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Front Page

- Kerala assembly moves to rename state ‘Keralam’

- Man crushed in Kanpur road rage

- 3 house staff drown in tank at IT firm

- Delhi bizman killed by friend, aides

- Maha OBC docs seek to give up quota

- Assam man lynched on theft suspicion

- Rain seepage in Ayodhya temple

- Emergency reminds us to protect Constitution: Modi

- Another dirty NEET secret? Students’ ranks jump on 2nd attempt from obscure centres

- Civic councillor, aides raze UP graves, booked

- Amid record heat, this was Delhi’s driest March-June in at least 14 yrs

- Big fat Indian wedding drives $130bn industry, avg spend/nuptial at `12.5L

- SC: No urgent hearing of CM’s plea, but HC decision ‘unusual’

- Trudeau pays homage to AI bombing victims

- Didi reads out riot act to TMC mantris, officials

- RAMPAGING ROHIT POWERS INDIA INTO SEMIS

- SC upholds ruling nixing Hry order to grant extra marks to state domiciles

- SC tells DDA to come clean on Ridge tree felling, queries if LG approved it

- Senior AAI official found dead dressed as a woman

Kerala assembly moves to rename state ‘Keralam’

The Kerala assembly unanimously adopted on Monday a resolution urging the Centre to officially change the state’s name to “Keralam”. The House was passing the resolution the second time as the Union home ministry, which had reviewed the first resolution, had suggested some technical changes. In the First Schedule of the Constitution, the state is listed as Kerala. CM Pinarayi Vijayan moved the resolution and it was accepted by both LDF and UDF members.

P 9

Man crushed in Kanpur road rage

A car driver crushed to death a UP irrigation department employee who tried to stop him from fleeing after he hit the latter’s car in Kanpur on Sunday. Shubham Vimal (28) also hit a few other cars while fleeing. He has been arrested.

P 10

3 house staff drown in tank at IT firm

Three maintenance staffers, who had gone to check the sewage treatment plant in the basement, drowned in the water tank of the plant in a multinational IT company’s office in Greater Noida’s Techzone 4 on Monday evening.

P 8

Delhi bizman killed by friend, aides

A businessman was murdered during a robbery at his residence in west Delhi’s Naraina. Cops have arrested four people, including the man’s friend who allegedly planned the crime after learning that the victim handled a lot of cash.

P5

Maha OBC docs seek to give up quota

At least 15 doctors from OBC Medicos Association in Maharashtra have reportedly written to the CM, seeking to give up reservation and related benefits as they are financially strong. They also sought to return their caste certificates.

P 9

Assam man lynched on theft suspicion

A mob lynched a 28-yearold man Monday in Assam’s Sivasagar town on suspicion that he had stolen a cellphone. Palu and his relative Dadu were dragged out of their houses and brutally thrashed. Palu died and Dadu was severely injured.

P 10

Rain seepage in Ayodhya temple

Five months after the opening of Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir, water leaked from the roof of the sanctum sanctorum during the first rain. Temple panel chief Nripendra Mishra, however, said seepage occurred as the shrine is still under construction.

P 17

Emergency reminds us to protect Constitution: Modi

Oppn MPs Hold Up Copies Of Statute Book

Akhilesh.Singh@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: PM Modi marked the beginning of the maiden session of the new Lok Sabha by lobbing the “Constitution” issue back at the INDIA bloc, asking everybody to ensure that there was no subversion of the Constitution as during the Emergency.

A day before the 49th anniversary of the Indira Gandhi govt’s decision to curb dissent by imposing Emergency, Modi urged people to ensure such an attempt to “blacken” the Constitution is never repeated and pledged to safeguard it.

His remarks came as the opposition, flush with the success of its allegation that Modi-led BJP had sought 400+ seats to change the Constitution, carried on with the theme. Members of Congress, TMC, DMK, Left and others held a protest after paying respects at Mahatma Gandhi’s statue in Parlia- ment complex, holding copies of the Constitution and “promising to protect it”.

 ‘Will achieve 3 times,’ P 14

EDIT: It’s People’s House

PM Modi arrives in Parliament to take oath as MP for the third time. Oppn MPs marched from the old Parliament building to the new, chanting slogans of ‘save democracy’

P 11

Be ‘strong oppn’: Naveen to MPs

BJD appears to be changing its stance, with Naveen Patnaik urging Rajya Sabha MPs to work as a “strong opposition” and “make Centre accountable on all issues”.

P 14

Nadda leader of House in RS

Union health minister J P Nadda has been appointed leader of the House in Rajya Sabha, replacing his Cabinet colleague Piyush Goyal, who is now an LS MP.

P11

Pro tem protest: Some oppn bloc MPs skip oath

The first sitting of the 18th Lok Sabha was marked by three opposition members nominated to the panel of chairpersons (who fill in for the speaker) refusing to take oath at their scheduled time over the pro tem speaker’s post not going to Congress’s K Suresh. Further, INDIA bloc made plain its intent to force a contest for the speaker’s post if a consensus was not arrived at.

An unfazed BJP, however, began consultations with its allies on the NDA’s candidate for the Speaker’s post. The election is scheduled for Wednesday and nominations have to be filed by Tuesday.

The three opposition MPs — Suresh, Sudip Bandyopadhyay (TMC) and T R Baalu (DMK) skipped oath taking as they were listed to do so just after the PM and ahead of the council of ministers.

P9 & 11

Another dirty NEET secret? Students’ ranks jump on 2nd attempt from obscure centres

Hemali.Chhapia@timesgroup.com

Mumbai: When Ashalata (name changed) took the NEET for the first time in 2022, her rank was in the six-digit range. However, in her second attempt the following year, her rank leapfrogged from 2 lakh-plus to 8,000. At present, the 20-year-old is a student of LTMG Sion Hospital in Mumbai.

Another aspirant from 2022 who had secured a rank beyond 10 lakh now studies in a govt hospital in Mumbai after she secured a rank of around 13,000 in her second attempt in 2023.

This “second-time lucky” trend, with students scoring “unbelievable” ranks after taking a year’s break to prepare for the second attempt, has been seen as baffling by acade mics in medical corridors. And there was a common thread: the second time, each had taken the exam from an obscure centre. While some took it from a tiny village in Belagavi, others opted for a small town near Patna and other places not popular as coaching hubs.

Govt sources said attempts are on to make a list of students who scored well in their second attempt at ob- scure centres and are now pursuing MBBS in govt-run medical colleges.

This year, a similar scenario emerged when students from various states opted to take the exam from a school in Godhra, Gujarat. The Gujarat police, who blew the lid off the scam, said students were asked to fill answers for the questions they knew and leave the rest unanswered.

“The empty answer-sheets were to be filled in by the centre’s deputy superintendent during the half-hour gap the supervisors get to pack the papers. The answer key was to be provided by coaching institutes, which make the key available online after the exam,” Godhra superintendent of police Himanshu Solanki said. A counsellor said police should investigate how students managed to get allocated to centres that are “compromised”.

When candidates fill their NEET (UG) application, they are expected to give two cities as options for exam centres. Parent representative and counsellor Sudha Shenoy said, “Before filling the form in Feb, parents called me about agents who had said that they would fill the form for the candidates and that exam centres would be far from cities.”

‘Large spread’, P 24

EDIT PAGE: Neat solution

MAHA HEADMASTER ARRESTED

➤ Latur zila parishad school headmaster Jaleel Khan Pathan among 4 held. Sources cite incriminating data found in mobile phones. Parents allegedly paid them money to get wards to pass NEET

P 24

➤ CBI teams reach Patna and Godhra. In Patna, team collects evidence gathered by Economic Offences Unit, questions a parent

P 24

➤ UPSC decides to use facial recognition and AI-based CCTV surveillance to prevent cheating and impersonation

Rules of new anti-paper leak law notified. Cheaters face up to five years in jail; it’s 5-10 years for those involved in organised cheating crimes. Those involved in paper leak, for instance, face up to 10 years in jail and a fine of up to 1 crore

P 9

Civic councillor, aides raze UP graves, booked

Meerut: Four people, including a local municipal councillor, were charged under IPC sections for provocation with intent to cause riot and criminal intimidation after they allegedly razed a graveyard that complainants say was over a century old at Khurja in Bulandshahr district, reports Rahul Singh.

Police said the FIR came after Khurja resident Mohammed Saleem accused municipal councillor Arsheel Baudh, his father Vijay Baudh and two others of desecrating the graveyard. Purported videos of a bulldozer razing the graves were widely circulated on social media, causing tension among local residents.

 Clean-up drive, P 24

Amid record heat, this was Delhi’s driest March-June in at least 14 yrs

Priyangi.Agarwal@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Delhi logged just 17.6mm of rainfall between March 1 and June 24, making it the driest March-June (till June 24) period for the city in at least 14 years. The rain deficit since March 1 is 84% against the normal rainfall of 112.7 mm, according to India Meteorological Department’s data for 2011-2024 analysed by TOI.

The unusually scanty rainfall this year was one of the main factors for the intense spell of heat in May and June. Though light rain is predicted over the next few days, the city may see more intense rain spells only after the arrival of the monsoon, the normal date of its onset in Delhi being June 27. Though IMD has issued a yellow alert for thunderstorms with rain on June 29 and 30, it hasn’t yet announced when the monsoon is expected to arrive in the capital.

IMD’s data shows that between March 1 and June 24, Safdarjung, the city’s base weat- her station, logged 207.5mm of rainfall in 2023. The precipitation in the same period in 2022 was 72.5mm, 186.2 mm in 2021, 209.5mm in 2020, 59.8mm in 2019 and 43.8mm in 2018.

14 heatwave days, P 4

Light rain in Del but heat index at 53°C

Parts of the city got light rain on Monday, but high humidity made conditions uncomfortable as the heat index zoomed to 53 degrees Celsius for the second consecutive day. The temperature at Safdarjung crossed 40 degrees C (40.4) after staying under that level for two days. The minimum was 31.6 degrees C, four notches above normal.

P4

Day 4: Atishi says fast on till Hry gives water

On the fourth day of her indefinite fast, Delhi water minister Atishi said she would continue her ‘paani satyagraha’ till Haryana releases the city’s “due share” of water and there’s no supply shortage in the capital. DJB said the water production on Monday was 913 MGD, which was 377 MGD short of the city’s average demand.

P5

Big fat Indian wedding drives $130bn industry, avg spend/nuptial at `12.5L

Surojit Gupta TNN

New Delhi: The Indian wedding industry at $130 billion ranks second only to food and grocery, and is a significant driver of discretionary consumption, says a new report, highlighting the enormous economic impact of the event across sectors.

The Indian wedding market is twice the size of the US market but smaller than China, said the report by investment banking and capital market firm Jefferies. The overall size of the industry was based on various available numbers and the report was prepared after visiting various hubs that cater to the industry.

It estimated that the avera- ge expenditure on a wedding is around $15,000, or Rs 12.5 lakh, and an average Indian couple spends approximately twice on weddings compared to education (pre-primary to graduation) — a sharp contrast to countries such as the US, where the spend is less than half that of education.

The numbers suggest that the average spend on a wed- ding is around five times India’s per capita GDP of $2,900 (over Rs 2.4 lakh) and more than three times the average annual household income of around Rs 4 lakh. India's wedding spend to GDP ratio of 5 times is significantly higher than several other countries, the report added.

Key growth driver, P 21

SC: No urgent hearing of CM’s plea, but HC decision ‘unusual’

Appeal Against Bail Stay To Be Heard Tomorrow

AmitAnand.Choudhary@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Supreme Court on Monday termed as “unusual” Delhi high court's decision not to immediately pass a reasoned verdict on ED's petition challenging the bail given to Arvind Kejriwal by the trial court last week, but declined the Delhi CM's plea seeking its immediate intervention and posted the matter for Wednesday.

Saying that it would wait for HC's reasoned order, a bench of Justices Manoj Misra and S V N Bhatti said passing the order at this juncture would amount to prejudging the issue as the HC was yet to pass its verdict, which is likely to be delivered in a day or two.

Attacking the HC order, Kejriwal's counsel, senior advocates A M Singhvi and Vikram Chaudhary, contended that HC prejudged the case and passed the order on an oral mentioning by Enforcement Directorate when the trial court order was not even available. They said that it was violative and contrary to the age-old established norm. Singhvi pressed for interim relief, and said that if HC co- uld stay trial court’s order when it was not even uploaded and handed over to parties, then SC should also stay HC's interim order without waiting for the order copy.

‘Didn’t consider all...,’ P 3

HC verdict on Kejriwal’s bail likely today

While ED on Monday opposed Kejriwal's bail plea in its submission in HC, calling the trial court's order “illegal and perverse”, the CM said discretionary orders of bail cannot be set aside “merely on perceptions and fanciful imagination of the prosecution”. The vacation bench of Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain is likely to pronounce its verdict Tuesday at 2.30pm.

P 6

Trudeau pays homage to AI bombing victims

Paying homage to the victims of the AI Kanishka bombing, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau said it remains the deadliest terror attack in Canadian history, and a reminder of the shared responsibility to unequivocally condemn terror.

India and Canada paid their respects to 329 victims, 280 of them Canadians, amid growing strife in ties caused by the political space given by Canadian authorities to pro-Khalistan extremists.

Earlier on Sunday, the Indian mission in Ottawa said in a release that the bombing was a cowardly act of terror, carried out by Canada-based pro-Khalistan terrorists. “It is unfortunate that such actions are allowed to be routine on many occasions in Canada,” it said.

P 10

Didi reads out riot act to TMC mantris, officials

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, in her sharpest public criticism till date of cabinet, party colleagues, police and administrative officials, read out the riot act on Monday, naming and shaming some of them and setting civic bodies a 10-day deadline to give citizens better services, report Tamaghna Banerjee and Dwaipayan Ghosh.

Banerjee’s unprecedented public rebuke spared no one; from ministers to bureaucrats, municipalities to the urban development department, cops to district administrations, everyone came up for scrutiny. “I don’t want master-extortionists. I want people’s servants,” she said, also announcing a key change in the tender process.

P 9

RAMPAGING ROHIT POWERS INDIA INTO SEMIS

Having lost to Australia in both the World Test Championship final and ODI WC final last year, India (205/5) extracted a measure of sweet revenge, defeating the Aussies (181/7) by 24 runs to book their spot in the 2024 T20 WC semifinal against England. If Afghanistan beat Bangladesh today or the match ends in a no-result, Australia will be knocked out of the WC.

India’s victory was set up by skipper Rohit Sharma, who slammed 92 off 41 balls as records tumbled. When Rohit reached 50 off 19 balls (his fastest T20 half-ton and also the fastest in this WC), India were 52/1, a T20I world record for lowest team score when a batter has hit 50. Rohit crossed 200 sixers in his T20I career, a world record, and also became the highest run-getter in T20Is (4,165)

P 23

SC upholds ruling nixing Hry order to grant extra marks to state domiciles

New Delhi: Supreme Court on Monday upheld the HC order for quashing of the Haryana govt’s decision to grant 5% additional marks to state domiciles in recruitment to certain posts based on “socio-economic” criteria, calling it a populist measure. It also directed that fresh examinations, which were conducted last year, be conducted for jobs to Group C and D employees.

A bench of Justices A S Oka and Rajesh Bindal rejected a plea of the Haryana Staff Selection Commission (SSC) challenging the Punjab and Haryana HC verdict quashing a state notification granting extra marks to domiciles of Haryana in the recruitment process during the CET of 2023 (CET 2023). It also directed that fresh tests be conducted. Appearing for the commission, AG R Venkataramani pleaded the court that there was no need to hold fresh exam. TNN

Explained reason, P 18

Sena(UBT) for 50% flats for Marathis in bldgs, P 14

SC tells DDA to come clean on Ridge tree felling, queries if LG approved it

AmitAnand.Choudhary@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Expressing concern over cutting down of trees in the Ridge area without its permission, Supreme Court on Monday asked DDA to come clean on how it was done and respond whether Delhi’s LG, who is also its chairman, had approved it.

While issuing contempt notice to four senior officers of the DDA, including its executive engineer, a bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan said that prima facie it seemed that entire blame was being shifted to officers for cutting of trees. It said that the court had to intervene to give clear and lo- ud messages to authorities when they failed to discharge their duty in protecting the forests and environment.

 LG visited other sites, P3

24 peacocks die at Palam Air Force stn

Twenty-four peacocks have died on the premises of Palam Air Force Station while many others are reported to be in poor health, according to sources. The most recent casualties, numbering four, were documented on Monday. While the reasons behind the deaths remain a mystery, some sources claimed it was due to heatstroke.

P 3

Senior AAI official found dead dressed as a woman

Aakash Ahuja & Kalyan Das TNN

Dehradun: A senior Airports Authority official was found dead under suspicious circumstances at his official accommodation at the airport on Monday. TOI is withholding his name.

The official was found hanging from a ceiling fan dressed in women’s clothes, including a maxi, undergarments, bindi, lipstick and bangles. His wife, a teacher, was in Pithoragarh at the time of the incident.

SSP (Udham Singh Nagar) Manjunath TC told TOI: “Relatives and colleagues forced open the official’s bedroom door to find him hanging. He was taken to a hospital where doctors declared him ‘dead on arrival’. There was no sign of forced entry in the room, which was locked from inside. There were no signs of physical assault either.”

 Hanging from dupatta, P 24

Times Nation

- K’taka bans artificial colours in kebabs

- Border village gets poll booth

- 2 kids tonsured, paraded for theft

- HC: Hawkers cleared for VIPs, why not for all?

- Amid oppn threat of a contest, BJP starts talks with allies

- Prosecution of accused in NEET, NET cases to be under stringent new law

- Kerala House wants state’s name changed to Keralam

- Group of OBC docs wants to relinquish quota to help others

- Didi names & shames TMC netas for hoarding money

- World’s oldest ostrich egg gives first evidence of bird’s presence in S India

- Trudeau: AI attack reminder of shared duty to condemn terror

- Shepherd turns up alive at own burial

- MP cops rescue 50 cows on way to Maha ‘for slaughter’, 9 held

- Man accused of stealing cell phone lynched

- Raid on C’garh Naxal hideout unearths fake currency racket

- In UP road rage, driver runs over man who tried to stop car

- House sitting marred by Oppn MPs on chairpersons panel skipping oath

- Oppn makes its intent clear with ‘save democracy’ march

- NDA: Polls over, end politicking, focus on country’s progress

- Oppn campaign drives up sales of a little black-and-red book

- Nadda replaces Piyush Goyal as leader of House in RS

- No pretence of bonhomie, session kicks off amid hostility

- Even after ‘moral & political defeat’ Modi’s arrogance remains: Kharge

- Modi vows NDA will deliver 3 times more in its 3rd term

- Pradhan takes oath amid oppn jibes over NEET

- Naveen signals shift, tells party to work as strong oppn force

- Sena (UBT) wants 50% quota for Marathis in new buildings

- Caste discrimination behind large-scale conversions in border states: RSS neta

- GST made household goods cheaper, helped poor save: PM

- Odisha CM claims attempt to kill him in blast during BJD era

- Murder accused files plea against Nikam’s return as Maha special PP

- Ram temple hit by seepage after season’s first rain

- Wheat stock limits back to curb hoarding

- IB chief, NHRC secy gen get 1-yr extn

- 5 of family killed in UP accident

- None will lose job due to SC ruling: Hry CM

- Assam governor pushes away RSS man trying to felicitate Raje

- HC explained reasons for retest, no errors in verdict: SC to Haryana govt

- Bring law to make parent nod must for love marriage: Khaps

- ABVP accuses MP varsity prof of ‘propagating Islam’, probe on

K’taka bans artificial colours in kebabs

After ‘Gobi Manchurian’ and ‘Cotton Candy’, Karnataka govt has now prohibited the use of artificial colouring agents in the preparation of kebabs (veg and non-veg) across the state, saying it adversely affected the public health.

In case of violation of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 rule 59, it can file a case in the court which can lead to imprisonment ranging from seven years to lifeterm and a fine up to Rs 10 lakh, an official order stated on Monday. According to the Food Safety and Quality department, the quality of kebabs being sold across the state were found to be “poor” due to addition of artificial colours, which can have serious impact on the health of the public. PTI

Border village gets poll booth

After the formation of Uttarakhand as a separate state, for the first time, the inhabitants of Mana, one of the country’s remotest villages situated near the India-China border in the Garhwal Himalayas, will cast their vote inside the village in the by-election to be held for the Badrinath assembly seat on July 10, reports Pankul Sharma. Aprimary school in the village has been designated as the polling booth, and repair work is presently underway there, officials said.

2 kids tonsured, paraded for theft

Two children, aged 10 and 14 years, were thrashed, their hands tied with a rope and paraded with shaved heads around the village for allegedly stealing Rs 5,000 from a shop in Uttar Pradesh’s Kasganj, reports Deepak La vania. SHO of Dholna, Ajayveer Singh, said, “On Monday, an FIR was registered against five people, including shopkeeper Hariprasad. Four of the accused , including the shopkeeper, were arrested.” The boys’ mother said, “My sons didn’t steal anything. No money was recovered.”

HC: Hawkers cleared for VIPs, why not for all?

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: Observing that something drastic has to be done regarding the problem, Bombay high court on Monday frowned at the state and BMC’s inability to remove unlicensed hawkers encroaching on footpaths in the city.

“There can’t be an abject surrender by any of the authorities. Otherwise, there will be lawlessness,” said Justices Mahesh Sonak and Kamal Khata, hearing a suo motu PIL converted out of a petition regarding illegal hawkers obstructing access to a Borivali shop.

Senior advocate S U Kamdar said BMC regularly removes unlicensed hawkers, but they come back. The judges said they cannot be allowed to return and need to be identified. “Let there be a combing operation. Like biometrics for slums,” said Justice Khata.

The judges said that due to encroachment, people are forced to walk on the streets. “It is their fundamental right…We tell our children to walk on footpaths. But if there are no footpaths, what are they going to do?” Justice Khata said.

The judges said there seems to be a lack of will despite orders passed by the courts, and questioned why there is no protection for citizens who pay taxes. “When the PM or VVIPs come, the streets are immediately cleared, and it stays so till they are here. How is it done then? Why can’t it be done otherwise for everyone else?” asked Justice Khata.

Amid oppn threat of a contest, BJP starts talks with allies

Fight For Speaker’s Post Hots Up

Om Birla at Parliament House on Monday

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: As BJP moved closer towards picking its Speaker choice, a confrontation seemed to be brewing with the opposition insisting on the deputy speaker’s post and indicating that it would field a candidate for the Speaker’s post if govt did not agree to its demand.

BJP began consultations with its allies on NDA’s candidate for Speaker a day ahead of nominations for the poll scheduled on Wednesday. There are indications that govt will convey its choice to opposition parties on Tuesday evening — a day before the poll.

INDIA bloc is considering its options and may force a contest although the Speaker has always been elected with consensus.

Union minister K Rammohan Naidu (TDP) said that NDA functionaries, including N Chandrababu Naidu, would take a decision on the matter, adding that no final decision had been conveyed to them yet. A leader of another BJP ally said on the condition of anonymity that the BJP brass has held consultations with him, but declined to discuss the details.

With the theme of continuity marking many of its choices since it returned to office for a third term, there is a view among a section of NDA that Om Birla, Speaker in the previous Lok Sabha, may be nominated again. However, there was no official word on this.

Congress functionaries said they were waiting for a word from govt as part of consultations that are customary for the Speaker’s election. Senior Congress and opposition MPs like K Suresh and N K Premachandran said they were in favour of a consensus. “The post of Speaker goes to govt and deputy speaker’s post is for opposition,” they said.

While there is no clarity on who will take on NDA’s nominee, the row over the pro tem speaker’s post suggests that Suresh may be among the frontrunners. Also, NDA sources indicated that the deputy speaker’s post may be given to one of its allies.

Prosecution of accused in NEET, NET cases to be under stringent new law

Anti-Cheating Law Will Apply Although Alleged Leaks Predated Notification

Manash.Gohain@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Govt has decided to prosecute those involved in manipulating this year’s NEET-UG for medical entrance as well as UGC-NET to become college teachers under the just-notified Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, a decision which would mean that the wrongdoers would invite punishment tougher than what they would have faced under IPC provisions.

Sources in govt said though the alleged leak of NEET-UG and UGC-NET papers predated the notification of the new central law on Saturday, CBI will investigate the offences and chargesheet the accused under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, which was enacted in Feb in the last session of the previous Lok Sabha. On Monday, the ministry of personnel and public grievances and pensions also notified the rules for conduct of public exams by the Centre, which prescribe the procedures for conducting inquiry and filing of reports against those involved in cheating during public exams.

This means that students as well as those involved in paper leaks in Bihar and elsewhere will face up to 10 years in jail and a fine of up to Rs 1 crore. Similarly, students who allegedly resorted to un- fair means in locations such as Godhra can face a sentence of at least three years along with a Rs 10 lakh fine.

The law aims to prevent unfair means in public examinations conducted by UPSC, Staff Selection Commission, railways, banking recruitment examinations and NTA, among others.

According to the rules, educational institutions, coaching centres, or any other entity found to be complicit in facilitating unfair means can face legal action, including fines and other pe- nalties. Involvement of “coaching centres” in recent irregularities is already being probed. Coaching institutes and their personnel as well as examination authorities and service providers can face up to 5-10 years in jail.

These measures are signif- icantly tougher than the current regulations for dealing with cheating, forgery, and paper leaks, which are punishable with imprisonment of a maximum of three years.

These rules require the National Recruitment Agency (NRA) to establish norms, standards, and guidelines for computer-based tests (CBT), among other responsibilities. The rules include provisions for “engagement of services of other govt agencies by public examination authority”, “preparations of norms, standards and guidelines”, and “reporting of incidents of unfair means or offences”, among others.

Pre-examination activities, such as pre-audit for examination readiness of public examination centres, candidate check-in, biometric registration, security and screening, seat allocation, question paper setting and loading, invigilation, post-examination activities, and guidelines for providing scribes will also be part of the norms. The new rules also include provisions for reporting incidents of unfair means or offences and “procedures to be followed in respect of public servant”.

A committee may be constituted by the public examination authority for this purpose, which shall examine all relevant information and submit its findings to the public examination authority.

Kerala House wants state’s name changed to Keralam

CM Pinarayi Vijayan moved the resolution and it was accepted by both LDF and UDF members

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala assembly unanimously adopted on Monday a resolution urging the Centre to officially change the state’s name to “Keralam”. The House was passing the resolution the second time as the Union home ministry, which had reviewed the first resolution, had suggested some technical changes.

In the First Schedule of the Constitution the state is listed as Kerala. CM Pinarayi Vijayan moved the resolution and it was accepted by both LDF and UDF members.

The assembly had on Aug9, 2023, in the ninth session of the 15th legislative assembly, passed a similar resolution seeking the change in the First as well as Eighth Schedules of the Constitution. The Union home ministry had returned it saying that the change needed to be made only in the First Schedule. The resolution passed on Monday incorporates the necessary changes.

IUML MLA N Samsudheen moved an amendment to the resolution but it was rejected. “The suggestion was only regarding the structuring of the resolution since it was returned by the Centre earlier. It was not about the content.”

Group of OBC docs wants to relinquish quota to help others

OBC doctors want to return their caste certificates too

Priyanka.Kakodkar@timesgroup.com

Mumbai: Forty-year-old Dr Rahul Ghule belongs to the nomadic Vanjari community and hails from Marathwada’s Dharashiv. The son of a teacher, he had availed of the OBC-NT quota to get aseat in Mumbai’s G S Medical College in 2003 and graduated as an MBBS doctor. He has been practising in the city for the last 16 years and is married to an anaesthetist.

As the quota war between the Maratha and OBC communities simmers in Maharashtra, Ghule wrote to CM Eknath Shinde on Monday, saying he wants to give up the reservation and other quota benefits due to his family and children. He also wants to return their caste certificates.

The doctor set up the One Rupee Clinic in Thane in 2017 and runs a string of these in the city and UP.

He claims that at least 15 doctors in the state from OBC Medicos Association that he set up in 2008 also want to return their caste certificates and give up their quotas.

The fact remains that OBCs in the creamy layer with an annual family income of Rs 8 lakh and above for three consecutive years are in any case excluded from benefiting from quota. However, the doctors are keen on making this gesture.

“The Maratha-OBC stir has created a social rift. If the wealthy give up their reservation, then the quota will go to the poor and such conflicts will end,” Ghule feels. The group has launched the “Leave reservation, unite society” campaign.

Two others who work in Ghule’s clinics say they plan to do the same. Dr Vaibhav Malave is based in Kalyan and belongs to the Sonar community. Anil Choudhary, who hails from Dhule, belongs to the Teli community. “Our caste will remain the same throughout our lives. But we do not need reservations life-long or for future generations once we are financially secure,” says Malave.

OBCs have a 19% quota in govt jobs and education in the state. Various categories of Nomadic Tribes have a 8% quota and Denotified Tribes 3%.

Didi names & shames TMC netas for hoarding money

Announces Tenders Will Henceforth Be Centralised

‘SHAPE UP OR SHIP OUT’

Tamaghna Banerjee and Dwaipayan Ghosh TNN

Kolkata: Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on Monday surprised even her inner circle with a public takedown of some “errant” cabinet colleagues, TMC functionaries, and bureaucrats found wanting in various respects.

In her sharpest public criticism to date of ministerial and administrative performance, Mamata set a 10-day deadline for everyone to shape up or ship out. From ministers to bureaucrats, municipalities to the state urban development department, police to district heads, everyone seemed to be in her firing line. “It is my turn to speak today and yours to listen,” she told the audience of civic body chiefs, ministers, MLAs and senior officials.

As many in her range of firing visibly squirmed, Mamata named fire services minister and Bidhannagar MLA Sujit Bose, accusing him of encouraging encroachments in Kolkata’s Rajarhat and in front of Salt Lake Sector V’s Webel Bhavan. She also accused state food processing minister and Howrah (Central) MLA Arup Roy and Howrah (North) MLA Goutam Chowdhury of extortion. TOI tried to contact both for comment, but they didn’t respond.

“How much money do you need to lead a good life? You are going around in big cars, dining at fancy restaurants. Everything is fine, but first think of the people,” she said.

Her 70-minute tirade at the state secretariat came 20 days after the LS verdict. To TMC functionaries, she said that those indulging in extortion or doing shoddy work would be thrown out of the party. “I don’t want ‘master’ extortionists. I want people’s servants,” she said, as the municipal corporations of Howrah, Bidhannagar, and Siliguri copped the bulk of her criticism.

She announced a key change in the tender process. Civic bodies are no longer authorised to give out contracts. Instead, a panel comprising the chief secretary and secretaries of home, finance, land and irrigation departments, and police commissioners and an ADGP-level officer will oversee the process.

“Why should the govt’s image be tarnished because of the misdeeds of a few? If I can see malpractice, why can’t you? Why are the roads dirty? Should I even have to sweep streets now?” she said.

World’s oldest ostrich egg gives first evidence of bird’s presence in S India

ANDHRA FIND

Prashant.Rupera@timesgroup.com

Vadodara: A team of archaeologists stumbled upon an ostrich nest that dates back 41,000 years — the oldest found in the world — in Andhra Pradesh.

Archaeologists from the Vadodara-based MS University, and colleagues from Germany, Australia, and US found this archaeological evidence while investigating a fossilrich site in Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh. The nest was the home of 9-11 ostrich eggs, the researchers said.

Typically, an ostrich nest is 9-10 feet wide and can accom- modate 30-40 eggs at a time. Researchers say this finding is crucial in finding out why megafauna (animals weighing more than 40kg) went extinct inIndia. The discovery of nearly 3,500 pieces of ostrich eggshells from a patch of 1x1.5 metres is not only the first evidence of the presence of ostrich in south India, it is also the first time that archaeological evidence of a 41,000-yea-old ostrich nest has been established.

Megafauna, literally large animals, refers to animals like horses, elephants, cattle, and hippopotamus. Some of these megafauna became extinct around 40,000 years ago from different parts of the world. “The oldest ostrich eggshell were discovered from the Siwalik Hills on the Indian side of the Himalayas. They date back more than 20 lakh years. Even in peninsular India, the oldest evidence of ostrich eggshells was discovered from Katoti in Rajasthan, which date back to 60,000 years,” said Devara Anilkumar, assistant professor at the Department of Archaeology and Ancient History at MSU. He has been working on the project since April 2023.

