Canada has insisted that its most important issue with India for now is to bring to justice the perpetrators of the Nijjar murder.

India continues to officially maintain that Canada has not backed its allegations with any evidence or even information that Indian agencies can look into.

Expecting perhaps an encounter with Trudeau at G7, the Indian govt had said just before the summit its main issue with Canada is political space given to extremists.

In his remarks on Saturday, Trudeau also said, “We need to continue to engage with various partners around the world... even as we highlight challenges as we stand up for the rule of law”.

Palestine PM writes to Modi, seeks India help for Gaza truce

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:Palestine continues to press India to facilitate international efforts for an immediate ceasefire and increased humanitarian aid in war-ravaged Gaza. In a letter congratulating PM Narendra Modi for his third term in office, Palestine PM and foreign minister Mohammad Mustafa said as a global leader and a nation that values human rights and peace, India has a significant r ole in bringing an end to the “genocide” in Gaza.

“It is imperative for India to utilise all diplomatic channels to call for an immediate ceasefire, increase humanitarian aid to Gaza to help alleviate the suffering, collaborate with the international community to ensure the protection and safety of Palestinians civilians, and take a resolute stance against the atrocities being perpetrated,” said Mustafa.

India backed a UNGA resolution last year seeking an immediate ceasefire but has not explicitly called for the same. In a message to Israel though, Indian govt has been strongly condemning civilian deaths in the Israel-Hamas conflict, while also calling for international humanitarian law to be respected under all circumstances.

Mustafa said the situation in Gaza constitutes a humanitarian catastrophe that demands immediate and decisive action. “I would like to affirm the importance of advancing our bilateral relations and mutual interests which are based on solid and long lasting foundation. I am confident that these unbreakable ties will continue to strengthen and develop in the years to come,” he said. The minister thanked Modi for the “steadfast support and solidarity” that he said India has consistently extended towards the Palestinian cause and the rights of the Palestinian people.

Rape accused out on bail assaults girl, 8, in UP’s Budaun

Bareilly:A man out on bail after being charged with rape and robbery sexually assaulted a8-year-old girl who lived in his neighbourhood in a village in UP’s Budaun on Friday, reports Kanwardeep Singh. Some villagers found the survivor on a farm in a critical state and took her to a hospital, where her condition has stabilised.

On Friday, the man lured the girl with sweet corn and took her to a farm, where he raped her and left her to die. The unconscious girl was later found by villagers, who immediately sought medical help. Police said the survivor had multiple injuries on her body, including severe wounds in her private parts that required stitches.

The man, who is on the run, has been previously charged with multiple crimes, including rape and robbery. In 2022, the suspect and his two brothers raped a 60-year-old woman. The trio was booked for gang rape and sent to jail but were granted bail earlier this year.

SHO Udaiveer Singh stated, “He was under the influence of alcohol when he attacked the minor. We have deployed multiple teams to capture him.”

Porsche re-run: Minor ploughs car into crowd in Nagpur, 5 hurt

Nagpur: A black Skoda, driven by a minor, spun out of control and ploughed into a crowd, nearly mowing down vegetable vendors and customers in Nandanvan Saturday, reports Soumitra Bose. Five passersby were injured, and several vehicles wrecked in the crash.

A mob dragged out the teen, pinned him down and nearly lynched him as he clamoured for help. Cops responded late to the crash, which had triggered chaos and a traffic gridlock.

With the Pune Porchse case triggering outrage, social media went berserk after it came to fore that a minor was behind the wheels. The car first dashed a few two-wheelers parked on roadside, before moving into the crowd of vegetable sellers, roadside vendors, their customers and bystanders. The car, which was heavily damaged, finally stopped after ramming into a tree.

Some onlookers rescued the minor driver from the mob, before handing him to police.

Bihar cops claim proof of NEET ‘leak’, call 9 students for probe

4 Candidates, 9Others Have Been Arrested

Students clash with security personnel in Patna during a protest over the NEET-UG row on Saturday. The notices were served to students in Bihar, UP and Maharashtra after details were acquired from NTA

Faryal.Rumi@timesgroup.com

Patna:Bihar Police sent notices on Saturday to students in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Bihar to join the investigation into alleged malpractice in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-Undergraduate) and said they had evidence that the exam papers were leaked.

The police notices come amid nationwide protests and govt efforts to allay fears that NEET papers were leaked.

Economic Offences Unit officers have arrested 13 people, including four students, and sent notices to nine more candidates suspected of involvement in the alleged scam and of receiving question papers, along with the answers ahead of the May 5 exam.

The notices were served to them after details were acquired from National Testing Agency. Police said these students could help sleuths piece together the jigsaw puzzle.

Scores of students across the country are demanding re-examination despite repeated denials from the NTA and Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan that the papers were leaked.

EOU DIG Manavjit Singh Dhillon said police had reco- vered a list of 13 people from a “safe house” at Ram Krishna Nagar, on Patna’s outskirts, where around 30 medical aspirants were summoned by people described by police as “exam mafia” to receive in advance the questions and answers against payment of lakhs of rupees.

“Four of them were arrested on May 5 from different exam centres of Patna after they took their NEET exam. For the remaining nine, we have got details from NTA on the basis of their roll code and have sent notices to these candidates to join our investigation from next week. Of these nine candidates, one each is from UP and Maharashtra, and seven from different districts of Bihar,” Dhillon said.

Dhillon claimed that four arrested candidates had “confessed” during interrogation that the examination questions were identical to those they had received at the “safe house” on May 4.

“After the results were out, we found that all four had passed,” one investigator said. After the 13 candidates entered the rented flat, their phones were taken away to stop them from contacting anyone or telling their friends about the questions. The mafia also dropped the students at their respective centres in their vehicles.

“The aspirants disclosed their parents had given Rs 30 lakh to Rs 50 lakh each to the mafia for the question papers.

Pocso case: BSY back in B’luru, says will face CID tomorrow

Bengaluru: Former Karnataka CM and BJP veteran BS Yediyurappasaid he will appear before CID on June 17 for an inquiry, following his return to Bengaluru Saturday. His statement came a day after Karnataka HC stayed a nonbailable warrant against him, in connection with a Pocso case.

“I had gone to Delhi for a pre-scheduled event. I had informed in advance that I will appear for an inquiry on June 17. HC has given an order, restraining CID (from arresting). I’m appearing for an inquiry Monday,” Yediyurappa said.

“I am not blaming anyone. Time will decide everything. People know the truth and teach a lesson to those conspiring against me,’’ he added.

TNN

K’taka’s Cong govt raises fuel prices by `3/litre, BJP fumes

The Sidda-led govt revised retail tax slabs from 25.9% to 29.8% on petrol and from 14.3% to 18.4% on diesel

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bengaluru: Barely a fortnight since Lok Sabha poll results, Karnataka’s Congress govt Saturday increased the prices of petrol and diesel by Rs 3 with immediate effect through a revision in retail taxes. BJP denounced the hike as “an act of revenge” on the people who had given the party and ally JD(S) 19 of the state’s 28 Lok Sabha seats.

A litre of petrol will now cost Rs 102.85 and diesel Rs 88.93 per litre, according to petroleum dealers in Bengaluru. State’s finance department, headed by CM Siddaramaiah, revised retail tax slabs from 25.92% to 29.84% on petrol and from 14.34% to 18.44% on diesel.

Social media was abuzz with criticism with many pointing out that Siddaramaiah govt had jacked up fuel rates at a time Rahul Gandhi was railing against the BJPled Centre over inflation.

State LoP, BJP’s R Ashoka, lashed out at the Siddaramaiah-led govt. “This is revenge by state govt as people had voted for BJP in Lok Sabha polls. Already scraping through the bottom of the barrel to fund its unscientific guarantees, Congress govt has now begun to punish the people with these price hikes,” Ashoka said.

Some of Siddaramaiah’s Congress colleagues have sought a review of state’s welfare schemes that have drained the coffers. Congress spokesperson M Lakshmana, who lost LS polls in Mysuru, recently urged Siddaramaiah to reassess the beneficiaries, saying many people voted BJP despite availing themselves of the schemes.

Social media rippled with ire against the fuel price increase. “While Rahul Gandhi is leading a campaign against inflation, his own party govt in Karnataka has hiked petrol, diesel prices. Will Rahul Gandhi advise his party men in Karnataka to roll back the tax revision?” questioned a citizen on X.

Another X user, Raju, posted: “Congress govt is literally killing people because of freebies. Who asked them to give freebies? Why should I pay the state govt Rs 100 for freebies every month?”

Inflationary spiral

Angered by the sudden hike in petrol and diesel prices, traders’ community across Bengaluru has cautioned the Siddaramaiah govt it may have to face the wrath of the people as this would hike the prices of other commodities.

“This price rise will have a cascading effect on other communities, making life difficult for common man. This is the beginning of inflation and will scale up further in coming days,” said Sajja Raj Mehta, a trade activist from Chickpet in Bengaluru.

2 illegal rooms for securitymen outside Jagan’s Hyd home razed

Bulldozers brought down the two illegal structures less than a fortnight after Jagan’s party suffered a crushing defeat in the assembly election

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Hyderabad: Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) officials on Saturday razed two rooms built on the footpath outside the Jubilee Hills residence of former Andhra Pradesh chief minister and YSRCP president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.

The makeshift structures that encroached the footpath along the compound wall of Jagan’s residence housed security personnel.

Bulldozers brought down the two illegal structures — with a temporary roof and walls on three sides — less than a fortnight after Jagan’s party suffered a crushing defeat in the assembly election. GHMC officials had arrived at the spot with local police in tow anticipating protests.

TOI made repeated attempts to contact the GHMC authorities to find out if indeed a notice had been issued before the structures were brought down, but the officials were not available.

It is learnt that a few days ago, the municipal authorities had informed the former Andhra CM’s staff to remove the structures citing obstruction to traffic. The officials had also received a complaint regarding this.

Policemen from Andhra used to guard Jagan’s Lotus Pond residence, where he stayed whenever he visited Hyderabad. After YSRCP faced the electoral drubbing, the guards were withdrawn.

Prof attacked with sticks, chilli powder over scholarship row

Bhopal: An assistant professor at a govt college in MP’s Betul was allegedly thrashed by six men, including two students, on Friday because the college refused their demand to rush through a girl student’s scholarship application.

The victim, Sanskrit teacher Neeraj Dhakad, is in hospital with a fractured elbow. The attackers threw chilli powder into his eyes and beat him with sticks. All six accused have been arrested, Betul SP Nischal Jharia told TOI. One of them is a minor. Police identified the rest as Hemant Yaduvanshi (18), Lucky (19), Aniket, alias Annu Thakur (27), Shivam Solanki (24), and Kunal Chadokar.

The incident took place Friday at JH Govt PG College. “Prima facie it appears that the main accused wanted the scholarship of a female student done on an urgent basis. College officials said they would follow procedure. This led to an altercation around 15 days ago, which has probably ended up like this,” the SP added.

TNN

Houses of 11 on govt land demolished as MP cops find beef in fridges

Police said an FIR was registered following the recovery of 150 cows and beef, adding that one of the accused has been arrested while a hunt is on for the other 10

Mandla: Houses built on govt land by 11 persons were demolished in tribal-dominated Mandla in MP as part of action against the illegal beef trade in the state, a police officer said Saturday. The action was taken after a tip off was received that a large number of cows had been held captive for slaughter in Bhainwahi area in Nainpur, Mandla SP Rajat Saklecha told a news agency.

“A team went there and found 150 cows tied in the backyards of the accused. Cow meat was recovered from the refrigerators in the homes of all the 11 accused. We also found animal fat, cattle skin and bones, which were stuffed in a room,” he said. “The local govt veterinarian has confirmed the seized meat to be beef. We have also sent samples to Hyderabad for secondary DNA analysis. The houses of the 11 accused were demolished as they were on govt land,” the SP added

Police said an FIR was registered on Friday night following the recovery of the cows and the beef, adding that one of the accused has been arrested while a hunt is on for the remaining 10. “The 150 cows have been sent to a cattle shelter. Bhainswahi area had become a hub of cow smuggling for some time now. Cow slaughter in MP is punishable with a jail term of seven years,” Saklecha added. Police sources said criminal history of two of the accused has been gathered and the process was on to find out about the antecedents of the remaining persons.

PTI

Fire breaks out near Manipur CM home

Guwahati: A fire broke out in an abandoned house situated near the high-security area in central Imphal, close to the official residence of chief minister N Biren Singh, on Saturday. The blaze erupted around 5.30pm in Babupara neighborhood.

The house is located next to the Kuki Inn complex. Authorities are yet to ascertain the cause of the fire.

TNN

STF jawan, 8 Maoists killed in Bastar encounter; 2nd op in region in 8 days

136 Insurgents Eliminated This Year, Says IG

A securityman injured during an encounter with Maoists undergo treatment on Saturday

Rashmi.Drolia@timesgroup.com

Raipur: Eight Maoists — three of them women — were gunned down in an operation in Abujhmarh region of Bastar’s Narayanpur district in Chhattisgarh on Saturday. A security personnel was also killed and two were injured.

This is the second encounter in the same region in eight days — seven Maoists were eliminated on June 7 close to Saturday’s battleground.

Bastar range IG P Sundarraj said 136 insurgents have been eliminated this year. Ten security personnel have lost their lives in encounters or IED blasts.

The slain STF jawan was identified as Nitesh Ekka. Security forces recovered Insas and .303 rifles, a grenade launcher and explosives from the site of the encounter.

Sundarraj said a joint operation was launched in Abujhmarh’s Kutul, Farasbeda and Kohkameta forests on June 12. This region, skirting the Maharashtra border, is around 40km-50km from Narayanpur and has been the focus of intense security ops in the last few months.

The IG said that there was specific input about the presence of senior cadres from Marh division and People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) company number 1 in Abujhmarh’s Kohkameta forest. So an operation was planned to intercept them, he added.

Chhattisgarh chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai paid tribute to the slain trooper and prayed for fast recovery of injured personnel.

Girl, 13, loses leg in IED blast, asks: Will I get blown up again?

Rashmi.Drolia@timesgroup.com

Raipur: Sukki is 13, and feels she is on borrowed time. “How can I save myself from the next blast?” asked the orphaned tribal girl from Sukma in conflict-ridden Bastar, who lost her left leg in a Maoist-triggered IED explosion three weeks ago.

She was collecting mahua fruits when the blast happened. She now questions her future and safety. “What was my mistake? What wrong have I done? Will I get blown up again?” she asked as she was wheeled out of AIIMS-Raipur Wednesday.

Sukki’s story underscores the indiscriminate terror inflicted by IEDs in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar, affecting both civilians and security forces. Just four days ago, a woman was killed in an IED blast while collecting tendu leaves in a Bijapur forest.

TOI met Sukki in Raipur and found a child battling her deep trauma with tribal stoicism. “Soon, I can get around with the crutches being provided by govt,” she said. “But are there more of these bombs?”

Sukki and a friend encountered the IED on May 26 in Bheemapuram village. While her friend escaped with minor injuries, Sukki was severely wounded and unconscious. Villagers carried her home. Her aunt walked 16km into the forest to confront the Maoists. The insurgents sent their “medical team” to her home, which insisted on treating her with traditional ‘jadibooti’ remedies.

Sukki’s condition worsened, and only then did the Maoists allow her to be transferred to a hospital. Delirious with pain, the child was carried 10km on a cot to the main road from where a tractor took her to Chintalnar, another 10km. She was brought to Sukma district headquarters in an ambulance — a 100km journey — the next day.

By then, word had reached Raipur. Chhattisgarh deputy CM Vijay Sharma, who is also the home minister, instructed bringing the girl to AIIMS-Raipur, another 430km away. A team of doctors saved her life, but her left leg couldn’t be saved.

Sharma assured that Sukki would receive full support under govt’s rehabilitation policy. “We are trying to find advanced IEDdetection equipment and to strengthen human intelligence so that no villager, child or jawan falls victim to such blasts,” he said.

“No villager dares say no to Maoists even when we lose our livestock and our children get killed by IED blasts. Maoists inform villagers about the location of IEDs, but not always,” said Sukki’s relative Ashok Gandami. “Every time something like this happens, locals rage in futile anger and then force themselves to calm down because of fear.”

In the past six months, four civilians and two security personnel have been killed, and six civilians and 26 security personnel have been wounded in Maoist IED blasts in Bastar. Over the past five years, 58 jawans have died from such blasts.

No court relief for 3 docs in ’17 Mum suicide case

Says Sufficient Proof On Their Role, Junks Discharge Pleas

Dr Payal Tadvi had hanged herself in her hostel room on May 22, 2019. The accused have been charged with ragging, torturing and harassing Payal over her caste. The court directed each accused to pay costs of Rs 25,000. The money will be disbursed to Payal’s mother Abeda Tadvi

Rebecca.Samervel@timesgroup.com

Mumbai: In a detailed order rejecting the discharge pleas of three doctors accused of abetting the 2019 suicide of their junior, Dr Payal Tadvi, by harassing her over her caste, a special court observed that had they filed the pleas only to prolong trial.

The court said there is prima-facie sufficient material on their participation and specific role in regard to accusations against them, and they certainly do not deserve to be discharged from the crime levelled against them.

The judge also said the probable defence of accused that Tadvi was under mental stress and unable to cope with her educational work and duties could not be considered at this stage.

“The investigation machinery has recorded statements of more than 274 material witnesses and seized huge record of material, electronic evidence…it is my humble view…a medical student junior to accused has committed suicide. Therefore, certainly, necessary required opportunity is to be given to prosecution and complainant to prove their grievance,” said special judge SM Tapkire.

The court also directed accused — doctors Ankita Khandelwal, Hema Ahuja and Bhakti Mehare — to each pay costs of Rs 25,000 (total Rs 75,000). The money will be disbursed to Tadvi’s mother Abeda Tadvi. The judge noted that while the accused had moved the discharge pleas in 2022, they prolonged the matter by taking repeated adjournments.

“It is also required to be considered that the accused are medical officers or practitioners. Thereby, certainly they must have good financial condition. Therefore, the considerable cost amount required to be saddled as the practice of raising discharge applications in spite of having knowledge that sufficient considerable material is available against the accused…such type of practice requires to be deprecated,” the judge said.

Special public prosecutor Pradip Gharat had opposed their pleas. Gharat submitted that during Payal’s medical education, the accused fre- quently and constantly harassed, abused and threatened her. Gharat also said that they intentionally insulted, humiliated and intimidated her in the presence of patients, hospital staffers and colleagues.

“In that regard, the statements of heap of the eyewitnesses have been recorded….Furthermore, prior to suicide, the complainant has raised the complaint against the accused with the college official,” Gharat submitted. He also accused the trio of destroying the suicide note.

The three accused doctors were senior to Payal in the same college. Payal, 26, had hanged herself in her hostel room on May 22, 2019. The accused have been charged with ragging, torturing and harassing Payal because of her caste. They were arrested a few days after the suicide and granted bail by Bombay high court on Aug 9, 2019. Seeking dismissal of discharge pleas by accused, Abeda had submitted that it was an attempt by the accused to delay commencement of trial.

2 JJB members get panel’s notice for ‘improper conduct’ in Porsche case

Nisha.Nambiar@timesgroup.com

Pune: Finding “serious lapses” in the judgment of two Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) members in the Porsche crash case, Maharashtra women and child development commissioner Prashant Narnaware Saturday issued a showcause notice against them.

A five-member committee, constituted by the women and child welfare department, investigated the overall conduct of the two state-appointed me- mbers and checked if norms were followed in the case. The two members have four days to respond to the notice.

Narnaware told TOI, “The committee submitted its report on Friday. After reviewing it, I issued the show-cause notice for improper conduct.”

The state women and child development commissioner would submit a final statement to the state govt next week. It could lead to the suspension of the two members, a source said.

The committee was constituted after JJB’s judicial member initially granted bail to the teen involved in the May-19 Porsche crash case. The order, asking the boy to write a 300-word essay on road accidents, sparked widespread criticism. Following a public outcry and the police’s review application, JJB on May 22 cancelled the bail and sent the boy to an observation home.

Narnaware said, “...Acting on the committee’s report, I have issued show-causenotice.”

43 yrs on, man, 71, acquitted in murder case

Prayagraj: The Allahabad HC has acquitted a 71-year-old man in a murder case dating back to 1981. The court also acquitted three other convicts in the case, but they died while waiting for judgment on their appeal against the conviction, reports Rajesh Kumar Pandey.

While acquitting Mofeed, a bench of Justice Siddharth and Justice Ram Manohar Narayan Mishra, observed that the prosecution had failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt. Mofeed, Khalil, Zaheer and Jainuddin were accused of the murder of one Shaabuddin in 1981.

HC stays order to send girl to trafficker-dad

'Mumbai: The Bombay HCstayed an order of a special judge under Pocso Act, granting custody of a 15year-old human trafficking survivor to her father, reportsRosy Sequeira.

Court Friday passed the direction on a petition by NGO Rescue Foundation that challenged the May 17 order. The petition said the minor’s custody was handed to the father “who is involved in forcing her into prostitution.

“Considering the nature of the allegations”, court stayed effect and operation of the May 17 order till next hearing.

2 more held for desecrating temple in MP town

Two more suspects have been arrested for their alleged involvement in throwing a severed head of a calf into a temple in Jaora town of MP’s Ratlam district. All four were paraded through the town by police and booked under National Security Act. A local court sent them to Bhairavgarh jail in Ujjain. Ratlam ASP Rakesh Khakha identified the two new suspects as Naushad alias Hanumar Qureshi, and Shahrukh Sattar, 25, of Arab Sahab Colony. They were arrested late Friday night, he added.

TNN

2 NSCN-IM militants nabbed in Arunachal

Two wanted NSCN-IM militants were apprehended by Assam Rifles personnel at Khonsa in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tirap on Saturday, reports Rajib Dutta. A 9mm pistol & 4 mobile phones were seized from them.

WB experts, Pak team to visit J&K for talks on hydel projects

Meetings To Be Held Under Indus Water Treaty

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:Along with a Pakistan delegation expected early next week, India will also host a team of World Bank experts for talks on hydroelectric power projects in J&K that Islamabad has objected to.

The talks will happen under provisions of World Bankbacked 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) which provides a framework for irrigation and hydropower development, allocating western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) to Pakistan and eastern rivers (Ra- vi, Beas, Sutlej) to India.

This is the first time India will allow such a visit by international experts since World Bank, which is also a signatory to IWT, in Oct 2022 appointed a neutral expert to examine the issue. The delegation will visit J&K for onsite inspections.

IWT Treaty allows each country certain uses of the rivers allocated to the other. TOI had first reported on June 10 that India will host a delegation from Pakistan for Indus talks, marking the first contact between the two nations since return of NDA govt.

There was a renewed interest in IWT talks last year after India gave a notice to Pakistan for a modification of the treaty because of the latter’s “intransigence and unilateral ac- tions” on the issue of Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric projects in J&K. India was upset that despite World Bank asking both countries to find a mutually agreeable way, instead of seeking separate processes, to address Pakistan's objections to the projects, Islamabad had unilaterally sought a parallel process to address the issue.

World Bank had also appointed a Court of Arbitration chairman, despite acknowledging India’s concern that carrying out two processes concurrently posed practical &legal challenges. The court, which Pakistan claims was set up under IWT provisions, is hearing the case in The Hague but India hasn’t participated in it saying this court was illegally constituted.

G7 slams Houthis for attacks on vessels in Red Sea

 Continued from P 1

The backing for IMEEEC came along with a similar statement of support by G7 for Lobito Corridor in Central Africa and Luzon Corridor and the Middle Corridor. IMEEEC is to connect ports on India’s west coast to UAE, from where goods are to be shipped by rail to Europe, and potentially open greater access to the African continent.

Many experts have argued that IMEEEC would have helped prevent some of the disruption caused by tension around the Red Sea and allowed for freer movement of goods to Europe. Houthi attacks have caused massive disruptions, forcing ships to take a much longer route, delaying shipments by 30 days or more. G7 members also hit out at Houthis, condemning their attacks on vessels.

“These illegal attacks must end. We call for immediate release by Houthis of Galaxy Leader and its crew. We reiterate the right of countries to defend their vessels, in line with UNSCR 2722 and in accordance with international law… Continuing Houthi attacks in the Red Sea risk destabilising the region, stopping freedom of navigation and trade flows and endangering UN-led roadmap towards peace in Yemen,” said the communique issued at the end of the meeting in Apulia, Italy.

In retreat mode, Kumar says ‘Ram bhakts’ formed govt

New Delhi: After having triggered a controversy, senior RSS functionary Indresh Kumar on Saturday said the country has given ‘Ram Bhakts’ the mandate. “All those who opposed Ram are out of power. Those who took pledge of devotion to Ram are in power today,” he said.

The back-pedalling followed a snub from the Sangh leadership who termed Kumar’s “arrogant” jibe “unauthorised”, leaving its senior functionary with little option but to swallow his words. In retreat mode, Kumar said govt has been formed for the third time under the leadership of Narendra Modi. “The country will progress double by day and quadruple by night under his leadership,” he added.

Kumar on Thursday said BJP got stranded at the 240-mark and failed to get a majority in Lok Sabha because of its arrogance even as he termed opposition “anti-Ram”.

Sangh’s prompt rebuff followed the realisation within its ranks that silence could be an invitation for others, including outsiders, to muddy waters. Sangh has also clarified that RSS chief Mohan Rao Bhagwat’s comment saying that a public servant should not have “arrogance” was not directed against the BJP leadership.

“See ‘vidhan’ (working) of Ram Rajya in democracy. The party which did bhakti (of Lord Ram) but gradually turned arrogant was stopped at 240 but emerged as the biggest party,” Kumar said. “Those who had no faith in Ram, they together were stopped at 234.” Kumar had had made the remarks at the ‘Ramrath Ayodhya Yatra Darshan Poojan Samaroh’ at Kanota near Jaipur. The Sangh leadership distanced the organisation from Kumar’s observations.

TNN

Possibility of driver falling asleep at wheel not ruled out

 Continued from P 1

Tourists were on their way to ChoptaTungnath-Chandrashikla circuit. When the vehicle was stopped by authorities for routine check of Char Dham pilgrims, the driver confirmed the vehicle was not being used for the annual pilgrimage and was brought to Uttarakhand for ‘tourism purposes’. He did not have trip card (required for Char Dham yatra) and after checking all documents of the vehicle, he was permitted to proceed.

Around 11.30am, the driver lost control of the vehicle and it broke the side parapet of Rishikesh-Badrinath road at Raitoli and plunged below. While the cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained, authorities have not ruled out the possibility of the driver falling asleep while at the wheel. SDRF commandant Manikant Mishra told TOI: “There were 26 people inside the vehicle. We could bring all of them out of the gorge after an operation lasting over two hours.”

CM Pushkar Singh Dhami has ordered a magisterial probe. Dhami visited AIIMS-Rishikesh to meet the injured and announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to next of kin of those dead Union minister Amit Shah also expressed grief.

Modi to unveil farmer welfare initiatives in Varanasi on Tues

Shivraj Urges All CMs ‘To Lend Support’

PM Modi during his Varanasi road show on May 12

Vishwa.Mohan@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to his parliamentary constituency Varanasi on June 18, his first after taking office, will highlight govt’s efforts to improve farmer welfare, including transferring Rs 2,000 each to 9.3 crore farmers under PM-Kisan and recognise 30,000 self-help groups as ‘Krishi Sakhis’—women professionals trained in farm extension services.

Modi will connect with thousands of stakeholders attending the event virtually at all 732 Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVKs) nationwide. Several Union ministers will join the event from 50 selected KVKs in various states.

Agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan wrote to all CMs urging, including from oppositionruled states, to participate virtually and extend their support. “We want to take everyone along for welfare of farmers,” said Chouhan.

Over one lakh primary agricultural credit societies (PACS) and five common service centres (CSCs) in rural areas will participate in the event, aimed at raising awareness about various schemes and facilities, including the AI-powered grievance chatbot (Kisan e-Mitra) designed to assist farmers promptly in their local languages.

“As of now, chatbot’s services are available in 12 languages and will soon cover all remaining languages. To date, it has resolved over 70 lakh queries related to schemes,” noted Chouhan.

Under PM-Kisan, Modi will transfer around Rs 20,000 crores to 9.3 crore farmers through direct benefit transfer (DBT).

PM to flag off 2 Vande trains in TN on June 20

New Delhi: In an indication of how Tamil Nadu remains a priority for BJP though it failed to win a seat in the Lok Sabha election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit the southern state on Thursday (June 20), reports Dipak Dash. He will flag off two Vande Bharat trains, lay foundation stones, and inaugurate and dedicate nearly a dozen projects.

TOI has learned that the list of projects scheduled to be unveiled by PM include a fishing harbour, highway, railway and solar power projects. The two Vande Bharat trains to be flagged off will ply on Chennai-Nagercoil and Madurai-Bengaluru routes. The PM is also likely to inaugurate four-laning of a 45 km stretch of Salem-Tirupattur-Vaniyambadi and address a public meeting.

Ran 20k extra train trips to ferry 4cr pax in 3 mths: Mantri

New Delhi: Indian Railways operated 19,837 extra train trips to carry more than four crore passengers in April, May and June to clear the summer rush, railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Saturday. Stating that railways focus will be on running more trains for passengers, he said that the sleeper version of Vande Bharat will be ready for trial runs before Aug 15 and its commercial operation will start before Diwali.

Sources said the first two sleeper Vande Bharat trains may be deployed on Delhi-Kolkata or Delhi-Mumbai route since the railways is working on upgradation of these two sections to run faster trains. The railway will operate this train for around six months and after that there will be serial manufacturing catering to demand. Initially, the premium train will be operated at 130 kmph speed and gradually this will be enhanced. This train will have 16 coaches — 10 AC3, four AC2, one AC1 and remaining one will be seating-cumluggage rake (half for seating people those who are physically challenged and other half for storage of luggage).

TNN

Govt preparing regulations on data protection: Vaishnaw

Sources also said govt is looking at coming up with a set of norms for the AI sector in the next few months

TIMESNEWSNETWORK

New Delhi: The Centre is moving ahead with preparing the regulations under Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act while seeking to provide a further fillip to domestic production of electronic goods, amid increased interest especially in the components space, IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Saturday.

The former IAS officer said there has been significant interest from component makers and govt is connecting with the original equipment makers.

While production worth $120-130 billion of electronics goods is currently taking place in the country, employing around 20-25 lakh people, officials in Vaishnaw’s ministry said that the numbers can double in the next five years and the Centre will seek to push an aggressive target in consultation with industry. The minister also said that the idea is to ensure that manufacturing units come up across the country with companies deciding the best location for themselves.

Vaishnaw said fake news and deep fakes are a major cause of concern for all countries and there is a need to deal with this menace. Though he did not elaborate on the roadmap, sources in I&B ministry said govt will have to take opposition parties along to deal with this problem. They added that this can be addressed by bringing legislation. Sources also said govt is looking at coming up with a set of norms for the AI sector in the next few months.

“We are very focused on scaling up manufacturing and getting the component ecosystem,” the minister, who has undertaken a round of assessment since returning to IT ministry during Narendra Modi’s third term as PM.

While India has moved to exporting mobile handsets, apart from meeting its domestic requirement, govt expects a similar situation in the laptops and server segments too. Over 30 companies have received govt clearance to manufacture laptops. Once the component manufacturers are based in India, import dependence will reduce significantly.

Vaishnaw said that IT ministry is planning extensive consultations with all stakeholders for the DPDP rules and was not going to rush ahead with it.

Pawar ‘thanks’ PM for creating helpful setting for MVA poll win

Mumbai: Upbeat after Maha Vikas Aghadi’s (MVA) “victory” in Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday said it was only a beginning and the opposition alliance will maintain its winning streak in the coming assembly elections in the state.

For the first time after the MVA’s spectacular performance in parliamentary polls, where it won 30 out of 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state, Thackeray held a joint press conference with his MVA allies NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar and senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan.

The press conference followed a preliminary meeting of leaders of the Sena (UBT), NCP (SP) and Congress for preparations for the assembly elections, due in October.

Pawar took a swipe at PM , saying, “We thank PM for making political atmosphere conducive for MVA.” BJP and its allies lost wherever Modi held roadshows and addressed rallies in Maharashtra, he said.

PTI

Check rise of monopolies, ensure fair takeovers: Cong

New Delhi: Congress on Saturday said govt must prevent the emergence of monopolies during company expansions and ensure fair takeovers without political influence.

“Firms must grow. Companies must expand. But govt must ensure competition is not stifled, oligopolies or monopolies don’t emerge, takeovers are free and fair, and undue advantage arising out of access to political power is not exercised,” said AICC general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh.

His comments followed the acquisition of Penna Cements by Adani Group, which strengthened its position in southern Indian cement sector.

He cited former RBI deputy governor and noted financial economist Viral Acharya to allege that five major conglomerates, including Adani Group, are establishing monopolies across 40 sectors.

TNN

HC: Can’t gag voice of dissent against public representatives

Justice Bhardwaj of Punjab and Haryana HC observed that an MP or MLA is deemed a public servant and being a public person, his conduct would be amenable to public criticism

Ajay.Sura@timesgroup.com

Chandigarh: Punjab and Haryana high court has observed that voice of dissent against or criticism of acts of a public representative cannot be silenced by the institution of criminal proceedings merely because it is “not palatable to the person holding the position of dominance.”

Justice Vinod S Bhardwaj said this while quashing an FIR registered against one Ajay Walia for criticising the then MP from Kurukshetra and current Haryana CM Nayab Saini and his wife Suman Saini for misquoting Sant Kabir Dass in an advertisement issued on their behalf during Covid-19 pandemic.

Walia is a govt teacher from Naraingarh in Haryana’s Ambala district.

Justice Bhardwaj also observed that a member of Parliament or legislative assembly is deemed a public servant and being a public person, his acts and conduct would be amenable to public criticism and public review.

Virtually reprimanding Haryana police for being “unfair”, HC observed that in this case, the police “had not carried out a fair job” and instead were worried about earning the displeasure of a person in the seat of power in the event of a proper investigation being done.

The petitioner was booked by Haryana police on May 9, 2020, on the complaint of Kehar Singh, president of Saini Sabha, Naraingarh, for posting a critical post on social media about an advertisement issued on behalf of Nayab Saini and his wife.

Walia had mentioned in his social media post that he had read Sant Kabir in Kabir Wani, Sakhi, Sabad, Raimani and Bijak, but “do not know when, where and in which book, Sant Kabir has written this rhymed doha of throwing out Corona from India.”

