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Front Page

- NDA sticks with Birla, Congress picks Suresh for 4th-ever Speaker contest

- Rain likely in city for next 6 days

- 21 yrs after suicide, 10-yr jail for 3 cops

- Liquor shops at IGI for domestic flyers

- Drunk official runs over woman, 2 kids

- Senior Akali netas ask Badal to quit

- J&K HC Bar Assn ex-chief held for lawyer’s murder

- Porsche crash case: HC directs release of teen

- 2 women ‘wed’ in a traditional ceremony in Ggn

- PM: Emergency mindset still alive in Cong

- In his first constitutional post, Rahul to be LS leader of oppn

- Health cover users borrow to pay med bills

- Sensex breaches 78k mark for 1st time, Nifty at record high as bank stocks surge

- HIV+ serial bride triggers hunt for ‘husbands’

- Hyderabad juvenile homes churn out sports champs

- HC allows ED plea, stays bail by lower court to Kejriwal

- 2 major fires in city, 4 of family dead in W Delhi

- Atishi in hosp, calls off hunger strike on 5th day

- After 12-yr confinement, Assange to be a free man

- UP OKs strict law on exam leaks: Life term & `1cr fine

NDA sticks with Birla, Congress picks Suresh for 4th-ever Speaker contest

Govt Rejects Oppn Demand For Post Of Deputy Speaker

Akhilesh.Singh@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: In the first trial of strength for the newly-elected Modi govt, opposition on Tuesday decided to field its candidate K Suresh against NDA’s nominee Om Birla for the post of Lok Sabha Speaker.

The contest, which had looked likely, became inevitable after govt turned down the opposition’s demand for the post of deputy speaker as a pre-condition for facilitating a consensus on a fresh term for Birla, the outgoing Speaker. Govt refused to accept the opposition’s demand, saying the issue of deputy speaker could be negotiated later.

Though this will be only the fourth time — and the first in nearly 50 years — when a Speaker will not be elected by consensus, the contest on Wednesday is only in line with the intense acrimony that marked the LS campaign and has since persisted. The post was contested in 1952, the first Lok Sabha, in 1967 and 1976.

With NDA having an official strength of 293 in the 543-strong House, the stage is set for Birla, third-term MP from Kota, to get a second term as speaker. He will be the fifth person after M A Ayyangar, G S Dhillon, Balram Jakhar and GMC Balayogi to hold the offi- ce two times in a row. Only Jakhar completed two full terms.

Congress’s Suresh is a veteran of eight terms from Kerala but his choice has equally, if not more, to do with him being aDalit. Congress and some allies are seeking to build on the advantage they are perceived to have gained among Dalits on the strength of their allegation that BJP under Modi planned to scrap caste quotas.

‘We want speakers’, P 28

TMC to clarify its stand today

Trinamool said Tuesday Congress had not consulted it before declaring a contestant for speaker. By evening, the party sent two netas to an INDIA bloc meeting and sources said Rahul Gandhi had spoken to Mamata Banerjee. TMC said it would communicate its decision on backing K Suresh by 9am Wednesday.

P 18

MPs make a point with slogans

Oath-taking by MPs on the second day was accompanied by slogans. Several BJP MPs chanted “Jai Shri Ram”, while opposition MPs did so as Faizabad MP Awadhesh Prasad was sworn in. Bareilly’s BJP MP Chhatrapal Gangwar said “Jai Hindu Rashtra”. There were chants of “Jai Bheem” and “Jai Shivaji” too.

P 18

Rain likely in city for next 6 days

As warm and humid conditions persisted in the city — the heat index (‘feels like’ temperature) stayed high at 52 degrees C — Met department has forecast rain for the next six days.

P 5

21 yrs after suicide, 10-yr jail for 3 cops

Twenty-one years after a suspect hanged himself in custody, an SC/ST court in UP’s Sitapur has convicted three cops for abetment of suicide & illegal detention, jailing them for 10 years.

P 16

Liquor shops at IGI for domestic flyers

IGI airport will soon have liquor shops to cater to domestic travellers. Sources said Delhi Consumers’ Cooperative Wholesale Store Ltd is set to open shops in T3 and T1.

P 7

Drunk official runs over woman, 2 kids

A drunk additional BDO ran over a woman and her two nieces, aged 7 and 10, with his car in Tehri Garhwal district on Monday evening.

P 19

Senior Akali netas ask Badal to quit

Just 20 days after Shiromani Akali Dal’s rout in the Lok Sabha election in Punjab, a sizeable section of senior netas urged party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal to hand over the party’s reins in the spirit of “tyag” (sacrifice) to someone “who can maintain a balance between religion and politics”, reports I P Singh. They announced the launch of ‘SAD bachao Lehar’ from the Akal Takht on July 1.

P12

J&K HC Bar Assn ex-chief held for lawyer’s murder

Former president of J&K HC Bar Association Mian Abdul Qayoom Bhat was arrested Tuesday over the murder of a lawyer, Babar Qadri, in an attack by terrorists in 2020, reports Saleem Pandit. Qadri had challenged Bhat’s hold on the association over several years and accused him of rigging Bar elections. Qayoom, in his late 70s, has been booked for murder and under provisions of UAPA.

P12

Porsche crash case: HC directs release of teen

The continuation of the minor accused in the Pune Porsche case in an observation home is absolutely illegal, Bombay high court held on Tuesday, directing his release. HC directed the home to release the minor on bail with his custody not to be with any grandparent, reports Swati Deshpande. The HC said he could be handed over to the care of his aunt.

P 12

Understand my pain, says victim’s mom, P 12

2 women ‘wed’ in a traditional ceremony in Ggn

Theirs was like any other wedding ceremony. Celebrations began with a haldi and culminated with pheras. And dressed as bride and groom were Kavita Tappu and Anju Sharma. India doesn’t legally recognise same-sex marriages, but that didn’t deter the couple.

Surrounded by their families & guests, the two tied the knot with traditional rituals in Gurgaon on April 24. But the wedding wasn’t smooth. A priest, who was told earlier that it was a marriage of two women, backed out hours before the ceremony. “Luckily, a friend convinced two priests to conduct the rituals,” Anju said.

P 4

PM: Emergency mindset still alive in Cong

Those who imposed Emergency have no right to profess their love for our Constitution. These are the same people who have...violated every aspect of the Constitution,” PM Modi said on the 49th anniversary of the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi in 1975, countering Congress’s “save democracy” campaign, reports Akhilesh Singh.

He said the mindset that had led to suspension of civil liberties was very much alive in the party. “They hide their disdain for the Constitution through their tokenism but the people of India have seen through their antics and that is why they have rejected them time and again,” Modi said in posts on social media.

P 18

In his first constitutional post, Rahul to be LS leader of oppn

‘Jai Hind, Jai Samvidhan’, Gandhi said after taking oath as MP

Subodh.Ghildiyal@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi will be leader of opposition in Lok Sabha, in a major leg-up for the Gandhi scion in his parliamentary responsibilities which is widely viewed as laying the ground for an aggressive and confrontational face-off with a dominant BJP.

The expectation that politics in coming days will be a ‘Modi vs Rahul’ duel got another fillip by the fact that as LoP —the first constitutional position he will hold — Rahul is likely to be chairman of the all important Public Accounts Committee that has the primary function of examining CAG reports, and can also seek probes from the govt. The panel, though with govt majority which decides issues by vote, has proved to be testy for many regimes. Besides, he would also be a member of various collegiums comprising the PM and CJI or govt nominees for selection of chiefs of important investigation and transparency agencies — CBI, Lokpal, CVC, CEC/Election Commissioners and CIC.

In a late evening announcement, AICC general secretary KC Venugopal said Congress parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi has written to pro tem speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab appointing Rahul as LoP. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said Rahul would become the “voice of the last person standing”. AICC treasurer Ajay Maken said, “Rahul has always been the most fearless voice among the opposition, and as LoP, his impact will be even more profound”.

 ‘Honour CWC wishes’, P 28

Health cover users borrow to pay med bills

Many health insurance policyholders who get their claims settled through reimbursement from insurance companies end up borrowing money or dipping into their long-term savings to cover medical expenses, reports Mayur Shetty. According to a survey, 68% of claimants who used the reimbursement method did not have enough liquid savings to pay medical bills.

P 23

Sensex breaches 78k mark for 1st time, Nifty at record high as bank stocks surge

Mumbai: The BSE Sensex rose 712.4 points (0.9%) to cross the 78,000 mark for the first time. It hit a high of 78,054 on Tuesday, led by a surge in bank and finance stocks that had been underperforming earlier in the year. The NSE Nifty also climbed by 183.5 points (0.8%) to anew high of 23,721.3.

Private bank stocks were the main contributors to the market gains, with Axis Bank, ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank leading the way with increases of 3.4%, 2.5% and 2.3%, respectively.

SBI and Bajaj Finance also saw close to 1% gains. The rally in HDFC Bank was triggered by a multinational brokerage firm upgrading the stock. ICICI Bank achieved a new high with its market cap crossing $100 billion for the first time. Commenting on the market performance, Karthick Jonagadla, Manager and Founder of Quantace Research, said, “Sensex crossing the 78,000 mark reflects the strong cash buying activity in the market, driven by substantial investments from both FIIs and DIIs, who have collectively injected around Rs 28,500 crore into the cash markets over the last 11 trading sessions.”

TNN

Sensex driven by..., P 23

HIV+ serial bride triggers hunt for ‘husbands’

A “serial bride” who decamped with cash and valuables after “marriage” to unsuspecting men, was arrested by UP police on May 6 and sent to Muzaffarnagar jail along with six members of her gang operating in parts of UP and Uttarakhand. A medical exam in prison revealed she was HIV positive. The revelation has put health officials of both the states in a fix.

They are now hunting for “grooms” she has been with. Three of them are already HIV-positive. During the arrest, the woman revealed she had “married” five times, including three men from Uttarakhand.

P12

Hyderabad juvenile homes churn out sports champs

Several juveniles have competed in state and national tournaments

Amisha.Rajani@timesgroup.com

Hyderabad: At 15, a juvenile offender. At 17, a state-level carrom champion. Two years at a govt-run children’s shelter in Hyderabad’s Chanchalguda gave young Aakash (all names changed) more than just a clean break in life and on the carrom board — it showed how resilience, mentorship and a quest for personal growth can lead to unexpected victories.

At the Chanchalguda home, Aakash was among 60 rescued and rehabilitated children between 13 and 18 to receive professional sports coaching.

Around 200 teenagers housed in five such homes in Hyderabad are being trained in archery, basketball, volleyball, handball, chess and carrom, among other sports. Several have gone on to compete in tournaments at the state and national levels.

Idea was to provide..., P 28

HC allows ED plea, stays bail by lower court to Kejriwal

‘Not Looking At Agency Material Shows Perversity’

Vineet.Upadhyay@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Delhi high court on Tuesday stayed a trial court's order granting bail to chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in the excise policy case. A vacation bench of Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain allowed Enforcement Directorate’s application seeking a stay on the bail order. The court said vacation judge Niyay Bindu had passed the order without going through ED’s entire material on record, which reflected “perversity”.

The HC bench said it co- uldn’t comprehend how the trial court says in para 16 of the order that it was not possible to go through thousands of pages of documents filed by the respective parties but in para 36 asserts that relevant arguments and contentions raised on behalf of the parties have been dealt with.

Interim bail, P 4

CBI questions CM, but denies arresting him

Amid late-night media reports that CBI had arrested the Delhi CM in Tihar jail on Tuesday, the agency officially denied any arrest but said it had recorded his statement in connection with the probe into alleged irregularities in implementation of the now-scrapped excise policy. Kejriwal was examined in jail number 2 around 11.30am, CBI sources said.

P 4

2 major fires in city, 4 of family dead in W Delhi

A couple and their two sons, aged 21 and 22, died of asphyxiation in a major fire at their house in west Delhi’s Prem Nagar early Tuesday morning. The fire likely began from an inverter on the first floor, close to the main gate which was locked, cutting off the escape route of the family which lived on the floor.

Meanwhile, around 100 patients and staff were evacuated, including 3 nurses trapped on the upper floors, after a fire broke out at the old emergency building of Safdarjung Hospital on Tuesday. Around 11 fire tenders brought the blaze under control in an hour. There were no casualties.

P6

Atishi in hosp, calls off hunger strike on 5th day

Water minister Atishi’s ‘Paani Satyagraha’ came to an abrupt end on Tuesday, the fifth day of her indefinite hunger strike, after she was hospitalised due to deteriorating health. Atishi was taken to LNJP hospital around 3.40am. Dr Suresh Kumar, the hospital’s director, said the minister’s blood sugar was extremely low. “We kept her in the ICU.”

P 2

After 12-yr confinement, Assange to be a free man

Assange disembarks at Bangkok en route to US territory of Saipan

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will plead guilty on Wednesday to violating US espionage law, in a deal that will set him free after a 14-year British legal odyssey and allow his return home to Australia. He is due to be sentenced to 62 months of time already ser- ved at a hearing in the US territory of Saipan in the Pacific.

Assange, 52, has agreed to plead guilty to one criminal count of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified US national defence documents.

The deal marks the end of a legal saga that has seen Assange spend more than five years in a British high-se- curity jail and seven holed up in the Ecuadorean embassy in London as he fought accusations of sex crimes in Sweden and battled extradition to the US, where he faced 18 criminal charges.

Assange left Belmarsh prison early on Monday, before being bailed by London high court. REUTERS

P22

EDIT PAGE: What Assange Freed, P 24

UP OKs strict law on exam leaks: Life term & `1cr fine

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Lucknow: CM Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh cabinet cleared an ordinance Tuesday imposing stringent punishments for those involved in exam paper leaks, including a life sentence and fines up to Rs 1 crore for the guilty.

This ordinance is significantly harsher than the current IPC provisions, which prescribe up to one year in jail for cheating, up to two years for forgery, and up to three years for impersonation, each accompanied by fines.

The existing Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act provides for three to five years of imprisonment for cheating and five to 10 years, along with a minimum Rs 1 crore fine, for organised exam frauds.

Test expenses, P 28

TEACHER HELD

➤ Another zilla parishad teacher held by Latur police in NEET case following arrest of a ZP headmaster

P 20

➤ Govt mulls moving towards a more stress-free, multisession, multiple-times-a-year computer-based format for future exams, similar to JEE-Main

P 20

➤ Edu min’s 7-member panel on NTA reforms will engage with parents & students to know challenges & concerns on the exam process

P 20

Times Nation

- MP ministers to now pay income tax

- Fight over berths on Doon Exp

- Doc saves toddler with CPR at Taj

- Revolt in SAD: Netas ask Badal to quit, loyalists slam ‘BJP plot’

- Modi likely to visit Russia for annual summit next month

- J&K Bar Assn ex-chief held for killing of lawyer by terrorists

- Prajwal booked in new case, potency test likely on bro

- Porsche teen’s remand illegal, says Bombay HC, orders his release

- ‘Serial bride’ tests HIV+ve, 2 states mount ‘groom’ hunt

- Man with a drive: From earning `1,500 a month to `36cr a yr

- Congress showing ‘old mentality’ of ‘dictating terms’: NDA on oppn’s fight for Speaker post

- No justification for charging toll if roads are not in good condition, says Gadkari

- Jumbo comes in contact with low-hanging wire, dies

- Must invest in military revamp amid global turmoil: IAF chief

- Amid Agniveer review, Army rolls out phase-II of recruitment process

- 21 yrs after death in custody, 10-yr jail for 3 UP cops

- FIR against 2 UP cops after 2 brothers die in police custody

- Flash floods, landslide wreak havoc in HP, block highway

- EAM meets new China envoy, discusses ‘stabilisation’ of ties

- Goa to allow booze sale near schools, places of worship

- Cong still driven by mindset that imposed Emergency: PM

- MAJESTIC ENTRY

- Cong may seek vote division only if TMC offers support

- Fearing public thrashing, Indira had planned to flee: Annamalai

- TMC unhappy with Cong but likely to back Speaker pick

- Pawar: Didn’t want fight but should have got dy Speaker post

- Modi remained incognito for entire duration of Emergency

- Cong held both Speaker, deputy post in Nehru & Indira era: BJP

- Constitution in hand, Rahul, Akhilesh and others make a point

- For Ram to Hindu Rashtra to Palestine, slogans create storm in teacup

- After campaign dare by rival, MP takes LS oath in English

- Can’t call a man ‘enemy’ for working in Pak, says HC, junks property case

- 10 TN fishermen held by Lankan navy, trawler seized

- Bro, cousin held for killing woman over her marriage

- Drunk official mows down 3 in U’khand

- Govt may alter income criteria for MIG urban housing sop

- MoD inks deal for building miniature satellite for IAF

- Exam reforms panel gets moving with eye on ‘tamper-proof’ system

- 2nd Maha ZP teacher held in NEET leak case, hunt on for ITI instructor

- In cruel twist, it’s those who cleared exam now getting sleepness nights

- Govt likely to go for JEE-style online test format for exams

- Proxy solver, caught at Bihar exam centre, let go with written apology

- Hazaribag NEET-UG coordinator junks leak charges

MP ministers to now pay income tax

Ministers in MP will now pay their own income tax, with the state cabinet on Tuesday deciding to end a rule dating to 1972 under which ministers’ income tax used to be borne by state govt.

With this decision, MP now joins several states like UP, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand and Himachal Pradesh where ministers and MLAs pay their own income tax. “Many important decisions were taken at the cabinet meeting today, some to fix our responsibilities. For the state’s progress, these decisions are very important,” CM Mohan Yadav said. “For example, we decided that our ministers will file their own income taxes. Govt will not bear this responsibility. There was a rule since 1972 (Mantri Vetan Bhatta Adhiniyam 1972) that income tax of ministers up to the rank of parliamentary secretaries would be paid by state govt. We have decided to end it,” CM Yadav added.

TNN

Fight over berths on Doon Exp

A major disturbance occurred in a sleeper coach of the Howrah-bound Doon Express train (13010) when two passengers got into a heated argument and assaulted several passengers, including a woman, who objected to the duo sitting on their reserved berths, reports Kumod Verma. A video shows the miscreants brutally beating up passengers with sticks and fists in S-9 coach of the train. One of the passengers who was assaulted by the miscreants was identified as Rudra Tarafdar, 22, a resident of Kolkata.

Doc saves toddler with CPR at Taj

A two-year-old girl from Karnataka visiting the Taj Mahal with her parents was saved by CPR after losing consciousness, reports Deepak Lavania. Aayza, from Belagavi, suddenly fell ill on Monday and stopped moving after crying uncontrollably when separated from her mother for a short while. CISF personnel rushed her to the dispensary, where Dr Rinku Baghel performed CPR, reviving her. The video of the CPR was widely circulated on social media on Tuesday.

Revolt in SAD: Netas ask Badal to quit, loyalists slam ‘BJP plot’

Dissidents Plan To Launch Movement From Akal Takht On July 1

Senior SAD functionaries at a meeting in Jalandhar on Tuesday

IP Singh TNN

Jalandhar/Chandigarh: A revolt erupted in Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Tuesday, just 20 days after the party’s rout in the Lok Sabha polls in Punjab, with a sizeable section of senior netas urging SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal to hand over the party’s reins in the spirit of “tyag” (sacrifice) to someone “who can maintain a balance between religion and politics”.

The faction loyal to Badal hit back with district presidents and constituency incharges passing a resolution expressing “full faith” in his leadership and strongly condemning “deep rooted conspiracies by BJP” to divide and weaken the party by using central agencies and “some selfish and opportunistic elements”. A total 33 of the existing 35 district presidents and 96 of the existing 105 constituency in-charges lauded Badal’s leadership.

Badal said at a meeting at the party’s headquarters in Chandigarh: “I cannot allow SAD to become a puppet of anti-Panth designs. Those ready to betray Panth, Punjab, farmers and the deprived sections of the people are free to follow their course.”

A significant section of SAD’s core vote base — the Sikhs — have turned against the party since the Bargari sacrilege and Behbal Kalan police firing in 2015 during the SAD-BJP regime. The slide has continued in successive elections and bypolls since 2017: in the recent Lok Sabha polls, SAD won just one of the 13 seats in Punjab.

After a five-hour meeting in Jalandhar, the faction opposed to Badal announced the launch of ‘SAD Bachao Lehar (Save SAD Movement)’ from the Akal Takht on July 1. During this campaign, SAD will contact sympathisers of the Panth, intellectuals, and others to seek their suggestions to “save the party”.

Addressing mediapersons after the meeting, senior SAD member Prem Singh Chandumajra said: “We have appealed to Sukhbir Singh Badal that he should respect and accept the sentiments of workers and people and hand over the leadership of the party.”

He said it was decided that the entire leadership which had “either participated in the wrongdoings or stayed silent will appear at Akal Takht to express regret and seek forgiveness in writing. We shall also perform ardas (prayer in Sikhism) to seek strength from the Guru to save us from such blunders in future”.

While the meeting in Jalandhar was on, two separate resolutions were passed at the meeting in Chandigarh chaired by Badal. “Frustrated elements sponsored by BJP to float a parallel party or weaken the party from within can be seen in full swing. But these will not be allowed to succeed,” read one of them.

Party members urged Badal to take action against those who are acting as “agents of the enemies of SAD, Panth and Punjab”. A senior neta said, “We are not taking any action against anyone or expelling anyone… we said come to the meeting and discuss issues.”

Modi likely to visit Russia for annual summit next month

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: PM Narendra Modi is likely to visit Moscow next month for the India-Russia annual summit, the highest institutionalised dialogue mechanism between the two countries. While an official announcement is awaited, both sides are exploring dates in the second week of July for the proposed day-long visit. July 9 is one of the dates being considered.

If the visit happens, and with no other foreign visit scheduled for PM in the next few weeks, it may also turn out to be Modi’s first bilateral visit since the inauguration of his third consecutive term in office earlier this month. Previously, he has chosen to visit countries in the neighbourhood after assuming office.

The visit will take place days after the SCO summit in Astana, which Modi has decided to skip this time. It will also be his first visit to the country since Russia invaded Ukraine in Feb2022. PM is expected to visit Russia again later this year for the Brics summit.

While 21 such annual summits have taken place so far alternatively in India and Russia, this will be the first time Modi will travel to Russia for the same since 2019. The summit couldn’t take place in 2020 because of Covid-19 but President Vladimir Putin did come the next year for the 21st summit, although only for a few hours. Modi was expected to travel to Russia for the next summit in 2022 but that summit never materialised amid increasing global uncertainty and Russia’s preoccupation with the Ukraine war. A Putin aide was quoted as saying Tuesday preparations are on for the visit.

India and China remain the only major countries to have not explicitly condemned Russia for its actions in Ukraine. Russia said last week it has finalised a draft logistics agreement for intensifying military exchanges but India has remained silent on the issue.

J&K Bar Assn ex-chief held for killing of lawyer by terrorists

A separatist, Bhat has been in and out of jail several times. He had authored the constitution of Hurriyat Conference’s Syed Ali Shah Geelani faction

Saleem.pandit@timesgroup.com

Srinagar: Former president of J&K HC Bar Association Mian Abdul Qayoom Bhat was on Tuesday arrested for a conspiracy leading to the fatal terrorist attack on lawyer Babar Qadri in 2020.

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

A separatist, Bhat has been in and out of jail several times. He was arrested in 1990 under Public Safety Act and jailed till 1992. He was again arrested for brief periods twice, in 2008 and 2010, for organising protests in the Valley. He was arrested on August 5, 2019 — the day Article 370 was nullified — under PSA and released only in 2021 after he gave a bond for not indulging in separatist activities.

Qadri was a long-time rival in the bar who had challenged Bhat’s stranglehold on the association, alleging the latter held his post for years by manipulating its polls.

Bhat was picked up by J&K Police’s State Investigation Agency (SIA) and booked under Section 302 (murder) as well as provisions of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. Qadri was shot dead at his Srinagar home in Sept 2020 by two terrorists who came posing as clients.

Days before his murder, Qadri, a well-known HC lawyer and TV panellist on rights issues, had posted a video alleging how Bhat had rigged the bar elections. Before that, Qadri had narrowly survived an assassination bid in 2018. Qadri’s family had links to Jamaat-e-Islami.

Hours after Bhat’s arrest, Srinagar district magistrate issued an order putting on hold J&K HC Bar Association elections which were scheduled for June 27. The administration has also imposed section 144 in lower court premises in Srinagar where polls were to be held.

Bhat was known for his close association with pro-Pakistan separatist leader Geelani, and was involved in bringing together around 23 outfits, including the bar association, under the Hurriyat umbrella.

Earlier this year, HC had transferred the Qadri murder case to a court in Jammu from Srinagar “for a fair and impartial trial where witnesses are in a position to depose in an atmosphere which is free and not hostile”. HC order came on an SIA plea that had claimed no lawyer from Srinagar was willing to render legal assistance due to the involvement of some influential advocates.

After the initial probe into Qadri’s killing, the case was transferred to SIA. In Aug 2022, police had searched Bhat’s homes and those of two other lawyers in Srinagar, seizing digital devices, bank statements anddocuments.

Prajwal booked in new case, potency test likely on bro

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bengaluru: Former PM HD Deve Gowda’s grandson Prajwal Revanna was taken into police custody Tuesday following a new complaint of sexual harassment lodged a fortnight ago by a survivor, while his elder brother and JD(S) MLC Suraj Revanna was questioned for several hours by Karnataka police’s SIT and may have to undergo a potency test.

Suraj, a surgeon-turned-politician, was arrested Sunday for allegedly engaging in unnatural sex with a 27-year-old party worker at his the MLC’s farmhouse in Hassan.

A second case has also been lodged against Suraj by his aide, who alleged that he was sexually abused by the legislator three years ago. The same aide had filed a case against the first complainant last week, accusing him of attempting to extort Rs 3 crore from the MLC. He claimed that he was coerced into filing an FIR against the first complainant. A senior police officer confirmed the second FIR against Suraj.

The new charges against Prajwal, 34, include sexual harassment, assault with intent to disrobe, stalking, criminal intimidation, and violation of privacy under information technology act. He is accused of raping multiple women and sexually harassing three others. CID officers have already searched the houses of several suspects, including BJP’S Kiran and Sharath, in connection with the leaking of explicit videos and photos of women survivors. The videos were allegedly distributed in Hassan district in April-May.

Porsche teen’s remand illegal, says Bombay HC, orders his release

Swati.Deshpande@timesgroup.com

Mumbai: The continuation of the minor accused in the Pune Porsche case in an observation home is absolutely illegal, Bombay HC held on Tuesday, directing his release. HC directed the home to release the minor on bail with his custody not to be with any grandparent.

The Juvenile Justice Board had, while granting bail to the minor on May 19, ordered that he be handed over to the grandparents’ custody after his grandfather gave an undertaking. HC said he could be handed over to the care of his aunt, who filed a habeas corpus plea in HC for his release alleging illegal detention. The aunt lives in New Delhi.

“We are bound by law, the aims and objectives of the Juvenile Justice (care and protection of children) Act, and must treat him as any child in conflict with law (CCL), despite the seriousness or heinousness of the crime,” said a two-judge bench of Justices Bharati Dangre and Manjusha Deshpande.

The teen was allegedly speeding in his luxury car in an intoxicated state on May 19 when it crashed into a bike, killing two software engineers, Aneesh Awadhiya and Ashwini Koshta.

HC said the immediate reaction to the accident, the outcry of the public, and the “clarion call given” led to the prosecution seeking to try him as an adult. “His age needs to be considered… CCLs are to be considered differently, and not as adults.

We allow the habeas corpus and order his release,” the court said. Reading out the operative part of the judgment, the bench said, “A demand is made by the prosecution to accuse him of a heinous offence and try him as an adult which may receive due consideration.”

HC asked public prosecutor H S Venegaonkar under which legal provision teen was sent back to observation home after his release on bail. HC reasoned that in the absence of the Juvenile Justice Act of 2015 providing for the juvenile’s remand, “the procedure adopted by the Board in extending” his remand under CrPC was “not applicable in case of a child who is already released on bail”.

Speaking of “the rehabilitation and reintegration of the child in conflict with law,” HC said that is “the primary object of the Act” and “he is already referred to a psychologist and is undergoing therapy with a de-addiction centre, and he shall continue participating in such sessions.”

Understand my pain, urges mother

Mamta Kosta, whose daughter Ashwini was killed in the Porsche crash, was distraught on learning that Bombay HC had ordered the juvenile’s release from detention. “I have full faith in the judiciary. They must have made the decision after careful consideration. However, I request the judges to understand the pain of a mother who has lost her daughter,” she said.

TNN

‘Serial bride’ tests HIV+ve, 2 states mount ‘groom’ hunt

3 Men She Had ‘Married’ Have Tested Positive

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Meerut/Udham Singh Nagar: A “serial bride” who would decamp with cash and valuables after “marriage” to unsuspecting men was arrested by UP police on May 6 and sent to Muzaffarnagar jail along with six members of her gang operating in parts of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Subsequently upon medical examination at the district hospital, she was found to be HIV positive. “She is now undergoing antiretroviral therapy (ART),” jail superintendent Sitaram Sharma on Tuesday said.

The revelation has put health department officials of both the states in a fix. They are now desperately hunting for “grooms” she’d been with. The Uttarakhand health department has confirmed that “three men she came in physical contact with within the state are now HIV positive”. This disclosure came after Udham Singh Nagar’s health department, in collaboration with an NGO, conducted tests on these men and initiated their treatment at an ART centre. The process is on for testing other family members of the infected men as well.

According to police, while the woman (in her 20s) would be the “bride”, other members of the gang would act as her relatives to avoid suspicion. After her arrest, the woman had revealed that she had “married” five times. Police, however, suspect there are more cases.

A source at the health department in Muzaffarnagar added, “We are counselling her to reveal more names, if any, so that we can identify the victims and test them for the disease and bring them around for treatment.”

Man with a drive: From earning `1,500 a month to `36cr a yr

Ashfaque Chunawala wants to add 100 more cabs to his fleet of 400

Somit.Sen@timesgroup.com

Mumbai:Ashfaque Chunawala is proof that courage, determination, hard work and financial discipline can turn your life around. From earning a modest monthly salary of Rs 1,500 in 2004 by stacking the shelves of a retail store to owning a fleet of 400 cabs with an annual turnover of Rs 36 crore, the 37-yearold Oshiwara resident is only hungry for more — he wants to expand his fleet to 500 soon.

Chunawala had to drop out after Class X to support his family and found a job in 2004 with a retail store as an attendant. But his ambitions pushed him to try newer things. For close to 10 years, he kept switching to jobs in search of better opportunities and eventually became the manager of an apparel and skincare store. He still couldn’t shake off the feeling, though, that he was meant to do more. But while his instincts egged him on to aim higher, he found himself drowning in financial debts.

His luck turned in 2013 after he came across an advertisement of a newly launched ride-hailing app that was quickly gaining popularity and offered flexible earning opportunities. He joined the platform as a part-time driver, secured a cheap and small car through the company’s special programme, got behind its wheel, and never looked back.

Chunawala balanced both his jobs initially—driving for a few hours from 7am, then heading to the store and driving again for some time at night. As his earnings grew—he made Rs 35,000 from the store and Rs 15,000 a month as a driver—he worked on building his savings.

His path to success was also laid by his sister, who helped him buy a second car. With the increased earnings from both the cars, he recognised the need to expand and applied for a bank of Rs 10 lakh to buy three more cars. After his loan got sanctioned, he hired more drivers.

Instead of being content with his already improved prospects, he kept a small sum from his earnings after paying his loan EMIs and invested the rest. He used the deposits, along with fresh bank loans, to buy more cars, eventually building a 400-strong fleet over time. “I also strive to empower drivers to pursue their dreams unhindered by financial constraints,”he said.

But it wasn’t a smooth ride. He faced multiple setbacks — from employees deserting him and promoting toxicity at work to his toughest trial during the first lockdown that brought business to a screeching halt.

Chunawala, who will be felicitated by the ride-sharing appwith which he is still affiliated, as a top first-generation entrepreneur, said his drivers are put through an intensive training for 15-30 days, where they are sensitised about appropriate behaviour.

Congress showing ‘old mentality’ of ‘dictating terms’: NDA on oppn’s fight for Speaker post

Akhilesh.Singh@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: NDA netas in one voice denounced INDIA bloc for fielding Congress’s K Suresh against BJP’s Om Birla for the post of Lok Sabha Speaker, necessitating an election for the constitutional post.

Union minister Piyush Goyal said Congress has once again shown its ‘old mentality’ of ‘dictating terms’.

“In the morning, Rajnath Singh wanted to discuss this with Mallikarjun Kharge but he was busy so he said Ven- ugopal will talk to you. But after speaking with T R Baalu and Venugopal, the old mentality that we will dictate the terms was shown again; that the condition is that first decide who will be the deputy speaker and then support will be given for the speaker. We condemn this type of politics,” he said.

Union minister and Lok Janshakti Party’s (LJP) Chirag Paswan recalled several occasions when Congress fielded Dalit candidates, whose defeat was a certainty, a fait accompli even in case of Suresh, also a Dalit.