Trudeau: AI attack reminder of shared duty to condemn terror

Pays Homage To Kanishka Victims

Indian high commission in Ottawa had on Sunday termed it a cowardly act of terror, carried out by Canada-based pro-Khalistan terrorists

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Paying homage to the victims of the Air India Kanishka bombing, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau said it remains the deadliest terrorist attack in Canadian history, and a reminder of the shared responsibility to unequivocally condemn terrorism.

The two sides paid their respects to the 329 victims, 280 of them Canadians, amid growing strife in bilateral ties caused, as India has repeatedly said, by the political space given by Canadian authorities to Khalistan extremists who advocate violence against India. Earlier on Sunday, the Indian high commission in Ottawa said in a press release, while remembering the victims, that the bombing was a cowardly act of terror, carried out by Canada-based Khalistani terrorists.

Stating that perpetrators and co-conspirators of the dastardly act remained free, the Indian mission said any act of glorifying terrorism including the bombing of AI-182, in 1985, is deplorable and should be condemned by all peace-loving countries and people. `It is unfortunate that such actions are allowed to be routine on many occasions in Canada,’’ said. Foreign minister S Jaishankar had said on Sunday in a post on X that the anniversary is a reminder why terrorism should never be tolerated. Canada has observed the anniversary of the June 23, 1985, terrorist attack since 2005 as National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Terrorism.

“Today, we remember and honour every Canadian whose life was cut short or forever changed by a terror- ist attack,” said Trudeau.

“Thirty-nine years ago today, 329 innocent people, including 280 Canadians, tragically lost their lives when a bomb, planted on Air India Flight 182 in Canada, exploded mid-flight. This remains the deadliest terrorist attack in Canadian history. It reminds us of the senseless violence that terrorism perpetuates and of our shared responsibility to unequivocally condemn terrorism,’’ he added.

Trudeau further said Canada is doing its part to counter terrorism and violent extremism and has updated its counter-terrorism strategy. While he made no special mention of Khalistan extremism, the Canadian PM cited the example of how his govt has listed Iran’s IRGC under Canada’s Criminal Code. “On this day — and every day — we stand united against hate, intolerance, and division. We reaffirm Canada’s determination to fight against violent extremism and keep our people safe,’’ he said.

Shepherd turns up alive at own burial

Yellappa said his mobile phone was stolen while tending sheep on June 21 and the device was detected on a person who had died after being hit by a train and his body was found on tracks

Sushil.Rao@timesgroup.com

Hyderabad: It had all the trappings of a bizarre tale but the heart-warming twist at the end banished all doubts about the mistaken identity of a dead person in a remote village in Telangana.

Pittla Yellappa (47) of Vikarabad district, a shepherd, was presumed dead and his family were busy making arrangements for his last rites when he showed up just as the body was to be buried, much to the shock of his family members.

But whose body was it that was handed over to the family by police? Yellappa himself cleared the air.

He said his mobile phone was stolen when he was tending sheep on June 21 and the device was detected on a person whose body was found at the railway tracks. The man’s face was smashed beyond recognition after he was hit by a train near Vikarabad railway station. Police officers called up some of the numbers on the phone, found out that it belonged to Yellappa, and handed over the body to his family.

On June 21, Yellappa of Navalga village had set out early in the day from his home. He often returned after a week. On June 22, the family received a call from Govt Railway Police informing them that they had found the mobile on Yellappa, who had died after being hit by a moving train.

The grief-stricken family reached Vikarabad and tried to identify the victim. “The skull was smashed in the accident. There were hardly any clothes on the body, except for his undergarment. The family claimed the body as his mobile was found near it,” GRP sub-inspector K Shankaraiah told TOI.

Relatives said they started making arrangements for the burial in the village when an acquaintance in Tandur informed them that he had seen Yellappa alive. Yellappa too rushed to the village, taking his family members by surprise.

Yellappa was then taken to the police station and the body of the train accident victim was handed back to the officers.

MP cops rescue 50 cows on way to Maha ‘for slaughter’, 9 held

Khargone: Nine people were arrested in Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh on Sunday while allegedly trying to transport 50 cows for slaughter in Maharashtra. All of them are from Punjab.

SP Dharamraj Meena told TOIthe arrests were made following a tip-off. Three of the accused are from Amritsar, five from Gurdaspur and one from Taran Taran, he said, adding they had travelled about 1,300km from Punjab before being intercepted on Agra-Mumbai National Highway in the temple town of Maheshwar.

Police set up checkpoints on the highway and inspected trucks. “The cows were being transported in four trucks from Punjab. The accused said they used to travel only at night and rest in a dhaba during the day,” Meena said. The suspects claimed they did not know whom the cows were to be delivered to, and that all they knew was the destination. They were taking the cows to Solabad near Nashik and were nabbed 350km short, said police.

Man accused of stealing cell phone lynched

Dibrugarh: An incensed mob lynched a 28-year-old man Monday in Assam’s Sivasagar town on suspicion that he had stolen a cell phone, reports Rajib Dutta. The deceased was identified as Palu Gowala.

The cell phone was reported stolen from the house of Jayram Gowala in Phukan Nagar on Sunday night and remained untraced till the time of going to press.

Around 6am Monday, Jayram, with locals’ help, dragged Palu and his relative Dadu out of their houses, suspecting them of theft. The mob thrashed both men, leaving them with critical injuries.

Raid on C’garh Naxal hideout unearths fake currency racket

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Raipur: Security forces on Sunday seized a huge cache of fake currency notes and printing material during a raid on a Maoist hideout in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district on Sunday. It’s the first such seizure in Bastar division.

Apart from fake notes of Rs 50, Rs 100, Rs 200 and Rs 500 denomination, two guns and a cache of explosives were also seized. Sukma SP Kiran Chavan said Maoists were circulating fake currency through weekly village markets in the interior regions of Bastar to “destabilize the economy”.

“We received information that Maoists of Konta area committee were involved in printing fake currency in the forests near Korajguda village,” said the SP. This is midway between Maoist hotspots of Chintagufa and Kistaram, close to Chhattisgarh-Odisha-Andhra-Telangana junction and around 500km south of Raipur.

A joint force of CRPF, District Reserve Guards, Bastar Fighters and district police raided the place and recovered a huge quantity of fake notes, colour printers and 200 bottles of ink, said SP Chavan, adding: “Maoists were operating this unit as a major project, and insurgents from ‘west Bastar division’ had trained one or two cadres from each area committee in 2022 to operate this unit. The Konta area committee was involved in printing fake notes in Mailasur, Danteshpuram and Korajguda in Sukma district.”

Maoists running the unit seem to have left in a panic, said an officer. Usually, Maoists try to salvage as much of their equipment and weapons as they can because it is getting increasingly difficult for them to get supplies. “Maoists are trying to circulate fake currency in large quantities as their funding has been choked due to pressure from security forces,” the SP added.

Maoist shot dead in Bastar, 137 killed this year

On Sunday, when two CoBRA commandos were killed in a Maoist IED explosion in Sukma, a Maoist was also gunned down by security forces in an encounter in Chhattisgarh’s Dhamtari district, 300km away.

The killing took the Maoist death toll to 137 this year so far, with around two dozen in the past month alone. A team of District Reserve Guards was sent out to intercept a band of Maoists who were on the move in Khallari region, close to Odisha border. The gunfight broke out around noon in a forest near Muhkot and Aamjhar villages, 150km from Raipur.

Dhamtari SP Anjaneya Varshney said that after the Maoists retreated, security personnel found a dead Maoist with an SLR rifle next to him, indicating that he could be a senior cadre. He will be identified once the body is brought back to base, police said.

TNN

In UP road rage, driver runs over man who tried to stop car

According to police, the car driven by Shubham Vimal, 28, had collided with Tiwari’s on Kanpur’s VIP Road around 9pm

Faiz.Siddiqui@timesgroup.com

Kanpur: In a case of suspected road rage, a car driver crushed to death a UP irrigation department employee who tried to stop him from fleeing after accidentally hitting the latter’s car in Kanpur on Sunday night. The deceased has been identified as Ravindra Kumar Tiwari, 47. According to police, the car driven by 28-year-old Shubham Vimal had collided with Tiwari’s on VIP Road around 9pm.

As Tiwari stepped out and tried to stop the car by coming in front of its bonnet, Shubham knocked him down and dragged him a few metres before fleeing, hitting a few other cars in his way. Tiwari was rushed to hospital but declared dead.

Videos of the road rampage went viral, stirring tension. Police launched a search, arresting Shubham from a relative’s place in Unnao. “Several teams have been roped in to scan and collect CCTV footage to be presented in court as evidence so that strictest punishment can be awarded to the accused,” said DCP RS Gautam.

House sitting marred by Oppn MPs on chairpersons panel skipping oath

Statute In Hand, Cong & SP MPs Protest As Modi, Shah Take Oath

Home minister Shah & defence minister Rajnath Singh take oath Monday

Akhilesh.Singh@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: The routine custom of newly-elected Lok Sabha members being administered oath by the pro tem Speaker was marred on Monday with opposition members nominated by the President to the panel of chairpersons refusing to take oath when their scheduled turn arrived in order to avoid presiding over the session in the absence of pro tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab.

PM Modi was the first to take oath followed by members of the panel of chairpersons, which included Radha Mohan Singh and Faggan Singh Kulaste of BJP, after which the council of ministers took oath before other MPs in alphabetical order.

However, the three opposition MPs in the panel of chairpersons — K Suresh (Congress), Sudip Bandyopadhyay (Trinamool Congress) and T R Balu (DMK) — gave a miss to the oath-taking. They were listed just after PM Modi and ahead of the council of ministers.

With substantial increase in their numbers, most opposition MPs, particularly from Congress and Samajwadi Party, carried copies of the Constitution to the House. While Modi was taking oath, opposition members rose to their feet, holding copies of the Constitution. They did the same when Union home minister Amit Shah took oath, but remained seated this time.

Congress MP from Mavelikara K Suresh was the first to raise objection when proceedings started as he asked the chair to drop his name from panel of chairpersons.

When Modi reached Parliament Monday, he was accompanied by Union ministers from four different regions of the country — Jitendra Singh, L Murugan, Arjun Ram Meghwal and Kiren Rijiju, to which a senior BJP leader said, “It is true spirit of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat.”

Meanwhile, Independent MP from Baramulla in Kashmir Abdul Rashid Sheikh could not take oath Monday despite his name being called as he has been lodged in jail since 2019 after being charged by the NIA in a terror-funding case. Popularly known as Engineer Rashid, he had defeated former J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah.

Prez hosts dinner for PM and ministers

President Droupadi Murmu on Monday hosted a dinner for the council of ministers led by PM Modi at Rashtrapati Bhavan. VP Jagdeep Dhankhar also attended the dinner. “President Murmu hosted a dinner in honour of the Council of Ministers, led by the PM, at Rashtrapati Bhavan,” Murmu’s office said in a post on X.

TNN

Oppn makes its intent clear with ‘save democracy’ march

The Gandhi statue, a favourite protest site for oppn MPs, was recently relocated to anew spot in the Parliament complex

Mohua.Chatterjee@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: The INDIA bloc of opposition parties made their intent clear on the very first day of the 18th Lok Sabha on Monday by marching from the old Parliament building gate towards the new Parliament House holding copies of the Constitution and chanting slogans of “save democracy” and “long live Constitution”.

Opposition leaders, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party MP Rahul Gandhi, Trinamool Congress’s Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s T R Baalu, among others, assembled at the spot where the Gandhi statue once stood in the Parliament complex. Former Congress chief and Rajya Sabha MP Sonia Gandhi, too, joined the MPs.

Rahul said they (opposition) would not allow the Constitution to be “attacked” by PM Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah. “This attack is not acceptable to us and that is why we held the Constitution and took oath,” he said. “Our message is reaching the public and no power can touch the Constitution and we will protect it,” he added.

The Gandhi statue, which was the favourite protest site for opposition MPs, was recently relocated along with 14 other statues that dotted the complex, to a new spot in the Parliament complex named Prerna Sthal.

Several opposition parties said the mandate of the Lok Sabha elections was against the BJP, even though it was able to form govern- ment with support of other parties. The INDIA bloc has claimed that the results showed the people have backed opposition parties to “save the Constitution”.

In the House, Rahul Gandhi, Trinamool Congress’ Kalyan Banerjee, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and Faizabad MP Awadhesh Prasad were seated in the first row in the opposition benches. Prasad defeated two-time BJP MP Lallu Singh from Faizabad, the constituency that comprises Ayodhya.

NDA: Polls over, end politicking, focus on country’s progress

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: NDA members on Monday criticised opposition MPs for taking out “save Constitution” march to Lok Sabha on Monday, saying they should now consider how to take the country on the path of progress, ending political bickering as the elections were over.

Union minister and BJP MP S P Singh Baghel slammed the opposition parties and said the country would run according to rules and laws, not “mobocracy”.

TDP MP and Union minister K Rammohan Naidu added, “It was not right to do such politics, make such comments and create such an atmosphere on a day when everyone (newly-elected MPs) would like to take oath in a good atmosphere. When the elections are over, political matters should also end. There should now be conversation on how to take the country on the path of progress and serve the nation.”

Naidu asserted that NDA govt wants to take the opposition along and work with them in people’s interest.

“We will also take their concerns seriously and try to address public-oriented issues if they bring up. The NDA govt is functioning with such an attitude. We will walk along with them. We will not leave them,” he said.

BJP MP and former Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai hit out at Congress over INDIA bloc’s “save Constitution” march and said it was Congress govt that had “murdered” democracy by imposing the Emergency in 1975.

BJP plans to use Emergency of 1975 to ‘expose’ Cong

BJP on Monday said it will launch a nationwide programme on the anniversary of the Emergency imposed by former PM Indira Gandhi in 1975 to “expose” Congress’s “authoritarianism and its disregard” for the Constitution.

BJP chief J P Nadda will address the main event, dubbed ‘Dark Days of Democracy’, at the party head office on Tuesday, BJP chief spokesperson Anil Baluni said.

“Emergency stands as an unforgettable dark chapter in India’s robust democracy... marking severe curtailment of democratic freedoms. The then-Congress govt held democracy and Constitution captive, unleashing countless atrocities on people, media and oppn leaders,” Baluni said.

TNN

Oppn campaign drives up sales of a little black-and-red book

Rahul Gandhi with the coat pocket version of the Indian Constitution at Parliament House on Monday

Arvind.Chauhan@timesgroup.com

Lucknow: A key attraction on the inaugural day of 18th Lok Sabha was the coat pocket version of the Indian Constitution, which was waved by several INDIA bloc members, including Rahul Gandhi, in the House as well as outside to protest against Modi govt.

The leather-bound black and red book published by Lucknow-based Eastern Book Company (EBC) had grabbed limelight when it was frequently pulled out by opposition leaders, specially Rahul, in the Lok Sabha election rallies to claim that BJP would tamper with the Constitution if it returned to office. EBC publisher Sumeet Malik claims to have sold 5,000 copies in the last three months while the same number was sold in 2023.

EBC is the sole publisher of the coat pocket version which was first printed in 2009 and has printed 16 editions since then.

“The demand is quite high for our coat pocket edition of Indian Constitution. We are selling out as soon as the fresh stock is received,” added Malik.

The 624-page coat pocket edition is printed on Bible paper and contains a chapter on the making of the Indian Constitution by Prof Ranbir Singh, former vice-chancellor of National Law University, Delhi.

The foreword of the book written by former attorney general KK Venugopal says: “Every Indian, whether he be a law- yer, judge or not, should have a copy of this little book, small in size but huge in its human dimensions. I believe that this elegant book should be in the pockets of every Indian, enabling him to derive inspiration from the greatness of the ideas contained in the Constitution of India, which we, the people of India, have given unto ourselves.”

EBC has procured intellectual property rights on the book and it cannot be copied by anyone. “PM Modi had presented a copy to Ramnath Kovind when he was appointed the President. Supreme Court judges often carry the coat pocket version when they travel abroad in official capacity. It’s available in many libraries across the world as well,” said Malik. “The more access the people in this country will have to legal material, the better it will be governed. The Constitution of India is the most important book in this country,” he added.

Recently, Malik also gifted a copy of the book to Union home minister Amit Shah.

Nadda replaces Piyush Goyal as leader of House in RS

New Delhi:Union health minister and BJP’s national president J P Nadda has been appointed leader of the House in Rajya Sabha, replacing Union minister Piyush Goyal, who has been elected to Lok Sabha from Mumbai North constituency.

Nadda, currently a member of Rajya Sabha from Gujarat, is in charge of ministries of health and family welfare as well as that of chemicals and fertilizers.

Besides him, 11 other members of the Upper House of Parliament are in the Union council of ministers. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge remains the leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha.

Congratulating Nadda, Congress’s Jairam Ramesh urged him to accommodate the views of the opposition in the House. “Greetings to J P Nadda ji on his being nominated as the Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha. As Venkaiah Naidu garu might have said — if the Leader of the House can accommodate, the Opposition can cooperate,” he wrote on ‘X’.

Nadda was the health minister in the BJP govt from 2014-19. The party contested the 2024 polls under his leadership.

TNN

No pretence of bonhomie, session kicks off amid hostility

With PM taking the seat right after his oath, a decades-old custom of greeting oppn benches with folded hands was given a miss

PARLIAMENTARY SNAP: TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee clicks a photograph of party MPs on the first day of the 18th Lok Sabha in Delhi on Monday

Subodh.Ghildiyal@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: The divide between the treasury and the opposition benches in the 18th Lok Sabha went beyond seat-arrangements to appear like battlelines drawn on the first day of the new House.

INDIA bloc kicked off the day with a protest in the Parliament complex. Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, K C Venugopal, and Trinamool MPs like Mahua Moitra, DMK’s Kanimozhi and T R Baalu, N K Premachandran, Rajkumar Roat and others, held up red-covered copies of the Constitution and led rounds of lusty sloganeering. Rahul said, “We will protect the Constitution from attacks by PM Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. Our message is going deep.” As part of a plan, Samajwadi Party chief Akhi- lesh Yadav with this troupe of 37 MPs walked into Parliament, all with a copy of the Constitution. It was in Hindi, with white covers.

Modi entered the house at 10.57am, to the now familiar chants of “Modi, Modi” and loud applause. And when at 11.07am, he took the podium to say “main Narendra Damodardas Modi” for oath, Rahul Gandhi, K Suresh, K C Venugopal, Gaurav Gogoi, Deepender Hooda, Supriya Sule, Dimple Yadav raised copies of the Constitution — the same was done to Amit Shah. It appeared bitter, a spillover of the no-holdsbarred campaign that ended days ago. Suresh, ignored for pro tem Speaker, would be recorded in history as the first protester in the 18th House, rising within minutes of convening to ask that his name be dropped from the panel to assist pro tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab. His shouts were ignored, which led to even louder shouts.

The Prime Minister, on his part, did not make any pretence of bonhomie. He took the oath, and took his seat. Given a go by was decades-old custom of a round of the opposition benches with folded hands and pleasantries. Rajnath Singh and Amit Shah, took his cue. Gaurav Gogoi and Kalyan Banerjee pointed out “the old conventions are being broken”. But there were no takers for feel-good. Gogoi, when his turn came, took oath from the podium on the treasury side, and even shook a few hands.

The seating appeared to betray the tension. Bang opposite PM Modi, across the aisle, was his implacable critic Rahul Gandhi. There has been no announcement yet on the leader of opposition, but Rahul led the show in the absence of Sonia Gandhi, who has moved over to the House of the Elders. Not clear from afar was if they glanced at each other.

One of the heroes of the Battle 2024, Akhilesh Yadav appeared to rub it in. He sat sporting his trademark red cap with an easy smile plastered on his face, but gave primacy to Awadhesh Prasad, the veteran and Dalit who arguably gave BJP the sorest wound by winning the Ayodhya (Faizabad) constituency. The red caps appeared like red rags to the ruling camp.

It continued in that tone. Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan was taunted with cries of “NEET, NEET”, Girijraj Singh was told by Trinamool Congress’s Kalyan Banerjee that “your comments increased Trinamool’s tally”. Rahul let out guffaws as the voluble Banerjee told Prahlad Joshi “we will miss you as parliamentary affairs minister”. The day was for left-handed barbs.

Not long ago, Day 1 used to be a solemn occasion of bipartisanship, littered with light moments and comments, fist bumping and reminiscing. This time, there were few handshakes. And if it was an indication of the term to follow, many found it foreboding.

Even after ‘moral & political defeat’ Modi’s arrogance remains: Kharge

Congress MP Sonia Gandhi with MPs from Samajwadi Party on the first day of Parliament session Monday

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Reacting strongly to PM Narendra Modi invoking the Emergency at the start of Parliament, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said “even after moral and political defeat (of Modi), the arrogance remains”. He said the country expected the PM to speak on important issues like NEET and other recruitment exams but he avoided taking responsibility for the corruption in his govt, as also on the train accident in West Bengal and over the year-long conflict in Manipur, exit poll stock market scam or the caste census.

Posting a video of the opposition’s protest in Parliament on day one of the 18th Lok Sabha, Kharge tweeted, “PM Modi, you are reminding us of the 50-year-old Emergency, but have forgotten the last 10 years of undeclared emergency, which was ended by the people. People have given their mandate against Modi. Despite this, if he has become the PM, then he should work. People need substance, not slogans.”

LS MP K C Venugopal said, “The INDIA alliance enters the 18th Lok Sabha taking Bapu’s blessings and with a fresh resolve to give voice to the people’s issues, challenges, hopes and aspirations in Parliament, and keep the govt in check every single minute.”

Rahul Gandhi, listing the incidents of the first 15 days of the new govt like train accident, NEET, paper leaks, water crisis, price rise, said, “psychologically on the backfoot, Modi is busy saving his govt … India’s strong opposition will continue its pressure and will not allow the PM to escape without accountability.”

Modi vows NDA will deliver 3 times more in its 3rd term

PM Narendra Modi welcomed by Union ministers at Parliament Monday

Continued from P1

Opposition MPs flashed copies of Constitution in what appeared to be a celebration of the success in paring down BJP’s numbers.

“Tomorrow is the 25th of June. For those dedicated to the dignity of the Constitution and who believe in Bharat’s democratic traditions, the 25th of June is an unforgettable day. Tomorrow marks 50 years since a dark chapter was written into India’s democracy. The new generation of Bharat must never forget how the Constitution was completely disregarded, torn apart, and the country was turned into a prison, with democracy utterly suppressed,” the PM said in his address to media ahead of the session’s commencement.

Modi, who had rebutted the charge that BJP intended to change the Constitution during the campaign and had argued that, to the contrary, it was the opposition which had violated the decision of the founding fathers by implementing quotas for Muslims on grounds of religion, sent out an equally loud signal that for him, the battle over the Constitution was not over yet. Taking up suspension of democracy and civil rights during the Emergency, he said, “These 50 years since the Emergency remind us to protect our Constitution and democracy with pride. The countrymen must resolve that such a travesty will never be al- lowed to happen again. We commit ourselves to ensuring a vibrant democracy and fulfilling the common man’s dreams as outlined by the Indian Constitution.”

The remarks appeared to be a prelude to a BJP campaign to recall the days of the Emergency when most of its stalwarts were put in prison.

Modi sought to play down his lower-than-expected numbers by highlighting his success in getting a record third term. Terming NDA’s third victory as remarkable and significant, he said the third consecutive mandate also meant a three-fold jump in his responsibilities, as he sought to assure that he would work three times harder. “We will achieve three times the results, moving forward with this new mission,” he said, adding, “This House of ours will become a House of resolutions. Our 18th Lok Sabha should be filled with resolutions that bring the dreams of the common man to fruition.”

He emphasised the importance of consensus in governance, but not without mentioning the role of a “responsible opposition”. Recalling disruptions during Parliament proceedings in the past, he said people expect debate and diligence, not tantrums, drama and disturbance. “They seek substance, not slogans. The country needs a good and responsible opposition,” he said, adding that he would try to take everybody along.

Pradhan takes oath amid oppn jibes over NEET

New Delhi: Opposition Monday displayed its intent to aggressively take up irregularities in NEET-UG exam and cancellation of UGC-NET in Parliament by raising slogans of “NEET, NEET” when education minister Dharmendra Pradhan stepped up to take oath as Lok Sabha MP.

DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi said Tamil Nadu had been raising questions on the credibility of NEET for a long time and now the entire country was echoing those thoughts. “The credibility of exams conducted by the govt is under question,” she said.

“The case has been given to CBI because Bihar Police’s Economic Offences Unit wanted to interrogate NTA officials,” Bihar MP Pappu Yadav said.

TNN

Naveen signals shift, tells party to work as strong oppn force

Naveen Patnaik asked BJD’s RS MPs to ‘be the voice of 4.5 crore people of Odisha in Parliament’

Ashok.Pradhan@timesgroup.com

Bhubaneswar: Naveen Patnaik’s BJD signalled a departure Monday from its perceived pliancy towards BJP-led NDA in Parliament, with the party patriarch and former Odisha CM urging his Rajya Sabha members to function as “a strong and vibrant opposition” that would “make the Centre accountable on all issues”.

“Be the voice of 4.5 crore people of Odisha in Parliament,” BJP quoted Naveen as saying at a parliamentary party meeting in preparation for the Rajya Sabha session starting June 27.

“Many just and rightful demands of Odisha haven’t been met. We must ensure that those demands are met in right earnest by Centre,” said Naveen, whose party drew a blank in Lok Sabha polls and fell short of a sixth successive term in Odisha.

BJD’s changed stance is seen as part of its renewed resolve to pursue its longstanding demand for special category status to Odisha.

The party also intends to highlight the poor condition of national highways passing through Odisha and alleged delays in projects, including the Cuttack-Sambalpur Road, the proposed Coastal Highway, and the Odisha Capital Region Ring Road near Bhubaneswar.

BJD also plans to seek a provision for at least 20 lakh houses under PM Awas Yojana, and Kendriya Vidyalayas and Eklavya Schools in each block of Odisha, especially in areas with tribal population. In sphere of healthcare, BJD will demand AIIMS campuses in Sambalpur, Koraput, and Balasore to cater to needs of Odisha’s northern, western, and southern regions, the party stated.

Other demands include financial inclusion, 100% telecom connectivity across all panchayats, among others.

Sena (UBT) wants 50% quota for Marathis in new buildings

Chaitanya.Marpakwar@timesgroup.com

Mumbai: Months ahead of assembly elections, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Anil Parab submitted a private member’s bill to the legislative council seeking 50% reservation for Marathi-speaking people in new residential buildings in Mumbai. The bill, awaiting the deputy chairperson’s approval for tabling in the House, has pushed for a penalty of Rs 10 lakh and/or a jail term of up to six months on the developer for failing to provide such a quota.

Sena (UBT) has nine legislators in the 78-member council and 15 in the 288-seat assembly. MVA, the opposition bloc, has 75 members in the assembly and 29 in the council, while Mahayuti, the govt alliance, has 212 members in the former and 28 in the latter. The bill may be tabled during the course of the monsoon session of the legislature, which begins on Thursday.

Parab alleged that “multiple instances” of Marathi speaking people being denied housing under pretext of food preferences or religion had prompted him to submit the bill. “Any discrimination based on religion or food preferences is unconstitutional.” Citing a case from Vile Parle, he said a builder refused to let Marathi people buy homes in a complex on their food preferences. “Marathi people protested, but govt didn’t take cognisance of issue. The developer apologised only after the media highlighted it,” he said, adding that Marathi- speaking people in Mumbai are now outnumbered.

A private member’s bill can be moved by any House member in their personal capacity seeking a new law or tweaks in an existing statute.

Legal experts say Marathi quota proposal against equality, will fail judicial scrutiny

Legal experts said the bill submitted by Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Anil Parab proposing a 50% quota for Maharashtrians may not withstand judicial scrutiny and turn into an Act as it goes against the grain of the constitutional principle of equality, reports Swati Deshpande. R D Dhanuka, former chief justice of Bombay high court, said such a quota “is impermissible in law”. “So many societies in Mumbai seek to allow members of only a particular religion or community or bar certain categories. It has been held constitutionally invalid by our courts.”

Senior counsel Milind Sathe said there has been no precedent in Maharashtra of a private member’s bill being passed as a law. “Secondly, even if govt were to pass it, the bill may not pass the test of judicial scrutiny as such a classification is impermissible under the Constitution.” Agreeing with both, former AG of Maharashtra SG Aney said, “It is an arbitrary proposal with no data to back the claim [on Marathi community’s dwindling numbers in Mumbai].” Asserting that “the bill is not even worth the paper it is written on”, he said it has not been submitted in the form that a private member’s bill should be presented. “A private member’s bill, like any other bill, must contain a draft of the Act that it proposes to be passed. This (Parab’s proposal) is, at best, wishful thinking or aspiration of a private member who hopes that such a bill is framed and brought before the House.” Aney asked what provision should be made if there is no taker for the quota in a project, and if govt would provide funds to the Marathi community to buy such flats. “Realistically, buildings are built in order to be sold.”

Ramesh Prabhu, a cooperative housing society expert consultant, and advocate Vinod Sampat said such a quota would impinge on free trade and commerce. “Reservation in allotment of Mhada flats or subsidised houses has already been implemented. Even if govt decides to pass this bill as proposed, courts will strike it down as unconstitutional,” said Prabhu.

Caste discrimination behind large-scale conversions in border states: RSS neta

IP.Singh@timesgroup.com

Jalandhar: RSS joint general secretary Dr Krishnagopal said Monday that in border states like Punjab, caste discrimination is a factor in large-scale religious conversions. Giving a call to take up the cause of samrasta (social harmony) in a big way across the country, he emphasised the need for eliminating such discrimination.

“Despite years of independence, caste discrimination persists, causing significant harm to Hindu society.

In border states like Punjab, caste discrimination is a factor in large-scale religious conversions. Country’s philosophy recognises that perceived differences are superficial, and deep down, all are one. Adopting social harmony can strengthen society,” he said at the concluding function of RSS Punjab’s ‘Sangh Shiksha Varg’ (Sangh training camp) in Hoshiarpur.

The event was presided over by Baba Lakkha Singh, who is chairman of Vishva Dharm Shanti Seva Mission.

Former Punjab Technical University vice-chancellor and camp chief officer Dr Rajnish Arora said the participants were trained in various activities, including setting up RSS branches, physical exercises, games, intellectual development, service activities, communication and music. “Practical training was also provided by the RSS’s seva, prachar, and sampark departments,” he said.

A total of 260 trainees aged 15 to 40, including students and professionals from 150 locations across Punjab, participated in the 15-day camp.

GST made household goods cheaper, helped poor save: PM

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that his govt is committed to moving ahead on the reforms path to “transform people’s lives” and pointed to the introduction of goods and services tax (GST) helping lower prices of commodities.

“For us, reforms are a means to improve the lives of 140 crore Indians. After the introduction of GST, goods for household use have become much cheaper. This has resulted in significant savings for the poor and common man,” PM tweeted, citing data to argue how levies had been lowered, helping reduce price of goods and services.

Modi’s comments signalled govt’s intent to push reforms despite lower numbers in the Lok Sabha. Analysts were worried if the NDA regime would be able to push ahead with key changes as it marks a return of coalition. The overall expectation is that some of the legislative changes may have to wait while executive decisions will be implemented.

The statement came ahead almost seven years after the GST was introduced as the biggest tax reforms post Independence. While govt has cited the benefit flowing from GST, which subsumed multiple taxes and did away with several cesses and octroi, opposition has sought to paint it as a villain.

The tax regime has helped establish a chain that checks evasion, while also ensuring that refund of levies paid at every stage of providing a good or a service — from raw material to finished products – is refunded through a system of tax credits. This does away with the cascading effect of taxes or removes tax on tax, helping lower prices.

Odisha CM claims attempt to kill him in blast during BJD era

Keonjhar: Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday alleged there was an attempt to assassinate him during the regime of the previous BJD govt by hurling bombs.

Majhi, a senior BJP member, made the remark while addressing a public meeting at Jhumpura in his home district Keonjhar. “There was an attempt to kill me in a bomb blast in Keonjhar’s Mandua. However, I was saved due to God’s blessings and the love of people,” he said.