Seeking quashing of the FIR, Walia had contended before HC that a mere expression of dissent or disagreement cannot be construed as an offence of promoting hatred amongst different segments of society.

“Bona fide, fair and constructive criticism of members of the public, in a democratic country, made with due care and attention... is privileged and would not amount to defamation...,” said Justice Bhardwaj.

When dreams get wings: Farmer’s son gets ‘Sword of Honour’ in IAF pilots’ course

Flying officer Happy Singh with his family during the graduation ceremony at Air Force Academy in Telangana’s Dundigal

TIMESNEWSNETWORK

Lucknow: The dreams of two boys from Uttar Pradesh, Bijnor’s Happy Singh and Taufeeq Raza from Jhansi, came true on Saturday when they aced Indian Air Force’s 213 graduation course with flying colours.

In a grand combined graduation parade ceremony at Air Force Academy in Dundigal, Telangana, 235 flight cadets of flying and ground duty branches, including 22 women cadets, were commissioned as officers.

Among the commissioned officers, Flying Officer Happy Singh from the flying branch was awarded the President’s Plaque and the Chief of the Air Staff Sword of Honour for standing first in the overall or- der of merit in the pilots’ course. Happy is the son of a farmer from Bijnor.

Flying Officer Taufeeq Raza was also awarded the President’s Plaque for being first in the overall order of merit in the ground duty offi- cers’ course. A second generation defence officer, he is the son of an air force veteran from Jhansi who is now settled in Bengaluru. Raza, an alumnus of National Defence Academy (NDA), is also an outstanding sportsman. He was awarded the Chief of Air Staff Trophy for first in overall merit in the administration branch of 213 course.

The family members of both the flying officers were present during the ceremony.

According to IAF, for the first time in CGP, 25 cadets including Raza who joined NDA four years ago for ground duty branches were also commissioned as officers. Five of these officers were commissioned in administration branch, three in logistics and 17 in technical branch of IAF.

Among the commissioned cadets, nine each were from Navy and Coast Guard, and one from a friendly foreign country. They were awarded ‘Wings’ on successful completion of flying training.

HDK backpedals on subsidy, says was calling for ‘balanced approach’

Kumaraswamy said his remarks were not meant to criticise the financial incentives for Micron

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bengaluru: Union steel and heavy industries minister HD Kumaraswamy went into damage-control mode Saturday following his comments the day before questioning the rationale behind granting a Rs 3.2 crore subsidy for every job US semiconductor maker Micron Technology creates at its upcoming Gujarat plant.

Taking to social media with a resolve to exercise “utmost prudence” with his views in the future, he said his comments were not meant to criticise the financial incentives lined up for Micron, but to highlight the need for a more balanced approach in supporting domestic and foreign investments.

Kumaraswamy — whose JDS is a BJP ally — reassured stakeholders that the Centre remained committed to creating a favourable environment for domestic companies while also bolstering the local semiconductor industry.

“Semiconductor is an important industry. It is a fundamental prerequisite for electronics and automobile manufacturing. Both these sectors generate substantial employment. I appreciate the semiconductor-related initiatives taken by @PMOIndia and will endeavour towards fulfilling them through my ministry,” he posted on X.

“The rationale behind this is not justifiable as we have been investing Rs 3.2 crore for each job,” Kumaraswamy said on Friday.

Take down posts on senior scribe in 7 days: HC to 3 Cong netas

New Delhi: Delhi HC has ordered the removal of posts by Congress politicians Ragini Nayak, Jairam Ramesh and Pawan Khera that allege that senior journalist Rajat Sharma used abusive language on air during a show on election results day, reports Vineet Upadhyay.

The single judge bench of Justice Neena Bansal Krishna granted an exparte ad interim injunction order in favour of Sharma in his defamation suit and directed that the posts on ‘X’ which have not been removed, be removed within seven days by the defendants in terms of the intermediary guidelines.

The court also directed that videos in the public domain in this case be made private by Google India Pvt Ltd and not be put in the public domain without judicial orders.

“Irreparable loss and injury would be caused to the plaintiff for if the videos and tweets, etc., are allowed to be in public domain, they would continue to cause harm to his reputation as a respectable journalist…,” it said.

The bench, noting that the three Congress politicians posted an edited video on X claiming it to be raw footage of the debate, observed that prima facie it appeared that Sharma had not abused anyone but insertions had been made to say that “Rajat Sharma Ne Di Gaali”, which, prima facie, was a total misrepresentation of the true facts.

TMC man, BJP worker hurt as post-poll violence continues in Bengal dist

Sanjib Chakraborty TNN

Kolkata: A Trinamool Congress (TMC) functionary was shot at in a tea stall in Basirhat and bombs were hurled at another’s house in Amdanga as violence raged across North 24 Parganas in West Bengal from Friday night to Saturday. A BJP functionary was injured after he was beaten up in Haroa.

Basirhat TMC functionary Altaf Mali, 38, was at a tea stall at Pifa Bazar when six to seven armed youths fired at him twice. The bullets hit Mali in his waist and back. He was rushed to hospital where he underwent surgery.

According to police sources, CCTV footage analysis revealed historysheeter Ayub Gaji was among the attackers. Gaji was arrested eight years ago in a CPM man’s mur- der case and later in an NDPS case. He was released on bail.

As the news spread, a group of TMC supporters allegedly ransacked Gaji’s house and shop. His wife was also allegedly beaten up. TMC activists also blocked Nazat Road, demanding immediate arrest of Gaji and his aides.

BJP forms panel to track violence

BJP national president J P Nadda Saturday formed a four-member committee of MPs — ex Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb, ex-minister Ravishankar Prasad, and former DGP of UP Brijlal, and Kavita Poddar — to take stock of the post-poll violence in Bengal. Deb is the committee’s convenor, said state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar.

TNN

Unsung Heroes In Our Lives

In a world that often focuses on maternal love, it’s crucial to acknowledge the profound and indispensable role of fathers, writes SUMIT PAUL

THE SPEAKING TREE

FATHER'S DAY

"I always wondered why God was supposed to be a father," she whispers. Fathers always want you to measure up to something. Mothers are the ones who love you unconditionally, don’t you think?

— Jodi Picoult

Nothing moves a loving father’s soul quite like his child’s cry. When the mother’s sugary affection gels with the father’s stern love, the all-round development of children becomes easier and better. Children require love as well as discipline for balanced growth. They get love from their mother and are disciplined by their father. There is no teacher equal to a mother, and there’s nothing more contagious than the dignity of a father. To quote Urdu poet Munavvar Rana, “Ammi se milti hai nikhalis muhabbat/Abba se mil jaati hai kabhi daant bhi” — pure love is received from mothers/fathers, at times, rebuke their children. But this so-called scolding has a profound meaning. What we become depends on what our dads teach us at odd moments, even when they are not trying to teach us anything at all. We are formed by little scraps of wisdom. A dad will teach his children the ways of life so that they can face challenges and vicissitudes with equanimity and equipoise. But he does this sans fanfare. What he faces in life and learns, he passes it on to his offspring. He’s a living and walking school for his children and embodies all that is wise, profound, and sacred.

The Padma Purana states, “Sarvadevmayh Pita” — father is the embodiment of all devtas, gods. That’s why Hindu scriptures say, Pita dharmah, pita swargah, pita hi parmam tapah/ Pitri preetimapanne preeyante sarva devtah — a father is as sacred as dharma, as divine as the heavens and is one of the greatest symbols of austerity in this world. The gods are pleased if one can make one’s father happy.

A father is never a draconian taskmaster. In other words, he’s not a martinet. He loves, albeit dispassionately. Ralph Waldo Emerson says, “Father’s love is understood only in retrospect. When you grow old and become a father, you understand and appreciate your dad, whom you may not have liked much while growing up.”

A father’s role may appear marginalised initially in a family setup, but it’s not.

It’s central and crucial to the growth and development of not just children but the entire unit. A father who is responsible for his family has to don the mantle of seriousness.

Like the headmaster in a school, a dad is the principal in a family. He has to be calm, cool, collected, and also calculated; his heart is pure sterling. Antoine François Prévost rightly said, “The heart of a father is the masterpiece of nature.”

The Taittiriya Upanishad exhorts, Pitradevo Bhava – your father is like a god on earth. Whether he’s a deity or an angel is inconsequential. Your dad is a human endowed with humane attributes such as love, emotion, affection and intimacy. A dad needs nothing more than a smile. Let’s send our love to all dads on Father’s Day with a note of gratitude from Robert Southey’s immortal poem, ‘My cheeks have often been bedewed/With tears of thoughtful gratitude.’ Take a bow, all dads.■

‘Darshan case victim was given electric shocks’

Actor To Be In Police Custody For 5 More Days

Chaithanya.Swamy@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru: A city court extended police custody of Darshan, his girlfriend Pavithra Gowda, and 11 others arrested on charges of murdering 33-year-old intrusive fan Renuka Swamy by five days after special public prosecutor Prasanna Kumar P claimed in court on Saturday that the victim was allegedly subjected to torture including electric shocks. Police cited six reasons for extension of custody.

Prasanna Kumar told court that Renuka Swamy’s body bore 39 injuries, including seven to eight burns, and requested that custody be extended by nine days, while the defendants’ lawyers argued against it, saying, “How was Darshan responsible for the death when he had already left the place? Pavithra, being the lone woman in custody, is facing a lot of mental agony.”

Firstly, police said, they needed to retrieve mobile data, explaining that some of the accused had refused to share passwords to unlock their phones while many had deleted all data.

Secondly, police said a deep dive into social media was needed, particularly into those of Pavithra, because the main trigger was the communication between her and Renuka Swamy on social media. Cops will also have to check the role of accused No. 3, Pavan, as he is alleged to have created a fake account to trap the victim. Thirdly, police said they needed to take the accused to Mysuru and Chitradurga for spot mahaza.

A fourth reason cited was that suspect Anu Kumar had to attend his father’s last rites in Chitradurga.

Police said they had to seize clothes of accused, allegedly worn on day of assault, June 8, and that they needed custody of accused to trace devices used to administer electric shocks.

Centre ramps up awareness drive on new criminal laws

New Delhi: On a drive to generate awareness about three new criminal laws coming into effect on July 1, Union law ministry has organised a conference in Kolkata on Sunday, followed by two more in Chennai and Mumbai this month.

Kolkata meeting, third in the series, will be attended by Justice TS Sivagnanam and Calcutta HC chief justice, and addressed by law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal. The semi- nar is to raise awareness among stakeholders, legal fraternity, law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, district administration officials, academia, students, and citizens.

Judges and ex-judges of HCs &lower courts, advocates, academicians, representatives of law enforcement agencies such as police from Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, UP, Jharkhand, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands will attend the Kolkata meeting.

TNN

Times City

- Night Stays Warm, Parts Of City See ‘Severe Heatwave’

- Summer break extended in UP govt schools till Class VIII

- Fanned by winds, factory fire spreads to another in Noida

- Five shops gutted in early morning fire in Vasant Vihar, nobody hurt

- Minor fires linger in Nai Sadak, firemen still on toes

- Short circuits main culprit behind fires at mkts, shops

- Just another brick in the wall? From ‘bondage’ to living on the street in this unforgivable heat

- After HC order, 89% MCD school students have bank accounts

- PWD Zeroes In On 10 Traffic Hotspots

- HC panel to assess need for palliative care hospital in city

- Former Armyman dies in Manesar while cleaning rifle

- 3 men arrested for firing at 4

- 3 shooters nabbed for extortion bid

- Another Metro Extension To Bring 3 NCR States Closer, Boost Narela

- 2,299 e-autos to boost connectivity at 50 metro stations

- Yellow Line timing to alter for two days due to work

- DDA likely to start handing over EWS flat keys from July

- New govt in place, TERI comes up with 100-day environment agenda

- HC Orders Removal Of Court Hearing Video Involving CM

- Noida tries to safeguard sewer cleaning

- Maliwal case: Bibhav to stay in judicial custody till next Saturday

- Cops seize over 200kg of ganja, 4arrested

- ‘When people struggle with their mental health, they can be harsh to others’

- Six-axis tech may be gamechanger to treat bone deformities

- Woman dies, 4 hurt as van rams truck

- PUC Centres At Petrol Pumps May Shut Down

- Delhi govt team to meet Hry officials today: Atishi

- After Congress’ ‘matka phod’, BJP protest over water today

- 4 gang members held for laptop, phone thefts

- NEET protesters booked for bid to enter house of edu minister

- 1,000 buses may get to run for 9 more mths

- Cafe At Baansera May Open For Visitors Soon

- Gang of vehicle thieves that roped in minors busted, 28-yr-old held

- Health trade licence made must for amusement activities in city

- MP removes property’s seal, probe ordered

- Man beaten to death after tiff over drugs

HEAT IS ON

Night Stays Warm, Parts Of City See ‘Severe Heatwave’

Respite Unlikely Before June 19, Westerly Winds Behind It

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Delhi recorded a ‘warm night’ for the second consecutive day as the minimum temperature was 32.4 degrees Celsius, five degrees above normal, on Saturday at Safdarjung, which is the city’s base station.

It was the second highest minimum temperature recorded in June in six years after Friday’s minimum at 33.3 degrees Celsius. At 34 degrees Celsius, Safdarjung saw a higher minimum temperature on June 13, 2018.

While the night was warmer than usual, ‘heatwave’ to ‘severe heatwave’ was recorded during the day at all stations. Delhi was under the grip of heatwave for the seventh consecutive day on Saturday. The heatwave streak is likely to continue till June 19. Warm night conditions are expected to continue for the next few days as the minimum temperature is predicted to stay in the range of 32-24 degrees Celsius.

India Meteorological Department’s data suggests that the maximum temperature rose to 44.6 degrees Celsius, six degrees above normal, at Safdarjung, leading to a heatwave day. Ridge, Ayanagar, Pitampura and Pusa stations were in the grip of a severe heatwave.

The maximum temperature recorded at Palam was 45 degrees Celsius, Lodhi Road 45.6, Ridge 45.5, Ayanagar 46, Jafarpur 46.1, Najafgarh 45.4, Pitampura 46.9, SPS Mayur Vihar 44.7, and Raj Ghat 43.9. However, the heat index or feel-like temperature was 48 degrees Celsius on Saturday.

Since Delhi saw blistering heat during both day and nighttime, the difference between maximum and minimum temperatures was just 12-15 degrees at most stations. “Warm westerly winds, which are blowing in the city during both day and nighttime, will continue to prevail for the next few days. Partly cloudy skies during the night prevented a dip in minimum temperature,” said a met official.

The weather department has sounded an ‘orange’ alert from Sunday to Tuesday as heatwave conditions are likely at many places. IMD has issued a ‘yellow’ alert for Thursday for heatwave conditions. However, there is a possibility of thunderstorm or lightning accompanied by very light rain on June 20.

“Heat wave to severe heatwave conditions are likely to continue over many parts of northern parts of India during the next 3-4 days and abate thereafter,” IMD stated in its bulletin.

IMD defines a ‘warm night’ when the maximum temperature is above normal as well as the minimum is 4.5 degrees and more above normal temperature. Some parts of Delhi saw warm nights in the last week of May this year.

A heatwave day is declared when the maximum is 4.5 degrees and more above normal temperature and the maximum is at least 40 degrees Celsius. Heatwave is also considered if maximum temperature touches 45 degrees Celsius or above. Severe heatwave is declared when the maximum is 6.5 degrees and more above normal.

Summer break extended in UP govt schools till Class VIII

Noida: Amid heatwave conditions, govt schools have extended by 10 days their summer break for students till Class VIII. Schools were earlier supposed to open on June 18, but now, they will start physical classes on June 28.

Teaching and non-teaching staff will, however, have to return to school from June 25. For classes IX-XII, govt schools will stay shut till June 30. Several private schools have also extended their vacation till the end of this month or the first week of July.

An education department notice says students up to class 8 will attend school from 7.30 am to 10.00 am between June 28 and 30, while regular classes from 7.30 am to 1 pm will commence from July 1. Till June 30, camps and other educational activities will be organised on school premises.

Several private schools in Noida have also extended their summer breaks. “Usually, classes resume by mid June. This year, all classes will resume on July 1,” Neeraj Awasthi, principal of Modern School, said.

TNN

Fanned by winds, factory fire spreads to another in Noida

FIRES KEEP NCR ON EDGE

Advitya.Bahl@timesgroup.com

Noida: A fire that started in a garment factory spread to a medicine manufacturing unit in the adjacent building in Sector 67 on Saturday morning, damaging goods worth crores of rupees.

A total of 29 fire engines battled the flames for almost eight hours and brought them under control. There were no casualties.

Chief fire officer Pradeep Kumar Choubey said they got a call from a passerby around 11am that a fire had broken out in the factory of SJR Embroidery Pvt Ltd. “We got a call on the emergency number. Twelve fire engines were sent to the spot.”

Officials said the flames — fanned by winds and amid the high temperature — spread to the adjacent building, which is owned by Marion Biotech Pvt Ltd.

“The flames leaped out of the garment factory and started spreading fast. As strong winds made it difficult to control the blaze, we had to call fire engines from Ghaziabad, Hapur, Mathura and Bulandshahr. Excavators and hydraulic platforms had to be employed as well. It took us around eight hours to douse the flames,” the CFO said.

Goods worth crores of rupees were damaged in the fire. Some locals said they heard blasts inside the medicine unit, probably caused by chemicals stored inside.

“At least 40 employees were working inside the garment factory when the fire broke out. But, all of them were evacuated in time. The medicine unit was closed for sometime. There was no one inside,” Choubey said.

Locals from residential areas far from Sector 67 said they saw thick black smoke in the sky. Around the factories, hundreds of people had gathered to help douse the flames, some with buckets. A few residents had difficulty breathing as smoke filled the air.

A team also reached from Phase 3 police station. Choubey said that some fire engines were stationed near the factories, lest there was a blaze again.

The city has seen several fire incidents amid the heatwave — both in flats and in offices. On May 30, an AC blast caused a fire in a flat in Lotus Boulevard in Sector 100. A couple of days later – on June 1 – a similar fire triggered by an AC had erupted in an IT office in Sector 63. There were no casualties in both these incidents.

On the night of June 5, a blast in an indoor unit of an AC triggered a fire in a 17th-floor flat of Eldeco Aamantran in Sector 119.

Five shops gutted in early morning fire in Vasant Vihar, nobody hurt

Ten fire tenders and 60 firefighters were promptly sent to the market

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: A fire early on Saturday gutted five shops at a market in southwest Delhi’s Vasant Vihar. Fortunately, there were no injuries in the incident.

Delhi Fire Service received the call about the blaze at 5am and promptly mobilised 10 fire tenders, along with 60 firefighters. Due to the high intensity of the fire, several teams had to be formed to initiate a coordinated effort by spraying water from various angles on the burning building. "This strategic approach was crucial in effectively combating the fire and preventing its spread to adjacent structures," a fire officer said.

It is suspected that the fire originated on the ground floor of the building in Vasant Vihar’s C Block Market and subsequently spread to the mezzanine and first floors.

A fire officer said gaining access to the affected shops when the iron shutters had jammed due to the fire was a big challenge. "We had to painstakingly remove the shutters using ropes," the officer explained, highlighting the difficulties encountered during the operation.

Another difficulty was the alteration of the building's interior structures with the installation of mezzanines and temporary floors inside each of the two shops, which made reaching certain areas difficult. Firefighters had to first extinguish the basement fire before they could enter those sections.

"The lack of fire safety arrangements inside the shops compounded our challenges,” the officer said. “Furthermore, the presence of combustible items worsened the situation, acting as a catalyst that significantly contributed to the rapid spread of the fire."

The dense smoke significantly hindered the firefighting operation, making it difficult for the fire personnel to see and navigate through the flames. The fire officer said that after several hours of operation, they were able to control the blaze. "No one was injured in the incident as the shops were closed early in the morning," the officer added.

A video capturing the incident shows thick black smoke billowing from the building, while firefighters are seen diligently working to control the blaze. Police are probing what caused the inferno and whether it was a short circuit that did it.

Gurpreet Singh Bindra, president of Resident Welfare Association, Vasant Vihar, said that the fire broke out around 4am on Saturday. "There is no conclusive information as to how it started. These shops are nearly 40 years old, and this is the first time such an incident has occurred. Fortunately, no one was injured," he said.

Minor fires linger in Nai Sadak, firemen still on toes

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: The fire at Marwari Katra in Old Delhi’s Nai Sadak area continues to persist on the third day. The fire department has still deployed three fire tenders and 20 firefighters to extinguish the flames that are appearing intermittently. A senior official of the department explained that fires trapped within the debris were getting flared up whenever the debris from the collapsed building was being removed.

“Water is being sprinkled continuously to ensure that the situation doesn’t escalate,” said the official.

The traders whose shops were completely gutted are unable to assess the exact damages due to these small fires. Deepak Mahendru, president of Nai Sadak Traders’ Association, said that although the main blaze had been completely controlled, small fires were still lingering. He advised the traders to wait until the debris gets cleared and the fire department grants clearance to visit the sites.

“The fire has destroyed nearly 200 shops. Even 72 hours after the incident, these small fires are preventing the affected traders from accessing their shops to assess damages. After the loss is assessed, further action can be taken,” he added.

The fire had started at 5pm in the cloth market on Thursday. Nearly 200 firemen were deployed to extinguish the flames and for the cooling operations. The main building from where the blaze started is ground plus two floors. “On the ground floor, there was a shop and on the top floor, a family lived. It also had a godown, which was filled with clothing materials. The fire started from a short circuit in an AC on the top floor,” another fire official said earlier.

Short circuits main culprit behind fires at mkts, shops

Abhay@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Over the past year and a half, the city has suffered nearly 900 fires in mercantile establishments. This year, by June 12, 339 fires had been reported compared with 553 in the entire year of 2023.

Mercantile establishments include any building or a portion used as shops, stores or markets for the display and sale of wholesale and retail goods or merchandise.

Discussing the reasons behind these fires, a Delhi Fire Service officer said that short circuits were the main culprits. The exceptionally hot summer has only exacerbated the problem. "Overloads have also emerged as a major cause of blazes. The strain on electrical systems significantly heightens fire risks," the officer said.

According to another fire officer, many affected structures fall below the 9-metre height threshold that exempts them from acquiring a fire safety certificate from DFS. This exemption often leads owners to ignore essential fire safety measures, resulting in avoidable casualties and property damage.

Atul Garg, director, DFS, highlighted the challenges faced during such emergencies. He noted that buildings frequently feature only one escape route, often obstructed by goods and materials, thereby impeding safe evacuation efforts. "Combustible materials, meant for businesses, are haphazardly stacked up to the terrace, further obstructing escape routes and escalating fire risks," said Garg, who also pointed out that narrow staircases crammed with flammable material complicated the rapid evacuation of people and posed difficulties for the emergency responders.

Moreover, firefighting operations have to deal with crowded weekend markets where access to blazes and manoeuvrability themselves are severely restricted. "The fires during weekends can be proble- matic. Not only that, but there is also a risk of injuries and casualties due to the presence of buyers in shops or the buildings," Garg said.

To mitigate the risks associated with mercantile fires, several precautionary measures are recommended by the fire service. An officer advised conducting continuous audits of electrical systems to prevent overloading and avoid fires. "Maintain clear and unobstructed pathways for safe evacuation during emergencies,” he said. “Install and regularly maintain fire safety equipment such as extinguishers, alarms and sprinkler systems. Avoid continuous operation of air conditioning systems, especially in overloaded electrical environments prone to fires."

The fire service also recommends that employees of shops and establishments should undergo basic fire safety training to acquaint them with emergency evacuation and firefighting processes.

Just another brick in the wall? From ‘bondage’ to living on the street in this unforgivable heat

NO RESPITE? Fifty-three men, women and children who escaped a brick kiln in Faridabad have now found themselves on Delhi streets

Ambika.Pandit@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Aman (names of all children have been changed) is all of six, but has no toys as children of his age do. He has only seen kids of his age and older turn bricks at kilns. He offers a blank look at the mention of school. Born in an Uttar Pradesh brick kiln where his parents worked at the time, the boy has lived a life on the move as his family migrated from Nariyara village in Chhattisgarh to one city or the other to find work as labourers, exploited by contractors who see through their poverty and trap them in a vicious cycle of debt and denial of wages in the name of recovery of loans.

Aman was among the 53 men, women and children from different villages in Chhattisgarh who escaped the clutches of an exploitative contractor in a brick kiln in Faridabad on April 27 only to find themselves on Delhi streets, living under a tree at a night shelter in Sarai Kale Khan. While the heatwave is taking a toll on them, they shrugged that working in the heat in the brick kiln was anyway a never-ending summer.

They neither have the resources to linger on nor the money to leave for their villages, where it will be a life of poverty. Most of them have since begun working at construction sites in Delhi NCR as they wait for the authorities to take note of their demand for justice.

Their pleas and a formal complaint led to the National Human Rights Commission to issue a notice on April 29 and follow-up directions to the state authorities in Haryana, but a solution is awaited as the panel and the state engage in a to-and-fro. Besides Haryana govt, NHRC had al- so sought the intervention of Delhi govt to provide support to these families struggling for basic needs like food and shelter in the heat.

Thus, Aman and other children battle the summer heat while their parents and grandparents work at construction sites. The six-year-old and his brother Ritesh, 7, tell you how they turned over bricks at the kiln while their parents made bricks. Their sister Meeta, who is 15, too has only known the kilns as home. For the migrant children, education is a distant dream.

Their mother, Sushila, reveals how there is no work in Nariyara to sustain them through the year, so they keep returning to the cities and work for nearly eight months every year. As for the brick kiln in Faridabad, Sushila and husband Kulbehera Mahesh disclosed that they had taken a loan of Rs 35,000 to meet emergency expenses from the contractor, who then asked them to work at the kiln to pay off the debt.

Amarbai and her husband Chandraveer Mahesh also arrived to repay a loan of Rs 15,000. “We woke up at 1am to get down to work and were at it till 1pm,” said Amarbai. “After lunch, we again worked till 9pm. We did this without getting wages, surviving on a stipend of around Rs 5,000 in two instalments, always hoping to repay the loan. But the debt just didn’t end. This is the story of every family.”

Complainant Nirmal Gorana, convener, National Campaign Committee for Eradication of Bonded Labour, who was part of the rescue operation with the local administration, has requested NHRC in his complaint to record the statements of the labourers while carrying out a fair investigation.

The rights panel issued its first notice to Haryana on April 29, asking the state to take immediate action to address the concerns of the stranded workers. In May, the authorities in Ballabhgarh in a report to NHRC claimed that an enquiry had been conducted and that the labourers said they had no grievances against the brick kiln owner, that they were being provided basic facilities and that their movement was not restricted. Tellingly, the labourers declined to sign their statements and left without availing the use of a tractor granted to them.

NHRC responded, “The report appears to be contrary to the submission of the complainant. The report suggests that there was no bondage at the brick kiln and the labourers left the brick kiln without signing their statement. The complainant, however, has stated that the labourers were being forced to sign the false statement prepared by the rescue team.”

In this backdrop on May 28, NHRC asked the deputy commissioner of Faridabad to initiate proceedings in accordance with the standard operating procedure and submit an action-taken report to it by June 21.

After HC order, 89% MCD school students have bank accounts

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Saturday reported that bank accounts have been opened for 89% of students enrolled in its schools by the education department.

The initiative aims to facilitate the direct bank transfer of funds to students' accounts for various purposes. MCD is working towards achieving 100% coverage of student bank accounts once schools reopen after the summer vacations, in compliance with the Delhi High Court’s directives.

An official stated, "Due to persistent efforts of MCD, more and more students are opening their bank accounts. We are continuously working in the direction of opening of students’ bank accounts and hopefully bank accounts of 100 % students will be opened after opening of schools after summer vacations."

MCD provides funds to students in its schools for purchasing uniforms, shoes, bags, and stationery. To receive these funds, students are required to have a bank account. MCD has instructed all zonal deputy commissioners to ensure that every student in their respective zone has a bank account.

The official added, "We are organising special camps for students studying in its schools for the purpose of opening their bank accounts in various banks and post offices. Special efforts for distribution of textbooks received from Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan amongst students during summer vacations are also taken and teachers are contacting parents for collecting textbooks."

In April, the court expressed concern over MCD's inability to provide uniforms, notebooks, and stationery to approximately 2,00,000 students lacking bank accounts.

The court said that this situation could lead to children losing interest in education.

The court's comments were made in response to a plea filed by NGO Social Jurist, which sought directions for the education department and MCD to ensure that all students in their schools have a functional bank account.

In May, the court directed MCD commissioner to cover expenses for uniforms/stationery without being limited by Rs 5 crore expenditure cap .

PWD Zeroes In On 10 Traffic Hotspots

Plans Building Flyovers, Underpasses To Ease Congestion, Seeks Feedback

The area under Chirag Dilli flyover is one of the 10 priority locations

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: With several roads and intersections turning into traffic chokepoints in the city, Public Works Department of Delhi govt is working on a plan to find a long-term solution for decongesting the stretches.

Sources said PWD is working on a proposal to build 10 new flyovers and underpasses in the city to ensure a smooth flow of traffic on congested stretches. The department has sought the inputs from the transport department and traffic police and based on their suggestions the final decision on the interventions will be taken.

Among the major stretches that have turned into chokepoints are traffic intersections below Chirag Dilli and Panchsheel flyovers, NSG intersection at the Airport Road, area around Pusa Road and Shankar Road including Chaudhary Brahm Prakash Chowk, KS Krishnan Marg and Dev Prakash Shastri Marg, Budh Vihar Junction, Hanuman Mandir to Signature Bridge on Ring Road, Zakhira Crossing to Karampura on Shivaji Marg, Mukarba Chowk to Peeragarhi, and Jwala Heri Market to Jwalapuri Red Light.

Officials said there have been several discussions and plans before to decongest so- me of these stretches, but no final decision could be taken earlier. The construction of flyovers, underpasses and elevated roads in these areas may cost over Rs 4,000 crore.

“We have requested the transport department and traffic police to provide us detailed reports including the volume of traffic during specific hours, other roads and intersections that also get choked because of heavy traffic in these areas and if there were some other interventions that could be made to solve the problem,” said an official.

“Based on their reports, we will have discussions with all stakeholders before involving consultants to provide us with the detailed project reports,” the official added.

Officials said that they have already got the feasibility studies done for an underpass at Chirag Dilli along with two more at Aurobindo Marg intersection and Khel Gaon flyover. A detailed project report for Chirag Dilli intersection has also been prepared. The new projects may have to wait for next year for approval and budget allocation, officials added.

Delhi govt did not announce any new flyover or underpass for 2024-25 and only targeted the completion of the eight elevated corridors already under construction. The budget allocation for road infrastructure came down from Rs 3,126 crore for 2023-24 to Rs 1,768 crore for 2024-25. With just eight months to go for Delhi assembly polls, officials said govt will continue to focus on projects already going on.

HC panel to assess need for palliative care hospital in city

Anuja.Jaiswal@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: A committee, which was constituted by Delhi High Court to assess medical infrastructure of state-run hospitals, will now examine the need to have a dedicated hospital for palliative care in the national capital. After examining the matter, the committee will apprise the court accordingly, said Dr SK Sarin, the head of the committee and the chancellor of Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences.

“There is no dedicated palliative care hospital in entire Delhi and it is the need of the hour. Hundreds of terminally ill patients in need of palliative care will be benefited by such dedicated hospitals. On the other hand, the relatives of such patients will get great relief,” said advocate Ashok Agarwal, who raised this matter in the court recently.

In a letter to Dr Sarin, Agarwal requested the committee to consider suggestion of the need to have a dedicated hospital for palliative care in Delhi and make necessary recommendations about it to the court. He stated that a large number of terminally ill patients who only require the best palliative care/supportive care were occupying beds in govt hospitals. Besides, several such EWS patients also keep occupying beds for long in 61 identified private hospitals. In most cases, relatives of the patients show their inability to arrange palliative care at their respective homes, he added.

The advocate further stated, “Many times, we have noted that the critical care beds earmarked for EWS patients are occupied by terminally ill EWS patients, and that too for a long time. We all know that EWS critical beds in private hospitals are very limited in number. If they are occupied by terminally ill patients and not provided to patients in waiting, the system will become unworkable and counterproductive”.

A garwal suggested that the dedicated hospital should also arrange a programmer for training and educating the relatives of such terminally ill patients in regard to providing palliative care at home. In that situation, if any facility is required, the same may be provided at home at 100% govt costs.

The issue was also brought to the notice of health minister Saurabh Bhardwaj through a letter dated March 2, but no response has been received till date, claimed Agarwal. The minister did not respond to the TOI’s query in this connection.

Former Armyman dies in Manesar while cleaning rifle

Gurgaon: A retired Armyman accidentally shot himself dead while cleaning his gun in Patheri village of Bilaspur on Friday. The family members of Naresh Kumar (48) said they heard a gunshot inside his room around 2.30pm. When they barged in, they found Kumar had slumped to the ground, with the barrel of the gun pointing to his death. He was oozing blood from the gunshot wound.

Kumar, police said, had died before he could be taken to hospital. Only his wife was at home when Kumar was cleaning his gun. Their son is in the Army while their daughter is married. According to cops, the bullet pierced his left arm and went through. Forensic experts were called to collect evidence and ascertain if it was indeed a case of accidental firing or sui cide.

TNN

3 men arrested for firing at 4

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Days after a history-sheeter, his friend, and two 70-year-old homeless men sleeping on the footpath were injured in a shooting in northeast Delhi's Welcome area, police have arrested three assailants who fired at least a dozen rounds on them.

Investigation revealed that personal enmity led to the incident.

The accused were identified as Faizan (21), Mohsin (22), and Junaid (32).

Police received a PCR call about the firing incident at 3.02 am on June 13. “It was reported that some individuals fired at Waseem and Asif while they were riding a motorcy- cle near Shaitan Chowk. Shareef and Sultan, who were sleeping on the footpath, were also injured,” an officer stated.

“Waseem and Asif were moving around in the area, and at least five assailants were waiting for them on 65 Foota Road. As soon as they arrived, the assailants opened fire on them,” the officer added, noting that they fled the scene after firing around a dozen shots.

“Shareef and Sultan became unintended victims of this indiscriminate gunfire. Waseem suffered gunshot wounds to his abdomen and right hand, while Asif sustained gunshot injuries to his right hand and the left side of his chest,” the officer explained.

A case was registered under Sections 307 (attempted murder) and 34 (common intention) of the IPC. A senior officer said multiple teams were formed and raids were conducted at different places, leading to the arrest of the three men.