“Whenever Congress-led opposition realises that their defeat is certain, they play the Dalit card. In 2002, when they knew they were losing the vice-presidential election, they nominated Sushil Kumar Shinde. In 2017, when they knew they were losing the presidential election, they nominated Meira Kumar. Now, when they clearly do not have the numbers to elect the Lok Sabha Speaker, they are nominating Suresh,” Paswan said. “Are Dalit leaders only symbolic candidates for Oppo- sition?” he asked.

Coming out in strong defence of NDA nominee, JD (U)’s Rajiv Ranjan Singh ‘Lalan’ said K C Venugopal and Baalu had come to discuss the speaker’s issue with Rajnath, who told them about NDA candidate and sought support.

“Venugopal said you accept right now to give deputy speaker's post. Rajnath told them that we will sit together, discuss and decide the name of deputy speaker. However, they insisted on their condition. This doesn't happen in democracy,” he said.

No justification for charging toll if roads are not in good condition, says Gadkari

Dipak.Dash@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Echoing the sentiment of many highway commuters, Union road transport minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday said there is no justification of highway agencies charging toll, if roads are not in good condition and people continue to face problems.

He was speaking at a global workshop on satellite-based tolling, which will be rolled out across 5,000 km in this financial year.

Gadkari said, “If you don’t provide good services, you should not charge toll... We are in a hurry to start tolling to collect user fees and protect our interest. When the condition of any road is not good I get numerous complaints and there are social media posts all over... You should collect the user fee where you provide the best quality road. If you collect toll on roads with potholes, mud, then there will be a backlash from people.”

He said field officers of NH agencies must be sensitive to- wards the “pain” that people face waiting for long at toll plazas and there must be a mechanism for lodging grievances and their quick redressal.

Though govt made use of FASTag for paying toll on highways mandatory in 2021 for seamless travel through toll lanes and around 98% transactions are through these smart tags fixed on vehicles, there have been numerous reports of queues at plazas from across the country. In its bid to put an end to this, NHAI is working on the roll out and expansion of GNSS based toll collection to remove toll gates from NH network in next few years.

The highway authority proposes to roll this out in a phased manner, starting with only commercial vehicles and dedicating one lane on each side of toll plazas for them to pass without stopping. It’s mandatory for commercial vehicles to install vehicle tracker system (VTS), an on board unit, which is necessary for GNSS based tolling.

Jumbo comes in contact with low-hanging wire, dies

A 15-year-old elephant, which had wandered from the forest into nearby fields, died after coming in contact with a dangerously low-hanging, high-tension power line in Terai central forest division near Dineshpur, Udham Singh Nagar, on Tuesday, reports Aakash Ahuja. Villagers had previously urged the power corporation to raise the 11,000kv power line to prevent such accidents.

Must invest in military revamp amid global turmoil: IAF chief

New Delhi: India must invest in military modernisation, strengthen strategic partnerships with other countries and boost the domestic defence-industrial base to meet the emerging and future challenges amid the ongoing geopolitical turmoil, Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari said on Tuesday.

“Our strategic culture is shaped by historical experiences and the ever-evolving geopolitical environment. It emphasises on strategic autonomy, caution, and a strong focus on territorial integrity,” the IAF chief said, speaking at the Capstone seminar here.

“Whether India has a strategic culture or not is a matter of opinion. Our realpolitik, statecraft, and diplomacy have always been integral to our historical, domestic, and contemporary geopolitics,” he said.

TNN

Amid Agniveer review, Army rolls out phase-II of recruitment process

New Delhi: Army has announced phase II of Agniveer recruitment process. “This phase marks a significant milestone in the Army’s efforts to transform its requirements procedures and ensure a seamless and efficient selection process for aspiring candidates. It is free, fair, and transparent so all candidates are advised not to approach any type of tout,” PRO defence, Guwahati said, reports ANI.

Agnipath recruitment scheme was rolled out in June 2022 for short term induction of personnel with the aim of bringing down the age profile of the three services. Under the scheme, recruitment of youths between the age bracket of 17-andhalf years and 21 for four years is done with a provision to retain 25% of them for 15 more years. The recruitment process involves two phases, the first being an online written examination and the second being the recruitment rally.

Recently, a group of secretaries from 10 key ministries were tasked to review the scheme. They were asked to suggest ways to make the armed forces recruitment programme more attractive. The scheme became a key election issue in the poll campaign with opposition parties, especially Congress, vowing to revoke it, if voted to power. The panel of secretaries is expected to give a final presentation to PM Narendra Modi.

TNN & AGENCIES

21 yrs after death in custody, 10-yr jail for 3 UP cops

Lucknow:Twenty-one years after a Dalit suspectedly hanged himself in police custody, an SC/ST court in UP’s Sitapur has convicted three constables for abetment to suicide and illegal detention, sentencing them to 10 years.

Kesari Nandan Patel, Siyaram Yadav and Suresh Singh were taken into custody and sent to jail after special judge Mohammad Shafiq delivered the verdict on Monday. Singh and Yadav have since retired, while Patel is posted in Bahraich.

The court also imposed a penalty of Rs 21,000 on each. The three were posted at Kachnar police outpost in Sitapur and had detained Dalchandra Pasi, 25, on July 1, 2003. Dalchandra had been booked in a Goonda Act case.

At the outpost, Dalchandra was confined to a room where he hanged himself with his scarf. On July 2, his family lodged an FIR accusing the constables of abetment to suicide.

In the FIR, his younger brother Maina said the siblings were returning from court that fateful day after meeting a lawyer in connection with the Goonda Act case against Dalchandra when they were stopped by the constables. “Fearing police action I fled but Dalchandra was detained. My brother hanged himself in the lockup,” Maina had said in the FIR.

Postmortem ruled suicide as the cause of death, leading to FIR under IPC 306 (abetment of suicide), 342 (wrongful confinement) and ST/SC Act against the constables. The constables were then transferred out of Sitapur.

TNN

FIR against 2 UP cops after 2 brothers die in police custody

Agra: UP police on Tuesday registered an FIR against an inspector and a sub-inspector in Hathras after two brothers died by suicide in Roopdhanoo village in Agra over alleged custodial torture and bribery. The move comes after directions from CM Yogi Adityanath’s office, reports Deepak Lavania. Based on a complaint filed by the family, a case was registered at Barhan against SI Hariom Agnihotri & Sadabad SHO Mukesh Kumar under IPC section 306 (abetment of suicide).

Farmer Sanjay Singh, 45, was found hanging on Saturday Hathras SP Nipun Agarwal ordered suspension of the SI and attached the SHO to the police line.

His elder brother Pramod, 50, a home guard, was found dead on Monday. A suicide note tied to his hand accused the officers of torturing him and his brother in custody and demanding Rs 1 lakh. Despite paying a part of the amount, the pressure on the duo had continued.

Agra MP and Union minister of state S P Singh Baghel visited the village on Tuesday and assured justice for the family. CM has also taken cognisance of the matter, ordered assistance for the bereaved family and to send the accused policemen to jail.

Flash floods, landslide wreak havoc in HP, block highway

Kullu: Even as monsoon is yet to reach Himachal Pradesh, flash floods wreaked havoc in Lahaul-Spiti and Solan districts and a massive landslide in Sirmaur’s Shillai blocked Paonta SahibShillai NH on Monday.

No loss of life was reported from the flash floods in Lahaul-Spiti’s Mudgraon and Solan’s Gambhar and the landslide in Shillai, a source said. Authorities could not clear Paonta Sahib-Shillai national highway till the filing of this report.

Una recorded a highest maximum of 41.4° Celsius on Tuesday, followed by Hamirpur (39° C) and Bilaspur (38.4° C). Kukumseri in Lahaul-Spiti was the coldest place recording 6.7° Celsius.

TNN

EAM meets new China envoy, discusses ‘stabilisation’ of ties

It was the first official meeting between Jaishankar & Xu

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Amid strained bilateral ties, foreign minister S Jaishankar had his first official meeting with new Chinese ambassador Xu Feihong. The minister later said in a post on X that he discussed with Xu the bilateral relationship and “our common interest in its stabilisation and progress”.

Xu said they exchanged views on China-India relations and other issues of common interest. “Thanks for best wishes. Look forward to working with the Indian side to push forward the development of China-India relations towards the right direction,” said the ambassador.

Official sources said this was a courtesy meeting which the minister usually has with newly appointed envoys. India and China remain locked in a border dispute in eastern Ladakh, which has now entered its fifth year.

Even after 21 rounds of military and 15 rounds of diplomatic talks, the process of military disengagement is yet to be completed.

China believes the impasse in the remaining areas are legacy issues and that these should not be allowed to block resumption of normal bilateral exchanges.

India, however, has steadfastly maintained there can’t be any progress in ties till the time disengagement is effected in the remaining areas.

Goa to allow booze sale near schools, places of worship

Panaji: In a major tweak to excise laws, Goa govt will allow new bars and liquor stores to operate within 100m of educational or religious institutes, but it will cost twice as much.

Although the relaxation still doesn’t give the excise department a free hand to issue licences in these areas — which were earlier excluded — the measure has surprised many. Apart from the applicant having to pay twice the licence fee, the excise commissioner will have to get govt approval before allowing such an application.

TNN

Cong still driven by mindset that imposed Emergency: PM

Shah To Rahul: Indira Imposed It, Rajiv Gandhi Defended It

Those who imposed Emergency have no right to profess their love for Constitution. These are the same people who have imposed Article 356 on innumerable occasions, got a bill to destroy press freedom, destroyed federalism & violated every aspect of Constitution (sic) PM NARENDRA MODI

BJP state units across the country observed ‘black day’ on Tuesday to mark the 49th anniversary of Emergency imposition on June 25, 1975

Akhilesh.Singh@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi escalated his attack on Congress over the imposition of Emergency by former PM Indira Gandhi and said the opposition party was still driven by the same mindset that responded to dissent by suspending democracy 49 years ago.

In a series of posts on social media to mark the 49th anniversary of Indira Gandhi’s momentous decision, Modi took a took a swipe at Congress’s “save democracy” campaign and said, “Those who imposed Emergency have no right to profess their love for our Constitution. These are the same people who have imposed Article 356 on innumerable occasions, got a bill to destroy press freedom, destroyed federalism and violated every aspect of the Constitution.”

The PM said, “They hide their disdain for the Constitution through their tokenism but the people of India have seen through their antics and that is why they have rejected them time and again.”

He paid homage to all those “great men and women” who resisted Emergency, and said the “dark days” are a reminder of how Congress subverted basic freedoms and trampled over the Constitution. “Just to cling to power, the then Congress govt disregarded every democratic principle and made the nation into a jail,” he said.

While BJP functionaries followed Modi in recalling the days of Emergency, the party floated #DarkDaysOfEmergency on X, in what appeared to be an attempt to get their own back at Congress which used its allegation of Constitution being in danger under Modi to inflict damage on BJP.

Home minister Amit Shah said Congress crushed the spirit of Constitution several times for the sake of maintaining a certain family in power and Indira Gandhi un- leashed “ruthless atrocities” on people during Emergency.

Referring to Rahul Gandhi as “yuvraj”, he said the former had forgotten that his grandmother imposed Emergency and his father, Rajiv Gandhi, on July 23, 1985, tried to justify this horrific episode in the Lok Sabha with much pride.

He mentioned a speech by Rajiv Gandhi where the former PM had said, “If any prime minister of this country who feels that an Emergency is necessary, under these circumstances, and does not apply Emergency, he is not fit to be PM of this country.”

Defence minister Rajnath Singh said if democracy was still alive in the country, the credit went to those people who struggled to restore democracy, went to jail and had to undergo physical and mental torture. “The coming generations of India will remember their struggle and their contribution in protecting democracy,” he added.

BJP president J P Nadda reminded Congress of the “dark days of Emergency” as he slammed the opposition for fielding K Suresh in the election for Lok Sabha speaker. He accused Congress of “hypocrisy and doublespeak” and said there was no space for democracy in the “mindset” of the main opposition party.

MAJESTIC ENTRY

ADIVASI PRIDE: Embodying the spirit of tradition, Bharat Adivasi Party MP Rajkumar Roat made a grand entrance to the 18th Lok Sabha atop a majestic camel, turning heads and celebrating cultural heritage

Cong may seek vote division only if TMC offers support

Subodh.Ghildiyal@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: K Suresh, a Dalit neta of Congress and the senior-most MP in LS, filed nomination for the Speaker’s post, forcing an election to the top chair after the opposition protested the govt’s refusal to concede the deputy Speaker’s post to the opposition.

Suresh will cross swords with Om Birla, who is NDA nominee for the post, with the poll scheduled for Wednesday. The opposition had announced it was ready for a consensus on Speaker if the govt respected parliamentary conventions and gave the deputy’s chair to the rival camp.

Suresh has been the focus of a controversy in recent days, after govt “overlooked” him for the pro tem Speaker’s post and appointed BJP MP Bhartruhari Mahtab instead.

INDIA bloc allies met at Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence for an hour late Tuesday, where parties emphasised the need to convey a strong message to govt. While opposition has fielded a candidate as a “mark of protest”, it may seek a division of votes only if TMC, which has alleged non-consultation on the issue, assures support Wednesday morning.

Govt interlocutor and defence minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Kharge late Monday to seek support, but refused to assure him on the deputy’s post. Congress said the govt offer that “support us for Speaker now and we will discuss deputy Speaker later” was not acceptable in view of “Modi’s track record”.

Reminding Modi of his public call for “governance through consensus” at the start of the session on Monday, an agitated Rahul Gandhi lashed out at him to signal that the opposition was not ready to compromise without adequate compensation.

“PM Modi’s words have no credibility because his intent is not clear. He speaks of constructive cooperation but undermines parliamentary conventions. But this formula will not work anymore,” Rahul said on the stairs of Parliament building on Tuesday.

Congress said Modi ran the 17th LS without a deputy Speaker while in 16th LS, he gave it to BJP’s “covert ally”, while the post went to an opposition MP under Manmohan Singh, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and P V Narasimha Rao.

A man at odds with Cong Kerala netas but ‘strategically aligned’ with high command

Thiruvananthapuram: Kodikunnil Suresh (in pic), an eight-time Congress MP from Kerala, has always been at odds with the party’s state brass. Yet, his strategic alignment with the “high command” has consistently allowed him to get his way. Now,

contesting as the opposition INDIA bloc’s candidate for Lok Sabha Speaker could well be the high point of his long political career.

His journey began from modest beginnings. Born in 1962, the youngest son of Kunjan and Thankamma, he began his political career in 1975 as unit president of Congress-affiliated Kerala Students Union at Lekshmi Vilasam High School in Pothencode. He later attended Mar Ivanios College and obtained an LLB degree from Government Law College in Thiruvananthapuram.

In 1987, Suresh became the state general secretary of KSU. That year, Congress stalwart K Karunakaran selected Suresh to contest Adoor LS constituency. He won his first parliamentary election in 1989 and has been a member of LS since, winning eight out of ten contests — facing defeats in 1998 and 2004. Adoor constituency was later renamed Mavelikara.

He is currently the senior-most Congress member in LS and working president of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee.

In 2009, Kerala high court annulled his election over allegations of using a fake certificate to claim reserved community status. However, Supreme Court later ruled in his favour, affirming his membership in the Pulaya community. Suresh’s close ties with senior Congress functionary AK Antony earned him a ministerial position in 2012 as minister of state for labour and employment in UPA govt, a role he held until 2014. He has held various positions within the party and on parliamentary committees.

TNN

Rahul Gandhi greets TMC MPs on Tuesday. TMC will inform Congress of its decision to support K Suresh for Speaker’s post Wednesday morning

Fearing public thrashing, Indira had planned to flee: Annamalai

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai: BJP Tamil Nadu unit president K Annamalai said on Tuesday that former PM Indira Gandhi had decided to fly out of the country after the Emergency ended in 1977.

A state of Emergency was announced on June 25, 1975. Observing the day as “Black Day”, BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit organised a series of events across the state.

At a meeting at BJP office in Chennai, Annamalai said, “After the end of Emergency, Indira Gandhi thought her family would be thrashed by the people of the country and so asked her son Rajiv to get a special flight ready for them in Mumbai to fly out of the country. But Morarji Desai, after assuming office in 1978, assured her that the people of the country will forgive her and there will be no threat to her life.”

Annamalai said there was repression all around during the Emergency as over 1.14 lakh people were arrested in 21 months, from 1975 to 1977.

TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai, responding to Annamalai’s comments, said, “There were several benefits due to the Emergency, like the abolition of zamindari system (sic), and bonded labour system. They (BJP) will not talk about these benefits.”

He said, “Banks opened their doors to the common man after that. There may have been some drawbacks, but Indira Gandhi, unlike the incumbent PM Modi, was brave enough to openly seek public pardon for any hardships caused to them. That is why she was called Iron Lady.”

The state Congress president said now there has been an undeclared Emergency in the country for past 10 years.

TMC unhappy with Cong but likely to back Speaker pick

Mohua.Chatterjee@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Amid the post-poll bonhomie, Trinamool Congress struck the first discordant note in INDIA bloc by expressing unhappiness at Congress not consulting it before declaring a contestant against Om Birla for Lok Sabha Speaker’s post. The party was, however, mollified enough by Tuesday evening and two of its representatives — Kalyan Banerjee (LS) and Derek O’Brien (RS) — attended a meeting of INDIA bloc leaders at Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence to discuss the Speaker’s election. TMC said it would communicate its decision on backing Suresh by 9 am on Wednesday amid indications that it is likely to extend support.

According to sources, Rahul Gandhi spoke to TMC chief Mamata Banerjeeon Abhishek Banerjee’s phone around 5pm, helping cool matters.

Earlier in the day, TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee had said his party was not consulted on fielding Suresh, adding that Mamata Banerjee would take a decision on backing him after meeting the party’s newly-elected MPs. “No one contacted us. There have been no talks, unfortunately, this has been a unilateral decision,” Abhishek told the media. TMC had not signed Suresh nomination papers.

Even if TMC ends up supporting Suresh, Mamata was clearly unhappy at Congress taking a unilateral decision on behalf of INDIA bloc and ensured that the displeasure was communicated to the Congress leadership. Later in the day, Rahul and Abhishek were spotted chatting inside the LS chamber.

Pawar: Didn’t want fight but should have got dy Speaker post

Mumbai: NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Tuesday said he advised his allies in INDIA bloc that Lok Sabha Speaker should be elected unopposed, but the Opposition must get the deputy Speaker’s post, which has been a parliamentary convention.

Traditionally, the Speaker’s post went to the ruling party and the deputy Speaker’s post to the Opposition, but this did not happen in the last ten years of the Narendra Modi government, the veteran politician told reporters. “In Parliament, non-BJP functionaries sought my opinion and I advised them to tell the got that we agree to hold Speaker’s election unopposed. “Simultaneously, deputy Speaker’s post must go to the Opposition,” the former Union minister added.

BJP-led NDA fielded LS Speaker Om Birla for the crucial parliamentary position again, but its bid for consensus was thwarted by the opposition, which forced an election by nominating Kodikunnil Suresh as its candidate. The opposition’s last-minute decision to go for the rare contest came after BJP netas did not agree to its precondition that INDIA bloc must be offered the post of deputy Speaker in return for supporting Birla.

PTI

Modi remained incognito for entire duration of Emergency

IN DISGUISE: PM Modi seen in a turban during the Emergency

Akhilesh.Singh@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: As a young RSS full-timer, Narendra Modi remained incognito for the entire Emergency phase, utilising it as an opportunity to work with leaders and organisations across the political spectrum, which exposed him to diverse ideologies and viewpoints.

Like other satyagrahis, he adopted various disguises to evade detection. “His disguises were so effective that even long-time acquaintances failed to recognise him. He dressed as a swamiji in saffron attire and even as a Sikh wearing a turban. On one occasion, he successfully deceived authorities in a jail to deliver an important document,” the archives handles related to PM Modi on social media recalled.

After the Emergency was lifted in 1977, Modi’s activism and leadership dur- ing that tumultuous period started to gain recognition. The same year, he was invited to Mumbai to participate in a discussion on the youth’s resistance efforts during the Emergency.

In recognition of his fighting spirit and organisational work, Modi was appointed the ‘sambhag pracharak’ (regional organiser) of south and central Gujarat. He was also entrusted with the important task of preparing official articles of the RSS during Emergency.

In 1978, Modi authored his first book, ‘Sangharsh Ma Gujarat’, a memoir of his experiences as a leader in the underground movement against Emergency in Gujarat. Remarkably, he completed the book in just 23 days.

WHAT CONVENTION?

Cong held both Speaker, deputy post in Nehru & Indira era: BJP

Akhilesh.Singh@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: BJP Tuesday came out with a long list of deputy Speakers being nominated from the same party as that of the Speaker in Lok Sabha as well as state assemblies to disapprove of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s claim that there was a convention of deputy Speaker’s post being spared for the opposition.

“It is utterly shameful that Congress is imposing an election for the exalted position of Speaker which is above and beyond partisan politics,” BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) and also shared instances when the two posts were held by the same party.

“Rahul Gandhi says convention is that deputy Speaker should be in opposition and this was a pre-condition imposed for supporting the Speaker. Such a condition is shameful,” the BJP functionary said and added, “But did his own family follow this convention he speaks of?”

When Jawaharlal Nehru was PM, M Ananthasayanam Ayyangar (1952-1956), Hukam Singh (1956-1962) and S V Krishnamoorthy Rao (1962-67) were deputy Speakers, all from Congress while Speakers were also from the same party. During Indira Gandhi’s tenure as Prime Minister, R K Khadilkar from Congress was deputy Speaker from 1967-1969, Poonawala said.

He also shared details of states governed by Congress and its allies where both the posts were held by the same party. In Bengal, TMC’s Biman Banerjee is the speaker and his party colleague Ashish Banerjee is his deputy. In Tamil Nadu, DMK’s M Appavu and K Pitchandi are speaker and deputy speaker, respectively. In Karnataka, Congress’s U T Khader Fareed is the speaker and R M Lamani is deputy speaker. In Kerala, LDF’s A N Shamseer (CPM) is speaker and Chittayam Gopakumar is deputy Speaker. The deputy speaker’s post is vacant in Congress-governed Telangana and Jharkhand, where the party is a junior ally of JMM.

“Just like pro tem Speaker issue, Congress is lying again. Perhaps even TMC doesn’t support this and hence, as per reports, is not supporting Congress’ misadventure on Speaker,” Poonawala added.

Constitution in hand, Rahul, Akhilesh and others make a point

Akhilesh & Rahul at Parliament

Subodh.Ghildiyal@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi took oath as MP from Rae Bareli, followed by KL Sharma from Amethi, and Akhilesh Yadav from Kannauj, as the triumphant INDIA bloc in UP of Samajwadi and Congress cornered the focus on the day which rounded off the formality of swearing-in newly elected members to Lok Sabha.

As 43 members of UP, 40 from Tamil Nadu, 31 of Maharashtra, 8 from Telangana, and 10 from Punjab belonging to the opposition took oath, the waving of Constitution, in covers red, white and blue, as a mark of protest against the Modi govt, firmly held centrestage.

Rahul held up the copy of the Constitution, took oath, and rounded it off with ‘jai samvidhan’. Congress members broke into ‘jodo jodo, bharat jodo’, the chant of his two Bharat Jodo Yatras. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav was cheered to the podium with loud thumping of the desks, and Rahul Gandhi shook hands with him as did others by his side. Interestingly, when Amethi’s K L Sharma walked up, Con- gress members shouted ‘ab batao’, an exclamation underlining his victory over BJP stalwart Smriti Irani.

Akhilesh’s wife Dimple Yadav too drew wild cheers, as did Kanimozhi of DMK and Supriya Sule of NCP (Pawar). The young Rajasthan MPs Sanjana Jatav and Rahul Kaswan (Congress) and Rajkumar Roat (Bharatiya Tribal Party), Chandrashekhar of Bhim Army, Iqra Chaudhary (SP), and Mahua Moitra (TMC) were other names that were watched for different political reasons.

Screen queen Hema Malini cornered some limelight too, and representing Mathura, she chanted “Radhe Radhe”. When Alfred S Arthur, Congress’ Outer Manipur MP, was called for taking oath, Rahul Gandhi stood up to shake his hands.

VERBALLISTIC

For Ram to Hindu Rashtra to Palestine, slogans create storm in teacup

Subodh.Ghildiyal@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: It was the day of religious invocations and storms in the teacup on the second day of MPs oath-taking in the Lok Sabha. The repeated chants of Jai Shri Ram from BJP triggered much mirth as Samajwadi Party’s showcasing of its MP representing Ayodhya (Faizabad constituency), a sore defeat for BJP, checked the enthusiasm in the governing camp. Even as it dominated the proceedings through the day, All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi’s hailing of Palestine after the oath triggered belated protests from BJP, leading to a minor disturbance. BJP’s Chhatrapal Gangwar from Bareilly said “Jai Hindu Rashtra”, which stoked protests from the op- position bench that called it “against the Constitution”.

The oath by Owaisi, who also used an Islamic war cry, was over and he was firmly ensconced in his seat with the proceedings smoothly under way, before Shobha Karandlaje questioned the invocation of Palestine by the Hyderabad veteran, in what was an afterthought. She was joined by NDA colleague Shrikant Shinde and C M Ramesh which led to some commotion. Sitting in his place, Owaisi stood his ground. But the Chair, Radha Mohan Singh, clarified only the oath was going on record, urging members to not create any disturbance. Earlier, pro tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab had said chants and invocations should be avoided, but it was ignored by the members throughout.

Interestingly, when Owaisi’s name was called out and he was proceeding to the podium, BJP benches raised ‘Jai Shri Ram’and ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ slogans, as if to tease him. Later, when Arun Govil of BJP raised ‘Jai Shri Ram’, SP’s Dharmendra Yadav asked why BJP was not objecting to it, and he was joined by others. Then, Dharmendra loudly shouted ‘Jai Awadhesh’ and the Faizabad MP, as if on cue, stood up with raised folded hands in mock acknowledgement of the assembly — a grandstanding that trig- gered laughter all around.

The to and fro continued. The icing on the opposition’s cake was when Awadhesh Prasad’s name was called. This time, the opposition benches broke into ‘Jai Shri Ram’, and the BJP side was mum. While INDIA bloc handed BJP a solid defeat in Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, it is the upstaging of the saffron party in Faizabad constituency that the opposition has been using to rub it in. It proved effective in Parliament for the first two days.

The plea for help for troubled regions attracted attention too. The oaths of Alfred ken-Ngam Arthur and Bimol Akoijam, MPs from Manipur, which has been roiled by ethnic conflict for over a year, led to lusty cheers of “Manipur, Manipur” from Congress and the opposition, with the members themselves seeking “justice for Manipur”. Meanwhile, Owaisi hailed Palestine.

After campaign dare by rival, MP takes LS oath in English

Nashik: A newly-elected Maharashtra MP, who was mocked by an electoral rival for his alleged inability to speak either English or Hindi, took the oath of office Tuesday as a member of 18th Lok Sabha in English and received an ovation from a section of members after he completed the oath, reports Ranjan Dasgupta.

Ahmednagar MP Nilesh Lanke (44), who contested on an NCP (SCP) ticket, had been at the receiving end of barbs about his language skills from the man he went on to defeat by around 28,000 votes —BJP’s Sujay-Vikhe Patil.

During campaigning, Sujay declared he would withdraw his candidature if Lanke could speak either English or Hindi after a month’s practice.

“Today, I took the oath in English as an MP. I am fully aware of the immense responsibility this moment carries. I am committed to fulfilling my duties towards the people of my constituency with complete dedication and integrity. I am constantly working to live up to the trust the people have placed in me,” Lanke wrote on X.

NCP (SCP) MP from Shirur Amol Kolhe heaped praise on his party colleague. “Don’t underestimate the power of the common man! Yes, Lanke can talk in English,” he said. Meanwhile, NCP (SCP) Ahmednagar district chief Rajendra Phalke said, “I hope Sujay watched Lanke take the oath of office.”

Can’t call a man ‘enemy’ for working in Pak, says HC, junks property case

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Kochi: A high court bench of Justice Viju Abraham has ruled that merely because a man went to Pakistan in search of a job and worked there briefly does not classify him as an “enemy” under the Defence of India Rules.

The court was considering a petition by Ummar Koya of Malappuram seeking a declaration that his father’s property could not be subjected to provisions of the Enemy Property Act of 1968. Koya, a senior citizen retired from the Kerala po- lice service, stated that his father Kunji Koya went to Karachi, Pakistan, in 1953 in search of employment and worked as a helper in a hotel there for a short period. Later, he returned to India and passed away at the age of 93 in Parappanangadi, Malappuram, in 1995.

When the petitioner approached village officer (VO) to pay property tax for 2022-23, it was declined. The VO informed him that the tehsildar had instructed him not to collect the tax on the property based on the guidance of the Custodian of Enemy Property of India (CEPI).

Ummar Koya argued that due to continuous harassment by police who branded his father a “Pak citizen” he had approached Centre to determine his national status as an Indian citizen.

Kunji Koya was an Indian citizen, and the bench said CEPI had no evidence to support allegations of trading with an “enemy” or involvement in any business with an “enemy firm”. Consequently, it quashed the CEPI proceedings and directed revenue officials to collect property tax from the petitioner.

10 TN fishermen held by Lankan navy, trawler seized

Sri Lankan navy held 10 fishermen from Tamil Nadu’s Nagapattinam and confiscated their trawler on Tuesday for allegedly fishing in the island nation’s territorial waters off Jaffna’s Kankesanthurai. “A Lankan navy sailor died from fatal injuries due to aggressive manoeuvers by the trawler,” Lankan navy said. TN CM M K Stalin urged Union minister S Jaishankar to convene a meeting to secure release of all 47 fishermen and 166 fishing boats currently in custody of Lankan authorities.

TNN

Bro, cousin held for killing woman over her marriage

Hansi police on Tuesday arrested two youths from Dariya Wala village in Jind for allegedly shooting dead a couple that got married 2 months ago, reports Kumar Mukesh. Accused are Sachin, of Sultanpur village, and Rahul, Dariya Wala. While Sachin is younger brother of Meena, the woman who was killed, Rahul is her cousin.

Drunk official mows down 3 in U’khand

Dehradun: A 36-year-old woman and her two nieces, aged 7 and 10, were killed after they were hit by a car driven by an additional block development officer (BDO) of Jakhnidhar in Tehri Garhwal district, while the three were on an evening stroll near the municipal council office on Monday evening.

According to police, the victims were identified as Reena Negi and her nieces, Agrima, 10 and Anvita, 7. Negi’s daughter, Aradhya, who was also present at the time of the incident, is currently undergoing treatment.

The accused, Devi Prasad Chamoli, was arrested shortly after the incident.SP Tehri Garhwal, Navneet Singh said, “CCTV footage shows that the four were mowed down by the approaching car. Chamoli was driving at a high speed, and the impact killed Negi instantly, while the three girls sustained severe injuries. Agrima and Anvita succumbed to their injuries at hospital, while Aradhya remains under medical care,” said Singh.

“Chamoli was arrested and taken to the hospital for medical examination where it was found that he was under the influence of alcohol,” said Singh.

Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhamion Tuesday suspended Chamoli from his duties. TNN

Govt may alter income criteria for MIG urban housing sop

New Delhi: Govt is set to bring down income criteria for middle income groups (MIGs) to be eligible for getting govt assistance for buying or building houses in cities and towns under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (Urban), which is likely to be part of the full Budget for 2024-25, reports Dipak Dash. The aim is better targeting of the scheme, sources said.

In the first leg of PMAY (U), which covered 1.19 crore houses, govt had put MIG under two categories — MIG-I households having an annual income of Rs 6-12 lakh and households with annual income of Rs 12-18 lakh were put under MIG-II category. Sources said now the proposal is to rationalise this criteria and there may only one MIG category.

An official in the housing and urban affairs ministry said modalities of the next phase of PMAY(U) are being worked out and it may be launched in less than a month. In its first cabinet meeting, govt had given go ahead for providing financial assistance to build one crore houses in urban areas and another two crore in rural areas in the next five years.

“Second phase will be based on the learnings of the first phase with focus on better targeting of the scheme,” an official said.

MoD inks deal for building miniature satellite for IAF

New Delhi: In the 350th contract under its flagship iDEX (innovations for defence excellence) initiative, the defence ministry on Tuesday inked a deal for the design and development of a miniature observation and imaging satellite for the IAF.

The contract was inked with SpacePixxel Technologies Pvt Ltd for the miniaturised satellite capable of carrying electro-optical, infrared, synthetic aperture radar, and hyperspectral payloads up to 150 kg. “The company has been actively working to build and launch high-resolution hyperspectral imaging satellites to provide detailed earth observation data,” a MoD official said.

“This 350th iDEX contract enables innovation in space electronics, wherein many payloads earlier deployed on dedicated large satellites are now being miniaturised,” he added. TNN

Exam reforms panel gets moving with eye on ‘tamper-proof’ system

Body Led By Isro Ex-Chief To Consult Parents, Students

MANY QUESTIONS TO ANSWER: In its first meeting on Monday, the committee also discussed cybersecurity issues and the challenges posed by the ‘darknet’

Manash.Gohain@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: The education ministry’s seven-member panel on exam reforms will engage with parents and students to understand their concerns and challenges regarding the examination process, amid ongoing controversies over alleged irregularities in competitive exams National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) and University Grants Commission’s National Eligibility Test (NET), according to officials.