“I have nothing to fear when Maa Tarini, Maa Dur- ga, Lord Baladev and Lord Jagannath are with me,” the chief minister said.

Majhi, on the second day of his Keonjhar visit, held a roadshow before attending the rally where he was felicitated. He also visited the Maa Tarini, Baladev Jew and Lord Jagannath temples.

The chief minister said as promised in the BJP manifesto, his priority is to provide Rs 3,100 per quintal of paddy as MSP from the Kharif season. He also said Rs 50,000 will be paid to every eligible woman under the Subhadra Yojana.

PTI

Murder accused files plea against Nikam’s return as Maha special PP

Rebecca.Samervel@timesgroup.com

Mumbai: Submitting that it was neither in the public interest nor made in accordance with law, accused in murder cases Vijay Palande has moved a trial court against the reinstatement of Ujjwal Nikam as special public prosecutor in his case. Nikam, BJP’s nominee from the Mumbai North Central Lok Sabha seat who lost, had resigned from 29 cases before his election campaigning commenced.

Claiming that the reappointment was made with malafide intentions and seeking cancellation of his fresh appointment in the cases, Palande’s plea alleged that Nikam will now act for the BJP’s agenda and “for making the image in the eye of the public, he may go to any extent for getting false conviction in famous high profile cases which is against the fundamental rights of the accused and against the expectation of fairness.”

“It is humbly submitted that the fresh appointment by BJP-led govt in state of… Nikam is for extraneous consideration, made with malafide intention to promote him and to make campaign through him as well as to give him hefty remunerations and facilities in (the) name of legal fees which is public money, this is favoritism and illegal,” the plea said.

The matter will come up for hearing on June 28.

Among the cases Palande is accused of is the April 7, 2012 murder of businessman Arunkumar Tikku, 62.

Ram temple hit by seepage after season’s first rain

Ayodhya: Five months after the inauguration of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, water leaked from the roof of the temple’s sanctum sanctorum as the temple town received the season’s first pre-monsoon shower early Sunday, reports Arshad Afzaal Khan.

Temple’s chief priest, Acharya Satyendra Das, expressed concern over the seepage as water was dripping right in front of the Ram Lalla idol. “In the first rain, the roof of the sanctum sanctorum, where the idol of Ram Lalla was installed, started to leak. There is no arrangement to drain water out of the temple,” Das told ANI. “If the rain intensifies, it would be difficult to offer prayers at the temple,” he added.

After the leakage was reported, temple construction committee chairman Nripendra Mishra rushed to the spot and gave necessary instructions to the vendors for repair and waterproofing of the roofs. Mishra, however, explained that the seepage occurred as the temple is still under construction and its mandaps are yet to be closed.

“I saw the rainwater dropping from the first floor. This is expected because Guru Mandap is exposed to the skies as the second floor and completion of shikhar will cover this opening. I also saw some seepage from the conduit as this work on the first floor is in progress. On completion, the conduit will be closed,” the former principal secretary to PM Modi said.

Wheat stock limits back to curb hoarding

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Govt re-imposed stock limit on wheat on Monday, barely after a gap of two-and-a-half months, to check hoarding and price rise of the commodity. This will remain in force till March next year. While this is aimed at bringing down prices, officials said the prices of green vegetables, potato and onion are also likely to cool down with heatwave subsiding in many parts of the country.

The food and public dis- tribution department had last year imposed a stock limit on June 13 which lasted till March. As per the new norms, wholesalers can keep 3,000 tonne of wheat stock and stock with retailers has been capped at 10 tonne. Big chain retailers can keep 10 tonne for each outlet and 3,000 tonne at all depots at any given point of time. They have to disclose the stock every week as well.

Union food secretary Sanjeev Chopra said, “The decision has been taken to put a check on hoarders and black marketers who are trying to gain as sentiment around wheat prices (are) going up amid rumours of not having adequate wheat. We want prices of wheat to be stable.”

He said there is no shortfall of wheat as the overall production was 40-50 lakh tonne higher than last year. Chopra said the opening stock of wheat was 82 lakh tonne on April 1, 2023 while it was 75 lakh tonne on April 1, 2024. The secretary said 266 lakh tonne of wheat has been procured in this Rabi season against 262 lakh tonne last season.

This will be more than what govt requires for the National Food Security Act and other welfare schemes of 184 lakh tonne and closing stock requirement.

On the prices of other essential commodities, Union consumer affairs secretary Nidhi Khare said they expect prices to fall soon. “The severe heatwave reduced the arrival of green vegetables and thereby putting pressure on potatoes and onions.”

IB chief, NHRC secy gen get 1-yr extn

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: The Centre on Monday announced a one-year extension for Intelligence Bureau director Tapan Kumar Deka until June 30, 2025. This comes close on the heels of national security adviser Ajit Doval’s reappointment as the national security adviser for a period co-terminus with that of the Narendra Modi govt.

The continuity in the higher echelons of the central secu- rity establishment under Modi govt 3.0 is being seen as crucial to the regime’s keenness to move further on key priorities like countering terrorism in J&K that now has the Jammu region on target, holding J&K assembly polls peacefully, pushing back Maoists further in Left-wing-extremism-hit pockets, initiating talks with different communities in Manipur to end the ethnic strife, reaching a settlement with Nagas and tackling pro-Khalistan ele- ments in Punjab.

Deka, a 1988 batch IPS officer belonging to Himachal Pradesh cadre, was appointed its director in June 2022. He has served in different security theatres, including LWE-hit areas, through his career in the premier central intelligence agency, and was instrumental in the strategy to defang Indian Mujahideen.

The Centre on Monday also gave a year’s extension to secretary general of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Bharat Lal.

5 of family killed in UP accident

Five members of a family from UP’s Jaunpur, including a woman and her two children, were killed in an accident when a speeding dumper hit the bike they were riding in Rastipur village Monday, police said. All died on the spot, reports Kapil Dixit.

None will lose job due to SC ruling: Hry CM

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chandigarh: Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini said on Monday there was no threat to the jobs of Group C and D employees recruited by Haryana Service Selection Commission (HSSC) under socio-economic criteria after the apex court upheld a high court judgment quashing the Haryana policy.

About 23,000 employees were recruited to these posts in Haryana govt after implementation of the criteria since its notification in June 2019.

“We respect the verdict of Supreme Court. Our socio-economic policy was based on ‘Antyodaya’. We stand by our policy. No employee will be asked to leave their job on the basis of this verdict,” he said.

“If needed, we shall bring legislation in the assembly so that our government will continue to stand with the poor. Whether we are forced to go for a review petition or we have to take this to Vidhan Sabha, we shall do everything. We are with the poor,” added Saini.

The SC order gave Haryana opposition a chance to criticise the BJP govt. Ex-CM Bhupinder Hooda was the first to react. “This verdict clearly says govt cannot defend even its own policies in the interest of unemployed youth,” he said.

Assam governor pushes away RSS man trying to felicitate Raje

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Jaipur/Udaipur: Assam governor Gulab Chand Kataria pushed an RSS veteran off the stage when he purportedly attempted to garland ex-Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje at an event Sunday in Udaipur’s Sukhadia Hall. Kataria said he deemed the act of someone from the audience climbing the stage and approaching Raje in the middle of the event “inappropriate”.

Raje, too, stood up to admonish RSS worker, identified as Vijay Raj Suwalka. She later spoke of the “shifting dynamics of loyalty”.

A 40-second video that has since been widely shared on social media shows Suwalka trying to approach Raje, disregarding Kataria’s gesture asking him to return to his seat. The governor is then seen rushing towards Suwalka and pushing him. Reluctant to leave the stage even then, Suwalka is seen arguing with Kataria. When the guards and some people in the audience intervene, RSS worker is seen going off stage while shouting at Kataria.

Suwalka said Kataria publicly took “revenge” against him for once demanding a BJP ticket to contest the former’s assembly seat, Barisadri.

Kataria, a seven-time former MLA, was made Assam governor in Feb 2023.

HC explained reasons for retest, no errors in verdict: SC to Haryana govt

 Continued from P 1

Appearing for Haryana Staff Selection Commission , AG R Venkataramani pleaded Supreme Court that there was no need to hold fresh examinations and results could be declared after doing away with additional marks granted to state residents. But the bench said that HC had given reasons to hold re-test and there was no error in the verdict.

Under this “socio-economic” criteria, additional weightage was granted by the Haryana govt to domiciles of Haryana on fulfilment of certain conditions, including that none of the applicant's family members was a regular govt employee and the gross annual income of the family from all sources was less than Rs 1.8 lakh.

Bring law to make parent nod must for love marriage: Khaps

‘Put An End To Live-Ins Or Face Stir’

Vijender Kumar TNN

Jind: Haryana’s khaps (social clans) are demanding that Parliament bring laws in the current session to make parental assent mandatory in love marriages and to end live-in relationship system or face statewide agitation, amid rising number of socalled “honour killings”.

Khaps of Kandela, Majra, Nau Gama, Binain, Kalwa Tapa and Thuwa, among others, have sought laws on both issues. Khap leaders said if NDA-led central govt doesn’t introduce bills on both issues, opposition parties should take a call in Lok Sabha by raising the voice of social clans.

“We don’t have any issue with a love marriage or court marriage but parental permission must be sought while solemnising marriages of young couples,” Majra khap spokesperson Samundar Phour said on Monday, adding, “It is painful that parents raise a girl till the age of 18 and thereafter she elopes, carrying an Aadhaar card along with her, shattering her parents’ dreams. Therefore, the Centre should bring an act on this issue.”

He also demanded decrease in age of marriage. “The govt should fix the age for girls’ marriage at 16 years,” Phour said. Gurwinder Singh Sandhu, Majra khap head and coordinator of 24 khap panchayats in Jind district, said live-in relationships have “brought shame to society”.

Hry couple killed 2 months after love marriage

In a suspected honour killing, a married couple was shot dead in Hansi town of Haryana on Monday, reports Kumar Mukesh. The assailants fired seven rounds, leaving the couple, who had a love marriage two months ago, dead in Hansi’s Hukum Chand Jain Park. The victims have been identified as Tejbir, 27, of Badala village, and Meena, 24, of Sultanpur village. Meena’s paternal aunt is married to Tejbir’s maternal uncle. Tejbir and Meena married against the wishes of Meena’s family in Ghaziabad on April 22. Cops said a case has been registered against 11 people at Hansi police station as per complaint of Tejbir’s father Mehtab Singh.

ABVP accuses MP varsity prof of ‘propagating Islam’, probe on

Ujjain: Vikram University in Ujjain has formed a five member committee to probe allegations by ABVP that a professor was “propagating Islam”. Vice-chancellor Akhilesh Pandey said the move was prompted by students’ complaints against guest pharmacy professor Anis Sheikh.

Sheikh, however, rejected the allegations and said the ruckus was created by a group of students seeking unwarranted favours. “Some students who skipped classes and lab assignments wanted high marks,” he claimed.

The committee — headed by pharmacy department head Kamlesh Dashora and comprising professors Salil Sharma, DD Vediya, Umesh Singh and Alka Vyas — has to submit the report in 15 days, Pandey said, adding: “Sheikh has been asked to keep away from the university till the report is submitted.”

ABVP members staged protests at the varsity, alleging that Sheikh was “spreading material promoting Islam” on a messaging application and “harassing Hindu students”. The committee is expected to start recording students’ statements Tuesday.

TNN

Times City

- ED Slams Bail Order, CM Flags ‘Arrogance’

- ED claims trial court didn’t consider all papers, CM says all recorded in order

- AAP blames LG for 1,100 trees felled along Ridge, demands his resignation

- LG visited other sites, not place where trees were cut: DDA advocate

- 24 peacocks die at Palam Air Force stn

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- City sees light rain, but temp crosses 40°C again

- Family on vacation, bizman murdered by friend, 3 others

- 14 heatwave days in May and June, highest in city in 14 yrs

- Ensure drains cleaned to stop waterlogging, orders mayor

- Clean Yamuna: New STPs to use UV treatment

- LPG cylinder blast sparks fire in building, 3 injured

- Don’t just smell the coffee, drink it to cut mortality risk, says study

- Lakhs Of Delhiites Suffering Due To Dip In Supply: Atishi

- BJP, Congress target Atishi’s fast for water

- Delay in second phase of MCD survey leaves vendors vulnerable

- Ministers write to PM for intervention to solve issue

- Abducted 1-yr-old rescued, 3 arrested

- Man stabbed to death during altercation:

- Disabled man killed, body found in Agra

- Two members of car theft gang in net

- WHAT A CLIMBDOWN!

- Court gives man 20 yrs in jail for sodomy

- Noida airport delayed by 6 mths as steel import hit

- PWD completes 90% of Anand Vihar flyover, targets to open it next month

- Resolve issues in NDMC staff promotions, benefits: LG

- Man knifed, girlfriend and associate in cuffs

- All offices in women and child dept to be made disabled-friendly

- Abducted 4-yr-old girl found in Shahdara

- 13% Rise In Tax Rev In 2023-24, `100cr More Than Estimated

- 3 housekeepers fall into tank at IT firm, drown

ED Slams Bail Order, CM Flags ‘Arrogance’

Trial Court Didn’t Consider Any Relevant Material: Agency; ED Dictating To Court: Kejriwal

Vineet.Upadhyay@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:Enforcement Directorate on Monday opposed chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's bail plea in the liquor policy case, calling the trial court's order “illegal and perverse”. Responding in writing before Delhi High Court, the chief minister said discretionary orders of bail cannot be set aside “merely on perceptions and fanciful imagination of the prosecution”.

The vacation bench of Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain is likely to pronounce its verdict on ED's plea seeking stay on Kejriwal's bail order on Tuesday at 2:30pm. On June 21, it had reserved its order on ED’s plea seeking a stay on the order.

In its written reply submitted before HC, the agency said the vacation bench of the trial court which granted bail to Kejriwal on June 20 had failed to consider even a single relevant material placed before it which would have demonstrated the "neckdeep involvement" of the AAP chief in the money laundering case. It claimed AAP was the major beneficiary of the proceeds of crime in the Delhi excise policy “scam”.

It said the judge had also committed a "fatal error" by totally ignoring the vicarious role of Kejriwal under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The agency said the order “suffers from a jurisdictional defect” since neither was the public prosecutor given a proper hearing, nor did the trial court record its satisfaction that “there are reasonable grounds for believing that he is not guilty of such offence” as laid down in Section 45 of PMLA. Under this section, the court has to also be satisfied that the accused is not likely to commit any offence while on bail.

The ED called the trial court order “perverse” saying judge Niyay Bindu cut short its arguments and also did not go through the materials and evidence placed before her against Kejriwal which demonstrated his "neck-deep involvement in the offence of money laundering", including demanding of Rs 100 crore in bribes as well as its subsequent utilization by AAP in the Goa elections.

Referring to Delhi HC’s judgment dated April 9, 2024 which dismissed Kejriwal's plea challenging his arrest, ED said the same continues to remain binding on various issues such as role of Kejriwal in formulation of Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22, his role in deman- ding kickbacks, his meetings with the south liquor lobby, his association with co-accused Vijay Nair, his role as national convener of AAP and utilisation of proceeds of crime.

Calling the trial court's finding that ED was silent on how the proceeds of crime have been utilized in the Goa assembly elections by AAP "completely perverse", the agency said the entire money trail was placed before the trial court both in the reply as well as the prosecution complaint (equivalent to chargesheet) with digital evidence, currency note numbers used in hawala transactions recovered from mobiles, statements of hawala operators involved in the transactions as well as those of other persons who were facilitating the transactions along with their CDRs and location when the cash was picked up and exchanged.

Kejriwal said in his reply that merely because he is a political figure and opposed to the present dispensation at the Centre cannot be the ground or basis for not only cooking up a false case against him but also denying him due process of law.

He said he was gravely aggrieved by the stay on his bail order. Supreme Court has repeatedly held that “deprivation of liberty even for a single day is one too many", said the CM.

“The argument raised by ED that ‘irrelevant materials have been considered’ will not only tantamount to dictating the court as to the course to be adopted but also demonstrate an element of arrogance that has crept in the mind of this particular investigating agency," the CM said.

There are absolutely absurd, most uncalled for, unjustified and unwarranted insinuations levelled in the petition whereby the ED claimed that it did not get sufficient opportunity to argue the matter, said Kejriwal, adding that the entire criminal jurisprudence relating to bail matters would turn on its head in case the contentions of ED are accepted.

The CM called for rejection of ED’s contention that it was not given a proper opportunity of hearing. Kejriwal said the order granting bail not only deals with all the relevant contentions of both sides but also the reasons for grant of bail duly reflect a "due and proper application of mind by the learned court on each and every aspect".

“Even if the reasons are not to the liking of ED, it does not lie in their mouth to condemn and criticize such an order. The level of perversity has to be so grave and deep that would go to the root of the matter and perversity cannot be judged on fanciful imaginations, prejudices, beliefs and arbitrary ipse dixit (he himself said it) of the investigating agency," said Kejriwal.

ED claims trial court didn’t consider all papers, CM says all recorded in order

Solicitor general Tushar Mehta and additional solicitor general SV Raju, on behalf of ED, submitted that the agency did not get full opportunity to present its case before the trial court, which cut short its arguments

Continued from P1

But the bench responded that if HC had committed a mistake, as submitted by him, then the same mistake could not be repeated by the apex court.

Kejriwal’s plea was opposed by solicitor general Tushar Mehta and additional solicitor general S V Raju, who, on behalf of ED, submitted that the agency did not get full opportunity to present its case before the trial court, which cut short its arguments. They said that the trial court did not go through the entire documents filed in the case and granting bail was also violative of Section 45 of PMLA on twin conditions test.

Singhvi, however, said that the trial court in its order recorded all submissions and the order falsified ED's arguments. He said that Kejriwal is not a flight risk if he comes out on bail and there was no need for High Court to stay the order without hearing the case on merit.

As both the sides kept questioning trial court and HC orders, the bench said that the HC itself indicated that it would soon pass a detailed order and said that it could hear the case on Wednesday, hoping that HC may deliver the verdict on Tuesday.

“Normally on stay applications, orders are not reserved. They are passed at the hearing itself, on the spot. So, it is a bit unusual, we will have it on the day after,” the SC bench said.

Granting bail to Kejriwal last Thursday in a money laundering case related to the alleged scam in the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22, a city court has observed that ED was acting with bias. The bail order was stayed by HC on Friday, saying the bail would remain stayed till it pronounced its verdict. and had asked counsel from both sides to file written submissions by June 24.

AAP blames LG for 1,100 trees felled along Ridge, demands his resignation

Saurabh Bharadwaj claimed the trees were cut despite the knowledge that it could not be done without the permission of the apex court

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday demanded the resignation of lieutenant governor VK Saxena alleging he had a role in the “felling of 1,100 trees" in the southern ridge area of the city.

Addressing a press conference, senior AAP functionary and Delhi urban development minister Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that the 1,100 trees were felled without any permission after a visit of the LG in Feb this year.

No immediate reaction was available from the LG’s office on the mater.

Bharadwaj alleged that the LG not only got the trees illegally felled, but he also tried to shift blame on others and misled Supreme Court.

“He still got exposed by Supreme Court. I think he should resign on moral grounds. He has no moral ground to hold the post of LG for even one day,” Bharadwaj said.

Supreme Court earlier in the day sought a “clear” statement from Delhi Development Authority’s vice-chairman on whether trees in the ridge area were cut on the orders of the LG without its permission. The SC also asked the DDA VC to submit before the court whether any official record was available regarding LG’s site visit on Feb 3 and what transpired during the inspection.

The trees were felled in the southern ridge’s Satbari area to construct a road from Chattarpur to South Asian University.

Bharadwaj said the trees were cut despite the knowledge that it cannot be done without the permission of the top court. He added that the authorities concerned kept quiet on the matter that came to light after an NGO started raising questions.

When DDA approached Supreme Court for its permission to cut those trees in March, the apex court rejected the request. The urban development minister said it was in May that the two NGOs, who investigated the matter, told the court that 1,100 trees had been felled in Feb itself. He claimed that the trees were felled on a “verbal order” of the LG but no DDA official had the courage to question it.

The AAP functionary alleged that DDA attempted to mislead the court with a false affidavit to shield the LG.

LG visited other sites, not place where trees were cut: DDA advocate

Continued from P1

he Supreme Court perused the report of the enquiry committee set up by DDA to look into the fiasco and noted that certain email communications referred to a site visit made by the LG on Feb 3, 2024.

“We direct the Vice Chairman to state before the court, after perusing the record, whether any official record is available regarding the site visit made by the Hon'ble LG on 3rd Feb and whether anything is recorded on what transpired during the visit of the Hon'ble LG. We need a clear statement of facts from the Vice Chairman, inasmuch as if what is mentioned in the emails is correct, it would indicate that the felling of the trees was done pursuant to the directions by the LG. Therefore, we expect the DDA to come clean on this aspect,” the court said.

Senior advocate Maninder Singh, appearing for DDA vice-chairman, said that LG had visited other sites and not the place where trees were cut. The court also disapproved of judicial officers of Delhi serving as legal adviser of DDA and asked Delhi high court to take steps to stop the practice, saying that it was against independence of the judiciary.

The court said that it needed the assistance of the DDA as the enquiry committee had not held any inquiry regarding the correctness of the statement in the emails about the LG’s visit. “After having carefully perused the affidavits and annexures, we find that all the facts leading to the felling of trees have not come on the record,” the court observed.

“Such brazen acts in the capital city cannot be lightly brushed aside by this court. If authorities are not going to perform their statutory and constitutional duties, the court has to give a clear and loud signal to all authorities that the environment cannot be damaged in this fashion,” it said.

24 peacocks die at Palam Air Force stn

Sources claim the peacocks may have succumbed to heatstroke

Kushagra.Dixit@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: In an alarming incident, 24 peacocks have died in the premises of Palam Air Force Station while many others are reported to be in poor health, according to sources.

The most recent casualties, numbering four, were documented on Monday. According to reliable sources, the first reports of peacock fatalities, a species safeguarded under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, had surfaced on June 4.

While the reasons behind the deaths remain a mystery, some sources claimed that it was due to heatstroke. However, some other sources indicated that the deceased birds were not subjected to a thorough examination or post-mortem procedures to determine the cause of their demise. The forest department was also not informed, they claimed.

When contacted, a senior official of the forest department said, “We are unaware of the incident. Since it’s the national bird, and 24 is a big number, ideally, we should have been informed. In such cases, the carcasses are sent for post-mortem and the reasons are assessed.”

Meanwhile, other sources stated that some of the carcasses were initially examined and post-mortem was conducted “by some people at the individual level”. “However, the reason for the deaths was found to be heatstroke,” according to the sources.

'Friend' booked on charges of raping teen in Mehrauli

New Delhi: Delhi Police has booked a man for allegedly raping a teenage girl for an year in south Delhi’s Mehrauli, an officer said on Monday. The girl, who is now 18 years old, was a minor at the time of the incident, the officer said. The matter was reported to police on June 22 by Safdarjung Hospital, where the girl had been admitted for termination of four months’ pregnancy by her mother. “The girl alleged that she was in a relationship with a man. He had forced her to have physical relations with him from Jan 2023 to Jan 2024,” the cop said. The girl revealed the name of the accused after counselling by Delhi Commission for Women and the investigating officer.

PTI

Monsoon Plan: PWD To Deploy Teams At 9 Subways, 5 Flyovers

Pumping Sets To Tackle Waterlogging, Other Areas To Be Covered Soon

Siddhanta.Mishra@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Public Works Department (PWD) has identified nine subways and five flyovers in south Delhi that are prone to waterlogging during the monsoon.

The department will deploy teams equipped with water pumping sets to prevent inconvenience to the public. The flyovers at Chirag Dilli, IIT-Delhi, and Panchsheel will be prioritised, and other locations across the city will also be identified for similar measures soon.

In the past, the department has implemented such measures at several underpasses where water accumulates. Each team will consist of four pump operators, an electrician, a wireman and regular staff. They will be deployed mainly between June and Sep. These teams will also look into other aspects such as illumination of pedestrian subways

As part of its monsoon preparations, PWD has also overhauled automatic stormwater management systems at four key locations in central Delhi —Pragati Maidan, Minto Bridge, Azad Bhawan, and ITO.

Three of these places experienced flooding and had malfunctioning water management systems during last monsoon.

PWD also plans to start real-time online monitoring of major pump houses with a tender floated to initiate surveillance through software at the pump house on Mathura Road.

This stretch, starting in front of Supreme Court and extending up to gate numbers 6 and 7 of the Bharat Mandapam, is a waterlogging hotspot and a VIP area.

Last year, during the G20 Summit, PWD installed CCTV cameras on this stretch for digital monitoring.

In collaboration with the power department, PWD is developing contingency plans to ensure the availability of backup power for operating water pumping sets in case of power outages caused by flooding. Although bodies such as PWD, DJB and MCD develop a monsoon action plan every year, there are still several waterlogging hotspots where heavy flooding occurs, causing significant disruption to traffic movement.

There are 1,037 stormwater drains along the PWD-managed road network of 1,400km. The official deadline for completing the desilting was the end of May but the work is not complete yet. According to PWD, the operators deputed at these locations and efforts will be made to attend to complaints within eight working hours.

In addition to this measure, quick response teams have been deployed at crucial spots in the city to rush in just in case there is heavy rain and there is waterlogging.

City sees light rain, but temp crosses 40°C again

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Parts of the city received very light rain on Monday, but high humidity levels made the outdoors uncomfortable as the heat index settled at 53 degrees Celsius for the second consecutive day.

The maximum temperature, which had stayed below 40 degrees Celsius for the past two days, rose to 40.4 degrees Celsius, two degrees above normal. The minimum temperature was recorded at 31.6 degrees Celsius, four degrees above normal. Since there was a difference of around 10 degrees Celsius between maximum and minimum temperatures, both daytime and night-time saw high temperatures.

India Meteorological Department’s data shows that Palam logged 0.2 mm rainfall from 8.30am to 5.30pm. Apart from Palam, some parts of the city saw very light showers. The relative humidity oscillated between 45% and 73% in the past 24 hours.

There is a possibility of thunderstorms with very light rain from Tuesday to Friday, said the met department. Rain is likely to be accompanied by gusty winds over the next few days.

Mercury is predicted to hover around 40 degrees Celsius on Tuesday and Wednesday. According to the IMD forecast, the heat index is likely to stay in the range of 50-52 degrees Celsius during the next 24 hours.

“There are chances of thunderstorms with very light rain from June 25 to 28. The maximum temperature may dip to around 38 degrees Celsius on Thursday and touch 37 degrees Celsius on Friday,” said a met official.

However, the minimum temperature is likely to stay around 30-31 degrees Celsius for the next two days and could later dip to 28 degrees Celsius.

The met department has issued a ‘yellow’ alert for June 29 and 30 for thunderstorms with rain. However, IMD has not yet announced when the monsoon is expected to arrive in the capital.

Delhi recorded its worst streak from May 14 to June 21 when the maximum temperature continuously surpassed 40 degrees Celsius. The spell broke on Saturday when the maximum temperature touched 39.4 degrees Celsius. The maximum temperature was recorded at 39.8 degrees Celsius on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality remained in ‘moderate’ category with an AQI of 142. The air quality is likely to stay ‘moderate’ for the next few days, according to the Air Quality Early Warning System, which is the forecasting body under the Union ministry of earth sciences.

Family on vacation, bizman murdered by friend, 3 others

POLICE SOURCE SAYS Anuj revealed he was struggling with debt since the pandemic and had lost up to Rs 20-25 lakh in financial ventures. He was under pressure to repay loans

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: A businessman in his late 30s was murdered during a robbery at his residence in west Delhi’s Naraina. Four people, including the man’s friend who allegedly masterminded the crime, have been arrested.

The victim, Vibhuti Kumar, lived with his wife and two minor sons, who were on a vacation in Nepal when the incident took place on June 12. According to police, the murder occurred early morning, around 3-4am, but wasn’t discovered till night.

“Kumar’s wife called him, but he did not pick up. So, she asked his sister to check on him. When his sister went to his apartment, which was nearby, she found that the door was locked from the outside. She had an extra key, which she used to unlock the door, and found him lying unconscious in bed on the second floor of his house,” a police source said, adding he was declared dead at the hospital he was taken to.

Deputy commissioner of police (West) Vichitra Veer said after scanning CCTV footage from more than 250 cameras in the vicinity, they were able to zoom in on suspect -Kumar’s friend Anuj. “He was arrested in Rohtak by SHO Satish Kumar’s team. He revealed he was struggling with significant debt since the pandemic and had lost up to Rs 20-25 lakh in financial ventures. He was under pressure to repay loans,” DCP Veer said.

Police said Kumar often vi- sited Anuj’s flat in Karampura and during their conversations, Anuj learned that his friend’s cosmetics business was thriving and that he handled large sums of cash daily.

“Anuj hired three people known to him. They used to work as labourers. The initial plan was to rob Kumar near the park. But Kumar came to Anuj’s office in west Delhi and told him his wife and children had gone to Nepal for vacation and invited him home,” the source said.

Kumar and Anuj reached the former’s house on his scooter, said police. “Anuj told his associates that he would call them once Kumar went to sleep. He alerted them later and let them in. However, Kumar woke up, following which the suspects strangled him with a towel and fled with Rs 7 lakh cash and some jewellery,” the officer said, adding that they have recovered Rs 4.8 lakh.

Anuj also led the police to a mobile phone, a house key and other incriminating evidence. The co-accused -Abhishek, Neeraj and Suraj, all aged about 20 –have been arrested from Badakhurd in Jind. A murder case has been registered, said cops.

14 heatwave days in May and June, highest in city in 14 yrs

Continued from P1

Between 2011 and 2024 in the corresponding period, the second lowest rainfall recorded was in 2012 with 42.8 mm.

Met officials said since no active western disturbance impacted the city this year, Delhi did not witness intense rain activity. “In the summer season, active western disturbances mostly impacted the hilly areas, causing significant rain in the mountains,” a Met official said. “However, the plains, including Delhi, saw mostly dry thunderstorms. Even when western disturbances impacted the region, the city only saw very light to light showers and cloud cover.”

The lack of sufficient rainfall in the past four months led to high temperatures in the region. The city was under the grip of heatwaves in May and June. Safdarjung saw 14 heatwave days in May and June, the highest in at least 14 years. Several other city stations reeled under heatwaves for a larger number of days.

March 2024 recorded a rain deficit of 75% after Delhi received just 4.3mm of rainfall against the month’s normal of 17.4mm. On March 3, the city logged 4mm and it was the highest single-day rainfall recorded at Safdar- jung so far this summer.

April also ended with a rain deficit of 54% because the month received just 7.5mm of rain. May was worse, with only 0.4mm of rain logged, a rain deficit of 99%. June has so far reported 5.4mm of rain.

Safdarjung reports 2 more heat deaths, Delhi’s toll now at 277

New Delhi: Two people admitted to Safdarjung Hospital succumbed to heat-related illness, bringing the hospital’s total fatalities to 32 on Monday. The patients passed away due to complications associated with extreme temperature.

The number of fatalities attributed to heat-related ailments in medical facilities throughout the city rose to 277 on Monday after the two deaths were reported by Safdarjung Hospital till 8pm.

Delhi govt-run healthcare institutions did not release any further updates. A substantial proportion of the total casualties, totalling 154 patients, were classified as "brought dead in various hospitals," indicating that they had succumbed before receiving any medical intervention. Based on the details provided by Safdarjung, there was no fresh admission of patients with heat-related ailments on Monday. “At present, a total of 10 patients are admitted, and 8 patients are critical,” the hospital said. The absence of new cases suggests a possibility of an improvement in the situation, although the high number of critical patients in medical facilities remains a concern.

Ensure drains cleaned to stop waterlogging, orders mayor

New Delhi: Ahead of the monsoon season, mayor Shelly Oberoi on Monday headed a high-level meeting and directed officials to ensure drains are cleaned on a war footing to prevent waterlogging.

In the meeting with commissioner Ashwani Kumar and other senior officers, Oberoi said waterlogging-prone locations should be identified and additional pumps should be deployed. She asked officials to take immediate action if citizens report problems and ensure steps to improve sanitation.