3 shooters nabbed for extortion bid

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Delhi Police’s Special Cell has apprehended three shooters associated with gangster Sampat Nehra for allegedly firing at a businessman’s house in Narela and demanding protection money of Rs 2 crore. Nehra is an associate of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.

Two of the arrested shooters have been identified as Sumit alias Cheeta (18) and Rohit alias Joshi (24). The third shooter is a juvenile. The trio worked for gangsters Nehra and Kapil Maan, both of whom are lodged in jail, police said.

The shooting incident on June 4, which was captured on CCTV, had gone viral and caused panic among the public. The footage showed a young man aiming a pistol at the house and firing. He is then seen running after the weapon malfunctions.

The businessman subsequently reported receiving an extortion call demanding Rs 2 crore on behalf of Sampat Nehra.

ACP Lalit Mohan Negi and inspector Shiv Kumar began investigating the case. Based on information received on June 10, the team laid a trap and apprehended Sumit and the juvenile near Shahbad Dairy. A pistol with live cartridges was recovered from Sumit.

During interrogation, Sumit named another associate, Rohit, who was then arrested on June 12. A country-made revolver with live cartridges was seized from Rohit.

Sumit, a second-year undergraduate student, was allegedly lured into the gang by Rohit. Rohit, a school dropout, met gang members while in judicial custody and was tasked with recruiting youngsters for several criminal activities.

Another Metro Extension To Bring 3 NCR States Closer, Boost Narela

Awaits Cabinet Panel’s Approval After Public Investment Board’s Go-Ahead

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: The Public Investment Board of the Union finance ministry has cleared the DDA-Union housing and urban development ministry proposal for the 26-km Rithala-Narela-Kundli Delhi Metro corridor, an extension of the existing Red Line. The proposal is now with the cabinet committee on economic affairs for final approval. This corridor will ensure seamless inter-state connectivity among Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Haryana and transform Narela sub-city.

Lieutenant governor VK Saxena, in his effort to bring changes to Narela-Bawana and other outer Delhi areas, had taken up the subject of this metro corridor with the central govt on several occasions.

The Rithala-Narela-Kundli corridor will be constructed at a cost of Rs 6,231 crore with the Delhi portion estimated at Rs 5,685 crore and the Haryana portion at Rs 545.8 crore. “Nearly 40% of the cost of the Delhi component will be borne by the central govt, of which DDA alone will grant Rs 1,000 crore. Of the remaining cost, 37.5% will come from bilateral or multilateral loans and about 20% from Delhi govt. For the Haryana portion, while the state govt will provide grants amounting to 80%, the remaining 20% will come through central grants,” the LG’s office said in a statement on Saturday.

This corridor with 21 stations will be completed in four years once it’s sanctioned. “It will massively improve connectivity of the NarelaBawana-Alipur areas with the remaining city and bring about an infrastructure boom in the area. It will provide impetus to growth and development of the Narela-Bawana sub-city and address the long-pending requirements of the Rohini sub-city,” said the statement.

In March, the Lajpat Nagar-Saket G Block and Inderlok-Indraprastha corridors, which are extensions, respectively, of the Golden and Green lines, were approved for Delhi Metro Rail Corporation’s Phase IV expansion. However, the Rithala-NarelaKundli corridor was awaiting approval. DMRC is currently constructing 65km of three priority Phase IV corridors: Janakpuri West-RK Ashram, Majlis Park-Maujpur and Aerocity-Tughlaqabad.

Delhi Metro is also connecting the city with neighbouring Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gurgaon and Bahadurgarh. Kundli in Haryana will be the new addition. The new corridor with seamless three-state inter-connectivity is likely to have a daily ridership of 1.3 lakh by 2028 when it is completed and 3.8 lakh by 2055,” the LG’s office said.

The Narela sub-city will get a major boost if the Delhi Metro line is constructed. Here, DDA is developing an education hub with campuses of seven universities and institutions, a multi-modal logistic park along the Urban Extension Road II, corporate offices and IT-ITeS arks, an AIIMS and a medical campus.

The area already houses Delhi Technological University, NIT Delhi, National Institute of Homoeopathy, Raja Harish Chandra Hospital, Anaaj Mandi, Smriti Van and DDA housing projects. With a metro corridor, these institutions and housing colonies will get much-needed connectivity with other parts of Delhi.

Similarly, in the Rohini sub-city, the heliport at Sector-36, Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre, Ambience Mall, Swarn Jayanti Park, sport complex in Sector-14, Rohini District Courts Complex and the Forensic Science Laboratory will also have the facility of metro connectivity.

The main stations on the new line will be at the seven sectors of Rohini, villages like Barwala, Sanoth, New Sanoth and Narela JJ Colony, two stations in the industrial area at Bawana and five in the Narela area, which includes Anaaj Mandi, DDA sports complex, Narela village, Depot station and Narela Sector-5.

2,299 e-autos to boost connectivity at 50 metro stations

Priyangi.Agarwal@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: To boost last-mile connectivity in the city, 2,299 e-autos will soon operate from 50 metro stations. Of these, 934 e-autos are already available at 38 metro stations, while the remaining will be introduced shortly.

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation’s managing director, Vikas Kumar, told TOI, “E-autos are true feeders. Over 900 e-autos are currently available at 38 stations. These e-autos will be geo-fenced, and passengers will be able to book them on our app for convenience.”

E-autos with geofencing will ensure that the vehicles remain in designa- ted zones, catering to areas not well connected by different modes of transit to improve last-mile connectivity.

To enhance last-mile connectivity for metro passengers, public bicycles are available at 44 metro stations. Commuters have the option to book these bicycles on the Saarthi Momentum 2.0 app of DMRC. “The app will be upgraded with the option to book eautos,” said a DMRC official.

In Oct 2022, the e-auto service was first launched at Dwarka metro station. Out of 2,299 e-auto permits allotted to DMRC, 1,636 are in the general category, while 663 are under the women’s quota.

Before e-autos, DMRC introduced electric feeder buses in the national capital for last-mile connectivity. However, DMRC officials said e-feeder buses were found unviable because they were running “under-capacity and were under-utilised.” Nearly 100 electric buses were handed over to Delhi govt.

“There was low ridership on the buses. The issue with buses is that they do not generate much revenue within a 5 km radius to make their operation viable. Either the operation cost has to be subsidised or the area of operation has to be widened. There are safety issues with e-rickshaws, which are slow and lead to traffic congestion,” said Kumar.

The stations where e-autos are currently available are Janakpuri West, Dwarka Mor, Dwarka Sector-12, Dwarka Sector-8, Pitampura, Azadpur, Nehru Place, Khan Market, Janpath, Rohini Sector 18 and 19, Uttam Nagar (East), Dwarka, Dwarka Sector-11, Dwarka Sector-21, Rohini East, Hauz Khas, Greater Kailash, Rajiv Chowk, Qutub Minar, Kalkaji, Uttam Nagar (West), Dwarka Sector-14, Dwarka Sector-10, Netaji Subhash Place, Rohini West, Vasant Vihar, Govindpuri, RK Ashram Marg, Chhatarpur, Nawada, Dwarka Sector-13, Dwarka Sector-9, Kohat Enclave, Vishwavidyalaya, Lajpat Nagar, Jor Bagh, Patel Chowk, and Saket.

Yellow Line timing to alter for two days due to work

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Due to the ongoing work on a 490-metre section of Janakpuri West-R K Ashram corridor of phase-IV, wherein the alignment crosses over Haiderpur Badli Mor Metro station of the Yellow Line (Samaypur Badli–Millennium City Centre), there will be a minor change in the last and first train timings on Sunday and Monday.

The 490-metre stretch, adjacent to the existing operational Yellow Line, is very critical as the corridor reaches a height of about 28.4 metres, the highest level ever of the entire Delhi Metro network.

On Sunday, the last train will depart at 10.45pm instead of 11pm from Samaypur Badli to Millennium City Centre Gurgaon and at 9.30pm instead of 11pm from Millennium City Centre to Samaypur Badli.

On Monday, the first train will start at 7am instead of 6am from Samaypur Badli to Millennium City Centre. “There will be no train services available between small section of Samaypur Badli and Jahangirpuri after 11pm on Sunday and before 7am on Monday. However, normal train services will continue to remain available on remaining major section of Yellow Line from Jahangirpuri to Millennium City Centre Gurgaon during this period,” said Anuj Dayal, principal executive director, corporate communications, DMRC.

To avoid any inconvenience to passengers during the late night or early morning hours on non-working days, announcements will also be made at the stations and inside the trains on Yellow Line about the destination of trains and respective platforms for changeover during this period.

“The work sequence is meticulously planned and specially taken up during night only in a very limited window of few hours when passenger services are almost over and finish them off by the time passenger services are scheduled to commence next day,” added Dayal.

The same revision of timings may be required over coming weekend too, to finish off the remaining work, he added.

DDA likely to start handing over EWS flat keys from July

DREAMS COME HOME

Vibha.Sharma@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Delhi Development Authority is likely to start issuing possession letters to 1,078 allottees of houses at Jailorwala Bagh from July.

An official stated that out of the total 1,675 EWS flats constructed under “Jahan Jhuggi Wahin Makan” scheme, an in situ rehabilitation project, the allotment of 1,396 flats in Jailorwala Bagh was finalised in March. “Out of these 1,396 flats, 1,078 flats have been allotted to eligible slum dwellers of Jailorwala Bagh JJ cluster and the remaining 579 EWS flats have been partially allocated, with 318 flats being allotted to nearby JJ clusters at Golden Park, Ram Pura, and opposite Mata Jai Kaur School in Ashok Vihar,” the official further explained.

While the process of identifying beneficiaries for the remaining flats is ongoing, DDA has already issued demand-cum-allotment letters to the eligible 1,078 jhuggi dwellers. The formalities for issuing possession letters have also been completed, including the collection of beneficiary contributions from the jhuggi clusters. “The process of handing over the flat keys and providing final possession to the beneficiaries is expected to commence shortly,” said the official.

The allotment of these flats is being made to eligible JJ dwellers at a beneficiary contribution of Rs 1.4 lakh, which is considerably lower than the construction cost of Rs 25 lakh per flat.

Officials said that the newly constructed flats were well equipped with modern amenities, including community facilities and sewerage treatment. Each flat, spanning 340 square feet, comprises a bedroom, living room, kitchen, separate toilet and bathroom, and a balcony. The total residential built-up area of the project is approximately 67,000 square metres, while the covered area for community facilities is nearly 1,000 sqm. The complex also includes parking space for 337 vehicles.

“The authority has made provision for community fa- cilities, including halls, shops, anganwadi, classroom, doctor clinic and children’s day care centre, in Tower-C. There will be lifts in each tower. For the parking purpose, a basement measuring 11,024 sqm area has been constructed. In addition, there is a provision of surface parking. Ample green spaces measuring 9,257.7 sqm have been provided within the project site,” stated the official.

A draw was conducted to allot specific flats to eligible JJ dwellers. This project marks the second in situ rehabilitation initiative by DDA, following the construction and inauguration of 3,024 newly built EWS flats at Kalkaji in Nov 2022 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which were designed to rehabilitate slum dwellers in the area.

DDA’s third in situ development project in Kathputli Colony is also under way, with plans to construct 2,800 flats in 14-storey towers for slum dwellers who have been residing in the area for nearly 40 years. Each flat will have an average size of 37 sqm. Local residents are eagerly waiting to get possession of the flats.

In March, lieutenant governor VK Saxena announced a fourth in situ project that will see redevelopment of three jhuggi clusters in east Delhi—Kalandar Colony, Deepak Colony and Dilshad Vihar Colony. This new in situ rehabilitation project, encompassing three JJ clusters, will utilise over seven hectares of land to develop multistorey buildings.

New govt in place, TERI comes up with 100-day environment agenda

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) has put forward a 100-day green agenda for central govt. The 10-point plan covers a range of crucial environmental issues, aiming to steer towards a sustainable future.

Advocating a green Budget, the agenda urges govt to allocate substantial resources towards eco-friendly initiatives. It also calls for setting sector-specific net-zero emission targets and ensuring that industries across the board contribute to the fight aga- inst climate change. The policy research organisation also emphasises the need for robust policies to address the growing concerns of water scarcity and conservation, and planting trees outside forests.

Central govt must introduce green budgeting in the Union process for integrating environmental considerations into public spending and revenue-raising measures, said Shailly Kedia, senior fellow of TERI.

Kedia also pointed at the need for introducing the process at the state level and cited the examples of Bihar, Puducherry and Assam. “Delhi annually tables its own budget in its assembly. The budget for financial year 2024-25 was Rs 76,000 crore. It can initiate the process of green budgeting,” she said.

On plastic pollution, TERI highlighted the absence of standards or quantified targets on plastic neutrality. The agenda urges govt to prioritise the promotion of plastic neutrality, setting clear goals and guidelines to mitigate the environmental impact of plastic waste.

TERI director Suneel Pandey stressed on bringing in more alternatives to replace plastic. “Manufacturers and users of plastic packaging, along with research institutions, must focus on plastic technology and Bureau of Indian Standards will play a crucial role in developing methods for measuring and monitoring plastic neutrality,” he said, adding that the responsibility of ensuring regulatory compliance will fall upon the central and state pollution control boards.

The primary focus, however, should be on reducing the demand for plastic packaging and finding suitable alternatives, Pandey insisted. “In cases where alternatives are not feasible, the emphasis should be on designing packaging that is environment-friendly and easily recyclable, facilitating efficient collection and recycling processes.” Replacing plastic should also not be misinterpreted as a justification for generating more waste, which would mean increased recycling efforts, he added.

The institute also recommended the launch of a dedicated national plantation programme, Trees Outside Forests, recognising their potential to create significant carbon sinks and contribute to the overall greening efforts.

HC Orders Removal Of Court Hearing Video Involving CM

Asks Social Media Platforms To Drop Recording Of Proceedings

HC also told the platforms to ensure that the audios or videos were not reuploaded till further orders

Vineet.Upadhyay@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:Delhi High Court on Saturday directed various social media platforms to remove the audio or video recording of court proceedings of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's personal address to the court after his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in the excise policy case.

The division bench comprising justice Neena Bansal Krishna and justice Amit Sharma issued a notice on a public-interest litigation against various people for allegedly violating the video conferencing rules. "Social media platforms, namely X (formerly Twitter), Meta (formerly Facebook), Instagram and YouTube are hereby directed to remove forthwith the audio/ video recording from their respective platforms,” the bench directed.

The court also directed the platforms to ensure that the audio or videos were not reuploaded on their platform till further orders.

The court observing that prima facie the recording of court proceedings violated Rule 3(vi) of Delhi High Court Video Conferencing Rules, 2021, and, therefore, could not be permitted to remain in public domain, issued the notice to seven respondents, including social media platform X.

The next hearing of the matter is scheduled for July 9. On March 28, Kejriwal had addressed the court in person for about 10 minutes when he was produced before special judge (PC Act) Kaveri Baweja following his arrest in the case related to Delhi excise policy.

The high court bench issued the directions while hearing a PIL filed by a Delhi lawyer Vaibhav Singh alleging that several members of Aam Aadmi Party and members of opposition parties had intentionally and deliberately with intent to malign and manipulate the court proceedings made an audio and video recording of court proceedings which has been circulated on various social media platforms.

The petitioner told the court that he had filed a complaint with Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube providing the URL links of the posts and requested them to remove these audio/video recordings. YouTube replied that it hadn’t been able to identify any violation of its community guidelines.

All other social media intermediaries failed to respond, the petitioner said and insisted that the unauthorised recording of the proceedings by any person or entity was a violation of Delhi High Court Video Conferencing Rules, 2021. The petitioner also alleged that the CM’s wife and Akshay Malhotra, X user Nagrik-India Jeetega, Promila Gupta, Vineeta Jain and Dr Arunesh Kumar Yadav wilfully and deliberately disobeyed the rules on videoconferencing.

Noida tries to safeguard sewer cleaning

Ayantika.Pal@timesgroup.com

Noida: The district administration has specified that workers who clean sewer tanks should be hired only through authorised agencies.

Referring to a Supreme Court order, the administration said those who hired workers independently would be liable to pay a penalty of Rs 30 lakh in case of any accidental death. The administration’s reminder comes a month after the death of two sewage workers who had entered a septic tank in Sector 26.

“After the death of two men inside a sewage tank in Sector 26, we have been asking people not to hire workers on their own, but only through authorised agencies. In most cases — where workers were hired individually — we found they were not provided with proper safety kits, which caused their deaths in certain cases,” said Neelam Singh Chauhan, social welfare officer in Noida.

According to Chauhan, the compensation amount for sewer deaths was Rs 10 lakh in 1993. The amount was increased to Rs 30 lakh under provisions of the Prohibition of Employment As Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013. UP govt had in Dec last year come out with an order, which referred to an SC ruling about the compensation for sewage workers who died at work.

“The Court hereby directs the Union and the States to ensure that the compensation for sewer death is increased (given that the previous amount fixed i.e. Rs10 lakh was made applicable from 1993). The current equivalent of that amount is Rs 30 lakh. This shall be the amount to be paid, by the concerned agency i.e. the Union, the Union Terri- tory or the State as the case may be,” the order said. Chauhan clarified in such cases, the compensation amount would be recovered from the person who had hired the workers individually.

“In case the workers are hired through any agency, it will be liable to pay the amount. Moreover, in such cases, they are equipped with necessary equipment and precautionary measures, which reduces the risk factor,” she added.

On May 3, Sumit Chawla had called Nunu and Tapan Mandal to clean the sewage tank at his house in Sector 26. He had hired the two workers through an agency earlier, but decided to contact them individually this time. Minutes after entering the tank, the two fainted and died. Chawla paid the families Rs 8 lakh each. After the district administration asked Chawla to pay Rs 30 lakh, he moved court.

Maliwal case: Bibhav to stay in judicial custody till next Saturday

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Saturday extended the judicial custody of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's aide, Bibhav Kumar, until June 22. Kumar is accused of assaulting AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal on May 13 at the CM's official residence.

Kumar was produced through videoconferencing before the duty metropolitan magistrate, who extended the custody and directed Delhi Police to produce him on June 22.

On Friday, the court had extended Kumar's custody by one day after noting that the investigating officer was not present.

On June 7, a Delhi court dismissed the second bail plea moved by Kumar in the case stating there are grave and serious allegations against him.

The court of special judge Ekta Gauba Mann, considering the fact that Maliwal is a lady and sitting member of Parliament from Aam Aadmi Party and had gone to meet chief minister of her own political party at his residence, said that the injuries suffered by her were apparent as per the MLC and the allegations levelled against Kumar were grave and serious in nature.

"Considering her allegations that she has been assaulted and brutally beaten up and her modesty has been outraged by applicant/accused Bibhav Kumar in the drawing room of the residence of the Hon'ble CM. Considering the fact that applicant/accused Bibhav Kumar being the personal secretary to the Hon'ble CM and alleged to have misbehaved not only with the member of Parliament of the same party but also with a lady," said the court.

Kumar's first regular bail plea was rejected by the trial court on May 27.

Cops seize over 200kg of ganja, 4arrested

New Delhi: Four persons were arrested while they were allegedly transporting over 200 kg of ‘ganja’ (cannabis) hidden among household items in a transport truck, officials said.

The truck was loaded with household articles, such as tables, chairs, fridge, bicycle, etc., belonging to an Army and a BSF personnel, among which the cannabis was hidden, deputy commissioner of police (East) Apoorva Gupta said.

The DCP said on the intervening night of June 4 and 5, the Anti-Narcotics Cell of east district received a tip-off on a truck transporting a large quantity of ‘ganja’ in the guise of shifting household items of a security personnel from West Bengal to Delhi.

Acting on this information, the raiding team set up a trap near a Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) construction site on the road to Sabzi Mandi, Ghazipur, Delhi and saw two men unloading white plastic cartons from a truck, DCP Gupta said.

On checking, 215 kg of psychotropic substance, cannabis, hidden among household items was recovered, she added.

Subsequently, truck driver Inderpal (36) and his helper Manish (28) were held, the SHO added.

According to the SHO, Inderpal confessed to owning the truck and disclosed that on June 1, he had loaded the household articles of security personnel from Hashimara, Cooch Behar, West Bengal, destined for Delhi Cantt.

He further revealed that he was supposed to deliver the cannabis to Lublu Chaudhary (33), residing in Vasundhara, Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh, at the RRTS construction site on the road to Sabzi Mandi.

Another officer said that further interrogation of accused Inderpal led to the arrest of the supplier, Chaudhary, from whose residence 22 kg of cannabis was recovered. Efforts are underway to trace other accused and further investigations are on, SHO Gupta said.

PTI

‘When people struggle with their mental health, they can be harsh to others’

To help readers cope with their anxieties in these stressful times, TOI has launched Talk it Out, a series in which expert counsellors answer your mental health queries. This week’s advice is from clinical psychologist Anusuya Dutta

I have a 54-year-old working mother who abuses me a lot. Today, she said she doesn’t want me and my father to see her face after she dies, and has been repeatedly saying that she doesn’t want to live with us anymore. She wants to move out of the house even though the house was bought with her money. She seems paranoid now. As far as I can recall from my childhood memories, she had been abused by my father, who allegedly has an extra marital affair too. I don’t know whether her past abuse is the reason behind her anger but I am getting badly affected because of it. I don’t think I should be treated this badly. She is very keen on doing household chores and ends up spending a lot of time on them, skewing her work life balance. Yet, no one can make her understand that she must choose one over the other. I am concerned about her. I think her paranoia will eventually harm her and I am scared of losing the person I am closest to. My father is abusive, misogynistic and not keen to give my mother the support she needs. However, he does not affect me much as I am not that close to him. Also, I have psychotic OCD and acute schizophrenia. I am feeling helpless. Please help.

— Anonymous

It sounds like your mother is a huge support for you. It must be very hard to see her behave this way. It also sounds like you have a lot of love and empathy for her and really want to help her. This is a tough spot for anyone to be in. It is quite possible that her past has impacted her. However, it is important to remember that it is not your fault and you do not deserve to be treated this way. Please remember to take care of yourself too as you find ways to help her. It can be helpful to stay out of her way when she is angry. Sometimes, when people struggle with their own mental health it can come out very harshly on others. However, it has everything to do with how they are feeling and not you. You mentioned that you are not close to your father. However, will it be possible to ask him or someone else you trust to help get your mother the help she needs. Seeing a psychiatrist or receiving some form of mental health support could be helpful for her. You have mentioned that you have psychotic OCD and acute schizophrenia. I hope those are managed with medication and therapy. You also said you are feeling helpless. Taking care of your mother might need some more time and effort. However, is there something you can do that helps you feel a little better, like reading, art, walking, or anything else? It might help to notice what you can do now that is within your control.

I have been married for the past three decades but for the last one year, my wife is not giving importance to me and isn’t interested in understanding the troubles of my life. She has a cardiac issue and is doing housework, but has no care, love or affection for me. I am unable to concentrate on my work. How do I tackle this problem? Please help.

— Anonymous

It sounds like you are feeling very neglected right now because of the current situation. I wonder what it was like for both of you before this year. You have mentioned that things have been unbearable for the last year. Has there been anything that has helped you cope with it? You have also mentioned that your wife has been diagnosed with a cardiac issue recently. I wonder what that has been like for both of you since. Being diagnosed with a serious illness can be very hard on people and families. You mentioned that you have been married for three decades, I wonder how those have been. I wonder if you have tried to talk to your wife about it to let her know how difficult things have been for you. I also wonder if you can think of some others in your life who you care about and who care about you. During difficult times, it can be helpful to have someone to talk to and feel supported by. It is of course not enough but it can help get through. It sounds like this problem is also interfering with your work. It could help to talk to a mental health professional about this and also consider couple’s counselling going forward.

I am turning 17 this month and haven’t had a happy family since birth. I am a single child and have never seen peace, contentment or love amongst the three of us till date. There is hardly any communication between my parents. Whenever they do talk, even about a minor thing, it always results in fights that lead to bitterness for a long period of time. Added to this, my neighbours verbally and mentally harass my mother as the entire neighbourhood knows that nobody would support her (my father would instead blame my mother for everything). Even my mother’s family has never supported her. This is causing me a lot of mental stress and I no longer desire to stay in such a negative environment. No one talks to me either at home or in school. I am lonely, sad and even frustrated at times. Please help.

— Anonymous

Growing up in an unhappy family dynamic is really hard. It must be tough for you to witness such disagreements and bitterness between your parents. The lack of support for your mother within her family and the situation with the neighbours also sounds very hard. It sounds like you are feeling protective of your mother, which is completely understandable in the circumstances. You have mentioned your desire to move away from this. It is alright to want to move away to take care of yourself before you can help your parents. I wonder what you would like for yourself in the future. What kind of values would you like to live your life by? Is there something that you enjoy? Is there something at present that you can do that brings you some joy and solace? If not, it can be helpful to do things that do not exacerbate the difficult feelings. You mentioned that you are turning 17. I wonder what your plans are for the future. I would also suggest reaching out to a counselling organisation or a trusted school counsellor during this time to talk about your feelings.

Six-axis tech may be gamechanger to treat bone deformities

ASURGEON SAYS In conventional methods, if corrections are not done accurately, it can lead to another deformity because of bone movement in a different direction

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Till a few years ago, limb deformities in patients used to be corrected by deploying traditional methods. These were based on ilizarov fixators, and included cutting the bone (osteotomy), correcting the angle and fixing it with plates and screws, followed by a plaster cast.

However, the process was a slow one, and also had more scope for errors. In many cases, it turned out to be less accurate than the desired result.

Now, with the increasing use of technology, an artificial intelligence-aided ‘six-axis’ system works on multiple deformities at the same time. The software assisted method reduces the time taken for the procedure and is also more accurate, doctors said.

Recently, Ayesha, a teenage girl who was suffering from Bowlegs, also referred to as ‘crooked legs’, underwent a correction surgery at a private city hospital. The operation was done using an external fixator based on the tech-aided six-axis system.

According to city-based doctors, the new, updated six-axis correction system is “revolutionary” and should be made accessible to more people. They said the method, which is currently available only in some private facilities, should also be introduced in govt hospitals.

“In conventional methods, when a deformity had to be corrected, it could only be done in a two-dimensional way. For example, if one person has multiple bone deformities, it would be corrected one by one and doctors had to do all the work, from angle calculations to manual application. But now, there is the six-axis correction software, which is a hexapod with six legs that can move in any direction,” said Dr Manish Dhawan, senior deformity correction surgeon at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. “Doctors had to be very accurate while doing 2D corrections. If not done properly, it could lead to another deformity because of bone movement in a different direction,” he added.

Explaining how the sixaxis technology works, Dr Gaurav Prakash Bhardwaj, director of sports injury, joint preservation and replacement surgery at PSRI Hospital, said, “A cut is made in a bone and an external device like a hexapod is put on it. The software calculates and determines the frequency and the angle for the alignment.”

Stating that awareness should be raised about the new technology, Dr Dhawan said, “As the technology is expensive and specialised, it is currently being done at only a few places. But, there is a need to increase its outreach.” According to Dr Bhardwaj, “A lot of bone deformation cases are usually encountered among people from lower income groups, who are unable to take the help of the n ew technology. Govt hospitals should be using it to correct deformities.”

Woman dies, 4 hurt as van rams truck

Gurgaon: A woman was killed, and four people were injured on Wednesday night when a van rammed a truck at Sector 83 crossing and crashed into an iron pillar by the road. An unidentified woman who was in the van succumbed to her injuries. The other injured persons, who were also inside the van, are currently receiving medical treatment.

The truck driver, Rakesh Kumar, filed an FIR on Thursday, and said that near Sector 83 crossing at 1am, a speeding van suddenly appeared from the right side and grazed his vehicle and crashed into a pillar, which led to the accident.

TNN

PUC Centres At Petrol Pumps May Shut Down

Owners Cite Loss Due To No Revision Of Rate Since 2012

The PUC certification centres may not function from July 1

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: With no revision in the fee charged for issuing pollution under control certificates to vehicles for over 12 years, petrol pump owners said they would shut the PUC centres from July 1 .

In a letter to Delhi’s transport commissioner, Delhi Petrol Traders’ Association (DPDA) said it was not viable for them to run the PUC centres anymore and the requests being made to Delhi govt since 2015 to revise the charges were being ignored.

“PUC certification centres earlier operated on wafer thin margins for many years and have for the last few years operated on losses...While the spiralling costs and other expenses, which have jumped several fold, have been brought to your notice several tim es in the past, non-revision of PUC checking rates and the consequent unviability is forcing us to close our centres across Delhi from July 1,” DPDA general secretary Bibek Banerjee stated in the letter.

Delhi’s transport minister Kai lash Gahlot could not be contacted for a comment.

Though the number of PUC checking centres in Delhi may be more, DPDA president Nischal Singhania said there were nearly 650 operating at petrol and diesel stations a cross the city. The customers currently pay Rs 60 to get the PUC check done of their two-wheelers while Rs 80 is charged for petrol cars and Rs 100 for diesel vehicles (excluding 18% GST).

“The last time the rates were revised was in Dec 2011. In the last 12 years, the minimum wages of a skilled worker have gone up by nearly three times, the oil companies have started charging exorbitant rents for these centres and the overhead charges such as maintenance of the equipment have also increased,” Singhania said.

As per an estimate, there are nearly 80 lakh registered vehicles in the capital.A vehi- cle plying without the certificate can be fined Rs 10,000.

“We have, over the last few years, convinced several of our dealers to not close the PUC centres even while incurring losses with the fragile environment of Delhi in mind and in hope of a legitimate increase of PUC checking rates,” the letter read. “…kindly make the PUC centres viable lest all are forced to close down permanently, defeating the noble cause of making the environment better,” it added.

Delhi govt team to meet Hry officials today: Atishi

Continued from P1

Atishi said Delhi’s water production had come down by 70 million gallons per day to 932 MGD on Friday, against the peak of 1,002 MGD recorded earlier this month.

The minister s aid the minimum water level at Wazira bad pond, which is linked to the barrage, should have been 674.5 feet, but it had plunged by six feet to 668.5, and no fresh water was now coming into the Yamuna. Against the installed capacity of 131 MGD, the Wazirabad water treatment plant on Friday produced 79 MGD while the production on Thursday was 99 MGD. “Delhi govt has appealed to Haryana to release additional water for the people of the city on humanitarian grounds,” Atishi said after the meeting. “The issues related to the share of Yamuna water can be discussed after heatwave conditions abate,” she added.

She also claimed Delhi w as also not getting enough water from Munak canal and that it received only 902 cusecs of water from Hary ana on June 14, against 925 cusecs on June 10. As per the bulletin released by DJB, the overall production of water at its nine treatment plants and through ranney wells on Friday was recorded at 932 MGD, against the installed capacity of 956 MGD.

The minister said a team of Delhi govt officia ls would go to Chandigarh on Sunday to meet officers in Haryana and urge them for more water. Atishi said the meeting of Upper Yamuna River Board held on Friday to find a solution also failed to yield any result, and the body asked Delhi to have bilateral discussions with the neighbouring states.

“Himachal has reiterated in the meeting that it is ready to give its surplus 137 MGD water to Delhi. But the board has asked for some documents and calculations from the state on this,” Atishi said.

Atishi said she had a chat with Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh ‘Sukhu’ over the phone on Saturday morning, and the latter as- sured all possible help to Delhi.

As temporary measures, the minister said DJB had connected borewells in west Delhi to underground reservoirs and increased the number of tanker trips to 10,000 per day to provide nearly 10 MGD of water in parched areas. She said DJB had been asked to make a fresh assessment of water requirements, and tankers would be deployed accordingly.

Meanwhile, AAP MLAs have written to Union Jal Shakti minister CR Patil, urging his intervention. Calling the situation “very critical”, AAP’s chief whip in Delhi Assembly Dilip Pandey said the Yamuna water issue was an inter-state issue that required the coordination of the Jal Shakti ministry.

The MLAs have sought time to meet the minister for a discussion on the matter. Pandey also accused BJP of indulging in politics over the issue and alleged that illega l sand mining in the ri v er in Hary ana and UP was obstructing the flow of water through tin y d ams.

After Congress’ ‘matka phod’, BJP protest over water today

Delhi Congress’ interim chief at a protest

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Accusing AAP govt of lying over the availability of raw water from Haryana, BJP on Saturday s aid Delhi should fix the transmission losses to ensure people get regular water supply. BJP has announced protests at some prominent locations in the city on Sunday against the alleged “AAP govt-created water crisis”.

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva claimed Delhi was getting “almost full quantity” of raw water from Haryana and Uttarakhand and there was only 0.5 to 7% shortfall in drinking water production. “Instead of indulging in melodrama over the water situation, AAP govt should fix water theft by tanker mafia and leakages, which are resulting in losses of up to 70% of drinking water produced in Delhi,” he said.

Sachdeva added that when the Supreme Court had clearly stated that only the Upper Yamuna River Board could solve the issue of giving extra water to Delhi, AAP was now creating a “ new political drama” by approaching the Union jal shakti minister CR Patil.

While Sachdeva challenged Atishi for an open discussion on raw water availability in Delhi, North West Delhi MP Yogendra Chan doliya said Delhi govt was blaming Haryana for its own deficiencies. Chandoliya alleged that Atishi was “misleading” people by repeatedly blaming Hary ana for not providing sufficient water. “Delhi govt lacks storage facilities for the water pr ovided by Hary ana,” Chandoliy a said.

Delhi Congress functionaries organised a “matka phod” demonstration in various areas to protest against the water scarcity. Delhi Congress’ interim president Devender Yadav alleged that BJP and AAP govt were involved in shadow boxing and blame game while people of Delhi were suffering.

“Both the BJP and AAP govts in Centre and Delhi, respectively, have been neglecting the plight of people by accusing each other for water scarcity instead of taking effective steps to solve the issue. AAP govt should have taken up the issue of water c risis with the Centre and sought release of water from Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Hary ana, but it kept quiet till the crisis went out of control,” Yadav said.

4 gang members held for laptop, phone thefts

Noida: Police have arrested four members of an interstate ‘thak thak’ gang that stole valuables from parked cars by breaking windows using a slingshot.

Two suspects were held after an gunfight on Friday night and the others on Saturday morning. On Friday night, Deepak Chauhan alias Nikhil (35) from Govindpuri and Tarun Saxena alias Tannu (30) from Hapur , were nabbed following a gunfight in Sector 129.

Following leads from the two, police arres ted Jitendra Gautam alias Vinay and Neha Thakur near the Sector 45 roundabout on Saturday.