Post that, the panel will also deliberate on developing a tamperproof, error-free system that reduces stress for students while providing adequate flexibility. While NEET-UG is under scanner for paper-leak and other irregularities, UGC-NET question papers were traced in the “darknet”, leading to its cancellation. The committee in its first meeting on Monday also discussed cybersecurity issues and the challenges posed by the darknet.

According to sources, the panel is also going to scrutinise the standard operating procedures (SOPs) and other exam management systems employed by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for the NEET-UG and UGC-NET, and also at reasons for shifting the NETto offline and making CUET-UG hybrid (CBT and pen-paper) mode.

Led by former Isro chief R Radhakrishnan, the panel held its first meeting on Monday evening. “The first priority for us is to elicit from the students and parents in the country their concerns and suggestions,” Radhakrishnan told reporters on Tuesday, adding, “We will engage with them in person or through electronic media, and consolidate this information within the next fortnight.”

Radhakrishnan said that the next priority is to “quickly establish a robust system for starting the tests. We are also looking at the future, especially to develop in this country a robust system, a tamper-proof system, a system with zero error and a system that will lessen the difficulties and stress for the students with adequate flexibility built into it.”

Sources present at the meeting reported that the committee reviewed the current situation and challenges faced by NTA.

“The panel was informed about the current processes and functioning of the agency, including statistics on multiple exams conducted by the NTA and the number of candidates appearing for each exam,” a source said. “They also reviewed which exams are conducted in pen-and-paper mode and which are computer based tests (CBT), along with the nuances of both modes.”

According to Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the reforms to be recommended in its report are likely to be implemented by the next exam cycle. “It is a top priority for the ministry right now. The panel will submit its report within two months, and by next academic cycle we will initiate an action plan,” said Pradhan.

2nd Maha ZP teacher held in NEET leak case, hunt on for ITI instructor

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Another zilla parishad (ZP) teacher was nabbed on Tuesday by Latur police in the NEET paper leak case, following the arrest of a ZP school headmaster on Monday, reports Mohammed Akhef.

The case was registered on Sunday at Shivajinagar police station. The second arrested accused, a ZP teacher — Santosh Jadhav — was produced before the court and remanded in police custody till July 2. ZP school headmaster, Jaleel Khan Pathan, was the first to be arrested in this case.

Latur SP Somay Munde refused to comment on the developments related to the case. However, police sources privy to the case said a search is on for an ITI instructor who too is wanted in the case.

Investigations so far have revealed that the two ZP teachers targeted NEET aspirants and their families, offering help to clear the exam in exchange for money. They allegedly passed on copies of the aspirants’ hall tickets and cash to the Delhi-based suspect, Gangadhar Gunde, through the ITI instructor.

“We have prima facie established this from WhatsApp chats recovered from the three seized cellphones. The exact number of aspirants/parents contacted, and the overall quantum of money collected is being ascertained as we have called all parents whose names have been found so far, to record their statements,” a senior police officer said.

Gangadhar Gunde, the Delhi-based suspect, hails from Marathwada and police are investigating how and when he came in contact with the ITI instructor, the officer said. “To unearth the entire racket, we need to arrest the ITI instructor and Gunde at the earliest,” said an officer heading one of the teams currently out to nab the suspects.

In cruel twist, it’s those who cleared exam now getting sleepness nights

Patna: As uncertainty looms over those who have cleared this year’s NEET-UG amid the turmoil let loose by the paper leak fiasco and demands for a retest, many are turning to psychologists to seek professional counselling to deal with the current situation, reports Rakesh Singh.

“NEET-UG does not follow a pattern and is known for its ever-changing nature and unpredictability. Amid this, if re-examination is ordered, I might not qualify again,” said Vidisha Kumari, who has returned from Kota, having spent five long years to crack the exam. She had scored 667.

Vidisha isn’t alone. Fear for the future has been forcing many to spend sleepless nights. There are over 50,000 seats in govt medical colleges and about 24 lakh students had registered for NEET-UG 2024.

Amid a CBI probe, political parties, including grand alliance’s RJD, Congress and CPI-ML, have demanded cancellation of the NEET-UG 2024 even as the SC has ordered counselling to go ahead while also seeking response from the Centre and NTA on pleas asking for cancellation of the exam. Counselling for NEET-UG will start from July 6.

“My daughter, who had scored 666 out of 720, is depressed and we are consulting a doctor,” said mother of Julie Singh (name changed), who stayed with her daughter in Kota for five years as she prepared for the exam.

Dr Saurabh Kumar, a psychiatrist in Patna, said a number of youth has been visiting him who have cleared NEET-UG and are worried about their future.

Govt likely to go for JEE-style online test format for exams

Manash.Gohain@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Govt indicated it is considering a move towards a more stress-free, multi-session, multiple-times-ayear computer-based test format for future exams, similar to the Joint Entrance Examination-Main (JEE-Main), which was successfully offered four times during the Covid pandemic.

Sources suggested that National Testing Agency (NTA) can consider learning from and collaborating with global bodies like the Educational Testing Service (ETS), which administer the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) in the US. The seven-member panel constituted by the Centre for exam reforms too briefly discussed the mode of exams—computer-based and pen-paper on Monday — and will deliberate on it in detail in subsequent meetings.

Earlier on Sunday, Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan hinted at a potential overhaul of the exam process, “India needs a flexible and less stressful exam system like the SAT, the admission test for colleges in the US.”

When the NTA was established in 2017 and subsequently in 2018, the agency engaged in multiple discus- sions with ETS. However, according to a senior official at the ministry of education, these talks did not result in concrete collaboration, as they primarily focused on question paper settings and the efficacy of the items.

Govt sources indicated that following the recommendations of the exam reform panel, new discussions with ETS and other global bodies are likely to take place to explore potential collaborations.

“To make exams less stressful and more flexible, govt is likely to convert most high-profile exams to a computer-based format, enabling multiple sessions and times, similar to JEE-Main. This approach has proven successful for NTA. Despite some centre availability issues, the second edition of CUET-UG too was a success, with technical glitches faced during the first CUET in 2022 getting resolved,” said the source.

Proxy solver, caught at Bihar exam centre, let go with written apology

Kshitiz@timesgroup.com

Patna: An AIIMS-Jodhpur student paid to be a proxy for a NEET-UG examinee got caught during biometric attendance at a centre in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur minutes before the May 5 test, but was allegedly allowed to go after submitting a written apology to the authorities, new findings in the ongoing paper-leak probe reveal.

Although the breach at the examination centre in DAV School, Malighat, was never officially reported, an FIR was registered at Mithanpura police station in Muzaffarpur the same day after station house officer (SHO) Ram Krishna Paramhans Kumar received this information from an undisclosed source.

The accused, from Barmer in Rajasthan, has been absent from college and staying away from home since, police said. In his apology, he confessed to impersonating the son of a doctor who owns a hospital in UP’s Prayagraj in exchange for Rs 4 lakh. The AIIMS student said he met Dr Rajesh Prasad Pandey, who allegedly wanted a proxy for his son, in Kota, Rajasthan.

“I come from a poor family. I was promised Rs 4 lakh, which is why I agreed to write the exam on someone else’s behalf,” he wrote.

The examinee’s admit card featured a picture of the third-year MBBS student. Police quoted an official of the exam centre as saying that the young man had been asked to wait outside after he wrote an apology while the authorities decided what to do next. He allegedly sneaked out and couldn’t be traced.

ASP Awadhesh Dixit of Muzaffarpur said the centre was “under the scanner” for not reporting the crime immediately. “The school management was apparently reluctant to pursue the case, fearing damage to the centre’s reputation.” Dixit said both the proxy and Dr Raj Pandey, who allegedly paid him, had been named in the FIR.

“Separate teams have been sent to Prayagraj, Barmer and Jodhpur to locate the accused. The student who allegedly took money to act as a proxy for an examinee hasn’t attended classes at AIIMS Jodhpursince May 2,” SHO Paramhans Kumar said.

Hazaribag NEET-UG coordinator junks leak charges

Ehshanul Hasan said a gang, and the courier firm that transported the papers, could be involved in the leak

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Hazaribag:The Hazaribag coordinator of the five NEET-UG examination centres in the town, Ehshanul Hasan, on Tuesday denied charges of tampering question papers or leakage from the five centres.

Hasan, who is also the principal of Oasis School — one of the five examination centres which media reports said had leaked papers — said a gang, and the courier company that transported the papers, could be involved in the leak.

Talking to mediapersons here, Hasan said the question papers for the May 5 examination in Hazaribag were received by superintendents of the five examination centres — DAV Public School, St Xavier’s School, Holy Cross High School, Vivekananda Central School and Oasis School — at 1.15pm in sealed and locked steel boxes from the State Bank of India branch where they were kept in the locker.

However, the boxes, which should have reached the locker of the SBI branch here on May 4, were lying in the courier office in Hazaribag town overnight and were taken to the bank in e-rickshaws only on the examination morning on May 5.

The boxes, which had two digital locks each, were opened after they reached the examination cen- tres from the bank by National Testing Agency (NTA) officers in front of superintendents, assigned observers and 24 student examinee representatives before the start of the examination, he said.

The box for his examination centre, Oasis School, however, did not open and Hasan said he promptly reported the matter to NTA, which advised him to open it with the hacksaw provided along with the box.

When the box was opened, the question papers were found sealed in seven layers of plastic, Hasan added. The plastic seals were found defective and Hasan said the question papers could have been opened beforehand.

Hasan also said the plastic could not have turned defective in Hazaribag because the entire process — from receiving the box to opening it — was videographed.

He said he had narrated the en- tire story to the economic offences unit (EOU) of Bihar Police, which reached Hazaribag from Patna to investigate the matter on June 21.

Since the manager of the SBI branch here is the custodian of the question papers, he was summoned and he told investigators that employees of the courier firm, Blue Dart, the local office of which was in Oreya village under the Muffasil police station, should also be questioned.

When the courier firm’s delivery man was questioned, he informed the EOU that a van from Ranchi dropped the packet outside the office and left.

Responding to a question on how half-burnt question papers with Hazaribag codes were found in Patna from a coaching centre on May 4, Hasan said he has no information and claimed that a gang could be involved and the courier company could explain.

Times City

- Protest forces MCD to halt demolition at mosque

- Atishi Hospitalised On 5th Day Of Hunger Stir

- 25-year-old man tries to extort jewellers in Mayur Vihar, held

- Forest dept acts as more peacocks die at Air Force stn

- ACB arrests labour welfare official over bribery

- HC: Interim Bail Not On Merit, But For LS Polls

- AAP to challenge HC’s order staying bail, BJP welcomes it

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- Excise policy: CBI examines CM in Tihar, records statement

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Protest forces MCD to halt demolition at mosque

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) had to stop midway the demolition of the extended portion of a mosque’s boundary wall in northwest Delhi’s Mangolpuri on Tuesday after locals started protesting against the anti-encroachment drive. The wall has allegedly been extended illegally by around 20 metres, said officials.

According to some reports, the protest broke out as MCD demolished parts of the alleged encroachment. Images and videos circulating on social media showed a large crowd gathering on its roof as a team of MCD officials and more than 300 police personnel approached the building.

Civic officials said MCD conducted the joint encroachment removal action along with police on Kanjhwala Road, near the Petrol Pump and ward number 42 in Rohini zone. According to an MCD statement, after the operation started, “the situation escalated as a large crowd gathered, forming a human chain to obstruct the entry of earthmovers into the area. Additionally, the presence of women protesters sitting on the unauthorised structure complicated the law and order situation”.

The drive was halted to avoid any untoward incident, an official said. DCP (outer) Jimmy Chiram said, “The gathering, largely peaceful, was handled through negotiation.”

The initiative was part of the MCD’s efforts to remove unauthorised religious encroachments and uphold the integrity of public spaces, MCD stated.

Atishi Hospitalised On 5th Day Of Hunger Stir

Singh Vows To Raise Water Issue In Parliament

SANJAY SINGH SAYS Ideally, the blood sugar level should be between 70 and 100. However, when Atishi reached hospital, it was around 40. Hypoglycemia needs immediate treatment

A doctor conducts a medical check-up of minister Atishi

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Water minister Atishi’s ‘Paani Satyagraha’ came to an abrupt end on Tuesday, the fifth day of her indefinite hunger strike, after she was hospitalised due to deteriorating health.

Atishi was taken to LNJP hospital around 3.40am. Dr Suresh Kumar, the hospital’s director, said the minister’s blood sugar was extremely low when she arrived and ketones were present in her urine sample. The sodium levels in her body were also low.

“She had hypoglycemia, a condition in which the blood sugar (glucose) level is lower than the standard range. Ideally, the blood sugar levels should be 70-100. However, at the time Atishi reached the hospital, her blood sugar levels were around 40. Hypoglycemia needs immediate treatment, especially in these weather conditions,” Dr Kumar said.

“We kept her in the ICU and she was immediately put on IV fluids. All the blood work was done. She was advised to take fluids, which she did. Her condition is stable now. We are still going to monitor her and keep her under observation, and will get a few other necessary tests done,” he added.

According to AAP’s Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh, Atishi’s condition began to worsen suddenly on Monday night. “First, she was examined by the doctors of LNJP, then her blood sample was checked at both LNJP and Apollo hospitals. Her sugar levels were at 43, which is extremely low,” he said.

“All of us in the party discussed the situation and around 3.30am, Atishi was admitted to LNJP’s ICU,” Singh added.

Amid the ongoing political dispute over the water crisis, AAP govt has accused neighbouring Haryana of not releasing sufficient water. LG VK Saxena and Haryana govt have refuted these claims and highlighted issues within DJB that have resulted in water wastage and theft. On Ju- ne 20, Atishi initiated her hunger strike to demand water from Haryana. Singh on Tuesday pledged to address the crisis in Parliament to ensure Delhi residents get proper water supply.

Responding to Atishi’s hunger strike, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said, “We have been saying that you can’t do ‘satyagraha’ because you have no connection with the truth. From Mahatma Gandhi and Lala Lajpat Rai to Vinoba Bhave and Anna Hazare, satyagrahis undertook fast to reveal the truth, not to hide their administrative failures, as Atishi intended to do.”

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, DJB reported a total production of 914 MGD from all water treatment plants and tubewells. The Wazirabad, Chandrawal and Bawana treatment plants continue to produce less water than their actual capacity. .

25-year-old man tries to extort jewellers in Mayur Vihar, held

New Delhi: Inspired by videos related to criminal activities on YouTube, a 25-year-old man planned to extort jewellers in east Delhi’s Mayur Vihar. He made calls to multiple jewellery shop owners on Sunday, triggering panic. Police, however, traced his calls and arrested him on Tuesday.

Police started an investigation after a jeweller filed a complaint regarding an extortion call of Rs 5 lakh. The caller claimed to be making the demand on behalf of a jailed gangster.

As the amount was just Rs 5 lakh, police suspected that it could be the handiwork of an imposter. Using technical surveillance, Special Staff of East district traced the location of the accused, later identified as Badal Kumar Pathak, a resident of Kondli, laid a trap at Smriti Van in Mayur Vihar Phase 3, and apprehended him.

TNN

Forest dept acts as more peacocks die at Air Force stn

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: With three more peacock deaths reported on Tuesday at Palam Air Force Station, the toll has risen to 27.

The forest department – which was unaware of the shocking incidents till Monday when TOI reported it – swung into action by inspecting the area, collecting the carcasses, and sending four to Delhi Zoo for detailed inspection.

“Carcasses of four dead peacocks have been sent to National Zoological Park, Delhi for post mortem, blood samples have been collected and send to laboratory for identification of cause of illness/death,” said a forest department report, adding that prima facie cause of death seems to be heat stroke.

According to the Station’s administration, the first peacock fatality – the national bird and a species safeguarded under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 – had surfaced on June 4. Apart from deaths, six peacocks were found in poor health.

In a submission to the forest department, the administration stated that they had informed Delhi Police which gave “honoured burial” to the carcasses and peacocks with health issue were taken to Sanjay Gandhi Animal Care Centre.

“Considering the sensitivity of the case, post-mortem into the peacock death cases was requested by the Station and the same was conducted on June 17. The report issued by Dr Vijay of Saniay Gandhi Animal Care Centre has opined that the probable cause of death is heat stroke,” stated the submission attached with the forest department report.

A team lead by Delhi’s chief wildlife warden Suneesh Buxy and deputy conservator of forest Mandeep Mittal inspected the Station on Tuesday and made a slew of recommendations, including constructing water holes, placing sufficient feed and displaying contact numbers of forest officials to be approached.

ACB arrests labour welfare official over bribery

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: The Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) arrested a labour welfare superintendent and a sanitation worker for allegedly accepting a bribe. The bribe was reportedly offered in exchange for regularising the sanitation worker's employment status.

Madhur Verma, ACB chief, said they received a complaint on June 25. The complainant, a retired sanitation worker from the MCD, informed us that he had applied for the regularisation of his wife's employment as a sanitation worker.

“Ritesh Kumar, posted as the labour welfare superintendent, was demanding a bribe of Rs. 20,000 through a sanitation worker named Jal Singh,” he said.

A raiding team was constituted after a thorough inquiry into the complaint. “At 1 pm, the raiding team, accompanied by the complainant and a witness, reached the office of the labour welfare superintendent in Shahdara. Singh arrived there and met the complainant. He then brought the complainant and witness before the Kumar. The ACB team swiftly acted and apprehended the two while they were demanding and accepting the bribe money of Rs. 20,000,” the officer said.

HC: Interim Bail Not On Merit, But For LS Polls

Says At This Stage, It Can’t Be Said Kejriwal’s Arrest, Remand Not In Accordance With Law

CM Arvind Kejriwal with senior AAP functionaries before surrendering at Tihar Jail after his interim bail granted for LS polls ended

Continued from P1

Taking note of the trial court’s observation that ED’s action was “mala fide” as material against Kejriwal was available with ED in July 2022 but he was called only in Aug 2023 and that the agency had failed to deal with this objection of the Delhi CM, the HC bench said, “The vacation judge…following judicial discipline should not have observed in para 27 of the impugned order that there was mala fide on the part of ED, particularly in light of an observation made in judgment dated 09.04.2024…”

The bench pointed out that the coordinate bench of the HC had in that order observed that there was absence of any mala fide intention on the part of ED. The HC was then dealing with the legality of the arrest of Kejriwal by ED. HC pointed out that although SC granted leave against that judgment dated April 9, it did not stay its operation.

Responding to the argument by Kejriwal’s counsel that his arrest was bad and the April 9 judgment of the high court upholding his arrest by ED had also not attained finality, HC said the same is required to be dealt with at the time of consideration of the agency’s main petition.

The bench added that at this stage, it cannot be said that the arrest and remand of Kejriwal was not in accordance with the law and that his personal liberty was curtailed without following the procedure established by law.

Referring to ED’s contention before the trial court about the vicarious liability of the CM under Section 70 of PMLA, the bench said ED’s written note had mentioned it but did not find a place in the trial court order. The section deals with “offences by companies” and the agency is of the view that this empowered it to book a political party too.

The HC bench rejected the argument of senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi that Kejriwal did not misuse the interim bail granted by SC on May 10 after taking into consideration all objections of ED, including objections/ contentions raised in the present petition.

Citing the SC bail order dated May 10, the HC bench said though there is no allegation of misuse of bail, the CM had not been granted interim bail on merit but in the context of the Lok Sabha elections.

The HC also rejected the trial court’s finding that unless and until the exercise of tracing the remaining amount of the proceeds of crime, i.e. Rs 60 crore, was completed by ED, Kejriwal cannot remain behind bars without proper evidence against him.

“The perusal of the note submitted by ED before the special judge/vacation judge reflected that the said plea was encountered by ED but not sufficiently and adequately dealt with by the vacation judge,” the HC said.

“The vacation judge while passing the impugned order did not appropriately appreciate the material/documents submitted on record and pleas taken by ED, and the averments/grounds as raised in the petition under section 439(2) of the code (CrPC) require serious consideration…Accordingly, the present application is allowed and the operation of the impugned order is stayed,” concluded the court.

Section 439(2) of CrPC, 1973, gives the high court or sessions court the power to cancel bail granted under Section 436 of CrPC. It also gives them the power to direct that a person who has been released on bail be arrested and committed to custody.

On ASG Raju’s contention that the observations of the vacation judge in the order were not legally tenable and that the order was “perverse”, the HC bench said it requires further consideration. Referring to the argument that the bail order was passed on the basis of irrelevant considerations, HC said these points are required to be considered by the roster bench when it considers the main petition.

AAP to challenge HC’s order staying bail, BJP welcomes it

BHARADWAJ SAYS A high court bench stayed the order even before it was uploaded. I think the high court bench was prejudiced. Our legal team will decide the strategy and the time when we approach SC

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Hours after Delhi High Court stayed the bail granted to chief minister Arvind Kejriwal by the trial court, Aam Aadmi Party said it disagreed with the order and would challenge it in the Supreme Court.

Delhi urban development minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said the AAP’s legal team would decide the future course of action. “A high court bench stayed the order even before it was uploaded. I think the high court bench was prejudiced. Our legal team will decide the strategy and the time when we approach the Supreme Court,” Bharadwaj said.

The trial court had gran- ted bail to Kejriwal on June 20 in the money laundering case linked to the now-rescinded Delhi excise policy and ordered his release on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh. The high court, however, stayed the trial court order on Tuesday.

AAP’s chief spokesperson (national) Priyanka Kakkar said the high court ordered the stay without thoroughly reviewing the trial court’s order.

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva, however, welcomed the order and claimed Kejriwal was the main accused in the “liquor scam” and his involvement had been established.

Sachdeva also claimed that the language used by AAP functionaries was a contempt of court. “One may disagree on a subject, but not respecting the court’s decision is directly questioning democracy, as any decision by the court is made after considering all facts,” he said.

Scent of coexistence: Manipur’s women find hope and empowerment in Delhi

KIM, VAIPHEI TRIBE It was my birthday when a large mob descended on our village, shouting and burning houses. However, the first help came to my family from Meitei friends

SERINA, MEITEI GROUP There is nothing left to return to our village. Life in the relief camp is difficult. Most youngsters are now daily wagers trying to make ends meet for the family

NEW PATH: Women from Manipur take part in skills training in fragrance formulations at Hindu College

Manash.Gohain@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Many have seen their homes burned down and families separated. Living in relief camps for over a year, the pain of seeing their former friends from other communities become part of rampaging mobs remains fresh.

But despite hardships, women like Sophia Oinam, who is from Meitei community, and Kim Hoi Phal, a Kuki, embody a powerful message of coexistence and resilience, as they delve into the art of perfume-making at Delhi University’s Hindu College.

A joint initiative by Manipur govt, Hindu College and Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, the project aims to promote entrepreneurial skills and empower women. It has brought together 30 young women, including some who could not continue their studies or missed NEET due to the violence, for a 21-day training in Delhi, followed by a visit to CSIR Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in Lucknow.

Sharing a room at Hindu College girls’ hostel with a Meitei and Naga colleague, Kim, belonging to Vaiphei tribe from Kangpokpi district, recalls the fateful night of May 4, 2023.

“It was my birthday when a large mob descended on our village, shouting and burning houses. However, help for my family came from my Meitei friends. Around 3pm, we were rescued by Army and taken to Malom camp. Thereafter, we stayed at the Army division headquarters at Leimakhong for a week,” she said, adding, “Many villagers sent their children with some belongings to the jungles to take shelter.”

Kim couldn’t sit for her fourth-semester tourism and management degree exam on May 13.

With over 50,000 people living in camps, May 3, 2023 continues to hurt the collective memory of an entire people. That was the day a ‘tribal solidarity march’ organised in the hill districts to protest the Meitei community’s demand for ST status led to ethnic clashes between the Meitei and the Kuki communities.

Serina Chanu, who is from the Meitei community, recalled the nightmare. “We were having dinner. Suddenly, there was an alarm about an attack. We left for the SP’s office as our village got burnt down.”

For the past 14 months, the sixth-semester student of BA (H) Political Science has been living in a relief camp in Bishnupur with her eight member family. “Life in the relief camp is difficult. Most youngsters are now daily wagers trying to make ends meet for the family,” she said. And while she said there is “nothing left” to return to her village, she does yearn for a “normal, peaceful Manipur”.

For some, the unrest shattered their dreams. Sophia, who has been staying in a relief camp in Langol Leima Khullen for over a year with her family, couldn’t attempt NEET last year.

“It was dark. I was preparing for the exam when we suddenly heard a lot of noise outside. The village was under attack by a mob. Assam Rifles rescued us at 2am and took us to the headquarters. My house was burnt down. There is nothing left. I will try to rebuild it when I return, but it can’t be the same,” she said.

Ningombam Yaiphalembi from Churachandpur, a Meitei youngster, shares a room with “other community” members. Now, learning new techniques at the “Skill Training in Fragrance Formulation for Wellness Products”, she said with a sense of disbelief: “Here I felt something I have never felt before. I have Kuki friends”. Being part of this group has renewed her hope in “coexistence”, she added.

Building bridges might take time, but it’s worth the effort, said Woryohon Awungshai, from Ukhrul’s Tangkhul tribe. “My Kuki and Meitei roommates realise the crisis was due to a misunderstanding. It will take time to heal, but coming together is the way forward.”

Naga woman Lupangai Liu Pannei of the Rongmei community from Tamenglong, said, “The younger generation should try to unite all communities. Such initiatives not only empower, but also reflect the importance of inclusivity.”

“We are from the same forefathers, we are from Manipur, and we are from India. That should be a lesson as we heal. We should let go of the past and pray for progress,” said Sophia.

Excise policy: CBI examines CM in Tihar, records statement

Rajshekhar.Jha@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: CBI on Tuesday examined CM Arvind Kejriwal in Tihar jail and recorded his statement in connection with its investigation into the alleged excise policy scam. He was examined in jail number 2 on Tuesday around 11.30am, CBI sources said.

While sources claimed that CBI had got permission for Kejriwal's production before trial court for Wednesday, there was no official confirmation to this. CBI officially denied reports that Kejriwal had been arrested.

Senior AAP functionary and MP Sanjay Singh alleged that CBI was trying to arrest Kejriwal at a time there was a strong possibility of CM being granted bail by Supreme Court. “The BJPled central govt has conspired with CBI to prepare a fake case against Kejriwal and arrest him. The entire country is watching central govt’s torture and injustice,” Singh alleged. “How will he get justice if fake cases are registered against Kejriwal to keep him in jail and crush his politics and ruin the Aam Aadmi?” Singh said in a video message.

Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said that CBI had already been investigating the case separately in which Kejriwal was summoned to its office earlier and former deputy CM Manish Sisodia was arrested. “The case in question was registered on the complaint of Delhi Congress functionaries in 2022 and BJP has no direct connection with it. Therefore, this reported investigation and production in court of Kejriwal's is no surprise and it's only that the legal process is taking its conclusive step,” Sachdeva said. “When you commit a crime, you need to remain prepared to face the consequences,” he added.

Decide Jain bail plea without ‘unnecessary adjournment’: SC

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Supreme Court on Tuesday asked Delhi High Court to decide bail plea of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) functionary Satyendar Jain without delay, saying that bail petition should be heard on priority basis and no unnecessary adjournment be granted in such cases

While refusing to entertain Jain’s plea, a bench of Justices Manoj Misra and S V N Bhatti said the appeal was filed against the high court’s adjournment order and it was not possible to grant him relief as the the petition was still pending in HC.

The court asked him to agitate his case before the high court, which is scheduled to hear the case on July 9.

“It goes without saying that bail prayers are not unnecessarily adjourned and thus we hope and trust that the High Court takes a call in the matter when it is listed next,” the bench said.

Senior advocate A M Singhvi, for Jain, submitted HC should not have adjourned the hearing for six weeks and pleaded the bench to intervene but the court asked him to argue before HC

Jain was arrested on May 30, 2022 and remained in custody for a year till he was granted bail on medical grounds last year on May 26. Enforcemnent Directorate alleged that Jain committed the offence of money laundering by actually acquiring, possessing, concealing and using the process of bank to the tune of Rs 4.8 crore and projecting and claiming the same as untainted.

The apex court in March rejected Jain’s plea holding that there was sufficient evidence to hold him prima facie guilty and directed him to surrender forthwith.

The politician was out on interim bail since May 26 last year.

Solemnised by rituals & blessed by families, Anju ‘weds’ Kavita

JUST ‘MARRIED’

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Gurgaon: Hand in hand, their eyes locked, they posed for a photo as newly married couples do.

Theirs was like any other wedding ceremony. Celebrations began with a haldi function and went on into the night till pheras bound them together for life.

And dressed as the bride and groom were Kavita Tappu and Anju Sharma. India doesn’t legally recognise samesex marriages, but that didn’t deter the couple of four years.

Surrounded by their families and around 80 guests, Kavita and Anju tied the knot with all the pomp and tradition of rituals at the Chhoti Panchayat Dharamshala in the city on April 24.

Recently, their wedding photos were circulated widely on social media, making the two the talk of the town.

But the wedding wasn’t all that smooth. Their priest, who was told earlier that it was a marriage of two women, backed out hours before the ceremony, saying that he was injured in an accident.

“We had informed everyone beforehand that it was a same-sex wedding. The hall-owners, and the DJ too… Luckily, one of our friends stepped in and convinced two priests to preside over the rituals,” Anju said on Tuesday.

It was in 2020 that Kavita, a makeup artist from Haryana’s Fatehabad, was hired for Anju’s shoot for her YouTube channel. Anju, who belongs to Gurgaon, is an actor. The two, both in their late 30s, struck a connection immediately, though it was confusing at first.

Kavita said she hadn’t thought she would be in a samesex relationship. “I was in a relationship with a man before I met the love of my life.” They started living together soon after. “I was never this happy. We were inseparable,” Kavita said. Anju recalled how unmoored she was after losing her 22-year-old nephew in an accident, and her mother soon after. “Had I not had Kavita by my side, I would have spiralled into depression,” she said.

For Kavita and Anju, the next step is to start a family. As same-sex marriages aren’t recognised, adopting a child won’t be straightforward, legal experts told TOI. But there’s still a way. “They can adopt in an individual capacity,” said Arvind Narrain, founder of Alternative Law Forum and an advocate who works for LGBTQ+ rights.

Jamia docs restore boy’s ability to eat

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Eight-year-old Suryaa has got a fresh lease of life, thanks to the doctors at Jamia Millia Islamia.

After a fall at the age of five, Suryaa was restricted to a liquid diet, resulting in severe weakness and malnourishment. He developed Bilateral TMJ Ankylosis, a condition where the lower jaw joint fuses to the base of the skull, making it impossible to open the mouth. After a seven-hour surgery at the faculty of dentistry in Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), Suryaa can now open his mouth after almost 3 years.

Suryaa was referred to the department of oral and maxillofacial surgery at JMI because his family could not afford treatment in a private hospital, and the waiting lists at premier govt hospitals were too long. Jitendra, Suryaa's father, said the injury occurred when Suryaa fell on his chin. "Since then, his (abili- ty to) open his mouth progressively decreased until he couldn't open it even 1mm, leaving him to survive only on a liquid diet. He became weak," Jitendra, a daily wager, said.

A team led by Dr Imran Khan, professor of oral and maxillofacial surgery at JMI, performed the surgery on June 7 at Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research.

Khan said the surgery was challenging due to the anaesthetic and surgical risks involved. The procedure involved removing the fused bony mass between the lower jaw joint and skull base and creating a new joint. “Cartilage from the fifth and seventh rib bones were harvested and transplanted to create a new joint,” Khan said. The anaesthesia team was led by professor Kharat M Butt, and Dr Pratibha Panjiar. The surgical team had Dr Jamil Qazi, Dr Nancy Mathew and Dr Iqbal.

Blame it on humidity: Temp down, discomfort isn’t

THE HEAT IS ON

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: The city on Tuesday experienced warm and humid weather, making outdoor activities uncomfortable for Delhiites even though both maximum and minimum temperatures recorded a slight dip.

The maximum temperature dipped below 40 degrees Celsius. Safdarjung, the city’s base station, recorded maximum temperature of 39.7 degrees Celsius, three notches above normal, against 40.4 degrees Celsius on Monday. However, the heat index was 52 degrees Celsius against 53 degrees Celsius a day earlier.

The minimum tempera- ture was 28.6 degrees Celsius, a notch above normal, against 31.4 degrees Celsius a day earlier.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast, the maximum temperatures will remain below 40 degrees Celsius for the rest of the week, dipping to 36 degrees Celsius by June 30 as the rain intensity is likely to increase. The minimum temperature too may drop to 23 degrees Celsius by June 30 providing much needed relief to the residents.

IMD has issued a yellow alert for the city, forecasting rain across parts of Delhi for the next six days, but did not share a date on when the so- uthwest monsoon is likely to hit the capital, even as it said the monsoon is likely to cover several parts of northwest India over the next three to four days.