“Additional sanitation workers should be deployed and strict measures must be taken to ensure proper cleaning,” an official quoted her as saying.

The mayor directed all deputy commissioners to hold meetings with zonal private concessionaires and ensure timely garbage collection from households by auto-tippers. She also asked officials to make special arrangements to remove C&D waste. “She directed debris on roadsides, back lanes and parks to be removed at the earliest and stressed the need for coordination with all agencies to make Delhi a clean city,” added the official.

Meanwhile, DPCC president Devender Yadav said people dread the prospect of roads and lanes getting waterlogged as, according to officials, Delhi govt, MCD, PWD and DDA have been able to complete only 82% of desilting works. Moreover, he added, wherever desilting has been done, the silt has not yet been removed, which will flow back into the drains when the rains arrive, clogging them again.

TNN

Clean Yamuna: New STPs to use UV treatment

TOI had earlier reported that over 75% of the city's STPs were failing to reduce faecal coliform level, a major marker of pollution in the river water

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Water will be subjected to ultraviolet treatment at some sewage treatment plants (STP) to control faecal coliform level and, thus, reduce pollution in the Yamuna. Though only the STP at Kapashera is equipped with UV technology, water is currently being treated for faecal coliform in 15 other STPs too.

TOI had earlier reported that over 75% of the city's STPs were failing to reduce faecal coliform level, a major marker of pollution in the river water. This was because most of the STPs had no technology for bacterial disinfection through either chlorination, UV treatment or ozonation, despite an order to the effect by the Natio- nal Green Tribunal.

According to bacteriological analyses reports, the faecal coliform levels at the outlet of one STP throughout January this year was 14,00,00,00,000 MPN/100ml (most probable number per 100ml of water), while at another it was 24,00,00,00,00,00, and 46,00,00,00,000 MPN/100ml at a third.

“DJB has 38 STPs of which 15 STPs are now complying with the latest NGT norms on parameters, of which faecal coliform is one,” said an official of the water utility. “As per standard, the faecal coliform must be below 230mpn/100ml and we are now able to reduce it below 100mpn/100ml at some STPs, which is the desirable norm.”

According to Delhi Jal Bo- ard officials, the goal is to upgrade 28 of the 39 STPs by September. These upgrades will bring the STPs in line with the standards accepted by NGT, including reducing faecal coliform level to below 230 units.

Another official said that of 15 currently compliant STPs, the one at Kapashera was using UV treatment while the others employed chlorination and other processes. Nine others are undergoing augmentation at present and four are having trials.

“Many Delhi STPs are very old. These have to be upgraded to meet the standards. All STPs are working on design parameters, which earlier did not include faecal parameters until NGT came out with the norms. Now they are being upgraded,” said the official. “Apart from this, the Yamuna Vihar Phase-2 STPis being upgraded to augment its capacity from 10 million gallons per day (MGD) to 15MGD. Similarly, Kondli and Rithala Phase I and II are being upgraded to meet the pollution norms, including faecal coliform. By September, we hope to have 28 STPs with augmented facilities.” The official added that all new STPs would employ UV technology to treat water for bacterial contamination.

DJB official felt this step would improve the quality of the Yamuna’s water against the current situation when only semi-treated or untreated sewage is flowing into the river

“We hope that once these STP facilities are commissioned, the quality of the river will improve. Apart from these, there are decentralised STPs also and the use of these smaller plants will be crucial to treat effluent from unauthorised areas,” the official said. He explained that sewage from an unauthorised colony could cause overloading at an STP, but a decentralised STPs could be employed to trap sewage and treat it at the spot itself. “Otherwise, the untrapped sewage flows into the Yamuna through stormwater drains,” official added.

LPG cylinder blast sparks fire in building, 3 injured

Four fire tenders were sent to the spot in Uttam Nagar

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: An LPG cylinder blast in a west Delhi residential building injured three people, including an 11-year-old girl who jumped from the first floor to save herself. The explosion was so intense that the walls of the second floor collapsed and an air conditioner unit was flung to an adjoining terrace.

Delhi Fire Service received a call around 2.15pm about a fire in C Block of Sanjay Enclave, Uttam Nagar. Four fire tenders and 20 firefighters reached the blaze site after a challenging drive through the area’s narrow road. The firefighters had to park the tenders some distance away and connect several hoses to be able reach the building on fire.

“We ran to the spot lugging along the firefighting equipment,” a fire officer said. “We noticed that there were 100-150 people gathered there. We asked them to move away from the area because of the risks involved."

The officer said that the building, a five-storey one including the ground floor, was engulfed in flames. “The impact was severe. The walls of the second floor had completely collapsed and fallen to the road," the officer said. To add to the firefighters' difficulties, there was the compressor of the AC in one of the flats also exploded. "The AC unit was hurled 20 metres away and landed on the terrace of a nearby house," the officer added.

A video shot after the incident shows the collapsed walls of the second floor while the fire continued to burn. The wall of the affected building collapsed onto a nearby building, injuring one of its residents, Reena, 22. She was attended to by the firefighters and rushed to the hospital for medical treatment.

Police said a gas cylinder blast had caused the fire in the second-floor residence of Suman and her 18-year-old son, Nakul. The cops also learnt that an 11-year-old girl named Surbhi, who was caught by the fire on the first floor, jumped to save herself.

The fire officer revealed that there was only one escape route in the building and it was filled with smoke. “We had to form several teams to douse the blaze,” the officer said.

Police said they had launched an inquiry into the matter. Fire service data showed that 2,328 calls related to residential fires had been recorded up to May 28 against a fewer 1,691 calls in the same period last year.

Don’t just smell the coffee, drink it to cut mortality risk, says study

A BEVERAGE WITH MULTIPLE BENEFITS?

Anuja.Jaiswal@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: There is good news for coffee lovers. People who consume coffee but lead a sedentary lifestyle experience a notable decrease in mortality risk compared to those who sit for more than six hours and don’t drink coffee, according to a study published recently in the journal BMC Public Health.

The study conducted on US adults highlighted the potential protective effect of coffee consumption against the detrimental health consequences associated with extended periods of sitting. Non-coffee drinkers were nearly 1.6 times more likely to die of all causes compared to coffee drinkers, the analysis showed.

While sedentary behaviour is generally considered a risk factor for various health issues, the results indicate that coffee intake may mitigate the increased mortality risk in individuals who spend a significant portion of their day in a seated position.

According to doctors across the city, the antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties of coffee likely contribute to these benefits. Patients should be encouraged to include moderate coffee consumption as part of a balanced diet, combined with other healthy lifestyle choices, such as regular physical activity and a nutritious diet, they said.

Dr Narander Kumar, consultant, internal medicine and infectious diseases, Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute, said, “Clinically speaking, the reduction in mortality among coffee drinkers includes its rich content of polyphenols, which can improve vascular function and reduce inflammation.”

The protective effects of coffee consumption on health outcomes are supported by scientific evidence, highlighting the potential benefits of incorporating moderate amounts into one’s daily routine, he added.

Dr Arvind Khurana, principal director, gastroentero- logy, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon, attributed the lower mortality rates among coffee drinkers to several factors.

“The reduction in morta- lity among coffee drinkers can be explained by its antioxidant properties, improvements in metabolic health, cardiovascular benefits, potential impact on mental health and protective effects on liver health,” he said.

The combination of these benefits, according to Dr Khurana, leads to a decreased risk of mortality among individuals who consume coffee regularly, particularly when compared to noncoffee drinkers who lead a sedentary lifestyle.

“Generally, black coffee is preferred due to its higher concentration of beneficial compounds without added calories and sugars that might counteract health benefits,” said Dr Mahesh Gupta, senior consultant, medical gastroenterology, Dharamshila Narayana Hospital.

While the physiological effects of coffee consumption may be comparable across different populations, including those in India, it is important to consider that specific lifestyle choices, dietary habits and genetic factors can vary among different groups of people, he added.

Excessive coffee intake can, however, lead to several negative consequences, such as heightened anxiety levels, difficulty sleeping and digestion problems. “It is crucial for people to be aware of their personal reactions to caffeine and to limit their coffee consumption accordingly. While coffee can offer various benefits, it is essential to consume it in moderation,” said Dr Mukesh Goel, senior consultant, cardiothoracic and heart and lung transplant surgery, Apollo Hospital.

Drinking coffee in moderation, usually defined as three-four cups daily, has been linked to various health advantages. Nevertheless, it’s important to take into account one’s personal caffeine tolerance and overall health status, said Dr Mukesh Mehra, director, internal medicine, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Patparganj.

Lakhs Of Delhiites Suffering Due To Dip In Supply: Atishi

On Day 4 Of Strike, Blames Haryana For Water Crisis In City

AAP held a candlelight march on Monday

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Atishi, on the fourth day of her Paani Satyagraha, said that her strike would persist due to the shortage of water supply affecting lakhs of people.

She attributed the crisis to neighbouring Haryana, which, she said, was providing 100 million gallons per day (MGD) less water than expected to Delhi.

According to Delhi Jal Board (DJB), the total water production from all plants and tubewells on Monday was reported to be 913 MGD. This figure is short of the city's average demand by 377 MGD, highlighting the severity of the water scarcity.

“I am on this hunger strike because there is a huge shortage of water. Delhi does not have its own water. All the water here comes from neighbouring states. But for the last three weeks, Haryana has reduced the amount of water sent to Delhi. Haryana govt has been giving 100 MGD less water to Delhi,” Atishi said in a video message on Monday.

She added, “100 MGD of water means 46 crore litres of water. These 46 crore litres are used by 28 lakh people in a day. But due to the lack of adequate water, today 28 lakh Delhiites are yearning for a drop of water,” she further said. “My indefinite hunger strike will continue until the thirst of these 28 lakh Delhiites is quenched, until the Haryana govt relea- ses the water.”

As her hunger strike stretched into its fourth day, a significant drop in blood pressure, sugar levels and body weight were recorded by doctors during her daily health checkup, a govt statement said. “Water minister Atishi's weight is also decreasing unexpectedly. Before sitting on the hunger strike on June 21, her weight was 65.8kg, which has come down to 63.6kg on the fourth day,” the statement said.

“No matter how bad my health is, no matter how much pain my body is in, my resolve on the hunger strike is strong,” Atishi said.

The water minister is sitting on an indefinite hunger strike in south Delhi’s Bhogal area, demanding more raw water supply from Haryana, which she has alleged was stopping water deliberately. Haryana govt has in the past denied the allegation. A candlelight march was also organised by AAP workers in support of the indefinite strike.

BJP, Congress target Atishi’s fast for water

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: BJP and Congress on Monday criticised water minister Atishi’s indefinite hunger strike.

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said AAP had trapped itself in a web of its own indefinite satyagraha and alleged that the meeting of ministers happening in an ‘air-conditioned’ site showed that they were looking for excuses to end it.

Sachdeva added that the ministers will go everywhere for extra water but not Yamuna River Board or Punjab govt because their false claims will get exposed. He added that water in Delhi does not come directly from the Yamuna but through canals. “As far as the issue of water not stopping at the Yamuna in Wazirabad is concerned, the root cause is that the Yamuna is filled with silt. Even 95% of the pond at the Wazirabad water treatment plant is filled with silt, which causes water to flow away,” he said.

Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav said Delhi govt should not indulge in “gimmicks” like the Jal Satyagraha. “Atishi has turned her dharna into a publicity stunt, orchestrated by event managers, which is not the right way. If there is a water crisis, patient negotiations with parties, including Haryana govt, are essential,” he said.

AAP later said that BJP should take the trouble of visiting the Wazirabad barrage to confirm that Haryana govt was not releasing 100 MGD water.

Delay in second phase of MCD survey leaves vendors vulnerable

UNCERTAIN FUTURE?

Siddhanta.Mishra@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi is yet to start the second phase of its survey of street vendors even though an announcement on this had been made by mayor Shelly Oberoi in Dec last year.

The National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI) has been informed that modifications to the software were the cause of the delay in the survey. Arbind Singh, executive director, NASVI, expressed concern at the lack of progress, stating, “The delay has left the vendors vulnerable and without the necessary protections and recognition that the survey aims to provide. The authorities pleaded that the software used for conducting survey was being upgraded.”

Singh also criticised a recent MCD decision declaring all street vendors as ‘mobile vendors’ who should not stop at a particular selling point for more than 30 minutes. He said, "The street vendors are part of society and culture but they are always being targeted by MCD. The condemn the decision of MCD because thousands of street vendors' lives will be affected by this step."

There was no response from the mayor’s office or MCD officials on why the survey hasn’t started yet.

The authorities have identified around 75,000 individuals as being street vendors. But hawkers’ associations claim that there are approximately five lakh of them in the city. However, without a complete survey and identification certificates, proper management of street vendors will remain unlikely. In Sept 2019, Delhi govt notified 28 town vending committees for the first time. The first step after this notification was to conduct a survey across the entire city to identify street vendors, a process that was supposed to be completed within a month but is still ongoing.

During inspection at Laxmi Nagar and Vishwas Nagar last year as part of a cleanliness campaign, Oberoi claimed that MCD had hired three agencies and that the survey work would begin soon. She also mentioned that the problem of street vendors would be resolved to a large extent within a year or two. Now the vendor associations claim that even the work begun then has come to a halt.

The city authorities face the challenge of striking a balance between the rights of the street vendors to earn a living and the concerns of traders and the public regarding their crowded presence in commercial centres and markets and their encroachment into public spaces.

Ministers write to PM for intervention to solve issue

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: In a show of solidarity, Delhi ministers gathered at water minister Atishi’s indefinite hunger strike in Bhogal on Monday. Senior minister Gopal Rai announced that the ministers had collectively written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to intervene in the water crisis in the capital. Rai claimed the PM needed to intervene urgently because reduced water from Haryana was the main cause of the severe shortage at Wazirabad.

The ministers proposed to lieutenant governor VK Saxena a joint visit to the Wazirabad barrage to assess the situation firsthand. This was in response to Raj Niwas reiterating earlier that Haryana was meeting its water obligations. Aam Aadmi Party workers also organised a candle march at the protest site on Monday evening.

Rai said, "Despite LG's claims that Haryana is meeting its quota, AAP leaders assert that BJP-led Haryana has cut Delhi's water supply by 100MGD, leaving the Yamuna nearly dry at Wazirabad." He said this was the reason why Delhi ministers had decided to send a collective letter to PM Modi, requesting his immediate intervention in the matter.

“In the meeting, all these circumstances were discussed and we reached two conclusions,” elaborated Rai. “First and foremost, Delhi govt has undertaken ma- ny works on water management under the leadership of CM Arvind Kejriwal. New pipelines were regularly laid. The Kejriwal govt has also accomplished the aim of smooth supply water to large areas of Delhi, especially to unauthorised colonies.”

Rai questioned why Delhi was getting the same amount of water as it did three decades ago, despite the population having tripled and why Haryana govt was withholding 100MGD of water. He pointed out that Atishi had written to PM about the severe water crisis in Delhi and how he needed to leverage the 'double-engine' of BJP govts at the Centre and in Haryana.

As for the second decision, Rai said that on Sunday, AAP’s ministers, MPs and MLAs met Saxena, who repeatedly claimed that Haryana was providing the allotted water when govt reports showed the Wazirabad pond had dried up considerably. The ministers decided to invite LG to visit the Wazirabad pond with them on Tuesday to clarify the situation and determine the amount of water being received by the water treatment plant.

Ministers Kailash Gahlot, Saurabh Bharadwaj, Imran Hussain and Rai also noted that an appeal for water had been made to CM of Himachal Pradesh. “Himachal is ready to give additional water to Delhi. It will pass through Haryana through the Yamuna. But Haryana is refusing to give us even that water,” alleged Rai.

Abducted 1-yr-old rescued, 3 arrested

The police team scrutinised footage from over 100 CCTV cameras in the area, identifying the make and colour of the vehicle used in the incident

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: A one-year-old boy, kidnapped in west Delhi’s Rajouri Garden on June 13 and sold for Rs 3 lakh to a woman, has been rescued from Bihar. Police have arrested three people, including the woman, for the crime.

The accused have been identified as Manish Kumar Gupta, Mohit Tiwari, and Shobha Devi.

On June 13, the boy's mother, Poonam, reported that she was sleeping on the roadside with her child when two men on a motorcycle kidnapped her child. Poonam told the police that she sold goods on the street and slept on the divider near the Tagore Garden metro station at night.

“While she was sleeping, she felt someone snatch her child from her arms. The accused fled on a motorcycle. Based on her statement, a case was registered,” said an officer.

DCP (West) Vichitra Veer formed multiple teams to crack the case. “The team scrutinised footage from over 100 CCTV cameras in the area, identifying the make and colour of the vehicle used in the incident — a black motorcycle," the officer said.

Based on the visible partial number, about 300 motorcycles were checked, leading to the arrest of Manish Kumar Gupta (27). Based on information provided by him, Mohit Tiwari was nabbed in Gonda, Uttar Pradesh.

Tiwari told the police that the child was sold to Shobha, a resident of Sitamarhi in Bihar, for Rs 3 lakh. “A raid was conducted at Shobha's residence, where we rescued the child and arrested her,” the police said.

Man stabbed to death during altercation:

A man was stabbed to death during an altercation with two of his friends in Mayapuri. Police found Raj Kapoor, a labourer, lying in a pool of blood at his friend Kishan’s rented accommodation. Kapoor and his friends, Kishan, Prahlad and Bablu, were drinking together when an argument started among them. The exact reason for the stabbing remains under probe. Prahlad has been apprehended and teams have been formed to traceBablu.

TNN

Disabled man killed, body found in Agra

New Delhi: A 40-year-old differently abled man was murdered allegedly over a monetary dispute and his body was dumped in Agra. Police said the murder was committed by four men who were also differently abled, and they have caught one suspect.

Police received a missing complaint on June 19 from Savita Anand, a resident of Badarpur, who said her brother-in-law, Nanhe Lal Sharma, had been missing since June 17. A case was registered.

Deputy commissioner of police (southeast) Rajesh Deo said that on June 20, Sharma’s body was found in Etmadpur, Agra. A postmortem examination revealed that the cause of death was “shock and haemorrhage resulting from antemortem injuries”.

CCTV footage showed that at 11.15pm on June 16, Sharma returned to Faridabad on his scooter with his nephew Nitin and Kalu. Between 2 and 4am on June 17, four suspicious men were seen roaming around a house in Basantpur. One of them, identified as Ehsaan Ahmad (40), was arrested. Sharma earlier lived in Saurabh Vihar, Jaitpur and recently moved to Basantpur where he stayed with Savita, Rani and Ahmad, all of whom differently abled. The other suspects are Ravi, Tariq and Naresh.

Police said they had strangled Sharma over a monetary dispute, transported his body in Ahmad’s car to Agra, and dumped it in a drain.

TNN

Two members of car theft gang in net

New Delhi: Two persons, alleged to be key members of a gang of thieves who stole cars based on demand, mainly Hyundai Creta, have been arrested.

The arrested men have been identified as Nadeem from Meerut and Deepak from east Delhi. They allegedly used special tablets to hack into vehicle systems and took control of the cars using special coded keys. Police have recovered 10 stolen cars from the accused, including five Cretas.

Police received a tip about the suspects’ movement in Rohini. A trap was laid in Sector 24, and the accused were intercepted last week while they were travelling in a stolen car. The suspects disclosed that they stole the cars based on demand and delivered them to prospective buyers in other states.

Police also recovered a numberplate from the car they were travelling in and found it belonged to a Creta stolen from the area.

The suspects led the police to recover the stolen Creta from Dehradun. Further raids were conducted in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Haryana on the basis of their disclosure, leading to the recovery of four more Cretas, besides a Honda City, two Hyundai i20s, and two Kia Seltos.

“They used to fix fake numberplates on vehicles to escape from the spot after a theft. They revealed that they had stolen over 50 cars in the last six months. Probe is on to apprehend others and recover more stolen vehicles,” said DCP Guriqbal Singh Sidhu.

The accused broke car windows and used tools to create new keys. They used blank automatic car keys to create new keys.

TNN

WHAT A CLIMBDOWN!

Piyal.Bhattacharjee@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: In 2010, when Delhi was being spruced up to host the Commonwealth Games, a special pedestrian overbridge was installed on what was then called Park Street, close to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in central Delhi. But like the road, which underwent a change and was renamed Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Marg after the founder of Bangladesh, the bridge too has changed — for the worse, from a spanking new escalator-equipped facility that was a boon to patients visiting RML and wishing to cross the road.

Dayashankar Yadav, 57, who had come from Rohini and was at the spot near the bridge, was aghast to see its state now. Only the skeleton of the escalator remains, the result of callous neglect and lack of maintenance. “I now have to climb the stairs. It’s difficult to go up step by step. I wished the govt repaired this escalator for people like us,” groaned Yadav.

Jagdish Sinha, 70, an ex-central govt employee from Punjabi Bagh who has regularly visited RML for years, recalled using the escalator when returning from the hospital. “Now I have to walk a long way to reach the bus stop because I cannot cross the road here,” the septuagenarian said. He all, not as some people who still use the defunct escalator as a staircase.

The other end of the bridge across the road presents an apocalyptic picture: a metallic ghost, its steel plates missing, the rubber rail cover lying like a dead snake on the pavement. Pedestrians took care not to trip on the remnants or be injured by the metal shards dangling overhead. The local shopkeepers alleged that drug addicts had stolen all the metal parts of the facility to fund their cravings.

The pedestrian bridge’s demise causes a lot of inconvenience to the hundreds of people visiting RML, Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Sciences and the Centre of Excellence in Mental Health, all on Bangabandhu Marg. When Asmita Khatun brings her autistic seven-year-old son for therapy, she has an anxious time pulling the youngster by the hand across the busy road.

A short distance from there towards Gyarah Murti on Mother Teresa Crescent is another overbridge near Gate No 30 of the President’s Estate. The story is the same here. All the metal plates of this escalator near the Talkatora Stadium are missing and the facility has remained frozen for a long time — a big bother for pedestrians and a criminal waste of taxpayer’s money.

Court gives man 20 yrs in jail for sodomy

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:A Delhi court recently sentenced a man to rigorous imprisonment (RI) of 20 years for repeatedly committing sodomy on a minor boy. It also awarded Rs 20 lakh compensation to the victim.

The court was hearing a case against a 38-year-old man who was convicted last month under Section 6 (aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of the Pocso Act, besides IPC sections for unnatural offences, criminal intimidation and voluntarily causing hurt. He was also convicted under Section 66 E (punishment for violation of privacy) of the Information and Technology Act.

The court said that the convict committed carnal intercourse against the order of nature more than once with the minor in Dec 2020 and recorded video clips on his mobile and threatened to make them viral.

“The purpose of the criminal justice system is not only to attain catharsis by handing down proportional punishment to the offender but also to rehabilitate the victim, who is scarred physically and mentally, forever,” said the court of additional sessions judge Preeti Parewa.

Additional public prosecutor Sarita Rani represented the state.

Noida airport delayed by 6 mths as steel import hit

Aditya.Dev@timesgroup.com

Noida: The Noida International Airport (NIA) will not be ready this year. Not in the first quarter of next year either.

The completion of the mega project has been pushed back by at least six months to April 2025. Officials said the delay was because of the slow progress in the construction of the terminal building, which is running way behind schedule.

Although the concessionaire —Yamuna International Airport Pvt Ltd (YIAPL) — did not elaborate on the reasons behind the delay in the terminal’s construction, sources aware of the development said the import of “special grade steel”, which is required for the building’s roof, had been hit because of a shortage in the international market.

In a statement, YIAPL said it was determined to ensure that the pace of construction was not hit further.

“In view of the current construction status, we expect to begin commercial operations by the end of April 2025. We are working together with our EPC contractor, Tata Projects Limited, and with other stakeholders to maintain a high pace of construction activities and preparations for operational readiness,” the statement read.

According to an estimate on May 31, more than 20% of the entire project was yet to be constructed. As for the terminal building, officials said, work was going on to build the facade and waterproofing.

In April this year, Tata projects — which is building the airport on behalf of YIAPL — had raised concern about the shortage of steel, the sources told TOI. But the company had also assured the concessionaire it was trying to procure steel from multiple vendors so that construction did not take a hit.

As of now, some 9,000 workers are deployed at the airport site. While the glass facade on the ATC tower is nearly complete, the runway is getting a final coat of asphalt.

Installation of flight-related equipment on the runway is also in progress, sources said, adding that the Airports Authority of India was setting up critical navigation aids like glide paths and localisers.

NIAL as said it will impose a hefty penalty on the construction company for the delay. According to the concession agreement, the company will be allowed a grace period of 91 days under certain conditions. It will then be slapped with a fine of Rs 10 lakh a day.

Officials said a notice had already been issued to YIAPL on Monday because it extended the completion timeline without consulting the govt body.

PWD completes 90% of Anand Vihar flyover, targets to open it next month

Siddhanta.Mishra@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:Public Works Department (PWD) has completed 90% construction of the Apsara-Anand Vihar flyover and officials said the plan is to open it by next month.

Approval for transplanting trees is pending, the officials said. On June 18, during a spot check, TOI found that finishing work like painting pillars and bituminous road work were on. The deadline to finish the flyover with an elevated corridor, subway and side ramps, was moved from Dec 2023 to April 2024. Now, the deadline is June-July.

It has been two years since the project was kicked off, aimed at decongesting one of the city’s most crowded roads. Once the 1.4km flyover is ready, Road No. 56 will become signal-free. People will no longer be plagued by traffic jams in Ramprastha Colony, Vivek Vihar and Shresth Vihar. The project was planned in 2019, but the pandemic delayed its start. The foundation stone was laid in Oct 2022 by CM Arvind Kejriwal and Spe- aker Ram Niwas Goel.

Officials said work came to a standstill after the forest department got complaints that a few trees were illegally felled at the site. Talks between PWD and forest officials are on for the past few months, but have made no headway. There are about 75 trees that have been identified for transplantation.

“The status of green clearances is as it was a few months back. There has been no progress on that front but work on the flyover is being completed. As p er our estimates, the next month the flyover may be thrown open to the public,” said a PWD official. TOI found that the construction of the ramps near Surya Nagar was on and the main elevated portion largely done.

Construction on the flyover between Anand Vihar and the Apsara border has led to heavy congestion on Road No 56, even at off-peak hours. A narrow lane before the under construction ramp on the Anand Vihar rail overbridge, which many commuters use to take a U-turn for Delhi, has also been choked. Ghazipur road connects the Delhi-Meerut Expressway on one side and the Apsara border on the other. It consists of two bridges and one flyover.

Resolve issues in NDMC staff promotions, benefits: LG

New Delhi: Lieutenant governor VK Saxena on Monday directed the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) to resolve all pending matters pertaining to the promotion and financial benefits of its employees within 15 days. He also asked the NDMC chairman to resolve other service matters related to employees, including pending recruitment rules, pensions, and leave travel concessions, at the earliest. The LG’s office said that 3,178 cases of the Modified Assured Career Progression (MACP) scheme, which would have ensured automatic promotion for employees serving for several years, have been pending in the NDMC. “The LG has said that timely promotion and improved service conditions would not only boost the morale and enhance the efficiency of employees but also help them overcome fatigue due to prolonged stagnation,” said a Raj Niwas official. The official added that the LG has also directed the settlement of 5,561 pending cases of pay fixation under 7th Central Pay Commission.

TNN

Man knifed, girlfriend and associate in cuffs

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: A woman and her associate have been arrested in connection with an alleged murder attempt on her boyfriend in Nihal Vihar in outer Delhi.

Police have identified a woman graphic designer, Nikhat, as the main cons pirator. She allegedly planned to murder her boyfriend, Omkar who is also a graphic designer, and enlisted the help of three men to carry out the plot.

The investigation has revealed that Nikhat's motive stemmed from anger after she found out that despite being in a relationship with her, Omkar had become engaged to another woman.

On June 19, police got a PCR call about a stabbing incident. "Omkar told us three boys came on a motorcycle from behind and attacked him with a knife," an officer said, adding that a case was registered. Omkar was returning home on his scooter near Delhi Jal Board in Ranhola Vihar.

DCP (outer) Jimmy Chiram formed two teams to investigate the case.

A route map of the accused was prepared through technical surveillance of Omkar's mobile phone, which provided some clues about the woman suspect.

On June 23, police caught a man, identified as Vikash, near Dwarka Mor. During interrogation, Vikash said he, along with his two associates, Harsh alias Bali and Rohan, attacked Omkar with a knife and escaped. He also disclosed the whereabouts of Nikhat near Tilak Nagar metro station. The teams set a trap and apprehended her.

"She disclosed that both she and Omkar worked as graphic designers and that she had been in a relationship with him for the last three years after separating from her husband. Recently, she learned that Omkar had got engaged to another woman. She was angry with Omkar. He threatened her that he had her nude pictures and videos and would make them viral on social media. After that, she conspired to kill him,” the officer said.

Nikhat hired Vikash through her friend and agreed to pay him Rs 30,000 for the murder. She also provided him with an acid bottle to disfigure Omkar's face.

Vikash then involved Harsh and Rohan in the crime. Police are conducting searches at multiple locations to apprehend the other two accused, said the officer.

All offices in women and child dept to be made disabled-friendly

ALL FOR ACCESSIBILITY

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Women and child development department of Delhi govt has issued directions to officials to make all offices disabled-friendly as per the guidelines of the Accessible India campaign.

In an internal communication to district offices, juvenile justice committees, child welfare committees, and other related offices, the department has shared guidelines specifically prepared for infrastructure under the Union ministry of home affairs (MHA), such as police stations, prisons, and disaster mitigation centers, to ensure accessibility and usability for persons with disabilities.

In Delhi, the child welfare committees, juvenile justice board and other such institutions fall under the department of women and child development.

Officials said persons with disabilities must be provided equal access to all faci- lities and services provided to the public, and with this intention, the department of empowerment of persons with disabilities has launched a nationwide Accessible India campaign.

Officials said that guidelines issued under the Accessible India campaign contain a detailed note highlighting the designs of rooms, doors, floors, stairs, washrooms, offices and other built-up structures to make them hassle free and easily accessible for persons with disabilities, including children.

“The guidelines also emphasise that the existing infrastructure should be suitably modified to enhance ac- cessibility features and assistance for persons with disabilities in a time-bound manner as per the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act,” said an official.

The guidelines have noted that sign languages and other communications systems such as Braille, augmentative and alternative modes, and formats of communication should be promoted wherever possible.

Though the guidelines are not new, a senior Delhi govt official said the MHA had shared its copy with the chief secretaries and administrators of all Union territories in April this year, urging them to implement them at the earliest.

Abducted 4-yr-old girl found in Shahdara

New Delhi: A four-year-old girl who was abducted near her house in southwest Delhi was found abandoned near Geeta Colony market in Shahdara, police said.

The girl was found medically fit and was returned to her family. The abductor is still at large and is being looked for, police added.

On June 21, Kishangarh police station received a complaint that a four-year-old girl was abducted while she was playing outside of the house around 3 pm, deputy commissioner of police (Southwest) Rohit Meena said.

Acting on the complaint, special teams from all 12 police stations of the district, as well as from special staff, Anti Snatching Cell, AHTU, and AATS, were constituted to work out the case. Cops checked the CCTV footage from around the spot and found a man roaming in the area at 2.32 pm.

PTI

13% Rise In Tax Rev In 2023-24, `100cr More Than Estimated

Atul.Mathur@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Delhi’s tax revenue in the 2023-24 financial year has registered a growth of 13% over the last financial year. According to the data finalised by the finance department in early June, Delhi mopped up Rs 53,680 crore in taxes — goods and services tax (GST), value added tax (VAT), excise, stamp duty and registration fee on motor vehicles — in 2023-24 against Rs 47,362 crore in 2022-23.

The collection surpassed the govt projection of Rs 53,565 crore, made while presenting the 2023-24 budget in March last year, by over Rs 100 crore. The tax revenue collection in 2022-23 had seen a growth of 18% vis-a-vis 2021-22.