The Noida Expressway police was conducting a routine check near a local mall on Friday when they flagged the two for wrongside driving. “But the su spects tried to escape towar ds the double service lane of Sector 168. As police chased them, the pillion rider fired at police, prompting officers to retaliate,” Ma nish Mishra, assistant DCP said. They have been booked under relevant IPC sections for theft.

TNN

NEET protesters booked for bid to enter house of edu minister

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: A group of demonstrators has been booked for staging a protest and allegedly attempting to enter the South Avenue residence of Union minister of education, Dharmendra Pradhan.

The case was registered based on a complaint filed by an assistant sub-inspector (ASI), who was on patrol duty on June 13. "Around 5.10pm, while patrolling, he approached a kothi on Kushak Road, where he observed approximately 15-20 people arriving in 3-4 vehicles, accompanied by media personnel. They appeared to be heading towards the residence of a Union minister, carrying pamphlets from NSUI," reads the FIR of the incident.

Cops stopped the sloganshouting protesters and the ASI alerted police officers forbackup. "He informed them that all NSUI activists were engaged in protests regarding the NEET Exam," according to the FIR’s details.

The demonstrators became agitated and attempted to breach the residence's gate. At this point, senior offi cers arrived, preventing protesters’ entry and clarifying the enforcement of the VIP Route. They stressed that unauthorized demonstrations and interference with VIP security were prohibited under Section 144 of the CrPC. The situation was de-escalated, and normalcy was restored, it added.

A case under Section 188 (disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a publi c servant) of the IPC was registered at the South Avenue Police Station.

1,000 buses may get to run for 9 more mths

Kailash Gahlot

Abhinav.Rajput@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Transport minister Kailash Gahlot has asked for a nine-month extension to the services of nearly 1,000 CNG and cluster buses that were to go off Delhi’s roads soon.

He has advocated that, contrary to the transport department’s proposal of giving a three-month extension, a nine-month extension was needed so that electrification work can be completed in the depots of these buses and they can be replaced with electric ones.

TOI reported on June 10 that in the coming ten days, approximately 997 cluster buses that connect Outer Delhi areas to various parts of the city may be taken off the road as they have completed 10 years of service. But any alternative transportation arrangements are not in place.

According to a communication from the transport department, the 997 buses operating on 109 routes would be phased out if the concession ag reements were not extended beyond June 19. Several routes would be affected, including Jahangirpuri to Dichaon Kalan, JLN Stadium to Daulatpur, Lado Sarai to Najafgarh, New Delhi Railway Station to Goyla Dairy, Mori Gate to Uttam Nagar, Samashpur Khalsa to ISBT Kashmiri Gate, Nehru Place to Najafgarh, and Pandwala Kalan to Tilak Nagar terminal.

This situation prompted Gahlot to say that the sudden phasing out without a plan in place would compel the public to switch to private transport, thereby adding to congestion and pollution. Additionally, workers' unions are on strike due to fears of job loss.

Gahlot, in a note to the transport commissioner, said: “The stipulation with regard to the extension being limited to three months only cannot be appreciated. Considering the schedule of electrification of depots, it does not appear that three months is a reasonable period.... Also, such small extensions keep employees in an agitated state, which is not conducive to the overall working environment. ”

Considering the fact that even financial approval for electrification of several the depots has not yet been given, “I do not find any reason torestrict the extension to three months. Accordingly, the extension may initially be done for a period of nine months,” he added. A senior Delhi govt official said that the department was considering a ninemonth extension and it would be given soon.

The development had also led to DTC and cluster bus unions holding protests at depots in Rajghat, Dilshad Garden, Seemapuri, Kair and Dichaon Kalan.

The workers feared job losses.

The city’s public fleet, which includes DTC and cluster buses, has around 7,500 vehicles.

Of these, 1,650 are electric, and the remaining are CNG.

Cafe At Baansera May Open For Visitors Soon

Officials Await Fire NOC For 100-Seat Facility

DDA OFFICIAL SAYS The facility is developed in the middle of Bamboo Park, opposite Sarai Kale Khan Bus Terminal, and will be fully airconditioned. Once operational, Delhiites will have more options for recreation

Cafe Bamboo has been constructed with a minimalistic and ecofriendly approach, using a temporary lightweight structure

Vibha.Sharma@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Cafe Bamboo Oasis, a new cafe developed by Delhi Development Authority (DDA) at Baansera in Sarai Kale Khan, is set to welcome visitors by the end of the following week. The space has been leased out and officials are currently waiting for the fire NOC, which is anticipated by the middle of next week.

"The facility is developed in the middle of Bamboo Park, opposite Sarai Kale Khan Bus Terminal and will be fully airconditioned. Before initiating the operation, the vendor has applied for the fire NOC for this place. Once operational, Delhiites will have more options in the heart of the city for recreation," said a DDA official.

The cafe's construction aligns with the park's theme, utilising eco-friendly materials and design principles. The indoor seating area has the capacity of around 100 customers, while the outdoor seating space offers plenty of room for those who prefer to enjoy their meals or drinks in the fresh air.

The official mentioned, "Besides ample sitting facilities inside the café, it will have the facility of seating outdoors as well amidst plants. People can come here to soak up the sun and enjoy the green space during winters."

The cafe is being constructed with a minimalistic and eco-friendly approach, using a temporary lightweight structure made of mild steel with polyurethane foam roof panels. "To make the surface look attractive there will be provision for wooden flooring," added the official.

In addition to the cafe, there are plans to build a convention centre at the park, with the design being done by NBCC.

In Sept, lieutenant governor VK Saxena inaugurated a musical fountain at Baansera and shared the plan for an airconditioned convention centre which will be made entirely with bamboo, comprising a meeting hall and an interpretation room, among others.

The fountain runs twice daily, at 7.30 pm and 8.30 pm for half an hour each, every day except Monday. Visitors can access the area for a fee of Rs 50, while children under 10 and schoolchildren accompanied by parents, teachers, or guardians can enter for free.

Expressing optimism about a significant rise in visitors once the cafeteria becomes fully functional, an official said, "We are expecting a major increase in footfall when the cafeteria is made fully operational. The visitors will have ample space to sit, relax and watch the musical fountain".

Baansera, situated on the Yamuna riverfront, holds the distinction of being the first bamboo-themed park in the city.

LG Saxena laid the foundation of ‘Baansera’ (Abode of Bamboos) in Aug 2022, and it was developed in record six months. The project has been developed as a unique, urban green space with over 30,000 bamboo plants of 15 varieties.

DDA's project for restoration and rejuvenation of the floodplains of river Yamuna is being carried out as an initiative to enhance their ecological character. The project is divided into 10 parts, and Baansera Project is a part on initiative.

Gang of vehicle thieves that roped in minors busted, 28-yr-old held

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: With the arrest of a 28-year-old man on Saturday, Delhi Police has busted a gang that stole vehicles and employed minor boys to deliver them to new buyers.

The accused, identified as Jitender, was found to be involved in two cases — one for attempted murder and the other under the Arms Act, police said.

During a probe into a stolen bike case, the vehicle was located near Uttam Nagar.

DCP (crime branch), Rakesh Paweriya, said that a team formed under ACP Naresh Solanki and led by inspector Vijay Pal Dahiya laid a trap and waited for the person who was supposed to collect the bike. “The team waited there for almost 30 hours. They observed a man taking the stolen bike. The team chased the motorcycle and apprehended the man, who turned out to be Jitender,” the officer said.

Jitender revealed that two of his associates used to steal bikes and hand them over to him. He had enlisted juveniles to deliver the stolen vehicles and paid them Rs 500 for each delivery. He had received more than 20 motorcycles from his associates in this manner.

“We have so far found that three children were used to deliver the stolen bikes. They come from poor families,” the officer said.

Health trade licence made must for amusement activities in city

MCD OFFICIAL SAYS We will charge Rs 15,000 as one-time registration fee and Rs 10,000 as licence fee on an annual basis. The charges are the same for all irrespective of size and location of venue as of now

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has announced that it will immediately begin granting health trade licences for amusement activities at both permanent and temporary venues. Permanent establishments such as banquet halls, eating establishments and lodging or boarding establishments as well as temporary settings like tents, canopies, enclosures or open spaces will be eligible for this licence.

The decision was made under Section 422 of the Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC) Act, which pertains to entertainment-related activities.

An official stated, “The licence will cover various forms of entertainment, including music, singing, dancing, electronic, digital, laser show, holographic projection and virtual performance. We will charge Rs 15,000 as one-time registration fee and Rs 10,000 as licence fee on an annual basis. The charges are the same for all irrespective of size and location of venue as of now.”

To acquire the licence, establishments must submit a site plan of the licensed trade premises, clearly marking the area designated for amusement activities. They will also need to provide a declaration confirming that no additional seats will be added beyond the permitted number. The civic body will issue the licence for a period of up to three years or for a shorter duration based on the application.

The norms state, “Establishments seeking licence for carrying out amusement activities in temporary places will have to submit a site plan of temporary or open place earmarked with an area which will be used for amusement activities. The establishment will have to ensure drinking water facility for people, washroom facilities, pest control measures ensured by authorised agencies, provision of solid and liquid waste management like dustbin and other equipment.” Temporary establishments may obtain a licence for a duration of 1 year or less.

Auditoriums that already possess a health trade licence under Section 422 of the DMC Act do not require a separate licence for conducting amusement activities.

An official said, “MCD’s initiative to provide licences to establishments for amusement activities will help them in attracting more customers which will translate into more business and income. It will also help the civic body in augmenting their sources of revenue and citizens will have more options for recreation and entertainment.”

MP removes property’s seal, probe ordered

A video shared by Manoj Tiwari on X shows him desealing the property in northeast Delhi’s Sabhapur. The incident took place on Thursday

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Manoj Tiwari, the MP from North East Delhi, removed the seal of a property in Sabhapur ward on Thursday. The property, which was booked and partly demolished on June 7 for illegal construction, was scheduled for temporary desealing by Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

According to sources, MCD had served a notice prior to the sealing and demolition action. An order was later issued on June 12 for the property’s temporary desealing by officials, allowing the occupants to remove their belongings. However, Tiwari visited the area before the deadline and removed the seal.

Mayor Shelly Oberoi has ordered an inquiry into the incident. She has sought a report within 48 hours, stated Aam Aadmi Party.

Over his action, Tiwari claimed that MCD had specifically targeted certain houses for demolition. He stated that he had spoken to the MCD deputy commissioner of the zone, but did not receive a satisfactory explanation as to why those particular houses were singled out.

“If the houses were built in violation of the rules, the entire lane would be illegal. This is the new strategy adopted by AAP-led MCD to create disharmony after the party’s loss in Lok Sabha elections. This is vendetta politics,” alleged Tiwari.

On Friday, Tiwari shared a video on ‘X’ during his visit to the area. In the video, he stated, “After the loss in Lok Sabha election, AAP in MCD is targeting poor people and getting their houses demolished. We are on ground to help needy people and won’t tolerate any injustice. The action looks personal; we will give Rs 1 lakh compensation to the family and take action after conducting inquiry against defaulters”.

“The junior engineer who took action has already been transferred. When a family was living here, such action should have been avoided,” he added.

Tiwari also said that people from various other areas were now reaching out to him with similar complaints.

The owner of the house, a woman, expressed her distress in the video, stating, “Despite our request to wait for the elderly to come, the staff didn’t pay heed to our demand. We were living here for four months.”

Another occupant of the house claimed that MCD carried out the demolition without serving any prior notice. “The action was taken haphazardly even when the family members were inside the house. The whole colony is unauthorised and no building plan is passed for the properties,” the occupant said.

This is not the first time that such an incident has occurred. In Sept 2018, Tiwari broke the sealed lock of a house in Gokulpur, protesting against what he called the municipal officials’ “pick-and-choose” policy. Two days later, the MP attempted to repeat the incident despite a police complaint filed against him, but was stopped by Delhi Police.

Man beaten to death after tiff over drugs

Gurgaon:A man was brutally beaten to death in Kasan village, Manesar, over an altercation related to procuring marijuana on Friday night. An FIR was filed against three individuals on Saturday.

The deceased, Raja Kumar, had visited the prime accused, Sanjay, earlier on Friday to obtain the substance, leading to a confrontation with Sanjay and his two sons, Gaurav and Saurabh.

According to the complaint filed by Raja’s brother, Raja worked at Rahul Chauhan's general store in Bas Kushla village.

On Friday night, Raja returned to Sanjay’s house with Rahul and their mutual friend, Sonu, allegedly to settle the earlier dispute.

“Raja informed Rahul about the altercation with Sanjay, Gaurav, and Saurabh. When they confronted the accused, they became enraged and brutally thrashed Raja, then discarded his body outside their residence,” said the complainant.

Rahul and Sonu rushed Raja to Civil Hospital in Manesar, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.

TNN

Times Special

- It’s time for some DARJEELING COFFEE

- Kindly check the writing before biting

- Long live longevity! Why everyone is trying to turn the clock back

- Jet, SET, go: Indian DJs now play the hottest parties in the world

- SUPERAGERS TELL US THEIR SECRETS TO STAYING YOUNG

- LONGEVITY GURUS WHO HAVE MILLIONS HOOKED

It’s time for some DARJEELING COFFEE

It’s nothing less than a coup in the hills as a small band of growers and innovators cracks the code for producing the bean on the fringes of plantations that are known globally for their storied teas

PLANTERS’ PRIDE: There are no coffee plantations in Darjeeling, just local households, most of them tea garden workers, receiving saplings from coffee companies, growing them and harvesting the cherries

Joel.Rai@timesgroup.com

To the north of Darjeeling town, two spurs descend steeply to the Rangeet, the river whose snaky course forms the boundary between Sikkim and West Bengal. Rising from the left bank of the river on the Darjeeling side are the tea gardens of Badamtam, Ging, Singla and Vah Tukvar and the hamlets of Limbu Busty and Lapchey Busty. The coiffeured look of the tea estates is broken on the fringes by unpruned bushes — dark green, waxy leaves with wavy edges, adorned at certain times of the year with deep red berries.

Mention of Darjeeling makes you think of the volatile oils of the tea plant serenading your olfactory nerves and waltzing with your taste buds. But if that’s all that the name evokes, it’s time to wake up and smell the coffee. For the raggedy clumps spoiling the serenity of the tea gardens are coffee plants.

There now are many of these coffee clusters across the hills of Darjeeling, Kurseong, Mirik and Kalimpong. Strange, because Darjeeling has been, since the 1860s, a synonym for tea, the kind that satisfies the soul, attracts eye-watering prices and makes you preen when you offer it to special guests. But now these hills are home, too, for this interloper — a beverage that is as body as tea is not, as tinged with acid as tea is not, as different as a French press is from a china pot. The debate might only be on which gives off a more energising aroma.

Late Bloomer

Take a sip. Coffee from the land of tea is making itself heard and tasted, slowly but surely. From around a decade ago, when some people casually planted the seeds and found the cherries ripening to produce beans, indigenous coffee is now being sold in cafes in the tourist hubs in the region, in souvenir shops alongside packets of tea, and on ecommerce sites. Umesh Gurung, a barista, certified coffee roaster and quality controller from the Coffee Board of India not only offers his own Himalayan Cornerstone coffee at the Andante Café in Siliguri, opened in 2019, but also on Amazon and Flipkart. Sanjog Dutta, owner of Daammee.com, which sells specialty items from the region, regularly dispatches hill coffee to customers in different parts of the country. Altura Coffee in Darjeeling has also grown from a small café to a big player, in relative terms, as has Himali Highland Coffee in Kalimpong.

Hill coffee is still minuscule, with a production of around a puny 10.5 tonnes all told against the 3.4 lakh tonnes of the bean that India produces, mainly in the south. Like foam and latte, the adventure in tea land boils down to the teamwork between farmers and processors/roasters. The coffee is grown by farmer collectives on their micro-holdings, often in their traditional homes in tea gardens. They have no means or expertise for processing the cherry they grow. That important task is left to the entrepreneurs who, despite lack of investment, have made a good beginning.

Gurung had his epiphany on a 2014 trip to the Nepal border, where he saw coffee being produced by the neighbouring country. With the geography almost identical, he wondered why they shouldn’t experiment with the popular beverage at home. From that realisation a decade ago, Himalayan Cornerstone this year produced 6,500kg of good coffee. Induction of South Korean coffee expert, Young Gyu Seo, has brought in much-needed expertise in processing and roasting.

Serendipitous Start

For Rishi Raj Pradhan of Himali Highland, it was unplanned destiny. In 2014, he was given four Arabica saplings by coffee expert Llewellyn Tripp of Australia, who’d stayed at Rishi’s homestay in Kalimpong. Owing more to curiousity than to any whiff of opportunity, Rishi saw the plants to maturity in 2017, harvested around 2kg of beans and, with uneducated guesses, blundered through the roasting. Encouraged, he planted more saplings. Today, his home plantation grows 400 Arabica varietals and 1,000 hybrid Chandragiri plants. He produced 650kg of coffee this year. Amazingly, besides regular advice from Tripp, Rishi’s journey has mostly been experiential, his entire knowledge acquired on the internet and from reading the literature and conversations with experts.

Altura’s Vikash Pradhan had an even more compelling reason for plumping for his own coffee setup. The café that he founded along with his two partners, Prayash Pradhan and Raman Shrestha, in the tourist magnet of Darjeeling town had a Lavazza machine. In 2010, it broke down and nothing they did could get either the machine working or the company rushing to remedy the situation. After going without coffee on the menu for a couple of years, a café worker told Pradhan in 2013 that he had a few coffee plants at his home on the outskirts of Darjeeling town. On a lark and relying on YouTube for knowhow, Pradhan and his partners roasted a handful of the locally grown beans. When it passed muster, rather eminently, the thought that they wouldn’t have to rely on imports from the plains urged the group to try their hand at producing coffee themselves.

Even the coffee farmers took to the bean for reasons other than coffee itself. Sunil Subba, who heads the Darjeeling Coffee Committee that oversees the efforts of over 70 households growing coffee, smiles when he says, “I am actually involved in the welfare of the poor tea garden workers, particularly their education and health. With the tea gardens in poor health in recent years, and the cash crops of oranges and cardamom failing frequently, I was looking for ways in which the affected families could supplement their income. Coffee came at an opportune moment.”

Subba’s group began in 2016, with some of them getting trained in growing coffee in Nepal and at workshops in Darjeeling. “It takes around four years for a plant to start producing fruit that can be made into coffee,” he says. This year, they grew 3,500kg of coffee cherries with Subba saying that “from a handful of plants, now our members have 1.7 lakh bushes; next year, our harvest might go up to 8,000kg”.

Way To Grow

In Kalimpong, where the local Gorkhaland Territorial Administration conceived of coffee to replace the outdated cinchona and utilise the vast holdings and the quinine factory infrastructure at Mungpoo, coffee growers had a baptism by fire. GTA, in partnership with the Bengal horticulture department and Directorate of Cinchona and other Medicinal Plants, distributed saplings in 2019, but the enthusiastic farmers found that the plants could not stand the dew. They lost a large portion of the saplings. Starting all over, they are on a better footing today with private processors and roasters buying their cherries.

Arjun Rai, lead farmer at Sangse Busty, says his group brought in 1,100kg of parchment, which is coffee fruit with the fleshy exterior removed. Parchment has to further undergo removal of a layer before its two beans can be extracted for roasting.

Lack of funds has been a problem, but the companies have gamely weathered the storm. Altura’s Pradhan says, “While the bigger players elsewhere are solving problems with capital and investments, we are trying to find innovative solutions within our means.” He talks about how they overcame the problem of the varying ambient temperature in Darjeeling between November and April, which affects fermentation and resulted in differing flavours across batches even with the same fermentation period. “Big players have climate-controlled rooms and vats. All that is beyond us. But we have devised our own system that does not cost much and also makes uniform fermentation possible,” he says.

So does coffee made in a teapot enthuse connoisseurs? “Samples sent across the country and abroad have garnered rave reviews,” claims Gurung. Daammee’s Dutta says, “Since the production is not too big, the costs involved are steep. That could be one of the reasons why things are picking up slowly, though I must say the quality of the Arabica is exceptional.”

As for the future, Vikash Pradhan says coffee can be commodity or specialty, the former a low margin, high-volume crop like in south India, the latter low-volume but high quality. “The quality of a coffee is measured as a cupping score and 80+ is considered specialty,” says Pradhan. “This model requires intensive action and monitoring right from varietal selection to land, growing, processing and roasting. We are looking to have at least one cupping champion in the coming three or four years.

“Arabica coffee, as a crop, loves altitude but a single night of frost can decimate a plantation. We did some research and figured out that the latitude where we belong gives us unique growing conditions. So, as of now, we believe that we need to start labelling our local coffee as ‘High Latitude’ rather than ‘High Altitude’.”

Add attitude to that. Can’t you hear Gurung, Vikash Pradhan, Rishi Pradhan, Dutta, Subba, Rai and all the farmers grinning and saying, “Bean there, done that”?

Coffee brand Altura’s founder Vikash Pradhan got going after a worker at his cafe told him in 2013 about some coffee plants at his home on the outskirts of Darjeeling town. Relying on YouTube for knowhow, Pradhan and his partners roasted a handful of the locally grown beans. When it passed muster, the thought that they wouldn’t have to rely on imports from the plains urged the group to try their hand at producing coffee themselves.

Umesh Gurung, a barista and certified coffee roaster, had his epiphany on a trip to the Nepal border in 2014, where he saw coffee being produced by the neighbouring country. With the geography almost identical, he wondered why they shouldn’t experiment with the popular beverage at home. From that realisation a decade ago, Himalayan Cornerstone — the brand he retails online and at his Andante Cafe in Siliguri — this year produced 6,500kg of good coffee.

For Rishi Raj Pradhan of Himali Highland, it was unplanned destiny. In 2014, he got four Arabica saplings, which he saw to maturity in 2017. He harvested around 2kg of beans and blundered through the roasting

Kindly check the writing before biting

That’s what ‘Food Pharmer’ Revant Himatsingka is urging Indians to do as he challenges the norms of the packaged food and beverage industry one label, and reel, at a time

Abha.Goradia@timesgroup.com

Ever heard of a David who took on Goliath with nothing but a smartphone and a handful of Instagram reels? Meet Revant Himatsingka, the 32-year-old influencer whose digital crusade is shaking up the multi-billion-dollar packaged food and beverage industry. The lanky, outspoken youth from Kolkata has become a thorn in the side of food giants with his viral videos on excess sugar, sodium content, or harmful ingredients in popular products that have generated a broader inquiry on preservatives and additives used by the Indian food industry.

On April Fool’s Day last year, Revant introduced himself to the online world as ‘Food Pharmer’ — using a portmanteau of ‘pharma’ and ‘farmer’ to underline his belief that “food is medicine”. His first salvo was a reel — shot in the dim light of his home with a stack of books to prop up his phone — exposing the sugar overload in Cadbury’s Bournvita.

Looking to spark a health revolution from his Kolkata house, he found his call to arms against sugar quickly gain traction. Days after his video on Bournvita, he garnered 1 lakh followers along with a swift legal notice from Cadbury, the maker of the health drink. Calling his claims ‘unscientific’, the food and beverage giant forced Revant to delete the video and issue a public apology. However, the deleted video made headlines, leading the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights to send Cadbury a notice for using the ‘health drink’ label for Bournvita. By December, Cadbury had reduced Bournvita’s sugar content by 14.4%.

Soon after, Revant created a reel to “expose the bitter truth” behind packaged juices. That earned him another legal notice, this time from Real’s parent company Dabur India. His campaign bore fruit when Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) banned the use of “100% juice” labels on these products. His efforts spurred further changes: Maggi reduced sugar by 22% in its ketchup, and Lays switched to sunflower oil for its chips. Videos on Knorr, Nestle, Nutella, and Pepsi products followed.

But all the legal tangles — six court cases and a Rs 2-crore defamation suit — have made his family uneasy. “I come from a traditional Marwari family. I was told that we start businesses, not fight against them,” says Revant, who left his job at McKinsey in US to champion health literacy in India. Despite his family’s concerns and clamour that he get “a proper job”, Revant has tenaciously held on to the cause, using what he calls “positive ag- gression” to take on misleading products.

A Diabetes Epidemic

While other influencers chase brand deals, Revant proudly dons a T-shirt declaring: ‘You don’t create a health revolution without making a few enemies’. A study published in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology Journal and conducted by Indian Council of Medical Research last year echoes Revant’s concerns — India now holds the dubious title of the “diabetes capital of the world”. The country has 101 million diabetics and another 136 million on the brink, it says. Sugary drinks, processed foods, and high salt intake are significant contributors to this epidemic. “Indians are educated but not necessarily health-literate. A few years ago, I too was consuming packaged food without a care until I learned about its effects on the body,” says Revant.

He recalls how his mother packed chocolate cream biscuits for his school tiffin while denying him chocolates. “Two biscuits every day is far unhealthier than chocolate once a week,” he says, adding that sugar content in a product versus the frequency of its consumption should be examined. As we chat, his phone buzzes non-stop: 48 Instagram mentions in 50 minutes. “There could be more mentions, but I’ll not know because Instagram shows me only a handful at once,” he says, smiling at an animated Superman ava- tar of himself shared by a follower. “‘Label Padhega India’ has the potential to become India’s second-largest consumer awareness campaign after govt’s ‘Jago Grahak Jago’,” says Revant, envisioning a future where people instinctively scrutinise labels.

The virality of his posts have taken his campaign beyond the digital realm. It now boasts a ‘Label Padhega India’ anthem that has been endorsed by celebrities like Abhinav Bindra, Nas Daily, Dinesh Karthik and Terence Lewis, who have pledged to read product labels before consumption. Over 200 schools across the country, too, have joined the cause, creating ‘Sugar Boards’ to inform students about the sugar content in different products. “Knowing how to read a food label is one of the most important skills of the 21st century. Those who are health conscious, too, can be misguided at times. I believe junk food masquerading as healthy is even more dangerous than junk food itself,” he says.

Experts Weigh In

Nutrition specialist Dr Umesh Wadhavani praises the effort that “Food Pharmer puts into exposing gimmicky branding” but disapproves fearmongering. “Our relationship with food is already troubled. Demonising sugar and palm oil without context isn’t helpful,” says Wadhavani, who advocates a balanced view of food consumption. “Sugar, by itself, isn’t bad but over-consumption can be harmful. That applies to all food items, including ghee, almonds, paneer, chocolate, ice cream and chips,” says Wadhavani. “All food choices need to be examined through a lens of quantity, frequency, diet and lifestyle.”

Revant, who has studied nutrition at the Institute For Integrative Medicine in US, however, maintains he “never tell(s) people what to eat”. “I only inform them about what’s inside the products they consume.”

Revant has got 2.5 million followers on Instagram but all he has for a team is a parttime video editor. His setup is modest: a mobile phone, lapel mic, whiteboard, and a friend’s flat in Mumbai, where he moved from Kolkata in April “to be in the thick of things”. “I’ll soon have to join the cohort that is looking to find decent flats to rent in this city,” he adds quickly. Living off his savings since his return from US last year, he is brainstorming ways to sustain his mission without compromising on values. “If I add value to people’s lives, I will eventually make money,” he says. For now, he aspires to partner with govt to promote nutrition awareness among schoolchildren and reach a broader audience across different income groups.

Despite financial constraints, next on Revant’s agenda is an online health school offering sessions on label-reading and more. His ultimate goal is to make nutrition knowledge accessible to all. “Nutritionists usually focus on people who have issues. No one is focusing on kids. I try to make my videos simple with a dash of humour. I also want to think of middle-class people who don’t have the wherewithal to think and invest in their food choices,” he says.

BITTER TRUTH: Scores of schools across India have put up ‘Sugar Boards’ like the one pictured here while the ‘Label Padhega India’ campaign launched by Revant (inset) has been endorsed by several celebs

Long live longevity! Why everyone is trying to turn the clock back

A greying world has meant a new focus on living longer and healthier. A look at how science and money are coming together in the quest for immortality

Mohua.Das@timesgroup.com

The pursuit of ‘forever young’ has never been more popular with people throwing everything at the ticking clock — from ozone therapy and fasting regimens to cold plunges and collagen powder, celery juice to supergummies — whether science backs it or not. But can there really be a cheat code to dodge ageing and death? Turns out, the answer doesn’t matter because people are not going to give up trying.

Scientists are bringing their big brains, while tech billionaires — after shaping the cars people drive to the phones they use — are throwing big bucks at projects that could hack the age code and keep the good times rolling a bit longer. According to one estimate, the longevity market is expected to be worth $44 billion by 2030.

Some of these ultra-wealthy longevity evangelists include the likes of Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Alphabet’s Larry Page, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Oracle’s Larry Ellison, and Paypal’s Peter Thiel who are investing in slowing ageing at a cellular level. Others like Google cofounder Sergey Brin and Sean Parker, co-founder of Napster, and later, Facebook’s first president — are funnelling their dollars into developing revolutionary immune therapies for diseases like cancer and Parkinson’s. Then there are those like Bryan Johnson investing in nutrition, exercise and wellness plans that could break the status quo of the typical ageing process.

But using tech and science to outsmart death is no longer just a Silicon Valley obsession. Even in India, where it is considered a luxury to grow old, there is new interest in longevity research. Last month, AIIMS’ geriatric medicine department launched Project Longevity to identify the mechanisms of ageing and ageing patterns in multiple generations within a single family. The project, funded by the Indian Council of Medical Research, will last for 36 months. In- dian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru launched a Longevity India initiative in April to study the mysteries of ageing. The project will explore factors such as genetics, environment, lifestyle, and culture to develop ways to improve the ‘health span’ — the length of time a person remains healthy, not just alive — of Indians.

“It was high time we did,” says Deepak Saini, convenor of the Longevity India initiative and professor of Developmental Biology and Genetics at IISc. “Unlike the rest of the world, ageing was never a focus for India for the longest time. Our primary health concerns were related to poor nutrition and hygiene. Ageing was considered inevitable, and the common attitude was ‘So what, everyone gets old’.”

However, times have changed with better sanitation, vaccines, antibiotics and other medical advances. “We’ve learned to tackle many diseases that cause early death, so now ageing is the next big challenge,” says Saini.

The project is currently in its first phase, and the team is doing a large-scale clinical study involving people from a wide range of disciplines, such as clinicians, bioengineers, data scientists, mathematicians, physicists, and others. “We aim to sample 2,000 Indians who are 18 and above over the next two years at various scales to identify biomarkers and organ specific signatures of ageing in Indians,” Saini says, adding that this discovery stage also involves challenging western knowledge and grasp how ageing uniquely affects Indians. “For example, West sees high cholesterol as a problem. But if we use their standards, most Indians would be considered unhealthy because we typically have high cholesterol. Similarly, low vitamin D levels are common among Indians. Is that pathological or just part of our biology? And should we medicate like they do? These are crucial questions,” Saini points out.

The Longevity India project has received initial funding from Prashanth Prakash, founding partner, Accel India with interest from individuals, companies as part of their CSR donations and lifestyle and healthcare chains. “To truly do justice to the project and ensure it achieves its intent, we’re looking at anything upwards of Rs 100 crore to keep operations running successfully,” says Saini.

So, what’s the plan? “Once we’ve identified the markers, the next step is to develop cost-effective tests. Creating these panels of tests will enable clinicians to predict a person’s health, prescribe maintenance protocols and keep them out of hospital.”

And while finances are crucial, the real investment needed, he says, is time and patience. “This isn’t like developing an app where you research today and launch tomorrow. Biological research takes time, and even longer in a physiological context.”

At the same time, a shift towards prevention rather than waiting for the wealthy to hack ageing is what cancer surgeon-turned-longevity expert Dr Peter Attia, who recently authored the bestselling ‘Outlive’, advocates. “We already have the tools,” he had told TOI in an earlier interview. “Currently, virtually all investments in this problem focus on molecules, which I believe only represent a fraction of the tools we have at our disposal to live longer — and more importantly, better — lives,” says Attia, whose age-defying prescriptions seem rather simple. Walk, work out, eat healthy, get a good night’s sleep, and maintain social relationships if people “want to be able to hike a mile and a half, or carry their own groceries, or pick up a great-grandchild, or get up if they fall down.”

Ageing doesn’t have to follow the clock, points out Saini. “Haven’t you met people who look much older than their years? They may attribute it to a medical episode, infection, disease, or a surgical procedure but it all comes down to the way we use or misuse our bodies over time. It changes the rate at which ageing creeps in,” he says. “See, genetics is something that’s hardwired into your cells. But the physiological code changes daily based on how you eat, sleep, or handle stress. That’s what we’re trying to tackle.”

People indeed are already ditching bar-hopping foreign holidays for ‘longevity vacations’ at upscale ‘anti-ageing’ centres cropping up from Hawaii and British Columbia to Spain and Greece. These retreats come at a hefty price tag — $1,000 to $100,000 for a program — mostly accessible to the rich who would rather spend it on a few days of slow hiking, forest bathing, taking IV drips and listening to the sound of crystal singing-bowls than heady jaunts that might just fast forward their clock.

IISc’s longevity mission, however, is to make sure everyone gets a shot at a longer, healthier life, not just a privileged few. “The motto of IISc is to reach out to the masses so a lot of our data findings are going to be in the public domain and accessible to anyone who wants to make use of the knowledge we’ve generated. The idea is to decentralise the information for everyone’s benefit.”

Conversations from a small opinion campaign that the longevity team conducted made one thing clear. “Most people aren’t obsessed with living forever. They want to live healthier,” explains Saini. “However, there were a few ‘oddballs’ who expressed a desire for immortality.”

The current cap on human lifespan is 122 years — that’s the age at which the world’s longest living person died. So, could one live that long if everything falls into place — groundbreaking science to lifestyle changes? “No, because everyone’s lifespan is influenced by various factors,” Saini says.

And while some superagers may have lucked out genetically, the focus of India’s longevity project is obvious: “To help people achieve their potential lifespan in as healthy a shape as possible. It’s not just about living longer but about living healthier,” he says, quoting a dialogue from the movie ‘Anand’ where Rajesh Khanna’s terminally ill character had famously said: ‘Zindagi badi honi chahiye, lambi nahi,’ (life should be grand, not long).

Jet, SET, go: Indian DJs now play the hottest parties in the world

Sneha.Bhura@timesgroup.com

Even for those who rave about techno music, the sub-genre of ‘hard techno’ doesn’t make for easy listening. “To be honest, it’s an acquired taste,” admits Kashish, Mumbai-based DJ and producer who goes by the stage name, Kollision. With not much of a fan base at home, she started throwing curated parties. It was at one such party that Kashish hosted a popular British DJ, Sterling Moss. “He liked my work and just like that, I got invited to play last month in one of the most iconic clubs in East London called Fold. It was a dream come true. My next international gig will be in a club in Rome,” says Kashish, who found her calling after a series of odd jobs in call centres, HR, marketing and real estate.