“Conditions are currently favourable for the southwest monsoon to advance further to the remaining parts of the north Arabian Sea, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh; some more parts of Rajasthan; remaining parts of Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar; most parts of east Uttar Pradesh; some more parts of west Uttar Pradesh; some parts of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, JammuKashmir-Ladakh-GilgitBaltistan-Muzaffarabad, northern parts of Punjab and Haryana during next three to four days,” an IMD bulletin said.

The humidity oscillated between 48 and 92%, causing excessive sweating. High humidity makes it difficult for the body to cool easily, thus the sweating increases.

“The city may see light to very light rain for next six days. The intensity of rain is expected to rise from June 28, under impact of an incumbent western disturbance and the advancing of southwest monsoon towards northwest India,” said an IMD official.

In 2023, the monsoon had arrived in the national capital on June 25.

Flood Of Doubts After Torrid, Parched Summer

Having Endured Unprecedented Heat Exacerbated By A Water Crisis, Delhi Wonders If Lessons From 2023 Monsoons Have Been Learnt

TIMES Special

Kushagra.Dixit@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: As the rainy season approaches, the city, in the grip of a water scarcity, has to ironically remember how the abundance of rains and river water drowned the capital last year and count on the experience to prevent a repetition.

Despite the weather experts expecting the precipitation this monsoon likely to be above normal for India and normal for the north-west region and the La Nina effect likely to boost rainfall in the second half of the monsoon season, the authorities are still confident of avoiding the havoc of last year.

“The floods began from July 9 onwards last year after the river began to rise. The peak impact was on July 13 before the situation improved from July 15, becoming much better by July 20,” recalled an official of Delhi govt’s irrigation & flood control department. “There were many reasons for this. The heavy rainfall within a short time was unprecedented. Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand too recorded heavy rainfall.”

The Yamuna water crossed the danger mark on July 11 last year and on July 13, the river had reached a new high of 208.7 metres, 3.3m above the danger level and 2.7m above the evacuation mark. Then, around 3.5 lakh cusecs of water was released from Hathnikund in Haryana on July 11 and an estimated 11.3 lakh cusecs from Wazirabad. Downstream, the sewers, drains and the river itself were choked, even as the gates of the barrage at ITO remained jammed. Key spots nearby, such as ITO, Rajghat and Delhi Secretariat, went under.

“The city was not ready last year,” the flood department official said. “We are better prepared this year. Problems like the jammed ITO barrage and key channels being blocked have been fixed. The channels have been dredged and we now have wire crates and stones to prevent erosion of the banks.”

Delhi Jal Board officials said that the wall of the water treatment plant at Wazirabad had been elevated by 2.5m to stop the overspill obstructing water supply from the plant unlike last year.

Experts, however, have their doubts and the possibility of surplus rain is not what worries them. “Flooding is more lik- ely this year because of the La Nina effect in the second half of the season,” said Himanshu Thakkar, coordinator, South Asian Network on Dams, Rivers and People. “2023 saw the river reaching record levels though the water released from Hathnikund wasn't so high. Probably, the area downstream of Hathnikund too has sources of waters that are unaccounted for."

Thakkar added, “The cross-section of the Yamuna must be assessed regularly to determine where and how much the silt is accumulating. The floodplain encroachments must also be taken into account while planning. Don’t just focus on slums. The city needs the infrastructure for rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge. Rejuvenating wetlands could also act as a deterrence to floods.”

DJB officials admitted that unlike at Hathnikund, Wazirabad barrage had no sensors to measure water flow. “There is no way to calculate the river’s flow. During floods, the gates must be opened or they will be broken down,” said one official. “We also don’t have crucial data to make better preparations, such as about streams adding to the river water between Hathnikund and Wazirabad.”

Officials pointed out that the highly turbid water during floods added silt to the land. But until the old wetlands were revived and encroachments on the floodplain cleared, the city would continue to remain vulnerable to floods.

Apocalypse again? Once drowned, they are forever shy

FINGERS CROSSED? Life goes on at Yamuna floodplain near Jaitpur and Mayur Vihar Khadar, which were submerged in the floods last year

Ridhima.Gupta@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Close to Shaheen Bagh, a stretch of a few kilometres in the Badarpur Khadar Extension locality was left submerged when the Yamuna overran its banks last year. The Khadda and Vishwakarma colonies, home to more than 5,000 people, had an apocalyptic look — the main road there was lined with rows of tents to temporarily house the hundreds who had lost their homes to the deluge. Rescue boats manned by personnel of the National Disaster Response Force could be seen going to the assistance of desperate people, while other residents waded through waist-deep water to safer terrain, carrying what they could — pieces of furniture, clothing, household items, even animals on their heads.

Almost a year later, a visit to the place shows all signs of a normal city life. And yet, recollections of the watery distress of 2023 still fill the people there with anxiety.

Eshan, a 15-year-old, Class IX student, continues to be plagued by the horrifying memories of his house and the entire Khadda colony being submerged by swirling floodwaters last year. “I remember the sudden chaos one morning. It was around seven in the morning. The river water level suddenly increased. My family decided to leave the house right away and to escape with only the absolute essentials. I remember them intoning 'jaan hai to jahan hai (there’s existence only if we live)’.”

Showing watermarks that the floods had left, Eshan said, pointing to his waist, “The water level reached up to here. Our house is a single-floor construction, so all the belongings left behind got damaged. I lost my schoolbooks and school bag to the floods.” The recovery process for his family was arduous. It took several months for the family to regain its footing.

A sweet shop owner said that while the residents of lowlying areas were accustomed to waterlogging during the monsoon, the magnitude of the water-level rise in last year's flood has filled those in higher places too with a deep sense of fear. Javad Malik, 22, who claimed his family had lived in the area for more than two decades, remarked, “While every year, during the rainy season, there is some waterlogging in our area, the havoc last year was unimaginable to many people.”

Malik said that everything happened so suddenly last year that they were unable to save their stocks in the shop. “It's been a year now but we are yet to recover our losses. Now, with summer coming to an end, we are again scared of a repetition of what happened last year. I am already thinking of a place whe- re we can move our belongings to save them from floodwaters.”

The locality close to the Yamuna river bank also has several agricultural fields. The impending threat of floods looms large over the livelihoods of the cultivators and the field labourers in areas adjacent to the river, places such as Mayur Vihar and Bela Estate.

Girdhari, 60, rents a small portion of farmland near Badarpur to grow vegetables and sell them. “My family has been living here for two decades. The last big flood I saw was in the year 2010, but last year's deluge was more devastating. The loss was not only of our vegetation, but we were unable to sow or plant anything for the next few months after that. For families like us that live hand-to-mouth, not being able to earn anything for a month is a nightmare,” said Girdhari. He revealed that many farmers in the area still had debts to pay for after the losses they incurred last year.

In Mayur Vihar, hundreds of displaced people had taken shelter in makeshift tents last year. Mohini, 40, who was one of the many people whose shanty fell victims of the swollen river, said, “Everyone in the neighbourhood is talking anxiously about floods. People are apprehensive of a situation similar to that of last year. Memories of that trauma are now flashing in our eyes once again though this year, we hope to get a warning in time to be able to move to safer grounds with our belongings in time.”

Residents in low-lying areas who survived the deluge last year too are ridden with angst. They hope to get advance warning and better assistance from Delhi govt if there is a reprise of last year’s monsoon.

1 convicted of power theft:

A special court has convicted a Mangolpuri resident for indulging in power theft for domestic use. PTI

Kabul hai! Afghan refugees accept cricketing history with glee

Afghans watch their cricket team’s match against Bangladesh at a restaurant in Bhogal; (right) Mohammad Nasir, an Afghani street food vendor, can’t hide his happiness

Priyangi.Agarwal@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Mohammad Nasir woke up early on Tuesday to watch the cricket T20 World Cup match between Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The 25-year-old Afghani burger seller in Lajpat Nagar had little expectations from the match though. “My hopes soared only after Afghanistan took eight Bangladesh wickets,” said an elated Nasir. “At the end, my friends and I had tears in our eyes. It was a historic moment for our country, securing a semifinal slot of the World Cup for the first time. I’ve never felt so happy in my life."

He chatted on, "I want either Afghanistan or India to win the World Cup as both are my countries. Rashid Khan and Virat Kohli are my favourite players." Afghanistan will take on South Africa for a place in the final against either India or England, who are playing the other semi-final.

While hundreds poured into the streets in Afghanistan to celebrate the thrilling win, the atmosphere was electrifying in Bhogal and Lajpat Nagar, home to many Afghan refugees. Even those who do not follow cricket promised to watch the semi-final match and cheer their country on.

India has had a big role in Afghanistan's success with the Board of Control for Cricket in India providing training and infrastructure, including ‘home grounds’ in Greater Noida and Dehradun, for the neighbouring country.

Faizal Wari, a Lajpat Nagar restaurant employee, decided to host a party at his home on Tuesday night to celebrate the triumph. He also phoned his relatives back home to share the joy. "Since morning, the only conversation I’ve been having with anyone in Delhi and Afghanistan is about our team’s rise in world cricket," said Wari, a Delhi resident since 2020.

The restaurants, which have traditional Afghani delicacies on the menu, saw customers hailing the nail-biting win. Aryan Safi, 18, a Class XII student, and three friends visited a restaurant in Bhogal. He said, "I didn’t watch the match, but after waking up, I learned on Instagram that Afghanistan had entered the semi-finals. I will watch that match for sure. Since it’s a big achievement for our neighbours, we decided to celebrate it at an Afghan restaurant."

Safi’s friend, Ahmad San- jar, 20, claimed he was a “distant relative” of Afghan team captain Rashid Khan. "I am proud to be kin to Rashid, who is my father’s cousin. I last met him in Nov last year in a hotel in Lucknow. Due to high security, I could only shake hands with him, but that still was a special moment for me," said Sanjar.

Another Rashid fan, Khwaza Zameeruddin, manager of Pakeeza Restaurant in Bhogal, said, "The Afghan team playing in the World Cup semi-finals is a massive moment for everyone. Rashid Khan is our hero. I watched the match on TV early in the morning and then watched the highlights again on my phone."

Zia-ul-Haq, who left his birth country in 2014, became interested in cricket only after the formation of Afghanis- tan’s national cricket team. On Tuesday, he had “no words to express my happiness”. He rejoiced, “Rashid Khan and Naveen-ul-Haq have brought glory to the nation."

Class VII student Hanzala Almyar, 12, took to cricket after shifting to Delhi around six years ago. "I watch all the matches played by Afghanistan and India. The Afghan team performed well this year, even beating champions Australia. Our entire family is overjoyed, " smiled Almyar. Yalda Talash too had a bright smile. The 23-year-old tour company employee said the spirit of the Afghan community in Delhi was at a high and smiled as she said, "I hope our team wins the trophy."

Afghan students in various institutions in NCR were delirious with joy. "My Indian friends and classmates shared my ecstasy at Afghanistan’s win and I felt like this was my second home," exulted Azizullah Dawar, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in law at Sharda University.

Like many others from his country who watched the match in and near their colleges and universities, Dawar said, "The moment will remain in my heart forever. Now we ho- pe to watch the semi-final against South Africa on university campus on a big screen. "

Ahmed Shadab, also of Sharda University, was overwhelmed by the occasion. “It felt surreal. But the moment would have been more joyful if I had shared it with my family, which has struggled a lot in India. The warmth of my Indian friends on the day will remain in my memory,” said Shadab.

Like him, Surgal Shah at Gautam Buddha University in Greater Noida couldn’t contain his excitement, exclaiming, "My country made history today! I cannot be prouder or happier for the team. The way Rashid Khan led and took the team to the last four will give the younger generation a big reason to love cricket." MBA student Muzda Ahmedi of Sharda University was calmer. "This victory is a testament to the resilience and determination of our people,” he declared.

Dr Ajit Kumar, director, PR, Sharda University, said, “We will arrange a telecast of the next match on various screens across the campus. We hope the relationship between the two countries becomes deeper.”

(With inputs from Ayantika Pal)

Stump-tailed macaque born at zoo

A FIRST

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: To the delight of animal lovers, a stump-tailed macaque gave birth on Sunday at National Zoological Park. The Delhi zoo currently has eight stump-tailed macaques, including the newborn, but this is the first time when successful breeding happened at National Zoological Park.

The stump-tailed macaque came to the Delhi zoo on Aug 31 last year from Aizawl Zoologi- cal Park in Mizoram in an exchange programme.

Stump-tailed macaque is a vulnerable species as per the International Union for Conservation of Nature list.

“The birth in less than a year of their arrival shows that the stump-tailed macaque has adapted to the new environment,” said a zoo official.

The birth comes as a good news as one of them had died earlier this summer due to high heat. The zoo has four adult males and three females, while the gender of the newborn is yet to be specified.

“The newborn is currently with its mother and other group of stump-tailed macaques. The newborn is under observation. Calcium and vitamin supplementation are being provided by veterinarians,” said Sanjeet Kumar, director, National Zoological Park.

Inaugurated in 1959, the zoo currently houses over 97 different animal species.

Over 100 evacuated after fire at Safdarjung hosp

CLOSE SHAVE: The blaze was brought under control within an hour

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Afire broke out at the old emergency building of Safdarjung Hospital on Tuesday, prompting the evacuation of several patients and staff. There were no casualties and damage to property was minimal.

While police suspect a short-circuit in an electrical socket on the ground floor may have led to the fire, a hospital official said the cause is still being ascertained.

The fire department received information about the incident at 10.40am and swiftly dispatched 11 fire tenders with 66 firefighters to the spot. With the help of police officers, firefighters used a skylift for the rescue operation, successfully saving three nurses trapped on the upper floors. A police officer said at the time of the incident, more than 100 people were in the building on the ground and three upper floors, all of whom were safely evacuated. The blaze was brought under control within an hour.

An eyewitness, who works as a supervisor, said he was on the ground floor when a blast occurred, followed by a blaze. “We tried to extinguish it with fire extinguishers, but the intensity prevented us from controlling it,” he recalled.

The scene was chaotic, with smoke spreading to other floors designated for testing and a skin ward. “Most people in the lab had come for reports. Patients on the upper floors were safely evacuated,” the police officer said.

Of the three trapped nurses, two were rescued immediately. To rescue the third, a Bronto lift was used to break windows and the nurse was then safely extracted, the officer added.

Sheela Sherawat, who had brought her six-year-old son Krishna for an injection to the hospital, recalled, “There was smoke everywhere, even outside. Many people were seen rushing out of the building.”

DCP (southwest) Rohit Meena said head constable Rajendra played an important role in the rescue operation. “He helped two nursing staff evacuate the building. A third nurse had locked herself in a room. When firefighters arrived at the scene, Rajendra informed them about the nurse stuck on the third floor,” Meena said.

According to hospital authorities, the fire safety system got activated promptly, which helped contain the blaze. Windows were broken to facilitate smoke dispersal during the evacuation. “The skin ward and dog bite clinic have been shifted to the NEB building. The medical superintendent (MS) personally oversaw the evacuation of patients,” a hospital official said.

Later, the MS called a meeting of all stakeholders, including CPWD, estate and fire management team. CPWD has been asked to assess the damage and the repairs needed.

Pushed off moving bus, DJB staffer dies

Rahul.Singh1@timesgroup.com

Meerut: A 28-year-old employee of the Delhi Jal Board died after being allegedly pushed out of a moving UP Roadways bus for protesting a sudden route change between Modinagar and Meerut, police said on Tuesday. Three people, including the bus driver and the conductor, have been arrested.

Prashant Kumar Yadav, son of a sub-inspector with UP Police and a resident of New Saraswati Vihar in Meerut, commuted to Delhi every day. On Sunday evening, he boarded the bus in Ghaziabad with a friend. Yadav’s family said the driver abruptly took an alternate route when the bus reached Baghpat Bypass Road. When Prashant objected, the driver and conductor pushed him out of the moving bus. He sustained head injuries and died at a hospital.

Following a complaint by his father, an FIR was registered at Transport Nagar police station in Meerut against the bus driver Jitendra Singh, conductor Akhilesh Kumar, and helper Neher Singh.

Ayush Vikram Singh, SP (Meerut City), said, “Our investigations revealed a dispute erupted over the change in route. An FIR has been registered under IPC sections 304, 323 and 504. Three people, including the bus driver and conductor, have been arrested. Further probe is underway.”

Short-circuit: Fire at house in Dwarka kills couple, 2 sons

TRAGIC END: Police said the deaths happened due to smoke inhalation

Devanshi.Mehta@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: The lives of a family of four — a couple and their two sons — were tragically snuffed out Tuesday after a major fire tore through their house in Dwarka’s Prem Nagar. According to fire officials, the victims died of smoke inhalation. Police say a short-circuit may have caused the blaze.

The deceased have been identified as Heera Singh (48), his wife Neetu (46), Robin (22) and Lakshay (21). While Heera was a cameraman for a private company, Lakshay was employed with a firm.

The fire department received a call at 3.27am and dispatched six fire tenders with about 30 firefighters to the spot. Investigation revealed that the fire started near a locked main door, close to an inverter.

A senior fire official said the building has a ground floor and one upper floor. “The first floor is divided into two apartments where two brothers live with their families while their mother resides on the ground floor,” he added.

As the main iron gate was locked from inside, firefighters found it difficult to enter the premises and took some time, the official said. The family kept the door locked for safety reasons as one of the sons had a medical condition that required supervision, according to Anil, a relative. “He used to wander, sometimes at night, so they would keep the main gate locked,” he said.

“It appears they could not locate the key to the main iron gate. They attempted to save themselves by entering the bathroom. Their faces were wet, indicating an attempt to avoid smoke inhalation,” the official said.

The bodies of Neetu and the sons were discovered in the bathroom while that of Heera was found near its door, suggesting the family sought refuge from the flames there. Anil said Lakshay managed to call him sometime between 2.20am and 2.30am, informing him about the fire.

“He was telling me to save them, and then suddenly the phone got cut. We kept trying to call back, but there was no response. I, along with my other relatives, rushed to the site, but by then it was all over,” he said, adding that no one came to help the family.

Although the fire itself was not very intense, the dense smoke posed a significant challenge for the rescue operation. According to DFS officials, the house had poor ventilation, which exacerbated the smoke accumulation. One window was occupied by a cooler while another had an air-conditioner installed, limiting the flow of air within the premises.

“The bathroom where three of the bodies were found had no windows, which likely contributed to severe suffocation. Similarly, the fourth body was discovered in a windowless room, highlighting the dangers of inadequate ventilation during fires,” the official said.

Delhi Fire Service (DFS) director Atul Garg said the blaze originated in an inverter and a sofa on the first floor, resulting in the family of four inhaling smoke. They were rushed to a hospital, where they were declared dead.

A fire official said it was the smoke that alerted the family to the blaze. But, by the time they tried to escape, the main door was already engulfed in flames. “There was no significant damage to the ground or the part of the building where his brother lives,” he added.

Cheer For Domestic Flyers, 2 Liquor Shops At IGIA Soon

First One Likely To Get Operational At Terminal 3 Next Week

Currently, the arrival and departure areas of T3 at Delhi airport have duty free shops where international travellers can purchase liquor

Atul.Mathur@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport will soon have liquor shops catering to domestic travellers.

Sources said Delhi Consumers’ Cooperative Wholesale Store Limited, one of the four state corporations that operate retail liquor stores in the capital, is going to open its liquor shop at T3’s arrival section. Another store is likely to come up at T1’s departure area.

The first liquor shop, said an official, will come up near the ‘meet and greet’ area of T3 and may be operational by the first week of July. The second store, however, may take a few more weeks to open.

Currently, the arrival and departure areas of T3 have duty free shops where international travellers can purchase liquor. The domestic terminals of the airport had six premium liquor stores, operated by private players, when the now-rescinded Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 was in force. The shops, however, had to be shut down when the contentious excise policy was withdrawn in Sept 2022 following multiple investigations by the CBI and ED into alleged irregularities in its implementation. This is when Delhi govt decided to shift to the old excise regime and handover the retail business of liquor to four govt corporations.

While Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation and Delhi State Civil Supplies Corporation initially deliberated with the airport operator for space to open shops, the two stakeholders failed to reach a consensus on the rental amount.

Though the upcoming shop at T3 arrival will be a small one with just about 750 square feet of area, sources said the customers would be able to enter the area and themselves pick the brand of their choice. Sources said only premium brands of liquor would be sold from the store.

Welcoming the development, the industry players said with the air travel growing, Delhi needed to regain its share of domestic liquor shops.

“The resumption of liquor shops at domestic terminals will be most welcomed by travellers into and from the city who earlier bought their choice of alcobev products on their way in or out of Delhi. This will also help the state regain some of the sales lost to NCR regions and further improve its excise collection,” said Nita Kapoor, chief executive officer, International Spirits and Wines Association of India.

Kapoor added that following the popularity of liquor shops at domestic terminals of Mumbai, Goa, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Kerala, even mini-metros and tier-1 towns were planning to open alcobev shops to ensure sale takes place in their state by both business travellers and tourists.

Vinod Giri, director general of Brewers Association of India, said liquor stores at Indira Gandhi International Airport were a great retailing point for premium alcohol. “But more importantly, they cued the modern, tolerant and progressive face of Delhi, as expected from the capital of a major country. This trend was later picked up by several airports across the country, thus helping alcohol with greater social acceptance,” he added.

Giri further said that govt owned retailing corporations were earlier unable to strike a mutually workable lease deal with the airport operator. “If the two sides can work out a deal and reopen the shops, it will create a convenient purchase point for travelling consumers, enhance retailing experience at the Delhi airport and the capital’s pre-eminence as a forward thinking city,” he added.

BTech grad, rapper by day, robber at night — and now with rapsheet

Accused’s YouTube account is called Er Arya and has a string of videos. A video made around five months ago showed the smashing and looting of a car. Three weeks ago, he made a video titled Vaardat, which has a still of a masked person holding a gun

Devanshi.Mehta@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: A 25-year-old engineering graduate who used to make rap music videos on YouTube during the day turned into a gun-toting robber at night and shot a cabbie on June 23. He was arrested the next day, after police pieced together his identity from various sources and tracked him to his hometown, Ayodhya.

Aryan Rajvansh, who did a BTech in computer science from a college in Coimbatore in 2022, was unemployed. Music was his first love and he pursued his passion. “He completed his BTech nine months ago and then started making music videos,” police said.

However, two days ago, Rajvansh came on the police radar when he shot a cab driver after stealing his mobile phone and belongings.

Aryan’s YouTube account — the handle is called Er Arya — has a string of videos, and some have thousands of views. A video made around five months ago showed the smashing and looting of a car. Three weeks ago, he made a video titled Vaardat, which has a still of a masked person holding a gun.

On June 23, Aryan visited his friend in Dwarka Mor to collect some luggage. On the way out from there at 1am, he took a cab through the aggregator app Ola. He was bound for the ISBT Kashmiri Gate area. However, Aryan had no money to pay the fare. What he had was a gun.

“He was in a financial crunch so he brandished his pistol and robbed the taxi driver on the way. As the vehicle was running out of fuel, Aryan asked the driver to stop at a petrol pump and refuel. The cabbie stopped at an IOC pump in Sriniwaspuri and tried to escape. Aryan shot the driver in the hip,” DCP (southeast) Rajesh Deo said.

As driver Kulbhushan Sharma fell on the road and started bleeding, Aryan got out of the cab, collected his belongings and fled. “After committing the crime, he took a bus to Ayodhya. With the help of technical surveillance and scanning CCTV footage, we zeroed in on the suspect,” an officer said.

Police were alerted and registered an FIR. The driver was admitted to a hospital.

Police scanned the CCTV footage of the area. They also scanned his social media profile and figured out that he was heading to his hometown, Ayodhya. A team conducted a raid and nabbed the accused in 24 hours from his house. Police have found the stolen mobile phone of the cabbie, besi- des the pistol Aryan had used in crime. Police said they are investigating from where he got the weapon. They are also probing if Aryan is wanted in other cases.

Inter-City Buses Entering Capital To Switch To Cleaner Fuels By Year-End

CAQM Fixes Deadline, Move To Check Vehicular Pollution In The Region

Priyangi.Agarwal@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Inter-city buses from Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh coming to Delhi NCR will switch to electric or CNG or BS VI mode by yearend to reduce pollution.

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in the national capital region and adjoining areas has fixed deadlines for transition of inter-city buses of the five states or UTs operated by state govt. CAQM said buses operated by state PSUs and private entities will also have to switch to cleaner fuels. The move is aimed at reducing vehicular pollution, among the major sources of air pollution.

According to source apportionment study carried out by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) in 2018, the contribution of transport to PM2.5 in Delhi’s air is 39% and NCR’s air is 13%. Transport contributes 19% to Delhi’s PM10 and 7% to NCR’s PM10.

Due to concerns of highly polluting inter-city buses to Delhi from other states, Delhi govt in Jan last year requested all the states/ UTs to work towards migration towards a cleaner service.

“It emerged during a meeting with these five states or UTs that transition to only CNG/ EV buses by these states will take a much longer time. It became necessary to prioritise replacing older BSlll/ IV inter-city diesel buses running from these states to Delhi-NCR with BS-VI diesel compliant buses and action was initiated in this direction towards appropriate replace- ment of such buses,” CAQM said.

In a meeting on April 5, the commission fixed the deadline for transition to cleaner fuels. Out of 541 requirements of inter-city buses from Uttarakhand to DelhiNCR, 160 EV/ CNG/ BS-VI diesel buses are running now and 379 buses have to make the transition. 190 buses have been targeted for transition by Dec 31, 2024, and the remaining by March 31, 2025.

The deadline for inter-city buses from Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh to switch to cleaner fuels is Dec 31, 2024. The deadline for buses from Jammu and Kashmir for complete transition is Sept 30, 2024.

“Apart from the bus services operated by state govt, inter-city bus services being operated by the state PSUs and private entities have to switch to electric or CNG or BS VI-complaint. Bus servi- ces operating under the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO) licence regime are, however, not to be covered in the ambit of these guidelines,” CAQM said in an order dated June 14.

It added that transport and traffic departments of Delhi govt, NCR states and these five states and Union Territories, will ensure strict compliance through regular monitoring of the field level implementation, including for bus services being operated by the state PSUs and other private entities.

Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director of research and advocacy at the Centre for Science and Environment, said: “This is a very important intervention. This strategy, if scaled up, can be a win-win from the perspective of scaling up public transport connectivity in the region and reducing emissions from mass commuting. Upscaled inter-city bus services based on clean fuel and technology and preferably on battery technology to eliminate tailpipe emissions from the heavy-duty bus fleet, can contribute substantially towards controlling transport related emissions in the region and also in the pollution hotspots around interstate bus terminals like Anand Vihar.”

Bharadwaj reiterates 1,100 trees felled at LG’s behest, cites email

Saurabh Bharadwaj

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Delhi urban development minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Tuesday alleged that 1,100 trees were felled in south Delhi’s Satbari area earlier this year on the directions of lieutenant governor VK Saxena despite the forest department and Delhi Development Authority (DDA) knowing there was no permission for such action.

No immediate reaction was available from the LG office.

Citing an email, purpor- tedly sent by a DDA officer to his subordinates, Bharadwaj alleged the communication contradicted the claims made in the Supreme Court that the LG did not visit the site. “The email shows that the LG visited the Satbari forest area on Feb 3, 2024 and ordered the cutting of trees. After this order, the department illegally cut these trees without obtaining permission from the Supreme Court,” Bharadwaj alleged.

The minister claimed that DDA’s lawyers lied in court that the law officer of the authority was not aware that the Supreme Court’s permission was required for cutting trees. He said the emails clearly showed that the forest department officials had warned DDA that cutting trees without permission was illegal. “But only on the verbal order of the LG and keeping all rules and laws at bay, these 1,100 fully grown trees were cut illegally without the permission of the apex court,” he alleged.

“If any RWA gets the trees pruned in its area without permission, the forest department imposes a fine of Rs 50,000. Here 1,100 big trees were cut illegally… and no action has been taken against anyone,” Bharadwaj claimed.

The minister added that “DDA tried to take the permission of SC after the trees had already been cut”.

TOI could not independently verify the veracity of the allegations.

UP cabinet okays DPR for extension of Noida Metro’s Aqua Line

Shafaque.Alam@timesgroup.com

Noida: UP cabinet on Tuesday approved the proposal for extension of Aqua Line, taking the project that will make metro accessible to sectors along the NoidaGreater Noida and Yamuna expressways a step closer to construction.

The plan involves extending the Aqua Line of Noida Metro from the existing Sector 142 station till Botanical Garden station, where commuters will be able to switch to Delhi Metro’s Blue and Magenta lines. Construction of this 11.5km corridor across eight stations is estimated to cost Rs 2,254 crore.

On Tuesday, Noida Metro Rail Corporation (NMRC) stated that the cabinet approval “marks a pivotal step” in development of the city’s Metro network and “promises to bring substantial benefits to the region”. “The new metro corridor is designed to address the growing demand for efficient and reliable public transportation,” it added.

NMRC managing director Lokesh M said the state cabinet nod was a “significant step” and the corridor will provide “seamless public transportation”.

With the city rapidly developing along the Yamuna Expressway, those shifting into societies or working in corporate offices along the highway have been demanding metro connectivity for years. The extension of Aqua Line has also been a longstanding demand of residents in Greater Noida (West). The interchange at Botanical Garden station will also allow Metro connectivity to IGI Airport and New Delhi Railway Station.

Times Ascent

- What Business Leaders Can Learn From Sporting Arena

What Business Leaders Can Learn From Sporting Arena

Biz is the ultimate sport and elite execs have at times been compared to top-performing sports stars. Are corporate high-fliers born with these skills or can they be picked up? Besides the mental makeup, commitment and a desire to perform at the highest levels and continuous learning are key to staying ahead...

By Uday Chawla

Here are some lessons from the sports field that business leaders could use for a winning attitude:

Discipline and Work Ethic: Star sportsmen exhibit unwavering discipline and work ethic. They follow rigorous training schedules, maintain healthy lifestyles, and consistently strive for excellence. Business executives can learn from this by prioritising consistency, setting clear goals, and adhering to routines.

Consistent Effort: Athletes a lso track their performance metrics meticulously. Whether it’s speed, accuracy, or endurance, they constantly measure and improve. Similarly, executives can adopt a data-driven approach — and regularly assess key performance indicators (KPIs) to make informed decisions based on data.

Teamwork: Athletes under- stand the importance of collaboration. They rely on their teammates, communicate effectively, and work together to achieve common objectives. Teamwork is more important than ever in today’s fluctuating business environment. The best leaders foster a collaborative environment, encourage cross-functional teams, open communication, and shared goals.

Leadership and Motivation: Captains and star players lead by example. They inspire their teams, boost morale, and main- tain a positive attitude. Executives can learn to motivate their teams in a similar manner. Even when sports stars face setbacks, injuries, and defeats, they manage to bounce back, evolve their strategies, and keep pushing forward — a trait that executives need to readily embrace in the form of resilience. When challenges arise, view them as opportunities for growth. Adaptability is crucial in today’s dynamic business landscape.

Handling Pressure: Sportspersons perform under im- mense pressure by managing stress and staying focused so that they prioritise physical and mental health. They understand that peak performance requires a healthy body and mind. Executives, when faced with high-pressure situations, can find a winning formula in stress management techniques and maintaining composure to achieve success.

Competitive World: The best sportsmen are constantly analysing their competition for their strengths, weaknesses, and strategies. They develop a playbook to counter the same. The same r ules apply in the business world, just that the pitches are different. Sportsmen constantly refine their skills. They seek coaching, analyse their performance, and learn from mistakes. Executives must carve out time to prioritise learning in the form of workshops, industry literature, staying updated on trends and keeping their skill sets refreshed through continued learning.

(The writer is managing partner, Transearch India)

Times Global

- Assange To Plead Guilty To Be Free, Ending Standoff With US

- Zelensky ousts top gen accused of causing excessive troop casualties

- EU charges MS with antitrust violations over Teams bundling

- Kenyans protesting tax hikes set sections of parliament ablaze, several shot dead by police

- Anti-terror drive to be intensified, no new military offensive: Pak PM

- China lunar probe back on Earth with world’s 1ˢᵗ samples from far side of the moon

- AROUND THE WORLD

- Conservatives seize stronghold from Trudeau’s party in by-poll

- Israeli SC orders army to draft ultra-Orthodox men, rattling Bibi govt

- US surgeon general declares gun violence a public health emergency

Assange To Plead Guilty To Be Free, Ending Standoff With US

WikiLeaks Founder Likely To Get 5 Yrs’ Jail, Term Already Spent Behind Bars

A plane carrying WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange departed Bangkok after refuelling Tuesday, taking him to Saipan to enter a plea deal with the US govt that will free him and resolve the long legal case over the publication of a trove of classified documents.

Australian-born Assange left Belmarsh maximum security jail in the early hours of Monday, before being bailed by the London high court and later boarding a flight. The WikiLeaks account on X said Assange was heading toward the capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, a US commonwealth in the Pacific, where he’s scheduled to appear in court Wednesday. He’s expected to plead guilty to asingle Espionage Act charge of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defence information.