According to officials, all sectors except excise, which saw a 7% decline over the last fiscal, registered a decent increase in revenue, riding on the economic growth of nearly 9%. While the GST collection witnessed an increase of 15.6% in 2023-24 in comparison to 2023-23, Delhi’s earning through stamp duty on registration of sale of properties and other documents witnessed a massive jump of more than 28%. The VAT revenue increased by 8.8% over the last financial year and the tax and registration fee on motor vehicles by 12.4%.

Officials said the data showed that business activities in Delhi were making rapid growth amid an overall positive atmosphere. “Delhi offers a good environment for the businesses to grow with best of facilities and an overall ease of doing business. By doing away with archaic laws and offering single window facilities at most places, we have made it easier for people to run their businesses,” said a senior govt official. “This also reflects in our tax revenue collection,” the official added.

A massive jump in revenue from stamp duty, said officials, shows that people had left the bad memories of Covid pandemic far behind and were investing in real estate. Since Delhi does not have many multi-storeyed apartment projects, it is the resale of the old properties and the redevelopment of old houses into floors, which is going on a big scale in the capital.

While presenting the 2024-25 budget, finance minister Atishi projected a total revenue collection of Rs 58,750 crore in the ongoing financial year, which, if achieved, would be an increase of nearly 9.5%. While presenting the budget, Atishi also said Delhi was likely to register an economic growth of 9.2% and its per capita income was growing at nearly 7.4%.

3 housekeepers fall into tank at IT firm, drown

Three workers went to the basement to turn on the submersible pump. But while doing so, all three slipped and fell into the 20ft tank where treated water is stored

Advitya.Bahl@timesgroup.com

Noida: Three persons drowned in the water tank of a sewage treatment plant in the basement of a multinational IT company’s office in Greater Noida’s Techzone 4 on Monday evening.

The three who died were Mohit (24), a resident of Hateva village in Dankaur, Hari Govind (26) of Kanpur and Ankit Kumar (21) from Mathura. Police said all three worked as housekeepers in the maintenance team of Coforge.

According to cops, employees of Coforge dialled the 112 emergency number around 6.30pm.

“The call was directed to the nearest police response vehicle, which rushed to the IT company’s office in Techzone 4. They were accompanied by a team of firefighters. The three workers were pulled out of the tank and taken to Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) in Greater Noida, where they were declared dead on arrival,” said Ashok Kumar, additional DCP.

Anuj Kumar, the station house officer of the local Ecotech 1 police station, said the three had gone to check the STP in the basement following complaints that sewage was flowing out of it after a spell of rain.

“Dirty water had started to flow out of the plant on Monday evening. So, the three workers went to the basement to turn on the submersible pump. But while doing so, all three slipped and fell into the 20ft tank where treated water is stored. We are yet to find out how all three fell into the tank. There are no cameras in the basement,” said Kumar.

According to him, the three had been working in the maintenance department for the past two years.

Police said they had initiated an investigation, although the workers’ families were yet to lodge a complaint till late on Monday evening.

“An FIR will be registered once the families file a complaint. The bodies have been sent for an autopsy and will be handed over to the families once the reports are out,” the station house officer said.

Times Global

- If Labour wins UK polls, party says ‘ready to go’ for FTA with India

- Russia summons US envoy to protest Ukraine’s use of ‘US missiles’ in Crimea

- Restored Ranjit Singh statue to be unveiled at Kartarpur gurdwara in Pak on June 26

- Attack on religious sites in Russia’s Dagestan kills 20

- Blaze at S Korea lithium battery plant kills 22

- Criminal charges recommended against Boeing in fatal crashes case

- UK schoolboy gets world’s first epilepsy device fitted in skull

- Bibi: Intense Gaza ops winding down, to focus on Hezbollah

- Apple is first company charged under new EU competition law

- Haj deaths put spotlight on underworld of illicit tour operators

- AROUND THE WORLD

If Labour wins UK polls, party says ‘ready to go’ for FTA with India

London:The UK’s opposition Labour Party Monday criticised the governing Conservatives of having “over-promised and under delivered” on relations with India and declared that it is “ready to go” on striking a free trade agreement (FTA) if it wins the July 4 general election. Addressing the India Global Forum (IGF), the party’s shadow foreign secretary David Lammy laid out his ambitions of the FTA being “a floor not a ceiling” of the partnership he aspires to with his “friend” external affairs minister S Jaishankar.

India and the UK have completed 13 rounds of FTA negotiations to enhance the estimated GBP 38.1 billion a year trading relationship, with talks currently stalled amid the election cycles in both the countries.

“Many Diwalis have come and gone without a trade deal and too many businesses have been left waiting,” said Lammy, referring to the missed Diwali 2022 deadline set by former PM Boris Johnson for the FTA. “My message to [finance] minister (Nirmala) Sitharaman and (trade) minister (Piyush) Goyal is that Labour is ready to go. Let’s finally get our free trade deal done and move on,” he said, adding he will be in Delhi before the end of July if elected to govt on July 4.

PTI

Russia summons US envoy to protest Ukraine’s use of ‘US missiles’ in Crimea

Russian foreign ministry summoned American ambassador Lynne Tracy on Monday to protest what it says was the use of US-made advanced missiles in a Ukrainian attack on Russian-annexed Crimea that reportedly killed four, including two children, and wounded over 150. Washington “has effectively become a party” to the war on Ukraine’s side, the ministry said, adding, “Retaliatory measures will certainly follow.”

There was no comment from US or Ukrainian officials.

Meanwhile, Russian defense ministry on Monday reported striking a “major logistical hub” of the Ukrainian military that held Western-supplied missiles and other weapons. It said the strike was carried out by warplanes, drones, ground-launched missiles and artillery. The ministry didn’t name its location.

AP

Restored Ranjit Singh statue to be unveiled at Kartarpur gurdwara in Pak on June 26

Yudhvir Rana TNN

The restored statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, vandalised thrice since its installation in Lahore Fort and relocated to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib complex in Kartarpur, Pakistan, will be inaugurated in the neighbouring country to commemorate the 185th death anniversary of the Sikh warrior on June 26.

Nearly 450 Indian Sikh are currently in Pakistan to observe the death anniversary of Ranjit Singh who ruled Punjab in the 19th century and was the first maharaja of Sikh empire.

Lahore’s Fakir Khana Museum director Fakir Syed Saifuddin spearheaded the project to repair, rebuild, and restructure the statue that had in- curred nearly 80% damage.

“It was out of love and respect for Ranjit Singh that I undertook this project. The restoration cost around Rs 27 lakh and the work spanned over a year. The statue was donated for its installation in Gurdwara Darbar Sahib complex,” Saifuddin, a fifth generation descendant of Fakir Sayed Azizudin who was chief secretary and foreign minister in Ranjit Singh’s govt said. His brothers Fakir Syed Imamudin and Fakir Syed Noorudin were acting governor, Amritsar, and governor, Lahore, respectively.

The 9-foot bronze statue was sculpted by Fakir Khana Museum in 2019. It was vandalised in 2019 and 2020 by religious groups and in 2021 by terrorist outfit Tehreek-e-Labbaik.

Attack on religious sites in Russia’s Dagestan kills 20

Churches, Synagogues And Police Post Targeted In Assaults Suspected To Be Conducted By Islamist Extremists; 15 Cops Among Dead; All 5 Gunmen Killed

Dagestan governor Sergei Meliko (in grey shirt above) visits an Orthodox church attacked on Sunday. Dagestan is a predominantly Muslim region

Moscow: Russia’s southern region of Dagestan held the first of three days of mourning Monday following an attack by Islamist militants who authorities say killed 20 people, mostly police, and attacked Christian and Jewish houses of worship in assaults in two cities. Sunday’s violence in Dagestan’s regional capital of Makhachkala and nearby Derbent was the latest that officials blamed on Islamist extremists in the predominantly Muslim region in the North Caucasus. It was also the deadliest in Russia since March, when gunmen opened fire at a concert in suburban Moscow, killing 145 people.

An affiliate of the Islamic State group in Afghanistan had claimed responsibility for March’s raid and quickly praised the attack in Dagestan. The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War said Islamic State group’s North Caucasus branch, Vilayat Kavkaz, likely was behind Sunday’s attack, describing it as “complex and coordinated.”

Dagestan Gov. Sergei Melikov blamed members of Islamist “sleeper cells” directed from abroad, but didn’t give any other details. He said in a video statement that the assailants aimed at “sowing panic and fear”, and attempted to link the attack to Moscow’s military action in Ukraine — but also provided no evidence. Prez Putin had sought to blame the March attack on Ukraine, again without evidence and despite the claim of responsibility by the Islamic State affiliate. Kyiv has vehemently denied any role.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin has recei- ved reports on Sunday’s attacks and efforts to help the victims. The Investigative Committee, the country’s top state criminal investigation agency, said all five attackers were killed. Of the 20 people killed, at least 15 were police.

Authorities said at least 46 people were injured. Among the dead was the Rev. Nikolai Kotelnikov, a 66-year-old Rus- sian Orthodox priest at a church in Derbent. The attackers slit his throat before setting fire to the church, according to Shamil Khadulayev, deputy head of a local public oversight body. The attack came as the Orthodox faithful celebrated Pentecost. Melikov, the Dagestan governor, said also among the dead were a Russian Orthodox believer and 18 Muslims. The Kele-Numaz synagogue in Derbent also was set ablaze. Shortly after, militants fired at a police post in Makhachkala and attacked a Russian Orthodox Church and a synagogue there before being killed by special forces.

In the early 2000s, Dagestan saw near-daily attacks on police and other authorities that was blamed on militant extremists. The violence has abated in recent years, but in a sign that extremist sentiments still run high in the region, mobs rioted at an airport there in Oct, targeting a flight from Israel. Over 20 people were hurt — none of them Israelis —when hundreds of men, some carrying banners with antisemitic slogans, rushed onto the tarmac, chased passengers and threw stones at police. The airport rampage challenged the Kremlin’s narrative that ethnic and religious groups coexist in harmony in Russia.

AP

8 die in building inferno near Moscow

Two people jumped to their death from the top floors of a burning eight-storey former Russian electronics research institute on Monday and at least six others died in the fire, state-run TASS news agency reported. Black smoke billowed from the building outside Moscow and flames roared up its walls. Some people were trapped on the top floors but were unable to escape. One man was seen jumping from the upper floor of the building, while another — with serious burns — fell. It was not clear what caused the fire.

REUTERS

Blaze at S Korea lithium battery plant kills 22

18 Of Them Were Chinese Workers

The fire, likely caused by exploding lithium batteries, started at one of the factories owned by battery manufacturer Aricell. Authorities will probe whether fire extinguishing systems were at the site and if they worked

Seoul:A fire likely sparked by exploding lithium batteries swept through a manufacturing factory near South Korea’s capital on Monday, killing 22 mostly Chinese migrant workers and injuring eight, officials said.

The fire began after batteries exploded while workers were examining and packaging them on the second floor of the factory in Hwaseong city, just south of Seoul, at around 10.30am, fire officials said, citing a witness.

The dead included 18 Chinese, two South Koreans and one Laotian, local fire official Kim Jin-young said. He said the nationality of one of the dead was to be verified.

In the past few decades, many people from China have migrated to South Korea to seek jobs. They often end up in factories or in physically demanding and low-paying jobs shunned by more affluent South Koreans.

Kim said a worker remai- ned out of contact and rescuers were searching the site. He said two of the eight injured were in serious condition.

The fire started at one of the factory buildings owned by a battery manufacturer, Aricell. Rechargeable lithi- um-ion batteries are ubiquitous in consumer goods from laptops to cellphones. They can overheat if damaged, defective or packaged improperly, leading to fires and explosions and making them a hazard for shipment on aircraft.

Senior fire official Jo Seon-ho, citing video footage, said workers mobilised fire extinguishers but failed to put out the blaze. They later rushed to an area where there was no exit before they likely inhaled toxic smoke and lost their consciousness, he said.

PrezYoon Suk Yeol, wearing a safety helmet and a mask, visited the site. He expressed condolences to the dead people and ordered officials to put in place measures to effectively deal with battery related fires. Monday’s blaze is one of the deadliest in South Korea in recent years.

AP

Criminal charges recommended against Boeing in fatal crashes case

Washington: US prosecutors are recommending to senior US justice department officials that criminal charges be brought against Boeing after finding the plane maker violated a settlement related to two fatal crashes, two people familiar with the matter said. The federal agency determined in May that Boeing had breached a 2021 deferred-prosecution agreement that was put in place after the 737 Max crashes, which killed 346 people in 2018 and 2019. The planemaker has denied the findings, and the DoJ now has until July 7 to decide what punishment, if any, it should face. Under the 2021 deal, the company was asked to overhauled its compliance practices and submit regular reports. Boeing had also agreed to pay $2.5 billion to settle the probe.

REUTERS

Suffered Seizures In Dozens To Hundreds. Now, A Big Relief

UK schoolboy gets world’s first epilepsy device fitted in skull

The neurostimulator, which sends electrical signals deep into his brain, has cut 13-year-old Oran’s day seizures by 80%. The surgery that lasted 8 hrs took place in Oct 2023 when he was 12

London: A schoolboy from England has made medical history as the first in the world with severe epilepsy to trial a new device fitted in his skull to control seizures, the UK media reported Monday. The neurostimulator, which sends electrical signals deep into brain, has cut Oran Knowlson’s daytime seizures by 80%.

Oran has Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, a treatment-resistant form of epilepsy which he developed at three. Since then he has suffered daily seizures ranging from two dozen to hundreds, BBC reported. His mother Justine told BBC Oran had a range of different seizures, including those where he fell to the ground, shook violently, and lost consciousness. She said he would at times stop breathing and require emergency medication to resuscitate him.

The surgery, which lasted some eight hours, took place in Oct 2023. It was part of a trial at Great Ormond Street Hospital when Oran, who is now 13, was 12. It was in partnership with University College London, King’s College Hospital and Oxford University.

Epilepsy seizures are triggered by abnormal bursts of electrical activity in the brain. The device, which emits a constant pulse of current, ai- ms to block or disrupt abnormal signals. Justine-told BBC he was happier and had a “much better quality of life”. “He’s a lot more chatty, more engaged. I definitely now have a teenager — he’s happy to tell me no,” she said. His night-time seizures are now “shorter and less severe”.

Deep brain stimulation has been tried before for childhood epilepsy, but until now neurostimulators were placed in the chest with wires running up to the brain.

PTI

Bibi: Intense Gaza ops winding down, to focus on Hezbollah

Says War Not Ending, Prepared To Fight On Several Fronts

Israeli jets bombarded an UNRWA compound near Gaza City Sunday, killing at least 8 people. The Israeli military said the compound was being used by Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants, which Hamas denied

Jerusalem: Israeli PM Netanyahu said on Sunday that the “intense phase” of fighting against Hamas in Gaza is winding down, setting the stage for Israel to send more troops to its northern border to confront Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

The comments threatened to further heighten the tensions between Israel and Hezbollah at a time when they appear to be moving closer to war. Netanyahu also signalled that there is no end in sight for the grinding war in Gaza. The current phase of the war “is about to end,” Netanyahu said. “That doesn’t mean the war is about to end.”

Netanyahu said in a lengthy interview that while the army is close to completing its ground offensive in Rafah, that would not mean the war against Hamas is over. But he said fewer troops would be needed in Gaza, freeing up forces to battle Hezbollah.

The Iranian-backed Hezbollah began striking Israel almost immediately after Hamas’ Oct 7 attack that triggered the Gaza war. Israel and Hezbollah have been exchanging fire nearly every day since then, but the fighting has escalated in recent weeks, raising fears of a full-blown war. Netanyahu said he hoped a diplomatic solution to the crisis could be found but vowed to solve the problem “in a different way” if needed. “We can fight on several fronts and we are prepared to do that.”

Hezbollah warned Israel last week against launching war on Lebanon’s front, saying it has new weapons and intelligence capabilities that could help it target critical positions deeper inside Israel.

AP

Gallant holds talks in US on war’s next phase

Israel’s defence minister Yoav Gallant met with the CIA director on Monday morning in Washington and was expected to sit down with secretary of state Antony Blinken, as the US works to head off anew Israeli miliary push in Lebanon. The visit comes at a crucial time for Israel and the war in Gaza. The fate of a ceasefire deal that would release the hostages is unclear, worries about intensified fighting between Hezbollah and Israel are increasing, and PM Netanyahu said that the intensive phase of Israel’s war against Hamas was “about to end”. Monday’s meetings will focus on all three issues, with US officials seeking clarity on the Israeli govt’s intentions with a possible ceasefire agreement and whether Israeli leaders are considering a new offensive against Hezbollah fighters, military action that Washington worries could drag the US.

NYT

Apple is first company charged under new EU competition law

EU regulators said Apple was putting unlawful restrictions on companies that make games, music services & other apps

Apple is imposing unfair restrictions on developers of applications for its App Store in violation of a new European Union law meant to encourage competition in the tech industry, regulators in Brussels said on Monday. The charges further escalated a tussle between Apple, which says its products are designed in the best interest of customers, and EU regulators, who say the company is unfairly using its size and considerable resources to stifle competition.

Apple is the first company to be charged for violating the Digital Markets Act, a law passed in 2022 that gives European regulators wide authority to force the largest “online gatekeepers” to change their business practices. After initiating an investigation in March, EU regulators said Apple was putting unlawful restrictions on companies that make games, music services and other applications. Under the law, Apple cannot limit how companies communicate with customers about sales and other offers and content available outside the App Store. The company faces a penalty of up to 10% of global revenue, a fine that could go up to 20% for repeat infringements. Apple reported $383 billion in revenue last year.

“Today is a very important day for the effective enforcement of the DMA,” said Margrethe Vestager, European Commission executive vice-president in charge of competition policy. She said Apple’s App Store policies make developers more dependent on the company and prevent consumers from being aware of better offers. EU regulators said the charges were preliminary and gave Apple a chance to respond. A final decision will be announced by next March.

Apple defended its practices, saying its rules and fees are a fair trade for providing such a large platform to reach consumers. Developers can point consumers to websites to make purchases outside the App Store, the company said.

“Throughout the past several months, Apple has made a number of changes to comply with the D.M.A. in response to feedback from developers and the European Commission,” Apple said. “We are confident our plan complies with the law.”

NYT

Haj deaths put spotlight on underworld of illicit tour operators

1,300+, Including 98 Indians, Have Died; 83% Of Them Were Walking In Heat Sans Permits

A child in a stroller during this year’s Haj pilgrimage. Temperatures in Mecca climbed as high as 51.8°C

Cairo:More than 1,300 people died making the Islamic pilgrimage of hajin Saudi Arabia this month, the vast majority of whom the Saudi govt said did not have permits. Many walked for miles in scorching heat as high as 51.8 degrees Celsius after paying thousands of dollars to illicit tour operators.

The fatalities included 660 Egyptians, 165 from Indonesia, 98 from India and dozens more from Jordan, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria and Malaysia, according to an AP tally. Two US citizens also died.

While pilgrims with permits are transported around Mecca in air-conditioned buses and rest in air-conditioned tents, unregistered ones are often exposed to the elements.

On Sunday, Saudi health minister Fahd bin Abdurrahman Al-Jalajel said 83% of the 1,301 reported deaths involved pilgrims who lacked permits.

With nearly 2 million participating each year, it is not unusual for pilgrims to die from heat stress, illness or chronic disease. But it is unclear if the number of deaths this year was higher than usual, because Saudi does not regularly report those statistics.

But as so many of those who died had no permits, this year’s toll exposed an underworld of illicit tour operators and smugglers who profit off Muslims desperate to make the journey. An estimated 400,000 undocumented people tried to perform haj this year, a senior Saudi official told AFP.

Haj tour operators, pilgrims and relatives of the dead described easily exploited loopholes that allow people to travel to the kingdom with a tourist or visitor visa before haj. Once they arrive, they find illegal brokers and smugglers who offer their services, take their money and sometimes abandon them to fend for themselves, they said.

The number of unregistered pilgrims appeared to have been driven up this year by rising economic desperation in countries such as Egypt and Jordan. An official haj package can cost more than $5,000 or $10,000, depending on a pilgrim’s country of origin — far beyond the means of many.

One unregistered pilgrim who died was Safaa al-Tawab from the Egyptian city of Luxor. Al-Tawab, 55, had not been able to obtain a haj permit but found an Egyptian tour company to take her for around $3,000, her brother Ahmed said. After she arrived, she told relatives she had been put in inadequate housing and prevented from going outside. Although the tour operator had promised air-conditioned buses, she found herself walking for miles in the heat, her brother said. She died midway through the pilgrimage, but when her brother contacted a representative from the tour company, he assured him she was fine, then turned off his phone. Even for the young and fit, haj is a physically challenging event, and many pilgrims are elderly or ailing by the time they can make the journey. Some believe the hajj might be their final rite, and that dying in Mecca will confer great blessings.

NYT & AP

AROUND THE WORLD

DALI LEAVES BALTIMORE FOR VIRGINIA: Cargo ship Dali headed out of Baltimore for Virginia on Monday, nearly three months after it lost power and crashed into one of the Francis Scott Key bridge’s supporting columns and caused the bridge to collapse. The 984-foot Dali started moving shortly before 8.30am (local time) with four tugboats. The Dali was sailing under its own power with a full crew of 22 and six salvage experts, said the US Coast Guard said, which is overseeing the voyage & providing a 500-yard safety zone around Dali

In latest UK royal health setback, Anne hospitalised with head injury

Princess Anne, King Charles’ younger sister, is in hospital after suffering a head injury on Sunday, Buckingham Palace said, adding that the royal was expected to make a full recovery from the incident which was believed to have involved a horse. The palace said on Monday that the 73-year-old had suffered minor injuries and a concussion following the incident, and was now recovering at Southmead Hospital in Bristol. The princess had been walking in the grounds of Gatcombe Park estate where her home is located when she suffered minor injuries to her head, a royal source said. The source said there were horses in the vicinity and her medical team said the head injuries were consistent with impact from a horse’s head or legs.

‘Hello Kitty’, parasites & more trash: N Korea resumes balloon landings in South

North Korea resumed launches of balloons likely carrying trash toward South Korea on Monday night, South Korea’s military said, in the latest round of a Cold War-style campaign on the Korean Peninsula. Among the trash that balloons carried over the border from North were articles printed with Hello Kitty characters, badly worn clothing, and soil containing traces of human faeces and parasites, South Korea said. North Korea has flown balloons with trash since late May, with hundreds landing in the South. Parasites and human DNA were found in the dirt in some of the bags, which shows it contained fertiliser that used human faeces, the South said. It also contained worn items of clothing with Mickey Mouse and Winnie the Pooh characters, as well as clothes that were donated from the South that were slashed and cut up.

Editorial

- It’s People’s House

- Lithium & More

- Exes with benefits

- Neat Solution For NEET

- The White & Wrong Of UK’s Rishism

- Navigating Uncertain Times With Ontological Leadership

- A thought for today

- Sacred space

It’s People’s House

Challenge before new LS is to deliver quality debate in a civil manner. That’s the message voters sent

As MPs took oath on Day One of the 18th Lok Sabha, three incidents stood out as an indication to what can be expected in the days ahead. Opposition’s protest against temporary speaker and Congress’s missive to NDA govt on key issues for first 15 days showed INDIA in attack mode. Modi’s comments about opposition, that “people want substance not slogans”, showed PM is in no mood to relent. And third, soft-spoken Naveen Patnaik’s stark message to BJD’s Rajya Sabha members to be in opposition hints at rows in RS.

On fire | Opposition MPs refused to be part of the panel to assist the temporary speaker during the oath ceremony. Though negotiations for a consensus speaker continue, it’s likely India may witness its first election to the speaker’s post since Independence. The 18th LS will have made history from the first day House meets for business. INDIA bloc also hit the deck running to try and continue to set the agenda as it did through the election campaign. Rahul Gandhi listed out “NDA’s first 15-day agenda”, including train accidents, quality of train travel, NEET-NTA scandals, high prices, forest fires and heatwave deaths. Expect fireworks.

Firing back | Modi recognises the challenges of a hawkish opposition. His address captured it – that people want from opposition “debate and diligence”, not “drama and disturbance”. Govt will need to bring its best game – of listening – to ensure its first session is not lost in the din of hostile exchanges, or that opposition voices aren’t drowned out. So far, most interruptions in Parliament occurred during the 15th LS (2009-2014). And dubious history was made in the 17th LS too. A hundred LS MPs and 46 Rajya Sabha members were suspended during Parliament’s winter session last year – the highest number of MPs suspended in a single session in Parliament’s history.

Stoking some | It was also no coincidence that Naveen Patnaik should have chosen Day One to send a message to his party’s nine Rajya Sabha members – BJD has zero LS MPs for the first time ever. Patnaik asked the RS members to emerge as a “vibrant and strong” opposition. In BJD’s wipeout in Odisha assembly and LS, Modi seems to have lost an all-weather ally in Patnaik. Expect a more combative RS session too.

Day One may have been far from routine. But it is still not too much to expect civility and conviviality in the House – electoral results suggested an aggressive govt and forceful opposition work side by side. Will parties comply with the people’s verdict?

Lithium & More

Syncing mining and battery tech R&D crucial to India’s Atmanirbhar goals

In mixed progress for India’s battery tech ecosystem, Chhattisgarh’s Korba district has seen one block of lithium move to the auctions stage and another block showing promising deposits of the mineral. This comes after setbacks such as the cancellation of auctions for the lithium block in J&K’s Reasi district due to insufficient investor interest, and shelving of exploration plans in Manipur’s Kamjong district due to local resistance. But if India is to emerge as a top player in sunrise manufacturing sectors such as electric vehicles (EVs) and consumer goods, it has to get ahead in the battery game, lithium-ion and others.

Lithium-ion challenge | In2022,China accounted for as much as 77% of global lithium-ion battery production capacity. Beijing is projected to retain this dominance even in 2027. It’s on the strength of this lithium-ion battery manufacturing capacity that the Chinese are looking to dominate the global EV market. India is way behind here. If it’s not to remain dependent on Chinese suppliers, it must ramp up its own lithium-ion battery production base or look for alternatives.

Poor technical depth | India also faces handicaps such as underdeveloped mineral reporting standards. This leads to figures for mineral reserves for several blocks being inconclusive, hindering investments. Plus, most of the lithium found in India is in the form of hard rock granites and pegmatites, making it difficult to extract the mineral.

Alternatives on anvil | There are other battery options too, but they need significant R&D. Metal-air batteries use atmospheric oxygen and metals such as aluminium, zinc and iron. They can be a lightweight, budget-friendly, and recyclable but non-rechargeable, option. Then, China is heavily investing in cheaper sodium batteries. For India to follow suit, it has to heavily invest in battery research and line up appropriate mining industry tech and processes. That’s the only way India can emerge as an alternative battery hub to China.

Exes with benefits

Putting children first is the love story after divorce

Shinie Antony

A new and tender love story is doing the rounds. This one is made up of exes. Once a marriage heads for divorce courts, a husband and wife are simply called Tom and Jerry. While wedding anniversaries are all about roses and candlelit dinners, divorce anniversaries don’t come with mushy cards and teddy bears. But couples who part ways may still be bound together eternally –as parents. Romance flies out of the window, children don’t.

Parents have always had a choice: stay together and mess up the kids or split up and mess up the kids. In US, about 50% children have separated parents. India, with its non-stop worrying about what others will say, artificially maintained the world’s lowest divorce rates for a long time. Many a grim-faced Mr and Mrs would rather murder each other than part and bring bad name to family. Fidelity was optional for men, a terminal illness for women. In a traditional household when the ‘divorce’ word is uttered, everyone shrieks against a loud background score. Divorce was a public tragedy; even strangers demanded to know the gory details. ‘At least he doesn’t beat you’ was the anti-divorce hymn.

Modern divorces are thought to be too pat. Young couples don’t try hard enough, say old couples. We don’t want to end up like them, shudder the young couples. Custody battles follow. The family becomes single-parent, blended or extended, and co-parenting is parallel, cooperative or conflicted. Couples move into different flats in the same building to make childcare easier; an ex is now a neighbour! Some women dump offspring with husband just so his new romance is punctuated with adolescent cries of ‘I won’t eat this!’ and ‘Give me your credit card’.

The initial strategy of running the other spouse down is replaced by the practicality of having someone to fall back on. An ex who will pick or drop a kid when you run late is always better than one who stands there making faces. Up against a child’s decision to tattoo a life-size Zendaya or Timothée Chalamet on their back another type of togetherness beckons the former spouses. Now they actually listen to each other – the previous vacant look sported during the marriage is gone. They find themselves defending each other when kids complain instead of sighing with deep contentment. Such a relief to lay down weapons, which are also the children.

Neat Solution For NEET

Allow more local input in medical education, let states tailor admission to their govt colleges per their needs. But continue an all-India test for private colleges, which can’t be trusted to hold their own exams

Rema.Nagarajan@timesgroup.com

NEET 2024 paper leak has brought the focus back on the demand to scrap a nationwide single entrance test. But when looking for possible solutions to the current mess, it is important to understand the circumstances under which NEET came into being and how it has fared on its basic mandates:

● To put an end to multiple entrance tests across India

● To bring in merit-based admission

● To tackle capitation fees.

Before NEET, there were dozens of entrance exams all over the country. Students had to appear for at least five to six exams and worry about clash of exam dates and travel to distant places for counselling for seat allotment. Every year, numerous cases were filed in high courts and Supreme Court related to these issues.

Along with this, there were reports of frequent scams, especially in the entrance exams conducted by private medical colleges or their associations in each state. In Madhya Pradesh, even the state govt-conducted entrance exam for govt medical colleges was compromised.

Crores being paid for admission into medical colleges were mostly unaccounted money, euphemistically called donation or capitation fee. There was a rising demand to put an end to all such practices and to ensure admission based on ‘merit’.

With a final push from SC and dismissing objections from states, NEET was born. While NEET has made it possible to replace a plethora of exams with a single exam, it has failed to ensure ‘merit’. There is no requirement to pass in each of the subjects students are tested on – physics, chemistry and biology. High scorers have to forego seats in expensive private colleges, which then accommodate poor scorers who have deep pockets. Thus, money continues to decide who gets admission to almost half the medical seats in the country. Moreover, instead of scams at state level in a few states, we have scams and leaks that affect students across the whole country.

Case for state-run admission policy | Despite govt-owned medical colleges remaining relatively free of scams in the pre-NEET era, courts repeatedly insisted on judging govt and private colleges the same in the name of fairness. But with 85% of seats in most govt medical colleges being open only to students from the respective states, there was actually no reason why states should not have continued to use Class XII marks of students for admission – as most of them would be from the state educational board.

This would have given states greater flexibility in designing admission policies that suited their needs – as Tamil Nadu did in reserving seats for students from govt schools, thus improving the odds of underprivileged students getting a chance to become doctors. It would also have helped save poorer students from having to spend on coaching for entrance exams, as they could opt out of trying to crack the all-India quota and only concentrate on scoring well in school to get into a college within their state.

For many states, it might make a lot of sense to revert to Class XII board exam results as the basis for admission into state govt medical colleges. Meanwhile, states whose school systems are too uneven in quality, could conduct entrance exams for seats in state medical colleges.

Either way, since it has become clear that a centrally administered exam is as vulnerable as a state-level exam, exam systems need to be strengthened in general. Govt should reduce outsourcing of sensitive functions like setting and printing of question papers, invigilation and correction. This will help ensure that responsibility is easily traced and fixed. It should also treat whistleblowers as people aiding govt in keeping the system honest, instead of proceeding against them as enemies of state.

Fix admission to private medical colleges | Private colleges, whether deemed universities or otherwise, can hardly be left to conduct their own admission tests. They have strong incentives to game the system and state govts have proved totally ineffective in regulating them. Moreover, since their intake is from all over India, there is every reason to club them with the all-India quota and subject them to a centralised entrance test.

In many states like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu, 50% of seats in private medical colleges are for state govts to fill. Those seats can be filled the same way the state govt fills seats in its own medical colleges. Thus, the case for an all-India exam for about 40%-50% (15% all-India quota + management/NRI quota in private colleges) of MBBS seats remains strong.

There is an urgent need to undo the centralisation of everything, especially in health and education, which are the domain of states. Medical education involves both health and education, but it is a concurrent subject as doctors in any state are allowed to practise anywhere in the country once they clear the final MBBS exam. However, medical education must allow for more local input, with states being allowed to tailor admission policies according to their needs.