From a time not so far away, when one would wonder if mixing songs on a turntable could even qualify as a craft or career, cut to now when Indian DJs are clocking more miles than CEOs. From clubs in the world’s tech- no capital Berlin to Roman castles and big fat Indian shaadis across Europe and the US, they’re spinning everywhere, and getting sweaty palms to clap and chant for them.

In the early 2000s, Kishore Kumar songs remixed by DJ and composer Aqeel Ali or DJ Aqeel, as he’s better known, threw the dance floor into a frenzy. Most millennials will remember chartbusters like ‘Kehdu Tumhe’ and ‘Tu Tu Hai Wahi’. While much has changed in the last 20 years, Ali is doing rather well for himself.

Cut to 2024, he has perfected what he calls ‘Bollywood Techno’ and ‘Indohouse’ for an international audience, with his Instagram full of jet-setting updates from New York to Melbourne, where he fills up concert-size venues. In fact, he is the only Indian DJ to play twice at the World Economic Forum in Davos for the likes of Bill Clinton.

“Weddings, parties, private shows, concerts, night clubs...I have performed everywhere. For the last year, I have been mixing Bollywood and techno, and even the ‘goras’ like it. After Diljit Dosanjh’s Coachella performance last year, interest in Bollywood music has gone up even more. International clubs, especially in the US and Australia, are hiring more Indian DJs because they have at least one Bollywood night a week,” says Ali on the phone before taking the stage at Vice in Dubai, hoping to get a crowd of 800-1,000.

One reason for this is that festival lineups and club scenes throughout the world want to diversify. But visas are a big hurdle, says Mumbai DJ Arjun Vagale. Some of his tracks like ‘She Said’ and ‘Terrakoz’ put him on the global map of electronic music. But having jet-setted across the world, he’s aware of the hoops Indian DJs have to jump through. “Getting a visa is so difficult, and the waiting time has only gone up. It makes more sense for UK and European clubs to spend on local talent or fly down DJs from neighbouring countries than fly in acts from India. It’s pure economics.”

No such visa woes plague an Indian wedding DJ, though. Sponsored by rich families who fly a bevy of pandits, caterers, designers and make-up artists, wedding DJs have seen business boom. Gaurav Malvai, who’s been behind the console for 27 years, says, “I am doing an international wedding gig every month now. Indian DJs have the versatility to switch from hard-core Bollywood to hip-hop and house. Foreign DJs don’t have a good grasp of Indian music,” says Malvai, who recently performed at the party thrown by the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art at Venice Biennale to mark the opening of a M F Husain show. He also did sets at Reliance scion Akash Ambani and Shloka Mehta’s Harry Potter-themed pre-wedding bash and Deepika and Ranveer’s wedding functions in Italy.

But some electronic music artists are loath to play at weddings. “You know how a sangeet works. The same track is played 20 or 30 times. The Indian wedding DJ is treated like a jukebox,” says Vagale.

Some traverse both worlds with equal ease. Delhi-based DJ Avantika Bakshi, whose dance music blends elements from Arabic, Latin, Indian and African influences, has played in clubs in London, Miami, New York, Berlin and Nepal to NRI weddings and parties for luxury brands. “I had the most amazing time playing in 15th century castles in Rome where I was flown by the Maharaja of Jaipur for his birthday. I have even played at a Mexican wedding,” says Bakshi, who also performed at the Burning Man festival in 2022 and opened for Grammy-winning DJ Black Coffee.

Anish Sood aka Anyasa, who has been signed on by Anjunadeep, an independent record label based in London, did a 10-city US tour this spring, followed by appearances in Amsterdam, Mauritius and Bali. He says that being signed to an international label helps. “They already have international audiences. That fast-tracks your music reaching people in different parts of the world,” says Sood, pointing out that aping western DJs, as some Indian acts tend to do, isn’t enough to build an audience.

Madhav Shorey, aka Kohra, is another globetrotting DJ and founder of Qilla Records that promotes underground electronic music from India. “The highest figures for our sales are from Europe, and then the US, Brazil and Mexico. The audiences are overseas,” says Shorey.

GLOBAL GROOVES: DJ Kashish has performed at several venues in Europe, while DJ Aqeel (below) is the only Indian to have played at WEF, Davos twice

SUPERAGERS TELL US THEIR SECRETS TO STAYING YOUNG

FILMMAKER SHYAM BENEGAL, TURNS 90 IN DEC

GOOD HABITS

I’ve lived a normal life, not going to extremes, which I think has helped me. For instance, having an organised lifestyle — sleeping six to eight hours, controlling smoking and alcohol, and eating meals on time — makes a huge difference. I’ve lived longer than almost everyone in my family except my mother, who lived to 96. So, a lot of it may be heredity too.

LIFE TREATS YOU THE WAY YOU TREAT LIFE

When it comes to keeping myself happy and fit, I don’t think about it too much. I just carry on doing things I want to do — filmmaking, of course, is my main focus, but I also love to read. I used to travel a lot, but as one gets older, it’s not possible to have the active outdoor life I once did. I was a regular swimmer till I was 70. The key is to keep your mind and body active and minimise frustrations. Life treats you the way you treat life.

DON’T WORRY, BE HAPPY

Falling ill isn’t pleasant, so I stay away from anything that might lead to that. You need to regulate your life to some extent.

Your mind plays a role, especially if you’re the worrying kind. I don’t like to worry about things except for what I need to do in the short term, not what might happen five or ten years from now. Your environment and who you surround yourself with make a difference.

FORMER INDIAN CRICKETER CHANDU BORDE, TURNS 90 IN JULY

FITNESS THROUGH PLAY

I’m almost 90 now, but I can tell you that my lifelong engagement with all sorts of games, not just cricket, has kept me fit and active. I started with ‘vitti dandu,’ played with two sticks and a stone, and ‘sur parambya,’ where you climb the aerial roots of a tree. Later on, I’d cycle for 45 minutes to get to cricket practice, apart from the regular net practice and running around on the ground. It kept me skinny but also fit. Even now, every morning, I do half an hour of free hand exercise, and every evening, I go to the Poona Club for a walk. Rain or sun, I’ll take an umbrella but never miss it.

STAYING BUSY, NOT LAZY

After my walk, I sit in the pavilion for an hour, meeting other members and chitchatting. I also make sure to get good sleep, pray regularly, do Bible study, and meet other community members every Sunday at church. I like to stay busy, not lazy!

A BALANCED DIET

I eat everything. Maybe it’s because I never overindulged when I was young. I ate well, but it was always simple food. I think that kept me healthy.

AGRICULTURE-SCIENTIST & ARTIST HIRO HINGORANI, NEARLY 100

DRAWING ON CREATIVE ENERGY

I’m a very lively man. I like drawing and dancing. Not to sad and melancholic music, but the kind that infuses me with a lot of energy to jump up and dance, be it from the 1920s or the new music people are listening to now. Doing live sketches still gives me joy, and by God’s grace, I’m able to still do it. And I like to dress up in bright colours and my cap… I have around 45 of them.

FRIENDS AND FAMILY FOR JOY

The friends I’ve had, too, have been like me — those who like to enjoy life and be happy. Normally, after breakfast, I would call them and ask, ‘What should we do… we can’t just sit around doing nothing just because we’re getting old,’ and they’d turn around and say, ‘You should tell us what we can do to stay lively!’ Today, I don’t have as many friends because not too many have lived to be 100 like me, but I have a big family and enjoy talking to them — especially my grandchildren. My family asked what I wanted for my 100th birthday, and I said ‘a DJ’ for the party. See, I’m not just called Hiro, I will continue to be a hero for the rest of my life.

DAILY DOSE OF SUNSHINE

Every morning I walk and sit in the sun for at least 10 minutes every day, whether it’s summer or winter. I also like doing video calls with my grandchildren and relatives who live abroad. Having been born in Sindh, I’ve had a habit of eating lots of dry fruits. I also enjoy eating a variety of food — parathas, mutton, one small drink every evening — but I never go overboard with extra helpings.

— As told to Mohua Das

LONGEVITY GURUS WHO HAVE MILLIONS HOOKED

PETER ATTIA

➤ The cancer surgeon is perhaps one of the most popular longevity evangelists. Came into prominence with his bestselling book, ‘Outlive: The Science & Art of Longevity’ and his podcast ‘The Drive’ on topics of health, medicine and wellbeing

➤ Attia offers a private practice in which he offers one-on-one advice and tactics for a longer life to high-profile clients like Hugh Jackman and Gwyneth Paltrow. His prescription includes a blend of body scans and extensive blood tests to classic advice like: work out, eat and sleep well, and nurture relationships

➤ Believed to have been taking rapamycin, a controversial drug for transplant patients that slows cell division

DAVID SINCLAIR

➤ Professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School and best known for his work on understanding why we age and how to slow its effects. Founder of two companies — Life Biosciences and Animal Biosciences — both aimed at ‘reverse ageing’

➤ At 54, Sinclair has built his brand on the idea that ageing is a treatable disease and sparked both intrigue and outrage from other scientists and longevity influencers by suggesting we might eventually turn back the clock by 20 years

➤ Claims his daily regimen of consuming resveratrol — an antioxidant commonly found in berries, peanuts, and red wine in a supplement form — each morning with yoghurt, skipping breakfast, intermittent fasting for 16-18 hrs and quitting sugar and meat has made him biologically 10 years younger than his actual age

ANDREW HUBERMAN

➤ A professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine and one of the top longevity podcasters with Huberman Lab, a go-to for biohackers, longevity nerds, and health-junkies to get schooled on the best ways to optimise their life

➤ Has millions of followers with his science-backed health and longevity tools. However, his personal life has come under scrutiny, casting a shadow on his credibility as well

➤ His hacks are mostly centred around getting morning sunlight, intermittent fasting, a robust sleep toolkit, resistance training and ice baths

BRYAN JOHNSON

➤ A former Silicon Valley billionaire turned biohacker who refers to himself as “the world’s most measured human”. He has 30 doctors and health experts monitoring his every move with one goal: to reverse the ageing of all 78 of his organs

➤ Has often gone viral on social media for his extreme measures to reverse his biological age to 18 through his longevity mission ‘Project Blueprint’, an anti-ageing regime of consuming more than 100 supplements a day, eating his last meal by 11am and subjecting himself to a range of experiments like injecting himself with his teenage son’s plasma, micro needling, and bathing his body in LED lights, to stay frozen in time

➤ 46-year-old has put a part of his ‘Blueprint stack’ — an age defying mix of a drink, protein, tablets, snake oil, therapies and potent medicines which he calls “second only to mother’s milk” — for sale earlier this year

MARK HYMAN

➤ A 63-year-old physician and senior advisor at the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine and author of ‘Young Forever: The Secrets to Living Your Longest, Healthiest Life’

➤ Believes most people can live to a 100 and himself strives to live to 120 years old

➤ With over 3,15,000 TikTok followers, he credits his daily routine of eight hours of sleep, weight training, and five eating habits — cruciferous vegetables, olive oil, nuts, berries, and green tea — for helping him wind back his biological clock to 43 years

TECH TITANS FUNDING DE-AGEING PROJECTS

➤ Amazon’s Jeff Bezos has invested in Altos Labs, a startup aimed at restoring cell health and reverse disease through cellular rejuvenation programming. Altos Labs, which plans to

establish institutes globally, has signed up a dream team of scientists and Nobel laureates

➤ OpenAI’s Sam Altman has invested $180 million in a startup called Retro Biosciences. Their goal is to add 10 years to the average human lifespan through three programs — cellular reprogramming, autophagy, and plasmain spired therapeutics — to eventually crack multi disease prevention

➤ Co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin of Alphabet, Google’s parent company have invested close to $2 billion in a longevity lab called Calico (short for the California Life Company), not with an eye on immortality but to figure out and stave off age-related causes that drive people to the grave. This health and longevity subsidiary’s mission is to build a Bell Labs of ageing research for a breakthrough as useful to humanity, as the transistor has been

➤ Oracle’s Larry Ellison has donated millions over the years to fight the mysteries of ageing and age related diseases and death

Times Global

- Biden looks to Hollywood for ’24 boost. It hasn’t been that simple

- Sentosa beaches hit by oil spill

- Close shave as SW plane plunges dangerously low

- Ramaphosa to form ‘inclusive’ coalition cabinet

- KATE MAKES FIRST PUBLIC APPEARANCE SINCE BREAK

- New rules let China detain foreigners in SCS

- Philippines files UN claim to extended continental shelf

- Sweden, Iran swap prisoners after deal

- Kyiv to present Moscow peace proposal after int’l agreement

- Russia: Western reaction to proposal unconstructive

- US backs lasting peace for Ukraine: Kamala Harris

- 8 Israeli soldiers killed as fighting rages on

- First Bitcoin ETF to list on Aus bourse

- AROUND THE WORLD

- Japan sees rise in cases of killer flesh-eating bacteria

- Gates begins building smaller, cheaper nuclear reactors

Biden looks to Hollywood for ’24 boost. It hasn’t been that simple

Joe Biden is banking on Hollywood’s A-list to help propel him to victory in Nov, but their star power has yielded a mixed bag for the embattled President. Big-name actors and musicians, from Robert De Niro to Barbara Streisand, have enticed donors to back Biden’s re-election effort but there’s little evidence they’ve energized their fans to come out in support of him. Meanwhile, a cadre of younger stars have yet to publicly back Biden in his race against Republican Donald Trump.

Biden’s team has struggled to make endorsements stick this year, especially among young people displeased with his handling of the Israel-Hamas war and other issues. The toxic nature of the nation’s political debate may also be keeping celebrities on the sidelines. “There is a difference between motivating donors and motivating voters,” said Aubrey Montgomery, president of De- mocratic consulting firm Rittenhouse Political Partners.

Arguably the two biggest US musicians — Beyonce, a vocal supporter of Obama, and Taylor Swift — have yet to endorse Biden this year. Swift has a massive following with younger voters that has grown as she toured at sold-out stadiums over the past year.

Still, Biden’s Hollywood support has helped him rack up a cash advantage against Trump — albeit one the former president has started to close. DreamWorks co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg is Biden’s campaign co-chair and has leveraged his relationships into financial support. Director Steven Spielberg is helping with messaging efforts for the Democratic National Convention in August.

Some celebrity interac- tions have fallen flat and failed to generate the viral moments Biden’s campaign is seeking. De Niro’s fiery denunciation of Trump outside the Manhattan courthouse where the Republican was on trial earned plaudits from Biden supporters but was mocked by others.

Trump has also made inroads with celebrities, posting his first video to TikTok this month alongside Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White.

Trump has already amassed more followers and likes than Biden’s campaign account, which debuted in Feb.

Trump in May held a rally in the Bronx, New York and invited rappers Sheff G and Sleepy Hallow in an attempt to connect with Black voters. “The only people in America who support Joe Biden’s failing campaign are elitist Hollywood celebrities,” Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.

BLOOMBERG

Biden, Trump agree to rules for 1st debate

President Joe Biden and Donald Trump will face off in a 90-minute debate with mutable microphones, broadcaster CNN said Saturday, as it laid ground rules for the first in-person clash between the pair ahead of Nov election. The rules for the June 27 debate, which will have two hosts and no studio audience, were agreed by the Biden and Trump campaigns, according to CNN. “Both candidates agreed to appear at a uniform podium, and their podium positions will be determined by a coin flip,” the channel said, adding that microphones “will be muted throughout the debate except for the candidate whose turn it is to speak”. No props or notes will be allowed on stage, with candidates only given a pen, pad of paper and water. During the debate, campaign staff cannot interact with their candidate.

AFP

Sentosa beaches hit by oil spill

Beaches on Singapore’s resort island and wealthy expat haven of Sentosa were impacted by an oil spill at a nearby port that spread to its waters. Sentosa Development Corp, which manages the island, was alerted on Friday night to “instances of oil spillage in the sea waters” around one of its popular beaches as a result of an accident between two vessels at the terminal, according to a notice to Sentosa residents on Saturday.

The oil slick had spread to other beaches on the island, as well as Sentosa Cove, a residential enclave with more than 2,000 homes, according to the notice. It said all of the beaches were closed to activities and a clean-up has commenced.

The spill occurred after Netherlands-flagged dredger Vox Maxima hit bunker vessel Marine Honour at the Pasir Panjang Terminal Friday afternoon.

BLOOMBERG

Close shave as SW plane plunges dangerously low

A Southwest Airlines passenger flight in April came within 400 feet of slamming into the ocean off the coast of Hawaii after weather conditions forced pilots to bypass a landing attempt. The Boeing 737 Max 8jet briefly dropped at an abnormally high rate of more than 4,000 feet per minute before the flight crew pulled up to avoid disaster, according to a memo that Southwest distributed to pilots last week, which was seen by Bloomberg News. No one was injured on the flight, which safely returned to its departure airport in Honolulu. The US Federal Aviation Administration said it was probing the incident.

BLOOMBERG

Ramaphosa to form ‘inclusive’ coalition cabinet

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, reelected for a second term after his weakened ANC lost its outright majority, will announce an “inclusive” cabinet, the party said Saturday. The African National Congress (ANC)’s Ramaphosa will lead what the party calls a government of national unity after the May 29 polls produced no outright winner. Congratulatory messages continued to pour in for the leader who was re-elected as president Friday.

AFP

KATE MAKES FIRST PUBLIC APPEARANCE SINCE BREAK

Kate, Britain’s Princess of Wales, waved to crowds and smiled broadly from the balcony of Buckingham Palace after watching a military parade on Saturday, making her first public appearance this year as she undergoes treatment for cancer. The princess, 42, rode in a covered carriage with her three children to watch the “Trooping the Colour”, an annual military parade to mark the official birthday of the British monarch, King Charles. Despite heavy showers, crowds lined the streets and waved and cheered as the carriage went past.

REUTERS

New rules let China detain foreigners in SCS

New Chinese coast guard rules took effect Saturday, under which it can detain foreigners for trespassing in the disputed South China Sea, where neighbours and the G7 have accused Beijing of intimidation and coercion.

Beijing claims almost the entirety of the South China Sea, brushing aside competing claims from several Southeast Asian nations including the Philippines and an international ruling that its stance has no legal basis. China deploys coast guard and other boats to patrol the waters and has turned several reefs into militarised artificial islands. China’s coast guard can now detain foreigners “suspected of violating management of border entry and exit”, say the new regulations published online. Detention is allowed up to 60 days in “complicated cases”.

AFP

Philippines files UN claim to extended continental shelf

Manila: The Philippines filed aclaim with the UN on Saturday to an extended continental shelf (ECS) in the South China Sea, a waterway where it has had increasingly confrontational maritime disputes with China. “Today we secure our future by making a manifestation of our exclusive right to explore and exploit natural resources in our ECS entitlement,” Marshall Louis Alferez, foreign ministry assistant secretary for maritime and ocean affairs, said in a statement. China claims almost the entire South China Sea, and portions of the strategic waterway, where $3 trillion worth of trade passes annually, are believed to be rich in oil and natural gas deposits, as well as fish stocks.

REUTERS

Sweden, Iran swap prisoners after deal

Stockholm: Sweden and Iran carried out a prisoner exchange on Saturday, officials said, with Sweden freeing a former Iranian official convicted for his role in a mass execution in the 1980s while Iran released two Swedes being held there. The prisoner swap was mediated by Oman, the country’s foreign ministry said in a statement. “Omani efforts resulted in the two sides agreeing on a mutual release, as those released were transferred from Tehran and Stockholm,” it said.

Sweden freed former Iranian official Hamid Noury, who had been convicted for his part in a mass execution of political prisoners in Iran in 1988. Iran’s official IRNA news agency published footage of Noury arriving at Tehran’s Mehrabad airport where he was welcomed by his family on a red carpet.

Swedish PM Ulf Kristersson said in a statement that Swedish citizens Johan Floderus and Saeed Azizi who had been detained in Iran were on a plane back to Sweden. “Iran used them both as pawns in a cynical negotiations game with the purpose of getting the Iranian citizen Hamid Noury released from prison in Sweden. He is convicted of serious crimes committed in Iran in the 1980s,” Kristersson said.

REUTERS

Kyiv to present Moscow peace proposal after int’l agreement

Russia Absent As World Leaders Meet On Peace Roadmap

British PM Rishi Sunak with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky prior to the opening of summit on peace, in Switzerland, on Saturday

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday he would present Moscow a proposal for ending the war when it had been agreed by the international community.

“We must decide together what a just peace means for the world and how it can be achieved in a lasting way,” Zelensky told a major peace summit in central Switzerland, “then it will be communicated to the representatives of Russia.” He vowed to press ahead in broadening international support for his war-battered nation as leaders risked falling short in finding a path for a “just peace.”

World leaders gathered at aSwiss mountain resort to try to build support for Ukraine’s peace proposals at a summit skipped by US President Joe Biden, shunned by China and dismissed as a waste of time by Moscow. China’s absence from the two-day meeting and the attendance of lower-level diplomats from the so-called BRICS states cast a shadow over efforts to win over the Global South. But the Ukrainian leader said the gathering would be the start of a process to force Russia to end its aggression and secure peace.

“Even if they are not here today at the first summit, we have succeeded in bringing to the world that joint efforts can stop war and establish peace,” he told reporters at the start of the meeting at a mountaintop resort outside Lucerne.

After stopping off at a Group of Seven summit in Italy that yielded additional support, the Ukrainian leader turned his diplomatic efforts to potential allies outside the West. Ninety-two countries sent delegations to the summit, but the attendance list shows that attempts to maximize support among world leaders was a heavy lift.

French President Emma- nuel Macron said the circle of countries participating in the process of working towards a peace plan for Ukraine should be widened.

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Russia’s latest peace proposal for Ukraine would lead to further domination of the country and is a “completely absurd vision”.

Freezing the conflict in Ukraine is not an answer but a recipe for future wars of aggression, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the summit. “We need to support a comprehensive, just and sustainable peace for Ukraine. One that restores Ukraine’s sovereignty and its territorial integrity.”

Three years into the war, the combatants remain as far apart as they’ve ever been, with Kyiv sticking to its demands that Russia leave all Ukrainian territory it has seized and Moscow pressing on with its grinding offensive that has already taken large swaths of eastern and southern Ukraine.

AFP, REUTERS

Russia: Western reaction to proposal unconstructive

The Kremlin said on Saturday that the West has reacted unconstructively to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposals for a new security architecture and peace talks with Ukraine. “There is a lot of it, a huge amount of it — official reaction, official statements. Of an unconstructive nature,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has been quoted as saying.

Putin set out on Friday what he said were Russia’s preconditions for starting peace talks with Ukraine, saying Russia would end the war only if Kyiv agreed to drop its Nato ambitions and hand over four provinces claimed by Moscow — demands Kyiv swiftly rejected as tantamount to surrender.

REUTERS

Bomber violates Swedish airspace

A Russian SU-24 bomber violated Swedish airspace near the strategic Baltic Sea island of Gotland, leaving only after Sweden scrambled two JAS-39 fighter jets, Sweden’s military said on Saturday. The incident on Friday occurred three months after the Scandinavian country became afull member of Nato.

AFP

US backs lasting peace for Ukraine: Kamala Harris

Obburgen (Switzerland): Vice-President Kamala Harris on Saturday pledged America’s full support in backing Ukraine and global efforts to achieve “a just and lasting peace” in the face of Russia’s invasion, representing the United States at an international gathering on the war and meeting with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss his country’s vision for ending it.

As she arrived at the meeting venue overlooking Lake Lucerne for what would be a 28-hour dash from Washington and back, Harris announced $1.5 billion more in US as- sistance through the state department and the US Agency for International Development. That includes money for energy assistance, repairing damaged energy infrastructure, helping refugees and strengthening civilian security in the wake of the aggression by Russian President Putin.

Harris said: “I am here today to stand with Ukraine and the leaders from around the world in support of a just and lasting peace.” She added: “As we look forward to that peace, the United States is committed to helping Ukraine rebuild”.

AP

8 Israeli soldiers killed as fighting rages on

Jerusalem/Cairo: Eight Israeli soldiers were killed in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday, the military said, as forces continued to push in and around the southern city of Rafah and strikes hit several areas of Gaza, killing at least 19 Palestinians.

Earlier, the armed wing of Hamas said fighters had ambushed an armoured personnel carrier, killing and wounding a number of Israeli soldiers, in the Tel Al-Sultan area in the west of Rafah, where Israeli forces have been advancing for weeks. Israeli tanks advanced in Tel Al-Sultan and shells landed in the coastal area, where thousands of Palestinians, many of them displaced several times already, have sought refuge. Despite growing international pressure for a ceasefire, an agreement to halt the fighting still appears distant, more than eight months since the start of the war in October.

In Israeli air strikes on two houses in Gaza City sub- urbs, residents said at least 15 people were killed. Four others were killed in separate attacks in the south.

The Israeli military on Saturday said its forces in Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza, close to the border with Egypt, had captured lar- ge quantities of weapons, both above ground and concealed in the extensive tunnel network built by Hamas.

It said militants had on Friday fired five rockets from the humanitarian area in central Gaza. It said two had fallen in open areas in Israel and three fell short in Gaza. “This is a further example of the cynical exploitation of humanitarian infrastructure and the civilian population as human shields by terror organizations in the Gaza Strip for their terrorist attacks,” the military said.

At least 37,296 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s military campaign to eliminate Hamas, according to the Gaza health ministry.

REUTERS

Ship ablaze after attack by Houthis: UKMTO

Cairo: The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Saturday the crew of a Palau-flagged cargo ship had been evacuated and the ship was on fire and sinking, referring to an incident that happened 98 nautical miles east of Yemen’s Aden on June 13. Missiles fired by Yemen’s Houthi militants struck the Verbena in the Gulf of Aden on Thursday, sparking a fire and severely injuring one of its crew, US Central Command said. The Iran-allied Houthis have launched dozens of attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea region since Nov in solidarity with Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas.

REUTERS

First Bitcoin ETF to list on Aus bourse

An exchange-traded fund investing directly in Bitcoin will list on Australia’s main stock market for the first time, kicking off another wave of such listings after similar products began trading in the US and Hong Kong. Exchange operator ASX, which handles the bulk of the country’s stock trading, has approved the VanEck Bitcoin ETF which will be listed on Thursday. “We recognize Bitcoin is an emerging asset class that many advisers and investors want to access,” said Arian Neiron, CEO for VanEck in the Asia-Pacific region. The listing comes as $58 billion has been amassed by US Bitcoin ETFs that debuted this year.

BLOOMBERG

AROUND THE WORLD

SINKHOLES THREATEN LUXURY PROPERTY: A giant sinkhole that opened underneath a high-end property in the resort city of Vina del Mar, Chile, following several spells of intense rain that lashed the region, prompting the evacuation of hundreds of residents. The property, built in a field of sand dunes where luxury apartments have proliferated, is located a few meters away from the beach with breathtaking views of the Pacific. The 13-floor building with 200 apartments worth up to $500,000 each is now sitting atop a hole that is 15 metres long and 30 metres deep, the third such hole that opened here in less than a year. AFP

30 stuck upside down on park ride rescued

Emergency crews in Oregon rescued 30 people Friday after they were stuck for close to half an hour dangling upside down high on a ride at a century-old amusement park. Portland Fire and Rescue said on X that firefighters worked with engineers at Oaks Park to manually lower the AtmosFEAR ride, but crews had been preparing to conduct a highangle ropes rescue if necessary. All riders were being evacuated and medically evaluated, and there were no reports of injuries.

Pak man held for selling goats with plastic teeth: Authorities in Karachi apprehended a trader on Saturday for allegedly selling sacrificial goats with plastic teeth in the Gulberg Chowrangi area, said ARY News. A video on social media depicted a customer removing what appeared to be plastic teeth from one of the goats, prompting swift action from law enforcement.

Albania’s shepherds rush to shear sheep: A heatwave has forced shepherds in southern Albania to rush forward the shearing of sheep to save them from suffocating in their wool coats under the soaring temperatures.

Japan sees rise in cases of killer flesh-eating bacteria

A disease caused by a rare “flesh-eating bacteria” that can kill people within 48 hours is spreading in Japan after the country relaxed Covid-era restrictions.

Cases of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) reached 977 this year by June 2, higher than the record 941 cases reported for all of last year, according to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases. Group A Streptococcus (GAS) typically causes swelling and sore throat in children known as “strep throat,” but some types of the bacteria can lead to symptoms developing rapidly, including limb pain and swelling, fever, low blood pressure, that can be follo- wed by necrosis, breathing problems, organ failure and death. People over 50 are more prone to the disease.

“As soon as a patient notices swelling in foot in the morning, it can expand to the knee by noon, and they can die within 48 hours,” said Ken Kikuchi, a professor in infectious diseases at Tokyo Women’s Medical University.

Other countries have experienced recent outbreaks. In late 2022 at least five European nations reported to the WHO an increase in cases of invasive group A streptococcus (iGAS) disease, which includes STSS. Kikuchi urged people to maintain hand hygiene and to treat any open wounds.

BLOOMBERG

Gates begins building smaller, cheaper nuclear reactors

Gates attends groundbreaking for TerraPower’s nuclear project in Kemmerer, Wyoming, on June 10

Kemmerer, Wyoming: Outside a small coal town in southwest Wyoming, a multibilliondollar effort to build the first in anew generation of US nuclear power plants is underway. Workers began construction Tuesday on a novel type of nuclear reactor meant to be smaller and cheaper than the hulking reactors of old and designed to produce electricity without the carbon dioxide that is rapidly heating the planet.

The reactor being built by TerraPower, a startup, won’t be finished until 2030 and faces daunting obstacles. The Nuclear Regulatory Commis- sion hasn’t yet approved the design, and the company will have to overcome the inevitable delays and cost overruns that have doomed countless nuclear projects before.

What TerraPower does have, however, is an influential and deep-pocketed founder. Bill Gates, currently ranked as the seventh-richest person in the world, has poured more than $1 billion of his fortune into TerraPower, an amount that he expects to increase. “If you care about climate, there are many, many locations around the world where nuclear has got to work,” Gates said during an interview near the project site Monday.

“Wind and solar are absolutely fantastic, and we have to build them as fast as we can, but the idea that we don’t need anything beyond that is very unlikely,” Gates said.

As demand for electricity surges because of new data centers, factories and electric vehicles, there is a renewed enthusiasm around nuclear energy .

Traditional reactors are huge, complex, strictly regulated projects that are difficult to build and finance. And nuclear power is prohibitively expensive. The only two US reactors built in the past 30 years, Vogtle Units 3 and 4 in Georgia, cost $35 billion, more than double initial estimates. Gates is betting that radically different technology will help. With TerraPower, he funded a team of engineers to redesign anuclear plant from scratch.

Today, every US nuclear plant uses light-water reactors, in which water is pumped into a reactor core and heated by atomic fission, producing steam to create electricity. Because the water is highly pressurized, these plants need heavy piping and thick containment shields to protect against accidents. TerraPower’s reactor, by contrast, uses liquid sodium instead of water, allo- wing it to operate at lower pressures. In theory, that reduces the need for thick shielding. In an emergency, the plant can be cooled with air vents rather than complicated pump systems. The reactor is just 345 megawatts, one-third the size of Vogtle reactors, making for a smaller investment.

Chris Levesque, TerraPower’s CEO, said its reactors should ultimately produce electricity at half the cost of traditional nuclear plants. “This is a much simpler plant,” he said. “That gives us both a safety benefit and a cost benefit.”

NYT

All That Matters

- Oppn can learn from Patnaik’s bipartisan ways

- Dystopic world of heat waves and dust storms already a reality in many ways

- NEET controversy: Three ways India can reimagine admission tests

- Konnichiwah! Seven things ‘polite’ Japanese could teach Indians

- It’s time to burst liberal bubble: Modi 3.0 won’t be very different

- INBOX

Oppn can learn from Patnaik’s bipartisan ways

WALK THE LINE: The former Odisha CM knew how to put national interest before party politics, an approach that could serve netas well in these polarised times

RIGHT & WRONG

SWAPAN DASGUPTA

It is rare, though not entirely unprecedented, for an election loser to be feted as a national hero. Winston Churchill’s reputation as a British icon outlived his devastating defeat in the 1945 election. Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s 2004 defeat too came as a surprise. But even as he walked away into the sunset, his reputation as an affable politician with a bipartisan appeal became legendary. Even now, over-combative BJP politicians are sometimes gently reminded of Vajpayee’s guiding principle: ‘Bade kaam ke liye bada man chahiye (big endeavours demand a big heart)’.

Any bitterly fought general election is calculated to generate polemical excesses, and the just-concluded poll was no different. Yet, it is reassuring that amid the bitterness that will take time to be erased, one politician came away with his reputation not only intact but embellished in defeat.

In the normal course, the defeat of a leader who was at the helm for the past 24 years would have occasioned riotous celebrations—recall the jubilation in Kolkata in 2011 after the Red Fort there was stormed by Mamata Banerjee after 34 years. No such jubilation followed the defeat of Naveen Patnaik, the unlikeliest of politicians, who was thrust into the hurly-burly of public life after the death of his father Biju Patnaik in 1997. Maybe the people of Odisha had grown tired of the tranquillity that Naveen babu brought to public life and sought the excitement that the Modi wave promised. Maybe they reacted sharply against a perceived political usurper who had taken control of Naveen Niwas. Whatever the assessment of the poll outcome, Patnaik’s defeat didn’t arise from any outpouring of hate. For all his purported shortcomings and quirks, the Biju Janata Dal leader was always perceived as an epitome of grace and dignity.

The all-round respect he commanded was apparent when he attended the swearing-in ceremony of his successor Mohan Charan Majhi, the first BJP chief minister of Odisha. From the Prime Minister and Union home minister downwards, almost everyone at the swearing-in at Bhubaneswar last Wednesday saw the outgoing leader not as an adversary but as Odisha’s elder statesman. What facilitated this elevation was that Naveen babu understood the limits of partisanship.

In office, he realised that the development of a state also depended on cooperation and coordination with the Centre, regardless of which party ruled in Delhi. This bipartisan approach—to which was added his characteristic sense of understatement—paid huge dividends for Odisha and enabled this hitherto backward state to be regarded as the Jewel of the East, ahead of neighbouring West Bengal. It may assault Bengali pride but a very large chunk of the students who sustain Bhubaneswar as an education hub comes from Bengal.