He is expected to be sentenced to the five years he has already spent in the British prison while fighting extradition to the US, where he was indicted on 17 espionage charges and one charge of computer misuse The plea deal brings an abrupt conclusion to a criminal case of international intrigue and to the US govt’s yearslong pursuit of a publisher whose hugely popular secret-sharing website made him a cause celebre among many press freedom advocates who said he acted as a journalist to expose US military wrongdoing. US prosecutors, in contrast, have asserted that his actions broke law and put the nation’s security at risk.

WikiLeaks came to prominence in 2010 after it released hundreds of thousands of classified US military documents on Washington’s wars in Afghanistan and Iraq along with swaths of diplomatic cables. The trove of more than 700,000 documents included battlefield accounts such as a 2007 video of aUS Apache helicopter firing at suspected insurgents in Iraq, killing a dozen people including two Reuters news staff. That video was released in 2010.

The plea deal was not entirely unexpected. Prez Biden had been under pressure from Australia to drop the long-running case against Assange.

AGENCIES

Wife elated, says will seek pardon

Julian Assange’s wife Stella, a lawyer who has worked on his campaign almost since the start of his legal battles, said she was “elated” that he will be a “free man” but still angry that he had been held for so long. The couple married while he was in jail in London, and they had two kids while he was holed up in the Ecuadorean embassy. She said they would seek a pardon because the acceptance of guilt on espionage charge was a concern for journalists globally.

REUTERS

Diplomatic manoeuvres clinched deal: ‘Aus PM, Kennedy’s daughter, Aukus played role’

Behind closed doors, an Australia-US-UK diplomatic dance opened the way for a plea deal to free WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, analysts and a diplomat previously involved in the case told AFP. US ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy — late prez John F. Kennedy’s daughter — “has been talking about this in the last few months”, said Jared Mondschein of Sydney’s US Studies Centre. The tide shifted strongly in Assange’s favour after PM Anthony Albanese was elected in 2022 and made his release a priority, said a diplomat who did not want to be named. Albanese has repeatedly called for an end to Assange’s legal ordeal, saying: “Enough is enough”. The govt had been working “behind the scenes diplomatically” with the US for his release, said Emma Shortis of Australia Institute. “Part of the reason this has happened today is because it was becoming a significant issue for the relationship,” she said, notably since London, Washington and Canberra agreed on a N-powered submarine pact, Aukus.

AFP

Zelensky ousts top gen accused of causing excessive troop casualties

Ukraine Prez Zelensky removed one of his top generals from his post Monday amid public criticism that the commander’s decisions had led to excessive casualties.

The dismissal of the general, Yurii Sodol, as commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces, was a clear indication that the discord that had rankled the army since Zelensky replaced his commanding general, Valery Zaluzhny, with Gen Oleksandr Syrsky in Feb, continued to threaten military cohesion. Zelensky announced that he was replacing Sodol with Brig Gen Andrii Hnatov. Sodol was appointed by General Syrsky as part of a broader shake-up in Feb, and Zelensky did not say why he had dismissed the commander or what position he would now hold.

But the president’s announcement came after Bohdan Krotevych, chief of staff of the Azov brigade — a regiment of the Ukrainian National Guard —wrote a letter to the State Bureau of Investigation calling for an investigation into the general’s conduct. Then, just hours before the general’s dismissal, Krotevych posted an unusually blunt and scathing open letter on social media, implicitly accusing the general of, through his poor leadership, “killing more Ukrainian soldiers than any Russian general.” While Krotevych did not name Sodol directly in the public letter, he suggested that all of Ukraine’s forces knew to whom he was referring. “Everyone in the military understands because 99% of the military hate him for what he does,” he wrote. NYT

EU charges MS with antitrust violations over Teams bundling

Accused Of Stifling Competition By Packaging App With Word, Excel

On Monday, EU regulators accused Apple of violating competition rules because of its App Store policies

European Union regulators on Tuesday charged Microsoft with breaking antitrust rules by bundling its Teams video conferencing and collaboration software with a suite of other productivity tools, giving it an unfair advantage over rivals. Regulators said Microsoft’s packaging of Teams with other well-established software tools in Office 365 and Microsoft 365, which includes programs like Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, amounted to an illegal abuse of market dominance that rival companies like Zoom and Slack could not match. Regulators said businesses essentially had little choice but to take Teams if they wanted other software made by Microsoft.

The charges are just the latest in a barrage of announcements by the EU in recent months in its effort to crack down on the world’s largest tech platforms. On Monday, regulators accused Apple of violating co- mpetition rules because of its App Store policies. Amazon, Google, Meta, TikTok and X are also facing investigations.

The Microsoft case has its roots in Covid-19 pandemic, when videoconferencing and collaboration tools like Zoom, Slack and Teams became essential for remote workforces. In 2020, Slackcom plained to regulators that Microsoft’s bundling of Teams with other productivity software was anticompetitive. EU regulators said Microsoft had an unfair “distribution advantage” by not giving customers a choice of whether to buy Teams when purchasing other software. “The conduct may have prevented Teams’ rivals from competing, and in turn innovating,” the European Commission, the EU’s executive branch conducting the probe, said.

The charges brought on Tuesday are one step in a long process. Microsoft can now respond to the complaint, but if the two sides do not reach an agreement, the company could face a fine of up to 10% of its annual global revenue. The case has parallels to the antitrust charges brought decades ago by US justice department against Microsoft for bundling Internet Explorer inside its Windows operating system, a case that was eventually resolved.

On Tuesday, Microsoft said it had taken steps to resolve the dispute. Last year, it agreed to sell Teams separately from Office products. The European Commission said it was “insufficient” and sought more steps, without specifying what. AP

Kenyans protesting tax hikes set sections of parliament ablaze, several shot dead by police

Protesters clash with cops outside the parliament in Nairobi on Tuesday

Nairobi: Police fired on demonstrators trying to storm Kenya’s legislature on Tuesday and at least five protesters were shot dead, with sections of the parliament building set ablaze as lawmakers inside passed a bill to raise taxes. In chaotic scenes, protesters overwhelmed police and chased them away in an attempt to storm the parliament compound, with Citizen TV reporting protesters had managed to enter the Senate chamber. Police opened fire after tear gas and water cannon failed to disperse the crowds.

A Reuters journalist counted the bodies of at least five protesters outside parliament. A paramedic, Vivian Achista, said at least 10 had been shot dead. Another paramedicsaid over 50 people had been wounded.

“We want to shut down parliament and every MP should resign,” protester Davis Tafari, who was trying to enter parliament, said. “We will have a new govt.” Kenyan activist Auma Obama, the half-sister of former US Prez Barack Obama, was among protesters teargassed during the protests, a CNN interview showed.

Police eventually managed to drive the protesters from the building amid tear gas and the sound of gunfire. The lawmakers were evacuated through underground tunnels, local media reported. Internet services across the country experienced severe disruptions during the police crackdown, internet monitor Netblocks said.

Protests also took place in several other cities and towns across Kenya, with many calling for Prez William Ruto to quit. Parliament has approved the finance bill, moving it through to a third reading by lawmakers. The next step is for it to be sent to the prez for signing.

Ruto won an election almost two years ago on a platform of championing Kenya’s working poor, but has been caught between the competing demands of lenders such as the IMF and a hard-pressed population. Kenyans have been struggling to cope with several economic shocks caused by Covid-19, the war in Ukraine, two consecutive years of droughts and depreciation of the currency. The finance bill aims to raise an additional $2.7 billion in taxes as part of a bid to lighten Kenya’s heavy debt load, with interest payments alone consuming 37% of annual revenue.

REUTERS

Anti-terror drive to be intensified, no new military offensive: Pak PM

Omer Farooq Khan TNN

Islamabad: Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif clarified in the face of intense opposition criticism on Tuesday that the planned counterterrorism campaign would entail intensifying ongoing intelligence based operations (IBOs) rather than launching a new, organised military offensive.

On Saturday, Sharif had announced plans to launch a full-scale offensive, named “Azm-e-Istehkam (Resolve for Stability)”, to eliminate terrorism and extremism. The announcement drew sharp reactions from opposition, with analysts saying that Chinese concerns about attacks on its nationals had likely influenced the decision.

Defence minister Khawaja Asif, meanwhile, said a majority of operations under “Azm-e-Istehkam” will be in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, two volatile provinces bordering Afghanistan. “The operation has no political motive, its sole purpose is to counter terrorism.”

“We fought two wars under Zia-ul-Haq and Musharraf for US interests. This operation, however, is being conducted on our own terms, not at behest of China or anyone else,” he said, assuring there would be no evacuations.

China lunar probe back on Earth with world’s 1ˢᵗ samples from far side of the moon

Chinese scientists anticipate the returned samples will include 2.5 million-year-old volcanic rock that they hope will answer questions about geographic differences on moon’s two sides

Beijing: China’s Chang’e 6 probe returned on Earth Tuesday with rock and soil samples from the little-explored far side of the moon in a global first. The probe landed in northern China on Tuesday afternoon in the Inner Mongolian region. “I now declare that the Chang’e 6 Lunar Exploration Mission achieved complete success,” Zhang Kejian, Director of the China National Space Administration said shortly in a televised news confe- rence after the landing.

Chinese scientists anticipate the returned samples will include 2.5 million-year-old volcanic rock and other material that scientists hope will answer questions about geographic differences on the moon’s two sides.

The near side is what is seen from Earth, and the far side faces outer space. The far side is also known to have mountains and impact craters, contrasting with the relatively flat expanses visible on the near side. While past US and Soviet missions have collected samples from the moon’s near side, the Chinese mission was the first that has collected samples from the far side.

China’s leader Xi Jinping sent a message of congratulations to the Chang’e team, saying that it was a “landmark achievement”. The probe left earth on May 3, and its journey lasted 53 days. The probe has drilled into the core and scooped rocks from the surface. AP

AROUND THE WORLD

HEALING NOTES: A Ukrainian serviceman plays a piano in a damaged building on the frontline town of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk region

In world 1st , Finland to give anti-bird flu vaccine to humans

Finland plans to offer preemptive bird flu vaccination as soon as next week to some workers with exposure to animals, health authorities said Tuesday, making it the first country in the world to do so. The Nordic country has bought vaccines for 10,000 people, each consisting of two injections, from Australian manufacturer CSL Seqirus. The H5N1 strain of bird flu has killed or caused the culling of hundreds of millions of poultry globally in recent years and has increasingly been spreading to mammals and, in some cases, also to humans. Finland has not detected the virus in humans. However, the country is eager to roll out vaccinations given transmission risks posed by its fur farms. Widespread outbreaks of bird flu among mink and foxes at Finland’s mostly open-air fur farms led to the culling last year of some 485,000 animals.

Music labels sue 2 startups for making AI copy its songs

Major record labels Sony Music, Universal Music Group and Warner Records sued artificial intelligence companies Suno and Udio on Monday, accusing them of committing mass copyright infringement by using the labels’ recordings to train music-generating AI systems. The companies copied music without permission to teach their systems to create music that will “directly compete with, cheapen, and ultimately drown out” human artists’ work, as per the lawsuits. The complaints said Suno and Udio users have been able to recreate elements of songs, including Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” and James Brown’s “I Got You’ and could generate vocals that are “indistinguishable” from musicians such as Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen and ABBA.

‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ actor dies in shark attack

Professional surfer, lifeguard and actor Tamayo Perry, 49, was killed by shark while surfing near the north shore of the Hawaiian island of Oahu on Sunday. He achieved fame appearing in the surfing film ‘Blue Crush’ in 2002, ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides’ in 2011 and the TV series ‘Hawaii Five-0’ in 2011.

Conservatives seize stronghold from Trudeau’s party in by-poll

Toronto: Canadian PM Trudeau’s Liberal party has suffered a major upset in a special election for a Toronto district it has held for three decades, raising doubts about Trudeau’s leadership ahead of next year’s general election.

Elections Canada reported Tuesday that opposition Conservative candidate Don Stewart won the Toronto-St Paul’s district by almost 600 votes, 42.1% over the Liberal candidate’s 40.5% with all 192 polling stations reporting results of Monday’s voting. The Liberals had held Toronto-St Paul’s since 1993. It is one of 338 seats in Canada’s House of Commons.

Losing in Canada’s largest city, a traditional Liberal stronghold, does not bode well for Trudeau ahead of the election expected in the fall of 2025.

Trudeau has said he intends to lead the party into the next election. The Trudeau Liberals have been in power since 2015 but are trailing badly in the polls amid concerns over the cost of living.Opposition Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre demanded that the PM call a snap election after what he described as a “shocking upset.” “Here is the verdict: Trudeau can’t go on like this,” Poilievre said on X.

AP

Israeli SC orders army to draft ultra-Orthodox men, rattling Bibi govt

Jerusalem: Israel’s Supreme Court Tuesday ruled unanimously that the military must begin drafting ultra-Orthodox men for compulsory service, a landmark decision that could lead to the collapse of PM Netanyahu’s governing coalition as Israel continues to wage war in Gaza.

The ruling effectively puts an end to a decades-old system that granted ultra-Orthodox men broad exemptions from military service while maintaining mandatory enlistment for the country’s secular Jewish majority. The arrangement, deemed discriminatory by critics, has created a deep chasm in Israel’s Jewish majority over who should shoulder the burden of protecting the country.

The court struck down a law that codified exemptions in 2017, but repeated court extensions and govt delaying tactics over a replacement dragged out a resolution for years. The court ruled that in the absence of a law, Israel’s compulsory military service applies to the ultra-Orthodox like any other citizen.

Politically powerful ultra-Orthodox parties, key partners in Netanyahu’s governing coalition, oppose any change to the current system. If the exemptions are ended, they could bolt the coalition, causing the govt to collapse and likely leading to new elections. In the current environment, Netanyahu could have a hard time delaying the matter any further or passing laws to restore the exemptions. During arguments, govt lawyers told the court that forcing ultra-Orthodox men to enlist would “tear Israeli society apart.”

A statement from Netanyahu’s Likud party criticised the ruling, saying a bill in parliament backed by the Israeli leader would address the draft issue. Critics say it falls short of Israel’s wartime needs.

In its ruling, the court found that the state was carrying out “invalid selective enforcement, which represents a serious violation of the rule of law, and the principle according to which all individuals are equal before the law.”

The ruling of Israel’s highest court must be followed, and the military is expected to begin doing so once it forms a plan for how to draft thousands of members of a population that’s deeply opposed to service. The army had no immediate comment.

AP

US surgeon general declares gun violence a public health emergency

Vivek Murthy’s advisory is likely to incense Republicans & gun lobby

Washington: The US surgeon general on Tuesday declared gun violence a public health crisis, driven by the fast-growing number of injuries and deaths involving firearms in the country. The advisory issued by Vivek Murthy, the nation’s top doctor, came as the US grappled with another weekend marked by mass shootings that left dozens of people dead or wounded. “America should be a place where all of us can go to school, work, supermarket, house of worship, without having to worry that that’s going to put our life at risk,” he told AP.

To drive down gun deaths, Murthy calls on the US to ban automatic rifles, introduce universal background checks for purchasing guns, regulate the industry, pass laws that would restrict their use in public spaces and penalise people who fail to safely store their weapons.

None of those suggestions can be implemented nationwide without legislation passed by Congress, which typically recoils at gun control measures. Some state legislatures, however, have enacted or may co- nsider some of the surgeon general’s proposals. Murthy said there is “broad agreement” that gun violence is a problem, citing a poll last year that found most Americans worry at least sometimes that a loved one might be injured by a firearm.

His advisory will certainly incense Republican lawmakers, most of whom opposed Murthy’s confirmation — twice — to the job over his statements on gun violence. Murthy has published warnings about troubling health trends, including social media use and loneliness. He’s stayed away from issuing a similar advisory about gun violence since his 2014 confirmation as surgeon general was stalled and nearly derailed by firearm lobby and Republicans. He ended up promis- ing the Senate that he did “not intend to use my office as a bully pulpit on gun control.” But he has faced mounting pressure from some doctors and advocacy groups to speak out more.

“It is now time for us to take this issue out of the realm of politics and put it in the realm of public health, the way we did with smoking more than a half century ago,” Murthy said. A 1964 report from the surgeon general that raised awareness about the dangers of smoking is largely credited with snubbing out tobacco use. AP

Times Business

- Water crisis may hit sovereign credit health: Moody’s

- UltraTech revises its offer for UAE-based co

- Realty co Sattva lines up `14k cr investment

- Chennai’s Rocketlane raises $24mn in AI push

- Maruti Ispat to invest `2k cr to boost mfg

- Adani CFO: Sebi notices procedural

- Moving towards 8% growth, RBI to focus on inflation: Das

- Telcos place `11k cr bids for spectrum

- Global tyre makers to invest for mfg in India

- Industry seeks tax cuts, rationalisation of duties

- Digit’s tool to check gadgets’ AI capability

- After $430bn rout, Nvidia shares take a breather

- Cash less... Health cover users borrow to pay bills

- Sebi revises norms for exchanges

- Ambuja & other promoter of cement co Sanghi to sell 4%

- Sensex surge ‘driven by both foreign, domestic fund buying’

Water crisis may hit sovereign credit health: Moody’s

New Delhi: Moody’s on Tuesday said India’s growing water shortage can disrupt farm and industry sectors and is detrimental to the credit health of the sovereign as rising food inflation and decline in income may spark social unrest. The water stress is worsening because of an acceleration of climate change, which is causing extreme climate, Moody’s said. AGENCIES

UltraTech revises its offer for UAE-based co

New Delhi: Almost a month after making an offer to acquire 31.6% in UAE-based RAKWCT, Aditya Birla group firm UltraTech Cement on Tuesday said it has revised the deal to 25% stake.

AGENCIES

Realty co Sattva lines up `14k cr investment

Bengaluru: Real estate firm Sattva plans to invest up to Rs 14,000 crore in the next few years across commercial, residential, and hotel projects. The company is in discussions with Blackstone over creating a REIT. TNN

Chennai’s Rocketlane raises $24mn in AI push

Chennai: Software service firm Rocketlane has raised $24 million in Series B funding round, co-led by 8VC, Matrix Partners India, and Nexus Venture Partners. The total funds raised stand at $45 million. TNN

Maruti Ispat to invest `2k cr to boost mfg

Hyderabad: Maruti Ispat & Pipes, one of the largest secondary steel makers in south India, plans to invest Rs 2,000 crore in expanding capacities by 6 lakh metric tonnes per annum over the next five years. TNN

Adani CFO: Sebi notices procedural

Ahmedabad: Adani group CFO on Tuesday termed Sebi notices to some of its listed companies as procedural and trivial, adding that the conglomerate was compliant with regulations. Seven firms got notices for alleged violation of related party deals. AGENCIES

Moving towards 8% growth, RBI to focus on inflation: Das

RBI Guv’s Statement Rules Out Rate Cuts In Near Term

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: RBI governor Shaktikanta Das said that the country is at the threshold of a major structural shift in its growth trajectory and is moving towards an annual growth of 8% in a sustained manner. He said that such a growth outlook gives RBI the space to ‘single-mindedly and unambiguously’ focus on inflation.

While Das’s economic outlook is the most optimistic it has been in recent years, the message — coming on the back of a cautionary observation on credit growth outpacing deposits — rules out any near-term interest rate reduction.

Das also said that the central bank’s nowcasting team is projecting that growth in Q1FY25 could be higher than the 7.3% projected by the monetary policy committee. Supporting the higher growth forecast was the continuation of the Q4FY24 growth momentum in Q1FY25, a pick up in rural consumption, favourable monsoon and a rise in external demand.

On inflation, Das said that after spiking in the wake of the Ukraine war, inflation in India has improved from 7.8% in April 2022 to 4.7% in May this year, thanks to measures taken by RBI and govt. He said maintaining a 4% inflation target is crucial as this level supports a healthier economy and financial system.

“But inflation is moderating at a slow pace. We are still at 4.7%, within striking distance of 5%. One severe weather event and vegetable prices may go up and we will be at 5%. So, we must navigate our path towards the 4% inflation target with clear and unambiguous focus and commitment to bring down the inflation to 4%. There cannot be any wavering; there cannot be any distractions at this stage,” said Das.

Das likened RBI’s current inflation battle to a game of chess in which there can be no wrong moves. “In cricket, you play one shot very badly, but you can play the next shot very well. But chess is one game where if you make one wrong move, you can lose the game. It is like that in the battle against inflation. We cannot afford to make any wrong move,” said Das.

Pointing out the 8.3% average growth in the last three financial years, Das said that last year, India contributed 18.5% to global growth, with the IMF projecting a further increase. He said that the growth was driven by structural reform, which included GST, bankruptcy laws, and a flexible inflationtargeting regime under the RBI’s monetary policy.

Das expressed confidence about achieving 7.2% growth this year despite facing risks such as weather events, geopolitical conflicts, global trade fragmentation, and financial sector volatility. On the positive side, global growth is improving, with the IMF projecting a 3.2% increase for this year and the next. On the debate over which sector should drive growth, Das said that India’s growth story must be multi-sectoral, driven by manufacturing, services, agriculture, and exports. “As a large economy, it cannot rely on a single sector for growth. The growth story has to be sustained by multiple sectors,” said Das.

Telcos place `11k cr bids for spectrum

AUCTION: DAY 1

New Delhi: The auction of radio waves used for mobile services saw a muted opening on Tuesday, with five rounds attracting bids worth about Rs 11,000 crore from telecom companies.

Govt has put over 10,500Mhz spectrum in eight frequency bands — 800MHz, 900MHz, 1,800MHz, 2,100MHz, 2,300MHz, 2,500MHz, 3,300MHz and 26GHz, valued at Rs 96,238 crore at base price, for auction.

Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea (VIL) are vying for the radio waves crucial for high-speed 5G mobile services in these auctions, which are being held after a gap of nearly two years.

As per the day one spectrum auction report issued by the Department of Telecom, bidding took place mainly in the 900 and 1800 Mhz bands. The operator also placed bids for the 2100 Mhz band spectrum in three circles. AGENCIES

Global tyre makers to invest for mfg in India

Sidhartha@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Global tyre makers Michelin, Bridgestone and Goodyear have lined up manufacturing investments for India, with Yokohama and Birla Tyre may join in to take advantage of a govt scheme that links imports to investment.

While the amount involved could be in the region of Rs 3,000 crore it is seen as a beginning after the Centre put curbs on imports in a bid to spur domestic investments. The investments are expected to result in the creation of a few hundred jobs with Yokohama, which is yet to announce its investment plans, expected to be the biggest investor with a plant in Haryana, where nearly half the workforce will include women.

The scheme by the department for promotion of industry and internal trade (DPIIT) has linked imports to investment in capacity creation. The check on tyre imports, which was among the first set of items to face licensing requirements, had resulted in foreign companies complaining of difficulties in shipping tyres, with the high-end ones hit the hardest. The scheme will help fill the gap even as import norms have now stabilised.

“We are seeing the results of the steps we have taken and we are expecting more companies to come and make in India,” said a senior official.

The development is seen as a positive sign for the electric vehicle policy, where govt is seeking to allow lower duty imports for a limited period if a company invests in a local manufacturing facility and sources components.

The Modi govt has been courting the likes of Elon Musk’s Tesla to invest in the country, hoping to create jobs and speed up the transition to EVs. While Musk was expected in India, he cancelled his trip at the last moment, citing other engagements.

While govt officials are still hopeful of Musk coming to India, other players such as Vinfast, are poised to take advantage of the new policy although they are suggesting certain tweaks. The heavy industries department is working with stakeholders to put together the guidelines before inviting bids over the next few months.

Industry seeks tax cuts, rationalisation of duties

New Delhi: In an effort to boost the economy, representatives of various industries on Tuesday urged finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman to reduce the incidence of indirect taxes and rationalise duty structure wherever required.

In a pre-Budget meeting with Sitharaman, FIEO president Ashwani Kumar made acase for an extension of the interest equalisation scheme for the next five years.

“We request the scheme which is valid till 30th June, 2024 may be extended for 5 years. Looking into the rise in interest rates consequent to the increase in repo rate from 4.4% to 6.5% in the last 2 years, the subvention rates may be restored back from 3% to 5% for manufacturers in MSMEs,” Kumar said.

Kumar also urged for the establishment of an Indian shipping line of global repute to reduce foreign shipping line dependency and save foreign exchange.

Emerging from the nearly two-hour meeting, Ajay Sardana, president & head of petchem-industry affairs, at Reliance Industries, said there is a need for a review of tariffs on imported goods from China related to the petrochem industry.

“China has created a lot of overcapacity...they are putting a lot of products in India at a very cheaper price and a lot of dumping is happening. So, what we requested is a review of the tariffs regime so that domestic capacity can be increased,” Sardana said.

Shree Cement chairman HM Bangur said govt should spend more on capital expenditure so that the cement industry benefits.

“We sought faster and simultaneous environmental clearances and no hindrance in capex,” he added.

Representing the services sector, Nasscom vice president and head of public policy Ashish Aggarwal said, “From the Budget perspective, we are looking for easing the transfer pricing regime as a lot of our industry is not able to benefit from transfer pricing provision.” AGENCIES

Digit’s tool to check gadgets’ AI capability

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Times Network, which recently acquired Digit, has commemorated the magazine’s 23rd anniversary with the launch of an AI offering, Digit’s AI-Q (AI Quotient).

Digit’s AI-Q evaluates AI capabilities of various devices including smartphones, laptops and TV sets, enabling users to understand the AI specifications. It is derived from an extensive testing process, which covers various aspects. The benchmarking process examines over 180 different aspects of AI performance, including speed, accuracy and initialisation time, ensuring a thorough and holistic evaluation, said a statement by Times Network.

After $430bn rout, Nvidia shares take a breather

Nvidia shares showed signs of steadying after a$430-billion selloff sent traders searching for signals as to where the bottom may be. The stock rose as much as 5% on Tuesday, set to snap a three-day rout that had pushed it into a technical correction — when a stock drops 10% or more from a recent peak — for the first time since April.

While the rout displayed some concerning signals, analysts are focusing on the stock’s longer-term trend.

“This is just how Nvidia trades,” an analyst said.

Among Nvidia selloffs of this scale, the stock tends to rebound on the fourth day — which would be today — about 63% of the time, according to Daniel O’Regan, MD of equity trading at Mizuho Securities.

While technical analysis for insight in historic trading patterns isn’t precise, it can provide a useful road map for investors.

Nvidia has soared this year amid unrelenting demand for its chips that dominate the market for artificial intelligence computing. The latest leg of the advance saw the stock rise 43% from its May 22 earnings report and stock split announcement to the June 18 peak when it closed with a market value of $3.34 trillion, topping Microsoft. Nvidia is still up 144% this year.

High options activity was often cited as one of the main reasons for the stock’s climb: market makers in the contracts had to constantly hedge their positions by trading the stock as it moved higher in what is called a gamma squeeze. That pressure may be easing following the correction.

Buff Dormeier, chief technical analyst at Kingsview Partners, sees short-term support around the $115 level. That’s near a key Fibonacci retracement level, a tool used by technical analysts to identify support or resistance lines for stocks and other assets. The 38.2% retracement from the stock’s intraday low in April to its record high last week is about 2% below Monday’s closing price.

Analysts such as Dormeier believe the long-term uptrend remains intact for Nvidia, but they’re keeping an eye on the $100 level.

“For a stock in an uptrend like Nvidia, breaching that first level of support wouldn’t be a concern,” said Bruce Zaro, chief technical strategist at Granite Wealth Management. A drop below $100, however, would be, he said.

“That may not have long-term implications, but it would signal that you should be patient, especially in a period where the market is likely to be volatile and have a downward bias as we await the election and the Fed weighing in on rates.” BLOOMBERG

Cash less... Health cover users borrow to pay bills

Reimbursement Claims: 2 In 3 Policyholders Unable To Cover Medical Costs, Finds Survey

Mayur.Shetty@timesgroup.com

Mumbai: Many health insurance policyholders who get their claims settled through reimbursement from insurance companies are end up borrowing money or dipping into their long-term savings to cover medical expenses.

According to a survey of policyholders, 68% of claimants who used the reimbursement method did not have enough liquid savings to pay medical bills. The incidence of borrowing increased when treatment costs exceeded Rs 1 lakh, with the trend being more pronounced in smaller towns.

“The study reiterates the importance of increasing the proportion of cashless claims in line with Irdai’s recent initiatives... It is also critical to note that approximately 70% of respondents said that they would have either needed financial assistance or drawn upon their investments if cashless claims had not been available,” said PolicyBazaar CEO Sarbvir Singh.

While cashless treatment is the preferred option among policyholders, many are unable to access the same with their chosen healthcare providers. Even after increased insurance coverage, about 47% of health costs in India are still paid out-of-pocket — significantly higher than the global average of 18%.

The survey also found that 89% of respondents who received cashless claims were satisfied, compared to 79% of those who received reimbursements. Dissatisfaction was higher among reimbursement claimants (12%) than cashless claimants (4%).

Moreover, the average wait time for approval after doctor discharge in the cashless category was 3.8 hours, but 6% of claimants were dissatisfied due to the wait time exceeding 8.5 hours. Under new health insurance guidelines, insurers must clear applications for cashless treatment within one hour and settle claims for discharge within three hours. A key reason for delays in settlement after the discharge was insurers calling for supplementary information, leaving attendants to navigate the complexities of the process.

The findings are part of a study based on a face-to-face survey of 2,128 insurance claimants conducted by Poli- cyBazaar, aiming to assess policyholders’ satisfaction with the claim process.

Of the total claimants, 94% had their claims approved, with a higher approval rate of 97% for those who had purchased policies onli- ne. Overall, 86% of claimants expressed satisfaction with the process. Among the 6% of claims that were rejected, half of them were due to non-disclosure of pre-existing or uncovered diseases, often attributed to a lack of awareness. The integration of online platforms has reduced the rejection rate from an average of 6% to 2.5%.

The survey also revealed the highest average claim size is in the South at a little over Rs 2 lakh, surpassing the metro average of Rs 1.6 lakh. By age group, the 56-65 bracket has an average claim size of Rs 2.1 lakh, compared to Rs 1.3 lakh for the 18-35 cohort.

Sebi revises norms for exchanges

New Delhi: Markets regulator Sebi on Tuesday revised its oversight framework for stock exchanges and other market infrastructure institutions (MIIs), defining the structure and responsibilities of various statutory committees to enhance governance.

These guidelines are on the recommendations of Sebi’s committee on strengthening governance of MIIs, according to a circular issued by the markets regulator. Statutory committees of MIIs can be divided into different categories, such as functional, oversight and investment.

Functional committees are the member committee, nomination and remuneration committee, oversight committees, standing committee on technology regulatory oversight committee, and risk management committee and investment committee.

On the composition of panels, Sebi said such committees should include key management personnel (KMP), non-independent directors, independent external professionals, and public interest directors. Each committee must be chaired by a PID with relevant expertise. Further, PIDs must form at least half of the committee members. AGENCIES

Ambuja & other promoter of cement co Sanghi to sell 4%

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: Sanghi Industries’ promoters Ambuja Cements and Ravi Sanghi will sell about 4% of the building materials maker through the offer-for-sale route. The floor price for the OFS has been set at Rs 90 apiece.

The shares of Sanghi Industries closed at Rs 102 apiece on the BSE on Tuesday. The OFS will open on June 26 for non-retail investors and on June 27 for retail investors on the stock exchanges. The OFS is being undertaken to achieve the minimum public shareholding of Sanghi Industries, the company said.

Ambuja Cements will sell nearly 2.4% or 60.9 lakh shares of Sanghi Industries while Ravi Sanghi will sell about 1.2% or 30 lakh shares of the company. As of March 31, promoters held 79% of the Saurashtra-based cement maker. After the conclusion of the OFS, promoters will hold 75% of Sanghi Industries, in line with Sebi’s rules of having at least 25% equity in free-float.

In March, the promo- ters offloaded 2% of Sanghi Industries in the open market for Rs 258 apiece. In Aug 2023, Ambuja Cements — owned by Gautam Adani and family — bought a majority stake in Sanghi Industries from Ravi Sanghi for an enterprise value of Rs 5,000 crore. Incorporated in June 1985, Sanghi Industries has a manufacturing facility in Gujarat’s Kutch region — it is the country’s largest single-location cement and clinker unit.

Amara Raja stock hits 52-wk peak

New Delhi: Shares of Amara Raja Energy & Mobility ended over 19% higher on Tuesday after its wholly-owned arm Amara Raja Advanced Cell Technologies signed a licensing agreement with GIB EnergyX Slovakia for lithium-ion cells technology. The stock soared 20% to hit the 52-week high of Rs 1,655 during the day on the BSE. It later ended at Rs 1,647, up 19.4%. AGENCIES

Sensex surge ‘driven by both foreign, domestic fund buying’

From P 1

Karthick Jonagadla, Manager and Founder of Quantace Research, said, “Sensex crossing the 78,000 mark reflects the strong cash buying activity in the market, driven by substantial investments from both FIIs and DIIs.” This was supported by a rise in mutual fund systematic investment plan contributions, which have increased to Rs 20,904 crore—a seven-fold increase since FY 2016-2017.

In the forex market, the rupee slightly rose by 0.03% against the US dollar, reaching 83.43 per dollar, boosted by expectations of foreign investments in domestic debt, which will soon be added to the JP Morgan index, and by news of a current account surplus in Q4FY24.