If there are underserved areas/ communities within a state, the state govt might want to take in more students from those areas/communities. If NMC can make peace with admitting students who score zero in a subject or have ranks below 10 lakh but can pay crores in the name of ‘merit’-based admission, it can surely allow states to give preference to students from rural areas or to govt doctors who have done rural service.

The White & Wrong Of UK’s Rishism

No British politician of a party seen to be losing has got it like Sunak. But this racism has worked subtly, through dog whistle or sneer. Britain may have moved forward on race question but it still matters

Columnist based in London

Rashmee Roshan Lall

Is the race card finally in play against Rishi Sunak in the second half of Britain’s six-week general election campaign? Just the dog whistle, not in propah fashion, not enough to provoke some genuine sympathy for the country’s first prime minister of Indian ethnicity, rather than the abundant pity he currently evokes.

As of now, all the funereal head-shaking is about Sunak leading “Torysaurus” – the shrunken dinosaur that is Conservative Party – through a political Jurassic Park, which is readying for an “extinction-level” event.

It keeps coming | Alternately cast by tabloid pundits as “gaffe machine” or “sleeper agent” of the main opposition Labour, Sunak is subject to daily verbal pummelling for failing to arrest the political decline of a party weary from 14 years in govt. To outward seeming, it’s politics as usual and Sunak is just the unlucky captain of a vessel that started to go down long before he took command 21 months ago.

In actual fact, Sunak’s predicament seems unlike that of any other politician of a major British party said to be headed for a major election defeat. Oddly for a British born-and-bred man, he is deemed an outsider and a rootless cosmopolitan, and is almost always predicted to be unlikely to stay on in Britain or its politics should his party lose. Faced with race-baiting commentary, he is either unable or unwilling to call it out because he is supposed to be the face of a rainbow nation with British characteristics.

He is not one of us | A case in point is the fallout from Sunak’s ill-advised early exit from an inter- national commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings, one of the turning points of 20th century history and World War II. When Britain learnt that Sunak had skipped a June 6 event in France attended by Joe Biden, Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz, in favour of a TV interview back home, it was as if he had been found butchering babies. The commentariat as well as radio and TV talk shows erupted in fury.

But it was left to Nigel Farage, champion of Donald Trump, Brexit firebrand and newly installed leader of the right-wing Eurosceptic Reform UK party, to say the unsayable. That Sunak “has no sense of our history, or feeling genuinely for the culture”, that he wasn’t “patriotic” and that his “instinct” is not the same as the British people’s because he’s “utterly disconnected in every way”.

Other than some half-hearted protests about dog whistles from a few politicians, Farage’s commentary on Sunak’s moment of shame was allowed to stand.

The racist overtones in that judgment seemed to be on a par with an earlier incident revolving around roots and reflexive instincts, when a quite different English politician delivered a damning verdict on another non-White politician, though from across the Atlantic. Back in 2016, Boris Johnson wrote a newspaper column saying Barack Obama’s removal of a bust of Churchill from the Oval Office was driven by the US president’s “part-Kenyan” ancestry. He added that this act was seen by some as a sign of an “ancestral dislike of the British Empire”. Though, like Farage, Johnson wasn’t UK prime minister at the time, he was hardly a political nobody. As for Obama, like Sunak, he too seemed to symbolise a new post-racial politics. Except that it isn’t.

There and not there | Britain has moved quite some way towards an inclusive politics from the charged immigration debates of the late 1960s and the infamous “rivers of blood” speech of Enoch Powell, but Sunak’s rise to Downing Street was no post-racial moment. There is euphemistic racism, just as attended Sunak’s election to parliament nine years ago from an ultrasafe Conservative seat in Yorkshire. At the time, his prospective constituents offered comments that went heavy on the curry theme: “Just tell him ya’ don’t like curry”. “That MP he’ll be doing curry night every night”. What they were saying, of course, had nothing to do with food but perception of belonging.

Sunak hasn’t helped matters | Interestingly, in his scant decade in frontline British politics, Sunak himself has contributed nothing meaningful to the debate about racism other than to declare it “unacceptable”. Before the election was called, he acknowledged the racism he experienced as a child, his mother’s determination that he and his siblings “didn’t speak with accents (but) properly”, his parents’ determination their Indian heritage not be “a barrier…in any way, shape or form” and that their children should “fit in”.

That, he has done, in quintessentially understated British fashion. And he was fortunate to find political prominence at a time when British politics either ignored or minimised race, thereby relegating it to a hidden transcript.

Like Schrödinger’s cat, the nearly century-old thought experiment in which the hypothetical feline in its sealed box could be considered simultaneously alive and dead, Sunak’s situation may suggest that racist and post-racist realities both flourish at the same time.

Lall writes on international affairs

Navigating Uncertain Times With Ontological Leadership

THE SPEAKING TREE

Yogi Balkrishna

Amid today’s tumultuous and rapidly changing world, the idea and spirit of leadership need a profound transformation. Conventional leadership models, once effective, are now proving inadequate in the face of complexity and uncertainty. In this era of chaos and disruption, a compelling need emerges for a new leadership paradigm: ontological leadership, rooted in timeless Indic wisdom, offering a path towards deeper understanding and harmony that resonates with today’s challenges.

It transcends prosaic managerial techniques or strategic frameworks. Ontological leadership delves into the essence of Being and consciousness, drawing inspiration from profound insights in the Indic philosophies of Yog and Vedanta. At its core, ontological leadership is about leading with the light of unbound inner wisdom emanating from unattached, unsullied and all-inclusive consciousness, including virtues such as integrity, authenticity, creativity, courage, and compassion.

Yog, as expounded in the Yog Sutras of Maharshi Patanjali, offers a holistic framework for Self-realisation and transformation. The union of Vashti, individual consciousness, with Yamashita,

universal consciousness, is central to the yogic vision. In the context of leadership, this union implies a deep recognition of the interconnectedness of all beings and a sense of responsibility for the well-being of the entire ecosystem – be it an organisation, community, nation, or planet. Vedanta deepens this idea further, revealing the essential oneness of all beings. From the leadership standpoint, ontological leadership recognises the inherent oneness of all existence and leads from a place of profound interconnectedness and compassion. Its key tenets are:

Self-awareness | The ability to introspect and understand one’s strengths and weaknesses and operate from a place of authenticity. Strengthening one’s strengths and weakening one’s weaknesses, an ontological leader constantly evolves into a finer version of oneself. Drawing from the practice of atma vichar of Vedanta supported by yogic disciplines, leaders need to cultivate a deep understanding of themselves, enabling them to lead with clarity and purpose.

Presence | A state of being fully engaged in the present moment, free from distractions, preconceptions and preoccupations. Being mindful, leaders develop the capacity to remain grounded amidst chaos.

Compassion | Driven by the principle of ahimsa, practising empathy and compassion in all interactions, ontological leaders don’t just recognise the inherent dignity and worth of every individual; they actively seek to create an environment, culture, and institutions that nurture growth, fostering a sense of connection and empathy among all.

Resilience | Ontological leaders embrace change as a natural part of life. They cultivate resilience and adaptability, recognising that challenges and setbacks are opportunities for growth and learning.

Servant leadership | In accordance with the spirit of Karm Yog, ontological leaders adopt a servant leadership approach, placing the needs of others above their ego-driven desires. Without hankering for power, they empower and inspire those around them, nurturing a culture of trust, accountability, and collective purpose.

A thought for today

Politicians will be politicians, they will have a weakness at times for not seeing beyond their nose

ARUN JAITLEY

Sacred space

Life is life – whether in a cat, or dog or man. There is no difference there between a cat or a man. The idea of difference is a human conception for man’s own advantage.

Sri Aurobindo

Times Business

- Trade unions seek rise in tax rebate for salaried class

- Houses under construction see 15% rise in prices: Study

- Sony appoints Walt Disney exec as its India MD

- Sebi probes Quant MF over front-running by employees

- RBI names add’l director on board of Bandhan Bank

- Zee MD Goenka buys majority stake in Maverick

- Prosus writes off Byju’s bet, sees zero value in 10% stake

- Well positioned to capitalise on infra spends, says Adani

- Current a/c surplus for 1st time in 10 qtrs in March qtr

- Jain raises $5bn in biggest hedge fund debut since ’18

- Beware... 800 online financial frauds a day

- Weddings key growth driver for several sectors: Report

- India gained via info sharing with 171 countries: OECD

Trade unions seek rise in tax rebate for salaried class

New Delhi: Constitution of the 8th pay commission, increase in tax rebate for salaried class and restoration of the old pension scheme are some of the key demands made by trade union leaders during a pre-Budget meeting with FM Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday. The unions also asked the government to stop the privatisation drive of PSUs.

“The ceiling limit for the income tax rebate for the salaried class on their salary and gratuity must be substantially raised. Govt-sponsored social security fund for the unorganised workers and agricultural workers has to be set up to provide them with defined universal social security schemes, including minimum pension of Rs 9,000 per month and other medical, educational benefits," CTUs said in their memorandum.

Besides, they have sought that all the existing vacancies in the central government departments and PSUs must be filled immediately and the practice of contract and outsourcing should be stopped. They further said resource mobilisation has to be done by increasing the corporate tax, wealth tax and introducing inheritance tax instead of burdening common masses with the GST on essential food items and medicine. AGENCIES

Houses under construction see 15% rise in prices: Study

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: Prices of underconstruction properties rose by 15.2% QoQ across top 13 cities in the June quarter. The supply of such properties which also increased by 11.7% QoQ helped the overall market for residential supply which witnessed the fastest growth rate in the last 24 months through the quarter, said a report.

This surge has resulted in prices of under-construction properties surpassing those of ready to move properties in several cities such as Gurugram, Mumbai, Noida and Thane, according to a Magicbricks Propindex report. The continued customer confidence in underconstruction properties is seen as an indication of a promising outlook in the long run. On the demand front, top cities continued to grow, recording an aggregate increase of 4.6% QoQ during the June quarter. Gurugram, Delhi and Noida, home to several corporate employees, registered the highest increases with a QoQ growth of 19.6%, 17% and 16.4%, respectively.

Sony appoints Walt Disney exec as its India MD

Mumbai: Sony Pictures Networks India has appointed entertainment industry veteran Gaurav Banerjee to succeed outgoing MD & CEO N P Singh with effect from August 26. SPNI said last month that Singh was stepping down to pursue other opportunities. Banerjee will join the company from Walt Disney India, which is being merged into Viacom18. TNN

Sebi probes Quant MF over front-running by employees

Fund House Confirms Inquiry, Says It’ll Cooperate With Sebi

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: Sebi has launched an investigation into possible front-running by Quant Mutual Fund employees after the markets regulator’s surveillance system flagged suspicious activities.

Front-running refers to an illegal practice in the stock market where an entity trades on the basis of advance information from a broker or analyst before the information has been made available to their clients.

Sebi is understood to have conducted search operations at Quant’s offices in Mumbai and Hyderabad. After reports of search operations, several stocks in the mutual fund’s portfolio ended lower on Monday. RBL Bank closed 2.6% lower while Nalco was down 2%.

Quant MF is one of the fastest-growing mutual funds, with over Rs 84,000 crore in assets under management as of May 31. The company’s smallcap funds top the industry in performance with 31% returns in five years.

Market surveillance tools typically help detect front-running in stocks by continuously monitoring trading patterns and analysing order timing to identify suspicious activities. They compare employee trades to client orders, flagging those that consistently precede large client transactions. These tools also analyse profitability, looking for unusually high trade profits before significant market movements.

Quant MF, in a communique to shareholders, confirmed the inquiry from Sebi. “Recently, Quant MF has received inquiries from Sebi... We want to assure you that Quant MF is a regulated entity, and we are always fully committed to cooperating with the regulator throughout any review. We will provide all necessary support and continue to furnish data to Sebi on a regular and as-needed basis,” the fund house said.

Quant MF is promoted by Sandeep Tandon, and was formed after Tandon acquired Escorts Mutual Fund in 2018. The fund house’s USP is a data-driven investment approach a strategy which was borne out by the performance of its small-cap funds.

Quant claimed it currently has over 80 lakh investors and Rs 93,000 crore in assets under management. “Quant MF believes this support will continue, thanks to its research capabilities and analytical tools,” the company said.

In May 2022, Sebi directed entities involved in Axis Mutual Fund front-running case to collectively impound Rs 30 crore of wrongful gains. Sebi’s action resulted in the sacking of the mutual fund’s chief dealer.

RBI names add’l director on board of Bandhan Bank

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: RBI has appointed its retired chief general manager Arun Kumar Singh as additional director on the board of Bandhan bank for a year from June 24. The appointment comes just over a fortnight before the term of Chandrashekhar Ghosh, founder & CEO of Bandhan Bank, ends. The bank is still in the process of finalising a successor for Ghosh. Singh, aged 60 years, has experience of almost 36 years in RBI.

The RBI said that it has invoked its powers under Section 36AB of the Banking Regulation Act. In the past, RBI had earlier appointed chief general manager Yogesh Dayal as an additional director on the board of RBL Bank invoking its powers under Section 36AB. The appointment in RBL Bank was also made at a time when the bank had not identified a successor for Vishwavir Ahuja the outgoing CEO of the bank.

Zee MD Goenka buys majority stake in Maverick

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: Zee MD Punit Goenka has acquired a majority stake in Maverick Media, a company that builds and refurbishes single screen theatres, for an undisclosed amount. Goenka, who is also the promoter of Zee, has made this stake-purchase in his personal capacity.

“While my professional commitments continue to remain a priority (referring to his executive position at Zee), I believe that as key members of the fraternity, it is our collective responsibility to enhance the growth opportunities for all segments in the media value chain, and hence I have taken this decision in my personal capacity,” Goenka said.

Prosus writes off Byju’s bet, sees zero value in 10% stake

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: For Prosus, one of Byju’s largest investors, the startup now has zero value. The company has written off the fair value of its 9.6% stake in Byju’s, the Netherlands-based technology investor said in its FY24 annual report on Monday, marking a steep downturn for a startup which was once valued at $22 billion.

“We impaired Byju’s down to zero at the end of FY24. We have written down Byju’s primarily because we have inadequate information on the company’s financial health, liabilities and future outlook,” a company spokesperson said. Prosus, which has infused over $500 million into the troubled startup, said that it has recognised a fair value loss of $493 million on its investment in Byju’s in FY24.

A series of financial and corporate governance lapses cost Byju’s the trust of its investors who had collectively invested over $5 billion into the company that sought to leverage technology and reduce barriers to quality education for students. Byju’s widening rift with its inves- tors has been out in the open and has reached the courtroom with a group of investors including Prosus filing an oppression and mismanagement suit against the startup’s management.

Investors Prosus, General Atlantic, Sofina and Peak XV Partners have also been opposed to Byju’s rights issue and have managed to get a court-approved order restricting the startup from using funds raised through the rights issue. In June last year, Prosus representative Russell Dreisenstock stepped down from Byju’s board citing disregard for Dreisenstock’s advice and recommendations by Byju’s leadership. In Feb, a majority of Byju’s investors led by Prosus also voted to oust Byju Raveendran as the CEO while seeking a reconstitution of the company’s family run board.

While Byju’s bleeds, Prosus’ other portfolio company Swiggy’s revenues grew 24% while its gross order value grew by 26% y-o-y on the back of healthy order growth and higher average order value in CY2023. “Adjusted Ebitda improved to a loss of $261 million,” Prosus said.

Well positioned to capitalise on infra spends, says Adani

Adani Group is “well positioned” to capitalise on opportunities in the country’s booming infrastructure sector as spending is expected to surge, chairman Gautam Adani told investors on Monday.

The group, which has businesses across ports, power utilities, transmission and coal trading, is betting on India’s infrastructure spending that is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 20-25%, Adani said.

The group has become much “stronger” since it ca- me under attack by US-based short-seller Hindenburg Research last year, Adani said at the annual general meeting of the group’s flagship company, Adani Enterprises.

Last Jan, Hindenburg accused the Adani Group of improper use of tax havens and stock manipulation. The group, which refuted the allegations, sparked a $150-billion meltdown in market value as the short-seller’s report roiled investor confidence and attracted regulatory scrutiny.

Group companies, including Adani Power and Adani Ports, recouped all their los- ses and moved past pre-Hindenburg levels last year. Adani Enterprises, too, bounced back past those levels in May.

“The headwinds that tested us became the very ones that made us even stronger,” Adani said, pointing to investments from GQG Partners, TotalEnergies and Abu Dhabi conglomerate International Holding after the Hindenburg saga. The SC said in Jan that no further scrutiny was needed on the company. This was after a court-appointed panel said that Sebi “drew a blank” in investigations into suspected violations in overseas investments in the Adani Group. REUTERS

Current a/c surplus for 1st time in 10 qtrs in March qtr

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: The country’s current account balance showed a surplus for the first time in 10 quarters in Q4FY24. The surplus was a result of higher inflows from service exports and individuals.

In Q4, the surplus was $5.7 billion compared to a deficit of $8.7 billion in the previous quarter. The current account position was a 0.6% surplus as a percentage of GDP, compared to a 1% deficit in Q3FY24.

For the full year, the current account deficit narrowed down to $23 billion or 0.7% of the GDP from $67 billion or 2% of GDP in FY23. The current account had turned into a surplus for the first time in 17 years in FY21 when it was around 0.9% of the GDP. On a quarterly basis, the last surplus was in Q3FY21 when imports had decreased during the pandemic. Service exports in Q4FY24 increased by 4.1% year-over-year, driven by more exports of software, travel, and business services. Net service receipts were $42.7 billion, up from $39.1 billion a year ago, contributing to the current account surplus in Q4 2023-24.

Receipts from private transfers, primarily remittances sent by Indians working abroad, totaled $32.0 billion, marking an 11.9% increase compared to the previous year.

In Q4 2023-24, net inflows from external commercial borrowings to India were $2.6 billion, up from $1.7 billion a year ago. Non-resident deposits saw a higher net inflow of $5.4 billion compared to $3.6 billion in Q4 2022-23. Foreign exchange reserves increased by $30.8 billion during Q4 2023-24, excluding valuation effects, compared to an increase of $5.6 billion a year ago. “For FY25, based on early trends, the current account deficit should be manageable at 1-1.5% of GDP, and steady capital inflows should ensure that the balance of payments, which reflects the fundamentals, remain comfortable,” said Madan Sabnavis, chief economist of the Bank of Baroda.

Jain raises $5bn in biggest hedge fund debut since ’18

Former co-chief investment officer at Millennium Management, Bobby Jain, has gathered $5.3 billion in commitments for his new multi-strategy hedge fund, marking the biggest fundraising haul since ExodusPoint Capital Management’s record debut.

Jain Global will start trading July 1, according to people familiar with the matter. Investors include endowments, foundations, family offices, bank wealth platforms and sovereign wealth funds.

The premiere caps a busy year for Jain who has travelled the world pitching his fund. He initially aimed to gather as much as $10 billion. But after struggling to hit that goal, he cut client fees to entice inves- tors and reduced his target to between $5 billion and $6 billion. A representative for the firm declined to comment.

Even with the revised goal, Jain Global is the biggest launch since 2018. Jain topped fellow Millennium alumnus Diego Megia, whose Taula Capital Management began trading this month with $5 billion. Megia spun out his macro pod from Millennium and received $3 billion from his former employer. Jain has been raising money in a challenging environment, as interest rates remain elevated and deals have slowed to a trickle. New hedge funds also face stiff competition from bigger multistrategy funds with established track records. BLOOMBERG

Beware... 800 online financial frauds a day

At Nearly 3L In FY24, Cases 10X More Than RBI’s Figure That Excludes Sub `1L Frauds

Mayur.Shetty@timesgroup.com

Mumbai: Nearly 800 digital payment fraud cases are reported every day in India, nearly 10 times more than what RBI’s annual report showed. This is because the central bank’s took into account cases above Rs 1 lakh only.

According to the report, 29,082 card & digital payment fraud cases worth Rs 1,457 crore were reported in the previous fiscal. When frauds below Rs 1 lakh are taken into account, the total number of cases increases by 2.7 lakh, amounting to Rs 653 crore.

This was disclosed by RBI in a response to an RTI query where it said that in the last five years, there were 5.4 lakh fraud cases worth Rs 1,146 crore. This translates to nearly 800 fraud cases a day.

Furthermore, if all the cases from the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal are included, the surge is even higher. Many frauds reported on the portal are not recorded as banking frauds because the money is transferred voluntarily to a third party masquerading as a merchant or service provider.

In Feb this year, a committee relating to the ministry of electronics and IT said that there were Rs 5,574-crore worth of cyber frauds reported on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal in FY24 up to Sept 2023. Another RTI response last year had revealed that there were 21 lakh complaints on the portal between Jan 2022 to May 2023.

According to bankers, the- re are various kinds of frauds. First, where fraudsters use malware or breach systems to steal funds. Second, phishing or misrepresentation to get the victim to reveal credentials or undertake a transactions. Third, where the victim voluntarily transfers funds into a fraudu- lent scheme or fake e-commerce site. Bankers said that many cases where the customer voluntarily transfers funds are not reckoned as banking frauds because the bank systems are not breached.

According to a study by payments company EPS, over the past three years, retail digital payments have grown 24% in value and 53% in volume year-over-year. However, frauds have risen 109% in value and 59% in volume over the same period.

“Traditionally, when digital payments were made using cards it was the issuer bank who took the responsibility of ensuring that the customer grievance was addressed. In online transfers, the cost of unresolved frauds is borne entirely by the con- sumers as third-party app providers only facilitate the transfer,” said Mani Mamallan, chairman and MD, EPS.

The study estimated that approximately Rs 3 per lakh of digital transactions reported in 2023-24 were fraudulent, with Rs 1 per lakh occurring during that period and the re- mainder from earlier periods. Mamallan adds that an institutional underwriting mechanism could be created to protect consumers from these losses. In 2017, RBI had introduced the concept of zero customer liability in unauthorised transactions. The zero liability concept applies when the customer does not share credentials or if the fraud occurs after the customer reports that his account has been compromised. There is no protection for the customer when the funds are transferred voluntarily.

Earlier this month, IBA chairman M V Rao said that most of the online frauds were because of customers falling victims to scams and not vulnerabilities in the banking system.

Weddings key growth driver for several sectors: Report

From P 1

At anywhere between Rs 20 lakh and Rs 30 lakh, ‘luxury weddings’ see much higher spending than average with the upper end being much more lavish.

“This budget encompasses expenses for hosting five to six functions/events, luxurious accommodations at top-tier hotels, lavish catering, decor, and entertainment (expenses related to jewellery, wedding attire, and airfare are not included in these estimates),” the report noted. The uber rich have many more events, including lavish pre-wedding events and cruises thrown in.

As a result, the report, a rare attempt to capture the size of the industry and its impact across sectors, said that given the size and scale, Indian weddings are a key growth driver for several categories such as jewellery, apparel, catering, stay and travel, among other sectors. Over half the jewellery industry revenues are led by bridal jewellery while more than 10% of all apparel spends are driven by weddings and celebrations wear.

Wedding jewellery accounts for the largest proportion of the spend, accoun- ting for nearly a quarter, followed by catering at 20% and events at 15%.

“Service providers to the wedding industry largely fall in the unorganised and highly fragmented category, consisting of many small-scale businesses and individual service providers who cater to both lowand high-spenders. This is partly due to the extreme divergence in regional preferen- ces, which means smaller and regional players are better placed in addressing consumer needs,” said the report.

PM Modi had given a call last year to ‘wed in India’, urging people to go for destinations within the country rather than foreign countries as several celebrities and high net worth individuals were opting for destination weddings overseas.

India gained via info sharing with 171 countries: OECD

Lubna.Kably@timesgroup.com

Mumbai: In 2023, the exchange of information mechanism spearheaded by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which helps tax authorities detect crossborder tax evasion, enabled the Asian members of the Global Forum (including India), to identify at least 1.8 billion euros of tax revenue.

During the period 2009-2023, India and 12 other Asian member countries of the Global Forum, identified 21.8 billion euros in additional revenue (tax, interest and penalties) through the use of ‘exchange of information on request (EOIR)’ and ‘automatic exchange of information (AEOI)’, including voluntary disclosure programmes and offshore tax investigations.

The Global Forum’s report on ‘Tax Transparency in Asia (2024)’ released by the OECD on Monday, points out that most Asian members of the forum (the international body engaged in implementation of information exchange) have a network covering more than 140 countries. India has the widest network with an exchange of information relationship with 171 countries and is a significant gainer of this mechanism. China has a network of 166 countries and Singapore of 155 countries. As country-wise revenue data is confidential, the same was not shared.

Implementation of automatic exchange of information, has been a real gamechanger for countries, including India – which, for instance, under the automatic route gets periodical data of bank account details from Switzerland. The report points out that Asian members who participate in AEOI also receive consequent information on financial assets held abroad by their tax residents. In 2023, these countries reported having received information on more than 51 million financial accounts covering assets of a total value of 3.7 trillion euros.

Times Sport

- ‘Southgate’s England not being brave’

- PULISIC SCORES, ASSISTS TO LEAD USA TO VICTORY OVER BOLIVIA

- BACK-TO-THE-WALL SERBIA CONFIDENT, SAYS MIDFIELDER BIRMANCEVIC

- France wait for Mbappe return and goals to flow

- Uruguay’s Bielsa sees room for improvement in 3-1 win

- Xhaka hails Swiss after reaching knockouts

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‘Southgate’s England not being brave’

Michael Owen, ex-England star striker, tells TOI the team’s strength is in the attack but the manager is relying too much on a defensive set-up...

FRUSTRATING: England coach Gareth Southgate needs to let go of the idea of using two holding midfielders, feels Owen

Moushumi.Bora@timesgroup.com

Whenever Michael Owen closes his eyes, and dreams of himself in an England shirt, he sees an 18-year-old boy wonder jinking through the Argentine defenders in Saint-Etienne at the 1998 World Cup and scoring that goal. A goal iconic enough to draw comparisons with a Maradona moment. “I think that’s the one that people remember me for,” the 44-year-old tells TOI.

A member of England’s Golden Generation, Owen best understands the pressure that the current lineup feels as it struggles at the Euros in Germany. Owen knows pressure is unavoidable but points out that there is more to England’s malady than just this. Excerpts from a chat...

England started off as favourites, but they are not playing well. What do you think is going wrong?

It’s been quite difficult to watch so far. I think Gareth Southgate’s probably going to change his team a bit against Slovenia to try to find that missing ingredient. We’re going to be all right. We still have time to build.

It’s not all doom and gloom. We’ve got four points and we’ll be in the knockouts. Looking at the positives, I don’t think many teams that win tournaments start the tournament winning 5-0 and keep going in that vein. If England had won five-nil in the first two games, we’d all be saying, England are going to win the tournament. And maybe that’s not the mindset that we want our players and supporters to have.

Two matches down, what do you think is not working for the team?

I knew I was going to be frustrated. I think Southgate is an amazing manager in terms of man-management. He creates a great environment. He has great attention to detail. He’s been there before as a player. He knows what works.

He’s an exceptional manager in a lot of ways. But I knew coming in that I would be disagreeing with his team. Southgate has always played with two holding midfield players, and I’ve never believed that you need two. Look at the most successful teams — they all play with one. Rodri plays for Manchester City, probably the best team in the world at the moment. Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Man United all play the same. I just think it’s too defensive to play with two.

Here, Declan Rice has been joined by Trent Alexander Arnold. Maybe in the next game, it might be a Kobbie Mainoo or Adam Wharton, but I don’t think we should be playing that. I think our strength is our attack and how many players we can have (in attack) that affect games.

Declan Rice as the No. 6 is more than enough. We can play our back four. We can play Rice and then we can play two ahead, two wide players and Harry Kane up front. So, I would be trying to get a more attacking team. I’d be trying to get one more player that’s more of an advanced player, a Cole Palmer, who’s had an amazing season for Chelsea.

I would be trying to get him into our team, but with Southgate, I knew he would be playing with two holding midfielders. We didn’t know who he would be playing with Rice. I have a feeling he’s going to stick with the same system, which is frustrating, but he might change one or two players.

You think England are not being brave?

Absolutely. I think our strength is in our attacking players. We have players like Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden, Palmer, obviously Harry Kane as a striker. Anthony Gordon has had a great season at Newcastle. I’d love to see him play. And then we got players like Jude Bellingham. There are so many good attacking players that we need to squeeze into the team.

What is the best way to involve Trent Alexander-Arnold?

I’ve always seen him as a right back. He is very dangerous when he comes into the midfield for Liverpool. But coming in from a right back position when nobody is marking you, and then coming in and being on your own is very, very different than just being a player that stays in midfield and has to receive the ball from a right back. (Because) then you’ve got people behind you, it’s a 360 degrees position, whereas playing at right back everything’s in front of you. You’ve really only got 180 degrees to look at. So, I think it’s a very different role. And even though he ends up in that position playing for Liverpool, it’s so different to actually staying in that position to start with.

Southgate probably won’t play him as a right back. I would like to see Rice being the No. 6 and playing Foden and Bellingham ahead in midfield. And I would play Saka or Palmer and Gordon or Palmer. Just try to get an extra attacking midfield player instead of the No. 6.

You made a case for Cole Palmer…

Anybody that’s watched the Premier League last season would see that even in a struggling team like Chelsea, Palmer was just outstanding, he can take the ball, he’s very brave; he’s young and he’s confident; he’s creative, he scores goals. I find it difficult looking at England’s bench and seeing his name, knowing what he could contribute. If I were Southgate, I’d be trying to desperately find a role on the pitch for him.

Do you think Southgate is confused about his starting 11 that way?

I don’t think he is. Well… in some ways he is. He’s always played in this way and the criticism has always been the same. You know, in the last two tournaments, everybody has said, why do we play so defensive? Why are we playing two ‘Sixes’ or midfield players? He has always done this, which is why I knew I’d be frustrated that some of our best players were going to have to be on the bench. Maybe what he’s confused with now is who to play as the other No. 6 because we always had Kalvin Phillips and Rice in previous tournaments.

Phillips is not there now. Jordan Henderson is not there either. And trying to find that replacement is what he’s a bit confused about. But if it was me, I wouldn’t be trying to find a replacement. I’d just be leaving Rice there on his own and getting one of the other players into the team. What I’m debating and what I’m arguing with is not the players necessarily he’s selecting, it’s more the system. And if he’s going to play that system, of course he can’t play Cole. He can’t play a lot of players that I would love him to play. He’s not done that for a long time. I don’t think he’s going to change now.

Do you think players should take more responsibility for their performances?

I think players, at the end of the day, do take responsibility. They’re the ones that are out on the pitch and they’re the ones that get criticized. So, I totally understand Harry Kane saying what he said (reacting to Gary Lineker’s comments). I thought his words were very well measured and very responsible and on behalf of the team, as the captain, I thought it was very good.

You’re never going to change pundits. If it’s not Lineker, it’s some- body else. But then, it’s very accurate for Kane to say, hang on a minute, some of you have played before, you know how difficult it is to represent England with all the expectations.

The longer England go without winning a tournament, the more pressure grows, the more difficult it is to be able to cope with it. Then your confidence is being drained by people that are criticizing you all the time and the pressure mounts and you don’t play well. It’s just very difficult being an England player. It has been very difficult being an England player for a long time now. But I don’t really know the solution.

What about your generation?

The pressure was probably on me and my teammates more than any player in the last few decades. We were classed as a golden generation that everybody thought would go and win competitions. It’s something that you’ve got to be able to manage as an England player. Not every player can do it. One of the big criticisms over the years is, why don’t our players play as good for England as they do at club level? You can only put it down to the pressure. ■

(Watch UEFA Euro 2024 on Sony LIV in six language options)

THAT MOMENT: Owen, 18, holds off Argentina’s Jose Chamot on his way to scoring an iconic goal in the 1998 World Cup

PULISIC SCORES, ASSISTS TO LEAD USA TO VICTORY OVER BOLIVIA

Arlington: Christian Pulisic scored one goal and set up another as the United States launched their Copa America campaign with a clinical 2-0 Group C victory over Bolivia on Sunday.

US captain Pulisic curled in a superb early goal before teeing up a second for striker Folarin Balogun just before half-time at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

That two-goal salvo was enough to secure a vital three points for Gregg Berhalter’s side.