Naveen babu is the leader of a regional party which, after its exit from the NDA in 2009, never formally aligned with any national formation. This strategic autonomy was moulded by an acute awareness of national interest. Whether it was the extra steps to revive hockey as a national sport or cooperating with BJP on the GST legislation and abrogation of Article 370, he instinctively knew where party politics ended and national interest began. This created a special space for him in public life.

As India enters a new phase of competitive politics, Naveen babu’s political approach offers valuable lessons. In the recent past, many of India’s institutions have come under attack from foreign entities. The integrity of India’s democracy, including the election outcome, was sought to be questioned. This wasn’t because the West has a fanatical interest in upholding liberty and freedom, but because it wanted to use the so-called democracy deficit to lower India’s global standing.

It is shameful that the western agenda was fuelled by political parties and others who wanted a stick to beat the Modi govt with. It was scandalous that the leader of a principal opposition party appealed to the West to intervene and salvage Indian democracy.

The inability to distinguish between domestic politics and national interest has also led to Indian businesses being undermined. In the past two decades, many Indian corporates have become significant players on the international stage. Predictably, their rise has generated rivalries, including from the dragon in the east. It is the obligation of the govt in Delhi to extend legitimate Indian businesses a facilitating hand overseas and defend them against motivated attacks. Promoting Indian enterprise must be a national consensus among all parties that treasure national sovereignty.

Yet, in a bid to target Modi, there were politicians and their associates who gleefully joined in the motivated attacks by, say, the tendentious Hindenburg report on the Adani group — onslaughts that didn’t stop even after the Supreme Court ruled there was no evidence of wrongdoing. Now, in a bid to target Indian business further, wild charges are being proffered of a stock market scam involving exit polls. The logic behind these attacks on national institutions is that of scorched earth warfare — destroy the country’s financial backbone to destroy the ruling party.

Naveen Patnaik functioned as an independent chief minister in these difficult times. He was mindful that to improve Odisha, he also had to keep the Tricolour flying high. That is a lesson for those who take endless tuition in politics but never seem to learn. ■

Dystopic world of heat waves and dust storms already a reality in many ways

FOR THE RECORD

Bengaluru-based Lavanya Lakshminarayan is the second Indian after Amitav Ghosh to be shortlisted for the Arthur C Clarke Award for science fiction. The game designer-turned-author speaks to Shruti Sonal about climate catastrophes and inequalities

■ The Bengaluru that you’ve written about in your debut novel, ‘The Ten Percent Thief’, is ravaged by climate catastrophes such as heat waves, and dust storms. Was that prompted by the changes you’ve seen in the city over the years?

Growing up in Bengaluru in the nineties, I witnessed first-hand the massive transformation it went through as it became the country’s IT hub. There was unchecked development in many parts, with existing infrastructure struggling to catch up and environment taking a hit. The city already has high summer temperatures; tree cover has shrunk rapidly; traffic jams are common coupled with air and noise pollution. I could only envision a bleak future.

■ Do you see any resemblance in the ongoing heat waves, and the world of your book?

The book is set in the wake of the climate apocalypse, where most cities in the world have collapsed and Bengaluru, one of the few remaining ones, reinvents itself as Apex City. There are sustainable buildings with a lot of green cover built into the buildings themselves. There’s a lot of shade cover, and water harvesting techniques being used to maximise water content from rain and atmosphere. But they’ve implemented all of this only for the privileged. So if you are the elite, you have access to green spaces. But if you are not privileged, you are living through heat waves and dust storms in tent-like structures in conditions that resemble a desert. I think that’s a terrifying reality that we could be headed towards, where the solution that we develop will be inevitably skewed towards those with privilege. That’s already a reality in many ways. As temperatures touch 50 degrees C in some parts of the coun- try, for instance, only a privileged few have access to ACs, or even clean water.

■ At the heart of your novel is the critique of a society that’s based on ‘meritocratic technarchy’. Can you elaborate?

It’s a concern that almost runs parallel with the climate catastrophe. I’ve lived in these little bubbles of privilege where you see only bell curves, targets and profits while the wider world is kept at arm’s length. The notion of merit is very common in tech spaces. But most of these people themselves come from privilege, and the technologies they make are for other privileged users. The Apples of the world are creating aspirational things that make rich people feel richer. If we were to take that capability and spend time with communities that aren’t just urban centres, and address their needs, we could create so much parity and empowerment with technology. That drove me to create this extremely productivity-driven world that prizes merit because merit is a great lie, but it’s a very popular lie.

■ Whether it’s the pandemic or extreme climate events, reality sometimes outpaces dystopia. Is that what drew you to the genre?

How do you make sense of a world that is already so disturbing? Even after I wrote this book, I certainly haven’t made peace with any of it. The pandemic was extra horrifying because so much of the social isolation and tech disparity that I had written about became a reality. We had people with the privilege of working from home, while migrant workers were walking back home.

That’s what drew me to it. As a saying in science fiction goes, everyone’s dystopia is someone’s utopia.

■ The book is set in a gamified world, where only a privileged few can touch the trees. Did that come from your work as a game designer?

Building games is like a massive social experiment to monitor how people behave in simulated conditions. It made me start looking into the kind of structures we live with, and how we are always incentivised with external rewards — keep working hard and you’ll get the promotion, move into a bigger apartment, or buy a fancy car. Constant FOMO (fear of missing out) in a game is light-hearted, but not so much in real life. In the book, I wanted to make it more explicit with a mathematical point system judging your value in society. Needing a certain number of points to touch a tree, for instance, is present in most urban spaces in India. We have gated communities with highrises and beautiful gardens, with cramped slums next door where all the household workers live with high walls separating them.

■ Have Indian sci-fi novels come of age?

Growing up, everybody in space was a John or everybody in a fantasy novel was a Lucy. The only Indian voice I read in speculative fiction was Samit Basu, one of a handful of writers at that time. But now, many more writers from India are in science fiction and fantasy spaces. We are still far removed from UK and US, the epicentres of science fiction and fantasy, but it’s exciting to have people in India writing into these spaces. I can’t say if it’s coming of age yet. There’s more publisher support than before, but I think there’s room to grow.

■ AI, a recurring theme in sci-fi novels long before it became real, was usually in a terrifying avatar. What’s your view?

AI is a very powerful tool, and I would like to see a future where it’s more positive. But currently, AI is so unethical and so reflective of human biases across history that it’s problematic. Right now, the source material that the tech is being trained on has been taken from so many writers and artists without their consent. All these copyright infringements enable AI to become a tool that can be used for people to take a lot of shortcuts in creative spaces. And that is not fair to people who spend an entire lifetime honing skills. The need is to put ethical safeguards in place, and hire more diverse and representative teams.

NEET controversy: Three ways India can reimagine admission tests

SAT EXAMPLE: US model of multiple test dates can ease pressure on students

BY INVITATION

V RAMGOPAL RAO

One of the immediate challenges before the new govt is the ongoing NEET fiasco. Inflated marks, allocation of grace marks, an unusually high number of perfect scores, allegations of paper leak, and calls for a retest have created stress for students, parents, and even the govt. This is not an isolated incident and, regrettably, will not be the last. Conducting such a massive exam for over 2.3 million students in 13 languages across 4,500 centres in India and 14 countries abroad is a Herculean task. Similar challenges plague the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) for undergraduate admissions, and the JEE Mains exam, both of which are taken by over a million students. These exams have now become behemoths that need better handling.

Currently, gross enrolment ratio (GER) in higher education in India is around 26%. The goal is to increase this to over 50% in the next decade, which implies that the number of candidates appearing for entrance exams will double. This raises two critical questions. First, is it necessary to have such single exams, which are nearly impossible to administer, on such a large scale? Second, if these exams are indeed necessary, can we adopt better practices from countries like the US and China, which have successfully navigated similar challenges by evolving systems that suit their needs?

Given that admissions to govt institutions in India rely heavily on a single test score, these exams bear an immense burden to accurately assess a student’s overall scholastic ability and aptitude. One significant downside of standardising school education through uniform national boards and common entrance exams is the homogenisation of higher education intake, which can stifle creativity and diversity of thought. Additionally, this standardisation inadvertently fuels the coaching industry.

Therefore, the design of these exams must prioritise flexibility, transparency, diversity, scalability, accessibility of materials, and availability of language options. Here are three possible steps that can create a more equitable and effective exam system…

1. Learn from the world: US, home to many top-ranking institutions, follows a diversified admissions model. SAT and ACT are the primary standardised tests for college admissions, taken by around 2 million students each year. In con- trast, China’s ‘gaokao’ is one of the largest exams globally in terms of participation, with a record 13.4 million students taking it in 2024. It is a highstakes, highly standardised exam lasting approximately nine hours over two to three days, depending on the provincial administrative regions. It’s also a very secure process with teachers being secluded and armed guards escorting the vehicles transporting exam papers.

The US model is potentially more suitable for India as it offers flexibility with multiple test dates throughout the year. It reduces stress by spreading the risk over an extended period rather than concentrating it in a single event.

In India, private players now offer the IT and physical infrastructure to conduct secure online computer-based tests for over 200,000 candidates at a time. Establishing a large question bank with questions of varying difficulty levels, randomly picked by an algorithm for each candidate, along with real-time adaptation and immediate provision of raw scores after the test, could effectively address the challenges of scaling up exams. This approach could combine the flexibility and efficiency of the US model with the rigorous standards necessary for high-stakes exams in India.

2. Constitutional status for NTA: To address transparency issues, it’s crucial to grant the National Testing Agency (NTA) constitutional status similar to the UPSC. Adopting the UPSC structure, with leading academics managing the exam process, and involving top institutions in the conduct of exams, can enhance credibility. The primary reason for the smooth conduct of JEE Advanced and GATE exams year after year is because of the significant involvement of IIT faculty at every stage of the exam. Whether it’s NEET, JEE Mains or CUET, it’s important to in- volve a set of our top institutions in the conduct of these exams jointly with NTA.

3. Holistic admission policies: While inclusive and holistic admission policies work well in some private institutions in India and many leading institutions abroad, there are challenges in implementing such metrics for admission in govt-run institutions. There is a fear of external influences derailing the process. Diversity in admissions can, however, be managed by giving seats to state and central board toppers, Olympiad winners, etc.

Major reforms in the admission process are essential to build a resilient, inclusive, and effective pathway for our aspiring students, ensuring that our higher education system nurtures talent and produces the best professionals for the future. Exams like GATE and JEE Advanced conducted by IITs are globally unique for their quality and diversity of question papers. By leveraging IT companies and startups, and following global best practices, India can internationalise these exams, allowing other countries to use them for admissions and certification purposes. This approach could elevate India to its much-desired vishwaguru status. ■

Prof Rao is vice-chancellor of BITS Pilani group of institutions and former director, IIT Delhi

Konnichiwah! Seven things ‘polite’ Japanese could teach Indians

BITTERSWEET IMPERMANENCE: The appeal of the cherry blossoms lies in its transience. It’s a pity Indians don’t cherish nature’s bounty the same way

POLITICALLY INCORRECT

SHOBHAA DE

Japan gently slips under your skin, and stays there like a poignant haiku chronicling an old love. Beyond the mystique of a nation often described as inward-looking and deeply introverted lies another Japan — the personal one. After spending a fortnight travelling around this intriguing country of roughly 122 million, one comes away filled with wonder and unbridled admiration.

Japan’s rich history and deep respect for heritage is the foremost legacy that instinctively connects our two countries. Indians feel at home in Japan, even though language remains a barrier. English is barely spoken or understood, which inhibits easy communication. Most signage in public places is in Japanese. Despite this major handicap, the innate graciousness of locals and smartphone translation apps make both navigation and social interactions not just easy, but also very sweet. Which brings me to the first lesson…

Not rude or crude: Since we are not a stone-deaf nation, what makes us shout non-stop? We are incorrigibly rude and raise our voices without reason or provocation. Nobody does that in Japan. Children don’t scream to demand attention, while adults keep decibel levels low and extend courtesy to one and all, regardless of age or social status. The frequent bowing is based on seniority, but the respect is authentic, especially towards the elderly or physically disadvantaged.

Discipline: This trait that has seen the Japanese through countless calamities. Nobody jumps queues. No one shoves and pushes to get into an elevator, train, or bus. The orderly and calm manner in which citizens respond during crises is a testament to the pride and value they place on adhering to civic rules. Nobody litters. Even the largest fish markets are scrupulously clean.

Pride in one’s job: From the lowest in the pecking order to the highest echelons, everyone is led by a sense of honour in their chosen occupation. The no-tipping rule stems from this awareness — you are paid for the work you do so, there’s no need to seek a handout for ‘extra’ services. Accepting a tip is seen as an insult to your profession, which leads to a loss of face, possibly the biggest shame in Japan.

Humility and grace: The Indian habit of chest-thumping is so widespread that we hardly notice braggarts or discourage them. The Japanese deem such behaviour vulgar and are visibly embarrassed when flashy tourists start showing off. Grace is cherished and on display in the briefest of interactions. People will leave their busy kiosks, walk a hundred paces to point you in the right direction. In India, the first response is generally ‘chal hatt’ (move aside), especially in our metros.

Appreciation of beauty: The Japanese worship the impermanence of beauty. And for them, the sakura flower is a perfect symbol of the transience of beauty. For seven short days, while the cherry blossoms bloom in all their glory, Japan pauses to pay homage to the delicate flower before it falls to the ground. Families organise elaborate picnics for viewing the stunning visual treat, appreciating the eloquence of the moment before it vanishes. Such a pity that we don’t respect nature’s bounty in the same way and think nothing of brutally destroying forests, mangroves, gardens which deserve reverence, not abuse.

Teamwork: Walk into any large store to appreciate Japanese team spirit. Challenge number one is the language issue. No problem. The salesperson will scurry away and return with three colleagues eager to offer help. Despite their efforts, if you still cannot find what you are looking for, a senior manager will be located. The entire team will be sincerely involved in the search. At each point, the customer will be assured via smiles and deep bows that a solution is available. Patience! Contrast that with indifferent, brusque salespeople in Indian stores who seem to hate what they do.

National pride: National pride is a prominent badge proudly worn by every single Japanese person. Letting the country down even through the smallest slip-up is a matter of immense shame. There’s simply no room for ego.

This, above all, is what we need to emulate. When the heart is in the right place, the mind listens. And a nation smiles. ■

It’s time to burst liberal bubble: Modi 3.0 won’t be very different

PRAGMATIC PAIR: What will Naidu and Nitish gain by defecting? Even if INDIA scraped through, it would be too fragile a coalition

SWAMINOMICS

SWAMINATHAN S ANKLESARIA AIYAR

Liberal rejoicing over BJP’s setback in the Lok Sabha elections was warranted perhaps for one week. After that, it must face up to the dictum, ‘Jo jeeta, wohi Sikandar —he who wins is mighty. In boxing parlance, nobody remembers who got a black eye, only who won. Victory margins don’t matter. The bottomline is that Narendra Modi faces no serious threat to his prime ministership.

One liberal has already predicted that the alliance will collapse in two years as BJP needs allies like Chandrababu Naidu (TDP) and Nitish Kumar (JDU) to survive. This is wishful thinking. Naidu and Nitish are political opportunists who have sometimes allied with BJP, and sometimes ditched it. They appear to have no ideological qualms, only self interest.

Today, would either gain from defecting to INDIA bloc? Unlikely, and even if that were to happen, INDIA bloc would still be short of a majority. Even if it could scrape together some more seats from minor parties, such a coalition would be very fragile and easy to break. BJP is adept at securing defectors and cobbling majorities together.

Look at its past record. In the 2018 Karnataka state election, it fell short of a majority and a JDU-Congress government assumed office. But BJP ‘persuaded’ 17 ruling coalition legislators to resign, became the largest party, and took office. There was talk at the time of big money being at play.

A similar thing happened in Maharashtra after the 2019 assembly election. Shiv Sena unexpectedly left the BJP fold to form a government with Congress and NCP. But BJP then ‘persuaded’ the vast majority of Shiv Sena legislators to defect. Some reportedly benefited from the dropping of charges that they were facing.

Will the fact that BJP lost some seats change its political style? Much less than liberals would wish. After all, the BJP machine is in full operation. Non-bailable laws like UAPA, which the opposition and civil society claimed were being weaponised, can still be used.

Do not expect Nitish Kumar or Naidu to object to such tactics. Indeed, they may welcome the use of such methods against their local opponents.

Both have their own agendas that go against the BJP grain, and some analysts think this could lead to their falling out with BJP. Nitish wants a national caste census to ensure reservations for extremely backward castes, which the BJP opposes. In Andhra Pradesh, Naidu had earlier enacted a law giving a 4% quota in government jobs to backward Muslims. This goes against the belief system of BJP, which opposes reservations based on Islam or any other religion.

Will this cause a rift? Again, unlikely. BJP is not as ideologically rigid and fixated on Hindutva as some like to paint it to be. It can be opportunistic and flexible when necessary. On something as dear to Hindutva hearts as banning cow slaughter, BJP avoided such action on coming to office in Goa and some north-eastern states with a substantial Christian, beef-eating population. The reason given was that voters would be unhappy with a ban on beef supplies, which is as non-ideological a reason as any. In a recent column, I wrote about how the Yogi govt had reined in cow vigilantes in UP and got buffalo meat exports back on track.

As for differences with allies, Nitish Kumar has already held a caste census in his state and decreed reservations for extremely backward castes, supported by the local BJP. Naidu has teamed up with BJP despite their differences, and will be allowed to keep his 4% Muslim quota. These issues pose no danger to the BJP-led alliance.

So, expect the BJP-led NDA government to last a full five years unless Modi himself feels he’s on strong ground to call a mid-term election and get an absolute majority on his own. Expect only minor changes in political style despite its dependence on allies. Media pluralism may get a boost since BJP now knows it was misled on its popularity by a fawning media singing hosannas. Expect occasional stirring of the communal pot. Politics will not really change much. ■

INBOX

PM Modi’s litmus test has begun

Apropos of ‘Ab ki baar...’ (ATM, June 9), the biggest lesson from this election’s results is that the voter is king and can never be taken for granted. BJP’s reduced seats could be attributed to many things, including poor ticket distribution and accommodating turncoats. Candidates took Brand Modi for granted while forgetting that every brand has a shelf life. PM Modi has never run a coalition government, and it will be a litmus test for his leadership style to adopt a consultative and deliberative approach.

— Bal Govind, Noida

Caste remains key

This refers to ‘How did BJP…’ (ATM, June 9), the results show caste retains prominence in North Indian politics. The dominant castes continue to strongly prefer BJP, while peasant groups still prefer regional OBC-led parties. Dalits continue to be split between the incumbent at the Centre and regional parties. Just as Hindutva worked for BJP, a new socialism rooted in caste and class brought success for SP.

— Sanjay Chopra, Mohali

Entrepreneurial push

‘Elite mindset…’ (ATM, June 9) fails to recognise that entrepreneurship is an individualistic mindset and cannot be accelerated via a topdown curricula approach.

— H S Bhatti, Navi Mumbai

Email your letters to the editor at sunday.times@timesgroup.com with ‘Sunday Mailbox’ in the subject line.

Please mention your name and city

Times Sport

- MOVING ON LIKE HARDIK

- SA scrape past Nepal by one run

- Did fear of failure cripple Pak?

- USA won’t be easy to beat in Super 8: Jones

- IOC gives 14 Russians, 11 Belarusians neutral status

- Unsafe levels of E. coli found in Seine river

- GALLERY

- Stars align for halfway leader Ludvig Aberg at US Open

- Men archers need rankings route to qualify for Paris

- India women keen to get back to winning ways

- Aus wary of Scotland; Pak take on Ireland

- Boult confirms ongoing edition will be his last T20 World Cup

- HEAVY METTLE

- Expectant England out to dispel doubts against Serbia

- Argentina names 26-member squad

- Brazil goes to Copa with teenager Endrick up front and a few more unknowns

- For Embolo, a comeback to remember

- Germany get wings with Musiala and Wirtz

- UEFA EURO 2024

TIMES IN THE US

MOVING ON LIKE HARDIK

Troubled Seam-Bowling Allrounder Seems To Have Laid All Controversy To Rest And Found A Way To Contribute On The Biggest Stage

SMOOTH OPERATOR: Hardik Pandya’s bowling has been a boon for India in US conditions

Dwaipayan.Datta@timesgroup.com

Miami: Hardik Pandya has endured a lot in recent times. It all started with an injury in the ODI World Cup which cost him his T20 captaincy. That was followed by a disastrous million-dollar move to Mumbai Indians which led to internal rift in the team and reportedly, some nottoo-happy vibes with Rohit Sharma.

The horrible show in the IPL by the five-time champions didn’t help. Hardik’s own performances were poor as well. His personal life, too, allegedly went for a toss. Question marks were raised about his inclusion in the team for the T20 World Cup. The BCCI, however, kept the faith in the star allrounder and now, slowly, Hardik is finding his mojo just when it matters the most.

In the three World Cup games so far, Pandya has registered figures of 2-24, 3-27 and 2-14, albeit all in extremely favourable conditions.

However, he has shown the happy knack of bowling the difficult overs, the 17th against Pakistan being a case in point.

Team India bowling coach Paras Mhambrey was particularly happy with the way Hardik kept trying even when the chips were down.

“I’m definitely sure about one thing, he has confidence in his ability. Sometimes there’s no rhythm in a tournament (IPL), sometimes, even if you try, the rhythm doesn’t come, it takes time…that was a phase where the rhythm didn’t come,” Mhambrey said.

While Hardik did his bit to get his rhythm back, there’s somebody else who also deserves a bit of credit — his captain Rohit. His personal differences with Hardik following the batter’s ouster as MI captain has been speculated on every platform, but when it came to choosing the Indian team, Rohit kept all that aside.

He knew four allrounders would be his best bet in the World Cup, and for that he needed Hardik to deliver.

“Four allrounders allow me the flexibility and in all probability, we are going to stick to that,” Rohit had said before India’s game against Pakistan.

Hardik, too, knew this could be his last chance, and that pushed him to go 100 % in every training session, a fact lauded by Mhambrey. “It would have been worrisome if he hadn’t put in the hard work. But we noticed that despite the difficult times, his work ethic never took a beating. He kept bowling a lot and that meant the rhythm would return, especially when he understands his own bowling so well,” Mhambrey said.

Despite going for runs in IPL, Hardik tried bowling difficult overs, even after being taken apart quite brutally by MS Dhoni. But as Mhambrey pointed out, it was the confidence in his own ability that stood the allrounder in good stead. “If you compare his rhythm in the IPL and the rhythm now, you can see he has got it back,” Mhambrey added.

Once the bowling bit is sorted, Hardik needs to score a few runs with the bat as well.

India are now moving to the West Indies, where the conditions will be more favourable for the batters compared to the United States. All the team needs from him is a couple of cameos over the next five games and Hardik could well become one of the heroes of this World Cup.

INDIA-CANADA GAME CALLED OFF DUE TO WET OUTFIELD

The crowds had come in, the enthusiasm was there, but the rains that south Florida had endured over the last few days was good enough for India’s last group game against Canada to be called off at Broward Park. It didn’t rain on Saturday, but the Friday afternoon downpour that had washed out USA’s game against Ireland had damaged the outfield so much that India’s game couldn’t be started despite the best efforts of the grounds men. India finished on top in Group A. They will now face Afghanistan in the Super-8 stage in Barbados on Jun 20.

TNN

SA scrape past Nepal by one run

Kingstown (St. Vincent): South Africa survived a major scare from Nepal in scrambling a nerve-jangling one-run victory in their final Group D match of the T20 World Cup at the Arnos Vale Stadium in St Vincent on Friday. Needing eight runs off the final over in pursuit of a modest target of 116 for a stunning upset win, the Nepalese fell agonisingly short at 114 for seven with Gulshan Jha run out off the final ball as he attempted a single off Ottneil Baartman to force a super over.

“Very grateful to have got the win, we were not near our best tonight,” relieved South Africa captain Aiden Markram said. “Reflecting back on the game over the next few days, there will be a lot of learnings for us. “First and foremost, the way Nepal bowled it made it really tough for us. They put us under a lot of pressure.”

After leg-break bowler Kushal Bhurtel (4 for 19) and offspinner Dipendra Singh Airee (3 for 21) limited the Proteas to 115 for seven batting first, Aasif Sheikh (42) and Anil Sah (27) featured in a 50-run third-wicket partnership which pulled the Nepalese within touching distance of a result which would have kept their hopes alive of getting to the Super Eight phase of the tournament.

Dropped on one by Kagiso Rabada in just the second over of the innings, opener Sheikh saw off the first threat of Tabraiz Shamsi only for the leftarm wrist-spinner to return for a final over in the 18th over of the innings to claim both Sah and Sheikh in finishing with the excellent figures of four for 19.

AFP

Brief scores: South Africa 115/7 (Hendricks 43, Stubbs 27*, Bhurtel 4-19, Airee 3-21) beat Nepal 114/7 (Aasif 42, Sah 27, Shamsi 4-19) by 1 run.

‘WE SHOWED THAT WE BELONG HERE’

Skipper Rohit Paudel believes Nepal have done enough in the T20 World Cup to show they belong at the highest level. “The way we played today, it shows that we belong here. The way we bowled and the way we batted also, I think we did very well. This will give us confidence for the next game against Bangladesh,” Paudel told the media on Friday.

TIMES IN THE US

Did fear of failure cripple Pak?

Imad Wasim Says Down-And-Out Team Needs A Change In Mindset, Not Personnel

FLOP SHOW: Imad Wasim (extreme left) and the Pakistan team have not been able to bring their best game

Dwaipayan.Datta@timesgroup.com

Miami: When Imad Wasim lost his way to the press-conference room at Broward Park, it was, in a way, metaphorical. That’s exactly how his team Pakistan went about in this World Cup — losing two matches against the United States and India, both from winning positions. A win against Canada was not enough and even before they play Ireland at Broward Park here, their fate had been sealed. “It’s definitely the lowest point for Pakistan in my career,” Imad, who has been playing for the country for quite a decade now, said.

The allrounder, who has played under quite a few coaches and has experienced the fluctuating fortunes of the nation on the field, feels that in Pakistan, a change of personnel won’t really make for a big change. “It has to be the mindset. We have to change the mindset. We are playing our crick- et, we cannot be scared to lose all the time. The game is changing and we will have to deal with it. As far as I am concerned, playing fire with fire is the way to go,” Imad said, looking extremely disappointed.

Constant questions kept coming up about what exactly went wrong, but the player, who had come back from retirement to play this tournament, didn’t want to single out anybody for the early exit. “When a team wins, it is a collective effort. When the team loses, it is also a collective effort. There is no point blaming one person for the debacle,” Imad said.

Pakistan have been on a downward curve for a while now. While they had crashed out of the ODI World Cup in India a few months ago after losing to Afghanistan, the defeat to USA here in Dallas was definitely one bitter pill to swallow. “Yes, you can say that the loss to the USA was unacceptable. We should not have lost that match,” Imad, who missed that game due to an injury, said.

But the discussions seemed to surround more on the defeat to India, a game which Pakistan controlled for most parts, only to lose in the last five overs. Imad, too, was held responsible for the defeat, because he could not translate his form in franchise cricket and failed to get big runs off Axar Patel in the 16th over. “Yes, I am sorry I couldn’t do it. They bowled really well as well, but it’s true that we should have won that game,” the 35-year-old said.

USA won’t be easy to beat in Super 8: Jones

OPTIMISTIC: USA’s Aaron Jones inspects the square in Lauderhill

Dwaipayan.Datta@timesgroup.com

Miami: It was an agonizing wait for the US team on Friday. The sun kept coming out, only to hide behind the clouds again. There was a concerted effort to get USA’s game against Ireland going, but a 15-minute spell of downpour sealed their passage through.

It was a mixture of relief and happiness for the USA lads, who had worked so hard for this moment. From here on, though, the battle will get tougher as the cohosts start their Super 8 campaign against South Africa in Antigua.

The South Africans may be the stronger and more fancied team but USA vice-captain Aaron Jones promises that USA will not be the whipping boys of the competition.

“We will not be easy to beat. Of course, the fight gets tough from here but we know we can beat the best,” Jones told TOI.

Not many gave USA a chance going into the World Cup but the team always had the belief they could do well. “From the time we knew that the World Cup would be played at home, we believed we could go far. There was never any shortage of confidence in our camp,” Jones said.

It was primarily their win against Pakistan that was the stepping stone for their entry into the last-eight stage. It will create more buzz around the team, something that the team is desperately looking for as it tries to carve a place in the super-competitive sports market of the USA.

“It’s a big thing for us, and not just us, but the fans and the younger generation in America. It is really good and we appreciate their support,” Jones, who is originally from Barbados and played a match-winning hand for the USA against Canada, said. The 29-year-old hard-hitting batter stressed on two factors — more bilateral series and the sport’s entry into the school curriculum — that are required for the game to take off in the US.

“If the schedule permits, it will be great to play more cricket. We would love to play more cricket against the full member nations, that’s where we’re going to test ourselves best against the best in the world,” Jones said.

Elaborating on the need for cricket being played in schools, Jones said that it’s a must across “all the states of the country”. American football, basketball, baseball and soccer are the most favoured options among the youth, but cricket needs to find its way to make it big.

“This is very important because then the youth will understand what the sport is all about. And if they like cricket, they’ll get their friends to come and play, their family to watch, and that will create interest in the game.”

A credible show by USA in the Super 8s will only strengthen their case for that final push.

PARIS OLY

IOC gives 14 Russians, 11 Belarusians neutral status

Lausanne: The IOC approved 14 athletes from Russia and 11 Belarusians with neutral status to compete at the Paris Olympics in a first list from some sports published Saturday. Five sports were assessed by an International Olympic Committee panel in the first round of decisions.

Cycling, gymnastics, taekwondo, weightlifting and wrestling were judged and lists of athletes from other Olympic sports are likely to follow within days. Athletes approved Saturday include the defending Olympic champion in men’s trampoline, Ivan Litvinovich from Belarus. No athletes were approved in taekwondo.

Russia and Belarus are banned from team sports at the Paris Olympics because of the military invasion of Ukraine. Individual athletes with Russian and Belarusian passports have been allowed to compete as neutrals in qualifying events in most other sports, then apply for entry to the Olympics.

AP

Unsafe levels of E. coli found in Seine river

Paris: Water in the Seine river had unsafe elevated levels of E. coli less than two months before swimming competitions are scheduled to take place in it during the Paris Olympics, according to test results published Friday. Contamination levels in the first eight days of June, after persistent heavy rain in Paris, showed bacteria such as E. coli and enterococci beyond limits judged safe for athletes. The report was published by monitoring group Eau de Paris one day after a senior International Olympic Committee executive said there were “no reasons to doubt” races will go ahead as scheduled in a historic downtown stretch of the Seine near the Eiffel Tower. The first Olympic event in the cleaned-up Seine is men’s triathlon, including a 1.5-kilometer (under 1 mile) swim, on the morning of July 30.

AP

GALLERY

Luka, Mavs avert a sweep with Game 4 blowout

Dallas: Coach Jason Kidd had a simple explanation for why his Dallas Mavericks players brought their “A” game on Friday night. “It was this or we go on vacation,” Kidd said. Vacation plans have been put on hold as the Mavericks responded impressively in a win-or-gohome situation, routing the Boston Celtics 122-84 in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.

Aditi is T-16 on the LPGA at Meijer Classic: Indian golfer Aditi Ashok carded two under 70 to be placed Tied-16th at the halfway stage of the Meijer LPGA Classic, here. Aditi totalled 6-under 138.

Diksha off to a strong start, lies 4th in Italy: Indian golfer Diksha Dagar made good use of a hat-trick of birdies at the start of the back nine to compile a solid 5-under 67 and be one shot behind the trio of leaders at the Ladies Italian Open.

Veteran journalist Harpal Bedi dies: Veteran sports journalist Harpal Singh Bedi, who covered several highs and lows of Indian sports in a career spanning over four decades and served as the national Olympic contingent’s press attache in 2012, died after prolonged illness on Saturday. He was 72 and is survived by his wife and daughter.

Noble excels: Noble Cause, Queen of Kings, Double Scotch, My Vision and My visionary excelled during the try-outs at Bangalore on Saturday.

AGENCIES/TNN

ACTION TODAY

CRICKET: ICC T20 WC, Aus vs Sco, 5.30 am; Pak vs Ire, 8 pm (Star Sports); India Women vs South Africa, 1st ODI, 1.30 pm (Jiocinema);

FOOTBALL: Euro 2024, Poland vs Netherlands, 6.30 pm; Slovenia vs Denmark, 9.30 pm; Serbia vs England, 12.30 am Monday (Sony Sports); La Liga, 10 pm (Jiocinema)

Stars align for halfway leader Ludvig Aberg at US Open

A berg lines up a putt on the 18th green during the second round

Sublime Swede Ludvig Aberg claimed a onestroke halfway lead in a dream debut U.S. Open on Friday but said his biggest “pinch-me moment” at Pinehurst might be playing alongside the stars he has long admired. The tricky North Carolina course humbled some of the biggest names in the sport this week but could not slow down the 24-year-old Aberg, who had three birdies and two bogeys for a one-under-par 69 to reach five under on the week.

“Sometimes I have to stop for a little bit and think about how fortunate I am to be able to do this at this level,” said Aberg. “To be able to play these tournaments, to be able to play with the guys that I’ve watched on TV for such a long time is definitely a pinch-me moment.” The Masters runner-up has enjoyed a tremendous run since collecting his first win on the PGA Tour in November at the RSM Classic, finishing in the top 10 on six occasions this year.

He put in work with his swing coach earlier in the we- ek that has clearly paid off, as he found the fairways with laser-like a ccuracy, and his putter has worked to his advantage as well. “As a golfer, you’re always going to have tendencies. You ’re always going to have something in your swing that you’re going to work on,” he told reporters. “And that’s the case for me, as well. We worked on those tendencies.” While he is still in some ways a new kid on the block, Aberg has the benefit of having played at Pinehurst in the U.S. Amateur in 2019, a humbling experience that prepared him for the major.

Woods exits, says it ‘may or may not be’ his last: Fifteen-times major winner Tiger Woods said this could very well be his final U.S. Open, after carding a three-over-par 73 that left him at seven over for the week to miss the cut at Pinehurst on Friday. “I thought I played well enough to be up there in contention. It just didn’t work out,” said Woods, who accepted a special exemption to compete this week. “As far as my last Open Championship or U.S. Open Championship, I don’t know what that is. It may or may not be,” he added.

AGENCIES

Men archers need rankings route to qualify for Paris

Archiman.Bhaduri@timesgroup.com

Kolkata: Olympic team quota place continued to elude Indian archers. After the women, the men’s recurve team too failed to bag it for the Paris Olympics even after making a bright start in the Final Qualifier event in Antalya, Turkiye, on Saturday.