At current valuations, Indian equities are the second most expensive after the US. With the surge in demand for stocks, the supply of fresh equity is expected to catch up. According to Sarvjeet Singh Virk, MD, Shoonya by Finvasia, 56 companies are poised to raise around Rs. 90,000 crore from the capital markets.

Foreign investors have been net buyers in index futures in the last seven trading sessions. Traders attribute the market's upward movement to positive macroeconomic indicators such as current account and business activity improvements in manufacturing and services, as well as optimism about ongoing government reforms outlined in its first 100 days agenda.

Vinod Nair, head of research at Geojit Securities, mentioned, “Amidst moderate consolidations and sector rotations, the market is moving upwards due to expectations from the upcoming Budget. Additionally, the progress of the monsoon is being watched for insights into the consumption outlook.”

Editorial

- CONTRAPUNTO

- Khela Hobe Na

- Warring. Worrying Bibi

- Liberal paradox

- WHAT ASSANGE FREED

- ‘No EVM can be hacked. An embedded programme fused on the processor can’t be changed from outside’

- Meditation Could Be An Antidote To Drugs

- Sacred space

CONTRAPUNTO

I’m sticking to the script, I’m putting that organic feeling back in the game.

KENDRICK LAMAR

Khela Hobe Na

Mamata tore into her own govt because she knows voters can throw any party out

It’s unusual for a CM to upbraid the party organisation, top to bottom, sparing no one. That three-time Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee held forth for a record 70 minutes, critiquing municipalities on upkeep and maintenance, ministers, MLAs, partymen and senior bureaucrats on graft and extortion, was a rare event, even for her. Her lecture failed to mention some TMC bigwigs close to her, alleged to be among Bengal’s most corrupt, but her sweeping indictment perhaps was also a case of kahin pe nigaahein, kahin pe nishana ? Whichever way it’s sliced or diced, it’s instructive to ask why mercurial Didi lit into her own govt. And why now?

In top form | The answer to both is Mamata yet again demonstrating political acumen. The Trinamool chief is at the top of her game. In both LS and assembly polls since 2017, TMC has proved wrong every poll punditry, all of which routinely predict a “close contest”. Even ahead of this year’s high stakes LS election, Didi – despite being an ally – played cat and mouse with INDIA bloc, refusing to even consider not fielding her own candidates on any of the state’s 42 seats. She won the gamble to return 29 MPs to Parliament, up from 22 in 2019. BJP crashed to 12, down 6 seats, overturning all poll predictions. BJP replaced CPM as main opposition in 2021 assembly election, with 77 MLAs. But TMC was far ahead with 215 seats in the 294-seat assembly – notably, in its third term.

What tomorrow holds | Yet Mamata knows electoral victories are no slam dunk, when popular discontent is as deep, wide and serious as in Bengal today. The 69-year-old knows it’s a self-goal to ignore the overhang on governance of entrenched political violence, extortion rackets, everyday crush of corrupt contractors. Political excesses of consecutive Left govts are what Mamata battled effectively – so much so that CPM’s vote, the anti-TMC vote, has almost totally shifted to BJP. Her decision to overhaul the state’s bidding process can mean upheaval for institutionalised corruption – risking your own party’s ire is a game you play only when you dominate the field, as Mamata does now.

To Mamata’s credit, she displayed publicly that she is not disconnected from the discontent. Thatis the politics that drove the authoritative dressing-down her govt received. She knows voters love just one management style – shape up or ship out.

Warring. Worrying Bibi

Netanyahu now setting his sights on Hezbollah is bad for West Asia. He has severely hurt Brand Israel

Netanyahu continues to play with Israeli lives. After announcing the “intense phase” of the Israeli operation in Gaza is winding down, he now looks set to send more troops to the Lebanon border to fight Hezbollah. This, potentially, can be an unmitigated disaster. It won’t help Israel’s security. It may directly drag Iran into the conflict and lead to a wider conflagration. But Netanyahu now seems to want perpetual conflict to stay in power.

Hezbollah not Hamas | This Lebanon-based Shia militia group is far superior to Hamas in military strength. Its range of shortrange rockets and missiles can pose problems for Israeli defences. In fact, since the Gaza conflict began on Oct 7 last year, Hezbollah’s strikes into northern Israel have forced tens of thousands of Israelis to evacuate towns along that border. The last time the two sides had a full-scale war in 2006, there were heavy casualties on both sides and Israel failed to destroy Hezbollah’s military capabilities. Hezbollah is far stronger today.

Netanyahu’s cussedness | Hezbollah says it will stop firing into Israel once there’s a ceasefire in Gaza. But Netanyahu continues to assert that the war in Gaza won’t end until Hamas is eliminated. However, Israel’s military has said Hamas as an ideology can’t be defeated. Meanwhile, families of Israeli hostages in Gaza want a hostage deal. And US certainly doesn’t want an Israel-Hezbollah war. But Netanyahu isn’t listening.

Image bruised & battered | Long known as the only genuine democracy in West Asia and a tech powerhouse, Israel’s reputation today lies in tatters. Netanyahu’s actions have jeopardised Israel’s fledgling relations with regional Arab nations, undermined its economy, and turned Israelis against their own govt. His determination to hold on to power has given Israel its worst PR moment. But King Bibi still thinks he can get away with it all.

second opinion

Liberal paradox

Those who uphold freedom of speech, even for those they disagree with, can tie themselves up in knots

Jug Suraiya

Doing the rounds on social media is a debate between a conservative and a liberal, expressing diametrically opposing views.

The conservative extols what she sees as the benefits of the British Empire to its colonies, such as the bringing of railways to India.

The liberal argues that the British brought the railways to India not to benefit Indians, but to facilitate military deployment in the event of a repeat of the 1857 uprising. He also highlights the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, and the man-made Bengal famine of 1943 which resulted in the starvation deaths of millions, and for which no apology, let alone any form of reparation, has been made.

However, no matter how deeply he disagrees he cannot, because of his liberal standpoint, deny his opponent the right to hold and express her opinions.

This is the paradox of the liberal. An outspoken conservative can give vent to views that are patently intolerant, and objectionable to those who take exception to such ideas and attitudes, but nonetheless can’t deny their espousal.

I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it, is a quote attributed to Voltaire, and is a cornerstone of liberal ideology.

Liberals are enjoined to speak out against anything which is deemed to be prejudicial in terms of gender, or religion, or social or political orientation.

They are compelled not only to oppose what they see as intolerance in any form but must publicly do so, because silence implies consent, and to be silent in the face of bigotry is to acquiesce in it.

At the same time liberals must not only grant their ideological adversaries the right to broadcast their creed, but must also endorse their entitlement to do so under the rubric of freedom of expression, as long as it does not violate the laws of the land or incite violence.

Caught between opposing the illiberal, yet supporting its advocacy, liberals can find themselves tied up in a knot of Gordian dimension which even Alexander would be unable to cut.

WHAT ASSANGE FREED

Some see the digital fourth estate he pioneered as anarchic. But the real WikiLeaks lesson is citizens must know how their govts make decisions that affect their lives

Apar Gupta

Julian Assange’s release after years of captivity invites us to reflect on the legacy of WikiLeaks. As the editorin-chief and spokesperson of WikiLeaks, he became a household name, emblematic of the fight for radical transparency.

His work highlights the need for citizens to understand how govts and corporations make decisions that affect ordinary people’s lives. WikiLeaks, which began in 2006, helps us understand our present information disorder and the weakening civic trust in democratically elected govts.

Assange and WikiLeaks have fundamentally altered the dynamics between the press and the powerful, pioneering a bold vision of the digital fourth estate. While some view this as a beacon of progress, others see it as teetering on the edge of anarchy and challenging traditional norms of journalism.

Challenge US on state torture etc | Though WikiLeaks has a global charter, its principal impact has emerged from focusing on US, the world’s most powerful country.

In April 2010, WikiLeaks truly shook the global stage. The release of the “Collateral Murder” video, showing US Apache helicopters killing twelve individuals in Iraq, including two Reuters employees, marked the beginning of a series of disclosures that revealed the realpolitik actions of US govt.

Notably, these disclosures were made only after US govt denied access to Reuters. These releases followed the Afghan and Iraq War logs from earlier that year, all believed to have been sourced from US army intelligence analyst PFC Bradley Manning, which evidenced the use of state torture.

Challenge the ‘sensitivity’ of India’s elite | This was only a prelude to “Cablegate” when, in Nov 2010, WikiLeaks began releasing 251,287 classified diplomatic cables sent to the US state department by 274 of its consulates, embassies, and diplomatic missions worldwide. This media maelstrom provided direct insight not only into the imperial instincts of US govt but also the motivations of our own power elite.

It laid bare unvarnished commentary on Modi and Rahul, India’s foreign relations, and reports on interactions with our politicians, including their candid assessments on issues of Hindu nationalism, Naxalism, and terrorism. Given their sensitivity, WikiLeaks collaborated with major news organisations like El País, Le Monde, Der Spiegel, The Guardian, and The New York Times to ensure careful analysis and redaction.

Protect whistleblowers, protect press | This radical form of transparency led to charges of terrorism, with Assange being termed “Public Enemy No. 1” by many US politicians. Even many press commentators at the time viewed it as upsetting the traditional norms of journalism, premised on issues of accuracy and verifiability.

It is important to remember, at such points, the value of a whistleblower in any society. Whistleblowing might expose the lurid details of the personal lives of the rich and powerful, but it serves an important function in breaking cosy, self-serving coalitions.

Question the secrecy of power | Often, democratic institutions and private corporations claim commitment to oversight and justice but choose opacity over transparency. The subsequent prosecution of Assange by US govt, resulting in a restriction on his liberty for more than a decade, starkly reveals this hypocrisy as much as it is an attack on whistleblowers and press freedom.

As a counterblast to the disclosures, US govt prosecuted him under the Espionage Act and Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and sought his extradition. During this same period, US championed the internet as a tool to topple oppressive regimes but found it difficult to accept the use of the same tool when it undermined its own interests.

In Oct, 2021 a broad coalition of rights organisations through an open letter urged US govt to drop these proceedings: “A precedent created by prosecuting Assange could be used against publishers and journalists alike, chilling their work and undermining freedom of the press.”

Finally, US has offered Assange a plea deal. As WikiLeaks’ X account announced, after five years of imprisonment in a high-security prison in south London, “Julian Assange is free.”

Question how GOI provides data | While WikiLeaks’ contribution may, in time, be compared to historic archives that have shaped modern history, we must not read Assange’s release as an obituary but as a principled need to fight for transparency.

For us in India, Assange’s release after concessions made by US govt must draw attention not only to what WikiLeaks contained but also to the present. It must prompt questions about how our own govt provides data and makes proactive disclosures. How do we treat our own whistleblowers?

Over time, there has been a growing secrecy and centralisation of power by our elected officials. Recent changes and operational issues have handicapped transparency under the Right to Information Act, 2005. Special executive instructions, such as for website blocking, make orders secret.

While unpleasant, Assange used the internet to model a new form of whistleblowing and confront the brutish nature of state power. We must not only debate what Assange did, but also draw the right lessons from it.

The writer is an advocate and co-founder of the Internet Freedom Foundation

Q&A

‘No EVM can be hacked. An embedded programme fused on the processor can’t be changed from outside’

Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) is the developer of EVMs in India. Its former R&D director Col (retd) HS Shankarled the team that produced the first 1.5L units used in 1990. EVM credibility has been questioned ever since and through each iteration. Currently CMD, Alpha Design Technologies, Shankar takes Chethan Kumar through the tech’s journey:

● What’s the story behind switching from ballot paper to EVMs?

In the 1980s, then CEC Peri Shastry studied poll processes globally. He proposed automating India’s ballot paper process, while retaining the procedure. Col GK Rao, then R&D director at BEL, had a rudimentary EVM successfully tested in BEL’s trade union elections.

BEL then developed semi-production EVM models – about 100 units were used in Kerala polls, 1986.

In 1988, Rajiv Gandhi called for a demonstration. In attendance were Shastry, defence minister KC Pant, and a BEL team that included me as project head.

Gandhi had concerns about rigging, ballot stuffing and booth capturing. He suggested introducing a time gap between each button press on the Ballot Unit (BU) to limit the number of votes that could be rapidly cast – so that no more than two votes could be polled per minute. This modification was carried out. Gandhi’s practical input to prevent misuse was crucial in making EVMs a secure and reliable voting system.

● What was the initial opposition reaction?

Opposition parties alleged Congress wanted to ‘rig’ elections via EVMs. VP Singh and George Fernandes called for a demo, claiming any software controlled equipment can be meddled with. That whichever button voters pressed on BU, it was all ‘programmed’ to automatically shift votes to Congress candidates.

● What was Rajiv Gandhi’s response?

He set up a high-level team headed by LK Advani to study these objections and recommend solutions. Experts from IITs, IETE, and DRDO, were tasked with attempting to “tamper” with EVMs within five days, to establish if these could be rigged/manipulated.

At IIT Delhi, Prof PV Indiresan led a team of four PhD scholars and experts who worked round the clock for five days, using high-end equipment and simulators. Despite their best efforts and Indiresan’s assertion that any electronic device can be hacked, they couldn’t tamper with EVMs. After this failed attempt, production and supply of indigenous EVMs went smoothly.

● Has anything changed since and can EVMs be hacked now?

No! But even if we, for a moment, give credence to those claiming the machines can be tampered with, there is another argument against EVMs’ vulnerability. It’s hard to manipulate machines on such a large scale. For instance, how many machines does one have to manipulate in order to rig an assembly election? It is basic maths.

Say mean electoral win/ loss margin in an assembly election is 5,000 votes. Each EVM can hold up to 3,000 votes. However, the number of voters in a booth is generally around 1,200. Let’s say 50% of these, that is 600, are manipulated to go in favour of a certain party. To manipulate 5,000 votes, one would have to manipulate a maximum of 9 machines. Also remember each vote added to someone is also one vote deducted from someone. So, to alter the result, one has to manipulate five machines for 50% votes.

● So, if EVMs are hacked, 50% manipulation at 3% of booths can subvert process integrity?

Not a single EVM can be hacked. An embedded programme fused on the processor simply cannot be changed from outside. It’s like claiming the encryption algorithm on STARS-V (army’s basic communication system) can be changed from outside or through external wires/cables.

How can anyone change a software programme without knowing the programme? If any expert wants to try his hand, he can visit me – I’ll give a printed circuit board with an embedded programme fused on the chip (not of EVM, but equivalent processor card) and will ask him to change it in my presence, or with experts.

● EVMs use ‘non-writable microprocessors’. What exactly does that mean?

A non-writable microprocessor is a simple microchip. The writing pin is physically disabled. The processor has ROM (read only memory) and not ‘Read & Write’ version. Hence, the ‘core’ programme based on high-level encrypted algorithm is embedded/fused – can’t be changed.

● Argument is there are ways to write over such chips…

No. It’s impossible to manipulate input or programme through BU to CU (control unit) via cables. The 64-pin IC (integrated circuit) is soldered on CU-PCB by wave soldering process. It cannot be accessed directly through cables.

Also, the argument that a microchip on the wire can manipulate input to get a desired output without touching BU or CU doesn’t hold. I will reiterate it for those who keep asking if EVMs can be hacked through outside networks. No, simply because an EVM, including VVPAT, isn’t connected to the internet or any wireless network.

THE SPEAKING TREE

Meditation Could Be An Antidote To Drugs

Osho

If a person is addicted to drugs, the problem is not the drugs; the problem is why he is addicted to drugs – because life gives no joy, life is so empty, so meaningless. Drugs make at least a few hours colourful and psychedelic; there is great joy. One forgets this whole madhouse, this world.

You cannot tell them, “We will teach you meditation only if you drop all these things first.” They cannot drop them. You have to be more compassionate to them… You teach them meditation.

Meditation will help them to drop drugs, not vice versa. Meditation can give them better experiences, far superior, and real. Drugs are only giving them hallucinations. And when somebody has to choose between a dream and a reality – and a reality which is far more golden and far more beautiful than the dream – I don't think anybody is going to choose the dream. But first let him have something else to choose, to fall upon.

He was empty; he was disgusted with his whole life. Drugs have supported him; they are killing him, they are destroying him, but they have at least shown him beautiful dreams. Life cannot give any beautiful dreams: the politicians, the priests, the pedagogues altogether have made life so ugly, so difficult to live, so worthless, that any intelligent person is bound to find something or other. And meditation is not for sale – there are no meditation dealers from whom you can get an injection. You will have to learn it, that is the difficulty. You will have to go through a certain discipline.

So tell them, “Whatever you are doing is absolutely accepted. You are doing it not without reason, so continue it. We will give you a better drug which is not chemical. We will give you meditation; try it.” And you will be surprised, the people who have been on drugs can enter into meditation more easily than other people…

Before he becomes addicted to any drug, he starts experiencing tremendous ecstasies within himself. The drug is left far behind. Now he himself can say that it was stupid to go on hanging around the drug; it was giving him only a hallucination, an illusion. What does it matter if in your dream you become the king of the whole world? In the morning, you wake up in the same wretched hut; then you need more and more of the drug so that you need not wake up. That's how drugs go on killing people.

But anything that is so destructive can be used in a constructive way; it has been used for thousands of years…

Tell them to meditate, and never mention their drugs; just insist on meditation… The drug takes you into hallucinations, opens doors in your inner chemistry and that is the most vulnerable moment. You can meditate easily.

Abridged from The Last Testament, Vol 2. Courtesy: Osho International Foundation/www.osho.com

June 26 is World Drug Day

Sacred space

To make the fastest progress, Be an absolutely cheerful Hero-warrior And take both victory and failure As parallel experience rivers Leading to the sea Of progress-delight

Sri Chinmoy

Times Techies

- TECH I’D LIKE TO SEE

- How NatWest’s India GCC is helping transform the bank

- BUILDING AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE DEVICES

- GLOSSARY OF IN-GROUP TERMS USED

- From curing toothache to helping develop drugs

- Integrate data sources to become a sustainable biz

- CAREER LADDER FOR WOMEN

TECH I’D LIKE TO SEE

QR TICKS ON FOOD PICKS

Rinka Banerjee | CO-FOUNDER, THINKING FORKS

Your grocery cart is piled high with packaged and fresh food products. You wish you also had a pro service assuring you that your purchases are safe, healthy, and made sustainably. What if we put AI assisted QR technology to where the mouth is! A simple QR technology that generates a QR code, which could go on the principal display panel of a pack or on the purchase cart of online marketplaces/ offline store shelves, that transparently demystifies, decodes complex labels and, in an instant, verifies the goodness of a product.

In a study done by the National Institute of Nutrition and the Indian Council of Medical Research, of the 90% of consumers, across age groups, who read food labels, the majority (81%) looked only for the manufacturing date or expiry/best-before date. Nutrient information on labels is often ignored or unread because most consumers lack nutrition knowledge or find the information too technical. Now, imagine a QR reader right there, which helps by making short work of sifting through the bold and fine print to help make an empowered, informed, and healthy choice!

How NatWest’s India GCC is helping transform the bank

Nearly 30% of the UK bank’s global employee base is today in India

NatWest has 17,000 employees in India, almost a third of its global strength of 59,000. Multiple global roles across technology, data and analytics, and operations are based out of India. Some of them are the heads of Digital Platforms Wealth CDIO; Core Trading Solutions Commercial & Institutional CDIO; Physical Channels Retail DigiX; Regulatory Reporting Finance, Risk, Audit & Legal Technology; Data Engineering, Digital X Analytics Data and Analytics; Everyday Banking Operations; Markets Operations; Risk Oversight Lead India and Functions; and Finance Cost Control

Sujit.John@timesgroup.com

Punit Sood is the head of India for NatWest Group, one of the biggest banks in the UK. He’s been at the bank now for over four years, prior to which he had stints with Citi Technology Services, and JP Morgan Services India. NatWest’s India centres across Gurgaon, Chennai and Bengaluru – which provide core technology and operations services – today have over 17,000 employees, close to 30% of the bank’s global strength. The leaders of many key functions sit out of India. A lot of this movement of work from the UK has happened over the past few years. And Punit says it wasn’t initially easy to convince his headquarters that India could do it.

He recollects it took him 18-20 months to convince his UK bosses that there was no reason to have the final signing off authority on simple matters like an address change or replacement of a damaged debit card sitting in the UK, when the India centres were the ones processing the entire issue, right from the time the customer logs it in. “They said this touches the customer, and so the final signing off must happen in the UK,” he says.

The India team persisted. For one of the smaller processes, the team demonstrated their capability to ensure that all metrics around turnaround times were delivered. When that was proved, they did it for more processes.

Today, the global head of what NatWest calls Everyday Banking sits in India. Everyday Banking deals with all the daily issues that come up for a retail bank. “Everyday Banking is a very big thing. It even deals with mortgage customers.

If a mortgage customer comes and says they want to prepay, they have two choices – prepay and reduce the tenure, or prepay and reduce the principal, but keep the tenure the same. We help UK customers with all of such issues,” Punit says.

A host of other leadership functions, both in technology and operations, now sit out of India because much of the work around it happens here. This includes the head of digital platforms, head of core trading solutions, head of physical channels, head of regulatory reporting, and head of data engineering and digital analytics.

Dhiraj Anand is head of retail digital X and retail banking operations in India, focusing on engineering and innovation, and developing digital insights. He says the larger vision is to make NatWest a digital bank. One of his major ini- tiatives out of India has been to move the bank’s contact centre agents in the UK to the AWS platform, allowing the bank to benefit from cloud and SaaS platforms, including using data better. Another big effort is around automating processes. “My role includes all of tech and all of operations for retail banking. Since we have operations teams in India, servicing things like opening of accounts and handling complaints, I can get tech teams to work with these ops teams to understand what customers want. We are continuously improving processes for account opening, mortgages, handling complaints,” he says.

Automation of some of the more complex processes, he says, has resulted in 30-35% reduction in effort and time. “In one of the processes, the (internal) user had to initially refer to almost 50 screens for every request – this has been reduced to five screens,” he says.

The India team has led the development of the bank’s AI digital assistant called Cora. Cora enables self-service for customers. Last year, Cora handled 10.8 million retail banking conversations (up 400,000 compared to 2022), and almost half of these conversations required no human intervention.

Now, the team is working with colleagues in the UK, and with IBM to develop Cora+, which will allow customers to ask questions and receive responses in a more conversational style. Cora+ will also be able to access information from multiple secure sources that were previously inaccessible through chat alone.

India is also working on a unified customer engagement platform, and the first service from that will be a new real-time appointment booking service which is expected to reduce booking times by up to 75%, and is estimated to help unlock about 88,000 hours of employee time.

CROSS-POLLINATION

Punit, who previously also led Nasscom’s GCC (global capability centre) council, says what NatWest has done in India, is what other GCCs are increasingly doing. “There’s a lot more cross-pollination too now, with newer GCCs learning from existing ones. And they are starting with the intent of building an innovation centre in India (not a back-office operation),” he says.

BUILDING AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE DEVICES

Social enterprises are using technology for greater good. Here are two that have used AI/ML to develop affordable solutions, and who were part of Nasscom Foundation’s incubator programme.

Identifying learning difficulties

10% to 15% of children have some form of learning difficulty like dyslexia. Early identification and right remediation are crucial for the success of these children. The present methods of screening tend to be pen and paper based, and require expertise. Ajit Paul, Justin Jose, and Teena Paul started Giftolexia with the idea of developing tech-based screening for early identification of the risks of dyslexia in primary school children. It uses an eye tracking device with infrared cameras to capture gaze data while children read age and grade appropriate text on a TV or a smart screen. The data is analysed to extract multiple markers which are processed digitally. Risk of dyslexia is assessed using predictive modelling. The system generates individual risk reports and fluency reports with actionable insights. Giftolexia also offers teacher training programmes on inclusive classroom strategies.

Ajit says Nasscom Foundation gave them the opportunity to pilot and validate their solution in Malayalam language. “This also helped us to adapt our solution for low resource settings by using a smart screen to project the text instead of the TV, thereby reducing dependency on uninterrupted power supply. Nasscom also improved our visibility and helped us generate many business leads,” he says.

Screening for respiratory diseases

Dr Prashant Patel, Dr Arun Tiwari, and Sunil Kumar Singh’s Alveofit was inspired by a compelling study published in a prestigious international journal, highlighting the significant burden of respiratory diseases in India and other developing countries. Prashant and team found that the crux of the problem was the absence of basic screening services. This persuaded them to develop an affordable, user-friendly screening device that could be utilised anywhere, by anyone, at any time. Their handheld spirometer, integrated with AI, delivers comprehensive reports to both patients and providers for better understanding of lung parameters. “Over the past two years, we’ve dedicated ourselves to refining our AI model, and the results are staggering – achieving an impressive accuracy rate of 97.2%,” Prashant says. Nasscom Foundation, he says, has been instrumental in clinically validating the device, and deploying a pilot.

Amin Ali

GLOSSARY OF IN-GROUP TERMS USED

ON THIS PAGE

OT SYSTEMS

Operational technology (OT) systems refer to a class of technologies utilised in industrial settings to manage and monitor physical processes and infrastructure. Unlike information technology (IT) systems, which focus on data processing and management, OT systems directly control and oversee machinery, equipment, and operational processes. These systems encompass various components: In industrial environments, OT systems include control systems such as Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), Distributed Control Systems (DCS), and Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs). These systems manage and regulate processes to ensure optimal performance and safety. OT systems integrate sensors and monitoring devices to gather realtime data from physical assets. These sensors detect parameters like temperature, pressure, flow rates, and other variables.

SPIROMETER

A spirometer is a medical device used to measure the volume of air inspired and expired by the lungs. It’s commonly used in pulmonary function tests (PFTs) to assess how well the lungs are functioning. Spirometry can help diagnose various respiratory conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and restrictive lung diseases. During spirometry, the patient breathes into the spirometer through a mouthpiece, and the device measures different lung volumes and capacities, providing valuable information for diagnosing and managing respiratory conditions.

From curing toothache to helping develop drugs

INSPIRATION

Veena.Mani@timesgroup.com

Vijaygeeta Raju was a dentist, but after a decade of hectic practice, she felt she must do something else that would allow her more time for herself and her family. So she wrote the Karnataka government’s civil service entrance exam.

Since the results’ declaration was taking time, Vijaygeeta started studying online courses on the use of technology in the pharma and healthcare sector. She studied pharmacovigilance, the science of identifying, assessing, and preventing adverse effects of medicines and vaccines. She trained in databases like Argus, Sceptre, and Google’s GCP. And she got a job in this area with IQVIA (formerly QuintilesIMS), where she had to feed in patient data and produce reports on the efficacy of drugs.

“In hindsight, I was glad I did not sit waiting for the civil services exam results. I would not have been so satisfied with my job if I had taken it because the government would transfer me from time to time. That would have meant staying away from family,” Vijaygeeta says.

As it happened, the civil services exam was cancelled because of some malpractice, and even though Vijaygeeta re-appeared for the test and probably would have got a government job, she had by then made up her mind on staying with pharmacovigilance.

She says the journey from being a dentist to a pharmacovigilance officer transformed her from being an introvert and one filled with self-doubt to a more confident, outgoing and risktaking person.

Work would take her to Belgium where, for the first time, she stayed away from her family and home responsibilities. She went on a solo Europe trip. Around this time, she also learnt Lean Six Sigma and got a project management certification.

Though she does not do any coding, over the years, her job has taught her the basics of coding and AI, which she says helps when she interacts with coders in the process of making devices.

After four years with IQVIA, she had short stints with BioQuest Global Solutions and Celegence, and then Indegene, where she spent another four years. In 2020, she moved to Siemens Healthineers, where her work today involves telling the technology team if a solution would make a difference to the lives of patients, the clinical outcomes, and how regulators in India would take it. “Knowing how to work with databases has eased the process of not just pulling out structured and unstructured clinical data, but also analysing it in a way that other teams can use it to make devices and drugs more useful to patients,” she says.

She gets to leave the office early and spend her evenings with the family. She’s now upskilling to understand the structure of large language models and how these models could help build better devices.

Integrate data sources to become a sustainable biz

Akhil.George@timesgroup.com

There is enormous pressure on businesses to become sustainable today. Prioritising the bottomline over long-term sustainable practices is no longer tenable and can in fact lead to more environmentally-conscious competitors having an edge. That’s what experts in the field told us on a webinar last week.

Achieving a sustainable business model requires a lot of planning and, most importantly, adequate, reliable, real-time data. Getting the right data is by far one of the most common problems businesses face when starting out on their sustainability journeys, says Chittaranjan Meher, country leader of the sustainability software business unit for IBM India/South Asia.

“Without comprehensive data integration, you cannot accurately track and manage sustainability metrics. That’s why we’re helping customers collect data through different sources and integrate it.”

Chittaranjan says IBM’s Maximo application suite allows businesses to manage their assets more efficiently, predict and prevent breakdowns, and maintain compliance with safety and regulatory guidelines, all by gathering data from the right sources.

Indigrid operates and manages power transmission networks and renewable energy assets throughout India. The company’s chief operating of- ficer, Satish Talmale, says it’s critical to collect data in an efficient and sanitised manner so that the data is structured and usable.

“We have operational technology systems like SCADA (computer-based system for gathering and analysing realtime data) and other business platforms wherein data comes through sensors and is automatically fed. And there are a few sets of data that come in through manual input – via iPads or mobile devices.”

This integration of disparate data sources allows Indigrid to do amazing things, says Satish – like cutting down fewer trees. “Vegetation is a big challenge we encounter because if a tree height goes beyond a certain clearance, the power line will trip. So, we use drone and satellite-based monitoring to get data and then run image analytics on it, which tells us exactly when a tree will grow to be a problem. It’s a scientific method that allows us to cut 100 branches of trees instead of a thousand.”

Excellent future career

Chittaranjan says professionals should consider getting into the rapidly growing sustainability sector. “We think this is the decade of sustainability because everybody has done their digital transformation already, the next transformation they are doing is sustainability. The requirement for sustainability professionals is very high,” he says.

CAREER LADDER FOR WOMEN

Put on work gloves when needed

Swati Maini is director at Maini Renewables

Swati Maini

I am a mechanical engineer with a focus on aerospace engineering. During my college years, I completed a 1-year project with Nasa as part of a design-build-fly mission. In the early years of my career, I worked as a design engineer and site engineer in the nuclear power space. After this, I began my entrepreneurial journey in Boston, in the area of ocean energy devices and hydrokinetic turbines. During this journey, I also dabbled in solar energy and industrial water treatment.

I liked creating things | I was constantly questioned on why I don’t do a consulting job. However, I liked creating new things that were larger than anything I had seen living in Mumbai and Delhi, so I did not let other people’s opinions come in the way and did everything alongside my male counterparts to achieve my goals.

Keep target in mind | Underestimation was another challenge. I’ve had to prove my mettle in every new work scenario and this has been the greatest challenge for me. My best suggestion to fellow women in STEM is to stay grounded in your knowledge and keep your target in mind at all times. Dressing the part is very important. Whether in the office or on-site, don’t hesitate to put on the work gloves when needed.

Find mentors | I would also advise professionals to be assertive – there is no difference in your intelligence compared to a man’s and you have to take every day as it comes. Overthinking will only lead to confusion. Mentors are extremely important in your growth journey, find your harshest critics and get them to mentor you. As women, we are tested twice over, so keep yourself abreast with your fieldspecific knowledge and stay calm as we convince the world of our equality.

Times Sport

- SAGNOL REJECTS TALK OF POLITICAL INTERFERENCE

- ITALY TURN BACK CLOCK

- RESERVES KEEP SPAIN TRAIN ROLLING

- Belgium aim to emerge top of four-way Group E scrap

- Brazil still unable to get the best out of Vinicius

- Late Sabitzer strike sees Austria top group

- Resurgent Rodriguez inspires Colombia to win over Paraguay

- Mbappe scores but France held 1-1

- ‘I’d like to play forever, but...’

- Afghanistan sneak into semis amid high drama

- Bravo, the man behind Afghan pacers’ upswing

- FREEDOM SONG ON ROHIT’S LIPS

- ‘Oscar, Emmy?’ Naib’s ‘cramping’ sparks controversy over delaying tactics

- Clumsy Aussies fluff their lines

- ‘We’ll have a new WC winner in Afghanistan’

- GALLERY

- IPS officer suspended in Mum hoarding collapse case

- 17 of 26 PFI men get bail over RSS member’s killing

- IOA hikes monetary awards for Paris Olympics medallists

- Delhi judoka Tulika secures Paris quota

- UNEVENTFUL CLOSURE TO A CONTROVERSIAL CAREER

- Honour wishes of CWC on LOP post, Kharge urges Rahul

- Rijiju: We want speakers to be elected via consensus

- Idea was to provide juvenile offenders platform to showcase abilities: Official

- Test expenses to be recovered from solver gangs under UP law

- Co-inventor of DLS, Frank Duckworth passes away at 84

SAGNOL REJECTS TALK OF POLITICAL INTERFERENCE

Gelsenkirchen: Georgia coach Willy Sagnol said only he selects the national side, responding angrily when asked whether forward Budu Zivzivadze’s playing time at Euro 2024 had been limited because of his reported criticism of a new law on foreign agents.