Pulisic was clearly in no mood to let the South Americans improve that record of futility, firing the hosts into the lead after only three minutes.

AGENCIES

BACK-TO-THE-WALL SERBIA CONFIDENT, SAYS MIDFIELDER BIRMANCEVIC

Munich: Serbia have their backs against the wall but are confident of the win they require against Denmark to reach the last 16 at Euro 2024, midfielder Veljko Birmancevic said on Sunday.

Dragan Stojkovic’s side have one point from two games to sit bottom of Group C and, while a draw could mathematically prove enough to stay in the tournament, they want to leave nothing to chance in Munich. “We have no options for comfort, we have reached the wall,” Stojkovic said. “There is no going back and we can only go forward. If you want to move forward, you have to win.”

They pushed England hard in their opening 1-0 loss and then grabbed a stoppage-time equaliser in the 1-1 draw with Slovenia but are in danger of an early exit. “Everyone is ready to give 100%. We learned a lot from these two games.”

France wait for Mbappe return and goals to flow

Dortmund: France appear almost certain to reach the last 16 but they are hoping to have Kylian Mbappe back, and rediscover their goal-scoring touch, when they face Poland in their final Group D game on Tuesday. France have four points from two matches but have only scored one goal, off Austrian Woeber’s own goal.

That gave France a 1-0 win against Austria in their opening match, before they drew 0-0 with the Netherlands in the absence of Mbappe.

Mbappe played no part against the Dutch as he recovers from the broken nose he suffered in a collision late on against Austria. He will need to wear a protective mask over his nose when he returns to action, and has been training wearing one.

“I think everyone knows he is really eager to play in the next match. That won’t surprise anyone,” teammate Aurelien Tchouameni said.

AFP

VAN DIJK UNDERSTANDS CRITICISM OF ORANJE

Wolfsburg: Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk said he understands the criticism of his team despite the Dutch picking up four points out of a possible six in Group D. The Netherlands are hoping to pinch top spot in Group D ahead of France but on Tuesday face a confident Austria side who may need a positive result to reach the last 16.

“Against France we were more compact as a team. Keeping a clean sheet against the World Cup runners-up is good. But in possession of the ball, we were very poor,” Van Dijk said. The Dutch team came under fire from TV pundits and newspaper columnists following the game but Van Dijk was unruffled by the criticism.

“If it irritated me, I would have a very unpleasant life. Expectations are high. We have a good team. We want to show it in big matches.”

AGENCIES

Uruguay’s Bielsa sees room for improvement in 3-1 win

ON FULL TILT: Uruguay’s Federico Valverde (No.15) fights for the ball with Panama’s goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera in Miami on Sunday

Miami Gardens: Uruguay opened their Copa America campaign with a 3-1 win over Panama on Sunday but head coach Marcelo Bielsa was quick to temper expectations and said they must continue to improve.

Maximiliano Araujo scored when he sent a long-range shot into the top far corner in the 16th minute, Darwin Nunez and Matias Vina added late goals and Uruguay beat Panama 3-1.

Bielsa took charge of Uruguay in May last year and steered them through a transitional period in which veterans Edinson Cavani and Diego Godin both retired, with all time leading goalscorer Luis Suarez looking set to follow suit soon.

The 15-times Copa America winners have been in excellent form over the last several months, beating both Argentina and Brazil in World Cup qualifiers.

Those results have sparked hope of a record 16th continental crown for “La Celeste” but Bielsa said they were taking it one game at a time.

“When it comes to Uruguay’s aspirations, we will see that and build it match by match,” he said.

“My expectation is that each match will increasingly help us to improve on our level. Uruguay have players of a very good level and we need to see if I can build with those players.” Uruguay dominated the opening 45 minutes as they pressed and harried Panama but their energy levels appeared to drop in the second half.

Panama looked likely to grab an equaliser after the break and Uruguay only regained control after Darwin Nunez’s goal in the 85th minute. “The first half gave us the edge over our opponent. We should have scored more,” Bielsa said. “In the second half, there were 15 minutes where we performed very poorly. They dominated the ball during that time and they created opportunities where we were only leading by one goal and if they had scored, it would have been complicated for us.

“We missed five goals and we scored one in the first half and then we missed five and scored two in the second half.”

Uruguay next face Bolivia in New Jersey on Thursday. Seeking a record 16th Copa America title, Uruguay dominated with 20 shots, including seven on target. Amir Murillo scored late into stoppage time for Panama.

Xhaka hails Swiss after reaching knockouts

Fuellkrug’s Late Equaliser Helps Germany Top Group

GOING TO THE TOP: Germany’s Fuellkrug celebrates after scoring the equalizer in added time against Switzerland

Frankfurt: Germany survived a scare to finish top of Group A as Niclas Fuellkrug’s stoppage-time goal rescued a 1-1 draw against Switzerland on Sunday. Their welldrilled opponents demonstrated an effective means of nullifying the host nation’s talented side.

Switzerland sat deep to frustrate Germany’s attacking players and, though Jamal Musiala showed glimpses of his ability to break the lines, the Swiss succeeded until substitute Niclas Fuellkrug’s 92nd-minute equaliser.

Kai Havertz spurned a number of half chances and defender Antonio Rudiger should have done better with a first-half header but Germany, who had a goal disal- lowed at 0-0, had few clear opportunities until late on.

Germany dominated possession completed more than double the number of passes Switzerland managed and had 18 shots on goal -though only three of those were on target. The Swiss, meanwhile, were clinical: Dan Ndoye’s acrobatic volley put away either side’s best chance in the first half. “When you see how the Germans celebrated their goal that says everything,” said Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka, named player of the match. “This team is hungry, this team has a completely new mentality, will, passion,” he said. “And we want to show that again in the round of 16.”

AGENCIES

Varga horror injury mars Hungary’s win

Szoboszlai Livid At In-Stadia Medical Response

MOMENT OF IMPACT: Hungary’s Barnabas (on ground), Scotland’s Gunn (yellow) collide on Sunday

Dusseldorf: Kevin Csoboth scored in the 10th minute of added time after a frightening injury to Barnabas Varga as Hungary snatched a 1-0 win over Scotland to stay in the hunt for a place in the last 16. Hungary captain Dominik Szoboszlai has criticised medical staff for what he saw as a slow response to Barnabas Varga’s nasty collision. Szoboszlai was among Hungarian players waving frantically for help as Varga, who fractured several bones in his face, lay motionless on the ground after a collision with Scottish keeper Angus Gunn 68 minutes into the game.

“I don’t understand this kind of protocol, why the medical staff don’t rush in at this time?,” Szoboszlai said.

Coach Marco Rossi confirmed Varga regained consciousness before leaving the field and was taken to hospital where his condition was stable. Hungary must wait for the outcome of other group matches to see if they will advance to the next round as one of four best third-place finishers.

Szoboszlai celebrated the victory by wearing Varga’s spare shirt turned back to front. It was a bitter end to Scotland’s bid to reach the knockout phase for the first time.

AGENCIES

TIMES IN THE CARIBBEAN

ROHIT SPECIAL SPOOKS OZ

Skipper’s Blazing 92 Helps India Win By 24 Runs, Set Up Semis Date With England

SMASH HIT: Rohit Sharma was in full flow against Australia on Monday

Dwaipayan.Datta@timesgroup.com

St. Lucia: There’s an active volcano in a small town called Soufriere, about 55 kilometres away from where India were playing Australia on Monday. The fumes that emanate from the eye of the volcano gives one the feeling that the mountains are angry. It seemed that everyone with India in their hearts at the Darren Sammy International Stadium here on Monday were physical representations of that volcano. No one had forgotten Ahmedabad, Nov 19 — the day Australia snatched the ODI World Cup from India last year — and it was payback time.

Now, India will play England in the semifinal on the spinner-friendly Guyana track on Thursday while Australia’s fate isn’t in their hands: they are out if Afghanistan beat Bangladesh, or if Bangladesh win big. The architect of India’s win was ‘Hitman’ Rohit Sharma himself. His mood on Monday was something similar to what it was in Ahmedabad in the World Cup final . But his innings had been cut short by an outstanding catch by Travis Head.

Here in St. Lucia, there wasn’t any such otherworldly activity that could stop Rohit as he played the innings of the World Cup so far. It was Rohit’s 92 off 41 balls that was the cornerstone of India’s 205-5 which left the Aussies stunned once they had put India in. After Virat Kohli (0) failed once again, it was a complete Rohit show for the next 10 overs or so. It started with the first ball of the third over by Mitchell Starc which the left-arm pacer tried to bowl full and Rohit’s slash over cover went for a six.

Rohit smashed four sixes and a four in that over which yielded 29 and swung the momentum in India’s favour.

Rohit didn’t care who the bowler was, he just knew he had to go after him. Anything in his hitting range was going over the top while those dropped short were pulled with power. It was Rohit’s uncluttered mindset that was that was central to this onslaught.

The dominance of Rohit was highlighted by the fact that India were 52-1 in the sixth over when he reached his 50. An innings of this quality deserved a century as a topping, but Starc, coming back for his second spell, finally landed a yorker that hit the inside edge of Rohit’s bat and knocked the stumps over.

When Rohit was dismissed in 11.2 overs, the score was 127. After that, off the 52 balls, India managed 78, which proves that run-scoring probably wasn’t as easy as Rohit made it seem. Still, India managed a score which was big enough.

The Aussies, though, tried with Head (76 off 43 balls) taking life in his hands and going after the Indian bowling. There were periods during their chase when it seemed that the target was actu- ally achievable.

But somewhere in the middle, leftarm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav (2-24) bowled an outstanding spell that halted the Aussies in their tracks. He was assisted by a brilliant one-handed catch at deep square-leg by Axar Patel to dismiss Aussie No. 3 Mitchell Marsh, which was one of the turning points of the game.

Still, there was a Head to deal with, but with wickets falling at the other end, you could gauge that the swashbuckler was getting impatient. Coming back for his second spell, he induced an edge off Head and it was fitting that Rohit completed a skier. The rest was a formality.

GALLERY

Bashir’s unwanted record: Concedes 38 runs in 1 over

England spinner Shoaib Bashir made unwanted history when he conceded 38 runs in a single over in an English county championship match.

AGENCIES

ACTION TODAY

CRICKET: ICC T20 WC, Afghanistan vs Bangladesh, 6 am (Star Sports);

FOOTBALL: Euro 2024, France vs Poland; Netherlands vs Austria, 9.30 pm; Denmark vs Serbia; England vs Slovenia, 12.30 am Wednesday (Sony Sports)

Party is over for WI fans but skipper Powell urges them to not turn away

The Windies fans were hopeful of the team making the knockout stages of a home World Cup

Dwaipayan.Datta@timesgroup.com

St. Lucia: Travelling through the West Indies for the last few days, one felt there was a sense of hope developing among those who still care for cricket in this part of the world.

Be it in conversations with the cab driver or a new acquaintance in the roadside bar or the fisherman taking you out for a boat ride on the Caribbean sea, everyone felt there was a chance for the West Indies. ‘It wasn’t exactly a chest-thumping super-confidence that the world is all theirs, but a ray of hope that this World Cup might be the start of a cricketing revival in the region.

However, that wasn’t to be. West Indies flattered for a while, only to deceive at the end in a virtual quarterfinal with South Africa in the Super 8 clash.

Gregory, a man in his 40s donning a Barcelona shirt in a small town called Soufriere, near the active volcano in the Piton Mountains in St. Lucia says: “It’s hard times man, my football team (Barca) isn’t the team I knew anymore. Was hoping West Indies will play you guys in the semis or final, that’s also not happening.”

Cricket in the West Indies has been in perpetual decline over the last two decades. The national team doesn’t win enough to get the GenNext hooked to it. Being unable to qualify for the ODI World Cup last year was the nadir.

Still, you can feel a genuine love for the sport. In the roadside bars during the famous Friday street party in St. Lucia, it was cricket that was being played on the TVs as Indian fans mingled in with the locals, shaking their leg to some reggae beats.

Dileep, a chartered accountant in his 70s from Guyana who now lives in Canada, had flown down with his family for a vacation that included cricket in this lovely island country. “My favourite was Roy Fredericks. The way that little man used to play Dennis Lillee, my god…we don’t have such guys anymore. Still, we don’t give up hope. That’s why we still take time off from our schedules to come and watch cricket,” Dileep, in his 70s, says, buying a fresh round of beer for “a new friend”.

The locals in St. Lucia were slightly more expectant because the current West Indies team is being coached by a local boy Darren Sammy, the only St. Lucian who also led the country. “His house is just around the team. We all feel proud of him. There’s a sports school, too, nearby where he has put in some effort. Just wanted his team to do well,” Terrol, who runs a bed and breakfast by Rodney Bay, said the other day.

A meaningful performance in this T20 World Cup would probably have reignited the passion among the youth who have more in life “that rooting for a losing team”. But during the course of this World Cup, West Indies did show glimpses and skipper Rovman Powell urged the fans not to turn their backs despite the soul-crunching defeat.

“We are disappointed because we thought we had the personnel within our room to actually win a home World Cup. But having said that we have played good cricket, we have entertained them in patches, and it’s just for them to keep on supporting us. How important the support is in whatever you do. So, I would implore them to just keep on working with us, keep on supporting us over the last 12 months,” Powell said, mentioning that for the first time West Indies have been ranked No. 3 in T20s in the world.

But is it enough to keep the fans who need that sense of a victory to keep them going after a hard day’s work? We will see...

Afghan fans over the moon after historic win vs Oz

PARTY TIME: Afghan fans burst firecrackers in Khost on Sunday

Kabul: Beleaguered Afghans were riding high Monday after a historic weekend T20 World Cup victory over Australia spread a rare mood of euphoria across the country. “With every ball, every run, every boundary, every wicket, I wasn’t able to hold my emotions,” said university student Zamir Afghan in the capital Kabul.

“It was very early morning, but I was jumping, screaming, I was not able to contain myself,” the 20-year-old tsaid. “I couldn’t stop my tears.”

“Afghanistan as a nation has suffered a lot, such moments are rare for us,” said Afghan.

Whilst cricket is hugely popular in Afghanistan, the match over 11,000 kilometres (7,000 miles) away in Arnos Vale on the Caribbean island of St Vincent, took place around dawn local time.

Though the last ball was bowled around 8:30 am on Sunday, many diehard fans had been awake to witness the win. In eastern Khost city, around 1,000 raucous cricket fans gathered to bask in the glow of fireworks early on Sunday morning in half an hour of revelry swiftly broken up by Taliban security forces.

An uncowed smaller crowd came together again at night, clapping as they lit off more pyrotechnics. Since the Taliban took over in August 2021 and introduced an austere vision of Islam, scenes of public jubilation have been rare. “Such moments are special for everyone,” said 18-year-old fruit shop worker Saddam Saleh. “Beating mighty Australia is not something small.”

Afghanistan has been isolated since the withdrawal of foreign forces and the collapse of the US-backed government, with diplomats wary of engaging with Taliban rulers. The isolation has spilled into the world of sport. Cricket Australia has withdrawn from bilateral series because of the “deterioration in human rights” for women and girls in Afghanistan.

“The Afghanistan national team responded to their disrespect on the pitch,” said 32-year-old Shahid, who goes by only one name. “No one should ever underestimate the greatness of Afghanistan.”

AFP

Young Team India for Zimbabwe tour

Gill To Lead; Riyan First From NE To Get India Call-Up

New Delhi: Dashing Assam batter Riyan Parag on Monday became the first north-eastern cricketer to get an India call-up as a new-look T20 squad led by Shubman Gill was unveiled for next month’s five-match series in Zimbabwe which will not feature any of the senior stars. The series starting July 6 will be held entirely in Harare.

The national selection committee didn’t pick any of the first team players, who are currently playing the T20 World Cup in the West Indies.

All the seniors like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja have been rested after a gruelling three-half months, including the hectic IPL. Even the likes of Shivam Dube, Arshdeep Singh, and Kuldeep Yadav have been given a break. It is believed that the selectors want to broaden the pool of players looking at the 2026 T20 World Cup in India.

The announced squad marks a landmark y ear for 21-year-old Parag, who had a stellar IPL season for the Rajasthan Royals with 573 runs which put him in the reckoning for selection.

Punjab skipper Abhishek Sharma, who had a mindblowing IPL opening with Travis Head for the Sunrisers Hyderabad and his franchise teammate Nitish Reddy from Andhra Pradesh are among the three rookies in the squad of 15 where only Mukesh Kumar is on the wrong side of 30s.

The average age of the squad is roughly around 25.

Reddy, a seam-bowling allrounder is someone who the national selectors have been keeping an eye on for some time. His solid IPL performances and need to have some back-up plan for Hardik Pandya has led to his selection in the squad.

PTI

Squad: Shubman Gill (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhishek Sharma, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Nitish Reddy, Riyan Parag, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, Tushar Deshpande.

BCCI to review domestic revamp after 1 yr

Gaurav.Gupta@timesgroup.com

Mumbai: The BCCI will review certain changes, like removing the zonal system in the Duleep Trophy, and doing away with toss in the Col. CK Nayudu Trophy (for under-23), introduced for the 2024-25 season, next year. BCCI secretary Jay Shah assured this to state association representatives at an informal meeting at the BCCI HQ on Monday.

TOI had exclusively reported about the meeting in its June 22 edition.

“Honorary Secretary of the BCCI Jay Shah extended his congratulations to the state associations for their exceptional work during this packed season. He sought feedback on the n ew domestic structure planned for the 2024-25 season. This new structure, implemented on the recommendations of NCA head of cicket VVS Laxman, Team India head coach Rahul Dravid, and chairman of the senior selection committee Ajit Agarkar, will be reviewed after one year,” the BCCI said in a statement.

Based on the recommendations of this special committee, the BCCI has decided that, as has happened earlier, the national selectors would pick four teams for the Du- leep Trophy. However, it’s learnt that a few state associations expressed reservations about this format and want the zonal system back for the red-ball tournament. “A few state units pointed out that their selectors have a better idea about the talent of a cricketer from their region, rather than a national selector. It was emphasized that state unit selectors should be involved in at least the Duleep Trophy selection,” a source told this paper. It’s learnt that the BCCI urged the state units to provide more remuneration to their players along the lines of the Mumbai Cricket Association.

Shamsi hits out at ‘ridiculous’ criticism by former players

South Africa leg-spinner Tabraiz Shamsi lambasted his team’s “ridiculous” critics after the Proteas won another T20 World Cup nail-biter to reach the semifinals.

Shamsi claimed 3-27 in Sunday’s three-wicket win over two-time champions West Indies as South Africa chalked up a seventh win in seven games at the tournament.

The 34-year-old took the wickets of dangerous opener Kyle Mayers and top-scoring Roston Chase in his four overs.

Four days earlier, he had conceded 50 runs on the same ground as the United States threatened a shock victory and he was dropped for the victory over England.

“In the previous game I bowled later in the innings and I went for 50 and there were certain critics coming out from the woodwork, speaking about pressure and how I can’t handle pressure,” said Shamsi.

“I think in a quarter-final match I hope that was enough pressure for me to respond to.”

Shamsi said he was dismayed by the criticism he and his team have faced in their campaign.

“It’s just a little bit ridiculous when it’s ex-players,” said Shamsi.

“When they were on the field they did the same things. As cricketers we know sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.”

AGENCIES

TRYING TO GET A BIGGER PLAYER POOL IN THE US: ANDERSON

COREY ANDERSON

Bridgetown (Barbados): Their fairytale run was cut short by the “Big Boys” but USA batter Corey Anderson says his assorted team is signing off from the T20 World Cup here with its head held high and “heaps of learnings”.

“I mean sky’s the limit really...the last few years there’s always been whispers around what’s happening in America with cricket...hopefully in years to come as well, we can kind of grow that,” Anderson, who is from New Zealand and even played 93 games for that country before shifting base to the USA, said following their campaign-ending loss to England on Sunday.

AGENCIES

SCENARIO

What Af need to make semis

Kingstown: Afghanistan have a simple task in front of them if they are to progress to the first semifinal in a global event. Beat Bangladesh. India’s 24-run win over Australia in St. Lucia means that Afghanistan, with two points can knock Australia out as they have only two points from two games.

India (6 points) topped Group A in the Super-8 stage with 6 points.

Australia (2) had to get at least 176 against India on Monday to ensure that Afghanistan (2) needed a win over Bangladesh (2) to go through to the semis. If Afghans lose then Aussies will be through unless Bangladesh win by a mammoth margin to pip them on NRR.

TNN

No choke, just clutch as SA pip Windies to SF

South Africa spinner Tabraiz Shamsi’s three-wicket burst crippled the West Indies in the middle overs at North Sound

North Sound (Antigua): South Africa’s golden generation of white-ball cricketers took a big step towards erasing the “eternal chokers” tag by keeping their composure to enter the semifinals of the T20 World Cup, beating a formidable West Indies by three wickets in a thrilling rain-truncated Super 8s game here.

After part-time magician and full-time wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi (3/27), along with his slow bowling colleagues Keshav Maharaj (1/24) and skipper Aiden Markram (1/28), restricted West Indies to a manageable 135 for 8, South Africa achieved the revised target of 123 with five balls to spare.

The Proteas were 15/2 in two overs when rain disrupted proceedings. With this win, South Africa topped Group 1 followed by defending champions England as the second semifinalist from it. Tristan Stubbs (29 off 27 balls), one of the most talked about among young T20 batters, set up the chase in company of Heinrich Klaasen (22 off 10 balls) for the South Africans.

But it was Marco Jansen (21 not out off 14 balls), who hit a beautiful six down the ground off the first ball of the 17th over bowled by left-arm pacer Obed McCoy to seal the deal. Equally praiseworthy was Kagiso Rabada’s copybook cover drive off Roston Chase when South Africa required 9 off 7 balls.

It was an unfair rain-rule in the 1992 ODI World Cup that saw South Africa bow out of the semi-finals against England and often the Proteas found ways to lose important games of cricket. But on Sunday night in North Sound, the one hour rain delay did a world of good for their batters as the pitch suddenly became better for batting with the ball skidding and coming on easily.

In hindsight, the 57 dot balls West Indies faced proved to be costly for the hosts as the innings just stalled in the middle overs.

AGENCIES

Brief scores: West Indies 135/8 in 20 overs (Roston Chase 52, Kyle Mayers 35; Tabraiz Shamsi 3/27) lost to South Africa 124/7 in 16.1 overs (Tristan Stubbs 29; Roston Chase 3/12, Andre Russell 2/19).

Civic body was doing clean-up drive without cop nod: Probe

 Continued from P 1

In his complaint, Saleem said, “On Friday, the municipal councillor brought a bulldozer and started destroying the graves. Our ancestors are buried here. The graveyard on Eidgah road is more than a century old.”

Khurja sub-divisional magistrate Durgesh Singh told TOI on Monday: “Teams from the district administration reached the spot and found that the land is notified as a graveyard. The municipal corporation told us that they were carrying out a cleanliness drive, which was unauthorised. Some graves were found damaged. A signboard has now been placed to identify the plot as a graveyard and proper fencing will be done to avoid a repeat of the incident.”

Circle officer (Khurja) Varun Kumar Singh said, “An FIR was registered under IPC Sections 295 (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings), 153 (intent to cause riot), 504 and 506 (criminal intimidation). Preliminary probe findings suggest they were carrying out a cleanliness drive without informing local police or administration. The municipal corporation was not permitted to carry out such a drive. Probe is under way and further action will betaken accordingly.”

NEET PG exam date likely this week

New Delhi: The next date for conduct of NEET PG is likely to be announced this week. NEET-PG was postponed on Saturday, less than 12 hours before it was scheduled to be held.

National Board of Examination (NBE) president Dr Abhijat Sheth told TOI that they are working closely to ensure that the exam happens soon. “We should be able to decide the exam date by this week,” Dr Sheth said. TNN

Players were concerned with Stimac’s coaching style and tactics: AIFF

‘Coach Always Tried To Deflect The Blame’

IGOR STIMAC

Marcus.Mergulhao@timesgroup.com

Panaji: The All India Football Federation (AIFF), responding Monday to sacked coach Igor Stimac’s recent allegations against it, has brought to the fore the senior team players’ lack of faith in his methods.

According to the AIFF, several players had brought their concern regarding Stimac’s “coaching style and tactics” to the attention of the federation on multiple occasions, before he was eventually sacked last week.

“Despite all the support, the coach always sought to deflect blame and according to him everything and everyone else was wrong and responsible for any given situation, except himself,” the AIFF said. “This sentiment was also shared by various players who had brought their concerns regarding Stimac’s coaching style and tactics to the attention of the AIFF. His selection of support staff had also gone unquestioned and was the subject of disquiet among many players.”

The AIFF also said they were shocked to note Stimac’s dependence on an astrologer to determine player’s call ups and team selections.

The AIFF said the coach’s conduct left a lot to be desired. The charges include making misleading claims about the GPS vests — lost by the airline in transit during team’s travel — and misrepresenting facts to gain sympathy from other nation’s coaches at the reputational cost of India. Stimac had claimed at the 3rd AFC National Coaches Conference in Malaysia that he had only four support staff, “when Stimac always had a contingent of between 13 to 16 support staff for every camp and tournament.”

The AIFF claimed that three days prior to the World Cup qualifier against Kuwait in Kolkata, it received a legal notice from Stimac’s lawyer alleging that the AIFF had breached his contract by allegedly misquoting him in a press release made in Sept 2023, when he had thanked those who made the release of players for the Asian Games possible.

“It appears that Stimac was more concerned about finding specious reasons to end his coaching stint in a manner favourable to himself rather than focusing on the team’s preparations for perhaps the most important match in the Indian team’s recent history.”

The AIFF also responded to Stimac’s admission that he underwent heart surgery during his engagement with the Indian body. “He irresponsibly blamed the AIFF for causing his heart ailment, attempting to deflect the serious matter of his not having been medically fit to render coaching services and his failure to formally disclose the same to the federation.”

“It is ironic that someone who was the prime person controlling the fortunes of the national team considers that Indian football is imprisoned and has not grown. It is fashionable to blame the entire system, especially when you do not wish to take any personal responsibility,” said the statement.

Aditi and Diksha qualify for Olympics

DIKSHA DAGAR

New Delhi: Indian golfing stars Aditi Ashok and Diksha Dagar on Monday secured qualification to the upcoming Paris Olympics via the world rankings.

The two women join Shubhankar Sharma and Gaganjeet Bhullar (men’s section) to form a four-member Indian team for the showpiece, which will be held from July 26 to August 11.

While it will be a third appearance for Aditi at the Olympics which is also the most for an Indian, Diksha will be competing for the second time. For Sharma and Bhullar, it would be their maiden appearance at the Olympics.

India’s best performance at the Olympics came from Aditi who finished fourth in the Tokyo Games 2020.

The Olympic entries are sent by the Indian Golf Union.

Qualification for Olympics is determined by rankings, limited to 60 men’s and as many women’s players through the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR). The top 15 players in the OWGR are eligible for the Olympics with a maximum limit of four golfers allowed from a single country.

The Olympic Golf Rankings (OGR), after the top 15 players, consists of up to top two eligible players per country, as long as it does not have at least two golfers in the top 15. Aditi, the highest ranked female player from India, is ranked 24, while Diksha sealed her spot by claiming the 40th position.

Diksha is the only golfer to have appeared in both the Olympics and the Deaflympics, where she is a two-time medallist. Diksha is the second Indian woman to win on the LET (Ladies European Tour) after Aditi and remains the youngest to do so at the age of 18.

PTI

Aditi ends T-35; Yang wins title

AMY YANG

R.Satya@timesgroup.com

Sammamish (USA): Despite getting off to a dismal start — five bogeys in seven holes — on the final day, Aditi Ashok limited the damage with a fine rearguard action on the back nine to finish tied 35th at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship here on Sunday.

The 26-year-old Indian shot a closing two-over 74 on a blustery day that saw just 10 golfers manage sub-par scores. Amy Yang was one of them. The South Korean shot a gritty one under 71 under testing conditions to capture her first Major crown.

Yang, 34, finished with a total of seven-under 281 for a three shot win over the trio of Lilia Vu (71), Korea’s Jin Young Ko (71) and Miyu Yamashita (73) of Japan.

“I’m lost for words right now,” said Yang. “It’s all the hard work our team did together, and I’m grateful for all that. All four rounds, it was tough out there, but I just trusted what I prepared and I did my best all week. I always wanted to win a Major, and I came close several times. I started doubting myself if I was ever going to win one before I retire,” said Yang, who pocketed $1.56 million for her effort this week. “I’m so grateful and very happy to win a Major.”

Aditi too was happy with her recovery on the back nine. “I played well overall. It was not a great week, but it was not a bad week either,” Asian Games silver medallist told TOI.

With her hitting a trifle patch, Aditi dropped too many shots on the first nine. A 10th tee starter, the Bengalurean bogeyed the opening hole, a result of a wrong club selection. Although she picked up a shot on the next hole, she bogeyed on the 12th, 14th, 15th after being on the wrong side of the undulating greens. She hit the water on the par-3 17th to drop another shot.

After picking up a shot on the 18th, she was unlucky to bogey the first hole, where her 20-footer putt lipped out. But she birdied the par-5 second and the fourth for her 74.

‘Mistaken’ delivery by J’khand firm tied to Bihar NEET leak?

CBI Launches Probe From Patna, Another Team Reaches Godhra

Mediapersons outside the EOU office in Patna on Monday

TNN & A GENCIES

Patna/Vadodara: CBI began its investigation into the alleged irregularities in NEET-UG in Patna on Monday, with two officials visiting the office of economic offences unit (EOU) of Bihar police.

A team from Shastri Nagar police station also reached the EOU office which first exposed the matter by arresting some suspects and registering an FIR on May 5.

Sources said CBI questioned Chandra Kishore Yadav, father of Sonu Kumar, a student suspected to be involved in the alleged NEET-UG paper leak, at the EOU office.

“CBI officers are collecting evidence related to the case from EOU. Evidence collected by EOU during the course of investigation includes pieces of the burnt question paper recovered from a house in Patna, cellphones of those arrested, SIM cards, laptops, post-dated cheques, and reference question papers provided by National Testing Agency (NTA),” an EOU officer said.

“All those arrested are in judicial custody in Patna, and the CBI team might take them to Delhi for detailed interrogation by obtaining transit remand from a court here. A disproportionate assets case may be registered against the arrested accused Sikander Prasad Yadvendu, a junior engineer in Danapur Town Council, as he reportedly acquired huge assets that are disproportionate to his known source of income,” the officer said. Yadvendu, originally from Samastipur, has been identified as the prime suspect in the case.

Meanwhile, according to EOU sources, the serial code of the charred question paper remnants corresponded to an exam centre in Hazaribagh in Jharkhand. Suspicion fell upon a courier company operating in Jharkhand. The courier company had entrusted nine packets of question papers to a transport company, which was responsible for delivering them to strongrooms in two public sector banks.

However, on May 3, just two days prior to the examination, the transport company’s vehicle mistakenly delivered the nine packets to a subcentre of the courier company in the Oreya area of Hazaribagh, rather than to the intended banks, said sources.

EOU sources added that an e-rickshaw was used to deliver the packets from the subcentre to one of the banks. CCTV footage showed the packets being dropped off at 1.30pm on May 3. Sources said EOU investigators questioned the courier company about this incident, and the company claimed it had “no control over the driver who would deliver the papers”.

Atop EOU officer said, “Since students received the paper ahead of the examination, it shows there was a leak in the chain of custody, which is sacrosanct. The courier and transportation firms, as well as the strongrooms, are all part of this chain.”

A team of CBI officials also reached Godhra in Gujarat on Monday to begin the probe into the alleged NEET irregularities case there.

Mastermind of J&K SI exam paper leak held

Jammu: Enforcement Directorate’s Jammu wing has arrested Yatin Yadav, the alleged mastermind of J&K Service Selection Board (JKSSB) SubInspector Recruitment Exam-2022 paper leak case, in an ongoing money laundering probe, officials said Monday, reportsSanjay Khajuria.

The examination was conducted on March 27, 2022, and the selected list of 1,200 candidates was cancelled by J&K administration following allegations of paper leak & malpractice. CBI, which was handed over the case, filed a chargesheet against 33 accusedin Nov 2022.