The Indian trio will also now have to wait to earn a Paris berth through their world rankings ahead of the cut-off da te. However, they stand a comfortable chance to qualify through that path as the team is currently ranked No. 2, behind South Korea.

Dhiraj Bommadevara had already bagged an individual quota for India but that would have got upgraded to team quota (three places) had they finished on the podium in this event.

INDIA VS SA

India women keen to get back to winning ways

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bengaluru: India’s women cricketers will be keen to get back to their winning ways in One-dayers when they square off against South Africa in the first ODI at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Sunday. In the 50-over format, India suffered a 0-3 series loss to Australia (Dec-Jan) while managing a 1-1 draw against Bangladesh (July 2023).

But the three-match series provides Harmanpreet Kaur and co an opportunity to showcase their dominant status, especially with the ODI World Cup scheduled next year. Their batters, including Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet, Shafali Verma will be keen to make the most of the shorter boundaries at the venue, which is known for its batting surface. Their batting has been strengthened further with the return of Jemimah Rodrigues, who missed the Bangladesh T20I series in April May due to a back injury.

“Jemi (Jemimah) is fit and fine, she is experienced and has done well for so many years. I think it's a balanced batting side and hopefully we will make a balanced batting order and whatever we are expecting as a team, we will do well,” said Harmanpreet. India also have a solid bowling line-up, including Deepti Sharma, Renuka Singh Thakur and others. As for the visitors, skipper Laura Wolvaardt, who comes into the series with back-to-back unbeaten hundreds against Sri Lanka in April, will hold the key. Allrounder Marizanne Kapp and Nadine de Klerk will have to be at their best too.

PREVIEWS

Aus wary of Scotland; Pak take on Ireland

Gros Islet (St Lucia): A rampant Australia will be wary of Scotland threat when the two teams clash in a crucial Group B encounter in the T20 World Cup here with the outcome set to influence Super 8 qualification. With Australia having already booked one spot for the Super 8 from Group B, Scotland and England are in race for the second position.

Scotland will go through if they beat Australia or even if their contest is washed out, but in case of a defeat to the Mitchell Marsh-led side and England winning against Namibia hours earlier, the Scotswould miss the bus.

For England, a win over Namibia is a must and if the Australians do them a favour by beating Scotland, chances will only brighten up. A washout in England-Namibia game in the same group will see Scotland go through.

Australia have been in top- form with hardly any serious concern. Nathan Ellis is expected to continue featuring in their playing XI since the Australians tend to rest one of their big three fast bowlers — Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc — in such contests. Hazlewood had earlier mentioned about Australia manipulating their approach against Scotland to keep England threat at bay, but Jos Buttler’s team have done themselves a massive favour by improving their net runrate immensely with a dominant victory over Oman.

Pakistan eye consolatory win but rain threat looms

Babar Azam’s Pakistan will look to restore some pride when they take on a underfiring Ireland in their final Group A match at Lauderhill in Florida on Sunday.

With arch-rivals India and USA sealing the two spots for the Super 8 stage from Group A, Pakistan have been confined to some introspection and relook at their T20 game. But before all that, Babar’s side will have to first thwart the Irish challenge.

AGENCIES

Boult confirms ongoing edition will be his last T20 World Cup

TRENT BOULT

Tarouba (Trinidad): Veteran pacer Trent Boult has confirmed the ongoing T20 World Cup will be his final appearance for New Zealand in the marquee tournament.

Since his debut in 2011, Boult has been a key member of the BlackCaps’ golden generation, participating in multiple finals across all three formats for New Zealand. Additionally, the left-arm pacer has featured in four editions of the T20 World Cup since 2014.

“Speaking on behalf of myself, this will be my last T20 World Cup. That’s all I have to say,” Boult said at the press conference after New Zealand’s nine-wicket win over Uganda.

Whether Boult will con- tinue to play for New Zealand in any capacity remains uncertain as he had opted out of a central contract in 2022, choosing to play T20 franchise cricket around the world instead.

Despite the huge win against Uganda and a game left in hand, New Zealand have already been eliminated from the race to Super Eight with Afghanistan and West Indies clinching the two spots from Group C.

Effectively, New Zealand’s last group game against Papua New Guinea will be the 34-year-old’s last T20 World Cup outing.

“Definitely (it was) not the start we wanted in the tournament. A hard one to take. Just gutted we’re not going any further. But any time you get to represent the country, it’s a proud moment.”

New Zealand have been a picture of consistency, having qualified made the semifinals of the showpiece every time since 2014.

“There’s a lot of pride in the dressing room and in playing for the country, we’ve had some great records across however many years. Unfortunately we’ve been off the ball the last couple of weeks and that’s what it takes to not qualify,” he said.

PTI

HEAVY METTLE

The Reign Of Pain: Former Champions Spain Make Modric’s Croatia Suffer In This Edition’s First Battle Of Powerhouses

Berlin: Spain overran Croatia 3-0, striking three times in a sublime first half to earn maximum points in their Euro 2024 Group B opener on Saturday and confirm their status as title contenders.

The Spaniards, looking for a record fourth Euro crown, struck twice in three minutes, with Fabian Ruiz setting up Alvaro Morata in the 29th and firing in himself a little later.

Dani Carvajal then volleyed in from 16-year-old Lamine Yamal’s assist, with the teenager becoming the youngest player ever to feature at a European Championship.

The Croats, desperate to replicate their World Cup success of recent years at a Euro where they have never won a knockout match, were no match for Spain’s clever attacking play with coach Zlatko Dalic’s game plans going out the window after about half an hour.

Croatian fans outnumbered Spain supporters in the cavernous Olympiastadion by at least 10 to one but it was the Spaniards who took the initiative from the start with a high pressing game.

Croatia, 2018 World Cup finalists and semi-finalists four years later, gradually got more of the ball to take some of the pressure off and even carved out a half chance with an Ante Budimir header that missed. But a lightning quick three pass combination and transition with Fabian delivering a defence splitting through ball for Morata put Spain in the driving seat.

Before Croatia had any time to recover, their opponents struck again with Pedri picking out Fabian at the edge of the box and the midfielder dribbling past three players to thread the ball in.

With the Croatian defence in complete disarray, Yamal then floated a cross into the box and Carvajal easily slipped past three defenders to volley in their third goal.

The Spain teen, who showed no signs of nerves in his tournament debut, almost got on the scoresheet himself seven minutes after the restart. Croatia earned an 80th min penalty with Spain keeper Unai Simon blocking Bruno Petkovic’s spot kick. He put the ball in the net on the rebound but his effort was cancelled because of encroachment.

REUTERS

TOP SHOT: Croatia’s goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic is rooted to his spot as Dani Carvajal (second, left) diverts Lamine Yamal’s (not in pic) cross past his goal for Spain’s third goal in Berlin on Saturday

PREVIEWS

Expectant England out to dispel doubts against Serbia

Gelsenkirchen: England’s attacking arsenal sees them start as the bookmakers’ favourites to end a wait since 1966 to win a major tournament, but some doubts persist over the Three Lions ahead of Sunday’s opener against Serbia.

Gareth Southgate’s men have won just one of their last five matches a run that includes a 1-1 draw with North Macedonia and a shock 1-0 home defeat to Iceland in their final warm-up match before flying out to Germany.

England are still expected to cruise through a group that also includes Denmark and Slovenia. However, a dominant display is required against the Serbs in Gelsenkirchen to settle nerves at the start of another tournament filled with high expectations.

Excluding penalty shootouts, England has lost only one of their last 18 games in the European Championship. The Three Lions, of course, suffered the heartbreak of losing on spot kicks to Italy in the final of the last edition of the tournament in 2021 at Wembley Stadium.

The biggest question over England’s credentials to be European champions is at the back as injury has robbed Southgate of his settled back four from previous tournaments.

Eleven members of Southgate’s squad, including Chelsea forward Cole Palmer, have been selected for a major tournament for the first time.

Harry Maguire failed to make the squad due to a calf problem, while Luke Shaw is included as the only natural left-back despite not having played any minutes for club or country since February. John Stones is therefore even more crucial as the one experienced centre-back at international tournament level, but the Manchester City man has also been dogged by fitness problems this season.

Kieran Trippier, a right-back by trade, is set to start against Serbia at left-back. Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi is the leading candidate to partner Stones for his first major tournament start.

England’s defensive deficiencies have already been exploited by Brazil, Belgium and Iceland in 2024.

And Serbia have the firepower to hurt them with their powerful strike pairing of Aleksandar Mitrovic and Dusan Vlahovic.

The quartet of Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka and Harry Kane is the envy of Europe. However, Southgate is still to find the right balance to help them perform on the international stage.

DUTCH AIMING TO BUILD ON WORLD CUP EFFORTS

Berlin: An injury-hit Netherlands kick off their Euro 2024 campaign against Poland in Hamburg on Sunday, hoping to build on a promising performance at the Qatar World Cup, where they reached the World Cup quarterfinals two years ago before losing on penalties to eventual champions Argentina, after years of struggles. Ronald Koeman is back for a second stint as coach, with the Netherlands expecting a strong performance in Germany after easing through qualifying despite two defeats by France.

The Oranje midfield has been hit by a series of injuries, with Frenkie de Jong, Teun Koopmeiners and Marten de Roon all withdrawing from the squad. Poland will be without captain and all-time record goalscorer Robert Lewandowski.

ERIKSEN THE ‘HEART AND PULSE’ OF DENMARK

Stuttgart: There will be more than a hint of familiarity when Denmark take on Slovenia in their opening Group C encounter at Euro 2024 in Stuttgart on Sunday, with the Danes having edged out the Slovenians in a thrillingly close qualifying group.

Denmark will again look to talisman Christian Eriksen, who suffered a heart attack in their Euro 2020 opener against Finland before making a successful return to the game several months later. “I have often said, paradoxically, that he is our heart, he is the pulse of our team,” head coach Kasper Hjulmand said.

COPA AMERICA 2024

Argentina names 26-member squad

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni named his final 26-man squad for the Copa America on Saturday, with Angel Correa, Valentin Barco and Leonardo Balerdi failing to make the cut for the defending champions after they were named in the provisional team.

Lionel Messi continues to lead the charge for the world champions and will be joined by veteran winger Angel di Maria, who is retiring from international duty after the tournament which kicks off on June 20 in the US. World Cup Golden Glove winner Emi Martinez will stay in goal while Scaloni is spoilt for choice in central defence after naming Cristian Romero, Nicolas Otamendi and Lisandro Martinez.

Scaloni is not short of forward options either with Serie A top scorer Lautaro Martinez and Manchester City’s Julian Alvarez called up. Manchester United’s 19-year-old Alejandro Garnacho, who made his debut last year, has also been rewarded with a spot in the team.

REUTERS

SQUAD: Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martinez, Franco Armani, Geronimo Rulli; Defenders: Gonzalo Montiel, Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, German Pezzella, Lucas Martinez Quarta, Nicolas Otamendi, Lisandro Martinez, Marcos Acuna, Nicolas Tagliafico; Midfielders: Guido Rodriguez, Leandro Paredes, Alexis Mac Allister, Rodrigo De Paul, Exequiel Palacios, Enzo Fernandez, Giovani Lo Celso; Forwards: Angel Di Maria, Valentin Carboni, Lionel Messi, Alejandro Garnacho, Nicolas Gonzalez, Lautaro Martinez, Julian Alvarez.

Brazil goes to Copa with teenager Endrick up front and a few more unknowns

ENDRICK

Sao Paulo: Whatever Brazil does at the Copa America in the US it will come as a surprise to many.

Dorival Junior, who took over as coach in January, has been in charge for only two friendlies and his squad for the South American soccer championship so far has provided little evidence of his plans. Added to that is the absence of aging superstar Neymar, now 32, who is out with an ACL injury. A few Brazil team traits have been easily recognizable over the last decades. Win or lose, there’s often sharp dribblers up front, right and left backs that play from one end to the other, and strong defenders in place to score goals.

Not this time. The one exception is Vinicius Junior, one of the favourites for the Ballon d’Or after winning the Champions League with Real Madrid and scoring in the final against Borussia Dortmund. He will be Brazil’s main star at the Copa from June 20 to July 15. Brazil watchers don’t expect the Copa America to provide much evidence of what the team will look like at the 2026 World Cup. But the continental tournament is likely to give the new coach a chance to test young talents like strikers Endrick, who will be wearing the team’s historic No. 9, and Rodrygo as starters.

“It is utopia to say we are not thinking about results,” Junior said last month, adding he has enough players to pick from despite the absences of Casemiro, Richarlison and injured goalkeeper Ederson. “It doesn’t matter the age, the club, or anything else that is not each athlete’s moment. We lost 14 players to injury, some more later. Those who played gave a great response then,” he said.

AGENCIES

For Embolo, a comeback to remember

THE SOAR: Switzerland’s Embolo celebrates after scoring against Hungary

Cologne: Breel Embolo ran, arms spread wide in celebration, after his goal that meant a win for Switzerland and a triumphant personal comeback.

Embolo had not played for Switzerland in 18 months as a succession of injuries — worst of all a cruciate ligament tear — left him an observer of his club Monaco and of his national team. They robbed the momentum of a player who scored two goals in four games at the last World Cup.

It was all in the past as Embolo scored in added time to complete Switzerland’s 3-1 win over Hungary in both teams’ first game of the European Championship on Saturday.

The chance came out of nowhere — a Hungary defender gave away the ball — but Embolo’s lobbed finish over the goalkeeper made it seem like he hadn’t missed a moment. “It was a very uncertain situation after the very serious, long injury and another injury after that. We had hope,” Swiss coach Murat Yakin said of Embolo.

Embolo hadn’t been able to train with the team for much of the pretournament camp and didn’t play in two friendlies. But captain Granit Xhaka said Embolo was “a very, very important player for our team, both on the field and off the field.”

Until Embolo scored, Hungary threatened a comeback. Switzerland led 2-0 but were in danger of letting it slip as Hungary burst into life mid- way through the second half.

A tactical surprise paid off as Switzerland coach Murat Yakin picked forward Kwadwo Duah and midfielder Michel Aebischer in his starting lineup and they both scored.

Duah opened the scoring in just his second game for Switzerland, shooting low past goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi off a pass from Aebischer. The offside flag went up but a long video review confirmed the goal and the delighted Duah was surrounded by the Swiss bench players.

Aebischer made it 2-0 just before halftime. Barnabas Varga’s diving header in the 66th off Dominik Szoboszlai’s cross brought celebrations for Hungary. Hungary kept up the pressure but couldn’t score a second before Embolo’s goal decided the game.

AP

Germany get wings with Musiala and Wirtz

The Kids Are Alright: Young Attackers Fire Hosts To Record Opening Win Against Scotland

CLOSE ATTENTION: Germany’s Jamal Musiala in action against Scotland

Munich: Germany’s young strikers sent a clear message that they are ready to lead the team into a new era, with 21-year-olds Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala putting on a sparkling display in the opening 5-1 win over Scotland on Friday.

The two wingers scored the opening goals in the Group A victory, while Kai Havertz, 25, converted a penalty and substitutes Niclas Fuellkrug and Emre Can scored in the second half against the reeling 10-man Scots. Porteous was redcarded for a foul on Ilkay Gundogan late in the first half.

But it was Wirtz and Musiala who drew the eyes of the expectant, yet anxious, home fans who had been chastened by Germany’s underperformance in the past decade — with the team going out of successive World Cups (2018, 2022) in the group stage and losing in the last 16 at Euro 2020. Wirtz underlined his status as one of European football’s most exciting young talents with his goal.

His 10th-minute strike was a perfect example of his play this past year, with 11 goals and 12 assists for Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen, ghosting in at the edge of the area to power the ball home, despite Gunn getting a hand on it.

It meant Wirtz became the youngest scorer for Germany at a Euros at 21 years and 42 days old, beating the previous record of Havertz who was 22 when he scored at Euro 2020.

Musiala got a much cleaner strike when he smashed the ball high into the net nine minutes later having been teed up by Havertz in the box. The forward, given the prestigious No. 10 shirt by Julian Nagelsmann, is only 67 days older than Wirtz and ran Scotland’s defence ragged with his deft technique while travelling with the ball, which has earned him the nickname “Bambi”.

While keeper Manuel Neuer, 38, and captain Gundogan, 33, are still in the starting lineup, there is a sense of a passing of the torch. They are ably helped by the precision passing of 34-year-old Toni Kroos. The midfield maestro, who will retire after the Euro, had a 99% passing accuracy rate during his 80 minutes — though tougher opponents will come.

REUTERS

UEFA EURO 2024

Delhi Times

- Young artistes know what stories to tell: AR Rahman on India’s Cannes success

- ‘AFTER BECOMING A DAD, SOMETHING INSIDE ME HAS REBOOTED’

- Should restaurants have an entry age limit for guests?

- BUZZ STOP

- CELEBRATING FATHER’S DAY

- Bright linen, fresh flowers, trivia cards: Summer style for tables

- HOW TO: Increase the longevity of cut ﬂowers for home decor

- I think my father is reverse ageing: Ram Charan

- A candlelit musical evening enchants Delhiites

- DID YOU KNOW?

- YOUR POV

- RULESLOOP THE LOOP

- TRIPPIN

- Making progress: Kate on treatment

- Nourishing traditions: Celebrating fatherhood with flavourful cuisine

- Robotic cardiac surgery can help lower recovery times in patients, say doctors

- Vivienne Westwood’s clothes to be auctioned

- People thought I didn’t need to work anymore: Saba

- First Hero, Forever Hero

- I am who I am today because of my father: Sumbul Touqeer

- My cats complete me; they make me more responsible: Fahmaan

- FASHION AND GROOMING TIPS FOR DADDY COOL

- Find it tough to connect with dad? These tips can help

- Social media is raving about hot rodent men – who are they?

- ‘During pregnancy, focusing on health can be a game changer’

- DID YOU KNOW?

- Rediscovering my love for deejaying: Hiten

- I started acting at 4, but didn’t miss out on my school life: Khushi

Young artistes know what stories to tell: AR Rahman on India’s Cannes success

As long as we tell beautiful stories about India and not just poverty, it’s a good thing… The art of film is not just for (the audience at home), it’s international... It’s important to learn certain things, not be happy with, ‘Oh we got a great audience here, box office is good here’

AR Rahman

AR Rahman has praised young Indian artistes like Cannes winner Payal Kapadia for their role in bringing Indian stories to a global audience. “The spirit of young people has changed now. They are more intelligent. They know where to move stuff, what kind of stories to tell. As long as we tell beautiful stories about India and not just poverty, it’s a good thing,” Rahman said in an interview to PTI.

He further stated, “The art of film is not just for (the audience at home), it’s international... It’s important to learn certain things, not be happy with, ‘Oh we got a great audience here, box office is good here.’ Some people are not satisfied with that. So they go for (international festivals), Payal Kapadia is one (of them).” Recently, Payal became the first Indian filmmaker to win the Grand Prix award for All We Imagine As Light at the Cannes Film Festival. PTI

‘AFTER BECOMING A DAD, SOMETHING INSIDE ME HAS REBOOTED’

is celebrating his first Father’s Day as a dad. In a chat with us, the star shares how he doesn’t like to miss a single moment with his daughter Klin RAM CHARAN

Madhureeta Mukherjee

He roars on the big screen, and triumphs at the box office. He’s witnessed the glory of the Oscars with RRR, which catapulted him into a pan-India star. But the role that Ram Charan is revelling in the most now, is playing daddy to his baby girl, Klin Kaara Konidela, who turns one soon. He rarely sits down for an interview, but on his first Father’s Day, we had the superstar gushing about his li’l girl and admitting that he’s “addicted” to her in an exclusive conversation with us. Of course, the chat wouldn’t be complete without the mention of his own role model, his father and superstar, Chiranjeevi. Here’s to superstars playing super dads in their real-life roles.

CONTINUED ON 3

Ram Charan on fatherhood & first Father’s Day as a dad

During the first six months, I felt nothing, except a sense of responsibility and the fact that a new member of the family had joined us. I was amazed at the bond that a mother and child share and I just could not replicate that. Then I spoke to a friend of mine who is also a senior parent, and he told me that it happens and it’s normal to feel that way and that he didn’t feel that kind of connect with his second child until nearly a year after her birth. Now that Klin is interacting and recognising people, she misses me when I am not at home…the whole ball game’s changed. I feel left out when I am not around her, so I don’t feel like going out.

Should restaurants have an entry age limit for guests?

Those in their 30s and 40s like quieter places, where they can de-stress and talk. Different age groups prefer different vibes. Those in their 30s are also better spenders. It makes business sense to define the age group – Restaurateur Varun Khera

Divya Kaushik

A minimum age limit for entry at bars and restaurants is not unheard of. Outlets often do this to ensure that only those at a legal drinking age are served liquor. However, recently, Bliss Caribbean Restaurant in Missouri, USA made headlines for its unique entry rule. In a Facebook post, they wrote, “To ensure a grown and sexy atmosphere, we require all guests to be 30 or older for women and 35 or older for men. This policy helps us maintain a sophisticated environment, uphold our standards, and support the sustainability of our unique ambience.”

Why the age limit?

A report in The New York Times mentions that the owners of the restaurant, Tina and Marvin Pate, both 42 years old, say that the age restriction allows customers to be themselves. They say that it is not their intention to discriminate against anyone and the entry rule is just about creating an environment where older customers feel comfortable.

Is it viable for restaurants to set such an age limit for guests?

Without wishing to be named, a restaurateur with establishments across India, says, “In the past, even when clubs and bars restricted entry to those below 18 years of age, it became an issue as any such rule on entry is seen as a restriction. So, no restaurant will openly come up with such a rule in India. However, there are outlets that are promoting themselves with the kind of music, food or drinks that they have, to only invite guests from a certain age group. It lets guests make an informed decision.”

Speaking in favour of the rule, restaurateur Varun Khera says, “This has become a trend now and is being done across the globe. A lot of restaurants are doing it to segregate their target age group from the rest. Those in their mid-30s or 40s will not relate to the kind of music, food or drinks that Gen Zs like and vice versa.”

‘It helps to know the age group the resto is targeting’

Experts share that it is better to know which places are suitable for different age groups before they go and risk being disappointed. “Most of us have experienced going to a popular restaurant or bar, only to be disappointed because it didn’t have the type of music, food, or drinks we enjoy. I am not sure if the entry rule for a certain age group will work here, but I think restaurants should mention on social media who they are targeting – a young crowd looking for beer, finger food and a lot of dancing or those looking for a relaxed ambience,” says Shailja Vadhwa, a marketing consultant, who has worked with F&B chains in the past. Restaurateur Varun Khera adds, “Those in their 20s will not know why Backstreet Boys’ music connects so well with those in their 30s or 40s. They may be interested in going out for two beers and not understand the idea of a refined, exotic cocktail on the menu.”

Bliss’s post on the entry age limit has received mixed responses. While many called the concept discriminatory, others welcomed it for being clear about the restaurant’s target audience

BUZZ STOP

SHILPA SHETTY, RAJ KUNDRA FACE ₹90 LAKH FRAUD ALLEGATIONS

A court in Mumbai recently directed the police to investigate the allegations of cheating made by a bullion trader and register FIR if a cognizable offense is found against SHILPA SHETTY and her husband RAJ KUNDRA. The duo is facing ₹90 lakh cheating allegations over a gold scheme. PTI

CELEBRATING FATHER’S DAY

Sumbul Touqeer talks about her dad, while Fahmaan Khan shares the joys of being a pet parent. From fashion tips for daddy cool to ways to connect with your dad, here are a few stories celebrating Father’s Day.

P12

P12

HOME DECOR

Bright linen, fresh flowers, trivia cards: Summer style for tables

The table must reflect your personality. Avoid highlighting just one corner of the table, style it in a way that eyes move from one corner to the other. Small details like layering linens and creating heights make this possible – Mona Ahuja, a table stylist

Choose crockery that complements the colour scheme and theme. Go for pastels or brightcoloured plates with subtle patterns. While fresh flowers are a must, you can bring fresh fruits like oranges, dragonfruits or lemons on the table as decor – Ami Kothari, a tablescape artist and founder of a table styling company

To add depth and colour to the table, use different fabrics and mats, and layer them. One can mix and match two different dinner sets as well

Shivika Manchanda

Whether you’re aiming for a tropical paradise-themed tablescape with fresh blooms, bright pinks and greens or a bohemian look with warm tones like mustard yellow and teal, a well-laid-out table will set the vibe of your house party. Table stylists share tips to make your dining table the focal point of the room at your next summer house party.

‘Add quirky elements to add drama to the table’

The key to having an inviting table is to experiment, say table stylists. “For an all-tropical theme, add summer blooms like eustomas, citrus fruits, pastel-hued tassels, colourful glassware and vases. Add one unique element to the table as a conversation starter, like a wooden figurine, a holiday souvenir or glass decor. Such quirky accents add to the drama of a vibrant tablescape. It’s summer, so bring the outdoors indoors for a party,” says Mona Ahuja, a table stylist.

‘Curate an experiential tablescape’

“An ideal summer tablescape, often depends on the occasion, personal style and the atmosphere you want to create. For a summer-themed house party, choose vibrant colours and shades that give summer vibes. Think of hues like yellow, coral, turquoise, or soft pastels. Floral motifs, botanical prints and block prints go well with the summer theme,” says Ami Kothari.

Sunita Chandak adds, “Create table decor using everyday household items like twigs, dried spices, old bottles or a stack of books. Curate an experiential tablescape for the guests.” It could be fun to paint some tiny flowers or bows on candles.

Styling tips

 Make sure the table setting is comfortable for guests, add cushions or chair pads on the seats

 Leave enough space for dining essentials and allow space for passing the dishes across the table

 Ensure that decorative items don’t obstruct view or conversation

 Whether you use a place card or write the person’s name on the shell or a natural object, create something that will make your guest feel special. Keep a homemade chocolate or a paan or a photograph of your guest with a special note

 Avoid overcrowding the table with too many decor pieces

– Inputs from Ami Kothari, a tablescape artist and founder of a table styling company

PRO TIP

Apart from Banjara Market, visit Karol Bagh, Kinari Bazar, Sadar Bazar to shop for table decor and tableware, says table stylist Sunita Chandak

Tableware

Incorporate crockery with summery motifs like flowers or nautical designs. Layer plates for added depth.

Centrepiece

Create a stunning centrepiece with flowers, candles and seasonal decor Coordinate tableware with your colour scheme and table theme

Linens and runners

Choose light, breathable fabrics like linen or cotton for tablecloths, and pair it up with a contrasting table runner and mats

Flowers

Opt for mason jars or vintage pitchers to match your theme. Create DIY floral arrangements with hand-picked garden flowers or stems bought from the market

Napkins

Opt for patterned napkins, and textured placemats for a playful vibe. One can experiment with folds or casually place the napkin, tied with a jute thread

– Inputs from Sunita Chandak, a table stylist and DIY enthusiast

Personalised touch

Add mini tent cards with guests’ names or custom menu cards to make guests feel special and elevate their party

experience. Food trivia cards can also be an interesting addition to the table

DIY decor

Personalise your table with handmade tent cards, decorated with pressed flowers. Even leaves can be used as place cards. Upcycle items like old wine bottles as vases or candle holders

HOW TO: Increase the longevity of cut flowers for home decor

CHOOSE FRESH FLOWERS

Select flowers that are just starting to bloom and have vibrant colours. Avoid flowers with wilting petals or browning edges. Trim Stems: Cut about 1-2 inches off the stems at a 45-degree angle before placing them in water. This increases water absorption. Re-trim the stems every few days.

USE CLEAN VASES AND CHANGE THE WATER REGULARLY

Ensure the vase is clean to prevent bacterial growth. Clean it with soap and water before use. Replace the water every 2-3 days to keep it fresh and free from bacteria.

AVOID DIRECT SUNLIGHT AND DRAFT

Place flowers in a cool spot, away from direct sunlight, heating vents, and appliances that generate heat. Also keep the flowers away from drafts and fans, which can dehydrate them and cause them to wilt faster.

KEEP FLOWERS AWAY FROM FRUITS

Keep flowers away from fruits, especially bananas and apples, as they emit ethylene gas which accelerates the aging of flowers.

AVOID FLOWER CROWDING

Arrange flowers in the vase so they have enough space for air circulation. Overcrowding can cause them to wilt faster. Also, as flowers start to wilt, remove them to prevent them from affecting other flowers.

Happy Father's Day

I think my father is reverse ageing: Ram Charan

When my father is with Klin, he becomes like her older sibling. He says, ‘Don’t call me grandfather, it’s so boring, call me Chirutha.’ In Telugu, Tha (Tha tha ) means grandfather, and he adds Chiru to it. Chirutha also means cheetah in Telugu

Chiranjeevi and Ram Charan

CONTINUED FROM 1

So you plan your work schedules around your daughter’s routine?

Yes, for the next couple of years, I will plan my schedules around her, at least till the time she starts school. I don’t want to miss a single moment with Klin. I have worked hard for 15 years, and now I want to be back home by 6pm. I tell my producers that this is how it is going to be. When I see her, my heart lights up. I just don’t feel like going to work. I don’t even let her go for a shower in the morning. I’m like, what, babies don’t need a shower? I’m that addicted to her.

What’s your favourite activity with her?

I feed Klin at least twice a day, I love doing that. I do my readings with her, too. Upasana is a fantastic parent, but when it comes to feeding her, no one can beat me. I can get her to finish the whole bowl of food, I have some superpower when it comes to this!

At one point, raising a child was believed to be a woman/mom’s domain, but that mindset is changing. Today, dads are very involved, they want to take paternity leave and participate equally in most aspects. Do you see that change around you?

I feel a lot of change has come about now. In the early years of a child’s life, it is crucial to provide them with a sense of security, where they feel cared for and not neglected. These are the foundation years, if we don’t focus on this now, later, this can turn into attention- seeking habits. So, I take her to play school, go to swimming classes with her, and take her to my readings so that we are part of each other’s routine.

Your superstar father, Chiranjeevi, is such a loving father. How is he as a grandfather?

When he’s with Klin, he becomes like her older sibling. He lets her hit him, punch him… it’s really cute to see that side of my father. He says, ‘Don’t call me grandfather, it’s so boring, call me Chirutha.’ In Telugu, Tha (T hatha) means grandfather, and he adds Chiru to it. Chirutha also means cheetah in our language. Just seeing my parents enjoy their time with Klin fills me with joy. You know it’s been a 10-year-long wait for Upasana and me, so we are all so happy. Klin has brought so much luck into our lives.

Which is the one trait of your father that you admire the most and want to imbibe?

It’s the way my father communicates and expresses himself. Ask anyone in the family and they will tell you that the number one quality of Mr Chiranjeevi is his communication and sense of appreciation for any kind of job well done. He would tell me, ‘In my growing up days as a struggling actor, I used to wait for people to appreciate me and say, Hey, Chiru, you did a good job.’ So, when he thinks someone deserves appreciation, he goes ahead and expresses it. Sometimes, at parties, my actor friends come up to me and tell me, ‘Hey Ram, your dad called me.’ I don’t even know he’s done that. He takes time out to reach out to my friends, whether it is Mahesh Babu or NTR Jr, to show them his appreciation for their work.

Chiranjeevi was recently awarded the Padma Vibhushan. In his thank you speech, he said, ‘I’ve done so little and yet, you have given me this great recognition and honour.’ Would you say that apart from his talent, what makes him a superstar is his humility and how grounded he has always stayed?

I think what he said is so true. He didn’t say it so that it sounds good or it’s the right thing to say. I can see it in the way he lives his life. He still wakes up at 5am and competes with me in the gym. He doesn’t do it just because he’s an actor, he does it for himself, to stay fit and healthy. He’s meeting more directors. He’s the busiest actor right now. He’s signed four films, and I am doing only one or two films (laughs). I don’t think my father is getting older, he’s reverse ageing.”

So, Klin is growing up amongst so many role models on both sides of the family.

Absolutely! Personally, I feel that if she explores her mother’s side, it will be great because we have so many actors on my side, we are so confused with so many releases in a year, and we are all fighting for release dates. Now I don’t want to fight with my daughter in this space (laughs).”

Has fatherhood made you look inwards? Made you want to better yourself in various aspects?

I think that’s what children do to us. At first, it is our parents who tell us how to be and how not to be. And then, it’s our children who guide us in a certain way. The last one year has been a very interesting phase for me – from becoming more responsible, not just in my career and with regards to earning more for my family, but overall, as a person. I think my mind and body are functioning differently. After becoming a father, it feels like something inside me, like a software inside me has rebooted.

Do you ever feel the pressure of taking your father, Chiranjeevi’s legacy forward?

The good or bad part about me is that I don’t know how to take pressure. In fact, when a movie hasn’t done well, I have had a party. When RRR became a success, I didn’t come out of the house for one week. I was relieved, relaxed and just enjoyed family time. In the same way, when I see someone like my father in the house, I don’t know how to react to it. I believe what I am doing today and right now is what is important. I think I do what is right as a son, father, brother…for that day. And if I can achieve it every day, I think I will achieve it in the years ahead.

‘My father is my inspiration and a living role model’

Talking about what he truly admires about his father, Ram says, “My father’s communication skills, dedication towards his work and his discipline are exemplary. He tells me, ‘I don’t care how successful you are, Ram, you have to take care of your dedicated staff around you. Secondly, however big or old you are, make sure you are disciplined, because even on your bad days, your discipline will see you through.’ He’s my inspiration and a living role model. It is difficult to live with a man like that (laughs).”

Ram with Upasana, Klin and their pet Rhyme

Chiranjeevi with his granddaughter Klin

A candlelit musical evening enchants Delhiites

I loved being here. The experience of listening to the piano was elevated with the candles. It was truly magical – Gurgaon resident Deepali, who attended the concert with her son Advait, a pianist

From Bach and Mozart’s classical compositions to Chopin’s Nocturne No 2 and Waltz compositions, the artist, Vashu Tangri, played the music created between the 1700s and 1800s

Shivika Manchanda

With an evening dedicated to the classical and romantic eras of Western Classical music, Candlelight Concerts made a magical debut in Delhi. Thousands of candles that decked up the stage at Shri Ram Centre for Performing Arts gently flickered, seemingly in sync with the symphonies of renowned composers Bach, Mozart and Chopin. Vashu Tangri, the pianist, surprised everyone in the audience by concluding his set with Beethoven’s famous bagatelle Fur Elise.

“I enjoyed the multi-sensory musical experience. It was mesmerising,” said Priyanka, a Vasant Kunj resident. Arjun, who came from Gurgaon, added, “I love Mozart and Beethoven, so the concert was a treat for me. The vibe was fabulous.”