Georgia play already-qualified Portugal in their final group game on Wednesday, when victory would secure a place in the last 16. Zivzivadze has played only six minutes at Euro 2024. “I want to take proper decisions based only on football fact,” Frenchman Sagnol said.

Turks need a point, Czechs a win and a favour: In the other Group F match, Turkey need a point against the Czech Republic in Hamburg to be sure of reaching the knockout stage. The Czechs need a win and a favour from group-winners Portugal against Georgia.

AGENCIES

ITALY TURN BACK CLOCK

Super Sub Zaccagni Channels His Inner Del Piero

COPY, PASTE: Mattia Zaccagni (left) scores Italy’s last-gasp equaliser against Croatia in Leipzig on Monday, the strike reminiscent of ‘idol’ Alessandro del Piero’s winner (right) against Germany in Dortmund at the 2006 World Cup

Leipzig: Italy might be in the knockout stage but all is far from rosy for the defending champions after Mattia Zaccagni’s last-gasp goal against Croatia gave them a last-16 berth.

Luciano Spalletti’s team will face Switzerland in Berlin on Saturday, giving them four days to reflect on their unconvincing efforts in Group B, where they finished second and five points behind Spain.

Italy once again failed to live up to the standard of play expected by Spalletti, an attack-minded coach who bemoaned his team’s inability to retain possession and create goalscoring opportunities.

The joyous scenes that followed Zaccagni’s leveller in Monday night’s thrilling 1-1 draw with Croatia didn’t mask the evident issues with newlook Italy who were also taught a footballing lesson by Spain.

“If you don’t create, you’re not going to score. You could see we were thinking about bringing a result home, without really believing that we needed a win,” said Spalletti, “I expect more from my players, because they show it in flashes.”

Lazio forward Zaccagni ended up under a pile of blue-shirted bodies as wild celebrations in the stands and on the pitch followed his brilliant leveller in the eighth and final minute of added time in Leipzig.

With almost no time left on the clock Zaccagni was the coolest head in the stadium as he approached Riccardo Calafiori’s perfect pass and curled home a stunning finish.

The 29-year-old’s first interna- tional goal came at the end of a hugely entertaining match which looked to have been decided by Luka Modric’s 55th minute strike, scored just seconds after Gianluigi Donnarumma saved his penalty.

“I had no idea that it was the last kick of the game when the ball came to me,” said a delighted Zaccagni.

“Calafiori gave me such a brilliant ball for a first-time shot that I didn’t even think twice about it. Then we went mad and I got battered with them all on top of me!”

Zaccagni’s strike takes Italy back to Berlin where they won the World Cup in 2006 and was reminiscent of Alessandro Del Piero’s winning goal in the semi-final against Germany.

Italy beat France to win the World Cup, the last hurrah for a golden generation which included Del Piero and Andrea Pirlo, Gianluigi Buffon and Fabio Cannavaro. “Alex (Del Piero) has always been my hero, I had his picture on my bedroom wall when I was a kid,” said Zaccagni.

Zaccagni’s joy was not mirrored in Spalletti’s livid post-match rant in which he accused Italian reporters whom of spitting “venom”.

“I inject myself with this venom,” said Spalletti, who was angry at his tactics supposedly being leaked prematch and claimed that “everybody” was trying to get Italy eliminated.

Turmoil often accompanies Italy to major tournaments and the grit shown on Monday is a typical trait of a team which is famed for its battling qualities, particularly in defence.

AFP

RESERVES KEEP SPAIN TRAIN ROLLING

FERRAN TORRES

Dusseldorf: Albania coach Sylvinho suggested that Spain’s second team could win the Euros, and though they will probably face stiffer challenges on the training field this week, the stand-ins duly showcased the squad’s depth on Monday.

Their 1-0 win over Albania that made it three out of three with five goals scored and none conceded and sent them into the knockout stage on a high was a combination of controlled play, almost in second gear, followed by some resolute defending. With Spain already in top spot, coach Luis De la Fuente made 10 changes, and the new boys slotted effortlessly into the spotlight.

Their pastel lemon kit might have looked unfamiliar but the stylish playing with purpose was just what Luis De la Fuente has been developing with his “first team”. Their 13th-minute goal was a geometric beauty as Aymeric Laporte drilled a cross field pass to Dani Olmo, who slipped a perfectly weighted through ball that allowed Ferran Torres to sweep it home.

REUTERS

Belgium aim to emerge top of four-way Group E scrap

Work To Be Done Against Ukraine In The First Match-Off Between The Countries; Slovakia, Romania Need A Point

Stuttgart: Belgium head into their final Group E game against Ukraine at Euro 2024 looking to grab top spot in a section where all four teams including Romania and Slovakia are level on three points. It is the first time in the tournament’s history each team in the same group has had the same number of points going into the last round of games.

Belgium brushed off a surprise 1-0 loss to Slovakia in their opening match by beating Romania 2-0 as Kevin De Bruyne delivered a timely masterclass.

There is still work to be done in Stuttgart for Belgium, who saw key members of a golden generation move on after the country’s group-stage exit at the 2022 World Cup.

Ukraine are playing in their first major tournament since Russian forces invaded the country in 2022.

Slovakia and Romania face off at the same time in Frankfurt knowing a point apiece would be enough to send both countries into the next round. Edward Iordanescu’s side need just a point against Slovakia though to guarantee a top-two finish.

Slovakia can finish top if they win and Ukraine do not. A draw would assure them of third place.

AFP

Brazil still unable to get the best out of Vinicius

OFF THE BOIL: Brazil’s Vinicius Junior (R) is held back by Jeyland Mitchell of Costa Rica during their Group D match on Monday

Los Angeles: Brazil’s poor performance in their goalless draw against Costa Rica in their Copa America opener on Monday has dampened the enthusiasm surrounding their new manager and a revamped squad headlined by Vinicius Jr. Fans were optimistic that Brazil had turned a corner under Dorival Jr but his side had no answers to Costa Rica’s five-man defence in California.

As the clock ticked down and the five-time world champions’ frustrations grew, Dorival decided to make his first two substitutions in the 70th minute. His decision to take Vinicius out of the game came as a huge surprise.

Even Brazil talisman Neymar, who is recovering from a serious knee injury but was at the stadium as a fan, could not hide his dismay.

The broadcast showed his reaction in the stands. He was rarely substituted by Real Madrid man- ager Carlo Ancelotti. Vinicius is deployed as more of an orthodox forward wide on the left and has scored only three goals in 31 games for Brazil. Dorival’s decision to take him off on Monday brought back memories of the 2022 World Cup quarter-finals, when then manager Tite also substituted Vinicius early in the second-half against Croatia, a game Brazil ended up losing on penalties.

On Monday, Vinicius struggled to make an impact from the left wing and exited the game without a shot on target. Dorival said he tried moving Vinicius around before replacing him with 17-year-old forward Endrick. The challenge for Dorival in Brazil’s upcoming games will be finding a way to balance their attack without sacrificing his best player.

Gustavo Alfaro said Costa Rica had been written off before the match had even started. “We were Bruce Willis in ‘The Sixth Sense,’ where the only one that did not know he was dead was him, right? Well, everyone thought we were dead before the movie started in our case.”

Brazil defender Marquinhos said, “Now it’s about being honest with ourselves, creating alternatives to create chances, scoring, results are important in this competition, points left at the beginning can complicate things at the end.”

Late Sabitzer strike sees Austria top group

IT’S ALL HAPPENING... Austria’s Romano Schmid celebrates scoring against Netherlands. (Right) France captain Kylian Mbappe is hemmed in by the Poland defence

Berlin: Marcel Sabitzer scored late for Austria to advance to the knockout stage of the European Championship as group winners with a 3-2 win over the Netherlands on Tuesday.

Austria topped Group D thanks to France drawing with Poland 1-1 in the other game. Both France and the Netherlands were already assured of progress thanks to results in other games.

The Austrians had needed a point to be sure of progress and got off to a great start with Dutch forward Donyell Malen scoring an own goal in the sixth minute.

First-half substitute Xavi Simons set up Cody Gapko to equalize two minutes after the break, but Romano Schmid headed Austria back in front in the 59th.

Memphis Depay equalized with a brilliant finish in the 75th, though he had to endure a VAR check as referee Ivan Kruzliak felt he handled the ball. The check found Depay hadn’t. But Sabitzer restored Austria’s lead two minutes later with a fierce strike from a difficult angle. It proved to be the winner despite a frenetic finale with chances at both ends.

Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman made three changes to the team that drew against France. He had criticized Simons for not pressing enough in that match and subsequently dropped the young player in favor of Joey Veerman in midfield. Lutsharel Geertruida started for Denzel Dumfries at right-back, and Malen started in place of Jeremie Frimpong, who plays as a wing back for Bayer Leverkusen.

But Koeman’s team made a lethargic start in contrast to the busy Austrians, who scored when Malen turned Alexander Prass’ cross inside the left post.

Tijjani Reijnders and Malen both missed good chances to equalize. Koeman berated his charges and told his substitutes to warm up. He sent Simons on for Veerman in the 35th.

Simons’ entrance gave the Dutch more urgency. Depay saw a header cleared off the line before the break, and Simons set up Gapko after Florian Grillitsch lost the ball in midfield. Koeman’s side maintained its pressure and looked more likely to score until Grillitsch crossed for Schmid to head Austria back in front with his first international goal. Ultimately, the Austrians were more clinical.

AP

Resurgent Rodriguez inspires Colombia to win over Paraguay

Houston: James Rodriguez evoked memories of his breakthrough performance at the 2014 World Cup on Monday after the Colombia midfielder set up both goals in his team’s 2-1 win over Paraguay in their Copa America opener.

The Colombia captain was the difference in Monday’s Group D game in Houston, Texas and was named Man of the Match.

“I’m very happy, it’s important to start well today against a tough opponent like Paraguay,” Rodriguez told Caracol Gol.

“We could have done better in the second half, but you correct things better when the team wins, it’s much easier that way.”

AGENCIES

Mbappe scores but France held 1-1

Dortmund: Kylian Mbappe, with his mask on, scored from the penalty spot on his return after breaking his nose before France conceded a spot kick by Robert Lewandowski in a 1-1 draw with Poland at the European Championship on Tuesday.

Mbappe removed his protective mask to celebrate in front of France’s fans after converting his 56th-minute penalty for his first goal at a European Championship. It wasn’t enough to secure his team first place in Group D at Euro 2024, though.

Lewandowski had his penalty saved in the 77th minute by France goalkeeper Mike Maignan, who was adjudged to have come off his line. The Poland striker found the bottom corner with his second attempt, which was similar too his first.

France finished as runner-up to Austria in the group and will play the runner-up in Group E, which could be Belgium, Romania, Slovakia or Ukraine, in the last 16 on July 1.

France are yet to score an open-play goal at Euro 2024, having beaten Austria 1-0 on an own-goal and then drawn 0-0 with the Netherlands — when Mbappe was missing after breaking his nose against the Austrians.

Mbappe returned to the starting lineup against last-place Poland, which was already eliminated before the match began, and was clearly impaired by wearing a mask that limits his peripheral vision.

He largely kept away from overly physical challenges and didn’t compete for the ball in the air. Still, Mbappe remained France’s most dangerous attacker and finally got his first goal in six matches at the tournament — taking in four at Euro 2020 and two at Euro 2024 — after Ousmane Dembele was tripped in the area.

Mbappe played the full game, starting as a central striker before ending up on the left wing, in another unconvincing display from France — a two-time European champion and the World Cup runner-up in 2022.

‘I’d like to play forever, but...’

WE KEPT BATTLING RIGHT UNTIL THE END BUT FOOTBALL WAS MERCILESS WITH US TONIGHT —Modric

Leipzig: A standing ovation, man-of-the-match and a record. But Croatia star Luka Modric was in no mood to celebrate, regardless of the accolades, after what could have been his last appearance at a major tournament.

Modric scored against Italy to become the oldest goal-scorer ever at a European Championship. Ultimately it wasn’t enough to ensure his team stays in the competition.

Modric, who is 38 years and 289 days old, claimed the opening goal on a rebound, within a minute of having a penalty saved by Donnarumma.

The previous record was held by Ivica Vastic, who was 38 years, 257 days old when he scored for Austria against Poland at Euro 2008.

Modric received standing ovations from fans when he went off, and was applauded again when he showed up for the post-game news conference.

Modric later said Italy’s last-gasp equaliser was “cruel.” “We kept battling right until the end but unfortunately football was merciless with us tonight,” said Modric. “It was cruel... but that’s part and parcel of football.”

Modric has played 178 games for Croatia since making his debut at age 20 under Zlatko Kranjcar in 2006. The 2018 Ballon d’Or winner is playing in his fifth Euro. His goal against Italy took his tally to four goals in 16 games at the tournament. Modric has enjoyed greater success at the World Cup, leading Croatia to the final in 2018, and third place in 2022.

On Monday, one Italian journalist started by telling Modric he was one of the most magnificent players he had ever seen. He said he had no question to ask, just a request for him never to retire from playing. Modric seemed genuinely moved by the kind words.

“I’d like to keep playing forever but there will probably be a time I’ll have to hang up my boots,” Modric said, “I’ll keep playing on, I don’t know for how much longer.”

AGENCIES

Afghanistan sneak into semis amid high drama

RASHID & CO. PIP BANGLADESH BY 8 RUNS AS AUSSIES ARE ELIMINATED

FAIRYTALE RUN: Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan (right) celebrates with teammates after dismissing Bangladesh’s Rishad Hossain in Kingstown, Saint Vincent

Kingstown: Afghanistan advanced to their first-ever senior world tournament semifinal with a nerve-jangling eight-run victory over Bangladesh that eliminated mighty Australia. Amid excruciating tension at the Arnos Vale Stadium in St. Vincent, Afghan captain Rashid Khan and seamer Naveen ul Haq were the heroes as Afghanistan battled through three rain stoppages to secure a famous victory under the DLS scoring method that was sealed after 1 am local time. Defending a modest total of 115/5 on a bowler-friendly surface, Rashid finished with figures of 4/23 while Naveen took 4/26 as Bangladesh were dismissed for 105, chasing a revised target of 114 off 19 overs.

An unbeaten 54 from Bangladesh opener Litton Das threatened to deny Afghanistan’s fairytale win and earn Australia the last semifinal spot. But pacer Naveen claimed the last two wickets of Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman off consecutive deliveries to trigger delirious Afghan celebrations and leave a disconsolate Das stranded.

“We have worked so hard over the past few years and we were dreaming of this day. It’s a surreal experience,” said a relieved but delighted Naveen, the man of the match. “We always knew they were going to be coming hard at us to try to get the target in 12.1 overs but we stuck to the task.”

With India defeating Australia earlier in the day and advancing to the second semifinal against England in Guyana on Thursday, this result assured the Afghans of second spot in the group and eliminated the Aussies and Bangla- deshis. Afghanistan will now face South Africa in the first semifinal in Trinidad on Wednesday.

Earlier, leg-spinner Rishad Hossain claimed 3/26 to lead the impressive Bangladeshi bowling effort. Despite another good opening stand — 59 off 10.4 overs — the Afghans failed to capitalise on that platform with top-scorer Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s laborious 43 off 55 balls typifying the struggle.

“The belief came when we beat New Zealand,” said Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan. “We gave 100% effort to make the people back home proud.”

Brief scores: Afghanistan 115/5 (Gurbaz 43, Rishad 3-26) beat Bangladesh 105 (Litton 54*, Rashid 4-23, Naveen 4-26) by 8 runs via the DLS method. AFP

Bravo, the man behind Afghan pacers’ upswing

LENDING THE CUTTING EDGE: Afghanistan’s bowling consultant Dwayne Bravo (fourth from left) celebrates with the team

Dwaipayan.Datta@timesgroup.com

St. Lucia: If you have been following the Afghanistan roller-coaster in the last couple of games, you might have noticed one man taking walks around the ground quietly as the drama kept unfolding.

That man is Dwayne Bravo, the bowling consultant who seems to have made a world of difference to this team. Captain Rashid Khan is a white-ball legend and he doesn’t need much coaching.

But it’s the pace bowling unit that has stood up tall in this World Cup under pressure and you can clearly see some significant work has gone into it.

While left-arm pacer Fazhalhaq Farooqi with 16 wickets is still the highest wicket-taker of the tournament, against Australia in St Vincent it was mediumpacer Gulbadin Naib’s 4-20 that finally won Afghanistan the game. Add to that Naveen-ul-Haq’s 4-26 at a crucial juncture against Bangladesh, including the wickets of Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman at the end, which had Bravo written all over it.

The subtle changes of pace, the bluff that the short ball is coming and then pushing in a full delivery, the ability to bowl the wide yorker — this is something that Bravo had done all through his career right from the start in mid-2000s. He had won many games for West Indies, and over the last decade, it used to be Bravo’s pet project for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL.

The CSK fans can’t count the number of games the West Indian had won on his own at the death with his bag of tricks and now when he is retired from IPL, he works in the same way for his franchise as he is doing with the Afghan boys. It’s Bravo’s understanding of the West Indian condi- tions that he seems to have tried to drill into this team.

There’s of course Jonathan Trott, the head coach who does his job with a lot of passion and knows this team inside out, and then there’s the Bravo input. Especially for a bowling unit like Afghanistan, that sometimes lacks the experience to kill off games, let alone win it from a tight corner with the ball. It was this inexperience that had brought about their downfall in Mumbai in the ODI World Cup when Glenn Maxwell had scored 201 not out on one leg as the Aussies thrashed 202 for the eighth wicket.

“You need to have those people who remind you of the things you need to do. In the heat of the game, they forget the things that were planned for a specific batsman and DJ is always there to remind them what we had planned and what we are doing,” Rashid said.

Now, Afghanistan will take on South Africa in Bravo’s actual home, Trinidad and Tobago, in the semifinal. Bravo knows the conditions inside out.

FREEDOM SONG ON ROHIT’S LIPS

CARPE DIEM: Rohit Sharma took the attack early to Australia’s formidable bowling lineup

TIMES IN THE CARIBBEAN

The Skipper Exorcised The Ghosts Of India’s 50-Over World Cup Final Defeat With Inimitable Flamboyance & Smart Game Sense, Taking The Burden Off His Teammates In The Game Against Australia...

Dwaipayan.Datta@timesgroup.com

St. Lucia: It was the first media interaction with Rohit Sharma in this tournament, on the eve of India’s T20 World Cup opener with Ireland in New York. Normally, going into a tournament of this magnitude, you would expect a slightly cagey captain, someone holding his cards to his chest.

In a departure from the trend, though, Rohit seemed extremely frank. It seemed he was tired of carrying the burden of a defeat in the ODI final in November last year and was just happy to let himself go. When the captain says right at the beginning of the tournament that “our opening partnership won’t change through the tournament while the rest will go up and down as per necessity”, you know something has changed in Rohit.

It is this sense of freedom in every step that the Indian captain has exercised over the last one month that paid rich dividends in a game of massive significance for India. It was his 41-ball 92, easily the best innings of this World Cup by any batter, in St. Lucia on Monday that left Australia on the brink of ouster. Afghanistan’s subsequent victory over Bangladesh eventually led to Australia’s early exit.

It was the 28 that Rohit took off Mitchell Starc in the third over of the game that set the tone for this onslaught. Starc’s pace-bowling partner Josh Hazlewood doffed his hat to the effort.

“I’ve seen Rohit do that a few times now. He’s a world-class player, so if you’re a bit off your game that can happen. It just looked like he obviously targeted the boundary with the wind there for a while and then we probably reacted and then he hit a few on the other side as well. He’s a class act and you expect him to do that a couple of times through the tournament,” Hazlewood said.

Playing without any sense of inhibition is a practised art for some, but for Rohit, it comes naturally. That’s what he used to be when he was growing up as a young batter, catching the eye of one and all. Now at the twilight of his career, it is this same flamboyance that makes him look so special when it comes off.

“The idea is to be not just one-dimensional. And that is something that was going through my mind all through. I was thinking to hit the ball everywhere possible. And when you keep an open mind and not think about just playing one shot, you can open up and access all sides of the field,” Rohit said.

While run-making wasn’t exactly a piece of cake in St Lucia — the others struggled after Rohit’s departure — it was the sheer effortlessness of the skipper’s batting that kept the dugout relaxed.

Indian pacer Arshdeep Singh explained how the team feels when Rohit takes charge the way he did. “We just enjoyed it a lot. When he hits those long sixes, it doesn’t feel like he is hitting the ball. He handles the ball with love, yet it goes far,” Arshdeep said.

That’s the beauty of Rohit, who has been his own man through this World Cup. Happy, relaxed, sharing the odd laugh with people around, spending time with his family once off the field — the pressure-cooker situation of opening and leading India in an ICC tournament hasn’t bothered him. And now it’s about keeping it going for two more games. The final act of this drama demands a perfect ending.

‘Oscar, Emmy?’ Naib’s ‘cramping’ sparks controversy over delaying tactics

NOT-SO-DUMB CHARADE? With a rain break imminent, Afghan coach Trott (on top) gestures to slow down proceedings. Immediately after, Naib (above; at slip) falls clutching his thigh

Kingstown: Gulbadin Naib dramatically falling on his back, clutching his thigh after Af- ghanistan coach Jonathan Trott signalled his players to slow things down against Bangladesh caused both amusement and annoyance as former players questioned the genuineness of his discomfort.

Naib, who was fielding in the slip cordon, complained of cramps during the 12th over bowled by spinner Noor Ahmad, after Trott was seen on camera asking his players to slow down as Bangladesh had fallen behind on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern par score in the rain-hit clash.

The match saw frequent rain interruptions and Bangladesh, at that stage, were 81/7, two runs behind on the DLS par score in a revised chase of 114 in 19 overs.

“The coach sends a message out to say slow it down, slow it down and the first slip just dives on the ground needlessly. That is unacceptable. Gone off anyway. I get that might have gone off anyway for the rain,” said Simon Doull while commentating on air. Zimbabwean commentator Pommie Mbangwa quipped: “Oscar, Emmy?”

Naib was given treatment and was taken off the field by teammate Naveen ul Haq and a support staff as it started raining again and players ran to the dugout. “Kabi khushi kabi gham main huta hai (it happens sometimes when you are happy or when you are sad). Hamstring,” Naib posted on X, dotted with laughing emojis.

This was in response to a tongue-in-cheek post by India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. “Red card for Gulbadin Naib,” Ashwin had said. Former New Zealand cricketer and commentator Ian Smith said: “I’ve a dodgy knee for the last six months, I’m gonna see Gulbadin Naib’s doctor straight after the game. He’s the eighth wonder of the world right now.” PTI

Clumsy Aussies fluff their lines

ODI, Test Champs Faltered At Crucial Junctures In T20 WC

GOING, GOING, GONE... Pat Cummins walks off the field after Australia’s loss at the Sammy National Cricket Stadium in Gros Islet, Saint Lucia

Dwaipayan.Datta@timesgroup.com

St. Lucia: It’s not often that Australia are left to cheer for Bangladesh to get a passage into a semifinal of an ICC event. That’s what the Test and the ODI world champions had to do for the better part of Monday after being thrashed by India, only to find that their prayers would not be enough.

It was a disappointment that didn’t seem likely in the beginning of the tournament — Australia did look one of the most balanced outfits till a point. The first dip came against Scotland in an inconsequential group game that they managed to win but come Afghanistan and India on two completely different pitches, things unravelled very fast for the Aussies.

One of the surprising aspects of the twin losses was the way the Aussies dropped catches at crucial junctures. While a couple of missed chances and a few more lapses in the outfield hurt them badly against Afghanistan, Mitchell Marsh dropping Hardik Pandya led to India adding about 15 extra runs that proved crucial in the end.

Paceman Josh Hazlewood, who bowled decently against India, tried to explain the lapses, but you could see that he was struggling.

“I’m not sure what you could put it down to. The guys are always working as hard as ever on the fielding and training. Here we probably didn’t get as many opportunities to work on it because we were always travelling and playing. But yes, it hasn’t been good enough for the last few games in particular,” Hazlewood said.

The fact that games came back-to-back and a slight dip in intensity over 36 hours was all that was required for Australia to pack their bags and go home. But Hazlewood didn’t want to blame it on the format, saying that it ought to be cutthroat at this level.

“It’s not sudden death straight off but even South Africa, had they lost one game after winning six in a row, could have been out. That’s the nature of T20. You’ve got to be on your game every day that you turn up. So yes, it’s disappointing,” the pacer added.

The third factor that hurt Australia in both the games was their inability to chase it down at the back-end despite reaching positions of some comfort.

While against Afghanistan they needed 41 runs off six overs with five wickets in hand, in the game against India, the asking rate was in the vicinity of 10 in the last 10 with only two wickets down.

Travis Head, who was trying his best to keep Australia alive on Monday, seemed to acknowledge that they lost the match-ups between overs 14-17. “They have some good bowlers, they did well and yes, we couldn’t capitalize either,” Head said, adding that the “emotions are still pretty raw”.

It will remain that way for a while for a team that is used to winning most of the time.

‘We’ll have a new WC winner in Afghanistan’

Team’s Ex-Coach Lalchand Rajput Hails Performance After Historic Run To Semis

LALCHAND RAJPUT

Gaurav.Gupta@timesgroup.com

Mumbai: Afghanistan’s historic run into the T20 World Cup semifinal on Tuesday prompted former coach Lalchand Rajput, who has been watching his former team in action closely, to make a bold prediction.

“My gut feeling says that we’ll have a new T20 World Cup winner this time, and it will be Afghanistan. If the wicket in Trinidad for the first semifinal is slow, I would rate them as favourites to win against South Africa as they have a fabulous spin attack and the Proteas can be vulnerable against quality spin,” Rajput, who was the head coach of Afghanistan from 2017 to 2018, told TOI.

Rajput, who is currently coaching UAE, has also had stints with India and Zimbabwe. A former India opener who played two Tests and four ODIs, Rajput could see a sharp improvement in Afghanistan’s game in the last couple of years. “Before this T20 World Cup began, I had predicted that Afghanistan would upset big teams. They narrowly missed out on a few wins in the 50-over World Cup in India last year, failing to close games out. However, this year, they’re playing brilliantly. You can see the intent in their body language. They just want to do well. On the slow, turning wickets of the West Indies, their brilliant bowling is good enough to defend whatever scores their batters put up,” the 62-year-old Mumbaikar, who was coach of the MS Dhoni-led Indian team that was crowned World T20 champs in the inaugural edition in 2007 in South Africa, said.

As a budding cricketing nation, Afghanistan gained Test status back in 2017 when Rajput was in charge, but former England batsman Jonathan Trott has taken the emerging Asian cricketing power to a new level.

“Trott and Dwayne Bravo (the former West Indies allrounder is Afghanistan’s bowling coach for this T20 World Cup) have done a brilliant job.

The good thing about Afghanistan’s players is that they are very keen to learn. They’ve improved massively from when I was with them.

“Earlier, their batters would just look to smash the ball anyhow, but they have now learnt the art of building an innings. Earlier, their bowling was heavily dependent on their spinners. Now, while they still have great spinners, they’ve got two very fine fast bowlers in Naveen-ulHaq and Fazalhaq Farooqi,” Rajput analysed.

Afghanistan’s 21-run win over Australia at Kingstown in the earlier Super Eight game had left the cricketing world shocked, but Rajput wasn’t surprised. “I was sure that this was coming because they had almost beaten Australia in Mumbai, before a Glenn Maxwell special and a few dropped catches saw Australia through,” Rajput said.

GALLERY

Real Madrid captain Nacho to leave club

Madrid: Real Madrid captain Nacho Fernandez will end his career with the club less than a month after lifting the Champions League trophy in London. Madrid announced Nacho’s decision on Tuesday, about three weeks after the club defeated Borussia Dortmund at Wembley for the club’s record-extending 14th European Cup triumph. It was the sixth time Nacho won the Champions League with Madrid, and his first as captain. Nacho has won 26 trophies with Madrid, a record he shares with Luka Modric.

Djokovic to play Wimbledon only if he can ‘fight for title’: Novak Djokovic said he will only play at the upcoming Wimbledon if he is fit enough to “fight for the title”. His recovery from a recent knee surgery is going well. The seven-time champion at the All England Club was forced to withdrew ahead of his French Open quarterfinal against Casper Ruud earlier this month after tearing the medial meniscus in his right knee.

For An, Olympic medal ‘last piece of puzzle’: South Korea’s badminton world No. 1 An Se-young said that a medal at next month’s Paris Olympics will be the “final piece of the puzzle”. An has nearly won it all aged just 22 -she is the reigning world and Asian Games champion, as well as ranked No. 1. The only thing now missing is an Olympic medal, having gone out in the quarterfinals to eventual champion Chen Yufei at the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Games three years ago.

‘I see mass exodus of Caribbean players to US’: Ramnaresh Sarwan, one of the most prolific batters to have played for the West Indies, is fearful of a talent exodus of Caribbean cricketers to the USA. “I think you might find a lot of Caribbean cricketers jumping ship in terms of coming to the US and start participating in T20 and of course try and see if they could find a way in terms of becoming legal in the US and then start pushing the envelope in the US,” said Sarwan.

India to play Pakistan in women’s T20 Asia Cup opener: India will open their campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan on July 19 in the Women’s T20 Asia Cup to be held in Dambulla, Sri Lanka. The top eight teams of the continent will participate in the tournament from July 19 till July 28. This year the eight teams have been divided into two groups. The semifinals will be held on July 26 while the final is scheduled for July 28.

TNN/AGENCIES

ACTION TODAY

FOOTBALL: Euro 2024, Slovakia vs Romania; Ukraine vs Belgium, 9.30 pm; Czechia vs Turkey; Georgia vs Portugal, 12.30 am Thursday (Sony Sports)

IPS officer suspended in Mum hoarding collapse case

Mumbai: Maharashtra govt on Tuesday suspended IPS officer Quaiser Khalid from service for alleged lapses and irregularities in granting approval for the hoarding that crashed in Ghatkopar on May 13, killing 17 people and injuring over 70 others, reports Ahmed Ali.

Khalid was Govt Railway Police (GRP) commissioner when he allowed Ego Media Pvt Ltd to erect the hoarding without obtaining mandatory permission from the office of Maharashtra Director General of Police (DGP). He was subsequently issued a show-cause notice. Khalid was currently posted in the Maharashtra Protection of Civil Rights

GRP, in a report to the state home department after the hoarding crash had mentioned about the lapses on Khalid’s part, sources said. “The conduct of BMC, Khalid and Ego Media was questionable,” an officer said.

DGP Rashmi Shukla had issued a show-cause notice to Khalid asking him to explain why he allowed the hoarding without an approval.

17 of 26 PFI men get bail over RSS member’s killing

Kochi: Kerala HC on Tuesday granted bail to 17 of 26 Popular Front of India (PFI) suspects in the 2022 murder of an RSS functionary, Palakkad Sreenivasan, one of the episodes that led the Centre to ban PFI that year. NIA is handling the probe.

A bench of Justices AK Jayasankaran Nambiar and VM Syam Kumar said there were no reasonable grounds to believe the accusations against the 17 were prima facie true. The court noted that some had been in jail for over a year and some for more than two years, with no imminent conclusion to their trials in sight. The court denied bail to nine of the accused, observing the charges against them were backed by evidence.

TNN

TOI EXCLUSIVE

IOA hikes monetary awards for Paris Olympics medallists

Gold Medallist Will Get Rs 1Cr, Silver Medallist Rs 75L And Bronze Winner Rs 50L

Sabi.Hussain@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) will give away a cash award of Rs 1 crore to individual gold medal winners at the Paris Games. The silver medallists will get Rs 75 lakh and bronze medallists Rs 50 lakh, TOIhas learnt. The Games will run from July 26 to August 11.

These awards will be given over and above what the govt offers to the Olympic medallists in individual categories. According to the govt’s scheme for medal winners, an Olympic champion gets Rs 75 lakh, the silver winner Rs 50 lakh and bronze medallist Rs 30 lakh.

IOA had, for the first time, handed out cash awards in 2018 to the medal winners of the Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games: gold medallist got Rs 5 lakh, silver medallist Rs 3 lakh and bronze winner Rs 2 lakh.

Since then, IOA has been regularly rewarding the athletes. At the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, it has given Rs 75 lakh to the gold medallist, Rs 40 lakh to silver winner and Rs 25 lakh to the bronze medallist. For the Paris Games, it has announced a significant raise in the cash prizes. In the case of silver and bronze winners, the award money has been almost doubled.

MEDAL EXPECTATIONS

The IOA has put its projection count for Paris at 10 individual medals. In an interview with TOI recently, IOA president P T Usha had expressed confidence that India would finish with a double-digit medal tally. IOA is expecting Indian athletes to win at least 10 individual medals in Paris and for that, it has earmarked a budget of Rs 7 crore.

IOA has also decided to separately award the country’s men’s hockey team with a cash prize since the sport falls in the ‘teams’ category. In case the hockey team wins gold, it will be given cash prize of Rs 2 crore. For a runners-up position, the team will get Rs 1 crore and for bronze Rs 75 lakh. Recently, World Athletics (WA) had announced a cash prize of $50,000 (approx. Rs 42 lakh) for each gold medal winner at the Paris Games, a historic step for the Summer Games.