‘Nothing incriminating’ found, UP cop exam leak accused gets bail

Rajesh Kumar Pandey TNN

Prayagraj: Allahabad high court has granted bail to an accused in the UP Police examination paper leak case, observing that nothing incriminating was recovered from him.

While granting bail to Monu Sharma alias Monu Pandit, Justice Sameer Jain observed that nothing incriminating was recovered from him and that coaccused Monu Kumar and Rajneesh Ranjan, who were also apprehended along with the applicant, have already been released on bail by the high court.

The applicant was held earlier this year for allegedly trying to manipulate a police constable examination and leaking question papers.

Monu Pandit was booked under sections 420 (cheating) and other sections of IPC in a case registered at Nawabad police station of Jhansi district on the allegations of leaking the question paper of the written UP constable recruitment and promotion examination (scheduled for Feb 17 and 18 this year) even before the examination was conducted.

The candidates who ap- peared alleged that the paper was available at a price between Rs 50,000 and Rs 2 lakh. It was also alleged that many of the candidates had obtained the paper 8-12 hours before the commencement of the examination.

Though in its order of June 18, the court considered the applicant’s criminal history involving four other cases, it noted that he had been granted bail in all of them, all the alleged offences are triable by a first class magistrate and the applicant has been in jail since April 5, 2024 and thus he was found entitled to be released on bail.

Experts: NEET issue not local, likely to have ‘large spread’

 Continued from P 1

They had assured the parents that their child would get ‘high’ rank and demanded Rs 1 lakh as advance and Rs 9 lakh after the results. I had dissuaded them from falling into any such trap, parent representative and counsellor Sudha Shenoy said.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has always maintained that a computer randomly generates an exam centre based on the choice

of cities given by each candidate. “If computer-generated centres are given, how are students who have paid ending up in compromised exam centres,” asked Shenoy.

In another instance last year, a private university’s head was surprised to find the brightest first-year students failing on concepts that they had cracked in the entrance test conducted by the university just about 10 months ago and analysed the problem closely to find that some of their exam centres were compromised. “We changed the test agency we worked with. We realised that the exam centres were compromised,” the head of the university, who did not want to be named, told TOI.

Experts said the NEET 2024 controversy is not just “local” but probably one with a “large spread.” The NTA needs to “look closely” at the system and “find gaps and fix them”, they said.

Student representative and counsellor Sachin Bangad said, “A student should be allotted a local centre based on the combination of where the candidate took the Class X, XII exams and the address on the Aadhar card. Additionally, govt officials need to be roped in for supervision. Like in the polling system, they should be informed merely a night before where their exam supervision duty is.”

An officer, who has worked with the Maharashtra admission process for decades, said NEET should be conducted on computers for safety reasons. “Additionally, the new provisions brought in for the post-graduate test, to break down the test into multiple-timed

sections that cannot be revisited once the time is up, should also be brought into the UG test,” the officer added.

Latur headmaster in NEET net, another teacher held

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Hours after registering an FIR against four suspects for alleged links to the NEET paper leak, police in Maharashtra’s Latur arrested Jaleel Khan Pathan, a zilla parishad (ZP) school headmaster late Sunday, reports Mohammed Akhef.

Sanjay Jadhav, another ZP teacher posted in Solapur who is accused number one in the FIR, has been detained for questioning. “We have also detained two sub-agents from Beed district. They were working under Pathan,” La- tur SP Somay Munde said. He clarified that the detained sub-agents were in addition to the four named in the FIR.

Pathan, posted at a school in Latur’s Katpur, was produced in court on Monday and remanded in police custody till July 2, Munde said.

All four have been booked under Public Examinations (Prevention of unfair means) Act, 2024 —the stringent new law notified last week amid the NEET protests — as well as sections 420 (cheating) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC.

Colleagues found AAI man hanging from dupatta noose

SP (city) Manoj Katyal said the reasons behind his death would be ascertained after they receive the postmortem report

Aakash Ahuja & Kalyan Das TNN

Rudrapur/Dehradun: A senior Airports Authority of India official, who was found hanging in his bedroom dressed a s a woman, had spent the night with two relatives, who had slept in another room, and had made plans to visit a spot in the neighbourhood with them in the morning, police said.

A police officer, who i s part of the investigation, said, “The official was in his two bedroom accommodation with two relatives. All three had dinner together on Sunday and went out at night before returning to the apartment. Preliminary investigation suggests that the two were in one room while the AAI official was in the other. They had planned to visit a nearby mango orchard around 8am on Monday.

“However, when the official didn’t wake up in the morning despite several calls by the two, they informed his colleagues living in the same neighbourhood. They then broke open the door of his room to find him hanging from a noose made from a dupatta tied to the ceiling fan... We’re probing why he was in women’s attire.”

SP (city) Manoj Katyal said police are questioning the two relatives and his colleagues. He added: “We have also seized his mobile phone to examine his call details and other data to conduct a cyber forensic probe. His seniors and colleagues termed him an ‘outstanding professional who was n ever involved in any misconduct’. The reasons behind his death would be ascertained after we receive the postmortem report. We’re not ruling out anything...”

India’s trip to Oly to cost Rs 33.68cr

Sabi.Hussain@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Indian contingent’s trip to the Paris Olympics will cost the exchequer Rs 33.68 crore – more than double of what was spent from the govt’s coffers during the Tokyo Games in 2021. The Games will run from July 26 to August 11.

TOI has learnt that the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has worked out a detailed budget estimate for the Paris Games and the amount to be spent on the travel, accommodation, equipment and logistics needs of athletes, support staff and the govt and IOA delegates would be around Rs 33 crore. For Tokyo, the govt had spent Rs 13.13 crore.

The budget has been prepared considering the size of India’s contingent, which will have 195 members. A total of Rs 14 crore has been earmarked for athlete-related activities, including reward money for sportspersons and teams winning medals for the country.

A significant part of the overall budget, comprising Rs 12 crore would be borne by the sports ministry. The airfare (195 persons) alone will cost Rs 3.41 crore, while Rs 2.04 crore (@$50 for 25 days on 195 persons) will be spent on out-ofpocket allowance.

A huge amount — Rs 18.90 crore — will be spent on delegates and IOA’s executive committee (EC) members and headquarter officials. Signifi- cantly, the TA/DA paid to EC members will alone cost Rs 8.4 crore. IOA has a 12-member EC, including president P T Usha, senior vice-president Ajay H Patel and treasurer Sahdev Yadav, among others. Rs 1.2 crore will be spent on EC members’ visits to ceremonies and on their match tickets.

The budget estimate for Paris has led to another round of showdown between Usha and EC members. After Usha shared the Paris budget with the EC members, Yadav wrote a letter demanding convening of an urgent EC meeting. “As the matter concerns financial approval for Paris Games, it is my humble suggestion to call an EC meeting of IOA to finalise the budget estimates,” Yadav wrote.

It’s been learnt that IOA will also provide a cash grant to athletes and support staff who are part of the Indian contingent. The athletes will receive Rs 2 lakh each and the coaching and support staff Rs 1 lakh each.

SCHEFFLER WINS PROTEST-HIT TRAVELERS CHAMPIONSHIP

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER

Cromwell: World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler parred the first playoff hole to beat Tom Kim at the protest-hit Travelers Championship title on Sunday, claiming his sixth US PGA Tour title of the year.

Scheffler is the first player since Arnold Palmer in 1962 to pile up six wins before July 1 on the PGA Tour, a haul that included his second Masters crown in April.

“It’s pretty special,” Scheffler said. “It’s been a great season. I’ve been fortunate to come away with some wins and it’s been a lot of fun. Tom played his heart out today. It was fun battling with him.”

Scheffler, coming off just his second finish outside the top 10 this year at the US Open, grabbed the win with a bogey-free five-under-par 65 for 22-under 258, maintaining his composure after Kim birdied the 72nd hole to force the playoff following a spell of confusion as a handful of climate protesters ran onto the 18th green with cannisters spraying coloured smoke.

AFP

JAMSHEDPUR FC EXTEND COACH JAMIL’S CONTRACT

Jamshedpur: Indian Super League (ISL) side Jamshedpur FC has retained the services of head coach Khalid Jameel for the next two years, the club announced on Monday. An AFC Pro licensed coach, Khalid, who had guided Aizawl FC to the I-League title in 2017, took over as Jamshedpur’s head coach in the middle of the previous season, at a time when the club had won only two out of its 11 games.

His appointment brought immediate results, with the club bouncing back to reach the semifinals of the 2024 Kalinga Super Cup. Under him, Jamshedpur FC notched 11 points with three wins and two draws in his first five ISL games, helping the club stay in the playoff race until the penultimate game of ISL.

PTI

ARCHERS SECURE TEAM QUOTAS FOR PARIS GAMES

New Delhi: India secured men’s and women’s team quotas in archery for this year’s Paris Olympics based on the updated world rankings on Monday.

India topped the rankings among the non-qualified nations in both men’s and women’s section to seal their team quotas. India will, thus, be eligible to compete in all the five medal events in Paris — men’s and women’s team, individual and mixed categories.

In the men’s section, India and China made the cut, while in the women’s section Indonesia were the second nation to secure the team Olympic quota.

The team events will have 12 sides in each section, while five teams will compete in the mixed competitions. For the first time, team quotas are offered to the top-two nations after the three leg Olympic qualifiers.

The first Olympic qualifier was held during the World Archery Championships in Berlin last year from where South Korea, Turkey and Japan qualified in men’s category; while Germany and Mexico secured their spots in women’s division.

INDIA SQUAD

Men: Tarundeep Rai, Dhiraj Bommadevara and Pravin Jadhav.

Women: Deepika Kumari, Bhajan Kaur and Ankita Bhakat. PTI

Delhi Times

- SONA-ZAHEER SET THE BAR HIGH FOR LOW-KEY WEDDINGS

- Stories on OTT are depicting real women of today, says Lara

- Being a mom isn’t easy; Abhinav has been my support: Rubina

- BOLLYWOOD DIVAS UNITE IN KASHMIR

- BUZZ STOP

- Naach-gaana and pyaar at Sona-Zaheer’s reception

- I’ve been blessed with a very supportive family, says Rubina Dilaik

- Spray sunscreens are easy to use. But effective?

- DID YOU KNOW?

- It’s been a tough week: Justin Timberlake post drunk driving arrest

- Travis Scott turned mug shot into T-shirt

- Today, there are fabulous women playing their age, says Lara Dutta

- TRIPPIN

- AKSHAY PARTICIPATES IN TREE PLANTATION DRIVE

Unfiltered & uncurated:

SONA-ZAHEER SET THE BAR HIGH FOR LOW-KEY WEDDINGS

“On this very day, seven years back (23.06.2017) in each other’s eyes, we saw love in its purest form and decided to hold on to it. Today that love has guided us through all the challenges and triumphs... leading up to this moment...,” Sonakshi wrote in a post

Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal’s wedding has been a talking point for the elegance and confidence with which the couple broke several conventions at once. Right from the quirky invitation card, to their charmingly minimalistic look and the joyous afterparty, the uncurated wedding came as a refreshing break from the elaborate, templated affairs that have been the norm these days.

The bride wore red

The reception saw Sonakshi dressed in a red brocade Banarasi with chand-buta detailing. Armchair fashion police pointed out that the motifs were a nod to their inter-faith marriage, but it was the couple’s unfiltered look that eventually stole the show. Sonakshi wore a streak of bright red sindoor, an emerald choker with a neat hairdo. Zaheer wore white – opting not to twin with the bride as is often the norm.

An intimate family affair

The morning was a cosy do, a registry attended by the couple’s family and friends. Sonakshi wore an intricate ivory chik ankari sari draped the usual way, a neat bun with gajr a with a matching choker set. Instead of the default mehndi, she opted for spots of alta on her hands, that added a touch of auspicious red to the couple’s white-on-white look. “With the blessings of both our families and both our gods… we are now man and wife,” the couple wrote while sharing the photographs that evidently had been spared heavy airbrushing.

FOR THE STARRY LINEUP AT THE DUO'S RECEPTION, SEE 2

To retain the joyful vibe of their big day, the couple turned off the comments section on their wedding post and kept social media toxicity at bay

Stories on OTT are depicting real women of today, says Lara

Today, you have incredible actresses like Neena Gupta, Ratna Pathak Shah and Zeenat Aman, who are performing so well on screen. These are some fabulous women, who are playing their age on screen

Lara Dutta Bhupathi

Onkar Kulkarni

Unlike the theatrical medium where we still see far and few women-oriented projects, and such stories have only picked up pace in the last few years, the digital medium has offered its audience a plethora of shows that are dominated by key female characters. Be it Aranyak starring Raveena Tandon, Aarya headlined by Sushmita Sen, Heeramandi which focused on a group of women from a certain era, or Ranneeti: Balakot & Beyond, featuring Lara Dutta Bhupathi to name a few, all these shows have powerful women leading the way.

Talking to us about what drew her to this medium, Lara Dutta Bhupathi says, “I think there is far more freedom within this medium and here, we are actually depicting real women today. Otherwise, you were playing into a formula-driven form of storytelling.”

CONTINUED ON 6

Being a mom isn’t easy; Abhinav has been my support: Rubina

Abhinav and I knew how things would change after we became parents and we were prepared for it. There is a great deal of understanding now between us

Hasti Doshi

Rubina Dilaik, who gave birth to twin girls Jeeva and Edhaa in November last year, believes that it is important to strike a balance between motherhood and work. The Shakti – Astitva Ke Ehsaas Ki actress, a self-confessed workaholic, says, “Now my attention has to be divided between my career and personal life because my daughters need that attention. It is challenging and overwhelming at times to manage everything. I’ve realised that brain fog is real – I tend to forget a lot of things, but eventually, it helps because that way I can slow down. Being a mother is not easy. To nurture new lives, I have to be at ease and get out of that rigorous cycle that I’ve been following for so long.”

Ask her if work has taken a backseat for now and she replies, “No, it hasn’t. I was working till the day I delivered my daughters and then within a month, I was back to work. It’s all about prioritising things.”

CONTINUED ON 2

Rubina Dilaik; (left) with Abhinav Shukla and their twins, Jeeva and Edhaa

BOLLYWOOD DIVAS UNITE IN KASHMIR

It’s rare to find three veteran actresses in a candid shot, but that just happened as Asha Parekh joined Waheeda Rehman and Helen for a vacation in Kashmir

BUZZ STOP

SONAM & ANAND ATTEND TAYLOR SWIFT’S CONCERT

It was a Swiftie moment for Sonam Kapoor, who recently attended Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour show in London along with her husband Anand Ahuja, sister Rhea Kapoor, and Karan Boolani. The actress shared pics from Wembley Stadium. Rhea Kapoor and Karan Boolani also posted BTS moments on their social media handles. Agencies

Naach-gaana and pyaar at Sona-Zaheer’s reception

Sonakshi and Zaheer’s reception was a colourful gettogether

CONTINUED FROM 1

While the pre-wedding get-together of Sonakshi’s closest friends was an informal and private affair, the reception saw a galaxy of stars at an upscale venue, who let go of formalities as they hugged, danced and blessed the couple. There was no celebrity DJ or rehearsed performances, but the mood was upbeat thanks to the dholak players who greeted the guests as they walked in. The couple even mingled freely with the paps, posing for groupfies and making them very much a part of the celebrations. The night ended with Sonakshi changing into a more comfy but festive red anarkali, as she danced her heart out with Zaheer.

THE PROUD PARENTS: (Above) Sonakshi’s parents Poonam and Shatrughan Sinha and (below) Zaheer’s parents

The couple had a registry marriage in the morning, surrounded by close family

Tabu

Raveena Tandon

Huma Qureshi

Zakir Khan

Aditya Roy Kapur

Gulshan Devaiah and Kalliroi Tziafeta

Siddharth Roy Kapur and Vidya Balan

Rekha

Salman and Arbaaz Khan. Salman is an old friend of Zaheer’s father Iqbal Ratansi

Anil Kapoor, Chunky Panday

Kajol

TEAM HEERAMANDI: Sonakshi’s co-stars from the show were present at the celebrations – (clockwise from top) Aditi Rao Hydari with beau Siddharth, director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Fardeen Khan, Sanjeeda Sheikh, Sharmin Segal, and Richa Chadha with husband Ali Fazal

Poonam Dhillon

Saira Banu

Anand L Rai

I’ve been blessed with a very supportive family, says Rubina Dilaik

I am being very selective about work. I want to take up a project that doesn’t keep me away from home for long periods

Rubina Dilaik

CONTINUED FROM 1

Rubina says, “I want to strike a good balance between work and managing my home. I’ve been blessed with a supportive family and an understanding husband. With their constant support and motivation, I’ve been able to manage my life better.”

Rubina and husband Abhinav Shukla’s relationship, too, has changed for the better after embracing parenthood. She shares, “After becoming parents, 70 per cent of our focus is our daughters. We try to make the most of the remaining 30 per cent. We knew how things would change and we were prepared for it. There is a great deal of understanding now between us.”

She adds, “We divide our time mindfully. We take our time out to do the things that we like and manage to unwind. Abhinav has been a pillar of support for me and makes sure that I take time out for myself.”

‘Family values are most important’

Talking about how they want to raise their daughters, Rubina says, “Abhinav & I have had heart-to-heart conversations about how we want to raise our girls. Family values are most important. We both practise so many things in our own lives, so we don’t need to teach them that. We’re sure they will imbibe those qualities. We ensure that our kids spend time with their grandparents, so that they understand the value of family.”

Summer Splash

Spray sunscreens are easy to use. But effective?

Have you been using spray sunscreens all summer because they’re easy to apply and lighter? We decode if they are as effective as the lotions

Reapplying spray sunscreen as you would any sunscreen is crucial

How to spray sunscreen effectively

According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), you need about an ounce (about 2 tablespoons) of sunscreen to cover your entire body. This amount can be hard to gauge with a spray, so the academy recommends holding the nozzle about an inch from your body and spraying until your skin glistens. Don’t forget often-overlooked areas, like your feet, neck and hands. The most important step is to rub the sunscreen in after applying it.

You can also spray it onto your hands and smear it over your body.

Utility of spray sunscreens

PROS

●Spray sunscreens are popular because they’re so easy to use, says Dr Jean Charles, a dermatologist in Texas. Spraying lets you target large swaths of the body, including hard-to-reach spots like your back.

●Sprays tend to be lighter, less “sticky, oily and heavy,” and less likely to leave a white residue than lotions, says Dr David Kim, a cosmetic dermatologist in NYC.

CONS

●“Sometimes, it’s difficult to tell if the sunscreen is evenly distributed,” Dermatology professor Dr Maral Kibarian Skelsey says, adding, “When you apply it on a windy day, more might float into the air than onto your body.” “There’s always a risk that you are going to miss spots. With lotions, you can see where it’s going,” Dr Charles adds.

●Many popular products also contain flammable gases such as propane, butane or isobutane, which propel the sunscreen onto your skin and could be a threat.

What to look for in a spray sunscreen

“Spray sunscreens have the same active ingredients as lotions,” says Dr Skelsey, adding, “so they should be just as protective as lotions — if used correctly.” As with lotions, adults and children older than six months should use broad-spectrum spray sunscreens with an SPF of 30 or higher, adds Dr Charles.

Experts said that they typically recommend lotion over sprays, since most people tend to apply spray sunscreens incorrectly. But that doesn’t mean sprays aren’t effective, they said.

New York Times

Experts caution that a more expensive product is not necessarily better option than a cheaper counterpart

DID YOU KNOW?

The difference between SPF 30 and SPF 50

SPF 30 blocks 97% of UVB rays, while SPF 50 blocks 98% . SPF 50 offers slightly better protection, reducing sunburn risk more than SPF 30 but not significantly. SPF 50 provides marginally higher protection, suitable for sensitive skin or extended sun exposure.

It’s been a tough week: Justin Timberlake post drunk driving arrest

Actor-singer Justin Timberlake addressed his recent arrest for the first time during his concert in Chicago. “It’s been a tough week. I know I’m hard to love sometimes, but you keep loving me right back,” Timberlake told the crowd, reports pagesix.com.

Timberlake made these remarks during a message to his fans, empha- sising that they’ve both been through “ups-and-downs and lefts-and rights.” During his arrest, Timberlake voiced his concern that the arrest would “ruin the tour.”

The 10-time Grammy winner was arrested for drunk driving in New York shortly after midnight on Tuesday while travelling back to his hotel from a dinner with friends. Agencies

Travis Scott turned mug shot into T-shirt

Travis was arrested for getting into a fight on a yacht. As per the police report, he admitted he had been drinking and was quoted as saying, “It’s Miami.” He turned the phrase and his mug shot into a T-shirt the same day

After a night of partying in South Florida, superstar rapper Travis Scott ended his Thursday with two more charges on his record and one more product on his website than he started with. Scott, 33, turned a spotlight on what many would consider an embarrassing moment when he started selling T-shirts featuring his mug shot, just hours after his arrest in Miami Beach. The new merchandise reinforced the idea that for certain celebrities and politicians, brushes with the law can be easily recast as lucrative business opportunities.

The rapper, who has two kids with beauty mogul and reality show celeb Kylie Jenner, made headlines after police responded to reports of a fight aboard a yacht docked at a marina. Scott was charged with trespassing and disorderly intoxication and then released on bond after paying $650 (over `54k) on both charges, according to local news outlets. Scott admitted he had been drinking alcohol. “It’s Miami,” he was quoted as saying in the police report.

That same phrase, along with his mug shot altered from the much more stoic original to include a broad, movie-star smile had landed by day’s end on a dark T-shirt selling for $35 (around `3K) on his website. By Friday, the T-shirt was off the website.

New York Times

Today, there are fabulous women playing their age, says Lara Dutta

Today (women can play) all kinds of shades without resorting to just playing goody two shoes or playing the self-sacrificing woman on screen... This is truly a wonderful challenge

Lara says that it is fantastic that there is representation across ages for women in our cinema now

CONTINUED FROM 1

Lara says, “Today, you can project women who are manipulative, powerful, diabolical… all kinds of shades without resorting to just playing goody two shoes or playing the self-sacrificing woman on screen. For any actress who is worth her salt, this is truly a wonderful challenge and a blessing at the same time, to be relevant at this point and be able to portray characters like these.”

Lara is confident that the success of such shows will only inspire and encourage filmmakers to experiment with subjects like these for theatrical releases as well. She says, “Today, you have incredible actresses like Neena Gupta, Ratna Pathak Shah and Zeenat Aman, who are performing so well on screen. These are some fabulous women, who are playing their age on screen. It is fantastic that you have representation across ages for women in our cinema now.”

TRIPPIN

SARA ALI KHAN‘s recent trip to NEW YORK CITY was full of art and colours

AKSHAY PARTICIPATES IN TREE PLANTATION DRIVE

Akshay Kumar recently participated in a tree plantation initiative in Mumbai organised by the BMC, aimed at enhancing the city’s green cover

Table of Contents

TOI Print Edition Jun 25, 2024

Front Page

Kerala assembly moves to rename state ‘Keralam’

Man crushed in Kanpur road rage

3 house staff drown in tank at IT firm

Delhi bizman killed by friend, aides

Maha OBC docs seek to give up quota

Assam man lynched on theft suspicion

Rain seepage in Ayodhya temple

Emergency reminds us to protect Constitution: Modi

Another dirty NEET secret? Students’ ranks jump on 2nd attempt from obscure centres

Civic councillor, aides raze UP graves, booked

Amid record heat, this was Delhi’s driest March-June in at least 14 yrs

Big fat Indian wedding drives $130bn industry, avg spend/nuptial at `12.5L

SC: No urgent hearing of CM’s plea, but HC decision ‘unusual’

Trudeau pays homage to AI bombing victims

Didi reads out riot act to TMC mantris, officials

RAMPAGING ROHIT POWERS INDIA INTO SEMIS

SC upholds ruling nixing Hry order to grant extra marks to state domiciles

SC tells DDA to come clean on Ridge tree felling, queries if LG approved it

Senior AAI official found dead dressed as a woman

Times Nation

K’taka bans artificial colours in kebabs

Border village gets poll booth

2 kids tonsured, paraded for theft

HC: Hawkers cleared for VIPs, why not for all?

Amid oppn threat of a contest, BJP starts talks with allies

Prosecution of accused in NEET, NET cases to be under stringent new law

Kerala House wants state’s name changed to Keralam

Group of OBC docs wants to relinquish quota to help others

Didi names & shames TMC netas for hoarding money

World’s oldest ostrich egg gives first evidence of bird’s presence in S India

Trudeau: AI attack reminder of shared duty to condemn terror

Shepherd turns up alive at own burial

MP cops rescue 50 cows on way to Maha ‘for slaughter’, 9 held

Man accused of stealing cell phone lynched

Raid on C’garh Naxal hideout unearths fake currency racket

In UP road rage, driver runs over man who tried to stop car

House sitting marred by Oppn MPs on chairpersons panel skipping oath

Oppn makes its intent clear with ‘save democracy’ march

NDA: Polls over, end politicking, focus on country’s progress

Oppn campaign drives up sales of a little black-and-red book

Nadda replaces Piyush Goyal as leader of House in RS

No pretence of bonhomie, session kicks off amid hostility

Even after ‘moral & political defeat’ Modi’s arrogance remains: Kharge

Modi vows NDA will deliver 3 times more in its 3rd term

Pradhan takes oath amid oppn jibes over NEET

Naveen signals shift, tells party to work as strong oppn force

Sena (UBT) wants 50% quota for Marathis in new buildings

Caste discrimination behind large-scale conversions in border states: RSS neta

GST made household goods cheaper, helped poor save: PM

Odisha CM claims attempt to kill him in blast during BJD era

Murder accused files plea against Nikam’s return as Maha special PP

Ram temple hit by seepage after season’s first rain

Wheat stock limits back to curb hoarding

IB chief, NHRC secy gen get 1-yr extn

5 of family killed in UP accident

None will lose job due to SC ruling: Hry CM

Assam governor pushes away RSS man trying to felicitate Raje

HC explained reasons for retest, no errors in verdict: SC to Haryana govt

Bring law to make parent nod must for love marriage: Khaps

ABVP accuses MP varsity prof of ‘propagating Islam’, probe on

Times City

ED Slams Bail Order, CM Flags ‘Arrogance’

ED claims trial court didn’t consider all papers, CM says all recorded in order

AAP blames LG for 1,100 trees felled along Ridge, demands his resignation

LG visited other sites, not place where trees were cut: DDA advocate

24 peacocks die at Palam Air Force stn

'Friend' booked on charges of raping teen in Mehrauli

Monsoon Plan: PWD To Deploy Teams At 9 Subways, 5 Flyovers

City sees light rain, but temp crosses 40°C again

Family on vacation, bizman murdered by friend, 3 others

14 heatwave days in May and June, highest in city in 14 yrs

Ensure drains cleaned to stop waterlogging, orders mayor

Clean Yamuna: New STPs to use UV treatment

LPG cylinder blast sparks fire in building, 3 injured

Don’t just smell the coffee, drink it to cut mortality risk, says study

Lakhs Of Delhiites Suffering Due To Dip In Supply: Atishi

BJP, Congress target Atishi’s fast for water

Delay in second phase of MCD survey leaves vendors vulnerable

Ministers write to PM for intervention to solve issue

Abducted 1-yr-old rescued, 3 arrested

Man stabbed to death during altercation:

Disabled man killed, body found in Agra

Two members of car theft gang in net

WHAT A CLIMBDOWN!

Court gives man 20 yrs in jail for sodomy

Noida airport delayed by 6 mths as steel import hit

PWD completes 90% of Anand Vihar flyover, targets to open it next month

Resolve issues in NDMC staff promotions, benefits: LG

Man knifed, girlfriend and associate in cuffs

All offices in women and child dept to be made disabled-friendly

Abducted 4-yr-old girl found in Shahdara

13% Rise In Tax Rev In 2023-24, `100cr More Than Estimated

3 housekeepers fall into tank at IT firm, drown

Times Global

If Labour wins UK polls, party says ‘ready to go’ for FTA with India

Russia summons US envoy to protest Ukraine’s use of ‘US missiles’ in Crimea

Restored Ranjit Singh statue to be unveiled at Kartarpur gurdwara in Pak on June 26

Attack on religious sites in Russia’s Dagestan kills 20

Blaze at S Korea lithium battery plant kills 22

Criminal charges recommended against Boeing in fatal crashes case

UK schoolboy gets world’s first epilepsy device fitted in skull

Bibi: Intense Gaza ops winding down, to focus on Hezbollah

Apple is first company charged under new EU competition law

Haj deaths put spotlight on underworld of illicit tour operators

AROUND THE WORLD

Editorial

It’s People’s House

Lithium & More

Exes with benefits

Neat Solution For NEET

The White & Wrong Of UK’s Rishism

Navigating Uncertain Times With Ontological Leadership

A thought for today

Sacred space

Times Business

Trade unions seek rise in tax rebate for salaried class

Houses under construction see 15% rise in prices: Study

Sony appoints Walt Disney exec as its India MD

Sebi probes Quant MF over front-running by employees

RBI names add’l director on board of Bandhan Bank

Zee MD Goenka buys majority stake in Maverick

Prosus writes off Byju’s bet, sees zero value in 10% stake

Well positioned to capitalise on infra spends, says Adani

Current a/c surplus for 1st time in 10 qtrs in March qtr

Jain raises $5bn in biggest hedge fund debut since ’18

Beware... 800 online financial frauds a day

Weddings key growth driver for several sectors: Report

India gained via info sharing with 171 countries: OECD

Times Sport

‘Southgate’s England not being brave’

PULISIC SCORES, ASSISTS TO LEAD USA TO VICTORY OVER BOLIVIA

BACK-TO-THE-WALL SERBIA CONFIDENT, SAYS MIDFIELDER BIRMANCEVIC

France wait for Mbappe return and goals to flow

Uruguay’s Bielsa sees room for improvement in 3-1 win

Xhaka hails Swiss after reaching knockouts

Varga horror injury mars Hungary’s win

ROHIT SPECIAL SPOOKS OZ

GALLERY

Party is over for WI fans but skipper Powell urges them to not turn away

Afghan fans over the moon after historic win vs Oz

Young Team India for Zimbabwe tour

BCCI to review domestic revamp after 1 yr

Shamsi hits out at ‘ridiculous’ criticism by former players

TRYING TO GET A BIGGER PLAYER POOL IN THE US: ANDERSON

What Af need to make semis

No choke, just clutch as SA pip Windies to SF

Civic body was doing clean-up drive without cop nod: Probe

NEET PG exam date likely this week

Players were concerned with Stimac’s coaching style and tactics: AIFF

Aditi and Diksha qualify for Olympics

Aditi ends T-35; Yang wins title

‘Mistaken’ delivery by J’khand firm tied to Bihar NEET leak?

Mastermind of J&K SI exam paper leak held

‘Nothing incriminating’ found, UP cop exam leak accused gets bail

Experts: NEET issue not local, likely to have ‘large spread’

Latur headmaster in NEET net, another teacher held

Colleagues found AAI man hanging from dupatta noose

India’s trip to Oly to cost Rs 33.68cr

SCHEFFLER WINS PROTEST-HIT TRAVELERS CHAMPIONSHIP

JAMSHEDPUR FC EXTEND COACH JAMIL’S CONTRACT

ARCHERS SECURE TEAM QUOTAS FOR PARIS GAMES

Delhi Times

SONA-ZAHEER SET THE BAR HIGH FOR LOW-KEY WEDDINGS

Stories on OTT are depicting real women of today, says Lara

Being a mom isn’t easy; Abhinav has been my support: Rubina

BOLLYWOOD DIVAS UNITE IN KASHMIR

BUZZ STOP

Naach-gaana and pyaar at Sona-Zaheer’s reception

I’ve been blessed with a very supportive family, says Rubina Dilaik

Spray sunscreens are easy to use. But effective?

DID YOU KNOW?

It’s been a tough week: Justin Timberlake post drunk driving arrest

Travis Scott turned mug shot into T-shirt

Today, there are fabulous women playing their age, says Lara Dutta

TRIPPIN

AKSHAY PARTICIPATES IN TREE PLANTATION DRIVE