“Bringing a globally known concert to India is very exciting. The idea is to make classical arts accessible to people. Delhi, as anticipated, was a great audience to Western Classical Music,” said Deepa Bajaj from the global live entertainment platform that organised the event.

IT WAS LIT: The candle-covered stage made the concert a visually immersive experience

DID YOU KNOW?

Rebel Wilson pursued acting because of a hallucination

Rebel Wilson was set to become a lawyer, but she took a gap year during her studies and went to Africa. There, she caught malaria and while recovering in hospital, she had hallucinations about winning an Oscar. With that vision, she changed her career.

YOUR POV

Here’s what your point of view was to our POV

Why there should be no shame in looking your age

Refer: June 10, 2024 edition

Why there should be no shame in looking your age: A recent video of Malaika Arora came with a compliment from a pap who shared it on social media. “She proves age is just a number,” said the caption...

These days it has become quite fashionable to say “Age Is Just A Number” and it is unfortunate more and more people have started believing it. Terms like Seanagers or Senteens have often been used to address seniors. I am also told to live my life in Centigrade and not in Fahrenheit, which means that at 73 years I should act and behave like a young man of 22 years.

I for one would be scandalised if I were to follow the new norms of social behaviour! We also see videos of some audacious pursuits by seniors with recommendations to climb the Himalayas or run a marathon just like the aunties and uncles doing crazy stuff in their second or third innings, which is again a new thing.

I would rather be a votary of someone like Sudha Murty who advocates doing stuff at the age of seniors, that is easily available rather than activities that we wanted to do when we were young. Life is all about risk management. It is a pity that we have completely ignored the Vanaprastha Ashram in our ancient texts which advocates slowing down and respecting the process of ageing.

There are a plethora of activities beyond self and families that are waiting for us seniors to undertake that will both keep us happy, healthy and engaged and also help the society at large in being better and fitter.

– Yashpal Mehta

There is nothing wrong in wanting to look good. But it should not be because you are ashamed of your age and want to look younger. Every being in nature ages as a part of its life cycle. So why is it a shame only for women?

– Mini Ratish

Absolutely agree with your last line. Ageing gracefully is much more attractive than age-defying. Nita Ambani or a number of Bollywood actresses are a perfect example of this, be it Rekha, Sharmila Tagore or Hema Malini. One can argue that this is true for only the privileged ones who can afford a lavish lifestyle. Not actually. Any woman who takes care of her physical and mental health right from her blooming age can achieve this feat of ageing gracefully.

– Sweety Singhal

More India vs Pak matches please

Refer: June 12, 2024 edition

More India vs Pak matches please: Nadal-Federer, Barcelona-Real Madrid, Tyson-Holyfield… there are rivalries galore in the world of sports...

There is nothing wrong with having more cricket matches between India and Pakistan. But to believe this may help mend a normal relationship is too much. On a political level, Pakistan is the worst country in the world. Highly undependable. So mixing the two is meaningless.

– Kirti Doshi

Have more of India vs Pakistan matches in shorter formats comprising T20, T10 and one-day internationals. I am not sure if they would have the same demand and following when it comes to more test matches between the two countries amidst people of today’s time who want results in the minimum time possible.

– Sandeep Chaudhury

There’s a cat among the lawmakers. So what’s new?

Refer: June 14, 2024 edition

There’s a cat among the lawmakers. So what’s new?: Much to the disappointment of conspiracy theorists, the “mysterious creature” strolling around Rashtrapati Bhawan...

Things move only when the top official gets involved and monitors things personally. As an ex-bureaucrat in one of the old parliament blocks, I had seen some people feeding monkeys and others being attacked by the simians. So we always learned to help ourselves. However, this cat at Rashtrapati Bhavan is a black cat. Maybe for extra security?

– TVA RAM

When we have lawmakers at one place, even a small house cat could seem like a big cat. This is what happened during the recent swearingin ceremony. However, this is not new for the place and the people there, who encounter more animals daily than humans. Besides, a cat has nine lives and who knows, it may have just got lucky to have visited the Rashtrapati Bhavan in its first life itself.

– Sandeep Chaudhury

Agree? Disagree? Got a POV idea? Write to us at: pov@timesgroup.com

RULES

LOOP THE LOOP

TRIPPIN

ARTI SINGH shared some pics from her honeymoon at the famous Pont des Arts, also called Love Lock Bridge in PARIS

Making progress: Kate on treatment

Taking each day as it comes, listening to my body, and allowing myself to take this much needed time to heal

In her update, Kate Middleton shared, “I am not out of the woods yet”

Catherine, the Princess of Wales, aka Kate Middleton, shared an update on her health via a statement on social media. She also shared that she would be partaking in a parade marking the birthday of King Charles III, making it her first return to the public stage after confirming in March that she was being treated for cancer.

“I am making good progress, but as anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days,” Kate wrote, adding, “On those bad days you feel weak, tired and you have to give in to your body resting. But on the good days, when you feel stronger, you want to make the most of feeling well.”

Nourishing traditions: Celebrating fatherhood with flavourful cuisine

Chef Harpal Singh Sokhi

This Father’s Day, celebrate the rich flavours that bring families together. Under the leadership of chef Harpal Singh Sokhi, Karigari will celebrate fatherhood in a big way.

The brand’s management says, “Over the years, chef Sokhi has utilised his passion for cooking, dedication to his craft and his experience to train several others. His leadership, like that of a father, is of sustenance, direction and driving efforts towards excellence at the restaurant, which has 10 outlets across India.”

Chef Sokhi’s signature dishes include spices and seasonings that offer a feeling of homemade food with every bite. The restaurant has also started Aam-e-Ehsaas – a mouthwatering summer festival with mangoes at its core that includes three flavourful starters, a lip-smacking cocktail, and one mocktail. Chef Sokhi says, “I believe that just the right pinch of salt can turn a dish into a memory. This Father’s Day, let’s celebrate the spice of life and the fathers who make our lives flavourful.”

Locations: Civil Line; Punjabi Bagh; Karkarduma; Faridabad; Sector 51, Noida; Sector 142, Noida; Gurgaon; Dehradun; Bengaluru and Indore

Contact: 9560005598

Get to know all about Delhi’s food and restaurants, follow insta @delhitimes.food

Pav bhaji fondue

Interior of the Karkarduma outlet

Robotic cardiac surgery can help lower recovery times in patients, say doctors

Dr MM Yusuf and Dr Varun Bansal

Led by renowned cardiac surgeons, a press conference was held in the capital on Friday on growing adoption of robotic heart surgery and robotic coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals.

According to the management, “The hospital has achieved remarkable success in these techniques, boasting a 98% success rate and minimal risk. Robotic heart surgery offers a minimally invasive approach utilizing advanced robotic technology and surgical expertise to perform procedures through extremely small incisions. This approach allows patients to begin walking within a day of surgery and often be discharged within 48-72 hours.”

The conference emphasised how these advanced techniques translate into long-term benefits for patients of all ages. Dr MM Yusuf, senior consultant, heart specialist, Robotics and Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi, said, “Robotic cardiac surgery signifies a transformative advancement in heart care. By leveraging cutting-edge technology, we are able to perform highly precise and minimally invasive procedures that significantly reduce recovery times and postoperative complications. Our patients benefit from quicker mobilisation, reduced scarring, and a faster return to normal life, typically within 2-3 weeks, which is useful for the young population to rejoin work and for older patients to avoid complications.”

Dr Varun Bansal, consultant heart specialist in Robotics and Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi, said “This approach not only enhances the safety of the procedures but also significantly reduces the physical, emotional, and financial burden on patients and their families. We are seeing an increasing number of patients from various age groups and backgrounds opting for these advanced surgical options.”

Address: Sarita Vihar, Mathura Road Contact: 011-71791108

Disclaimer: The views/suggestions/opinions expressed in the article are the sole responsibility of the experts.

The press conference on Friday

Vivienne Westwood’s clothes to be auctioned

Over 200 lots of clothes, shoes and jewels will be auctioned in London

Dresses, suits, shoes and jewellery from the personal collection of late British designer Vivienne Westwood – who has dressed noted Hollywood names like Kim Kardashian to Bella Hadid, among many others – will go under the hammer this month in an auction aimed at raising funds for charity.

More than 200 lots are being offered by Christie’s in London for the two-part “Vivienne Westwood: The Personal Collection” auction, made up of a live sale on June 25 and an online auction running June 14-28.

Westwood, one of British fashion’s biggest names, died in December 2022, aged 81. Her collaborator and widower Andreas Kronthaler has selected looks spanning some 40 years for the auction, with the earliest from Westwood’s AutumnWinter 1983-1984 collection. Agencies

People thought I didn’t need to work anymore: Saba

Are we really still living in the dark ages where we assume a woman in a relationship with a successful partner no longer has to put food on her own table?? Or pay her rent and bills?

Referring to her relationship with Hrithik Roshan, Saba Azad wrote, “When two strong independent individuals come together they don’t give up their identities and careers”

Saba Azad in her latest Instagram post revealed how she has been struggling to find voice-over jobs since she started dating Hrithik Roshan.

She wrote, “I never told anyone I'm quitting, I never altered my sessions fee, nothing was different from my end so what changed? I was entirely clueless, I was clueless until a month ago when I met a director I used to work with regularly on a back to Bombay and I just couldn't help myself and straight up asked him – ‘Hey man, I’m curious why don't you guys call me for VOs anymore? What happened?’ And what followed has my mind completely boggled. This is what he said, ‘Oh we just thought you wouldn't like to do something like voice over anymore...given’ well you can imagine what was implied (sic).”

Calling out the “regressive thinking” of people, Saba wrote, “Are we really still living in the dark ages where we assume a woman in a relationship with a successful partner no longer has to put food on her own table?? Or pay her rent and bills? Or take pride in her work and take care of herself and her family??? What kind of an archaic assumption to make?? (sic)” Saba wrote.

“So again, no I haven’t quit, all ye makers of ads – I still do VOs. So pls for the love of god undo your assumptions (sic),” she concluded. TNN

A screengrab of one of Saba’s posts

First Hero, Forever Hero

Father's Day is an occasion to celebrate the incredible fathers in our lives. Here are some wishes from the readers for their heroes

Fathers, in their unique way, contribute significantly to the emotional and psychological development of their children. They are role models, teachers, protectors, and providers. The lessons learned from a father – be it the value of hard work, the importance of integrity, or the essence of resilience – often stay with us for a lifetime.

Celebrating the spirit of Father’s Day, here are some heartfelt messages that celebrate love, strength, and dedication.

I’m so lucky to have you as my father. I’m sure no one else would have put up with me this long. Happy Father’s Day! — LAVANSH

Happy Father's Day! You're more than a father— you're a friend. Thank you for all that you've done for us and for making growing up fun. We love you!

— YASHI & NITI

Dad, you will always be our superhero, so what even if you aren't there, we feel you in the world all around us.

— PANKAJ

I’m so proud to be your kid. I have the best dad and I love you so much!

— VAMIKA

You are the first person I think of when I have a question about something or when I just need some support and good advice. Thank you for always being there for me, Dad.

— NEHA

God took the strength of a mountain, the patience of eternity, and combined them to create fathers.

— RYAN & ANAYA

Happy Father’s Day to the man who put the fear into all my dates and still treats me like a princess!

— ESHA

Happy Father's Day to the best Dad of the World.

— RAJEEV MONGA

Thanks for acting like a kid when I was a kid, acting like a friend when I needed a friend, and acting like a parent when I needed one. You are the best man I know. Happy Father’s Day.

— RAJEEV

When people say, 'The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,’ I tell them that’s the best compliment I could ever get. Someday, I hope to grow as strong and wise as you. Have a great Father’s Day!

— SUNIL

Dad, thank you for your time, which you give daily; your care, which you give freely and your love, which you give unconditionally. Happy Father's Day!

— ANSHUL

I want to wish you a Happy Father's Day filled with love and all the things that make you happy.

— KABIR

You've always been my hero. Your love and support mean the world to me. Happy Father's Day!

— NOOR

Thank you for all the ways you go above and beyond every day for our family.

— MYSHA

You’re my one and only confidant, and you'll always have a special place in my heart.

— ARYAN

I am who I am today because of my father: Sumbul Touqeer

Sumbul with dad Touqeer Khan

Neha Maheshwri

Sumbul Touqeer’s parents separated when she was six. Since then, her father, Touqeer Khan, a mechanical engineer and a theatre artiste, has been both a father and mother to Sumbul and her younger sister, actress Saniya. Sumbul shares, “When I was young, I didn’t grasp what my father was doing for us. As kids, we often take our family for granted, and I was no different. When we moved to Mumbai in 2014, I didn’t even want to act, as I was more passionate about dancing, which I had grown up seeing my father teach. However, in 2016, I did a show called Waaris, in which I played Saniya’s older sister. While working on that show, I unexpectedly fell in love with acting. That is when I realised how my father had opened up new horizons for me! It was one of the best decisions he made for me. I am who I am today because of my father.”

She further adds, “He fought against those who advised him not to let his daughters enter the entertainment industry; he had faith in us. We faced many challenges initially, but he never stopped encouraging us. Times might get tough, but if you persevere, this too shall pass is what he taught us.”

‘MY FATHER WATCHES EVERY EPISODE OF MY SHOW’

When the trio gets together to pose for us, the girls’ attempt to fake a smile for the camera doesn’t escape the theatre artiste’s notice. “Nakli mat haso,” comes Touqeer’s immediate reaction. Sumbul laughs and says, “My father has always been straightforward and clear in his opinions. He is extremely difficult to please. He watches every episode of my show Kavya, but he doesn’t say a word if he likes my acting. However, if he finds something off or forced, he’s the first to tell me. Since he rarely praises, it’s special when he does.”

‘He is our father, mother and guru, all rolled into one’

Talking about how he has balanced playing different roles in life, she says, “He is our father, mother and guru, all rolled into one. As a kid, when our tuition teacher would sometimes scold us, he would leave the room because he couldn’t bear to watch. However, dance classes were a different story. If we started crying while attempting difficult moves such as splits, he would simply turn up the music so no one could hear us scream. In his eyes, there was no shortcut to practice! And don’t even get us started on ‘Papa ke haath ka khaana’, which has absolutely no competition.”

Sumbul with dad Touqeer Khan and sister Saniya

My cats complete me; they make me more responsible: Fahmaan

I love to just chill with them, especially in the morning. Zoey usually wakes me up. She sits on my chest and starts purring. If I don’t wake up, she taps my face or even slaps me!

Imlie actor Fahmaan Khan has two fur babies – Zoey and Zorro

Masumi Shah

It’s the pets that choose you,” believes Fahmaan Khan, who’s a happy pet dad to two rescue cats, Zoey and Zorro. In a chat with us, the Apna Time Bhi Aayega, Imlie and Pyar Ke Saat Vachan Dharampatnii actor talks about how his feline babies came into his life and changed his life for the better.

‘MY CATS ARE LIKE MY CHILDREN’

Talking about how he adopted Zoey and Zorro, Fahmaan says, “Zoey just happened to be at my door one day. While I tried to shoo her away at first, she walked inside and puked blood. I knew very little about cats, so I took her to a vet, who prescribed a few syrups and said that she had worms in her stomach. I thought I’d treat her for just a month, but as life would have it, she’s still with me. She’s a child to me, not a pet.”

He adds, “Zorro arrived six months after this. I was shooting for Ishq Mein Marjawan and this kitten came and slept in my bag. This went on for a few days and one day, I just brought her home thinking that Zoey would also find a companion.”

‘THEY ARE ALWAYS AT THE DOOR WHEN I REACH HOME’

Fahmaan says that being a cat dad has made him more responsible. “You have to take care of them, know their schedules and needs. So, it makes you more responsible overall. Earlier, I used to stay out for threefour days at a stretch. Par ab mujhe ghar jaane ka mann karta hai, to check on them,” he says.

He adds, “Whenever I get time to be with Zoey and Zorro, it is Father’s Day for me. However, I think I am more of a mother to them. They’ve made me feel complete. It’s a beautiful feeling to have them around. When I go back home, they are always at the door.”

‘Cats are easier to handle than dogs’

I was never a cat person earlier, but now I am one because I think they’re a little easier to handle as compared to dogs. What fascinates me is how they always seem so serious, even when they’re happy. And when you start living with them, you understand how each cat’s character is so different. People think cats have an attitude, but the truth is that they’re friendly only with people they live with. Woh har kisi ko itna importance nahi dete. I really admire this attitude (laughs).”

FASHION AND GROOMING TIPS FOR DADDY COOL

What kind of clothes to wear, what colours to avoid? Should you make adjustments to your grooming routine? For the fathers on the other side of 40 and wondering what to do, take a cue from these celebrity dads to look your stylish best

Consult a hairstylist to find a style that complements you. As one ages, hair may become thinner or lose lustre, so invest in high-quality products formulated for mature hair – Azeem Qamar, regional technical manager of a grooming and cosmetics brand – Inputs from Nandini Ganguly and Shikha Shah

For a touch of Indian, opt for a kurta with minimal embellishment, a la Farhan Akhtar

Grooming dos and don’ts

 Well-groomed facial hair and body hair

 Hairstyle that suits your age and lifestyle, opt for what works with your natural hair pattern

 Oil your hair, cleanse with the right shampoo, and deep condition

 Apply hair mask once a week, hair serum more regularly to protect hair from pollution

 Moisturise, use sunscreen

 Skincare needs change with age, visit a dermatologist for evaluation

 Be confident, and embrace your age

Fashion fix

 A good mix of denims, trousers, cotton or linen pants

 Polos, shirts in good quality fabric

 Semi formal jackets, blazers that fit well

 A pair of tailored suit, or Jodhpuri

 Apart from blues, greys, play around with colours like dark green, maroon, burgundy

 Kurtas, in simple solids, minimal prints, subtle chikankari

 Shoes like Chukka boots, Kolhapuri chappal, and dress shoes in blacks, browns

 Pay attention to the clothes’ fit

 Don’t skip belt and watch

Take inspiration from Shahid Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor, to work jackets and suits. A casual jacket with printed shirt and muted pants, or semi-formal one paired with jeans

From classiccoloured Polos, linen blazers in muted browns and beige, sneakers to sliders, the OG style icon David Beckham’s effortless and ageappropriate style is the most sought after

Tap into your creative side like Arjun Rampal when trying to experiment with hairstyles and stubble

Find it tough to connect with dad? These tips can help

You can ease things up by letting go of past baggage and building a friendly bond. You must take out at least two hours in a couple of weeks to give undivided attention and time to your father – Dr Sagar Mundada, consultant psychiatrist

As fathers become more involved with their children, they often find common interests that help them spend quality time together. So, having a conversations about personal life can help bridge the gap – Aanchal Gupta Kalantri, a relationship coach – Anagha Sawant and Torna Chakraborty

Clinical psychologist Aparupa Ojha connects this difficulty that people face in bonding with their dads to gender stereotypes in society that teach us that “fathers are financial providers and mothers are nurturers”. “However, dads serve as role models for children by teaching them values. A good relationship with the father can lead to improved self-esteem and confidence,” she says.

TIPS TO HELP YOU BOND WITH YOUR DAD

● Plan holidays: Involve him in planning the trip – from choosing the destination to activities you want to do together

● Start a hobby or activity together: Is your dad a fitness enthusiast or a sports freak? You could start by going to the gym with him or planning a match day activity with him

● Talk about personal life: You can open up to him about your relationship journey or friendship goals. While this may be difficult at first, this may also lead him to share his personal life with you.

Social media is raving about hot rodent men – who are they?

Golden retriever boyfriends are becoming a thing of the past, as social media users embrace a new category – hot rodent men/boyfriends

Timothée Chalamet

Who is a rodent man?

According to social media and numerous news reports, rodent men are characterised by their angular facial structures, beady eyes, untidy hair, and a lankier build compared to typical Hollywood heartthrobs. This trend focuses not just on appearances but also on personality traits. A typical rodent man is considered to be intelligent, witty, and a proponent of PDA.

Origin of the term

The term gained popularity after the April release of Challengers, featuring Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor as the male leads in a love triangle with a former tennis star. Viewers quickly turned them into memes, noting their supposed resemblance to mice, particularly cartoon ones.

It’s all about rejection of AI?

Several stylists got together to discuss this new type of man:

Stella Bugbee: Piping in here with a pretentious theory: Lusting after socalled Rodent Men (aka, not perfect beefcakes) is about a rejection of AI.

Gina Cherelus: Yes, and years of Facetuning and Snapchat filters.

Stella Bugbee: Yes! If we are offered fake perfection we will yearn for human imperfections. We want to know that the people we find hot have blood in their veins and were the product of two humans combining their genes. We want to see the vulnerability of an asymmetrical face.

– With inputs from New York Times

Tom Holland

Jeremy Allen White

A still from Challengers featuring Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor

‘During pregnancy, focusing on health can be a game changer’

A move towards health and fitness can be rewarding at any point in life. “In pregnancy, however, it can be an absolute game changer, with long-lasting benefits for both you and your unborn baby,” notes Charu Shankar.

She adds, “Though exercise and nutrition are considered important right from pre-conception, it’s never too late to start. The second trimester is when mothers usually feel well and confident enough to come for fitness classes, but you can begin an exercise regime at any time in the pregnancy, with your doctor’s express permission, of course. In the first trimester, if you are experiencing a normal, single pregnancy, you can even continue your existing fitness regime if you have one, while simply cutting out exercises that put pressure on the abdominal cavity. Fitness training at this point should include deep core and back strengthening and appropriate cardio activity. Diet choices can help navigate early pregnancy troubles like morning sickness.”

Charu says that she always suggests to be mothers start light resistance training with 2-3 kg weights. She explains, “Their newborn will weigh around that much at birth, and soon enough, they will have to carry their growing bundle of joy – day and night. So, developing the strength for that is an absolute must in my prenatal fitness classes.”

A perinatal support program that looks after the physical and emotional wellness of mothers is available at Rainbow and Rosewalk Hospitals. The hospital’s management team says, “The program has been curated under the guidance of senior gynaecologists, and the sessions are always improvised as per the clinical condition of the patient.”

Charu adds, “All prenatal fitness activity should always be done as per your doctor’s advice, and always under the supervision of a qualified prenatal specialist or physiotherapist. Postural training, to strengthen and align the muscles which hold the body in good alignment, should be at the heart of any good prenatal fitness program, and the focus in second and third trimester fitness. The prenatal fitness classes can be all that stands between you and debilitating pregnancy backache.”

Starting your health and fitness journey even in your third trimester will give you tremendous gains, she notes, adding, “Pelvic floor strengthening should be the focus here. This is also the time when you should take some educational classes and learn about childbirth, breastfeeding, and newborn care.” The team adds, “One of our most popular classes is Dad’s Special, where we talk to the to-be fathers and tell them how they can support their partners and care for their newborns. Beyond the physical aspects, the program also has a class on Mind Matters, which addresses emotional and psychological well-being.”

Address: Madhukar Rainbow Children’s Hospital & Birth Right, Metro Station, FC-29 5, Block H 6, Geetanjali Marg, Malviya Nagar

Contact: 080 3783 6526

Address: Rosewalk by Rainbow Hospital, N 88, Block N, Panchsheel Park North

Contact: 080 3783 6551

Disclaimer: The views/suggestions/opinions expressed in the article are the sole responsibility of the experts.

Charu Shankar, Pre & Postnatal Fitness Expert

DID YOU KNOW?

The oldest known use of the term ‘birthday party’ was in 1852

It is said that the first ever invitation for a birthday party was sent out around 100 AD by Claudia Severa, the wife of a Roman commander. The invitation was written on slabs. Social events and celebratory gatherings were first called a ‘party’ sometime in the early 18th century, with the oldest known use of the term ‘birthday party’ being in 1852. The tradition of having candles on a cake came from the Greeks as they wanted to create a glowing effect for their moon-shaped cakes.

Rediscovering my love for deejaying: Hiten

I used to be a deejay in my college days and gradually I got back into this last year when I wasn’t doing a TV projects

Hiten Paintal

As a college student, he was into deejaying, but then, he moved on to acting. Now after 25 years, Hiten Paintal is back on the music scene and has been a deejay at many events in recent times. He says, “Of course, acting will always remain my top priority, but I’m rediscovering my love and passion for deejaying and want to balance both.”

TAKING A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

Reminiscing about his college days, Hiten says, “I used to be a deejay in my college days and gradually I got back into this last year when I wasn’t doing a TV project.” He adds, “I’ve always been musically inclined and in the past two decades, I’d often be in charge of music at my friends’ parties. This made me think I should get back to deejaying on a professional level. I get to travel and meet people.”

‘THERE IS A LOT OF INSECURITY IN THE ACTING PROFESSION’

Hiten shares, “Acting is the most insecure field. I was born in the industry (his father is veteran actor Kanwarjit Paintal) and have friends here. So I can say that it is not easy to sustain in showbiz. There is no guarantee how long your TV show will run; some may shut in two months. So, I think one should have a second source of income.”

— Hasti Doshi

I started acting at 4, but didn’t miss out on my school life: Khushi

Acting is my passion and I’m glad that I found my calling so early in life. But as a kid, I made sure to focus on my studies equally

Khushi Dubey

After growing up, one complaint that child actors often have is that they did not get to experience their school and college days to the fullest. But that’s not the case with Khushi Dubey, who started her career at four with Vikram Bhatt’s film Ankahee. The actress later starred in TV shows like Kaisa Ye Pyaar Hai and Aankh Micholi among others, apart from movies.

Khushi says, “Acting is my passion and I’m glad that I found my calling so early in life. But as a kid, I made sure to focus on my studies equally and I have enjoyed my school and college life like everyone else. I come from a family where education has always been important. I have done my Computer Science Engineering and was also planning to do my Masters in the USA, but acting opportunities kept coming my way and I chose to stay back.”

— Hasti Doshi

Table of Contents

TOI Print Edition Jun 16, 2024

Front Page

World Bank, Pak teams to inspect J&K hydro plants

K’taka hikes petrol, diesel prices by `3

Key corridor linking 3 states gets nod

Rape accused out on bail assaults 8-yr -old

Release water on humanitarian grounds: Atishi

8 Maoists killed in Bastar op, 1 jawan dead

HC: Voice of dissent against a public rep can’t be silenced

IN THE COURTS

G7 commits to promote India-Europe corridor

Illegal rooms for securitymen outside Jagan’s home razed

NEET: Bihar cops summon students, say proof of leak

14 die as tourist vehicle falls into U’khand river

Indresh U-turn: ‘Country flourishing under Modi’

Times Nation

People liked boys more, so I’d beat them up, says UP girl who made MMA history

Modi, Japanese PM pledge to speed up bullet train project

Committed to working together on key issues: Trudeau after PM meet

Palestine PM writes to Modi, seeks India help for Gaza truce

Rape accused out on bail assaults girl, 8, in UP’s Budaun

Porsche re-run: Minor ploughs car into crowd in Nagpur, 5 hurt

Bihar cops claim proof of NEET ‘leak’, call 9 students for probe

Pocso case: BSY back in B’luru, says will face CID tomorrow

K’taka’s Cong govt raises fuel prices by `3/litre, BJP fumes

2 illegal rooms for securitymen outside Jagan’s Hyd home razed

Prof attacked with sticks, chilli powder over scholarship row

Houses of 11 on govt land demolished as MP cops find beef in fridges

Fire breaks out near Manipur CM home

STF jawan, 8 Maoists killed in Bastar encounter; 2nd op in region in 8 days

Girl, 13, loses leg in IED blast, asks: Will I get blown up again?

No court relief for 3 docs in ’17 Mum suicide case

2 JJB members get panel’s notice for ‘improper conduct’ in Porsche case

43 yrs on, man, 71, acquitted in murder case

HC stays order to send girl to trafficker-dad

2 more held for desecrating temple in MP town

2 NSCN-IM militants nabbed in Arunachal

WB experts, Pak team to visit J&K for talks on hydel projects

G7 slams Houthis for attacks on vessels in Red Sea

In retreat mode, Kumar says ‘Ram bhakts’ formed govt

Possibility of driver falling asleep at wheel not ruled out

Modi to unveil farmer welfare initiatives in Varanasi on Tues

Ran 20k extra train trips to ferry 4cr pax in 3 mths: Mantri

Govt preparing regulations on data protection: Vaishnaw

Pawar ‘thanks’ PM for creating helpful setting for MVA poll win

Check rise of monopolies, ensure fair takeovers: Cong

HC: Can’t gag voice of dissent against public representatives

When dreams get wings: Farmer’s son gets ‘Sword of Honour’ in IAF pilots’ course

HDK backpedals on subsidy, says was calling for ‘balanced approach’

Take down posts on senior scribe in 7 days: HC to 3 Cong netas

TMC man, BJP worker hurt as post-poll violence continues in Bengal dist

Unsung Heroes In Our Lives

‘Darshan case victim was given electric shocks’

Centre ramps up awareness drive on new criminal laws

Times City

Night Stays Warm, Parts Of City See ‘Severe Heatwave’

Summer break extended in UP govt schools till Class VIII

Fanned by winds, factory fire spreads to another in Noida

Five shops gutted in early morning fire in Vasant Vihar, nobody hurt

Minor fires linger in Nai Sadak, firemen still on toes

Short circuits main culprit behind fires at mkts, shops

Just another brick in the wall? From ‘bondage’ to living on the street in this unforgivable heat

After HC order, 89% MCD school students have bank accounts

PWD Zeroes In On 10 Traffic Hotspots

HC panel to assess need for palliative care hospital in city

Former Armyman dies in Manesar while cleaning rifle

3 men arrested for firing at 4

3 shooters nabbed for extortion bid

Another Metro Extension To Bring 3 NCR States Closer, Boost Narela

2,299 e-autos to boost connectivity at 50 metro stations

Yellow Line timing to alter for two days due to work

DDA likely to start handing over EWS flat keys from July

New govt in place, TERI comes up with 100-day environment agenda

HC Orders Removal Of Court Hearing Video Involving CM

Noida tries to safeguard sewer cleaning

Maliwal case: Bibhav to stay in judicial custody till next Saturday

Cops seize over 200kg of ganja, 4arrested

‘When people struggle with their mental health, they can be harsh to others’

Six-axis tech may be gamechanger to treat bone deformities

Woman dies, 4 hurt as van rams truck

PUC Centres At Petrol Pumps May Shut Down

Delhi govt team to meet Hry officials today: Atishi

After Congress’ ‘matka phod’, BJP protest over water today

4 gang members held for laptop, phone thefts

NEET protesters booked for bid to enter house of edu minister

1,000 buses may get to run for 9 more mths

Cafe At Baansera May Open For Visitors Soon

Gang of vehicle thieves that roped in minors busted, 28-yr-old held

Health trade licence made must for amusement activities in city

MP removes property’s seal, probe ordered

Man beaten to death after tiff over drugs

Times Special

It’s time for some DARJEELING COFFEE

Kindly check the writing before biting

Long live longevity! Why everyone is trying to turn the clock back

Jet, SET, go: Indian DJs now play the hottest parties in the world

SUPERAGERS TELL US THEIR SECRETS TO STAYING YOUNG

LONGEVITY GURUS WHO HAVE MILLIONS HOOKED

Times Global

Biden looks to Hollywood for ’24 boost. It hasn’t been that simple

Sentosa beaches hit by oil spill

Close shave as SW plane plunges dangerously low

Ramaphosa to form ‘inclusive’ coalition cabinet

KATE MAKES FIRST PUBLIC APPEARANCE SINCE BREAK

New rules let China detain foreigners in SCS

Philippines files UN claim to extended continental shelf

Sweden, Iran swap prisoners after deal

Kyiv to present Moscow peace proposal after int’l agreement

Russia: Western reaction to proposal unconstructive

US backs lasting peace for Ukraine: Kamala Harris

8 Israeli soldiers killed as fighting rages on

First Bitcoin ETF to list on Aus bourse

AROUND THE WORLD

Japan sees rise in cases of killer flesh-eating bacteria

Gates begins building smaller, cheaper nuclear reactors

All That Matters

Oppn can learn from Patnaik’s bipartisan ways

Dystopic world of heat waves and dust storms already a reality in many ways

NEET controversy: Three ways India can reimagine admission tests

Konnichiwah! Seven things ‘polite’ Japanese could teach Indians

It’s time to burst liberal bubble: Modi 3.0 won’t be very different

INBOX

Times Sport

MOVING ON LIKE HARDIK

SA scrape past Nepal by one run

Did fear of failure cripple Pak?

USA won’t be easy to beat in Super 8: Jones

IOC gives 14 Russians, 11 Belarusians neutral status

Unsafe levels of E. coli found in Seine river

GALLERY

Stars align for halfway leader Ludvig Aberg at US Open

Men archers need rankings route to qualify for Paris

India women keen to get back to winning ways

Aus wary of Scotland; Pak take on Ireland

Boult confirms ongoing edition will be his last T20 World Cup

HEAVY METTLE

Expectant England out to dispel doubts against Serbia

Argentina names 26-member squad

Brazil goes to Copa with teenager Endrick up front and a few more unknowns

For Embolo, a comeback to remember

Germany get wings with Musiala and Wirtz

UEFA EURO 2024

Delhi Times

Young artistes know what stories to tell: AR Rahman on India’s Cannes success

‘AFTER BECOMING A DAD, SOMETHING INSIDE ME HAS REBOOTED’

Should restaurants have an entry age limit for guests?

BUZZ STOP

CELEBRATING FATHER’S DAY

Bright linen, fresh flowers, trivia cards: Summer style for tables

HOW TO: Increase the longevity of cut ﬂowers for home decor

I think my father is reverse ageing: Ram Charan

A candlelit musical evening enchants Delhiites

DID YOU KNOW?

YOUR POV

RULESLOOP THE LOOP

TRIPPIN

Making progress: Kate on treatment

Nourishing traditions: Celebrating fatherhood with flavourful cuisine

Robotic cardiac surgery can help lower recovery times in patients, say doctors

Vivienne Westwood’s clothes to be auctioned

People thought I didn’t need to work anymore: Saba

First Hero, Forever Hero

I am who I am today because of my father: Sumbul Touqeer

My cats complete me; they make me more responsible: Fahmaan

FASHION AND GROOMING TIPS FOR DADDY COOL

Find it tough to connect with dad? These tips can help

Social media is raving about hot rodent men – who are they?

‘During pregnancy, focusing on health can be a game changer’

DID YOU KNOW?

Rediscovering my love for deejaying: Hiten

I started acting at 4, but didn’t miss out on my school life: Khushi