IOA has also earmarked a pocket allowance of $50 per day for each member of the Indian contingent for their stay in Paris. The allowance has been calculated for 25 days to be spent on 195 members of the contingent.

In another first, IOA will provide a cash grant to athletes and support staff going to Paris. The athletes will receive Rs 2 lakh each and the coaching and support staff Rs 1 lakh each. IOA will also bear the cost of Rs 4.40 lakh on golf bags for the four-member Indian team. IOA will also spend Rs 9 lakh on the boarding and lodging of 4P category athletes and groom of equestrian.

Delhi judoka Tulika secures Paris quota

New Delhi: Commonwealth Games silver medallist Tulika Maan on Tuesday secured a Paris Olympics quota for India in judo, according to the international body’s list.

International Judo Federation (IJF) on Tuesday published a list of judokas who have qualified for the Paris Games and 25-year-old Tulika’s name featured in the +78 kg category.

The Delhi girl was ranked 36th with 1345 points. The qualification period was between June 22, 2022 and June 23, 2024.

PTI

UNEVENTFUL CLOSURE TO A CONTROVERSIAL CAREER

Warner Finally Exits International Cricket After Oz Tumble Out Of WC

Kingstown: David Warner’s 15-year international career came to an anti-climactic end on Tuesday as Australia were dumped out of the T20 World Cup in excruciating fashion. Australia and Warner could only watch on powerless as Afghanistan instead reached the semifinals by beating Bangladesh by a nail-biting eight runs.

The 37-year-old opening batsman Warner had always said the World Cup in the United States and Caribbean would be his farewell to international cricket. He couldn’t have imagined going out quite like this.

The combative Warner stood tall at the top of the Australian order ever since his international debut in January 2009, and as opening partners came and went. He hangs up his pads as arguably Australia’s greatest three-format player. He is the country’s leading run-scorer in T20 cricket with 3,277 from 110 games.

Warner exited a glittering 112-Test career in January after plundering 8,786 runs at an average of 44.60, with a strike rate of 70.19. His One-day exploits were equally impressive, crunching 6,932 runs from 161 matches.

Warner was also one of the most consistent slip fielders in the game, whose name was among the first on the team sheet. But for all his exploits on the pitch, Warner made enemies along the way and will forever be remembered for his key role in a notorious ball-tampering scandal in 2018.

Warner was seen as the chief plotter when Cameron Bancroft used sandpaper to scuff the ball before a crude attempt to conceal the evidence down his trousers during a Test in Cape Town. Along with skipper Steve Smith, Warner was suspended for a year by Cricket Australia, stripped of the vice-captaincy and banned from ever leading the team.

Warner, who will continue to play T20 cricket in leagues around the world and will also be a commentator, admitted this month he would always be tarnished by “Sandpaper-gate”.

Warner was always an assertive presence and his involvement in “Sandpaper-gate” was not a surprise to many. In June 2013, he was suspended and fined for punching England’s Joe Root in a Birmingham bar on the eve of the Ashes. Two months earlier he was similarly contrite after an ugly Twitter spat with two Australian journalists.

Despite the controversies, he kept bouncing back.

Warner was also a part of the IPL side Sunrisers Hyderabad from 2014 till 2021, and led the franchise to its only title in 2016. He also played for Delhi Capitals.

AFP

Honour wishes of CWC on LOP post, Kharge urges Rahul

Subodh.Ghildiyal@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: The decision to name Rahul Gandhi as leader of opposition in Lok Sabha lifted the suspense on the issue that has been agitating minds in Congress since results of the 2024 elections were declared, and especially after Congress Working Committee on June 9 passed a resolution urging Rahul to take up the position.

In the meeting, Kharge had personally pushed the issue by telling Rahul that he was anyway playing the key role of mediation and coordination, and had gained the desired experience to take up the formal post. Besides, he had urged Rahul to honour the wishes of the party’s apex body.

The appointment comes in the wake of Congress being in high spirits despite losing the third consecutive election to the Modi-led BJP, encouraged by the fact that it has revived in key regions of the country and performed admirably despite the adverse circumstances of extreme polarisation, funds crunch, pressure from agencies and sidelining in media under the BJP dispensation. Besides, the strong showing and unity of the INDIA bloc has raised the prospect of a spirited fightback in the future.

As the head of a rejuvenated opposition led by a strong Congress strength, the party believes Rahul can take on Modi with a focused targeting of govt on issues of governance. The Congress leader is credited with taking on BJP at a time when regional parties were cagey about its blowback. He also put “communalism” back on centre stage in the face of popular belief that it would repel Hindu voters — as headlined by his two countrywide yatras.

His aggressive credentials have raised hopes in the party rank and file, and is also believed to have rubbed off on some allies. Rahul himself said so at a press conference last week, when he remarked, “ Earlier, only Congress was not scared of Modi, now other parties are a lso not scared of him.”

Rijiju: We want speakers to be elected via consensus

All NDA Allies Unanimously Agree On Birla

Om Birla with PM Modi in Parliamant complex on Tuesday

Continued from P1

Defence minister Rajnath Singh held several rounds of discussions with opposition leaders, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, for a consensus over the speaker’s choice. However, the opposition insisted on a commitment for the deputy speaker’s post going to one of their own. Govt, which had looked uncomfortable with the idea, did not agree to the condition saying the issue should be left for later.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said as per convention, the deputy speaker’s post was spared for the opposition, a claim refuted by NDA, which cited multiple instances under Congress regimes of both positions being held by nominees of the treasury benches.

“For the last two days, we have been in contact with main opposition parties, talked to their floor leaders regarding the post of speaker. We want speakers to be elected unopposed and through consensus. We appealed to them to support the speaker candidate but they demanded the deputy speaker’s post. We said it is not right to conduct elections for speaker and deputy speaker posts together. We request them for no election for speaker,” parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju said.

Though only the second fiddle as deputy speaker gets to preside over House proceedings in the absence of the speaker, the holder of the post can strike a discordant note for govt in a fractious Parliament.

BJP has the entire NDA flock sticking together. In contrast, TMC made public its annoyance with Congress over what it called the unilateral declaration of Suresh’s candidature.

JD(U) leader and Union minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh ‘Lalan’ said Birla’s name was decided unanimously by all NDA parties. After the decision, Birla called on PM Modi, who was present in Parliament. Later, home minister Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, BJP president J P Nadda and NDA leaders handed over Birla’s nomination papers to Lok Sabha secretary general Utpal Kumar Singh.

If the opposition insists on a division during the election on Wednesday, votes will be cast on paper slips as the electronic display system cannot be used because members of the new House are yet to be allotted seats.

Idea was to provide juvenile offenders platform to showcase abilities: Official

I have found my target in life, said an inmate who stood 150th among 800 contestants at an archery competition in Gujarat

Continued from P1

In 2022, Akaash had been caught stealing. Like most juveniles sucked into crime, he was clueless about where his life was headed. Children in Need of Care and Protection (CNCP), a pioneering initiative involving state-run juvenile shelters in Hyderabad, helped him find his calling in carrom. “I used to live with my stepmother, who would abuse me every day. I fled home and got into crime. Also, am glad I got caught. Else, my life would never take such a turn,” Aakash told TOI.

He isn’t the only one. Until early 2023, 16-year-old Ahmed was a child labourer forced to toil in a Maharashtra town. After being rescued, the teenager discovered he had a talent for archery. A year later, he is a national-level archer representing Telangana in his age group.

“I have found my target in life in more ways than one,” said Ahmed, who finished 150th among 800 contestants at a recent archery championship in Gujarat.

Archery and basketball coaches training these children say many are so talented that it seems a travesty they weren’t discovered earlier. On average, they spend at least three hours daily honing their skills.

“These children, most of whom wouldn’t talk to anyone and were prone to getting into fights, are now disciplined, calmer and friendlier. While everyone is encouraged to play, we focus on building teams that can participate in tournaments. Se- lection is done through fitness tests and structured screening,” said Hema Latha, an archery coach.

Mirza Raza Ali Baig, deputy director of the department of correctional services in Telangana, said the idea was to provide juvenile offenders and rescued children a platform to showcase their abilities.

“Some children have picked up photography, coding and 3D printing. Since majority of them come from broken families, this helps them appreciate teamwork, build self-esteem, and fight depression, loneliness and anger,” said Arun Daniel Yellamaty, founder of the Youngistaan Foundation.

Test expenses to be recovered from solver gangs under UP law

The ordinance authorises permanent blacklisting of involved companies and service providers for paper leaks

Continued from P1

Under the new Uttar Pradesh Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Ordinance, 2024, those responsible for paper leaks leading to exam cancellations will have to pay the costs incurred by govt in conducting the exams.

Apart from mandating recovery of exam expenses from solver gangs, the ordinance authorises permanent blacklisting of involved companies and service providers. It also allows for the attachment of properties and imposes stringent bail conditions for the accused. The ordinance covers public service recruitment, regularisation, promotion exams, and entrance exams for degrees, diplomas, and other courses, a govt spokesperson said.

Distributing fake exam papers and creating bogus employment websites are also punishable under the ordinance, with guilty parties facing a minimum two-year jail term, extending to life imprisonment, and fines of Rs 1 crore.

The move followed controversies surrounding the cancellation of several exams, including NEET-PG and UGCNET 2024, due to alleged paper leaks. UP govt recently cancelled its police recruitment exams held on Feb 17 and 18, following paper leak allegations, leading to the dismissal of Uttar Pradesh Police Recruitment Board chairperson Renuka Mishra. Over 48 lakh candidates had taken this exam. UP govt also cancelled the preliminary exam for review officers and assistant review officers amid similar allegations. Investigations are ongoing.

Co-inventor of DLS, Frank Duckworth passes away at 84

New Delhi:One of the inventors of Duckworth-Lewis system which later became known as Duckworth-LewisStern, Frank Duckworth passed away at the age of 84.

ESPNcricinfo reported that Duckworth passed away on June 21. DLS is a method that is used to determine results in rain-affected cricket matches. The original method was made by English statisticians Duckworth and Tony Lewis. It was used for the first time in international cricket in 1997. The method was officially used by ICC as the standard for setting revised targets in 2001.

PTI

Delhi Times

- Being a mom has given me a sense of purpose: Sushmita

- MY CHARACTER IS MOST IMPORTANT, THE DIRECTOR COMES LATER: CHHAYA

- ISN’T #3 BETTER FOR VIRAT, ASK FANS AFTER DISMAL RUN

- SONAM JOINS ROSAMUND PIKE AT PARIS COUTURE WEEK

- HEY BABY!

- BUZZ STOP

- Jaideep Ahlawat loses 26 kilos, shows off body transformation

- The sisterhood of travelling stars

- TRIPPIN

- INDIAN CELEBS DAZZLE AT PARIS COUTURE WEEK

- I WANT TO DO DIVERSE ROLES & LEARN WITH EACH FILM: CHHAYA

- Pirates of the Caribbean actor dies in shark attack

Being a mom has given me a sense of purpose: Sushmita

Sushmita with her daughters Renee and Alisah

Onkar Kulkarni

Sushmita Sen’s elder daughter Renee turns 25 this September. A proud mother of two – Renee and Alisah – the actress wants to give herself a pat on her back as she looks back at her journey as a mother. Sushmita, who has been a single parent to her two adopted daughters, says, “I want to give myself a pat on my back as a mother everyday. That’s self-love. I am not someone who has to be told ki aap kitni achchi maa hai. I already know that (smiles)! Being a parent was a different experience at different age groups. It was challenging throughout because I have done it alone. And so, the perception that ‘Oh! She is Sushmita Sen, and she can do it,’ is not true. It is harder to be me and do it. It has been a very gratifying experience. I often say that I am as old as my children, so it is not like I know more than them; I am learning everyday with them.”

Talking about how motherhood changed her, Sushmita, who stepped into the OTT space with projects like Aarya and Taali, shares, “Being a mother has given me a sense of purpose. It’s far greater than being a creative artiste and far greater than anything else I have done in my life. It gives me this feeling that something will live on as love after you are done and dusted.”

MY CHARACTER IS MOST IMPORTANT, THE DIRECTOR COMES LATER: CHHAYA

For me, the most important thing is my character; the director or production house comes later. I want to do different characters, and I want to get a chance to learn with every film. Otherwise, it will be like picking the same character and pasting it in every film

CHHAYA KADAM

Niharika Lal

When Chhaya Kadam attended Cannes this year, she debuted with a double punch: All We Imagine As Light in the main competition and Sister Midnight in the Directors’ Fortnight. While Payal Kapadia’s debut became the first Indian film to be awarded a Grand Prix, the films at Cannes are not the only ones that have captured Kadam’s versatility so far. With small roles in hits like Jawan, Andhadhun, and Sairat, Kadam often leaves audiences scratching their heads, trying to recognise her from one film to the next.

She recalled an incident where, upon exiting one of her screenings, she was asked, “How was the film?” because the questioner didn’t recognise her. However, her recent role as Manju Mai in Laapataa Ladies and her dialogues became so viral that now she’s even stopped at grocery stores by fans eager to recite her lines from the film. In a chat at the MIFF closing ceremony, Chhaya spoke to us about her Cannes debut, Laapataa Ladies, and how she picks her roles.

CONTINUED ON 4

Chhaya Kadam’s depiction of Manju Mai in Laapataa Ladies has a fan-following of its own

Talk of the town

ISN’T #3 BETTER FOR VIRAT, ASK FANS AFTER DISMAL RUN

‘IMPATIENT, HAS NOT LIVED UP TO HIS POTENTIAL, BUT JUDGED TOO HARSHLY’

There will be ups and downs. Poor form could even be due to food, weather, and, most importantly, the pitch

— Gokulnath, a cricket fan from Chennai

“Virat should revisit the innings Sachin played in Sydney where he did not play a single cover drive. Observe the self control he had. It was a test match but it is a lesson in cricket. I think Virat is being too impatient and should try and settle down before trying to attack.”

— Saquib Shahnawaz, a working professional, Kolkata

“I feel we are being too harsh on Virat. Before the IndiaAustralia match, we were saying similar things about Rohit Sharma but he silenced his critics. Virat is a big match player and his class is permanent. I am sure he will regain his form and perform well in the semi-final.

Also, let us not forget that he played a crucial innings (37 off 28 balls) in our victory over Bangladesh, which was an important match.”

— Gunjan Sawant, a corporate professional, Ahmedabad

“I get that he is among the most important players but we need to remember that this is a World Cup and we cannot afford to give chances to someone who is out of form. Why do we have to get him to open with Rohit Sharma? Yashasvi Jaiswal is on the bench. Why not give him a chance?”

— Adarsha Chatterjee, a freelancer, Pune

“Virat is a champion cricketer, but he can’t be expected to be the shining star in every match. Cricket is a team sport and maybe this time it’s someone else’s turn to step up. Don’t forget that Virat is the highest runscorer in T20 World Cup history!”

– Adarsh Balakrishna, actor, Hyderabad

“His slow batting was criticised in IPL but still he was the highest scorer and improved his strike rate considerably in the later phase of IPL.

It’s true that Kohli has not lived up to his potential and there is no specific reason. Maybe #3 would have been a better batting position for him on these slow pitches to build the innings. He is a big match player, and he is going to perform in the semis/finals. This might be the last time we are seeing the King in India colours in T20 format and let’s just celebrate the man.”

— Ananda S Choudhuri, actor, Kolkata

– Inputs by Soumitra Das, Shourya Jha, Fahad Hussain, Priyanka Goud and Ruman Ganguly

SONAM JOINS ROSAMUND PIKE AT PARIS COUTURE WEEK

While B-Town celebrities like Janhvi Kapoor and Radhika Apte walked the ramp for a showcase, fashionista Sonam Kapoor was seen at Paris Couture Week in the company of Gone Girl star Rosamund Pike

P3

HEY BABY!

MINDY KALING IS A MOM OF THREE!

The actor, 45, revealed via a new Instagram post that she welcomed her third child in February 2024 after a secret pregnancy. “In late February I gave birth to my daughter, Anne. She’s the best birthday present I could’ve ever imagined,” Kaling wrote

BUZZ STOP

ELON WELCOMES HIS 12TH CHILD

ELON MUSK has confirmed that he and Neuralink executive Shivon Zilis welcomed their third child together earlier this year. This makes it Musk’s 12th child. Elon Musk’s children include twins, triplets, and X Æ A-Xii and Exa Dark Sideræl.

Jaideep Ahlawat loses 26 kilos, shows off body transformation

Jaideep Ahlawat on Monday shared the journey of his physical transformation on social media, revealing that he has lost 26kg in five months. Posting before-and-after photos on Instagram, he wrote, “From 109.7kg to 83kg in 5 months (sic)”. Ahlawat had gained the weight for a project and losing the flab was a challenge he had taken up for another role, he revealed in the post.

Director Siddharth Malhotra praised the actor, commenting, “Bhai the dedication and devotion you have put and given to this role and character can’t be put in words ! Always indebted to you (sic)”.

Jaideep Ahlawat; (right) the before-and-after photos he shared onInstagram

POV

The sisterhood of travelling stars

Veteran actress Asha Parekh recently posted a series of photos from a Kashmir vacation with friends and colleagues Helen and Waheeda Rahman. The three of them are evidently living it up, sharing meals and posing for photos in the resplendent interiors of a houseboat. You cannot but melt into a smile at the captions #FriendsForEver and #FunTime. Elsewhere, Deepti Naval and Dimple Kapadia are living it up while on holiday in Manali. What is it about these holiday snapshots, of moments and coffee shared by friends in the autumn of their lives that leaves us with that warm, fuzzy feeling that no hashtag can ever capture? Perhaps it has got to do with the fact these images are unfiltered, with no strings attached, no agenda. They are not about giving us friendship goals or offering us teasers to any “exquisite property” overlooking the snow caps.

These women could not really care less about likes or shares, neither are they interested in telling you more than what you need to know about their holiday plans or personal lives (the comments section make it evident).

It is perhaps best to take these images for what they are. Women bonding, enjoying the little joys of life – whether it is a cup of tea or laughing their heads off over silly jokes. But the extra love coming their way is also because we are perhaps accustomed to see stars of a certain vintage fade away.

The film industry has not always been kind to the amazing women who captured our imagination and ruled our hearts. A lot about their personal life has been shrouded in secrecy and silence as their betrayal, struggle, heartbreak made it to gossip columns or in some cases, powerful films. As Zeenat Aman has often indicated in her many notes, some scars are visible, some are not. And while the newer generation of tech and career savvy women seem more surefooted in the industry, to see the women of a certain era, enjoy their time in the sun, makes us happy.

Medical science has added years to our life. But the trick is to find how to add some life to those years. Someone could ask the ladies in the houseboat perhaps?

Agree? Disagree? Got a POV idea? Write to us at: pov@timesgroup.com

TRIPPIN

SAMANTHA RUTH PRABHU is on a muchdeserved getaway in Scotland. She posted photos of herself wielding a sword and shield, enjoying the countryside

INDIAN CELEBS DAZZLE AT PARIS COUTURE WEEK

For her runway debut at the Paris Haute Couture Week, Janhvi wore a sequinned bustier top with a textured mermaid skirt

While Janhvi Kapoor and Radhika Apte walked the ramp at the Paris Haute Couture Week 2024, Sonam Kapoor and Preity Zinta were in attendance

Radhika Apte showcased two looks on the runway, one of them was an azure multilayered and multi-dimensional ensemble

Sonam Kapoor donned a rich brown leather jacket which she paired with a grey wool skirt, and a navy tie

Preity Zinta was spotted among the guests at a fashion show

I WANT TO DO DIVERSE ROLES & LEARN WITH EACH FILM: CHHAYA

At present, people are talking about my good films. But the good films I did were possible because of the other films I worked on. Unki badaulat hi aaj main achhi film kar rahi hoon

Chhaya Kadam and the cast of All We Imagine As Light didn’t just attend the film’s screening at Cannes, they also broke into a celebratory dance on the red carpet

CONTINUED FROM 1

‘EVERYBODY WHO WORKS IN FILMS MUST ATTEND THE CANNES FILM FEST’

Recalling her Cannes visit, Chhaya says, “As an actor, after attending Cannes, I feel that everybody who works in films must attend Cannes. Film ho toh bahut hi badi baat hai, film na bhi ho toh bhi jaana chahiye. Jab filmon se pyaar karne wale log wahan ikattha hote hain toh, woh filmon ka shehar ban jaata hai. When the film was selected, it was decided that we’d go to Cannes.”

After the Grand Prix was announced, Chhaya said at the press conference that she knew they would win. How did she have that confidence? Chhaya says, “I don’t know where I got that confidence from. But I had that confidence in our film. Cannes jaane ke pehle itna (darr) tha. Main pehli baar out of India itni door gayi. Toh mujhe yeh bahut doubt tha ki mujhe samajh aayega na? Language problem bhi thi. Par doston ne kaha, kuch nahi, tu ja.”

Talking about her role, she says, “All We Imagine As Light is a story of three women. Usually, in films, women are shown at loggerheads, but this film is about three different women and their friendship. It’s about Mumbai. Mumbai ek aisa shehar hai jahan kahan-kahan se log aate hain aur bas jaate hain. Yeh film unki kahani hai. I played the role of Parvati, a woman from Konkan who stays in Mumbai. When I learnt about Parvati’s role, I realised that I had Parvati in me and felt that it was written for me.”

‘I’LL NEVER SAY, MAINE KYA BAKWAS FILM KI THI. NAHI. USS WAQT MERE LIYE WOH BAHUT IMPORTANT FILM THI’

Over the years, Kadam has played strong women characters in Marathi films such as Naani in Fandry (2013), Suman Akka in Sairat (2016), and Chandrakka in Nude (2018). Talking about how she chooses scripts, she says, “For me, the most important thing is my character; the director or production house comes later. I want to do diverse characters, and I want to get a chance to learn with every film. Sometimes, there is a good script, sometimes there are good people, and sometimes it’s about the bank balance. Sometimes, I also feel like, why did I do this film? At present, people are talking about my good films. But the good films I did were possible because of the other films I worked in. Un filmon ne mujhe uss waqt support kiya financially. Unki badaulat hi aaj main achhi film kar rahi hoon. I’ll never say, maine kya bakwas film ki thi. Nahi. Uss waqt mere liye woh bahut important thi. Uss waqt uss kaam ke liye bhi maine utni hi koshish ki thi.”

‘During the Laapataa Ladies audition I kept saying, ‘Yeh log Marathi actress kyun lenge?’’

Her dialogues as Manju Mai in Laapataa Ladies went viral soon after the film’s release. Chhaya says, “Sonu Anand, the dialect trainer, worked really hard with us so we got the dialect right. Har language mein ek lehja hota hai, woh karne mein bahut maza aata hai. Lekin Laapataa ke waqt mujhe thoda darr tha. Tab tak maine jo Hindi filmein ki thi, unmein mera role Maharashtrian hota tha. But this character (in Laapataa Ladies) was from UP. So I was like, I don’t want to get caught. In fact, I used to say, ‘Yeh log Marathi actress kyun lenge?’ (for the role). But I’m grateful to Kiran Rao and Aamir Khan that they thought I could do this character.”

Chhaya as Manju Mai in Laapataa Ladies

Pirates of the Caribbean actor dies in shark attack

In Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Tamayo Perry played one of the pirates

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides actor and surfer Tamayo Perry, 49, died in a shark attack while surfing near the north shore of the Hawaiian island of Oahu on Sunday, officials said.

In addition to the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean film, Perry played small but significant roles in films like Blue Crush and Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, and TV shows such as Hawaii Five-0 and Lost. Agencies

Table of Contents

TOI Print Edition Jun 26, 2024

Front Page

NDA sticks with Birla, Congress picks Suresh for 4th-ever Speaker contest

Rain likely in city for next 6 days

21 yrs after suicide, 10-yr jail for 3 cops

Liquor shops at IGI for domestic flyers

Drunk official runs over woman, 2 kids

Senior Akali netas ask Badal to quit

J&K HC Bar Assn ex-chief held for lawyer’s murder

Porsche crash case: HC directs release of teen

2 women ‘wed’ in a traditional ceremony in Ggn

PM: Emergency mindset still alive in Cong

In his first constitutional post, Rahul to be LS leader of oppn

Health cover users borrow to pay med bills

Sensex breaches 78k mark for 1st time, Nifty at record high as bank stocks surge

HIV+ serial bride triggers hunt for ‘husbands’

Hyderabad juvenile homes churn out sports champs

HC allows ED plea, stays bail by lower court to Kejriwal

2 major fires in city, 4 of family dead in W Delhi

Atishi in hosp, calls off hunger strike on 5th day

After 12-yr confinement, Assange to be a free man

UP OKs strict law on exam leaks: Life term & `1cr fine

Times Nation

MP ministers to now pay income tax

Fight over berths on Doon Exp

Doc saves toddler with CPR at Taj

Revolt in SAD: Netas ask Badal to quit, loyalists slam ‘BJP plot’

Modi likely to visit Russia for annual summit next month

J&K Bar Assn ex-chief held for killing of lawyer by terrorists

Prajwal booked in new case, potency test likely on bro

Porsche teen’s remand illegal, says Bombay HC, orders his release

‘Serial bride’ tests HIV+ve, 2 states mount ‘groom’ hunt

Man with a drive: From earning `1,500 a month to `36cr a yr

Congress showing ‘old mentality’ of ‘dictating terms’: NDA on oppn’s fight for Speaker post

No justification for charging toll if roads are not in good condition, says Gadkari

Jumbo comes in contact with low-hanging wire, dies

Must invest in military revamp amid global turmoil: IAF chief

Amid Agniveer review, Army rolls out phase-II of recruitment process

21 yrs after death in custody, 10-yr jail for 3 UP cops

FIR against 2 UP cops after 2 brothers die in police custody

Flash floods, landslide wreak havoc in HP, block highway

EAM meets new China envoy, discusses ‘stabilisation’ of ties

Goa to allow booze sale near schools, places of worship

Cong still driven by mindset that imposed Emergency: PM

MAJESTIC ENTRY

Cong may seek vote division only if TMC offers support

Fearing public thrashing, Indira had planned to flee: Annamalai

TMC unhappy with Cong but likely to back Speaker pick

Pawar: Didn’t want fight but should have got dy Speaker post

Modi remained incognito for entire duration of Emergency

Cong held both Speaker, deputy post in Nehru & Indira era: BJP

Constitution in hand, Rahul, Akhilesh and others make a point

For Ram to Hindu Rashtra to Palestine, slogans create storm in teacup

After campaign dare by rival, MP takes LS oath in English

Can’t call a man ‘enemy’ for working in Pak, says HC, junks property case

10 TN fishermen held by Lankan navy, trawler seized

Bro, cousin held for killing woman over her marriage

Drunk official mows down 3 in U’khand

Govt may alter income criteria for MIG urban housing sop

MoD inks deal for building miniature satellite for IAF

Exam reforms panel gets moving with eye on ‘tamper-proof’ system

2nd Maha ZP teacher held in NEET leak case, hunt on for ITI instructor

In cruel twist, it’s those who cleared exam now getting sleepness nights

Govt likely to go for JEE-style online test format for exams

Proxy solver, caught at Bihar exam centre, let go with written apology

Hazaribag NEET-UG coordinator junks leak charges

Times City

Protest forces MCD to halt demolition at mosque

Atishi Hospitalised On 5th Day Of Hunger Stir

25-year-old man tries to extort jewellers in Mayur Vihar, held

Forest dept acts as more peacocks die at Air Force stn

ACB arrests labour welfare official over bribery

HC: Interim Bail Not On Merit, But For LS Polls

AAP to challenge HC’s order staying bail, BJP welcomes it

Scent of coexistence: Manipur’s women find hope and empowerment in Delhi

Excise policy: CBI examines CM in Tihar, records statement

Decide Jain bail plea without ‘unnecessary adjournment’: SC

Solemnised by rituals & blessed by families, Anju ‘weds’ Kavita

Jamia docs restore boy’s ability to eat

Blame it on humidity: Temp down, discomfort isn’t

Flood Of Doubts After Torrid, Parched Summer

Apocalypse again? Once drowned, they are forever shy

1 convicted of power theft:

Kabul hai! Afghan refugees accept cricketing history with glee

Stump-tailed macaque born at zoo

Over 100 evacuated after fire at Safdarjung hosp

Pushed off moving bus, DJB staffer dies

Short-circuit: Fire at house in Dwarka kills couple, 2 sons

Cheer For Domestic Flyers, 2 Liquor Shops At IGIA Soon

BTech grad, rapper by day, robber at night — and now with rapsheet

Inter-City Buses Entering Capital To Switch To Cleaner Fuels By Year-End

Bharadwaj reiterates 1,100 trees felled at LG’s behest, cites email

UP cabinet okays DPR for extension of Noida Metro’s Aqua Line

Times Ascent

What Business Leaders Can Learn From Sporting Arena

Times Global

Assange To Plead Guilty To Be Free, Ending Standoff With US

Zelensky ousts top gen accused of causing excessive troop casualties

EU charges MS with antitrust violations over Teams bundling

Kenyans protesting tax hikes set sections of parliament ablaze, several shot dead by police

Anti-terror drive to be intensified, no new military offensive: Pak PM

China lunar probe back on Earth with world’s 1ˢᵗ samples from far side of the moon

AROUND THE WORLD

Conservatives seize stronghold from Trudeau’s party in by-poll

Israeli SC orders army to draft ultra-Orthodox men, rattling Bibi govt

US surgeon general declares gun violence a public health emergency

Times Business

Water crisis may hit sovereign credit health: Moody’s

UltraTech revises its offer for UAE-based co

Realty co Sattva lines up `14k cr investment

Chennai’s Rocketlane raises $24mn in AI push

Maruti Ispat to invest `2k cr to boost mfg

Adani CFO: Sebi notices procedural

Moving towards 8% growth, RBI to focus on inflation: Das

Telcos place `11k cr bids for spectrum

Global tyre makers to invest for mfg in India

Industry seeks tax cuts, rationalisation of duties

Digit’s tool to check gadgets’ AI capability

After $430bn rout, Nvidia shares take a breather

Cash less... Health cover users borrow to pay bills

Sebi revises norms for exchanges

Ambuja & other promoter of cement co Sanghi to sell 4%

Sensex surge ‘driven by both foreign, domestic fund buying’

Editorial

CONTRAPUNTO

Khela Hobe Na

Warring. Worrying Bibi

Liberal paradox

WHAT ASSANGE FREED

‘No EVM can be hacked. An embedded programme fused on the processor can’t be changed from outside’

Meditation Could Be An Antidote To Drugs

Sacred space

Times Techies

TECH I’D LIKE TO SEE

How NatWest’s India GCC is helping transform the bank

BUILDING AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE DEVICES

GLOSSARY OF IN-GROUP TERMS USED

From curing toothache to helping develop drugs

Integrate data sources to become a sustainable biz

CAREER LADDER FOR WOMEN

Times Sport

SAGNOL REJECTS TALK OF POLITICAL INTERFERENCE

ITALY TURN BACK CLOCK

RESERVES KEEP SPAIN TRAIN ROLLING

Belgium aim to emerge top of four-way Group E scrap

Brazil still unable to get the best out of Vinicius

Late Sabitzer strike sees Austria top group

Resurgent Rodriguez inspires Colombia to win over Paraguay

Mbappe scores but France held 1-1

‘I’d like to play forever, but...’

Afghanistan sneak into semis amid high drama

Bravo, the man behind Afghan pacers’ upswing

FREEDOM SONG ON ROHIT’S LIPS

‘Oscar, Emmy?’ Naib’s ‘cramping’ sparks controversy over delaying tactics

Clumsy Aussies fluff their lines

‘We’ll have a new WC winner in Afghanistan’

GALLERY

IPS officer suspended in Mum hoarding collapse case

17 of 26 PFI men get bail over RSS member’s killing

IOA hikes monetary awards for Paris Olympics medallists

Delhi judoka Tulika secures Paris quota

UNEVENTFUL CLOSURE TO A CONTROVERSIAL CAREER

Honour wishes of CWC on LOP post, Kharge urges Rahul

Rijiju: We want speakers to be elected via consensus

Idea was to provide juvenile offenders platform to showcase abilities: Official

Test expenses to be recovered from solver gangs under UP law

Co-inventor of DLS, Frank Duckworth passes away at 84

Delhi Times

Being a mom has given me a sense of purpose: Sushmita

MY CHARACTER IS MOST IMPORTANT, THE DIRECTOR COMES LATER: CHHAYA

ISN’T #3 BETTER FOR VIRAT, ASK FANS AFTER DISMAL RUN

SONAM JOINS ROSAMUND PIKE AT PARIS COUTURE WEEK

HEY BABY!

BUZZ STOP

Jaideep Ahlawat loses 26 kilos, shows off body transformation

The sisterhood of travelling stars

TRIPPIN

INDIAN CELEBS DAZZLE AT PARIS COUTURE WEEK

I WANT TO DO DIVERSE ROLES & LEARN WITH EACH FILM: CHHAYA

Pirates of the Caribbean actor dies in shark attack